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May 18th, 2015 | Julia Braime
Today's wedding couple booked their big day for the middle of summer with the hope of blue skies and sunshine. Fortunately the unpredictable British weather was kind and delivered just that for their teepee reception held at the local cricket ground.
Highlights for us include Fiona's stunning lace dress and her choice of boho-style, short white dresses for her maids complete with girly gyp headpieces. Ladies you look gorgeous!
In cricket terms we're 'bowled' over by this fab Yorkshire wedding!
With images by Valentina Weddings.
Fiona and James (Papakata) from Bouncing Ball Films on Vimeo.
fiona says: We got engaged in October 2012. It was on a rainy day (as it always is) at the top of Cat Bells in the Lake District. We decided to get married on 9th August 2014. Bang in the middle of summer, hoping for some sunshine!
Our ceremony was at our local church, St Radegunds Church in Scruton, North Yorkshire, which we can see from our living room window. We love where we live so it was nice to keep everything local and for our guests to enjoy our fab village. We decided to hire a Papakata teepee for our reception which was pitched at our village cricket ground where my dad has played cricket for years. They were so accommodating and we were able to use the loos in the pavilion which saved us many pennies!
There wasn't really a set style for the wedding. I seem to acquire lots of random bits and bobs, so these kind of became the props for the day – an old vintage singer, a bargain wooden wardrobe my friend bought from a hospice sale and lovely retro marmalade pots.
I tried on every kind of style of wedding dress you can imagine and had good old laugh in the process! I found that I really liked lace and something quite fitted. I changed the back of the dress, to have more of a full keyhole style back as it was a high neck and added some onto the length to the train. It felt really vintage and quite a lot dressier than I pictured myself in, but I absolutely loved it. I got it from Charlotte at the Bridal Lounge in Northallerton – I can't recommend this place enough!
To accompany my dress, I chose nude Hasbeens for my shoes and wore a gyp floral headpiece made by my lovely florist, Lucy. My hair was done by Becca Hunton and Jackie at Lady J's did my makeup.
James hired his and his boys' suits from Most Suitable in Newcastle. They were grey with a mushroomy coloured cravat and a grey waistcoat. We also had some handmade cufflinks made through Most Suitable as pressies for all of the boys and a pair of matching 'Happy Socks'.
The girls had short white dresses from ASOS with aubergine clogs from Lotti's in Stockholm. It was a really simplistic but boho style and they also wore a floral gyp headpiece to match mine.
Our little page boy Archie wore summer tweed trousers, a white linen shirt and braces, all from H&M, with some Saltwater sandals in blue. Meanwhile our little flower girl Harlowe wore a white cotton summer dress from Zara, yellow Saltwater sandals and a floral head piece to match the other girls.
We used my bridesmaid's Dad's camper, Bertie to transport us on the wedding day. He drove me and my Dad to church, and then me and James to the tepee after the service. A big thank you to Les for Bertie the camper! Our friends also surprised us with a hand drawn 'just married' sign and beer cans tied to Bertie!
Our photographer was Mark of Valentina Weddings. Mark was recommended to us by friends and we just clicked instantly! He's so lovely, totally approachable and super creative. Mark listens to everything you say you'd like, styles of shots and compositions you love but equally suggests ideas that he has. We had a Pinterest board going for us both to pin photography ideas to and it's the biggest photography board you'll ever see!
Our wedding album, Mark and I designed together, which was great fun. The quality of the album is so high, definitely worth the money! Every one of our guests spoke of how professional and friendly Mark was, and one of our closest friends has already booked him for her wedding off the back of ours!
Mark also recommended to us a wedding videographer – Dom at Bouncing Ball Films and Ryan at Riff Raff Photography. At first we weren't so keen, but in hindsight we are so glad we did. The finished video has been put together and footage edited so cleverly to create a short snap shot of our day. The choice of music was totally in their hands and perfectly suits our day. We have a huge smile every time we watch it!
The bouquets and headpieces I chose were all gyp bound by natural garden twine, as were the boys' buttons holes. We kept the church flowers really simplistic, just small tin buckets full of gyp. Churches have so much heritage and beauty that I think you should just leave them be.
In the teepee we had beautiful multi coloured dahlias on the tables in the retro marmalade pots and a wooden crate filled with sunflowers. Again really simplistic but super vibrant creating a contrast from the neutral tones of the bouquets and church flowers. Our florist Lucy Hope was great and she helped with props that we needed too.
I designed our own wedding stationery, a small booklet invitation with foil blocking detail of the teepee illustration and hand rendered typography. I also drew all of the signage for the day and designed the thank you postcards through my business, Plewsy.
The table numbers were created by hanging old cricket score board numbers from the beams of the teepee, it was nice to have a link back to the cricket club whilst it also left us with more room on the tables for wine!
I totally forgot about the cake until two weeks before the wedding. Luckily our local farm shop, Springhouse Farm Shop, came to the rescue and created a beautiful naked sponge cake. They delivered it to the teepee on the morning of the wedding. The caterers layered it with strawberries and cream and we had a cake!
We wanted a relaxed feel to the day and so decided on tapas for the food. Our caterers, Paul and Chris of Indulge in Harrogate, were recommended by a work colleague and again when I met Paul I knew I trusted him to be the caterer for our big day! I had some ideas, but Paul suggested most of the dishes. Canapés were served with prosecco to our guests when they arrived at the teepee. We had crazy amounts of tapas including spicy chicken wings, tabbouleh, vegetable lasagne, chicken paella and chorizo. We served the wedding cake for pudding with berries and cream.
Paul and his team also ran the evening barbecue, serving grilled halloumi, salmon, chicken, homemade kebab skewers, coleslaw and a humongous salad! To drink we went for Rioja and Pinot Grigio for wine on the tables and behind the bar, along with barrels of Black Sheep and Carling (we ran out and had to raid the village pub for more!)
We booked Goldsands, a local band who we had seen play live a couple of times before, to entertain our guests. They are acoustic and were perfect for our venue. Everyone has said how great they were and they have been booked a fair few times by our guests since.
We filled my friend's retro wardrobe that she lent us full of disposable cameras, tambourines, sombreros, maracas, glitter and other bits and bobs! We also managed to exchange some bales of straw for a few free pints with a local farmer for seating outside the teepee! Oh, and borrowed a retro sofa from the cricket pavilion which was perfect!
As a special touch James and a few of our friends surprised me with a fireworks display, along with a life sized cut out of Guy Martin (long story)!
We would highly recommend Papakata to other wedding couples – Rhian and the team were fab. All the organisation went so smoothly and the teepees are so bloomin' gorgeous! My favourite part of the day has to be seeing so many of our friends and family together in one place, shaking tambourines and feather bowers on the dance floor!
We flew to Ibiza for a week a couple of days after the wedding day. We stayed near the hippy village, it was really chilled out, super-hot with lots of beer and sunshine. Perfecto! In the October we used our honeymoon pot (set up through Spear Travels) to visit Thailand for a couple of weeks. We spent a couple of days in Bangkok, then flew south to Krabi / Ao Nang for a little while, then spent the rest of our time on Koh Phi Phi. It is such a lovely relaxed country, with beautiful coast lines and a great culture. We rode elephants, went on long boat trips to four small islands and drank a lot of mojitos!
My top tip to other Brides Up North is – don't stress! The best advice I can give is to go with suppliers that you get on with and click with! I did this with every supplier and each and every one worked their socks off to create our day. If you trust the people you book, this will take the stress away from you! Also people don't notice if there's a flower out of place or a mark on a napkin. It might matter to you, but in the grand scheme of things it's not a huge deal. Just relax and enjoy your big day!
Posted in Marquees, Outdoor Wedding, Real Weddings, Yorkshire Wedding | Filed Under | leave a comment.
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January 29th, 2015 | Julia Braime
Can we all just pause for a moment please and admire today's bride's beautiful wedding style? From her bejewelled headband to her full length veil and beaded gown, this lady looks like she's straight off the catwalk.
And her boy doesn't scrub up badly either, does he?
Carly and Louis's super stylish, yet relaxed tipi wedding celebration was full of fun, blousy blue blooms, twinkling fairy lights and special little touches. Just lovely.
Be inspired…
With images by GS Studio.
carly says: We were on a snowboarding holiday in Sauze D'oulx, Italy for New Year's 2013/2014. Half way down a gorgeous tree lined slope, snow coming down on New Year's Day, Louis stopped me saying he needed a rest, when we stopped, he flipped over onto both knees (still strapped in) and pulled the little box out his pocket.
We set the date for 6th September 2014, we chose it hoping it would be a good day for the weather, it was so nerve wracking getting married in a tipi, it could have gone one way or another!
We got married in a tipi supplied by the fantastic Unique Tent Company in my parents' garden. It had always been a dream of mine ever since they bought the place, they weren't quite as excited as I was when I came to them with the idea, but they came round in the end and it couldn't have been more perfect. It was a real labour of love getting the garden ready.
We had a very natural, garden theme, it just fit with the fact we got married at home, very relaxed. Charlotte from The Finishing Touch Company and Helen at Bels Flowers really pulled the whole place together, it was an absolute wonderland.
We chose to go with blues and greys for our colour palette, the stone in my engagement ring is a star sapphire and blue-grey in colour so we decided to follow that.
I chose an Eliza Jane Howell full length gown with long sleeves in a heavily beaded 20's style, I felt so glamorous the second I put it on, I knew it was the one. I bought it from Kathryn S Trueman in Morpeth and the girls were amazing!
Louis wore a three piece navy suit, tartan tie and some fabulous Grenson shoes from End Clothing, very dapper!
Our groomsmen, all TWELVE of them wore the same as Louis, and the bridesmaids wore the Ghost dye to order Chelsea dress.
Gemma Smith at GS Studio was our photographer and she was fantastic and followed exactly what we wanted. I can't recommend her enough, everyone was so at ease, and the pictures are so natural, exactly what we wanted!
My dad bought a 1953 Ford Popular when I was about 3 years old and after a few fun trips as a child it sadly went into retirement when I was about 8 years old. Dad knowing how much I adored the old car secretly had it all fixed up, serviced, new wheels the lot as a surprise and we're so lucky to be able to take our little wedding car for a tootle now whenever the weather permits all be it at a max of 20mph (which made the journey to the church that morning VERY interesting!)
Helen at Bels Flowers provided the most beautiful natural bouquets of hydrangeas, nigella, dusty miller and even included some herbs so the bouquets had the most beautiful aroma.
The Finishing Touch Company provided most of the internal decorations with bell jars and watering cans bursting with flowers on the tables, the festoon lighting and the blackboard seating plan were the piece de resistance from Coco Luminaire.
We gave out Krispy Kreme Doughnuts as favours, they went down a treat!
My mum's best friend made the wedding cake, she's so talented! I wanted an informal cake that really represented us so she made it look like an alpine slope with two little snowboard figurines on the top dressed in our wedding clothes, it was so special and absolutely delicious!
We chose a band called the Soundcasters from London, we'd heard them on the holiday in the Alps when we got engaged and couldn't get them out of our heads, they had the whole place jumping every night, exactly what we wanted for our special day.
100% everyone we used were top notch, we didn't hit one hitch throughout the day, largely thanks to the co-ordination from our catering team at Sheer Elegance Catering, Anthony and Chris ran the day like clockwork and Jane from Newcastle Falcons supplied the bar. She managed to come up with every request we had and didn't run short of a thing on the night.
Snaparazzi Photobooths supplied us with one of their fabulous booths which went down a treat and Coco Luminaire supplied the large illuminated letters, they even managed to get them outside on the lake, it looked absolutely stunning! Bit-a-Sweet supplied the sweety cart and were kind enough to keep it stocked all night.
I couldn't choose a favourite part of the day, I guess the speeches were pretty special though, I have the give my dad, Louis and all 12 best men their dues, we were in stitches!
After the wedding we took a two week snowboarding holiday in the alps, a little energetic for a honeymoon, but it was so much fun, we had a week alone and a week with friends, my stomach still hurts from laughing so much!
My top tip for other Brides Up North is to relax, enjoy it and if you know you're a worrier then give yourself plenty of time, it's the most amazing day!
Posted in Marquees, North East Wedding, Outdoor Wedding, Real Weddings | Filed Under | 3 comments.
November 11th, 2014 | Julia Braime
This morning we join Gemma and Jim for their simple yet stunning wedding in the Yorkshire countryside. Our homecoming couple kept things plain yet interesting with delicate, handmade touches and a pretty pale colour palette for their celebration under canvas at the heart of village life.
With images by Hayley Baxter Photography.
Gemma says: When Jim proposed it was totally unexpected! He had insisted on taking me out for a slap up evening meal as a Christmas treat. We live in London and it had snowed all day, I was wet, cold and just wanted to make sure we could get home! The odds were against him – my mood wasn't the warmest, and little did I know, he had called my Mum to ask her permission – to be promptly told to call back later as she was 'in the middle of dishing up tea'! Poor fella! He took me to the Oxo Tower Restaurant on the Southbank – at which point I insisted this was far too lavish and I would prefer to have a Chinese take away and save the money! He pressed on..! During the meal he started to look a little 'off colour' which I later realised was because he desperately needed the toilet but couldn't risk standing up and me seeing a square bulge in the pocket of his skinny jeans! He proposed with the most romantic words of love for me and with a standing ovation from the other dinners when I said 'yes' (in floods!).
We married in a small village called Hackness, North Yorkshire on 6th September 2014 – close to where our families live. Hackness has a beautiful church and wonderful countryside surroundings. It was quite tricky choosing the location as, living in London, there was a bit of a North, South divide! As luck would have it, we found a wedding blog showing a great wedding in the same village, with a Tipi reception at the village hall. We had been to our friends Tipi wedding and loved the idea of putting our own personal touches on the day. Plus we are outdoorsy people and go camping all year round – so this really suited us. It all started to fall into place!
We wanted to make everything ourselves to give our day a real personal touch – and save money of course! Romantic, rustic and simple was the theme! We didn't want to over decorate the tipis as we thought they looked wonderful with simple sparkly lights. We tied in parts of our London life – our table plan was based on the tube map and we used Oxo Cubes (engaged in the Oxo Tower) to hold each name plate. My Mum made meters and meters of hessian table runners with a lace centre, and we had lots of glass jars and sundae dishes with candles in them, with sand from Scarborough Beach to hold them in place.
The initial colour scheme was duck egg, but the actual colour of duck egg blue is a very serious debate within our family and friends now! So we'll just say 'light bluey'!
My dress was from London Designer Bridal Room just off Oxford Street. I am very simple in what I wear day to day so I knew a large dress wasn't for me…(I did have fun trying one or two on though!). I went for a simple, slinky dress which made me feel very elegant, womanly and, most of all, me!
Jim showed me quite a few pictures of David Gandy in suits…so I knew he wanted something quite fitted and trendy! We went to some amazing tailors but in the end the slim-fit style we found (as luck and budget would have it) in Red Herring at Debenhams was the one. It had a matching scoop neck waistcoat which looked perfect with his skinny French Connection tie. His shoes were from Linea at House of Fraser and shirt was a white slim fit dress shirt from TM Lewin.
The Bridesmaids and I had to do a lot of virtual shopping as they both live miles away. I came across the dresses on one of my many web searches and they both loved it! The dresses had a subtle sequin hem which tied in perfectly with my dress – from Kalico at John Lewis. The Bestman and Usher wore the same suit and tie as Jim. They were a little concerned with the 'slim fit' description but they both looked amazing!
For our centre pieces we ordered 100 stems of loose gypsophila from our florist, to put into the vases we had decorated for the table centres. My Mother-in-Law has done a bit of floristry so she made sure each stem was cut nice and level. We also had (my favourite) white hydrangea heads in jam jars.
Our florist at Blooms of Scarborough was so clever, I wanted a simple gypsophila bouquet but she suggested tying in a hydrangea centre to match our centre pieces. I was so pleased with the final result which was all tied together with hessian.
Our photographer was the wonderful Hayley Baxter. I have fallen in love a bit with Hayley… she is just a little genius and the nicest person to boot! We could not believe the wonderful intimate shots she managed – most of the time we had no idea she was there! Our edited pictures arrived very quickly – but we got a little sneak peek the day after via Facebook – which was such a lovely touch!
We made all the favours ourselves. I made pretty dangly earrings for all the ladies and Jim made a 'mix tape' of all sorts of music (some meaningful, some just fun!) for the gents. We spent many a Sunday afternoon cutting and sticking and creating. I think I loved this part a bit more than Jim… but he is a dab hand with the heart shaped hole punch now!
On each table setting we added a question card from the Logo board game, which we thought would be a nice ice breaker.
Having a tipi wedding limits your food choices to a degree but we managed to work it – I think! Well… no one went hungry! Malton Relish made all our gorgeous canapes and the vegetarian options of 'Wild Mushroom Loaf' and 'Italian Vegetable Frittata' they delivered them on the day so we didn't have to worry about chilling them. Stepney Hill Farm provided the main meal of a Hog Roast with stuffing and apple sauce. Jim's step father is a dab hand in the kitchen so he lovingly prepared some amazing salad accompaniments. We had lots of cheese and biscuits, wedding cake and my friend made delicious chocolate brownies for dessert. Late evening we had Pickering Fish and Chips arrive with their mobile van – which went down an absolute treat! We ran a free bar so shopped for the alcohol during various promotions in the supermarkets. Aldi was an absolute winner for spirits! We also had a hand pull real ale from Scarborough Brewery which people went crazy for!
Jim's Mum is a wonderful baker and so she kindly baked our cake – traditional fruit on the bottom tier and lemon sponge with lemon curd and butter cream on the top tier. Her super clever friend did all the icing. We have the figurines set now and sitting on our book case – a wonderful keepsake!
We were so pleased with The Big Party Band, a 5 piece band based in Keighley. We had seen them perform at a rare public gig and knew they were good! The music was a mix of modern and dance floor classics. The real wow factor comes when the band get on the dance floor with their wireless guitars – so much fun! We paid extra to hire their kit all day to allow us to have music during the day and a PA system for the speeches. We gave them two options for our first dance and they surprised us on the day having learnt them both – so gave us a first and last dance!
We put a confetti balloon in the centre of the dance floor which was popped during our first dance – the actually popping caused lots of laughs as it just wouldn't go!
We had these huge LOVE letters which I scrounged from Debenhams on Oxford Street – it was one of their valentines displays that they were throwing away. We underestimated how large they were which made for a bit of hilarity when trying to get them home on the tube!
Boutipi were our Tipi suppliers and they are just the best!! They are a family run business which really shows, nothing is too much trouble and they really care about giving you the best day possible! They even gave us a crash course in the Waltz the day before!
Crystal Penguin Events did our on the day coordination along with two waitresses my mum knows. I would recommend to anyone having a Tipi wedding to have someone there on the day to worry about timings etc. Steph made everything run like clock work, she also brought along some of her family to help run the bar and wash up!
Abbey Sound and Light hired our generator, we had no idea what size we would need but they worked this all out for us and plugged it all in – a real weight off our mind.
Our wedding day was truly the best day of our lives. It's impossible to say what our one favourite moment was – but saying our vows to each other was wonderful, we were finally becoming man and wife! I messed up my lines and cried all the way through…but people said they loved that it was sincere and not polished. The three days prior to our wedding was wonderful, everyone turning up to help decorate and lift and shift… just made your heart melt. We felt so lucky to have such hard working family and friends!
We had a couple of days away after our wedding in Bruges – which was wonderful! Such a pretty and romantic place, perfect for relaxing and mooching about! We are planning our honeymoon for later next year.
I have so many tips for other Brides Up North! These types of blogs are so handy for reading about the experience of others. Having now been there, done that, I would have explored the second hand dress market a bit more, it is such a huge part of your budget and after all, most second hand dresses have only been worn once!
Posted in Marquees, Outdoor Wedding, Real Weddings, Yorkshire Wedding | Filed Under | leave a comment.
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June 2nd, 2014 | Rachel Parry
I'm so excited to kick off the week and share Jess and Matt's Real Wedding with you. Not only because it took place in my home city of Sheffield (and featured some fantastic suppliers I know *waves*) but also because it has all the right ingredients for one hell of a party.
In the run up to the wedding Jess and Matt built the excitement among their guests by tasking family and friends with helping to organise their special day, making them feel an important part of the proceedings whilst creating beautiful personal touches to set their wedding apart from others.
Then there's the evening do – quirky outdoor location, amazing homemade food, locally brewed beer, live music and fire pits! What more could you want?
This is one wedding I wish I'd attended.
Jess said: We got engaged on Monday 29th October 2012. We were in Spain visiting the beautiful Andalusian town of Granada and had spent a lovely sunny day at the 1,000-year-old Moorish citadel The Alhambra. As the sun was beginning to set (and my feet were beginning to ache) Matt suggested we walk to a viewpoint. An hour later we reached the top after a pretty steep climb. As I sat down on a bench to regain my breath, Matt bent down to tie up his shoelaces and returned with a stunning antique ring! On our return from Spain late that Friday night, Matt surprised me a second time by driving me from Liverpool airport to a luxury spa resort in Cheshire, where we stayed for the weekend.
We decided to set the date for Saturday 10th August 2013. We wanted a summer wedding and, as we are both teachers, this date gave us enough time to prepare for the wedding but also to have a three-week honeymoon abroad.
We wanted a combination of a traditional church ceremony in the city alongside a more alternative reception venue in the countryside. So we chose our stunning parish church St John's in Ranmoor, Sheffield, for the ceremony and Green Directions at Townfield Head Farm, Stannington, for our reception.
We wanted to have a very relaxed and informal wedding which was a bit different so we hired Papakata teepees.
I love blues of different shades so this was our theme. It is also a colour which suits all of the bridesmaids. Our brilliant florist Tracey from Campbell's Flowers also showed us lots of gorgeous blue flowers which would be in bloom in August so this sealed our decision.
Initially I wanted a strapless lace wedding dress but the woman at the bridal shop I visited suggested I try on a scalloped neck lace dress called Ali by Augusta Jones which I fell in love with. It has a beautiful long chapel train and a stunning lace back with simple buttons. There's a vintage belt which accentuates your waist and really sets off the lace. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford it so my sister (chief bridesmaid) helped me find a pre-loved dress, exactly the same and to my precise measurements, for half the price at www.preloved.co.uk. My shoes were simple alabaster sling-backs by Bertie which I found in the Christmas sale.
Matt wore a black French Connection suit which he'd recently bought and only worn once to an awards ceremony. He made it look more unusual by wearing a multi-coloured Ted Baker bow-tie and black shoes with an orange sole to complement his auburn hair!
My bridesmaids wore handmade baby blue 50s style dresses made-to-measure from Etsy with petticoats to boost the skirts. The ushers and best man all wore dark suits and blue ties (bow tie for the best man).
We hired a Yorkshire Heritage vintage double decker bus to transport me and my family to the church and then took most of us to the farm afterwards. It was fab!
As previously mentioned, our beautiful rustic bouquets were made by Campbell's Flowers. They were absolutely stunning – lots of local blooms and even some eucalyptus from our own garden. My bridesmaids and I carried matching bouquets down the aisle. The groomsmen all had matching buttonholes. We also had a large, wild, 'just-picked' looking bouquet on each table at the reception.
Lots of friends and family (especially my mum) pitched in to help make lots of hand-made touches to decorate the teepees. These included guest names on luggage tags which we strung from a washing line around the teepee entrance which had table names on the back and served in place of a table plan. We also made candle holders from empty jars we'd collected and decorated with hessian and lace, baby blue gingham table runners and bows for chairs, hand-sewn material hearts for each table, table names which were each a place in Sheffield with a picture and a menu on the back, plus patchwork cushions and blankets for the benches.
My Dad is a keen allotmenteer so when it came to the favours he donated lots of seeds with appropriate names such as 'love in the mist' or 'party girl'. My parents then put them in rustic brown seed-envelopes and labelled to double up as place-names.
Helen and Paul Haigh of PH Weddings did our photographs and we love them! They were very discrete and captured lots of hidden moments without being at all intrusive. We also had a great pre-wedding shoot in Endcliffe Park as part of their package.
Matt's aunty makes the best desserts so she agreed to make enough cup-cakes for all of our guests. We bought a huge stand and another friend (with immaculate handwriting) wrote out guest names so that everyone could find their own cake.
On arrival at the farm, we ate scones (homemade by super-baker Matt's mum) with clotted cream and jam (made with fruit from my Dad's allotment). A complimentary drink of local ale or cider was also served. For our main evening meal, we used Coco Catering who provided a delicious and inexpensive barbecue of locally sourced meat such as sausages and lamb burgers alongside unusual salads such as butternut squash and cous cous. Later in the evening, they provided a snack-sized portion of fish and chips once our evening guests arrived.
Matt and I bought all of the alcohol ourselves and sold it at cost price to keep everything as cheap as possible for our guests. We drank lots of prosecco and also had kegs of local ale and cider from Bradfield Brewery who I would highly recommend for great tasting drinks and efficient, well-mannered staff at a good price.
To keep the children entertained during the day we had a section of the teepee devoted to kids' things such as colouring books and games. The farmer Mark Woodward was really chilled and let the little kids all go for a farm tour during the speeches
We really wanted love music so we splashed out on an amazing live band The Cassettes from London who my brother had recommended. They played two one hour sets of motown and classics and were awesome!
In the middle of the teepees were fire pits which were great fun later at night. Once the band finished at midnight we all went into the 'chill-out kungs' and sat around the fire playing guitars, singing and carrying on the party until 4am.
I would most definitely recommend Green Directions as a venue. For us it was the perfect as it's close to Sheffield city centre whilst still having stunning views out into the peaks. The cost was much cheaper than at other farms we visited as they have their own wind turbine which provides all the electricity and there are also toilets on site so you save money on portaloos and a generator. What really made it special though was how laid back, friendly and enthusiastic Mark and his wife were.
I loved the whole day start to finish but perhaps the evening, when the band was playing and all of my favourite people were together dancing or relaxing in our giant teepees, was the best part.
For our honeymoon we went to Sri Lanka on my parents' recommendation as they'd be there when they were our age. Our favourite place was Casa Columbo where we stayed in the capital for our first two nights – we should have stayed much longer!
My top tip for other Brides Up North would be if you're organising the wedding yourself, rather than through a wedding planner at a hotel/venue, make sure you have a very patient, efficient and willing chief bridesmaid! Also, make sure there is someone on the day who knows exactly what needs to happen and ensure that contractors are not contacting you about logistics on the day. I would not have had such an amazing wedding without my sister and brother taking on these two taxing jobs!
Congratulations Jess & Matt!
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Posted in Real Weddings, Yorkshire Wedding | Filed Under | leave a comment.
March 19th, 2014 | Julia Braime
The start of every season always begins with a flurry of freelance commissions here at Brides Up North, and days spent with my head buried in my laptop feeling like "a proper writer". Of course, the end product is rarely very different from producing features for my own blog, but when it's for someone else's publication (and they've entrusted you with one, two or even four of their precious editorial pages) and it's actually going to be "in print", the stakes somehow seem higher.
Respected North East bridal title Belle Bridal Magazine celebrated their fifth birthday this season, and so, when they bestowed upon me the honour of selecting the hots and the nots of the wedding world for spring 2014, I was thrilled. But oh, the pressure!
So, with a lot of industry knowledge behind me, and a little bit of crystal ball gazing, these were my predictions for the trends that'll be topping the charts (and sliding off the scale) at a wedding near you soon. Tell me, are you incorporating any of these trends into your big day?
I wrote…
Going Up…
Blame Jay Gatsby, but flamboyance is back in a big way. A little party never killed nobody, but why do things by halves? After these mean recession years, we're ready for some fun. Expect heavy embellishments, cascading blooms and excess all areas.
Image: Katy Melling Photography
Image: Lucabella Wedding Photography
Alternative Settings
It started with the tipi, and now there's an outdoor option for almost every theme. Whether it's a Scandinavian hat, Mongolian yurt or Bedouin tent, it's still chic to say I do under canvas. Just remember to budget for a generator too!
Image: Gerrard Photography
Image: Jo Bradbury
Structured Silhouettes
Amongst all the usual layers of lace and tulle a new breed of wedding gown is emerging: clean lines, sharp edges and super cool. Closer to catwalk trends than a Royal Wedding, these frocks are for the slick chicks who don't want to leave their personalities by the church door. Choose bold shapes and structured satin (not a sequin in sight) for strut-your-stuff wedding day style.
Image: Astral Sundholm Circa Brides
Image: KMR Bridal
Gold Rush
Platinum will always be precious, but all the best dressed ring fingers are going for gold this season. Romantics should try rose gold and pave diamonds for an on trend look that's forever timeless.
Image: Helen Russell Photography
Colour Me Pretty
Adding a touch of complimentary colour to your wedding day wardrobe is nothing new, but this is a trend that refuses to fade. Pastels are huge on the catwalks and in the bridal boutiques for 2014 and designers are upping the ante with all over washes of warmth or layered ombre lace effects. Go on, live life in colour! If a dip dye wedding dress isn't for you, you can still give a nod to this pretty trend with colourful stationery or blushing blooms.
Image: Ian Stuart
Going Down…
Traditional Tinsel
Forget the humble tiara, 2014 is the year that bridal headwear gets big and bold. From glittering bunny ears and feather head-dresses to vibrant flower garlands, the fashion forward bride will dare to decorate herself in colour and originality. Still not sure? Stick to simple for the ceremony and style things up for the after party!
Image: Katy Melling Photography
Image: James Melia
Image: Cat Hepple Photography
Words: Julia Braime for Belle Bridal Magazine, S/S 2014
Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2014 Brides Up North/ Belle Bridal Magazine/ as credited where relevant
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Posted in Press, UK Wedding Blog | Filed Under | leave a comment.
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A semiconductor circuit for protecting battery powered electronic devices from damage due to polarity reversal. A metal oxide semiconductor is employed in series with the power source to switch the power input as appropriate. A first embodiment simply disables the power source input upon improper polarity. A second embodiment actually reverses the effective polarity to the load. Because the source-to-drain impedance of the metal oxide semiconductor device is resistive, a number of protection devices may be used in parallel to achieve an arbitrarily low voltage drop between power source and load for a given current drain.
1. A polarity reversal protection circuit connectable between a pair of source lines and a pair of load lines comprising:
first and second field-effect transistors of a first channel type having their source-drain paths connected in series across said source lines; and,
third and fourth field-effect transistors of a second channel type having their source-drain paths connected in series across said source lines and in parallel with the source-drain paths of said first and second transistors; and,
wherein the gate electrodes of said first and third transistors are directly coupled together and to only one of said source lines and the gate electrodes of said second and fourth transistors are directly coupled together and to only the other of said source lines; and,
one of said load lines is connected to the junction point of the drains of said first and second transistors; and,
the other of said load lines is connected to the junction point of the drains of said third and fourth transistors.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical circuits and more specifically to devices to protect electrical circuits from damage due to polarity reversal of the power supply.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The earliest devices which provide protection for circuitry from polarity reversal are electromechanical in nature. U.S. Pat. No. 3,267,301 issued to Gignac discloses such a circuit using a relay for polarity reversal protection. Because of the reliability limitation of relays, subsequent designs often included diodes such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,313,995 issued to Bach et al.
Subsequent polarity reversal protection circuits used semiconductor devices to replace the electromagnetic relays. These circuits such as taught by Hurd in U.S. Pat. No. 3,571,608, Maigret et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,709 and Moore in U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,951 use transistors to affect the switching of power source to load current.
Because of the high current requirements of polarity reversal protection circuits, the semiconductors used in the prior art are typically bipolar in nature. This results in a constant voltage drop across the polarity reversal protection circuit within the intended current range of the system. For relatively high power systems, this is acceptable. However, for many low power applications, a smaller and arbitrarily lower voltage drop is desirable or required. Even though Moore, for example, suggests the use of metal oxide semiconductors, the prior art does not teach a polarity reversal protection circuit having an arbitrarily low voltage drop.
The present invention employs metal oxide semiconductors in the protection devices. Because the source to drain current experiences a resistive voltage drop, the protection devices may be coupled in parallel to achieve a total in-series resistance between power source and load of as low of a value as required.
The present invention is configured into two modes. The first of these merely opens the power source to load circuit upon polarity reversal. The second mode actually reverses the power source load if required. In either mode, however, the protection devices appear as a resistive voltage drop between the power source and load. Therefore, paralleling protection devices of either mode will present an arbitrarily low resistive voltage drop between the power source and the load.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a protection device of the simpler mode.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a protection device of the reversal mode.
FIG. 3 is a representation of the manner in which the desired voltage drop is obtained by paralleling protection devices.
The preferred modes of practicing the present invention involve application to battery operated medical devices. Battery operation of such devices is preferred for safety reasons when connection is made to internal or implanted electrodes. Battery polarity reversal is quite possible and even likely with such devices under certain emergency and patient controlled situations. However, the present invention is applicable to other non-medical electronic devices and will be viewed as relevant thereto from the following description.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a protection device of the mode of practicing the present invention wherein the power source to load circuit is merely opened upon polarity reversal. Semiconductor 100 is a P channel enhancement metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) field effect transistor (FET). Semiconductor 100 may be of a common type such as part number IRFD 9121. The source is coupled to the positive terminal 102 of the source as shown. The drain of semiconductor 100 is coupled to positive terminal 112 of the load.
Resistor 106 has a value of 10 megohms. It is coupled between the negative terminal 104 of the source and gate 108 of semiconductor 100. Resistor 106 is chosen to ensure minimal current flow via channel 108. Negative terminal 104 of the source is also coupled directly to negative terminal 114 of the load.
If the power source (i.e., removable battery) is applied with proper polarity (i.e., battery positive to positive terminal 102 and battery negative to negative terminal 104), gate 108 is negative with respect to the source of semiconductor 100 and current flows from the source to the drain of semiconductor 100. This represents normal operation. The voltage drop across semiconductor 100 is the source to drain resistance (typically 0.5 ohm) times the source-to-drain current. Should the power supply polarity be reversed by improper battery insertion, gate 108 becomes more positive than the source of semiconductor 100. This effectively results in an infinite source-to-drain resistance in semiconductor 100, thereby protecting the load from the polarity reversal.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a more sophisticated mode of practicing the present invention. In this mode the power source is applied between lines 208 and 210 in either polarity. The protection device switches the input such that line 212 to the load is always always positive and line 214 to the load is always negative.
Semiconductors 200 and 202 are N channel enhancement MOS FET devices of type IRFD 111. Semiconductors 204 and 206 are similar types. Resistors 216 and 218 have a value of 10 megohms. Resistor 216 biases the gates of semiconductors 200 and 204. Similarly, bias for the gates of semiconductors 202 and 206 is supplied via resistor 218.
Whenever line 208 is positive and line 210 is negative, semiconductors 204 and 202 conduct (semiconductors 200 and 206 do not conduct) to complete the circuit to lines 212 and 214 respectively. Similarly, whenever line 208 is negative and line 210 is positive, semiconductors 200 and 206 conduct (semiconductors 202 and 204 do not conduct) to complete the circuit to lines 214 and 212, respectively. Thus, proper polarity is applied to the load via lines 212 and 214 with either polarity supplied by the power source to lines 208 and 210.
FIG. 3 is a generalized representation of the manner in which protection devices of either type (i.e., type shown in FIG. 1 or type shown in FIG. 2) may be coupled in parallel to decrease the effective voltage drop from the source (coupled to lines 306 and 308) to the load (coupled to lines 310 and 312). If protection device A 300 has a resistance of 1.0 ohm, the addition of an identical protection device B 302 in parallel lowers the circuit resistance to 0.5 ohm. In general, if each protection device has a resistance of R, the total resistance, RT of n protection devices in parallel becomes: ##EQU1## of course, only one type of protection device may be used in a given circuit.
Thus, it can be seen that the present invention provides polarity reversal protection and can present as small of an in-series resistance as required. Those of skill in the art will be readily able to apply the teachings found herein to many similar circuits.
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PopCrush 97.1 Has The Best Looking Fans In Billings!
I was at our sister stations event last weekend(Cat Country 102.9's Flakes Trip Giveaway at the Wild West) and ran into one of our PopCrush 97.1 fans, which was pretty awesome!
I was at our sister stations event last weekend(Cat Country 102.9's Flakes Trip Giveaway at the Wild West) and ran into one of our PopCrush 97.1 fans, which was pretty awesome!
This weekend, PopCrush 97.1, 103.7 The Hawk, Cat Country 102.9, and NewsTalk 95.5 are hitting the streets to help out the victims of the deadly typhoon in the Philippines.
We'll be collecting donations Saturday from 10 am from 2pm at the Stockman Bank on King Ave
When one thinks of 'Say Anything...,' John Cusak, holding a boom box above his head and serenading Ione Skye with the Peter Gabriel song 'In Your Eyes' likely comes to mind.
But beyond that iconic scene, Cameron Crowe's directorial debut is perhaps one of the most well-crafted and nuanced teen romantic comedies of all time.
Selena Gomez has a sexy feature in the new issue of Flaunt in which she discusses why she keeps parts of herself private. Well, she wasn't modest or private at the Beverly Hills party for the publication (Nov. 7), where she "flaunted" her enviable as
I went back and forth trying to decide whether I would dress up today at work for Halloween. Everyone said that they would(for the most part), but I just knew that if I did, I would be the only one there in costume
We celebrated Halloween early this year with a costume party and potluck. Just so you know, when you start having potlucks, it means your getting old. But hey! The food was awesome and I only had to bring one thing!
This week's "Hump Day Track" isn't a music video as you can probably tell. But it's some seriously funny stuff and with two of my favorite guys too! Gotta love Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake!
Now don't get me wrong. Jamie Dornan is pretty darn cute. But Christian Grey Cute? I think not!
Well, this isn't a great representation. However, our Promotions Director(Rick) had just complained that we were serving up too much cupcakes and cake and that he was eventually going to get diabetes. I don't know for sure, but I don't think he's going to say that again!
Have you ever wondered about where we are actually broadcasting from? What it looks like? The equipment we use? Well, you are in luck my friend! Welcome to the PopCrush 97.1 studios!


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Results 1 to 13 of 209
January 10th, 2009 #1
All this fussing and fighting man, - **10/3**
You know I sure can't stay.
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Last edited by Mane; March 14th, 2015 at 04:41 PM.
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January 10th, 2009 #2
sketchbook stuff (I have so many half filled sketchbooks, I keep[ losing em and buying new ones haha)
January 10th, 2009 #3
more stekchbook stuff
My first time ever using clay in this way (harldy ever use clay normally) so I am really pleased with the progress.- ignore the lump of clay only there to hold it in place.
January 10th, 2009 #4
January 10th, 2009 #5
Brigdman studies
January 10th, 2009 #6
I begun to move my stuff onto concept art not photobucket, but its a big task and I got hopelessly lost haha. So I shall just not use photobucket and more and upload direct to ca
January 10th, 2009 #7
some more for tonight- looked alot at hurdlers, was fun to do.
January 11th, 2009 #8
droped to 4th page already! Update needed
I feel like im going backwards recently, but soldiering on
January 18th, 2009 #9
Looks like you are making a nice effort to continue improving. Drawing is Really hard, and it takes time to learn but it seams like you are doing the right things. Keep posting here and you will get more comments. Keep drawing too, and give yourself time. People around here really appreciate seeing someone improve. Good Luck Chris.
January 19th, 2009 #10
hey bill thanks for the look in, I havent had the chance to upload any more work as college work is taking up alot of my time at the moment . Rest assured there will be an upload by tomorrow.
January 23rd, 2009 #11
sorry didnt get chane to upload any stuff from yesterday- nothing major just some bits and bobs
February 15th, 2009 #12
I have been busy with college work so havent really had time upload (more importantly draw) but here is some.
reason why there is no shading is becasue some will be watercoloured, I just havent decided which yet
rest are life sketches
I woke from a dream and drew this, I think I was laughing in my dream becasue my cheeks hurt
February 17th, 2009 #13
some more junk for the rubbish pile
Members who have read this thread: 25


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Canadian Rockies: Banff, Jasper & Vancouver10 days Nature & Wildlife Tours
Let us handle the details
Expert Tour Director
Local cuisine
Handpicked hotels
Sightseeing with local guides
Private transportation
Personalized flight options
Maximum tour group size: 35 travelers
Recommended by 85% recommend this tour Read Reviews [56]
Calgary 1 night Hotel info
Day 1: Arrival in Calgary
Included meals: Dinner
Welcome to Canada! Arrive in Calgary and settle into your hotel before getting to know your fellow travelers at tonight's welcome dinner.
Banff 2 nights Hotel info
Day 2: Sightseeing tour of Calgary
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Head out on a guided sightseeing tour of Calgary, site of the 1988 Winter Olympics.
• Stroll down Steven Avenue, Calgary's most famous shopping destination
• Pass the Olympic Park and enjoy sweeping views of the city from atop the Calgary Tower
Later, transfer to Banff National Park, one of the natural wonders of the world.
Day 3: Gondola ride in Banff National Park
Included meals: Breakfast
With your guide, drive into the park for a ride on the Sulphur Mountain gondola.
• Pass by Bow Falls, the Banff Springs Hotel and Lake Minnewanka
• Board a Sulphur Mountain gondola ride and marvel at Banff's gorgeous mountain peaks and glacial valleys from above
• Discover a landscape rich in wildlife and history
Lake Louise 1 night Hotel info
Day 4: Transfer to Lake Louise via Moraine Lake
Included meals: Breakfast
Travel to the glittering Lake Louise, stopping to marvel at Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks on the way.
• Arrive at the glacial Lake Louise, known for its sloping alpine shores
• Visit Chateau Lake Louise
• Enter Yoho National Park and see the famous natural bridge, spiral tunnels and Emerald Lake, named for its dazzling waters
Jasper 2 nights Hotel info
Day 5: Transfer to Jasper
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Visit the turquoise waters of Peyto Lake (weather permitting) en route to Jasper, a picturesque town nestled in the midst of Jasper National Park.
• Visit the Columbia Icefield, one of the world's most spectacular mountain glaciers
• Take a guided drive across Athabasca Glacier on an Ice Explorer (seasonal, mid-May through September)
• Stop at Athabasca Falls in Jasper National Park
Continue on to downtown Jasper or join an optional excursion.
Optional Excursion - Athabasca River Raft Tour $65*pp Details
Fall in love with the Canadian wilderness on a leisurely journey down the Athabasca River, tracing the same route that early fur traders once followed. Along the way, your river guide will teach you the river's natural and human history. Your tour passes through a calm stretch of the river, but some splashing is to be expected and waterproof ponchos are recommended. Please note: This optional excursion is seasonal and runs mid-May through September only.
Save $10 when you book this excursion up to 3 days before your tour departs. (On-tour price: $75)
Day 6: Maligne Lake
Included meals: Breakfast
Set out into Jasper National Park to explore the secluded Maligne Lake, famed for its azure hue.
• Visit the steep walls of Maligne Canyon and beautiful shores of Medicine lake for photo opportunities
• Take in the stunning scenery at Maligne Lake
Enjoy free time to explore the lake or join an excursion.
Optional Excursion - Maligne Lake Cruise $69*pp Details
This midday cruise is your opportunity to experience one of the gems of the Canadian Rockies. You'll travel down Maligne Lake, through Samson Narrows and on to Spirit Island, where you are free to disembark for a once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity. The cruise is enhanced by a licensed crew member who will provide narration for the duration of the excursion. Please note: This excursion is offered mid-May through early October and is weather dependent.
Must be booked 20 days before departure
Kamloops 1 night Hotel info
Day 7: Transfer to Kamloops
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Board a vintage Rocky Mountaineer train for a ride through the untamed beauty of the Rockies to Kamloops, taking in glacial lakes, towering mountain peaks and raging rivers on your day-long journey.
Vancouver 2 nights Hotel info
Day 8: Transfer to Vancouver
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Enjoy another scenic ride on the Rocky Mountaineer as you make your way south to Vancouver.
Day 9: Sightseeing tour of Vancouver
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Today, tour the multicultural, cosmopolitan city of Vancouver with your guide before enjoying a free afternoon for exploration of your own.
• Visit Granville Island and Stanley Park, a 1,000-acre public space
• See the historic Gastown district
Tonight, celebrate your trip over a farewell dinner with your group.
Day 10: Departure
Included meals: Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)
If you're not extending your stay in Vancouver, transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Add Vancouver $269 pp
Please note: Extension is not available on all departure dates.
Delve deeper into the diversity and vibrancy of British Columbia, the westernmost province of Canada. Many cultures meet in the seaport of Vancouver, which boasts thriving Chinese and Indian neighborhoods. Spend your days wandering around the original settlement in Gastown or enjoying the great outdoors. Then, spend your evenings feasting on Chinese food and checking out the lively music scene. Opt to spend a day taking in the beauty and refinement of Victoria or the fresh air and adventurous spirit at Whistler.
Vancouver 2 nights Hotel info
Day 10: Free day in Vancouver
Included meals: Breakfast
Enjoy a free day to explore Vancouver on your own or add an excursion.
Optional Excursion - Vancouver: Scenic Landscapes & Gondola Ride $89*pp Details
With an underground train ride at the Britannia Mine Museum and a breathtaking ascent on the Sea to Sky Gondola, this adventurous excursion takes you from the depths of the earth to the heights of the mountains. Today, you'll visit the charming town of Horseshoe Bay; view the impressive Stawamus Chief, the world's second largest granite monolith; cross the 210 foot-high Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge; and see Canada's southernmost glacier fjord. Please note: Warm layers and comfortable walking shoes are recommended. This excursion is seasonal from the end of May through September.
Save $10 when you book this excursion up to 3 days before your tour departs. (On-tour price: $99)
Day 11: Free day in Vancouver
Included meals: Breakfast
Spend another day in Vancouver at your leisure or add an excursion.
Optional Excursion - Victoria Sightseeing $189*pp Details
Board a ferry for a scenic ride to Victoria, where a local guide will introduce you to downtown Victoria. Next, take in a passing view of the Parliament Buildings, the city's Inner Harbor and the iconic Empress Hotel. After a few hours to eat lunch and explore on your own, travel through the countryside for a guided tour of the famed Butchart Gardens, home to 55 acres of stunning floral displays. Your evening comes to a close as you head back to the docks to catch your return ferry to Vancouver.
Save $10 when you book this excursion up to 3 days before your tour departs. (On-tour price: $199)
Day 12: Departure
Included meals: Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)
Transfer to the airport for your flight home.
How's the weather?
- Calgary, Canada
- Banff, Canada
- Lake Louise, Canada
- Jasper, Canada
- Kamloops, Canada
- Vancouver, Canada
Passport & Visa Requirements
A valid passport is required for U.S. citizens traveling to Canada. If you are not a U.S. or Canadian citizen, please be sure to have your required identification with you as well.
Baggage Allowance
Airlines have varying weight restrictions on luggage. Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to check any baggage. Please contact your airline or refer to its website for detailed information regarding your airline's checked baggage policies. Bear in mind that your luggage will probably weigh more on your return trip due to souvenir shopping. We allow only one suitcase per person. One carry-on bag is also permitted, provided that it does not exceed 45 inches (length + width + height). Please note, you'll need a small carry-on bag for your overnight in Kamloops. There may be times when you will have to handle your own bags, and you'll find that lightweight luggage provides a distinct advantage. Make sure you label your baggage and carry valuables, medication and documents in your carry-on luggage.
Clothing & Packing Tips
We recommend packing light, loose-fitting clothing that provides comfort when exploring the sights. A sun hat, sunglasses and a sturdy pair of walking shoes or sneakers are also recommended. Hiking boots might come in handy, if you plan to do any extensive walking or hiking. It's always a good idea to be prepared for any event—a lightweight jacket and emergency rainwear are advised. Restaurants are typically informal in this region of Canada. Remember to bring a small carry-on bag for your overnight in Kamloops.
Please be aware that you will be traveling at altitudes between 7,000 and 9,000 feet above sea level on this tour. These high altitudes can sometimes cause difficulty breathing and other health problems with travelers who have heart problems or respiratory ailments. If you suffer from any of these conditions, please speak to your doctor regarding any potential health risks. Even healthy travelers may sometimes experience altitude sickness, a temporary condition featuring symptoms of headache, fatigue, nausea and lightheadedness. Until your body acclimates to the higher altitudes, we suggest that you drink plenty of fluids and limit your intake of caffeine and alcohol. Otherwise, there are no major health risks when traveling to this region. During the summer months, take care for sun exposure and heat. It is always advisable to check with your doctor or healthcare provider for the latest updates and personal travel requirements.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of traveling is the delightful variety of local cuisine—even if you're not traveling far. Most of the cuisine on this tour is well-known, but look out for especially delicious French, Acadian and indigenous influences.
Flights arrive in Calgary, where a Go Ahead representative escorts you to your hotel for check-in. Return flights depart from Vancouver. A train ride is included on the Rocky Mountaineer from Jasper to Vancouver via Kamloops, where you'll enjoy RedLeaf Service. SilverLeaf Service and GoldLeaf Service upgrades may be available upon request for an additional cost. All other included transportation on tour is by private motor coach.
All regions operate on the Canadian standard 110 volts.
Time Zones
Most of your tour will fall on Mountain Standard Time (MST), which is two hours behind Eastern Standard Time (EST). Vancouver is on Pacific Standard Time (PST), which is three hours behind EST. For most of your tour, when it's noon in New York City, it's 10am on tour.
Canadian dollars will be the currency on your tour. You can find kiosks at the airport with good exchange rates, but the best way to change your money is simply by using an ATM.
At the conclusion of your tour, it is customary to offer your Tour Director and driver a gratuity. We recommend tipping in your tour country's currency, the equivalent of $3USD/CAD per person per day for your driver and $6USD/CAD to $9USD/CAD per person per day for your Tour Director. If applicable, we also recommend the equivalent of $2USD/CAD per local guide. Tips can only be paid in cash. Please keep current local currency exchange rates in mind when tipping.
See what our travelers say about this tour—all reviews are authentic and unedited.
Have you been on tour with us? Visit My Account to submit a review.
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Magnificent Rockies
The Canadian Rockies Tour is our 6th tour with GoAhead Tours. As with our previous experiences, this one met our expectations and then some. The many lakes, rivers, waterfalls, forests and, of course, the Rocky Mountains were breathtaking. The Athabasca Glacier was a special treat. We saw much wildlife: bears, elk, mountain goats (with babies), big horn sheep, bald eagles and one moose. It was very gratifying to see these beautiful beings in their natural habitat. Last, but not least, was the two days we spent on the Rocky Mountaineer It was a unique experience traveling through the Rockies by rail. The train itself, the friendly and always attentive staff and the dining were first class. Our Tour Director, David, was excellent in every way. His talents, skills, cheerful personality and attention to detail much enhanced what was already a great trip. David's "sidekick", our bus driver Tim was also a pleasure. His friendliness and professionalism were much appreciated.
Great Trip and Tour Guide
I find it a bit difficult to decide where to begin and where to end. This trip was amazing, and I would repeat it in a second. The beautiful scenery, which accompanied us throughout this excursion, left lasting memories of nature's beauty. The Rocky Mountaineer and its dedicated staff added two very enjoyable days to this trip. I enjoyed everything and am grateful for the diligent guidance of our tour director, David, who never tired to guide, explain and arrange. His knowledge was more than welcome and I thank him for it. I do not want to sign off without mentioning the expertise and efforts of our driver Tim. Many thanks to him as well and for making this trip a complete success.
Best Tour Director
I am basically a city girl, so I did not expect to enjoy this tour, but to my surprise, it exceeded all my expectations. Nature and wildlife became alive with our very knowledable Tour Leader, David, and his sidekick, the ever-funny comedic driver Roland. David stuck to the tour program, but he also managed to add a couple of unexpected trips that added overall value. He gave us local tips and suggestions so that we could manage on our own, if we wanted to, in addition to telling us basic information of every glacier, lake, mountain, wildlife, etc., etc., their history and importance, and almost anything that we wanted or needed to know. He made us curious and excited about everything in our environment, all of which added to the value of our tour. Which is probably the reason why I am a bit disappointed with the 2-day Rocky Mountaineer train ride. Our hostess Mandy was excellent, and the food was adequate, but the trip itself was boring and monotonous, and even if there were sights and sounds to be experienced, we could not linger or slow down to enjoy it further, unlike if we were in the tour bus. My biggest disappointment was the Plaza Hotel, but this may just apply to me because of the location of my room, which was next to the very-noisy elevator, and I know that this was not a GoAhead responsibility. Overall, I would still recommend this tour, but I will have to be frank and direct about my Rocky Mountainner experience.
The trip overall was amazing. David was very knowledgeable and showed us even areas that weren't on the itinerary. He had a great and patient personality and definitely knew what he was talking about. The bus tour was the best part. I think the Rocky Mountaineer was a disappointment. I know Red leaf is going to be discontinued. For as much as we paid per person to sit on the bottom,l think we were tortured. The food was really poor and they were very late every day. Plus we really weren't in the Rockies except for the very first hour leaving from Jasper. 9 hours a day on the train is too long. Our hotel in Kamloops on the last leg was really wonderful. As for the scenery it was amazing and everything we expected. Overall I would recommend this tour highly to everyone. My fav was the Ice field and the glaciers....
Great Tour Director
My recent trip to the Canadian Rockies was greatly enhanced by our wonderful, caring tour director, David . Overall, it was a great trip except for the Rocky Mountaineer train. That was two days of boredom with little scenery that the train had promised. The food on the train was not good either. On both days there were long delays getting into Kamloops and Vancouver. I think that Go Ahead needs to eliminate that part of the tour. David showed us more of the beautiful Rockies on the bus portion. The WOW factor was there. His restaurant recommendations were excellent. The accommodations were wonderful too especially in Calgary, Banff and Jasper.
Alan was the best. Very professional and personable.
spectacular scenery
The scenery on this tour was unbeatable, and we enjoyed perfect weather for most of the trip. We loved the gondola ride up Sulfur Mountain, Lake Louise, Lake Moraine, the glacier, Vancouver, the excursion to Whistler, and so much more. Alan our tour director was excellent, and we had a good bus driver from Calgary through Jasper. The accommodations were good, especially in Calgary, except for the old hotel in Kamloops. The provided meals were generally fine, but breakfasts were tediously repetitive. (Does the Canadian tourist industry establish a set breakfast menu?) At 41 people, we thought the tour too large, although it was a congenial group and no one caused a problem. For my husband and me there were two major negatives. The first, which no one could help, was that a cold/flu bug got onto the bus and we and many others were sick for the last part of the trip, and a week after our return are still recovering. The second negative was the two-day train ride from Kamloops to Vancouver. Even though the scenery was impressive and Jamie, our attendant on the train, was excellent and did his best to entertain us, the trip became unbearable. On a future tour, a two-day train ride would be a deal breaker for me. In general, I would have liked more walking on the tour, less sitting. We weren't promised wildlife sightings, and there were almost none.
Super Tour Directot
Wonderful tour experience. Safe tour and filled with excitement. Super tour guide met all our needs and most helpful to all of us. Bus driver was super safe driver and filled with information about every mountain, lake and other points of interest. Good entertainment at the Ole Canada Aye show with super entertainers. Great value trip at a reasonable expense. Will travel again with Goaheadtours. Thanks also to your home office in making our trip enjoyable.
Too much train and needs to run in reverse
The Canadian Rockies were beautiful. Our tour director (David) was excellent, would love to have him on all my tours. The tour however, was a bit disappointing. The tour description said that we were to visit the Olympic Park in Calgary but we just drove right by it on the freeway, huge disappointment. Calgary was a total bust! From Banff to Jasper the trip was great but the train ride from Jasper to Vancouver was awful. The train was nice, the seats comfortable but it was very boring for two complete days on a slow moving train, most of the scenery was obscured by trees or freight trains. The trip should run in reverse, starting with the boring train and then finish with all the wow. There was not enough time Vancouver or Calgary and too much time in Lake Loise, we spent more time in Lake Loise than in Calgary and Vancouver.
Dear Jason, Thank you for taking the time to write this review of your tour to the Canadian Rockies. We're sorry to hear that your experience didn't meet your expectations. I understand how the description of the day in Calgary can be confusing, and I have passed along your feedback to our marketing department for further review. The Rocky Mountaineer train is usually a highlight of the tour for our customers and something that they look forward to very much. I'm sorry that your experience on the train wasn't a highlight for you. We do appreciate your feedback and hope that we have the pleasure of welcoming you back on another Go Ahead tour in the future.
Posted by Daniela, Director of Quality Control | August 28, 2014
Relax and Enjoy
How much appreciation can one muster? This trip totally challenged our ability to take in the wonder of this spectacular western landscape ultimately feeling renewed by this hassle-free rich sensory experience.Our intuitive creative guide David was KEY... successfully adjusting schedules and routes within the basic GoAhead trip framework to make the most of our opportunities to see and understand the human and geological forces that shaped the lands and of course, the railroad. We were thankful that we upgraded our train travel to the "silver" level with the domed car, a must.


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Ophthalmologist (eyes)
35 years of experience
Accepting new patients
35 years of experience
Accepting new patients
1 Park West Blvd
Ste 150
Akron, OH 44320 Phone number & directions
Ste 150
Akron, OH 44320 Phone number & directions
License & Identifications
A medical license is required for a doctor to practice medicine in a particular state. Requirements vary by state but most require, at a minimum, post-graduate training in the doctor's specific specialty. An NPI number is a national identifier unique to an individual health care provider and is managed by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Learn more about Dr. William Yeakley:
View the full profile to get information on:
- Qualifications
- What's important to you
View full profile
Patient Reviews
Have you visited Dr. Yeakley? Share your experience.
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Specialties & Research
Dr. William Yeakley, MD is board certified in Ophthalmology.
- He has special expertise in 2 areas:
- Corneal Diseases
- Lens Implants (Intraocular Lens Implantation)
Education & Awards
Dr. Yeakley graduated from Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland. He has 1 awards.
Dr. Yeakley has 12 hospital affiliations:
- Akron General Woman's Care
- Summa Health Systems Hospitals
Home > Find an Ophthalmologist > OH > Akron Ophthalmologists > Dr. William Yeakley, MD
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- Additional Information
- Dr. William R Yeakley MD is a male Ophthalmologist, has 35 years of experience and practices in Ophthalmology.
- Where does Dr. William R. Yeakley practice?
- Dr. William Yeakley has 3 office locations.
Dr. William Yeakley practices Ophthalmology near Akron, OH.
Additional practice locations include: Uniontown, OH.
See Akron Ophthalmologists.


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Aloft Philadelphia Airport
- 4301 Island Avenue
- Philadelphia,
- Pennsylvania
- 19153
- United States
- Map
- Phone: (1)(267) 298-1700
- Contact Us
- Announcements
- visit our site
Rooms & Rates
Rated 3.6 out of 5 by 270 reviewers.
Rated 3 out of 5 by Grams Great location for commuting Comp. Shuttle very convenient April 6, 2014
Rated 3 out of 5 by BT12 Starting to Look Shabby We stayed here a year ago and the place is starting to look a bit worse for wear. Lots more scuff marks on the walls, the shower leaked and the wallpaper was becoming undone. The clerk who signed us in, rather than upbeat, just seemed bedraggled. We'll give it another try but they' need to give it a nudge. March 30, 2014
Rated 4 out of 5 by Sunder My Stay I liked the hotel. Value for money. Friendly staff. March 22, 2014
Rated 1 out of 5 by Paulmw The following is a synopsis of our recent stay at Aloft Philadelphia. Upon arrival at the hotel, we were greeted and checked in by Danielle who was super courteous and helpful. When entering the room it was not cleaned. I called down and was immediately moved to another room. So far, so good for this trip although my prior stay was fraught with problems (first room dirty, second room carpet soaked from air conditioner leaking). After returning from our trip Saturday March 1 (around 11:00 pm) to pick up my vehicle, I asked the person at the front desk to get me through the gated lot, as I always do when I stay in Philadelphia. She said just to use the ticket given when I entered initially. To my surprise I was prompted to pay $120.00 for parking which I never had to pay before. I went back to discuss this with this person and was treated with complete disdain, disrespect and complete attitude. I tried to explain I always book my stay to keep my vehicle in their parking lot while away. She continued the attitude, would not give me her name nor did she wear a name tag. When I asked to speak with the manager, she called security. Ultimately I had no choice but to pay the parking fee which I feel was completely unfair since I always stayed at Aloft in Philadelphia for my out of town trips along with my wife who also reserves rooms there as well. When traveling from Philadelphia I will definitely book another hotel who employs people who are customer service oriented and not the poor excuse I encountered that Saturday. My wife and I stay at the Baltimore, MD Aloft and have had absolutely wonderful and positive experiences. Please understand this is a serious matter as far as I'm concerned. In no way should any guest be treated as I was by a front line employee. This person has no business dealing with the public and guests with the condescending attitude shown toward me. This is not the way to treat a Starwood Preferred Guest. Never again. March 21, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by JoeKool Great hotel at a fair price. This hotel has great amenities for the price. Staff was very helpful and knowledgeable about the area. March 17, 2014
Rated 3 out of 5 by PBAA Staff I asked the staff for help twice and both the times did not get the service / help I was asking for. March 14, 2014
Rated 1 out of 5 by Jhackett Nothing good about the experience Was not a good experience! March 12, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by SPGLifetime1 No risk in staying at this hotel! If you have an option to stay at the Philly airport, I suggest you look at the aLoft. March 11, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by TomG001 Great for the business traveler I stayed at the Aloft one night in order to be close to the airport for an early morning flight. This is almost perfect for the business traveler. The room had all the essentials - high speed internet, comfortable bed, really nice bathroom area with a tiled, stall shower. And it was very quiet. My one suggestion would be to have a few more food options at the bar. There are only a few options and they are all appetizer-type dishes. Other than that, the stay was perfect. March 7, 2014
Rated 2 out of 5 by rbilliards loud There was so much banging and inside hall noise, each time a door shut it slammed. Plus the outside noise was bad as well. And then the water to the toilet would run and shut off...with a bang...in the room next to me...all night long. Did not sleep well and neither did my associate who I was traveling with. February 27, 2014
Rated 1 out of 5 by M2362 Never Again This was the loudest hotel I have ever stayed in. I didn't sleep a wink all night. I arrived late, and had an early flight, so was anxious to get to bed right away. The noise started about 10 PM and at 1:30 AM I finally called down to the desk and complained about the loudness in the hallway. The desk clerk promised to send up "security". I have no idea if anyone ever responded, but the noise continued until well after 3 AM. Doors slamming, yelling, thumping and foul language. I was afraid for my safety, and afraid to complain again. I was relieved to take the shuttle to the airport at 5:40 AM. January 28, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Firekey Good Hotel I stay in this hotel often. The proximity to the airport is great. The hotel has a good vibe. It's clean and the front desk staff are always incredibly nice. January 25, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Lala2014 Great overnight hotel I used the Aloft sleep and fly and was not disappointed. I was met by a very busy, multitasking Danille who made the first impression. She was handling several,people at a time, and extremely pleasant, and accommodating . I checked in and the room was also great, facing the street so I could see traffic moving well...which mattered since it was about -10 wind chill.. Slept well, clean room. Took shuttle to and from airport which was prompt, and the driver although freezing was still nice, and the door was stuck and he was very good at getting people in and out! Coming home, double checked ticket with rep at desk and she said go right out, if there's a problem hit the call button. Excellent visit for me, would definitely recommend, and visit again. January 18, 2014
Rated 4 out of 5 by Joef14 Nice place nice staff The shower drain was stopped up and the seal on the shower door was damaged and allowed the floor to get very wet. Drain was immediately repaired the next day upon request. Shower still deficient January 11, 2014
Rated 2 out of 5 by Locks This hotel has problems When I came back to my room from work on the second day of my wo night stay I found my rooom hadn't been cleaned. The clerk said I must have left a do not disturb sign on the door so it was my fault. The thing is when I left in the morning I had to come back to the room to get mt validated parking ticket. There was no sign on the door. Also, the carpet on the floor in the hall has a large stain on it. Looks shabby. January 10, 2014
Rated 4 out of 5 by beach30 Very new and contemporary. Hotel is very cool. Liked the way the bathroom is separated from the sleeping area in the room. Nice bar in the lobby. Not thrilled to pay for parking. Very close and convenient to Philadelphia Airport. January 7, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by mrp40 Great hotel! Front desk clerk Danielle was very helpful and friendly January 6, 2014
Rated 2 out of 5 by clsolut This hotel is tired. The theme and facilities need a face-lift. The grout in the bathroom (floor and shower) is dirty. The employees were false in their attitudes and desire to help. This came through in actions, words and results. January 3, 2014
Rated 4 out of 5 by VM21 Great staff at front desk. The staff at the front desk were the most helpful and accommodating I have encountered in any hotel stay I've had in a long time. December 17, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by Mack99 great decor Great décor and atmosphere. Danielle at the front desk was very friendly and welcoming, as was the bartender. December 16, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Closer Terrific Experience! All was great with the exception of the checkout woman that was having a disagreement on the phone with an internal employee (boss). A personnel matter while I was waiting to check out on Friday morning 12/13/13. Everyone else and the facility was outstanding. Thank you! December 16, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5 by Ozzie63 Time to fix me ! The bathroom shower needs to be cleaned up in room 416. The touch pads are still not working in the lobby. The PC in the lobby could not print so I had to bother the front desk for help. You only had 1 person checking guest in. The best part of my stay was the young laddie working at the desk. She was fantastic with all eight people waiting to check in the evening of the 13th. She helped me print out my boarding pass with a smile. December 15, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by ttlmg Great Staff Experience I have stayed at this hotel several times. Last night when checking in, Danielle, the Front Desk attendant was delightful, helpful, and friendly. Also, when checking out this morning, Angel was very kind. Very nice experience. December 13, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5 by rk51 Sleeping on the Street I stayed at your facility to be close to the airport to catch an early flight. Did not sleep all night because my room was right next to the access road to the airport. Will never stay with you again December 13, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5 by DaBronxKennedy Noisy Stay Hi There, I liked the location and price point for this hotel. Amentiies and rooms were great. However, upon checking in to our room we couldn't get keys because the key machine wasn't working, and security had to get us in. Just a little unsettling. In addition, throughout the night people were knocking on our door and you could hear people doing it down the hall as well. We didn't get a decent night of rest. Therefore, while I like the product I'm not sure if I can honestly recommend to others. December 10, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5 by Runr29 Nice looking hotel, but needs maintenance The look of the Aloft at PHL is cool, and I was pleased to find a fairly reasonably priced hotel at which to use my SPG membership. The staff was perfectly friendly and accommodating. On the downside, the place clearly needs some maintenance. My bathroom door rolled right open immediately after being closed. The front desk sent up an engineer who determined it needed to be removed and remounted, and they couldn't do it at night, so I was moved to a new room. In the new room, neither the refrigerator or coffee maker worked. Other items that were sub-par included stained carpets, moldings coming off walls, and just noticeable deterioration here and there. No one item bothered me greatly, but everything taken together made for a less than ideal stay. The front desk was great, given I had to speak to them several times. My SPG membership wasn't recognized at all, but oh well. I was given a free movie for needing to change rooms, but I didn't use it because it was late at night and I needed to get to sleep. For a comfy bed and TV that don't cost an arm and a leg, it's a decent place, but I wasn't wowed beyond that. December 6, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by KMur635 2nd time as good as the 1st Next time I book a place it will be Aloft.... Again! November 28, 2013
Rated 2 out of 5 by Bit13 ALoft Philadelphia - Worst Stay As a seasoned traveler and loyal SPG member, I have enjoyed many great hotel stays but the ALoft in Philly is the exception. After a substandard check-in due to manager inexperience with programming room keys, we were escorted by a hotel staff member who had a master key. After arriving on the 5th floor at our aasigned room, we learned that the room had already been assigned and was occupied by a very noisy group. Our escort acknowledged that a party was under way. I told the staff member that I didn't want to be on the 5th flloor and he agreed. After a run to the front desk, our staff member returrned with keys for a room on the fourth floor. After we were in, I tried to safeguard some valuables but the security container was broken and unuseable. As we departed the hotel for dinner, I noticed that someone had deliberately scratched the upper interior of the metal elevator doors with a key or sharp metal object. As we passed through the lobby, a female hotel guest in a one piece pajama outfit was sitting in the bar area. The remainder of the evening was uneventful except at 4AM, a loud party group emerged on the 4th floor near the elevators. It woke me up and I commented on this upon check out. When I mentioned that Sat night at this hotel was very noisy and it seemed like a party place, the young lady at the front desk reluctantly agreed..... So I am warning all travelers that if you hope for a peaceful and restful stay on a weekend night at ALoft Philadelphia, you may want to steer clear and check into another SPG property. I will not return to this hotel. I believe this is an exception to the high quality SPG product I have experienced for years. November 26, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by JULIE210 Great Stay PERFECT! EVERYTHING WAS ALL SET. November 26, 2013
Rated 2 out of 5 by Tucci Overpriced & not for families I get the concept. The lobby is more modern and the WXYZ shop was a nice touch. But the rooms are really only for one person. A tiny clothes rack. Cramped space. And a big mistake - no tub. You have to tell people that. I have a one year old and was going to a wedding. Could not even wash her in the sink that was tiny too. It's more like an overnight car on a train than a hotel room. Which is fine for under $100 but not when you get more space and amenities for $10 less across the street. Bathroom grout seemed dirty. Poor color choice. And had to pay for parking???? Plus wait in a long line to get out of the gate. Awkward stay. November 18, 2013


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"Wedding Gift from my Amazon registry!"
Reflect on your most memorable moment caught on photo & framed in this glass frame by Malden. Frame features images of various wedding memorabilia, holds a 8" x 10" picture and states "Our Wedding" & "Mr. and Mrs." above picture. Glass.
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January 2014 Market Commentary: 2014 Stock Market Outlook 0 commentsJan 3, 2014 3:39 PM
With the major stock market indices recording their largest percentage gains in 15 years, what does 2014 have in store? More of the same? Are we in the beginning stages of a long bull market similar to the 1990s, is the stock market really overpriced? Are the markets ripe for a mid to major correction?
For the month of December, the S&P 500 was up 2.36% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) up 3.1%. The S&P 500 & DJIA finished the year with gains of 29.6% and 26.5%, respectively. Interest rates on the 10-year treasury note finished the year at 3%, up a whopping 72% from one year ago.
2013 marks the 5th year of major stock market index gains since 2008. From a macroeconomic perspective, this may offer some cause for caution. Historically, a typical bull market run inside of a secular bear market cycle will average about 3 ½ years in time. At five years in counting, the current bull market seems a bit long in the tooth - assuming we are still in such a market cycle.
However, investor sentiment is overwhelmingly optimistic for 2014, with many major Wall Street banks predicting double-digit gains. Economic data figures representing housing starts, industrial production, and employment have all improved substantially over the past year.
Although 2013 4th quarter earnings are not expected to match those of the 2013 3rd quarter, companies frequently reported record earnings and profits in 2013. And an average S&P 500 P/E (price to earnings) of just below 21 does not suggest stocks are overpriced by any stretch.
However, we also enter the new year on the heels of the Federal Reserve's first step towards reducing its quantitative easing fiscal policy; which began in (in its current form) in 2011. Citing encouraging economic data and an improved outlook for the job market, the nation's central bank committed to reducing its purchases of treasury bonds to stimulate the economy from $85 billion to $75 billion.
The Fed stated that it expects interest rates to remain stable. However, rates on the 10-year treasury note increased rapidly as speculation of the aforementioned policy change loomed; essentially doubling from yearly lows of 1.6% in May. Rising interest rates caused negative returns for most bond investors, and in the short term it seemed to have been good for stock market as more investor money poured into it from liquidated bond holdings. However, how would the economy and markets respond to a long term, larger interest rate increase - which some might suggest is unavoidable consequence of reductions in quantitative easing? Would a higher cost of borrowing money disrupt the real estate recovery and corporate spending? Interest rates have decreased quite consistently since the early 1980s; therefore a recent precedent to rising rates - especially on the tail of an economic recovery - is not available.
All of the above simply underscores the need for a flexible investment strategy based on ongoing technical analysis. From a technical standpoint, the S&P 500 From a technical standpoint, the S&P continues to remain comfortably above all three major moving averages (50, 100, and 200) and the relative strength remains in positive territory. Emerging market stocks declined last month, placing their relative strength in negative territory. Therefore an allocation change from emerging markets to large cap domestic stocks was made, and we continue to hold our position in small cap stocks.
Disclosure: I am long IVV, IVW, .Back To GregCorneille's Instablog HomePage »
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December 2014 Market Commentary: Markets To Rally Through Year's End? http://seekingalpha.com/p/248tr Dec 15, 2014
November 2014 Market Commentary: Markets To Continue Rising Through Year's End? http://seekingalpha.com/p/22cib Nov 15, 2014
October 2014 Market Commentary: Normal Market Correction – Or Warning Sign? http://seekingalpha.com/p/201yd Oct 14, 2014
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63 year old man | Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA | Seeking women 48-60 within 50 miles
Active within 3 days
I am a well traveled, educated, accomplished...
I am a well traveled, educated, accomplished gentleman, and very secure in myself. Communication in any relationship is very important to me, being a fairly direct person. However it's not always what's said, sometimes the silence speaks the loudest. I enjoy life to the fullest, believing that one has to make the most of the time we have here. I have a sense of adventure that has, in times past, caused me to stop and ponder what life would be like in the slow lane, then that fleeting minute passes.....I'm joking, somewhat. I feel fortunate in having had an occupation which has allowed me the opportunity, to travel, and experience a large part of this planet. I feel extremely fortunate to have had these moments, getting up close with nature, and sharing some amazing experiences. As amazing as it has been, it is so much better, when shared with that special someone. Having said that, an adventure can begin across a dining table, as much as it can, crossing an ocean. I believe when two people come together, in a relationship, it is built from the heart and mind of both individuals. Their own experiences, good and bad, creates "their recipe", which is absolutely unique. When your with the person that you respect, trust, support, laugh with, love and care for, calling them "Best friend". What more, could there be to wish for? I relish what life, presents me with tomorrow. Perhaps a meeting with you! The rest.....it comes later. I imagine my partner. Intelligent, exciting, vivacious, a sense of adventure, artistic, and comfortable within themselves. Enjoys travel and also doing absolutely nothing. Someone who is not past rolling around in the snow or the sand, just before having to get dressed to attend a black tie event. Someone who enjoys holding hands and enjoys being shown affection in public and private, and doesn't think it old fashioned when a door is opened or a chair is pulled out for them. They enjoy the Arts, Theatre, sitting in a Comedy Club with tears of laughter streaming down their face. In a restaurant, or on the beach with a picnic. Someone I can spend an hour or two, laying beside, with a book and a glass of wine. Without either speaking a word, but the conversation is still going ON. I am hoping to meet someone, who shares similar interests as myself, but not looking for duplication either. Neither of us would learn anything new, from their partner. Someone looking to enhance life, sharing theirs, in a long term relationship. I look forward to meeting with you soon.
Camping , Coffee and conversation , Cooking , Dining out , Gardening/Landscaping , Hobbies and crafts , Movies/Videos , Museums and art , Music and concerts , Exploring new areas , Nightclubs/Dancing , Performing arts , Political interests , Religion/Spiritual , Travel/Sightseeing , Wine tasting
Auto racing / Motorcross, Billiards / Pool, Cycling, Other types of exercise, Running, Skiing, Swimming, Walking / Hiking, Weights / Machines, Yoga
I exercise 3-4 times per week.
I like Birds, Cats, Dogs, Exotic Pets, Fish, Horses, Other, Reptiles
I've had many pets in the past, including dogs, cats, and horses.
I love live music. So concerts are on the list, along with comedy clubs (laughter is the best medicine), NYC, Europe (especially Florence), Baha. East & West coasts. I also lived in AZ for about a year and a half, it is a state full amazing places.
Just sitting watching people. Good food (includes Indian), great wines. Sitting outside, under cover, during a downpour. CNBC, discovery channel, comedy channel.
I have many interests, just about anything to do with the sea, flying (both airplanes and helicopters), photography, cycling, snow-skiing, horseback riding, walking/hiking, music and reading.
If it doesn't move, I'll read it.
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|What he is looking for
|5'10" (177cms)
|5'4" (162cms) to 6'2" (187cms)
|Body type:
|About average
|No preference
|No preference
|Light brown
|No preference
|No Way
|No preference
|Social Drinker
|No preference
|Executive / Management
|No preference
|$100,001 to $150,000
|No preference
|No preference
|Have kids:
|Yes, and they live away from home (2)
|No preference
|Wants kids:
|No, but it's OK if my partner has kids
|No preference
|White / Caucasian
|No preference
|Spiritual but not religious
|No preference
Everyone's a little "energizer bunny". If more people recognised the strength of their own energy, this would be an amazing planet.
|No preference
|Bachelors degree
|No preference