New York’s new skyline revealed:LA to San Francisco in half an hour moves closer

 

 

 

LA to San Francisco in half an hour moves closer: Over 100 engineers are now working on Elon Musk's 760mph supertube Musk is working with UCLA researchers to develop system Over 100 engineers have created crowdsourced firm to work on idea Hoped the system could be rolled out in cities around the world When it was launched, it seemed little more than a pipe dream. Billionaire inventor Elon Musk unveiled a futuristic plan for a new type of transport that would shoot capsules of passengers along a tube at around the speed of sound. Elon Musk, one of the brains behind the online payment system PayPal, and SpaceX claims his solar-powered 'Hyperloop' could herald a revolution in travel. +7 The Hyperloop Transportation Technologies design for Elon Musk's Hyperloop. It hopes to produce a technical feasibility study finished in mid-2015. +7 The team believes the system could link the majority of America's major cities together. Scroll down for video THE HYPERLOOP: HOW IT WORKS Inside the tubes, hyperloop pods are mounted on thin skis made out of inconel,an alloy already used by Musk's SpaceX firm that can withstand high pressure and heat. Air is pumped into the skis via small holes to make an air cushion, and each pod has air inlets at the front. An electric turbo compressor compresses air from the nose and routes it to the skis and to the cabin. Magnets on the skis, plus an electromagnetic pulse give the pod its initial thrust; reboosting motors along the route would keep the pod moving at just below the speed of sound so the system does not produce sonic booms. Musk believes it would take just 30 minutes to travel the 381 miles from Los Angeles to San Francisco – half the time it takes in a plane – and likened the passenger experience to Disneyland's rocket ride Space Mountain. Now, the plans are beginning to take shape.  A new firm, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, is developing plans to makes the tubes a reality - and it has recruited experts from around the world. The crowdsourced firm has around 100 engineers on the projects, and nearly all of them have day jobs at companies like Boeing, NASA, Yahoo!, Airbus, SpaceX, and Salesforce. Dirk Ahlborn, the CEO of the new company, says it seemed the perfect way to develop the plans, with a site called JumpStartFund that aimed to crowdsource ideas. He got in touch with SpaceX, Musk's firm, and the work began. The team includes about 25 UCLA graduate architecture students at a facility in Playa Vista, although most members work remotely.  Ahlborn hopes to have a technical feasibility study finished in mid-2015, according to Wired. So far, the team has made progress in three main areas: the capsules, the stations, and the route. 'They look at this like a blank sheet of paper on which they can realize their fantasies,' UCLA professor Craig Hodgetts said. Musk's idea is based on the pneumatic tubes that fire capsules of paperwork between floors in offices. In this case, the capsules would carry people – even cars – in low-pressure tubes to minimise turbulence and maximise speed. Musk believes it would take just 30 minutes to travel the 381 miles from Los Angeles to San Francisco – half the time it takes in a plane – and likened the passenger experience to Disneyland's rocket ride Space Mountain. Digital demonstration of Billionaire Elon Musk's 'Hyperloop' On top of pylons is a hovering capsule inside a low-pressurized tube, which can reach speeds of up to 760 mph. 'The only resistance would be the air in front of the capsule, which we moved to the back by using a compressor,' Hyperloop CEO Dirk Ahlborn said. At its launch, Musk described the Hyperloop design as looking like a shotgun, with the tubes running side-by-side for most of the journey, then closing at either end to form a loop. Trains of capsules would shoot through the almost air-free tube at up to 760mph, accelerated by magnets which would also keep each pod on a steady course. Each capsule would float on a cushion of air it creates as it speeds along – similar to an air hockey table. +7 So far, the team has made progress in three main areas: the capsules, the stations, and the route. +7 The proposed route of the firstHyperloop follows Interstate 5, which runs through the agriculture-richCentral Valley in California. It would take seven to ten years to build.  Capsules carrying six to eight people would depart every 30 seconds, with tickets costing around £13 each way. In his proposal released online, Musk wrote: 'Short of figuring out real teleportation, which would of course be awesome (someone please do this), the only option for super-fast travel is to build a tube over or under the ground that contains a special environment.' The proposed route of the first Hyperloop follows Interstate 5, which runs through the agriculture-rich Central Valley in California. It would take seven to ten years to build. Musk put the price tag at around £4billion but pointed out that that is around one-tenth of the projected cost of a high-speed rail system that California has been planning to build. +7 +7 The 100 person team is spread around the world +7 The tyeam has even built models in their bid to find out if Hyperloop could actually work However, transport experts received the proposal with scepticism, citing barriers, such as the threat of earthquakes in the region. Musk has said he is too focused on other projects, for example his rocket building company SpaceX, to consider building the Hyperloop, and instead is publishing a design that anyone can use or modify. Musk said he started thinking about the idea when plans for a 130mph (210km/h) high-speed train connection between LA and San Francisco were revealed, but now he has detailed his own version on Tesla's site. 'Flight' of the future: The hyperloop will travel the distance between Los Angeles and San Francisco in only 30 minutes Smooth ride: 'It would have less lateral acceleration which is what tends to make people feel motion sick than a subway ride, as the pod banks against the tube like an airplane,' creator Elon Musk said 'I originally started thinking about [Hyperloop] when I read about California's high-speed rail project which was somewhat disappointing,' he told a Google Hangout with Richard Branson last week. 'It's actually worse than taking the plane. I get a little sad when things are not getting better in the future. 'Another example would be like the Concorde being retired and the fact there is no supersonic passenger transport. I think that is sad. You want the future to be better than the past, or at least I do.' The entrepreneur made his fortune with the internet payment system PayPal before switching his skills into developing the new Falcon rocket system for Nasa and the Tesla electric car. Mr Musk claims Hyperloop would be a practical solution for city pairs separated by 1,000 miles (1,600km) or less. Beyond this distance, it would be better to take a plane, he explained. Unique: Travellers would enter aluminium pods which are mounted above the ground on columns 50 to 100 yards apart Modern: This image shows how people would travel in the pods But for the shorter distance, his new concept would beat the plane, he argues, because it would not waste time ascending and descending. 'You want a transport system that is roughly twice as fast as the next best alternative, that costs less, that is safer, that is not subject to weather and is more convenient,' Mr Musk said. 'If there were such a thing, I think most people would take it. In fact, it would increase the travel between the city pairs because of the increased convenience.' Experts say Musk's track record could help the plan become a reality. 'Hyperloop is quite an old science fiction idea but Elon Musk is the sort of man who could make it work,' said physicist Martin Archer from Imperial College London. Space-like: This conceptual design of the machine shows that it will have a futuristic look Built to last: The inventor boasted that the tracks would be immune to weather and earthquakes, though it is not immediately clear how so Creature comforts: The legroom is said to give would-be passengers a disruption-free ride 'He's the guy who made electric cars go fast with Tesla, which many people didn't think would be possible; and he's the head of SpaceX which is the only commercial rocket builder that has managed to hook up with the International Space Station.' Musk says he will leave it to others to build the system initially. 'I have to focus on core Tesla business and SpaceX business, and that's more than enough,' he told investors of Tesla, his electric car firm. 'If nothing happens for a few years, with that I mean maybe it could make sense to make the halfway path with Tesla involvement,' Musk said. 'Hyperloop consists of a low pressure tube with capsules that are transported at both low and high speeds throughout the length of the tube,' Musk said in an exhaustive paper detailing the system posted online. 'The capsules are supported on a cushion of air.' Each of the capsules is pressurized, and Musk says they have an emergency braking system as well as a reserve air supply in the event of an emergency. Appealing to environmentalists: This graph shows the energy cost per passenger on different modes of transportation for the specific San Francisco-Los Angeles journey There and back: The 'loop' portion highlights the fact that there would only be two stops He admits the scheme came from a disdain for current systems. 'When the California 'high speed' rail was approved, I was quite disappointed, as I know many others were too. 'How could it be that the home of Silicon Valley and JPL – doing incredible things like indexing all the world's knowledge and putting rovers on Mars – would build a bullet train that is both one of the most expensive per mile and one of the slowest in the world?' Musk claims the scheme can power itself through solar energy. 'By placing solar panels on top of the tube, the Hyperloop can generate far in excess of the energy needed to operate. 'This takes into account storing enough energy in battery packs to operate at night and for periods of extended cloudy weather', he claims.

New York’s new skyline revealed: The towers that will transform the city by 2030 The most obvious difference will be 57th Street, which will host the tallest buildings in the Western Hemisphere Named Nordstrom Tower, but referred to as 217 West 57th in the graphic, it will reach a height of 1,795 feet As well as the Nordstrom Tower, the graphic includes the Moma Tower, One Vanderbilt, and 15 Penn Plaza But it doesn't show the new World Trade Center, along with large projects in Midtown and on the Far West Side 'Billionaires' Row' is transforming New York's iconic skyline. By 2030, architectural giants such as the One World Trade Center and One57 will be overshadowed by a new crop of glistening towers in Midtown Manhattan. Now, one art studio has created a rendering of what the New York skyline will look like in 15 years once these towering behemoths make their mark on the landscape. Scroll down for video ‹ SLIDE ME › The image shows what Midtown Manhattan will look like in 2030. Slide left to view the locations of some of the iconic towers currently under construction in the city. One of the most obvious additions will be the Nordstrom Tower, which could reach 1,795 feet - around 15 stories higher than the World Trade Center. In the graphic the Nordstrom Tower is labelled as 217 West 57th Street The most obvious difference between today and 2030 will be 57th Street, which will host the tallest buildings in the Western Hemisphere. Dubbed Nordstrom Tower, the tower's parapet could reach 1,530 feet — 15 stories higher than the World Trade Center — and its pinnacle, roughly 1,795 feet. Previous plans had suggested the tower would be slightly smaller, at 1,775 feet. Nordstrom Tower is labelled as 217 West 57th Street. Once it is completed, the building will have a giant seven-floor Nordstrom department store on the lower levels and residences above. It will stand more than 300 feet taller than any other man-made objects in Midtown and will likely cast a few shadows on Central Park, which is near its base. Incredible views of New York from top of One World Trade   +6 A look at how the Nordstrom Tower (fifth from left), which is being constructed in New York, measures up to the world's tallest buildings NO MORE BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY? Bright lights, big city? Not so much, if a New York City council member gets his way. Councilman Donovan Richards Jr introduced a bill requiring most office high-rises to turn off the lights at night as a way to cut energy costs and help migratory birds. 'We need to be doing everything we can to conserve energy,' he said. 'This is a commonsense measure. It's not going to cost anybody a lot of money.' Seventy-one percent of New Yorkers like the idea, according to a Quinnipiac University poll of 969 registered city voters. The Moma Tower at 53 West 53rd Street is also seen, and work for that building is currently underway. The image, by VisualHouse, doesn't show the new World Trade Center along with several large projects in Midtown and on the Far West Side. It also omits 220 Central Park South and 1710 Broadway, which is currently in its initial planning stages. 'The studio has worked closely on the city's most prominent upcoming projects, including Hudson Yards, One Vanderbilt…217W 57th St' the company writes on its website. 'The still production team at VH New York engaged they're project specific knowledge to create this inspiring future cityscape image.' In terms of bulk, the new Hudson Yards will be the biggest change to the skyline, according to New York Yimby. Hudson Yards will create 17 million square feet of commercial, residential and retail development over a 28 acres with 5,000 new residences and 100 new shops It is the largest private real estate development in the U.S, with nothing done of this scale since Rockefeller Center was constructed in the 1930s. The rendering also includes One Vanderbilt and 15 Penn Plaza. Earlier today, New York City officials approved plans for One Vanderbilt after the developer made an unusual tradeoff: a promise to make sweeping upgrades to nearby Grand Central Terminal. Stunning day to night timelapse of New York skyline (related)   +6 Nordstrom Tower, whose parapet could reach 1,530 feet — 15 stories higher than the World Trade Center — and its pinnacle, roughly 1,795 feet. Once it is completed, the building will have a giant seven-floor Nordstrom department store on the lower levels and residences above +6 +6 Hudson Yards will create 17 million square feet of commercial, residential and retail development over a 28 acres with 5,000 new residences and 100 new shops. Pictured is an artist's impression of what it will look like once complete In exchange for getting more square footage, developer SL Green Realty will invest about $220 million in critical improvements to Grand Central. This would allowing more trains to run during rush hour on the clogged 4-5-6 lines, which carry more people per day than the entire transit systems of Chicago or Washington, DC. 'This is the first time we've seen vast private investment to improve mass-transit access,' said Mitchell Moss, a professor of urban planning at New York University. It will transform the stodgy East Midtown area, where the average building is 75 years old and saddled with outdated structural features such as interior columns and low ceilings. Anchored by tenant TD Bank, the building is expected to house about 8,000 workers when fully occupied. The tower will house a gleaming new transit hall that will funnel workers directly into Grand Central and also provide a crucial direct link from commuter trains. +6 Earlier today, New York City officials approved plans for One Vanderbilt after the developer made an unusual tradeoff: a promise to make sweeping upgrades to nearby Grand Central Terminal. Pictured is an artists impression of the site +6 As it is now: Pictured is Downtown Manhattan and One World Trade (right) are seen from the observation level of the Empire State Building

From buying a paradise island to revamping a French chateau: Derelict churches are a reflection of the long, slow decline

 

 

 

 

 

The people who really ARE living the dream! From buying a paradise island to revamping a French chateau, meet the globetrotters who traded it all in for a life of adventure  We all fantasise about owning a paradise island, but some adventurers have actually taken the plunge Leaving behind their old lives, they have embarked on creating their ideal homes in unusual locations Karina and Craig Waters bought the crumbling Chateau de Gudanes and are lovingly transforming it High-flying journalist Noelle Hancock quit her job to become an ice cream seller in the Virgin Islands We all dream of leaving behind our busy lives and living on the beach of our own Caribbean island, but what if this could actually happen? While most armchair travellers will remain just that, these brave globetrotters didn't think twice about trading their old lives in for a future of adventure in their dream dwellings. From developing a private island to revamping an old castle and even taking up residence in a lighthouse, these adventurers prove you really can make a huge life change and live to tell the tale.     The crumbling Chateau de Gudanes was on the market for four years, before Karina and Craig Waters snapped it up to transform it   The couple (left) are working tirelessly around the clock, in a team of six, to restore the château's treasures and bring it back to life (right) The aim by 2016 is to accommodation, a gift shop, and facilities for weddings, music festivals, local fêtes, workshops, conferences, seminars and courses Karina and Craig Waters - Chateau de Gudanes, France In 2013 an Australian couple had nearly given up on their dream of finding the perfect French home, when their son suddenly stumbled upon the incredibly beautiful Chateau de Gudanes. The property had been sitting on the market for four years, but the adventurous pair knew they had to travel immediately to see it, and drove 500 miles in a single day. The 18th-century neoclassical ruin became their project, and after battles for planning permission, the couple were granted the permits needed to restore the property to its former magnificence. Their efforts can be followed on the chateau's blog and social media pages, with many treasures being uncovered in the fairytale location.  +25 Their aim is to tread lightly and gently - to preserve the atmosphere and authenticity of the Chateau and region as much as possible The beautiful Chateau de Gudanes in the south of France   Rory and Melita - Song Saa, Cambodia Australian couple Rory and Melita met in New Zealand and planned to spend 12 months in Cambodia in 2005 before moving together to start a life in New York. After a-tip off from a friend, the pair went to explore a beautiful archipelago with its own rainforest and beaches, populated only by local fishermen. They ended up speaking to a family on the island of Koh Oun who said that life was extremely tough for the fishermen due to the waters being overfished, and asked if the couple would buy the island. Rory and Melita didn't hesitate at the chance, and returned a week later, with all their combined life savings.   Melita Koulmandas Hunter, her husband Rory, and their son Naryth, who are now the proud owners of Song Saa eco resort in Cambodia +25 The resort has a number of paradise villas that visitors can hire on the islands. The couple say that giving back to the local communities and creating opportunities for work has been central to the development on the island 'It was a huge risk and leap of faith for us,' Melita said. 'We were the very first hotel in the Archipelago so you can imagine the challenges, costs and responsibilities that came from being the first. 'Our original business model was funded entirely through private equity with all the design, management & operations outsourced to established hotel brands.' Tragedy struck when Melita was diagnosed with cervical cancer, and they lost a lot of their finance. Thankfully Melita recovered, and the pair returned to the only things they had left - the islands. Through investment the couple have managed to achieve their dream; the 27-villa Song Saa eco resort, which is dedicated to helping the local communities and preserving the delicate marine ecosystems.   A typical day for the couple starts out with some form of exercise at dawn – usually yoga for Melita and either running, surf skiing, or cycling for Rory Brendon Grimshaw - Moyenne, Seychelles In 1962, the Yorkshireman Brendon Grimshaw splashed out on the paradise island Moyenne in the Seychelles, and cashed in his life in cold England, for turquoise heaven, all for the bargain price of £8,000. The haven is located near to the capital, Victoria, but stood out from the glamorous neighbouring islands which were used as holiday retreats, or owned by billionaires, Arab princes and Russian oligarchs. Moyenne lay abandoned and overgrown until Brendon purchased it, but the island-owner worked tirelessly to transform it into his own little patch of heaven. Waking up to the sound of the lapping Indian Ocean, the adventurer spent the remainder of his peaceful life caring for the island’s tortoises and birds.   Yorkshireman Brendon Grimshaw splashed out on the paradise island Moyenne in the Seychelles (right), and cashed in his life in cold England, for turquoise heaven and tortoises (left) +25 He splashed out on the paradise location all for the bargain price of £8,000. It used to be completely overgrown, until he lovingly restored it +25 The island is located near to neighbouring resorts, popular with holidaymakers or with rich owners Noelle Hancock - Ice cream seller in St. John, Virgin Islands High-flying journalist Noelle Hancock, 35, realised she was not satisfied with her New York life, and decided to pack everything up and travel 1,640 miles to live on an island she'd never been to. She sold all of her possession to afford the move to St. John, one of the US Virgin Islands, where she found a simpler pace of life. There were no traffic lights, no chain stores, limited WiFi, and plenty of wild animals like donkeys and iguanas wandering about. Once she even found a chicken that had wandered into her bathroom. The Ivy League graduate got a job in an ice cream parlour and a bar, and despite only making $10 an hour, she gets far more satisfaction out of her job then before.  +25 Noelle Hancock realised she was not happy in her high-powered job in New York, and decided to sell all of her possessions and live on one of the Virgin Islands instead +25 She now lives on St. John with a much simpler pace of life, and moved there despite having never travelled there before   Noelle got a job in a bar (right) and says she now sees her friends every day after work, and is a lot happier in her balance of life Ian Usher - Usher's Island, Bocas del Toro, Panama Briton Ian Usher became an internet sensation, when he cashed in his entire life, including car, home, job and friends, after his wife left him. He took the money, mainly raised through eBay, and set out to travel the world and tick off all the goals he had on his bucket list. From raising £192,000 from his three-bed house near Perth in Western Australia and more from the sale of his Mazda, motorbike, jet-ski and parachuting gear, he ended up forking out for his own private island. The Caribbean island, off the coast of Panama, became his home and he created a wooden house from scratch. The house is solar-powered with rainwater collected on the roof, and the island is teeming with fresh fruit. Not one to be pinned down, Usher hopes to continue onto his next mission, and his island is even up for sale on his CaribbeanLife4Sale website.  +25 Ian Usher sold his life on eBay following going through a divorce, and ended up buying a paradise island off the coast of Panama +25 It's a hard life! Ian Usher relaxing on his jetty, on his private island. Getting the tropical paradise was just one of the items on his worldwide list of things to do followed the sale of his possessions   From raising £192,000 from his three-bed house near Perth in Western Australia and and extra from the sale of his Mazda car, motorbike, jet-ski and parachuting gear, he ended up forking out for his own private island a few years later, in Panama +25 The derelict island was transformed into a paradise home, complete with solar-powered home that collects rainwater David and Linda Waller -  Graves Island Light Station, Boston They may not own a boat, but they own an offshore lighthouse! Dave and Linda Waller stumbled upon an auction for the 110-year-old Graves Island Light Station, located at the mouth of Boston Harbour, and knew they had to be part of it. A furious bidding war followed, leaving the Waller's the victors and left to pay $933,888 for the off-shore property. Mortgaging their house the couple embarked on a mission to renovate the lighthouse in the hope it could one day be opened to the public for overnight stays.   David (left) and Linda Waller decided to mortgage their house to buy the 110-year-old Graves Island Light Station (right) located at the mouth of Boston Harbour +25 The couple have decided to transform the iconic offshore lighthouse in order for the public to stay in it overnight   A dilapidated country mansion in the Scottish Highlands that was once the secret love nest of Coco Chanel and the Earl of Grosvenor has gone on the market for £3million. The Rosehall Estate near Inverness boasts a 22-room main house along with 700 acres of land and five separate out buildings. It was built in the 1820 but its most colourful period of its history was during the 1920s after it was bought by Hugh 'Bendor' Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster. +13 The main house on the Rosehall Estate near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, which was once the secret love nest of the Duke of Westminster and Coco Chanel  +13 The main house, pictured, has 22 rooms, which is set in 700 acres of land along with five separate out buildings that are on the market for £3milllion   The house has not been lived in for more than 60 years and is now in a dilapidated state, right. Its most colourful history was when it was used as a secret love nest of the Duke of Westminster and Coco Chanel, left,  The super-wealthy land owner would spend his summers at the property with the fashion designer, with whom he had an affair between 1923 and 1929. Miss Chanel would love to fish on the estate's river, catching more than 50 salmon, according to former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who stayed with her at the property. She redesigned the whole of the building's interior, making the property unique in the UK and despite leaving the home 85 years ago, a number of the rooms still bear her work. +13 One of the rooms inside the main house, which still has the remants of the hand-blocked wallpaper shipped in from France by the French designer +13 The French designer painstakingly decorated each room in subtle, elegant hues, much of it based on the look of her Paris apartment   +13 A dilapidated bathroom in the main house. The estate, in the Scottish Highlands near Inverness, was originally built in 1820before being bought by the Duke +13 The downstairs vaults of the main house. It is on the market for £3million but also requires millions more to be spent on a full restoration The French designer painstakingly decorated each room in subtle, elegant hues, much of it based on the look of her Paris apartment. She had hand-blocked wallpaper shipped in from France, and oversaw local workmen as they put together simple fireplaces. Churchill, a friend of the Duke of Westminster, stayed at the mansion in 1928 as he recuperated following an illness. In letter to his wife, Clementine, the future PM described both Chanel and the main house as 'very agreeable'. +13 As well as the main house on the 700 acre estate, it also comes with five outbuildings including a cottage set near to a wooded area  +13 More of the outbuildings that come as part of the Rosehall Estate. Former Prime Minister Winston Churchill also stayed there while recuperating from illness He wrote: 'The air is most exhilarating, keen and yet caressing. Coco got three fish yesterday. 'This morning it is raining, which is good for fishing. We all play Bezique so that the time is not burdensome. 'Coco is here in place of Violet. She fishes from morn till night, and in two months has killed 50 salmon. She is very agreeable - really a great and strong being fit to rule a man or an Empire. 'Bennie is very well and, I think, extremely happy to be mated with an equal - her ability balancing his power. We are the only three on the river, and have all the plums.' But the years and the harsh weather hasn't been kind to the estate and it has not been lived in for 60 years. +13 Set within the 700 acre estate is a lake and an island. Churchill wrote in a letter how Miss Chanel would love to fish on the estate's river, catching more than 50 salmon +13 The estate's herb garden growing a selection of produce. The estate is regarded as one of the most expensive properties in Scotland after going on the market for £3million  +13 The view across the Highlands from one of the windows of the main house. It is being marketed by Lonfon-based estate agents RE/MAX, who suggest it could be turned into a family home or luxury hotel  It now requires millions spent on a full restoration and, when ready, it could be returned to a stunning family home or converted into a luxury hotel.  The estate has been put on the market with London-based RE/MAX for £3 million - making it one of the most expensive properties for sale in Scotland. It is thought that the Duke and Miss Chanel were introduced in 1923 when the fashion designer was 40 by British socialite Vera Bate Lombardi. The Duke is said to have lavished her with expensive gifts, extravagant jewels and costly art and even provided her with a home in London's prestigious Mayfair. However, he is thought to have been devastated when she turned down his proposal of marriage, when she reportedly said: 'There have been several Duchesses of Westminster, there is only one Chanel.'   Suspended in time: Eerie photographs capture decay of remote Scottish island homes that relatives can't bear to sell Photographs taken by former Buzzcocks drummer John Maher show abandoned homes on remote Scottish islands Haunting images taken in Outer Hebrides show properties rotting away as they lie untouched and unchanged But homes are often deliberately left exactly as they are following the death of loved ones as a memorial A remarkable photographic exhibition shows the family homes abandoned to decay on remote Scottish islands because relatives cannot bear to sell them. The haunting images, taken in the Outer Hebrides by former Buzzcocks drummer John Maher, show the properties slowly rotting away and remaining untouched and unchanged since the day the owner died. The homes, many of them original crofters' cottages miles from the nearest road, appear frozen in time and some have become memorials to the dead of the islands. +15 This crofters' cottage on the Isle of Scalpay has clearly not been inhabited for years - the original stone chimneys can be seen, in contrast to the corrugated iron front, which would have been a relatively recent addition in order to keep out the bitter Hebridean winds +15 This eerie photo was taken from inside a crofters' cottage on the Isle of Harris - the broken glass cannot hide the beautiful sea view In some cases, estate agents have received enquires to buy the properties but were ordered to turn them down as relatives cling on to past lives in crofting communities. Now the stories behind the lost homes of Lewis, Harris and other islands have been revealed with the help of social media and will form part of an exhibition in Edinburgh which opens on January 4. The exhibition will feature pictures taken by Maher and Fife-based photographer Ian Paterson as well as a new concerto composed by former Scots Trad Music Awards winner Mike Vass. The hauntingly beautiful photographs show lives suspended in time with wedding pictures on mantelpieces, beds fully made and even dinner plates on the table. +15 This picture shows the home of Kenneth and Peggy MacKinnon on the Isle of Harris. Although the couple later left the island they continued to make an annual pilgrimage home to light the fire and sit in the front room together - it was Peggy's last wish for the house to remain as it was +15 The exterior of the MacKinnon's home on the Isle of Harris - like many it had a corrugated iron casing to protect it from the harsh weather +15 This photo shows a home in the Isle of Harris which still has a family's sideboard, armchair and knick knacks despite the state of disrepair +15 A living room in a cottage on the island of Scalpay - the chair with a favourite blanket thrown over it is still positioned in front of the TV Mr Mahar, who drummed on 70s hits such as Ever Fallen in Love, stumbled across the hidden treasures when taking outdoor nighttime photographs around the Outer Hebrides. After entering the lost homes his interest soon turned to what was inside. 'In some of them you see so many personal belongings that have been left behind,' said Maher. 'There was one house with a suitcase on the bed and letters on the side board that haven't been opened.' +15 This photo, titled 'George's House' was taken on the small Island of Eriskay which lies between South Uist and the Isle of Barra +15 This extraordinary image shows an abandoned crofters' cottage on an unnamed island in the Outer Hebrides with the sea behind it +15 The kitchen in a cottage on the Isle of Harris remains a cheerful shade of yellow - a clock, mirror and framed photo add a personal touch He continued: 'In some houses it would be quite easy to spook yourself.' He teamed up with photographer Ian Paterson and soon the stories behind the mysterious houses started to emerged. Mr Paterson explained: 'The houses just exist as they are. It's very emotive. People still have a very close emotional attachment. There are a lot of emotions tied up in them.' After getting in touch with relatives through Facebook the story behind one of properties soon emerged. The house in Harris photographed by Maher still packed full of belongings was built by Kenneth and Peggy MacKinnon. +15 This picture, taken on the Isle of Ensay, shows an abandoned bedroom with a neatly folded blanket on the bed and a view of a nearby chapel +15 The haunting images were taken on the islanda by former Buzzcocks drummer John Maher (pictured) and are part of an exhibition +15 This abandoned kitchen on Harris provides a snapshot in time - complete with old an fashioned teapot, a scythe and a framed photo Although the couple left the island in their later years they continued to make an annual pilgrimage home to light the fire and sit in the front room together. 'One of her [Peggy's] last wishes was for the house to remain as it was,' said Paterson. 'There is still a very strong personal connection.' 'When the older generation die off there is no one to take the houses over,' explained a Stornoway estate agent. The agent, who asked not to be named, said often people ask about old abandoned croft houses - 'where people are looking for that kind of lifestyle on the island'. +15 This blue bedroom was photographed on South Uist - a mirror remains over the fireplace and the paint is in suprisingly good condition +15 This attic bedroom in a cottage on Lewis has a beautiful original fireplace painted pink - which contrasts with the peeling walls and dusty floor +15 The houses are often left to lie as they are by families after the death of the owners as a memorial to their loved ones But families often don't want to sell because 'it's the original family home'. 'It's sentimental family values. They have no intention to live in them at the moment,' she said. The remote locations of a lot of the properties - many of which were built before the roads and are not accessible by car - mean they lay hidden out of sight. Now they are at the mercy of the notorious Hebridean weather. 'Quite a few of these will disappear in the next five or ten years,' said Paterson. He added: 'Not all decay is bad decay. There is a lot of memories.' The exhibition 'Away Being' is launched on January 4th in Gallery 1 at St Margaret's House, 151 London Road, Edinburgh. THE OUTER HEBRIDES: A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND CHAIN WITH A BLOODY AND TRAGIC HISTORY The Outer Hebrides are also known as the Western Isles, the Long Isle and in Gaelic, as Na h-Eileanan Siar and Innse Gall. The Outer Hebrides are comprised of an island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotand. The 15 inhabited islands form part of the Hebrides, separated from the Scottish mainland and from the Inner Hebrides by the waters of the Minch, the Little Minch and the Sea of the Hebrides.  The inhabited islands have a total population of 27,400 - but there are more than 50 substantial uninhabited islands. The Western Isles became part of the Norse kingdom of the Suðreyjar, which lasted for over 400 years until sovereignty was transferred to Scotland by the Treaty of Perth in 1266. Control of the islands was then held by clan chiefs, principal of whom were the MacLeods, MacDonalds, Mackenzies and MacNeils. The Highland Clearances of the 19th century, combined with the potato famine, had a devastating effect on many of the islands and it is only in recent years that population levels have stopped declining. Much of the land is now under local control and commercial activity is based on tourism, crofting, fishing, and weaving.

Grade II-listed Loxley Chapel built in Sheffield in 1787 then closed two centuries later in 1993 Building now sits among overgrown plants as abandoned chapel in shocking state of disrepair Many of 240 victims of 1864 Great Sheffield Flood are buried in cemetery which is now overgrown Organ keys smashed to pieces, and stack of Bibles and hymn books now strewn across storeroom Built in 1787, it served its local community for more than two centuries – but it is now a scene of torn Bibles, broken organs and smashed windows. Loxley Chapel in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, was closed in 1993, and now sits among overgrown plants as an eerie abandoned place of worship. The Grade II-listed church, once known as Loxley Methodist Church and Loxley United Reformed Church, has been left in a shocking state of disrepair. Scroll down for video   +22 Eerie: Loxley Chapel in Sheffield closed its doors in 1993, and now sits among overgrown plants as an abandoned place of worship +22 Abandoned: The Grade II-listed church, once known as Loxley Methodist Church and Loxley United Reformed Church, is in a shocking state +22 Key problem: The Sheffield-based chapel was built in 1787 - but it is now a scene of torn Bibles, broken organs and smashed windows +22 Boarded up: The cemetery is overgrown with graves being lost in the foliage - provoking outrage amongst families of the deceased +22 Left behind: A Daily Herald newspaper cutting from 1960 inside Loxley Chapel, which served its local community for more than two centuries +22 On the floor: The congregation had collapsed to an unsustainable amount by the early 1990s, which saw the chapel’s closure +22 Plaques: The chapel was constructed in 1787 by Curate of Bradfield the Reverend Benjamin Greaves, along with some of his friends The surrounding cemetery is also overgrown with graves being lost in the foliage - provoking outrage amongst families of the deceased. The keys of the enormous organ have been smashed to pieces, while a stack of Bibles and hymn books are now strewn across a storeroom. The chapel was constructed in 1787 by Curate of Bradfield the Reverend Benjamin Greaves, along with some of his friends. Upon completion in the 18th century, its consecration was refused because builders would not install an east-facing window for unknown reasons. It was eventually sold at auction for £315 and became an independent chapel, but had an average congregation of 200 worshippers by 1851. However it soon recovered because according to the Religious Census of 1851 the average congregation at an afternoon service was 200. A look inside abandoned Loxley Methodist Church   +22 Falling apart: The chapel is believed to be owned by Hague Farming of Bradfield, but nobody at the company was available for comment today +22 'Come and worship God with us': Sunday services at the chapel used to be held at 10.30am every week - and once a month at 6.30pm as well +22 Looking down: Upon completion in the 18th century, its consecration was refused because builders would not install an east-facing window +22 +22 In and out: It was sold at auction for £315 and became an independent chapel, but had an average congregation of 200 worshippers by 1851 +22 Used to be busy: According to the Religious Census of 1851, the average congregation at an afternoon service at Loxley Chapel was 200 +22 Surveying the scene: Looking out into the overgrown cemetery from the abandoned Loxley Chapel in Sheffield But the congregation had collapsed to an unsustainable amount by the early 1990s, which saw the chapel’s closure. Many of the 240 victims of the 1864 Great Sheffield Flood, one of Britain’s worst man-made disasters, are buried in the cemetery. The flood occurred when the Dale Dyke Dam broke as its reservoir was being filled for the first time. It sent 650million gallons of water cascading into central Sheffield while people were sleeping in their beds. Amongst the bodies that are buried here are the Armitage family, who lost 12 members including five children. RMS Titanic chief officer Henry Tingle Wilde - who is thought to have killed himself as the ship sank in 1912 - was baptised at the chapel. But the state of the church now has caused furious reaction among locals and visitors to the graveyard, who want action.  +22 Upsetting: The state of the church has caused furious reaction among locals and visitors to the graveyard, who want action +22 All quiet now: Sheet music for 'Praise and Prayer - Anniversary Anthem' by Colin Sterne and H Ernest Nichol sits on a pew in the chapel +22 Church and graveyard: Amongst the bodies that are buried outside are the Armitage family, who lost 12 members including five children +22 Remembered: A plaque on the chapel wall in memory of the Reverend John Lee, a former pastor who died in 1913 aged 71, and his wife Ellen +22 Sheet music on a stand: The owner is said to have the freehold of the land, while the grave plots still belong to families of the deceased +22 Reminder of days gone by: Copies of The Free Church Council Hymnal - priced at fourpence - sit abandoned at Loxley Chapel in Sheffield Shropshire resident Iain Kelly has relatives buried in the chapel’s graveyard, and said he was ‘shocked’ at its state after visiting there in 2010. Mr Kelly said: ‘After a long search I was unable to identify the family graves and came away quite distressed at the total and utter neglect. Writing on Sheffield Forum, he added: ‘My horror was increased on the discovery that the burial ground is still accepting new customers, as it were. ‘I can’t help but feel that this is a shocking state of affairs being a microcosm of much which is wrong with our society. Here lay our dead. ‘Sheffield people laid to rest in originally quite beautiful surroundings but now ignored and forgotten. How did this come about?’ The chapel is believed to be owned by Hague Farming of Bradfield, but nobody at the company was available for comment today. However, one issue is said to be that while the owner has the freehold of the land, the grave plots still belong to families of the deceased. GREAT SHEFFIELD FLOOD: WHEN 650MILLION GALLONS OF WATER CASCADED INTO SHEFFIELD - KILLING 240 PEOPLE As a gale swept through Sheffield on the night of March 11, 1864, a water engineer was sheltering under the new dam when he noticed a crack. It was only wide enough to take a penknife, but it stretched along the earthen bank for 50 yards, following a jagged line 12 yards from the top. Just before midnight the dam burst, sending 650million gallons of water cascading into Sheffield in a disaster which killed 240 people in their beds. +22 Great Sheffield Flood: The dam burst, sending 650million gallons of water cascading into the town in a disaster which killed 240 people Half of those who died instantly were children, and around 60 more were killed as diseases swept through the stagnant water in the aftermath. But historians claim that one of Britain's worst disasters has been largely forgotten because the dead were northern and working-class. For years there was no full-scale memorial to those who died in Sheffield, with only a small memorial stone near Bradfield, where the reservoir stood. The dam was built by the Sheffield Waterworks Company from 1859 to provide drinking water for the people of the fast-growing industrial town. +22 Diasastrous: The dam was built by the Sheffield Waterworks Company from 1859 to provide drinking water for the people of the town It was also designed to provide a supply of running water for the mills in surrounding villages. But as it was being completed and filled the structure collapsed, sending water cascading down the Loxley Valley - devastating farms and hamlets. The floodwater then moved down to meet the River Don and laid waste to large areas of the centre of Sheffield. Harrowing stories emerged of how many of the victims died. One person who drowned was a new-born baby washed from his mother's arms. Three children died in a cellar while their parents were away. Then a village and now a suburb, Malin Bridge was worst hit - with 102 deaths.     Abandoned and crumbling, these derelict churches are a reflection of the long, slow decline of a once-great city. They are all located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the city where modern America was born, but which for the past 40 years has slowly been paling into insignificance. The photographs were taken by Matthew Christopher, a photographer and lecturer who works in the city, who has campaigned to raise more than $45,000 to preserve and maintain them. +14 St. Bonaventure Roman Catholic Church: This stunning ruin is one of Philadelphia's many crumbling churches +14 Another view of St. Bonaventure: The derelict houses of worship reflect the long, slow decline of Philadelphia over the past 40 years +14 A view down the nave of St. Bonaventure shows how it has been smashed at the transept, with the choir totally destroyed +14 Pews peer out at a grey sky over the Pennsylvania city: The pictures were taken by local photographer Matthew Christopher +14 +14 Whatever has happened to St. Bonaventure to smash half of the church left a lot of rubble behind Mr Christopher said that because of Philadelphia's many church consolidations and closures it provides the perfect location to shoot America's decaying wonders. 'In order to find the churches, I do quite a bit of research, networking and partnering with preservation groups, property owners and so forth,' he said. 'It helps when people see over time that I'm not going to belittle their faith or take advantage of their trust and that I'm not interested in using my work to harm the buildings or the people who have been kind enough to allow me access to them. 'Unlike almost any other style of buildings, churches are purely a form of art - by their very nature designed to make you look upward and consider greater things than your day to day troubles. 'Most other buildings have elements of form, but function is the end goal - a factory needs to produce things, a school needs to make it simple to find and attend classes. 'In a church, the form is the function. You're surrounded by beautiful windows casting colored light, intricately carved altars, hearing hymns that are centuries old. That sense of timelessness and connection to the divine is why they exist. 'In the U.S. they were often founded by immigrant craftspeople with trade skills and materials that no longer exist. So in many ways they're very unique repositories for an area's heritage.' +14 The Church of the Transfiguration lies eerily empty but in good shape, having weathered the years rather better than St Bonaventura +14 The stoup in the Church of the Transfiguration is dry and empty, and the floor around it covered in plaster dust +14 The doors are locked shut, and the central aisle littered with old detritus, in this view of the exit to the Church of the Transfiguration +14 The vast empty space of the Church of the Transfiguration shows walls and ceilings fading with age and riddled with damp +14 These seats, which would once have been filled with hymn-singing worshippers, lie empty and gather dust in a gloomier corner of the Church of the Transfiguration +14 A shaft of light pierces the still air inside the church as it emanates from a window nest to a spiral staircase leading to a higher level +14 Windows smashed, pews reduced to splinters and damp slowly suffusing through its walls, St Boniface Church is a sorry shadow of how it might have looked in its hey day +14 The remains of an old heating system lies decaying in a hidden space behind a window of St Boniface Mr Christopher's fascination with abandoned spaces started when he was a child. He enjoyed looking at artwork set in buildings that have since decayed. His fascination with churches stemmed from this genre of art, as many painters in the late 1700s and early 1800s would paint churches and abbeys, closed under Henry VIII. Later this year a book named 'Abandoned America: The Age of Consequence' will be released documenting some of the most spectacular ruins, including Mr Christopher's church pictures.