Weekly Photo Challenge: From Above

Saturday 4th May 2013

Weekly Photo Challenge: From Above   click me for more info

Hi everyone just taking a break from my  hope you like..

http://geetoni.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/now-taking-your-requests-2/

http://geetoni.wordpress.com/

http://cobbie69.wordpress.com/

 

Jumper to Glory Jane

Friday 5th April 2013

One day in the 1990’s, a group of young men, ( though ‘men’ might not be a particularly appropriate description)  came driving out of Bournemouth intent on causing trouble and strife. They robbed a petrol filling station just outside New Milton and careered off through a maze of lanes and country roads. When they heard the police sirens, they decided to dump the money. The ringleader stopped the car, saw that strange, tall concrete tower, ran into the Hordle churchyard, and hid the money under a bush. Not noticing the plaque on the wall.               

The police caught up with the young men, but the car, rather unusually for them, legally belonged to one of them, and there fore leaving the police with no evidence.

The next day the ringleader decided to return and recover the money. Now, he really wasn’t very clever and struggled to read maps,he drove around all day until early evening when he noticed the unmistakable tower, and then Hordle churchyard. He then found the bush and the money. It was as he turned to leave that he saw something terrible at the churchyard gates. There was a tall, gaunt , angular figure of a woman, wearing a long, black Victorian dress and a large, black bonnet with a feather pointing vertically upwards….and she was jumping – up and down – up and down. Now, if a woman is wearing a heavy Victorian dress you can’t see whether she is bending her legs at the knees or not – but you would swear that this apparition was not bending it’s knees: it was straight and rigid and there it was jumping – up and down – up and down. 

The young man panicked and ran off in the opposite direction, and each time he looked behind there she was jumping up and down –up and down, always at the same distance and never looking as if she was moving.  The young man kept running and stumbling, across a field and then the tall gaunt looking tower, Peterson’s Tower, appeared in front of him. Being terrified and not thinking straight he headed for this tower. A blind alley, and silly move on his part.

He stumbled through the open doorway and dragged himself to the spiral staircase. He came to an empty room, crossed it to the next spiral staircase. He stopped and looked behind and there she was in the doorway, still jumping – up and down – up and down. Then to the next room and again there she was jumping – up and down – up and down. And he continued up the thirteen levels and each time he stopped and looked, there she was, still jumping – up and down – up and down and never getting any closer. He came to the iron ladder that led up to the roof.

Now the Peterson’s Tower is being used as mobile phone mast, and in the final top room was all the transmitting and receiving equipment.  As the the young man scrambled up the ladder and across the room, the ‘Jump to Glory Jane’ shade passed through the receivers and transmitters, and fizzled and crackled and then jumped off into cyber space.

And ideal ending to this story would be that the young man followed the shade by jumping off the roof to his death. But he did not. The police found him the next day crouched in a foetal position and gently rocking back and forth, apparently both laughing and crying at the same time.

 via Flickr.

He never made any sense since and was put into Tatchbury Mount Hospital, mental hospital, in nearby Calmore. And it was said that he never found peace again.  The tall gaunt man made tree that was being used as a mobile phone mast, sitting amongst all the trees of the grounds of the hospital was the view from his window. Perfectly straight branches, and trunk, tall and gaunt and rigid and at night looked just like ‘Jump to Glory Jane’ Was she jumping – up and down – up and down.

Folk lore from the Forest lives on and adapts to the age. Like a tree it continues to grow and even when the old oak has fallen, new branches will grow from the trunk.

My next post the Sway tower/Peterson’s,,,,

 http://geetoni.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/now-taking-your-requests-2/

 http://cobbie69.wordpress.com/

Weekly Photo Challenge: Lost in the Details

Saturday 2nd March 2013

Weekly Photo Challenge: Lost in the Details

 

 click to enjoy

 

 

 

King Rufus,,

Tuesday 8th January 2013

The brief story from the New Forest,,

King William Rufus…
The story and biography of William Rufus which contains interesting information, facts & the history about the life of William Rufus. William of Malmesbury (1095 – 1143) was an English historian during the 12th century who described the court of the Red King as being filled by “effeminate” young men in extravagant clothes mincing about in “shoes with curved points”.

King William II ( William Rufus – The Red King )
William the Conqueror was obliged to let Normandy pass to Robert, his eldest son; but he thought he could do as he pleased about England, which he had won for himself. He had sent off his second son, William, to England, with his ring to Westminster, giving him a message that he hoped the English people would have him for their king. He is sometimes called the Red King, but more commonly William Rufus. William Rufus let his cruel soldiers do just as they pleased in England, and spoil what they did not want. He cared only for being powerful, for feasting, and for hunting.

The atrocities in Jerusalem started the preaching of Peter the Hermit and led to the First Crusade.  Many thousands promised to go on this crusade and among them was Robert, Duke of Normandy. But he had wasted his money, so that he could not fit out an army to take with him. So he offered to give up Normandy to his brother William while he was gone, if William would let him have the money he wanted. The Red King was very ready to make such a bargain, and he laughed at the Crusaders, and thought that they were wasting their time and trouble.

In England Rufus removed the Archbishop of Canterbury, St. Anselm, and everyone else who tried to object to his behaviour. He was hated by the people who dislike the court and the favor that King William II showed to Ranulf Flambard, whom he appointed Bishop of Durham in 1099. Rufus had never showed any interest in women. He did not marry, nor produce any heirs to the English throne.

In the year 1100, Rufus went out to hunt deer in the New Forest. He was later found dead under an oak tree, with an arrow through his heart by peasants. A wood-cutter called Purkis took his body in his cart to Winchester Cathedral, where he was buried. Who shot the arrow nobody knew, and nobody ever will know. Some thought it must be a knight, named Walter Tyrrell, to whom the king had given three long good arrows that morning. Walter Tyrrell rode straight away to Southampton, and went off to the Holy Land; so it is likely that he knew something about the king’s death. The Norman friends of Rufus fled the English court and returned to Normandy.

The Death of King William Rufus – The Rufus Stone…

The death of the Red King remains a mystery. A stone, known as the Rufus Stone, marks the place where he was found. The inscription on the Rufus Stone is as follows:

“Here stood the oak tree, on which an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrell at a stag, glanced and struck King William the Second, surnamed Rufus, on the breast, of which he instantly died, on the second day of August, anno 1100. King William the Second, surnamed Rufus, being slain, as before related, was laid in a cart, belonging to one Purkis, and drawn from hence, to Winchester,
and buried in the Cathedral Church, of that city.”

Here it says that nobody knew who shot the arrow but there is a story that it was Sir Walter Tyrell..The story goes that an arrow was shot, supposedly at a stag, by the Frenchman Sir Walter Tyrell who was the King’s best archer, but the arrow struck an oak tree and ricocheted off it straight into the chest of the king, puncturing his lung and killing him there and then. Depicted below with this lithograph.

There are differing stories about Sir Walter Tyrell and one is that ..Sir Walter hot-footed it back to Normandy in fear of being charged with the King’s murder, the tale says that he stopped at a blacksmith on the way and had his horse re-shod with backwards facing horseshoes, so as to confuse the chasers! 
As it happened, there were no chasers because no-one was particularly upset about the King’s death. 
Indeed, there wasn’t even an effort to recover the king’s body by the Crown; a local charcoal burner named Purkis loaded the corpse onto his cart and carried it to Winchester Cathedral, where a somewhat low-key burial was performed.

Where I used to live there was a shop, grocery store in the high street of a New Forest village of Brockenhurst, just a few miles away from this, Called Purkis’s. Their history is goes back, but not sure if it is true to going back to charcoal burner taking the body to Winchester. There is the stone which is pictured, and further along the road there is a public house called ‘The Sir Walter Tyrell’ it is a very popular pub. Back in the 1970′s I play a couple of gigs there. Oh such times.

 The Sir Walter Tyrell.

      http://wp.me/p2CYWA-b0

Blog of the Year Award 2012..

31st December 2012….

Probably my last post of the year 2012. It is…

Blog of the Year Award,,,, Happy New Year to all and Thank you.

Enjoy the video,,,from me to you…

This award has been awarded to me by all the bloggers listed below, I actually think there is one missing but I cannot find it so it might just be imaginary and in my mind. I do not want to tell you about each of the sites because this is labeling and I don’t think a site should be labeled. Unless it is their choice label.So instead of all the descriptions etc,, I would strongly suggest visiting them and decide for yourself. I know that they are excellent blogs of differing characteristics and styles, and you would enjoy them and be welcomed, but the one thing in common with them is ‘They are all top quality’ 

http://scrapydo.wordpress.com/

http://canadiantravelbugs.wordpress.com/

http://lornasvoice.com/

Thank you to all for thinking of me and awarding this to me..I look forward to more posts and visiting to all of you…

Here are the rules to accept this award: yes more RULES….

1 Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award

Done but cheating…
2 Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award.

Done and approved…
3 Please include a link back to this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award – and include these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!)

Done..
4 Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them

Done…
5 You can now also join our Facebook page – click the link here ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience

Done..
6 As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars…

Done x 3 fabulous blogger friends.

And what is so lovely about this award is that we start with 1 star and there are 6 stars to collect in total, so each time you get nominated for *this* award – you get another star and see if you can get all 6! 

Go for it everybody…I mean everybody, that includes you. Yes you.

I would like to award this to any one that visits my site and comments or even likes.. I find it so hard and to a point unfair to nominate any one particular. The reason for this is because you are all so deserving of it, and so worthy. So please help yourself and consider yourself nominated.

A further Thank you to all you have had me in your thoughts for these awards. Oh and if there is one of you that did nominate and I have missed, I apologise, but please let me know and I will amend…

     

Happy Birthday Mum.

13th December 2012 Thursday

Happy Birthday Mum.....

Today is my mothers Birthday and if she was alive today she would be a ripe old age of 91 years of age. This is one day that saddens every year. But as each year passes I know we are getting closer to meeting again after such a long time of being apart. I know there must many others of you out there with similar feelings of loss so this post is also in memory for all  of you as well.

The colored picture above is probably the last ever  picture taken of her, it was approx’  a year to a year and half when she passed onto a better place. the small picturesque village of Golden Hill, Shaftesbury,which is in Dorset. As seen in the bottom photograph. This is one of many beautiful Villages in Dorset and Hampshire. Her husband, my dad had died a year or two earlier and the time lapse was only two and half years before she was taken. Today she would have lived longer, because of the modern medicine.

So Here it is to you MUM, 

See you Soon…

     

Direction Change and Promotion.

7th December 2o12 Friday

 Your is Required..

Article 1. Gerry’s change of Direction and re-name.

Readers of Gerry’s Space are being asked, what do you think about  this change of direction. He has now changed the name of his blog to ‘Restawyle’ it is a name from his past, apparently it was taken from the name plate of an old forest cottage gate. It is still there today. Gerry also used it as a name for his acoustic guitar duo. But the question and advice required is…..

Do you like and prefer the new name, all comments, if there are any, will be counted and result will be seen later.

And am thinking of trying to change direction with his postings. Most of them are challenge related, photographic ones mainly. Although this would be included but not so often, he has a line that he is thinking of doing. Stories of his home area, to include things like ghosts and witches, and some general stories, tales and fables he has encountered.

Article 2 as of 6th December 2012.

http://wp.me/p2CYWA-b0  Click Me, I dare you…..

  Pop over and join in with the fun. CyKlopps my other site that covers music from the Hippy era mostly. Well apart from doing general posts, we, my partner in crime also, BB, are opening it up to YOU our followers and visitors. Do you have a request, memory with music involved, or just a challenge. That long forgotten or lost song, just ask and our full team of researchers, will works 24 hours a day,  do trying to do their utmost to seek it out for you.

http://wp.me/p2CYWA-b0     Click my link for further instructions of how to join in on the fun, we await your requests or challenges. Our researchers are waiting now…..

     

Nanowrimo ‘Winner’

30th November 2012 Friday

My saying for the week. ‘Two hearts, Two souls, One Love’

The Editor has asked me to interview the said Gerry about his project, and NANOWRIMO story. He is one of the few million people world-wide that has participated in this writing fest. Not all managed to write 50,000 words in 30 days. But a large percentage are successful.  Gerry also participated last year, and was a winner then. So I caught up with him and asked him a few questions. So peeplezzz please read on and find how this mysterious man completed his project.

WINNER!

Question 1. Please describe what made your choice of story and why you  decide to join in again?

Gerry Answered -When I first started out on this project this year, I fully intended to continue with last years story. A story of fantasy, elves, dwarves, kings and queens and wizards. And of course the human family. But it would have meant a lot of prep work, you know the drill, read through all my work catch up on the lines and then try to continue from where I left off last year.

But then a week before it started I was in two minds as to even bother doing it. But a good friend of mine persuaded me to go for it. It was then I decided to do a completely different story. A Romance story. I had some notes and prep already, but not what I thought was enough for this project. Again talking to my very good friend I decided to give it a go.                            ‘Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained’

Question 2. Did you ever get to a point of giving up, or writers block.

Gerry Answered – There was a couple of moments, but not so much as struggling for words, or the which way to take the story line, it was more of an emotional trip. Some of the scene I painted with my words, started to feel very real, almost part of me, and it affected me so.

Question 3. What did you do to get over this, if you did not intend stopping the story.

Gerry Answered – I never had any intention of giving up on this story, it started to mean so much to me. Resembling a moment in my life from many years ago.  But because of the emotions I would take a break for an hour or two, and sometimes for the rest of the day. I would talk to my friend, and we would banter all the good things and I would then carry on. I wanted and needed to finish. The NANO was actually secondary.

Question 4. Was the word count ever a problem to reach.

Gerry Answered – No the word count was never a problem, I fully intended and was trying to reach it, but the main goal was the story. I had never felt so strongly about a story that I have written. Because of my bonding to this romantic story I had to finish it.

Final question Gerry. We assume that you finished, so is there any one or any thing you would like to say or thank, jus any words to finish with.

Gerry Answered – Hey guys, yes, I have been successful for the second year running.  And I cannot express how happy and pleased I am for achieving this. I validated my novel yesterday with a total word count of 51250. But the impressive thing about this years I actually started and wrote a complete new story from scratch. there is one person that I can thank very much for the support for which I given and the encouragement. That person knows who they are, So thank you very, very much. Yes I finished it and at the end I wrote in big letters. I have only been able to write these words once before.                                                                                                                                  ‘THE END’

So there you have it, my report on Gerry’s winning participation in this years NANOWRIMO 2012. So people until the next big Scoop, watch this space for new things and changes to happen in the near future.

Blog of the Year 2012

24th November 2012..Saturday

Blog of the Year 2012…..

Harry of dribblingpensioner fame thought it was about time I had an award, he was feeling a tad sorry for me. I thank you Harry for this kind and sympathetic thought. Every one pop along to Harry;s sites both below, and you are sure of a grand welcome and will come away smiling or in full concentration.

http://poetscornerblog.wordpress.com/2012/11/22/new-award-for-poets-corner/

http://dribblingpensioner.wordpress.com

If you want to participate give the award to some of your favourite blogs and then tell them.

The rules

1 Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award ——–DONE…

2 Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award. —– DONE….

3 Please include a link back to this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award – http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/our-awards/blog-of-the-year-2012-award/ and include these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!)

4 Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them —WILL DO..

5 You can now also join our Facebook group – click ‘like’ on this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Facebook group and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience

This has been done I am now a one of the group..

6 As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars…

And  Done…thank you Harry.

http://poetscornerblog.wordpress.com/2012/11/22/new-award-for-poets-corner/

Yes – that’s right – there are stars to collect!

Unlike other awards which you can only add to your blog once – this award is different!

When you begin you will receive the ‘1 star’ award – and every time you are given the award by another blog – you can add another star!

There are a total of 6 stars to collect.

So on to the awarding..

Francine - fgassette

Chittle Chattle - nuvofelt

Daphnee - evilnymphstuff

Roughseas - roughseasinthemed

Sandra - sandraconner

I would love to nominate everyone that consistently follows me and my blogs, but I just could not spend the time actually nominating and then visiting their sites to let them know.  So everyone that wishes if your names do appear it is not because I think less of you and your site. So please accept this post as your alert for the award. You have been nominated. Thank you once again,

Harry of - http://dribblingpensioner.wordpress.com

    

Porch Sitting

Tuesday 23rd October 2012  

This is a picture of a rocking chair sent to me from a very good blogging friend. I find this topic very fascinating and she has sent me a couple of pictures for me to use in this post. This lady has become a very close friend. I thank her greatly for these wonderful pictures that she has allowed me to use..

Porch Sitting….

Porch sitting, i.e., sitting on a front porch or stoop, usually of a private residence is a leisure activity which can be a direct or indirect form of social interaction. While engaged in “porch sitting”, people may “cat call” or talk to and comment on those passing by. This activity is a staple of most urban areas in the United States, and helps contribute to a lively atmosphere, for those sitting and also those passing by. This activity is most common during good weather, especially on warm summer nights and weekends.

Porch sitting was once considered to be a status symbol.

As well as being a good way to connect with neighbors, it also is an important form of community security, helping to prevent crime. Front porches were originally mandated in the planned community of Seaside, Florida as a way to reduce air conditioning usage. Its planners then perceived an enhanced sense of community and front porches subsequently became an important element in the New Urbanism movement. During the summer of 2006, All Things Considered broadcast a series of stories dedicated to the role of the front porch in US life and literature.

There are now thousands of porch sitters unions in all 50 states in the United States of America and at least three other countries.

                           

History..brief..

Though Benjamin Franklin is thought to be the inventor of the rocking chair there is no historical evidence of this. Historians can only trace the rocking chair’s origins to North America during the early 18th century. They were originally used in gardens and were just ordinary chairs with two rockers at their bottoms. It was in 1725 that early rocking chairs first appeared in England. The production of wicker rocking chairs reached its peak in America during the middle of the 18th century. These wicker rockers, as they were popularly known, were famous for their craftsmanship and creative designs.

                               

Above is another couple of special photographs that my great blogging friend sent me of her porch rocking chairs..They are perfect for this post..

My Want…..  Many years ago way back when, I do not like thinking of it, I had watched films and musicals and old blues artists playing their guitars. We can always see a rocking chair on a porch in the background or as part of the main scene. The black blues musician sitting and rocking and a playing his blues, and Gene Kelly dancing around one, and not to forget ‘The Walton’s’. It has always been a wonder or curiosity of mine, but now my  little bubble has burst and here we are… 

The American icon, no it is not a famous film star, it is not Oprah Winfrey or Dave Letterman.. Yes you guessed it, it is the ‘Porch Rocking Chair..’

After talking at great lengths with my friend I have made it a goal, yes a personal goal, I really want to and intend to sometime to come to America and be part of this American icon and sit in one and play my guitar and apart from singing my own song, I will be rocking gently playing Johnny Cash -I’m Gonna Sit on the Porch and Pick on My Old Guitar. This my ultimate dream and want..I also know which porch to christen my dream..As well as to say while doing this it has become quite emotional for me..so I really do hope ye’all enjoy this post as much as I have in compiling it….

And a very big Thank You to my great friend, and would like to dedicate this post to her….

Famous Rocking Chair

President John F. Kennedy made the P&P Chair Company rocker famous. The President was prescribed swimming and use of a rocking chair by his physician in 1955 because the President suffered from lingering back problems. The president so enjoyed his rocker he brought it on Air Force One when he traveled around the country and the world. He bought additional rockers for Camp David and the Kennedy estates, and gave them as gifts to friends and heads of state. The Kennedy Rocking Chair is shaped, stem-bent and assembled while green according to the original design.                                                                                       Some info gained courtesy of Wikipedia.

          My New Dream….