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Sunday 29 October 2017

MARK MACNICOL

INVESTOR INTRODUCTION - FEATURE FILM from Mark MacNicol on Vimeo.

YET ANOTHER WORLD CUP FOR ENGLAND

BBC Sport

England win U17 World Cup: 'We are heading where we want to go' - Cooper

 28 October 2017 Football

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Image captionHighlights: England beat Spain to win U17 World Cup

England's Under-17 World Cup victory reflects the "good work" being done in youth development and provides further proof it is heading "where we want to go", says manager Steve Cooper.

Saturday's win over Spain secured England's third major youth title of 2017, after the Under-20 World Cup and the Under-19 European Championship.

England trailed Spain 2-0 after 31 minutes but came back to triumph 5-2.

"We've played like we want all of our England teams to play," Cooper said.

"Brave on the ball, pass, pass, pass, not one long ball, get into good areas, play as a team and some good individual play up the field as well.

"I am just so proud of the performance. We played our way back in, and stuck to our style. We are building for the future, and that is the way to do it."

England fight back to win U17 World CupRelive England's 5-2 victorySix things you didn't know about England U17s

Spain had beaten England's Under-17s in the European Championship final in May, but goals from Morgan Gibbs-White, Marc Guehi, tournament top scorer Rhian Brewster and player of the tournament Phil Foden replied to Barcelona forward Sergio Gomez's double in Calcutta.

The Three Lions had never before progressed beyond the quarter-finals in the tournament and Cooper said the result "tells you everything about the character of the English players".

He told the FA's website: "This trophy is a dedication to the good work being done back in England with the club academies and the development of young players.

Rhian Brewster: 'I've never seen a player like him before'

"For me, it's recognition of where English football not just is, but where it can go and where we want it to go.

"The feeling is… I'm speechless. It's a little bit surreal and I think I'll feel a little bit better tomorrow when we actually realise what we've done."

England's golden year at youth level

19 May: England lose to Spain on penalties in the European Under-17 Championship final

10 June: England win a second successive Toulon Tournament, with victory on penalties

11 June: England beat Venezuela 1-0 in the Under-20 World Cup final

27 June: England lose to Germany on penalties in the European Under-21 Championship semi-finals

15 July: England win the European Under-19 Championship, beating Portugal 2-1

28 October: England are crownedUnder-17 World Cup winners after beating Spain 5-2

The next Fabregas? Or Anderson?

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Image captionBrewster was top scorer, while Foden was named Player of the Tournament. Brazil keeper Gabriel Brazao won the Golden Glove

Manchester City midfielder Foden, 17, said: "We knew we were capable of coming back, we just decided to stay calm. We didn't get off to the best of starts but at half-time we got together and came out fighting. You've seen that in the second half."

Under-17 World Cup Golden Ball winners1999Landon Donavan (United States)2001Florent Sinama Pongolle (France)2003Cesc Fabregas (Spain)2005Anderson (Brazil)2007Toni Kroos (Germany)2009Sani Emmanuel (Nigeria)2011Julio Gomez (Mexico)2013Kelechi Iheanacho (Nigeria)2015Kelechi Nwakali (Nigeria)2017Phil Foden (England)

When City manager Pep Guardiola was told of Foden's success after his side's 3-2 Premier League win at West Brom, he said: "What position did he play? When I find out, I will put him in that position."

The Spaniard added: "He is a young player. He is a player in our squad. Every day he is in the locker room with our guys. That is the best way to learn, from the experienced guys, about what it means to be at a high level.

"Big congratulations to the manager, all the staff and the players, because for English football, they need that.

"It is the step they need. It happened in Spain. Spain was always only the last 16, quarter-finals. They arrived one moment in the semi-finals and since then they have won every time. That's why it is so important. Finally win. Big congratulations."

Reaction

Wayne Rooney: Yessss!!! Congratulations to all involved. Been class throughout the tournament 👏🏆

David Beckham: Our future is bright, congratulations to the boys, staff and families. What an amazing achievement - let's now build for the future and give this talented group the opportunity.

Harry Kane: Congrats to the U17s - a fantastic achievement!

Michael Owen: Our young lions triumph again. Brilliant achievement and once again, just goes to show we produce top class young talent. Well done lads.

Image copyrightJADON SANCHO/TWITTER

Match of the Day commentator Guy Mowbray: Showed Pep Guardiola Phil Foden's goal that made it 3-2 England - he visibly beamed when then talking about him.

Gary Lineker: England have won the U17 World Cup after beating Spain 5-2… yes Spain. We have a new golden generation. Well played boys, well played.

Your comments on #bbcfootball, 81111 via text

Jan Noble: Sack the seniors and send this lot to Russia in the summer.

Setay: Foden, what a player he is, think in about three more years he will be a world star.

Nigel Harradence: Hopefully these England lads will be given an opportunity in the Premier League now. Proved they are good enough.

Emily: I hope the England full team watched the fight and heart by the U17 team.

Analysis

Ex-England defender Danny Mills

The players have to go on and build on this - make sure this is not the pinnacle of their careers. They want to be Premier League and England stars of the future. They have proved they are winners. Hopefully managers will see they can cope with pressure to win matches.

The goal before half-time was crucial. It gave them fresh legs, and they had a real go at Spain. Foden was exceptional, and is an absolute talent. They got behind the Spanish defence like we wanted them to. We often talk about England's mentality, they looked down but they played with freedom and expressed themselves.

We have two World Cup-winning teams - this is unprecedented! It needs to be celebrated more.

New England Under-19 manager Paul Simpson, who led the Under-20s to World Cup victory in June.

It was a magnificent, spirited performance. They thoroughly deserved this emphatic victory. We talk about that English bulldog spirit and we got that, but we had ability as well. There was an incredible work ethic, really good goals, and they showed such resilience to come back from two goals down.

We have got a top group of players right through the set-up. But we are also fully aware that these are the development teams. What we want to do is keep improving so that the senior team can be successful.

The only way we can do it is by working with the clubs and hoping that as a whole game we can come together with one goal - to have a successful English national team.

Everybody can take belief from what they've seen. Hopefully this is just the start.

More on this story

England win U17 World Cup: Young Lions fight back to beat Spain in final

28 october 2017

Rhian Brewster: 'I've never seen a player like him before'

25 october 2017

Copyright © 2017 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Thursday 26 October 2017

UNIVERSAL CREDIT A NEW POVERTY TAX.POSTS SHARED FROM FACEBOOK

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UNIVERSAL CREDIT INFO... With Christmas on our doorstep the Universal Credit roll out is going ahead as planned with most people being changed over at the beginning December, which will leave many families with little to no money for up to 12 weeks. Just a heads up for anyone who

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UNIVERSAL CREDIT INFO... With Christmas on our doorstep the Universal Credit roll out is going ahead as planned with most people being changed over at the beginning December, which will leave many families with little to no money for up to 12 weeks. Just a heads up for anyone who

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More tory evil... UNIVERSAL CREDIT INFO... With Christmas on our doorstep the Universal Credit roll out is going ahead as planned with most people being changed over at the beginning December, which will leave many families with little to no money for up to 12 weeks. Just a heads

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 We support Jeremy Corbyn

23 hours ago ·

Now that's what you call a speech! @carolynharris24 smashing the Government for what they've done to the people of Swansea 

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Simon Falshaw

19 October ·

Retweeted Laura Perrins (@LPerrins): Most already have a 'bloody job.' That's the point.... 

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Maureen Anne Fitzsimmons

19 October ·

Gvmnt defeated 299-0 in 

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Mark Antony Raines

R.I.P FATS DOMINO A MUSIC LEGEND

Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017) was an American pianist and singer-songwriter of Louisiana Creole descent. He had 35 records in the U.S. Billboard Top 40, and five of his pre-1955 records sold more than a million copies, being certified gold.[1]

Fats Domino

Domino in 1962 (age 34)

Background informationBirth nameAntoine Dominique Domino Jr.Also known as

Fats The Fat Man

BornFebruary 26, 1928
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.DiedOctober 24, 2017 (aged 89)
Harvey, Louisiana, U.S.Genres

Rock and roll boogie-woogie New Orleans rhythm and blues

Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, musicianInstrumentsPiano, vocalsYears active1947–2007Labels

Imperial London ABCMercury Broadmoor Reprise Sonet Warner Bros. Toot Toot

From 1955-60, he had eleven top 10 hits and his record sales were reportedly surpassed only by Elvis Presley.[2]

During his career, Domino sold over 65 million records.[3] His musical style was based on traditional rhythm and blues, accompanied by saxophones, bass, piano, electric guitar, and drums.[1]

Life

Influence and legacy

Discography

See also

References

External links

Wednesday 25 October 2017

THE ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN ARE CELTIC IRELAND

Menu

Home → Irish Symbols →Halloween 

  

   

The origin of Halloween lies in Celtic Ireland

The dark side of Halloween

To find the origin of Halloween, you have to look to the festival of Samhain in Ireland's Celtic past.

Samhain had three distinct elements. Firstly, it was an important fire festival, celebrated over the evening of 31 October and throughout the following day.

The flames of old fires had to be extinguished and ceremonially re-lit by druids.

It was also a festival not unlike the modern New Year's Day in that it carried the notion of casting out the old and moving into the new.

To our pagan ancestors it marked the end of the pastoral cycle – a time when all the crops would have been gathered and placed in storage for the long winter ahead and when livestock would be brought in from the fields and selected for slaughter or breeding.

But it was also, as the last day of the year, the time when the souls of the departed would return to their former homes and when potentially malevolent spirits were released from the Otherworld and were visible to mankind.

Samhain: its place in the Celtic calendar

The Celts celebrated four major festivals each year. None of them was connected in anyway to the sun's cycle. The origin of Halloween lies in the Celt's Autumn festival which was held on the first day of the 11th month, the month known as November in English but as Samhain in Irish.

The festivals are known by other names in other Celtic countries but there is usually some similarity, if only in the translation.

In Scottish Gaelic, the autumn festival is called Samhuinn. In Manxit is Sauin.

The root of the word – sam – means summer, while fuin means end. And this signals the idea of a seasonal change rather than a notion of worship or ritual.

The original Celtic year

Imbolc: 1st FebruaryBeltaine: 1st MayLughnasa: 1st AugustSamhain: 1st November

The other group of Celtic languages (known as Q-Celtic) have very different words but a similar intention. In Welsh, the day is Calan Gaeaf, which means the first day of winter. In Brittany, the day is Kala Goanv, which means the beginning of November.

The Celts believed that the passage of a day began with darkness and progressed into the light. The same notion explains why Winter – the season of long, dark nights – marked the beginning of the year and progressed into the lighter days of Spring, Summer and Autumn. So the 1st of November, Samhain, was the Celtic New Year, and the celebrations began at sunset of the day before ie its Eve.

The Roman Autumn festival

Harvest was celebrated by the Romans with a festival dedicated to Pomona, the goddess of the fruits of the tree, especially apples. The origin of Halloween's special menus, which usually involve apples (as do many party games), probably dates from this period.

Pomona continued to be celebrated long after the arrival of Christianity in Roman Europe. So, too, did Samhain in Ireland and it was inevitable that an alternative would be found to push pagan culture and lore into a more 'acceptable' Christian event.

Sure enough, the 7th-century Pope Boniface, attempting to lead his flock away from pagan celebrations and rituals, declared 1st November to be All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows Day.

The evening before became known as Hallows' Eve, and from there the origin of Halloween, as a word, is clear.

The origin of Halloween's spookiness

For Celts, Samhain was a spiritual time, but with a lot of confusion thrown into the mix.

Being 'between years' or 'in transition', the usually fairly stable boundaries between the Otherworld and the human world became less secure so that puka, banshees, fairies and other spirits could come and go quite freely. There were also 'shape shifters' at large. This is where the dark side of Halloween originated.

To ward off the evil let loose at Samhain, huge bonfires were lit and people wore ugly masks and disguises to confuse the spirits and stop the dead identifying individuals who they had disliked during their own lifetime.

They also deliberately made a lot of noise to unsettle the spirits and drive them away from their homes. The timid, however, would leave out food in their homes, or at the nearest hawthorn or whitethorn bush (where fairies were known to live), hoping that their generosity would appease the spirits.

Apples

Samhain marked the end of the final harvest of the summer, and all apples had to have been picked by the time the day's feasting began.

It was believed that on Samhain, the puca – Irish evil fairies (see right hand column) – spat on any unharvested apples to make them inedible.

For some, the tradition of leaving food (and a spoon to eat it!) in the home – usually a plate of champ or Colcannon – was more about offering hospitality to their own ancestors.

Just as spells and incantations of witches were especially powerful atSamhain, so the night was believed to be full of portents of the future.

Ireland's best Halloween party is in Derry

While the origin of Halloween doesn't lie specifically in Derry, the world's biggest Halloween party is held in that city every year. More than 30,000 people take to the streets, most of them dressed as witches, ghouls, vampires and monsters from the Otherworld.

It's a time when you're almost certain to hear the Banshees screaming – assuming you can hear anything much above the marching bands, ceilidh music, hard rock and calypso as the carnival proceeds through the town.

Waterloo Place plays host to a free concert, and many events, including Ghost Walks, are held throughout the city before a spectacular fireworks display brings celebrations to a close.

Free Halloween booklet

The National Folklore Collection, which is managed at University College Dublin, has published a free booklet for Halloween containing old Irish tales, legends and customs. You can download it (pdf 950Kb) here: Dúchas - Halloween.

Find out more about

Jack O'Lantern and Trick or Treat
The 'evil' leprechaunIrish symbols


Discover the story of the Jack O'Lantern

The origin of Halloween's Trick or Treat ritual

The origin of Halloween games

Perhaps the best-known of Halloween games is 'ducking/bobbing for apples. This is a game where the object is to retrieve an apple from a barrel or large bowl of water without using hands or feet.

There was nothing particularly symbolic about the origin of Halloween games such as this.

They are fun games in which all ages can participate, and apples were plentiful at this time of the year.

Photo Credits,
this page, from top:

Main column:
* Dreamstime
* Failte Ireland
* DerryConventionBureau
* Failte Ireland

This column:

* istock
* istock

←   Return to top of page

|  Home Page  |   Disclaimer   |   Contact   |  Sitemap  | Privacy Policy  |

Copyright © Claire Santry
2008-2017 Irish-Genealogy-Toolkit.com.

Dedicated to helping YOU discover your Irish Heritage.

Menu

Home → Irish  

  

   

The origin of Halloween lies in Celtic Ireland

The dark side of Halloween

To find the origin of Halloween, you have to look to the festival of Samhain in Ireland's Celtic past.

Samhain had three distinct elements. Firstly, it was an important fire festival, celebrated over the evening of 31 October and throughout the following day.

The flames of old fires had to be extinguished and ceremonially re-lit by druids.

It was also a festival not unlike the modern New Year's Day in that it carried the notion of casting out the old and moving into the new.

To our pagan ancestors it marked the end of the pastoral cycle – a time when all the crops would have been gathered and placed in storage for the long winter ahead and when livestock would be brought in from the fields and selected for slaughter or breeding.

But it was also, as the last day of the year, the time when the souls of the departed would return to their former homes and when potentially malevolent spirits were released from the Otherworld and were visible to mankind.

Samhain: its place in the Celtic calendar

The Celts celebrated four major festivals each year. None of them was connected in anyway to the sun's cycle. The origin of Halloween lies in the Celt's Autumn festival which was held on the first day of the 11th month, the month known as November in English but as Samhain in Irish.

The festivals are known by other names in other Celtic countries but there is usually some similarity, if only in the translation.

In Scottish Gaelic, the autumn festival is called Samhuinn. In Manx it is Sauin.

The root of the word – sam – means summer, while fuin means end. And this signals the idea of a seasonal change rather than a notion of worship or ritual.

The original Celtic year

Imbolc: 1st FebruaryBeltaine: 1st MayLughnasa: 1st AugustSamhain: 1st November

The other group of Celtic languages (known as Q-Celtic) have very different words but a similar intention. In Welsh, the day is Calan Gaeaf, which means the first day of winter. In Brittany, the day is Kala Goanv, which means the beginning of November.

The Celts believed that the passage of a day began with darkness and progressed into the light. The same notion explains why Winter – the season of long, dark nights – marked the beginning of the year and progressed into the lighter days of Spring, Summer and Autumn. So the 1st of November, Samhain, was the Celtic New Year, and the celebrations began at sunset of the day before ie its Eve.

The Roman Autumn festival

Harvest was celebrated by the Romans with a festival dedicated to Pomona, the goddess of the fruits of the tree, especially apples. The origin of Halloween's special menus, which usually involve apples (as do many party games), probably dates from this period.

Pomona continued to be celebrated long after the arrival of Christianity in Roman Europe. So, too, did Samhain in Ireland and it was inevitable that an alternative would be found to push pagan culture and lore into a more 'acceptable' Christian event.

Sure enough, the 7th-century Pope Boniface, attempting to lead his flock away from pagan celebrations and rituals, declared 1st November to be All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows Day.

The evening before became known as Hallows' Eve, and from there the origin of Halloween, as a word, is clear.

The origin of Halloween's spookiness

For Celts, Samhain was a spiritual time, but with a lot of confusion thrown into the mix.

Being 'between years' or 'in transition', the usually fairly stable boundaries between the Otherworld and the human world became less secure so that puka, banshees, fairies and other spirits could come and go quite freely. There were also 'shape shifters' at large. This is where the dark side of Halloween originated.

To ward off the evil let loose at Samhain, huge bonfires were lit and people wore ugly masks and disguises to confuse the spirits and stop the dead identifying individuals who they had disliked during their own lifetime.

They also deliberately made a lot of noise to unsettle the spirits and drive them away from their homes. The timid, however, would leave out food in their homes, or at the nearest hawthorn or whitethorn bush (where fairies were known to live), hoping that their generosity would appease the spirits.

Apples

Samhain marked the end of the final harvest of the summer, and all apples had to have been picked by the time the day's feasting began.

It was believed that on Samhain, the puca – Irish evil fairies (see right hand column) – spat on any unharvested apples to make them inedible.

For some, the tradition of leaving food (and a spoon to eat it!) in the home – usually a plate of champ or Colcannon – was more about offering hospitality to their own ancestors.

Just as spells and incantations of witches were especially powerful at Samhain, so the night was believed to be full of portents of the future.

Ireland's best Halloween party is in Derry

While the origin of Halloween doesn't lie specifically in Derry, the world's biggest Halloween party is held in that city every year. More than 30,000 people take to the streets, most of them dressed as witches, ghouls, vampires and monsters from the Otherworld.

It's a time when you're almost certain to hear the Banshees screaming – assuming you can hear anything much above the marching bands, ceilidh music, hard rock and calypso as the carnival proceeds through the town.

Waterloo Place plays host to a free concert, and many events, including Ghost Walks, are held throughout the city before a spectacular fireworks display brings celebrations to a close.

Free Halloween booklet

The National Folklore Collection, which is managed at University College Dublin, has published a free booklet for Halloween containing old Irish tales, legends and customs. You can download it (pdf 950Kb) here: Dúchas - Halloween.

Find out more about

Jack O'Lantern and Trick or Treat
The 'evil' leprechaunIrish symbols


Discover the story of the Jack O'Lantern

The origin of Halloween's Trick or Treat ritual

The origin of Halloween games

Perhaps the best-known of Halloween games is 'ducking/bobbing for apples. This is a game where the object is to retrieve an apple from a barrel or large bowl of water without using hands or feet.

There was nothing particularly symbolic about the origin of Halloween games such as this.

They are fun games in which all ages can participate, and apples were plentiful at this time of the year.

Photo Credits,
this page, from top:

Main column:
* Dreamstime
* Failte Ireland
* DerryConventionBureau
* Failte Ireland

This column:

* istock
* istock

←   Return to top of page

|  Home Page  |   Disclaimer   |   Contact   |  Sitemap  |  Privacy Policy  |

Copyright © Claire Santry
2008-2017 Irish-Genealogy-Toolkit.com.

Dedicated to helping YOU discover your Irish Heritage.

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Menu Home → Irish Symbols → Halloween The origin of Halloween lies in Celtic Ireland The dark side of Halloween To find the origin of Halloween, you have to look to the festival of Samhain in Ireland's Celtic past. Samhain had three distinct elements. Firstly, it was an important fire festival, celebrated over the evening of 31 October and throughout the following day. The flames of old fires had to be extinguished and ceremonially re-lit by druids. It was also a festival not unlike the modern New Year's Day in that it carried the notion of casting out the old and moving into the new. To our pagan ancestors it marked the end of the pastoral cycle – a time when all the crops would have been gathered and placed in storage for the long winter ahead and when livestock would be brought in from the fields and selected for slaughter or breeding. But it was also, as the last day of the year, the time when the souls of the departed would return to their former homes and when potentially malevolent spirits were released from the Otherworld and were visible to mankind. Samhain: its place in the Celtic calendar The Celts celebrated four major festivals each year. None of them was connected in anyway to the sun's cycle. The origin of Halloween lies in the Celt's Autumn festival which was held on the first day of the 11th month, the month known as November in English but as Samhain in Irish. The festivals are known by other names in other Celtic countries but there is usually some similarity, if only in the translation. In Scottish Gaelic, the autumn festival is called Samhuinn. In Manx it is Sauin. The root of the word – sam – means summer, while fuin means end. And this signals the idea of a seasonal change rather than a notion of worship or ritual. The original Celtic year Imbolc: 1st February Beltaine: 1st May Lughnasa: 1st August Samhain: 1st November The other group of Celtic languages (known as Q-Celtic) have very different words but a similar intention. In Welsh, the day is Calan Gaeaf, which means the first day of winter. In Brittany, the day is Kala Goanv, which means the beginning of November. The Celts believed that the passage of a day began with darkness and progressed into the light. The same notion explains why Winter – the season of long, dark nights – marked the beginning of the year and progressed into the lighter days of Spring, Summer and Autumn. So the 1st of November, Samhain, was the Celtic New Year, and the celebrations began at sunset of the day before ie its Eve. The Roman Autumn festival Harvest was celebrated by the Romans with a festival dedicated to Pomona, the goddess of the fruits of the tree, especially apples. The origin of Halloween's special menus, which usually involve apples (as do many party games), probably dates from this period. Pomona continued to be celebrated long after the arrival of Christianity in Roman Europe. So, too, did Samhain in Ireland and it was inevitable that an alternative would be found to push pagan culture and lore into a more 'acceptable' Christian event. Sure enough, the 7th-century Pope Boniface, attempting to lead his flock away from pagan celebrations and rituals, declared 1st November to be All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows Day. The evening before became known as Hallows' Eve, and from there the origin of Halloween, as a word, is clear. The origin of Halloween's spookiness For Celts, Samhain was a spiritual time, but with a lot of confusion thrown into the mix. Being 'between years' or 'in transition', the usually fairly stable boundaries between the Otherworld and the human world became less secure so that puka, banshees, fairies and other spirits could come and go quite freely. There were also 'shape shifters' at large. This is where the dark side of Halloween originated. To ward off the evil let loose at Samhain, huge bonfires were lit and people wore ugly masks and disguises to confuse the spirits and stop the dead identifying individuals who they had disliked during their own lifetime. They also deliberately made a lot of noise to unsettle the spirits and drive them away from their homes. The timid, however, would leave out food in their homes, or at the nearest hawthorn or whitethorn bush (where fairies were known to live), hoping that their generosity would appease the spirits. Apples Samhain marked the end of the final harvest of the summer, and all apples had to have been picked by the time the day's feasting began. It was believed that on Samhain, the puca – Irish evil fairies (see right hand column) – spat on any unharvested apples to make them inedible. For some, the tradition of leaving food (and a spoon to eat it!) in the home – usually a plate of champ or Colcannon – was more about offering hospitality to their own ancestors. Just as spells and incantations of witches were especially powerful at Samhain, so the night was believed to be full of portents of the future. Ireland's best Halloween party is in Derry While the origin of Halloween doesn't lie specifically in Derry, the world's biggest Halloween party is held in that city every year. More than 30,000 people take to the streets, most of them dressed as witches, ghouls, vampires and monsters from the Otherworld. It's a time when you're almost certain to hear the Banshees screaming – assuming you can hear anything much above the marching bands, ceilidh music, hard rock and calypso as the carnival proceeds through the town. Waterloo Place plays host to a free concert, and many events, including Ghost Walks, are held throughout the city before a spectacular fireworks display brings celebrations to a close. Free Halloween booklet The National Folklore Collection, which is managed at University College Dublin, has published a free booklet for Halloween containing old Irish tales, legends and customs. You can download it (pdf 950Kb) here: Dúchas - Halloween. Find out more about Jack O'Lantern and Trick or Treat The 'evil' leprechaun Irish symbols Discover the story of the Jack O'Lantern The origin of Halloween's Trick or Treat ritual The origin of Halloween games Perhaps the best-known of Halloween games is 'ducking/bobbing for apples. This is a game where the object is to retrieve an apple from a barrel or large bowl of water without using hands or feet. There was nothing particularly symbolic about the origin of Halloween games such as this. They are fun games in which all ages can participate, and apples were plentiful at this time of the year. Photo Credits, this page, from top: Main column: * Dreamstime * Failte Ireland * DerryConventionBureau * Failte Ireland This column: * istock * istock ←   Return to top of page |  Home Page  |   Disclaimer   |   Contact   |  Sitemap  |  Privacy Policy  | Copyright © Claire Santry 2008-2017 Irish-Genealogy-Toolkit.com. Dedicated to helping YOU discover your Irish Heritage. Menu Home → Irish Symbols → Halloween The origin of Halloween lies in Celtic Ireland The dark side of Halloween To find the origin of Halloween, you have to look to the festival of Samhain in Ireland's Celtic past. Samhain had three distinct elements. Firstly, it was an important fire festival, celebrated over the evening of 31 October and throughout the following day. The flames of old fires had to be extinguished and ceremonially re-lit by druids. It was also a festival not unlike the modern New Year's Day in that it carried the notion of casting out the old and moving into the new. To our pagan ancestors it marked the end of the pastoral cycle – a time when all the crops would have been gathered and placed in storage for the long winter ahead and when livestock would be brought in from the fields and selected for slaughter or breeding. But it was also, as the last day of the year, the time when the souls of the departed would return to their former homes and when potentially malevolent spirits were released from the Otherworld and were visible to mankind. Samhain: its place in the Celtic calendar The Celts celebrated four major festivals each year. None of them was connected in anyway to the sun's cycle. The origin of Halloween lies in the Celt's Autumn festival which was held on the first day of the 11th month, the month known as November in English but as Samhain in Irish. The festivals are known by other names in other Celtic countries but there is usually some similarity, if only in the translation. In Scottish Gaelic, the autumn festival is called Samhuinn. In Manx it is Sauin. The root of the word – sam – means summer, while fuin means end. And this signals the idea of a seasonal change rather than a notion of worship or ritual. The original Celtic year Imbolc: 1st February Beltaine: 1st May Lughnasa: 1st August Samhain: 1st November The other group of Celtic languages (known as Q-Celtic) have very different words but a similar intention. In Welsh, the day is Calan Gaeaf, which means the first day of winter. In Brittany, the day is Kala Goanv, which means the beginning of November. The Celts believed that the passage of a day began with darkness and progressed into the light. The same notion explains why Winter – the season of long, dark nights – marked the beginning of the year and progressed into the lighter days of Spring, Summer and Autumn. So the 1st of November, Samhain, was the Celtic New Year, and the celebrations began at sunset of the day before ie its Eve. The Roman Autumn festival Harvest was celebrated by the Romans with a festival dedicated to Pomona, the goddess of the fruits of the tree, especially apples. The origin of Halloween's special menus, which usually involve apples (as do many party games), probably dates from this period. Pomona continued to be celebrated long after the arrival of Christianity in Roman Europe. So, too, did Samhain in Ireland and it was inevitable that an alternative would be found to push pagan culture and lore into a more 'acceptable' Christian event. Sure enough, the 7th-century Pope Boniface, attempting to lead his flock away from pagan celebrations and rituals, declared 1st November to be All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows Day. The evening before became known as Hallows' Eve, and from there the origin of Halloween, as a word, is clear. The origin of Halloween's spookiness For Celts, Samhain was a spiritual time, but with a lot of confusion thrown into the mix. Being 'between years' or 'in transition', the usually fairly stable boundaries between the Otherworld and the human world became less secure so that puka, banshees, fairies and other spirits could come and go quite freely. There were also 'shape shifters' at large. This is where the dark side of Halloween originated. To ward off the evil let loose at Samhain, huge bonfires were lit and people wore ugly masks and disguises to confuse the spirits and stop the dead identifying individuals who they had disliked during their own lifetime. They also deliberately made a lot of noise to unsettle the spirits and drive them away from their homes. The timid, however, would leave out food in their homes, or at the nearest hawthorn or whitethorn bush (where fairies were known to live), hoping that their generosity would appease the spirits. Apples Samhain marked the end of the final harvest of the summer, and all apples had to have been picked by the time the day's feasting began. It was believed that on Samhain, the puca – Irish evil fairies (see right hand column) – spat on any unharvested apples to make them inedible. For some, the tradition of leaving food (and a spoon to eat it!) in the home – usually a plate of champ or Colcannon – was more about offering hospitality to their own ancestors. Just as spells and incantations of witches were especially powerful at Samhain, so the night was believed to be full of portents of the future. Ireland's best Halloween party is in Derry While the origin of Halloween doesn't lie specifically in Derry, the world's biggest Halloween party is held in that city every year. More than 30,000 people take to the streets, most of them dressed as witches, ghouls, vampires and monsters from the Otherworld. It's a time when you're almost certain to hear the Banshees screaming – assuming you can hear anything much above the marching bands, ceilidh music, hard rock and calypso as the carnival proceeds through the town. Waterloo Place plays host to a free concert, and many events, including Ghost Walks, are held throughout the city before a spectacular fireworks display brings celebrations to a close. Free Halloween booklet The National Folklore Collection, which is managed at University College Dublin, has published a free booklet for Halloween containing old Irish tales, legends and customs. You can download it (pdf 950Kb) here: Dúchas - Halloween. Find out more about Jack O'Lantern and Trick or Treat The 'evil' leprechaun Irish symbols Discover the story of the Jack O'Lantern The origin of Halloween's Trick or Treat ritual The origin of Halloween games Perhaps the best-known of Halloween games is 'ducking/bobbing for apples. This is a game where the object is to retrieve an apple from a barrel or large bowl of water without using hands or feet. There was nothing particularly symbolic about the origin of Halloween games such as this. They are fun games in which all ages can participate, and apples were plentiful at this time of the year. Photo Credits, this page, from top: Main column: * Dreamstime * Failte Ireland * DerryConventionBureau * Failte Ireland This column: * istock * istock ←   Return to top of page |  Home Page  |   Disclaimer   |   Contact   |  Sitemap  |  Privacy Policy  | Copyright © Claire Santry 2008-2017 Irish-Genealogy-Toolkit.com. Dedicated to helping YOU discover your Irish Heritage. ShareThis Copy and Paste

Saturday 21 October 2017

gladators reunion

founder of veganism

bridge news

RESTLESS LEGS


Restless legs syndromeSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment

Introduction 

Restless legs syndrome, also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, is a common condition of the nervous system that causes an overwhelming, irresistible urge to move the legs.

It can also cause an unpleasant crawling or creeping sensation in the feet, calves and thighs. The sensation is often worse in the evening or at night. Occasionally, the arms are affected too.

Restless legs syndrome is also associated with involuntary jerking of the legs and arms, known as periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS).

Some people have the symptoms of restless legs syndrome occasionally, while others have them every day. The symptoms can vary from mild to severe. In severe cases, restless legs syndrome can be very distressing and disrupt a person's daily activities.

What causes restless legs syndrome?

In the majority of cases, there's no obvious cause of restless legs syndrome. This known as idiopathic or primary restless legs syndrome, and it can run in families.

Some neurologists (specialists in treating conditions that affect the nervous system) believe the symptoms of restless legs syndrome may have something to do with how the body handles a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine is involved in controlling muscle movement and may be responsible for the involuntary leg movements associated with restless legs syndrome.

In some cases, restless legs syndrome is caused by an underlying health condition, such as iron deficiency anaemia or kidney failure. This is known as secondary restless legs syndrome.

There's also a link between restless legs syndrome and pregnancy. About 1 in 5 pregnant women will experience symptoms in the last three months of their pregnancy, although it's not clear exactly why this is. In such cases, restless legs syndrome usually disappears after the woman has given birth.

Read more about the causes of restless legs syndrome.

Treating restless legs syndrome

Mild cases of restless legs syndrome that aren't linked to an underlying health condition may not require any treatment, other than making a few lifestyle changes, such as:

adopting good sleep habits – for example, following a regular bedtime ritual, sleeping regular hours, and avoiding alcohol and caffeine late at nightquitting smoking if you smokeexercising regularly during the daytime

If your symptoms are more severe, you may need medication to regulate the levels of dopamine and iron in your body.

If restless legs syndrome is caused by iron deficiency anaemia, iron supplements may be all that's needed to treat the symptoms.

Read more about treating restless legs syndrome.

Who's affected by restless legs syndrome?

As many as 1 in 10 people are affected by restless legs syndrome at some point in their life.

Women are twice as likely to develop restless legs syndrome than men. It's also more common in middle age, although the symptoms can develop at any age, including childhood.

Outlook

The symptoms of restless legs syndrome will usually disappear if it's possible to address an underlying cause. 

However, if the cause is unknown, the symptoms can sometimes get worse with time and severely affect the person's life. Restless legs syndrome isn't life threatening, but severe cases can severely disrupt sleep (causing insomnia) and trigger anxiety and depression.

The charity Restless Leg Syndrome UK provides information and support for people affected by restless legs syndrome, and may be able to put you in touch with other people in your area affected by the condition.

NO DEMENTIA BUT STILL Ill

From may 2016 I was  referred to memory clinic and then a neuropsychiatric. Basically nothing was found dispite still forgetting things,movements, confusion.         According to letter received it am presenting problems related to anxiety and depression.                   Future plans is no change to present medication  (citalopram 20 mg for ocd. Discharged as not suffering dementia. My GP to refer me to OPMH again if presentation  changes. GP to review for restless legs .

VAMPIRES IN MALAWI



Workers relocated from southern districts hit by vigilante violenceLynchings followed ‘stories of blood sucking and possible … vampires’

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Reuters in Lilongwe

Monday 9 October 2017 14.17 EDTLast modified on Monday 9 October 2017 14.30 EDT

The United Nations has pulled staff out of two districts in southern Malawi where a vampire scare has triggered mob violence in which at least five people have been killed.

Belief in witchcraft is widespread in rural Malawi, one of the world’s poorest countries, where many aid agencies and NGOs work. A spate of vigilante violence linked to vampire rumours also erupted in Malawi in 2002.

Journalist arrested for vampire victim interview

“These districts have severely been affected by the ongoing stories of blood sucking and possible existence of vampires,” the UN Department on Safety and Security (UNDSS) said in a security report on the Phalombe and Mulanje districts that was seen by Reuters.

The acting UN resident coordinator, Florence Rolle, said in an emailed response to questions that based on the report “some UN staff have relocated while others are still in the districts depending on locations of their operations”.

“UNDSS is continuing to monitor the situation closely to ensure all affected UN staff are back in the field as soon as possible,” Rolle said.

Rolle did not say how many workers had been relocated.

The UNDSS report said at least five people had been killed in the area since mid-September by lynch mobs accusing them of vampirism. It said mobs searching for vampires have been mounting roadblocks in the district, raising security concerns.

The Malawian president, Peter Mutharika, said the reports were “distressing and agonising”.

“This development has been of grave concern to the president and the entire government,” his office said in a statement.

The UNDSS report said the vampirism rumours appear to have originated in neighbouring Mozambique, although it was not clear what had sparked them. It recommended the “temporary suspension of UN activities in the area until the situation is normalized”.

It said some NGOs had pulled personnel from the districts and temporarily suspended their programmes but did not name the organisations





TATTOO IN MEMORY OF MY MUM BARBARA ANN RAINES

Yesterday the 20th October 2017 I had a new tattoo done by Ollie and Lucy at Odins Tattoo Parlour in Holsworthy.                                          I talked over with Ollie style required and placement of tattoo which is on my right leg is sat on a therapy type chair and got into position and whilst being tattooed  I had a chat with Ollie.                        I found out that Ollie was into classic cars and enjoy weights and had done a bit of strongman and he started off as a graphic designer and has a degree.                  Lucy his partner helps with the booking and cups of tea or coffee and up for a friendly chat.The parlour its self-was very hygienic and only use high-quality materials.     I am very pleased with the way the design has come out and when I look at it it will always remind me of how much my mum meant to me.a special thank you for picture .

Friday 20 October 2017

MR BIFFO,S FOUND FOOTAGE

This comes from the mind of ex_teletext comedy master Paul Rose aka Mr BIFFO who has created a mad world for the viewer to watch.                                               You will see dear reader or viewer sinister corporations,goujon selling messianic corporations; artificial intelligence, tea prancers.                   It seems childish but what do you expect from the office kilter brain of Mr BIFFO who can be found on Twitter or mentioned in online magazine Gonzo weekly editor Mr Jonathan Downes.                             See this sc fi like film on Sunday this week at YOUTUBE. COM /DIGITISER 2000.

SPIDER HALLOWEEN

https://youtu.be/GdfIRJEtiMg

Thursday 19 October 2017

I AM A VERY SMALL COG IN THE CFZ FAMILY

Over 2 years ago  I was living in  a village called  Woolsery were in decided to look  for  some volunteer work  and I found  a local place called CFZ.                                    I give them a ring and went to the cottage where I  meet Jon and Richard  and had a chat in his garden and he told me that I would end up with the bug for cryptozoology which I can is true to this day.                                             I became a very small cog in the cfz family by helping out with  events and research and if still do in this  way.

I AM A STEP PARENT

I cannot remember if have  written  about this  before so please  forgive me  dear reader if I have.      I became an  instant  step parent  back in 1988 onwards and it was a bit of a shock and a learning curve  at first. Over time I got to love  the children and never asked them to call me dad as it was up to them.      I realise very  early it is best  to not interfere with raising them and try keep quiet.                                       So I find it deeply  upsetting when  I get told I not part of their  life and I sometimes think being a  step  parent should  come with advice.

Tuesday 17 October 2017

Please read it may save someone

The following  post is not to promote the subject mentioned  but to give  help to anyone feeling  this way .I worked  as a carer in mental health problems  and came across  this  and found it was  good  to  talk. Desktop site

Skip to main contentSkip to main navigationHelp with accessibility

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Getting help if you're feeling suicidal 

SuicideCausesWarning signsGetting helpHelping othersPrevention

If you're reading this because you're having suicidal thoughts, try to ask someone for help. It may be difficult at this time, but it's important to know you're not beyond help and you're not alone.

Talking to someone can help you see beyond feelings of loneliness or despair and help you realise there are options.

There are people who want to talk to you and help. Try talking to a family member or friend about how you're feeling.

There are several telephone helplines you can call at any time of the day or night. You can speak to someone who understands how you're feeling and can help you through the immediate crisis.

Helplines and support groups

We know it can be difficult to pick up the phone, but reach out to somebody and let them know how you are feeling.

Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you're feeling, or if you're worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.Childline (0800 1111) runs a helpline for children and young people in the UK. Calls are free and the number won't show up on your phone bill.PAPYRUS (0800 068 41 41) is a voluntary organisation supporting teenagers and young adults who are feeling suicidal.Depression Alliance is a charity for people with depression. It doesn't have a helpline, but offers a wide range of useful resources and links to other relevant information.Students Against Depression is a website for students who are depressed, have a low mood or are having suicidal thoughts.Bullying UK is a website for both children and adults affected by bullying.

Help for young men

Men may be more likely to avoid or ignore problems and many are reluctant to talk about their feelings or seek help when they need it.

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is an excellent resource for young men who are feeling unhappy. As well as their website, CALM also has a helpline (0800 58 58 58).

Talking to someone you trust

If you don't want to speak to someone on a helpline, you could talk to:

a member of your family, a friend or someone you trust, such as a teacheryour GP, a mental healthcare professional or another healthcare professionala minister, priest or other type of faith leader

Seeing your GP

It would also help to see your GP. They can advise you about appropriate treatment if they think you have a mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety.

Your GP may be able to help you with access to talking therapies. Talking therapies, such as counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), are often used to help people who have suicidal thoughts and usually involve talking about your feelings with a professional.

Helping your child

If you are concerned your child may be feeling suicidal or is self-harming, the following advice may help:

notice when they seem upset, withdrawn or irritableencourage them to talk about their worries, listen to them and help them find their own solutionskeep all medicines locked away, including painkillers such as paracetamolsuggest your child talks to their GP or a counsellor about how they feel

Monday 16 October 2017

JEFF MCCALL INTERVIEW

Hi,

My answers to your interview questions below.

Hope that's what you're after?

Jeff.

-------------------------

what inspired you?

I love to sing! It's the one thing that's guaranteed to make me happy, 
so I do it often. This got me involved in bands for the first time in 
the early 80s, when I eventually joined a synthpop band called Malicieux 
Garde. We played together for 6 years, which is when I began writing my 
own songs.

I'm a great lover of music and have very broad musical tastes. However, 
I always return to may favourite 80s synthpop, and bands like Ultravox, 
Depeche Mode, Erasure and Tears For Fears. I get ideas and inspiration 
from all the music I listen to that I can make my own and use in my songs.

I had a very long lay-off from music until about 4 years ago when I 
started to take guitar lessons. Up until that time I had been totally 
self taught and could only strum an acoustic. These lessons rekindled my 
desire to begin making music again, and begin writing new material. This 
culminated in me releasing my first solo EP in February 2016.

What are your aims?

When I released the EP my thoughts at the time were "What do I do now? 
How can I get people to hear this?" That was when I found a whole 
community of independent musicians on the internet who were helping each 
other to share the skills to promote their music outside of the confines 
of the traditional music industry.

As an independent musician, my main aim is to introduce as many people 
as I can to my music and grow my audience. I want to build a 'community' 
around my music making, involving people in a way they've never 
experienced before. I want to give them the access they never get with 
mainstream artists. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want them 
to become more friends than fans; friends I know and who know me, who 
contact each other regularly.

What plans do you have for the future?

I've just released my first album so my main priority at the moment is 
to continue to promote that. I'm finding that my creative juices are 
flowing well at the moment and I'm writing more new material faster than 
I ever have before. I still have a back-catalogue of some great songs 
and will release some of them on a second EP in a few months.

However, at the top of my list of plans is playing live again. Now the 
album is done I can spend some time developing a set-up that will allow 
me to perform this material to an audience. I intend to do some live 
streaming gigs online to begin with, but hope to play to a live audience 
or two sometime next year.

Links?

The best places for people to check out my music are:

www.jeffmccallmusic.com
www.soundcloud.com/jeff-mccall
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIcs5_SG22h7uZA8RaRe3iQ

If they like my music and would like a FREE copy of my full-length 
album, I am giving it away using a unique interactive 12-day experience. 
They can sign up at www.jeffmccall.com/night-life

My social media links are:
www.facebook.com/jeffmccallmusic
www.twitter.com/jeffmccallmusic

Sunday 15 October 2017

BROKEN,SOUL RIPPED,I HAVE FORGIVEN

I was feeling like a dagger had been placed in my heart and my soul had developed a hole in it yesterday.Why you may ask i found out something that I thought was i really did not expect.        Basically a person I have known from the age of five and helped raise told me via my wife that I was just a person she knew in her life and not a family member and I was nothing to thenm at all So I have decided to just make no effort but g
forgive them and pray for them.

Saturday 14 October 2017

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons,

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, often referred to as Captain Scarlet, is a 1960s British science-fiction television series produced by the Century 21 Productions company of Gerry and Sylvia AndersonJohn Read and Reg Hill. First broadcast on ATV Midlands from September 1967[5] to May 1968,[6] it has since been transmitted in more than 40 other countries, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.[7] Characters are presented as marionette puppets alongside scale model sets and special effects in a filming technique that the Andersons termed "Supermarionation". This technology incorporated solenoid motors as a means of synchronising the puppet's lip movements with pre-recorded dialogue.
Set in 2068,[e 1] Captain Scarlet presents the hostilities between Earth and a race of Martians known as the Mysterons. After human astronauts attack their city on Mars, the vengeful Mysterons declare war on Earth,[e 1] initiating a series of reprisals that are countered by Spectrum, a worldwide security organisation. Spectrum boasts the extraordinary abilities of its primary agent, Captain Scarlet. During the events of the pilot episode, Scarlet acquires the Mysteron healing factor of "retro-metabolism" and is thereafter considered to be virtually "indestructible", being able to recover fully from injuries that would normally be fatal.[e 2]
Captain Scarlet, the eighth of ten puppet series that the Andersons produced during the 1950s and 1960s, was preceded by Thunderbirds and followed by Joe 90 and The Secret Service. In terms of visual aesthetic, the series represented a departure from Thunderbirds on account of its use of non-caricatured puppets sculpted in realistic proportions.[8] Re-run a number of times in the UK[7][9][10] and purchased by the BBC in 1993,[9] the 32-episode series has entailed tie-in merchandise since its first appearance, from dolls[11] to original novels[12] and comic strips in the Century 21 Publications children's magazine, TV Century 21.[13]
In comparisons to Thunderbirds and other earlier series, Captain Scarlet is generally considered "darker"[14] in tone and less suited to child audiences due to stronger on-screen violence and themes of extraterrestrial aggression and interplanetary war.[15] The transition in the puppets' design has polarised critical opinion and drawn a mixed response from former production staff,[16][17][18]while the concept of an indestructible protagonist has also been called into question.[19][20] However, the series has been praised for its inclusion of a multinational, multiethnic puppet cast and its depiction of a utopian future Earth.[21][22][23] Having decided to revive the series in the late 1990s,[24] Gerry Anderson supervised the production of a computer-animated rebootGerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet, which was broadcast in the UK in 2005.

Plot summary[edit]

In the pilot episode, a team of Zero-X[n 1] astronauts investigate the surface of Mars in 2068 after unidentified radio signals emanating from the planet are detected on Earth.[e 1] The source is discovered to be an extraterrestrial base, which is attacked and destroyed when the explorers mistake a harmless sensor device for a weapon.[e 1] The inhabitants of the settlement, the Mysterons, are sentient computers that form a collective consciousness.[25] They are the remnants of the original Mysteron race, extraterrestrial life forms that originated in a galaxy other than the Milky Way and maintained their colony on Mars for 3,500 years before abandoning the planet at the turn of the 20th century.[25] Possessing partial control over matter, the Mysteron computers draw on their power of "reversing matter" to rebuild the complex before vowing revenge for the unwarranted aggression,[e 1] which Captain Black is commonly held to have committed in violation of orders from his own superiors.
Reversing matter, also described as "retro-metabolism",[e 2] allows the Mysterons to re-create the likeness of a person or object in the form of a facsimile that is under their control. This ability is used to conduct a "war of nerves" against Earth, in which the Mysterons issue threats against specific targets (from world leaders and military installations to whole cities and continents) and then destroy and reconstruct whatever instruments are required (whether human or object) to execute their plans. The presence of the Mysterons is indicated by two circles of green light (the "Mysteron rings") that trail across scenes of destruction and reconstruction. Although the Mysterons are able to manipulate events from Mars, their actions on Earth are usually performed by their replicated intermediaries.
The primary agent of the Mysterons, Zero-X mission leader Captain Black, is (apparently) killed and reconstructed during the encounter on Mars.[n 2][25][26] Before the events of the pilot episode, Captain Black held a senior officer rank in Spectrum, an international security organisation inaugurated in 2067[e 3] that mobilises all its personnel, vehicles,[n 3] and other resources in response to the threat posed by the Mysterons. The Spectrum Organisation is directed from Cloudbase, an airborne headquarters stationed at a height of 40,000 feet above the Earth's surface,[e 4] and has a presence in all major cities. The organisation employs operatives of many nationalities, of whom the most senior hold military ranks and colour-based codenames, are posted to Cloudbase, and answer directly to the commander-in-chief of Spectrum, Colonel White.[n 4] Cloudbase is defended by the Angels, a squadron of five female pilots code-named Destiny (squadron leader), Harmony, Melody, Rhapsody, and Symphony, who fly the Angel Interceptor fighter aircraft.[27] In addition, the organisation incorporates a fleet of Spectrum Pursuit Vehicles (SPV) hidden in secret locations around the world as well as Spectrum Patrol Saloon Cars, hovercraft, transport jets and machine-gun equipped helicopters.
Captain Scarlet becomes Spectrum's foremost weapon in its fight against the Mysterons after the events of the pilot episode, in which the Mysterons threaten to assassinate the World President[n 5] as their first act of retaliation.[e 1][28] The original Captain Scarlet is killed in a car accident engineered by the Mysterons[n 6] and replaced with a re-created Mysteron likeness.[e 1][28]However, when the Captain Scarlet duplicate is shot by Spectrum officer Captain Blue and falls to his death from a tall structure, he returns to life with the consciousness and the normal personality of the original Captain Scarlet fully restored let alone his memories of Mysteron control, and thereafter he is free from Mysteron control.[n 7][n 8][e 1] Captain Scarlet's Mysteronised body possesses two remarkable abilities: he is able to sense the presence of other Mysteron duplicates in his vicinity,[n 9] and if he is injured or killed, his retro-metabolism restores him to a state of top health. Now able to deploy suicidally reckless tactics to thwart Mysteron threats, Captain Scarlet repeatedly braves the pain of death in the knowledge that he will recover to face the Mysterons again.[n 10]
While Captain Scarlet and Spectrum defend Earth against the threat from Mars, it is found that Mysteron reconstructions are particularly vulnerable to electricity[e 5] and that they are detectable on X-rays, to which their biology is impervious.[e 5] Consequently, two anti-Mysteron devices, the "Mysteron Gun"[n 11] and the "Mysteron Detector," are developed to aid Spectrum.[e 6] A three-episode story arc charts the uncovering of a second Mysteron complex under construction on the Moon,[e 7] its destruction by Spectrum,[e 8] and efforts to negotiate with the Mysterons on Mars via a crystal power source, salvaged from the complex, which is converted into an interplanetary communication device.[e 4] A failed attempt at satellite surveillance of the Martian surface,[e 9] aborted military conferences[e 10][e 11] and the sabotaged construction of a new space fleet[e 12] hinder Spectrum's plans to return to Mars, and the organisation is unsuccessful on two occasions in apprehending Captain Black.[e 13][e 14] The penultimate episode of the series depicts a Mysteron assault on Cloudbase with the use of armed spacecraft, which is ultimately revealed to be a nightmare dreamt by one of the Angel pilots.[e 15] The finale is a flashback episode that ends inconclusively with regards to the war between Earth and Mars and the fate of Spectrum and the Mysterons.[e 16]

Production[edit]

The photograph depicts an elderly man, whose gaze is directed to the right of the camera.
Gerry Anderson, creator and executive producer
When talks to find an American broadcaster for Thunderbirds fell through in July 1966, production for the series' second season ended with the completion of just six episodes at the behest of ITC financier Lew Grade.[29] Having overseen Gerry Anderson's work since the creation of Supercar in 1960 – and going on to buy his production company, AP Films, during the making of Fireball XL5 – Grade was enthusiastic for Anderson's programmes to be transmitted abroad, in the lucrative American market, and decided that a new concept would do more to attract potential bidders than a second season of Thunderbirds.[29]
As a result of the cancellation, Anderson was required to come up with an idea for another Supermarionation series. He had once been inspired by the thought of creating a live-action police drama in which the hero would have unexpectedly been murdered halfway through the series and replaced by a new lead character.[30] Now giving fresh consideration to this idea, Anderson resolved that a selling point for his new series could be a character that can be killed at the end of each episode and resurrected by the beginning of the next. This, coupled with contemporary theories about the possibility of life on Mars,[31] led to the idea of an interplanetary war raging between Earth and its neighbour and a worldwide security organisation being called on to defend human civilisation. After further thought, Anderson decided that "Scarlet" would make an unusual codename for this organisation's "indestructible" agent who can come back to life, while "Blue" could be his partner's designation. From this, Anderson reasoned that all the personnel should have colours for names so as to form the whole "Spectrum" of colours, and decided that someone called "White" should be the leader of the Spectrum Organisation, much in the same way that white light is composed of, and can be broken down into, the colours of the spectrum.[31][32]
I thought we should make a show about the Martians, but then there were doubts being expressed by scientists as to whether the so-called "canals" on Mars were really man-made. Since we were well into pre-production, I came up with the idea of making the Martians invisible, so if they did come up with conclusive evidence that there was no life on Mars, I could say, "Ha-ha, yes there is – but you can't see it."
– Gerry Anderson (2002)[33]
Intrigued by the often-heard phrase "life as we know it", Anderson wanted to set the aliens of his new series apart from the conventional extraterrestrials of 1960s television and cinema. He therefore worked from a basis of "life as we don't know it",[31] and made the Mysterons that were to feature in the series a race of sentient computers as opposed to organic lifeforms,[25] although this is not explicitly stated in the television episodes. The initial intention was that the original Mysteron civilisation came from another galaxy.[25] Having established a settlement on Mars in the distant past, they fled the planet centuries later, abandoning their computer complex.[25]
Contemporary recollections of the Second World War proved to be an inspiration for a number of design aspects. For instance, Anderson recalled that RAF pilots had found it difficult to counter German attacks during the Battle of Britain, since taking off from the ground meant that it took considerable time to intercept the enemy.[34] He therefore made Spectrum's headquarters an airborne aircraft carrier called "Cloudbase".[34] The Mysteron rings were inspired by an advertisement for the Oxo line of food products, which included an image of the brand name sliding over a frying pan and the outline of a woman's body.[32][34]

Writing[edit]

With a provisional series title of The Mysterons,[35] Anderson and his wife, Sylvia, wrote a pilot script in August 1966.[36] This differed significantly from the final draft of the pilot episode. Initially, it was decided that the Mysteron duplicate of Captain Scarlet would be artificially resurrected by an advanced Spectrum computer rather than reviving naturally, and that thereafter he would no longer be truly human but a "mechanical man" akin to an android.[35] Another early ambition was for each episode to feature a guest star voiced by a well-known actor of the day. To this end, the role of the World President in the pilot episode was originally intended to be voiced by the American-born actor Patrick McGoohan.[37][38]
With Anderson serving chiefly as executive producer, the majority of the writing input for Captain Scarlet was provided by Tony Barwick, who had previously written for the short-lived second season of Thunderbirds.[39] Originally given the role of script editor, Barwick went on to pen 18 of the 32 episodes himself, and was also often required to make substantial changes to other writers' work.[39] While discussing his approach to writing episodes in a 1986 interview, he drew parallels between the premise and characters of Captain Scarletand those of Thunderbirds, suggesting, for example, that Spectrum was similar to International Rescue and that the character of Captain Black was like the earlier recurring villain from ThunderbirdsThe Hood.[39]

Filming[edit]

The photograph depicts a scale toy replica of an armoured tank-like vehicle that is metallic-blue in colour, with five wheels on each side.
Dinky Toys version of the Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle (SPV), the primary armoured assault vehicle of Spectrum. The Century 21 special effects unit had refined its standard driving mechanism so that scale-model vehicles appearing in Captain Scarlet could produce authentic inertial dips.[8]
After a two-month pre-production period lasting from November to December 1966, filming for the pilot episode, "The Mysterons", began on 2 January 1967,[40] with a budget of £1.5 million for the 32-episode series.[34][41] At an average cost of £46,000 per episode, or £2,000 per minute, it was the most expensive Anderson production to date.[42] A month before, Anderson and his team had dropped the name "AP Films," since Arthur Provis was no longer working alongside Anderson on a full-time basis, and renamed their company "Century 21 Productions".[40] Many of the directors for earlier Anderson series, such as Alan Pattillo, David Elliott and David Lane, had either left AP Films or were involved in the production of Thunderbird 6, the second Thunderbirds feature film, at the time that Captain Scarlet was being produced. Although Desmond Saunders and Lane were available to direct the first and second episodes, while veteran AP Films director Brian Burgess also contributed, the Andersons needed to transfer some of the more junior production personnel to replace the outgoing staff. To this effect, Alan Perry and Ken Turner were promoted from the camera operator and art departments.[43] Directors drafted in from outside AP Films were Peter Anderson, Leo Eaton and finally Robert Lynn, who had worked as an assistant director on the 1958 Hammer films Dracula and The Revenge of Frankenstein.[43]
The Slough Trading Estate[l 1] in Buckinghamshire had served as Anderson's production base since the filming of Stingray in 1964.[44] To accelerate production on earlier Supermarionation series, pairs of episodes had been filmed simultaneously on separate sound stages, a practice that continued for Captain Scarlet. Some filming coincided with the production of Thunderbird 6,[39] which was recorded on a separate puppet stage and released in July 1968. Editing rooms, post-production offices and a preview theatre were housed in a separate building on the Slough Trading Estate; the crew collaborated with the Standard Telecommunication Laboratories at Harlow in Essex[l 2] on the technical and electronic side of the production.[45]
A third unit, headed by Derek Meddings and his assistant Mike Trim, handled special effects and miniatures and was tasked with creating all the permanent sets and models to be used from the pilot episode, such as the Cloudbase interiors and scaled-down Spectrum Pursuit Vehicles. A design innovation for this series meant that the noses of the miniature vehicles would "dip" when stopped, to imitate the sudden application of brakes and deceleration on a real-life vehicle.[8] The miniature of the Cloudbase exterior, which ran to six feet (1.8 m) in length, proved to be too heavy to be held up with strings and was instead supported by a metal pole.[46][47] To transfer the Mysteron rings from script to screen, the production team acted on the advice of producer Reg Hill, who suggested that a transparency be made that could be panned across the puppet sets using a slide projector.[32]
By the time the series started broadcasting on ATV in September 1967, principal photography had been completed for the first 20 episodes.[48] In general, turnaround for completing all the puppet shots for each episode was two weeks[41][49] or 11 working days.[42] It was originally predicted that shooting would be wrapped within eight months,[41] but filming overran until late October due to the demands of the Thunderbird 6 shoot.[41] While production on the next Supermarionation series, Joe 90, began in November[50] it was not until early 1968 that the last episodes of Captain Scarlet were edited and completed for broadcast.[48]

Music[edit]

The image depicts musical notation of a fast-paced motif consisting of minims, crotchets and quavers.
Spectrum leitmotif, associated with Cloudbase and the organisation in general
The image depicts musical notation of two similar motifs consisting of four notes, one featuring only semibreves and the other only crotchets.
Four-note motif used to illustrate the presence of the MysteronsCaptain Scarlet's variation, below, emphasises the character's past as a former Mysteron.[51]
Music for Captain Scarlet was composed by Barry Gray, an innovator in electronic music, who had scored all the Supermarionation series preceding it. The opening title sequence theme, "The Mysterons", was rendered electronically and accompanied by a staccato drum beat to introduce the lead character of Captain Scarlet.[1] This seven-note beat was also used to link scenes within episodes,[1] and to cut to advertisement breaks,[52] for which it was accompanied by a zooming image of the Spectrum logo as designed by Tony Dunsterville of the art department.[52] On the subject of the beat, Anderson recalls, "When I went to the recording session, I heard the drum beat he had come up with and I thought, 'Christ, is this all he could produce?' Looking back on it, however, I can see that what he came up with worked very well."[52]
The closing credits theme, "Captain Scarlet", underwent significant change after the completion of the first 14 episodes. The first version had been mainly instrumental, with the words "Captain Scarlet!" sung in time to the aforementioned staccato drum beat after which a vocoded repetition of the words "Captain Scarlet!" provided by Gray himself[1] would be heard. This was then revised as a song performed by a London-based pop group The Spectrum, assembled by RCA Victor[53] as an imitation of the American band The Monkees,[1] who happened to share their name with the organisation that appears in Captain Scarlet.[1]
In addition to the main theme, Gray scored incidental music for 18 episodes of Captain Scarlet between March and December 1967.[48][54] Musical accompaniment for the remaining 14 episodes was achieved by re-using these completed tracks as well as music from previous Anderson productions such as Thunderbirds.[48] In composing his incidental music, Gray made extensive use of two contrasting, yet similar, themes to illustrate Spectrum and the Mysterons.[55] In their notes to the soundtrack release, Ralph Titterton and Tim Mallett suggest that the music is dominated by a "military feel", with an emphasis placed on percussion, brass and wind instruments, by contrast to the full orchestral sound of the Thunderbirds score.[55] With the exception of the four-note Mysteron motif, Gray generally restricted his use of electronic synthesisers, including an Ondes Martenot, to space sequences, preferring traditional instruments for Earth-bound action.[1] Captain Scarlet's motif, heard in both versions of the end credits theme and the incidental music, is a melodic variation on the Mysteron theme, emphasising Scarlet's history as an ex-Mysteron.[51]
Awarding the soundtrack CD release a rating of four stars out of five,[56] Bruce Eder of the website AllMusic describes the collection of theme and incidental music as "a strange mix of otherworldly 'music of the spheres', late-50s/early-60s 'space-age pop', 'British Invasion' beat, Scottish folk-inspired tunes, kids-style 'Mickey Mouse' scoring, martial music, light jazz, and light classical",[56] and singles out both "Cocktail Music", from "Model Spy", and the piano track, performed by Gray, from "The Inquisition", for particular praise.[56] In his BBC Online review, Peter Marsh opines that the darker tone of the music is reflective of Captain Scarlet as a programme featuring realistic puppets and death,[57] frightening alien villains[57] and "no laughs",[57] stating that "dissonant vibraphone chords shimmer under hovering, tremulous strings contrasted with urgent, militaristic drums and pulsing brass – driving the action ever onto its climax (and, no doubt, a big explosion)."[57]
On 8 October 2015, Fanderson released a 3-disc set exclusively for club members. It contains music either written for, or used in, all but three episodes ("The Heart of New York" and "Treble Cross" contain no original music and the cue recordings for "Traitor" are lost).[58]