Stairway to Heaven!

Northants: Kirby Hall – [1570] Elizabethan Home of Nobility! (1.8.2025)

This building reminded us in structure of Hampton Court (not far from where we live in London) – and Berry Pomeroy in Totnes, South Devon (not far from where my parents live). This is not surprising, as I believe from reading the available “English Heritage” literature that the same architects and engineers were used by the Court of Queen Elizabeth I and the nobility that served her. The front of the Hall faces North – with the back of house facing South (built on a North-South orientation). Local serfs (landless or homeless peasants) and peasants (land-occupying peasants) were employed by the nobility when large-scale building projects were initiated. Indeed, with the development of Guilds (primitive unions) – certain groups of peasants became highly skilled in specific construction and maintenance skills. Whether any such labour was employed from nearly Kirby Village, (situated to the South-West of what became the ornate rear garden of the complex), is open to debate.

Ancient Document - 1060 CE - St Peter's Church - Deene

Deene & Deenethorpe: St Peter’s Church [c. 1060 CE] Historically Significant Building! (31.7.2025)

Even a committed atheist will be at one with the deepest aspects of the mind and nature whilst sat quietly in these hallowed halls. On the way out, whilst walking back to the car, we met a man with a dog who used to live in Leicester – and even in Barclay Street, where my father and his parents lived! He has relatives in St Helena – and although an English gentleman – we got the impression that his White relatives had mixed with the Black population (former slaves) who lived on that famous British colonial island that once housed the Great Emperor Napoleon during one of his exiles!

Dancers at the constitutional convention near Uluru last year. Prof Megan Davis says constitutional recognition should be a priority in the Coalition’s ‘refresh’ of Closing the Gap targets.

Australia: Most Targets to Reduce “Indigenous Disadvantage” Not on Track! (31.7.2025)

It said that progress has gone backwards on another four targets relating to Indigenous imprisonment and suicide rates, childhood development and the number of Indigenous children in out-of-home care.

“It is very concerning that we are still seeing outcomes worsening for incarceration rates, children in out-of-home care and suicide,” Malarndirri McCarthy, the federal minister for Indigenous Australians, said in a statement.

The report found that the age-standardized suicide rate of Indigenous Australians increased from 23.6 per 100,000 people in 2018 to 30.8 per 100,000 people in 2023. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the suicide rate for the entire Australian population in 2023 was 11.8 per 100,000 people.

Soviet Red Army Doctor Treat Jewish Prisoners. Zionists Opposed the USSR!

Decoding the Spectre of “Freedom of Speech” in the Trump I & II Eras! (30.7.2025)

As the US is dominated by anti-intellectualism – the left has been completely deconstructed and re-invented into an alien concept premised upon the “devil” as found within Christian theology. Freedom of speech under Trump I and II is nothing less than the far-right saying anything it wants – and doing anything to anyone it prefers. Centrists bourgeois ideology is now viewed as “Communist” – with leftist and far-left rhetoric declared “Bolshevik” and “Marxist”. As the average US citizen knows NOTHING about Marxism, what the American far-right is discussing is nothing but its own deficient (and hate-filled) imagination. In many ways, the far-right hates itself and what it represents – in other words its own ugly reflection – and calls this hideous reality “Communism”. Of course, what the far-right represents has nothing to do with “Communism”. For Trump I and II – freedom of speech – is anything the far-right wants to say, with Communist oppression being any resistance to this fascism!

Rockingham Castle - Battlements!

Rutland: Visiting Rockingham Castle! (29.7.2025)

Despite visiting Duddington (in Northants) regularly since 2009, we had never seen any signs for “Rockingham” – and wondered where this place was. Furthermore, whereas King Henry VIII used to frequent “Nonsuch” (in Sutton and Cheam – where we live) – I am told that King John (1166-1216) of Magna Carta fame, used to spend his leisure time staying at Rockingham Castle – which is near Rockingham village. He used to hunt in the local woods. Apparently, Henry VIII granted the castle (the Norman version of which is currently over 950-years old) to the Watson family (it was leased to Edward Watson in 1544). Prior to this, the general area the castle is now constructed upon possessed a Roman (a coin production industry) – and then a Saxon (Lord Bovi) – presence. The locale of Rockingham (probably the nearby village) is mentioned in the 1066 Doomsday Book – with the castle proper being built between 1066-1071.

Priest House - Easton-on-the-Hill - Family

Easton-on-the-Hill: Priest House [Chantry] 15th Century! (28.7.2025)

Although we have visited the general area a number of time – we had never seen this exhibit or been told about it. As we are currently staying in the locale – this place came-up in an internet search about something else. Like many such attractions, even at the height of Summer, there is only ever a trickle of visitors – which is a good thing for all concerned. We were handed the key, instructed to be careful on the old spiralling stone staircase, and turn-off all the lights when we are finished. There is even a toilet on site that is accessed with a key. Everything was perfectly clean, tidy, and in good order. Our two-daughters watched a short video film about the area, its history and industry! The photographs will tell the story of what we saw. A truly magnificent historical site that emerged out of the single most important and Revolutionary event (the “Dissolution of the Monasteries”) that forged modern Britain and the world!

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