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theodorecanaryhood · 5 years ago

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This time is different

Found a new obsession as I'm taking a short break from DC fanfiction. Discretion is advised as this fic is steamy af 😉

Diego Sechi x female reader

You had rotten luck with men lately. Since your shitty ex left you high a dry 4 years ago, not a complete lose as your little boy, Oliver, is a complete angel.

You worked your way up the ladder in the entertainment industry, mostly behind the scenes. But every opportunity that came knocking, you took it.

It was 6 weeks of working away from home and in Central London with high end models. Thinking they were better than you cause they were skinny, flat stomachs, salad eating bitches. You had no idea what to expect, but you missed Oliver like crazy. Your best friend, Alison, was looking after him.

You were just heading from King's Cross to st Alban's when you got a video call from Alison.

'Hey' you said answering with a bright smile,

'Little chap wants to say goodnight' Alison said as Oliver's face appeared on screen.

'Hey little angel' you said smiling at him,

'Mummy I miss you' he said, 'when will be home?'.

'Not long Ollie, few more weeks. Auntie Ali looking after you ok? I love you' you said, Oliver blew kisses at the screen.

'I love you too mummy' he said, though he was only 4, he was light years ahead with intelligence.

...

2 weeks you'd been here and you were getting homesick so badly. You just wanted to cry, didn't help that the woman staying in the room next to yours in the hotel was wheeling her son around. Made you homesick 2000 times more.

You weren't paying attention to where you were going obviously, that's when you bumped into this guy. Knocking his books out of his arms.

'I'm sorry' you squealed as the books sent a thud to the floor,

'That's ok, I wasn't looking where I was going' the stranger said as he picked them up. He stood up, pushing his glasses up his face and smiled shyly at you.

'I wasn't looking either, was just...nevermind, sorry again. I'm y/n' you smiled, holding out your hand. The man smiled and took your hand and shook it.

'Diego' he said, he was tall, blonde, strong jaw and from what you could see through his jumper. Quite muscular.

'What book is that?' You ask, pointing to the top one.

'The theory of quantum physics and string theory. And how they are connected' Diego replied. Damn, hot nerd alert.

'Most I read up on is how the heroic mouse saved Christmas' you chuckled, Diego gave you a confused look. 'I have a four year old son' you said.

'I see, well, must be hard to be away from him' Diego said, you looked at him.

'How did you know that?' You asked, Diego shrugged.

'Seen you before, never a kid though. Just assumed'.

'Well, you are correct. And yes it's very hard to be away from him. But he's in good hands' you replied.

'His dad' Diego shot back, you winced a little.

'No actually, my friend Alison. His dad left shortly before I gave birth. Haven't seen or heard from him since' you explained. Diego gasped a little.

'Sorry, I assumed again' you waved him off.

'No problem, happens all the time. By the way, what is your accent?' You ask, Diego laughs a little.

'Italian' he replies. Even bloody hotter you thought to yourself.

'Well, I better get to this studio if I want to keep my job. Which I do' you chuckle a little as Diego steps aside for you to leave.

'See you around' he calls out.

...

Models everywhere with next to nothing on getting interviewed, most of them dumb as shit, some extra dumb. Mostly just pretty people with 0% personality. You were doing up reports and statuses when a man's voice creeps up from behind you.

'Completely intolerable aren't they?' You jump and turn around, to find a hot blonde in nothing but swimming trunks.

'Kind of' you reply shy, the model starts laughing which confuses you.

'Y/n, it's me' he says, wait...Italian accent. 'It's Diego'.

'Holy shit you look...different' you exclaim. Diego laughs more as you turn red.

'Sorry I can't help it. I knew you didn't recognise me. The glasses and jumper' Diego said as he stifled laughter.

'Actually the fact you were wearing clothes was what threw me off' you say folding your arms.

'Ok ok, was wondering what you're doing after this' Diego asked you seriously. You looked at him shocked,

'Nothing really, why?' You asked.

'There's this lovely Italian restaurant not far from here, when I feel homesick I go there. Food is close enough to home. Want to go?' He asks you. The fact he was on full display with only trunks on made you flustered. And let's be honest, you wouldn't say no.

'I would love to' you smile, Diego does a little dance of joy.

'Awesome, I'll grab you from your room. Have to get clothes on' Diego says with a wink.

...

As promised, Diego came to get you and took you out to dinner. You got to ride in his sports car. Drink wine on a balcony under the sunset, plus the fact that Diego was talking to the waiters in Italian made it even more romantic. They say French is the language of love, but Italian is definitely up there.

Diego took you back to your room like a true gentleman.

'Want to come in for coffee?' You asked, Diego went shy and nodded.

'I'd love to' he almost whispered. As you walked in with him behind you, you took a breath. It had been 4 years since you had touched a man.

'Can I ask you a question?' You asked as you handed Diego his coffee while he sat at the little table and chairs, he nodded. 'Why are you a model? I mean, you're smart, like really smart' you said, Diego smiled.

'I started this to pay for my tuition, like how some people become waiters or strippers to pay for college. I grew up in a small town in Sicily, so I'm not from a wealthy family. I always loved science as a kid, so this is temporary' you briefly touched Diego's hand as you grabbed your mug.

'I get that, you are fitting for the role. But, you seem different to everyone else' you said as you sipped your coffee.

'You mean I'm not stuck up, in love with myself or thick as shit' Diego chuckles, you nod. 'Yeah, that's why I don't date models, they're too much into themselves as models and not as women'.

'I also get that, Oliver's dad was a fitness instructor. So all he cared about was being the biggest guy in the room'.

'Was he as big as me?' Diego asked you as he slid his chair round the table closer to you.

'No, smaller' you smiled, Diego leant into you closer.

'Can I steal a kiss?' Diego whispered, you leant in as to say yes. Diego closed the gap between the two of you and kissed you hard. You were so lost in the moment until a thought crossed your mind, you pulled away to look at Diego.

'Me having a son doesn't bother you?' You asked sincere, every guy you tried to date would leave after the first or second date. Because you have a kid.

'Should it?' He asked you, you smiled and grabbed his face. Pulling him in and kissing him again.

Diego picked you up and carried you over to the bed, throwing you down and kissing you more. On your jaw line, neck and chest.

'Don't stop' you whispered, you didn't realise how long it had been since you had been with someone. Too long.

'Only when you tell me to' Diego whispers back, Diego removes his clothes, then he removes yours.

'Wait' you say as you leant up and rubbed Diego's abs, which makes him laugh deeply, throwing his head back.

...

Lying in bed, the two of you have kissed for a while now. You were aching for him, he was aching for some release.

'You ready?' Diego asked as he hovered over you, you bit your lip as you nodded.

Diego slid his manhood into you slowly, allowing you to adjust to his size. Then as you breathed, Diego began to thrust slowly into you.

'Uh' you moaned out in delight...finally some release from something other than a vibrators or your fingers.

Diego bit your neck and collar bone as his thrusts got deeper and harder. You were a writhing mess underneath him. Diego grunted with each thrust, kissing you again as he placed one hand on your thigh and the other on your hip.

'Switch over' Diego said as he rolled over and pulled you up, you now on top of him.

You slid back down onto his piece as you began to get a rhythm. Diego smiled at you as your rhythm got faster. Diego pounded into you from below.

'Fuck, y/n I'm close' Diego breathed out, you kept going finding your spot, you found it quick from your angle and sped up, going harder too.

'Me too' you breathed, Diego leant up and kissed at your tits as you grabbed onto his shoulders.

'Fuck' Diego said as he slammed back down, cumming into you. You following suit as you rolled your hips out, enjoying the last of your high.

You collapsed next to Diego smiling as he kissed your head, rubbing circles on your shoulder.

'Been a while since I've done that, almost forgot how good it can be' you whispered, Diego kissed you again.

'Will you be mine?' He asked you, you looked shocked and bit your lip again.

'Are you sure?' You asked, Diego smiled and nodded.

'Of course' you smiled and buried your face into Diego's chest. 'I also can't wait to meet Oliver' Diego said which got your attention.

This is it, this time is different, different to the rest. He's not running, he's staying. Staying with you, always.

#male body #male model #male beauty #hot model #model #italian #menswear #menshealth #mensfashion #ripped #hot guy #hot #hotboys #hottie

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secret-blacklight-domain777 · 4 years ago

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Ralph Chubb, The Golden City.

Ralph Chubb, The Golden City. (Posthumously published, 1961, in an edition of 18).

Current selling price £3,000+

Ralph Chubb (1892 - 1960) has been called a modern day William Blake, partly because most of his books were exquisitely hand printed in tiny editions, some of which were hand coloured by the artist, and partly because he is seen as an anti-science, visionary Utopian whose principal theme was the redemption of Albion. Unlike Blake, he was a solipsist who placed himself at the centre of a mythology in which golden lads in their teens, cavort through endless sunny afternoons in an earthly paradise of prepubescent innocence. While Chubb’s Uranian verse drew inspiration from people like Walt Whitman, his paintings, many of which are now in public collections, suggest that the painter of naked youth, Henry Scott Tuke, was also an influence.

Chubb is a genuine maverick ---an isolated figure in twentieth century English art, but there is a strong demand for his best work from a devoted, even fanatical, following. An early book, The Sun Spirit, is currently available at $7,500. One avid collector, the Oscar-winning, swinging sixties cinematographer, David Watkin ( The Knack, Help, The Bed Sitting Room ),who died in 2008, owned a number of Chubb titles.

One of the few interesting people to have been born in Harpenden, Chubb moved from the town to nearby St Albans while still a baby and became a pupil (Stephen Hawkin was a later product ), at St Albans School before going up to Selwyn College, Cambridge in 1910. At the outbreak of war he served as an officer with distinction, before being invalided out. In 1919 the army, it would seem, paid for him to attend the Slade School of Art, where he met the print-maker Leon Underwood. His family, who by then were living in Curridge, Berkshire, encouraged him to exhibit his paintings, built a press for him, and a sister helped him get a job as an art teacher in a local school.

Throughout the twenties Chubb produced a string of publications, three of which were commercially printed. One of these, The Book of God’s Madness, explored Manichean ideas reminiscent of Blake. Towards the end of the decade Chubb’s Uranian activities, both in Hampshire and in London, caused a scandal in his village and he was forced to resign from his teaching post. He and his family moved and made their new home at Fair Oak Cottage, among the woods near Ashford Hill, east of Kingsclere. In 1929 Chubb was emboldened to publish his sexual manifesto, An Appendix, using a crude duplicating machine. Soon afterwards he acquired a lithographic press, which he continued using until his death. Like Blake before him, he was now able to integrate drawings and text and publish his controversial work without fear of editorial interference.

Partly because of the Uranian content of these publications, partly because the editions were so miniscule, Chubb has never been regarded as a ‘ fine printer ‘ in the tradition of the Doves Press, Gregynog, and the rest, but was seen more of a visionary and polemicist who happened to work in this exclusive field. His refusal to curb his sexual politics meant that he lived in poverty for most of his working life. His books were hardly money-spinners and his paintings, though praised, lacked the appeal of those by Henry Scott Tuke, and did not sell. Working in his shed studio on the edge of Benskins Wood, haunted by an idyllic childhood and becoming more paranoiac by the year, he ploughed a lonely furrow in the immediate post-war world. During his final years he donated many of his books to the national libraries of the UK.

Chubb may have seen his final project, The Golden City, which contains some of his most engaging poetry, as a possible commercial success, and therefore kept its boy-love content to the minimum. Unfortunately, he did not live to see it finished. At his death in 1960 only the graphic element of the book had been completed, and it was left to his devoted sister Muriel to engage a professional lithographer to complete the printing of the title page, table of contents and colophon. The edition of only 18 copies were then bound by Sangorski and Sutcliffe and dispersed to various interested parties. Today, only five copies are known to exist outside public collections, and these are the uncoloured ones. In fact, The Golden City is so rare that one international dealer in the genre has confessed to never having seen a copy. Other dealers only know it as a legendary ultra-rarity. In the years that followed her brother’s death Muriel also managed to get two other, far less ambitious projects published. The Day of St Alban appeared in 1965 and this was followed by Autumn Leaves (1970). Both are more common, but less sought after than his magnum opus. Perhaps, however, they may be good bets as investments. [R. M. Healey]

Many thanks Robin. Always great to find a Chubb but sadly such finds are infrequent. Last one seen was bound in corduroy, seldom used in binding - there is not even a limited edition of Adrian Bell's 1930 book 'Corduroy' thus bound. The photo of Chubb is enigmatic - does he look bashful or haunted or possibly burning with Pater's 'hard gem-like flame'? There is a definite resemblance to the young Gene Wilder. Are they related?

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softspaceboibrian · 6 years ago

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Journeys End in Lovers Meeting (Chapter 1)

Pairing: Professor!Gwilym Lee x student!reader

Summary: Reader is a new student at Harvard University and, on her first day, she does something she might regret. Or maybe not.

Warnings: swearing

Wc: 2044

A/N: hey, guys, so, I've been working on this fic for a while now and I just decided to post it. please, let me know what you think! if you have suggestions or would like to be tagged in future chapters, let me know!

Other chapters: 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

Finding the class for the first lesson of the day was definitely not easy. It was your first day there, in the new University, and you got lost at least three times. Luckily, people where kind, maybe due to you foreign accent, or maybe for other reasons, who knew.

“Professor Lee? Oh, I see, you chose your courses carefully” told you your roommate the night before. Her name was Rose, charismatic, easy-going, determined, humorous, dark skin, black eyes, a little thick, but so confident that people didn’t even notice it. On the other hand, you was clumsy, introverted, anxious, quiet, shy, always so conscious about your aspect: the exact opposite.

“What do you mean by that?” you asked, confused by your friend’s statement.

“Well, you know, I have a few friends that followed his lessons and, apparently, he’s a really charming man. Many students fall for his looks” she explained, looking at you, sitting right across from you at your kitchen’s table. “but that is not the case for you. I mean, I’ve known you for only a couple months now, but I’ve got to know you pretty well and I can tell you’re not the kind of person that falls for a man just because he’s sexy.” That last comment made you blush.

In the end, after running from one side of the campus to the other because you had definitely entered the wrong building and turned in the wrong corridor, you found the classroom. And, as Rose warned you, the first two rows where already filled with girls wearing the most scandalous tops, bright red lipsticks, big lashes. With your simple jeans and old, oversized sweater, you walked to the side of the room, sitting alone with your notebook already opened in front of you. It was only a few minutes later when a tall, really tall guy walked in, making every girl in the front rows sigh in appreciation. So, that’s the professor, you thought to yourself. Isn’t he a little too young to be teaching at Harvard? For some strange reason you were expecting an old man with grey hair, old clothes and wrinkly hands, not someone like that.

A few minutes later the lesson started and, well, it was going great, until Mister Lee, that poor man, made that little mistake. And you, obviously, being the meticulous person you were, could not manage to keep your mouth shut: you had to correct him. The professor. On your first day of University. Great. Just great.

Actually,” You said without even waiting for him to give you permission to talk. When King Henry VI succeeded his father and became King of England, he was only nine months old, not ten. It was 1422.” You kept rambling on, everyone’s eyes, professor’s included, were on you. “And it was May 22nd of 1455 the day Richard of York marched against King Henry at St. Albans.” You didn’t mean to be impolite or anything, you just wanted to be precise. But the silence that followed was embarrassing to say the least. For the both of you.

“And you are?” asked the man, crossing his arms in front of his chest, a subtle smirk forming on his lips.

“Ehm... fuck” You whispered to yourself, before tell the man your name. The man kept his gaze on you for a little longer, before going back to his lesson. Yep, that was embarrassing.

Finally, the lesson was over. Not that it wasn’t interesting. On the contrary, it was probably the most interesting lesson you had ever attended, but having the professor gazing at you constantly was, well, awkward.

As soon as you were free to go, you collected your things, stuffing them in your bag as quickly as possible, hoping the professor would leave in the meantime. Obviously, he didn’t. So you quickly checked at the back of the room for a secondary exit, a door, a safe way to get out of there. But, sadly, there was only one way out and the professor was right next to it. He was still sitting at his desk, writing something on some papers. Good, you thought, that’s my chance to run out of here. If I do it quickly enough, he won’t see me. Well, you obviously didn’t think this through well enough.

“Miss” the professor called out your name right before you could step outside of the classroom. “May I have a word with you, alone? Maybe in my office?” Failure. The plan was a failure.

“I suppose” you murmured, adjusting your sweater and lowering your eyes, still too embarrassed to look at him.

“Don’t worry, it won’t take long.” He smiled, walking out of the room, making sure she was following him. They had to walk for about five minutes before arriving at his office, which wasn’t a lot given how much she had to walk that morning to reach the classroom, but it definitely seemed a lot more since they walked side by side, in silence, with the eyes of hundreds of students on them through the entire building. “So, you’re not from around here” he said while closing the door of the office behind you.

“Well, yes” Your voice was so soft that the words almost came out as a whisper. “But neither are you” What was he? Welsh? Yes, he definitely sounded Welsh.

Professor Lee grinned, apparently ignoring your comment, and walking over to his desk to lay his books on it, before turning around to face you. You were visibly scared, you were fidgeting with your necklace, eyes low on the carpet, as if you found more interesting the pattern of it rather than everything else. “Don’t worry, you’re not going to get scold off or anything for what you did” His voice was comforting, a gentle smile formed on his lips. “I was just curious. You seem to know a lot more about English literature than most of my students, even the older ones. Why didn’t you choose an advanced course? It would have probably been more interesting or fitted for a girl like you.” A girl like you? What kind of girl did he think you were? “Please, don’t tell me you’re one of those students that follow my classes just because they think I’m somewhat handsome.”

“No! Absolutely not!” You jumped up, finally looking at him. “Wait, no, I didn’t want to say that you are not… I mean, you are… But… oh, fuck…” You ended up murmuring to yourself, sitting on a chair and putting your hands in your hair. You were messing up big time, that’s for sure.

All you could hear afterwards was the professor trying hard not to laugh. “Don’t worry, I get it. You didn’t choose this course because of me.” He giggled. “And I’m kind of relieved to hear that”

“I didn’t even know what you looked like before you walked inside the classroom.” You smiled at the man, brushing your hair out of your face, tucking the strands behind your ear.

“Well, that’s good because, otherwise, it would have been weird for us to work together if you had a crush on me, since I asked you if we could talk so that I could offer you the position of teacher assistant. My assistant.”

Those words came as a surprise to you. It was your first day there and a professor was already offering you the role of his assistant. “Wow…” That was the only thing you managed to say. What should one say?

“You obviously don’t have to answer me right away”

“I accept” you interrupted him, leaving him speechless, in a positive way. He saw something in you, something interesting. “I only have one question: precisely, what does an assistant do?”

“Don’t worry” He smiled. “It won’t be anything too hard or demanding. You will meet me here in my office every morning before the beginning of the lessons. You will have to skip some of your other classes if your assistance is required, but don’t worry, you will be excused from them. You will have like a special permit.” He winked, making you laugh. It was the kind of laugh that echoes in a room, contagious, the kind of laugh that most people would try to hide, but you didn’t. And he liked it.

“That is fine by me. My only problem is that I share my car with my flat mate. Well, actually the car’s hers and she uses it every morning to go to work, which is on the other side of town. So, hopefully, if the bus isn’t running late, I will be able to get here half an hour before the beginning of classes. If not, I will get here only ten minutes before the bell rings and I really hope that is not a problem for you, Professor Lee.” You quickly explained.

“Call me Gwilym.” He smiled” We’re going to work together, after all.” He was sitting on his desk, the blazer, being the perfect fit, was tight enough around his arms to enhance his built. “Anyway, that is definitely not a problem. I could give you my number and, if you need anything, you’re running late or something else, you could just send me a message.”

You nodded, a little smile making its way on your face, your cheeks turning slightly pinkish, given that you had found yourself staring at him for a bit too long. But he didn’t seem to notice, or at least, he didn’t seem to mind. You spent the rest of the time laughing, talking about why you chose that University and those courses and why he decided to become an English literature professor, getting to know each other. The next time you checked the time, it was time for you to go home. “If you don’t have anything for me to do today, I think I should probably get going. There’s a bus coming in 10 minutes, and if I miss it, I will have to wait at least 40 minutes before another one comes.”

“Sure, you can go.” Said the man while brushing his dark brown hair out of his face, before standing up and picking up his stuff. “I should go home myself.” He smiled, walking beside you outside the office. “I guess I’ll see you here tomorrow.”

You nodded, adjusting your messenger bag on your shoulder, smiling one last time towards the man, with a soft “Bye, Professor Lee”, before turning around and starting to walk towards your destination.

Well, as everyone surely knows, Murphy’s Law says that, in any field of endeavour, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong: that was exactly what happened that afternoon. First of all, the bus you had to take changed the route because of an accident, so it wasn’t going to stop in front of your building, meaning that, if you wanted to take that one, you had to run to the other side of the campus, which would have taken you at least twenty minutes. Secondly, that morning you must have forgotten your keys at home because you couldn’t find them anywhere inside your bag. Furthermore, you didn’t have enough money to get a cab and your flatmate was still working, so she couldn’t come and pick you up. Last but not least, it began to rain. And, guess what, you didn’t have an umbrella. Why would you? That morning the sky was so clear that you almost thought it was still the middle of summer. But no.

At that point, you decided to start walking, you would find a café or a bookshop, go inside and wait for Rose to finish working, so she could come and pick you up. That sounded like a great plan, but something happened. You had been walking for only a couple minutes, when a shiny black Audi Q5 pulled up in the side of the road, right next to you. Accustomed to hearing all these sad stories about girls being picked up on the side of the road by strangers and then their corpse being found somewhere outside town a few weeks afterwards, you immediately started walking faster, fearing that something similar might happen to you too. What surprised you was to hear a familiar voice call out for your name. You stopped and looked inside the car: Professor Gwilym Lee.

#gwilym lee #gwilym lee x reader #gwilym lee x you #professor!gwilym lee #professor gwilym lee #journeys end in lovers meeting #jeilm #softspaceboibrian writings

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jflashandclash · 5 years ago

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Traitors of Olympus IV: Fall of the Sun

Forty-Eight: Calex

A Punch of Home

After Calex shot Python with a split arrow of desire and abhorrence, he figured he would die the most respectable way for a hero: falling flat on his face off a two story shield, screaming swears that would make his hooligan cousin blush.

All he could remember from the fall was thinking about how dumb it had been to stand on the edge without any sort of net or rope. Then the world had gone white.

When he first heard voices, especially considering what they were talking about, he thought he was dreaming.

“Wait, are you dating Anubis or Walt? Are you dating two guys?”

After months in the states, he had finally become accustomed to waking in an unfamiliar surrounding with foreign accents. That’s why he was so surprised when he heard a crisp British accent responding, “No. And yes? Anubis is inside Walt’s head.”

“And babe, I thought I had problems.”

Calex’s body felt heavy, like he’d run a marathon while giving Frank Zhang a piggyback ride. The room smelled sterile, like he was back in his mother’s clinic. Someone had a hand clutching his tightly.

That’s when it hit him: this was the first time in months he’d woken so calmly. No nightmares. No panic.

The British voice continued, “Oh, us special pharaoh children have all lost our minds, what with the voices of gods in our heads. Some people say it’s because of the incest in our lineage.”

Calex really wanted out of this chat. He tried to roll onto his back and only managed a grunt.

“I think the teddy bear is up,” someone hummed beside him. The grip on his hand loosened. He could hear water splashing into a container. The familiar scent of black tea gave him the strength to blurrily open his eyes.

Merry smiled down at him. When she leaned forward to inspect him, the scent of her shampoo mixed with the bitterness of the tea: something sweet and raspberry. The sunlight trickling through a window made the auburn in her hair more prominent and her honey skin glow. She wore a clean Camp Half-Blood T-shirt.

Her face had deep bruises. Two pieces of medical tape were stretched across her cheek.

She waved a cup of tea under his nose, like a wake-up elixir. Her smile was playful, but didn’t stretch as far as it normally did.

“Merry,” his words came out as a croak. He tried to smile back, and found half his face hurt to move. “How did I deserve to end up in Elysium?”

“Wow there, Teddy Bear. No Elysium for you yet.” She set the tea cup down to squeeze his hand again. His gut wretched to recognize the extent of her bruises. “Just setting a world record on making an anti-worrier worry. You’ve been asleep for roughly twenty hours.”

Twenty hours? Calex’s eyes widened. He glanced around the room. He was on the floor, in a sleeping bag. Merry knelt beside him. On Merry’s other side, someone else was tucked into a sleeping bag with strawberry blonde hair spilling across the pillow.

Calex breathed in relief to recognize Kally.

The IV stand beside her made his stomach twist further.

On Kally’s other side, someone was burrowed in a ball in their sleeping bag—presumably Pax. Last in the corner was a sickeningly pale figure with wires sticking out of its mouth, like a Frankenstein contraption. Another IV stand loomed there, making Calex think about Kakata.

There was a chair at the foot of that sleeping bag. A disgruntled middle-aged man sat in it, reading a book with a pistol in his lap. Dr. Howard Claymore didn’t look up once as he turned the page.

Before Calex could roll to look at the other side of the room, someone appeared beside Merry and smacked him across the face.

Calex made a muffled sound. Getting assaulted first thing when you wake up was unpleasant. Maybe worse, Calex felt the skin on his forehead crack. A scab he didn’t know he had busted.

“You, Calex Rupin McKenzie, are the thickest bloke I’ve EVER met!” a tiny blonde with pink streaks in her hair exploded at him.

Calex wanted to give her a proper greeting of, “How do you do? Please piss off,” but he was stumped with the strange sense that he knew this girl.

Merry wasn’t reacting like the girl was a threat. She looked more amused as she moved out of the girl’s way.

The name popped into his head. “Sadie,” Calex said, stunned, “Sadie Kane.”

She was obviously several kilometers ahead of him on the think train. “Yes! Sadie Kane. Do you have ANY idea how much you’ve freaked out Gretchen and your dad? They both think you’re dead! Since we were kids, I always assumed there wasn’t much a brain behind that stupidly handsome face, but, seriously! How could you be so thick? Not a word? Not one bloody phone call?!”

Calex’s mind was scrambling. Sadie Kane. He vaguely remembered it. Before they moved to St. Albans out of London, his little sister, Gretchen, was in the second stage of her primary education. She had three annoying little schoolmates, Sadie, Emma, and… Liz? Was Liz the one that almost fainted every time he walked in the room? Or was that Emma?

But that had been years ago. Gretchen only saw Sadie every few months, and that had become sparse to almost nonexistent since—

“Emma and Liz gave me a ring and told me to check on Gretchen. And here we have the Jerk of the Year all fine and well—”

“Uh, Lady Sadie, dude still looks like he was stampeded by a pack of Party Ponies,” someone said. A hand appeared on Sadie’s shoulder to pull her back a little.

Calex could see Leo’s crazy hair sticking out. He didn’t look amused when he made eye contact with Calex. The glance turned into a frown when his eyes trailed to where Calex assumed Pax was curled into a ball.

Calex’s wanted to vomit. Gretchen? His Dad?

Another sight made Calex’s stomach pitch even further down, potentially proving it had stayed with Kaos when the rest of him left.

There was another occupant in the room behind Sadie and Leo. The person sat in a chair by the door and a small table. Despite being chained to the chair and gagged, the sight still gave Calex shivers. The boy was probably 15 with a blue-tipped Mohawk. His burgundy dress shirt and leather vest were covered in dirt and dust. Blood soaked his right pant leg and one of his eyes was swollen shut.

Lapis Pax flicked Calex off in greeting as best he could with his restraints.

Before Calex could panic, Sadie huffed, “He’s about as dangerous as a piece of lint right now. I’m the one you need to worry about.”

That could only mean one thing: Sadie, Leo, and Jason must have successfully rescued Hemera from Lapis. Eris’ plans must have crumbled.

But, if they put Calex and his friends in the same room as Lapis, that also meant…

Calex glanced at the other side of the room. Axel was passed out in a sleeping bag beside Calex. On his other side, there appeared to be a mini garden lot. After a moment of scrutiny, he could discern Euna’s form, curled up on a mound of moss and flowers. Kronos’s scythe was tied tightly to her hand with vines.

In that far corner, there was a shuddering, towel-covered bird cage.

Other than Euna, everyone was unarmed.

Calex swallowed to finish the thought, If they put us in the same room as this crazed bloke, they still don’t know if we’re allies or enemies. Leo and Sadie are probably here to keep us in cue. They should have been over this ally vs. traitor thing, right? Though, Calex had just helped Euna steal a piece of Kaos, and, judging by his lack of nightmares, he guessed—and really hoped—she’d used it to fight Phobetor. Was God murder illegal?

“Gretchen and Mr. McKenzie had to move in with your granddad and nan since they couldn’t afford the flat in St. Albans. At least they had some closure with Mrs. McKenzie and Tom.” Tears rimmed Sadie’s eyes and Calex felt the emotions that he’d repressed for months threaten to crumble him. “But your body was never accounted for. All they heard was your other, daft granddad ranting that you’d be taken by an angel.”

Your body…

Calex could hardly breathe. With Tiwa and Tom slowly succumbing to death and the nonstop madness that ensued, Calex hadn’t though as much about what had happened to his living family. Just that he was ashamed of facing them after he abandoned—

Calex swallowed and corrected himself. Not after he abandoned his Mom and brother. After he tried to save his family from an inevitable fate. His biological father, Eros, and Axel had reminded him he wasn’t a coward for failing and running from something as unstoppable as Death.

Still, how could he forget what that would do to Gretchen and Winston? He really was that thick? Shame clogged his throat.

Calex focused on the one good thing in that rant. “Grandad’s alive?” his voice shook.

The idea of that crazy old man poking him out of bed with a walking cane and an anecdote about how laziness doesn’t bring prosper…

Tears streamed down Calex’s cheeks. He didn’t realize how bad they were until he felt Merry’s hand clasp back over his. He tried to keep them quiet, but a hiccup choked his throat.

“Maybe you’d know that if you’d have given them a call!” Sadie snapped, though, her anger seemed to break at his demeanor.

Calex wished her anger wouldn’t go away. He deserved her rage and so much worse. “Oh gods, I missed their funerals,” he choked. The hole in his stomach felt like it was expanding to encompass his whole body. If it kept going, there would be nothing left of him.

“Hey,” Merry said. She raised a hand towards Sadie that Calex knew to be threatening Shut up, or I’ll have you doing the hokey-pokey. Gently, she pulled Calex up and dragged him against her. Calex burrowed his face into her skin and let the sobs go. He’d been holding so many for so long, mad at himself and at Death itself. Now, he could just be sad Tom and Tiwa weren’t here and never would be here. With Sadie around, everything felt more real. Someone who knew his parents and siblings personally. Someone else cared—really cared—that two wonderful people had left this world to go to Elysium.

“Teddy Bear,” Merry hummed into his hair. “We had a lot going on here. Remember? Getting kidnapped by Santiago. All our quests. Being on the run. From what I heard Thalia say, you’ve even been busying yourself with two different Underworlds.”

“That doesn’t matter,” he mumbled, thinking of Gretchen sobbing as she and Winston went through his, Tom’s, and Tiwa’s stuff as they left the flat Winston and Tiwa had been so proud to live in with their combined salaries. Their home. How Gretchen and Winston’s life would have been collapsing around them, losing their family, their home, probably Gretchen’s school.

“I know it doesn’t make it any easier,” Merry whispered, her own voice breaking. “But, we can’t change what we’ve done in the past. We can’t pretend it didn’t happen. We should let ourselves cry. But, we can’t get consumed thinking about what we could have done differently. We need to focus on what we can do in the future. And, you, your sister, and your dad will still have a future together.” Her tone took on a distant quality and Calex could feel her shake.

Calex was horrified to realize he hadn’t asked about her quest to save Percy’s little sister from Hiro. Had he really been that dense all over again? He didn’t know if Merry succeeded in rescuing the baby or if Hiro had given her those bruises. He’d even forgotten, in all his stupidity, that Merry didn’t like to be touched by men.

Calex choked back some of his sobs and tried to withdraw.

“Uh-uh,” Merry said, clutching him tighter, “You’re staying right here. I need a Teddy Bear, too.”

Sadie cleared her throat. Her voice was quieter and gentler. “They had memorial services. Last I heard, your granddad was quarantined in Kakata, but, I’ll admit, that was a bit ago.”

Calex managed to twist away from Merry a little, to see Sadie’s expression. Her face had puffed up from tears. Leo turned away from them, awkwardly toying with some wires in his lap. Mr. Claymore hadn’t looked up from his book, but Calex also noted that he hadn’t turned a page during the whole conversation.

Calex had expected Lapis to be rolling his dark eyes. Instead, he saw Lapis’ eyes were also red rimmed. His hands had tightened into fists. If Lapis could have cast magic with his gaze, his glare would have melted Merry from existence.

“I need to head back to Brooklyn House, but you’re making me a promise before I leave. Once you get all this nonsense sorted, really, by the end of the day, you’re going to contact Gretchen and Mr. McKenzie,” Sadie informed him.

Calex tried to speak. At first, his throat felt too thick. After a few swallows, he managed, “I’ll do you one better. By the end of the week, I’ll also make sure I can see them in person.”

Merry flinched.

Calex pulled one hand out of his sleeping bag to squeeze her shoulder. “I’m not gone for good, but I need to do this.” What exactly, he wasn’t sure. There was no way to make up for disappearing without explanation. Despite Merry reminding him about all their trials, he could have called. Hell, he could have written them a bloody letter in that timeframe.

“Thank you,” was all he could find for Sadie.

His heart was still a torrent of emotions, but—if he was really leaving Camp Half-Blood soon—he needed to keep it together a little longer. Calex sat up, taking most of his weight off Merry. He hadn’t realized until then how much she’d been struggling to keep them both up. Any longer, and they likely would have collapsed back onto Kally’s sleeping bag and this wasn’t that kind of slumber party.

Sadie huffed, rubbing the back of her hand under her eyes. “Look at you, Mr. Calex McKenzie, thinking you’re so important. You’re not the only one in here that I need to chat with.”

What she did next made Calex blink, wondering if he was dreaming or if Sadie was a total lunatic.

Sadie stood up, withdrew a can of Fancy Feast from her pocket, cracked it open, and set it beside Axel’s sleeping bag. She took a step back, folded her arms, and tapped her foot impatiently.

Leo spun back around, grinning. He stood beside Sadie, and Calex couldn’t help but think there was a bit of malice in his grin.

Their leader was flopped on his face, sleeping much more peacefully then Calex had ever seen. Axel’s tufted ears were visible at the edge of his sleeping bag. They twitched.

Calex was about to say that the Fancy Feast can seemed a bit rude when Axel rose in a very feminine, un-Axel like stretch. He made a low purring noise that Calex had never heard him make.

“Mmm, Sadie, you do know how to provide a balanced breakfast,”[1] Axel said. When he sat up, Axel winced and touched his chest. When the sleeping bag slipped down, Calex could see bandages stretched across the skin and a blood-soaked blotch towards the center. Axel looked quite pleased. “That was quite a close call. I’ve never had someone literally rip my host out of me before.”

Axel reached out to pick up the can of Fancy Feast.

Sadie and Leo exchanged a glance.

Merry made a face.

“Mate,” Calex said, “No.”

Even Lapis coughed a laugh into his gag when Axel started chomping down. Giggles erupted from the balled form of a supposedly sleeping Pax.

“You two… know each other?” Calex asked, glancing to Sadie and the bizarrely acting Axel.

Sadie sighed. “I do tend to know everyone important. But no. I know the goddess that’s highjacked your mate’s body. One that was supposed to leave once we got the battle sorted.”

Axel licked his lips, then the back of his hand, using it to wipe off the rest of his face and behind his ears.

By now, the laughter from Pax’s balled form was unrelenting.

“Dude, this is great!” Leo cheered. “We should have brought a camera. You think the Romans will be scared of the Leonis Caput if they see this?”

“You should know, napping and hygiene are sacred for cats,” Axel said, “It’s not a joking matter.”

“Bast, drop him,” Sadie chided like Axel was a mouse the goddess had proudly kidnapped. “He doesn’t belong to you. He’s not even Egyptian.”

“I’ve told you before. I’m a cat; everything belongs to me,” Axel said with a coy grin.

Some of Calex’s anguish cracked. He couldn’t help but choke back a laugh. This was the weirdest thing he’d ever seen, and he was a demigod. That was definitely not his mate and he could only image how Axel would feel when he found out what was said or that he’d demolished a can of cat food.

“Besides,” Axel—Bast continued, “He is still a cat, at least in some manner, so he does belong to me, as he is part of my domain. And…” Axel raised one hand to stroke his goatee, then rolled his fingers across the part of his chest that wasn’t covered in bandages. “I’m very fond of this host body.”

Axel held out his hands and admired his missing claws with the same fondness a Jersey shore girl might admire her nails.

Someone cleared their throat from the doorway.

Calex felt his jaw drop. Even Merry jumped.

Will Solace stood there in a long doctor’s lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck. He looked exhausted. Dark circles encased his eyes and he was pale. In a towel bundle in his arms, mewing kittens squirmed.

“Hi,” he said with a tired smile.

Thanks for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed! Stay tuned next week for another Calex chapter, Not Enough Lollipops.

[1] Yes, it’s cute that Riordan has Bast eat Fancy Feast. But this is not a balanced diet for your kitty.

#Traitors of Olympus #Heroes of Olympus #Percy Jackson and the Olympians #Calex #Sadie #Leo #Will #Merry #ALL the unconscious people #Not really--they wouldn't fit in one room #unless you stacked them like a clown car.....#hrmmmmmm

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bcminutes · 4 years ago

Text

2020 Minutes

Bishop’s Committee Minutes — 2-9-1020

For this meeting: Old Business

Deacon Dan opened with prayer.

Minutes were accepted.

Ron will clean vanities in the restrooms before the Braden Celebration. We will seek to replace them sometime thereafter.

Mary reports that no police report will be used to help with costs to replace railing destroyed by auto accident. We will pay for repairs since deductible is more than the cost of repair.

Mary is inquiring about the Bishop’s next visit.

Mary reports 65 boxes were given out for the Christmas program offered by St. George’s and St. Matthews. St. Alban didn’t contribute knitted items this year.

Mary reports that we continue to wait on Trustees and Council’s decision regarding the gym roof.

For this meeting: New Business

Mary reported on the 2020 budget and some revisions were made to it.

Anne Braden Celebration is scheduled for March 7.

Lisa says we will have an Urban League sponsored person to work for us. She and Pamela and decide on duties and select the person.

Vestry Assignments for 2020: Finance Chair (Bookkeeper) Bernadette, Treasurer: Eldra, Senior Warden: Mary, Minutes Keeper: Dan.

Lisa nominated Ron for Junior Warden and he was approved. She will check with Fred to see if there is any conflict with him in doing this.

Respectfully submitted,

Deacon Dan

Before the next meeting: See underlined sections above.

Bishop’s Committee Minutes. 7-16-2020

Attendees via teleconference: Valerie, Mary, Deacon Dan, Lisa, Donald, Ed, Bernadette, Carla, Ron, Karla, Pamela,

Old Business: Property Management

—A discussion ensued regarding money available for repairs. Valerie reported that a total of $67000 resides in the West Louisville Now fund. It is distinct from the $150000 sent to the diocese from the National Church. The reasons for the gift from the National Church are as follows: The Executive Council of the Episcopal Church has made a gift of $150,000 to the Diocese of Kentucky, to further our commitment to dismantle racist systems, building justice and peace for all.

Valerie suggested we get additional quotes from contractors other that Raoul, who has done work for us in the past. She stated that Bill Steeley of St. Matthews has offered to get involved as a contractor.

Donald stated he was suspicious of people wanting to get involved now that money is coming into our church. He wondered why they weren’t ready to help earlier. He and others suggested we might focus on using Raoul’s services, supplemented by genuine West End companies.

The discussion was tabled until our next meeting. The dilemma, as I understand it, seems to revolve around incorporating all those interested in supporting our renovation efforts while remaining true to those individuals who have been there for us during the difficult times or whose participation we want to include to stimulate West End development.

—Mary reports she is working on Mission Funding. The deadline for submission is July 31, 2020

New Business: Re-Opening

—St. George’s Mission Statement was mentioned. Mary said she would share it with Valerie and others as required.

—Valerie read the Bishop’s Reopening Statement. If it’s protocol can be followed we hope to reopen on August 2, 2020. Anyone not comfortable attending need not feel obligated to do so.

—Valerie is working on a grant the value of which is $10000. She would like for BC members to be thinking of good uses for the money that she can identify in the grant, which she must submit by August 15.

—Valerie hopes to begin making one-on-one contact with BC members in the near future. She can be reached at [email protected].

The meeting was concluded with an Early Evening Devotion.

Bishop’s Committee Meeting 8-9-2020

Attendees: Valerie, Deacon Dan, Ed, Bernadette, Ron, Carla, Mary, Doris, Pamela, Karla, Jean

Old Business

Agenda—Agenda was accepted. Mary approved and Ed seconded her approval.

Gym Roof—A discussion took place in which it was proposed that work start on the gym roof since funds had been allocated and received in the amount needed to complete work. BC voted on and approved the start of work. Ed made the motion and Mary seconded it. No negative votes were made.

Technology Grant—Valerie outlined the grant she is writing. BC agreed to going forward on it and including OMS in it.

Deep Cleaning of Church—Tabled for the time being.

New Business

Assessment—Mary said our church assessment will be less next year, 283.91. This represents 13% of our budget as per diocesan rule expectations.

Training—BC voted for training opportunities, Safeguarding Our Children, technology help, etc.

Truck Repair—Ron’s truck, needed for Dare to Care distribution, needs transmission work. The BC asked Ron to get an estimate on repair costs and get back to the committee.

Dare to Care—Pamela reported that 1255 individuals were served in July, 319 families were helped, and 100 food boxes were given out on Thursdays. We will return to serving only our designated area as the Shilo Dare to Care outlet has re-opened.

ZOOM— A practice session on ZOOM will occur before we move to it as our means of worshipping on Sunday mornings.

Respectfully submitted,

Deacon Dan

Bishop’s Committee Meeting 9-13-2020

Attendees: Valerie, Deacon Dan, Ed, Bernadette, Ron, Carla, Doris, Pamela, Karla, Jean, Lisa, Donald

Old Business

Agenda—Agenda was accepted.

Gym Roof and HVAC system for DTC—Completed.

Technology Grant—Valerie outlined grant she has written.

Mission Funding—Has been modified from original ask of $2500 to ask of $10,000.

Deep Cleaning of Church—Resurfaced after having been tabled last month. A desire was expressed to allow a Speed Museum event in the Community Center. Lisa will make use of waiver forms for attendees to protect the Church against lawsuits dealing with contracting COVID-19. Bernadette made a motion that all three buildings be deep cleaned ($500) and that ongoing cleanings occur for 6hr/ week at a wage of $20/hr. This motion was seconded. When this will commence has not been determined.

Truck Repair—Ron’s truck, needed for Dare to Care distribution, has been repaired.

Training—Safeguarding Our Children will be available soon from the Rev. Katherine Doyle.

Dare to Care—Pamela and Lisa offered their report to the committee.

ZOOM—BC Committee members stated their approval to continue worship services using ZOOM.

New Business

New Stucco Damage: RAM Roofing has brought to light additional damage that needs being addressed. It’s estimated cost is $8725. There was confusion about the location of this damage so Ed, Ron, and Donald agreed to walk the building with Raul of RAM to reassess the situation.

Dare to Care—A discussion on its ongoing ministry and leadership needs has been requested for a future meeting.

Next Sunday—Dean Matt Bradley will lead worship online for St. George’s Episcopal Church.

Convention—Bernadette has volunteered to be our delegate, Lisa will be our alternate, and Valerie Victoria Mayo will be our youth representative.

Respectfully submitted,

Deacon Dan

Bishop’s Committee Meeting 12-13-2020

Old Business

Ed read the governing statement.

Dan offered prayer.

Agenda—Motion to approve was offered by Mary and seconded by Ron.

RAM roof payment complete. RAM stucco work is done, Valerie getting payment from diocese to give to RAM.

Eldra and Alyce will be the first two to get laptops. UP will provide, including internet access.

Doris, Charlene, Shirley, Fred, and June have also been named as those needing a laptop. The Diocese will provide. It anticipates providing 4 computers in 2021.

Ron is cleaning 3 days each week, 2 hours each visit.

A discussion ensued regarding insurance for our three vehicles. The desire to minimize expenses was expressed. A decision will need to be made regarding the sale or give away of the old van.

Insurance estimates from Mary:

Refrigerator Truck: $3000 per year.

New Van: $1300 per year.

Old Van: $1100 per year. (Blue Book of old van: $874)

Ed made a motion that $500 be an acceptable price for the van. Mary seconded this motion.

Respectfully submitted,

Deacon Dan

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downtownmooresville · 5 years ago

Photo

Good evening from the Mooresville Downtown Commission!

As we approach Thanksgiving, don't forget that "Shopping Small" is the right thing to do! Did you know that approximately 67 cents of every dollar spent at a U.S. small business remains in that local community? Supporting local businesses makes a difference for the independently owned business but also for your community! We'll be back in touch before Small Business Saturday with details on what's going on in Downtown Mooresville specific to Small Business Saturday.

Until then, here's our November events listing:

November 1 thru 14 - Mooresville Arts | Mooresville Arts 37th Annual Artoberfest, judged show & competition continue through 11/14. 103 W. Center Ave.

November 1 - Our Town Stage | Presents “The Hit Men”; Relive rocks greatest hits with the men who created them! 6pm cocktail hour with the show beginning at 7pm. Charles Mack Citizens Center (215 N. Main Street). Brought to you by the Town of Mooresville. Our Town Stage.

November 2 - 43rd Annual Working Fingers Craft Show | Join us for a curated craft fair featuring seasonal gifts, tasty treats, handcrafted goods, unique treasures and live music all under one roof. We anticipate over 100 vendors for this 43rd annual handmade holiday market! 10am-5pm in the Charles Mack Citizens Center. Brought to you by the Town of Mooresville, call 704-663-9026 for additional details.

November 6 - MDC Board Meeting | Meeting of the Mooresville Downtown Commission Board of Directors, Committee Members and volunteers. Open to the Public. 1pm, Charles Mack Citizens Center.

November 4 thru 12 - Mooresville Veterans Celebration | A weeklong list of events to honor and celebrate Veterans. Brought to you by the Town of Mooresville. Details at Mooresville Veterans Celebration.

November 11 - Mooresville Veterans Parade | Parade kicks off at 1pm from Town of Mooresville Town Hall (413 N. Main St.). The parade will travel south to McLelland Ave., where it will end. Parade will include Veterans, Classic Cars, Military Vehicles & more. Details at Mooresville Veterans Celebration.

November 22 - Mooresville Arts | Opening Reception for Featured Artists: Natalia Leigh, Marcia Maki, PK Donson and Give the Gift of Art Holiday sale. 103 W. Center Ave., 6-8pm

November 26 - Mooresville Christmas Parade | The 75th Annual Mooresville Christmas Parade kicks off at 3:00pm. Watch from the sidewalks on Main Street but get there early to save a spot – thousands will watch marching bands; floats & then Santa wraps up the parade! Main Street is closed from North of Town Hall to South of Wilson Ave. More details at: Mooresville Christmas Parade

November 29 - “Downtown’s Holiday Light Spectacular” | An orchestrated light show that includes over 150,000 lights set to music. Begins November 27 and runs nightly through late December, starting each evening at dusk. On the lawn at Town Hall - 413 N. Main St. Free!

November 30 - National "Small Business Saturday" | Downtown Mooresville is the place to shop local and we will be celebrating Small Business Saturday with retail specials and festivities. Help spread the word on the importance of supporting locally owned, independent businesses and encourage friends and family to Shop Small!

NOVEMBER BUSINESS EVENTS:

202 NORTH MAIN FINE WINES | 202 N. Main Street | 704-663-5445

November 1 - Live Music with “John Sullivan & Friends”. 9pm, $5 cover, bring a friend for free

November 2 - Live Music with “Currie Wayne Clayton Jr”. 8:30pm, no cover

November 8 - Live Music with “Rock Onyx”. 9pm, $5 cover, bring a friend for free

November 9 - Live Music with “Jimmy Fallon”. 8:30pm, no cover

November 14 - Whitney Myers Of Advantage Distributing, 7pm, $15

November 15 - Live Music with “Delta Fire”. 9pm, $5 cover

November 16 - Live Music with “Matt Alban”. 8:30pm, no cover

November 22 - Live Music with “Werkin Man Band”. 9pm, $5 cover, bring a friend for free

November 23 - Live Music with “Lori & Korki Acoustic Duo”. 8:30pm, no cover

November 29 - Live Music with “KatKandu”. 9pm, $5 cover, bring a friend for free

BIG TINY'S BBQ | 179 N. Main Street | 704-658-1409

November 2 - Half price beer all day & live music with Tony Gallo from 5:30-9:00pm

FOUR CORNERS FRAMING GALLERY | 148 N. Main Street | 704-662-7154

November 3 - Book Launch & Author Signing with Frank Saraco for “Life in the Grand Pause”. Join us at 4pm to mingle and munch on some tasty treats. A special dramatic presentation will happen at 4:40 pm, followed by author signing. There will be a limited number of books available for purchase or you may order in advance. 4pm-4:45pm Mingle, munch & purchase book. 4:40pm – 5pm Dramatic Performance and Read. 5pm – 6pm Book signing and photos.

November 9 - Gia in the Gallery. Art show, mixed media. Free, light refreshments will be served, Noon-6pm

November 15 - Artisan Jewelry by Lori Neill. Free, light refreshments will be served, 6-8pm

November 16 - Artisan Jewelry by Lori Neill. Free, light refreshments will be served ,10am-4pm

November 22 - Vamos al Ecuador! Please join us in the Gallery to visit Ecuador with the Crespo family! Food, Drink, Photo Images, Jewelry, Musical Instruments, Textiles and Art for sale and more. Immerse yourself in all that is Ecuador! Free, 6-8pm.

NAILED IT DIY | 248 N. Main Street | 704-402-4612

November 14 - Small Business Sign Night, 6pm – 8pm

ON TAP CRAFTY BREWS | 188 N. Main Street | 704-660-BEER (2337)

Monday’s: Open Mic Night, 8pm

Tuesday’s: Trivia, 7:30pm

Wednesday’s: $2 of all drafts, all day long & Run Club at 6:30pm

Thursday’s: Yoga, 6pm, $10 includes class and a draft

Sunday’s: $15, bottomless mimosas

November 5 - Game of Thrones trivia (full theme edition), 7:30pm

November 7 - Pets, paints & pints, 6pm

November 24 - Friendsgiving, 6pm

November 28 - After Turkey Trot 5k open for bottomless mimosas & covered dish brunch and turkey frying!

TIM'S TABLE | 133 N. Main Street | 704-663-7333

Friday’s - Live music, 7pm

URBAN GRIND ROASTERS | 239 W. Center Avenue | 980-266-2180

November 23 - Coffee with a Cop. Urban Grind Roasters is proud to host & sponsor our Police Officers. The mission of this event is to break down barriers between Police Officers & the community they serve. It provides the opportunity for our community members & our Police Officers to get to know each other a little better while enjoying the most delicious coffee in town! 9:30am – 11am

WAGAMUFFINS DOG BOUTIQUE | 152 N. Main Street | 704-773-5624

November 9 - Buttercup Meet & Greet: Instagram star Buttercup of @threecrazycorgis will be in the store for a Meet & Greet with her family. They will be teaching the community about what it’s like to care for a specially-abled wheelchair bound pup and how their Buttercup pillows and keychains are making an impact with hospitalized sick and special needs children all over the country! 11am – 1pm

November 15 - Pallets, Paws and Painting: Join Sweet Southern Pallet Designs for a super fun hands-on experience creating your own house décor…with a dog theme! Pick your design and reserve your spot. Spaces are limited! All paints and supplies will be provided so you just have to show up ready to get crafty! Light refreshments will be available and you can enjoy a 10% off store-wide discount at Wagamuffins for attending the event! 6pm – 8pm

November 22 - Low Cost Vaccination Clinic: The team at Mooresville Animal Hospital will be in-store offering a low-cost vaccination clinic offering vaccinations for Rabies, Distemper-Parvo, Influenza, Leptospirosis, Lyme, and more! No registration required, first come first served. More info, including pricing, can be provided by calling Mooresville Animal Hospital at 704-664-4087. 1pm – 6pm

November 29 - Dogs on Deployment Information Event: Dogs on Deployment is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit providing a central network for military members to find volunteers willing to board their pets while they are deployed or have other service commitments, making them unable to temporarily care for their pets. If you’ve been looking for ways to help active military members in a unique way in their time of need, consider joining us for an informational event with Carol Knight, the Charlotte Regional Coordinator for Dogs on Deployment. She will be in-store providing information on ways to donate, fundraise, sponsor, and promote this wonderful organization! 6pm – 8pm

November 30 - Small Business Saturday: Enjoy extended shopping hours as you browse our awesome Made in America collection of handmade and small business made products for your friends and family - especially the 4-legged kind! We’ll be showcasing many of the unique products we have and offering a store-wide 15% discount. Come early and grab yourself some coffee and delicious donuts!

WELCOME HOME VETERANS AT RICHARD’S COFFEE SHOP | 165 N. Main St | 704-663-0488 - Saturday morning music jam. Free, every Saturday at 9am.

WFV DESIGNS | 128 N. Broad Street | 980-293-4333

November 9 - Annual Holiday Open House! We will have refreshments, lots of raffle items & 10% off your purchase! 10am to 5pm!

SEE YOU IN DOWNTOWN MOORESVILLE!

#dtm #downtownmooresville #dtmsmallbiz #dtmshop #dtmdining #SmallBizSat

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ellafryme · 5 years ago

Link

Raj Of India is an Indian Restaurant and Takeaway in Welwyn Garden City AL7. Located in the heart of St Albans, Raj Of India offers fresh Indian food and fast service for delivery & collection Order takeaway food and book a table online from Raj Of India through ChefOnline in just a few clicks.

#Raj of India #Indian Restaurant in Welwyn #Indian takeaway in Garden City #Order Indian food online

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glitteryyouthstudentworld · 6 years ago

Text

To those that know and also, to those that don’t, I should point out that my title is indeed a reference to Stephen Hawking’s, ‘A brief history of time’. However, the only mention of General Relativity in this article, will be if an ex-governor or minister shared the same name.

I have always had an interest in history, especially in the history of our prisons. My passion for history, and researching, arose from the first and only English Pope, Adrian IV, real name Nicholas Breakspear, who was born in Abbots Langley near St Albans. – which, coincidentally, is where Stephen Hawking grew up after moving there with his family as an 8-year-old. Another link to Nicholas was Henry II, although by the time of 1166, Nicholas had passed away. He died on September 1, 1159, allegedly choking on a fly in his wine.

Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=226378

It is in 1166, and with Henry II, where I begin part one of my look at the history of the prison system of England and Wales.

One hundred years after the Battle of Hastings, King Henry II orders the building of prisons. One of the first prisons to be built in London was Newgate. A prison that once occupied the site where the Old Bailey now sits. Newgate opened in 1188 and was active until closing in 1902, with the prison being demolished in 1904. It was during Henry’s reign that the precursor to common law was created and in order to settle land disputes, the jury system was created.

You will soon be able to read a ‘Guide to London Prisons: Past & Present’ via the website:

London Crime

Which includes:

More details on Newgate, along with information; on those still in active use (in and around the capital) and the plethora of London prisons that no longer exist.

London Crime is an intriguing, gritty and captivating subject. London, England has a crime history that is full of real-life escapades, robberies, murders and other fascinating stories of criminal intent. BUT! Our intention is not to glamorise crime, this site is not about the London crime news of today, other news sites can do that! although we are behind some great organisations that are aiming to reduce knife crime in the capital and beyond. We are providing fact (check out the A TO Z) films, documentaries, fiction books and non-fiction books, gifts and areas that you can research We at londoncrime.co.uk do not condone criminal activity and we fully support all of the London Police areas with their continuing mission to make the streets of London safe. An extremely tough job!

A historic event that took place on the 15th June 1215, the signing of the Magna Carta, would see the early beginnings of judicial rights in England.

It included Article 39:

“No free man shall be arrested, or imprisoned, or deprived of his property, or outlawed, or exiled, or in any way destroyed, nor shall we go against him or send against him, unless by legal judgement of his peers, or by the law of the land.”

The 14th century saw people being locked up for refusing to be tried by jury. The prison conditions were extremely primitive, with prisoners expected to sleep on bare floors. Fed bread and water and, only on every other day. The jailers would charge prisoners for everything, this included the removal of the prisoner’s restraints. As we head into the 15th century vagrancy was a massive social problem, the ‘Bridewell’ or House of Corrections was established to deal with the problem.

“The London Bridewell, set up in 1555, was the first ‘House of Correction’ and the term was often used henceforth to describe such institutions. The 16th cent. saw a massive increase in the numbers of poor and indigent, and houses of correction, with stern regimes of hard work, were used for the punishment and reformation of petty offenders or groups who were regarded as anti-social or idle, such as players of unlawful games, fortune-tellers, minstrels, tinkers and pedlars, hedge-breakers, vagabonds, and gypsies. In 1610 houses of correction were set up generally throughout England. The distinction between them and prisons was abolished in 1865.”

Mulholland, M. (2015). Bridewell. In The Oxford Companion to British History. : Oxford University Press,. Retrieved 8 Jun. 2019, from https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199677832.001.0001/acref-9780199677832-e-599.

Prisons at this time were also full of the ‘idle poor’, individuals locked up who were considered lazy, left to sit in prison until a magistrate decided they could be released. The gallows were a destination for even the pettiest of crimes, but in the 1600’s juries started to refuse to hand out the death penalty for low-level crimes, this meant prison numbers began to grow exponentially. A pardon was on offer for any petty crook caught who would enlist in the Army or Navy.

The 1700’s saw the start of the ‘Industrial Revolution’, however, as the century was ending and the revolution slowing down, citizens had been, and were, being displaced, debt became a huge problem, once again prisons had to deal with overcrowding. Then, with the ‘Napoleonic Wars’ of 1803 – 1815 where we would have an influx of POW’s, overcrowding worsened. ‘Hulks’ or derelict ships, used to house prisoners, began to be seen on the Thames and in the ports of southern England.

To ease pressure on our prisons, and in a move considered somewhat more humane than the death penalty, prisoners were ‘transported’ to North America. A practice that continued until the ‘American War of Independence’ of 1775 – 1783, a point at which up to 50,000 former prisoners had settled. However, it would only cease to America, as Australia would become the new destination.

A story I was told years ago, has now found a use in my life. As the American War of Independence put an end to transportation to North America, and before we began sending ships to Australia. Prisoners, awaiting transportation, were held in ships on the Thames. One of these ships bound for Australia was moored at Millbank prison in London, on the shirt pockets of prisoners aboard this ship were the initials P.O.M prisoner of Millbank.

A plan of the emigrant ship St Vincent. © National Maritime Museum, London

The first ship left for Australia a few years after the War of Independence had ended. The last convict ship to leave England for Australia was the ‘St Vincent’. She arrived in 1853. However, transportation continued to Western Australia until, in 1867 the ‘Hougoumont’ would be the last ship to leave these shores, she arrived in WA in January 1868. Between 1788 and 1868 over 800 ships carried more than 150,000 halfway around the world.

In 1777, the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire – the man who the Howard League for Penal Reform is named after – John Howard publishes the ‘State of the Prisons in England and Wales’, following a 17 year study of prison conditions. 1791 would see English philosopher Jeremy Bentham design his infamous ‘Panopticon’, his vision of an ideal prison. A design where prisoners could be unobserved, unaware, by guards. His design was never put to use; however, the model was used to build a few prisons, Pentonville and Millbank – which, opened in 1816, and was the first state prison in England – among them.

Source: http://www.victorianlondon.org

One of Howard’s proposals made in 1777 was that jailers were to no longer charge prisoners for anything. In 1815 jailers begin to be paid, finally, by the government. It was the duty of a magistrate to inspect prisons but in 1835, prison inspectors, who would report back to parliament, were introduced. By 1877 all prison staff were not only salaried, but also, employed on merit.

I have served a number of years in HMP Norwich, where two of the wings still carry the names Fry and Gurney, although they are still referred to as that by the, for want of a better phrase, hackneyed staff, they are now known as single letter wings.

Elizabeth Fry and her brother Joseph John Gurney are two people I greatly admire and respect. In 1817, they were responsible for the creation of prison schools for children, with their mothers, behind bars. They also persuaded Home Secretary, Sir Robert Peel to introduce reform. Elizabeth was also the founder of the Association for the Improvement of the Female Prisoners in Newgate. In 2002 Elizabeth Fry started to appear on five-pound notes.

“The Prisons Act of 1877 transferred complete control to the Home Office. At the same time the prison environment was made increasingly harsh in the belief that prisons should act as a deterrent to criminal behaviour.”

https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/laworder/policeprisons/overview/centralcontrol/

John Howard’s reforms were accepted, the prisons came under national control, overseen by the Prison Commission. Who were tasked to report annually to the Home Office. The ‘ACT’ also saw two new methods introduced: ‘Decarceration’ – This replaced prison time with punishment to be served in the community. ‘Therapeutic Incarceration’ – Introduced to minimise the punishment element. Makes one think as to how much has really changed since.

Table showing the % number of cases of illness to the number of prisoners passing through each of the Metropolitan Convict Prisons in 1854.

Number of Convicts passing through the Prison during the year.

Number of Cases of Illness during the year. % of Illness to the Number of Prisoners.PENTONVILLE9251,732187.2BRIXTON66415523.3HULKS (“Defence” and “Warrior”)1,51372347.7MILLBANK (including females)2,65911,890447.1TOTAL5,76114,500251.7

Source: http://www.victorianlondon.org

As we head into the 20th century we see a lot of changes to our criminal justice system. Voluntary organisations began sending missionaries to the police courts, defendants would be released with the condition they reported to the missionary and accepted guidance, this would be the precursor to the modern-day probation service. In 1907 this was turned into what we now know as probation orders and this year would see the first community sentences. One later, with the Prevention of Crime Act 1908, the borstal system was created, this act recognised that adults and children should be held separately – I was fortunate that the borstal system ended in 1983, I entered the system as a 14 year old in 1985, although they were then called Youth Custody Centres, I can assure you the old system and values were still alive – In 1919, jailers become known as prison officers for the first time. The practice of separate confinement, which was criticised for creating high levels of insanity among prisoners was abolished in 1922, a year which also saw 400 volunteer teachers begin working in prisons. In 1933 the first open prison opened at New Hall near Wakefield. Prison officers were slow in implementing reform, so in 1935 the first staff training began at Wakefield prison. The outbreak, and years, of the second world war would also see a rise of female prison officers. 1948 would see an act introduced that is the model for prisons today, the Criminal Justice Act which ended flogging, penal servitude and hard labour.

HMP Wormwood Scrubs was taken over by the War Department for the war effort during WW2, the prisoners shipped out to other prisons. The prison was then used as offices during the war, housing among others, members of MI5 and MI8.

Coming up in part 2, I look at penal life following the introduction of the 1948 Criminal Justice Act and what the map of our prisons looks like now. Before I go, here’s a video from British Pathé, showing various shots, with no sound, of the buildings of Dartmoor Prison in 1950.

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EXPLORE OUR ONLINE CHANNEL, BRITISH PATHÉ TV. IT’S FULL OF GREAT DOCUMENTARIES, FASCINATING INTERVIEWS, AND CLASSIC MOVIES. http://www.britishpathe.tv/

History of 'TIME' part 1. "in 1867 the 'Hougoumont' would be the last ship to leave these shores, she arrived in WA in January 1868. Between 1788 and 1868 over 800 ships carried more than 150,000 halfway around the world." To those that know and also, to those that don't, I should point out that my title is indeed a reference to Stephen Hawking's, 'A brief history of time'.

#Crime #Criminal justice system #Education #Justice Reform #Prison #Prison reform #Social reform

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jeddowneymusic-blog · 8 years ago

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Assimilate @ The Horns 2/1/17

Last night, I ventured out to Watford to catch some quality Metal at the hands of alternative metallers Assimilate. Hosted by Peter Curtis at The Horns every Monday, Oxygen is a showcase night for originals artists based around Hertfordshire and beyond and a great time to catch some interesting acts.

This show had been announced only two days before, and involved the original opening act cancelling at short notice. Unable to find a fitting act in time, this led to a contrast in genre between the two acts, but the difference wasn’t unwelcome, the turnout was fab and the show went on in style.

Opening the show for Assimilate were Midnight Trio, a three piece blues band from Watford comprised of Vocalist/Guitarist Alex White, Bassist Matt Dinnadge and Drummer Jono Pamplin. I had seen this band many times before, and they never fail to lose the interest of the audience. If you ever wish to see incredible musicianship, then this band is definitely for you. These guys can read each other like books, making every note feel spontaneous but always exactly where it needed to be, keeping the crowd captivated in the anticipation of the next stop or transition. Highlights of the set include such gems as their soulful, chilled out cover of The Four Seasons’ Beggin’ and original songs Untitled and In The Blue. If you see this band, always expect cheeky bass and drum fills, smoky lead vocals, soothing harmonies and some beautiful solos.

After a short break, Assimilate took to the stage. Made up of Vocalist Jake Aston, Jack Harvey and Chris Dixon on Guitar, Jack Cox on bass and Drummer Chris Rush, Assimilate still hold up to be one of the most insane local shows to attend. From Rush telling jokes to having a room of people sing and shout along to most of their own material, the band’s ability to keep the crowd in their palm is beautiful. Just a couple of weeks ago, they tore up the Horn in St Albans, with Jake climbing the bar and fans crowdsurfing and moshing consistently throughout the set. Although the awkward shaping of The Horns would seem to squash their explosive ways, they adapted to the size of stage and made the room feel massive, climbing on shoulders, monitors and the tables. Highlights of the set boast the original songs Nothing to Lose and All You Do, as well as their encore in the form of an amped up version of Pass Out by Tinie Tempah. If you see this band, expect roaring vocals, aggressive riffage, tight as nails bass and drum work and also a solid night out.

You can hear more of these bands here:

Assimilate: https://assimilate.bandcamp.com/

Midnight Trio: https://soundcloud.com/midnighttrio

Also, here’s a link to The Horns’ contact details if you fancy playing there:

http://www.thehornswatford.co.uk/index.php/music/want-to-play-here

On Saturday 7th January, I’ll be at the Green Door Store in Brighton, which will be celebrating its 6th birthday with acts such as TRAAMS, Gang, Fuoco, DITZ and Spill set to play, so expect a post about that soon!

#gig #band #The Horns #Watford #Assimilate #Midnight Trio #Oxygen #Metal #blues #music

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bookloversofbath · 4 years ago

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Mercer Chronometers: History, Maintenance & Repair :: Tony Mercer soon to be presented for sale on the outstanding BookLovers of Bath web site!

Ashbourne: Mayfield Books, 2003, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Contains: Black & white photographs; Diagrams; Tables; Frontispiece; Exploded drawings; Appendices [5];

From the cover: This book is a history of the firm of Thomas Mercer Ltd, which made chronometers, clocks, instruments and measuring equipment in London and St Albansfrom 1858 to 1984.

Thomas Mercer began as a watchmaker in Liverpool, but moved to Clerkenwell, London, the centre of the horological industry, where he began to manufacture marine chronometers. Initial success in the Kew Chronometer Trials led him to expand his business to St Albans, where the factory soon began to dominate chronometer manufacture, producing them for many other makers world-wide. As well as marine and survey chronometers, regulator clocks and precision timekeepers of many other types were produced, especially chronometer-controlled master clock systems for both cargo sh…

Very Good+ in Very Good+ Dust Wrapper.

239 pages. Index. Bibliography. 10″ x 7¾”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one, may I lure you to view a further assortment that features in my Horology catalogue?

Always buying books in the Bath & Bristol area…

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j howard jacobson jonathan cape 9780224101974

more than a game the story of crickets early years john major harperpress 9780007183647

quayside bristol the city and its port in recent years frank shipsides robert wall redcliffe press 1872971962

flora britannica the definitive new guide to wild flowers plants and trees richard mabey sinclair stevenson 18561937721

irek mukhamedov the authorised biography jeffery taylor fourth estate 185702074x

the opium eater selections from the autobiography thomas de quincey the cresset press

frank richards the chap behind the chums mary cadogan viking 0 670 81946 8

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Champions in Conflict The Bath Rugby Revolution Dick Tugwell Robson Books 1 86105 213 8

for fuhrer and fatherland ss murder and mayhem in wartime britain roderick de normann sutton publishing 0750912820

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#0-954-05253-6 #books written by tony mercer #chronometer balance design #chronometer maintenance #chronometer repair #first edition books #history of chronometers #history of thomas mercer #kullberg chronometers #watches repair

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mhsn033 · 4 years ago

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Coronavirus: ‘Mixed emotions’ as soft play gets green light

Image copyright DJ Jungles

Image caption Enhanced cleansing is below plan at DJ Jungles in Hemel Hempstead and St Albans

Soft play operators ranking told of their reduction at news they might be able to reopen – however notify they face a substantial process to build in contemporary safety measures.

The Authorities announced on Thursday that kid’s play centres can delivery their doors from Saturday.

But stringent measures along side pre-booking methods and contemporary air waft necessities mean it ought to be several weeks sooner than most are compliant.

At the very least 35 tender play firms ranking closed permanently as a result of lockdown.

“There might perhaps be going to be very strict protocols in predicament – this is not only a easy opening,” acknowledged Paul Kelly, chief executive of The British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions (BALPPA).

The foundations verbalize the first play frames must characteristic at 40 per cent capability to permit for social distancing, with overall capability inner centres dramatically reduced. Families will even ranking to guide their locations with enhanced cleansing to happen between classes.

“Quite quite a bit of this records turned into ideal chanced on this morning. I peaceable ponder we’re on a knife edge,” acknowledged Mr Kelly.

“There will seemingly be ample residence to social distance. The residence is there – it’s the utility of it that’s shared accountability between the operator and dad and mom.”

Image copyright DJ Jungles

Image caption Socially-distant tables in a position to welcome pre-booked families

Alastair Hick says it’d be some weeks sooner than he can reopen his branches of Hickory Dickorys Playhouse in Birmingham and Derby.

“We’re very elated it’s received the inexperienced gentle however I’m in a position to not imagine we ideal received 24 hours behold,” he acknowledged.

“Now we ranking received to implement a pre-booking plot with our restricted IT expertise, put in signage, guarantee our capability will seemingly be compliant as correctly as put collectively workers and kind PPE.

“All we are in a position to assemble is characteristic responsibly. But the ideal apprehension is that if the capability is at a level the build it’s simply not viable, then that’s going to be a subject. So it’s blended feelings, truly.”

Kevin Grubb, who runs Creativeness Avenue in Redditch, acknowledged he turned into “flabbergasted” when the news came thru gradual on Thursday.

He acknowledged he had lost £400,000 by being shut down since March.

Image copyright Creativeness Avenue

Image caption Kevin Grubb says he is in a position to digest the manager pointers sooner than reopening

“I turned into so skittish after I had a flash on my cell phone at 22: 45 last evening to voice that we are in a position to reopen,” he acknowledged.

“I’m exasperated for the employees, and I’m exasperated for the prospects. Now we ranking been ready goodbye for this. Now we ranking received plenty stuff in predicament already, however there’s more peaceable to assemble.”

Helen Whittington, of DJ Jungles in St Albans and Hemel Hempstead, acknowledged she hoped to reopen next week, with sanitiser stations, online bookings and enhanced cleansing routines.

She acknowledged there ranking been “enormous restrictions that ranking an impress on the substitute mannequin, however we are in a position to implement them to get delivery”.

Image copyright DJ Jungles

Image caption Helen Whittington is in a position to delivery next week

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cowboyking80-blog · 5 years ago

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How Nobility Created The Fly Fisherman

The Expert fly Fisherman to the Newby

Tell me, what was it that made you want to try fly fishing? Did you see someone fly fishing on a river as you drove by and found yourself intrigued by it? Were you bait fishing and watched the guy next to you catch twice the amount of fish on his fly rod than you with your bait? However you got into the sport it is important to understand what makes fly fishing such a unique way to catch fish. It is also important to know how much you will need to spend to enjoy the sport at its finest.

Fly fishing has been a sport for the wealthy and higher class since at least the 13th century when it is referenced in an article called, “The Treatyse of Fysshynge With an Angle”, published in the Book of St. Albans in 1496.

You as a fly fisherman may be able to explain the main reasons why fly fishing is so expensive, like the science that goes into the different types of fly rods and what types work best with what kind of fish or environment it is designed to fish in. But if you were shown the business side of the sport would the reasonings you give be relevant? As the sport has evolved many companies involved in the sell of fly fishing equipment have learned how best to make money for themselves. They have done this by making their equipment with cheaper quality materials. In turn this gives the appearance that the sport can be fairly affordable but there is something else that these companies do which makes them money. With their more expensive equipment, in an effort to keep life long customers, they implement a lifetime warranty which covers something if it breaks. They will simply replace that broken item for their customer without charging a single penny. They can afford this because of what they do with they cheaper equipment. They do not offer the same lifetime warranty with their cheaper equipment which is what makes them the most money. If something is broken, the company will not replace it without charging the customer the same price that the customer paid for the original item.

So tell me as a fly fisherman if you think this is fair.

This is fair for companies to practice. It gives the companies the means to experiment with better types of equipment or better materials that may be cheaper but work just as well. This helps the sport be kept among those who really respect it as a sport and not just a hoe hum hobby. If you want to practice the sport while saving money you have to have the right amount of money to begin with. That is a fairly high price but it is much better than the walmart mentality of spending a little amount of money over and over again on cheaper quality items that don’t last, which will add up to much more than what it would cost to buy and use the better quality equipment. You pay the $300 dollars now and get a lifetime of equipment rather than $50 dollars every time you want to go out and fly fish.

Because of the noblemen of the old days the group that practices the sport today is of the same class or mentality. It has never changed from then to now and the business behind the sport maintains this mentality with who they sell to and for how high they set the price. So keep improving the sport and finding ways to expand it to a much wider audience. The sport deserves the respect that the noblemen of the past had given it.

Environmentalist to Fly Fisherman

The history of Fly Fishing as a sport, which has been around for tens of centuries, has become a kind of mentality. To only catch the fish for the experience and then let it go to try to catch it another day. This is where the modern day acronym CPR (catch, picture, release) comes into play. Most fly fishermen in this modern time have adopted it in an effort to preserve the fish they so addimately go after for sport. There are many ways that fly fishing has helped save so many different species of fish throughout the world. The sport has helped bring an awareness to what happens if a river or lake is overfished. Regulations have been put into place to protect some species of fish in many places. But because many of these fly fisherman practice “CPR” those regulations should be viewed in a different way. Instead of these regulations preventing fisherman from taking to many fish the regulations should require fishermen to take the regulated amount of fish every time they go fishing or if they do catch any fish. When over practiced “CPR” can actually hurt a fish population. If too many fish live in a river there won’t be enough food, without enough food the fish will never grow to a healthy weight. That will make them small and less intriguing to catch. Many fish could even eventually die off and make the sport of fly fishing irrelevant. That is why the mentality of fly fishing for sport needs to change. If every fly fisherman kept their allowed amount of fish every time they went out onto the river it would really help the fish population stay healthy and strong. The sport is historic and popular throughout the world, which makes the mentality of “CPR” something that could affect many fish species around the world if practiced too heavily.

Fly fishing companies have fed this mentality with the different kinds of equipment that they sell. For example many flies are tied onto hooks without the barb at the sharp end of the hook. The barb is a part of the hook that is very effective in keeping the hook inside the mouth of the fish once it bites down on the hook. Though the barb makes it difficult to release the fish because it can keep the hook embedded in the fish’s mouth so effectively and that is why many flies are tied with barbless hooks. The barbless hook slips right out of the fish’s mouth so that you can get the fish back into the water with minimal damage to the fish, in turn helping the fish live longer. The barbless hook does not cost more than a barbed hook. If the barbless hook was more expensive or even taken off of the market that could force many fly fishermen to keep more fish than they otherwise would.

So rather than being the nobleman that releases the catch for another day try taking it home to enjoy it on the dinner table or in any other way. That way the fishing, as long as the regulations are followed, will continue to be well maintained and as good as it has always been or even better than ever before.

The Rich to the Poor

Why settle for something cheap when you can have great quality and a great experience when you pay a little more for something?

Going cheap is a great way to get started into something. It isn’t worth it to spend a fortune on something you’ve never done just to try it out. You can’t know if you like to do something until you’ve tried it. You save money and have an experience which you can build upon whether good or bad. But when you adopt the walmart mentality, buying then breaking the same product over and over again because it’s cheap and you can afford the low price every time, you could end up spending more money on the cheap stuff than you would have initially paid the one time for a higher quality item.

This applies to the fly fishing world more deeply than you would think. There are a lot of fly fishing companies out there who want to promote the sport and help it become more popular and to do that they build and sell fly fishing equipment for all price ranges. Take the Fly Rod for example, you could pay anywhere from $50 dollars to $5000 dollars. With that kind of price range it can be easy to say I’ll go with the cheaper option so that I don’t have to spend as much as a car is worth. But it really pays to do your research when you get into the sport.

The sport of fly fishing has been practiced for thousands of years. It can be referenced all the way back to at least the 13th century and with that history comes a lifelong mentality of the sport. The sport was mainly practiced by those of noble or wealthy stature in the world, which is why so much of the equipment has fancy names, and that has been maintained today through who fly fishing companies mainly target their product toward — the wealthy. But fly fishing companies, especially recently, have expanded their business to include those of all economic classes. This means that anyone can pick up the sport no matter how much money they have or don’t have. That is also where many of these same companies have learned how to make most of their money. With the wide variety of fly rods from cheap to expensive you get different benefits when you purchase some fly rods compared to others. If you do your research you will find that companies offer lifetime warranties for their more expensive fly rods but don’t offer that for their cheaper fly rods. This is where they make their money, if you buy a cheaper fly rod that doesn’t have the warranty you will have to buy a new one when it breaks. If you buy the expensive one and break it you can get another one of the same quality for no charge at all.

So don’t let those companies take your money. If you have to save up to get a fly rod with the lifetime warranty then bite the bullet and do it, otherwise buy the cheaper fly rod and you will learn how expensive that gets pretty quick.

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christinaepilzauthor-blog · 7 years ago

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Common Myths of the Wars of the Roses - Myth #3 - Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, the 'Kingmaker'? Part 2…

A month or two ago, after a bit of a rant on Facebook, I started a series of posts to explode a few of the pervasive myths which surround the Wars of the Roses.

Here's the second part of my exploration into the notion that Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, deserves the epithet of "kingmaker".

We have seen in Part 1 how Warwick's role in the events leading up to 1460 was that of a supporter of the Duke of York, but not one who was trying to unseat the lawful king, Henry VI. However, with the disastrous defeat at the battle of Wakefield in December 1460, the political landscape of England was changed utterly. As Christmas presents go, it was to say the least, disappointing for York's heir, Edward, Earl of March. The York-Neville alliance was in tatters and a new strategy was required. Now the decisions rested not with York and Salisbury but with their sons: Edward and Richard, Earl of Warwick.

Surely here then is the prime example of Warwick 'making' a king – but is it?

If Warwick himself had been writing the script, I have no doubt that it would have read thus:

The Earl of Warwick took the inexperienced 18 year old son of York under his wing and guided him to power. That Warwick believed this to be the case is almost certain, but that doesn't make it true.

The 'kingmaker' version of events does not match what actually happened.

Though Edward might not have succeeded in taking the throne, without Warwick's resources, the pivotal events of 1461 were driven by Edward, not by Warwick.

Warwick was important because he drew support for Edward and had enormous resources of men and money, but in 1461 it was young Edward who pulled the strings – both on and off the battlefield. The traditional historical view of Edward was that he was lazy and indecisive – another colossal myth bequeathed to us by the Victorians, but that's for another day! In fact, especially in his youth, Edward was very decisive indeed and it was his drive and energy which dictated the fast pace of events in the spring of 1461, whereas Warwick was very much on the back foot.

In February, whilst Queen Margaret headed for London with a large northern army, Edward destroyed Jasper and Owen Tudor's Lancastrian army in the west at Mortimer's Cross, before marching east to join Warwick. At the very same time, Warwick was making a complete pig's ear of his attempt to stop Margaret's advance on London.

The Earl of Warwick was not a great general – nor was he an especially lucky one. His chaotic performance at the second battle of St Albans could have destroyed the Yorkist cause. During the battle, he had no idea what was going on, with the result that most of his army was destroyed or fled. Then afterwards, he contrived to lose the one vital advantage he had which was possession of King Henry VI. Thus, when Warwick dragged the tattered remnant of his army to meet Edward at Chipping Norton, he brought very little to the table.

Edward IV, St Laurence's Church, Ludlow

This, I think, was the moment when young Edward realised that if he was going to be king, he could not rely upon Warwick to deliver the crown to him. Had Margaret decided to unleash her unruly army against London in February 1461 then she might well have secured the throne for her husband, Henry VI. Fortunately for Edward – and Warwick – she did not. Instead, almost inexplicably, she retreated northwards and allowed Edward to enter London in triumph.

In London, often supportive of his father, Edward could use the machinery of government and raise merchant loans to recruit another army with which he would later defeat the queen's forces at the bloody battle of Towton.

London was therefore vital and there is no doubt that it was Queen Margaret, not Warwick, who handed him the city and all its resources.

The vital occupation of London was thus achieved in spite of, not because of, Warwick's efforts.

Becoming king in 1461 was not about diplomacy, or having the right policies, it was about winning a bitter and bloody struggle on the field of battle. During his reign, as I have said, Edward IV is sometimes accused of lethargy but in 1461 it was his drive and fighting prowess which won the day.

Sometimes it's as well to step outside the cosy narrative of the history books and see the man as he was perceived by others. Edward was a natural leader and in the heat of battle men saw this giant of a youth – well over six feet tall – always in the forefront of the fight, hacking down his enemies with his fearsome poll axe. Warwick was a brave soldier and indeed fought bravely at Towton, but he could not outshine Edward. It was a truly terrible battle and the outcome was still in doubt quite late on in the day. It was the arrival of reinforcements from the Duke of Norfolk which turned the tide of battle in Edward's favour. So even then, victory owed little to Warwick.

Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, though he was very important to Edward's success, did not make Edward king in 1461; Edward did. Warwick was not a king maker.

The earl is rather like a competitor in BBC's The Apprentice claiming in the boardroom: "I negotiated that deal, or I got that special price, or I made that massive sale that won us the task."

Warwick 'talked a good game' and after the throne was won, he saw himself – perhaps rightly – as the man who should be the king's chief adviser. But in the next four or five years, events did not quite follow Warwick's plan. He hoped to be the guiding hand behind the crown and in his foreign diplomacy he projected exactly such an image.

One of the features of Edward's kingship, throughout his disjointed reign, is his willingness to give his enemies a second chance. In most cases, this worked well for him and ensured that his government eventually included many who had supported the old king. Though at times this generosity backfired, it did gain him the respect and support of many who had not previously been his allies.

How irritating must Warwick have found it in the 1460s to see his place of prominence being threatened by some who had actually fought against him?

Thus by 1469, Warwick was a very disgruntled nobleman who began to see that his own best interests might lie with an alternative to Edward IV.

But more of that in Part 3…

~~~~~~~~~~

Derek Birks was born in Hampshire in England but spent his teenage years in Auckland, New Zealand, where he still has strong family ties. For many years he taught history in a secondary school but took early retirement to concentrate on writing. Apart from his writing, he spends his time gardening, travelling, walking and taking part in archaeological digs at a Roman villa. Derek is interested in a wide range of historical themes but his particular favourite is the late medieval period. He writes action-packed fiction which is rooted in accurate history. His debut historical novel was Feud, which is set in the period of the Wars of the Roses. Feud is the first of a now complete four-book series, entitled Rebels & Brothers, which follows the fortunes of the fictional Elder family from 1459 to 1471. A new series, The Craft of Kings, picks up the story of the Elders in 1481 in its first book, Scars From The Past. Later this year, the violent events of 1483 are played out in the sequel, The Blood of Princes.

Website: www.derekbirks.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Feud_writer

Amazon author sites: amazon.co.uk; amazon.com

Hat Tip To: English Historical Fiction Authors

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dulwichdiverter · 7 years ago

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A night at the opera

Loretta Hopkins and David Fletcher launched the Dulwich Opera Company in 2014. They tell us more about the innovative idea

Words by Elizabeth Rust; Photo (c) Alex Brenner

Loretta Hopkins has the most beautifully clear speaking voice I’ve ever heard. She’s completely mesmerised me with its singsong quality as she explains why she and David Fletcher launched the Dulwich Opera Company in late 2014.

It’s a Tuesday night. Our original meeting place is overrun with medics from King’s College Hospital out for a drink, so David suggests the George Canning pub on Grove Lane.

There’s a table in the corner, just under a big screen showing the Twenty20 cricket. A Persian cat is draped across one of the four chairs. There’s the sound of clanking glasses from the bar, and regulars whoop and holler at the football on the other side of the room.

“Can you talk about opera here?” I ask them, thinking the noisy surroundings might not be conducive to conducting an interview. “Yes, of course,” Loretta says, without any sort of hesitation. She and David order a ginger beer, and sit down at the table.

This spirited, can-do, attitude remains a theme during our conversation. After all, Loretta and David started this company from scratch, explaining that they were frustrated with the lack of professional opportunities available to them after music college.

“There’s a gap between coming out of music college, when you’re trained up, and getting into opera companies,” Loretta says. “At the time we both had professional choral contracts, but it’s making the transition from a professional chorister to professional soloist that’s tricky.

“I think we just got so frustrated. I was travelling hours outside of London for work, costing me hundreds if not thousands of pounds, and it got to the point where we thought, ‘We can do this ourselves.’”

Loretta and David met while singing in the chorus at the summer festival in Opera Holland Park. They will have been married for one year in October and currently live in Camberwell.

Around the time they decided to launch the Dulwich Opera Company, they were introduced to All Saints Church in West Dulwich, which has its own flexible performing space.

It also has a real affinity with the local classical music scene, hosting such groups as the Dulwich Symphony Orchestra, Lambeth Orchestra and Bach to Baby concerts for young children.

To test the waters, Loretta and David organised an opera night at the church. They were amazed by how many people showed up for the concerts; especially when someone from the audience approached them after the concert and said they liked what they were doing and wanted to help support them financially.

This is how they funded their first concert, La bohème. Now 50 per cent of their funds come from private donors and the other 50 per cent from ticket sales.

“We are not rich philanthropists,” says Loretta. “We don’t have thousands of pounds to put into productions. It’s expensive to put on a concert, from hiring music directors to buying costumes. We really appreciate everyone’s support.”

In addition to professional development opportunities for up-and-coming opera singers, the Dulwich Opera Company also works with children from the local community.

For La bohème they worked with a group of 10 girls from St John’s Angell Town school in Brixton. The girls were the opera’s children’s choir. They had zero classical music training, and their only singing experience came from performing in the school’s gospel choir.

“They were amazing. They were practicing on the playground. They were real naturals,” Loretta says. Now they work with students at Herne Hill School and another in St Albans.

La bohème was a practical choice for their first opera. In addition to it being one of Puccini’s most loved operas, the characters are poor, which meant they didn’t have to spend a lot on expensive props or lavish costumes.

“We went to a market in east London where they were selling damaged clothes for a pound each,” David recalls. And when they needed a bookshelf, Loretta saw one in Camberwell sitting outside free for collection.

The opera ended up selling all 230 tickets. They even had to turn people away. “People came to us afterwards and said, ‘I’ve never been to an opera before. I loved it. I’m in emotional turmoil. Hearing that makes it all worth it,’” Loretta says.

Loretta and David came to opera later in life. Both sang as children, Loretta with her church choir and David as a boy treble, and both studied music at university. However, once they graduated they went into different professions – David, for example, trained as an accountant.

Then when they reached their late 20s, they decided they wanted to sing. Loretta took two years of courses at City Lit London before she gained admission to Birmingham Conservatoire.

As well as performing with the Dulwich Opera Company, she has also appeared as Lisa in The Queen of Spades with the Park Opera in Bracknell, Adina in L’elisir d’amore at Midland Opera in Birmingham and Micaëla in Carmen with Opera at Bearwood in Reading. David has sung in the chorus with Winslow Hall Opera, the Nederlandse Reisopera and Opera Holland Park.

Since La bohème, they’ve produced Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte and The Marriage of Figaro, Bizet’s Carmen and a couple of opera nights. They’ve all been performed at local venues without the intimidation of a central London opera house.

Carmen came about after they were approached by a charity that supplies hospital equipment to disadvantaged communities in Colombia. “We thought they wanted something low-key with a couple of opera singers,” Loretta says.

“But when we met them, they said, ‘Can we have an opera?’ And we said, ‘Sure, why not.’ Then they said, ‘Our base is Latino. Can we have Carmen?’ And we were like, ‘Of course!’”

But getting parts in the Dulwich Opera Company isn’t a guarantee, even for their friends. They hold auditions with a music panel for every part. And while they encourage people to write to them for auditions, they do make them aware that this is a serious opera company with a strict audition process.

Although the singers are at their level – people who have gone to music college and are making the leap to professional soloists – their music director makes the final decisions in the audition process.

“If established singers want to come and perform with us, we would absolutely welcome them,” Loretta says. “But we want it to be absolutely fair. We don’t make the final decisions about parts. Our music director does. We want the right person to get the role.”

Arranging rehearsal space can still be difficult. Currently they practice at a church in Camberwell, and use lots of Excel spreadsheets to keep everyone organised. But early on they made the mistake of booking two different rehearsal venues.

At the time they were using a chaise longue sofa for a scene, which didn’t fit into anyone’s car, so they had to carry it between venues. “After that I said, ‘Can’t we just have one rehearsal space?’” says Loretta.

They’ve also found the business side of running the company a “massive learning curve”, from gaining video editing skills to using social media and designing a website.

They did a crowdfunding campaign for the costumes for Carmen and ended up raising £3,560. But at any time they welcome volunteers, especially those who would be willing to look after the audience or artists at their concerts.

Ideally David and Loretta would like to run the company and sing in professional opera companies, but they are both aware of how challenging this might be. They hope that with the professional development opportunities that the Dulwich Opera Company is bringing, perhaps it may be possible.

But what would they choose to do, if they could perform any opera? In complete agreement, they say Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin sung in Russian. Loretta took Russian lessons at Birmingham, and ideally would love the role of Tatyana.

“It’s a very ambitious opera,” she says. “It’s doable. Probably quite expensive – we would have to bring someone in to do choreography – but we could do it.”

Having met this enthusiastic creative duo, I have no doubt they will make it happen.

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To hear about future performances, sign up to Dulwich Opera Company’s mailing list via their website, dulwichoperacompany.org.uk

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