Golfing Sunday Stamps

As today is the final day of the Ryder Cup match between the USA and Europe I thought my choice for this week would be golfing stamps of which I have just two. Unfortunately neither are from Europe.

Gary Player - South Africa

Player won the golfing career grand slam once and is one of  only five men to have achieved the feat.

Only one golfer has achieved the grand slam in one calendar year.

Bobby Jones - USA

You will see from the stamp that his grand slam was many years ago in 1930.

For those that don't know the grand slam consists of winning the four tournaments

• Masters Tournament held at Augusta in April each year
• US Open played at various locations in the USA in June each year
• The Open Championship hosted by The R & A and played on a links course at various locations in the UK in July.
• PGA Championship (USPGA) hosted by the PGA of America and played at various locations in the USA on the 4th weekend after The Open.

To see what others have chosen this week follow the link Viridian's sunday-stamps

Dickens' s Boot Boy - Sepia Saturday

Alan's photo of boys with their football boots reminded me that without a Cockney boot boy Charles Dickens may have remained an obscure author.

The sales of the first three monthly instalments of The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club were so low at less than one thousand a month that the his publishers were tempted to abandon the venture. Dickens was to seize control of the project and after a series of false starts engaged a 20 year-old Hablot Knight Browne  as illustrator.

Courtyard of the White Hart Inn

(Scanned image by Phillip V Allingham; source:http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/phiz/pickwick/12.html)

Mr Pickwick, on the right, strokes his chin while the legalistic Mr Perker, second left, checks the work by the Cockney boot boy.

Sam Weller

When Boz (Dickens) and Phiz (Browne) introduced Sam Weller polishing boots in the courtyard of the galleried White Hart Inn sales rose from 20,000 a month by the end of the year and later in 1837 to an unheard of 40,000. Charles John Huffam Dickens had been transformed into a best selling author thanks to Sam.

If boots are made for walking, now it's time for you to walk over to sepia-saturday-145

Roman Fort - Grounded Thematic Photography

This is my second post for Carmi's grounded theme.

Hadrian's Wall built by the Romans stretches 73 miles across England from the North Sea at Wallsend to the Solway Firth, Cumbria in the west. Along the way are the remains of a number of forts.

Pretty cool for something grounded around 2000 years ago.

Grounded - Thematic Photography

We have had 36 hours of continuous rain and it's still raining; my golf course is waterlogged so I'm grounded today - Sob!

Carmi couldn't have come up with a more appropriate theme in the circumstances. I have a lot of my brother's WWII photographs which show grounded aircraft like this one in the desert (probably Egypt).

Grounded in the desert

I hope it landed intentionally; this one with a military connection certainly did.

Chalk-Fronted Corporal Dragonfly

This is the time of year in the UK for conkers, a lot of which you find on on the ground.

Horse Chestnuts (Conkers)

OK, so I cheated by throwing them on the grass.

Others though like the dragonfly can choose where they land.

Brown Butterfly and a Bee on Greater Knapweed

I'm sure you'll agree that this one has every right to show off.

Peacock Butterfly

Mind you this one from America is a contender in the grounded beauty stakes.

Red-spotted Purple Butterfly

It seems to have the wrong name as the spots on its wings are orange.

I'm pleased to take part this week and to be able to select subjects that can choose when to be grounded. Not all will have that honour on Carmi's thematic-photographic-214 as you can see.

Nobel and Pulitzer Prize Winners - Sunday Stamps

I have two female prizewinners for you today from different sides of the Atlantic.

Selma Lagerlöf (1858-1940)

Selma was the first female to win the Nobel Prize for Literature which she was awarded in 1909. A children's writer, her most famous work was "The Wonderful Adventures of Nils." As befits a Swedish woman she appears on one of her country's stamps.

Sweden - Selma Lagerlöf - Nobel Prize 1909

 I also found a Russian stamp for Selma.

Russia (image ex Wikipedia)

The American writer Margaret Mitchell only had one novel published in her lifetime. "Gone With The Wind" won her the National Book Award for the most distinguished novel of 1936 and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1937.

Margaret Mitchell (1900-1940)

"Gone With The Wind" appears on a stamp celebrating the century in the USA.

USA - Gone With the Wind

Now's the time to check out others posts at Viridian's sunday-stamps-89

"After all ... tomorrow is another day."

A Family Convict - Sepia Saturday

 This post is really a work in progress inspired by Alan's convict.

 This is what I've discovered about a family black sheep.

At Cambridgeshire Lent Assizes on Wednesday 20 March 1844 before the Right Honourable James Lord Abinger

James Scarlett, First Baron Abinger (1769 -1844)

(Engraving by Henry Cousins 1837 after a painting by Sir Martin Shee, 1789-1850.)

The prisoners charged with offences committed within the Isle of Ely in the County of Cambridge were

• Thomas Scotney, aged 20, a labourer from Stamford Lincolnshire
• John James, aged 22, a labourer from March

"Committed November 24, 1843, by John Fryer, and John Richardson Fryer, Esqrs, charged on the oaths of James Southwell, and others, with having, on the 19th day of November inst. at the hamlet of March, feloniously assaulted him the said James Southwell and stolen from his person, one piece of  the current gold coin of the realm called a half sovereign, one other piece of the current silver coin of the realm called a sixpence, one canvas purse, and one clasp knife, his property.

The said Thomas Scotney and John James stand further committed at the same time by the same Magistrates, charged on the oaths of Wm. Everitt, and others, with having, on the 19th day of November inst, at the hamlet of March, feloniously assaulted him the said Wm. Everitt, with intent to steal his monies, goods and chattels.

The said Thomas Scotney and John James were also further committed March 2, 1844, by Lord Godolphin charged on the oath of William Thorpe, with having, on the 8th day of November last, at the parish of Elm, feloniously assaulted him the said William Thorpe, and stolen from his person seven pieces of the current coin of the realm called sovereigns, and one canvas purse of the value of threepence, his property

ROBERT HUTCHINSON LEWIN, Esquire, Sheriff"

Thomas Scotney was convicted and sentenced to life and transportation. He became Convict Number 68445 and sailed from Woolwich on 9 July 1844 on the 669 ton barque Agincourt under Captain Hy Neatby. Agincourt arrived at Norfolk Island on 9 November 1844 and landed 224 convicts.

His record is one of the entries in the British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database compiled by State Library of Queensland from British Home Office (HO) records.

It merely says:

Thomas Scotney, one of 224 convicts transported on the Agincourt, 06 July 1844

Known aliases: none
Convicted at: Convicted at Cambridge Assizes for a term of life.
Sentence term: Life
Ship name: Agincourt
Departure date: 6th July, 1844
Place of arrival: Van Diemen's Land

Van Diemen’s Land is what we now know as Tasmania. Thomas disembarked at Norfolk Island, the small island in the Pacific between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia used from 1824 as the place to send “the worst description of convicts.” The second penal settlement began to be wound down by the British government after 1847, and the last convicts were removed to Tasmania in May 1855. 

I have managed to trace Thomas on the Tasmanian Archives Online locating his conduct record.

Agincourt Record Book

His conduct record in the Agincourt book tells a sorry tale.

Conduct Record - Thomas Scotney

 Unfortunately it is very difficult to read even online. I have managed to decipher parts of the faded writing. It states his trade as Stone Mason, records his religion as Church of England and says he can read and write. He has been transported for “Highway Robbery with violence, his first conviction. It states he was tried for Highway Robbery with John James.

“Period of Labour” is given as 30 months and the “Station of Gang” as Norfolk Island. The section on “Offences and Sentences” show he was far from a model prisoner. As early as June 1846 he was punished for misconduct. He was often absent without leave when he had been moved to work with Tasmanian families in Hobart; he was guilty of larceny in 1856 for which he received 6 months hard labour. The last record for 1861 reports him to have been drunk and disorderly.

So far I have been unable to find out what happened to him, but I’m still digging in the records.
I have been unable to locate Thomas in the first UK census of 1841 but a number of Scotneys lived in Stamford at that time icluding some in my family tree. There is even another younger Thomas living in All Saints Place which must have looked far better than Norfolk Island or Tasmania to the family convict.

All Saints Church, Stamford, Lincolnshire - 1990s

 All Saints Place is behind and round the church.

Retro Taxi - Thematic Photography

I thought I would have to give this week a miss until I found this picture from c17years ago taken on a ladies holiday in Capri.

Taxi on Capri

I don't know whether the doors wouldn't close or whether the ladies got out in a hurry.

I suspect we may see other retro vehicles at Carmi's thematic-photographic-213

Postal Commemoratives and Wallace and Gromit - Sunday Stamps

Viridian's theme this week is the post, post boxes, postal vans, stamps on stamps, or similar images.

I thought I had exhausted all the relevant stamps I had on earlier posts here and here but when I got my magnifying glass out I found three others to share.

Great Britain - 1960

First Anniversary of the European Postal and Telecommunications Conference

From the USA commemoration of an airmail service.

USA - Transpacific Airmail 1935

50th Anniversary issued 13 February 1985

And so to Wallace and Gromit - well Gromit anyway.

Great Britain - Christmas 2010

 

 This was the only way I could show a post box for this week's theme.

I thought you might also like to see this video about the Wallace and Gromit stamps.

  Before you check out others' posts at Sunday-stamps-88

A Four Letter Word - Sepia Saturday

When I saw Alan's picture

my heart sank again. To me 'shop' is a four letter word.  So I am surprised to see that shops and shopping have been recurring themes on my blog here, here , and here.

The nearest I could get to a shop like Alan's was this one in that last post.

Dalton Bros Grocery Shop, c1910, Ipswich, Queensland

However I have some exterior shots in my archive - I'm not sure how old they are.

Robinson's Newsagents, Yarm

They wouldn't be allowed to show those smoking adverts today - if they still existed!

Last week I showed a picture of a clock in Yarm Hardware Shop (A Clock for Marilyn). I don't have a picture of that shop but 'fork' is another four letter word so sit back and enjoy

This is a more modern view on Yarm High Street.

Black Bull between Feet First and Strickland and Holt

Will that man keep his feet walking straight by the pub?

I couldn't walk on by this square in Copenhagen.

Copenhagen in the sun

That's the sort of shopping I like - sitting watching someone else have all the hassle.

Now it's your turn to hustle over for a wider shopping experience at sepia-saturday-143

At an Angle - Thematic Photography.

Angles creep into shots without you always being aware. I have several to meet Carmi's 'At an Angle' theme this week. I may have shown some of these before so let's see how many you can recognise.

Tall Ships - Hartlepool 2010

I'm sure that the angle of of this plane was not intended - did someone let go of the tail?

Nosedive - Mediterranean WWII

Cables on the Clifton side of Brunel's famous suspension bridge are at an angle too it seems.

Clifton Suspension Bridge - 2010

This big beast needs to have its jib at an angle when lifting heavy loads.

Balder - Heavy Lift Crane

The picture was taken during the construction of the Statfjord 'B' deck at Rosenberg Verft, Stavanger in the 1980s

This anchor is at an angle on the quayside in Copenhagen,

Anchor - Nyhavn, Copenhagen

Also at an angle because it was built that way is this Condeep test leg in Stavanger.

Troll test leg - 1980s.

Finally a picture that's out of this world.

Aurora on Jupiter  taken by the Hubble Telescope

Now that's an 'at an angle' shot that I would have loved to have taken.

For more angular momentum, please visit Carmi's blog at Thematic-photographic-212

Four Dogs from Korea - Sunday Stamps

This is the latest set of dogs that I have managed to acquire from my market trader.

DPR Korea

These are the only Korean stamps I have.

By coincidence today I also found a blog about Airedales which is well worth a visit even although it has nothing to do with stamps - The-best-dog-of-all

Of course don't forget to check out other dogs and pets at Viridians Sunday-stamps-87.

The Man in the Bowler Hat - Sepia Saturday

Having looked at a variety of hats before (hold-on-to-your-hats) and top hats (here) I decided it was time for the bowler.

Self Portrait with Bowler Hat - Paul Cézanne - 1883-87
(Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Dantes Plads 7, Copenhagen, Denmark.)

 I wonder whether Cézanne saw himself like this:

A bowler is a sturdy hat with a rounded crown. The brim of the hat extends out a few inches and is similarly rounded. The origins of the hat date back to approximately 1850. The bowler hat got its name from the makers of the hat – Thomas Bowler and William Bowler. 

The hard felt hat with a rounded crown originally created in 1849 for the  politician Edward Coke.The bowler  was popular with the working class  in the Victorian times it came to form the official work uniform of bankers. Later in the United Kingdom, it has been worn as work dress by the officers of the Queen's Guards.

 Foremen in various industries also took to wearing bowlers before the advent of hard hats. Once  considered a British Icon, the bowler was also part of the American Urban culture of the 19th Century.. One of the gangs that roamed the streets of New York City, around this time, were called the Plug Uglies. The Uglies were never without their bowler which they wore as their signature piece and to protect their heads during scuffles with rival gangs. 

Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy were famous in their bowler hats and Oddjob's razor-edged bowler was a lethal weapon in Goldfinger. 

I've never worn a bowler; the nearest I can claim is to have been a leg break bowler in my cricketing days. I've also resisted taking up 'old man's marbles' - well so far anyway.

Bowlers at the East Brisbane Bowling Club - 1906

I have however had a go at the tenpin variety.

Lone Bowler (not me) - UK Superbowl, Hartlepool

Lately I seem to have spent a lot of time in the garden digging holes which brings me Bernard Cribbins.

Now I guess, like Barbar, it's time to tip my hat ans pass you on to others at sepia-saturday-142

 

A Clock for Marilyn

Arising out of last Saturday's Sepia Saturday Marilyn issued a challenge on the Group's Facebook page.

I think I failed but at least I tried.

Gare de Lyon Saint-Exupery

(By edwin11 on Flickr - 6 May 2008 - CC By 2.0 generic license)

I know, I know they are not pocket watches but today, much closer to home, I came across this clock.

Gare de Lyon - Station Clock

What's more it's for sale at Yarm Hardware Shop.

Weathered and Worn - Thematic Photography

Two of these 'weathered and worn shots' are fairly recent, but one was taken some (unknown) years ago.

Overgrown lawn - 2011

This shot was taken to show the height of the grass after a holiday away. With the camera almost at ground level it accentuated the worn appearance of the patio slabs which are 18 inches long - and there is no step in them.

It was the wind and waves that have given this cliff a weathered look at Mawgan Porth in Cornwall.

Mawgan Porth - 2011

In Gloucestershire I came across this old farm shed along the side of the road between Gatcombe and Awre.

Farm shed - 2008

The roof has gone from one side and ivy is beginning to take over, increasing the worn look. You could not see through the window to find out whether the other half is in use.

I'm not sure who took my last picture which is definitely the oldest and possibly the most interesting.

Empty stables - North Yorkshire

The stables have been 'mucked' out; bags have been filled with what looks like horse manure; the back wall is shored up with timber. The place has seen better days.

Today the buildings have gone to be replaced by a modern monstrosity of a housing estate.

A battle is currently in progress to prevent the building of a further 500-700 houses on the adjacent green belt and school playing fields along Green Lane, Kirklevington on the outskirts of Yarm.

For more weathered and worn contributions please visit Carmi who sets the theme each week at Thematic-photographic-211