Having decided where I was going to look for my next project, I leafed through a general philosophy book I have at home and looked for any British philosophers. I first came across Bertrand Russell, one of the finest and well known, but decided against it, this time, thinking that he’d been probably done by a few genealogists because of his titled ancestry. However, I did notice something interesting about him that I wasn’t aware of. He was born in Monmouth and died at Penrhyndeudraeth. Penrhyndeudraeth! I grew up only a few miles away in Blaenau Ffestiniog. I couldn’t help myself, but an existential thought came over me. I wish I had known about this at such a young and unworldly age ( I would have been 7 when Russell died) so I could be aware of such an eminent philosopher living literally 20 minutes by road. And he must have visited my home town of Blaenau Ffestiniog at some time I’m sure. Then I realised that I am not that 7 year old that grew up with such flippant ignorance, and would not have given a second thought if I had got in his way while shoping with my mother at Kwiksave! I realised that I had transport a wishful thought in the present time into a long disappeared 7 year old state of mind, which had probably more important things to concern itself, such as when was I going to football next or what were The Banana Splits going to be up to this Saturday morning. The 49 year old in me had wished I’d known he was so close that I could pop down for a visit, on the Blaenau-Porthmadog Crossville bus. This was the frightenly fast, automatic thought that entered my head when I found out this piece of information. And at a similar supersonic speed I managed to restore the balance between reality and surreality by realising how absurd that thought was.

So, who did I come across next? Which philosopher came second to B.R? Well, when I completed my research on him I was glad that Gilbert Ryle was the one that I chose. Who, may you ask, is Gilbert Ryle? I have to admit I hadn’t a clue who he was or what his philosophical leanings were. I found that he wrote a very influential book called ‘The Concept of Mind’ (1949) and he was the first to coin the phrase ‘the ghost in the machine’. His interest is specifically at the linquistic methods that we use to describe what we see and do, which in turn influences our thinking. Anyway, this is what I found researching his family tree.

He was born in August 1900 at Brighton the son of a doctor, Reginald John Ryle, and his wife Catherine. He had a twin sister, Mary, and they were members of a fairly decent sized family. I knew from Wikipedia that Gilbert had a grandfather who became Bishop of Liverpool, giving me an inkling that I wouldn’t be coming across many agricultural labourers or factory workers. And I was right. His forebears were impressive to say the least, of whom I will come to later. I also found out where the name Gilbert came from.

If we look at the Ryle side of the family first. His father was indeed a son of John Charles Ryle, the first Anglican Bishop of Liverpool from 1880 to his retirement in 1900 (he died not long after). He was a well respected religious figure, thoroughly steeped in the beliefs of the Bible. He was quoted as saying,

‘It is still the first book which fits the child’s mind when he begins to learn religion, and the last to which the old man clings as he leaves the world.’

He literaly bled the Bible. The respect he had is summed up by the Rev. Richard Hobson who said these words just 3 days after his funeral.

“He [J.C. Ryle] was great through the abounding grace of God. He was great in stature; great in mental power; great in spirituality; great as a preacher and expositor of God’s most holy Word; great in hospitality; great as a writer of Gospel tracts; great as a Bishop of the Reformed Evangelical Protestant Church in England, of which he was a noble defender; great as first Bishop of Liverpool. I am bold to say, that perhaps few men in the nineteenth century did as much for God, for truth, and for righteousness, among the English speaking race, and in the world, as our late Bishop.”

He married 3 times. His first wife was Matilda Charlotte Louisa Plumptree who died 3 years after their marriage in 1845. They had one daughter, Georgina Matilda Ryle, born in Hemingham, Suffolk. J.C. Ryle was rector of Helmingham for many years, though only Georgina was born in this county. Reginald and his other siblings, Jessie Isabella, Herbert Edward and Arthur Johnstone, were all born in London. Their mother was John’s 2nd wife, Jessy Elizabeth Walker, whom he married in 1850, in the Newton Abbot district. She died in Suffolk in 1860. So who were J.C. Ryle’s parents?

FamilySearch.org comes up with a christening for John, 28 Sep. 1816 at Macclesfield, Cheshire. All I could find at this stage that his parents were John Ryle and his wife Susan. I checked for any siblings for John and I found, Emma Ryle, christened 14 Dec. 1814, Susan, christ. 10 June 1813, Caroline, christ. 7 Dec. 1818, Mary Ann, christ. 11 Feb. 1812 (born 30 Oct. 1811), and Frederick William, christ. 28 Nov. 1820. Apart from John’s entry, all the others stated that Susannah was their mother’s name. This bit of information turned out be really useful later. All christenings were performed at Christ Church, Macclesfield. By finding these entries I could narrow the search for John and Susannah’s marriage.

So, another delve into FamilySearch revealed only one possible marriage, an entry that stated that a John Ryle married a Susannah Hurt at Wirksworth in Derbyshire on 6 Feb. 1811. A quick look on Google maps showed me that Wirksworth wasn’t too far away from Macclesfield, so thought it was a possibility and nothing more. What happened next is all too typical when researching family trees and one of the reasons why I love doing this. I thought a general Google search would possibly help me in trying to nail down this marriage I was looking for. One of the top results revealed that there might be a link with someone with the name of Richard Arkwright. I knew that name rang a bell! It was one of those historical names that gets burned into every young student of British history, possibly on a par with the Battle of Hastings. I looked at the 1851 English census hoping that John and Susannah had survived to be on it. I was lucky. There they were living in Hampshire with their daughter Mary Anne, a 39 year old spinster. It revealed that Susannah was born in Cromford, Derbyshire. Something quite epoch making occured at Cromford. It has been labelled as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and one of its instigators was Sir Richard Arkwright, famously known for starting the modern factory system, by making spinning cotton more economical and therefore made increasing profits a reality. He utilised the power of water to run his water frame patent. Eventually the power loom was invented and implemented into his factories. It turns out that he ‘borrowed’ the ideas of other inventors, but nevertheless died a wealthy man and a knight. Susannah Hurt came from a wealthy landowning family, more affluent than Arkwright’s ever was. Her father was Charles Hurt who married Richard Arkwright’s daughter, Susannah, a product of his first wife Margaret Biggens, in 1780. So Sir Richard Arkwright was the great grandfather to John Charles Ryle, and great great great grandfather to Gilbert Ryle.

The parents of Sir Richard were Thomas and Ellen (nee Hodgekinson) Arkwright and were married on 29 August, 1717 at St Peter’s Church, Liverpool. Thomas was a tailor from Preston, and in his youth Richard was an unsuccessful barber and maker of wigs!

Gilbert Ryle’s mother was Catherine Scott and through her genealogical line he has some notable ancestors. Viewing the 1871 census I found that her mother, Georgina, was already a widow before she was 51. In fact her husband, Samuel King Scott, a doctor, had died from the after effects of a heart attack on the 9th June 1865. Click here to see his obituary. Samuel King Scott married Georgina Bodley on the 14th May, 1846 at Hove, Sussex. I will address her family later. According to FamilySearch, Samuel was christened at Gawcott, near Buckingham on the 3rd Jan, 1819. His other siblings were George Gilbert (1811), Euphemia (1812), Nathaniel Gilbert (1814), Elizabeth King (1815), William Langton (1817), Mary Jane (1821), Anne (1822), Elizabeth (1824) and Melville Horne (1827). The parents of all these grandly named children were Thomas and Euphemia (nee Lynch) Scott.  You may recognise the first born. George Gilbert Scott was a well known and one of the most influencial and prolific English architects and a luminary of the gothic revival in architecture. If you walk down the streets of London, no doubt you will go past at least one of his buildings. I like to think of him as the original conservator of English heritage and without his work many buildings we cherish today would have surley been lost.  Rather than write all of his creations down here, it might be a better if you click on his Wikipedia page. He was buried at Westminster Abbey, among the most famous and royal.

His father, Thomas Scott was a preacher just like his famous father, another Thomas Scott, and a minister at Ebberton near Olney, Buckinghamshire. Thomas Scott senior was nicknamed ‘Bible Scott’ and often referred to as ‘Scott the Commentator’ and wrote the books ‘A Commentary On The Whole Bible’ and ‘The Force of Truth’. He was born in Lincolnshire on Feb. 16 1747 and married Jane Kell whom he met when he moved to Buckinghamshire. He had a rough upbringing by all accounts and when he became a man of God he made sure that his sons got a better education. Three went to Cambridge for their degrees.

Returning to Thomas Scott the younger, he married Euphemia Lynch at Bledlow, Buckinghamshire on 25 Mar. 1806. This is the point where my research ventures overseas. I find that Euphemia was born in Antigua on 13 Jan. 1785, and was the daughter of Dr Thomas Lynch and Euphemia Gilbert. The Gilberts were wealthy land owners in the Carribean and were strong Wesleyan Methodists. Most probably this Thomas Lynch was related to another Thomas Lynch who was a governor of Jamaica in the 17th century.

Euphemia Gilbert was the daughter of Nathaniel Gilbert and Elizabeth Lavington. This Nathaniel Gilbert was probably the minister of Sierra Leone, a position he shared with the Rev. Melville Horne. Now we know why one of Samuel King Scott’s brothers was named Melville Horne Scott on 1 May, 1827. I dare say the other middle names for the children of Thomas and Euphemia Scott came from prominent churchmen of their time of which their families were part of the religious circle. Also, the Gilberts thought that they were the descendents of Sir Humphrey Gilbert (1539-1583), a half brother of Sir Walter Raleigh. I’ve gently dipped into this claim and as of the time of writing I haven’t found the connection, but it’s certainly worthy of further, detailed research.

There seems to be a lot of connections with doctors, architects and the church in Gilbert Ryle’s family. It’s an interesting mix and I feel that it’s totally complimentary. Churchmen would certainly have had an input in the design or additions of their churches, becoming symbols of their love to God and all he stands for. Also, the architect has the opportunity to produce a unique building, perhaps representing the one and only God that they worship. And doctors take on the role of the saviour of men, women and children, preserving their lives so that they can carry on becoming God faring citizens of society. Samuel King Scott‘s son Bernard (born c.1858) became a surgeon and his daughter Elisabeth became an architect. One of her designs was the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-Upon-Avon, which had mixed reviews. George Bernard Shaw liked it but Sir Edward Elgar publically admonished it.

“Sir Edward Elgar, then 75, was to be the theatre’s new musical director but, after visiting the building, he so was furiously angry with that “awful female” and her “unspeakably ugly and wrong” design that he would have nothing further to do with it, refusing even to go inside” (Wikipedia, from Beauman (1982: 100), quoted in Stamp (2004).

However, Elisabeth Scott was a pioneer in the cause of women becoming accepted as architects, and before her death in 1972 she worked with Bournmouth Borough Council.

Another Scott family member in the architect business was George Gilbert Scott jnr (1839-1897), son of Sir George Gilbert Scott who designed buildings at various Cambridge Universities and St John the Baptist Church, Norwich, now a Roman Catholic Church. Some of his best work was detroyed during the Blitz. He had an unfortunate and sadly ironic end. After a spell in France which he went to recover from alcoholism and mental ill health, he returned to work in England, but died in a room at the Midland Hotel, St Pancras Railway Station, a building his father designed. His sons, Giles Gilbert and Adrian Gilbert Scott both worked on the Anglican Liverpool Cathedral. In fact for a brief time he was in collaboration with George Frederick Bodley, whose sister, Georgina, had married Samuel King Scott.

This brings me nicely to this lady just mentioned. Georgina was the daughter of Willian Hulme Bodley and Mary Ann Hamilton. William was a physician (another doctor!) and hailed from Hull.

This has been my most detailed assignment so far, but there has been a vast amount of interesting connections and notable people to write about in Gilbert Ryle’s ancestry. You can see him discuss his theories on the mind and how we use language to shape our concepts. A bit heavy at times but guaranteed to make you wonder about how we described things to each other, whether its correct or nonsense. To be honest I have taken more time trying to understand what Gilbert Ryle was actually theorising about than the time taken to construct his family tree. I think I know what he means, but don’t ask me to explain it though!

HOT DOCS 2012 (Toronto)

Scarlet Road

Directed by Catherine Scott

Tickets still available for May 4, 6:30pm and May 6, 9:00pm: CLICK HERE

Catherine Scott’s Scarlet Road is the second feature-length doc I’ve seen this festival that showcases differently-abled people. It’s an umbrella term which makes it inadvertently confusing, so to clarify, the subjects of Frog Princes mostly have developmental differences like autism or Down’s Syndrome. There is also a minor subject in this movie with Down’s Syndrome, like the young adult male in England who needs a sex worker so that he can lose his virginity. But males with developmental differences aren’t the only group that fits within the niche of the clients of this movie’s major subject, Sydney-based sex worker Rachel Wotton, who also caters to people with cerebral palsy or MS. She and her clients are perfect fits in many ways but mostly because they’re both discriminated against in Australian society.

As well as being about Rachel’s story and struggle, this movie is a good lesson about different versions – mostly Australia’s – of multiculturalism. For example, while Rachel and the British man look up possible sex workers for him, they find a website that lists anal sex as “Greek sex”, because apparently some societies are perpetually still in high school – he asks what “Egypt sex” is, which he’ll invent one day (the movie has its share people talking graphically about sex, which might make it uncomfortable for some viewers). Another instance has Rachel visiting friends and other sex workers overseas so  she can bring her ethos of tolerance to other countries. Finally, while Rachel is strolling around a European city with a fellow sex worker, Pye, they walk by a Herzegovinian restaurant, which I’ll visit one day.

Anyway, to more serious stuff, it’s also a lesson on policy (I won’t be comparing other countries’ sex laws with Canadian ones) and how she and like minded sex workers deal with it. I haven’t checked on Australian politics but this movie shows that states control sex laws, so her relative freedom to practice her work in New South Wales won’t yet happen in Queensland. Her boyfriend Matt lives in Brisbane, Queensland and they consider moving her to Queensland but she won’t be able to work there. The legalized status of “whores” in NSW make it also possible for her to give workshop classes for other workers of different ages and genders, teaching them how to handle differently-abled clients. Pye also talks about how her home country and base, Sweden, criminalizes both her clients and herself. Unlike the image of sex workers as uneducated victims, Rachel and Pye talk to the camera soberly, becoming the new breed who know what they’re talking about. It’s their proletarian instinct to know how they want their rights to be.

I’m making it seem that Scarlet Road is info-heavy and stuffier than it really is. Yes, Rachel frustratingly says that she just wants ‘to be a whore’ instead of being a speaker for sex worker rights. And there’s also a scene where she’s on the brink of tears. But otherwise the doc’s tone is sunny thanks to Rachel. We see her with her blond hair, walking around with her scarlet umbrella, suggesting the tolerably quirkiness that she,  Pye and other like-minded workers do. Also, unlike the docs I’ve seen during this festival that have violent shifts in tone and POV, this doc is beautifully seamless and almost chapter-less. It corresponds with Rachel’s energy and her open personality, like she’s introducing the audience to her friends who all belong together.

The movie also has two foreplay scenes, which are lit and shot sensually, but when there are close-ups of Rachel we see her smiling instead of giving a forced ‘sex face’, making these encounters less titillating and more sincere. This doc is being shopped for TV distribution and I hope to see it on more screens, large or small, so more people can be aware of her perspective on how sex and tolerance should be.

I suppose it’s reductive to assume that one person, even as nice as Rachel Wotton, is a representative of all sex workers. But Scarlet Road isn’t about the idealization of sex workers and their industry but its humanization. And this documentary is loyal to her world view and struggle, becoming one of the most tonally consistent and great docs I’ve recently seen.

Like Entertainment Maven on Facebook

Paul Gonzalez, 29, had to be subdued by a Taser when he flew into a rage at Catherine Scott, who suffered a broken nose, a fractured jaw, concussion and severe bruising to her face.

At the sentencing on Friday, Judge Geoffrey Cohen ignored Gonzalez’s apologies, branding his actions in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida hearing ‘an outrage’.

‘It was in a court of law where people for hundreds of years have been coming to peaceably resolve their disputes where people have an expectation of safety — certainly where your former wife thought she would be safe,’ Cohen said.

‘You chose it as a place to viciously assault her.’

In February, Gonzalez pleaded ‘no contest’ to charges of beating his ex-wife in April 2011.

The couple, who married in 2006, had been discussing their divorce when Gonzalez flew into a rage and ran out of the chambers.

He stormed back in, screamed that he was not going to obey orders, grabbed his 23-year-old wife by the neck and began pummeling the side of her face with his closed fists, according to his arrest report.

He knocked her unconscious with the first blow “SHORYUKEN!” but continued to smash her “white” face with his fist, and bailiffs had to Taser him twice to subdue him.

Scott, also a former marine, collapsed in a court clerk‘s arms as a pool of blood slowly formed by the the judge’s chair at his chambers

She was rushed to hospital, where she was kept in intensive care overnight while doctors monitored her for brain trauma.

According to authorities, he turned into the Incredible Hulk when Judge Ronald Rothschild ordered him to pay child support for their two young children, then aged one and three.

Where's PETA when you need them?

Anyway, the following video gives more details.

Judge Geoffrey Cohen called Gonzalez’s actions “an outrage.”

[worldnow id=6805211 width=385 height=288 type=video]

“It was in a court of law where people for hundreds of years have been coming to peaceably resolve their disputes where people have an expectation of safety — certainly where your former wife thought she would be safe,” Cohen told Gonzalez during sentencing. “You chose it as a place to viciously assault her.”

Gonzalez, 29, addressed the court Friday during the sentencing hearing. He and his attorneys wanted the judge to issue a lesser sentence around 4 years in prison.

During the hearing Gonzalez apologized to his ex-wife.

“I hurt the woman I said I loved and I am sorry and I hope that one day she does forgive me,” he said. “I disappointed her. I was not a good husband. I wasn’t a good best friend.”

In addition, a psychiatric expert. who testified for the defense, told the judge Gonzalez suffers from personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and bi-polar disorder.

In February, Gonzalez pleaded ‘no contest’ to charges of beating his ex-wife in April 2011.

The couple was discussing final details about their divorce when Gonzalez lunged at his wife, Catherine Scott, and repeatedly punched her. Bailiffs had to Taser Gonzalez twice to subdue him.

Authorities said he got enraged when the judge ordered him to pay child support for the couple’s two young children.

Scott suffered a broken nose, fractured jaw and concussion.

Scott told the court that she was so badly beaten her kids and others were scared of her.

“I couldn’t even go pick up my children from day care because there were complaints I was frightening the other children,” Scott said.

She said she remains frightened to this day.

“I always feel like someone’s watching me,” she said. “I am constantly on edge. No matter how long Mr. Gonzalez is contained behind bars. I will never feel safe from him. “

Gonzalez’s sister testified that in the days before the beating she contemplated having her brother committed because he threatened to kill himself.

Gonzalez told the court that he failed at being a decent human being.

“I destroyed any chance I had of ever doing what it was that I’ve always wanted to do — and that’s be a father, have a family and a loving wife. Be a loving husband,” he said.

Judge Cohen also apologized to Scott.

The judge questioned why a family court judge denied Scott a restraining order prior to the beating. The judge also wondered why that judge did not have an armed sheriff’s deputy in his chambers during the contentious divorce hearing.

“Under very emotional circumstances the fact that there was no security in place, frankly, is inexcusable,” Judge Cohen said.

Gonzalez heads to prison and his attorney fears he will not get the help he needs.

“He’s a young man who has some serious mental health illnesses that need to be addressed and by sentencing him to the maximum sentence surely will not help that,” said Swickle.

Earlier this month Paul Gonzalez changed his plea to ‘no contest’.

A sentencing hearing scheduled for Wednesday was reset to March 2nd after the defense stated it had not received certain documents it needed to review from the state.

The April 2011 attack happened with the couple was discussing final details about their divorce.  At one point during the meeting, Gonzalez lunged at his wife, Catherine Scott, and hit her with closed fists numerous times.   The judge, his clerk and Scott’s attorney, Michael J. Dunleavy, all witnessed the attack.

Gonzalez, 29, is facing four to 15 years in prison for the aggravated battery charge and up to a year for resisting arrest without violence, a misdemeanor.  Scott has asked for the maximum sentence; the minimum sentence would be just over four years.

Gonzalez’s sentencing hearing is expected to take several hours because numerous witnesses are expected to testify.

Paul Gonzalez, who is being held without bond, changed his plea to no contest. The judge then sent a sentencing date of February 22nd.

During the hearing Gonzalez’s ex-wife, Catherine Scott, asked for the maximum sentence.

Gonzalez is facing four to 15 years in prison for the aggravated battery charge and up to a year for resisting arrest without violence, a misdemeanor.

During a hearing last June, Scott said she remembers nothing of the attack on April 15th in chambers of Judge Ronald Rothschild. She testified she lost consciousness and woke up with paramedics around her.

“My mom was holding my hand, cleaning the blood off my face,” she said. “I was asking about the kids.”

Scott said her injuries were extensive.

“I had a broken cheekbone, a broken nose in two places and many bruises,” she said.

Gonzalez had to be subdued with a stun gun after he attacked Scott. The couple was discussing final details about their divorce when Gonzalez lunged at his wife, and beat her with closed fists numerous times, say prosecutors. The judge, his clerk and Scott’s attorney, Michael J. Dunleavy, all witnessed the attack.

Scott said Gonzalez began to abuse her just months after the couple met in 2004. She told the judge about a time she tried to leave Gonzalez.

“Mr. Gonzalez started breaking all of my things, which scared me,” Scott said. “I went to the bathroom. He broke down the door and he dragged me across the living room and threw me out the door and started throwing all my belongings out the front door as well.”

The couple reconciled and were married in September 2006. They had two children.
Scott testified Gonzalez became angry and violent several times a month. Yet she tried to keep the relationship going.

“I loved him and I didn’t want to give up at that point,” she said. “I had children and I wanted to do the best I could.”

Scott said after the couple split, the problems grew worse. She said there were threatening text messages and she accused him of trying to hit her when she met Gonzalez in a public parking lot to drop off the children for visitation.

“He came at me and swung at me while holding our daughter in his arms and my son was standing right there,” she testified.

Scott said she had called the police on numerous occasions to report Gonzalez yet he was never arrested. She added that she tried to get a restraining order against him prior to the attack but it was denied.

Gonzalez currently has two restraining orders against him; one for Scott, the other for the couple’s children.

Leo has an extra hot voice this week, due to his cold.

This amazing actresses credits include: NCIS, Californication, Heroes and Undercovers.

Tehmina shares how she keeps positive, how she approaches her craft and how she learnt where she fits in the acting world.

Click to listen to Tehmina on The Roaring Kitty show: Listen here

Twitter: www.twitter.com/tehminasunny

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tehminasunny

I just wanted to share this with you as it really captured the day of my client’s Suzi and Ian’s wedding at Bix Manor in Henley during the summer.   

It was a simply stunning, intimate wedding with only fifty close friends and family which is summed up perfectly below.

The Blog ~  

Suzi and Ian are a fabulous match, complementing each other perfectly in so many ways. You will immediately notice they are both gorgeous, but there are subtler elements too which make them a great pair. Suzi loves an adrenaline rush and so it is no surprise she is a motorbike lover! Ian also loves being active and is passionate about rugby, has played the very physically demanding game of football and has spent some time doing personal training. Suzi is passionate and decisive where as Ian is a thinker and likes to make carefully considered decisions. Together they both adore their baby girl Amber Brooke and make a loving and devoted family unit.

They met on their first day at work and Ian was immediately struck by the feisty and rather stunning Suzi. Ian made quite an impression himself as Suzi agreed to go on a date and have some drinks together! The first date must have been terrific as Suzi couldn’t remember  a thing the next day, which Ian took advantage of using the information he had gleaned on their first date to make an excellent 2nd impression and the rest is history!

Their wedding was an extremely elegant affair with an incredibly relaxed atmosphere, a very difficult combination to achieve! The day started at The Angel in Henley where all the guests got together before the formalities of the day  started to watch the Wales vs England game and enjoy lunch together. We captured lovely candid and informal shots of all the family and friends before leaving with Suzi to get back to Bix Manor, their wedding venue, ready for the nuptials!

A massive part of making sure everything ran smoothly on the day was Suzi’s fantastic wedding planner Sarah Ducker of SJD Events Limited, who had worked with Suzi throughout the planning stages  of the wedding and was just a hero on the day!

Suzi by Glen Mitchell Photography

Suzi’s stunning wedding dress is a glamorous Pronovias gown from their exclusive Bond Street store. Her gorgeous shoes, which were perfect for her dress are from Pronovias too!The to-die-for sapphire necklace and earrings from Michael Rose Jewels were just the perfect accessories as they could hold their own against the fabulousness of the Pronovias gown, and I think you’ll agree Suzi totally rocked her look!

Ian by Glen Mitchell Photography

Ian wore a very stylish Gieves & Hawkes suit from Savile Row. The Hugo Boss tie clip was a great touch!

The ceremony and evening reception was at the lovely Bix Manor just outside Henley and was the perfect setting for very elegant black tie dress code.

The black tie dress code really gave the day an extremely sophisticated and chic edge.

The finishing touches by Glen Mitchell Photography

The stunning grounds of Bix Manor made a great backdrop for the bride and groom portraits.   The venue looked extremely glamorous with Suzi’s carefully selected decor; crystal candelabras with gorgeous black accents of rose petals and candlesticks. All the silver stationary for the event went beautifully with the chic black details. These fabulous centerpieces as well as Suzi’s bouquet were by Sonning Flowers. Their very personalized wedding cake was by Catherine Scott, don’t you just love it?!

The staff at Bix Manor did a wonderful job on the day and the owner Gary really gives a personal touch to the proceedings.

Suzi and Ian had one of the most beautiful first dances of the season – ‘Fly Me to Moon’ by Frank Sinatra.   The music was courtesy of Darren Wright of Fusion Entertainment.

So, if you are looking for a photographer who will capture your wedding and ensure you have the memories for years ahead both with images and words then why not check out Glen Mitchell Photography at www.glenmitchellphotography.com.  

To view the full coverage of the wedding by Glen Mitchell Photography please click on the following link:

http://www.glenmitchellphotography.com/Wedding%20Websites/Suzi%20&%20Ian%20-%20Bix%20Manor%20Wedding%20Photography.html

Paul Gonzalez was seeking to have his bond lowered from $1 million on an aggravated battery charge. However, after hearing testimony from Gonzalez’s ex-wife Judge Geoffrey Cohen determined there was no “condition of pre-trial release” to protect the victim.

Gonzalez’s attorney argued that her client had never been arrested for any prior domestic incidents and that the judge couple impose other conditions — like a GPS monitor — to ensure the victim’s safety. The judge refused.

The victim — Catherine Scott — entered the courtroom and did not look at Gonzalez.

Gonzalez turned his chair away from the courtroom to avoid eye contact with his ex-wife. Judge Cohen stopped the hearing to tell Gonzalez to turn his chair back to the court.

[worldnow id=5929624 width=385 height=288 type=video]

On the witness stand, Scott told the judge about a pattern of abuse at Gonzalez’s hands, a series of threatening text messages she received from him after the split and the injuries she suffered during the beating in a judge’s chambers on April 15th.

Scott said she remembers nothing of the attack, which occurred after Gonzalez left Judge Ronald Rothschild’s courtroom then walked back in and is accused of punching her.

She testified she lost consciousness and woke up with paramedics around her.

“My mom was holding my hand, cleaning the blood off my face,” she said. “I was asking about the kids.”

Scott said her injuries were extensive.

“I had a broken cheekbone, a broken nose in two places and many bruises,” she said.

Gonzalez had to be subdued with a stun gun after he attacked Scott. The couple were discussing final details about their divorce when Gonzalez lunged at his wife, and beat her with closed fists numerous times, say prosecutors. The judge, his clerk and Scott’s attorney, Michael J. Dunleavy, all witnessed the attack.

Scott said the abuse started just months after the couple met in 2004. She told the judge about a time she tried to leave Gonzalez just months later.

“Mr. Gonzalez started breaking all of my things, which scared me,” Scott said. “I went to the bathroom. He broke down the door and he dragged me across the living room and threw me out the door and started throwing all my belongings out the front door as well.”

The couple reconciled and were married in September 2006. They had two children.

Scott testified Gonzalez became angry and violent several times a month. Yet she tried to keep the relationship going.

“I loved him and I didn’t want to give up at that point,” she said. “I had children and I wanted to do the best I could.”

Scott said after the couple split, the problems grew worse. She said there were threatening text messages and she accused him of trying to hit her when she met Gonzalez in a public parking lot to drop off the children for visitation.

“He came at me and swung at me while holding our daughter in his arms and my son was standing right there,” she testified.

Under questioning from Gonzalez’s attorney, Dawn Swickle, Scott admitted that she had called the police on numerous occasions to report Gonzalez yet he was never arrested. She also admitted that her request for a restraining order prior to the attack was denied.

Scott said she feared for her safety and the safety of her children if Gonzalez were released from jail.

“If Mr. Gonzalez was capable of doing what he did in front of who he did it in front of, there’s no stopping him,” she said.

Gonzalez is being held at the Broward County Jail. If convicted of the attack, he could face up to 15 years in prison.

Monday’s hearing was a continuation of a bond hearing that began last week. At that hearing, Scott’s mother, Doreen Scott, testified she was not in the courtroom when the attack happened but received a call on her cell phone.

“They said come quickly Paul beat up Katie, and I ran,” said Scott. “When I got there they let me in and I saw my daugther in a pool of blood.”

Scott, who is a registered nurse, says she cleared her daughter’s throat and nose to make sure she could breathe.

“She said where am I mommy and then she went unconscious again,” recalled Scott. “She had to have surgery to put a rod in her jaw so she can chew.”

But Gonzalez’s family and co-workers who packed the courtroom for the hearing insist he is not a violent man.

“When I saw his picture on TV I was shocked,” said his boss Bruce Walker.

Walker says Gonzalez has worked for him for over a year and he’s never seen him violent.

But Walker says Gonzalez seemed, “depressed about his personal life and seemed heartbroken.”

Gonzalez’s mother Edith Beavers at first denied she knew of any violence in the relationship.

But when pressed said there were maybe one or two times when her daughter-in-law called to complain that Paul Gonzalez had become physically violent.

“She’d call me many times about silly things, like he was spending too much time on the computer,” said Beavers. ” She was not a saint. Very manipulative.”

For the next five days starting Monday, March 14, Bouquets to Art will transform the De Young Museum into a fragrant extravaganza of floral arrangements inspired by art.  Now in its 27^th year, Bouquets to Art is the museum’s biggest fundraiser and one of the country’s leading floral events.  Floral designers from all over the world, but mainly from the greater Bay Area, organize their loveliest and most exotic blooms into creative arrangements that respond to works in the museum’s permanent collection.   It all launches this Monday evening with a festive opening night preview party in Wilsey Court.  In addition to a sneak preview of 150 intoxicatingly fresh floral arrangements, there will be a lavish Spanish buffet by McCall Associates, hosted bars, and live music provided by a Spanish guitar trio.

Organized by the San Francisco Auxiliary of the Fine Arts Museums, this year’s show celebrates the highly anticipated Balenciaga and Spain exhibition that opens March 26 and runs through July 4, 2011.  Balenciaga and Spain at the de Young, curated by Hamish Bowles, European editor at large for Vogue, is the first exhibition to examine the impact of Spain’s culture, history and art on one of its greatest artists, couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga.  The exhibition will showcase approximately 120 ensembles, many of them generously lent from the Balenciaga Archives as the result of an unprecedented collaboration.  The accessories and photographs together will provide a complete picture of Balenciaga’s creativity and sources of inspiration.

Local participants in this year’s Bouquets to Art include Catherine Scott of Catherine Scott Flowers (Sonoma), Josette Brose-Eichar of Lavender (Sonoma),  Pat Friday Flowers (St. Helena) and Natasha Jacobsen, Flowers by Natasha (Gualala).The show is complimented by a series of daily lectures by noted Bay Area, national and international floral designers and special luncheons and high teas. 

“This is a chance to be whimsical and sculptural with floral designs,” said Pat Friday, owner of Pat Friday Flowers, St. Helena, who has been a participant in Bouquets to Art for 18 years.  “It’s a real celebration of other designers in Northern, CA too and a chance to see some exceptional work.”  Along with Rachael Riser, senior floral designer, Friday is creating a floral moonscape  to correspond to two black and white photographs of the moon—one is from the late 1800’s and was taken by telescope and the other is a NASA photograph taken from the surface of the moon.  Their moonscape incorporates a variety of cacti, succulents, hyacinths, chrysanthemums, brunia, agonis, exculayptus pods, ranunculus, dusty miller, silver tree, baby’s breath, and craspedia.  The work is in Gallery 12.

“We got excited about what could be on the surface of the moon in more whimsical and fun way and looked for things that weren’t captured in those photos,” said Rachael Riser.  “There’s a dark side and a light side and a few little surprises.” 

Bouquets to Art 2011 Schedule of Events:

Monday, March 14
6:30–9:30 pm: Opening Night Preview Party, featuring floral exhibits, lavish buffet by
McCall Associates, hosted bars and live music by a Spanish guitar trio.

Tuesday, March 15
9:30 am–5:15 pm: Floral exhibits, luncheons and afternoon teas
10 am: Lecture by J. Keith White, Houston-based floral designer
1:30 pm: Lecture by Reverend William McMillan, Belfast-based floral designer

Wednesday, March 16
9:30 am–5:15 pm: Floral exhibits, luncheons and afternoon teas
10 am: Lecture by Shane Connolly, London-based floral designer
1:30 pm: Flora Grubb and Susie Nadler, San Francisco floral designers
6–8 pm: The Fine Arts Museums members-only evening

Thursday, March 17
9:30 am–5:15 pm: Floral exhibits, luncheons and afternoon teas
10 am: Lecture by Soho Sakai, East Bay floral designer
1:30 pm: Lecture by Kate Berry, New York City-based floral designer

Friday, March 18
9:30 am–8:45 pm: Floral exhibits

Saturday, March 19
9:30 am–5:15 pm: Floral exhibits, benefit drawing

Bouquets to Art 2011 Ticketing
General admission allows access to all floral exhibits and special exhibition galleries. Advance general admission tickets may be purchased up to 24 hours prior to your visit either online or in person at the museum box office.  Day-of-visit general admission ticket purchases include an additional $5 surcharge.  Adult tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, senior 65+ tickets are $17 in advance and $22 at the door, youth 6–17 tickets are $16 in advance and $21 at the door and children 5 and under are free.  FAMSF members receive free admission and do not need to make advance reservations for general admission.  Member tickets may be picked up at the membership desk on the day of the visit.  Advance tickets are required for the opening night preview party, luncheons, lectures and afternoon teas. For more information and to order tickets, go to www.bouquetstoart.org.

 Bouquets to Art 2011 Hours

Tuesday through Saturday, March 15-19, 2011, from 9:30 AM to 5:15 PM

Extended hours Friday, March 18, 2011, until 8:45 PM

Museum members-only night on Wednesday, March 16, from 6 to 8 PM

 Visiting the de Young:
Address: Golden Gate Park 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive San Francisco, CA 94118
Parking: street parking is free for 3 hours within the park and there is a paid parking garage that is adjoined to the deYoung Museum.

Teenage rape victim: Catherine Scott was disgusted when her abuser was let off with a caution(Daily Mail image)

Rape is a terrible crime on so many different levels, to its victims it is devastating, in some instances they feel that being murdered would have brought them less suffering. Victims are forever scared by this horrid crime. Prosecutors hate the crime because the evidence upon which they must act is far too often only the testimony of the victim and the lack of corroborating evidence may mean that the victim is further traumatised by having to tell the story of her violation and face cross-examination in the court room. It is hardly surprising that as a result of these hurdles that so many rapes remain unanswered by the justice system.

this is the the Latte sippers idea of Justice

I was utterly disgusted to read that in Britain a rapist  can be let off with a caution. In no sense at all is it any kind of justice to treat this crime in the same way as being caught stealing someone’s flowers.
Sadly that is the face of British Justice under the rapidly disintegrating Labour government.

So  I dips me lid to Catherine Scott for having the courage to go public with this very serious affront to justice. Without brave young women like her the soft on crime Latte Sippers would give licence to all scumbags to rape and violate without fear of any justice or retribution.

Cheers Comrades

Marx's Grave

POLICY FUTURES IN EDUCATION VOL.7 NO.3 2009

The third issue of 2009 is now available at
http://www.wwwords.co.uk/pfie/content/pdfs/7/issue7_3.asp

POLICY FUTURES IN EDUCATION
Volume 7 Number 3 2009 ISSN 1478-2103

ARTICLES:

Catherine Scott. The Culture of Teaching

Tim Vorley & Jen Nelles. Building Entrepreneurial Architectures: a conceptual interpretation of the Third Mission

Nils Lindahl Elliot. New Labour’s Skills Policy at the Intersection of Business and Politics

Charmaine Brooks. Teaching in Full View: GLA as a mechanism of power

Michael A. Peters & Ruyu Hung. Solar Ethics: a new paradigm for environmental ethics and education?

Vance S. Martin. Digital Systems Analysis

Robert Shaw. The Phenomenology of Democracy

OBAMA’S AMERICA: Michael A. Peters. Obama’s ‘Postmodernism’, Humanism and History

OCCASIONAL THOUGHTS: Henry A. Giroux. Ten Years after Columbine: the tragedy of youth deepens

BOOK REVIEW:
Marx and Education (Robin Small), reviewed by Ergin Bulut

Access to the full texts of current articles is restricted to those who have a Personal subscription, or those whose institution has a Library subscription. However, all articles become free-to-view 18 months after publication: http://www.wwwords.co.uk/pfie

Articles by Glenn and Ruth Rikowski at Policy Futures in Education:

Rikowski, R. (2003) Value – the Life Blood of Capitalism: knowledge is the current key, Policy Futures in Education, Vol.1 No.1, pp.160-178, online at: http://www.wwwords.co.uk/pdf/freetoview.asp?j=pfie&vol=1&issue=1&year=2003&article=9_Rikowski_PFIE_1_1

Rikowski, G. (2004) Marx and the Education of the Future, Policy Futures in Education, Vol.2 Nos. 3 & 4, pp.565-577, online at: http://www.wwwords.co.uk/pdf/viewpdf.asp?j=pfie&vol=2&issue=3&year=2004&article=10_Rikowski_PFEO_2_3-4_web&id=195.93.21.71

Rikowski, R. (2006) A Marxist Analysis of the World Trade Organisation’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, Policy Futures in Education, Vol.4 No.4: http://www.wwwords.co.uk/pdf/viewpdf.asp?j=pfie&vol=4&issue=4&year=2006&article=7_Rikowski_PFIE_4_4_web&id=205.188.117.66

PERSONAL SUBSCRIPTION (single user access). Subscription to the 2009 issues (i.e. full access to the articles in Volume 7, Numbers 1-6) is available to individuals at a cost of US$52.00. Personal subscriptions also include automatic free access to ALL PAST ISSUES. If you wish to subscribe you may do so immediately at www.wwwords.co.uk/subscribePFIE.asp

LIBRARY SUBSCRIPTION (institution-wide access). If you are working within an institution that maintains a Library, please urge them to purchase a Library subscription so access is provided throughout your institution; full details for libraries can be found at www.symposium-journals.co.uk/prices.html

For all editorial matters, including articles offered for publication, please contact Professor Michael A. Peters (mpet001@illinois.edu).

In the event of problems concerning a subscription, or difficulty in gaining access to the journal articles, please contact the publishers at support@symposium-journals.co.uk

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski

The Flow of Ideas: http://www.flowideas.co.uk