ADW Photography

17 September 2015

Mahmutlar Attacks On Kurdish Businesses - 8 Sept 2015

While the world watched progress of refugees across Europe, my resort in Mahmutlar, Alanya was subjected to terrorist attacks on Kurdish businesses, several being burnt out last week, or otherwise ransacked and trashed. Notes from my diaries.

8 September 2015
Location: Mahmutlar, Alanya, Turkey Map

3am this morning I heard gunshots in the street. Quietly at first, and then, closer and closer, louder and louder followed by sound of car horns and screech of tyres. I understand they are protesting about Turkey's involvement in Syria, and the loss of life on the Turkish side. Some young Turkish soldiers were killed in north eastern Turkey the other day (see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34183797) , by terrorists, they say, and blame Kurdish businesses for supporting those terrorists. I don't know the truth of that, but my inclination is to believe only that these business retail people were doing only what any other business retail people do, and that is to struggle to make a not-easy living.

https://youtu.be/kbjaXWLFWTA this video by Alanya Tv, caption reads translated from the Russian, , "Published on 8 Sep 2015
Some of emissions in Mahmoud's neighborhood was burned by an angry crowd and the Duo." :

8 September late evening.
About 10 mins ago a march of people waving Turkish flags, cars flashing indicators, and tooting horns just went past the apartment. 21:44 local time. They were making a lot of noise peeping horns, shouting slogans, and heading off in direction of centre of Mahmutlar.

9th September
This video below has the caption, "Published on 9 Sep 2015
9th September at 2am . In a sign of the eviction of Kurds from Turkey. From Alanya to Mahmutlar all facilities owned by the Kurds were ..." , appears to have been filmed sometime after the motorcade, and the marchers that preceded the motorcade, went passed our apartment:

Walking about the area later in the day I saw these sights:

Jasmin's Garden restaurant burnt out here in Mahmutlar, near Alanya. Across the road from that an electrical shop has been smashed up.

Walked further down to Barbarossa Street, and to the left, a shop and restaurant both destroyed by fire, by the side of "Dostlar" restaurant.

Over the road a clothing shop and general goods store trashed, later seen advertised for sale. Moving down Barbarossa towards the central gardens, evidence of intermittent shops and restaurants smashed up or that had been put on fire. JJs popular restaurant was OK, but clothing shop opposite, 'Melisa Bazaar' stock was destroyed. Brothers restaurant OK, but general knick knack and gift shop next door attacked and a lot of stock damaged.

It was suggested to me that about 10 restaurants in Alanya and same number in Mahmutlar were attacked last night, in a reprisal against Kurdish run businesses in retaliation for the killing of several young Turkish army/policemen near Azerbaijan border.

Windows smashed in. This is off one of the roads down from Ataturk Cad. Slogan translated reads: "The brotherhood stubborn. Stubborn to Peace"
Nearby, in Baris Cad, a couple more shops smashed up (unphotographed).

10th Sept
A dozen or so vehicles went past the flat about 11:30pm last night in Kargicac direction, beeping horns etc. Later, while I slept, about 1:30 this morning some 50 vehicles collected between the school road and the road by the former Jasmin Garden Restaurant. All flashing lights and beeping horns. Dad said he watched it all. Then when they were all collected up they went off in centre of Mahmutlar direction.

Cycled further down town this morning. A furniture store (image below from video) and a few smaller shops I hadn't seen before, had been trashed/ destroyed, presumably the other night. Some signs of clear up operations. Almost certainly all Kurdish businesses.

Stills, taken from a Russian video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvFA9klNCYs of a drive through the town. Caption reads, translated, "Published on 10 Sep 2015

Morning, September 10, specifically prokatilispo Mahmutlars and made a video. It's not so bad, as many wrote."

Footnotes:
What newcomers will see will be intermittent damaged businesses. Maybe they will wonder what happened there. Maybe they will just blink and just pass by enjoying the sunshine. A few will start searching for more information, and find other videos on YouTube of troubles in this region for many months previous.

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07 August 2015

Cybermen May Have Destroyed Yorkshire Abbeys

A startling old photograph has come to light that shows a cyberman may have had something to do with the destruction of the North Yorkshire Abbey, Rievaulx Abbey.

The photograph, discovered in a boot sale at Calcutt, North Yorkshire, shows a cyberman moving rapidly past the tardis hotly pursued by the Doctor. The scene is played out in front of one of the destroyed buildings. Previously the damage was thought to have been caused by a decree issued by King Henry VIII.

The vendor of the photograph wasn't sure when it came into her families possession. The lady who gave her name as 'Mrs Netherwaite'. She told me, "The photograph was thought to have been kept in an old cellar in her house, that had been in her paternal family home for hundreds of years, but as far she was aware there were no more in her cellar."

It is thought that the government of the time may have covered up a cyberman attempted takeover of the planet, so as not to alarm the general populace. But the story put out was even more fantastical. They claimed that King Henry VIII was upset by the Pope, and had issued a decree in 1538 that the abbeys had to be dissolved. At that time there were reported to be 72 buildings occupied by an abbot and 21 monks at Rievaulx.

Speculation is now mounting that the secretive Cistercian monks may have dabbled in a previously unknown photographic process.

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31 July 2015

Black Squirrels in Houghton Regis

I suppose people who live there are accustomed to black squirrels, but I think this is the first time I've ever seen them. Two were darting about on this tree that is close to a roof in Dell Close, Houghton Regis when I spotted them this afternoon.

Another place to look is 'Rabbit Lane', the cycle/footpath that runs from Cemetery Road to Porz Avenue on the western side of Houghton Hall Park. I've seen one there is November 2016, although it scurried away before I could get my camera ready.

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30 July 2015

Whitby Revisited

Taken in August 2010, I've just been having a look at the amazing Picsart App for Windows. I must say I am impressed with myself.

Compressed images for web.

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28 June 2015

Tilia Park, Houghton Regis

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17 June 2015

Wildlife Beside Old Bus Link

Took these by the side of the old Bus Link - Houghton Regis to Lewsey Farm - this afternoon.

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06 April 2015

Houghton Regis Chalk Pit in Spring

Houghton Regis Chalk Pit is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Locate on Google Maps.

Access is via Lake View, Houghton Road, LU5 5AZ. A footpath runs from the west of Lake View between the fishing lake and the chalk pit. About 200mtrs along the footpath is the pedestrian kissing gate entrance to the Chalk Pit. Wear boots, as it can be muddy. There are no facilities for toilets and access for disabled is very difficult.

The site is managed by Wildlife Trusts on behalf of Bovis Homes. A five-year Management Plan expiring in 2016 was part of the agreement for Tilia Park development.

Find out more about Wildlife Trust here: http://www.wildlifebcn.org/

On today's spring walk, the first thing of interest I saw was this frog. (Yellow primroses were out too, but to me, they're just common garden plants!)

It doesn't matter how many times I walk around the Chalk Pit, it never seizes to make me think what a beautiful and amazing place it is, and it's right here on the edge of my town, just waiting for the moment when you need to unwind and take it all in in its great majesty.