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Bradshaw's Hand Book, The West, Sixth Day, Regent Street & surrounds, (no.31)
by Candy Blackham | posted in: Bradshaw in London, Home | 0
Mr Bradshaw and I had rather a subdued day today – perhaps I was just tired, or perhaps I was disappointed. View Bradshaw, Regent Street in a larger map
Behind The National Gallery I was to note '..the new structure [which] opened in 1849, the St Martin's Baths and Washhouses..' used by nearly 110,000 people in the first six months, which means c.600 people daily! This was one of the earliest Public Baths; homes did not have bathrooms, and it was only in 1844, with the 'Royal Commission into the Sanitary State of Large Towns and Populous Districts', that action was taken to build public baths – can you imagine a current Guidebook to London pointing out bathing facilities? (Archive on public baths here.) And did you know that there was a tax on soap, only repealed in 1853?! The Baths are no more, and I couldn't find any images, apart from the following:
Turkish Baths in Jermyn Street, Illustrated London News, July 1862
St Martin's Lane is a very old road, leading north from Charing Cross to St Giles, and out into the country. It was built up in the 16C and 17C and very little remains to give an idea of earlier times. The west side was apparently residential, with traders on the east. A few narrow alleys remain (Goodwins Court (with B&B), Cecil Court – named after the Earl of Salisbury who owned land here), 'The Green Man & French Horn' is a curious pub sign, and no.31 is the oldest house remaining, dating to perhaps early 1600s. No.61, owned by the Earl of Salisbury, was sub-let to Thomas Chippendale in 1753. Mr Bradshaw pays scant attention to the Lane, and perhaps to 'see' it one has to look upwards, beyond the traffic and the gaudy shop windows.
St Martin's Lane today – surprisingly empty!
Goodwin's Court, built in 1690, with the remains of Georgian shops
Cecil Court, built c.1700?
The Green Man & French Horn pub/restaurant in St Martin's Lane
No.31 St Martin's Lane
No.31 St Martin's Lane, interior of the first floor
The history of the area on the east of St Martin's Lane is quite complex, and helped by looking at this map of 1746, and earlier one of 1572. The land owner was the Earl of Bedford. (I think I should have explored more fully – another time!)
In Mr Bradshaw's time we must also imagine horse sales in this area – Aldridge's Horse Repository was situated in Upper St Martin's Lane, with the last horse sale in 1926 (!). The building was demolished in 1955-56 and Thorn House now occupies the site.
Aldridge's Horse Repository, exterior in 1955, in Upper St Martin's Lane
The interior of Aldridge's Horse Repository, 1883
Thorn House, built on the site of Aldridge's Horse Repository
Cranbourne Street was opened in 1841 as '..a broad and commodious thoroughfare..', connecting Leicester Square and Covent Garden. The street was previously known as Cranbourne Alley, where Jane Austen shopped for bonnets. Cranbourne Alley today is a nasty passageway – this could surely not have been her shopping area!
Cranbourne Street, looking towards Leicester Square
The remains of Cranbourne Alley
Leicester Square is named after Robert Sidney, Earl of Leicester, who built his mansion on the north of the square between 1632-36 – top right, with gardens in front. Other buildings quickly appeared during the 17C, and the square was also a famous duelling ground, described here. Leicester House was finally demolished in c.1791 (Pevsner). (This site has a marvellous post by Hannah Renier on Hogarth in Leicester Square – do read it.)
Leicester House, Leicester Square, 1748
Leicester Square, 1727
Leicester Square,1753
By Mr Bradshaw's time '..the square has a dingy, dreary aspect and will soon disappear before the onward progress of improvement…'. (Interesting post here, and the engraving seems rather too respectable to merit 'dingy'!) (Map of 1870 here, showing the site of the Sabloniere Hotel, 1788-1867, where Mr Pagliano was the Proprietor in 1844.)
Sabloniere Hotel, Leicester Square, 1835-1947
Other sites which Mr Bradshaw recommends to us no longer exist: Burford's Panorama was a very popular painting exhibition (a precursor of the RA Exhibitions?). 'Panoramas' were painted by other artists too, precursors of photography, the internet, and travel brochures.) And the Western Literary and Scientific Institution was in Whitcomb Street, Leicester Square, from 1828-52. There was a concern for adult education in some circles; Dr George Birkbeck founded the London Mechanics Institution in 1824 (now Birkbeck College), and this institution was part of the same movement. The aim was 'the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge among Persons engaged in Commercial and Professional Pursuits'. And the Royal Panopticon of Science and Art, and then the Royal Alhambra Palace on the eastern side of the square, were clearly not Mr Bradshaw's kind of entertainment venues!
Burford's Panorama, Leicester Square
Western Literary and Scientific Institute, Whitcomb Street, 1839
Sir Joshua Reynolds, Sir Isaac Newton, and Hogarth were all residents of the Square at some point, and this post gives fascinating insights into other residents.
No.47 Leicester Square, Sir Joshua Reynolds' home (demolished)
The site of Sir Isaac Newton's home in St Martin's Street
Leicester Square today
Leicester Square, north side
Coventry Street was built in 1843-46 at considerable expense: the Marquis of Salisbury received c.£72,000 and £100,000 was paid out to shopkeepers as compensation for the demolition of properties. Just north of Shaftesbury Avenue is St Anne's, Soho, consecrated in March 1686 and burnt out on the night of 24 September 1940, with the '..ugliest [tower and spire] in London..' and '.. in an area thickly crowded with foreigners who have given quite a continental tone to the coffee-houses and dining rooms of the neighbourhood..'.
St Anne, Soho
In the graveyard of St Anne's
Chinatown was celebrating the Moon Festival
Coventry Street leads to Regent Street and the former Quadrant at what is now called Piccadilly Circus. The colonnade of 148 cast iron columns was apparently disliked by the shopkeepers and they were removed in 1848.
The Quadrant, Regent Street, 1837
'Regent Street was designed by Nash … a magnificent thoroughfare … variety of architectural display unparalleled in Europe … shops of unequalled beauty and unrivalled for the opulence of their contents..'. Pevsner agrees: '..the greatest piece of town planning London has ever seen..'. The aim was to connect the Prince Regent's home, Carlton House, with Regent's Park, an '.. area of fields and woods which reverted to the Crown in 1811..' when farming leases expired. Nash proposed to redevelop the area into a very exclusive 'enclave'.
Farm in 'Regents Park, 1750
And what do we find there? '..Of an evening it is crowded with loungers of both sexes..', and '..Often the Quadrant Lounger is a foreigner..', '..But the Regent Street Lounger is a better style of man than his neighbour of the Quadrant..'! The Illustrated London News, 31 March 1849, has this fascinating engraving: note the placard on the left, advertising a 'Panorama' in the Egyptian Hall! And today's 'loungers'.
Regent Street, 1849
And Regent Street today
Under the arcade of the County Fire Office – perhaps the colonnades had this effect?
Eros at Piccadilly Circus, with pigeons and tourists, today's 'loungers'
An 'invisible' human statue – not a single passerby 'saw' this man!
The County Fire Office '..The County Fire Office was founded in 1807 by John Thomas Barber (from 1812 John Thomas Barber Beaumont) to conduct fire insurance business in county areas, specifically country-house and farming risks. It was originally established by 'an association of noblemen and gentlemen'..' from counties surrounding London. The business was located here from 1817 until 1970.
The County Fire Office
The County Fire Office today, somewhat truncated
Regent Street was for shopping and pleasure! The London Crystal Palace, a bazaar for the '..exhibition and sale of choice specimens of manufacture.. ' was not always well-received. It was built to resemble the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park by Owen Jones, who also built St James's Music Hall, opened in 1858 and demolished in 1905. It had entrances on both Piccadilly and Regent Street and was on the site of the current Meridien Hotel. The main hall could accommodate c.2,000 people and there were two smaller halls. The Hall was built by two music publishing firms, Cramer & Co, and Chappell & Co, and for the remainder of the 19C it was London's main concert hall!
St James Music Hall, Piccadilly entrance
St James's Music Hall, 1858
'Golden Square is a small and not particularly verdant area on the same side as Warwick Street, where a fine Roman Catholic Chapel is situated..'. It was apparently '.. the political and ambassadorial district of the late 17th and early 18th centuries..'.
Golden Square
The Portuguese Embassy in the 18C, Golden Square
Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory (The Royal Bavarian Chapel) in Warwick Street is one of the oldest Roman Catholic Churches in London and was built in 1789-90 on the site of an earlier Chapel, dating from 1724, which belonged to the Portuguese and Bavarian envoys, hence the name. This early date is significant because the Penal Laws, placing heavy restrictions on nonconfirmists, were still in place. The Church is now used by Ordinariate Groups, amongst others. The plan is simple and the church was quiet and peaceful. I sat down because I was tired, and as I looked at the statue of the Virgin I remembered my mother. Suddenly I could hear her, a familiar greeting, and she was pleased to see me.
Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory
Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory, Warwick Street
Archbishop Tennison's Chapel and School is on the right hand side of Regent Street. Land fronting on to Kingly Street was given to Dr Thomas Tenison for a chapel and school – he preached Nell Gwynn's funeral sermon and became Archbishop of Canterbury. He built a wooden chapel in c.1685, and then a more permanent building in 1702, on the same site. This was built as a Chapel of Ease for the Parish of St James. Eventually this chapel became known as St Thomas, Regent Street. The church was bombed and burnt out in September 1940, and the parish united with the Church of St Anne to become St Anne with St Peter and St Thomas. (I can't find any images of this church.)(Information here.) Archbishop Tenison's School still exists in Kennington
Tenison Court, off Regent Street
On the opposite side of Regent Street is Hanover Chapel, 1823-96, now remembered by a plaque.
Hanover Street leads us to Hanover Square, ..built in 1718 and one of the most fashionable of the squares of London..'. The square was begun by Richard Lumley, the Earl of Scarborough, and a retired General who took to property development. Some original houses remain, on the west side of the square: 1, 20, 21, and 24.
Hanover Square, shortly after it was built – notice the countryside just beyond the Square!
No.20 Hanover Square (on the right) was the first home of The Royal Society of Medicine and was built by Nicholas Dubois, a French engineer who served with the Duke of Marlborough, and who was also responsible for No.21. (Obscured today by the Crossrail Project, so no current photograph.)
Hanover Square, 1787
No.21 Hanover Square, once the residence of Prince Talleyrand
Hanover Square today
Statue of William Pitt by Chantrey, 1831
The concerts of the Philharmonic Society and the '..Ancient Concerts..' were held in Hanover Square Rooms which were sited on the south-east corner of Hanover Square and Hanover Street. The land belonged to the Earl of Plymouth and he sold it to John Gallini and his partners, who included Johan Christian Bach, and who built the Rooms. The last concert was in 1874, and the Rooms were demolished in 1900. (Excellent post here!) Now the site of no.5 Hanover Square, a new development.
Hanover Square Rooms
The Church of St George's, '..generally chosen by the fashionable world as the place of matrimonial solemnisation..', was built in 1724 and was immediately fashionable. In 1711 Parliament passed a bill authorising the building of fifty new churches – London was expanding rapidly and Parliament wanted to ensure religious needs were met. The money was to come from a tax on coal.
St George's, Hanover Square, 1787
And in this affluent district a sad sign on the Church door
#Tourist, #WPLongform, Hanover Square, Leicester Square, London, Regent Street, Soho, St George's Hanover Square, St Martin's Lane
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Dean's Dilemma
by Joe piechota
General Manager Dean Taylor's got his work cut out for him
It's hot stove time again, and the Brewers' General Manager Dean Taylor has some crucial decisions to make once again this winter. A lot of Brewers' fans have criticized Taylor for some of his past moves. Some trades and signings have admittedly not worked out for the best. I personally feel Dean is a very intelligent baseball man who is in what amounts to being close to a no win situation with the Brewers. When Dean took over the GM role in 1999, he inherited a club with huge holes at the major league level and a minor league cupboard which was close to being bare, particularly in the area of position player prospects. The previous General Manager Sal Bando was supposed to assemble a "core" group of players who would take the team into the 21st century and the new Miller Park with a chance at being a competitive team. By the time Bando resigned from the GM position, the Brewers were on their way to their seventh consecutive losing season. He also left the team with almost no quality pitching at the major league level and no catcher with David Nilsson leaving the club after the '99 season. Bando also had plenty of trouble with his scouting and drafting. Many of his high draft picks turned out to be busts, and several high picks were used not to sign the most talented player available, but the player the team thought they could afford to sign. This left the Brewers' farm system barren, with little in the way of major league prospects, especially in the higher levels. Bando did seem to have more luck with some of his later drafts, picking up some solid pitching prospects in particular, but it was a case of too little, too late to save his job.
Into this situation, Dean Taylor was hired to try to right the Brewers' ship. Miller Park was delayed one year due to the tragic crane accident, so the Brewers were looking at one more year in Milwaukee County Stadium in the year 2000. This unexpected delay caused the Brewers to cut their payroll for the 2000 season, so Taylor was given the unenviable assignment of improving the team while cutting payroll at the same time. Considering that, I feel Mr. Taylor did an excellent job. He dealt a major part of the team in Jeff Cirillo, but acquired two starting pitchers who appeared to have some upside in Jamey Wright and Jimmy Haynes and an excellent defensive catcher in Henry Blanco while also managing to include Scott Karl in the deal and removing his salary from the books. He also dealt away Fernando Vina, making room for the younger and less expensive Ronnie Belliard at second base. Although the return for Vina wasn't as high as it might have been since Vina was coming off an injury plagued season, he did manage to add another quality arm to the pitching mix in Juan Acevedo. He also managed to acquire another piece of the puzzle in the summer of 2000 when he traded several pitchers to the Cleveland Indians and received young power hitter Richie Sexson in return. The Brewers' record didn't improve, but the team played well at the end of the season and there was reason to be excited about the Brewers' future.
In the spring of 2001, it was thought the Brewers had a team that was on the upswing. The Brewers had a group of young power hitters and also some pitchers with upside along with a quality bullpen. They were also headed into Miller Park, which would hopefully give the team the revenue to improve the team as needed and keep the quality young players for a long time. However, the 2001 Brewers were bitten heavily by the injury bug and the offense faltered, failing to get on base at an acceptable rate while setting the major league record for strikeouts by a team in a season. The team's record was one of the worst in baseball, and the 2001 season could not be considered anything other than a setback to the organization.
Now, in the offseason between the 2001 and 2002 seasons, the Brewers need to make some tough decisions. Was the poor record in 2001 a result of the many injuries or just a lack of overall talent? Do you tweak what the team has and try to be competitive in 2002, or do you deal away as many veterans as you can and get as many minor league prospects as possible? Therein lies the dilemma that I feel faces Dean Taylor and the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
The Brewers, as a small market team, need to build a team through a strong farm system. It's highly doubtful the current cast of characters is close to competing, even with everyone healthy. The smart move then would seem to be to trade players like Jeromy Burnitz, Jose Hernandez, and relievers like Chad Fox and Mike DeJean to teams that look to be contenders in 2002 and get the most talent you can in minor league prospects. However, the Brewers are already in Miller Park. The team set an attendance record in 2001 with 2.8 million fans coming out to the new ballpark last season. It seems likely the team will have a difficult task meeting that figure in 2002, with a team coming off a 94 loss season. The task of drawing fans would be even much more difficult if the team is seen as "giving up" on 2002 before it even begins. There's the problem. The Brewers feel they must try to compete in 2002, but are also trying to rebuild the organization at the same time. It's tough to do one or the other and be successful at it, even more so when you are a club with limited means. It's almost impossible for a team to do both at the same time, but it's a task that I feel the Brewers are trying to perform. You can see it in trade rumors like the one floating around Jeromy Burnitz. It's rumored that Burnitz would be traded to the Mets for outfielder Matt Lawton and left handed starter Glendon Rusch. With this trade, the Brewers are trying to address their problems for 2002, without much of a concern for what happens after that. Lawton is up for salary arbitration this winter and will be a free agent after 2002. Rusch is also due for arbitration this year. It was also mentioned in the New York area papers that Lawton didn't sound too excited to possibly be coming to Milwaukee. If the Brewers were truly looking toward the future, they would likely target some of the Mets' farmhands, players like Alex Escobar or Pat Strange.
In conclusion, it seems to me the Brewers need to focus on either competing this year or focus on rebuilding and trying to build a competitive team for a few seasons down the road. It's a hard road to try to do both, and in the end, I doubt the Brewers will be successful in the attempt. The Brewers don't have the means to improve this team to a competitive level all in one offseason and can't just throw money at their problems like the big market clubs can. To quote from Toyboy's personal quote: "Build with the big picture in mind. No quick fixes, no low expectations, no worrying about anything but the final goal." That means no trades for guys like Lawton or Rusch, neither of whom figure to be any kind of long term answer for the Brewers.
Vina vs. Belliard

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home Nutrition
Are Potatoes Healthy? Here's What Registered Dietitians Say
Amy Gorin, MS, RDNUpdated: Nov. 04, 2020
You love them fried, baked, and mashed. But are potatoes good for you? Registered dietitians weigh in on the nutritional value of spuds.
Are potatoes good for you?
Potatoes have been a staple crop since the Inca Indians cultivated them around 8,000 BC to 5,000 BC. After Spaniards brought them to Europe in the 1500s, potatoes slowly began making their way around the world. They've been a diet staple pretty much ever since.
And yet in these carb-conscious times, many people are afraid to go anywhere near them. Thanks to the keto diet and other low-carb plans, the tuber's rep keeps plummeting.
The thing is, they're really healthy depending on how you prepare them. "I'm a potato lover," says Lisa Young, RDN, an adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University and author of Finally Full, Finally Slim. "The vegetable contains an array of nutrients—including the antioxidant vitamin C, fiber, and potassium. They get a bad rap because they are a starchy carbohydrate, which many people incorrectly think leads to weight gain."
The veggie's color doesn't help its cause."It's a white vegetable, and there is a continued nutrition myth that any white food is bad for you," says Allison Knott, RDN, a New York City board-certified specialist in sports dietetics. "Potatoes in their most natural form have no fat, no added sugar, and are very low in sodium."
What are the other benefits of taters? Answers ahead.
Rawpixel/Getty Images
Potatoes are rich in antioxidants
Potatoes may not be the go-to food when you think of immune-helping vitamin C. But the vegetable happens to be an excellent source of the antioxidant.
And if you're looking at a red or purple potato, you'll get even more antioxidants. "Pigmented potatoes, such as purple potatoes, contain anthocyanins, which act as an antioxidant that may fight free radicals and provide anti-inflammatory benefits," says Kathy Siegel, RDN, a nutrition consultant at Triad to Wellness Consulting and author of The 30-Minute Clean Eating Cookbook.
The antioxidants in purple potatoes may also help lower blood pressure. A small study in Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that people with high blood pressure who ate purple potatoes daily noticed a drop in blood pressure.
The tubers also boast carotenoids, particularly lutein, adds Jessica Cording, RD, author of The Little Book of Game Changer. "These carotenoids have been noted for their benefit to eye health and cardiovascular health," she says. White and yellow potatoes both have carotenoids, but the yellow ones have them in higher concentrations. Since carotenoids are fat soluble, they'll be best absorbed when you eat them as part of a meal that contains fat, she adds. So for instance, add potatoes to a stir-fry with olive oil, veggies, and tofu.
Potatoes offer resistant starch
Not sure what resistant starch is? It's a fiber that isn't digested by the body—and provides fuel for good bacteria, acting as a prebiotic.
"Resistant starch is the fiber that isn't absorbed in the small intestine and travels to the colon intact, where it is fermented by the bacteria in the large intestine," says Knott. She adds that potatoes are higher in resistant starch after being cooked and then cooled. Resistant starch may benefit blood sugar levels, as well as gut health, according to a February 2020 study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Potatoes are filling
One medium potato boasts four grams each of fiber and protein. That combination helps to keep you feeling full longer—so long as you eat the skin. That's where most of a vegetable's fiber is located.
Another perk? "Potatoes also happen to be gluten-free, so they're a suitable and satisfying carb source for people with celiac disease or those on a gluten-free or grain-free diet," says Cording.
And research published in May 2020 in the European Journal of Applied Physiology shows that potatoes can be fueling for athletes. In the small study, 16 recreationally active people ate potato-based foods and exercised many times over the course of a single day. The potatoes proved as effective as commercially available sports supplement-based meals in helping with both performance and glycogen recovery rates.
They're packed with nutrients
It's important to remember that potatoes are a vegetable, something most of us don't get enough of. "Most Americans don't consume the recommended amount of fruits or vegetables daily," says Knott. "This under-consumption results in inadequate intake of many nutrients, including potassium and fiber. Potatoes are a source of both and can be part of a healthy eating pattern." Potatoes also provide vitamin B6, folate, and many other nutrients.
Limit these ways of eating taters
When it comes to chili cheese fries, loaded potato skins, and sour-cream-smothered baked potatoes, it's time to talk moderation.
"Potatoes are often prepared with excess saturated fat and sodium, such as with French fries, potato chips, and scalloped potatoes," says Knott. "They tend to most often make their way to the American's plate as an inexpensive side dish high in sodium and fat and less frequently as a nutritious, fiber-rich dish."
If you're eating a baked potato at a restaurant, limit the high-calorie toppings. Scallions and salsa, for instance, can be delicious substitutes. You can also go for a smaller portion of fries, paired with a roasted vegetable to round out the sides to your meal, says Knott.
And what about glycoalkaloids? These occur naturally in potatoes, says Siegel—and at high levels can be toxic. "When potatoes are exposed to light, the formation of glycoalkaloids can increase significantly," she says. Always store potatoes in a dark, dry place. "When a potato starts to sprout, it should be tossed to avoid high levels of glycoalkaloids," says Siegel.
Healthy ways to enjoy potatoes
When it comes to preparing potatoes in a nutritious way, you have so many options. You can roast or bake them (into "fries," if you like), or steam them in the microwave. "My favorite way to enjoy potatoes is cut into one-inch cubes tossed with sea salt, cumin, and a drizzle of olive oil roasted in the oven at 425 degrees F for 40 minutes," says Siegel. "I make extra and enjoy them cooled in salads, too."
When it comes to baked potatoes, they're not just a side dish—they can be a full meal. Stuff them with veggies, beans, and cheese, for instance.
Also, give these healthy dietitian-approved potato recipes a try:
Za'atar Fries with Tahini Sauce
Sweet Potato Flatbread with Cauliflower
Loaded Potato Skins
Potato Apple Bread
mama_mia/Shutterstock
The Health Properties of Sweet Potatoes
Brent Hofacker / Shutterstock
5 Healthy Alternatives to Potato Dishes
Courtesy Cynthia Sass
Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Potatoes USA: "Fun Facts About Potatoes: Potato Facts: Origins of the Potato"
Lisa Young, PhD, RDN, an adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University and author of Finally Full, Finally Slim
Allison Knott, MS, RDN, CSSD, a New York City board-certified specialist in sports dietetics
Kathy Siegel, MS, RDN, a nutrition consultant at Triad to Wellness Consulting and author of The 30-Minute Clean Eating Cookbook
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: "High-Antioxidant Potatoes: Acute in Vivo Antioxidant Source and Hypotensive Agent in Humans after Supplementation to Hypertensive Subjects"
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: "Resistant Starch Content in Foods Commonly Consumed in the United States: A Narrative Review"
European Journal of Applied Physiology: "Males and females exhibit similar muscle glycogen recovery with varied recovery food sources"
Jessica Cording, MS, RD, CDN, author of The Little Book of Game Changer
Originally Published: November 04, 2020
Amy Gorin, MS, RDN
Amy Gorin is a nationally recognized registered dietitian nutritionist in Stamford, CT. Specializing in plant-based eating, Amy has bylined 1,000-plus articles and also completed more than 1,000 interviews for top-tier outlets. Additionally, she has appeared on several national broadcast shows, including CBS Up to the Minute, CBS Power Up Your Health, NBC News, and the Associated Press. She is a former nutrition and health editor for Prevention, Health, Parents, American Baby, Weight Watchers Magazine, and WeightWatchers.com–and loves to share her media knowledge via the media-training course, Master the Media, that she co-runs to help other health professionals get their names in the news. Amy enjoys cooking and publishes healthy plant-based recipes on her blog, Amy's Eat List. She has contributed recipes to several books, including The Runner's World Vegetarian Cookbook, Runner's World Meals on the Run, The Runner's World Cookbook, and The MIND Diet. Amy also runs an Etsy shop, Plant-Based Eats, which delivers meal plans and nutrition printables to the masses.
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Martin Leman
Postcard from St Ives
Watchful Cat
Evening Flower
White Flower in Cup
White Flower with Peach
Martin Leman is one of the foremost painters of cats of his generation. He rose to prominence throughout the 1980s and 90s, after the first publication of his paintings was published, Comic & Curious Cats with text by Angela Carter in 1979. Since then he has had a further 28 books published as well as 25 solo shows.
English art historian Sir Roy Strong in a foreword to one of Martin's books wrote "I can think of few other contemporary painters who are able so powerfully to distil the essence of cat on to canvas or paper".
Elected a member of the Royal Society of British Artists in 2007 and an Associate of the Royal Watercolour Society in 2010, Leman has exhibited internationally, including at the Mall Galleries and in the exclusive Weston Room during the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition.
Favoured by collectors and gallerists alike, he encapsulates the personalities of cats and incorporates pieces of Modern British Art within the paintings, as with the painting by Alfred Wallis in Postcard from St Ives (pictured).
Martin Leman (b.1934) currently lives and works in London, UK.


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Home Tags Posts tagged with "endorsements"
Opinion: Huntington Town leaders of tomorrow
Political Endorsements
Town of Huntington
by TBR Staff - November 6, 2017
Councilwoman Tracey Edwards walking in the Cow Harbor Day Parade on Sunday, Sept. 20. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Edwards' leadership is needed
As Supervisor Frank Petrone (D) steps down from his 24-year reign, Huntington faces a number of challenging issues ranging from gang violence to balancing smart economic growth with traffic and parking. It will take a tough individual to get the job done.
Two great candidates have stepped forward to fill Petrone's shoes. While there is no doubt that Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci (R) is overall well-liked by Huntington's residents, Councilwoman Tracey Edwards (D) has shown she has breadth of community support and the gritty determination needed to bring about change.
In her first term in town office, Edwards has spearheaded the creation of the Huntington Opportunity Resource Center and pushed hard for the revitalization of Huntington Station. There's a master plan in place for the station. The mixed-use Northridge Project is no longer a vision of what could be, but a constructed reality prepared to open by the end of this year.
Edwards said she's had an inside seat to the town's affairs "long enough to know what to keep, what things need to change and what things need to be tweaked." From our perspective, taking time to directly observe first before demanding change is a sign of wisdom.
If we have to choose one, we encourage you to vote for Edwards. We wish Lupinacci continued success.
We choose Cuthbertson, Rogan
Councilman Mark Cuthbertson (D) offers the sole voice of political experience in the four-way race for two seats on Huntington Town Board. It's clear by his knowledge of the area's issues, the challenges in overcoming them, and familiarity with the town code.
Cuthbertson is running on the Democratic ticket with Emily Rogan, who is a political newcomer, but claims to have refined her communication and negotiation skills as a member of Huntington school district's board of education when Jack Abrams Intermediate School was temporarily shut down and transformed into a STEM magnet school.
When listening to these somewhat "reluctant" running mates, it became clear to us that together the Democrats offer a blend of institutional knowledge and a refreshing new point of view. It's a team with the right combination of governmental skill and fresh energy that is needed to push Huntington forward.
We appreciate the efforts of Jim Leonick and Ed Smyth in running for public office, but had difficulty fully understanding their future vision for Huntington. They took issue with town codes but didn't fully know how the impact of the changes they proposed, which left us feeling uncertain. The future leadership of Huntington needs to be not only strong, but have a firm grasp on the details.
Opinion: Who to vote for in Brookhaven Town
Town of Brookhaven
Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine and Councilwoman Jane Bonner. File photo
Romaine an asset to town
An undeniable by-product of the heated and often circus-like 2016 presidential election is a booming pool of highly qualified and energized people throwing their names in the ring to run for political office. This phenomenon is perfectly embodied by the Town of Brookhaven supervisor race.
Incumbent Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) often begins speaking engagements with the line, "It's a great day for Brookhaven." It is our belief that the day he took office in 2012 was a truly great day for Brookhaven. His experience as a public servant and ability to create partnerships seamlessly with Democrats and Republicans alike make him an asset for our town. He's willing to fight for what he feels is right for the people of the town. Period.
On the other hand, his challenger Jack Harrington, a Democrat and resident of Stony Brook, is a qualified, young candidate with obvious confidence and leadership skills. He too would be an asset to any community lucky enough to have him as a public servant. We hope this first attempt at political candidacy is just the beginning for him, and the Democratic party within the town and Suffolk County would be wise to keep tabs on him and keep him in mind in the future should he fall to Romaine Nov. 7. If candidates like Harrington continue to come forward and run for office, our local politics can only benefit.
Despite Harrington's qualifications, he's not quite Romaine. We proudly endorse Romaine to remain Brookhaven's town supervisor for another term, and if he maintains his track record and values when it comes to protecting the environment and exemplary financial management, this probably won't be the last time this publication stands behind him.
Cartright to keep things in check
Checks and balances in government are everything, on all levels. In the Town of Brookhaven, 1st District Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station) since 2013 has been the watchful eye over a board that entering this cycle features four Republicans and a Conservative, as well as a Republican supervisor. This is not to say we have any reason to distrust the members of the Brookhaven board, regardless of party, but we'd like to think that can be attributed to the existence of not only an exemplary crop of dedicated and honest public servants but also due to the presence of a dissenting political voice.
This is also not to assume the town incumbents will all be successful in their respective re-election bids in 2017. However, should the status quo remain on the Republican side, we are confident that Cartright can continue on as the embodiment of a two-party system.
Beyond her mere existence as a Democrat, Cartright has been a champion for causes aimed at improving the environment and water quality in the district and townwide. Since her first term, she has been dedicated to advancing a Port Jefferson Station/Terryville revitalization project that we'd like to see come to fruition and has played a major role in the visioning project for the Route 25A corridor.
Her opponent, Republican James Canale of Port Jefferson Station, is an enthusiastic, young politician with his head and heart both firmly in the right place. We hope his first run for political office is not his last.
We have a minor criticism of Cartright going forward, which we discussed with her personally. In seeking comment from the councilwoman on stories, which are oftentimes directly related to work she is doing, she and her staff are not always able to connect, sometimes too late for deadlines, and sometimes not at all. To be a successful leader, communication with constituents is key, and constituents read newspapers.
We strongly support Cartright in her bid to remain in charge of Brookhaven's 1st District.
Bonner brings experience
While incumbent Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner's (C-Rocky Point) opponent Democrat Mike Goodman has some understandable concerns with the future of life in Brookhaven, we feel Bonner is best for the job.
Her years of experience have helped propel her to her present position. Working as a legislative aid to then-Suffolk County Legislator Dan Losquadro (R) and as a councilwoman for the second council district for the last decade has given her a breadth of knowledge, experience and connections.
Bonner said she believes there will be a resurgence of downtown Rocky Point, and we hope she strives to make changes that attract quality businesses to enhance the area, modeling from Main Street in Patchogue or Port Jefferson. We also applaud her care for shoreline structures and her involvement in the Culross Beach Rocky Point-North Shore Beach Property Owners Association debacle, as well as for monitoring the dispute against a DDI Development house in Miller Place and speaking in favor of it publicly. The councilwoman cares about her constituents, about the environment and about making things better. She has also shown she has the leadership ability to get the job done.
We have no doubt her challenger also cares. We admire Goodman for throwing his hat into the ring, raising concern over key issues like the lack of jobs and affordable housing, and we encourage the town and Bonner to bring more ideas to the table, and even explore his ticketing system suggestion.
While we vote for Bonner, we also encourage the councilwoman to work with her challenger on his ideas and use him as a resource to create a better Brookhaven.
Leave it to Kevin LaValle
As TBR News Media's 2016 Person of the Year piece said, Brookhaven Town Councilman Kevin LaValle (R-Selden) is a councilman you can count on.
Unlike his challenger, the councilman knows more about the issues in the 3rd Council District on a local level and has worked closely with related groups to solve problems. His work helping the nonprofit Hobbes Community Farm receive funding is commendable, and his efforts securing large sums of money through grants is a smart way to get the job done without putting the burden of the bill on the town.
Democratic nominee Alfred Ianacci has no specific solutions and lacks knowledge of what the town is currently working on, pointing out in his list of concerns some things that are already being addressed by Brookhaven.
LaValle is a perfect fit for the position he's in. Growing up in the community he serves, LaValle offers a unique perspective, knowing his constituents well and knowing the long-standing issues he needs to tackle. We have been pleased to see his growth in the position and expect that to continue should he secure another term. Confidently go with LaValle on Election Day.
All roads lead to Losquadro
The Town of Brookhaven highway superintendent has one of the largest responsibilities of any local elected official. It is the head of the department's job to oversee literally thousands of miles of road, and incumbent Dan Losquadro (R) has done an excellent job of making that task more manageable during his first two terms.
He set out with the goal of streamlining and updating the highway department's systems and mechanics to create greater efficiency in the way it deals with its upward of $100 million annual budget, and he has done a masterful job at achieving that goal so far. We think the town would benefit from two more years of Losquadro to allow him more time to play out his five- and 10-year plans, which he said he established shortly after taking office.
We commend his challenger, Democrat Anthony Portesy, for taking the leap into political candidacy, and his enthusiasm, drive and education make him an attractive candidate for other offices going forward.
This time around, go with Losquadro.
Theater Review: John W. Engeman Theater heats up the summer with 'Saturday Night Fever'
Community groups call for action to fix border crisis
Rita J. Egan Port Jefferson Village Stony Brook Suffolk County Centereach Port Jefferson Suffolk County Police Department Daniel Dunaief Smithtown Desiree Keegan Huntington Station Kevin Redding Lacrosse Stony Brook University Northport Huntington Police Bill Landon Ward Melville Rocky Point Kings Park Mount Sinai Port Jefferson Station Miller Place Setauket


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True Stories (PG.)
Directed by David Byrne. 1986
Starring David Byrne, John Goodman, Annie McEnroe, Swoosie Kurtz, Spalding Gray, Jo Harvey Allen, Tito Larriva, John Ingle, Matthew Posey, Alix Elias. 87 mins. Out on Blu-ray as part of the Criterion Collection.
More than thirty years ago David Byrne, singer and songwriter with Talking Heads, (in case that is no longer common knowledge,) made a film. It was A Film About A Bunch Of People In Virgil, Texas, in which Byrne, wearing a cowboy suit and driving around in a red Chrysler convertible, narrates and interacts with various local characters as the town prepares for the sesquicentennial (150 years) celebrations of the founding of Texas. Byrne presents everything with wide-eyed innocence and a sense of wonder that may well be less arch than you assume it to be. It's marvellous: original, funny, wise, prescient and moving. Its style is wry and detached, yet incredibly warm. It's a true one-off. And after it, Byrne never made a film again. I guess that was all he had to say about that.
The Bunch Of People In Virgil, (not a real town) are all characters based on stories found in American tabloids. Goodman is a man so desperate for love he has a billboard advertising for a wife outside his house; Gray and McEnroe are a married couple who haven't spoken for 31 years; Kurtz is a woman who never gets out of bed; Allen is a compulsive liar. The title is ironic in that the film is blissfully unconcerned with any kind of narrative. Byrne floats around, dropping in and out of events, drawing connections, making observations and being enthralled by it all. It's also a kind of musical with the characters performing specially written numbers and the Heads doing three songs. In the best traditions of film musicals it is all leading up to a bug show, aconcert that is being staged at the end of the week to mark their Celebration of Specialness (or specialNess as Byrne always refers to it as.)
Seen today what strikes you is how perceptive and prophetic the film is. Work in Virgil is centred around a silicon production plant. Most of the cast work on the production line making the chips that will change society. 1986, before the internet, PCs and mobile phones (more or less), was such a long time ago. At one point the plant's managing director (Posey) tells Byrne, "'Figuring something out, something that's never been understood before, is a rhymical experience.' Steve Jobs said that. He used to be the head of Apple," and you are shocked to realize that we are in a time when Jobs was a has been.
At the dinner table, mayor Spalding Grey expounds on the exciting future ahead where inventors and creatives will break free of business, where "Economics will become a spiritual thing" and people will work for pleasure and the concept of the weekend will disappear. In the church, the preacher (Ingle) doesn't deliver a sermon, but an extended conspiracy theory about the "chain of coincidence" revealing the cabal that has been secretly running America since WWII.
And it all plays out under giant empty Texas skies, that blue expanse which seems to indicate both infinite possibilities and wonder, and total indifference and emptiness. The question you'll want to ask will be, is there irony here. Should we take Byrne's celebration of specialness at face value? I may be the rube here, but I think his deadpan wonderment is entirely sincere. Like David Lynch, Byrne is intoxicated with Americana, but his expression of it is diametrically opposite. Lynch threatens his vision of decency with extreme decadence, with Frank Booths; Byrne plants his vision of decency in a vast deserted terrain with an implicit message that it will not last.
The problem with Byrne's approach is that not having a narrative is very demanding. You have to constantly keep feeding the audience with new wonders. The first half is a cinematic miracle but it does run out of steam. Just past the halfway point the Swoosie Kurtz chararcter that never gets out of bed watches the video for Talking Heads' Love For Sale on her TV and it breaks the spell. It feels like filler, and after that the film rather treads water, mostly following John Goodman around, killing time before the big final concert.
But that's ok, you have been given more than enough. When it came out 32 years ago I seem to remember it making something of a splash, being quite well received. Somehow though it dropped out of circulation, disappeared and that should never have been allowed to happen. The years haven't diminished it all. Possible my very favourite bit is a fashion show in a mall where ordinary towns folk parade around in various garish outfits. And it should be a funny sequence but it is just so damn lovely, so pure, so touching, laughter is unnecessary. And maybe that is True Stories through and through: arch and affected, and totally pure and unselfconscious.
New, restored 4K digital transfer, supervised by director David Byrne and cinematographer Ed Lachman, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack, supervised by Byrne, on the Blu-ray
New documentary about the film's production, featuring Byrne, Lachman, screenwriter Stephen Tobolowsky, executive producer Edward Pressman, coproducer Karen Murphy, fashion-show costume designer Adelle Lutz, casting director Victoria Thomas, consultant Christina Patoski, actor Jo Harvey Allen, and artist and songwriter Terry Allen
CD containing the film's complete soundtrack, compiled here for the first time (Blu-ray only)
Real Life (1986), a short documentary by Pamela Yates and Newton Thomas Sigel made on the set of the film
No Time to Look Back, a new homage to Virgil, Texas, the fictional town where True Stories is set
New documentary about designer Tibor Kalman and his influence on Byrne and work on the film, featuring Byrne and artist Maira Kalman, Tibor's widow
PLUS: Essays by critic Rebecca Bengal and journalist and author Joe Nick Patoski, along with, for the Blu-ray edition, an essay by Byrne; a 1986 piece by actor Spalding Gray on the film's production; and a selection of production photography, along with Byrne's tabloid clippings and writing about the film's visual motifs
New cover based on concepts by Tibor Kalman/M & Co.


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Josh Duhamel wants someone 'young enough to have kids' after Fergie split
Hannah Yasharoff
Josh Duhamel and Fergie split just over a year ago, but the "Transformers" actor is ready to settle down again.
"I'm not 30 years old anymore. I'm 45. I want to have more kids in the next few years," he told Dax Shepard on the "Armchair Expert" podcast. "So it's more about finding someone young enough to have kids."
He continued: "It's not as if I'm out there trying to just (expletive) anything. That's really not who I am. I'm trying to find a girl that I can be with and have a family with."
The couple announced their breakup last September, vowing to stay "united in our support of each other and our family." They share one son: Axl Jack, 5.
"I love Josh. He's the father of my child," Fergie told Wendy Williams last October. "We forever have that project together, and we're doing the best we can."
On Shepard's podcast, Duhamel echoed her sentiment: "Fergie and I had a great relationship. I love that girl and I always will. Unfortunately, we didn't work, but I will always have her back and she is the mother of my baby ... She is awesome."
More:Fergie and Josh Duhamel split with 'absolute love and respect'
More:'Big Bang Theory' star Mayim Bialik talks tough breakup, being single around the holidays


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Home National This week in wins: New Jersey moves to reduce gun violence
New Jersey is taking steps to reduce gun violence. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
This week in wins: New Jersey moves to reduce gun violence
The DCCC named Lucinda Guinn as the group's first Latina executive director, and wins in New Jersey and Michigan are bright spots to celebrate.
In addition to New Jersey putting in place commonsense gun regulations, Austin is working to ensure women have access to adequate health care, and residents in Michigan will soon have a credit union designed to serve the LGBTQ community.
On the political side, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the arm of the Democratic Party tasked with protecting and expanding the House majority, named Lucinda Guinn as the group's first Latina executive director.
That's only some of the wins this week — here is more good news from across the country.
New Jersey governor signs executive order on reducing gun violence
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order on Tuesday ordering the executive branch to take additional actions to help reduce gun violence. The order directs various state agencies to "promote responsible gun safety practices for gun vendors and financial institutions providing services to the state, and take action against insurance policies that encourage firearm use," according to a press release from the governor's office.
In a statement about the order, Murphy said his actions compliment gun safety legislation he has signed as governor.
Murphy said his administration "is committed to making our communities safer by aiming to do business with gun dealers that have adopted best practices to reduce gun violence. We want those who do business with New Jersey to share our values and be committed to ending the scourge of gun violence in our communities."
The executive order take effect immediately.
Congress will hold first hearing on DC statehood in a generation
On Sept. 19, Congress will hold its first hearing on D.C. statehood in 25 years, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced on Thursday. The hearing will center on a House bill which would end the disenfranchisement of District residents for the first time in U.S. history.
At the moment, the hundreds of thousands of residents living in Washington, D.C., pay federal taxes yet have no representation in Congress. The district's license plates note this fact, reading, "taxation without representation."
The D.C. statehood bill would create the nation's 51st state, providing residents of D.C. with representation in both the House and Senate. The bill currently has the support of 219 members of the House, including the vocal support of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.
Lucinda Guinn named executive director of the DCCC
Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL), chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, announced Thursday that Lucinda Guinn would take over as executive director of the organization.
Guinn, formerly with EMILY's List, will be the first Latina to lead the DCCC, the arm of the Democratic Party tasked with protecting and expanding the House majority.
"Lucinda is a respected leader, manager, and strategist with the right experience to help lead our efforts to expand our majority and push even further into Republican territory," Bustos said about Guinn.
"I have spent my entire career helping elect Democrats across the country, and I look forward to working closely with Chairwoman Bustos to protect and expand our House Majority," Guinn said in a statement.
Virginia school creates new nondiscrimination policy to protect LGBTQ students
The Stafford County school board adopted a new nondiscrimination policy on Tuesday after discrimination during an active shooter drill left a transgender student with nowhere to go.
In October, a transgender middle school student was left in the gym after teachers refused to allow her to join either the girls in the girls' locker room or the boys in the boys' locker room. After the incident, the student noted that if there had been a school shooter, "I would have been the first one gone."
By a 4-3 vote, the school board now protects students from discrimination based on gender identity.
Credit union created to serve LGBTQ community comes to Michigan
On Monday, Michigan approved a charter for Superbia Credit Union, a new outfit seeking to meet the needs of the LGBTQ community, Bloomberg reported.
The credit union will offer services geared toward the LGBTQ community, such as loans for transition surgery for transgender people. Further, Bloomberg notes that the LGBTQ community still faces discrimination at lending institutions, including higher rejection rates for loans and higher interest rates for loans that are approved.
The new credit union hopes to begin serving its first customers in early 2020.
Austin creates innovative program to ensure health care for women
When the Texas legislature tried to restrict the ability of cities to assist women seeking an abortion, the city of Austin found a creative workaround to ensure women have access to the full range of health care options.
The new law, which took effect on Sept. 1, restricts the ability of cities like Austin to directly fund any facility that provides abortions. But the law says nothing about helping women with incidental costs associated with obtaining an abortion, such as travel costs and hotels.
Austin set aside $150,000 in city funds for a new program to help women seeking an abortion, doing so in a manner that complies with the new state law.
Come back next week for more good news.
This Week in Wins
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This week I came across Steem and I instantly got sucked into it. In this post am trying to summarize what I learned about it so far.
You can think of Steem as a Facebook-like platform where authors and curators can earn cryptocurrency rewards by writing posts, up-voting posts, commenting on posts and up-voting comments.
Steem – the fundamental unit of account on the Steem blockchain. All other tokens derive their value from the value of STEEM. Generally speaking STEEM should be held for short periods of time when liquidity is needed. Someone looking to enter or exit the Steem platform will have to buy or sell STEEM. Once STEEM has been purchased it should be converted into Steem Power (SP) or Steem Dollar (SMD) to mitigate the impact of dilution over the long-term (100% inflation annually).
the user can participate on the platform by voting or posting articles/comments. This is rewarded by more Steem Power (SP) and Steem Dollars (SMD). How much everyone gets, depends on his Steem Power and the voting algorithm.
The inflation is not 100% anymore like with Steem, but only ~10% per year because for every 1 Steem generated as reward, 9 new Steem are distributed among Steem Power holders. If the platform grows faster than the inflation, investors make a win, otherwise they'll be losing money.
Steem Dollar (SMD) – represents a number of Steem tokens having a value of ~1 USD. It can be used to trade goods/services with the stability of the USD. SMD pays holders interest (currently 10% per year). The interest rate is set by the same people who publish the price feed so that it can adapt to changing market conditions.
The two main reward mechanisms in Steem are curation and author rewards. Both are equally important in Steem.
Author Rewards are gained by posting articles that are upvoted by others. Curation Awards are gained by early upvoting articles that grow popular later. The rewards are payed out in Steem Power and Steem Dollars. In general the more Steem Power someone holds, the more weight his vote has. If one of developers is upvoting a post, it can instantly bring more than $100 value to the post. A new account on the other side with ~3 Steem Power will only bring a fraction of a cent. The final value of a post is distributed among the author and curators depending on how early they participated in the voting process and how much Steem Power their accounts hold.
The money for the reward pool is coming from the inflation. Instead of taking a tax on existing accounts for generating the reward pools, the protocol generates continuously new Steem where 1 is going to the reward pool and 9 are redistributed to Steem Power holders. This basically results in a ~10% inflation annually.
Lot of people are asking the question if this model is sustainable. One could expect that the model can only be profitable as long as more investors are jumping in. At the moment where supply gets greater than demand the whole system could break together like a Ponzi-Schema. This could be very painful for late-adoptors because of the 2 year payout mechanism. One of the main critical voices claiming that Steem is actually scam is Tone Vays.
My personal impression so far is that this could be the first DLT application with good user experience and the potential to go viral. It reminds me a little bit on 2007 and the gold rush with the AppStore. At the time of writing this post, the platform has around 70k accounts.
Try it yourself at https://steemit.com or read more about it at https://steem.io. Currently every new account gets Steem Power worth ~$4 for free.
The number of blockchain news post is growing exponentially. Nearly every company or government does some research projects based on blockchain and DLT technologies. Let's try to filter the stuff wich could be interesting for us blockchainers.
Last year I saw a well written paper from the world economy forum about fintechs. This year they published "The future of financial infrastructure" witch focused on blockchain. The paper describes in detail a set of financial use cases and how they can be improved using blockchain tech. It's one of the best papers we have seen so far.
The next big thing is Raiden from Heiko Hees. See also International Business Timer. Every time you discuss the opportunities of blockchain and smart contracts with business people, very soon they come up with the scalability issue. Based on my IT project experience, I can tell that there is always a solution for every performance issue. Heiko's Raiden is the solution for Ethereum.
Finally we have to mention Steem – a blockchain database that supports community building and social interaction with cryptocurrency rewards. You can think of it as Facebook/Reddit like Plattform where content contributors and content curators are monetary rewarded for their work. It is questionable if the model is sustainable or not, anyway it's the first application of the DLT tech with a nice front-end and with the potential to go viral.


Puglia - Hidden Treasures of Italy - A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose!
Usually, travelogues tell of one individual's journey. Maheshwaran's Puglia – Hidden Treasures of Italy, is a lot more extensive than what usually travelogues are. It is not about chasing the destination and rush it out on a holiday, but it is about soaking in the place just like one of the locals and enjoy the journey.
In this book, the author has shared all about Pugalia which is in the south of Italy and is one of the often-ignored regions of this European country. The book gives a 3 day itinerary of what all can be done in Puglia which is a treasure trove of art, history, and nature. There's information on how to reach and where to stay in Puglia. The book focuses on 10 interesting places to see in Pugalia. These are Lecce, Ostuni, Cisternino, Locorotondo, Alberobello, Brindisi, Gallipolli, Leuca, Otranto and Torre del'Orso.
Maheshwaran has provided vivid descriptions, historic and factual information that gives insights about the daily-life, culture, architecture and history of the attractions at all these places. The pictures add to the charm and appeal of all these places.
So, if you are visiting Italy, you just need to read this guide to make sure you get the most out of your trip to the incredible hidden treasures that you will find in Puglia.
Thanks for sharing this, Shilpa. Kudos to the author for such an interesting book. Would love to visit this place once in my life time.
Interesting place to travel. Thanks for sharing.
That's a great way to travel. Every country has so many hidden treasures that don't make it to the typical touristy destinations. Knowing about them and having an itinerary for them is wonderful.
I have never visited Italy but heard it's very beautiful. Sometimes there are many places which are unknown to most of the tourists but they are the hidden treasures.
Sounds a great book, I have been to Puglia and cannot agree more than this. The beauty of this place is mesmerizing.


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Among other options, we offer payment through the services of Klarna on our website. The provider is Klarna AB, Sveavägen 46, 111 34 Stockholm, Sweden (hereinafter referred to as "Klarna").
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instant transfer Sofort
Among other options, we offer the payment service called "instant transfer Sofort" on our website. The provider of this payment option is the Sofort GmbH, Theresienhöhe 12, 80339 München, Germany (hereinafter referred to as "Sofort GmbH").
With the assistance of the "instant transfer Sofort" tool, we receive a payment confirmation from the Sofort GmbH in real time, which allows us to instantly start to fulfil our obligations to you.
When you choose the "instant transfer Sofort" payment option, you must send a PIN and a valid TAN to the Sofort GmbH, which allows the company to log into your online banking account. Upon logging in, the Sofort GmbH will verify your account balance and will execute the bank transfer to us with the assistance of the TAN you provided. Subsequently, the company sends us an immediate transaction confirmation. After Sofort GmbH has logged in, the system will also automatically verify your revenues and check the credit limit of your pre-approved overdraft credit line and the existence of other accounts along with their balances.
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For details on payments made with the instant transfer option, please follow these links: https://www.sofort.de/datenschutz.html and https://www.klarna.com/sofort/.
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Welcome To 1961 Week
Welcome to 1961 week at The Aggship, a five-part series about one of the finest football teams in Utah State's history
Original photo via Utah State Athletics archive, graphic by Patrick Mayhorn
Few seasons in Utah State's football history are more important, more impressive, or more interesting than 1961.
Head coach John Ralston's third and best team in Logan, the 1961 Aggies – referred to often by newspaper men simply as the Utags – lost only one game in 11 matchups, rolling through the Skyline conference on the way to a shared league title (at the time the school's sixth conference title, and only its second in the Skyline) and a final record of 9-1-1.
The Utags finished 10th in the AP poll, their first-ever inclusion in the end-of-season voting and the only mention of Utah State in the final ballot for its first 100 years of top-level football, a streak that Gary Andersen would snap at long last in 2012. They played in high-intensity battles, from thorough and long-awaited rebukes of rivals BYU and Utah to a midseason draw with Wyoming that would ultimately cleave the conference's title belt in twain
When Utah State wasn't involved in drama of the highest order, it was shredding opponents with a nationally renowned offensive attack built on the backs of the best group of linemen the sport could offer in 1961. Ralston's Aggies, many of whom made the trek from California to Logan with their head coach when he departed from an assistant coaching position at California in 1959, forced their way into the national conversation.
They were too fast, too strong and too dominant for even the most pompous members of the old-guard college football media machine to ignore. Sports Illustrated college football columnist Merlin Hyman was among those swayed by Utah State's efforts on the gridiron, writing in his national dispatch after a 17-6 victory over Utah that the Aggies deserved consideration among the best the sport had to offer.
"Utah State's victory will certainly move it into the 10 top teams and the only question is how high," Hyman wrote. "Utah State beat Utah, which the week before beat Colorado. Colorado beat Missouri and Missouri beat Minnesota. Minnesota, ranked fourth in the nation last week, may be third now, so theoretically, Utah State should be ranked around there. At least that's the way Tommy Larscheid and Utah State see it."
The electors saw things differently, leaving Utah State out of all top 10 polls until the very end of the season, when the Aggies finally earned their deserved acclaim, sneaking into the final spot of the top grouping.
That, too, is a critical piece of the 1961 Utah State tapestry. Despite its supremacy on either side of the football, averaging more points than any other team and allowing fewer than all but 16 defenses, this is a team that faced questions at every turn. Ralston had to grovel for a bowl bid at the end of the season, ultimately earning his side a spot in the extremely short-lived Gotham Bowl against Baylor.
Worse yet, while the Aggies ran up the score on all but one of their Skyline foes, they knew that only a year later they would be abandoned. The Skyline Conference was slated to close its doors after 1961 as the majority of its members prepared to help form the nascent Western Athletic Conference, but Utah State's invite had been lost in the mail – perhaps intercepted by a pair of in-state foes that had pushed hardest for the creation of the new league, and which didn't wish to share any of the glory with their counterparts to the north.
One season later, Ralston would ship back to California, taking over the head coach at Stanford. Without conference affiliation, Utah State entered into an era of athletic darkness – fighting to fill out a schedule, let alone doing so with hopes of glory. The Aggies fell from rising power to bodybag game for larger programs, kneecapped by many of the same teams that they had throttled in Ralston's heyday.
It's a season that offers critical context for the decades of strife from which the Aggies have only recently emerged, but it's also a season worth remembering on its own merit. The 1961 Aggies, even 60 years removed, remain some of the most talented gridders the program has ever seen.
Their stories deserve told, and across the next two weeks, The Aggship will be exploring five vignettes critical to understanding this pivotal bunch in the annals of Utah State football:
A look at the outsized impact the state of California had on the creation of the 1961 roster.
An in-depth film study on Ralston's variable-T offense.
The story of lineman Willie Redmond, the best-dressed man in Logan.
A dive into the impact that his counterparts in the trenches had on this team.
And a eulogy for the Skyline Conference, which suffered the same fate that may soon befall several of college football's oldest leagues.
These stories will be available exclusively to paying subscribers to The Aggship, with the film study only for Flaggship tier ($10 a month) subscribers. If you'd like to try the latter for one month, click the below button.
First Month Free
If you're already subscribed at the Aggship tier but would like to read the film study, you can upgrade your subscription for half off across the next two months.
Two Months At Half Price
Additionally, The Aggship has scanned and made publicly available all historical records kept of the 1961 Aggies in Utah State's athletics archive. Gamebooks, programs, rosters, stat sheets, photos and everything else from the season that has survived the tests of time is now preserved on The Aggship's 1961 archival page.
The 1961 archive is completely free to all interested and will remain free and unencumbered by advertisement in perpetuity – although support of The Aggship's independent and ad-free journalism is certainly appreciated from those so inclined.
Subscribe To The Flaggship Tier
Much of the information for the series of stories has been pulled directly from archival records, though the majority of quotes and color have been culled from newspaper archives – which will be credited throughout the series.
Though it is completely available for your enjoyment, The Aggship asks that you please be patient with the 1961 archive page. It's filled to the brim with PDFs and photos and takes quite a bit of bandwidth to load in full. It should open in full within about 30 seconds, but don't assume that something has gone awry when it doesn't snap into place right away. It will load, but it needs a bit of time to do so.
The first dispatch of the series has been posted in tandem with this welcome post and can be viewed here by all paying subscribers. All future posts on the 1961 team (which will be shared across the next two weeks) can be found on the archive page, which is also serving as the de facto home page for this series. Thank you for reading, and thank you for your continued support of The Aggship.


Pebblebrook Hotel Trust released two letters it sent to LaSalle Hotel Properties proposing a share-for-share merger. LaSalle executives rejected the offer in a letter dated 22 March.
BETHESDA, Maryland, March 28, 2018 – Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE: PEB) ("Pebblebrook") today released two letters, dated March 6, 2018 and March 20, 2018, to LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE: LHO) ("LaSalle") in which Pebblebrook proposed a share-for-share merger.
The proposal represented an implied merger price of $30.001 per LaSalle common share, representing a premium of 18.0% to LaSalle's trailing 10-day VWAP as of March 5, 2018, based on the proposed fixed exchange ratio of 0.8655 Pebblebrook common shares for each LaSalle common share. As of the close on March 27, 2018, the implied merger price was $29.952 per LaSalle common share, representing a premium of 17.4% to LaSalle's trailing 10-day VWAP as of March 27, 2018. As was communicated orally to LaSalle following receipt of LaSalle's letter response dated March 22, 2018, Pebblebrook is prepared to engage in discussions around price and mix of consideration as warranted by due diligence.
The combination of Pebblebrook and LaSalle would create an industry leader with a best-in-class portfolio of upscale and luxury independent and branded hotels and resorts in or near urban markets in the United States, generate strong cash flow, provide for a more stable dividend to shareholders and improve liquidity.
Raymond James and BofA Merrill Lynch are acting as financial advisors and Hunton & Williams LLP is acting as legal counsel to Pebblebrook in connection with the proposed transaction.
The full text of Pebblebrook's letter to LaSalle dated March 6, 2018, as well as Pebblebrook's followup correspondence dated March 20, 2018, and the text of LaSalle's letter to Pebblebrook, dated March 22, 2018, follows.
I have been authorized by Pebblebrook Hotel Trust's ("Pebblebrook") board of trustees to submit to you this offer for a merger transaction between Pebblebrook and LaSalle Hotel Properties ("LaSalle"). My management team and I, as well as the trustees of Pebblebrook, have believed for several years that there would be tremendous benefits from merging our two companies, both of which have many similarities, including quality, geography and markets, operators, brands and overall approach to asset management. An all-equity strategic combination of our two companies would create the clear industry leader of high-quality independent and branded hotels that would greatly benefit the shareholders of both companies. To demonstrate our conviction to this transaction, we have accumulated a 4.8% position in LaSalle's common shares through open-market purchases.
Benefit from the well-regarded executive management team of Pebblebrook, which would lead the combined company and has demonstrated a track record of creating value, evidenced by the 45% outperformance of Pebblebrook's share price (+69%) relative to LaSalle's (+24%) since Pebblebrook's IPO.
Transaction Structure: The combination will be structured as a tax-free, 100% equity exchange. Pebblebrook will issue new shares to LaSalle's shareholders and remain as the surviving ultimate parent entity. This structure allows LaSalle's shareholders to participate as equity holders in the benefits and upside of the combined entity.
Price and Form of Consideration: An implied merger price of $30.00 per share for 100% of LaSalle's outstanding common shares, paid in Pebblebrook's common shares utilizing a fixed exchange ratio. This represents a premium for LaSalle of 17.5% to its current share price, 18.0% to its 10-Day VWAP, and 7.6% to Analyst Consensus NAV. These premiums are in the top quartile of premiums paid in public REIT mergers over the last 10 years. We believe that you and your fellow trustees and shareholders should conclude that our proposal represents greater value than LaSalle could otherwise expect to achieve in the foreseeable future on a standalone basis.
Financing Sources: Pebblebrook expects to issue its common shares for the common equity consideration of the transaction and assume LaSalle's existing preferred shares, term loans and first mortgage loans or establish new loans to refinance such indebtedness and will require no financial contingencies.
Pebblebrook and LaSalle, and regulatory and other approvals.
Due Diligence: Over the last several months, we have reviewed significant amounts of publicly available information regarding LaSalle. Consequently, we anticipate being able to conduct our necessary confirmatory due diligence regarding key financial, operational, environmental, regulatory, legal and tax aspects of LaSalle within the relatively short time period set forth in paragraph 4 above.
Approvals and Conditions: Although a combination as contemplated in this letter will be subject to the approval of both Pebblebrook's and LaSalle's shareholders, we are confident that the terms set forth herein would be supported by both sets of shareholders particularly given the significant shareholder overlap between the two companies. Our top 100 shareholders (owning 97% of our common shares) also own 66% of LaSalle's common shares.
Exclusivity: Pebblebrook and LaSalle will enter into a customary exclusivity agreement providing that neither party nor their respective advisors will solicit or encourage other non-parties to submit an offer for another transaction for an agreed number of days from the date of such exclusivity agreement.
Financial and Legal Advisor Contacts: Pebblebrook intends to engage Raymond James & Associates, Inc. to serve as its financial advisor and Hunton & Williams LLP to serve as its legal counsel.
We believe that this proposal represents full and fair value to LaSalle's shareholders and a combination has compelling strategic, operational and financial merit that will maximize long-term value for shareholders of both companies and sincerely hope that both you and the other trustees will support this offer.
Pebblebrook is prepared to commence good-faith discussions immediately with the objective of entering into a definitive agreement and seeking shareholder approval as quickly as possible. We would appreciate a response by March 16, 2018 or at your earlier convenience.
I am writing in follow-up to our letter addressed to you both dated March 6, 2018, in which we proposed a merger of our two companies. We have not yet received a response from you on our proposal and the offer detailed in that letter, which remain outstanding, other than a brief, introductory courtesy call from your financial advisors to our financial advisor acknowledging receipt. As outlined in our prior letter, the combination of our two companies would create a number of compelling financial, strategic and operational advantages for LaSalle's shareholders that far outweigh the opportunities your company and shareholders would have going forward on a standalone basis. Furthermore, a merger offers LaSalle's shareholders both a significant immediate premium to the company's current share price and analysts' consensus NAV and the opportunity to move forward as shareholders in a dynamic combined company with an industry-leading portfolio and balance sheet overseen by a board of trustees drawn from both companies.
Given the similarities of our two companies' strategies, we have significant and specific knowledge of the properties in your portfolio and the operational tactics required to maximize cash flow and asset value. Moreover, our management team has a long track record of success and has consistently demonstrated the ability to create long-term shareholder value through multiple market cycles via active asset management, accretive growth, prudent capital allocation, conservative balance sheet management and strong, longstanding relationships with the investment community.
We recognize that aspects of our proposal relating to management of the combined company create conflicts in your review process, but we are confident that upon a thorough and independent review, you will conclude that a merger will significantly increase long-term value for LaSalle's shareholders, as we believe it will for Pebblebrook's shareholders. Importantly, we believe that the merger will be enthusiastically received by the investment community once they are aware of our proposal. We remain committed to working with you to negotiate and complete a transaction on an exclusive, confidential and expedited basis. Our commitment is evidenced by our continued ownership of approximately 4.8% of LaSalle's common shares.
Time is of the essence. We are available to meet with you at any time to discuss the proposed transaction and encourage you to engage with us as soon as possible so that we may share with you in more detail our vision for the combined company and the powerful financial benefits for your shareholders.
We are writing you on behalf of the Board of Trustees of LaSalle Hotel Properties (the "Board") in response to the unsolicited proposal set forth in your letter dated March 6, 2018 and your subsequent letter dated March 20, 2018. The Board takes its fiduciary duties to its shareholders very seriously. The Board, in consultation with its financial and legal advisors, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, and Goodwin Procter LLP, has thoroughly analyzed your proposal.
After careful consideration, the full Board has unanimously determined that your proposal is insufficient from both a price and mix of consideration perspective and is therefore not in the best interests of LaSalle Hotel Properties shareholders.
Accordingly, the Board has unanimously rejected your proposal.