text:
Not long ago, your average English country-house hotel was just making do, offering the same old formula of roast-beef dinners and overstuffed wing chairs to a fading clientele. After all, most of these hotels date from an era roughly contemporary with Fawlty Towers—when doughty Basils and Sybils began buying up ancestral piles, installing reception desks, and inviting in hoi polloi. During the 1980's the duke-for-a-day experience was a big draw with status-seeking Americans, but when they started to roam farther afield, complacency set in. More recently, a new breed of establishment, including mavericks such as Cowley Manor and Seaham Hall, is ushering in a renaissance in the country-house hotel's appeal. Spurred by these upstarts' success, the savvier old-timers are vying to attract a new generation eager to experience service that's impeccable without being obsequious, and a life devoted to ambling aimlessly around manicured grounds and drinking scotch over a postprandial game of whist. Some of these classic hotels have never stopped striving to stay au courant, while others are getting a shot in the arm from fresh management. Here, four examples that prove sometimes, as with old wines, old friends, and old books, old hotels are better than new ones.
When Chewton Glen opened in 1966 on the edge of an ancient royal hunting ground, a short walk from the Channel coast, it was one of England's first country-house hotels. From the beginning, though, it's had an uphill climb trying to stay on top of the heap. "When I arrived, there were eight bedrooms—and only two bathrooms," says Martin Skan, a distinguished-looking man who owns and runs the hotel with his wife, Brigitte. Martin's first project: six more bathrooms in just six months.
Over the years that followed, the couple has expanded the original house—a rambling Georgian affair with a red-brick façade and tidy green shutters—and in 1990, they opened a spa that was a revelation at the time, with its indoor pool under a trompe l'oeil mural of blue sky. The spa is now twice its original size, thanks to such recent additions as a hydrotherapy pool and moody Molton Browndesigned treatment rooms. The Skans have also finished work on the Poacher, a suite whose design departs from the staid floral curtains and Chippendale chairs in the other guest quarters. Its walls are paneled in grained blond wood; the furniture is covered in tactile fabrics—bouclé, velvet damask, linen weave—in cool shades of celadon and jade.
Perhaps the main reason that Chewton Glen has been so successful is that it has perfected the Jeeves-like ability to sweep you up from the moment of arrival—when you're likely to find a smiling manager and two bellmen in position at the front door—and to deposit you in a bubble, untroubled by anything other than the immediate gratification of whims: glide from the spa to the Michelin-starred restaurant, where deftly cooked classics such as Emmentaler soufflé and Dover sole are laid before you; murmur something about movies, and a woman bearing a list of DVD's appears. Squint, and you might just convince yourself that you actually are master of all you survey. New Milton, Hampshire; 44-1425/275-341; www.chewtonglen.com; doubles from $600.
If this hotel were a soap-opera character, it would be the mousy librarian who inherits a bundle from a wealthy aunt and turns into a decked-out vamp overnight. In the fall of 2003, the boutique-hotel chain Red Carnation bought the 18th-century manor house, which dominates an out-of-the-way Dorset village. Enter Beatrice Tollman, the company's colorful South Africanborn founder, in the role of wealthy (and far from dead) aunt.
On my visit, Tollman met me for tea (a delectable buffet of cakes and homemade scones with clotted cream) on an outdoor patio overlooking the hotel's green lawn. While her dachshund barked at birds and happy families knocked croquet balls about, she showed me photos of Summer Lodge's drab former self and talked with passion about turning the place into a bona fide destination resort. It's clear she's well on her way. She has added seven rooms to the original 17, and every inch of the place has been transformed, at a cost of some $9.5 million.
Summer Lodge wasn't terribly grand to start with: it's a modest white stucco structure whose main claim to distinction is that Thomas Hardy, a trained architect as well as a novelist, designed a drawing-room extension for it. But Tollman has decorated each room with an attention to detail that makes visitors feel as though they were guests in an opulent private mansion. My room had a clubby air, with touches of chinoiserie, heavy curtains, an imposing four-poster bed, and a bedspread embroidered with crewelwork flowers. The new bar is a plush British fantasia of plaid-upholstered chairs and paintings of faithful-looking setters and spaniels.
Fresh contributions to Tollman's country-house ideal spring up all the time. Last fall, a boutique spa with two treatment rooms opened next to the hotel's conservatory pool, and a smashing one-bedroom honeymoon suite recently came to life in an 18th-century cottage. On the whole, Summer Lodge might be a bit flashy, but—as with the soap-opera vamp—you can't help watching to see what happens next. Evershot, Dorset; 44-1935/482-000; www.summerlodgehotel.com; doubles from $353.
You could hardly get further from the chrome-andwenge wood minimalism of many contemporary hotels than the Lygon Arms (pronounced "liggin"). A tidy stone edifice that anchors the main street of the Cotswolds village of Broadway, it has one of the most illustrious histories of any hostelry in England—tradition has it that King Charles I and, later, his nemesis, Oliver Cromwell, stayed here. Furlong Hotels, the family-run firm that bought the place nearly two years ago, has taken on the task of bringing it into the 21st century.
My great-great-great-grandmother was a Lygon, and I was eager to consider how my ancestors would have viewed Furlong's efforts. I concluded that their reactions would have been mixed. The Lygon today is a somewhat schizophrenic, though charming, blend of ancient and modern. No one would dare suggest that anything should change in the public areas—a maze of small rooms with low, beamed ceilings, where patrons take tea with the daily papers. Most of the guest rooms, too, are arch-traditional in style, but Furlong's major refurbishment of one wing has brought flat screens and futuristic shower fixtures to 19 of the hotel's 69 rooms. Sadly, these additions may have removed too much of the rooms' character: despite what seems like a winning concept—contemporary furniture mixed with a few antique pieces—the results feel a little cold and provisional.


text:
Lucy Jurado strips off as our Facebook Fittie, and shows us her naughty snaps!
Find Lucy Jurado on Facebook! facebook.com/lucyjurado91
Age: 22
From: Surrey
Bra size: 32E
Added September 2012 • Like • Comment • Share
"Catching some rays on holiday. Who wants to see my white bits?"
Added November 2012 • Like • Comment • Share
"Everyone's got to love a selfie, especially from this angle!"
Added January 2013 • Like • Comment • Share
"At a Full Moon party in Thailand. I wore custom pants!"
Lucy Jurado strips off as our Facebook Fittie, and shows us her naughty snaps!
Lucy, you've made it into ZOO! How will you celebrate?
I think I'll keep it nice and simple with a cuppa. Naked Sundays wouldn't be the same without afternoon tea and cupcakes.
Comment using Facebook
Also available from ZOO
Want to have sex tonight? On ZOO No Strings there are loads of girls gagging for sexy fun, with no strings attached!
ZOO goes pocket-size (sort of)! You can now download ZOO digital editions on the App Store or Google Play!
The most popular articles on ZOO today are:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Document Type Master's Dissertation Author Gihana, Kennedy Alfred Nurudin email@example.com URN etd-07152011-143814 Document Title Challenges in application of the " responsibility to protect" as a norm in the international community's response to the humanitarian impasse : Rwanda and Darfur Degree LLM Department Public Law Supervisor
Advisor Name Title Adv A Stemmet Supervisor Keywords
- Darfur
- responsibility to protect
- humanitarian impasse
- Rwanda
Date 2011-04-11 Availability restricted Abstract History, so the saying goes, repeats itself. Were this statement to be applied to only positive events then life would be an adventure. The reality is that history does repeat itself almost exclusively regarding negative things. It seems that humanity does not learn even when many horrific lessons abound to show us a better way. Unfortunately this is all too true as will be shown in the following study of the world's shamelessly inadequate responses to human suffering in two African regions, the Republic of Rwanda in 1994 and the Darfur region in Sudan in 2003. Even after the world solemnly declared "Never again" in 1945 we still witness the most egregious cases of carnage, gross violations of human rights, undisguised murders of entire ethnic groups, rape and racially motivated violence taking place as the world looks on. In both cases the United Nations, the only world body mandated with the specific responsibility to detect, deter and diffuse problems before they become unmanageable, has proved to be nothing but a talking shop where little, if anything, was done to help the suffering people of these two regions. In both cases a whole raft of resolutions were passed and eloquent speeches were made but millions died notwithstanding. As such, this study will concentrate its attention on the actions and inactions of the UN. It attempts to unravel the reasons why there appears to be widespread indifference, multiple standards and general apathy when African conflicts erupt. Is it because the continent has hitherto been seen to be resource-poor? Are African lives less valuable than Western nation's lives? Are UN principles applied uniformly or is the UN a purely utopian idea that should be disregarded henceforth? The study also exposes the ineptitude of the world body in light of the evidently much more powerful, but much less representative, UN Security Council. Is there reason for hope? May be so. A new plan of action dubbed R2P- the Responsibility to Protect - is taking root in the international community. It is not an entirely new way of thinking but it has certainly made a lot of policy makers wake up and take note because of its configuration. This study explores its background, its intent, its challenges and whether or not it can be a practical tool in future conflicts. The world has hitherto used the excuse of state sovereignty as the main reason for non-intervention in the affairs of another country even when it was clear that, for various reasons, it was not able or willing to protect its own citizens. This morally bankrupt notion has persisted even in this more enlightened age to the detriment of whole populations. The basic tenet of R2P is that humanitarian law must supersede all other conventional thinking. The world should not be a mere spectator when vulnerable, defenseless men, women and children are being massacred simply because of ill-conceived laws that prohibit concerned nations from taking action. In this age of 24-hour live television where the images are beamed all over the world, it is even less excusable. But that is exactly what happened in Rwanda and is still happening, albeit on a smaller scale, in Darfur. If indeed history repeats itself, then we can be fairly certain that in the near future there will be another horrific conflagration somewhere in the world. It is at that time that the international community will once again be put to the test. R2P as a principle has received universal acceptance. But up to this point, it is as much a good intention as "Never again" was. Whether or not this good intention will be translated into veritable action is yet to be seen. Unfortunately, despite our incredible advances in technology that have made the world faster, more accessible and safer in many instances, history just might have the last laugh and repeat itself yet again.© 2010, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
Please cite as follows:
Gihana, KAN 2010, Challenges in application of the " responsibility to protect" as a norm in the international community's response to the humanitarian impasse : Rwanda and Darfur, LLM dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-07152011-143814/ >
Filename Size Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)
28.8 Modem 56K Modem ISDN (64 Kb) ISDN (128 Kb) Higher-speed Access dissertation.pdf 469.30 Kb 00:02:10 00:01:07 00:00:58 00:00:29 00:00:02 indicates that a file or directory is accessible from the campus network only.


text:
« June 2009 Table of Contents
Processors can eliminate losses due to shrinkage and shortened shelf life by using an effective ice machine tailored to the requirements of a specific seafood operation. Just ask Prince Edward Aqua Farms, a seafood processor that handles Malpeque oysters, clams and blue mussels.
Prior to investing in a Deepchill™ variable state ice system, the Prince Edward Island, Canada, company was using a flake-ice system but found that it did not cool fast enough, melted quickly and was inefficient.
"Our goal was to reduce drip loss and increase shelf life by maintaining a colder core temperature, especially during the mussel spawning season in June and July," says Jerry Bidgood, PEAF general manager. "The flake-ice system required a lot of manual labor as ice had to be shovelled into every box and vat."
After installing a Deepchill system from Sunwell, PEAF was able to use seawater to produce up to 5 metric tons of dry ice, or almost 10 metric tons of Deepchill slurry ice per day, pumping it automatically to four locations at its facility.
"The Deepchill system gave us an automatic method for icing that got in between every mussel in every bag, ensuring fast cooling of the entire product," Bidgood says. "It can be packed more densely, so we get more ice into the boxes, and that gets us 10 to 12 days of shelf life from our mussels. Our competitors, who use other types of ice, can only get seven days of shelf life. Deepchill has helped us improve as a company financially, and allowed us to supply consistently superior quality product that our customers recognize and keep returning for repeat orders."
Sunwell's Deepchill system can discharge three different forms of slurry ice; liquid slurry for rapid chilling, a thick paste for overnight storage and dry snow-like crystals for packaging seafood. Each system is tailored to its specific application.
"A typical customized Deepchill System for a processor would include a Deepchill generation module, a storage silo and a delivery system," says Simon Goldstein, VP of Sunwell Technologies in Woodbridge, Ontario, the icemaker's manufacturer.
The module allows processors to generate Deepchill using off-peak power. The storage silo allows processors to store Deepchill crystals in an insulated, thermos-like silo without requiring any additional refrigeration, energy or raking/auger mechanism. Finally, the delivery system allows processors to discharge Deepchill slurry anywhere in a processing plant in the ideal thickness for each desired application.
"The liquid Deepchill slurry is ideal for fish receiving and rapid chilling, while the thick Deepchill paste allows for constant temperature for overnight storage or transportation," says Goldstein. "The dry, snow-like Deepchill crystals are used for packing and weigh less than traditional ice."
Deepchill systems are installed in more than 30 countries in locations varying from fishing vessels to processing plants and aquaculture operations.
Corrosion prevention is a critical feature of any ice machine. That's why Chicago-based Howe Corp. started using stainless steel and other corrosive-resistant materials to improve the reliability and sanitation of its flake ice machines. With production capacities ranging from 1,000 pounds to 40,000 pounds per day, Howe's flake ice machines are considered among the most energy efficient in the industry.
The company, which was founded in 1912, introduced a 25-year warranty on its machines in 1992, though "many of our customers own Howe Ice Flakers that are 40 years old," says Kevin McCool, executive VP.
Howe's basic flaker design has not changed over the years, but the type of refrigerants used in the industry has, particularly in response to global warming and ozone depletion. Howe's latest development is a line of flake ice equipment that operates on carbon dioxide.
"The working pressures of CO2 are higher than with most other refrigerants, but CO2 is one of the most environmentally friendly refrigerants," McCool says. While the number of CO2 refrigeration systems is limited to a handful of supermarkets and seafood processors in the United States, McCool anticipates it will be a strong growth market in the years ahead.
One of Howe's customers is Kildare Fisheries in Alberton, Prince Edward Island. Until five years ago, the company purchased ice for its operations, but after analyzing the costs, Kildare owner Jamie Rayner opted to purchase a Howe Flaker instead.
"A machine like this pays for itself," says Rayner, who has since purchased four more Howe units. "Flake ice is gentler on seafood products, while cube ice can dimple the product, causing damage. In the seafood business, the value of quality can never be underestimated."
Contributing Editor Lauren Kramer lives in British Columbia