Bonhams : the Zoute Sale

Estimated : € 120.000 - 160.000

Sold for € 189.750

 

Zoute Grand Prix 2018

Knokke - Zoute

België - Belgium

October 2018

 

'We claimed 120 mph (for the XK 120), a speed unheard of for a production car in those days.' - William Heynes, Chief Engineer, Jaguar Cars.

 

Conceived and constructed in but a few months, the XK120 debuted at the 1948 Earls Court Motor Show where the stunning-looking roadster caused a sensation, the resulting demand for what was then the world's fastest production car taking Jaguar by surprise. With orders rolling in apace, Jaguar had no choice but to think again about the XK120's method of construction. The work of Jaguar boss William Lyons himself and one of the most beautiful shapes ever to grace a motor car, the body had been conceived as a coachbuilt, aluminium panelled structure for the simple reason that Jaguar expected to sell no more than 200 XK120s in the first year! In conjunction with the Pressed Steel Fisher Company a new all-steel panelled body was developed, which retained the fabulous looks of the coachbuilt original while differing in minor external details. Beneath the skin the steel car was entirely different and it would take some 20 months of development before manufacture could begin.

The XK120's heart was, of course, the fabulous XK engine, which had been developed during the war and was intended for Jaguar's forthcoming Mark VII saloon. A 3.4-litre 'six' embodying the best of modern design, it boasted twin overhead camshafts running in an aluminium-alloy cylinder head, seven main bearings and a maximum output of 160bhp. It went into a chassis that was essentially a shortened version of the simultaneously announced Mark V saloon's, featuring William Heynes' torsion bar independent front suspension. Jaguar lost no time in demonstrating that the XK120's claimed top speed was no idle boast. In May 1949, on the Jabbeke to Aeltre autoroute, an example with its hood and side screens in place recorded a speed of 126mph and 132mph with the hood and windscreen detached and an under-tray fitted.

 

The XK120 set new standards of comfort, roadholding and performance for British sports cars and, in keeping with the Jaguar tradition, there was nothing to touch it at the price. Coupé and drophead coupé versions followed, and for customers who found the standard car too slow, there was the Special Equipment (SE) package which boosted power to 180bhp. With either engine and regardless of the type of bodywork, the XK120 was a genuine 120mph car capable of sustained high-speed cruising.

 

The XK120 was produced until 1954 and would prove to be the most popular of the XK series, with 12,078 examples built, of which only 709 were left-hand drive SE dropheads like that offered here. Introduced in 1953, late in the XK120 production run, the drophead coupé is considered by many enthusiasts to be best of the breed, retaining the original open roadster's lines while boasting much greater practicality and refinement courtesy of its wind-up windows, opening quarter lights, heater, improved ventilation and a permanently attached lined Mohair hood, all of which had been first appeared on the fixed head coupé in 1951.

 

This car was built on 23rd June 1953 to be shipped to the USA for delivery to Jaguar's West Coast distributor Hornburg in Los Angeles, California. Its original colour scheme was Birch Grey with red interior.

 

The car's history is not known prior to 2003 when it was found in a barn and purchased as a restoration project by a Dutchman from Hengelo, which is where the current vendor first encountered it. He was very keen on buying the XK because the car was very straight, highly original, and retained matching numbers. The owner did not want to sell but eventually, in 2006, the Jaguar was sold to a Mr van Rossum in Holland.

 

Mr van Rossum had the car treated to a complete 'last nut and bolt' restoration to concours standards, albeit at a relaxed tempo. The colour was changed to the current beautiful dark blue while the interior was completely re-upholstered in burgundy – a most handsome colour combination. This XK120 went to various different restorers because it was never 'good enough'; the owner being perfectionist wanted to have the best of the best – an approach that has its price and is time consuming. It is for that reason that it took him so long to get the car finished.

 

In 2012, the Jaguar was registered again for road use, though Mr van Rossum hardly drove it. Three years and a few kilometres later, in 2015, he decided to sell the car to the current owner. The latter advises us that the XK has been driven only some 3,000 kilometres since the restoration's completion in 2012. According to him, the car is still in the same concours condition as when it finished restoration. It still presents beautifully and is said by the vendor to be mechanically in top condition. Offered with a Jaguar Heritage Trust Certificate, this must be one of the best XK120s currently available.

The Cooper Car Company is a car manufacturer founded in December 1947[1] by Charles Cooper and his son John Cooper. Together with John's boyhood friend, Eric Brandon, they began by building racing cars in Charles's small garage in Surbiton, Surrey, England, in 1946. Through the 1950s and early 1960s they reached motor racing's highest levels as their rear-engined, single-seat cars altered the face of Formula One and the Indianapolis 500, and their Mini Cooper dominated rally racing. Due in part to Cooper's legacy, Great Britain remains the home of a thriving racing industry, and the Cooper name lives on in the Cooper versions of the Mini production cars that are still built in England, but are now owned and marketed by BMW.

 

The first cars built by the Coopers were single-seat 500-cc Formula Three racing cars driven by John Cooper and Eric Brandon, and powered by a JAP motorcycle engine. Since materials were in short supply immediately after World War II, the prototypes were constructed by joining two old Fiat Topolino front-ends together. According to John Cooper, the stroke of genius that would make the Coopers an automotive legend—the location of the engine behind the driver—was merely a practical matter at the time. Because the car was powered by a motorcycle engine, they believed it was more convenient to have the engine in the back, driving a chain. In fact there was nothing new about 'mid' engined racing cars but there is no doubt Coopers led the way in popularizing what was to become the dominant arrangement for racing cars.

 

Called the Cooper 500, this car's success in hillclimbs and on track, including Eric winning the 500 race at one of the first postwar meetings at Gransden Lodge Airfield, quickly created demand from other drivers (including, over the years, Stirling Moss, Peter Collins, Jim Russell, Ivor Bueb, Ken Tyrrell, and Bernie Ecclestone) and led to the establishment of the Cooper Car Company to build more. The business grew by providing an inexpensive entry to motorsport for seemingly every aspiring young British driver, and the company became the world's first and largest postwar, specialist manufacturer of racing cars for sale to privateers.

 

Cooper built up to 300 single-and twin-cylinder cars during the 1940s and 1950s,[2] and dominated the F3 category, winning 64 of 78 major races between 1951 and 1954. This volume of construction was unique and enabled the company to grow into the senior categories; With a modified Cooper 500 chassis, a T12 model, Cooper had its first taste of top-tier racing when Harry Schell qualified for the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix. Though Schell retired in the first lap, this marked the first appearance of a rear-engined racer at a Grand Prix event since the end of WWII.

 

The front-engined Formula Two Cooper Bristol model was introduced in 1952. Various iterations of this design were driven by a number of legendary drivers – among them Juan Manuel Fangio and Mike Hawthorn – and furthered the company's growing reputation by appearing in Grand Prix races, which at the time were run to F2 regulations. Until the company began building rear-engined sports cars in 1955, they really had not become aware of the benefits of having the engine behind the driver. Based on the 500-cc cars and powered by a modified Coventry Climax fire-pump engine, these cars were called "Bobtails". With the center of gravity closer to the middle of the car, they found it was less liable to spins and much more effective at putting the power down to the road, so they decided to build a single-seater version and began entering it in Formula 2 races.

 

Rear-engined revolution[edit]

 

Cooper T39/Climax cars Goodwood 30 May 1955, Equipe Endeavour Chief Mechanic John Crosthwaite facing cars

 

1956 Silverstone GP Formula 2 race winner Roy Salvadori with foot on tyre of Cooper T41

Jack Brabham raised some eyebrows when he took sixth place at the 1957 Monaco Grand Prix in a rear-engined Formula 1 Cooper. When Stirling Moss won the 1958 Argentine Grand Prix in Rob Walker's privately entered Cooper and Maurice Trintignant duplicated the feat in the next race at Monaco, the racing world was stunned and a rear-engined revolution had begun. The next year, 1959, Brabham and the Cooper works team became the first to win the Formula One World Championship in a rear-engined car. Both team and driver repeated the feat in 1960, and every World Champion since has been sitting in front of his engine.

 

The little-known designer behind the car was Owen Maddock, who was employed by Cooper Car Company.[3] Maddock was known as 'The Beard' by his workmates, and 'Whiskers' to Charles Cooper. Maddock was a familiar figure in the drivers' paddock of the 1950s in open-neck shirt and woolly jumper and a prime force behind the rise of British racing cars to their dominant position in the 1960s. Describing how the revolutionary rear-engined Cooper chassis came to be, Maddock explained, "I'd done various schemes for the new car which I'd shown to Charlie Cooper. He kept saying 'Nah, Whiskers, that's not it, try again.' Finally, I got so fed up I sketched a frame in which every tube was bent, meant just as a joke. I showed it to Charlie and to my astonishment he grabbed it and said: 'That's it!' " Maddock later pioneered one of the first designs for a honeycomb monocoque stressed skin composite chassis, and helped develop Cooper's C5S racing gearbox.

 

Brabham took one of the championship-winning Cooper T53 "Lowlines" to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a test in 1960, then entered the famous 500-mile race in a larger, longer, and offset car based on the 1960 F1 design, the unique Type T54. Arriving at the Speedway 5 May 1961, the "funny" little car from Europe was mocked by the other teams, but it ran as high as third and finished ninth. It took a few years, but the Indianapolis establishment gradually realized the writing was on the wall and the days of their front-engined roadsters were numbered. Beginning with Jim Clark, who drove a rear-engined Lotus in 1965, every winner of the Indianapolis 500 since has had the engine in the back. The revolution begun by the little chain-driven Cooper 500 was complete.

  

Cooper climax T54 used in the 1961 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race digital collage

Once every Formula car manufacturer began building rear-engined racers, the practicality and intelligent construction of Cooper's single-seaters was overtaken by more sophisticated technology from Lola, Lotus, BRM, and Ferrari. The Cooper team's decline was accelerated when John Cooper was seriously injured in a road accident in 1963 driving a twin-engined Mini, and Charles Cooper died in 1964.

 

After the death of his father, John Cooper sold the Cooper Formula One team to the Chipstead Motor Group in April 1965. The same year, the Formula One team moved from Surbiton to a modern factory unit at Canada Road, Oyster Lane in Byfleet, just along the road from Brabham in New Haw and close to Alan Mann Racing. Cooper's 1965 season petered out and at the end of the year, number one driver Bruce McLaren left to build his own F1 car for the new for 1966 3-litre formula. Cooper's new owners held the Maserati concession for the UK and arrangements were made for Cooper to build a new 3-litre Cooper-Maserati car which would be available for sale as well being raced by the works team. The Maserati engine was an updated and enlarged version of the 2.5-litre V-12 which had made sporadic appearances in the works 250Fs in 1957. It was an old design, heavy and thirsty and the new Cooper T81 chassis built to take it was necessarily on the large side, in spite of which the bulky V-12 always looked though it was spilling out of the back. Three cars were sold to private owners, one each to Rob Walker for Jo Siffert to drive, Jo Bonnier's Anglo Swiss Racing Team, and French privateer Guy Ligier. None of these cars achieved much success.

 

Jochen Rindt was entering the second year of his three-year contract, but with the departure of McLaren, Cooper had a seat to fill in the second car and with the team's recent lack of success, understandably, a large queue of potential drivers was not forming at Canada Road. In the circumstances, Cooper were fortunate to acquire the services of Honda's Richie Ginther, who was temporarily unemployed due to the Japanese company's late development of their new 3-litre car. After a couple of races, Ginther was recalled by Honda to commence testing of their new car and the American was no doubt more than somewhat chagrined to discover that it was even bigger and heavier than the Cooper. After making a one-off arrangement with Chris Amon (unemployed due to the McLaren team's engine problems) to drive in the French Grand Prix, Cooper had an enormous stroke of luck when John Surtees became available after falling out with Ferrari. Once conflicting fuel contract issues were resolved (Surtees was with Shell, Cooper with BP), Surtees joined the team. Cooper honoured its commitment to Amon, so three cars were run in the French GP. Subsequently, the team reverted to two entries for Surtees and Rindt and with the former Ferrari driver's development skills and a switch to Firestone tyres, the car was improved to the point that Surtees was able to win the final race of the year in Mexico.

 

Surtees left to join Honda for 1967 and Pedro Rodríguez joined Rindt in the team and immediately won the opening race of 1967 in South Africa in an unlikely Cooper one-two. This was a fortuitous win for Rodríguez, as he was being outpaced by Rhodesian John Love in his three-year-old ex McLaren Tasman Cooper powered by a 2.7-litre Coventry Climax FPF. Unfortunately, Love had to make a late pit stop for fuel and could only finish second. This was to be Cooper's last ever Grand Prix victory. The rest of the 1967 season had the team's fortunes steadily decline and the midseason appearance of the lighter and slimmer T86 chassis failed to improve things. Rindt, impatiently seeing out his Cooper contract, deliberately blew up his increasingly antiquated Maserati engine in the US Grand Prix and was dropped for the final race of the year in Mexico.

 

For 1968, Cooper would have liked to have joined the queue for the Cosworth-Ford DFV, but felt that its connections to British Leyland with the Mini-Coopers made this inadvisable. Instead, a deal was done with BRM for the use of its 3-litre V-12, originally conceived as a sports car unit, but which BRM themselves would be using in 1968. A slightly modified version of the T86 was built for the new engine, dubbed T86B and Italian ex-Ferrari driver Ludovico Scarfiotti and young Englishman Brian Redman were employed to drive it. The cars managed three-four finishes in the Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix, largely thanks to the unreliability of the competition, but then Scarfiotti was killed driving a Porsche in the Rossfeld hill climb and Redman had a big accident in the Belgian Grand Prix which put him out of action for several months. Cooper continued the season with a motley collection of drivers, none of whom could make anything of the outclassed T86B. During the season, Cooper built a modified chassis, the T86C, intended to take an Alfa Romeo 3-litre V-8 but the project was stillborn.

 

The beginning of the end for the Cooper Car Company was in 1969, as it tried, and failed, to find sponsorship for a new Cosworth DFV-powered car and there were many redundancies. Frank Boyles was the last to leave, since he was in charge of building customer cars and it had been hoped that some more F2 cars would be sold. Frank went on to design and build a Formula Ford car called the Oscar and also a series of Oval Circuit cars known as Fireballs. Driving the rear-engine version of this car, Frank won more than 200 races during a period up until 1975 in a car he had designed and raced himself. This record is believed to have never been beaten.

 

In all, Coopers participated in 129 Formula One World Championship events in nine years, winning 16 races.

 

Besides Formula One cars, Cooper offered a series of Formula Junior cars. These were the T52, T56, T59, and T67 models. Ken Tyrrell ran a very successful team with John Love and Tony Maggs as his drivers. Following the demise of Formula Junior, Ken Tyrrell tested Jackie Stewart in a Formula Three car, a Cooper T72. This test at the Goodwood Circuit marked the start of partnership which dominated motorsport later on.

 

In October 2009, Mike Cooper, the son of John Cooper, launched Cooper Bikes, the bicycle division of the Cooper Car Company.

Skoda is now a division under the Volkswagen group, but is has a long history, having been founded in the Czech Republic in 1895 as Laurin & Klement. In 1948 the company was nationalised as Skoda Auto during the Soviet occupation. A joint Venture with the Volkswagen group commenced in 1991.

 

The Octavia 1U, shown here, was launced in late 1996 as the marques return to larger family cars, though the model did in fact share its underpinnings (the PQ34 platform) with the Golf MkIV - the Skoda was noticeably larger.

 

At the time it was noted the values espoused by Skoda in their cars matched well with the traditional Volvo virtues of safety, practicality, conservative looks and efficiency.

 

The Octavia was produced with a range of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines of 1.4L to 2.0L, producing between 60 PS and 193 PS (44 kW and 142 kW).

 

The Octavia Type 1U was replaced by the Type 1Z in 2004, again sharing a VW platform, this time the PQ35 underpinning the Golf MkV.

The Church of the Ascension at the "Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation" on the Mount of Olives - together with our Center for Pilgrims and Tourists and the famous "Café Auguste Victoria".

 

It was built in 1907-1910, and named after Empress Augusta Victoria, the wife of German Kaiser Wilhelm II. Today it is an Arab Hospital.

 

The Christian community of Jerusalem has always been multi-ethnic, diverse and multi-lingual. Here, you will find Greeks and Armenians, Syrians, Coptic Christians from Egypt, Ethiopians, Maronites with Lebanese background, Orthodox Russians, Palestinians, and Hebrew Christians praying side by side. As a German speaking Protestant Church, we are a vital part of the ecumenical landscape of Christian churches in Jerusalem.

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

 

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

 

The World Solar Challenge (WSC), or the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge since 2013, tied to the sponsorship of Bridgestone Corporation is the world's most well-known solar-powered car race event. A biennial road race covering 3,022 km (1,878 mi) through the Australian Outback, from Darwin, Northern Territory, to Adelaide, South Australia, created to foster the development of experimental, solar-powered vehicles.

The race attracts teams from around the world, most of which are fielded by universities or corporations, although some are fielded by high schools. The race has a 32-year history spanning fourteen races, with the inaugural event taking place in 1987. Initially held once every three years, the event became biennial from the turn of the century.

Since 2001 the World Solar Challenge was won seven times out of nine efforts by the Nuna team and cars of the Delft University of Technology from the Netherlands, with only the Tokai Challenger, built by the Tokai University of Japan able to take the crown in 2009 and 2011.

Starting in 2007, the WSC has been raced in multiple classes. After the German team of Bochum University of Applied Sciences competed with a four-wheeled, multi-seat car, the BoCruiser (in 2009), in 2013 a radically new "Cruiser Class" was introduced, racing and stimulating the technological development of practically usable, and ideally road-legal, multi-seater solar vehicles. Since its inception, Solar Team Eindhoven's four- and five-seat Stella solar cars from Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherlands) won the Cruiser Class in all three races so far.

Remarkable technological progress has been achieved since the GM led, highly experimental, single-seat Sunraycer prototype first won the WSC with an average speed of 66.9 km/h (41.6 mph). Once competing cars became steadily more capable to match or exceed legal maximum speeds on the Australian highway, the race rules were consistently made more demanding and challenging — for instance after Honda's Dream car first won the race with an average speed exceeding 55 mph (88.5 km/h) in 1996. In 2005 the Dutch Nuna team were the first to beat an average speed of 100 km/h (62 mph).

The 2017 Cruiser class winner, the five-seat Stella Vie vehicle, was able to carry an average of 3.4 occupants at an average speed of 69 km/h (43 mph). Like its two predecessors, the 2017 Stella Vie vehicle was successfully road registered by the Dutch team, further emphasizing the great progress in real world compliance and practicality that has been achieved.

The World Solar Challenge held its 30th anniversary event on October 8–15, 2017.

The 2019 World Solar Challenge will take place from 13 to 20 October. 53 teams from 24 countries have entered the competition. The same 3 classes, Challenger (30 teams), Cruiser (23 teams) and Adventure will be featured.

 

Hatred is not overcome by hatred; hatred is conquered by love, and so is the order of things from eternity. Unless your name is Henry Ford and Enzo Ferrari just let you down by having lunch with his lawyer and then not returning to the negotiating table. The story is of course known to every Ford and Ferrari enthusiast. Ford developed the GT40 and beat Ferrari fair and square at Le Mans. But the chance of ever buying a Ferrari has gone forever since that afternoon. Fortunately, both brands are still going strong today and Ford uses the GT40 every few years as an excuse to put the most extravagant and excellent sports car on the market. The previous Ford GT was actually a slightly larger GT40 with a huge V8 and a supercharger. This generation of Ford GT, on the other hand, is not a retro car but a futuristic spaceship that forgot to return to the pits after a successful race at La Sartre and pulled into your parking space. What a beautiful machine. This 2021 copy is a so-called Carbon Series. This means that the car is slightly lighter than the already very light “standard” Ford GT, the car has extra visible carbon, a Lexan engine compartment cover, no cup holders, carbon wheels, titanium wheel bolts and a stripe over the hood consisting of blank carbon.

 

The second generation Ford GT, as this car is referred to, is a car built at Multimatic in Canada. The base is a carbon fiber monocoque that is not only extremely stiff but also feather-light. The drive is provided by a 3.5 litre Ford Ecoboost V6. The engine produces 647 hp and enables the car to reach a top speed of no less than 347 kilometres per hour. The car was unveiled in 2016 and Ford immediately announced that it would be taking another shot at victory at Le Mans 50 years later. The Ford GT is therefore also one of the few cars that is basically designed as a race car and not as a street car. This means that for the designers the objectives were very clear in advance: this car must be able to drive as fast as possible at Le Mans and then we must be able to make the car street-legal with not too many adjustments. Finally, it should be noted that this is an almost unique opportunity to obtain a Ford GT Carbon Series. When Ford opened the order books for the GT, it was not the case that everyone could buy such a car, no, buyers had to go through a real application procedure to get a Ford GT. If Ford didn’t think the story was good enough, or the buyer didn’t like the GT, it wasn’t possible to buy one. In addition, buyers of the Ford GT were not allowed to resell the car shortly after purchase.

 

This copy has German papers and is in absolute mint condition. The car comes with delivery miles and is beautifully executed. Black goes perfectly with the car’s sinister looks. The body is unmistakably recognizable as a Ford GT and yet almost incomparable with its predecessors. The carbon wheels are not only very beautiful but also very light. The finish of the car is of course as you would expect from a top product of this calibre. The paint is beautifully sprayed, the finish on the wheels is exceptional, the panels fit together sublimely everywhere and we are only talking about the exterior of the car. The interior is pure practicality. The steering wheel is equipped with many buttons to operate many vital functions of the car and makes driving the car a breeze. The ergonomics are of course perfect for each other and finding a good seating position is child’s play because the seat cannot be adjusted, but the steering column and the pedal box have to be adjusted. Unlike previous hardcore versions of the Ford GT, the Carbon Series is still equipped with the Ford Sync 3 system. This makes covering longer distances a wonderful activity. Things like air conditioning and an excellent sound system make the party complete.

 

In short, an exceptionally rare opportunity to acquire a Ford GT Carbon Series and an absolute top opportunity for the serious investor.

Here we have it, one of the most iconic little cars in the whole of history. A machine that revolutionised the concept of the city car, and what has now become a pure symbol of Englishness!

 

This little machine is simply known as the Mini! :D

 

Construction of the Mini first began in 1959, with the car designed by the British Motor Corporation's (BMC) chief designer Sir Alec Issigonis, who envisaged a car that had as much space as was humanly possible devoted to the passenger so as to combine the practicality of a big car with the nippy nature of a Dune Buggy. The result was that 80% of the car's platform was available for use by both passengers and luggage. The car was also designed to be fuel efficient, built in response to the 1956 Suez Crisis which resulted in rising fuel prices and petrol rationing. During this period it became apparent that German 'Bubble Car' equivalents such as the Heinkel Kabine and various Messerschmitt designs were starting to corner the market, and thus the Mini project was launched under project name ADO15 (Amalgamated Drawing Office project number 15). Great care was taken to make sure that as much space was saved for the passenger, including the instalment of compact rubber springs instead of conventional metal and the small but powerful BMC A-Series four-cylinder engine tucked away at the front.

 

In April 1959 the car was launched to the press under the designation of both the Austin Seven and the Morris Mini-Minor (due to the amalgamation of the Austin and Morris brands under BMC). By the time the car was let loose thousands had already been sent abroad in an audacious promotional campaign. Things however started slow for the Mini, but this rising star soon became an icon during the 1960's, selling 1,190,000 by 1967.

 

But, behind all the shining sales figures, there were some major problems for BMC and their wonderchild. Baffled by the car, Ford bought one for the base price of £497 and took it apart, desperate to know how their rivals were doing it for the money. As it turns out they weren't, and were able to determine that BMC was losing at least £30 on every single car they sold. Novelty was the only way to get the car properly moving in this competitive new world, and the Mini was all about that. By 1970 the car had appeared in a variety of movies and TV shows, the most famous of which was their charge to glory in the 1969 film 'The Italian Job', where a trio of Minis were used to plunder gold from under the noses of the Mafia and the Italian Authorities. A Leyland Mini holds a place in the heart of British TV under the ownership of Mr. Bean and his various clumsy antics, usually involving an unfortunate Reliant Regal. At the same time it was a car of choice for TV and Music Stars who wanted to show off their quirks!

 

From then on the car continued to keep up its notorious status as a British symbol of motoring, with a huge variety of cars being made including a spacious van, a country camper, a pickup truck and the Moke dune buggy! There were also two almost identical saloon versions of the car known as the Wolseley Hornet and the Riley Elf that were built between 1961 and 1969 as more luxurious alternatives to the original.

 

In 1969 the first major facelift came in the form of the Clubman, designed under British Leyland to give the car a new lease of life, but ended up being something of a mongrel. Although functionally the same, the boys at British Leyland couldn't help but get things off to a bad start by relocating construction from the Cowley Plant to the Longbridge Plant, which meant that all kits and tools had to be moved too and thus initial sales were very slow. British Leyland's reliability reputation was soon to follow, with the unfortunate Mini becoming a victim of the shoddy workmanship that had mired so many of its other products.

 

Eventually the Clubman was killed off in 1980, although the original Mini design had been built alongside and was still selling strong. British Leyland however had plans to kill off the Mini in 1980 by introducing its new small economy car, the Austin Metro. Built very much to the same principals of the Mini, the Metro was a much more angular design but still a capable little family hatchback. But the angular lines and big bulky body did nothing for the Metro, and the car failed to sell in the numbers domestically than those of the Mini internationally!

 

Towards the end of the 1980's and 1990's, the car came in a variety of different 'Special Editions' as the car became less of a mass-market machine and more a fashion item. The iconic nature of the car had sealed its fate with new owners of the Rover Group, BMW, who intended to keep the car going for as long as possible. At the same time the car was a major seller in Japan, which gave a boost of sales in the early 1990's with 40,000 new cars being exported there.

 

Eventually however, the design was starting to look very tired and with Rover Group making heavy losses, the Mini and its spiritual cousin the Metro were killed off in 2000 and 1999, respectively. Rover was granted the ability to run-out the model to the very end before Rover itself was sold off in 2000. During the breakup, BMW designed a new version of the Mini which was launched in 2000 and is still being built today as quite a sleek and popular machine, a little bit more bulky than the original but certainly keeping the novelty and charm. The originals however ended on the 4th October 2000, with a red Mini Cooper S bringing an end to 5,387,862 cars.

 

However, although the original Mini is now very much dead, the novelty that surrounds these tiny little cars is enough to keep thousands and thousands of these machines preserved or in continual everyday usage. Older Mini-Minors are a bit hard to come by and the Clubmans rusted away before you could get them home from the showroom, but the later Mini's sold in the 1980's and 1990's are still alive and kicking on the roads of Britain, and can still draw the attention of passers by even 56 years after the first ones left the production line!

On February 25, 2014, a 2014 Toyota Camry Hybrid LE (in Cosmic Grey Mica) was assembled at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, Inc. in Georgetown, Kentucky. That car would eventually be shipped to Canada, and be picked up by Ens Toyota (through an independent contractor) and delivered to Ens Toyota on March 29, 2014. I wouldn't get to pick up this car until April 8, 2014. At the time, my cousin Ky met me at the dealership and drove me to go buy insurance for this car. My cousin Tho would drive my "other" car (a 2011 Toyota Camry LE) back to my home.

 

The original plan was for the car to replace a 2001 Toyota Camry LE. Because of a hit-and-run accident, this ended up not happening, as the car was declared a "total loss."

 

One year since its production, a lot has happened within the car. Here is a recap of what has happened since its production, as well as some interesting facts:

- The car, named "Lenny," has been on numerous road trips (most of them unplanned). Trips include visiting Regina (four times), Moose Jaw (once), Rouleau (once), Prince Albert (once) and North Battleford (twice). The car has yet to make its first out-of-province road trip.

- An undisclosed number of dates have occurred that involve being transported in this vehicle ("first date in car" photos were never taken, because it seems extremely weird, even for me).

- On January 7, 2015, one crazy woman nicknamed "Empress Megan" officially declared what "in-city road trips" were after initially coming up with the nonsensical idea on November 1, 2014. A checklist was created on January 11, 2015 for nonsensical purposes, but was revised to include some additional requirements, such as a car window being rolled down for a minimum of 30 seconds. To date, 13 of those in-city road trips have occurred. Sometimes, Stephanie comes along... and it's more fun that way.

- Since the car's production, 19,753 kilometres have been logged on the car's odometer. Out of those 19,753 kilometres, 19,746 of those kilometres have been driven by me, the car's rightful owner.

- As many as five people try to send me text messages while I'm in the car with the hopes that I'd be driving at certain times of the day on a regular basis. In about 97% of time, my phone will send a signal to the car's stereo that will in turn notify me that I have received a text message. I then have the option of have it read out loud, ignoring it, or calling the sender. Most of the time, these text messages contain gibberish, outlandish catchphrase(s) and/or song lyrics. These people may or may not be named Kevin, Chelsea, Megan, Jennifer and/or Daniel. The most memorable text was when someone sent me a text that said "I'm going to punch you in the shirt."

- The first time anyone besides me sang along to music in my car was on June 8, 2014. At the time, someone crazy, named Megan, sang along to Taylor Swift's song "22." Over time, this became a regular thing. Today, she has essentially annexed the car's glove compartment, the stereo system, one of the cup holders in the front of the car (with a pink tumbler that has essentially become hers as well). However, one pair of orange sunglasses have been taken out of retirement and are now designated as "Megan's road trip sunglasses."

- Attempt(s) have been made to park the car at the fake gas station on the set of the TV show "Corner Gas." This attempt was thwarted by a bitter old man on a "power trip," who threatened to call the RCMP.

- The guests/"mooches" in the car represent a variety of different countries. Guests include people from Canada, Hong Kong (before it became a part of China in 1997), Pakistan, Vietnam and Quebec (I don't always consider Quebec to be a part of Canada). Mooches (unsavoury characters, or people not worthy of riding in such a car because of their nonsensical beliefs, such as carpooling and cycling) include people from the United States and Bangladesh.

- The car has visited three different Toyota dealerships in Saskatchewan (mainly for accessories and vital fluids, such as windshield washer fluid), which include Rainbow Toyota in North Battleford, Ens Toyota in Saskatoon and Taylor Toyota in Regina. A trip to Yorkton Toyota is planned for the spring of 2015.

- The car has visited a total of six Real Canadian Superstore locations in Saskatchewan, with the exception of the store in Yorkton. A trip to the Real Canadian Superstore in Yorkton is planned for the spring of 2015. In fact, the stores in Regina, Saskatoon and the store in Moose Jaw were all visited in one day on July 5, 2014, totalling five stores in a single day.

- The car has gone through two oil changes. Its first oil change occurred on August 12, 2014 at Ens Toyota in Saskatoon with an odometer reading of 8,000 km. Its second oil change occurred on December 15, 2014 at Rainbow Toyota in North Battleford, with an odometer reading of 16,029 km. The car's third oil change will occur at Yorkton Toyota at about 24,000 km. This will likely occur sometime in the spring of 2015.

- My cousins Ky and Tho would both fart in the car before I got to do so myself. They did that on April 12, 2014, when we went to Regina. I wouldn't get to do this myself until August of 2014.

- The car has its own special licence plate that says "REV HUY," which was acquired in October 2012. This licence plate was given to me as a gift by a friend named "Reverend" Nathan, who insisted that it was "worth every penny."

 

Future plans for the car include a road trip to Edmonton... for a One Direction concert, a visit to a Real Canadian Superstore, IKEA and possibly a trip to the West Edmonton Mall.

 

Research on a Toyota Highlander Hybrid began in 2009 until 2011 or so, when Toyota redesigned the look of the Toyota Camry for the 2012 model year. In late 2011, things changed, and I decided that I wanted a Toyota Camry Hybrid (for practicality and because of cash money). After nearly two years of research and a total of five test drives, I ordered the car on February 1, 2014. Upon its arrival, I had many high expectations of the car, and it has failed to disappoint me.

 

On October 26, 2013, before even acquiring this car, I told a young lady that I planned on buying a hybrid car someday. Her response was: "That's what gets the ladies." This would later prove to be false (this should be a good thing to normal people). However, I really, really wanted to tell people I managed to score some dates because I drive a hybrid car.

 

I look forward to many more years of driving pleasure until that day I "decide" to have a mid-life crisis. At that point, I will consider replacing this 2014 Toyota Camry Hybrid with a Scion tC, or something similar. Ultimately, I'd love to own a Toyota Highlander Hybrid.

 

April 8, 2015 will be another date to look forward to, as it will be one year since I've had the car.

You might think that 591 horsepower would be enough for the Audi RS6 Avant, but apparently it was not. For 2024, Audi decided to crank the dial, adding a new Performance model that promises a ludicrous 621 ponies.

 

The new variant also weighs less, so acceleration should prove sufficiently brutal. And yet, the RS6 Avant's search for more power changes nothing about its impressive practicality, comfortably seating five in an interior replete with rich materials and plenty of trendy technology.

 

This model sports a 8 speed gearbox, neutral and reverse - designed by @anto_lego_creations - coupled with a new compact paddle shifter I designed to fit in a narrow space between the engine and the dash.

 

Ultra Compact 8+N+R-speed Sequential Gearbox designed by Anto:

 

rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-50877/Anto/ultra-compact-8nr-spe...

 

The car has 2 suspension height options, manually adjusted for a sporty look or off-road. Loaded with gearbox / paddle shifter, V8 engine, steering by HOG and working steering wheel, front and rear lights, opening doors, hood and hatch.

 

PLEASE NOTE:

1. Only the daytona rim size will fit on the car. Smaller Sian / Bugatti rims will not fit.

 

4 different colour options:

 

1. All black interior / exterior

2. Lime exterior, red seat

3. Red exterior, LBG (light grey) seats

4. White exterior, black interior

 

Partlists avail below:

 

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RbLweMJqEiLIh91HJlWovwjA8...

 

The framework is designed rigidly and can be lifted from the roof. This widened version with body kit will be sure to turn heads, not your average 5 door Audi creation!

I really needed something to pick up what was turning out to be a rather gloomy day.

 

Thankfully this came into my life, parking itself nowhere other than the end of my street of all places!

 

There's not much I can say about the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow that hasn't already been said, a car that was styled and homed to perfection, a vehicle that took 3 months to build, comprised of 3 cow hides, 12 square feet of wood and laden with the finest Wilton carpets. If you owned a brand new one of these back in the 1960's and 70's, then you truly were someone special.

 

The Silver Shadow however, unlike its predecessors, was the most radical Rolls ever built, primarily due to the fact that unlike previous cars such as the Phantom and Silver Cloud, the car was built on a monocoque, with the body being built with the chassis, rather than in earlier instances where Rolls would provide the chassis, and then it was up to the owner to hire a coachbuilder such as Hoopers or HJ Muliner Park Ward, to build the body.

 

The Silver Shadow was also the first Rolls to be built with the idea of the owner being sat in the front rather than the back. The Silver Cloud was very much a passenger's car, being ferried from stately banquet to stately banquet by a chauffeur. This Silver Shadow on the other hand was a driver's car, powered by Rolls Royce's magnificent V8 engine it smoothly glided across the countryside with the grace and elegance of a stately home on wheels, and so popular was this chemistry of luxury and practicality, that they sold by the thousand. In total, 25,000 examples were built, and the design was incorporated into many other variations, including the Rolls Royce Corniche (a direct descendant of the Silver Shadow 2-door Coupe built by HJ Muliner Park Ward), the controversial Camargue (which was built on the same chassis as a Shadow), and the Bentley T series (basically a Shadow with Bentley badging and radiator grille).

 

Eventually, the Shadow ended production in 1980, being replaced by the simpler Silver Spirit and Silver Spur range, but the magnificent design of this classic British pedigree has kept it one of the most popular owner's cars in the world, now available for ownership at less that £10,000 in some instances!

This kitchen illustrates why it's so hard, to get a simple message through to my architect, when describing what you want. Now, my Cantonese isn't bad, but I could just as well have been speaking Klingon to them for all the difference it made!

 

The fan. Originally, they'd left power points for fans to be mounted in the top part of this window, and the one on the other side, to the right of the 'extractor fan column' (not shown in this picture). I wasn't even told of this, it was just a standard HK thing. I baulked at the idea. Not only would that be overkill, it'd look totally ugly. I did suggest mounting the fan on the wall, thus not eating into the window space and blocking light, but but that would have meant digging a hole in the wall, which isn't such a great idea as there are structural steel rods buried in the concrete. We finally settled on having one fan, after being coerced into the idea it would be a necessity. The more and more I look at it though, the more and more 80's it looks, and really not in line with how I want my place to look. So, I'm getting rid of it!! :-)

 

The wall cabinets. Somehow I'd forgotten to tell them when to stop, when they were building them. So, they ended up building them right to the ceiling! Now, practicalities aside, like steam entering through the gaps, they're just down right oppressive looking. But it's too late, so I guess I'll have to reduce them using lighting effects. Another thing that f*cked me off is the finish. I originally wanted a white enamel finish. Fine the architect said. Until he found out they don't generally do custom sized factory finished enamel doors/panels! If he'd known, and told me that in the first place, I would have rethought my colour scheme! So I've had to settle with this cheap looking white melamine material. It doesn't look so bad in photos, but trust me, it's on the wrong side of cheap.

 

I may seem pedantic, but I don't think I'll ever get the chance to build my own house again, so I kinda want to get things right. Plus I believe it's all down to detail, which is something that the crew I've hired don't seem to understand.

practicality judging for solar car Stella from the Dutch Solar Team Eindhoven the day after the finish in Adelaide, during the 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, Apart from time, in Cruiser Class also practicality and total driver-kliometers are counted /

praktijk-beoordeling voor familie-zonne-auto Stella van Solar Team Eindhoven de dag na de finish in Adelaide tijdens de 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Behalve reistijd wordt in de Cruiser Class ook de praktische ervaring van het rijden van de auto, en het aantal berijders-kilometers geteld

celebrations with the Dutch Solar Team Eindhoven as they are awarded first prize with world's first family solar car Stella for best of the Cruiser Class in the 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Apart from time, in Cruiser Class also practicality and total driver-kliometers are counted (Stella usually carried 2 to 4 people). /

bevrijdende vreugde bij de studenten van Solar Team Eindhoven wanneer ze de eerste prijs winnen met 's werelds eerste familie-zonne-auto voor beste deelnemer in de Cruiser klasse tijdens de 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Behalve tijd wordt in de Cruiser Class ook de praktische ervaring van het rijden van de auto, en het aantal berijders-kilometers geteld (Stella had gewoonlijk twee tot vier berijders aan boord)

The Church of the Ascension at the "Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation" on the Mount of Olives - together with our Center for Pilgrims and Tourists and the famous "Café Auguste Victoria".

 

It was built in 1907-1910, and named after Empress Augusta Victoria, the wife of German Kaiser Wilhelm II. Today it is an Arab Hospital.

 

The Christian community of Jerusalem has always been multi-ethnic, diverse and multi-lingual. Here, you will find Greeks and Armenians, Syrians, Coptic Christians from Egypt, Ethiopians, Maronites with Lebanese background, Orthodox Russians, Palestinians, and Hebrew Christians praying side by side. As a German speaking Protestant Church, we are a vital part of the ecumenical landscape of Christian churches in Jerusalem.

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

 

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

 

here's how my wednesday started once i got to the office:

 

"mike, you're the photographer, right? you wanna go walk about half a mile east on the north side of hollywood blvd. and find a bus stop with a picture of karen misraje on it?"

 

"who?"

 

"i dunno, some chick. apparently jimmy or one of the writers saw it on the way to work and she had a mustache drawn on her or something. i think she's the hot chick from entourage. sloan."

 

"dude, emanuelle (shreeky)? we had her on like, last week."

 

"ok, i don't know who it is."

 

"alright, we don't know cross streets?"

 

"nope."

  

so i walked out into the cesspool, stopping and grabbing my camera out of the car because now that's what i do: i bring my camera everywhere i go. note: i break a sweat in my fucking car just reaching under the glove to retrieve said camera; 90-95 out, easy. before i can even cross the boulevard, i'm overcome with remorse upon realizing that i've all but jumped into shark-infested waters in bacon swim trunks by traipsing aimlessly along hollywood fucking boulevard in cargo shorts and wayfarers, camera in tow. as far as practicality, fashion and general logic are concerned, this is by far the dumbest thing i could've possibly done.

 

by las palmas (3 blocks?), i'm sweating profusely in an adobe-colored t-shirt and the tops of my sunglasses are fogging up from my eyebrows, which really aren't terribly pronounced in the first place. i've also had to fight off half a dozen tour guides who want to drive me around and show me where lindsay lohan got her last DUI. and let me tell you, these guys are persistent as FUCK--i see them on a daily basis on the street, i make eye contact ideally implying "i have a fucking job dude, how would you like it if i came and shot a late night talk show at your job?" and i walk unfazed past the brochures they fan in my direction, never to see each other until i walk next door again in another hour or two to make premature judgments about our lunch from craft services. (on the contrary, if i could do runs for work on a big red double decker bus with families from kansas city and florida and the ukraine, i'd probably spoil myself for the occasional afternoon and listen to audio recordings of dubious tinseltown lore (like that time back in the day when sinatra pulled a hooker by the nose into the ladies' room at the roosevelt hotel...and taught her to properly apply eyeliner) in a different language every time. (should my situation ever become this desperate, my maiden voyage would likely feature french or italian.)

 

anyway, i pass some bums, some interesting posted bills (is that their preferred nomenclature?) and a shitload of bus stops. no misraje.

 

i call, i say i can't find it, i talk to our producer, who's talking quietly because he's plum in the middle of the writers' meeting, i tell him i'm at hollywood and the 101 (a mile and a half east of the studio) and i haven't found the elusive mustachioed woman of unknown ethnicity, so he suggests i try searching half a mile or so west of the studio. greeaaaat.

 

i walk the mile and a half back. i walk a mile west. where the fuck is this bitch?! i catch myself talking...to myself. i should've brought my headphones, at least then i could boogie along in this MISERABLE FUCKING HEAT. i look like i've just played back-to-back full court games...getting back on D...at least in the first game.

 

i've gone a little more than a mile west of the office now, about to hit fairfax, and i say fuck it. i'm headed back to the office, email our producer [re: my futility] and idly ask for his "thoughts." within a minute of hitting send, I glance across the street (i've crossed over to the south, assuming a writer could just as easily confuse "north" and "south" if "east" and "west" present such a challenge.) turns out a fat guy (i have absolutely zero grounds for this arbitrary characterization, but it would seem likely) had probably probably been playing 'little big spoon' with ms. misraje's face, so naturally, i missed it. not like the text section of what turns out to be a legal ad was incredibly enticing.

 

so i jaywalk across, stopping with my toes against the curb (coincidentally, this area is a functional lane of reasonably consistent light traffic) and i stop. for a moment, i honestly don't give a shit that i've walked at least 4 miles in 90-degree heat...WITHOUT a headband. i don't give a shit that i've gotta walk another mile back to the office...still without a headband. i don't give a shit that this is all in order to take a photo of a woman who's been defaced with ridiculous facial hair.

 

so why am i here?

 

because this shit really is FUCKING HILARIOUS.

 

* * *

 

(and that's the story of how i learned by early afternoon that i'd make it through hump day in one piece. obviously, it didn't get used on the show in any context whatsoever; someone thought it was funny (or funny enough worth mentioning), i wanted to believe them, so i took on a mythical-by-PA-standards journey into the unknown (i wish) to confirm this, and they were totally right.

 

long story short, if you grew up in santa monica or spent your middle school years at john adams (where i very well may have sold you one of several JAM'N buttons), never ask michael gross to see his 6th grade yearbook. no one--myself included--has been spared.

 

* * *

 

i also have what seems to be a textbook farmer tan.

www.ineos.com/inch-magazine/articles/issue-20/grenadier--...

 

After months and months of speculation, the covers have finally come off The Grenadier, INEOS’ rough, tough 4 x 4. It’s a huge milestone for the team at INEOS Automotive who have been itching to show it off to the world.

 

“Most manufacturers would hold back, but we are a new business, building a new brand, and we want to take people with us on this exciting journey,” said CEO Dirk Heilmann.

 

He said it also meant the team could now openly test it without the need for camouflage wrapping, foam blocks or fake panels. Over the next 12 months prototypes will rack up more than one million miles (1.8 million km) as its durability and capability is tested in all conditions.

 

“We have a challenging programme ahead,” said Dirk. “But showing the design now allows us to focus on this critical next phase. Since day one, our philosophy has been function over form, every time.”

 

The Grenadier is due to go on sale late next year and expectations are high. “Our customers will be living and working in their vehicles so they know what they want from them,” said Dirk.

 

Design

 

The Grenadier has been designed rather than styled. It combines practicality and purpose with unmistakeable character. From the no nonsense boxy body and exposed hinges to the iconic circular lights. ‘We’re considered every square millimetre,’ says Toby Ecuyer, head of design.

 

Rear Doors

 

The Grenadier’s rear doors are a 70/30 split of the back of the vehicle and open independently. That means you can quickly load and unload smaller tools, while also being able to open both doors for maximum access. A rear-mounted spare wheel maximises ground clearance.

 

Wheels

 

The Grenadier’s wheels are as close to the corner of the vehicle as possible, with very little overhang at the front and rear. That means you get the approach and departure angles needed for off-road performance.

 

Discover more: www.ineosgrenadier.com

 

It was an opportunity to raise the bar that INEOS founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe simply couldn't resist. Why shouldn't INEOS build a spiritual successor to one of the most iconic 4 x 4s on the planet? What was stopping it? As he and his colleagues walked out of that London pub, they had a dream.

 

A dream that has now become a reality.

 

They serve one of Yorkshire’s finest beers at The Grenadier, a small pub in the heart of London. It’s a convenient place just around the corner from INEOS’ headquarters for Jim Ratcliffe to pop in for a pint and a chat with a few colleagues. Over a glass of Timothy Taylor’s, they lamented the demise of Land Rover’s iconic Defender. That single comment ended in the group walking out with a £600 million plan to build its spiritual successor. And what better name to choose for it, than where the idea was born . . .

 

The Grenadier? So that’s what they have called it.

 

Tony Whitehead, who has been landlord of The Grenadier for 10 years, is incredibly proud of the pub’s role in inspiring INEOS’ rugged, stripped-back 4 x 4. “It’s already a world-famous pub because of its history,” he said. “But we feel very proud of the part we have played in this story.”

 

The Grenadier, though, was originally known as The Guardsman when the pub opened in 1818. It later changed its name as a mark of respect to a Grenadier soldier who was murdered for cheating at cards.

 

On the ceiling are £5 notes, pinned there by visitors in an attempt to pay off the soldier’s debt. Among them is a note from Jim who had drawn two Land Rover Defenders on it.

 

Over the years scores of famous faces, including the late Hollywood star Burt Reynolds, singer Miley Cyrus and actor Will Ferrell have passed through the doors of the pub. “Jim’s in good company,” said Tony. That, though, was almost three years ago.

 

In July, The Grenadier – the 4 x 4 they had talked of building that day – was finally unveiled. Jim had always had a very clear vision of what he hoped it would look, and feel, like.

 

Tom Crotty, INEOS’ Communications Director, remembers that first phone call when told of the plan.“I was surprised,” he said. “I knew Jim liked new things. But this was totally different. But then, given Jim’s love of the Defender and his commitment to manufacturing, it wasn’t actually that surprising.”

 

Initially eyebrows were raised at INEOS’ decision, with no experience, to build a car from scratch. “I am convinced people expected us to fail because it would have been a challenge for the car industry to launch a new car,” said Tom. “But for the chemical industry to attempt it? That was seen as crazy.”

 

Undeterred, Tom and his team invited people regarded as the world’s best car designers to a ‘beauty pageant’. The best were selected to present their findings to Jim.

 

These were experts with a clear vision of the direction of travel for the car industry. The ones who knew what the public would want. “That meeting didn’t go well,” said Tom. But that meeting showed any doubters that INEOS was serious about this. It had to be exactly right. And what Jim had been shown, certainly was not what he was looking to create.

 

“We were coming at this from scratch so we were not bound by the traditional thinking of the car industry,” said Tom. “We weren’t interested in sat nav, autonomous driving and cruise control.”

 

Instead Jim turned to a trained ship’s architect who had never designed a car. Toby Ecuyer was creative director of British design studio RWD and had designed Jim’s yachts, Hampshire II and Sherpa.

 

He liked to design using paper and pencil, and a rubber, not a computer. He was also a big fan of the Land Rover Defender and, as such, understood its unique appeal.

 

“I love the fact that The Defender was classless,” he said. “I really like people like that. People who are comfortable having tea with the Queen one minute, then rolling their sleeves up the next to mend a fence. To me a Land Rover Defender was all of those things.”

 

Designing The Grenadier was engineering-led. Its performance mattered more than anything. “Certain aspects we could get very creative with and worked very closely with Jim and Sebastian in Germany,” said Tony. “We would suggest, interpret and develop ideas.

 

“I have no idea exactly how many designs we have done. Every aspect of the vehicle was thoroughly designed so we produced thousands of drawings.”

 

Tom believes The Grenadier will succeed because of the passion, dedication, determination and meticulous attention to detail shown by all those working on the project.

 

Toby feels that too. “I’m very proud to have played my part in this,” he said. “But it was a Herculean effort by dozens and dozens of very talented people to bring this life.”

 

Projekt Grenadier – as it was known – was spearheaded by Dirk Heilmann, a former head of Engineering and Technology at INEOS O&P.

 

He too had no experience of the car industry but crucially understood INEOS’ mindset and the fact that INEOS is not a typical blue chip company.

 

As CEO of INEOS Automotive, though, he needed someone with commercial clout. That someone was Mark Tennant who had the commercial know-how and industry experience.

 

“We knew straightaway that he was the right person,” said Tom.

 

Over the past three years, they have led and motivated an international team of specialists with a shared vision of designing and building an uncompromising 4 x 4 that is capable of mastering roads, crossing rivers and climbing mountains.

 

About 60 companies are involved. All of them are top notch.

 

Austrian engineering firm Magna Steyr has over a century of experience developing some of the world’s toughest off-road vehicles. Its engineers have designed and built The Grenadier’s suspension set-up that will meet the needs of people who use their 4 x 4s for work every day.

 

“We fatigue tested for hundreds of hours on the test rig which simulates 300,000 km off road use,” said Matthias Maier, development engineer.

 

The Grenadier’s suspension set-up is completely free of electric components so it is robust and easy to maintain. To perfect it, the team dissected the world’s most renowned off-roaders, benchmarked them and then combined the very best engineering ingredients to create something even better.

 

And Carraro, with a long history in building tough 4 x 4 vehicles, has developed the front and rear axles.

 

The Grenadier, which will be powered by BMW’s latest 3.0-litre petrol and diesel engines, is expected to go on sale next year.

 

“We were told many times that what we were doing, could not be done,” said Dirk. “But that was a nice little incentive for me.”

 

‘It was a Herculean effort by dozens and dozens of very talented people to bring The Grenadier life’ – Toby Ecuyer, head of design

 

TOBY ECUYER left school with his teachers’ poor assessment of him ringing in his ears. “I wasn’t especially good at anything at school,” he said. “They suggested the best I could hope for was a job in a factory packing shampoo.” Today, Toby is not only one of Britain’s best superyacht designers, but he is credited with creating the design on a bit of paper that inspired INEOS’ no frills’ Grenadier – despite the fact that he had never designed a car.

 

Toby was brought in after INEOS founder Jim Ratcliffe rejected the motor industry’s expert view of what his new 4 x 4 should look like.

 

“It was a departure from yachts but not as big a departure as it might seem,” said Toby.

 

It was only after he left school and spent a year on a youth training scheme, that his aptitude for design was spotted – and he was encouraged to apply for a foundation course at South Devon College of Arts.

 

There he discovered an amazing talent for design. “My lecturer pushed me to excel and was adamant that I should be an architect,” he said.

 

With his lecturer’s support and a strong portfolio, Toby gained a place at The Plymouth School of Architecture, run by Professor Adrian Gale.

 

“I was accepted on the course with no qualifications at all other than a cycling proficiency certificate and a Blue Peter badge,” he said.

 

It was while he was in Plymouth that he learned to sail and later took up sailing professionally in the Mediterranean.

 

When he returned to the UK, he got a job as a junior designer in EPR architects but missed the water.

 

By chance he saw an advert in Yachting World for a designer, who needed to be able to draw, but no experience was necessary.

 

“That was the start of 20 years designing boats,” he said. “I was in my element. I loved the amount of detail that was involved and the breadth of design scope. Quite often I would design the interior, exterior, the furniture, the ironmongery the tableware, the cutlery, the crew uniforms, even luggage, and board games.”

 

When Jim met him, Toby had become creative director at RWD. With Jim’s help, Toby went on to design the interior of his superyacht Hampshire II and both the interior and exterior of Sherpa.

 

“I prefer to draw on paper because it’s instant,” he said. “It’s a straight path from brain to page.

 

“It’s really magical to be able to sit with someone and turn that picture in their mind into more than just a thought.”

 

Farmers’ Army

 

INEOS Automotive has not just been focused on building the world’s best 4 x 4. The team has also helped UK farmers to recruit a modern-day ‘land army’ to harvest millions of tonnes of fruit and veg that was in danger of rotting in the fields.

 

Dirk Heilmann, Chief Executive Officer of INEOS Automotive, said UK farmers had been facing their biggest challenge since the foot and mouth disease. “They needed 80,000 people to complete their harvests,” he said.

 

INEOS helped Farmers’ Weekly to establish and promote a recruitment website, allowing people to search for harvesting jobs and other roles near their own homes. Farmers could advertise jobs for free on The Farmers Army website www.thefarmersarmy.co.uk, by calling 020 8652 8638 or emailing recruitment.services@rbi.co.uk 

 

The Grenadier has been designed by a internationally recognised product designer who prefers to use a pencil and paper.

 

A trained architect, and former partner and Creative Director at RWD, Toby has designed, custom built and tailored super yachts for clients all over the world with fastidious attention to detail.

PhDo 8 at Waag Society

February 8, 2013

A case study of the use of robots in healthcare concerning practicalities and ethics.

More about PhDo

Hashtag: #phdo

Hundreds of African Refugees from Eritrea and Ethiopia make a pilgrimage to Bethlehem to visit Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity for a Coptic Christmas. Bethlehem, Palestine, 6th January 2012.

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

The Church of the Ascension at the "Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation" on the Mount of Olives - together with our Center for Pilgrims and Tourists and the famous "Café Auguste Victoria".

 

It was built in 1907-1910, and named after Empress Augusta Victoria, the wife of German Kaiser Wilhelm II. Today it is an Arab Hospital.

 

The Christian community of Jerusalem has always been multi-ethnic, diverse and multi-lingual. Here, you will find Greeks and Armenians, Syrians, Coptic Christians from Egypt, Ethiopians, Maronites with Lebanese background, Orthodox Russians, Palestinians, and Hebrew Christians praying side by side. As a German speaking Protestant Church, we are a vital part of the ecumenical landscape of Christian churches in Jerusalem.

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

 

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

 

practicality judging for solar car Stella from the Dutch Solar Team Eindhoven the day after the finish in Adelaide, during the 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, Apart from time, in Cruiser Class also practicality and total driver-kliometers are counted /

praktijk-beoordeling voor familie-zonne-auto Stella van Solar Team Eindhoven de dag na de finish in Adelaide tijdens de 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Behalve reistijd wordt in de Cruiser Class ook de praktische ervaring van het rijden van de auto, en het aantal berijders-kilometers geteld

We were approached to create a custom unofficial map for some of the athletes participating in a 55km running race across the highest mountains of North Wales, also known as the Vegan Welsh 3000s and now a part of Skyrunner® UK’s race series. This was our initial design and proof. The final design changed to better fit the runners’ needs with practicality becoming far more critical than presentation. This was achieved by using a more compact sheet size at a slightly smaller scale, changing the route style to suit dim light conditions and moving all marker symbols, etc. out of the path of the route itself.

I live in Australia, near the beach (actually, fairly close to the famous Bell's Beach).

 

During the 1970s the growing Surfing culture flowed over into automotive design here in Australia. The result was the Panel Van - these were developed from the local large rear-drive cars built here, using the Coupe-Utility as a base, but enclosing the rear load area with a high-roof. The rear panel behind the seats was also removed, allowing access to the converted load area.

 

Great for surfing, and camping by the beach. Great for a cuddle with a pretty girl too, and hence the colloquial name 'shaggin-wagon' was coined.

 

This practicality, along with the bad-boy image made these the must-have car for the young man. Particularly if you lived near a beach.

The Western Outlaws Custom Shop does not focus its attention only on supercars. Sometimes customers want something with more urban chic and practicality.

 

Enter, Mini.

 

The BMW New Mini MkIII was the starting point, and Western Outlaws added from there. More power, more luxury, more wheel, more tire, more chic.

 

The end result is an inner-city ride worthy of the brand.

 

More go is reflected in the red highlights - air in, air out. As is the more slow, with the red insert brake cooling vanes.

 

More bling is reflected in the tan highlights, mixed in with real gold flakes - no imitation gold here!

 

Checkerboard roof. Gold rims. Gold speed stripes and Gold spoiler.

 

An iconic custom makeover.

 

This BMW New Mini MkIII has been created in Lego miniland scale for Flickr LUGNuts' 87th Build Challenge, - 'A Tale of Two Rivals', - a challenge to create automotive models in the livery of two fictional car modifying organisations. The Western Outlaws: Red Black, Tan. Or Eastern rebels: Yellow, Black and Dark Grey.

Cozy up to a furniture collection that marries the beauty of a rich finish with the practicality of built-in storage. Boasting clean lines and generous open and enclosed shelves, the Skyline Collection turns a living room or entertainment area into an attractive, functional space where it's easy to relax. Grooves on the doors and drawers of each piece lend a trendy appeal to the finish, which is further enhanced by sleek metal handles. Built-in lights bathe your favorite treasures in a warm glow, drawing the eye to your precious collectibles and belongings and turning ordinary furniture into an extraordinary showcase. Consisting of 3 separate pieces, the collection is configurable to fit your specific space requirements.

Available in 2 finishes (Sumptous Cherry & Chocolate)

 

Gâtez-vous avec ce mobilier qui marie la beauté de notre fini cerisier somptueux tout en étant doté de pratiques espaces de rangement intégrés. Grâce à ses lignes épurées et à ses nombreuses tablettes, la collection Skyline permet de transformer une salle de séjour ou un coin divertissement en un espace attrayant et fonctionnel où il est facile de se détendre. Les rainures agrémentant les portes et les tiroirs de chaque article confèrent un charme des plus branchés, lequel est rehaussé par les sobres poignées en métal. La chaude lumière que diffuse l’éclairage intégré met en valeur vos trésors préférés, en attirant l’oeil sur vos précieux objets de collection et en métamorphosant un simple meuble en une vitrine extraordinaire. Les trois articles de cette collection peuvent s’agencer de manière à convenir à vos besoins particuliers en matière d’espace.

Another major European introduction for 1982 was the all-new 700 series from Volvo. Designed to replace the 200 series (itself derived from the 100 series of 1966), the 700 was produced alongside for 12 years. The two models are very close in exterior dimension.

 

The 700 underwent minor exterior changes to become the 900 series in 1991, notably a smoother front end treatment and revised rear treatment on the sedan. The sedan also received an independent rear suspension, with the estate car retaining a live rear axle. The 900 series was futher revised and named the S90/V90 in 1997 in line with Volvo's new naming convention. The model finally went out of production in 1998. The sedan models were subsequently replaced by the front-wheel-drive Volvo S80.

 

The engine line up included 4-cylinder, 4-cylinder turbocharged (one of the first major turbocharged passenger car ranges) and carryover vee-six cylinder engines shared with PSA and Renault. The 900 series later replaced the V6 with an inline six developed as part of a modular engine design of inline 4, 5 and 6-cylinder engines.

 

At launch the car was strongly criticised for its overtly rectilinear styling. The car matched the style that was popular in North America at the time, including a near vertical rear window. Unfortunately for Volvo this was the model year introduction of a key competitor, the Audi 100, which was notably aerodynamic in form.

 

This styling theme does have its advantages, with large windows and good visibility. It also provides ample space as an estate car. The model was popular with middle-class families with children, dogs etc, and are now considered 'Lifestyle' families.

 

Volvo's success in this market segment was later eroded by SUV and 'crossover' vehicles which emphasised the adventure part of the lifestyle image without being any more practical as a family car. Volvo went on to launch a vehicle in the crossover segment in place of the 900 wagon, the XC90. This model was very well recieved for its family practicality relative to other vehicles in the luxury crossover segment.

 

This miniland scale model has been created using Lego Digital Designer for Flickr LUGNuts 43rd build challenge - 'Plus or Mius Ten' - celebraing vehilces produced ten years before or after the birth year of the modeller. In this case 1982.

Well this was a lovely surprise on the way back to my place, what many consider to be either the last of the good Rollers, or the first of the bad one, the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow.

 

There's not much I can say about the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow that hasn't already been said, a car that was styled and homed to perfection, a vehicle that took 3 months to build, comprised of 3 cow hides, 12 square feet of wood and laden with the finest Wilton carpets. If you owned a brand new one of these back in the 1960's and 70's, then you truly were someone special.

 

The Silver Shadow however, unlike its predecessors, was the most radical Rolls ever built, primarily due to the fact that unlike previous cars such as the Phantom and Silver Cloud, the car was built on a monocoque, with the body being built with the chassis, rather than in earlier instances where Rolls would provide the chassis, and then it was up to the owner to hire a coachbuilder such as Hoopers or HJ Muliner Park Ward, to build the body.

 

The Silver Shadow was also the first Rolls to be built with the idea of the owner being sat in the front rather than the back. The Silver Cloud was very much a passenger's car, being ferried from stately banquet to stately banquet by a chauffeur. This Silver Shadow on the other hand was a driver's car, powered by Rolls Royce's magnificent V8 engine it smoothly glided across the countryside with the grace and elegance of a stately home on wheels, and so popular was this chemistry of luxury and practicality, that they sold by the thousand. In total, 25,000 examples were built, and the design was incorporated into many other variations, including the Rolls Royce Corniche (a direct descendant of the Silver Shadow 2-door Coupe built by HJ Muliner Park Ward), the controversial Camargue (which was built on the same chassis as a Shadow), and the Bentley T series (basically a Shadow with Bentley badging and radiator grille).

 

Eventually, the Shadow ended production in 1980, being replaced by the simpler Silver Spirit and Silver Spur range, but the magnificent design of this classic British pedigree has kept it one of the most popular owner's cars in the world, now available for ownership at less that £10,000 in some instances!

 

This particular example is one of the rarer Silver Shadow I's, distinguishable by the chrome bumpers and raised ditch-lights that were discontinued in 1977 in order to conform to the stringent American safety regulations.

I first visited Dunnottar Castle summer 2017, this magnificent castle sits high on a hill, last time I visited I captured my shots from the cliffs overlooking the site, though today I made the journey up the hill and entered the castle walls , wow what a magnificent experience, just perfect with loads of great photo opportunities to capture real Scottish history,after two hours wandering around and capturing as many shots that caught my eye , I made my way home, a magnificent experience indeed.

 

Dunnottar Castle (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Fhoithear, "fort on the shelving slope" is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-east coast of Scotland, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Stonehaven.

 

The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th and 16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been fortified in the Early Middle Ages. Dunnottar has played a prominent role in the history of Scotland through to the 18th-century Jacobite risings because of its strategic location and defensive strength. Dunnottar is best known as the place where the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels, were hidden from Oliver Cromwell's invading army in the 17th century. The property of the Keiths from the 14th century, and the seat of the Earl Marischal, Dunnottar declined after the last Earl forfeited his titles by taking part in the Jacobite rebellion of 1715.

 

The castle was restored in the 20th century and is now open to the public.

 

The ruins of the castle are spread over 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres), surrounded by steep cliffs that drop to the North Sea, 50 metres (160 ft) below. A narrow strip of land joins the headland to the mainland, along which a steep path leads up to the gatehouse.

 

The various buildings within the castle include the 14th-century tower house as well as the 16th-century palace. Dunnottar Castle is a scheduled monument, and twelve structures on the site are listed buildings.

 

History

Early Middle Ages

A chapel at Dunnottar is said to have been founded by St Ninian in the 5th century, although it is not clear when the site was first fortified, but in any case the legend is late and highly implausible. Possibly the earliest written reference to the site is found in the Annals of Ulster which record two sieges of "Dún Foither" in 681 and 694.

 

The earlier event has been interpreted as an attack by Brude, the Pictish king of Fortriu, to extend his power over the north-east coast of Scotland. The Scottish Chronicle records that King Domnall II, the first ruler to be called rí Alban (King of Alba), was killed at Dunnottar during an attack by Vikings in 900. King Aethelstan of Wessex led a force into Scotland in 934, and raided as far north as Dunnottar according to the account of Symeon of Durham. W. D. Simpson speculated that a motte might lie under the present caste, but excavations in the 1980s failed to uncover substantive evidence of early medieval fortification.

 

The discovery of a group of Pictish stones at Dunnicaer, a nearby sea stack, has prompted speculation that "Dún Foither" was actually located on the adjacent headland of Bowduns, 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi) to the north.

 

Later Middle Ages

During the reign of King William the Lion (ruled 1165–1214) Dunnottar was a center of local administration for The Mearns. The castle is named in the Roman de Fergus, an early 13th-century Arthurian romance, in which the hero Fergus must travel to Dunnottar to retrieve a magic shield.

 

In May 1276 a church on the site was consecrated by William Wishart, Bishop of St Andrews. The poet Blind Harry relates that William Wallace captured Dunnottar from the English in 1297, during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He is said to have imprisoned 4,000 defeated English soldiers in the church and burned them alive.

 

In 1336 Edward III of England ordered William Sinclair, 8th Baron of Roslin, to sail eight ships to the partially ruined Dunnottar for the purpose of rebuilding and fortifying the site as a forward resupply base for his northern campaign. Sinclair took with him 160 soldiers, horses, and a corps of masons and carpenters.

 

Edward himself visited in July, but the English efforts were undone before the end of the year when the Scottish Regent Sir Andrew Murray led a force that captured and again destroyed the defences of Dunnottar.

 

In the 14th century Dunnottar was granted to William de Moravia, 5th Earl of Sutherland (d.1370), and in 1346 a licence to crenellate was issued by David II. Around 1359 William Keith, Marischal of Scotland, married Margaret Fraser, niece of Robert the Bruce, and was granted the barony of Dunnottar at this time. Keith then gave the lands of Dunnottar to his daughter Christian and son-in-law William Lindsay of Byres, but in 1392 an excambion (exchange) was agreed whereby Keith regained Dunnottar and Lindsay took lands in Fife.

 

William Keith completed construction of the tower house at Dunnottar, but was excommunicated for building on the consecrated ground associated with the parish church. Keith had provided a new parish church closer to Stonehaven, but was forced to write to the Pope, Benedict XIII, who issued a bull in 1395 lifting the excommunication.William Keith's descendents were created Earls Marischal in the mid 15th century, and they held Dunottar until the 18th century.

 

16th century rebuilding

Through the 16th century the Keiths improved and expanded their principal seats: at Dunnottar and also at Keith Marischal in East Lothian. James IV visited Dunnottar in 1504, and in 1531 James V exempted the Earl's men from military service on the grounds that Dunnottar was one of the "principall strenthis of our realme".

 

Mary, Queen of Scots, visited in 1562 after the Battle of Corrichie, and returned in 1564.

 

James VI stayed for 10 days in 1580, as part of a progress through Fife and Angus, during which a meeting of the Privy Council was convened at Dunnottar.

 

During a rebellion of Catholic nobles in 1592, Dunnottar was captured by a Captain Carr on behalf of the Earl of Huntly, but was restored to Lord Marischal just a few weeks later.

 

In 1581 George Keith succeeded as 5th Earl Marischal, and began a large scale reconstruction that saw the medieval fortress converted into a more comfortable home. The founder of Marischal College in Aberdeen, the 5th Earl valued Dunnottar as much for its dramatic situation as for its security.

 

A "palace" comprising a series of ranges around a quadrangle was built on the north-eastern cliffs, creating luxurious living quarters with sea views. The 13th-century chapel was restored and incorporated into the quadrangle.

 

An impressive stone gatehouse was constructed, now known as Benholm's Lodging, featuring numerous gun ports facing the approach. Although impressive, these are likely to have been fashionable embellishments rather than genuine defensive features.

 

Civil wars

Further information: Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms

In 1639 William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal, came out in support of the Covenanters, a Presbyterian movement who opposed the established Episcopal Church and the changes which Charles I was attempting to impose. With James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, he marched against the Catholic James Gordon, 2nd Viscount Aboyne, Earl of Huntly, and defeated an attempt by the Royalists to seize Stonehaven. However, when Montrose changed sides to the Royalists and marched north, Marischal remained in Dunnottar, even when given command of the area by Parliament, and even when Montrose burned Stonehaven.

 

Marischal then joined with the Engager faction, who had made a deal with the king, and led a troop of horse to the Battle of Preston (1648) in support of the royalists.

 

Following the execution of Charles I in 1649, the Engagers gave their allegiance to his son and heir: Charles II was proclaimed king, arriving in Scotland in June 1650. He visited Dunnottar in July 1650, but his presence in Scotland prompted Oliver Cromwell to lead a force into Scotland, defeating the Scots at Dunbar in September 1650.

 

The Honours of Scotland

Charles II was crowned at Scone Palace on 1 January 1651, at which the Honours of Scotland (the regalia of crown, sword and sceptre) were used. However, with Cromwell's troops in Lothian, the honours could not be returned to Edinburgh. The Earl Marischal, as Marischal of Scotland, had formal responsibility for the honours, and in June the Privy Council duly decided to place them at Dunnottar.

 

They were brought to the castle by Katherine Drummond, hidden in sacks of wool. Sir George Ogilvie (or Ogilvy) of Barras was appointed lieutenant-governor of the castle, and given responsibility for its defence.

 

In November 1651 Cromwell's troops called on Ogilvie to surrender, but he refused. During the subsequent blockade of the castle, the removal of the Honours of Scotland was planned by Elizabeth Douglas, wife of Sir George Ogilvie, and Christian Fletcher, wife of James Granger, minister of Kinneff Parish Church. The king's papers were first removed from the castle by Anne Lindsay, a kinswoman of Elizabeth Douglas, who walked through the besieging force with the papers sewn into her clothes.

 

Two stories exist regarding the removal of the honours themselves. Fletcher stated in 1664 that over the course of three visits to the castle in February and March 1652, she carried away the crown, sceptre, sword and sword-case hidden amongst sacks of goods. Another account, given in the 18th century by a tutor to the Earl Marischal, records that the honours were lowered from the castle onto the beach, where they were collected by Fletcher's servant and carried off in a creel (basket) of seaweed. Having smuggled the honours from the castle, Fletcher and her husband buried them under the floor of the Old Kirk at Kinneff.

 

Meanwhile, by May 1652 the commander of the blockade, Colonel Thomas Morgan, had taken delivery of the artillery necessary for the reduction of Dunnottar. Ogilvie surrendered on 24 May, on condition that the garrison could go free. Finding the honours gone, the Cromwellians imprisoned Ogilvie and his wife in the castle until the following year, when a false story was put about suggesting that the honours had been taken overseas.

 

Much of the castle property was removed, including twenty-one brass cannons,[28] and Marischal was required to sell further lands and possessions to pay fines imposed by Cromwell's government.

 

At the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, the honours were removed from Kinneff Church and returned to the king. Ogilvie quarrelled with Marischal's mother over who would take credit for saving the honours, though he was eventually rewarded with a baronetcy. Fletcher was awarded 2,000 merks by Parliament but the sum was never paid.

  

Whigs and Jacobites

Religious and political conflicts continued to be played out at Dunnottar through the 17th and early 18th centuries. In 1685, during the rebellion of the Earl of Argyll against the new king James VII, 167 Covenanters were seized and held in a cellar at Dunnottar. The prisoners included 122 men and 45 women associated with the Whigs, an anti-Royalist group within the Covenanter movement, and had refused to take an oath of allegiance to the new king.

 

The Whigs were imprisoned from 24 May until late July. A group of 25 escaped, although two of these were killed in a fall from the cliffs, and another 15 were recaptured. Five prisoners died in the vault, and 37 of the Whigs were released after taking the oath of allegiance.

 

The remaining prisoners were transported to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, as part of a colonisation scheme devised by George Scot of Pitlochie. Many, like Scot himself, died on the voyage.

 

The cellar, located beneath the "King's Bedroom" in the 16th-century castle buildings, has since become known as the "Whigs' Vault".

 

Both the Jacobites (supporters of the exiled Stuarts) and the Hanoverians (supporters of George I and his descendents) used Dunnottar Castle. In 1689 during Viscount Dundee's campaign in support of the deposed James VII, the castle was garrisoned for William and Mary with Lord Marischal appointed captain.

 

Seventeen suspected Jacobites from Aberdeen were seized and held in the fortress for around three weeks, including George Liddell, professor of mathematics at Marischal College.

 

In the Jacobite Rising of 1715 George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal, took an active role with the rebels, leading cavalry at the Battle of Sheriffmuir. After the subsequent abandonment of the rising Lord Marischal fled to the Continent, eventually becoming French ambassador for Frederick the Great of Prussia. Meanwhile, in 1716, his titles and estates including Dunnottar were declared forfeit to the crown.

 

Later history

The seized estates of the Earl Marischal were purchased in 1720 for £41,172, by the York Buildings Company who dismantled much of the castle.

 

In 1761 the Earl briefly returned to Scotland and bought back Dunnottar only to sell it five years later to Alexander Keith, an Edinburgh lawyer who served as Knight Marischal of Scotland.

 

Dunnottar was inherited in 1852 by Sir Patrick Keith-Murray of Ochtertyre, who in turn sold it in July 1873 to Major Alexander Innes of Cowie and Raemoir for about £80,000.

 

It was purchased by Weetman Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray, in 1925 after which his wife embarked on a programme of repairs.

 

Since that time the castle has remained in the family, and has been open to the public, attracting 52,500 visitors in 2009.

 

Dunnottar Castle, and the headland on which is stands, was designated as a scheduled monument in 1970.In 1972 twelve of the structures at Dunnottar were listed.

 

Three buildings are listed at category A as being of "national importance": the keep; the entrance gateway; and Benholm's Lodging.

 

The remaining listings are at category B as being of "regional importance".[39] The Hon. Charles Anthony Pearson, the younger son of the 3rd Viscount Cowdray, currently owns and runs Dunnottar Castle which is part of the 210-square-kilometre (52,000-acre) Dunecht Estates.

 

Portions of the 1990 film Hamlet, starring Mel Gibson and Glenn Close, were shot there.

  

Description

Dunnottar's strategic location allowed its owners to control the coastal terrace between the North Sea cliffs and the hills of the Mounth, 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) inland, which enabled access to and from the north-east of Scotland.

 

The site is accessed via a steep, 800-metre (2,600 ft) footpath (with modern staircases) from a car park on the coastal road, or via a 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) cliff-top path from Stonehaven. Dunnottar's several buildings, put up between the 13th and 17th centuries, are arranged across a headland covering around 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres).

 

The dominant building, viewed from the land approach, is the 14th-century keep or tower house. The other principal buildings are the gatehouse; the chapel; and the 16th-century "palace" which incorporates the "Whigs' Vault".

 

Defences

The approach to the castle is overlooked by outworks on the "Fiddle Head", a promontory on the western side of the headland. The entrance is through the well-defended main gate, set in a curtain wall which entirely blocks a cleft in the rocky cliffs.

 

The gate has a portcullis and has been partly blocked up. Alongside the main gate is the 16th-century Benholm's Lodging, a five-storey building cut into the rock, which incorporated a prison with apartments above.

 

Three tiers of gun ports face outwards from the lower floors of Benholm's Lodging, while inside the main gate, a group of four gun ports face the entrance. The entrance passage then turns sharply to the left, running underground through two tunnels to emerge near the tower house.

 

Simpson contends that these defences are "without exception the strongest in Scotland", although later writers have doubted the effectiveness of the gun ports. Cruden notes that the alignment of the gun ports in Benholm's Lodging, facing across the approach rather than along, means that they are of limited efficiency.

 

The practicality of the gun ports facing the entrance has also been questioned, though an inventory of 1612 records that four brass cannons were placed here.

 

A second access to the castle leads up from a rocky cove, the aperture to a marine cave on the northern side of the Dunnottar cliffs into which a small boat could be brought. From here a steep path leads to the well-fortified postern gate on the cliff top, which in turn offers access to the castle via the Water Gate in the palace.

 

Artillery defences, taking the form of earthworks, surround the north-west corner of the castle, facing inland, and the south-east, facing seaward. A small sentry box or guard house stands by the eastern battery, overlooking the coast.

 

Tower house and surrounding buildings

The tower house of Dunnottar, viewed from the west

The late 14th-century tower house has a stone-vaulted basement, and originally had three further storeys and a garret above.

 

Measuring 12 by 11 metres (39 by 36 ft), the tower house stood 15 metres (49 ft) high to its gable. The principal rooms included a great hall and a private chamber for the lord, with bedrooms upstairs.

 

Beside the tower house is a storehouse, and a blacksmith's forge with a large chimney. A stable block is ranged along the southern edge of the headland. Nearby is Waterton's Lodging, also known as the Priest's House, built around 1574, possibly for the use of William Keith (died 1580), son of the 4th Earl Marischal.

 

This small self-contained house includes a hall and kitchen at ground level, with private chambers above, and has a projecting spiral stair on the north side. It is named for Thomas Forbes of Waterton, an attendant of the 7th Earl.

 

The palace

The palace, to the north-east of the headland, was built in the late 16th century and early to mid-17th century. It comprises three main wings set out around a quadrangle, and for the most part is probably the work of the 5th Earl Marischal who succeeded in 1581.

 

It provided extensive and comfortable accommodation to replace the rooms in the tower house. In its long, low design it has been compared to contemporary English buildings, in contrast to the Scottish tradition of taller towers still prevalent in the 16th century.

 

Seven identical lodgings are arranged along the west range, each opening onto the quadrangle and including windows and fireplace. Above the lodgings the west range comprised a 35-metre (115 ft) gallery. Now roofless, the gallery originally had an elaborate oak ceiling, and on display was a Roman tablet taken from the Antonine Wall.

 

At the north end of the gallery was a drawing room linked to the north range. The gallery could also be accessed from the Silver House to the south, which incorporated a broad stairway with a treasury above.

 

The basement of the north range incorporates kitchens and stores, with a dining room and great chamber above. At ground floor level is the Water Gate, between the north and west ranges, which gives access to the postern on the northern cliffs.

 

The east and north ranges are linked via a rectangular stair. The east range has a larder, brewhouse and bakery at ground level, with a suite of apartments for the Countess above. A north-east wing contains the Earl's apartments, and includes the "King's Bedroom" in which Charles II stayed. In this room is a carved stone inscribed with the arms of the 7th Earl and his wife, and the date 1654. Below these rooms is the Whigs' Vault, a cellar measuring 16 by 4.5 metres (52 by 15 ft). This cellar, in which the Covenanters were held in 1685, has a large eastern window, as well as a lower vault accessed via a trap-door in the floor.

 

Of the chambers in the palace, only the dining room and the Silver House remain roofed, having been restored in the 1920s. The central area contains a circular cistern or fish pond, 16 metres (52 ft) across and 7.6 metres (25 ft) deep, and a bowling green is located to the west.

 

At the south-east corner of the quadrangle is the chapel, consecrated in 1276 and largely rebuilt in the 16th century. Medieval walling and two 13th-century windows remain, and there is a graveyard to the south.

Hundreds of African Refugees from Eritrea and Ethiopia make a pilgrimage to Bethlehem to visit Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity for a Coptic Christmas. Bethlehem, Palestine, 6th January 2012.

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

 

Armenian Orthodox Christmas mass and procession inside the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem January 18, 2011. Church services and ceremonies are conducted in the Cathedral of Nativity all night long and until the next day.

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

 

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

The Church of the Ascension at the "Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation" on the Mount of Olives - together with our Center for Pilgrims and Tourists and the famous "Café Auguste Victoria".

 

It was built in 1907-1910, and named after Empress Augusta Victoria, the wife of German Kaiser Wilhelm II. Today it is an Arab Hospital.

 

The Christian community of Jerusalem has always been multi-ethnic, diverse and multi-lingual. Here, you will find Greeks and Armenians, Syrians, Coptic Christians from Egypt, Ethiopians, Maronites with Lebanese background, Orthodox Russians, Palestinians, and Hebrew Christians praying side by side. As a German speaking Protestant Church, we are a vital part of the ecumenical landscape of Christian churches in Jerusalem.

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

 

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

 

The Church of the Ascension at the "Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation" on the Mount of Olives - together with our Center for Pilgrims and Tourists and the famous "Café Auguste Victoria".

 

It was built in 1907-1910, and named after Empress Augusta Victoria, the wife of German Kaiser Wilhelm II. Today it is an Arab Hospital.

 

The Christian community of Jerusalem has always been multi-ethnic, diverse and multi-lingual. Here, you will find Greeks and Armenians, Syrians, Coptic Christians from Egypt, Ethiopians, Maronites with Lebanese background, Orthodox Russians, Palestinians, and Hebrew Christians praying side by side. As a German speaking Protestant Church, we are a vital part of the ecumenical landscape of Christian churches in Jerusalem.

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

 

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

 

Here we have it, one of the most iconic little cars in the whole of history. A machine that revolutionised the concept of the city car, and what has now become a pure symbol of Englishness!

 

This little machine is simply known as the Mini! :D

 

Construction of the Mini first began in 1959, with the car designed by the British Motor Corporation's (BMC) chief designer Sir Alec Issigonis, who envisaged a car that had as much space as was humanly possible devoted to the passenger so as to combine the practicality of a big car with the nippy nature of a Dune Buggy. The result was that 80% of the car's platform was available for use by both passengers and luggage. The car was also designed to be fuel efficient, built in response to the 1956 Suez Crisis which resulted in rising fuel prices and petrol rationing. During this period it became apparent that German 'Bubble Car' equivalents such as the Heinkel Kabine and various Messerschmitt designs were starting to corner the market, and thus the Mini project was launched under project name ADO15 (Amalgamated Drawing Office project number 15). Great care was taken to make sure that as much space was saved for the passenger, including the instalment of compact rubber springs instead of conventional metal and the small but powerful BMC A-Series four-cylinder engine tucked away at the front.

 

In April 1959 the car was launched to the press under the designation of both the Austin Seven and the Morris Mini-Minor (due to the amalgamation of the Austin and Morris brands under BMC). By the time the car was let loose thousands had already been sent abroad in an audacious promotional campaign. Things however started slow for the Mini, but this rising star soon became an icon during the 1960's, selling 1,190,000 by 1967.

 

But, behind all the shining sales figures, there were some major problems for BMC and their wonderchild. Baffled by the car, Ford bought one for the base price of £497 and took it apart, desperate to know how their rivals were doing it for the money. As it turns out they weren't, and were able to determine that BMC was losing at least £30 on every single car they sold. Novelty was the only way to get the car properly moving in this competitive new world, and the Mini was all about that. By 1970 the car had appeared in a variety of movies and TV shows, the most famous of which was their charge to glory in the 1969 film 'The Italian Job', where a trio of Minis were used to plunder gold from under the noses of the Mafia and the Italian Authorities. A Leyland Mini holds a place in the heart of British TV under the ownership of Mr. Bean and his various clumsy antics, usually involving an unfortunate Reliant Regal. At the same time it was a car of choice for TV and Music Stars who wanted to show off their quirks!

 

From then on the car continued to keep up its notorious status as a British symbol of motoring, with a huge variety of cars being made including a spacious van, a country camper, a pickup truck and the Moke dune buggy! There were also two almost identical saloon versions of the car known as the Wolseley Hornet and the Riley Elf that were built between 1961 and 1969 as more luxurious alternatives to the original.

 

In 1969 the first major facelift came in the form of the Clubman, designed under British Leyland to give the car a new lease of life, but ended up being something of a mongrel. Although functionally the same, the boys at British Leyland couldn't help but get things off to a bad start by relocating construction from the Cowley Plant to the Longbridge Plant, which meant that all kits and tools had to be moved too and thus initial sales were very slow. British Leyland's reliability reputation was soon to follow, with the unfortunate Mini becoming a victim of the shoddy workmanship that had mired so many of its other products.

 

Eventually the Clubman was killed off in 1980, although the original Mini design had been built alongside and was still selling strong. British Leyland however had plans to kill off the Mini in 1980 by introducing its new small economy car, the Austin Metro. Built very much to the same principals of the Mini, the Metro was a much more angular design but still a capable little family hatchback. But the angular lines and big bulky body did nothing for the Metro, and the car failed to sell in the numbers domestically than those of the Mini internationally!

 

Towards the end of the 1980's and 1990's, the car came in a variety of different 'Special Editions' as the car became less of a mass-market machine and more a fashion item. The iconic nature of the car had sealed its fate with new owners of the Rover Group, BMW, who intended to keep the car going for as long as possible. At the same time the car was a major seller in Japan, which gave a boost of sales in the early 1990's with 40,000 new cars being exported there.

 

Eventually however, the design was starting to look very tired and with Rover Group making heavy losses, the Mini and its spiritual cousin the Metro were killed off in 2000 and 1999, respectively. Rover was granted the ability to run-out the model to the very end before Rover itself was sold off in 2000. During the breakup, BMW designed a new version of the Mini which was launched in 2000 and is still being built today as quite a sleek and popular machine, a little bit more bulky than the original but certainly keeping the novelty and charm. The originals however ended on the 4th October 2000, with a red Mini Cooper S bringing an end to 5,387,862 cars.

 

However, although the original Mini is now very much dead, the novelty that surrounds these tiny little cars is enough to keep thousands and thousands of these machines preserved or in continual everyday usage. Older Mini-Minors are a bit hard to come by and the Clubmans rusted away before you could get them home from the showroom, but the later Mini's sold in the 1980's and 1990's are still alive and kicking on the roads of Britain, and can still draw the attention of passers by even 56 years after the first ones left the production line!

Here we have it, one of the most iconic little cars in the whole of history. A machine that revolutionised the concept of the city car, and what has now become a pure symbol of Englishness!

 

This little machine is simply known as the Mini! :D

 

Construction of the Mini first began in 1959, with the car designed by the British Motor Corporation's (BMC) chief designer Sir Alec Issigonis, who envisaged a car that had as much space as was humanly possible devoted to the passenger so as to combine the practicality of a big car with the nippy nature of a Dune Buggy. The result was that 80% of the car's platform was available for use by both passengers and luggage. The car was also designed to be fuel efficient, built in response to the 1956 Suez Crisis which resulted in rising fuel prices and petrol rationing. During this period it became apparent that German 'Bubble Car' equivalents such as the Heinkel Kabine and various Messerschmitt designs were starting to corner the market, and thus the Mini project was launched under project name ADO15 (Amalgamated Drawing Office project number 15). Great care was taken to make sure that as much space was saved for the passenger, including the instalment of compact rubber springs instead of conventional metal and the small but powerful BMC A-Series four-cylinder engine tucked away at the front.

 

In April 1959 the car was launched to the press under the designation of both the Austin Seven and the Morris Mini-Minor (due to the amalgamation of the Austin and Morris brands under BMC). By the time the car was let loose thousands had already been sent abroad in an audacious promotional campaign. Things however started slow for the Mini, but this rising star soon became an icon during the 1960's, selling 1,190,000 by 1967.

 

But, behind all the shining sales figures, there were some major problems for BMC and their wonderchild. Baffled by the car, Ford bought one for the base price of £497 and took it apart, desperate to know how their rivals were doing it for the money. As it turns out they weren't, and were able to determine that BMC was losing at least £30 on every single car they sold. Novelty was the only way to get the car properly moving in this competitive new world, and the Mini was all about that. By 1970 the car had appeared in a variety of movies and TV shows, the most famous of which was their charge to glory in the 1969 film 'The Italian Job', where a trio of Minis were used to plunder gold from under the noses of the Mafia and the Italian Authorities. A Leyland Mini holds a place in the heart of British TV under the ownership of Mr. Bean and his various clumsy antics, usually involving an unfortunate Reliant Regal. At the same time it was a car of choice for TV and Music Stars who wanted to show off their quirks!

 

From then on the car continued to keep up its notorious status as a British symbol of motoring, with a huge variety of cars being made including a spacious van, a country camper, a pickup truck and the Moke dune buggy! There were also two almost identical saloon versions of the car known as the Wolseley Hornet and the Riley Elf that were built between 1961 and 1969 as more luxurious alternatives to the original.

 

In 1969 the first major facelift came in the form of the Clubman, designed under British Leyland to give the car a new lease of life, but ended up being something of a mongrel. Although functionally the same, the boys at British Leyland couldn't help but get things off to a bad start by relocating construction from the Cowley Plant to the Longbridge Plant, which meant that all kits and tools had to be moved too and thus initial sales were very slow. British Leyland's reliability reputation was soon to follow, with the unfortunate Mini becoming a victim of the shoddy workmanship that had mired so many of its other products.

 

Eventually the Clubman was killed off in 1980, although the original Mini design had been built alongside and was still selling strong. British Leyland however had plans to kill off the Mini in 1980 by introducing its new small economy car, the Austin Metro. Built very much to the same principals of the Mini, the Metro was a much more angular design but still a capable little family hatchback. But the angular lines and big bulky body did nothing for the Metro, and the car failed to sell in the numbers domestically than those of the Mini internationally!

 

Towards the end of the 1980's and 1990's, the car came in a variety of different 'Special Editions' as the car became less of a mass-market machine and more a fashion item. The iconic nature of the car had sealed its fate with new owners of the Rover Group, BMW, who intended to keep the car going for as long as possible. At the same time the car was a major seller in Japan, which gave a boost of sales in the early 1990's with 40,000 new cars being exported there.

 

Eventually however, the design was starting to look very tired and with Rover Group making heavy losses, the Mini and its spiritual cousin the Metro were killed off in 2000 and 1999, respectively. Rover was granted the ability to run-out the model to the very end before Rover itself was sold off in 2000. During the breakup, BMW designed a new version of the Mini which was launched in 2000 and is still being built today as quite a sleek and popular machine, a little bit more bulky than the original but certainly keeping the novelty and charm. The originals however ended on the 4th October 2000, with a red Mini Cooper S bringing an end to 5,387,862 cars.

 

However, although the original Mini is now very much dead, the novelty that surrounds these tiny little cars is enough to keep thousands and thousands of these machines preserved or in continual everyday usage. Older Mini-Minors are a bit hard to come by and the Clubmans rusted away before you could get them home from the showroom, but the later Mini's sold in the 1980's and 1990's are still alive and kicking on the roads of Britain, and can still draw the attention of passers by even 56 years after the first ones left the production line!

Here we have it, one of the most iconic little cars in the whole of history. A machine that revolutionised the concept of the city car, and what has now become a pure symbol of Englishness!

 

This little machine is simply known as the Mini! :D

 

Construction of the Mini first began in 1959, with the car designed by the British Motor Corporation's (BMC) chief designer Sir Alec Issigonis, who envisaged a car that had as much space as was humanly possible devoted to the passenger so as to combine the practicality of a big car with the nippy nature of a Dune Buggy. The result was that 80% of the car's platform was available for use by both passengers and luggage. The car was also designed to be fuel efficient, built in response to the 1956 Suez Crisis which resulted in rising fuel prices and petrol rationing. During this period it became apparent that German 'Bubble Car' equivalents such as the Heinkel Kabine and various Messerschmitt designs were starting to corner the market, and thus the Mini project was launched under project name ADO15 (Amalgamated Drawing Office project number 15). Great care was taken to make sure that as much space was saved for the passenger, including the instalment of compact rubber springs instead of conventional metal and the small but powerful BMC A-Series four-cylinder engine tucked away at the front.

 

In April 1959 the car was launched to the press under the designation of both the Austin Seven and the Morris Mini-Minor (due to the amalgamation of the Austin and Morris brands under BMC). By the time the car was let loose thousands had already been sent abroad in an audacious promotional campaign. Things however started slow for the Mini, but this rising star soon became an icon during the 1960's, selling 1,190,000 by 1967.

 

But, behind all the shining sales figures, there were some major problems for BMC and their wonderchild. Baffled by the car, Ford bought one for the base price of £497 and took it apart, desperate to know how their rivals were doing it for the money. As it turns out they weren't, and were able to determine that BMC was losing at least £30 on every single car they sold. Novelty was the only way to get the car properly moving in this competitive new world, and the Mini was all about that. By 1970 the car had appeared in a variety of movies and TV shows, the most famous of which was their charge to glory in the 1969 film 'The Italian Job', where a trio of Minis were used to plunder gold from under the noses of the Mafia and the Italian Authorities. A Leyland Mini holds a place in the heart of British TV under the ownership of Mr. Bean and his various clumsy antics, usually involving an unfortunate Reliant Regal. At the same time it was a car of choice for TV and Music Stars who wanted to show off their quirks!

 

From then on the car continued to keep up its notorious status as a British symbol of motoring, with a huge variety of cars being made including a spacious van, a country camper, a pickup truck and the Moke dune buggy! There were also two almost identical saloon versions of the car known as the Wolseley Hornet and the Riley Elf that were built between 1961 and 1969 as more luxurious alternatives to the original.

 

In 1969 the first major facelift came in the form of the Clubman, designed under British Leyland to give the car a new lease of life, but ended up being something of a mongrel. Although functionally the same, the boys at British Leyland couldn't help but get things off to a bad start by relocating construction from the Cowley Plant to the Longbridge Plant, which meant that all kits and tools had to be moved too and thus initial sales were very slow. British Leyland's reliability reputation was soon to follow, with the unfortunate Mini becoming a victim of the shoddy workmanship that had mired so many of its other products.

 

Eventually the Clubman was killed off in 1980, although the original Mini design had been built alongside and was still selling strong. British Leyland however had plans to kill off the Mini in 1980 by introducing its new small economy car, the Austin Metro. Built very much to the same principals of the Mini, the Metro was a much more angular design but still a capable little family hatchback. But the angular lines and big bulky body did nothing for the Metro, and the car failed to sell in the numbers domestically than those of the Mini internationally!

 

Towards the end of the 1980's and 1990's, the car came in a variety of different 'Special Editions' as the car became less of a mass-market machine and more a fashion item. The iconic nature of the car had sealed its fate with new owners of the Rover Group, BMW, who intended to keep the car going for as long as possible. At the same time the car was a major seller in Japan, which gave a boost of sales in the early 1990's with 40,000 new cars being exported there.

 

Eventually however, the design was starting to look very tired and with Rover Group making heavy losses, the Mini and its spiritual cousin the Metro were killed off in 2000 and 1999, respectively. Rover was granted the ability to run-out the model to the very end before Rover itself was sold off in 2000. During the breakup, BMW designed a new version of the Mini which was launched in 2000 and is still being built today as quite a sleek and popular machine, a little bit more bulky than the original but certainly keeping the novelty and charm. The originals however ended on the 4th October 2000, with a red Mini Cooper S bringing an end to 5,387,862 cars.

 

However, although the original Mini is now very much dead, the novelty that surrounds these tiny little cars is enough to keep thousands and thousands of these machines preserved or in continual everyday usage. Older Mini-Minors are a bit hard to come by and the Clubmans rusted away before you could get them home from the showroom, but the later Mini's sold in the 1980's and 1990's are still alive and kicking on the roads of Britain, and can still draw the attention of passers by even 56 years after the first ones left the production line!

Inspired by a more minimal, fluid and socially aware approach to future living, the project seeks to promote and inspire leaner, more liveable life forms. Exploring the practicality of microsized living and urban downshifting - Supertramp wagon will act as my permanent mobile home, while doubling as an agency and social-facility point as well. Check www.lehmanb.com/supertramp for updates and events.

Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company logo on one of two 1919 headframes of the Cliffs Shaft Iron Mine, Euclid Street between Lakeshore Drive and Spruce Street, Ishpeming, Michigan. The Cliffs Shaft Mine is a former iron mine, now a museum, located on Euclid Street between Lakeshore Drive and Spruce Street in Ishpeming, Michigan. The museum, operated by "Marquette Range Iron Mining Heritage Theme Park Inc.", celebrates the history of the Marquette Iron Range. The site was designated a state of Michigan historic site in 1973 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992

 

In 1919, Cliffs Shaft engineers determined that the two wooden headframes atop their A and B shafts were deteriorating and would soon be unsafe. When Cliffs Shaft engineers presented company president William G. Mather with proposals to update the headframes, Mather suggested that, because of the prominence of their location, the headframes combine practicality with architectural beauty. The company retained George Washington Maher, a Prairie School architect from Chicago's Condron Company, to design the new headframes. Maher came up with a distinctive obelisk-shaped, Egyptian Revival design for the headframes. The company immediately began building the new headframes around the old wooden ones. The new headframes were of reinforced concrete, with an interior measurement of 33 feet square at the base, eventually tapering to 21 feet square at the top. A pyramidal roof brought the full height to 96 feet 9 inches. The structures are substantially similar, but mirror images of each other. The positions of interior beams were largely determined by available openings in the wooden headframes being built around. Work continued from July into December 1919.

310 Claydon Way is located in one of the finer neighborhoods of Sacramento. Having the advantage of being almost riverside, access to the American River Parkway and bicycle path is just one block from the home, providing lovely walks through incredible natural scenery and wildlife.

 

Year round, this beautiful neighborhood known as Wilhaggin, shows off its aesthetic pride with floral blossoms and blooms. Unlike other fine neighborhoods in the Sacramento area, Wilhaggin is mostly composed of sprawling single story dwellings. with wide streets, sidewalks and street lights.

 

The "ambiance" of this kind of neighborhood intention is palpable -- quietude, modest elegance, comfortable curb appeal, an abundance of mature and establish landscaping and shade trees.

 

Back when these houses were made in the sixties -- before magazine living lifestyle took over and replaced practicality with the discomforts of looking sharp -- strong bones and durability were time-honored architectural concepts. Pleasing oneself was more important than pleasing the neighbors, so the focus of the aesthetic addressed things like "hot summers", "colder winters" and the need for shade and light.

 

There were many independent builders at that time who became famous for their designs and also for their creative concepts for creating ideal settings for a river-living climate.

 

Among those that rose to fame, Lewis & Bristow are known for their comfortable living designs that centered around poolside appreciation. Shaped like a "U", 310 Claydon Way has three giant sliders that open up onto a giant back yard patio. The patio has roll-down awnings for late afternoon sun shade but also lends itself to an outside office or enclosed dinner-time eating.

 

The automated irrigation system has just been completely restored and upgraded. Other changes that have been done recently include brand new carpet, new paint and a remodeled entry way.

 

The grounds are fully established and mature. There are an abundance of roses and azaleas which bloom seasonally. The redwood trees on the property and surrounding the property in the backyard are invaluable for shade and beauty.

 

And 310 Claydon Way is loaded with all manner of little details of this nature which make it easy to maintain with a minimal amount of work. A truly beautiful home with over 3100 square feet, 310 Claydon way has been called "Shangri La" and has particularly great appeal to a buyer who loves outdoor living as much as indoor living.

 

BASIC DETAILS:

 

2 car garage

 

It's a four bedroom home with the following breakdown:

2 bedrooms

Gigantic master suite with walk in closet

a fully functioning 15' x 22' sky-lighted with bay windows live/work studio suite or playroom nursery (wet bar sink in studio and giant bathroom with shower).

Pool

Established landscaping and strategically placed and invaluable Sequoia trees.

House-wide vacuuming system.

Attic exhaust fan system and shade awnings.

Built in cabinetry throughout.

This was written quickly on pulp first-grader penmanship pad with sumi ink and homemade pen.

 

There has never been an accurate glossary of the tools and techniques involved in ancient Egyptian ink script practicalities, and nobody with the necessary skills to compile it has attempted to do so; as this would require adequate knowledge of 1. the ancient language (use and arrangement of symbols), 2. paleographic archaeology (style chronology and technical construction of materials), 3. and fine arts experience (calligraphy and cartooning). With a sound and cogent list of disambiguations, the most important obstacles to a solid understanding of the mechanics of Egyptian penmanship could be easily removed. Most of these obstacles have not been simply from a lack of information, but the result of semantic polarization by modern culture. But, most of the misconceptions that have hindered inquiry start to unravel as we inspect the new proliferation of high resolution photographs of papyri that were not available just a few years ago. It is my supposition that as more people with the skill set described above emerge, curiosity about the particulars of Egyptian handwriting will enjoy a noticeable increase. Thus, with such information as I have been able to uncover, I shall endeavor to compile a brief but hopefully useful list of distinctions. Here are a few points...

 

Examples:

 

1. linear script: small script found in coffins and some books using a brush with some evident movement of the elbow

2. semi-cursive script: similar to linear, but written by a carved calamus with the fingers and limited movement of the arm (wrist action)

3. semi-hieratic script: a more deliberately artistic style that combines semi-cursive glyphs with certain easily recognized hieratic ones

--These scripts are similar, but can have important technical differences. Many texts include a mixture.

 

1. oval tube nib: the typical ancient small diameter wicker marker used for the writing of high expression hieratic and cursive hieroglyphs in ink

2. fawn's foot nib: an advanced scribe's tool used in the creation of recitation texts in a House of Life, such as the Book of the Dead

3. pigeon beak nib: the classic arced point of a reed pen for Near Eastern languages, such as that of Phragmites or Arundo used by moderns

--These pens are similar, but interact with ink and surface differently. The oval nib acts more smoothly, somewhat like a Japanese carpenter's pen.

 

1. pulled script: an inked orthography where the fingers form most of the components of any symbol by pulling toward the body, as with Roman

2. pushed script: an inked orthography where the fingers form most of the components of any symbol by pushing away from the body, as with Arabic

3. sketched script: an inked orthography which combines numerous pulled and pushed elements, as with representative Egyptian and Mayan

--Since the semi-cursive hieroglyphic script is not composed of abstract symbols, it requires a certain amount of acquirable cartooning skill.

 

1. ham fist: a cramped manual position for calligraphy, where the pen is supported by the middle metacarpal of the middle finger

2. modern hand: a satisfactory manual position for ordinary chirography, where the nib is guided under the final knuckle of the middle finger

3. flourishing posture: a careful manual position with good control, where the nib is guided by the tip of the middle finger

--Many ancient depictions are ambiguous or imprecise, but some more clearly show Thoth or a scribe with an extended middle finger.

 

1. rush: a pithy plant stem that makes good stock for an absorbent writing tool, somewhat like a modern hard felt calligraphy marker

2. reed: a soft hollow plant stem that is flexible enough to conduct ink both along the surface and through its internal fibers, as well

3. cane: a hard hollow plant stem that permits the construction of a writing quill that conducts ink along channels on its exterior

--Ancient Egyptian scribes generally used rush. With the Persians, reed came into use for foreign scripts. Later, harder pens of cane became standard.

 

Thanks to the members of staff allowing us to take photos and look round the buses. Also thanks to the staff member who took the time to talk to us about the practicalities of the bendies, and the impracticality of YK06AUA which came here for trials last year.

parking test: practicality judging for solar car Stella from the Dutch Solar Team Eindhoven the day after the finish in Adelaide, during the 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, Apart from time, in Cruiser Class also practicality and total driver-kliometers are counted /

pakeer-test: praktijk-beoordeling voor familie-zonne-auto Stella van Solar Team Eindhoven de dag na de finish in Adelaide tijdens de 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Behalve reistijd wordt in de Cruiser Class ook de praktische ervaring van het rijden van de auto, en het aantal berijders-kilometers geteld

Here’s some more pics of my Generation Girl Mari custom. In the back of my mind I’ve wanted to a modern take on all the characters but that’s far too much money to spend on dolls with sculpts that’s barely been used just for me to strip and reroot.

 

But here’s what a taste of that might be. I really wanted to lean into Mari still having two toned hair like her original doll, but since fashion trends have changed, her original look NOW is a bit…. expected for “the asian” character in a doll line and that it probably wouldn’t be something an American corporation would market to girls.

 

So Mari still has dyed hair but in softer colours to take into consideration of the counterculture looks of Japanese fashion but also something you might find in a modern fashion doll while her make up is also inspired by such trends.

 

And I tried to find her clothes that still has a bit of fun and practicality to it like her original look but underscored with a black crop tank top to still give it some edge too.

 

Anyway it’d be nice if I could do more but of course my favourite characters have the least utilised sculpts….

  

SAAB (of Sweden) had always made some oddball cars. This was not always a good way of returning profits to development. By the mid-1980s, it was clear that the luxury market, to which SAAB aspired, had consolidated to the 3-box sedan.

 

The 9000 was part of the Type Four program, a pooled platform which yielded large cars for Alfa Romeo (164), FIAT (Croma), Lancia (Thema), and the SAAB 9000. By the time all the cars had been launched, all but SAAB were now part of the wider FIAT combine. An approach was made in the 1990s for SAAB to also be purchased, but this was rejected.

 

The SAAB 9000, which had originally been launched as a large 5-door in 1984, was updated to include a second body design - a conventional saloon, in late 1988. The car was called the 9000 CD, and the chief market was the US.

 

On endearing feature of SAABs was their practicality and utility, and though the 9000 CD was more useful than most sedans, SAAB buyers actually preferred their cars as 5-doors. The 9000 CD continued until 1998, when the car was replaced by the SAAB 9.5, a second attempt at a GM-derived platform project. GM's ownership of SAAB came to a conclusion with the remnants of SAAB sold first to Dutch boutique manufacturer Spyker, after GM's bankruptcy in 2009. SAAB was declared insolvent in 2012, and the remaining assets purchased by Chinese owned NEVS.

These photos are taken from our exclusive track day with the Noble M600 at Goodwood.

 

Romans International is now the official specialist dealership for Noble Automotive luxury super cars in Surrey, for the London area, the South and International sales. We offer the very best quality examples of Noble sports cars available on the market.

   

Noble are a low volume sports super car manufacturer who puts emphasis on quality, speed, drivability through tried and tested design, whilst pushing the boundaries of sports car innovation, without loosing the feel of a real road going sports car. Noble has evolved from the pursuit for excellence in motor engineering with cars primarily designed for speed and handling however this is not at the expense of either comfort or practicality, which puts the driver back in the driver's seat for the ultimate driving experience.

   

All Noble sports cars are hand made and assembled at the UK factory near Leicester. The factory's latest production car, the new Noble M600 is so quick, it has entered the realms of genuine "hyper-car" territory for speed and performance.

   

The breath taking performance statistics are not just down to the power-plant in the Noble M600, which is a mid-mounted, purpose built 4.4 litre V8 Twin turbo charged engine, which produces an impressive 650BHP and is mated to a Graziano 6 speed manual gearbox and a conventional stick shift selection.

 

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The Church of the Ascension at the "Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation" on the Mount of Olives - together with our Center for Pilgrims and Tourists and the famous "Café Auguste Victoria".

 

It was built in 1907-1910, and named after Empress Augusta Victoria, the wife of German Kaiser Wilhelm II. Today it is an Arab Hospital.

 

The Christian community of Jerusalem has always been multi-ethnic, diverse and multi-lingual. Here, you will find Greeks and Armenians, Syrians, Coptic Christians from Egypt, Ethiopians, Maronites with Lebanese background, Orthodox Russians, Palestinians, and Hebrew Christians praying side by side. As a German speaking Protestant Church, we are a vital part of the ecumenical landscape of Christian churches in Jerusalem.

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

 

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

 

The Church of the Ascension at the "Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation" on the Mount of Olives - together with our Center for Pilgrims and Tourists and the famous "Café Auguste Victoria".

 

It was built in 1907-1910, and named after Empress Augusta Victoria, the wife of German Kaiser Wilhelm II. Today it is an Arab Hospital.

 

The Christian community of Jerusalem has always been multi-ethnic, diverse and multi-lingual. Here, you will find Greeks and Armenians, Syrians, Coptic Christians from Egypt, Ethiopians, Maronites with Lebanese background, Orthodox Russians, Palestinians, and Hebrew Christians praying side by side. As a German speaking Protestant Church, we are a vital part of the ecumenical landscape of Christian churches in Jerusalem.

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

 

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

 

Benjamin Stein, Die Leinwand (The Canvas)

An Event of the DAAD

Reading

Wed, 29.12.2010, 19:00

Goethe-Institut Jerusalem

in German

  

Based on the scandal of Benjamin Wilkomirski's falsified Holocaust memoir, this novel deals with the unreliability of memory and the struggle for identity. Two stories are told from both ends of the book. In one of the stories Amnon Zichroni, an Orthodox Jew who grew up in Israel and becomes a psychoanalyst in Zürich, encourages Minsky, a supposed Holocaust survivor, to write down his memories. The other story is about East German journalist Jan Wechsler who tries to expose Minsky's memoirs as false. In the centre of the book a confrontation takes place when the two narrators, Amnon Zichroni and Jan Wechsler, meet one another.

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

 

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

  

Certainly an unusual colour for a Rolls, Olive Green strikes me as a little... odd...

 

But each to their owner I suppose...

 

There's not much I can say about the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow that hasn't already been said, a car that was styled and homed to perfection, a vehicle that took 3 months to build, comprised of 3 cow hides, 12 square feet of wood and laden with the finest Wilton carpets. If you owned a brand new one of these back in the 1960's and 70's, then you truly were someone special.

 

The Silver Shadow however, unlike its predecessors, was the most radical Rolls ever built, primarily due to the fact that unlike previous cars such as the Phantom and Silver Cloud, the car was built on a monocoque, with the body being built with the chassis, rather than in earlier instances where Rolls would provide the chassis, and then it was up to the owner to hire a coachbuilder such as Hoopers or HJ Muliner Park Ward, to build the body.

 

The Silver Shadow was also the first Rolls to be built with the idea of the owner being sat in the front rather than the back. The Silver Cloud was very much a passenger's car, being ferried from stately banquet to stately banquet by a chauffeur. This Silver Shadow on the other hand was a driver's car, powered by Rolls Royce's magnificent V8 engine it smoothly glided across the countryside with the grace and elegance of a stately home on wheels, and so popular was this chemistry of luxury and practicality, that they sold by the thousand. In total, 25,000 examples were built, and the design was incorporated into many other variations, including the Rolls Royce Corniche (a direct descendant of the Silver Shadow 2-door Coupe built by HJ Muliner Park Ward), the controversial Camargue (which was built on the same chassis as a Shadow), and the Bentley T series (basically a Shadow with Bentley badging and radiator grille).

 

Eventually, the Shadow ended production in 1980, being replaced by the simpler Silver Spirit and Silver Spur range, but the magnificent design of this classic British pedigree has kept it one of the most popular owner's cars in the world, now available for ownership at less that £10,000 in some instances!

 

Built in the final year of the Silver Shadow I, I consider Shadows such as this to be the last of the truly great Rolls Royces as following this the cars became much more run-of-the-mill.

 

For starters, the magnificent chrome bumpers that line this one were replaced on the Silver Shadow II by compound bumpers to address American safety legislation, and the two ditch lights seen under the headlamps were placed below the bumper on a rather vulgar looking chin spoiler. Although done in the best interests of road safety, it certainly made these cars look less than stellar.

 

But this wonderful little roadside gem though shows what the Silver Shadow was all about, chrome everywhere!

George Meikle Kemp. Architect and designer of the Scott Monument on Princes Street.

 

Painting by by William Bonnar RSA, from the National Galleries of Scotland. Bonnar is often credited with overseeing the completion of the Scott Monument following the untimely death of his brother-in-law, George Meikle Kemp who had designed the monument and was overseeing its completion when he died in an accident. If true, William would be an odd choice, as one of the few non-architects in the family.

 

George Meikle Kemp (25 May 1795—6 March 1844) was a self-taught Scottish architect who designed and built the Scott Monument in Edinburgh, Scotland. The poorly educated son of a shepherd, but showing talents in woodworking as a child, he was apprenticed to a joiner and millwright.

 

Kemp travelled and worked as a millwright for several years and, exercising a childhood fascination for Gothic architecture, took the opportunity to study many of the most important Gothic buildings in Scotland, England and France. As a result, he was said to have had a first-hand knowledge of Gothic architecture which was unrivalled in Scotland.

 

Settling in Edinburgh, Kemp won a competition to design a monument to the Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott. He supervised its erection on Princes Street in the city but at the age of 48, before the building was finished, he drowned in the city's Union Canal. On its completion the monument was acclaimed and, despite his lack of formal training and with only the one building known to be for certain to his design, Kemp came to be revered as an architect.

 

Disablingly shy and socially awkward, while able to memorise exact details of buildings and measure precise distances by eye, Kemp is considered to have been high on the autism spectrum.

 

George Meikle Kemp was the second of six children of James Kemp, a shepherd, and his wife Jean Mowbray. He was born on 25 May 1795 at Hillriggs Farm above the town of Biggar in Lanarkshire. When Kemp was a child his father moved from farm to farm, wherever he could find work. The family were frequently on poor relief. Kemp was known to have lived at Newlanddale from just after his birth, moving to Ingraston in 1802 and Nine Mile Burn in 1805 before his father settled at Moorfoot, southeast of Penicuik, in 1807 when Kemp was 12.

 

Kemp's education, at parochial schools, was brief before he became a herdboy at the age of 11. At around this age, while on an errand, he visited the 15th century Rosslyn Chapel. The building awakened in Kemp an almost fanatical appreciation of Gothic architecture.

 

Kemp's artistic talents had already shown themselves in his childhood when he learned to carve local bog oak into trinkets and quaichs finished with intricate ornament. He also built miniature watermills in the hillside burns. His parents recognised his talents and they realised that he would benefit from proper training.

 

At the age of 14 Kemp was enrolled as an apprentice joiner with millwright and carpenter Andrew Noble at Moy Hall, Redscarhead, north of Peebles. He stayed there for four years, receiving a wide education. When at Moy Hall he repaired agricultural machinery and saw foundations laid and buildings erected. He taught himself or be a highly-skilled wood modeller. He also read ancient literature, wrote poetry and songs and played the violin.

 

Kemp developed a life-long habit of walking long distances. On Saturday nights he would walk for four hours from Redscarhead to visit his parents at Moorfoot, walking back late on Sundays. In adulthood he sometimes walked enormous distances so as to find work or study medieval architecture.

 

Kemp's apprenticeship was completed on 20 June 1813 when he was 18. He started work as a millwright in Galashiels. His job entailed not just the upkeep of mills but also the repair of the various wooden agricultural and industrial machines being invented at this time. His expertise in this work and his willingness to labour as a journeyman was to provide his sometimes meagre income for the next 14 years.

 

At the same time Kemp began an intense study of Gothic architecture. His job required much local travel and he sketched and studied the monastic churches of the area, such as Melrose, Dryburgh, Jedburgh and Kelso. The abbey at Melrose was of great and lasting significance to Kemp; he returned to it repeatedly, and it became his most important inspiration for the Scott Monument. Kemp's method of looking at the architecture of a building was first to make a general study of it, then to carry out a few detailed sketches of decorative features. He did not draw plans there and then, but did so later, being able quickly to commit to memory the layout of a building and its intricacies.

 

In 1815 Kemp moved to John Cousin's building and joining workshop in Leith where he worked on the many new buildings in Edinburgh and learned the practicalities of converting architectural drawings into three-dimensional structures. In 1817 Kemp went to Manchester for three years, where he repaired machinery in the mills. He studied all the Gothic architecture he could find in the area, even walking for 24 hours to York in order to view the Minster. Kemp moved to Glasgow in 1820 and worked there for another four years while attending evening classes at Anderson's Institution, probably studying practical subjects like draughtsmanship, geometry and science. While in Glasgow he made a detailed study of Glasgow Cathedral and suggested restorations and additions.

 

In May 1824 Kemp went to London, but he failed to find permanent work there and disliked the city, so he stayed only a little over a year. From London, Kemp made for France in 1825, where he visited and studied more gothic buildings, including the great cathedrals and churches of Abbeville, Beauvais, Amiens, Paris and—in Belgium—Antwerp. At this time Kemp considered emigrating to Canada, but he instead returned to Scotland in 1827 because of the commercial embarrassments of a near relative.

 

Kemp returned to Edinburgh in 1827 and never left Scotland again. He married Elizabeth Wilson Bonnar (1808-1889) on 11 September 1832. They had four children: two boys and two girls.

 

Kemp now had a knowledge of Gothic architecture unrivalled in Scotland, and in England surpassed by only three other men. He had ambitions to become an architect, but he had not received specific training, and much of the architectural establishment was opposed to him. He became a Freemason, but the move failed to improve his prospects. While he had produced detailed, but uncommissioned, designs for the theoretical reconstructions of Glasgow Cathedral, Rosslyn Chapel, Trinity College Kirk and Melrose Abbey, he had never designed a new building.

 

In order to support himself and his wife and children Kemp became a cabinet-maker, but though he made impressively-crafted furniture he was largely unsuccessful. He was skilled at draughtsmanship, and drawings he made of Melrose Abbey were exhibited in the Scottish Academy Exhibition of 1830 and helped to make his name as an architectural illustrator.He was well-paid when the pictures were sold, but they could not support him adequately in the long term.

 

Kemp's elder brother, Thomas, helped by securing a job for him with the architect William Burn on the Duke of Buccleuch's estate at Bowhill near Selkirk. Burn engaged Kemp as a competent draughtsman, entrusting him with drawings for the new Bowhill House, and in 1831 commissioning him to make a wooden architectural model of Burn's design for a new palace for Buccleuch at Dalkeith. It took Kemp two years to build the model.

 

By 1834 Kemp's ideas on the restoration of Glasgow Cathedral and his proposed additions to it had been developed still further. He had produced an ambitious set of drawings of plans and elevations and had even built a large wooden model of the cathedral to illustrate his proposals. A local Glasgow committee took up the ideas, but Kemp's lack of practical experience as an architect went against him and the scheme failed to go ahead.

 

In 1836 a competition was launched to design a monument to the Scottish author Sir Walter Scott, who had died in 1832, to be erected in Edinburgh. Several architects had already been invited to submit designs, but none was considered adequate. The competition's three best designs would each receive a prize of 50 guineas (equivalent to £5,308 in 2021).

 

Kemp recognised his opportunity and after working at great speed for five days submitted an entry, using the pseudonym John Morvo, one spelling of the name of the French master mason who had worked on the building of Melrose Abbey and Rosslyn Chapel. Kemp's design was described by his first biographer, Thomas Bonnar, as “a lofty tower or spire of beautiful proportions, with elaborate and carefully drawn details, chiefly taken from Melrose Abbey”.

 

There were 54 entries in the competition and John Morvo was one of the three winners. It was not known who John Morvo was, but Kemp's identity was eventually discovered and he was awarded one of the prizes. However, many of the competitors were aggrieved that someone unqualified, inexperienced and obscure, and not even an architect, was one of the winners.

 

Unable to decide amongst the three winners, the competition committee invited further designs. Kemp submitted an improved version of his design under his own name and on 28 March 1838 he was announced as the winner. The organisers praised the "imposing structure ... of beautiful proportions, and in strict conformity with the purity of taste and style of Melrose Abbey, from which the author states it is in all its details derived”.

 

The site on Princes Street in Edinburgh was agreed. Kemp's approved builder was chosen, and it was decided that the monument was to be built of Binny sandstone. This stone was popular in Edinburgh because it was easily worked and could be transported into the city by the Union Canal, but hindsight has shown it be a poor choice because of its propensity for attracting soot.

 

Kemp took over as his own clerk of works, which gave him a regular income and the opportunity to supervise closely the building of his design. He was well liked by the craftsmen working for him, because of his humble origins and because he demanded accuracy and precision. In an early instance of his determination that the monument should be built in his own way, he rejected a proposal that wooden piles be driven into the ground to support the structure, insisting the excavation for the foundation should be carried down to the bedrock, 52 feet (16 metres) below the surface of Princes Street. However, Kemp at first lost an argument about the height of the monument; the organising committee blamed insufficient funds for their order to build it lower than originally planned, but Kemp eventually persuaded them to keep the structure's original height and in the end even slightly higher.

 

The foundation stone was laid on 15 August 1840, the 69th anniversary of Scott's birth, the day being especially declared a public holiday. Tens of thousands of people were present at the ceremony and Kemp was prominent among those being celebrated. As work progressed over the next four years, Kemp's presence on the building site, visible daily to passers-by on Princes Street, probably contributed to his growing public popularity. With the public interest in the Scott Monument, Kemp was now admired by the moneyed and influential classes in Edinburgh, and several potentially lucrative architectural commissions came his way.

 

In the early months of 1844 the monument was nearing completion. It was reported that as each step of the building was completed “the public eye detected some new beauty, and waited impatiently for the completion”. As the monument became a startlingly dramatic presence on Princes Street, Kemp was being increasingly fêted.

 

During the evening of Wednesday 6 March 1844, while walking on his way home from a meeting with his builder, Kemp drowned in the Union Canal. His body was found the following Monday.

 

The circumstances of Kemp's death have not been explained. Suicide was discounted. Other theories such as drunkenness, an attack by robbers or in fog losing his footing on the towpath were considered, but the cause of his drowning has never been resolved.

 

Kemp's death brought an outpouring of public grief. Huge crowds came to observe the funeral procession. The workmen who had laboured with him in the building of the monument carried his coffin from his home in Morningside to St Cuthbert's churchyard below Edinburgh Castle, where he was buried.

 

Kemp died intestate, leaving assets of around £203 (equivalent to £21,599 in 2021), some furniture, and the model of Glasgow Cathedral, which proved unsaleable. A memorial concert to support the Kemp family was held and the Freemasons contributed, but Kemp's wife, Elisabeth, was left with little to live on and had to take work as a seamstress.

 

After Kemp's death, the construction of the monument continued, under the supervision of his brother-in-law, William Bonnar. It was made more elegant when the height was increased to 200 feet 6 inches (61.11 metres). It was completed in the autumn of 1844, with Kemp's 10-year-old son, Thomas, placing the topmost stone. Vast crowds attended the inauguration ceremony in 1846. Since then the Monument has become an icon of Edinburgh and indeed of Scotland.

 

An early critic was the author Charles Dickens who, in 1847, wrote: "I am sorry to report the Scott Monument a failure. It is like the spire of a Gothic church taken off and stuck in the ground". Similar denigrators were few and the building was, and still is, almost universally admired.

 

There is a memorial stain glass window in a private home at Redscarhead, 3 miles north of Peebles.

It's got a boot! That makes it practical, and as we all know, practicality is the same as economicality. Therefore, an N/A V8 gets good gas mileage. For Earth Day

Terminator 3, Ilford Delta 3200

 

This roll of film was shot as a test for the practicality of a nighttime pinhole meetup. I find the results encouraging. None of the exposures were over 6 minutes. This one was taken in a dimly-lit idle practice hall. The exposure was one or two minutes.