My 16th birthday, since starting this daily blog on berets - I couldn't have imagined coming this far...
And in these economically uncertain times of rising inflation and fearing tariffs from befriended nations, the old adage is more valid than ever: Make My Day, Buy A beret!
Thank you👍🏾
These crochet berets are made by Sam, a Tasmanian hat maker
from Hobart.
These unique and colourful berets are sold by the Hobart
based Salamanca Wool Shop.
The shop sells wool in many forms - fine, boiled, felted,
knitted, dyed, or blended with other fibres; in the forms of clothing or yarn.
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After her graduation Jettie Derksen worked during the Second World War as an assistant to John Baptist Knipping, private teacher in Mediaeval Iconography and active in the resistance. Together they visited artists and Jewish friends at their safe houses. Jettie Derksen also helped people in resistance circles do their work
Radboud’s heritage collection has several student berets, there was no pre-war beret up to now. It isn’t known when Jettie Derksen wore her beret, but we do know that a beret was usually worn on official occasions such as an academic ceremony. On 28 October 2022, Saskia Boerma, one of Jettie Hill-Derksen’s relatives donated the beret to Daniël Wigboldus, the chair of the board of Radboud University.
Notre-Dame de Paris, often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité, in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France.
The cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is considered
one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. Several attributes
set it apart from the earlier Romanesque style, including its pioneering use of
the rib vault and flying buttress, its enormous and colourful rose windows, and
the naturalism and abundance of its sculptural decoration. Notre-Dame is also
exceptional for its three pipe organs (one historic) and its immense church
bells.
It is a widely recognised symbol of both the city of Paris
and the French nation. In 1805, it was awarded honorary status as a minor
basilica. As the cathedral of the archdiocese of Paris, Notre-Dame contains the
cathedra or seat of the archbishop of Paris. In the early 21st century, about
12 million people visited Notre-Dame annually, making it the most visited
monument in Paris.
Over time, the cathedral has gradually been stripped of many decorations and artworks. It still contains Gothic, Baroque, and 19th-century sculptures, 17th- and early 18th-century altarpieces, and some of the most important relics in Christendom, including the crown of thorns, and a sliver and nail from the True Cross.
On 15 April 2019 the cathedral caught fire, destroying the
flèche and the "forest" of oak roof beams supporting the lead roof.
It was speculated that the fire was linked to ongoing renovation work.
Major-General Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart, KBE, CB,
DSO, MC (1885 –1957), also known as "Hobo", was a British military
engineer noted for his command of the 79th Armoured Division during WWII.
He was responsible for many of the specialised armoured vehicles ("Hobart's Funnies") that took part in the invasion of Normandy and later actions.
By early 1944, Hobart could demonstrate to Generals Eisenhower and Montgomery a brigade each of swimming Duplex Drive (DD) amphibious tanks, "Crab" mine clearers, and AVRE tanks along with a regiment of Churchill Crocodile flame-thrower tanks.
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Churchill AVRE (Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers) Type C Mark II carpetlayer for laying tracks across soft beaches
The Americans were reluctant to make use of the funnies. Considering results of the US landing on Omaha Beach, Bradley's decision has been criticised as it was felt that use of the range of "Funnies" could have saved American lives.
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| Churchill bridgelayer and flamethrower |
The vehicles of the 79th did not deploy as units together but were attached to other units. By the end of the war the 79th had almost seven thousand vehicles. The 79th Armoured Division was disbanded on 20 August 1945.
Hobart returned to retirement in 1946 and died in 1957 in Farnham, Surrey.
Ian Bruce Carrick Kiernan AO (1940 –2018) was an Australian yachtsman, property developer, builder, and environmental campaigner, known for co-founding with Kim McKay the not-for-profit Clean Up Australia campaign in 1989 and, in 1993, a similar Clean Up the World operation, serving as the event's chairman, the annual initiative attracted participation from 30 million volunteers in 80 countries.
Kiernan sailed competitively for more than 40 years and represented Australia at the Admiral's, Southern Cross, Dunhill, Clipper, Kenwood and Trans-Pacific Cup competitions. In 1986/87 Kiernan represented Australia in the BOC Challenge solo around-the-world yacht race. He finished 6th out of a fleet of 25 yachts from 11 countries, setting an Australian record for a solo circumnavigation of the world.
Bob Magnus planted his apple orchard in southern Tasmania in the early 1980s and has since rescued over 300 varieties that might otherwise not exist.
"We've got apples here that come from Roman times. Once they've gone, they're gone. They're unique," he said.
These days, while sharing his knowledge of grafting with as many people as he can, Mr Magnus has passed on the business side of apples to his children.
Mr Magnus and his family arrived in Tasmania to grow apples in the dying days of the state's international apple market, an industry that inspired the name The Apple Isle.
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| Bob Magnus is teaching younger generations how to graft apples |
In the 1970s the State Government had implemented a tree-pull scheme. "Virtually before our very eyes, in the first few years of coming to Tasmania that whole industry collapsed," said Mr Magnus.
"When you drive around here, you'll see big pear trees
that are 50, 60, 70 years old. They didn't get paid to pull the pears out, so
they didn't pull them out."
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| Bob Magnus teaches people how to graft fruit trees from his home in Woodbridge |
Mr Magnus lamented the limited selection of apples on offer in the nation's supermarkets. "There are Granny Smiths and two or three red ones on the shelves," he said.
"Apples of today are so homogenous that the public don't even realise there are different varieties. According to the online Tasmanian History Companion, the first apple in Tasmania was planted by William Bligh on Bruny Island in 1788.
It is the only photo I managed to find, of this man wearing a beret, and that's a good thing too.
Whether it is real or a photoshopped picture, I can't tell, but if it is real, it is fitting to be the red beret as worn by the Spanish Carlists, the Yunarmiya (Putin's Youth Army) and similar reactionary movements.
Bertrand Cadart was born on 30 April 1948 in Amiens, France. He moved to Australia in 1972 and worked at the ABC as an on-air presenter for Radio Australia’s French-language programs.
In 1976, Bertrand decided to improve Australia’s motorcycling experience. He designed and launched a company called La Parisienne to sell the clever and effective fairings. La Parisienne’s frog logo quickly became well-known, and its fairings were fitted to a variety of bikes. Bertrand modified a fleet of Kawasaki Z1000s to create the motorcycles that appear in Mad Max. The film’s director, George Miller, wasn’t able to pay him for his work because production funds were low. He instead offered him an on-screen role as an intellectually-challenged member of the Toecutter’s gang.
Bertrand moved to Bicheno, Tasmania in 2000 after falling in love with the town during a visit.
He wanted to get involved in civic life, so he stood for the
local council and was subsequently elected. In 2007, Bertrand was elected Mayor
of Glamorgan Spring Bay, which became Australia’s first motorcycle-friendly
municipality during his tenure. He created a botanic garden and a boules pitch
for locals, and appeared on European TV shows about Tasmania as well.
He also fostered close relations with New Caledonia (where he’d served as a French Marine). He was awarded with the insignia of a Knight of the National Order of Merit for his community work by the French government – one of just 18 French citizens living outside of France to receive such recognition.
Bertrand moved to Queensland shortly after the end of his term to be near his two adult children. In 2017, he received a terminal cancer diagnosis.
He paid all his funeral costs in advance, and even held a living wake so that friends and family could say goodbye while he was still alive.
Baby Berserk was born in Amsterdam and founded by Mano Hollestelle, Eva Wijnbergen and Lieselot Elzinga. Known for their seamless blend of music and fashion, Baby Berserk captures the essence of contemporary nightlife, balancing the raw energy of a live band with the infectious pulse of club music. Their latest work offers a refreshing and invigorating boost for the mind, body, and soul.
Their new album encapsulates the highs and lows of life, much like a night out that starts with excitement and ends in unforgettable memories. From the seductive grooves of “Entertainment” that draw you into a world of televised fantasies, to the raw, defiant energy of “Piggy Piggy,” which champions the fight for freedom and equality, Baby Berserk crafts a soundscape that is as thought-provoking as it is dance-inducing.
