Happy St. George's Day.....

Hello from the Hovel on St. George's Day, a very wet and chilly one here in Cornwall. Ha well, that's the weather for you.....

Bulgarian Orthodox icon of St. George fighting the dragon.

A 1914 half-sovereign minted in Sydney

St George's statue at Prague Castle

Until next time, take care...Hugs Chrissy xx

In Remembrance Of Those Who Lost Their Lives On RMS Titanic....

Hello there... The sun is shining, the sky is blue and there is a gentle breeze rippling through the trees. What a glorious day we are having here in Cornwall. Unlike a hundred years ago in the North Atlantic Ocean when in the early hours of the morning tragedy struck. The unsinkable RMS Titanic sank to the bottom of the ocean at around 2:20am, taking with it many lives and secrets....

"Untergang der Titanic" by Willy Stöwer, 1912

RMS Titanic began her short life in Belfast, Ireland, and was constructed by the Belfast shipbuilders Hartland and Wolff 1909-1911 for the White Star Line....

White Star Line Vector Logo

RMS Titanic was the second of the three Olympic-class ocean liners built by Hartland and Wolff, the others being RMS Olympic and the HMHS Britannic (originally named Gigantic). It was on 29 July 1908, that Harland and Wolff presented the drawings for the first liner to Joseph Bruce Ismay and other White Star Line executives, which was originally called number 400 before it was named RMS Olympic. The ships were constructed on Queen's Island, now known as the Titanic Quarter, in Belfast Harbour....

Joseph Bruce Ismay, who served as chairman and managing director of the White Star Line of steamships..

The naval architect Thomas Andrews was in charge of the plans for RMS Titanic which was based on a revised version of the same design as RMS Olympic and was given the number 401 before being named RMS Titanic....

Thomas Andrews

The construction of RMS Titanic took longer than planned and was finally launched at 12:15 pm on 31 May 1911 in the presence of Lord Pirrie, J. Pierpoint Morgan and J. Bruce Ismay and 100,000 onlookers....

RMS Titanic leaving Belfast for her sea trials on 2 April 1912

Before setting out on her maiden voyage, RMS Titanic underwent sea trials, which began at 6 am on Monday, 2 April 1912, just two days after her fitting out was finished and eight days before she was due to leave Southampton on her maiden voyage. The trails had been delayed by a day due to bad weather. Many stories have been told over the years of delays, accidents and hurried completion of Titanic. It’s almost as if she was doomed from the start. It begs the question that if she had been constructed on time, launched earlier and departed Southampton on an earlier date then this disaster may not have happened?....Having completed the sea trails and after a 28 hour journey RMS Titanic arrived at Southampton at about midnight on 4 April. She was towed to the port's Berth 44, ready for the arrival of her passengers and the remainder of her crew....

Titanic at Southampton docks, prior to departure

At the time of her maiden voyage RMS Titanic was the largest ship afloat. She was designed to be the last word in comfort and luxury. On-board was a gymnasium, swimming pool, libraries, high-class restaurants and opulent cabins....

Titanic's famous Grand Staircase, which provided access between the Boat Deck and D Deck.

Titanic's gymnasium on the Boat Deck, which was equipped with the latest exercise machines

The A La Carte restaurant on B Deck, run as a concession by Italian-born chef Gaspare Gatti.

A powerful wireless telegraph was provided both for the convenience of passengers as well as for operational use. Although Titanic had advanced safety features she lacked enough lifeboats to accommodate all of those aboard. Due to outdated maritime safety regulations, she carried only enough lifeboats for 1,178 people, which was not sufficient for the 2,223 people on board....

RMS Titanic departing Southampton on 10 April 1912

At noon on Wednesday10 April 1912 RMS Titanic and her passengers left Southampton under the care of Captain Edward Smith and his crew....

Edward Smith, captain of Titanic, in 1911, who died in the sinking

Chief Officer Henry Tingle Wilde Jr. who died in the sinking

Second Mate Charles Herbert Lightoller, who survived and died in 1952

Her passengers included some of the wealthiest people in the world, as well as over a thousand emigrants from Great Britain and Ireland, Scandinavia and elsewhere seeking a new life in North America....

John Jacob Astor IV in 1909. He and his wife were the wealthiest people aboardTitanic. He did not survive

Madeleine Talmage Astor, who survived and died in 1940

American socialite Margaret "Molly" Brown who survived and died in 1932

American businessman Benjamin Guggenheim who died in the sinking

American silent film actress and singer Dorothy Gibson who survived and died in 1946

Titanic's passengers of around 1,317 people consisted of 324 in First Class, 284 in Second Class and 709 in Third Class. There were 869 males 447 females on board, which included 107 children, the largest number of which were in Third Class. Titanic was under capacity on her maiden voyage, as she could accommodate 2,566 passengers. Thank goodness she was because the loss of lives would have been greater....

Titanic underway after the near-collision with SS City of New York. On the left can be seen Oceanic and New York.

Within minutes of leaving Southampton an accident was narrowly averted as Titanic passed the moored liners SS City of New York and Oceanic. With 922 passengers on board Titanic continued her journey to Cherbourg, France, where 24 passengers left the liner and a further 274 passengers boarded. Her next stop was Queenstown and at 11.30 am on Thursday 11 April, Titanic arrived at Cork Harbour in southern Ireland. Here 7 passengers left Titanic and a further 113 Third Class and seven Second Class passengers came aboard. One of the people who left at Queenstown was Father Francis Browne, a Jesuit trainee, a keen photographer who took many photographs aboard Titanic. An unofficial dismemberment was made by stoker John Coffey, a native of Queenstown who sneaked off the ship by hiding under mail bags being transported to shore....

The route of Titanic's maiden voyage, with the coordinates of her sinking.

As Titanic left Ireland under cloudy skies the weather cleared and the first three days passed without incident. Temperatures remained fairly mild but on April 14 the liner crossed a cold weather front with strong winds and waves of up to 8 feet but by the evening it became clear, calm and very cold. However Titanic received a series of warnings from other ships of drifting ice in the area of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. As was the standard practice at the time it was generally believed that ice posed little danger to large vessels so the ship continued at full speed....

Frederick Fleet, who survived and died in 1965

At 11:40pm Lookout Frederick Fleet spotted an iceberg immediately ahead of Titanic and alerted the bridge. An order to steer the ship around the obstacle was given by First Officer William Murdock with the engines to be put in reverse....

First Officer William Murdoch, who died in the sinking

As the ship hit an iceberg those aboard Titanic were ill-prepared for such an emergency. Third-class passengers were largely left to fend for themselves, causing many of them to become trapped below decks as the ship filled with water. A protocol of "women and children first" was generally followed for the loading of the lifeboats and most of the male passengers and crew were left aboard....

"The Sad Parting", illustration of 1912

Collapsible lifeboat D photographed from the deck of Carpathia on the morning of 15 April 1912

Two hours and forty minutes after Titanic struck the iceberg, she began to sink dramatically. As her unsupported stern rose out of the water the ship split in two. The stern remained afloat for a few minutes longer, rising to a nearly vertical angle with hundreds of people still clinging to it. At 2.20 am RMS Titanic sank, breaking loose from the bow section. As this luxurious vessel disappeared into the waters the remaining passengers and crew were plunged into lethally cold water. Almost all of those in the water died of hypothermia or cardiac arrest within minutes or drowned. Of those poor souls fighting for their lives only 13 of them were helped into the lifeboats, yet there were room for almost 500 more people....

SS Californian, which had tried to warnTitanic of the danger from pack-ice

Despite distress signals, rockets and lamps none of the ships that responded were near enough to reach her before she sank. A nearby ship, the SS Californian, which was the last to have been in contact with her before the collision, saw her flares but failed to assist....

RMS Carpathia

Following a response to Titanic’s earlier distress calls the ship RMS Carpathia arrived at the scene at about 4am. Of all those on board the Titanic only 710 people survived and were picked up by the Carpathia and taken to New York, Titanic's original destination. A total of 1,517 people lost their lives in the icy waters of the North Atlantic Ocean a hundred years ago today....

Seven of the eight members ofTitanic's band, who became a focus for many commemorations of the disaster

There have been many stories, myths and legends relayed over the years about what occurred that night, too many to mention here. But one that stands out for me is that of the ship's band, led by Wallace Hartley, who heroically played on while the Titanic was sinking. There has been confusion as to what song was played but the most reported is "Nearer, My God, to Thee’’. I would believe that more than one was played that night. Regardless, these men were so brave to stay and help those around them, knowing that they were all going to die. How many of us could do that?....

The New York Herald Report of The Sinking

The Carpathia took three days to reach New York after leaving the scene of the disaster. During this journey she was able to pass news to the outside world by wireless about what had happened. When confirmation came through that Titanic had been lost and that most of her passengers and crew had died the news attracted crowds of people to the White Star Line's offices. Southampton was hit the hardest, whose people suffered the greatest losses from the sinking, 4 out of 5 crew members came from this town....

According to an eyewitness report, there "were many pathetic scenes" whenTitanic's survivors disembarked at New York

At 9.30 pm on 18 April SS Carpathia docked at New York's Pier 54. Waiting at the quayside in heavy rain were 40,000 people. Immediate relief in the form of clothing and transportation to shelters was provided by different organisations. 214 of Titanic’s crew members survived and were given passenger cabins on the Red Star Line's steamer SS Lapland. After being restocked with food and provisions the Carpathia resumed her journey to Fiume, Austria-Hungary. In reward for their actions her crew were given a bonus of a month's wages by Cunard and some of Titanic's passengers joined together to give them an additional bonus of nearly £900 (£66,038 today), divided among the crew members....

Marker of Unknown Child; positively identified as Sidney Goodwin

Following the disaster there was the difficult task of retrieval and burial of the dead. Ships left with embalming supplies, undertakers, and clergy and 333 victims were eventually recovered with only two-thirds being identified. Some were buried in their home towns while the remainder were buried in cemeteries in Halifax, Canada....

The bow of the wrecked RMS Titanic, photographed in June 2004

Investigations, theories and stories followed the sinking of the Titanic. No one will ever really know what happened that night. After the wreck of the Titanic was discovered investigations began again and a renewed interest spread around the world. Many memorials, museums, exhibitions and followers have developed over the years but what is known for sure is that many lives were lost on April 15 1912....R.I.P....

Memorial to Titanic's engineers in Southampton, England, unveiled in 1914

Until next time, take care....Hugs Chrissy xx


Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me;
Still all my song shall be nearer, my God, to Thee

Happy Friday The 13th.....

Hello from the Hovel on Friday the 13th. Do you see it as a lucky day or as many do a day for bad luck?....I'll be honest I didn't realise it was Friday the 13th until late afternoon when I went to write up some notes. Has it been a day of bad luck for me? Stressful at times, yes, busy, yes, but unlucky, I don't think so. But then again there has been so much going on of late I probably wouldn't notice..lol....

Like with many day to day things people have a genuine fear of Friday the 13th. And like many medical terms, the words are long and difficult to say, well for me anyway (says she a former nurse..lol..)....See if you agree....

· Friggatriskaidekaphobia: the fear of Friday the 13th because Frigga is the name of the Norse goddess for whom "Friday" is named...
· Triskaidekaphobia: meaning fear of the number thirteen...
· Paraskevidekatriaphobia: made up of the Greek words: Paraskeví, meaning "Friday" and dekatreís, meaning "thirteen" attached to phobía, meaning "fear''...

How did you do? For those who do have this phobia or any other I do feel for them....Regardless, I wish you luck today and every day.

Until next time, take care....Hugs Chrissy xx

Happy Easter To One And All.....

Hello from the Hovel and Easter greetings to you all. Just a quick visit to say hello and hope that you are enjoying your Easter Break....

I'm looking forward to tomorrow because I am collecting my two oldest grandees to come and stay with us for a few days and to have some Easter fun....

Until next time, take care...Hugs Chrissy xx

Remembering My Late Mother-in-Law.....

Hello from the Hovel. After a lovely sunny day the evening is now quite chilly. As I write this post two beautiful children are asleep upstairs, yes my two eldest grandees are staying with us for a few days. I hope the weather is good tomorrow because a visit to the beach is planned. The children have their buckets and spades ready in preparation.... But the main purpose for today's post is in remembrance of my mother-in-law Margaret Joan Ward nee Laws who passed away 11 years ago on April 2nd 2001 aged 77, just 11 days before her 78th birthday....

Margaret Joan Ward nee Laws..

A beautiful talented lady who left us too soon and is still greatly missed. She had a mischievous smile and a heart of gold. Margaret, or 'mum' as I was proud to call her, was a exceptional craftswoman and could turn her hand to anything. I have some beautiful examples of her work, with I will show at a later date. Up until the day she took ill mum continued to make her own clothes. Card making, embroidery, stamping, lacework, you name it mum could do it...

Margaret aged 2..

Maragret's other passion was gardening and it was the day after she had planted a rose bush that she took ill. With living in Cornwall we had a mad dash to Lincolnshire, where my hubby's parents lived, to see her. Sadly she never went home again....

Margaret looking smart in her younger days

Mum loved to cycle in her youth...She that smile again

One of Maragret's occupations was a embroideress and one of her many hobbies was to make banners for local churches and associations....

An example of one of the banners...

Another beautiful banner by Margaret

It was an honour to have known you mum. Always there, just not seen.....

The cover of Newsweek magazine, 19 April 1982, depicts HMS Hermes, flagship of the British Task Force.

Another anniversary also occurred on this day. It is thirty years since Argentine forces invaded the Falkland Islands. The resulting conflict between Argentine and British forces resulted in the loss of many lives. Remembering all those who lost their lives, were injured and who fought during this time....

The British Military Cemetery at San Carlos on East Falkland

Until next time, take care...Hugs Chrissy xx

'Softly the leaves of memory fall, gently I gather and treasure them all, unseen, unheard, you are always near, so missed, so loved, so very dear....'