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Lock it up! Macro Mondays Crime theme. Now this is really weird. I took about a dozen shots and the first one turned out to be the one that I liked the best. I didn't notice until I went to upload it that the image number of 761 matched the number on the lock of P761. What is up with that?!?!? What are the odds? ;-)
Greenville — A group of college students, state officials and others converged Thursday, March 14, with a mission to prevent more drunk driving fatalities. The group of about 100 people, including 50 students, met at Sup Dogs, a popular eatery adjacent to the campus of East Carolina University.
Their call to action was timely. Drunk driving is more common on St. Patrick’s Day than at other times of the year and so, too, are deaths due to drunk driving.
“We had to be here, it’s our duty as leaders on the campus of ECU to help shine a light on this problem and actually do something about it,” said Gillian Smith, vice president of Recruitment for Panhellenic on the campus of ECU. “We’ve walked about a mile radius around 5th and Summit Streets, handing out fliers, posting anti-drunk-driving messages on our social media account and simply sounding the alarm.”
The community canvass kicked off The Governor’s Highway Safety Programs statewide ‘Booze It & Lose It’ campaign, where law enforcement from around all 100 counties began conducting saturation patrols. The goal was to remove impaired drivers from roadways and save lives over the St. Patrick’s Day weekend. The campaign runs today through Sunday, March 17.
“Whether it be via bus, cab, ride share or a buddy, we just want riders to get home alive and it’s going to take all of us, every time making the right decision,” said Governor’s Highway Safety Program Director Mark Ezzell. “We are grateful that the community of Greenville and beyond recognized the importance of this initiative and volunteered their time and resources today.”
The group was armed with many sobering statistics, including the fact that:
•On St. Patrick’s Day, on average, drunk driving deaths increase by 8 percent;
•Of the people who died in crashes on St. Patrick’s Day, 51 percent were alcohol-related;
•Drunk driving fatalities are seven times more likely at night on St. Patrick’s Day; and
•Of the people killed on St. Patrick’s Day due to drunk driving, 44 percent are between the ages of 21 and 34 years old.
“We want people to be aware of the repercussions of driving behaviors,” said Greenville Police Chief Mark Holtzman. “Our city has some of the worst drunk-driving records over the last few years and we are tired of our friends, children, co-workers dying this way.”
Chief Holztman and dozens of law enforcement, first responders, child advocates, health care workers from around Pitt County and Eastern Carolina joined volunteers who helped canvass several city blocks around one of the city’s most popular restaurants.
In addition to volunteers canvassing the community and walking about a mile around the downtown area, the ECU campus transit system changed their messaging on the front of all campus buses with the ‘Booze It & Lose It’ slogan. The City of Greenville, Pitt County schools, Vidant Health and a host of other organizations posted safety messaging on their social media accounts using the hashtags #keysfree and #NCGHSP.
The ‘Booze It & Lose It’ campaign is one of the many campaigns by The Governor’s Highway Safety Program which supports a myriad of safe-driving initiatives like Click It or Ticket, BikeSafe NC, Watch For Me NC, Speed a Little. Lose a Lot, and North Carolina’s Vision Zero initiative.
Visit ghsp.nc.gov and follow NCGHSP on Facebook @NCGHSP, Instagram and Twitter @NC_GHSP. For media inquiries contact: GHSP Communications Specialist Miracle King miracleking@ncdot.gov
375810 arrives at London Victoria working 2A54 with a cock pheasant having been picked up somewhere in Kent and now preventing it from coupling to 375 number 706. The birds have had a bad day with a dead pigeon laying on the track below the pheasant.
According to Realtime Trains the route and timings were;
Ashford International 1.....1702..........................1702 1/4...................RT
Bearsted [BSD]..................1727/1728................NoRep/1728...........RT
Maidstone East [MDE] 1...1732 1/2/1733 1/2...1733 1/4/1733 3/4..RT
Borough Green ...............1750 1/2/1751..........1754/1755...............4L
Otford Junction[XOT]......1758..........................1803 3/4..................5L
Swanley [SAY] 1.................1808 1/2/1809 1/2..1813 1/2/1813 3/4...4L
St Mary Cray Junction.....1816..........................1819 3/4....................3L
Bickley Junction[XLY]......1817...........................1820 1/4...................3L
Bromley South [BMS] 3...1819 1/2/1820 1/2...1822 3/4/1824........3L
Shortlands [SRT]................1822.........................1825 1/4...................3L
Shortlands Junction.........1822.........................1826.........................4L
Beckenham Junction 2...1823 1/2...................1826 3/4...................3L
Kent House [KTH] 2.........1824 1/2...................1827 1/2....................3L
Herne Hill [HNH] 2............1830.........................1832 1/4...................2L
Brixton [BRX]......................1831...........................1833 1/4...................2L
Voltaire Road Junction....1832 1/2...................1834 1/2...................2L
London Victoria [VIC] 2...1837..........................1840..........................3L
375810 was eventually joined to 375 number 706 and worked 1S62 from London Victoria to Ramsgate and Dover Priory.
According to Realtime Trains the route and timings were;
London Victoria [VIC] 2...1857............................1857.............................RT
Voltaire Road Junction....1901 1/2......................1901.............................RT
Brixton [BRX]......................1903...........................1902 3/4.....................RT
Herne Hill [HNH] 3............1904...........................1904 1/2......................RT
Kent House [KTH] 3..........1908 1/2.....................1909 3/4.......................1L
Beckenham Junction 3...1909 1/2.....................1912 1/4........................2L
Shortlands Junction.........1911..............................1913 1/4........................2L
Shortlands [SRT]................1911 1/2.......................1914...............................2L
Bromley South [BMS] 4...1912 1/2/1914.............1915/1916 1/4...............2L
Bickley Junction[XLY]......1916 1/2......................1918 3/4.......................2L
St Mary Cray Junction.....1917 1/2......................1919 3/4.......................2L
Swanley [SAY] 4................1921 1/2......................1923 1/2.......................2L
Sole Street [SOR] 2..........1929 1/2.....................1929 1/2......................RT
Rochester Bridge Jn........1936...........................1939 1/2.......................3L
Rochester [RTR] 3.............1938/1939.................1942/1943 3/4............4L
Chatham [CTM] 2..............1940 1/2/1942...........1945 1/4/1946.............4L
Gillingham [GLM] 3...........1945 1/2/1947...........1950/1951....................4L
Rainham [RAI] 2.................1951/1952..................1956/1956 3/4............4L
Newington [NGT] 2..........1955 1/2/1956..........2001/2001 3/4...........5L
Sittingbourne [SIT] 2........2000 1/2/2001 1/2...2007/2008.................6L
Faversham [FAV] 3...........2012/2016.................2018 1/4/2021 3/4.....5L
At Faversham the train divided 1S63 continuing to Dover Priory.
Faversham [FAV] 3.............2018.....................2023 1/4.....................5L
Canterbury East [CBE] 2...2030 1/2/2032..2036/2036 3/4.........4L
Shepherds Well [SPH] 2...2049/2050........2052 3/4/2054 1/2..4L
Dover Priory [DVP] 2.........2059....................2104 1/4......................5L
Whitstable [WHI] 2............2023 1/2/2024 1/2..2028 1/2/2029 1/4....4L
Herne Bay [HNB] 2...........2030 1/2/2031 1/2...2035/2036 1/2...........5L
Margate [MAR] 1................2047/2048...............2051 3/4/2052..........4L
Broadstairs [BSR] 2...........2053/2054...............2056 3/4/2058.........4L
Ramsgate [RAM] 4............2100...........................2104 3/4......................4L
Parliament Square's iconic blue "Peace Box" removed by police - London, UK 03.05.2012
Following a recent High Court ruling that the injunction preventing the removal of the final protester's tent on Parliament Square could be lifted immediately, police and officials from Westminster council arrived with a lorry to clear away the large blue wooden "Peace Box" built by peace campaigner Maria Gallastegui - founder of peacestrike.org - who has been living in a tent on the pavement next to the box which was also used for storing protest materials and making cups of tea, and has held a continual protest on Parliament Square since 2006, much to the dismay and fury of a huge number of supposedly peace-loving MPs and Westminster Council.
Resignedly co-operating fully with the police, a philosophical Ms Gallastegui said that "The box is not the issue. My tent is not the issue. The issue is the ability for people to maintain sustained political protest in Parliament Square, and the critical need to protest against illegal wars waged against foreign countries to serve the predatory needs of the oil companies. Obviously I am very sad that the box has to go, but my protest does not stop because of it. It will continue in a different form." She also explained that she is going directly to the Court of Appeal to apply for another injunction against Westminster Council, and if that is not successful she will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
High Court judge Sir John Thomas, whilst ruling that Westminster Council's by-laws prohibiting protesters from setting up tents or other "sleeping equipment" were legal, added that if Ms. Gallastegui's appeal is successful she would be allowed to place her tent back on the square, however; Justice Thomas refused her grounds for appeal in his court, paving the way for the eviction. Ms. Gallastegui has to take her appeal to the Appeals Court, and if she is unsuccessful she intends to take the matter to the European Courts.
In addition, the court order required that the Peace Box be removed "fully intact", so great care had to be taken by the police in removing it, which caused some wry smiles from the police officer who arrived with a sledge-hammer and a large fire-fighter's crowbar!
An earlier version of the iconic box - christened 'The Peace Plinth' and decorated with collaboration from 'Art Below' with three large white relief panels of an American soldier in battle uniform overlaid with blood-spattered lines from a latin poem by the Roman poet Horace "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" which translates as "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country" (also quoted in Wilfred Owen's most famous World War I anti-war poem 'Dulce et Decorum Est') is currently on display in Los Angeles as part of 'The Brit Week T4C (Thanks for Caring)', and the current Parliament Square box is to be auctioned to raise money for an orphanage in Iraq for children orphaned by Western military aggression in the country.
Confusion ensued soon after the arrival of a panel truck when the attending Westminster Council officials and police realised that the vehicle was far too small to contain the box itself, so everyone had to wait until a vehicle-clampers' flatbed lorry with a car hoist was commissioned.
Half way through the eviction there was an astonishing verbal attack on Ms. Gallastegui by activists from the late Brian Haw's protest - sited further along the pavement and still fighting eviction - who accused her of some kind of treachery and insincerity because she wasn't verbally or physically fighting the police. Claiming some kind of ethical and moral superiority as the longest-established protest group on Parliament Square (having been there since 2001) and clutching several pro-Palestinian placards, the Haw camp activists, instead of showing as much as a single shred of support or solidarity with their fellow-protester, continued their criticism of Ms. Gallastegui and also accused her of somehow being a police stooge and collaborator before being moved on by a chief inspector.
Ten minutes later, as the blue box was being moved out onto the pavement prior to being lifted onto the back of a flat-bed lorry, one of the Haw camp activists - notorious for his aggression and relentless paranoia towards all journalists, photojournalists and, in fact, any other protesters and activists who have had any presence on Parliament square which they aggressively consider to be their turf - reappeared with a small sign saying "Police camp" and, suddenly cured of his pathological dislike of being photographed by anyone other than passing tourists or personal friends, overtly tried to insert himself into photos of the eviction process being taken by the assembled photojournalists to reinforce his accusation of Ms. Gallastegui and her supporters of being police agents.
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it’s that time of year again when people are having bonfires
a recent report shows that hedgehog numbers have dropped by 25% in just 10 years!
it is even suggested that they may be extinct in britain by 2025
hedgehogs will be attracted to large piles of leaves and garden debris at this time of year as they are looking to hibernate through the coldest snaps
if you are having a bonfire, or are going to an organised one please :
1/ build it as close to the night as possible so there's less chance of a hedgehog moving in
2/ make a pile near to the bonfire site then re-build it before lighting it
3/ search the bonfire for hibernating creatures using a torch lifting the stack with a handle of a rake or spade
4/ if you find any hedgehogs ensure they are safe before lighting the fire
5/ create an inviting hedgehog home a safe distance from the fire so hopefully they will chose to sleep here instead
6/ if you can’t relocate the stack, and have tried everything else please light from one side only initially
7/ feeding hedgehogs up will reduce the need for hibernation – so feed them if you can – cat food and water though – NOT bread and milk!
remember just banging on the bonfire won’t help as a hedgehog will curl up and stay still when he feels scared
british hedgehog preservation society
(PLEASE NO AWARDS OR PICTURES OR FLASHY BADGES)
The Eco-Justice Center has chosen plants that compliment sustainability. These include a variety of grapes that include: Marquette, Sabrevois, King of the North, Frontenac Gris, Bluebell, Somerset, and Reliance. Growing healthy plants without using toxic chemicals is not easy and takes knowledge. Grapes can be susceptible to fungal disease. To help prevent "botrytis bunch rot" growers can incorporate natural sulfur in place of chemical fungicides. Another preventive method is to incorporate trellises and to remove the lower leaves where the grape clusters are growing. To reduce water usage, some growers in California have adopted dry farming methods. Additionally, mechanical cultivation is preferred over the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. The need for insecticides can be reduced or eliminated with biodiverse farming that encourages natural predators
Prevent the unknown risk from your company you should conduct the penetration testing services. Cyber Security Services will provide you the services of to remove Weaknesses and vulnerabilities in you network. Study deep detail regarding penetration testing services www.cybersecurityservices.com/penetration-testing/.
Web Link :
advancedhomewellness.com/advanced-home-enemas-conquer-can...
Product Links:
advancedhomewellness.com/product-tag/home-enema/
advancedhomewellness.com/product/the-perfect-enema-bag-ki...
advancedhomewellness.com/product/the-healthandyogatm-enem...
advancedhomewellness.com/product/oxy-oxc-magnesium-peroxi...
advancedhomewellness.com/product/doterra-oregano-essentia...
Conquer Candida, Beat the Flu, Strengthen Your Immune System and Prevent Early Aging with Advanced Home Enemas
You’ve Never Brushed Your Teeth Before?!?
Imagine for a moment what the inside of your mouth would look like if you had never brushed your teeth.
Its kind of a frightening thought, isn’t it?!
Learn why brushing your teeth isn’t the only important hygiene practice to adopt and how learning to do home enemas can help you beat infections, strengthen your immune system, slow the aging process…. and even improve your smile.
You’ve Never Brushed Your Teeth Before?!?
Imagine for a moment what the inside of your mouth would look like if you had never brushed your teeth. Its kind of a frightening thought, isn’t it?!
And yet that is the reality for most people… except it’s even worse than that.
You see, our intestinal lining is basically identical to the skin lining inside our mouths, and if we had never brushed our teeth, our mouths would be covered in a tough yellow and white lining of fungus and yeast, as well as many other colorful bacteria colonies.
This is exactly the case in millions of people’s colons across America and the world, because in modern times, the simple practices that maintain basic levels of colon hygiene are mostly ignored and overlooked.
But this wasn’t always the case.
Around the turn of 1900, enemas were considered a foundation for recovery from almost any illness, and an enema or colonic was one of the first procedures performed in hospitals across the United States, and throughout the developed world.
Enemas had been widely used throughout the world for thousands of years before they were standard procedure in US hospitals around the turn of the century.
The phrase “good health resides in the gut” dates back to Hippocrates in ancient Greece, who is known as the Father of Medicine., and modern science now provides ample evidence to support his hypothesis.
Cutting-edge research into the Human Microbiome shows many direct connections between our intestinal health and brain function, mood & emotional state, energy levels and general immune response.
Due to the widespread use of pharmaceutical antibiotics in modern times, this simple and effective practice has fallen almost entirely out of custom. I especially find it ironic that enemas are not even practiced in hospitals and clinic for acute and chronic intestinal infections, when this would clearly be the best way to “apply directly” to an infection, and the more convenient, yet highly problematic solution of broad-spectrum pharmaceutical antibiotics, is almost always prescribed instead.
So to my mind it seems clear that we have allowed our value for convenience to override our need for both safety and effectiveness. In the quest for convenience, we have become dependent on harmful pharmaceutical drugs and have lost touch with the classical knowledge of how to combat illness our selves.
Based on my research and experience, I strongly believe that regularly practicing home enemas is an essential component of effective personal hygiene, just like regularly brushing one’s teeth. Really its even more important than brushing our teeth, because our mouth is not where the primary foundation of our health and wellness resides.
Perhaps its simply because we can see inside our mouths so easily that we focus so much on keeping our mouths clean and our teeth well brushed. Then this same logic would then make it very easy to ignore cleaning our colon. But just because we can’t see inside our colon doesn’t mean it’s not extremely important to keep clean!
You know, it’s a sort of like cleaning the back corners of your fridge. It can be all too easy to ignore, but if you don’t clean it regularly then you will eventually have something rotting in there. This will not only make your whole fridge stink, but it will also affect all of the food in your fridge as the rotting bacteria spreads. And the exact same thing is true inside your colon.
Sensibilisation et Formation aux Premiers secours et à la prevention des risques en milieu scolaires
The second week of camp was so much fun and the hot weather didn’t prevent us from enjoying all the wonderful activities. To honor this week’s theme, “Celebrate America,” the campers enjoyed making hand print flag t-shits. Check online for really cute pictures. The children also decorated sandwich cookies with red, white and blue sprinkles. Yum!
This week in Ceramics, The Willows learned how to pound out the clay into circles to make their hand or foot prints. The children were excited to meet, Billy or Rosie, the ponies and all were smiling while riding. Also, the children continued to master their techniques in swimming and can’t wait to demonstrate their skills on visiting day next week. In Woodcraft, the children had fun painting and coloring their wall organizers, All the campers had a terrific time in Mini-Golf, Soccer, Dance, Gymnastics and Tennis and each child has found his/her favorite activities.
We are looking forward to seeing everyone on Friday July 11th for our visiting day. Remember to label everything your child brings to camp.
Have a great weekend!
For more information on the Willows at Willow Grove Day Camp please visit: willowgrovedaycamp.com/willows/
29 June 2018 - Signing Ceremony with Estonia for the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (MLI)
OECD Headquarters, Paris, France
Photo: OECD/Andrew Wheeler
Web Link :
advancedhomewellness.com/advanced-home-enemas-conquer-can...
Product Links:
advancedhomewellness.com/product-tag/home-enema/
advancedhomewellness.com/product/the-perfect-enema-bag-ki...
advancedhomewellness.com/product/the-healthandyogatm-enem...
advancedhomewellness.com/product/oxy-oxc-magnesium-peroxi...
advancedhomewellness.com/product/doterra-oregano-essentia...
Conquer Candida, Beat the Flu, Strengthen Your Immune System and Prevent Early Aging with Advanced Home Enemas
You’ve Never Brushed Your Teeth Before?!?
Imagine for a moment what the inside of your mouth would look like if you had never brushed your teeth.
Its kind of a frightening thought, isn’t it?!
Learn why brushing your teeth isn’t the only important hygiene practice to adopt and how learning to do home enemas can help you beat infections, strengthen your immune system, slow the aging process…. and even improve your smile.
You’ve Never Brushed Your Teeth Before?!?
Imagine for a moment what the inside of your mouth would look like if you had never brushed your teeth. Its kind of a frightening thought, isn’t it?!
And yet that is the reality for most people… except it’s even worse than that.
You see, our intestinal lining is basically identical to the skin lining inside our mouths, and if we had never brushed our teeth, our mouths would be covered in a tough yellow and white lining of fungus and yeast, as well as many other colorful bacteria colonies.
This is exactly the case in millions of people’s colons across America and the world, because in modern times, the simple practices that maintain basic levels of colon hygiene are mostly ignored and overlooked.
But this wasn’t always the case.
Around the turn of 1900, enemas were considered a foundation for recovery from almost any illness, and an enema or colonic was one of the first procedures performed in hospitals across the United States, and throughout the developed world.
Enemas had been widely used throughout the world for thousands of years before they were standard procedure in US hospitals around the turn of the century.
The phrase “good health resides in the gut” dates back to Hippocrates in ancient Greece, who is known as the Father of Medicine., and modern science now provides ample evidence to support his hypothesis.
Cutting-edge research into the Human Microbiome shows many direct connections between our intestinal health and brain function, mood & emotional state, energy levels and general immune response.
Due to the widespread use of pharmaceutical antibiotics in modern times, this simple and effective practice has fallen almost entirely out of custom. I especially find it ironic that enemas are not even practiced in hospitals and clinic for acute and chronic intestinal infections, when this would clearly be the best way to “apply directly” to an infection, and the more convenient, yet highly problematic solution of broad-spectrum pharmaceutical antibiotics, is almost always prescribed instead.
So to my mind it seems clear that we have allowed our value for convenience to override our need for both safety and effectiveness. In the quest for convenience, we have become dependent on harmful pharmaceutical drugs and have lost touch with the classical knowledge of how to combat illness our selves.
Based on my research and experience, I strongly believe that regularly practicing home enemas is an essential component of effective personal hygiene, just like regularly brushing one’s teeth. Really its even more important than brushing our teeth, because our mouth is not where the primary foundation of our health and wellness resides.
Perhaps its simply because we can see inside our mouths so easily that we focus so much on keeping our mouths clean and our teeth well brushed. Then this same logic would then make it very easy to ignore cleaning our colon. But just because we can’t see inside our colon doesn’t mean it’s not extremely important to keep clean!
You know, it’s a sort of like cleaning the back corners of your fridge. It can be all too easy to ignore, but if you don’t clean it regularly then you will eventually have something rotting in there. This will not only make your whole fridge stink, but it will also affect all of the food in your fridge as the rotting bacteria spreads. And the exact same thing is true inside your colon.
One of the highlights of RIAT 2023 but unfortunately prevented from flying on the Saturday by high crosswinds so we only saw it in the static display. This is a modern build replica of the superior German jet fighter of WWII, with up-to-date engines. With the few surviving airframes firmly ensconced in national museums it provides the only opportunity to see the Me 262 fly in the 21st century. The Royal International Air Tattoo, RIAT 2023, was at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire: the world's greatest military airshow and a must every year for any UK aviation enthusiast at least.
Carreg Cennen Castle is a castle sited on a high rocky outcrop overlooking the River Cennen, close to the village of Trap, four miles south east of Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire, Wales.
The dramatic limestone precipice was originally the site of a native Welsh castle, possibly constructed by The Lord Rhys (d. 1197), although any remains of this castle have been subsumed by later English work. In 1277, during the conquest of Wales by Edward I, the English gained control of the castle. It was briefly retaken by Welsh forces in 1282, but was back under English control by the following year, when it was granted to the English baron John Giffard (d. 1299). The castle was unsuccessfully besieged by Owain Glyndŵr during the Welsh Revolt. During the Wars of the Roses it was surrendered to the Yorkists and slighted in 1462 to prevent further use.
The castle visible today was probably constructed by John Giffard and his son John (d. 1322). It is situated within the Brecon Beacons National Park and is now in the care of Cadw, the Welsh Government historic environment service.
Carreg Cennen Castle consists of a strongly-walled and towered square court. There are six towers, all of different shapes, including a great twin-towered gatehouse on the north side. A range of apartments on the east side of the inner court, or ward, includes a hall, kitchens, chapel, and the so-called 'King's Chamber'. This chamber has a well-carved stone fireplace, and traceried windows, one facing into the courtyard, the other outwards commanding impressive views to the south. These date from the late 13th or early 14th century.
The castle is protected by limestone cliffs to the south and rock-cut ditches to the west. To the north and east there is an outer ward, and within that a barbican, gatehouse. Three drawbridges over deep pits protected the access to the inner ward. In the south-east corner of the inner ward steps lead to a vaulted passage and a natural cave beneath the castle, which leads deep into the hillside. A freshwater spring rises in the cave, which would have been a useful supplement during dry weather when the castle would have had difficulty harvesting rainwater in filling the rainwater cisterns. The castle is under the care of Cadw, who have stabilised and, to a limited extent, restored some of the remains. The castle is accessed via a steep climb up the hill from Castell Farm, which is near the car park. A large threshing barn has been converted to tearooms and a shop, whilst the majority of the farm buildings, around a traditional farmyard, retain their agricultural purposes. Since 1982 these have been part of a farm park with rare and unusual breeds of cows and sheep. This castle did not have a keep as such; the gatehouse acted as the castle's keep because this was the tallest part of the Castell Carreg.
The first masonry castle was probably built by The Lord Rhys, and remained a possession of the Deheubarth dynasty for the next 50 years. The earliest documented mention of the castle is 1248, when Brut y Tywysogion records that Rhys Fychan ap Rhys Mechyll's mother Matilda de Braose, to spite her son, granted the castle to the Norman English, but before the English took possession of it Rhys captured the castle.
For the next 30 years it changed hands frequently between Rhys and his uncle Maredudd, who were fighting for control of the Kingdom of Deheubarth. In 1277, at the start of the conquest of Wales by Edward I, the Welsh lords of the region sided with Edward against the Welsh leader Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and the castle was handed over to the English. In 1282, a second phase of fighting began and the local Welsh nobles switched sides, joining the widespread Welsh rebellion and seizing control of the castle. By the following year it was back in English hands.
In 1283 Edward I granted the castle to John Giffard, the commander of the English troops at Cilmeri where Llywelyn ap Gruffudd was killed. Giffard was probably responsible for the remodelled castle we see today; reconstruction occurred in phases, and it is likely the work was completed under his son, John.
Rhys ap Maredudd briefly captured Carreg Cennen during a rebellion against English rule in 1287, although he did not retain control of the castle for long.
In early July 1403 Owain Glyndŵr, together with 800 men, attacked Carreg Cennen, but, although inflicting severe damage to the walls, failed to take the castle. It was defended against Glyndwr's forces, who laid siege to it for several months, with Owain himself present, by a man who was to marry one of Glyndwr's daughters just a few years later, Sir John Scudamore of Herefordshire.
The damage was repaired in 1409, and by the mid-fifteenth century had come into the possession of the Duchy of Lancaster. Its custodian was Gruffudd ap Nicolas. During the Wars of the Roses, Carreg Cennen became a Lancastrian stronghold. The Yorkist victory at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461 forced Gruffudd's sons to surrender the castle. The Yorkists subsequently set about demolishing (slighting) it with a team of 500 men.
Ownership of the castle passed to the Vaughan and Cawdor families, and from the 18th century it started to attract artists. J. M. W. Turner painted the castle in 1798. The second Earl Cawdor began an extensive renovation in the 19th century, and in 1932 Carreg Cennen was given to the guardianship of the Office of Works. In the 1960s Carreg Cennen Castle was acquired by the Morris family of Castell Farm, when Lord Cawdor's legal team made a mistake in the wording of the deeds and included the castle as part of the farm. Today, the castle remains privately owned by Margaret and Bernard Llewellyn, daughter and son in law of the late Mr. Gwilim Morris. The castle is now maintained by Cadw. It is open daily from 9.30am to 5.00pm between April and October and 9.30 to 4.30pm between November and March (closed Christmas Day).
Carmarthenshire is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as the "Garden of Wales" and is also home to the National Botanic Garden of Wales.
Carmarthenshire has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The county town was founded by the Romans, and the region was part of the Kingdom of Deheubarth in the High Middle Ages. After invasion by the Normans in the 12th and 13th centuries it was subjugated, along with other parts of Wales, by Edward I of England. There was further unrest in the early 15th century, when the Welsh rebelled under Owain Glyndŵr, and during the English Civil War.
Carmarthenshire is mainly an agricultural county, apart from the southeastern part which was once heavily industrialised with coal mining, steel-making and tin-plating. In the north of the county, the woollen industry was very important in the 18th century. The economy depends on agriculture, forestry, fishing and tourism. West Wales was identified in 2014 as the worst-performing region in the United Kingdom along with the South Wales Valleys with the decline in its industrial base, and the low profitability of the livestock sector.
Carmarthenshire, as a tourist destination, offers a wide range of outdoor activities. Much of the coast is fairly flat; it includes the Millennium Coastal Park, which extends for ten miles to the west of Llanelli; the National Wetlands Centre; a championship golf course; and the harbours of Burry Port and Pembrey. The sandy beaches at Llansteffan and Pendine are further west. Carmarthenshire has a number of medieval castles, hillforts and standing stones. The Dylan Thomas Boathouse is at Laugharne.
Stone tools found in Coygan Cave, near Laugharne indicate the presence of hominins, probably neanderthals, at least 40,000 years ago, though, as in the rest of the British Isles, continuous habitation by modern humans is not known before the end of the Younger Dryas, around 11,500 years BP. Before the Romans arrived in Britain, the land now forming the county of Carmarthenshire was part of the kingdom of the Demetae who gave their name to the county of Dyfed; it contained one of their chief settlements, Moridunum, now known as Carmarthen. The Romans established two forts in South Wales, one at Caerwent to control the southeast of the country, and one at Carmarthen to control the southwest. The fort at Carmarthen dates from around 75 AD, and there is a Roman amphitheatre nearby, so this probably makes Carmarthen the oldest continually occupied town in Wales.
Carmarthenshire has its early roots in the region formerly known as Ystrad Tywi ("Vale of [the river] Tywi") and part of the Kingdom of Deheubarth during the High Middle Ages, with the court at Dinefwr. After the Normans had subjugated England they tried to subdue Wales. Carmarthenshire was disputed between the Normans and the Welsh lords and many of the castles built around this time, first of wood and then stone, changed hands several times. Following the Conquest of Wales by Edward I, the region was reorganized by the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 into Carmarthenshire. Edward I made Carmarthen the capital of this new county, establishing his courts of chancery and his exchequer there, and holding the Court of Great Sessions in Wales in the town.
The Normans transformed Carmarthen into an international trading port, the only staple port in Wales. Merchants imported food and French wines and exported wool, pelts, leather, lead and tin. In the late medieval period the county's fortunes varied, as good and bad harvests occurred, increased taxes were levied by England, there were episodes of plague, and recruitment for wars removed the young men. Carmarthen was particularly susceptible to plague as it was brought in by flea-infested rats on board ships from southern France.
In 1405, Owain Glyndŵr captured Carmarthen Castle and several other strongholds in the neighbourhood. However, when his support dwindled, the principal men of the county returned their allegiance to King Henry V. During the English Civil War, Parliamentary forces under Colonel Roland Laugharne besieged and captured Carmarthen Castle but later abandoned the cause, and joined the Royalists. In 1648, Carmarthen Castle was recaptured by the Parliamentarians, and Oliver Cromwell ordered it to be slighted.
The first industrial canal in Wales was built in 1768 to convey coal from the Gwendraeth Valley to the coast, and the following year, the earliest tramroad bridge was on the tramroad built alongside the canal. During the Napoleonic Wars (1799–1815) there was increased demand for coal, iron and agricultural goods, and the county prospered. The landscape changed as much woodland was cleared to make way for more food production, and mills, power stations, mines and factories sprang up between Llanelli and Pembrey. Carmarthenshire was at the centre of the Rebecca Riots around 1840, when local farmers and agricultural workers dressed as women and rebelled against higher taxes and tolls.
On 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, Carmarthenshire joined Cardiganshire and Pembrokeshire in the new county of Dyfed; Carmarthenshire was divided into three districts: Carmarthen, Llanelli and Dinefwr. Twenty-two years later this amalgamation was reversed when, under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, the original county boundaries were reinstated.
The county is bounded to the north by Ceredigion, to the east by Powys (historic county Brecknockshire), Neath Port Talbot (historic county Glamorgan) and Swansea (also Glamorgan), to the south by the Bristol Channel and to the west by Pembrokeshire. Much of the county is upland and hilly. The Black Mountain range dominates the east of the county, with the lower foothills of the Cambrian Mountains to the north across the valley of the River Towy. The south coast contains many fishing villages and sandy beaches. The highest point (county top) is the minor summit of Fan Foel, height 781 metres (2,562 ft), which is a subsidiary top of the higher mountain of Fan Brycheiniog, height 802.5 metres (2,633 ft) (the higher summit, as its name suggests, is actually across the border in Brecknockshire/Powys). Carmarthenshire is the largest historic county by area in Wales.
The county is drained by several important rivers which flow southwards into the Bristol Channel, especially the River Towy, and its several tributaries, such as the River Cothi. The Towy is the longest river flowing entirely within Wales. Other rivers include the Loughor (which forms the eastern boundary with Glamorgan), the River Gwendraeth and the River Taf. The River Teifi forms much of the border between Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, and there are a number of towns in the Teifi Valley which have communities living on either side of the river and hence in different counties. Carmarthenshire has a long coastline which is deeply cut by the estuaries of the Loughor in the east and the Gwendraeth, Tywi and Taf, which enter the sea on the east side of Carmarthen Bay. The coastline includes notable beaches such as Pendine Sands and Cefn Sidan sands, and large areas of foreshore are uncovered at low tide along the Loughor and Towy estuaries.
The principal towns in the county are Ammanford, Burry Port, Carmarthen, Kidwelly, Llanelli, Llandeilo, Newcastle Emlyn, Llandovery, St Clears, and Whitland. The principal industries are agriculture, forestry, fishing and tourism. Although Llanelli is by far the largest town in the county, the county town remains Carmarthen, mainly due to its central location.
Carmarthenshire is predominantly an agricultural county, with only the southeastern area having any significant amount of industry. The best agricultural land is in the broad Tywi Valley, especially its lower reaches. With its fertile land and agricultural produce, Carmarthenshire is known as the "Garden of Wales". The lowest bridge over the river is at Carmarthen, and the Towi Estuary cuts the southwesterly part of the county, including Llansteffan and Laugharne, off from the more urban southeastern region. This area is also bypassed by the main communication routes into Pembrokeshire. A passenger ferry service used to connect Ferryside with Llansteffan until the early part of the twentieth century.
Agriculture and forestry are the main sources of income over most of the county of Carmarthenshire. On improved pastures, dairying is important and in the past, the presence of the railway enabled milk to be transported to the urban areas of England. The creamery at Whitland is now closed but milk processing still takes place at Newcastle Emlyn where mozzarella cheese is made. On upland pastures and marginal land, livestock rearing of cattle and sheep is the main agricultural activity. The estuaries of the Loughor and Towy provide pickings for the cockle industry.
Llanelli, Ammanford and the upper parts of the Gwendraeth Valley are situated on the South Wales Coalfield. The opencast mining activities in this region have now ceased but the old mining settlements with terraced housing remain, often centred on their nonconformist chapels. Kidwelly had a tin-plating industry in the eighteenth century, with Llanelli following not long after, so that by the end of the nineteenth century, Llanelli was the world-centre of the industry. There is little trace of these industrial activities today. Llanelli and Burry Port served at one time for the export of coal, but trade declined, as it did from the ports of Kidwelly and Carmarthen as their estuaries silted up. Country towns in the more agricultural part of the county still hold regular markets where livestock is traded.
In the north of the county, in and around the Teifi Valley, there was a thriving woollen industry in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Here water-power provided the energy to drive the looms and other machinery at the mills. The village of Dre-fach Felindre at one time contained twenty-four mills and was known as the "Huddersfield of Wales". The demand for woollen cloth declined in the twentieth century and so did the industry.
In 2014, West Wales was identified as the worst-performing region in the United Kingdom along with the South Wales Valleys. The gross value added economic indicator showed a figure of £14,763 per head in these regions, as compared with a GVA of £22,986 for Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. The Welsh Assembly Government is aware of this, and helped by government initiatives and local actions, opportunities for farmers to diversify have emerged. These include farm tourism, rural crafts, specialist food shops, farmers' markets and added-value food products.
Carmarthenshire County Council produced a fifteen-year plan that highlighted six projects which it hoped would create five thousand new jobs. The sectors involved would be in the "creative industries, tourism, agri-food, advanced manufacturing, energy and environment, and financial and professional services".
Carmarthenshire became an administrative county with a county council taking over functions from the Quarter Sessions under the Local Government Act 1888. Under the Local Government Act 1972, the administrative county of Carmarthenshire was abolished on 1 April 1974 and the area of Carmarthenshire became three districts within the new county of Dyfed : Carmarthen, Dinefwr and Llanelli. Under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, Dyfed was abolished on 1 April 1996 and Carmarthenshire was re-established as a county. The three districts united to form a unitary authority which had the same boundaries as the traditional county of Carmarthenshire. In 2003, the Clynderwen community council area was transferred to the administrative county of Pembrokeshire.
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, Carmarthen and Wrexham were the two most populous towns in Wales. In 1931, the county's population was 171,445 and in 1951, 164,800. At the census in 2011, Carmarthenshire had a population of 183,777. Population levels have thus dipped and then increased again over the course of eighty years. The population density in Carmarthenshire is 0.8 persons per hectare compared to 1.5 per hectare in Wales as a whole.
Carmarthenshire was the most populous of the five historic counties of Wales to remain majority Welsh-speaking throughout the 20th century. According to the 1911 Census, 84.9 per cent of the county's population were Welsh-speaking (compared with 43.5 per cent in all of Wales), with 20.5 per cent of Carmarthenshire's overall population being monolingual Welsh-speakers.
In 1931, 82.3 per cent could speak Welsh and in 1951, 75.2 per cent. By the 2001 census, 50.3 per cent of people living in Carmarthenshire could speak Welsh, with 39 per cent being able to read and write the language as well.
The 2011 census showed a further decline, with 43.9 per cent speaking Welsh, making it a minority language in the county for the first time. However, the 2011 census also showed that 3,000 more people could understand spoken Welsh than in 2001 and that 60% of 5-14-year-olds could speak Welsh (a 5% increase since 2001). A decade later, the 2021 census, showed further decrease, to 39.9% Welsh speakers -- the largest percentage drop in all of Wales.
With its strategic location and history, the county is rich in archaeological remains such as forts, earthworks and standing stones. Carn Goch is one of the most impressive Iron Age forts and stands on a hilltop near Llandeilo. The Bronze Age is represented by chambered cairns and standing stones on Mynydd Llangyndeyrn, near Llangyndeyrn. Castles that can be easily accessed include Carreg Cennen, Dinefwr, Kidwelly, Laugharne, Llansteffan and Newcastle Emlyn Castle. There are the ruinous remains of Talley Abbey, and the coastal village of Laugharne is for ever associated with Dylan Thomas. Stately homes in the county include Aberglasney House and Gardens, Golden Grove and Newton House.
There are plenty of opportunities in the county for hiking, observing wildlife and admiring the scenery. These include Brechfa Forest, the Pembrey Country Park, the Millennium Coastal Park at Llanelli, the WWT Llanelli Wetlands Centre and the Carmel National Nature Reserve. There are large stretches of golden sands and the Wales Coast Path now provides a continuous walking route around the whole of Wales.
The National Botanic Garden of Wales displays plants from Wales and from all around the world, and the Carmarthenshire County Museum, the National Wool Museum, the Parc Howard Museum, the Pendine Museum of Speed and the West Wales Museum of Childhood all provide opportunities to delve into the past. Dylan Thomas Boathouse where the author wrote many of his works can be visited, as can the Roman-worked Dolaucothi Gold Mines.
Activities available in the county include rambling, cycling, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, horse riding, caving, abseiling and coasteering.[7] Carmarthen Town A.F.C. plays in the Cymru Premier. They won the Welsh Football League Cup in the 1995–96 season, and since then have won the Welsh Cup once and the Welsh League Cup twice. Llanelli Town A.F.C. play in the Welsh Football League Division Two. The club won the Welsh premier league and Loosemores challenge cup in 2008 and won the Welsh Cup in 2011, but after experiencing financial difficulties, were wound up and reformed under the present title in 2013. Scarlets is the regional professional rugby union team that plays in the Pro14, they play their home matches at their ground, Parc y Scarlets. Honours include winning the 2003/04 and 2016/17 Pro12. Llanelli RFC is a semi-professional rugby union team that play in the Welsh Premier Division, also playing home matches at Parc y Scarlets. Among many honours, they have been WRU Challenge Cup winners on fourteen occasions and frequently taken part in the Heineken Cup. West Wales Raiders, based in Llanelli, represent the county in Rugby league.
Some sporting venues utilise disused industrial sites. Ffos Las racecourse was built on the site of an open cast coal mine after mining operations ceased. Opened in 2009, it was the first racecourse built in the United Kingdom for eighty years and has regular race-days. Machynys is a championship golf course opened in 2005 and built as part of the Llanelli Waterside regeneration plan. Pembrey Circuit is a motor racing circuit near Pembrey village, considered the home of Welsh motorsport, providing racing for cars, motorcycles, karts and trucks. It was opened in 1989 on a former airfield, is popular for testing and has hosted many events including the British Touring Car Championship twice. The 2018 Tour of Britain cycling race started at Pembrey on 2 September 2018.
Carmarthenshire is served by the main line railway service operated by Transport for Wales Rail which links London Paddington, Cardiff Central and Swansea to southwest Wales. The main hub is Carmarthen railway station where some services from the east terminate. The line continues westwards with several branches which serve Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven and Fishguard Harbour (for the ferry to Rosslare Europort and connecting trains to Dublin Connolly). The Heart of Wales Line takes a scenic route through mid-Wales and links Llanelli with Craven Arms, from where passengers can travel on the Welsh Marches Line to Shrewsbury.
Two heritage railways, the Gwili Railway and the Teifi Valley Railway, use the track of the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway that at one time ran from Carmarthen to Newcastle Emlyn, but did not reach Cardigan.
The A40, A48, A484 and A485 converge on Carmarthen. The M4 route that links South Wales with London, terminates at junction 49, the Pont Abraham services, to continue northwest as the dual carriageway A48, and to finish with its junction with the A40 in Carmarthen.
Llanelli is linked to M4 junction 48 by the A4138. The A40 links Carmarthen to Llandeilo, Llandovery and Brecon to the east, and with St Clears, Whitland and Haverfordwest to the west. The A484 links Llanelli with Carmarthen by a coastal route and continues northwards to Cardigan, and via the A486 and A487 to Aberystwyth, and the A485 links Carmarthen to Lampeter.
Bus services run between the main towns within the county and are operated by First Cymru under their "Western Welsh" or "Cymru Clipper" livery. Bus services from Carmarthenshire are also run to Cardiff. A bus service known as "fflecsi Laugharne Town Hall (Welsh: Neuadd y Dref Talacharn) is a municipal building in Market Street in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The structure, which is the meeting place of Laugharne Corporation, is a Grade II* listed building.
The first municipal building in the town was an ancient guildhall located on or near the same site which may have dated back to the formation of Laugharne Corporation by the Marcher Lord, Sir Guy de Brian (Gui de Brienne), in the late-13th century. By the mid-18th century the tower had become ruined and civic leaders decided to erect a new structure. The new building was designed in the Italianate style, built in rubble masonry with a whitewash finish and was completed in 1747.
The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage with a hall section of two bays facing onto Market Street with rusticated quoins and an attached tower. The hall section featured two segmental headed openings with wrought iron grills and voussoirs on the ground floor and two windows on the first floor. The tower, which featured clock faces on the north and south sides, was surmounted by a pyramid-shaped roof. Internally, the principal rooms were the market hall on the ground floor and the courtroom on the first floor.
A lean-to containing a lock-up for petty criminals was added to the east side in 1774, a bellcote with a bell designed and cast by Rudhall of Gloucester together with a weather vane in the form of a peacock were added to the roof in 1786, and the first floor was re-fenestrated with Gothic-style sash windows in 1814.
Laugharne Corporation was formally abolished under the Municipal Corporations Act 1882 but fortnightly meetings of the court baron continued take place in the town hall under the auspices of a Grand Jury, which was presided over by the portreeve, acting as the chief magistrate, to ensure the corporation's extensive property portfolio continued to be properly managed.
The clock was replaced in the late 19th century and a gabled porch was added in 1910. In the early 1950s, the poet, Dylan Thomas, who lived in the town, wrote to his patron, Margaret Taylor, describing Laugharne as "timeless" and, with the town hall in mind, claiming that "it's clock tells the time backwards".
Carmarthenshire is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as the "Garden of Wales" and is also home to the National Botanic Garden of Wales.
Carmarthenshire has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The county town was founded by the Romans, and the region was part of the Kingdom of Deheubarth in the High Middle Ages. After invasion by the Normans in the 12th and 13th centuries it was subjugated, along with other parts of Wales, by Edward I of England. There was further unrest in the early 15th century, when the Welsh rebelled under Owain Glyndŵr, and during the English Civil War.
Carmarthenshire is mainly an agricultural county, apart from the southeastern part which was once heavily industrialised with coal mining, steel-making and tin-plating. In the north of the county, the woollen industry was very important in the 18th century. The economy depends on agriculture, forestry, fishing and tourism. West Wales was identified in 2014 as the worst-performing region in the United Kingdom along with the South Wales Valleys with the decline in its industrial base, and the low profitability of the livestock sector.
Carmarthenshire, as a tourist destination, offers a wide range of outdoor activities. Much of the coast is fairly flat; it includes the Millennium Coastal Park, which extends for ten miles to the west of Llanelli; the National Wetlands Centre; a championship golf course; and the harbours of Burry Port and Pembrey. The sandy beaches at Llansteffan and Pendine are further west. Carmarthenshire has a number of medieval castles, hillforts and standing stones. The Dylan Thomas Boathouse is at Laugharne.
Stone tools found in Coygan Cave, near Laugharne indicate the presence of hominins, probably neanderthals, at least 40,000 years ago, though, as in the rest of the British Isles, continuous habitation by modern humans is not known before the end of the Younger Dryas, around 11,500 years BP. Before the Romans arrived in Britain, the land now forming the county of Carmarthenshire was part of the kingdom of the Demetae who gave their name to the county of Dyfed; it contained one of their chief settlements, Moridunum, now known as Carmarthen. The Romans established two forts in South Wales, one at Caerwent to control the southeast of the country, and one at Carmarthen to control the southwest. The fort at Carmarthen dates from around 75 AD, and there is a Roman amphitheatre nearby, so this probably makes Carmarthen the oldest continually occupied town in Wales.
Carmarthenshire has its early roots in the region formerly known as Ystrad Tywi ("Vale of [the river] Tywi") and part of the Kingdom of Deheubarth during the High Middle Ages, with the court at Dinefwr. After the Normans had subjugated England they tried to subdue Wales. Carmarthenshire was disputed between the Normans and the Welsh lords and many of the castles built around this time, first of wood and then stone, changed hands several times. Following the Conquest of Wales by Edward I, the region was reorganized by the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 into Carmarthenshire. Edward I made Carmarthen the capital of this new county, establishing his courts of chancery and his exchequer there, and holding the Court of Great Sessions in Wales in the town.
The Normans transformed Carmarthen into an international trading port, the only staple port in Wales. Merchants imported food and French wines and exported wool, pelts, leather, lead and tin. In the late medieval period the county's fortunes varied, as good and bad harvests occurred, increased taxes were levied by England, there were episodes of plague, and recruitment for wars removed the young men. Carmarthen was particularly susceptible to plague as it was brought in by flea-infested rats on board ships from southern France.
In 1405, Owain Glyndŵr captured Carmarthen Castle and several other strongholds in the neighbourhood. However, when his support dwindled, the principal men of the county returned their allegiance to King Henry V. During the English Civil War, Parliamentary forces under Colonel Roland Laugharne besieged and captured Carmarthen Castle but later abandoned the cause, and joined the Royalists. In 1648, Carmarthen Castle was recaptured by the Parliamentarians, and Oliver Cromwell ordered it to be slighted.
The first industrial canal in Wales was built in 1768 to convey coal from the Gwendraeth Valley to the coast, and the following year, the earliest tramroad bridge was on the tramroad built alongside the canal. During the Napoleonic Wars (1799–1815) there was increased demand for coal, iron and agricultural goods, and the county prospered. The landscape changed as much woodland was cleared to make way for more food production, and mills, power stations, mines and factories sprang up between Llanelli and Pembrey. Carmarthenshire was at the centre of the Rebecca Riots around 1840, when local farmers and agricultural workers dressed as women and rebelled against higher taxes and tolls.
On 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, Carmarthenshire joined Cardiganshire and Pembrokeshire in the new county of Dyfed; Carmarthenshire was divided into three districts: Carmarthen, Llanelli and Dinefwr. Twenty-two years later this amalgamation was reversed when, under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, the original county boundaries were reinstated.
The county is bounded to the north by Ceredigion, to the east by Powys (historic county Brecknockshire), Neath Port Talbot (historic county Glamorgan) and Swansea (also Glamorgan), to the south by the Bristol Channel and to the west by Pembrokeshire. Much of the county is upland and hilly. The Black Mountain range dominates the east of the county, with the lower foothills of the Cambrian Mountains to the north across the valley of the River Towy. The south coast contains many fishing villages and sandy beaches. The highest point (county top) is the minor summit of Fan Foel, height 781 metres (2,562 ft), which is a subsidiary top of the higher mountain of Fan Brycheiniog, height 802.5 metres (2,633 ft) (the higher summit, as its name suggests, is actually across the border in Brecknockshire/Powys). Carmarthenshire is the largest historic county by area in Wales.
The county is drained by several important rivers which flow southwards into the Bristol Channel, especially the River Towy, and its several tributaries, such as the River Cothi. The Towy is the longest river flowing entirely within Wales. Other rivers include the Loughor (which forms the eastern boundary with Glamorgan), the River Gwendraeth and the River Taf. The River Teifi forms much of the border between Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, and there are a number of towns in the Teifi Valley which have communities living on either side of the river and hence in different counties. Carmarthenshire has a long coastline which is deeply cut by the estuaries of the Loughor in the east and the Gwendraeth, Tywi and Taf, which enter the sea on the east side of Carmarthen Bay. The coastline includes notable beaches such as Pendine Sands and Cefn Sidan sands, and large areas of foreshore are uncovered at low tide along the Loughor and Towy estuaries.
The principal towns in the county are Ammanford, Burry Port, Carmarthen, Kidwelly, Llanelli, Llandeilo, Newcastle Emlyn, Llandovery, St Clears, and Whitland. The principal industries are agriculture, forestry, fishing and tourism. Although Llanelli is by far the largest town in the county, the county town remains Carmarthen, mainly due to its central location.
Carmarthenshire is predominantly an agricultural county, with only the southeastern area having any significant amount of industry. The best agricultural land is in the broad Tywi Valley, especially its lower reaches. With its fertile land and agricultural produce, Carmarthenshire is known as the "Garden of Wales". The lowest bridge over the river is at Carmarthen, and the Towi Estuary cuts the southwesterly part of the county, including Llansteffan and Laugharne, off from the more urban southeastern region. This area is also bypassed by the main communication routes into Pembrokeshire. A passenger ferry service used to connect Ferryside with Llansteffan until the early part of the twentieth century.
Agriculture and forestry are the main sources of income over most of the county of Carmarthenshire. On improved pastures, dairying is important and in the past, the presence of the railway enabled milk to be transported to the urban areas of England. The creamery at Whitland is now closed but milk processing still takes place at Newcastle Emlyn where mozzarella cheese is made. On upland pastures and marginal land, livestock rearing of cattle and sheep is the main agricultural activity. The estuaries of the Loughor and Towy provide pickings for the cockle industry.
Llanelli, Ammanford and the upper parts of the Gwendraeth Valley are situated on the South Wales Coalfield. The opencast mining activities in this region have now ceased but the old mining settlements with terraced housing remain, often centred on their nonconformist chapels. Kidwelly had a tin-plating industry in the eighteenth century, with Llanelli following not long after, so that by the end of the nineteenth century, Llanelli was the world-centre of the industry. There is little trace of these industrial activities today. Llanelli and Burry Port served at one time for the export of coal, but trade declined, as it did from the ports of Kidwelly and Carmarthen as their estuaries silted up. Country towns in the more agricultural part of the county still hold regular markets where livestock is traded.
In the north of the county, in and around the Teifi Valley, there was a thriving woollen industry in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Here water-power provided the energy to drive the looms and other machinery at the mills. The village of Dre-fach Felindre at one time contained twenty-four mills and was known as the "Huddersfield of Wales". The demand for woollen cloth declined in the twentieth century and so did the industry.
In 2014, West Wales was identified as the worst-performing region in the United Kingdom along with the South Wales Valleys. The gross value added economic indicator showed a figure of £14,763 per head in these regions, as compared with a GVA of £22,986 for Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. The Welsh Assembly Government is aware of this, and helped by government initiatives and local actions, opportunities for farmers to diversify have emerged. These include farm tourism, rural crafts, specialist food shops, farmers' markets and added-value food products.
Carmarthenshire County Council produced a fifteen-year plan that highlighted six projects which it hoped would create five thousand new jobs. The sectors involved would be in the "creative industries, tourism, agri-food, advanced manufacturing, energy and environment, and financial and professional services".
Carmarthenshire became an administrative county with a county council taking over functions from the Quarter Sessions under the Local Government Act 1888. Under the Local Government Act 1972, the administrative county of Carmarthenshire was abolished on 1 April 1974 and the area of Carmarthenshire became three districts within the new county of Dyfed : Carmarthen, Dinefwr and Llanelli. Under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, Dyfed was abolished on 1 April 1996 and Carmarthenshire was re-established as a county. The three districts united to form a unitary authority which had the same boundaries as the traditional county of Carmarthenshire. In 2003, the Clynderwen community council area was transferred to the administrative county of Pembrokeshire.
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, Carmarthen and Wrexham were the two most populous towns in Wales. In 1931, the county's population was 171,445 and in 1951, 164,800. At the census in 2011, Carmarthenshire had a population of 183,777. Population levels have thus dipped and then increased again over the course of eighty years. The population density in Carmarthenshire is 0.8 persons per hectare compared to 1.5 per hectare in Wales as a whole.
Carmarthenshire was the most populous of the five historic counties of Wales to remain majority Welsh-speaking throughout the 20th century. According to the 1911 Census, 84.9 per cent of the county's population were Welsh-speaking (compared with 43.5 per cent in all of Wales), with 20.5 per cent of Carmarthenshire's overall population being monolingual Welsh-speakers.
In 1931, 82.3 per cent could speak Welsh and in 1951, 75.2 per cent. By the 2001 census, 50.3 per cent of people living in Carmarthenshire could speak Welsh, with 39 per cent being able to read and write the language as well.
The 2011 census showed a further decline, with 43.9 per cent speaking Welsh, making it a minority language in the county for the first time. However, the 2011 census also showed that 3,000 more people could understand spoken Welsh than in 2001 and that 60% of 5-14-year-olds could speak Welsh (a 5% increase since 2001). A decade later, the 2021 census, showed further decrease, to 39.9% Welsh speakers -- the largest percentage drop in all of Wales.
With its strategic location and history, the county is rich in archaeological remains such as forts, earthworks and standing stones. Carn Goch is one of the most impressive Iron Age forts and stands on a hilltop near Llandeilo. The Bronze Age is represented by chambered cairns and standing stones on Mynydd Llangyndeyrn, near Llangyndeyrn. Castles that can be easily accessed include Carreg Cennen, Dinefwr, Kidwelly, Laugharne, Llansteffan and Newcastle Emlyn Castle. There are the ruinous remains of Talley Abbey, and the coastal village of Laugharne is for ever associated with Dylan Thomas. Stately homes in the county include Aberglasney House and Gardens, Golden Grove and Newton House.
There are plenty of opportunities in the county for hiking, observing wildlife and admiring the scenery. These include Brechfa Forest, the Pembrey Country Park, the Millennium Coastal Park at Llanelli, the WWT Llanelli Wetlands Centre and the Carmel National Nature Reserve. There are large stretches of golden sands and the Wales Coast Path now provides a continuous walking route around the whole of Wales.
The National Botanic Garden of Wales displays plants from Wales and from all around the world, and the Carmarthenshire County Museum, the National Wool Museum, the Parc Howard Museum, the Pendine Museum of Speed and the West Wales Museum of Childhood all provide opportunities to delve into the past. Dylan Thomas Boathouse where the author wrote many of his works can be visited, as can the Roman-worked Dolaucothi Gold Mines.
Activities available in the county include rambling, cycling, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, horse riding, caving, abseiling and coasteering.[7] Carmarthen Town A.F.C. plays in the Cymru Premier. They won the Welsh Football League Cup in the 1995–96 season, and since then have won the Welsh Cup once and the Welsh League Cup twice. Llanelli Town A.F.C. play in the Welsh Football League Division Two. The club won the Welsh premier league and Loosemores challenge cup in 2008 and won the Welsh Cup in 2011, but after experiencing financial difficulties, were wound up and reformed under the present title in 2013. Scarlets is the regional professional rugby union team that plays in the Pro14, they play their home matches at their ground, Parc y Scarlets. Honours include winning the 2003/04 and 2016/17 Pro12. Llanelli RFC is a semi-professional rugby union team that play in the Welsh Premier Division, also playing home matches at Parc y Scarlets. Among many honours, they have been WRU Challenge Cup winners on fourteen occasions and frequently taken part in the Heineken Cup. West Wales Raiders, based in Llanelli, represent the county in Rugby league.
Some sporting venues utilise disused industrial sites. Ffos Las racecourse was built on the site of an open cast coal mine after mining operations ceased. Opened in 2009, it was the first racecourse built in the United Kingdom for eighty years and has regular race-days. Machynys is a championship golf course opened in 2005 and built as part of the Llanelli Waterside regeneration plan. Pembrey Circuit is a motor racing circuit near Pembrey village, considered the home of Welsh motorsport, providing racing for cars, motorcycles, karts and trucks. It was opened in 1989 on a former airfield, is popular for testing and has hosted many events including the British Touring Car Championship twice. The 2018 Tour of Britain cycling race started at Pembrey on 2 September 2018.
Carmarthenshire is served by the main line railway service operated by Transport for Wales Rail which links London Paddington, Cardiff Central and Swansea to southwest Wales. The main hub is Carmarthen railway station where some services from the east terminate. The line continues westwards with several branches which serve Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven and Fishguard Harbour (for the ferry to Rosslare Europort and connecting trains to Dublin Connolly). The Heart of Wales Line takes a scenic route through mid-Wales and links Llanelli with Craven Arms, from where passengers can travel on the Welsh Marches Line to Shrewsbury.
Two heritage railways, the Gwili Railway and the Teifi Valley Railway, use the track of the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway that at one time ran from Carmarthen to Newcastle Emlyn, but did not reach Cardigan.
The A40, A48, A484 and A485 converge on Carmarthen. The M4 route that links South Wales with London, terminates at junction 49, the Pont Abraham services, to continue northwest as the dual carriageway A48, and to finish with its junction with the A40 in Carmarthen.
Llanelli is linked to M4 junction 48 by the A4138. The A40 links Carmarthen to Llandeilo, Llandovery and Brecon to the east, and with St Clears, Whitland and Haverfordwest to the west. The A484 links Llanelli with Carmarthen by a coastal route and continues northwards to Cardigan, and via the A486 and A487 to Aberystwyth, and the A485 links Carmarthen to Lampeter.
Bus services run between the main towns within the county and are operated by First Cymru under their "Western Welsh" or "Cymru Clipper" livery. Bus services from Carmarthenshire are also run to Cardiff. A bus service known as "fflecsi Bwcabus" (formerly just "Bwcabus") operates in the north of the county, offering customised transport to rural dwellers.
Carmarthenshire has rich, fertile farmland and a productive coast with estuaries providing a range of foods that motivate many home cooks and chefs.; (formerly just "Bwcabus") operates in the north of the county, offering customised transport to rural dwellers.
Carmarthenshire has rich, fertile farmland and a productive coast with estuaries providing a range of foods that motivate many home cooks and chefs.
Seniors and Housing Minister Josephine Pon announced, in Edmonton on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, new initiatives for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
The government is providing $750,000 to the Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness Council to support elder abuse prevention and intervention initiatives. Approximately $650,000 of this funding will help coordinated community responses (CCRs) increase supports for seniors subjected to abuse. CCRs are multidisciplinary partnerships that can include a range of partners, such as local governments, non-profit organizations, businesses, health service providers and police services. The council will use the remaining funding to provide ongoing support for grant recipients, explore best practices for data collection and provide enhanced elder abuse awareness training for service providers and responders.
“Seniors built this province and are the strength of Alberta. Unfortunately, they are not always treated with the respect they deserve. Elder abuse is not acceptable, for anyone, and in any form. These new initiatives will unite Alberta’s government with community organizations across the province to take stronger action against elder abuse.” said Minister Pon.
“Elder abuse is a complex issue that requires a coordinated, collaborative response. Through case management funding, we can support the great work already going on in communities and ensure response services are available for seniors experiencing elder abuse.” said Shantel Ottenbreit, chair, Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness Council.
In addition, Alberta’s government is undertaking an engagement with stakeholders and Albertans on elder abuse. This dialogue is intended to update elder abuse responses through better understanding, recognition and prevention at the community level. The first step will be to seek input on a revised provincial definition of elder abuse. Stakeholder engagements will take place over the next few weeks and a public engagement will launch later this year.
Grant recipients
Healthy Families Healthy Futures Society: Athabasca, Westlock, Barrhead – $50,000
Family Violence Action Society: Camrose and District – $50,000
Calgary Rural Primary Care Network: Claresholm region – $50,000
Vulcan Regional Response to Elder Abuse Council: Foothills and Nanton CCRs – $37,000
Hinton Family and Community Support Services – $21,678
Kerby Centre: Calgary Elder Abuse Response – $49,907
Lamont County Region Family and Community Support Services – $50,000
Lloydminster Interval Home Society – $45,000
Medicine Hat Family Services – $36,000
Edmonton Seniors Protection Partnership – $35,000
Stop Abuse in Families (SAIF, St. Albert) – $20,000
St. Aidan’s Housing Society (Fort McMurray) – $39,256
Siksika Health Services – $46,000
Stony Plain Family and Community Support Services – $50,000
Greenwood Neighbourhood Place Society (Sundre and region) – $15,950
Enoch Cree Nation – $50,000
(photography by Chris Schwarz/Government of Alberta)
VAN NUYS - A swift and skilfull response by Los Angeles Firefighters prevented flames from a well involved vehicle from extending beyond the carport of a three story apartment building in the 15300 block of Vanowen Street early April 14, 2017. © Photo by Rick McClure
LAFD Incident: 041417-0145
Connect with us: LAFD.ORG | News | Facebook | Instagram | Reddit | Twitter: @LAFD @LAFDtalk
29 June 2018 - Signing Ceremony with Estonia for the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (MLI)
OECD Headquarters, Paris, France
Photo: OECD/Andrew Wheeler
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Angelina Jolie speaking at the launch of the G8 Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence, 11 April 2013.
Spencer Chandra Herbert, MLA for Vancouver West-End, on behalf of David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing, announces that new legislative changes, if passed, will build on the Province’s work to give British Columbians more security by extending the rent freeze to Dec. 31, 2021.
Learn more: news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021AG0026-000360
An image from the Prevent Breast Cancer Bingo Bedlam event at Manchester Central Convention Centre, Manchester on 19 November 2022. (Photo by Matt Wilkinson/Wilkinson Photography)
Check Out This Tips on How to Prevent Tooth Cavities The Easy Way. Brought to you by South Airdrie Smiles. For more info, check out: www.southairdriesmiles.com
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Getsemaní Barajas, Vías Alternas, Ciudad de México, agosto de 2010. Fotografía digital. Archivo de la autora.
NORTHRIDGE - Despite a quick response by Los Angeles Firefighters that prevented injury, smoke and flame damage from a fast-moving garage fire led to the displacement of a family from their home in the 19100 block of Harnett Street late May 3, 2020.
LAFD Incident 050320-1324
© Photo by Jacob Salzman
Connect with us: LAFD.ORG | News | Facebook | Instagram | Reddit | Twitter: @LAFD @LAFDtalk
In Afghanistan, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is building water, power, and transportation projects as well as Afghan National Security Forces facilities to enable security and stability in the nation.
Did you know though, construction remains one of the most dangerous industries in the world?
The best defense against near misses or worse is prevention through education, training and awareness. When an accident, incident, or near miss occurs at a district job site, Geronimo Gomez, (left) a safety and occupational health specialist with the USACE Transatlantic Afghanistan District, investigates; identifying all the possible factors in his pursuit to determine the causes resulting in the unfortunate event, eliminate hazards and prevent future accidents. Also photographed is Lt. Col. John Connor, South Area Office officer in charge.
DAVOS/SWITZERLAND, 20JAN16 - Maria Bartiromo, Anchor and Global Markets Editor, Fox Business Network, USA; Young Global Leader points with her hand during the session 'Preventing Future Shocks' at the Annual Meeting 2016 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 20, 2016.
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM/swiss-image.ch/Photo Valeriano Di Domenico
Technology will not prevent the next bubble. The principal causes of the financial crisis were too much leverage and poorly underwritten mortgage loans. These problems stemmed mainly from poor incentives, bad ethics, and ideological blinders. Better underwriting or more sophisticated algorithms cannot deal with such issues. Steven Eisman is the subject of the book and film version of the “The Big Short.”
Phuc An commune, researchers inspect forage grass planted on sloping land with cassava to prevent soil erosion. The grasses can then be fed to cattle. Credit: Georgina Smith / CIAT. For more information contact g.smith[at]cgiar.org
Technology will not prevent the next bubble. The principal causes of the financial crisis were too much leverage and poorly underwritten mortgage loans. These problems stemmed mainly from poor incentives, bad ethics, and ideological blinders. Better underwriting or more sophisticated algorithms cannot deal with such issues. Steven Eisman is the subject of the book and film version of the “The Big Short.”
June 14 was the first anniversary of the defining event in the UK last year — the Grenfell Tower fire, an entirely preventable disaster, in which 72 people died when an inferno engulfed a 24-storey tower block in North Kensington in west London. On the 14th of every month since, a Silent Walk has taken place in the vicinity of the tower, and thousands of people turned up on Thursday June 14, from across London as well as from other places in the UK, to show solidarity with the survivors and the local community. The Silent Walks are extremely moving experiences, and the 1st anniversary walk was, of course, no exception.
I took this photo just off Ladbroke Grove, of one of numerous posters put up outside people’s houses as part of a project encouraging people to print off their own comments.
The disaster last June should never have happened because the tower was built of concrete that is largely resistant to fire, and because of a ‘compartmentalisation’, which is meant to ensure that any fire will be contained within the individual apartment in which it breaks out for an hour, giving the fire services time to arrive on the scene. However, Grenfell’s structural integrity had been fatally compromised during recent refurbishment, which was designed to make it look better, but which involved the application of highly flammable cladding.
The truth about Grenfell, which is slowly coming to light in the government’s official inquiry but was known to anyone paying attention at the time of the fire, is that those responsible for the safety of the residents of social housing in tower blocks — central government, local government, management companies and contractors — were all part of a world in which red tape had deliberately been cut to enable greater profits to be made, and it was somehow considered acceptable for dangerously inflammable material to be used as cladding.
For a truly shocking warning of the fire before it happened, see this Grenfell Action Group article from November 2016, just one of many ignored by Kensington and Chelsea Council and the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation, which managed all of the council’s social housing: grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2016/11/20/kctmo-playin...
Please also read my article for the 1st anniversary: www.andyworthington.co.uk/2018/06/14/grenfell-one-year-on...
And check out ‘Grenfell’ by my band The Four Fathers: youtu.be/BLehKWOhMyY
Technology will not prevent the next bubble. The principal causes of the financial crisis were too much leverage and poorly underwritten mortgage loans. These problems stemmed mainly from poor incentives, bad ethics, and ideological blinders. Better underwriting or more sophisticated algorithms cannot deal with such issues. Steven Eisman is the subject of the book and film version of the “The Big Short.”
GOVERNOR TOMBLIN, DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS ASSISTANCE UNVEIL PROGRAM TO PREVENT SUICIDE AMONG VETERANS
Mountain State 22 aims to increase awareness of risk factors contributing to veterans' suicides
CHARLESTON, W. Va. (Sept. 7, 2016) - Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin today joined officials from the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance and representatives of a variety of veterans' organizations to announce the Mountain State 22 program - an initiative designed to spotlight issues that prompt suicide among veterans and reduce the number of veterans' suicides.
"West Virginia's veterans have made immense sacrifices in service to our state and nation," Gov. Tomblin said. "When our military men and women return to civilian life, we should be doing everything in our power to ensure they have the support and services they need to lead healthy and productive lives. Our hope is for this program to identify the risk factors that can lead to suicide, and work hand-in-hand with our veterans to overcome these issues."
The program began to take shape earlier this year when West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance Deputy Secretary Billy Wayne Bailey approached Gov. Tomblin with the idea of creating a collaborative program that focuses on specific issues that could prompt suicide among former soldiers. Post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and after-effects of exposure to chemicals are among the causes believed to create risks for suicide.
Mountain State 22 is the first State-managed program in the country directed specifically toward curbing veterans' suicides.
"We are taking small steps now, but our idea is to create a suicide-prevention initiative that will let veterans and their family members know that help is available. Our starting point is the belief that suicides among veterans are preventable," Bailey said. "As we begin this venture, which is the only one of its kind, we have three big-picture objectives. We want to bring attention to the issues that prompt suicide, to find and seek the right help for our veterans who might be at risk and to drastically reduce that number of suicides among West Virginia veterans."
According to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs studies, the national average for suicides in the U.S. is 22 per day. There were eight reported suicides in 2015 among West Virginia veterans.
"There were eight suicides that were 'reported' as suicides. Unfortunately, that number is probably higher," Bailey said. "Our approach is that one is too many."
The Rev. Chris Thompson - a Wheeling native and former National Guard chaplain who has served in West Virginia, Ohio and Florida - is Bailey's appointment to head the Mountain State 22 program. Thompson is setting regional discussion meetings around the state that will include agencies, organizations, veterans and individuals with medical and mental health treatment experience.
The Mountain State 22 program will also include education and public awareness initiatives designed to reach veterans and their family members.
"This program is in its initial stages. We have a lot of growing and learning to do," Bailey said. "But we're heading into this with boots on the ground. We're taking an aggressive approach, because the problem of veterans committing suicide needs attention now."
Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”
The Berlin Wall (German: Berliner Mauer) was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, which circumscribed a wide area (later known as the "death strip") that contained anti-vehicle trenches, "fakir beds" and other defences. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.
The Berlin Wall was officially referred to as the "Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart" (German: Antifaschistischer Schutzwall) by GDR authorities, implying that neighbouring West Germany had not been fully de-Nazified. The West Berlin city government sometimes referred to it as the "Wall of Shame"—a term coined by mayor Willy Brandt—while condemning the Wall's restriction on freedom of movement. Along with the separate and much longer Inner German border (IGB) that demarcated the border between East and West Germany, both borders came to symbolize the "Iron Curtain" that separated Western Europe and the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War.
Before the Wall's erection, 3.5 million East Germans circumvented Eastern Bloc emigration restrictions and defected from the GDR, many by crossing over the border from East Berlin into West Berlin, from where they could then travel to West Germany and other Western European countries. Between 1961 and 1989, the wall prevented almost all such emigration. During this period, around 5,000 people attempted to escape over the wall, with estimates of the resulting death toll varying between 100 and 200.
In 1989, a radical series of political changes occurred in the Eastern Bloc, associated with the liberalization of the Eastern Bloc's authoritarian systems and the erosion of political power in the pro-Soviet governments in nearby Poland and Hungary. After several weeks of civil unrest, the East German government announced on 9 November 1989 that all GDR citizens could visit West Germany and West Berlin. Crowds of East Germans crossed and climbed onto the wall, joined by West Germans on the other side in a celebratory atmosphere. Over the next few weeks, a euphoric public and souvenir hunters chipped away parts of the wall; the governments later used industrial equipment to remove most of the rest. The fall of the Berlin Wall paved the way for German reunification, which was formally concluded on 3 October 1990.
With the closing of the East-West sector boundary in Berlin, the vast majority of East Germans could no longer travel or emigrate to West Germany. Many families were split, while East Berliners employed in the West were cut off from their jobs. West Berlin became an isolated exclave in a hostile land. West Berliners demonstrated against the wall, led by their Mayor (Oberbürgermeister) Willy Brandt, who strongly criticized the United States for failing to respond. Allied intelligence agencies had hypothesized about a wall to stop the flood of refugees, but the main candidate for its location was around the perimeter of the city. In 1961, Secretary of State Dean Rusk proclaimed, "The Wall certainly ought not to be a permanent feature of the European landscape. I see no reason why the Soviet Union should think it is—it is to their advantage in any way to leave there that monument to Communist failure."
In a speech on 26 July 1963, US President John F. Kennedy had acknowledged that the United States could only hope to defend West Berliners and West Germans; to attempt to stand up for East Germans would result only in an embarrassing downfall. Accordingly, the administration made polite protests at length via the usual channels, but without fervour. The Wall violated post-war Potsdam Agreements, which gave the United Kingdom, France and the United States a say over the administration of the whole of Berlin. A few months after the barbed wire was erected, the U.S. government informed the Soviet government that it accepted the Wall as "a fact of international life" and would not challenge it by force.
US and UK sources had expected the Soviet sector to be sealed off from West Berlin, but were surprised by how long the East Germans took for such a move. They considered the wall as an end to concerns about a GDR/Soviet retaking or capture of the whole of Berlin; the wall would presumably have been an unnecessary project if such plans were afloat. Thus they concluded that the possibility of a Soviet military conflict over Berlin decreased.
The East German government claimed that the Wall was an "anti-fascist protective rampart" (German: "antifaschistischer Schutzwall") intended to dissuade aggression from the West.] Another official justification was the activities of western agents in Eastern Europe. The Eastern German government also claimed that West Berliners were buying out state-subsidized goods in East Berlin. East Germans and others greeted such statements with scepticism, as most of the time; the border was only closed for citizens of East Germany traveling to the West, but not for residents of West Berlin travelling to the East. The construction of the Wall had caused considerable hardship to families divided by it. Most people believed that the Wall was mainly a means of preventing the citizens of East Germany from entering or fleeing to West Berlin
In the closed position before a person hits it.
A short selection of photos showing a device that could be fitted on large vehicles to stop people going under the front wheels of a bus or lorry.
An idea from the mid 1930s
When hit by a person, the spring device releases a guard that stops the victim been taken under the wheels, although the person is pushed for a few feet until the bus stops and there will be injuries, it prevents the body from any crushing.
In 1930 the official figures show that 1,685 children under 14 years of age were killed on British roads, had this invention been in use it might have been less.