Bøger af Mark Davis

The type of system we are interested in is a discrete-time or sampled-data system where the relation between input and output is (at least approximately) linear and where additive random dis turbances are also present, so that the behaviour of the system must be investigated by statistical methods.

Almost forgotten by time, tucked away beyond the sight of the passerby, there is a little piece of old England, which was for many years a forgotten wilderness. If it were not for a weather-beaten plaque on the gatepost few would realise that beyond the rusted gates there lies, in unmarked paupers' graves, 2,861 former patients of the once formidable Menston Asylum. To be admitted to a lunatic asylum in the nineteenth century was fraught with danger, and in many cases meant a life sentence hidden away from society. It is estimated as many as 30 per cent of the asylum population was incarcerated incorrectly and up until 1959 there was no form of appeal. Looking into the faces of the long dead, the forgotten former inmates of this once bustling institution, it is impossible not to feel a certain sadness at their plight. Abandoned by an intolerant society and their families these people all had one thing in common, when death came there was no one to shed a tear or collect their remains. They were given a pauper's funeral and forgotten, until now.

Situated in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park on the western shore of Carmarthen Bay, Tenby and Saundersfoot share a singular beauty. They are both surrounded by striking scenery that casts a spell over visitors and entices them back year after year. Through a fascinating collection of photographs we explore how the summer holiday in this 'Little England Beyond Wales' has changed and evolved over the last century. Mark Davis touches on the rich industrial past that linked Saundersfoot to the production of both iron and the finest quality anthracite coal, the only coal that Queen Victoria allowed to power the Royal Yacht. The popular resort of Tenby is also explored, which inspired the artist Charles Norris to produce beautiful etchings capturing scenes of the walled town prior to its growth through time into the attractive summer resort that we enjoy today.

Prior to the nineteenth century, Bradford was very much a backwater. After that it was to become the metropolis of the worsted industry and enjoyed a prosperity scarcely equalled by any other portion of the kingdom. It was said at the time that the real energy of Yorkshire centred in Bradford. The times of growth were astounding and in 1897, when the town received its city status, Bradford truly was magnificent.Wherever you go in Bradford you cannot escape its rich industrial past. Many of the old mills remain, either converted to housing or awaiting demolition. Bradford Through Time goes to show us in many ways what we have lost, many of the older images display a way of life that appears rich and energetic with a real pride. You may be forgiven for thinking in some cases that we have gone backwards and not forwards in time.

The lives and works of the celebrated Bronte family are so ingrained in our cultural psyche that we think we know them inside out - but walking in the footsteps of the literary greats and their characters offers a new perspective on their work. Our journey begins in Cambridge with the arrival of the young Patrick Bronte and follows his family's fortunes as they grow up in their home village of Haworth. We see the wild moorland locations that would inspire the haunting Wuthering Heights and the dour schools they attended that would later feature in Jane Eyre. We visit the homes of family and friends that provided the settings for many of their novels and travel with them across the industrial West Riding to York and the coast. This spectacular collection of photographs old and new explores the people and places that the brilliant Brontes knew and loved.

During the eighteenth century the plight of those considered insane was dismal. Many were locked up in madhouses or chained in the workhouse, their illnesses ignored. It was only with the advent of the Industrial Revolution that reform came into place. Within the West Riding of Yorkshire the first steps in reform were taken by the Tuke family who built the Retreat at York, instrumental in bringing a new moral, caring attitude that was quickly adopted across the country. Through our journey in time we discover how former asylums in York, Wakefield, Sheffield, Menston and Huddersfield changed over the centuries. These sprawling institutions were self-contained, isolated villages in their own right. With the aid of fascinating photographs, a formidable history emerges from an age where it is estimated that at least 30 per cent of the asylum population were unjustly incarcerated without crime or foundation.

Bareboat Charters