Fugitives Drift was established by David Rattray together with his wife Nicky and built an award winning lodge for travellers to enjoy this remarkable tale. Tragically, in January 2007, David was killed by an intruder but Fugitives Drift is a fantastic legacy to something he developed with his wife Nicky and it still remains today. Rob Caskie has taken over as the primary historian. Like David, Rob speaks fluent Zulu, understands the history inside out and is perhaps the best orator I’ve ever heard.

The 2 battles I was interested by were the battle at Isandlwana where the Zulu army wiped out around 1,300 British troops on 22nd January 1879. Later on that day, a lesser force of Zulus who had missed out on the action at Isandlwana, sought their opportunity and so against orders, they assaulted Rorke’s Drift. This defensive action went down in the history of the British Army as one of its most remarkable battles which saw eleven Victoria Crosses awarded. Less than 140 British troops battled with approximately 4,000 Zulus in a battle that raged all night.

My stop at Fugitives Drift started out with the afternoon tour of the Rorke’s Drift site. It is a couple of miles from the Lodge and we started looking round the museum that was hospital building at the time of the battle. As with most battlefield museums, there are different artefacts from the battle (rifles, bullets, buckles, spears etc) yet the most eye-catching item I found was a model of the battlefield. It showed the latter stages of the battle after the hospital had been evacuated and the soldiers were defending the store behind their stacks of mealie bags. The model revealed a few red coated troops surrounded on all sides by Zulu warriors several deep and this was the 1st occasion I’d really had the opportunity to visualise the battle properly. All of the movies and images I’ve seen in the past were in most cases close ups with a few people yet this model provided an overall impression that was quite frankly, astonishing.

To assist travellers and tourists imagine the layout, there are lines of stones marking where the defensive lines were placed. Rob started the tale detailing what Rorke’s Drift was and the reasons why it had been assaulted. He made you realise there was clearly so much more to the battle than only a struggle between black and white, British redcoat versus Zulu warrior. Overall, the excursion was about three hours and everyone only sat listening to this excellent story teller recounting the incidents of 22nd January 1879.

Back at the lodge, I freshened up in my superb room. It really was a shame I couldn’t spend longer in the room since it was so comfortable however it was time for beverages just ahead of dinner and so I made my way to the dining area. The room is much like a museum with pictures, flags, notes, firearms and a great deal more covering the walls. The dinner itself was fantastic. Everybody staying at the Lodge sat around the a single table. It had been an extremely satisfying evening but an early start the next day meant it wouldn’t be a late night.

My 6:30am alarm call was a nice warm pot of tea being brought to my room (its wonderful to see a few British traditions still live on). We’d a good warm breakfast just before leaving for our morning excursion of Isandlwana. This battlefield is across the Buffalo river and the historian was a Zulu named Joseph. This is a very different battleground to Rorke’s Drift. The battle took place on a massive plain in the shadow of a mountain so the orientation took a lot longer as we first went to the museum ahead of moving on to the hilltop from where the Zulu commanders were standing 129 years ago. We headed over to the battlefield itself and parked up. Now the talk was going to be a few hours hence we had deck chairs that we carried up the mountain to a vantage point which offered us a wonderful view of the battleground. Bear in mind, the elevation was around a mile above sea level thus it wasn’t the easiest climb I’d ever tried.

Joseph, like Rob gave us a compelling lecture and really helped us picture the scene. He also said that though he was a Zulu, he wasn’t there to offer ‘their side of the story’, he wanted to provide us with the facts of what happened, occasionally in really graphic detail. At the right times, he would echo the Zulu cries which were made way back in 1879 and as his voice echoed all around us, it helped bring a lot more realism to the setting. The story was captivating. I listened to Joseph recited what was happening and my eyes wandered around the surroundings which was full of heaps of white stones. These heaps of stones mark the resting places of the British troopers who were buried where the died. Each pile of stones represented 6-8 men except for 2 sizeable heaps that were for as many as forty men. The hard African earth meant it had been tough to dig anything but shallow graves for the soldiers and heap stones on them.

Just after the talk was over, we had time to walk round several of the graves and memorials at Isandlwana before heading back again for lunch. This was an amazing destination and I most certainly could have done with having an extra day as there was a Zulu village to visit in addition to the walk down to the Buffalo river where Lieutenants Melvill and Coghill lost their lives saving the Queen’s Colour of their regiment and years later became the very first men to be posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

There was a time that when a white man in car was seen in this area, it typically meant they were lost. Nowadays, it has an industry based on the work David and Nicky Rattray began meaning there’s a massive fascination with those battles involving the army of the biggest Empire the planet has ever seen and the very best warriors Africa has ever produced.

The Anglo Zulu War of 1879 last only six months but had a significant impact on both the Zulu Kingdom and the British Empire.. Unique version for reprint here: Fugitives Drift Lodge For The Perfect Zulu Battlefield Encounter.

Marriages that took place between 1763 and 1900 have been kept in records by the Illinois State Archives in collaboration with the Illinois State Genealogical Society. This was in effort to preserve the historical public marriage documents of Illinois residents. Over 1 million of such files can be found which due to the efforts of these two entities, are they accessible by the public.

Ideally, these marriage records are available on the internet. Dating back fro, before 1900, marriages that also took place after 1900 till now are also accessible as seen with the State-wide Marriage Index. Once they are in the Index, they can be found online which eradicates the long processing procedure at the walk-in offices such as the relevant government agencies.

The County Clerks are the ones responsible for this type of information which they obtain from the original marriage records that entails marriage registers, certificated, licenses and other useful information. The County Genealogical societies also contribute in this way along with private citizens where they upload such documents voluntarily on the internet.

The names of the couples, the date and county in which the marriage occurred, the official of the ceremony as well as marriage license particulars are included in public marriage records from Illinois. If the bride or groom had been married before, those marriage records will also show up within the searches as long as they occurred in Illinois and within the marriage index.

Cook County within Illinois was the first county to keep track of such records but much of it was lost in the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871 that wrecked most of the Sam Fink Index. Notwithstanding this, some 70 of the 102 counties have their marriage records stored in the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD). Even though the most complete county records are the individual ones, they are disseminated. Furthermore, these county offices are the only sanctioned agencies to distribute such authoritative copies.

Commercial providers online are a good source for marriage records. They are highly professional with their record databases available to the wider public. They also tap into private and proprietary networks along with those from the Illinois State Archives, Genealogical societies and universities. It’s an easy and simplistic ways providing a nationwide service which is beneficial to those with time restrictions.

Know your options for State Of Illinois Marriage Records Search. From free sources to professional information providers, find them by visiting us at Marriage License Records for specialist tips and information.

Theoretically, the process of invalidating someones marriage is known as divorce. This particular legal proceeding is properly maintained and updated at each county courthouse where the filing of such also took place. Thus, those who are interested in searching for the divorce court records may begin by process by visiting at the courthouse. Divorce records are considered to be as public records; therefore, the people have the legal right to conduct the search.

Like any other public records, public records are useful in some legal purposes. Divorce court records provide details which include the personal particulars of the married people such as their names and their childrens names, ages and birthdates. Aside from that, they also reveal the exact date of the wedding, location and the information on the officer who conducted the marriage. Additionally, such vital records contain details such as the filing numbers, cause of divorce, financial data, custody, final decree, and etc.

Free divorce records are made available in order to provide useful pieces of information to the people. They serve as substantial basis to verify marriage or the previous relationship of a future spouse. It is very relevant to find out what caused the divorce in order to decide for the best in the future. Another important use of the records is to determine whether or not a person who wishes to re-marry had been legally divorced.

As a rule, divorce proceeding needs to be concealed and filed at the appointed office so that it will be recognized as legitimate. On the other hand, if the correct process was not followed, then such divorce will not appear in the records. Individuals must keep in mind that only the authenticated copies of the divorce certificates will be honoured. In other words, you will also get to find out if such a proceeding was filed at the courthouse or not.

The good news is that these county divorce records can already be retrieved using a personal computer and Internet these days. They are commonly obtainable in two methods, the free-of-charge and the fee-based methods. The free method usually just offers raw and incomplete information about the records while the former method provides complete and reliable details. Fee-based method is popularly availed by the people for any legal proceedings.

Free divorce records retrieval is not a problem at all nowadays. As long as you have a computer with the Internet at home you will be able to get hold of the records real fast and easy. This is definitely way better than conducting the search manually at the designated offices. With the online searching of vital divorce records, individuals will absolutely save a lot of their time and finances.

If you need information and advice on how to Check Divorce Status, we can help you. Visit us at Public Divorce Records for all the facts about public death records.

Your wedding is supposed to be one of the most important and special days of your entire life. Generally, weddings are highly anticipated and planned months or even years in advance. Much care is taken to ensure that every single detail is just right. From the decorations and flowers, to the music, wedding vows, food and cake – every bride wants everything to be perfect. There are many time-honored traditions that are generally observed (or at least considered) in the wedding planning process. Some of these are very important, (such as the exchanging of vows and wedding bands) and others are more lighthearted – such as the tossing of the bride’s bouquet. Whether you are superstitious or not, some of the more lighthearted wedding traditions may appeal to you. Below is a brief overview of some of the most commonly known wedding superstitions.

The Weather There are conflicting superstitions from different parts of the world regarding the weather on your wedding day. Some say that a rainy wedding day is actually good luck. Others claim that rain on your wedding day signifies that you will shed many tears throughout your married life. A sunny day symbolizes warmth and happiness in marriage.

The Decorations Candles are used as decorations in many weddings. Lit candles that go out are rumored to signify that evil spirits are close. Flowers are also very commonly used in weddings. It is customary for the groom to wear a flower from the bridal bouquet in his coat’s button-hole. This dates back to Medieval times, when a knight would wear his Lady’s colours as a declaration of his devotion. Flowers have different meanings, and it is good luck to choose flowers that have special symbolism for the bride and groom.

The Dress A white wedding gown is said to symbolize chastity or virginity. In some cultures this superstition holds true. However, another theory is that in the old days, white cloth was very expensive. Bleaching the cloth to white cost a lot of money, and therefore white signified the very best. Back then, the whiter the bride’s dress – the more wealthy the bride’s family was. Another superstition related to the actual wedding dress involves death! It is said that if the bride’s wedding gown rips the day before the wedding, the marriage will end in death.

The Flower Girl Ever wonder why so many rose petals are strewn about by the flower girl? Not only is it cute, but it is setting the bride and groom up for a long and happy family life. The rose petals symbolize the bride and groom’s chances at having babies. The more rose petals – the more babies!

The Cake In many cultures, the tradition is to save the uppermost, smallest layer of the toronto wedding cakes rather than serve it at the wedding. The cake is then wrapped in plastic wrap and paper towels in order to conserve it well, and it is then frozen. The wedding cake is left in the freezer until the happy couple’s first anniversary, when it is defrosted and enjoyed. The superstition says that eating the wedding cake on the first anniversary will bring back all the joy and magic of the wedding day.

Right After the Wedding When the bride and groom exit the church after their wedding ceremony, it is customary for all the guests to toss handfuls of rice at them. This is another way of ensuring a long and fertile family life. The more grains of rice thrown, the more babies the couple will have. The noise made by the tin cans that are attached to the couple’s auto is intended to scare away evil spirits.

Public Divorce Records is widespread nowadays. Yes, there are different options and they can be summed under basically two versions: free and paid. Each has its merits and which one of the two is more appropriate depends on the needs of the individual situation. In order to objectively weigh out their differences from your particular angle, you must first possess certain degree of understanding about Public Divorce Records Search. Otherwise, a quick run-through would be helpful.

Government Divorce Records account for one of the main vital record categories, the others being Marriage, Birth and Death Records. Since the 1960’s, divorce records within the various states have been centralized to their respective repositories. Before that time, they existed independently at county level. Many of those old records were lost through history but some from as far back as the mid 1800’s managed to survive the times and are now saved and safe in computer and film storage.

The Freedom of Information Act in 1966 was a key turning point for public records in general, not least Public Divorce Records. Public divorce records under the control of government offices that were previously undisclosed became open to the public and have not looked back since. Except for officially sealed and private information by the courts, anyone has the right to request anybody’s records from the authorities in charge of the function in person, by phone, fax, mail or the internet.

Expectedly, to search Government Divorce Records is the most popular method of obtaining such information. Government agencies provide them free but fees are charged when official copies, divorce certificate, decree and so forth are ordered. These free records are often too skimpy and would not suffice for any real practical purpose beyond casual surfing. On top of it, they are not friendly for multi-state searches as government public record databases are not linked between states.

Those seeking the easy way out would literally have to pay for it. However, other than coming at a financial cost, paid divorce records are normally superior in every way to Free Divorce Records. Searches are completed in minutes with extras from private sources on top government databases. All the legwork is done for you even if you get no more than what you would have accomplished yourself. These professional providers are worth the money especially those recommended by review and specialist sites.

Ultimately, whether you go with Free Divorce Records or paid Online Divorce Records will depend on whether you’re up to the task to DIY the free records and the purpose of the search. If there’s no need for professional standards and you have the bandwidth and spirit to go it yourself, then why waste hard-earned money? But then again, if leisure is preferred over the savings and your pocket is deep, why not? The important thing is to go in with your eyes open.

Health is an important issue these days. Eating healthy foods is a popular trend that has been taken up all over the world. A number of international cuisines have been explored to realize their potential as healthy foods. The emerging international cuisine is the Mexican food. Hence, Mexican restaurant naturally become a popular choice for dining out.

It is easy to understand why Mexican food is hailed as a healthy food choice. The fresh, healthy foods that are used in Mexican cuisine are well-known worldwide. Mexican restaurants and their ability to offer such healthy food, makes it a step ahead of other cuisines.

A good Mexican restaurant also offers a wide range of traditional Mexican food, such as the Mole. The Mole is a popular dish that encompasses the spirit of Mexican cooking. The Mole sauce is the essence of the dish and this is usually made up by chicken broth, making it even tastier and more delicious. Hence, this makes a good choice for an excellent dining experience.

In the Mexican history, the ever so famous Mole was born in Oaxaca, a southern Mexico region. There are 7 classic Moles and this wide selection makes for flexibility in choosing your meal. A Mexican restaurant usually provides a few of the variations, but not all of them.

In terms of place to dine for good Mexican food, then you must pay a visit to Baja California towns or San Quintin. These places are filled with good Mexican restaurants. Tourists and locals alike can surely get authentic Mexican food in these fantastic areas.

Mexican food can be served in such a way that, it is fitting in an exquisite, luxurious setting, as well as in cozy home styled restaurant. This is evident from the many Mexican resturants in San Quintin, all with differing back drops and ambience.

Dining in a Mexican restaurant can be such a fantastic experience, the food and ambience transports you to a different realm for your enjoyment. The best thing is that it often does not have to be an expensive meal. In fact, Mexican food can turn out to be great value for money.

Imagine soaking in the interesting culture and history of Mexico, through its ethnic foods and delicious dishes. It is truly more than a meal. In actual fact, it is a dining experience that one will savor delightfully.

Mauritius Island is one of Africa’s most famous travel destination for luxury beach vacations. Yet, besides its spectacular tropical beauty, the Island has a rich culture that many visitors often overlook. This culture is a unique combination of the cultures, traditions and religion of many immigrant populations that came to the island at different stages in the history of Mauritius.

Among the populations constituting the unique mix of culture in Mauritius are the Chinese, Indians, Africans, and Europeans. All these have had religious and cultural practices that date back to over four centuries ago.

Discovering Mauritius can be a journey into one of the most fascinating ancestral traditions. The rich cultural diversity is found in every aspect of Mauritius. Churches can be found next to mosques or Hindu temples next to Chinese pagodas and this co-existence is what makes Mauritius an interesting travel destination.

Another proof of Mauritius rich cultural diversity is in the variety of the country’s cuisine. There are traditional western dishes coming from the colonial past of Mauritius as well as more exotic oriental dishes brought by the Chinese and Indian migrants. Some of these dishes are unique to Mauritius as they have been adapted to suit the taste of Mauritius which combines flavors of the east to the finest of the west.

Mauritian folklore is also a living tribute to the variety and depth of Mauritius culture. This is illustrated by the many different folkloric dances that are unique to the people of Mauritius. There are also numerous chances of watching sophisticated Indian dances if not the Chinese lion and dragon ones.

Mauritius has a fair share of wildlife and bird species, including some brightly colored birds. The game parks are a great place to see most of these. Other places worth visiting for relaxation include the capital city – Port Louis, and the neighboring Mahebourg town. Adventure travel enthusiasts will also find it worthwhile visiting Rodrigues for diving, Caverne Patate for caving, Mount Limon and Mount Malartic for trekking expeditions, and the area around Port Mathurin for coastal hiking.

All travelers to the island require a visa to get there, with the exception of USA, EU, and Japan passport holders, and citizens of commonwealth countries. Before traveling to Mauritius it is advisable to check the most up-to-date visa requirements information. A number of international airlines and shipping companies can get you to the Island. You can obtain comprehensive information on the shipping services between Reunion and Mauritius Islands from the Mauritius Shipping Corporation based in Port Louis.

Mauritius’ national airline – Air Mauritius – operates scheduled flights to Rodrigues Island. Within the island, you can travel by bus and taxi or you can hire a rental car. Taxi fares are high especially at night, and you have to negotiate the fares before starting your trip. At some tourist hotspots, boats for hire are available.

July to September is the best period to go on vacation in Mauritius. There is lower humidity at that time, and the temperatures are more tolerable. From January to April, the island often experiences tropical rains, making it an ideal season for a romantic holiday spent mostly indoors.

Geeky folks may actually find it rewarding to be able to retrieve California Divorce Records free of charge from state agencies but the majority of us are not likely to be cut out for the task. In itself, government sources for public information has always tend to be a test of patience, not least if you’re researching State Divorce Records and all the more so if you are attempting to extract California Divorce Records in particular from the Office of Vital Records of California.

The California Department of Health Services (CHDS) has recently reorganized into the following two departments: The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and The California Department of Public Health (CDPH). If it’s public records of Californians you are after, CDPH is the responsible department. One of their services is maintaining a central registry of California Marriages and State Of California Divorce Records. This task is undertaken through their Office of Vital Records under the Certificate and Licenses Unit.

The fact of the matter is the Office of Vital Records in California is quite lame where divorce records are concerned. Essentially the only function that is rendered there is the issuance of Certificates of Record and even that is limited to the period from 1962 to June 1984, shortfall unexplained. Anything beyond will be turned away to the Superior Court in the county where the divorce occurred. Along with those of Colorado, Indiana and Louisiana, the California State Department does not keep track of the number of divorces in the state.

The information attached in a Certificate of Record includes the names of the divorcing parties, the county it happened at and the divorce court case number. This applies to divorces that were never finalized in court and the average processing time is 6 months but exceeds that easily during peak periods. It’s also important to note that a Certificate of Record does not constitute a Divorce Decree. It merely indicates that a divorce was filed.

The centre stage of Divorce Records California is the California Divorce Decrees. They can be obtained solely from the Superior Court in the county where the divorce was filed and granted. Besides the basic information pertaining to the divorce, it is to principally state the settlement ruling of the separation such as asset division, alimony and children custody, support and visitation. All divorces, contested or uncontested and fault or no-fault will be issued with an official decree upon its finalization by the courts.

Divorce records and other associated information about an individual are commonly found in his or her Marriage Records as these two vital records inherently go hand-in-hand. As a matter of fact, a recognized alternative term for divorce records is Records of Marriage Dissolution so that would be a good place to look when sizing up someone’s divorce background. Divorce records often show up as substantive information in a marriage record search conducted through commercial records providers and vice-versa.

California population is 36 million strong. Given that some County Divorce Records date back hundred over years, it’s reasonable to speculate that there are millions of Divorce Records in California. Scouring divorce records county by county is obviously not practical. Luckily, there are plenty of commercial records providers around nowadays. Unlike government agencies, their databases are generally cross-linked and they also have access to proprietary sources.

Excessive heat should be guarded against as this will also frequently result in poor, weedy growth – rubber plant leaves droop miserably in very hot conditions. Keep plants away from radiators and out of the stream of hot air rising from them. If plants must be placed on heating appliances the shelf width should be increased to ensure that rising hot air is deflected away from plants and not through their leaves.

When using aerosol sprays of any description (other than those for pest control and cleaning) plants should be carefully avoided; better still to remove them from the room altogether.

Like fertilisers, all insecticides should be used as instructed, as that seemingly harmless little extra may well cause leaf scorch and other damage. Pests should be treated as soon as they are seen, as any delay will make their control just that much more difficult.

The majority of plants will do better if watered with rain water, which for preference should he applied at room temperature. Very cold water can prove fatal to such plants as saintpaulia.

Abutilon are shrubby plants that are best suited to the cool, lightly shaded garden room, rather than indoor conditions. Keep well watered during the active growing period in spring and summer, and on the dry side at other times. It is mostly hybrid forms which are offered for sale. Producing maple-like leaves and pendulous bell- shaped flowers, abutilons may be used as centre pieces in outdoor bedding schemes during the summer months. If pruned in September – October they will require less winter storage space. Stems can be shortened by half their length to keep plants in shape.

Propagate from seed sown early in the year, or from easily rooted cuttings taken at the same time. As plants become established, pinch out the leading growth to encourage a more compact appearance.

So much mystery and potting shed black magic has been woven into the work of propagation that the amateur, not surprisingly, makes a very tentative approach to the seedbox and propagating bench. Once the first inhibitions are lost there is a whole new fascinating field of gardening to be explored with possible attempts at hybridisation to evolve new varieties.

One thing is absolutely certain, the seed or cutting is determined to grow whatever mistakes might be made by the propagator so at least there is a mutual interest straight away. There is no need to spend vast sums on greenhouses and frames, or to put down acres to nursery beds. Usually only one or two plants are needed, one for the garden, the other to give away to a friend.

Any obviously dead or very old wood is cut clean out at the base. Then surplus or crossing branches are trimmed out and the bush generally tidied up. Tree pruning is a dangerous undertaking requiring specialist knowledge.

Having during over thirty-five years of gardening spent hours working many feet above ground level I speak from experience. Any limbs to be removed must be cut close to the trunk or the branch from which they spring. Indeed, this applies in all pruning; snags harbour pests and diseases which will ultimately destroy the host plant. Large branches should be under cut for at least a quarter of the way through which prevents ugly splintering of the stem. Better still take them down piecemeal by means of a rope, or call in a specialist who is properly insured. Dress all wounds with coal tar or a similar antifungicidal substance.

Suckers can be a problem particularly on grafted plants. Rhododendrons, lilacs, roses, some berberis, crabs and cherries are a few of the shrubs often worked on to a stock. Any growth from below soil level must be suspect and this is one good reason for avoiding deep digging near established shrubs, as this may cause damage to the roots which will lead to suckering.

No covering of the compost is advisable or necessary. The pans are then covered with a sheet of glass which in turn is covered with a sheet of newspaper or brown paper to exclude light and prevent drying out. After germination the seedlings are shaded with muslin.