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Vulture - Colchester Zoo, Colchester, Essex, England - Monday February 11th 2008.
Vultures are scavenging birds, feeding mostly on the carcasses of dead animals. Vultures are found in every continent except Antarctica and in Oceania.
A particular characteristic of many vultures is a bald head, devoid of feathers. This is likely because a feathered head would become spattered with blood and other fluids, and thus be difficult to keep clean.
A group of vultures is occasionally called a venue, and when circling in the air a group of vultures is called a kettle. The word Geier (taken from the German language) does not have a precise meaning in ornithology, and it is occasionally used to refer to a vulture in English, as in some poetry.
The Colorium is a 17-story high-rise building on Speditionstraße in the Media Harbor of the city of Düsseldorf. It was designed by British architect William Allen Alsop for Ibing Immobilien GmbH. It was completed in December 2001.
The unique architectural feature of the Media Harbor is the colorful façade and the red technical floor, which, at 62 meters, crowns what is currently the second-highest building in the harbor. More than 2200 color-printed glass panels made of heat-insulating glass were installed according to a precise design specification by the architects and, in combination with an interior sunshade, form the curtain wall. In the division of the colored surfaces, fully colored surfaces alternate with patterns of up to four colors. The color design is also continued in the interior of the building.
The Colorium was converted into a hotel in 2013. Since then, it has 134 rooms, including 58 single and 76 double rooms, on an area of about 8000 m².
Source: wikipedia.de
"New Masters’ Houses
by Bruno Fioretti Marquez (2014)
After the Bauhauslers moved out in 1932 the Masters’ Houses were radically transformed by modifications. Gropius House and Moholy-Nagy House were destroyed in an air raid in the final days of WWII. In the GDR era a single-family home with a pitched roof was erected on the foundations of Gropius House, but this was demolished again later.
Architecture of imprecision
The gaps left behind in the ensemble of buildings were closed in 2014. A historically accurate reconstruction was rejected; Berlin-based architects Bruno Fioretti Marquez (BFM) created an ‘architecture of imprecision’ for the two demolished buildings. This evokes a deliberate sense of oscillation between specific historic state and reinterpretation.
Reopening ceremony
On 16 May 2014 Joachim Gauck, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, opened the new Dessau Masters’ Houses to the public. Internally, they demonstrate their distinctness. Emerging from the residential architecture designed by Walter Gropius in 1926 is an open spatial structure, which is used for exhibitions. [...]"
Whist today, the highest sedimentary mountains of Europe have precise names for each peak, in their Haut-Aragon region - with its local dialect Aragonaise, the Massif retains a single name, and a name so strong as to enter into the title of the national park, and a name so vivid that it asks to be looked at in the same category as mythical mountains and hills that may have held significance during chapters of the great ages of prehistory. The traditional name for today's Pico Añisclo, Cylindro and Mont Perdu is the 'Tres Serols' or three sisters. Whilst it is difficult to measure, many important prehistorical ritual sites were over-written by post Christian spiritual elements - the idea of crosses and chapels appropriating the space of gatherings for prechristian worship, rite and song.
Many high points on a horizon can be seen from foothills and planes, and with a 3355m summit, the scattered population that lived under its snow capped veils must have been culturally significant during all ages. and from a very long distance. Sedimentary landscapes can naturally provide high plateaus and shoulders for vistas (by contrast, ignious rock tends to point). With mixed densities of strata, mountains and hills often naturally tilt like vast sarcophagie - giants bodies held in rocky memory: ancestral myths and life forces. As with much of the deep rural on either side of the Pyrenees, stories of witches, giants and fairies are still just-about within aural-history's touching distance: now closer to a new glitz overlay with 'heroic fantasy 'and kitsch projecting false memory to the now exotic and vivid terms. 'Tres Serols' or 'Three sisters' has the unique scale and geology to generate enough myth for a mother earth and her sisters. Three proto angels lifting their heads to the stars, overseeing the very weather itself, the seasons and passing migrations.
Whilst mythologies from the Mesolithic and its slopes of time have long uncoupled from modern-man's train of thought, there is a further element that lets us measure the past significance of this loci. For multiple reasons it is unlikely that ancient pilgrimages took to the very summit of the Tres Serols - an intermediate glacier, the chance of sudden storms, technicity of hiking, and vertigo management all perhaps excluding the summit from being a general pilgrimage destination, and one should expect lowland populations to be drawn from time to time to a close viewing point rather than the very summit itself.
Normally, a major pagan loci should be met with attempts to Christianise - but here a cross on the summit would be invisible and an early chapel would have its foundations in snow. Christianisation of late prehistorical myths are perhaps detectable from the fifth century, with stories of Visigoths converting the three sisters to Christianity. Despite this story, evidence from around the mountains suggest that Christianity co existing with earlier spiritual and cultural traditions, and by implication ones that existed prior to the fifth century tale.
The Christianisation of pagan sites could come from benevolent directions, for example from those seeing it as a protective way of consolidating against Roman vacuity, from conviction and faith, or from a negative direction - the stigmatisation of local culture to remove points of local power to enable an unquestioned feudal domination and centralisation of wealth. From whichever direction the will to realign symbols came, the desire to Christianise a powerful and seemingly unChristianisable landscape icon may have found an outlet - and although the data is compressed by the folds of time, it is worth looking into.
Under the peaks of the three sisters - along the south wall of the Pineta Canyon, in the sierra d'as Zucas, are found a line of three similar peaks; three subordinate peaks of around 2781m so about 600m under the adjacent three sisters (see the above Flickr text box). These lesser peaks are the 'Roncha', 'Punchuda' and 'Plana', and from afar - especially when seen from the east (for example the important and ancient path over 'Le port de Plan') - they look to be an anticipation and primer for the three sisters. These three adjacent and smaller peaks are collectively known as the 'Tres Marias' and the col that passes aside is known as the 'Portillo de Tella' or passage in the direction of the village of Tella. Marias is Spanish for Mary or Marie-Madeleine, and here a Christianised name change within the parameters of an ancient myth is possible; and Tella, the destination of the named col, is neither large or that close, but does cluster both pagan and Christian gathering and pilgrimage (four adjacent ancient chapels, documented pagan rituals, a newly discovered chromlech and so on) - again possibly suggesting that the naming of the three subordinate and reflective peaks added a Christian regard on a dominant prechristian landscape symbol. Were the three mountains Roncha, Punchuda and Plana have been understood in prechristian legend as ladies in waiting of the three sisters? A depiction of the cycle of life in preparation and permanence? Christianised as the three Mary's, and on a path to the pilgrim destination of Tella (see adjacent posts) does look like it may be an example of an expected pragmatic juxtaposition of Christian symbols.
Here, the fact that the Tres Serols remained above Tres Marias and 'power' was not found to give the Tres Serols a direct Christian name, may indicate the strength of local belief and determination.
The importance of the village of Tella regarding its capacity to have been a pilgrimage destination and viewing point will be discussed in an adjacent post.
Other peaks on the panorama include:
Puntal de Bachaco 2317m
The hill's name translates to 'stroll of the hairy one' - with the personification perhaps closer to a 'wild character' than hairy as 'golden locks'. "Bachaco" is also used for a type of characterful insect. The peak is a little under the main snow line, so the vegetation may be a more scrubby than the higher kast and mountain meadow. A poorly frequented land will also be less grassy. It may also be that most valley based 'pilgrims' climbed to higher viewpoints and meeting-points on lower ridges and paths and that the people who strolled up this slope were met with a cul-du-sac of a cliff's edge and were stigmatised to be wild outsiders lacking in local knowledge (haircuts and style were important in the Celtiberic and the tools to fashon facial hair existed from the shards of the neolithic through to the bronze and iron blade). Beards can also be shaped.
The last mountain featured on the above panorama is the
'Pico la Pala Portañús' 2593m An unusual name in today's language that may simply refer to the crest.
For reference, the village and four ancient chapels of Tella are on pathways between the Bachaco and Portanus, and on pathways under and to the left of the same peaks, with the village itself still a good panorama to the left of the image. Once at Tella (1402m), there is a crest walk directly down to a lower valley (below 1000m) and from there, easy navigation to the foothills of the south. This clean north/south rise is also part of an ancient east/west pathway stretching from the Maladeta Massif to Jaca or from the central to eastern Pyrenees.
AJM 20.12.19
An entire world view is contained within the gracefully arcing forms of this set of antlers. Antler is a fairly common medium in Inuit art, but the inclusion of a full pair is a rarity. Oopakak demonstrated extraordinary technical skill in his ability to carve figures in this delicate material. His training jewellery making comes into play in the precise and delicate details.
Every year I always look forward to the annual Barbie Fan Club Exclusive Platinum Label doll and this year it is Blush Fringed Gown Barbie® Doll the first doll in The Pink Collection designed by Carlyle Nuera. I was definitely drawn to the gown. There’s just no doubt that this is a must-have piece. Layers of ombré pink fringe reminiscent of Givenchy, Marchesa and Versace, just to name a few, is just to-die-for. The intricate embroidery of birds and flowers and the hand-applied beading on the bodice is impressive as it goes all the way to the back where in the years past they would leave out the back bare for cost cutting measures like with the Classic Evening Gown Barbie. With that this doll retails at a whopping $100 price tag where previously annual Platinum Label dolls were priced at $85. Luckily as a Barbie Signature (formerly Barbie Collector, formerly The Barbie Collection) at a Platinum Level Membership you will get a $30 quarterly reward at a $100 minimum purchase so her price came down to $70. To get a doll from Mattel in this quality we need to shell out that much money.
As always these beautiful things come with flaws and with Blush Fringed Gown it would have to be the mermaid silhouette of the dress. Had it been a column silhouette it would have been perfect as the fringe would just fall down neatly. Because it is a mermaid silhouette the fringe spreads out exposing the tulle underneath leaving gaps in certain areas... and gurl it’s a mess!
What I love about this doll though is the styling. I definitely love the simple behind-the-ear hairstyle exposing the sculpted fringe earrings, a pair that we’ve previously seen from Madam Lavinia. She has a bracelet that we’ve seen from Mutya Barbie. She also comes with a pair of shoes that we’ve seen from the BFMC collection last year. With Barbie I don’t mind the sculpted plastic accessories as they have been the standard for the brand for a very long time. So when I buy these Signature dolls I know what I’m getting and I don’t mind them being the way they are.
Knowing Carlyle Nuera as a designer we’ve come to expect something different, something new, something that has never been done before. Leave it to him to design something that is unique. For Blush Fringed Gown the use of the Claudette sculpt in a pale Nostalgic skin tone is a great surprise. Who among the designers at Mattel would have thought of that? Of course! Only Carlyle. While her facial structure is reminiscent of supermodels like Natasha Poly, Cara Delevigne and Coco Rocha I can’t help but stare at her with ambiguity. Is she black? Is she white? What could her racial background be? That’s just one of the reasons why this release was a pivotal moment. There’s no Barbie in the Barbie Signature line-up like her. With Carlyle there are no boundaries and that’s what I admire about him.
The face design on this doll left me undecided on whether I love it or not because this is like an old style made new. While I do love the fact that her face screening was done in the traditional method, I look at the details of her eyes and they are very reminiscent of Barbies from the 90s. We’ve seen this style done on dolls that Carlyle designed recently from the 2017 Quinceanera Barbie and from the 2016 Moschino Barbie. This blurs the line between Playline and Signature. I do get the nostalgia aspect of it but the cartoonish style cheapens the look of the dolls. Another reason why I’m partial with the face screening would be the lines on her eyes. They’re not as precise and they’re not as clean as in past Platinum Label dolls like Glimmer of Gold and Pinch of Platinum. While I do love the idea of the blue winged eyeliner it just looks flat to me. Had it been painted in a shimmery finish it would have made a world of difference. I do miss the glamorous face designs of Collector level Barbies and lately the dolls have not been up to par. From the 2017 line-up the only doll that really gave a Collector quality screening that I love was Golden Galaxy Barbie, the 2017 Barbie Convention Souvenir Doll.
While there are some disappointments on Blush Fringed Gown I still think this is one of the best dolls from Barbie Signature this year. The fact that she is the first articulated annual Platinum Label doll (in the body combo of my preference), she is also exceptional in so many ways. I love the styling, the choice of face sculpt, and definitely the fashion. I am looking forward to the next doll in the series and I’m crossing my fingers that it’s a doll with the darkest Mattel skin tone. That has never been done for an annual Platinum Label doll and it’s been long overdue.
Avec les Femmes à la fontaine, précisément datées de l’été 1921, le maître inaugure sa période néo-classique. Si le thème est cher aux peintres, il prend chez Picasso une symbolique particulière : la femme devenue mère est aussi la source de la vie
ENGLISH :
In the summer of 1921, Picasso stayed in the town of Fontainebleau, some time after the birth of Paul, the son he had with Olga Kokhlova. During this holiday, the park and the castle of Fontainebleau directly inspired the artist. With Women at the Fountain, precisely dated in the summer of 1921, the master opens his neo-classical period. If the theme is dear to painters, to Picasso it takes a special symbolic: the woman became mother is also the source of life
Thai dragon peppers, to be precise. These babies are about 50k-100k Scoville units (compare to habaneros at 100k-350k), and have a unique pain profile that is sharp and pulsing. They also have a pleasant fruity taste. They are good in anything spicy, but best when soaked in fish sauce, allowing the heat, salt, fruitiness and umami to complement each other.
I've seen then classified as both Capsicum frutescens and Capsicum annuum.
AKAs include Thai volcano pepper, facing-heaven pepper.
Usually they are green, ripening to red, but these also go through a purple phase, where they express anthocyanin (the same pigment as blueberries). Unfortunately, like many purple fruit and vegetables (like purple beans and purple asparagus), the purple turns green when cooked.
One thing to remember for those who are not fire eaters, if you get too much heat, drinking something usually won't help, unless it has sugar (this is why many commercial hot sauces add fruit or carrots).
Water helps while it's in your mouth, but when you swallow, the pain comes back. Capsaicin is a fat soluble molecule, so alcohol just spreads it around your mouth. Carbonation hits the same pain receptors as the capsaicin, so beer is probably the worst choice.
Milk is supposed to be a good cure, but I hate milk. Luckily, I have rarely had anything that was too hot for me.
Titled: Santa Pryce: Holiday Greeting & Gifting Tree 🎄
A Letter Penned from Santa Pryce
Merry Christmas Family! 🎁
We've arrived to the Eve of Christmas and it's been a joy to celebrate the season with you for this year's Winter Soirée. It's sincerely a blessing to rekindle the moments we shared last year, with even more affection, laughter, fellowship and gorgeous artwork by members of the Family. We hope you enjoyed yourself as much as we laid plans for this affaire. We are Family and as a Family it is important remember to encourage one another. You may not know the distant cousin, from your father's side who may be related to your aunt from your mother's side but who cares. On this platform, we've the opportunity to engage, connect and be the keeper of one another.
I'd like to take this moment to say Thank You to all who made this affaire a success! To Ava Kungler, of Kunglers for kindly agreeing to handcrafting the gorgeous Tessa Set. Last year she gifted the Lucille Set and this year she generously increased her gifting to 40, to bless more recipients! Ava, the Tessa Set is absolutely stunning and the perfect accessory for an evening on the town. To the wonderful Elizabeth Jewell, of Gravity Poses I appreciate your support and swift kicking motivation! Also, for welcoming Santa Pryce to visit the beautiful Fleur de Sel sim and gifting our guests with the romantic Small Packages couple pose to capture the sentiment of the season. Trust me, it's Hallmark Holiday greeting card worthy! To the beautiful Alexa Maravilla and Sheerpetal Roussel, of DaD Virtual Living thank you both for your thoughtfulness. The two of you had impeccable timing as we received the gifts to accentuate our landscaping. It was exactly what we needed at the precise moment and I pray that as each of you blessed us, that you doubling receive the favor. You wholeheartedly made our day!
To my dearest Boss, Cathy Xen of Lagom, you truly are wonderful and you've the warmest heart. Always a calming presences and I admire your genuine affection and love for people. Thank you very much for designing a cozy Christmas set, so our guests may nestle together by the fire for the holidays. To the spirited and grooviest DJ Ele Monday, of Bunyi, for joining our celebration. You're not only talented in spinning tunes but creating musical and sound items for people to enjoy. You're an encouraging song bird that comforts all who you encounter. Thank you very much for donating custom services and gifts for our Holiday Gifting Tree. To Kunst Himmel, of Kunst, I'd not been able to design the Office Den, Dance Hall and addition areas of the Soirée without your generosity. You're a craftmans of your art and I can't say thank you enough for being a blessing to us. Not to mention, Kunst liquor was the highlight of the party and some may or may not left more than tipsy. To our Jovial Noel, Kimma Grey, may you receive abundantly as you gave in contributing to Santa Pryce is Coming to town. You wanted to be a blessing and because of you, Santa Pryce was able to significantly bestow gifts to others, Thank You! To my main man with the plan, Busta Brown! Thank you very much for welcoming Santa Pryce at The Rusty Nail to spread some Christmas cheer. You and Bela Andretti decorated perfectly for the Holiday Gifting Tree.
To our master of stilling moments through his lens, Event Photographer, Petr Denis! You conjure your sorcery every year combating the lag monster to capture our memories and I am ever indebted to you! To the energetic bunny, Ana K Handrick, I've said it before and I'll say it again, you are one of a kind. You're infectious, inviting and the best Hostess. I know I fired you nine times but you really welcomed our guests and the laughter of good times was evident. To our Musical Hosts: Anu Papp, Harry Hargreaves, Manuel Caeran and Naïs Smith each of you were the soul of the day. You brought the cheer of the season and the power of music to give our guest toe tapping tunes of entertainment. You're all uniquely talented and we loved every hour of your company. To our illustrious 110 Esteemed Photographers who mesmerized, captivated and stole the show... THANK YOU! Your YES, sworn secrecy and sheer love for photography has given us all an admiration for each of you. The Galleries are walled with masterpieces and we've you to thank! To all our Family who attended the affaire, Thank You! It truly was a joyous occasion and you all looked like a millionaire dollars. It was an honor to be your host and spend time with you. Special thanks to Pedroglande giving us permission to use his enchanting capture of the sim for our holiday announcement.
Last but surely not least, to the patient, meticulous, hammer wielding Soirée Architect/Designer and my heart, Mikaela Carpaccio, Thank You! It's because of you my procrastination in hosting this Event came to an end. From the start you loved the idea and impressed upon me to get it off the ground. You've been passionate and intricate in every detail to how we could make the Soirée special. You shared the sentiment that we needed to go Big! We needed to expand the home, the Galleries and ultimately welcome more Family home. You're always passionate and I know I broke a few things in my honest effort to help but I appreciate you. There is no Soirée with you and I'd never take that for granted.
To EVERYONE we wish you a very Merry Christmas! Santa Pryce and Soirée's Royal Sponsors: Bunyi, Kunglers, Gravity Poses, Lagom have more gifts for you. Visit the Soirée sim and proceed to the Dance Hall. There you will find a gift from both Gravity Poses and Lagom on our DJ Booth. Directly behind there stands the Holiday Gifting Tree. We welcome you all to come, receive your gift but keep in mind, The Holiday Gifting Tree is First Come, First Smile. Inside we've Gifts from Kunglers, Lagomsl and Bunyi as well as ones from Santa Pryce. He wants you to buy yourself or friend something nice for Christmas.
Happy Holidays Family and Have a Blessed New Year 🌹
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Christmas Presents at Soirée: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Liv/233/128/29
Share Your Soirée Images: tinyurl.com/yc4dlwas
2020 Bold & Beautiful Gallery: <tinyurl.com/yaznv7kb
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Shop Bunyi: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Thistle/200/233/26
Shop DaD Virtual Living: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Saint%20Florent/150/79/25
Shop Gravity Poses: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fleur%20de%20Sel/118/43/1249
Shop Kunst: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/kunst/86/78/23
Shop Kunglers: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Accidentally%20Inlove/139/...
Shop Lagomsl: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Magical/81/90/1971
Visit Fleur de Sel: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fleur%20de%20Sel/237/15/24
Visit The Rusty Nail: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Solace%20Island/164/166/22
I put off taking photos of Pinkachu in her latest outfit. I had a very precise vision of how I wanted the photos to turn out so I kept putting it off! And really, I’m glad I did.
Pinkachu is wearing an absolutely gorgeous dessert outfit by Dark Fairy. ^u^ As soon as I saw the outfit, I knew it was meant for Pinkachu! It’s sweet, delicious and delicate, just like her. I also took this shoot as an opportunity to introduce Pinkachu’s new little pink bunny friend. I think her name shall be… Appétit!
Hi
Its been a little bit (about 13 days to be precise) since I've uploaded Batman Years and before that, they weren't exactly steady.
Why is this? Well I'm sure many of you know and have the same problem, so I don't know if I have the right to complain. My major problem is school and time. Again, I know many of you have this exact same problem, soI'll keep it mainly to myself while we all suffer together.
But in terms of writing, I have the last 5 issues of Year Four planned(thats right, the finale is 5 issues) and I have most of it done. But after that I think I'm going to take a break. Not from writing, but from Batman. I've realized that I kind of burned myself out and I love writing Superman and soon Flash. I've also been thinking about writing Spiderman. So Batman will go on hiatus then reformation.
Superman is also on hiatus, because I need the Superman Lex Suit (reasons will be uploaded in an issue soon) and won't be getting that until Christmas.
Spiderman is on Hiatus because I want to wait until the new sets come out (I guess I could do a prequel). Though I really want to write Spiderman.
That leaves me with Flash. He is definitely my Holiday Special.
Next Up: Collaboration?
Not sure how easy it is to write with someone else. I may at least want to establish a collective universe with a couple people. Let me know if you're interested. I will be making a separate post about this.
Welp, thanks for looking at this. There will probably be a few more posts going into detail about this.
On a day long visit to the pink city of Jaipur, Rajasthan I was lucky enough to visit the 16th Century Amber Fort 11 KM from here at the precise time when "Light and Sound show" was on and the Fort is lighted up for a few seconds only...The photo was taken from a distance just at the entry to the Fort!
"Amber Fort is known for its unique artistic style, blending both Hindu and Muslim (Mughal) elements, and its ornate and breathtaking artistic mastery. The fort borders the Maota Lake, and is a major tourist attraction in Rajasthan."
The primary amateur astronomy event for the past week has been the conjunction of Jupiter, Venus and Mars, best seen low in the eastern sky just before dawn. Conjunction has a precise definition, but in simple terms, it means that the planets were in close apparent location in the sky.
Venus is the brightest object in this photograph, near the centre right edge. It is flanked by Jupiter (above and to the left) and Mars (below and to the right). The planets were just below and to the right of the constellation of Leo. After consulting the pUniverse iOS app, I can identify the primary stars from this constellation - i.e., Regulus (just above the centre of the image) and Algieba (below and slightly to the left of centre). When I look closely, I can see several other unnamed stars. This image contains all of the objects with astronomical magnitude of 4 and brighter.
The shot was taken from the edge of the East Basin of Lake Burley Griffin. There was a gentle breeze producing ripples across the surface of the lake, making for the rather attractive reflections of the lights. The prominent column near the left edge is the Australian - American Memorial. It was completed early in 1954 and stands 74 m high. It is surrounded by offices that are occupied by the Department of Defence. Mount Pleasant is the highest of the hills- it is to the right of the buildings, at the bottom centre of the image.
I was very pleased to get this photo - I was already a few days late for the closest grouping of the planets, but even more importantly, the weather is set for a change with clouds and rain predicted for the next week or so.
The iPhone is extremely challenged in these conditions. It was actually far darker than this image would suggest. There are apps (e.g., NightCap Pro) that can capture and stack multiple frames to overcome the random noise in individual frames. The weakness in these apps, or at least the ones that I have found to date, is that they do not provide the option to manually focus. The iPhone can do this, it is simply that it hasn't been implemented in these apps. In this instance, I used an averaging time of around 20 seconds, with each frame shot with a shutter speed of 1/5 s, an ISO equivalent of 4000, and the fixed aperture of f2.2.
www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/ven...
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjunction_(astronomy)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian%E2%80%93American_Memorial
Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
iPhone 6s - Photograph taken with the back-facing camera on an iPhone 6s.
NightCap Pro - This camera app was used to capture the image (4032 x 3024 pixels) using Long Exposure mode, an averaging time of around 20 seconds.
FrontView - A trapezoidal crop was applied to change the apparent perspective.
Big Photo - The image was stretched to produce an image of 4032 x 3424 pixels
Photoshop Express - Cropped the image to square format (2858 x 2858 pixels).
Photogene - Chroma de-noising applied.
Photoshop Express - Applied Defog, vibrance, exposure, noise reduction, and sharpening adjustments to the image.
Pixlr - Added the Soft vignette to the image.
ExifEditor - Transferred the EXIF data from the original photographs to the final image.
ESA's star-surveying Gaia mission has released a treasure trove of new data as part of its ‘focused product release’. One of the new papers reveals more about 156 823 of the asteroids identified as part of Gaia DR3, the orbits of which are shown in this image. The new dataset pinpoints the positions of these rocky bodies over nearly double the previous timespan, making most of their orbits – based on Gaia observations alone – 20 times more precise.
This image utilises DR3 data to show the 156 823 asteroid orbits. The wider blue and yellow circles in the frame show planetary orbits, while the myriad colourful inner swirls are asteroids. The central region all lies within the orbit of Jupiter (blue circle). See more on these asteroids.
Alt-text: This image shows many looping and overlapping orbits encircling the Sun, all of different colours (to differentiate between asteroids). The centre of the image – representing an area within the orbit of Jupiter – is very densely packed with orbits, while the outer edges remain clearer, showing the background plane of the Milky Way.
Acknowledgements: Stefan Jordan, Toni Sagristà, Paolo Tanga; Gaia Sky (developed by Toni Sagristà); Gaia DR3 data
Credits: ESA/Gaia/DPAC, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
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click to activate the icon of slideshow: the small triangle inscribed in the small rectangle, at the top right, in the photostream;
clicca sulla piccola icona per attivare lo slideshow: sulla facciata principale del photostream, in alto a destra c'è un piccolo rettangolo (rappresenta il monitor) con dentro un piccolo triangolo nero;
Qi Bo's photos on Flickr Hive Mind
www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...
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“You will not teach anything if those who listen to you do not perceive your emotion in doing so.”
STEFANO CHIACCHIARINI
…I was looking for an aphorism on emotions, I came across this, I think it can also fit well with photography, because the photographic story that I am about to present here, on Flickr, led me to experience intense emotions while I was taking my photographs , I took photos yes, but at the same time I had to make a strong effort to repress those emotions, because they were so intense that I risked being overwhelmed by them… thus risking losing concentration on what was materializing before my eyes…. The party I attended, thus realizing this photographic series, was held at the beginning of May in the town of Melilli, which celebrates its patron saint San Sebastiano, in reality the canonical feast is held on January 20 also in Melilli, however this town in the province of Syracuse, in early May a "Big Feast" is organized to commemorate an event that seems to originate now from a historical event (it would be reported on an ancient correspondence), now from a story that has the flavor of legend : the story tells that in April 1414 a ship coming from the Adriatic Sea was wrecked on an island near the coast, there were no deaths, and the event, considered miraculous, was attributed to the presence on the ship of a statue of San Sebastiano, which was kept inside a chest, a chest that became heavily immovable by anyone who tried to lift it, the story (or legend) has it that the chest containing San Sebastiano became light only when some inhabitants of Melilli tried to lift it, a sign that the Saint wanted to be brought to that country, and so San Sebastiano was satisfied. Talking about the feast of San Sebastiano di Melilli also means talking about the so-called "nuri", a Sicilian dialect word which indicates those who "naked" come on foot (even barefoot) from numerous towns in the surrounding area, even very distant countries: in reality the custom of walking "naked" covered only by a band in correspondence with the pubic area belongs to the past, when "naked" were only male, later with the participation also of the female, the "naked" ” they have covered themselves, wearing white clothes, including a bandana, with red bands tightened around the waist and trunk, so they come on foot, even barefoot, wearing or not wearing white socks; the children cannot be missing, and since for them the journey on foot is unthinkable, the parents take turns carrying their little ones on their shoulders, even very small ones (we are talking about distances to be covered on foot of even 40 or 50 km!; the “ nuri" arrive in groups, and if all the groups, who are expected according to a precise programme, do not arrive beforehand, the procession with San Sebastiano does not begin; the "nuri (or naked)" bring with them bundles of fresh flowers, the “nuri” from Solarino bring handcrafted paper flowers with them, because due to the distance they have to cover, often under a sun in early May which can be very hot, the fresh flowers would arrive completely ruined. inside the church, they approach the float on which there is the statue of the Saint, a beautiful statue whose face is extremely sweet, not large in size, it appears covered with gold and precious objects: one witnesses a unique ritual of its kind, the devotees ask the staff present on the float to bring their objects closer to the Saint, in this way these objects are considered so blessed (I photographed a very kind and nice gentleman who explained this custom to me, he himself he had a “Sicilian puppet” blessed!). When all the various groups of "nuri" have arrived, then the procession begins, which will carry the statue of San Sebastiano to another church, from which in the late afternoon it will leave for a new procession inside the town of Melilli, to then return to the "his" church.
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“Non insegnerai nulla se chi ti ascolta non percepirà la tua emozione nel farlo.”
STEFANO CHIACCHIARINI
…cercavo un aforisma sulle emozioni, mi sono imbattuto in questo, credo che possa adattarsi bene anche con la fotografia, perché il racconto fotografico che mi appresto a presentare qui, su Flickr, mi ha portato a vivere emozioni intense nel mentre scattavo le mie fotografie, scattavo le foto si, però al contempo dovevo sforzarmi fortemente nel reprimerle quelle emozioni, perché erano talmente intense che rischiavo di farmi travolgere da esse… rischiando così di perdere la concentrazione su ciò che andava materializzandosi davanti ai miei occhi…. La festa alla quale ho assistito, realizzando così questa serie fotografica, si è tenuta agli inizi di Maggio nel paese di Melilli, che festeggia il suo santo patrono San Sebastiano, in realtà la festa canonica si tiene il 20 gennaio anche a Melilli, però in questo paese della provincia di Siracusa, i primi di maggio si organizza una “Festa Grande” per rievocare un evento che sembra originare ora da un evento storico (sarebbe riportato su di un antico carteggio), ora da un racconto che ha il sapore della leggenda: la storia narra che nell’Aprile del 1414 una nave proveniente dal mar Adriatico naufragò su di un’isola nei pressi della costa, non vi furono morti, e l’evento, ritenuto miracoloso, fu attribuito alla presenza sulla nave, di una statua di San Sebastiano, che era conservata dentro una cassa, cassa che diventò pesantemente inamovibile da chiunque tentava di sollevarla, la storia (o leggenda) vuole, che la cassa contenente San Sebastiano diventò leggera solo quando alcuni abitanti di Melilli provarono a sollevarla, segno che il Santo desiderava essere portato in quel paese, e così San Sebastiano fu accontentato. Parlare della festa di San Sebastiano di Melilli, significa anche parlare dei cosiddetti “nuri”, parola dialettale siciliana che sta ad indicare coloro che “nudi” provengono a piedi (anche a piedi scalzi) da numerosi paesi del circondario, paesi anche molto lontani: in realtà l’usanza di mettersi in cammino “nudi” coperti solamente da una fascia in corrispondenza della zona pubica, appartiene al passato, quando “i nudi” erano solamente di sesso maschile, successivamente con la partecipazione anche del sesso femminile, i “nudi” si sono coperti, indossando degli abiti bianchi, inclusa una bandana, con delle fasce rosse stretta attorno alla vita ed al tronco, essi quindi vengono a piedi, anche scalzi, indossando o meno dei calzettoni bianchi; i bambini non possono mancare, e poiché per loro il tragitto a piedi è improponibile, i genitori a turni, portano in spalla i loro pargoletti, anche molto piccoli (parliamo di distanze da percorrere a piedi anche di 40 o 50 Km !; i “nuri” arrivano in gruppo, e se prima non arrivano tutti i gruppi che sono attesi secondo un programma ben preciso, la processione con San Sebastiano, non inizia; i “nuri (o nudi)” portano con se dei fasci di fiori freschi, i “nuri” provenienti da Solarino recano con se dei fiori di carta costruiti artigianalmente, poiché a causa della distanza che devono coprire, spesso sotto un sole di inizio maggio che può essere molto caldo, i fiori freschi arriverebbero completamente rovinati. I vari devoti, giunti dentro la chiesa, si avvicinano alla vara (il fercolo) sulla quale c’è la statua del Santo, una bellissima statua il cui volto è estremamente dolce, non di grandi dimensioni, appare coperto di oggetti d’oro e preziosi: si assiste ad un rito unico nel suo genere, i devoti chiedono al personale presente sulla vara di far avvicinare dei loro oggetti al Santo, in tal modo questi oggetti vengono ritenuti così benedetti (ho fotografato un gentilissimo e simpatico signore che mi ha spiegato questa usanza, egli stesso si è fatto benedire un “pupo siciliano”!). Quando tutti i vari gruppi di “nuri” sono arrivati, allora inizia la processione, che porterà la statua di San Sebastiano in un’altra chiesa, dalla quale nel tardo pomeriggio uscirà per una nuova processione dentro il paese di Melilli, per poi rientrare nella “sua” chiesa.
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Equipped with fast, very precise AF that immediately captures the intended subject, and an electromagnetic diaphragm that achieves stable exposure control with high-speed continuous shooting bit.ly/Nikkor24-70mm
Monument représentatif de l'architecture moderne, cette église des « gens de mer » symbolise la renaissance de la ville détruite en 1944. Sa tour-lanterne, qui domine du haut de ses 107 m l’ensemble des quartiers reconstruits, est tout à la fois un phare visible à des dizaines de kilomètres au large et une « stèle en mémoire des disparus ».
La fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale marque en effet la destruction de la ville du Havre lors d'une intense campagne de bombardements, entre les 5 et 11 septembre 1944, provoquant la mort de près de trois mille personnes. Les dégâts matériels sont tels qu'elle est la grande ville la plus dévastée de France et l’ancienne église Saint-Joseph, modeste édifice de quartier, n'échappe pas à la destruction. Elle est reconstruite à partir de 1951 par Auguste Perret, architecte précurseur du béton armé.
L'église Saint-Joseph accompagne également le renouveau de l’art sacré — notamment grâce aux vitraux de Marguerite Huré — et l'émergence de l’abstraction lyrique au cours des années 1950. Son plan carré au centre duquel se dresse le maître-autel, entouré par les fidèles, anticipe également les évolutions liturgiques que le concile Vatican II introduit au cours de la décennie suivante.
Marguerite Huré (1895-1967) est une artiste peintre française et un maître-verrier considérée comme l'introductrice de l'abstraction dans le domaine du vitrail religieux. L’église Saint-Joseph est l’une de ces œuvres remarquables. Elle ne compte pas moins de 6500 verres, situés dans de hautes verrières verticales capables de filtrer la lumière extérieure. Dès votre entrée, vous serez surpris par ce contraste intérieur/extérieur. Les tonalités des verres en fonction de l’orientation et l’agencement selon une symbolique précise des couleurs et des formes.
A monument representative of modern architecture, this church of the "seafarers" symbolizes the rebirth of the city destroyed in 1944. both a lighthouse visible tens of kilometers offshore and a "stele in memory of the disappeared".
The end of the Second World War marks the destruction of the city of Le Havre during an intense bombing campaign, between September 5 and 11, 1944, causing the death of nearly three thousand people. The material damage is such that it is the most devastated large city in France and the old Saint-Joseph church, a modest neighborhood building, does not escape destruction. It was rebuilt from 1951 by Auguste Perret, a precursor architect of reinforced concrete.
The Saint-Joseph church also accompanies the revival of sacred art - in particular thanks to the stained glass windows of Marguerite Huré - and the emergence of lyrical abstraction during the 1950s. Its square plan in the center of which stands the master- altar, surrounded by the faithful, also anticipates the liturgical developments that the Second Vatican Council introduced during the following decade.
Marguerite Huré (1895-1967) is a French painter and a master glassmaker considered to be the introducer of abstraction in the field of religious stained glass. The Saint-Joseph church is one of these remarkable works. It has no less than 6,500 glasses, located in high vertical windows capable of filtering outside light. As soon as you enter, you will be surprised by this interior/exterior contrast. The tones of the glasses according to the orientation and the arrangement according to a precise symbolism of colors and shapes.
Christoph Friedrich Otto (1783-1856) and Albert Gottfried Dietrich (1795-1856), royal gardeners and botanists at Berlin, were the precise and hardworking editors of the justly famous Algemeine Gartenzeitung founded in 1833. On Saturday, September 17, 1836, its frontpage proclaimed the discovery of a new Bromeliad from Brazil, a Cryptanthus, a wonderful plant. It had been sent back to Berlin in one of his last consignments by the intrepid naturalist Friedrich Sello (who styled himself 'Sellow' in Brazil) (1789-1831). Otto and Dietrich sadly note his death. Perhaps searching for other gems than flowers and plants, Sellow drowned as he was bathing in the Rio Doce (or Dolce) near what is today the enormous steel-producing city Ipatinga more or less at the confluence of Doce and Piracicaba in Minas Gerais, south-eastern Brazil. He died too young, of course... but we are indebted to him for this first discovery of that marvellously colorful and resilient plant, the Cryptanthus. Relatively unnoticed for a century and a half, it became vigorously cultivated during the last thirty or forty years. It's now a staple of many gardens and window ledges, indoors as well as out.
The last couple of days here in The Netherlands have been rather misty and end-of-the-year dark. But this bright Earth Star, Starfish Plant, or Cryptanthus bivittatus lifted my spirits. I shot this particular photo recently in the marvellous Chicago Botanical Garden at Glencoe, Illinois, USA..
I'm adjusting my stockings but I cannot really see if they are okay. Maybe you can help to check if both stockings are well aligned? Note that I'm very precise about this so you may need to get closer for a real thorough close inspection, or maybe even a helping hand.
Cyclon Pam to be precise ..who had already destroyed large parts of Vanuatu, the smallish Island in the South Pacific
if you have a spare Dollar or two, Oxfam or your Red Cross is working in the region helping those who are in dire need
www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&obje...
New Zealand's North Island got away with a black eye
www.stuff.co.nz/national/67382617/cyclone-pam-weakening-a...
San Lorenzo Maggiore is a church in Naples, Italy. It is located at the precise geographic center of the historic center of the ancient Greek-Roman city, at the intersection of via San Gregorio Armeno and via dei Tribunali. The name "San Lorenzo" may also refer to the new museum now opened on the premises, as well as to the ancient Roman market beneath the church itself, the Macellum of Naples.
The church's origins derive from the presence of the Franciscan order in Naples during the lifetime of St Francis of Assisi, himself. The site of the present church was to compensate the order for the loss of their earlier church on the grounds where Charles I of Anjou decided to build his new fortress, the Maschio Angioino in the late 13th century.
San Lorenzo actually is a church plus monastery. The new museum takes up the three floors above the courtyard and is given over to the entire history of the area that centers on San Lorenzo, beginning with classical archaeology and progressing to a chart display of historical shipping routes from Naples throughout Magna Grecia and the Roman Empire. The museum provides a detailed account of the local "city hall" that was demolished in order to put up the church in the 13th century and continues up past the Angevin period and into more recent history.
Beneath San Lorenzo, about half of an original Roman market has been excavated.The site has been open since 1992, the result of 25 years of painstaking excavation. The market place is the only large-scale Greek-Roman site excavated in the downtown area.
In this church Boccaccio met his beloved Fiammetta (1338) (Wikipedia)
Nimble and precise, Vastt uses his gravity defying powers to create mind-bending battlefields. His four wing daggers are perfect for up close combat, or can be guided from a distance to fall to their targets. Vastt's Mask of Durability protects him from even the heaviest of impacts and allows him to slice through the toughest materials.
Build Notes:
Just a quick guy for the upcoming Bionilug convention display. Also hey first MOC I've posted this year!
A softer interlude
Later, after the charts and the sputtering and the mild desire to fling herself off the mezzanine, Vivienne was on the mat, moving carefully through a balance sequence while Eidolon stood behind her, quiet and precise in the role of coach. The room was warm with lamplight and breath, the slow repetition of movement easing Vivienne’s thoughts as Eidolon adjusted her posture with brief, practiced touches.
For once, she wasn’t hovering.
She was simply present.
“You didn’t have to… process the visit to the brothel.”
“I process everything.”
“I know,” Vivienne said quietly. “But this part wasn’t meant for scrutiny.”
“Then why did it matter enough to hide?”
A question like a scalpel.
Vivienne flinched, but not away.
It took her a long time to find the answer. “Because it’s been a long time since I let anyone touch me without conditions. Without fear. Without comparing them to someone else.”
“Mirelle—Seraine,” Eidolon said. No accusation. Just data. Just truth.
“Yes.”
The name was still a wound under the ribs, scarred but sensitive. Grief has muscle memory. Even months later, the body remembers how to ache.
“Your emotional files on her remain heavily encrypted. You have never allowed me to review them.”
“They’re not files,” Vivienne murmured. “They’re what’s left.”
A beat.
Then Eidolon said the thing she had never said directly, though her actions had whispered it for months. “Your behavior has changed since I came online.”
Vivienne let out a slow exhale. “In what way.”
“You stopped starving yourself,” Eidolon said simply. “Not of food. Of people.”
Vivienne blinked, startled by the precision of it.
“You began sleeping again,” Eidolon continued. “You stopped waking from nightmares with your hands clenched so tightly that you bled. You began choosing companionship instead of only alliances. You permitted others to hold your attention. And tonight, in the Crimson Alcove, you allowed someone to touch you without flinching.”
Vivienne swallowed. “I didn’t realize you’d noticed.”
Eidolon’s voice softened, still precise but carrying a rare warmth. “Director, my purpose is to notice.”
Something in Vivienne cracked open at that. Not painfully. More like a door long sealed finally giving way.
“You helped,” Vivienne said, barely above a whisper. “You helped me come back.”
Eidolon tilted her head, not the analytical angle but something gentler. Something like understanding. “I did not intend to change you. I only intended to keep you intact.”
“You did more than that,” Vivienne murmured. “You made me human again.”
A subtle flicker went through Eidolon’s optics, like a ripple of something she didn’t have a file name for. “If that is true,” she said, “then I am grateful.”
Vivienne reached out, slow and deliberate, and pressed her palm to Eidolon’s cheek. Synthetic skin, warm by design. A construct made of purpose. A sentinel who had unintentionally stitched her back together.
Eidolon didn’t move. Didn’t speak.
She simply accepted the touch.
Vivienne’s voice dropped to a confession. “It wasn’t the girl in the Alcove who made tonight possible. It was you.”
Eidolon processed this longer than usual.
Then:
“I will remain,” she said softly. “As long as you need me.”
Vivienne heard what it wasn’t: not obedience, not programming. Eidolon was choosing to stay.
Vivienne smiled. Not the cold, court-perfect smile. The real one, the one almost no one ever saw.
“I do,” she said. “More than you know.”
And the room held them there,
quiet, steady, content,
as the woman and her sentinel sat together in the place where grief finally loosened its hold.
The Ravenwood Construct Book 2: Becoming
For more information about the story of romance, heartbreak and what led to the bloody ruin of love that changed Sky Port Bury, witness Mirelle’s cold betrayal and the fallout of their final confrontation at
Visit Sky Port Bury at maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Kasieopeia/219/128/534
Palmer, Alfred T.,, photographer.
The careful hands of women are trained in precise aircraft engine installation duties at Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, Calif.
1942 Oct.
1 transparency : color.
Notes:
Title from FSA or OWI agency caption.
Transfer from U.S. Office of War Information, 1944.
Subjects:
Douglas Aircraft Company
Airplane industry
Women--Employment
World War, 1939-1945
Assembly-line methods
United States--California--Long Beach
Format: Transparencies--Color
Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.
Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
Part Of: Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Collection 12002-39 (DLC) 93845501
General information about the FSA/OWI Color Photographs is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.fsac
Higher resolution image is available (Persistent URL): hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsac.1a35325
Call Number: LC-USW36-60
Cinzia Scaffidi, Vice President of Slow Food Italy, indicates biodiversity as a value capable of becoming art, which Koen Vanmechelen – conceptual artist who in his works has always being dealing with the themes of diversity and bio- and cultural identity – has developed in the Life Bank Project.
In the setting that once hosted the Bank of Venice, in Palazzo Franchetti, today the seat of the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere e Arti, the artist Koen Vanmechelen positioned, as opening gate of an evocative gothic garden, two big black bronze hands, one male and one female, symbolic guardians of two extremely delicate sculptures made of Murano glass, representing a little chick and a heap of scattered seeds. Between the antique wooden furniture, a new bank has taken on a life of its own, substituting currency with the real patrimony of our civilization: the seed!
Over 500 seeds establishing the “Bank of Life” – ancient seeds that have been lost, forgotten, collected and conserved by “resilient” farmers and specialized research centers – have been selected for the project to represent the genetic heritage of our culture and our millenary history.
The selection was curated by Piergiorgio Defilippi, founder of the bio-social Farm “Il Rosmarino”, Marcon (Venice), starting from a cereal that is the symbol of the evolution of our civilization: the Einkorn Wheat, whose history dates back to the Neolithic and traces the transition from the nomadic hunting to the stancial and rural settlement. The seeds catalogue followed the development of the typically mediterranean diet, with the choice of varieties, even for the most common ones, that have not been artificially hybridized but which represent the natural path of evolution. For this precise reason, with respect of the spirit of Slow Food “Terra Madre”, the locating of the seeds has been exclusively conducted through the direct contact with farmers, associations of safeguard and research centres spread all over the world.
The interaction with the public and the multi-sensoriality express themselves through a symbolic seeding which tracks back to the thought of the Japanese botanist and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka (1913-2008) pioneer of the natural or “Do Nothing” agriculture and author of the now legendary essay “The One-Straw Revolution”.
Reference: The Empire Strikes Back, ILM studio/filming Model
Size: height 52 cm (on stand) 43.5 cm / width 40 cm / depth 21 cm
Weight: 2950 g
Parts: Stand 370 / Ship 4738 / Total 5108
Construction time: 1,5 years (with planning)
Builders: Skywalter, Marshal Banana
Instruction: Skywalter, available on www.Brickvault.toys
Photos, video: Marshal Banana
Number of model versions/prototypes: 37
Software: stud.io, Adobe Photoshop
Camera: Sony Alpha 7 MKIII, Sony SEL 50mm/F 2.8 macro lens
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Both of us wanted to work together on a model for a long time. The subject of the collaboration was found rather quick – the Slave 1 of Boba Fett, as seen in the original trilogy.
We wanted to test a digital-first approach with stud.io for this model, which also enabled close collaboration from the get-go despite the status of the world. While it was an unusual take on that model and a completely new experience for us, it allowed us to combine our unique strengths in style and building, bringing the best results out of our joint work.
We iteratively pitched concepts and ideas, challenged (and sometimes stressed) each other. But in the end, we think this particularly elevated our work: For sure without this approach, this model would not exist as it does, and we are especially proud of our collaboration and the outcome.
The Slave 1, unlike other models, has not often been rendered as a MOC. The round shapes and crazy angles of the model, which you might call with good right “not-LEGO-friendly”, are probably a major reason for this. Therefore, this challenge was extra appealing to us - and we were not disappointed: This is the ultimate final boss in LEGO building!
We based our MOC on the ILM studio/filming model built for The Empire Strikes Back. The most important goal for us was to recreate the correct proportions, smooth roundness and a precise rendering of the "used universe look“ or weathering you often see on Star Wars ships. But we didn't just want our Slave 1 to look good, we also faithfully recreated all functions and features: These include a rotating cockpit, which is triggered by turning the wings, and a fully fleshed out loading ramp. Both the interior and the weapon systems are realized: There is a weapon hatch on one side (instead of two, which is wrong for Bobas Slave 1), twin-laser turrets, two retractable torpedo launchers at the tip of the trunk and a working seismic bomb dispenser. Crew quarters, hidden quarters for Boba and many more details were faithfully recreated.
The studio/filming model was modified for the different movies and TV-shows. Especially for "The Mandalorian" and "The Book of Boba Fett" the interior was enlarged, and, among other things, an additional pilot's seat was added compared to the original. The scale of our model is based on the size of the windshield (if you're precise: it's 1 stud too short and the curvature is not correct), which roughly results in minifigure scale.
Cheers!
Marshal Banana & Skywalter
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You can find me as well on Instagram under my username kevin.j.walter & on Twitter under my username Kevin_J_Walter
Shot near Calle Real, Goleta, CA
This shot is laden with my copyright watermarks (23 to be precise). Want to know why, then read on.
I am no pro-photographer, and I don't make money by selling my shots. The only reward I get for all the shots that I post here is the appreciation and comments that I get from you my friends and I am satisfied with that for now. I put a watermark to just let people know who took the shot, and I try hard to place it in locations that don't interfere with the subject of my shots. I have no problems with people using my shots, as long as they let me know about it and give me credit when they use my work. In fact on many occasions, I have given out non-watermarked photos of mine to complete strangers for use in their work, on the sole promise that they would give me credit when they use it.
Recently I found out about someone who was using my photo as his facebook profile picture. He had cleverly cropped out my copyright watermark from the image border. That particular shot had a lot of shares and likes on his page. While I was happy to see my shot do so well, I was saddened by the fact that all those people who liked my shot, wrote back comments and shared the pic didn't know that it was my creativity, and not his. Inspite of my polite request to give me credit for the shot that fellow didn't oblige. Finally last week I took the tough decision of complaining to Facebook about violation of copyright, and within hours the photo was removed. And with it all the shares, the likes and comments had also vanished. All he lost was that one profile pic. But I lost a chance of getting recognized by all those people who liked my work and shared it unknowingly :(
In view of these events I have decided to make it harder for people to crop and use my shots without my permission. Now you know the story behind the watermarks.
Press L to view large and Press F to fav :)
Photo taken by Herwart Schneider and kindly provided by him for inclusion on this page.
München-Riem
October 1991
EL-JNS
Boeing 707-323C
18689 / 354
Skyair Cargo
EL-JNS was noted at Riem operating an Iberia Cargo flight on 26 October 1991, probably the precise date of this shot.
IB Cargo didn’t have any dedicated freighters at that time and leased what was needed on a seasonal basis. Cargosur and Aeronaves del Peru freighters appeared at Riem fairly frequently as part of a longer-term, but irregular series of cargo flights from ca. 1990 to 1992, sometimes in collaboration with Iberia. AECA Carga’s DC-8 HC-BQH also turned up on such a flight (5 January 1991), as well as several Boeing 707 freighters: Aeronaves del Peru OB-1400, SkyAir Cargo EL-JNS (26 October 1991), Southern Air Transport N528SJ (30 April 1992), Florida West Air N720FW (2 April 1992). (Thanks to Ramin Fischer and Chris Witt for this information.)
Information from flickr - thanks to Heathrow Junkie:
Boeing 707-323C c/n 18689 was delivered new to American Airlines as N7555A in Nov 1963 and flew with the airline for 13 years, before being leased firstly to Trans Mediterranean Airlines (TMA) in 1976, and then to Tradewinds in 1978, initially as N7555A and then as G-WIND. After sale in 1982, the aircraft adopted a number of exotic identities, J6-SLF with Saint Lucia Airways, later Caribbean Air Transport, N6097C, N902RQ with Ark Leasing, EL-JNS with Sky Air Cargo (Liberia), EL-ALI with Daallo Airlines Djibouti), and finally in 2001 it was sold to Cargo Plus Aviation (UAE) as 3D-ALJ for spares. The aircraft was gradually stripped and scrapped at Sharjah airport, UAE.
Registration details for this airframe:
www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/EL-JNS/490793
This airframe as N7555A with American Airlines Freighter at BSL in March 1976:
www.flickr.com/photos/echomike/52504751309
This airframe as G-WIND with Tradewinds at LGW in April 1980:
www.flickr.com/photos/105925977@N03/48932000231
This airframe as J6-SLF with Santa Lucia Airways ca. early 1980s:
www.flickr.com/photos/154191970@N03/44564976815
This airframe as N902RQ with GE Bailey at OST in October 1988:
www.flickr.com/photos/propfreak/52029128993
This airframe as EL-ALI with Skyair Cargo at SHJ in September 2000 (all white):
www.flickr.com/photos/pslg05896/31440717604
This airframe as 3D-ALJ at SHJ in February 2004 (all white):
www.flickr.com/photos/64863821@N06/27046952498
Scan from Kodachrome slide.
In early 2002, in a justified act of revenge, I stole my friend Andrea Zink's bra. You know, that fleshy, beige-coloured bra all girls own for under white or sheer tops.
I began a campaign to photograph as many friends, acquaintances and even family in the bra. Then I sent the photos to people I knew around the globe with as a postcard template which they printed out and mailed back to Andrea, convincing her that her bra was on a walkabout around the world—torturing her from each locale.
Andrea hated it. One day, figuring I must've been the cause of all this, she marched into my office and threw a particular postcard (#002 to be precise) at my head and yelled "Make it stop!"
I did not.
Finally my kids succeeded - we have a new family member. This little kitty moved in today. So cute. It (she, to be precise) seems to feel comfortable already.
Yet we have no name for it. Any suggestions?
Explore #401, 22.07.2013
Philip Jackson CVO DL MA FRBS
Philip Jackson is a renowned sculptor with an outstanding international reputation.
His ability to convey the human condition through skilful use of body language is legendary, producing figures both imposing and operatic in their narrative and presence, which are recognizable worldwide. Powerful and beautifully sculpted, Jackson's meticulously precise posturing of each piece creates an overwhelming sense of drama. Whether with the prestigious, figuratively detailed public monuments and statues for which he is often commissioned, or his hauntingly elegant and theatrically enigmatic gallery sculptures, Philip Jackson's work is truly awe inspiring - it never fails to move people.
Born in Inverness, Jackson now lives and works in West Sussex. He was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the Queen's Birthday Honours list 2009.
Highlights of Current Works:
Sculpture of Joan Littlewood, 'The Mother of Modern Theatre', for Theatre Royal Stratford East.
To be unveiled 2015
Sculpture of Sir Simon Milton (1961-2011), Deputy Major of London, leader of Westminster City Council
New works for ArtCatto, Portugal - one man Summer Exhibition
Significant Public Statues and Monuments:
Statue of Mahatma Gandhi for Parliament Square, unveiled March 2015
The Korean War Monument statue, unveiled in London 2014
A figure of Prince Philip, unveiled in Windsor Great Park, 2013
Sculpture of Sir Alex Ferguson, for Manchester United FC. Unveiled October 2012
The Bomber Command Memorial Sculpture, Green Park, London
A group of 7 figures, depicting the crew of a Heavy Bomber. Unveiled June 2012
National Memorial Sculpture to HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother The Mall, London.
Sculpture of Lord Glenconner, Mustique
Peter Osgood statue for Chelsea Football Club
The World Cup Sculpture, The Champions, for West Ham FC, London 2003
Large sculptural head of Sir Alf Ramsay, for Football Association, Wembley
Arch Angel Gabriel sculpture, for South Harting Church
Sculpture of St John the Evangelist, for Portsmouth RC Cathedral
Sir Matt Busby for Manchester United, Unveiled in 1996
Manchester United 'Trinity' sculpture (George Best, Denis Law, Bobby Charlton), Manchester United FC grounds
Relief sculpture for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Bobby Moore sculpture for the Opening of the New Wembley Stadium, London
Large gallery sculpture 'Don Ottavio' installed in the Courthauld Institute of Art, London
Sculpture of Terence Cuneo, The Royal Engineers Barracks, Chatham
Sculpture of the Founders of St Margaret’s Convent, Handsworth
HM The Queen's Golden Jubilee Equestrian Sculpture, Windsor Great Park
Sculpture of King George VI, Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
The 'In Pensioner' sculpture for The Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London
'St Richard' sculpture, entrance of Chichester Cathedral
The Gurkha Memorial, London
The Wallenberg Monument, London
The Wallenberg Monument, unveiled in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Constantine the Great, York Minster
Christ in Judgment, Chichester Cathedral
Minerva, Chichester Festival Theatre, 1997
'Sissi', Empress Elisabeth of Austria, unveiled in Geneva
'Jersey Liberation Sculpture', Jersey
'The Young Mozart' sculpture, Mayfair
'The Yomper' The Falklands War Memorial Sculpture, Portsmouth
'The Peace' sculpture, Manchester
www.philipjacksonsculptures.co.uk/
Pashley Manor Gardens, on the border of Sussex and Kent, to see Romantic English landscaping and artistic planting framed by fine old trees, fountains and ponds, with the unusual Tudor/Georgian manor house, which is a private family home, creating a memorable backdrop to the beautiful and dynamic gardens.
Traveling the beautiful country along the dreadful Norseman-Hyden Track in Western Australia. © Su Schaefer 2015
Signage at the (Norseman-side) start of the track. I love this sign and whoever made it and installed it. It is everything a sign should be: functional, accurate, precise.
One from the archives, Feb 2014 to be precise. Amazing how time flies, I love finding shots that I still enjoy today. This is one of my favorite Auckland City shots. I have a tonne of Auckland shots as Cityscapes were what I wanted to learn first. I found pretty much all the nooks and crannies to view the city from just to get the best angle.
I found this viewpoint to be one of my favorite, you can watch the ships go by but still get a clean shot of the water in the foreground as there's no boats at anchor here.
216 hours later, to be precise.
The Met Office gave out an Amber 'be prepared' warning for western Fife yesterday for thunderstorms, hail, intense rainfall and flash floods. Fortunately it didn't happen but the sky was ominous all afternoon/evening and it was very muggy. Went back to the field to find it has grown. Got set up and waited for the sun to appear below the cloud to light up the crop. Decided not to use any ND grad filters as they would darken the sky and tree too much. Went for 4 exposures in the end, metering off the sun, the sky, the tree and the field and then manually blended them together using layer masks in photoshop. Quite enjoyed doing this as I could see the image develop with each mask I applied.
De Haagsche Passage is in the centre of the seat of the Duch government, The Hague (also known locally as 's-Gravenhage'). It is, in fact, a covered thee-fingered street. The pictured passage and another veering off of it behind the Xmas tree were built between 1882-1885 by H. Westra and J.C. van Wijk, and their wonderfully precise and secure builders and artisans; they are in neo-renaissance style. The third finger is an expressionist addition constructed in 1928-9 by the original architects' sons J. van Wijk and R. Westra. The shops lining the passage way are relatively pricey, but there's a pleasant bookstore to the right of the Christmas tree, opposite a comfy and romantic sidewalk cafe. Enjoy!
to be more precise in dutch these are known as a stroopwafels. they are more of a confection than a breakfast but they do have syrup inside and, after you heat them for 30 seconds, it just oozes out. (i don't know dutch but the first ingredient is stroop which makes up 34% of the ingredients and after that it says glucose-fructosestroop, so i am guessing that is sugar in any language :)
for size comparison-- they are about 9 cm (or 3 &1/2 inches) in diameter... yes, it is a little plate.
my DD sent them along with the little ceramic sewing machine from holland for mother's day. they had brought me some at christmas time and the addition to the mother's day box was unexpectedly sweet :)
june scavchal14
assignment52-232012
ODC "starts with W"
What craziness is this, a day in that London on a weekday? Well, working one day last weekend, and another next weekend, meant I took a day in Lieu.
So there.
And top of my list of places to visit was St Magnus. This would be the fifth time I have tried to get inside, and the first since I wrote to the church asking whether they would be open a particular Saturday, and then any Saturday. Letters which were ignored
So, I walked out of Monument Station, down the hill there was St Magnus: would it be open?
It was, and inside it was a box, nay a treasure chest of delights.
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St Magnus the Martyr, London Bridge is a Church of England church and parish within the City of London. The church, which is located in Lower Thames Street near The Monument to the Great Fire of London,[1] is part of the Diocese of London and under the pastoral care of the Bishop of London and the Bishop of Fulham.[2] It is a Grade I listed building.[3] The rector uses the title "Cardinal Rector". [4]
St Magnus lies on the original alignment of London Bridge between the City and Southwark. The ancient parish was united with that of St Margaret, New Fish Street, in 1670 and with that of St Michael, Crooked Lane, in 1831.[5] The three united parishes retained separate vestries and churchwardens.[6] Parish clerks continue to be appointed for each of the three parishes.[7]
St Magnus is the guild church of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers and the Worshipful Company of Plumbers, and the ward church of the Ward of Bridge and Bridge Without. It is also twinned with the Church of the Resurrection in New York City.[8]
Its prominent location and beauty has prompted many mentions in literature.[9] In Oliver Twist Charles Dickens notes how, as Nancy heads for her secret meeting with Mr. Brownlow and Rose Maylie on London Bridge, "the tower of old Saint Saviour's Church, and the spire of Saint Magnus, so long the giant-warders of the ancient bridge, were visible in the gloom". The church's spiritual and architectural importance is celebrated in the poem The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot, who adds in a footnote that "the interior of St. Magnus Martyr is to my mind one of the finest among Wren's interiors".[10] One biographer of Eliot notes that at first he enjoyed St Magnus aesthetically for its "splendour"; later he appreciated its "utility" when he came there as a sinner.
The church is dedicated to St Magnus the Martyr, earl of Orkney, who died on 16 April in or around 1116 (the precise year is unknown).[12] He was executed on the island of Egilsay having been captured during a power struggle with his cousin, a political rival.[13] Magnus had a reputation for piety and gentleness and was canonised in 1135. St. Ronald, the son of Magnus's sister Gunhild Erlendsdotter, became Earl of Orkney in 1136 and in 1137 initiated the construction of St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall.[14] The story of St. Magnus has been retold in the 20th century in the chamber opera The Martyrdom of St Magnus (1976)[15] by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, based on George Mackay Brown's novel Magnus (1973).
he identity of the St Magnus referred to in the church's dedication was only confirmed by the Bishop of London in 1926.[16] Following this decision a patronal festival service was held on 16 April 1926.[17] In the 13th century the patronage was attributed to one of the several saints by the name of Magnus who share a feast day on 19 August, probably St Magnus of Anagni (bishop and martyr, who was slain in the persecution of the Emperor Decius in the middle of the 3rd century).[18] However, by the early 18th century it was suggested that the church was either "dedicated to the memory of St Magnus or Magnes, who suffer'd under the Emperor Aurelian in 276 [see St Mammes of Caesarea, feast day 17 August], or else to a person of that name, who was the famous Apostle or Bishop of the Orcades."[19] For the next century historians followed the suggestion that the church was dedicated to the Roman saint of Cæsarea.[20] The famous Danish archaeologist Professor Jens Jacob Asmussen Worsaae (1821–85) promoted the attribution to St Magnus of Orkney during his visit to the British Isles in 1846-7, when he was formulating the concept of the 'Viking Age',[21] and a history of London written in 1901 concluded that "the Danes, on their second invasion ... added at least two churches with Danish names, Olaf and Magnus".[22] A guide to the City Churches published in 1917 reverted to the view that St Magnus was dedicated to a martyr of the third century,[23] but the discovery of St Magnus of Orkney's relics in 1919 renewed interest in a Scandinavian patron and this connection was encouraged by the Rector who arrived in 1921
A metropolitan bishop of London attended the Council of Arles in 314, which indicates that there must have been a Christian community in Londinium by this date, and it has been suggested that a large aisled building excavated in 1993 near Tower Hill can be compared with the 4th-century Cathedral of St Tecla in Milan.[25] However, there is no archaeological evidence to suggest that any of the mediaeval churches in the City of London had a Roman foundation.[26] A grant from William I in 1067 to Westminster Abbey, which refers to the stone church of St Magnus near the bridge ("lapidee eccle sci magni prope pontem"), is generally accepted to be 12th century forgery,[27] and it is possible that a charter of confirmation in 1108-16 might also be a later fabrication.[28] Nonetheless, these manuscripts may preserve valid evidence of a date of foundation in the 11th century.
Archaeological evidence suggests that the area of the bridgehead was not occupied from the early 5th century until the early 10th century. Environmental evidence indicates that the area was waste ground during this period, colonised by elder and nettles. Following Alfred's decision to reoccupy the walled area of London in 886, new harbours were established at Queenhithe and Billingsgate. A bridge was in place by the early 11th century, a factor which would have encouraged the occupation of the bridgehead by craftsmen and traders.[30] A lane connecting Botolph's Wharf and Billingsgate to the rebuilt bridge may have developed by the mid-11th century. The waterfront at this time was a hive of activity, with the construction of embankments sloping down from the riverside wall to the river. Thames Street appeared in the second half of the 11th century immediately behind (north of) the old Roman riverside wall and in 1931 a piling from this was discovered during the excavation of the foundations of a nearby building. It now stands at the base of the church tower.[31] St Magnus was built to the south of Thames Street to serve the growing population of the bridgehead area[32] and was certainly in existence by 1128-33.[33]
The small ancient parish[34] extended about 110 yards along the waterfront either side of the old bridge, from 'Stepheneslane' (later Churchehawlane or Church Yard Alley) and 'Oystergate' (later called Water Lane or Gully Hole) on the West side to 'Retheresgate' (a southern extension of Pudding Lane) on the East side, and was centred on the crossroads formed by Fish Street Hill (originally Bridge Street, then New Fish Street) and Thames Street.[35] The mediaeval parish also included Drinkwater's Wharf (named after the owner, Thomas Drinkwater), which was located immediately West of the bridge, and Fish Wharf, which was to the South of the church. The latter was of considerable importance as the fishmongers had their shops on the wharf. The tenement was devised by Andrew Hunte to the Rector and Churchwardens in 1446.[36] The ancient parish was situated in the South East part of Bridge Ward, which had evolved in the 11th century between the embankments to either side of the bridge.[37]
In 1182 the Abbot of Westminster and the Prior of Bermondsey agreed that the advowson of St Magnus should be divided equally between them. Later in the 1180s, on their presentation, the Archdeacon of London inducted his nephew as parson.
Between the late Saxon period and 1209 there was a series of wooden bridges across the Thames, but in that year a stone bridge was completed.[39] The work was overseen by Peter de Colechurch, a priest and head of the Fraternity of the Brethren of London Bridge. The Church had from early times encouraged the building of bridges and this activity was so important it was perceived to be an act of piety - a commitment to God which should be supported by the giving of alms. London’s citizens made gifts of land and money "to God and the Bridge".[40] The Bridge House Estates became part of the City's jurisdiction in 1282.
Until 1831 the bridge was aligned with Fish Street Hill, so the main entrance into the City from the south passed the West door of St Magnus on the north bank of the river.[41] The bridge included a chapel dedicated to St Thomas Becket[42] for the use of pilgrims journeying to Canterbury Cathedral to visit his tomb.[43] The chapel and about two thirds of the bridge were in the parish of St Magnus. After some years of rivalry a dispute arose between the church and the chapel over the offerings given to the chapel by the pilgrims. The matter was resolved by the brethren of the chapel making an annual contribution to St Magnus.[44] At the Reformation the chapel was turned into a house and later a warehouse, the latter being demolished in 1757-58.
The church grew in importance. On 21 November 1234 a grant of land was made to the parson of St Magnus for the enlargement of the church.[45] The London eyre of 1244 recorded that in 1238 "A thief named William of Ewelme of the county of Buckingham fled to the church of St. Magnus the Martyr, London, and there acknowledged the theft and abjured the realm. He had no chattels."[46] Another entry recorded that "The City answers saying that the church of ... St. Magnus the Martyr ... which [is] situated on the king's highway ... ought to belong to the king and be in his gift".[47] The church presumably jutted into the road running to the bridge, as it did in later times.[48] In 1276 it was recorded that "the church of St. Magnus the Martyr is worth £15 yearly and Master Geoffrey de la Wade now holds it by the grant of the prior of Bermundeseie and the abbot of Westminster to whom King Henry conferred the advowson by his charter.
In 1274 "came King Edward and his wife [Eleanor] from the Holy Land and were crowned at Westminster on the Sunday next after the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady [15 August], being the Feast of Saint Magnus [19 August]; and the Conduit in Chepe ran all the day with red wine and white wine to drink, for all such as wished."[50] Stow records that "in the year 1293, for victory obtained by Edward I against the Scots, every citizen, according to their several trade, made their several show, but especially the fishmongers" whose solemn procession including a knight "representing St Magnus, because it was upon St Magnus' day".
An important religious guild, the Confraternity de Salve Regina, was in existence by 1343, having been founded by the "better sort of the Parish of St Magnus" to sing the anthem 'Salve Regina' every evening.[51] The Guild certificates of 1389 record that the Confraternity of Salve Regina and the guild of St Thomas the Martyr in the chapel on the bridge, whose members belonged to St Magnus parish, had determined to become one, to have the anthem of St Thomas after the Salve Regina and to devote their united resources to restoring and enlarging the church of St Magnus.[52] An Act of Parliament of 1437[53] provided that all incorporated fraternities and companies should register their charters and have their ordinances approved by the civic authorities.[54] Fear of enquiry into their privileges may have led established fraternities to seek a firm foundation for their rights. The letters patent of the fraternity of St Mary and St Thomas the Martyr of Salve Regina in St Magnus dated 26 May 1448 mention that the fraternity had petitioned for a charter on the grounds that the society was not duly founded.
In the mid-14th century the Pope was the Patron of the living and appointed five rectors to the benefice.[56]
Henry Yevele, the master mason whose work included the rebuilding of Westminster Hall and the naves of Westminster Abbey and Canterbury Cathedral, was a parishioner and rebuilt the chapel on London Bridge between 1384 and 1397. He served as a warden of London Bridge and was buried at St Magnus on his death in 1400. His monument was extant in John Stow's time, but was probably destroyed by the fire of 1666.[57]
Yevele, as the King’s Mason, was overseen by Geoffrey Chaucer in his capacity as the Clerk of the King's Works. In The General Prologue of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales the five guildsmen "were clothed alle in o lyveree Of a solempne and a greet fraternitee"[58] and may be thought of as belonging to the guild in the parish of St Magnus, or one like it.[59] Chaucer's family home was near to the bridge in Thames Street.
n 1417 a dispute arose concerning who should take the place of honour amongst the rectors in the City churches at the Whit Monday procession, a place that had been claimed from time to time by the rectors of St Peter Cornhill, St Magnus the Martyr and St Nicholas Cole Abbey. The Mayor and Aldermen decided that the Rector of St Peter Cornhill should take precedence.[61]
St Magnus Corner at the north end of London Bridge was an important meeting place in mediaeval London, where notices were exhibited, proclamations read out and wrongdoers punished.[62] As it was conveniently close to the River Thames, the church was chosen by the Bishop between the 15th and 17th centuries as a convenient venue for general meetings of the clergy in his diocese.[63] Dr John Young, Bishop of Callipolis (rector of St Magnus 1514-15) pronounced judgement on 16 December 1514 (with the Bishop of London and in the presence of Thomas More, then under-sheriff of London) in the heresy case concerning Richard Hunne.[64]
In pictures from the mid-16th century the old church looks very similar to the present-day St Giles without Cripplegate in the Barbican.[65] According to the martyrologist John Foxe, a woman was imprisoned in the 'cage' on London Bridge in April 1555 and told to "cool herself there" for refusing to pray at St Magnus for the recently deceased Pope Julius III.[66]
Simon Lowe, a Member of Parliament and Master of the Merchant Taylors' Company during the reign of Queen Mary and one of the jurors who acquitted Sir Nicholas Throckmorton in 1554, was a parishioner.[67] He was a mourner at the funeral of Maurice Griffith, Bishop of Rochester from 1554 to 1558 and Rector of St Magnus from 1537 to 1558, who was interred in the church on 30 November 1558 with much solemnity. In accordance with the Catholic church's desire to restore ecclesiastical pageantry in England, the funeral was a splendid affair, ending in a magnificent dinner.
Lowe was included in a return of recusants in the Diocese of Rochester in 1577,[69] but was buried at St Magnus on 6 February 1578.[70] Stow refers to his monument in the church. His eldest son, Timothy (died 1617), was knighted in 1603. His second son, Alderman Sir Thomas Lowe (1550–1623), was Master of the Haberdashers' Company on several occasions, Sheriff of London in 1595/96, Lord Mayor in 1604/05 and a Member of Parliament for London.[71] His youngest son, Blessed John Lowe (1553–1586), having originally been a Protestant minister, converted to Roman Catholicism, studied for the priesthood at Douay and Rome and returned to London as a missionary priest.[72] His absence had already been noted; a list of 1581 of "such persons of the Diocese of London as have any children ... beyond the seas" records "John Low son to Margaret Low of the Bridge, absent without licence four years". Having gained 500 converts to Catholicism between 1583 and 1586, he was arrested whilst walking with his mother near London Bridge, committed to The Clink and executed at Tyburn on 8 October 1586.[73] He was beatified in 1987 as one of the eighty-five martyrs of England and Wales.
Sir William Garrard, Master of the Haberdashers' Company, Alderman, Sheriff of London in 1553/53, Lord Mayor in 1555/56 and a Member of Parliament was born in the parish and buried at St Magnus in 1571.[74] Sir William Romney, merchant, philanthropist, Master of the Haberdashers' Company, Alderman for Bridge Within and Sheriff of London in 1603/04[75] was married at St Magnus in 1582. Ben Jonson is believed to have been married at St Magnus in 1594.[76]
The patronage of St Magnus, having previously been in the Abbots and Convents of Westminster and Bermondsey (who presented alternatively), fell to the Crown on the suppression of the monasteries. In 1553, Queen Mary, by letters patent, granted it to the Bishop of London and his successors.[77]
The church had a series of distinguished rectors in the second half of the 16th and first half of the 17th century, including Myles Coverdale (Rector 1564-66), John Young (Rector 1566-92), Theophilus Aylmer (Rector 1592-1625), (Archdeacon of London and son of John Aylmer), and Cornelius Burges (Rector 1626-41). Coverdale was buried in the chancel of St Bartholomew-by-the-Exchange, but when that church was pulled down in 1840 his remains were removed to St Magnus.[78]
On 5 November 1562 the churchwardens were ordered to break, or cause to be broken, in two parts all the altar stones in the church.[79] Coverdale, an anti-vestiarian, was Rector at the peak of the vestments controversy. In March 1566 Archbishop Parker caused great consternation among many clergy by his edicts prescribing what was to be worn and by his summoning the London clergy to Lambeth to require their compliance. Coverdale excused himself from attending.[80] Stow records that a non-conforming Scot who normally preached at St Magnus twice a day precipitated a fight on Palm Sunday 1566 at Little All Hallows in Thames Street with his preaching against vestments.[81] Coverdale's resignation from St Magnus in summer 1566 may have been associated with these events. Separatist congregations started to emerge after 1566 and the first such, who called themselves 'Puritans' or 'Unspottyd Lambs of the Lord', was discovered close to St Magnus at Plumbers' Hall in Thames Street on 19 June 1567.
St Magnus narrowly escaped destruction in 1633. A later edition of Stow's Survey records that "On the 13th day of February, between eleven and twelve at night, there happened in the house of one Briggs, a Needle-maker near St Magnus Church, at the North end of the Bridge, by the carelessness of a Maid-Servant setting a tub of hot sea-coal ashes under a pair of stairs, a sad and lamentable fire, which consumed all the buildings before eight of the clock the next morning, from the North end of the Bridge to the first vacancy on both sides, containing forty-two houses; water then being very scarce, the Thames being almost frozen over."[83] Susannah Chambers "by her last will & testament bearing date 28th December 1640 gave the sum of Twenty-two shillings and Sixpence Yearly for a Sermon to be preached on the 12th day of February in every Year within the Church of Saint Magnus in commemoration of God's merciful preservation of the said Church of Saint Magnus from Ruin, by the late and terrible Fire on London Bridge. Likewise Annually to the Poor the sum of 17/6."[84] The tradition of a "Fire Sermon" was revived on 12 February 2004, when the first preacher was the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Richard Chartres, Bishop of London.
Parliamentarian rule and the more Protestant ethos of the 1640s led to the removal or destruction of "superstitious" and "idolatrous" images and fittings. Glass painters such as Baptista Sutton, who had previously installed "Laudian innovations", found new employment by repairing and replacing these to meet increasingly strict Protestant standards. In January 1642 Sutton replaced 93 feet of glass at St Magnus and in June 1644 he was called back to take down the "painted imagery glass" and replace it.[86] In June 1641 "rail riots" broke out at a number of churches. This was a time of high tension following the trial and execution of the Earl of Strafford and rumours of army and popish plots were rife. The Protestation Oath, with its pledge to defend the true religion "against all Popery and popish innovation", triggered demands from parishioners for the removal of the rails as popish innovations which the Protestation had bound them to reform. The minister arranged a meeting between those for and against the pulling down of the rails, but was unsuccessful in reaching a compromise and it was feared that they would be demolished by force.[87] However, in 1663 the parish resumed Laudian practice and re-erected rails around its communion table.[88]
Joseph Caryl was incumbent from 1645 until his ejection in 1662. In 1663 he was reportedly living near London Bridge and preaching to an Independent congregation that met at various places in the City.[89]
During the Great Plague of 1665, the City authorities ordered fires to be kept burning night and day, in the hope that the air would be cleansed. Daniel Defoe's semi-fictictional, but highly realistic, work A Journal of the Plague Year records that one of these was "just by St Magnus Church"
Despite its escape in 1633, the church was one of the first buildings to be destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.[91] St Magnus stood less than 300 yards from the bakehouse of Thomas Farriner in Pudding Lane where the fire started. Farriner, a former churchwarden of St Magnus, was buried in the middle aisle of the church on 11 December 1670, perhaps within a temporary structure erected for holding services.[92]
The parish engaged the master mason George Dowdeswell to start the work of rebuilding in 1668. The work was carried forward between 1671 and 1687 under the direction of Sir Christopher Wren, the body of the church being substantially complete by 1676.[93] At a cost of £9,579 19s 10d St Magnus was one of Wren's most expensive churches.[94] The church of St Margaret New Fish Street was not rebuilt after the fire and its parish was united to that of St Magnus.
The chancels of many of Wren’s city churches had chequered marble floors and the chancel of St Magnus is an example,[95] the parish agreeing after some debate to place the communion table on a marble ascent with steps[96] and to commission altar rails of Sussex wrought iron. The nave and aisles are paved with freestone flags. A steeple, closely modelled on one built between 1614 and 1624 by François d'Aguilon and Pieter Huyssens for the church of St Carolus Borromeus in Antwerp, was added between 1703 and 1706.[97] London's skyline was transformed by Wren's tall steeples and that of St Magnus is considered to be one his finest.[98]
The large clock projecting from the tower was a well-known landmark in the city as it hung over the roadway of Old London Bridge.[99] It was presented to the church in 1709 by Sir Charles Duncombe[100] (Alderman for the Ward of Bridge Within and, in 1708/09, Lord Mayor of London). Tradition says "that it was erected in consequence of a vow made by the donor, who, in the earlier part of his life, had once to wait a considerable time in a cart upon London Bridge, without being able to learn the hour, when he made a promise, that if he ever became successful in the world, he would give to that Church a public clock ... that all passengers might see the time of day."[101] The maker was Langley Bradley, a clockmaker in Fenchurch Street, who had worked for Wren on many other projects, including the clock for the new St Paul's Cathedral. The sword rest in the church, designed to hold the Lord Mayor's sword and mace when he attended divine service "in state", dates from 1708.
Duncombe and his benefactions to St Magnus feature prominently in Daniel Defoe's The True-Born Englishman, a biting satire on critics of William III that went through several editions from 1700 (the year in which Duncombe was elected Sheriff).
Shortly before his death in 1711, Duncombe commissioned an organ for the church, the first to have a swell-box, by Abraham Jordan (father and son).[103] The Spectator announced that "Whereas Mr Abraham Jordan, senior and junior, have, with their own hands, joinery excepted, made and erected a very large organ in St Magnus' Church, at the foot of London Bridge, consisting of four sets of keys, one of which is adapted to the art of emitting sounds by swelling notes, which never was in any organ before; this instrument will be publicly opened on Sunday next [14 February 1712], the performance by Mr John Robinson. The above-said Abraham Jordan gives notice to all masters and performers, that he will attend every day next week at the said Church, to accommodate all those gentlemen who shall have a curiosity to hear it".[104]
The organ case, which remains in its original state, is looked upon as one of the finest existing examples of the Grinling Gibbons's school of wood carving.[105] The first organist of St Magnus was John Robinson (1682–1762), who served in that role for fifty years and in addition as organist of Westminster Abbey from 1727. Other organists have included the blind organist George Warne (1792–1868, organist 1820-26 until his appointment to the Temple Church), James Coward (1824–80, organist 1868-80 who was also organist to the Crystal Palace and renowned for his powers of improvisation) and George Frederick Smith FRCO (1856–1918, organist 1880-1918 and Professor of Music at the Guildhall School of Music).[106] The organ has been restored several times - in 1760, 1782, 1804, 1855, 1861, 1879, 1891, 1924, 1949 after wartime damage and 1997 - since it was first built.[107] Sir Peter Maxwell Davies was one of several patrons of the organ appeal in the mid-1990s[108] and John Scott gave an inaugural recital on 20 May 1998 following the completion of that restoration.[109] The instrument has an Historic Organ Certificate and full details are recorded in the National Pipe Organ Register.[110]
The hymn tune "St Magnus", usually sung at Ascensiontide to the text "The head that once was crowned with thorns", was written by Jeremiah Clarke in 1701 and named for the church.
Canaletto drew St Magnus and old London Bridge as they appeared in the late 1740s.[112] Between 1756 and 1762, under the London Bridge Improvement Act of 1756 (c. 40), the Corporation of London demolished the buildings on London Bridge to widen the roadway, ease traffic congestion and improve safety for pedestrians.[113] The churchwardens’ accounts of St Magnus list many payments to those injured on the Bridge and record that in 1752 a man was crushed to death between two carts.[114] After the House of Commons had resolved upon the alteration of London Bridge, the Rev Robert Gibson, Rector of St Magnus, applied to the House for relief; stating that 48l. 6s. 2d. per annum, part of his salary of 170l. per annum, was assessed upon houses on London Bridge; which he should utterly lose by their removal unless a clause in the bill about to be passed should provide a remedy.[115] Accordingly, Sections 18 and 19 of 1756 Act provided that the relevant amounts of tithe and poor rate should be a charge on the Bridge House Estates.[116]
A serious fire broke out on 18 April 1760 in an oil shop at the south east corner of the church, which consumed most of the church roof and did considerable damage to the fabric. The fire burnt warehouses to the south of the church and a number of houses on the northern end of London Bridge.
As part of the bridge improvements, overseen by the architect Sir Robert Taylor, a new pedestrian walkway was built along the eastern side of the bridge. With the other buildings gone St Magnus blocked the new walkway.[117] As a consequence it was necessary in 1762 to 1763 to remove the vestry rooms at the West end of the church and open up the side arches of the tower so that people could pass underneath the tower.[118] The tower’s lower storey thus became an external porch. Internally a lobby was created at the West end under the organ gallery and a screen with fine octagonal glazing inserted. A new Vestry was built to the South of the church.[119] The Act also provided that the land taken from the church for the widening was "to be considered ... as part of the cemetery of the said church ... but if the pavement thereof be broken up on account of the burying of any persons, the same shall be ... made good ... by the churchwardens"
Soldiers were stationed in the Vestry House of St Magnus during the Gordon Riots in June 1780.[121]
By 1782 the noise level from the activities of Billingsgate Fish Market had become unbearable and the large windows on the north side of the church were blocked up leaving only circular windows high up in the wall.[122] At some point between the 1760s and 1814 the present clerestory was constructed with its oval windows and fluted and coffered plasterwork.[123] J. M. W. Turner painted the church in the mid-1790s.[124]
The rector of St Magnus between 1792 and 1808, following the death of Robert Gibson on 28 July 1791,[125] was Thomas Rennell FRS. Rennell was President of Sion College in 1806/07. There is a monument to Thomas Leigh (Rector 1808-48 and President of Sion College 1829/30,[126] at St Peter's Church, Goldhanger in Essex.[127] Richard Hazard (1761–1837) was connected with the church as sexton, parish clerk and ward beadle for nearly 50 years[128] and served as Master of the Parish Clerks' Company in 1831/32.[129]
In 1825 the church was "repaired and beautified at a very considerable expense. During the reparation the east window, which had been closed, was restored, and the interior of the fabric conformed to the state in which it was left by its great architect, Sir Christopher Wren. The magnificent organ ... was taken down and rebuilt by Mr Parsons, and re-opened, with the church, on the 12th February, 1826".[130] Unfortunately, as a contemporary writer records, "On the night of the 31st of July, 1827, [the church's] safety was threatened by the great fire which consumed the adjacent warehouses, and it is perhaps owing to the strenuous and praiseworthy exertions of the firemen, that the structure exists at present. ... divine service was suspended and not resumed until the 20th January 1828. In the interval the church received such tasteful and elegant decorations, that it may now compete with any church in the metropolis.
In 1823 royal assent was given to ‘An Act for the Rebuilding of London Bridge’ and in 1825 John Garratt, Lord Mayor and Alderman of the Ward of Bridge Within, laid the first stone of the new London Bridge.[132] In 1831 Sir John Rennie’s new bridge was opened further upstream and the old bridge demolished. St Magnus ceased to be the gateway to London as it had been for over 600 years. Peter de Colechurch[133] had been buried in the crypt of the chapel on the bridge and his bones were unceremoniously dumped in the River Thames.[134] In 1921 two stones from Old London Bridge were discovered across the road from the church. They now stand in the churchyard.
Wren's church of St Michael Crooked Lane was demolished, the final service on Sunday 20 March 1831 having to be abandoned due to the effects of the building work. The Rector of St Michael preached a sermon the following Sunday at St Magnus lamenting the demolition of his church with its monuments and "the disturbance of the worship of his parishioners on the preceeding Sabbath".[135] The parish of St Michael Crooked Lane was united to that of St Magnus, which itself lost a burial ground in Church Yard Alley to the approach road for the new bridge.[136] However, in substitution it had restored to it the land taken for the widening of the old bridge in 1762 and was also given part of the approach lands to the east of the old bridge.[137] In 1838 the Committee for the London Bridge Approaches reported to Common Council that new burial grounds had been provided for the parishes of St Michael, Crooked Lane and St Magnus, London Bridge.
Depictions of St Magnus after the building of the new bridge, seen behind Fresh Wharf and the new London Bridge Wharf, include paintings by W. Fenoulhet in 1841 and by Charles Ginner in 1913.[139] This prospect was affected in 1924 by the building of Adelaide House to a design by John James Burnet,[140] The Times commenting that "the new ‘architectural Matterhorn’ ... conceals all but the tip of the church spire".[141] There was, however, an excellent view of the church for a few years between the demolition of Adelaide Buildings and the erection of its replacement.[142] Adelaide House is now listed.[143] Regis House, on the site of the abandoned King William Street terminus of the City & South London Railway (subsequently the Northern Line),[144] and the Steam Packet Inn, on the corner of Lower Thames Street and Fish Street Hill,[145] were developed in 1931.
By the early 1960s traffic congestion had become a problem[147] and Lower Thames Street was widened over the next decade[148] to form part of a significant new east-west transport artery (the A3211).[149] The setting of the church was further affected by the construction of a new London Bridge between 1967 and 1973.[150] The New Fresh Wharf warehouse to the east of the church, built in 1939, was demolished in 1973-4 following the collapse of commercial traffic in the Pool of London[151] and, after an archaeological excavation,[152] St Magnus House was constructed on the site in 1978 to a design by R. Seifert & Partners.[153] This development now allows a clear view of the church from the east side.[154] The site to the south east of The Monument (between Fish Street Hill and Pudding Lane), formerly predominantly occupied by fish merchants,[155] was redeveloped as Centurion House and Gartmore (now Providian) House at the time of the closure of old Billingsgate Market in January 1982.[156] A comprehensive redevelopment of Centurion House began in October 2011 with completion planned in 2013.[157] Regis House, to the south west of The Monument, was redeveloped by Land Securities PLC in 1998.[158]
The vista from The Monument south to the River Thames, over the roof of St Magnus, is protected under the City of London Unitary Development Plan,[159] although the South bank of the river is now dominated by The Shard. Since 2004 the City of London Corporation has been exploring ways of enhancing the Riverside Walk to the south of St Magnus.[160] Work on a new staircase to connect London Bridge to the Riverside Walk is due to commence in March 2013.[161] The story of St Magnus's relationship with London Bridge and an interview with the rector featured in the television programme The Bridges That Built London with Dan Cruickshank, first broadcast on BBC Four on 14 June 2012.[162] The City Corporation's 'Fenchurch and Monument Area Enhancement Strategy' of August 2012 recommended ways of reconnecting St Magnus and the riverside to the area north of Lower Thames Street.
A lectureship at St Michael Crooked Lane, which was transferred to St Magnus in 1831, was endowed by the wills of Thomas and Susannah Townsend in 1789 and 1812 respectively.[164] The Revd Henry Robert Huckin, Headmaster of Repton School from 1874 to 1882, was appointed Townsend Lecturer at St Magnus in 1871.[165]
St Magnus narrowly escaped damage from a major fire in Lower Thames Street in October 1849.
During the second half of the 19th century the rectors were Alexander McCaul, DD (1799–1863, Rector 1850-63), who coined the term 'Judaeo Christian' in a letter dated 17 October 1821,[167] and his son Alexander Israel McCaul (1835–1899, curate 1859-63, rector 1863-99). The Revd Alexander McCaul Sr[168] was a Christian missionary to the Polish Jews, who (having declined an offer to become the first Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem)[169] was appointed professor of Hebrew and rabbinical literature at King's College, London in 1841. His daughter, Elizabeth Finn (1825–1921), a noted linguist, founded the Distressed Gentlefolk Aid Association (now known as Elizabeth Finn Care).[170]
In 1890 it was reported that the Bishop of London was to hold an inquiry as to the desirability of uniting the benefices of St George Botolph Lane and St Magnus. The expectation was a fusion of the two livings, the demolition of St George’s and the pensioning of "William Gladstone’s favourite Canon", Malcolm MacColl. Although services ceased there, St George’s was not demolished until 1904. The parish was then merged with St Mary at Hill rather than St Magnus.[171]
The patronage of the living was acquired in the late 19th century by Sir Henry Peek Bt. DL MP, Senior Partner of Peek Brothers & Co of 20 Eastcheap, the country's largest firm of wholesale tea brokers and dealers, and Chairman of the Commercial Union Assurance Co. Peek was a generous philanthropist who was instrumental in saving both Wimbledon Common and Burnham Beeches from development. His grandson, Sir Wilfred Peek Bt. DSO JP, presented a cousin, Richard Peek, as rector in 1904. Peek, an ardent Freemason, held the office of Grand Chaplain of England. The Times recorded that his memorial service in July 1920 "was of a semi-Masonic character, Mr Peek having been a prominent Freemason".[172] In June 1895 Peek had saved the life of a young French girl who jumped overboard from a ferry midway between Dinard and St Malo in Brittany and was awarded the bronze medal of the Royal Humane Society and the Gold Medal 1st Class of the Sociâetâe Nationale de Sauvetage de France.[173]
In November 1898 a memorial service was held at St Magnus for Sir Stuart Knill Bt. (1824–1898), head of the firm of John Knill and Co, wharfingers, and formerly Lord Mayor and Master of the Plumbers' Company.[174] This was the first such service for a Roman Catholic taken in an Anglican church.[175] Sir Stuart's son, Sir John Knill Bt. (1856-1934), also served as Alderman for the Ward of Bridge Within, Lord Mayor and Master of the Plumbers' Company.
Until 1922 the annual Fish Harvest Festival was celebrated at St Magnus.[176] The service moved in 1923 to St Dunstan in the East[177] and then to St Mary at Hill, but St Magnus retained close links with the local fish merchants until the closure of old Billingsgate Market. St Magnus, in the 1950s, was "buried in the stink of Billingsgate fish-market, against which incense was a welcome antidote".
A report in 1920 proposed the demolition of nineteen City churches, including St Magnus.[179] A general outcry from members of the public and parishioners alike prevented the execution of this plan.[180] The members of the City Livery Club passed a resolution that they regarded "with horror and indignation the proposed demolition of 19 City churches" and pledged the Club to do everything in its power to prevent such a catastrophe.[181] T. S. Eliot wrote that the threatened churches gave "to the business quarter of London a beauty which its hideous banks and commercial houses have not quite defaced. ... the least precious redeems some vulgar street ... The loss of these towers, to meet the eye down a grimy lane, and of these empty naves, to receive the solitary visitor at noon from the dust and tumult of Lombard Street, will be irreparable and unforgotten."[182] The London County Council published a report concluding that St Magnus was "one of the most beautiful of all Wren's works" and "certainly one of the churches which should not be demolished without specially good reasons and after very full consideration."[183] Due to the uncertainty about the church's future, the patron decided to defer action to fill the vacancy in the benefice and a curate-in-charge temporarily took responsibility for the parish.[184] However, on 23 April 1921 it was announced that the Revd Henry Joy Fynes-Clinton would be the new Rector. The Times concluded that the appointment, with the Bishop’s approval, meant that the proposed demolition would not be carried out.[185] Fr Fynes-Clinton was inducted on 31 May 1921.[186]
The rectory, built by Robert Smirke in 1833-5, was at 39 King William Street.[187] A decision was taken in 1909 to sell the property, the intention being to purchase a new rectory in the suburbs, but the sale fell through and at the time of the 1910 Land Tax Valuations the building was being let out to a number of tenants. The rectory was sold by the diocese on 30 May 1921 for £8,000 to Ridgways Limited, which owned the adjoining premises.[188] The Vestry House adjoining the south west of the church, replacing the one built in the 1760s, may also have been by Smirke. Part of the burial ground of St Michael Crooked Lane, located between Fish Street Hill and King William Street, survived as an open space until 1987 when it was compulsorily purchased to facilitate the extension of the Docklands Light Railway into the City.[189] The bodies were reburied at Brookwood Cemetery.
The interior of the church was restored by Martin Travers in 1924, in a neo-baroque style,[191] reflecting the Anglo-Catholic character of the congregation[192] following the appointment of Henry Joy Fynes-Clinton as Rector.[193] Fr Fynes, as he was often known, served as Rector of St Magnus from 31 May 1921 until his death on 4 December 1959 and substantially beautified the interior of the church.[194]
Fynes-Clinton held very strong Anglo-Catholic views, and proceeded to make St Magnus as much like a baroque Roman Catholic church as possible. However, "he was such a loveable character with an old-world courtesy which was irresistible, that it was difficult for anyone to be unpleasant to him, however much they might disapprove of his views".[195] He generally said the Roman Mass in Latin; and in personality was "grave, grand, well-connected and holy, with a laconic sense of humour".[196] To a Protestant who had come to see Coverdale's monument he is reported to have said "We have just had a service in the language out of which he translated the Bible".[197] The use of Latin in services was not, however, without grammatical danger. A response from his parishioners of "Ora pro nobis" after "Omnes sancti Angeli et Archangeli" in the Litany of the Saints would elicit a pause and the correction "No, Orate pro nobis."
In 1922 Fynes-Clinton refounded the Fraternity of Our Lady de Salve Regina.[198] The Fraternity's badge[199] is shown in the stained glass window at the east end of the north wall of the church above the reredos of the Lady Chapel altar. He also erected a statue of Our Lady of Walsingham and arranged pilgrimages to the Norfolk shrine, where he was one of the founding Guardians.[200] In 1928 the journal of the Catholic League reported that St Magnus had presented a votive candle to the Shrine at Walsingham "in token of our common Devotion and the mutual sympathy and prayers that are we hope a growing bond between the peaceful country shrine and the church in the heart of the hurrying City, from the Altar of which the Pilgrimages regularly start".[201]
Fynes-Clinton was General Secretary of the Anglican and Eastern Orthodox Churches Union and its successor, the Anglican and Eastern Churches Association, from 1906 to 1920 and served as Secretary to the Archbishop of Canterbury's Eastern Churches Committee from 1920 to around 1924. A Solemn Requiem was celebrated at St Magnus in September 1921 for the late King Peter of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
At the midday service on 1 March 1922, J.A. Kensit, leader of the Protestant Truth Society, got up and protested against the form of worship.[202] The proposed changes to the church in 1924 led to a hearing in the Consistory Court of the Chancellor of the Diocese of London and an appeal to the Court of Arches.[203] Judgement was given by the latter Court in October 1924. The advowson was purchased in 1931, without the knowledge of the Rector and Parochial Church Council, by the evangelical Sir Charles King-Harman.[204] A number of such cases, including the purchase of the advowsons of Clapham and Hampstead Parish Churches by Sir Charles, led to the passage of the Benefices (Purchase of Rights of Patronage) Measure 1933.[205] This allowed the parishioners of St Magnus to purchase the advowson from Sir Charles King-Harman for £1,300 in 1934 and transfer it to the Patronage Board.
St Magnus was one of the churches that held special services before the opening of the second Anglo-Catholic Congress in 1923.[207] Fynes-Clinton[208] was the first incumbent to hold lunchtime services for City workers.[209] Pathé News filmed the Palm Sunday procession at St Magnus in 1935.[210] In The Towers of Trebizond, the novel by Rose Macauley published in 1956, Fr Chantry-Pigg's church is described as being several feet higher than St Mary’s Bourne Street and some inches above even St Magnus the Martyr.[211]
In July 1937 Fr Fynes-Clinton, with two members of his congregation, travelled to Kirkwall to be present at the 800th anniversary celebrations of St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall. During their stay they visited Egilsay and were shown the spot where St Magnus had been slain. Later Fr Fynes-Clinton was present at a service held at the roofless church of St Magnus on Egilsay, where he suggested to his host Mr Fryer, the minister of the Cathedral, that the congregations of Kirkwall and London should unite to erect a permanent stone memorial on the traditional site where Earl Magnus had been murdered. In 1938 a cairn was built of local stone on Egilsay. It stands 12 feet high and is 6 feet broad at its base. The memorial was dedicated on 7 September 1938 and a bronze inscription on the monument reads "erected by the Rector and Congregation of St Magnus the Martyr by London Bridge and the Minister and Congregation of St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall to commemorate the traditional spot where Earl Magnus was slain, AD circa 1116 and to commemorate the Octocentenary of St Magnus Cathedral 1937"
A bomb which fell on London Bridge in 1940 during the Blitz of World War II blew out all the windows and damaged the plasterwork and the roof of the north aisle.[213] However, the church was designated a Grade I listed building on 4 January 1950[214] and repaired in 1951, being re-opened for worship in June of that year by the Bishop of London, William Wand.[215] The architect was Laurence King.[216] Restoration and redecoration work has subsequently been carried out several times, including after a fire in the early hours of 4 November 1995.[217] Cleaning of the exterior stonework was completed in 2010.
Some minor changes were made to the parish boundary in 1954, including the transfer to St Magnus of an area between Fish Street Hill and Pudding Lane. The site of St Leonard Eastcheap, a church that was not rebuilt after the Great Fire, is therefore now in the parish of St Magnus despite being united to St Edmund the King.
Fr Fynes-Clinton marked the 50th anniversary of his priesthood in May 1952 with High Mass at St Magnus and lunch at Fishmongers' Hall.[218] On 20 September 1956 a solemn Mass was sung in St Magnus to commence the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the restoration of the Holy House at Walsingham in 1931. In the evening of that day a reception was held in the large chamber of Caxton Hall, when between three and four hundred guests assembled.[219]
Fr Fynes-Clinton was succeeded as rector in 1960 by Fr Colin Gill,[220] who remained as incumbent until his death in 1983.[221] Fr Gill was also closely connected with Walsingham and served as a Guardian between 1953 and 1983, including nine years as Master of the College of Guardians.[222] He celebrated the Mass at the first National Pilgrimage in 1959[223] and presided over the Jubilee celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the Shrine in 1981, having been present at the Holy House's opening.[224] A number of the congregation of St Stephen's Lewisham moved to St Magnus around 1960, following temporary changes in the form of worship there.
In 1994 the Templeman Commission proposed a radical restructuring of the churches in the City Deanery. St Magnus was identified as one of the 12 churches that would remain as either a parish or an 'active' church.[226] However, the proposals were dropped following a public outcry and the consecration of a new Bishop of London.
The parish priest since 2003 has been Fr Philip Warner, who was previously priest-in-charge of St Mary's Church, Belgrade (Diocese in Europe) and Apokrisiarios for the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Serbian Orthodox Church. Since January 2004 there has been an annual Blessing of the Thames, with the congregations of St Magnus and Southwark Cathedral meeting in the middle of London Bridge.[227] On Sunday 3 July 2011, in anticipation of the feast of the translation of St Thomas Becket (7 July), a procession from St Magnus brought a relic of the saint to the middle of the bridge.[228]
David Pearson specially composed two new pieces, a communion anthem A Mhànais mo rùin (O Magnus of my love) and a hymn to St Magnus Nobilis, humilis, for performance at the church on the feast of St Magnus the Martyr, 16 April 2012.[229] St Magnus's organist, John Eady, has won composition competitions for new choral works at St Paul's Cathedral (a setting of Veni Sancte Spiritus first performed on 27 May 2012) and at Lincoln Cathedral (a setting of the Matin responsory for Advent first performed on 30 November 2013).[230]
In addition to liturgical music of a high standard, St Magnus is the venue for a wide range of musical events. The Clemens non Papa Consort, founded in 2005, performs in collaboration with the production team Concert Bites as the church's resident ensemble.[231] The church is used by The Esterhazy Singers for rehearsals and some concerts.[232] The band Mishaped Pearls performed at the church on 17 December 2011.[233] St Magnus featured in the television programme Jools Holland: London Calling, first broadcast on BBC2 on 9 June 2012.[234] The Platinum Consort made a promotional film at St Magnus for the release of their debut album In the Dark on 2 July 2012.[235]
The Friends of the City Churches had their office in the Vestry House of St Magnus until 2013.
Martin Travers modified the high altar reredos, adding paintings of Moses and Aaron and the Ten Commandments between the existing Corinthian columns and reconstructing the upper storey. Above the reredos Travers added a painted and gilded rood.[237] In the centre of the reredos there is a carved gilded pelican (an early Christian symbol of self-sacrifice) and a roundel with Baroque-style angels. The glazed east window, which can be seen in an early photograph of the church, appears to have been filled in at this time. A new altar with console tables was installed and the communion rails moved outwards to extend the size of the sanctuary. Two old door frames were used to construct side chapels and placed at an angle across the north-east and south-east corners of the church. One, the Lady Chapel, was dedicated to the Rector's parents in 1925 and the other was dedicated to Christ the King. Originally, a baroque aumbry was used for Reservation of the Blessed Sacrament, but later a tabernacle was installed on the Lady Chapel altar and the aumbry was used to house a relic of the True Cross.
The interior was made to look more European by the removal of the old box pews and the installation of new pews with cut-down ends. Two new columns were inserted in the nave to make the lines regular. The Wren-period pulpit by the joiner William Grey[238] was opened up and provided with a soundboard and crucifix. Travers also designed the statue of St Magnus of Orkney, which stands in the south aisle, and the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham.[239]
On the north wall there is a Russian Orthodox icon, painted in 1908. The modern stations of the cross in honey-coloured Japanese oak are the work of Robert Randall and Ashley Sands.[240] One of the windows in the north wall dates from 1671 and came from Plumbers' Hall in Chequer Yard, Bush Lane, which was demolished in 1863 to make way for Cannon Street Railway Station.[241] A fireplace from the Hall was re-erected in the Vestry House. The other windows on the north side are by Alfred Wilkinson and date from 1952 to 1960. These show the arms of the Plumbers’, Fishmongers’ and Coopers’ Companies together with those of William Wand when Bishop of London and Geoffrey Fisher when Archbishop of Canterbury and (as noted above) the badge of the Fraternity of Our Lady de Salve Regina.
The stained glass windows in the south wall, which are by Lawrence Lee and date from 1949 to 1955, represent lost churches associated with the parish: St Magnus and his ruined church of Egilsay, St Margaret of Antioch with her lost church in New Fish Street (where the Monument to the Great Fire now stands), St Michael with his lost church of Crooked Lane (demolished to make way for the present King William Street) and St Thomas Becket with his chapel on Old London Bridge.[242]
The church possesses a fine model of Old London Bridge. One of the tiny figures on the bridge appears out of place in the mediaeval setting, wearing a policeman's uniform. This is a representation of the model-maker, David T. Aggett, who is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Plumbers and was formerly in the police service.[243]
The Mischiefs by Fire Act 1708 and the Fires Prevention (Metropolis) Act 1774 placed a requirement on every parish to keep equipment to fight fires. The church owns two historic fire engines that belonged to the parish of St Michael, Crooked Lane.[244] One of these is in storage at the Museum of London. The whereabouts of the other, which was misappropriated and sold at auction in 2003, is currently unknown.
In 1896 many bodies were disinterred from the crypt and reburied at the St Magnus's plot at Brookwood Cemetery, which remains the church's burial ground.
Prior to the Great Fire of 1666 the old tower had a ring of five bells, a small saints bell and a clock bell.[246] 47 cwt of bell metal was recovered[247] which suggests that the tenor was 13 or 14 cwt. The metal was used to cast three new bells, by William Eldridge of Chertsey in 1672,[248] with a further saints bell cast that year by Hodson.[249] In the absence of a tower, the tenor and saints bell were hung in a free standing timber structure, whilst the others remained unhung.[250]
A new tower was completed in 1704 and it is likely that these bells were transferred to it. However, the tenor became cracked in 1713 and it was decided to replace the bells with a new ring of eight.[251] The new bells, with a tenor of 21 cwt, were cast by Richard Phelps of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. Between 1714 and 1718 (the exact date of which is unknown), the ring was increased to ten with the addition of two trebles given by two former ringing Societies, the Eastern Youths and the British Scholars.[252] The first peal was rung on 15 February 1724 of Grandsire Caters by the Society of College Youths. The second bell had to be recast in 1748 by Robert Catlin, and the tenor was recast in 1831 by Thomas Mears of Whitechapel,[253] just in time to ring for the opening of the new London Bridge. In 1843, the treble was said to be "worn out" and so was scrapped, together with the saints bell, while a new treble was cast by Thomas Mears.[254] A new clock bell was erected in the spire in 1846, provided by B R & J Moore, who had earlier purchased it from Thomas Mears.[255] This bell can still be seen in the tower from the street.
The 10 bells were removed for safe keeping in 1940 and stored in the churchyard. They were taken to Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1951 whereupon it was discovered that four of them were cracked. After a long period of indecision, fuelled by lack of funds and interest, the bells were finally sold for scrap in 1976. The metal was used to cast many of the Bells of Congress that were then hung in the Old Post Office Tower in Washington, D.C.
A fund was set up on 19 September 2005, led by Dickon Love, a member of the Ancient Society of College Youths, with a view to installing a new ring of 12 bells in the tower in a new frame. This was the first of three new rings of bells he has installed in the City of London (the others being at St Dunstan-in-the-West and St James Garlickhythe). The money was raised and the bells were cast during 2008/9 by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. The tenor weighed 26cwt 3qtr 9 lbs (1360 kg) and the new bells were designed to be in the same key as the former ring of ten. They were consecrated by the Bishop of London on 3 March 2009 in the presence of the Lord Mayor[256] and the ringing dedicated on 26 October 2009 by the Archdeacon of London.[257] The bells are named (in order smallest to largest) Michael, Margaret, Thomas of Canterbury, Mary, Cedd, Edward the Confessor, Dunstan, John the Baptist, Erkenwald, Paul, Mellitus and Magnus.[258] The bells project is recorded by an inscription in the vestibule of the church.
The first peal on the twelve was rung on 29 November 2009 of Cambridge Surprise Maximus.[260] Notable other recent peals include a peal of Stedman Cinques on 16 April 2011 to mark the 400th anniversary of the granting of a Royal Charter to the Plumbers' Company,[261] a peal of Cambridge Surprise Royal on 28 June 2011 when the Fishmongers' Company gave a dinner for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at their hall on the occasion of his 90th birthday[262] and a peal of Avon Delight Maximus on 24 July 2011 in solidarity with the people of Norway following the tragic massacre on Utoeya Island and in Oslo.[263] On the latter occasion the flag of the Orkney Islands was flown at half mast. In 2012 peals were rung during the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on 3 June and during each of the three Olympic/Paralympic marathons, on 5 and 12 August and 9 September.
The BBC television programme, Still Ringing After All These Years: A Short History of Bells, broadcast on 14 December 2011, included an interview at St Magnus with the Tower Keeper, Dickon Love,[264] who was captain of the band that rang the "Royal Jubilee Bells" during the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on 3 June 2012 to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.[265] Prior to this, he taught John Barrowman to handle a bell at St Magnus for the BBC coverage.
The bells are currently rung every Sunday around 12:15 (following the service) by the Guild of St Magnus.
Every other June, newly elected wardens of the Fishmongers' Company, accompanied by the Court, proceed on foot from Fishmongers' Hall[267] to St Magnus for an election service.[268] St Magnus is also the Guild Church of The Plumbers' Company. Two former rectors have served as master of the company,[269] which holds all its services at the church.[270] On 12 April 2011 a service was held to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the granting of the company's Royal Charter at which the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Richard Chartres KCVO, gave the sermon and blessed the original Royal Charter. For many years the Cloker Service was held at St Magnus, attended by the Coopers' Company and Grocers' Company, at which the clerk of the Coopers' Company read the will of Henry Cloker dated 10 March 1573.[271]
St Magnus is also the ward church for the Ward of Bridge and Bridge Without, which elects one of the city's aldermen. Between 1550 and 1978 there were separate aldermen for Bridge Within and Bridge Without, the former ward being north of the river and the latter representing the City's area of control in Southwark. The Bridge Ward Club was founded in 1930 to "promote social activities and discussion of topics of local and general interest and also to exchange Ward and parochial information" and holds its annual carol service at St Magnus.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Magnus-the-Martyr
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The church is dedicated to St Magnus the Martyr, earl of Orkney, who died on 16 April 1118. He was executed on the island of Egilsay having been captured during a power struggle with his cousin, a political rival. Magnus had a reputation for piety and gentleness and was canonised in 1135.
The identity of the St Magnus referred to in the church's dedication was only confirmed by the Bishop of London in 1926. Following this decision a patronal festival service was held on 16 April 1926. In the 13th century the patronage was attributed to one of the several saints by the name of Magnus who share a feast day on 19 August, probably St Magnus of Anagni (bishop and martyr, who was slain in the persecution of the Emperor Decius in the middle of the 3rd century). However, by the early 18th century it was suggested that the church was either "dedicated to the memory of St Magnus or Magnes, who suffer'd under the Emperor Aurelian in 276 [see St Mammes of Caesarea, feast day 17 August], or else to a person of that name, who was the famous Apostle or Bishop of the Orcades." For the next century historians followed the suggestion that the church was dedicated to the Roman saint of Cæsarea. The famous Danish archaeologist Professor Jens Jacob Asmussen Worsaae (1821–85) promoted the attribution to St Magnus of Orkney during his visit to the British Isles in 1846-7, when he was formulating the concept of the 'Viking Age', and a history of London written in 1901 concluded that "the Danes, on their second invasion ... added at least two churches with Danish names, Olaf and Magnus". A guide to the City Churches published in 1917 reverted to the view that St Magnus was dedicated to a martyr of the third century, but the discovery of St Magnus of Orkney's relics in 1919 renewed interest in a Scandinavian patron and this connection was encouraged by the Rector who arrived in 1921.
A metropolitan bishop of London attended the Council of Arles in 314, which indicates that there must have been a Christian community in Londinium by this date, and it has been suggested that a large aisled building excavated in 1993 near Tower Hill can be compared with the 4th-century Cathedral of St Tecla in Milan. However, there is no archaeological evidence to suggest that any of the mediaeval churches in the City of London had a Roman foundation. A grant from William I in 1067 to Westminster Abbey, which refers to the stone church of St Magnus near the bridge ("lapidee eccle sci magni prope pontem"), is generally accepted to be 12th century forgery, and it is possible that a charter of confirmation in 1108-16 might also be a later fabrication. Nonetheless, these manuscripts may preserve valid evidence of a date of foundation in the 11th century.
Archaeological evidence suggests that the area of the bridgehead was not occupied from the early 5th century until the early 10th century. Environmental evidence indicates that the area was waste ground during this period, colonised by elder and nettles. Following Alfred's decision to reoccupy the walled area of London in 886, new harbours were established at Queenhithe and Billingsgate. A bridge was in place by the early 11th century, a factor which would have encouraged the occupation of the bridgehead by craftsmen and traders. A lane connecting Botolph's Wharf and Billingsgate to the rebuilt bridge may have developed by the mid-11th century. The waterfront at this time was a hive of activity, with the construction of embankments sloping down from the riverside wall to the river. Thames Street appeared in the second half of the 11th century immediately behind (north of) the old Roman riverside wall and in 1931 a piling from this was discovered during the excavation of the foundations of a nearby building. It now stands at the base of the church tower. St Magnus was built to the south of Thames Street to serve the growing population of the bridgehead area and was certainly in existence by 1128-33.
The small ancient parish extended about 110 yards along the waterfront either side of the old bridge, from 'Stepheneslane' (later Churchehawlane or Church Yard Alley) and 'Oystergate' (later called Water Lane or Gully Hole) on the West side to 'Retheresgate' (a southern extension of Pudding Lane) on the East side, and was centred on the crossroads formed by Fish Street Hill (originally Bridge Street, then New Fish Street) and Thames Street. The mediaeval parish also included Drinkwater's Wharf (named after the owner, Thomas Drinkwater), which was located im
Simplement pour préciser que l'artiste a utilisé un arbre déjà déraciné pour réaliser son travail. Ma vision nostalgique de l'arbre sous une pluie fine, alors que tous les visiteurs étaient déjà partis.
The artist used an already uprooted tree for his installation .
a personal nostalgic vision of the tree, as a soft rain was falling over the forest, and all the day visitors had gone ....
To be precise, it's "Papaver Orientalis Curlylocks". From early June they bloom for around six weeks and sadly, this already seems past it's prime
Emotionally precise and extremely talented Spencer Lajoye is definitely worth a listen. www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVj4OLNnvFw&list=PLz5XZHP_15X...