Sunday, July 16, 2017

Natural History Museum, South Kensington, U.K.



Inner Main Hall






Statue of Charles Darwin 





Terracota figures on the walls


Skeleton and model of Blue Whale
                                             

We went by train to South Kensington from Baker Street. There are two more well-known museums located on South Kensington Road: Science museum and Victoria and Albert Museum. The building has a very imposing façade built in grand Victorian style. The famous British Architect Alfred Waterhouse (1830-1905) designed the structure of this building in Romanesque style  This is a publicly funded museum and one has free entry here. One has to devote at least one full day to see this museum comprising nearly eighty million items all of which we may not see in such a short duration. These specimens may be classified into Botanical, Entomological (scientific study of insects), Paleontological (study of ancient life of pre-historic plants, mammals, fish, fungi, insects, fungi, microbes and fossils) and Zoological types. This museum has specialized in Taxonomy (scientific classification of organisms), identification and conservation. Detailed information is given about every exhibit on the labels.

 This Museum was established in 1881 and continued as a part of the famous British Museum till 1992 despite its legal separation from the British Museum in 1963.In 1986 Geological Museum became a part of this museum also.  In 1996 the museum’s galleries were completely renovated and re-built. Catherine Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, acts as the chief patron of this world-famous Museum. The massive 2.2 tonne statue of the famous scientist Charles Darwin unveiled in 1885 is seen in the central hall.


Entrance to Earth Zone (Red Zone)

Various types of minerals and rocks
                                         
Diplodocus (Dippy)

 Nearly fifty lakh people visit this museum every year.   In the central vaulted hall once the 105 feet-long gigantic skeleton of Diplodocus, called fondly known as Dippy, used to be displayed. Recently it has been replaced by the 82 foot-long, 4.5 ton Blue Whale skeleton (called as Hope) in 2017. This mighty Blue Whale was found stranded on the sand banks at Wexford harbor, Ireland in 1891.  This museum has four sections namely Red Zone, Green Zone, Blue Zone and orange Zone. In the Red Zone one can see the red revolving globe with a fiery appearance (designed by Neal Potter) serving as entry to the Earth Lab. One can see various types of volcanic stones, rocks, minerals and gem stones. The photos and models show the disastrous effects of earth quakes and volcanoes and their influence in changing the composition of the earth.

 In the Green Zone one can see stuffed models of various birds, insects and fossils of marine reptiles,creeping worms showcased in glass cases. The fossils of many marine reptiles and birds are also displayed here.

silver studded butterflies

 In the Blue Zone very huge skeletons of dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Psittacosaurus and Stegosaurus are seen along with fish like whales, sharks,Amphibians, Reptiles,Human Biology, marine invertebrates, invertebrates and mammals. The stuffed figures of pachyderms like mammoths and rhinos attract many visitors by their sheer life-like size and realistic appearance. In human biology section many models and charts are exhibited on cell formation, reproductive system and DNA structure. Children will have a chance of knowing a lot about the wonders and diversity of Nature and how animals and birds adapt to their surroundings by various changes in their physical shape and structure.


Dinosaur

Rhino

Blue Zone in the Whale Hall
Turtle
Reptiles
Extinct giant Armadillo
Plesiosaurus skeleton
marine fish
Wild Bison


Wild Boar
                                        

                                           
Bears
 

Human Evolution
                                          
Evolution of human body

                                    
Dino Store

                        



 In the Orange Zone one can see wild life garden and the famous Darwin Centre where one can view the valuable zoological and Botanical collections of Darwin. In the Library section there are many books, journals, manuscripts, art work collections on various topics. Access to library is only by appointment. There are many valuable research papers and books along with specimens for scientists to pursue their research here. To spread science education and create awareness about conservation of nature a new multimedia studio (The Attenborough Studio)  in collaboration with B.B.C.’s Natural History Unit was started. Here daily lectures and demonstrations are being organized. This studio is named after Richard Attenborough (1923-2014), the famous English Actor, Film Maker and President of the Royal Academy of dramatic Art.


Darwin center front view


                               

  At every level a café and gift shop are seen along with basic amenities like rest rooms and benches to relax. In the gift shops a variety of items like Dinosaur models, wall prints, butterfly souvenirs, necklaces, pendants, t-shirts, jewelry boxes, picture cards, trays, brooches, bracelets, guide books, DVDs and photography books are displayed with animal and bird themes. This will create a sense of awareness about the need for protection and conservation of various flora and fauna. After visiting this most spacious museum one will surely become aware of nature’s wonderful variety and complexity and feel aware of the need for protecting the dwindling number of living creatures in this world. This Museum has another sister museum "Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum" at Tring, Hertfordshire built by Lionel Walter Rothschild in 1938 and taken over by Natural History Museum in 2007.

                            ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


        16th July, 2017                                                            Somaseshu Gutala



                                
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Thursday, July 6, 2017

About Cassiobury Park, Watford, U.K. (Part-II)



Cha Cafe, Cassiobury Park
Swings for Disabled Children
                           
Cha Cafe Playground

Grand Union Canal
                   
Cassiobury Park
Carving on the tree

Carving on the tree
                       

Cedar Trees in the park

Wooden markers, Nature Trail

Cassiobury Farm
Cassiobury Farmhouse
                         
River Gade (Cassiobury Park)

                                

The Cassiobury Park extends from Rickmansworth Road in the east to the Grand Union Canal in the west   The park is bounded by Parkside Drive and Coningsdrive on the north and Cassiobury park Avenue on the south. The western part of the park spreading over 25.1 acres is local nature reserve managed by the Herts& Middlesex Wild Life Trust. This park is set up in 1909 from the land purchased by the Watford Borough Council from Essex family. The park is just two minutes’ walk from Watford Station on the metropolitan line and 1.3 miles from Watford Junction. As it is located in the heart of the town many people visit this park with their children and pets to walk freely breathing fresh and pure air amidst dense green surroundings.

 The park authorities created many recreation and play facilities to cater to the needs of children, youth, disabled persons, pets and elderly people. There are eighty eight parking slots in the Gade Avenue near the exit out of which six are reserved for disabled persons. As soon as one enters the park one can see children’s park just beside “Cha Café”. Many colorful slides, climbing frames, swings and other play things are seen with seating arrangement for children and their parents. Animal figures carved out of wood serve as seats for children. At the Cha Café many tables and chairs are seen where many people relax sipping coffee and having refreshments along with their children. Toilet facilities are provided here. The Cha café is open from 9.00 a.m to 4.00 p.m. There is another kiosk serving drinks and food near the Miniature railway during weekends and school holidays.

 On the left side near the entrance one can notice both grass and hard tennis courts where young people play games. There are three lawns allotted for croquet club near Cha café. There is also a basket ball court between Cha café and the Bowls green beside the hard Tennis court. Watford Bowls Club has a green and a club house. Many old people are seen here playing bowls with mallets.  For children aged up to 14 years there are play areas beside the paddling pools near Rustic Bridge Crossing where the Gade River passes before joining the Grand Union Canal. The Grand Union Canal links Birmingham to the River Thames.Fishing in the River Gade is free but license should be obtained from Watford Council’s Leisure and Community Services. The River Gade  joins  the River Colne at Rickmansworth. The River Colne joins the Thames at Staines. Many children enjoy wading through water and viewing water fowls near the shallow waters of the River Gades. As a part of renovation project, a new water play park with splash pads, jets and water fountains will be opened near the two paddle pools soon. 

The new Cassiobury hub will include toilets, changing rooms, a two-storey community and exhibition room.  During weekends children can enjoy miniature train ride for ½ k.m. by paying 1.50 pounds each. During weekends and school holidays children can climb over bouncy castle and feel floating mirth. They have to pay two pounds each for enjoying this ride for ten minutes. There is a separate cycle track for bike enthusiasts to go for cycling along the sylvan paths flanked by shady trees and green plains. The historic 104-year old band stand has been restored to its original place with a new appearance and outlook. On holidays many music lovers gather here and listen to musical concerts.

 The Cassiobury farm and fishery is not far from the park.  One can go there only on foot via Gade Avenue (Cassiobury parking place), Langley Way or Rickmanworth Road. Once there used to be water cress farm here since 1820s and lasted up to 1920s. Later it was closed. After 5-year restoration work this water cress farm was brought back to its pristine glory and a kitchen garden along with rare and exotic animal farm was also added to attract more visitors. Traditional fruits and vegetables like carrots, potatoes, peas, apples, strawberries and raspberries are cultivated mainly for feeding animals and birds located here. There is a Victorian Greenhouse here where fruits like bananas and lemons are grown. Composting and vermiculture are done to use as fertilizers. In the kitchen garden many herbal plants like thyme, rosemary, mint, basil, coriander, sweet marjoram,fennel etc are grown. In 2015 breeding of honey bees was started to produce pure honey. This farm is open only during summer on certain days from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 a.m. For persons older than 14 years seven pounds are charged each and for persons younger than 14 years only five pounds each are charged and children have free entry to this farm. In the land just on the western side of the Gade River, local Nature Reserve is seen where one can walk watching birds and small animals like swans,ravens, wood peckers, black birds, gulls, wood pigeons,sparrows,pheasants, herons, king fishers, white fronted geese, bats, butterflies, dragonflies, newts, squirrels, foxes, snakes etc.

 There are many old and gigantic trees in park such as beech, elms, oaks, cypress, alder, hazel, cherry, maple and chestnut trees with broad green foliage forming all along the park a green shady panorama. There are various types of land like grassland, scrubland, marshland, wood land and water cress farm. It would have been more helpful for visitors if labels are fixed on the trunks of the trees showing their names and significance. Though there are wooden boards giving information about the park, it would have been better if pamphlets and brochures are given to visitors at nominal prices to give many interesting facts about this scenic park.  To view Nature’s beauty and appreciate her diversity one should visit parks where all people irrespective of age can enjoy and breathe pure and fresh air and feel refreshed and re-vitalized.

                                    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
                                     
   6th July, 2017                                                                      Somaseshu Gutala
                                                   


Monday, June 26, 2017

About Cassiobury Park, Watford, Hertfordshire, U.K. (Part--I)

z  



Elm Trees in the Park
Willow trees 

Gibbon's Carvings

Cassiobury Gates (demolished in 1974)






                             
                           






Cassiobury Staircase (seen now in Museum of Art, New York)


beautiful wood carvings on staircase

On my third trip to U.K. we saw one of the most beautiful parks in U.K.  London is very well-known for many royal gardens, parks, palaces, cathedrals and monuments. This park adds vast greenery to the locality and also affords the luxury of going for a walk through shady trees, bushes and canals enjoying the fresh breeze and listening to sweet sounds of birds and watching children at play. In brief it is a walkers’ paradise and a shady haven for the men and women of all ages.

Once this spacious area was given by King Offa to St.Albans Abbey in 793 A.D.  After dissolution of monasteries by King Henry VIII in 1539, this place was given to Sir Richard Morrison. He built Cassiobury  Mansion. His son Charles Morrison completed the Tudor manor house comprising nearly 56 rooms, a big gallery, stables and brewery. In 1623 the estate passed onto the Capel family through marriage. The members of Essex family stayed in this palatial mansion nearly for 250 years.  Arthur Capell, the first Earl of Essex, re-built the mansion with parks, gardens extending up to the adjoining Whippendel woods. He employed Hugh May, the wood carver, Grinling Gibbons, the painter Antonio Verrio and the gardiner Moses Cook to re-build and refurbish the manor house. During the time of William Capell, the fourth Earl of Essex, the Grand Union Canal was widened.  Between 1799 and 1805, the fifth Earl of Essex, commissioned James Wyatt to re-model the house in Gothic style and Humphrey Repton to beautify the park. A number of lodges and other buildings had been built by Wyatt’s nephew, Jeffrey Wyattville.

Of these constructions only the Cassiobury Lodge survives in Gade Avenue.During the time of George Capell, the seventh Earl of Essex, nearly 184 acres of land was sold to the Watford Bourough Council in 1909 to set up a public park.  After the death of the seventh Earl of Essex, this estate with all constructions spreading over 870 acres was sold away in 1922 by the eighth Earl of Essex .In 1930 more land was acquired by the council. The unsold Cassiobury mansion was demolished in 1927. Only the stable block converted to Cassiobury Court, an old people’s home, remains now near the Richmond Drive. The grand staircase was removed to the metropolitan for museum of Art in New York. Other materials were used for restoration of Monmouth House in Watford High Street. The remaining building materials such as 300 tons of old oak and 100 very fine oak beams and 10,000 Tudor period bricks were sold out. Another curious fact is that the re-building of Cassiobury in 1670’s was designed by Elizabeth Lady Wibraham, (1632-1785) the first woman architect in the world. She engaged Hugh May to supervise construction and Edward Pearce to execute the wood carving work. The famous seventeenth century diarist John Evelyn visited this park on 16th April, 1680 and described it in his diary.

 “The house is new, a plain fabric, built by my friend mr. Hugh May. There are diverse fair and good rooms and excellent carvings by Gibbons, especially the chimney-piece of the library. There is in the porch or entrance a painting by Verrio of Apollo and the Liberal Arts. Some of the chimney mantels are of Irish marble --- and not much inferior to Italian. The tympanum or gable at the front is a bass relief of Diana hunting cut in Portland stone, handsomely enough.. The library is large and very nobly furnished.”

This park extends over a stretch of 190 acres from Rickmansworth road in the east to the Grand Union Canal in the west. Just at the junction where the Shepherds Road meets with Rickmansworth Road, there used to be a beautiful archway with gates built in 1800 by Humphrey Repton and James Wyatt as part of expansion on the estate during the time of the Earl of Essex. But they were dismantled in 1974 as part of the widening of the Rickmansworth Road by the Watford Borough Council. Later this park was developed by the Borough Council in many ways. It was converted into a green hub for many activities and entertainment shows besides providing space for people to enjoy walking with kids and pet dogs. It is also a haven for many kinds of plants, birds, fish and animals. The local nature reserve is managed by Herts and Middlesex Wild Life Trust. At present it is decided to spend an amount of 6.6 million pounds for restoration and regeneration works to make this park more attractive with more eco-friendly facilities and comforts. If you happen to visit U.K. do surely take some time off to visit this beautiful idyllic place of natural beauty with lush greenery, lakes and interesting flora and fauna.


                                             +++++++++++++++++++++++++++

26th June, 2017                                                                    Somaseshu Gutala



                                    

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Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Five Gifts of God


Earth Pollution

                             
Air Pollution


Water Pollution
               







nuclear testing in South pacific ocean
          


Nuclear Explosion








                                    






       1)      From coldest snowy peaks and rocky terrain
                Flow Crystal streams through vales and verdant plain;
                A blessed gift of God’s mercy immense
                Nourishing fields with life sustaining essence;
                To cracked lips of dry earth a blessed sight
                A visual treat to peasants, a festive delight;
                Alas! We poison them with tons of chemical waste
                With filth and dirt, in worst polluted state.
                Our lakes and wells became a filthy garbage store
                No potable water seen anymore.

    2)        This earth of which we have been made
                Our dear mother who feeds and gives us shade
                Selfless saints, these fruit yielding sylvan trees
                Sacrificing their every bit with liberal ease;                            
                How can we kill them with rude thankless hearts?
                We dig our graves with dire destructive thoughts;
                These worldly charms God-giv'n in plenteous treasure
                Beyond the skills of Science and artistic measure;
                This fabulous gift, for greedy ends, we turned alas!
                To a lifeless maze of concrete mansions gross!
  
       3)     Our life-breath, this gentle caressing breeze
                Which fills our lungs with vital strength and ease
                And flows through nerves and veins to every cell
                And pulsates every part with dynamic spell;
                A rarest gift of God not seen elsewhere;
                Even this man’s perverted wit does not spare;
                Like gigantic monsters with roaring sound
                These factories splurge out fumes beyond bounds
                Even tearing the protective airy zone
                Endangering health to vile diseases prone.
                       
        4)    Our ancients worshipped the sacred fire
                As God of light and knowledge they did admire;
                We turned this force to destroy the world entire
                For selfish power and pelf, with weapons dire;
                With nuclear power in a frenzied rage;
                Who can restrain this self-destructive craze?
                We turn our God-giv'n gifts to malignant curse
                In devilish wars engaged for power and purse;
                We left not even far away ethereal space
                We claim our dominion there, a shameful disgrace!
    
       5)     The broad expanse of boundless space, a precious boon
                Wherein revolve all planets, stars, spheres, sun and moon;
                Bound by forces and pure layers of ether clear;
                We struggled for years to fly with speed and go near
                Those far-flung spheres with rapid scientific zeal
                The secrets of creation to explore and unveil
                Crowding the space with satellites and waste
                Leaving it in a disastrous congested state;
                Our greed perverts us from our goals to stray
                Our hasty deeds aggravate pollution’s sway.

       6)     How long does Nature bear our wicked deeds?
                Upsetting her poise with diabolic greed
                We pushed ourselves to disaster’s edge
                Our mental pollution who will purge?
                Showing no concern for other beings' welfare
                We make them suffer and their lives we do not care;
                Awaken soon and see the approaching signs
                Of total doom and try to curb and restrain;
                Our reckless exploiting of these precious boons
                Will strike our existence and devastate us soon.

                         ++++++++++++++++++++++


      Note :  Overuse and misuse of the five God-given gifts is the capital sin of 

mankind, especially of the modern era. Paradoxically man is made of these precious 

gifts and is an inseparable part of creation. Already the entire world is facing the 

consequences of his indiscriminate exploitation of these five gifts. Still man in his 

mad pursuit of power, wealth, false prestige and luxuries is involving all other living 

creatures in this head on downfall and impending catastrophe of total destruction. 

Our immediate need is to take stock of this grim state of affairs and avert this 

universal hazard by making earnest efforts and by overcoming their narrow 

prejudices with a broad outlook bearing in mind the wellbeing of all living creatures 

which are subject to intense suffering and gradual extinction for no fault of their own.

The perilous signs of environmental degradation are already seen in plastic pollution,

 melting of Arctic glaciers, global warming, depletion of Ozone Depletion (20%), 

irregular and abnormal behavior of monsoons, depletion of groundwater levels, 

spread of many viral diseases, death of many sea organisms and extinction of many 

flora and fauna.

                 Pollution is the most dangerous man-made blunder which is turn will 

boomerang on him and wipe out his existence from this world. It is as if the culprit 

himself is preparing his own grave. Most of the rivers, lakes and water bodies are 

polluted. In U.S.A. nearly 64% of lakes are highly polluted. In China 70% of rivers and

lakes are polluted and 78% of the water from China’s rivers is not fit for human 

consumption. It takes many years to clean the holy river, the ganges which is one of 

the most polluted rivers in India.

  The air we breathe is mixed with many poisonous gases and dust. Nearly seven 

million people die due to air pollution in the world. The testing and stockpiling of 

nuclear weapons is the most potential danger of the present day world. There are 

more than 15,000 most deadly nuclear weapons possessed by various countries in 

the world, a few of which are enough to destroy the entire creation and produce 

radiation that will impact the world for centuries. More than twenty nuclear accidents 

occurred killing many people and affecting the health of thousands of people and 

their families.

  Apart from this, conquering space and exploring other planets resulted in polluting 

the space with space junk and debris which poses another threat to survival of 

mankind. There are more than five lakh pieces of space debris and 1450 satellites 

around our earth creating congestion and risk of collision with these that may result 

in huge damage and destruction to our world.

  The prime cause for pollution is man’s lack of vision, narrow-mindedness, 

indifference and lack of concern the wellbeing of future generations, lack of sense of 

responsibility and unbridled avarice for power and affluence. Pollution is a global 

threat and all countries should deem it as their common and prime responsibility to 

reduce and resolve this threat of impending universal disaster. This man-made crisis 

of gigantic proportions envelops and devours us all irrespective of races, ideologies, 

and nations.

 Even from humanitarian and moral point of view, it is our bounden duty and 

obligation (Dharma) to show gratitude and make proper use of these five precious 

gifts and protect them for the sake of the future living beings. Let us not befoul and 

abuse these gifts for our selfish purposes. Simple life, use of natural things and 

organic products, cultivation of greenery, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases,

 maintaining water sources pure and clean, giving up use of powerful chemicals and 

fertilizers, reducing lavish consumption, caring for fellow-creatures and environment,

and recycling are some of the useful things we can do to protect our earth and other 

elements gifted by God. Let us live in harmony with Nature and other living creatures.

 Otherwise we are committing a most heinous crime for which many coming 

generations have to suffer for many decades or may be centuries.




                     

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    13th June, 2017                                                Somaseshu Gutala