Clancy Tucker's Blog, page 114
June 22, 2019
23 June 2019 - GREENWICH FOOT TUNNEL, ENGLAND
GREENWICH FOOT TUNNEL, ENGLAND
G'day folks,A 1,215-foot tunnel transports pedestrians beneath the River Thames. Opened in 1902, the Greenwich Foot Tunnel cuts 50 feet deep below the surface to take pedestrians under the River Thames from Greenwich to the Isle of Dogs.
The cast iron tunnel is 1,215 feet long and covered with around 200,000 white tiles. It was created as a way for workers who lived in south London to get to work at the docks on the Isle of Dogs, replacing a ferry service, although now it offers 24 hour access to any travelers who need to cross the London river.
During World War II, the northern end of the tunnel was damaged in the London bombing, and there you can see it reinforced with a concrete lining and thick steel. To enter the tunnel, look for the glazed dome buildings for access into the underground passageway.
Renovation work to install new lifts and improve drainage started in 2009 and was completed in 2014 after delay. Access to the tunnel is by stairs or lifts. Although a foot tunnel, Greenwich council is trialling the use of a “shared” cycling and pedestrian use at less busy times.
Clancy's comment: Mm ... I'd hate to be halfway across when it springs a leak.I'm ...
June 21, 2019
22 June 2019 - GEORGINA HAWES - GUEST AUTHOR
GEORGINA HAWES - GUEST AUTHOR -
G'day folks,
Today, I interview an author from Swansea in the UK.
Welcome, Georgina ...
1. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR WRITING JOURNEY.
I’m pretty much an average woman approaching forty, reluctantly. A single mother these days but happily so, and very content with the work that I do, even if I try to ensure that my real identity is kept somewhat quiet. From wannabe writer at school to actual writer at thirty was a stop-start journey but now I find myself writing full time – my own books and short stories, all unique, for a fantastic little venture, Once Upon a Lifetime.
2. WHEN AND HOW DID YOU BECOME A WRITER?
I started scribbling ideas for stories when I was still in my teens but it was a decade later before I tried my hand at putting together a ‘proper’ tale. I was persuaded to show it to a friend’s friend – an older guy who was something of a professional – and to my shock he seemed to think it was good. I wasn’t quite thirty then and didn’t think too much of it, but the little spark inside me had begun to flare a little, and when that older guy gave me some ‘exercises’ I started to pen the occasional story and found myself drawn to slightly naughty romances. I eventually agreed to post a couple on a rather ‘adult’ website and received some more shocks when the feedback started rolling in very positively. From there it progressed into areas outside of my comfort zone in some ways, and into areas that I had no direct experience in – all great exercises, my mentor told me.
3. WHAT TYPE OF PREPARATION DO YOU DO FOR A MANUSCRIPT? DO YOU PLAN EVERYTHING FIRST OR JUST SHOOT FROM THE HIP?
I have a burgeoning ideas list and I tend to see if any of the single line thoughts turn into much more detailed story concepts. If they do, I start little files of their own and pen some vague storyboards. If everything still looks possible and plausible, I tend to just sit and write and see where I’m taken.
4. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING A WRITER?
When I write I can be anyone, living out fantasies and never normally knowing what will happen next. It’s the sort of freedom I can’t imagine experiencing in any other walk of life, plus I can do what I want, when I want – publisher deadlines excepted!
5. WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT BEING A WRITER?
Deadlines from publishers (broad smile here) plus having a ‘great’ idea when I’m too far away from a keyboard to get it written down – and subsequently forgetting what it was. In truth, though, the positives outweigh the negatives by about one thousand to one.
6. WHAT WERE YOU IN A PAST LIFE, BEFORE YOU BECAME A WRITER?
I used to be a moderately ‘okay’ office manager – although how the hell I stood the boredom I’ll never know. Bills had to be paid, I guess.
7. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WRITING ACHIEVEMENT?
That’s a tie between my novel Dallas Does Debbie sales become three figured, and being approached to join a new publisher (Regency Rainbow).
8. WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?
I have two novels on the go – Nuts to Newton – and one that’s provisionally titled Sue’s story. The latter is exciting me most in some ways because it’s more mainstream quirky romance than my normal stuff.
9. WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Ooh, hard one. It sounds a bit twee, I guess, but probably it comes from the reactions of readers – any great feedback makes me want to entertain more, and any negatives make me want to improve my writing.
10. WHAT GENRE DO YOU WRITE?
Currently it is adult fiction, erotica of a sort – but with decent grammar and ‘proper’ storylines. I’m moving more to mainstream romance this year, though. As for the future, I’m not really sure just yet.
11. DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR NEW WRITERS?
The very simple ‘just do it’ is a good starting point, but in truth ‘just finish it’ is probably more useful at the beginning.
12. DO YOU SUFFER FROM WRITER’S BLOCK?
Fortunately, not total block. I always have a couple of novel-length books on the go and lots of ideas for shorter stories. If I dry up on one of the novels and the other isn’t progressing, I’ll turn to the ideas list and just pick one and put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).
13. DO YOU HAVE A PREFERRED WRITING SCHEDULE?
Anytime at all, but it’s always easier when the house is quiet. Lately I’ve done a lot of my personal writing in the mornings, and during the night-owl witching hours.
14. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE WRITING PLACE?
I have my trusty desk in ‘my’ room at the front of the house. I’ll also use my laptop (computer, please note!) in the living room some evenings.
15. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST JOY IN WRITING?
When I read a story back and believe the character’s actions and thoughts – when it becomes ‘real’.
16. WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR AND WHY?
Terry Pratchett beyond a shadow of doubt. Such craft and so many wonderful ideas and fantastic turns of phrase.
17. WHAT’S THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT YOU EVER RECEIVED FROM A READER?
Probably censored! Seriously, though, I have one pinned to the wall near my desk – “Thanks Georgie, you made me think differently about a few things and I’ve tried relaxing and doing things a bit differently too. It’s safe to say you and you alone have saved my marriage”
18. WHAT WAS THE WORST COMMENT FROM A READER?
“You must be so f**king ugly!” or “You don’t understand how the langage [sic] works”
19. WRITERS ARE SOMETIMES INFLUENCED BY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. ARE YOU?
I’ve become a people watcher and the answer is definitely yes.
20. OTHER THAN WRITING, WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOVE?
My son, naturally, plus my garden, reading, the kitchen, a good restaurant – all sorts. Life is fun.
21. DID YOU HAVE YOUR BOOK / BOOKS PROFESSIONALLY EDITED BEFORE PUBLICATION?
I have done for the last few, and the new publisher insists on it (thankfully!)
22. DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY.
Waking up to sunlight and the promise of coffee to come. Breakfast and then a successful, easy writing session. An hour or two in the garden, a happy son returning from school, a nice dinner, an hour or two in front of the television, then some peace and some new writing ideas.
23. IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND WITH ONE PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE? WHY?
Alan Turing – to hear his thoughts on how computing should have developed, how his life of persecution was mitigated a little, how we could design a boat together!
24. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO WORLD LEADERS?
Stop thinking about number one, for once. Listen to the people but listen most carefully to the smart ones. Loosen some of the rules and tighten others and most of all, forget that we have old borders and that we’re not all perfectly equal at heart.
25. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
More writing, of course, and with a focus on new ideas and new genres. Getting the house to myself and changing the way I live day-to-day accordingly. Maybe growing old gracefully but never, ever losing my sense of adventure.
26. WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON BOOK TRAILERS? DO THEY SELL BOOKS?
To a degree, yes – trailers that are well-targeted can have great value, and becoming known and developing your own platform can integrate well with them.
27. DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN ANY OF YOUR CHARACTERS?
My characters tend to think a lot and in those self-arguments there’s definitely some of me – even if it’s the part of the character playing who is playing Devil’s advocate. Generally speaking, though, I’d never have the nerve to do what a lot of my characters get up to – perhaps you’re seeing some of my fantasies…
28. DOES THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY FRUSTRATE YOU?
Not any longer, but if I stop and think about it, yes it does. I genuinely don’t see why some writers get major deals from publishers when they can barely write a legible sentence. I’ve been lucky with Regency Rainbow and they don’t seem to be like the majority of the industry.
29. DID YOU EVER THINK OF QUITTING?
No. Easy answer and a very true one.
30. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MANUSCRIPT TO WRITE? WHY?
Dallas Does Debbie on one hand – it was a story outside my experience and it almost wrote itself in many ways. Addicted to Love was compulsive in another way because it was a story about ‘what ifs’ – and could happen to pretty much any woman.
31. HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE ‘SUCCESS’ AS A WRITER.
In order, positive feedback and positive sales, having your name recognized. Overlaying it all, I believe, is a feeling of contentment with something you have written.
32. WHAT SHOULD READERS WALK AWAY FROM YOUR BOOKS KNOWING? HOW SHOULD THEY FEEL?
They should know that the mind is a wonderful place to explore, and they should feel excited – excited about what, well that’s down to the individual.
33. WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE YOUR BOOKS MADE INTO MOVIES? EVER WRITTEN A SCREENPLAY?
Although they’d be adult-only ratings, I really would be happy on one level but maybe sad on another – most of my stories never describe the leads in any great details because that’s for the reader’s mind to conjure and the big screen might take that away.
34. HOW MUCH THOUGHT GOES INTO DESIGNING A BOOK COVER?
Thanks to my new publisher I just choose which designs I like best and the woman behind the designs is brilliant (www.mariaspada.com).
35. WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE DREAM?
I could be glib and say to outsell JKR but to be honest, to raise my son well, live comfortably and carry on writing and writing and writing.
36. WRITING IS ONE THING. WHAT ABOUT MARKETING YOU, YOUR BOOKS AND YOUR BRAND? ANY THOUGHTS?
None printable! I’m very secretive about my real identity so marketing is not straightforward and for all I love writing, marketing blurbs always seem like boasting or bragging and (believe it or not) that’s not my thing. Now that it’s pretty much all done by the new publisher I’m much happier, but very conscious to maintain the ‘brand image’ – the reclusive Georgie H with the million stories to tell, behind closed doors…
37. ARE YOUR BOOKS SELF-PUBLISHED?
My first few were but I have Regency Rainbow now – very broad-minded, thankfully. I’m not ruling out self-publishing a short story or three in the future if they somehow go against the brand image, though.
38. DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN FIVE WORDS.
Realistic raconteur with endless imagination
39. WHAT PISSES YOU OFF MOST?
Bigotry of any form and at any scale.
40. WHAT IS THE TITLE OF THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? GOOD ONE?
The Academy by Faith Lee (FD Lee) – touches of Pratchett-esque brilliance and a damned fine story, full of great, well-rounded characters.
41. WHAT WOULD BE THE VERY LAST SENTENCE YOU’D WRITE?
“She lay back and closed her eyes, a smile fluttering around her lips – she was happy at last, so very happy.”
42. WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU HAPPIER THAN YOU ARE NOW? CARE TO SHARE?
I really do not know for sure. More sales, more contacts, more ideas, more money… always more on that side, but on the other hand, fewer boundaries, less bigotry, the removal of so many safety nets and prejudices.
43. ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?
What can I add? Mostly, I guess, what I want people to know is they haven’t already read some of my stuff is that I might well write about very adult themes but I try hard to write well, to observe the rules of language, so ensure that there’s a real plot, real characters, real situations, challenges and conflicting views. I like to think that I write to entertain on many levels – not just the obvious one.
My current audience seems to be a fairly equal split between the genders – to judge by feedback – and that suits me just fine. I aim to please everyone, and I have no bias – we all deserve some fantastical fun and to indulge ourselves in other lives from time to time. And what I want the most is for people to lose themselves in my stories, and perhaps to find something new within themselves by doing so.
WEBSITE
AMAZON
Clancy's comment: Nice shot of your back, Georgina. I've been a people-watcher for decades, and it makes for great photography.
I'm ...
June 20, 2019
21 June 2019 - STUNNING PICTURES THAT MOVE
STUNNING PICTURES THAT MOVE
G'day folks,
Check out these stunning pictures.
Clancy's comment: That animation of the escapee is brilliant. I could watch him for hours, waiting to see if he trips up.
I'm ...
June 19, 2019
20 June 2019 - SOME RARE PHOTOGRAPHS
SOME RARE PHOTOGRAPHS
G'day foks,
Let's take a walk back into time. You might even see someone you know.
Clancy's comment: Mm ... Some of these are fairly gruesome.
I'm ...
June 5, 2019
6 June 2019 - Viaduct Petrobras - ABANDONED IN BRAZIL
Viaduct Petrobras - ABANDONED IN BRAZIL -
G'day folks,
Every now and then I post some details about abandoned structures. Check this one out. It's an abandoned stretch of elevated road in the middle of the Brazilian jungle.
As though it was miraculously transported from a more urban area, the abandoned Viaduct Petrobras rises out of the lush South American jungle, a testament to mismanaged government spending.
Construction on the Rio-Santos Highway began in the 1960s and by 1976 the stretch of road was due to be linked to the existing highway. However, the plans were altered at the last minute so that the existing road was linked to a coastal route and the newly constructed, but never used viaduct was simply abandoned. Over 40 meters tall and 300 meters long, the elevated roadway features tunnels, retaining walls, and a massive concrete foundation all being slowly taken over by the surrounding greenery.
While the abandoned civic project seemed wasteful at the time, it is now a popular tourist attraction for travelers looking to do some rappelling and bungee jumping. The abandoned Viaduct Petrobras can be accessed from the Salesopolis Caragua neighborhood in Porto Novo via a thin country road, but the structure must be approached on foot or motorbike for the final stretch.
Clancy's comment: Wow. It looks like a runway. Amazing, eh?I'm ...
5 June 2019 - THE COTSWOLDS - WORTH A VISIT
THE COTSWOLDS - WORTH A VISIT -
G'day folks,
The Cotswolds is a rural area of south central England covering parts of 6 counties, notably Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. Its rolling hills and grassland harbour thatched medieval villages, churches and stately homes built of distinctive local yellow limestone. The 102-mile Cotswold Way walking trail follows the Cotswold Edge escarpment from Bath in the south to Chipping Campden in the north.
Welcome to the Cotswolds, a very special, very wonderful place. A short break or even an extended holiday in the Cotswolds will leave you wanting more and you’ll be booking your next Cotswolds holiday as soon as you return home!
The Cotswolds covers a huge area – almost 800 square miles – and runs through five counties (Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire). One of the delights of visiting the Cotswolds is exploring the different areas, each with its own identity, yet all with those defining Cotswold features: golden stone and rolling hills, the ‘wolds’.
Explore quintessentially English villages of honey-coloured stone; take in splendid, lively market towns; visit some of the country’s greatest palaces, castles and country houses; marvel at the natural world in acclaimed reserves and at some of the most famous arboretas in Britain; walk through breath-taking landscapes along historic trails; or make a splash in our own lake-land area with its own inland beach.
There’s a vibrant buzz in places like Cheltenham, Cirencester, Tewkesbury Stroud and Witney. And an arty heartbeat too – which extends to the wealth of festivals that are testimony to the creative vibe of the region.
The Cotswolds is also richly rural: more than 3,000 miles of footpaths and bridleways to explore; ancient woodlands and wildflower meadows; 4,000 miles of historic Cotswold stone walls dividing up the landscape.
Unsurprisingly this landscape provides a rich harvest of with local cheeses, meats and drinks appearing prominently on the menus of the gastro pubs, old inns, colourful cafes and fine dining restaurants scattered generously across the region.
The accommodation is just as wide ranging and welcoming: enjoy the finest of country house hotels, go chic and boutique, take a spa break, snuggle up in a charming B&B, put up a tent at a beautifully located campsite. Or opt for a place of your own: there’s a striking range of cottages and manor houses to rent.
From fabulous gardens to amazing shops, we could go on … but why not come and see for yourself?
Clancy's comment: A perfect place for a photographer like me.
I'm ...
4 June 2019 - CHISHEMBA FALLS IN ZAMBIA
CHISHEMBA FALLS IN ZAMBIA
G'day folks,
Arrogance and quarreling are forbidden near these three sacred waterfalls. The spellbinding beauty of these waterfalls isn’t the only thing keeping visitors on their best behavior. According to the tradition of the Bemba people, the watery wonder is home to the nature spirit Chishimba, who lives in a cave behind the falls. Because of the spirit’s presence, bad behavior, including fights, insults, and arrogance, is not allowed in the vicinity of the falls.
Chishimba Falls is actually a series of three waterfalls along the Luombe River. The individual falls are named Mutumuna, Kaela, and Chishimba, and are separated by a distance of fewer than 1,000 feet.
Though the Bemba people arrived in this area in the 17th century, they weren’t the first to call this spectacular sliver of nature home. The land surrounding the falls is dotted with evidence of Iron Age activities, including kilns, smelting pipes, and iron ore deposits.
The falls are stunning in their natural beauty, with water cascading year-round over wide granite cliff faces. The falls are surrounded by thick mist forests, which provide a home to many birds and other wildlife. Trails throughout the park and several gazebos offer excellent views of each of the falls and access to the entire site.
Clancy's comment: I'd love to visit this spot. Might be a great place for current world leaders to meet and settle their differences. I'm ...
3 June 2019 - DEVIL'S ISLAND - ABANDONED
DEVIL'S ISLAND - ABANDONED -
G'day folks,
Here is an abandoned colonial French prison, notorious for its hellish conditions.
There have been many names given to the notorious island prison colony in French Guiana to describe the brutal living conditions of the prisoners who were sent there: the man eater, the dry guillotine, or as it is best known, Île du Diable, the Devil’s Island.
The island chain was discovered by French settlers between 1763 and 1765 during the expedition of Kourou, the goal of which was to spread the power and influence of the French colonial empire. It was a huge disaster, as more than 60 percent of the settlers died of fever or hunger. In 1797, the French government gradually transformed Guiana into a penal colony, establishing labor camps inspired by the English model in Australia. There were two goals: emptying the French jails of the worst criminals and building up a workforce to inhabit and develop the struggling colony.
Originally established for exiled political prisoners, by 1891 it was the toughest convicts who were sent to what became known as Devil’s Island. Usually, a prisoner was sent to the “dry guillotine” if he had tried several times to escape, or after several attempted or successful murders. The island of Saint Joseph became the most feared place of detention of the colony. The prisoners in these cells knew the chance of escape was close to nonexistent: The strong current surrounding the island, hungry sharks, the day and night surveillance were some of the insurmountable obstacles. What’s more, the chances of surviving within the prison weren’t much better.
Prisoners had to follow very strict rules. Detained in dark cells, they were rigorously forbidden to talk, smoke, read, or even sit before nightfall. They were locked up alone in a tiny cell whose ceiling was a grid so that guards could keep a close eye from a raised footbridge above, where they patrolled in slippers to catch them prisoners by surprise). Convicts were expected to maintain complete silence; talking to a guard often ended up in a punishment. Amid dreadful living conditions, one out three inmates died there from diseases inherent to the area, as well as other causes such as hunger and violence.
These terrible living conditions were eventually exposed to the general public, and the imprisonment system ended in 1938. The penal colony at Sant Joseph island was not closed until after World War II, however, finally shuttering in 1946. There were some attempts to occupy the island after that: a summer camp, a police station, a plant oil factory, and even a shark fishing factory. But all these initiatives failed. The island were finally abandoned and the buildings overtaken by nature. Some of the colonial structures on the island have since been restored, and opened to visitors to explore its dark history.
Clancy's comment: Obviously, it's been a mean and awful place, but other than that, it looks like a beautiful place.
I'm ...
May 31, 2019
1 June 2019 - PHOTOGRAPHS OF OUR AMAZING PLANET
PHOTOGRAPHS OF OUR AMAZING PLANET
G'day folks,
The world is full of stunning spots and destinations.
The Benagil Sea Cave in Portugal is one such picturesque destination and one of the most photographed in the world. This spectacular rock formation which can only be reached from the sea attracts tourists from all over the world. Through its large round opening in the cave ceiling, you are able to see the clear blue sky all while lying on the sand. As stunning as this spot may be, it is not the only one. Our planet is ripe with many unique places that look surreal and unearthly. Take a look at these amazing shots that will guide you to the most otherworldly places on our planet.
Clancy's comment: Extraordinary places, all of them. I never cease to be amazed by what there is to see and photograph. Many thanks to the photographers for sharing their work.
I'm ...
May 30, 2019
31 May 2019 - An Ancient Ceiba Tree Blooms Once Again After Puerto Rico’s Devastating Storms
An Ancient Ceiba Tree Blooms Once Again After Storms G'day folks,It's always great to see survivors of mother nature, and here is another great story. The island of Vieques is still struggling after the hurricanes of 2017, but its most famous tree offers hope.
It’s been a year and a half since hurricanes Irma and Maria pummeled Vieques, a tiny island of off Puerto Rico’s eastern coast, and still many homes lay in rubble, electric wires hang precariously from poles, and a crippled cargo ferry system causes shortages of groceries.
The flora, too, bear the scars of the most destructive storms in modern American history.
Patches of leafless gray splotch mangroves that once covered nearly half the 52-square-mile island in greenery. Wind-resistant palms, their trunks snapped by fierce gusts, remain permanently hunched.
Yet an ancient ceiba tree Viequenses consider sacred is staging a remarkable comeback, one that symbolizes the resilience of the island itself for some residents.
Ceiba trees, sometimes called kapok trees in English, dot the island, but there’s only one known as the ceiba. It’s the island’s oldest tree, estimated to be upward of 400 years old, and stands as Vieques’s third-most popular tourist attraction after a 174-year-old Spanish fort and a bioluminescent bay that boasts the brightest glowing dinoflagellates in the world.
Photographs taken after Hurricane Maria show the tree leafless and badly damaged, with knobby limbs laying broken around its thick trunk. But today, new growth sprouts from its gnarled branches. And in February 2019, pompoms of pink blossoms unfurled for the first time since the hurricanes.“It’s pretty amazing,” Edgar Oscar Ruiz, a 34-year-old local clean-energy activist living on Vieques, said staring up the tree’s trunk.
Only a few of the flowers remained during a visit to the island in late February. Dried, brown husks of expired blooms littered the ground below, blending with the scattered piles of wild horse dung to create an earthy potpourri. The flowers burst open at dusk, drawing swarms of bees, spiders, and hummingbirds to what Ardelle Ferrer Negretti, the founder of a local community project to protect the ceiba, calls “the nectar feast.” When the sunlight fades into blackness, bats join the banquet.
The fact that the ceiba blossomed at all this year demonstrates the kind of speedy recovery that’s evaded so much else on this island.
Clancy's comment: Don't you just love the way trees survive disasters?
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