Sharing by M.L. during Explore on 25 Jan 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Trip to Birmingham
25 Jan 2011
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. It is the most populous British city outside London, with a population of 1,028,701 (2009 estimate), and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the United Kingdom's second most populous urban area with a population of 2,284,093 (2001 census). Birmingham's metropolitan area, which includes surrounding towns to which it is closely tied through commuting, is also the United Kingdom's second most populous with a population of 3,683,000. Birmingham was a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution in England, a fact which led to it being known as "the workshop of the world" or the "city of a thousand trades". Although Birmingham's industrial importance has declined, it has developed into a national commercial centre, being named in 2010 as the third-best place in the United Kingdom to locate a business. Birmingham is a national hub for conferences, retail and events along with an established high tech, research and development sector, supported by its three Universities. It is also the fourth-most visited city by foreign visitors in the UK, has the second-largest city economy in the UK. Birmingham is ranked as a gamma- world city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. It is commonly believed that the name 'Birmingham' comes from "Beorma inga ham", meaning farmstead of the sons (or descendants) of Beorma.
Birmingham Town Hal
Birmingham Town Hall is a Grade I listed concert and meeting venue in Victoria Square, Birmingham 1, England. It was created as a home for the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival established in 1784, the purpose of which was to raise funds for the General Hospital, after St Philip's Church (later to become a Cathedral) became too small to hold the festival, and for public meetings. Between 2002 and 2008, it was refurbished into a concert hall and is now used for performances as diverse as organ recitals, rock, pop and classical concerts and events such as graduation ceremonies for Aston University.
Birmingham Council House
Birmingham City Council House in Birmingham, England is the home of Birmingham City Council. It provides office accommodation for both employed council officers, including the Chief Executive, and elected council members, plus the council chamber, Lord Mayor's Suite, committee rooms and a large and ornate banqueting suite, complete with minstrels' gallery. The first-floor's exterior balcony is used by visiting dignitaries and victorious sports teams, to address crowds assembled below. It is located in Victoria Square in the city centre and is a Grade II* listed building. (Birmingham Town Hall is a separate building, built and used as a concert venue, and is of greater architectural significance, being listed Grade I.) The Council House has its own postcode, B1 1BB.
Birmingham Central Library
Big Brum
Big Brum is the local name for the clock tower on the Council House, Birmingham, England. The clock tower is sufficiently important in the public consciousness of Birmingham people that it has a name. Brum is the local term for the town, the people and the dialect. The name refers to the clock and tower, not only the bell. The bell rings with Westminster Chimes similar to Big Ben in London.
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BM&AG) (grid reference SP066869) is an art gallery in Birmingham, England. Entrance to the Museum and Art Gallery is free, but some major exhibitions in the Gas Hall incur an entrance fee. It has a collection of international importance covering fine art, ceramics, metalwork, jewellery, archaeology, ethnography, local history and industrial history.
Ikon Gallery
The Ikon Gallery (grid reference SP060866) is an English gallery of contemporary art, located in Brindleyplace, Birmingham. It is housed in the Grade II listed, neo-gothic former Oozells Street Board School, designed by John Henry Chamberlain in 1877. The gallery's current director is Jonathan Watkins. Ikon was set-up to encourage the public to engage in contemporary art. As a result of this, the gallery runs an off-site 'Education and Interpretation' scheme that educates audiences, promotes artists and their art. The gallery is open every day of the week except Mondays, though it opens on bank holiday Mondays.
Symphony Hall
Symphony Hall is a 2,262 seat concert venue located inside the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham, England. It was officially opened by the Queen in June 1991, although had been opened on April 15, 1991. It is home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and hosts around 270 events a year. It was completed at a cost of £30 million. The hall's interior is modelled upon the Musikverein in Vienna and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In addition to concerts, the venue is also used for community events, graduation ceremonies and conferences. Symphony Hall's acoustic, widely considered one of the finest in the world, was designed by Percy Thomas Partnership and Renton Howard Wood Levin, (who together formed the Convention Centre Partnership for the ICC) with specialist help from Russell Johnson of Artec Consultants Inc.. A particularly innovative feature is the hall's acoustic flexibility. It has a reverberation chamber behind the orchestra and extending high along the sides, adding 50% to the hall's volume, the doors to which can be remotely opened or closed. The U-shaped reverberation chamber area has a volume of 12,700 cubic metres (450,000 cu ft). There is an acoustic canopy which can be raised or lowered above the orchestra. Dampening panels can be extended or retracted to ensure that the 'sound' of the space is perfectly matched to the scale and style of the music to be performed. There are also reverse fan walls at the rear of the hall which provide further reflections of sound. All the walls and the ceiling are 200 millimetres (8 in) thick and are made of concrete.
Bullring
Bullring is a major commercial area of Birmingham, England. It has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages, when its market was first held. It has been developed into a shopping centre twice; first in the 1960s, and then in 2003.The site is located on the edge of the sandstone city ridge which results in the steep gradient towards Digbeth. The slope drops approximately 15 metres (49 ft) from New Street to St Martin's Church. The current shopping centre was the busiest in the United Kingdom in 2004 with 36.5 million visitors. It houses one of only four Selfridges department stores, the fourth largest Debenhams and the first Forever 21 store in Europe. Consequently, the centre has been a huge success, attracting custom from all over the world, including New York.
St. Philip's Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Saint Philip is the Church of England cathedral and the seat of the Bishop of Birmingham. Built as a parish church and consecrated in 1715, St Philip's became the cathedral of the newly-formed Diocese of Birmingham in the West Midlands in 1905. St Philip's was built in the early 18th century in the Baroque style by Thomas Archer and is located on Colmore Row, Birmingham, England. The cathedral is a Grade I listed building. St Philip's is the third smallest cathedral in England after Derby and Chelmsford.
St Martin in the Bull Ring
It is the original parish church of Birmingham. It stands between the Bull Ring shopping centre and the markets. The church is a Grade II* listed building. The current Rector is the Revd. Canon Stewart W. Jones.
Source: Wikipedia
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. It is the most populous British city outside London, with a population of 1,028,701 (2009 estimate), and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the United Kingdom's second most populous urban area with a population of 2,284,093 (2001 census). Birmingham's metropolitan area, which includes surrounding towns to which it is closely tied through commuting, is also the United Kingdom's second most populous with a population of 3,683,000. Birmingham was a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution in England, a fact which led to it being known as "the workshop of the world" or the "city of a thousand trades". Although Birmingham's industrial importance has declined, it has developed into a national commercial centre, being named in 2010 as the third-best place in the United Kingdom to locate a business. Birmingham is a national hub for conferences, retail and events along with an established high tech, research and development sector, supported by its three Universities. It is also the fourth-most visited city by foreign visitors in the UK, has the second-largest city economy in the UK. Birmingham is ranked as a gamma- world city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. It is commonly believed that the name 'Birmingham' comes from "Beorma inga ham", meaning farmstead of the sons (or descendants) of Beorma.
Birmingham Town Hal
Birmingham Town Hall is a Grade I listed concert and meeting venue in Victoria Square, Birmingham 1, England. It was created as a home for the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival established in 1784, the purpose of which was to raise funds for the General Hospital, after St Philip's Church (later to become a Cathedral) became too small to hold the festival, and for public meetings. Between 2002 and 2008, it was refurbished into a concert hall and is now used for performances as diverse as organ recitals, rock, pop and classical concerts and events such as graduation ceremonies for Aston University.Birmingham Council House
Birmingham City Council House in Birmingham, England is the home of Birmingham City Council. It provides office accommodation for both employed council officers, including the Chief Executive, and elected council members, plus the council chamber, Lord Mayor's Suite, committee rooms and a large and ornate banqueting suite, complete with minstrels' gallery. The first-floor's exterior balcony is used by visiting dignitaries and victorious sports teams, to address crowds assembled below. It is located in Victoria Square in the city centre and is a Grade II* listed building. (Birmingham Town Hall is a separate building, built and used as a concert venue, and is of greater architectural significance, being listed Grade I.) The Council House has its own postcode, B1 1BB.Birmingham Central Library
Big Brum
Big Brum is the local name for the clock tower on the Council House, Birmingham, England. The clock tower is sufficiently important in the public consciousness of Birmingham people that it has a name. Brum is the local term for the town, the people and the dialect. The name refers to the clock and tower, not only the bell. The bell rings with Westminster Chimes similar to Big Ben in London.Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BM&AG) (grid reference SP066869) is an art gallery in Birmingham, England. Entrance to the Museum and Art Gallery is free, but some major exhibitions in the Gas Hall incur an entrance fee. It has a collection of international importance covering fine art, ceramics, metalwork, jewellery, archaeology, ethnography, local history and industrial history.Ikon Gallery
The Ikon Gallery (grid reference SP060866) is an English gallery of contemporary art, located in Brindleyplace, Birmingham. It is housed in the Grade II listed, neo-gothic former Oozells Street Board School, designed by John Henry Chamberlain in 1877. The gallery's current director is Jonathan Watkins. Ikon was set-up to encourage the public to engage in contemporary art. As a result of this, the gallery runs an off-site 'Education and Interpretation' scheme that educates audiences, promotes artists and their art. The gallery is open every day of the week except Mondays, though it opens on bank holiday Mondays.Symphony Hall
Symphony Hall is a 2,262 seat concert venue located inside the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham, England. It was officially opened by the Queen in June 1991, although had been opened on April 15, 1991. It is home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and hosts around 270 events a year. It was completed at a cost of £30 million. The hall's interior is modelled upon the Musikverein in Vienna and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In addition to concerts, the venue is also used for community events, graduation ceremonies and conferences. Symphony Hall's acoustic, widely considered one of the finest in the world, was designed by Percy Thomas Partnership and Renton Howard Wood Levin, (who together formed the Convention Centre Partnership for the ICC) with specialist help from Russell Johnson of Artec Consultants Inc.. A particularly innovative feature is the hall's acoustic flexibility. It has a reverberation chamber behind the orchestra and extending high along the sides, adding 50% to the hall's volume, the doors to which can be remotely opened or closed. The U-shaped reverberation chamber area has a volume of 12,700 cubic metres (450,000 cu ft). There is an acoustic canopy which can be raised or lowered above the orchestra. Dampening panels can be extended or retracted to ensure that the 'sound' of the space is perfectly matched to the scale and style of the music to be performed. There are also reverse fan walls at the rear of the hall which provide further reflections of sound. All the walls and the ceiling are 200 millimetres (8 in) thick and are made of concrete.
Bullring
Bullring is a major commercial area of Birmingham, England. It has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages, when its market was first held. It has been developed into a shopping centre twice; first in the 1960s, and then in 2003.The site is located on the edge of the sandstone city ridge which results in the steep gradient towards Digbeth. The slope drops approximately 15 metres (49 ft) from New Street to St Martin's Church. The current shopping centre was the busiest in the United Kingdom in 2004 with 36.5 million visitors. It houses one of only four Selfridges department stores, the fourth largest Debenhams and the first Forever 21 store in Europe. Consequently, the centre has been a huge success, attracting custom from all over the world, including New York.St. Philip's Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Saint Philip is the Church of England cathedral and the seat of the Bishop of Birmingham. Built as a parish church and consecrated in 1715, St Philip's became the cathedral of the newly-formed Diocese of Birmingham in the West Midlands in 1905. St Philip's was built in the early 18th century in the Baroque style by Thomas Archer and is located on Colmore Row, Birmingham, England. The cathedral is a Grade I listed building. St Philip's is the third smallest cathedral in England after Derby and Chelmsford.St Martin in the Bull Ring
It is the original parish church of Birmingham. It stands between the Bull Ring shopping centre and the markets. The church is a Grade II* listed building. The current Rector is the Revd. Canon Stewart W. Jones.Source: Wikipedia
Trip to Newcastle-under-Lyme
23-25 Jan 2011
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme, is a market town in Staffordshire, England, and is the principal town of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is part of The Potteries Urban Area and North Staffordshire. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 73,944. It is not to be confused with the larger city of Newcastle upon Tyne. The Newcastle part of the name derives from being the location of a 'new' castle, built in the 12th century. The "Lyme" section could refer to the Lyme Brook or the extensive lime forests that covered the area in mediæval period.
Holy Trinity Church
Holy Trinity church is a Catholic church whose style is Gothic in blue engineering bricks, described as... "the finest modern specimen of ornamental brickwork in the kingdom" at the time.
St Giles’ Church
The town itself has a large number of Anglican churches including St. Giles' Church, the mediæval parish church dating from 1290.
The Guildhall
Congregational Church
Source: Wikipedia
Newcastle-under-Lyme, is a market town in Staffordshire, England, and is the principal town of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is part of The Potteries Urban Area and North Staffordshire. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 73,944. It is not to be confused with the larger city of Newcastle upon Tyne. The Newcastle part of the name derives from being the location of a 'new' castle, built in the 12th century. The "Lyme" section could refer to the Lyme Brook or the extensive lime forests that covered the area in mediæval period.
Holy Trinity Church
Holy Trinity church is a Catholic church whose style is Gothic in blue engineering bricks, described as... "the finest modern specimen of ornamental brickwork in the kingdom" at the time.St Giles’ Church
The town itself has a large number of Anglican churches including St. Giles' Church, the mediæval parish church dating from 1290.
The Guildhall
Congregational Church
Source: Wikipedia
Trip to Keele
23-25 Jan 2011
Keele
Its name came from Anglo-Saxon Cȳ-hyll = "Cow-hill".
Keele University
Keele University is a campus university located near Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as an experimental college dedicated to a broad curriculum and interdisciplinary study, Keele is most notable for pioneering the dual honours degree in Britain. The University occupies a 617 acre (2.5 km²) rural campus close to the village of Keele and houses a Science Park and a conference centre, making it the largest single-site campus university in the UK. The University's School of Medicine and School of Nursing and Midwifery operate clinical courses from a separate campus at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire in Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent. The University estimates that there are now upwards of 5,600 full-time students at Keele; 1,300 part-time students; and around 4,000 participants on professional and short courses. The University is committed to further growth, with the stated objective of increasing its numbers to 10,000 full-time students.
St. John’s Church
Keele
Its name came from Anglo-Saxon Cȳ-hyll = "Cow-hill".
Keele University
Keele University is a campus university located near Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as an experimental college dedicated to a broad curriculum and interdisciplinary study, Keele is most notable for pioneering the dual honours degree in Britain. The University occupies a 617 acre (2.5 km²) rural campus close to the village of Keele and houses a Science Park and a conference centre, making it the largest single-site campus university in the UK. The University's School of Medicine and School of Nursing and Midwifery operate clinical courses from a separate campus at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire in Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent. The University estimates that there are now upwards of 5,600 full-time students at Keele; 1,300 part-time students; and around 4,000 participants on professional and short courses. The University is committed to further growth, with the stated objective of increasing its numbers to 10,000 full-time students.St. John’s Church
Source: Wikipedia
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Trip to Stoke-on-Trent
23-25 Jan 2011
Stoke-on-Trent
The conurbation continues to be polycentric, having been formed by the federation of six originally separate towns and numerous villages in the early-20th century. The settlement from which the federated town (not a city until 1925) took its name was Stoke-upon-Trent, because this was where the administration (and chief mainline railway station) was located. After the union, Hanley emerged as the primary commercial centre in the city, despite the efforts of its rival, Burslem. The three other component towns are Tunstall, Longton, and Fenton. Stoke-on-Trent is considered to be the home of the pottery industry in England and is commonly known as The Potteries. Formerly a primarily industrial conurbation, it is now a centre for service industries and distribution centres.
Places near my friend’s place
Stoke-on-Trent Train Station
Stoke-on-Trent Station is managed by Virgin Trains.
Staffordshire University
Staffordshire University is a university with its main campus based in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and with other campuses in Stafford and Lichfield.
Civic Centre
Stoke Minster Church
Stoke Minster is the town centre and civic church in Stoke-upon-Trent in England.The first church on the site was built in wood in 670. This was replaced by a stone building in 805 and this was further extended over the years. The remains of this old Anglo-Saxon and former collegiate church can still be seen in the churchyard although the prominent re-erected arches date from the 13th century when the chancel was rebuilt. Saxon evidence survives in the baptismal font rescued from use as a garden ornament and restored in 1932 for baptismal use in the church.
Stoke-on-Trent
The conurbation continues to be polycentric, having been formed by the federation of six originally separate towns and numerous villages in the early-20th century. The settlement from which the federated town (not a city until 1925) took its name was Stoke-upon-Trent, because this was where the administration (and chief mainline railway station) was located. After the union, Hanley emerged as the primary commercial centre in the city, despite the efforts of its rival, Burslem. The three other component towns are Tunstall, Longton, and Fenton. Stoke-on-Trent is considered to be the home of the pottery industry in England and is commonly known as The Potteries. Formerly a primarily industrial conurbation, it is now a centre for service industries and distribution centres.
Places near my friend’s place
Stoke-on-Trent Train Station
Stoke-on-Trent Station is managed by Virgin Trains.
Staffordshire University
Staffordshire University is a university with its main campus based in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and with other campuses in Stafford and Lichfield.Civic Centre
Stoke Minster Church
Stoke Minster is the town centre and civic church in Stoke-upon-Trent in England.The first church on the site was built in wood in 670. This was replaced by a stone building in 805 and this was further extended over the years. The remains of this old Anglo-Saxon and former collegiate church can still be seen in the churchyard although the prominent re-erected arches date from the 13th century when the chancel was rebuilt. Saxon evidence survives in the baptismal font rescued from use as a garden ornament and restored in 1932 for baptismal use in the church.
Markets
City Centre
The Potteries Shopping Centre
The Potteries Shopping Centre is an indoor shopping centre in Hanley, Stoke on Trent. It is the major indoor shopping centre in the city. The town of Hanley is generally regarded as the commercial city centre of Stoke-on-Trent.
Potteries Museum and Art Gallery
The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery houses collections that bring together the identities that went into forming the area known as the Potteries. Most notably, the Museum holds one of the finest and most extensive collections of Staffordshire ceramics. All the collections at this Museum are categorized as Designated Collections. Galleries display fine and decorative arts, costume, local history, archaeology and natural history collections. There is a second world war aircraft on permanent display, a Supermarine Spitfire designed by R. J. Mitchell who came from nearby Butt Lane.
The Regent Theatre 
Hanley town hall
Souce: Wikipedia
Saturday, January 22, 2011
History cannot be proven
Source: John Dickson (2006) The Christ Files: How historians know what they know about Jesus.
Page 14
‘Certainty’ cannot really be achieved in the study of history. Virtually nothing about the past can be proven in the mathematical sense. Historical evidence allows is to talk about probabilities rather than certainties. In many ways, it is like legal evidence. ‘Beyond reasonable doubt’ does not mean certain; it means that a particular conclusion is so well supported by the evidence that to doubt it, or to insist on an alternative explanation, is unreasonable. Many historical conclusions are of a similar nature. People will always be able to find alternative explanations of historical data but the question will always be asked by mainstream experts: are the alternatives reasonable?
Page 14
‘Certainty’ cannot really be achieved in the study of history. Virtually nothing about the past can be proven in the mathematical sense. Historical evidence allows is to talk about probabilities rather than certainties. In many ways, it is like legal evidence. ‘Beyond reasonable doubt’ does not mean certain; it means that a particular conclusion is so well supported by the evidence that to doubt it, or to insist on an alternative explanation, is unreasonable. Many historical conclusions are of a similar nature. People will always be able to find alternative explanations of historical data but the question will always be asked by mainstream experts: are the alternatives reasonable?
The Christ Files: How historians know what they know about Jesus
Source: John Dickson (2006) The Christ Files: How historians know what they know about Jesus.
Page 2-3
Christianity claims to be based on history / Christianity is based on claims that can be examined historically.
- The new testament revolves around a series of events said to have occurred in Palestine between 5 BC and AD 30. If you claim something spectacular took place in history, intelligent people are going to ask you historical questions.
Page 3
How historians know what they know about?
- How historians arrive at their conclusions: What sources do they use? What methods do they employ? What levels of reliability do they assign to the various data?
Page 9
In the field of academia, and especially in New Testament studies it seems, scholarship tends to fall into three broad camps, or three points along a continuum:
1) Sceptical scholarship – Experts here ply the scholarly craft of nay-saying and hyper-scepticism
2) Mainstream / Middle scholarship – Experts who just get on with the business of analysing the related materials in the way historians treat any other comparable historical sources.
3) Apologetic (defence) scholarship – Experts here are already convinced about the truths of Christianity and spend their time defending traditional belief from those who attack it.
Page 17-24
Greco-Roman references
- Examples: Thallos, Mara bar Serapion, Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, Suetonius, Lucian of Samosata, Celsus.
- The troublemaker: Overall with the exception of Mara bar Serapion, who paints Jesus as philosophical martyr, Greeks and Romans saw Jesus as a dissident and religious pretender.
Page 25-32
Jewish writings (did not believe he was the promised Messiah-Christ)
- Examples: Josephus, Talmud
- Deceiver and magician
Page 31-32
Putting some details about Jesus together: The Greco-Roman writings +The Jewish writings
• The name ‘Jesus’
• The place and time-frame of his public ministry
• The name of his mother (Mary)
• The ambiguous nature of his birth
• The name of one of his bothers (James)
• His fame as a teacher
• His fame as a miracle-worker/sorcerer
• The attribution to him of the title ‘Messiah/Christ’
• The ‘kingly’ status in the eyes of some
• The time and manner of his execution (crucifixion around the Passover festival)
• The involvement of both the Roman and Jewish leadership in his death
• The coincidence of an eclipse at the time of his crucifixion
• The report of Jesus’ appearances to his followers after his death
• The flourishing of a movement that worshipped Jesus after his death
Page 33-36
You cannot use Christian sources because they were all written by religious leaders.
1) The New Testament as a historical text
- The so-called ‘religious’ nature of Christian writings in no way diminishes their value as historical sources. Historians take the Christian agenda into account when they analyse the New Testament, just as they take the imperial bias into account when studying Tacitus or the Jewish bias when reading Josephus, but historians do not place the New Testament in special category. It is simplistic and unhistorical to say that Christian bias undermines the historical worth of the New Testament texts. In fact it is no exaggeration to say that historians universally regard the New Testament writings as the earliest, most plentiful and most reliable sources of information about Jesus of history.
2) The New Testament is a compilation of sources
- In historical research, the New Testament is analysed as a compilation of independent traditions with common convictions about the Jesus of Nazareth. Christians need to remember that, although our sacred documents were composed and circulated in the first century, they were not brought together into a single volume (the New Testament) until the forth century. The New Testament is a compilation of texts that were composed and circulated independently of each other in the first century. This is a historical significant.
Page 49-50
Multiple sources and Christian faith
- Luke 1:1-4 is an affirmation of Luke’s knowledge and use of earlier sources about Jesus. The sources are of two types:
1) Other written accounts
2) Traditions coming from ‘eyewitnesses’ and ‘servants of the world’. This source is what modern scholars call ‘oral tradition’, memorised reports.
The point is: modern scholars’ identification and analysis of Gospel sources (Mark, Q, L, M and SQ) are entirely consistent with what Luke himself affirms.
Page 52-56
Historians’ criteria
1) Criterion of multiple attestation
- when numerous ancient sources independently offer roughly the same portrait of an event or person that portrait takes on greater plausibility.
2) Criterion of coherence
- when an episode or teaching in the Gospels fits well with what we already confidently know about Jesus’ life, it is generally deemed high plausible.
3) Criterion of dissimilarity
-When a deed or saying of Jesus recorded in the Gospels cannot be said to have derived from the beliefs and practices of either Judaism or the early church, it is often deemed highly reliable. The logic is that such a saying or deed is unlikely to have been invented.
4) Criterion of archaic style
- Episodes or teachings in the Gospels, which display a strongly Aramaic style (even though written in Greek), are generally regarded as older, that is, they were composed closer to in time to Jesus himself.
5) Criterion of embarrassment
-Episodes in the Gospels that would probably have caused some embarrassment to the Christians who recorded the event are generally given great weight.
6) Criterion of memorability
- Sayings of Jesus recorded in the Gospels which are inherently memorable are more likely to have been passed in accurately by his disciples.
7) Criterion of date
- Sayings and episodes contained in earlier sources are frequently considered more reliable that those contained in the later sources.
Page 57-68
Why were the Gospels written so late?
- Actually it did not take long at all. In ancient terms, a gap of 40 years between an event and the first full written account is not considered lengthy, so long as the account is discernibly based on earlier sources.
- Before the invention of the printing press (15th century) and the explosion of literacy it ignited, human societies were principally aural societies. This means they learnt important material not by reading it but by hearing it. Keep in mind that only about 10-15 percent of people in the first century Mediterranean world could read.
- In the first century, written documents were accessible to only a tiny portion of the Greco-Roman world. If you wanted to communicate with the masses, you did not publish books but you broad oral tradition (verbal transmission and memorisation). As strange as it sounds to modern ears, oral tradition was the preferred means of preserving and passing on important information in the ancient world.
Page 68-70
Why were the Gospels written so soon?
- Written documents had one clear advantage over oral tradition: they could easily transmit information over long distances. The Gospels were written down so soon because Christianity spread so rapidly.
Page 71-90
Background sources for the study of Jesus / Indirect Sources
1) The Tanakh or Old Testament
- The Torah (Law), Nevi'im (Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings)—hence TaNaKh.
2) Dead Sea Scrolls
- Discovered in 1947
- Were written in Hebrew and Aramaic (and a few in Greek) sometime between 200 BC – AD 70.
3) Mishnah
- is a collection of sayings of over 150 Jewish rabbis from the period of 50 BC – AD 200.
4) Josephus
- The multi-volume history of the Jews written by Josephus toward the end of the first century (Jewish Antiquities).
5) Old Testament Pseudepigrapha
- Pseudepigrapha is a modern term referring to a range of Jewish writings not include in the Jewish Bible (Tanakh).
6) Greco-Roman writers
7) Archaeology
Page 2-3
Christianity claims to be based on history / Christianity is based on claims that can be examined historically.
- The new testament revolves around a series of events said to have occurred in Palestine between 5 BC and AD 30. If you claim something spectacular took place in history, intelligent people are going to ask you historical questions.
Page 3
How historians know what they know about?
- How historians arrive at their conclusions: What sources do they use? What methods do they employ? What levels of reliability do they assign to the various data?
Page 9
In the field of academia, and especially in New Testament studies it seems, scholarship tends to fall into three broad camps, or three points along a continuum:
1) Sceptical scholarship – Experts here ply the scholarly craft of nay-saying and hyper-scepticism
2) Mainstream / Middle scholarship – Experts who just get on with the business of analysing the related materials in the way historians treat any other comparable historical sources.
3) Apologetic (defence) scholarship – Experts here are already convinced about the truths of Christianity and spend their time defending traditional belief from those who attack it.
Page 17-24
Greco-Roman references
- Examples: Thallos, Mara bar Serapion, Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, Suetonius, Lucian of Samosata, Celsus.
- The troublemaker: Overall with the exception of Mara bar Serapion, who paints Jesus as philosophical martyr, Greeks and Romans saw Jesus as a dissident and religious pretender.
Page 25-32
Jewish writings (did not believe he was the promised Messiah-Christ)
- Examples: Josephus, Talmud
- Deceiver and magician
Page 31-32
Putting some details about Jesus together: The Greco-Roman writings +The Jewish writings
• The name ‘Jesus’
• The place and time-frame of his public ministry
• The name of his mother (Mary)
• The ambiguous nature of his birth
• The name of one of his bothers (James)
• His fame as a teacher
• His fame as a miracle-worker/sorcerer
• The attribution to him of the title ‘Messiah/Christ’
• The ‘kingly’ status in the eyes of some
• The time and manner of his execution (crucifixion around the Passover festival)
• The involvement of both the Roman and Jewish leadership in his death
• The coincidence of an eclipse at the time of his crucifixion
• The report of Jesus’ appearances to his followers after his death
• The flourishing of a movement that worshipped Jesus after his death
Page 33-36
You cannot use Christian sources because they were all written by religious leaders.
1) The New Testament as a historical text
- The so-called ‘religious’ nature of Christian writings in no way diminishes their value as historical sources. Historians take the Christian agenda into account when they analyse the New Testament, just as they take the imperial bias into account when studying Tacitus or the Jewish bias when reading Josephus, but historians do not place the New Testament in special category. It is simplistic and unhistorical to say that Christian bias undermines the historical worth of the New Testament texts. In fact it is no exaggeration to say that historians universally regard the New Testament writings as the earliest, most plentiful and most reliable sources of information about Jesus of history.
2) The New Testament is a compilation of sources
- In historical research, the New Testament is analysed as a compilation of independent traditions with common convictions about the Jesus of Nazareth. Christians need to remember that, although our sacred documents were composed and circulated in the first century, they were not brought together into a single volume (the New Testament) until the forth century. The New Testament is a compilation of texts that were composed and circulated independently of each other in the first century. This is a historical significant.
Page 49-50
Multiple sources and Christian faith
- Luke 1:1-4 is an affirmation of Luke’s knowledge and use of earlier sources about Jesus. The sources are of two types:
1) Other written accounts
2) Traditions coming from ‘eyewitnesses’ and ‘servants of the world’. This source is what modern scholars call ‘oral tradition’, memorised reports.
The point is: modern scholars’ identification and analysis of Gospel sources (Mark, Q, L, M and SQ) are entirely consistent with what Luke himself affirms.
Page 52-56
Historians’ criteria
1) Criterion of multiple attestation
- when numerous ancient sources independently offer roughly the same portrait of an event or person that portrait takes on greater plausibility.
2) Criterion of coherence
- when an episode or teaching in the Gospels fits well with what we already confidently know about Jesus’ life, it is generally deemed high plausible.
3) Criterion of dissimilarity
-When a deed or saying of Jesus recorded in the Gospels cannot be said to have derived from the beliefs and practices of either Judaism or the early church, it is often deemed highly reliable. The logic is that such a saying or deed is unlikely to have been invented.
4) Criterion of archaic style
- Episodes or teachings in the Gospels, which display a strongly Aramaic style (even though written in Greek), are generally regarded as older, that is, they were composed closer to in time to Jesus himself.
5) Criterion of embarrassment
-Episodes in the Gospels that would probably have caused some embarrassment to the Christians who recorded the event are generally given great weight.
6) Criterion of memorability
- Sayings of Jesus recorded in the Gospels which are inherently memorable are more likely to have been passed in accurately by his disciples.
7) Criterion of date
- Sayings and episodes contained in earlier sources are frequently considered more reliable that those contained in the later sources.
Page 57-68
Why were the Gospels written so late?
- Actually it did not take long at all. In ancient terms, a gap of 40 years between an event and the first full written account is not considered lengthy, so long as the account is discernibly based on earlier sources.
- Before the invention of the printing press (15th century) and the explosion of literacy it ignited, human societies were principally aural societies. This means they learnt important material not by reading it but by hearing it. Keep in mind that only about 10-15 percent of people in the first century Mediterranean world could read.
- In the first century, written documents were accessible to only a tiny portion of the Greco-Roman world. If you wanted to communicate with the masses, you did not publish books but you broad oral tradition (verbal transmission and memorisation). As strange as it sounds to modern ears, oral tradition was the preferred means of preserving and passing on important information in the ancient world.
Page 68-70
Why were the Gospels written so soon?
- Written documents had one clear advantage over oral tradition: they could easily transmit information over long distances. The Gospels were written down so soon because Christianity spread so rapidly.
Page 71-90
Background sources for the study of Jesus / Indirect Sources
1) The Tanakh or Old Testament
- The Torah (Law), Nevi'im (Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings)—hence TaNaKh.
2) Dead Sea Scrolls
- Discovered in 1947
- Were written in Hebrew and Aramaic (and a few in Greek) sometime between 200 BC – AD 70.
3) Mishnah
- is a collection of sayings of over 150 Jewish rabbis from the period of 50 BC – AD 200.
4) Josephus
- The multi-volume history of the Jews written by Josephus toward the end of the first century (Jewish Antiquities).
5) Old Testament Pseudepigrapha
- Pseudepigrapha is a modern term referring to a range of Jewish writings not include in the Jewish Bible (Tanakh).
6) Greco-Roman writers
7) Archaeology
Monday, January 17, 2011
Trip to Bath
10-13 January 2011
Roman Baths
The Roman Baths complex is a site of historical interest in the English city of Bath. The house is a well-preserved Roman site for public bathing. The Roman Baths themselves are below the modern street level. There are four main features: the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House and the Museum holding finds from Roman Bath. The buildings above street level date from the 19th century.
Victoria Art Gallery
The Victoria Art Gallery is free public art museum in Bath, Somerset, England. The building was designed in 1897 by John McKean Brydon, and has been designated as a Grade II listed building. The exterior of the building includes a statue of Queen Victoria, by A. C. Lucchesi, and friezes of classical figures by G. A. Lawson. The Gallery was named to celebrate Queen Victoria's sixty years on the throne.
Bath Abbey
The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Bath,[2] commonly known as Bath Abbey, is an Anglican parish church and a former Benedictine monastery in Bath, Somerset, England. Founded in the 7th century, reorganised in the 10th century and rebuilt in the 12th and 16th centuries, it is one of the largest examples of Perpendicular Gothic architecture in the West Country. The church is cruciform in plan, seating approximately 1,200 people. It is used for religious services, secular civic ceremonies, concerts and lectures.[3] The abbey is a grade I listed building[4] and is an active place of worship, with hundreds of congregation members and hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Royal Crescent
The Royal Crescent is a residential road of 30 houses, laid out in a crescent, in the city of Bath, England. Designed by the architect John Wood the Younger and built between 1767 and 1774, it is among the greatest examples of Georgian architecture to be found in the United Kingdom and is a grade I listed building.
The Circus
The Circus is an example of Georgian architecture in the city of Bath, Somerset, England, begun in 1754 and completed in 1768. The name comes from the Latin 'circus', which means a ring, oval or circle. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building. Divided into three segments of equal length, the Circus is a circular space surrounded by large townhouses. Each of the curved segments faces one of the three entrances, ensuring that whichever way a visitor enters there is a classical facade straight ahead.
Pulteney Bridge
Pulteney Bridge is a bridge that crosses the River Avon, in Bath, England. It was completed in 1773 and is designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building. The bridge was designed by Robert Adam, whose working drawings are preserved in the Sir John Soane's Museum, and is one of only four bridges in the world with shops across the full span on both sides. Shops on the bridge include a flower shop, antique map shop, and juice bar.
Royal Victoria Park
Royal Victoria Park is located in Bath, England. It was opened in 1830 by the 11 year old Princess Victoria, it was the first park to carry her name, and includes an obelisk dedicated to her. It was privately run as part of the Victorian public park movement until 1921 when it was taken over by the Bath Corporation. The park is overlooked by the Royal Crescent and consists of 57 acres (231,000 m²) with attractions that include a skateboard ramp, tennis, bowling a putting green and 12 and 18 hole golf course, a boating pond, open air concerts, a children's play area and a 9-acre (36,000 m²) botanical garden. It has received a "Green Flag award", the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales and is registered by English Heritage on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.
Jane Austen centre
The Jane Austen Centre at 40 Gay Street in Bath, Somerset, England, is a permanent exhibition which tells the story of Jane Austen's Bath experience – the effect that visiting and living in the city had on her and her writing. The author of Pride and Prejudice (1813).
Sally Lunn’s House
The oldest house in Bath.
Souce: Wikipedia
Roman Baths
The Roman Baths complex is a site of historical interest in the English city of Bath. The house is a well-preserved Roman site for public bathing. The Roman Baths themselves are below the modern street level. There are four main features: the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House and the Museum holding finds from Roman Bath. The buildings above street level date from the 19th century.
Victoria Art Gallery
The Victoria Art Gallery is free public art museum in Bath, Somerset, England. The building was designed in 1897 by John McKean Brydon, and has been designated as a Grade II listed building. The exterior of the building includes a statue of Queen Victoria, by A. C. Lucchesi, and friezes of classical figures by G. A. Lawson. The Gallery was named to celebrate Queen Victoria's sixty years on the throne.
Bath Abbey
The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Bath,[2] commonly known as Bath Abbey, is an Anglican parish church and a former Benedictine monastery in Bath, Somerset, England. Founded in the 7th century, reorganised in the 10th century and rebuilt in the 12th and 16th centuries, it is one of the largest examples of Perpendicular Gothic architecture in the West Country. The church is cruciform in plan, seating approximately 1,200 people. It is used for religious services, secular civic ceremonies, concerts and lectures.[3] The abbey is a grade I listed building[4] and is an active place of worship, with hundreds of congregation members and hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Royal Crescent
The Royal Crescent is a residential road of 30 houses, laid out in a crescent, in the city of Bath, England. Designed by the architect John Wood the Younger and built between 1767 and 1774, it is among the greatest examples of Georgian architecture to be found in the United Kingdom and is a grade I listed building.
The Circus
The Circus is an example of Georgian architecture in the city of Bath, Somerset, England, begun in 1754 and completed in 1768. The name comes from the Latin 'circus', which means a ring, oval or circle. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building. Divided into three segments of equal length, the Circus is a circular space surrounded by large townhouses. Each of the curved segments faces one of the three entrances, ensuring that whichever way a visitor enters there is a classical facade straight ahead.
Pulteney Bridge
Pulteney Bridge is a bridge that crosses the River Avon, in Bath, England. It was completed in 1773 and is designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building. The bridge was designed by Robert Adam, whose working drawings are preserved in the Sir John Soane's Museum, and is one of only four bridges in the world with shops across the full span on both sides. Shops on the bridge include a flower shop, antique map shop, and juice bar.
Royal Victoria Park
Royal Victoria Park is located in Bath, England. It was opened in 1830 by the 11 year old Princess Victoria, it was the first park to carry her name, and includes an obelisk dedicated to her. It was privately run as part of the Victorian public park movement until 1921 when it was taken over by the Bath Corporation. The park is overlooked by the Royal Crescent and consists of 57 acres (231,000 m²) with attractions that include a skateboard ramp, tennis, bowling a putting green and 12 and 18 hole golf course, a boating pond, open air concerts, a children's play area and a 9-acre (36,000 m²) botanical garden. It has received a "Green Flag award", the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales and is registered by English Heritage on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.Jane Austen centre
The Jane Austen Centre at 40 Gay Street in Bath, Somerset, England, is a permanent exhibition which tells the story of Jane Austen's Bath experience – the effect that visiting and living in the city had on her and her writing. The author of Pride and Prejudice (1813).
Sally Lunn’s House
The oldest house in Bath.
Souce: Wikipedia
Trip to Bristol
10-13 January 2011
DAY 1
Temple Meads Station
Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It opened on 31 August 1840 as the western terminus of the Great Western Railway from London Paddington station.
St Mary Redcliffe Church
St Mary Redcliffe is an Anglican parish church located in the Redcliffe district of the English port city of Bristol, close to the city centre. Constructed from the 12th to the 15th centuries, the church is a Grade 1 listed building, St Mary Redcliffe is renowned for the beauty of its Gothic architecture, having been described by Queen Elizabeth I as "the fairest, goodliest, and most famous parish church in England.” The 292 ft (89 m) spire is the third tallest of England's parish churches,[citation needed] after the Roman Catholic Church of St. Walburge, Preston and the Anglican Church of St. James, Louth. It is the tallest building in Bristol.
Queen Square
Queen Square is a garden square in the centre of Bristol, England. It was originally a fashionable residential address, but now most of the buildings are in office use. The site on which the square was built lay outside Bristol's city walls and was known as the Town Marsh. The square was planned in 1699 and building finished in 1727. It was named in honour of Queen Anne. The north side and much of the west were destroyed in the Bristol Riots of 1831 and rebuilt. Many of the buildings now have listed building status.
Bristol Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity is the Church of England cathedral in the city of Bristol, England, and is commonly known as Bristol Cathedral. Founded in 1140, it became the seat of the bishop and cathedral of the new Diocese of Bristol in 1542.
Millennium Square
Amphitheatre
Bristol Bridge
Bristol Bridge is an old bridge over the floating harbour in Bristol, England. The original bridge was a medieval wooden structure that had both its sides lined with houses. A seventeenth century illustration shows that these were five stories high, including the attic rooms, and that they overhung the river much as Tudor houses would overhang the street. The bridge is now a grade II listed building.
Castle Park
The University of the West of England (UWE)
The University of the West of England (abbrev. UWE, often pronounced "you-we") is a university based in the English city of Bristol. Its main campus is at Frenchay, about five miles (8 km) north of the city centre. UWE also has a smaller campus at St Matthias, a School of Health and Social Care at Glenside in north-east Bristol and the School of Creative Arts, located at Bower Ashton, near Ashton Court in south-west Bristol.
DAY 2
Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery
The Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery is a large museum and art gallery in Bristol, England. It is run by the city council with no entrance fee. It holds designated museum status, granted by the national government to protect outstanding museums. It is situated in Clifton, about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) from the city centre. The museum includes sections on natural history, local, national and international archaeology, and local industry. The art gallery contains works from all periods, including many by internationally famous artists, as well a collection of modern paintings of Bristol. The building is of Edwardian Baroque architecture and has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II* listed building.
University of Bristol Wills Memorial Building
The Wills Memorial Building (also known as the Wills Memorial Tower or simply the Wills Tower) is a Neo Gothic building designed by Sir George Oatley and built as a memorial to Henry Overton Wills III. Begun in 1915, it is considered one of the last great Gothic buildings to be built in England. Situated near the top of Park Street on Queens Road in Bristol, United Kingdom, it is a landmark building of the University of Bristol which currently houses the School of Law and the Department of Earth Sciences, as well as the Law and Earth Sciences libraries. It is the third highest structure in Bristol, standing at 68 m (215 ft). It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II* listed building and serves as a regional European Documentation Centre.
Brandon Hill & Cabot Tower
Brandon Hill, also known as St Brandon's Hill, is a hill close to Bristol city centre, between the districts of Clifton and Hotwells, in south west England. At the summit is the Cabot Tower, opened in 1897 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the voyage by John Cabot from Bristol to Newfoundland in 1497. In 1832, the hill was the location of the Great Reform Dinner, which was famously gatecrashed.
Observatory & Camera Obscura
The Observatory (grid reference ST564733) is a former mill, now used as an observatory, located on Clifton Down, close to the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol, England. At 337 feet (92 metres) above the gorge, the cliff top is likely to have been used as a lookout post since at least the Iron Age.
Clifton Suspension Bridge
The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Avon Gorge, and linking Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in North Somerset, England. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, it is a landmark that is used as a symbol of Bristol. It is a grade I listed building. The idea of building a bridge across the Avon Gorge originated in 1753 originally for a stone bridge with later plans for a cast iron structure. An attempt to build Brunel's design in 1831 was stopped by the Bristol Riots, and the revised version of his designs was built after his death being completed in 1864. Although similar in size, the bridge towers are not identical in design, the Clifton tower having side cut-outs, the Leigh tower more pointed arches atop a 110 ft (33 m) red sandstone clad abutment. Roller mounted "saddles" at the top of each tower allow movement of the three independent wrought iron chains on each side when loads pass over the bridge. The bridge deck is suspended by eighty-one matching vertical wrought-iron rods.
Royal York Crescent
Royal York Crescent is a major residential street in Clifton, Bristol. It overlooks much of the docks, and much of the city can be seen from it. It also joins Clifton Village at one end. It is one of the most expensive streets in the city. A Grade II* listed terrace of 46 houses (most of which are divided into flats) is on the northeast side of the street for most of its length. Construction of the terrace, which was reputed to be the longest terrace in Europe, started in 1791 but it was not completed until 1820.
Corn Exchange and St Nicholas Market
The Exchange is a Grade I listed building built in 1741–43 by John Wood the Elder, on Corn Street, near the junction with Broad Street in Bristol, England. It was previously used as a corn and general trade exchange but is now used as offices and St Nicholas Market. The Exchange underwent major building work in 1872, including roofing over the courtyard, and again in the early 1900s when the City Valuer's Department moved to the building. Since World War II the external clock tower has been removed and the roof lowered. Outside the building are four brass tables dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, known as "nails", at which merchants carried out their business. At the front of the building is a clock showing both Greenwich Mean Time and "local time".
DAY 3
New Room - John Wesley’s Chapel
The New Room (grid reference ST592733) is a historic building in Broadmead, Bristol, England. It was built in 1739 by John Wesley and is the oldest Methodist chapel in the world. Above the chapel are the rooms in which Wesley and other preachers stayed. The chapel includes a double decker pulpit, which was common at the time, and an octagonal lantern window to reduce the amount paid in Window tax. In addition to meetings and worship the New Room was used a dispensary and schoolroom for the poor people of the area. The pews and benches were made from old ship timber.
Valentine Bridge
Souce: Wikipedia
DAY 1
Temple Meads Station
Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It opened on 31 August 1840 as the western terminus of the Great Western Railway from London Paddington station.St Mary Redcliffe Church
St Mary Redcliffe is an Anglican parish church located in the Redcliffe district of the English port city of Bristol, close to the city centre. Constructed from the 12th to the 15th centuries, the church is a Grade 1 listed building, St Mary Redcliffe is renowned for the beauty of its Gothic architecture, having been described by Queen Elizabeth I as "the fairest, goodliest, and most famous parish church in England.” The 292 ft (89 m) spire is the third tallest of England's parish churches,[citation needed] after the Roman Catholic Church of St. Walburge, Preston and the Anglican Church of St. James, Louth. It is the tallest building in Bristol.
Queen Square
Queen Square is a garden square in the centre of Bristol, England. It was originally a fashionable residential address, but now most of the buildings are in office use. The site on which the square was built lay outside Bristol's city walls and was known as the Town Marsh. The square was planned in 1699 and building finished in 1727. It was named in honour of Queen Anne. The north side and much of the west were destroyed in the Bristol Riots of 1831 and rebuilt. Many of the buildings now have listed building status.
Bristol Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity is the Church of England cathedral in the city of Bristol, England, and is commonly known as Bristol Cathedral. Founded in 1140, it became the seat of the bishop and cathedral of the new Diocese of Bristol in 1542.
Millennium Square
Amphitheatre
Bristol Bridge
Bristol Bridge is an old bridge over the floating harbour in Bristol, England. The original bridge was a medieval wooden structure that had both its sides lined with houses. A seventeenth century illustration shows that these were five stories high, including the attic rooms, and that they overhung the river much as Tudor houses would overhang the street. The bridge is now a grade II listed building.
Castle Park
The University of the West of England (UWE)
The University of the West of England (abbrev. UWE, often pronounced "you-we") is a university based in the English city of Bristol. Its main campus is at Frenchay, about five miles (8 km) north of the city centre. UWE also has a smaller campus at St Matthias, a School of Health and Social Care at Glenside in north-east Bristol and the School of Creative Arts, located at Bower Ashton, near Ashton Court in south-west Bristol.
DAY 2
Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery
The Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery is a large museum and art gallery in Bristol, England. It is run by the city council with no entrance fee. It holds designated museum status, granted by the national government to protect outstanding museums. It is situated in Clifton, about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) from the city centre. The museum includes sections on natural history, local, national and international archaeology, and local industry. The art gallery contains works from all periods, including many by internationally famous artists, as well a collection of modern paintings of Bristol. The building is of Edwardian Baroque architecture and has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II* listed building.
University of Bristol Wills Memorial Building
The Wills Memorial Building (also known as the Wills Memorial Tower or simply the Wills Tower) is a Neo Gothic building designed by Sir George Oatley and built as a memorial to Henry Overton Wills III. Begun in 1915, it is considered one of the last great Gothic buildings to be built in England. Situated near the top of Park Street on Queens Road in Bristol, United Kingdom, it is a landmark building of the University of Bristol which currently houses the School of Law and the Department of Earth Sciences, as well as the Law and Earth Sciences libraries. It is the third highest structure in Bristol, standing at 68 m (215 ft). It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II* listed building and serves as a regional European Documentation Centre.Brandon Hill & Cabot Tower
Brandon Hill, also known as St Brandon's Hill, is a hill close to Bristol city centre, between the districts of Clifton and Hotwells, in south west England. At the summit is the Cabot Tower, opened in 1897 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the voyage by John Cabot from Bristol to Newfoundland in 1497. In 1832, the hill was the location of the Great Reform Dinner, which was famously gatecrashed.Observatory & Camera Obscura
The Observatory (grid reference ST564733) is a former mill, now used as an observatory, located on Clifton Down, close to the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol, England. At 337 feet (92 metres) above the gorge, the cliff top is likely to have been used as a lookout post since at least the Iron Age.
Clifton Suspension Bridge
The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Avon Gorge, and linking Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in North Somerset, England. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, it is a landmark that is used as a symbol of Bristol. It is a grade I listed building. The idea of building a bridge across the Avon Gorge originated in 1753 originally for a stone bridge with later plans for a cast iron structure. An attempt to build Brunel's design in 1831 was stopped by the Bristol Riots, and the revised version of his designs was built after his death being completed in 1864. Although similar in size, the bridge towers are not identical in design, the Clifton tower having side cut-outs, the Leigh tower more pointed arches atop a 110 ft (33 m) red sandstone clad abutment. Roller mounted "saddles" at the top of each tower allow movement of the three independent wrought iron chains on each side when loads pass over the bridge. The bridge deck is suspended by eighty-one matching vertical wrought-iron rods.
Royal York Crescent
Royal York Crescent is a major residential street in Clifton, Bristol. It overlooks much of the docks, and much of the city can be seen from it. It also joins Clifton Village at one end. It is one of the most expensive streets in the city. A Grade II* listed terrace of 46 houses (most of which are divided into flats) is on the northeast side of the street for most of its length. Construction of the terrace, which was reputed to be the longest terrace in Europe, started in 1791 but it was not completed until 1820.Corn Exchange and St Nicholas Market
The Exchange is a Grade I listed building built in 1741–43 by John Wood the Elder, on Corn Street, near the junction with Broad Street in Bristol, England. It was previously used as a corn and general trade exchange but is now used as offices and St Nicholas Market. The Exchange underwent major building work in 1872, including roofing over the courtyard, and again in the early 1900s when the City Valuer's Department moved to the building. Since World War II the external clock tower has been removed and the roof lowered. Outside the building are four brass tables dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, known as "nails", at which merchants carried out their business. At the front of the building is a clock showing both Greenwich Mean Time and "local time".
DAY 3
New Room - John Wesley’s Chapel
The New Room (grid reference ST592733) is a historic building in Broadmead, Bristol, England. It was built in 1739 by John Wesley and is the oldest Methodist chapel in the world. Above the chapel are the rooms in which Wesley and other preachers stayed. The chapel includes a double decker pulpit, which was common at the time, and an octagonal lantern window to reduce the amount paid in Window tax. In addition to meetings and worship the New Room was used a dispensary and schoolroom for the poor people of the area. The pews and benches were made from old ship timber.
Valentine Bridge
Souce: Wikipedia
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