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My India Adventure (Part 5) – Gandhi’s Grave & India Gate

By Adventures, Friends & Family, Happiness & Joy, History, Inspiration, Political, TravelNo Comments

Gandhi’s Grave

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Gandhi Quote.

Robert, Neha, Michael and I didn’t intend to visit Gandhi’s grave, but on the day we went to visit the Red Fort it was closed, so we went to Gandhi’s grave which is close by.

Gandhi’s grave was probably my favourite and most significant place of all the sites I visited in India, because of the man it commemorates. Gandhi is seen as the Father of the Indian nation. He is on bank notes and deservedly put on a pedestal. I didn’t know much about Gandhi before I went to India. But when I came home and did some research, it resulted in the visit to his grave meaning even more to me.

Gandhi was an inspirational man. As an adult he was civil rights activist that believed in non-violent protest, non-violent civil disobedience, peace, community and was a leader in the Indian Independence Movement. He was known for being spiritual and religiously Hindu.

Gandhi to me was a enlightened soul, with his common sense ideas being ahead of his time.

One of the things I admire about Gandhi was that as a teenager he experimented with drinking alcohol, eating meat and sex (From: BBC – iWonder, last accessed: Saturday 8th August 2015). This showed to me that Gandhi was on a journey to enlightenment when he was younger. That Gandhi had fundamentally started out as a ordinary human being that went on to become enlightened, using his wisdom and good soul to influence and create some incredible changes in the world. These changes making the world a better place for everyone.

Gandhi apparently predicted his own death, mentioning that he thought he would be assassinated and hoped to be able to forgive the man that did it. Gandhi was on his way to a prayer meeting when he was shot three times in the chest by an extremist. Gandhi who had believed in peace, hope and the best of humanity had been violently murdered. India and the rest of the world mourned his loss.

Apparently some of Gandhi’s ashes are buried in this memorial. Here are some photos of Gandhi’s grave:

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Walk up to Gandhi’s Grave.

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Gandhi’s Grave: Where his ashes are.

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Gandhi’s Grave gardens (1).

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Gandhi’s Grave gardens (2).

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Gandhi’s grave – beautiful tiled flooring.

One of the most interesting information stones there was Gandhi’s Seven Social Sins (photographed below). Here they are as photo and text:

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Gandhi’s Seven Social Sins, from ‘Young India’ (1925)

Seven Social Sins
1. Politics Without Principles
2. Wealth Without Work
3. Pleasure Without Conscience
4. Knowledge Without Character
5. Commerce Without Morality
6. Science Without Humanity
7. Worship Without Sacrifice

(From: ‘Young India’ (1925))

Reading this was like seeing a reflection of what’s going on in the world right now. I remember thinking that if Gandhi was around now he’d constantly be leading peaceful protests and marching in them.

India Gate
India Gate is a war memorial to all fallen Indian soldiers. The Gate is ginormous. In the middle of the gate is the monument. It’s a raised platform that has a statue of a black gun with matching soldiers helmet resting on top of it. There’s a flame that is always kept burning and soldiers in ceremonial dress. See photos below:

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The Empty Canopy

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India Gate: A War Memorial (1).

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India Gate: A War Memorial (2).

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Me pointing out a feature on India Gate.

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India Gate close up (1).

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India Gate close up (2).

The next blog post in this series titled My India Adventure (Part 6) – The Taj Mahal, I will be sharing photos of Taj Mahal’s architectural brilliance. The post will be coming soon, so keep an checking back for updates.

Write soon,

Antony



I aim for posts on this blog to be informative, educational and entertaining. If you have found this post useful or enjoyable, please consider making a contribution by Paypal:


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Some of My High School Celebrity Crushes

By Amazon, Gay, Happiness & JoyNo Comments

When I was a teenager, I was quiet at high school and spent most of the evenings at home watching soaps on TV. TV is where I discovered some sexy celebrity males and developed some crushes, so here are some of my high school celebrity crushes:

Jansen Spencer

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Jansen Spencer was my first celebrity crush, when I saw him in Neighbours.

Jansen Spencer was probably my first crush, when he played Paul McClain on Neighbours. I liked his jet black wavy hair, natural tan and cute ears. He looked about my age, although is actually a few years older. I thought he was gorgeous and for a while imagined all Australian’s looked like him.

He didn’t get his top off often enough, but the images below are two rare occasions that he did. I’m not sure what he’s up to these days, but he is on twitter: @JansenSpencer.

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I loved Jansen Spencer’s jet black wavy hair.

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Jansen Spencer on the rare occasion he was topless in Neighbours.

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Jansen Spencer topless.

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Andrew Hayden-Smith

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Andrew Hayden-Smith in Byker Grove.

I discovered Andrew Hayden-Smith when he played bad boy Ben Carter in Byker Grove on CBBC. He was the only reason I watched Byker Grove. Hayden-Smith went on to be a Presenter and played a minor role in Doctor Who. More recently he’s scored role in Russell T Davies’ Banana and Cucumber. As time has gone on he’s got sexier and sexier. Much to my delight (and the delight of many others) he is happy to be in his birthday suite for the odd photoshoot:
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Andrew Hayden-Smith – Now.

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Andrew Hayden-Smith – Now.

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Andrew Hayden-Smith – Now.

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Andrew Hayden-Smith – Now.

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Andrew Hayden-Smith – Now.

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Andrew Moss

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Andrew Moss in Hollyoaks when I was younger.

I loved watching Hollyoaks, partly for the eye candy. Andrew Moss played Rhys Ashworth, who was a bit of a player and womaniser. He was always getting his kit off. I’m not sure what triggered my crush, perhaps it was his characters confidence. I just liked him.

Moss moved on from Hollyoaks and I’m not sure what he’s up to now. But he has twitter: @AndyMoss.

Below are two topless pictures of him, one in a jacuzzi…just because:

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Andrew Moss in Hollyoaks now.

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Andrew Moss in a Jacuzzi…just because.

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Guy Burnet

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Guy Burnett in Hollyoaks when I was younger.

Another Hollyoaks crush of mine was the stunning Guy Burnet. Gorgeous body, straight white teeth and big brown expressive eyes.

Burnet played Craig Dean in Hollyoaks and had loads of great storylines. One of the biggest storylines was the development of a gay relationship with character John Paul McQueen (James Sutton).

Burnet left Hollyoaks in 2008 to try new things. Unfortunately I was unable to ascertain what Burnet has been up to since he left Hollyoaks.

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Guy Burnett in Hollyoaks – looking fit.

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Guy Burnett in Hollyoaks gay storyline.

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Karl Davies

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Karl Davies first discovered in Emmerdale.

In Emmerdale, I developed a crush on Karl Davies who played bad boy Robert Sugden. I thought he was hot when he first came into the soap and has only got hotter since.

After leaving Emmerdale, Davies has continued to work on screen as an Actor. According to this website and Wikipedia he has played several different roles on TV and in films.

Recently my crush on him was reignited when I watched him in The Syndicate (series 2), which was a series about a syndicate winning the lottery.

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Karl Davies topless once he’d began working out.

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More Karl Davies topless.

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Even more Karl Davies topless.

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Kieron Richardson

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Kieron Richardson as Bad Boy Ste in Hollyoaks.

My final Hollyoaks crush was the attractive Kieron Richardson, who played another bad boy (I’m starting to sense a theme here!) Ste Hey.

Ste has had loads of storylines over the years, including a coming out storyline were his character came out as gay. I read that Ste is currently in a relationship with John Paul McQueen and has recently been diagnosed HIV positive.

Actor Richardson has come out gay. As well as continuing to work on Hollyoaks, Richardson also presents a radio show on Gaydio. Richardson is on twitter: @MrkieronR.

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Kieron Richardson’s character Ste later became gay.

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More Kieron Richardson.

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Prince Harry

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Prince Harry – my weird celebrity crush.

Prince Harry (in the photo left) was my weird crush. I saw this photo and thought Oh, he’s cute. There was just something about him. I think I was attracted to him because of his looks as well as his hereditary power and wealth.

Harry has grown up and been known to defend the rights of gay people. He is still reasonably attractive, especially with his top off (see below) but I no longer have a crush on him. Sorry Harry.

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Prince Harry Topless.

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Jon Lee

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Jon Lee from S Club 7 was perhaps my first pop crush.

Jon Lee from 90s pop band S Club 7 was probably my first music crush. To me his big smile, blonde hair and brown eyes made him beautiful.

Since the band split, Lee has focused on his stage career, released a solo album and come out as gay.

These days he’s still good looking, although I’m not sure about some of the tattoos.

S Club 7 are reuniting for a small UK tour this year. Jon Lee is on twitter: @JonLee321.

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Jon Lee topless.

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More Jon Lee topless.

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Even more Jon Lee topless.

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Now: Jon Lee topless, not sure what I think of the muscles or tattoos.

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Another Jon Lee Now.

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Tom Cruise

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Tom Cruise, my first movie star crush.

After I watched the sex scene at the beginning of Jerry Maguire, Tom Cruise instantly became my first movie star crush. His jet black hair, defined check bones and body were all appealing. I will add that for a long time I didn’t realise how short he was. Not that this would have made any difference, as I have always tended to like men shorter in height than myself. Cruise has aged well, looking great for his current age of 52 years old.

Cruise has had a long career Acting in films. My favourites have to be the Mission Impossible films, with a new Mission Impossible film (MI5) coming out this year. I have also enjoyed his recent futuristic action films Minority Report and Oblivion.

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Now: Tom Cruise.

Who were your celebrity crushes when you were younger? Leave a comment below.

A note on Image Credits & Copyright:
Images have been collected off the Internet. I am unsure where most of them came from, apart from the images with a source identified.

I am not the copyright holder of any of the images in this post. If you think you are the copyright holder and would like the image removed please contact me.

Blog soon,

Antony

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I aim for posts on this blog to be informative, educational and entertaining. If you have found this post useful or enjoyable, please consider making a contribution by Paypal:


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DVD Review: Nina Conti – Dolly Mixtures Live

By Amazon, Happiness & Joy, Reviews, TV, Online Streaming & FilmsNo Comments
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Nina Conti DVD and Treats

Last week was a tough week. I needed cheering up, so head to my local supermarket and bought Nina Conti’s live show – Dolly Mixtures, along with some popcorn and a multipack of Curly Wurly’s.

Superb Ventriloquist Nina Conti presents her live show Dolly Mixtures on DVD, filmed in Leeds. The hilarious comedy show is a laugh-a-second and cheered me up no end. It’s part scripted and part improv, with Nina making herself the butt of many of her own jokes.

Nina starts the show with her long-standing puppet Monkey. Monkey presents a lateral thinking puzzle:
A crowd is covered in strange lumps of foam, on the floor empty suitcases, an old mans clothes and a paint brush. What happened?

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Click to Buy on Amazon

Then Nina introduces her six new puppets:

  • Nina’s Daughter and Inner Child who sings ‘My Face Hurts When I Play Guitar.’
  • Killer the Camp Dog who tells his story of how he raided Claire’s Accessories during the riots.
  • Stefan the Builder who is a step-in puppet that requires some audience participation.
  • Granny the Clairvoyant who shows off her clairvoyance.
  • The Human Puppets with Talking Mouths, which leads to more audience participation.
  • Granddad John the Painter who leads to a bizarre but extremely funny show’s ending.

Throughout the show, there’s plenty of good natured audience participation with the themes being: good fun & humour.

Nina is fantastically funny and by the end of the show my sides hurt because I’d laughed so much. The show ends by showing the lateral thinking puzzle, that even God couldn’t solve! LOL.

I’ve watched Nina Conti’s live show – Dolly Mixtures several times since I bought it and never failed to lose myself in laughter. If I star rated DVDs, it would be five out of five star.

Here’s a clip from Nina Conti’s live show – Dolly Mixtures:

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Review soon,

Antony



I aim for posts on this blog to be informative, educational and entertaining. If you have found this post useful or enjoyable, please consider making a contribution by Paypal:


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Good Omens will be on BBC Radio 4 from 22nd December!

By Amazon, Books & Authors, Music & RadioNo Comments
good-omens-pratchett-gaiman-book-cover We’re in for a great treat this festive period; as Good Omens the book by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman comes to Radio 4.

I read about it on Radio Times website. It reads:

The radio adaptation of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s comic apocalypse novel Good Omens will air at 11pm from the 22nd to the 27th of December, with the last episode a bumper hour-long special.

…Once you’ve marked that date on your advent calendar, feast your eyes on a string of new cast images released by the BBC today and including Merlin’s Colin Morgan, Fresh Meat star Charlotte Ritchie, Mark Heap (Green Wing), Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy), Paterson Joseph (Peep Show), Sherlock’s Louise Brealey and many more…

Good Omens follows the attempts of an angel and a demon (Heap and Serafinowicz) to save the world from the antichrist, but all is not as it seems thanks to a bureaucratic mix-up. Soon, the fate of humanity is left to a gang of young children, a trainee witchfinder (Morgan) and a collection of garbled flashcards.

It was written by Gaiman and Pratchett in 1990, and became a bestseller that remains popular to this day. Now, the two writers have joined up with the team behind the 2013 smash-hit radio adaptation of Gaiman’s book and TV series Neverwhere which starred Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy, Christopher Lee and Natalie Dormer.

Gaiman… has assisted returning Neverwhere director and adaptor Dirk Maggs with the scripts, and both he and Pratchett will make cameo appearances alongside the main cast.

RadioTimes.com caught up with the drama’s star Colin Morgan who explained, despite appearances, you won’t find a better listen for the festive season…

“It’s about the antichrist, at Christmas – nothing more festive that that!” said the Merlin and The Fall actor.

“But it’s got heart and the soul. It’s the escapism, the fantasy element of it, the charm and magic that surrounds Christmas, I think. And it’s pure escapism.

He added: “I think everybody can get something from it. I think fans of Terry and Neil will be extremely pleased.”

Good Omens will begin on Radio 4 on Monday 22nd of December at 11.00pm.

(From: Radio Times, Last accessed: 28th November 2014.)

You can read my book review here: Book Review: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman.

Can’t wait to hear this fantastic and funny story aloud.

Blog soon,

Antony

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