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June 24
Quote on John Barnes Blogsite
1965 Bedford Beagle Estate car
This advert for the new 1965 model Bedford Beagle Estate Car
appeared in an October 1964 edition of the magazine "Autocar".
The Beagle was on display at stand 138 of the 1964 London Motor
Show, held every year in the month of October, to exhibit the new
models for the following year.
Priced at 620 British Pounds, the Bedford Beagle featured a 1057cc
engine, a 4 speed manual gearbox, rack and pinion steering, and
the special "Estate" body by coachbuilder Martin Walter Ltd.
The Beagle was an Estate version of the Vauxhall Viva which was
available in Australia. The Bedford Beagle was not sold in Australia.
The top speed of this vehicle was just over 70 miles per hour.
More details were available at the Motor Show, or from the local
Vauxhall/Bedford dealer.
Bedford Beagle Estate car
Advert for the 1965 Bedford Beagle Estate Car. The Estate conversion was by Martin Walter Ltd.
Quote on John Barnes Blogsite
Australian Paper Manufacturers (APM ) mill, Melbourne 1963
The picture shows the APM South Melbourne paper mill in 1963.
The truck has a mechanical hand on the driver's door as indicators
were not in general use in 1963.
Australian Paper Manufacturers Ltd. became AMCOR in 1986.
APM mill South Melbourne 1963
View of the APM paper and cardboard mill at South Melbourne in 1963.
June 20
The pictures below show a 1974 Austin-Morris Royal Mail van.
The van appeared in the movie "Brannigan", which was
filmed in 1974 and released in 1975. It starred John Wayne and
Richard Attenborough.
The van has sliding doors at the front end.
The front and rear bumper bars are painted white.
There is no air-vent on the roof of the van.
(Another almost identical Royal Mail van seen in the film had an air-vent
on the roof ).
In 1952, the Austin Motor Company (established 1905), and the Morris
Motor Company (established 1910), became part of the British Motor
Corporation (BMC).
In 1968, BMC was acquired by the British Leyland Motor Corporation,
but Morris, Austin, and Austin-Morris badges still appeared for a number
of years after the Leyland acquisition.
Austin Morris Royal Mail van at Piccadilly Circus.
Side view of the Austin-Morris Royal Mail van as filmed in 1974.
The van has stopped at post box No.2 (red pillar box 2) at Piccadilly
Circus to empty the box.
Note the white bumper bars and the absence of an air-vent on the roof.
rear view
Rear view of the 1974 Royal Mail van. The contents of the Piccadilly Circus
mail box (pillar box) have been placed inside the van.
as seen through rear window
Front view of the 1974 Royal Mail van (when it first appeared) approaching
post box No.2 (red pillar box 2) at Piccadilly Circus (London) - as seen
through the rear window of Brannigan's car, which was parked on the side
of the road. The number on the van is TJJ855M.
The next picture shows the van driving away from Piccadilly Circus minus
the number seen in the picture above.
This is obviously a 'blooper', as there is no sign of the number above
the Austin Morris badge.
Front view
A front view of the van as it drives away from Piccadilly Circus.
The number above the badge has disappeared !
The last picture is a view of the red pillar box (No.2) where the mail van
stopped to pick up the mail.
Red pillar box ( No.2 ) at Piccadilly Circus
The red pillar box (No.2) at Piccadilly Circus in 1974.
The man seen posting the mail is actor Mel Ferrer (now deceased).
June 17
Quote on John Barnes Blogsite
Japanese attack on Port Arthur, 1894 - sketch by B. Meadows Taylor
The picture below is from a drawing made by Englishman
B. Meadows Taylor in 1894.
It shows the Japanese attacking the fortified hills surrounding
Port Arthur, during the first Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895).
The scene depicted here shows the advance towards Port Arthur on
November 21, 1894.
The Japanese fleet can be seen in the distance.
Port Arthur was named after William C. Arthur, a Lieutenant in the
Royal Navy, who, in 1860, sailed his damaged ship into the harbour
of what was then a quiet fishing village in southern Manchuria.
Over the next 30 years, Port Arthur was gradually built up into
a fortified area which was designed to repel attacks from both land
and sea, and by 1894 had become one of the world's most fortified ports.
The Chino-Japanese War (later called the Sino-Japanese War), was initiated
by events on the Korean Peninsula, and it is not the purpose of this posting
to cover those events.
The signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki on the 17th of April, 1895, marked
the official end to the conflict between China and Japan, but it was not the last
time Japan would be involved in a battle for Port Arthur.
During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, Japan would once again launch
an assault on Port Arthur, but this time the fortress port was manned by the
Russians, and the fortifications had been 'beefed up' considerably.
The Japanese army suffered severe losses, but on January 2nd, 1905, the
Russians surrendered.
As in the Sino-Japanese war ten years earlier, the Japanese were the victors
on land and at sea.
In the 1894-1895 conflict, the Chinese fleet was almost annihilated, and the same
thing happened to the Russian fleet.
It should be remembered that prior to 1868, Japan was controlled by the Tokugawa
Shogunate, and within a period of less than 30 years, Japan had moved from what was
basically a feudal society, to an industrial society with an effective army and navy.
A number of the Japanese cruisers employed in the Sino-Japanese War were
constructed at the Yokusuka Shipyards in Japan. Other cruisers were constructed
in Great Britain and France.
Japanese attack on Port Arthur, 1894 
June 15
Quote on John20747's Place
Explosion at Varanus Island disrupts WA natural gas supply
On Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008, an explosion and fire occurred
at the natural gas hub on Varanus Island, situated approx.
100Km west of the port of Dampier in Western Australia.
The cause of the explosion and fire is still unknown, but it
caused severe damage to a section of the processing equipment
as well as pipeline rupture.
The processing hub on Varanus Island is connected by pipeline
to a distribution facility near Dampier on the Burrup Peninsula,
which is the northern terminal for the 1600 Km Dampier to Bunbury
gas pipeline.
The rupture of the pipeline at Varanus has reduced the natural
gas supply to Western Australia by about 30%, and has disrupted
the operations of a number of commercial enterprises, including
the closedown of gas-fired kilns by brick manufacturers Midland
Brick and Austral.
There are three gas processing 'trains' on Varanus, and it's believed
only one of these has been damaged, but due to the rupture of the
pipeline, the other units cannot deliver any gas to the mainland until the
cause of the explosion has been established, and the damage to the
ruptured pipeline(s) has been repaired.
The facilities on Varanus Island are under the control of Apache Energy,
a subsidiary of Apache Corporation, which is an American based global
'conglomerate'.
The picture below is a satellite view of part of the facilities on Varanus Island.
Veranus Island Satellite view
Satellite view showing part of the facilities on Varanus Island, including
what appear to be three large gas storage tanks.
The next picture is a closer view of the three storage tanks
3 gas tanks on Veranus Island
A closer view of the 3 storage tanks seen in the satellite view above.
The picture below shows the explosion and resultant fireball at the facilities
on Varanus Island on June 3rd, 2008.
Explosion at Veranus Island
Explosion and fire on Veranus Island - June 3, 2008.
Footnote - It would be impossible to accurately list all the installations
(and activities) on the Burrup Peninsula in this brief posting.
June 14
Quote on John Barnes Blogsite
Widening the London to Dover road near Farningham, 1923
The picture shows the London to Dover road being widened
near Farningham, in 1923.
The widening is being carried out on a formerly narrow section
of the road which ran between the chalk hills in the Farningham area.
The chalk cliff on the left is gradually being cut away by using a
combination of manual digging, horse-drawn equipment, and a
steam shovel.
The car seen on the right is part of the normal through-traffic on
the original road.
Widening the London to Dover Road near Farningham, 1923.
Widening of the London to Dover Road in the Farningham area, 1923.
June 12
The picture below shows Japanese tea pickers at work
in a tea field in 1922.
A lot more tea was grown in Japan in the 1920's than today.
Japanese tea pickers in the field, 1922.  Japanese tea pickers, 1922.
June 10
Quote on John Barnes Blogsite
Nebuchadnezzar learns humility- eats grass for 7 years.
Nebuchadnezzar II was a military commander and King
of Babylon during the period of (around) 605 to 562 BC.
Famous for building Babylon into the largest city in the
world, he was also responsible for the destruction of Judah,
and the decimation of Jerusalem and its Temple.
During that period (and later), the hanging gardens of Babylon
were deemed one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Nebuchadnezzar ordered a large gold image be constructed
on the plain of Dura, not far from the city, and ordered his subjects
to worship it.
It's unclear whether this "image" was a statue of a Babylonian god
or a golden statue of Nebuchadnezzar himself (most likely the latter).
Not long after the completion of the image, he had a strange dream
where he saw a gigantic tree sprout up from the ground, and grow so
tall it seemed to reach up into the heavens.
Then, a watcher or messenger appeared, and ordered that
the tree be chopped down, but the stump was to remain,
and that " seven times pass over it".
Nebuchadnezzar sent for Daniel (who he named Belteshazzar ),
and asked him to explain the dream.
Daniel told Nebuchadnezzer that the tree represented him (the king),
and that he would be felled, removed from his kingdom, and spend 7
years in the fields living with the animals, and eating grass and other
vegetation for sustenance.
Needless to say, Nebuchadnezzer wasn't very happy to hear this
interpretation - just look at the picture below !
It's from a painting by Signore D' Andrea.
One year later, the dream (and Daniel's interpretation)
became reality.
Nebuchadnezzar's period of insanity or madness (call it
what you will) had begun. He would join the animals in the
field for the next seven years.
Then, one day, Nebuchadnezzar lifted his eyes upwards
towards the heavens, and his time in the fields with the
animals came to an end.
Nebuchadnezzar had learnt a valuable lesson in humility.
He made a pledge that he would never get up on his high
horse again.... and he didn't.
Daniel explains dream to Nebuchadnezzar
Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's dream - a painting by Signore D'Andrea.
(Taken from a book published in 1923).
Note-
It's uncertain who "Signore D'Andrea" is.
He may be Italian painter Andrea di Vanni d'Andrea ( 1332-1414).
Or, he may be Italian painter Lippo D'Andrea (born 1377).
Or, none of the above two.
Whoever he is, he was obviously better known in 1923 than he is today.
June 09
Hubba Bubba bubble gum is a product of the Wrigley Company,
which was established in Chicago in the 1890's.
The gum base used in Hubba Bubba bubble gum is a trade secret,
but these days it's more likely to be a synthetic base, rather than
the 'natural' base of chicle, used by the Wrigley Company back in
the 1950's, and earlier.
A combination of natural and synthetic bases is also possible.
There are now companies in China which supply gum base in
bulk, such as the Jiangsu Yinyang Gum Base Co.
It's not inconceivable to imagine that the Wrigley Company
imports its gum base from China.
In April 2008, it was announced that Mars would acquire the
Wrigley Company for $23 billion, with financing to be provided
by Berkshire Hathaway.
The CEO and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway is
Warren Buffett, currently rated as the world's richest man.
Financing will also involve Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase.
The acquisition is being described as a merger, and Wrigley will
remain a stand-alone subsidiary of Mars, which is a family owned
company.
The picture below shows a pack of strawberry flavoured Hubba Bubba
bubble gum (containing 5 pieces of bubble gum.
Hubba Bubba bubble gum (strawberry).
After 3 hours of chewing, Hubba Bubba bubble gum loses its taste and colour.
It gradually goes from red to pink to grey, and eventually a near-white colour.
The second picture shows Hubba Bubba bubble gum after various stages of
chewing, ranging from 30 minutes to 3 hours.
The white coloured gum on the top left-hand side had been chewed for 3 hours,
and was completely tasteless after that period.
The whole 'array' is assembled on top of a tin of Kiwi boot polish.
chewed Hubba Bubba bubble gum at various stages. photo copyright © 2008 John Barnes
Chewed bubble gum arranged on a tin of Kiwi boot polish.
The white gum on the top had been chewed for 3 hours.
The red coloured gum (front centre), had only been chewed for 30 minutes.
The pink gum supporting the "Barnes" sign had been chewed for 90 minutes.
June 08
Stephanie (Steph) Brantz is currently presenting the sports
segment on Channel 9's "Sunday" programme (in the mornings).
Steph also presents other sporting segments on Channel 9.
She is a professional model, and was with SBS TV before accepting
the position at Channel 9.
Stephanie Brantz
Stephanie Brantz presenting the sporting segment on Channel 9's "Sunday".
June 04
Quote on John Barnes Blogsite
Australian $1 coin features five kangaroos.
The Australian $1 (1 dollar) coin features 5 kangaroos on one
side, and the usual 'headshot' of Elizabeth II on the other side.
The Australian dollar is rapidly approaching the value of the
American dollar, and some financial experts are predicting
that it may even exceed the value of the 'greenback' by next year.
The $1 coin replaced the $1 note in 1984, and there are
no plans to reintroduce it.
(The lowest denomination note is the $5 note ).
June 01
Quote on John20747's Place
"Burma is the Congo of S.E. Asia"- Dr.Peter Carey on Saturday Extra.
Heard on "Saturday Extra" on the ABC's Radio National
with Geraldine Doogue this morning (Saturday, May 31, 2008).
Geraldine was talking with Dr. Peter Carey, lecturer in Modern
History at Oxford University.
He described Burma as "the Congo of South-East Asia", and
also talked about how the British had built up the "Burma
Rice Bowl" in the Irrawaddy Delta over a period of decades
beginning in the 1860's, during the colonial era.
(The British drained the marshes and swamplands, and built
dykes and embankments for rice cultivation
Dr. Carey may have been implying that Burma should appreciate
the time and effort Britain devoted to establishing the "rice bowl".
Burma is currently controlled by a military 'junta' which has restricted
foreign aid following the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis in
early May, 2008.
The picture below shows Geraldine Doogue in 2008.
She also presents "Compass" on ABC TV on Sunday nights.
Geraldine Doogue 2008
Geraldine Doogue, 2008 - Radio and Television presenter.
Quote on John20747's Place
"The Surge" - April 2008
Picture of "The Surge" in April 2008.
No, not "the surge" in Iraq - it's the surge of cars
trying to get into the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
(south of Canberra) to see the Tidbinbilla "Extravaganza"
on Sunday, April 13th, 2008.
Entry was FREE, hence "the surge".
surge of cars lined up to see the Tidbinbilla "Extravaganza".
"The Surge"
There was 'surge' of cars waiting to get into the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve to see the
"Extravaganza" on April the 13th, 2008.
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