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Ashes of the Wake

Ashes of the Wake is the fourth studio album and first major-label release by American heavy metal band Lamb of God, released in 2004 via Epic Records. The album debuted at number 27 on the Billboard 200, selling 35,000 copies in its first week and was rated by Guitar World as the 49th greatest Guitar Album of all Time. This album also was rated by Metal Hammer as the 5th greatest Metal Album of The 21st Century. The album was inspired by the events that took place during the war in Iraq with songs such as "Ashes of the Wake" (which includes snippets of former Marine Staff Sergeant Jimmy Massey in an interview after his return from the Iraq War), "Now You've Got Something to Die For", "One Gun" and "The Faded Line". The quote at the beginning of "Omerta" is a paraphrase of the Sicilian Mafia's code of silence. As of August 2010, Ashes of the Wake has sold 398,000 copies in the United States. Ten years after its release, as of 2014, sales have topped 400,000 copies sold and is Lamb of God’s best-selling record. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in February 2016.

Releases
The first pressing came with a bonus disc titled "Pure American Metal", including songs taken from the band's previous albums (Burn the Priest, New American Gospel and As the Palaces Burn), a live recording of the song "Black Label" from DVD Terror and Hubris, as well as a pre-production demo of the song "Laid to Rest".

The Japanese edition included a bonus song "Another Nail for Your Coffin" which was released worldwide in 2010 in a three-CD box set called Hourglass: The Anthology. The song was later included on the 15th anniversary edition of the album.

A DualDisc version was released in the United States. The DVD side contained the album in LPCM 2.0, and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, as well as various video clips, including the promo videos for "Now You've Got Something to Die For" (intended to promote the Killadelphia release) and "Laid to Rest", a short on the New England Metalfest, a "Meet the Band" and a clip from the Terror and Hubris DVD. A production error in the 5.1 mix of "Break You" causes the vocals to be displaced throughout the track, and pitch shift high and low throughout the song. This error is also in the Dolby Atmos mix on Apple Music.

Reception
The album was generally well received; Blabbermouth.net gave it a 7 rating. Johnny Loftus of AllMusic gave it a 4 out of 5 star rating. He praised Blythe's vocals, saying they became, "Lamb of God's threshold of pain conduit."

Personnel

 * Lamb of God
 * Randy Blythe – vocals
 * Mark Morton – lead guitar
 * Willie Adler – rhythm guitar
 * John Campbell – bass
 * Chris Adler – drums

 * Additional musicians
 * Alex Skolnick (of Testament) – second guitar solo on song "Ashes of the Wake"
 * Chris Poland (formerly of Megadeth) – third guitar solo on song "Ashes of the Wake"

 * Artwork
 * Ken Adams – art direction, design
 * Greg Watermann – photography

 * Production
 * Machine – producer, engineer, recording, mixing
 * Lamb of God – production
 * John Agnello – engineer
 * Tony Schloff, Todd Parker, Dan Korneff – Pro Tools
 * Ted Young, Al Weatherhead, Casey Martin, Jeremy Miller, and Cam DiNunzio – assisted Pro Tools
 * Mark Wilder – mastering
 * Management
 * Paul Conroy – management for Entertainment Services Unlimited
 * Scott Greer – product manager
 * Kaz Utsunomiya – A&R
 * Tim Borror – booking agent for Face the Music Touring
 * Jeffery R. Cohen – legal for Millen, White Zelano & Branigan

title: Ashes of the Wake


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Ezekiel Kemboi

Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi (born 25 May 1982) is a Kenyan professional athlete, winner of the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2009 World Championships, the 2011 World Championships, the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2013 World Championships and the 2015 World Championships. His 3000 m steeplechase best of 7:55.76 set at Monaco in 2011 places him as the sixth fastest of all time. This time is also the fastest non-winning time in history. He is one of only four men to have won both Olympic and World golds in the event, along with Reuben Kosgei, Brimin Kipruto and Conseslus Kipruto. He is the only multiple gold medalist in both. He is the only athlete to have won four world championships in the steeplechase (which he won consecutively), and only the second athlete to win two Olympic titles in the event (after Volmari Iso-Hollo).

Biography
Born in Matira, which is near Kapsowar, Marakwet District, Kemboi graduated from Kapsowar Boys Secondary School in 1999. He did not take up athletics until after he left school, but was spotted by Paul Ereng and won the African Junior Championships in 2001 despite falling.

Kemboi became African Junior Champion in 2001 and then in 2002, he finished second at the Commonwealth Games behind compatriot Stephen Cherono. The same year Kemboi was originally fourth at the African Championships in Athletics, but was later awarded bronze after the winner Moroccan Brahim Boulami received a doping suspension.

At the 2003 World Championships, Kemboi had a gruelling battle with former teammate Saif Saeed Shaheen (formerly Stephen Cherono) who represented his new country Qatar, before Shaheen pulled away from the exhausted Kemboi to win by less than a second. Kemboi won the gold medal at the 2003 All-Africa Games.

In the absence of Shaheen – the Kenyan Olympic Committee refused to waive the three-year eligibility delay for established athletes who switch nationalities – Kemboi rose to a main favourite status at the Athens Olympics. The race went very much according to form, with the three Kenyans Kemboi, Brimin Kipruto and Paul Kipsiele Koech pushing the pace from the second lap and soon leaving the rest of the field behind and Kemboi winning a gold medal 0.3 seconds ahead of Kipruto in a Kenyan sweep.

In August 2005 he won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics again behind Shaheen, and in March 2006 he won the 2006 Commonwealth Games. He finished second at the 2006 African Championships in Athletics, but was disqualified for improper hurdling. At the 2007 World Championships in Athletics he won his third successive silver medal, this time losing to Kipruto.

Kemboi represented Kenya at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but managed only seventh – his worst performance on the global stage. He rebounded with a win at the 2009 World Championships (his first world championship gold medal) after three successive silvers and took silver at the 2010 African Championships the following year behind 2008 bronze medalist Richard Mateelong.

He took to the road races of Italy in August 2010, beating Peter Kimeli to the tape to win the Corribianco race in Bianco, then taking the honours at the 8.5-kilometre Amatrice-Configno.

He won the gold medal at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea.

Kemboi won the gold medal for Kenya in the 3000m Steeplechase in London 2012. Kemboi won in a time of eight minutes 18.56 seconds.

In 2013, Kemboi added his third straight gold medal at the World Championships. In 2015, he took his fourth successive title at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics. This was his seventh World medal, setting a record for any athlete, which would subsequently be surpassed by Chinese shot putter Gong Lijao in 2023.

On August 17, 2016, he won a bronze medal for Kenya in the 3000m Steeplechase in the Rio Olympics 2016. He then announced his retirement after the win. Kemboi was later that day disqualified for stepping outside of the track. An investigation into the incident was instigated when the French Olympic team complained that the runner had stepped out of the track after his final water jump during the race. The bronze medal was subsequently awarded to French runner Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad. He announced his retirement immediately following the Olympic race, but rescinded that decision after learning of his disqualification. He made one final attempt, making the finals at the 2017 World Championships, where he finished a disappointing 11th place.

Personal life
Kemboi is managed by Enrico Dionisi. Since 2002 he has owned a 50 acre farm near Moi's Bridge, Trans-Nzoia District. He is married to Jane Kemboi with two sons. Since 2009 he has been coached by Moses Kiptanui, who is also his neighbour.

His participation in the 2012 Olympics was initially put in doubt when he was charged with assault in June 2012, after a woman claimed he stabbed her after she refused his sexual advances.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Ezekiel Kemboi


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Khanaqin

Khanaqin (خانقين; خانەقین ) is the central city of Khanaqin District in Diyala Governorate, Iraq, near the Iranian border (8 km) on the Alwand tributary of the Diyala River. The town is populated by Kurds who speak the Southern Kurdish dialect. Khanaqin is situated on the main road which Shia pilgrims use when visiting holy Islamic cities. The city is moreover rich in oil and the first Iraqi oil refinery and oil pipeline was built nearby in 1927. The main tribes of Khanaqin include Kalhor, Feyli, Zand, Malekshahi Suramiri, Arkavazi and Zangana.

The city experienced Arabization during the Saddam era, but this has been substantially reversed after the fall of the regime in 2003 and remains disputed.

History
In the early 11th century, the city was under the Banu Uqayl and later the Annazids until Ibrahim Inal captured the city around 1045.

Khanaqin was part of Baban until the 1850s.

The population of Khanaqin in the mid-19th century was small with only fifty Muslim and five Jewish households, with a significant Kurdish tribal population around the town. It had three mosques and three caravanserais. Khanaqin was a mere caravan station for caravans carrying Shia pilgrims before the Treaty of Erzurum in 1847 which made it a more significant frontier town between the Ottoman Empire and Qajar Iran. An immigration office was established just after the signing of the treaty to manage the growing pilgrimage. A customs house would later be established as well.

During the Persian Campaign, the Ottomans were attacked in Khanaqin on 3 June 1916 by Russian forces led by Nikolai Baratov but managed to push back the Russian cavalry. While the Ottomans lost about 300 men, the Russian casualties were greater. However, the Russians succeeded in capturing the town in April 1917 due to Ottoman weakness and collapse of the Iranian government. Russia received support from the Kurdish tribes and allowed them to govern the area. Nonetheless, the Russian forces had to withdraw from the area in June 1917 due to the Russian Revolution which allowed the Ottomans to retake the town. The United Kingdom captured the city in December 1917 during their Mesopotamian campaign. After the capture, Britain approached the regional Kurdish tribes including Bajalan leader Mustafa Pasha Bajalan to consolidate their control. Khanaqin District was established in 1921.

Khanaqin saw no fighting during World War II but became an important base for Commonwealth forces and a field hospital was constructed in the town. Many Polish prisoners of war, who escaped Russia and attempted to link up with Commonwealth forces in Khanaqin, arrived at the town in September 1942. They would remain in the town but many perished and a cemetery was built in the town for them. Maintenance of the Khanaqin War Cemetery was later abandoned and a memorial was built in Baghdad. In 2020, the cemetery was damaged by 'extremists'.

The town experienced shelling by Iran during Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s and its people were displaced. Peshmerga captured the town in March 1991 during the uprisings in Iraq and again in April 2003 during U.S. invasion of Iraq. In the December 2005 parliamentary election, the Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan won the city with 99.4%. In the same year, locals protested and wanted Khanaqin to be a part of the Kurdistan Autonomous Region under PUK rule.

In September 2008, Peshmerga withdrew from the city allowing Iraqi police to control the city. The town experienced protests against the shuffle. As part of a compromise, Kurdistan Region was allowed to administer the city with Asayish presence, but Peshmerga would ultimately enter the city again in September 2011. Peshmerga withdrew from the city again in October 2017 which made the city witness frequent security breaches.

Climate
Khanaqin has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh) with extremely hot, dry summers and mild to cool, slightly wet, winters.

Ethnicity
In 1947, out of the 25,700 people in the town, 20,560 (80%) were Kurds. In the 1957 census, Kurds constituted 74.6% of the population, while Arabs were 23.7% and the Turkmen population stood at 1.6%. In 1965, the numbers stood at 72.1%, 26.2% and 1.7% for Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen, respectively.

During the 1970s, the Arabization efforts by Iraq intensified, and the 1977 census showed that the Arab population had become 47.5% of the population, while Kurds were 45% and Turkmens, 6.1%. In 1987, the Arab population stood at 49.5%, the Kurdish population at 45.8% and the Turkmen population at 4.7%. In 1997, Arabs were 54.7% of the population, while Kurds were 39.4% and Turkmen were 5.8%.

The Arabization of Khanaqin was almost entirely reversed after 2003 by the PUK. Khanaqin mayor Muhammad Amin Hassan Hussein stated in 2014 that the Arab population fell to 1% in 2003.

Religion
The majority of Khanaqin are Shia Muslims but a significant Sunni Muslim minority also exists. In 2020, one Christian remained in the city, as well as some Yarsans.

Alwand Bridge
Alwand Bridge is located in the center of Khanaqin and on the Alwand River. The Sassanids founded this bridge, which during the Sassanid era was 150 meters wide and 6 meters tall.

The current version of the bridge was built in 1860 by Dowlatshah, the former governor of Kermanshah. He went to Khanaqin in 1855 on his way to visit the Shia holy sites in Karbala and Najaf, but that year he faced a severe flood and decided to spend his travel expenses in addition to the additional costs of building a bridge in Khanaqin. He brought a number of architects from Isfahan to Khanaqin and the bridge was built using walnut wood imported from Iran.

Jewish community
Khanaqin had a Jewish community until the early 1950s when they were forced to migrate to Israel. In the middle of the 19th century, about 20 Jewish families lived in the town. This number increased to 700 individuals shortly after. The languages spoken by the community was Mlahso Aramaic. By the 1920s, the community was introduced to Zionism and most would leave for Israel after the community leader was arrested in August 1949.

Notable people

 * Fuad Hussein
 * Leyla Qasim
 * Mala Bakhtiyar
 * Ovadia Eli
 * Imad Ahmad Sayfour

title: Khanaqin


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Talk:Acidophilus

Disambiguation
I'm not yet sure how this is a disambiguation page as it is only referenced by the list of disambugation pages and only refers to one thing. I do not feel qualified to dis-disambugate it however, as I'm merely a layman when it comes to this spectrum of knowledge.

Yogurts
From the Stonyfield Farms yogurts I've got in the fridge:
 * Contains our exclusive blend of 6 live active cultures including L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, L. Casei and L. Reuteri.

So, I guess we need citations that state it's in them naturally. --Habap 19:44, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Conflicting Information
On this page it states that the list of acidphilus cultures are all probiotics, but if you click on the link for L. Casei the article for that one says it is not a probiotic as it does not survive the stomach.

65.206.71.3 (talk) 19:37, 26 November 2007 (UTC)

Taken from main article
P.S. It helps with Lactose intolerance in many cases, it will not erase the effects however it will allow a larger consumption without a reaction. It does not allow you to eat lactose like no tomorrow though, so be careful, measure how much you can handle, and have fun, ice cream anyone? copied by Knorrepoes (talk) 06:07, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

title: Talk:Acidophilus


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Harwich Redoubt

Harwich Redoubt is a circular fort built in 1808 to defend the port of Harwich, Essex from Napoleonic invasion. The Harwich Society opens it to the public.

Construction
The Redoubt was built between 1808 and 1810 to protect the port of Harwich against the threat of Napoleonic invasion. It was part of the scheme proposed in 1805 that included the construction of 55 Martello Towers on the East Anglian coast, although 29 were actually built. Although similar in design to the earlier Dymchurch Redoubt and Eastbourne Redoubt, Harwich Redoubt differed in being designed to mount ten, rather than eleven guns.

The redoubt was built on a hilltop just outside the town, giving an unrestricted field of fire across the estuaries of the River Stour and the River Orwell which form the entrance to the harbour, and allowed interlocking fire with the guns of Landguard Fort on the opposite shore. The construction was supervised by Major Bryce of the Royal Engineers at an estimated cost of £32,000.

Description
Harwich Redoubt is built mainly from brick with stone details, and is circular in shape, about 61 m in diameter, with a central parade ground 26 m across. The ground floor consists of 18 casemates or vaulted chambers radiating from the parade ground. These casemates were used as barrack accommodation, stores, ablutions and latrines, and a cookhouse. Two of them form the magazine and shell store; hoists lifted ammunition from the lower level to the gun emplacements, which are on a terreplein or gun platform formed by the roof of the casemates, which has ten embrasures for cannon. The ditch is some 16 m wide and 7 m deep, with a brick counterscarp wall set a little lower than the level of the parapet of the gun platform so as to protect the scarp wall from enemy fire.

Military service
Originally armed with ten 24-pounder cannon, the Redoubt was remodelled in order to accommodate increasingly heavy guns, as technology and the perceived threat changed. In 1861–2, work was carried out to accommodate 68-pounder cannon, and the emplacements were strengthened (by adding granite facing) to withstand improved enemy artillery. Only a decade later in 1872, three of the emplacements were altered to take enormous 12 ton RML (rifled muzzle loading) guns. In 1903, three emplacements received 12-pounder QF (quick firing) guns.

Despite this ongoing modernisation, the Redoubt never fired a shot in anger. It is also probable that its strategic importance declined towards the end of the 19th century with the construction of the more powerful Beacon Hill Battery just to the south. In the 1920s the area around the Redoubt - previously kept clear to provide fields of fire - was bought by the Town Council. This land is used for allotments. The Redoubt itself was allowed to fall into disrepair.

The Redoubt was briefly taken back into military service during World War II, when it was used as an anti-aircraft site and it also served as a detention centre for British troops awaiting trial. Examples of the graffiti left by the soldiers can still be seen in some of the rooms.

Following World War II the Redoubt was used by the British Civil Defence organisation, who used it until they were disbanded. That was the end of the Redoubt's military service.

Restoration
Following a listing as an Ancient Monument, the restoration of the Harwich Redoubt began in July 1969 and has continued until the present day. When restoration began, one of the 9-inch 12 ton RML guns was discovered buried in the (dry) moat - it had been pushed in when it became obsolete, as they were too large and solidly constructed to be broken up for scrap.

Currently open as a museum, the Redoubt is the largest ancient monument in the UK being restored by a voluntary group. In addition to some of the original guns that armed the Redoubt, including the 9-inch RML, there are a number of other guns on display. Around the parade ground on the lower level, the various rooms are either fitted out in reconstruction of how they might have looked, or are used as display rooms for other exhibitions. Exhibitions include a large number of replica firearms. Battle re-enactments and other events are held during the summer months.

title: Harwich Redoubt


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Sheila on 7

Sheila on 7 is an alternative rock band from Yogyakarta, Indonesia. They have changed their lineup several times since their formation on 6 May 1996. Their first lineup consisted of Akhdiyat Duta Modjo (also known as Duta, vocals), Saktia "Sakti" Ari Seno (guitar), Eross Candra (guitar), Adam Muhammad Subarkah (bass), and Anton Widiastanto (drums). Anton left the group in 2004, while Sakti left in 2006, leaving their current lineup as it is, but with Brian Kresna Putro replacing Anton in the drums until his departure in 2022.

Their self titled debut album Sheila on 7 was ranked #33 by Rolling Stone Indonesia on "The 150 Greatest Indonesian Albums of All Time". The magazine also listed the songs "Dan" (#29) and "Melompat Lebih Tinggi" (#147) on "The 150 Greatest Indonesian Songs of All Time".

Sheila on 7 is the first ever band in Indonesia with their first 3 albums sold more than 1 million copies in Indonesia only, with Kisah Klasik Untuk Masa Depan ranked #8 and Sheila on 7 ranked #13 on the list of Indonesian all time best selling albums. Kisah Klasik Untuk Masa Depan charted at #1 on Hits Albums of the World on Billboard Malaysia. By now, Sheila on 7 has sold estimated more than 8 million copies album in Indonesia.

History
The band came from an earlier incarnation called " W.H.Y Gank " which was headed by Adam and Sakti. Both members had invited Duta - who had been performing with Adam at as a singer and acoustic guitar duo at their neighbourhood 17 August celebrations - to join their band practice to be a vocalist. A year after "W.H.Y Gank" was formed, the band met Eross (who then became their lead guitarist). The four of them decided to form a new band, and while at their first studio jamming session Eross introduced the band to Anton. The band was given the name "Sheilagank" - "Sheila" being the name of a female friend both Adam and Eross knew of - with the official formation date being 6 May 1996. Sheilagank performed in numerous band festivals organised by high schools for about 2 years until the middle of 1998, when they got their first recording contract with the Sony Music Entertainment Indonesia label. The members changed their band name to "Sheila On 7": the "on 7" referring to the seven-note solfège, while "Sheilagank" became the name of their fanbase.

Sheila On 7 since its beginning in the Indonesian music scene has made a lot of achievements, including being the only Indonesian band that is able to sell physical albums for more than one million copies, three albums in a row. Through the success of the debut album Sheila On 7 (1999), followed by two other albums that exploded in the market, Kisah Klasik Untuk Masa Depan (2000) and 07 Des (2002). In 2003, they released their first film soundtrack Ost. 30 Hari Mencari Cinta which succeeded sold over 600.000 copies and followed by their fourth studio album Pejantan Tangguh in 2004, although not as successful as the first three albums where sales reached millions, this album was able to sell more than 450,000 copies. Because of that success, they also have loyal listeners in neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

On 18 October 2004, Anton was dismissed from the band management due to disciplinary issues while Brian filled Anton's position. Brian performed with Sheila On 7 in different promo tours for the album Pejantan Tangguh. The Very Best of Sheila On 7: Jalan Terus (2005) album became the first studio recording release after the drummer replacement.

In 2006, Sakti left the band amidst recording 507 as he was to continue his studies in Pakistan and this did not gel with their schedule. It was during this time that Brian was promoted as their permanent drummer until 2022.

On 26 January 2018, Sheila on 7 released their first single entitled "Film Favorit" under their own label named 507 Records. It also be their first time to involves music directors for working on their song. "Film Favorit" itself is a song created by guitarist Eross, which inspired the story of a close friend who has not managed to find a life partner.

Musical style
Their musical style is deemed difficult to determine though it is still in the pop rock genre, but it is clear that they are believed to play a "Sheila music", where ideas or creations for their songs emerge spontaneously, hence the simple lyrics and musical concepts. Sheila on 7 tend to compose upbeat and optimistic songs that reflect the bliss of being teenagers and young adults.

Band members

 * Current members
 * Akhdiyat Duta Modjo — lead vocal (1996–present)
 * Eross Candra — lead guitar & backing vocal (1996–present)
 * Adam Muhammad Subarkah — bass guitar & backing vocal (1996–present)

 * Former members
 * Anton Widiastanto — drummer (1996–2004)
 * Saktia Ari Seno — rhythm and lead guitar & backing vocal (1996–2006)
 * Brian Kresna Putro - drummer (2004-2022)

Timeline
Timeline

Filmography

 * 30 Hari Mencari Cinta (2004)
 * Tak Biasa (2004)
 * Mati Bujang Tengah Malam (2007)
 * Tanda Tanya (2012)
 * Scripts Pro (2014)

title: Sheila on 7


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Pokhara

Pokhara (पोखरा ) is a metropolitan city in central Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province and the tourism capital of Nepal. It is the second most populous city of Nepal after Kathmandu, with 599,504 inhabitants living in 120,594 households in 2021. It is the country's largest metropolitan city in terms of area. The city also serves as the headquarters of Kaski District. Pokhara is located 200 km west of the capital, Kathmandu. The city is on the shore of Phewa Lake, and sits at an elevation of approximately 822 m. The Annapurna Range, with three out of the ten highest peaks in the world—Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I and Manaslu—is within 15 – of the valley.

In 2024, Pokhara was declared the tourism capital of Nepal, being a base for trekkers undertaking the Annapurna Circuit through the Annapurna Conservation Area region of the Annapurna ranges in the Himalayas. The city is also home to many of the elite Gurkha soldiers, soldiers native to South Asia of Nepalese nationality recruited for the British Army, Nepalese Army, Indian Army, Gurkha Contingent Singapore, Gurkha Reserve Unit Brunei, UN peacekeeping forces and in war zones around the world.

Etymology
The Nepali word "Pokhari " (पोखरी, ) means "pond". pokhara is a variant of Pokhari as the city has numerous ponds.

History
By radiocarbon dating and investigating the alluvial deposits of Pokhara Valley, researchers have found that there were at least three large medieval earthquakes in 1000, 1255, and 1344 AD. Up to 9 cubic kilometres of conglomerates, massive mud and silt show indications of one or several megafloods that emanated from the Sabche Cirque in the Annapurna range.

Pokhara lies on an important old trading route between China and India. In the 17th century, it was part of the Kingdom of Kaski which was one of the Chaubisi rajya (24 Kingdoms of Nepal, चौबिसे राज्य) ruled by a branch of the Shah dynasty. Many of the hills around Pokhara have medieval ruins from that time. In 1786, Prithvi Narayan Shah, the last ruler of the Gorkha Kingdom and first monarch of the Kingdom of Nepal, added Pokhara to his kingdom. It had by then become an important trading place on the routes from Kathmandu to Jumla and from India to Tibet.

The first settlement of the valley is theorized to have taken place when the first King of Kaski, Kulamandan Shah Khad (also called Bichitra Khan and Jagati Khan), made Batulechaur in the northern side of the valley his winter capital during the mid 14th century. The people settled here included Parajuli Brahmins, who were asked to look after the Bindhyabasini temple and were given some land in that locality as Birta. Dhobi Gauda was the first market center developed in Pokhara valley before the last King of Kaski brought sixteen families of Newars from Kathmandu (Bhaktapur) to develop the present-day market (i.e., old market) in the 1770s. Prior to that people were settled in the peripheral hills.

Pokhara was envisioned as a commercial center by the King of Kaski in the mid 18th century A.D. when Newars of Bhaktapur migrated to Pokhara, upon being invited by the king, and settled near main business locations such as Bindhyabasini temple, Nalakomukh and Bhairab Tole. Most of Pokhara, at the time, was largely inhabited by Khas (Brahmin, Chhetri, Thakuri and Dalits), Gurungs, and Magars. At present, the Khas, Gurung (Tamu) and Magar form the dominant community of Pokhara. There is also a sizeable Newari population in the city. Batulechaur in the far north of Pokhara is home to the Gandharvas or Gaaineys (the tribe of the musicians).

The nearby hills around Pokhara are covered by Gurung villages with few places belonging to the Khas community. Magar communities are also present mostly in the southern outlying hills. A Newar community is almost non-existent in the villages of outlying hills outside the Pokhara city limits.

From 1959 to 1962, approximately 300,000 exiles entered Nepal from neighboring Tibet following its annexation by China. Most of the Tibetan exiles then sought asylum in Dharamshala and other Tibetan exile communities in India. According to UNHCR, since 1989, approximately 2500 Tibetans cross the border into Nepal each year, many of whom arrive in Pokhara typically as a transit to Tibetan exile communities in India. About 50,000–60,000 Tibetan exiles reside in Nepal, and approximately 20,000 of the exiled Tibetans live in one of the 12 consolidated camps, eight in Kathmandu and four in and around Pokhara. The four Tibetan settlements in Pokhara are Jampaling, Paljorling, Tashi Ling, and Tashi Palkhel. These camps have evolved into well-built settlements, each with a gompa (Buddhist monastery), chorten and its particular architecture, and Tibetans have become a visible minority in the city.

Until the end of the 1960s, the town was only accessible by foot and it was considered even more a mystical place than Kathmandu. The first road was completed in 1968 (Siddhartha Highway) after which tourism set in and the city grew rapidly. The area along the Phewa lake, called Lakeside, has developed into one of the major tourism hubs of Nepal.

Geography
Due to the high population density and the frequency of natural disasters, western Nepal is considered one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world. Pokhara is considered particularly vulnerable to earthquakes and floods because the Seti Gandaki River flows through the city. For example, the strongest earthquakes in the region include those of 2015 in Nepal.

Pokhara is in the northwestern corner of the Pokhara Valley, which is a widening of the Seti Gandaki valley that lies in the region (Pahad) of the Himalayas. In this region, the mountains rise very quickly, and within 30 km, the elevation rises from 1,000 to 7,500 m. As a result of this sharp rise in altitude the area of Pokhara has one of the highest precipitation rates in the country (3,350 mm/year or 131 inches/year in the valley to 5600 mm/year or 222 inches/year in Lumle). Even within the city, there is a noticeable difference in rainfall between the south and the north: The northern part at the foothills of the mountains experiences a proportionally higher amount of precipitation. The Seti Gandaki is the main river flowing through the city. The Seti Gandaki (White Gandaki) and its tributaries have created several gorges and canyons in and around Pokhara that give intriguingly long sections of terrace features to the city and surrounding areas. These long sections of terraces are interrupted by gorges that are hundreds of metres deep. The Seti gorge runs through Pokhara from north to south and then west to east; at places, these gorges are only a few metres wide. In the north and south, the canyons are wider.

In the south, the city borders Phewa Tal (or Phewa Lake) (4.4 km2) at an elevation of about 800 m above sea level, while north of Pokhara, the village of Lumle at 1,740 m touches the base of the Annapurna mountain range. Pokhara, the city of lakes, is the second-largest city of Nepal after Kathmandu. Three 8,000 m peaks (Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu) can be seen from the city. The Machhapuchchhre (Fishtail) with an elevation of 6,993 m is the closest to the city.

The porous underground of the Pokhara valley favors the formation of caves and several caves can be found within city limits and neighboring cities as well. In the south of the city, a tributary of the Seti Gandaki River flowing out of the Phewa Lake disappears at Patale Chhango (पाताले छाँगो, Nepali for Hell's Falls, also called Davis Falls, after someone who supposedly fell in) into an underground gorge, to reappear 500 m further south.

Climate
The city has a humid subtropical climate; however, the elevation keeps temperatures moderate. Temperatures in summer average between 25 and 35 °C; in winter around −2 to 15 °C. Pokhara and nearby areas receive a high amount of precipitation. Lumle, 25 miles from Pokhara city center, receives the highest amount of rainfall (> 5600 mm/year or 222 inches/year) in the country. Snowfall is not observed in the valley, but surrounding hills experience occasional snowfall in the winter. Summers are humid and mild; most precipitation occurs during the monsoon season (June–September). Winter and spring skies are generally clear and sunny. The highest temperature ever recorded in Pokhara was 38.5 °C on 4 May 2013, while the lowest temperature ever recorded was 0.5 °C on 13 January 2012.

Demographics
At the time of the 2021 Nepal census, Pokhara Metropolitan City had a population of 599,504. Of these, 78.8% spoke Nepali, 11% Gurung, 2.4% Magar, 2.4% Newar, 1.4% Tamang, 0.8% Bhojpuri, 0.6% Hindi, 0.6% Maithili, 0.3% Tharu, 0.3% Urdu, 0.2% Kham, 0.2% Rai, 0.2% Thakali, 0.1% Bengali, 0.1% Bhujel, 0.1% Chantyal, 0.1% Limbu and 0.1% other languages as their first language.

In terms of ethnicity/caste, 28.0% were Hill Brahmin, 16.1% Gurung, 15.4% Chhetri, 9.1% Magar, 6.8% Kami, 5.4% Newar, 3.3% Damai/Dholi, 2.8% Tamang, 2.0% Sarki, 1.4% Gharti/Bhujel, 1.4% Thakuri, 0.9% Badi, 0.9% Musalman, 0.9% Sanyasi/Dasnami, 0.8% Rai, 0.6% Tharu, 0.5% Kumal, 0.5% Thakali, 0.2% Chhantyal, 0.2% other Dalit, 0.2% Kalwar, 0.2% Kathabaniyan, 0.2% Sonar, 0.2% Teli, 0.1% Bengali, 0.1% Dura, 0.1% foreigners, 0.1% Gaine, 0.1% Ghale, 0.1% Hajjam/Thakur, 0.1% Halwai, 0.1% Koiri/Kushwaha, 0.1% Limbu, 0.1% Majhi, 0.1% Sherpa, 0.1% Sunuwar, 0.1% other Terai and 0.1% Yadav.

In terms of religion, 82.4% were Hindu, 13.2% Buddhist, 2.4% Christian, 0.9% Muslim, 0.6% Bon, 0.2% Prakriti, 0.1% Kirati and 0.2% others.

In terms of literacy, 84.3% could read and write, 1.4% could only read and 14.3% could neither read nor write.

Economy
Since the 1990s, Pokhara has experienced rapid urbanization. As a result, service-sector industries have increasingly contributed to the local economy overtaking the traditional agriculture. An effect of urbanization is seen in high real estate prices, among the highest in the country. The major contributors to the economy of Pokhara are manufacturing and service sector including tourism; agriculture and the foreign and domestic remittances. Tourism, service sector and manufacturing contributes approximately 58% to the economy, remittances about 20% and agriculture nearly 16%.

Hydroelectric power plants
Pokhara has a number of hydroelectric power plants.

 * Fewa Hydropower Station
 * Seti Hydropower Station
 * Bijayapur-I Small Hydropower Project
 * Bijaypur Khola-2 Hydropower Project (under Construction)

Temples, gumbas and churches
There are numerous temples, gumbas (Buddhist monasteries) and churches in and around Pokhara valley. Many temples serve as combined places of worship for Hindus and Buddhists. Some of the popular temples, gumbas and churches are:

 * Tal Barahi Temple (located on the island in the middle of Phewa Lake)
 * Bindhyabasini temple
 * World peace pagoda
 * Lord Shiva Statue
 * Bhadrakali Temple
 * Matepani Gumba
 * Akala Devi Temple
 * Nepal Christiya Ramghat Church, established in 1952 A.D. (2009 BS), the first-ever church in Nepal
 * Bhimsen Temple

Location

The municipality of Pokhara spans 12 km from north to south and 6 km from east to west but, unlike the capital Kathmandu, it is quite loosely built up and still has much green space. Nepal The gorge through which the river flows is crossed at five places: K.I. Singh Pool, Mahendrapul and Prithvi Highway Pool from north to south of the city. The floor of the valley is plain, resembles Terai due to its gravel-like surface, and has slanted orientation from northwest to southeast. The city is surrounded by the hills overlooking the entire valley.

Phewa Lake was slightly enlarged by damming which poses a risk of silting up due to the inflow during the monsoon. The outflowing water is partially used for hydropower generation at Fewa Hydropower Station. The dam collapsed in 1974 which resulted in draining of its water and exposing the land leading to illegal land encroachment; since then the dam has been rebuilt. The power plant is about 100 m below at the bottom of the Phusre Khola gorge. Water from Phewa is diverted for irrigation into the southern Pokhara valley. The eastern Pokhara Valley receives irrigation water through a canal running from a reservoir by the Seti in the north of the city. Some parts of Phewa lake are used as commercial cage fisheries. The lake is currently being encroached upon by invasive water hyacinth (जलकुम्भी झार).

In 2017, Pokhara Lekhnath Metropolitan City became Nepal's largest metropolitan city by area, occupying 464.24 km2—which means the city is nine times larger than Kathmandu, 18 times larger than Lalitpur and 2.5 times larger than Bharatpur.

Pokhara is known to be a popular tourist destination for visitors from all over the world. Every year, many people visit the location in order to travel to the Annapurna range and famous religious place muktinath. The tourist district is along the north shore of the Phewa lake (Baidam, Lakeside, and Damside). It is mainly made up of small shops, non-star tourist hotels, restaurants, and bars. Most upscale and starred hotels are on the southern shore of the Phewa Lake and southeastern fringes of the city where there are more open lands and unhindered view of the surrounding mountains. Most of the tourists visiting Pokhara trek to the Annapurna Base Camp and Mustang. To the east of the Pokhara valley, there are seven smaller lakes such as Begnas Lake, Rupa Lake, Khaste lake, Maidi lake, Neureni lake, Dipang lake. Begnas Lake is known for its fishery projects.

Tourism

After the occupation of Tibet by China in 1950 and the Indo-China war in 1962, the old trading route to India from Tibet through Pokhara became defunct. Today only a few caravans from Mustang arrive in Bagar.

In recent decades, Pokhara has become a major tourist destination: it is considered the tourism capital of Nepal, mainly for adventure tourism and the base for the famous Annapurna Circuit trek. Thus, a major contribution to the local economy is made by the tourism and hospitalities industry. Tourism is the primary source of income for local people and the city. There are two 5-star hotels and approximately 305 other hotels that includes one 4-star, five 3-star, fifteen 2-star and non-star hotels in the city.

The city promotes two major hilltops as viewpoints to see the city and surrounding panorama: World Peace Pagoda, built-in 1996 A.D. across the southern shore of Phewa Lake and Sarangkot, which is northwest of the city. In February 2004, International Mountain Museum (IMM) was opened for public in Ratopahiro to boost the city's tourism. Other museums are Pokhara Regional Museum; an ethnographic museum; Annapurna Natural History Museum which houses preserved specimens of flora and fauna, and contains a particularly extensive collection of the butterflies, found in the Western and Annapurna Conservation Area region of Nepal; and Gurkha Museum featuring the history of the Gurkha soldiers.

Hotels
There are around 375 tourist standard hotels, and many more are in the pipeline.

Cable cars
Annapurna Cable Car takes tourists from Lakeside to Sarangkot and back. Another one being built will connect Phewa Lake with World Peace Stupa.

Military
The Pokhara region has a very strong military tradition with a significant number of its men being employed by the Nepali army. The Western Division HQ of the Nepalese Army is stationed at Bijayapur, Pokhara and its Area of Responsibility (AOR) consists of the entire Western Development Region of Nepal. The AOR of this division is 29,398 km2 and a total of 16 districts are under the division. The population of the AOR of Western Division is 4,571,013. Both the British Army and the Indian Army have regional recruitment and pensioners facilitation camps in Pokhara. The British Gurkha Camp is located at Deep Heights in the northeast of the Pokhara city and the Indian Gorkha Pension Camp is on the south-western side of the city, Rambazar.

Electricity and water supply
Electricity in Pokhara is regulated and distributed by the NEA Nepal Electricity Authority. Water supply and sanitation facilities are provided by the Nepal Water Supply Corporation ( NWSC ).

Education
Pokhara has more than eight hundred private and public high educational institutions. There are several institutions of higher learning up to the doctorate level in social sciences, business, and science and technology.

Public transit
Pokhara has extensive privately operated public transportation system running throughout the city, adjoining townships and nearby villages. Pokhara Mahanagar Bus Bebasaya Samiti (green, brown and blue buses), Mama Bhanja Transport (blue buses), Bindabashini Samiti(blue buses), Phewa Bus Bebasaya Samiti(mini micros) and Lekhnath Bus Bebasaya Samiti (green and white buses) are the private companies that provide public bus transportation facility in and around Pokhara Valley. The public transport mainly consists of local and city buses, micros, micro-buses and metered-taxis.

Intercity connections
Pokhara is well connected to the rest of the country through permanent road and air links. The main mode of transportation are Cars, Motorbikes, Public Buses, Taxis and the Purano Bus Park is the main hub for buses plying countrywide. The all-season Pokhara Airport with regular flights to Kathmandu and Mustang are operated by various domestic and a few international airlines. A new Pokhara International Airport is also present in the southeast of the city which has begun facilitating intercity and international travels. Flight duration from Kathmandu to Pokhara is approximately 30 minutes.

Rivers and lakes

Pokhara valley is rich in water sources. The major bodies of water in and around Pokhara are:

Lakes

 * Phewa Lake, Begnas Lake, Rupa Lake, Dipang Lake, Khaste lake, Maidi Tal, Niureni Tal, Gude Tal, Kamal Pokhari Tal, Kashyap Tal (Thuli Pokhari)

Rivers

 * Seti Gandaki (Seti Khola), Kahun Khola, Bijaypur Khola, Furse Khola, Kali Khola, Yamdi Khola, Mardi River, Harpan Khola, Hadi Khola.

Sports and recreation
The sporting activities are mainly centered in the multipurpose stadium Pokhara Rangasala (or Annapurna Stadium) in Rambazar. The popular sports are football, cricket, volleyball, basketball, martial arts, etc. The Sahara Club is one of the most active organizations promoting football in the city and organizes a South Asian club-level annual tournament: the Aaha Gold Cup. Additionally, the Kaski District Football Association (KDFA) organizes Safal Pokhara Gold Cup, which is also a South Asian club-level tournament and ANFA organizes local Kaski district club-level Balram KC memorial football tournament. B-13, Sangam & LG are the powerhouse Football club in Pokhara. There are several tennis courts. Himalayan Golf Course has attracted international press for its unique design. At 1100 meters, on the way, near Sarangkot hill, high mountain sports activity, paragliding is a good attraction for tourists as well as domestic tourists for adventure activities Nearby Sarangkot hill has developed as a good attraction for adventure activities such as paragliding and skydiving. The Pokhara city marathon, high altitude marathon are some activities attracting mass participation. Adventure sports such as base jumping, paragliding, canyoning, rock climbing, bungee jumping, etc. are targeted towards tourists. Pokhara Rhinos represents the city in Everest Premier League.

Music
The universal instruments used in Nepalese music include the madal (small leather drum), bansuri (bamboo flute), and saarangi. These instruments are prominent features of the traditional folk music (lok gít or lok geet) in Pokhara, which is actually the western (Gandaki, Dhaulagiri and Lumbini) branch of Nepali lok geet. Some examples of music of this region are Resham Firiri (रेशम फिरिरी) and Khyalee Tune (ख्याली धुन).

The lok geet started airing in Radio Nepal during the 1950s and artists such as Jhalakman Gandharva, Dharma Raj Thapa are considered pioneers in bringing the lok git into mass media. During early and late 1990s, bands from Pokhara like Nepathya started their very successful fusion of western rock and pop with traditional folk music. Since then several other musical groups in Nepal have adopted the lok-pop/rock style producing dozens of albums every year.

Another important part of cultural music of western Nepal, and hence Pokhara, is the Panché Baaja (पञ्चे बाजा), a traditional musical band performed generally during marriage ceremonies by the damaai musicians.

The musical culture in Pokhara is quite dynamic and in recent years, Western rock and roll, pop, rap and hip-hop are becoming increasingly popular with frequently held musical concerts; however, the traditional lok and modern (semi-classical) Nepali music are predominantly favored by the general population. More musical concerts are held in Pokhara than in any other city in the country.

Media and communications
Media and communication were quite limited until the 1990s. However, in the following decade there has been a proliferation of private media in print, radio and television. There are 19 privately owned local FM stations in the Pokhara valley. An additional 4 FM stations from Kathmandu have their relay broadcast stations in Pokhara. There are six community radio stations and five television stations.

Approximately 14 national daily newspapers in Nepali are published in the city,  along with several other weekly and monthly news magazines. All major national newspapers published in Kathmandu have distributions in Pokhara. A number of online news portals are also updated from Pokhara, as well as some entertainment-based websites. Popular technology based web-magazine TechSansar also started in Pokhara.

Pokhara has got 4G network of Nepal Telecom, Smart Cell and Ncell. The majority of the people in the city access internet through mobiles, numerous cyber cafes, and local wireless ISPs. Most tourist restaurants and hotels also provide WiFi services. Wi-Fi hotspots by Nepal Telecom using Wi-MAX technology were launched in Feb. 2014, and are accessible in most parts of the city for a fee. Subscriber based internet is provided by several private ISP providers.

Notable people from Pokhara
People who live or have lived in Pokhara City are known as Pokhareli. In demographic terms, the Gurung people are the dominant ethnic group, hailing from the hills around Pokhara such as Sikles, Armala, Ghalel gaun, Ghandruk, Lumle etc., with Brahmin from Syangja, Newar and Magar making up the rest of Pokhara's population. Pokhara also has the highest number of Gurkha soldiers, the majority of them belonging to Gurung and Magar ethnic groups, who were categorized as martial race by the British Army.

title: Pokhara


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Shane Leslie

Sir John Randolph Leslie, 3rd Baronet (24 September 1885 – 14 August 1971), commonly known as Sir Shane Leslie, was an Anglo-Irish diplomat and writer. He was a first cousin of Sir Winston Churchill. In 1908, Leslie became a Roman Catholic and supported Irish Home Rule.

Childhood and education
Leslie was born in Glaslough, County Monaghan, into a wealthy Anglo-Irish landowning family (49,968 acres). His father was Sir John Leslie, 2nd Baronet, and his mother, Leonie Jerome, was the sister of Winston Churchill's mother, Jennie. Both were daughters of Leonard W. Jerome. His ancestor, the Right Reverend John Leslie, Bishop of the Isles, moved from Scotland to Ireland in 1633 when he was made Bishop of Raphoe in County Donegal and was made Bishop of Clogher in 1661. Bishop Leslie was a vocal opponent of Oliver Cromwell.

Together with his brother Norman, Leslie's early education began at home where a German governess, Clara Woelke, was their first teacher. As children the brothers had more contact with servants than they had with their parents. Leslie's own daughter, Anita, said that "In my parents' view schools performed the same functions that kennels did for dogs. They were places where pets could be conveniently deposited while their owners travelled."

Leslie was educated at Ludgrove School, then Eton College and King's College, Cambridge. While at Cambridge University he became a Roman Catholic and a supporter of Irish Home Rule. He adopted an anglicised Irish variant of his name ("Shane"). Not overly impressed by Eton, as a lower boy he and his roommates occupied "an old battered warren betwixt the chapel cemetery and Wise's horse yard ... [T]he food was wretched and tasteless ... As for thrashings which tyrannised rather than disciplined our house, they were excessive. Bullying was endemic and Irish boys were ridiculed, especially on St Patrick's Day."

Leslie refused to send his own sons to Eton. They were educated at Roman Catholic Benedictine schools: Jack at Downside School and Desmond at Ampleforth College.

Adult life
In the January 1910 general election Leslie stood as the Irish Parliamentary Party candidate for the Londonderry City division, losing by just 57 votes. In the second general election later that year he was again narrowly defeated by the Unionist candidate.

Before World War I, Leslie travelled extensively and in 1912 he married Marjorie Ide, the youngest daughter of Henry Clay Ide, then United States ambassador to Spain and former Governor-General of the Philippines. His parents and other family members moved temporarily to London at the outbreak of war.

During the war he was in a British Ambulance Corps, until invalided out; he was then sent to Washington, D.C. to help the British Ambassador, Sir Cecil Spring Rice, soften Irish-American hostility towards England and obtain American intervention in the war in the aftermath of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin and the execution of its leaders. But he also looked to Ireland for inspiration when writing and edited a literary magazine that contained much Irish verse. He became a supporter of the ideals of Irish nationalism, although not physical force republicanism.

In the 1918 election the Irish Parliamentary Party lost massively to Sinn Féin, putting an end to Shane Leslie's political career, but as the first cousin of Winston Churchill he remained a primary witness to much that was said and done outside the official record during the negotiation of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. Disappointed, he felt unwanted in Ireland and abandoned by the British. Like many members of the landed gentry from the 1880s who were obliged to turn to other occupations, he could no longer rely on income from landholdings.

He wrote extensively, in a wide range of styles, in verse, prose, and polemic, over several decades. His writings include The End of a Chapter (1916), while hospitalised during the Great War, The Oppidan (1922), a roman à clef about his life and contemporaries at Eton, an edition of the Letters of Herbert Cardinal Vaughan to Lady Herbert of Lea (1942), and a biography Mrs Fitzherbert: a life chiefly from unpublished sources (1939), together with an edition of her letters (with Maria Anne Fitzherbert), The letters of Mrs Fitzherbert and connected papers; being the second volume of the life of Mrs. Fitzherbert (1944). He also wrote Mark Sykes: His Life and Letters (1923), a biography of the English traveller, Conservative Party politician and diplomatic advisor. He advised budding novelist Scott Fitzgerald on the title of his 1st novel, they shared correspondence with the future Mnsg William A Hemmick who was Fitzgerald's teacher at the now shut Newman School.

A passionate advocate of reforestation, he found the business of running an estate uncreative and boring, and transferred the estate entailed to him to his eldest son, John Norman Leslie, who succeeded as the 4th Baronet. He transferred St Patrick's Purgatory on Lough Derg to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Clogher, Eugene O'Callaghan.

The wealth of the Leslies had waned by the 1930s following the Wall Street crash of 1929 and a farm that was loss making. In his unpublished memoirs, he wrote "a gentleman's standing in his world was signalled by his list of clubs and it was worth paying hundreds of pounds in subs". They continued to maintain their lifestyle, involving attendance at the London season and the entertainment of distinguished visitors, including Anthony Eden at Glaslough. At the outbreak of World War II in 1939 he joined the Home Guard. He spent the remainder of his life between Glaslough and London.

Family
He was the elder son of Sir John Leslie, 2nd Baronet, and Leonie Blanche Jerome. He married, firstly, Marjorie Ide, daughter of General Henry Clay Ide, on 11 June 1912 and had two sons and one daughter:

 * Anita Theodosia Moira Rodzianko King (21 November 1914 – 5 November 1985), novelist and biographer; was married (secondly) to Commander Bill King, World War II submarine commander and yachtsman; had two children; friend of Hazel Lavery who was reputedly a paramour of Michael Collins.
 * Sir John Norman Ide Leslie, 4th Baronet (6 December 1916 – 18 April 2016), popularly known as Sir Jack Leslie, never married or sired children.
 * Desmond Arthur Peter Leslie (29 June 1921 – 21 February 2001).

His first wife Marjorie died on 8 February 1951. On 30 May 1958 at the Catholic Church of St Peter & Edward, Westminster, Sir Shane Leslie (72) married Mrs Iris Carola Frazer (55), who was the daughter of Charles Miskin Laing and Etheldreda Janet Laing.

He died at 15b Palmeira Court, Hove, Sussex on 14 April 1971, aged 85 and a requiem mass was held for him in Westminster Cathedral on 12 October 1971.

title: Shane Leslie


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Ashampstead

Ashampstead is a small village and civil parish in the rural area between Reading, Newbury and Streatley in Berkshire, England. The parish population is about 400, occupying some 150 dwellings.

History
The village was called Esshamstede in the 13th and 14th centuries. The Church of England parish church of Saint Clement dates from the 12th century. It has 13th century frescoes and a 15th-century wooden bell turret. It is believed the frescoes may have been painted by monks from the nearby Reading Abbey. The only remaining bell dates from 1662.

Notable People

 * The composer Henry Balfour Gardiner bought Field House, Ashampstead Green in 1909, moved in after alterations in 1911, and stayed until 1930. Many musicians, including Bax, Delius, Percy Grainger, Holst and Peter Warlock visited him there. The orchestral piece A Berkshire Idyll was completed there on 28 July, 1913.

title: Ashampstead


text: User talk:65.17.22.82

title: User talk:65.17.22.82


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Beacon Hill Battery

Beacon Hill Battery (also known as Beacon Hill Fort) is a late-19th and 20th century coastal fortification that was built to defend the port of Harwich, Essex. It is a scheduled ancient monument.

Prior military use of the site
Beacon Hill is a promontory on the Harwich peninsula, about one kilometre south of the town. It overlooks the estuaries of the Stour and Orwell rivers on the approach to the harbour, which has been an important civil and naval port since the Middle Ages.

Tudor blockhouse: House-upon-the-Hill
The first fortification built on the site was one of three blockhouses, constructed at Harwich during the reign of Henry VIII, following his visit to the town in 1543. These were Device Forts, built at Tower House, Middle House and the House-upon-the-Hill. They were abandoned within ten years, only to be briefly revived in 1588, owing to the threat posed by the Spanish Armada. By 1625 the site had again fallen into disrepair and Harwich was considered to be defenceless. The site of the actual blockhouse was destroyed by erosion.

Napoleonic Wars
A nearby site was chosen for Harwich Barracks. These were built in 1803. The original occupants were the West Essex Regiment and the Royal Buckinghamshire Militia. On the promontory itself, an earthen artillery battery of five 24-pounder guns was constructed in 1812, intended to supplement the larger Harwich Redoubt, which had been completed 200 yards to the north in 1810 and was armed with ten 24-pounders. By 1822, the battery had been lost to erosion, and a replacement planned in 1839 was not built.

Beacon Hill Battery
In 1887, renewed fear of a French invasion prompted the Secretary of State for War, Edward Stanhope, to chair a committee on the "Fortifications and Armaments of Military and Mercantile Ports". One of the results of the committee's report was the ordering of a new artillery battery at Beacon Hill in September 1888; work had been completed by May 1892. The battery was built to an innovative design; an artificial mound in the centre of the promontory served to conceal the underground magazines, shelters and ancillary buildings, while creating a natural-looking profile against which, the lighter weapons at the foot of the mound would be difficult to see. The rear of the work was protected by a defensive perimeter built to a new design called the Twydall Profile, consisting of an earthen rampart, fronted by a glacis sloping down to a shallow ditch that concealed a steel palisade fence.

The battery was powerfully armed with a single BL 10-inch gun and a single BL 6-inch gun on a hydro-pneumatic disappearing mountings, together with two QF 4.7-inch guns. In 1894, a former practice battery sited near the tip of the headland and dating from 1871 was rebuilt to mount four RML 64-pounder guns on traversing carriages for close defence. Two QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns were added in 1898.

By the turn of the 20th century, concern had shifted from France to Germany, and the battery's armament was the subject of several upgrades. In 1898, a depression range finder and telephone system were installed. In 1901, a further BL 6-inch gun was added to the north of the battery. In 1903, the original guns were replaced with three of the latest BL 6-inch Mk VII guns, but retaining the two old 4.7-inch guns. During the First World War, Harwich was an important destroyer base; improvements to the battery included two QF 1-pounder pom-pom anti-aircraft guns. The fort remained operational in the inter-war period, although the 4.7-inch guns were finally retired. Plans to modernise the battery had not been started before the outbreak of the Second World War. In 1940, a new emplacement, known as "Cornwallis Battery" was constructed for two rapid-firing QF 6-pounder 10 cwt guns on a twin-barrelled mounting, intended to counter fast attack craft, which also included a new magazine, shelters and a prominent three-storey battery observation post (BOP). The 6-inch guns were partially enclosed by concrete casemates to protect the crews from air attack. In April 1941, a hexagonal tower was built 100 yards north of Beacon Hill. This housed a Type 287 Radio Direction Finding (RDF) array, used to monitor the observation mine field installed across the harbour entrance. It remained in use until December 1943. The tower still retains its original array with replacement 'pig trough' reflectors. Ground defences were improved by the addition of pillboxes, trenches and searchlight emplacements. Overlooking the breakwater, a concrete blockhouse housed an Extended Defence Officer (EXDO) post, from where naval officers could electrically detonate sea mines in the estuary.

Decommissioning and subsequent restoration
The fort was finally decommissioned in 1956 on the dissolution of coast artillery in the United Kingdom.

In early 2018, part of Beacon Hill Battery was bought by Paul Valentine and Barry Sharp as part of a restoration project.

title: Beacon Hill Battery