Downtown drug problems

Yes, I have a REAL problem. I am addicted to all things photo!

 

Well, my problem isn't so much I am addicted to photo...and film...and cameras. It's really that I am addicted to seemingly the MOST EXPENSIVE and TOTALLY UNNECESSARY equipment that I could think of. I mean really, I am nowhere near good enough a photographer to justify having a 5D Mark II. Not to mention I haven't yet made a penny at this "profession." (However, I did score some killer Ducks tix, and I have a few jobs lined up before Christmas this year).

 

Now I have this crazy itch to get a rangefinder! Not just any rangefinder....nooooooooo....I'm out looking at Leica's! And, no, I have little interest in spending close to $10,000 on an M9 and couple of lenses. I'm thinking a little (not much) more reasonably and looking at analog M6's or M7's. That's right, a FILM camera...and for HOW MUCH??? I'll let you look that one up and wonder what I am actually looking for.

 

Why film you ask? A few reasons...I LOVE film. Digital is great, but we're still not to the point where we can truly replicate that smooth, contrasty, warm, vivid color that film has. Plus, I really have a problem spending $6,000+ for a digital camera body that I know the sensor/pixels will wear out, and eventually become a paperweight (I guess film could become obsolete though too). I would also really love to get to the point that I can make fewer exposures and more "keepers," which only comes from practicing and preparing for those exposures. Then there is always the issue that a Leica film body just plain costs less than an M9.

 

Anyhow, like I told the guy at the Leica store today (yes, there is a dealer less than 4 miles from my doorstep....literally), I think I would be looking at a divorce before I was actually going to get serious about another big ticket piece.

 

Oh well, a guy can dream, right?

 

Strobist:

580EXII, into 45in shoot-through, frame right

580EXII, bare, high behind frame left

From a vintage magazine.

Bad weather is here again and the car has been sitting since just before Christmas. So I figured it to be as good a time as any to fix something that was really irking the crap out of me…the sun visors.

All of the 79-85 Eldorado’s with light up mirrors (which most had) unfortunately have a problem with visorus saginitus. The visor is held up by a small winged plastic bushing-it wraps around the chrome visor arm, and locks into the plastic visor body with the winged part. This little plastic thing gets brittle over time and starts to crack, losing its grip on the stationary rod. This starts as an issue where they droop a little bit when the car has been sitting in the sun on a summers day but eventually gets bad enough that it happens at all temperatures and will just flop down with bumps in the road.

To my knowledge there’s no replacements for this winged bushing and even if there were I don’t know how you would go about replacing it with the way it’s installed on the visor arm. GM evidently saw the problem as the arm and bushing were revised in 1984 to be bigger but evidently to no avail-the passenger visor on my car sagged from the time I had bought the car and I had held it in place with a nail wedged into the metal trim surrounding the window that had to be removed when you wanted to use it…this didn’t compute with the fairer sex, so it’s safe to say eventually I’m going to find all of those finishing nails that have gone missing over the past couple of years the hard way…

My driver’s side visor was free of this problem but I just didn’t use it as I was afraid it would start doing the same thing. So I set to work finding a real fix

These popped up for sale on ebay, red visors from an ’87 DeVille. They looked like a winner, same general shape, same color and in good condition. After a couple of messages to get an idea on size, I ordered them. However, when they arrived, they were neither the bright red shown in the pictures, nor in as good of repair. They definitely needed to be reupholstered to be used. I gave them a dry run before wasting any more money, and they had a couple of other issues. The first was a different electrical connector which was no biggie. The second was much bigger, that they could only be used to block sun going forward. Trying to move it to the side caused them to either drop or raise at a 45 degree angle.

I figured this was caused by the design of the mount which is heavily angled. So there wasn’t much I could do about it. Until my ebay suggestions came up with visors from a Buick Reatta for sale-the same general style as the DeVille, but with a flat type of mount similar to the OEM Eldorado!

Now the guy wanted over 100 dollars for these and after my blunder with the DeVille visors I wasn’t about to sink that type of change in a maybe. So I headed over to the Reatta AACA message board to see if anyone had a dogged set of visors with good mounts that they wanted to sell, and the first post in the for sale section happened to be by a fella who was parting out a complete Reatta! Score!

I emailed the guy and he explained that the car was in a junkyard local to his house. A real gentleman, he was able to get the visor arms for free and didn’t even charge me the ride up from Florida. Thanks Mike! The car in question had a burgundy interior so the arms would need to be sprayed dark carmine to work for me. After cleaning and priming, SEM aerosol made quick work of that.

Unfortunately when they were removed from the Reatta, this condom thing that wraps around a metal bushing shredded, but I was able to basically replicate it with heat shrink tubing

The arms are easily removed from the visors when uninstalled from the car. Simply rotate the arm into the mirror side of the visor (as if you were pushing the visor back up into the roof) until it clicks and then yank it out. Install it into the new visor in the same position. I did some tests for proof of concept and when it seemed like I was on the right track, I got to work. Or at least to spending money. I ordered carmine foam-backed headliner material (Sunbrite 1872 for those interested, it was a great match) and headliner adhesive (which I ended up not needing for this job)

The visors themselves are like a clamshell and probably harder to crack open than a turnip. After enough brute force, a hammer, and a screwdriver, I was able to get them open (see the color difference as compared to the ebay picture above)

The material around the visor ended up not being glued to the face of it, only tucked tight and hot glued from the factory. I decided to do the same thing (So I have to write off the spray adhesive until I do a new headliner). I carefully removed the old fabric and made a template out of the new material

(should anyone do this in the future, it’s much more simple and less risky to only cut the general shape of the template out, you can cut the hole for the mirror and sun shade later)

The visors themselves also needed some help. The “ears” at the ends were super fatigued and loose, so I mixed up some resin and fiberglass to shore them up.

Once the visor bodies were sound, I had to come up with a way of re-joining the clamshell. I have no idea how GM did this in the first place but super glue doesn’t work. After a lot of searching I found out that these are likely made of Polyethylene. I bought this 3M DP8005 adhesive which claimed to bond it and tested it on a junk visor-seemed to do the trick. You need a special mixing tip in addition to this and I also had to get a gun that it fits into.

With that solved, I started hot gluing the material onto the visors. I had never done anything with headliner material before aside from stapling them up when they started sagging and I was really surprised with how compliant it was. In that, it basically looked factory with no runs or wrinkles despite not having a clue what I was doing.

Then, I bonded the two halves back together. Each one had to sit like this for a day, and early signs seem like it worked. Hopefully the adhesive will hold, time and temperature will tell.

Here’s a comparison of the original visors with the DeVille replacements. Mirrors swapped without issue. I also had to swap the power connector, meaning I had to cut the crimped on connector at the mirror end from the old visors and install in the new ones. Delphi 12020347 is the connector part, there’s no room inside the assembly for a butt connector (and I hate using them unless I have to)

And here they are installed!

The only complication on the install is that the plastic visor arms bolt in a slightly smaller bolt pattern than the originals. You can take any 2 of the 3 holes but not all 3 at once. Fortunately there’s plenty of meat to drill into to make another hole.

I’m sure a lot of people are reading this right now and saying I should have just stuck with the nail but in reality it wasn’t that bad. It might seem like a mess but everything above is a “worse possible scenario” in that I got fleeced on the visors I bought and had to change color, structurally repair them, rehab the Reatta visor arms, then bond them back together. If you’re fortunate enough to have a 79-85 E body with an interior color the same as an 85-88 Deville, and can get the visors from it, the only thing you need do is get a set of Reatta visor arms and swap them out (and obviously your electrical connector from your 79-85). They’re really close in size as far as fit, and look factory with the exception of the sunshade. You could delete that when reupholstering, but I always liked them.

It seems like GM changed all their lighted visor designs to basically the same thing in the late 80’s downsized cars. So there might very well be more vehicles than just Reattas that have the flat plastic visor arm. As far as longevity, I’ll definitely keep everyone posted but I will say that I’ve never really seen any of the “newer” Cadillacs or Buicks experiencing visor problems. The whole metal bushing with condom setup also feels much more sturdy then the OEM 79-85 stuff.

Oh, and on the bright side, I’ll only have to wear these puppies at night now.

  

I’ve been wanting to take a city break in summer, rather than in the cold months for a while, so rather than heading for the Lake District for a week of toil on the fells when Jayne could get a week off, we took off from Liverpool for Paris. Flight times were nice and sociable but it meant we were on the M62 car park at a busy time in both directions – it’s a shambles! I’ve stopped over in Paris a dozen times – on my way to cycling in the Etape du Tour in the Alps or Pyrenees – and had a few nights out there. Come to think about it and we’ve spent the day on the Champs Elysees watching the final day of the Tour de France with Mark Cavendish winning. We hadn’t been for a holiday there though and it was a bit of a spur of the moment decision. Six nights gave us five and a half days to explore Paris on foot. I had a good selection of (heavy) kit with me, not wanting to make the usual mistake of leaving something behind and regretting it. In the end I carried the kit in my backpack – an ordinary rucksack – to keep the weight down, for 103 miles, all recorded on the cycling Garmin – and took 3500 photos. The little Garmin is light and will do about 15 hours, it expired towards the end of a couple of 16 hour days but I had the info I wanted by then. This also keeps the phone battery free for research and route finding – I managed to flatten that once though.

 

What can I say – Paris was fantastic! The weather varied from OK to fantastic, windy for a few days, the dreaded grey white dullness for a while but I couldn’t complain really. We were out around 8.30 in shorts and tee shirt, which I would swap for a vest when it warmed up, hitting 30 degrees at times, we stayed out until around midnight most nights. It was a pretty full on trip. The security at some destinations could have been a problem as there is a bag size limit to save room in the lifts etc. I found the French to be very pragmatic about it, a bag search was a cursory glance, accepting that I was lugging camera gear, not bombs around, and they weren’t going to stop a paying customer from passing because his bag was a bit over size.

 

We didn’t have a plan, as usual we made it up as we went along, a loose itinerary for the day would always end up changing owing to discoveries along the way. Many times we would visit something a few times, weighing the crowds and light etc. up and deciding to come back later. I waited patiently to go up the Eiffel Tower, we arrived on Tuesday and finally went up on Friday evening. It was a late decision but the weather was good, the light was good and importantly I reckoned that we would get a sunset. Previous evenings the sun had just slid behind distant westerly clouds without any golden glory. It was a good choice. We went up the steps at 7.30 pm, short queue and cheaper – and just to say that we had. The steps are at an easy angle and were nowhere near as bad as expected, even with the heavy pack. We stayed up there, on a mad and busy Friday night, until 11.30, the light changed a lot and once we had stayed a couple of hours we decided to wait for the lights to come on. This was a downside to travelling at this time of year, to do any night photography we had to stay out late as it was light until 10.30. The Eiffel Tower is incredible and very well run, they are quite efficient at moving people around it from level to level. It was still buzzing at midnight with thousands of people around. The sunset on Saturday was probably better but we spent the evening around the base of the Tower, watching the light change, people watching and soaking the party atmosphere up.

 

Some days our first destination was five miles away, this is a lot of road junctions in a city, the roads in Paris are wide so you generally have to wait for the green man to cross. This made progress steady but when you are on holiday it doesn’t matter too much. Needless to say we walked through some dodgy places, with graffiti on anything that stays still long enough. We were ultra-cautious with our belongings having heard the pickpocket horror stories. At every Café/bar stop the bags were clipped to the table leg out of sight and never left alone. I carried the camera in my hand all day and everywhere I went, I only popped it in my bag to eat. I would guess that there were easier people to rob than us, some people were openly careless with phones and wallets.

 

We didn’t enter the big attractions, it was too nice to be in a museum or church and quite a few have a photography ban. These bans make me laugh, they are totally ignored by many ( Japanese particularly) people. Having travelled around the world to see something, no one is going to stop them getting their selfies. Selfies? Everywhere people pointed their cameras at their own face, walking around videoing – their self! I do like to have a few photos of us for posterity but these people are self-obsessed.

 

Paris has obviously got a problem with homeless (mostly) migrants. Walk a distance along the River Seine and you will find tented villages, there is a powerful smell of urine in every corner, with the no alcohol restrictions ignored, empty cans and bottles stacked around the bins as evidence. There are families, woman living on mattresses with as many as four small children, on the main boulevards. They beg by day and at midnight they are all huddled asleep on the pavement. The men in the tents seem to be selling plastic Eiffel Tower models to the tourists or bottled water – even bottles of wine. Love locks and selfy sticks were also top sellers. There must be millions of locks fastened to railings around the city, mostly brass, so removing them will be self-funding as brass is £2.20 a kilo.

 

As for the sights we saw, well if it was on the map we tried to walk to it. We crossed the Periphique ring road to get to the outer reaches of Paris. La Defense – the financial area with dozens of modern office blocks – was impressive, and still expanding. The Bois de Boulogne park, with the horse racing track and the Louis Vuitton Centre was part of a 20 mile loop that day. Another day saw us in the north east. We had the dome of the Sacre Couer to ourselves, with thousands of tourists wandering below us oblivious of the entrance and ticket office under the church. Again the light was fantastic for us. We read that Pere Lachaise Cemetery or Cimitiere du Pere Lachaise was one of the most visited destinations, a five mile walk but we went. It is massive, you need a map, but for me one massive tomb is much the same as another, it does have highlights but we didn’t stay long. Fortunately we were now closer to the Canal St Martin which would lead us to Parc de la Villette. This was a Sunday and everywhere was both buzzing and chilled at the same time. Where ever we went people were sat watching the world go by, socializing and picnicking, soaking the sun up. As ever I wanted to go up on the roof of anything I could as I love taking cityscapes. Most of these were expensive compared with many places we’ve been to before but up we went. The Tour Montparnasse, a single tower block with 59 floors, 690 foot high and extremely fast lifts has incredible views although it was a touch hazy on our ascent. The Arc de Triomphe was just up the road from our hotel, we went up it within hours of arriving, well worth the visit.

 

At the time of writing I have no idea how many images will make the cut but it will be a lot. If I have ten subtly different shots of something, I find it hard to consign nine to the dark depths of my hard drive never to be seen again – and I’m not very good at ruthless selection – so if the photo is OK it will get uploaded. My view is that it’s my photostream, I like to be able to browse my own work at my leisure at a later date, it’s more or less free and stats tell me these images will get looked at. I’m not aiming for single stunning shots, more of a comprehensive overview of an interesting place, presented to the best of my current capabilities. I am my own biggest critic, another reason for looking at my older stuff is to critique it and look to improve on previous mistakes. I do get regular requests from both individuals and organisations to use images and I’m obliging unless someone is taking the piss. I’m not bothered about work being published (with my permission) but it is reassuringly nice to be asked. The manipulation of Flickr favourites and views through adding thousands of contacts doesn’t interest me and I do sometimes question the whole point of the Flickr exercise. I do like having access to my own back catalogue though and it gives family and friends the chance to read about the trip and view the photos at their leisure so for the time being I’m sticking with it. I do have over 15 million views at the moment which is a far cry from showing a few people an album, let’s face it, there’s an oversupply of images, many of them superb but all being devalued by the sheer quantity available.

 

Don’t think that it was all walking and photography, we had a great break and spent plenty of time in pavement bistros having a glass of wine and people watching. I can certainly understand why Paris is top of the travellers list of destinations.

 

Bangkok,China town

The agonizing days brought by toothache and other dental problems are already numbered for Tagumenyos because now there is a brand new solution tendered to them that comes in wheels.

The Local Government of Tagum with the City Health Office recently inaugurated its multi-million worth Mobile Dental Vehicle in its bid to assist its constituents who have long endured tooth pains and other dental dilemmas especially those who are residing in distant areas of the city.

Mayor Allan Rellon personally led the blessing of the dental health bus together with Monsignor Ulysses Perandos of the Diocese of Tagum, Vice Mayor Geterito Gementiza and some members of the 7th City Council during the December convocation program of the local government unit.

The dental bus, with the value of 3,950,000 million pesos, is complete with standard and special vehicular features and dental equipment such as two sets of fully motorized dental chairs, a silent-type compressor, one ultrasonic scaler, pressure and temperature gauges and other dental paraphernalia. It also has a lavatory and a water tank that are a necessity for dental operations.

The Department of Health granted the bus to the LGU Tagum in support to the latter’s vision of attaining full medical modernization in terms of facilities and equipment.

The said vehicle will be used in the conduct of medical outreach and dental health awareness campaign of the Dental Division of the City Health Office across the 23 barangays of Tagum, particularly in the far-flung puroks and sitios.

Meanwhile, the city government has expressed its gratitude to DOH for endowing the said mobile dental vehicle and vowed to handle the equipment in the most efficient manner.

LGU Tagum also guaranteed to continue and improve its medical programs especially those that concern on dental health through the EAGLE WINGS development thrust of the current administration, to give every Tagumenyo a reason to genuinely smile.

(C) Tagum Photographer

by Alfredo Fernandes

Alfi Art Production, Divar

41st Tiatr Competition A group of Kala Academy supported by TAG

13.10.2015

more here

joegoauk-tiatr.blogspot.in/2015/10/41st-tiatr-competition...

 

Diptesh Harmalkar

Ginny and an unknown woman with shotguns. And a child.

No problem...

The students in Problems You Have Never Solved Before started working on their concrete canoes before having to duck inside from the rain on Thursday, July 9. (Photo by Emilie Milcarek)

Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.

 

This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.

I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.

 

You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.

Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)

To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.

 

top b&w photo- group photo at the Other Masque- guy with mustache is a friend of Brendan, Dave from Rhino 39 in Long Beach who died a short time later, Brendan, Girard from Whittier-loosely affiliated with Flipside crew- the very first deathrocker guy!, the blond was Nickey beats girlfriend at the time (Barbara James), the other girl was Sue from Long Beach and that's me on the right- photo taken by Al.

Middle left photo is me wearing a red sweater, taken same day I was an extra in Rock n Roll High School movie with The Ramones, taken by my sister. Middle right is at the Masque or Other Masque- on left Nicole, then me, then Lorna smoking, on the right is one of the Middle Class guys. Lower left color photo is Nate on the left & Al from Flipside with a girl from West LA, this was at sound check for 999 in OC. Bottom right photo is backstage at the Whiskey, thaat's me kneeling down with the guys in 999, probably taken by Al.

 

Girl dropouts are a major problem fighting poverty in Malawi, as giving girls and women a better position and better education remains maybe the best way of all to bring change and a better future to Malawi.

 

At Matunduzi school we saw how the IM-funded project GESI addressed one of the causes of girl dropouts - girls falling behind in their studies due to problems doing their homework due to all the tasks they are asked to do at home.

 

At Matundizi school, and dozens of similar school, new reading techniques have been introduced and teachers educated in new pedagogical skills.

 

The reading class seen on these photos were engaging and active to the extreme... Not the least I loved seeing how much space the girls demanded, they were not rated below boys and not discriminated.

 

Having trained on different reading techniques by GESI, teachers at the school have used the methods to supplement primary school curriculum. One STD 2 teacher introduced supplementary readers from old curriculum books to enhance a reading culture. Through such, most pupils in Standard 2 have acquired Chichewa (Malawis majority language) reading mastery. A rare occurrence in primary schools rocked by myriad challenges.

 

Meanwhile, on a regular basis, mother groups, that are also getting support and organizational advice from GESI, meets with girls at the school to discuss issues for their retention and achievement. ‘We feel obliged to support our girls so that they should not experience the difficulties we have now due to lack of education.”

 

Mother group members raise funds for need girls, they give advice and they visit parents who withdraw their girls from schools.

 

Girls Education Support Initiative (GESI), is funded by IM and run by Malawian NGO Creccom. GESI is an integrated approach to address challenges facing girl children through community mobilization including meeting girls’ post-primary education cost.

 

The complexities are enormous and intertwine poverty and male dominated culture and put restraints on girls’ education.

 

IM and Creccom has pledged to promote girls education and fight these constraints.

 

Photo and copyright: Erik Törner, IM Individuell Människohjälp www.manniskohjalp.se

black friday 2013

Here's home to a whole heap of them.

There were 9 knobs in the infamous Essex boy band Serious Problem from the mid 90s this pic is from the 2011 reunion with the full line up in this pic for the very 1st time as no photographer could ever catch all 9 of us in one place long enough even Anton Corbin couldn't manage it & neither could Baily or Richard Crooks

When you focus on problems, you'll have more problems. When you focus on possibilities, you'll have more opportunities. #problems #possibilities #opportunities

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, as the city re-opened for business, people actually complained because the minimum-wage yabbos at Starbucks couldn't open before they had enough staff come in on a depleted mass transit system.

A6-EQH (Emirates Boeing 777-31H[ER]) - Flight EK67 from Dubai to London Stansted (arrived 29 minutes early) - Hertford Heath - 1812 - 22/06/23.

 

A lot of things frustrate & annoy me these days (health problems & neighbours are the top two) and one near the top of the list, is "darksiders" asking for train consists when they really wan't the wagon numbers, with Andy at Baldock the worst offender, resulting in five messages (one request, two replies & two thank you's) for the three new wagons on 6L37 today!!!!!!!!!!!

I purchased some Hasegawa Mirror Finish tape, but I'm having a real trouble trying to get it to apply nicely to the domed eye. I've gone through several cut outs and shapes but nothing has been good enough, this photo was the closest I got. GOnna keep trying though, I'm desperate for that chrome eye

Deforestation is a big global problem. I wanted to show deforestation in my work but not make it too obvious. Nowadays you see lots of graffiti everywhere you walk, this inspired me to take a kind of Banksy approach, i wanted to make the image quite modern and eye catching.

I captured a picture of a model pretending to use a spray can. After I used my own sprayed image, using a handmade stencil, to add to the brick wall by using the layer mode "multiply".

To add a more rough spray effect I found an image of a spray can drip which I layered on top using "multipy" and carefully erasing some away to blend in.

Using dafont.com I found a spray effect font.

In a pillbox at 35,000 feet

the real problem with business travel becomes readily apparent

This airborne defiance of fundamental physics has reduced us,

made us pop quiz parachutists

to Las Vegas, Chicago, Boston

to tired to explore the hills outside town

to grumpy to talk with the chipper waitress at the chain restaurant

where we ate last night

Hunting for shadows against a cloud,

some evidence of something more than transience

All this country conquered but unexplored and unnoticed

down in the checkerboard plains

or tucked in the snow covered ridges that look

like the paramecium doodles in a bored high schooler’s notebook

in a farmhouse beyond the interstate

there’s a man willing to share a cup of coffee if you knock

there’s a girl in Louisiana, aching

wondering if she’ll ever find the right man

there’s a boy in New York about to turn over the engine

on a rusting ‘92 Explorer

and drive it till it can’t go on

Let me ride shotgun

leaving the superhighways behind

crumpling up the map in the back seat with the empty soda cans

Peel back the top of this tin can

and cut the cords to my chute

and let me free fall into some roadside shack of a blues bar

where the beer is cold

and the jukebox only plays

long slow sexy guitar solos

Come talk with me and drink and dance close and breathe deep

until they throw us out

    

Should I be thought a cheapskate by buying the £90 baseball cap or should I buy the Gucci one?

We have problems like this in London.

 

I have a rather frustrating problem with my sound. When I turn the volume up, the slider falls back down to zero, all by itself.

 

I've replaced drivers to no avail. I've uninstalled so much software that my computer feels naked. The problem persists.

 

This is extremely frustrating.

 

You've got to love those moire patterns though...

 

[Update: I'd like to extend a special welcome to those who landed up here after doing a search on the word "naked" - I hope the disappointment wasn't too great...]

Too much whiskey: I have a problem.

No more whiskey: I have a different problem.

So much whiskey: I have NO problem.

This is 4 different frames from an infrared timelapse I shot the other day. What is going on here? The first frame at the top left is how it was meant to look. The other three have some odd things going on that I'm not a fan of. Why does the sun have a shadow? Why did some frames come out almost completely black? Why do some frames have glitches? I should have uploaded the colour versions now that I think about it. The dark shadow comming from the sun was green. (a "normal" photo is only b&w plus pink) The glitches (lines) were a bunch of different colours. Could that be some kind of sensor overload? I'm going to get an IR filter in the 700 nm range and see how that works.

Close up of the len subluxation patient during eye examination.

New Agent, New Problems (154)

To solve Math problems quickly and accurately you need an understanding of varied Math concepts and solving all of them is not at all easy. TutorVista has a team of expert online Math tutors to help you to understand Math problems online and find out how to get solutions for them. Our tutors work with you in learning basic to advanced topics. So we assure you complete learning to solve math problems online.

Ok, so I tried to make a minifig-scale Genosaurer, based on the 'prototype' design featured in the Guardian Force series. It had an opening detailed cockpit (with Raven minifig), mouth based Charge Particle Cannon, opening vents on the tail and support braces at each foot. However three problems emerged.

 

1. It started to look more and more like a Deathsaurer. The head really tipped it over the scales.

 

2. When it comes to specific things like large detailed heads... I'm not so good and gave up really. Need more practice. (though my DC Comics creations show that I can do it so...)

 

3. It couldn't support it's own weight. It was fine until I got to the head/neck area which made it too heavy, which is a shame as it was ok with the tail!

 

I guess if I had angled the tail down a bit, it would have provided another support, and tilted the body enough that I could have passed it off as a Deathsaurer, but oh well!

Parents usually seem pretty concerned about the #health of their children, and it is surely something pretty good. However, the area which is usually overlooked by most of the parents is oral health of their kids. One thing that every parent needs to keep into consideration is that children’s oral health needs attention even before the eruption of teeth. Since infants feel on the breast milk, the plaque buildup keeps developing. This plaque buildup can create problems for oral and overall health of the babies. The gums need to be cleaned well during this time. After the eruption of teeth, it becomes more important for the oral health to be maintained well.

 

Cavities in children

Cases of tooth decay in general have dropped to a reasonable extent but the cases in children have risen up quite alarmingly. According to a survey, the cases of tooth decay have increased during mid-1990s to 2000 in the children from age 2 – 11. The major factor which seemed to be triggering this increased were income, race, and access to care. Hence, it is pretty much important to provide parents with necessary education and resources so that they could take care of their children #teeth.

 

Preventing cavities in childhood

Children should be taken to first dental within the 6 months after the eruption of first tooth. It would be even better if this dental visit is made before the eruption of first tooth. Early dental visits help the parents and dentists to assess the possibility of any #dental health #problems in the future. In case the teeth are erupted, this dental visit is going to help the dentists assess whether there is a cavity. Additionally, this dental visit can help the parents to learn about taking care of the dental health problems in their kids.

 

The real purpose of these dental visits is to ensure that the foundation of good dental health is set rom very early stage. From there, the children will be able to develop dental hygiene habits which are going to stay there for a lifetime.

 

Parents are the role models

Apart from the dental visits and then teaching kids about how to take care of dental hygiene, the major aspect of helping them learn about the dental hygiene is to be a role model. The parents need to practice good dental hygiene in front of the children and show them how good it is to have clean teeth and healthy mouth. Your bright smile is going to tell your kids how good it is to have white and cleaner teeth.

 

"She stands stark naked and she beckons you to bed; don't go, you'll only want to come back again."

 

; Nude - Radiohead

 

*TRADUZIONE

Lei è lì nuda e ti invita nel suo letto; non andare, dopo vorrai solo tornare ancora indietro.

 

©

Snowdonia, or Eryri is a mountainous region and national park in North Wales. It contains all 15 mountains in Wales over 3000 feet high, including the country's highest, Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), which is 1,085 metres (3,560 ft) tall. These peaks are all part of the Snowdon, Glyderau, and Carneddau ranges in the north of the region. The shorter Moelwynion and Moel Hebog ranges lie immediately to the south.

 

The national park has an area of 823 square miles (2,130 km2) (the fourth-largest in the UK), and covers most of central and southern Gwynedd and the western part of Conwy County Borough. This is much larger than the area traditionally considered Snowdonia, and in addition to the five ranges above includes the Rhinogydd, Cadair Idris, and Aran ranges and the Dyfi Hills. It also includes most of the coast between Porthmadog and Aberdyfi. The park was the first of the three national parks of Wales to be designated, in October 1951, and the third in the UK after the Peak District and Lake District, which were established in April and May 1951 respectively. The park received 3.89 million visitors in 2015.

 

The name Snowdon means 'snow hill' and is derived from the Old English elements snāw and dūn, the latter meaning 'hill'. Snowdonia is simply taken from the name of the mountain.

 

The origins of Eryri are less clear. Two popular interpretations are that the name is related to eryr, 'eagle', and that it means 'highlands' and is related to the Latin oriri ('to rise'). Although eryri is not any direct form of the word eryr in the meaning 'eagle', it is a plural form of eryr in the meaning 'upland'.

 

Before the boundaries of the national park were designated, "Snowdonia" was generally used to refer to a smaller upland area of northern Gwynedd centred on the Snowdon massif. The national park covers an area more than twice that size, extending south into the Meirionnydd area.

 

This difference is apparent in books published before 1951. In George Borrow's 1907 Wild Wales he states that "Snowdon or Eryri is no single hill, but a mountainous region, the loftiest part of which is called Y Wyddfa", making a distinction between the summit of the mountain and the surrounding massif. The Mountains of Snowdonia by H. Carr & G. Lister (1925) defines "Eryri" as "composed of the two cantrefs of Arfon and Arllechwedd, and the two commotes of Nant Conwy and Eifionydd", which corresponds to Caernarfonshire with the exception of southwest Llŷn and the Creuddyn Peninsula. In Snowdonia: The National Park of North Wales (1949), F. J. North states that "When the Committee delineated provisional boundaries, they included areas some distance beyond Snowdonia proper".

 

Snowdonia National Park, also known as Eryri National Park in English and Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri in Welsh, was established in October 1951. It was the third national park in the United Kingdom, following the Peak District and Lake District in April and May of the same year. It covers 827 square miles (2,140 km2) in the counties of Gwynedd and Conwy, and has 37 miles (60 km) of coastline.

 

The park is governed by the Snowdonia National Park Authority, which has 18 members: 9 appointed by Gwynedd, 3 by Conwy, and 6 by the Welsh Government to represent the national interest. The authority's main offices are at Penrhyndeudraeth.

 

The park authority used Snowdonia and Snowdon when referring to the national park and mountain in English until February 2023, when it resolved to primarily use the Welsh names, Eryri and Yr Wyddfa. There will be a transitional period of approximately two years in which the authority will continue to use the English names in parentheses — for example "Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon)" — where the context requires.

 

Unlike national parks in other countries, national parks in the UK are made up of both public and private lands under a central planning authority. The makeup of land ownership in the national park is as follows:

 

More than 26,000 people live within the park, of whom 58.6% could speak Welsh in 2011. While most of the land is either open or mountainous land, there is a significant amount of agricultural activity within the park.

 

The national park does not include the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, which forms a unique non-designated enclave within the park boundaries. The town was deliberately excluded from the park when it was established because of its slate quarrying industry. The boundaries of the Peak District National Park exclude the town of Buxton and its adjacent limestone quarries for a similar reason.

 

The geology of Snowdonia is key to the area's character. Glaciation during a succession of ice ages, has carved from a heavily faulted and folded succession of sedimentary and igneous rocks, a distinctive rocky landscape. The last ice age ended only just over 11,500 years ago, leaving a legacy of features attractive to visitors but which have also played a part in the development of geological science and continue to provide a focus for educational visits. Visiting Cwm Idwal in 1841 Charles Darwin realised that the landscape was the product of glaciation. The bedrock dates largely from the Cambrian and Ordovician periods with intrusions of Ordovician and Silurian age associated with the Caledonian Orogeny. There are smaller areas of Silurian age sedimentary rocks in the south and northeast and of Cenozoic era strata on the Cardigan Bay coast though the latter are concealed by more recent deposits. Low grade metamorphism of Cambrian and Ordovician mudstones has resulted in the slates, the extraction of which once formed the mainstay of the area's economy.

 

The principal ranges of the traditional Snowdonia are the Snowdon massif itself, the Glyderau, the Carneddau, the Moelwynion and the Moel Hebog range. All of Wales' 3000ft mountains are to be found within the first three of these massifs and are most popular with visitors. To their south within the wider national park are the Rhinogydd and the Cadair Idris and Aran Fawddwy ranges. Besides these well-defined areas are a host of mountains which are less readily grouped though various guidebook writers have assigned them into groups such as the 'Arenigs', the 'Tarrens' and the 'Dyfi hills'.

 

Snowdon's summit at 1085 metres (3560 feet) is the highest in Wales and the highest in Britain south of the Scottish Highlands. At 905 metres (2970 feet) Aran Fawddwy is the highest in Wales outside of northern Snowdonia; Cadair Idris, at 893 metres (2930 feet), is next in line.

 

Rivers draining the area empty directly into Cardigan Bay are typically short and steep. From north to south they include the Glaslyn and Dwyryd which share a common estuary, the Mawddach and its tributaries the Wnion and the Eden, the smaller Dysynni and on the park's southern margin the Dyfi. A series of rivers drain to the north coast. Largest of these is the Conwy on the park's eastern margin which along with the Ogwen drains into Conwy Bay. Further west the Seiont and Gwyrfai empty into the western end of the Menai Strait. A part of the east of the national park is within the upper Dee (Dyfrydwy) catchment and includes Bala Lake, the largest natural waterbody in Wales. A fuller list of the rivers and tributaries within the area is found at List of rivers of Wales.

 

There are few natural waterbodies of any size in Wales; Snowdonia is home to most. Besides Bala Lake, a few lakes occupy glacial troughs including Llyn Padarn and Llyn Peris at Llanberis and Tal-y-llyn Lake south of Cadair Idris. Llyn Dinas, Llyn Gwynant, and Llyn Cwellyn to the south and west of Snowdon feature in this category as do Llyn Cowlyd and Llyn Ogwen on the margins of the Carneddau. There are numerous small lakes occupying glacial cirques owing to the former intensity of glacial action in Snowdonia. Known generically as tarns, examples include Llyn Llydaw, Glaslyn and Llyn Du'r Arddu on Snowdon, Llyn Idwal within the Glyderau and Llyn Cau on Cadair Idris.

 

There are two large wholly man-made bodies of water in the area, Llyn Celyn and Llyn Trawsfynydd whilst numerous of the natural lakes have had their levels artificially raised to different degrees. Marchlyn Mawr reservoir and Ffestiniog Power Station's Llyn Stwlan are two cases where natural tarns have been dammed as part of pumped storage hydro-electric schemes. A fuller list of the lakes within the area is found at List of lakes of Wales. In 2023, the park standardised its Welsh language lake names, to be also used in English.

 

The national park meets the Irish Sea coast within Cardigan Bay between the Dovey estuary in the south and the Dwyryd estuary. The larger part of that frontage is characterised by dune systems, the largest of which are Morfa Dyffryn and Morfa Harlech. These two locations have two of the largest sand/shingle spits in Wales. The major indentations of the Dovey, the Mawddach and Dwyryd estuaries, have large expanses of intertidal sands and coastal marsh which are especially important for wildlife: see #Natural history. The northern tip of the national park extends to the north coast of Wales at Penmaen-bach Point, west of Conwy, where precipitous cliffs have led to the road and railway negotiating the spot in tunnels.

 

There are only three towns within the park boundary, though there are several more immediately beyond it. Dolgellau is the most populous followed by Bala on the eastern boundary and then Harlech overlooking Tremadog Bay. More populous than these is the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, which is within an exclave, that is to say it is surrounded by the national park but excluded from it, whilst the towns of Tywyn and Barmouth on the Cardigan Bay coast are within coastal exclaves. Llanrwst in the east, Machynlleth in the south and Porthmadog and Penrhyndeudraeth in the west are immediately beyond the boundary but still identified with the park; indeed the last of these hosts the headquarters of the Snowdonia National Park Authority. Similarly the local economies of the towns of Conwy, Bethesda, and Llanberis in the north are inseparably linked to the national park as they provide multiple visitor services. The lower terminus of the Snowdon Mountain Railway is at Llanberis. Though adjacent to it, Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr are less obviously linked to the park.

 

There are numerous smaller settlements within the national park: prominent amongst these are the eastern 'gateway' village of Betws-y-Coed, Aberdyfi on the Dovey (Dyfi) estuary and the small village of Beddgelert each of which attract large numbers of visitors. Other sizeable villages are Llanuwchllyn at the southwest end of Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid), Dyffryn Ardudwy, Corris, Trawsfynydd, Llanbedr, Trefriw and Dolwyddelan.

 

Six primary routes serve Snowdonia, the busiest of which is the A55, a dual carriageway which runs along the north coast and provides strategic road access to the northern part of the national park. The most important north–south route within the park is the A470 running from the A55 south past Betws-y-Coed to Blaenau Ffestiniog to Dolgellau. It exits the park a few miles to the southeast near Mallwyd. From Dolgellau, the A494 runs to Bala whilst the A487 connects with Machynlleth. The A487 loops around the northwest of the park from Bangor via Caernarfon to Porthmadog before turning in land to meet the A470 east of Maentwrog. The A5 was built as a mail coach road by Thomas Telford between London and Holyhead; it enters the park near Pentrefoelas and leaves it near Bethesda. Other A class roads provide more local links; the A493 down the Dovey valley from Machynlleth and up the coast to Tywyn then back up the Mawddach valley to Dolgellau, the A496 from Dolgellau down the north side of the Mawddach to Barmouth then north up the coast via Harlech to Maentwrog. The A4212 connecting Bala with Trawsfynydd is relatively modern having been laid out in the 1960s in connection with the construction of Llyn Celyn. Three further roads thread their often twisting and narrow way through the northern mountains; A4085 links Penrhyndeudraeth with Caernarfon, the A4086 links Capel Curig with Caernarfon via Llanberis and the A498 links Tremadog with the A4086 at Pen-y-Gwryd. Other roads of note include that from Llanuwchllyn up Cwm Cynllwyd to Dinas Mawddwy via the 545 metre (1788') high pass of Bwlch y Groes, the second highest tarmacked public road in Wales and the minor road running northwest and west from Llanuwchllyn towards Bronaber via the 531 metre (1742') high pass of Bwlch Pen-feidiog.

 

The double track North Wales Coast Line passes along the northern boundary of the park between Conwy and Bangor briefly entering it at Penmaen-bach Point where it is in tunnel. Stations serve the communities of Conwy, Penmaenmawr, Llanfairfechan and Bangor. The single-track Conwy Valley Line runs south from Llandudno Junction, entering the park north of Betws-y-coed which is served by a station then west up the Lledr valley by way of further stations at Pont-y-pant, Dolwyddelan and Roman Bridge. After passing through a tunnel the passenger line now terminates at Blaenau Ffestiniog railway station. Prior to 1961 the route continued as the Bala and Ffestiniog Railway via Trawsfynydd to Bala joining another former route along the Dee valley which ran southwest via Dolgellau to join the still extant coastal Cambrian Line south of Barmouth. The Pwllheli branch of the Cambrian Line splits from the Aberystwyth branch at Dovey Junction and continues via stations at Aberdovey, Tywyn, Tonfanau, Llwyngwril, Fairbourne and Morfa Mawddach to Barmouth where it crosses the Mawddach estuary by the Grade II* listed wooden Barmouth Bridge, a structure which also provides for walkers and cyclists. Further stations serve Llanaber, Tal-y-bont, Dyffryn Ardudwy, Llanbedr, Pensarn and Llandanwg before reaching Harlech. Tygwyn, Talsarnau and Llandecwyn stations are the last before the line exits the park as it crosses the Dwyryd estuary via Pont Briwet and turns westwards bound for Pwllheli via Penrhyndeudraeth, Porthmadog and Criccieth.

 

Many sections of dismantled railway are now used by walking and cycling routes and are described elsewhere. The Bala Lake Railway is a heritage railway which has been established along a section of the former mainline route between Bala and Llanuwchllyn. Other heritage railways occupy sections of former mineral lines, often narrow gauge and are described in a separate section.

 

The national park is served by a growing bus network, branded Sherpa'r Wyddfa (formerly Snowdon Sherpa). Together with the TrawsCymru network of buses this provides a car-free option to tourists and locals wishing to travel across the National Park.

 

The network was relaunched in July 2022 with a new brand, Sherpa'r Wyddfa, to reflect the National Park's new push for the promotion of Welsh place names. As such the publicity and websites for the newly branded service only use these Welsh names, even for English language users.

 

Snowdonia is one of the wettest parts of the United Kingdom; Crib Goch in Snowdonia is the wettest spot in the United Kingdom, with an average rainfall of 4,473 millimetres (176.1 in) a year over the 30-year period prior to the mid-2000s. (There is a rainfall gauge at 713 metres, 2340' on the slopes below Crib Goch.)

 

The earliest evidence for human occupation of the area dates from around 4000–3000 BCE with extensive traces of prehistoric field systems evident in the landscape. Within these are traces of irregular enclosures and hut circles. There are burial chambers of Neolithic and Bronze Age such as Bryn Cader Faner and Iron Age hillforts such as Bryn y Castell near Ffestiniog.

 

The region was finally conquered by the Romans by AD 77–78. Remains of Roman marching camps and practice camps are evident. There was a Roman fort and amphitheatre at Tomen y Mur. Roads are known to have connected with Segontium (Caernarfon) and Deva Victrix (Chester) and include the northern reaches of Sarn Helen.

 

There are numerous memorial stones of Early Christian affinity dating from the post-Roman period. The post-Roman hillfort of Dinas Emrys also dates to this time. Churches were introduced to the region in the 5th and 6th centuries. Llywelyn the Great and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd had various stone castles constructed to protect their borders and trade routes. Edward I built several castles around the margins including those at Harlech and Conwy for military and administrative reasons. Most are now protected within a World Heritage Site. Some of Snowdonia's many stone walls date back to this period too. In the Middle Ages, the title Prince of Wales and Lord of Snowdonia (Tywysog Cymru ac Arglwydd Eryri) was used by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd; his grandfather Llywelyn Fawr used the title Prince of north Wales and Lord of Snowdonia.

 

The 18th century saw the start of industrial exploitation of the area's resources, assisted by the appearance in the late part of the century of turnpike trusts making it more accessible. The engineer Thomas Telford left a legacy of road and railway construction in and around Snowdonia. A new harbour at Porthmadog linked to slate quarries at Ffestiniog via a narrow gauge railway. At its peak in the 19th century the slate industry employed around 12,000 men. A further 1000 were employed in stone quarrying at Graiglwyd and Penmaenmawr. Mining for copper, iron and gold was undertaken during the 18th and 19th centuries, leaving a legacy of mine and mill ruins today. Ruins of the gold industry are found at Cefn Coch on the Dolmelynllyn estate.

 

The Snowdonia Society is a registered charity formed in 1967; it is a voluntary group of people with an interest in the area and its protection.

 

Amory Lovins led the successful 1970s opposition to stop Rio Tinto digging up the area for a massive mine.

 

The park's entire coastline is a Special Area of Conservation, which runs from the Llŷn Peninsula down the mid-Wales coast, the latter containing valuable sand dune systems.

 

The park's natural forests are of the mixed deciduous type, the commonest tree being the Welsh oak. Birch, ash, mountain-ash and hazel are also common. The park also contains some large (planted) coniferous forested areas such as Gwydir Forest near Betws-y-Coed, although some areas, once harvested, are now increasingly being allowed to regrow naturally.

 

Northern Snowdonia is the only place in Britain where the Snowdon lily (Gagea serotina), an arctic–alpine plant, is found and the only place in the world where the Snowdonia hawkweed Hieracium snowdoniense grows.

 

One of the major problems facing the park in recent years has been the growth of Rhododendron ponticum. This fast-growing invasive species has a tendency to take over and stifle native species. It can form massive towering growths and has a companion fungus that grows on its roots producing toxins that are poisonous to any local flora and fauna for a seven-year period after the Rhododendron infestations have been eradicated. As a result, there are a number of desolate landscapes.

 

Mammals in the park include otters, polecats, feral goats, and pine martens. Birds include raven, red-billed chough, peregrine, osprey, merlin and the red kite. The rainbow-coloured Snowdon beetle (Chrysolina cerealis) is only found in northern Snowdonia.

 

Snowdonia has a particularly high number of protected sites in respect of its diverse ecology; nearly 20% of its total area is protected by UK and European law. Half of that area was set aside by the government under the European Habitats Directive as a Special Area of Conservation. There are a large number of Sites of special scientific interest (or 'SSSIs'), designated both for fauna and flora but also in some cases for geology. Nineteen of these sites are managed as national nature reserves by Natural Resources Wales. The park also contains twelve Special Areas of Conservation (or 'SACs'), three Special Protection Areas (or 'SPAs') and three Ramsar sites. Some are wholly within the park boundaries, others straddle it to various degrees.

 

There are numerous SSSIs within the park, the most extensive of which are Snowdonia, Migneint-Arenig-Dduallt, Morfa Harlech, Rhinog, Berwyn, Cadair Idris, Llyn Tegid, Aber Mawddach / Mawddach Estuary, Dyfi, Morfa Dyffryn, Moel Hebog, Coedydd Dyffryn Ffestiniog and Coedydd Nanmor.

 

The following NNRs are either wholly or partly within the park: Allt y Benglog, Y Berwyn (in multiple parts), Cader Idris, Ceunant Llennyrch, Coed Camlyn, Coed Cymerau, Coed Dolgarrog, Coed Ganllwyd, Coed Gorswen, Coed Tremadog, Coedydd Aber, Coedydd Maentwrog (in 2 parts), Coed y Rhygen, Cwm Glas Crafnant, Cwm Idwal, Hafod Garregog, Morfa Harlech, Rhinog and Snowdon.

 

The twelve SACs are as follows: Snowdonia SAC which covers much of the Carneddau, Glyderau, and the Snowdon massif, Afon Gwyrfai a Llyn Cwellyn, Corsydd Eifionydd / Eifionydd Fens (north of Garndolbenmaen), the Coedydd Derw a Safleoedd Ystlumod Meirion / Meirionydd Oakwoods and Bat Sites - a series of sites between Tremadog, Trawsfynydd, and Ffestiniog and Beddgelert and extending up the Gwynant. It also includes many of the oakwoods of the Mawddach and its tributaries. Afon Eden – Cors Goch Trawsfynydd, Rhinog, Cadair Idris (in 2 parts), Migneint-Arenig-Dduallt, River Dee and Afon Dyfrdwy a Llyn Tegid (Wales), Mwyngloddiau Fforest Gwydir / Gwydyr Forest Mines (north of Betws-y-Coed) and a part of the Berwyn a Mynyddoedd De Clwyd / Berwyn and South Clwyd Mountains SAC. The Pen Llyn a'r Sarnau / Lleyn Peninsula and the Sarnau SAC covers the entire Cardigan Bay coastline of the park and the sea area and extends above the high water mark at Morfa Harlech, Mochras and around the Dovey and Mawddach estuaries.

 

The three SPAs are Dovey Estuary / Aber Dyfi (of which a part is within the park), Berwyn (of which a part is within the park) and Migneint-Arenig-Dduallt.

 

The three designated Ramsar sites are the Dyfi Biosphere (Cors Fochno and Dyfi), Cwm Idwal and Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake).

 

The area's economy was traditionally centred upon farming and from the early 19th century increasingly on mining and quarrying. Tourism has become an increasingly significant part of Snowdonia's economy during the 20th and 21st centuries.

 

The extensive farming of sheep remains central to Snowdonia's farming economy.

 

Significant sections of the park were afforested during the 20th century for timber production. Major conifer plantations include Dyfi Forest, Coed y Brenin Forest between Dolgellau and Trawsfynydd, Penllyn Forest south of Bala, Beddgelert Forest and Gwydyr (or Gwydir) Forest near Betws-y-Coed which is managed as a forest park by Natural Resources Wales.

 

The region was once the most important producer of slate in the world. Some production continues but at a much reduced level from its peak. The park boundaries are drawn such that much of the landscape affected by slate quarrying and mining lies immediately outside of the designated area.

 

Construction of a nuclear power station beside Llyn Trawsfynydd began in 1959 with the first power produced in 1965. The site was operational until 1991 though it continues as an employer during its decommissioning phase. Pumped storage hydroelectric schemes are in operation at Llanberis and Ffestiniog.

 

Research indicates that there were 3.67 million visitors to Snowdonia National Park in 2013, with approximately 9.74 million tourist days spent in the park during that year. Total tourist expenditure was £433.6 million in 2013.

 

Many of the hikers in the area concentrate on Snowdon itself. It is regarded as a fine mountain, but at times gets very crowded; in addition the Snowdon Mountain Railway runs to the summit.

 

The other high mountains with their boulder-strewn summits as well as Tryfan, one of the few mountains in the UK south of Scotland whose ascent needs hands as well as feet are also very popular. However, there are also some spectacular walks in Snowdonia on the lower mountains, and they tend to be relatively unfrequented. Among hikers' favourites are Y Garn (east of Llanberis) along the ridge to Elidir Fawr; Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd (west of Snowdon) along the Nantlle Ridge to Mynydd Drws-y-Coed; Moelwyn Mawr (west of Blaenau Ffestiniog); and Pen Llithrig y Wrach north of Capel Curig. Further south are Y Llethr in the Rhinogydd, and Cadair Idris near Dolgellau.

 

The park has 1,479 miles (2,380 km) of public footpaths, 164 miles (264 km) of public bridleways, and 46 miles (74 km) of other public rights of way. A large part of the park is also covered by right to roam laws.

 

The Wales Coast Path runs within the park between Machynlleth and Penrhyndeudraeth, save for short sections of coast in the vicinity of Tywyn and Barmouth which are excluded from the park. It touches the park boundary again at Penmaen-bach Point on the north coast. An inland alternative exists between Llanfairfechan and Conwy, wholly within the park. The North Wales Path, which predates the WCP, enters the park north of Bethesda and follows a route broadly parallel to the north coast visiting Aber Falls and the Sychnant Pass before exiting the park on the descent from Conwy Mountain. The Cambrian Way is a long-distance trail between Cardiff and Conwy that stays almost entirely within the national park from Mallwyd northwards. It was officially recognised in 2019, and is now depicted on Ordnance Survey maps.

 

The use of the English names for the area has been divisive, with an increase in protests against their use since 2020; these led to the national park authority deciding to use Welsh names as far as legally possible in November 2022. An early example of pressure to deprecate Snowdon and Snowdonia was a 2003 campaign by Cymuned, inspired by campaigns to refer to Ayers Rock as Uluru and Mount Everest as Qomolangma.

 

In 2020 an e-petition calling for the removal of the English names was put forward to the Senedd, but rejected as responsibility lies with the national park authority. In 2021 an e-petition on the same topic attracted more than 5,300 signatures and was presented to the national park authority.

 

On 28 April 2021 Gwynedd councillor John Pughe Roberts put forward a motion to use the Welsh names exclusively, calling this a "question of respect for the Welsh language". The motion was not considered and delayed, as the national park authority already appointed a "Welsh Place Names Task and Finish Group" to investigate the issue. The park authority however cannot compel other bodies and/or individuals to stop using the English names, with the proposals facing some criticism.

 

In May 2021, following the dismissal of the motion, YouGov conducted a poll on Snowdon's name. 60% of Welsh adults supported the English name Snowdon, compared to 30% wanting the Welsh name Yr Wyddfa. Separating by language, 59% of Welsh speakers preferred the Welsh name, but 37% of these still wanted Snowdon to be used as well. 69% of non-Welsh speakers firmly supported Snowdon as the Mountain's name. The proposals to rename Snowdon are usually accompanied with proposals to rename Snowdonia.

 

On 16 November 2022, Members of the Snowdonia National Park Authority committee voted to use the Welsh names Yr Wyddfa and Eryri to refer to the mountain and the national park, rather than the English names, in materials produced by the authority. The national park authority described the decision as "decisive action" and the authority's head of culture heritage stated that Welsh place names were part of the area's "special qualities" and that other public bodies, English-language press and filming companies have used the Welsh-language names. Before the decision the park had already prioritised the Welsh names by using them first and giving the English names in parentheses. The name "Snowdonia" cannot be abandoned entirely, as it is set in law and so must be used in statutory documents. The authority announced a review of the authority's branding in 2023 to adapt to the new approach to Welsh place names.

 

Gwynedd is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The city of Bangor is the largest settlement, and the administrative centre is Caernarfon. The preserved county of Gwynedd, which is used for ceremonial purposes, includes the Isle of Anglesey.

 

Gwynedd is the second largest county in Wales but sparsely populated, with an area of 979 square miles (2,540 km2) and a population of 117,400. After Bangor (18,322), the largest settlements are Caernarfon (9,852), Bethesda (4,735), and Pwllheli (4,076). The county has the highest percentage of Welsh speakers in Wales, at 64.4%, and is considered a heartland of the language.

 

The geography of Gwynedd is mountainous, with a long coastline to the west. Much of the county is covered by Snowdonia National Park (Eryri), which contains Wales's highest mountain, Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa; 3,560 feet, 1,090 m). To the west, the Llŷn Peninsula is flatter and renowned for its scenic coastline, part of which is protected by the Llŷn AONB. Gwynedd also contains several of Wales's largest lakes and reservoirs, including the largest, Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid).

 

The area which is now the county has played a prominent part in the history of Wales. It formed part of the core of the Kingdom of Gwynedd and the native Principality of Wales, which under the House of Aberffraw remained independent from the Kingdom of England until Edward I's conquest between 1277 and 1283. Edward built the castles at Caernarfon and Harlech, which form part of the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd World Heritage Site. During the Industrial Revolution the slate industry rapidly developed; in the late nineteenth century the neighbouring Penrhyn and Dinorwic quarries were the largest in the world, and the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales is now a World Heritage Site. Gwynedd covers the majority of the historic counties of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire.

 

In the past, historians such as J. E. Lloyd assumed that the Celtic source of the word Gwynedd meant 'collection of tribes' – the same root as the Irish fine, meaning 'tribe'. Further, a connection is recognised between the name and the Irish Féni, an early ethnonym for the Irish themselves, related to fían, 'company of hunting and fighting men, company of warriors under a leader'. Perhaps *u̯en-, u̯enə ('strive, hope, wish') is the Indo-European stem. The Irish settled in NW Wales, and in Dyfed, at the end of the Roman era. Venedotia was the Latin form, and in Penmachno there is a memorial stone from c. AD 500 which reads: Cantiori Hic Iacit Venedotis ('Here lies Cantiorix, citizen of Gwynedd'). The name was retained by the Brythons when the kingdom of Gwynedd was formed in the 5th century, and it remained until the invasion of Edward I. This historical name was revived when the new county was formed in 1974.

 

Gwynedd was an independent kingdom from the end of the Roman period until the 13th century, when it was conquered by England. The modern Gwynedd was one of eight Welsh counties created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the entirety of the historic counties of Anglesey and Caernarfonshire, and all of Merionethshire apart from Edeirnion Rural District (which went to Clwyd); and also a few parishes of Denbighshire: Llanrwst, Llansanffraid Glan Conwy, Eglwysbach, Llanddoged, Llanrwst and Tir Ifan.

 

The county was divided into five districts: Aberconwy, Arfon, Dwyfor, Meirionnydd and Anglesey.

 

The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 abolished the 1974 county (and the five districts) on 1 April 1996, and its area was divided: the Isle of Anglesey became an independent unitary authority, and Aberconwy (which included the former Denbighshire parishes) passed to the new Conwy County Borough. The remainder of the county was constituted as a principal area, with the name Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, as it covers most of the areas of those two historic counties. As one of its first actions, the Council renamed itself Gwynedd on 2 April 1996. The present Gwynedd local government area is governed by Gwynedd Council. As a unitary authority, the modern entity no longer has any districts, but Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd remain as area committees.

 

The pre-1996 boundaries were retained as a preserved county for a few purposes such as the Lieutenancy. In 2003, the boundary with Clwyd was adjusted to match the modern local government boundary, so that the preserved county now covers the two local government areas of Gwynedd and Anglesey. Conwy county borough is now entirely within Clwyd.

 

A Gwynedd Constabulary was formed in 1950 by the merger of the Anglesey, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire forces. A further amalgamation took place in the 1960s when Gwynedd Constabulary was merged with the Flintshire and Denbighshire county forces, retaining the name Gwynedd. In one proposal for local government reform in Wales, Gwynedd had been proposed as a name for a local authority covering all of north Wales, but the scheme as enacted divided this area between Gwynedd and Clwyd. To prevent confusion, the Gwynedd Constabulary was therefore renamed the North Wales Police.

 

The Snowdonia National Park was formed in 1951. After the 1974 local authority reorganisation, the park fell entirely within the boundaries of Gwynedd, and was run as a department of Gwynedd County Council. After the 1996 local government reorganisation, part of the park fell under Conwy County Borough, and the park's administration separated from the Gwynedd council. Gwynedd Council still appoints nine of the eighteen members of the Snowdonia National Park Authority; Conwy County Borough Council appoints three; and the Welsh Government appoints the remaining six.

 

There has been considerable inwards migration to Gwynedd, particularly from England. According to the 2021 census, 66.6% of residents had been born in Wales whilst 27.1% were born in England.

 

The county has a mixed economy. An important part of the economy is based on tourism: many visitors are attracted by the many beaches and the mountains. A significant part of the county lies within the Snowdonia National Park, which extends from the north coast down to the district of Meirionnydd in the south. But tourism provides seasonal employment and thus there is a shortage of jobs in the winter.

 

Agriculture is less important than in the past, especially in terms of the number of people who earn their living on the land, but it remains an important element of the economy.

 

The most important of the traditional industries is the slate industry, but these days only a small percentage of workers earn their living in the slate quarries.

 

Industries which have developed more recently include TV and sound studios: the record company Sain has its HQ in the county.

 

The education sector is also very important for the local economy, including Bangor University and Further Education colleges, Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor and Coleg Menai, both now part of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.

 

The proportion of respondents in the 2011 census who said they could speak Welsh.

Gwynedd has the highest proportion of people in Wales who can speak Welsh. According to the 2021 census, 64.4% of the population aged three and over stated that they could speak Welsh,[7] while 64.4% noted that they could speak Welsh in the 2011 census.

 

It is estimated that 83% of the county's Welsh-speakers are fluent, the highest percentage of all counties in Wales.[9] The age group with the highest proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd were those between ages 5–15, of whom 92.3% stated that they could speak Welsh in 2011.

 

The proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd declined between 1991 and 2001,[10] from 72.1% to 68.7%, even though the proportion of Welsh speakers in Wales as a whole increased during that decade to 20.5%.

 

The Annual Population Survey estimated that as of March 2023, 77.0% of those in Gwynedd aged three years and above could speak Welsh.

 

Notable people

Leslie Bonnet (1902–1985), RAF officer, writer; originated the Welsh Harlequin duck in Criccieth

Sir Dave Brailsford (born 1964), cycling coach; grew up in Deiniolen, near Caernarfon

Duffy (born 1984), singer, songwriter and actress; born in Bangor, Gwynedd

Edward II of England (1284–1327), born in Caernarfon Castle

Elin Fflur (born 1984), singer-songwriter, TV and radio presenter; went to Bangor University

Bryn Fôn (born 1954), actor and singer-songwriter; born in Llanllyfni, Caernarfonshire.

Wayne Hennessey (born 1987), football goalkeeper with 108 caps for Wales; born in Bangor, Gwynedd

John Jones (c. 1530 – 1598), a Franciscan friar, Roman Catholic priest and martyr; born at Clynnog

Sir Love Jones-Parry, 1st Baronet (1832–1891), landowner and politician, co-founder of the Y Wladfa settlement in Patagonia

T. E. Lawrence (1888–1935), archaeologist, army officer and inspiration for Lawrence of Arabia, born in Tremadog

David Lloyd George (1863–1945), statesman and Prime Minister; lived in Llanystumdwy from infancy

Sasha (born 1969), disc jockey, born in Bangor, Gwynedd

Sir Bryn Terfel (born 1965), bass-baritone opera and concert singer from Pant Glas

Sir Clough Williams-Ellis (1883–1978), architect of Portmeirion

Owain Fôn Williams, (born 1987), footballer with 443 club caps; born and raised in Penygroes, Gwynedd.

Hedd Wyn (1887–1917), poet from the village of Trawsfynydd; killed in WWI

Due to the number of requests for toy rockets each year, Santa has developed a quick and easy way to mass-produce them: His patented SHRINKER (Significant Height Reduction Ionized Nucleus Kineto-Enhanced Ray). However, for every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction, so the machine also has an "Enlarge" setting.

 

Well, some careless E.L.F. (dang it, Frank!) left the switch on Enlarge and Santa now has to call in NASA to dismantle the 3-story-high rocket. He also needs to find a contractor to repair the floors.

 

(Unofficial word from HR is that Frank was using the machine to heat and enlarge the burrito he had for lunch. Frank was unavailable for comment.)

Probability Problems This page is about probability problems and solutions which will let you know about this concept with clear understanding. This page first give you an introduction to probability problems and solutions and further moving on to explained problems with solutions. Get your learning here and if you have any further math problems, you can work with our expert tutors and gain better understanding. The theory of probability is developed initially to explain such type of decisions mathematically. In other words probability is a measure of uncertainty.

U.S. Army photo by David Ruderman, U.S. Army Africa Public Affairs

 

Commander of the Kenyan Army, Lt. Gen. Njuki Mwaniki, met with U.S. Army Africa leaders and toured the command’s headquarters in Vicenza, Italy, Feb. 23-25.

 

In addition to meeting with U.S. Army Africa Commander, Maj. Gen. David R. Hogg, Mwaniki delivered a presentation on border security issues affecting Kenya and toured some of the installation’s skills training facilities and Battle Command Training Center.

 

The Kenyan general said he was impressed by the sophisticated training and the working relationships he observed among American soldiers and their leaders.

 

“I think the relationship between the command and the staff, for example [between the sergeant major and the staff, is a very good example,” he said. “That is one of the highlights that I can pick straight away. That shows you it will be a successful command,” he said.

 

CSM Hu Rhodes, command sergeants major, USARAF, said visits like this put a personal face to a professional relationship. The command relationship endures changes in personnel; however, a familiar face can make things easier at times.

  

“All three of the Officers that visited were great, but, in particular, the General was impressive in each opportunity I had to spend time with him,” Rhodes said. “He is a studied leader that readily shares his experiences. I learned a lot, took a lot of notes, and look forward to meeting his NCO's in the near future.”

  

Mwaniki thinks the military profession is about survival, securing the nation and, in doing so, saving lives.

 

“That is the bottom line of our profession, therefore, we must be perfect in the task we undertake to secure the nation — there’s no substitute for that,” he said. “You must have the passion to love what you do — it must be in your genes; it must be in you.”

 

Mwaniki’s visit to Vicenza is another building block in an evolving relationship between the Kenyan Army and U.S. Army Africa, and we need to sustain this relationship.

 

“There’s really a relationship now between the U.S. and Africa,” he said. “Visits by [Major General] Hogg [to Kenya] and my visit here we are able to share our thoughts that ensure not only that [our] relationship is enhanced, but that we understand each other,” the Kenyan commander said emphatically.

 

Maj. Gen. David R. Hogg, commander, USARAF, said the beauty about having the chief of the Kenyan Army visiting us here in Vicenza is absolutely dramatic.

 

“He’s very personable and brand new to the job -- we had an opportunity to discuss some of the challenges and issues in Eastern Africa,” Hogg said. “We also talked about potential training, missions, exercises, and of course he had the opportunity to come see how U.S. Army Africa operates on a daily basis and see some of our training devises that we use for our Soldiers here,” the USARAF commander said.

 

Mwaniki stressed that communication is critical — it makes you understand the other person.

 

“We want to get as much as possible, to ensure that we secure and make Africa a better place,” Mwaniki said. “Ultimately our problems will be solved by us, but the expediencies of the U.S. in other areas will allow us to solve our problems, and we thank them,” he said.

 

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

 

Official Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/usarmyafrica

 

Official Vimeo video channel: www.vimeo.com/usarmyafrica

   

FLAME TREE (royal poinciana)

The bright red flowers of this tree is why it is also known as "flamboyant". Not native to Guam, it was probably brought during the Spanish era. I remember as a boy we used to play a game with the flowers. Only problem is when it blooms (I forget if its when it blooms or after) there are alot of caterpillars that drop to the ground.

The reports and documents made on a child in care during the 1960s.

 

Page 40.

07.11.66 Report of Child Care Officer.

There is now a new Houseparent in the flat. Miss Rosemary Foale is looking after Philip since the original Sister in Charge has retired. She has told me that his mother continues to visit regularly and to have Philip home for odd weekends.

Philip, apparently is rather a strange child, and it has taken him a long time to settle into the family. This is because the other children have been there much longer than he has and partly because age-group-wise, he tends to be the odd man out.

He is still inclined to be aggressive towards other children and this may be because he is teased by them. He is inclined to bully younger children, but is slowly ceasing to do this.

There is now a bed wetting problem that has increased since his arrival, it is not know if there is something that is upsetting him, or if it is a growing up stage he is going through.

 

MY ANSWER. The whole flat had recently been through a major upheaval; this affected the others far more than it had me. The Sister in Charge had looked after some of the family for most of their lives had now reached retirement; she was now severing almost all links with the family group. Now the lady who we had known as a helper and relief was taking over from Sister. My knowledge of Sister had only been for a year and a half. Having lived surrounded by other adults all my life that had come and gone. That Sister was leaving meant a bit of an unknown change, but not really a major event to me. For the others, this event was decisive and very upsetting.

The Houseparent who now took over has had some experience of children, but compared to Sister’s many years of actual practice, we now experienced the newer textbook style of childcare. This we found out was a completely different way of life for us. Our flat now has two groups of four, giving either younger ones or older ones. I did not fit in; at the age of almost ten, I was neither an older one nor a younger one, but I had to be placed in one of the groups for most activities. For chores and the like, I was grouped with the older ones; for bedtimes and activities then it was the younger group as I was still at junior school. The Houseparent now told me that if I wet the bed, I would be given the slipper.

 

If I was a strange child as the new Houseparent thought, it was something I could live with. I simply did not want to give up and fall into the dull lives that most of those around me accepted.

I was aggressive to younger children but this was down to my short temper; I would prefer to be left alone, but as our paths had to cross, so often problems did occur. The older ones were not involved with the young group as much as myself.

When the older boys in the flat teased me, I always got angry; they just did not understand how upsetting it was. If I was different from the others in the flat, this was due to the long summer holidays I was away from the Home. During this summer break, the Sister took less control of the flat and allowed the new Houseparent to make more of the decisions ready for running the flat full time.

 

41. November 1966. Half-Yearly Report by Houseparent.

Age 9yrs 10months

General condition: Good

Height: 4ft 7in.

Weight 5st 0lbs.

Philip is inclined to be jealous and vocally aggressive, particularly with younger members of the group.

His relationship with all, including the staff, is very loose at present. There is a need to keep control of his behaviour.

He is slightly impertinent, yet, given the opportunity, he can be helpful and enjoys showing the younger children how to do things.

 

MY ANSWER. With almost two years at the Home, there were limits to the amount of teasing and other problems I could take before I started to cause trouble. To be treated as one of the younger ones now I was coming up to ten, made me start to act like one of the younger group, rather than that of the older ones, whereas in reality, if allowed to follow my own resources, I could easily have been placed in the older group.

Living with adults all my life, possibly gave me a slightly different attitude than for most. I could be polite and respectful when I wanted to, but if treated as a young child then I could rebel. If I was given respect then I was quite capable of acting in a far more grown-up manner.

The Houseparent had given me the slipper for matters other than wetting the bed. The second time she gave me it, I had twelve hits with the slipper on my rear; it was given as two sessions of six hits. I would not have received the second six hits had I not pushed the boy who said I had stolen his sweets. In the end, the Houseparent found out that I was innocent of stealing the sweets. It was too late then; I had already been punished. This was one of the reasons I was not settled in the flat.

 

42. 07.12.66 Letter to NCH Harpenden from Luton & Dunstable Hospital.

If you will please arrange for this lad to come along to the Accident Services here at 10am on Thursday 15th December, we will be pleased to remove the gun pellet from his left knee. As he will be given a general anaesthetic, it is important that he has nothing to eat or drink after midnight the previous day.

It would be helpful if you could complete and return the enclosed slip; I am enclosing the Consent Form for signature.

 

MY ANSWER. Finally the decision was made to take the pellet out of my leg. There was one benefit, outdoor games could be missed for the rest of the term.

 

43. 29.12.66 Report of Child Care Officer.

On 29.12.66 I learnt from his mother that Philip would be going home the following day for a week’s holiday. I was sorry to have missed him.

The mother is still nursing both her parents, who are almost entirely bedridden. She has a very trying time and constantly wonders if there is a way of leaving someone else to care for her parents.

However, at the moment there appears to be no alternative and, of course, she does not know how long their situation will continue. Her mother is twenty years younger than her father, who is ninety. The mother is pleased with Philip’s progress. She enjoys having him for weekends and is looking forward to having him for his holidays.

 

10 Years Old

On 02.01.67 I visited Harpenden Branch and spoke to the Houseparent, who told me that there had been a considerable improvement in Philip recently.

He is much less aggressive towards the younger children and is also more popular with his peer group, joining in their games and activities. Philip has become more interested in school and seems to enjoy it now. He is also more affectionate.

 

On 05.01.67 I visited Philip at his home. He chatted happily about all he has been doing and the many presents he has received for his birthday and at Christmas.

He still talks very fast and has a rather excitable manner. He seemed to be enjoying his holiday very much.

 

On 26.01.67 I called at Harpenden branch and saw Philip on his return from school.

When I spoke to Philip, he seemed happy and had plenty of news, which he related in a rather excited and disjointed way.

 

Earlier I had visited his school and managed to have a word with both the Headmaster and the class teacher. It appears that he is showing some improvement in his schoolwork. The Headmaster has not needed to deal with Philip since the start of the school year in September, over any matters of bad behaviour.

The class teacher reported to me that there have been several occasions where she has found it has been necessary to punish him, but once reprimanded he settles down to work. He appears to be slowly settling down to school life and that when firmly controlled can show improvement in the lesson period.

 

At the end of our meeting I spoke to the Governor of Highfield, who confirms that with the previous reports of Philip’s behaviour at school, keeping him firmly in line was suggested at the end of the last school year. Philip appears now to understand what is required of him during the school period and is settling into the routine more easily.

The uncooperative attitude Philip had to visiting the lavatory before going to bed has seen vast improvement. There are now only minor instances of bedwetting during the past few months. After agreement with the mother, the new Houseparent has brought in a strict regime, and Philip realises that, he will be punished for any bedwetting.

 

MY ANSWER. I seemed to have made improvement. That year at school things were better; the teacher in our class dealt with anything I did wrong; I was seldom sent to the Headmaster. Her punishments were about the same as the Headmaster, as she would give the cane on your legs or hands, but they were easier to get over with once given. Now that I was not punished in front of the rest of the class made me less worried over the events. As I am almost ten, a few older privileges are starting to come my way.

The Christmas and New Year periods over the last two years had been new to me. Until recently Christmas activities had never been anything very special. Living with my mother, with her work over Christmas, our festivities were never anything major. It was possibly around the age of six, through events of the time, that I had realised that in reality there was no Father Christmas.

In London, any Christmas activity had really been for the adults to enjoy as their holiday. I was meant to keep quiet. At the Home Christmas was new and enjoyable, but I would have preferred the quiet life with just my mother. Parties, trips to the pantomime and other group activities, possibly did get me a little excitable. With my Birthday coming so soon after Christmas treats and presents, everything seemed to roll into one event.

If I seemed to be more affectionate it was possible that I had not been involved in many scrapes or battles with the others in the household. The need to be good up to Christmas might also have helped my chances of longer visits to London over the holiday period.

 

The new Houseparent must have talked to my mother about me wetting the bed. I don't know if it was the Houseparent or my mother that suggested that I should receive the slipper if I wet the bed.

My mother possibly told the Houseparent that at the age of seven I was hit with the plimsoll if I wet the bed, and that once I became eight she thought the cane would be a more suitable punishment.

With the knowledge that I would be punished if I wet the bed on my vistits to London, and as I had not wet the bed on my visits. They might have thought that the threat of punishment in the Home would bring an end to my bedwetting.

The reason for not having any wet beds on my visits to London, was down to my ability to visit the lavatory at any time during the night. The Houseparent giving me the slipper in the morning, only makes me wet the bed more due to the fear of the punishment.

 

44. 30.03.67 Report of Child Care Officer.

Visit to Philip at his Home. Philip appeared to be enjoying his holidays, but his mother seemed rather concerned that, as usual, he never concentrates on anything for very long. Although he tackles things with great enthusiasm, he soon loses interest in them.

The mother looks very tired and is finding her parents a great strain. She had a day off on Good Friday and very much enjoyed taking Philip to Worthing for the day. As I had little opportunity to talk to his mother, I will call again soon.

I noticed that Philip has a great difficulty in writing and as he is now ten this is rather worrying. He appears bright and alert, but he cannot concentrate, he does not seem to progress.

I wonder whether there is anything worrying Philip and also how much information his mother has given him about his father. Once, when I tried to broach the subject, the mother was very defensive and I wonder whether her anxiety is transmitted to Philip.

In the original recommendation which we received from his Headmistress, it was suggested that Philip might benefit from some male influence. Unfortunately, his mother’s brother does not take any interest in Philip and I believe his other uncles visit him very rarely.

On visiting Harpenden Branch the Houseparent mentioned to me that Philip never plays games at school and she hopes to go there soon to discuss this.

 

MY ANSWER. If I always seemed to rush at things, it was simply down to the belief that there was never enough time to follow through every idea that I had in my mind. If other matters came to mind, then I could leave off and come back to it later.

For schoolwork, there was always the thought that there was not enough time to finish the work. For most lessons, failure to finish meant you might be asked to stay on for a few extra minutes to finish. With the requirement to be back at the Home on time, this often meant final lessons of the day would be rushed to avoid being kept in even for a few extra minutes to finish the work.

I could have proved my ability to write neatly if given the chance; in the art lessons a few were given the chance to do calligraphy. This was a lesson I could have begged for; the few chosen were those who had the neatest books.

If my written work was poor, it was down to the use of a ballpoint pen; given the occasional opportunity with pen and ink alone, I was able to work well. If the teachers had told me to take my time over my written work and that if I did not finish it did not matter, then I would have been able to attain a much higher standard of work. However, put me in a classroom environment and add the other factors of friends causing a nuisance around me and even an ink pen would prove fruitless.

Group games were never interesting to me and football was my main hate. It was not that I disliked physical activities.

One of the best lessons at school was P.E. but only if the climbing apparatus was brought fully into use.

With P.E. we generally did not have to change except for putting on a P.E. shirt, our school shorts were fine.

For games we needed to fully change, with Sister sending me to school with waterproof pants, there was the possibility of some teasing whilst changing, some of my friends knew what I had on, and did not make fun of me, but others might have. I was never the only one from the Home to wear waterproofs, most took it a something quite normal for boys from the Home to be seen in. For me avoiding games was an easy solution.

.

 

45. 27.04.67 Letter to Rev. Gordon. E. Barritt. NCH London from Governor of Harpenden NCH.

We should be grateful if you could arrange for Philip to be tested by the Tutor in Charge during the next few months. As mentioned in recent reports he has great difficulty in writing, and doesn’t seem to be making progress. It would be helpful to know how intelligent he is.

 

46. 01.05.67 Note from NCH.

Please see letter from Governor of Harpenden NCH with the suggestion, that the Tutor in Charge should test Philip. Could this be arranged please?

 

47. 09.05.67 Letter to the Tutor in Charge from Governor of Harpenden NCH.

Thank you for your letter of 5th May. It will be quite convenient for you to come and see Philip and the Houseparent on Monday 28th May. I will inform his school and ask for a report from there.

Note: Unable to keep appointment – unwell – another date being arranged.

 

48. 23.05.67 Letter to Rev. Gordon. E. Barritt. NCH London from Governor of Harpenden NCH.

We were glad to have the report on the visit to Philip’s mother. The Houseparent has visited Philip’s school and seen his teacher. She stated that Philip was aggressive, but was reasonably easy to control in class.

She told the Houseparent that his work could be better if he could concentrate more, and she had noticed that he responded well to praise, and always improved and worked better afterwards.

The Tutor in Charge was due to see Philip yesterday, but had to postpone her visit on account of illness. She will no doubt be arranging another date with us shortly.

 

49. May 1967. Half Yearly Branch Report by Houseparent.

Age 10 years 4 months

General condition: Good

Height: 4ft 8in.

Weight: 5st 5lbs.

Sight: Eye Clinic. To have eye exercises.

Air gun pellet removed from Left Knee.

 

Philip has been more aggressive and belligerent and I learn from Susan’s teacher that he has been bullying her at school. His own class teacher has dealt with him over this matter. He is apparently much worse when I am not around.

He seems to put up a barrier and does not believe he has done anything wrong, even if it can be proved. His relationship with some of the members of the family is improving.

When he is helpful or kind, and is praised for this, he glows and is a different lad for a while. He is desperate for more adult attention and will go to great lengths to get it.

Interests: Cubs, Electricity, Lego bricks and (boxes for hiding sweets only).

 

MY ANSWER. An eye test revealed that there might be a slight problem with my sight, which in some way might have been one of the reasons for my clumsiness. Until this moment, any eye test I took part in had revealed that I had good sight in both eyes. The ability on my part to read the small print on the eye chart with one eye at a time, proved that I did not need glasses to correct any short sight. What however was never checked was my ability to read the same small letters with both eyes open at the same time. When I was given this test, it showed that I could find things a bit of a blur. At all distances, I appeared to be affected. The diagnosis was that I suffered from slight double vision.

More time off lessons attending the local eye clinic, and free time spent reading very small print, with a device placed in front of my vision seemed slowly to correct this problem. Although to get out of the dull chore of reading small print when I could be out at play, I told the adults that things were getting better, when in reality there was only slight improvement.

My fast pace was the reason for being labelled a bully. Whilst at the Annexe of the school, two of us could set our own pace for the return journey. When the Annexe was closed down and we had to rejoin the main school, such pleasures vanished. There were no chances now of gaining any extra minutes of freedom; there were many taking the same route to the Home. As I was still at the juniors, I now had the task of escorting one of the younger girls to and from school. Although only a year younger than me, it was thought that she needed to be escorted both to and from school. Known as a daydreamer, attention to her safety now was the main issue.

Until this point, older children from the flat who attended the senior school had this privilege. Allowance of extra time due to the school hours not totally coinciding had been made. Now at the same school, I was given the task, although any extra time for my benefit was not provided. I have to admit my walking pace was fast; my mother seemed to encourage this from an early age, through being busy.

Dawdling and daydreaming were not things I had ever indulged in. My idea was to get to school at the first possible moment. Playing and other activities before the bell rang for the start of the school day was perhaps the best moment of the school day. If friends had new possessions or had swaps to make, miss this early opportunity, and you could be jealous for evermore.

The slow pace of the girl started the day badly for me. Although I never really dragged her along the road, when crossing the road, I was a little more vocal and slightly physical.

My class teacher punished me after Susan’s teacher made the complaint that I was bullying her. I was given the cane at going home time. As there was no time after I had been given the cane to get over the punishment, I was still in tears when I walked with Susan back to the Home. Three hits on each hand had really made me cry. From that point on I was not accused of bullying Susan anymore. I don’t think it was her intention to get me caned.

If I was desperate for adult attention, it was down to being fed up with most children’s games and wanted something more adult to do or learn about. If I did get praise, then I was happy.

My interests were on building and making things. Group board games were more or less unknown to me, although often receiving such items as presents there was seldom anyone to play with. Even in the Home, board games were not that much fun down to the wide age range. If you played with younger ones the rules were too complicated, if you played with older ones and appeared to be winning, they would change the rules to benefit themselves. Constructing objects and learning how things worked could be one of my pastimes. Never having acquired more than the most basic Meccano set, if I built things, Lego seemed to be the most desirable item through either presents or swaps. With electricity I was not allowed to try out experiments with the mains voltages – batteries in various stages of capacity had to meet my needs. One of my toys was a Morse code set. If there had been any interest from the older boys, I would have loved the chance to learn the system, but to all the others it was too much like a lesson and they showed no interest.

There had been one extra event that had set me at odds with the Houseparent, it was when she had shaken me over my behaviour, resulting in the back of my head going through a glass window due to her force. Then the Governor of the Home caned me. These were the main reasons why I was not very happy at the Home.

  

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I've seen this gentleman wandering about a few times but today things came together and I decided to ask him to take part in my project. So I started walking after him but for some reason I "chased" with less purpose then normal when I have made a decision - it's one of my own little techniques to pick up my pace to force myself to carry through with the approach but I didn't do that today although I did nonetheless ask him and he immediately agreed with a slight smile. After a brief explanation about the project I introduced myself and learned that this was Ian. And now the fun begins ...

 

... at first I couldn't move the focus point and blaming the camera (bear with me) I released the lens and reattached it but that made no difference. Thankfully though it finally occurred to me that I had simply locked the focus point by mistake so I rectified that and tried again. Still no good though - now the camera wouldn't focus so I checked the focus settings on both camera and lens and they were both set correctly so off came the lens again, reattached and ... beep ... thank goodness! These issues cropped up when I was photographing Becca as well and I got really flustered on that occasion but today I was able to calmly work through the problems until everything worked properly (despite getting a bit confused as it would appear that I tried to solve the first problem with the wrong solution and thus caused the other issue - faulty contact between the camera and lens).

 

Throughout this Ian was remarkably patient with me - I wasn't talking to him because I was too busy trying to work out what the problem was but he just waited until I was ready and then looked obligingly into the camera.

 

I did speak to Ian a bit afterwards but I've decided not to post any of it because I don't think he really wanted to chat and after a couple of short answers I cut my losses and thanked him then left him to continue on his way.

 

Ian, thank you very much for taking part in my project today and for your patience whilst I wrestled with my camera. Ultimately though I am pleased with this portrait and I hope that you like it as well.

_____________________________

 

Please feel free to provide constructive critique on the technical aspects of this photograph.

 

This picture is #75 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page