#air conditioning inspection edinburgh

[thronebreaker-dorne]

The Vital Guide to HVAC Systems: Maintaining Your Home Comfy Year-Round

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In today's modern globe, cooling and heating systems have come to be an important part of every home, supplying vital heating, air flow, and cooling services to guarantee comfort and health for residents. Recognizing the fundamentals of cooling and heating systems is crucial for home owners seeking to maintain optimum indoor air top quality and power performance. From selecting the ideal system for your home to normal upkeep ideas, this thorough guide will certainly assist you navigate the globe of heating and cooling with ease.With the transforming periods and varying climate condition, having a dependable HVAC system is essential for preserving a comfortable living setting. Properly mounted and kept HVAC systems not only control interior temperatures however additionally aid improve air quality by straining pollutants and allergens. By learning more about the different kinds of cooling and heating systems readily available, home owners can make informed choices to ensure their homes are geared up with the appropriate solutions for their details demands. Remain tuned for specialist pointers and recommendations on how to make the most of the performance of your heating and cooling system and develop a healthy and balanced and comfy living room for you and your household.

Read more here http://commercialtemperaturesolutions.co.uk/service-maintenance/

[relnventlove]

The Necessary Overview to Cooling And Heating Systems: Keeping Your Home Comfortable Year-Round

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In today's modern-day globe, a/c systems have come to be an integral part of every home, supplying vital home heating, ventilation, and a/c solutions to make certain comfort and wellness for residents. Comprehending the basics of a/c systems is vital for house owners aiming to preserve optimum indoor air high quality and energy effectiveness. From choosing the appropriate system for your home to routine maintenance pointers, this detailed overview will certainly help you browse the world of HVAC with ease.With the changing periods and differing climate condition, having a trustworthy heating and cooling system is important for maintaining a comfortable living environment. Appropriately installed and maintained cooling and heating systems not just regulate indoor temperatures yet also assist enhance air top quality by filtering system out contaminants and allergens. By discovering the different sorts of a/c systems readily available, property owners can make educated decisions to ensure their homes are equipped with the appropriate services for their certain requirements. Remain tuned for professional suggestions and advice on exactly how to make best use of the performance of your cooling and heating system and develop a healthy and balanced and comfortable living space for you and your household.

Read more here http://commercialtemperaturesolutions.co.uk/service-maintenance/

[aquasweep]

The Vital Guide to Cooling And Heating Equipments: Maintaining Your Home Comfortable Year-Round

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In today's modern world, heating and cooling systems have actually ended up being an indispensable component of every home, providing important heating, ventilation, and cooling solutions to guarantee convenience and health for residents. Understanding the essentials of cooling and heating systems is critical for property owners wanting to preserve optimum interior air top quality and power performance. From picking the best system for your home to regular upkeep tips, this extensive guide will assist you browse the world of a/c with ease.With the changing periods and differing weather, having a dependable heating and cooling system is important for maintaining a comfy living setting. Effectively set up and preserved heating and cooling systems not only control interior temperature levels but likewise help improve air high quality by filtering system out pollutants and allergens. By discovering the different sorts of a/c systems available, homeowners can make informed choices to ensure their homes are outfitted with the ideal solutions for their specific demands. Keep tuned for professional pointers and advice on just how to make best use of the performance of your a/c system and develop a healthy and balanced and comfortable living room for you and your family members.

Read more here http://commercialtemperaturesolutions.co.uk/installation/

[ehmayse]

**"Understanding A/c: The Backbone of Home Comfort"**

When it comes to keeping a comfy living setting, the a/c (Heating, Air Flow, and Air Conditioning) system plays a crucial duty in managing interior temperature levels and air high quality. These systems are developed to offer heat throughout cool winter seasons and great relief during sweltering summertimes, making sure that homes stay cozy throughout the year. Past plain temperature control, modern-day HVAC systems also concentrate on power effectiveness and sustainability, making them an essential part of environmentally friendly living. With developments in innovation, functions such as clever thermostats and variable-speed followers enable home owners to customize their interior environment while reducing energy consumption.In addition to comfort, proper heating and cooling upkeep is essential for health and wellness. A well-functioning system effectively removes toxins, irritants, and excess moisture, adding to much better interior air quality. Normal maintenance, such as changing filters and scheduling specialist inspections, can avoid pricey repair work and expand the life-span of the system. As we come to be significantly aware of the significance of our indoor settings, buying a dependable heating and cooling system is not simply an issue of comfort; it's a commitment to creating a much healthier, more energy-efficient home.

Read more here https://sites.google.com/view/acunitinstallationwob/ac-unit-installation-balerno-edinburgh

[scotianostra]

On October 1st 1763 the contract to build Edinburgh's North Bridge was signed.

Edinburgh in the 1700s was a very different city to the one we know today. The city boundary was restricted to the dramatic crag and tail feature which swept eastwards from the castle. Up to 35,000 people inhabited a space under a mile long making Scotland’s capital one of the most densely populated urban areas in the world at that time. The overcrowded population were crammed into crumbling tenements, many of them up to fourteen storeys high in order to make the most of the limited space. Make no mistake, Edinburgh at this point in it's history, was a skyscraper city, very few cities in the world had buildings the height of our capital!

Edinburgh’s nobility were often forced to accept the unthinkable and share dwellings with the lower classes. Change was not just desired, it was deemed an absolute necessity if the city was ever to move forward.

Plans to build a New Town to the north were discussed as early as the 1750s but without the means of connecting it with the rest of Edinburgh, it would be nothing more than a fanciful dream. Phase one required the draining of the ancient Nor’ Loch, a man-made stagnant body of water located in the area which we now term as Princes Street Gardens. Drainage began in 1759 and would continue up until the 1820s. Dry land at the east of the Nor’ Loch valley allowed for what was undoubtedly the most ambitious engineering project to have been built in the city at that point: An eleven-hundred foot long stone bridge. The North Bridge, as it would be named, enabled the New Town to become a reality. A brand new chapter in the city’s history was about to begin.

And so it was that the foundation stone of architect William Mylne’s North Bridge was laid on 1st October 1763 but it would be a further two years before any serious amount of progress was made. Nearing completion, the magnificent multi-arched bridge first opened to pedestrians in 1769 to much fanfare and excitement.   However, the cheers would soon be emphatically silenced that summer due to a disaster of epic proportions.

On the evening of Thursday, 3rd August 1769 the side walls of the south abutment of the bridge suddenly gave way, causing a partial collapse of the structure and tragically claiming the lives of five people.

Rescue efforts were recorded by newspaper the Caledonian Mercury which detailed the grim discoveries of bodies "buried in the rubbish, occasioned by the fall of the walls of the south abutment of the new bridge over the north loch".

Two of the bodies were identified as belonging to Mr Lawson, shoemaker, and Mr James Fergus, a local writer.

The Caledonian Mercury went on to mention that workers had been digging almost day and night since the collapse and that at least three to four others were feared to have shared the "same unhappy fate with the two already found".

A contemporary letter penned by a Darcy, Lady Maxwell recalls the evening of the collapse, which she had witnessed, writing 

“The Lord, who is continually loading me with his benefits, has twice this day remarkable interfered on my behalf. In the evening he preserved me from broken bones to which I was exposed in a fall. A few hours after, when walking home from chapel, I witnessed a most melancholy scene occasioned by the falling in of the North Bridge. I… was within five minutes of passing over it… when almost in a moment, the greatest noise I ever heard (except on a similar occasion when I was remarkably preserved) filled the air."It seemed as if the pillars of nature were giving way. Instantly, the cry resounded “the bridge is fallen!”

A full inquiry followed and identified haste in construction and a poorly-calculated estimate regarding the depth of the foundations and sturdiness of the earth-filled abutments as the chief causes behind the disaster.

Rebuilding work demanded £18,000 (almost double the original £10,140 cost of the project) and the city would have to wait until 1772 before the grand reopening.  The original North Bridge survived more than a century until the 1890s, when engineers devised an improved link that would allow for greater flow of traffic, this was at the time Waverley Train Station was being constructed. 

Construction of the current steel bridge that we know today was completed in 1897 at a cost of £81,000., with the North British Railway Company contributing to a third of the cost.

A plaque recalling the founding and dismantling of the original North Bridge occupies a wall of the present bridge, which has now stood for roughly the same length of time as its predecessor.

The pictures show the evolution of the Nor Loch, I can’t find dates for them all, but you will see  in the first one that the Loch is still not fully drained and very little signs of buildings on the North side, pic two shows buildings where the Balmoral Hotel now sits.

In the third pic there are signs of a Market where we now have Waverley Station, the street and buildings under the far side are now called Market Street. Pic four is dated around 1809, all the buildings you see on the left are now gone. On the top roght corner is what was The North British Train Station, the bottom of the picture you can see what is now known as “The Mound. Next pic is I guess from mid 19th century, still a long way from the construction of Waverley Station. Pic six shows the North Bridge being  dismantling early 1896,  and then   "The Ceremony of Laying the Foundation Stone of the New North Bridge Edinburgh 25th May 1896, leading on to the  commemorative plaque, which is from around the same time.

Finally is a pic of how the North Bridge looks in 2021, not much to see as it is in cladding while a multi-million restoration is taking place, the cost of refurbishing the bridge has soared from £22 million to £36m after the landmark structure was found to be in worse condition than expected. Last October the council issued a statement saying 

“Due to the nature of the construction of the bridge, full access behind the cast iron façade has not been available since it was constructed in 1897 and the last full refurbishment of this nature was in 1933. It has not been possible to properly inspect the hidden structural elements in almost 90 years.”

The briefing said testing had led to the discovery of “extensive issues” with the existing concrete bridge deck constructed in 1933.

[moonb-eam]

cute shippy starters: 18!

yessss i love this prompt thank you tara!!

(i hope you like it!!)

(it’s midnight here in edinburgh so goodnight pals i’m going to finish the last of the prompts tomorrow!!)

no. 18 “This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had. Of course I’m in.”

“We won’t get caught.” Lucas has his hands planted on his hips and he’s squinting up at Eliott. There’s dried sweat on his neck, and under his arms, and on the backs of his knees. He’s sure he looks absolutely disgusting. “No one actually patrols these things. No one will come.”

“How do you know that?”

Lucas points up to fence they’re standing in front of. “Because this is super hard to break into. Unless you happen to be friends with a giraffe.” Eliott frowns at that. “Don’t you trust me?

Eliott sighs. Lucas watches his shoulders roll up to his ears, and back down again, and definitely doesn’t watch how the low neckline of his tank top shifts against his chest. He definitely doesn’t. 

“Well?” He asks impatiently, distracting himself from Eliott’s skin and Eliott’s sweat and Eliott’s everything. “Are you in?”

“This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had.” Eliott says, resigned. “Of course I’m in.”

Lucas bites down on the smile threatening to scrunch his cheeks. “Good. Because I need you to give me a boost.”

The idea to break into an outdoor pool came almost too easily to Lucas, a moment of divine inspiration where he and Eliott had been walking back from drinks at Yann’s and they’d passed by a locked-up gate and tall, chain-linked fence, and Lucas had thought, hey, I could really use a swim right now.

But listen, it’s the dead of July, Lucas lives in an apartment without air conditioning, and the public pools are heaving with people during the day.

Who’s to say they can’t be used at night?

Lucas actually wishes he had been wrong, that the pool was a lot easier to break into than he thought. But no, it takes him standing on Eliott’s shoulders, to get over the top of the fence, and he gets caught on a loose link on the way down, resulting in a long, deep scratch that immediately begins to bleed.

“Fuck,” Lucas hisses, wincing at the pain.

“Are you okay?” Lucas can make out Eliott’s concerned face through the fence, can see how his fingers are curled into the gaps in it.

“Fine. I’m fine.” Lucas has to physically force himself to look away from Eliott’s hands, to cut himself off from letting out a lovesick sigh because Eliott is concerned about him.

He cuts himself off the way he always does because it’s Eliott, because Eliott is perfect, and beautiful, and way out of Lucas’s league, and because Eliott is his roommate.

It was Imane who’d let him know she had a friend who had a spare room in a small two-bedroom above a bookshop that was cramped, had horrible plumbing, and was cheap.

Lucas had met Eliott at the apartment, and he’d known two things at once:

Firstly, that the apartment was actually pretty shit, but it was probably the perfect place for Lucas.

Secondly, that Lucas was probably going to fall in love with Eliott.

Both of those things wound up being true, and while Lucas complained about the plumbing and the temperature in the flat all the time, he’d managed to go a year without letting a hint of his feelings for Eliott come out.

It’s chill. Lucas is chill.

Except for how fucking hot he is, practically dripping with sweat from his climb over the fence, hair sticking to his forehead, hands slippery when he gets the gate open enough for Eliott to slip through.

“Let me see it,” Eliott says when he gets inside, and the next thing Lucas knows, gentle fingers are grasping onto his elbow and holding up his arm for Eliott to inspect.

“It’s…” Lucas’s voice is a squeak. He coughs and tries again. “It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt that much.”

“Hm.” Eliott lowers Lucas’s arm, fingers trailing down the length of it to Lucas’s wrist. Lucas can feel goosebumps prickling in their wake, and he yanks his arm away.

It’s quiet for a moment, the only sound the lapping of water against the edges of the pool, the silence awkward between them in a way silences usually aren’t.

“Wanna go in?” Lucas asks and yes, that’s great, get in the pool and cool off and forget everything else. Good plan.

It’s a good plan until Lucas is kicking his shoes off and he looks over to see Eliott taking off his shirt and—

Lucas stares. He stares because Eliott is lit up in oranges and blues and pinks and purples, the colours of a July dusk when the sun is beginning to set on the horizon and the streetlights are turning on one by one. He’s lit up in a dozen different shades and he looks, to Lucas, like an immortal being plucked from the heavens and placed in a Parisian postcard.

Paris in the summer! Where everything is beautiful and everything hurts!

Then Eliott is unbuttoning his shorts and Lucas whips his head around to look away, staring fixedly at the deep end of the pool, where the glow of the streetlights and the faint touches of setting sunlight play across the surface like oil.

In Lucas’s opinion, saying Eliott is beautiful is like saying July is a hell scape of humidity and car fumes. It’s a fact. The worst part is, Lucas knows him. He’s seen Eliott leave for class, looking like an off-duty model with his slouchy t-shirts and messy hair. He’s seen Eliott coming home from a party, drunk, when he makes ramen in the microwave while singing nonsensically to himself. He’s seen Eliott first thing in the morning, when his eyes are tired and his words are slow and his whole body radiates warmth.

So, yeah, Lucas is fucked.

He’s pulled from his thoughts by a quiet splash, Eliott slipping into the shallow end, surfacing where the water only rises to his waist, dipping into the grooves of his abs.

“You coming?” He asks Lucas, and Lucas thinks this really is the stupidest plan he’s ever had, because there he goes, stripping down to his underwear and getting into a pool with Eliott.

He takes the stairs in, sighing at the touch of the cool water, a balm to his overheated body and burning thoughts.

“I take it back,” Eliott is saying, floating on his back in the shallow end. “This is the best idea you’ve ever had.”

Lucas doesn’t answer, instead he tips onto his back too, closing his eyes.

It’s quiet then, the more peaceful quiet Lucas is used to experiencing with Eliott. Somehow, the water is able to wash away any lingering awkwardness while it ebbs and flows around their bodies.

Lucas lets himself drift, lets himself be carried away by the water until he bumps up against something, and opens his eyes.

It’s Eliott, and he’s on his feet again, staring down at Lucas with an indecipherable expression on his face.

Lucas whispers, “Hi.”

And Eliott smiles.

“Hi,” he whispers back. “Thank you for breaking us in.”

Lucas lets out a giggle that’s all breath. “I didn’t really do much.”

“You scaled a fence.”

“Well, yeah. But I had help.”

Eliott lowers into the water, until his face is level with Lucas’s. “I guess we make a good team.”

“I guess we do.” 

Lucas doesn’t realize Eliott is leaning forward until there’s a press of cool, wet lips against his own and it takes a second, but finally Lucas’s brain goes. Oh. We’re kissing.

And that’s when Lucas’s entire body locks up, and he flails as he sinks into the water.

He’s able to plant his feet on the tiled bottom of the pool and stand, but he’s coughing, hair dripping and eyes burning.

Eliott, for his part, looks horrified. “Oh my god, Lucas, I’m so sorry.”

“No!” Lucas cries, flapping out a hand that hits Eliott weakly in the chest, another cough wracking his body. “No.” He says again.

“I almost drowned you.” Lucas has never seen Eliott look as sad and dejected as he does now, and it’s that, more than the kiss itself, that makes Lucas pause, that gives him a moment of, is this…is it actually possible…

“Maybe you should try again.” He says, voice far more confident than he feels.

Eliott’s eyes snap up to his. “Yeah?”

Lucas nods. “Yeah.” And it’s a hot summer night and Lucas is actually a bit of sucker for romantic tropes, so he goes all in. “I’ve only been wanting you to kiss me for a year, so.”

Eliott looks stricken all over again, but it’s different. It’s different because he says, “I’ve been wanting to kiss you ever since I first saw you.”

Oh. “Oh.” Lucas doesn’t realize he’s biting down on his lip until Eliott’s eyes drop down to track the motion, and whoa, that is…“You should…yeah, I think you should do that, then. Please.”

The sun has almost set, so it’s dark in the pool, but Lucas can still make out Eliott, wading towards Lucas with the biggest smile on his face and Lucas thinks he could die in this moment, he really could, and he’d be fine with that, especially when Eliott makes it to him and cups Lucas’s face in his hands, tilting his head back.

There’s a beat where they just look at each other, eyes searching for recognition and finding it, both thinking, this is happening, we’re doing this, i can’t believe it’s you, i can’t believe you’re with me, and overwhelmingly, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me.

And so, in the middle of a pool in the middle of a heatwave in the middle of Paris, that’s exactly what they do.

[roryhoran552078-blog]

Risk Of ‘Dirty’ Turkey After Brexit If UK Attacks A United States Trade Deal

Many individuals worldwide understand The Goodyear Blimp from TELEVISION, the 'eye in the sky' at necessary featuring places. Adhesives as well as Sealers in Structure; a Research Relationship Seminar Performed due to the Property Study Principle, December 4 and also 5, louisfitblog.Info 1957, at the Shoreham Accommodation, Washington, D.C. National Investigation Authorities Magazine 577. What concerning Hogmanay in Edinburgh, most definitely a bigger celebration than a few of the urban areas provided, and also it's actually a social vacation, not just a present day city with rockets. Intersperse of whites as well as African United States in Cleveland Urban area led to enhancement of economic condition of citizens of this particular city. You will definitely additionally need to have to inspect to find if your cleaning organisation needs to have to be certified in your area for this sort of service. Albany, New york city's condition capital, is actually positioned on the west bank of the Hudson Waterway, north of New York Urban area and also southern of Montreal. Exposure to high amounts of tiny fragment air contamination is related to an enhanced threat of preterm birth - prior to 37 full weeks of maternity, according to a new research published online in the publication Environmental Health. I would like to say regarding this seminar our experts know several things coming from that maintaining our metropolitan area tidy and environment-friendly we ought to make use of garbage can after our experts must certainly not waste our have to effectively use of all, our team must creat awareness amongst the -BBA03812264.Batch-38( A).

Dinosaur fossils are so common in Montana that a fully verbalized Hadrosaurus specimen understood nicknamed "Elvis" sits not in one of Montana's countless national monuments, neither in a Montana State museum, yet instead in the Phillips Area Museum. A primary come in starting any kind of company is actually licensing and also lawful compliance, and also the very same is true for a car park cleaning company at the same time. Conservare l'architettura: Conservazione programmata per il patri- monio architettonico del XX secolo = Using less Design: Planned Conservation of XX Century Architectural Ancestry. Individuals in the nation adhere additional to social standards, specified way of livings as well as overviews. Wolff, a German-born landscape artist who researched in St. Louis along with Impressionist Paul Cornoyer, got there in New York in 1917, according to the St. Louis Historic Art Venture. I dealt with the part-time program as well as sales supervisor with searching for teams as well as creating teams that will convene in the coffee shop. Architecture of the Great Culture: Determining the GSA Profile of Properties Constructed In The Course Of the 1960s and 1970s.

The short article "Individual as well as Amenities Connects of Racial Distinctions in Virus-like Command for White as well as dark Pros with HIV Disease in the Veterans Administration" was actually coauthored through Mary Vaughan Sarrazin, PhD, Iowa Metropolitan Area VA Medical Facility as well as College of Iowa (Iowa Area) as well as associates coming from VA Palo Alto Healthcare Unit (CA), Stanford Educational Institution (CA), ENRM Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Bedford, MA), and Boston Ma College School of Public Health (MA). Great deals of terrific tips listed below about how to start your own cleaning company. The region area goes to as soon as fairly complicated to stay in as a black person, and pretty positive for white individuals. Free Web site Listing may terminate your access to all or even any kind of aspect of the Web site whenever, with or even without cause, along with or even without notification, reliable instantly. Network UK carried out effectively in enticing an international audience, along with individuals from 19 different nations. The security of the ancestry of chosen Ukrainian metropolitan areas - Lvov, Chernivtsi as well as Odessa - in the light of the 20th and 19th century urban organizing and construction. This properly created post reaches plenty of aspects with me. I live in New york city, very close to Flushing, an area adopted as being one of Nyc's China cities. Excellent commercial infrastructure, excellent preparing, cleanliness, power creation, reprocessing, these are actually some of the bottom lines thought about when an area is being actually thought about for the cleanest urban area in the world title.

[orbemnews]

Prince Philip Fast Facts - CNN Here’s a look at the life of Great Britain’s Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II. Birth date: June 10, 1921 Birth place: Corfu, Greece Birth name: Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark Father: Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark Mother: Princess Alice of Battenberg Marriage: Queen Elizabeth II (November 20, 1947-present) Children: Edward, Earl of Wessex (March 10, 1964); Andrew, Duke of York (February 19, 1960); Anne, Princess Royal (September 15, 1950); Charles, Prince of Wales (November 14, 1948) Military: British Royal Navy, 1939-1953 His full title is HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich, Knight of the Garter, Knight of the Thistle, Order of Merit, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire, Companion of the Order of Australia, Companion of The Queen’s Service Order, Privy Counsellor. His ancestry is not Greek by blood, but English, Russian, German/Prussian and Danish. Philip is the youngest of five children and the only son. Is a third cousin of his wife, the Queen, and like her, he is a great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria. He is also Queen Victoria’s oldest living great-great-grandchild. His interests are painting, environmental conservation, horses, flying and sailing. He has written books on birds, the environment, carriage driving and other subjects. After earning his RAF wings in 1953, Philip logged more than 5,900 hours in 59 different types of aircraft over the next 44 years. 1922 – The overthrow of his brother, King Constantine I of Greece, causes Prince Andrew, Princess Alice and their five children to leave Greece and settle in Paris. 1930 – After his parents’ separation in 1930, Philip is sent to England and raised there by his maternal grandmother and uncle. 1940 – Serves as a midshipman, his first posting, on the HMS Ramillies of the Mediterranean Fleet. 1942 – Becomes a sub-lieutenant in the British Royal Navy. July 1942 – Is promoted to first lieutenant and executive officer aboard the HMS Wallace, a destroyer, and participates in the Allied landings in Sicily during World War II. February 1947 – Becomes a naturalized British citizen and a commoner, using the surname Mountbatten, an English translation of his mother’s maiden name. Prior to taking the British oath of citizenship, being sixth in line to the throne of Greece, he renounces all claims to titles in both Greece and Denmark. July 10, 1947 – King George VI and Queen Elizabeth announce Elizabeth’s engagement to Philip. November 19, 1947 – Is invested as a Knight of the Order of the Garter and is given the titles of Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich. November 20, 1947 – Marries Princess Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey. His name changes from Lt. Philip Mountbatten to His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. 1948 – Is appointed as a personal aide-de-camp to his father-in-law, King George VI. 1950 – Is promoted to lieutenant-commander. June 1952 – Is promoted to commander, but his naval career ends with the death of King George VI, and his wife’s ascension to the throne on February 6. 1953 – Is appointed admiral of the fleet, field marshal of the Army and marshal of the Royal Air Force. Is designated regent presumptive by an act of parliament. In the event of the Queen’s death or incapacitation, Philip would rule as regent for Prince Charles. 1956 – Launches the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which rewards children for achievements in personal development and community involvement. 1956-1970 – Serves as president of the Royal Yachting Association. 1957 – By Queen’s decree, is “granted style and titular dignity of a Prince of the United Kingdom.” He is invested as a Grand Master and First or Principal Knight of the Order of the British Empire. This decree restores his birth title of prince. 1961-1981 – First president of the World Wildlife Fund – UK. 1964-1986 – President of the International Equestrian Federation. June 1968 – Is awarded the Order of the Merit by the Queen, an honor bestowed to those of, “great achievement in the fields of the arts, learning, literature and science,” and is restricted to 24 members. 1975-1980 – Serves as president of the Royal Yachting Association for the second time. 1981-1996 – Serves as president of World Wildlife Fund International. 1996-present – President emeritus of the World Wildlife Fund. April 9, 2005 – Philip and the Queen are the only senior members of the royal family who do not attend Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles’ civil wedding ceremony. They do attend the dedication service. November 10, 2005 – His 58th wedding anniversary makes him the longest-serving British consort, outliving the wife of King George III, Queen Charlotte. October 23, 2006 – Inspects British forces in southern Iraq. May 3-8, 2007 – Philip and the Queen visit the United States for the 400th anniversary of America’s first British settlement in Jamestown in 1607. They attend the Kentucky Derby on May 5 and a state dinner at the White House on May 7. April 1, 2009 – Along with the Queen, meets US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at Buckingham Palace. June 10, 2011 – His 90th birthday makes him the oldest-serving royal consort. December 23-27, 2011 – Undergoes treatment for a blocked coronary artery at Papworth Hospital. June 4-9, 2012 – Is hospitalized for a bladder infection at King Edward VII Hospital in London. He misses part of the Jubilee celebrations commemorating the Queen’s 60th anniversary on the throne. August 15-20, 2012 – Is treated at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for a bladder infection. June 7-17, 2013 – Is a patient in London Clinic, admitted for abdominal pain, he has exploratory surgery the following day and is released following his recuperation. January 26, 2015 – Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott awards that nation’s top honor, Knight of the Order of Australia, to Philip for his life of service throughout the Queen’s reign. May 4, 2017 – Buckingham Palace announces that Philip will step down from public life after August 2017. August 2, 2017 – Attends a parade of the Royal Marines at Buckingham Palace, carrying out the last of his thousands of public appearances before stepping back from public life. April 3, 2018 – Philip is admitted to a London hospital to undergo planned surgery on his hip. January 17, 2019 – Is involved in a traffic accident when his car collides with another vehicle carrying two women, aged 28 and 45, as well as a nine-month-old baby boy. In a statement the following day, a spokesperson said the Duke of Edinburgh had a “precautionary check-up” on doctor’s advice that confirmed Philip “had no injuries of concern.” It is later announced that he will not face any charges over the accident. February 9, 2019 – Buckingham Palace announces that Philip has surrendered his driving license following his January traffic accident that left a female driver injured. December 20, 2019 – Philip is admitted to the hospital over a “pre-existing” condition, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace. He leaves the hospital on December 24. April 20, 2020 – Philip makes a rare public statement thanking those working across the UK to help tackle the coronavirus pandemic. February 16, 2020 – Philip is taken to a London hospital after feeling unwell, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace. On March 3, he undergoes a medical procedure for a heart condition. Source link Orbem News #CNN #Facts #Fast #Philip #Prince

[feynavaley]

Hetalia Fanfiction – Arthur Kirkland’s Guide to Being a Big Brother Ch 1

Summary:  (Human AU) After ten years of living as the youngest of four children, Arthur Kirkland is firmly convinced that older brothers are useless at best, a nuisance at worst. The introduction of six-year-old Alfred into his life is the first of many changes that force Arthur to reconsider his position.

The full chapter is under the cut, use your phone browser if you can’t see it from the app. I hope you’ll like this!

AO3 | FFN | Next | List

———

Alfred, Part One

In retrospect, Alistair would say that it was all Arthur’s fault. Arthur would deny, of course, because he wouldn’t agree with Alistair even under torture, but when he was alone, without his older brother’s grin tormenting him, the boy would recognize that yes, he had certainly played a hand in the events that had followed. And the thought was always accompanied by a spark of pride, because, unlike his older brothers, Arthur could see what truly mattered: he could see the way their mother’s eyes sparkled now, the way her smile was more genuine, her features finally lacking the tension that had hardened them for so many years. It hadn’t always been like that.

It wasn’t like that the day everything was put into motion, a warm morning of June when Summer’s temperatures and bright sun were timidly starting to make themselves seen. Arthur had felt blessed for the presence of the air conditioning that cooled down the rooms and corridors of the university, making him forget the humid heat he had complained about outside. And it wasn’t only that: the university building was incredibly interesting, in the humble opinion of a ten-year-old. It was a maze of ample corridors sided by grand walls adorned with low reliefs and motives that exuded a note of solemnity, almost reminding Arthur of some old buildings from home, with the high windows opening on a cloudless sky that gave no indication of the location. If Arthur pretended hard enough, he could almost imagine that he was still in England.

The architecture wasn’t the only interesting thing, however. Somebody seemed almost to have feared that people could forget they were inside a university instead of a random old building, and had done his best to remind them. The halls and corridors were invaded by boards with colourful posters and displays that highlighted the activities of the university, such a rich display of knowledge and trivia that Arthur’s head was almost spinning, he didn’t quite know where to look to absorb all that information.

A series of panels about an expedition in Egypt was the cause of the boy’s ultimate downfall. What he did was nothing special: he merely stopped to have a closer look at the pictures and found himself completely engrossed in the explanation. Yet such an apparently harmless, insignificant action led to unforeseen consequences of much bigger magnitude.

After reading one of the panels, Arthur turned to show his mother the discovery, his lips curled into an excited smile – only to find an empty space next to him. The boy needed a moment to process the unexpected information, then his eyes quickly roamed over the corridor, widening, his features slowly shifting from excitement to horror as his stomach coiled with dread.

“Mum?” he tried to call fearfully, his voice wavering, but deep down, Arthur already knew that it was useless: his mother’s bright red hair was hard to miss, and there weren’t many people around the corridor. Two girls were chatting next to a door, a young man was walking at a brisk pace, but there was no trace of red. If Arthur couldn’t see his mother, it meant that she wasn’t there.

And neither was Alistair, who had left even earlier to check on something – Arthur hadn’t even been listening to him. The boy couldn’t claim that he liked Alistair, but at that moment, even he would have been welcome.

“Mum?!” Arthur called again, his breathing pitching up.

For a second time, nobody answered him.

Arthur swiftly turned around, his eyes wildly inspecting every corner as his head frantically moved from side to side, but the result didn’t change: no red hair. It was at that moment that the boy was invaded by another horrifying realization: he had no idea of where he was. He hadn’t been paying attention to where they were going, too taken by the displays and pictures, and now he didn’t know how to get back to the entrance or how to get out of the corridor. There was only one thing he knew with certainty: that place was huge.

Now, Arthur was a big boy. He was ten years old, which was almost a grown-up, no matter what Alistair or Connor or Dylan said, so, he was aware that he shouldn’t panic. Yet, that knowledge wasn’t helping. Arthur didn’t know what to do. He kept looking around, his eyes as wide as saucers, but his feet were frozen on the spot. Mum mustn’t have realized that he had stopped, so she didn’t know where he was, either. She would look for him, but would she ever find him? That place was so big…

Arthur almost wanted to run, but that would have probably only resulted in him getting lost even further. What could he do, then? Those corridors, that had looked so bright and inviting a few moments earlier, where suddenly ominously big – the walls were too high, the small windows suffocating, they almost seemed to be curling inwards, closing over him.

Arthur’s throat was closed off by a big lump, his vision blurry – tears, he realized suddenly. He felt a slight twinge of shame at that and he swallowed painfully, somehow managing to restrain the hot tears that were pressing against his lids. He still didn’t know what to do, however.

He was in a foreign country, with people who spoke a butchered version of his language, who were said to carry guns around and maybe kidnap children and sell them for their organs – that was what Oliver had said when he had learnt that Arthur was moving, at least. Arthur hadn’t believed him, his mother had told him numerous times that he shouldn’t take heed to anything that came out of his cousin’s mouth, but at that moment… what if Oliver was right? The fear was closing off Arthur’s throat, a barrier between his brain and any rational thought, his heart was racing.

He wanted Mum. Or Alistair. He would have hugged Alistair if he had seen him, even if he didn’t like him at all. Scratch that, he was never going to say another word against Alistair…

“Hey, kid, is everything all right?”

Arthur jumped, screeching.

The man who was crouched next to him smiled, holding up his hands in a placating manner.

“Whoa there, sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you. I just noticed that you seemed to be alone… where are your parents? Did you get lost?”

Arthur didn’t answer, narrowing his eyes as he scanned the stranger.

The man was American, he had immediately realized it by his accent. He was tall and strong, casually dressed in a pair of jeans and a white shirt that highlighted his tanned complexion. His chiselled features were framed by straight chestnut brown hair and his eyes were of the most intense cornflower blue that Arthur had ever seen, so bright that it almost looked fake. His white-toothed smile was far too perfect as well, there was no way somebody would smile like that without having a hidden agenda. Suddenly, all of Oliver’s tales about disappeared children sounded far too real.

“I shouldn’t talk to strangers,” Arthur declared drily, inching away from the man.

Much to his surprise, the stranger laughed. It wasn’t the sound Arthur would have expected out of the mouth of a child-snatcher, but a hearty, honest laugh.

“Fair enough,” the man retorted, “Nice to see that there are some judicious young men around. Well, I’m George Jones. It’s a real pleasure to meet you. And I won’t do anything, I promise – just take you to the information point so we can make an announcement and call your parents to get you, how does this sound?”

George Jones offered Arthur his hand, but the boy made no move to take it.

“How do I know that I can trust you?” he asked, forcing himself to stay completely still.

George Jones simply smiled.

“Turn around and look.”

It was probably a stupid thing to do – maybe the man would snatch him as soon as he got distracted – but on the other hand, the stranger’s seemingly open face had piqued Arthur’s curiosity. He turned around – and was met by George Jones’s startling blue eyes and tanned face, smiling wildly from a picture in the panel.

‘Professor George A. Jones,’ the caption said, ‘Head of the Archaeology Department’.

A soft ‘Oh’ seeped through Arthur’s lips as he turned again to the man, his eyes wide.

“See?” said Professor Jones, “I’m a faculty member, not just some stranger. I’ll just take you to the information point, I promise, I’m not trying to kidnap you.”

Arthur was aware that Jones’s words weren’t a reliable proof of his intentions – being a university professor didn’t mean that he couldn’t also be a child-snatcher – but after all, did he have any alternative? And at least, Jones was a renowned person inside the university, somebody would probably be able to identify and remember him if Arthur turned out missing.

“Okay,” he muttered, “I’m Arthur Kirkland.”

George Jones smiled even more widely as he got up, dusting off his jeans.

“Great, Arthur!” he said, gently placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder to lead him, “Like the king, right?”

Arthur nodded as he started to follow the man’s steps.

“Mum likes legends.”

George Jones hummed.

“Ah, yes… You come from England, don’t you? I don’t think I’ve heard such a perfect British accent in a long time… Do you have an older brother or sister who wants to study here?”

Arthur shrugged.

“Not really. Mum got a new job, so we are just moved here… Alistair is studying in Edinburgh and Connor in Belfast, and Dylan will start university in September… Mum hopes that he’ll move with us so she came to have a look at the university, but it’s useless. Everybody knows it, she just keeps deluding herself. Alistair is going to stay in Edinburgh, Connor is going to stay in Belfast, and Dylan is going to a university in England or in Wales. It’s just going to be Mum and me.”

Arthur suddenly realized that his throat was uncomfortably tight. He didn’t want to cry – he wasn’t even sad about it, actually. He didn’t mind being without his older brothers, they were only a nuisance, always mocking him for everything and trying to act like they were superior to him. But his mother clearly thought differently, and Arthur’s chest clenched every time he saw the lines on her face getting deeper, her eyes, once as bright as his, duller. Arthur wanted to tell her that everything was going to be all right, but every time he tried, the words seemed blocked in his throat. And it wasn’t only that. Everybody kept saying that a change of air would do his mother good, that she needed it, but… in spite of everything, England was their home. Deep down, Arthur knew that he wasn’t ready to leave it behind, just like his brothers weren’t.

Jones gently tightened the hold on his shoulder – barely, but enough for Arthur to understand that it was meant to be a comforting gesture.

“I see…” the man’s voice was soft. “You sound like a very bright boy, Arthur.”

Everybody always told him that, but somehow, Jones sounded earnest in a different way other people did. Arthur decided that he liked him.

It wasn’t long before Arthur and George Jones arrived at the office. It wasn’t far from the place Arthur had gotten lost in – maybe, he would have even felt embarrassed, if he hadn’t been so relieved.

“Arthur Kirkland is waiting for his mother Aila Kirkland at the information point at floor one,” a bored-looking secretary announced at the interphone a few moments later, under the boy’s request.

The smooth, professional voice alleviated the weight at the pit of Arthur’s stomach. Mum would know where he was, now. It was going to be all right.

Much to Arthur’s surprise, George Jones didn’t leave. Curiously, he asked the secretary to prepare a cup of tea before bringing his attention back to Arthur.

“Aila, uh?” he mused, “That’s a Celtic name.”

Professor Jones spent the following minutes discussing with Arthur about Celtic mythology and naming, he seemed to be weirdly knowledgeable about it. But of course, he was an archaeology professor, that was probably normal. Arthur answered with enthusiasm. He had just started to relax while Jones was telling him how much he would have liked seeing Stonehenge, when a scream tore through the air.

“Arthur!”

His heart missed a beat. He jumped up, ready to run to hug his mother, but as soon as he turned, he found himself frozen on the spot.

His mother looked horrible. She was as pale as ghost, her eyes bright and bloodshot, and there was something wildly out of control in her brisk steps. Without stopping for a moment, she crossed the space between them and convulsively clutched Arthur to her chest. He could feel her shaking – and suddenly, to his horror, she burst into tears.

“Oh, Arthur, thank goodness you’re all right, I turned around and you weren’t there anymore, nobody remembered seeing you, I had no idea of where you were, what if somebody had taken you—”

Arthur was aware that he probably should have said something, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. His body felt frozen, his brain unable to connect with his tongue. He had never seen his mother like that. She wasn’t supposed to be like that, she was strong, not… not that snivelling, bawling mess.

“—and then a lady said she had seen you leave with a man and oh God Arthur you have no idea of just how terribly worried I was, what if—”

It was at that moment George Jones cleared his throat, announcing his presence.

“Uhm, excuse me, Mrs Kirkland…”

Aila straightened abruptly without releasing her hold on Arthur.

“I’m the man Arthur was with,” Professor Jones said, “I noticed that he looked lost and I brought him here to give the announcement. I understand that this must have been quite a scare, but it’s all right now.”

“Oh…” Aila murmured weakly before regaining some control of herself and wiping the tears from her face with the back of her hand. “Oh, thank you so much, sir… I’m sorry for causing such a scene, I just…”

She finally loosened her death grip on Arthur, but she didn’t seem to be able to stop crying.

George Jones offered her a sympathetic smile.

“Don’t worry about this. I understand perfectly, I have a young son as well and God only knows how much he makes me worry… I know how terrifying this must have been.” He laid a gentle hand on Aila’s arm. “Would you like a cup of tea?”

Aila nodded weakly, still sniffling. She let herself be led away from Arthur and collapsed on a chair next to a small table, where a cup of tea had just been placed by the secretary.

Arthur wanted to join his mother, but his feet were glued on the spot. He didn’t understand, he had only stopped to look at a display, it shouldn’t have led to such consequences… it shouldn’t have, really. And in spite of that, his mother was clearly hurting. Arthur’s stomach started churning at the realization.

“Arthur! Mum!”

Arthur gasped, whirling around. Alistair was coming towards him in long strides, almost running. His light blue eyes were wide, the paleness of his face even more evident in contrast with his crimson hair. He started slowing down his pace only when he caught sight of both his family members visibly unharmed.

“It’s all right, Ali,” Aila called weakly from her spot, her trembling hands cradling the cup of tea like a new-born pup. “Mr Jones here found Arthur, he’s fine. It’s all right.”

She didn’t make any move to get up from the chair, she looked too drained to do so. After a brief smile at Alistair, George Jones turned back to Aila. Arthur realized that he was talking, but his voice was too soft for the boy to make out any word. His mother was nodding, however, and the trembling of her hands was starting to quell down.

Alistair’s hand suddenly descended on Arthur’s shoulder, giving it a rough squeeze.

“Let’s give Mum some space,” he murmured as he started leading Arthur away.

Alistair’s eyes were dark on his stony features – not a good sign. Arthur still followed him, too shaken to protest. He couldn’t erase from his mind his mother’s teary eyes, her anguished expression… and especially, the horrifying, gut-wrenching knowledge that it was his fault. There was no strength left in him to oppose his older brother.

Only when they were outside of the office Alistair loosened his hold, positioning himself in front of his younger brother.

“I want to know what you were thinking,” he hissed.

His hands were shaken by slight tremors, his eyes bright with rage. Arthur instinctively took a step back, but his older brother followed him.

“How can you be so fucking selfish?! Mum has so many things on her plate that you can’t even start to imagine it! And instead of helping, what do you do?! You decide to run off on your own, without caring about how much it’s going to hurt Mum!”

Arthur wanted to defend himself. He really did, what Alistair was trying to describe was nowhere close to the truth… his tongue seemed frozen, however, his throat blocked off by a big lump. And Alistair kept scolding him, his voice rising in volume until he was almost yelling.

“I can’t believe you! You know what’s going on, but you don’t pay the slightest attention to anything, you just keep being this self-conceited brat—”

Arthur hadn’t meant to behave in the way Alistair was describing. He wasn’t selfish, he loved Mum above anything else, and would have done anything to ease her concerns. He had only stopped to look at a display, he hadn’t realized that his mother had moved away…

In spite of that, the trembling mess that was now his mother was a direct consequence of that brief moment of carelessness.

Arthur couldn’t take it anymore. All the emotions that had swelled inside his throat burst out in fat tears streaming down his face. ‘I didn’t want this!’ he wanted to yell, but Alistair didn’t leave him any space to talk, he didn’t even seem to realize that Arthur had started crying – he only kept yelling, his clenched fists trembling.

“—And if you have any idea of just how much we were worrying, you should have seen Mum she was completely frantic— Ouch!”

“Leave him alone, you big bully!”

What?

When Arthur managed to blink away the tears, his blurry vision returned to focus on a surreal scene. Alistair was still in front of him, but expression had shifted from anger to confusion as he looked wide-eyed at the small child who was at his feet, valiantly kicking his shins.

Alistair raised his hands, taking a couple of steps back as he tried to subtract himself from the child’s fury.

“Now, lad—” he started saying, trying to dodge the small feet, but the child interrupted him.

“I don’t want to hear your excuses, you meanie!”

Alistair’s blue eyes were wide in confusion. After a moment of hesitation, he gingerly bent down to try and placate the child, who merely snarled at him and took a couple of steps back before charging again.

Arthur had even forgotten to cry, he could only watch in fascination the odd scene that was unfolding in front of his eyes – Alistair, being attacked by a child who couldn’t be any older than seven. Certainly, not something Arthur had ever expected he would see, and his brain was failing to react. He was having trouble merely processing the situation, he still couldn’t believe that it was real.

George Jones’s shocked voice finally jerked Arthur back to reality.

“Alfred! What are you doing?!”

Professor Jones swooped in and swept up the child, tearing him away from Alistair.

“I’m sorry,” he started saying immediately, “I really don’t know what’s gotten into him… he was supposed to stay in my office!”

In his arms, Alfred scowled, folding his arms across his chest.

Recalling Jones’s words to his mother, Arthur wondered if the child was his son. Alfred’s features were softer and his hair dark blond, but he did share some resemblance with Mr Jones: they had the same straight nose, tanned skin and, more importantly, those striking cornflower blue eyes. There was no denying that they were related.

“You were taking forever, Dad!” Alfred whined, proving Arthur’s theory. “So I came looking for you! And luckily I did, because this man was being a big bully! Look, he made him cry!”

Arthur blushed slightly as George Jones’s eyes darted to his face, while Alistair’s expression was darker than ever. Jones faltered. It was clear that he didn’t know how to deal with the situation – but somebody else did.

“Alistair!”

At the shrill shout, everybody turned towards the small form that was advancing towards them with brisk steps.

Aila seemed to have mostly recovered. While her face was still pale and her eyes puffy, she was walking with her shoulders squared, and only determination showed through her features.

Alistair paled under her scorching gaze. Arthur’s tears were still clearly visible on his cheeks, and Alfred was glaring at the young man. There was no mistaking what had happened, especially not to Aila’s expert eyes.

“I think we need to have a talk, Alistair,” she declared, folding her arms across her chest.

In spite of everything, Arthur found himself cheering internally, the knot in his stomach loosening: somebody was going to get a good thrashing. Next to him, George Jones swallowed, visibly uneasy.

“Well, why don’t you come to my office with Alfred, Arthur?” he asked, somehow summoning a wide smile. “You were looking at the panels from the Egypt expedition, I have some interesting articles about it that have yet to be published…”

Arthur wouldn’t have minded assisting to Alistair’s demise, but on the other hand, the articles sounded interesting, and they had the added bonus of showing Alistair how superior Arthur was to the entire situation.

“Okay, thank you,” he decided, taking the offered hand.

“You can ask the secretary where my office is,” Professor Jones said, at which Aila answered with a small nod.

“Thank you,” she replied without turning, her eyes boring holes in Alistair’s face.

“Mum, I—” Arthur heard him saying.

“No, don’t start apologizing now!” Aila cut him off, “What I want to know is how it could even cross your mind to talk to your brother that way?! You’re not his parent Alistair, I’ve told you one million of times! Nothing gives you the right…”

Her voice faded in the distance. The disappointment blossomed in a small frown on Arthur’s face – the discussion was finally getting to an interesting point – until he felt George Jones’s hand slightly relax the hold on his one, making him understand that the man had offered to take him away to save him for a potentially harmful situation. It wouldn’t have been, but Arthur realized with surprise that he wasn’t any less touched.

He turned to offer Professor Jones a small smile, only for his eyes to meet Alfred’s bright blue ones. The child was still perched on his father’s arm, looking at him with curiosity.

“Your Mama is quite scary,” he commented, “Is she always like that?”

A slight crease disturbed the smooth skin of George Jones’s forehead.

“Alfred…” he started rebuking, but the remark had made Arthur realize how he had reached his conclusion.

“No, only if somebody does something wrong,” he cut in, “She’s actually very sweet when she’s not angry. But I don’t mind, really, she wasn’t angry at me, just at Alistair. So it’s fine.”

Alfred nodded, clearly satisfied with the answer, leaving Arthur wondering whether such a small child could truly understand what he had just said.

“You talk funny,” Alfred declared then, twisting in his father’s arms so he could look more closely at Arthur.

George Jones barely managed to restrain a snort behind a dry cough.

Arthur found himself frowning.

‘You’re the one to talk!’, would have been the immediate reply, because honestly, and yet… after a glance at Alfred’s big, earnest eyes, the words died in Arthur’s throat. There was no malice in the child’s expression, only genuine curiosity.

Moreover, Alfred had to be truly young, Arthur had to remind himself, maybe not even old enough to go to school, blaming his ignorance on him wouldn’t be fair. That was without even considering how rude it would be, when his father had been nothing but kind to Arthur.

“That’s because I come from England,” he answered in the end, his words slightly clipped.

Alfred cocked his head.

“Oh wow, it sounds really far away… is it farther than Canada?”

Once again, Arthur had to refrain himself from rolling his eyed. ‘He’s just a child,’ he reminded himself before talking.

“Much farther. There’s an entire ocean in between.”

Alfred’s eyes widened in wonder.

“Wow… This is so so far away… like Egypt! I went to Egypt once! Didn’t we, Dad?”

Jones chuckled at his son’s enthusiasm. Alfred didn’t wait for an answer before resuming his excited chatter.

“And it was soo beautiful! The pyramids are so big… I wanted to climb one but Dad didn’t let me. But he let me have a ride on a camel! They smell weird, but it was so much fun! And then…”

Alfred kept blabbering about the trip to Egypt the entire way to his father’s office, his eyes wide and bright with excitement. Arthur slowly found himself relaxing, the child’s enthusiasm was contagious, taking his mind away from the memories of the last moments.

George Jones’s office turned out to be as interesting as Arthur would have expected. It was a big rectangular room, with a huge window that opened on the garden, and it might have looked airy, hadn’t it been for the books that almost swallowed it. They were piled all over a big wooden desk, stacked in sturdy shelves, there was a pile on a coffee table and one big volume with a blue cover had even been left on one of the two cushioned armchairs next to it. The parts of the wall that weren’t occupied by books were covered with old-looking maps and some pictures.

Alfred’s voice seemed to fade into the background as Arthur looked around, his eyes widening at the impressive display of knowledge. He itched to put his hands on the books, he wanted to spend the rest of his days in that office, he decided suddenly. He even forgot about the articles until he saw Jones put down Alfred to reach some papers on a shelf.

“What are you looking for, Dad?” the child asked immediately, jumping to try and see the papers his father was sorting through.

“Some articles for Arthur,” Professor Jones answered, “I told him before, weren’t you paying attention? You know—”

A gentle knock at the door claimed everybody’s attention.

“Yes?” George Jones answered immediately, his voice deeper than it had been when he had been talking to Arthur.

The door opened to reveal a girl with a frizzy hair and the hugest pair of glasses Arthur had ever seen. Arthur judged her to be around the same age as his brothers, but instead of exuding their confidence, she was nervously chewing on her lower lip and the binder she held tightly in front of her chest looked almost like a shield.

“I hope I’m not bothering you, professor, I hoped I could talk to you about my last paper…”

George Jones straightened up as he walked towards the door.

“Yes, of course. You sent me an e-mail yesterday. Barbara, right?”

He was still talking in a deeper voice. That was Professor Jones’s voice, Arthur realized suddenly, the same one he had used with the secretary. His countenance was slightly different too, he was standing straighter, and when at the girl’s small nod he moved towards her, his steps looked more deliberate. Arthur was just starting to realize how much George Jones had been trying to make him at ease, which brought a pleasant sense of surprise.

“I’m sorry, boys,” Jones said just before stepping out of the room, looking back at Arthur and Alfred. “I’ll be back in a minute, you two can stay here… Arthur, if you see any book that looks interesting you can take it.”

Even if they weren’t the articles George had promised, Arthur was satisfied with the arrangement. His eyes immediately darted to a packed library, but he didn’t have the time to choose a book.

“Hey, who was that man who was yelling at you before?” Alfred asked unexpectedly, “Do you know him?”

The child had sat down on one of the two armchairs and he was swinging his legs as he looked at Arthur, his head slightly tilted to a side.

Arthur sighed, carefully moving the book to a side before settling himself on the second armchair.

“Just my older brother,” he answered, frowning at the thought. “He’s…”

He hesitated, stopping himself just in time. ‘A pain in the ass,’ would have been his next choice of words, but Alfred was a child. Arthur couldn’t talk that way in front of him.

“A real bother,” he said in the end, “He’s always very mean and grumpy. But Mum is going to give him a big scolding.”

Alfred’s eyes widened.

“But this is horrible! That’s not how big brothers should behave, he’s so mean!”

Arthur shrugged. He couldn’t deny that Alfred’s outrage brought an unexpected twinge of satisfaction, but it was far too clear that the child didn’t have the slightest idea of what he was talking about.

“That’s just how big brothers are. Let me tell you, I’ve got three of them… Alistair’s the worst, but they’re all horrid.”

Much to Arthur’s surprise, Alfred pouted and folded his arms across his chest.

“Nu—uh. Big brothers aren’t supposed to do that. They’re supposed to be awesome and take care of their little siblings!”

Arthur didn’t know where Alfred had gotten that skewed view from. The TV, maybe, Arthur had seen siblings’ relationships generally presented in a positive light there, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. And yet… as he opened his mouth to answer, Arthur was once again forced to confront himself with the fact that Alfred was just a small child. Did Arthur have any right to crush his naïve beliefs? Besides, Alfred had been so ready to take his side… Arthur really couldn’t find it in himself to cause the child some distress.

“Well, maybe mine are a peculiar case,” he conceded, but Alfred didn’t seem deterred.

“And doesn’t your Mom scold them, then? And what about your Dad?”

“Mum does, but sometimes she tells me I’m exaggerating. And Dad…” once again, Arthur found himself hesitating. How much was he allowed to tell such a young child without frightening him?

“He’s not around anymore,” he decided to settle for in the end, “And this is why my big brothers are so insufferable, too. They want to act like they’re my Dad, but they aren’t.”

That was what Mum always said when she tried to explain to him his brother’s actions, at least, but Arthur wasn’t completely convinced. He was sure that there was a lot more to being a father than behaving like grumpy, whiny spoilsport.

“Oh.”  Alfred nodded solemnly, his eyes wide. “I see.”

He managed to keep his composure for about half a second before fidgeting, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“Is he gone like Mama or gone like Jefferson?”

Confusion creased Arthur’s forehead.

“Come again?”

“Oh, yeah.” Alfred waved his hand in a careless gesture. “Jefferson the hamster. He was really old and sick and now he’s in Heaven with God.”

Well, so Alfred knew about death. Of course, Arthur had known as well at Alfred’s age, but he had been in a different situation.

“While Mama left me and Dad and now she lives with Mattie in Canada.”

Arthur’s blood ran cold. He knew about divorces, and he knew how unpleasant they were. He could see it written in the too tight features of Alfred’s face. He found himself deeply disliking that expression, the child was much better smiling like he had been before.

“My Dad is in Heaven. He wasn’t old, but he was really sick,” Arthur answered evenly.

“This is really sad,” Alfred mused, looking at him with impossibly expressive eyes. “I can still see Mama, but you cannot see your Dad… You must be very sad. I was sad when Jefferson died…”

An unexpected spark of warmth blossomed in Arthur’s chest. Alfred was just a child, but his concern seemed genuine, and his words were clearly a clumsy offer of comfort.

“It’s all right,” he answered with a small smile, “I cannot really remember Dad, I was still very little when he died.” Henry Kirkland was hardly more than a flash in Arthur’s memories, a frail hand ruffling his hair, a breathless laughter, a thin body enveloped by white sheets. “So I cannot really miss him.”

That wasn’t quite correct, however: while he couldn’t miss his father, Arthur was acutely aware of the painful void that his absence had left. He could see it in his mother’s dull eyes, in the way her face was constantly wrinkled and tense, so different from the smiling girl Arthur could see in some old pictures. He could see the void in the way Alistair clumsily tried and failed to take charge, in the fact that, when his mother couldn’t pick him up from school, Arthur would see one of his brothers, not his father like other children did.

But Arthur couldn’t possibly say any of that to the bright-eyed Alfred, who had straightened his back to look more adult and was nodding solemnly. Once again, the child was back to a more exuberant countenance in a matter of seconds, his eyes lighting up as a satisfied smile stretched his lips.

“Hey, you know what? My Dad is alone and your Mom is alone. They should marry, so they won’t be alone anymore and your brothers won’t have any excuse to bother you!”

Arthur’s badly concealed snort quickly turned into full-blown laughter. Alfred’s suggestion was simply preposterous, it wasn’t how romance worked, but Arthur couldn’t manage to stop laughing long enough to tell him, he could hardly breathe. Fortunately, Alfred didn’t seem to take offence at that, or maybe he mistook Arthur’s amused reaction as an assent, seeing how he never stopped smiling proudly. Arthur found out that he didn’t mind: after all, Alfred was just a child, and his genuine enthusiasm had had the side effect of making Arthur almost forget about his previous concerns. While he stayed in the office with Alfred, his mother’s tears and Alistair yells seemed far away, easy to ignore. The fact that Alfred seemed to dislike Alistair as much as Arthur did was an added bonus, too.

After that, Arthur kept chatting with Alfred, barely realizing the passing of time. Even the books were forgotten in front of Alfred's enthusiasm – there were clearly some misconceptions in the way he retold his trip to Egypt, but it was entertaining to see how Alfred's eyes sparkled, unspoiled by maturity. By the time George Jones came back with Aila in tow, Arthur had completely forgotten about Alfred’s plans, and when he waved him goodbye, he wasn't expecting to see him again – and he wasn't even truly sorry about it. For how pleasant that time had been, Alfred was still a near-stranger and a child far too young to be considered Arthur's friend.

In spite of that, Arthur found himself thinking about Alfred when Alistair started nagging him again (this time, on the fact that he should try to go and talk to some children who were playing near their house). He couldn’t stop recalling the way Alfred had kicked Alistair, and a smile tugged at his lips at the memory. Alfred had been a sweet child. Arthur probably wasn’t going to meet him again, but he hoped that everything would go well for him – and at least, he had a caring father instead of an annoying older brother. He certainly deserved that.

(word count: 6,106)

Notes:

Arthur’s mother is a bit inspired by how I would imagine the personification of Albion (I’m not a big fan of Hetalia OCs, but in these cases I will use them). She’s supposed to be Scottish, while Arthur’s father is English. Aila is a Scottish Gaelic name that means ‘from a strong/resilient place’. She got married at 22, had her first child at 23 and she’s now 45 years old.

Alistair, Connor and Dylan are respectively Scotland, North Ireland and Wales, and they’re 22, 20 and 18 years old.

Oliver is 2P England, and his mother (a single mother) Lillian is 2P nyo England. She’s Arthur’s father’s much younger sister, and certainly not a positive person. They won’t make any other appearance, however, I just thought that Oliver would be one to tease people like that, and they will be referenced some other times.

George Jones is an OC, but I bet you can guess where I got his name from. He’s 42 years old.

Jefferson the hamster was actually named after Thomas Jefferson. I’m 100% sure that Alfred would do something like this.

English isn’t my first language, I apologize for any mistake. Feel free to correct me!

[travelonlinetips-blog]

New Post has been published on https://travelonlinetips.com/travelbag-tells-passengers-to-china-get-a-visa-when-they-dont-need-one/

Travelbag tells passengers to China ‘get a visa’ when they don’t need one

A major travel company has been misinforming customers about the visa rules for China, costing them hundreds of pounds and many hours of hassle.

Travelbag, which is part of the Emirates Group, told passengers on a cruise which ends in Shanghai: “Please ensure you arrange your visa prior to departing the UK.”

The process for obtaining a Chinese visa involves a mandatory visit to a visa centre in London, Manchester, Edinburgh or Belfast, to be photographed and fingerprinted as well as a fee upwards of £150.

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Yet many British travellers do not need visas for the People’s Republic because of the generous “transit without visa” provision, which allows them to stay six full days with no red tape by meeting some simple conditions.

British visitors must arrive direct from a country outside China (which in this context includes Hong Kong) and depart direct to a different country.

Gillian Collins is the Travelbag customer who contacted The Independent, saying: “Could you advise if we can use a transit exemption visa? We have been given different answers several times and time is running out for us.”

Ms Collins is flying out to Singapore to board a Royal Caribbean cruise to Vietnam, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Like many such travellers, she has booked two nights in a hotel in the Chinese city and then is flying back direct to Heathrow.

The vast majority of UK passengers on the cruise who are staying for six days (144 hours) or less and leaving to anywhere in the world apart from Hong Kong and mainland China qualify for visa-free transit.

As the Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection confirms, they can arrive at either of the city’s cruise ports or airports. All they need is a passport and an “onward air/vessel/train ticket to a third country with confirmed date and seat within 144 hours upon arrival”. Visitors must remain in the Shanghai area during their “transit”. Most travellers whose cruises end in Shanghai spend two or three nights exploring the city before flying home.

Travelbag is a member of Abta, the travel association. Under the Abta Code of Conduct, companies are obliged to “advise their clients of passport, visa and other entry and transit requirements for the journeys to be undertaken where it is reasonably practicable for the members to obtain this information”.

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The information has been in the public domain for at least three years.

A spokesperson for Travelbag said: “This particular situation has exposed a flaw in our processes, which we will now seek to rectify for the future as a priority.

“As this passenger’s experience shows, the Chinese visa protocols and procedure is complex and we apologise if, in trying to assist, we gave them incorrect information that caused them any additional stress.

“That wasn’t done with any ill-intent – but does show we need to review and improve staff knowledge of visa requirements for that destination, and how we are communicating that to, or assisting, customers with resolving their queries through our offline and online channels.”

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Ms Collins said: “Due to all the hassle and time spent trying to find out the correct answer as to if we did or did not need a visa, we were seriously wishing that we hadn’t booked the cruise.

“I am pleased that they have acknowledged the fact that they did not provide us with the correct information and hopefully, some good will come out of this as in, more people will want to visit Shanghai and won’t be put off having to pay £150 for a visa.”

The Travelbag spokesperson said: “We are confident that the information and advice we’re giving regarding visas or permits for the other worldwide destinations we sell is accurate and in accordance with Abta’s member requirements.”

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[jeffrey2garner]

The CarGurus Guide to Buying a Used Van

We don’t just list used cars for sale on CarGurus, but vans too. But how do you know what van is best for your business, how much is fair to pay and what features to look for? In this guide we’ve answered exactly those questions, and a few more besides.

WHAT TO BUY What van you need will depend on what it’s going to be used for. That bargain basement offer might not seem so cheap, for example, when you realise it doesn’t accommodate everything you need to carry. Don’t just consider size either, but weight too. By law all vans have a maximum gross vehicle weight (also known as laden weight), which is what it is allowed to weigh when fully loaded, including driver, passengers, fuel and payload. Drive a van that is overloaded and the safety – and thus legal – implications are serious.

WHERE TO BUY In our latest piece of research CarGurus has found the most affordable and expensive cities in the UK to purchase a used van, with Glasgow coming out as the prime place to bag a bargain.

The study found that on average the price of a used van in Glasgow is 2.4% lower than the national average, followed by Edinburgh (2.2%), Sheffield, Manchester (both 1.9%) and Stoke-on-Trent (1.8%).

At the other end of the scale Plymouth in Devon was shown to be the most expensive place to pick up a van, with prices 4.2% above the national average. For that you can partly thank there being an above average number of searches for the Volkswagen Transporter relative to those for the cheaper Ford Transit compared with other regions, as well as a more limited supply of stock in general.

Search for used vans for sale on CarGurus

THE PRICE IS RIGHT As ever when buying a vehicle, if a van looks too good to be true then it probably is. That’s where CarGurus unique algorithms can help, measuring not only price but also dealer ratings, mileage, age, specification and more to show you the best deals from top-rated dealers. In doing so you can feel more confident of getting a fair deal.

It’s not just purchase price you need to consider, but running costs too. You can easily spend hundreds of pounds more on fuel than you need to by opting for the wrong engine for your needs, whether it’s burning more diesel in a big engine that you just don’t need, or having to work a smaller engine harder because you’re carrying heavy loads over long distances. Road tax and insurance will vary between vans too, so be sure to compare a few options to see which is most cost effective for your needs.

RUNNING LIKE CLOCKWORK If a faulty or broken down van means you can’t get the job done it’ll cost your business time and money. It’s vital therefore to be able to trust the vehicle you buy, which in turn means evidence of regular servicing is key. Look for a clean MOT record as further evidence that a van has been well cared for, noting that the most common reasons for failure according to the DVSA are vehicle lighting, brakes and suspension.

ALL MOD CONS While they might still be workhorses, modern vans are also much better equipped than their predecessors ever were. Air conditioning, decent sound systems with DAB radio, and comfortable interiors should be the order of the day. Don’t forget about useful safety gadgets such as hill hold assist and reversing cameras either, both of which can help to take the stress out of urban driving, as well as reduce the chances of a silly bump or scrape.

PHONE A FRIEND (OR PAY FOR HELP) If you need a little extra reassurance consider asking any van-savvy friends or family to help with your search, as well as paying for a used vehicle inspection and vehicle history check. In doing so you can significantly reduce the chances of buying a van with a hidden past or something that has problems stored up waiting to cost you money.

Search for used vans for sale on CarGurus

Find Used Cars in your area at CarGurus.

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Bring along CarGurus’ mobile app to help check prices, find good deals, and research cars on your smartphone.

The content above is for informational purposes only and should be independently verified. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

from The CarGurus Blog http://blog.cargurus.com/2018/04/17/the-cargurus-guide-to-buying-a-used-van via Car Gurus from Blogger http://jeffrey2garner.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-cargurus-guide-to-buying-used-van.html via IFTTT

[robertmcangusgroup]

The Daily Thistle

The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland

Friday 31st March 2017

"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you….Bella and my walk this morning was taken under a star filled sky, mild and with a gentle breeze blowing across the water from Africa only some 20 miles away.. ships glide stately on the calm waters, lights twinkling in the distance, small fishing boats engines breaking the night silence as they fuss about in the coastal waters and I am reminded of the McAngus heritage of years gone by, as fishermen in the cold waters of the North Sea off the North East coast of Scotland, much different than placid waters I am seeing this morning...

SLEEPWALKER WANTED WATERMELON IN ASDA IN ABERDEEN…. A sleepwalker in her nightdress found looking for a watermelon in Asda had to be taken home by police. The woman went into the Garthdee branch of the supermarket in Aberdeen at about 02:30 on Thursday. She wrote on a social media site: "I was awoken by a police officer in the fruit and veg aisle. I had sleepwalked the 1.5 miles from my house then gone to Asda to get a watermelon." Police Scotland said the woman was safely escorted home. The woman wrote: "Obviously I was very confused, only made worse by the fact that I was barefoot, in my nightdress and freezing cold. "So, thanks to the very kind Asda staff who warmed me up and gave me shoes, socks and a cup of tea and to the lovely police officers who deposited my very confused self-back in bed." Police Scotland said: "Police in Aberdeen were called to reports of concern for a 23-year-old woman at Asda at Garthdee. "Officers attended and assisted the woman home safely." Robert Wallace, deputy store manager at the store, said: "We do our level best to create a relaxing shopping environment, so we're flattered that she chose our store to visit on her trip out. "Our colleagues were quick to make sure that she was well looked after and we are glad that she got home safely for a good night's sleep."

SOCKET SHOCK FOR BUS PASSENGER…. A Cowdenbeath man was shocked to find an electrical fitting on a bus hanging down on a morning trip to Edinburgh. Craig Sneddon was on the X54 at the back of 8am when he came across the problem fitting. Said Craig: "I have a concern about health and safety on board Stagecoach bus services after finding the sockets like this each morning. "Today I had my nephew with me who had a good look at the socket and it got me thinking about the consequences of him touching a socket like this". He added: "I can't believe this bus has been let out of the depot like this and can only imagine what would have happened had my nephew touched the wires inside." Stagecoach said that when they were made aware of this last week we set out to find the vehicle in question with additional inspections, the vehicle has since been traced and the issue resolved . The spokeswoman for Stagecoach East Scotland said: "We were concerned to hear of this issue by a customer last week and immediately commenced additional checks on our vehicles to identify the vehicle. "The coach in question has now been traced and the issue rectified. Safety is our absolute priority, and although our vehicles are checked daily, it seems there has been movement to this socket when a plug was removed and we're investigating this further."

COMMUNITY WEBSITE'S LATEST MILESTONE…. Lochgelly community website, Loch of Shining Waters, has reached another milestone after receiving an invitation from Google to join their Project Shield programme, which aims to protect news sites and free expression from DDoS attacks on the web. DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) is a common tactic used against websites in an attempt to make a website unavailable by overwhelming the servers with traffic from multiple sources. Chairperson Terry Mclean said: “Our volunteers James Glen, George Kinnell and Andrew Connolly, have been working overtime stabilising the site from repeated DDoS attacks which peaked during the 4 Winds Trust and Lochore Meadows scandals. "Our volunteers work hard to bring verifiable data to public attention. Dealing with DDoS attacks has been a drain on our services which recently forced us to relocate the website to new servers.” Project Shield is a project created and maintained by Google to protect free expression and news sites online. The service is only provided to qualifying news, human rights, or election monitoring organisations and individual journalists. Shining Waters secretary James Glen commented: “This is a great tribute to the work of our volunteers. "We wouldn't be where we are today without our hard-working volunteers, dedicated board and the continued support of residents who bring us news stories and share our articles. Google's recognition is particularly welcome at a time when we continue to be the target of personal abuse for daring to publish information which residents have a right to know. "Those in authority have not always welcomed the publication of this information when it has shone a less than favourable light on their activities. ? Project Shield was designed by Google to detect and eliminate DDoS as a form of censorship. It? is provided as an invite-only service to qualifying sites to help protect journalism and promote free speech. Project Shield Community Manager Justine Rivero said: “I’m happy to invite you to Project Shield! We’re excited to help protect your website. Welcome aboard.”

DISQUALIFIED DRIVER REFUSED BREATH TEST…. A Disqualified driver took a car without consent then later refused to take a breath test. Gary McBurney, 27, of Croftangry Road, Kelty, appeared from custody at Dunfermline Sheriff Court, where he admitted several offences committed on March 22. At Croftangry Road, he took and drove away a car without the consent of the owner. He also admitted driving while disqualified and without insurance. McBurney further admitted failing to provide two specimens of breath at Kirkcaldy police station and also behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on the journey there in a police van when he was repeatedly shouting, swearing and making threats of violence. The court heard McBurney had a drink-driving conviction from last year, had breached a community payback order and was on a deferred sentence. Sheriff Richard McFarland remanded McBurney in custody and he will be sentenced on April 19.

LIFEBOAT GOES TO AID OF DIVER SUFFERING DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS…. Oban RNLI Lifeboat launched early yesterday morning to assist a diver showing signs of decompression sickness. The lifeboat was tasked at 7.25am, at the request of Stornoway Coastguard, to evacuate the diver from Loch Aline. It arrived on scene at the pontoons by 8.08am. Following hand over from the doctor, the casualty was taken on board the. The lifeboat arrived back alongside the berth by 9.05am where the casualty was transferred onwards to the care of paramedics. The condition of the diver is not known.

On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,

Our look at Scotland today is of these two swans in flight which were photographed along the shore of Ardrossan by Michael Kent, of Kilwinning in Ayrshire.

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Friday 31st March 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in ….. Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus