250522img_1533

Is the one small and the other one normal or is the other one big and the one normal

Kamiya. I agree its still fair first attempt. Nice Yoshino style neck, cool tail. Work with wings, head, body/adjust back legs proportion, and your done.

A Dream of Venice

NUMB, half asleep, and dazed with whirl of wheels,

And gasp of steam, and measured clank of chains,

I heard a blithe voice break a sudden pause,

Ringing familiarly through the lamp-lit night,

“Wife, here's your Venice!”

I was lifted down,

And gazed about in stupid wonderment,

Holding my little Katie by the hand—

My yellow-haired step-daughter. And again

Two strong arms led me to the water-brink,

And laid me on soft cushions in a boat,—

A queer boat, by a queerer boatman manned—

Swarthy-faced, ragged, with a scarlet cap—

Whose wild, weird note smote shrilly through the dark.

Oh yes, it was my Venice! Beautiful,

With melancholy, ghostly beauty—old,

And sorrowful, and weary—yet so fair,

So like a queen still, with her royal robes,

Full of harmonious colour, rent and worn!

I only saw her shadow in the stream,

By flickering lamplight,—only saw, as yet,

White, misty palace-portals here and there,

Pillars, and marble steps, and balconies,

Along the broad line of the Grand Canal;

And, in the smaller water-ways, a patch

Of wall, or dim bridge arching overhead.

But I could feel the rest. 'Twas Venice!—ay,

The veritable Venice of my dreams.

I saw the grey dawn shimmer down the stream,

And all the city rise, new bathed in light,

With rose-red blooms on her decaying walls,

And gold tints quivering up her domes and spires—

Sharp-drawn, with delicate pencillings, on a sky

Blue as forget-me-nots in June. I saw

The broad day staring in her palace-fronts,

Pointing to yawning gap and crumbling boss,

And colonnades, time-stained and broken, flecked

With soft, sad, dying colours—sculpture-wreathed,

And gloriously proportioned; saw the glow

Light up her bright, harmonious, fountain'd squares,

And spread out on her marble steps, and pass

Down silent courts and secret passages,

Gathering up motley treasures on its way;—

Groups of rich fruit from the Rialto mart,

Scarlet and brown and purple, with green leaves—

Fragments of exquisite carving, lichen-grown,

Found, 'mid pathetic squalor, in some niche

Where wild, half-naked urchins lived and played—

A bright robe, crowned with a pale, dark-eyed face—

A red-striped awning 'gainst an old grey wall—

A delicate opal gleam upon the tide.

I looked out from my window, and I saw

Venice, my Venice, naked in the sun—

Sad, faded, and unutterably forlorn!—

But still unutterably beautiful.

For days and days I wandered up and down—

Holding my breath in awe and ecstasy,—

Following my husband to familiar haunts,

Making acquaintance with his well-loved friends,

Whose faces I had only seen in dreams

And books and photographs and his careless talk.

For days and days—with sunny hours of rest

And musing chat, in that cool room of ours,

Paved with white marble, on the Grand Canal;

For days and days—with happy nights between,

Half-spent, while little Katie lay asleep

Out on the balcony, with the moon and stars.

O Venice, Venice!—with thy water-streets—

Thy gardens bathed in sunset, flushing red

Behind San Giorgio Maggiore's dome—

Thy glimmering lines of haughty palaces

Shadowing fair arch and column in the stream—

Thy most divine cathedral, and its square,

With vagabonds and loungers daily thronged,

Taking their ice, their coffee, and their ease—

Thy sunny campo's, with their clamorous din,

Their shrieking vendors of fresh fish and fruit—

Thy churches and thy pictures—thy sweet bits

Of colour—thy grand relics of the dead—

Thy gondoliers and water-bearers—girls

With dark, soft eyes, and creamy faces, crowned

With braided locks as bright and black as jet—

Wild ragamuffins, picturesque in rags,

And swarming beggars and old witch-like crones,

And brown-cloaked contadini, hot and tired,

Sleeping, face-downward, on the sunny steps—

Thy fairy islands floating in the sun—

Thy poppy-sprinkled, grave-strewn Lido shore—

Thy poetry and thy pathos—all so strange!—

Thou didst bring many a lump into my throat,

And many a passionate thrill into my heart,

And once a tangled dream into my head.

'Twixt afternoon and evening. I was tired;

The air was hot and golden—not a breath

Of wind until the sunset—hot and still.

Our floor was water-sprinkled; our thick walls

And open doors and windows, shadowed deep

With jalousies and awnings, made a cool

And grateful shadow for my little couch.

A subtle perfume stole about the room

From a small table, piled with purple grapes,

And water-melon slices, pink and wet,

And ripe, sweet figs, and golden apricots,

New-laid on green leaves from our garden—leaves

Wherewith an antique torso had been clothed.

My husband read his novel on the floor,

Propped up on cushions and an Indian shawl;

And little Katie slumbered at his feet,

Her yellow curls alight, and delicate tints

Of colour in the white folds of her frock.

I lay, and mused, in comfort and at ease,

Watching them both and playing with my thoughts;

And then I fell into a long, deep sleep,

And dreamed.

I saw a water-wilderness—

Islands entangled in a net of streams—

Cross-threads of rippling channels, woven through

Bare sands, and shallows glimmering blue and broad—

A line of white sea-breakers far away.

There came a smoke and crying from the land—

Ruin was there, and ashes, and the blood

Of conquered cities, trampled down to death.

But here, methought, amid these lonely gulfs,

There rose up towers and bulwarks, fair and strong,

Lapped in the silver sea-mists;—waxing aye

Fairer and stronger—till they seemed to mock

The broad-based kingdoms on the mainland shore.

I saw a great fleet sailing in the sun,

Sailing anear the sand-slip, whereon broke

The long white wave-crests of the outer sea,—

Pepin of Lombardy, with his warrior hosts—

Following the bloody steps of Attila!

I saw the smoke rise when he touched the towns

That lay, outposted, in his ravenous reach;

Then, in their island of deep waters,* saw

A gallant band defy him to his face,

And drive him out, with his fair vessels wrecked

And charred with flames, into the sea again.

“Ah, this is Venice!” I said proudly—“queen

Whose haughty spirit none shall subjugate.”

It was the night. The great stars hung, like globes

Of gold, in purple skies, and cast their light

In palpitating ripples down the flood

That washed and gurgled through the silent streets—

White-bordered now with marble palaces.

It was the night. I saw a grey-haired man,

Sitting alone in a dark convent-porch—

In beggar's garments, with a kingly face,

And eyes that watched for dawnlight anxiously—

A weary man, who could not rest nor sleep.

I heard him muttering prayers beneath his breath,

And once a malediction—while the air

Hummed with the soft, low psalm-chants from within.

And then, as grey gleams yellowed in the east,

I saw him bend his venerable head,

Creep to the door, and knock.

Again I saw

The long-drawn billows breaking on the land,

And galleys rocking in the summer noon.

The old man, richly retinued, and clad

In princely robes, stood there, and spread his arms,

And cried, to one low-kneeling at his feet,

“Take thou my blessing with thee, O my son!

And let this sword, wherewith I gird thee, smite

The impious tyrant-king, who hath defied,

Dethroned, and exiled him who is as Christ.

The Lord be good to thee, my son, my son,

For thy most righteous dealing!”

And again

'Twas that long slip of land betwixt the sea

And still lagoons of Venice—curling waves

Flinging light, foamy spray upon the sand.

The noon was past, and rose-red shadows fell

Across the waters. Lo! the galleys came

To anchorage again—and lo! the Duke

Yet once more bent his noble head to earth,

And laid a victory at the old man's feet,

Praying a blessing with exulting heart.

“This day, my well-belovèd, thou art blessed,

And Venice with thee, for St. Peter's sake.

And I will give thee, for thy bride and queen,

The sea which thou hast conquered. Take this ring,

As sign of her subjection, and thy right

To be her lord for ever.”

Once again

I saw that old man,—in the vestibule

Of St. Mark's fair cathedral,—circled round

With cardinals and priests, ambassadors

And the noblesse of Venice—richly robed

In papal vestments, with the triple crown

Gleaming upon his brows. There was a hush:—

I saw a glittering train come sweeping on,

From the blue water and across the square,

Thronged with an eager multitude,—the Duke,

And with him Barbarossa, humbled now,

And fain to pray for pardon. With bare heads,

They reached the church, and paused. The Emperor knelt,

Casting away his purple mantle—knelt,

And crept along the pavement, as to kiss

Those feet, which had been weary twenty years

With his own persecutions. And the Pope

Lifted his white haired, crowned, majestic head,

And trod upon his neck,—crying out to Christ,

“Upon the lion and adder shalt thou go—

The dragon shalt thou tread beneath thy feet!”

The vision changed. Sweet incense-clouds rose up

From the cathedral altar, mix'd with hymns

And solemn chantings, o'er ten thousand heads;

And ebbed and died away along the aisles.

I saw a train of nobles—knights of France—

Pass 'neath the glorious arches through the crowd,

And stand, with halo of soft, coloured light

On their fair brows—the while their leader's voice

Rang through the throbbing silence like a bell.

“Signiors, we come to Venice, by the will

Of the most high and puissant lords of France,

To pray you look with your compassionate eyes

Upon the Holy City of our Christ—

Wherein He lived, and suffered, and was lain

Asleep, to wake in glory, for our sakes—

By Paynim dogs dishonoured and defiled!

Signiors, we come to you, for you are strong.

The seas which lie betwixt that land and this

Obey you. O have pity! See, we kneel—

Our Masters bid us kneel—and bid us stay

Here at your feet until you grant our prayers!”

Wherewith the knights fell down upon their knees,

And lifted up their supplicating hands.

Lo! the ten thousand people rose as one,

And shouted with a shout that shook the domes

And gleaming roofs above them—echoing down,

Through marble pavements, to the shrine below,

Where lay the miraculous body of their Saint

(Shed he not heavenly radiance as he heard?—

Perfuming the damp air of his secret crypt),

And cried, with an exceeding mighty cry,

“We do consent! We will be pitiful!”

The thunder of their voices reached the sea,

And thrilled through all the netted water-veins

Of their rich city. Silence fell anon,

Slowly, with fluttering wings, upon the crowd;

And then a veil of darkness.

And again

The filtered sunlight streamed upon those walls,

Marbled and sculptured with divinest grace;

Again I saw a multitude of heads,

Soft-wreathed with cloudy incense, bent in prayer—

The heads of haughty barons, armed knights,

And pilgrims girded with their staff and scrip,

The warriors of the Holy Sepulchre.

The music died away along the roof;

The hush was broken—not by him of France—

By Enrico Dandolo, whose grey head

Venice had circled with the ducal crown.

The old man looked down, with his dim, wise eyes,

Stretching his hands abroad, and spake. “Seigneurs,

My children, see—your vessels lie in port

Freighted for battle. And you, standing here,

Wait but the first fair wind. The bravest hosts

Are with you, and the noblest enterprise

Conceived of man. Behold, I am grey-haired,

And old and feeble. Yet am I your lord.

And, if it be your pleasure, I will trust

My ducal seat in Venice to my son,

And be your guide and leader.”

When they heard,

They cried aloud, “In God's name, go with us!”

And the old man, with holy weeping, passed

Adown the tribune to the altar-steps;

And, kneeling, fixed the cross upon his cap.

A ray of sudden sunshine lit his face—

The grand, grey, furrowed face—and lit the cross,

Until it twinkled like a cross of fire.

“We shall be safe with him,” the people said,

Straining their wet, bright eyes; “and we shall reap

Harvests of glory from our battle-fields!”

Anon there rose a vapour from the sea—

A dim white mist, that thickened into fog.

The campanile and columns were blurred out,

Cathedral domes and spires, and colonnades

Of marble palaces on the Grand Canal.

Joy-bells rang sadly and softly—far away;

Banners of welcome waved like wind-blown clouds;

Glad shouts were muffled into mournful wails.

A Doge was come to be enthroned and crowned,—

Not in the great Bucentaur—not in pomp;

The water-ways had wandered in the mist,

And he had tracked them, slowly, painfully,

From San Clemente to Venice, in a frail

And humble gondola. A Doge was come;

But he, alas! had missed his landing-place,

And set his foot upon the blood-stained stones

Betwixt the blood-red columns. Ah, the sea—

The bride, the queen—she was the first to turn

Against her passionate, proud, ill-fated lord!

Slowly the sea-fog melted, and I saw

Long, limp dead bodies dangling in the sun.

Two granite pillars towered on either side,

And broad blue waters glittered at their feet.

“These are the traitors,” said the people; “they

Who, with our Lord the Duke, would overthrow

The government of Venice.”

And anon,

The doors about the palace were made fast.

A great crowd gathered round them, with hushed breath

And throbbing pulses. And I knew their lord,

The Duke Faliero, knelt upon his knees,

On the broad landing of the marble stairs

Where he had sworn the oath he could not keep—

Vexed with the tyrannous oligarchic rule

That held his haughty spirit netted in,

And cut so keenly that he writhed and chafed

Until he burst the meshes—could not keep!

I watched and waited, feeling sick at heart;

And then I saw a figure, robed in black—

One of their dark, ubiquitous, supreme

And fearful tribunal of Ten—come forth,

And hold a dripping sword-blade in the air.

“Justice has fallen on the traitor! See,

His blood has paid the forfeit of his crime!”

And all the people, hearing, murmured deep,

Cursing their dead lord, and the council, too,

Whose swift, sure, heavy hand had dealt his death.

Then came the night, all grey and still and sad.

I saw a few red torches flare and flame

Over a little gondola, where lay

The headless body of the traitor Duke,

Stripped of his ducal vestments. Floating down

The quiet waters, it passed out of sight,

Bearing him to unhonoured burial.

And then came mist and darkness.

Lo! I heard

The shrill clang of alarm-bells, and the wails

Of men and women in the wakened streets.

A thousand torches flickered up and down,

Lighting their ghastly faces and bare heads;

The while they crowded to the open doors

Of all the churches—to confess their sins,

To pray for absolution, and a last

Lord's Supper—their viaticum, whose death

Seemed near at hand—ay, nearer than the dawn.

“Chioggia is fall'n!” they cried, “and we are lost!”

Anon I saw them hurrying to and fro,

With eager eyes and hearts and blither feet—

Grave priests, with warlike weapons in their hands,

And delicate women, with their ornaments

Of gold and jewels for the public fund—

Mix'd with the bearded crowd, whose lives were given,

With all they had, to Venice in her need.

No more I heard the wailing of despair,—

But great Pisani's blithe word of command,

The dip of oars, and creak of beams and chains,

And ring of hammers in the arsenal.

“Venice shall ne'er be lost!” her people cried—

Whose names were worthy of the Golden Book—

“Venice shall ne'er be conquered!”

And anon

I saw a scene of triumph—saw the Doge,

In his Bucentaur, sailing to the land—

Chioggia behind him blackened in the smoke,

Venice before, all banners, bells, and shouts

Of passionate rejoicing! Ten long months

Had Genoa waged that war of life and death;

And now—behold the remnant of her host,

Shrunken and hollow-eyed and bound with chains—

Trailing their galleys in the conqueror's wake!

Once more the tremulous waters, flaked with light;

A covered vessel, with an armèd guard—

A yelling mob on fair San Giorgio's isle,

And ominous whisperings in the city squares.

Carrara's noble head bowed down at last,

Beaten by many storms,—his golden spurs

Caught in the meshes of a hidden snare!

“O Venice!” I cried, “where is thy great heart

And honourable soul?”

And yet once more

I saw her—the gay Sybaris of the world—

The rich voluptuous city—sunk in sloth.

I heard Napoleon's cannon at her gates,

And her degenerate nobles cry for fear.

I saw at last the great Republic fall—

Conquered by her own sickness, and with scarce

A noticeable wound—I saw her fall!

And she had stood above a thousand years!

O Carlo Zeno! O Pisani! Sure

Ye turned and groaned for pity in your graves.

I saw the flames devour her Golden Book

Beneath the rootless “Tree of Liberty;”

I saw the Lion's legend blotted out,

For “rights of men”—unutterable wrongs!—

Dandolo's brazen horses borne away—

The venerable Bucentaur, with its wealth

Of glorious recollections, broken up.

I heard the riotous clamour; then the change

To passionate minor cadence—then the sad

And hopeless silence settle down; and then—

I woke. The flickering water-gleam was gone

From off the ceiling, and white snows of light

Fell softly on the marble walls and floors,

And on the yellow head of little Kate

Musingly bent down from the balcony.

The lapping of the tide—the dip of oars—

The sad, sweet songs, and sadder city bells,

Mellowly borne along the water-streets:—

The swirl and ripple around lumbering keels

Of heavy, slow, Rialto market-boats,

Adown the broad and misty highway, lit

With moonbeams and the far-strown light of lamps,

Following the track of vanished gondolas:—

The flutter of a fig-leaf in the wind,

A faded fig-leaf, flapping faded walls,

With faded, crumbling, delicate sculpture-crusts:—

The voice of dreaming Katie crooning out

A snatch of melody that the Austrian band

Played in San Marco's Place some hours agone,

While patriots, neath their shadowy colonnades,

Sauntered, and shut their ears, and ate their hearts:—

A measured footstep, pacing to and fro—

The brush of two strong hands upon my brows—

The tenor-music of dear English lips,

Whispering, between two kisses, cheerily,

“Wake up, my wife; Nina has brought our tea:”—

These were the sounds that called me back to life.

Rialto (Rivo alto)

Ada Cambridge

out and about today...

have you noticed the horse on the bottom right hand side of the turbine?...

Catch up soon...

Thanks for looking ... :-)

website

Getty Images

I'm attracted to pictures with out of proportion elements. I think it adds some fun that is lacking in many images.

And Flickr maps is still misplacing - by 15 miles - some of my pictures including this one. I thought they were "hard at work" fixing this problem, but I guess they don't work very hard.

The Rootes car showroom and workshops, Mill Street, Maidstone, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * The building is of architectural interest as an example of a Modernist motorcar showroom and workshops which retains a significant proportion of its original fabric. * The building is of architectural interest due to its grand scale, town-centre location and picturesque setting adjacent to the Len mill pond, which distinguishes it from other buildings associated with the motorcar industry during this phase of early motoring. * The building is a prominent manifestation of a hugely successful British car manufacturer, built in a period when the expansion of car ownership was having a the revolutionary impact on the physical and social fabric of the nation.

Details

883/0/10032

MAIDSTONE MILL STREET Rootes Maidstone

01-OCT-09

II Car showroom and workshops, 1938-39, by Howard and Souster.

MATERIALS: steel-framed and reinforced concrete structure, walls of brick faced with reconstituted-stone blocks, now painted white. Roof of reinforced concrete and steel frame with metal sheeting. Floors of reinforced concrete with Terrazzo, rubber and grano finishing. Steel casement windows.

PLAN: irregular L-shape plan with showroom, offices (now snooker club) and car storage to the west facing onto Mill Street (this block is known as Len House), and workshops and administration block to the east, facing on to Len Pond. The east block is set back from Mill Road creating a courtyard space where an island filling station was originally located.

EXTERIOR: Moderne style west block (Len House) is built over two stories with a flat roof and parapet (now capped in folded metal sheet) to the front and a saw-tooth roof with corrugated covering to the rear. Ground floor double height showroom frontage with polished black stone stall-riser and integral fascia band, now covered by modern signage. A horizontal band of windows at first floor is interrupted by a central triangular tower, which rises from a canopy over the main showroom entrance. A string course connects the heads and sills of the windows. To the north, a single bay provides access from the street to the first floor through a pair of panelled timber doors. Over the door on a simple square-edged door surround applied lettering spells the name 'LEN HOUSE' above which is a band of horizontal reeding. At first floor a single window is surrounded by a square-edged architrave with an expressed keystone and reeded sill. The Mill Street elevation curves round into the south elevation of the block which provides a secondary canopied entrance to the showroom and a vehicular access to the car store to the rear of the block. The east block is over two floors but a mezzanine level at the west end results in two rows of upper windows on the west elevation. As with the west block, these horizontal bands of windows have a string course connecting their heads and sills. The west elevation provides access to the administration block with a canopy over the door, and a vehicular access into the workshops behind. The west elevation curves round into the south elevation. At either end the south elevation is punctuated by a projecting bay with raised parapet and pierced balconette in front of the ground floor window. Between the projecting bays are five bays with a continuous string course at the window heads and sills, either side of a central bay with a pronounced architrave and pierced balconette. To the far west of this elevation is an original entrance door into the administration block. The east elevation has been rendered and the fenestration largely blocked or altered and a new central entrance and canopy installed. The north elevation is of untreated brick with concrete banding at first floor and roof level. Most of the original openings remain although there has been some alteration. This elevation is of lesser interest. The roof of the east block is flat to the south, with ridge and furrow covered in corrugated sheeting to the north. The ridges are mounted by extractor units.

INTERIOR: the showroom has a modern interior, generally of little architectural interest, although a curved mezzanine viewing gallery (now enclosed) remains in the south-east corner of the showroom. The former offices on the first floor, now snooker hall, have been fitted with a Victorian-style interior, not of special interest. The car storage area to the rear of the showroom is largely open in plan, and fully open to the roof. At ground floor and mezzanine level the administration block is partially open-plan and partially subdivided into small offices with non-structural partitioning. The workshops are largely open plan with the vehicular ramp between ground and first floor being a principal feature. The concrete and steel structure of the building is undisguised; at ground floor concrete cross beams rest on large columns, supporting the first floor above, at first floor the workshops are open to the roof. The far east of the block is separated-off with a modern office interior, not of special interest. A number of original staircases remain throughout the building, mainly characterised by curved steel-strip balusters with wood or metal hand rails.

HISTORY: the Rootes motorcar showroom and workshop was built in 1937-38 for Rootes Ltd by Howard and Souster, an architectural firm who specialised in industrial and commercial buildings and who undertook a number of commissions for Rootes. The site, adjacent to a mill pond on the River Len, had formerly been occupied by a tannery. The tannery buildings were acquired by Rootes in 1917 and were later demolished to make way for the new complex of showroom, filling station, workshops and offices. At the time of its opening in April 1938, the showroom was considered the largest and most up to date in Kent; at night 700ft of neon tubing outlined the frontage and spelled out the name 'ROOTES' on the tower above the main entrance.

Rootes was started in 1895 by William Rootes Snr who opened a cycle and repair shop in Goudhurst, Kent. The business soon moved into motor cars and its growing success took him to new larger premises in Hawkhurst and then Maidstone, where his son William was placed in charge. In 1917 William was demobilised from the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve to start the first aero engine repair organisation in the country. It was at this point that the old tannery, adjacent to the Len mill pond in Mill Street was obtained by the Rootes firm. Previously operating as a private firm, Rootes became Rootes Ltd, The Len Engineering Works, Maidstone; formed for the purpose of overhauling and repairing aero engines for the government.

By the mid 1920s, Rootes had become Britain's largest motor retailer and had moved into coach-building, acquiring in 1925 the firm of Thrupp and Maberly, coach builders for Humber, Daimler and Rolls-Royce. In the late 1920s, Rootes Ltd moved into car manufacture, forming Rootes Securities and making a successful bid for Humber-Hillman-Commer. The Hillman Minx, launched in 1931 became an outstanding success and by the late 1930s was the most popular light car in the world. In the mid 1930s the famous names of Sunbeam, Clement Talbot and Karrier all became part of the Rootes family. By 1937, Rootes controlled eight manufacturing companies, seven distributing companies, and was also controlling one of the largest export businesses in the British motor industry.

By the late 1930s manufacturing had moved away from the Maidstone site so the Len Engineering Works was rebuilt as a model super service station. In the preceding years, the motor car had become more accessible to the middle classes; the new showroom on Mill Street prided itself on offering 'models for the masses and millionaires'. The motor industry had embraced modernism in its architecture during the 1930s; the opportunities to exploit new materials and technologies allowed for an architectural expression linked to both the ideals of the motor industry, and the aspirations of their customers. The size of the Rootes showroom floor, uninterrupted by supporting columns, combined with an elegant, streamlined exterior glowing with neon light, would have made an impressive sight. The Rootes complex was referred to as a 'palace of modern motoring'.

The post war years saw continued national and international success for Rootes but the 1960s brought change. In financial difficulty, aid came from Chrysler who eventually acquired a majority share and the company became Chrysler United Kingdom. When Chrysler pulled out of Britain, ownership of the Rootes showroom and workshops passed to the Peugeot-Talbot Motor Company. The site is now owned by Robins and Day Ltd and continues to operate as a car showroom and repair garage.

SOURCES Tony Calladine and Kathryn Morrison, Road Transport Buildings, A Report by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England for the English Heritage Post-1939 Listing Programme (1998), 8-35 (held in the National Monuments Record Centre) Julian Holder and Steven Parissien, The Architecture of British Transport in the Twentieth Century (2004), 161-188 'Kent's Link with Britain's Motor Industry', Kent Tells The World, 1951 'Rootes Strengthen Ties with County of Their Birth' Kent Messenger, April 9 1938 'Rootes' New Maidstone Showrooms', The Motor, 12 April 1938, 489 'Rootes of Maidstone, Part One: From Goudhurst to the World', Irene Hales, Bygone Kent, vol. 7, no. 10, 1986 'Rootes of Maidstone, Part Two: An Industrial Giant', Irene Hales, Bygone Kent, vol. 7, no. 11, 1986 'Rootes Reconstruct at Maidstone', The Motor, 22 March 1938, 342 'Stores, Shops and Showrooms Reference Section', Architectural Design and Construction, May 1939

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION The Rootes car showroom and workshops, Mill Street, Maidstone, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * the building is of special architectural interest as an example of a Modernist motorcar showroom, office and workshops complex which retains a significant proportion of its original fabric. * the building is of special architectural interest due to its grand scale, town-centre location and picturesque setting adjacent to the Len mill pond, which distinguishes it from other buildings associated with the motorcar industry during this phase of early motoring. * the building is a prominent manifestation of a hugely successful British car manufacturer, built in a period when the expansion of car ownership was having a the revolutionary impact on the physical and social fabric of the nation.

Tarlabaşı/Istanbul/Turkey

One of the biggest gentrification projects in the city...

located almost in the centre of the city, is a quirky, urban conundrum in the throes of a government gentrification drive. Officially, they are calling it a renewal programm – in reality, it’s a complete makeover and redevelopment, involving tearing down old structures, which are part of Istanbul’s architectural heritage, to make way for a new commercial zone, comprising shopping centres, malls and hotels.

Very large deckchairs, although not obviously so without the usual accessory of a human being. On the other hand, Portsmouth's cathedral is quite small by English cathedral standards.

Challange ”proportions” on Flickr Friday.

Photo by Alexandre Fernandez

In Explore, may 19, 2025

Press L for a better view my friend :-)

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A flock of migratory ducks settling down in their wintering abode with majestic wings stacked up in actions. This is one of their wintering sites in India for 3-4 months while their breeding sites are further northern countries of Europe; Russia, China, Mongolia etc. The great group in the picture includes Garganey (Spatula querquedula) in major proportion, Common Teal (Anas crecca), Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca),Cotton Pygmy-goose (Nettapus coromandelianus), Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope),Northern Pintail (Anas acuta), Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) and Gadwall (Anas strepera). Their typical marshland habitat for feeding and hiding place is beautifully depicted in this picture. Pics was taken from Purbasthali, West Bengal, India.

Scaffolding in the powerhouse of the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer NC. This building is being converted into an event space.

File: 2023005-1502

At Shelsley Walsh, Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom on Saturday 3rd June 2023.

About the photograph.

I was attending a speed hill climbing motorsport event, during a hot sunny day, at the Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb in the village of Shelsely Walsh in Worcestershire. I was there to take photos of the of the event.

They had four different nation flags of the British Isles on flagpoles alongside the track.

NOTE: British Isles is different from British Islands. British Islands refer to England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the small islands like Jersey, Guernsey, and Isle of Man, all together. Whereabouts British Isles is same as British Islands, but includes the Republic of Ireland.

Here, I took a series of photographs of the flag of Ireland, flying in the wind, along with the flags of England, Scotland, and Wales.

I’m not sure those flags are of official sizes and specifications, but still, it was a chance for me to take some shots of the flags.

By this time, I had already taken photos of the Union Flag, the Wales flag, and the American Stars and Strips from somewhere else. I thought to grab a chance to take photo of flags belonging to Scotland and Ireland that were flying at the grounds.

For details about the flag of Ireland, see About the overall subject.

About the overall subject.

About the flag.

This is the national flag for the Republic of Ireland. In the Irish language: bratach na hÉireann.

It is frequently referred in Ireland as the tricolour (an tridhathach).

The flag is a vertical tricolour of green, white, and orange bands of equal width, in the proportion of 1:2. That mean an aspect ratio where the width (2) is twice the size of the height (1).

Note: It is important to remember that the colour order from left to right, is green, white, and orange. Not to be confused with the flag of Ivory Coast which is very similar but theirs is in the order of orange, white, and green.

The two flags can often be confused, specially when using the reverse side of the flags.

The flag of Ireland had been adopted in 1922, however like with any other national flags all around the world, the history of the Irish tricolour can date back further from the date of adoption.

According to various history, it was presented as a gift by a small group of French women sympathetic to the Irish nationalism. The colours were intended to symbolise the hoped-for union between the Roman Catholics (green colour) and Protestants (white colour). The white in the middle signifies a lasting truce between the two. It was also based on the French tricolour.

The exact colours, like with any other flags in history, were never actually specified until modern times. Today, the Irish government, the Department of the Taoiseach is responsibility for the flag design and use, had set the actual colours which was in use since 2001.

About Shelsley Walsh.

Shelsley Walsh is a motorsports speed hill climb track in Worcestershire, and organised by the Midland Automobile Club (MAC).

It is one of the oldest motorsports event, having started in 1905, and held events every year, except for the two World Wars.

It is also a notably steep course by today’s hill climb standards, rising 328ft / 100m over its 1000 yards / 914 metres length.

The track and course do not belong to MAC, it is leased from the local landowner. The original lease ran for 99 years, and in 2005, a new lease was signed for the next 99 years.

The Comment Box is for comments about the photograph or about the subject in the photograph. It is NOT an adverting billboard for copy-and-paste Canned Comments with pre-prepared text and oversized pic of group logo. Those say something about the groups, not about my photo, therefore will be deleted. If you want to promote the groups you are member of, do so in YOUR own Photostream!

If, as we have seen, the Atlantic province of Saintonge has a wealth of Romanesque churches from the 1100s, Burgundy is every bit as wealthy, or almost, and its Romanesque churches are often older by a good 100 years, if not more.

Even though Burgundy is far closer to home for me, I still haven’t been to all the churches I would like to see. Those visits take time to be enjoyed properly, and this kind of photography is slow and deliberate, which means restaurants and hotel nights, and these are activities whose desirability has been seriously curtailed by the pandemic over the past two years. Nevertheless, I have recently been photographing a couple of those old churches during day trips, and I am now uploading the results. I hope you enjoy them.

Dedicated to Saint Marcel, the church we are visiting today is located in the village of Iguerande, in the Brionnais part of southern Burgundy.

Note that strangely shaped Templar cross inscribed in a circle, on top of the transept gable wall, which draws a sort of leaning flower... No one, to my knowledge, has been able to explain this very peculiar ornament.

One of the keys to shooting Epic Landscape Photography is exalting the photograph's soul via golden ratio compositions, thusly wedding the photographic art to the divine proportion by which life itself was designed and exalted.

Dr. Elliot McGucken's Golden Number Ratio Fine Art Landscape & Nature Photography Composition Studies!

instagram.com/goldennumberratio

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Greetings flickr friends! I am working on several books on "epic photography," and I recently finished a related one titled: The Golden Number Ratio Principle: Why the Fibonacci Numbers Exalt Beauty and How to Create PHI Compositions in Art, Design, & Photography: An Artistic and Scientific Introduction to the Golden Mean . Message me on facebook for a free review copy!

www.facebook.com/goldennumberratio/

The Golden Ratio also informs the design of the golden revolver on all the swimsuits and lingerie, as well as the 45surf logo!

The Golden Number Ratio Principle: Dr. E’s Golden Ratio Principle: The golden ratio exalts beauty because the number is a characteristic of the mathematically and physically most efficient manners of growth and distribution, on both evolutionary and purely physical levels. The golden ratio ensures that the proportions and structure of that which came before provide the proportions and structure of that which comes after. Robust, ordered growth is naturally associated with health and beauty, and thus we evolved to perceive the golden ratio harmonies as inherently beautiful, as we saw and felt their presence in all vital growth and life—in the salient features and proportions of humans and nature alike, from the distribution of our facial features and bones to the arrangements of petals, leaves, and sunflowers seeds. As ratios between Fibonacci Numbers offer the closest whole-number approximations to the golden ratio, and as seeds, cells, leaves, bones, and other physical entities appear in whole numbers, the Fibonacci Numbers oft appear in nature’s elements as “growth’s numbers.” From the dawn of time, humanity sought to salute their gods in art and temples exalting the same proportion by which all their vital sustenance and they themselves had been created—the golden ratio.

Ansel Adams is not only my favorite photographer, but he is one of the greatest photographers and artists of all time. And just like great artists including Michelangelo, Monet, Degas, Renoir, Leonardo da Vinci, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Botticelli, and Picasso, Ansel used the golden ratio and divine proportions in his epic art.

Not so long ago I discovered golden regions in many of his famous public domain his 8x10 aspect ratio photographs. I call these golden harmony regions "regions of golden action" or "ROGA"S, as seen here:

www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1812448512351066.107374...

And too, I created some videos highlighting Ansel's use of the golden harmonies. Enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGnxOAhK3os

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFlzAaBgsDI

www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3eJ86Ej1TY

More golden ratio and epic photography composition books soon! Best wishes for the Holiday Season! Dr. Elliot McGucken :)

夜間攝影方案: 建築

Night photography: Architecture

拍攝地點: 鰂魚涌, 香港

location: Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

Polyblastus varitarsus.

Parasitic wasp carrying young.

With around 6,000 species, parasitic wasps make up by far the greatest proportion of Hymenoptera in Britain and they remain sorely under-researched, not least because some are incredibly small, less than one millimetre in length and identification can be extremely difficult.

Some of these parasites are extremely useful to humans, notably the Brachonid wasp Spathius exarator which can remove up to 90% of a Woodworm infestation in any property. Others significantly reduce numbers of pest species in crops, including aphids.

Because there was insufficient information, none of this large group were included in the Red Data Book published in 1987 aimed at detailing our vulnerable invertebrates. Clearly if any of the hosts are vulnerable or endangered the parasites are likely to be in the same parlous position. More information would be of great benefit in devising ways to maintain this part of our biodiversity.

Even one family containing a good proportion of pretty obvious species in both colour and size, the Ichneumon wasps, was not in the Red Data Book.

Adult Ichneumons, which tend to have long antennae with up to 40 segments, are not carnivores, gaining their sustenance from nectar and honeydew. Their larvae certainly are carnivorous though and given their numbers and dramatic variation in size use a huge range of invertebrates from, spiders to butterflies and moths, as hosts.

Arguably the most striking Ichneumons are females with an ovipositor as long as the rest of the insect or longer. These devices, with all the penetration of a long hypodermic needle, are used with astonishing precision to insert eggs in the larvae or pupae of the host. The latter are located accurately by use of scent and sensory perception in the legs and the Ichneumon then can take up to half an hour applying her ovipositor to penetrate the wood, find the larva and lay an egg on it.

A hefty number of Ichneumons, and all the Ichneumoninae sub-family, parasitise moth or butterfly species, laying their eggs in larvae or pupae; adult emergence is always from the pupa. None of these need the long ovipositors required by wood and stem-boring Ichneumons.

Flickr Friday theme Proportion.

#Proportion flickrfriday

The pattern of seeds within a sunflower follows the Fibonacci sequence, or 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144...

The individual seeds create spiral arms, curving to the right and the left. The number of spirals to the left, is however not equal to those spiraling to the right. The spiral arms to the left and to the right are always two successive numbers of the Fibonacci sequence.

This is when I wish I'd paid more attention to my maths lessons at school!

~ Deeper, Dig Deeper ~

Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather than on taxonomy. Marine biology differs from marine ecology as marine ecology is focused on how organisms interact with each other and the environment, and biology is the study of the organisms themselves.

A large proportion of all life on Earth exists in the oceans. Exactly how large the proportion is unknown, since many ocean species are still to be discovered. Oceans cover about 71% of the Earth's surface, and because of their depth they contain about 300 times the habitable volume of the terrestrial habitats on Earth. The habitats studied in marine biology include everything from the tiny layers of surface water in which organisms and abiotic items may be trapped in surface tension between the ocean and atmosphere, to the depths of the oceanic trenches, sometimes 10,000 meters or more beneath the surface of the ocean. Specific habitats include coral reefs, kelp forests, seagrass meadows, tidepools, muddy, sandy and rocky bottoms, and the open ocean (pelagic) zone, where solid objects are rare and the surface of the water is the only visible boundary. The organisms studied range from microscopic phytoplankton and zooplankton to huge cetaceans (whales) 30 meters (98 feet) in length.

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Please take your time... and enjoy it large on black

For Dutch notions, the Vliehors is an exceptional region as far as landscape is concerned. The dimensions of the panorama here are in no proportion to man. One is surrounded by a sand plain stretching out to the horizon or to the endless surrounding sea. This sandbank was once a dune region in which the village West Vlieland was located. The northern border of that area and the location of West Vlieland now lie at least a kilometer further north in sea. Before 1950, the Vliehors was a large sand plain, without any growth whatsoever. Since that year, Rijkswaterstaat began placing branches and reed screens on the Vliehors, creating drift dikes. Three dikes were created in this manner: the permanent dike, running from the training camp in a westerly direction, and the first and second drift dike, which lie to the west of the air force tower. Since recently, a new dune area has been forming in the shelter of these drift dikes. Primary dunes grow into a complex of dunes and the low areas in between develop quickly into salt marsh. Interesting plants grow on this salt marsh and in the dunes; the first bushes have also been reported. On the Vliehors, one can easily see how a sand plain slowly changes into a dune area. Put this on a larger scale and one can imagine how a wadden island develops from a bare beach ridge into an island covered in growth. Seals sometimes lie on the tip of the Hors. Nowadays, man is using the Vliehors more regularly. The entire area is a training terrain for the Department for Defence. They named it Cornfield Range and it is the only place in the Netherlands where fighters and bombers can practice with both practice and live ammunitions. Airplanes of the Netherlands air force and different other NATO countries are daily visitors of the range. They can hire time, named slots, to let their pilots practice their skills at the range.

A Fatamorgana of the shoreline of the island Texel. The island seems splited into more islands but actually it's one island. This Straight Out of Camera photo taken from Vlieland an island in the North Sea - The Netherlands. This optical phenomenon occurs because rays of light are strongly bent when they pass through air layers of different temperatures, like here with such warm sandbank and cool sea air. Fata Morgana mirages tremendously distort the object or objects which they are based on, such that the object often appears to be very unusual, and may even be transformed in such a way that it is completely unrecognizable.

Deze foto geeft een mooi contrast weer met m'n laaste serie foto's van Beieren. Geen hoge bergen maar een oneindige vlakte. De Vliehors is een zandvlakte van 20 vierkante kilometer aan de westkant van Vlieland. Deze vlakte wordt ook wel de Sahara van het Noorden genoemd. Op het uiterste puntje van de Vliehors zie je hier bijna altijd wel zeehonden. Ook staat er een Reddingshuisje midden op de Hors. Vroeger een vluchtplaats voor gestrande drenkelingen, nu ingericht als juttersmuseum. Alles wat op het strand is aangespoeld is hier te bewonderen, van sigaretten tot flessenpost. Sinds 1997 is het reddingshuisje één van de officiële trouwlocaties op Vlieland. Deze unieke trouwlocatie staat sinds enkele jaren wereldwijd in de top 10 van mooiste locaties. De Vliehors is een uitgestrekt natuurgebied, dat voor een groot deel in gebruik is als militair oefenterrein van de Koninklijke Luchtmacht. De zandplaat is gelegen op de westelijke helft van het waddeneiland Vlieland. De operationele benaming van de Vliehors is Cornfield Range. In het weekend is deze zandvlakte vrij toegankelijk. Je hoeft je dan niets aan te trekken van alle waarschuwingsborden. Maar niet veel mensen weten dat. Hier liep dan helemaal alleen op deze inmens grote zandvlakte. Toch wel een unieke ervaring en dat in Nederland - één van de dichtbevolkste gebieden van de Wereld. Wat een stilte hier! Ik denk toch wel de stilste plek in Nederland, maar dan alleen in het weekend. Op het puntje van de Vliehors kan je de ongeveer de 45 m hoge vuurtoren Eierland van Texel zien liggen. Door de grote temperatuurverschillen tussen verschillende luchtlagen, het warme strand en koele zeelucht, kan je een luchtspiegeling waarnemen. Dit geeft een speciale effect. Het eiland Texel lijkt wel opgespits in kleine eilandjes. Door de weeks is de Vliehors een militairoefenterrein. In september 2009 is door het Ministerie van VROM een nieuwe milieuvergunning afgegeven aan Defensie, die het mogelijk maakt om te schieten vanuit jachtvliegtuigen en helikopters en tot maximaal 70 live bommen 500-ponders per jaar af te werpen. Dus vergis je niet in de dagen van de week!

Cusworth Hall is an 18th-century Grade I listed country house in Cusworth, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire in the north of England. Set in the landscaped parklands of Cusworth Park, Cusworth Hall is a good example of a Georgian country house. It is now a country house museum.

The house is constructed of ashlar with slate roofs. The rectangular 6 x 5 bay plan main block is linked to 5 x 2 bay service wings.

The Wrightson family had held the lordship of Cusworth since 1669.

The present house was built in 1740–1745 by George Platt for William Wrightson to replace a previous house and was further altered in 1749–1753 by James Paine. On William's death in 1760 the property passed to his daughter Isabella, who had married John Battie, who took the additional name of Wrightson in 1766. He employed the landscape designer Richard Woods to remodel the park. Woods was one of a group of respected landscape designers working across the country during the 18th century and Cusworth was one of his most important commissions in South Yorkshire, another being at Cannon Hall. Woods created a park of 250 acres with a hanging and a serpentine river consisting of three lakes embellished with decorative features such as the Rock Arch and the Cascade.

The estate afterwards passed to John and Isabella's son, William Wrightson (1752–1827), who was the MP for Aylesbury from 1784 to 1790 and High Sheriff of Yorkshire for 1819–1820. He was succeeded by his son William Battie-Wrightson (1789–1879), who at various times was MP for East Retford, Kingston upon Hull and Northallerton. He died childless and Cusworth Hall passed to his brother Richard Heber Wrightson, who died in 1891.

The property was then inherited by his nephew William Henry Thomas, who took the surname Battie-Wrightson by Royal Licence and died in 1903. He had married Lady Isabella Cecil, eldest daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Exeter. Between 1903 and 1909 Lady Isabella made further alterations to the house. She died in 1917, leaving an only son Robert Cecil Battie-Wrightson (1888–1952). On his death in 1952, the estate descended to his sister, a nurse who had married a Major Oswald Parker but later was variously known as Miss Maureen Pearse-Brown and as Mrs Pearce. She was obliged to sell the contents of Cusworth Hall in October 1952 to meet the death duties levied at Robert Cecil's death. She subsequently sold the hall to Doncaster Council.

Cusworth Estate Cusworth was first mentioned as ‘Cuzeuuorde’ in the domesday survey of 1086 but there has been a settlement here for centuries dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period. Many different families had held the lands and manor but they did not always live at Cusworth.

‘Old Hall’ A large house is first mentioned in 1327. Robert Wrightson bought the lands and manor of Cusworth in 1669 from Sir Christopher Wray. The first surviving map of Cusworth is that of Joseph Dickinson's 1719 plan which shows the hall and gardens covered only 1 acre with the orchards a further 2 acres. What is most significant at this time was the ‘Parke’ of some 25 acres. The ‘Old Hall’ was next to the walled gardens in the centre of Cusworth village. In 1726 the ‘Old Hall’ was expanded including altering the gardens between 1726 and 1735. This expanded the kitchen garden into the size and form we know today with the Bowling Green and Pavilion.

In the period 1740–1745 William Wrightson employed George Platt, a mason architect from Rotherham, to build a new hall – the current Cusworth Hall – high on a scarp slope on the Magnesian Limestone removing the Hall, and the family, from the village of Cusworth. The ‘Old Hall’ was largely demolished in the process, many components from the old building re-used in the new.

Cusworth Hall Cusworth Hall itself and its outbuildings are at the centre of the park enjoying ‘prospect’ over the town of Doncaster. The Grade I-listed eighteenth century hall was designed by George Platt in the Palladian style. Cusworth Hall is handsome, well proportioned, with wings consisting of a stable block and great kitchen. Later additions by James Paine include a chapel and library. It has decorative outbuildings including a Brew House, Stable Block and Lodge. In addition it has a decorative garden called Lady Isabella's Garden on the west side adjacent to the chapel. On its eastern flank the stable block and gardeners' bothy. Attached to the bothy is a decorative iron enclosure known as the Peacock Pen.

Cusworth Park Cusworth Park is an historic designed landscape with a Grade II listing in the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens. It was designed and created by the nationally known landscape architect Richard Woods to ‘improve’ the park in the style made famous by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown now termed ‘The English Landscape Park’. Work started in 1761 laying out the ‘grounds and the serpentine river’.

The land forming the existing park is 60 acres (25 hectares) – 250,000m, and was part of the much larger parkland (250 acres) and estates (20,000 acres) of the Battie-Wrightson family who owned Cusworth Hall.

The walled garden The earliest description of the layout of the park and walled gardens is that shown on Joseph Dickinson's 1719 plan. In 1761 Richard Woods altered areas within the walled gardens. Together ‘woods’ Kitchen Garden and Green House Garden occupy the site of the orchard shown on Dickinson's plan.

The purchase of bricks from Epworth for the construction of the walled gardens is recorded in the New House Accounts.

The garden was a compartmentalised space, however with focus on domestic production in some sections, exotics in another, an orchard, and formal flower gardens in the rest.

The kitchen gardens included pine pits (pineapple house), later to become stove houses and mushroom houses.

The Entrance Terrace (Upper Terrace) Old plans show a narrow walled enclosure or ‘entrance terrace' running east–west. The walls of this enclosure may well have been of stone or stoned faced and still, in part survives. To the south are the main components of the walled garden. Access from the terrace down to the bowling green is via a flight of stone steps.

Bowling Green Described on Richard Woods plans of 1760. This is a roughly square, walled enclosure where the bowling green is surrounded by an earthed banked terraced walk. The enclosure is defined by a brick wall, which was lowered along its western side to give a view over to the Green House Garden.

Summerhouse / Bowling Pavilion Built 1726. The summerhouse is the main architectural feature of the walled garden. It is of two stories with the upper storey accessed from the Bowling Green. There is an impression of more carefully shaped quoins at the corners but it is probable that the walls were originally rendered and lime washed externally. There are windows giving views across the Bowling Green from the upper chamber and across the Flower Garden from the lower chamber.

During restoration in the 1990s the upper chamber was decorated with Trompe-l'œil. showing views of imagined walled gardens at Cusworth.

Flower Garden The garden was designed to be viewed principally from the higher position of the bowling green. It was subdivided by cross-paths and furnished with four formal beds. Although one of the smallest compartments, the flower garden was the most highly ornamental and tightly designed. It would have created a formal, colourful architectural space contrasting with the simplicity of the bowling green

Hall Garden The function of the Hall Garden is not clear but appears to have been an extension of the decorative scheme of the flower garden. The Hall Garden has a perimeter walk and is then divided into two plots by a further, central path.

Peach House This whitewash wall indicates the position of the peach house.

Melon Pits Melon pits ran east–west along this area.

Orchard Through the 18th century the orchard was not enclosed and remained open until the late 19th century. It was double its current size extending back up to Cusworth Lane until the northern half was sold off for housing in the 1960s.

Kitchen Garden (No longer existing) The west, south and this east boundary wall(s) of the garden still exist but the plot of land was sold off for housing in the 1960s. There was an access gate between the Hall Garden and the kitchen garden (this can be seen bricked up in the northwest corner). This garden had a perimeter walk and was planted with trees arranged in parallel lines orchestrated around a small building at the northern end of the compartment.

Green House Garden (No longer existing) The kitchen garden represents the greater part of the area occupied by the original orchard shown on Dickinson's 1719 plan. The remaining area was described on Woods’ plan as the Green House Garden and was shown divided into two unequal parts. Both parts of the garden appear to have been planted with trees, probably fruit trees. A building abuts the bowling green in roughly the position as the one shown on the Dickinson plan but there is an additional building, roughly square in plan, to the northwest corner of the enclosure. This was probably the Dovecote for which Wrightson paid £9 15s 0d in 1736.

The west boundary wall still exists and this low (east) wall that runs along the length of the bowling green but the plot of land was sold off for housing in the 1960s.

In 1961 Doncaster Rural District Council purchased Cusworth Hall and the adjoining parkland from the Battie-Wrightson family. The Council undertook an initial restoration of the grounds and also recreated what is now the tearooms within the former stable block. The former reception rooms and spacious galleries now house the Museum of South Yorkshire life, officially opened on 30 September 1967.

Cusworth Hall and Park underwent an extensive £7.5 million renovation between 2002 and 2005, involving essential conservation repairs to the Hall and extensive restoration of the landscape gardens. Within the hall external repairs to the stonework and roof were undertaken to ensure that the exterior was watertight, whilst internal works upgraded internal services and enabled new displays to be installed.

The restoration of the designed landscape have been greatly influenced by a comprehensive analysis of available archive material, among which are the original written memoranda and sketches produced by Richard Woods for his site forman Thomas Coalie. An integrated archaeological programme also formed a key aspect of the restorations, recording in detail landscape features such as the Rock Arch, Cascade, and Bridge. This restoration has not 'recreated' the 18th century scheme, although elements are still incorporated within a 'living' amenity garden that is now thriving as a result of the recent work undertaken in partnership with the Friends of Cusworth Park.

The Hall reopened to the public on 23 May 2007 and the new displays document the history of South Yorkshire and it is a valued resource for local residents, students and school groups alike.

Cusworth Hall Museum and Park is the venue for a varied program of seasonal exhibitions, events and activities linked to the history of the area. including Country Fairs, vintage vehicle rallies, historic re-enactments, wildlife sessions and a range of seasonally themed events. A free, weekly, 5 km parkrun takes place every Saturday at 9 am in the grounds of Cusworth Hall. The first event was held on Saturday 5 October 2019 and was hosted by the staff at Cusworth in collaboration with the local community.

Additionally, Doncaster Museums' Education Service offers a range of learning sessions to schools and educational establishments. Specialist and experienced Education Officers deliver learning workshops to schools across a broad range of topics as well as out-of-school-hours activities for families and local communities.

Looking at the downtown corridor from east village Calgary Alberta

Proportion

Valle de Marte, Valley of Mars, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Sony A7RII Fine Art Autumn Landscapes Fall Colors Autumn Foilage! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Photography!

Been busy traveling and shooting landscapes and working on my books The Golden Hero's Odyssey about the golden rectangle and divine proportion I use in a lot of my compositions! Also working on my physics book on Dynamic Dimensions Theory! The equation dx4/dt=ic is on a lot of the 45surf swimsuit and shirts and all! :)

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My fine art landscape lenses for the A7RII are the Sony 16-35mm Vario-Tessar T FE F4 ZA OSS E-Mount Lens and the Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Lens ! Love the Carl Zeiss and super sharp Sony Glass!

Sony A7R2 Bishop California Fine Art Autumn Landscapes! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Photography!

Been busy traveling and shooting landscapes and working on my books The Golden Hero's Odyssey about the golden rectangle and divine proportion I use in a lot of my compositions! Also working on my physics book on Dynamic Dimensions Theory! The equation dx4/dt=ic is on a lot of the 45surf swimsuit and shirts and all! :)

Follow me & 45surf!!

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My fine art landscape lenses for the A7RII are the Sony 16-35mm Vario-Tessar T FE F4 ZA OSS E-Mount Lens and the Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Lens ! Love the Carl Zeiss and super sharp Sony Glass!

Somerset churches are as notable as any in the country. I loved this 12th century church which, unusually for Somerset, has an elegant spire atop the more usual tower. It is out of all proportion to the tiny village that it serves

Lady Woods with 10sd girl body

Medium-sized, athletically proportioned eagle, with a whitish body contrasting with dark wings and tail. Juveniles have a rufous rather than pale body and lack the adult’s broad dark band at the tip of the tail. Found in forests or mountains, sometimes in more open habitats in winter, but usually in remote areas. Builds nests in cliffs, ledges, or caves. Distinctive in flight: note bulging secondaries, and narrow wing where it meets the body. Usually seen soaring over distant ridge-lines, when the shallow fingers to its wings are obvious in contrast to the deep fingers of other eagles.

Thanks to all who comment or favorite; it is always appreciated!

This photo was taken in Charleston, SC, and shows a window beautifully framed by lush ivy. Charleston is known for its well-preserved historic architecture, which reflects its rich history and cultural heritage. The buildings in Charleston often exhibit elements of Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival styles, with a strong emphasis on symmetry, proportion, and decorative details.

The ivy-clad window in the photo brings to mind the city's antebellum homes, which frequently feature large windows with shutters, brick facades, and abundant greenery. The ivy adds charm and is a natural cooling system during Charleston's hot summers.

Charleston's architectural legacy dates back to the colonial era, with many buildings surviving the Civil War and hurricanes. The city's commitment to preservation has maintained its historic charm, making it a popular destination for history enthusiasts and architecture lovers.

Thank you for viewing! If you like this photo, remember to favorite it and follow for more! Have you visited Charleston and its historic sites? Share your experiences in the comments below!

Sony A7R2 Bishop California Fine Art Autumn Landscapes! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Photography!

Been busy traveling and shooting landscapes and working on my books The Golden Hero's Odyssey about the golden rectangle and divine proportion I use in a lot of my compositions! Also working on my physics book on Dynamic Dimensions Theory! The equation dx4/dt=ic is on a lot of the 45surf swimsuit and shirts and all! :)

Follow me & 45surf!!

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My fine art landscape lenses for the A7RII are the Sony 16-35mm Vario-Tessar T FE F4 ZA OSS E-Mount Lens and the Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Lens ! Love the Carl Zeiss and super sharp Sony Glass!

Sony A7RII Fine Art Autumn Landscapes Fall Colors Autumn Foilage! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Photography!

Been busy traveling and shooting landscapes and working on my books The Golden Hero's Odyssey about the golden rectangle and divine proportion I use in a lot of my compositions! Also working on my physics book on Dynamic Dimensions Theory! The equation dx4/dt=ic is on a lot of the 45surf swimsuit and shirts and all! :)

Follow me & 45surf!!

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instagram.com/45surf

My fine art landscape lenses for the A7RII are the Sony 16-35mm Vario-Tessar T FE F4 ZA OSS E-Mount Lens and the Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Lens ! Love the Carl Zeiss and super sharp Sony Glass!

One of the keys to shooting Epic Landscape Photography is exalting the photograph's soul via golden ratio compositions, thusly wedding the photographic art to the divine proportion by which life itself was designed and exalted.

Dr. Elliot McGucken's Golden Number Ratio Fine Art Landscape & Nature Photography Composition Studies!

instagram.com/goldennumberratio

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Greetings flickr friends! I am working on several books on "epic photography," and I recently finished a related one titled: The Golden Number Ratio Principle: Why the Fibonacci Numbers Exalt Beauty and How to Create PHI Compositions in Art, Design, & Photography: An Artistic and Scientific Introduction to the Golden Mean . Message me on facebook for a free review copy!

www.facebook.com/goldennumberratio/

The Golden Ratio also informs the design of the golden revolver on all the swimsuits and lingerie, as well as the 45surf logo!

The Golden Number Ratio Principle: Dr. E’s Golden Ratio Principle: The golden ratio exalts beauty because the number is a characteristic of the mathematically and physically most efficient manners of growth and distribution, on both evolutionary and purely physical levels. The golden ratio ensures that the proportions and structure of that which came before provide the proportions and structure of that which comes after. Robust, ordered growth is naturally associated with health and beauty, and thus we evolved to perceive the golden ratio harmonies as inherently beautiful, as we saw and felt their presence in all vital growth and life—in the salient features and proportions of humans and nature alike, from the distribution of our facial features and bones to the arrangements of petals, leaves, and sunflowers seeds. As ratios between Fibonacci Numbers offer the closest whole-number approximations to the golden ratio, and as seeds, cells, leaves, bones, and other physical entities appear in whole numbers, the Fibonacci Numbers oft appear in nature’s elements as “growth’s numbers.” From the dawn of time, humanity sought to salute their gods in art and temples exalting the same proportion by which all their vital sustenance and they themselves had been created—the golden ratio.

Ansel Adams is not only my favorite photographer, but he is one of the greatest photographers and artists of all time. And just like great artists including Michelangelo, Monet, Degas, Renoir, Leonardo da Vinci, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Botticelli, and Picasso, Ansel used the golden ratio and divine proportions in his epic art.

Not so long ago I discovered golden regions in many of his famous public domain his 8x10 aspect ratio photographs. I call these golden harmony regions "regions of golden action" or "ROGA"S, as seen here:

www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1812448512351066.107374...

And too, I created some videos highlighting Ansel's use of the golden harmonies. Enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGnxOAhK3os

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFlzAaBgsDI

www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3eJ86Ej1TY

More golden ratio and epic photography composition books soon! Best wishes for the Holiday Season! Dr. Elliot McGucken :)

Denver, CO

I think she'll know

When logic, and proportion

Have fallen softly dead

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Nikon D810 with the Nikon MB-D12 Multi Battery Power Pack / Grip for D800 and D810 Digital Cameras allows one to shoot at a high to catch the action FPS! Ballerina Dance Goddess Photos! Pretty, Tall Ballet Swimsuit Bikini Model Ballerina Goddess! Captured with the 50mm F1.4 Art Lens and the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens! Ballerina dancer dancing ballet in pointe shoes! Jete! Arabesque!

www.facebook.com/45surfAchillesOdysseyMythology

Ballerina dancing ballet! Pretty ballerina girl with dark brown hair and black eyes!

A pretty goddess straight out of Homer's Iliad & Odyssey!

New Instagram! instagram.com/45surf

New facebook: www.facebook.com/45surfAchillesOdysseyMythology

Pretty, Tall Bikini Swimsuit Model Goddess!

New blog!

45surf.wordpress.com

Ask me any questions! :)

She was a beauty--a gold 45 goddess for sure! A Gold 45 Goddess exalts the archetypal form of Athena--the Greek Goddess of wisdom, warfare, strategy, heroic endeavour, handicrafts and reason. A Gold 45 Goddess guards the beauty of dx4/dt=ic and embodies 45SURF's motto "Virtus, Honoris, et Actio Pro Veritas, Amor, et Bellus, (Strength, Honor, and Action for Truth, Love, and Beauty," and she stands ready to inspire and guide you along your epic, heroic odyssey into art and mythology. It is Athena who descends to call Telemachus to Adventure in the first book of Homer's Odyssey--to man up, find news of his true father Odysseus, and rid his home of the false suitors, and too, it is Athena who descends in the first book of Homer's Iliad, to calm the Rage of Achilles who is about to draw his sword so as to slay his commander who just seized Achilles' prize, thusly robbing Achilles of his Honor--the higher prize Achilles fought for. And now Athena descends once again, assuming the form of a Gold 45 Goddess, to inspire you along your epic journey of heroic endeavour.

ALL THE BEST on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!

Been busy traveling and shooting landscapes and working on my books The Golden Hero's Odyssey about the golden rectangle and divine proportion I use in a lot of my compositions! Also working on my physics book on Dynamic Dimensions Theory! The equation d4/dt=ic is on a lot of the 45surf swimsuit and shirts and all! :)

Follow me & 45surf!!

www.facebook.com/45surfAchillesOdysseyMythology/

www.facebook.com/elliot.mcgucken

instagram.com/45surf