#battle of the Solent

[rightintheghoulies]

11th October 1545, the Solent, some 'frogs' taking pot shots at our ships.

They try taking over Gosport but decided the people there were too bat shit crazy and ran away.

Anyway, RIP those that fought and died during the battle and all those lost on the Mary Rose 🫡🤘

[whencyclopedia]

According to UNESCO, an estimated three million shipwrecks are scattered in the oceans’ deep canyons, trenches, and coral reefs and remain undiscovered. These shipwrecks preserve historical information and provide clues about how people lived in the past. The term ‘underwater cultural heritage’ refers to traces of human existence and activity found on ancient sunken ships or retrieved cargo such as bronze statues and priceless artworks. The Spanish treasure galleon, Nuestra Señora de Atocha, is the world’s most valuable shipwreck, estimated to be worth over USD 400 million. It was part of the Tierra Firme fleet of 28 ships bound for Spain from Cuba in 1622 and carried the Spanish Empire's wealth onboard – creamy pearls from Venezuela, glittering Colombian emeralds, and over 40 tons of gold and silver. The Atocha sailed into a hurricane off the coast of Key West, Florida, and sank. Its riches were discovered in 1985 by famed treasure hunter Mel Fisher (1922-1998). Thanks to virtual exhibitions and tours, you do not need diving skills to explore the oceans’ underwater cultural heritage. You can take a panoramic tour of Henry VIII of England’s (r. 1509-1547) favourite ship, the carrack Mary Rose, which sank in the English Channel during the Battle of the Solent on 19 July 1545. Want to see a 2,700-year-old Phoenician shipwreck submerged in the central Mediterranean? The virtual museum ‘Underwater Malta’ has a 3D model of the ship and app on Google Play. Fascinated to know what the wealth of the Spanish Empire looked like? Take a tour of Mel Fisher’s virtual treasures and the Atocha. There are countless virtual maritime museum displays, but let us take a look at five shipwrecks with interesting stories to tell.

[ltwilliammowett]

19th July 1545, The Mary Rose sank during the Battle of the Solent, just a few miles from the coast of Portsmouth.

Of her 500 crew, only around 30-40 were saved. The Mary Rose Museum is dedicated to those who lost their lives that day.

Painted by Geoff Hunt

[tortoisesshells]

If it inspires you, could you give us the Perspective Flip on a little more comprehension than a machine, and still feeling like a lost soul for Virginia Wilson as she joins Maura on her brooding loops around the ship? Please and thank you!

repeating over and over (1899, T, ~500 words, Virginia Wilson with Maura Franklin & Ying Li in the background, pre-canon character study, warnings for vague allusions to sex work & human trafficking which is not recognized by the characters as such.)

Virginia Wilson, in spite of herself, has nothing much to do but to dwell on things as the Kerberos steams between two points,

or,

The sea air, Virginia Wilson had heard, was bracing.

Perhaps it was, but it was no match for the myriad discomforts of the sea, itself: the motion of so great a ship as the Kerberos, battling across the Atlantic, was nothing to sneer at – the amassing of humanity into such close quarters as to make the dare profitable, daunting. She had an armful of lilies delivered to her stateroom at Southampton, but they had not lasted much past the Solent – so she assumed, for she had woken this morning to a cabin that was only haunted by the scent. As though they had barely been there. It was odd, but she was not in the business of allowing herself to dwell –

All this to say: she took herself to the promenade deck early, when feeling most affected by the mal de mer, and slouched.

Read the Rest on AO3!

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 11.15 (before 1970)

655 – Battle of the Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. 1315 – Growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy: The Schweizer Eidgenossenschaft ambushes the army of Leopold I in the Battle of Morgarten. 1532 – Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire: Commanded by Francisco Pizarro, Spanish conquistadors under Hernando de Soto meet Incan Emperor Atahualpa for the first time outside Cajamarca, arranging for a meeting in the city plaza the following day. 1533 – Francisco Pizarro arrives in Cuzco, the capital of the Inca Empire. 1705 – Rákóczi's War of Independence: The Habsburg Empire and Denmark win a military victory over the Kurucs from Hungary in the Battle of Zsibó. 1760 – The secondly-built Castellania in Valletta is officially inaugurated with the blessing of the interior Chapel of Sorrows. 1777 – American Revolutionary War: After 16 months of debate the Continental Congress approves the Articles of Confederation. 1806 – Pike Expedition: Lieutenant Zebulon Pike spots a mountain peak while near the Colorado foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It is later named Pikes Peak in his honor. 1842 – A slave revolt in the Cherokee Nation commences. 1849 – Boilers of the steamboat Louisiana explode as she pulls back from the dock in New Orleans, killing more than 150 people. 1864 – American Civil War: Union General William Tecumseh Sherman begins his March to the Sea. 1884 – The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 met on 15 November 1884, and after an adjournment concluded on 26 February 1885, with the signature of a General Act, regulating the European colonisation and trade in Africa during the New Imperialism period. 1889 – Brazil is declared a republic by Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca as Emperor Pedro II is deposed in a military coup. 1899 - Second Boer War: Battle of Chieveley, a British armored train is ambushed and partially derailed. British lose the battle, with 80 soldiers captured, along with war correspondent Winston Churchill. 1917 – Eduskunta declares itself the supreme state power of Finland, prompting its declaration of independence and secession from Russia. 1920 – The first assembly of the League of Nations is held in Geneva, Switzerland. 1920 – The Free City of Danzig is established. 1922 – At least 300 are massacred during a general strike in Guayaquil, Ecuador. 1928 – The RNLI lifeboat Mary Stanford capsizes in Rye Harbour with the loss of the entire 17-man crew. 1933 – Thailand holds its first election. 1938 – Nazi Germany bans Jewish children from public schools in the aftermath of Kristallnacht. 1942 – World War II: The Battle of Guadalcanal ends in a decisive Allied victory. 1943 – The Holocaust: German SS leader Heinrich Himmler orders that Gypsies are to be put "on the same level as Jews and placed in concentration camps". 1951 – Nikos Beloyannis, along with 11 comrades, is sentenced to death for attempting to reestablish the Communist Party of Greece. 1955 – The first part of the Saint Petersburg Metro is opened. 1957 – Short Solent 3 crashes near Chessell. 1965 – Craig Breedlove sets a land speed record of 600.601 mph (966.574 km/h) in his car, the Spirit of America, at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. 1966 – Project Gemini: Gemini 12 completes the program's final mission, when it splashes down safely in the Atlantic Ocean. 1967 – The only fatality of the North American X-15 program occurs during the 191st flight when Air Force test pilot Michael J. Adams loses control of his aircraft which is destroyed mid-air over the Mojave Desert. 1968 – The Cleveland Transit System becomes the first transit system in the western hemisphere to provide direct rapid transit service from a city's downtown to its major airport. 1969 – Cold War: The Soviet submarine K-19 collides with the American submarine USS Gato in the Barents Sea. 1969 – Vietnam War: In Washington, D.C., 250,000-500,000 protesters staged a peaceful demonstration against the war, including a symbolic "March Against Death".

[soccerdailyuk]

Southampton make major transfer admission amid Liverpool interest in Romeo Lavia

Southampton make major transfer admission amid Liverpool interest in Romeo Lavia Southampton manager Russell Martin has acknowledged that some players will leave St Mary's during the summer transfer window following the team's relegation to the Championship.  Liverpool has shown interest in signing midfielder Romeo Lavia, who had an impressive season as a Premier League player despite being only 19 years old. Lavia made 29 appearances for Southampton and caught the attention with his performances, despite the team's unsuccessful battle against relegation. However, reliable sources from Anfield have stated that Liverpool's interest in Lavia is still in the initial stages of evaluation, and no concrete steps have been taken yet. Nevertheless, Lavia's potential and current abilities have made him highly regarded within the club. Liverpool has a track record of efficiently completing transfers when they decide to pursue a player, as demonstrated by their recent acquisition of Dominik Szoboszlai. When Liverpool shows interest in a player, they typically move swiftly to finalize a deal. And Martin appeared to concede that he is powerless in preventing some players from leaving, telling BBC Radio Solent: "I hope I can convince some people to stay who were happy 50-50 about it. I think there will be some players who we can’t avoid who will be back in the Premier League. "That’s the nature of the game and some of them will be far too attractive to Premier League teams and will want to go and play in the Premier League. You have to respect that. "I will try my very best with the work that we do and the way we treat and interact with the players, we’ll try our very best to keep some players who maybe weren’t sure – or maybe some people weren’t sure on. "It’s difficult playing in struggling teams, I’ve been in struggling teams in the Premier League and you can never give the best of yourself. "There will be some players here who didn’t have a great season last season who will hopefully be infused by the work we’re doing and I’m pretty sure there will be a lot of players who’ll look very different in the Championship by the way we’re going to do things, hopefully." Southampton make major transfer admission amid Liverpool interest in Romeo Lavia Read the full article

[tudorblogger]

Book Review - ‘1545: Who Sank the Mary Rose?’ by Peter Marsden

Book Review – ‘1545: Who Sank the Mary Rose?’ by Peter Marsden

Thanks to Pen & Sword for the chance to read and review this book, and I’m sorry it’s taken so long to get around to doing it.

I found this book really interesting. There were so many different parts to it. I’ve never been to the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, though my parents have, and it’s somewhere that I do really want to go. I’ve devoured the guidebook they bought me back, and this book…

[thinkpozitiv]

Your biggest achievement is winning those solent battles which no one knows about. https://ift.tt/f1qCdxh

[archaeologicalnews]

Human remains from Mary Rose show diversity of Tudor crew

A team of researchers with Cardiff University, the Mary Rose Trust, HM Naval Base and the British Geological Survey's National Environmental Isotope Facility has found evidence of racial diversity among the crew of the Mary Rose—a warship from the time of King Henry the VIII. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, they describe their study and analysis of the remains of eight sailors recovered from the wreck of the Mary Rose.

The Mary Rose served the Tudor navy for approximately 33 years, but was finally sunk during a battle in the Solent in 1545. The wreck was discovered back in 1971 and raised in 1982. Since that time, a dedicated museum houses not only the ship but the thousands of artifacts that were brought up along with it.

In this new effort, the researchers sought to learn more about the backgrounds of the crew. To that end, they selected the remains of eight of sailors chosen by their degree of preservation and their likely stations aboard the ship. Read more.

[ltwilliammowett]

Detail of the Cowdray House Engraving showing the sinking of the English warship Mary Rose on 19 July 1545 during the French raid in the Battle of Solent. Above her the warship Henry Grâce à Dieu.

Based on an original painted between 1545 and 1548 for Sir Anthony Browne, Master of the Horse. The copy was made by James Basire 1778.

[peachdoxie]

Titanic

Well, when I asked for people to send me “ships” to give my opinion on, I wasn’t expecting someone to give me a boat to talk about, but since I’m a shipwreck aficionado, here goes.

It’s okay, I guess. I get that there’s a lot of cultural significance, what with it being big and “unsinkable” and so it’s highly ironic that it sank, and a lot of people died and the iconicness of the iceberg can’t be understated, but I just don’t find it that interesting. Maybe I’m just bored of its popularity, or its association with the J*mes C*meron movie. Idk. Imo, There are a LOT more interesting shipwrecks out there. Here are some of my favorites:

The Mary Rose. She was a warship of King Henry VIII’s and sank in battle against the French in 1545. It’s notable for being raised from the Solent in 1982 and is now a museum ship. About 40% of the original structure survived, along with a large wealth of artifacts from the Tudor era that have been valuable to historical and archaeological research. I wrote a paper on the ship in my second year of college and got the chance to visit the museum last year and see what’s left of the ship. It was awe inspiring. Check out the official tumblr at @maryrosemuseum.

The Vasa. A Swedish warship that sank on her maiden voyage in 1628, later salvaged in 1961. She’s now an extremely well preserved museum ship in Stockholm, and was a significant challenge to raise and excavate. I also got to visit the Vasa last year. It was pretty cool, though I must admit I find the Mary Rose more interesting.

The Skuldelev ships. A set of five ships from the late Viking Age (1000s) in Roskilde, Denmark. The ships are believed to have been sunk as blockships to prevent attacks from the sea. They are raised and are now museum ships.

The Rusalka. A Russian monitor from the second half of the 1800s, which sank in 1893. The wreck of the Rusalka was discovered in 2003 in an extremely unusual position: she is near-vertical, with the bow buried in the mud and the stern sticking up above the seabed. It’s theorized that the Rusalka capsized (turned on its side or upside down) and sank with the engines running, which then propelled her into the seafloor.

The MV Sewol. The Sewol was a Korean ferry that sank in 2014 due to negligence on behalf of the captain and other crew and resulted in several hundred deaths, including a large number of high school students. I find the Sewol particularly interesting because there was a very large salvage operation to raise the ship in order to find the bodies of the remaining victims. I followed the news about it when it happened in 2017. While the sinking was an avoidable tragedy, I find the engineering behind the salvage fascinating.

The Costa Concordia. A large cruise ship that struck a rock that tore open a hole and killed the engines, grounding it on Giglio Island, Italy.Similar to the Sewol disaster, the captain ditched the ship after it starting to capsize. Again, really messed up disaster that could have been mitigated if not for the negligence of the captain. Again, a really fascinating salvage process (can you tell I’m interested in salvaged wrecks in particular?)

The SS Richard Montgomery. An American Liberty ship that drifted, ran aground, and sank in the Thames Estuary in England in 1944 in about 24 feet of water (7.3 meters). The masts are still visible. What’s interesting about this wreck is that the Richard Montgomery was carrying about 1,400 tonnes of explosives, which still pose an unlikely but still possible chance of exploding. Other ships aren’t allowed close to the wreck because it could cause the Richard Montgomery to explode on impact. This chance of explosion is part of why the proposed Thames Estuary airport has not been built.

The MV Rena. A cargo ship that ran aground on a reef in 2011 near New Zealand. It caused the worst oil spill in New Zealand history. The Rena eventually broke in two and sank. 77% of the ship’s cargo has been salvaged. It’s notable for having some really striking pictures of the shipping crates leaning precariously sideways.

The SS America. An ocean liner built in 1940 and wrecked in 1994 after breaking a tow line and running aground. There’s not much about this wreck that’s particularly notable except that the pictures of its wreck in the mid-2000s really creep me out, and I’ve been creeped out by a LOT of shipwreck images.

The USS Oriskany. An aircraft carrier deliberately sunk in 2006 as an artificial reef and diving spot in the Gulf of Mexico. There’s a pretty interesting documentary about the preparation and sinking.

[findasongblog]

Find A Song about lead singer David’s battle with coming to terms with the loss of his primary school head teacher through suicide

Myriad - I Walk

"I Walk is about a teacher I had at my primary school. He was an extremely kind, caring and compassionate man. When I was at the age of about 4 or 5, before I had even picked up a musical instrument, he was the very first person to suggest to my parents that I might have some kind of musical talent. He said that I should listen to every style of music out there, so I did. He also recommended that I learn a few musical instruments along the way. One day he wasn't at school though, and I didn't really understand why at the time. I'll always miss the way he would play guitar in assemblies whilst we sang along to songs on the projector. I think this song is a way of making things feel a little better."

During these difficult times where a pandemic has been sweeping the entire world, Myriad have been doing their best to spread good vibes and keep up the positivity whilst people are in isolation.

So far Myriad have been getting their friends, fans, and followers to share positivity through their social media platforms. This is happening because, as a band, Myriad feel like they have a platform where they can promote the message of working towards better mental health.

Myriad will be continuing their “I Walk” campaign through a music video featuring portrayals of band members’ mental health conflicts.

Each member (and each of the other people featured in the music video) will portray a story with a resolution at the end.

During the upcoming weeks Myriad will be focusing their efforts to raise as much money as possible for Solent Mind (a mental health charity). They are doing this through their JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/i-walk-myriad

The band will put out a set of short videos explaining their role in the music video and what it means to them.

Myriad will also release a video entitled “5 tips for better mental health” where the band’s drummer, August will discuss some ways to keep healthy-minded during lockdown.

Added to FAS Spotify playlists indie pop and mental health.

[soccerdailyuk]

Southampton make major transfer admission amid Liverpool interest in Romeo Lavia

Southampton make major transfer admission amid Liverpool interest in Romeo Lavia Southampton manager Russell Martin has acknowledged that some players will leave St Mary's during the summer transfer window following the team's relegation to the Championship.  Liverpool has shown interest in signing midfielder Romeo Lavia, who had an impressive season as a Premier League player despite being only 19 years old. Lavia made 29 appearances for Southampton and caught the attention with his performances, despite the team's unsuccessful battle against relegation. However, reliable sources from Anfield have stated that Liverpool's interest in Lavia is still in the initial stages of evaluation, and no concrete steps have been taken yet. Nevertheless, Lavia's potential and current abilities have made him highly regarded within the club. Liverpool has a track record of efficiently completing transfers when they decide to pursue a player, as demonstrated by their recent acquisition of Dominik Szoboszlai. When Liverpool shows interest in a player, they typically move swiftly to finalize a deal. And Martin appeared to concede that he is powerless in preventing some players from leaving, telling BBC Radio Solent: "I hope I can convince some people to stay who were happy 50-50 about it. I think there will be some players who we can’t avoid who will be back in the Premier League. "That’s the nature of the game and some of them will be far too attractive to Premier League teams and will want to go and play in the Premier League. You have to respect that. "I will try my very best with the work that we do and the way we treat and interact with the players, we’ll try our very best to keep some players who maybe weren’t sure – or maybe some people weren’t sure on. "It’s difficult playing in struggling teams, I’ve been in struggling teams in the Premier League and you can never give the best of yourself. "There will be some players here who didn’t have a great season last season who will hopefully be infused by the work we’re doing and I’m pretty sure there will be a lot of players who’ll look very different in the Championship by the way we’re going to do things, hopefully." Southampton make major transfer admission amid Liverpool interest in Romeo Lavia Read the full article

[dutch-and-flemish-painters]

Hendrik Frans Schaefels - The Defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 - 

The Spanish Armada (Spanish: Grande y Felicísima Armada, lit. 'Great and Most Fortunate Navy') was a Habsburg Spanish fleet of 130 ships that sailed from Corunna in late May 1588, under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia, with the purpose of escorting an army from Flanders to invade England. Medina Sidonia was an aristocrat without naval command experience but was made commander by King Philip II. The aim was to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I and her establishment of Protestantism in England, to stop English interference in the Spanish Netherlands and to stop the harm caused by English and Dutch privateering ships that interfered with Spanish interests in the Americas.

English ships sailed from Plymouth to attack the Armada and were faster and more manoeuvrable than the larger Spanish Galleons, enabling them to fire on the Armada without loss as it sailed east off the south coast of England. The Armada could have anchored in The Solent between the Isle of Wight and the English mainland and occupied the Isle of Wight, but Medina Sidonia was under orders from King Philip II to meet up with the Duke of Parma's forces in the Netherlands so England could be invaded by Parma's soldiers and other soldiers carried in ships of the Armada. English guns damaged the Armada and a Spanish ship was captured by Sir Francis Drake in the English Channel.

The Armada anchored off Calais. While awaiting communications from Duke of Parma, the Armada was scattered by an English fireship night attack and abandoned its rendezvous with Parma's army, that was blockaded in harbour by Dutch flyboats. In the ensuing Battle of Gravelines, the Spanish fleet was further damaged and was in risk of running aground on the Dutch coast when the wind changed. The Armada, driven by southwest winds, withdrew north, with the English fleet harrying it up the east coast of England. On return to Spain round the north of Scotland and south around Ireland, the Armada was disrupted further by storms. Many ships were wrecked on the coasts of Scotland and Ireland and more than a third of the initial 130 ships failed to return. As Martin and Parker explain, "Philip II attempted to invade England, but his plans miscarried. This was due to his own mismanagement, including appointing an aristocrat without naval experience as commander of the Armada, unfortunate weather, and the opposition of the English and their Dutch allies including the use of fire-ships sailed into the anchored Armada."

The expedition was the largest engagement of the undeclared Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604). The following year, England organised a similar large-scale campaign against Spain, the English Armada, sometimes called the "counter-Armada of 1589".

The Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) was an intermittent conflict between the kingdoms of Spain and England that was never formally declared. The war was punctuated by widely separated battles, and began with England's military expedition in 1585 to what was then the Spanish Netherlands under the command of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester in support of the resistance of the States General to Spanish Habsburg rule.

The English enjoyed some victories at Cádiz in 1587, and saw the Spanish Armada retreat in 1588, but then suffered severe defeats of the English Armada in 1589 and the Drake–Hawkins and Essex–Raleigh expeditions in 1595 and 1597 respectively. Two further Spanish armadas were sent in 1596 and 1597 but were frustrated in their objectives mainly because of adverse weather and poor planning.

The war became deadlocked around the turn of the 17th century during campaigns in the Netherlands, France and Ireland. It was brought to an end with the Treaty of London, negotiated in 1604 between representatives of the new King of Spain, Philip III, and the new King of England, James I. England and Spain agreed to cease their military interventions in the Spanish Netherlands and Ireland, respectively, and the English ended high seas privateering.

Hendrik Frans Schaefels or Henri François Schaefels, also known as Rik Schaefels and Henri François Schaefels (Antwerp, 2 December 1827 – Antwerp, 9 June 1904) was a Belgian Romantic painter, draughtsman and engraver known for his seascapes, cityscapes, genre paintings, landscapes with figures and history paintings. He worked in the Romantic style popular in Belgium in the mid nineteenth century and was highly esteemed in Europe for his representations of historic naval battles.

[iamrichardwinter]

Review: The Kia XCeed

  Some days, during lockdown, I imagine a time when I would sit at my work desk and fly through the days ‘To Do’ list. On the day I’m imagining, the sun is bright, glinting off the new cars. The staff are laughing with the steady stream of customers, the scent of fresh coffee wafts on the breeze, and there is the regular jingle of keys as they pass from hands of the service department to their awaiting owners.

Something catches my attention in the periphery of my vision; a customer pushes through the tall glass doors of Leslies Motors. They have walked straight past the pre-owned vehicles on the forecourt, so I can safely assume they’re after something new. They haven’t walked directly to one model, instead they browse the variety that the brand has to offer.

One of my colleagues walks up to the customer, offers his hand, and after a succinct and professional introduction asks a question that gets straight to the heart of the matter; “So, what are you looking for in a new car?”

Invariably the response is; “well, I’m not sure. But, I want something higher up”. And there it is - I’m waiting to have ‘showroom bingo’ cards made with this response printed on.

I’m not making sense, am I? What am I talking about?

“SUV” is apparently a dirty word. This imaginary customer wants to buy into the UK & Europe’s new love of Crossovers, and they don’t want to admit it.

The moment you point at the Kia Sportage, Hyundai Kona, Toyota Rav4, Honda CRV, Mazda CX-5, or any of the numerous SUV’s now available, the customer says, “ah yes, that’s just what I’m looking for!”

Europe loves SUV’s. It’s not a bad thing. They are comfortable, practical, well built, and generally loaded with the latest features. And Kia’s newest offering is just that, and a whole lot more.

Allow me to introduce, the Kia XCeed.

Looks: The name Kia Ceed may seem familiar. Years ago Top Gear used the Kia Ceed as the “Star In The Reasonably Priced Car” feature. There, the penny’s dropped hasn’t it? It was an entirely different car back then, the new Kia Ceed was launched in 2018, and has quickly become a favourite amongst critics looking for an alternative to the VW Golf or the Ford Focus.

Since then, Kia have made an Estate [Kia Ceed Sportswagon], a sporty Shooting Brake [Kia ProCeed], and most recently a Crossover SUV [Kia XCeed].

The XCeed is longer than the Hatchback it is based on, and sits at a higher ride height. It features rugged SUV-style protection, roof rails, and a front bumper similar to its SUV kin; the Kia Stonic & Sportage.

Interior: The XCeed, and it’s Ceed based brethren, all received Kia’s new 10.25” touchscreen display.  When you sit inside, it feels like the cabin has been based around this connectivity suite. It’s not just a feature, it’s a highlight.

The software has been a Kia strength for a long time. The displays are instinctively user friendly, and this new screen has taken that a step further. It features Android Auto & Applce CarPlay as standard, and can be splitscreen - to show the Satellite Navigation, DAB Radio, and Apps at the same time - or widescreen, to show a huge Sat-Nav or Reversing Camera.

The ‘3’ receives a semi-leather interior with Heated Seats, and the ‘First Edition’ launch special adds a full leather interior with Heated & Ventilated Seats. As well as a Sliding Panoramic-Glass Roof, making the elegant interior appear larger than it appears.

Engines: The XCeed uses the most popular turbo-charged Kia engines. A growling 1.0T with more than adequate pace, and a smooth four-cylinder 1.4T. But, what’s exciting about the new XCeed is that it’s be the first Kia to get the new Plug-In Hybrid drive train, since the electric-specific Kia Niro. Kia claims the new XCeed PHEV offers an almost unbelievable 202 miles per gallon (WLTP).

This 1.6 Petrol engine is paired to a battery with roughly 40-mile range. That may not sound a lot, but I’ve been using a Plug-In Hybrid recently, and hear me out; in reality I only need to charge once or twice a week, often while I’m sat at work. During the week I won’t use a drop of fuel, as I’m running entirely on electric power. Then, at the weekend if take a longer journey, it drives like a regular Hybrid, and can be topped up with petrol on the go – no need to wait hours for a charging station. It’s the best of both worlds.

The six-speed DCT gearbox is supremely smooth, and in electric mode the XCeed is practically silent. This has taken Kia’s already good car to new levels. The PHEV version offers a refinement that premium models wish they could offer in this price category.

 The Competition: When it comes to Crossovers and SUV’s on the market, you are spoiled for choice. But how many offer a Plug-In Hybrid option?

In looks you may compare it to the new Audi Q3 Sportback, with its sleek rear end. But this isn’t hybrid, not even close. The Q3’s bigger brother, the Q5, is. However, at £50,000 plus change, vs Kia’s £30,000, customers are unlikely to be comparing these two.

BMW has a smaller and more affordable option; the X1 PHEV. At £38,200 the BMW is rouhgly in the same ballpark, but when comparing features of the X1 PHEV ‘Sport’ leaves a lot to the imagination compared to the Kia’s top-of-the-range ‘First Edition’. The XCeed features a Sliding Glass Panoramic Roof, Power Boot Hatch, Full Leather interior with Heath & Ventilated Seats, and a futuristic 12” digital dashboard. So, it’s the driver’s choice; for the excitement you’ll pick the BMW’s XDrive25e engine, but if you’re leaning towards family value, with features often only found in premium brand’s, you’ll pick the Kia.  

The real battle will once again be between Kia and Ford. The new Kuga offers a PHEV which is competitively priced and offers plenty of kit. The blue oval will test Kia’s value, but not it’s comprehensive seven-year warranty. The Ford is larger, and what you gain in size, you lose on interior design. But that is subjective, and to some the Ford’s utilitarian interior may appeal.

The other choice? Kia. Walk into a Kia dealership and you currently have a choice between two Plug-In Hybrid Crossover SUV’s. The same engine, motor, battery pack, seven-year warranty, and features, are all available in the previous mentioned Kia Niro PHEV, and for a similar price.

Business User:

The XCeed is destined to be hot property with Business Users. It’s satisfyingly snug on longer journeys, has space for all the family, and sits as comfortably in the corners as it’s hatchback brother.

The PHEV is going to be the Business Users first choice. While the initial price maybe more, you’ll end up paying less in company car tax thanks to the low BIK (read: low emissions). So, you’ll have better fuel economy, a longer range, a smooth electric drive, and less to pay each month from your wages. It will mean a small change in lifestyle, for a big financial gain.

Chances are you’ll choose to lease, and run as an asset off balance sheet, or finance on Kia’s new 0% PCP*.

Island User:

The Garden Isle is an apt name for our green and pleasant land. The ferry port cities across the water suffer with some of the most polluted air in the country, but thanks to the Solent we’re not party to it. The Kia XCeed as a Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle ensures that Island families can still go out into the great outdoors with their bikes, scooters, and surf boards, and rest safe in the knowledge that the emissions are significantly less that what they had been previously driving.

The additional boot space and roof rails of the Kia XCeed add practical features to and already beloved hatchback. It comes standard with the latest Kia safety features, including ‘Lane Keep Assist’, Driver Attention Warnings, Forward Collision Avoidence, Hill-Start Assitance, as well as the usual ABS, Tyre Pressure Monitor, and Intelligent Cruise Control.

Compared to other Hybrid rivals, the Kia XCeed makes a real case for itself thanks to its features, value, and the reassurance of Kia’s industry leading seven-year warranty.  

Choices:

The Value Choice: Kia XCeed ‘2’ 1.0T Manual

The Range Topper: Kia XCeed ‘First Edition’ 1.6 PHEV Automatic

Leslies Motors Favourite: Kia XCeed ‘3’ 1.6 PHEV Automatic

Verdict:

The design is going to polarise people. Either you love the looks of the XCeed or you don’t.

When I had two XCeed ‘3’ in white sat on the forecourt waiting to be collected by their new owners, I had the whole service team begging me to organise an offer for them.

For most buyers, the 1.0T is going to be ideal on the Island. The 1.4T offers a little more refinement on longer journeys. But for business users, or those wishing for a serenely smooth electric ride, the PHEV is going to be first pick. Thanks to its low emissions and tax benefits. The interior is going to offer a wow-factor to your passengers, not often seen in this price range and you’ll be back by Kia’s legendary warranty, and the offer of 0% finance*.

The only tough question, is how to place your order while we’re all locked in.

 *Offer advertised to end: 30th June.

[bantarleton]

The Great Michael - the giant Scottish Crusader Warship

Michael, popularly known as Great Michael, was a carrack or great ship of the Royal Scottish Navy. She was the largest ship built by King James IV of Scotland as part of his policy of building a strong Scottish navy.

She was ordered around 1505 and laid down in 1507 under the direction of Captain Sir Andrew Wood of Largo and the master shipwright Jacques Terrell, launched on 12 October 1511 and completed on 18 February 1512. She was too large to be built at any existing Scottish dockyard, so was built at the new dock at Newhaven. When Michael was launched she was the largest ship afloat, with twice the original displacement of her English contemporary Mary Rose, which was launched in 1509 and completed in 1510.

The poet William Dunbar wrote of her construction:

.....................carpentaris, Beildaris of barkis and ballingaris, Masounis lyand upon the land And schipwrichtis hewand upone the strand.

— William Dunbar, "To the King [Schir, ye have mony servitouris]" Translation:

Carpenters, Builders of barks and ballingars, Masons lying upon the land, And shipwrights hewing upon the strand.

The chronicler Lindsay of Pitscottie wrote of the building of Michael that "all the woods of Fife" went into her construction. Account books add that timbers were purchased from other parts of Scotland, as well as from France and the Baltic Sea. Lindsay gives her dimensions as 240 feet (73 m) long and 35 ft (11 m) in beam. Russell (1922) notes that Michael was supposed to have been built with oak walls 10 ft (3.0 m) thick. She displaced about 1,000 tons, had four masts, carried 24 guns (purchased from Flanders) on the broadside, 1 basilisk forward and 2 aft, and 30 smaller guns (later increased to 36 main guns), and had a crew of 300 sailors, 120 gunners, and up to 1,000 soldiers.

Henry VIII of England was unwilling to be outdone, and ordered the building of the 1000-ton Henry Grace à Dieu, launched in roughly 1512, later known as Great Harry, which was even larger. These ships were the first great ships, the precursors of the later ship of the line.

Michael was named after the archangel Michael and built to support a Scottish crusade against the Ottoman Empire to reclaim Palestine for Christendom. This grandiose plan had to be changed when the commitments of the Auld Alliance with France required Scotland to go to war with England, to divert England from her war with Louis XII of France (see the Italian Wars).

In August 1513 a Scottish invasion force was assembled to attack English possessions in France. Commanded by James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran, the chief ships were Michael, Margaret and James. Instead of attacking the English, Arran raided Carrickfergus in Ireland and returned with loot before proceeding to France.

A warship of this size was costly to maintain, particularly for a small country like Scotland. After James IV and many of the nobility of Scotland were killed at the Battle of Flodden in September 1513, Michael was sold to Louis XII of France on 2 April 1514 for the bargain price of 40,000 livres and became known as "La Grande Nef d'Ecosse" (The Big Nave of Scotland) (Nave is from the medieval Latin navis, meaning 'ship'). In March 1514 Michael was reported to be docked at Honfleur because she was too big for the harbour at Dieppe. Most historians have accepted the account of the Scottish historian George Buchanan that after this, the French allowed her to rot at Brest. Norman MacDougall in 1991 suggested that under her new French name, she may have been used in the French attack on England in 1545 that led to the sinking of the English warship Mary Rose in the Battle of the Solent on 19 July 1545.