#polo models london

[sunshineandlyrics]

The All Of Those Voices power stance 💙

[artnlife2]

Naomi Campbell and Tyson Beckford for POLO SPORT....

[ravenadottir]

islanders' data and anecdotes if they were honest:

SEASON 1

❝ main character ❞ she's the only one that makes any sense

❝ allegra ❞ 24, swansea, cocktail entrepreneur, the public loves to hate her

❝ erikah ❞ 20, norwich, jobbing actor, she changes, every guy will be the love of her life until a new guy comes around

❝ jen ❞ 22, london, fashion blogger, the equivalent of a piece of paper until she couples up with someone for clout

❝ talia ❞ 23, watford, music journalist, she's the only one everyone agrees is the best person here

❝ jake wilson ❞ 29, preston, chef, chicken shit that waits way too long to say something

❝ mason❞ 24, romford, musician and underwear model, if "this could've been an email" was a person

❝ miles ❞ 22, glasgow, carpenter, not interesting enough to remember. also tattoo

❝ tim ❞ 23, truro, dj, alright, we'll allow it

❝ jasper ❞ 26, kingston, financial advisor, straight to the bin

❝ levi ❞ 26, manchester, professional water polo player, sock balls

❝ rohan ❞ 23, wolverhampton, psychology student, he joined the villa and that's pretty close to the circus. also, see "injustice"

❝ cherry❞ 20, suffolk, west end performer, try hard

❝ reese taylor ❞ 22, birmingham, newsagent by day, professional wrestler at weekends, revolting lack of personality

❝ sammi ❞ 22, london, graphic designer and artist, the definition of 'wasted potential"

❝ lucy ❞ 25, bristol, “adventurer”, *snake sounds*

❝ returning miles ❞ 22, glasgow, carpenter, we still don't care

❝ returning jasper ❞ 22, kingston, financial advisor, at least we found out he has a pet snake

SEASON 2

❝ hope ❞ 26, london, brand ambassador, '‘voted “most likely to be the center of the drama because she puts herself there"

❝ lottie ❞ 24, melbourne, makeup artist, i have one personality trait and that's all you're gonna get

❝ main character ❞ she should change her name to 'girl #5'

❝ hannah ❞ 21, st. albans, social media assistant, she went home really soon because she was so shy, we're sure that's not gonna bite anyone in the face

❝ marisol ❞ 24, portsmouth, law student, talks too much/says nothing at all

❝ gary rennell ❞ 23, chatham, crane operator, SLUT

❝ noah ❞ 25, romford, librarian, QUIET SLUT

❝ rocco ❞ 21, belfast, owns a “cocktails and cronuts” food truck, LYING SLUT

❝ ibrahim ❞ 22, birmingham, gold player, SHY SLUT

❝ bobby mckenzie ❞ 24/26, glasgow, hospital caterer, does impressions and bakes some stuff

❝ priya ❞ 29, manchester, estate agent, should've noticed she's bi during the fucking season

❝ henrik ❞ 23, isle of wight, climbing and wilderness survival instructor, shiny and dumb/smooth brain/nothing behind those eyes

❝ lucas koh ❞ 27, oxford, physiotherapist, yes

❝ chelsea ❞ 23, buckinghamshire, interior decorator, there's pink and there's champagne

❝ jakub zabinski ❞ 25, rochdale, personal trainer and fitness model, real life mutant ninja turtle but like white

❝ elijah ❞ 26, watford, hairdresser and model, he's there and then he's not

❝ felix ❞ 21, rotherham, nightclub promoter, annoying little cousin that grows up to be the annoying little virgin at the club

❝ kassam ❞ 26, new castle, techno dj, if you blink you might miss him

❝ graham ❞ 23, devon, commercial fisherman, ginger thanos

❝ arjun ❞ 24, norwich, dog groomer and influencer, "where's my hug?" kind of guy

❝ carl ❞ 29, dublin, tech entrepreneur, he's almost learning how not to sound like a robot

❝ shannon ❞ 24, dublin, professional poker player, "you'll forgive how annoying she can be because of her body"tactics, players, poker analogies all the time"

❝ blake ❞ 22, kensington, if you blink you won't miss her because she's so goddamn annoying

❝ elisa ❞ 22, london, social media influencer, the human form of a gear shift because of all the blame she shifts

❝ jo ❞ 23, cheshire, bmx racer, was here for only three days and it was still too long

❝ returning henrik ❞ 23, isle of wight, climbing and wilderness survival instructor, absolutely not the same person and it gets worse

❝ returning lucas ❞ 27, oxford, still a physiotherapist, "toxic fucks"

❝ returning hannah ❞ now 22, st. albans, she resented lottie so much she became her

[royalteachitchat]

Wow! 👏👏👏 JDEadonWriter on X, put this amazing post out today. Check this out!

Are Meghan Markle's kids FAKE? 🤔

Megnant

1 Size: Bump drastically altering in size, even in a single day 😯

2 Slip: Bump slipped down to her knees in Birkenhead, UK 😯

3 Wobble: Bump wobbled side-to-side as she crossed the street. 😯

4 Clutching: Supporting her bump with her hands overly often. 🤔

5 Popping: audibly popped in a video, and wafted her clothes😯

6 Shape: Bump unnaturally shaped on Netflix🤔

7 Straps: Moonbump straps outlines visible under clothing in several photos. And something snapped, impacting the clothing fabric (video of H&M in London)😯

8 Biology: An absence of swelling of ankles, and other subtle biological (non)signs.🤔

9 Holding: Carrying a (doll?) infant on her bump, instead of on her hip.🤔

10 Squats: Squatting, effortlessly, with her knees together in videos and photos. In heels.😯

Births

11 Announcements: Royal official birth announcements are indirect. One states they are delighted "by the news of the" (not by the actual) birth.🤔

12 Coverup? A medic who certified a birth closed down her practice shortly afterwards.😯

13 Certificates: Questions linger over the birth certificates signatures, etc.🤔

14 Leak: An official Royal twitter account tweet indicated that Meghan’s kids are fake, before being taken down. An innocent prank?😁

15 Recovery: Epidural (ouch!) birth in a bath description anomalies and arriving home too soon afterwards to be quite plausible.🤔

16 Born Of Body?: Meghan allegedly told a friend she was infertile, when at college, and there was a reported alleged hysterectomy before the births.

17 Silence: Meghan is silent on her claimed births, despite always flashing her bump; having a "Capacity for over sharing"; boasting about being a “Mom”, and always talking about herself (apparently) on her feminist podcast. 🤔

Rented Infants

18 Archie Model: The real parents of the infant predominantly shown in Archie photos are identified. 💥

19 Lilibet Model: Parents of the infant shown in Lilibet photos are identified.💥

20 Loan: Mother of “Lilibet” commented on Insta that she does not "loan" her daughter to Meghan any longer.😯

21 Shape-Shifting: Different infants used in photos of both Archie and Lilibet.😯

22 Photoshopping: A litany of incompetently-photoshopped “family” photos. (A huge topic in itself).🤔

Dolls

23 Reborn Doll: Seemingly cradling a doll (a product called Darren) in official photo of Archie 🪆

24 Party Doll: Meghan seemingly cradled a similar doll when gate-crashing a polo match party, begetting astonished looks.😯

25 Bumpy Ride: Meghan seemed to be lugging an inanimate doll on top of her bump through some woods in Canada. Whilst grinning at a hired pap.🪆

26 Twisted: In one photograph, Archie's head is twisted more than 90 degrees 🪆

27 Carrying: A high % of photographs show them carrying the “kids” 🪆

28 Backs-Turned: A high % of Photos are of kids facing away from the camera 🤔

Other Oddities

29 Website: A startling absence of updates of Royal website on Meghan’s offspring.🤔

30 Bishop: Los Angeles christening cleric was not the official Bishop the Harkles claimed he was.🤔

31 Implausible Platitudes: Claiming Archie’s first word was “Crocodile”, and that he demands a Leica camera for his birthday. As tots do...🤔

32 Merch: An uncharacteristic unwillingness to merchandise their kids, for $$$ or PR.🤔

33 Invisible: The Harkles are never seen with their kids. There are hints of "home schooling" (will they ever be allowed out?)😯

34 Family Holidays: Weirdly, the Harkles never take their kids on holiday, and, if they pretend they did, they incompetently photoshop them into pap snaps on Insta.🤔

35 Everything Else: All the stuff I overlooked in this hastily speed-typed list.🤔

🤔🤔🤔

Why does it matter? 🤔

Because rich Prince Harry wants we skint, long-suffering tax payers, to pay for his security expenses; he’s a traitor, and, well, it’s fraud, isn’t it? 💥

Feel free to leave evidence I missed out in the comments. 👍

#MeghanMarkleIsAGrifter

#MeghanMarkleExposed

#WhereAreTheKids

#sussexbabyscam

[jbaileyfansite]

Interview with British Vogue (2025)

Jonathan Bailey has always flatly refused to pose topless on a shoot. For Vogue, he relented. How come? “There was this pair of Loewe trousers and I thought, ‘Fucking hell, what an incredible silhouette.’ No one suggested it, I just knew it was right.” He pauses. “But please don’t mention I said I’m always asked to take my top off.” I plead with him. “OK,” he replies. “It’s the truth.”

But why all the prudishness? Didn’t he reveal his naked bum in season one of Netflix’s phenomenally successful Regency romp, Bridgerton? It was quite the performance, I say. Has it been nominated for any awards? “Not yet,” he replies, rolling his eyes.

We are lounging on a velvet sofa in an anteroom at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the location a nod to the Brit’s imminent, post-stratosphere-hitting return to the West End. He was last on the London stage in 2022, in Mike Bartlett’s Cock at the Ambassadors Theatre, already a star, and yet the 36-year-old’s wattage has continued to grow and grow. Any attempt on my part to observe him dispassionately disappears quickly. His dark-haired and unshaven beauty is too intoxicating, as is his style. He is male-model catwalk-ready in pale blue Levi’s, an ivory Sunspel rib-knit short-sleeved polo shirt, off-white slip-on suede Birkenstocks and beige socks. M&S? “Uniqlo – they’re my favourite holey socks,” he answers, raising a tanned, muscular arm (an Omega De Ville watch dangles from his wrist) to scratch his head. His biceps look like they’ve done time in the gym. “I did that on purpose so you’d notice,” he says cheekily. “I’ve got real gunnage.”

Bailey has managed to achieve what was once thought impossible in Hollywood. He is among a new guard of out actors to be lusted over by men and women (the latter tag him their ���internet boyfriend”) while also evading falling into a gender pigeonhole, snagging roles of every persuasion. Tragedy, comedy, singing, dancing, stage, big screen, small screen, fashion week, fan mobbings… he can do it all. Scarlett Johansson, his costar in next year’s looming instalment of the Jurassic Park franchise, recently gushed on the red carpet: “I adore absolutely every single thing about that man.”

Bailey, who despite a tightly honed skill set never attended drama school, has been acting since the age of seven, when he was scouted by the Royal Shakespeare Company to star in its production of A Christmas Carol at the Barbican Theatre. But it was in 2020 that he became swarmed-in-the-streets famous, following his performance as Lord Anthony Bridgerton (the second series, in which his character, a viscount, took centre stage, became the most-watched English language series on Netflix). Hollywood beckoned. Now, he’s riding a wave of Wicked mania, his career having been taken to a whole new level thanks to his turn as the fleet-footed, high note-hitting, dashing male lead, Fiyero, opposite Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the big-screen musical, not to mention the accompanying press tour to end all press tours. Next year, he’ll go on to star in the aforementioned Jurassic World Rebirth. True blockbuster fare.

Theatre, though, has been his foundation. A run of television hits (he has starred on the small screen in W1A, Bramwell, Broadchurch, Heartstopper, Fellow Travelers and Leonardo, among others) has been built from, and woven through with, a long career on stage – notable roles in the past decade, aside from Cock, include Company, King Lear, The York Realist and Othello. He has a shelf full of shiny hardware, with awards including an Olivier for best actor in a supporting role in a musical, for playing panicked groom-to-be Jamie in Marianne Elliott’s 2018 production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company, and a Critics Choice Award for best supporting actor in a limited series or movie made for television in Fellow Travelers earlier this year. On balance, he loves the protection of being on stage – how immersive it feels, how he feeds off the reactions of an audience. “There’s security in the theatre community,” he says.

And so, he is ready to make a return to live performance. His next role feels like a career zenith. In February, he will appear as Richard II in director Nicholas Hytner’s production at the Bridge Theatre. It is his most high-profile Shakespearean role to date, his second with Hytner, who first cast him as Cassio in Othello at the National Theatre in 2013. “People talk about fame and Bridgerton, but the one moment where I really thought I’d made it was when Nicholas cast me as Cassio 10 years ago,” says Bailey. “He gave me the biggest break. He’s been an incredible mentor. With Richard II, I am returning not just to a play, but to a theatre director. He’s seen me freak out in the rehearsal room. He’s seen me sobbing.”

On Bailey’s far-reaching talent, Hytner tells me: “Jonny is eloquent, mercurial, intelligent and transparent.” The star director is giving little away ahead of the production, only to comment it will reveal: “a feudal world on the cusp of modernity”. He recalls: “As Cassio in Othello – and later as Edgar to Ian McKellen’s King Lear, which I didn’t direct – he had the rare ability to speak Shakespeare as if it’s his first language. His imagination is vivid enough to put himself directly in the position of characters… It becomes completely natural in his hands.” Doubtless he will lean heavily on Bailey’s gifts for precision wit, dark charm and petulance for the flawed, weak Richard. “What do you do when a ruler is absolutely inadequate?” Hytner wonders. “How do you get rid of the rightful leader?”

In person, Bailey’s flair is plain as day. He’s not just stylish – he is friends with Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson, who dressed him for 2024’s Met Gala (and whom he designed a T-shirt with for the LGBTQ+ initiative he recently founded, The Shameless Fund), has worn Givenchy on the red carpet and modelled Emporio Armani eyewear in its latest campaign – but also intoxicatingly charismatic. He laughs readily and expansively, gesticulating often, occasionally jumping up like a young Rudolf Nureyev about to leap, before crashing back down and curling his legs underneath him. The writer and actor Phoebe Waller-Bridge, whom he costarred with in her 2016 miniseries Crashing (a precursor to Fleabag), once described him as “a meteorite of fun”. I can see why.

“There’s a big wonderful tribe of friends in London to which we both belong,” longtime friend and actor Andrew Scott tells me. “As well as being the most charismatic and gifted performer, he’s always struck me as someone who adores and prioritises his friends and family and loved ones. That counts for so much in my book. It’s so wonderful to watch Jonny soar.”

So too is he eloquent and honest, especially when we veer to the more personal, such as what it was like growing up questioning his sexuality and how he only came out as gay to his family and close friends in his early 20s. Did he have a sense of his sexuality from a young age? He indicates it was more of a gradual realisation, mentioning how he went out with a girl for two years in his early 20s. “It’s interesting with the binary,” he says, “where you’re perceived to be either this or that. That’s how I saw it at the time, but there are so many nuances to it. My experience of that relationship was not that I was in the shadows. She remains one of my best friends.”

“I think other people understood my sexuality before I was even aware of it,” he continues. As a young boy, he remembers rummaging through the family’s dressing-up box, jumping around and being flamboyant, and entertaining his grannies by singing and dancing whenever he stayed with them. He sounds like Billy Elliot. “A bit, but really Shirley Temple, if I’m honest.” He credits his parents with encouraging him to take up ballet. “I remember looking through the window at these girls at school in their tutus. They were doing, like, first position, second position, and I knew I just wanted to be in there.”

One night at a sleepover with primary school friends he remembers excitedly asking them: “‘Guys, guys, who else thinks they’re gay? Do you? I do. I do.’ It was a conversation I really, really wanted to have, to see if everyone else was on the same page,” he says. “But everyone went quiet.” Then a teacher called him out in front of the whole class. “I was having trouble with my work and he said, ‘Well, if you weren’t so busy being a fairy you’d understand.’”

More recently, and in addition to his work with The Shameless Fund, he became a patron for the charity Just Like Us, which aims to ensure young LGBTQ+ people in school and beyond can thrive. He is keenly aware of the challenges that still exist, even in the everyday. “I’ve always been a confident hand-holder in relationships,” he says. “I had a boyfriend who wasn’t experienced at holding hands in public. We got heckled in London. But that kind of behaviour is now outweighed by the smiles you get.” Is he currently in a relationship? “Not discussing that,” he answers, sharply.

We talk instead about how he deals with the nature of fame. “It felt quite hard-hitting after Bridgerton came out,” he says. “I really struggled initially; I was overwhelmed by it. But the people in your life have to adapt too. That’s the hardest thing: you see them struggling before you see it in yourself, someone pushing past your dear mum and dad to get a picture. I’m really good now at saying no to photos.” Does he think he might become too big for his boots? “Let’s see,” he says. “It would be good if you could keep your eye on me as we go through the next few years, tell me if I’m doing well or I’ve fallen down the [fame] hole.”

Friends like Andrew Scott will no doubt help keep him grounded. “The search for us to be in the right thing together is on,” says Scott. “Bert and Ernie the movie is the frontrunner, it just depends on who’s willing to shave off their eyebrows.”

Bailey was brought up in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, along with three older sisters, and later attended The Oratory School. His mother was an audiologist and his father, a one-time DJ who played in Sloopy’s, a ’70s nightclub just off Piccadilly Circus, would go on to become the managing director of Rowse Honey. “Every time I see an easy-squeezy bottle of honey I think my dad was an absolute legend.”

He was five when his grandmother took him to see Oliver! in the West End. He knew at that moment he had found his calling. His first acting role was at school, where he played a raindrop in Noah’s Ark. A year after starring in A Christmas Carol at the Barbican, he landed the role of Gavroche in the West End production of Les Misérables.

In 2017, he appeared in King Lear at the Chichester Festival Theatre, as Edgar, opposite McKellen in the title role. “We had amazing conversations,” he says of his costar. “I was like: ‘Tell me everything. Tell me what it was like back in the day.’ I assumed everyone would have been happily expressing themselves, fucking in the wings, all the things you’d hoped. And he said, ‘No, no. No one knew, not even in the most creative pockets.’”

But liberation can be found on stage too. Cock, as its title suggests, focused on some of the thornier realities of gay romance and proved life-changing for Bailey. “I was able to mine and explore and have this experience on stage which felt like everything I would want for my life. It was all about a boy coming out and falling in love at school, and somehow by experiencing it within someone else’s story, you can dress-rehearse your own life.”

We discuss his most recently released film, Wicked (a two-part adaptation of the hit musical, the second instalment of which will drop towards the end of 2025). “What did you think of it? Did you like it?” he asks nervously. I tell him I’m not usually a fan of musicals, but it took me by surprise and I found it emotionally touching. He breathes a sigh of relief. “Isn’t it lovely, isn’t it special, isn’t it actually!” he says, bouncing on his knees like an excitable teenager. “You’re the first person I’ve spoken to who’s seen it. When I watched it, I sobbed. I think it’s a masterpiece.”

For now, having just finished filming the latest season of Bridgerton, he’s finally taking a break. “Everything else is on pause until Richard II opens.” He admits finding it difficult going between roles and his everyday life in Brighton, where he moved in 2020 so he could be close both to the sea, which he loves, and his mother’s side of the family who live there. “It can be a hard, cold transition, so I get back to friends as soon as possible or I go travelling. I love Salento in Italy – I try and go every year.” Is he tempted to move to the US? “No. That’s a hard no,” he says. “I love New York theatre, so maybe, but it would be led by work.”

He says that, more than anything, he yearns for quiet. He spends time in nature, either walking, paddleboarding or mountaineering (in 2018, he hiked to Everest base camp and a year later climbed Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike in 24 hours in aid of a motor neurone disease charity), as well as cold-swimming in the sea and cycling (he has competed in marathons and triathlons). He likes the calm those activities bring him but always takes his noise-cancelling headphones wherever he goes. “I feel naked if I forget them.” What does he listen to? “I go through phases, most recently ’60s and ’70s California rock, and The Beatles.” But surely he parties too? “I love a dirty martini,” he says. “The dirtier the better. But really I’m obsessed with breakfast, especially oats. Sometimes I make my own granola. I just love a seed.”

While he might not tell me if he’s in a relationship, he is surprisingly candid when I ask him if he wants children. “Yes, it’s such a privilege for a man,” he says. “But I can’t bring children into my lifestyle now.” Because he is so busy? “Yes,” he answers. I tell him it’s never a good time. “I want to make sure I’m going to be present. I’m reading books on adoption. I might coparent with a woman, but I’m thinking it will be with a man.”

Just as we’re about to say goodbye, he squeals, holding up his phone. “Andrew Scott has just texted me! He calls me ‘J-Bads’. I told him I was doing a Vogue shoot, with the total self-awareness of what that sounds like.” He slips on his Birkenstocks. “You know I’ve got them in Parma violet too,” he says, as he slinks out of the door, headphones on.

Source

[women-throughout-history]

Gayatri Devi

Gayatri Devi, born on May 23, 1919, in London, United Kingdom, was a prominent figure in Indian royalty, politics, and fashion. She was the third Maharani consort of Jaipur from 1940 to 1949 through her marriage to Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II. She has left a significant impact on the cultural and political landscape of India. Gayatri Devi was a trailblazer in Indian politics. In the 1962 parliamentary election, she achieved a historic victory, securing the largest majority vote of any candidate. A member of the Swatantra Party, she served as a prominent critic of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's government during her 12-year political career. Despite facing political challenges, including imprisonment during the Emergency in 1975, she remained steadfast in her commitment to public service. Her commitment to women's empowerment extended beyond politics. She established schools in Jaipur, including the Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls School, providing education to thousands of girls and women. Her passion for education was evident in her efforts to promote the first steps of development through learning. An avid sports woman, she excelled in polo and shooting, reflecting her adventurous spirit. She was also known for her love of automobiles and was credited with bringing the first W126 model to India.  Maharani Gayatri Devi was listed as one of Vogue's 10 most beautiful women. Crediting her mother as her style inspiration, she said, “she was one of the most fashionable, most independent and most modern Maharanis ever. She always knew the best places to buy anything and she shopped all over the world.” Gayatri was known for her signature chiffon saris, crafted in Lyon, France, which were adorned with pearls and emeralds.  After retiring from politics, Gayatri Devi spent her later years in a quiet life on her large estate, engaging in hobbies and leisure. She passed away on July 29, 2009, due to paralytic ileus and a lung infection

https://www.financialexpress.com/life/lifestyle-meet-gayatri-devi-the-maharani-of-jaipur-who-started-the-trend-of-chiffon-sarees-know-the-politician-who-is-a-passionate-rider-and-a-social-worker-3229152/ (shows images of gayatri) https://books.google.co.in/books/about/A_Princess_Remembers.html?id=5CoWAQAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y (her autobiography)

[saintmeghanmarkle]

The Merchant of Wellington - a fashion ramble by u/Mickleborough

The Merchant of Wellington - a fashion ramble The world’s abuzz with the news that Meghan wore a (gasp) backless dress at a Sentebale dinner after Harry played his rigged game at the National Polo Centre in Wellington, Florida.Baby got backI don’t know why she swallowed that fly…Props to Meghan for finding the best angle to show off her ‘Hudson’ dress by unknown Australian label St Agni - completely hidden. (Antipodean Sinners to correct me if St Agni‘s worn by the best people.)Miracle of the HudsonImagine what the front would’ve looked like on Meghan:When asymmetric decides halfway to become halter neck. It looks like a wonky apron you’d wear to make American Rivetted Orthodontia strawberry jum.The back‘s quite…interesting.Look back in perplexity.The aim seems to be to look as if you’ve wearing only a skirt. Titillating! This means the front’s like a large bib. But St Agni’s paid attention to detail: little straps to prevent side boob! Function, not fashion - but as long as side boobs aren’t visible, elegance probably isn’t a concern. And we’ll overlook the lumpy neck halter.Personally I think glimpses of flesh is sexier - hint, not broadcast. Here’s an example:Seen at the London premiere of the James Bond film Spectre in 2015Slow boat from ChinaMeghan’s dress is definitely mid-priced at £350 / $435 / €406. Taking a leave from the Princess of Wales’s book; finance issues; trying to appear relatable; promoting a freebie? Can’t imagine Meghan voluntarily buying a dress of this origin:lMeghan clearly chooses not to wear Dior couture - costing around £69,000 / $85,000 / €80,000 apiece - but prefers to support the Chinese clothing industry. St Agni Code of Conduct indeed. NB Sh supposedly wore vintage Dior costume jewellery earrings.So - hit or miss?An observation This photo of Meghan in her Heidi Merrick halter neck reminds me of a poor man’s Leeloo*.Signature crease alert. Not that bloody Love bracelet again. My friend has one - takes it off every night, so it can be done.* Leeloo:Milla Jovovich in the film The Fifth Element. To be fair, Jovovich was a fashion model, and she’s wearing Jean Paul Gaultier. post link: https://ift.tt/qp7PSdh author: Mickleborough submitted: April 20, 2024 at 01:38AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[vintage-retro-queen]

Get to Know Mary-Loukritia "Lucy” Corleone

Here is the image of who Mary-Loukritia "Lucy" Corleone is, and what she looks like to those who want to know who she is and what she looks like.

Zodiac Sign: Virgo (September)

Age: 15

Hair Color: Deep-Cocoa Brown

Eye Color(s): Deep-Cocoa Brown

Hair Length: Long to her back

Hairstyle(s): Let down, straight, braids, ponytail(s), (other hairstyles, still thinking of)

Clothes: White long sleeved sweater with mid-opacity truffle beige plaid pattern, brown overall dress, high waist socks, brown boots (no heels), and beige earrings, White designer crop tank-blouse, peachy pink open front cardigan sweater V neck vintage slim shirt, low rise flared leg boyfriend blue bottoms jeans, silver chain belt with silver butterflies, white slip-on platform shoes (not the higher ones, just an inch taller ones), Y2K hypoallergenic magnetic earrings-piercings (No actual piercing required), and a Y2K pink heart necklace with XOXO in it. Dove-white designer dress, white and pink designer dress (shorts underneath the dresses), monochrome and brown crop jackets, white flats, white heels, diamond earrings, necklace, anklet, bracelet, gold choker-necklace, and gold earrings. Casual outfit on the middle, nightwear on the right, and swimwear on the left. (Other Clothes and accessories are coming soon)

Likes: Family, trustworthy friends, helping others, repaying others, delicious pastries, her beloved cats and kittens.

Dislikes: Fake people (ex. Fake Friends who use others as puppets), people who betray who, people who frame others for petty/tons of things, people using others various and personal reasons, bullies getting away with everything, victims being put to blame, the dreams she keeps getting every night, people who talk and look down on others to make themselves feel better, people treating others as slaves/servants, etc (more coming soon)

Sexuality: Pansexual + Demiromantic

Relationship Status: Single

Occupation: Model, artist, writer, animator, filmmaker, editor, voice actor, actress, dancer, singer, musician, and student. (In summary, a multitasker)

Hobbies: Sketching, drawing (Doodling, hatching, pop art, scribble, caricature (Anime styles), gesture drawing, perspective drawing, stippling, tattoo drawing, portrait, line drawing, life drawing, cartoon drawing, photorealism, pointillism, analytical drawing, realism, anamorphic), writing (Story, nonfic, poet, etc), animating, film making, editing, voice acting, dancing (ballet, ballroom, folk, swing, lyrical, belly dancing, concert, Latin, tap, salsa, fusion, rumba, jazz), singing, playing various instruments, helping family around the house, cooking for friends and family, going to her favorite place in London, playing sports and/or ocean sports (football (soccer), Cricket, rounders, polo, rugby, netball, and badminton), volunteering for helping out in the community, reading (most genres, just not all due to personal reasons by her family), listening to music in her record player or gramophone when she's listening to music with her friends and/or family.

Favorite Music: Rock, soft rock, various rock and roll music (became one of her favorite since some of her friends introduced it to her), classical, classical rock, romance, gothic music, 1950s-early 2000s, songs that screams nostalgia, etc.

Personality: Sweet, kind, honest, generous, loyal, selfless, and caring, but will get mad in case anybody gets into her bad side or tries to.

Favorite Animals: Dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, birds, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, lions, tigers, cheetahs, leopards, panthers, horses, foals. (Mostly cats and kittens) And her beloved cats and kittens she takes care of as if they are her children.

Species: Human

Ethnicity: Britain-Italian (Fluent in French, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, Hindi, German, Icelandic, Norwegian, Estonian, Bengali, Belarusian, Russian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Slovak, Slovenian, Haitian Creole, Croatian, Portuguese, Ukrainian, Tibetan, Romanian, Czech, Latvian, Lithuanian, Danish, Greek, Russian, Finland, Hungarian, etc=Polyglot)

IQ: 300

Status: Alive

More Information Coming Soon...

So, that's basically all you need to know for now.

And to those who are wondering what a polyglot is, it's a person who speaks and/or understands many languages.

Desc. Prologue.

[dmpflinn]

copied and pasted from another posting.

Are Meghan Markle's kids FAKE? 🤔

Megnant

1 Size: Bump drastically altering in size, even in a single day 😯

2 Slip: Bump slipped down to her knees in Birkenhead, UK 😯

3 Wobble: Bump wobbled side-to-side as she crossed the street. 😯

4 Clutching: Supporting her bump with her hands overly often. 🤔

5 Popping: audibly popped in a video, and wafted her clothes😯

6 Shape: Bump unnaturally shaped on Netflix🤔

7 Straps: Moonbump straps outlines visible under clothing in several photos. And something snapped, impacting the clothing fabric (video of H&M in London)😯

8 Biology: An absence of swelling of ankles, and other subtle biological (non)signs.🤔

9 Holding: Carrying a (doll?) infant on her bump, instead of on her hip.🤔

10 Squats: Squatting, effortlessly, with her knees together in videos and photos. In heels.😯

Births

11 Announcements: Royal official birth announcements are indirect. One states they are delighted "by the news of the" (not by the actual) birth.🤔

12 Coverup? A medic who certified a birth closed down her practice shortly afterwards.😯

13 Certificates: Questions linger over the birth certificates signatures, etc.🤔

14 Leak: An official Royal twitter account tweet indicated that Meghan’s kids are fake, before being taken down. An innocent prank?😁

15 Recovery: Epidural (ouch!) birth in a bath description anomalies and arriving home too soon afterwards to be quite plausible.🤔

16 Born Of Body?: Meghan allegedly told a friend she was infertile, when at college, and there was a reported alleged hysterectomy before the births.

17 Silence: Meghan is silent on her claimed births, despite always flashing her bump; having a "Capacity for over sharing"; boasting about being a “Mom”, and always talking about herself (apparently) on her feminist podcast. 🤔

Rented Infants

18 Archie Model: The real parents of the infant predominantly shown in Archie photos are identified. 💥

19 Lilibet Model: Parents of the infant shown in Lilibet photos are identified.💥

20 Loan: Mother of “Lilibet” commented on Insta that she does not "loan" her daughter to Meghan any longer.😯

21 Shape-Shifting: Different infants used in photos of both Archie and Lilibet.😯

22 Photoshopping: A litany of incompetently-photoshopped “family” photos. (A huge topic in itself).🤔

Dolls

23 Reborn Doll: Seemingly cradling a doll (a product called Darren) in official photo of Archie 🪆

24 Party Doll: Meghan seemingly cradled a similar doll when gate-crashing a polo match party, begetting astonished looks.😯

25 Bumpy Ride: Meghan seemed to be lugging an inanimate doll on top of her bump through some woods in Canada. Whilst grinning at a hired pap.🪆

26 Twisted: In one photograph, Archie's head is twisted more than 90 degrees 🪆

27 Carrying: A high % of photographs show them carrying the “kids” 🪆

28 Backs-Turned: A high % of Photos are of kids facing away from the camera 🤔

Other Oddities

29 Website: A startling absence of updates of Royal website on Meghan’s offspring.🤔

30 Bishop: Los Angeles christening cleric was not the official Bishop the Harkles claimed he was.🤔

31 Implausible Platitudes: Claiming Archie’s first word was “Crocodile”, and that he demands a Leica camera for his birthday. As tots do...🤔

32 Merch: An uncharacteristic unwillingness to merchandise their kids, for $$$ or PR.🤔

33 Invisible: The Harkles are never seen with their kids. There are hints of "home schooling" (will they ever be allowed out?)😯

34 Family Holidays: Weirdly, the Harkles never take their kids on holiday, and, if they pretend they did, they incompetently photoshop them into pap snaps on Insta.🤔

35 Everything Else: All the stuff I overlooked in this hastily speed-typed list.🤔

🤔🤔🤔

Why does it matter? 🤔

Because rich Prince Harry wants we skint, long-suffering tax payers, to pay for his security expenses; he’s a traitor, and, well, it’s fraud, isn’t it? 💥

Feel free to leave evidence I missed out in the comments. 👍

#MeghanMarkleIsAGrifter

#MeghanMarkleExposed

#WhereAreTheKids

#sussexbabyscam

[ingek73]

Prince Harry’s Dior Shirt Is a Perfect Example of His New Laid-Back California-Inspired Style

Prince Harry stepped out in London wearing one of Meghan Markle's favorite brands.

By LOUISA BALLHAUS

Prince Harry Attends High Court Hearing In Privacy Lawsuit - Day Four

Belinda Jiao/Getty Images

It’s a big week for celebrity court fashion! While Gwyneth Paltrow dominates the conversation around her skiing trial with a series of runway-worth “stealth wealth” looks, Prince Harry is across the pond rocking some subtly high-end duds of his own to another set of legal proceedings. Harry is currently visiting the UK for a hearing on his lawsuit against Associated Newspapers for illegal information gathering, and while he’s been modeling similar variations of the same sleek, low-key suits all week, his particular choice of shirt on Thursday, March 30, caught followers’ eyes.

Photos from Harry leaving the High Court in London show the former royal’s jacket blown open enough that you can see a bee logo on his white collared shirt, identifying it as Dior. The Dior bee shirt is a cotton poplin dress shirt with a bee embroidered in 18-carat gold thread, finished with mother-of-pearl Dior signature buttons and a shirt-tail hem, available on the Dior website for $1,000. It’s also a perfect symbol of Harry’s new laid-back approach to fashion since moving to California.

During his time in the royal family, Harry had to abide by strict rules around style (though not as strict as those applied to Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). His suits would reflect the formality of the occasion he was attending and little else, and Harry always looked like someone who was more comfortable in clothes he could wear on the polo field or out camping. Harry spoke fondly in his memoir Spare about shopping the bargain aisles at discount chain TJ Maxx as he grew up: “when they’d be flush with items from Gap or J.Crew, items that had just gone out of season or were slightly damaged.”

Prince Harry flashes the Dior bee on his shirt.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 30: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attends the Royal Courts of Justice as the lawsuit against the Associated Newspapers enters its final day on March 30, 2023 in London, England. Prince Harry is one of several claimants in a lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)

Since he started dating and then married Meghan Markle in 2018, royal followers noticed immediately that his style was becoming sharper, borrowing more frequently from high-end designers and often matching her impeccable looks in color palette. As he and Meghan went on to exit the royal family in 2020, Harry’s style evolution has continued: The suits are fitting better every year, and he’s learning how to meld his love of comfortable clothes with a more grown-up look.

Harry has worn a series of suits and white collared shirts in demure blues and grays for his court appearances this week, but little touches like Monday’s skinny blue tie or Thursday’s Dior shirt point to the Prince breaking away from years of doing the bare minimum to dress appropriately and turning towards a genuine enjoyment in choosing his style, dressing in pieces that subtly scream quality while accomplishing the same polished and polite look that’s appropriate for these proceedings.

Call it the L.A. effect, call it the Meghan Markle effect, call it whatever you like—Prince Harry is looking good these days, and he knows it.

[orcaofmyheart99]

Chaos at the Theatre part 1 (Musical with You)

On ao3

Aziraphale always loved the theater and everything about it. The costumes, the script writing, the scenery, and the acting. This is why Crowley had arranged for them to go and see it. It was a surprise for Aziraphale. As they entered the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, Aziraphale drew in an excited breath. He enjoyed the busing of the crowd. People talking animatedly, hands moving, some even softly humming the show tunes. Crowley looked around, frowning slightly. He hated crowds, shows and music, but it made Aziraphale incredibly happy. Aziraphale did things he didn’t like much to make Crowley happy. 

“Want to get some tea and Eccles cakes?” Aziraphale asked Crowley, pointing to a small cart.

Crowley nodded and they walked off to get some sweets.

There was a line, and both couldn't help but overhear the conversations around them.

Two well-dressed men were in a light conversation. They were obviously American. One man was tall, slender with hair brushed up and over to the side. The other man was on the shorter side but held himself with great confidence. 

“Thank you for this Rafa.”

“You’re welcome, Sonny. I knew that we would both be in London for the conference so I thought it would be great to get tickets. I wanted to surprise you with tickets to a Broadway play, but I know that you love Newsies, and I thought it would be a great thing to see since we were going to be in London”

Sonny leaned and gave Rafa a kiss on the cheek.

Rafa’s phone buzzed.

He smiled and showed the text to Sonny.

“Looks like Amanda and Olivia are having fun at the Maneskin concert. Apparently Maneskin is performing their new song, Honey, Are You Coming? I can’t believe they are dressed like that!” Sonny laughed. 

Crowley’s attention turned to a group of some college aged women and men. They were dressed in a particular manner. The women had on long formal dresses and the men looked like they were dressed as if they were straight out of the late 1700s. The gaggle of youngsters were joking around. 

“Alex, I can’t believe you did that!” One commented

“Hey, it is not my fault Jefferson is so annoying! He deserved to get pushed into the pool!”

“Yes, but you still shouldn’t do that. Would you like that if I did that to you?”

“Aaron, you can do literally anything to me.” 

The man called Aaron turned away blushing. 

“Plus, Jefferson is so annoying. He said it was stupid to go and see a musical all the way in England and that I have to be a better role model.”

“Yeah, like he was any standing” Chimed in Lafayette 

“We all know that he and Madison are a total item,” Hercules laughed.

Crowley looked over at a pair of men who looked very out of place. 

One of them was wearing a black t-shirt which read drink coffee, hail Satan and wore an upside down cross around his neck. A worn gray and dark green flannel was draped loosely around him. 

The man standing next to him, was shorter than him with a tanned complexion. If you had to picture what a stereotypical nerd was you would come up with him. He had on a striped polo shirt and a light purple suit jacket. 

The man with the hail Satan t-shirt glanced at Crowley who, like him, was dressed in mostly black. 

The man’s what Crowley only could presume to be his boyfriend was talking to the girls in the formal dresses. The man looked as though he was being forced to be there and was trying hard not to scowl. Crowley muttered to him. 

“Forced to be here by your boyfriend” The man nodded.

“He said that we were going to a death metal concert. But I should’ve known. The most rock and roll type of music he listens to is the velvet underground. What about you? Why are you here?”

“I surprised my boyfriend. I detest musicals and theatre but since he always accommodating me, I thought I might as well as try to do something he likes.” 

The man smiled. 

“I like your t-shirt.”

“Thanks, I mostly do it to piss people off. I like to see their smiles disappear.” 

Suddenly the man’s boyfriend appeared. 

“Gilfoyle come on, Elizabeth, Eliza and Peggy are inviting us to go and meet some of the actors before the musical starts.” 

“Pleasant meeting you” Crowley stated as the man was dragged away by his boyfriend over the girls who had separated themselves out from the boys.

The lights flickered indicating that the show was about to begin. The patrons made their way into the expansive theatre. Seats were taken as the lights began to dim. A collective breath was held as the musical began. 

It opened on two characters, high up, with the cityscape of New York behind them. The set design was amazing.

“They say folks is dying to get here. Me I’m dying to get away to a little town out west.” 

The first song began. It sent shivers doing everyone’s spines. A few minutes later the set changed and revealed several boys standing and getting ready for the morning. The crowd erupted in cheers as the first dance number began

“Ain’t it a fine life carrying the banner through it all. A mighty fine life, carrying the banner tough and tall. When the bell rings, we goes where we wishes, we’s as free as fishes, sure beats washing dishes. What a fine life carrying the banner home free all.”

The actors flipped, danced, and sang much to the crowd’s pleasure. Crowley looked over as saw Aziraphale positively beaming with delight. The Newsies were quickly being broken apart by the Delancey Brothers and other union busters. The audience’s eyes followed the chaos as one of the characters was caught and dragged away. As Jack Kelly began to sing Santa Fe, there was not a dry eye in the house. Aziraphale took out a handkerchief to tap at his eyes.

“Sante Fe!

My old friend I can't spend my whole life dreamin',

Though I know that's all I seem inclined to do.

I ain't gettin' any younger, and I wanna start brand new.

I need space, and fresh air-

let 'em laugh in my face, I don't care-

Save my place, I'll be there...

Just be real is all I'm askin', not some painting in my head,

'Cause I'm dead if I can't count on you today.

I got nothin' if I ain't got Sante Fe!”

The crowd cheered as the song came to a finish. The emotions were displayed clearly on the actor’s face and through his voice. Everyone felt their collective hearts break for Jack Kelly. 

 The audience got up and filed out to the common area for some more drinks. 

Aziraphale asked Crowley “So did Hell have anything to do with the poor working conditions of those children and the higher price for newspapers?”

Crowley nodded “Yes, Hell did have some influence in Pulitzer’s idea to raise the price. Greed is often traced back to Hell.”

“I quite like your suit” The young man named Alex came up and complimented Aziraphale.

“People don’t have fashion sense anymore.” 

“Yours is quite nice as well” Aziraphale returned. 

“I always enjoyed the 1700s fashion.” 

“Same here. The only problem with the 1700s is King George. God he is annoying. He is always like “you belong to me” and “I’ll kill all of you” So extra” The young man rolled his eyes.

Crowley and Aziraphale gave each other a strange look. 

“And don’t get me started on Jefferson. He thinks he is soooo much better than everyone else because he went to France.” 

One of the girls came up to Alex, and stated that Aaron was getting mad, because apparently Alex had changed his ringtone to Never gonna give you up.

Alex replied “Angie, he must accept Rick Astley as his lord and savior.” 

The girl sighed and tugged on Alex’s arm.

“Go apologize to him, Alex.” 

The young man and woman walked away.

“That is peculiar. It seems as though they believe they are in the 1700s. I mean they have to realize they are in 2023? A whole musical was even written about them in 2015."  Aziraphale remarked.

“Time is a unique thing. Past and present seem to collide much more often than we think” Crowley replied, shrugging. 

The lights dimmed once more and the audience walked back into the theatre, taking their seats. The musical started up again with an energetic tap number. Kathrine, the young woman who wanted to prove herself, joined in the boys tapping. The audience enjoyed the dancing as a much-needed break from the previously mentioned song. The musical traveled one, with Kathrine being outed as Pulitzer's daughter. And a beautiful love song between Jack and Kathrine proved that they believed in each other and would not let anything stand in their way. 

The newsies were back, fighting together. Fighting for all the young workers who were being abused. 

“There’s change coming once and for all” The actors sang out.

To everyone’s surprise, even more actors were walking up the aisle towards the main stage. It was very powerful to be fully surrounded by the characters, as though you were part of the very movement.

The musical came to an end with Sniper being arrested and Pulitzer coming to an agreement with Jack. The actors took a final bow and were given a standing ovation. 

The crowd left the theatre talking about the show. Everyone was buzzing with their opinions and thoughts. 

Some of the crowd were taking turns grabbing photos with a newspaper stand in the common area. The two men Aziraphale and Crowley noticed talking in front of them were about to stand in front of the newspaper stand.

“Excuse me, would you be able to take a photo of us?” The lanky man asked Aziraphale.

Aziraphale replied with an “of course” 

After the photo was snapped, the shorter man thanked them. 

“This is our first time in England. We thought we might as well go and see Newsies since we are huge Broadway fans.” 

The taller man smiled.

“Not just fans, you actually have performed in theatre. He was excellent in Tick, Tick, Boom!”

“Local theatre, Sonny.” The man corrected him, blushing. 

“Theatre is theatre. “Arts are very important,” Aziraphale added.

The two men walked off holding hands. 

Slowly Aziraphale and Crowley made their way out the front doors.

“That was magical,” Aziraphale exclaimed, leaning in to kiss Crowley on the cheek.

“Thank you for the surprise.”

“Anything for you Angel” Crowley responded, with a smile he only showed for Aziraphale. 

Crowley and Aziraphale traveled back to their house. Crowley even had to admit he might have enjoyed the musical, although he would never say that out loud. The final was moving. Once and for all they were truly satisfied. Crowley and Aziraphale love were louder than words.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 9.3 (before 1930)

36 BC – In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompey, son of Pompey, thus ending Pompeian resistance to the Second Triumvirate. 301 – San Marino, one of the smallest nations in the world and the world's oldest republic still in existence, is founded by Saint Marinus. 590 – Consecration of Pope Gregory I (Gregory the Great). 673 – King Wamba of the Visigoths puts down a revolt by Hilderic, governor of Nîmes (France) and rival for the throne. 863 – Major Byzantine victory at the Battle of Lalakaon against an Arab raid. 1189 – Richard I of England (a.k.a. Richard "the Lionheart") is crowned at Westminster. 1260 – The Mamluks defeat the Mongols at the Battle of Ain Jalut in Palestine, marking their first decisive defeat and the point of maximum expansion of the Mongol Empire. 1335 – At the congress of Visegrád Charles I of Hungary mediates a reconciliation between two neighboring monarchs, John of Bohemia and Casimir III of Poland. 1411 – The Treaty of Selymbria is concluded between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice. 1650 – Victory over the royalists in the Battle of Dunbar opens the way to Edinburgh for the New Model Army in the Third English Civil War. 1651 – The Battle of Worcester is the last significant action in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. 1658 – The death of Oliver Cromwell; Richard Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of England. 1666 – The Royal Exchange burns down in the Great Fire of London. 1777 – American Revolutionary War: During the Battle of Cooch's Bridge, the Flag of the United States is flown in battle for the first time. 1783 – American Revolutionary War: The war ends with the signing of the Treaty of Paris by the United States and the Kingdom of Great Britain. 1798 – The week long battle of St. George's Caye begins between Spain and Britain off the coast of Belize. 1812 – Twenty-four settlers are killed in the Pigeon Roost Massacre in Indiana. 1838 – Future abolitionist Frederick Douglass escapes from slavery. 1843 – King Otto of Greece is forced to grant a constitution following an uprising in Athens. 1855 – American Indian Wars: In Nebraska, 700 soldiers under United States General William S. Harney avenge the Grattan massacre by attacking a Sioux village and killing 100 men, women and children. 1861 – American Civil War: Confederate General Leonidas Polk invades neutral Kentucky, prompting the state legislature to ask for Union assistance. 1870 – Franco-Prussian War: The Siege of Metz begins, resulting in a decisive Prussian victory on October 23. 1875 – The first official game of polo is played in Argentina after being introduced by British ranchers. 1878 – Over 640 die when the crowded pleasure boat Princess Alice collides with the Bywell Castle in the River Thames. 1879 – Siege of the British Residency in Kabul: British envoy Sir Louis Cavagnari and 72 men of the Guides are massacred by Afghan troops while defending the British Residency in Kabul. Their heroism and loyalty became famous and revered throughout the British Empire. 1895 – John Brallier becomes the first openly paid professional American football player, when he was paid US$10 by David Berry, to play for the Latrobe Athletic Association in a 12–0 win over the Jeanette Athletic Association. 1911 – A fire that started on Fraser's Million Dollar Pier destroys six to eight square blocks of Ocean Park, California. 1914 – William, Prince of Albania leaves the country after just six months due to opposition to his rule. 1914 – French composer Albéric Magnard is killed defending his estate against invading German soldiers. 1914 – World War I: Start of the Battle of Grand Couronné, a German assault against French positions on high ground near the city of Nancy. 1916 – World War I: Leefe Robinson destroys the German airship Schütte-Lanz SL 11 over Cuffley, north of London; the first German airship to be shot down on British soil.

[timeforabathblog]

18. Best Baths on the Thames: Henley Swimming Baths at 90

Ninety years ago this summer, William Lee stood at the gate, boater hat in hand, resplendent in white shoes and white trousers. A butcher by trade, he was also the mayor of Henley-on-Thames, so it fell to him to begin the evening’s proceedings. He smiled for the camera and pushed the gate open to a round of applause. It was 5:30pm on a sunny Saturday just after midsummer, the 23rd of June 1934.

William Lee opening the Henley Swimming Baths. Source: Reading Standard.

Lee, his fellow councillors, and the crowd that followed them into the enclosure, were gathered to mark the completion of the Henley Swimming Baths off Wargrave Road, a facility sanctioned by the Ministry of Health at a cost of approximately £2,000, and designed by the Borough Surveyor, F. C. Wren. 

The Baths and its opening were a triumph of low-tech public luxury. They celebrated the simple pleasure of swimming in a river, framed as a pursuit that was mainstream – even glamorous – and yet, for this Thameside town, also part of everyday life and leisure.

‘The Baths and its opening were a triumph of low-tech public luxury.’

Wren’s design, at once functional and beautiful, embodied this ethos. The entrance was flanked by two brick and timber-framed attendants’ booths, bisecting a sweeping half-octagon of changing cubicles, their raised floor level pre-empting winter floods. 

National Grid 1:2500 map, 1962. Source: National Library of Scotland.

The typical bather paid for entry at one of the booths and then made their way to a cubicle. After undressing and donning their costume, they stepped out onto a raised walkway and, past a white-painted metal railing, looked out over a broad sunbathing lawn extending to the water. 

Clustered at the centre of the bank were three pollard willows and a low diving board. Several sets of steps led down into the river on either side. To the right stood the metal frame of a higher diving platform. 

In the water, the bather had the choice of a shallow end or a deep end within a cordoned off stretch of the stream, hefty white staves marking its corners.

Picture postcard of the Baths, 1930s.

Bringing Wren’s design to life, the opening was a variety show – a ‘water cabaret’ – compéred by ‘English champion swimmer’ Jeanne Clilverd. Taking their seats in rows set out on the grass, the crowd first enjoyed a speech from William Lee, who proclaimed the venue the ‘best baths on the Thames’, to much agreement. 

A parade of ‘London’s leading mannequins’ (the contemporary term for models) then exhibited the latest fashions in beach wear, before racing on ‘aqua-cycles’ and demonstrating ‘how to be lazy on a li-lo’.

Mannequins on aqua-cycles. Source: Reading Standard.

Clilverd performed a series of virtuosic feats in swimming and diving. Russian emigré guitarist Alexis Chesnakov serenaded the crowd from atop the diving platform. And the evening concluded with Reading and Windsor swimming clubs going head to head in a game of water polo.

Alexis Chesnakov serenades the crowd. Source: Reading Standard.

Henley was by no means new to swimming. The previous summer, 2,725 bathers were recorded over the August Bank Holiday weekend – equivalent to 40% of the town’s population. In effect, the Baths updated and rebranded a place known traditionally as ‘Solomon’s Hatch’, a favourite watering hole before Lee and the other local grandees were even born.

‘The Baths updated and rebranded a place known traditionally as “Solomon’s Hatch,” a favourite watering hole before Lee and the other local grandees were even born.’

The first significant move to formalise and enclose the site came in 1871 with the establishment of the Henley Bathing Company. By the 1880s, there were a free and a paid swimming area, as well as changing sheds and ladders. The first Henley Swimming Club took to the water in 1894. 

Map of Henley with Solomon's Hatch circled. Source: Emily J. Climenson, A Guide to Henley-on-Thames, 1896.

For some, river bathing was an article of faith. William Wing, an earlier Borough Surveyor from a prominent local family, bathed first thing every morning all year round, as well as acting as the Bathing Company’s secretary.

The spot was popular with tourists as well as locals. A visitor in 1880 mentioned ‘rising early for a plunge into the glorious stream at “Solomon’s Hatch”, then back to breakfast with such an appetite as swimmers only can approach, after which a quiet, digestive cigar…’

‘I never could find out who the particular Solomon was that the place was named after,’ added another in 1888, ‘but the bathing-place is a capital institution for Henley; the water is clear and the bottom sandy. Between the hours of 11 and 1 in the morning it is reserved for ladies only, and I am glad to say a good many avail themselves of this opportunity of learning the art of swimming…’

The origins of the name Solomon’s Hatch remain mysterious. Entrances to the vast mediaeval forest of Windsor were known as hatches, a term preserved in names of nearby villages like Playhatch and Hare Hatch. This might explain the second half. But why Solomon?

Henley Swimming Baths, 1930s. Source: River and Rowing Museum.

To find out more about the Baths’ later years, I posted on the Henley-on-Thames Past and Present Facebook group in September 2023, explaining my interest in the history of river swimming in the town and asking whether anyone had memories or pictures of the Henley Swimming Baths. 

No pictures appeared, but the memories were many. Henleyites recalled swimming lessons, the certificates they gained, the link between the Baths and local schools (including the walk from one to the other). Some remembered Harry Burfoot, the attendant from 1950 to 1974 – ‘a serious character but very fair’ – and the swimming teacher Miss Harris. Harris appears also to have been a general teacher at Holy Trinity School: the ‘best schoolteacher ever’, a ‘great encourager’ who ‘coached us in breastroke, balanced over school chairs’.

Many remarked on water temperature – ‘Mr Burfoot’ chalked it up in Fahrenheit at the entrance each morning. One poster noted having to this day ‘nightmare memories of freezing cold water, and trying to change out of a freezing cold clingy swimming costume’. Another remembered buying hot lemonade from the Baths kiosk after a swimming lesson, and pouring it over their feet to warm their ice cold toes.

‘Another remembered buying hot lemonade from the Baths kiosk after a swimming lesson, and pouring it over their feet to warm their ice cold toes.’

Some linked the Baths to their not having learnt to swim. One expressed the trauma of being pushed into the river before having any lessons – which put them off for life. Another commented that, given the chill of the water, ‘being taken there for lessons amounted to cruelty’ (followed by several laughing face emojis). Others were more nostalgic. ‘Spent so much time there during the summer,’ one said, ‘It was always so much fun!’ Another wrote, ‘Spent great times there – happy memories.’ A third simply put, ‘Loved it there.’

There were humorous anecdotes, too: ‘I remember a guy back in the early 70s who we called Tarzan used to dive in off the board and come up with a fish in his mouth... I think he worked as a fishmonger because I don’t recall mackerel being native to the Thames’.

The Town Council struggled to find a new attendant following Burfoot’s retirement. The future was uncertain. Then towards the end of the 1970s the gate William Lee opened in 1934 closed for the final time, the booths and cubicles standing derelict and increasingly overgrown. 

Photo by Martin Cook of the entrance to the Baths shortly before demolition, 1980s. Source: River and Rowing Museum.

In 1979, the riverside plot entered a new phase as the HQ of the Henley Rowing Club. Progress was gradual, with much of the construction being taken on by club members themselves. But after seven years’ work the Boathouse was finally ready, and another opening brought new life to the old home of Solomon’s Hatch and the Henley Swimming Baths.

Henley, meanwhile, never stopped swimming. The Henley Open Water Swimming Club continues to take the plunge and this summer marks the 20th anniversary of the Henley Classic, a wildly popular organised swim following the same course as the Henley Regatta. 

Other organised events include Club to Pub, a 1.5km summer evening swim through the heart of the town. The swim honours history in starting at Henley Rowing Club, site of the old Baths, and finishing at the Angel on the Bridge pub, a swimmers’ favourite for generations. ‘The Angel has the good old riverside flavour of sanded floor and cheerful barmaid,’ wrote a correspondent for the Newcastle Chronicle in 1898, ‘In the early morning you will find the bar requisitioned for rum and milk by bathers fortifying themselves for a swim from Solomon’s Hatch or in the Marsh Lock pool.’

Postcard featuring the 'Swimming Pool' and the Angel pub, 1930s.

Swimmers have also campaigned for the health of the river in recent years. In November 2022, a local group called the Henley Mermaids concluded a long distance fund-raising swim with a protest. They called on Thames Water to end its record of sewage pollution, while treading water among giant toilet rolls and turds.

The Baths’ legacy is upheld, too, in a large, sleek, hull-like construction by the river, facing directly out over the Rowing Club: the River and Rowing Museum. Visit the museum’s Henley Gallery, which explores many aspects of local history, and you can look up at the same entrance sign generations of swimmers passed under on their way to the water.

Henley Baths sign at the River and Rowing Museum, 2023.

On Friday the 28th of June this year, the museum hosted a hustings, with the 4th of July General Election squarely in view.

James Wallace of the NGO River Action UK compéred the show, introducing a panel of high-profile representatives from the worlds of rowing and swimming. Then followed speeches from anti-pollution campaigners and Citizen Scientists from River Action UK and Windrush Against Sewage Pollution. And the evening culminated with Labour, Conservative, Lib Dem and Green candidates for the constituency MP going head to head in a Q&A session. 

Sadly there were no musicians, no mannequins on aqua-cycles. Instead, there was much discussion of permits and discharge monitoring, E. Coli and coliform bacteria, combined sewage systems and the esoteric inner workings of Thames Water and the Environment Agency. The Citizen Scientists’s ability to make sense of all this for the lay-audience was especially impressive. 

‘This vision is mainstream already in many parts of the world, and was once mainstream all along the Thames, bathing areas like the Baths being a “prominent part of municipal life” within living memory.’

But the spirit of the Baths presided in more than just the itinerary. Throughout the evening the question of value, of why pollution matters and how we work together to put words into practice, came up again and again. Jo Robb, candidate for the Greens and a Henley Mermaid, was particularly outspoken about alternative ways of living with rivers that could become mainstream, were we to move on from the profit-driven model of privatised water. 

This vision, as Robb pointed out, is mainstream already in many parts of the world, and was mainstream in Henley and all along the Thames, bathing areas like the Baths being a ‘prominent part of municipal life’ in riverside towns and villages within living memory.

Souvenir notice for the opening of the Henley Swimming Baths. Source: Oxfordshire History Centre.

Now more than ever, in the face of the freshwater emergency, we should remember the opening of the Henley Swimming Baths. River swimming was celebrated ninety years ago as a common good – not tolerated but facilitated by local and national government. Much has changed. And as the old saying goes: you can’t step in the same river twice. But the past still offers insight into what’s possible, not only in confronting how we don’t want the rivers to be, but also in envisioning how we do want them to be – for ourselves and for river ecosystems, and for generations to come.

Thanks for support in writing this post go to the River & Rowing Museum, Oxfordshire History Centre, Charlie Young, and Katie Amos and Craig from Reading Central Library.

A version of this article appeared in the Henley Standard, on the 12th of July 2024 – link here: https://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/river/190741/best-swimming-baths-on-thames-90-years-ago.html

Further reading:

Bailey, John, ‘William VIII: The Last of the Wings,’ Journal of the Henley-on-Thames Archaeological and Historical Group, March 2013, pp. 2-25.

Davies, Caitlin, Downstream: A History and Celebration of Swimming the River Thames (London: Aurum, 2015).

‘Henley: Social and Political History’, in A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 16, ed. Simon Townley (Woodbridge, Suffolk, 2011), pp. 120-159. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/oxon/vol16/pp120-159 [accessed 19 July 2023].

Wenham, Simon, Hobbs of Henley: A History (Stroud: Amberley Publishing, 2020).

[anwarnaser71]

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Mark Dyer Harrys keeper? by u/Minimum-Finance-5271

Mark Dyer Harry’s keeper? What do people know about this guys mark dyer? Looks like he was a male role model for the boys, a male minder brought in I think even before Diana died. Sort of a male nannie for the boys as they started to get rambunctious and too hard to handle as pre teens. He’s been with Harry all his life since, seemingly a male nanny well into Harry’s adult hood. I bet he could tell a tale or two.What brought me back to this guy was that I picked up a tumblr blogs timeline on Meghan and Harry’s relationship, it’s a long and enlightening read, things that were often confirmed not just rumour that made my jaw drop at the audacity of Meghan, she was really pushing it and I can see why some people really felt sorry for Harry in the beginning, long interestingness read see link below https://ift.tt/pfZubqa stood out to me in the part above was this tidbit5/10/2017: Mark Dyer sells his pubs to move out of London. The article is the first confirmation that he/his pubs had hosted Harry and Meghan for dates in the early days of their relationship. Speculation begins that Dyer doesn’t like Meghan at all.Gosh that sure sounds like mark dyed probably owned a bunch of pubs, maybe floated or assisted financially by the brf or even Harry, that would have been very convenient for Harry. It would be like having club h back at high grove, a private pub where grey could act as much a fool as he wanted without anyone finding out. Cause if his friend/nanny owned the bar he would of course ensure that guest were reprieved of cameras or had their phones checked before entering to keep lil Harry’s hero pr intact hmm? Maybe when Meghan came along she got Harry convinced he didn’t need these bars that he was going to grow up and be a married man/she didn’t want Harry to be able to go somewhere that was controlled by someone loyal to Harry not her. And if their Interaction at that polo match is anything to go by Marko didn’t care for madame. If Harry told mark he didn’t need these pubs or that he wasn’t going to help finance them anymore maybe that’s why mark closed them when Meghan came along.I thought I heard that this guy works at archwell. Probably doing nothing except getting paid for his silence and occasional handling/babysitting of Harry when Madame or her mother are not around. The guy seems sleazy to me, basically Harry’s nanny who has seen a lot of Harry’s worst behaviour, and it this point is basically an accessory to them. Not such a good role model if this is what Harry became.I notice that William doesn’t have some nanny taking care of him, almost like he’s a grown up.This isn’t really going anywhere, I just always wondered about this guy, but the more I find out about him the more it becomes apparent he’s just some dumb rich man Childs nanny 😂🤮🤮Thanks for looking! post link: https://ift.tt/47u0em2 author: Minimum-Finance-5271 submitted: April 19, 2024 at 01:19AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[she-is-wearing]

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