About me: I am a prehistoric site in England consisting of an enormous henge and stone circles surrounding a village of the same name. I am one of the finest and largest Neolithic monuments in Europe dating to around 5000 years ago. I am older and much larger than the megalithic stones of Stonehenge, which is located about 20 miles to the south of me and was probably (my memory fails me...it was so long ago) built by a local king/queen wanting to show my king and queen that they were "more important". Humans are like that....Most of my surviving structure consists of earthworks, known as the dykes. A massive ditch and external bank henge 421 m in diameter and 1.35 km in circumference encloses an area of 115,000 square metres (28.5 acres). The only known comparable sites of similar date (Stonehenge and Flagstones in Dorset) are only a quarter of the size of me. My ditch alone was 21 m wide and 11m deep with its primary fill carbon dated to between 3400 and 2625 BC. Within my henge is a great Outer Circle constituting prehistory's largest stone circle with a diameter of 335 m (1100 ft). This is contemporary with or built around four or five centuries after my earthworks. Originally I had 98 sarsen standing stones some weighing in excess of 40 tons. They varied in height from 3.6 to 4.2 m. Carbon dates from the fills of the stoneholes are 2800 – 2400 BC. Nearer the middle of me are two other, separate stone circles.
My Northern inner ring measures 98 m in diameter although only of two of my standing stones remain with two further, fallen ones. A cove of three stones stood in the middle, its entrance pointing north east.
My Southern inner ring was 108 m in diameter until those Christians destroyed it. Almost all of it has been smashed with sections of its arc now beneath the village buildings. A single large monolith, 5.5 m high, stood in the centre along with an alignment of smaller stones until they were also destroyed in the eighteenth century.
The Stone Avenues
I also have a beautiful avenue of paired stones, the West Kennet Avenue, leading from the south eastern entrance of my henge and traces of a second, the Beckhampton Avenue lead out from the western one. My henge had four entrances, two opposing ones on a north north west- south south east line and two on an east north east- west south west line. Despite being an artificial structure, I was featured on the 2005 TV programme Seven Natural Wonders as one of the wonders of the West Country.
I am currently claimed to be "owned" by the tax avoidance quango known as the "National Trust".
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Hello from Wales, we have just posted up our new video for "ANIMAL" on our myspace profile, www.the-transporters.com and youtube. Please check it out sometime and let us know what you think, good or bad, we always appreciate feedback.
After you've finished here, you may like to hear this folk-carol on myspace... Poem 230 of 230, WalkaboutsVerse (see my blog for details): CHRISTMAS SUNG SIMPLY
As gospellers have said, Beneath signalling skies, On land dusty to tread, A trough in a stable Was the strawy first-bed Of a divine baby - The forgiving Godhead.
A season for new hope - There then and here now; The yuletide of goodwill - There then and here now.
In respect of this chance, Beneath bright or dark skies, Faith's the star that we glance Attending Christ's churches And trying to enhance, With singing and ritual, Our God-loving stance.
Hello from Pontypool! Just wanted to let everyone know that we have posted our latest tune "SIGNS" on our myspace profile. Please check it out sometime and let us know what you think. Also our newly updated WEBSITE www.the-transporters.com is NOW ONLINE. So feel free to go have a nose around (there is a link on our myspace profile). In our media room we have our debut lp "TRANSPORTED" re-available on i-tunes as well as a preview of our follow up lp "MY ESCAPE". Not only that there is a live/folk page and a re-mix/radio page with more new and exclusive tracks. Kisses Grace.x
After you've finished here, you may like to hear this poem sung on myspace...
Poem 162 of 230, WalkaboutsVerse (please see my blog): TEES TO TYNE: FIRST IMPRESSIONS - SUMMER 2001
Where traditions are not so rare; Sea, country and works scent the air; A multitude of monuments, Planted tubs and patterned pavements.
The longish pedestrian malls; The remnants of defensive walls; Historic buildings are a gauge Of the respect for heritage.
Wheat, rape and pines in the fields; Estuaries guarded by shields; Long sandy beaches and wide scenes; Romantic-ruin go-betweens.
Rivers in parts licked by trees, Or fringed by boat clubs, wharfs, gantries, And crossed by practical delights - Varied spans, forming pleasing sights.
Fine churches headed at Durham; Football kits ad infinitum; Kept castles - one for study; Masonry behind masonry.
And, with moulding-works out that way, It’s somewhere for a longer stay..?
After you've finished here, you may like to hear this poem sung on myspace...
Poem 2 of 230, WalkaboutsVerse (please see my blog): WALKABOUT WITH MY PEN
Once drove an old sedan, up north, From a place in Sydney to Cairns; Then to Kuranda I went forth, By train, to look without set plans.
I browsed through the trendy market, With fresh fruits of tropical kind; Walked to the creek through lush thicket - Nature’s hand giving peace of mind.
I dined in a scenic cafe; Then, outside, as I wrote for yen, Some passing Kooris called-out: “Hey, You go walkabout with your pen.”
Request or question, I don’t know - Assured voices, elderly men. That’s now several years ago, And I’ve seen the world - with my pen.
Hey Folks! We're taking a two-week break from our regular release
schedule in honor of the Stanley Cup finals, but we'll be back June 15
with the next track - a bizarre remake of Bo Diddley's Who Do
You Love.
So...to tide you over till then, we've compiled eight videos from
production rehearsals at the Capitol Theater and posted them HERE and HERE. You can also download the audio files
for free (yes, free) from the main Kicksville site HERE. We've been getting a LOT of questions
about when we'll be touring again, so read this week's blog about the Capitol Theater gig for the gory details.
Enjoy the videos and MP3s, and we'll see you in two weeks (Go Penguins!)
‘The Singles – Season 2’ is Kicksville’s most cohesive album, a recording featuring primarily the Kicksville City Council and contributions from members far and wide. But in typical Kicksville fashion, the songs on ‘Season 2’ run the gamut of genres, layered with crazy sounds, organic samples and recorded spoken word from legendary poet John Beecher (grandfather to Commissioner Conrad St. Clair).
This Week: Kalamaya: Tani Diakite, the singer on Kalamaya, is from the Wassoulou region of Mali. The language he's singing in is Bambara (also called Bamanakan), and very roughly translated, Kalamaya means "it's not good to fight." The song was built around Tani's melody and kamale ngoni (African harp, like a cora but smaller), but since Tani makes this stuff up on the fly, the final version is very much Kicksville-ized...there isn't much structure to Tani's open-ended jamming/improv.
And forget about getting him to do the same thing twice ;-)
The Music: Tani's melody is incredibly haunting and beautiful - the main goal when arranging this song was to stay out of its way! Andy Ewen's guitar part (the main riff through the song) really adds a nice touch of old-school R&B, and Chris Huntington's flowing Afro-pop lines in the bridge provide an interesting contrast.
Spice it up with some airy synth textures and a 1974 Buick hubcap strapped on top of a snare drum, and you've got a song!
After you've finished here, you may like to hear this poem sung on myspace...
Poem 2 of 230, WalkaboutsVerse
(please see my blog):
WALKABOUT WITH MY PEN
Once drove an old sedan, up north,
From a place in Sydney to Cairns;
Then to Kuranda I went forth,
By train, to look without set plans.
I browsed through the trendy market,
With fresh fruits of tropical kind;
Walked to the creek through lush thicket -
Nature’s hand giving peace of mind.
I dined in a scenic cafe;
Then, outside, as I wrote for yen,
Some passing Kooris called-out: “Hey,
You go walkabout with your pen. ”
Request or question, I don’t know -
Assured voices, elderly men.
That’s now several years ago,
And I’ve seen the world - with my pen.
May the New Year bring you Peace, Joy & Prosperity in all your endeavors! Many Blessings of Love & Light! Thank you for being my friend~ Blessed be Diana
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