"The Roman Invasion of Marple"

By Jack Turnbull, published in "Verse and Worse".

"Yer'll 'appen have heard about t'Romans

Who went about conquering folk,

Invadin' and rapin' and pillage

Then killin' all t'men fer a joke.

Well one day Caesar were studying th'atlas

He stood there, 'is 'ands on 'is 'ips.

He said he were fed up wi' red wine and pizza,

And fancied some Vimto and chips.

So his legions advanced towards England,

And landed on t'shores close to Rhyl.

They marched up the A6 to Stockport,

And stopped for a pint at Rose Hill.

"This seems like a good place to conquer."

Said th'Officer. "Best that we've found."

Then followed his lads into t'Railway

And ordered chip butties all round.

The landlord of t'pub he were beaming.

It were t'best trade he'd had for a week.

Ten thousand Romans all wanting a drink,

(And five thousand wanting a leak).

But the folk of Rose Hill were right grumpy,

What wi' so many Romans around.

They moaned 'cos the bus queues were seven miles long

And crisps had gone up to a pound.

The news soon spread up the village

That t'Romans had come for a fight.

But the good folk of Marple weren't worried,

'Cos the village had shut for the night.

The Romans assembled next morning,

Presenting a fearsome sight,

But they'd all had a skinful of Robbies,

So they weren't feeling much like a fight.

They marched up the road towards Marple,

Passing t'Bowler and t'Jolly en route.

While the villagers booed and chucked insults,

Not to mention half bricks and bad fruit.

The Romans advanced through the village,

And stopped at the Navi' by t'Cut.

"HAIL CAESAR!" the officer bellowed.

"SOD OFF!", said the landlord, "WE'RE SHUT!"

The officer got quite aggravated

At not being served at the inn.

So he gathered his soldiers around him and said,

"Righto lads, let t'fighting begin."

The captain of t'Romans were Brutus,

And Albert were in charge of us.

Now Brutus, he came in a chariot,

And Albert .... he came on a bus.

So t'battle kicked off Monday morning,

A bit of a one sided do,

'cause t'Romans had ten thousand archers,

And Marple could muster ... just two.

Now both of our archers were bakers,

But that day they'd shut up the shop.

They said, "If yon Romans are comin',

They'll have t'get their bread from t'Co-op."

The fighting raged all over t'village,

Through High Lane and onto the Ridge,

Wi' cavalry charges through Compstall,

And punch-ups around Possett Bridge.

"We'll only be warrin' five days a week."

Said t'Marple Shop Steward, Alf Platt.

"Five days a week, and if tha' wants any more,

It's time and a half after that!"

So t'battle were halted come Friday,

And everyone stopped for a brew.

There were racin' and snooker and darts on the telly,

So our lads took t'weekend off too.

When t'fightin' restarted on Monday,

Both sides faced each other in t'mud.

It hadn't stopped rainin' since Friday,

And t'forecast weren't lookin' too good.

The Romans had set up a rest camp,

Wi' a stall sellin' pizza and cakes,

And a pond so the soldiers could paddle,

At a place what they called t'Roman Lakes.

The fighting went on for a fortnight,

Wi' rapin' and pillage on t'side,

And most of it done by our own lads,

(Plus a couple of fellas from Hyde).

But the weather weren't kind to the Romans,

The rain turned to ice as it fell.

It rusted their swords and their armour,

And shrunk all their togas as well.

It weren't much fun being a Roman,

Wi' yer toga all soggy and wet,

Wi' rain comin' down like big stair rods,

And wellies not invented just yet.

The captain in charge of the Romans,

(Seeing things were not going quite right),

Called a meeting wi' t'leader of our lads,

Which was held at The Hatters that night.

"Let's call it a draw", said the Captain,

(Who was missing all t'sunshine in Rome).

"Let's call it a draw, and on Friday,

The lads can all bugger off home."

"I'll settle for that", said our leader,

"Our lads don't like fightin' in t'rain.

Besides, that reminds me, next Friday,

It's Wakes Week and we're all off to Spain."

So the Romans packed up their equipment,

Their weapons and all t'other stuff.

They'd been and they'd seen, but not conquered,

So they marched off to Rome in a huff.

There's not a lot left of th'invasion,

No statues or castles on t'Ridge.

Nowt at all to remind us of t'Romans,

Just The Legion, The Lakes and The Bridge."

Freeing Mandela With Tracy Chapman

 A Timely Conversation

With My Brother

Julian Thompson

Julian:       In 1987 Tracy Chapman played in Zimbabwe and I went to the concert.
 It was an anti-apartheid concert. I guess Zimbabwe was a frontline at that time .Nelson was still in prison.
All I will say is wow!

She sang Across The Lines.

Across the lines Who would dare to go
Under the bridge
Over the tracks
That separates whites from blacks
Choose sides
Run for your life
Tonight the riots begin
On the back streets of America
They kill the dream of America
Little black girl gets assaulted
Ain't no reason why
Newspaper prints the story
And racist tempers fly
Next day it starts a riot
Knives and guns are drawn
Two black boys get killed
One white boy goes blind
Across the lines
Who would dare to go
Under the bridge
Over the tracks
That separates whites from blacks
Choose sides
Run for your life
Tonight the riots begin
On the back streets of America
They kill the dream of America
Little black girl gets assaulted
Don't no one know her name
Lots of people hurt and angry, she's the one to blame
Across the lines
Who would dare to go
Under the bridge
Over the tracks
That separates whites from blacks
Choose sides
Run for your life
Tonight the riots begin
On the back streets of America
They kill the dream of America

Source: LyricFind

Many thanks to my brother Julian. 01/06/2020

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Xie Yousu 謝友蘇

Xie Yousu   謝友蘇 was born in Suzhou, Jiangsu province in 1948. 
Based in Suzhou,  Xie Yousu specialises in painting the ordinary people in old Suzhou. Ordinary and trivial activities in life serve as ideal subjects. The poignancy and humor with which he paints his people carrying on with their lives – whether as recreation or profession – are nothing short of memorable.

                                                      Wonton Stand  馄饨担子

                                                           Beijing Time  北京时间

A Glasgow Girl: Eleanor Allen Moore (26 July 1885 – 17 September 1955

Eleanor Allen Moore (26 July 1885 – 17 September 1955) was a British painter who was born in Northern Ireland, but became one of the groups of painters known as the "Glasgow Girls".

During World War I Moore served as a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse at Craigleith Hospital in Edinburgh. In 1922, Moore married Dr Robert Cecil Robertson and she gave birth to their daughter, Ailsa, the following year. In 1925, the family moved to Shanghai, China, where Robert was appointed Public Health Officer with Shanghai Municipal Council. Eleanor continued painting, producing watercolours of the Chinese people, and was also popular as a portrait painter in the expatriate community. They apparently toured the country in their houseboat.
Eleanor and Robert stayed in Shanghai until the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese war in 1937 when they moved to Hong Kong. After World War II Eleanor returned to Scotland where she died in 1955.  These days she is often included in the group of artists known as the Glasgow Girls.

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-sunday-post-newcastle/20190127/284172222130424

Qian Zhuangfei (Chinese: 钱壮飞; 1895/96 – 1935)

Qian Zhuangfei, born in a merchant family, was admitted to the National Beijing Medical College in 1915 and graduated in 1919. After practising medicine in Beijing, he also taught fine arts and anatomy, and also acted in movies, good at calligraphy, painting and radio technology. Later, he joined the Communist Party of China with his wife Zhang Zhenhua, so he embarked on the road of revolution.

Qian Zhuangfei

钱壮飞; 1895/96 – 1935

His quick reaction allowed the Communist leadership in Shanghai to evacuate, and he was credited with saving the lives of top leaders including Zhou Enlai, later the Premier of China

Premier Zhou Enlai has repeatedly mentioned such a name with deep affection: Qian Zhuangfei. He said: 'If it weren't for Comrade Qian Zhuangfei, all of us might die in the hands of the reactionaries. Comrade Qian Zhuangfei's great achievements in the fight against the enemy did indeed make our party fewer detours and the people Remember him forever! 'Who is Qian Zhuangfei? What did he do to save a group of revolutionary people?

 Before Dai Li ’s military control was established, the KMT ’s Central Military Control Investigation Section had always been Chiang Kai-shek ’s a dominant intelligence agency. However, every important piece of information here will fall into the hands of the team leader without exception. Because the spy hero Qian Zhuangfei lurks here.

 

 

On the evening of April 25, 1931, Qian Zhuangfei, who was on duty alone, received six express messages from Xu Enzeng sent by Wuhan to Xu Enzeng, and he immediately took the opportunity to dismantle the translated messages; it turned out that Gu Shunzhang, who had long been responsible for the protection of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was arrested and rebel In order to provide all the secrets of the CPC Central Committee in Shanghai.

Gu Shunzhang has been responsible for the Communist Party ’s defence work in Shanghai, and he knows almost all the secrets of the Communist Party in Shanghai. His rebellion caused the Communist Party in Shanghai to face the disaster. At that time, Zhou Enlai, Deng Yingchao, Deng Xiaoping and more than a dozen party leaders were exposed. Fortunately, Qian Zhuangfei risked death and was able to evacuate safely.

 

 Central Soviet Area after transferring to Shanghai. At the end of March 1935, Qian Zhuangfei arrived in Jinsha County, Guizhou with the Long March, and went into the jungle near Shatu Town for the purpose of reconnaissance on the Wujiang route to Nandu. After liberation, the truth finally came to the surface. The former reactionary leader explained when he was tried. At that time, they caught a middle-aged man holding an umbrella and claimed to be a document. They believed that the Red Army cadres killed the corpse cave. The appearance and money Like Zhuangfei, the final outcome of the martyr is finally clear.

What kind of books do young Chinese now like? Reading and social politics

Reading is not only individual behaviour, which can improve oneself and cultivate sentiment, but also an important guarantee for the inheritance and benign operation of social knowledge. It is not only affected and restricted by the social environment and various social factors but also acts on the society and the social system. Sustainable development plays an invaluable and important role.

The social environment will have a universal, long-term, and subtle influence on individual reading behaviour. The environment is a series of complex and recognizable stimuli. It is real and measurable. It exists in its own form and uses various signals to enhance the possibility of affecting reading behaviour. At the same time, we must evaluate our own reading behaviour and reading process from a broader and interactive perspective, and evaluate the interaction between reading and social environment, because people's reading behaviour, reading process and reading effect also always play a role In all aspects of social development.

Reading and social politics

A society's political system, political opinions, political style and policy laws and regulations undoubtedly have a profound and significant impact on all aspects of people's reading behaviour. But at the same time, people's reading also affects people's spirits and thoughts in their unique ways, and then reflects into practice and behaviour, affecting social politics.

First, political leaders or important figures form their own political opinions through reading and then influence the social-political environment and trend of thought through writing books. The political views and positions of the leader are mainly derived from his life experience, social experience and learning background, etc. There is a process of development and maturity. In addition to personal experience, its positions and tendencies formed through various reading and thinking also account for a large proportion. In ancient and modern China and foreign countries, the ruling leaders and leaders all emphasized the importance of reading and studying. Mao Zedong loved reading all his life, and he kept his hands on the paper. Chen Jin wrote in his article "On the Road to Politics-Reading, Recommending, and Compiling Books (Part 1)" that Mao Zedong's thinking and decision-making on many political issues, as well as promoting the implementation of decision-making, are at important junctures and major issues. Through reading, recommending books, and compiling books, clarifying ideas, raising awareness, enriching knowledge, correcting the demeanour, and advocating the right direction are the leadership and working methods he is used to, and a decision-making method he is more accustomed to. For example, comparing the texts of Chinese and foreign constitutions, formulating the “May 4th Constitution”; reading and talking about the “Red Studies”, opposing idealism in the ideological and cultural circles; reading newspapers and magazines, paying attention to academic articles, guiding and promoting academic construction, and proposing “a hundred flowers bloom, a hundred schools of thought contend” Policy, etc.

There are also some opinion leaders who have the world ’s vision and insight into the world. They have the political ambitions and talents of the world ’s economy and the people. Expressing political opinions through book lobbying, lobbying lectures, and class lectures will also affect the ruler ’s politics to a certain extent. Viewpoints influence social and political thoughts. For example, Confucius, a thinker and educator, created the Confucian School through private lectures, travelling around the nations, and writing books. Confucianism has had a profound impact on the politics and culture of China and the world. Zhao Kunsheng, Chen Xiaoqian, and Tan Jieni wrote in the article "Reading, Discussing Thoughts and Politics in Early Jin Dynasty" that in early Jin Dynasty, Emperor Han Taiwei, son of Emperor Song, received great family education. Although he did not directly hold official positions, he wrote The way of speaking said influenced the ideological consciousness of the monarch and the hundred officials. This way of writing, advancing, and establishing education constituted a scenic line of social activities and political participation of the clan and the clan.

Second, reading can promote social and political construction. Reading improves the quality of the people. The improvement of the quality of the people can enhance the political sensitivity of the people and strengthen modern political awareness such as rights, equality, and democracy. Therefore, reading is an important guarantee for the realization of civil rights and can greatly promote political construction.

In feudal society, reading resources are limited to a small number of people, such as the ruling class and the noble class, and the ruling class adopts a policy of cultural autocracy and a policy of ignoring the people. For example, the Qin Dynasty's "burning books and Confucianism" opened the precedent of the policy of ignoring the people in the feudal society. Another example is the penal prison set up for the prohibition of words or the imposition of charges by words to eliminate aliens-the word prison, the dynasties during the feudal rule It is not uncommon to see similar incidents in North Korea, Japan and other countries. In our country, the word prison during the Qing Dynasty is the most tyrannical. The fear and strong suppression of the political thoughts and opinions brought about by words, books, and knowledge by feudal rulers fully reflected the importance of reading behaviour.

After a long-term struggle between feudalism and anti-feudalism, democracy and anti-democracy, science and anti-science, in the contemporary era of the awakening of civilization consciousness of the entire society and the optimization of national quality, it has become a consensus that the people are the masters of their own people, and the rights of the people have been fully Attention and respect must also increase the reading rate to promote social construction, because the possession of rights and the ability to exercise rights are two different things. Through reading, it can generally improve the education level of the masses, improve the cultural quality of the whole people, improve people's subjective consciousness, rights consciousness, participation consciousness, equality consciousness and rule of law consciousness, understand the nature and specific content of political things, and enable the people to exercise political rights The awareness and ability to participate in and manage political affairs and public affairs.

Third, reading can deepen the public's understanding of current political theories and ideas. Reading can strengthen the public's understanding of the current ruling ideas, mainstream values ​​and mainstream ideology, and is conducive to the stability of the current political system. Reading activities have always been a very important part of the ideological and political work of the Communist Party of China. The purpose is to learn from the political theory of the people, clarify the political direction, establish a consistent worldview and methodology, and generate a greater sense of political identity.

With the development of social economy, the exchange, blending and confrontation of various thoughts in the world are becoming more and more fierce. The values ​​are becoming more diversified and people's thoughts are becoming more diverse. Under such an environment, strengthen the dissemination and landing of Marxist ideological theory and its latest contemporary achievements, so as to become mainstream values ​​and ideologies to face and deal with complex contradictions in work and life, and guide people ’s behaviour With practice, it becomes very important and necessary.

Reading and social economy

First, reading itself has become an industry and an important part of the social economy. At present, reading products are already commodities that can be produced, circulated, distributed, and consumed. Reading has also become an industry, and as part of the cultural industry, it has become one of the pillar industries of the national economy, making a huge contribution to the development of the social economy contribution. The reading industry has a wide range of categories, including book publishing, newspaper and magazine industry, film and television industry, Internet industry and mobile reading industry, etc., and the industry scale is growing.

At present, the penetration rate of mobile Internet and the speed of Internet access have been greatly increased, which has greatly promoted the development of mobile video and other film and television industries and mobile reading industries. According to data from PricewaterhouseCoopers, the total revenue of the global entertainment and media industry was US $ 1.72 trillion in 2015; the global entertainment and media market size is expected to reach US $ 1.79 trillion in 2016; the global entertainment industry is expected to be between 2016 and 2020 The average annual compound growth rate of the media and media industry will be maintained at 4.4%, which is higher than the global average growth rate of GDP. The total revenue of the global entertainment and media industry will reach 2.14 trillion US dollars in 2020.

According to the data of "China Media Industry Development Report (2017)" edited by Cui Baoguo, in 2016, the total size of China's media industry reached 1.6 trillion yuan, an increase of 19.1% over the previous year. In China's reading industry, the revenue of the book publishing industry and the newspaper industry has remained stable, and the mobile reading industry has developed rapidly. At the same time, the integration and game of new and old media are continuing, and the reading industry is facing a profound structural transformation.

Second, reading provides excellent labourers for social and economic growth. Only those who have absorbed advanced knowledge and ideas through reading and have excellent qualities are able to engage in higher-level economic activities and can adapt to the constantly evolving new technologies, new industries, and new economic fields. High-quality labourers, managers and technicians will have higher labour efficiency and better innovation performance in the production of new products, development of new technologies, innovative enterprise management, and improved enterprise marketing, which will greatly promote social-economic development. Excellent talents will also take the lead in role models, improving the business level and industry competitiveness of employees as a whole, thereby promoting the development of enterprises and the social economy.

At present, the competition of countries in the world is mainly the competition of economic power. The international influence of a country is closely related to economic power, and behind the economic competition is the competition of talents. High-quality labourers are one of the basic conditions that must be met for economic development. The growth of the country ’s economic strength must depend on high-quality labourers, and high-quality labourers need to read to absorb wisdom and spiritual wealth.

Third, reading brings high-quality consumers to economic growth. Hu Weiqing pointed out in his paper "The Importance of National Quality in the Process of Economic Growth" that consumption is the source of economic growth. Without consumption, products cannot be converted into wealth, and consumption includes two types, one is of low quality, Conservative and basic consumption, another kind of high-quality and expansionary consumption. And believe that the first type of consumption cannot promote substantial economic growth, and the second type of consumption trend is the key factor of economic growth. Such a consumer market needs to meet three conditions: First, it can produce high-tech and high-quality products. Second, we must form a high-quality consumer group, and third, we must form rational and advanced consumer psychology. And reading can improve the quality of the people and promote high-quality consumer groups, such groups can also have rational and advanced consumer psychology, thereby increasing consumer demand and promoting economic development.

According to the research data of Huang Wei's paper "Chongqing's National Quality and Economic Development Strategies", with the improvement of education, national income and consumption have increased correspondingly, and education level, income level and consumption level have obvious correlation Sex. The improvement of education level and education level is also inseparable from reading, so reading promotes economic growth by creating high-quality consumers.

Fourth, the scientific and technological revolution brought about by reading can greatly promote the development of social and economic innovation. Deng Xiaoping once pointed out that science and technology are the primary productive forces. The leap in social productivity brought about by the scientific and technological revolution has greatly promoted the development of human history and the progress of civilization. Nowadays, science and technology are changing with each passing day, and the rapid development of productivity has brought about tremendous changes in various fields of social economy, and also changed the social production methods and people's lifestyles. The scientific and technological revolution is realized by high-quality talents, and the achievements of these talents are closely related to reading and learning. The innovative thinking and intellectual achievements of high-quality labourers can accelerate the development of science and technology, and when science and technology are applied to all walks of life, they can greatly promote the development of productive forces and thus accelerate the speed of social and economic development.

Fifth, reading is conducive to the sustainable development of a social economy. To achieve sustainable economic development, we must change the economic development model, develop a conservation-oriented economy, increase the economic and technological content of the economy, expand the proportion of high-tech products, and promote the development of high-tech industries, and these all need to improve the quality of the people through reading. The sustainable development of social economy requires the improvement of national quality as the basis and premise. Whether it is the formulation and implementation of economic development plans, or the transformation of economic development methods, investment in science, technology, education, and cultural industries, whether it is the application of high and new technology to promote industrial development or the transformation of consumer concepts, and the consumption of high and new technology products, all need to have a high cultural quality And the high-quality nationals with scientific and technological qualities and understanding of the concept of sustainable development, and the improvement of these qualities is inseparable from reading, so the sustainable development of the social economy cannot be separated from national reading.

Reading and social culture

Reading itself is a universal cultural phenomenon. At the same time, it has a long-term and subtle influence on popular culture and social culture from the level of personal spiritual construction. Promoting the development of social culture is an important factor and an important driving force for the continuous development of today's society. .

First, reading can effectively enhance national cultural soft power. Culture has become an important part of the country's soft power, and it plays an important role in promoting economic and social development. And reading is the basic way to continue the culture, inherit civilization, update knowledge, and improve national quality. It can be seen that countries and nations that promote knowledge and care for talents can stand in the forest of nations in the world. Throughout history, the Chinese nation has never given up exploring and trying to achieve the continuation of knowledge, from Oracle to bamboo slips, from silk books to paper books, from engraving printing to movable type printing, although the carrier of knowledge has changed, the Chinese nation The desire for knowledge and culture has never changed. It can be said that the reason why the Chinese culture can continue to prosper until today cannot be separated from generations of love and respect for reading.

Therefore, we must advocate reading for all, build a book-scented society, increase the reading rate of the people, and enhance the creativity and civilization of the whole society. This is an effective way to inherit Chinese culture and enhance the image of the country. It is a solid way to enhance cultural soft power and comprehensive national strength. Basic and important content.

Second, reading can improve the quality of the people and promote the construction of a harmonious society. Reading is an important way to improve national quality. One person, reading habits are indispensable; an organization, reading style is indispensable; a nation, reading style is inevitable. The self-improvement and knowledge accumulation of individuals and nations are inseparable from reading and practice. Reading is of great benefit to the development of national quality. Reading can truly create high-quality civic groups needed for urban development. Therefore, reading is also the realization of civil cultural rights Important guarantee.

Reading is also an important part of building a harmonious society. Reading can promote the overall development of human beings, and the realization of the comprehensive development of human beings can achieve the comprehensive development of society. This is an important content of a harmonious society; at the same time, reading can cultivate sentiment, purify the soul, improve the cultivation and cultivation of people, and make people harmonious Get along and promote the orderly and benign operation of society.

Third, reading stimulates human creativity, thereby promoting scientific and technological progress and social civilization. Baidu Encyclopedia defines creativity as follows: Creativity refers to the ability to generate new ideas, discover and create new things. It is a combination of various factors such as knowledge, intelligence, ability and excellent personality qualities. It is a success The psychological quality necessary to complete a certain creative activity is a comprehensive ability unique to mankind. Whether a person is creative is a watershed between first-rate talents and third-rate talents. The development of creativity is inseparable from reading. Reading is a way to innovate consciousness, innovative ability and learn creative techniques. It is the human creativity brought by reading that promotes the continuous progress of science and technology, and also promotes social civilization. Growing.

Fourth, reading may also produce negative social factors, and social control should be carried out through laws and systems. The famous German thinker Goethe said: "Reading a good book is talking to many noble people." Good reading can not only impart knowledge, increase learning, effectively guide practice, but also cultivate sentiment, purify the soul, and enhance the realm of life; And the effect of bad content is just the opposite. With the continuous enrichment of reading content, forms and means, especially the open and shared reading channels of the Internet, all kinds of rumours, obscenity, violence, privacy, pan-entertainment and even vulgar content have been spread.

Souce:http://www.xinhuanet.com/book/2018-04/07/c_129844174.htm

And people stayed at home: A poem written in 1869, reprinted during 1919 Pandemic

I came across this poem written in 1869, reprinted during 1919 Pandemic.  It was written in 1869 by Kathleen O’Mara:

And people stayed at home

And read books

And listened

And they rested

And did exercises

And made art and played

And learned new ways of being

And stopped and listened

More deeply

Someone meditated, someone prayed

Someone met their shadow

And people began to think differently

And people healed.

And in the absence of people who

Lived in ignorant ways

Dangerous, meaningless and heartless,

The earth also began to heal

And when the danger ended and

People found themselves

They grieved for the dead

And made new choices

And dreamed of new visions

And created new ways of living

And completely healed the earth

Just as they were healed.

Reprinted during Spanish flu
Pandemic, 1919

Hockerley Hall And The Legend Of A Wager.

From the High Peak Reporter

 
 
With the sale of the Hockerley estate at Whaley Bridge what will happen to the early 17th century hall?

Uninhabited for some time, Hockerley Hall stands as a forlorn house lost in antiquity. Is demolition to be its fate in the march of progress?  One could write a lot about the place, of the friendly folk who lived there, for it was in the Wild family for four generations.

Often when I passed the house (I lived near it), I was reminded of an intriguing piece of history. When the windows were enlarged, a picture of a bird was discovered - a painting of a blue pigeon covering a small pane of glass. Who put it there? And for what purpose? Why wasn't it hung on a wall? An odd palce for a painting presenting one of those little posers which remains unsolved. And yet the picture is a clue to the story that the hall once changed hands as the result of a pigeon race. Wagers of this kind were not uncommon, but the stake of a hall is a pretty big one.

The late Col. Ramsden-Jodrell, showed me (in his office) the earliest manorial deed of Hockerley dated 1622, but the late Elias Wild firmly believed that the fabric is even older than the period recordedd in legal documents. He pointed to a stone in the wall bearing the date 1612, and also asserted that if the stonework under the gutter and wall above the porch were removedadate would be disclosed. I wonder if he wasright? It would be interesting to see if a date is found in the event of the hall being taken down.

A solid weatherbeaten medieval porch , a massive oak door pegged and studded without a nail in it, the small gateway with a stone head-piece, a rambling dark interior in which it is partly "Blind man's holiday". an inner wall built of twigs gathered from trees and covered with plaster, and the attic where the rats came at night - what an atmosphere for weaving an eerie story.

F. J. C.

The sale of the Hockerley Estate was held in April 1960. Image colourised by tunnelbreeze.com

The Sundial House of Porto

A sundial still records the time of day at the abandoned Casa do Relógio in the suburb of Foz do Douro in Porto. The house, which faces the Atlantic, is otherwise known as Casa Manuelina and was built in 1911 for Artillery Captain, Artur Jorge Guimarães to the design of architect José Teixeira Lopes.

The owner was a wealthy and known republican although politically moderate. This was his summer residence but on his death, ownership passed to his wife Beatriz, who continued to live outside of Porto and eventually to a daughter and three grandchildren.

In 1974, a shoemaker illegally occupied the Sundial House and proceeded over several years to strip it of most of its furnishings and fittings. Squatting by drug addicts, homeless people and vandals further degraded the structure. Despite legal actions it took the family more than fifteen years to regain posession by which time the building was derelict.

The sundial may still be seen on a corner of the tower and several of the windows feature tiled decoration. The style of architecture is described as romantic and revivalist, featuring details from the Manueline, or Portuguese Late Gothic period.

Although advertised for sale, the house is unlikely to be restored for high land values mean that the property is likely to become a target for developers.

The Ruinarte website features many photographs of the house, both inside and out. http://ruinarte.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-casa-do-relogio-foz-do-douro-porto.html

The photograph below shows Avenida Do Brasil in 1935 with the Sundial House on the left. Apartment blocks have now taken the place of the neighbouring villas.

Farewell To Dublin 1939.

 
The B & I Lines ferry, M. V. Munster prepares to sail from North Wall, Dublin in 1939 bound for Liverpool.  Sir John Rogerson's Quay on the opposite bank is now lined with modern office blocks. The gasholder, a famous landmark, has long since disappeared.

The photograph is by Fr. Francis P. M. Browne 1880 - 1960. He studied for the priesthood as a Jesuit novitiate in Co Offaly and then at Royal University, Dublin, where he was a classmate of James Joyce.  In 1912, he received a gift from his Uncle Robert, Bishop of Cloyne, a first class ticket from Southampton to Cobh (then Queenstown) via Cherbourg for the maiden voyage of R M S Titanic. He took numerous photographs during his short voyage recording many of his fellow passengers and crew members. He was befriended by a wealthy American couple, who, enjoying his company, offered to pay his return fare onwards to New York. Seeking permission of his superior, he received a telegram "GET OFF THAT SHIP – PROVINCIAL". Landing at Cobh, he returned to Dublin to continue his studies. Learning of the sinking of the ship, he relaised the value of the photographs which he promptly sold to a number of newspapers and journals.  Fr. Browne is regarded by many, as the "Father of Photojournalism" In recognition, Kodak provided him with free film for life.  As a Jesuit Priest, Fr.Browne travelled extensively throughout Ireland as well as Europe using the opportunity to follow his photographic hobby. In his lifetime he took more than 40,000 photographs, many of which have survived.
On completion of his theological studies, Francis Browne joined the Irish Guards and in 1916 was sent to Flanders and France. Wounded five times, and gassed once, he was awarded the Military Cross for distinguished service, and by France, the Croix De Guerre. 
After the war he travelled extensively including an extensive voyage to Australia and South Africa in the hope of improving his health. His travels were fully recorded on film.
^{Fr Browne died in 1960 aged 80 and is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery.}  

 ^{This photograph by Fr.Browne shows the Kilkenny bus loading at Aston Quay, Dublin in 1947. Parcels and passenger's luggage are carried on a roof rack. Porters wait with a barrow for the arrival of a bus from Granard, Co.Longford. 
The shelter backs on to the River Liffey and this was the terminus for provincial services until the Central Bus Station - Busarus, opened in 1953. Most of the buildings in the background still exist, as does a tree, perhaps the same one.}

The One Man Band

Arthur Griffiths, a Welshman, travelled throughout Britain in the 1950s,  busking as a one man band. He is usually pictured playing a soprano saxaphone to which a collecting cup is attached. Strapped to his back is a large drum which also carries cymbals and a tambourine. Attached to his shoes are cords which are pulled to strike these percussion instruments. He is often pictured surrounded by a crowd of children, attracted by the free entertainment. 

 

Arthur Griffiths entertains just a few onlookers who don't look too appreciative. He is usually seen wearing this old top hat.

 

A small contribution

 

Entertaining a crowd outside Woolworths in Camden High Street, London. The store now has a new, bland frontage and the Brighton pub in the background, as become the Blues Kitchen

Arthur Griffiths entertains shoppers in Hexham, Northumberland in 1950 where he was photographed by Bert Hardy for Picture Post Magazine. The hat has become badly crumpled.

Wim Sonneveld was a popular and highly regarded cabartet artist in Nederland. He started singing in 1932 at the age of 15 before going on to owning his own club and performing on television, film and theatre. On the stage he took the role of Dr. Higgins in My Fair Lady for 702 performances from 1960. One of his creations was the character, Nikkelen Nelis the street singer, perhaps the role that he was performing when photographed as a one man band artist. He died in Amsterdam in 1974, aged 56.

The Wim Sonneveld Award is an annual prize for the most talented Nederland cabaret artist

 

Wim Sonneveld entertains a group of children

The Leaving of Liverpool

 A London train prepares to leave from Platform 7 at Lime Street in 1954. Taxis wait on the "Cab Road" between the platforms which allowed road traffic to access the station. 

Lime Street Station is approached by a long series of tunnels and cuttings through the red sandstone, east of the city centre. When opened in 1836, this was the first railway in the world to tunnel beneath city streets. Originally, as a train arrived at Edge Hill, the locomotive was detached and the coaches ran downhill to Lime Street by gravity, their speed controlled by a brakesman. For the return journey, a stationary steam engine would pull the coaches by a cable.The engine was housed in a building at Edge Hill Station, the steam coming through a tunnel from a boiler being in a chamber cut into the sandstone wall of an old cutting.
From 1870, locomotives ran into Lime Street but caused smoke problems in the tunnel. A huge chimney was constructed overhead on Smithdown Lane with a large fan to extract the fumes.
As traffic increased, the tracks were doubled from two lines to four and much of the tunnel opened to the sky. Curiously, where roads cross the line, there are street names attached to the sandstone walls. In one of the tunnels a victorian workmen's hut survives. Disused for more than 50 years, it still contains a hearth, a table, a kettle and a mug.
Look closely at the cutting walls and you will see a number of places where doors and windows are set into the rock providing subterranean offices and shelters.
The station concourse has bronze statues by Tom Murphy. These represent comedian Kenn Dodd and Bessie Braddock,an outspoken Labour MP elected in 1945.
Lime Street has been extended several times since 1836. The 1867 train shed with a span of 61 metre was then the largest in the world. 
Another Lime Street curiosity is Platform E. This is a short track between the former Platforms 6 and 7. It does not serve passenger trains and is popularly known as Platform 6¾. 

In front of the station is the former North Western Hotel. Built by Alfred Waterhouse in 1871, it is in the style of a French Chateau. It closed in 1933 and has since seen various roles but it is currently being restored to its original purpose. 

Many transatlantic passengers will have passed through Lime Street Station although the Riverside had its own terminus for boat trains. Because of the port, Liverpool has long had links with the United States. Here was America's first consulate, opened in 1790 and it was in Liverpool that the American Civil War finally ended when the warship Shenandoah, surrendered in 1865.

Lime Street itself was laid out in 1790. The name is derived from the lime kilns of the area, owned by local businessman, William Harvey. They were removed in 1804 when the fumes caused a problem for a local hospital. Opposite the station is St George's Hall, a magnificent building in the Greek Neoclassical style. Opened in 1854, its purpose was to host music festivals, meetings and dinners. It was equipped with a unique heating and ventilation system that circulated warm air. In summer, the air was cooled by mains water thus making this the first air conditioned building in the world.

 An express pulls out of the station amidst a cloud of smoke and steam in 1950. 

The photographs, originally by Bert Hardy, have been digitally colourised.