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St Mary, Nettlestead, Suffolk
Suffolk's most secret places are among the twisting valleys to the west of Ipswich, the little churches hidden in glades on hilltops or in the dips below where the narrow lanes snake down into groves of ash and elm. Maybe there's a stream nearby, but not many houses; hardly a village at all. The churches in these places are among my favourites. Their ancient stones endure through the shadowy grip of winter, and cool the summer haze. They sit in silence as the centuries go by, far from the mundane bustle of traffic, beyond the scope of the tourist guides.
Nettlestead is one of these places. The pretty unbuttressed 14th century tower shows evidence of Norman work in its lower reaches, although Mortlock thought this may have been found and reset during the 19th Century restoration. Similarly, a Norman lancet window in the north wall is surmounted by a reset delicate carving, interlacings of beads, arches and scrolls. You see such things in the Victoria and Albert Museum, but they do not have the same power there, out of context. Here, a thousand Suffolk summers and winters have come and gone and still it endures. Speaking of Victoria and Albert, their portraits form the headstops to the outside of the east window.
The inside of the church is neat, bright and welcoming. It is easy to describe the interior of a small church as pretty, but Nettlestead really is so, and once stepped into it will not easily be forgotten.
The crowning jewel here is one of Suffolk's loveliest fonts. Panels intersperse lively evangelstic symbols with grinning men, one with his tongue sticking out (but could he be a lion?), a jolly bishop, and, almost surreally amongst all this merriment, St Catherine clutching her wheel of martyrdom. There are noticeable cracks around the bowl, as if at some point it has been seriously damaged. There is a story behind this font and its survival, as we shall see.
Another curious survival is the large squint in the splay of a window in the south wall. It seems to be focused on where the pulpit is now, so we might assume that there was once an altar in the nave there. But why was the squint where it is? Mortlock thought there might have been an anchorite's cell outside the south wall there, but it is hard to see how an outbuilding could have offered a view through the squint without its east wall cutting into the window. I wondered if the Easter sepulchre had been built where the pulpit is now, and the squint allowed parishioners a view of it on Good Friday, when the church was out of use.
Cautley doesn't mention the squint in his 1935 survey, so it was probably uncovered during a major restoration after the war. On the night of 12th August 1940, this pretty church suffered the same fate as that at Akenham, six miles away, when German bombers returning from a raid on the Midlands dropped their remaining bombs in a swathe across this part of rural Suffolk before embarking on the crossing of the North Sea. The church was gutted, and its restoration and reopening in 1950 was one of Munro Cautley's last jobs for the Anglican diocese. He is responsible for the meticulous piecing back together of the font, which was wrecked in the explosion.
The east end of the sanctuary is a curious thing, too. Its rather sober classical blank arcades are elegant, but beside them is the grimly morbid early 17th century memorial to Samuel and Thomasina Sayer with their pet skull in the north wall. Sayer built a faire almes house at Bewdley in Worstershier for six poore men and gave thirty powndes a yeare for ever, but he seems none too happy about it. Rather jollier are the lion and unicorn on the George IV coat of arms, which, instead of supporting the shield, emerge dramatically from behind it.
As lovely as this church is, only the font has survived today from the Medieval period. But there was once much more. The iconoclast William Dowsing visited Nettlestead on 22nd August 1644. It was one of seven churches he visited in the area that day. One of his houses was in the adjacent parish of Baylham, and these small churches are close together, but even so the going on horseback must have been easy that day.
He found plenty to do at Nettlestead. The Saints on the screen, of which no trace survives, had not been defaced, and there were a dozen further Saints in stained glass, again none of which survive. It appears that his instructions with regard to the screen and ancient glass were carried out by the churchwardens in full, and he also noticed a prayer clause in brass which had gone by the time the antiquarian William Blois visited in 1660. The knight above its matrix survives, suggesting that the inscription wasn't taken by collectors or early modern metal thieves. The armour is early 16th Century and it may be to Richard Wentworth who died in the 1520s in the last days of Catholic England.
Dowsing does not usually get too worked up about fonts, but he mentions St Catherine on the one here, who survives, unlike her saintly companions in paint and glass, so presumably she was either plastered over, or the font was removed from the church and used as a drinking trough for cattle or something. Unusually, Dowsing names the Saints he sees at Nettlestead, and this despite it being just one of many churches he visited that day. Why was Dowsing so thorough at Nettlestead? The obvious conclusion is simply that, being local, he already knew the church well.
And there is one further intriguing connection between Dowsing and Nettlestead. Thomasina Sayer on the Sayer memorial in the chancel was born Thomasina Lea, and she was the sister of Thamar Lea, William Dowsing's first wife.
The thought that this wonderful little church once had a medieval screen and medieval glass that had survived the Reformation makes you want to weep. Ho hum. Back outside, then.
The pompous memorial by the north east hedge to Stephen Jackson, publisher of the Ipswich Journal, is a quite different prospect to the quiet beauty we have encountered so far. You might see this in the V&A as well, as an example of the arrogance of the Gothic revival. Here is someone who thought very highly of themselves, and now lies under flowering columns, pillars, balls, pyramids and curlicues. An antidote by the south porch is the memorial to a child who died after just ten hours. Just a Perfect Day, as the inscription reminds us. It's one of the loveliest modern memorials I know in Suffolk.
So there you are, what a delightful little church this is, how can you possibly resist? And then, if you are on foot, or on a bike, just keep going. On the other side of Somersham, you'll come to Flowton; equally remote, equally lovely, equally welcoming. If you are in a car - well, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Scope/Mount: StellarVue SV70T Refractor with SFFR-70APO Focal-reducer/Field-flattener, Celestron CI-700 Mount
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MMC monochrome with ZWO LRGB filters
Guiding: QHY5L-IIM through Orion Thin OAG, PHD guiding software
Exposure: L (90) 120 sec @ gain=80, RGB: each channel (10) 120 sec @ gain=139
Software: Nebulosity, PhotoShop CS2
Comment: 08-31-2019, Tierra del Sol, CA, good conditions.
Whilst I was in Italy (Sorrento) I was really keen on getting a lovely shot of Mount Vesuvius, maybe at Sunsrise, maybe at sun set, unfortunately the weather was a tad overcast and therefore it was very hazy over mount V - I decided on a different perspective - this is probably about as clear as we could see Mount V even with the shallow DOF haha
Front view of my oscilloscope clock. The row of buttons navigates through the menu system (incomplete). The knobs on the side adjust all the CRT parameters.
Just a few sights and a scope i made in bordem, the one in the top right i got from Xan and recolored, credit him for that, not me!!
The Sniper sneaks through the bushes approaching his blissfully unaware prey...
He raises his rifle, up to his shoulder, scopes in, and fires. Perfect shot, right above the nasal cap, he was dead before he knew he had been hit.
Get your Ghillie Sniper today at kckarsenal.jkimpact.com
Kelly, do scope*** #mobiledigitalart #digitalart #digitalpainting #kaleidoscope #symmetry #ipadart www.instagram.com/p/Bu6lnV8Ax16WSyFfRxvW6MCNxWpwiK0w8MAFn...
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
In the grand scope of World War 2 fighter aircraft there is a little-remembered French design designated the Arsenal "VG-33". The aircraft was born from a rather lengthy line of prototype developments put forth by the company in the years leading up to World War 2 and the VG-33 and its derivatives represented the culmination of this work before the German invasion rendered all further work moot.
The Arsenal de l'Aeronautique company was formed by the French government in 1936 ahead of World War 2. It began operations with dedicated design and development of a fast fighter type until the German conquer of France in 1940 after which the company then focused on engine production after 1945. Then followed a period of design and construction of gliders and missiles before being privatized in 1952 (as SFECMAS). The company then fell under the SNCAN brand label and became "Nord Aviation" in 1955.
The VG-33 was the result of the company's research. Work on a new fast fighter began by Arsenal engineers in 1936 and the line began with the original VG-30 prototype achieving first flight on October 1st, 1938. Named for engineer Vernisse (V) and designer Jean Gaultier (G), the VG-30 showcased a sound design with good performance and speed during the tests, certainly suitable for progression as a military fighter and with future potential.
Development continued into what became the VG-31 which incorporated smaller wings. The VG-32 then followed which returned to the full-sized wings and installed the American Allison V-1710-C15 inline supercharged engine of 1,054 horsepower. The VG-32 then formed the basis of the VG-33 which reverted to a Hispano-Suiza 12Y-31 engine and first flight was in early 1939, months ahead of the German invasion of Poland. Flight testing then spanned into August and serial production of this model was ordered.
The VG-33 was one of the more impressive prewar fighter ventures by the French that included the Dewoitine D.520, understood to be on par with the lead German fighter aircraft of the period - the famous Messerschmitt Bf 109.
Only about forty or so French Arsenal VG-33 fighters were completed before the Fall of France in 1940, with 160 more on order and in different states of completion. Despite the production contract, Arsenal' engineers continued work on the basic design for improved and specialized sub-types. The VG-34 appeared in early 1940 outfitted with the Hispano-Suiza 12Y-45 engine of 935 horsepower, which improved performance at altitude. An uprated engine was installed in VG-35 and VG-36, too. They utilized a Hispano-Suiza 12Y-51 engine of 1,000 horsepower with a revised undercarriage and radiator system.
VG-37 was a long-range version that was not furthered beyond the drawing board, but the VG-38 with a Hispano-Suiza 12Y-77 engine that featured two exhaust turbochargers for improved performance at high altitude, achived pre-production status with a series of about 10 aircraft. These were transferred to GC 1/3 for field trials in early 1940 and actively used in the defence against the German invasion.
The VG-39 ended the line as the last viable prototype model with its drive emerging from a Hispano-Suiza 12Z engine of 1,280 horsepower. A new three-machine-gun wing was installed for a formidable six-gun armament array. This model was also ordered into production as the VG-39bis and was to carry a 1,600 horsepower Hispano-Suiza 12Z-17 engine into service. However, the German invasion eliminated any further progress, and eventually any work on the Arsenal VG fighter family was abandoned, even though more designs were planned, e .g. the VG-40, which mounted a Rolls-Royce Merlin III, and the VG-50, featuring the newer Allison V-1710-39. Neither was built.
Anyway, the finalized VG-38 was an all-modern looking fighter design with elegant lines and a streamlined appearance. Its power came from an inline engine fitted to the front of the fuselage and headed by a large propeller spinner at the center of a three-bladed unit. The cockpit was held over midships with the fuselage tapering to become the tail unit.
The tail featured a rounded vertical tail fin and low-set horizontal planes in a traditional arrangement - all surfaces enlarged for improved high altitude performance.
The monoplane wing assemblies were at the center of the design in the usual way. The pilot's field of view was hampered by the long nose ahead, the wings below and the raised fuselage spine aft, even though the pilot sat under a largely unobstructed canopy utilizing light framing. The canopy opened to starboard.
A large air scoop for the radiator and air intercooler was mounted under the fuselage. As an unusual feature its outlet was located in a dorsal position, behind the cockpit. The undercarriage was of the typical tail-dragger arrangement of the period, retracting inwards. The tail wheel was retractable, too.
Construction was largely of wood which led to a very lightweight design that aided performance and the manufacture process. Unlike other fighters of the 1930s, the VG-38 was well-armed with a 20mm Hispano-Suiza cannon, firing through the propeller hub, complemented by 4 x 7.5mm MAC 1934 series machine guns in the wings, just like the VG-33.
The aircraft never saw combat action in the Battle of France. Its arrival was simply too late to have any effect on the outcome of the German plans. Therefore, with limited production and very limited combat service during the defence of Paris in May 1940, it largely fell into the pages of history with all completed models lost.
Specifications:
Crew: 1
Length: 28.05 ft (8.55 m)
Width: 35.43 ft (10.80 m)
Height: 10.83ft (3.30 m)
Weight: Empty 4,519 lb (2,050 kg), MTOW 5,853 lb (2,655 kg)
Maximum Speed: 398 mph (641 kmh at 10.000m)
Maximum Range: 746 miles (1,200 km)
Service Ceiling: 39,305 ft (12.000 m; 7.458 miles)
Powerplant:
1x Hispano-Suiza 12Y-77 V-12 liquid-cooled inline piston engine
with two Brown-Boveri exhaust turbochargers, developing 1,100 hp (820 kW).
Armament:
1x 20mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon, firing through the propeller hub
4x 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine guns in the outer wings
The kit and its assembly:
I found the VG-33 fascinating - an obscure and sleek fighter with lots of potential that suffered mainly from bad timing. There are actually VG-33 kits from Azur and Pegasus, but how much more fun is it to create your own interpretation of the historic events, esp. as a submission to a Battle of Britain Group Build at whatifmodelers.com?
I had this project on the whif agenda for a long time, and kept my eyes open for potential models. One day I encountered Amodel's Su-1 and Su-3 kits and was stunned by this aircraft's overall similarity to the VG-33. When I found the real VG-38 description I decided to convert the Su-3 into this elusive French fighter!
The Su-3 was built mainly OOB, it is a nice kit with much detail, even though it needs some work as a short run offering. I kept the odd radiator installation of the Suchoj aircraft, but changed the landing gear from a P-40 style design (retracting backwards and rotating 90°) into a conservative, inward retracting system. I even found forked gear struts in the spares box, from a Fiat G.50. The covers come from a Hawker Hurricane, and the wells were cut out from this pattern, while the rest of the old wells was filled with putty.
Further mods include the cleaned cowling (the Su-3's fuselage-mounted machine guns had to go), while machine guns in the wings were added. The flaps were lowered, too, and the small cockpit canopy cut in two pieces in, for an opened position - a shame you can hardly see anything from the neat interior. Two large antenna masts complete the French style.
Painting and markings:
Again, a rather conservative choice: typical French Air Force colors, in Khaki/Dark Brown/Blue Gray with light blue-gray undersides.
One very inspiring fact about the French tricolor-paint scheme is that no aircraft looked like the other – except for a few types, every aircraft had an individual scheme with more or less complexity or even artistic approach. Even the colors were only vaguely unified: Field mixes were common, as well as mods with other colors that were mixed into the basic three tones!
I settled for a scheme I found on a 1940 Curtiss 75, with clearly defined edges between the paint fields. Anything goes! I used French Khaki, Dark Blue Grey and Light Blue Grey (for the undersides) from Modelmaster's Authentic Enamels range, and Humbrol 170 (Brown Bess) for the Chestnut Brown. Interior surfaces were painted in dark grey (Humbrol 32) while the landing gear well parts of the wings were painted in Aluminum Dope (Humbrol 56).
The decals mainly come from a Hobby Boss Dewoitine D.520, but also from a PrintScale aftermarket sheet and the scrap box.
The kit was slightly weathered with a black ink wash and some dry-painting, more for a dramatic effect than simulating wear and tear, since any aircraft from the VG-33 family would only have had a very short service career.
Well, a travesty whif - and who would expect an obscure Soviet experimental fighter to perform as a lookalike for an even more obscure French experimental fighter? IMHO, it works pretty fine - conservative sould might fair over the spinal radiator outlet and open the dorsal installation, overall both aircraft are very similar in shape, size and layout. :D
Taken with a Skywatcher ED80 Refractor and a Canon 500D. Baader Astrosolar Film Filter fitted to scope
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LA-R15 Raven, AR15 Rifle Chambered in .22LR with LaRue LT-104 QD Mount and Nightforce 2.5-10X32 Scope.
October 07th, 2013
Finally mounted a Nikon P-223 scope with a Wilson Combat quick-release scope mount on my modern sporting rifle (MSR) and fine-tuning the sight-in at the 100-yard line at Frontier Sportsman's Club - Fountain range.
I did okay with iron sights at 100 yards (and beyond), but a good optic makes a vast difference in hitting small spots 100 yards and beyond.
Used hand-loads consisting of Lake City brass, 24.0 grains of IMR 4895 powder, CCI 41 small rifle primers, and some generic 55 grain blemished FMJ bullets. The results were sub-MOA at 100-yards with the Rock River Arms AR-15.
Timed, self-portrait early Monday morning...
Sgt. Jacob Butcher, a squad leader in the 1st Infantry Division (ID), troubleshoots a system during an electronic warfare certification course at Fort Riley, Kansas, in September 2015. The Rapid Capabilities Office will incorporate early and prominent warfighter involvement into the requirements gathering and prototyping process. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Tamika Dillard, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st ID Public Affairs)
The second Mech I post on Flickr is Scope Dog Custom.
I tried to make 'Scope Dog' with the original. But the other Armored Troopers were cool too and mixed together at once.
So I named it 'Scope Dog Custom.'
The head and legs are referred to as 'Scope Dog' and 'Shadow Flare' etc.
I also expressed the folding shape which is characteristic of the Armored Trooper. This was a very laborious task, which made it less durable.
I will continue to modify this 'AT' and improve the details.
Thank you.
We say "I love you" about 50 times a day, for about 8 years now. And we never tire of hearing it. However I think people around us sometimes gag.
Pink cast for a week, after 3 weeks of open hole still draining... Dr is trying a cast to prevent movement so maybe the hole will close....
Nitehog thermal equipment in the online shop Outdoors Bay!
The offer from the Company Outdoors Bay is actually very profitable. Here are low prices, but at the same time very good quality. Nitehog thermal equipment has good optics, multiple zoom, as well as the modern and attractive design. More on
Pink cast for a week, after 3 weeks of open hole still draining... Dr is trying a cast to prevent movement so maybe the hole will close....
The SS-99A is a futuristic sniper rifle with a bullpup design. It may be small and lightweight but it is very powerfull, its mag has a 5 round capacity. It has a high tech scope that has a standard zoom of 5x and can zoomed up to 12x. Since it is lightweight and small it can be carried easily by soldiers and makes it easy for soldiers to run around the battlefield with it. It has a rail system were any attachment can be placed. The SS-99A is one of the best sniper rifles mankind has ever made.