Domino's Scientists Test Limits Of What Humans Will Eat

Domino's Scientists Test Limits Of What Humans Will Eat

At long last, a scientific explanation for Deep Pan Pizza, Cheesy Crust Pizza, etc; etc; Ad Nausea!

Liverpool, Paddy Hitler and Paddy Murphy

Liverpool Waterfront

The flyer from URBBEATZ about Liverpool’s history as a centre of the slave trend reminds us that this great merchant city and the 2008 European City of Culture has always been a cross roads for humanity. Liverpool does not just have one of England’s longest established black communities, but also a long established Chinese community, a huge Irish influx after the 1847 Famine (so much so it was nicknamed Dublin East!) and a smattering of many more cultures. Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist and founder of the school of analytical psychology after having a dream vision referred to Liverpool as "the Pool of Life" (in fact, Jung never set foot in Liverpool). When the US beat poet and counter-cultural icon Allen Ginsberg arrived in Liverpool in May 1965, he declared the city to be "at the present moment, the centre of consciousness of the human universe". Perhaps his pronouncement shouldn't be taken too seriously: he made similar claims for Milwaukee and Baltimore. As Liverpool poet Brian Patten, whose floor Ginsberg slept on, says: "I think Allen believed the centre of human consciousness to be wherever he was at the time."

Back in 1931, the Daily Post writer Michael O'Mahoney magisterially wrote that Liverpool was the threshold to the ends of the earth. In those days it was a self-evident truth. Earlier still, as America opened up and was linked to Europe by Liverpool's steamship lines, millions of emigrants flowed through the city. Not all of the huddled masses, though, moved on. Thousands stayed in Liverpool, adding exotic ingredients to its melting pot. But of all the stories of Liverpool immigrants the two strangest are probably those of Paddy Hitler and Paddy Murphy for interestingly Liverpool had a strange Axis link with both Adolph Hitler’s nephew and a relation of the Japanese Emperor Hirohito living in the city.


Hitler's half brother Alois

Adolf Hitler did not have a son, but he did have a nephew, whose given name was Paddy. Paddy, the son of Hitler's half brother Alois, lived in Liverpool as a young boy. In 1933 he moved to Germany, trying to be a car salesman and cash in on his family name. Things didn't work out and he moved to the US, denouncing his Uncle and serving in the US Navy in the war. Finally he settled in Long Island where he had four sons, including Brian Hitler. Although to be strictly correct his full name was William Patrick Hitler, rather than Paddy and in any case, Hitler's nephew changed his surname to Stuart-Houston after WW2. So there was never really a Brian Hitler, only Brian Stuart-Houston.


William Patrick Hitler Poster

William Hitler grew up in Toxteth in the early 20th century living at 102, Upper Stanhope Street. William’s father Alois Hitler, the half-brother of Adolf had married an Irish girl called Bridget Dowling. Alois and Bridget had met at a horse fair in Ireland before eloping to London and marrying and finally settled in Liverpool. The Liverpool branch of the Hitler family ran different businesses including a boarding house and a restaurant. The couple had one child, William Patrick Hitler born on March 12th 1911.

Once his uncle rose to power in Germany, William moved to Germany and basked in the female adulation that came from having such a famous uncle. Hitler never had much time for William and eventually paid him off (there was rumour of blackmail about revealing Jewish ancestors) and he moved to the United States to go on a lecture tour organised by William Randolph Hearst. When war broke out he stayed in the USA joining the US Navy in 1944. A recurring story, that has never been proved either way, is that Adolf Hitler visited Liverpool in 1912. At the time he was practically destitute and working as a part time labourer in Vienna.


Poste House pub where Hitler is meant to have had a drink

Local legend has it that Hitler drank in the Poste House pub in Cumberland Street. The evidence for Hitler’s visit comes from the writings of William’s mother Bridget who moved to the USA too. She wrote that her famous brother-in-law had moved to Liverpool and lived with her and Alois from November 1912 to April 1913. There is no other evidence for the visit, which many historians dismiss as a ploy by Bridget to make money from the infamous family name.

The family home on Upper Stanhope Street where Adolf Hitler is reputed to have stayed was destroyed by the Luftwaffe in 1942, ironically the last street in Liverpool to be bombed in the Second World War. After the war William Patrick Hitler changed his surname and lived in relative obscurity up to his death in 1987. He was buried alongside his mother in Long Island cemetery. He had four sons Howard, Alexander Adolf, Louis and Brian. Howard died in a car crash in 1989; the three surviving sons have no children.


Hitler's Grand Nephews

Beryl Bainbridge wrote a novel about a fictional visit by a young Adolf to his Liverpudlian relative - which was dramatised on T.V. in the early 80s I. Willie's three sons, who all lived in Long Island, changed their name and made a pact never to have children. A new documentary, called "The Last of the Hitler’s," tells the story of the brothers, and their bizarre pact with each other never to have children in order to sever the bloodline of their infamous relative. The film is based on the fascinating book of the same name by journalist David Gardner.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Patrick_Hitler

A relation of Emperor Hirohito escaped the stifling restrictions of life at the Imperial Court in the 20s and worked his passage to Liverpool where he worked on the docks and lived in a council tenement under the name of Paddy Murphy!

Paddy Murphy was the assumed name of Kanso Yoshida, born in Japan in 1895, settled in Liverpool in 1938 and lived there until he died in 1973, his death meriting a lengthy obituary in the Liverpool Echo. Kanso was second cousin to Princess Chichibu, who was sister-in-law to Emperor Hirohito, the father of Akihito, the current Emperor of Japan.


The peace loving Imperial Deity aka The Emperor Hirohito

Kanso Yoshida’s grandson Frank King still lives in Liverpool where he describes himself as a pedigree mongrel. Although his features belie the fact that his grandfather was the famous Japanese Liverpool resident, known to all as Paddy Murphy, there is plenty of Irish in his family. His Grandfather left Japan to escape the stifling life of the Imperial Court and worked as a seafarer and visited Liverpool several times before deciding to make his home there. Although Frank knew Kanso all his life, only recently (2007) did he discover that Kanso was his grandfather.

"My mother told me, just before she died seven years ago. Apparently my grandmother, Mabel Dingle, had been a barmaid at The Yacht in Duke Street, Kanso's local pub (he lived in Kent Gardens then). They had a bit of a fling, which resulted in my mother. My grandmother later married George Puddifer.

"I always knew he was my step-grandfather but never knew about Kanso being my real granddad till I was in my mid-40s." When he was a child, Frank used to play dominoes with Kanso, and realised the old man had a bit of a soft spot for him. Kanso Yoshida worked as a ship's fireman and donkeyman, and was in the British Navy in both world wars. In 1917, during World War I, his ship Huntstrick was torpedoed and sunk off Gibraltar, injuring Kanso badly. Yet in World War II his ship was twice bombed, but Kanso escaped unhurt.

In 1940 Kanso became a British citizen, but unlike many, was not interned. After Japan entered the war in 1941, he was subject to snide remarks. Kanso explained his nickname: "One day I get real mad. And I yell out, 'I'm not Japanese, I'm good Englishman as any of you. If you don't like my name, then OK, I change it. Call me Paddy Murphy!' I am known as Paddy Murphy ever since."

So there you have the strange tale of Liverpool and Paddy Hitler and Paddy Murphy, relations of the leaders of Germany and Japan respectively during World War 2 which in the masterly understatement of the Emperor Hirohito when he ordered Japan’s surrender “has not necessarily worked out to Japan’s advantage!” Unfortunately Adolph Hitler’s verdict on World War 2 was not recorded but no doubt it would have been similar!

Liverpool and the Slave Trade

Free summer course by my friends in URBEATZ...see attached flyer...Open to all.

If you are interested email yaw.urbeatz@gmail.com

If you are not interested, please pass on to anyone who may be.....

http://www.myspace.com/urbeatz

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Charles Rennie Mackintosh, architect, designer and artist is celebrated around the world as one of the most creative figures of the early 20th century. He was born one of eleven children in the Townhead area of Glasgow, close to Glasgow’s St. Mungo’s Cathedral. From these beginnings, he has become one of the most celebrated architects of his generation.

Mackintosh took his inspiration from Scottish traditions and blended them with the flourish of Art Nouveau and the simplicity of Japanese forms. Much of his work has survived. It can be seen today alongside that of his close collaborators in the group known as "The Four" and the other artists and designers who collectively created "The Glasgow Style". He was apprenticed as an architect and he became a draughtsman with Honeyman and Keppie, a new architectural practice, eventually becoming a partner in 1903. All along he attended evening classes in art at the Glasgow School of Art. It was at these classes that he first met Margaret MacDonald (whom he later married), her sister Frances MacDonald, and Herbert MacNair who was also a fellow apprentice with Mackintosh at Honeyman and Keppie. This group of artists, known as "The Four," exhibited in Glasgow, London and Vienna, and these exhibitions helped establish Mackintosh's reputation. The so-called "Glasgow" style was exhibited in Europe and influenced the Viennese Art Nouveau movement known as Sezessionstil (in English, The Secession) around 1900.

Mackintosh was greatly influenced by Japanese design and art (although he never visited the country) and the Glasgow he lived in was a very different city in 1900 from the one we see today, largely due to its importance as the world’s greatest shipbuilding centre. Located by the margins of the River Clyde, during the Industrial Revolution the city was one of the greatest production centres of heavy engineering and shipbuilding in the world. As the city grew and prospered, a faster response to the high demand for consumer goods and arts was necessary. Industrialised, mass-produced items started to gain popularity. Along with the Industrial Revolution, Asian style and emerging modernist ideas also influenced Mackintosh's designs. When the Japanese isolationist regime softened, shipyards building at the River Clyde were exposed to Japanese navy and training engineers; Glasgow’s link with the eastern country became particularly close. Japanese design became more accessible and gained great popularity. This style was admired by Mackintosh because of: its restraint and economy of means rather than ostentatious accumulation; its simple forms and natural materials rather than elaboration and artifice; the use of texture and light and shadow rather than pattern and ornament. In the old western style furniture was seen as ornament that displayed the wealth of its owner and the value of the piece was established according to the length of time spent creating it. In the Japanese arts furniture and design focused on the quality of the space, which was meant to evoke a calming and organic feeling to the interior. Shipbuilding also had another consequence for Glasgow as there was a large workforce engaged in the “fitting out” trades, joinery, cabinet making, textiles, enamelling, glass work, pottery and metalworking providing both an outlet for artists and artisans to make the designs a reality.



Glasgow is forever associated with Mackintosh, it is where he studied architecture influenced by Glasgow’s own great neo-classicist Alexander “Greek” Thomson and indeed he won the Alexander Thomson scholarship which allowed him to tour Italy in 1891. He took his inspiration from the many like minded designers who tried to marry machine methods with nature in the “Glasgow School” but he was never a sterile modernist and his designs are full of naturalistic references and humanity. In and around Glasgow you find the corpus of his work, The Hill House at Helensborough, the Mackintosh House at 6 Florentine Terrace, Glasgow where he and his wife Margaret Macdonald lived from 1906 to 1914, the Willow Tea Rooms, Ruchill Church Hall, Queen’s Cross Church, Martyr’s Public School, The Lighthouse, The Daily Record Building, Scotland Street Public School, The House for an Art Lover was completed in 1996 inspired by Mackintosh's portfolio of drawings of 1901 which were submitted as a competition entry to a German design magazine and finally the impressive collection of artworks and artefacts in the Kelvingrove and Hunterian museum’s. I was excited at seeing Mackintosh’s work “in the flesh” after all these years and whilst I saw most of his work from the outside time dictated that I was to visit the School of Art, The Willow Tea Rooms and the collection at the Kelvingrove Museum.


Hill House Helensborough

The Art School was founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Government School of Design, one of the first Government Schools of Design. In 1853 it changed its name to The Glasgow School of Art. Initially it was located at 12 Ingram Street, but in 1869 it moved to the McLellan Galleries. In 1897 work started on a new building to house the school on Renfrew Street. The Glasgow School of Art is regarded as one of the foremost institutions for the study of art and design in the world.

Glasgow School of Art


Library 1909

In 1896 an architectural competition took place for the building of a new Glasgow School of Art on a site offered to the School's directors. Working to a budget of just £14,000, the Glasgow firm of Honeyman and Keppie submitted a design from the hand of one of their junior draughtsmen, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Sympathetic to Mackintosh's intentions and knowing him as a student, the design was praised by the Head of the School, Francis Newbery and after being independently assessed by the educational authorities in London, was finally accepted.

This was to be his masterwork. Significantly, the building was constructed in two distinct phases, 1897-99 and 1907-09, due to a lack of money. Stylistically, the substantial delay in completion offered Mackintosh the opportunity to amend and fully integrate his original design (of 1896) which owed much to Scotland’s earlier baronial tradition with a second half to the building that looked very much to the 20th century through its use of materials and technology. Most dramatic of all the interiors was the new Library (completed in 1909), which was a complex space of timber posts and beams. Its construction owed much to traditional Japanese domestic interiors but ultimately the building was an eclectic mix of styles and influences.

Glasgow School of Art - Entrance

In the book Mackintosh's Masterwork, Dr James Macaulay states, "It is without doubt one of the great works of arts and crafts architecture of the turn of the century. Mackintosh's response to a difficult site and a demanding brief is a creative synthesis of opposite - austere and delicate, dark and bright, derivative yet innovative. Whilst the exterior impression is one of imposing grandeur, the building's sombre facades and towering outer wall owe much to the Scottish baronial tradition and the interior reveals itself to be a lively and complex set of spaces. Although quoting art nouveau in some of the detailing, the overall effect is of looking forward rather than back".

Today photos of the interior are restricted for it is still a working school of art but contains many valuable original Mackintosh works. The detailing of the exterior is interesting and as well as the unusual form the eye is drawn to the exterior metalwork. The high bright windows for the north lit studios are kept light inside by the use of wrought-iron brackets outside to support the frames. These are stylised plants and as your gaze moves from left to right along the façade you notice that they progressively open and then as you look towards the other end of the building progressively close. The same naturalistic homage is paid with the railings whose finials are like tulips closed at one end then blooming and closing again. The massive fenestration of the north façade is visually broken up by decorative wrought-iron brackets that brace the huge windows and can be used as window cleaning supports. The lively wrought-iron railings also give decoration to an otherwise reduced building with finials of stylised birds, bees and beetles that resemble Japanese Mon or family crests.


Willow Tea Room Menu Cover

The School forms a simple E-shaped building with an austere and asymmetrical north façade with massive studio windows. A single central entrance leads to a staircase with two floors of studios to the right and left. The bright and airy Director’s Office with fitted cupboards and a fireplace is directly above the entrance. At the centre of the school, at the top of the stairwell top-lit with a glazed roof and timber trusses like a medieval barn, is an exhibition space called the Museum. You enter through the low main entrance with a “guardian” sculpture and into a Scottish baronial style hall but your path is lit upwards by the light cascading into the relatively dark space from the stairwell. Following the stairwell up Mackintosh plays an architectural “coup de theatre” as you emerge into a triple height roof lit gallery of the Museum with its huge honest timber trusses. Looking at these trusses you notice there is a roundel in the centre with what looks like a seedling and as your eye moves along the trusses this appears to grow and geminate for each of these trusses is slightly different creating movement and visual interest. There was little additional decoration to the building because of the limited budget. Unusually for the period there was only a small stone carving over the entrance and any decoration that Mackintosh managed to incorporate was functional as well as beautiful.

In the second phase of construction, the west elevation was radically altered with the addition of the library’s dramatic three-storey windows. The interior of the library is no less surprising, with the central fall of light from the windows contrasting with the dark stained wooden gallery supported by split beams. Mackintosh designed the fittings and furnishings in dark stained wood decorated with splashes of red, green and white – a magical mix of academic sobriety and modern geometric intensity. This library was probably one of Mackintosh’s most exciting interiors in a building that both kick started his architectural career and later revealed his mature style.

What impresses though is both the humanity of the building and the clever use of the limited budget. Humanity in the window sitting areas on the top floor gallery, which provide natural niches for students to congregate in. The humanity in the fanlights to the studios featuring the Red Rose design which became the symbol of the “Glasgow School” but on either side were niches which Mackintosh had designed to hold a vase with a single stem rose so the students would be inspired by the real thing. The clever use of the budget is seen in the use of “Glasgow Marble” or polished concrete to you and me! And in the library the design with plain timber gives a real sense of enclose and compartmentalisation in a relatively small space. It is still a stimulating building and still a building which earns its keep as a working College of Art.

Willow Tea Room 1903

Early in his career, in 1896, Mackintosh met Catherine Cranston (widely known as Kate Cranston or simply Miss Cranston), an entrepreneurial local business woman who was the daughter of a Glasgow tea merchant and a strong believer in temperance. The temperance movement was becoming increasingly popular in Glasgow at the turn of the century and Miss Cranston had conceived the idea of a series of "art tearooms", venues where people could meet to relax and enjoy non-alcoholic refreshments in a variety of different "rooms" within the same building. This proved to be the start of a long working relationship between Miss Cranston and Mackintosh. Between 1896 and 1917 he designed and re-styled interiors in all four of her Glasgow tearooms, often in collaboration with his wife Margaret MacDonald.

Willow tea rooms - Exterior


Willow tea rooms - Interior

The Willow tea rooms occupied a narrow site on Sauchiehall Street – old Scots for ‘alley of willows’, hence the use of willow for many of the decorative motifs used. Nothing escaped Mackintosh’s attention. He and Margaret designed everything from furniture and menus, to the waitresses’ uniforms. Within the four storey building, Mackintosh created a ladies’ tea room on the ground floor, with a general lunch room at the back and a tea gallery above it. On the first floor was a more exclusive ladies’ room with a men’s billiard and smoking room on the floor above. The most extravagant of the rooms was the Room de Luxe on the first floor. Overlooking the street, it had white walls with a frieze of coloured glass, mirrored glass and decorative leading, a gesso panel by Margaret Macdonald, splendid double doors with further leaded glass decoration and silver painted high-backed chairs and sofas upholstered in rich purple. Now restored the ground floor is a jewellery shop but the gallery is an excellent tea room where the beverages, dainties and savouries are still served in the proper manner!

Willow tea rooms - Salon Deluxe

The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is an impressive world class museum containing, amongst many other exhibits, Salvador Dali’s “Christ of St. John of the Cross.” The Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Glasgow Style gallery is divided into six stories. It is the largest display in the city of the Glasgow Style’s wide range of media and techniques: stained glass, works on paper, textiles and embroidery, jewellery, repoussé metalwork, silver, enamelwork, glass, gesso, furniture and interiors. It is the most comprehensive collection of the “Glasgow School” and essential viewing to understand the richness and diversity of what was being produced by Mackintosh and his peers and to put his work in context.



Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

Despite success in Europe and the support of clients such as Blackie and Cranston, Mackintosh’s work met with considerable indifference at home and his career soon declined. Few private clients were sufficiently sympathetic to want his ‘total design’ of house and interior. He entered the competition to design a cathedral for the City of Liverpool (1902) but although his design showed a Gothic quality as requested, his entry was rejected and his design for Scotland Street School (1906) in Glasgow was to be his last public commission.

By 1914 Mackintosh had despaired of ever receiving the level of recognition in Glasgow that he felt he deserved. He became increasingly obstinate and incapable of compromise and it is known that this exerted unnecessary pressures on his colleagues. In an attempt to resurrect his career, Mackintosh resigned from the practice and with his wife Margaret Macdonald moved to London. This was unfortunate timing, for with the onset of the First World War all building work was severely restricted. Adventurous plans for a suite of artists’ studios and a theatre were never built. It is possible that he intended to move to Vienna, where he was highly respected having forged friendships with Austrian architects such as Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser, only for his plans to be thwarted by the outbreak of World War 1. Mackintosh moved to Walberswick in Suffolk in 1914, where he produced a series of botanical watercolours. While there he was arrested as a spy, possibly because he received post from central Europe, and he then moved to London.

Mackintosh’s career was a relatively short one, but of significant quality and impact. All his major commissions were between 1896 and 1906, where he designed private homes, commercial buildings, interior renovations, church, and furniture. In 1923 he moved to southern France where he spent the last five years of his life concentrating on painting before dying in London. Despite the disappointments of his later years, his early and mid-career work in Glasgow – much of which is still in use today – has sealed his reputation as one of the most important architects and designers of the turn of the 20th century. We can only speculate on what he would have achieved if he had worked as an architect for longer or indeed if he had actually visited Japan. He died on December 10, 1928 of throat cancer.

Combining a progressive modernity with the spirit of romanticism, Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928) created many of the best loved and most influential buildings, furniture and decorative schemes of the early 20th century and in his home town of Glasgow his work is still cherished and preserved and still continues to inspire.

Examine the Examiner.

The London Evening Standard reports that the man at the centre of the SATS marking fiasco has the use of a £1 million Chelsea flat as part of his pay and perks package, in a report today. Ken Boston, 65, came under increasing pressure to justify his £328,000-ayear deal as it emerged that half a million children could be forced to re-sit key tests.

Dr Boston is paid more than the Governor of the Bank of England in his salary package, which jumped 15 per cent from last year, and perks which include the flat and six business-class flights a year back to his home country of Australia. The flights, which typically cost between £3,700 and £7,700, can be claimed by either Dr Boston, his wife Yvonne or daughter Nathalie.

Not a whinging Pom!

He is chief executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority which has come in for a hail of criticism over the late delivery of the results of tests taken by 11- and 14-year-olds across England, as well as alleged poor marking standards. The company's five-year contract is worth £165 million. As the marking crisis deepened, with at least 175,000 children still waiting for results, Dr Boston faced growing pressure over his decision to hire US-based firm ETS Europe to run the tests this year.

Government sources have questioned whether he can survive the furore. He has been ordered to send a copy of his contract of employment to MPs on the Commons schools select committee which is investigating the crisis. Half a million children could be forced to take English and maths tests again next term. Secondary school teachers are expected to make new arrivals take a series of fresh tests because they have no confidence in the accuracy of the SATS.

Not a patch on my Aussie Pad!

Now it would be wrong of anybody to begrudge Ken Boston his wonderful remuneration package and perhaps we'll soon find out whether it is with him personally or with an offshore company and whether Dr. Boston is one of that curious non taxpaying race from a different planet, the Non-Doms? There is obviously no need for concern by Gordon Brown here, or even the Deputy Chancellor Alistair Darling, for obviously, unlike greedy teaching assistants and cleaners lording it up on their 2.5% wage increase, Dr. Boston's salary does not contribute to inflation? And I’ve no doubt that the Chief Examiner’s tax affairs will stand scrutiny and he contributes fully on his generous salary and extensive tax payer funded Benefits in Kind to Her Majesty’s Revenue as would any other PAYE employee, such as his cleaning lady. I cannot imagine it would be otherwise as I know HMRC are scrupulous in enforcing the IR35 provisions to ensure individual’s don’t use contrivances to avoid paying their fair share of tax and National Insurance.

No, the only nagging doubt I have is this, was it not possible to find ONE other person with Ken Boston's wonderfully proven talents within the European Economic Area as required under the quaint and arcane procedures of British Immigration law? I'm embarrassed to be expressing these doubts for of course these laws were never expected to apply to good chaps with the right skin colour from the Dominions? I’m sure all that immigration stuff is in order and we will be spared the appalling vista of a government which was employing illegal aliens as security guards in the Home Office having to prosecute itself for breaching its own draconian immigration laws. Let’s face it, applying the law equally is only meant to be for the “little people” not for “one of their own.” No, put these thoughts out of your mind I’m sure all is above board!

As for Doctor Ken, Gd on ya Mate in getting yourself one Bonzer Deal! Keep stuffing it Mate to those Whinging Poms!!

Jacobite Express

The West Highland Line (Scottish Gaelic: Rathad Iarainn nan Eilean - "Iron Road to the Isles") is one of the most scenic railway lines in Britain, linking the fishing port of Mallaig on the west coast to Glasgow City. Passenger services on the line are operated by First ScotRail, primarily between Glasgow and Mallaig with the daily Caledonian Sleeper overnight service between Fort William and London Euston. Our sleeper train from London terminated at Fort William, but the true glory of the West Highland Line was yet to come. The section between Fort William and Mallaig passes over a magnificent viaduct at Glenfinnan, through Arisaig with its fine views of the Small Isles of Rùm, Eigg, Muck and Canna, and the sparkling white sands of Morar before coming to Mallaig itself.




Black 5 Loco “The Sherwood Forester”

On this Friday morning as we pulled into Fort William on the overnight Caledonian Sleeper from London we did so with an increasing sense of anticipation for on the platform opposite was our next transport, the hissing, steaming “Jacobite Express” the steam locomotive-hauled train which operates over this section in summer and which in less than a half an hour's time would take us on our next adventure the 42 miles to Mallaig. This it would do slowly for just over two hours with time to appreciate the scenery of sea, mountain and isle on this twisting single line track to Mallaig, the port for the Isle of Skye.


Fort William

Described as one of the great railway journeys of the world this 84 mile round trip takes you past a list of impressive extremes. It starts near the highest mountain in Britain (Ben Nevis), visits Britain's most westerly mainland railway station (Arisaig), then passes close by the deepest freshwater loch in Britain (Loch Morar), and the shortest river in Britain (River Morar) and finally arrives next to the deepest seawater loch in Europe - Loch Nevis. The train leaves Fort William at 10:20am and returns to Fort William at 4:00pm with an hour and a half in Mallaig. It is a great way to spend the day! On this Friday morning the locomotive was a Black 5 “The Sherwood Forester” which pulled a rake of atmospheric Mark 2 British Rail stock which has a brake van, a First Class coach, Diner Coach and Standard Class coaches which also included an onboard souvenir shop. In First Class tea and scones are served and there is a friendly ambience on board. Make sure you make a reservation (01524 737751) as this train has lots of coach party bookings with American, Japanese and Continental tourists.


Jacobite Express

This section of the West Highland line, the Fort William to Mallaig extension, became a reality following an Act passed in the House of Commons in 1896. Lady Margaret Cameron of Locheil cut the first sod on the 21st January 1897 from which point the contractors, Robert McAlpine and Son, were allowed 5 years 6 months to construct the 40 miles of track. The task was completed by April 1901. Some 3,500 navvies worked on the line and whilst the viaducts are partially faced in stone they are in fact durably constructed in poured concrete giving the contractor the nickname which was to stick with him “Concrete Bob.” This was the first mass concrete viaduct in the country, and the use of concrete rather than stonework is one of the reasons that the West Highland Line has remained usable to this day.



From Fort William the train crosses the River Lochy with the ruined Inverlochy Castle on the east side of the river. After crossing the river the train travels along a flat expanse called the Corpach Moss with houses to the left and the Great Glen stretching into the distance to the right. The Great Glen is a spectacular valley running for over 60 miles between Loch Linnhe in the south west and Inverness and Moray Firth in the north east. The train slows down near the far end of the Moss to Cross the Caledonian Canal. To the left of the train there is Neptune's Staircase a row of locks that raise the canal to a height of 65 feet. The longest lock gate system in Britain and built during the Napoleonic Wars. Even (like most of the works built in response to the Napoleonic Wars) though it was never used for its wartime purpose the Caledonian Canal is a wonderful ship canal traversing the Great Glen of Scotland from Fort William to Inverness. One final point about Fort William – there is no fort! Built as part of a chain across the Great Glen which included Fort George and Fort Augustus it was knocked down to build the railway!


Glenfinnan Viaduct


Glenfinnan Monument & Lough Shiel

The train does stop en route to Mallaig at the village of Glenfinnan where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard. After crossing the world famous 21 arch Glenfinnan viaduct, which has been used in the Harry Potter movies, and offers wonderful views down the 17 mile long Loch Shiel, the train stops at the station giving you time to stretch your legs and visit the Museum in the station buildings. Situated at the head of Loch Shiel, Glenfinnan was the setting for the start of the ill fated Jacobite Rebellion led by Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745. Glenfinnan is a very special place, and is almost hallowed ground for many Scots because of the historic associations with the Jacobite cause. It was here in 1745 that Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard in front of his gathered army to signify the beginning of the doomed second Jacobite rising that would become known as the "45". A 65ft monument commemorates the event, with further fascinating memorabilia and displays relating to Bonnie Prince Charlie to be found in the Visitor Centre. The statue on the top is not as many imagine that of the Prince, but one of his supporters. The monument was originally part of a hunting lodge which has since disappeared. Boat trips are available on the loch between Easter and October.

Next we continued to Lochailort which is well known for having firsts. Here, during the construction of the railway, as there were over 2,000 navvies living here, the first construction site hospital in Britain was established with 8 beds, 2 nurses and a doctor. Lochailort was also the first site of fish farms now seen all over Scotland. It was established in 1969, by the then Marine Harvest company. Lochailort is of interest because of Inverailort Castle, used for commando training in the second world war. Churchill’s declaration of unconventional war prompted the creation of the top-secret Special Operations Executive (SOE). Its agents would cause havoc behind enemy lines. In the autumn of 1940 the first recruits began to arrive at Inverailort, SOE’s initial Highland training HQ. Here, far from prying eyes, they absorbed essential paramilitary skills; how to survive in the wild, how to handle weapons and explosives, how to wage guerrilla war and how to kill silently. To teach them came a legendary duo from Shanghai, men used to policing the toughest and roughest city of its day - Major Bill Fairbairn and Captain Eric Sykes, who jointly invented the famous double-edged commando knife.


White sands of Morar

Beyond are the villages of Arisaig, Morar and Mallaig. On a clear summer's day from Arisaig you can see the "Small Isles" of Rum, Eigg, Muck, Canna and the southern tip of Skye. From there the train passes Morar and the silvery beaches used in the films "Highlander" and "Local Hero." Loch Morar is worth a visit as well, it is the deepest fresh water loch in Europe at 310 metres, and has its own monster called Morag!


Main Street Mallaig


Ferry to Skye

The final destination is of course Mallaig. A bustling fishing port located at the end of the famous "Road to the Isles". From the ferry terminal you can travel to Skye and the Inner Hebridean Islands of Rum, Eigg, Muck and Canna. There is plenty to see and do while in the village and you have plenty of time before the return journey to Fort William. Whilst in Mallaig you can visit the Heritage Centre but whilst interesting I found the exhibits haphazard and somewhat amateurishly displayed. When the train first arrived at the village it consisted of a few cottages and the notoriety of being the point where Bonnie Prince Charlie returned to the mainland after his wanderings with Flora MacDonald in the Outer Hebrides. However, with the opening of the line in 1901, the harbour was built, another task taken on by the engineers of the line and before long, Mallaig became one of the most important fishing ports on the western coast of Britain - a position it still holds to this day. However beyond the fishing and the ferry to Skye this is a tourist village determined to rake in the tourist pound during the season. Two examples, despite the expectation of fresh seafood the village speciality appears to be battered haddock and chips with tea, bread and butter for £8.50, the price being standard wherever you go. There are no left luggage facilities at the station but you are directed to the Waterside shop where you can leave your bags for £2.00 each.



After having lunch and sightseeing we reprised our route back to Fort William and to Glasgow on ScotRail. This is a long trip (over 5 hours) on a turbo diesel service(with no First Class) but the ScotRail staff were friendly enough and it provided an opportunity to drink deeply from the cornucopia which is the dramatically beautiful scenery on the deservedly famous Iron Road to the Isles.

The Road to the Isles is described in the traditional Scottish ballad of the same name with the well-known chorus:

Sure, by Tummel and Loch Rannoch
And Lochaber I will go.
By heather tracks wi' heaven in their wiles;
If it's thinkin' in your inner heart
Braggart's in my step,
You've never smelt the tangle o' the Isles.
O, the far Coolins are puttin' love on me.
As step I wi' my cromak to the lsles.

Note; "Coolins" are the Cuillin mountains on Skye and a "cromak" is a shepherd's crook.

See also; Getting to Fort William on the Caledonian Sleeper

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/07/caledonian-sleeper.html

travel

Bush: 'Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over'

THE WAY WE WERE – FROM theonion.com January 7th, 2001

WASHINGTON, DC–Mere days from assuming the presidency and closing the door on eight years of Bill Clinton, president-elect George W. Bush assured the nation in a televised address Tuesday that "our long national nightmare of peace and prosperity is finally over."

President-elect Bush vows that "together, we can put the triumphs of the recent past behind us. My fellow Americans," Bush said, "at long last, we have reached the end of the dark period in American history that will come to be known as the Clinton Era, eight long years characterized by unprecedented economic expansion, a sharp decrease in crime, and sustained peace overseas. The time has come to put all of that behind us."

President-elect Bush vows that "together, we can put the triumphs of the recent past behind us."

Bush swore to do "everything in [his] power" to undo the damage wrought by Clinton's two terms in office, including selling off the national parks to developers, going into massive debt to develop expensive and impractical weapons technologies, and passing sweeping budget cuts that drive the mentally ill out of hospitals and onto the street.

During the 40-minute speech, Bush also promised to bring an end to the severe war drought that plagued the nation under Clinton, assuring citizens that the U.S. will engage in at least one Gulf War-level armed conflict in the next four years.

"You better believe we're going to mix it up with somebody at some point during my administration," said Bush, who plans a 250 percent boost in military spending. "Unlike my predecessor, I am fully committed to putting soldiers in battle situations. Otherwise, what is the point of even having a military?"

On the economic side, Bush vowed to bring back economic stagnation by implementing substantial tax cuts, which would lead to a recession, which would necessitate a tax hike, which would lead to a drop in consumer spending, which would lead to layoffs, which would deepen the recession even further.

Wall Street responded strongly to the Bush speech, with the Dow Jones industrial fluctuating wildly before closing at an 18-month low. The NASDAQ composite index, rattled by a gloomy outlook for tech stocks in 2001, also fell sharply, losing 4.4 percent of its total value between 3 p.m. and the closing bell. Asked for comment about the cooling technology sector, Bush said: "That's hardly my area of expertise."

Turning to the subject of the environment, Bush said he will do whatever it takes to undo the tremendous damage not done by the Clinton Administration to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He assured citizens that he will follow through on his campaign promise to open the 1.5 million acre refuge's coastal plain to oil drilling. As a sign of his commitment to bringing about a change in the environment, he pointed to his choice of Gale Norton for Secretary of the Interior. Norton, Bush noted, has "extensive experience" fighting environmental causes, working as a lobbyist for lead-paint manufacturers and as an attorney for loggers and miners, in addition to suing the EPA to overturn clean-air standards.

Soldiers at Ft. Bragg march lockstep in preparation for America's return to aggression.

Bush had equally high praise for Attorney General nominee John Ashcroft, whom he praised as "a tireless champion in the battle to protect a woman's right to give birth."

"Soon, with John Ashcroft's help, we will move out of the Dark Ages and into a more enlightened time when a woman will be free to think long and hard before trying to fight her way past throngs of protesters blocking her entrance to an abortion clinic," Bush said. "We as a nation can look forward to lots and lots of babies."

Continued Bush: "John Ashcroft will be invaluable in healing the terrible wedge President Clinton drove between church and state." The speech was met with overwhelming approval from Republican leaders.

"Finally, the horrific misrule of the Democrats has been brought to a close," House Majority Leader Dennis Hastert (R-IL) told reporters. "Under Bush, we can all look forward to military aggression, deregulation of dangerous, greedy industries, and the defunding of vital domestic social-service programs upon which millions depend. Mercifully, we can now say goodbye to the awful nightmare that was Clinton's America."

"For years, I tirelessly preached the message that Clinton must be stopped," conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh said. "And yet, in 1996, the American public failed to heed my urgent warnings, re-electing Clinton despite the fact that the nation was prosperous and at peace under his regime. But now, thank God, that's all done with. Once again, we will enjoy mounting debt, jingoism, nuclear paranoia, mass deficit, and a massive military build-up." An overwhelming 49.9 percent of Americans responded enthusiastically to the Bush speech.

"After eight years of relatively sane fiscal policy under the Democrats, we have reached a point where, just a few weeks ago, President Clinton said that the national debt could be paid off by as early as 2012," Rahway, NJ, machinist and father of three Bud Crandall said. "That's not the kind of world I want my children to grow up in."

"You have no idea what it's like to be black and enfranchised," said Marlon Hastings, one of thousands of Miami-Dade County residents whose votes were not counted in the 2000 presidential election. "George W. Bush understands the pain of enfranchisement, and ever since Election Day, he has fought tirelessly to make sure it never happens to my people again."

Dubya

Bush concluded his speech on a note of healing and redemption.

"We as a people must stand united, banding together to tear this nation in two," Bush said. "Much work lies ahead of us: The gap between the rich and the poor may be wide, be there's much more widening left to do. We must squander our nation's hard-won budget surplus on tax breaks for the wealthiest 15 percent. And, on the foreign front, we must find an enemy and defeat it."

"The insanity is over," Bush said. "After a long, dark night of peace and stability, the sun is finally rising again over America. We look forward to a bright new dawn not seen since the glory days of my dad."

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

Only 186 days to go and counting! Hang in there America!

Caledonian Sleeper

Sleeper Car

For those who have yet to discover it the Caledonian Sleeper provides the most interesting train journey in Britain. It's the most civilised, romantic, time-effective and environmentally-friendly way from central London to the heart of Scotland. For the English, the sleeper is the ideal travel option for a stress-free weekend in the Highlands or business meeting in Scotland, avoiding a short-haul flight and its disproportionate contribution to global warming... Every night except Saturday night, Caledonian Sleeper trains leave central London for Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen, Fort William, Perth, Dundee, Stirling, Gleneagles, Aviemore and many other places all over Scotland.


Class 90 Loco


Pair of Pendolinos at Euston

The train leaves London’s Euston station each evening (except Saturday) and impresses by its length alone normally comprising 16/17 carriages and a pair of Locomotives. The train contains within that length a Dining Car, Lounge Car, Couchette Car as well as First and Standard Class Sleeper cars. Each sleeping car has the same layout. They have 12 Sleeper compartments with a disabled accessible toilet at one end and a ladies and gents at the other end of the carriage. The compartment beside the disabled loo is also accessible. If you book a First Class compartment you have it to yourself and in Standard Class the upper berth is lowered so two share the same compartment. The compartments were refurbished last year and have a fresh feel with the walls on the berth side being lined in blue moquette and with a fold down table over the berth. At the foot there is a wide shelf under the window which has a blackout blind. On the berth side this provides a storage spot for your luggage and on the window side it folds up in front of the window to reveal a large sink and to the side a shaver socket. On the wall opposite the berth there are two sets of double hangers on a strap in two panels which have a moulded indentation with Velcro straps to hold your clothes in place. If you are travelling First Class (We were!) one of these is an interconnecting door and if you have booked two adjoining cabins this can be opened. If this is done it hinges across the outside door to one compartment leaving one door to access from the train corridor but giving you an extremely roomy layout between two compartments which, as devotees of James Bond movies know, can be surprisingly convenient. One other point, the doors to the corridor are positioned so they are not at the corridor windows giving greater privacy if you open them when at a station. All in all, this is very comfortable accommodation. There are no showers on the train but if you are travelling First Class these are available free in the First Class Lounge’s at the major stations to First Class ticket holders.


First Class Lounge Euston

As you leave the sterility of Euston behind you realise this is not just a train – it is an elongated mobile village with a community of regulars and visitors who either know each other already or will soon introduce themselves in the convivial surroundings of the Lounge or Dining cars. The Caledonian Sleeper from London to Fort William, sometimes known as “The Deerstalker”, is easily the most amazing train ride in Britain. Imagine the convenience of a train that leaves rainy central London after work at 21:15 and arrives at Fort William in the glorious Scottish West Highlands at the foot of Ben Nevis (the highest mountain in Britain) at 09:54 next morning. Imagine a trip where you go to bed as the train speeds through familiar London suburbs at 80mph, then wake up in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by mountains, streams and woods, sunlight streaming through the window, deer bounding away from the train, a diesel locomotive struggling to haul the two sleeping-cars and lounge car up the gradients and around the sharp curves of the scenic West Highland Line at 40mph. Imagine a train that has almost “cruise train” facilities - private sleeping compartments and a plush lounge - yet on which “Bargain berth” fares start at only £19 one way.




Train Corridor with accesible compartment


Disabled friendly toilet

Regular fares start at £107 return sharing a 2-berth room or £199 return with a room to yourself (passengers travelling alone can opt to book a berth in a 2-berth room and share with another passenger of the same sex, if they don't want to pay the 1st class single berth fare). Anyone who lives in London or the South of England but who loves the Scottish West Highlands should know about this train. If you fancy a weekend away in the heart of the Highlands, this train makes it possible..! Book online at www.firstscotrail.com.




Sleeper Compartment

We travelled up to Scotland on a Thursday night and whatever else you can say about Euston Station it never fails to disappoint! With some time to kill after work I had arranged to rendezvous at the First Class coffee lounge as my travelling companion has impaired mobility (as do 10% of the UK’s population) but this lounge on the ground floor by the ticket office closes at 20.00 hrs. So we headed for the Virgin First Class Lounge but in defiance of the provisions of the Phase 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), allegedly effective from 1st October 2006 this has no step free access or indeed any signs offering help or assistance to disabled people as indeed the lounge, the morose Britannia Bar and perversely, the Medi-Centre are up an awkward flight of stairs with 26 steps impassable to mobility impaired persons, particularly if they have luggage. If they struggle against the odds they are then presented with a heavy outward opening door as a final obstacle. Inside there is a relatively anodyne lounge with good service, loos and showers and complimentary beverages and a rudimentary “business area.” The staff have not had the disability awareness training required under the DDA and enquiries about access are met with the (untrue) assertion that the “whole station is being knocked down and rebuilt in four years time.” What do you say Richard Branson? Should the station owner, Network Rail, meet its legal and moral obligations under the DDA or should the unattractive premise of the Act “let the wobbly people sue us!” be put to the test?


Berth


Sink with shelf raised

Things improved as the train platform was announced (late as it turned out, you should be able to board a half hour before departure) and we went to platform 15 to board. A tip here, First or Standard Class, make sure you also make a reservation as this was a full train and passengers without berth or couchette reservations were being turned away. This is a very long train and the Fort William section is at the top and if you need assistance ask the helpful staff who will run you up to your carriage on an electric buggy. You need to check in with the attendant for your section and there is one just for the two First Class Sleepers in each of the three sections (Fort William, Aberdeen, and Inverness). Ours was the lovely Eileen who was getting married in Egypt the following Wednesday so congratulations, hope it went well! She shows you to your compartment(s), opens the connecting doors if you wish for adjoining compartments and takes your breakfast order and the time you want it served at in the morning. Additionally, First Class passengers can order meals in their compartments all of which have a call button for the attendant.


Interconnecting door with hangers


Slowly around the bend!

The lounge car, with the only real leather sofas on any scheduled British train. Pull up a chair & enjoy a light supper of 'haggis, tatties and neeps' (£4.50), a half bottle of red (£5.50) and a night cap of Glenfiddich whisky (£4) before retiring to your sleeper. We opted to have a bite in the Dining Car as we have heard reports of the atmosphere so the thought of the traditional Sleeper supper of Haggis, Tatties and Neaps and a nightcap of a wee dram beckoned us down the train. The first thing you notice in the Dining Car is the friendly ambience as people make room and move seats for you. We found ourselves in eclectic company with one of London’s leading Osteopaths who “comes down” each Monday night and “goes up” each Thursday to the small town in the Highlands where his wife and children lead the good life, a naval officer going home after a 9 month posting, a university lecturer and a business man, amongst others, all happy to mix in the club-like atmosphere of the Caledonian Sleeper. The Haggis (£4.50) etc; were not to materialise as the Dining Car ovens had gone down (!) but the friendly Lithuanian waitress fed us Salmon Pate and brown bread and some excellent Shiraz at £9.50 a bottle and somehow the absence of hot food didn’t seem to interfere with the good company and the flow of conversation helped by more wine and wee drams.




Lounge Car

As we wended our way to our sleepers some time later after much animated conversation and banter it is pertinent to mention another feature of the Caledonian Sleepers. It wends its way slowly through the night going through Crewe and Preston until this long snake like train comes to a halt at Haymarket just south of Edinburgh Waverley. Here it is broken apart with some terminating in Edinburgh and three sections going to Fort William (via Glasgow) Aberdeen and Inverness. Along the way to these three points each train stops at about 10 halts and towns so the chances of seeing your company from the night before are slim. This no doubt greatly contributes to the reckless nature of the jolly conversations the night before!


Haggis - The Chieftan of the Pudding Race!


Dining Car

So the really important question is how do you sleep on the sleeper? Well the answer is surprisingly well. The berths are comfortable and the compartments are roomy and private when you settle down for the night and whilst the centrifugal motion is noticeable at times as you go around bends the whole effect is soporohipic and soon you are in a deep sleep unconscious of the motion and the background click clack of the train. Indeed we slept though the break up south of Edinburgh so here’s to you Shiraz! As Omar Khayyam never said so much pleasure from a grape from the town of Shiraz in Persia! In the morning there is plenty of hot water and ScotRail give you a very natty toilet bag containing not just lotions and potions but also bed socks and a visor! The beds have fluffy white duvets, fresh clean sheets & plump pillows. On the bed are the complimentary ScotRail magazine, the room service drinks list (first class only) & complimentary toiletries pack (soap, flannel, razor, toothbrush & toothpaste). The sleeper compartments are compact but cosy, with hangars for your clothes. There are controls for the main light (dim/bright), blue night light, individual berth reading lights, an attendant call button & an air-conditioning temperature control.




Breakfast!

At 7.30 on the dot as ordered Eileen knocked on our compartment with Breakfast, the morning paper and a cheerful good morning. In Standard Class you get tea / coffee and a continental breakfast pack. In First you get a choice and for instance I had an orange juice, bacon roll, fresh fruit salad, yogurt and a pot of fresh coffee with biscuits. Next morning, there's a knock on your door as the steward brings your breakfast (included in the fare). You'll be asked when you board whether you'd like tea or coffee. The first class breakfast (shown here) includes a hot bacon or egg and cheese roll. First class passengers also get a morning newspaper. But the best was yet to come for next comes the magic. On opening your window blind you are entranced at the complete contrast with the surroundings of the night before. Before you passes the superb tableaux of the West Highland Line, wild angry mountains reflected in sparkling calm mirror lakes, shaggy horned Highland cattle staring at your train with total indifference, stops at small stations long ago turned into hostels for the walkers and nature lovers attracted to this pristine wilderness. Truly this is magic and you observe it with an increasing sense of awe as at each torturous corner of this dinky single track line negotiated slowly by your improbably heavy locomotive with its improbably small train of (now) four carriages your eyes and senses are assailed by the raw beauty of the highlands. This is why “The Deerstalker” sleeper train to Fort William is one of the Great Railway Journeys.


No caption required!

The West Highland Line (Scottish Gaelic: Rathad Iarainn nan Eilean - "Iron Road to the Isles") is one of the most scenic railway lines in Britain, linking the fishing port of Mallaig on the west coast to Glasgow. Passenger services on the line are operated by First ScotRail, primarily between Glasgow and Mallaig with the daily Caledonian Sleeper overnight service between Fort William and London Euston. The sleeper train terminates at Fort William, but the true glory of the West Highland Line is yet to come. The section between Fort William and Mallaig passes over a magnificent viaduct at Glenfinnan, through Arisaig with its fine views of the Small Isles of Rùm, Eigg, Muck and Canna, and the sparkling white sands of Morar before coming to Mallaig itself.


Highland Station

To complete the experience, you should take the connecting train from Fort William to the end of the line at Mallaig, a small fishing port and ferry terminal for Skye. This is one of the most scenic sections of line anywhere in the UK and features the famous curved Glenfinnan viaduct which is now immortalised to a whole generation of school children as the “Harry Potter viaduct” which carried the “Hogwarts Express”. Or you could climb Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain - the main track up "the Ben" starts just 15 minutes walk from Fort William station. But this Friday morning as we pulled into Fort William we did so with an increasing sense of anticipation for on the platform opposite was our next transport, the hissing, steaming “Jacobite Express” the steam locomotive-hauled train which operates over this section in summer and which in less than a half an hour would take us on our next adventure the 41 miles to Mallaig.


Fort William, end of the line for the sleeper

Onwards on the West Higland line to Mallaig and the isle of Skye!

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/07/jacobite-express.html

travel

Do you take this Tube?

The BBC has reported that an environmentally-friendly couple in London have had a green wedding by travelling to their ceremony by Tube. Stefanie Schmiedel, Robert Gray and their wedding guests went from Dollis Hill underground station in north-west London to Marylebone register office. "We thought about going on our bikes but this was a compromise," he said.

The bride Stefanie Schmiedel who wasn't an anorak or Tube fan, said 'It is important for both of us to have an environmentally friendly wedding. I have been encouraging my relatives to travel over from Germany by Eurostar or by coach, as opposed to flying the short distance.'

The couple, who are both members of Brent Friends of the Earth also made sure there were many other green aspects of their wedding including the bride's dress, which is made from dyable material and reusable; invitations, menus and the order of ceremony, which are homemade using recycled paper; the catering at the reception which used local produce; the organic wedding cake; the honeymoon trip round Europe by train, and the second-hand engagement ring.



The couple said “We didn't feel that we needed a stretch limo to get to the register office when we have got an Oyster card and the Tube.”

Ms Schmiedel said: "If in everyday life we try to be as environmentally friendly as we can, why should we change on our wedding day?"

Jubilee line General Manager Penny Hazell said: "We're delighted that this bride and groom have chosen to go to their wedding by Tube. Public transport is a sustainable way to travel around the capital. London Underground is not only convenient for commuters and tourists but also for people on their way to a very special event like a wedding. We wish them all the best."

The Clockwork Orange

Buchanan St. and Glasgow Queen Street Mainline Rail

SPT Car Logo

This “Clockwork Orange” is not Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 movie based on Anthony Burgess’s novel featuring Alex, Droids and ultra violence. Rather, this "Clockwork Orange" is the affectionate name for Glasgow's perfectly formed circular subway, so called from the orange livery and seating which carries 14 M passengers a year between 15 stations. It is one of the few things which all Glaswegian’s agree is a “good thing” and it provides a valuable orbital route linking the city on both banks of the River Clyde. With its four foot gauge track and its rolling stock made by Metro Cammell looking like a scaled down version of London Underground’s 1973 Piccadilly Line stock it is a self contained system majoring on both charm and convenience.

Car Interior

Originally built for the Glasgow District Subway Company, the railway first opened in 1896 as a cable-hauled system. Propulsion was provided by stationary steam engines and the railway was hailed as the first of its type in the world. The Subway is generally recognised as the world's third underground railway, after London and Budapest. In 1923 the Subway passed into the hands of Glasgow Corporation Transport Department, and in the following decade the railway was converted to electric traction, introducing a third 'live' rail for the purpose.

Car 41

The railway ran with little further change until 1977, when the new operators, Greater Glasgow Passenger Transport Executive, closed it for major modernisation investment. The railway in its present form reopened for operation on 16 April 1980. Now part of Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive, the railway is one of the very few railways in UK remaining in public ownership and "vertically integrated", where SPT responsibility covers all aspects of operation and infrastructure.

The railway forms a small circle in the centre-west of Glasgow. The entire passenger railway is underground, contained in twin tunnels, allowing clockwise circulation on the “outer” circle and anticlockwise on the “inner”. Fifteen stations are distributed along the route length of just over 10km. Eight of the stations are north of the River Clyde which dissects the circular route.

New Buchanan St Entrance

Most of the tunnels are relatively shallow, following the alignment of the city streets. The deeper sections that pass under the rivers are lined with cast iron segments, whilst the majority of the tunnels are formed from concrete and brick. Tunnels are very small, at only some 3.4m in diameter. This is in scale with the unusually small and unique track gauge of 1220mm (4 feet from rail-to-rail), and represents a major constraint inherited from the early origins of the railway. The route, though nominally 'circular', has many directional transitions creating some further constraints on the operation. There are also significant gradients (up to 6%), and the tunnels generally rise to stations and fall to low points between.


Buchanan St Platform

Trains are normally formed from three cars, the maximum length of train that can be accommodated in each station. Thirty-three "power cars" from the 1977-80 modernisations form the majority of the rolling stock fleet. These are self-contained cars, each with a driving cab, controls and motorised to be able to be driven independently. Eight additional “trailer” cars were provided in 1992 and these have no cab or traction motors.


Prior to the 1977-80 modernisations, the 15 stations were very basic and similar at track level, having a simple central “island” platform serving either direction of travel. Modernisation introduced separate “flank” platforms to six of the busier stations improving platform safety with a glass partition separating the two directions of travel. At the same time, 28 sets of escalators were provided, even though there are no deep stations in the Subway.

All stations have staffed ticket offices, normally at street level, and access to platforms is through controlled turnstiles operated by the magnetically encoded tickets – I imagine these turnstiles can be awkward for passengers with mobility problems or with luggage. A “flat” fare applies to any journey on the Subway, and exit from the station is by freely-rotating turnstiles. Vending machines are also provided for ticket sales. The three busiest stations are Buchanan Street and St Enoch in the city centre and Hillhead to the west.



Trains are timed to take 24 minutes to complete the circular route. Thus three trains in one direction in evenings and Sundays provide an eight-minute service. At peak times, the normal maximum of six trains in each direction provides a four-minute service. Intermediate variations to the service apply according to time of day and time of year. Operation starts at 6.30am and ends at 11.30pm, except on Sundays, when the operation is from 10.00am to 6.00pm. A depot at Govan on the extreme west of the route provides maintenance and administration services. Trains access the tunnels for passenger service from the depot by ramped tracks.

Govan Station

System Control at the depot is staffed round the clock, and provides an overview of the whole railway operation. This includes train location and identity, backed up by CCTV images of station platforms. The signaling system is also controlled from here. The System Controller has radio communication with all train drivers. Public address facilities enable announcements to customers in stations and in trains. Traction power supplies are remotely controlled from the System Control centre, and the centre also monitors tunnel water pumps, station alarms and other essential functions.

Shields Road

The railway has more than 160 CCTV cameras. Each station has viewing facilities for those cameras local to the station. All images can be viewed at the depot control centre, and are routinely recorded there for safety and security. Some 370 staff are employed directly on the railway. The majority are operational staff comprising train drivers, station staff and the supervisory and control staff. The next largest group covers maintenance, and the remainder includes an engineering section and administrative and management posts. Support functions such as finance, personnel and procurement are provided corporately.

The Subway's long-standing position as a small circular route in the centre of Glasgow has placed it in a well-recognised role for movement between the city centre and west end, and for north-south river crossings. The limited size of the railway provides reduced scope for full commuting journeys, but modal interchange opportunities provide links to radial routes in the city and beyond. It is a well run system and has an air of cleanliness and brightness throughout pointing both to high maintenance standards and active management as well as identification by the passengers with “their” railway. The technical limitations of the narrow gauge track and tunnels limit both capacity and the possibility of expansion preserving the Glasgow Subway as a unique stand alone example of a self contained circular subway.


Tunnel Headwall

One quibble is that you get approached and told no photography is permitted. This is obviously a reaction to the terrorist situation after the Glasgow Airport Bomb attempt on 30th June 2007. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6257194.stm ) However the reason I was surprised with this is I had checked the bylaws, posters and restrictions before taking photos without a flash. When told I then approached a station supervisor who confirmed it was a “policy”. What does surprise me is that National Rail and London Underground receive the same security advice (and it was the 3rd anniversary of the terrible 7/7/ 2005 suicide bombs on the Underground) and they still allow photography. So this would appear to be a reaction not based on an actual risk assessment or security advice and more importantly, not enforceable as there has been no change to the Bylaws or Conditions of Carriage?

travel

Orange March, Glasgow.

Imagine my shock, last Saturday 5th July 2008, when this gang of Hilly Billys passed by my hotel in Glasgow to celebrate ethnic cleansing in my country! And an hour later they marched by on their way back! Time Warp!! For 3 hours the Orange Order took over the centre of Glasgow and Police steered traffic away from the East End of Glasgow for the rest of the day and all this was in honour of a battle which took place between a Scottish and Dutch King in Ireland 318 years ago!



The marches, commonly referred to as the Orange Walk, are celebrations which mark Prince William of Orange's victory over King James at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. The Orange Institution, more commonly known as the Orange Order or the Orange Lodge, is a Protestant fraternal organisation based predominantly in Northern Ireland and Scotland with lodges throughout the Commonwealth and the United States. It was founded in Loughgall, County Armagh, Ireland in 1795; its name is a tribute to Dutch-born Protestant King of Britain, William III of England (William II of Scotland), of the House of Orange - Nassau. William had defeated the Catholic army of James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. This victory also copper fastened the Plantation of Ulster which was a planned process of colonisation and dispossession of the native Irish population which took place in the northern Irish province of Ulster during the early 17th century in the reign of James I of England.



English and Scottish Protestants were settled on land that had been confiscated from Catholic Irish landowners in the counties of Donegal, Coleraine, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Armagh and Cavan, following the Flight of the Earls in 1607. The Plantation of Ulster was the biggest and, from the English colonial perspective, the most successful of the Plantations of Ireland, today called ethnic cleansing. Ulster was planted in this way to prevent further rebellion, having proved itself over the preceding century to be the most resistant of Ireland's provinces to English invasion. However, giving an indication of the mixed loyalties reflected in the attachment of the Orange Order in a Nationalist Scotland to the Union with England and to the British Crown, the Scottish mercenaries involved in the murderous conquest of Ulster stayed on and took the Royalist side against Cromwell and the Parliament during the English Civil War.

Observers have accused the Orange Institution of being a sectarian organisation, due to its goals and its exclusion of Roman Catholics as members, however some denominations of Protestants are also ineligible for membership. In Ireland the Orange Parades are seen by the Nationalist population as a triumphalist territorial assertion of supremacy designed to intimidate. They need to be seen against the traditional background of sectarian division and institutionalised discrimination which led to the Civil Rights Movement whose suppression was used by the Provisional IRA to justify its campaign of violence. (http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/05/death-of-brian-keenan.html )

Sixty people were arrested following the Orange parade in Glasgow on Saturday, police said. Strathclyde Police said 12 were held for sectarian offences, one for knife possession, one for having an offensive weapon and the rest for minor offences. Police said the majority of the 15,500 marchers were well behaved, but that some onlookers had too much to drink. Ian Wilson, of the Orange Order in Scotland, said it would “take a while” to ensure troublemakers stayed away. The arrests came after police warned they would crack down on bigots at the County Grand Orange Lodge Parade, which involved 182 city lodges and 90 bands.



Assistant Chief Constable Kevin Smith said: 'It would be easy to say that this was better than previous years. However, we are still left with a situation whereby 60 people were arrested.
“There has been abusive, drunken and sectarian behaviour in the streets of Glasgow, significant disruption to the city, and I have had to bring in literally hundreds of police officers from all over the force area to police this event.”

In 2004 former Scottish Orange Order member Adam Ingram sued MP George Galloway for saying in his autobiography that Ingram had "played the flute in a sectarian, anti-Catholic, Protestant-supremacist Orange Order band". Judge Lord Kingarth ruled that the phrase was “fair comment” on the Orange Order and that Ingram had been a member, although he had not played the flute.




The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland has also spoken out against Scottish independence, and on 24 March 2007, a parade of 12,000 Orangemen marched through Edinburgh's Royal Mile to celebrate the Act of Union. The Orange Order's view of history is usually not inaccurate, but could be criticised as outdated. It is reminiscent of the nineteenth century English historian Thomas Babington Macaulay, who argued that the Glorious Revolution which brought William into power was a major turning point in British and world history. Macaulay's interpretation was very influential but has come under sustained criticism in recent decades. Nationalists have from time to time criticised the Order for overlooking the fact that William was supported by the Pope in his campaigns against James' backer Louis XIV of France, and this fact is sometimes left out of Orange histories. However it appears in others.

The obsession of the Orange Order with events of 1690 and its ambiguous loyalty to the British Crown rather than the British State seems entirely perverse in this day and age, particularly when the so called “Glorious Revolution” ushered in by William and Mary (daughter of the defeated James II) specifically recognised that Parliament was Sovereign and power was shared between the Monarch and Parliament. In the Orange Order’s world view they look purely to the Monarch and Parliament is a source of perdition. Indeed why not have parades in honour of the wars of the Spanish and Austrian Successions which were far more prolonged and bloodier but did more to assert Britain’s position in Europe and the world and are equally absolutely irrelevant to the modern world?




However two thoughts occurred to me witnessing this anachronistic display of “Fife and Thunder” designed to intimidate and assert territorial supremacy. I had last been in Glasgow as a young 11 year old scout and growing up in Dublin I had never experienced sectarianism until I travelled to Scotland on that trip. Indeed to the fundamentalist Protestants of Scotland sectarian harassment of those of other persuasions appeared to be both a God given right and a duty. Growing up in Dublin, for all its many faults, religion was never an issue, there were no visible religious tensions and people of all faiths mixed freely (despite it must be said the efforts of the Catholic Church led by Archbishop John McQuaid commonly referred to as the ArchBigot of Dublin) and got along. Indeed it was unheard of to ask somebody what their faith was. And I have no doubt that if you had voiced opposition to the march in Glasgow that Saturday morning the many flag draped supporters walking along on the sidelines would have been happy “to sort out the Taigues”. How easy it is to label and dehumanise those who disagree with you but the inscriptions on the banners spoke of the fierce simplistic certainty of the marchers; “No Surrender”, “The Truth Defenders”, “If God be for us, Who can be against us?” How convenient it is to have a direct line to God!

But looking at the marchers they were hardly those who had inherited the Earth? The demographics were resoloutely C and D, I wouldn’t imagine there were many university degrees between them, the “Protestant Ladies in their fine bonnets” who walked behind could with some kindness be described as “rough looking” and Glasgow East where many of them hail from has the distinction of being the constituency with the worst life expectancy in the UK and the Clyde of 63 shipyards which supplied the world with ships has now been reduced to 3 residual yards and the main employment sources in modern Glasgow are Call Centres. Indeed the loyalty of the Orange marchers to the Union and the British Crown is out of step with an increasingly Nationalistic Scotland. For this Protestant lumpen proletariat is equally the product of religious discrimination against them as “Non Conformists”, the divide and rule of the English Hanoverians during the Highland Wars and the savage highland clearances which provided a ready supply of workers for the tenements of Glasgow and contributed to the Scottish Diaspora to the corners of the Empire driven by the poverty of existence in their homeland. So, to paraphrase Monty Python, “What had loyalty done for them?” Indeed during the weekend many Glaswegians volunteered how they disliked these strangely Masonic Orange Men and their creed and attachment to the Union.



And however the British Establishment and Royal Family may be embarrassed by their “Loyalty” today we must remember that their view of history is not necessarily without foundation and is indeed embedded in the sectarian nature of the British State and its statute law as embedded in the law which heralded (along with the Bill of Rights) the “Glorious Revolution” which is celebrated by Queen and Parliament each year, the Act of the Williamnite Settlement (http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/11/guy-fawkes-night.html )

And indeed this sectarianism is echoed in the Authorised King James Bible which is the official Bible of the Church of England and is the only document in English Law whose copyright is owned in perpetuity by the Crown. It states;

“WHEREAS the late King James the Second . . . did endeavour to subvert and extirpate the protestant religion . . .. And thereupon their Majesties were pleased [to] . . . make effectual provision for the settlement of the religion, laws and liberties of this kingdom

And whereas it hath been found by experience, that it is inconsistent with the safety and welfare of this protestant kingdom, to be governed by a popish prince, or by any King or Queen marrying a papist . .

[T]he throne being thereby vacant, his highness the prince of Orange (whom it hath pleased Almighty God to make the glorious instrument of delivering this kingdom from popery and arbitrary power) . . ..

And the said lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, seriously considering how it hath pleased Almighty God, in his marvellous providence, and merciful goodness to this nation, to provide and preserve their said Majesties royal persons most happily to reign over us upon the throne of their ancestors . . ..

[F]or preserving a certainty in the succession [of the throne], in and upon which the unity, peace, tranquillity, and safety of this nation doth, under God, wholly consist and depend . .”

So, who is more out of step? The Orange Men of Glasgow and Belfast or the British State?

Volatile India-Pakistan Standoff Enters 11,680th Day

Volatile India-Pakistan Standoff Enters 11,680th Day

Volatile India-Pakistan Standoff Enters 11,680th Day

The threat of nuclear war hangs over the region with no end in sight, just as it has for the past three decades. Ek haath se taali nahin bajati !

Exam Blues.

GCSE Student

The Tabloids in the UK have been going off their Red Tops with indignation that students penning swear words in their English answer papers are getting rewarded. An examination board chief provoked the media indignation by suggesting it is okay if they do not go wrong with the spelling and grammar. The Telegraph reports of some cases in an English paper for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). In one case a pupil who wrote a “two-word obscenity” (Fuck Off to you and I) in answer to the question “Describe the room you’re sitting in”; on a 2006 GCSE paper was given two marks out of a possible 27 for the expletive. That translates to 3.5 in percentage points.

It would have gone up to 11 percent had he punctuated it with an exclamation mark (Fuck Off!), said Peter Buckroyd, The Chief Examiner of English for the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA), an examination board. To gain minimum marks in English, students must demonstrate “some simple sequencing of ideas” and “some words in appropriate order”. The obscenity had achieved this, according to Mr Buckroyd.

The government’s examinations regulator, Ofqual, apparently agrees with Buckroyd’s approach. The AQA board has, however, stipulated that markers should contact them if swear words were used in an inappropriate manner.

A spokesperson for the body said: “AQA’s offices will advise them in accordance with Joint Council for Qualification guidelines. Expletives in a script would either be disregarded, or sanctioned.” Nick Gibb, the Shadow Schools Secretary, says Mr Buckroyd’s strategy was “taking the desire for uniformity and consistency to absurd lengths.”


Harrow School

However before the Tabloids go completely off their Red Tops with indignation about dumbing down of examination standards and F#*king Exams let us consider that students getting marks for writing little more than their name is not a new phenomenon. Winston Churchill’s description in “My Early Life” of the Latin prose paper that he took as part of the entrance examination to Harrow; “I wrote my name at the top of the page,” he writes. “I wrote down the number of the question ‘1’. After much reflection I put a bracket round it thus ‘(1)’. But thereafter I could not think of anything connected with it that was either relevant or true.


Young Winston

“Incidentally there arrived from nowhere in particular a blot and several smudges. I gazed for two whole hours at this sad spectacle: and then merciful ushers collected my piece of foolscap with all the others and carried it up to the Headmaster’s table. “It was from these slender indications that Mr Welldon drew the conclusion that I was worthy to pass into Harrow. It is very much to his credit. It showed that he was a man capable of looking beneath the surface of things: a man not dependent upon paper manifestations. I have always had the greatest regard for him.”

Clearly there are many Mr Welldons among today’s examiners.

Or “Ad astra per alia porci”* as Churchill may have said some years later when his Latin prose had improved!

* "To the heavens on the wings of a pig."