Heddal stave

is a stave church located at Heddal in Notodden municipality, Norway.

The church is a triple nave stave church and is Norway's largest stave church.

It was constructed at the beginning of the 13th century.

After the reformation, the church was in a very poor condition, and a restoration took place during 1849–1851. However, because the restorers lacked the necessary knowledge and skills, yet another restoration was necessary in the 1950s.

The interior is marked by the period after the Lutheran Reformation in 1536–1537 and is for a great part a result of the restoration that took place in the 1950s.

@Wikipedia

Heddal stave

is a stave church located at Heddal in Notodden municipality, Norway.

The church is a triple nave stave church and is Norway's largest stave church.

It was constructed at the beginning of the 13th century.

After the reformation, the church was in a very poor condition, and a restoration took place during 1849–1851. However, because the restorers lacked the necessary knowledge and skills, yet another restoration was necessary in the 1950s.

The interior is marked by the period after the Lutheran Reformation in 1536–1537 and is for a great part a result of the restoration that took place in the 1950s.

@Wikipedia

The Cathedral of Saint Prince Alexander Nevsky is the Orthodox cathedral (since 2009) on the Volga and Oka arrows, belonging to the historical center of Nizhny Novgorod. Built in 1868-1881 by the project of architect Lev Dahl..On August 18, 1868, construction continued for 13 years, internal work continued until 1881. The height of the temple was 87 m..In 1929, the church was closed, valuables were confiscated, and in the winter of 1930, by decision of the leadership of the Volga Flotilla, the iconostasis and all the wooden decorations of the cathedral were allowed for firewood to heat the local houses. The parishioners managed to save several icons, including the icon of the Mother of God and the Life-giving Cross..In 1983, the restoration of the cathedral began, during this period voluntary restorers actively participated.

This is the inner part of the Banteay Samrey Temple, showing one of two libraries. Built during the middle of the 12th century, and restored in the 1930s, the name was derived from the Samre people; I visited the nearby Pradak village where the villagers are said to be the descendants of the Samre. Restorers using anastylosis - a restoration process of dismantling, reassembling and replacing vital lost pieces - has brought out the beauty of Banteay Samrey; it is not the most popular temple in Angkor, which is a shame because it is an exquisite example of Khmer art with temples pediments and lintels decorated with very intricate, beautiful, and well-preserved carvings. In the forefront, left, is a Nāga, the sacred name of a mythical serpent in Southeast Asian, and considered to be the bridge connecting the human world and heaven together. Probably being a bit off the beaten track it discourages some visitors. I was so lucky that my driver advised that I spend a few hours there.

Fowler 13310 Steam Traction Engine seen at Shrewsbury Steam Festival on Sunday 28th August 2022 under its own power.

Previously operated in Magdeberg, Germany until the 1950's

Procured by the British Army in the 1970's by the 45th Company Royal Engineer Steam Transport section and refurbished ready for the 1977 Silver Jubilee celebrations

Purchased by the current owner and restorer in 2010.

Built in 1914

Owned and restored by Maggie Astbury from Criggon Powys

Winner of best Agricultural Steam Engine at this years show., well done

Heddal Stave Church

The church is a triple nave stave church and is Norway's largest stave church. It was constructed at the beginning of the 13th century. After the reformation, the church was in a very poor condition, and a restoration took place during 1849–1851. However, because the restorers lacked the necessary knowledge and skills, yet another restoration was necessary in the 1950s. The interior is marked by the period after the Lutheran Reformation in 1536–1537 and is for a great part a result of the restoration that took place in the 1950s.

Uglich is a beautiful cozy Russian town in the Yaroslavl region, formed on the Volga River and included in the Golden Ring of Russia.

The 16th century is the date of one of the most dramatic events in Russia. The death of Tsarevich Dmitry happened. This was the reason for the formation of the Great Troubles. There are several opinions about the origin of the sonorous name. Most likely, it comes from the word "ugilets". This is the name of the right angle that the Volga River makes. If you believe the legend, the date of the foundation of the city is 937. The founder is a relative of Princess Olga, a prince from Pskov. The city is mentioned in the chronicle in 1148. In the 13th century, the settlement became the center of the appanage principality of the same name. Subsequently, the village was often destroyed. In 1328, thanks to Ivan Kalita, Uglich became part of the lands of Moscow.

The flourishing of the city began in 1642. This is the period of the reign of Prince Bolshoi. A large palace complex appeared on the territory. Chambers of appanage princes were built, which have been perfectly preserved to our time. In 1713, the Transfiguration Cathedral appeared. On the Volga coast, in tribute to the memory, the Church of Demetrius on the Blood was built.

In the photo on the right: the Resurrection Monastery, which may be the oldest in the Uglich land. The time and circumstances of its foundation are not known, but it could have been among the monasteries founded by the Uglich prince Roman Vladimirovich (1261-1285), who ruled the city in the second half of the 13th century. Together with Uglich, the monastery survived the Polish devastation. In terrible and dramatic events, many of the brethren and up to 500 of the townspeople who took refuge were killed. By the middle of the 17th century, the monastery was revived again. During the struggle against religion in Soviet times, the Resurrection Church was one of the first to be closed. In 1923 it was taken over by the museum. At this, the thread of the succession of times was broken, for a long period the spiritual ministry and its use for its intended purpose ceased. The construction of the Uglich hydroelectric power station, which began in 1936, the blasting operations carried out by Volgostroi, and the rise in the level of the Volga, further aggravated the condition of the monastery. The buildings were in critical condition in a short time. Fortunately, the interest in the monuments of Russian culture, awakened after the war, made it possible to stop the wave of destruction. By 1956 - 1971 the restoration of the monastery buildings belongs. Complex work was carried out to chemically strengthen the soil, which made it possible to eliminate the causes of the long-standing destruction. The modern stage in the history of the monastery began in 1999, when the monastery was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church and the revival of its true purpose and monastic life began. In 2007-2008. a fence with towers was erected around the temples. So, gradually, through the efforts of monks and benefactors, the historical appearance and significance of the ancient monastery is being restored.

Near left: Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist. This church is rightfully one of the pearls of Uglich.

On a June day in 1663, Uglich was shocked by a tragic event - the young son of the richest Uglich merchant Nikifor Chepolosov disappeared. All searches were in vain, and the parents were desperate. Almost a month later, on July 2, the body of the murdered baby John was found under a layer of moss in a swamp. It turned out that the baby was killed by his clerk Fyodor Rudak, who harbored evil against the merchant. The inconsolable father decided to honor his son who died so tragically. For this, in 1689-1691. In the 1960s, restorers discovered an arkasolium (niche) where Vanya Chepolosov was buried in the north side-altar of the church.

And to the left in the distance are the blue domes of the Epiphany Monastery. He is not an ancient one. According to two existing versions, it was founded at the end of the 16th century by Maria Nagaya, mother of Tsarevich Dimitri and the last wife of Ivan the Terrible, or Ksenia Shestova (nun Martha), mother of the first tsar from the Romanov family, Mikhail Fedorovich. The cathedral, an example of the official Russian-Byzantine style, was erected in 1843-1853. designed by architect K. Ton. The construction of the cathedral, despite the apparent well-being of the monastery, became a real feat for the nuns. Erecting such a large building, they themselves made a brick, raised it on the walls, collected donations.

I congratulate everyone on Orthodox Easter!

Image of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. Russia.

The Cathedral of Christ the Savior today is the Cathedral and, in fact, the main temple of Russia. Here the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia celebrates divine services, Bishops' Councils and other church forums meet. The dramatic fate of the temple made it not only a monument to those who fell in 1812 (as originally conceived), but also a testimony to the complex ups and downs in the history of Russia in the XX century. The Cathedral of Christ the Savior is on the balance sheet of the Moscow mayor's office, which handed over the temple to the Russian Orthodox Church for unlimited use. The Cathedral of Christ the Savior is a memorial temple, it was erected in honor of the victory and in memory of those who fell in the war of 1812. According to tradition, such votive temples were built in honor of church holidays or in honor of a saint. But this temple was erected in the name of the Savior himself. According to the idea of ​​Alexander Vitberg, the first architect of the cathedral, the temple was supposed to be majestic and colossal, and its glory was to surpass that of Peter's Cathedral in Rome.

Construction on the project of Konstantin Ton began in 1839 and was completed only in 1881. During the years of Stalin's regime, the temple was blown up, and in its place the Palace of Soviets was supposed to appear - a huge building crowned with a sculpture of Lenin. The war prevented the implementation of the grandiose idea, and after its end, funds for the Palace were no longer found, and from a political point of view, the structure lost its relevance. In 1960, an outdoor swimming pool "Moscow" appeared on the site of the cathedral, which existed until 1994. In connection with this pool, the water in which was not particularly clean, they recall the legend of a nun who, opposing the construction of a temple on the site of the Alekseevsky Monastery, cursed the construction site and predicted that a huge muddy puddle would be located on the site of the temple.

In the early 90s, already in new Russia, they decided to build the temple anew. The restorer Alexei Denisov carried out painstaking work to restore the historical appearance of the cathedral according to the surviving drawings, drawings and measurements, but due to disagreements about the appearance of the cathedral, it was removed from work. The completion of the temple was supervised by Zurab Tsereteli, who decided to carry out the external decoration of the walls in bronze, although in the history of Russian church architecture there is not a single example when metal was used in this case. The temple was completed, but this is not the same temple that stood here a hundred years ago, despite the outward resemblance. The decoration of the temple was conceived by Ton as a chronicle of the Patriotic War of 1812 in the plots of the Gospel, but now this kind of stone book cannot be read without referring to archival sources.

The world does not need more "successful people"

the planet desperately needs more peacemakers, restorers, storytellers and lovers of all kind.

~ Dalai Lama

Live from your heart, fill the planet with beauty.

<3

Ode to Joy, Ludwig Van Beethoven

www.youtube.com/watch?v=a23945btJYw

The church is a triple nave stave church and is Norway's largest stave church. It was constructed at the beginning of the 13th century. After the reformation, the church was in a very poor condition, and a restoration took place during 1849–1851. However, because the restorers lacked the necessary knowledge and skills, yet another restoration was necessary in the 1950s. The interior is marked by the period after the Lutheran Reformation in 1536–1537 and is for a great part a result of the restoration that took place in the 1950s.

The old architecture is probably similar to the architecture of the old Norrøne Hedning Hov. Just remove the three crosses and you have the old Goods hoof.

Thank you to all for your kind comments, invites & faves, much appreciated

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glg5GNhP6f4

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FufYLgw5p1c

Jeremiah 31:1-3

At the same time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.

2 Thus saith the Lord, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.

3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Jeremiah 31:1-40)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm9coqlk8fY

Isaiah 58:12b

thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

Hebrews 12:22,23

But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

And to Yeshua

The church is a triple nave stave church and is Norway's largest stave church. It was constructed at the beginning of the 13th century. After the reformation, the church was in a very poor condition, and a restoration took place during 1849–1851. However, because the restorers lacked the necessary knowledge and skills, yet another restoration was necessary in the 1950s. The interior is marked by the period after the Lutheran Reformation in 1536–1537 and is for a great part a result of the restoration that took place in the 1950s.

The old architecture is probably similar to the architecture of the old Norrøne Hedning Hov. Just remove the three crosses and you have the old Goods hoof.

The Aqsunqur Mosque (also known as the Blue Mosque or the Mosque of Ibrahim Agha) is located in Cairo, Egypt and is one of several "blue mosques" in the world. It is situated in the Tabbana Quarter in Islamic Cairo, between Bab Zuweila and the Citadel of Saladin (Cairo Citadel.) The Aqsunqur Mosque also serves as a funerary complex, containing the mausoleums of its founder Shams ad-Din Aqsunqur, his sons, a number of children of the Bahri Mamluk sultan an-Nasir Muhammad and that of its principal restorer, Ibrahim Agha al-Mustahfizan.

Heddal Stave Church

The church is a triple nave stave church and is Norway's largest stave church. It was constructed at the beginning of the 13th century. After the reformation, the church was in a very poor condition, and a restoration took place during 1849–1851. However, because the restorers lacked the necessary knowledge and skills, yet another restoration was necessary in the 1950s. The interior is marked by the period after the Lutheran Reformation in 1536–1537 and is for a great part a result of the restoration that took place in the 1950s.

Similarly built to Mercat Crosses found across Scotland, the Culross iteration dates back to the 17th century. Though rebuilt in 1902 to preserve its integrity, the cross marks the heart of the town. Its cubical head has four distinctive sides, including the Culross coat of arms, the initials and coat of arms of its restorer, and a monogram for King James VI, alongside a unicorn – Scotland’s national animal.

Heddal Stave Church

The church is a triple nave stave church and is Norway's largest stave church. It was constructed at the beginning of the 13th century. After the reformation, the church was in a very poor condition, and a restoration took place during 1849–1851. However, because the restorers lacked the necessary knowledge and skills, yet another restoration was necessary in the 1950s. The interior is marked by the period after the Lutheran Reformation in 1536–1537 and is for a great part a result of the restoration that took place in the 1950s.

There is a legend telling about the erection of the church and how it was built in three days.

Five farmers (Raud Rygi, Stebbe Straand, Kjeik Sem, Grut Grene and Vrang Stivi) from Heddal had made plans for a church, and they decided to have it built.

One day, Raud Rygi (one of the five men) met a stranger who was willing to build the church. However, the stranger, set three conditions for doing the job, one of which must be fulfilled before the church was finished:

Raud had three options: fetch the sun and the moon from the sky, forfeit his life-blood, or guess the name of the stranger. Raud thought the last would not prove too difficult, so he agreed to the terms

But time began to run out. All of the building materials had arrived during the first night, and remarkably, the spire was built during the second. It became clear to Raud that the church would be finished on the third day.

Down at heart and fearing for his life, Raud took a walk around in the fields trying to figure out what the stranger's name could be. Still wandering about he had unconsciously arrived at Svintruberget (a rocky hill southeast of the church site) when he suddenly heard a strange but most beautiful and clearly audible female song:

Tomorrow Finn will bring us the Moon.

Where he goes, the sun and christian blood perish.

He brings children to song and play.

But now my children, sleep safe and sound.

Or in Norwegian

I morgen kommer Finn og bringer oss maanen

der han kommer forgaar sol og kristenblod

lokker barna til sang og spel

men nå mine små, sov stille og vel

Now Raud knew what to do, as the stranger was a mountain troll. As expected, the stranger visited Raud the next day, to present the church. Together they walk over to the church, and Raud walks up to one of the pillars, hugs it as if to straighten it, and says, "Hey Finn, this pillar isn't straight!" Finn snaps back, "I could be even more bent!" and then hastily leaves the church.

Raud had solved the riddle after all. The stranger's name was Finn and he lived in the Svintru Mountain. Finn, also known as Finn Fairhair or Finn Fagerlokk, a troll, could not ever after stand the sound of church bells, so he moved along with his family to Himing (Lifjell).

According to legend, the same troll was also responsible for building Nidaros Cathedral, Church of Avaldsnes and Lund Cathedral.

This is St:Lukes Church Road, Formby which has been extensively renovated by the new owner and restorer of Formby House. Not bad access I think you'll agree.

Of the six Glaeser-bodied Steyr 220 Sport Roadsters built before World War II, three were destroyed in the war, one resides in an Austrian museum, and one has been lost to history. That leaves the 1938 Steyr 220 Sport Roadster that took top honors at this past weekend's inaugural Pinehurst Concours d'Elegance as the last known example still in private hands. The Steyr had previously taken second in the European Classic: Grand Touring class at last year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The current owner bought the Steyr in 2011 and had it restored last year. Steyr, or as it later became known, Steyr-Daimler-Puch, is perhaps best known for building trucks and military vehicles, but the Austrian firm once enjoyed reasonable success building luxury sedans, convertibles and sports roadsters. Debuting in 1937, the Steyr 220 series built on the success of the company's earlier and less-powerful models, such as the 120, 125 and 200. Available in four body styles (five-passenger limousine, five-passenger cabriolet, and two cabriolet versions with bodies by Glaeser Coachworks of Dresden, Germany, all 220 models received a 2.3-liter inline six-cylinder engine, rated at 55 horsepower and mated to a four-speed manual transmission. Though Steyr built a total of some 5,900 220 series models from 1937 to 1941, the pre-war European economy didn't encourage purchases like a custom-bodied two-seat sports roadster, and only six of this Glaeser-bodied Steyr variant are known to have been constructed.

Originally built as a demonstrator model for a Berlin dealer, this roadster features dual carburetors, dual exhausts, a longer-duration cam and bigger valves, all of which were available as factory upgrades from Steyr. Restorer Roger James of D&D Classic Automobile Restoration estimates the changes bump output to around 85 horsepower. Given the car's lightweight and rigid chassis with four-wheel independent suspension, its performance and handling would have been exceptional for the day. Restoring the 1938 Steyr took nearly a full year, as parts for the car were available only from a single German source with a history of Steyr restorations that spanned two generations. Worse, the supplier wasn't interested in selling a single component, requiring D&D to purchase the entire remaining Steyr parts inventory to get the items needed. In the case of this nearly one-of-a-kind automobile, the end certainly justifies the means. The maroon-over-cream Steyr Sport Roadster is a stunning and unusual example of pre-war European design. The impact of the Art Deco Streamline Moderne movement on the car's styling is evident, including the subdued primary color with darker accents; the chrome windshield frame, headlamps and wheels; the flowing design of the front fenders and skirted rear fenders; and the plunging chrome trim line used to convey a sense of speed, even when the Glaeser-bodied roadster was parked.

Source: Kurt Ernst, Hemmings

The monastery complex was built in the 11th century. Probably funded by Kazimierz the Restorer. The facilities were built of granite and limestone available in the area. The hill and buildings were surrounded by a stone wall and rebuilt many times. Another reconstruction was made in the 15th century, which gave the monastery and the church gothic features. The church and monastery are covered with stellar and crystal vaults.

Under the entire complex there is a group of cellars covered with rocker vaults. It is one of the best preserved underground rooms from the Romanesque era in Poland. Particularly noteworthy is the "lower church" with a stone Romanesque altar.

The interior of the "upper church" comes from the 18th century reconstruction and represents mainly the Rococo and Baroque styles.

-

Zespół klasztorny został zbudowany w XI wieku. Prawdopodobnie ufundowany przez Kazimierza Odnowiciela. Obiekty zostały wzniesione z granitu i wapienia dostępnego w okolicy. Wzgórze i budynki były otoczone kamiennym murem i wielokrotnie przebudowywano. W XV w. dokonano kolejnej rekonstrukcji, która nadała klasztorowi i kościołowi cechy gotyckie. Kościół i klasztor pokrywają gwiaździste i kryształowe sklepienia.

Pod całym kompleksem znajduje się zespół piwnic pokrytych sklepieniami kołyskowymi. Jest to jedno z najlepiej zachowanych w Polsce podziemnych pomieszczeń z epoki romańskiej. Szczególnie godnym uwagi jest "dolny kościół" z kamiennym romańskim ołtarzem.

Wnętrze "górnego kościoła" pochodzi z okresu przebudowy XVIII w. i reprezentuje głównie styl rokokowy i barokowy.

The restorer needs a steady hand and concentration

The boat in front of the temple leaves you at the base of the Nectanebo Kiosk, the oldest part of the Philae complex.

***

Kheperkare Nakhtnebef, better known by his hellenized name Nectanebo I, was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, founder of the last native dynasty of Egypt, the XXXth.

Nectanebo was a great builder and restorer, to an extent not seen in Egypt for centuries. He ordered work on many of the temples across the country.

On the sacred island of Philae near Aswan, he began the temple of Isis, which would become one of the most important religious sites in ancient Egypt, by erecting its vestibule. Nectanebo also began the First Pylon in the Precinct of Amun-Re at Karnak, and it is believed that the earliest known mammisi, which was found at Dendera, was built by him.

1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air, waiting through another winter for an ambitious restorer to come along.

Bubba's Auto Salvage & Machine, Trego, Wisconsin USA

On this Valentine's Day, a declaration of love is hidden in this harmless picture. Will you be able to find it?

Lens: Summicron 40mm f/2

Aperture: f/6

Italia, Valle D’Aosta, Fenis, Estate 2019

Il castello di Fénis è un castello medievale italiano situato nel comune di Fénis. Si tratta di uno dei più famosi castelli della Valle d'Aosta, per la sua architettura con le sue numerose torri e mura merlate è diventata una delle maggiori attrazioni turistiche della regione. Il castello appare per la prima in un documento nel 1242 come proprietà dei Visconti di Aosta, la famiglia Challant. A quel tempo, probabilmente si trattava di una semplice mastio circondato da mura. Dal 1320-1420, sotto la signoria di Aimone di Challant e di suo figlio Bonifacio I di Challant, il castello fu ampliato fino ad ottenere l'aspetto attuale. È possibile visitare solo il primo piano in questo castello. Il resto non è visitabile. Nemmeno i restauratori sono autorizzati. Ci sono turisti che spesso dicono di sentire i suoni apparentemente inspiegabili e dei passi.

Fénis Castle (Italian: Castello di Fénis) is an Italian medieval castle located in the town of Fénis. It is one of the most famous castles in Aosta Valley, and for its architecture and its many towers and battlemented walls has become one of the major tourist attractions of the region. The castle first appears in a document in 1242 as a property of the Viscounts of Aosta, the Challant family. At that time it probably was a simple keep surrounded by walls. From 1320 to 1420, under the lordship of Aymon of Challant and of his son Boniface I of Challant, the castle was expanded to its actual appearance.

You can only visit the first floor in this castle. The rest cannot be visited. Not even restorers were allowed to do this. There are tourists that often say they hear sounds that are unexplainable and footsteps.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a former Anglican church in the hamlet of Warminghurst in the district of Horsham, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. The present building, which is no longer used for worship, has 13th-century origins, but a church may have existed on the site in the 11th century or earlier. Often administered in connection with other churches in the rural area of West Sussex in which it was built–churches at nearby Steyning, Ashington and Thakeham were all involved with it at various times–its congregations declined and closure came first in the 1920s and then for good in 1979, when it was declared redundant. Unlike many ancient churches in Sussex, it was not subject to restoration in the mid-19th century: its interior has been called "the finest example in Sussex of how many must have looked before the Victorian restorers". After a period in which the Early English Gothic stone-built church fell into dereliction, prompting one Sussex historian to lament its "unloved" appearance, it was taken into the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. English Heritage has listed the church at Grade I for its architectural and historical importance.

*Working Towards a Better World

The plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people. But it does desperately need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind. It needs people who live well in their places. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. And these qualities have little to do with success as we have defined it.

David W. Orr

Angry people want you to see how powerful they are. Loving people want you to see how powerful you are.

Chief Red Eagle

Thank you for your kind visit. Have a wonderful and beautiful day! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

The church is a triple nave stave church and is Norway's largest stave church. It was constructed at the beginning of the 13th century. After the reformation, the church was in a very poor condition, and a restoration took place during 1849–1851. However, because the restorers lacked the necessary knowledge and skills, yet another restoration was necessary in the 1950s. The interior is marked by the period after the Lutheran Reformation in 1536–1537 and is for a great part a result of the restoration that took place in the 1950s.

The old architecture is probably similar to the architecture of the old Norrøne Hedning Hov. Just remove the three crosses and you have the old Goods hoof.

Well before Sat-Nav and GPS a gentleman needed an accurate guide to the country. Often small maps that could be taken with you on your travels would be used. Sydney Hall was a well known map-maker from the Victorian era and he produced many maps that were not too big that might be carried about with you.

In 1855, he published this ‘travelling atlas of the English Counties with all the railways’, about the size of an iPad mini!

There were 46 maps, all the counties of England, the Channel Islands, folding maps of Wales, Scotland and Ireland and a double-page general map of England and Wales. The maps are detailed and hand-coloured, with heights shown by shading or hachuring as well as including the canals and railways that existed then.

I bought this atlas in the late 70’s for about £20 as it was in a sorry state, that’s why I got it cheap as even then they were selling for several hundred pounds fully restored. At present, all the maps are loose as there is no spine although the back and front boards are present. The pages are yellowed often with some edge damage. I had intended to sell off the maps individually but decided to keep the collection together. It just needs a good restorer to work their magic on it. Do you know one?

For ‘Crazy Tuesday’, theme ‘Imperfection’.

From hunebednieuwscafe.nl: There is only one hunebed within the borders of Assen, the provincial capital of Drenthe. It is a medium-sized hunebed close to the rustic village of Loon and it stands on the higher-lying Looner Es. This field had been left untouched during the redistribution of land. (This was a process by which farmers swapped parcels of land in order to consolidate their fields into one more efficient single holding). Up until 1870 this hunebed gradually sank into its own chamber beneath its covering mound. Then the “restorers”, under the approving eye of the Provincial Governor Mr. Gregory, decided that it was necessary to uncover this archaeological monument. At that time, the conventional thinking was that the covering mounds of hunebeds were not in fact original but had been caused by the later formation of sand dunes.

Katyń March of Shadows.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katyn_massacre

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTqmNEo_-bM

Eilean Donan Castle went through several phases of development from the earliest fortifications of the 13th century through to its destruction in 1719, and the subsequent reconstruction in the 20th century. The first phase comprised a curtain wall enclosing much of the island with a tower house added in the 14th century. In the 14th or 15th century the outer wall was abandoned and a smaller enclosure built around the tower house. More development within this courtyard took place in the 16th century, as well as the addition of defences on the eastern side. The castle was almost totally destroyed in 1719, after which almost 200 years passed before reconstruction began. Although some archaeological evidence has been recovered from the island, much material was lost during the reconstruction works making it difficult to build a clear picture of the early castle. Very little historical evidence survives.

The castell of Ylen Donen is composed of a strong and fair dungeon upon a rock, with another tower compasd with a fair barmkin wall, with orchards and trees, al within ane yland of the lenth of twa pair of butts almost round. It is sayd of old that castel consisted of seven tours.

The only drawing of the castle prior to its destruction was made in 1714 by Lewis Petit (c. 1665–1720), a military engineer with the Board of Ordnance who came to Scotland in 1714 to survey Fort William and other defences in the area. Among the drawings he produced are a plan and elevation of Eilean Donan, which clearly show that the castle was largely derelict by this time, with only a building at the southeast corner being roofed. In the 13th century, a curtain wall or wall of enceinte was constructed around the island, enclosing most of the area above the high tide line. Scant remains of these walls can be traced on the ground, running around the northern end of the island. The eastern and southern segments of this wall are largely obscured by later development, although the enclosure is assumed to have contained an area of around 3,000 square metres (32,000 square feet). At the northern point of the wall the foundations of a large tower survive, measuring around 12 by 13 metres (39 by 43 ft) and the remains of foundations suggest further towers at the north-east and southwest corners of the enclosure. The enclosure was accessed via a sea-gate in the north-west curtain wall, where a small beach would have allowed boats to be drawn up. Another beach to the southwest may have formed a second access. Archaeological excavations in 2008 and 2009 confirmed the presence of these walls, and also found evidence that metalworking was taking place in the northern part of the castle. A tower house or keep was built against the curtain wall at the high point of the island, probably in the 14th century. The tower measured 16.5 by 12.4 m (54 ft 2 in by 40 ft 8 in), with walls 3 m (9 ft 10 in) thick. The vaulted ground floor was originally divided in two, with a stair in the north wall giving access to the first-floor hall. Above this were probably another two storeys, including a garret. The tower, according to Petit's later drawing, was topped by crowstep gables, and surrounded by a walkway and bartizans (small turrets) at the corners.

At an unknown period, probably in the later 14th century or early 15th century, the outer wall was abandoned in favour of a smaller defensive enclosure, around 25 m (82 ft) square. The entrance to this smaller courtyard was from the east. The reasons for this change are unclear, though it is suggested that the smaller area would have been easier to defend. During the 16th century, two buildings were added to the southern periphery of the enclosure. A small house was constructed within the southeast angle of the wall, with a circular stair-tower on its northern side giving access to the walkway along the eastern curtain wall. Located just inside the gate, this is likely to have served as a house for the castle's constable or keeper, and is the only building shown with a roof on Petit's survey. At the southwest corner of the enclosure, an L-plan block was put up, possibly as late as the early 17th century. The southern part is sited outside the line of the inner curtain wall, with a northern wing, which may have been a slightly later addition, inside the wall.

A mural chamber within the keep

In the later 16th century, the castle was extended eastward to create a bastion or "hornwork", providing a more securely defended entrance. The hornwork comprises a pair of walls enclosing a triangular courtyard, linking the east wall of the castle with an irregular hexagonal (or heptagonal) structure. This structure, 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in) across, contains a well at its lowest level, 5 m (16 ft) across and 10 m (33 ft) deep. This led MacGibbon and Ross to describe the structure as a water tower or cistern. However, the presence of a door on its eastern side is shown in 19th century photographs, indicating that it was built as the main entrance to the castle. The water-filled interior would have been crossed by a removable bridge, presenting an obstacle to attackers. From the bridge, access to the castle would have been up a flight of steps, into the triangular courtyard, and through the gate in the east curtain wall. It is possible that the hexagonal bastion was roofed to serve as an artillery position. Dredging of the reservoir in 1893 recovered two brass guns, referred to as "double hagbuts", and measuring around 1 m (3 ft) long with a bore of around 25 millimetres (1 in). Also recovered was a yett, an iron gate, probably installed in the east door to the bastion, but now on display inside the castle. At some point in the 17th century, this elaborate access was abandoned and a more convenient entrance opened in the south wall of the hornwork. By 1714, Lewis Petit's drawing clearly shows that the castle was largely derelict, with only the house at the southeast corner being roofed. Four years later, it was completely demolished, and, by 1912, very little of the castle was still standing.

The present castle buildings are entirely the result of 20th-century reconstruction by Gilstrap-Macrae, who commissioned Edinburgh architect George Mackie Watson to draw up the plans. Although the rebuilding followed the extant ground plan, the details of the present castle differ from its original appearance. The survey drawings by Lewis Petit were not rediscovered until the restoration was almost complete, and the restorers therefore were forced to rely on less accurate interpretations such as the work of MacGibbon and Ross, who attempted a plan of the remains in the late 19th century. The clerk of works, Farquhar Macrae, is said to have based the reconstruction on a dream in which he saw the restored Eilean Donan.Rather than a genuinely medieval castle, Eilean Donan is described as "a romantic reincarnation in the tradition of early 20th-century castle revivals." John Gifford, analysing the building against the Petit survey, notes a "fussy elaboration of what was probably plain originally, and an omission of decoration where it once existed", and describes the interior as "a rubbly Edwardian stage-set for life in the Middle Ages".

The castle is today entered from the south, via a modern portal complete with a portcullis. Above the door is a Gaelic inscription which in translation reads: "As long as there is a Macrae inside, there will never be a Fraser outside", referring to a bond of kinship between the two clans, and a similar inscription which once adorned the Fraser's home at Beaufort Castle. Above this is carved the coat of arms of John Macrae-Gilstrap. The portal gives access to the courtyard, the level of which has been lowered exposing the bedrock around the tower house. The present buildings at the southeast of the castle reflect the form of the earlier structures, including the circular stair tower, but are larger in extent. To the southwest only the southern portion of the L-shaped block was reconstructed, as a plain three-storey house, while in place of the northern wing is an open platform giving views over the loch. A small tower occupies the north-west angle. The keep itself follows the original dimensions, though the formerly subdivided ground floor is now a single room: the tunnel-vaulted Billeting Hall. Above on the first floor is the Banqueting Hall with an oak ceiling, and decorated with coats of arms and 15th-century style fireplace. The main ceiling beams in the Banqueting Hall are of Douglas Fir and were shipped from British Columbia, Canada as a gift from the Macraes of Canada. Small mural chambers within the walls are accessed from each hall.

This wood and fibreglass statue of the “Magical Owl” has a place of honour in the harbour park in Montmagny, Quebec. It was originally created in 1992 by artist Alain Gilbert. I am not sure what happened to it but it has recently been restored by artist- restorer, Martin Beausoleil who used a new technique that will keep the art intact for many years. When you walk around the statue, you are supposed to see it transform into other animals. I did that and saw the transformations. However, this perspective was my favourite to photograph because of the sky and the way the warm sunlight just happened to light up the one eye of the owl as the sun was going down. The eye is actually a hole in the statue.

This area on the western side of Dartmoor probably has more prehistoric remains dating back to the Bronze Age than any other part of the moor. Close by is an ancient settlement site. We were told by a restorer who was undertaking work on one of the two stone rows that these were now thought to be older than Stonehenge. The southernmost of the two rows has this cairn circle about half-way along it. There is a fascinating and detailed explanation to be found at www.stone-circles.org.uk/stone/merrivalerows.htm.

ⓒRebecca Bugge, All Rights Reserved

Do not use without permission.

This Roman statue at Carlsberg Ny Glyptotek, Copenhagen, depicts a flamen - a priest in Roman religion and a post which was a high honour to be chosen to (these priests were elected and they were from the highest ranks of Roman society). This role was more political than we normally associate with religious roles, and another difference (from many modern religions) were that the flamen had to be married. He was even supposed to step down from his position if his wife died during his term of service.

The head is a portrait of Antoninus Pius and NOT the original of the statue, but put there by a(n overly) creative restorer in more modern times - from the Renaissance up until circa the 19th century, it was very popular to complete found Roman (and Greek) statues which were missing limbs with newly made ones (hopefully in the right position, but much was pure guesswork) or found fragments from other statues from roughly the same period. No matter how little they had to do with the original statue, as in this case.

In its current incarnation, St Nicholas Church in the tiny Vale of Pewsey village of Huish is a Victorian affair, built in 1878-9 from banded brick, sarsen, limestone flint and malmstone. However, quite a bit of what was here before the Victorian restorers remains, and there was a church on this site as early as the 13th Century.

It was probably neglected in the 16th century and was refurbished in 1609. In 1672 it fell into disrepair again and needed complete in 1785 and then again in Victorian times.

Sharp-eyed girl

Inspired by the artist's own mother, a tapestry restorer, "Maman" the giant egg-carrying spider, is a nurturing and protective symbol of fertility and motherhood, shelter and the home. With its monumental and terrifying scale, however, "Maman" also betrays this maternal trust to incite a mixture of fear and curiosity.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy, is a Catholic temple located in the Historic Center of the city of Quito, capital of Ecuador. It is the first church and main headquarters of the Mercedarian Order in the country, and therefore bears the title of Basilica.

The white building has five domes, a square tower and is decorated with Inca and Arabic inscriptions. Construction began in 1701, the tower was completed in 1736 and the basilica was consecrated in 1747. The main altarpiece was carved and built by Bernardo de Legarda. In his sacristy as well as inside the Church, there are several works by the artist Victor Mideros.

It maintains one of the most important historical libraries in the city, both for its content and its state of conservation. The Merced library is deployed on two floors of the north wing of the Convent and has access through the lower floor, as well as the upper one. The book shelves cover the walls of the two floors and are connected inside by a beautiful spiral staircase carved in wood. According to the inventory and cataloging carried out during the Library Conservation Project from 1994 to 1997, 22,000 volumes and more than 40,000 bibliographic records were counted.

The Merced Library Conservation Project was funded by the Getty Conservation Institute and administered by the Caspicara Foundation of Quito, where approximately one million dollars were invested. The Project Director was the renowned Document and Paper Restorer Marcos Rivadeneira Silva in the conservation area and Ángel Oleas in the Cataloging area.

Île Saint-Honorat:

Since Saint Honorat reputedly drove away a menacing dragon around the year 410, monks have populated this tiny archipelago. A fortress built between the 11th and 14th century helped the friars withstand pirates, Saracen attacks and occupation by Spanish raiders, until Louis XIV garrisoned the island in the 1600s.

Spiffed up in the 19th century by French restorer-in-chief Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, the fortress is now a scenic ruin. Its four floors of chapels, vaulted ceilings and arches topped by crenelated ramparts culminate in camera-ready views of Cannes, the Alpine range and the cape of Antibes.

A half-dozen chapels scattered along the island's ring path offer moments of repose.

Nowadays, the monks inhabit a 19th-century monastery. Though the monastery is closed to tourists, you can visit the Gothic church and gift shop selling the island wines and other monk-made delights. If a day isn't sufficient to regain your serenity, the monastery reserves guest rooms for contemplative retreats lasting between two days and one week.

PFW-0655

This Lister Jaguar, chassis number BHL104, was delivered to David Murray, owner of the Scottish racing team Ecurie Ecosse in 1958. Originally promised the first chassis off the production line, it was actually the fourth that got delivered after the first was re-directed to Briggs Cunningham. To say the car was delivered from the production line is perhaps a little misleading, as the car was sent in kit form to Wilkie Wilkinson and Stan Sproat who then constructed it and made it race ready.

The car was to be raced for Ecurie Ecosse by the American driver Mastern Gregory, who developed a reputation for writing cars off, having destroyed two and damaged a third. This Lister Knobbly was damaged at Silverstone in 1958 during the Grand Prix support race, where Mastern Gregory mamanged to put it on top of the earth banking, taking team mate Ninian Sandersoni with him. As a consequence of the Silverstone accident, BHL104 was stripped for spares. Ecurie Ecosse also owned chassis number BHL109 that they initially ran in a unique single seater configuration, they converted this to sports car form, and Mastern Gregory then crashed it (I can see where the reputation was coming from). Ecurie Ecosse then created a new car using the front of BHL104 and the rear of BHL109. The remaining parts from BHL104 were sold on to John Pearson, a Jaguar restorer who rebuilt the car into the Lister Knobbly configuration (www.pearsonsengineering.com/about.html).

The car subsequently passed through the hands of JD Classics who restored the car to FIA specification, including a 354bhp competition engine, period correct Webers, and its original 341 SG registration number. The car is currently for sale via Sam Thomas Racing for anyone wanting a little piece of motoring history.

________________________________

Dave Adams Automotive Images

And don't forget to polish the 'Speed Nymph'. Although used on many early English and some European upscale cars in the early days, it is presented here, in situ, in it's most traditional home.

Arriving in England in 1904, French silversmith Emil Lejeune and his wife Augustine incorporated a small foundry specializing in brass figures, and objects, as AEL Limited, and added car mascots, registering this 'Speed Nymph' design as it's first, in 1917. It has had a number of variations over the years, including sporting a long scarf, but this is the original design. By 1929 AEL (Lejeune Foundry) claimed to be the world's largest car mascot maker, and produced the factory hood ornaments used on such British upscale marques as Alvis, Bentley and, of course, Rolls Royce. They are still in business, a very lucky thing for restorers of 20s and 30s classic cars.

Double click on image to enlarge.

AS ALWAYS....COMMENTS & INVITATIONS with AWARD BANNERS will be respectfully DELETED!

Una de las ideas que se extendió por Oriente con la expansión del Islam fue la iconoclastia: el rechazo a las imágenes religiosas. En Bizancio, esta corriente estalló en dos episodios violentos durante los siglos VIII y IX, que transformaron templos y conciencias. Basta eso para imaginar la azarosa vida de los mosaicos de Santa Sofía: destruidos, reconstruidos, ocultos tras capas de yeso, rescatados siglos más tarde por restauradores modernos.

Es difícil imaginar el aspecto que tendría este lugar el día de su inauguración, o tras la restauración iconográfica que siguió al segundo periodo iconoclasta. Pero al ver lo que queda —fragmentos dorados que siguen brillando con una luz que no es de este mundo— uno entiende que no estamos solo ante decoración: estamos ante una historia gráfica del alma bizantina.

Quien haya visitado iglesias bizantinas en Rávena o Venecia o Sicilia puede intuir lo que debió de ser Santa Sofía en su plenitud. El mosaico más impresionante debió de ser, sin duda, el Cristo Pantocrátor que presidía la cúpula. Hoy está perdido, pero su recuerdo sobrevive en los cuatro serafines alados que todavía vigilan desde los ángulos del tambor, como testigos de lo que fue y de lo que resistió.

________________________________________________

One of the ideas that spread through the East with the rise of Islam was iconoclasm: the rejection of religious images. In Byzantium, this current erupted in two violent episodes during the 8th and 9th centuries, transforming both temples and minds. That alone gives us a sense of the turbulent life of Hagia Sophia’s mosaics—destroyed, rebuilt, hidden beneath layers of plaster, and eventually rescued by modern restorers centuries later.

It’s hard to imagine what this place looked like on the day of its inauguration, or after the iconographic restoration that followed the second wave of iconoclasm. But when you see what remains—golden fragments still glowing with a light that seems unearthly—you understand that this isn’t just decoration: it’s a visual history of the Byzantine soul.

Anyone who has visited Byzantine churches in Ravenna, Venice, or Sicily can begin to imagine what Hagia Sophia must have been like in its full splendor. The most impressive mosaic was undoubtedly the Christ Pantocrator that once dominated the dome. Today it is lost, but its memory survives in the four winged seraphim that still stand guard in the pendentives—silent witnesses to what once was, and to what endured.

jmsdbg.com/estambul/index.html

From hunebednieuwscafe.nl: There is only one hunebed within the borders of Assen, the provincial capital of Drenthe. It is a medium-sized hunebed close to the rustic village of Loon and it stands on the higher-lying Looner Es. This field had been left untouched during the redistribution of land. (This was a process by which farmers swapped parcels of land in order to consolidate their fields into one more efficient single holding). Up until 1870 this hunebed gradually sank into its own chamber beneath its covering mound. Then the “restorers”, under the approving eye of the Provincial Governor Mr. Gregory, decided that it was necessary to uncover this archaeological monument. At that time, the conventional thinking was that the covering mounds of hunebeds were not in fact original but had been caused by the later formation of sand dunes.

Or Gorgeous Design trumps Let There Be Light.....or.....When Looking Cool is more Important than Seeing the Road. These headlights are great if you want to add a sinister touch to a full classic or traditional hot rod, but function doesn't always follow form.

The answer: They’re Woodlites, and there is—at least in theory—a reason for their distinctive appearance. The creation of inventor William G. Wood, these headlamps were supposed to concentrate and project a beam of light farther down the road than a conventional headlight. You can read Wood’s description of the method of operation, and check out diagrams of the Woodlite’s interior geometry, in the U.S. patent granted July 31, 1928.

Whether the theory behind the design is sound, the source of illumination was ultimately a relatively weak 6-volt automotive headlight; there’s only so much fancy reflector setups can do to ameliorate anemic light sources.

But there’s a reason Woodlites are still highly sought today, with a complete pair commanding thousands of dollars. What’s more, you never really know who is going to be buying them; this is one of those interesting cases where a restorer of full-classic cars could get in a bidding war with a customizer for the things—Woodlites are equally at home on concours greens and traditional hot-rod shows.

Woodlites were actually standard equipment on a few cars—notably, front-wheel-drive Ruxtons and certain Jordans. But they could also be found on coachbuilt vehicles from the likes of Cord (there are more than a few front-drive L-29s equipped with Woodlites), Auburn, Packard, Stutz and so on. And in part because early rodders and customizers looked to high-end coachbuilders for inspiration—and also because the things looked so unique on their own—Woodlites proliferated in the aftermarket, as well.

You can’t touch Woodlites for outright weirdness. Love ’em or hate ’em, at least you’ll seldom miss a pair when you walk by a car so equipped—and rest assured, that’s exactly the effect the commissioner of a coachbuilt Cord, or the backyard builder of a gnarly traditional hot rod, was going for. The Woodlite’s enduring popularity is yet more proof that, even if you don’t serve your intended purpose particularly well, simply looking cool can take you places.

Thank you AutoWeek and others

AS ALWAYS....COMMENTS & INVITATIONS with AWARD BANNERS will be respectfully DELETED!

- Innsbruck

Walcot is one of a number of small rural villages in the rolling kesteven hills east of Grantham. It has a large Decorated broach spire that can be seem from miles around and an airy Early English nave, aisles and chancel nestling below, largley ignored by the Victorian church restorers St Nicholas' retains most of its original medieval features and charm.

Similarly built to Mercat Crosses found across Scotland, the Culross iteration dates back to the 17th century. Though rebuilt in 1902 to preserve its integrity, the cross marks the heart of the town. Its cubical head has four distinctive sides, including the Culross coat of arms, the initials and coat of arms of its restorer, and a monogram for King James VI, alongside a unicorn – Scotland’s national animal.