tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42866891351582130192024-03-13T11:11:42.279-07:00Martin, is the computer off?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-36499650598328486642017-09-18T06:28:00.005-07:002017-09-18T06:28:52.895-07:00My favourite music on Youtube<div style="text-align: center;">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-46084945513908833502016-09-16T03:50:00.002-07:002017-09-18T06:33:22.019-07:00Sutton Bonington Campus - University of Nottingham<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The weekend of September 10/11 2016 was a special time for Claire and I as we had decided to attend the 40th anniversary event for Sutton Bonington campus graduates from 1976. Yes, amazingly, it is 40 years since we graduated from Nottingham University!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had a couple of days staying in Ashby-de-la-Zouch before the event. We visited assorted churches and cemeteries and made some good finds. Ashby seems busier than it used to be and our first house seemed smaller than we remembered it to be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It rained quite hard on the Saturday morning but luckily the afternoon turned dry. There were about 30 of us, almost the same faces as 10 years ago. Even DK turned up in his wheelchair - "I fell off a ladder", he said. He seemed on good form and it was nice to see him. We stayed in one of the newer hostels beyond the old Hostel 5: goodness me the rooms seemed small although comfortable enough with those little bathroom "pods". The number of aircraft flying over seems to have gone up and some planes seem to arrive in the middle of the night. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were amazed at all the new buildings, and extremely impressed with the quality of the facilities for modern students. There must have been many tens of millions of pounds spent on the site. Our jaws dropped at the (current) devastation where the JCR used to be. It is gone! A new mid-campus "Plaza" is being created: doubtless it will be wonderful when it is finished. The old Hostel 5 pond was long since filled in on safety grounds, only for modern designers/architects to add multiple new "designer" ponds elsewhere! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had a meal together in the new facility (The Barn), but Martin and I didn't really think it was £30-worth. Sloppy pate starter with inadequate bread, and just carrots and mashed potato with the main course. Not very imaginative. But Sunday was sunny, and after a snacky breakfast in a café in the Costcutter shop on campus we went a walk down to the River Soar. Altogether a very enjoyable weekend. We will certainly like to attend the 50th and final reunion event in 2026.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-70469031873757355302016-07-01T03:10:00.001-07:002017-09-18T06:34:05.549-07:00From the UK to the USA - grave hunting!This 13 day holiday called America's Founding History was organised by <a href="https://www.greatrail.com/tours/americas-founding-history/?TelRef=PPC_GOO_US&gclid=Cj0KEQjwhtO7BRCtwuO9gfTH-fQBEiQAdJ8FY8Zi2lEwdwpATyu18CvHwKR5Phio1EaKninhHWw76aoaAnB38P8HAQ">Great Rail Journeys</a> and as has always been the case with this company the holiday was well organised and highly enjoyable.<br />
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Holidays such as this are rather hostages to fortune with respect to the weather and the energy and enthusiasm of the tour guide. We were lucky in both respects. John Rayment was one of the best guides we have experienced and the weather, although hot and humid, was overwhelmingly dry.<br />
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We visited (in order) Washington DC, Jamestown/Williamsburg/Yorktown, Lexington, Monticello, Charlottesville, Gettysburg and, finally, Philadelphia and, of course, we did some serious grave hunting along the way!<br />
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Arlington National Cemetery - Joe Louis, World Heavyweight boxing champion.</div>
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Arlington National Cemetery - Audie Murphy, one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II.</div>
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The only minor glitches were due to Amtrak and British Airways. The rail trip from Washington DC to Williamsburg was - to be blunt - something of a fiasco. The train arrived 45 minutes late at Washington and then fell further and further behind the advertised arrival times at assorted intermediate stops before finally arriving at Williamsburg nearly 2 hours late. <br />
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The outwards trip from London Heathrow to Washington by British Airways was excellent but the over-night homewards trip from Philadelphia was spectacularly bad.
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<li>The cabin was so cold that many people wore the supplied blanket over their head to mitigate the icy blasts coming from the overhead vents.</li>
<li>The breakfast was both tiny and almost inedible. The croissant was so stale that it was solid and the Granola cereal fruit bar would not have been out of place as a surfacing material on a road. </li>
<li>When we arrived at Heathrow there was nowhere for the plane to park and we just sat there for 20 minutes waiting for a slot to become vacant so that we could disembark.
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-42690931820344562752016-03-17T08:32:00.000-07:002017-09-18T06:35:34.696-07:00My Mother's diariesFor most of her married life my Mother kept a diary and these give an interesting insight into everyday life in English suburbia during the last third of the 20th century.<br />
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The first diary I have managed to locate is dated 1955. I was particularly pleased to find this one because I had been born in late 1954 so quite a few of the entries mention my early childhood. Sadly she stopped writing half way through the year and the next volume I have been able to locate is her Boots Diary for 1969. There is then an unbroken series of diaries covering her life right up to the time that vascular dementia kicked in - at which point she stopped writing regular entries.<br />
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The gradual decline of my paternal grand-parents is covered in poignant detail. They died aged 98 and 99 meaning that my father was 72, and so well into retirement, before he became an orphan. By contrast my wife reached this unhappy milestone when she was only 40. Both grand-parents said they were "ready to go" almost a decade before they actually died and the whole concept of them sitting around waiting to die is quite upsetting.<br />
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For many years my mother's closest friend was "Aunty" Chris. She lived in the same street as my parents and she and my mother had many interests in common - especially the Townswomen's Guild and its associated drama and poetry groups. The two of them would meet up two or three times a week and their respective lives were very much inter-twined.<br />
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Then Chris was taken ill and in a matter of a couple of months she was dead. My mother briefly mentioned going to her funeral and then nothing - she just put her sadness behind her and got on with her, rather more restricted, life. My mother was like that sometimes, some part of her emotional brain had been damaged by her very traumatic childhood and she was good at coping with sad events of this type.<br />
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It was noise that she couldn't stand. At various times in her daily dairy entries she would launch into a rant about the noise made by the boiler, the TV, the fridge or the school across the road. She would also worry about world events for a three week window just before the annual overseas holiday. Wherever in the world Mum and Dad were due to visit you could be almost certain that some related man-made or natural disaster would cause her to have sleepless nights.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-35189717001841966242016-02-14T09:20:00.000-08:002017-09-18T06:36:43.444-07:00If books had feelings some of mine would be crying today!As my family will tell you I have lots of books. There are bookcases in my study (2), in the lounge, in the front hall and in the dining room (2) to say nothing of the many boxes of books that live in the utility room or in the walk-in wardrobe upstairs.<br />
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Once a book has been relegated to the boxes in the utility room they have little chance of every being read again. To slightly paraphrase my daughter, "I will store them there until I die, then somebody else will throw them away." Some of the boxes I looked at today had been sealed up for nearly 20 years which both amused and shocked me.<br />
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After many years of "living" in the dining room my set of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennings_(novels)" target="_blank">Jennings books</a> have been packed up and will probably not emerge into the daylight again in the foreseeable future. There are 23 novels in the series and it is a curious fact that although I have read some of the books many times there is one I have never seen, never mind read. Jennings at Large (#23) was an experiment by the author that didn't work according to many other enthusiasts and so I have never felt motivated to search for a copy.<br />
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The Jennings books are timeless in that the hero stays the same age throughout the series. This of course is a strength and a weakness but by the end of the 23 books all the best story lines have been used over and over again. Other series gradually allow the characters to age (The Lone Pine series does this) and the famous Chalet stories are spread out over many years and perhaps they benefit from this editorial decision.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-17392032568807675082016-02-03T06:25:00.000-08:002017-09-18T06:37:56.286-07:00I received my first posthumous email today.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My long-time friend Charles died on Monday 1st February 2016 - and how did I know this? Because he told me!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When Charles found out last June that he was suffering from cancer he arranged with his daughter that as soon as he died a final message would be sent out to his various on-line friends scattered around the world. In practice Charles had so many different hobbies that he had to create four different messages and four different mailing lists that reflected the different aspects of his busy life!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I first came across Charles through our shared interest in amateur astronomy. He and I were part of a small group who used to exchange news and views a couple of times a month. But as the years went by our numbers gradually reduced. Hannah died, far too young, and we were down to four and then in 2013 two other members gave up practical astronomy as advancing years and retreating finances took their toll. Eventually Charles, my friend and sounding board in the USA, also decided to retire from the wonderful world of science to take up golf and fossil hunting and after a long and amusing "do you remember when" email he and I went our separate ways.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">And now he is gone. None of my close family knew Charles, except perhaps as a name I mentioned occasionally, so there is nobody to share my loss. I suspect that many of us have E-pals or Internet Friends and sometimes, if you are anything like me, one of them will suddenly vanish from your in box and you will be left wondering what happened to them. I think the idea of a posthumous email is both considerate and quite poignant and it certainly something that members of this group might want to consider creating. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-38941346673622295982016-01-14T09:29:00.000-08:002017-09-18T06:39:21.151-07:00The War-Graves of the Western Front 1914-1918<div align="center">
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<span class="a-size-large"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Arras War Graves and Memorials</u></span></span></div>
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<strong>Published June 2015 and now available from Amazon.</strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Arras-War-Graves-Memorials/dp/1514641526/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437215592&sr=8-1&keywords=arras+nicholson" target="_blank">UK readers click here for more details</a></span></strong></div>
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<strong>Published June 2015 and now available from Amazon.</strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Menin-Gate-Memorial-Martin-Nicholson/dp/1514744988/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1436003984&sr=8-2&keywords=menin+gate" target="_blank">UK readers click here for more details</a></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Menin-Gate-Memorial-Martin-Nicholson/dp/1514744988/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436003927&sr=8-1&keywords=menin+gate" target="_blank">US readers click here for more details</a></span></strong></div>
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<strong>Published June 2015 and now available from Amazon.</strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thiepval-Graves-Memorials-Martin-Nicholson/dp/151469137X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437215865&sr=8-1&keywords=thiepval+nicholson" target="_blank">UK readers click here for more details</a></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thiepval-Graves-Memorials-Martin-Nicholson/dp/151469137X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437215956&sr=8-1&keywords=thiepval+nicholson" target="_blank">US readers click here for more details</a></span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Tyne Cot War Graves and Memorials</u></span></div>
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<strong>Published June 2015 and now available from Amazon.</strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tyne-Cot-War-Graves-Memorials/dp/1514723395/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437216172&sr=8-1&keywords=tyne+cot+nicholson" target="_blank">UK readers click here for more details</a></span></strong></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-56981676113232961142016-01-05T09:52:00.002-08:002016-01-05T09:52:19.907-08:00The Cambridge American Cemetery<div align="center">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0YD-OcUt0DfcqYIEANGslv8dq__geVbe_GRJy8ZdQ2eTYNRVQc0LtKbx9enGElrl0xNjYcgYIoLOBD6ueIOlsSlPCuEb9pTvoc5Rm5vnldhZPWUqvFtin8XLtldHs7-nNlXFpLT2RK6V/s1600/front+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0YD-OcUt0DfcqYIEANGslv8dq__geVbe_GRJy8ZdQ2eTYNRVQc0LtKbx9enGElrl0xNjYcgYIoLOBD6ueIOlsSlPCuEb9pTvoc5Rm5vnldhZPWUqvFtin8XLtldHs7-nNlXFpLT2RK6V/s320/front+cover.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Cambridge American Cemetery</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">by</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">Martin Nicholson</span></strong><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-American-Cemetery-Martin-Nicholson/dp/1518834280/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448116699&sr=8-1&keywords=cambridge+american+cemetery" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">This book was published in October 2015 and is now available from Amazon</span></a> </div>
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<strong>About the author -</strong> Martin Nicholson and his wife Claire Nicholson own one of the largest archives of grave related photographs in the world. A selection of their work appears in the blog <a href="http://www.grave-mistakes.blogspot.co.uk/2015_03_01_archive.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">"Grave Mistakes"</span></a> that has had over 400,000 hits since it was launched in 2013. Other examples appear in the Facebook group <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/609806292391471/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">"Social History"</span></a> where Martin acts as the group administrator.</div>
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This book is compiled from the records maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) of servicemen and women killed or missing since April 6th 1917. The ABMC lists over 218,000 names of dead and missing service personnel. Of these just over 8,900 (4.1%) are to be found at the Cambridge American Cemetery. The book is divided into sections that contain details of the location within the cemetery of the service personnel who were one of two or less of their particular service rank or were only members of a unit who lost their lives. Every life lost as a result of military service is a tragedy for the family and friends of the individual, and this book does not seek to imply that those listed here are any more deserving of memory than those not selected.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-42646826655227407712016-01-05T04:16:00.003-08:002016-01-05T04:16:52.768-08:00The Honolulu Memorial - An explorers guide<div align="center">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">The Honolulu Memorial - An explorers guide</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-U7Xjj5fWwefAlrE3u33GA4-gQVL9FXtU5j6mCUxai9W_1GlvhAJ9_PhMfhwzKYUsPhXPKOrBxBbkoweoMGwtMCH9r8YvHdWB_3hw_1T4P92-kQPqa35YWbSUuAzBINqsI048sj28Hc/s1600/Honolulu+Memorial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-U7Xjj5fWwefAlrE3u33GA4-gQVL9FXtU5j6mCUxai9W_1GlvhAJ9_PhMfhwzKYUsPhXPKOrBxBbkoweoMGwtMCH9r8YvHdWB_3hw_1T4P92-kQPqa35YWbSUuAzBINqsI048sj28Hc/s320/Honolulu+Memorial.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<strong><span style="color: red;">Published January 2016 and now available from Amazon.</span></strong></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">This book is compiled from the records maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) of servicemen and women killed or missing since April 6th 1917. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span> </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">The ABMC lists over 218,000 names of dead and missing service personnel. Of these just over 28,780 (13.2%) are to be found at the Honolulu Memorial which is located within the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span> </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">The book is divided into sections that contain details of the location within the site where service personnel who were one of five or less of their particular service rank to lose their lives are commemorated. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span> </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">Every life lost as a result of military service is a tragedy for the family and friends of the individual, and this book does not seek to imply that those listed here are any more deserving of memory than those not selected.</span></span></div>
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Martin Nicholson - Ticklerton Barn, Ticklerton, Church Stretton, Shropshire, UK</div>
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<a href="mailto:newbinaries@yahoo.co.uk" target="_blank">Email contact</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-88201670067719601082016-01-05T04:07:00.001-08:002016-01-05T04:07:15.507-08:00Unique Commonwealth War Graves - a new 6 volume worldwide survey<div align="center">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px !important; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.3 !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span class="a-size-large" id="productTitle" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px !important; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">Unique United Kingdom War Graves and Memorials Worldwide</span></h1>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6fJQ2Fxb9FCH4GEWZMTq86K8AoXmbHq2oTiYV6Xbal4HAa_ifuCU9TWrywmzQY1lGO8Vx8dpcABFZshEqYLGVPGZJSP5-RI2FCYqsfwxZbt08HgMDVZ1VPo4qG6qfUAaM49Db_Uw42o4/s1600/UNIQUE+UK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6fJQ2Fxb9FCH4GEWZMTq86K8AoXmbHq2oTiYV6Xbal4HAa_ifuCU9TWrywmzQY1lGO8Vx8dpcABFZshEqYLGVPGZJSP5-RI2FCYqsfwxZbt08HgMDVZ1VPo4qG6qfUAaM49Db_Uw42o4/s320/UNIQUE+UK.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
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<strong><span style="color: red;">Published December 2015 and now available from Amazon.</span></strong></div>
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<strong></strong> </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">This book is compiled from the records maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission of servicemen and women killed or missing since the start of the First World War in 1914. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"></span> </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">The book is subdivided into three separate sections. The first contains details of the location of the grave or memorial that is the only one in a particular country. The second and third sections contain details of the locations of the graves or memorials naming United Kingdom servicemen or women who were the only representative of their rank or unit anywhere in the world to lose their lives. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"></span> </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">The other books in this series, for the war graves of other Commonwealth nationalities, also include a section listing those cemeteries worldwide that include only one grave or name on a memorial of a serviceman or woman of that nationality. This has proved impractical for United Kingdom service personnel because of the huge number of such sites, both in the UK and worldwide. However this additional list is available via e-mail for any reader who requires it, on request to the author. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"></span> </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">Every life lost as a result of military service is a tragedy for the family and friends of the individual, and this book does not seek to imply that those listed here are any more deserving of memory than those not selected. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"></span> </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/22.4px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">The CWGC lists over 1,282,000 names of dead or missing United Kingdom service personnel who are remembered at locations worldwide. Of these 559,808 (43.7%) were Privates but only one was a Nursing Assistant.</span></div>
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<strong><u>In the same series</u></strong></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px !important; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">Unique Australian War Graves and Memorials Worldwide</span></span></div>
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<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px !important; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">Unique Canadian War Graves and Memorials Worldwide</span></div>
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<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px !important; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">Unique Indian War Graves and Memorials Worldwide</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaypMwTho2aH89h4TJ4YyYTtBPYUbB5nxrfrVrGEeNFMJh7wjOcVhq70XIFfIrjqUcs4dn3ZIUfGJlCBncPWx_7hgBYZxVWEH-a0nM_LC-YMSts0u_3gP-rPkyZMA42r7kenRR6SLY9w/s1600/UNIQUE+NEW+ZEALAND.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaypMwTho2aH89h4TJ4YyYTtBPYUbB5nxrfrVrGEeNFMJh7wjOcVhq70XIFfIrjqUcs4dn3ZIUfGJlCBncPWx_7hgBYZxVWEH-a0nM_LC-YMSts0u_3gP-rPkyZMA42r7kenRR6SLY9w/s320/UNIQUE+NEW+ZEALAND.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px !important; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">Unique New Zealand War Graves and Memorials Worldwide</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeC0FCPlIaTLrGQxPYvxmzFQXj5lbwQdEJ_V2PChUuFKGvO3ZILGSAUsTErwde_5FmzRK0_p6sLGd3sm5RDkDNgLxK4MUmaMaEmocnx9G5HSCFr2GV7SRGVEkYovSwmIwqD9dchLswrkA/s1600/UNIQUE+SOUTH+AFRICAN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeC0FCPlIaTLrGQxPYvxmzFQXj5lbwQdEJ_V2PChUuFKGvO3ZILGSAUsTErwde_5FmzRK0_p6sLGd3sm5RDkDNgLxK4MUmaMaEmocnx9G5HSCFr2GV7SRGVEkYovSwmIwqD9dchLswrkA/s320/UNIQUE+SOUTH+AFRICAN.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
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<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px !important; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">Unique South African War Graves and Memorials Worldwide</span></div>
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Martin Nicholson - Ticklerton Barn, Ticklerton, Church Stretton, Shropshire</div>
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<a href="mailto:newbinaries@yahoo.co.uk" target="_blank">Email contact</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-80315555081890953062015-12-31T08:19:00.001-08:002015-12-31T09:17:07.996-08:00Review of 2015<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although 2015 has been an enjoyable and productive year not everything has gone exactly the way I would have expected.</span><br />
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got quite close to resigning from being a school governor - after 32 years service in assorted schools and colleges. Then, rather unexpectedly, a new series of challenges fell into my lap and I felt sufficiently motivated to carry on.</span></div>
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My postal history research has pretty much ground to a halt. There are several incomplete projects sitting on my study table but at the moment I lack to time, energy and enthusiasm to do anything with them. Much the same has happened with my South African postcard collection - nobody out there seems interested in the social history of South Africa pre-union and I don't seem to get the pleasure I used to get from working on these things on my own.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Claire and I finished our survey of Herefordshire Churches, Churchyards and Cemeteries and we have now turned our attention to Worcestershire. We have sold 364 books in the last 365 days which is vastly more than I would ever have predicted. It was quite an experience "appearing" on Radio Shropshire and giving a talk to the local Probus group on our favourite topic.</span></div>
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our former neighbour Betty died in late January. She was a character in the very nicest sense of the word. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Julie Bourchier, a former work colleague from my time in Somerset, died far too young in May.</span> Eli and Flora have joined our extended family in 2015 to take their places.</span></div>
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had a lovely day with other family members at Blist Hill Victorian town and we also attended my Auntie Margaret’s 90th birthday party over in Cambridge. </span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Christmas family gathering was great fun even if it was all rather hectic.</span></div>
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The three young people I mentor continue to thrive despite the very casual approach of the project organisers who spent all the available money on staff salaries leaving nothing for the travel expenses of the volunteers such as me!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The electrics for the outside lights remain a problem that seems to be unresolvable at the moment.</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-8952247057696206892015-12-13T00:30:00.003-08:002016-10-01T08:36:50.908-07:00Beyond the Messier and Caldwell Catalogues<div align="center">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yjbyClraLfK2JWUaZGE75PbLRQEOTKbcBnCEI2SXzxnboa8mFk8BI7t18RnjvphEivRcFj89eYh_tBsl0Ixg6OcXzwIR9Ui6MwuPQYE009odzeYBB08lq5dY47ajUg3gD_X0h-ATZP8/s1600/Messier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yjbyClraLfK2JWUaZGE75PbLRQEOTKbcBnCEI2SXzxnboa8mFk8BI7t18RnjvphEivRcFj89eYh_tBsl0Ixg6OcXzwIR9Ui6MwuPQYE009odzeYBB08lq5dY47ajUg3gD_X0h-ATZP8/s320/Messier.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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If you subscribe to one of the magazines that cater for amateur astronomers you will soon realise that the same few objects are mentioned again and again as suitable targets for owners of small telescopes. I am, of course, referring to those listed in the Messier catalogue. </div>
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However there is a limit to how many times an object can be viewed or imaged before boredom sets in. So it is hardly surprising that more active observers started looking for advice on possible deep-sky objects “beyond the Messier catalogue”. Many other lists of astronomical targets have been compiled. Perhaps the best known of these is the Herschel 400. All 400 targets can be seen with a 6 inch telescope from a moderately dark site. </div>
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These lists seem to have one important feature in common – they are sub-sets extracted from much larger catalogues using a range of selection criteria that are not always well explained. </div>
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<strong>My lists of targets are not like these others. I have discovered all these objects myself: either by direct observation or via data mining.</strong></div>
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<strong>This new book is now available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Messier-Caldwell-Catalogues-Nicholson/dp/1519791852/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449995126&sr=8-1&keywords=beyond+messier">Amazon.com</a> or from Amazon.co.uk</strong></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-33770698469027786492015-12-13T00:24:00.001-08:002015-12-13T00:24:46.452-08:00Grave Hunting - Tips and Tales<div align="center">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ09fTqtx4z2rA0ru2fgZfppuEdf_LFZieNtxs8lJyhJk8Gx8cGxJAWCPwX2AuBpSznfTgOvrEJhCnd6nRsOWXntiqj3R5J8Bf2HWnvOHpg4xE5kIHRSnMJyM2ywzNt08zYC17e6GpIv4/s1600/Grave+Hunting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ09fTqtx4z2rA0ru2fgZfppuEdf_LFZieNtxs8lJyhJk8Gx8cGxJAWCPwX2AuBpSznfTgOvrEJhCnd6nRsOWXntiqj3R5J8Bf2HWnvOHpg4xE5kIHRSnMJyM2ywzNt08zYC17e6GpIv4/s320/Grave+Hunting.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<u>CONTENTS</u></div>
<ul>
<li>Introduction Why go grave hunting?</li>
<li>How to hunt for gravestones safely.</li>
<li>When to go grave-hunting.</li>
<li>How to find the grave that you want.</li>
<li>Photograph the gravestones you have discovered.</li>
<li>Should you clean the gravestones?</li>
<li>Keeping records during your graveyard visits.</li>
<li>Do look inside the church.</li>
<li>Be polite and respectful.</li>
<li>Churchyard maintenance.</li>
<li>How do I find every church?</li>
<li>Survival tips!</li>
<li>Potential technical disasters.</li>
<li>Publicise the results of your grave-hunts.</li>
<li>Contact with other grave-hunters.</li>
<li>What else have we learned?</li>
<li>Research Unexpected pleasures (and disappointments). </li>
<li>These are gravestones, but you have to laugh sometimes…..!</li>
<li>Review of our year of 2015.</li>
<li>More projects.</li>
<li>Conclusion.</li>
</ul>
This new book is now available from both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-11592653667617412902015-11-29T01:41:00.000-08:002015-11-29T01:41:04.390-08:00Death, Disaster and the South Wales Railways: Volume 1 (Social History Today) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wITvRkgr-T1andRcAER_4jnXbUChklg7kXa_qAWplnXMittEuF-4_jrhKwP6dkZM2KL-vsKMkezkEHuNz-iu-4UZZdq96r0nbVxvtj4J6ovXHs6ThARtXBRmYPHq1r92-eFZOolXY5g/s1600/DDRailways.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wITvRkgr-T1andRcAER_4jnXbUChklg7kXa_qAWplnXMittEuF-4_jrhKwP6dkZM2KL-vsKMkezkEHuNz-iu-4UZZdq96r0nbVxvtj4J6ovXHs6ThARtXBRmYPHq1r92-eFZOolXY5g/s320/DDRailways.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
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Death, Disaster and the South Wales Railways</div>
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This book is available from Amazon</div>
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</div>
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<u>CONTENTS</u></div>
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A MAN DECAPITATED ON THE TAFF VALE RAILWAY IN 1900 </div>
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THE TAFF VALE RAILWAY STRIKE OF 1900 </div>
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A FATAL FIGHT AT MERTHYR RAILWAY STATION IN 1901 </div>
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A FATAL COLLISON ON THE SOUTH WALES MINERAL RAILWAY </div>
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THE USE OF BRAKE VANS ON THE TAFF VALE RAILWAY </div>
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A BOILER EXPLOSION ON THE RHYMNEY RAILWAY AT CARDIFF DOCKS</div>
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<span style="color: red;">--------------------</span></div>
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Martin Nicholson - Ticklerton Barn, Ticklerton, Church Stretton, Shropshire</div>
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<a href="mailto:newbinaries@yahoo.co.uk" target="_blank">Email contact</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-26132719375558590952015-11-29T00:42:00.000-08:002015-11-29T00:42:20.896-08:00The South African Picture Postcard Catalogue<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4aGS7X5nIpnO2oHMgHLdPKUzpGNbVtJUjjtKTj1-OfXjizQA2J-a9b19eqyGwGqrDbqO2-jCJqkKgpheBfUY1hyphenhyphenoUsm-__hrm5D3Mi2PLGqjGrgS63DJhvz5dC_bEm93IYWUSjeaYmI/s1600/Africa1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4aGS7X5nIpnO2oHMgHLdPKUzpGNbVtJUjjtKTj1-OfXjizQA2J-a9b19eqyGwGqrDbqO2-jCJqkKgpheBfUY1hyphenhyphenoUsm-__hrm5D3Mi2PLGqjGrgS63DJhvz5dC_bEm93IYWUSjeaYmI/s320/Africa1.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
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Both these volumes are available from Amazon</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nLCSEFo71Vzn5dXNFXsuJvsu5M_mdH4M-hAsdGZVUFt0xO8m2nw-Vvhst0Mjp093V2wcpnIk2YQAOt-GYB45X44rjB_UeCsm39c3yUFy5PclPyAbHdfHOUd5XqNH8SzSRcrFVP28oUE/s1600/Africa2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nLCSEFo71Vzn5dXNFXsuJvsu5M_mdH4M-hAsdGZVUFt0xO8m2nw-Vvhst0Mjp093V2wcpnIk2YQAOt-GYB45X44rjB_UeCsm39c3yUFy5PclPyAbHdfHOUd5XqNH8SzSRcrFVP28oUE/s320/Africa2.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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As a former stamp collector the idea of conducting my hobby without the use of a full-colour priced catalogue would have seemed ridiculous. Many such catalogues are produced each year - ranging in scope from those covering the whole world in a highly simplified format to others covering the issues of a single country in great detail. It therefore came as a great surprise to me to discover that no catalogue had been produced covering the activities of the many postcard publishers who had been in business in South Africa in the early part of the twentieth century. Starting in the 1980's the now defunct Southern Africa Postcard Research Group (SAPRG) under the leadership of Aston (Archie) Atkinson published a number of preliminary checklists of publishers and the cards they had produced. It soon became clear that these lists, although admirable starting points, were far from complete and it was for this reason that I proposed the compilation and subsequent publication of the South African Picture Postcard Catalogue.</div>
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<u><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></u> Martin Nicholson - Ticklerton Barn, Ticklerton, Church Stretton, Shropshire</div>
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<a href="mailto:newbinaries@yahoo.co.uk" target="_blank">Email contact</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-50364285958773964952015-11-28T04:16:00.000-08:002015-11-28T04:17:39.353-08:00Unusual gravestones - a new book for grave hunters<div align="center">
<strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">Unusual gravestones</span></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgPqF9tdfBRAr3Dmnt24BHmU0topyAorFcEsO8V6UHk3fgyaPoDFmORqrCLWxtTvfneUL4gp-5lHFHhEuayEzdrKQhhc5dRYcgrrSMliLu0o0_1mzTuamu4I_opdQCY6qRb5u7eHKjCMj/s1600/title+page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgPqF9tdfBRAr3Dmnt24BHmU0topyAorFcEsO8V6UHk3fgyaPoDFmORqrCLWxtTvfneUL4gp-5lHFHhEuayEzdrKQhhc5dRYcgrrSMliLu0o0_1mzTuamu4I_opdQCY6qRb5u7eHKjCMj/s400/title+page.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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<strong>About the authors -</strong> Martin and Claire Nicholson own one of the largest archives of grave related photographs in the world. A selection of their work appears in the blog <a href="http://www.grave-mistakes.blogspot.co.uk/2015_03_01_archive.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">"Grave Mistakes"</span></a> that has had over a quarter of a million hits since it was launched in 2013. Other examples appear in the Facebook group <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/609806292391471/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">"Social History"</span></a> where Martin acts as the group administrator.</div>
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The authors have viewed millions of gravestones, and are offering readers a selection of the rare and unusual gravestones that they have seen, with full-colour illustrations. Each category of type of gravestone, age of person, cause of death, rare names, and errors found on gravestones are given a points score to indicate rarity.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unusual-gravestones-Mr-Martin-Nicholson/dp/1508646414/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425233927&sr=8-1&keywords=unusual+graves" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">This book was published in March 2015 and is now available from Amazon</span></a></div>
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Specimen pages from Amazon previewer</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_Z_sVZUscBuvmTDn7hyphenhypheniM1Ryn1jAKVGZO3k33E6bMnoOHjmyq4_Nt0uN1n-FKdCcYccek9H68287yKeTpHujj1lN1qli5zpeAuEXpmkZ-UvNNeAryt7HKWLhb8QbnDaw20lNYXtONeGk/s1600/Promotion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_Z_sVZUscBuvmTDn7hyphenhypheniM1Ryn1jAKVGZO3k33E6bMnoOHjmyq4_Nt0uN1n-FKdCcYccek9H68287yKeTpHujj1lN1qli5zpeAuEXpmkZ-UvNNeAryt7HKWLhb8QbnDaw20lNYXtONeGk/s1600/Promotion.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></u> Martin Nicholson - Ticklerton Barn, Ticklerton, Church Stretton, Shropshire</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-91655288234582723472015-11-28T04:12:00.003-08:002016-01-05T03:33:55.834-08:00Unusual Commonwealth War Graves - The country catalogues<div align="center">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Unusual Commonwealth War Graves Vol 1 - United Kingdom</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqaqaV8lpdx8D6dfIjoP_DWrz9CdSGpj9jGdjChyr-iml6tg0NvCvFlpEEKRQy2k-ADkfWj6YXeVbjAb_JexLOC4X82iso7zk4_P3ikJH-EKU5h8yi7bUhTgGUkNh1tmLs64sMgiD62E6/s1600/United+Kingdom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqaqaV8lpdx8D6dfIjoP_DWrz9CdSGpj9jGdjChyr-iml6tg0NvCvFlpEEKRQy2k-ADkfWj6YXeVbjAb_JexLOC4X82iso7zk4_P3ikJH-EKU5h8yi7bUhTgGUkNh1tmLs64sMgiD62E6/s320/United+Kingdom.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
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<strong><span style="color: red;">Published June 2015 and now available from Amazon.</span></strong></div>
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This book is compiled from the records maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission of servicemen and women killed or missing since the start of the First World War in 1914. </div>
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The book is subdivided into separate nationalities – British, Australian, Canadian, South African, Indian, New Zealander, and the Merchant Navy. The first list contains details of the location of the grave or memorial in the U.K. naming servicemen or women of each nationality who were one of five or less of their particular service rank who lost their lives. </div>
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The second list contains details of the location of the grave or memorial in the U.K. naming servicemen or women of each nationality who were one of five or less of their particular regiment or service who lost their lives. </div>
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Every life lost as a result of military service is a tragedy for the family and friends of the individual, and this book does not seek to imply that those listed here are any more deserving of memory than those not selected. </div>
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The book shows the wide range of units from which only a handful, or even a single, life was lost, and also the wide range of ranks where also only a handful, or even a single, holder of that rank is commemorated in the United Kingdom. The CWGC lists 307,131 names of dead and missing service personnel and members of the Merchant Navy who are remembered at locations in the United Kingdom. Of these 61,064 (19.9%) were private soldiers but only 1 was an Artificer Engine Room 5th Class.</div>
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<strong><u>In the same series</u></strong></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Unusual Commonwealth War Graves Vol 2 - France</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfoS_gTV3Q4I60G5C4Ejo32KMpND2a2_HonEg5CI8fxWP2E8kX5y27RycqNo2wNe5jgg-EQYMVs8n4NPbG9iS1n-BtdSmw4juxTdOw2-rJxUmP1C4RGLcCDFIUgwJLZXXb5hriyZuDqVq/s1600/France.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfoS_gTV3Q4I60G5C4Ejo32KMpND2a2_HonEg5CI8fxWP2E8kX5y27RycqNo2wNe5jgg-EQYMVs8n4NPbG9iS1n-BtdSmw4juxTdOw2-rJxUmP1C4RGLcCDFIUgwJLZXXb5hriyZuDqVq/s320/France.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Unusual Commonwealth War Graves Vol 3 - Belgium</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67vZVd8iGxb1vIaUSlbWTXkDtB89P5IKCYab8bTRt5FDx4ZjjBDxULee1dNai5oAwvnSi7IN9yAZSWmUZPskmJG2maE6KLX-HH5b-qg6ISV8YJvDnyHGefYLmKw4QMrOa_C6DjV5-3yMu/s1600/Belgium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67vZVd8iGxb1vIaUSlbWTXkDtB89P5IKCYab8bTRt5FDx4ZjjBDxULee1dNai5oAwvnSi7IN9yAZSWmUZPskmJG2maE6KLX-HH5b-qg6ISV8YJvDnyHGefYLmKw4QMrOa_C6DjV5-3yMu/s320/Belgium.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Unusual Commonwealth War Graves Vol 4 - Iraq</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66CVgB-J1qUAj5U0QugNXq3HB7FuLk8H5fu6gDxk-sRKx668MsJYORAp8wPuzsl3iizYMvRUS2N32g0VwfebaYSvQuREeKHRVES2OArhsVmu90vHg-OXcNVgUO3uDdKyyADqOZ5uf5PTC/s1600/Iraq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66CVgB-J1qUAj5U0QugNXq3HB7FuLk8H5fu6gDxk-sRKx668MsJYORAp8wPuzsl3iizYMvRUS2N32g0VwfebaYSvQuREeKHRVES2OArhsVmu90vHg-OXcNVgUO3uDdKyyADqOZ5uf5PTC/s320/Iraq.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Unusual Commonwealth War Graves Vol 5 - Germany</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPK7N1F0j80iDu7Sdit-syR2JYsT0IFcf0YrNdww1myjKI3MnlyVvPjsrVpE1Cj491nIhJPxoP-qlKn_oKyV5SL6BIDJELBDzPSe-5tdQUH2wdhz1NvRCnDJXSgjW3JbETL76fkwkDcz0/s1600/Germany.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPK7N1F0j80iDu7Sdit-syR2JYsT0IFcf0YrNdww1myjKI3MnlyVvPjsrVpE1Cj491nIhJPxoP-qlKn_oKyV5SL6BIDJELBDzPSe-5tdQUH2wdhz1NvRCnDJXSgjW3JbETL76fkwkDcz0/s320/Germany.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Unusual Commonwealth War Graves Vol 6 - Egypt</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJGFaBdjTFpavbWAVCfcvHQt2owW4FhFHtBqJS0zqtadaNgwy6hM-qr_kweOUzTKjq7dtKLd-Ir8xxoJx6sUFI-Q0Cm3AfJKEn7TJr8vKCuzpFBYC1kzC0HlpvFWWbYiCBzUE0Qr2W9Y/s1600/Egypt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJGFaBdjTFpavbWAVCfcvHQt2owW4FhFHtBqJS0zqtadaNgwy6hM-qr_kweOUzTKjq7dtKLd-Ir8xxoJx6sUFI-Q0Cm3AfJKEn7TJr8vKCuzpFBYC1kzC0HlpvFWWbYiCBzUE0Qr2W9Y/s320/Egypt.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
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Martin Nicholson - Ticklerton Barn, Ticklerton, Church Stretton, Shropshire</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-70140978154131305582015-11-28T04:06:00.003-08:002015-11-28T04:06:48.676-08:00Four books on world famous military cemeteries<div align="center">
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<span class="a-size-large"><span style="font-size: large;">Vol 1 - The Arras War Graves and Memorials</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivwcOLxRTat7KyfUqKt0V7FPz6IeSNxPOfcuvZNEVsZEnOTe9dl7sAqv4wzh0fsROui239G4A0Se-KcfYaJDb8sOpOSGo9Z3GmsArYyc5G2wnI85vCx7XbJqxUsJc5ZonLaEacasCk7-cK/s1600/arras.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivwcOLxRTat7KyfUqKt0V7FPz6IeSNxPOfcuvZNEVsZEnOTe9dl7sAqv4wzh0fsROui239G4A0Se-KcfYaJDb8sOpOSGo9Z3GmsArYyc5G2wnI85vCx7XbJqxUsJc5ZonLaEacasCk7-cK/s400/arras.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<strong>Published June 2015 and now available from Amazon.</strong></div>
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This book is compiled from the records maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission of servicemen and women killed or missing since the start of the First World War in 1914. <br />
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The first section contains details of the location on the Arras Memorial of servicemen or women who were one of five or less of their particular service rank or unit who lost their lives. I have also identified where winners of the Victoria Cross can be found. <br />
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The second section contains details of the location on the Arras Flying Service Memorial of servicemen or women who were one of five or less of their particular service rank or unit who lost their lives. <br />
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The third section contains details of the location of the graves in the Faubourg D’Amiens Cemetery naming servicemen or women who were one of five or less of their particular regiment or service who lost their lives. <br />
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Every life lost as a result of military service is a tragedy for the family and friends of the individual, and this book does not seek to imply that those listed here are any more deserving of memory than those not selected. The book shows the wide range of units from which only a handful, or even a single, life was lost, and also the wide range of ranks where also only a handful, or even a single, holder of that rank is commemorated in Arras. <br />
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The CWGC lists 584,992 names of dead and missing service personnel who are remembered at locations in France. Of these just over 38,489 (6.6%) are to be found in the three sites in Arras studied in this survey.</div>
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<span class="a-size-large"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><u>In the same series</u></strong></span></span><br />
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<span class="a-size-large"><span style="font-size: large;">Vol 2 - The Menin Gate Memorial</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkl8XWtVHJEaTv5iGwfS4rl5cmOJr8Nfr4RIEDW6sJVBQvGEAjvJgQNo0fCp6JeqCmzsnUkwDIPf_E7r2nrftc9nCbF_Ufml3C0zFD_0JMIr49_bRcp8M7oB_Lt3i3QsOXUVF2dJkEJDE/s1600/front+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkl8XWtVHJEaTv5iGwfS4rl5cmOJr8Nfr4RIEDW6sJVBQvGEAjvJgQNo0fCp6JeqCmzsnUkwDIPf_E7r2nrftc9nCbF_Ufml3C0zFD_0JMIr49_bRcp8M7oB_Lt3i3QsOXUVF2dJkEJDE/s400/front+cover.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<strong>Now available from Amazon.</strong></div>
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<span class="a-size-large"><span style="font-size: large;">Vol 3 - The Thiepval War Graves and Memorials</span></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: blue;"></span></strong> <strong>Now available from Amazon.</strong><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Vol 4 - The Tyne Cot War Graves and Memorials</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIq0RmJxIM9tn1t6mOJzBJGl8v5xkr1lr7fltna8QHHPZ-kK-brBpwglmvYFR6ngGX3TtRufRjAvEdR1cYLvtxuxIkp5WVj-mUqbUmKi0mqWufofT9CNUDXmtu85VApNn45rvyyxXv53xO/s1600/tyne+cot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIq0RmJxIM9tn1t6mOJzBJGl8v5xkr1lr7fltna8QHHPZ-kK-brBpwglmvYFR6ngGX3TtRufRjAvEdR1cYLvtxuxIkp5WVj-mUqbUmKi0mqWufofT9CNUDXmtu85VApNn45rvyyxXv53xO/s400/tyne+cot.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<strong>Now available from Amazon.</strong></div>
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Martin Nicholson - Ticklerton Barn, Ticklerton, Church Stretton, Shropshire</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-58487082167974641812015-11-28T03:32:00.004-08:002016-06-08T01:33:43.019-07:00Book piracy and the Cockrill series 29 to 32
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">If you own any of the 4 books I wrote on Nigerian Postal History
there is a fairly good chance that you have a pirated copy!</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> The four books were:</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p>Cockrill
Series - No. 29, “The Stamps and Postal History of the Niger Territories and
the Niger Coast Protectorate”. </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><o:p>Cockrill
Series - No. 30, “The Local Bisects & Surcharges of the Oil Rivers and
Niger Coast, 1893-1894”. </o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><o:p><o:p>Cockrill
Series - No. 31, “The Stamps and Postal History of Southern Nigeria”. </o:p></o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><o:p><o:p><o:p>Cockrill
Series - No. 32, “The Stamps and Postal History of Northern Nigeria”.</o:p></o:p></o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The only copies that are <u>genuine</u> are those that identify
Philip Cockrill as the publisher and that have my former address in Somerset on
the back cover. All other copies were produced entirely without my knowledge or
consent. There never has been an “authorized reprint” by Mervyn Todd – or
indeed by anybody else - of any of these books.<o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In the
High Court of Justice Chancery Division on 20 September 2013 the long running
dispute between Mr Mervyn Todd and Mr Martin Nicholson in respect of the
so-called "authorized reprints" of Cockrill booklets #29, 30, 31 and
32 was resolved. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p></o:p>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Mr
Todd paid an agreed sum to Mr Nicholson for compensation and costs. Mr Todd
also "acknowledges that Mr Nicholson was, is and remains the
copyright holder of the four books."</span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p></o:p>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I thought the judge was very patient with Mr Todd and his
total lack of knowledge of copyright law!</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Amusingly Mr Todd subsequently tried to save face by
claiming, “… we mutually agreed that neither of us could prove copyright
convincingly …” . <u>This is entirely untrue</u>. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p></o:p>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">If you do have a pirated copy I would be grateful if you
would email me with details of where and when it was purchased.</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p></o:p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-18079252660518463672015-10-11T00:58:00.001-07:002015-10-11T01:03:30.846-07:00Living in the border lands<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>Living in the border lands</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0VK52BMoDbSjEGfzM0koUnNSbQeLiETBqDtWVLTeHv0bmAmZm-vp_CSfM56sukXt9V1GbWsmHIqHhMb8TFl-R9hdsWslG40eCRqDIRYyfy3mLQZsMCH_dJEKXjPmclSI777S1lIQvLQ/s1600/borderlands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0VK52BMoDbSjEGfzM0koUnNSbQeLiETBqDtWVLTeHv0bmAmZm-vp_CSfM56sukXt9V1GbWsmHIqHhMb8TFl-R9hdsWslG40eCRqDIRYyfy3mLQZsMCH_dJEKXjPmclSI777S1lIQvLQ/s400/borderlands.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I tell overseas members of my Facebook group that I
live near the border between England and Wales I suspect that it conjures up
images of the Mexico/USA or the Canada/USA border. Our border is nothing like
that!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is totally undefended and passage in either direction
is entirely unregulated. There are no “border controls” and it is only on the
major roads that there is even a sign to tell travellers that they have crossed
from one country to the other. Any English or Scottish person can move to live
and work in Wales without permission. </span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To an outsider this casual approach might seem rather strange
especially once they realise that Wales now has its own Parliament and some of
its laws are different from those that apply in England. The Welsh people even have
their own language, and in a few areas it is still the first language of the
residents, though everyone also speaks English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is thought important to preserve the language, so all road signs have
both languages as soon as the border is crossed, and children in Welsh schools
are taught the Welsh language.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are many castles along the border between Wales and
England that date from the time when the English and Welsh felt the need to
build defences against each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some
are almost total ruins, others are well preserved, and all are now popular
tourist attractions, many on hilltops and in isolated positions. In 1282 King
Edward I of England won control of Wales, though some hostility continued for
another 200 years.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our passports declare that we belong to The United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Great Britain is the largest of the British Isles and to the west of it
is the island of Ireland. Great Britain is comprised of England, Wales, and
Scotland and all three used to be politically separate countries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-8669153048596133022015-09-27T02:54:00.001-07:002015-10-09T03:22:03.266-07:00He can write cogent and thought-provoking prose and I cannot!I have known Pete Birks since 1979 and over the years I must have read literally hundreds of thousands of words he has written. He and I are close contemporaries and we share many views on world affairs - perhaps the biggest difference between us is that he can write cogent and thought-provoking prose and I cannot!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://peterbirks.dreamwidth.org/500623.html">http://peterbirks.dreamwidth.org/500623.html</a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">"My only takeaways from the first 60 years of my life (there won't be a second 60 years of my life) are that (a) nearly everything that people tell you is wrong and (b) you don't need to get it right first time. If you don't repeat your mistakes, you are ahead of 99% of the population."</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">My regret is that I <u>did</u> repeat my mistakes. I gave too many people second, third or even twentieth chances to improve before consigning them to the outer darkness. It was only once they were no longer around that I recognised how demotivating, manipulative and toxic some folk can be!</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">"I can't say that it's great to reach 60; although, as the saying goes, it's better than the alternative. There are consequences of growing old that you can only let the young eventually find out for themselves. The consequences are physical, mental, and external."</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">It can be easy to slip into a routine where every week feels almost identical. Indeed it would be surprisingly easy to make every day almost indistinguishable from those on either side. In Church Stretton there really is no excuse to be bored or lonely. There are meetings and events going on every day of the week - all it requires is for the pensioner to make the effort.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">"I can afford not to, and there are many, many things that I want to do outside of my old work. There are so many books to read, films to see, musical pieces to learn. There's so much knowledge out there and, thanks to the Internet, much of that knowledge is now free."</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">"For the next decade, paradoxes remain. I have long suffered a lack of imagination and ambition. "Getting out there" requires a phenomenal act of will on my part. It's for this reason that I tend to return to the same places again and again on holiday. I like the familiar; I dislike the unknown. But the risks of the unknown, the "what's the worst that can happen" need to be faced. OK, Rome might be a nice place full of shits, and Paphos might remind me a little bit too much of Manchester in exile, but I only found Nice by accident; I only discovered San Francisco because I was willing to fly 5000 miles to see a movie, and I only saw Arizona because my job took me there."</span> <br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Like Pete I could afford to retire and once the financial need to be in paid employment had vanished it proved almost impossible to remain motivated. That said I certainly didn't want to put all my previous life behind me. I had built up a lot of experience in the twin fields of teaching and school governance and I am comfortable that I made the correct decision to remain a school governor. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Rather sadly two major parts of my previous life have disappeared in the ten years since I retired. B</span><span style="color: black;">oth stamp and postcard collecting had seen their membership base shrink considerably as the former hard core enthusiasts have died but were not been replaced by fresh blood. There are a few auctioneers and dealers hanging on by their fingertips but much of their stock is priced at such unrealistically expensive levels - particularly in relation to the many on-line auctions - that their sales per month must make for sorry reading. </span><br />
<br />
The whole concept of free knowledge is an interesting one. Specialists groups that generate a magazine as the largest single membership perk must be finding it difficult to create material that isn't already available for free elsewhere. <br />
<span style="color: black;">.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-28513377035134050752015-09-04T02:42:00.000-07:002016-01-14T09:27:30.142-08:00Remembering John Greaves<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">John Greaves is one of only a tiny number of UK amateur astronomers who had a peer-reviewed article published in one of high profile astronomical journals. (Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 355, 585-590 (2004)). <br /><br /> John hasn't been, as far as I know, ever a member of any astronomical society but at one time he played a significant role in both astronomical data mining and in variable star astronomy.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">John has never been afraid to “shoot from the hip” and this example of a John diatribe is typical of his work. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span class="postbody1"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: red;"><Quote
starts></span> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><em><span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Given the moribund state of the AAVSO Data Section and little history
of data mining work or publication by the current section leader whilst Martin
has :- </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">i) a history of engaging in data mining exercises, both with online
data sources and using robotic telescope systems (ie similar to AAVSOnet) </span></span><br />
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">ii) run webpages and websites outlining astronomical projects for
years, including projects that deal with variable stars </span></span><br />
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">iii) self confessed mentored beginners in his variable star datamining
projects </span></span><br />
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">iv) has had published in peer reviewed journals, such as OEJV and the
AAVSO's own JAAVSO, works based on his data analysis of online epoch photometry
data sources </span></span><br />
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">v) been the second highest contributing poster to the current AAVSO
Data Section mailing list after the current Data Section leader himself, with
Martin giving advice comments and suggestions, whilst Michael just mostly gives
pep talks with little advice or guidance, as Michael's specialist astronomical
interests are more geared towards doing his own observing and analysing his own
data. The lag in time the moderation process takes between Michael
receiving an email and posting it to the group does tend to stifle any
potential dialogue </span></span><br />
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">vi) and given the lack of direction and guidance to the section,
whereas Martin has created and ran several similar groups in the past </span></span>
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">it seems quite logical, if Martin is an AAVSO member, for his expertese
to be utilised by this stalled Section. Not only stalled, but examination
of its online archives shows that requests for assistance and advice made to it
have gone unheeded, or worse non-datamining projects suggested (once or twice
to the potential benefit of AAVSO but not to furthering an individual's
datamining skills or best practice). </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It must be stated though that I am not an AAVSO member. I have
some small experience in data analysis and the publishing of the results
therefrom in refereed journals, and I was somewhat instrumental in explaining
and advising which of the first datasets imported into AAVSO VSX after the GCVS
and NSV were likely to be useful, and explaining their format and how to
convert and/or what their fields meant to Chris Watson so he could import them,
as well as one or two other little niceties re AAVSO VSX. So I am not
disconnected from the topic nor unfamiliar with the matter. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Possession of the above demonstrable credentials: maintaining
astronomical mailing lists; running webpages with astronomical projects based
on datamining; experience and use of _AAVSO_ VSX data and data submission;
publishing of peer reviewed papers on datamining including within the AAVSO's
own journal; and mentoring on data mining, is unparallelled by any other AAVSO member
currently. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">If the running and maintaing of astronomical mailing lists is removed
from that list, then one other AAVSO member would fulfil the criteria. If
further removing the running of webpages on datamining from the list, then that
adds one other extra AAVSO member. Even with only the remaining
credentials, especially the core two of having peer reviewed publications upon
datamining (extra especially within JAAVSO itself) and of advising and
directing datamining projects, then _only_ these three people within AAVSO
membership have the recorded credentials, and in fact the majority of _AAVSO
VSX moderators_ cannot fulfil more than one of the criteria, least of all the
peer reviewed publishing of papers using datamining, and that includes the ones
that are AAVSO salaried staff. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Thus given the above credentials there is but one logical consequence. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Meanwhile, the current AAVSO Data Section head moderates the group at
an absentee level, with postings lagging up to a week before being passed on, thus
stymieing any potential dialogue. That's the maintaining a mailing list
criterion. There is nothing wrong with moderating a list, as long as the
list is maintained in a timely manner, and that responsibility maintained.
Although Michael Koppelman maintains astronomical webpages, Slacker
Astronomy is primarily an act of journalism. Although Michael has
published it is primarily a case of publishing his own observations, not
datamining work, and more recently as a professional collarborator with other
professionals, not so much as a pro-am, least of all in an amateur datamining
based collaboration. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">His leads on the archived Data Section list have been few, mostly
asking others for help and advice and suggestions of what to do, which is
strange for a leading and directing role. His comments are mostly to
support comments made by Arne. The science advisor Doug Welch tends to
just utter "well done" supporting homilies, his only major suggestion
being to recommend the MACHO database to people, yet without highlighting to
beginners how to handle this problematic resource (throwing out a couple of
general references is not the same as giving a walkthrough when dealing with
beginners, this is supposed to be a support group. I've some familiarity
in this area, as I've mentored data mining for variable stars in MACHO data
that has led to refereed publications by others). </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">AAVSO officials have even presented and strongly recommended exercises
that are not datamining exercises, thus potentially misleading the novice as to
what datamining actually is. Arne has suggested people wade through the
GCVS looking for objects noted as "different" and informing him of
them. This he could readily do himself with the most basic filtering of
B/GCVS at VizieR. Neither was any mentoring provided to assist beginners
in knowing what is "different", no list of preferred pathologies or
phenomena itemised, not even a note of preferred category of variability.
The Section leader merely backed up Arne's call with no further input.
Neither is such a task a datamining task, nor does it further the
capabilities of the novice. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Michael Simonsen, another AAVSO staffer, merely suggested that Data
Section members import CRTS epoch photometry into the AAVSO International
Database. This too is not datamining, teaches no skills, highlights no
analyses, and benefits no one wishing to learn dataminig. It merely
bloats AAVSO International Database with yet another publicly available
dataset, letting it appear that AAVSO is the repository of all known
observational data by mirrorring said. Except for it doesn't, because
Michael S. seemed completely unaware when he made the suggestion that the CRTS
epoch photometry is in fact _not_ publicly available, albeit there being long
term plans to make it so, at which time it will likely be downloadable en masse
as a dataset (given the other database server that group has produced as
precedent) and best imported into AID via scripts in one go, now the AID is
itself an SQL database. And of course, he was only referring to the
transients, the cataclysmic variables, a notoriously problematic subgroup of
variable stars in terms of datamining, their being aperiodic erratics with no
true outburst patterns most of the time, not even at quasicyclic levels. So,
no datamining there, just a plumping up of AID's contents. The Z Cam
campaign has some merit (and sounds somewhat familiar), but has at best been a
'datamining-lite' exercise, despite the fact that many erroneous UGZ
classifications can be traced back to an early 1960s paper which made
suggestions of that subclass for some stars (eg AB Dra) based on a then paucity
of data, and it can thus be shown that there was no reason for future
publications to take these classifications up as demonstrated fact (nor did the
original publication particularly affirm that. Basic literature work via
online resources, an inherent and essential aspect of variable star datamining,
readily reveals this. The paper is not in English, this might be part of
the problem. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">When it comes to APASS data release 0, Arne mentioned that AAVSO Data
Section analysed the data for him. In fact, Patrick Wils analysed the
data, and replied on the AAVSO Data Section list where the request was made, ie
where the mailing thread lived. No one else from AAVSO did any analysis
of the data at all, and Patrick Wils did his analysis within the context of
being Patrick Wils. However, this is irrelevant, for that exercise was
not the datamining analysis of epoch photometry. Granted datamining is not
restricted to the analysis of epoch photometry, but publication in this field
shows that for variable stars it is the predominant result generating activity
in terms of datamining. The analysis of variable stars is most frequently
that of the data available upon them, which in available archive terms consists
predominantly of epoch photometry. No doubt some excuse will be used that
APASS intends to form a calibrating reservoir for variable star epoch
photometry. This is still not datamining. This is still not
teaching people how to datamine. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Contrast that to the credentials listed above and there is a logical
consequence of whom in AAVSO is currently most suited to steer a datamining
section via the actual record of publishing achievement and relevant practices.
</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">John </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">PS Incidentally, who is actually giving and running the actual core
datamining workshops advertised in the programme for the Argentine meeting, as
it does not say? Is it the AAVSO Data Mining Section, or is it an
individual? Possibly the individual is a member of the AAVSO Data Mining
Section so it will be claimed to be being given by the Data Mining section, in
the same way Patrick Wils' personal assessment of APASS data release 0 was
claimed to be an analysis conducted by the AAVSO Data Mining Section, thus
incidentally not attributing proper credit for effort expended and work done.
And no doubt Michael Koppelman and/or Doug Welch will stand up and
include this in any statement of AAVSO Data Section's achievements since the
last meeting. These are the current leadership's credentials, compared to
the abovemost enumerated credentials. </span></span></em>
<br />
</span>
<span class="postbody1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: red;">< Quote ends><!-- Ad Unit [495] MyFF UNVETTED - 468x60 --></span></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-71219261765296211232015-09-01T06:04:00.000-07:002015-09-01T10:04:54.123-07:00Book review - Observing and Measuring Visual Double Stars (Argyle)<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While it would be unfair not to acknowledge the excellence of some of the material presented in this book there is much that is rather disappointing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_047qwYPGjC9uYyN94xoVWzPOdwI0nDfloHoVagGnorroGAzmL0NQIlYaOk4ib5UX8RamCHuLPEmm1GC_3KQFCoTtI6LTFjGiQvv6EwOkd-yzOR0JasjA6p_nTw2Hvul9gL06A0f8T3D/s1600/Double+Star+Book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_047qwYPGjC9uYyN94xoVWzPOdwI0nDfloHoVagGnorroGAzmL0NQIlYaOk4ib5UX8RamCHuLPEmm1GC_3KQFCoTtI6LTFjGiQvv6EwOkd-yzOR0JasjA6p_nTw2Hvul9gL06A0f8T3D/s1600/Double+Star+Book.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The chapters on “Double Star Sketching” (Perez), “Internet Astrometry” (Caballero) and “Lunar Occultations” (Appleby) are well written and all three fit neatly into the range of material that purchasers of the book would expect to find included. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not entirely convinced that the sections on “The Diffraction Grating Micrometer” (Maurer) or “Astrometric Speckle Interferometry” (Turner) will result in widespread adoption by amateur astronomers of the techniques described but the inclusion of these topics is a perfectly legitimate use of editorial discretion.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is far more problematic is the impression that the page count - and hence the cost – have been inflated by the inclusion of chapters that are either irrelevant or almost devoid of scientific content. For example eclipsing binaries are not visual double stars and their inclusion in the book will confuse many readers.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would have liked to see more information on astronomical data mining. This is one of the big growth areas in double star astronomy and three of the most active data miners in the world live within easy travelling distance of the editor.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elsewhere Bob
Argyle’s book has had mixed reviews. The effusive praise from his pals is in marked contrast to the concerns expressed by double star astronomers outside
his sphere of influence and patronage. Those with short memories </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">need to realise that Bob set himself up as the “<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Obergruppenführer for Double Stars” in the UK
over 40 years ago and the </span>Webb Society has become his personal fiefdom – he has
been Chairman for 25 years. For most of that time Bob was on the cutting edge
of Pro-Am double star work. <o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
is no longer the case. Bob is not the man he once was – like the rest of us
oldies he is slowing down. The scope of his book was thus pretty much determined
by the people who were prepared to work with him.<o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some
of the best known and most active people in the field were either not invited
or were invited but declined to get involved.<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bob, like the late John Greaves,
is sometimes his own worst enemy. It is a standing joke that emails to him
seldom receive a reply and that his support for the use of convoluted,
inaccurate and imprecise measurement techniques <u>when far better techniques</u>
exist is increasingly anachronistic.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>To summarise. This is a 200 to 250 page book struggling to escape from a 400 page “prison”. An experienced observer will learn little of value from the book and the "net savvy" newcomer will probably find most of the content available for free elsewhere.</strong> </span></span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-90305444025902451782015-08-01T05:00:00.000-07:002015-08-01T05:00:12.340-07:00My working life - part 2<u>Daventry Tertiary College - Northamptonshire (1990-2000)</u> <br />
<br />
THE COMMUTE<br />
It was less than 3 walk from our home to the college - 5/5<br />
<br />
SENIOR STAFF<br />
If you have a Principal with no interest in education, his staff or the students attending the college then a low score is almost inevitable. Once you realise that most of the Senior Leadership Team were "cut from the same timber" the score awarded is hardly going to be a surprise - 0/5<br />
<br />
COLLEAGUES<br />
I made some quite good friends during my 10 years although I am only still in touch with one of them. The divide and rule tactics of the Bosses suckered some nice people into behaving like total fruitcakes. Endemic bad practice seemed to go unchecked - 2/5<br />
<br />
THE WORK<br />
I enjoyed teaching and in Further Education in the 1990s there was still far less government interference in teaching than was routine in schools - 5/5<br />
<br />
LEAVING EVENT<br />
I arranged it and carefully selected those who were invited - and those who were not! - 3/5<br />
<br />
<u><span style="color: red;">TOTAL SCORE 15/25</span></u><br />
<u><span style="color: red;"></span></u><br />
<span style="color: black;">WORST PART</span><br />
The steady decline in the Conditions of Service.<br />
<br />
THE BEST PART<br />
Gaining the experience and the qualifications that allowed me to escape into the school sector where my salary and my holiday entitlement both went up rather fast. <br />
<br />
<u></u><br />
<u>Guilsborough School - Northamptonshire (2000-2004)</u> <br />
<br />
THE COMMUTE<br />
It was about a 20 minute drive to the school and hence the longest commute of my working life - 4/5<br />
<br />
SENIOR STAFF<br />
The Head Teacher was superb and the other senior staff nearly as good. They cared about the kids and about the welfare of all their staff - 5/5<br />
<br />
COLLEAGUES<br />
It was harder to make friends as a Head of Department than I realised when I took on the role. I had some first rate staff, some who were just about OK and one (HV) who was hopeless - 3/5<br />
<br />
THE WORK<br />
I enjoyed teaching Key Stage 5 but I loathed all the marking in Key Stage 4 - 4/5<br />
<br />
LEAVING EVENT<br />
As previously I arranged it and carefully selected those who were invited - and those who were not! - 4/5<br />
<br />
<u><span style="color: red;">TOTAL SCORE 20/25</span></u><br />
<u><span style="color: red;"></span></u><br />
<span style="color: black;">WORST PART</span><br />
The marking involved in the GCSE in ICT.<br />
<br />
THE BEST PART<br />
Having the highest added-value score in the history of the school for my year 13 ICT students - top in the country for their average grade!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4286689135158213019.post-31365093598059840722015-07-27T08:20:00.000-07:002015-07-27T08:20:54.192-07:00My working life - part 1<u>United Biscuits - Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire (1976-1979)</u><br />
<br />
THE COMMUTE<br />
It was less than 5 minutes on my Honda C70 from our home to the factory - 5/5<br />
<br />
SENIOR STAFF<br />
The senior staff were either distant (as in totally disinterested in the "workers") or were fanatical empire builders, or both - 1/5<br />
<br />
COLLEAGUES<br />
My colleagues were a strange bunch. Most were totally dominated by the larger-than-life Linda R who was the most committed man-hater I have ever met - 1/5<br />
<br />
THE WORK<br />
The projects that were under the control of the department were based in Grimsby (Lincolnshire), Fakenham (Norfolk) and Carlisle (Cumbria) so a logistical nightmare. It is fair to say that I didn't learn a single new skill in my three years working for United Biscuits - 2/5<br />
<br />
LEAVING EVENT<br />
Nothing was arranged probably because I was glad to be going and they were glad to be getting rid of me - 0/5<br />
<br />
<u><span style="color: red;">TOTAL SCORE 9/25</span></u><br />
<br />
WORSE PART<br />
The frequent trips to Grimsby<br />
<br />
THE BEST PART<br />
The final week when some bizarre plan to send me miles away to work (essentially for ever) was cancelled when the senior staff suddenly realised I was leaving - nobody had told them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Cannington College - Somerset (1979-1990)</u><br />
<br />
THE COMMUTE<br />
It was less than 5 minutes on my Honda C70 from our home to the college - 5/5<br />
<br />
SENIOR STAFF<br />
In the early days the Principal was rather like an old fashioned Head Master - a true gentleman in word and deed. It was only towards the end of my time in Somerset that more business orientated senior staff were appointed. - 4/5<br />
<br />
COLLEAGUES<br />
I made some quite good friends during my 10 years although I am only still in touch with one of them. With hindsight it was disappointing that there was a certain friction between the two halves of the department and I think this impacted on all of us in a rather negative way - 3/5<br />
<br />
THE WORK<br />
I enjoyed teaching and in Further Education in the 1980s there was a lots less government interference in the daily life of a lecturer than was to become the case later on in my career - 5/5<br />
<br />
LEAVING EVENT<br />
Very badly mishandled by my line manager who basically spoiled what should have been an important rite of passage. 1/5<br />
<br />
<u><span style="color: red;">TOTAL SCORE 18/25</span></u><br />
<u><span style="color: red;"></span></u><br />
<span style="color: black;">WORST PART</span><br />
Management by favouritism as practiced by NAD<br />
<br />
THE BEST PART<br />
Gaining the experience and the qualifications that set me up for the rest of my working life.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0