Allan Turing.

1912-1954

Allan Turing -Bletchley Park- (Hut 8)

 

                               "The father of computer science."


       “It seems probable that once the machine thinking method had started, it would not take long to outstrip our feeble powers… They would be able to converse with each other to sharpen their wits. At some stage therefore, we should have to expect the machines to take control.”



 "  Alan Turing was born on 23 June, 1912, in London. His father was in the Indian Civil Service and Turing's parents lived in India until his father's retirement in 1926. Turing and his brother stayed with friends and relatives in England. Turing studied mathematics at Cambridge University, and subsequently taught there, working in the burgeoning world of quantum mechanics. It was at Cambridge that he developed the proof which states that automatic computation cannot solve all mathematical problems. This concept, also known as the Turing machine, is considered the basis for the modern theory of computation.

  In 1936, Turing went to Princeton University in America, returning to England in 1938. He began to work secretly part-time for the British cryptanalytic department, the Government Code and Cypher School. On the outbreak of war he took up full-time work at its headquarters, Bletchley Park.

   Here he played a vital role in deciphering the messages encrypted by the German Enigma machine, which provided vital intelligence for the Allies. He took the lead in a team that designed a machine known as a bombe that successfully decoded German messages. He became a well-known and rather eccentric figure at Bletchley.

   After the war, Turing turned his thoughts to the development of a machine that would logically process information. He worked first for the National Physical Laboratory (1945-1948). His plans were dismissed by his colleagues and the lab lost out on being the first to design a digital computer. It is thought that Turing's blueprint would have secured them the honour, as his machine was capable of computation speeds higher than the others. In 1949, he went to Manchester University where he directed the computing laboratory and developed a body of work that helped to form the basis for the field of artificial intelligence. In 1951 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society.

   In 1952, Turing was arrested and tried for homosexuality, then a criminal offence. To avoid prison, he accepted injections of oestrogen for a year, which were intended to neutralise his libido. In that era, homosexuals were considered a security risk as they were open to blackmail. Turing's security clearance was withdrawn, meaning he could no longer work for GCHQ, the post-war successor to Bletchley Park."

   He committed suicide from cyanide  on 7 June, 1954.
A half-eaten apple was  found by his bed and with his fascination for
the legend of Snow White a connection was formed, as was it was with the Apple computer logo. 

 

        George Orwell                             

                                                         1903 - 1950

             "If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face"



     Orwell was a British journalist and author, who wrote two of the most famous novels of the 20th century 'Animal Farm' and 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'.

--------------------------

 

      "As I write, highly civilized human beings are flying overhead trying to kill me"

Orwell was born Eric Arthur Blair on 25 June 1903 in eastern India, the son of a British colonial civil servant. He was educated in England and, after he left Eton, joined the Indian Imperial Police in Burma, then a British colony. He resigned in 1927 and decided to become a writer. In 1928, he moved to Paris where lack of success as a writer forced him into a series of menial jobs. He described his experiences in his first book, 'Down and Out in Paris and London', published in 1933. He took the name George Orwell, shortly before its publication. This was followed by his first novel, 'Burmese Days', in 1934.

                     "All war propaganda comes invariably from people who are not fighting."

An anarchist in the late 1920s, by the 1930s he had begun to consider himself a socialist. In 1936, he was commissioned to write an account of poverty among unemployed miners in northern England, which resulted in 'The Road to Wigan Pier' (1937). Late in 1936, Orwell travelled to Spain to fight for the Republicans against Franco's Nationalists. He was forced to flee in fear of his life from Soviet-backed communists who were suppressing revolutionary socialist dissenters. The experience turned him into a lifelong anti-Stalinist.

    "The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it."

Between 1941 and 1943, Orwell worked on propaganda for the BBC. In 1943, he became literary editor of the Tribune, a weekly left-wing magazine. By now he was a prolific journalist, writing articles, reviews and books.


In 1945, Orwell's 'Animal Farm' was published. A political fable set in a farmyard but based on Stalin's betrayal of the Russian Revolution, it made Orwell's name and ensured he was financially comfortable for the first time in his life. 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' was published four years later. Set in an imaginary totalitarian future, the book made a deep impression, with its title and many phrases - such as 'Big Brother is watching you', 'newspeak' and 'doublethink' - entering popular use. By now Orwell's health was deteriorating and he died of tuberculosis on 21 January 1950.


               http://youtu.be/8hhRgSXRT8Y   Animal Farm    Audio

               http://youtu.be/aOAEhi0m3MA  Nineteen Eighty-Four   Audio

               http://youtu.be/ImYf8s-Z_Z8       Homage to Catalonia   Audio
              

 

 

               John Steinbeck.    1902-1968

                      From " Tortilla flat" to" The Grapes of wrath."

    

  When John Steinbeck died in 1968, he was one of America's most popular novelist. His works had a profound effect on the American people. Today, he is still a popular and powerful author in America as well as a worldwide literary figure.

  John Ernst Steinbeck was born in 1902 in the Salinas Valley. He was the third of four children and the only boy. His family was a close, middle class unit living in a small community. The Salinas Valley would later prove to be the location of many of his books and short stories. Both of his parents believed in exposing their children to culture and they often travelled to San Francisco to attend the theatre. They also had a wide variety of novels and literature available in the home. At the age of nine, Steinbeck received a copy of Malory's Morte d'Arthur which proved to be one of the biggest influences in his literary career. He attended Stanford University where he majored in English, but never received a degree. He married three times, the last being to Elaine Scott in 1950 which lasted until his death. He fathered two boys. He died in 1968 in New York where he had lived from time to time since 1944. His ashes were buried in Salinas, California.

  "Tortilla Flat 1935"   Set in the slums of Monterey California, this short novel was his first success, depicting the class of (paisano) Spanish/Mexican cultural identity with traditional European capitalist culture in twentieth century California .It shows the seemingly inevitable obliteration of older values by the American capitalist system.

 

    "Of Mice and Men  1937" Set in California. In 1937 America was still suffering the grim aftermath of the depression and the itinerant workers ,who form the basis of the novel, were very much within the consciousness of a nation separated by wealth, yet driven by the idea of the American dream. This novel, however, is essentially a tale of men and women struggling against

a cold, uncaring and faceless destiny yet never losing hope even  as their dreams are shattered.

 

    "The Grapes of Wrath  1939" This novel depicts the migration of a dispossessed family* (Okies) from the Oklahoma dust bowl to California and their subsequent exploitation by a ruthless system of agricultural economics .  A deeply moving story, heartbreaking ; but throughout shines the strength of

the human spirit, capturing a significant event in the history of America.

 

 * ("The Okies" This was a name for the poor white farmers forced from their land in the great plains by a combination of bad weather and human greed. They sought a new life in California.)

 

 

  

 

             Amelia Earhart



      The First Woman to Fly The Atlantic



                                   "Trailblazers prepare the rest of us for the future."

              Amelia Mary Earhart was born on July 24-1897 in Atchison Kansas.

             She attended various schools, including Harvard, and had a variety of jobs.
       Miss Earhart was introduced to flying while living in Los Angeles, and in 1921
       made her first solo flight.
              In 1927 she accepted the opportunity to accompany Stultz and Gordon on their 1928
      flight to England, which inspired her to attempt it alone.

          On May 20 1932 she set off from Newfoundland to attempt her record breaking transatlantic
     crossing. The next day, after a difficult flight lasting 15 hours she landed her bright red aircraft in
   a small field near Derry. The people - where even a car was still a novelty- were amazed to see this
  feminist celebrity and the first to reach her asked "Have you come far".


      

                                                                 Lockheed Vega 5B
         
            Amelia made two attempts to circumnavigate the globe, both of which failed.
     The second attempt in 1937. After a flight of some 22,000 miles, Earhart and her navigator Fred
     Noonan were lost somewhere near Howard Island in the Pacific Ocean. No trace was ever found.


                                                     "The Earhart light" on Howard Island  

           
                                                                   Amelia and Fred

                                                             Lockheed Electra 10E

       

   She vanished over 70 years ago, but fascination with Amelia Earhart continues through each new generation. High adventure, the dazzling world of celebrity, and a passion to excel in a male-dominated field are only part of the story. In studying this remarkable woman, teachers should encourage students to look beyond her achievements in the air and the overshadowing last flight. Help them to discover "Millie" Earhart as a complex human being who was witty, intelligent, and deeply caring about people. She wrote poetry and books, penned wonderful letters, and charmed audiences from the lecture platform. She encouraged others--especially young women--to follow their dreams and was tireless in promoting the safety of aviation.



Amy Johnson

              Queen of the air----Amy Johnson C.B.E.

                 (1903---1941)








            
                  

                          
                             " While ever humans fly, she will be remembered."

           
            
                 Amy was the first female pilot to fly alone from Britain
            to Australia in a second hand, open cockpit, de Havilland
            Gipsy Moth which she named "Jason 1".

             During the 1930s Johnson set numerous long distance
           but it was the above feat she is best remembered for.

       
           Born in Hull, Amy attend Sheffield University. graduating with a Bachelor of arts degree in 
         economics. She then worked in London where she was first introduced to flying, gaining both
          a  pilots "A" licence and a ground engineers "C" licence.


              
                                                                       





                                           


            
                                                                                                                        

 

                                                                                                                   
         
       The omens were not auspicious on that cold morning in 1930, when a twenty-seven year old
    girl climbed into a single engine plane to set out  alone on a 10,000 mile flight to Australia.

        Amy was not a gifted or natural pilot but she had an iron will and sheer determination, but
.    most of all incredible luck.
           

    

                                                                                 
      
                                                                                         
                                                                                             .

      

      
       

         After a spectacular career, Amy Johnson died in circumstances surrounded by secrecy.
     On the 5th of January 1941, in fog ,Amy got hopelessly lost and ran out of petrol above the    
    Thames estuary, and had to bale out.

     An eye witness, recalls a parachute coming down and when approached by a patrol vessel, she
    called out saying who she was and could they get her out of water as soon as possible as it was
   very cold. A rope was thrown, but Amy could not hold on to it. Suddenly someone reversed the 
   ships engines-- Amy was drawn into the propellers and chopped to pieces.

     
                 No remains of Amy were ever found and many were sworn to secrecy.

                http://youtu.be/HWkAib0U3hg         ( Amy Johnson speaks)

               http://youtu.be/JJPIW5uYyYY           (Amy Johnson film 4299)

 

The Filey Coble ( Yorkshire, England.)

 "The Filey Coble"



                           SH 218   The last of its kind fishing off the coast of Filey



         The Filey Coble is an open clinker-built type of traditional fishing boat. The distinctive shape of the boat -flat-bottomed and high bowed-arose to cope with the particular conditions prevalent in the area.
    Flat bottoms allowed launching from and landing upon shallow sandy beaches, an advantage in   this  part of the Yorkshire coast, where the wide bay provides little protection from stormy weather.

         However, high bows were required to sail in the lumpy North sea and in particular to launch
   into surf and to land on the beaches. The design contains relics of both Dutch and Norse influence.

         Constructed as required the craftsmanship on many boats gave them a long working life.The old
   lug-powered cobles had a reputation as dangerous to sail for an inexperience crew. But today most
  are diesel powered.

         Designed to be launched into considerable head seas from flat sands, these Filey cobles have
  the typical deep forefoot, pronounced sheer and considerable tumblehome of the type. Twin bilge runners (drafts) run right aft.

        For both launch and recovery the boats are swung around to go head to sea, the upswept bow rising to meet the oncoming surf. the boats are all kept ashore on wheeled launching trolleys.

        Originally, horses were used to launch and recover the lug powered boats but now this is performed by a tractor. The modern cobles, as seen below, often have a small wheelhouse with gantries to support line and pot haulers both possible because there is now no sailing gear.

                               Unfortunately, due to a number of factors, in a very short time the
                         Filey coble will be extinct, which is a sad state of affair for the town.


                               The photographs below show the Filey coble of yesteryear.

                               

 

 

 

 

Coming home for the last time

 

 

                        



Master Glass Blower

                                                 John DitchField

                
                                       Glass Maker To The Famous

           Art glass has become increasingly popular with collectors in recent years and

      John Ditchfield's work is no exception. His innovative designs on glass have pushed him

     to the forefront, making his work one of the most sought after art glass collectibles in the

    marketplace today.

           Close to Blackpool, England, Venetian trained John- inspired by the colours and iridescent

 effects of Tiffany- works relentlessly, never fully satisfied and always pushing the boundaries of

glass making.

         Expert in decorating, blowing and shaping molten glass, featuring small sterling silver

adornments,  his work has been on show in many of the top exhibitions around the world.

John Ditchfield

                                                                     
Lily Discs,Vases and Mushrooms

 Art Nouveau Table Lamp.

   A gift to the Queen of England. 

 

 

Diana Krall

                                                                     Diana Krall

                                                            Canada's Walk Of Fame

            There are some unspoken rules in the jazz world. rules that say jazz musicians are not 
       supposed to have platinum and gold albums or sell out large auditoriums night after night.

            For years, Diana Krall has been breaking these rules and demonstrating that a jazz musician
      can enjoy mass appeal without sacrificing her standards. Not only has this Canadian singer/pianist
      become a top selling artist, but also remained faithful to her roots.

          

Background information
Born	(1964-11-16) November 16, 1964 (age 48) Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Genres	Jazz, traditional pop, bossa nova
Occupations	Singer Pianist Songwriter
Instruments	Vocals Piano
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Justin Time (1993) GRP (1995) Impulse (1995–2001) Verve (2002–present)
Associated acts	Elvis Costello
Website	DianaKrall.com

 

 

http://youtu.be/S4hPii_RVHE          Cry Me A River

 

http://youtu.be/dNQakXT6Zow        Fly me to the Moon

                 The Six Burghers of Calais.



             During the hundred years war, there occurred a small incident which men have looked back and wondered at for over four centuries.

             In 1347 King Edward the Third of England, having just beaten the French king Philippe the Forth, at the battle of Crecy, marched on the much coveted fortress and city of Calais..

             Due to its immense strength a direct assault was deemed impossible, therefore a protracted siege of the city began. This siege lasted for a full year ,by which time the garrison and townspeople were in such a state of hunger and distress that the governor sued for terms of surrender.

             Edward, mindful of the cost the siege had incurred refused anything other than unconditional surrender (this usually involved mass slaughter) but after further entreaties the king stated that he would pardon the garrison and townsmen if six of the most wealthy burghers should come forth with bare feet, and hands and with rope halters round their necks bringing the keys to the city.

           This was thought to be a sentence of death, nevertheless six such men came forward and presented themselves to the revengeful king. despite entreaties from even his own nobles ,the king was determined to behead the six but when his queen Philippa tearfully added her own pleas ,the king handed the six over to her.

           Philippa not only released them but also fed and clothed them, whilst the English took possession of the city without bloodshed.

 Statue of the six burgers outside the

  town hall of Calais.










   This bronze statue is by  Rodin.


 

 

 

                             





Queen Philippa pleads for the lives of the six Burghers.

        A lesson to mankind on courage and self sacrifice.

 

 

"The sharpest strokes of barbarity can still elicit light from the dark stone - light that but for these blows might have slept unseen".

Charlotte Yonge

The burghers of Calais , situated in the Victoria Tower gardens England.  

Planet Armageddon - Probability, 2050 ?

Unchecked, the combination of global warming and population growth will result in a clear and extreme danger to civilisation.The Planet by 2050 will be unable to achieve a sustainable economy. The question is,do we really care? If we are over 30 we are unlikely to be present, and if we are under 30 we are  likely to be more interested in who wins "Britain's got Talent" , "The X Factor", or similar garbage.

Grinling Gibbons  1648 - 1721

 

This master carver to Charles 11 was renowned in his day - 17th century England - for his exquisite skill and ability in wood carving.

 

     Working in lime wood - a lighter, crisper alternative to oak, Gibbons has never been surpassed and it is said that he was so fine a carver that many of his flowers used to move on their stalk when shaken by a breeze.

 

      Of Dutch/English background, Gibbons transformed wood into art producing

detailed renderings of decorative baroque garlands with birds, flowers, musical instruments, cherubs, foliage, fruit, and lace. His productions often included pea pods which he carved closed until he had received full payment.

 

 



 

          This cravat was so intricate that when worn looked realistic.

It was carved in imitation of Venetian needlepoint lace (carved in 1690)

 

 

 

 

 The famous Cosimo panel, which is now undergoing restoration in Florence



 

 

 

 



 

 " The Room "  Petworth House fully carved by Gibbons. Well worth a visit.

 

  

          Even four hundred years on, there are still many places in England where you can see the surviving works of the great master.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 



                     Saving the life of a Humpback Whale

     Captured on valentines day 2011 and published in September 2012.

   This is an incredible story which should be watched by as many people as possible.

   Shot in film on the beautiful Sea of Cortez, Michael  Fishbach narrates his encounter with a Humpback Whale hopelessly entangled in a fishing net.

  http://youtu.be/ckzJwZvCRZ4