Working Class Hero, David C Wray

New York Yankees, posted by an English man! (Feedback from the States or Yankees fans would be very welcome)

2012-11-25T03:15:00.002-08:00

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in The Bronx borough of New York that competes in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division.

Manager: Joe Girardi

Stadium: Yankee Stadium

Division: American League East

Headquarters: Bronx, NY, United States of America

World Series championships
1923, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937,1938, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953,
1956,1958, 1961, 1962, 1977, 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009

Nicknames: Baltimore Orioles, Damn Yankees, New York Highlanders, The Bombers, The Bronx Bombers, The Bronx Zoo, The Evil Empire,The Pinstripes, The Yanks, Yankees

While officially known as Highlanders, local sportswriters often referred to them as the Yankees or Yanks because it was much easier to type, and fit in headlines. The name Yankees comes from the fact they were the American League team, and Americans are often referred to as Yanks by the British and the same thought process was applied. The team decided in 1913 to make Yankees its official nickname.

History

The New York Yankees began their storied history as the New York Highlanders, in 1903. The distinctive pinstripe uniforms were introduced in 1912, and one year later, in 1913, the Highlanders became New York Yankees.

Over the next 80 years, the Yankees have gone on to become one of the most recognised teams in all of Sports, making history and shattering records all along the way.

1900-1940

In 1913, the Highlanders abandoned their stadium and their name, by moving into the Polo Grounds as the New York Yankees. Two years later, the Yankees got a new owners when Col. Jacob Ruppert and Col. Tillinghast L´Hommedieu Huston purchased the team for the sum of $460,000. In 1920, the new owners made one of the best decisions in the history of sports when they bought Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox for $125,000! In 1903, Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchased the down and out Baltimore Orioles, for $18,000. Moving it to Manhattan, the new owners renamed the team the New York Highlanders. They opened their home season at "Hilltop Park" with a 6 - 2 win against Washington. Thus began the winning tradition of the soon to be New York Yankees.
Babe Ruth was signed to a two year contract for $20,000 per year. This move instantly doubled the attendance at Yankee games, as thousands flocked to see his tremendous home runs.
In 1923, Yankee Stadium opened its doors for the first time with a 4 -1 win over the Boston Red Sox. Babe Ruth hit the first homerun in the Stadium's history that same day, and soon gained its famous nickname, "The House that Ruth Built".
In 1925, Lou Gehrig began his streak of 2,130 consecutive games played by pinch hitting for Pee Wee Wanniger. Then, in 1929 the Yankees set a precedent by becoming the first team to make numbers a permanent part of the team uniform. This late became a standard among all teams by 1932.
In 1932 Lou Gehrig becomes the first player to hit four home runs in a single game in the Yankees' 20-13 win at Philadelphia. He remains the only Yankee to hit four home runs in one game. Two years later in 1934, Babe Ruth hit the 700th Home Run of his career. He would hit just 14 more before the end of his career. Just four months later, the Yankees made another incredible deal when the purchased Joe DiMaggio from the San Francisco Seals for $50,000.

ronx New York

In 1939, Lou Gehrig's streak of 2,130 consecutive games came to an end in Detroit, as the Yankees beat the Tigers 22 - 2. One month later, "Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day" was held at Yankee Stadium. Gehrig's number, 4, was retired, making it the first number retired in the History of sports. Later that day he speaks his famous words "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth".

1941-1980

On May 14, 1941, Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak began with a single off Edgar Smith in a game against Chicago at Yankee Stadium. Two months, and 56 games later, his streak came to an end in a 3-1 Yankee victory after Cleveland. DiMaggio went on to hit safely in the next 16 consecutive games, giving him a total of hits in 72 of 73 consecutive games. That same year, Lou Gehrig died of the disease that bore his name, at the age of 37.
In 1945, Dan Topping, Del Webb and Larry MacPhail purchased the Yankees for $2,800,000 from the estate of the late Col. Jacob Ruppert (Ruppert had bought out his partner Huston for $1,500,000 in 1922).
In 1947, Major League Baseball celebrated "Babe Ruth Day". A little more than one year later, on the 25th anniversary of Yankee Stadium, Ruth's number, 3, was retired. On that same day, he made his final appearance in Yankee Stadium. He died two months later at the age of 53.
In 1951, the next great Yankee made his debut. Mickey Mantle played in his first game on April 17, going 1 for 4 in a 4-0 win over Boston. Two years to the day after his debut, Mantle hit the first "tape measure" homerun in Major League History, with a 565ft shot against the Washington Senators. Later that year, the Yankees won a Major League record 5th consecutive World Series title.
In 1961, Roger Maris beat out his teammate Mickey Mantle for the single season homerun record, by hitting a whopping 61 homeruns. Mantle finished with 58.
In 1964, CBS purchased 80% of the Yankees, for the staggering sum of $11,200,000. They later purchased the remaining 20%.
On August 8, 1972, the Yankees signed a 30 year lease to play in a renovated Yankee Stadium. As a result, the Yankees were forced to play their 1974 and 1975 seasons in Shea Stadium, home of the New York Mets.
The Year before the Yankees moved into Shea Stadium, the Yankees current owner, George Steinbrenner III (aka The Boss) purchased the controlling interest of the Yankees from CBS.
On April 15, 1976 the remodeled Yankee Stadium saw its first game, with the crowd enjoying an 11 - 4 rout of the Minnesota Twins. Later that year, Chris Chambliss (The current Yankee Batting Coach) hit a Walkoff homerun in the 9th inning of game 5 of the American League Championship Series winning the Yankees their 30th Pennant.
Later in 1976, the Yankees signed Free Agent Reggie "Mr. October" Jackson to a five year contract. This proved to be a great move, as just one year later, Jackson hit an incredible 3 homeruns in game 6 of the World Series.
On June 16, 1978 Pitcher Ron Guidry struck out a Franchise Record 18 batters in a 4 - 0 win over the California Angels. Trailing the Red Sox by as many as 14 games, the Yankees season came to a climax when they beat the Red Sox in a Divisional Playoff, clinching the AL East Title.
The seventies ended on a sad note for the Yankees as their team captain, Thermon Munson was killed in a plane crash on August 2, 1979. A little over a year later, the Yankees signed future Hall of Famer Dave Winfield to a ten year contract.

1980-Present

The Early 80s were an uneventful time for the Yankees, characterized by frequent hirings, and the subsequent firings of countless managers by "The Boss".
On December 14, 1985, Yankee great Roger Maris died at the age of 51 at his home in Huston, Texas.
Things started to look up for the Yankees in 1987, as the new first baseman, Don Mattingly, began to set the American League on fire with his outstanding offense and defense. On July 18, 1987, Mattingly homered in his 8th straight game, tying the AL Record held by Dale Long. Later that year, Mattingly set a Major League Single Season Record by hitting his 6th Grand Slam that year.
December 9, 1988 saw the signing of a 12 year television contract with the Madison Square Garden Network.
August 14, 1993 was declared "Reggie Jackson Day". On this day, "Mr. October's" jersey number 44 was permanently retired from the Yankees. Later that season, Yankees one-handed pitcher Jim Abbot tossed a No Hitter in a 4-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians. This began an amazing run for Yankee Pitchers in which they threw a total of 2 no hitters, and 2 perfect games.
August 13, 1995 was a dark day for the Yankees as Mickey Mantle died of Cancer at the age of 63. A little more than one year later Dwight Gooden threw the 8th no hitter in Yankee History, shutting out the Seattle Mariners 2 - 0.
On January 22, 1997, Don Mattingly officially announced his retirement from Major League Baseball, after a career of only 14 years.
May 17, 1998 was a day that would go down in Baseball history as David Wells pitched the 14th perfect game in regular season history. 14 months later on Yogi Berra Day, Well's teammate David Cone pitched the 15th regular season perfect game.
On October 21, 1998, the Yankees began their 3 year run of consecutive World Series Victories, sweeping the San Diego Padres. They went on to sweep the Atlanta Braves in 1999, and defeat the New York Mets in 5 games in 2000.

Portraits of true grit: Amazing black-and-white photos capture the everyday struggles of Oklahoma farmers fighting to survive the Dust Bowl.

2012-11-18T10:03:00.003-08:00

Oklahoma 1932

When the first dust storms blew through Oklahoma in 1932, few people in the state could foresee the catastrophic devastation that clouds of sands carried aloft by the hallowing winds would bring to the region over the next decade.

Massive dust storms that swept through the Southern Plains caused severe erosion by blowing off millions of tons of topsoil in southeastern Colorado, southwest Kansas and the panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas, leaving farmers destitute.

By 1934, it was estimated that 100 million acres of farmland had lost all or most of the rich topsoil to the winds, leaving the fields barren and the farmers destitute.

Tough times: Four families, three of them related, with 15 children, from the Dust Bowl in Texas, at impromptu overnight road camp

Meagre livelihood: John Barnett feeding livestock on his farm in 1942

Survivors: Dust Bowl farmer John Barnett (left) , his wife Venus (center), and their three children: Delphaline, 17 (top), Lincoln, 11 (right), and Leonard, 9

Unbreakable: Venus Barnett trying to raise vegetables in garden of family farm in the Dust Bowl for a second time after a windstorm blew the first seedlings away

Daily struggles: Farmer's wife Mrs Venus Barnett and son Lincoln in room of their worn farmhouse, Oklahoma, 1942

Barren land: Oklahoman agriculturists work on way to fix the Great Plains region's catastrophic erosion problem in 1942

Desperate times: Harvesters hitchhike on route 64 en route to a wheat harvesting in the Dust-Bowl ravaged state of Oklahoma in 1942

Devastation: The great clouds of dust that swept through the Southern Plains in the 1930s buried structures and rendered once-fertile soil barren

Sand-choked wilderness: Sagebush and sand surround John Barnett's house and farm buildings. There is no topsoil left on the 160 acres. He grows rye and fodder in sandy loam For some, the phrase ?Dust Bowl? conjures a place: the Great Plains, but a Great Plains of abandoned homes, ruined lives, dead and dying crops and sand, sand, sand. For others, the phrase denotes not a region but an era: the mid- to late-1930s in America, when countless farms were lost; dust storms raced across thousands of miles of once-fertile land, so huge and unremitting that they often blotted out the sun; and millions of American men, women and children took to the road, leaving behind everything they knew and everything they'd built, heading west, seeking work, food, shelter, new lives, new hope.

Hardy: Countless farming families, like this Oklahoma clan pictured in 1942, stayed behind in the Dust Bowl, suffering through the very worst of the decade and fighting for ever

Henri Cartier Bresson # 3 Quotes

2012-11-18T09:18:00.007-08:00

To take photographs means to recognize - simultaneously and within a fraction of a second - both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give it meaning. It is putting one's head, one's eye and one's heart on the same axis.

Think about the photo before and after, never during. The secret is to take your time. You mustn't go too fast. The subject must forget about you. Then, however, you must be very quick.

The photograph itself doesn't interest me. I want only to capture a minute part of reality.

To photograph is to hold one's breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It's at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.

Above all, I craved to seize the whole essence, in the confines of one single photograph, of some situation that was in the process of unrolling itself before my eyes.

The creative act lasts but a brief moment, a lightning instant of give-and-take, just long enough for you to level the camera and to trap the fleeting prey in your little box.

Photography is an immediate reaction, drawing is a meditation.

Actually, I'm not all that interested in the subject of photography. Once the picture is in the box, I'm not all that interested in what happens next. Hunters, after all, aren't cooks.

Memory is very important, the memory of each photo taken, flowing at the same speed as the event. During the work, you have to be sure that you haven't left any holes, that you've captured everything, because afterwards it will be too late.

The River Tees North and South Gare vintage photography. (Thanks to Chris Turner for lending these images to me)

2012-11-17T08:32:00.003-08:00

South Gare

is an area of reclaimed land and breakwater on the southern side of the mouth of the river Tees in Redcar and Cleveland, England. It is accessed by taking the South Gare Road (private road) from Fisherman's Crossing at the western end of Tod Point Road in Warrenby.

Before the building of South Gare, permanent dry land stopped at Tod Point, at the western end of Warrenby and there was only Coatham Sands and the mudflats of Bran Sands. The creation of South Gare extends this by a further 2.5 miles (4.0 km). The building of South Gare offers a safe harbour in stormy weather to ships off the coast and allowed for the dredging of the river Tees entrance. South Gare itself was a settlement but the houses there were demolished many years ago.

Boat dwellings on the Tees estuary Haverton Hill Ship yard, Transporter bridge and ICI Billingham in the far distance

Seaton Snooks

A spit of sand extending into the mouth of the river Tees. Part of the southern end was submerged at high tide. In 1667 fortifications were built at the end to defend the mouth of the Tees. Buried under the sand dunes may be the remains of a chapel dedicated to the martyr Thomas Becket. Teesmouth has changed drastically since then. A slag wall has been constructed east and west across the end although this is now heavily eroded. The land to the east was tidal but has now been reclaimed from the sea.

Seaton Carew

Is a small seaside resort within the Borough of Hartlepool, in North East England with a population of 6,018 (2001). It is situated on the North Sea coast between the town of Hartlepool and the mouth of the River Tees. The area is named after a Norman French family called Carou who owned lands in the area and settled there, while 'Seaton' means farmstead or settlement by the sea.

The cranes of Swan Hunters ship yard Haverton Hill, can be seen in the far distance

Greatham Creek

Greatham Creek is a tidal channel with extensive areas of saltings. It also has adjacent saline lagoons to the north and south which are always worth a look during the summer for breeding Common Terns and spring and autumn for waders. An additional attraction here is the Common and Grey Seals that bask and rest on the banks of the Creek and are easily visible from the main A178 Tees Road.

Access to Greatham Creek is from the Teesmouth National Nature Reserve car park off the A178 on the south side of the road bridge. Walk up to the bridge to view both sides of the Creek.

The South Gare

Across the Blue Lagoon at night, looking across from the North Gare

Boat House

Between Seaton Carew and Redcar is Teesmouth

The Tees traditionally being the boundary between Yorkshire and County Durham. The Tees has one of Britain's most industrialised river estuaries with a dramatic and seemingly endless landscape of chimneys and `space age' towers. Compared to the mouth of the River Tees, the industries of the River Tyne and Wear seem almost insignificant.

Most notable of the industrial plants at Teesmouth, are the giant chemical complexes, the oil refineries, the steel works and a power station at Seaton Carew, to the north of the river. Despite the heavy industry, the area is surprisingly important for its wildlife and the partly industrialised Seal Sands on the north bank of the Tees are the Winter home to thousands of wildfowl and waders. Seals may also be regularly seen `basking' in their man made surroundings. Seal sands are only half their original size having been largely reclaimed for the site of an oil refinery and chemical works.

The Tees Estuary

Former British Steel complex now SSI UK

Fisherman 1970's

Remembrance Sunday Headland Hartlepool 2012

2012-11-10T07:46:00.004-08:00

Sepia Images

Monochrome Images

Colour Images

Some real images

In the United Kingdom, Remembrance Sunday is held on the second Sunday in November, which is the Sunday nearest to 11 November Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of hostilities in the First World War at 11 a.m. in 1918. Remembrance Sunday is held "to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts".

In the United Kingdom, Remembrance Sunday is marked by ceremonies at local war memorials in most cities, towns and villages, attended by civic dignitaries, ex-servicemen and -women (principally members of the Royal British Legion), members of local armed forces regular and reserve units (Royal Navy and Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Marines and Royal Marines Reserve, Army and Territorial Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Auxiliary Air Force), military cadet forces (Sea Cadet Corps, Army Cadet Force and Air Training Corps as well as the Combined Cadet Force) and youth organisations (e.g.Scouts and Guides). Wreaths of remembrance poppies are laid on the memorials and two minutes silence is held at 11 a.m. Church bells are usually rung "half-muffled", creating a sombre effect.

This was my Dad's uncle who was killed in World War One in France (aged 19), He is remembered on the Headland War Memorial.

Sutton Bank and the Kilburn White Horse Nov 2

2012-11-04T10:51:00.001-08:00

Car Parking can be found at the top of Sutton Bank

Sutton Bank National Park Centre, which has been given a hi-tech makeover for 2012. A fascinating exhibition will take you on a journey through time to discover how this iconic landscape was created and the influence it’s had on people through the ages.

The new Lime & Ice exhibition tells the story of how our iconic landscape and view came to be through the dramatic action of ice age glaciers. Find out about millions of years of Sutton Bank in the making through a stunning CGI film, narrated by earth historian Professor Aubrey Manning or read at your leisure about some of the amazing landscape features around the area.

This is a view across to the Whitestone Cliffe

Sutton Bank, also known as Roulston Scar, is a hill in the Hambleton District of North Yorkshire in England. It is a high point on the Hambleton Hills and the North York Moors with extensive views over the Vale of York and the Vale of Mowbray. The hill is the site of one of the most important prehistoric monuments in the region—a massive hillfort built in the Iron Age, around 400 BC.

The Yorkshire Gliding Club

Because it faces the prevailing westerly winds, Sutton Bank has been used for ridge soaring since the early 1930s for the sport of gliding. The Yorkshire Gliding Club is based at the top of the hill.

Powered Aircraft

Two Piper Pawnees provide the front-line aerotow facility.

The circular club house

Piper Pawnee aircraft returning to the club

There have been many distinguished names associated with the Yorkshire Gliding Club over the years. Phillip Wills, former world champion, and Fred Slingsby, founder of Slingsby Aviation, were two key members who initially negotiated the lease of the land at Sutton Bank. Norman Sharpe also had a profound influence on the development of the club.

This is a misty view across the vale of York

And on we go heading for the famous Kilburn white horse

The RAF memorial Sutton Bank

The insrcription reads "1939-1945.

This plaque is a memorial to the aircrews of all allied nations who lost their lives in the surrounding countryside not least the crew of Halifax bomber JD105 10Sqn Melbourne which crashed within half a mile of this site, May 5th 1943.

Also in memory of the pilot of an F86 Sabre XD773 92Sqn Linton On Ouse September 21st 1954.

Lest we forget"

The Whitestone cliffe

Crag features

Allegedly formed by a huge landslip early in the 18th century. Great views over the Vale of York.

The Kilburn Whitehorse

The Kilburn White Horse, grid reference SE516813, is a hill figure cut into the hillside near Kilburn, in North Yorkshire, England. The figure is 318 feet (97 m) long by 220 ft (67 m) high and covers about 1.6 acres (6,475.0 m²) and said to be the largest and most northerly hill figure in England.^[1]

Located on the southern flank of Sutton Bank, near Roulston Scar at the edge of the Hambleton table-land, it faces south-south-west and is visible from some distance, particularly from the East Coast Main Line railway south of Thirsk, and from the A19. On a clear day, the horse is visible from northLeeds, 28 miles (45 km) away on the higher ground to the west of the Vale of York.

Sutton Bank, geologically, is formed of sandstone and the horse was created by removing the topsoil and exposing the underlying rock and covering it with white limestone chips. It was created in November 1857, and some accounts state that it was done by school master John Hodgson and his pupils, together with local volunteers. A tablet erected at the car park below it reads, "The Kilburn 'White Horse' -- This figure was cut in 1857 on the initiative of Thomas Taylor, a native of Kilburn. In 1925 a restoration fund was subscribed by the readers of the Yorkshire Evening Post and the residue of £100 was invested to provide for the triennial grooming of the figure."

The Horses back seen from the top

Steps lead down to the base of the horse

Stone at the base of the steps

View of the horse as seen from the car park at the base of the steps

The horse seen from one of the gliders

End

Durham City in the Winter

2012-11-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

The Sanctuary Knocker

The knocker on the Cathedral’s northern door, known as the Sanctuary Knocker, played an important part in the Cathedral’s history. Those who ‘had committed a great offence,’ such as murder in self-defence or breaking out of prison, could rap the knocker, and would be given 37 days of sanctuary within which they could try to reconcile with their enemies or plan their escape.

The Knocker now in place is a replica, the original Knocker can now be seen in the Cathedral museum

The Cathedral entrance has now been modified, but it originally had two small chambers above the doorway with windows where monks would be seated keeping a watch out for sanctuary seekers, to let them in promptly, at any time of the day or night.

The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham (usually known as Durham Cathedral) is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093. The cathedral is regarded as one of the finest examples of Norman architecture and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Sitealong with nearby Durham Castle, which faces it across Palace Green.

The present cathedral replaced the 10th century "White Church", built as part of a monastic foundation to house the shrine of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne. The treasures of Durham Cathedral include relics of St Cuthbert, the head of St Oswald of Northumbria and the remains of theVenerable Bede. In addition, its Durham Dean and Chapter Library contains one of the most complete sets of early printed books in England, the pre-Dissolution monastic accounts, and three copies of the Magna Carta.

Durham Cathedral occupies a strategic position on a promontory high above the River Wear. From 1080 until the 19th century the bishopric enjoyed the powers of a Bishop Palatine, having military as well as religious leadership and power. Durham Castle was built as the residence for the Bishop of Durham. The seat of the Bishop of Durham is the fourth most significant in the Church of England hierarchy, and he stands at the right hand of the monarch at coronations. Signposts for the modern day County Durham are subtitled "Land of the Prince Bishops."

There are daily Church of England services at the Cathedral, with the Durham Cathedral Choir singing daily except Mondays and when the choir is on holiday. The cathedral is a major tourist attraction within the region, the central tower of 217 feet (66 m) giving views of Durham and the surrounding area.

Durham Castle

Entrance to Bishop Bek's Great Hall

Construction of the Castle began in 1072 under the orders of William the Conqueror, six years after the Norman Conquest of England, and soon after the Normans first came to the North.

The construction took place under the supervision of the Earl of Northumberland, Waltheof, until he rebelled against William and was executed in 1076.

The castle then came under the control of the Bishop of Durham, Walcher, who purchased the earldom and thus became the first of the Prince-Bishops of Durham, a title that was to remain until the 19^th century, and was to give Durham a unique statusin England.

It was under Walcher that many of the Castle’s first buildings were constructed. As was typical of Norman castles, it consisted of a motte (mound) and an inner and outer bailey (fenced or walled area). Whether the motte and inner bailey were built first is unknown.

There is also debate about whether or not Durham Castle was originally a stone or a wooden structure. Historic sources mention that its keep (fortified tower) was built of wood, but there is enough archaeological evidence to indicate that even in the late 11^thcentury when it was first built, it had numerous stone buildings.

The Original Castle layout

Archaeological evidence suggests that an Anglo-Saxon defensive structure predated the Norman Castle. This was not unusual, and in fact was the case in Dover, London, Exeter, Hastings, Winchester, and Pevensey, where castles were constructed after the Norman Conquest.

Durham Cathedral as seen from the River Wear

The river flows past Durham Castle and Cathedral, beneath Framwellgate Bridge and over a weir

2012-10-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

Captain Cook's Monument North Yorkshire

The inscription on the monument reads:

In memory of the celebrated circumnavigator Captain James Cook F.R.S. A man of nautical knowledge inferior to none, in zeal prudence and energy, superior to most. Regardless of danger he opened an intercourse with the Friendly Isles and other parts of the Southern Hemisphere. He was born at Marton Oct. 27th 1728 and massacred at Owythee Feb. 14th 1779 to the inexpressible grief of his countrymen. While the art of navigation shall be cultivated among men, whilst the spirit of enterprise, commerce and philanthropy shall animate the sons of Britain, while it shall be deemed the honour of a Christian Nation to spread civilisation and the blessings of the Christian faith among pagan and savage tribes, so long will the name of Captain Cook stand out amongst the most celebrated and most admired benefactors of the human race.

The site provides panoramic views along the curve of the Cleveland Hills, down into Great Ayton, across to Roseberry topping and back deep into the North Yorkshire Moors. There are infinite possibilities for walks including the monument, from the short stroll up the hill from Gribdale Gate and back again, to a deeper exploration, through Kildale, or across to Guisborough, or straight down the hill to Easby. The Cleveland Way long distance national trail includes the monument.

Roseberry Topping seen in the far distance from the Monument

Site of RAF crash in 1940 near to the Monument

The Cleveland Hills seen here from the monument

Captain Cook's monument Hyde Park Sydney Australia

Whitby winter 2011

2012-10-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Borough of Scarborough and English county of North Yorkshire. Situated on the east coast ofYorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbeywhere Caedmon, the earliest English poet, lived. The fishing port emerged during the Middle Ages and developed important herring and whaling fleets, and was where Captain Cook learned seamanship. Tourism started in Whitby in Georgian times and developed with the coming of the railway in 1839. Tourist interest is enhanced by its location surrounded by the high ground of the North York Moors national park and heritage coastline and by association with the horror novel Dracula. Jet and alum were mined locally, and Whitby jet, which was mined by the Romans and Victorians became fashionable during the 19th century.

Crathorne Hall North Yorkshire Oct 12

2012-10-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

Crathorne is a village and civil parish in Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. The River Leven flows through the parish. The A19 used to run through the village before a dual carriageway was built in 1975. Now the A67 follows the route of the old A19 north towards Yarm

Colour

The village is the ancestral home of the Crathorne family, dating back to Sir William de Crathorne, knighted by Edward II in 1327. The village is now home to James Dugdale, 2nd Baron Crathorne, whose family purchased the Crathorne estate in 1844, and rebuilt Crathorne Hall in 1906, owning it until 1977. The hall is now a country house hotel owned by Hand Picked Hotels.

Monochrome

Slightly Abstract

Gateshead Baltic to Dean Street in Newcastle Oct 12

2012-10-20T08:01:00.002-07:00

The Baltic Mill and Millennium Bridge October 2012

The BALTIC site, on the South bank of the river Tyne was occupied from 1858 until 1889/90 by The Gateshead Iron Works (Hawks, Crawshay, & Sons, Iron and Steel Manufacturing and Engineers, Boiler Makers and Bridge Builder), famous for their work on the High Level Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne. The Iron Works remained on the site until 1889-1990.

This is the start of a trip across the Millennium Bridge to Newcastle

Looking north across the Tyne from Gateshead to Newcastle

View west from Gateshead side of millennium Bridge
Designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects and engineered by Gifford, the bridge takes its place at the end of a line of distinguished bridges across the River Tyne, including the Tyne Bridge and Robert Stephenson's High Level Bridge.

The iconic Tyne bridge looking from the Millennium Bridge
The following images show the bridge during construction

The finished job 2012

The Tyne Bridge is a through arch bridge over the River Tyne in North East England, linking Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead. It was designed by the engineering firm Mott, Hay and Anderson, who later designed the Forth Road Bridge, and was built by Dorman Long and Co. ofMiddlesbrough. The bridge was officially opened on 10 October 1928 by King George V and has since become a defining symbol of Tyneside. It currently stands as the tenth tallest structure in the city.

And looking back to the east to the Baltic arts centre, from Millennium Bridge

Some of the entertainment, on and around the Millennium Bridge captured here.

Local busker on the bridge, counting todays tips.

Just in time to catch the Newcastle tour bus

Loads of photo opportunities

View of the Tyne Bridge on the way from the quay side up on to Grey Street

The Grey's Monument

Grey's Monumen

Grey's Monument is a Grade I listed monument to Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey built in 1838 in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It was erected to acclaim Earl Grey for the passing of the Great Reform Act of 1832 and stands at the head of Grey Street. It consists of a statue of Lord Grey standing atop a 130 feet (40 m) high column. The column was designed by local architects John and Benjamin Green, and the statue was created by the sculptor Edward Hodges Baily (creator of Nelson's statue in Trafalgar Square)

Base of the monument

The Monument in the autumn sunshine

People shopping and being entertained around the Monument

Indoor shopping

Outdoor shopping

Decisive Moment?

Hey, sounds good!

A couple of local characters!

Hartlepool asylum seeker

End

Cleveland Hills to the headland at Hartlepool

2012-10-15T04:51:00.000-07:00

This post starts with a jaunt above and around Carlton in Cleveland, then a well earned stop off for some lunch in Stokesley, and finishes off with a wander around the headland at Hartlepool at the northern most end of the county....all on the same day Saturday 13th October 2012.

This is the view from the hills above Carlton in Cleveland, amazing panoramic view of industrial Teesside and beyond to Hartlepool. Wind turbines are becoming as common as industrial cooling towers across the Teesside landscape.

This is the view on the way down to Carlton, across to Rosemary Topping in the far distance.

In the Autumn sunshine Saint Botolphs Church Carlton in Cleveand.

The Church Lych Gate

The old fire hydrant on the cemetery wall

Lych gate notice board

Eleven o'clock soon be lunch time!

Lych gate foundation stone April 29th 1912

Church entrance hall

History of Saint Botolphs church.

This St. Botolph's Church, completed in 1897, is believed to be the most northerly of all his churches and was designed by the nationally famous architect, Temple Moore. It is built in Gothic style with local sandstone and cost £2,336.The large stained glass east window is by Henry Payne, of Birmingham as are two memorial windows added after the 1st World War.In the Churchyard is the stump of a stone cross commemorating a visit of St Botolph in 675.By the 1870’s the old church at Carlton was in a terrible state and was often flooded when the pond at the rear overflowed. A mid-century chronicler, Ord, described the church as a beautiful, quaint building and a delight to worship in. The Rev. George Sanger came to Carlton and came to a church in desperate need of repair, and was faced with the challenge of building a new church, a task he took to heart, and a new church was built.In 1882, the night before the dedication, the church burnt down and subsequently Sanger left. His successor Canon Kyle arrived to find a ruined church. He raised the necessary funding and built the present Church and in 1908, having raised a further £800, a peal of 8 bells was installed. He later became a Canon of York Minster, died in 1943 and is interred in the churchyard.

Interesting history..... here a a few more images taken before leaving Carlton to head off a couple of miles to the market town of Stokesley

And thats it, we are off to feed our faces.....

A quick visit to Stokesley, to pick up a tin of Brasso, a box of No 8 wood screws, and a well earned bag of cod and chips!

Tindall's DIY Stokesley

The Church House Stokesley

The 'chippy' in Stokesley town centre.

Stokesley was first granted a charter to hold fairs in 1223 by Henry III. The Pack Horse Bridge, crossing the River Leven from the riverside walk, dates from the 17th century. Renowned for its large range of building types, the latter construction within Stokesley of sundry fine Georgian architecture is thought to have contributed much to its later character. Other prominent historical features around the town include the Mill Wheel, thought to represent the site of a mill recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. The famous survey, by William the Conqueror, also contained the first written record of "a church and priest" in Stokesley. Its equivalent today, The Church of St Peter and St Paul, is located just off the market Plain and has woodwork carved by the Mouseman of Kilburn.

After a 50 minute drive I'm back home in Hartlepool...... the headland to be exact.

The Heugh Lighthouse, Hartlepool Headland

There have been three lighthouses on the cliff top at Hartlepool. The first stood from 1846 – 1915 and was probably the first successful gas-lit lighthouse in the world. It was taken down during the First World War because it stood in the way of the guns at Heugh Battery. It was replaced by a temporary light on the nearby Town Moor, which was used until 1927 when the current lighthouse

The headland light house

Looking south from the Heugh

Returning to the subject of wind farms again, the 'jack-up' barge in the middle distance is working on the new wind farm currently being built off-shore in the Tees bay. In the far distance are the Cleveland Hills where we started off from this morning.

Who hung the monkey!

Hanging the Monkey

Hartlepool is famous for allegedly executing a monkey during the Napoleonic Wars. According to legend, fishermen from Hartlepool watched a French warship founder off the coast, and the only survivor was a monkey, which was dressed in French military uniform, presumably to amuse the officers on the ship. The fishermen assumed that this must be what Frenchmen looked like, and after a brief trial, summarily executed the monkey.

Although a popular story, it seems unlikely to be true. Historians have also pointed to the prior existence of a Scottish folk song called "And the Boddamers hung the Monkey-O". It describes how a monkey survived a shipwreck off the village of Boddam near Peterhead in Aberdeenshire. Because the villagers could only claim salvage rights if there were no survivors from the wreck, they allegedly hanged the monkey. There is also an English folk song detailing the later event called, appropriately enough, "The Hartlepool Monkey". In the English version the monkey is hanged as a French spy.

Fish sands and the town wall, location of the 'hanging'

Some more views in and around the Headland

The Heugh break water with south Cleveland in the far distance

Closed this time, but well worth a visit, Verrill's Fish and Chip shop

Wave watching! look out or you will at best get a good soaking

Heugh Battery was one of three erected in 1860 to protect the fast growing port of Hartlepool. Heugh and Lighthouse Battery were placed close by the lighthouse and armed with four and two 68pr smoothbore guns respectively. The third battery, Fairy Cove mounted three of the same weapons and was slightly further to the north at the end of the town moor.

Light house and cannon
19th Century Cannon
Situated in Hartlepool’s Headland keeping a watchful eye looking out to sea is the Sebastopol Cannon near the Heugh Battery. This cannon was captured from the Russian Army at the battle of Sebastopol during the Crimean War (1854-56). In October 1857, the then Secretary of State, Lord Panmure, offered the cannon to Hartlepool Borough Council who gratefully accepted it. The cannon was transported from London on the steam ship ‘Margaret’ at a total cost of £2.19s.3d., and, after a year’s delay, arrived at Hartlepool in September, 1858.

St. Hilda's Church on Hartlepool Headland, built by the Normans and for centuries known as the Jewel of Herterpol

Durham Light Infantry, Heugh battery gates

The end of our trip, looking south across Tees bay to the Redcar steel complex

Autumn, Helmsley in North Yorkshire October 2012

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Chicago and Milwaukee November 2011, visited for Rockwell Automation 'Automation Fair' event

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Here are some images captured on recent visits to London

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Here are some images of London taken over the last 2 years

Troutbeck in Cumbria August 2012

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This is Hartlepool

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Here are some images of my home town taken over the last couple of years

New Blogger based in Hartlepool UK

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This is my new Blog, created to share images and comments from my travels and experiences, living in Hartlepool in the NE UK allot of my postings will be local to where I live.