H.M.S. Vanguard

H.M.S. Vanguard

                                                                                               

H.M.S. Vanguard.
built in Deptford and launched in 1787.
She was classed as a 3rd rate 74 gun ship.
Nelson took command in 1797 and engaged the French fleet
in the Aboukir Bay, Egypt.
Its known as the "battle of the Nile" in 1798, winning a decisive victory.
In 1821, she was broken up. After 34 years service.


The picture comes from a  book  "A Nautical Odyssey" written and drawn by" David C Bell" an artist of note ! don't you think its cool?

Bye for now," I've gone Sailing"? off to the TT road racing on the Isle of Mann.

Agman.

The Widow Maker

Tiger Moth DH 82.

Gippsland. Victoria. Australia.
Before I tell this short story, I think I should give you a bit of the back ground on the DH 82.
They  are/were a training aircraft (a biplane) and about 4000 were built in the war years by the British Morris Cowley Motor Company; the aircraft was being used by a few Air forces worldwide, as a first trainer for new Pilots. After the war they were stored all over the place, and eventually they found their way to the open market, as time expired and cheap!

Most of them entered the Agricultural Flying Industry, where they were killed off over time, taking a few pilots with them.
Built in the 1930s and fitted with a 120 horse Powered Gipsey engine; I'm not sure how much of that power got to the propeller? but not all of it did, of that I'm sure! also I can't remember the brakes ever working? they had a system of setting a lever and then pushing on the rudder bar, I do remember they were murder to stop and we had welded sharp pieces of steel across the rear skid to dig into the ground to stop them.

Jan my fellow Pilot (from my Blog "Hangar")  brought about 6 of them for his crop spraying business and used them successfully for a few years, although its fair to say! they were permanently crashing and rebuilding them. they were under powered and with a load in them, they were just flying around looking for a place to crash. For me, they were unsuitable for ag-flying and dangerous when landing on short strips on mountain tops.
There biggest failing was that the fuel tank was just above your head, causing the pilots nightmare, Fire! On impact the attachment brackets on the fuel tank would rip out, spraying fuel onto the hot engine and pilot? Now excuse me? when I say" that's not what you want in a crop spraying aircraft" they were just about as useless as tits on a donkey!

As you may have gathered by now? I'm not a big fan of this cables and fabric flying disaster, but my mate Jan loved them, but that's Jan!

Josephine

Josephine 

Hobart
Tasmania
 Australia
1964.
This is an old memory, that visits me. I wonder how many men have had this experience and how they survived it.

I'm back in Tasmania as a young man of 24 years, I had just returned from a 12 month tour of duty in New Guinea, and now I have been posted to Hobart with a Squadron of Australian Engineers, they were going to repair and reopen an old conscripts training camp in preparation towards the increase of Australia's  involvement in the Vietnam War.

It was my first morning on base and I went into the mess for a cup of coffee during the afternoon break, and there she sat! in her uniform, with her hair up, maybe 19 years of age and very pretty. 
As she was the only person in the mess, I walked over to her and introduced myself and sat down, I was full of confidence, she smiled at me and we chatted like old friends, she was a full time clerk at the base here in Hobart.
She said she was aware of the rumours going round, of my units return back from New Guinea, (120 new male faces on the island) she said with a sweet smile.
Rumour had it, there was more girls than boys? on the island, due to the boys leaving for work on main land Australia. 
As she had never been off the island she was just so full of questions.
I looked at her across the table, she was a good looking girl, with dark hair and green eyes, her skin was clear except for the few freckles on her nose, which only added to her allure, 
Every question she asked, she opened her eyes wide and looked into my soul and smiled awaiting my answer.
I felt I had known her for years, she waved her hands around as she spoke, her fingers were long and their skin was ivory white, she was so beautiful, it was surreal.
I was captivated by her by her feminine charms, as she weaved a magical spell around me, she tip toed through my feelings creating ripples in my life, she entered my heart without even touching me. an unbelievable feeling, how cools that?
I was standing back in my mind ,watching myself, this had never happened to me before, I was stunned.
All of a sudden she jumped up and broke the spell saying " she had better get back to work"  and as she went out the door she looked back straight into my eyes and with a sweet smile said" I get off duty at 1700 hours" and she was gone.

Where do you stand

Beaver

Where do you stand.



Religions:

Buddhism: Hinduism: Judaism: Christian: Islam: Confucianism: Taoism: and the rest ?

None of the philosophers involved in creating of these Religions, suggested or condoned any form of aggression towards another Religion, or any fellow human being, whatever.!
Defence? maybe Yes!  But not Genocide? never!

For many, many years leaders of the world, have wrongfully used Religion to create hate and distrust and start wars to further their ambitions for wealth and power, to the detriment of the ordinary people and its gone on for hundreds of years and continues.
Now we have Politicians and Dictators doing the same thing, there are singing the same song with a little difference, "Defence of our way of life"? What they mean is, their way of life!  but really nothing has changed.
All these Politicians and their current Dictator friends, the world over, live great life styles and get wealthy off of us! we pick up the tab with our taxes and lives. Did you ever see A poor Politicians?

Let me state my opinion is this mire of lies and deceit.
I don't believe that anybody who is involved or influential in any form of atrocities against a fellow human being, with no thought or care for the lives they are destroying, be it by signing a piece of paper or strapping on a bomb Its wrong and no Religion condones it!

Claiming to be part of any Religious group just shows the absolute contempt they have for us,
They should not be aloud to drag Religion down to the murky depths that they have sunk to, by suggesting they are believers!
A Politician is a person who can lie to the press! and then believe what he reads.

Agman.