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Just before dawn on the last day of July 1923, the 5777-ton steamer Ulimaroa docked at No 3 Miller's Point Wharf in Sydney. The vessel, regularly plying the trans-Tasman service, had shipped from Wellington and the cargo included four racehorses entered for the A.J.C. Spring Meeting. The horses in question were Urgency, a rising 5-year-old bay gelding by Clarenceaux together with his two-year younger half-sister, Zaragoza; and Murihaupo and Ballymena, two coming 3-year-old geldings each with entries for the A.J.C. Derby. Accompanying this contingent of horses to Sydney was their 38-year-old trainer, Fred Jones, and 20-year-old jockey, Maurice McCarten. Accommodation for the team was arranged at Chisholm and Company's Randwick stables and in the chill early dawn, while the city slept, there seemed a hushed air of conspiracy as the horses walked from the ship onto the pier.
While the visit was McCarten's first to the glorious harbour city, Jones had seen it all before. Indeed, the Randwick course itself was suffused with a poetic romanticism in the trainer's mind. Back in 1905 as a young man with his way to make in the world – the same age as McCarten now was – Fred Jones had ridden the Taranaki galloper, Maniapoto, to win the A.J.C. Metropolitan Handicap with eight stone in the saddle. That was the year of blood and plunder when the Stead-Mason team had swept all before them at the A.J.C. Spring Meeting, including the Derby with Noctuiform. Jones' team here and now was modest by comparison but he, too, harboured dreams of a blue riband.
Few New Zealand pressmen gave the Jones' catalogue of horses much chance of recouping expenses on their Sydney adventure. Urgency, although the winner of the Birthday Handicap at the Dunedin Winter Meeting, was dismissed as a plodder; Zaragoza had only started once before and finished unplaced at the Ashburton County Autumn Meeting; and Murihaupo, dammed with faint praise although a good class two-year-old and the winner of the C.J.C. Middle Park Plate. Ballymena was considered a likely stayer but not as speedy as Murihaupo. A brown bay, he possessed good strong hocks and a relaxed disposition, qualities integral to a stayer. In six race starts as a juvenile – all over five furlongs – Ballymena had only managed to win once, and that a nursery handicap at the Avondale Spring Meeting when in the hands of Maurice McCarten. Still, he had run three useful placings, and both trainer and jockey were convinced the horse would be a different proposition over further ground.
What this Dominion team seemed to lack in horsepower, it more than made up for in manpower. Fred Jones was already emerging as one of New Zealand's most promising trainers. As an apprentice jockey, he had served his time at Yaldhurst with legendary trainer, Dick Mason, and was the second jockey to Tod Hewitt in that illustrious establishment. Jones first burst on the scene when he partnered the champion three-year-old filly, Gladsome, to win five races during the mid-summer of 1904 including the Great Northern Derby, Auckland Plate, and the Wellington Cup. However, the New Zealand Racing Conference, amidst widespread disbelief, proceeded to strip the horse of all these victories due to Jones being deemed, through a technicality, an unlicensed apprentice. Despite this setback, Jones went on to win many prestigious events for Yaldhurst in the colours of G.G. Stead.
Possessed of that fugitive impulse towards adventure common to many young men, Jones went to England in 1906 with a £500 retainer to ride for the Wiltshire stables of Major Edwards, who had taken over the training of the 1905 A.J.C. Derby winner, Noctuiform. Jones only managed to win some nine races at lesser tracks such as Bath, Salisbury, Windsor and Gatwick, from around seventy mounts, but the experience was to prove invaluable in his future career both as jockey and trainer. Curiously, when Jones completed his turn with the Edwards' stable, another Yaldhurst jockey succeeded him in the shape of Tod Hewitt who accepted double the amount as a retainer. Jones travelled to Europe and America before his return to New Zealand. Despite his weight climbing to 8st. 12lb on his peregrinations, he almost immediately returned to the saddle as the first horseman to the Hon. J. D. Ormond's stable, then under the stewardship of Stewart Waddell. Over the next few seasons, Jones won some good races for the Karamu stud and stables including the 1907 Great Northern Derby on Zimmerman.
It was in May 1912 that Jones relinquished his position as the first jockey to the Ormond stable due to his struggle with the scales and the fewer opportunities coming his way. The move allowed him to freelance and to accept the heavier rides on T. H. Lowry's team of horses. It was thus that he linked up with the great Bobrikoff during that galloper's 8-year-old season, which saw the pair successful in no fewer than six races including the 1912 Auckland Cup. Soon after, Jones began to transition towards a training career, and he maintained a dual licence when in December 1913 he accepted the position as private trainer to the 55-year-old sportsman, W. E. Bidwell. Bidwell belonged to a pioneering family of the Wairarapa region and had served both on the committee of the Wellington Racing Club and the New Zealand Racing Conference. Jones' tenure with Bidwell lasted for little more than a year, but it proved highly successful, winning stakes of almost £7,000 for his patron. Chief among his charges was Reputation, the best three-year-old of the year and winner of the Great Northern Derby, Canterbury Cup and G.G. Stead Memorial. Jones resigned his position in February 1915 and a few weeks later accepted the post of trainer to the Canterbury sportsman and pastoralist, H. A. Knight, whose horses were trained out of stables formerly at Racecourse Hill but now at Riccarton. Knight didn't own a big string of horses but he did maintain a select stud at Racecourse Hill and Ballymena, like most of the stable, was a home-bred.
Assured in his horsemanship and training technique – the habits of proper feeding and good grooming were a constant part of his training vocabulary – Jones had crossed the Tasman Sea with resolute faith, both in the horses that he was bringing, and the young man bidden to do his riding. Complete confidence subsisted between Jones and the 20-year-old McCarten. Theirs was a symbiotic relationship of the most profound significance. It was Goethe who observed: talent develops in tranquillity; character in the full current of human life. And McCarten had lived his twenty years in a very full current indeed. Born at Hawera, near Wellington, New Zealand, on September 17th, 1902, McCarten was the son of a drover cum horse-breaker who died when Maurice was quite young.
He and his elder brother, Owen, had been brought up by their single mother amidst hard times. Young Maurice delivered newspapers on his pony around the district to bring a few more pennies as a welcome supplement into the meagre household budget. From an early age, both brothers sought careers in the saddle. Owen McCarten became apprenticed to Oney Cox at Hawera and quickly outrode his allowance. Meanwhile, Maurice had been riding slow work at the local Hawera course from the age of nine where his precocious facility in the saddle and his tranquillity of touch had impressed among others, trainer Fred Tilley. Tilley trained out of a large establishment at Fordell, near Wanganui, and McCarten became indentured to him in August 1915 when he came of age and remained apprenticed there for three years. George Young, the regular rider of Gloaming during that horse's last four seasons on the Turf and from that remarkable family of jockey brothers, was also apprenticed to Tilley at around the same time.
Tilley's establishment was one of the most impressive in New Zealand at the time. The modern stable block was large and airy and situated in the most idyllic countryside, complimented by its very own private training ground of about a mile in circumference. The grass gallop offered an excellent surface for the thoroughbred. In January 1917 McCarten served notice of his talent when he rode his first winner at Tauherenikau, on the outskirts of Wellington, on Merrie Gain. Towards the end of that year, the new wunderkind was then unlucky to be beaten into second placing on Johnny Walker in the New Zealand Cup, albeit by a horse owned in the same interests as his own mount. Fred Tilley had already been responsible for developing some brilliant apprentices including Charlie Price and Bill, Bob, and Harold Young, and young McCarten bade fair to be the latest.
In April 1919 McCarten won the Feilding Cup on Paraoa and in January 1920 the Marton Cup on board his master's Oratress, good races for a 17-year-old boy to be winning. McCarten's apprenticeship coincided with a period when Fred Tilley had some high-class horses in his Fordell stables together with high-class owners such as William and Thomas Duncan, owners who were only too happy to give the boy his chance. McCarten won the 1920 New Zealand Oaks on Isabel for Thomas Duncan and a couple of seasons later rode an even better filly for the owner and the stable in Enthusiasm. This daughter of Panmure won among other races the 1922 New Zealand Derby and shared the honours in the New Zealand Oaks as well as taking out the Great Northern Derby and Oaks. The brilliant Tamatete and Tahua were other gallopers raced by the Duncan family on whom McCarten won major races during the early 1920's. In 1922 he partnered Scion to victory in the Auckland Cup for Eric Riddiford.
Still, as good a stable as Tilley possessed, his numbers weren't enough on their own to propel McCarten to a jockeys' premiership. That came as early as the 1922-23 racing season when Fred Jones began to entice McCarten to ride his horses as well. Jones knew a jockey when he saw one. And in this young man from Hawera, he saw the real thing. Able to go to scale at 8st 1lb, McCarten won the New Zealand Premiership for the first time with 52 winners, seven clear of his nearest rival, Charlie Emerson. Considering the jockeys that were plying their trade in the Dominion during that period – including the Reed brothers and Hector Gray – it was no mean achievement. Indeed, McCarten almost helped Jones win the Trainers' Premiership that same year, too, the Riccarton horseman falling just a couple short with his 22 ½ winners.
Now as McCarten paused on the threshold of achievement in the late winter of 1923, surveying the Randwick course through the early morning mist after riding his first session of trackwork there, no one could have predicted the circumstances that would transform him into greatness. Circumstances that would see Australia become his adopted homeland and Randwick racecourse his very own domain for the better part of 30 years, firstly as the premier jockey and later as the premier trainer. Trusting that the inclement elements would conspire in his favour, Jones chose the meeting at Canterbury Park on August 18 for the Australian debut of three of his charges viz. Zaragoza, Urgency and Ballymena. The horses had done plenty of work before leaving the Dominion. The secretive and suspicious Jones, always one to keep his own counsel, saw the chance for a sting. It was actually a Rosehill Race Club fixture but a fire in March that year had effectively destroyed that club's paddock grandstand, causing some £10,000 worth of damage and their slate of meetings to be transferred to other courses. Overnight rain had considerably softened the Canterbury course and thus, on a surface very much to their liking, all three of the Jones' team – supported with Riccarton money in the acquisitive scramble of the betting ring – were successful. Zaragoza won the maiden, Urgency led all the way in the handicap, and Ballymena so dominated the second division of the high-weight that he left the field considerably over the last furlong. Not bad for an opening salvo! Carpe diem had always been the Jones' philosophy and he'd certainly seized it that day! Fellow trainers and jockeys alike recognised that in Jones and McCarten, two great practitioners had arrived in their midst.
However, before the assembled pressmen Jones said little and McCarten less. Jones was a character who rationed his emotions carefully in public, but there had been a moment when Ballymena reached the winning post when he had permitted himself the faintest of smiles, the type that shows a man imagines something. For the trainer now knew as he had not quite known before, that, while Zaragoza and Urgency could gallop, in Ballymena – this gelding whose frame was marked by strength rather than grace – he had a genuine Derby horse. Although the starting prices were tight, the expense of bringing the team across the Tasman had been more than recouped, and some of the profit had even been parlayed into Ballymena for the Derby in pre-post betting. In a prescient piece of journalism, the respected sportswriter Bert Wolfe had written on that day: "Ballymena can be improved, and it would not be surprising if he turned out to be the mainstay of the team during the spring meetings. I heard that an effort was made to back him for a large sum for the A.J.C. Derby, but while the price was satisfactory, the amount was not".
How, then, to have Ballymena carrying the full stable commission in the classic? Answer: extend the price! And that's what happened. Ballymena next carried silk at the Tattersall's Club meeting on September 1 when he ran a close third over a mile in a three-year-old handicap won by Shrapnel, although Ballymena was giving the winner a stone in weight. A week later the gelding went over the Randwick mile again when he was quietly ridden and finished unplaced in a welter won by another Derby candidate from New Zealand in Tarleton. If this performance wasn't enough to cruel Ballymena's Derby prospects in betting markets then his final run before the Derby in the Hawkesbury Spring Handicap (11f), conducted that year at Moorefield, certainly was. Handicapped with a mere 7 st. 2lb, after claiming the full 7lb allowance of Sid Gore's apprentice, Frank Bastable, and starting a 9/2 favourite in a wide betting race although without stable support, Ballymena was beaten a length by the 12/1 outsider Polycletan, a four-year-old gelding trained by Dan Lewis. Polycletan had made all the pace with Ballymena at his quarters, but the latter had faded over the last furlong. Despite conceding the winner a year in age and 6lb in weight, Ballymena's performance hardly seemed to justify a start over the Derby distance. However, there were two things about that Moorefield race that the public didn't know. The first was that Fred Jones had gone easy on Ballymena since his Randwick failure a fortnight before and the gelding needed the hit-out. Accordingly, Bastable had been instructed to ride him on the speed. And the second was that Polycletan could gallop, something he would prove the following season when he won the AJC Metropolitan with 7st. 5lb!
The 1923 A.J.C. Derby field and race conditions appear in the table below:
Spring came to Randwick in a great rush that year. On good ground, under glorious sunshine and before a crowd officially estimated at 80,000, eleven horses confronted Mr Mackellar for the start of the A.J.C. Derby. The race had £8,000 in added prize money, an increase of £1,000 over the previous year, together with sweepstakes of £30 for starters with Lady Valais the only filly among them.
Lady Valais – A.J.C. St. Leger Winner (Sydney Mail)
In a wide betting market, the favourite for the race was Rahiri, a well-developed rich, bay son of the recently deceased stallion, Tressady, bred by the Thompson Bros. at Oakleigh Stud. Trained at Randwick by Fred Williams for 78-year-old, William Davis, the long-serving secretary of the Canterbury Park Racing Club, who raced his horses under the nom de course of Norman Hastings, Rahiri had cost 775 guineas as a yearling. In his first season out the horse had more than recouped his cost by winning three races including the Grantham Stakes, and running minor placings in both the Sires' Produce and Champagne Stakes. Since resuming, Rahiri had carried 9 st. 12lb to victory in a mile handicap at Randwick, and finished a good third behind The Hawk and Beauford in the Hill Stakes. Second elect for the Derby was All Sunshine, a son of All Black from the imported Irish mare, Cranbrook. Eric Connolly not only owned and trained All Sunshine, but had bred the colt as well, having bought Cranbrook for 875 guineas at William Yuille's Newmarket sales after she had landed in Australia. All Sunshine had broken through when he upset the odds about the more fancied candidates in the Rosehill Guineas.
Next in the betting came the stylish New Zealand gelding, Tarleton, a full brother to the Great Northern St Leger winner, Royal Box. Owned by Gerald Stead and trained by George Jones, the horse had been brought over here in the autumn but due to an attack of influenza returned across the Tasman without racing. The winner of four races from eight starts and £960 in his first season, Tarleton had impressed in September when he won a mile welter at Randwick carrying nine stone. Leonardo went to the post as an 8/1 chance in the Derby. A late-September foal and a home-bred son of the 1913 A.J.C. Derby winner, Beragoon, the colt had been offered at the 1922 Easter Yearling Sales by his breeders Joe and Cecil Brien of the Kingsfield Stud but was passed in at 300 guineas. A winner of the Q.T.C. Hopeful Stakes in November, Leonardo was partnered in the Derby by Jim Pike, who had scored on the colt's sire ten years before. What wasn't known at the time was that Leonardo had been pricked in the hoof when being shod for the Derby and just eleven days later was to succumb to blood poisoning in a sad postscript to the classic. Shrapnel was a colt fancied by many breeding buffs to take the Derby. By a son of Spearmint and out of Artilleryman's sister, Folly Queen, he had proved the best of Frank Marsden's prospective Derby colts.
The best juveniles of the previous season were engaged in the shape of King Carnival and The Monk, the former the winner of the V.R.C. Sires' Produce Stakes and the latter its A.J.C. equivalent. However, neither colt had seemed to progress sufficiently since winter to suggest any threat to the more fancied candidates. King Carnival sported the colours of L.K.S. Mackinnon and, bred by J. V. Smith, had cost 650 guineas as a yearling. His dam, Orvietto, by Wallace, had won several races and was placed second in the V.R.C. Oaks. Trained by Bert Foulsham at Mordialloc, King Carnival had been a brilliant early two-year-old winning both the A.J.C. Breeders' Plate and the V.A.T.C. Debutant Stakes, but many doubted the colt had the requisite stamina for the Derby trip. Similar doubts surrounded The Monk, a 1200 guineas yearling purchase by George Tye at the Wellington, N.Z. sales, particularly given that his sire was Absurd. Apart from the Sires' at Randwick, the cleverly-named colt had also won the Ascot Vale Stakes at Flemington. In truth, it was the poor showing of both colts in the Rosehill Guineas that rendered dubious their Derby pretensions.
Trainer Fred Jones & Owner H. A. Knight (Sydney Mail)
Ballymena's journey at Hawkesbury the week before had estranged many of his former admirers and he was the least fancied of all the Derby runners. While 33/1 had been freely available in early course betting, Fred Jones and his confreres, including W. Bryan, had helped themselves and the gelding went to the post a 25/1 chance. Now the only advantage to riding the rank outsider in any race is that nobody expects you to win it. Ballymena had drawn the No.10 marble in the field of eleven although McCarten was able to hurry the gelding irresistibly forward into the third position when King Carnival was rushed to the front. Cairns kept King Carnival going, and when the field reached the milepost, the son of Comedy King was well clear of Ballymena, Black Scot, All Sunshine, Royal Roué and Rahiri.
At the half-mile Ballymena was travelling so well that McCarten had convinced himself that victory was assured, although rounding the turn the gelding lost ground as a result of two or three other riders making a dash. However, Ballymena stuck gamely to King Carnival and under vigorous riding from Cairns, the Victorian colt held his supremacy to the distance where Ballymena caught and passed him. Although the New Zealand gelding began to shift out through tiredness, there was a spirited ferocity in his fight over that last furlong and on the line, he had a half-length to spare over Shrapnel with the pacemaker, King Carnival, lasting to run third, a head away. Lady Valais was officially placed fourth, just ahead of All Sunshine and Tarleton. The time of 2 minutes 33 ½ seconds, equalled Gloaming's time in 1918 and had only twice been bettered in the race – a tribute to King Carnival's bold front-running. It was also an eloquent tribute to Ballymena's staying abilities, having been so near the pace from the very start.
The Finish of the 1923 A.J.C. Derby (Sydney Mail)
Ballymena & Maurice McCarten Return (Sydney Mail)
Ballymena's victory was a triumph for his owner and breeder, Henry Arthur Knight. A prominent figure in the Canterbury district of New Zealand, Knight was chairman of the Canterbury Agricultural College and the New Zealand Refrigerating Company among other roles; and maintained a sprawling pastoral property at Racecourse Hill breeding English Leicester and Southdown sheep. Educated at Christ's College and the Canterbury Agricultural College, being the first student enrolled there, he had taken over the property at Racecourse Hill in 1885 at the age of just twenty-five. A fastidious man of refined manners and a non-bettor, he prided himself on not spending more than £1,000 a year on his racing interests. And yet for such modest outlays Knight was to enjoy remarkable success on the Turf.
He began to indulge his interest in racing in the late 1890s although his first important winner did not arrive until Mercy won the New Zealand Oaks in 1907. Other useful horses to carry his colours before Ballymena included Neroli (1894 D.J.C. Champagne Stakes); Lapland (from Neroli) and Tikitere, winners respectively of the 1908 and 1909 Timaru Cups. Knight never stood a home stallion on Racecourse Hill but instead preferred to send his mares to the best sires on offer at other studs. Knight was active on the Turf in administration as well, being a steward of the Canterbury Jockey club and the long-term president of the Hororata Racing Club. That genial little Irishman, Dan Roberts, who, like Jones, had mastered his craft at Yaldhurst, trained all of Knight's early winners but ill-health compelled him to retire in the autumn of 1915. Medley, the dam of Ballymena, was the last horse that Roberts handed over to Jones who succeeded him; and he did so after she had won a double for him at the South Canterbury Jockey Club's Autumn Meeting in April.
Despite their age difference, Roberts and Jones were good friends dating back to their Yaldhurst days, and when the Riccarton Trainers' Association organised a smoke concert at the Racecourse Hotel on May 4 to mark Roberts' retirement, Jones was happily in attendance. As the toasts were proposed on that convivial smoke-filled evening to both the outgoing and incoming trainers, nobody could have guessed the dramatic change in racing fortunes the stable would enjoy as a result of the mare that had given Roberts' such an honourable end to his training career. In a fitting symmetry of circumstances, not only did Medley give Dan Roberts his last win as a trainer but she also gave Jones his first for his new patron, when she dead-heated for the Wakanui Handicap at the Ashburton County Race Club's Autumn Meeting a couple of weeks later. It was an exciting portent of the significance the mare would come to play in Jones's life, although not especially on the racecourse herself. Prior to Ballymena's Derby, the most important race that Jones had won for Knight had been the 1921 Auckland Cup with Malaga.
Victory in the blue riband inevitably focussed attention on the pedigree of Ballymena. Nassau, his sire, was foaled in England in 1910 and the winner of 6 races from 25 starts and some £3,700 on prizemoney. Unraced at two, Nassau's best wins came in the Newmarket Biennial Stakes (1m) and the Duke of York Stakes (10f) at Kempton Park, although he won a couple of good class handicaps at Haydock Park as well. Nassau, a bright bay of excellent proportions, was a son of William the Third, winner of the 1902 Ascot Gold Cup (20f) and the Doncaster Cup (16f), and thereby a grandson of the legendary St Simon. Stolen Love, the dam of Nassau, was a daughter of Buccaneer, winner of the 1892 Ascot Gold Cup. When Nassau arrived in the Dominion on board the Remuera in June 1915, having been purchased for 2000 guineas on behalf of Gerald Stead to stand at his Brackenfield Stud, he was reputedly the most expensive thoroughbred ever imported into the country up to that time.
Success was assured when Starland (1920 A.R.C. Auckland Cup) and the cracking Surveyor (1918 A.R.C. Great Northern Foal Stakes; 1923 W.R.C. Champion Plate; 1925 W.R.C. Wellington Cup etc.) came along in his very first crop. Other good gallopers sired by Nassau included Royal Box (1922 A.R.C. Great Northern St Leger) and Historic (1929 Av.J.C. Avondale Cup; 1929 C.J.C. Winter Cup etc.). Nassau was sold out of Brackenfield Park in April 1920 for 2100 guineas when Gerald Stead's stud was dispersed. It was in September 1923, only weeks before Ballymena won the Derby, Percy Miller announced that he had purchased Nassau for an undisclosed sum to stand at his Kia-Ora Stud at the beginning of the 1924 breeding season. He was to prove a disappointment at Kia-Ora, although old Percy, hosting him at a fee of 100 guineas, profited from the deal. Indeed, the only winner of a principal race that Nassau sired after relocating to Australia was Salazar, the 1939 Newcastle Cup winner. Never placed in the top three of the winning sires' lists in New Zealand, Nassau was to finish tenth in the overall N.Z. winning sires' list of the 1920's with his progeny winning £154,572 during the decade.
Medley, the dam of Ballymena, and foaled in 1911, only ever won 4 races from her 27 starts and none beyond seven furlongs. In physique, she was a mare of very ordinary appearance. Sent to the stud in 1916 by Henry Knight, who had not only bred Medley but her dam as well, she produced a filly foal to Kilbroney the following year that remained unregistered. Humboldt, by Sunny Lake, was the next to come along and he won twice in good company, including the Rimutaka Handicap at the Wellington Racing Club's 1921 Spring Meeting. Ballymena was Medley's third foal and as great as he proved to be, another even better was to drop from her loins just three seasons later, as will be chronicled in these pages. Medley died in October 1927, after throwing a fine colt to Limond. The colt was subsequently reared by hand and registered as Dunraven but did little to maintain the family reputation.
Several excuses are always less convincing than one. Accordingly, the frustrated turf scribes whose own tips for the A.J.C. Derby had proved disappointing simply wrote off the result as a case of an ordinary winner in an ordinary year for three-year-olds. And in truth, apart from the winner, the other starters in that A.J.C. Derby did turn out to be rather ordinary, although King Carnival would win the Caulfield Guineas later that spring and Lady Valais the A.J.C. St Leger in the autumn while Tarleton, back in the Dominion would take out the Timaru Cup. However, Ballymena was something else. The gelding wasn't entered for the Victoria Derby, which that year went to the filly Frances Tressady, but upon his return to New Zealand in a burst of protean energy, Ballymena reeled off seven slashing victories from his last ten starts that season. While he could only run fourth in the New Zealand Derby shortly after returning, he won the C.J.C. Canterbury Cup (2 ¼ miles. w-f-a) two days later. He then proceeded to win the A.R.C. Great Northern Derby; the New Zealand St Leger and Great Northern St Leger; and the Trentham, Awapuni and Ormond Gold Cups during the summer and autumn! In all of those victories, bar the Canterbury Cup when he couldn't do the weight, Maurice McCarten was the postilion. While that run of success served to confer sublimity on the rather unsound gelding, it raised official eyebrows in Sydney. How was it that a three-year-old capable of achieving so much could go to the post for the A.J.C. Derby at 25/1 after 33/1 had been snapped up in the betting ring?
After a brief winter spell, Fred Jones and Ballymena returned to Sydney on the first day of July 1924, again aboard the Ulimaroa, a full month earlier than their corresponding trip on the same ship the year before. Although Ballymena was engaged in the rich weight-for-age events at the A.J.C. Spring Meeting, his real mission was the Melbourne Cup. The horse had filled out considerably since his previous appearance in Sydney. Accompanying the classic winner were his stablemates, Glentruin, a smart sprinting mare, and Royal Despatch among others. Again, the horses were stabled in Chisholm's establishment at Randwick. McCarten delayed his arrival in Sydney by a few weeks in a bid to win a second successive N.Z. Jockeys' Premiership but in the event, he could only dead-heat with Charlie Emerson with 47 winners each. While there was a certain superficial symmetry in the circumstances of this trip with the last, rather than triumph this was to end in tragedy. Indeed, rarely have the vicissitudes of the Turf been more starkly illustrated than in the successive Sydney spring campaigns of Ballymena and his principals.
The horse that was to cause all the problems, Royal Despatch, made his Australian debut in a second division of the maiden handicap at Moorefield on July 19 with Teddy Lowe in the saddle, given McCarten's absence. Rushed by the public when the betting opened – at one point he was backed into 6/4 before easing to start at 4/1. The gelding dropped out at the top of the hill and was well beaten at the distance. Stewards opened an inquiry into the performance on the racecourse itself and continued at the A.J.C. offices the following Monday but ultimately exonerated connections. If the Jones' juggernaut of success shuddered on the occasion of Royal Despatch's first start in Australia, it absolutely stalled on the occasion of his second at Canterbury Park on August 9. And this time, in the first division of the maiden handicap, McCarten was back in the saddle and to be held hostage to fortune. Well in the market, although easing again after opening as the favourite, Royal Despatch was one of the first away but soon dropped back and never afterwards appeared to have a possible chance. Stewards immediately launched another inquiry into the horse on the course, which was resumed the following Monday at the A.J.C. offices.
This time Fred Jones and Maurice McCarten were found guilty of improper practices and each was disqualified for twelve months. The stewards also called on Henry Knight to show cause why Royal Despatch should not be disqualified as well. Knight himself was not implicated and was in New Zealand at the time. The stewards' decision triggered a huge controversy on both sides of the Tasman, particularly given that Jones was training for some of the most distinguished sportsmen in New Zealand. Henry Knight notwithstanding, Jones also trained for those other Canterbury identities, J. F. Buchanan and G. D. Starky, both members of the committee of the Canterbury Jockey Club. Jones and McCarten both appealed hoping that their appeals could be delayed until September when Henry Knight himself would be present at the hearings. In the end, the A.J.C. committee didn't wait for Knight and on August 28 unequivocally announced their dismissals. While Royal Despatch was initially put out by stewards for 12 months, Knight's later appeal against this finding was subsequently upheld.
In the last week of August Jones's entire team was transferred to the Cowper St stables of fellow Kiwi trainer, George Price. On September 8 Knight finally arrived in Australia but there was nothing to be done to change the A.J.C.'s decision. In the wake of the committee's findings, Knight, perhaps as much from wounded vanity as collegial loyalty, initially declared his intention to ship Ballymena and his other horses back to New Zealand. However, he was prevailed upon by Jones and McCarten, much to their later regret, to give the Derby winner his chance at the Sydney spring meetings. Accordingly, Ballymena made his seasonal reappearance in the Chelmsford Stakes at the Tattersall's Club meeting at Randwick on September 13 and was just beaten for the minor placing, having made much of the pace in the race won by Heroic in Australasian record time. A week later Ballymena equalled the course record to beat Gloaming and The Hawk and win the Hill Stakes. Knight remained in Sydney to witness Ballymena run second and third respectively behind Gloaming in the Spring Stakes and the Craven Plate at weight-for-age; he then left on board the Tahiti to return to New Zealand on Thursday prior to what was to prove Ballymena's final start.
It came the following Saturday in the more suitable two-mile A.J.C. Randwick Plate (w-f-a) on the last day of the meeting. Despatched the 4/6 favourite in a four-horse field where his only serious rival was David, Ballymena skipped to the front with less than six furlongs to travel. Coming down the High St side of the course no one in the large crowd could have guessed that even then Ballymena was dancing on the edge of oblivion. Just before the three, when a length-and-a-half clear of David and being hailed the winner, the son of Nassau suddenly staggered, blundering along a few yards more before stopping entirely. Con Reed hurriedly dismounted to be confronted by a horse with a fractured near fore fetlock, the bone coming right through and Ballymena's hoof hanging by the skin. The depressing spectacle soon muted the crowd's roar into silence. A bullet quickly ended the Derby winner's life. One can only imagine Knight's reaction when the wireless news came through back in New Zealand. Only weeks before he had rejected an offer of 5000 guineas for the gelding; only days before, as a result of the Royal Despatch controversy, he had intended to return the horse to Racecourse Hill without so much as another Australian start. Such, then, is the capriciousness of fate. Triumph in the spring of 1923; Disaster in the spring of 1924. Whether Knight, in the words of Rudyard Kipling, could treat those two impostors just the same seemed a moot point at the time.
Ballymena's full racing statistics were 26 starts for 11 wins, 3, seconds and 5 thirds and around £12,500 in stakes. In a statement hard to prove but impossible to refute, McCarten at the very end of his distinguished riding and training career on the Turf would claim that Ballymena was the greatest stayer with which he was ever associated. The chances, then, of any owner, let alone one aged sixty-four and in deteriorating health, getting another galloper even better than Ballymena, must have seemed a remote prospect when news of the latter's death crackled over the wireless at Racecourse Hill on that cool October evening in 1924. However, unbeknownst to Knight or anyone else at the time, down in the stud paddocks, there was a little brown colt by Limond, a year old, who was to prove just that. He had been foaled by Medley the previous spring. Despite dubious hocks and shelly feet, Knight held great hopes for the youngster and in keeping with the Irish tradition of nomenclature – Ballymena being a town in County Antrim – he decided to register his younger half-brother as Limerick. And this gallant son of Limond would be awaiting both Fred Jones and Maurice McCarten to resuscitate their reputations after the two men had served out their full A.J.C. disqualifications. In life, the luck of having talent isn't enough; one must also have a talent for luck. And the coming of Limerick proved that Messrs Jones and McCarten had just that. However, for the story of Ballymena's younger half-brother, the reader must wait for the 1926 chapter.


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During our May-long Campaign to End Violence, we're publishing a weekly roundup of impact stories, infographics and resources to raise awareness about violence against women and girls in Canada.
This week's is on intersectionality, inclusion and collaboration to end violence.
This week's is on healthy relationships and consent.
This week is on sexual assault and support for survivors.
This week's is on domestic violence and women's shelters.


Jennifer Lang: I just returned from a visit to Shanghai and a look at the many wonderful Bund buildings from the 20th century.
Here is more detail on the Asiatic building. It was designed by the architectural firm of Moorhead & Halse and built in 1916. The records I accessed show that it was originally called the McBain Building and that it became the offices for the Asiatic Petroleum Company in 1917, and later the East China Petroleum Company occupied the building (in the 1950s) and the China Pacific Insurance Company occupied the building in the 1990s (I believe this company continues to occupy this building today).
The building is seven stories high, and composed with symmetrically designed neoclassical/Barque style primary facades of reinforced concrete. Evidently the building was known as the "No. 1 building on the Bund" (its address), and at its time of construction in 1916 was one of the tallest Bund buildings.
Wang Xuyuan, Shanghai China, "The Bund & Architecture of One Century" China Architecture and Building Press, 2008.


At The Container Store, we try to have fun no matter what we do, and this is certainly the case in our distribution center. For this installment of "Careers with Heart" we had a lively conversation with Loscar "Los" Mejia, our Distribution Center General Manager, about fun in the workplace, salsa dancing, and his family's love of elfa (though not in that order).
What made you decide to go into the logistics and distribution field after studying marketing in college?
While I was passionate about marketing and advertising in school, related jobs were scarce, so I took a chance and applied at a local, retail company distribution center in Arkansas. I had never even been inside a distribution center so I was surprised when they gave me a chance to be their outbound area manager for their meat and produce shipping operation. Once I started, I fell in love with the energy and competitive nature that distribution brings out.
After working in this field for so long, what made you decide The Container Store was the right fit?
Well, after spending three years working in Puerto Rico I was looking to come back to Texas to be closer to family. During my job search I met with a recruiter and he told me, "With your experience I can find you a job with anyone, but I think you would love The Container Store. It's the best place to work in Dallas-Fort Worth." After I left the meeting, I immediately looked the company up and filled out an application that same day.
However, while I quickly landed an interview, I ended up taking a different job at the time because I was looking to come back to the States as soon as possible. But two years later, The Container Store called me out of the blue to see how I was doing and offer me another opportunity., At that moment, I officially knew this was the place I was destined to be!
What are some common misconceptions that people might have about working in a warehouse or distribution center environment?
There are several. First, some people think only men can do this job, but that's not true! Some of our best performers are our female employees! Many people also think the work is repetitive and never changes, but that's not true either. We are constantly improving our processes and procedures to drive efficiency and productivity.
Some people think it is impossible to do this type of work safely for a long period of time. We take pride in keeping our employees safe at all times; we even have several departments in our distribution center that have gone two or three years without any injuries or accidents!
For those pursuing a career in distribution and logistics, what are some important skills to develop?
Since this area brings together people with many different skill sets and backgrounds, I feel the best skill that you must possess is a genuine love for people. Although we move boxes all day long, the most critical part of the job is helping our employees stay engaged, safe, and productive every single day. It's also important to be goal-oriented and have a passion for results, as we measure EVERYTHING! Lastly, it's important to be flexible. Every day at work is different from the last, so you must always be ready for the different challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Los exhibits his love of people by co-hosting our annual Gift Wrap Wonderland Fashion Show at our Holiday Party.
Why is Air of Excitement your favorite Foundation Principle?
Because I get to feed off the positive energy and love of so many great people! I absolutely love the fact that our company expects us to have fun at work, and I'm surrounded by world-class coworkers who genuinely care for one another. There is no better formula for success than to love what you do and have fun while doing it!
We love all things elfa! The day I told my wife that we get a 50% discount on elfa, she went to our NorthPark store and designed four different spaces! I didn't find out until it was too late and she had bought them all! (Laughs) We now have Elfa solutions in our office, closets, media room, and garage. Looking back, I don't know how we survived all these years without it.
So…let's switch gears to salsa dancing. How'd you get interested in that? And do your wife and kids enjoy it as well?
Being from Nicaragua, it is almost a rite of passage to make sure you can bust a salsa move or two, so when I was 12-years-old my mom enrolled my sister and I in ballroom dancing classes for the summer. Initially it was not my favorite thing, but I must say that it has come in handy over the years. To me, nothing gets a party going like great salsa music! Luckily, my wife Laura is also an avid dancer, so she's my "partner in crime!" Our three kids like breaking us up when we dance at home, but most of the time we get them to join in.
What's it been like to see all the big changes in The Container Store's Distribution Center over the past year and a half? And what do you look forward to in its future?
This past April we rolled out an extensive, complex automated system, and our employees have worked so hard to make this huge initiative a success! The fact that we could do that and still meet all our customers' needs without ever missing a day of service is a testament to the resiliency and ownership of our amazing DC employees and support staff.
We are so fortunate that our senior managers believe in the importance of our distribution network enough to invest so heavily in it, especially since many other companies do not. Their leadership and foresight has allowed us to implement a world-class system that enables growth for years to come, so I'm excited to see where we – and my career – go from here!


text:
TriMetals Mining Inc. Reports First 2016 Drill Results from South Jumbo Including 18.3 Metres Averaging 3.84 g/t AuEq, Near Surface, Within 150.9 Metres Averaging 1 g/t AuEq
January 11, 2017, Vancouver, British Columbia—TriMetals Mining Inc. (TSX: TMI, US OTCQX: TMIAF), (the "Company"), is pleased to announce the first drill results from South Jumbo around the historic Etna mine, located towards the southern end of the Jumbo Trend, some 1.5 km south of the present resource area, within the Gold Springs project located in Utah and Nevada. All drilling was conducted on Utah State Trust Lands within a recently acquired 160 acre parcel. Highlights include 3.46 g/t Au and 23.39 g/t Ag over 18.3 metres in hole E-16-005, within a strong, wider zone of near surface mineralization averaging 2.17 g/t AuEq over 45.7 metres, which itself is within 150.9 metres averaging 1.00 g/t AuEq:
Hole From (m) To (m) Thickness (m) Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) AuEq (g/t)
E-16-005 24.4 42.7 18.3 3.46 23.39 3.84
E-16-005 19.8 170.7 150.9 0.87 7.78 1.00
* Gold Equivalent ("AuEq") calculated using a 61.9 gold to silver ratio and assumes 100% metallurgical recoveries. True width is approximately 80-90% of Thickness.
Link to Location Map showing Jumbo Trend:
http://www.trimetalsmining.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/GSPR_Figure1-09-17v2mpm.pdf
Link to Location Map showing RC hole E-16-05:
http://www.trimetalsmining.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/EtnaPlanSection6800N.pdf
A total of 8 holes were completed in 2016 in the vicinity of the historic Etna mine with all holes located north of holes E-12-001 (39.6 metres @ 0.57 g/t Au and 4.2 g/t Ag) drilled in 2012 and E-14-001 (29.0 metres @ 0.85 g/t Au and 10.22 g/t Ag) drilled in 2014. The Company believes that these earlier holes, together with the recent drilling, outline an open-ended zone of gold mineralization extending for 400 metres which is open along strike both to the north and south, and to depth. Notably many of the six holes reported here ended in mineralization, suggesting that the actual mineralized zone is even wider than reported.
Highlights from the first 6 holes (results from holes E-16-007 and E-16-008 are still pending) at Etna include:
E-16-001 65.5 80.8 15.3 1.11 5.95 1.20
Inc. 19.8 65.5 45.7 1.93 15.08 2.17
E-16-006 15.2 24.4 9.2 0.65 6.68 0.76
A complete set of cross-sections through the South Jumbo and a trace map showing the surface location of the RC holes is available here:
http://www.trimetalsmining.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/EtnaPlanSections6000N-6900N.pdf
Ralph Fitch, President and CEO of the Company stated "These latest results from South Jumbo are very important for the advancement of the Gold Springs project, demonstrating the existence of much higher-grade, near surface, mineralization than has typically been drilled in the past. Any extension of the 2-3 g/t gold intercept seen in E-16-005 and E-16-004 would potentially allow for the development of a higher-grade starter pit with its associated positive economic impacts, to be mined at the beginning of project development, together with our existing resource, estimated in North Jumbo, 1.5-3.0 km to the north. Drilling has now indicated the presence of gold mineralization over approximately half of the 5 km Jumbo Trend which is defined by the ZTEM geophysical anomaly. It is planned to update the Gold Springs resource estimate this quarter using the drill results from both the 2015 and 2016 drill programs, including the results reported here."
All holes contained an upper and lower mineralized zone and all ended in mineralization, including hole E-16-001, which was drilled to a total depth of 214.9 metres with the last 15.2 metres of the hole averaging 0.67 g/t Au and 3.06 g/t Ag. Importantly, 198.1 metres of this hole averaged 0.36 g/t AuEq and, as noted above, ended in mineralization. The deeper mineralization seen in E-16-001 was not reached in any of the other holes as all ended at much shallower depths. These stacked mineralized zones and the deeper mineralization intersected in hole E-16-001 suggest that the South Jumbo has the potential to develop into a significant mineral system with thicknesses of mineralization comparable, or greater than, those seen in the area of the presently reported resource estimate in North Jumbo (NI 43-101 Technical Report dated August 12, 2015). The South Jumbo (Etna) extends another 1000 metres south of the reported holes, to the southern end of the ZTEM geophysical anomaly.
Hole E-16-006, the most northern of the holes reported, contained shorter, and lower grade intervals of gold-silver mineralization than the other five holes reported here, however, this mineralization is very significant in that it shows the mineral system continues to the north, in an area of structural complexity, that geological interpretation indicated might have cut-off the mineralization.
Details of mineralization intersected:
Inc. 16.8 88.4 71.6 0.47 3.8 0.53
Inc. 65.5 80.8 15.3 1.11 5.95 1.21
and 111.3 123.4 12.1 0.61 2.88 0.66
E-16-002 0 105.2 105.2 0.56 5.54 0.65
36.6 41.1 4.5 Old Working
and 41.1 65.5 24.4 2.04 11.49 2.22
and 117.3 153.9 36.6 0.95 9.3 1.10
Drill Hole Easting – UTM NAD 27 Northing – UTM NAD 27 Elevation (m) Azimuth Inclination TD (ft) TD (m)
E-16-001 760606 4196611 6622 90 -50 705 214.9
Approximately 10 kg of RC chips were sent to the laboratory for each 1.52 metre drill interval. Fifteen percent of the samples submitted by the Company are blanks and standards for QA/QC purposes. In addition, the laboratory also includes duplicates of samples, standards and blanks. The results of these check assays are reviewed prior to the release of data. All RC chip sample assays are also reviewed for their geological context and checked against the drill logs.
Assay Method
TMI Assays were performed in Sparks, Nevada by Bureau Veritas Mineral Laboratories, an ISO 9001:2000 Certified laboratory. Gold was analyzed by fire assay of a 30-gram sample with an AAS finish with samples assaying greater than 10 g/t re-assayed using a 30-gram sample and a gravity finish. All other elements were analyzed by a four acid leach ICP method coded MA300.
No known drilling, sampling, recovery or other factors have been observed that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data referred to in this news release.
Certain statements contained herein constitute "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" under applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements look into the future and provide an opinion as to the effect of certain events and trends on the business. Forward-looking statements may include words such as "outline", "suggesting" or "suggest", "continue", "indicates", "would", "potentially" or "potential", "planned" and similar expressions.Interpretations of exploration results, including the strength of mineralization, are also forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and entail various risks and uncertainties. Actual results may materially differ from expectations if known and unknown risks or uncertainties affect our business or if our estimates or assumptions prove inaccurate. Factors that could cause results or events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited to, risks of the mineral exploration industry which may affect the advancement of the Gold Springs project, including possible variations in mineral resources, grade, recovery rates, metal prices, capital and operating costs, and the application of taxes; availability of sufficient financing to fund planned or further required work in a timely manner and on acceptable terms; availability of equipment and qualified personnel, failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, changes in project parameters, including water requirements for operations, as plans continue to be refined; regulatory, environmental and other risks of the mining industry more fully described in the Company's Annual Information Form and continuous disclosure documents, which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The assumptions made in developing the forward-looking statements include: the accuracy of current resource estimates and the interpretation of drill, metallurgical testing and other exploration results; the continuing support for mining by local governments in Nevada and Utah; the availability of equipment and qualified personnel to advance the Gold Springs project; execution of the Company's existing plans and further exploration and development programs for Gold Springs, which may change due to changes in the views of the Company or if new information arises which makes it prudent to change such plans or programs.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or any other reason. Unless otherwise indicated, forward-looking statements in this press release describe the Company's expectations as of January 11, 2017.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Edison's observation came to mind as I considered the drawing of C.W. Saladee's self-propelling rotary steam plow shown in Sam Moore's column in this issue of Farm Collector. The fantastical drawing seems taken from the notebooks of Jules Verne, who lived at the same time as Saladee.
We often marvel at the intellect and ingenuity of early inventors and engineers, men who had neither calculators nor computers at their disposal, but who nonetheless conceived brilliant mechanisms that represent the bedrock of today's industrial technology.
But history has scant interest in the also-rans. Despite being credited with 200 patents at the time of his death in 1894, C.W. Saladee is little known today.
Whether it was a matter of bad timing or flawed concept or a lack of capital, the self-propelling rotary steam plow apparently never made it off the page. Still, in this country, we are captivated by the person who thinks big. If you google "Saladee steam plow," this crazy concept comes roaring to life.


text:
Der Gruppenwettbewerb in der Rhythmischen Sportgymnastik bei den Olympischen Spielen 2012 in London wurde vom 9. bis zum 12. August 2012 in der Wembley Arena ausgetragen. Insgesamt traten 72 Athletinnen an.

Der Wettbewerb bestand aus einer Qualifikationsrunde und dem Finale. Jedes Team trat sowohl in Qualifikation als auch im Finale zwei Mal mit jeweils fünf Turnerinnen an. Beim ersten Mal wurde mit fünf Bällen geturnt, die zweite Vorführung erfolgte mit drei Bändern und zwei Reifen. Die beiden Wertungen wurden zu einer Gesamtnote addiert. Die besten acht Mannschaften qualifizierten sich fürs Finale.

Mannschaften
 :
Reneta Kamberowa, Mihaela Marvska, Tsvetelina Naydenova, Elena Todorowa, Hristiana Todorowa, Katrin Vekova

Mira Bimperling, Judith Hauser, Nicole Müller, Camilla Pfeffer, Cathrin Puhl, Sara Radman

Eleni Doika, Alexia Kyriazi, Evdokia Loukagkou, Stavroula Samara, Vasileia Zachou, Marianthi Zafiriou

Georgina Cassar, Jade Faulkner, Francesca Fox, Lynne Hutchison, Louisa Pouli, Rachel Smith
 :
Moran Buzovski, Viktoriya Koshel, Noa Palatchy, Marina Shults, Polina Zakaluzny, Eliora Zholkovski
 :
Elisa Blanchi, Romina Laurito, Marta Pagnini, Elisa Santoni, Angelica Savrayuk, Andreea Ștefănescu
 :
Natsuki Fukase, Airi Hatakeyama, Rie Matsubara, Rina Miura, Nina Saeedyokota, Kotono Tanaka

Katrina Cameron, Rose Cossar, Alexandra Landry, Anastasiya Muntyanu, Anjelika Reznik, Kelsey Titmarsh
 :
Anastassija Blisnjuk, Uljana Donskowa, Xenija Dudkina, Alina Makarenko, Anastassija Nasarenko, Karolina Sewastjanowa
 :
Loreto Achaerandio, Sandra Aguilar, Elena López, Lourdes Mohadeno, Alejandra Quereda, Lidia Redondo
 :
Olena Dmitrasch, Jewgenija Gomon, Waleria Gudim, Wiktorija Lenischin, Wiktorija Mazur, Switlana Prokopowa
 :
Marina Hantscharowa, Anastassija Iwankowa, Natalja Leschtschik, Aljaksandra Narkewitsch, Xenia Sankowitsch, Alina Tumilowitsch

Qualifikation
Bälle: 9. August 2012, 13:00 Uhr MESZ
Band und Reifen: 10. August 2012, 13:00 Uhr MESZ

Finale
12. August 2012, 14:30 Uhr MESZ

Im fünften olympischen Wettkampf war es der vierte russische Sieg in Folge.

Bildergalerie

Weblinks
 Rhythmische Sportgymnastik Gruppe

Rhythmische Sportgymnastik
Rhythmische Sportgymnastik bei den Olympischen Sommerspielen
Sportveranstaltung im London Borough of Brent
Turnen (Vereinigtes Königreich)
Wembley Arena

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
2017 United States Mint Congratulations Set Goes on Sale on April 4
WASHINGTON – The United States Mint will accept orders for the 2017 Congratulations Set (product code 17RF) starting on April 4 at noon Eastern Time (ET).
Priced at $54.95, this set features for the first time ever an American Eagle One Ounce Silver Proof Coin bearing the "S" mint mark of the San Francisco Mint. The coin is encapsulated and mounted in an attractive presentation folder adorned with black, gold, and silver ribbon curls to add a festive and elegant flair. A Certificate of Authenticity is printed on the back of the folder, while coin specifications are printed on the back of the sleeve. The Product Limit is 75,000. Later this year, the American Eagle One Ounce Silver Proof Coin with the "S" mint mark from the San Francisco Mint will be available as part of the 2017 Limited Edition Silver Proof Set.
Orders will be accepted at https://catalog.usmint.gov and at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Hearing- and speech-impaired customers with TTY equipment may order at 1-888-321-MINT. Information on shipping options is available at https://catalog.usmint.gov/customer-service/shipping.html.
The United States Mint was created by Congress in 1792 and became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. It is the Nation's sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage and is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The United States Mint also produces numismatic products, including proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver and gold bullion coins. The United States Mint's numismatic programs are self-sustaining and operate at no cost to taxpayers. The Mint is celebrating its 225th anniversary in 2017 (#USMint225).
Note: To ensure that all members of the public have fair and equal access to United States Mint products, orders placed prior to the official on-sale date and time April 4, 2017, at noon ET, will not be deemed accepted by the United States Mint and will not be honored.


text:
Greg Millard Special Agent in Charge
@DEAElPasoDiv
Contact: Carlos A. Briano
Albuquerque Smoke Shop Owner Appears in Court on Firearm and Drug Charges
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Gabriel Monico Guevara, 40, of Albuquerque, made an initial appearance in federal court today, facing charges of possessing firearms during, in relation to or in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Guevara will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for Feb. 9.
According to a criminal complaint, Albuquerque police executed a search warrant on Guevara's residence and a smoke shop he owns through a limited liability company (LLC). During the search of Guevara's residence, investigators allegedly found seven firearms, six of which were loaded and three of which allegedly were stolen. They also allegedly recovered approximately 35.67 pounds of marijuana, 56 oxycodone pills and approximately 3 grams of cocaine. During the search of the smoke shop, investigators found three firearms, two of which were loaded and allegedly stolen. They also allegedly recovered an additional 20.47 pounds of marijuana.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Guevara faces a minimum of five years and up to life in prison.
The FBI's Albuquerque Violent Crime and Gangs Task Force (VCGTF) investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque District Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration's El Paso Division and Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Nora Wilson is prosecuting the case.


Built in 2002, this Missouri City one-story cul-de-sac home offers an in-ground pool, a fireplace, stainless steel appliances, and a two-car garage. Upgraded features include a resurfaced pool, fresh exterior paint, and interior paint in select rooms. A community pool, tennis courts, and parks are part of the HOA.


Topping kick wax for racing. Reduces icing.
New fallen snow 0°C to -2°C. Old fine grained snow -2°C to -8°C. VX43 is a top layer kick wax with high fluor content. Excellent when high humidity. Better glide and easier skiing. Reduces risk for icing.


text:
Q: Rudin's Proof for Countable union of Countable Sets are Countable. For reference, the proof for the statement goes like this on the book:

I follow everything up until right after (17). It seems like we are skipping a small step here so I attempted to fill it up from my reading (the following proof goes right after (17)):
We obtain a sequence from (17), let's call it $S' = \{ x_{n, k} \}_{k}$, which may have duplicates in them if our $\{ E_n \}$ are not pairwise disjoint. Equivalently, by Rudin's definition (see below *), we can treat $S'$ as the range of a (surjective, i.e. onto) function $f: \mathbf{Z^+} \to X$, where $X$ is a set containing $\{ x_{n,k} \}$ defined as $f(1) = x_{11}, f(2) = x_{21}, f(3) = x_{12}, \cdots$ following (17).
Now we note that $S \subseteq S'$ is a set without duplicates. Invoking AoC here (or so I think?), we can find an at most countable subset $T' \subseteq \mathbb{Z}^+$ such that $f(m) \not \in f(T' - \{ m \})$ for all $m \in T'$. Equivalently, this implies that $f|_{T'}$ is a bijective (1-1 + onto) function. In particular, we have $T' \sim S$ through $f|_{T'}$.
Now the ordering of $T' \subseteq \mathbb{Z}^+$ and the element of $T'$ corresponding to the order form a natural bijection (1-1 corrspondance). That is, there exists an at most countable ordering set $T \subseteq \mathbb{Z}^+$ such that $T \sim T'$. By transitivity of equivalence relation, we have $T \sim S$. Now if $T$ is finite, then $T ~ J_n$ where $J_n \subseteq \mathbb{Z}^+$, where $J_n$ is $\{ 1, \cdots, n \}$ for some $n \in Z^+$. Then $J_n \sim S$ by transitivity, implying $S$ is finite. If $T$ is infinite, then $T$ is countable by Theorem 2.8 (see below **). Then $T \sim \mathbb{Z}^+$, so $S \sim \mathbb{Z}^+$ by transitivity, showing $S$ is countable. This implies that $S$ is at most countable.
Since $E_1 \subseteq S$ is a countable set, hence infinite, we have $S$ to be infinite as well (by an alternative definition of infinite). Since $S$ is at most countable (finite or countable) and infinite, it must be countable.
Index:
*
**
Question:
Does my proof look right and how can it be simplified (I'm almost sure it could, as although I think this makes more sense to me, but it is pretty long-winded)?

A: I think that using Theorem $2.8$ you can substantially simplify the proof.  (I'm assuming that countable is defined in a way that excludes finite.)  $S$ must be at least countable because it contains a countable set.  The set of all possible indices of $x_{ij}$ is countable, and that set of indices has a subset $T$ (necessarily at most countable by Theorem 2.8) of unique preimages of elements of $S$.  The obvious maps $G: \Bbb N \to T$ and $F:T \to S$ compose to give you a bijection $H: \Bbb N \to S$.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Customer experience can be a rather subjective aspect of business. In fact, in a country of billions of people, it is virtually impossible to cater to everybody and expect similar responses. However, most companies, websites, or individuals attempt just this, trying to find a kind of middle ground so as to provide the optimal user experience. Feedback programs can be a great way of doing this, and here we will try to show you to effectively utilize it for greater business and improved performances.
Time it takes for the customer to fill up or submit feedback.
Ease with which feedback can be provided.
The ability of the customer to provide necessary information and unbiased opinions.
Does it help your company grow?
Can it improve customer loyalty?
Does it work towards retaining customers?
Is it easily accessible, and fairly simple to assess for users?
Have a Strong Leadership Team to engage with Customer Satisfaction.
Possess the Vision and Clarity to take up criticism and turn it into an opportunity for growth.
Be committed to engaging over and over until customers are totally satisfied.
Prepare to listen carefully to every little detail that the end-user narrates, even if it is long-winded and may appear irrational in ways.
Be committed to taking actions based on those critical nuggets of wisdom that can come only after listening to a great number of useless and few priceless pieces of feedback.
Have the patience to take this up as a long protracted project rather than a short term one.
The cons of this system are that it may take time, energy and enormous resources, but a Feedback program can be completely worthwhile if it is done right.
Companies commit to uncovering best practices in their field.
In this, the right website platform can be particularly helpful that can generate closed-loop feedback programs and a sustainable environment. There are also multiple benefits of closed loops, such as engagement with employees and customer services, prevent detractions, and improve brand loyalty in both sectors.
Websites: Company websites should come with feedback programs or searchable links.
Social Media: Facebook, Google+ or Twitter pages of companies should engage with customers.
Email: Companies should invite feedback through Email.
Text Messages: Customers should have the option to provide feedback on Text.
E-commerce channels: Every sale online should end with an option to leave feedback.
Store sales: Point of sales such as stores should provide customers a feedback system (paper, online).
Direct inbound Dials: Toll-free numbers, that's what they are here for.
QR Codes: Direct links to mobile customer feedbacks can be quite a useful trick.
According to McKinsey company's report in 2014, companies that are committed towards accelerating and bettering satisfaction factors benefit by 20% from the use of customer experiences. Feedback programs also improve the chances of referrals, and as professors at the Wharton School of Business discovered, such direct referrals can lead to a 16% improvement in business. There are plenty of simple feedback services available on the market, and many of these can effectively provide statistical data, run help desks, and even collect sufficient client feedback for better business management. Such services often automate the entire process on behalf of the company, managing CRM services with greater efficiency and within budget needs, and allow customers to feel more cared-for. They also provide sufficient data and tools to enable businesses to make data-driven, logical decisions from the often dense material of customer feedback.
Needless to say, engaging in customer feedback and discovering a secure method of closed loop data can allow companies progress on their growth paths.
Mariia Lvovych is a freelance writer and an expert both in SEO and in social media management. CEO and founder at GetReviewed.org, which aims to connect advertisers with influential bloggers.
What Is Customer Feedback and Why Is It so Relevant for Your Business?


I am just back from my 10 day and just under 900 km cycling expedition traversing Portugal from both top to bottom and side to side as well. Portugal offers a huge variety of remote villages of white wash and terracotta on painted tiled cottages, wonderful scenery from coastal beaches to olive and cork tree lined streets and rolling fields filled with sheep, pigs and cattle. Highlights for me were cycling along the Atlantic coast of Porto and [sampling] the best sardines in the world, as well as a May Day Festival in Barcelos where we had to push our bikes through the overflowing colourful streets of floats, festivity, music and flowers.
I have been holidaying with Bike Adventures since 2005. Through out the standards have remained high. The Danube trip was every bit as good as I have come to expect. Route and leaders were excellent and the accommodation was of a constantly high standard. One thing I do not understand is how you arranged such good weather. Well done and thank you. Special thanks to Steve and Alan.
The Portugal trip was my 8th with Bike Adventures and was very well organised as usual. Super hotels, excellent route instructions and above all great tour leaders, Steve and Chris. As the slowest rider in the group I spent a lot of time riding with them and they looked after me very well and were always cheerful … I hope to join another Bike Adventures holiday in the future.
Had a great time on the trip and were very well looked after by Graham & Sue. Thank you all.
It's taken some time to type the simple words, thank you, and send them to you. The tour was really wonderful and perfect in every detail. The route was great, beautiful views and I now have a feeling that Britain is a part of me. Andy and Phil was the best. They set a tone from the first moment which helped the group become one. Also thank you for providing the bike box, knowing that it would be waiting for me helped.
Thanks for another brilliant trip. It was great to meet up with the guys from last year's LEJOG trip. I certainly hope we can all get together again in the future. I definitely have the pacific coast highway on my bucket list now.
I had a great time on JOGLE. Graham and Sue were faultless. Calm kind and patient. They made my success possible after a year of ill health followed by a year of recovery and low fitness. Thank you.
It is safe to say that 'Bike Adventures' are awesome. It is great to feel like real mates with the whole team. Dom and Steve make you feel like a pro rider. Every need taken care of. Great routs, great support when needed, bags in the room when you arrive at the end of the days ride so you can get organised quickly and down to the bar to discuss the days adventures over a 'carb rich' beverage or 2. Well done to you and we will certainly be back for our 3rd trip with your awesome team as soon as possible.
Thank you for the "Congratulations" award, I fell I really earned it. I very much enjoyed the ride and there was a good group of people, which helps.
Firstly, I would like to say a big thank you to you for your initial kindness when I was querying about joining the trip after I had been let down by my 'friends' on my attempted LEJOG trip that I had to stop on Day 1. And I am SO glad I did sign up! Your initial responses to me, the actual trip and the wonderful support riders completely restored my confidence so that I knew I could do it and so that I thoroughly enjoyed it.I am so glad I that I booked the trip with Bike Adventures.
Thanks for arranging a great holiday which we thoroughly enjoyed. The route was interesting and varied and the Alp sections challenging whilst manageable. Steve and Rob provided great leadership and support.
Please could you pass on our thanks to Steve, Mike and Rob for all they did for us on the London – Venice trip. We especially appreciated the care and support they gave me following my accident and on subsequent days when they kindly allowed me to ride from place to place in one of the vans. All three were great tour leaders, and we enjoyed their company as well as the practical support they provided so reliably throughout the tour…. please give our thanks again to Steve, Mike and Rob for everything they did to make this trip a success.
I had a fantastic trip thank you. Loved the general route. Thanks heaps to Andy for dealing with our logistics and taking care of my bike. He was great. I look forward to seeing the itinerary for the Aussie trip and planning my future adventures.
I'm currently basking in the sun on our final evening in a French campsite!
Although we didn't need him very much, Andy was friendly, supportive and a thoroughly nice person.
The circumnavigation of London was a fine little trip – for someone who lives in central London to ride around the green belt never more than about 30 miles from home, and with 10m people constantly on my left, was most satisfying… and as the slowest rider my constant sweep companions Alan & Neil were great company… thanks to them and to Steve for conceiving the route and support. Hope to ride the Danube with you next year.
Once again, thanks for putting on a great trip. There seems to be a certain formula that Bike Adventures has that works for us and clearly many others.
The 21 day LEJOG was an absolute awesome cycle trip. Rob and Graham were amazing… It was so nice to arrive at your final destination each day and Rob or Graham had your bags in your room and your key to your room ready to go. If there were any problems with the bikes, they were always willing to help out… Rob's morning briefing was always informative and amusing, and I love the Bike Adventures yellow sheets. I recently did a south China 16 day bike tour and we had to follow a leader every day, and I prefer B.A.'s way by a long shot.
I can see myself doing another B.A. trip in the future (for sure) and will highly recommend the company to everyone. Thanks very much.
I thought it a wonderful trip! Graham and Rob are a credit to your company, always around to help. I am now taking time to come home and enjoying the break with my husband Mike, who has enjoyed every mile, thank you for allowing him to join in. I will be in touch when home as I would like to book again with you. Next time taking my Grand children.
I found it a very enjoyable trip…. the hotels were some of the best we've had on a cycling holiday and most being centrally located made the evenings much more enjoyable. Mike and Andy were brilliant hosts and definitely added to the trip. We used GPS for navigation and the files were spot on, please pass on thanks to whoever did them. Hopefully will be doing something with you next year. Thanks for another well organised trip.
Thanks, it was a terrific trip THANKS….thanks [too] to Mike and Andy for their great support and a wonderful sense of humour!!!
Really enjoyed the trip, we had a fun group with similar cycling abilities. It was a joy. John Wakeham is an excellent tour leader, friendly and always willing to help, John is a credit to your firm. Thanks to everyone at BA for arranging a great trip.
It is nice to be home but when I think of the last nine days it must rank and one of the best experiences of my life. Thanks to you and to Rob for everything…. I thought the route was perfect.
Just wanted to echo the comments about what an amazing trip it was – difficult to adjust to "normal" life after that! Hope to be back for more trips in future.
Thanks for everything, Dom, I had absolutely the best 9 days of cycling. Routes were fantastic, just right level, challenging without being unachievable or too daunting. Very scenic parts of the country I've never seen before and will definitely go back to. We relied on the Garmin generally, but when we needed the route notes, they were detailed and good to have as back up…You kindly put me in touch with someone who gave me some tips on how to train for the trip, and that proved really useful. All in all, as I say, just an amazing experience.
The encouragement from John and Phil when I had to stop on the odd hill climb, was amazing, they allowed me to catch my breath and carry on. On the last night I over analysed the day ahead and was quite frightened of setting off, a quick word with John and his reassurance was all I needed to get me on my way, you cannot pay for that sort of caring and advice it is invaluable. I am so elated to have achieved the London to Paris ride and I would like to thank you all, John and Phil were amazing throughout, they could not have done more to help us. It was brilliant thank you all so very much.
Thanks from the family Seymour. We all greatly enjoyed it and arrived safe and sound.. it proved a great family occasion so who knows about future similar events!
Many thanks, it was a great ride, a good group and an amazing percentage of Dads with daughters or sons. As one of the Dads, it will provide a special memory which will stay for a very long time. Not having done a BA trip for a couple of years, I was pleased to note that the core values are being maintained with some aspects of improvement.
Just finished this ride. My first time doing such a thing and really was filled with trepidation but it was fantastic! The routes are very easy to follow. We didn't go wrong once. My fellow cyclists were a great bunch and a real sense of camaraderie developed. The champagne at the end was a fantastic touch. The leaders, John and Phil, were fantastic! Quietly encouraging at all times. They went beyond the call of duty ensuring at each stop our bags were in our rooms and the food options checked out. Even the news of a traffic free Paris and a marathon didn't phase John!
Just wanted to say what a fantastic experience it was. The organisation was superb. You guys were there if we needed you but we were also allowed to discover things for ourselves without the feeling of being on a 'packaged trip'. I think you have got the balance just right. The route planning was first class. On several of the days we were able to cover great distances on minor roads with very little traffic. Hats off to you guys for putting in the research. The accuracy of the directions was spot on. I will remember the trip for years to come. Definitely wetted my appetite for more long distance cycling. A big thank you to all at Bike Adventures for making it a fantastic experience.
I'm just writing to say how much Nicky and I enjoyed the trip down Portugal…. We had great fun, enjoyed the variety of the hotels and food. We both look forward to many more trips with you in the future.
Wowww I've had a blast. 10 days cycling Portugal top to bottom. New friends made. Sore bottoms obtained. Aching muscles achieved. Mingled in traditional Portuguese life and industry. Saw pomegranates. lemons. oranges growing. Cork trees growing. And ate in traditional farmer's cafes. An educational trip as usual. Now the hardest part. Coming back down to earth.
Just a quick note to say thank you to yourself and Rob for another great trip. A guy like me means more work for you and without your willingness to go the extra mile in terms of help I very much doubt if I could do it. I enjoyed the trip a lot – and am very grateful.
I absolutely loved the hills and some of the scenery was magnificent. Oh and the beer wasn't bad either!
Truly great holidays are hard to find but the traverse of Bhutan is one of them. The trip is an Adventure in the true sense. For me an adventure should challenge and inspire – I was not disappointed. If you only do one trip this is the one to do! I am incredibly proud of us all for completing the journey. It was easier than I thought but harder than I could have imagined. We climbed to great heights, descended the longest road on the planet- bar one! Rode through rain forest and paddy fields, passed through scenery I will simply never forget. Thank you Bike Adventures for the journey of a life time.
What a fantastic trip, enjoyed every moment, the tour\ trip very well planned\organised and Geoff was a fabulous leader…what a great guy…great tour party…what fun we had …looking to see where I can go next with you guys.
I have just completed just under 2,800 kms of spectacular cycling on the West Coast of USA riding from Port Townsend just north of Seattle to the Mexican border in San Diego! The Bike Adventures route took us off the busier roads frequently so as not to miss the pretty coastal towns and scenery and all they had to offer.
Thanks to Dominic, Steve and Chris for their organisation and support on this trip. The route was great – a bit of up, a bit of down and an occasional bit of a long cobbles! Portugal offers some coastal views, stunning hills and sweet smelling eucalyptus forests. The weather was not always kind but the group was looked after; Steve's tuneless but happy singing may have helped me get to the end of one rainy climb! Thank you Bike Adventures – where next?
Portugal end to end was my second trip with Bike Adventures, but my first one abroad. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and can honestly say it's by far one of the best things I have ever done to date. The trip was well organised, the route interesting and varied, fantastic hotels, great company (both the Tour Leaders and the other customers) and what better way to explore a country but on a bike! Bike Adventures is, in my opinion, simply the best! PS Looking forward to my next trip.
We just wanted to say a big thank-you for such a great cycling experience from London to Paris. When we read there there was to be a 'sweeper' riding at the back of the group we panicked, but Chris was brilliant in giving us enough space and also encouragement to get up those first hills, by just being there. What a treat to have all the accommodation and route planned so carefully for us and a lovely surprise when you appeared out of nowhere on day 3 with a box of doughnuts.
We had a superb holiday with Bike Adventures; great cycling, great route, great company, great support from the leaders.
The Bordeaux to Barcelona ride was a tremendous experience. Beautiful country, great route on back roads and always the friendly support of the Bike Adventures team.
Loved it loads. Thanks for all your great help with the punctures and dodgy chain problems I had … you guys are brilliant and I felt very assured that you were at the ready for assisting with everything when needed! Thanks for a fab memory!!
Great trip, you guys are outstanding, considerate and most professional. Hand it to the Brits to plan an excellent excursion.
I thoroughly enjoyed the cycling and the company and of course the weather was terrific.
The Channel to the Mediterranean bicycle tour was really excellent – very well organised, great company and great route.
Thanks for a great trip. I thought it went very well, very professionally run. Top marks..
I had a fantastic holiday. For those of us who are not hill 'Junkies' the Rhine is the perfect trip. A wonderful route. Add good weather, good company and excellent accommodation and its a winner for me. Thank you.
The trip down the Rhine was excellent. I'm still savouring it and re-living the best bits as they jump back into my mind… It was a rich experience. The route was as good as it could be …. [a]t best it was superb and provided very strong contrasts in terms of scenery, the Rhine itself, life in the six countries, industry, transport, agriculture, people at work, people at play, people on the move. Could anything have been better? I'm not sure that it could realistically.
Just a quick note of thanks for all your work in laying on a superb trip down the Rhine. It was a huge success; John and I had a great time and we'll remember the highlights for ages to come. Please pass on my thanks and best wishes to Steve and Andy. You were a terrific team!
I have been going on Bike Adventures holidays for many years and they get better and better. The routes are terrific, very well researched and full of interest, and the team that runs the company are highly competent and very customer-orientated. The fact that they will transport your bike to and from rides all over Europe is a tremendous bonus. No more of the dodgy locally-provided bikes which some other companies provide or the hazards of air transport if you have to bring your bike yourself!
What we got – wow!
We are all home safe and well after successfully completing a fantastic adventure. Every day was different, demanding but enjoyable….we consider Bike Adventures have done a very good job, and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend you.
Your Lands End to John O'Groats Tour was terrific …… I enjoyed it tremendously.
To Dom, Rob and the support staff, thank you for making the experience so special. I cannot imagine what more could have been done to make the trip better. Well done.
Cheers again it was brilliant, just what I wanted.
Thank you so much…We had a fantastic trip & I can't thank John, Phil & Kim enough for their kindness & support (& tea & cake).
Many thanks for all your hard work – Steve and Andy too – in making the Rhine cycle so enjoyable. You were most supportive and helpful – and fun! We loved visiting so many countries with their different scenery, architecture and wildlife – something for everyone! We thought the hotels were extremely comfortable … and those that provided facilities for an evening meal were great. Excellent breakfasts too!
I would like to thank you and the company Bike Adventures for the fine job they did to make this a most memorable but tiring vacation[!] We did enjoy the fact that we had every night a Hotel or B&B or Inn reserved for us…all accommodations were well chosen and [e]verybody was very helpful with bike storage and welcoming their guests……we really did enjoy the trip. Thank you and Bike Adventures.
Home now with a sense of something missing! Must be the good company. Many thanks for a great adventure.
I really enjoyed the trip… scenery was spectacular with some brilliant descents on great roads… Have done 4 trips with Bike Adventures now, USA will be my 5th. I keep coming back, so something must be attracting me!
Just to say again what a great trip the Tuscany tour was and thank[s]… for all the hotel bookings, they were all very good and a couple of them were outstanding. Steve and Rob set just the right tone with the group and I hope they enjoyed our company…….I hope to come on another of your trips before too long.
I just want to thank you and Rob for the great experience I had. I was so very pleased with the pre-trip planning that you helped [us] with, and all of the little things that helped to make this such a great, if at times dificult, journey. Hopefully I can make another trip with you at some point in the future.
We've been back two weeks and I've been meaning to email a big "thank you" for every stage of the trip. From the initial conversations, and my endless annoying emails, the fluctuating numbers, having Val in the van (which saved our trip and Roger's life!), the extra rest day, running around over mobile phones, broken bikes, incapacitated cyclists to your dry wit and accurate descriptions of places and personalities, to which we will now, no doubt, add! I would be happy to speak to any Australians who are enquiring to do trips with "Bike Adventures" as I endorse the company totally.
A quick e-mail to say that we had a super weekend in East Anglia despite less than ideal weather on Friday and Saturday. Good routes and directions and very friendly hotels. Good accommodation.
A great trip: a seamless two weeks of sun, sweat and scintillating company! Thanks everyone, and especially to Rob and Bike Adventures!
I had a fab time, loved the riding, loved the weather, loved the food especially the fish, thought the people were great and thought that Rob, Rob and Mike did a sterling job.
I had an absolute awesome time (I think awesome stands for Amazing, Wonderful, Energetic, Spectacular, Outstanding, Magnificent, Everlasting memories).
Thanks to you, John and Chris for all the support during our trip.This was a major challenge for me which without the amazing support may not have been possible.You are an amazing combination of a team who truly made the trip a memorable one.Your enthusiasm for cycling,your wit and patience was outstanding.
Just a quick note to say many thanks for the fantastic holiday I have just come back from. I've never done anything like this before so didn't know what to expect but it was fantastic, brilliant organisation and logistics and a wonderful route – such good fun. I especially wanted to say how brilliant our guides were. Again I didn't really know what the guides would do but the answer seems to be everything and more – mechanics, inspiring, encouraging, spotters of amazing lunch stops, very patient and positive all the time – a great pair of guys.
I've just enjoyed the most wonderful Land's End to John O'Groats ride with Bike Adventures. Great company; the camararderie of fellow travellers; meticulously planned route; worth every single penny. If this is on your list of things to do, you must look at Bike Adventures. I'm so glad I went with them instead of doing it solo. It was the difference between a challenge to be endured and a feast to be savoured.
I had the most amazing time – cycling aside, the scenery was fantastic and I couldn't have wished for better company. My concerns, ie would I possibly be lonely and would I struggle with the cycling both in terms of pace and distance on the trip were all ill founded!! In fact when I'd finished I felt as if I could turn round and do it all again…….stands me in good stead for when I do Land's End to John O'Groats!
Good ride, wonderful route with good roads and sufficient challenges to make it interesting for an "old guy" – thanks John – with the mileages just about right leaving time for relaxed evenings and a drink or two. I would say that this ride and Bord/Barc are the two best rides that I have ever done, not sure that I can choose between them.
Thanks to you and your support team for a great trip through Italy. It's a significant achievement getting 30+ Cyclists over 800 miles through the lanes and roads of Italy. Over the last few years I have come to appreciate all the work that goes into making these tours such a success. Great job and well done.
I wanted to write to you to say how much I had enjoyed the Pisa to Sicily holiday earlier this month. I really appreciated being able to do this holiday with Bike Ads because without the planning, support, hotels, and route sheets I would never have been able to tackle this gorgeous ride.
I just wanted to thank you for giving my dad (Peter Langford – aged 80) a great experience on this recent supported ride. He really enjoyed the route, the company and the maintenance support. It was also a weight off my mind that he did it as a supported ride rather than on his own!
The trip exceeded my expectations in every way, and was impressed how good the accommodation was considering the difficulties of booking one night stays. You and Geoff were models of quiet efficiency. I would definitely go on another Bike Adventure with your company.
Anyway, thank you both for a great couple of weeks. Really enjoyed myself and thank you for letting me do it my own way, not that any of us had a choice! Body was pretty stubborn. All your organisation payed off as the route, instructions, accommodation etc were great. Should any friends think about attempting it I'll recommend you.
We would just like to say how much we enjoyed the trip. It exceeded our expectations by a big margin, and everyone was up for the challenge. We can well appreciate the effort you put into making it a success. Keep up the good work!
This was the perfect level of support, organisation, difficulty and freedom :-)! The hotels were great locations and standard, and being able to "just turn up" and have bags in the room, already checked in was a nice touch :-). Never any stress or anything seem too much for you guys, always more than happy to help. You picked the evening locations so well. We loved Beaugency and finishing in Carcassonne was, for sure, a great place to end the trip. I loved walking the old city at 11pm after our last diner.
It was a really delightful treasure box of experiences doing the End to End with Bike Adventures, from- painful, tough, challenging, moving, exhausting, exhilarating, great fun and hugely inspiring. Rob and John were really good support and the directions are very clear.


Within Croatiainspect are two sectors that deal with quality and quantity inspection and control. All inspection methods are accredited by the Croatian Accreditation Agency, which has signed the Multilateral Agreement on the Recognition of Accreditation with the EA (EA MLA) for 6 accreditation schemes as well as an agreement with the ILAC (ILAC MRA) on mutual recognition of accreditation of laboratories and also for the field inspection.
The establishment of a system for evaluation and signing of multilateral agreements on the recognition of accreditation (EA MLA) among accreditation bodies members of EA creates a mutual trust in the the work of accreditation bodies, and thus the acceptance of certificates, test reports and inspection, verification issued by accredited bodies, or helps suppliers so that their products or services do not have to re-evaluate in each country to which marketed its products.
With the Certificate we were awarded with in 1995 Croatiainspect has taken the first place among Croatian control organizations that have their operations in line with the requirements of HRN ISO 9001 standards.
Croatiainspect is a member of IFLA (INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF INSPECTION AGENCIES) and the inspectors are certified according to the regulations of IFIA.


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STS President Joseph A. Dearani, MD, updates members on the COVID-19 pandemic and explains how the Society is supporting cardiothoracic surgeons and patients.
March 31, 2020: STS Responds to the COVID-19 Crisis
"We may be socially distancing, but we are coming closer together in a new spirit of cooperation."
March 19, 2020: A Message about COVID-19 from STS President Joseph A. Dearani, MD
"The world has been turned upside down and this is the most ravaging and unprecedented event that has occurred in our lifetime."


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Muslims Flee CAR Capital, Chased By Christian Jeers
Published February 7, 2014 at 3:00 PM CST
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.
MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:
And I'm Melissa Block. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is beginning an investigation of possible war crimes in Central African Republican and we're going to check in now on the latest state of horrific sectarian violence in that country. Thousands of Muslims filled an enormous convoy of vehicles today fleeing the capital city of Bangui.
Muslims are the targets of revenge attacks by Christian mobs. Jerome Delay is chief Africa photographer with the Associated Press. He is in the capital and was covering that exodus today. And Jerome, describe what you saw today.
JEROME DELAY: Well, this morning, I got a phone call from my driver fairly early, it was around 7:00 and said, I'm picking you up now because we've got to go to PK-12. PK-12 refers to the point kilometre 12, which is exactly 12 kilometers from the presidential palace. And he told me that the Muslims were fleeing in masses. Once we got there, it was a scene that reminded me of Kosovo when the Kosovo were exiting into Albania, being pushed by the Serbs.
We had, I would say, 10,000 people, thousands and thousands of people. We had people on motorcycles, people by foot sometimes because trucks would break down, people in pickups with all their belongings being escorted by Chadian special forces. It was quite a scene of - I don't want to say apocalyptic because it seemed to be fairly orderly.
You could really see fear in the people fleeing. Children, women, men, people who have lived here for years, most of them, and just don't really have any place to go. Their only mistake was just their first name and, you know, their religion.
BLOCK: And Jerome, you said they were guarded by soldiers from Chad, that's the neighboring country and presumably that's where these Muslims are now headed.
DELAY: That is correct. These people who actually have, most of them have never been to Chad are heading to Chad. The president of Chad actually had also dispatched some Chadian special forces to ensure the security of the convoy along the long and dangerous route into Chad, where I don't know what's going to happen to these people there.
BLOCK: There were horrifying images today of a Muslim man who fell off of one of these trucks crammed with people trying to flee. He fell off, was mutilated and killed by a mob. What have you heard about what happened there?
DELAY: Well, what happened is very simple. It happens every day in Bangui, unfortunately. Apparently, the trucks are loaded so tall and so high, an eyewitness told me that he actually got trapped into an electrical wire, that's what caused him to fall from the truck and the crowd just went crazy over him.
And that crowd, they're merchants. They're people who just, you know, have shops on the side of the road, but they just have a zero tolerance for the others, for the Muslims.
BLOCK: You're saying mob justice is pretty much a daily occurrence in the time that you've been there.
DELAY: Exactly. This is a scene that is not uncommon in Bangui, unfortunately. There hasn't been a day where I have not seen somebody being mutilated, I mean, in the most vicious, the most barbaric way. And, I mean, in one way I understand people are angry, but what really surprises me is that people are killing their own neighbors. People are killing their friends, sometimes. This country used to be, you know, very tolerant.
BLOCK: Right now, it's the Muslims who've been the targets of these attacks, but not so long ago, it was the Muslim fighters attacking the majority Christian population of Central African Republic. How do you see this all playing out in the end? I mean, are you going to be left with a capital in which there are no Muslims at some point?
DELAY: It is a cliche. I would say, you know, may the last Muslim that leaves town turn off the light to the Grand Mosque. But the level of intolerance is so high that I think for every day of violence that we're having here it's going to take a year to go back one notch. So you just do the math. I'm very, very pessimistic.
BLOCK: Jerome Delay, chief Africa photographer for the Associated Press, we reached him in Bangui, capital of Central African Republic. Jerome, thank you.
DELAY: Thank you very much. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Events from the 31 July 2022 Reset
Tunstall and the Tudors: The Calculating Bishop
Meet Cuthbert Tunstall: bishop, scholar, diplomat, builder, and author of England's first maths book, celebrating its 500th anniversary this year. He might just be the most important man in Tudor England that you've never heard of.
31 July 2022 - 31 March 2023
Durham Castle