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Experience the History of the Castles of England

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 09:56:15 +0000

Over 30 old castles still remain in the southeast area of England as a reminder of the days when Great britain was a country partioned by ruling families who built formidable fortresses to secure their lands from invaders, both international and domestic. Contemporary castle trips enable tourists to obtain a sense of how vital these beautifully preserved buildings are to the rich history and traditions of Britain. Discovering the the royal collections of notable aristocrats like Mary Queen of Scots in the course of guided trips of the Arundel Castle in West Sussex provide visitors a feeling of the grandeur and grace that were all around the British aristocracy in medieval days. The skilled guides tell stories that bring the past alive as they retell well known battles and legends that are around this interesting castle. At the majestic Guildford Castle, visitors can safely ascend to high atop of the Great Tower to see the wide ranging view that was utilized by the castle’s defenders to see approaching enemy soldiers. Indoors are showcases that let visitors examine designs of the castle as it was initially constructed in the 1300s. Informational videos describe the part that Guildford Castle played in British story. The minute the spectacular Herstmonceux castle comes into view, tourists are impressed by the moat that emphasizes how robust defenses were required to dissuade invaders when this castle was built in the violent times of 15th century England. Even though once in ruins, the castle has been beautifully restored and is now home of the Queen’s Bader Institute. Around the castle alongside the moat are public lands that echo the Elizabethan time when gardens were exquisite play areas for the aristocracy. Following the twisting forest trails that lead towards forest sculptures that are shown in the Shakesphere garden, Rose Garden and the Herb Garden offer visitors an idea of how the beauty of courage was once performed among these spectacular surroundings. High upon the famous white cliffs of Kent, the Dover Castle’s breath-taking sights throughout the English channel make it clear why this ancient site has been put to use for centuries to guard the south eastern shores of Britain. Dover Castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1066 after his win at the Battle of Hastings, yet there are wrecks encircling the castle that date back much further, and evidence of upgrades through the years. Witnessing the many versions of this strategic site, which include a hall once referred to as Arthur’s Hall, gives modern day tourists an idea of Britain’s rich history. When you come into Hever Castle, the childhood household of Anne Boylen, the homely ambiance is quite different from other southeastern English castles. The displays of individual items and copies of the gowns worn by the six wives of Henry the VIII reflects the opulence of 16th century Tudor life style. But the group of weaponry, armour and tools of torture and execution in the Council Chamber speak of a much darker side of life full of high intrigue and genuine danger that lurked in the medieval courts. Find out more details about some of the numerous Castles in England

Antique Pianos from New England and New York

admin — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:38:41 +0000

The Estey organ and piano became a dominate name for antique pianos. Jacob Estey was born on a farm in Hinsdale, NH, 1814. He had to leave his home at four years of age to work on a neighboring farm where he had to stay until he was thirteen years old when he ran away to Worcester, Mass. He apprenticed to a plumber and traveled with his work. He ended up in Brattleboro, VT., in 1834, making this a famous town for the organs he made there. He continued plumbing, but in his building on Main Street, he rented the second floor to a melodeon maker named Greene. Estey invested heavily in the melodeon business only to lose almost everything by fire. Estey did not give up and within a year began building parlor organs. Fuller became his engineer. Superior quality became their goal. In 1885 the Estey Piano Company was organized in New York City. Both pianos and organs received superior awards for construction and workmanship. Estey died in 1890. His son became owner and manager. Then later, his sons inherited the Estey Piano Company with the reputation for high class products. The grand and upright pianos became a dominant factor in the piano trade.

Another prominent antique piano manufacturer was Henry Behning. He was born in Hanover, Germany in 1832. There he learned piano making with Julius Gercke and came to America in 1855. He worked with Lighte and Newton until at the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted with the Union Army. He became disabled, leaving the army, and in then he started making a good commercial piano. In 1880 his son joined the partnership. In 1894 the firm became the Behning Piano Company with Henry Jr., and Gustav Behning managing the business.

One more important manufacturer was Emmos Hamlin, while working at the melodeon factory of Geo. A. Prince in Buffalo, made the important discovery of “voicing” organ reeds to imitate other instruments. He developed this discovery to perfection and in 1854 and formed the Mason and Hamlin partnership which led to manufacture of the some superior pianos. Hamlin was a painstaking, exact working mechanic, with considerable genius as an inventor. Henry Mason had the best musical traditions of Boston and was imbued with that artistic devotion to music, which is found in the almost flawless instruments produced by Mason and Hamlin. From 1881 the manufacture of antique pianos for Mason and Hamlin is an artistic instrument of the highest order.

The invention of the resonator is used in all the grand pianos of Mason and Hamlin.

A Few Thoughts on the Origin of Species

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:42:01 +0000

Charles Darwin wrote for a generation who had not accepted evolution and who could not imagine the descent of man from a primate ancestor, let alone a simple cell organism. Darwin did his work so well that his notion of “descent with modification” is now universally accepted as the order of nature in the organic world. Today, scientists and naturalists can hardly realize the novelty of this idea, or that their fathers considered it a scientific heresy to be condemned rather than seriously discussed.

Yet it is also true today that a fierce wave of opposition to Darwin’s theory of evolution has been leveraging its power on the scientific community. Those who object to Darwin’s theory do so mostly on the basis of religious belief. But the few in the scientific community who disagree with the theory of evolution do so largely on the basis of how the change of species occurred, not that change itself occurred.The objectors minimize the fact of natural selection and instead ascribe it to laws of variation, heredity, of use and disuse, and of intelligence. These views and objections have been raised by the school of laboratory naturalists, to whom the peculiarities and distinctions of species, as such, their distribution and their affinities, have little interest as compared with the problems of histology and embryology, of physiology and morphology. While their work in these departments of science is important, it is not the kind of research that enables one to form a sound judgment on the issues involved in the action of the law of natural selection. These rest mainly on the relations of species to species in a state of nature rather than on the anatomy or physiology of organs.

Learn more about the intelligent design creationist forum debate.