Posts from — January 2006

The Gashes and the Semples share a joke

Originally uploaded by John Barnabas.

Ian and Louise Semple enjoy a joke with Andrew and Jean Gash, Baha”is who attended the recent open weekend at the UK National Haziratu’l-Quds (Baha’i Centre) in London. The open weekend was third in a series of such weekends authorized by the National Assembly as a way of enabling the Baha’is to see some of the wonderful archives that link the UK to the early history of our faith.

This particular weekend benefited from the presence of Ian Semple, who retired from the Universal House of Justice at Naw-Ruz 2005, after having served since the first time the House of Justice was elected, in 1963. Mr Semple spoke to the Baha’is who came to tour the warm heart of the community about his recollections of the British Baha’i community in the 1950s, at the time that the present Baha’i Centre was purchased by the National Assembly.

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Looking across the nature reserve

Originally uploaded by John Barnabas.

OK, so that’s it, the conker tree had to go. While I was in Israel, the fellers came and took the tree down. It proved to have serious rot in the top two thirds, dangerously so, in fact. The bottom third would have lasted another 15 years, but who wants a third of a tree in their garden?

It’s a pity. It had been a nice feature of the garden for the last 18 years, shady and green. The downsides were the sticky buds each spring - the dog would collect them in her fur and bring them into the house - and the leaf fall each autumn.

But it had to go, no question! Far too dangerous to leave it standing. Now we’re waiting for the fencing guy to come and replace the missing fence posts and panels.

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Grave of Mirza Muhammad-Quli, Baha’u'llah’s half-brother, in the Golan

Originally uploaded by John Barnabas.

It was a treat during my Haifa trip to visit the remote and bare Baha’i cemetery on the steep lower slopes of the Golan Heights, above Kibbutz Ein Gev, which is on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

The grave is of Baha’u'llah’s faithful half-brother, Mirza Muhammad-Quli, who lived in this area when there were Baha’i farmers around the Galilee who grew the grain that ‘Abdu’l-Baha was eventually able to release to prevent famine during and after the First World War.

Other graves in the cemetery are of Mirza Muhammad-Quli’s family.

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Moon over Haifa and necklace of lights around Haifa bay

Originally uploaded by John Barnabas.

This is a wonderful scene from a distance (the 11th floor of the Dan Panorama Hotel in this case), but the reality along the road between Haifa and Akka (Akko) is rather less beautiful!

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Thunder cloud over Akka, taken from the Dan Panorama

Originally uploaded by John Barnabas.

This cloud had hung over Akka (Akko) for most of the afternoon. We could see the lightning and hear the thunder as it went on into the evening, but I couldn’t get a shot of a lightning bolt.

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Yefe Nof and Baha’i buildings on Mt Carmel from Dan Panorama Hotel

Originally uploaded by John Barnabas.

I’ve just returned from a visit to the Baha’i World Centre. I got this great view of Mt Carmel and the Baha’i buildings from my bedroom on the 11th floor of the Dan Panorama Hotel.

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Jacob at 7 days old

Originally uploaded by John Barnabas.

This is my gorgeous grandson. I met him face-to-face for the first time today. Extremely huggable. Hari and Doug are clever to have made such a beautiful baby!

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Barney, Henrik and Maria Patricia

Originally uploaded by John Barnabas.

I’m on the left with my friend Henrik and his daughter, Maria Patricia.

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Laura and Henrik Jansson

Originally uploaded by John Barnabas.

Laura and Henrik were my very kind and generous hosts during my visit to Finland for the Baha’i winter school in Espoo.

Laura and Henrik are both pillars of the Finnish Baha’i community. Laura is an Auxiliary Board member and Henrik is Chair of the National Spiritual Assembly, the community’s national governing council.

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Helsinki airport in the snow

Originally uploaded by John Barnabas.

This was the scene from the window in the terminal building at Helsinki International Airport as I waited for my flight to London. I was amazed that the flight was not delayed. Snow that would bring everything to a halt in the UK is a normal occurrence during a Finnish winter and life just goes on.

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