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Friday, July 04, 2008

Belleek Newslettre (# 12.2)

** 2009 CONVENTION !!

YES, it’s just around the corner, at least the way I
procrastinate !! I’ve been in contact with the organizing
Belleekers for our upcoming 2009 Convention and they
promise another spectacular affair !!

AND NOW, IT's HERE !!

If you haven't received your Convention Information as
yet, please Navigate around my Site below and you'll be
able to obtain ALL the information you'll require
regarding Registration, Proposed Convention Itinerary,
information specific to Convention Donations as well as
a Page dedicated to sights, sounds and gastronomical
experiences in the Garden State !!

http://delyicious.magix.net/public/
2009_conv_welcome.html

NOTE : Registration and Auction pages are single sheet
printable while, the Itinerary and Sights and Sounds
pages are two pages each !!

If you would, PLEASE pass this Convention Link on to ALL
your Chapter Members or friends that you feel will be
attending !! THANKS !!

AND, remember to mention that you're a BELLEEKER
attending the B.C.I.S. 2009 Convention !!

The DISCOUNT Marriott Hotel Code is : "bicbica" !!

SEE YOU ALL IN NEW JERSEY NEXT YEAR !!

** NEW JERSEY INFORMATION !!

For those of you not familiar with New Jersey, our
Garden State, we discouver from the Movie ‘Eddie and
the Cruisers II’ (c1989) :

(Our hero Eddie Wilson {E} is having a chat with his
girlfriend Diana {D})

D} You really enjoy this life don’t you ??
      .. .. Always Traveling ??
E} ‘Still miss Jersey !!
D} OH .. .. and what’s so special about Jersey ??
E} Baby !! .. .. There’s no where else in the world
      like the Garden State !!
      You’ve got miles of swamps and mountains of dumps,
      different coloured rivers, automobile graveyards,
      breweries, factories, ballparks .. ..
      All mixed up together !!
      It’s the best place to live !!
D} UH HUH !! Then why’s the Statue of Liberty
      face the other way ??
E} OH !! .. ..
both} (laughing)
E} That was cruel !!

** IMPORTANT INFORMATION !!

I am reprinting this article, courtesy of Ralph and
Terry Kovel from their Antiques information Site :

http://www.kovels.com !!

HOT WEATHER--HOW TO PROTECT YOUR ANTIQUES

“Make sure your antiques are comfortable--especially
this week, when it's too hot and humid for both
collectibles and humans in most of the country.

“The attic is too hot for storage. High temperatures
dry out wood, paper, and fabrics and cause even worse
damage to photographs, composition doll heads, and
plastic purses. They can crack, fade, and even melt.

“The basement must be dry to be a storage or display
area. Black mold that thrives in warm, wet places is
toxic to things and people. Damp areas may lead to mold
in paper or fabrics.

“The main floors of your house have hazards, too. The
sun should not shine though a window on an item.
Printed or painted objects will fade. Glass objects
like paperweights could reflect the light and start
a fire. Extreme heat may even crack glass items.

“Do not leave antiques or collectibles or even just
‘stuff’ in a closed car or car trunk. The temperature
can go over 100 degrees and cause damage.

“There is not much you can do if you do not have air
conditioning. Be sure to keep planters or vases filled
with water in a very hot room to keep the humidity
level normal. Draw the shades or blinds to keep the
sun out. That will help keep the room cooler, too. But
when you open the windows on a hot day, watch out for
blowing curtains that may hit china or glass displayed
nearby.

“If you plan to go to a flea market, use sunscreen to
protect your face, arms, ears, and even a bald spot. If
you are wearing sandals or Crocs, put sunscreen on your
feet, too, or they will burn.

“Remember: dealers leave metal pieces like jewelry out
in the sun and they get very, very hot. Also watch out
for paper left exposed to sun for the day; fading will
accelerate in hot sunlight.“

© Kovels Komments [June 11, 2008]

IF you are interested in receiving their On-Line
Newsletter’s, you may set up your FREE Subscription
at the following Site :

Kovels Komments Subscription

http://e.kovelsonline.com/c.asp?
NkI3qTvdLpvOqghTUyet9Qe5Qqi9zgz4W90EhkrkLTmQ

** I FOUND THIS TOO FUNNY ??

It isn't widely known, but the first toilet seat was
invented by a Polish scientist in the 16th century.

The invention was later modified by an Irish inventor
who put a hole in the seat.

** RECYCLING !!

These Web Site ID’s were passed on to me via one of our
very favourite and dedicated honourees, Katherine :

Some ideas on where/how to recycle things you no longer
need :

Appliances : http://www.recycle-steel.org

Business clothing : http://www.dressforsuccess.org
 
Carpets: http://www.carpetrecovery.org

Cell phones &
      Rechargeable Batteries : http://www.rbrc.org

Computers : http://www.sharetechnology.org

Electronics : http://www.mygreenelectronics.org

Eyeglasses : http://www.neweyesfortheneedy.org

Floppy disks & Videotapes : http://www.greendisk.com

Formal Dresses : http://www.operationfairydust.org

Packing peanuts : http://www.loosefillpackaging.com

Paint : http://www.earth911.org/

Tires : http://www.epa.gov/garbage/tires/live.htm

Plus (The EVER ANOYING) :

Stop Junk mail : http://www.dmachoice.org/mps

For my part, I did some research, as I was ‘out’ of
prepaid mailers for used Ink Jet Cartridges and
discouvered the following :

(The following is her E-mail REPLY to me !!)

From: Jean Reiss [mailto:smallworldworkshop@yahoo.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2008 11:29 AM
To: Del E. Domke Subject:
Re: Recycle (USED) Ink Jet Cartridges !!

Hi Del:

Thank You for contacting me. I have more self addressed
recycling envelopes for recycling ink cartridges,
cameras and cell phones, just mailed you some and
please pass it around if you like.

Thank you again for recycling.

Best wishes.
Jean

Jean Reiss,
Small World Workshops, Inc.
(310) 529 9040

OR, if you prefer UPS Service, contact :

http://www.recycleplace.com/

and they’ll post you Pre-Paid UPS Labels AND they
reimburse you like $1 per cartridge, etc. !!

** HAPPENED TO YOU ??

Spanish singer Julio Iglesias was on television with
British TV host Anne Diamond when he used the Spanish
word "manana" (manyana). Diamond asked him to explain
what it meant. He said that the term means, "Maybe the
job will be done tomorrow, maybe the next day, maybe
the day after that. Perhaps next week, next month,
next year who cares?"

The host turned to Irishman Shay Brennan who was also on
the show and asked him if there was an equivalent term
in Irish. "No. In Ireland we don't have a word to describe
that degree of urgency."

** MORE CRESTED MINIATURES !!

I’ve recently acquired several additional crested
miniatures for my Museum and I’d like to share them
with you today !! Both hail from Scotland and thus,
I feel it appropriate to discuss a bit of history
regarding cities and their coat of arms or crest !!
A bit of research over the Internet reveals the following
background regarding the formation and classification of
a city in Scotland :

In many parts of the world "city" is applied to any
large or important town - or can even be applied to
small locations where the founders had big aspirations!
In Scotland (and in the rest of the UK) a city used to
be defined as somewhere that had a diocesan cathedral
(headed by a bishop). In the 19th century, a number of
large towns were given a royal charter, which gave them
additional honorific status and so the title was
strenuously sought. In the four largest cities in
Scotland, the most senior elected local government
official is designated as "Lord Provost" instead of
just provost (equivalent of mayor in England).

For over 100 years, no further city charters were
allocated in Scotland, although in England, Wales and
Northern Ireland, 14 towns were upgraded in the 20th
century, most recently Armagh and St David's in 1994
and Sunderland in 1992. Then, to mark the Millennium,
followed by the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations, two
Scottish towns (Stirling and Inverness) were awarded
"city" status after competing with a number of other
locations.

Prior to the creation of cities, a number of towns had
been awarded the status of a "Royal Burgh", usually
granted by a charter from the king. Many of the very
earliest royal burghs were created by King David I
(1124-1153). This gave the people who lived there certain
rights and responsibilities. Many were sea ports and
burgh status gave the "burgesses" (people of status who
lived in the burgh) the right to own land and trade
abroad. Nearly all the royal burghs sent a representative
to the Scottish parliament and by 1707 (when the
parliament was merged with the one in London) there
were 70 royal burghs.

Strictly speaking, burghs in Scotland were abolished in
1975 a result of local government reorganization, but
the term remains in common usage.

As to the City of Perth, we additionally discouver that
it’s often called the "Fair City of Perth" this royal
burgh (a status granted by King William the Lionheart
in 1210) is often referred as a city, though it lacks
official recognition. However, it is claimed that Perth
has been recognized as a city since 1600 when King James
VI bestowed a so called "Golden Charter". In more recent
times, 19th century official documents such as the Acts
of Parliament which were given Royal Assent have also
constantly referred to Perth as a city and more recent
official documents approved by the Scottish Secretary
have called Perth a city. It was a capital of Scotland
for a spell in the 13th and early 14th centuries. In
trivia quizzes, it is often the trick answer to "what
is the smallest town in Scotland?" The central area lies
between "two inches" - the North and South Inch, two
open spaces beside the river.

As to their Coat-of-Arms or Crest, we begin our research
with the extremely profound origin and history of the
double-headed eagle as represented on their Crest's
background !!  Double-headed eagles have been present
in imagery for many centuries. The two-headed eagle can
be found in archaeological remains of the Hittite
civilization dating from a period that ranges from the
20th century BC to the 13th century BC.

Cylindrical seals discovered in Bogazkoy, an old Hittite
capital in modern-day Turkey, represent clearly a
two-headed eagle with spread wings. The aesthetics of
this symmetrical position explains in part the birth of
this religious figure. It probably dates from the 18th
century BC, and was used in a tradesman background. It
can also be seen in the same region in two monumental
settings: in Alachöyük around 1400 BC and in Yazilikaya
before 1250 BC. Here the context looks different and
totally religious: the eagle becomes a divinity symbol.
The two-headed eagle slowly disappears during the last
Hittite period, from the 9th century BC to the 7th
century BC, and totally disappears after the end of
the empire.

The double-headed eagle was also in use by the Arsacid
Dynasty of Armenia and the Mamikonian family in the
3rd to 9th centuries.

The first mention of a double-headed eagle in the West
dates from 1250, in a roll of arms of Matthew of Paris
for Emperor Frederick II of the Holy Roman Empire.
Usually depicted black on a gold background, it replaced
the earlier single-headed eagle, and was subsequently
adopted in the coats of arms of many German cities and
aristocratic families. After the dissolution of the Holy
Roman Empire in 1806, the double-headed eagle was
retained by the Austrian Empire, and served also as
the coat of arms of the German Confederation.

Further research via the Internet’s Free Wikipedia, we
discouver history regarding the Holy Roman Empire and
it’s attempts in conquering what is now the United
Kingdom !!

In brief, regarding Scotland, Roman occupation was
withdrawn to a line subsequently established as one
of the limes of the empire, i.e., a defensible frontier,
by the construction of Hadrian's Wall. An attempt was
made to push this line north to the River Clyde-River
Forth area in 142 when the Antonine Wall was constructed.
However, this was once again abandoned after two decades
and only subsequently re-occupied on an occasional basis.
The Romans retreated to the earlier and stronger Hadrian's
Wall in the River Tyne-Solway Firth frontier area, this
having been constructed around 122. Roman troops, however,
penetrated far into the north of modern Scotland several
more times. Indeed, there is a greater density of Roman
marching camps in Scotland than anywhere else in Europe
as a result of at least four major attempts to subdue
the area.

One would have to suspect that owing to this rich
history is a plausible reason that Perth adopted the
double-headed eagle as the background of its crest !!

Turning back to classic movies, you may remember, Peter
Sellers in ‘The Mouse that Roared’, the double-headed
eagle is on the national flag of Grand Fenwick !!

The lamb on its shield is rather more direct to research !!
It’s in actuality, a paschal lamb, being emblematic of
Christ and the lamb sacrificed at the first Passover.

The noble banner on Perth’s prestigious crest translates
from the Latin “PRO REGE LEGE ET GREGE” into English as
“For the King, the Law and the People” !!

 

            Above, we see the Crest of the City of Perth
              on a Belleek Miniature Crested Irish Pot !!

Traveling, more or less, West out of Perth and finally
turning a bit South, there appears to be a land linked
route to the town of Dunoon, the largest town in Argyll,
sitting on the east coast of the mountainous Cowal
Peninsula and on the Firth (a long, narrow inlet of
the sea) of Clyde !!

Researching the Internet provides us with a wealth of
information regarding this historic town !! It is seems
likely that such a prominent site would have been used
since prehistoric times. Some believe that Fergus mac
Eric, founder of the Scottish kingdom in Argyll c.500 AD,
established a fortification here. In the following
centuries it may even have been used as a launch pad
for the invasion and settlement of the Firth of Clyde
area.

There exists a profusion of knowledge regarding this
area during the mid-evil times !! A very brief synopsis
has Dunoon Castle being constructed, probably during the
11th century !! Following its construction, CENTURYS of
disputes and battles, including many of the prominent
families in Scotland, i.e., Campbell, Stewart, etc.,
ensued !!

The worst example of this conflict getting out of hand
was in 1646, during the Civil War, when a group of
Campbells arrested around one hundred and forty Lamonts.
About one hundred were shot or stabbed to death and 36
‘special gentlemen’ of the Lamonts were hung from a
single tree in Dunoon Churchyard. A memorial to the
dead sits on top of Castle Hill. Despite attempts at
a Campbell cover up, when those responsible were brought
to justice, albeit 16 years later, they were executed.
The atrocity also ended the often grisly history of
Dunoon Castle and shortly afterwards, this conspicuous
ruling structure was abandoned and fell into ruin. In
the 19th century its stone was quarried to build Castle
House.

The town that grew up around the fort most probably fell
into decline after the abandonment of Dunoon Castle.
Nonetheless, by the 17th century, Dunoon was established
as a fishing centre and one of the peninsula’s primary
markets and subsequently did not disappear from the map.
At the dawn of the 19th century it was little more than
a village made up of a collection of wooden houses.
However, the effects of industrialization were set to
transform Dunoon. James Ewing, Lord Provost of Glasgow,
led the way by popularizing Dunoon amongst Glasgow’s
elite and within decades of the construction of Castle
House many of the grand buildings of Dunoon were in place.
The advent of paddle steamers also made the town
accessible to the growing population of less wealthy
Glaswegians who could now afford short breaks in Dunoon.
The last sea going paddle steamer, the Waverley, still
calls at Dunoon’s impressive Victorian pier.

Considering their complex history, Dunoon has a rather
simple yet modern crest !! The castle would be symbolic
of Castle Dunoon, the triple turrets a stout representation
of unity and strength !! The jib rigged paddle steamer
above, possibly the Waverley herself ??

My passion though, is symbolized by their crest banner
‘FORWARD’!! First, you don’t have to translate it
from the Latin !! But its meaning is VERY dynamic !!
FORWARD is a word of the future !! Forward to battle !!
Forward contemplation !! Forward judiciously !! JUST
PLAIN FORWARD !! Forward could easily be our ‘word of
the day’ !!