#St Andrews first aid
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paisleyphotographs · 1 year ago
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Emergency Training at St Mirren Stadium
In recent weeks, the St. Mirren Stadium has become more than just a hub for football excitement. It has transformed into a vital training ground for emergency services, fostering collaboration and readiness in the face of potential crises. With Scottish Ambulance Support units, Scottish Fire and Rescue, and St. Andrews First Aid teams converging, the stadium has become a nucleus for honing…
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ruinedholograms · 7 months ago
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(2012)
• Tame Impala - Lonerism
• Purity Ring - Shrines
• Beach House - Bloom
• Julia Holter - Tragedy, and Ekstasis
• Oneohtrix Point Never - Rifts
• Grizzly Bear - Shields
• David Byrne + St. Vincent - Love This Giant
• Iamamiwhoami - Kin
• First Aid Kit - The Lion’s Roar
• Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
• Daniel Rossen - Silent Hour/Golden Mile
• Andy Stott - Luxury Problems
• Tim Hecker + Daniel Lopatin - Instrumental Tourist
• Four Tet - Pink
• Andrew Bird - Hands Of Glory
• Melodys Echo Chamber - Self Titled
• Björk - Biophilia Remixes (Death Grips)
• Foreign Body (Liz Harris) - Mirroring
• Demdike Stare - Elemental
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gingersnaptaff · 17 days ago
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Y Mab Darogan 1
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(Stained glass window depicting Cadwaladr and his flag in Llandaff Cathedral, Charles Powell, 1919)
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(King Arthur (top left), St Tewdrig, and St Cadwaladr, stained glass window in Llandaff Cathedral. Situated in the North Aisle, Charles Powell, 1919)
'The awen predicts they will make haste;
We shall have treasures, possessions, and peace
And broader leadership and lively leaders;
And after war, dwellings in every area;
Men fierce in fight-clamour, furious warriors,
Swift in attack, slow to leave defence-
Fighters that scatter foreigners as far as Caer Wair'
- the opening first lines of Armes Prydain
Something a bit different today but I thought I'd yell about ‘Y Mab Darogan’ or The Prophesied Son, who was seen as a messianic figure in Welsh literature and was appellated to four* (!) different lads (including King Arthur). This will be a long one so please have a snack and a drink at hand. You're gonna need ‘em.
Now, Y Mab Darogan as a concept first crops up in the 10th Century poem ‘Armes Prydain’ (The Prophecy of Britain) from the Book of Taliesin. Andrew Breeze postulated that the poem was written in about ‘940 AD.’ Taliesin’s status as ‘a seer’ write Gwyneth Lewis and Rowan Williams in their introduction to The Book of Taliesin: Poems of Warfare and Praise in an Enchanted Britain means that ‘it is not at all surprising’ to find a collection of Prophetic poems alongside the others within Llyfr Taliesin. ‘Its themes,’ Lewis and Williams further write, ‘are recycled in several later poems looking forward to a reunification of the British - usually Under the leadership of Gwynedd - and the advent of a heroic deliverer.’
It's a call for all Celtic nations (Welsh, Scots, Irish, Cornish, Britons, Manx) to come to arms against the Anglo-Saxon invaders - as can be seen in the lines 'long-haired champions, masters of war/ Will come from Ireland to drive out the Saxons.', 'Both loyal men will come from Alt Clud, / A resplendent army to drive them from Britain' 'A powerful host will come from Llydaw (Brittany),' 'Let the Cymry rise up, a war-like company' and 'On all sides shame will be the Saxons destiny' and, although it doesn't feature King Arthur proper it's writing kinda alludes to his death.
To zoom through some background, Hywel Dda (yes, he of Law fame) was seen as very much toeing the line to the Angles - who y'know were (and kinda still are) Wales’ traditional enemies. Now, for ol’ Hywel, this had meant that when Edward the Elder ruled over Wessex had had to cleave to him to ensure that Wales didn't get battered within an inch of its life as had all other Celtic nations in Britain (so the Gaels, the Picts, etc, etc). However, once he was out of the picture and his son, Athelstan, had taken over, an alliance of the kingdoms of the Strathclyde*, Dublin, and Scotland had all risen against him. In a break from tradition - y'know, the whole Men of the North business where it was acknowledged and expected that the Welsh would aid their compatriots - Hywel vehemently denied the three kingdoms’ aid leading to their defeat at the Battle of Brunanburh in 937.
Obviously, this pissed A LOT of Welsh lads off.
I mean, yeah, it'd piss me off too. if I expected a battle only to find out we weren't getting one cuz some lawmaker lad had to keep his neighbours happy I'd be LIVID. So this poem was written! No word if Hywel read it, but I imagine his Goodreads review would've been a firm one star.
In it, it refers to ‘Thus they'll avenge Garmon's* friends with force/ Four hundred and forty years on' and, according to the Annales Cambriae (my absolute beloved) in 537AD there was: ‘The Strife of Camlann, in which Arthur and Medraut perished; and there was plague in Britain and Ireland.’ which means ‘404 years’ after that is 941. Therefore, the poem is very much looking forward to the annihilation of the Saxons in 941 which kinda happened because Edmund had to accept a humiliating treaty at Leicester in 941, giving the north-east of England to the Viking leader Olaf Guthfrithson.
Also, the poem invokes two famous leaders - Conan of Brittany, and Cadwaladr ap Cadwallon of Gwynedd - in the line: 'Cynan and Cadwaladr, warlords in the armies' Cadwaladr is seen as hot shit - basically on par with Arthur as a ‘Great Deliver’ figure for the Welsh - and, somehow, the Welsh Dragon has become known as Cadwaladr's flag. Cadwaladr is also important because Henry VII (yeah, HIM) claimed descent from him. The hoped-for leader is seen as returning from exile - just as Cadwaladr is said to have done and Henry VII would later do once he'd hot-footed it to France to get aid - or arriving from over the sea - as Owain Lawgoch would later unsuccessfully attempt to do in the 1300’s - and ‘on their return they … overthrow corrupt or alien rulers within Wales, and rally other Welsh kingdoms to resistance and ultimate victory over the English.’
Now, as I previously alluded to, King Arthur is pretty much absent from the early corpus which makes up the ‘Mab Darogan’ legend. The ‘fierce resentment’ of the Armes Prydain makes no mention of him, and, therefore, we must look elsewhere.
We find it in the Gwyddelian composed Historia Brittonum. He's specifically indicated as fighting the Saxons (ons of the main tenets of the job, I think we'll all agree) and doing… okay. T. Charles Edwards states, ‘The victories of a Gwrthefyr, or an Arthur, might be glorious but they had no future,’ and, I think, it is this utter glory and utter ineffectualness that highlights the two main tenets of what makes you mab darogan, well, y mab darogan.
Arthur ‘echoes the achievements of Gwrthefyr’ in his chapter and so brings with it another key building block of y mab darogan. He is an echo of what has coms before and what will - hopefully, futilely - come again. A warrior will rise and lead through Britons - the Welsh, the natives of the land - to a brief taste of freedom before slipping away in a haze.
Furthermore, T. Charles Edwards states, ‘Perhaps the main concern of the author of Historia Brittonum is to encourage the Britons to come to terms with defeat of loss and territory.’ Arthur, like Macsen Wledig before him, is a rallying point for the Welsh. A flashpoint. Arthur is the ‘British Dux’ or warlord, the rebellious leader at will bring the Saxons to heel.
The legend of him being Y Mab Darogan amongst the Welsh is thought to have taken widespread hold after this. He's seen as a rallying cry for various rebellions and poets made use of his stature to advance various other disaffected Welshmen's causes. The Anglo-Norman text ‘The Description of England’ states that ‘openly they [the Welsh] go about saying,... / that in the end, they will have it all; / by means of Arthur, they will have it back... / They will call it Britain again’ So this would firmly put him in the bracket of The Welsh Lord and Saviour, kiss fuckin kiss. Furthermore, Daniel Helbert in his essay, ‘The Prophetic Hope in Twelfth Century Britain,’ states ‘at the close of the twelfth-century, the idea that King Arthur would return from the grave and lead his people to victory was not a new one,’ for the power and popularity of this legend both within Britain and on the continent as a whole (i.e. in Brittany where Arthur - and, later, Owain Lawgoch - is also seen as a somewhat Messianic figure in his own right) had an ‘allure’ to it. This suggests that, to me, the ‘Breton/Briton Hope’ was always a powerful sticking point in people's heads. Arthur had already left an indelible mark on culture, be it Welsh, Anglo-Norman, or otherwise, and people would use it in whatever ways suited them.
But I also must caution against believing this outright. *sigh* Arthur is Welsh*, yes. The building blocks of his myth are Welsh. I do not dispute that. However, O.J. Padel says that no contemporary Welsh source of a prophecy concerning Arthur's return to Britain has been found, and Charles T. Edwards further states: ‘Although the use of a Welsh battle-poem has been suspected, perhaps rightly no such source is likely … And if there was such a poem celebrating Arthur's battles, its date remains entirely uncertain.’ While there exists plenty of poetry on Arthur's ‘descendants’ as it were, Owain Lawgoch and Owain Glyndŵr, there is nothing particularly concrete for Artie and, furthermore, we must both rely on non-Welsh texts AND Henry VII's propaganda during the Wars of the Roses when he was challenging the Plantagenets for the English throne.
(Personally, Arthur just likes to be a tricksy bastard and I wish he'd CEASE AND DESIST. Bro, I went to ur fuckin Grotto in Corwen* when I was a kid. You OWE me.)
Conversely, Arthur has been used to legitimise the English’s rule over the native Britons. Edward I, after his conquest of Wales, used ‘Round Tables’ to celebrate and justify his conquest of Wales - one of many Big Kicks in the Teeth for us, ngl, other than letting the Prince of Wales be a baby because he only babbled*, and having the true last Princess of Wales, Gwenllian, be shut up in a monastery when she was a baby - and the consequent ‘reunification’ of Arthurian Britain. The Galfridian texts also were even used to justify Edward's claim over the Scottish throne - after the House of Dunkeld came to an untimely end with Margaret, the Maid of Norway's, death at sea when she was only 7 - as Arthur conquered Scotland. Geoffrey of Monmouth, I'm hitting your ghost over the head with a boot. One with iron toe caps. And smeared in dung. Arthur's use as a colonial tool by both the Normans’ and the Plantagenet dynasty cannot be overstated. To do so is a great disservice that doesn't do anybody - least of all the Celtic countries who had their great mythological king beaten into this oppressive tool to try and bring them to heel - any favours.
Aled Llion Jones writes in Darogan: Prophecy, Lament, and Absent Heroes in Medieval Literature that the imagined victory of y mab darogan represents a ‘return to a united, unified legendary state of organicism’ which was once conjured in a long-lost son called ‘Unbennaeth Prydain or ‘The Sovereignty of Britain. Furthermore, Brud and Brut (that's Prophecy and History for all you non-Welsh speakers out there) were near-homonyms in medieval Welsh and the Brut y Brenhinedd - ‘Chronicles of the King's,’ which are an adaptation of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae - was framed as being the story of how British lordship over Ynys Prydain had been gained, flourished, and lost to the Saxons. Prophecy, therefore, provided how it would ultimately be won back by those who would come after Arthur.
But, I mean, Wales would have to wait to find out who their next Mab Darogan would be. Next week: Owain Lawgoch's Hot Shit Tour of France: How he Became Y Mab Darogan, Fucked About in Guernsey and Got Assassinated When He Was Cutting His Hair.
Some notes!
*Garmon is St. Garmon the Gaulish Bishop who visited Britain in the first half of the fifth century
*You could make the case that Owain Gwynedd could be seen as Y Mab Darogan considering his various run-ins with the Normans. However, you could say that about The Lord Rhys also and, if we’re getting into the meat of it, neither of those two lads are even seen as having faulty alarm clocks. Or chillaxing beneath a mountain.
*Strathclyde wasn't incorporated into Scotland until the 11th Century when it was annexed into the Kingdom of Alba. It would still be known as Ystrad Clud at this time.) 
*Technically, Brythonic which is the forerunner to the Britons but, like, the language of the texts he is primarily featured in is Old Welsh. I know he's seen as an English figure but that's wrapped up on years and years of colonialism.
*That baby was later known as King Edward II whose reign was less than impressive, but extremely gay. Nice to see him committing to the Remarkable cosplay ngl. (Idk if he ever did that. I just think it's fun to imagine he did. Bet he was Lance.) 
*The Grotto was so fuckin fun. If I can dredge up a photo of the Red and White Dragon fighting then I'll fuckin slap it up because ooooh, baby, it was SO COOL. Also, they had an animatronic Arthur asleep under a mountain. ANYWAY.
*Myrddin/Merlin was also associated with prophecy in the early Welsh texts particularly those about the mab darogan.
Background Reading and Sources:
Land of My Father's by Gwynfor Evans
The History of Wales by J. Graham Jones
Wales: England's Colony? by Martin Johnes (A Banger.)
The Book of Taliesin by Gwyneth Lewis and Rowan Williams
The Arthur of the Welsh by Rachel Bromwich (T. Charles Edwards is included in it. Strongly recommend it.)
The Earliest Welsh Poems by Joseph Clancy
Arthur in Medieval Welsh Literature by O. J Padel
The Welsh Triads by Rachel Bromwich
Lastly a quick aside: this is my theory but it is entirely possible that Arthur disinterring Bendigeidfran's head in Branch 2 of the Mabinogi could be seen as him taking up the 'heroic deliverer' role from an earlier Celtic hero. Certainly, while his head remained buried at Gwynfryn (White Hill, speculated to be Tower Hill in London) 'no oppression would ever come from across the sea to this island while that head was in its hiding place.' Bendigeidfran, like Arthur, was seen as the High King of Britain, and there is certainly an echo of Arthur about him. Arthur, in a fit of hubris, disclosed the head of Bendigeidfran from its resting place because 'it did not seem right to him that this Island should be defended by the strength of anyone, but his own.' And this 'was known as one of the Three Unfortunate disclosures,' so the Mabinogion says.
I'm not an academic but it is perhaps something to think about.
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luckyricochet · 7 months ago
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Raw, Real, Red || Character Intro
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E I L I D H H A M I L T O N
I don’t really care what happens. If the Germans want to kill me, they can have at it. I can’t stand any of this any more. I feel horrible but I am horrible.
Split between her Anglo-Scottish parentage, Eilidh Hamilton has always had a foot in two countries, but life and the war have a way of choosing for her where she will be at any given time, whether she likes it or not. While her parents and brother aid the war effort from London, Eilidh remains relatively isolated in St Andrews as her grandmother's sole caretaker. Eilidh’s dual identity has never bothered her before, but it means that when she finds herself adrift from both of the places to which she belonged, she can't help but feel twice as unmoored.
Notes below the cut
All right, just right off the bat: Eilidh is a Scottish Gaelic name and pronounced AY-lee (though the first syllable can soften in Scottish accents so it sounds more like EH-lee/Ellie, listen here.) Was it a common name in 1920s Britain? No, but I was determined she would have a Scottish name and it’s one of my favorites.
When I was toying with the idea of this character, I initially conceived her as either English or American. My best friend thought that since I did my undergrad studies in Scotland I'd be able to write a British perspective convincingly, and then I thought, if that's the case then the character should really be Scottish, not English. And thus Eilidh was born, albeit with English blood as well to make her appearance at Thorpe Abbotts a little easier to explain. Although I'm not Scottish myself, I have a lot of fondness for the country as a result of the time I've spent there and feel like I am putting a lot of myself in Eilidh when I write about her sentiments about Scotland—and so at the risk of making her a self-insert, I had to have her be an alumna of my university, the University of St Andrews, and live in the town too. It can be seen in the top left photo, which I took from the top of St Rule’s Tower.
FC: Hannah Dodd
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cruger2984 · 1 year ago
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THE DESCRIPTION OF OUR LADY OF PROMPT SUCCOR The Patroness of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana Feast Day: January 8
The French Ursuline nuns first arrived in Louisiana in 1727. The nuns established a convent and founded what is the oldest school for girls in the territory of the modern-day U.S., Ursuline Academy, which educated the children of European colonists, Native Americans, and those of the local Creole people, slave or free. The Spanish sisters came to assist the growing school in 1763 after Louisiana fell under Spanish control.
In 1800, the territory came back under French possession, and in 1803, most of the sisters, fearing the anti-clerical sentiment of the French Revolution, fled to Havana, Cuba. When Louisiana passed into the control of the United States, the sisters sent the President a letter asking if their property rights would be honored by the new government.
Short of teachers, Mother Saint Andre Madier requested sisters from France to come to America to aid the struggling convent. She wrote to her cousin, Mother Saint Michel Gensoul, who was running a Catholic girls boarding school in France at the time. The Catholic Church was suffering the wrath of the revolution under Napoleon. Mother Saint Michel, knowing that the Church was in distress in both her homeland and abroad, approached Bishop Fournier of Montpelier to request a transfer. Bishop Fournier felt unable to afford the loss of another nun, as many had been killed or fled during the revolution, and advised Mother St. Michel that only the Pope could give this authorization.
Pope Pius VII was a prisoner of Napoleon at the time, and Mother St. Michel knew the unlikelihood of the Pope even receiving her letter. She prayed before a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and said: "O most Holy Virgin Mary, if you obtain for me a prompt and favorable answer to this letter, I promise to have you honored at New Orleans under the title of Our Lady of Prompt Succor."
Sending her petition on March 19, 1809, Mother St. Michel received a letter from the Pope Pius VII granting her request on April 29, 1809. Mother St. Michel commissioned a statue of the Virgin Mary holding the Infant Jesus. The workman carved her flowing robes so that she would appear to be moving quickly. Bishop Fournier blessed the statue and Mother St. Michel's work.
Many miracles have been attributed to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Prompt Succor. Two historical events are especially associated with the Virgin. The first occurred in 1812 during the eruption of a great fire in New Orleans devastating the Vieux Carré. The Ursuline convent was facing imminent destruction as the winds blew the terrible fire toward the Plaza de Armas.
An order was given to evacuate the convent, however at that moment, a nun named Sr. St. Anthony (Marthe Delatre, daughter of Antoine Delatre) placed a small statue of Our Lady of Prompt Succor on a window seat and Mother St. Michel began to pray aloud, "Our Lady of Prompt Succor, we are lost unless you hasten to our aid!"
The second major miracle occurred in 1815, three years after the disastrous fire. General Andrew Jackson's 6,000 American troops faced 15,000 British soldiers on the plains of Chalmette. On the eve of the Battle of New Orleans, New Orleans residents joined the Ursuline sisters at their convent in the French Quarter to pray throughout the night, imploring the help of Our Lady of Prompt Succor.
On the morning of January 8, the Very Rev. William Dubourg, Vicar General, offered Mass at the altar on which the statue of Our Lady of Prompt Succor had been placed. Cannon fire could be heard from the chapel. The Prioress of the Ursuline convent, Mother Ste. Marie Olivier de Vezin, made a vow to have a Mass of Thanksgiving sung annually should the American forces win. At the very moment of communion, a courier ran into the chapel to inform all those present that the British had been defeated. They had become confused by a fog and wandered into a swamp.
The Mass ended with the singing of the Te Deum, and an annual Mass of Thanksgiving has been held January 8 ever since.
Pious believers of New Orleans pray before the statue of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, asking for her intercession whenever a hurricane threatens the city. During hurricane season, prayers are said at every Mass in the city during the Prayers of the Faithful requesting Our Lady of Prompt Succor's intercession and protection. After Hurricane Katrina, prayers were made to Our Lady of Prompt Succor asking for the quick recovery of the damaged city and surrounding area.
On June 13, 1928 - the feast of St. Anthony of Padua, Pope Pius XI declared the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Prompt Succor as the Patroness of Louisiana.
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scotianostra · 1 year ago
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On January 23rd 1570 James Stewart, the Regent Moray on the abdication of Mary Queen of Scots, was murdered in Linlithgow.
The assassination by James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh was the first known assassination with a firearm.
Scotland at the time, like much of Europe, was in the depths of a very divisive period, racked by deep religious and political divisions. While James Stewart was a popular Regent with many Scots Queen Mary’s supporters were seeking to undermine his rule, and following the Regent’s reprisals against one of the opposing clans, the Hamiltons, members of the Hamilton Clan decided to kill Moray.
James Hamiltonbegan to stalk theEarl of Moray in late 1569, following him from town to town awaiting an opportunity. Hamilton trailed the Regent across much of Northern England and the Borders and through Perth, Glasgow and Stirling, finally finding his perfect opportunity at Linlithgow on 23rd January 1570 he shot him from a balcony overlooking the street.
After a desperate ride, closely pursued by the Regent's men, Hamilton made it to the safety of his triumphant kin in Hamilton According to Moray's contemporary George Buchanan, the getaway horse was provided by Lord John Hamilton, Abbot of Arbroath. Buchanan wrote that the fatal shot also killed the horse of one of Moray's companions. Regent Moray dismounted, wounded below his navel, walked to his lodging and died the same day at Linlithgow Palace in the hour before midnight.
The incident was described in the contemporary diary of Robert Birrell, second mention of the week for the Edinburgh Burgess.
'The Earl of Moray, the Good Regent, was slain in Linlithgow by James Hamilton of Bothwell-haugh, who shot the said Regent with a gun out at ane window, and presently thereafter fled out at the back, and leapt on a very good horse, which the Hamiltons had ready waiting for him; and, being followed speedily, after that spur and wand had failed him, he drew forth his dagger, and struck his horse behind; whilk causit the horse to leap a very broad stank; by whilk means he escaped.'
The 17th-century historian David Calderwood described the shot as such:
"with a hacquebut, through a tirleis window (shuttered), from a stair whereupon were hunge sheets to drie, but in truthe, to hide the smooke, and make the place the lesse suspected'
Hamilton left the country and went to France where he offered his services to the Guise family, kinsmen of Mary. He was asked to assassinate Gaspard II de Coligny, however he refused, stating that a man of honour was entitled to settle his own quarrels, but not to murder for others.
Hamilton's uncle, the Archbishop of St. Andrews, was captured at Dumbarton and tried and convicted of "art and part" in the Regent's killing. He was hanged at Stirling in April 1571, I hope to pick up on this in a few months for a post about him.
At least two of Bothwellhaugh's letters home were intercepted and kept by the English Secretary of State William Cecil. One letter asked a servant of Mary Queen of Scots to send him financial aid because he had lost "all he had to live on for her Majesty's service." Another, written after the Archbishop's death tells younger brother David Hamilton that he is sending to him with their brother, John Provost of Bothwell, his long guns, pistols and a bulletproof breastplate.
The Hamilton family were declared rebels in October 1579 by the Parliament of Scotland following the capture of their strongholds at Hamilton and Draffen in May. On 21st October 1579 and 10th November, the parliament heard a narrative of the Regent's murder. James Hamilton was called "of Woodhouslee" and "of Woodhouslee alias Bothwellhaugh" in the record. He was said to have shot Regent Moray twice in the belly and navel on 23rd January 1570, with a gun loaded with two lead balls. By his flight to France he had taken responsibility for the treason and murder.
The parliamentary account was derived from the testimony of Arthur Hamilton of Myreton (or Merington), Captain of Hamilton, who was executed in Stirling for his part in the murder on 30th May 1579. James Hamilton's brother Arthur, who was said to have held James's stirrup at Linlithgow (for the getaway) was questioned at Stirling in May 1579, but several lords spoke for his life to be saved.
Four other Hamiltons were accused of directly participating in the Linlithgow murder at the assize at Stirling in May 1579, including, David Hamilton, son of Hamilton of Mirington, laird of Sillerton, they denied the charge but were imprisoned. The main perpetrator, James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, was still in France: in the letters of the English ambassador Lord Cobham his title was spelled "Bodilaugh", perhaps an indication of how the name was said.
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galarian-weezing-on-prep · 4 months ago
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love and respect to my fellow sex workers both former and current who had normal introductions to the industry
my introduction sounds made up
i was at a leather bar and the guy who wanted to demo single-tailing couldn't get anyone on the st. andrew's cross to stay there for more than 30 seconds and i was like 🙋‍♂️ hey buddy you know i can handle stingy pain, put me in coach
and so i got whipped for like a solid ten minutes with intermittent makeouts until i came lol
back was a mess of blood and i was at the side getting some first aid to prevent infection and cleaned up and whatever and an agent walked up and handed me a card and said, "You put on a really great show! Have you ever thought about erotic modelling and performance?"
and that was how i became a sex worker
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houseofbrat · 1 year ago
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Well, well, well...
I knew there were public relations games at hand once Roya Nikkhah wrote this:
“The country is struggling on so many fronts and big changes within the monarchy might not chime well with the times. I think Charles realises that the main changemaker will be William, who will have more licence to do it [as monarch] and Charles has decided to be the ‘steady-as-we-go’ monarch, providing the stability and continuity the country needs now.”
Because five days later, the Daily Mail had an article regarding how 20% of the staff is going to be on the chopping block.
'There is a real feeling that the staffing at all the palaces is too heavy,’ said one insider. 'There are far too many assistants to assistants. The King and Queen would prefer to pay people proper wages top to bottom but have less people. 'For instance, there are chefs for them and chefs for the staff. Why, they ask, can’t there be one lot of kitchen staff for everyone?’
The King and Queen eating food made by the same chefs as the ones that fix food for the plebes! Hey, even "frugal" Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip didn't do that! That is nothing to sneeze at. Eliminating TWENTY PERCENT of staff is a huge change of how things work behind the scenes in the monarchy.
However, for some reason, the BRF needs to project "stability" right now. As if they are not under siege from outside forces. Or internal problems.
It's already been established that they know there is a coming shit storm regarding Andrew. Then, naturally, there is the continuing Harry problem. No surprises there.
Why would they be worried about more problems? Was there some kind of preventable problem/scandal that most people don't know about? Or didn't know about?
Gee, it doesn't have anything to do with Gordon Rayner's creative writing project from 22 August, does it? You know, the one where "Kate is keen to do more." She's still going to work, you know? You didn't forget that did you? She's not some kind of loose canon that needs to be reined in by the King and Queen. Oh, no siree! She tells people in advance what she's doing. The peeps at the top are always aware!
She and her husband will always follow the directions of the sovereign! We know because that's why William was seen driving Andrew to church two weeks ago, regardless of William's "well-known hostility" to Andrew.
Now the plan is to say that they didn't want Kate's pregnancy--you know, the magical pregnancy that hardly anyone noticed--to distract from the coronation festivities. That Will & Kate didn't want to detract from the King's first year on the throne. That they didn't want to take away from everyone remembering the late Queen Elizabeth II. (Cue the PR shield that is the late QEII!) That the new princess won't stop Kate from fulfilling her duties in the short term. Because she's all about the "work," y'all!
That's why Russell Myers got the exclusive news that Will & Kate were going be at St. David's Cathedral in Wales to remember QEII on Friday. (KP didn't announce it; it was a strategic leak.) Just like Will & Kate will be attending more than one rugby game this year. They attended the Rugby World Cup in France separately, so that one parent can be at home with the new baby at all times. They are working parents, y'all! Don't you forget that they are working hard, just like everyone else in the UK! These are tough times in the UK. The heir to the throne and his wife work, work, work, work! That's what they are known for, right? "Work."
Roya Nikkhah's latest puff piece comes as no surprise to me today. Complete with an "aide" commenting about how William's "focus is always on getting on with the job and focusing on his work.” Because as the "aides" say William is “very keen” to work. William is a workaholic now, y'all! Don't forget that this article is basically straight from Kensington Palace given that an "aide" was quoted/mentioned FOUR times! (I do wonder what pr firm they hired to come up with this "work" strategy. Same pr firm that they'll use later this year when this "work" strategy doesn't completely pan out?)
Kate just made the comment, “I’ve been there and done that,” because she didn't want to detract from the coronation festivities. Just like she may or may not have drunk champagne at polo. (It was just photo assumption by lazy journalists & die-hard fans! LOL!!) She didn't look pregnant at Wimbledon because The King ordered her to just slay looks while wearing green! Because Kate is all about "getting on with the job!"
I'm sure no one with half a brain will remember that babies take nine months to gestate. Or that Kate has pictures from three other pregnancies that they can compare to 2023.
I'm sure there will be no upcoming problems for Will or Kate in the UK press regarding the nation's new princess. It's not as if the UK press wants to write about controversy! (Or the basement baby!)
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perfectlypreservedpie · 1 year ago
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I got tagged by @boarix and @atombonniebaby to do the music tag so here is my taste!! I have a lot of repeat artists lolol. This was fun thank you for tagging me! <3 <3
P - Palomino - First Aid Kit
E - exile - Taylor Swift 
R - River Crossing - Carter Burwell
F - Far Away - Junip
E - End of Line - Daft Punk
C - California - Joni Mitchell
T - Timber Hearth - Andrew Prahlow
L - Light My Love - Greta Van Fleet
Y - Yellow - Coldplay
P - Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae
R - Roslyn - Bon Iver, St. Vincent
E - Emmylou - First Aid Kit 
S - Second Chances - Gregory Alan Isakov
E - Eat Your Young - Hozier
R - Right where you left me - Taylor Swift 
V - Voulez-Vous - ABBA
E - Eyes on Fire - Blue Foundation 
D - Dead Man’s Hand - Lord Huron
P - peace - Taylor Swift
I - Into the Mystic - Van Morrison 
E - Ends of the Earth - Lord Huron
I'm tagging @nukacoola @rad-roche @druidgroves @hubflower-wine @oasis-of-words @theartofblossoming @voidbirb @portergage @irish-dancing-queen @watchyourdigits @lyriumrain @themojaveexpress @edaworks @twosides--samecoin @sirmanmister @murderboner420 @adventuresofmeghatron @acorncoffeeformysweetheart
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hrh-henrywales · 2 years ago
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About Henry:
There is no fate but the one you make for yourself.
And then there is also the fate you are born into.
There was no mistake on what Henry’s role would be in his life. Every since he was born, he knew. Hell, millions of people knew before he did. The third child of the Crowned Prince of Wales. Fourth in line to the throne, so far. Even if he knew he didn’t have half the commitments his older brother Phillip, or his older sister Bea had, that didn’t exactly spare him of the duties that came along with belong to a Royal family. And not just any Royal family. The British Royal Family.
Whether or not people believed in monarchies any more, there was always a sort of invisible pull that managed to get the world’s attention on the British Royal family, no matter how many other monarchies there were in Europe, they were the ones always in the public eye, always prawn to news, gossip, scandals, paparazzi following every move they made. And whereas his brother, and younger sister Bea more or less devoured every bit, Henry never did. Not when he was young, and much less now that he’s an adult young man.
He never lacked of anything he needed to be happy, and it would be a lie to say that he lacked the love of his family because of that. He had that too, even if most times he felt like an outsider, and like everyone thought of him being an oddball because he didn’t like to draw people’s attention. Ever since he was a child, he loved to hide in the horse’s barn, to take care the horse his grandfather had given him for his fifth birthday. He also hid at the barn to practice with his guitar and violin, the one true time he felt like he was being himself. That, and also writing. He loved to write, and not something in specific, but whatever came to his mind.
The barn was his safe place, right until Shaan, his personal aid ever since he could remember came along and reminded him of his engagements for the day. There, and the music room where the piano was. His mother’s piano, and he was good at playing it too.
More than anything, it was a safe place where he could be at peace with himself, with the knowledge he didn’t have to pretend for everyone else, not only the fact that he didn’t like being in the public eye, but also that he was gay, something only his sister Bea knew, and who he had sworn in secrecy about it.
After finishing high school at Eton Academy, like all males in the British family did, he took a gap year while he decided what to do, or where he wanted to go next. Most of that year he dedicated himself to master his skills at polo, and swimming, and was also relishing on the fact that he got to live alone for the first time, making Kensington Palace his home; or at least, as alone as a royal Prince could be.
In the end, he decided to move away from the hectic life of London, and he enrolled at St. Andrews School, in Scotland, and there he had a glimpse of what a normal, almost regular college life was. He was always grateful for that sense of normality Scotland provided for him during those years, and it is now a place he held dear to his heart. 
After 4 years, and with a degree on International Affairs, he enrolled in the Royal Air Force, where he spent a whole year learning his way around aircrafts and helicopters, and also enjoying the fact that to the men on his squad he was simply another one of them, and not a royal person.
Once his time on the Royal Air Force was done, he took a year to travel, going to Greece, Egypt and Italy. He was always obsessed with what are considered the three cradles of civilization, but more than that, he got to see a whole new aspect of the world in itself to which he didn’t have any access growing up, behind the guarded walls of Buckingham Palace. Ideas started to stir in his mind, but he has yet to put them all down and think what can it be done, how could he actively help some of the major concerns in the world, with something more than just a nobility title.
So, you can now find him at Oxford University, when he is about to start a Masters in Economy and Global Politics. One step at the time, in the hope for a better world.
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paisleyphotographs · 1 year ago
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Emergency Training at St Mirren Stadium
In recent weeks, the St. Mirren Stadium has become more than just a hub for football excitement. It has transformed into a vital training ground for emergency services, fostering collaboration and readiness in the face of potential crises. With Scottish Ambulance Support units, Scottish Fire and Rescue, and St. Andrews First Aid teams converging, the stadium has become a nucleus for honing…
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usafphantom2 · 2 years ago
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See how was the secret mission that made Joe Biden arrive in Ukraine without Air Force One
Surprisingly, the U.S. president visited the Ukrainian capital, Kiev. For the last part of the trip, Joe Biden renounced plane transport.
Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 02/21/2013 - 12:40 PM in Military, War Zones
The world was surprised on Monday (20/02) when U.S. President Joe Biden visited Kiev, Ukraine, for the first time since the beginning of the war, almost a year ago. Biden did not land at Kiev airport, arriving in the Ukrainian capital through a well-planned operation and executed in a few hours.
Biden did not fly to Kyiv-Boryspil Airport or any of the other airports in or around the Ukrainian capital because he is very risky in the country that has been covered by the war by Russia for almost a year.
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According to several news agencies, Biden took off from Andrews Joint Air Base, southeastern Washington with a Boeing C-32 at 04:15 local time, on February 19 - with the so-called "SAM060" (SAM for Special Air Mission) instead of the usual "Air Force One".
In addition to the employees on board the modified 757, there were only a few journalists selected on board who previously had to deliver their mobile phones. They were informed on Friday and instructed to wait for details on Saturday, with the subject: "Arrival instructions for the golf tournament".
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They were instructed to arrive at Andrews air base at 2:15 a.m. local time on Sunday. Both were prohibited from reporting any details for 24 hours.
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Several hours before Biden's visit, the sky over Poland was visited by two U.S. Air Force AWACS E-3B Sentry jets and a single Boeing RC-135W 'Rivet Joint' signal intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft. Routine air traffic scanning can easily be interpreted as preparations for the announced visit of the President of the U.S. (POTUS) to Poland, which was announced to take place between February 21 and 22.
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A whole series of aircraft is available to the U.S. government. At the Munich security conference last weekend, Vice President Kamala Harris and her delegation traveled with two jets - a Boeing C-32 and a Boeing C-40 Clipper, a military version of the 737-700.
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U.S. President Joe Biden on the right and his national security advisor Jake Sullivan on board the train to Kiev. (Photo: AP/ Evan Vucci)
The flight made a stop to refuel after about seven hours in Ramstein, Germany, then landing at Rzeszow-Jesionka airport in Poland, at 7:57 p.m. local time. From there, Biden drove in a car convoy to Przemysl Glówny, where he got on a train that took him to Kiev on a trip that lasted It is the same route used to transport large amounts of aid and hundreds of thousands of refugees going in the opposite direction.
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U.S. President Joe Biden after arriving by train in Kiev. (Photo: AP/Evan Vucci)
The train arrived around 8 a.m. in Kiev, where Biden met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
On the morning of February 20, Kiev was surprisingly quiet. Public transport was partially interrupted in the city center and public spaces released.
Finally, around 12 p.m. local time, the first filming of President Joe Biden leaving the monastery of São Miguel along with President Volodymyr Zelensky was published on social networks.
Zelensky and Biden honored the Ukrainian soldiers killed during the conflict, since operations in Donbass in 2014, at St. Michael's Monastery and took a short tour of the city.
The leaders held a joint press conference where strong words were shared by Biden condemning the Russian aggression and emphasizing Western solidarity with Ukraine. Biden said:
"When Putin launched his invasion almost a year ago, he thought that Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. He thought he could survive us. But he was completely wrong.
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President Joe Biden leaves Air Force One upon arriving at a military airport in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, February 20, 2023. (Photo: AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The visit also announced promises of delivery of new equipment totaling US$ 500 million. The U.S. will provide more artillery equipment along with HIMARS ammunition and new sanctions will also be imposed on individuals and companies still operating in Russia, supporting their invasion of Ukraine. Biden also announced other “critical equipment”, including anti-shielded systems and air surveillance radars. But no combat jets yet.
The media audience was only allowed to make the itinerary public when Biden had already left again - again by railroad towards Poland. On the night of the 20th, Biden landed in Warsaw with the C-32 aircraft.
The White House national security consultant told the American media that Russia was informed “some hours” before Biden’s trip to Kiev. This was done "to mitigate the situation". He did not go into detail about how accurate or vague the information was and how Moscow reacted.
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Overview of a Boeing C-32 Air Force One aircraft at Jasionka Airport, Poland, on February 20, 2023. (Photo: Patryk Ogorzalek/Agencja Wyborcza.pl via REUTERS)
POTUS' visit to Ukraine signals the West's continued support for Kiev. With the official statement of the White House noting that “last year, the United States built a coalition of nations from the Atlantic to the Pacific to help defend Ukraine with unprecedented military, economic and humanitarian support – and that support will last.”
Tags: Military AviationC-32AUSAF - United States Air Force / US Air ForceWar Zones - Russia/Ukraine
Fernando Valduga
Fernando Valduga
Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.
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qnewsau · 5 days ago
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Looking back on 30 years of Pride March Victoria
New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/looking-back-on-30-years-of-pride-march-victoria/
Looking back on 30 years of Pride March Victoria
As Victoria’s Pride March turns 30 this weekend, former President Matt Renwick reflects on its legacy.
In 1996, Melbourne’s LGBTQIA+ community took to the streets of St Kilda for the first Pride March in Melbourne.
As we celebrate the 30th birthday of Pride March, I look back with fond (and some not-so-fond) memories of being involved as both a volunteer and a member of the Pride March Board.
Wanting to contribute to our community, I was introduced to Pride March through my aunty.
She had friends with ties to Pride March Victoria, the forerunner organisation before merging with Midsumma.
She thought I would enjoy it.
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A community of communities
From 2006 until 2014, much of life was focused on the event, particularly the months in the lead-up.
Being a community of many communities, I was exceptionally privileged to be introduced to a range of diverse people and groups.
From First Nations people to the Trans and Intersex community, people living with HIV/AIDS, GLOBE Victoria, various sporting clubs to local traders, politicians and more.
Not too many organisations attract that degree of support, and that is what I have always loved about being a part of Pride March.
In 2012, we suffered an enormous financial loss after inclement weather wiped out not only the event but very nearly the organisation itself.
In the washout, hard questions, including “do the people actually still want a pride march – does it have any relevance?” were asked.
This was off the back of several years of declining attendees, as well as marchers.
Quite clearly, the answer to our question was – Yes.
Photo by Dean Arcuri
Breaking down barriers
People loved that for one day of the year, the various tribes of the LGBTIQA+ community could come together in solidarity despite our differences.
North and Southside were put to one side.
Rural and regional Victorians would make the trip down especially.
Young and elders alike would mix all with a determination to be acknowledged and respected.
Throughout the years, many key moments were groundbreaking for their time.
From Daniel Andrews leading his full cabinet down Fitzroy Street, the first government to do so.
To the first Police Commissioner to march in uniform, to AFL footballers marching alongside the community.
Some in our community today may disagree with the attendance of certain groups.
But Pride March always reiterated that we didn’t speak on behalf of anyone.
We provided a platform for people to take part.
The conversations that took place before and after, as a result, were even more important than the actual attendance.
It also allowed a broader discussion that further broke down barriers between our community and the broader population at large.
That resultant allyship was one of many factors in getting marriage equality across the line in Australia.
Photo by Dean Arcuri
Three decades of marching
With world events, especially around the demonisation of the trans community and restricting the sexual health rights of women.
Or censoring school curricula, and outrage of drag queens’ reading stories, all so we ‘Don’t Say Gay’ – it is clear that Pride March is needed now more than ever.
Hard-fought rights that we’ve witnessed over the three decades we’ve marched are now under sustained attack, even here in Australia.
In wishing Pride March a Happy 30th Birthday, thank you to those who have marched, volunteered and attended over the years.
Thank you for making this a community event beloved by the people.
May it continue the conversations important to our communities and how we are represented and respected.’
All because of getting out in force, not being silenced and marching together as a collective with pride.
Happy Pride!
Photo by Dean Arcuri
For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
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samidhasaneblogs · 5 days ago
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Study Abroad in UK: How to Make the Most of Your Time
Studying abroad in the UK is an experience that can change your life. The academic prestige, the rich history, and the multicultural environment make it an attractive destination for students worldwide. But making the most of your time in the UK requires more than just attending lectures and writing essays. It’s about embracing new experiences, making meaningful connections, and developing both academically and personally.
In this guide, we’ll dive into everything you need to know to maximize your study abroad in the UK—from preparation and settling in, to building a rewarding academic and social life, to making the most of your personal growth.
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I. Preparing for Your Study Abroad Journey
1. Choosing the Right University and Program
When it comes to studying abroad in the UK, choosing the right university and program is your first big decision. The UK is home to some of the best universities in the world, but each institution has its own unique strengths and characteristics.
You’ll want to start by researching universities that align with your academic and personal interests. The Russell Group, for instance, represents 24 top universities known for their research excellence and academic rigor. However, non-Russell Group universities are also known for offering specialized programs and tight-knit communities. It’s important to consider the location, the course offerings, and whether the university has the resources you need to thrive. Look at campus facilities, student support services, and the types of extracurricular activities available.
Additionally, think about your personal preferences. Do you prefer studying in a vibrant city like London or Edinburgh, or would you enjoy a quieter setting like Durham or St. Andrews?
2. Visa and Immigration Process
One of the first practical steps in your journey is applying for a student visa. The UK operates under a Tier 4 (General) student visa, which allows international students to stay in the country while they study.
To apply for this visa, you’ll need a confirmed place at a university, proof of sufficient financial support for both tuition fees and living costs, and other supporting documents such as academic qualifications and a valid passport. The application process can take several weeks, so be sure to apply well in advance.
While the process can seem intimidating at first, it’s straightforward if you stay organized. Be sure to keep track of deadlines and get familiar with the requirements so that there are no surprises along the way.
3. Financing Your Studies
The UK can be an expensive place to live, but with the right planning, you can manage the cost effectively. Tuition fees can range from £10,000 to £30,000 a year, depending on your program and university. Living costs vary by city, with places like London being notably more expensive than cities like Manchester or Edinburgh.
There are several ways to finance your study abroad experience. Start by exploring scholarships and grants specifically for international students. Many universities offer financial aid, so be sure to check with your institution’s international office.
In addition, consider opening a student bank account in the UK for easier management of your finances. Budgeting is crucial, and it’s helpful to track your expenses, plan for unexpected costs, and take advantage of student discounts on transportation, food, and other essentials.
4. Accommodation Options
Finding a place to live is another critical aspect of preparing for your time in the UK. On-campus accommodation is a popular choice for first-year students, as it provides an easy way to settle into university life. However, off-campus housing is also available, often at a more affordable rate.
If you choose off-campus housing, make sure to research the neighborhood carefully and understand the tenancy agreements. The rental process in the UK might be different from what you’re used to, so it’s essential to know your rights as a tenant.
II. Settling In: The First Few Weeks
1. Orientation and Induction
Your first few weeks in the UK are an exciting whirlwind of new experiences. Most universities offer orientation programs to help international students settle in. These programs typically include campus tours, social events, and useful workshops on everything from academics to healthcare.
Don’t skip these orientations—they’ll give you the chance to meet fellow students, explore your new campus, and learn more about the university’s resources. Getting involved early will help you feel more at home and connected.
2. Adapting to the UK Culture
The UK’s culture may be different from what you’re used to, and it’s normal to experience culture shock. One of the first things you’ll notice is the weather! Be prepared for rain and chilly temperatures, especially if you’re in the north.
British social norms are another thing to get used to. British people tend to be reserved at first, but they’re friendly once you get to know them. Understanding local etiquette—like queuing (standing in line), being polite in conversation, and embracing the famous British humor—will help you fit in.
Homesickness is also a common challenge for international students. Make sure to stay in touch with your family and friends back home, but also make an effort to create a support network in the UK. Join student clubs, attend social events, and reach out to others who are also far from home.
3. Student Health and Well-being
Maintaining your physical and mental health is crucial during your time abroad. In the UK, healthcare is available through the National Health Service (NHS), but you must register with a local GP (General Practitioner) once you arrive.
It’s also important to take care of your mental health. The transition to studying in a new country can be challenging, and universities offer support services, such as counseling, workshops, and peer support groups, to help you cope. Additionally, getting regular exercise and eating a balanced diet can significantly boost your mood and energy levels.
III. Making the Most of Your Academic Experience
1. Understanding the UK Education System
The UK education system might differ from what you’re used to, especially in terms of assessment and course structure. Classes in the UK tend to emphasize independent study and critical thinking, rather than rote memorization. Your professors will expect you to be proactive, conduct research, and engage in discussions.
Grading in the UK can also be different. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the grading scale and the types of assessments you’ll face—such as essays, exams, and presentations.
2. Engaging with Professors and Tutors
Building relationships with your professors is essential for academic success. Professors in the UK often hold office hours where you can meet with them to discuss assignments, clarify concepts, and get feedback on your work.
Be proactive in seeking help when needed. They’re there to support your academic journey, and establishing these relationships can open doors for future opportunities, like research projects or recommendations.
3. Developing Academic and Professional Skills
Studying in the UK offers opportunities to develop skills that will serve you in your career. The UK education system places a strong emphasis on independent learning, so you’ll improve your time-management and research abilities. Writing essays and learning how to reference correctly will also be valuable skills to have in the professional world.
Additionally, many UK universities offer career services and internship opportunities that allow you to gain practical experience while you study. Make sure to take advantage of these resources—they can help shape your career path.
IV. Exploring Beyond the Classroom
1. Making Friends and Building a Social Life
Your social life in the UK will be just as important as your academic experience. Joining clubs and societies is a great way to meet people who share your interests, whether that’s sports, arts, volunteering, or politics.
Socializing is also a huge part of British life. Students often meet up for pub nights, attend society events, or enjoy weekend outings to explore local attractions. Be open to new experiences and try to make lasting friendships.
2. Traveling Around the UK
The UK is a fantastic place to explore, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to travel during breaks or weekends. London, of course, is a must-see, with iconic landmarks like Buckingham Palace and the British Museum. But don’t overlook other areas like Edinburgh, Oxford, or the Lake District. Each part of the UK has its own unique charm.
3. Experiencing British Culture and Traditions
The UK is rich in culture, and you’ll have the chance to experience it in many ways. Attend a West End show in London, explore historic castles, or enjoy a traditional afternoon tea. Be sure to immerse yourself in local festivals and events, which celebrate everything from music and art to food and literature.
V. Career and Personal Growth During Your Study Abroad
1. Building Your Resume and Networking
Studying abroad in the UK can make your resume stand out. It shows that you’re adaptable, independent, and able to thrive in a global environment. You’ll also have access to networking opportunities with alumni, professors, and industry leaders.
Take advantage of career fairs and networking events offered by your university. These connections can lead to internships, job opportunities, and professional collaborations.
2. Part-time Work and Volunteering
Working part-time while studying is a great way to support yourself financially and gain practical experience. International students in the UK are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week during term time. Many students also choose to volunteer, which can help build your resume and connect you to local communities.
3. Personal Growth and Self-Discovery
One of the biggest benefits of studying abroad is the personal growth you’ll experience. You’ll become more independent, resilient, and globally aware. The challenges you face will help you develop problem-solving skills and a sense of confidence that will serve you long after your studies are over.
VI. Returning Home: Making the Most of Your Experience
1. Re-entry Challenges and Reverse Culture Shock
Returning home after your time abroad can be just as challenging as leaving. You may experience reverse culture shock, where you find it hard to adjust to life back home. Keep in touch with the friends you made abroad, and try to stay engaged with the international community.
2. Leveraging Your Study Abroad Experience for Career Advancement
Don’t underestimate the value of your study abroad experience. The skills you developed—cross-cultural communication, independent thinking, and problem-solving—are highly sought after by employers worldwide.
3. Staying Connected: Alumni Networks and Opportunities
Stay connected with your university’s alumni network. This can provide valuable career resources, opportunities for further study, and a way to stay engaged with your academic community.
Studying abroad in the UK is more than just an academic adventure; it’s a journey of personal growth, cultural exploration, and professional development. By following these tips and embracing everything the UK has to offer, you’ll make the most of your time studying abroad.
Also Read: Professional Insight on Changing Career
Understanding Commerce Field
The Ten Workplace Vices
FAQs
How much does it cost to study abroad in the UK? The cost varies depending on the university and location. Tuition fees typically range from £10,000 to £30,000 per year, and living costs depend on the city. London is the most expensive, while cities like Manchester or Leeds offer more affordable options.
How do I get a student visa for the UK? You’ll need to apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa. Ensure that you have an offer from a UK university, proof of funds, and other required documentation. Apply early to avoid delays.
Can I work while studying in the UK? Yes, international students can work up to 20 hours per week during term time and full-time during breaks. This can help with finances and gain work experience.
What are the accommodation options for international students? You can opt for on-campus housing, which is convenient but may be more expensive. Alternatively, you can look for off-campus housing, either shared accommodation or private rentals.
What should I do if I feel homesick? Stay connected with family and friends back home, but also try to make new connections in the UK. Join clubs or societies and reach out to student support services for help.
How can I improve my academic performance in the UK? Engage with professors, attend all lectures, and seek academic support when needed. Make use of university resources like libraries and writing centers.
Can I travel while studying in the UK? Absolutely! The UK is well-connected, and there are plenty of travel options. You can explore historical sites, scenic areas, and vibrant cities.
Are there any scholarships for international students in the UK? Yes, many UK universities offer scholarships for international students. Check with your university for opportunities, and explore government-funded scholarships.
How can I get involved in extracurricular activities? Join clubs and societies at your university, attend social events, and volunteer in your community to build your social network and enhance your university experience.
What should I do when I return home after studying abroad? Reflect on your experiences and how they’ve shaped you. Stay connected with friends from abroad, and leverage your study abroad experience when applying for jobs.
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disorderofsevenstars · 2 months ago
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🕀 PART II: TYPES OF CROSSES 🕀
PREVIOUS SECTION: [Part I]
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Cross symbols come in numerous forms. A few of the more prominent ones are analyzed here. Variants of the Christian cross comprise the vast majority. Many fall into two main categories: variations on the Latin cross (which has a longer descending arm) and variations on the Greek cross (in which all arms are of equal length).
+THE LATIN CROSS+ The most familiar cross of Western Christianity is the Latin cross [Latin, "Crux Immissa"], in which the lower vertical arm is longer than the other three {11}. This unequal arrangement creates a more dynamic shape which is vaguely phallic, further exaggerating Masculine attributes. Similar in shape to a sword or a dagger, this cross carries a particular association with Death; it often appears in crucifixes (crosses bearing the image of a crucified Christ), as this is the type of cross most commonly believed to have been used in the Crucifixion {11}. The inverted Latin cross, also called the Cross of St. Peter or Petrine Cross (according to legend, St. Peter asked to be crucified upside-down, as he believed himself unworthy to be crucified in the manner of Christ {12}), is a Christian symbol that has since taken on anti-Christian associations.
+THE GREEK CROSS+ In contrast, the Greek or equilateral cross [Latin, "Crux Quadrata"] {11} is symmetrical and balanced, imbuing it with more of a Feminine quality which tempers its inherent Masculinity. A version of this cross is often used as a symbol for medical assistance, as seen in first-aid kits and the logo of the Red Cross. Accordingly, the connotations of the Greek Cross are focused on the Life aspect more so than the Death aspect. Its four equal arms bring to mind things which occur in sets of four, such as the 4 elements, the 4 directions, the 4 seasons, the 4 fingers minus the thumb, the 4 limbs minus the head, or 4 vertical tally marks uncrossed by a diagonal 5th. All carry equal weight, and none stick out as unusual from the rest.
+THE SUN CROSS+ Ringed crosses feature a circle superimposed on a cross shape, and may be Latin-derived (as in the Celtic cross) or Greek-derived (as in the Sun cross). The Sun cross or Wheel cross consists of an equilateral cross enclosed within a circle. Like the Swastika {13}, this is an ancient variation dating back to prehistory, when it was likely used as a solar symbol {14}. The same symbol appeared in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, denoting the word VILLAGE {14}. In modern times, it is used as an astronomical symbol for the Earth {14}. The Sun cross is the most Feminine of all crosses, in which the linear aspect is equilateral or static, and completely enclosed by a womb-like circular element which effectively contains and limits any suggestion of outward expansion. The dominance of the circular element emphasizes cyclicality, especially that associated with the Sun {15}.
+THE SALTIRE+ The saltire, or St. Andrew's cross [Latin, "Crux Decussata"] {11}, is a rotated cross shaped like the Greek letter Chi or the Latin letter X. This cross is often used in heraldry and flags {16}. It invokes the symbolism associated with Chi, as well as the letter X and the X mark.
Chi is the 22nd [=4] letter of the Greek alphabet; in the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 600 [High Water; 6. The Lovers / 15. The Devil]+[Void; 0. The Fool DOUBLED] {17}, a highly Feminine number which indicates restriction, stasis, and the bonding of two opposing elements. In Plato's Timaeus, the X-shape of the letter Chi is said to represent the crossing of the two bands that form the soul of the world {18}. Chi is part of the Chi Rho, a monogram for the name of Christ.
In Roman numerals, X stands for the number 10, whose digital root is 1 [Solar; 1. Magician / 10. Wheel of Fortune / 19. The Sun]. The symbolic connotations of the Latin X or X mark include -- among other concepts -- standing in for an unknown value; the idea of ending or putting a stop to something; and the meeting, crossing, or multiplication of two elements {19}. The skull and crossbones represents lethality or toxicity, while the Rx symbol is used in medicine. In Shaffer's Angelic Letter Essences, X is the Root of Limitation or Decrease {20}. Considering all of this information, the overall symbolism of X carries a dualistic set of meanings juxtaposing increase and decrease, or expansion and restriction. Kabbalistic philosophy recognizes X as a symbol of both Life and Death, similar to the meaning of the upright cross {19}.
+THE TAU CROSS+ The Tau cross, or St. Anthony's Cross [Latin, "Crux Commissa"] {11}, is shaped like the Greek letter Tau or the Latin letter T. Like the Latin cross, this form is often believed to have been used in the Crucifixion of Christ {11}, and therefore appears in many of its artistic depictions.
Tau features in the Staurogram or Tau-Rho: a christogram like the Chi-Rho, it replaces the Chi-Rho's Chi [X] with Tau [T], representing the image of Christ on the cross {21}. In the system of Greek numerals, Tau has a value of 300 [Low Fire; 3. The Empress / 12. The Hanged Man / 21. The World]+[Void; 0. The Fool DOUBLED] {17}; correspondingly, the Tau cross features three line segments radiating from a central point, in contrast with the usual four. As a Fire number, 3 is Masculine, but exhibits more Feminine qualities due to its lower position; it indicates CREATION (a third element arising from duality), the LIFE force, and MAGIC [CREATE = 355125, LIFE = 7185, MAGIC = 71913, all having a sum of 21 = 2+1 = 3]. Tau is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet [19. The Sun] {22}, serving as a symbol of life or resurrection, in contrast with Theta's association with death {23}.
In Shaffer's Angelic Letter Essences, T is the Root of Balance {20}; its shape is similar to an old-fashioned balance scale. Like X [=4], T [=2] has an even numerical value and connotes the coexistence of opposing forces: Life and Death, Masculine and Feminine; however, the symbolism of 2 implies the interaction of two elements to create a third, giving T a somewhat more dynamic quality. Both the Greek Tau and the Latin T are derived from the Phoenician Taw -- the 22nd and final letter of the Phoenician alphabet -- represented by a symbol that looks like an X or a cross, and ultimately derived from an Egyptian hieroglyph representing a TALLY mark [TALLY = 21773 = 20 = 2+0 = 2] {24}.
+THE ANKH+ The Ankh, also called the Key of Life, is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyph {25} which looks like a Tau cross surmounted by an inverted droplet shape. Although most sources use the term "Ankh" interchangeably with the Latin "Crux Ansata" ["Handled Cross'], a distinction is sometimes made, with the term Crux Ansata being used to describe a stylistic variant in which the upper part is circular rather than teardrop-shaped {26}. The Crux Ansata was used by the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt as a variant of the Christian cross {27}.
The Ankh in ancient Egypt was a powerful symbol of immortality, rebirth, and the vital Life Force, often wielded by pharaohs and deities {25}. Hypothesized to originate from a depiction of a knot {25} or a sandal strap {27} (the knot being a sign of securing or holding-together, and thus perhaps guarding against Death), the Ankh can also be seen as a conjunction of Masculine (phallic) and Feminine (uterine) elements {25}, representing the act of procreation.
The shape of the Ankh resembles the symbol for Venus or Femininity {28}. The circular Feminine element is superior; this Feminine dominance is reinforced by the Ankh's visual similarity to the Knot of Isis or TYET, a symbol associated with Feminine sexuality and menstruation {29}. The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic likens the Ankh to the Rosicrucian Rose Cross [see final section, "The Rose & The Cross"], with its combination of circular and linear elements, as well as to the Kabbalistic Tree of Life: the Ankh or Venus symbol can be overlaid upon the Tree of Life, with the circle corresponding to the upper 6 Sefirot, and the cross corresponding to the lower 4 {28}.
ANKH [1+9+4+8] combines the Masculine Solar 1 and the Feminine Lunar 9 with both of the Earth numbers, yielding a sum of 22 with a digital root of 4 [Low Earth; 4. The Emperor / 13. Death]. In numerology, the number 22 is a Master number, called the Master Builder, and is often considered the most powerful of numbers {30}. Representing totality and completion in the realm of the material, 22 is the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet (marking the 22 paths on the Tree of Life), as well as the number of trumps in the Major Arcana.
+THE SWASTIKA+ The Swastika, or Tetraskelion [from Greek "tetra," meaning "four"; cf. "triskelion"] is one of the oldest cross symbols, which has appeared in petroglyphs and proto-writing systems prior to the development of written language {31}, when it may have been used as a fertility {13} or solar symbol, representing the Sun's movement across the sky {32}. It is a sacred symbol in numerous cultures around the world -- notably including Buddhism and Hinduism -- and often signifies good fortune (the word "swastika" is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning "well-being") {32}.
Some occult philosophers, such as René Guénon and H.P Blavatsky, have interpreted the Swastika as depicting rotational movement around a central axis, the static Center being analogous to God or the Supreme Life Force {33}. Guénon specifically references the movement of Ursa Major around the North Star {33}, a theory which can be backed up by observed astronomical phenomena, although it is implausible as an explanation for the Swastika's origins due to changing technological and celestial conditions {34}.
Among the variants of the Swastika are the Northern European Fylfot [Anglo-Saxon, "four-footed" {35}], which is often (but not always) depicted with shorter secondary arms than the standard swastika; and the Southern European Gammadion [deriving its title from the Greek letter Gamma, due to its appearance as 4 Gammas connected at a central point {36}], which sometimes appears as a mirror-image of the Fylfot. Also known as the thunder-cross or Cross of Thor, the Fylfot was allegedly sacred to Thor, the Norse god of thunder {35}. Used either as pagan symbols, or as variants of the Christian cross, the Fylfot and Gammadion have appeared on various European artifacts, including altars, swords, tombs, and funeral urns {36}. Swastika designs can also be found in China, and in various cultures of the Americas, including those of the Maya and the Navajo {37}.
Swastikas, although important to mention, are not pictured in the accompanying graphic, out of sensitivity to their offensive associations.
+THE ZIA SUN+ The Zia Sun is a symbol created by the indigenous people of Zia Pueblo in what is now the US state of New Mexico. It is featured on the design of the New Mexico state flag, having been illicitly adopted by non-Indigenous residents after a pot decorated with the symbol was stolen from the Zia by a white anthropologist {38}. Unlike preceding entries, this symbol has no association with the cross of Christianity. It consists of a central circle, from which four sets of four rays emanate outward in the four cardinal directions. As the website of Zia Pueblo states, "The symbol has a sacred meaning to the Zia. Four is a sacred number that symbolizes the Circle of Life: four winds, four seasons, four directions, and four sacred obligations. The circle binds the four elements of four together {39}." These four sacred obligations are described as "a strong body, a clear mind, a pure spirit, and a devotion to the welfare of others {38}." The ancestral homeland of the Zia and other Pueblo peoples is called the Four Corners region {39}, so named because it is the only place in the United States where four states [Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico] meet, forming a quadripoint border in the shape of a cross.
+THE LEVIATHAN CROSS+ This consists of a lemniscate (infinity symbol) surmounted by a double-barred Cross of Lorraine [see next entry] {39.1}. Also known as Satan's Cross or the Brimstone Symbol, its design is borrowed from an alchemical symbol for Sulfur {39.2}. Sulfur, or brimstone, is one of the Tria Prima of alchemy, representing the Soul, and associated with properties such as Masculinity, expansion, dryness, and heat {39.3}, similar to the Chinese principle of Yang; it is also traditionally linked to the fires of Hell {39.1}. An emblem of the Church of Satan, the Leviathan Cross appears in LaVey's Satanic Bible {39.1}, where it represents the Leviathan (a sea serpent referenced in the Hebrew Bible, embodying Chaos, Envy, and the Devil or Enemy), associated with West and the element of Water {39.1}. The lemniscate may symbolize the eternal nature of the Universe, while the double-barred cross can be interpreted as a sign of balance, indicating the lack of necessity for God in the Universal Order {39.2}. This symbol is highly phallic; the Masculine (linear) element is in the superior position, supported by the Feminine (curved) element below it, which reinforces the essentially Masculine quality. However, the configuration also points to a type of dynamic balance, as of something that moves on wheels rather than feet -- recalling the movement of a serpent or ocean waves, the Chaotic Feminine which underlies Order and Structure.
+SOME OTHER CROSSES OF NOTE+ -PATRIARCHAL CROSS or CROSS OF LORRAINE: A Latin cross which has two horizontal bars. The upper one is often shorter and may represent the INRI plaque on the cross of the Crucifixion {40}. Some also feature a smaller diagonal bar near the bottom, as in the Russian Orthodox cross {41}. -PAPAL CROSS: A Latin cross with three gradated horizontal bars (representative of the Holy Trinity), the lowest being longest {42}. -JERUSALEM or CRUSADER'S CROSS: A footed Greek cross with four smaller crosses in each of its quadrants, said to represent Christ and the Four Evangelists {43}. -MALTESE CROSS: A Greek cross composed of four triangular or V-shapes which meet at the center. Originating during the Crusades when fire-based weapons were used against the crusaders, this is commonly used by firefighters as a symbol of protection, in which case it tends to be combined with a central circular or elliptical element to form a badge {44}.
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scotianostra · 2 years ago
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On 11th June 1560, Mary of Guise, Regent of Scotland, died.
A longer post than I am used to, but I think it is necessary to set the scene for the reign of Mary Queen of Scots and why she had such a torrid time as Queen.
Mary is perhaps best known as the Mother of Mary Queen of Scots but there was a lot more to her than this, she was a very powerful woman. From her description you can tell where her daughter got her looks and height, Mary at age of eighteen was tall and attractive with auburn hair, was married to Louis II of Orleans, Duke of Longueville, who held extensive estates in Normandy and the valley of the Loire. The marriage produced two sons unfortunately the Duke died of smallpox in 1537 leaving her a widow at twenty one.
Enter James V King of Scots who had also lost his spouse Madeleine of Valois, if you remember from a previous post Madeleine was a fragile woman prone to sickness, the harsh Scottish climate was blamed for her early demise aged just 16 but she had been a sickly child before moving to Scotland.
Also in the frame for Mary’s hand was a certain Henry VIII of England, Henry by now, he was now looking for wife number 4. An exchange between the two is said to have gone something like this, he remarked on her fine stature she retorted with the witty repartee that although her body was big, she had a very small neck, perhaps alluding to Anne Boleyn’s neck having the misfortune of connecting with and axe severing her head from her body!!
Mary was married to James of Scotland by proxy in Paris in May 1538 and at in person at St Andrews after her arrival in Scotland. The couple had two sons James born in 1540 and Robert a year later, the two died within a few days of each other in April 1541.
Meanwhile relations between James and Henry were at a low, Henry called James to meet him at York, Henry even sent his tapestries there in preparation of the meeting in September 1541, James snubbed him, saying his wife was pregnant and he did not want to leave her. The snub  might have been part of the reason that the armies of Scotland and England met at Solway moss the following year, it was a crushing defeat by the English and James died the following month, on his deathbed he would hear that his wife had given birth to Mary Queen of Scots. Although there were few soldiers killed at Solway Moss, more than 1200 of James’ army were taken prisoner, amongst them some of our top nobles. Henry was determined to impose his will on the weakened Scottish kingdom and permanently end its alliance with catholic France.The Treat of Greenwich was signed agreeing that the young Queen would be taken to England and brought up in the English court of Henry, then married to his son, it was largely agreed to by those nobles who were prisoners of the English, although not entirely.
The Scottish Parliament dissmissed the treaty out of hand and big bad Henry sent an army to lay waste to Scotland and force the treaty through, the phrase “I lyke not thys wooyng.” is said have derived from historian, Patrick Abercromby’s account of the war that followed, although it would not be popularised till many years later by Walter Scott, since then it was used regularly.
After a Scottish defeat at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in September 1547, French military aid weakened English resolve and increased the power base of Mary of Guise, who remained in Scotland, but to protect the young Queen Mary Stewart was sent to France in 1548.
The government of Scotland was first entrusted to James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran, as Regent, like many before and after him he would change sides over the years, first being firmly encamped as a protestant before becoming a catholic and in 1554, he surrendered the regency to Mary of Guise. The Guises had trained her well in the craft of Government, but little could have prepared her to deal with the unreliable Scots, the reformation was in full swing and the Protestant Lords did not trust a catholic Regent. She had no confidante to turn to and communication with France took time. She had to rely on her family’s recognition of the strategic importance of a Scottish alliance for both France and the Catholic Church. Of course the Protestant Lords were unhappy that ties with the Catholics of France were becoming stronger but were encouraged by the crowning of Elizabeth I in 1548 and they hoped to gain advantage through this. The country was more or less in a state of Civil war as events leading to the Reformation took hold.
Among the Regent’s ambassadors were the Earl of Argyll and Lord James Stewart, Earl of Moray, both professed Protestants. When the Mary of Guise stationed French mercenaries in Perth, both abandoned her and joined the Lords of the Congregation at St Andrews, where they were also joined by John Knox. Even Edinburgh soon fell to them in July, as Mary retreated to Dunbar. On 25 July 1559 a truce and treaty promised religious tolerance, the truce did not last long.
The Lords of the Congregation had established a provisional government. However, Mary of Guise was reinforced by professional French troops, strengthening her hand and it looked at one stage as if she had the upper hand, victory was in her grasp. Fighting continued in Fife. All seemed lost for the Protestant side until an English fleet arrived in the Firth of Forth in January 1560, which caused the French to retreat to Leith. The following month the Scottish Lords of the Congregation signed The Treaty of Berwick and the Queen of England, sent an English land army into Scotland to join their Scottish allies in besieging the French at Leith.
She died of dropsy on 11th June 1560. Her body was wrapped in lead and kept in Edinburgh Castle for several months. In March 1561, it was secretly carried from the castle at midnight and shipped to France. Mary, Queen of Scots attended her funeral at Fécamp in July 1561. Mary of Guise was interred at the church in the Convent of Saint-Pierre in Reims, where Mary’s sister Renée was abbess. A marble tomb was erected with a bronze statue of Mary, in royal robes, holding a sceptre and the rod of justice in one hand. The tomb was destroyed during the French revolution.
Of Mary’s five children, only her daughter Mary survived her, and we all know what happened to her……..
This blog post here gives more detail on Marie here https://thefreelancehistorywriter.com/2012/10/01/marie-of-guise-queen-of-scotland/
Pics are of the Lady and plaques remembering her at Edinburgh Castle and South Leith Parish church, the stained glass is at The Magdalen Chapel in The Cowgate, the only the only stained glass that survived the Scottish Reformation in its original location.
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