#chalk rivers

[aisphotostuff]

Stunning Chalk River - The Darent AONB Kent by Adam Swaine Via Flickr: The River Darent is a Chalk stream, meaning the river starts by rising out of the Chalk rock itself, which results in extremely pure water and gives the river a unique ecology. There are only around 200 chalk streams in the world, so the Darent is an extremely unique and rare!

[sockeyesidequest]

Hello! Here’s a silly little thing I made of my OC. Oka but clown version. I really love the clown aesthetic lately and kind of always but never really explored it so I thought “what the hell” and messed around a bit. Really enjoyed working on this, isn’t he the cutest? 🥺

[intuitiverequite]

Ok. Listen.

My additions to his insanity (beyond being the cause):

The theatre group we’re in both loves and fears my friends seminars (rantings and racings) [we’re all enablers here]

(we came so close to doing a dr who piece but they opted for another show adaptation lol)

**also yes I know now I screwed it on the quote because I forgot a word it’s a reoccurring problem with me and i apologize

[childoftheriver]

Friday mood.

[russellcollisonphotography]

The Test Way (Longparish - Mottisfont) 024

[spockvarietyhour]

Chalk River, 1954. Here are two workers wearing the protective clothing after the big reactor sprang a leak 15 months ago. They had to dissemble the reactor and decontaminate the building of radioactive particles. [TPL Archives]

[gayleafpool]

the temptation to write a fic based on the extremely bizarre and homoerotic experiences i had with this one girl in highschool

[theanglerfly]

[powerpopprincess]

Steve Blimkie and The Reason (1979)

First things first — I chose this album as my first review because I totally adore this guy. That being said, I seem to be the only person out there to take an interest in him! I can’t even begin to tell you how difficult it is to dig up information, but after lots of dedication, I can give you a somewhat solid biography. So, who is Steve Blimkie?

Blimkie was part of the so-called second wave of the Toronto punk scene. Edging on new wave and power pop, him and his group The Reason stood out from the rest. That is mostly due to Blimkie’s sheer energy, as stated in concert reviews I managed to find, and quite clearly here. Is it any wonder that this spunky guy originates from the radioactive village of Chalk River, Ontario? During this point of his career, he released two albums, this self titled one, and another called Chasing Paper Tigers, which we’ll talk about another time.

This album was released on Ready Records in 1979, and was one of, if not the first, albums released under that label. Interestingly enough, both Blimkie albums were advertised on the inner sleeves of many of Ready Records’ bigger releases like the Spoons and Blue Peter, all the way until the labels demise in 1985. I find it odd that he never gained more recognition! It should also be noted that The Reason contained some familiar faces, including Dave Betts, and eventually Derry Grehan who would both go on to form Honeymoon Suite.

Blimkie's vocals have a very recognizable flamboyancy to them; dramatic, but not in a way that gets annoying. For me, the standout tracks on this album are It Only Happened Twice, Can’t Say I’m Sorry, and most certainly the upbeat Subway. I really appreciate the track order of this album, I feel like the slower songs are spread out in a way that keeps it exciting. This is a record you can put on and dance!

Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, this album is widely unavailable and is only for sale second hand. Even then, it’s a difficult one to track down if you don’t want to spend lots on Discogs. I’ve ripped and uploaded the entire album here for your listening pleasure:

[aisphotostuff]

Kent's River Stour AONB by Adam Swaine Via Flickr: Beautiful chalk river this section between Chilham & Wye villages a stunning walk and amazing rural countryside

[walrusmagazine]

Chalk River: The Forgotten Nuclear Accidents

The first serious nuclear accident occurred at Chalk River Laboratories in 1952, followed by a second incident in 1958. Now the federal government is compensating workers who took part in cleanup efforts

An operator was down in the basement doing a routine check. He mistakenly thought the valves for the compressed-air system were in the wrong position. He “corrected” them, causing four control rods to rise out of the core. Red lights came on in the control room. A supervisor hurried downstairs and was shocked to discover the error. He quickly tried to lower the rods using gravity. Unfortunately, only one rod went all the way back into the reactor, while the others dropped down just far enough for the red lights to go out.

Read more at thewalrus.ca.

Workers wear protective clothing at the Chalk River plant in 1954. Toronto Star Photograph Archive, Courtesy of Toronto Public Library

[an-obsessive-life]

That time when Jimmy Carter saved Canada from Nuclear Armageddon

And people used to make fun of him calling him a Peanut farmer, ignoring that he was in the Navy and stopped a Nuclear Meltdown in Canada, and people laughed when he wanted to put Solar Panels at the White House. :T

And since Carter was a Humble guy he didn't say "Want to talk about tough.. Look Ronnie did you join the Navy and then go into a Nuclear Reactor and piss radiation for 6 months?"

[childoftheriver]

Another beautiful pic from Prog Magazine. I’ve gone through every episode of Hargreaves show I could find online but I can’t find this one! Caption by Regina.

[russellcollisonphotography]

The Itchen Way, Final Leg (Eastleigh - Southampton) 003

[jennicresswell]

Creative Project: The Chalk Stream Guardian Dress

After a wonderful sojourn into the Ladywell Guardian project for Dover History at Night, I am returning daily now to my original idea about a river spirit - that protector of the local waterway where I grew up, and where, at mid-life, I have returned.

I have written already about my astonishment for the rarity of the little river which runs through my large village. I spent hours by the side of the waters growing up: feeding the ducks, paddling in wellies, watching the model boats, avoiding the swans. But I never once thought that this stream was special in a broader sense.  40 years later and I discovered that chalk streams were not only rare, but that those that exist do so mainly in the corner of the world where I grew up: River in Kent.

Given the name of my village, I had long appreciated that it’s existence was intimately connected with that of the river Dour which flows unceasingly through it.  A chalk aquifer fed water source keeps the water at a constant flow, temperature and acidity vital to the species relying on this habitat.  The river has supported all kinds of industry in the village, including a paper mill, an abbey and a restored and working corn mill.

Back to my project – to find a way to represent that precious habitat in a stitched dress – which in turn stands for the spririt, the essence of the river.  I still love the process of stiching words into the garment for the viewer to discover, and these will be made up of all the elements which create the uniqueniss of a chalk fed stream.  It starts with the geology, incorporates the profile of the river, it’s indicator species, and will end with the placement of humans alongside that habitat.  How we influence, threaten and ultimately, I hope, protect the chalk stream.

[suxxesphoto]

July 2024 Landscape Photography Review

July 2024 was a month of exploration and discovery as I ventured through the picturesque landscapes of East Sussex, the South Downs, and embarked on a road trip to the rugged coastlines of Devon. My journey began with evening hikes across Butts Brow and continued through iconic locations such as High and Over, Glynde, and Seaford, where I experimented with various lighting conditions,…