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The Big Lunch held on Vicarage Road in Croydon. A bucking bronco, bouncy castle, zumba class, Irish Dancers and a steel band, 1st June 2014
Photography by Fergus Burnett
Acredditation required with all use - 'fergusburnett.com'
Reliance Fire Museum
Originally from Parsons, Kansas, the Snorkel was purchased in 1999. It was in great shape, just requiring a little cleanup and a new gasket set for the intake manifold. The main lift cylinders were rebuilt in 2009.
The truck is built on an International chassis, with an International 589 V-8 and manual transmission. It has a 75' Snorkel, a 1000 gpm Waterous pump, and no water tank. The cab was built by Cincinnati and the bodywork is by Pierce.
The Snorkel was a very popular item in the 60's and 70's. Most major cities had at least one. Today, they have pretty much been replaced by tower ladders.
The Snorkel was invented by the Chicago Fire Department in the late 1950's. The first Snorkel is preserved in the North Charleston, South Carolina fire museum as part of the American LaFrance collection.
An obvious advantage was the ability to reach over the top of buildings or stop at windows and evacuate people or fight a fire. They made excellent water towers.
The taller Snorkels, 85' and higher, had very long overhangs and were tough to get in and out of tight spaces. They also had a limited reach from the street of no more than the length of the upper boom, or 35' to 40'. This limited their usefulness to big cities where the buildings were near the street.
Most have been purchased by tree trimming companies or painting contractors. We are fortunate to have an unmolested example of this very important part of fire apparatus history.
Snorkel type apparatus were made by several companies. Snorkel made theirs in St. Joseph, Missouri on a variety of custom and commercial chassis. American LaFrance made their version called the "Aero Chief". Hy Ranger made one that was easily distinguished by it's lattice style construction. Many of those were built on Ward LaFrance chassis.
On October 19, 2009 Estes Park experienced one of the largest fires in recent history in the center of the downtown business district. The blaze destroyed a 24,000 square foot shopping mall building that dated to the 1920's.
Museum director Doug Klink, an Estes Park volunteer firefighter, was operating a pumper at the fire when the Chief called for ladder trucks from Loveland and Boulder, about 40 minutes away. Estes Park's 75' LTI ladder truck, Ladder 6, was already operating at the fire, protecting the historic Mall Theater building. It was clear more aerial streams were needed.
Doug radioed the Chief and asked if the Snorkel could help and the Chief replied that it would be welcome so Doug brought it to the scene, where it operated at 1000 gpm for about 5 hours, helping to slow the spread of the blaze until the other ladder trucks could arrive.
The Snorkel had operated at a number of public safety events and the Chief was familiar with the unit and the maintenance standards to which all of the Reliance trucks are kept.
All the exposures were saved, and the town is very grateful to not have lost the entire block to the fire.
The museum was grateful to the Chief and the Town of Estes Park for the opportunity to lend a hand and create even more history for this capable truck.
Ensuring every student has access to technology is a top priority at DMPS. Preparing to complete the school year via distance learning requires the distribution of thousands of tech devices for students. Wednesday, April 22 marked the culmination of the efforts to distribute 16,075 devices at elementary and middle school sites.
Help required: I was with the North East posse on this day that included D Johnson and P J Robinson. I am not sure of the location this was taken and would like to know the head code plus departure time from point of origin.
This image, medium format slide was seriously under-exposed and confined to the bin after I responded to another photographer's suggestion of the settings than trust my own judgement. I kept the slide though hoping that there would be a way of recovering the shot. At the time I had no idea how but digital editing has changed the dynamics significantly recently!
It is always better to under expose than over expose to retain detail. That can be seen here.
Moorhaven was originally the Plymouth Borough Asylum, built in response to a mental health act of the 1880's that required each major county and city to build an asylum for its own patients. J Hine and Odgers submitted the lowest tender of £25,900 and built the main buildings between 1886 and 1889. The hospital, designed to accommodate 203 patients, was formally opened by the Mayor of the Borough of Plymouth, J T Bond, in 1892. It included the main central buildings with the superintendent's house, lodges, mortuary, gasworks and various farm and maintenance buildings. It was constructed of brown locally quarried rubble stone with limestone quoins and brick window surrounds.
In 1908, the existing single story wings had an additional level added, this time in cavity brick construction.
Moorfields was built in 1932 as about a dozen single storey brick wards with verandahs to enable patients to sleep in the open air.
The bakery, later to become the Pottery was built in 1937, the nurses home (now the Mansion) in 1942 and the Marshall clinic (now Moor Park) in 1955 to 1956.
The NHS took over the hospital in 1949. During the course of the next fifty years, considerable improvements in treatment were developed and a number of new buildings were erected for occupational therapy and part time work. A number of these buildings of inferior quality, for example war-time nissen huts which were used initially as a social club, then as industrial workshops, were demolished during the course of developing Moorhaven Village.
The number of patients reached a maximum of over 720 in the 1950's with over 400 full-time and part-time staff, including seven full time ground staff. During this period several high stone walls were removed, and the gardens which had previously separated male and female patients were integrated to create the formal gardens of today.
Still life photography allows the photographer to create images having full control over lighting, mood, and composition. Still life photography requires a bit of planning and skill when it comes to arranging the subject matter to create a good photo. With that said, photographers who specialize in still life will have a distinguishable portfolio that reflects their style prominently.
Sampson has been our buddy since 2004. In the winter of 2008, he suffered a severe perineal hernia that required a $2000 surgery to repair it. At the time of the surgery, we were told that due to the severity of the hernia that it was likely to reoccur. As predicted, it has reoccurred and he desperately needs more surgery. Other than the hernia, he is a happy, healthy and active dog who should live to his mid to late teens. Therefore, I cannot in good conscience end his life prematurely. I have also contacted a Corgi rescue in hopes that he could be adopted to a family that is more financially able to care for him. However, since my husband and I can't have children, giving him up for adoption because of health issues seems as ridiculous to us as giving up our 9 year old child for adoption because we can't keep up with the medical expenses. We work in the service industry, living paycheck to paycheck and our credit is not good enough to get a care credit card that would allow us to make payments. To help us pay for Sampson's surgery, we have set up a ChipIn donation site to raise funds for Sampson's surgery. So please consider donating whatever small amount you can to help keep Sampson with the family that loves him. If you can's make a donation, please pass this info along to friends who may be able to help. Sampson, his Corgi buddies Shiloh & Rusty and his human family thank you! Click on the link below to go to Sampson's ChipIn.com page to make your donation. THANK YOU!!
corgisampson.chipin.com/sampson-the-corgis-hernia-surgery...
Modelling
For the modelling process I decided to work and create the model in a very segmented manor, building the character out of smaller modular pieces of geometry to be combined later as this allows me more time to work on the more important things by making me prioritise what requires the most detail and what will be the complex and to complete these items first.
Head
As instructed I imported the images on to an image plane on the x and z axis’, using the “create polygon” tool to trace the outline of the model’s side profile, then using the extrude tool to create a grab-able edge that should be used to create the proper topology however when I tried to extrude the proper edges again to produce more faces, the normals became uncontrollable and wild, as a result I abandoned this technique and opted for one I have had more experience with in the past, thus I created a cube with several separations that I can use to create the head by inserting additional edge loops and manipulating them into the required shapes. In retrospect it would probably have been wiser to start with this method to begin with and working on building the skills I developed last year rather than jumping straight into a new method, however the knowledge I gained from these videos did help as I went along and may be a skill to work on for future projects.
I continued creating the head by scaling the cube up so that an the orthographic view would show all the corners of the cube meeting the nearest edge or being as close as possible to the edge of the face in the images, I then cut the cube in half and deleted the entire left half so that I can work on the right half and duplicate the finished half mirrored in the z axis then combine the two halves to create the final head. I’ve began by inserting additional edge loops around the main features such as the eyes, nose and mouth so they would act as outlines on the orthogonal view, I then began to use a combination of standard selection and soft selection to move the vertices to the required positions then using the sculpt geometry tools to refine the final shape, I have also added additional edge loops into the facial construction to give more definition to the features and also entered smooth mode to see how the face will eventually look. This process was extremely time consuming and difficult but on the plus side there was little guess work to be done as the two image plains provided me with most of the outlines and places of shape for me to work from, however one particular part that I did find tricky was the indents around the nose where the eye sockets are, as the images couldn’t convey that sort of information.
I modelled an eyeball and eyelids by using the poly sphere tool and creating three spheres about the same size with only one being slightly smaller than the other two and selecting several faces that form a circle and pushing them inward a bit to create the pupil and using the now introverted faces that surround the manipulated faces as the irises, I then went in and deleted the top half of one of the outer spheres and the bottom half of the other, this way the lids can be rotated to give the impression the eye is opening. This was a quick and very efficient method to produce an effective eyeball.
After several days’ worth of attempts to get the head right, the head model wasn’t as good as I was hoping it would be even after trying to get it up to scratch using the sculpt geometry tool, as a result I have decided to totally recreate the head using a technique that my lecturer demonstrated to me, using the quad draw tool in the modelling toolkit to recreate the character’s head and create better topology in the process, making the edge loops curve around the major features such as the mouth and eyes, then using the sculpt geometry tool to refine it. After several hours of trying to get as many quads in as necessary in one go. I’d finished the head geometry, while it was not perfect I believe it is still enough of an improvement to go forward with I’ve also aligned the eyeball with the head, I have aligned all the central vertices so that they can be mirrored along the z axis to be duplicated, flipped and combined to make the final geometry. After doing so I had the idea to create the characters hair by duplicating the characters head, deleting the faces that will show any flesh, extruding the edited geometry to give a slight off-set from the character’s head but then selecting vertices at every other interval then scaling them outwards so as to create a bumpy effect as if the character has curly or un-kept hair. This was a quick way to produce a head even if it wasn’t what I hoped it would be and while my idea to create the hair may be unorthodox, I think it gives the model a unique character.
Hands
I began work on the character’s right hand by again starting with a polygon primitive cube and using the insert edge loop tools to create the faces that I later extruded outwards to form the fingers and thumb using the scale tool to stretch and compress the vertices to manipulate and distort the original shape into the desired form, adding extra edges in order to enhance the shape to bring it closer to the form I want it to be such as around the knuckles and finger joints, scaling the finger tips down to get that more telescopic effect in fingers and thumb and manipulating the vertices to give the knuckles and finger joints more prominence. I then added any additional edge loops to give additional shape when the arms and body were finished I then put everything together, scaled it so the proportions looked reasonable and finally flipped the whole thing. This was a very efficient and quick way of modelling the hand and in hindsight is much better than my initial approach of tracing an image of a human hand with the create geometry tool, extruding the created face inserting edge loops then adjusting the new loops to give shape which totally backfired as the faces created a webbing around the mesh.
Feet
When I started to model the character’s extremities I started with the feet as they seemed to be the most simple and easy to get out of the way. I began by creating a polygon cube then using the scale tool to stretch the geometry to be more in line with the proportions of a typical foot then inserting edge loops at the required points to create gradients in the shoe’s geometry such as the shoes rim and soul lip, I then entering smooth mode to see which edge loops needed to be manipulated and how, this has resulted in some peculiar shapes in the standard mode, however this was later remedied by adding extra loops at strategic places. This method was quick and efficient, while it may not have produced the most detailed result or used the proper topology recommended for similar situations it serves its purpose. This shoe was eventually placed under the leg and reflected in the z axis.
Midsection and legs
I started to work on the character’s body by firstly creating a poly cube then adding loops around the general rib area then adding some horizontal loops to help give the right kind of gradient in his shoulders and pectoral muscles. In addition I have used the extrude tool to get the bottom of the shirt and get the rim that turns back on itself and lead into the hips, at the top of the torso I also added the neck through the use of the same tool to get a stem like shape that has a slight offset from the shirt that I can place the finished head on top of later. I have also constructed a basic arm out of “pipes”, filling the hole of one end then adding edge loops for the articulation points such as the elbow as well as around the characters muscle areas to try and get some definition in the bicep and triceps to try and give the impression that the character was physically strong and in the filled hole to get a rounded end to the arm. When work began on the lower body, I proceeded by extruding the edges from the inverted edges of the shirt to create the waist and hips, then cutting the geometry in half and extruding the bottom face of the hips to create the leg, again extruding trouser leg inwards on itself, again I added edge loops on both the vertical and horizontal axis’s to manipulate the leg into the correct shape. In my personal opinion this construction looked ok when separated into the modular components used to construct it, however when compiled together and flipped the mid-section and legs proved to be the weakest component.
Texturing and rendering
I started to texture the character using the pre-created shaders in maya including the wood for the eyes and hair and cloth shaders for the pants, I have decided to use a mixture of lambert, blinn and phong textures re-coloured to reflect the type of material they are and how they reflect the light, I decided against using UV maps as they are extremely finicky to get right and bearing in mind the percentage the model is worth I do not believe it is worth the effort. I have decided to give the character brown hair along with a purple top and blue pants as well as blue eyes. Upon consideration, I have decided to recolour my character in a red top, dark purple pants and blonde hair, as red and purple are colours that are more associated with dark impulses such as arrogance and ambition, which fit the characters personality better, the choice of blonde hair comes from what has been discussed I my animation analysis module which also harkens back to a typically villainous hair colour in animation.
From: Denise Goolsby, The Desert Sun 12:22 a.m. PDT August 24, 2014
"The transcontinental railroad opened the doors to America, especially those lightly traveled areas where Herculean efforts were required to cross hundreds of miles of remote wilderness, steep mountains, and endless desert.
Discovery of gold in 1848 focused world attention on California and the Pacific Coast region. At the time, early settlers had few options in cross country travel: An arduous overland journey across the plains by oxen or mules, or long ocean voyages via Panama or around Cape Horn.
A growing sentiment in the west and east favored a railroad that would bind the nation closer together.
The roots of Southern Pacific Railroad's path through the Coachella Valley can be traced to the country's pre-Civil War days and the creation of the Central Pacific Railroad Company of California, incorporated June 28, 1861.
The brainchild of Collis P. Huntington, Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins and Charles Crocker, the corporation was formed to build the western portion of the Pacific Railroad — a transcontinental link from Sacramento, east over the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Construction began in Sacramento in 1863 followed by authorization of Congress in 1863. The line traversed 690 miles over the mountains and across Nevada to meet the Union Pacific at Promontory, Utah, where the last spike was driven on May 10, 1869.
In 1865, the Southern Pacific Railroad was organized to build lines from San Francisco to San Diego and eastward to rails being proposed to reach westward from New Orleans.
The surveyors for the Southern Pacific route reached the site of Indio, known as Indian Wells at the time, on March 25, 1872. They reported that this point was halfway between Los Angeles and Yuma, Ariz. A perfect spot for a train depot.
Southern Pacific acquired a 22-mile railroad from Los Angeles to Wilmington, opened in October, 1869 and construction began during 1873 on lines north and east out of the city.
Trains were operated to Colton on July 16, 1895 and to Indio on May 29, 1876.
After the railroad's arrival in 1876, Indio really started to grow. The first permanent building was the craftsman style Southern Pacific Depot station and hotel. Southern Pacific tried to make life as comfortable as it could for their workers in order to keep them from leaving such a difficult area to live in at the time. It was the center of all social life in the desert with a fancy dining room. Dances were hosted on Friday nights.
While Indio started as a railroad town, it developed into an agricultural area shortly thereafter. Onions, cotton, grapes, citrus and dates thrived in the arid climate due to the ingenuity of farmers finding various means of attaining water — first through artesian wells.
The arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad would leave an indelible mark on the Palm Springs-based Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and shaped the future of the tribe. In the 1860s, the Federal government granted the railroad ten miles of odd-numbered sections of land on each side of the railroad right-of-way.
In 1876, when President Ulysses S. Grant established the present Agua Caliente Indian Reservation by executive order, only the even-numbered sections were still available. This created the reservation's "checkerboard" pattern.
In 1875, the Cahuilla Indians began working on the construction of the railroad. The tracks ran about six miles north of the Palm Springs Way Station, which served as a stagecoach stop from 1865 until the rail line was completed in 1887.
The Southern Pacific built a Spanish-styled railroad station in the 1930s, located in North Palm Springs on Tipton Road off Highway 111.
By this time, Palm Springs had already become a popular tourist destination and was known as a world famous winter playground for Hollywood stars. The Southern Pacific, traveling on what became known as the Sunset Route, now delivered travelers right at the doorstep of this thriving desert community.
A 1914 brochure touting the Southern Pacific Sunset Route as the "Best Route to the California 1915 Expositions" — the Panama-Pacific Exposition was being held in San Francisco and the Panama-California Exposition was taking place in San Diego — provided colorful descriptions of the stops along the route, which originated in New Orleans.
This is how the railroad's literature depicted the desert 100 years ago:
"Yuma, the Colorado River and California is reached 1,754 miles west from New Orleans … the route is through a region that is peculiar and interesting. At Imperial Junction, a branch line of the Southern Pacific runs south to the celebrated Imperial Valley, which has sprung into a wonderful existence in a night, almost, because of its splendid fertility, its varied, almost tropical products, freedom from frosts, great volume of water for irrigation, taken from the Colorado, and its rapid development and adaptability for all forms of agriculture, yet in the heart of the desert."
That year, 1914, the valley shipped more than 4,000 cars of cantaloupes alone, to all sections of the United States. From a waste only a few years ago, the Imperial Valley now has a population of 25,000 with fine towns, street cars, clubs, newspapers, excellent hotels and a high class civilization.
The journey is then through the Salton Valley and along the northern shores of the Salton Sea made by an overflow of the Colorado Rivers some years ago. Here the train runs for miles below the sea level, at Salton reaching the bottom of a great depression at a depth of 253 feet. This condition is peculiar and unequaled and is not even approximated by any other railroad in the world. The route through the California desert passes through Thermal, Coachella and Indio, all below sea level, and climbs the divide, reaching the apex at Beaumont, California."
Next week: Southern Pacific Railroad History in the Coachella Valley, Part II.
Sources: City of Palm Springs, Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Historian Pat Laflin, Coachella Valley Water District, Central Pacific Railroad website, Michael L. Grace (Palm Springs Rail Heritage blog)"
From the August 2016 return trip to Siem Reap and the Angkor complex:
I love the Angkor complex, Siem Reap, and the Cambodian people so much that I returned again for about a week to photograph as much of the “non-major” sites as I could. Some of them are slightly far from Angkor Wat (by that, I mean to say more than 10 kilometers away), and usually require a little more money to get to. Also, some of the sites (Beng Mealea, Phnom Kulen) are not included in the Angkor ticket price and have an additional admission fee.
I don’t know if there’s a set number of how many sites belong in the Angkor complex, though I’m sure it would vary. (Do you only count the major sites like Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm? Do you add the sites that aren’t included in the standard “Angkor Pass,” but are clearly of the same era? Do you include sites that aren’t even named (as are one of the sites in this series)? All in all, I’ll put a very rough number at…50 sites in the Siem Reap area, and that includes the sites that are about 100 km away. Of those, I would say I’ve been to all but 5-10 now. All are included here with the exception, obviously, of the sites that I didn’t visit. (Off the top of my head, I can say they include Koh Ker & that respective group, which is about 120 km ENE of Siem Reap; Phnom Krom, one of the three “mountains” with temples; Ta Prohm Kel; and Mangalartha.)
In practical terms, I’m afraid that with the volume of shooting (about 1,500 frames in the past 7 days), photos will start to look redundant to those who don’t have the same interest in ancient/historical architecture or Angkor as I do. That being said, there are a few things besides temples here. The Old Market area (now Night Market/Pub Street) is represented – a little – and Phnom Kulen has a pretty nice waterfall which is also in this series. Also, I tried to catch a few people in here, though didn’t get as many as I would’ve liked.
I had my friend Mao (tuktuk driver) take me around for 5 of these 7 days this time around. As I mentioned last time, he may cost a little more than what you can arrange through a hotel/guesthouse, but he’s well worth the money (and, in the grand scheme of things, not too expensive; I paid less than $200 for the five days, two of which were “long” trips). He loves his country and heritage, he knows what he’s showing you, he’s flexible, he gives you enough ice water to keep you hydrated, and he’s just a good guy. (He even bought me a birthday cake for cryin’ out loud…) Anyway, I highly recommend Mao. You can find him here: www.facebook.com/mao.khvan (or on Trip Advisor: www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297390-d10726821-R... )
Now that shameless plugs and other assorted rhetoric are out of the way, it’s time to get on to the temples, ruins, and other miscellany.
Today is really the excuse that I used to come back to Siem Reap for a week. Mao was nice enough not to schedule any other customers for today since it’s my 43rd birthday, and also for Saturday. (Another reason, I think, is that I wanted to see all of the non-major sites and most everyone else is only interested in the major ones. So…thanks to Mao for giving up a few bucks from others just to make sure I got to see all that I wanted these two days.)
Mao came to pick me up around 10:00 in the morning with his wife and adorable daughter. Today, we pretty much followed the small loop tour that we did yesterday (and that most tourists do). However, we skipped every spot from yesterday (Banteay Kdei, Ta Prohm’s main temple, Ta Keo, Thommanon, Chao Say Tevoda, Bayon) and opted for the others along the same route.
The first stop of the morning was Prasat Kravan. This is a particularly interesting – and small – temple that consists mainly of one building with a central tower, but five chambers lined up in a row. Prasat Kravan was built in the early 10th century (consecrated in 921) and is built of brick. It was built during the short reign of Harshavarman I. The name is the modern name (though I don’t know the original name) and means “cardamom sanctuary,” for a tree that once stood here. From an architectural standpoint, what is most interesting – and what caught my attention – is the brick bas-reliefs here. They are the only known representation of these in Khmer art and are reason alone to visit here. The central tower has a statue of Vishnu and the northernmost has a statue of his consort, Lakshmi.
After 15-20 minutes at Prasat Kravan, Mao took me to Bat Chum, which was quite near. (It wasn’t on my list, so kudos to Mao for adding a few stops that I otherwise wouldn’t have seen; as I said, the man knows the territory, and I highly recommend him to anyone who comes here.) Bat Chum is a very, very small site (under restoration, though it looks like even the restoration has been forgotten) a few hundred meters due south of Sra Srang, and a few hundred meters east of the road from Angkor Wat to Banteay Kdei. When Bat Chum was built in 960, there were houses and a Buddhist monastery nearby, which have long since vanished. This temple was built by the lone Khmer architect whose name we know: Kavindrarimathana. He also built the palace of the East Mebon and Sra Srang. This is a temple with three brick towers. There are stone lions and interesting inscriptions here as well.
From Bat Chum, we returned to the main road, skirted along the eastern and northern sides of Banteay Kdei’s outer wall, then along the southern and western sides of Ta Prohm’s outer wall. Most people enter Ta Prohm from the western gate (as evidenced by the massive throng of tuktuks here) or the eastern gate (where you will find a slew of souvenir vendors). As far as I can tell, there is no southern gate – as I imagine you’d see it flying by on the road. (Banteay Kdei does have a northern gate, though people don’t seem to stop here.) Ta Prohm does have a rather charming and rarely visited northern gate that I was unaware of. Again…thanks, Mao. Just stop on the road at the northwest corner of Ta Prohm’s outer wall and walk east along the north wall for about five minutes to find the northern gate, surrounded by jungle.
Next up on today’s tour is a very small site that, from what I know, doesn’t even have a name. (Mao didn’t even know the name of the place, so it’s just titled ‘Unnamed Site’ here.) It’s very small, almost an afterthought, but still worth a look. It’s on the road heading due north from Ta Prohm’s west gate about 100-200 meters south of where it heads to the west to Ta Keo. It’s barely 50 meters off the road, so is very easy to visit in 10 minutes or so.
Right at the point where the road takes a 90 degree turn to head west to Ta Keo, you have the option of going straight (down a fairly bumpy dirt road) to Ta Nei. This is actually a larger temple, but unlike the others nearby, it hasn’t gone under extensive restoration yet, so it isn’t visited very often. It’s 800 meters north of Ta Keo, set back in the woods, and is 200 meters west of the Eastern Baray’s western border. It was built by Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century. The highlights of coming here are simply the setting, the pediments, and the overall lack of visitors.
After half an hour or so at Ta Nei, Mao and I hopped back in the tuktuk and returned to the main road, heading west past Ta Keo before veering north and making a very quick stop at the Hospital Chapel that is 150 meters due west of Ta Keo (slightly north). This is a very quick – 5 minute – stop that interested me simply because it was/is part of a hospital that’s close to a thousand years old now. It was built by Jayavarman VII (like so many of the Angkor sites) in the late 12th century. This sandstone monument is one of four that were on site here (and, from what I’m reading, one of 102 that were found throughout the empire). Honestly, seeing this just makes me wonder about 12th century medicine. What would a Khmer hospital at the turn of the 13th century have been like?
Moving north from the Hospital Chapel, the road takes another 90 degree turn to the west. Before entering the Victory Gate of Angkor Thom, you pass Thommanon and Chao Say Tevoda (bypassed, as already mentioned), and then Spean Thma, near a bridge that crosses the Siem Reap River. (The Siem Reap River, today, is more like a gentle stream, though it was used to transport the quarried rock from Phnom Kulen to Angkor to build these massive temples a thousand years ago.) That aside, I decided to bypass Spean Thma for now.
Once inside the Victory Gate, which I mistakenly called the East Gate in May (it is on the eastern wall), we turned south on a dirt path about 100-200 meters inside Angkor Thom and traveled south, parallel to the wall. After less than 5 minutes, you arrive at the road that runs directly east from Bayon to the East Gate, otherwise known as the Slaves’ Gate or Gate of the Dead. (From the names, obviously, if anyone who didn’t belong to the royal family saw this gate…bad news for them.) According to Mao, the slaves were marched out this gate on the way to their execution. Grim history aside, it’s a rather nice gate, well-restored, with some good angles for shooting. It’s certainly worth a visit, especially since it’s so easily accessible – and there are rarely many people around.
After this quick stop, we took the road due west to the heart of Angkor Thom – Bayon – then headed up the road towards the North Gate, where the majority of Angkor Thom sites are located (just north of Bayon). Passing by Baphuon, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, Terrace of the Leper Kings (all on the west side of the main road), and the Kleangs and Suor Prat Towers (east side of the main road, with the towers being bisected by the road heading east through the Victory Gate), we turned off just north of the Terrace of the Leper Kings to the west to see Tep Pranam – very briefly – and Preah Pilalay.
Tep Pranam is simply a statue of a giant seated sandstone Buddha, still in use for worship today, that was built around the 16th century. If this were in an out-of-the-way place, it may not be worth the time. However, it’s in the heart of Angkor Thom and it’s impossible to go to Preah Pilalay without seeing it if you come by tuktuk. (This isn’t a complaint by any means; it’s rather nice.) Preah Pilalay is in the northwest section of Angkor Thom and is fairly remote (given the amount of tourists that the other nearby sites see). Its main features are a tall chimney-like structure, a few nagas, and its setting in the forest. It was built in either the 13th or 14th century, possibly by Jayavarman VIII or, perhaps, by Jayavarman VII. It’s about 200 meters north of the royal enclosure (Phimeanakas). Some of the larger trees that used to tower over the temple have been hewn resulting in a very different feel. However, it was a pleasant side trip.
Hopping back in the tuktuk and going directly across the road, the last stop for the day inside Angkor Thom was the Preah Pithu group. This is a collection of five temples/ruins in the northeastern section of Angkor Thom that is in a delightful wooded setting. If you can see them in early morning or late afternoon, you should get some wonderful lighting. You can spend as little as 15 minutes here or as much as an hour or two. They probably weren’t designed to be one cohesive group, though it’s not possible to say with certainty. They were built in the 13th century. (Though I mention this as the last stop, I’ve also included the North Kleang and Northern Suor Prat Towers here. Though I didn’t explore those in depth, I am giving them their own set here – Kleangs and Suor Prat Towers.)
On the way out of Angkor Thom, via the South Gate, we stopped outside the moat for a few pictures. Directly south of Angkor Thom are a few temples that I wanted to see: Thma Bay Kaek, Prasat Bei, and Baksei Chamkrong.
We visited them in that order. Thma Bay Kaek is nearest the road about 50 meters southwest of the bridge over the southern moat. All that remains here are the ruins of a square brick tower. It’s probably the remains of one of many temples that were here in the Bakheng area. It was built in the 10th century by Yasovarman I.
About a five minute walk - -if that – due west of Thma Bay Kaek is Prasat Bei (“Three Towers”). Unlike Thma Bay Kaek, these towers are still standing, so obviously, slightly more photogenic. They would probably be best photographed in early morning. The trees block it from the west in late afternoon. It, too, was built by Yasovarman I in the 10th century.
The last of the three temples in this area, Baksei Chamkrong, is the most impressive of the three. It’s from the early and middle 10th century (rededicated in 948) and was built by Harshavarman. This is a pyramid temple at the foot of Phnom Bakheng. The name means “the bird with sheltering wings,” though – like most temples here – this is a modern appellation that the builders wouldn’t have recognized. This tower is a single brick tower on a pyramidal base.
Finally, to finish up the day, Mao dropped me at Phnom Bakheng. It’s about a 20 minute walk up the hill around a winding path. This is considered to be one of the best places to watch sunset over Angkor Wat because of its panoramic view from the peak of the hill. However, everyone knows this, and this is the only place all day that was too crowded for my liking. In addition to its being under restoration to the point of making it a bit of an eyesore (for the time being), it was easily my least favorite place of the entire day. After waiting in line for 20 minutes and barely moving an inch, I decided to call it a day, taking 1-2 pictures (that you see here), and heading back down the hill.
Mao had disappeared into the throngs of people eating at restaurants. Fortunately for me, he spotted me. On the way back to the guesthouse, he stopped and picked up a birthday cake which we shared with the folks who happened to be at the guesthouse. All in all, it was a wonderful birthday. Tomorrow, too, would be just me and would include the lesser-visited sites on the Grand Tour Loop, in addition to 1-2 others.
As always, I hope you enjoy this set. I appreciate you taking time to look. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message or leave it via comment.
From the August 2016 return trip to Siem Reap and the Angkor complex:
I love the Angkor complex, Siem Reap, and the Cambodian people so much that I returned again for about a week to photograph as much of the “non-major” sites as I could. Some of them are slightly far from Angkor Wat (by that, I mean to say more than 10 kilometers away), and usually require a little more money to get to. Also, some of the sites (Beng Mealea, Phnom Kulen) are not included in the Angkor ticket price and have an additional admission fee.
I don’t know if there’s a set number of how many sites belong in the Angkor complex, though I’m sure it would vary. (Do you only count the major sites like Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm? Do you add the sites that aren’t included in the standard “Angkor Pass,” but are clearly of the same era? Do you include sites that aren’t even named (as are one of the sites in this series)? All in all, I’ll put a very rough number at…50 sites in the Siem Reap area, and that includes the sites that are about 100 km away. Of those, I would say I’ve been to all but 5-10 now. All are included here with the exception, obviously, of the sites that I didn’t visit. (Off the top of my head, I can say they include Koh Ker & that respective group, which is about 120 km ENE of Siem Reap; Phnom Krom, one of the three “mountains” with temples; Ta Prohm Kel; and Mangalartha.)
In practical terms, I’m afraid that with the volume of shooting (about 1,500 frames in the past 7 days), photos will start to look redundant to those who don’t have the same interest in ancient/historical architecture or Angkor as I do. That being said, there are a few things besides temples here. The Old Market area (now Night Market/Pub Street) is represented – a little – and Phnom Kulen has a pretty nice waterfall which is also in this series. Also, I tried to catch a few people in here, though didn’t get as many as I would’ve liked.
I had my friend Mao (tuktuk driver) take me around for 5 of these 7 days this time around. As I mentioned last time, he may cost a little more than what you can arrange through a hotel/guesthouse, but he’s well worth the money (and, in the grand scheme of things, not too expensive; I paid less than $200 for the five days, two of which were “long” trips). He loves his country and heritage, he knows what he’s showing you, he’s flexible, he gives you enough ice water to keep you hydrated, and he’s just a good guy. (He even bought me a birthday cake for cryin’ out loud…) Anyway, I highly recommend Mao. You can find him here: www.facebook.com/mao.khvan (or on Trip Advisor: www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297390-d10726821-R... )
Now that shameless plugs and other assorted rhetoric are out of the way, it’s time to get on to the temples, ruins, and other miscellany.
The fifth day (and last time I’ll see Mao unless I go back to Siem Reap again) started just the same as my birthday. Chhiengmai brought me a ham & cheese omelette at the hotel, then Mao picked me up and off we went.
Following the same route to Banteay Kdei, we took a right and headed out on the grand loop. The first stop was at Pre Rup, which I’d seen in May, but wanted to photograph again this time around. I love the May shots because it’s in afternoon light, so there are some nice silhouette shots in there. This time, however, was early morning. We didn’t shoot as extensively as we did in May; only staying on the eastern side of the temple and not ascending it. Still, it’s a rather striking temple and worth seeing, even with the restoration that looks as if it hasn’t been touched since May – and didn’t look like it was being touched then, either.
Pre Rup is on the southeast corner of the Grand Loop. From there, continue north. Right before you reach East Mebon is a road going east. (This is the road that would lead you to Banteay Samré if taken straight, or Banteay Srei, Phnom Kulen, and Kbal Spean, if you turn left at the first intersection about 1 kilometer east from here.)
Our second destination, though, was Phnom Bok. To reach here, continue east on the aforementioned road – pass Banteay Samré – taking the first left, then continuing north about 5-10 minutes. All in all, it’s about 20 minutes from the Grand Loop road.
Having seen snow-capped mountains enough in my life, I chuckle to call these mountains instead of hills. However, Angkor is in a large plain, as you can see in these pictures, so any hill looks like a mountain. In the same breath, these aren’t baby hills.
Mao’s wife and daughter stayed with the tuktuk while we went clambering up the hill. I was giving Mao a good ribbing about him not being my friend for making me climb a mountain in tropical heat, but it really wasn’t too bad. He said, “there are only 100 stairs to the top!” I laughed and said there’s no way that’s a mountain then. We walked up a hill for about five minutes before getting to the bottom of the staircase on the south side of the mountain that goes to the summit. He still insisted it was only 100 steps. I counted, just for fun. Turns out, there are 626 steps, give or take one, to the top of the hill and, even when you get to the top, you still have to climb up…a little farther.
As I mentioned, though, it wasn’t a bad climb. The first 400 or so steps are forested, so you’re in shade, though it’s hot and humid. After that, the views of the surrounding plains open up which are quite nice. Mostly, you can see to the south or southeast. I couldn’t see any of the main temples which would be southwest from here. (I couldn’t see them from the peak when looking southwest, though, either…)
At the top of Phnom Bok, there’s a little shelter/rest area where you can sit and buy ice cold drinks. There’s a new Hindu temple up there, and also the ruins of an Angkor-era temple. Sadly, there are also remnants of the Khmer Rouge era, too; machine gun mounts and the like, surrounding the temple.
After 30-45 minutes on the mountaintop, we went back down and I was glad to have a rest in the tuktuk while we made our way back to the Grand Loop. It was a good chance to rest up and enjoy the scenery (in addition to waving like a fool at every passerby as I’m wont to do).
Upon returning to the Grand Loop road, we made a quick right heading north for about 200 meters to the East Mebon. In May, we stopped here, but didn’t do anything other than climb the main stairs, take a few shots, and head off to lunch. (We were tired by that point.)
Because of that, I told Mao I wanted to take time to extensively go around the East Mebon. It’s a surprisingly nice temple mount. (I don’t know how the West Mebon compares; unlike this one, there is still water in the west baray, and I didn’t go out there.) All told, Mao and I wandered our separate ways here for about half an hour or so. I got back to the tuktuk right before one of the daily summer downpours. Mao was stuck out in the rain, but had my backpack, P&S, and umbrella, so was fine.
After a 5-10 minute rest, a Coke and a smile later, the four of us went back on our way around the Grand Loop continuing clockwise. We bypassed Ta Seo (which I’d shot well enough in May) and stopped for a very quick shoot at Prasat Krol Ko. This is a very small temple built in the late 12th and early 13th century by Jayavarman VII. It looks like many of the other temples, so most don’t stop here as it’s not terribly interesting. It’s a temple surrounded by two concentric enclosures, in the Bayon style, and rather small. However, it’s near Neak Pean and Preah Khan, so there’s no reason not to stop. This is a Hindu (I believe) temple, as it’s named/dedicated to a cow. I enjoyed it.
The next stop – Neak Pean – was less than two minutes down the road. (Again, no reason not to stop at both. Neak Pean (sometimes spelled “Neak Poan” and pronounced “neek poh-an”) is architecturally different than most of the other sites, as is the setting. Neak Pean is a cruciform arrangement of ponds that centers on a sanctuary tower on a circular island in the middle. Currently, access is limited and you can’t go all the way around it. You approach from the north over a boardwalk – this crosses over the Jayatataka baray, which offers some nice panoramic views of Phnom Bok about 5 kilometers to the east – and finally arrive at the north end of the monument. You can walk around either side to the eastern and western corners, but can go no farther. There are (were) four different sculpted animals on each of the four small ponds around the sanctuary. Eavesdropping a tour guide, he said the four ponds represent earth, air, fire, and water. I had read somewhere what the four animals were, but can’t seem to find that information now. I was very pleased with this stop, too, mainly because it offered a little variety.
After the nice stroll over the boardwalk back to the tuktuk, we continued heading west. At the turn off for Preah Khan (which I skipped this time since we spent a bit of time here in May), there are also two other nearby, rarely visited temples: Banteay Prei and Prasat Prei. These are immediately north of Preah Khan on the outside of the Loop road. Preah Khan is about 200 meters south on the inside of the loop. Neither of these two temples are listed in either LP Cambodia or my Ancient Angkor guidebook, so I unfortunately can’t tell you a thing about them, but would venture to say they were probably built by Jayavarman VII…but, that’s pure conjecture. They were both rather nice to see, and in a fair state of decomposition, so it lent to nice photography. As they are so close to Preah Khan, again…I don’t see why you wouldn’t visit here. You can see both temples in about 20 minutes without going out of your way to do so.
The next stop on today’s private tour is Krol Romeas. This is a very unassuming structure that is less than five minutes outside the North Gate of Angkor Thom. I’m a little confused about what “romeas” means. At first Mao’s wife told me it meant sheep. Then I believe she said it meant hippopotamus. Either way, this structure was an animal pen for one of those. Given the size and depth, I’ll say hippo enclosure is probably correct. Currently, it’s just a very nice setting in the forest. It’s a round enclosure about 20 meters in diameter, just east of the Grand Loop road.
After Krol Romeas, our next stops were the remaining (for me) gates of Angkor Thom: first, the North Gate for a very quick shoot, then down to Bayon and due west on a relaxing, rarely traveled road to the West Gate. The West Gate is supposed to be the one in the most pristine (unrestored) state, though I thought it looked fine. The setting was good.
By this time, it was getting to be early afternoon, probably around 4:00. The next – and last – stop of the day was south of town, away from the majority of Angkor sites. Going south from the Night Market area of Siem Reap along the river, there are two sites of interest: The main one Is the third of the “major” hills – Phnom Krom. This is supposed to be a nice place to see the sunset. However, from having climbed Phnom Bok earlier in the day, I wasn’t inclined to go here, though it was on my original “wish list” that I gave to Mao. Instead, we just went to the other temple in the area: Wat Athvea (sometimes also written Athwea). This is a very tranquil temple and is great in the late afternoon. It’s attached to a functioning monastery, but isn’t noisy. There is a pagoda built on the site of an ancient temple here. What you see here is a 12th century Hindu temple. There is a cemetery adjacent, but that’s not included in this set.
Upon finishing for the day, Mao dropped me back off at my guesthouse. This would be the last time I saw Mao on this trip, though his wife and daughter insisted on taking me to the airport on Tuesday, so I would see them one more time. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Mao’s a good man (Cambodian Mao, that is…)
As always, I hope you enjoy this set. I appreciate you taking time to look. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message or leave it via comment.
The Big Lunch held on Vicarage Road in Croydon. A bucking bronco, bouncy castle, zumba class, Irish Dancers and a steel band, 1st June 2014
Photography by Fergus Burnett
Acredditation required with all use - 'fergusburnett.com'
the irregular shape of the granite and clay pavers required each to be individually leveled in the sand bed
the naturally worn cobbles where great to work with in this patio. on some cobbles you could see where the trolley cars of the Twin Cities wore them down.
Landscape located in St. Paul, Minnesota
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I don't think (I hope?) that this is not an, uh, active outhouse, but here it is, amidst the majesty of some mighty fine mountains.
So the lazy composition would have been outhouse in the center, but I think I really wanted it off to the side, this almost vestigial element of civilization contrasted with the quiet serenity of nature. I'm not sure I actually executed that intent well, but there it is. Other exposures had it way further out in the side, but I thought that it was too distracting at that point. It might be too distracting right now, but maybe that could be its own message for you to decipher.
On a technical level, this was sort of a pain in the ass, since everything was "grey." I'm not sure I'm actually satisfied with how grey those mountains are, but it's incredibly difficult to increase just their contrast. Also, the outhouse was also super dark and required its own mask to brighten up. I like the way the plains look, though.
" The approval given last week by the VoG Planning Committee to gas-drilling activity showed a disgraceful bias towards the company Coastal Oil & Gas. The officers let the company get away with minimal information and falsely ignoring the toxic waste water and radioactive sludges likely to be produced.
Both the officers and the Natural Resources Agency ignored flooding risks and environmental impacts as allegedly short-term, yet the precautionary principle and environmental impact (EIA) regulations do cover short-term harm.
The VoG officers quoted the Llandow inquiry decision. Yet no other authority takes that seriously, as the Vale Council failed to make a proper case on drilling noise disturbance and local water supplies at risk. They accepted noise levels used for regulating quarrying (nighttime quarry working excluded) to apply to all-night drilling for gas; they ignored the WHO (World Health Organisation) 30 decibel level for disturbance to sleep.
The Vale's new LDP does give the chance to write into our local plan strong requirements on shale-gas drilling. Official support for this comes in EU Commission and European parliament resolutions both saying that EIA should apply to all shale gas activities.
At the committee on 3rd October, Councillors pressed the VoG officer to assure them that extracting shale gas would require EIA, but he was not even ready to promise this.
Building a strong policy into the LDP will enable us to stand up to pro-fracking interests and the hands-off Welsh Government, who see only profits from exploitation.
Basic to this policy should be requiring EIA and normal restrictions on night-time noise for 'unconventional' gas exploration as well as its exploitation. It should also mandate the precautionary principle is to be used until all questions on pollution and gas leakage have been satisfied. "
Max Wallis
Barry & Vale Friends of the Earth
14 Robert Street, Barry
Because it is test drilling. There will be stimulation (fracking) to test the productivity.
The Llantrthyd application is for “gas testing”
The ‘supporting information’ does not explain this protracted process anywhere, but it involves pumping of water with chemicals to “stimulate” the release of gas. At Balcombe, Cuadrilla use the word “stimulation” to describe this gas-testing process, but Coastal Oil&Gas’s Supporting Information refers to ’stimulation’ only in:
the shale gas boom in recent years has been due to modern technology in stimulation techniques to create extensive artificial fractures around well bores.
The BBC denial refers only to this use of the term.
See supporting information here vogonline.planning-register.co.uk/PlaRecord.aspx?AppNo=20...
Ref: Application for Planning Permission.
7. Waste Storage and Collection
Do the plans incorporate areas to store and aid the collection of waste? Yes
please provide details:
The drilling cuttings will be placed in a skip and disposed of at a licensed facility. Any waste water will be tankered to a licensed treatment plant.
Planning Application Details for : 2013/00335/FUL
vogonline.planning-register.co.uk/PlaRecord.aspx?AppNo=20...
Dangerous levels of radioactivity found at fracking waste site in Pennsylvania. This area is a high Radon area, the waste material will be deal with how and where?
www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/oct/02/dangerous-rad...
What is the Minerals Planning Authority (MPA) for Wales criteria for determining if a Environmental Impact Assesment (EIA) is required and what have their assessments been for all fracking applications in Wales.
The MPA determines if an EIA is required. When an operator wishes to drill an exploration well, their first step is to negotiate access with landowners for the drilling pad area and the surface under which any drilling extends. Permission must also be obtained from the Coal Authority if the well encroaches on coal seams. Then the operator needs to seek planning permission from the MPA. The operator must obtain the appropriate environmental authorisation/permit from the Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
The MPA will determine if an EIA is required, such assessments are required if the scale of the operations meets certain' thresholds', or if, depending on their nature, scale and location, they may have significant environmental impacts. If an EIA is required, it must be completed by the applicant and submitted to the MPA before the MPA decides on planning permission.
There is a bill being put to EU Parliament on 8th October to get this amended so that it is mandatory for EIAs to be carried out for both the exploration and production phases of all unconventional fossil fuel projects.
I recommend you write to your local MEP’s and ask them to support amendments 31 and 79 in the Zanoni report and that they reject amendment 112 which excludes exploration phase from mandatory EIAs.
On top of this the Government is planning to amend UK planning laws so that fracking companies don’t need to notify you if they plan to frack under your property. Given that in the states people struggle to sell their houses if they have been fracked under as they can’t get insurance and thus mortgages and we live in old coal mining areas prone to subsidence this could be an issue for valley property.
The whole of the Vale needs to realise the potential scale if shale gas is to be viable here, how many wells, lorries, polluted water (10,000 to 30,000 tonnes per well), gas pipes, infrastuctures to be put into place? The whole of the Vale is pretty much available for fracking license, are the communities there aware of this? What is Alun Cairns MP (conservative) for the Vale of Glamorgan doing, and Jane Hutt Labour AM for The Vale Of Glamorgan doing to help these communities?
I felt that site visit was pointless, the planning officers and councilors had already made their minds up.
Please Attend:
Tomorrows Planning C'ttee, THURSDAY, 3RD OCTOBER, 2013 AT 6.00 P.M. Venue COMMITTEE ROOM 2, CIVIC OFFICES. Holton Rd, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan.
www.facebook.com/events/204260026421416/?ref_newsfeed_sto...
Todays site meeting www.llantrithyd.com/
Llantrithyd 'Villagers Against Drilling' The Vale of Glamorgan
Frack Free Wales www.facebook.com/groups/394027893948761/
Future fracking fears as south Wales drilling bids considered (with my photos) www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-24376142
Twitter @nspugh twitter.com/nspugh
Because it is test drilling. There will be stimulation (fracking) to test the productivity.
The Llantrthyd application is for “gas testing”
The ‘supporting information’ does not explain this protracted process anywhere, but it involves pumping of water with chemicals to “stimulate” the release of gas. At Balcombe, Cuadrilla use the word “stimulation” to describe this gas-testing process, but Coastal Oil&Gas’s Supporting Information refers to ’stimulation’ only in:
the shale gas boom in recent years has been due to modern technology in stimulation techniques to create extensive artificial fractures around well bores.
The BBC denial refers only to this use of the term.
See supporting information here vogonline.planning-register.co.uk/PlaRecord.aspx?AppNo=20...
Ref: Application for Planning Permission.
7. Waste Storage and Collection
Do the plans incorporate areas to store and aid the collection of waste? Yes
please provide details:
The drilling cuttings will be placed in a skip and disposed of at a licensed facility. Any waste water will be tankered to a licensed treatment plant.
Planning Application Details for : 2013/00335/FUL
vogonline.planning-register.co.uk/PlaRecord.aspx?AppNo=20...
Dangerous levels of radioactivity found at fracking waste site in Pennsylvania. This area is a high Radon area, the waste material will be deal with how and where?
www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/oct/02/dangerous-rad...
What is the Minerals Planning Authority (MPA) for Wales criteria for determining if a Environmental Impact Assesment (EIA) is required and what have their assessments been for all fracking applications in Wales.
The MPA determines if an EIA is required. When an operator wishes to drill an exploration well, their first step is to negotiate access with landowners for the drilling pad area and the surface under which any drilling extends. Permission must also be obtained from the Coal Authority if the well encroaches on coal seams. Then the operator needs to seek planning permission from the MPA. The operator must obtain the appropriate environmental authorisation/permit from the Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
The MPA will determine if an EIA is required, such assessments are required if the scale of the operations meets certain' thresholds', or if, depending on their nature, scale and location, they may have significant environmental impacts. If an EIA is required, it must be completed by the applicant and submitted to the MPA before the MPA decides on planning permission.
There is a bill being put to EU Parliament on 8th October to get this amended so that it is mandatory for EIAs to be carried out for both the exploration and production phases of all unconventional fossil fuel projects.
I recommend you write to your local MEP’s and ask them to support amendments 31 and 79 in the Zanoni report and that they reject amendment 112 which excludes exploration phase from mandatory EIAs.
On top of this the Government is planning to amend UK planning laws so that fracking companies don’t need to notify you if they plan to frack under your property. Given that in the states people struggle to sell their houses if they have been fracked under as they can’t get insurance and thus mortgages and we live in old coal mining areas prone to subsidence this could be an issue for valley property.
The whole of the Vale needs to realise the potential scale if shale gas is to be viable here, how many wells, lorries, polluted water (10,000 to 30,000 tonnes per well), gas pipes, infrastuctures to be put into place? The whole of the Vale is pretty much available for fracking license, are the communities there aware of this? What is Alun Cairns MP (conservative) for the Vale of Glamorgan doing, and Jane Hutt Labour AM for The Vale Of Glamorgan doing to help these communities?
I felt that site visit was pointless, the planning officers and councilors had already made their minds up.
Please Attend:
Tomorrows Planning C'ttee, THURSDAY, 3RD OCTOBER, 2013 AT 6.00 P.M. Venue COMMITTEE ROOM 2, CIVIC OFFICES. Holton Rd, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan.
www.facebook.com/events/204260026421416/?ref_newsfeed_sto...
Todays site meeting www.llantrithyd.com/
Llantrithyd 'Villagers Against Drilling' The Vale of Glamorgan
Frack Free Wales www.facebook.com/groups/394027893948761/
Future fracking fears as south Wales drilling bids considered (with my photos) www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-24376142
Twitter @nspugh twitter.com/nspugh
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It’s not just sitting on a stand watching the world sail by.
Being a lifeguard requires continuous training, hard work, commitment and a love for the job. Helping train Jr Lifeguards during summer camp, participating in daily drills, training in all levels of first aid, working out, and practicing for competitions are all part of the job description. All of that with the goal of keeping the visitors to our beaches safe.
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Quelle surprise - Phil Collins doesn't really listen to music. I would imagine he ingests it in some entirely novel way that your average man on the street wouldn't even be able to fully comprehend. Maybe he senses it using his musical intuition or perhaps he experiences it through bone conduction whilst floating in a pool of saltwater while small fish gently nibble his skin. Who knows? All I know for sure is that internet informed me of today's out of context Phil quote. He apparently said it at some point and that's more than good enough for me.
Anyway, I've juxtaposed his quote with a rather sultry looking supermodel. Once you've liberally sprinkled a couple of pilfered logos in and adorned it with a green & red background then you're good to go with another successful 'No context required' piece. It's laser engraved on wood then hand painted and stands proud at 39 x 26cm. Drop us a line if you're interested...
Cheers
id-iom
February at the Julia Bulter Hansen NWR can be wet and hazardous to humans but the Columbian White-tailed deer don't seem to mind. These deer are being relocated to the Ridgefield NWR to the south. Photo: Jane Chorazy USFWS
It looked easy to assemble while sitting in the showroom. A few hundred more parts than I was expecting in the assembly process.
Title
Letter from Eliza Lewes to G H Lewes
Date
26 Jul 1876
Description
Eliza explains to G H Lewes that she requires to draw some of the money he has put at her disposal in order that she can find somewhere for herself and the children to live. In this letter Eliza, due to her own recurring illness, asks G H Lewes to bring up her children should anything happen to her. Written from Durban. Signed Eliza Lewes.
Transcript
Durban July 26th. /76
My Dear Pater
I shall be so glad when I receive a letter again from you and My Dear Mutter, it seems such a long time since I had one, not since I was in Newcastle on my way down here, when you said you were going on the Continent. I hope so much the change has been benificial to you and my Mutter. I should have written before but I have been waiting to have the portraits taken to send to you and my dear Mutter. Dear little George Herbert was recovering from his illness when I went for a short ride with Mr. Sanderson to look at a place he thought might suit me. When I returned I was obliged to send for the Doctor I and was not able to move about for some time, this morning the artist sent me the ones enclosed. Baby's is a very good portrait I think with the exception of the hair being much too dark the man has just struck a bell & he opened his mouth in astonishment - I think he looks a little frightened. Marian's is not so good she was kept so long in that attitude that she was wearied. She is much brighter and prettier looking. Mine is a fright I think.
Dear Pater I do not like to do it but I fear I must draw the remainder of the money you were so good to say I could if I realy wanted it. I can rent no house that is at all healthy and those that would do are 5 and 6 a month. I and Mr. Sanderson think my only plan is is to buy a small piece of land and have a little house built out at Sydenham it is about four miles from here. I did not think I should have been obliged to stay here so long it is so expensive. Mr. Sanderson does all he can to assist me if I could only get stronger I could do much more to help us. I think if ever you did a good action it was when you and my Mutter did not leave us to the mercy of strangers. Dear Pater if anything should happen to me will you and my Mutter take our little ones to bring up? I don't think I shall leave them, only when I am not well I am so uncomfortable about them if they were to be left. I know it is a great thing to ask, but I only ask it supposing they should be left.
I hope they won't, they are very very dear to me. I did think they were so dear untill the other week Mrs. Ashton Mrs. Sanderson's sister took little Marian home with her to stay for a week when I was not well. Marian much enjoyed the change and did not ask to come home because she said poor Mama was not well.
Dear little George Herbert grows very nicely. I think rubbing the cod liver oil on his chest every night is doing him much good, he runs about now quite alone. I have to keep a Kafir boy to carry him out - I should so like to read my Mutter's last work. Won't you please send it to me, I hope I have not done wrong to ask for it, but I do so much wish for it.
With much love
Your affectionate daughter
Eliza Lewes
Please excuse errors I have neuralgia in my head and face.
All Right's Reserved. All images are subject to copyright restrictions. Contact Warwickshire Libraries for further details. Part of Warwickshire Libraries' George Eliot Collection.
Original held at Warwickshire County Record Office.
The Big Lunch held on Vicarage Road in Croydon. A bucking bronco, bouncy castle, zumba class, Irish Dancers and a steel band, 1st June 2014
Photography by Fergus Burnett
Acredditation required with all use - 'fergusburnett.com'
Today, December 22 2015, saw Greater Manchester Police host a community Christmas lunch.
The event was held at the Force’s headquarters in Newton Heath and hosted by Chief Constable Ian Hopkins and Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Jim Battle.
The Greater Manchester Police Male Voice Choir sang a range of carols and popular songs to entertain the guests.
To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website.
You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.
Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.
You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
As part of the required course knowledge pupils need to be able to outline the process involved in taking a square wooden blank and preparing it for turning between centres. These pictures depict that process chronologically.
Stage 1 * Preparation of wooden blank. Cut to size. Sand square. Mark across diagonals. Centre punch the centre point. Use spring dividers to mark circumference. Repeat on other end.
Stage 2 * Plane off corners down to circumference line. This takes cross section from square to octagon. This reduces force on cutting toll in initial prep of blank. Mount between fork [driven] centre and dead [or live ] centre at tailstock end. Apply grease a dead centre end. apply force from tailstock end to force fork into material at driven end. Adjust toolstock height to suit. Check for clearance.
Stage 3 * Roughout using scraper to diameter. Use combination of gouges and skew chisels to add beads and other decorative detailing as required. Ensure spindle speed is appropriate for material and cross section under consideration. Obey all safety instructions.
During PBS’ NO PASSPORT REQUIRED session at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, CA on Wednesday, January 17, 2018, chef and host Marcus Samuelsson, managing editor of Eater Sonia Chopra, VP of Vox Entertainment Chad Mumm and Sr. Director Programming & Development Pamela A. Aguilar discuss Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s exploration of the best global cuisine hidden in America’s communities, showcasing the country’s extraordinarily rich cultural diversity.
(Premieres Summer 2018)
All photos in this set should be credited to Rahoul Ghose/PBS
During a visit to the Nigg Skills Academy, the Deputy First Minister took a tour of the site and met apprentices from companies across Scotland.
The grid still required continuous maintenance during the pandemic to ensure uninterrupted, reliable and safe electricity to communities. Critical energy work continued in northern California in April after the state's stay-at-home order went into effect.
Swimming, scuba diving or surfing, everything requires a great amount of comfort. So, if you want to provide maximum protection and comfort to your kid check out details.The details here provide you the correct and exact required information for wetsuits for swimming for kids.You can also go for the normal priced wetsuit which has a very good quality. Apart from that the most exciting part is sierra trading post 40% off. www.scoop.it/t/costumes-by-kelly-le/p/4042547483/2015/04/...
We watch a few programs on network TV, very few, but seem to watch more interesting things on other channels. One of my favorites is focused on life after man is gone. Walking through a Texas subdivision that has long since been condemned the one beautiful flowering plant that has remained constant is the cactus. In fact, I'm sure they're in much better condition than they were when man cared for them. Another funny thing I've noticed is that the St. Augustine grass that we work diligently to preserve in our yards grows like weeds there since man doesn't pamper it!
Day 2 of The Indy KA500 and After a Fantastic First Day of Racing and Celebrations now is where the Real Hard Work Begins as The Entire Field of 46 KA'S were in the Garages with Drivers Teams and Engineers at The Ready as they were about to tackle 8 Hours of the Indy Circuit.
With an 8 Hour Race anything can Happen and with such a Large Field of Cars a lot of Overtakes and Careful Navigation will be Required to Ensure Victory.
With The Start of The Race About to get underway Its Time to See Who will be able to Hold out the Longest and Take the Title of IndyKa500 Endurance Champion for 2021.
Hour 1 (11:04AM)
As The Field of 46 KA'S Completed the Formation Lap and Slowly made their way Towards the Start Finish Straight The Lights went Green and at Exactly 11:04AM the Race Had Begun.
Racing Down Towards Paddock Hill Bend it was The KA of Team (IP Racing's Adam Blair Scott Parkin Oliver Wilmot and Mark Witherington) Who took the Lead Followed Closely by Team (Octane Junkies Adam Smith Martyn Smith and Bazza Ward) in Second Place and Team (Alex Read Motorsport's Chris Reade Sam Luke's Carlito Miracco and Luke Read) in Third Place as they Thundered Up the Hill Towards The Tops of Druids and Back Down Again through Bottom Bend where Team (Ferguson Motorsport's Damon Astin Billy Ferguson Joe Ferguson and Daniel Ferguson) took the Lead from (Octane Junkies) before Flying Around The Track to Complete Lap 1 of 500.
As The Cars came Round Paddock for The Second Time The KA of (Ferguson Motorsport) Now Leads by a Heathy Margin While Further Back (IP Racing) and (Octane Junkies) Have A Fantastic Scrap over Second Place with The Two of Them Swapping The Lead Over and Over again. Car Number 55 of (Al Most Racers Alistair Hardie Alistair McDonald Lee Conway and Will Denny) was Seen Getting Air of The Inside Curb on the Exit of Paddock Hill Bend making for a Spectacular Sight.
Hour 2 (11:54AM)
Hour 2 and All 46 KA'S are Still Alive and Well with Each Driver Pushing Hard to Maintain their Advantage as the Tyres Begin to Warm Up and Start to Grip the Track More.
KA Number 56 Team (Hard And Enthusiastic Martyn Dilworth Mark Figes and Mike Hickey) are Locked in a Tight Battle at The Top of Paddock Hill Bend with KA Number 27 Team (Semprini Racing's Jeremy Evans James Hart Phil Hart and William Puttergill) as they Fight it Out Between the Two Cars for a Position.
Further Down the Field KA Number 23 Team (Kastrol's Michael Keegan Tim Keegan and David Murfitt) is Having its Own Battle with KA Number 4 of Team (Alex Read Motorsport) as The Two Teams Have a Go at One Another Thought the Course of The Lap trying Hard to Hold onto that Position they Worked so Hard for.
Another Battle at Paddock is the KA Number 3 of Team (Wingdat Racing's Andy Chapman Jonathan Barret and Wayne Jackson) Having to Fend off The KA Number 16 of Team (M and D Racing's Alex Martin Daniel Martin Tony Perfect and Mathew Rowling) as they Also were Looking to be in an Intense Battle Thought the Lap with Many Other Teams and Drivers Now Settling into a Rhythm. at The Endo f The Second Hour The KA't Mobile Number 49 of Team (LDR Performance Tuning's David Bywater Adrian Clarke Andy Grear Hardy and Sammy Bryan) is Seen Making its way Through Paddock Hill Bend and Through the Gravel Trap but Manages to Get Out Unaided and Safely.
At 12:12PM a Huge and Very Loud Crash is Heard at The Bottom of Paddock Hill Bend and Seen Rowling Through The Gravel Trap and Ending up on its Wheels is the KA Number 3 of Team (Windgat Racing) Bringing out the First Safety Car of The Endurance Race. Lucky The Driver was Fine and After a Few Minutes Due to The Recovery Taking Place they Are Back out in the Race But with a Lot of Catching Up to do.
Hour 3 (13:08PM)
With the Safety Car Now in the Race gets Back Underway and Already each Driver was Pushing Even Harder trying to either Create a Gap or Make Up for Lost Time Due to The Safety Car Intervention.
At The Top of Paddock Hill Bend a Fierce Battle is Taking Place Between the Two Teams of KA Number 13 and KA Number 155 Team (Deranged Motorsport's Jason Pelosi Josh Larkin and Alex Kelby) and Team (JRS's Nick Walker Alex Day and William Foster) as they Duel Thought the Whole of Paddock Hill Bend Starting at The Top and Still Keeping the Fight Going Right Up towards Druids in The End Deranged Motorsport Wins Out and Takes The Position Away from JRS.
At 13:24PM The Fighting Between each Team Continues at The Top of Paddock Hill Bend which is Proving to be the Best Overtaking Area as Each Car has Only 73 Break Horse Power so Carrying as Much Speed as Possible from the Main Straight Towards Paddock is Essential for a Successful Overtake.
Team (Piston Heads Peter Dignan Oliver Lewis Benjamin Lowden and Sam Sheehan) Battles it out with Team (LDR Performance Tuning's Laurence Davey Mike Paul James Parker and Glen Copeland) as The Two Cars Do Battle for All to See with Team LDR Taking The Position Away.
At 13:39PM A Set of 4 KA's are Seen Fighting Their Way up Towards Druids with All Four Teams not Giving up the Fight as they Swap Positions Relentlessly with not One Driver Willing to Give Up his Position.
The 98 55 53 and 13 All Really Having a Good Go at One Another Thought their Fight. As The Sun Starts its Slow Dissent Down Over The Hills and Valleys that Surround The Circuit Bottom Bend was Providing Some More Opportunities for Drivers to do Battle with One Another. A Four way Fight Between KA's Number 56 51 44 and 64 was Occurring with Number 56 Holding Strong at The Front of This Fight and Leading them on Towards Clearways.
Finally at 13:48PM An Epic Battle Between KA's Number 64 and 44 was Witnessed Through Bottom Bend with The Likes of The Number 64 Bouncing a Wheel Into The Air as The Car Took the Tight Racing Line making for an Amazing Picture and a Superb bit of Car Control To Keep that KA Pointing The Right Way.
Hour 4 (14:02PM)
The Fourth Hour and Pit Stops and Driver Changes were Imminent with Many Teams Choosing to Go into The Pits to Change Both Drivers and Top Up the Fuel as Well as Change Tyres if Necessary. Every Team was Running to a Different Strategy Depending Upon the Amount of Drivers they Had with Teams of Four Drivers Taking 2 Hours in the Car Each While Teams of Three or Less would Have to Take on Longer Stints of 3 To Maybe Even 4 Hours in the Car Hoping that Having to do Fewer Driver Changes would Mean they could make Up The Difference on Track.
Back on The Track at 14:02PM More Battles were Commencing Through Pilgrims Drop With KA's Number 81 Team (GM Performance's Gary Mitchell and Ian Mitchell) Going Head to Head with KA Number 46 Team (JDC Motorsport's Stu Neal Andy Gaugler and Simon Walker Hensell) with The KA of GM Performance Narrowly Taking The Place From JDC Motorsport on the Run towards Clearways.
At 14:20PM a Fantastic Battle Between KA Number's 18 100 127 3 55 and 115 was Seen as they Powered their Way onto Clearways with 155 Leading Followed by 55 and 3 127 100 and 18 All Slowly Gaining Ground to the Two Leading KA's at The Front of This Train.
Shortly After This Train of Cars Came Through Another Train of 5 KA's was not Far Behind this Time Being Lead by Number 13 Deranged Motorsport with 131 (Team Viking's Mark Holme Harry Nunn and Nick Nunn) Then came Number 4 Alex Read Motorsport with 98 Piston Heads and 41 (Rowe Rage Motorsport's Alex Butler Greg Caswell Jason Handcock and Sam Rowe) As they All Fought Hard to Catch One Another Thought their Fight.
KA's Number 98 4 and 64 were Also Seen at 14:48PM Having a Really Good Three Way Fight with 64 and 98 Side by Side down Pilgrims Drop with The Number 4 Car Closing Fast.
At 14:54PM A Final Battle was Seen on the Run Up Towards Clearways with The KA's of Number 60 (Powerflex's David Power Paul Cowland and Dom David) Battling Hard with KA's Number 7 (G and B Finch's Joe Bragg Lee Finch Steve Finch Benjamin Smith and Arthur Thurtle) and Number 127 (Fat Boys Racing's Charlie Jackson and Matt Pinny) with The Number 7 KA Leading The Trio On Towards Clearways as The Sun Began to Set.
Hour 5 (15:25PM)
The Fith Hour and a Swarm of KA's were Seen Storming Down the Main Straight towards Paddock Hill Bend with the Number 131 Car of (Team Viking) in the Lead by Some Distance Followed by Number 64 125 18 81 and 155 as they All Made their Way Towards Paddock for another Chance at an Overtake.
Another Battle Followed Closely Behind with KA Numbers 11 18 49 and 111 All Fighting as Well in order to Maintain or Improve their Positions as The Race Went on.
At 15:28PM The Safety Car was Out again While Another KA Somewhere on Track was Being Recovered and The Leading car Number 36 IP Racing's (Adam Blair Scott Parkin Oliver Wilmot and Mark Witherington's Lead Evaporates as the Field is Once again Bunched up.
Behind Them are KA's Number 44 (Mini Challenges Max Coates Dominic Wheatley Lewis Saunders and Dan Zelos) Looking to Make a More Once the Safety Car Period Ends The 14 of (Frugal Racing) and 51 of (Barwell Autosport's Taylor Norton Kamran Tunio Ryan Brinsted and Kester Cook) Also Looking to Take the Lead of This Endurance Race.
At 15:36PM The Car that Had Caused The Safety Car was Seen Being Recovered into the Outer Garage Area where cars are Held Before the Start of Each Race. KA Number 46 (JDC Motorsport) Had Made Contact Somewhere on the Circuit and Looked to Have a Broken Front Left Steering Arm with the Wheel Being Completely Bend Backwards into The Car with the Car Heading Back to the Garage for Repairs Before Rendering The Race Quite a Few Laps Down.
15:38PM and The Two KA's of Positive Motorsport's Andrew Rogerson Samuel Rendon and Ryan Frith Battle it Out with Number 13 Deranged Motorsport Through Westfield Towards Dingle dell with The Number 13 Beautifully Sweeping Around the Outside to Take The Position Away.
Another Battle was Seen at 15:38PM with (Alex Read Motorsport) Number 4 Battling Number 64 (Auto Teach Motorsport's Reece Kellow Andrew Howell Luca Ataccini Anzanello and Megan) through Westfields Side by Side on Towards Dingle dell.
Finally at 15:57PM Another KA Had Fallen Victim to an Issue with the Number 23 Car of (PSR's Carl Beresford Russel Danzey Tom Gilbert and Jack Wood) Being Taken on the Back of the Recovery Truck to The Garages for Repairs Before Going back Out into The Race as Night Began to Fall Upon The Indy Circuit.
Hour 6 (16:15PM)
As The Light Slowly began to Fade Away from the Indy Circuit Many Drivers were Now starting to use their Headlights as The Lighting Conditions got Darker and Darker as Time went by.
At 16:15PM A Massive Group of Cars came Flying Down Through Paddock Hill Bend with KA Number 55 Al Most Racers on the Inside Line 127 Fat Boys Racing on the Middle Line and 39 Kameleon Racing's Chris Bright Richard Cox Steve Goldsmith and Leigh Youles Michael on the Outside Line as they Fought their way Through the Bend and Up Towards Druids.
At 16:21PM Piston Heads Racing KA Number 98 was Seen Leading another Group of Cars Through Paddock Hill Bend with Numbers 41 52 33 and 2 All Fighting for Places as they Came Towards Paddock Hill Bend.
16:24PM and The Paddock Hill Bend Gravel Trap Claims Another Victim This Time the Number 131 KA of Team Viking Had Ended up Taking a Trip Through it Before a Half Spin Left Him Facing the Marshalls Post Opposite before Returning to the Track after Losing a Few Places. Recovery Teams set to work Once Again with The Safety Car Being Called into Action for The Third Time.
16:40PM and at The Top of Paddock Hill Bend a Three way Fight Becomes a Two Way Fight as The Number 127 KA of Fat Boys Racing Goes for a Spin after Trying to Get a Run on the Number 19 KA of LDR Performance Tuning with The Number 14 Car of Frugal Racing Just Narrowly Missing The Spinning Car.
16:42PM and a Final Intense Battle Between the Number 44 KA and The Number 1 KA of Burton Power Racing's Andy Burton Kyle Sagar Tom Valentine and Sammy Venables as They Fight Hard to try and Take that Position away from Mini Challenge to Round off The 6th Hour.
Hour 7 (16:50PM)
The Seventh Hour and at The Bottom of Surtees a Massive Crash is Heard as The KA's of Number 42 The K Teams (Paul Simmons Edward Simmons Glen Woodbridge Damo) is Seen Running off Track with Number 13 Deranged Motorsport Onto The Grass and Number 81 GM Performance Being Spun Out Trying to Avoid The Carnage in Front. All Drivers Okay and They Get back on Track and Continue on As Day Turns into Night.
17:02PM and a Top of Druids The Ka's of Number 72 Misty Racings (Adam Bonham and Simon Bonham) are Fighting Hard to Keep their Position from the Number 49 Car of LDR Performance Tuning as well as Number 7 of G and B Finch Trying to Find a Way Through on the Outside of Druids. The 98 of Piston Heads is also Closing in by This Stage with Headlights A Blaze.
17:05PM and Coming Towards Druids is a Sea of KA's All With Headlights A Blaze as they Fight for Positions Cars Number 60 3 19 and 39 All in Different Positions and Yet Still Fighting to try and Gain an Advantage that Could Swine this Endurance Race in Any of the Teams Favours. Further Back 127 and 140 Are Doing Battle on the Run Up Towards Druids.
17:09PM Once Again Another Battle at Druids This Time its The Trio of Number 127 36 and 60 That are All Trying to Better One Another in their Attempt to Gain a Place with Number 36 IP Racing Leading The Way.
17:14PM One Final Battle is Seen Coming Up towards Druids with The Number's 18 44 55 and 2 Fighting it Out Number 2 Kastrol's Has The Lead of This Group of Cars with Blazing Bright Headlights to Aid the Drivers Around The Circuit.
17:27PM and Now Darkness was Everywhere Making Visibility Very Difficult and Yet this did not Stop the Likes of Cars Number 128 JTR's Eliot Mason Nick Tandy David Mason and James Rhodes from Battling with Car Number 16 M and D Racing's Alex Martin Daniel Martin Tony Perfect and Mathew Rowling. In a Daring Move in the Pitch Black Darkness The Two Cars Go Side by Side Trying to Gain One over The Other Before JTR's Takes The Inside Line and The Position.
17:30PM Another Daring Battle is Captured Between The Number 180 Car of (Shine Auto motive's Colin French Mathew Eldridge and Wayne Clelland) and Number 44 (Mini Challenge's Max Coates Dominic Whitely Lewis Saunders and Dan Zelos) Defending The Outside Line as Best as they Can but Ultimately Shine Automotive Makes their way Through.
17:51PM A KA is Seen Flying Down Through The Bottom of Druids and into a Cloud of Dust Caused by Another KA Going off The KA is Just Barely Visible Showing The Dangers of what can Happen at Night When Visibility Becomes Low or Obstructed. Other KA's Soon Followed Through the Dust Cloud as Well with Many Backing off Slightly In case a Car was Stuck out on The Track but Thankfully All was Good as Hour 7 Ended.
Hour 8 (17:56PM) (THE FINAL HOUR)
The FINAL Hour of The 8 Hour Indy KA 500 and With Every Driver Now Getting into a Rhythm it was Up to Each Teams Last Driver to Strap in and Go for it to the Checkered Flag. However not All had gone to Plan for every Driver as The Number 29 KA of LDR Performance Tuning Found Out Slipping into the Gravel and Costing Them a Ridge Back to the Pits for Repairs with Less than 1 Hour to go.
18:00PM and The Number 2 KA of Kastrol's was Captured Racing Through Paddock Hill Bend During The Night Pushing Incredibly Hard to Ensure a Good Top 25 Finnish in the Points with Headlights Illuminating their way Around Paddock Hill Bend as The Car Flew Through The Bend.
18:30PM The Safety Car was Out for The Last Time During The Race and was Captured Leading a whole Train of KA's Through Pilgrims Drop and Onto Clearways with Each Driver Poised and Ready to Get Going Once the Safety Car Had Come In.
19:07PM An Amazing Sight to Behold with Just 15 Minutes Left on the Clock a Huge Rush of KA's Flooded their way Down The Main Straight and Past The Start Finnish Straight with Headlights on Full Beam to Aid in Visibility. The Number 8 KA Leads The way in This Group of Cars with The Number 18 CHR Hoonikan Car of Stratton MacKay Dave Mayer and Paul Robson Closing in Behind.
19:09PM And The Green Flag is Dropped for The Final Time as The Safety Car Comes into the Pitlane All 44 Remaining KA's Race Towards Druids with the Field so Bunched up this is Anyone's Race to both Win or Lose at This Stage.
The Number 42 KA of The K Teams Paul Simmons Edward Simmons and Glen Woodbridge Damo takes off Leading from Number 20 A Reeve's Motorsport Aron Reeve Stuart Lane and Andy Godfrey while The Number 127 of Fat Boys Racing Chases Them Down into a Nail Biting Finnish at The Centre of The Field.
19:13PM A Group of Six KA's are Captured Having an Intense Battle with Only 5 Minutes Left to Run The Likes of KA Number 127 36 and 128 All Putting Up One Hell of a Good Fight in The Closing Stages of The Endurance Race with Some Drives Having Driven for 4 Hours Straight.
19:21PM and after 8 Hours of Continuous Racing and 5 KA's Out of The Race The Checkered Flag was Ready and Waiting as The Number 81 KA of GM Performance's Gary Mitchell and Ian Mitchell Takes the Victory at The 2021 8 Hour Indy Car 500!!!! Followed Closely by The Number 72 Car Misty Racing's Adam Bonham and Simon Bonham in Second Place with KA Number 14 Frugal Racing's Jim McDougal Callum McDougal Mike Marais and Leon Bidgeway Taking Third Place.
A Huge Congratulations to The Overall Top Three Winners and to All of the other Teams and Competitors for Showing some Incredible Racing To End of The 2021 Motorsport Season. From
Historic Formula 1 to Classic Touring Cars To The Indy KA 500 This Season Has been One of The Best to Date.
See You All Again Next Year Where We Will do it All Over Again.
WELCOME & SUPER SESSION: The Digital Health Manifesto
We require innovations that add value and quality to health and medical care delivery. It's crucial we recruit fresh thinking and new participants to solve our ongoing healthcare crisis. Join the first-ever roundtable discussion featuring healthcare's preeminent leaders who will hash it out to identify and resolve barriers that impede marketplace success in order to optimize the health of the nation. Present at the table: The Visionary, The Physician, The Provider, The VC, The Digital Health Innovator, The Consumer Advocate, The Retail Doctor. Speakers include: Dr. Reed Tuckson, Managing Director, Tuckson Health Connections, LLC, Margaret Anderson, Executive Director, FasterCures, Dr. Yan Chow, Director, Innovation & Advanced Technology, Kaiser Permanente, Todd Hixon, Managing Partner, New Atlantic Ventures, James Mault, MD, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Qualcomm Life, Dr. Travis Stork, Co-Host / Chairman of Medical Advisory Board, The Doctors / MDLIVE, and Grant Verstandig, Founder and CEO, Audax Health.
Welcome: Jill Gilbert, @gilbertguide, Producer, Digital Health & Silvers Summits, @dhsummit
WEBSITE: bit.ly/DHSHome
FACEBOOK: bit.ly/DigitalHealthFB
Moderator: Dr. Reed Tuckson, @DrReedTuckson, Managing Director, Tuckson Health Connections, LLC
WEBSITE: bit.ly/JQUOes
PANELISTS:
Margaret Anderson, @MargaretAinDC, Executive Director, FasterCures, @fastercures
WEBSITE: bit.ly/1gLEdGy
FACEBOOK: on.fb.me/1fMVhce
Dr. Travis Stork, @TravisStorkMD, Co-Host / Chairman of Medical Advisory Board, The Doctors / MDLIVE, @MDLIVEInc
WEBSITE: bit.ly/J3v8KN
FACEBOOK: on.fb.me/JQXSqO
The Digital Health Summit at the 2014 International CES®.http://bit.ly/DigitalHealthCES - Focuses on the latest products and consumers' growing demand for high-tech health services. See solutions for diagnosing, monitoring and treating a variety of illnesses - from obesity to ADHD, from poor vision to high blood pressure...Official Hashtag #DHCES ..News & Press Articles #DigiHealthCESPress ..CES Hashtag: #CES2014.Website bit.ly/DigitalHealthWebsite.Twitter bit.ly/DigitalHealthTwitter.YouTube Videos bit.ly/DigitalHealthYouTube.Flickr Photos bit.ly/DigitalHealthFlickr.Linkedin bit.ly/DigitalHealthLinkedIn.Facebook bit.ly/DigitalHealthFB.Google+ bit.ly/DigitalHealthGPlus.Instagram bit.ly/DigitalHealthInstagram..Thank you IDEAL LIFE bit.ly/J3NdZc for sponsoring Digital Health Summit Live. ..Photos by Asa Mathat www.asamathat.com
From the August 2016 return trip to Siem Reap and the Angkor complex:
I love the Angkor complex, Siem Reap, and the Cambodian people so much that I returned again for about a week to photograph as much of the “non-major” sites as I could. Some of them are slightly far from Angkor Wat (by that, I mean to say more than 10 kilometers away), and usually require a little more money to get to. Also, some of the sites (Beng Mealea, Phnom Kulen) are not included in the Angkor ticket price and have an additional admission fee.
I don’t know if there’s a set number of how many sites belong in the Angkor complex, though I’m sure it would vary. (Do you only count the major sites like Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm? Do you add the sites that aren’t included in the standard “Angkor Pass,” but are clearly of the same era? Do you include sites that aren’t even named (as are one of the sites in this series)? All in all, I’ll put a very rough number at…50 sites in the Siem Reap area, and that includes the sites that are about 100 km away. Of those, I would say I’ve been to all but 5-10 now. All are included here with the exception, obviously, of the sites that I didn’t visit. (Off the top of my head, I can say they include Koh Ker & that respective group, which is about 120 km ENE of Siem Reap; Phnom Krom, one of the three “mountains” with temples; Ta Prohm Kel; and Mangalartha.)
In practical terms, I’m afraid that with the volume of shooting (about 1,500 frames in the past 7 days), photos will start to look redundant to those who don’t have the same interest in ancient/historical architecture or Angkor as I do. That being said, there are a few things besides temples here. The Old Market area (now Night Market/Pub Street) is represented – a little – and Phnom Kulen has a pretty nice waterfall which is also in this series. Also, I tried to catch a few people in here, though didn’t get as many as I would’ve liked.
I had my friend Mao (tuktuk driver) take me around for 5 of these 7 days this time around. As I mentioned last time, he may cost a little more than what you can arrange through a hotel/guesthouse, but he’s well worth the money (and, in the grand scheme of things, not too expensive; I paid less than $200 for the five days, two of which were “long” trips). He loves his country and heritage, he knows what he’s showing you, he’s flexible, he gives you enough ice water to keep you hydrated, and he’s just a good guy. (He even bought me a birthday cake for cryin’ out loud…) Anyway, I highly recommend Mao. You can find him here: www.facebook.com/mao.khvan (or on Trip Advisor: www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297390-d10726821-R... )
Now that shameless plugs and other assorted rhetoric are out of the way, it’s time to get on to the temples, ruins, and other miscellany.
Today is really the excuse that I used to come back to Siem Reap for a week. Mao was nice enough not to schedule any other customers for today since it’s my 43rd birthday, and also for Saturday. (Another reason, I think, is that I wanted to see all of the non-major sites and most everyone else is only interested in the major ones. So…thanks to Mao for giving up a few bucks from others just to make sure I got to see all that I wanted these two days.)
Mao came to pick me up around 10:00 in the morning with his wife and adorable daughter. Today, we pretty much followed the small loop tour that we did yesterday (and that most tourists do). However, we skipped every spot from yesterday (Banteay Kdei, Ta Prohm’s main temple, Ta Keo, Thommanon, Chao Say Tevoda, Bayon) and opted for the others along the same route.
The first stop of the morning was Prasat Kravan. This is a particularly interesting – and small – temple that consists mainly of one building with a central tower, but five chambers lined up in a row. Prasat Kravan was built in the early 10th century (consecrated in 921) and is built of brick. It was built during the short reign of Harshavarman I. The name is the modern name (though I don’t know the original name) and means “cardamom sanctuary,” for a tree that once stood here. From an architectural standpoint, what is most interesting – and what caught my attention – is the brick bas-reliefs here. They are the only known representation of these in Khmer art and are reason alone to visit here. The central tower has a statue of Vishnu and the northernmost has a statue of his consort, Lakshmi.
After 15-20 minutes at Prasat Kravan, Mao took me to Bat Chum, which was quite near. (It wasn’t on my list, so kudos to Mao for adding a few stops that I otherwise wouldn’t have seen; as I said, the man knows the territory, and I highly recommend him to anyone who comes here.) Bat Chum is a very, very small site (under restoration, though it looks like even the restoration has been forgotten) a few hundred meters due south of Sra Srang, and a few hundred meters east of the road from Angkor Wat to Banteay Kdei. When Bat Chum was built in 960, there were houses and a Buddhist monastery nearby, which have long since vanished. This temple was built by the lone Khmer architect whose name we know: Kavindrarimathana. He also built the palace of the East Mebon and Sra Srang. This is a temple with three brick towers. There are stone lions and interesting inscriptions here as well.
From Bat Chum, we returned to the main road, skirted along the eastern and northern sides of Banteay Kdei’s outer wall, then along the southern and western sides of Ta Prohm’s outer wall. Most people enter Ta Prohm from the western gate (as evidenced by the massive throng of tuktuks here) or the eastern gate (where you will find a slew of souvenir vendors). As far as I can tell, there is no southern gate – as I imagine you’d see it flying by on the road. (Banteay Kdei does have a northern gate, though people don’t seem to stop here.) Ta Prohm does have a rather charming and rarely visited northern gate that I was unaware of. Again…thanks, Mao. Just stop on the road at the northwest corner of Ta Prohm’s outer wall and walk east along the north wall for about five minutes to find the northern gate, surrounded by jungle.
Next up on today’s tour is a very small site that, from what I know, doesn’t even have a name. (Mao didn’t even know the name of the place, so it’s just titled ‘Unnamed Site’ here.) It’s very small, almost an afterthought, but still worth a look. It’s on the road heading due north from Ta Prohm’s west gate about 100-200 meters south of where it heads to the west to Ta Keo. It’s barely 50 meters off the road, so is very easy to visit in 10 minutes or so.
Right at the point where the road takes a 90 degree turn to head west to Ta Keo, you have the option of going straight (down a fairly bumpy dirt road) to Ta Nei. This is actually a larger temple, but unlike the others nearby, it hasn’t gone under extensive restoration yet, so it isn’t visited very often. It’s 800 meters north of Ta Keo, set back in the woods, and is 200 meters west of the Eastern Baray’s western border. It was built by Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century. The highlights of coming here are simply the setting, the pediments, and the overall lack of visitors.
After half an hour or so at Ta Nei, Mao and I hopped back in the tuktuk and returned to the main road, heading west past Ta Keo before veering north and making a very quick stop at the Hospital Chapel that is 150 meters due west of Ta Keo (slightly north). This is a very quick – 5 minute – stop that interested me simply because it was/is part of a hospital that’s close to a thousand years old now. It was built by Jayavarman VII (like so many of the Angkor sites) in the late 12th century. This sandstone monument is one of four that were on site here (and, from what I’m reading, one of 102 that were found throughout the empire). Honestly, seeing this just makes me wonder about 12th century medicine. What would a Khmer hospital at the turn of the 13th century have been like?
Moving north from the Hospital Chapel, the road takes another 90 degree turn to the west. Before entering the Victory Gate of Angkor Thom, you pass Thommanon and Chao Say Tevoda (bypassed, as already mentioned), and then Spean Thma, near a bridge that crosses the Siem Reap River. (The Siem Reap River, today, is more like a gentle stream, though it was used to transport the quarried rock from Phnom Kulen to Angkor to build these massive temples a thousand years ago.) That aside, I decided to bypass Spean Thma for now.
Once inside the Victory Gate, which I mistakenly called the East Gate in May (it is on the eastern wall), we turned south on a dirt path about 100-200 meters inside Angkor Thom and traveled south, parallel to the wall. After less than 5 minutes, you arrive at the road that runs directly east from Bayon to the East Gate, otherwise known as the Slaves’ Gate or Gate of the Dead. (From the names, obviously, if anyone who didn’t belong to the royal family saw this gate…bad news for them.) According to Mao, the slaves were marched out this gate on the way to their execution. Grim history aside, it’s a rather nice gate, well-restored, with some good angles for shooting. It’s certainly worth a visit, especially since it’s so easily accessible – and there are rarely many people around.
After this quick stop, we took the road due west to the heart of Angkor Thom – Bayon – then headed up the road towards the North Gate, where the majority of Angkor Thom sites are located (just north of Bayon). Passing by Baphuon, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, Terrace of the Leper Kings (all on the west side of the main road), and the Kleangs and Suor Prat Towers (east side of the main road, with the towers being bisected by the road heading east through the Victory Gate), we turned off just north of the Terrace of the Leper Kings to the west to see Tep Pranam – very briefly – and Preah Pilalay.
Tep Pranam is simply a statue of a giant seated sandstone Buddha, still in use for worship today, that was built around the 16th century. If this were in an out-of-the-way place, it may not be worth the time. However, it’s in the heart of Angkor Thom and it’s impossible to go to Preah Pilalay without seeing it if you come by tuktuk. (This isn’t a complaint by any means; it’s rather nice.) Preah Pilalay is in the northwest section of Angkor Thom and is fairly remote (given the amount of tourists that the other nearby sites see). Its main features are a tall chimney-like structure, a few nagas, and its setting in the forest. It was built in either the 13th or 14th century, possibly by Jayavarman VIII or, perhaps, by Jayavarman VII. It’s about 200 meters north of the royal enclosure (Phimeanakas). Some of the larger trees that used to tower over the temple have been hewn resulting in a very different feel. However, it was a pleasant side trip.
Hopping back in the tuktuk and going directly across the road, the last stop for the day inside Angkor Thom was the Preah Pithu group. This is a collection of five temples/ruins in the northeastern section of Angkor Thom that is in a delightful wooded setting. If you can see them in early morning or late afternoon, you should get some wonderful lighting. You can spend as little as 15 minutes here or as much as an hour or two. They probably weren’t designed to be one cohesive group, though it’s not possible to say with certainty. They were built in the 13th century. (Though I mention this as the last stop, I’ve also included the North Kleang and Northern Suor Prat Towers here. Though I didn’t explore those in depth, I am giving them their own set here – Kleangs and Suor Prat Towers.)
On the way out of Angkor Thom, via the South Gate, we stopped outside the moat for a few pictures. Directly south of Angkor Thom are a few temples that I wanted to see: Thma Bay Kaek, Prasat Bei, and Baksei Chamkrong.
We visited them in that order. Thma Bay Kaek is nearest the road about 50 meters southwest of the bridge over the southern moat. All that remains here are the ruins of a square brick tower. It’s probably the remains of one of many temples that were here in the Bakheng area. It was built in the 10th century by Yasovarman I.
About a five minute walk - -if that – due west of Thma Bay Kaek is Prasat Bei (“Three Towers”). Unlike Thma Bay Kaek, these towers are still standing, so obviously, slightly more photogenic. They would probably be best photographed in early morning. The trees block it from the west in late afternoon. It, too, was built by Yasovarman I in the 10th century.
The last of the three temples in this area, Baksei Chamkrong, is the most impressive of the three. It’s from the early and middle 10th century (rededicated in 948) and was built by Harshavarman. This is a pyramid temple at the foot of Phnom Bakheng. The name means “the bird with sheltering wings,” though – like most temples here – this is a modern appellation that the builders wouldn’t have recognized. This tower is a single brick tower on a pyramidal base.
Finally, to finish up the day, Mao dropped me at Phnom Bakheng. It’s about a 20 minute walk up the hill around a winding path. This is considered to be one of the best places to watch sunset over Angkor Wat because of its panoramic view from the peak of the hill. However, everyone knows this, and this is the only place all day that was too crowded for my liking. In addition to its being under restoration to the point of making it a bit of an eyesore (for the time being), it was easily my least favorite place of the entire day. After waiting in line for 20 minutes and barely moving an inch, I decided to call it a day, taking 1-2 pictures (that you see here), and heading back down the hill.
Mao had disappeared into the throngs of people eating at restaurants. Fortunately for me, he spotted me. On the way back to the guesthouse, he stopped and picked up a birthday cake which we shared with the folks who happened to be at the guesthouse. All in all, it was a wonderful birthday. Tomorrow, too, would be just me and would include the lesser-visited sites on the Grand Tour Loop, in addition to 1-2 others.
As always, I hope you enjoy this set. I appreciate you taking time to look. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message or leave it via comment.
a lesson or 2 in terraform, hopefully my Landlord doesn't evict me for digging this pit lol ☺ I'll just blame the bots
As part of the required course knowledge pupils need to be able to outline the process involved in taking a square wooden blank and preparing it for turning between centres. These pictures depict that process chronologically.
Stage 1 * Preparation of wooden blank. Cut to size. Sand square. Mark across diagonals. Centre punch the centre point. Use spring dividers to mark circumference. Repeat on other end.
Stage 2 * Plane off corners down to circumference line. This takes cross section from square to octagon. This reduces force on cutting toll in initial prep of blank. Mount between fork [driven] centre and dead [or live ] centre at tailstock end. Apply grease a dead centre end. apply force from tailstock end to force fork into material at driven end. Adjust toolstock height to suit. Check for clearance.
Stage 3 * Roughout using scraper to diameter. Use combination of gouges and skew chisels to add beads and other decorative detailing as required. Ensure spindle speed is appropriate for material and cross section under consideration. Obey all safety instructions.
We stopped in northern California to strech our legs.
I told the guy beside me to be careful, if he got it wet it would shrink just like mine had.
He didn't laugh....oh well.
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