#Loxley Valley

[baladan]

[shefeld]

Abandoned factory buildings

Loxley Valley, Sheffield

April 21

[lgbtqiahistoricalromance]

LGBTQIA+ Historical Romance Novels w/ Ghosts, Vampires, and Other Gothic Delights!

Graveyard Sparrow by Kayla Bashe (f/f)

Katriona Sparrow, dubbed the Mad Heiress by most of London’s upper class, is the deceptively fragile ward of a foreign nobleman. She can’t stand making small talk with strangers, but she’s unparalleled when it comes to deciphering the dead. On a routine investigation, though, something goes horribly wrong, leaving Katriona catatonic in an upscale hospital and a serial killer with an artistic bent stalking London’s most vulnerable.

Enter Anthea Garlant, a young witch and academic ostracized from polite society for traveling the world without a chaperone.

She devises magical accommodations to protect Katriona from the side effects of her abilities — but as she grows more and more attached to the other woman, her professional façade begins to slip. Will they be able to stop the man who turns beautiful dead women into works of art — the man who is closer to Katriona than anyone suspects?

In The Valley of the Earth by RR Pearl (The Watchers #1) The only thing more dangerous than their chemistry…is their enemies! Mild-mannered Xenoarcheologist Dr. Alec Coimhead and his best friend, Dr. Clemy Armistead, are certain that they have just found the ancient location of an apocryphal battle between demons and angels. Whisked away on a rollicking adventure, Alec finds himself under the watchful eye of Rafe, a taciturn mountain of a man with a mysterious past.

Working with the enigmatic Praesidium, which claims to have protected humanity for generations, Alec clashes with his ethereally handsome bodyguard. As the New Watchers pursue the rambunctious pair across the globe, Alec and Rafe will have to battle ancient terrors and mythical creatures come to life. Racing to the ancient tomb of a fallen angel, Alec and Rafe may lose it all - and each other - to save the world. The Watchers: In The Valleys Of The Earth is the first book in an MM Action Adventure paranormal romance series.

Heart of Stone by Johannes T. Evans

The year is 1764, and following a glowing recommendation from his last employer, Henry Coffey, vampire, takes on a new personal secretary: young Theophilus Essex. The man is quite unlike any secretary - or any man, for that matter - that Henry has ever met. — ‘Heart of Stone’ is a slowly unfolding period romance between a vampire and his inimitably devoted clerk: lushly depicted in flowing, lovingly appended prose, we follow the slow understanding these two men grasp of one another, and the cross of their two worlds into each other’s.

Henry Coffey, immortal and ever-oscillating between periods of delighted focus upon his current passion project, is charming, witty, and seems utterly incapable of closing his mouth for more than a few moments; in contrast, Theophilus Essex is quiet and keenly focused, adopting an ever-flat affect, but as time goes on, he relaxes in his employer’s presence.

Craving resounding intimacy but with an ever aware of the polite boundaries for their situation, Coffey and Essex perform a slow dance as they grow closer to one another, and find themselves entangled.

The Strange Case of the Big Sur Benefactor by Jess Faraday (f/f and m/m)

Billiwack, California, 1884. When translator Rosetta Stein comes across her rival, Bartholomew Vincent, under attack by weird, raven-headed man-beasts behind the infamous Puckered Rosebud Gentleman’s Club, she senses opportunity. She rescues him in exchange for a crack at the commission he stole from under her nosea strangely inscribed artifact found by Big Sur bigwig George Taylor Granville in the Santa Lucia mountains. Misfortune has stalked Vincent from the moment he took on the project, and he’s only too happy to share it. In the meantime, a lady marshal has come to Billiwack, investigating rumors of strange, unlicensed weapons, and she can’t seem to decide if she’d rather kiss Rosetta or arrest her. And Vincent is suffering romantic complications of his own, in the forms of Rosetta’s charming layabout brother, and an amorous professor who won’t take God, no! for an answer.

The Harvest Moon by Joshua Ian (Darkly Enchanted Romance #1)

England, 1834. On the night of a harvest moon, in the shadows of late autumn, Malcolm comes across a quaint village tucked away in the forest. It seems the perfect spot for a weary traveller to lay his head, and maybe find a little company. But there is dark magic afoot, and lots of local gossip swirls around the seductive titian-haired weaver, Daniel. All Malcolm seeks is a night’s pleasure. He never suspected he would have to worry about losing his life. Or his heart.

The Ghost of Hillcomb Hall by Joshua Ian (Darkly Enchanted #2)

England, 1910. Landscape designer Jonas Laurence arrives at the cheerless and fog enswathed Hillcomb Hall, home to the Earl of Stanley and his family, to renovate their crumbling gardens. With a great storm crashing all around, his time is at the mercy of the house’s odd and mysterious occupants. Captivated by the hauntingly attractive portrait of Lord Stanley’s ancestor, which constantly seems to watch and taunt him, Jonas’s dreams become weird and distressing. And his waking moments are consumed by the strange stories and weird atmosphere of the manor estate. Ghostly visits in the night leave Jonas no choice but to accept his attraction to the otherworldly spirit from the painting. But is this affaire de coeur real? Or it all just a trick of the mind, a sinister game being played by the inhabitants of Hillcomb Hall?

Kinship and Kindness (Paranormal Society Romance Book One) by Kara Jorgensen (transmac MC)

Bennett Reynard needs one thing: to speak to the Rougarou about starting a union for shifters in New York City before the delegation arrives. When his dirigible finally lands in Louisiana, he finds the Rougarou is gone and in his stead is his handsome son, Theo, who seems to care for everyone but himself. Hoping he can still petition the Rougarou, Bennett stays only to find he is growing dangerously close to Theo Bisclavret.

Theo Bisclavret thought he had finally come to terms with never being able to take his father’s place as the Rougarou, but with his father stuck in England and a delegation of werewolves arriving in town, Theo’s quiet life is thrown into chaos as he and his sister take over his duties. Assuming his father’s place has salted old wounds, but when a stranger arrives offering to help, Theo knows he can’t say no, even if Mr. Reynard makes him long for things he had sworn off years ago.

As rivals arrive to challenge Theo for power and destroy the life Bennett has built, they know they must face their greatest fears or risk losing all they have fought for. With secrets threatening to topple their worlds, can Theo and Bennett let down their walls before it’s too late?

The Death Under the Dark Arches by Selina Kray (Stoker and Bash #3) Sing a song of sixpence A stage full of fright One two-faced blackbird Won’t last the night

When a phantom presence lures Hieronymus Bash into a deadly game, threatening to kill one of the players at his beloved Gaiety Theater each day until famed actor Horace Beastly returns to the stage, London’s premier consulting detective is on the case. The trouble? Horace Beastly is Hiero’s alter ego and the true object of this murderous obsession. When the current star of the show is struck down, Hiero has to risk everything by stealing back the spotlight.

After a golden summer together, DI Tim Stoker would do everything in his power to protect the man he loves. But a specter from his own past proves an unexpected, and perhaps fatal, distraction.

Scheming prima donnas, grudge-fuelled critics, and an axe-wielding theater ghost are all out for blood. Will Hiero and Tim unmask this menace before the final curtain call, or are they past the point of no return?

Secrets of Milan by Edale Lane (The Night Flyer Trilogy #2) (f/f)

Some secrets are meant to stay hidden.

While Florentina as the Night Flyer searches for a mysterious underworld organization that has attempted to murder the woman she loves, Maddie struggles to deal with the danger Florentina is courting. Her brother, Alessandro, has become the most prominent merchant of Milan, but the Night Flyer uncovers a secret so shocking it could destroy them all.

Secrets of Milan is the second book in Edale Lane’s Night Flyer Trilogy, a tale of power, passion, and payback in Renaissance Italy.

The Gentleman Attraction: a short victorian mm paranormal romance by Connor Peterson

Emerson Mallory never mixes business and pleasure. His eyes might wander but he certainly wouldn’t risk his professional reputation over a tryst. Not even for a silver-haired scoundrel who clearly knows his way around a bedroom and makes his heart race with just one look.

When a flirtatious train ride turns into a weekend in close quarters, Bennet Clarke doesn’t agree that it would be best to leave their attraction at the door. He gave up worrying about human sensibilities the night he became a vampire centuries ago, and right now he wants more than one taste of Emerson’s charm and unnerving ability to see past his cavalier masks.

Their host has a few secrets of their own and a madcap plan that requires Emerson to enlist Bennet’s help. When the inevitable happens, Emerson begins to think that maybe Bennet’s way of looking at things isn’t so bad. Bennet, however, is faced with a dilemma. Keep up the ruse, or confess that Emerson has no idea who he’s gotten involved with.

Amidst the flurry of activity surrounding their host, the two men will have to keep their affair secret, plan a successful party, and decide if forever is too much to ask.

The Faerie Hounds of York by Arden Powell

England, 1810. The north is governed by a single rule. Faerie will take as it pleases.

William Loxley is cursed. A pale and monstrous creature haunts his dreams, luring him from London to the desolate, grey landscape of his forgotten childhood. There, it will use him to open a door to Faerie—a fate that will trap Loxley in that glittering, heathen otherworld forever.

His only hope of escaping the creature’s grasp lies with John Thorncress, a dark and windswept stranger met on the moors. The longer Loxley stays in Thorncress’ company, the harder it becomes to fight his attraction to the man. Such attraction can only end in heartbreak—or the noose.

But Thorncress has his own bleak ties to Faerie. They come creeping in with the frost, their howls carrying on the winter wind. If Thorncress’ past catches up with him before they can break the curse, then Loxley will not only lose his soul. He’ll lose Thorncress, too.

Best Laid Plaids by Ella Stainton (Kilty Pleasures #1) 

Scotland, 1928 Dr. Ainsley Graham is cultivating a reputation as an eccentric. Two years ago, he catastrophically ended his academic career by publicly claiming to talk to ghosts. When Joachim Cockburn, a WWI veteran studying the power of delusional thinking, arrives at his door, Ainsley quickly catalogues him as yet another tiresome Englishman determined to mock his life’s work. But Joachim is tenacious and openhearted, and Ainsley’s intrigued despite himself. He agrees to motor his handsome new friend around to Scotland’s most unmistakable hauntings. If he can convince Joachim, Ainsley might be able to win back his good name and then some. He knows he’s not crazy—he just needs someone else to know it, too.

Joachim is one thesis away from realizing his dream of becoming a psychology professor, and he’s not going to let anyone stop him, not even an enchanting ginger with a penchant for tartan and lewd jokes. But as the two travel across Scotland’s lovely—and definitely, definitely haunted—landscape, Joachim’s resolve starts to melt. And he’s beginning to think that an empty teaching post without the charming Dr. Graham would make a very poor consolation prize indeed…

Where There’s a Kilt, There’s a Way by Ella Stainton (Kilty Pleasures #2)

Sweden, 1930 Two years ago, Dr. Ainsley Graham proved the existence of ghosts, and fell in love–hard to top that. But a trip to Sweden to research at a prestigious University for the summer is nothing to sneeze at, especially since his partner, psychologist Joachim Cockburn, will be teaching alongside him. A change of scenery might be just the thing.

Their idyllic trip to Sweden is interrupted by a ghost with a proclivity for rude hand gestures and graphic curse words–and a ghastly history begging to be investigated. Life among the living is complicated, too, by a gruff professor who can’t take his eyes off Ainsley, and an enticing new job offer for Joachim. What starts as an adventurous trip abroad turns into mayhem, murder, and…a magical moose? And everyone–well, perhaps not the moose–is a suspect in the death of the ghostly young man who brings them

together to expose secrets, loves lost, and a crime that will shock them all. The Harp and the Sea by Lou Sylvre and Anne Barwell (Magic in the Isles #1) In 1605, Robbie Elliot—a Reiver and musician from the Scottish borders—nearly went to the gallows. The Witch of the Hermitage saved him with a ruse, but weeks later, she cursed him to an ethereal existence in the sea. He has seven chances to come alive, come ashore, and find true love. For over a century, Robbie’s been lost to that magic; six times love has failed. When he washes ashore on the Isle of Skye in 1745, he’s arrived at his last chance at love, his last chance at life.

Highland warrior Ian MacDonald came to Skye for loyalty and rebellion. He’s lost once at love, and stands as an outsider in his own clan. When Ian’s uncle and laird sends him to lonely Skye to hide and protect treasure meant for Bonnie Prince Charlie’s coffers, he resigns himself to a solitary life—his only companion the eternal sea. Lonely doldrums transform into romance and mystery when the tide brings beautiful Robbie Elliot and his broken harp ashore.

A curse dogs them, enemies hunt them, and war looms over their lives. Robbie and Ian will fight with love, will, and the sword. But without the help of magic and ancient gods, will it be enough to win them a future together?

Starcrossed by Allie Therin (Magic in Manhattan #2)

When everything they’ve built is threatened, only their bond remains… 1925 New York

Psychometric Rory Brodigan’s life hasn’t been the same since the day he met Arthur Kenzie. Arthur’s continued quest to contain supernatural relics that pose a threat to the world has captured Rory’s imagination—and his heart. But Arthur’s upper-class upbringing still leaves Rory worried that he’ll never measure up, especially when Arthur’s aristocratic ex arrives in New York. For Arthur, there’s only Rory. But keeping the man he’s fallen for safe is another matter altogether. When a group of ruthless paranormals throw the city into chaos, the two men’s strained relationship leaves Rory vulnerable to a monster from Arthur’s past.

With dark forces determined to tear them apart, Rory and Arthur will have to draw on every last bit of magic up their sleeves. And in the end, it’s the connection they’ve formed without magic that will be tested like never before.

Automata by Hayden Thorne (Curiosities #2)

A disastrous incident at a ball in St. Jude threatens to undo Alexej Sauveterre, and his protective adoptive family whisk him off to San Marco, a mythical and romantic city in the water. Born sickly, young Alexej has grown up resigned to the fact that only his family’s immense wealth makes him barely palatable to other gentlemen seeking partners.

The family’s sojourn in San Marco at first promises a much-needed distraction to Alexej when his older brother introduces him to an aristocratic inventor of automata as well as an old school friend who now tours the European continent as a classical pianist. Baseless hope and heartbreak, however, seem to follow Alexej everywhere.

Alexej’s fascination for automata and his hopeless infatuation with Briant Cousineau draw the attention of an entity from the otherworld, one that’s been wandering the globe for unwary souls to claim through cursed wishes. San Marco’s winged lion summons the city’s supernatural guardians in answer, and in the midst of glittering balls, magical clockwork puppets, and lonely dreams, a terrifying fight for Alexej’s soul darkens the streets of a fading city.

Extensive List from 2018 Even more for 2019

[brownhillsbob]

#365daysofbiking Windswept and happy:

Saturday March 27th 2021 – The long rides of summer are underway now, fittingly on the last day before British Summer Time starts.

The day was characterised by a very strong southwesterly, 

There was some sun from time to time as I and a friend headed up the A515 to Hoar Cross, Newborough and over Marchington Cliff to Woodroffes, the lonely church on the hill overlooking the Dove valley and Uttoxeter.

From there, down to Uttoxeter itself, along the cycleway to Doveridge and over Roston Common to Ellastone and that gorgeous bridge on the frontier.

From Ellastone, the weather turned grey and rain periodically joined the harsh wind. But it didn’t matter: Up over the Weaver Hills at dusk, down Star Bank into Oakamoor and along Red Road on the Churnet Valley floor by night, listening to owls and enjoying the oddly now warming air.

Home was via Bramshall, Loxley and Rugeley. A terrific ride of more than 80 miles that was totally enjoyable. Great to be back.

Interesting too was the Peli case we found chained to the guard rail by the Trent between Kings Bromley and Yoxall: An Environment Agency water quality monitor, it had sensors in the water, presumably monitoring particulate and runoff pollution from the demolition site of Rugeley Power Station. Great to see.

This journal is also on Wordpress, where the pictures are in higher resolution and the search box works! Click here.

[libertasrpg]

We welcome Stacie Roberts to the city. She’s 25 years old and is an elementary school gym teacher. Stacie is often mistaken for Britt Robertson. She’s open.

→ Background Information

While Stacie was always the more lively and sporty sister, that didn’t mean she was the most tomboyish. Stacie was just as girly as oldest sister Barbie. She was always far more active than the others though. When Stacie was younger, her teachers believed that Stacie might have had ADHD. It wasn’t that though. She just liked to keep up and busy. She’d much rather be outside playing than stuck inside on a computer, or drawing. Stacie knew she loved sports but she never had a single clue about what to do with her future. In fact, she didn’t apply for college until a week before applications closed. She had an emergency meeting with her school careers advisor who was worried she hadn’t decided what to do yet. As a last ditch attempt, they suggested that she consider becoming a gym teacher and the rest is history.

→ Living Situation

Barbara took the lead on the decoration of all the shared living space. She was after all, the one footing most of the bill. Stacie didn’t really mind. Some decorations were very loud and definitely things she wouldn’t have picked out. But she’s not gonna complain that much when it means she gets to live for a little bit cheaper. Stacie’s own personal space isn’t exactly the tidiest. She’s always so up, about and busy that she rarely has time to properly clean. Her laundry basket is never empty, and there’s always at least one pair of muddy sneakers lying around.

→ Relocation Explanation

Stacie had only just finished her final bit of training to become a teacher when Barbara started talking about moving away from Malibu. Then, Chelsea and Skipper both announced that they’d be going too. Not wanting to be left behind or left out, Stacie felt it made sense for her to go also. She had just finished with school now so the timing was all fine. Stacie was nervous about her first teaching job being in an entirely new city, but she enjoyed a challenge. Plus, the city is surrounded by valleys and hills and Stacie was excited about the thought of going on runs and exploring all of it.

→ Her Personality

The world will end the day that Stacie Roberts slows down. From the moment she was born, she’s always been on the go. She kept herself busy as a child with games. Then, as she grew older, moved over to play sports. It was never just one sport either. Stacie liked trying her hand at any and every single sport that she could. She likes to try and get other people involved in sports too. This means that she can often seem a bit obnoxious and pushy. A lot of people tend to be put off her for this reason. It comes from a good place though. She doesn’t mean it in a mean way - Stacie just likes the feeling of her heart beating hard, and taking part in a good team game with those she cares about. It’s her favorite way of bonding.

→ Her Qualities

Energetic, bubbly, outgoing

Regimented, loud, obnoxious

→ Her Relationships

Barbie, Skipper & Chelsea Roberts (Sisters): Stacie is definitely the heart of the sisters, the one that keeps them all going when bad things happen. There’s nothing she loves more than keeping the atmosphere upbeat. The sisters like to think of Stacie as their personal cheerleader because that’s essentially what she does for them.

Kenneth Carson (Acquaintance): Ken is far too much of a pretty boy for Stacie’s liking so she doesn’t understand the fascination with him. But, he’s a decent guy. He’s worked so much with Barbie that all the Roberts family know him now. Stacie in specific enjoys teasing him about his fitness and regularly challenging him to a push-up competition or arm wrestle.

→ Possible Connections

Ronald Mallory (Acquaintance): A new gym is a new gym. When Stacie first arrived, she wanted to make sure she knew everything about it and what all the best equipment once. This would have definitely meant spending time with a personal trainer, Ronald.

Cloe Mendoza (Acquaintance): Stacie likes to keep fit and tries to go to the gym at least twice a week. It’s not as much as others who visit, but it’s enough for her to become familiar with other gym regulars like Cloe.

Robin Loxley (Archery teacher): There’s no such thing as learning too many sports in Stacie’s eyes. Archery is a new one she’s trying out. It’s never something she thought she’d try out but after discovering there was someone at Libertas who taught it - Well, she just had to.

Stacie is based on Stacie Roberts from the Barbie franchise.

[paulrennie]

Things I Like • Vintage Stationery • early 1900s

I found this today. I can’t resist these kinds of folders, especially when they have this kind of lovely script-letter trademark on the front. The brand name is made up by combining the first part of economy with the word sign. That’s lovely. In addition, the cover has an embossed paper snake-skin finish...Perfect.

It get better, inside the folder holds a series of stencils for use in making the kind of price-point notices used in shops. These are probably not that old. But there is a cut-zinc stencil too. I have a few of those too.

It gets even better...

The inside cover has a label for the supplier of this folder and stencils. The label is for Loxley Brothers, Sheffield....

I’ve written about Loxley’s before. They were the printers of the accident prevention posters published by RoSPA. Here’s a short text about their history...

The firm of Loxley Brothers in Sheffield printed all RoSPA’s posters. This was entirely appropriate as the history of Loxley’s was closely associated with the Quaker and Yorkshire non-conformist traditions of enterprise and welfare. 

The firm celebrated its centenary in 1954 and this provided an opportunity to record the founding of the firm and its development. Mary Walton was the author of this history. The manuscript is held in Sheffield City Library.

The name of Loxley is closely associated with the Sheffield area. It is the name of one of the five streams whose flow define the geography of the city and that have facilitated the city’s early industrialisation. The Loxley is the most substantial of these streams and the northernmost. 

The family name derives from an association with the valley and with the village of Loxley that was situated at its heart. There were many Nonconformist communities around Sheffield and Loxley is recognised as a Quaker name.

The founders of the printing firm were Edward and William Loxley. Edward was born in 1821 and William in 1831. Edward is recorded as being out of indentures in 1842 and as having established himself as a compositor at an address in West St, Sheffield. After a short hiatus, he accepted William’s offer of a founding partnership in Loxley Brothers, as printers. 

The partnership was officially formed on the 14th October, 1854. The business was described as an enterprise comprising the activities of printer, bookseller and stationer. 

The brothers founded their firm in a specialised branch of the business printing trade – the making up of bespoke printed ledgers and order books. These were made by Loxley Brothers at their Atlas Works and presented to the public and to trade buyers in the office and showroom on Fargate in central Sheffield. The firm aimed to serve the expanding market of Sheffield-based enterprises and to provide these enterprises with the paper supplies required by the growing precision of business administration.

The label, above, shows the address of the Loxley Bothers showroom, in Fargate, Sheffield.

From the first, the firm was closely associated with employee welfare. In the 1860s this took the form of cricket matches between the works team and local opponents. The Atlas Works team was based at Bramhall Lane, Sheffield; now home of Sheffield United Football Club, but previously also home to Sheffield United Cricket Club. The cricket ground was opened in 1855. The Sheffield cricket club was instrumental in the formation of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, in 1863. Loxley Brothers played their part, through the formation, and support, of local leagues across South Yorkshire. The historical significance of Bramhall Lane in Yorkshire cricket was reflected, by the use of the ground, as a venue for county matches until 1973.

By the end of the 19th century Loxley Brothers were established as successful local printers. Succession, within the firm, was made more complex by the fact that Thomas, nephew of the founding brothers who had been groomed to take over the firm, died unexpectedly in 1909. Edward had retired prior to this and William, now in his 78th year resolved that the firm should pass out of family ownership. This was achieved in 1911 when the firm was sold to J W Hyde, F Siddall and Edward Widake. 

The new company retained the name of Loxley Brothers and resolved to expand into a regional, if not national printer, in the next phase of its activities. This process was begun by the acquisition of the Sheffield Independent Printers – a large general printing firm – and the appointment of J B Morrell, of York, as Chairman of the new firm.

Morrell was well known in Yorkshire as a director of Rowntree, the York based confectionery firm of Quaker origins. He was also an Alderman of the city and Lord Mayor. Morrell is credited with having turned Loxley Brothers onto a printing firm of national scale and reach.

It was Morrell who saw the possibilities of growing the Loxley business through expansion, acquisition and consolidation. He was also able, through his business connections to raise the necessary capital for this plan. So successful was he that he was still in the chair for the centenary celebrations of 1954. The years 1920 and 1921 were very active for Loxley Brothers. The firm purchased the printing firms of British Periodicals Ltd in 1921, the St Dunstan’s Press, the Cornish Press and the Garden City Press based in Letchworth.

The association with the Letchworth firm was both practical and symbolic. The Letchworth business was primarily a book printer and binding works. The firm’s location in Letchworth aligned the firm with the pioneering, Quaker, efforts at business reform. New employees were given a six-month training period and then, if successful, were taken on and given the status of owner-workers within the firm.

In the circumstances, it was entirely appropriate that the Loxley firm should also be represented within the garden-city movement conceptualised by Ebanezer Howard and Henrietta Barnett.

The firm also established offices in London in Fleet Street and, later, in Southwark. These metropolitan offices were part of the drive to turn Loxley into a nationally scaled printer.

The Loxley enterprise kept busy by a steady flow of flat printing, in colour, for Rowntree’s point-of-sale advertising and packaging. This work was the bedrock in relation to which the growth of the business could be projected. In 1921, all the printing operations were consolidated into the New Atlas Works at Aizelwood Road.

On December 6th 1923, a fire destroyed the new works. The company was able to survive by transferring work to its other sites and was able to use the disaster as an opportunity to re-equip Sheffield with the most up-to-date printing machines. 

By August 1925, the Aizelwood Road works were open for business and equipped with Crabtree offset-litho machines. It was these machines and their potential for the quick high-volume colour work that recommended Loxley Brothers to RoSPA during the 1930s and especially during WW2. By the end of the 1920’s Loxley Brothers own publicity described their activities as, specialised in catalogues, brochures, house magazines and general high-class letterpress work, litho printing in colour and labels, posters, show cards and general advertising.

This text forms part of my history of RoSPA posters book, published in 2016.

Here are a couple of previous posts about bits of old stationery that I liked

http://paulrennie.rennart.co.uk/post/138853823875/things-i-like-script-lettering

http://paulrennie.rennart.co.uk/post/161423429970/things-i-like-old-victorian-notebook-late-19c

[hmsexweekly]

Week 6

Grimshaw discuss a scarcely researched topic, the role of sound in creating perception of uncanniness (abstract). Although my HME is not uncanny, this knowledge would be useful in arousing fear and apprehension in my listener leading up to the terror. The author references another paper by Ball which analyses the Japanese film Ringu, and its American remake The Ring, in which the sound design creates the uncanny by defamiliarising a familiar sound through audio processing on the telephone ringing, while still largely retaining its recognisable characteristics. The paper continues to explore the concept of uncertainty, citing the likes of Chion and his term acousmatic, in which sounds with no visible source on screen creates mystery surrounding the sound’s source and its properties. In survival horror games, the “removal of causality“ (Grimshaw, p3) is displayed in the collapsing of the line between diegesis and the non-diegetic. It creates fear by having the player unsure of whether sounds are from the medium’s diegesis.

Ekman and Kajastila’s research shows that spacial cue is another parameter that can be manipulated to determine how terrifying a sound can be. Their results shows that a spread speaker configuration played from the back is perceived as the scariest in comparison to sounds played from the front and using point configurations (p5). This may be an evolutionary adaptation in which sounds from our blind spot with undefined source is perceived as detrimental to our survival. I hope to explore this through the use of 360 audio, however i am unsure as to how accurately the differentiation between point and spread can be recreated using headphones in comparison to speakers, where the directionality of sounds may be more accurately represented.

Sounds with random harmonic series are perceived to be more urgent to the human ears (Edworthy et al, 1991). Another discovery is that while sounds with onset and offset of <20ms are perceived as the most urgent, while sound sources with a slower onset/attack are perceived as more urgent than sounds that has a slow offset. This is theorised to be due to sounds with slow onset resembling objects approaching, while the latter is typical of objects moving away. This can be observed in many horror scores in the use of dissonance and atonality with voicing and extended technique, and with strings and various other sounds crescendoing to create a sense of approaching danger. An example is the slow onset bowing of the cello to portray the shark’s approaching presence in Jaws’ Main Title theme, shifting to brass instruments with short attack and release to maximise the sense of urgency.

Toprac’s research analyses various horror games and their methods of creating fear, which includes using sounds with ambiguous/unknown sources, the importance of timing and high-volume sounds to elicit fear, and using ambience and clutter to create suspense and realism which further immerse the players. These informs the approach to my project with using ambience to slowly shift the listener’s mood from neutral to negative valenced and suddenly high activation to create fear. The lack of visible source of sound using 360 audio also works to the advantage of creating uncertainty. This combination of fear and anxiety creates suspense (Toprac et al, 2011).

One issue the paper highlighted was that because players can adjust volume independently, sound designers can only decide how loud sounds are in relations to each other, and thus, is encouraged to have important sounds louder than the ambient soundscape to be heard. While loud sounds are used to evoke shock and fear, softer sounds are tools for immersion and mood-setting.

References

Ball, Sarah McKay. 2006. "The uncanny in Japanese and American horror film: Hideo Nakata's Ringu and Gore Verbinski's Ring."

Edworthy, Judy, Sarah Loxley, and Ian Dennis. 1991. "Improving auditory warning design: Relationship between warning sound parameters and perceived urgency."

Ekman, Inger, and Raine Kajastila. 2009. "Localization cues affect emotional judgments–results from a user study on scary sound." In Audio Engineering Society Conference: 35th International Conference: Audio for Games. Audio Engineering Society, 

Grimshaw, Mark Nicholas. 2009. "The audio Uncanny Valley: Sound, fear and the horror game."

Toprac, Paul, and Ahmed Abdel-Meguid. 2011. "Causing fear, suspense, and anxiety using sound design in computer games." In Game sound technology and player interaction: Concepts and developments, pp. 176-191.

Zanuck, Richard. D, and David Brown. 1975. Jaws. DVD. Directed by Steven Spielberg. United States: Universal Pictures

[stanningtonchoir]

Stannington Choirs New Home

Stannington Choirs New Home

In case you haven’t heard Stannington Mixed Choir has moved to a new location on the edge of Stannington at Underbank Unitarian Chapel. This is on the B6076 Stannington Road going towards Dungworth where it becomes Stopes Road. Our new location is just a few minutes walk from Stannington and set in the lovely countryside overlooking the Loxley valley towards Bradfield The map location can be…

[nova-lux-aeterna]

[faeblcssed-archive]

whether it be melodies that give you inspiration for your muse, or songs that get you into the writing mood—pick 5-10 songs you find give you the urge, the drive, or the creativity to write for your muse—then tag your favourite peeps to get an insight on their musical inspirational feels.

snowdrop       -     ilan eshkeri

instrumental .

legend of a girl child linda       -      donovan

a throne of white ivory, a gown of white lace , lies still in the magic of a timeless place .    /    if you follow the sunbeams through the valley of flowers , to the palace of the white queen with its white jade towers .    /    and they saw all the sadness , through the crystal wall , a princess lay a-sleeping so gentle and kind , whilst her prince took to battle with his confused mind .

daughter       -       sleeping at last

if only you knew , the sunlight shines a little brighter , the weight of the world's a little lighter , the stars lean in a little closer - all because of you .    /    if only you knew , the forests grew a little greener , the roots reach in a little deeper , the birds all sing a little sweeter , all to welcome you .    /    i want to see , your happily ever after , that you know in your heart that you matter , that you are royalty .

( they long to be ) close to you       -      carpenters

why do birds suddenly appear , every time you are near ? just like me , they long to be , close to you    /    why do stars fall down from the sky , every time you walk by ? just like me , they long to be , close to you    /    on the day that you were born the angels got together , and decided to create a dream come true . so they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue .

a princess       -     javier navarrete

instrumental .

the girl       -      city in colour

while i’m off chasing my own dreams , sailing around the world , please, know that i’m yours to keep , my beautiful girl .    /    you don’t ask for no diamond rings , no delicate string of pearls , thats why i wrote this song to sing , my beautiful girl .

over the rainbow       -     judy garland

somewhere over the rainbow , skies are blue , and the dreams that you dare to dream , really do some true....someday i’ll wish upon a star , and wake up where the clouds are far behind me    /    somewhere over the rainbow , blue birds fly , birds fly over the rainbow , why then , oh why can’t i ? if happy little blue birds fly over the rainbow , why , oh why can’t i ?

tagged by : @draculyr tagging : @darlingflight​  ,  @undomael​ , @lambloved​  ,  @edhelgund​  ,  @loxlei​ ,  @tharanduil​  ,  whoever else wants to do it !

[michellefitzgeraldcounsellor]

#BACKTOBILPIN SPREAD THE WORD - BILPIN IS OPEN! Bilpin, the Land of the Mountain Apple, suffered from raging bushfires up and down the Bells Line of Road over the peak Christmas period. Bilpin is a boutique tourism hot spot well known for its B&Bs, apple orchards, fruit picking, organic produce, ciders and open gardens. Just 90 minutes from Sydney, it is a great day trip or weekend away. Like many regions throughout Australia, the unforgiving Christmas fires hit right in the peak of the tourism season. Local small businesses now need our help. Hawkesbury City Councillor Sarah Richards along with Lionel Buckett from wollemi wilderness cabins, Michael Sperling from Bilpin Country Lodge, Bilpin and head of Blue Mountains Accommodation and Tourism Association, and residents Michael and Jane Hughes came together to workshop ideas to let tourists know it was safe to return. #BACKTOBILPIN was born! We are asking you to LIKE AND SHARE this page so we can get the word out to locals, Sydneysiders and tourists to come for a drive to Bilpin and visit our small businesses. #BACKTOBILPIN NEEDS YOUR HELP. Over the coming days and weeks, we will regularly feature local businesses and provide links to their pages. Together, we hope this small grassroots campaign can revitalise the Bilpin economy. Visit www.visitbilpin.com, www.visitbluemountains.com.au and www.discoverthehawkesbury.com.au to plan your day. Don't forget to use the hashtag #BACKTOBILPIN Bilpin Rural Fire Brigade Bilpin Fruit Bowl Bilpin Cider Co Bilpin Spring Orchard Bilpin Bush Honey The Pines Orchard Bilpin The Hive Berambing Hillbilly Cider Pine Crest Orchard, Bilpin Bilpin Country Lodge, Bilpin Love Cabins Wollemi Wilderness Cabins Archibald Hotel Kurrajong Heights The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah Hawkesbury Local Business Loxley on Bellbird Hill Lochiel House Chapel Hill Retreat Wildwood Garden Visit Blue Mountains Visit Bilpin New Apple Bar Maggie Lou's Bite Saliba Fruits Blue Mountains Attractions Visit Blue Mountains Our Hawkesbury Valley Kurrajong Bark Park and Cafe Blue Mountains Glow Worm Tours Secret Blue Mountains The Hawkesbury Gazette Hawkesbury N.S.W. Austr (at Bilpin, New South Wales, Australia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7W4aS9AymL/?igshid=axc7m6ibdr9o

[todayinhistory]

March 11th 1864: The Great Sheffield Flood

On this day in 1864, the Dale Dyke Dam in Sheffield broke, causing one of the largest floods in English history. 650 million gallons of water swept down Loxley Valley and through areas of Sheffield. The flood destroyed 800 homes and killed around 293 people, thus making it the largest man-made disaster to befall England, and one of the deadliest floods in history. Individual stories from the disaster are particularly tragic. For example, Joseph Dawson found the currents too strong and was unable to save both his wife and two day old baby boy - the Dawsons’ unnamed child became the first victim of the floods. The destruction afterwards led one observer to remark that Sheffield was “looking like a battlefield.” While this tragedy is often forgotten in English history, many Sheffielders take this day to remember what once happened to their city.

[jmorpc]

alternative places to set your roleplay (U.S edition), listed by state with populations. This will be a LONG post, so please make sure you are seated when reading. If you found this post helpful, or are in the rpc, please like/reblog.

USA:

Alabama;

Abbeville ( pop. 2,688 )

Addison ( pop. 758 )

Bayou La Batre ( pop. 2,600 )

Eufaula ( pop. 13,000 )

Fairhope ( pop. 17,000 )

Hackleburg ( pop. 1,494 )

Loxley ( pop. 1,632 )

Magnolia Springs ( pop. 770 )

Orange Beach ( pop. 5,700 )

Alaska;

Ambler ( pop. 258 )

Anchorage ( pop. 291,826 )

Barrow ( pop. 4,400 )

Cold Bay ( pop. 108 )

Ester ( pop. 2,422 )

Homer ( pop. 5,003 )

Hyder ( pop. 87 )

Kake ( pop. 550 )

Kodiak ( pop. 6,400 )

Palmer ( pop. 6,500 )

Petersburg ( pop. 2,900 )

Seldovia ( pop. 270 )

Whittier ( pop. 214 )

Wrangell ( pop. 2,400 )

Arizona;

Benson ( pop. 5,000 )

Eagar ( pop. 4,900 )

Globe ( pop. 7,400 )

Hayden ( pop. 662 )

Lake Hevasu ( pop. 53,000 )

Page ( pop. 7,247 )

Somerton ( pop. 15,000 )

Willcox ( pop. 3,600 )

Arkansas;

Bentonville ( pop. 40,000 )

Conway ( pop. 64,000 )

Cotter ( pop. 1,078 )

Earle ( pop. 2,414 )

Fairfield Bay ( pop. 2,300 )

Heber Springs ( pop. 7,200 )

Mena ( pop. 5,700 )

Mountain View ( pop. 2,900 )

Prairie Grove ( pop. 4,800 )

California;

Avalon ( pop. 3,800 )

Bakersfield ( pop. 365,000 )

Capitola ( pop. 10,000 )

Densmuir ( pop. 1,600 )

Fontana ( pop. 203,003 )

Laguna Beach ( pop. 23,000 )

Malibu ( pop. 13,000 )

Redding ( pop. 91,000 )

Santa Barbara ( pop. 90,000 )

Sausalito ( pop. 7,100 )

Colorado;

Breckenridge ( pop. 4,600 )

Grand Lake ( pop. 460 )

Greeley ( pop. 97,000 )

Palisade ( pop. 2,600 )

Steamboat Springs ( pop. 12,000 )

Vail ( pop. 5,300 )

Connecticut;

Chester ( pop. 3,800 )

Colebrook ( pop. 2,000 )

Danbury ( pop. 84,000 )

Litchfield ( pop. 1,200 )

Madison ( pop. 18,000 )

Mystic ( pop. 4,000 )

Niantic ( pop. 3,000)

Old Saybrook ( pop. 10,000 )

Waterbury ( pop. 109,676 )

Delaware;

Bethany Beach ( pop. 1,100 )

Dewey Beach ( pop. 360 )

Elsmere ( pop. 6,200 )

Fenwich Island ( pop. 400 )

Harrington ( pop. 3,700 )

Selbyville ( pop. 2,300 )

Florida;

Bristol ( pop. 987 )

Clearwater ( pop. 110,000 )

Crystal River ( pop. 3,100 )

Davenport ( pop. 3,011 )

Safety Harbour ( pop. 17,000 )

Stuart ( pop. 15,593 )

Georgia;

Brunswick ( pop. 16,000 )

Cumming ( pop. 5,100 )

Duluth ( pop. 28,000 )

Madison ( pop. 4,000 )

Perry ( pop. 15,000 )

Stockbridge ( pop. 28,000 )

St. Mary’s ( pop. 18,000 )

Taccoa ( pop. 8,400 )

Hawaii;

Hanalei ( pop. 470 )

Honolulu ( pop. 375,000 )

Kahuku ( pop. 2,600 )

Makaha ( pop. 8,300 )

Maunawili ( pop. 2,000 )

Pearl City ( pop. 48,000 )

Idaho;

Hailey ( pop. 8,000 )

Priest River ( pop. 1,700 )

Sandpoint ( pop. 7,600 )

Sun Valley ( pop. 1,400 )

St. Maries ( pop. 2,300 )

Weiser ( pop. 5,300 )

Illinois;

Champagne ( pop. 83,000 )

Lebanon ( pop. 4,400 )

Rockford ( pop. 150,000 )

Springfield ( pop. 120,000 )

Indiana;

Carmel ( pop. 86,000 )

Fishers ( pop. 84,000 )

Merom ( pop. 230 )

Nobelsville ( pop. 57,000 )

Oldenburg ( pop. 700 )

Williamsport ( pop. 1,900 )

Iowa;

Clear Lake ( pop. 7,700 )

Decorah ( pop. 8,127 )

Dubuque ( pop. 58,000 )

Dyersville ( pop. 4,100 )

Eldora ( pop. 2,700 )

Le Claire ( pop. 3,900 )

Pella ( pop. 10,344 )

Waterloo ( pop. 68,000 )

Kansas;

Atchison ( pop. 11,000 )

Hutchinson ( pop. 42,000 )

Manhattan ( pop. 56,000 )

Kentucky;

Burkesville ( pop. 1,500 )

Cadiz ( pop. 2,700 )

Elizabethtown ( pop. 30,000 )

Harrodsburg ( pop. 8,400 )

Jamestown ( pop. 1,792 )

Louisiana;

De Ridder ( pop. 11,000 )

Morgan City ( pop. 12,000 )

Shreveport ( pop. 200,000 )

St. Francisville ( pop. 1,700 )

Maine;

Bar Harbour ( pop. 5,200 )

Camden ( pop. 4,800 )

Cape Elizabeth ( pop. 9,000 )

Castine ( pop. 1,400 )

Falmouth ( pop. 11,000 )

Mount Desert ( pop. 2,100 )

Wiscasset ( pop. 3,700 )

Maryland;

Berlin ( pop. 4,600 )

Cecilton ( pop.670 )

Chesapeake City ( pop. 690 )

College Park ( pop. 31,000 )

Frederick ( pop. 67,000 )

North Beach ( pop. 2,000 )

St. Michaels ( pop. 1,000 )

Massachusetts;

Duxbury ( pop. 15,000 )

Hadley ( pop. 5,000 )

Lenox ( pop. 5,000 )

Lexington ( pop. 31,000 )

Rowe ( pop. 393 )

Michigan;

Harbour Springs ( pop. 1,200 )

Marquette ( pop. 21,000 )

Saugatuck ( pop. 390 )

South Haven ( pop. 4,400 )

Suttons Bay ( pop. 620 )

Troy ( pop. 83,000 )

Minnesota;

Detroit Lakes ( pop. 8,900 )

Lake City ( pop. 5,000 )

Northfield ( pop. 21,000 )

Red Wing ( pop. 17,000 )

Willmar ( pop. 20,000 )

Mississippi;

Brandon  ( pop. 22,000 )

Natchez ( pop. 16,000 )

New Albany ( pop. 8,500 )

Petal ( pop. 11,000 )

Woodville ( pop. 1,000 )

Missouri;

Carthage ( pop. 14,000 )

Glendale ( pop. 5,900 )

Hermann ( pop. 2,400 )

Rocheport ( pop. 240 )

Saint Charles ( pop. 68,000 )

West Plains ( pop. 12,000 )

Nebraska;

Fairbury ( pop. 3,900 )

Gretna ( pop. 5,600 )

Hastings ( pop. 25,000 )

Kearney ( pop. 32,000 )

Valentine ( pop. 2,500 )

Nevada;

Caliente ( pop. 1,200 )

Ely ( pop. 4,300 )

Genoa ( pop. 940 )

Lovelock ( pop. 2,000 )

Mesquite ( pop. 16,000 )

New Hampshire;

Hampton ( pop. 15,000 )

Hancock ( pop. 1,700 )

Littleton ( pop. 5,900 )

New London ( pop. 4,400 )

Portsmouth ( pop. 21,000 )

Sugarhill ( pop. 560 )

Sunapee ( pop. 3,400 )

New Jersey;

Clinton ( pop. 2,696 )

Collingswood ( pop. 13,850 )

Glen Rock ( pop. 11,838 )

Lambertville ( pop. 3,686 )

Maywood ( pop. 9,687 )

Spring Lake ( pop. 3,001 )

West Cape May ( pop. 1,020 )

New Mexico;

Alamo ( pop. 1,085 )

Corona ( pop. 172 )

Enchino Village ( pop. 82 )

San Jon ( pop. 216 )

New York;

Aurora ( pop. 778 )

Canadaigua ( pop. 10,000 )

Cold Spring ( pop. 1,992 )

Cooperstown ( pop. 1,834 )

Saranac Lake ( pop. 5,300 )

Skaneateles ( pop. 7,000 )

Woodstock ( pop. 6,000 )

North Carolina;

Bath ( pop. 240 )

Beaufort ( pop. 4,184 )

Hillsborough ( pop. 6,000 ) 

New Bern ( pop. 30,242 )

Saluda ( pop. 500 )

North Dakota;

Beulah ( pop. 3,300 )

Grafton ( pop. 4,300 )

Mandon ( pop. 20,000 )

New Salem ( pop. 910 )

Richardton ( pop. 520 )

Watford City ( pop. 3,000 )

Ohio;

Granville ( pop. 5,700 )

Marblehead ( pop. 890 )

Sandusky ( pop. 25,000)

Toledo ( pop. 280,000 )

Willoughby ( pop. 22,000 )

Oklahoma;

Ada ( pop. 17,000 )

Arcadia ( pop. 260 )

Carlton Landing ( pop. 56 )

Guthrie ( pop. 10,908 )

Lawton ( pop. 97,000 )

Pauls Valley ( pop. 6,000 )

Perry ( pop. 5,100 )

Oregon;

Ashland ( pop. 21,000 )

Florence ( pop. 8,500 )

Gardiner ( pop. 248 )

Nesika Beach ( pop. 500 )

Summer Lake ( pop. 500 )

Yachats ( pop. 760 )

Pennsylvania;

Baileyville ( pop. 201 )

Marklesburg ( pop. 204 )

New Hope ( pop. 2,500 )

Warren ( pop. 9,500 )

Rhode Island;

Jamestown ( pop. 5,400 )

New Shoreham ( pop. 1,000 )

Newport ( pop. 24,000 )

Richmond ( pop. 7,700 )

Warwick ( pop. 82,000 )

Wickford ( pop. unknown )

South Carolina;

Beaufort ( pop. 13,000 )

Camden ( pop. 7,000 )

Myrtle Beach ( pop. 29,000 )

Port Royal ( pop. 12,000 )

Sumter ( pop. 41,000 )

Walterboro ( pop. 5,300 )

South Dakota;

Brandon ( pop. 9,500 )

Chamberlain ( pop. 2,400 )

Kadoka ( pop. 690 )

Platte ( pop. 1,200 )

Spearfish ( pop. 11,000 )

Watertown ( pop. 22,000 )

Tennessee;

Erwin ( pop. 6,100 )

Gatlinburg ( pop. 4,100 )

Signal Mountain ( pop. 8,500 )

Townsend ( pop. 450 )

Wartrace ( pop. 650 )

Texas;

Brady ( pop. 5,000 )

Canton ( pop. 5,000 )

Jefferson ( pop. 2,055 )

San Augustine ( pop. 2,000 )

Uncertain ( pop. 94 )

Wimberley ( pop. 2,582 )

Utah;

Brigham City ( pop. 18,000 )

Cedar City ( pop. 29,000 )

Escalante ( pop. 780 )

Kaysville ( pop. 29,000 )

Manti ( pop. 3,300 )

Park City ( pop. 8,000 )

Vermont;

Cabot ( pop. 230 )

Dorset ( pop. 2,000 )

Killington ( pop. 810 )

Putney ( pop. 2,700 )

Rutland City ( pop. 17,000 )

Shelburne ( pop. 7,100 )

Stowe ( pop. 4,300 )

Vergennes ( pop. 2,600 )

Virginia;

Cape Charles ( pop. 990 )

Lexington ( pop. 7,200 )

Roanoke ( pop. 98,000 )

South Boston ( pop. 8,000 )

Staunton ( pop. 24,000 )

Winchester ( pop. 27,000 )

Washington;

Anacortes ( pop. 16,000 )

Gig Harbour ( pop. 7,800 )

La Conner ( pop. 910 )

Leavenworth ( pop. 2,000 )

Richland ( pop. 52,000 )

Roslyn ( pop. 900 ) 

Spokane ( pop. 210,000 )

West Virginia;

Bath ( pop. 610 )

Harpers Ferry ( pop. 290 )

Morgantown ( pop. 31,000 )

Sheperdstown ( pop. 2,100 )

Vienna ( pop. 11,000 )

Wisconsin;

Appleton ( pop. 74,000 )

Bayfield ( pop. 490 )

Eau Claire ( pop. 68,000 )

Green Bay ( pop. 100,000 )

Green Lake ( pop. 980 )

Lake Geneva ( pop. 7,700 )

Sturgeon Bay ( pop. 9,100 )

Wyoming;

Casper ( pop. 60,000 )

Evanston ( pop. 12,000 )

Newcastle ( pop. 3,500 )

Pinedale ( pop. 2,000 )

Ranchester ( pop. 920 )

Sheridan ( pop. 18,000 )

[adecablog]

Gov. Ivey Awards $18.7 Million to Help Improve Alabama Communities

Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded $18.7 million in grants for improvements in 58 Alabama communities. The funds from the Community Development Block Grant program will enable communities to provide water, improve roads and sewage systems, construct public community buildings and remove blight.

“Community Development Block Grants are vital to Alabama communities wanting to raise living standards and improve living conditions for their residents,” Ivey said. “I am pleased to award these grants, and I commend all those local leaders who, by seeking these grants, show they have their communities at heart.”

The competitive grants are awarded annually in several categories including county, large city, small city and community enhancement. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“As a former mayor, I know how valuable these grants are to communities and I also realize the time and effort that local leaders, planners and residents invest in obtaining funding,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA is pleased to have a role in this process that will benefit communities all across Alabama.”

Grants awarded and projects include:

North Alabama

Cullman (City) – $450,000 to provide sewer, water, drainage and street improvements in the Katherine Street area.

Guntersville – $450,000 to provide street and drainage improvements in the East Lake community.

Hackleburg – $85,000 to provide improvements along four streets, including widening and paving or sealing.

Hanceville – $250,000 to build a 2,500-square-foot senior center.

Leighton – $350,000 to provide water line improvements at several locations.

Scottsboro– $208,958 to demolish and clear 25 deteriorated and dilapidated structures throughout the city.

Town Creek – $350,000 to upgrade and repairs sections of the town’s sewer system.

North Central Alabama

Ashland– $350,000 to provide road and drainage improvements and water upgrades.

Blount County – $350,000 to improve three roads totaling eight miles north of Blountsville.

Childersburg– $450,000 to improve sewer services in the Coosa Court and Childersburg/Fayetteville Highway areas.

Clanton – $239,400 to demolish and clear 28 dilapidated and vacant houses.

Fayette County – $250,000 to improve water lines and provide road resurfacing in an area west of the town of Belk.

Heflin– $40,000 to help the city develop a plan that will assess needs and goals.

Marion County – $350,000 to provide public water service in the Bexar Church area.

Millport – $203,315 to upgrade one the town’s three water tanks serving 340 persons.

Oneonta – $450,000 to replace deteriorating sewer lines and collection system in an area involving sections of Hillcrest Circle and Underwood and Valley avenues.

Pell City – $450,000 to improve the efficiency of the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

Reform– $350,000 to renovate and repair various sections of the town’s sewer lines.

Steele – $189,977 to raze and remove 15 dilapidated structures throughout the town.

Sylacauga – $250,000 to demolish 11 dilapidated structures throughout the city.

Tuscaloosa County – $235,990 to provide public water service benefitting 63 residents in the Evanstown Road and Sid Davis Road areas.

Weaver – $122,628 to raze and clear 11 dilapidated and unsafe structures throughout the city.

South Central Alabama

Camp Hill – $350,000 for sewer improvements at the town’s wastewater plant.

Dallas County – $350,000 to supply public water service connections to residents in the Bogue Chitto community.

Hayneville – $349,601 to make improvements on sewer lines and wastewater treatment facility.

Forkland – $350,000 to upgrade water lines and improve two streets.

Greensboro– $350,000 to improve sewer lines.

Lanett – $250,000 to complete the final phase of a downtown revitalization project.

Marengo County – $350,000 to pave five roads.

Marion (City) – $450,000 to improve its wastewater treatment plant.

Millbrook – $250,000 to construct a new senior citizen center.

New Site – $177,460 to renovate its senior citizen center.

Perry County – $350,000 to provide public water services to 145 residents south of the city of Marion.

Randolph County – $350,000 to provide public water services to 78 residents along two county roads east of the city of Roanoke.

Tallapoosa County – $350,000 to provide public water services in a rural area near Dadeville.

Tallassee – $250,000 to demolish 27 vacant, abandoned and dilapidated structures throughout the city.

Valley – $450,000 to improve sewer services in the Langdale Mill Village area.

Southeast Alabama

Abbeville – $350,000 to provide full or partial rehabilitation of up to 27 houses in the Stegall Heights area.

Brundidge – $350,000 to improve water services and demolish 13 residential and commercial structures.

Clayhatchee– $127,288 to resurface a section of Providence Lane and improve drainage.

Dale County – $308,700 to provide public water to 42 households along Dale County Road 21 and Penny Point Road.

Geneva– $450,000 to improve drainage in a local neighborhood.

Gordon – $349,787 to provide water and sewer improvements at various locations within the city.

Goshen – $325,000 to upgrade the town’s water lines and improve water quality.

Kinston – $350,000 to rehabilitate up to 20 occupied houses and bring them up to compliance with the Southern Building Code.

Level Plains – $250,000 to provide street and drainage improvements along Faith Street and Phyllis Avenue.

Opp – $450,000 to provide sewer system line improvements along Dr. Martin Luther King Drive from Cannon Drive to Hardin Street.

Southwest Alabama

Brewton – $450,000 to renovate or replace dilapidated sewer lines along multiple streets.

Castleberry – $350,000 to replace aging and undersized water lines and improve streets in various sections of the town.

Chatom – $350,000 to rehabilitate sections of the town’s sewer lines and a lift station.

Choctaw County – $350,000 to resurface multiple roads in the northeast part of the county.

Flomaton – $201,115 to resurface several roads within the city to reduce safety hazards.

Loxley – $350,000 to replace aged and damaged sewer lines along the east part of town.

Monroeville – $450,000 to replace sewer lines along multiple streets on the west part of the city.

Pennington – $350,000 to resurface 5.5 miles of road in various locations within the city.

Repton – $350,000 to improve drainage and improve streets at various locations within the city.

Robertsdale – $450,000 to replace sewer lines and improve drainage at various locations.

Silas – $350,000 to improve drainage and resurface streets at several locations within the city.  

[nova-lux-aeterna]