Podcast appearances and mentions of river stour

A petition has been set up by people living on an estate near Gravesend to try and get rid of the management firm.Residents of Springhead Parkway claim their bills have gone up, but the area has gone downhill. Hear from a couple living there and the local MP who is supporting them.Also in today's podcast, life jackets have been delivered to children at a school in east Kent in memory of a little boy who died after falling into a river during a family day out.Six-year-old Lucas Dobson had tried to climb onto a boat on the River Stour at Sandwich in August 2019.A safety campaign set up in his name has taken kit to pupils in Ash.Thames Water, which covers parts of north Kent, has been fined nearly £123 million by regulator Ofwat.The biggest ever penalty comes after investigations found the firm caused an "unacceptable impact on the environment".Meantime, campaigners are calling for water testing to be carried out at Kent's swimming spots all year round.Last week we told you how experts will monitor the levels of bacteria at the coast during the summer season. Hear from a member of Surfers Against Sewage.We've got an update on a story we brought to you on the podcast earlier this month.You'll be pleased to know a Strood man who'd waited four years for a dropped kerb to be installed outside his home, has finally had the work done.And in sport, if you head to the sports pages of KentOnline you can read the memories of some former Gillingham players 25 years after they were promoted to the now Championship.The side beat Wigan Athletic at Wembley in the play-off final.

Furious residents say the demolition of historic buildings as part of a multimillion-pound film studios project should never have been allowed to happen. Contractors have already knocked down a series of lean-to structures connected to abandoned engine sheds in Ashford. Also in today's podcast, new public artwork showing the lifelike figure of a woman submerged in a river has been branded “offensive, creepy and disturbing” – with some calling for it to be removed. It follows the installation of the controversial statue in the River Stour in Canterbury by a world-renowned underwater sculptor.A woman has avoided jail after her dog savagely attacked a dad and left him needing surgery.She's admitted being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury after the attacked at Hersden Industrial Park. An Ashford woman says lives are being put at risk from dangerous potholes and cracks in the pavement. Furious residents have also slammed the authorities for failing to fix a single pothole while two of the worst roads were recently closed for other maintenance. And a two-year-old brown bear in Kent is to undergo pioneering brain surgery in a UK first.Boki, who lives at Wildwood Trust near Canterbury, has been suffering from seizures and recently underwent an MRI scan. 

Canterbury residents say “disrespectful” tourists eager to take the perfect photograph next to an Instagram hotspot are trashing public flowerbeds.Set alongside the River Stour, Westgate Gardens is one of the most visited parts of the city, but the near-constant crowds have taken a heavy toll. Also in today's podcast, a decorator who grabbed a child's face and kissed her on the lips while dancing at Kent's largest LGBTQ+ pride festival has avoided jail.The 39-year-old forced himself upon the 13-year-old girl without knowing her age. A Southeastern train has suffered “significant damage” after it crashed into the tree, which had fallen onto the line in strong winds which battered the county. Kent is feeling the impact of Storm Lillian, as another warning for heavy rain has been issued for the bank holiday weekend. Drivers in Medway are being warned they face a hefty fine if they continue to ignore new traffic-free zones set up around schools. The School Streets scheme was rolled out six months ago but thousands of motorists are still breaking the rules. And you can hear from the Gills boss ahead of their league two fixture this weekend. They'll be hoping to make it three wins from three games in the league as they travel to take on Fleetwood Town. 

On the 27th of August 2020, suspicious bin bags were reported floating in the River Stour in Sudbury in Suffolk. The bin bags were found to contain human bones and this person was named the Sudbury Man. To this day, this man is still unidentified despite the fact that he was murdered and suspicions possibly lying with organised crime.Important information provided by:https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-67100568https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-65788577https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-57247318https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-53989185https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-62666656https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-58360276Music by: dl-sounds.comFollow the Unseen Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unseen-podcast/id1318473466?uo=4Follow the Unseen Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0xWK7Mu3bTP6oziZvxrwSK?si=QxvyPkZ2TdCDscnfxyeRawJoin our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/unseenpodFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theunseenpodFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theunseenpod/Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theunseenpod?fan_landing=trueSubscribe to 10 Minute True Crime: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/10-minute-true-crime/id1591474862

The wife of a dad from Gillingham has paid tribute after he died in a work accident at Twickenham stadium.Mitchell Bonney, 36, was an escalator engineer and a volunteer coach for the Upchurch Colts Under 9s.Also in today's podcast, a young Kent woman whose ex shared naked pictures of her online when she was just 14 has welcomed the Online Safety Bill finally becoming law.It's been signed off by parliament and means tech companies will have to make their sites safe for children.Local bosses say they are doing all they can to get Kent's roads ready before winter.It follows stats that show Kent County Council have failed to reach five our of six targets for pothole repairs so far this year.Kent Wildlife Trust have launched a campaign to save the River Stour, amid concerns about government policies increasing pollution.Ministers want to allow developers to side-step Nutrient Neutrality regulations so they can build homes more quickly.People living in Folkestone say they're being kept awake at night by a strange sound.It's thought to be coming from a new luxury apartment block when it's windy.

In this episode of Dear Gardener we journey to California, East Anglia and South East London to hear about mothers and friendship, Sissinghurst and slugs, and roses and rills.Support the show: https://linktr.ee/deargardenerhttps://ko-fi.com/bendarkThe Dear Gardeners on Instagram:Gavin: https://www.instagram.com/gardeninggavin/ Melanie: https://www.instagram.com/saari.farms/Vanina: https://www.instagram.com/thebonbongirl/Episode links:The Butchart Gardens, British Columbia: https://www.butchartgardens.com/Euphorbia stygiana subsp. santamariae https://www.cotswoldgardenflowers.co.uk/product/euphorbia-stygiana-subsp-santamariae/Rosa 'Perle d'Or': https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_%27Perle_d%27Or%27 Rosa 'Munstead Wood': https://www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/products/munstead-wood?_ga=2.141225842.1185186591.1668450625-963987581.1668450625Rosa 'Cécile Brünner': https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_'C%C3%A9cile_Br%C3%BCnner'Rosa ''Madame Alfred Carrière': https://www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/products/mme-alfred-carriereThe NGS (National Gardens Scheme): https://ngs.org.uk/Thank you for listening

On The Alfred Daily Today: Shaftesbury what's ons Three car collision closes A30 at Ludwell Motcombe sends shoeboxes filled with essentials and Christmas treats to kids in Ukraine How a photo of a Win Green's white cow has changed a North Dorset man's life Charlie Hamilton - Shaftesbury Arts Centre's first paid manager shares her vision Drenched but delighted – Donhead Ramblers walk around two Wardour Castles Shaftesbury jobs – Teaching horticulture and running a pub Shaftesbury traffic overnight A350 and A30 closures and River Stour flood watch Short story – ‘Transition' by Richard Evans Kate and Karren chat ‘over the garden fence' about Abbotts closure Soundscapes - Breakfast birdsong in Great Wincombe Woods

A recording made next to the River Stour at Foxearth Meadows, Essex, on 30th April 2022 in the late afternoon. Competing with the rush hour traffic are the following birds, of which there are many during peak springtime activity. Chiffchaff, Wren, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Robin, Long-Tailed Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Oystercatcher (this far inland!), Bullfunch, Moorhen, Sparrow, Blue Tit, Mallard, Green Woodpecker and Blackcap...as identified by the Cornell Lab Merlin App...which is fantastic!

On The Alfred Daily today: Four residents receive ‘freedom of Shaftesbury' Shaftesbury what's on Shaftesbury jobs West Melbury artist Gary Cooke exhibits River Stour scenes New greener road resurfacing trialled in Shaftesbury area Dorset Council shows respect for Falklands veterans Dorset Police chief wants crackdown on cannabis smoking behind the wheel The Great Baldini returns to Shaftesbury Fringe Jackie and Jeanette reminisce about old uniforms and Blackmore Vale Garage Nick Crump hunts for grass snakes in Donhead St Andrew Soundscapes - Birds on Water Lane in Donhead

A Kent high street has been named as one of the most affected by the pandemic. According to experts, Chatham has lost 28 weeks of sales since March 2020 when the first lockdown came into force. It also has the fifth highest town centre vacancy rate in the south east. Reporter Chris Hunter has been there to find out what shoppers, buskers and business owners think. Also in today's podcast, a criminal investigation is under way into allegations of lockdown-breaking parties at Downing Street. It's after claims emerged that Boris Johnson had a birthday party at Number 10. Hear from our political editor Paul Francis. Figures seen by the KentOnline Podcast show flytipping has increased in every part of Kent over the past year. We've been getting reaction from a farmer whose fields have been repeatedly targeted. A Kent MP is backing calls for new laws to prevent drowning, following the death of a six-year-old boy. Lucas Dobson fell into the River Stour in Sandwich in August 2019, and his body was found four days later. Olly Alexander has been speaking to our sister radio station kmfm about the release of his new album. Hear some of what the Years and Years singer had to say to Numi on the Hit List. In sport, Gillingham are back in action tonight and desperate for points. They welcome Shrewsbury Town to Priestfield in league one and the caretaker boss has described the came as crucial. 

Emotional morning. After a couple of weeks, flights, swabs, tests, results, isolation and everything else, this morning was our last time around 'The Calshot Lap'. It was a crisp but sunny 10ºc (Simon even wore a long-sleeved top - Shock horror!)Today we talked about...• Betsy Pearl's "appendicitis".• One last Mother-in-Law BS story.• Packing.• A gorgeous trip up and down the River Stour.• A walk around Christchurch and revisiting the wishing well.• Chip Advising at The Old Mill Tea Room.• Hengistbury to Mudeford Spit.• A long drive home via Lymington.• The homeliness of BBC Radio 2.• A final evening walk.• Some thank yous.The boats we hired in Christchurch: http://www.willowwaymarina.co.uk/boat-hire.htmlThe land-train we went on: https://bit.ly/3nE3FG7Today we're heading off West, to Bristol, with a safari stop-off on the way. We're scared, pensive, excited, nervous and more about this next part of the trip, as books will close, new chapters will begin and goodbyes are forthcoming. We'll let you know how it goes.See you next time xSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/husband-wife-sentenced-to-life. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

A man who threatened firefighters and police with a hammer after setting a house in Edenbridge on fire has been jailed. Hear the moment 48-year-old Daniel Rutter from Wellingtonia Way in the town was tasered. Also in the podcast, a Kent MP says she can't wait to ditch face masks. Helen Whately has been speaking ahead of an announcement by the Prime Minister on 'freedom day' on July 19. You can also hear from Thanet's Sir Roger Gale who is hoping bubbles in schools will be scrapped. The dad of a little boy who drowned after falling into the River Stour at Sandwich is urging us all to have more knowledge of water safety. Lucas Dobson slipped while on a family outing in 2019. His father Nathan has been speaking as the RNLI fear more call outs this summer as we staycation on the coast. The RSPCA has launched a new campaign as Kent is named as one of the worst places in the country for animal cruelty. And, hear from Kent tennis sensation Emma Raducanu ahead of her last-16 game at Wimbledon.

Thomas Hardy OM (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. A Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry of William Wordsworth.[1] He was highly critical of much in Victorian society, especially on the declining status of rural people in Britain, such as those from his native South West England.While Hardy wrote poetry throughout his life and regarded himself primarily as a poet, his first collection was not published until 1898. Initially, he gained fame as the author of novels such as Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891), and Jude the Obscure (1895). During his lifetime, Hardy's poetry was acclaimed by younger poets (particularly the Georgians) who viewed him as a mentor. After his death his poems were lauded by Ezra Pound, W. H. Auden and Philip Larkin.[2]Bio via Wikipedia. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Endurance coaches Tom Walker and Rob Jones welcome you to The Run Strong Podcast. A show to discuss topics to educate and inspire runners. From couch-to-5k'rs, triathletes, up to multi-stage ultra runners this podcast will interest you.Andy Blow is a Sports Scientist and the founder of Precision Hydration. Andy was formerly an elite-level triathlete who can count a couple of top-10 IRONMAN finishes and an Xterra Age-Group World title to his name. It was during his racing career that he discovered how individualised fluid and electrolyte replacement can make such a big difference to performance, and this led to him setting up precisionhydration.com - a company that specialises in sweat, dehydration, cramping, electrolyte replenishment, and helping athletes better understand their own hydration needs. Andy has a BSc (Hons) degree in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Bath, UK. He currently lives in Christchurch, Dorset in the UK with wife Lucy and their 2 young children Bobby and Bethany. And he's currently in training for a non-stop run down the Stour Valley Way - it follows the River Stour from source to sea and is about 100km / 64 miles in length. Discount Code:Listeners to get 15% off their first order of electrolytes at precisionhydration.com - they'll just need to enter the code RUNSTRONG at the checkout. Free one-to-one callsListeners are more than welcome to book in for a free one-to-one video call with a member of our team if they have any questions about their hydration strategy or want to know more about the work we do at Precision Hydration. They can book their call with one of our Sweat Experts using this link: https://www.precisionhydration.com/book-a-sweat-expert-call/Science of Endurance Hydration courseListeners can use the code PODCAST15 to get 15% off our on-demand Science of Endurance Hydration course with TrainingPeaks University. They can use the code when signing up here: https://trainingpeaks-university.thinkific.com/courses/science-of-endurance-hydrationBlogs and talking points- How to START hydrated and why that's so important- Why do athletes suffer from cramp? - Are you a salty sweater? - Why sodium is crucial to athletes performing at their best- Does having clear pee really mean you're well hydrated?!To reach the lads you can email endurance@innerfight.com.To reach out to Rob Jones email rj@innerfight.comTo reach out to Tom Walker email tw@innerfight.comPlease also rate and review the podcast! Below is the link to our iTunes pagehttps://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-run-strong-podcast/id1483567507

The Road More Scenic Roads are often used as a powerful metaphor for our life's journey. M Scott Peck wrote the famous, “The Road Less Travelled.” Robert Frost wrote a favourite poem of mine, “The Road Not Taken.” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44272/the-road-not-taken But I've chosen a different road that I'd like to share with you. It's the longer way to go, which I call, “The Road More Scenic.” I can share more with you if you watch the short 4 minute relaxation video I recorded. https://youtu.be/E6OIAUSZkVM On business that took me to Woodfalls in the New Forest last week, I deliberately took the Scenic Route allowing me the joy of the Avenue of Beech Trees at Moor Crichel (twice) as well as part of the Avenue of Beech Trees at Badbury Rings (twice though not shown on the video.) I suspect 25 minutes was added to my journey (with Lady Penelope riding shotgun). In return for that investment, my spirit and soul were fed, and my body too with a picnic in the car in the pouring rain outside St James' Church, Alderholt... magic (thought sad that St James is no longer, "Open for Prayer.") Other high points include the Pyramid of Moss and Brick near Hale Park House - I have no idea what this fascinating construction is for. Perhaps you can guess if you watch the video. Breamore Mill - stunningly squatting beside the River Avon and astride the mill race. The lit Christmas Tree was a nice touch too. The Tree of Life and Hope at Wimborne St Giles (my title... they may just call it, "Bob," or, "Uncle.") Ten thousand Snowdrops and enough Mistletoe to bruise your lips for a Century. I've never seen so much Mistletoe. En passant, spotting of the ruined Knowlton Church and the Philosopher's Tower (also not featured), Dorset landmarks dipped in history. To conclude, the Norman bridge at White Mill, over the River Stour, which is likely to be the oldest bridge in Dorset. On this day, the Stour swollen by so many showers… a raging, rushing, river commuting to the sea. Then there were Egrets. Egrets? I've had a few... My point? Enjoy the journey... the destination may be a bit grim and final. On our route we were overtaken several times by drivers clearly in more of a hurry... but for what? Press Pause and enjoy the journey. Now, it's your turn. What treasures do you delight in when you go out of your way to take The Road More Scenic? [And if you fancy another uplifting bonus, check out this gorgeous song by Darrell Scott, “And The River Is Me.” https://youtu.be/ZieYi8t_m3M ] I look forward to reading about your treasures. Thank You! If you'd like to say, "Thank You!" and fund the increased production of resources like this, you can support my work here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/lexmckee

Andy Blow is a Sports Scientist and the founder of Precision Hydration. Andy was formerly an elite-level triathlete who can count a couple of top-10 IRONMAN finishes and an Xterra Age-Group World title to his name. It was during his racing career that he discovered how individualised fluid and electrolyte replacement can make such a big difference to performance, and this led to him setting up precisionhydration.com - a company that specialises in sweat, dehydration, cramping, electrolyte replenishment, and helping athletes better understand their own hydration needs. Andy has a BSc (Hons) degree in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Bath, UK. He currently lives in Christchurch, Dorset in the UK with wife Lucy and their 2 young children Bobby and Bethany. And he's currently in training for a non-stop run down the Stour Valley Way - it follows the River Stour from source to sea and is about 100km / 64 miles in length.   Originally on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYY-WQ8mYf8   https://www.precisionhydration.com/

Join a haunting journey along the River Stour in Essex and find out about a wicked ‘witch’ murderer, and extraordinary holiday home and a port town’s vital connection to modern democracy. This episode’s adventure follows Greater Anglia’s Mayflower Line. Local guide Bob takes us for a walk around a village with a distinctive scent! From under Mistley’s malt towers we hear how a village and a grand country house grew up together here. We take a walk past the former home of Matthew Hopkins, the Witch Finder General who had around 100 women put to death in his moneymaking crusade through East Anglia. The wildlife along the Stour is breathtaking and as we continue our journey we discover more birdwatching hotspots in Wrabness, not to mention a remarkable Grayson Perry-designed house in the landscape. Award-winning station Adopter Julia tells the story behind it and shares the story of the beautiful community garden she manages here. We conclude our journey in Harwich, famed for its shipbuilding. Local David is a mine of information on the area and he’s our guide through the narrow streets and wide history of this wonderful town. Find out where sea buoys are repaired, encounter one of the country’s oldest cinemas and get a taste of the many volunteer-run museums in town. For those of you wondering how to pronounce “Stour”, we have the definitive answer too! Lives on the Lines is created on behalf of the Community Rail Partnerships with Greater Anglia. Presented and produced by Katharine Kerr for Fresh Air Production. You can explore the Mayflower Line and find out more about the Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail partnership at https://www.esscrp.org.uk And explore travel with Greater Anglia at https://www.greateranglia.co.uk @greateranglia The Harwich Society https://www.harwich-society.co.uk @harwichsociety Grayson Perry’s ‘A House for Essex’ https://www.living-architecture.co.uk/the-houses/a-house-for-essex/overview/ Manningtree Museum and Local History Group http://www.manningtree-museum.org.ukSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet beautiful steam trains, traverse ancient orchards and find out how a dragon – or alligator – found its way to an East Anglian village! We’ll hear about local life and legend in the landscape that inspired one of England’s most influential painters. It’s all to be discovered along Greater Anglia’s Gainsborough Line. The Gainsborough Line may be the shortest line in our series, but its history is long! We begin our adventure crossing a magnificent viaduct – and one of the largest brick-build structures in England. Just minutes outside Marks Tey at Chappel and Wakes Colne lies the East Anglian Railway Museum. Engineer and fix-it fan Peter gives us an incredible insight into the work he and his colleagues do to restore and revive the majestic history of rail travel and trade. With engines dating from the birth of steam to our recent past we hear how experts are getting hands on with the nuts and bolts of rail and giving us a fun family day out in the process! We stop off at Bures where the River Stour forms the boundary of Essex and Suffolk. Gill is a local parish councillor and guides us from the beautiful station garden in full bloom, through this picturesque and historic village. She shares its claim to the crowning of King Edmund – the last East Anglian King – as well as a bizarre tale about a dragon, which you might still spot today! She also points out snapshots of Tudor architecture that tell of life here through the ages. Oh and do you know what Pickleball is? You heard it here first! The final stop on the Gainsborough Line is Sudbury and home to Gainsborough’s House. This museum is currently being redeveloped to include a major arts hub and was the birthplace and home of this English Landscape Master. We speak to Museum Director Mark and find out about the life and local inspirations of the painter before taking a watery and wonderful walk in the sunshine. Lives on the Lines is created on behalf of the Community Rail Partnerships with Greater Anglia. Presented and produced by Katharine Kerr for Fresh Air Production. Find out about the Gainsborough Line and the Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail partnership at https://www.esscrp.org.uk And explore travel with Greater Anglia at https://www.greateranglia.co.uk @greateranglia East Anglian Railway Museum https://www.earm.co.uk @earailwaymuseum Gainsborough House Museum http://www.gainsborough.org @GH_Sudbury Bures community website http://www.bures-online.co.ukSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many ghosts haunt the famed Fairmont Empress in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada including that of its architect, Francis Rattenbury.  Rattenbury himself was part of a salacious love triangle that led to a murder-suicide in Bournemouth, England.  His ghost, however, haunts the Empress in Canada alongside the spirit of Lizzie McGrath and the lost soul of Margaret.   Follow Us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stories to crimesandwitchdemeanors@gmail.com  Like Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors  Episode Transcript: Visit the website: https://www.crimesandwitchdemeanors.com  Main podcast illustration by GiAnna Ligammari: https://gialigammari.wixsite.com/portfolio    Sources: Accidental Death is Jury's Verdict: Rider Against Contractors Recorded in Inquest on Death of Mrs. Elizabeth McGrath. (1910, August 2). The Victoria Daily Times, page 5.   Adultery, jealousy and murder: How the Rattenbury case gripped the nation. (n.d.). Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved December 24, 2020, from https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/13217933.adultery-jealousy-and-murder-how-the-rattenbury-case-gripped-the-nation/   Bournemouth's most sensational murder | Dorset Life—The Dorset Magazine. (n.d.). Retrieved December 24, 2020, from https://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2006/08/bournemouths-most-sensational-murder/   British Columbia, Canada, Death Index, 1872-1990—AncestryLibrary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://search.ancestrylibrary.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=6093&h=463325&tid=&pid=&queryId=65f42413adf181b27bd90780bad3225e&usePUB=true&_phsrc=eBA210&_phstart=successSource   Cold spots, scandals and Victoria's Empress Hotel – The Superstitious Times. (n.d.). Retrieved December 23, 2020, from http://www.superstitioustimes.com/cold-spots-scandals-and-victorias-empress-hotel/   Elizabeth B. McGrath (Unknown-1910)—Find A... (n.d.). Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/121312245/elizabeth-b.-mcgrath   Five haunted hotels with true-crime stories. - The Washington Post. (n.d.). Retrieved December 23, 2020, from https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:wA5SdAuQMGkJ:https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/like-a-good-scare-here-are-five-haunted-hotels-with-stories-fit-for-true-crime-files/2018/10/25/ddd4e70e-d3cb-11e8-b2d2-f397227b43f0_story.html+&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us   Francis Rattenbury. (2020). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Francis_Rattenbury&oldid=995725423   Has anyone had a ghost experience here LOL. (n.d.). Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://www.tripadvisor.com/FAQ_Answers-g154945-d155472-t3751444-Has_anyone_had_a_ghost_experience_here_LOL.html   Mrs. Alma Rattenbury Found Dead in a River: Man Tells of Seeing Her Fall, Knife in Hand, Vain Efforts to Save Her, Six Stab Wounds. (1935, June 5). Gloucestershire Echo, Page 1.   Murder comes with a question mark. (2011, October 30). Vernon Morning Star. https://www.vernonmorningstar.com/life/murder-comes-with-a-question-mark/   Staveley-Wadham, R. (n.d.). A Seaside Drama – The 1935 Murder of Francis Rattenbury. Retrieved December 24, 2020, from https://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2020/03/06/the-murder-of-francis-rattenbury/   The Ghostly Guests of the Empress Hotel. (n.d.). Retrieved December 24, 2020, from https://www.flightcentre.ca/blog/the-ghostly-guests-of-the-empress-hotel/   The Outrageous Life and Death of Francis Rattenbury. (2018, November 13). MONTECRISTO. https://montecristomagazine.com/community/the-outrageous-life-and-death-of-francis-rattenbury   Untitled. (1910, August 1). Victoria Daily Times, Page 3.   Villa Madeira, the home of home of Architect Francis Rattenbury and... (n.d.). Getty Images. Retrieved December 24, 2020, from https://www.gettyimages.dk/detail/news-photo/villa-madeira-the-home-of-home-of-architect-francis-news-photo/551907551   TRANSCRIPT: Hello, and welcome back to another episode of Crimes & Witch-Demeanors.  Today we're heading back to form and covering a sensational international murder with ghosts aplenty!    Our adventure begins in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and then takes us across the pond to Bournemouth, England for a scandalous depression-era murder suicide…after which we'll be headed back Victoria's Fairmont Empress hotel to talk about the spirits that rest or, don't, there…including the ones from England?  Yeah, it's a complicated ghost story where the ghosts didn't actually die on the property…or in the country…in fact they hadn't been there in over a decade prior to their death…but, hey, that's what we do here.  So grab a hot coacoa, put on your mukluks…and yes I know mukluks are Inuit and not of the Salish coast people…but, hey, I  don't know of any regional-specific waterproof clothing for this intro bit…but I digress.  We're headed on up to Victoria, Canada!       At 721 Government Street in Downtown Victoria sits an empress.  The Fairmont Empress, formerly known as the Empress is one of Victoria's historic landmarks and also happens to be the noble host of many mislaid spirits.  Her architect, Francis Rattenbury, left an indelible stamp on the architecture of British Columbia.  Originally born in Leeds, England, he skipped across the pond and a whole continent, landing in Vancouver in 1892.  He was only 25 years old but he had incredibly grand plans; not all of them architectural.   Francis planned to take advantage of the westward expansion and building boom happening in the region.  He placed an ad in the paper led him down the path that began his life.  However, little did he know, that 42 years later an ad in the paper would also pave the path leading to his dreadful end.   Rattenbury's advertisement claimed that he was a classically trained architect who studied under the world-renowned architect Henry Lockwood…but if anyone had read further than his headline it didn't show—seeing as Lockwood died when Rattenbury was only 11 years old.  Even if he had taught him anything, it couldn't have been very much.  Despite this blatant and careless lie luck happened to be on his side.   An architectural contest had been announced in order to solicit a new design to replace Victoria's detested parliament buildings.  Naturally, Rattenbury saw this opportunity and leapt at it.  Rattenbury entered the contest, signing his designs with the pseudonym ,“A.B.C. Architect”. His incredibly grand and overly-ambitious design caught the attention of the judges, with Rattenbury winning the competition out of 66 total entries from around the world.     While construction on the parliament building was still underway, Rattenbury had met and his wife, Florence Nunn.  They married and had their first child seven months later—which was quite salacious for the time.  Francis and Florence had two children together: Frank and Mary.   The construction on the parliament building was completed in 1898 and while grand and opulent, it had run $400,000 over budget…or the equivalent of 12 million dollars in the present day.  In fact, this became a pattern: Rattenbury's projects were known to be a nightmare to work on.  Rattenbury notoriously underestimated the cost of his bids, throwing the burden of the additional costs to the contractors, eventually driving one of them to bankruptcy.  Rattenbury would change his designs at the last moment, reject building materials he had selected earlier in favor a new whim, and would battle with anyone who dared to stand in the way of his designs.   Despite this reputation, Rattenbury was extraordinarily successful.  His portfolio came to include many high profile projects and he became the Canadian Pacific Railroad's western division architect.  This title with the CPR is what allowed him to design ostentatious resort hotels across Canada, ultimately leading to the commission to design the Empress in 1903.    However, in 1906 Rattenbury, in his typical fashion, grew frustrated with others working on the Empress project.  In his mind, Rattenbury believed that Walter Painter, CPR's head architect, was ruining his vision for the grand hotel.  In a rage, Rattenbury left the CPR and the Empress project.  And the losses didn't end there.  After reaching such meteoric highs it appeared to all be crashing down around him.  He lost two design contests and it was exposed that he had won others by less than honest means.  Rattenbury was being accused of money laundering and his marriage was also suffering.  One project that had the potential to save him—working on the Grand Trunk Railway—was ruined when the general manager Charles Hays died on the Titanic.   Unlike the Titanic, Rattenbury did manage to keep on enough projects to stay afloat but by the end of 1912 his marriage had hit rock bottom.  Things had gotten so bad that his daughter Mary became the middleman between him and Florence, carrying messages between the two.   In 1923, at the age of 56 Rattenbury won the bid to design Victoria's Crystal Garden and also won the heart of Alma Pakenham, a 26 year-old flapper who had a scandalous reputation for drinking and smoking in public.  Alma had been married twice before and had a son, Christopher, from a previous marriage.   Rattenbury first approached Florence for a divorce, but when she refused he decided to make his affair as public as possible and would flaunt Alma around in public before bringing her home to drink and fornicate late into the night...all the while Florence sat in her bedroom just above them.  Eventually Rattenbury moved out of his home, shutting off the electricity and heating when he did so, leaving his wife and children without utilities.  Rattenbury's scandalous and downright wicked behavior ultimately led to him being shunned by his friends, his profession, and the community.    Florence finally granted a divorce in 1925 and Rattenbury immediately married Alma and had their own son together, John.  Due to his scandal and his architectural style falling out of favor with more modern times, Rattenbury and Alma faced financial hardships.  They remained in Canada for some time and in 1929, the same year his ex-wife Florence died, they moved to Bournemouth England.   Rattenbury hoped that moving across the pond would improve their finances, however once they moved into the Villa Madeira on Manor Road things only worsened.  By 1934 Francis Rattenbury was nearly deaf, impotent, and suicidal.  Needing assistance around the house, the Rattenburys placed an ad in the Bournemouth Daily Echo seeking a “willing lad” who was “good-natured and honest”  This ad would be the beginning of the end of Francis Rattenbury.   18 year-old George Stoner responded to the advertisement and was promptly hired by Alma.  Stoner was a quiet, shy, friendless young man and was grateful for the work.  Alma was entranced by George and his youthful virility, something that her husband lacked—Alma and Francis hadn't had intercourse since the birth of John.  She was still rather young and was growing tired of her situation.  And so, after three months of his employment, Alma seduced Stoner.  Not long after the passionate affair began, George went from being their chauffeur and gardener to Alma's live-in lover, taking up residence in a spare bedroom.   It was said that Rattenbury acknowledged and silently excused the affair: he was well aware of his advancing age, ill health, and alcoholism.  However, neither Rattenbury nor Alma could anticipate the rage and violent jealously that dwelt within the quiet Stoner.  As their affair progressed, George would become exceedingly mad if Alma had spent any time with her husband, no matter how trivial.  Alma tried to break off the affair on a number of occasions, but this would also send George into a rage, at one point trying to strangle her.   Things came to a head, so to speak, on March 24, 1935.  Alma and Francis had just returned from a trip to London.  As was usual, Francis was particularly depressed and Alma had decided to arrange another trip the following week to visit a friend, in hopes of cheering him up. George was already furious that Alma had spent the weekend away with her husband and the news of yet another trip sent him over the edge.  He went to his parent's home and asked to borrow a carpenter's mallet that he said he needed to erect a fence at the Rattenbury's residence.   When George returned to the Villa Madeira he threatened to shoot Alma with a gun, but was quickly dissuaded.  Later that evening, around 10 p.m., Stoner made his way downstairs with the carpenter's mallet and bashed in the head of Francis Rattenbury.  Stoner had hit Rattenbury with such force that his false teeth fell out and half of his skull was removed by the blows.  Despite the brutal injuries, Rattenbury did not die.   When the police arrived early that Monday morning, Alma appeared sleepless, disturbed, and under the influence of alcohol or drugs.  “I've done him in, I've done him in, I've done him in” she repeated over and over to the police officers.  The police arrived the next day where she repeated this confession and she was arrested for attempted murder.   While Alma was in prison, George Stoner allegedly confessed to the housekeeper that he had been that made the attempt on Rattenbury's life.  This confession led to him also being arrested on attempted murder charges.   However, both Stoner's and Alma's charges were elevated to murder when Rattenbury succumbed to his injuries on that Thursday.  After Alma's eldest son visited her in prison, she quickly recanted her earlier confession saying she was in a state of shock at the time.   The trial was an absolute sensation, mainly due to the rumors of Stoner's cocaine addiction and the scandalous affair.  In fact, due to the local popularity of the case, the trial had to be held in London's Old Bailey instead of the Winchester.  By the time of the trial, both defendants had entered a plea of “not guilty” and had taken back their previous confessions.  Alma was acquitted and released but Stoner was convicted of murder and sentenced to death by hanging.   The public felt an immense amount of sympathy for Stoner and villainized Alma as a temptress who seduced him into committing the crime.  As she left the Old Bailey that day, a free woman, onlookers booed her.  Awful things were said about her in the paper and people called for her death.  Distressed, Alma took a train from Waterloo to Christchurch.  She walked across the meadows to the Three Arches Railway bridge.  She sat down at the bank for a while, casually smoking a cigarette, before getting up, walking to the water's edge, pulling out a dagger, stabbing herself six times in the heart before falling into the River Stour at Christchurch.   A note in her handbag read “It has been pointed out too vividly that I cannot help him, and that is my death sentence”   Despite being initially being a villain in the media, over 3,000 individuals attended her funeral; a stark contrast to the “only a few” that attended her late husband's.  Rattenbury didn't even receive a headstone and was buried in an unmarked grave.   In a turn of fate it turns out that Stoner was saved from death.  A petition signed by over 300,000 people commuted his sentence to life imprisonment instead of hanging.  Even stranger still, Stoner only served seven years of his sentence and was released in 1942 to fight in the second World War.  After the war he married and had a daughter.  He lived a quiet and fairly uneventful life until 1990 when he was arrested for indecently exposing himself to a 12 year old boy in a public bathroom.  He received only two years' probation for this incident.   During his life he had stated that it was actually Alma who murdered her husband.   Curiously, in the year 2000 George Stoner a died in a hospital at Christchurch…less than half a mile from the scene of Alma's suicide, and on the 65th anniversary of the murder of Francis Rattenbury.      In 2007, 72 years after his death, Francis Rattenbury finally received a headstone which was paid for by a family friend.   Despite dying across the pond in England, Francis Rattnebury's ghost does not dwell in Bournemouth.  If you spend a night at the Fairmont Empress back in Victoria you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Old Man Ratz.  What better place for his ghost to dwell than his greatest pride?  An opulent structure that reminds him of a time when his life was full of elegance, opulence, and prestige.       The last thing I expected when starting my research on the ghosts of the Fairmont Empress was to wind up in Bournemouth learning about a scandalous murder suicide!  I synthesized a few sources to get the most accurate and well-rounded view of the murder.  Even shaky sources were fairly accurate except they said the murder was conducted with a croquet mallet which is…just…not true?  I guess it sounds more English, or something?   The one thing I don't understand about this haunting is…why?  Why?  WHY?   Yes, Francis Rattenbury designed the Fairmont Empress and it was one of his greatest designs…but…he left the project before it was completed.  He was known to be rotten and controlling and he abandoned the project because things weren't going his way…so why would he haunt it?  It doesn't make sense to me.   I don't have any evidence that he spent any time at the Empress after it was finished and just judging by his personality I don't think he would have.  This is obviously all conjecture but am I the only one that thinks that?  Plus, Rattenbury died 4,700 miles away in a place that he then considered to be his home.  That doesn't add up, especially since ghosts who die in traumatic circumstances typically tend to haunt the location of their death due to being trapped there.   Take Lizzie McGrath for example, whose tragic and unexpected death at the Fairmont Empress has led to her being spirit being one of the most active ghosts at the hotel.   The story goes that Lizzie McGrath was a chambermaid at the Empress Hotel and in those days, maids and other employees actually lived at the hotel.  Being an Irish immigrant she was a devout Catholic and would say the rosary on her fire escape every night.  However, one night in 1909 Lizzie McGrath opened her window and got onto the fire escape…except there was one problem…the fire escape had been removed for renovations and she plummeted to her death on the walkway below, right at the entrance of the hotel.  Her ghost is said to haunt the ___ floor and she can also be seen at the spot where she died.   I liked this story a lot and decided to investigate.  Lizzie McGrath or Elizabeth McGrath is a very common name so I knew I had to narrow it down to 1909…but I couldn't find anything—even with a limiter to the city of Victoria.  It turns out the Elizabeth died in 1910, not 1909.  I've corroborated this with Victoria's death index, her gravesite, and newspaper articles from The Victoria Daily Times.   Lizzie McGrath died on July 30, 1910 at 50 years of age.  The newspaper articles say that she was a native of Halifax, which I'm assuming would be Halifax, Nova Scotia…though there is a Halifax in England…neither of these would indicate she was an Irish immigrant.  The article also states that her family all resides in Victoria with an exception of a few “in the east” which to me would indicate Nova Scotia or thereabouts.  However, newspapers are known to be wrong quite often.  McGrath is quite an Irish name but Elizabeth was actually married so I don't know her surname so it makes it difficult to find immigration records without spending a lot of time on it.   Lizzie also didn't die at the Empress as stated in all the stories; she died at St. Joseph's hospital.  It did also seem strange that she wouldn't know that the fire escape had been removed, but there was prosecution where they were found guilty for not notifying the residents.  It seems that this story, despite some minor details, is true! Another popular ghost at the Empress is that of an elderly woman.  Her identity seems to be unknown, although she has been given the name Margaret by Ian Gibbs, the author of Victoria's Most Haunted.  Allegedly Margaret is an old woman who used to stay at the hotel every year for the winter season.  She died on the sixth floor where her residence was, seemingly of natural causes.  After her death they stopped renting out the room because of the weird things that would happen and eventually, because of this, it was chosen for the area where the new elevators would be installed.   Strange…seeing as they probably should have been installed where they would make architectural and structural sense?  Maybe.    Regardless, those staying at the hotel may receive a knock on their door in the middle of the night, and if they answer it may find an elderly woman who says that she's lost.  If you are kind enough help her find her room on the sixth floor, she'll promptly vanish at the spot of the elevator.   This story, like Lizzie's makes sense: she died in the hotel and she is lost, both spiritually and physically since her old room no longer exists.  However, I couldn't find anything to verify this information since there isn't much for me to go on.   As usual, I wanted to try and find some firsthand encounters and stories about the ghosts in the hotel.  I checked reddit and hotel reviews and I sadly came up rather emptyhanded.  Most people said that they felt that the hotel should be haunted because it looks it – the period wallpaper and the old portraits on the walls.  One particularly privileged man said his experience was haunted because he couldn't' find a king size bed and their accommodations weren't up to his standards?  Gross.   But someone did ask a question on TripAdvisor.  I wish you could read it, it just says “Has anyone had a ghost experience here LOL” No questions mark.  Lol in all caps.  It's great.   The answers are “We stayed on the sixth floor and there was an odd feeling” okay, supports the old lady.  Another says “Yes, late at night on the 6th floor near room 657” okay, Wayne Carl…care to elaborate?  Some of us have podcasts to make.  What a cliffhanger.  please feel free to elaborate.  Another says they saw “something”  They put something in quotes.  WHAT DID YOU SEE DARREN? Another kind soul lets us know he did see spirits…in his glass.  Wow, FERD, so original.  HAVEN'T HEARD THAT ONE.

Colin Norris, SCBA Team Leader and Regional Minister, takes us to a spot on the River Stour to experience and reflect on the abundance of God's generosity and provision.

The Sturminster Newton Mill has been nestled into its charming spot on the banks of the River Stour since 1016.to hear more stories like this - sign up for our free email newsletter - www.bluedoormedia.co

The River Stour has flowed through the Black Country for thousands of years and was its backbone in the early days of industrialisation. But does its name hold Celtic origins?

Police have confirmed a body found in a Kent river is that of a missing six-year-old boy. Lucas Dobson fell into the River Stour on Saturday, while on a fishing trip with his family. The death's not being treated as suspicious. Also in today's episode: The parents of a Tunbridge Wells man who died from meningitis are urging other young people to get vaccinated, and Gillingham FC boss Steve Evans says he's sure they'll get their first League One win of the season soon. https://www.kentonline.co.uk/

Candlelit vigils have been held along the Kent coast for six-year-old Lucas Dobson, who is still missing after falling into the River Stour in Sandwich on Saturday. Police have thanked everyone who has helped look for him, but have asked members of the public to stay away from the area today as they focus their search on the water itself. Also in today's episode: Eurotunnel bosses say they're ready for a no-deal Brexit, residents speak out 75 years after a ship carrying explosives sank off Sheppey, and a local pop star tell us how being bullied made her a stronger person. https://www.kentonline.co.uk/

A search is continuing for a six-year-old boy who fell into the River Stour while on a family fishing trip. Lucas Dobson from Deal was swept away in Sandwich on Saturday and hundreds of people have been out looking for him. Also in today's episode: residents speak out against plans for 1,200 new homes, and a woman's trying to raise awareness for people who care for severely ill loved ones. https://www.kentonline.co.uk/

As part of the River Stour Trust’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2018, and funded by the Dedham Vale AONB Sustainable Development Fund, sound recordist Stuart Bowditch recorded conversations with people who contribute to the conservation and preservation of the River Stour, the border of Essex and Suffolk. These podcasts are complimented by three text installations, one at the Granary Tea Room in Sudbury, and one each on the River Stour Trust boats 'Rosette' and 'Edwardian Lady'. More information on the project website here http://www.stuartbowditch.co.uk/confluent.html

As part of the River Stour Trust’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2018, and funded by the Dedham Vale AONB Sustainable Development Fund, sound recordist Stuart Bowditch recorded conversations with people who contribute to the conservation and preservation of the River Stour, the border of Essex and Suffolk. These podcasts are complimented by three text installations, one at the Granary Tea Room in Sudbury, and one each on the River Stour Trust boats 'Rosette' and 'Edwardian Lady'. More information on the project website here http://www.stuartbowditch.co.uk/confluent.html

As part of the River Stour Trust’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2018, and funded by the Dedham Vale AONB Sustainable Development Fund, sound recordist Stuart Bowditch recorded conversations with people who contribute to the conservation and preservation of the River Stour, the border of Essex and Suffolk. These podcasts are complimented by three text installations, one at the Granary Tea Room in Sudbury, and one each on the River Stour Trust boats 'Rosette' and 'Edwardian Lady'. More information on the project website here http://www.stuartbowditch.co.uk/confluent.html

As part of the River Stour Trust’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2018, and funded by the Dedham Vale AONB Sustainable Development Fund, sound recordist Stuart Bowditch recorded conversations with people who contribute to the conservation and preservation of the River Stour, the border of Essex and Suffolk. These podcasts are complimented by three text installations, one at the Granary Tea Room in Sudbury, and one each on the River Stour Trust boats 'Rosette' and 'Edwardian Lady'. More information on the project website here http://www.stuartbowditch.co.uk/confluent.html

It was the 1st of September 1979 when 25 year old teacher and PhD student Alison Morris decided to go for a short after dinner walk to the River Stour not far from her parents home in Ramsey, Essex. She made it no more than 70 yards down a small country path when she was approached from behind and savagely stabbed to death. There were no witnesses, no clues and no murder weapon and 39 years later, Alison's death still remains unsolved. THE OUTLINES PODCAST ON THE WEB iTunes itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-o…ast/id1325180386 Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theoutlinespodcast Twitter @outlinespodcast Website www.theoutlinespodcast.wordpress.com Facebook The Outlines Podcast FEATURED PODCAST Killafornia Dreaming- https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/killafornia-dreaming-true-crime-tales-from-golden-state/id1250294822?mt=2

When Brett Westwood began a wildlife diary at the age of 15, little did he think that he'd still be writing notes, nearly 40 years later about the same local patch in North Worcestershire. The River Stour has its source in the industrial Black Country and flows through Brett's local patch on its way to the Severn, about 9 miles away. Today, although it is polluted, the river is far clearer than in years gone by, thanks to rigorous controls on pollutants. With their absence, fish have returned and damselflies such as the white-legged damsel which is sensitive to pollution, skim across the surface.

Constable first achieved success (and recognition by the Royal Academy) with his large canvases depicting the Stour Valley, which he exhibited between 1819 and 1825. Working on a scale usually reserved for History painting, Constable redefined the notion of a ‘finished’ picture by giving his large paintings something of the spontaneous freedom and expressive handling of a rapidly painted sketch. During the 1820s Constable was repeatedly occupied with the motif of the Lock – it could be regarded as his favourite subject. In 1824 he exhibited the fifth in his series of six large Stour Valley paintings at the Royal Academy, ‘A boat passing a lock’, which he subsequently called The lock (Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection on loan to the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid). It differed from the previous four large canvases in having a vertical format. Constable made at least two other upright versions of the subject in 1824 (Philadelphia Museum and Art Gallery, and private collection). Then, in this painting, he converted the vertical composition into a horizontal one, extending the scene to the right and varying the action. Here a boat with a sail on its way up the River Stour waits at Flatford Lock. The boat is tied to a post while the lock keeper opens the gates to allow it to enter the lock chamber, to be lifted to the higher water level before continuing its journey up river. Constable created an open composition, with Flatford Bridge and a further lock gate and a barge in the background on the right. He depicted a heavy rainstorm on the left, and included a dog in the foreground at the right. The composition was based on two drawings with a horizontal format, Flatford Lock 1823 and Flatford Lock c.1826 . Constable took the rainstorm from an oil sketch of 1819, Branch Hill Pond, Hampstead (Victoria and Albert Museum, London), which herepeated with variations on several occasions, including Branch Hill Pond, Hampstead Heath, with a boy sitting on a bank c.1825–28 . Sarah Cove, who has undertaken a detailed technical examination of this picture, ‘discovered via X-ray that the arms of the lock keeper were originally raised, as in every previous version of the lock keeper’ (Sarah Cove to Anne Lyles, 12 September 2005, NGA file 04/0501–04). The painting was commissioned in 1826 by the Bond Street picture dealer, print and book publisher, James Carpenter. While working on the commission Constable wrote to Carpenter: ‘I have been at the picture ever since I saw you & it is now all over wet – I was at work on it at 7 o clock this morning – and I should have been at it still’. He added: ‘I wish your picture was as good as Claude Lorraine’ (Beckett IV, p. 138). Two years after painting this work Constable borrowed it back from Carpenter and re-worked it. He then exhibited this painting at the British Institution in 1829 under the title ‘Landscape and Lock’. When he was elected a full member of the Royal Academy in 1829 Constable was expected to present a work to the Academy. Such was the value he placed on this painting that he took it back from Carpenter and presented it to the Academy, depositing 100 guineas with a banker until he compensated Carpenter with a work of the same size.

This was Constable’s last major painting of the Stour Valley, his definitive treatment of a favourite subject, which summed up his personal affection for the place and his lifelong devotion to the example of Claude Lorrain. A relaxing holiday in Suffolk in the autumn of 1827 with his two eldest children had refreshed his associations with the area and may have motivated him to begin painting this work. On 11 June 1828 he wrote to John Fisher that he had ‘Painted a large upright landscape (perhaps my best)’ (Beckett IV, p. 236). Constable depicted the Dedham Vale framed by trees, looking eastwards from Gun Hill, down along the course of the River Stour towards the sea, with the tower of Dedham Church and the village in the middle distance, and Harwich beyond. For this composition he returned to his early painting, Dedham Vale 1802 (Victoria and Albert Museum, London), intensifying the detail of the 1802 study by including the bridge across the river with the Talbooth on the right bank. He added the old stump sprouting new growth in the left foreground as a compositional invention to direct attention to the distant landscape, and as a symbol of regeneration. Constable’s inclusion of the figure of a gypsy mother nursing her child beside a fire has been criticised as a concession to the taste for the Picturesque. Charles Rhyne, however, noted that according to an ordnance survey map a well was located in this area, and that this would have made it a natural camping site for gypsies (C. Rhyne, ‘Constable’s first two six-foot landscapes’, Studies in the History of Art, vol. 24, Washington: National Gallery of Art, 1990, p. 129). Reynolds also noted that gypsies were frequently to be seen in East Anglia and that the inclusion of this detail does not infringe Constable’s rule that only actual or probable figures should appear in his landscape paintings. By including the gypsy mother and child in this painting Constable enlivened the image, with the gypsy’s red cloak providing a contrast to the green of the vegetation. Moreover, Suffolk had been affected by the agricultural depression and social unrest during the 1820s, and the gypsy may reflect the instability of rural life at this time, and Constable’s sympathy with the cause of ordinary people. In his use of a vertical format and in his composition Constable hinted at Claude’s Landscape with Hagar and the Angel 1646, a work he had admired since he first made a copy of it at Sir George Beaumont’s London house around 1800 (Beckett II, p. 24). He saw the way this scene fitted a Claudian pattern and used Claude’s method of suggesting depth through overlapping scenery. In thus paying homage to Claude, Constable also indicated that his own work was worthy of comparison with Claude’s. Leslie Parris and Ian Fleming-Williams have suggested that Beaumont’s gift of Landscape with Hagar and the Angel to the newly opened National Gallery, London, in 1826, and Beaumont’s death in 1827, may have inspired Constable to paint this work as a personal tribute to him and to their shared love of Claude Lorrain (Tate 1976, p. 152). Constable looked at landscape through the art of the past to create his own unique vision. He painted the natural detail of the location in a quite original fashion, using paint brush, palette knife and his fingers to give variety to the application of paint. He used translucent colour to give luminosity to the shadows. He created a sense of the feel of the place – the white-topped clouds suggesting summer sunshine, the flickering leaves indicating wind in the trees, and the light glistening on the ground hinting at rain that has just past. As Timothy Wilcox has observed, ‘the work that had begun in deference to Claude now appears designed to rival him, or even to surpass him’ (Liverpool and Edinburgh 2000, p. 108). The painting was well received at the Royal Academy when Constable exhibited it there in 1828 (as ‘Landscape’). The reviewer for the The Sun provided a narrative reading, observing that ‘A shower has just passed over’, and suggesting that ‘The gleaming water in the distance is inimitable’ (The Sun, 5 May 1828, cit. Ivy 1991, p. 127). Constable subsequently exhibited the painting at the British Institution in 1834 (as ‘The Stour Valley’) when one critic commented: We must consider this picture as one of the best which we remember to have seen from Mr. Constable’s pencil. It is a work of great power both of colour and light and shade, and is executed with considerable freedom and dexterity of execution (The Morning Post, 10 March 1834, cit. Ivy 1991, pp.186–87). More recently Michael Rosenthal has described this work as ‘one of Constable’s greatest paintings’ (Rosenthal 1983, p. 188).