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BRINGING IN THE FEED
The crew at EC Farms loads bales in the Rural Municipality of Lorne in southern Manitoba.
ELLIPHANT (Steve Madden Summer Music Series)
Rough Trade (Record Shop)
Williamsburg, Brooklyn (NY)
Thursday, August 4th, 2016
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Justin Morales "On Location"
March 20th, 2016
New York City
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Secret Solstice Festival
June, 2015
Reykjavik, Iceland
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I am very excited to have "Tunnel, Early Morning Mood" (www.flickr.com/photos/52399662@N05/5858785510/in/photostr...) printed in the Dec/Jan 2015 issue of Backpacker Magazine. The photo features a rhododendron tunnel on Grassy Ridge Trail at Roan Mountain and appears in the article "The Backpacker Life List, 101 things to do before you die".
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
Slanted Art Type brings together texts and works from the art world. The magazine presents a large number of art works and installation shots that explore language and typography by internationally renowned artists. It features a Q/A section with design studios developing visual identities in the field of culture production and numerous essays and interviews focussing on art, design and type.
Thanks to Augmented Reality and Junaio app Slanted readers can explore lots of interactive extras by moving their smartphone over the magazine’s pages.
Participants: Mirko Borsche, Lars Breuer, Stefan Brüggemann, Sico Carlier, Rosson Crow, Shannon Ebner, Paul Elliman, Experimental Jetset, Hannes Famira, Edward Fella, Lutz Fezer, Luca Frei, Gilbert & George, Liam Gillick, James Goggin, Tommy Grace, Karl Haendel, Alex Hanimann, Helmo, Dennis Hopper, Jeffery Keedy, Astrid Klein, Zak Kyes, Carolina Laudon, Lola, Chris Lozos, Ian Lynam, Michel M., Michel Majerus, Stefan Marx, Metahaven, David Millhouse, Kate Moross, Neasden Control Centre, Alexander Negrelli, Navid Nuur, Ruben Pater, David Peacock, Daniel Pflumm, Project Projects, Allen Ruppersberg, Ed Ruscha, Stefan Sagmeister and Jessica Walsh, Stefan Sandner, Paula Scher, Aurel Schmidt, Pamela C. Scorzin, Jeffrey Shaw, David Spiller, Manuel Raeder, The Entente, Thonik, Mark Titchner, Christian Vetter, Johannes Wohnseifer, Michael Worthington
Inside the magazine you will find again the booklet “Contemporary Typefaces” showcasing the best ones from 2012 and 2013.
Designer Contemporary Typefaces: Sibylle Hagmann (Axia, Kontour), Hannes von Döhren (Brandon Text, HVD Fonts), Jonathan Abbott, Jonathan Barnbrook, Julián Moncada (Doctrine, VirusFonts), Elena Schneider (Eskorte, Rosetta Type Foundry), Phil Garnham (FS Emeric, Fontsmith Ltd), Marc Kappeler & Dominik Huber (GT Pressura, Grilli Type), James Todd (HWT Unit Gothic, P22/Hamilton Wood Type Foundry), Ramiro Espinoza (Medusa, ReType), Benoît Bodhuin (Mineral, bb-bureau/VolcanoType), Berton Hasebe (Portrait, Commercial Type), Zuzana Licko (Program, Emigre), Underware (Sauna Mono, Underware), Cyrus Highsmith (Serge, Font Bureau), Martina Flor (Supernova, Typotheque)
Slanted Magazine #22 – Art Type
Published, designed and edited by MAGMA Brand Design
Release: November 28th, 2013
Format: 16 × 24 cm
Volume: 320 Pages
Language: English, German
The Postcard
A postcard published by J. Beagles & Co. of London E.C. The firm of J. Beagles & Co. was started by John Beagles (1844-1909).
The company produced a variety of postcards including an extensive catalogue of celebrity (stage and screen) portrait postcards. After Beagle’s death, the business continued under its original name until it closed in 1939.
The image is a real photograph, and the card was printed in England. The photography was by W. & D. Downey.
The card was posted in Blackpool on Tuesday the 2nd. May 1905 to:
A.L. Owens,
Glyn Tivy,
Cardigan,
South Wales.
The message on the divided back of the card was as follows:
"Will you please send a
'real photo' actress in
exchange for this, to:
M. Stainsby,
14, Albert Terrace,
Blackpool,
Lancs."
Miss Maude Fealy
Maude Fealy was an American stage and silent film actress whose career survived into the sound era.
-- Maude Fealy - The Early Years
Maude Mary Hawk was born on the 4th. March 1883 in Memphis, Tennessee, the daughter of James Hawk and actress and acting coach, Margaret Fealy.
Her mother re-married to Rafaello Cavallo, conductor of the Pueblo, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, and Fealy lived in Colorado off and on for most of her life.
At the age of three, Maude made her first stage appearance in her mother's 1884 production of 'Faust', and made her Broadway debut in the 1900 production of 'Quo Vadis', again with her mother.
-- Maude Fealy's Acting Career
Fealy toured England with William Gillette in 'Sherlock Holmes' from 1901 to 1902. Between 1902 and 1905, she frequently toured with Sir Henry Irving's company in the United Kingdom, and by 1907 was the star in productions touring the United States.
Fealy appeared in her first silent film in 1911 for Thanhouser Studios, making another 18 between then and 1917, after which she didn't perform in film for another 14 years.
During the summers of 1912 and 1913, she organised and starred with the Fealy-Durkin Company that put on performances at the Casino Theatre at the Lakeside Amusement Park in Denver, and the following year began touring the western half of the U.S.
Fealy had some commercial success as a playwright-performer. She co-wrote 'The Red Cap' with Grant Stewart, a noted New York playwright and performer, which ran at the National Theatre in Chicago in August 1928.
Other plays written or co-written by Fealy include 'At Midnight'.
Maude also co-wrote 'The Promise' with the highly regarded Chicago playwright Alice Gerstenberg.
Throughout her career, Fealy taught acting in many cities where she lived, in the early years with her mother. Maude taught under names which included Maude Fealy Studio of Speech, Fealy School of Stage and Screen Acting, and Fealy School of Dramatic Expression. Maude taught in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Burbank, California; and Denver, Colorado.
By the 1930's, Maude was living in Los Angeles where at the age of 50 she returned to secondary roles in film, including a credited appearance in 'The Ten Commandments' (1956). Later in her career, she wrote and appeared in pageants, programs, and presented lectures for schools and community organisations.
-- The Personal Life of Maude Fealy
In Denver, Colorado, Maude met a drama critic from a local newspaper named Louis Hugo Sherwin (the son of opera singer Amy Sherwin). The two married in secret on the 15th. July 1907 because, as they expected, her domineering mother did not approve. The couple soon separated, and divorced in Denver in 1909.
Fealy then married an actor named James Peter Durkin. He was a silent film director with Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company. This marriage ended in divorce for non-support in 1917.
Soon after this Fealy married John Edward Cort. This third marriage ended in a 1923 annulment, and was her last marriage. She bore no children in any of the marriages.
-- The Death of Maude Fealy
Maude was hospitalized with arteriosclerosis for the last two years of her life. Maude died in her sleep at the age of 88 on November 9, 1971, at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California.
Maude was laid to rest in the Abbey of the Psalms Mausoleum at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
-- A Final Thought From Maude Fealy
"I was born in Memphis, Tennessee, though since
my mother married a second time and went to live
in Denver, I've always claimed to be a Western girl.
You know the California girls are famed as the best
actresses. So it's too bad that mamma did not go to
San Francisco instead of Denver. Then I should have
been ever so much greater."
W. & D. Downey
W. & D. Downey were Victorian studio photographers operating in London from the 1860's to the 1910's.
William Downey (14th. July 1829 - 7th. July 1915 in Kensington), who came to be known as the Queen's Photographer, was born in King Street in South Shields, a decade before commercial photography had become a reality.
William was initially a carpenter and boatbuilder, but in 1855 he set up a studio in South Shields with his brother Daniel (1831 - 15th. July 1881), and later established branches in Blyth, Morpeth and Newcastle.
Their first Royal commission was to provide photographs for Queen Victoria of the Hartley Colliery Disaster in January 1862.
In 1863 they opened a studio at 9, Eldon Square in Newcastle, in a building that was demolished in 1973. The same year William set up a studio in the Houses of Parliament and produced portraits of every parliamentarian of the day. The whereabouts of these photographs is unknown to this day.
William opened another studio at 57 & 61 Ebury Street in London in 1872 with Daniel continuing to manage the Newcastle branch.
The London studio enjoyed the patronage of Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales, with William taking photos at Balmoral and Frogmore during the 1860's. The first Royal image was of the Princess of Wales at the York Agricultural Show in 1865. The studio also produced the iconic carte-de-visite portrait of the Princess of Wales piggybacking Princess Louise. The studio received a Royal Warrant in 1879.
The green half-penny stamp that was issued in 1911 and 1912 is known as the 'Downey Head'. It features an image of of King George V which was engraved from a photograph by W and D Downey.
Downey used Joseph Swan's carbon process for their best work. In the 1880's Mawson, Swan & Morgan of Newcastle were the world's largest manufacturers of photographic dry plates, the convenience of which made photography a commercial reality. George Eastman spent some time there during the eighties, and afterwards invented the Box Brownie and roll film, ending the monopoly of studios on permanent images.
William Downey's son, William Edward Downey (1855–1908), managed most of the royal sittings during the Edwardian era.
Gladys Cooper, a child photographic model of the time, reminisces about the Downeys in her autobiography:
"I can remember the Downeys quite well – they were father and son. "Old" Downey was a very tall old man with a long white beard, and very red-rimmed eyes. He always wore a long frock-coat with a red ribbon in his buttonhole, and looked a dignified old gentleman, who was quite capable of receiving and greeting Royals with just the right manner of respectful homage.
It was considered a great honour to be photographed by "Old" Downey himself. He never "took" anyone lower than one of the Princesses, or perhaps a duchess now and then, if he felt in the mood. His staff treated him rather like Royalty itself, and, when he rode abroad in his carriage, they would stand round with rugs, cushions, etc., until he waved them aside in lordly fashion.
"Young" Downey (he was always known as "Young" Downey to distinguish him from his father) was a big man – or so he seemed to me then – with a bald head. He was an artist in his work, and used to say that he always knew the best side of anybody's face after one good look at them. He certainly made some fine photographs of the famous beauties of his time, and possessed the art of retaining character in the face of his sitter. I used to enjoy my visits to the Downey père et fils. "Young" Downey was very fond of children, and my sisters Doris and Grace and I had plenty of fun playing about in the great studio, or dressing ourselves up in the wonderful assortment of garments that he kept there".
William Downey's Personal Life and Death
William senior was married to Lucy, who had been born in Speenhamland, Berkshire in 1843, and they had one son and one daughter. He joined the Photographic Society (later The Royal Photographic Society) in December 1870. The 1891 and 1901 census records show that he was living at 10 Nevern Square, Warwick Road, Earl's Court, Kensington.
Downey's prized silver collection was stolen from his Earl's Court home in November 1914 – the burglary is said to have brought on his death 7 days before his 86th. birthday.
Sidney Skolsky
So what else happened on the day that the card was posted?
Well, the 2nd. May 1905 marked the birth of Sidney Skolsky. He was an American writer, best known as a Hollywood gossip columnist.
He ranked with Hedda Hopper (with whom he shared a birthday) and Louella Parsons as the premier Hollywood gossip columnists of the first three decades of the sound picture era.
A radio personality in addition to having his own syndicated newspaper column, Skolsky was also a screenwriter and movie producer who occasionally acted on the radio and in the movies. Skolsky claimed to be the person who gave the nickname 'Oscar' to the Academy Award and was credited for the introduction of the use of the word 'beefcake'.
Biography of Sidney Skolsky
Skolsky was born in NYC to a Jewish family, the son of dry goods store proprietor Louis Skolsky and his wife Mildred. He studied journalism at New York University before becoming a Broadway press agent.
When he became the New York Daily News gossip columnist in 1928, the 23-year-old Skolsky was the youngest Broadway gossip columnist plying his trade on the Great White Way. He also had a Sunday column, 'Tintypes', profiles of actors, directors and other production personnel and Hollywood creative types, that continued in print for 52 years, until a couple years before his death.
Sidney moved to Hollywood in 1933, where he moonlighted as a story editor for Darryl F. Zanuck's Twentieth Century Pictures. He also had a regular column in Photoplay, the country's premiere movie magazine. His column was bylined 'From a Stool at Schwab’s', the Hollywood drugstore he made famous.
He helped promulgate the myth that Lana Turner had been discovered at Schwab's, when it actually had been another Sunset Boulevard establishment, The Top Hat Cafe, which was closer to Lana's alma mater, Hollywood High.
He helped champion, and was very close to Marilyn Monroe, supporting her during her divorce from Joe DiMaggio.
In 1946, Sidney became a movie producer with 'The Jolson Story' (1946), which was nominated for several Academy Awards. He followed it up with 1953 bio 'The Eddie Cantor Story'.
Starting in 1954, KABC-TV Los Angeles featured him in his own TV show, 'Sidney Skolsky’s Hollywood'. He wrote five books about Hollywood and the movies, including a 1975 autobiography, 'Don’t Get Me Wrong, I Love Hollywood'.
The Death and Legacy of Sidney Skolsky
Skolsky died on the 3rd. May 1983 from complications due to Parkinson's disease and atherosclerosis. He had been married for 54 years to Estelle Lorenz, with whom he had had two daughters.
Sidney's writings are part of the permanent collection at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Margaret Herrick Library.
I'm so excited I just had to share one of my photos has been published on the coupons for the 17th Annual Carolina Renaissance Festival in Huntersville, NC.
My photo is the lower left one of Serendipity (lady in Red blowing bubbles) and the little girl trying to catch them. Serendipity is from clan Tynker
You can see my original photo here www.flickr.com/photos/grantbrummett/3363299133/
Thanks so much Ron for letting me know these hit the streets, you can see Ron's wonderful work at www.flickr.com/photos/45019444@N07/
My image taken originally taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera and Canon EF 85mm F/1.2L II USM Lens.
Note: this photo was published in an undated (Jan 3, 2011) Everyblock NYC zipcodes blog titled "10036."
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As I noted in this Flickr set a year ago, no New Yorker in his right mind goes to Times Square on New Year's Eve. Nobody from Manhattan, anyway -- you can never tell about those crazy people in the remote boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, or the Bronx (and we won't even try to imagine what those crazy folks in New Jersey might do). Actually, even some residents of Manhattan have experienced the New Year's Eve count-down once in their lives, if only so they can speak with some authority about the subject. In my case, it was back in 1969; and it was only because I had had a pleasant dinner at a fancy restaurant a couple blocks from Times Square, and had to walk to the subway when no taxis could be found. There I was, in the midst of it all ... and once was more than enough.
Why do New Yorkers do their best to stay away from Times Square on New Year's Eve? Well, have you ever looked at a TV report from Times Square in the midst of all that mayhem? There are a gazillion other people out there, jammed against each other, shoulder to shoulder — and they're all drunk (or at least they look that way), and they're all screaming at the top of their lungs. You can't just drive to a nearby corner and park your car, with a plan of getting back in your car and fleeing after you've seen what a crazy idea it was. And you can't take a taxi right to the middle of Times Square — at least, not after mid-afternoon on New Year's Eve. Even worse, there are no public bathrooms anywhere to be found, so you're in trouble if you drink too much beer ... except that the cops do their best, quite understandably, to make sure nobody in the Times Square area (which, on this special night, is broadly defined to cover the area from 34th Street to 59th Street, and from Sixth Avenue to Eighth Avenue) is drinking or doing anything that might look dangerous. Or carrying a backpack that might contain dangerous things.
Consequently, it often seems that most of the crowd has chosen to get roaring drunk before they arrive on the scene. All of which might be great fun if the weather is clear, and the temperature is somewhere above the freezing mark. But if it's 30 degrees or lower, and it's drizzling or raining or snowing, this is not a place where you want to spend six or eight hours standing around with two million of your best (drunken) friends...
Thus, it should not surprise you to hear that I was not in Times Square to watch the ball drop at midnight on New Year's Eve of 2010 (or, for that matter, any other year going back to 1969). However, I remembered that my visit to Times Square in the early afternoon of Dec 31, 2009 had been somewhat interesting, and since the weather forecasters were predicting mild, mostly-sunny skies this year, I thought it might be interesting to try it again.
I took the IRT subway down to Times Square, and then spent the next two hours wandering north up Broadway to about 49th Street, and then back toward 42nd St. again. Even at 1:30 PM, the streets were already crowded with families and tourists, and what seemed to be an even larger number of police. It also seemed like almost everyone was wearing a party hat, or a set of "2011" fake eyeglasses, or some other kind of celebratory costume or adornment. There were also gazillions of digital cameras, and an equal number of Blackberries and cellphones. I wonder how many millions and millions of digital images and video clips were shot during the course of the afternoon.
Perhaps the funniest sight during the afternoon was the frequent appearance of delivery guys wearing bright, colorful, and instantly recognizable Domino's Pizza uniforms, wandering through the crowds with large, insulated "thermal" bags that probably carried half a dozen pizzas. In a couple cases, they were peering anxiously at individuals at a specific street corner; my assumption was that someone had called Domino's from their cell phone, requesting delivery to that exact spot. But in other cases, it looked far more likely that the delivery guys were just wandering around, looking for hungry people that were probably willing to pay a premium price for a good hot slice of pizza ... or the whole darn pie.
Around 2:45 PM, I was wandering south on Broadway once again, but when I got as far as 44th Street, I could see that the cops had completely closed off the next two blocks, and that even the sidewalks were impassable. I knew that they were cordoning the crowd into fenced-in rectangular areas, and that (a) each person allowed into such a rectangular area was first searched by a cop for booze, weapons or other contraband, and (b) once inside the fenced-in area, you weren't allowed out unless you left for good.
As more people arrived, the cops kept moving northwards, filling up one rectangular area after another. The obvious strategy for me, then, was to turn around and head north -- toward the local IRT subway stop at Broadway and 50th Street. But I got no further than 46th Street before everything stopped, and I could make no further progress along the sidewalk, even though I had been hugging the sides of the buildings along the way to avoid the throngs everywhere else. Fortunately, I was only about 10 feet from the corner of Broadway and 46th; but it took a good, solid 15 minutes to actually reach the corner -- at which point I heard the cops yelling to the crowd that they were closing everything down, and that anyone who wanted to go elsewhere would have to take the "side street" (i.e., 46th Street) over to 8th Avenue, in order to navigate further northward.
There were more barricades at 8th Avenue and 46th Street, and the narrow passageways onto 8th Avenue itself were being closed down. I managed to squeeze through, got onto 8th Avenue, and then easily walked up to 50th Street. Back over to Broadway, and I could look down the avenue all the way to the tower on 42nd Street where the ball would drop later tonight. And turning around, I could look several blocks north up Broadway, and see that (a) they were all empty, and (b) the cops had cordoned them off, too. By now, it was about 3:15 PM, and I got the sense that it wouldn't be long before the fenced-in crowds would be all the way up to where I was, and then further north, perhaps all the way up to Central Park at 59th Street.
In any case, it was clearly time to go home. I uploaded the 800+ photos that I had taken during the afternoon, enjoyed a delicious New Year's Eve dinner at home, and then settled down to watch the revelry on television as the countdown came to an end. As I noted at the end of last year's Flickr set of Times Square images, the TV coverage was obviously far more extensive than what I could accomplish with just one DSLR camera; and it was also infinitely more sophisticated, with high-end TV cameras located on strategic vantage points all around the square. On the other hand, the TV images appear, and then disappear, often leaving no lasting impression. By contrast, these still images will hopefully be interesting to look at months, if not years, from now. For better or worse, they'll be here whenever you'd like to see them...
This photograph was published in the Illustrated Chronicle on the 1st of May 1915.
During the Great War the Illustrated Chronicle published photographs of soldiers and sailors from Newcastle and the North East of England, which had been in the news. The photographs were sent in by relatives and give us a glimpse into the past.
The physical collection held by Newcastle Libraries comprises bound volumes of the newspaper from 1910 to 1925. We are keen to find out more about the people in the photographs. If you recognise anyone in the images or have any stories or information to add please comment below.
Copies of this photograph may be ordered from us, for more information see: www.newcastle.gov.uk/tlt Please make a note of the image reference number above to help speed up your order.
Note: this photo was published in a Jan 5, 2010 blog titled "Here's to 2010, the Year of the Job." And it was published in a Feb 12, 2010 blog titled "Four Reasons Why Google Buzz is Doomed." It was also published in a May 27, 2010 blog titled "Short Circuit: is being connected burning you out?" And it was published in an undated (mid-Nov 2010) Digital Camera Super Shop blog, with the same title and detailed notes as what I had written on this Flickr page.
Moving into 2011, the photo was published in a Jan 6, 2011 blog titled "5 Most Popular Really Natural Posts of 2010." It was also published in a Feb 16, 2011 blog titled "Mobile sites vs. mobile queries."
Moving into 2012, the photo was published in a Jan 24, 2012 blog titled "EL WI-FI, FUTURO ESCUDERO DE INTERNET EN EL MÓVIL."
Moving into 2013, the photo was published in a Jan 18, 2013 blog titled "WYOD (wear your own device): “Get Smart” meets “Mr. Gadget”."
Moving into 2014, the photo was published in an undated (mid-Sep 2014) Australian blog titled "Joggers: beware of SODs syndrome."
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New Yorkers will tell you that nobody in his or her right mind goes to Times Square on New Year's Eve. Well, anyway, nobody from Manhattan -- you can never tell what those crazy folks in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, or the Bronx might do (and we won't even try to imagine what those crazy folks in New Jersey might do). Actually, even residents of Manhattan have been known to experience the New Year's Eve count-down once in their lives, just so they can tell everyone else that they know what they're talking about. In my case, I think it was back in 1969; at this point, I can't even remember for sure which year it was ...
Why do New Yorkers do their best to stay away from Times Square on New Year's Eve? Well, have you ever looked at the television screen in the midst of all that mayhem? There are a gazillion other people out there, jammed against each other, shoulder to shoulder — and they're all drunk, and they're all screaming at the top of their lungs. You can't just drive to a nearby corner and park your car, with a plan of getting back in your car and fleeing after you've seen what a crazy idea it was. And you can't take a taxi right to the middle of Times Square — at least, not after mid-afternoon on New Year's Eve. Even worse, there are no public bathrooms anywhere to be found, so you're in trouble if you drink too much beer ... except that the cops do their best, quite understandably, to make sure nobody in the Times Square area (which is broadly defined to cover an area of several square blocks) is drinking or doing anything that might look dangerous.
Consequently, it often seems that most of the crowd has chosen to get roaring drunk before they arrive on the scene. All of which might be great fun if the weather is clear, and the temperature is somewhere above the freezing mark. But if it's 30 degrees or lower, and it's drizzling or raining or snowing, this is not a place where you want to spend six or eight hours standing around with two million of your best (drunken) friends...
Thus, it should not surprise you to hear that I was not in Times Square to watch the ball drop on New Year's Eve of 2009 (or, for that matter, any other year going back to 1969). However, I had a business meeting in mid-town Manhattan, in the late morning of Dec 31st; and on the chance that something interesting might be going on, I brought my camera with me. To reach my meeting, I took a subway to Times Square, and it was snowing heavily when I came out of the station; thus, I was hoping for some dramatic scenery when my meeting ended and I had a little free time before heading back uptown to my office.
Alas, the snow had pretty much been replaced by a combination of drizzle and occasional raindrops when I finished my meeting and walked over to Times Square. Hence you won't see any dramatic blizzard-like shots in this Flickr set; no views of frozen revelers with zillions of snowflakes falling all around them. But there were some interesting people wandering around, and it was interesting to see how many foreign tourists had arrived to spend all afternoon, all evening, and potentially all night in what has become the most well-known site of New Year's celebrations in the U.S., if not the world. It was also interesting to see that the cleaning crews were already beginning to assemble, and that other workers were dragging along large bundles of balloons, hats, and other novelties to be distributed to the crowds later on...
... and later on, after a very pleasant dinner in Greenwich Village with several family members, I ended up back at home, watching the revelry on television as the countdown came to an end. The TV coverage was obviously far more extensive than what I could accomplish with just one DSLR camera; and it was also infinitely more sophisticated, with high-end TV cameras located on strategic vantage points all around the square. On the other hand, the TV images appear, and then disappear, often leaving no lasting impression. By contrast, these still images will hopefully be interesting to look at months, if not years, from now. For better or worse, they'll be here whenever you'd like to see them...
Note: this photo was published in an undated (Mar 26, 2011) Everyblock NYC zipcodes blog titled "10024."
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What a difference a year makes: on the first day of spring in 2010, I noted (in this Flickr set that "all 8 million New Yorkers were ready to take advantage of [spring]. The sun was out, the temperature was in the 70s, the sky was blue, and the clouds had disappeared to some other part of the country. There was no way a sane person could stay indoors..."
This year, spring arrived about 6 hours earlier (1:32 PM, as compared to last year's 7:21 PM), and while the sun was out, the temperature was in the low 40s rather than the 70s. Like last year, I decided to celebrate the arrival of spring by walking in Riverside Park, and began my usual stroll at the entrance on 72nd Street. I walked a couple blocks south, to the newly-constructed pier that juts halfway out into the Hudson River (or so it seems, anyway), and saw that the outdoor cafe at the base of the pier, where one can usually find a tasty hamburger and a cold beer, was still completely shut down. So I began walking north -- eventually past the 79th Street boat basin, where the Boat Basin Cafe (which you can see more about in this Flickr set ) was open, though protected by gas heaters and wind baffles.
Like last year, there was bright sunshine, blue skies, and no wind -- so people were indeed outside. But because the temperature was about 30 degrees colder, there weren't any picnics and there wasn't any sunbathing. Instead of finding people sprawled out on park benches, enjoying the Sunday newspaper in the sunshine, about the only activities I noticed were bicycling, jogging, brisk walking, and skating.
I was frustrated by the lack of the usual springtime "photo-ops," but then remembered the old adage: if life hands you lemons, then make lemonade. Since there was a steady stream of joggers, cyclists, and skaters, I decided that I might as well photograph them. So I situated myself on a bench near a spot where the walkway along the river splits in two directions: you can turn east and pass under the West Side Highway, up some stone steps and into a playground and elevated section of the park at 82nd Street; or you can continue straight along the river, and follow a newly-constructed narrow two-bike-lane path that connects the "lower" section of Riverside Park (i.e., below 82nd Street) with the "upper" section (starting at roughly 94th Street).
People were coming and going in all directions, so I situated myself with the sun behind me, facing north towards the George Washington Bridge in the far background, and basically ignored everyone coming up the walkway from behind me. There were plenty of people heading south, with the bright springtime sun shining directly on them, and I sat there for about an hour, until I had collected some 500 images with my new Sony SLT a55 camera ...
At that point, I decided I had gotten enough, so I strolled over to Broadway, and took a bus uptown to my own neighborhood. Only a few of the images that I uploaded to my computer were complete disasters -- e.g., out of focus, or missing a head, arm or leg because the subjects were moving so quickly past me. But I had to reject quite a few because they were a little too ordinary ... i.e., your reaction would have been something like, "Oh. There's a guy on a bike. Just like the last guy on a bike, and the one before that." So I ended up with about 70 "keepers" that I felt were sufficiently interesting to warrant uploading to Flickr.
And so that's it for Riverside Park in March, at least this year. Indeed, I may well wait until May before returning -- by which time I hope it will be warm enough that I'll see the sights and scenes that I more commonly associate with springtime in New York City.
This photograph was published in the Illustrated Chronicle on the 26th of September 1915.
During the Great War the Illustrated Chronicle published photographs of soldiers and sailors from Newcastle and the North East of England, which had been in the news. The photographs were sent in by relatives and give us a glimpse into the past.
The physical collection held by Newcastle Libraries comprises bound volumes of the newspaper from 1910 to 1925. We are keen to find out more about the people in the photographs. If you recognise anyone in the images and have any stories and information to add please comment below.
Copies of this photograph may be ordered from us, for more information see: www.newcastle.gov.uk/tlt Please make a note of the image reference number above to help speed up your order.
Detail from plate 7 - engraved anatomical illustration of the bones of the thigh, leg and foot from: Anatomy improv'd and illustrated with regard to the uses thereof in designing. (London: John Senex, 1723).
This volume of engraved plates and text was originally published in Rome in 1691, and was re-engraved and republished in London in 1723. The dissections were done for the Italian edition by Bernardino Genga, Professor of Anatomy and Surgery and physician in the hospital of San Spirito in Rome, and the explanatory text by the papal physician Giovanni Maria Lancisi (1654-1720). The book, designed for artists rather than medical students, includes plates of famous classical statues from Rome and is described as 'A work of great use to painters, sculptors, statuaries and all others studious in the noble arts of design'.
The English edition is dedicated by the publisher to Richard Mead, FRCP, FRS (1673-1754), 'a favourer of the politer arts'.
Part of the Anatomical Atlases in Special Collections & Archives, SPEC Anatomy 6. Cropped inscription on the titlepage, 'Tho. Dixon's Book 1799' and the pencilled name' Miss Annie Jackson, 19 North Street' on the front flyleaf, with pencil measurements possibly from a dissected skeleton on the back of the last (index) page.
The volume has had some plates cut out, but has also been grangerised with later anatomical illustrations pasted in.
Images from Medical Archive collections at University of Liverpool
Please do not reproduce, publish or otherwise use this image in any way without my prior written permission. © All rights reserved
Thanks to fotoswoch My photograph got published in Ostholsteiner Anzeiger newspaper.
Original German
"Seize the moment" nannte Lateefa aus den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten ihr geheimnisvolles Bild. Die 23 Jährige stammt aus dem Emirat Dubai undwurde alsFoto grafin bereits mehrfach preisgekrönt. Über ihr Motive schreibt sie:,,Als junge Araberin benutze ich den Schleier in meiner Arbeit, da er ein wichtiger Teil von mir selbst ist. Dennoch erzählen meine Aufnahmen nicht vom Schleier, sondern von der Frau dahinter - und die ist trotz der Verschleierung wie alle anderen Frauen. "In der linken Hand hält das Modell eine große indische Frucht.
Die Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten, darunter Dubai, und grenzen an Saudi-Arabian, Oman und Katar. Die Binnengrenzen sind nicht exakt festgelegt und die Kustenlinie am Persischen Golf kann nicht genau bestimmt werden, da sie sich durch Verlagerung von Sand und Schlickmassen ständig ändert.
English translation : thanks to Jessica.
' The U.A.E citizen Lateefa has called her mysterious picture 'Seize the moment'. The 23 year old comes from the Emirate of Dubai and has received several prizes for her photography. She writes about her work; 'as a young Arab woman I used the veil in my work - as it is an important part of myself. However my photos aren't speaking about the veil but the woman behind it - and in spite of being veiled, she is the same as all other women. ' In the left hand, the model holds a large Indian fruit. The U.A.E of which Dubai is one emirate, borders with Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar. The internal borders are not precisely marked and the coastline if the Persian Gulf can't be exactly identified as it constantly changes with the movement of sand and sand banks. '
This swap was made for Annette Jensen from the AG Collector list. It is for her American Girl Kit doll.
I made the dress with embroidered collar and the cloth doll with a dress to match. The doll is made from the dollhouse doll pattern in Edith Flack Ackley's Dolls to Make for Fun and Profit which was published in 1938, just a few years after Kit's time.
I also knitted matching sweaters for Kit and her EFA doll. The Kit sweater is from a slightly adjusted (I left out a couple of rows and used sport weight yarn and small needles) Five Hour Baby pattern. It really does work up nearly that fast.
As a finishing touch I made Kit a diary with the story of her new dress and doll's dress written in it by hand.
This was a really fun swap to work on.
Kit's Diary written for the AG Spring Swap on Friday, March 28, 2003
Jan 3
Dear Diary,
Aunt Millie says if I want to be a famous author, I need to keep a diary.
Mother helped me to make this book. I wanted one of those cute little leather ones that are red and have a lock and key, but of course we can't afford one. This will serve very well I think. Mother says I don't need a key because we don't have any snoops!
Jan 10
Dear Diary,
We have a new boarder. He is an artist with the WPA. He is going to paint a mural on the courthouse. All the girls at school are jealous because he is young and quite handsome. I think I am going to like him because he is funny.
Jan 14
Dear Diary,
Betsy Moore is having a birthday party next week. I hope her mom makes her coconut cake! I am embroidering a handkerchief.
Jan 21
Dear Diary,
Betsy's party was fun. We had cake and her father made ice cream. WE played Drop the Clothespin in the Bottle, Musical Chairs and Truth or Dare.
Jan 22
Mr. Connoughly has started sketches for his mural. He says there is a lot of preliminary work to do.
Jan 27
Dear Diary,
Mrs. May gave me an "A" on my composition. I was worried that she wouldn't like it.
Feb 2
Dear Diary,
The groundhog saw his shadow. It looks like more winter.
Feb 6
Mr. Connoughly asked mother if I can sit for sketches. She said I may if one of the boarders is there to chaperone.
Feb 7
Dear Diary,
We had our first sitting today. I had to stay very still, but Mr. C told me about his family so it was easy.
He has 7 brothers and sisters. Connie is just my age. She sounds like a lot of fun. I think he misses them.
Feb 11
Dear Diary,
Tom Snead broke his arm today at school. He was showing off as usual. I still feel sorry for him. The girls can't wait to see what I look like in the mural. I told them Mr. C may not use my face in it.
Feb 13
Dear Diary,
Charlie and Miss P are sitting for sketches too. We take turns chaperoning. Of course Charlie doesn't need a chaperone, but he makes a good one. It makes me feel grown-up to need one.
Feb 24
Dear Diary,
Tom's arm itches him. He scratches it with a broom straw when Mrs. May isn't looking. He makes the awfulest faces. Mary C. has a new kitten.
Feb 26
Dear Diary,
I wonder if spring will ever arrive. I am so tired of wet and cold.
At least the sittings are fun. Mr. C and Miss P tell the best stories. They even listen to my stories. Of course Charlie is Charlie.
Feb 28
Dear Diary,
Mr. C got a letter from Connie and it had a special letter in it for me. We are going to be pen pals.
March 2
Dear Diary,
Betsy M has been telling us about the Easter dress that her mother is ordering her from the Sears catalog. It sounds lovely. I don't suppose I'll get a new one this year.
March 4
Dear Diary,
I am getting a new dress. Mother bought the prettiest feed sacks yesterday. We will have fittings tomorrow. Fittings and sittings, what's next?
March 6
Dear Diary,
Fittings are tiresome. Mother sticks pins in me. Her stories aren't as funny either.
Mr. C is working on a surprise for Mother and Father. He is going to paint me! A real portrait. He says that we have all made him feel at home and he wants to repay them. I guess he doesn't think the rent is enough.
We had a long sitting today, but he wouldn't let me see what he had done. I've been telling them a made-up story. Miss P says that I have a way with words and should write it down.
Funny thing - May Belle wasn't on my bed when I got home from school today. When I went back after the sitting, there she was. A mystery!
Maybe I'd better start hiding you, dear diary.
March 11
Dear Diary,
Betsy's dress has arrived. I went to see it. It is pretty, but it doesn't have embroidery on the collar like Mother is putting on my dress. Mary's mother is making her an Easter dress too. Tom says girls are silly for worrying about dresses.
March 13
Dear Diary,
My dress is almost done. It is turning out pretty.
We had another long sitting today. I told them more of my story about Princess Kittriana. I think I will put Tom in it. He can be the fool!
May Belle was moved again today. I'm sure of it. Who would want to bother my doll?
I'm going to lay a thread across her lap when I leave tomorrow morning.
March 14
Dear Diary,
I knew it. The thread was gone. This is really strange. I wonder if anything is missing.
Mr C still won't let me see the painting. He is going to give it to them on Easter.
The mural is starting to look like our town. I go by every day and see what has been finished.
March 18
Dear Diary,
We are going to Grandma's for Easter. All of the boarders have been invited too, and Aunt Millie will be there. I miss her.
I got another letter from Connie today. This time Mr C's letter was in my envelope. I am going to tell her that I think Miss P is sweet on her brother.
March 21
Dear Diary,
Spring is officially here today, but it is still cold and dreary.
I went by and played with Mary's kitten after school today. I told her about the mystery with May Belle. She is going to come over tomorrow and we are going to look for more clues.
March 22
Dear Diary,
The mystery is getting deeper. When Mary and I looked for clues, the white thread I had put on May Belle was gone and a blue one was there instead! Mary thinks someone is playing tricks on me. Could it be Charlie? I don't think he would come in my room. Tom would do it if he could get away with it, but someone would see him.
March 27
Dear Diary,
Mr. C has finished Mother and Dad's painting. He took it to the farm, so Grandpa could make a frame. Miss P says it looks just like me. I wouldn't know since I still haven't seen it. I did see some daffodils today. Spring can't be far off.
Easter is next week. I can't wait.
March 29
Mary's dress is finished too. All of us will look so spiffy at church on Sunday. Even Tom has a new white shirt. He says he's not wearing a tie, but I bet his mom makes him.
Easter Morning
Dear Diary,
This has already been a fun day. I can't wait for the rest of it to come. When I came down for breakfast there was an Easter egg peeking out behind Mother's vase. Mr. W had hid them while everyone else was getting ready for church. Maybe he isn't so bad. Got to run. I'll write more tonight.
Easter Evening
Dear Diary,
What a day!! First some more about the egg hunt. They were the prettiest eggs I've ever seen. Mr C showed Mother and Miss P how to make them. They thinned his oil paints with oil and floated the paint on water. When they dipped the eggs, they came out all different colors. Mr. C calls it marbled.
Mother made me go back upstairs after breakfast to get my old navy blue sweater. I didn't want to cover up my dress, but Mother said it's still chilly.
You will never guess what I saw on my bed when I went to get the sweater. May Belle was wearing a new dress just like mine! It even has embroidery on the collar. Mother made it on the sly. Mary and I had a good laugh at church when I told her. I guess that clears up our mystery.
I gave her and Betsy one of the pretty eggs. The others we took to Grandma's and made deviled eggs with them. Mother says we can't afford to waste anything.
The painting was waiting at Grandma's house when we all got there. She had a sheet over it and had it propped up on a chair. Mother wanted to know what it was and Grandpa said Mr. C would have to show us. He made a little speech and pulled off the cover. Mother had tears in her eyes and I couldn't believe my eyes. He had painted me as Princess Kittriana! I had on a beautiful pink dress and even a crown! No wonder he didn't want me to see it. Everyone said it looks just like me.
Grandma had another surprise for me. She gave me a package wrapped in tissue paper. In it was a navy blue sweater for May Belle! We really look like twins now!
I have written so much tonight that my hand hurts. This has been the best day! To make it even better, I think Spring is finally here.
Photo with sweaters below.
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© Gary Prince - All Rights Reserved
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