#visual: hyth

[worldformula]

Ok you mentioned utushama having a complicated relationship with aymeric and now im curious. Also how does he feel about characters like fraye (how did the whole drk questline affect him), or emet-selch/venat?

Aymeric answer here!

I often draw Utushama as a dark knight in Shadowbringers related works but truthfully it’s more for function than “canon” to me. During ShB, he was some unique job mashup that might’ve been distracting from the theme of things I was trying to convey, so I defaulted to drawing him as DRK. He never actually learns it in his canon (though he’d benefit GREATLY from it) — Inanna is the one who mains DRK, his main tank job is PLD. So he doesn’t actually go through that story or meet Fray, which is a shame because it’s got the best job quests for a reason :( I fear he might be allergic to things that are good for him; he’s attracted to things that make him look good like the PLD’s knight-in-shining armor visual. It’s a fun bit of meta though, that his sister has the strongest shield of all the tanks (one that’s invoked with the power of love, no less) but he’d rather Cover and take damage on someone else’s behalf.

And as for the others…

Spoilers for Shadowbringers and Endwalker, as per usual!

As for Emet-Selch, I really love his character, but he served a greater function in the overall theme/narrative/whatever you’d call it rather than having any particularly unique one-on-one relationship with Utushama, often as a sort of foil or stand-in for the father who Utushama resented. He’d never really known said father but he had an image of him based on Echoes he experienced from dragons who remembered him, and said Echoes often recalled him as a two-faced, manipulative, sarcastic, and deeply cruel person who would justify any act for his own gains. And Emet-Selch in Shadowbringers came across this way to him, which is why it was so alarming and disorienting for him whenever Emet praised him or spoke with sympathy / understanding. Utushama had had most of his black-and-white moral worldviews validated thus far by unrepentantly evil people and he did not like that the new villain in his story kept comparing himself to him or being genuinely vulnerable with him. Utushama himself isn’t fully conscious of the way Emet-Selch reminds him of his father and Emet-Selch doesn’t consider that to be any more important to him than what Utushama already represents to him (Azem’s mangled form, a pesky Warrior of Light, etc). There was also an extra bit where Emet mocks Utushama for ending up in the same position as said father (as in, a naive hero tricked by an Ascian into becoming something that would destroy the Shard). And Emet-Selch was one of many stepping stones that eventually lead to Utushama sympathizing with the dad he was really intent on making out to be a pure villain, so he’s a heavyweight as a symbol but not much more on a personal level beyond what the WoL has with him in the text. They have that layer, but I don’t think it’s more interesting than what canon already gives me so it doesn’t change or enhance it in any way, thereby making it just a fun lenses for me to read the characters’ relationship. In Endwalker, Utushama is almost baffled by how strangely “normal wife guy with a desk job” he is and it’s brilliant and hilarious to me because Emet-Selch and Hythlodaeus are so much like his parents but he has no way of knowing that and neither do Hyth/Hades.

Venat is also a fascinating character and I revel in gazing upon her from different angles. Which is why it’s so funny to me that Emet-Selch was Utushama’s shithead dad stand-in on a meta level because Venat is his very nice other parental figure stand-in. So again, there’s nothing that changes the canon relationship between Venat and the WoL despite this extra layer, but it’s just a fun fact for me. That being said, they meet just as Utushama’s starting to realize that his well-meaning parent is someone he actually resents more on a personal level (he was in denial about this this entire time). It’s difficult for him to differentiate between her and Hydaelyn and the Elpis arc comes right on the heels of the lowest of his lows. So he’s feeling very frustrated and miserable and pained and he’s also coming to realize that the parent he had idolized had actually disappointed him greatly in his unintentional absence and now here comes the woman who would become Hydaelyn, who despite choosing him as Her champion, appears to never come to his aid in his hour of need. And she makes it even more difficult by making it hard to be mad at her! She’s considerate and kindly and genuinely wants to know about his journey, just as his parent would ask if he could be there. Overall he has very mixed feelings because he is slightly projecting and doesn’t realize, but he’s able to let it go by the Aitiascope dungeon. And on Venat’s end, she regards him like a child of her own because Azem was someone she had a very complicated but deeply personal relationship with, and therefore sees him (both on Elpis as a “familiar” and on Etheirys as a “shard”) as something like a child / product of Azem to be cherished.

I think overall within the canon, we get very few opportunities to interact with these characters so I’ve got a limited set of time and subject matter for the three of them to be dealing with. Which is a shame because I fully believe Emet-Selch is like an old queen who is very unimpressed by this fresh new young gay man but in my perfect sitcom universe he’d be disgusted and entranced by the sort of absurd shenanigans Utushama gets up to, if not for the fact that, y’know, the First is about to explode and take the Source out with it. And y’know, he and Venat have to deal with the Song of Oblivion or whatever instead of getting into a cartoonish argument about fatherless behavior. But ultimately he just accepts them entirely in the end and regards their memories with a strange fondness/somberness despite them (inadvertently or purposefully) psychologically pulling him apart like a twizzler for the last two expansions.

[karoiseka]

❤️ first kiss / realization (for either combo? for both? whichever takes your interest)

You get a Kar'a/Hyth! ^_^ (because I realize I've already done 2/3 First kiss fics already for the trio. lol)

Ikarus could tell she was being followed.  To be fair, he wasn’t trying that hard not to be detected, and she was trained by Azem to notice that type of thing, especially outside of the city where things weren’t perfectly manicured and kept tidy.  She had shed her mask at least a malm ago, and had decided to not lead her follower to her hideaway outside the city and instead, conjured a new outfit while striding through the forest.  Azem–Venat–had asked her to check on one of her compatriots near the coast, and Ikarus had gladly–and quickly complied.  She had realized after she had left that she had forgotten to tell her new paramour that she was leaving.  This didn’t seem to be much of a problem now since he was the one following her.

As they had progressed further into the forest, and further away from the wide clear paths that led into Amaurot, she realized that she had been gaining some distance on him, so she slowed her steps to see what he would do–and maybe just how far he was willing to go.  Hythlodaeus was an interesting one, having sought her out “by virtue of the color and vibrancy of her soul” he told her just the other evening.  His soul sight was matched only by one other that Ikarus knew, and they hadn’t met just yet.  Hythlodaeus and Ikarus though had fallen in stride with each other as if they had known each other for years instead of days, immediately getting into mischief around the city whenever they were together.

His soul sight was how he was following her she had figured out, knowing that he didn’t have the forestry knowledge to track her in any other way.  This made for an interesting conundrum in her head, for she wanted to stop and surprise him and he would just stumble upon her in the path, however, if he was having to watch her via aether, he would know instantly that she had stopped and perhaps would also turn back.

So she did the only logical thing she could think of, and spun on her heel and sprinted at his location.

The strangled startled cry at this move gave her a better pinpoint, and using a bit of aether to boost her speed, she was standing in front of a very wide-eyed Hythlodaeus not a moment later.

“Hello,” her arms crossed as she watched his thoughts try to catch up with the revelation that she was suddenly in front of him, instead of out of visual range well ahead of him.  Her blue eyes sparkled with amusement as she attempted to keep a straight face–and failed miserably as she finally got to look into his uncovered amethyst eyes.  Belatedly she realized that they hadn’t actually removed their masks to each other, and she was surprised to see that he had removed his just as she had once well outside the city’s walls. 

“By the Star, you’re beautiful!”

“By the Star, you’re beautiful!” 

The words were said simultaneously–blurted out in near astonishment as they took in true appearances of each other for the first time since meeting.  A blush crept up Ikarus’ face, yet, instead of turning away, Hyth stepped closer, reaching a hand up to cup her jawline.  He moved slow enough she could have stopped him if she wanted, but her heart sang as he leaned in close and brushed her lips with his own.  All tasks forgotten, she leaned into the embrace, a hand of her own reaching up under his braid to pull him down closer to her, even as their shared delighted laughter echoed through the trees.

[hythlodaeus-mynewoldfriend]

📥👖🧠✨️ for the fic asks!

Thank you Liz! More centered on my ffxiv stuff since this is the blog for that haha. Anyway! Let's get right to it starting with the last question!

FanFic ASk Game

✨ Choose three adjectives to complement your own writing.

Emotional, tongue-in-cheek, free-spirited or at least so I hope!

📥 What is your fave fic to receive comments/messages on?

Is it cheating to say any of them? Because I love seeing what people have to say on what I write and put out there! Among my ffxiv stuff I always love seeing comments on things that involve Stasia and Carly (which is mostly wips i know) as they are the ones that stray from the general story and aren't always likable so I like being able to see how they come across and make sure that its the way I intend to and think I'm doing when writing. A more specific piece it would have to be this piece with Anthea and the final days. I feel its one of my best works posted in completion and I like seeing how an event like that comes across to others especially given that much of that time period is up to interpretation of an individual.

👖 Are you a planner, plantser, or pantser? Is it consistent?

No planning we die like men! jk jk I am more of a plantser in that I go into a wip with a general idea in my head on what I want the main focus of a piece to be, the intention of it, and any specific lines or actions that inspired it. After that I just write it out and see what happens! A lot of times I get to where I was planning and in ways I didn't expect, other times I end up somewhere different but it felt so natural writing it that I had to leave it. There are the rare occasions I don't do any planning and just get the urge to write and so I do just that and will come back to it if I get stuck, this happened recently with a piece where I had very little in mind other than knowing Phobos is reading various letters Deimos got, but who they were from and what they said and going back home were all things that I came up with on the spot.

One thing I really let free and hardly put any thought into ahead of time is the formatting of my writing though. I like to at times be a bit of a visual writer in that I will use breaks, bolds, italics, lack of spaces, etc. to convey something that I probably would take too long to write out in any other fashion. Besides how else can I best describe racing thoughts and anxiety than putting a bunch of words together without any space between them haha.

Also will mention that much of my stuff looks like panster writing because I was writing it as I was actively playing the story so I had no idea how it was all going to end and what I wanted to do with my kids as Sib and Demos started in two different universes.

🧠 What’s an idea you have that you can’t quite call a WIP yet?

This would depend more on what you would call a wip. I tend to count anything that's at least a few paragraphs or dialogue long, which there's quite a bit of that. If we're talking just straight ideas then there's plenty of moments that I would love to write but I don't have a way to write them quite yet. Things like the last conversation Carly and Zenos have, the conversation Demos has with his mentor after the Vault, lighter moments like Sib trying to tackle Emet in ShB or the montages of the gang waking up at first light to get moving with a frantic Sib trying to catch up anime style getting ready. Hell the time that Deimos believed he could randomly tame a unicorn resulting in him, Emet, and Hyth being chased by a herd of them. Or the start of Etheirys' Worst Girls Trip with Sib and Stasia landing on their guide. I just have a lot of little things or big moments that I'd love to write because I can see them in my brain and how they play out but it can be so hard to translate that. I feel this is also why gposing has become a way for me to tackle these ideas as I plan as if I'm watching a show or movie so I can better get the angles and descriptions without having to actually describe anything haha.

[cpbhomes]

[asleepinawell]

i saw a tweet a while back that mentioned that hyth’s annihilation spell has the same visual as the one ascian prime uses in the aetherochemical research facility and yep. very cool detail there.

also lol at nerfed hyth running around casting the same spell that lahabrea only cast when merged with igeyorhm

[emetkoto]

sniffling crying sobbing emetkoto good end exblain 😭

YOU GOT IT BESTIE IM HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT THE ENDINGS WHERE THEY'RE HAPPY TOGETHER!!!!!

OK SO FIRST is the one that starts at the Dying Gasp! Prior to heading to the Tempest K'oto and Ardbert had their little heart to heart where they agreed to fight together during whcih K'oto expressed how he really REALLY did not want to kill Emet-Selch and shared his plan to try and talk him down and if all else failed and they had to fight, spare him and ofc Ardbert agreed to it bc he's a good friend who trusts K'oto :) so everything goes the way you know, Emet-Selch is not listening to reason on account of the disappointment and rage and tempering and despite K'otos best attempts to avoid fighting they do end up having to fight and it comes down to that final blow and K'otos puts his plan into action! Emet is struck but not killed by the axe and the burst of light frees him from his tempering (which later helps with figuring out tempering in the post patches) and it weakens and brings him back down to earth enough that K'oto is able to approach him and talk to him….he's able to accept his loss and mankind's strength bc mankind is actually pretty great when you don't have the voice of god in your ear telling you they suck! So they embraced and kissed and made up and decided to stay together <3 and ofc Emet returns those wedding memories too duh

Emet-Selch was pretty weakened by the fight so that's my excuse for why it's not broken for the Scions to have an unsundered on their side, he's gotta recover for a while until he's back at full strength ok!! Anyway yeah he moved in with K'oto and lurks around offering wisdom and occasional sass throughout MSQ <3 In case you're wondering yes SOS still happens bc Elidibus is so set in his ways and focused on his duty even with Emet-Selch vouching for mankind now he just is not having any of it and Emet is in no condition to fight so K'oto still has to finish the job </3 yeah im kinda obsessed with the visual of that middle of fight scene with Emet's spirit but with full blown Emetkoto

I have some more thoughts on his place in MSQ in this one but this will be way too damn long if I go through them all ok just know he is present but tries not to involve himself too much since y'know he is still waltzing around wearing the face of the founding father of the garlean empire and that's like to cause more problems than his presence would solve ESPECIALLY in the Garlemald section so! He mostly just hangs around and makes K'oto happy

SECOND starts at Ultima Thule! K'oto ofc calls Emet and Hyth to help him and as they're trying to leave K'oto begs and pleads with Emet-Selch to stay with him and with some help from Hyth who decided to jump in bc he thought it'd be fun they manage to convince him to begrudginly accept Hydealyn's gift of life so he and K'oto can be together for the rest of K'otos life and then into the next one ofc hehe <3 and also Hythlodaeus is there! They are very uninvolved in anything after this bc I mean. it's not their world, not their place to meddle with anything! Unless asked in which case they will offer their wisdom but otherwise they just hang out in K'otos aparment and again, make K'oto happy!

In both cases Emet-Selch doesn't technically join the K'oto polycule bc G'raha is not about that at all but rather it's like they have their own branch kinda? They all sleep together in the same bed bc everyone wants to cuddle K'oto but Emet-Selch is never involved in dates or other outings or sex with G'raha or Estinien (Estinien has no problems with Emet and could not care less if smth were to happen but Emet makes it pretty clear he is exclusively interested in K'oto) and he and K'oto always go and do their own things and most importantly they are HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They never have a second wedding ceremony bc the first one was so personal and important to them they don't see a need to, they are married and in love and happy together and thats all that matters, Twelve's blessing be damned

[goldenthreadstories]

Sora does the opposite to Hyth as he stretches out, do they curl themselves in. Well they bend knees up to lean their hands on their knees carefully. Not closed off or anything but this was Sora's more comfortable sitting position.

Bright blue hues seem to sparkle for a moment. Sora had always been a lover of animals but butterflies held something special for the travelling wanderer.

A bright and wide smile appeared on Sora's face now. It was almost as if wonder had taken over Sora in this moment. Weither the other was just about to show them a picture, take them somewhere to see them or even make the visuals appear from nowhere - while none of these things unusual to the magik user; it still fascinated them immensely.

From the vibe of a feeling from him that they were getting, they were hoping it was that last option and it made them totally curious and enthralled right now.

Hyth had Sora's full attention.

[wrathfuldissonance]

✨ the blog/portrayal/muse/mun meme :^o

{ art credit: quez | Fishing for Complements Encouraged: Accepting }

*hands you a salt-filled teapot and gestures at a nice carpet*

HELLO FELLOW SALTY BASTARD I LIKE YOUR FACE

I love your interpretation of Hyth. Visually, I actually gasped out loud when I saw the tats that first time. And the darker skin adds to the #aesthetic imo. Really makes the colors pop in a way lighter skin doesn't [this goes for Paion and Abbas too]. You're a cool bean to hang out with, very relaxing to be around. Your blog is aesthetic as fuck without being unreadable which is amazing with Tumblr [derogatory].

I rate you Feral/10.

[wtf-amiru]

What did they think of Hydaelyn in the beginning? Did they change their mind about her since then?

oh boy, this is one I don't think about often lol let's figure this out

A'miru's not religious, she's not against it, she's just not found anything there in the past so I think the disembodied voice was a bit of a "I'm fully losing my mind, aren't I" in the beginning, not some higher calling, until Thancred introduced her to Minfilia. Then it was a lot of...I hesitate to say trepidation, she wasn't afraid for anything, but she was hesitant to put a lot of stock into it, it seemed to be a truthful situation but it was a lot of her hard work that went into it too and that's kind of where things sat for a long time in a state of 'I can neither prove or disprove this thing but things seem to be working out for the better with it'. A'miru's a very here and now kind of person, so lets just throw her back in time for a minute. Her connection with Venat was instant, it fully gave me an explanation for her to have taken the dancer class (mechanically she took it because it's a class I like to play, but it's a very not A'miru class at all) and she was kind of an instant momly figure for her; the vibes were entirely right right from the instant she dropped in while Hyth was rambling about sharks, like two peas in a pod, instant family. One of the things A'miru has the most issues with is losing people, in any manner; she does not handle it well ever. When she got back from Elpis, after a good long cry and snuggle with her bf and a nap, she was ready to break Fourchenault's entire face just to get down there and see her again bc omg that voice has been Venat all along and holy shit she felt bad for ever doubting it and then, well, she had to say goodbye to her again and again, did not handle it well at all. Luckily she had a lot on her plate to distract her at the time. After Ultima and knowing everyone's back down in the sea hanging out she's dealing a bit better than normal. It's more important to A'miru who Hydaelyn was before she was Hydaelyn and why she became Hydaelyn, than what Hydaelyn stood for in her time to A'miru now. She's gonna get G'raha to write a book one day.

Arannis, my little fate child, is a different, more simple salad lol. He was brought up in such a flurry of cultures he kind of very quickly learned to nod along and put his faith in "whoever was listening and able to respond" for a long time so holy shit was he surprised when she started actually responding. He wasn't in a position to be picky, she was gentle and seemed kind and to harbor no ill intent so he was on board pretty quickly. He got mildly worried when she got really quiet during Stormblood, but the anomaly had been her contact with him in the first place, so her getting quiet felt like how it'd been before, which didn't bother him too much; who was he to demand time with cosmic deities anyway, she probably had a good reason. I think the revelations during Shadowbringers was just a touch beyond Arannis' comprehension tbh, I don't think he fully understood the implications until he went to Elpis and saw it himself, very much a visual learner that one, you gotta draw it out for him, not explain with words- probably why he didn't mind the echo visions tbh. When he was in Elpis Venat felt like a sibling, something Arannis never really had but kind of always wanted bc everyone around him had siblings and he was the only only child. Arannis wasn't as eager to get down and see Hydaelyn, he deals with loss a lot better and he doesn't have the anxiety driven over protectiveness that A'miru struggles with. He wasn't upset he had to fight her and see her leave. This was it, this was the culmination of her work and it was her way of finally going back to the star, he fully got that and knew she'd be fine, almost felt honored to be a part of it even. But then he knew that if she'd done it, that they'd have to do it; they'd have to succeed and boy that pressure did something to him for a minute. I think Arannis cares a bit more about what Hydaelyn was in his time to people than A'miru does, I think he thinks about the people who are or were like him growing up and just praying to someone who bears no ill intent and will listen and how important that can be to a person.

[seelenseher]

guidelines .

pinned short overview of rules for mobile users etc .

this is an independent, mutuals only & somewhat selective rp blog for hythlodaeus from final fantasy xiv . open to crossovers, AUs etc . written by vivi ( she / her | they / them ) .

first of . this blog is not spoiler free . do not follow this blog if you have not finished endwalker ( unless you do not care for spoilers but I warned you ) this blog will also reblog spoiler art, gifsets etc but I will tag everything as “endwalker spoilers cw” “ew spoilers cw” & “6.0 spoilers cw”  . I cannot force my rp partners to do the same, but would like to request that threads with me are tagged as spoilers in case we a ) write endwalker themes b ) I use icons .

other stuff includes : english is my third language, I will make mistakes, if something is unclear please tell me . European Timezone & I also work so my activity is strange . I do not reblog callouts ( unless absolutely necessary ) or get involved in drama . I am 25+ years old & will not follow minors . triggers are tagged as “ trigger cw “ if I do not catch something, please tell me . personally I would request animal death, drug / alcohol abuse ( esp irl ) & visual gore to be tagged . be advised that FFxiv dabbles in several dark & potentially triggering topics such as imperialism, mass death, death in general, violence etc 

tiny bit about the muse until I write an about : I write hyth as transmasc ( he / him | they / them ) . he will have a few AUs considering his limitations with interacting with people in canon . just know he can be a bit of a gremlin, but he has a soft heart & so much warmth to give . also probably the cutest dimples ever . 

[constellatory]

also still way too underutilized johri trivia : one of her eyes being able to perceive the aetherial web / souls to a degree, except arr - heavensward it was completely random, got better during sb - shb, and come endwalker she can do it on purpose. 

but it’s not entirely like emet or hyth’s way of perception.  being a remnant of mnemosyne, johri sees these things as a sort of melodic thing.  it is a very strange experience.  she does not see a soul so much as perceives it.  knows it is there;  and to her, this translates to not sound, but to the knowledge of what it sounds like.  the association with something familiar.  the same way emotions are invoked by visuals. 

[treflev-old]

oh YEAH, rating words!! how about: 1:effervescent 2:hythe 3:whippoorwill (LOOK AT ALL THOSE ROUND HOLES IN A ROW) 4:triste, as a borrowing into English 5:wend 6:wold 7:macaroon 8:immanence 9:limn 10:caraway

I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever? But YEAH

Effervescent: about liquids, good, professional. About people and places, okay but sounds fake, too pretentious, there’s probably a better word. 6/10, useful and visually satisfying but leaves me emotionless.

Hythe: 7,5/10, pretty and the definition is perfect, but too odd and hithe fits the context better

Whippoorwill: is it the bird?? Small round?? I’m biased but 9/10! Double letters are a personal hell, but it’s a perfect word! And birdie! Bounce bounce, don’t comment on the “poor will” part, it’s still good, actually nevermind 10/10 I told you I was biased, small birds with fun names are a personal weakness, as my friends and characters can confirm.

Triste: confusing, already flat in French, 6/10 because borrowed words are cool. Might be better if I saw it used more! Actually no. 7, because in English it really sounds better.

Wend: I am interested! I don’t like the sound of it, but the definition is intriguing! 8.

Wold: not majestic enough. Fun but in a childish way. 7,5/10. Weald however is a solid 8,5, why don’t you do as “West Saxon and Kentish”? It still has the cute w but still manages to sound pretentious! Weald is a very good word!!

Macaroon: Fancy. Too fancy. Have you ever seen a macaroon? The oon part is good, but all together it sounds too refined and sharp for a blob sandwich. It does however remind me of racoon, which I love.

Immanence: Again, double letters, unnecessary complication. Little variety in letters, but the vowels make up for it. Very good when used! Just rare enough to sound smart! Love the multiple definitions. 7,5/10 because no matter how much you try, so many m and n won’t sound graceful.

Limn: 10/10, the mn is unsettling but I’ll forgive it, thank you for showing me this gem

Caraway: 10/10, good product, good letters, good word, good for puns, has an ocean feel to it, that word is a friend

[railcamuk]

Railcam Round-up....

As we move in to April, we thought we would give you a little round up of what has been happening at Railcam so far this year.....

Dahua Camera Trials

We have spent some considerable time trialing a new camera manufacturer for us here at Railcam, Dahua. Several models have been to our test site at Barking for evaluation, from standard ‘fixed-view’ bullet cameras, to all singing all dancing Pan, Tilt & Zoom (PTZ) cameras. The feedback from our installers, admins and members has been superb, and we are planning to make Dahua our standard camera manufacturer of choice going forward.......

Model Rail Scotland

A number of our Admin Team visited Model Rail Scotland, where some of the visitors there may have picked up one of our leaflets, kindly distributed by the Model Rail Scotland team from their stand, From the feedback we received it seems quite a few of you did, and we welcome all our new members from that weekend.

We also had a great chat with the teams on the Accurascale and Hatton’s Model Railways stands, having a look at the future releases, including Accurascale’s Deltic, Class 92 and MK5 coaching stock, and Hatton’s wonderful RHTT sets, and their extensive range of Class 66s.

Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway Upgrade

Our southern technical admin AndyJ spent 3 days recently upgrading our entire installation at the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, for the first time we have PTZ cameras installed with one of our heritage partners, and the results have been, again, very good. We have installed an almost full complement of Dahua cameras, including a second installation at New Romney.

Railcam Dashboard

We launched Railcam Dashboard back in February, Dashboard gives you the ability to monitor all our cameras on one page, alerting you to cameras that have a train close by. Expanding each camera tab will give you clickable realtime information from our detailed Railcam Data pages, as well as the option to open cameras in a pop up window, so now there is no reason at all to miss anything!

Popup chat is also available for those who also want to interact with other members via our popular chat room, whilst providing a handy live update to the current status of all our cameras.

Train Approaching Indicators

In conjunction with the dashboard, we launched the addition of Train Approaching Indicators which give a visual display under each camera screen (Where live data is available) when a rain is approaching, from which direction and by headcode, which is also clickable to show the trains details and schedule.

New Stream Player

While writing this, we are currently in the very early days of trialing a new stream player, initial testing is proving very positive, more on this as it develops....

The future.....

We can never post something like this without getting asked about new cams, and those of you who have been with us for a while now will know that we simply don't announce a location until the cameras are installed, tested and set up to our satisfaction. Needless to say, we have some new locations very close to install, some a little further behind and a couple of big partnerships coming up, its going to be an exciting 2019 for Railcam.

[john2983miller-blog]

Kent Restaurants - A Manual

Kent Restaurants - A Manual

 If you're really feeling a little bit peckish as well as need to have someplace to consume, there are actually manies bistros in Kent to choose! Delight your hunger and also check out a wonderful club, restaurant, coffee shop or even dining establishment Kent must use like The Charles Dickens in Broadstairs or even perhaps a carvery dish in among the best Kent restaurants as well as pubs like The Crown Inn in Finglesham, a gorgeous community near Sandwich.

 If soaring gos to entice you, there are actually additionally a lot of mattress & morning meal hotels and resorts in Kent, in addition to bed and breakfast as well as rooms, as well as none are actually a lot more luxurious than Margate's Georgian town hall and also shop B&B, The Reading Rooms, which has actually gained kudos coming from The Guardian's trip segment.

www.chapteronerestaurant.co.uk

 There are actually several bistros in Canterbury, most of which give new, nearby as well as natural fruit and vegetables including the Good Shed bistro, the Farmhouse dining establishment or even Cafe des Amis all situated in the urban area facility.

 There are actually a lot of Kent restaurants along with Italian dishes on promotion, numerous of which are actually of leading lesson criterion. There is actually Ask in Canterbury forgeting the stream, a really prominent bistro in Kent, and also Prezzo as well as Posillipo in Broadstairs, each of which forget the magnificent beach of Broadstairs.

 As you can easily observe, you're truly craved selection for Kent Hotels - in addition to that there is actually an incredible quantity of points to accomplish in Kent coming from palaces and also stream watercraft scenic tours to warm air balloon as well as chopper trips. And also as if that is actually not nearly enough Kent possesses a superb assortment of dining establishments as well creating your holiday definitely one-of-a-kind. if amount of money were actually no item, there is actually sufficient to possess numerous extraordinary vacations, therefore pleased searching!

 If you're trying to find a flavor oceanic and also fish as well as fish and shellfish is you're factor after that make sure to take a see to The Crab as well as Winkle. This splendid Kent dining establishment in Whitstable neglecting the port obtains it is actually create daily coming from the marketplace listed below, implying you angle receive food items a lot fresher!

 Properly, Kent is actually jammed-packed along with opportunities for an excellent time for all the loved ones. Of training program if the weather condition is actually great there is actually absolutely no a lot better choice than constructing a jolly great sand palace on one of Kent's lots of lovely seashores. Kent includes 3 blue banner seashores as well as along with a lot of to opt for coming from it wont be actually tough to discover your personal item of the beach to set down the seaside towel!

 Merely a couple of moments steer coming from the beachfront will certainly take you right into Kent's impressive country side - this area is actually contacted the backyard of England for an explanation! There is actually a charming herbal tea space, congregation, present store as well as pair of bars and also the fortress stands up satisfaction of area looking over the area.

 You'll never ever be actually caught for a location to remain in the Garden of England, as there are actually dozens Hotels in Kent to select from. If it is actually deluxe you're after, you could possibly stay like a god in The Spa Hotel, Tunbridge Wells, a regal 18th century residence along with outstanding gym centers and also a Chandelier bistro. It is actually likewise entirely accredited for wedding ceremonies and also public relationship events, if you're considering proposing!

 When you locate on your own visualizing a snack, the dining establishments in Kent you can easily pick from are actually certainly not limited! Stop those cravings pains through checking out some of Kent's numerous gastro bars, restaurants or even bistros, including The Dog Inn in Wingham, or even you can easily appreciate a full-on typical Sunday roast thanks to The George & Dragon in the town of Ightham UK.

 Or even if it is actually one more country location along with a tip of deluxe you're trying to find, Kent restaurants do not happen additional self-indulgent than The Marquis at Alkham, lately granted along with a Michelin climbing celebrity, which impresses visitors therefore the great eating and also the every bit as great country side settings UK.

 Unusual offerings are actually formulated due to the Hoodener's Horse in Ashford, that dish out some superb Mexican recipes, while if Indian dining establishments you're yearning, The Raja of Kent in Tenterden will certainly very most absolutely leave you upset.

 You might additionally be actually astonished due to the semi-rural attraction of such B&B locations as Orchard Cottage, Rochester, a best jumping-off place to Rochester Castle or even The Historic Dockyard in Chatham.

 Take an excursion to Kent! Along with some of the greatest areas to keep, dining establishments and also therefore a lot to find as well as perform, you'll be actually promised a superb opportunity.

 Kent possesses a huge range of famous monoliths and also religions. There are actually some awesome palaces such as Dover, Walmer and also Leeds palace as well as some outstanding religions, one-of-a-kind in their very own technique as well as presenting a wide array of historical artefacts such as the St. Peters Church in Sandwich.

 There are actually the sizable purchasing facility's such as Bluewater as well as Westwood Cross, as well as additionally the curious local area profession outlets, present stores and also fine art pictures in which to discover your very own item of Kent to take residence. And also why certainly not take a travel to one of Kent's outstanding wineries as well as purchase some great nearby white wine to take house along with you?

 On the contrary, if you wish for a feeling of record yet along with included solitude, Ashford's Eastwell Manor Hotel is actually a Hotel in Kent the same level superiority, as it was actually installed the mid-1500s and also was actually as soon as rented through Prince Alfred (child of Queen Victoria).

 A higher training class dining establishment in Kent which you ought to most definitely take into consideration will be actually Michael Caines in Abode Hotel in Canterbury. This best Kent dining establishment is actually a hairstyle over the remainder, providing a Los Angeles carte food selections to need! There are actually a stable of alternatives consisting of early riser as well as lunch food selections as well BR6 8NF.

 Various other affordable Hotels in Kent feature the Holiday Inn Express in Folkestone (the closest accommodation to Eurotunnel, if an enchanting rest to Paris gets on the memory cards) and also ABode Hotel in Canterbury (along with areas at simply ₤ 42 pp, it is actually ideal for day-trippers that prefer to see the wonderful Canterbury Cathedral).

 Fanatics of exquisite bistros in Kent can possibly do absolutely no far better than ruining on their own through checking out Thackeray's in Tunbridge Wells, a Michelin starred French bistro situated in the residence of 19th century author and also satirist William Makepeace Thackeray BR6 8NF.

 Various other fish and shellfish dining establishments in Kent deserving newsworthy feature the world-renowned Whitstable Oyster Company, Hythe Bay Seafood Restaurant and also The Coastguard in Street Margarets Bay, which permits you to look throughout the Straits of Dover while you appreciate their nearby cod in Hoegaarden draft beer concoction Orpington.

 Yet another Kent bistro to look at would certainly be actually The Barn Restaurant in Rainham, providing a contact of West End prestige in eating in Medway, this remarkable bistro in Kent equilibriums conventional dishes along with a contemporary discussion.

 An additional Kent Hotel suitable for a master is actually Starborough Manor, Edenbridge, disregarding a moated fortress as well as offering exceptional 5-star lodge lodging, which possesses its very own attractive mansion premises and also slashed on its own some TELEVISION insurance coverage on BBC's Great British Railway Journeys.

 A Kent dining establishment along with a dash of present-day fashion may be discovered in The Mulberry Tree, found 4 kilometers coming from Staplehurst, which dishes out present day British & European dishes created coming from local area fruit and vegetables.

 There are actually likewise several multinational bistros in Kent including the Italian dishes delivered through Alexandra Ristorante in Ramsgate - situated on the beach neglecting the Royal Harbour - and also Posillipo in Broadstairs, Faversham as well as Canterbury, that are actually a dab palm at serving handcrafted Neopolitan pizzas.

 If your taste buds demand a respectable fishmongers, Eddie Gilbert's in Ramsgate is actually a fine fish as well as potato chip outlet dining establishment which took on its own the most effective Newcomer award at the Kent Restaurant Awards 2009.

 If you expensive one thing a little bit much more advanced, there is actually several best side bistros in Kent to deal with yourselves like Richard Philips at Chapel Down in Tunbridge Wells, among best dining establishments in Kent, vowing a definitely motivating eating adventure. Victor of the Kent Restaurant Awards 2009 for greatest English meals this spot is actually certainly not one to be actually skipped!

 There is actually a lot of a great cafeteria or even coffee shop as well as Kent additionally includes several of best bistros in the UK. There is actually a dining establishment for everybody, along with Indian, Mediterranean, Mexican and also, certainly, conventional English food to discuss merely a handful of.

[paulappsfineart]

A new face at Paul Apps Fine Art

A new face at Paul Apps Fine Art

    Hi my name is Lindsay and I'm a new face at Paul Apps Fine Art.

I would like to introduce myself today as I will be helping Paul with the day to day running of the gallery so he can spend more time in his studio painting and catching up with his many commitments.

I am local to Hythe and I have an extensive background of Visual Creative Arts and have a passion for all things…

[9point81mpers-2-blog-blog]

A calendar year of life-changing habits

I like to begin the year with some New Year’s Resolutions and whilst I very often veer off track quite quickly and crumple into a pile of guilt, I’ve learnt over the years that it’s not the quantity of my resolutions, but the quality, that counts. I need to make resolutions that resonate with me, become part of my day, my community. This year I’ve decided to incorporate one new habit at a time into my life. Despite being one rather fallible individual, I am extremely passionate about small change leading to big impact and here I’m setting out twelve life-changing habits that I believe are possible to make throughout the course of one calendar year. The order is not extremely important as each habit holds power on its own. The important thing is to adopt each habit fully and unconditionally before moving onto the next. You need to love each habit, make it work for you and only then will you start to see just how tangible and powerful these small changes can be.

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January – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (and compost?!)

An easy (but addictive) habit to start off with – recycling. Start now if you don’t already. Make reduce, reuse, recycle your life motto. Get a recycling container that’s bigger than your waste bin. Check the packaging of the things you buy. Check your local recycling.  Locate recycling points in your area and loop them in to shopping trips to save time and energy. You’ll quickly become that colleague in the office that polices the rubbish bins for plastic bottles. Many councils also offer a food waste stream, which is used to generate green energy or you can compost the waste at home.

February – Reduce Meat and Dairy Intake

We don’t really need as much meat and dairy as the world (or our stomachs) tell us. If going vegan is one step too far (my husband is nodding), try meat-free-Mondays or skip dairy for a few weeks each year. It’s good for you and for the planet. With more and more veggie options available out there, you won’t be lacking choice, flavour and nutrients.

March – Shop Cruelty-Free

Whilst we’re on the topic of animals, my next step was to go cruelty-free and leather-free. It’s easy to reduce our meat and dairy intake to prevent animal suffering without considering the bigger picture. Leather is not a by-product of the meat industry. And just because bunnies don’t wash up or brush their teeth doesn’t mean our kitchen and bathroom cupboards are necessarily cruelty-free.  Although I was extremely shocked by the number of products in my house that did not sport the leaping bunny logo or claim to be free from animal testing, it only took a couple of swaps and a bit of googling to restock my cosmetics and cleaning equipment. And shopping cruelty-free doesn’t necessarily mean breaking the bank with outrageously priced hipster products hand-crafted in someone’s yurt. Since animal testing is actually illegal in the UK, many supermarkets’ own brands will be cruelty-free (hello Tesco) and there are some great low-cost cosmetics out there like Superdrug’s own range, BWC and Sainsbury’s Purify. Some personal favourites include Ecover, Lush, The Body Shop, Faith in Nature and Original Source.

April – Grow Your Own Veggies

Spring is the time to start planting, or so I’ve heard. Unfortunately, I’ve never had much luck with growing anything (indoors or outdoors) but I’m keen to make 2018 the year I successfully nurture something edible. A good friend of mine recently purchased an allotment and now has tomatoes and courgettes for all eternity. Other possible options include local farmer’s markets or organic alternatives.

May – Buy Fair-Trade (Food)

There are some foods, however, that we cannot grow in our backyard or indoor greenhouse. One thing that strikes me again and again in this ever-more-globalised world is that I (really) have no idea where my food comes from. Although I reluctantly have to put a proportionate amount of trust in my supermarkets, there are a few choices that I know will definitely benefit those who grow and pack the food I buy. After being introduced to STOP THE TRAFFIK many years ago, I’ve learnt a well-kept secret of the industry that the foods most susceptible to child slavery are chocolate, bananas, tea and coffee. If you only make one swap to Fairtrade this month, make it count. Sure it may cost a few pennies more, but it’s more than worth it when you know that your cupboard basics are not fuelling the international slave trade.

June – Buy Fair-Trade (Clothing)

I’m sure we are all well aware (or “blissfully ignorant”) that sweat shops and child labour are still very much present in today’s clothing industry. And thanks to the increasing demand for fast fashion and cheap clothes, this trend isn’t declining any time soon. Although there are many brands that are fair-trade and sweatshop free, my main advice is to start in charity shops for the wardrobe basics and put pressure on big brands to change their production practices. Ethical consumer provides an excellent visual guide to shopping.

July – Cut Out Non-Recyclable Plastic

We’re already half-way through the year and I feel we’ve made some big changes to our buying habits. It also makes us more mindful of our connection to those around us and how each small choice can have a global impact. This month is the most challenging habit yet: cutting out non-recyclable plastics. My husband and I took on this “fast” from single-use plastics for Lent and it was the longest 46 days of my entire life. I was prepared for having to cut out crisps and biscuits and ready meals etc. But I was not ready for the extra time spent checking all of the packets of spinach in four different supermarkets until I found one that was recyclable (after two weeks of searching!). And with all good intentions of making our own bread and pasta, it’s incredible to think how much of the grub, gadgets and gifts we buy is coated with metres upon metres of non-recyclable plastic – plastic that will stay on this planet for the rest of eternity (or add to global warming during incineration). After the initial trauma of not being able to pick up a quick coffee and sandwich on the go and having to plan and prepare every single meal in advance, we settled into a rhythm of buying all of our fruit and veg loose (much to the cashiers dismay), stocking up on frozen goods in cardboard packaging and going without cheese for a couple of weeks. My top tips would be:

-          Bio-degradable cling-film made from plants

-          Bamboo tooth-brushes (some are better than others!)

-          OraCare toothpaste (cruelty-free and in partnership with TerraCycle)

-          Join a local zero-waste Facebook group for daily tips and encouragement

August – Reduce Single-Use Recyclable Packaging

Now we’ve cut our waste right down and we’re recycling the majority of packaging and composting food-waste, it’s time to reduce the amount of single-use products we buy. Time to purchase that pretty Ecoffee Cup (and get discounts on hot drinks out!), make use of re-fill facilities and buy in bulk where possible.

My husband and I recently visited U-Weigh in Hythe, a beautiful and typically English town on the Kent coast. Here you can bring you own containers and fill them up with pasta, rice, lentils, sultanas, popping corn, nuts, seeds, flour… you name it, they’ve got it – loose and in bulk. The owner laughed when I asked how long they’d been there. “Thirty years!��� he said, although back then the shop served a very different purpose: mainly offering basic everyday products locally and at a reasonable price. Now they have a new kind of clientele: the zero-waste generation. Shops like this, as well as Ethos in Maidstone that offer refills of washing and cleaning liquids are the start (or rather the return) of a waste-not-want-not attitude to consumerism. And it’s up to us to support the movement.

September – Cut out Palm Oil

I wasn’t really aware that non-sustainable palm oil was still creeping into a large number of food products and cosmetics sold in the UK. A French friend of mine mentioned to me recently that she hasn’t eaten Nutella for years as her stand against palm oil – a French person abstaining from Nutella?! She must have good reason. It struck me that I always looked for the words in bold on packaging, checked for the little vegan symbol and then headed straight to the recycling possibilities; I completely glossed over this little ingredient. Nevertheless, after a quick bit of research I discovered that the palm oil industry is linked to major issues such as deforestation, habitat degradation, climate change, animal cruelty and indigenous rights abuses. Huge areas of rainforest are cleared to make way for palm oil production, land which could then remain infertile for years. There are, however many happy alternatives such as rapeseed oil and sustainable palm oil – just check for the RSPO label. After another round of packaging checking and research, I began to famliarise myself with products to avoid and the alternatives. Spoiler alert – you’re probably going to have to get a new favourite biscuit!

October – Speak up and get writing

By now I’m feeling a lot more aware about the ingredients of the products that I buy and the food that I eat. However, I can’t avoid the occasional snack on the go or an emergency purchase when we run out of toilet roll. It helps to remember that some changes are outside of my control. For bigger changes such as urging cafes to stop offering plastic straws and cutlery, asking councils to provide better recycling facilities or encouraging snack companies to re-think their packaging, we’re going to have to get writing, tweeting and petitioning. This year I’ve got a new found respect for Twitter and the ability to hold corporations to account publically and force them to respond regarding the ethos of their products, the recyclability of the packaging and the traceability of the ingredients. I’m sure my local MP is fed up of the emails I send but until we have Tetrapack recycling facilities in this borough I will not stop! This month I’m encouraging you to contact your MP or local council, sign a petition for an issue close to your heart and write to your favourite snack company and push for change.

November – Switch to Ecotricity

A nice easy one for the end of the year as we head back into the cold season. Switch to Ecotricity. The only UK supplier of 100% green electricity from renewable energy sources and 100% frack-free green gas. Although their customer service leaves a lot to be desired, the switch was quick and easy and they even gave us a free £25 Luch voucher – what’s not to love?

December – Start Volunteering

Finally, we’ve reached December. Christmas is coming, we’re feeling great about our life choices and the new habits we’ve incorporated into our lives. Now it’s time to give something back. Use those spare hours on a weekday evening to help at a local homeless shelter. Research active charities in your local area. Find something you’re passionate about and invest time and money into something worthwhile that gets you out of that work, gym, sleep repeat cycle. Helping others has been proven to fight depression, improve confidence and self-esteem and build community. Doing good does you good.

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Let’s support each other on our calendar years of life-changing habits. Comment, share and encourage.