#rutland

[deadmotelsusa]

Seward’s Restaurant of Rutland, Vermont operated from 1947 to 2022. It is currently closed and for sale for 825k.

[unteriors]

North Street, Rutland, Vermont.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

By India McTaggart and Tracey Kandohla

21 April 2024

The first statue of Queen Elizabeth II since her death has been unveiled to the approving barks of nearly 50 corgis.

The permanent memorial to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch – complete with her own immortalised dogs – has been hailed as a fitting tribute for the “mother of our nation.”

The eye-catching 7ft bronze statue went on display on what would have been the late monarch’s 98th birthday, with a group of her favourite dogs stealing the show.

It takes pride of place outside the library in the market town of Oakham, in Rutland, Britain’s smallest county.

It depicts a youthful Queen Elizabeth – who stood at just 5ft 4in – standing at 7ft in regal robes with three loyal corgi companions at her feet, one peeking out from the creases.

It serves as a permanent reminder of her 70-year reign and her enduring affection for the Pembroke Welsh breed.

Sculptor Hywel Pratley believes the memorial will become a hit not only with royal fans, but that it will attract social media users wanting a selfie beside the late monarch and her dogs.

Speaking before the unveiling in front of a 400-person crowd and with a host of local dignitaries attending, he said:

“The plinth is designed to be sat on and I can see the statue becoming popular with the Instagram generation, and why not?

It will make a perfect backdrop for pictures and people will be able to reach up and pat a dog or if small enough even sit in its back.”

Mr Pratley, 51, who is half Welsh and lives in Chelmsford, Essex, told how he chose to add the corgis for a “bit of fun and to tap into the late Queen’s humanity and address her friendliness.”

He explained he made the statue larger than life because a “life-size Queen Elizabeth is too small. She deserves more.”

The £125,000 statue was commissioned by Dr Sarah Furness, the Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland, following the Queen’s death in September 2022.

Addressing the crowds in the spring sunshine, she said:

“We are witnessing a piece of history today with the first statue of Queen Elizabeth to be commissioned since her death and who gave us 70 years of exemplary service.

Rutland may be a small county, but the response to this had been huge with contributions from local businesses and individuals of varying sizes.”

As she spoke, barks from 46 dogs from the Welsh Corgi League rang out, and she said, smiling: “You can hear them!”

She added: “The statue is for everyone.”

Before his cancer battle had been known and made public, King Charles III had been invited to unveil the statue.

It is not known if Palace officials had agreed to the request.

Instead, the honour fell to Alicia Kearns, the Tory MP for Rutland and Melton, before being blessed by Debbie Sellins, the Bishop of Peterborough.

One resident, Hilda Townsend, said: “It is just wonderful. We are the tiniest county, but the first to honour the late majesty in such a big way. It is a very fitting tribute.”

Her husband, John, added: “It is absolutely amazing and, as Rutlanders, makes us extremely proud.”

The unveiling of two of the three bronze corgis was given to two young children who had won a local school art competition.

In an emotional speech, Ms Kearns, 31, said:

“It is an incredible statue of our beloved Queen, who showed unwavering commitment.

We hope we can reflect on her legacy of compassion, strength and leadership. The statue was no mean feat and is for all of Rutland and all of our country, and to come together in joy. Rutland leads and others will follow.”

The MP revealed that the King would be visiting the statue.

Crowds of local residents mingled with visitors from further afield, some waving Union flags, with children sporting gold paper crowns on their heads.

She told spectators: “I am proud to play my very small part in helping to celebrate her reign,” pointing to the statue and saying: “She belongs to all of you.”

Following the unveiling, a lone bagpiper played a lament to the late Queen and the National Anthem was played, with crowds joining in.

Dozens of corgis, some wearing red, white and blue, then posed beside the new monument with their owners and officials before parading along the packed streets to Oakham Castle for a meet-and-greet session with the public.

Among the corgi owners was Katrina Emptage from Lincoln, with her two-year-old pet, Mable.

She said: “The statue is absolutely amazing and I’m delighted to be here to see it and be part of the corgi parade. It is very special.”

The late Queen held a life-long, deep affection for the breed after she fell in love with the dogs as a child.

She owned more than 30 over the years, many of which were direct descendants of the first, Susan, which was given to her as an 18th birthday present by her parents in 1944.

Speaking of his inspiration, Mr Pratley said:

“I very quickly thought that I would like to have a corgi nestling in her robes by her feet because what a great symbol it is, artistically, of her being mother of a nation.”

[browsethestacks]

The Phantom Stranger

Cosplay by Andy Yanchus

Rutland Halloween Parade (1969)

[opelman]

Harvard by Treflyn Lloyd-Roberts Via Flickr: Stunning Sliver Harvard FE695 displayed over Old Warden by pilot Isabel Rutland during the Shuttleworth Collection's 2024 Summer Evening Air Show. Aircraft: Noorduyn Mk.IIb Harvard FE695/94 (G-BTXI). Location: Old Warden Aerodrome, near Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.

[robcawston-photography]

Northern lights in Rutland UK.

[coffeenuts]

[dansnaturepictures]

Some of my favourite photos I took in July 2024 and month summary post 3 of 3: Landscape and fungi

The photos in this set are at; Durlston, Rutland Water, sky at home, Lakeside Country Park, the River Itchen, Whitefield Moor in the New Forest and mushrooms at Martin Down. I took in so many breathtaking vistas this month from stunning coast to vast water body and lake scenes and rivers, heathland, vibrant meadow and rich woodland with epic summer skies observed too. It was nice to see a few mushrooms around as well.

[postcard-from-the-past]

Travelling Crane in West Rutland, VT, US

American vintage postcard

[iromyshop]

roses are love. lucky to make them! ten year anniversary wahoo!

[roadtripnewengland]

#Pico #Alpine Ski Lift- Rutland, Vermont in the Green Mountains

[gsvalentine]

(via First cycle wearing the Synergy Neon Lime Cycling Skinsuit)

[unteriors]

Johnson Way, Rutland, Massachusetts.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

[isbi-2014-may-20]

Languages Accolades for Oakham Pupils

published Tuesday 20th of May 2014 03.03:23 PM

Two of Oakham School's talented pupils, Gwyneth Cook (Fourth Form) and Tiephaine Thomason (Fifth Form), are celebrating after winning accolades in their French and German studies.

Gwyneth Cook, who has been educated entirely at Oakham School, has been commended for her performance in the Oxford University French Film Essay Competition. A number of pupils took part in the competition, which tasks students to write an alternative ending to a French film. Given the high number of entrants from across the country, it is particularly impressive that Gwyneth was commended for her performance. The judges wrote to Gwyneth to say 'We thought yours was a very strong entry within a competitive field, deserving of special mention. Congratulations on this achievement; the standard of entries was very high.'

Gwyneth was 'really pleased' to have been acknowledged. She added, 'Taking part was an enjoyable way of developing my engagement with French culture. It has also further stimulated my interest in modern language studies and has encouraged me to continue with creative writing in the future.' 'It is good to enter competitions such as this, and it is even better to get recognition; said Edward Milner, Head of French at Oakham School. 'We have a high number of pupils taking a range of foreign languages, and Gwyneth is a very deserving winner.'

Meanwhile, Tiephaine Thomason, who has been educated at Oakham School and previously the Lycée Français Marie Curie de Zurich, has won a prestigious national German Studies prize. Tiephaine was selected as 'Winner' in the category 'Years 10-11' of this year's Oxford German Olympiad, which is awarded by the Oxford German Network, an initiative by the German department at Oxford University.

Tiephaine, who is a French-English bilingual, worked hard on her entry with the help of German Language Assistant Michael Hill, who came to Oakham School from Heidelberg University. The theme for entries was '1914', and Tiephaine impressed the judging panel with a short story recounting the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand from the perspective of the Austro-Hungarian officer Oskar Potiorek, who was responsible for planning the Archduke's fateful visit.

—

Oakham School is a co-educational boarding and day school for pupils from Year 6 through to Year 13 located in the heart of rural England. It offers education through to the IB Diploma or A-Levels.

Read more on: https://www.isbi.com/school-news/

[travelella]

Rutland, Vermont, USA

Nikunj Singh