Short Shot.

 

The Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA has it all; beautiful lines, fine details in all the right places and the brawn to match. It is so well balanced in a clean and uncluttered package that it might just be the very spirit of the ultimate classic sports car. The track spec editions embody a mash up attitude of carefree practicality and track-dedicated aggressiveness and have always been timeless to my eyes. Here you’ll find a favorite Alfa livery example run through the filter of my 5w Toon style.

 

I hope you enjoy!

Back in the not too distant past, coaches served their time in front line service, then dropped through the ranks becoming 'dual purpose' and finally, if they stayed the course, buses. Its a process that today would almost seem alien and in many cases, outlawed by PSVAR regulations and even practicalities.

In the late '70s Clem Smith caught this 1968 built National Welsh Bristol RELH ECW coach OAX 6F performing on a longer distance service run for which it would be admirably suited and would no doubt please its passengers. By this time it wears NBC's 'Local Coach' dual purpose livery.

I believe that the photo was taken in Hereford, but am open to correction.

It was on St Blaize's feastday, February 3, in 1488 that Bartholomeu Dias made landfall with his two caravels at Mosselbaai, a safe harbor on the craggy coasts of southern Africa. The two vessels of wood (the Sâo Pantaleâo and the Sâo Cristovâo), each less than 24 metres in length and 6 at their broadest, had withstood six months of towering seas from Europe. Appropriately the day was St Blaize's not only the patron saint of wood carvers, but also the healer of throat aches (indeed we remember the blessing when we were kids). Hence Dias named his watering place Aguada de Sâo Blas.

Often the voyages of discovery are seen as one of the heralds of Modern Times, and there is much to be said for that. But today I was struck by the very Medieval nature of the venture in practicalities: after a few days the sailors of discovery and the natives of the land grew tired of each other. For some reason the natives began to pelt the seafarers with stones, whereupon one of the latter took to hand his CROSSBOW, shooting and killing a native. No muskets yet...

It's an amazing coast: wild and craggy and beautiful, and it's a delight to hike the St Blaize's Trail, which leads about 14 kms onward to Dana Bay.

More pictures from South Africa are forthcoming once I get to a better internet connection. Meanwhile, Happy Christmas...

Internationally recognized composer Vangelis ( Pappapanathassiou ) stated in an interview on Al Jezeera News that he felt one of the most significant problems with modern culture was the loss of beauty. Everything is practical, functional with all possibilities of the enobling and uplifting power of beauty removed to facilitate so-called realistic practicalities. it is this perverted notion of beauty as impractical that I also wish to challenge.

 

Living in the city with the highest amount of ongoing construction in the world, even more than Qatar or Dubai, Toronto is being stuffed to the gills with ubiquitous 'glass box' condo towers. It's almost impossible to tell the architects apart, save for just a few. With such a minimal amount of consideration being given to beauty, never mind if the point tower craze fits into the neighbourhoods that are largely being threatened with destruction or not, a lot of this development is impressive in scale but most of it lacks soul and character.

 

Being deeply involved in several development projects in the city as a citizen-respondent on working groups etc, I spend a lot of time working to varying degrees of success with developers, planners and architects. It amazes me how little human considerations have any priority.

 

This series of images proposes another look at architecture with beauty and enoblement at the forefront of considerations. Gothic cathedrals, South Indian gopurams, Egyptian, Chinese and Mayan pyramids and even the Totems of North American indigenous peoples were all designed to facilitate and evoke awe and wonder.

 

My series asks, "what if we were to marry our technology and scientific bravura to an over-riding sensibility of beauty and inspiration"? "What if we were to advance enough, as cultures, and clearly and emphatically emphasized the role of beauty and inspiration as being fundamentally important to the well-being and uplifting of our peoples?"

 

These window or ceiling fantasies are offered as prospects for architectures of wonder.

 

View Large on Black !

Located in historic Independence, Texas, the Antique Rose Emporium is a treasure... with lovely rose bushes/plants and many other varieties of plants and yard art along with being a marvelous event destination with their fantastic grounds and lovely buildings including a beautiful chapel. Springtime finds the countryside and town carpeted with our amazing Texas Bluebonnets then later in Summer with our impressive Texas blue bell wildflowers, for which our delicious Blue Bell ice cream is named with the Blue Bell Creamery located just a few miles away in Brenham, TX.

Located at Independence, Texas near Brenham, Texas is the Antique Rose Emporium, with its eight acres of romantic rose gardens, embodies rustic country elegance. Making one-of-a-kind, dream weddings possible. Their lovely country chapel was built in a style that incorporates many elements of various local community churches. Approximately 1500 square feet in size, it will comfortably seat about 150 people. Its large open interior space with vaulted ceiling & clear Gothic windows is without permanent seating so that the space can be utilized in a variety of ways. A tall front door with stained glass transom is from England and is over 100 years old. There's also a picturesque allee with a gazebo, a covered pavilion, and the historic Champneys' Green Victorian residence. Champneys' Green is a restored 1904 Victorian home, surrounded by period gardens & a nearby gazebo and pavilion. The Gazebo with its rose covered arches, garden borders and rose draped edges has been the site of many beautiful outdoor weddings. It's just west of Champney’s Green with a brick allee leading to it from the landing at Champney’s—a romantic entrance for the bride and her bridesmaids. Brides enjoy the luxury of a beautiful outdoor setting, along side the practicality of a charming—and weather proof--chapel. This is just part of this amazing place as their main thing is selling antique rose plants and other garden items. It is a lovely country venue that beckons to be visited and explored!! See: www.antiqueroseemporium.com/our-story

Pray all will have a blessed weekend with a extra special blessed Sunday!!! Praying for our President of the USA & for his administration!!!

Another from Waihora Lagoon. This one was also shot through the 4x5 camera, but digitally... I've reduced this down to 9000x7200 px for practicality and that is 100,000,000 pixels smaller than the original.

 

www.tomhoyle.com

WARNING : these cheap scans do not reflect the real photograph

Nor do they reflect any outlined vision on my part.

I just take/make photographs.

They serve no purpose whatsoever.

Infact, I could just as well not photograph anymore and start doing something really useful.

 

oh, and by the way...flickr lies...this photograph was not taken on the 16th of october àt all.

Sadly no number plates, but I really like this rather unloved W123, looking much like a lot would have over 20 years ago. Estates were made in vastly lower numbers than saloons, so make for a bit more unusual spots. These were famed for their reliability and practicality, which is why they aren't as rare as other cars of the same age. I really like the faded yellow colour of this. I wonder how long it's been off the roads- probably a while. I'm a little surprised it hasn't been exported to some African countries where these are hugely popular and common still.

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.

Due to the constraints of practicality, storage space and funding, it is only a minority of preserved articulated lorries that attend show with a correct period trailer. This early Atkinson Borderer is an exception and looks just right with this flat trailer and sheeted load.

Internationally recognized composer Vangelis ( Pappapanathassiou ) stated in an interview on Al Jezeera News that he felt one of the most significant problems with modern culture was the loss of beauty. Everything is practical, functional with all possibilities of the enobling and uplifting power of beauty removed to facilitate so-called realistic practicalities. It is this perverted notion of beauty as impractical that I also wish to challenge.

 

Living in the city with the highest amount of ongoing construction in the world, even more than Qatar or Dubai, Toronto is being stuffed to the gills with ubiquitous 'glass box' condo towers. It's almost impossible to tell the architects apart, save for just a few. With such a minimal amount of consideration being given to beauty, never mind if the point tower craze fits into the neighbourhoods that are largely being threatened with destruction or not, a lot of this development is impressive in scale but most of it lacks soul and character.

 

Being deeply involved in several development projects in the city as a citizen-respondent on working groups etc, I spend a lot of time working to varying degrees of success with developers, planners and architects. It amazes me how little human considerations have any priority.

 

This series of images proposes another look at architecture with beauty and enoblement at the forefront of considerations. Gothic cathedrals, South Indian gopurams, Egyptian, Chinese and Mayan pyramids and even the Totems of North American indigenous peoples were all designed to facilitate and evoke awe and wonder.

 

My series asks, "what if we were to marry our technology and scientific bravura to an over-riding sensibility of beauty and inspiration"? "What if we were to advance enough, as cultures, and clearly and emphatically emphasized the role of beauty and inspiration as being fundamentally important to the well-being and uplifting of our peoples?"

 

These window or ceiling fantasies are offered as prospects for architectures of wonder.

 

View Large on Black !

www.gamagallery.com/#!blank-14/mkaco

  

18 .06_08.07. 2016

 

Gama Gallery

Turnacıbaşı cad.no:21 Beyoğlu /Istanbul

tel:+90 212 245 69 22

www.gamagallery.com

  

www.gamagallery.com/#!blank/c2191

 

"Silent Times"

 

A journey back in time…

In 2013, I discovered neutral density filters. They came at a time in my life when I wanted to find a way to really express myself in my photography.

Up until then, I was attempting to minimize my emotional responses and instead focus on practicalities.

Everything started with the purchase of a 10-stop nd filter.

From the first shots taken with this filter, a new world opened up to me. I was captivated by the results.

I felt that these photographs were truly representing me. They were lending authenticity to my stories. The compositions were reflecting my inner world, my emotional world. I was voluntarily getting lost in this world.

This way of working, though, can be difficult and tiring. It would be much easier, from both a contemporary art and technological perspective, to use digital production methods than to use this exacting, time-intensive one.

How cool can be a photographer who chose the harsh method over the easy digital technics in this crazy contemporary art world?

 

Wouldn’t it be much easier to follow a superficial method like most seem to? Perhaps a higher degree of difficulty renders the product more special?

These filters represent my inner world, and have inspired me to take photos, yes, but they have also inspired me to write and to think. Poetry was appearing to me, line by line with each pose.

The result was a success, because each shot was 300 seconds.

The filters complemented “Water”, the element that I have always felt the closest to, even as a child, was the basis for creating this world

The ND filters made me place more emphasis on light and time while adhering to the discipline of the process, it made me realize again and again how important five minutes are in the World.

Now I know no sunset nor sunrise will repeat itself, I also know that every moment that I lived won't come back.

This is why I am trying to fit minutes in one single shot, with my time machine in my hands, I can journey back into the past next to shorelines.

My passion grows by the day to shoot new waterscapes, and unknown landscapes , both desires coming together to shape my project "Ses'sis Zamanlar".

My journey continues...

Digitally composed image

The original craft is exposed in Technical Museum of Vedim Zadorozhny, Moscow.

www.tmuseum.ru/en/collection/catalog_5/135.htm

 

The Yakovlev Yak-38 (Russian: Як-38, NATO reporting name: Forger) was Soviet Naval Aviation's first and only operational VTOL strike fighter aircraft.

Design and development

The first drawings showed a supersonic aircraft strongly resembling by the Hawker P.1154 in study in the United Kingdom but with two R27-300 engines. Supersonic performances would have implied many difficulties of development, and it was decided to initially develop a relatively simple aircraft limited to Mach 0.95. Although the Yak-38 and Yak-38M were developed from the land-based Yakovlev Yak-36, the aircraft had almost nothing in common.

 

The Prototype VM-01 was finished on April 14, 1970. Though outwardly similar to the British Harrier Jump Jet, it followed a completely different configuration. Apart from having a vectorable engine in the rear used for flight, two smaller, less powerful engines were housed in the front portion of the aircraft and used purely for take-off and landing. (The Harrier uses only one engine, vectoring its thrust through four nozzles.) The aircraft used a similar layout to the German experimental VTOL strike fighter, the VFW VAK 191B, which began development in 1961, and the contemporary Dassault Mirage IIIV.

  

A diagram showing the lift forces on a Yak-38 in VTOL modeThe Yak 36 was sent for tests in May and June 1970. Mikhail Deksbakh carried out the first flight of the VM-02 in conventional mode on January 15, 1971. The VM-03 made its first flight in short takeoff mode on May 25, 1971. Sea trials aboard the aircraft carrier ("aviation cruiser") Kiev were observed in 1975. 231 Yak-38 aircraft were produced, including 38 two-seat trainers (Yak-38U). These were based on the four Kiev class aircraft carriers.

 

The Yak-38 used a hands-free landing system. The aircraft could negotiate a telemetry/telecommand link with a computer system in the aircraft carrier which would allow it to be guided onto the deck with no interaction from the pilot.

Markings

The initial colour scheme worn by the AV-MF Yak-38 consisted of dark green anti-corrosion paint on the undersides of the aircraft, with dark blue upper surfaces. This was later replaced by a light grey over dark grey scheme, frequently associated with the Yak-38M. An unusual green-over-silver "tiger" camouflage scheme, reportedly seen on an aircraft onboard Leningrad in 1986, was probably applied for one cruise only. Special camouflage schemes may also have been applied to aircraft involved in the Romb-1 trials in Afghanistan in 1980.

Operational history

The majority of Yak-36M initial production deliveries were to the 279 OKShAP (Otdelnyi Korabelnyi Shturmovoi Aviatsionnyi Polk, Independent Shipboard Attack Air Regiment) initially based at Saki, the AV-MF’s training centre in Crimea. Pilots for this unit were drawn from the Yakovlev OKB and the LII at Zhukovskii, as well as from the AV-MF. Established as early as December 1973, the 279 OKShAP of the Black Sea Fleet made use of a dummy Kiev class aircraft carrier deck, and also operated a pair of MiG-21UMs (and, briefly, Ka-25s) for training. The first AV-MF squadron embarked on Kiev in July 1976. On the conclusion of acceptance tests for the Yak-36M initial series in August 1976 (Kiev was underway in the Atlantic at this point), the aircraft was formally accepted by the AV-MF in October, under the new designation Yak-38.

 

On its arrival in Murmansk, the 279 OKShAP was transferred to the Northern Fleet, with subsequent flying operations mainly being conducted from Severomorsk-3. The 299 IIAP (Issledovatlesko-Instruktorskiy Aviatsionnyi Polk, Research and Instructor Air Regiment) had been formed as a training unit at Saki in September 1976 to replace the previous unit within the Black Sea Fleet.

 

The February 1978 entry into service of Minsk, the second Kiev class ship, was accompanied by a further series of Yak-38 shipboard trials, beginning in April 1978, and with the emphasis now placed on developing procedure for STOL operations. The passage of Minsk out of the Black Sea in February 1979 was duly followed by a major exercise involving the first two ships of the Project 1143 class in the Mediterranean. On this occasion, five aircraft from each vessel conducted formation exercises in proximity to NATO observers.

 

The Yak-38’s limited useful payload was always its Achilles’ heel, but the high ambient temperatures that had been encountered in the Black Sea during the summer 1976 trials frequently prevented the aircraft from carrying any external stores at all, despite a reduced fuel load. Similar problems were then encountered when Minsk sailed off the coast of West Africa and then in the Indian Ocean; in these instances the lift jets proved unwilling to start under hot and humid conditions. (An oxygen-boosting intake system[clarification needed] helped alleviate the problem, and was installed from September 1979 during routine overhauls.) In July 1979, Minsk arrived in the Sea of Japan, where the vessel was home-ported at Strelok Bay, the Yak-38 component of its air wing thereafter being provided by the 311 OKShAP subordinate to the Pacific Fleet. The 311 OKShAP was the second AV-MF Yak-38 unit, and had been established in March 1976.

 

During its first few years of ship-borne operations the Yak-38 was not cleared to make rolling take-offs and run-on landings, leading some Western observers[who?] to believe that the fundamentals of its propulsion design restricted the type to VTOL operations.[citation needed] In fact, shipboard short take-off trials had begun by December 1979, while experiments with run-on landings followed onboard Minsk between September 1980 and February 1981. V/STOL operations were made easier by the addition of a refined automatic flight-control system, linked to a thumb switch on the pilot’s stick. Rolling take-offs were conducted with the lift engines deflected aft, the main engine nozzles being rotated automatically from 60° to 25° during the take-off run, before being slowly returned to the horizontal as the lift engines were shut down.

 

The Kiev class ships normally embarked a total of 12 single-seat Yak-38s, supplemented by two or three two-seat Yak-38Us, as part of an independent aviation regiment that also included two squadrons of (mainly anti-submarine warfare) helicopters. Of the seven landing pads available on the deck of each of the Project 1143s, all but one could accommodate the Yak-38.

 

During April and May 1980 four Yak-38s and four AV-MF pilots were deployed to Afghanistan as part of a 50-day trial codenamed Romb-1, although the ‘hot and high’ conditions prevented any meaningful combat missions from being undertaken – in total, 12 combat sorties were made, but only two 100 kg (220 lb) bombs could be carried. In the event, any involvement would have been further limited by the ‘near-operational’ nature of the Romb-1 deployment (which also involved the first and third prototype Su-25s). The aircraft involved were not intended to be subject to combat, but rather tested under conditions that simulated the battlefield to a high degree. Despite their official non-operational nature, aircraft involved in the Romb trials could be requested to undertake combat sorties by local divisional commanders, on an ad hoc basis. The Yak-38s and prototype Su-25s operated out of a specially prepared air base near Shindand. Even with a much-reduced fuel and weapons load, the Yak-38 proved incapable of operating during the hot daylight hours (after around 0500 hrs).

 

In September 1982, Novorossiysk - the third Kiev class vessel - was commissioned. By now the V/STOL technique had been well practised, and the resulting increase in the Yak-38’s overall performance and capability was exploited during the passage of Novorossiysk from Severomorsk to join the Pacific Fleet. In a maritime context, the Yak-38 was not limited to the decks of the Kiev class. In September 1983, AV-MF pilots operated from the civilian ‘Ro-Ro’ vessel Agostinio Neto, and NII-VVS pilots conducted further tests from another ‘Ro-Ro’, Nikolai Cherkasov. In both cases, use was made of a heat-resistant landing platform; further land-based trials tested the practicality of dispersed landing platforms, in a similar concept to the RAF’s Harrier operations in West Germany.

General characteristics

 

Crew: One

Length: 16.37 m (50 ft 1 in)

Wingspan: 7.32 m (24 ft 0 in)

Height: 4.25 m (14 ft 5 in)

Wing area: 18.5 m² (199 ft²)

Empty weight: 7,385 kg (16,281 lb)

Loaded weight: kg (lb)

Max takeoff weight: 11,300 kg (28,700 lb)

Powerplant: 1 x Tumansky R-28 V-300 turbojet, 66.7 kN (15,000 lbf)

Powerplant: 2× Rybinsk RD-38 turbojets, 31.9 kN (7,870 lbf>) each

Performance

 

Maximum speed: 1 280 km/h (795 mph)

Range: 1,300 km[3] (807 miles)

Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,089 ft)

Rate of climb: 4,500 m/min (14,760 ft/min)

Wing loading: kg/m² (lb/ft²)

Thrust/weight: 1+

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yak-38

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.

 

This a 1932 Ford Tutor (not Teacher) Hot Rod parked my itself waiting on someone like me to admire. The bright red wheels and pinstriping against the matte black finish really made this one a real looker. This fine machine made an appearance at the 35th Ol’ Marais River Run Car Show held at Forrest park in Ottawa Kansas

 

Having revolutionized the automobile industry with the Model T, Henry Ford began to acquire a reputation for stubbornness—and one that was not entirely undeserved, as production of the basic “Tin Lizzy” stretched towards two decades. Looked at a different way, Ford simply preferred to refine a formula that worked, rather than reinventing it for the sake of novelty. The Model A of 1928 proved that Ford could still change gears when needed, however, and it was followed in comparatively short order by a new car that again could be called revolutionary: The 1932 Ford V-8.

 

The Ford V-8 was notable not just for its powertrain, though its legendary Flathead engine, initially producing 65 horsepower, at last brought eight-cylinder power to the people. Also crucial was the styling. In part due to the insistence of Edsel Ford, the Model A incorporated stylish touches all but absent on the utilitarian Model T; as the automobile market matured, it was clear that aesthetics, in addition to practicality, were beginning to drive new-car purchases. This notion was fully realized on the 1932 models, which were styled as a unified, harmonious whole. These were affordable, powerful cars that were also truly beautiful, right off the assembly line.

 

Much of the “Deuce” mythos is built on modified coupes and roadsters, which were readily used by blank canvases by hot-rodders and customizers in the post-WWII years, often to incredible effect. This 1932 V-8 Tudor Sedan serves as a reminder that these are immensely appealing cars, even in stock configuration.

 

Source: Classic Drivers

 

Farnborough Hall is a Grade I listed country house in the village of Farnborough, Warwickshire, close to the Oxfordshire town of Banbury. The house was built in the late 17th Century for William Holbech, and remodelled c.1745-1750 for William Holbech the younger, probably by Sanderson Miller.

 

The parkland is a rare surviving example of the ferme ornée (ornamental farm) style of landscaping. It combined agricultural practicality with fashionable design: farm buildings were ornamental, yet suited for their purpose, and could be features within the landscape. Sanderson Miller, a contemporary of Capability Brown, remodelled the parkland at the request of William Holbech II.

 

One of the most significant introductions to the garden design was the 1200m long Terrace Walk, which was constructed on an existing slope and has 26 viewing points along it. Closest to the Hall is the Game Larder overlooking St Botolph's Church, Farnborough; this is followed by the Ionic Temple and Oval Pavilion. At the end of the Terrace Walk, is the 18m high Obelisk, which overlooks the Warmington Valley. The Obelisk was first recorded by a visitor in 1746. It was rebuilt in 1828 after it collapsed in 1823.

Coupe Utility vehicles—better known as “utes”—merge the practicality of a pickup bed with the comfort of a sedan. Despite the fact that they’re an endangered species even in the land down under, the birthplace of the ute, they remain an integral part of Australian national identity and motoring heritage. Many performance models like this one were built over the years, and they became Australia’s contribution to muscle car culture in the 1970s.

 

Thank you to The Brothers Brick and the Lego Car Blog for their very kind posts about this build! This project received the "Staff Favorite" award at Brickfair Virginia 2022. More photos available in the build album.

 

©2022 Chris Elliott, All Rights Reserved.

 

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For someone like me, who has set himself the task to visit and document photographically as many as possible of those wonderful Romanesque churches and monasteries, a trip to Normandy is both cause for despair and for enchanted amazement. Despair, because the Norman architect, at the time of the Romanesque which coincided with the conquest of Britain by Duke William in 1066 and the tremendous influx of power and riches that ensued, that architect is above all focused on efficiency in the projection of power and majesty. For that architect, the absolute must, the beginning and the end of church building, is the wall. Sculpture doesn’t matter. When it exists at all, it is often relegated to simple modillions under the cornice that supports the roof. The bare wall, perfectly aligned and appareled, reigns as the undisputed king of Norman Romanesque. He who likes to smile and wonder at the ingenuity and inventiveness of Mediæval sculptors, is most of the time sorely disappointed by the utter lack of adornment of those great and tall Norman churches, next to which the barest Cistercian sanctuaries look positively alive and overflowing under the comparatively unbridled abundance of rinceaux, human figures and assorted creatures.

 

No sculpture to speak of, then, is the norm in Normandy. But on the other hand, the masterfulness of the architects and masons turns the job of putting one stone on top of another into a veritable art: it is here, in Normandy, that was first experimented the very innovation that would bring about the end of the Romanesque: the voûte d’ogives, the rib vaulting from which the whole world of Gothic derives. It is in Normandy that it was first imagined and implemented, even as the 11th century hadn’t yet come to a close. We will see where, and how.

 

My photographic tour of Lower Normandy had to begin, of course, by the Abbaye aux Hommes and the Abbaye aux Dames in Caen. Now that we have covered those, I would like to show you a few other Romanesque churches, much less well-known, yet fully worthy of our interest.

 

The first documentary source I consulted when I was preparing this trip was, as usual, the Normandie romane book published by Zodiaque —both volumes, as Romanesque Normandy is so rich that two books were needed to properly cover it. Unfortunately, and owing to some of those unforeseen circumstances that so often intrude upon our lives, I do not have those books with me at the moment. Therefore, I am not able to use the valuable material they hold to compose my captions; still, I will do my best in their absence... with my apologies. I hope the books will be sent back to me by whoever I made the mistake to leave them with, so that I won’t have to buy new copies.

 

•• Contrary to abbey and priory churches, which were often built in quiet and peaceful (not to say lonely) locales, away from the hustle and bustle of villages and towns (even if such cores of human activity often ended up growing from scratch around them!), parochial churches were usually erected in a village or very close by.

 

Dedicated to Saint Peter and listed as a Historic Landmark on the very first list drawn up in 1840 by Minister Prosper Mérimée (which says a lot about its architectural and artistic value, even by 19th century standards), the church of Thaon was built in a lonely vale because the parish, at the time, did not include a village per se, but was rather a collection of scattered hamlets: the church was built more or less in the middle. Tradition has been upheld up to present day: the church is still alone, with only one mill built nearby to benefit from the driving force of the current of River Mue —although, if truth be told, I have to admit that, with the concept of practicality emerging in the 19th century, a new church was consecrated in 1840 smack in the center of what had in the meantime become the most important of those hamlets of old: Thaon. Saint Peter was henceforth known as “the Old Church”.

 

Archæological digs carried out between 1998 and 2011 have shown that the locale was used during the Antiquity as a fanum, probably in connection with a nearby ford that allowed for crossing the river. A small necropolis developed during the 300s and 400s, then a first paleo-Christian edifice was built during the 600s, replaced by a new one in the next century. A first Romanesque church was erected around 1050–80, of which only the bell tower remains today. It is the oldest part of the second Romanesque church, the one we can still admire today, which was built in 1130–50 as an extension of the older church in all directions: the nave was extended by two rows to the West, a wider and much deeper choir was built with a flat apse and aisles were added. It is surrounded by more than 400 tombs from the 7th to the 18th century, which have been excavated and studied by archæologists.

 

During the Romanesque Age, the land was owned by the powerful barons of Creully, who possessed large tracts of land in Lower Normandy; this probably accounts for the architectural quality of the old church, which was placed under the direct patronage of the chapter of canons of the Bayeux Cathedral. This monument has come to us practically intact, except for the aforementioned aisles that were razed around 1720, probably because the terrain had become marshier and threatened the stability of the entire building. Around the same time, the floor level was raised to help fight dampness, of which the inside still exhibits many traces.

 

In the foreground you see one of the four massive, early 11th century piles (the NW one) supporting the bell tower, and further back the length of the early 12th century nave.

The MadPea Mad Summer '19 Fishing Tournament ends soon and you have until Sept 15th to collect the Exclusive Shiny Prizes!

 

The MadPea Hanging Net Decor 4 is a unique piece of decor that combines beauty and whimsy with practicality! Never lose your keys, sandwiches or glasses again with such a ideal place to hang them!

 

Join the fun and being your search for your Shiny: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/MadPea%20Mad%20City/197/86/25

I have this long running idea for some sort of transforming spaceship MOC.

The current version of this idea would be something like this: a boxy thing which looks like a cargo freighter or something. But press a button and out pop all sorts of guns and things.

Anyone got any thoughts on this practicality of this? Neat ideas for concealed weapons etc.

 

I'm back after my final exams, so now there more time for building - so naturally, a bike engines kei truck was the first thing on the list to build.

 

For those unaware, the kei car category is a japanese made category with strict rules on dimensions and engine size. Although these regulations have changed over the years, for the past 21 years cars must be at the most 3.4m long, 1.48m wide and 2m tall, with a 660cc engine producing a maximum of 63hp. The government introduced the category in 1949 to fight costs of making full sized cars after the devastation of WWII. Most citizens were using motorcycles but this wasn't sufficient for businesses that needed to transport goods. And from there on in, the category that makes up about a third of all japanese car sales and has produced many cool and iconic cars.

 

This most likely wouldn't pass the kei car regulations thanks to box flares and a bike engine producing for more than 63hp, but the stock version would be so we'll count it. This model boasts a truck of my own design, a ~600cc motorcycle engine, multi link suspension, super fancy cooling system and a one man cockpit. All this while maintaining the practicality of a commercial pick up. Wel, most of it

 

The model itself features working doors, bed and steering, although the steering only turns 10°. It was a tonne of fun to build, and I'm hoping it's strong enough to hold up. The frame itself is very strong the main worry is the fiddly suspension. I hope you enjoy!

Walz Wide

camera-wiki.org/wiki/Walz_Wide

www.flickr.com/search/?text=Walz+Wide

The advertisements of the time described it as ‘a bridge to a masterpiece, a camera for everyday life,’ and as ‘a new camera that rationally balances the three essential elements—performance, price, and practicality—bringing photography closely into the wide-ranging daily lives of all people.’

This beautifully preserved Scott motorcycle and sidecar combination is a wonderful reminder of early 20th-century engineering and elegance. Known for their advanced two-stroke engines and pioneering water cooling, Scott motorcycles were ahead of their time. Paired with a period sidecar, this setup blends performance and practicality in a way that captured the spirit of early motorcycling - equal parts freedom, utility, and unmistakable style.

"An exclusive, one-of-a-kind road legal hypercar with the breathtaking combination of light weight, high power and phenomenal aero – for the ultimate track day experience and full usability and practicality for the road. All from a company with proven race success..."

  

Source: Praga

  

Photographed at Sywell Aerodrome during: Supercar Fest - Runway

  

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For someone like me, who has set himself the task to visit and document photographically as many as possible of those wonderful Romanesque churches and monasteries, a trip to Normandy is both cause for despair and for enchanted amazement. Despair, because the Norman architect, at the time of the Romanesque which coincided with the conquest of Britain by Duke William in 1066 and the tremendous influx of power and riches that ensued, that architect is above all focused on efficiency in the projection of power and majesty. For that architect, the absolute must, the beginning and the end of church building, is the wall. Sculpture doesn’t matter. When it exists at all, it is often relegated to simple modillions under the cornice that supports the roof. The bare wall, perfectly aligned and appareled, reigns as the undisputed king of Norman Romanesque. He who likes to smile and wonder at the ingenuity and inventiveness of Mediæval sculptors, is most of the time sorely disappointed by the utter lack of adornment of those great and tall Norman churches, next to which the barest Cistercian sanctuaries look positively alive and overflowing under the comparatively unbridled abundance of rinceaux, human figures and assorted creatures.

 

No sculpture to speak of, then, is the norm in Normandy. But on the other hand, the masterfulness of the architects and masons turns the job of putting one stone on top of another into a veritable art: it is here, in Normandy, that was first experimented the very innovation that would bring about the end of the Romanesque: the voûte d’ogives, the rib vaulting from which the whole world of Gothic derives. It is in Normandy that it was first imagined and implemented, even as the 11th century hadn’t yet come to a close. We will see where, and how.

 

My photographic tour of Lower Normandy had to begin, of course, by the Abbaye aux Hommes and the Abbaye aux Dames in Caen. Now that we have covered those, I would like to show you a few other Romanesque churches, much less well-known, yet fully worthy of our interest.

 

The first documentary source I consulted when I was preparing this trip was, as usual, the Normandie romane book published by Zodiaque —both volumes, as Romanesque Normandy is so rich that two books were needed to properly cover it. Unfortunately, and owing to some of those unforeseen circumstances that so often intrude upon our lives, I do not have those books with me at the moment. Therefore, I am not able to use the valuable material they hold to compose my captions; still, I will do my best in their absence... with my apologies. I hope the books will be sent back to me by whoever I made the mistake to leave them with, so that I won’t have to buy new copies.

 

Contrary to abbey and priory churches, which were often built in quiet and peaceful (not to say lonely) locales, away from the hustle and bustle of villages and towns (even if such cores of human activity often ended up growing from scratch around them!), parochial churches were usually erected in a village or very close by.

 

Dedicated to Saint Peter and listed as a Historic Landmark on the very first list drawn up in 1840 by Minister Prosper Mérimée (which says a lot about its architectural and artistic value, even by 19th century standards), the church of Thaon was built in a lonely vale because the parish, at the time, did not include a village per se, but was rather a collection of scattered hamlets: the church was built more or less in the middle. Tradition has been upheld up to present day: the church is still alone, with only one mill built nearby to benefit from the driving force of the current of River Mue —although, if truth be told, I have to admit that, with the concept of practicality emerging in the 19th century, a new church was consecrated in 1840 smack in the center of what had in the meantime become the most important of those hamlets of old: Thaon. Saint Peter was henceforth known as “the Old Church”.

 

Archæological digs carried out between 1998 and 2011 have shown that the locale was used during the Antiquity as a fanum, probably in connection with a nearby ford that allowed for crossing the river. A small necropolis developed during the 300s and 400s, then a first paleo-Christian edifice was built during the 600s, replaced by a new one in the next century. A first Romanesque church was erected around 1050–80, of which only the bell tower remains today. It is the oldest part of the second Romanesque church, the one we can still admire today, which was built in 1130–50 as an extension of the older church in all directions: the nave was extended by two rows to the West, a wider and much deeper choir was built with a flat apse and aisles were added. It is surrounded by more than 400 tombs from the 7th to the 18th century, which have been excavated and studied by archæologists.

 

During the Romanesque Age, the land was owned by the powerful barons of Creully, who possessed large tracts of land in Lower Normandy; this probably accounts for the architectural quality of the old church, which was placed under the direct patronage of the chapter of canons of the Bayeux Cathedral. This monument has come to us practically intact, except for the aforementioned aisles that were razed around 1720, probably because the terrain had become marshier and threatened the stability of the entire building. Around the same time, the floor level was raised to help fight dampness, of which the inside still exhibits many traces.

 

More of that lovely modénature I was talking about concerning the façade, this time along the upper part of the southern side wall, just under the roof, which also features sculpted modillions, as you can see.

 

It is all very refreshing and comforting to see that, even at the triumphant height of the façade harmonique, there were still architects, masons and sculptors who could think slightly “out of the envelope” and let themselves be influenced by what was done outside of Normandy. It is also true that the southwestern influence of Duchess Aliénor of Aquitaine was beginning to be felt at the time the Thaon church was erected. The decorative influence we see in Thaon may have come from there.

Steve lives on his narrowboat and has been travelling Britain's waterways for over four years. He is a YouTuber. Check out his channel, 'Slow Boat Through Britain'.

 

Drying washing is one of the practicalities to be dealt with when living on a boat. I included it as this detail is something I've only seen a few times.

 

I had a lovely chat with Steve. One of the joys of being a photographer is meeting interesting people.

 

About 8,580 narrowboats are registered as 'permanent homes' on Britain's waterway system and represent a growing alternative community living on semi-permanent moorings or continuously cruising. (Source: Wikipedia).

The Morris Minor 1000 Traveller is a compact estate car manufactured by Morris Motors from 1953 to 1971. It is known for its distinctive wood paneling on the exterior and spacious interior. The Traveller was popular for its practicality and charming design, making it a classic British car.

The sober practicality of a Cologne S-Bahn stop.

 

Canon 500n - Kodak Portra 500

"...The new Koenigsegg Agera RS has its focus set firmly on the track but is still perfect for regular use on the road. It uses advanced technology developed during our exclusive Koenigsegg One:1 program, while maintaining all the functionality of previous S and R models. Such practicalities include a usable luggage compartment and a detachable hardtop that can be stowed internally for top-down motoring at any time.

 

Agera RS enhancements include: advanced lightweight sound insulation, an all-new front splitter optimized for the track, front winglets, side skirts, advanced dynamic underbody flap system and a dynamically active rear spoiler for added down force (now up to 450 kg at 250 km/h). The RS also features improved side air outlets behind the front wheels, increased power and a raised rpm limit..."

 

Source: Koenigsegg

  

Photographed at Goodwood Festival of Speed - the event which offers enthusiasts an unrivalled opportunity to get close to the action, and to meet the great champions who gather at Goodwood each summer.

 

If you'd like to visit FOS, you can set "2018 Ticket Alert" by clicking here: Goodwood Festival of Speed

 

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Marcin Wojciechowski Photography

 

Marcinek_55 Instagram

 

Coachwork by Pinin Farina

Chassis n° B24S*1007

 

Zoute Sale - Bonhams

Estimated : € 800.000 - 1.000.000

Unsold

 

Zoute Grand Prix 2021

Knokke - Zoute

België - Belgium

October 2021

 

Race developed V6 engine, superlative handling and sensational Pinin Farina styling: these are the ingredients of a sports car classic and the Lancia Aurelia B24 has them all.

 

The B24 represents the ultimate development of one of the most influential designs to emerge from Italy post-WW2: the classic Aurelia. First car ever to employ a V6 engine, the Aurelia was launched at the 1950 Turin Motor Show. Designed in wartime by Francesco de Virgilio, the 1,754cc 60-degree V6 was of all-aluminium construction and used overhead valves operated via short pushrods instead of Lancia's traditional overhead-camshafts. An advanced unitary construction design, the Aurelia retained Lancia's 'sliding pillar' independent front suspension, first seen on the Lambda, but used a novel independent semi-trailing-arm layout at the rear, another world first. The transmission too, was unusual, comprising a two-piece prop-shaft and combined gearbox/rear transaxle on which were mounted the inboard brakes, reflecting Lancia's preoccupation with reducing un-sprung weight, though for once this was not an entirely new departure.

 

The B10 saloon was joined the following year by the landmark, Pinin Farina-styled B20 Coupé, a fastback '2+2' on a shortened wheelbase which, with its combination of sportscar performance and saloon car practicality, can be said to have introduced the Gran Turismo concept to the world. The Aurelia engine had been increased to 1,991cc in 1951 and it was this unit in up-rated form that went into the B20. Lighter and higher geared than the saloon, the B20 coupé was good for a top speed of over 100mph. Introduced in 1953, the third and subsequent series B20s were powered by a 2,451cc, 118bhp version of the pushrod V6, and this unit was adopted for the B24 Spider introduced for 1955, by which time the Aurelia had gained a leaf-sprung De Dion rear axle.

 

Recognised as one of Battista 'Pinin' Farina's most beautiful designs, the B24 Spider was first shown to the public at the 1955 Brussels Motor Show. Built on the shortened chassis of the fourth series, the B24 Spider was powered by the 2,451cc V6 producing 118bhp and 127lb/ft of torque, which in a car weighing a mere 1,050kg (2,310lb) made for lively acceleration and a top speed of 115mph. In true spider fashion the B24 was spartanly equipped, featuring a painted dashboard; limited trim; no external handles; and only a basic hood and side screens by way of weather protection. Nevertheless, the Spider is considered much more desirable today than its more practical and more numerous B24 Convertible successor. The B24 Spider was produced during 1955 only, with 240 being completed, the left-hand/right-hand drive split being 181/59.

 

This Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America was tested and completed on 21st April 1955 and invoiced the following day. The car was originally finished in original Lancia 'grigio' with red leather interior, the same colour combination it has today. The current vendor purchased the Lancia in 1997 from Mr António José das Neves Ferreira de Almeida. Subsequently restored over a period of several years under the guidance of Lancia afficionados Leo and Jan van Hoorick, the work was carried out to a very high standard by Epoca Ricambi of Ciney, Belgium. Accompanying this car is an FCA Lancia Classiche report testifying to its originality and the fact that it is in good working order and in excellent cosmetic condition. The Aurelia also comes with a letter from renowned marque specialists Thornley Kelham stating that it is a 'matching numbers car with all mechanical parts rebuilt'. Fitted with the very rare original type 'Condor Electronic' radio and offered with one of the mere 25 hardtops produced by Thornley Kelham, the car represents a rare opportunity to acquire what must surely be one of the best examples of this rare model available.

The other day, we went for a wintertime drive along River Seine, which runs through Paris and then flows into the English Channel (La Manche) at the end of a long and wide estuary. On the right bank lies the large industrial port of Le Havre, originally a new city founded ex nihiloin the 1500s by King Francis the First, and on the left bank are several villages and towns, the best known being Honfleur with its picturesque harbor surrounded by very narrow and tall old houses.

 

Just like the harbor I showed yesterday, the usually very busy streets of Honfleur were deserted and strangely quiet on that day. To the left is the Saint Catherine parochial church, the largest church in France entirely made of wood, except for the two layers of limestone at the base of the walls.

 

The bell tower is unique and the icon of Honfleur. Made mostly of oak wood covered with slates, it was built directly over the house of the bell ringer, across the square from the church. It is thus reminiscent of the Italian campanili, even though its location has nothing to do with architectural or religious design, and is for practicality only: this is Norman down-to-earthiness at its most typical!

A flight suit is a full body garment, worn while flying aircraft such as military airplanes, gliders and helicopters. These suits are generally made to keep the wearer warm, as well as being practical (plenty of pockets), and durable (including fire retardant). Its appearance is usually similar to a jumpsuit. A military flight suit may also show rank insignia. It is sometimes used as a combat uniform in Close Quarters Battle or Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure situations, for its practicality.

 

As aviation developed in unheated open cockpits, the need for warm clothing quickly became apparent, as did the need for multiple pockets with closures of buttons, snaps, or zippers to prevent loss of articles during maneuvers. Various types of flight jackets and pants coverings were developed and, during World War I, leather two-piece outfits were common among pilots to ward off the chill caused by propwash and the cold of low-oxygen high altitude flying. Leather quickly became the preferred material due to its durability and the protection it offered against flying debris such as insect strikes during climb-outs and landings, and oil thrown off by the simple rotary and inline motors of the time. Australian aviator Frederick Sidney Cotton's experience with high level and low-temperature flying led Cotton in 1917 to develop the revolutionary new "Sidcot" suit, a flying suit which solved the problem pilots had in keeping warm in the cockpit. This flying suit, with improvements, was widely used by the RAF until the 1950s.

 

By the time World War II started in earnest, electrically heated suits were introduced by Lion Apparel in conjunction with General Electric for patrol and bomber crews who routinely operated at high altitudes above 30,000 feet, where air temperatures could get so cold that flesh could freeze instantly to any metal it touched. As pressurized cabins came into operation, the necessity of bulky leather and shearling jackets and pants began to fade. For example, pilots, navigators, and bombardiers of a B-17 operating in Europe in 1944 wore their officer's uniforms under an A-2 flight jacket, comfortably due to the enclosed and heated cabin, but the waist gunners needed electrically heated suits as they fired their guns through open window gunports. When the B-29 Superfortress was introduced in the fight against Japan, along with remote-controlled coordinated gun turrets, the fully pressurized crew cabin made bulky flight gear obsolete.

 

Where bomber pilots could wear their dress uniforms as flight gear, fighter pilots needed a uniform that functioned in the tight confines of the typical fighter plane cockpit. The AN-S-31 flight suit was developed for the US Army Air Corps and featured two button-down breast pockets and two button-down shin pockets that could be accessed from the sitting position. The US Navy used a slightly different model that featured slanted pockets with zippers. The material used was either wool or tight-weave cotton for wind resistance and fire protection.

 

The need for short-duration fire protection was demonstrated early during that war. As technology advanced, the fire-protective flight suit, helmets, goggles, masks, gloves and footwear were designed and used. The footwear often could be cut to appear like civilian shoes in the country where the crew member would land if shot down.

 

Flak jackets were also developed to give bomber crews some protection from flying shrapnel, though these increased the overall weight of the airplane and reduced the effective bombload that could be carried.

 

With the era of jet flight and improved focus on safety, however, fully fire-retardant materials were required. It was also simpler to make a one-piece suit when it would potentially have to fit over existing clothing or various types of under-garments.

 

Also, with the coming of jet flight came the development of the G-suit, a special kind of flight suit (worn alone or in combination with a traditional flight suit) that protected the wearer from the physical stress of acceleration by compressing the body to keep blood from pooling in the legs. As the pilot executed high-G combat maneuvers, his blood would literally be pulled from his head and shift downwards into his lower body, starving the brain of oxygen and causing a blackout. The G-suit was designed to allow some retention of blood in the pilot's head, allowing him to execute high-G turns for sustained periods of time.

 

In the 1950s and 1960s even more specialized suits needed to be developed for high-altitude survelliance (such as with the U-2 and SR-71 aircraft) and space flight. These would include full pressurization, and would be the precursor to today's space suits.

When the dignitaries of Victorian Stratford-upon-Avon decided to commemorate the town's most famous former resident, they admirably chose to build a memorial theatre rather than 'merely' a statue – but were persuaded to include a sculpted monument anyway: the 'Shakespeare Memorial' (1888), by Lord Ronald Gower.

 

Though sometimes dismissed as a 'gentleman amateur', Lord Ronald (Charles Sutherland-Leveson-)Gower (1845-1916) was a Trustee of the National Portrait Gallery, where he became an authority on Shakespeare portraiture, and an accomplished sculptor also experienced in the practicalities of bronze casting.

A plaque on the plinth records that Gower's (self-funded?) project took twelve years, from initial sculpting in clay (a plaster cast of the proposed monument was displayed in Paris in 1881), via casting in bronze by three specialist Parisian foundries, to installation (under French supervision) in Stratford on a Bath- and York stone plinth also designed in Paris.

 

At the centre is the seated bronze figure of Shakespeare on a stone plinth decorated with bronze wreaths, vines and masks of comedy and tragedy. Surrounding this central element are four of Shakespeare's characters in bronze, chosen to reflect the playwright's versatility: Hamlet, Prince Hal, Falstaff and Lady Macbeth respectively represent 'Philosophy', 'History', 'Comedy' and 'Tragedy'. Shakespeare himself is placed rather too high to be examined properly, which also encourages birds to perch on the statue (with all that ensues...), but I rather like the depictions of Hamlet, Hal and Lady Macbeth.

 

Unveiled in October 1888, the monument was initially located outside the Memorial Theatre, facing Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare is buried. The character statues occupied alcoves in the faces of the plinth, as parts of a clearly unified composition.

However, the Theatre was destroyed by fire in 1926 and rebuilt facing the opposite way; rather than leave the (undamaged) Memorial hidden behind the new building, in 1933 it was moved ~250 m to beside the main road near Clopton Bridge, a more spacious site which allowed the display of the character statues some 10 m from each corner (rather than each face) of the plinth, almost giving them the status of standalone pieces – not something for which Gower had planned, and the statues don't entirely work in isolation.

 

This one depicts the moment when Prince Hal, the future Henry V, visits his ill father and, thinking Henry IV dead, hesitantly puts on the crown – and his sleeping father wakes. The resulting anger and shame spurs the dissolute young prince to adopt the responsibility of his status.

En route to the walled garden at West Dean, I noticed in the near distance what appeared to be a huge tripod. On the ground nearby I could just make out a person reclining. As I drew level I said hello and asked if many people had enquired about the tripod. He, for it was a man, said no but explained that it held a 3D laser camera with which he was measuring the mass and structure of a very large tree a bit further down the path. He told me that the camera could carry out this task in a fraction of the time a human could do it, indeed even if they could reliably do it.

 

The tree in question looked more dead than autumnal and a section of path was cordoned off as branches were hanging over the passage. I wondered if the tree would be felled but found out that the man with the camera was engaged in research for University College London (UCL).

 

At some point I introduced myself and learnt his name was Phil. I asked for a photo and explained how I would use it. Phil was happy with that and also interested to know more about the group The Human Family on Flickr. I took a few shots. It was quite difficult to ensure that all of the 3D camera plus tripod fitted in the frame.

 

Phil joined the Dept of Geography, UCL , 5 years ago on completion of his PhD. His wife is from Australia where he has also worked and he observed that a great diversity of species of trees grows there.

 

The 'bread and butter' of this type of research is carried out in the tropics. (I forgot to ask about the practicalities of transporting the camera.)

 

Phil said that, in addition to the fieldwork with the camera, he spends a good amount of time behind a computer screen analysing the results. I understand that the outcomes of this work are useful in the field of climate change. From an online press release by UCL:

 

"New laser scanning technology is being used by UCL scientists to provide fresh and unprecedented insights into the structure and mass of trees, a development that will help plot how much carbon they absorb and how they might respond to climate change."

 

I offered photos and Phil gave his card from which I saw that he is Dr Phil W.... a postdoctoral research assistant.

 

He folded up the tripod and was on his way and we carried on to the walled garden.

  

This is my #103 submission to the Human Family Group. To view more street portraits and stories visit:

www.flickr.com/groups/thehumanfamily/

   

Just a quick idea I had for a while. This is the closest thing I could make that matches the idea. The idea was that laser rifles could be developed by modifying receivers that originally shot bullets. This one happens to be made from an UMP derivative though it features heavy modifications.

 

It's also a practice build so I don't care much about practicality here like in my other builds. It's one of those 'form over function' builds that I make once in a while.

Tribute 250SWB (2003 domor) Engine 2979cc M54B30 BMW S6

Registration Number 891 VHX (Cherished number originally allocated for issue from Middlesex)

TRIBUTE MOTORS ALBUM

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/albums/72157692216239661/

 

The 250 SWB was one of Italy’s most successful GT racers of the early 1960s with a GT class win in 1961. It also went on to win the 1960, 1961 and 1962 Tour de France Automobile Race.

to buy one today would probably cost well in excess of £ 10 million pounds or a top draw reproduction from GTO Engineering aroun $1million, or you could focus one the Tribute. The Tribute has a GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) kit which would fit a BMW Z3 Roadster with minimal modifications. This one is based on a 231 bhp 3 litre Z3 Roadster, with a performance that would not fall far short of the original 1960s Supercar. Tribute insist that this is not a replica in the truest sense but is designed at giving visual pleasure, and supreme practicality while at the same time being fun, agile and useable

Tribute Automototive are a kit car company based in Wareham Dorset, founded by Christopher and Angela Welch,the MX250 a Maxda MX5 based replica of a Ferrari 250GT, the 250SWB a BMW Z3 based replica of a Ferrari 250SWB, the BMW Z3 based Kobra a Cobra replica, the Z300 a BMW Z3 based 1960's Sportscar a Mercedes SLR300 and Jaguar D Type replica among others

 

Diolch am 80,025,071 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.

 

Thanks for 80,025,071 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.

 

Shot 05.01.2020.at Bicester Heritage Centre, Bicester, Oxon 144-695

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The Scale of Decor Decisions

 

The homeowner has clearly rejected the tyranny of the garden gnome, opting instead for a piece that demands attention and maybe a little fear from the mail carrier. This enormous, imposing, and rather stern-looking bronze (or bronze-effect) dragon is perched upon a perfectly circular bed of grey, crushed aggregate, giving the distinct impression that it just landed from incinerating a neighboring suburb and decided this was a suitable spot to take a breather. It certainly establishes an unmistakable tone: "Welcome to my home. Also, I may be a wizard." The stark contrast between the ferocious, textured mythological beast and the utterly anodyne, beige and brown, semi-detached bungalow backdrop is the real triumph here. It's the visual equivalent of serving flaming Bananas Foster on a paper plate.

 

Architectural Ambivalence

 

The architecture itself seems to be actively trying to fade into the background, sporting large, bland windows and a color palette best described as "frequently overlooked." The house acts as the ultimate straight man to the dragon's theatrical performance. It’s as if the dragon insisted, "I need a minimalist, non-distracting canvas for my epicness," and the house dutifully replied, "Yes, my lord, how about more beige?" The entire setup suggests a homeowner with an incredibly imaginative inner life whose exterior taste only extends to the mythological. One has to admire the dedication—who needs hydrangeas when you can have a brooding, winged reptile guarding your PVC window frames?

 

Curb Appeal: The Dragon Clause

 

Regarding "curb appeal," this installation doesn't so much appeal as it issues a stern warning. While most people strive for a look that says "We have good schools and a healthy lawn," this garden screams, "We have a dragon, and possibly a horde of pilfered gold in the garage." It's a glorious act of homeowner defiance, a monumental "no, thank you" to tasteful landscaping magazines. The practicality is also impressive: imagine the conversations! "Oh, it's the third house past the turn, you can't miss it, it's the one guarded by the enormous, terrifying creature of legend." It’s low-maintenance, high-impact decor, and one can only hope that they have equally dramatic interior design choices.

For someone like me, who has set himself the task to visit and document photographically as many as possible of those wonderful Romanesque churches and monasteries, a trip to Normandy is both cause for despair and for enchanted amazement. Despair, because the Norman architect, at the time of the Romanesque which coincided with the conquest of Britain by Duke William in 1066 and the tremendous influx of power and riches that ensued, that architect is above all focused on efficiency in the projection of power and majesty. For that architect, the absolute must, the beginning and the end of church building, is the wall. Sculpture doesn’t matter. When it exists at all, it is often relegated to simple modillions under the cornice that supports the roof. The bare wall, perfectly aligned and appareled, reigns as the undisputed king of Norman Romanesque. He who likes to smile and wonder at the ingenuity and inventiveness of Mediæval sculptors, is most of the time sorely disappointed by the utter lack of adornment of those great and tall Norman churches, next to which the barest Cistercian sanctuaries look positively alive and overflowing under the comparatively unbridled abundance of rinceaux, human figures and assorted creatures.

 

No sculpture to speak of, then, is the norm in Normandy. But on the other hand, the masterfulness of the architects and masons turns the job of putting one stone on top of another into a veritable art: it is here, in Normandy, that was first experimented the very innovation that would bring about the end of the Romanesque: the voûte d’ogives, the rib vaulting from which the whole world of Gothic derives. It is in Normandy that it was first imagined and implemented, even as the 11th century hadn’t yet come to a close. We will see where, and how.

 

My photographic tour of Lower Normandy had to begin, of course, by the Abbaye aux Hommes and the Abbaye aux Dames in Caen. Now that we have covered those, I would like to show you a few other Romanesque churches, much less well-known, yet fully worthy of our interest.

 

The first documentary source I consulted when I was preparing this trip was, as usual, the Normandie romane book published by Zodiaque —both volumes, as Romanesque Normandy is so rich that two books were needed to properly cover it. Unfortunately, and owing to some of those unforeseen circumstances that so often intrude upon our lives, I do not have those books with me at the moment. Therefore, I am not able to use the valuable material they hold to compose my captions; still, I will do my best in their absence... with my apologies. I hope the books will be sent back to me by whoever I made the mistake to leave them with, so that I won’t have to buy new copies.

 

•• Contrary to abbey and priory churches, which were often built in quiet and peaceful (not to say lonely) locales, away from the hustle and bustle of villages and towns (even if such cores of human activity often ended up growing from scratch around them!), parochial churches were usually erected in a village or very close by.

 

Dedicated to Saint Peter and listed as a Historic Landmark on the very first list drawn up in 1840 by Minister Prosper Mérimée (which says a lot about its architectural and artistic value, even by 19th century standards), the church of Thaon was built in a lonely vale because the parish, at the time, did not include a village per se, but was rather a collection of scattered hamlets: the church was built more or less in the middle. Tradition has been upheld up to present day: the church is still alone, with only one mill built nearby to benefit from the driving force of the current of River Mue —although, if truth be told, I have to admit that, with the concept of practicality emerging in the 19th century, a new church was consecrated in 1840 smack in the center of what had in the meantime become the most important of those hamlets of old: Thaon. Saint Peter was henceforth known as “the Old Church”.

 

Archæological digs carried out between 1998 and 2011 have shown that the locale was used during the Antiquity as a fanum, probably in connection with a nearby ford that allowed for crossing the river. A small necropolis developed during the 300s and 400s, then a first paleo-Christian edifice was built during the 600s, replaced by a new one in the next century. A first Romanesque church was erected around 1050–80, of which only the bell tower remains today. It is the oldest part of the second Romanesque church, the one we can still admire today, which was built in 1130–50 as an extension of the older church in all directions: the nave was extended by two rows to the West, a wider and much deeper choir was built with a flat apse and aisles were added. It is surrounded by more than 400 tombs from the 7th to the 18th century, which have been excavated and studied by archæologists.

 

During the Romanesque Age, the land was owned by the powerful barons of Creully, who possessed large tracts of land in Lower Normandy; this probably accounts for the architectural quality of the old church, which was placed under the direct patronage of the chapter of canons of the Bayeux Cathedral. This monument has come to us practically intact, except for the aforementioned aisles that were razed around 1720, probably because the terrain had become marshier and threatened the stability of the entire building. Around the same time, the floor level was raised to help fight dampness, of which the inside still exhibits many traces.

 

A few days ago, I uploaded a straight-on view of the southern elevation, explaining how it had been difficult to take for lack of space to step back enough, because of the nearby river Mue. This is another view, this time in perspective, of the same southern elevation, and here too I had to resort to the panorama stitching stratagem: this time, only a three-exposure panorama sufficed. It was stitched in Photoshop.

Starting to cross Vasabron bridge in Stockholm.

 

What was a car from the 60s doing in Stockholm in 2018? They were shooting a movie set in the 60's. I noticed when a supervisor from the shoot politely pleaded with me to stop taking pictures of the cars and leave the scene.

 

The Renault 16 (R16) is a D-segment family hatchback produced by French automaker Renault between 1965 and 1980 in Le Havre, France. The Renault 16 was the first successful hatchback body-style car in a market segment, previously exclusively dominated by three-box, bottom range executive cars, and estates, selling approaching two million cars – all hatchbacks.

 

The R16 was a great success, with 1,845,959 R16s produced during a production run of 15 years. The car sold well in most of Europe, winning praise for its spacious and comfortable interior as well as the practicality offered by its effectively unique hatchback bodystyle.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_16

  

Another of Fernie's fine stock of beautiful old brick buildings, the 1908 built Fernie Post Office and Customs House, today the city heritage library.

 

THE BUILDING HISTORY:

The early 20th century saw an expansion of Canada’s government structures, created to exemplify the success of the budding new dominion and its provinces.

 

Post offices, court houses, and other public buildings emerged in tribute to the nation. Among these, completed in 1908, was the Fernie post office and customs house, a fitting addition to a community that was helping to fuel the nation.

 

Finishing touches had not even been made on the Fernie post office when disaster swept through the city. On August 8, 1908. the entire city of Fernie burned to the ground with the exception of a handful of buildings. The nearly completed post office was spared complete destruction but the interior was completely gutted by the flames.

 

The building was quickly refinished and opened in 1909 to serve the citizens of Fernie as the post office and customs house.

 

From this refinishing until 1974 the building was Fernie’s post office. In 1974 the City of Fernie completed a property exchange with the Federal Government which saw the building act as City Hall until 1982.

 

Between 1982 and 1994 the building had a variety of occupants including provincial ministries, Shell Canada, and a forestry company.

 

The dream to restore the former post office as the Fernie Heritage Library had its roots in the mid-1990’s. It was realized that with the potentially growing community, the existing facility was no longer suitable for the demands that were being placed upon it.

 

Diane Sharp and the library board began the process of preparing for the project and commissioned architectural and engineering reports on the building and its possible use as a public library.

 

Determined to respect the building’s architectural integrity, the Fernie Public Library board retrieved from the Public Archives in Ottawa a full set of original blueprints and construction specifications stipulating “a complete and first-class job.”

 

At the time of the original construction of the building, the government required contractors to pay stonecutters a minimum of $6.00 a day and “ordinary labourers” $2.50 a day. It also specified that the birch floors were to be oiled, not varnished.

 

Accordingly, the second-floor office floors were re-oiled during restoration, rather than coated with a modern urethane finish.

 

Building codes and practicality did require some deviation from the original blueprints: a gas furnace has taken over from the old steam boiler and a modern elevator has replaced the original concrete vault. In the end, the restored building was very close to the original blueprints.

 

Information courtesy of the Fernie Public Library. For more detail:

 

fernie.bc.libraries.coop/about-us/library-information/his...

With the rumored development of space-equipped VCS by hostile organizations, the URE commissioned a variant of the Aardwolf to replace the heavily outdated Grouse I units that made up the majority of their orbital corps.

 

The new Aardwolf (dubbed "Spacewolf" by some pilots) features heavy modifications to grant it high amounts of speed and mobility in space. The backpack contains the extra power needed for the base Aardwolf, in addition to the fuel for the various vernier thrusters on the backpack, shoulders, and legs. The backpack also has two manipulator arms which can hold any of the unit's equipment if needed. The amount of fuel the system can hold is still rather limited, however, so they cannot operate far from a station. For new armament, the Spacewolf has a 120mm repeating flak cannon, which can be used against enemy units or to destroy smaller chunks of debris.

 

I had quite a bit of fun building this guy! Of course, it's heavily influenced by the Gundam Thunderbolt GM, but I threw in some of my own ideas as well. Throughout the build, I tried to keep in mind the practicality of everything, and what systems the mech would need for space operation, which was an interesting challenge. My favorite part is fiddling with the arms & thrusters on the backpack, they're really satisfying to mess around with! :P

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.

 

WEEK 22 – Stateline Kroger Revisited, Set 2

 

Finally, here it is: our very first close-up look at how the rest of the department signs we’ll be seeing in this stour are butchered under Remix. (Get it? “Butchered,” because this is the butcher counter? Okay, true, I dislike it anyway, but I thought that joke would at least mask my distaste a little bit :P )

 

As you can see, literally all the quote-unquote “remodel” does is remove the curved railing with the existing “fresh meat” lettering*, and replace it with new stick-on letters reading “MEAT & FISH.” The dark-colored basket signs like this one get white letters; the blonde wood signs we’ll see later get dark letters. And that’s that.

 

Again, as I wrote earlier, it seems like we’re progressing from best to worst in this tour. So, while this is our first example of a basket sign reuse, and the ultimate point I’m trying to get to is that the basket sign reuses look bad overall, this specific one actually looks somewhat tolerable (or at least more passable than others) because the length of the phrase “MEAT & FISH” actually stretches long enough to fill the entire basket – so, as a result, there are no centering issues. For smaller phrases such as “DELI” or “DAIRY,” the remodel crews in theory should work to center the letters appropriately on the signage – but as we’ll see, that often does not turn out successfully, sometimes to very, very bad effects.

 

It also doesn’t help that in some cases, the nature of the Remix décor package itself means that it’s asking for very thin letters such as a capital “I” to be affixed at a point where it turns out there’s actually a gap in the basket sign – notice that they just barely avoid that issue here, with the “I” in “FISH.” That’s just bad design, imo. The shapes of letters can be finicky, and at this size and with those gaps between the sign beams, finding enough points to affix the putty to to make sure the letters stick can be a challenge.

 

All of which, again, is why I feel like reusing the basket signs is much more trouble than it’s worth, and negatively impacts this décor in more ways than one: there’s the cheap-looking factor (with the letters just stuck flat on there), the décor personality factor (with the reuse of the basket signs and the issues that that presents, concerning both the lack of separate, more inventive wall signage, as well as the brown-on-brown look that this department has going on now), the practicality factor (with the difficulty of installing the letters and subsequent implementation failures)… etcetera.

 

* -- Almost forgot to explain the asterisk here: just wanted to briefly note that this store was unusual in that most Bountiful stores already went ahead and said “meat & fish” on the department sign, whereas Stateline here had just “fresh meat,” as shown in that linked image. So, Remix has actually brought the store up to par, as far as terminology is concerned.

 

(c) 2021 Retail Retell

These places are public so these photos are too, but just as I tell where they came from, I'd appreciate if you'd say who :)

 

Coupe Utility vehicles—better known as “utes”—merge the practicality of a pickup bed with the comfort of a sedan. Despite the fact that they’re an endangered species even in the land down under, the birthplace of the ute, they remain an integral part of Australian national identity and motoring heritage. Many performance models like this one were built over the years, and they became Australia’s contribution to muscle car culture in the 1970s.

 

Thank you to The Brothers Brick and the Lego Car Blog for their very kind posts about this build! This project received the "Staff Favorite" award at Brickfair Virginia 2022. More photos available in the build album.

 

©2022 Chris Elliott, All Rights Reserved.

 

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The Droplet is the ultimate in streamlined cushion hover vehicles. Built with all of the reliability and practicality that you've come to expect from the Land Vehicles division of Llwyngwril Systems, the Droplet dispenses with unnecessary and weighty features such seat belts (and mud guards, as it has no wheels!).

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The K wagon seeing it's the real life huge tank of WWI was armed with 4 77mm guns. So I now designed really derpy Manticores that have multiple turrets, and a dumb amount of weapons, and I love it. The Manticore Mk-4 was reliable, had a top speed of 14 mph, and had a 57mm gun that was more accurate, faster to reload, held more ammo, and was less cumbersome giving it an edge over 75mm equipped tanks, and it could pierce their armor, and kill them just as well. It also had sprung suspension, an advantage I never mentioned much. BUT THATS NOT INTERESTING ENOUGH XD, So I made land battleships because bigger guns = better to some people even though it's a terrible concept.

 

The Manticore Mk-2 has a top speed of 20 mph, and is armed with a 77mm long barreled howitzer. The Mk-5 is protected by 20mm of frontal armor, and 15mm of side armor, and has a crew of 4, plus artillerymen. This tank is basically a mobile howitzer, and can shell targets up to 10,700 meters away. It's lighter armor, and larger engine makes it faster, although not nimble, it is also slowed down by mud, and it's older design gave it a few mechanical problems that was sorted out in later tanks. It also is slow to turn given the fact it was based off of a trench crossing tank.

 

The Manticore Mk-3 has a top speed of 15 mph, and is armed with a 77mm gun, 2 40mm guns, and 6 machine guns. Its designed as an infantry support vehicle. The Mk-3 is protected by 32mm of frontal armor, and 22mm of side armor, and has a crew of 10. This reliable design is still in service for infantry support, as it's cheaper to produce, and can be classified as a mere large tank. It is also the only tank that can carry infantry (up to 5 additional soldiers)

 

The Manticore Mk-4 has a top speed of 9 mph, and is armed with a 77mm gun, a turret mounted 57mm gun, 2 40mm guns, and 5, to 6 machine guns. The Mk-4 is protected by 45mm, to 50mm of frontal armor depending on the situation, and 30mm of side armor, and has a crew of 14. This tank is considered by most to be statistically one of the best tanks on Terra as it possesses a more reliable gun than a clucky 77, and can cross trenches while other foreign tanks cannot.

 

The Manticore Mk-5 has a top speed of 8 mph, and is armed with a 77 turret mounted gun, a 77mm casemate gun, 2 40mm guns, and 9 machine guns including a coaxle mounted one in each turret. this gives it a heavy arsenal of overlapping machine gun fire. The Mk-5 is protected by 60mm of frontal armor, and 25mm of side armor, and has a crew of 20.

The weight of the armor, and additional turret slowed down the tank by a bit, it is only semi practical due to its speed.

 

The Manticore Mk-6, also known in development under the codename project X-b0x1 has a top speed of 6 mph, and armed with 2 turreted 77mm main guns, 2 side sponsons mounted 77mm guns, 2 40mm guns, and 8 machine guns. The Mk-6 is protected by 50mm of armor in the front, and sides, and has a crew of 25. The heaviest armor, and armament a tank could get, it's slightly slower than a K wagon, and even with its extended body tends to get bogged down in muddy conditions. It has been deemed impractical by most military officials, and is only planned for parades. I still plan on making the Mk-4 over the clunky designs for reasons of reliability, and practicality. I'm not done making dumb tanks yet though.

My wife mentioned I had become set in my ways. I think she was probably being a little provocative, just jabbing me for a little reaction. I must admit that hurt a touch, but I made sure it didn't show, and I carried on ignoring her like I normally do. Was she having a real dig at me, or was she subtly suggesting I go and have a bit of fun, spend some money, perhaps go a little wild? Being the positive type I assumed she was suggesting the latter, out of devotion to me, of course, but I guessed that the good wife in her knew what was in my heart and in my head. I would like a new car. I think she knew it, by the brochures lying around. Not that I deliberately put them where she would see them. But I would like something that doesn't mark me out as Mr Accord Man: a little dated, utterly reliable, understated and unassuming. Maybe....I hate to say it....a bit boring. No: alot boring.

 

The Honda Accord. You hardly ever see one. Honda has even given up selling their large saloon in the UK. It's not even planned a replacement model for it. And yet they love them in the USA. There are millions of them, and they consistently top the charts in most respects. But here in the UK, well, it's a slightly sad story. One of the joys for me as a sales rep used to be getting a new company car. Even if that meant progressing through a myriad of Astras, Sierras, Orions, a Vauxhall Belmont, and Cavaliers to a point where I could choose my own company car. I once complained when I took a new job where they had stated that the company car was a Ford Sierra 1.8GL but instead when I got there they said instead it was going to be a Vauxhall Astra. I felt cheated. But I should have known the Sales secretary liked me and her impish smile meant she was saving a bit of something I fancied, especially for me as their sales star. It only turned out to be an Astra GTE with a drainpipe exhaust, every boy racers dream. I don't remember ever being late for an appointment, no matter how ridiculously late I left it to get there. But when I started buying my own company car I was more sensible. I chose a moss green Ford Mondeo. The colour wasn't my choosing but Mondeos had just been launched and were radically advanced compared to anything else on the market. It stood me well for 100,000 miles, the odd trip to the garage being a fact of life for minor ailments. What motivated me to eventually trade it in for a 5th generation Honda Accord, I have no idea but perhaps a VTEC engine and double wishbone suspension all round sounded like a good idea. I quickly began to appreciate the quality of the car, the sweetness of the engine, the reliability, and the fact it wasn't as common as the other brands. With the exception of a couple of new exhaust pipes (that corroded in those days), tyres, brake pads and discs, wiper blades and occasional servicing the car was faultless. Nothing....nothing went wrong with it. Not even a light bulb. I sold it to a colleague's brother in-law when it got to 99,992 miles. I was amazed to hear 12 years later it was still running, and still looked exactly the same. I traded up to a Lexus, which I loved too. But having to buy a new set of tyres every 7000 miles became a sensitive issue on company expenses. I bought some cheaper tyres and the car told me it wasn't impressed with my choice as the traction control came on far more frequently. It was a costly mistake I almost paid the ultimate price for. Having gone 88,000 miles, using more than 10 sets of tyres, my insurer had to pay for the stretch of dry stone wall that was levelled, the three railway sleeper sized posts stood in the ground as a feature to the entrance of Nether Alderley village that were dislodged, the post with the 40mph speed limit sign atop it that was bowled over, and the car that lay shattered on its roof 70 yards down the road, facing from whence it had just come. I was given a minimum sum to buy a replacement car and settled on a diesel Renault Laguna Tourer. Surprisingly I loved that too, apart from when things went wrong with it. More than anything else in life it probably contributed to me hating the French more than anything else, including snails, frog's legs and Charles de Gaulle. How I got it up to 95,000 miles I shall never know. But the expensive trips to the dealers even to get simple little things like electric switches replaced put me off less reliable manufacturers long before they charged me to replace a split intercooler, and when that didn't cure the fault, told me I needed a new turbo. Do they think I am a mug?

 

I harked back to my Honda Accord. I hate it when a car has to go to the garage. It's inconvenient. It's expensive. I bought a brand new seventh generation Honda Accord with Honda's first ever diesel engine, the 2.2 D-TEC. Wow, it's a free revving, smooth engine with great torque not like one of those agricultural French or German diesels. It was fabulous for another 88,000 miles only ever requiring an offside front sidelight bulb. Once again I was so completely satisfied with a Honda Accord that it was a no brainer to buy an 8th generation Honda Accord Tourer. Yet again the 2.2 diesel was a peach, the tourer being even more comfortable than the previous Accord. I was slowly beginning to do fewer miles by this point and four years of ownership took me up to 80,000 miles. Amazingly that car never need any parts other than the usual wear and tear items of tyres, brakes, wiper blades. And so we arrived at a point four years ago where I decided to change my car. I looked at every prestige brand and shook my head to all of them. None can touch the Accord in that fundamental requirement for a car: reliability.

 

So when the car that became The Black Pearl became available there was no choice. With uprated power and every imaginable manufacturer's fitted extra, the Type-S it is the best Accord I've ever had. And now it has reached that point. the mileage is 88,000 once again, after four years. And one replacement nearside front side light bulb. And that's all (the rear number plate bulb was a false alarm). That's four Honda Accords I've had carrying me every day for 15 years, and more than 350 thousand miles. fifteen times round the world and the only replacement parts were three small light bulbs.

 

But there is no Honda Accord to replace it with. I went out with my son ten days ago to look at the new Honda Civic Sport Plus with the 1.5 turbo engine in it. I like its quirky, sporty, youthful looks. I like its practicality. I like it's handling and ride. I like it in red! I feel slightly re-juvenated in it. And last Saturday I went with Son No.2 to buy one. No, we were going to buy two. One for him, one for me. We went for another test drive and he sat down to fill out the papers to buy his, all in black. And then it was my turn, and I faltered. I want to feel younger. I want something new. I want bright red. But then.....oh, I like having a fuel range of up to 740+ miles, I like those really comfortable wide, electric and heated leather front seats, I like that really strong surge of torque the Type-S Accord delivers from low down in the rev range, but best of all I love the fact that I have never ever seen an Accord the same as mine. I'm an individual. Being different is everything to me. Even if that does mean being Mr Accord Man through and through. I'm really sorry, wife. I really can't buy another car, not even that bright red one that will make me look youthful and with the in-crowd. I'll stick with being good 'ole dependable, reliable me. Mr Accord Man

Bedford vans were a popular base for ice cream vans in the UK, particularly the Bedford CA (1952-1969) and the Bedford CF (1969-1987), which were often converted by companies like Morrison's. These vehicles were favored for their practicality and distinctive appearance, with some models like the CA featuring a unique, rounded front and others like the CF being used well into the late 1980s.

 

This 1962 Bedford CA ice-cream van, VSL 986, was on display at the Cotswold Motoring Museum in Bourton-on-the-Water on 6 November 2025.