Which company is responsible for the tracks, bridges, tunnels etc, on railways in Britain?

Who we are - Network Rail Who we are Popular pages Who we are We own and operate the railway infrastructure in England, Wales and Scotland on behalf of the nation That’s 20,000 miles of track, 40,000 bridges and viaducts and thousands of tunnels, signals, level crossings and points. We also manage rail timetabling and 18 of the largest stations in England, Scotland and Wales. We work round-the-clock to provide a safe, reliable experience for the millions using Europe’s fastest-growing railway each and every day.   We’re delivering the biggest and most ambitious upgrade our network’s seen in over 150 years Our routes The rail network is divided into eight areas, or routes, across the country Our role A better railway for a better Britain How we work Our role on the railway, how we’re organised and funded, and who we work with Our history Our part in the proud history of Britain’s railway Publications and resources Publications, reports and resources that give the full picture on what we’re doing, and why Transparency and ethics An open, ethical and accessible organisation Our approach to safety How safety defines and guides everything we do Diversity and inclusion A railway that is accessible, convenient and welcoming to as many people as possible Sustainable development Sustainability for communities, the economy, and our environment What we do The work we do in running and improving Britain’s railway is incredibly diverse, challenging and ambitious.  We work with lots of different partners across the industry – so why not read a little more about how we work collaboratively to deliver 4.5 million journeys a day for our customers. Running the railway We take great pride in managing the rail network in Britain – where the railway was invented. It’s our job to keep Britain moving, managing every mile of track, every platform, every signal and each set of points…  Our Railway Upgrade Plan The railway in Britain has a proud history. We’re developing and enhancing this legacy with the biggest and most ambitious upgrade our network’s seen in over 150 years. Passengers What we do is important to people who use the railway, and those who live and work nearby them what we’re doing to improve their railway. Industry and commercial partners The railway helps British industry to thrive. We work with train operating companies to help people take 1.65 billion journeys a year.  Careers Britain’s railways are a remarkable success story. Continuing this achievement requires passionate, committed people who believe in and can contribute to our vision for a better railway. It’s our job to keep Britain moving, managing every mile of track, every platform, every signal and each set of points… Network Rail Cookie Policy We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on the Network Rail website. By browsing this website you give consent for cookies to be used. For more details, including how you can amend your preferences, such as by disabling cookie usage on our site, please read our Cookie Policy .


The Trial: Franz Kafka: 9781466322745: Amazon.com: Books By Rlotz on March 27, 2014 Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase Back in university, I had a part-time job at a research center. It was nothing glamorous: I conducted surveys over the phone. Some studies were nation-wide, others were only in Long Island. A few were directed towards small businesses. There I would sit in my little half-cubicle, with a headset on, manipulating a multiple-choice click screen. During the small business studies, a definite pattern would emerge. I would call, spend a few minutes navigating the badly recorded voice menu, and then reach a secretary. Then my menu instructed me to ask for the president, vice-president, or manager. âOh, sure,â the receptionist would say, âregarding?â I would explain that I was conducting a study. âOhâ¦â their voice would trail off, âlet me check if heâs here.â Then would follow three to five minutes of being on hold. Finally, she would pick up: âSorry, heâs out of the office.â âWhen will he be back?â would be my next question. âIâm not sureâ¦â âOkay, Iâll call back tomorrow,â I would say, and the call would end. Now imagine this process repeating again and again. As the study went on, I would be returning calls to dozens of small businesses where the owners were always mysteriously away. I had no choice what to sayâit was all on the menuâand no choice who to callâthe computer did that. By the end, I felt like I was getting to know some of these secretaries. They would recognize my voice, and their announcement of the bossâs absence would be given with a strain of annoyance, or exhaustion, or pity. I would grow adept at navigating particular voice menus, and remembered the particular sounds of being on hold at certain businesses. It was strait out of this novel. When I picked up The Trial, I was expecting it to be great. I had read Kafkaâs short storiesâmany times, actuallyâand he has long been one of my favorite writers. But by no means did I expect to be so disturbed. Maybe it was because I was groggy, because I hadnât eaten yet, or because I was on a train surrounded by strangers. But by the time I reached my destination, I was completely unnerved. For a few moments, I even managed to convince myself that this actually was a nightmare. No book could do this. What will follow in this already-too-long review will be some interpretation and analysis. But it should be remarked that, whatever conclusions you or I may draw, interpretation is a second-level activity. In Kafka's own words: âYou shouldnât pay too much attention to peopleâs opinions. The text cannot be altered, and the various opinions are often no more than an expression of despair over it.â Attempts to understand Kafka should not entail a rationalizing away of his power. This is a constant danger in literary criticism, where the words sit mutely on the page, and passages can be pasted together at the analystâs behest. This is mere illusion. If someone were to tell you that Picassoâs Guernica is about the Spanish Civil War, you may appreciate the information; but by no means should this information come between you and the visceral experience of standing in front of the painting. Just so with literature. To repeat something that I once remarked of Dostoyevsky, Kafka is a great writer, but a bad novelist. His books do not have even remotely believable characters, character development, or a plot in any traditional sense. Placing The Trial alongside Jane Eyre or Lolita will make this abundantly clear. Rather, Kafka's stories are somewhere in-between dream and allegory. Symbolism is heavy, and Kafka seems to be more intent on establishing a particular visceral feeling than in telling a story. The characters are tools, not people So the question naturally arises: what does the story represent? Like any good work of art, any strict, one-sided reading is insufficient. Great art is multivalentâit means different things to different people. The Trial may have meant only one thing to


At the 2014 FIFAWorld Cup which now Real Madrid player won the Golden Boot as top scorer in the tournament?

Lionel Messi wins Golden Ball award for best player of World Cup | Football | The Guardian Lionel Messi wins Golden Ball award for best player of World Cup • Argentinian gets Fifa accolade for tournament consistency • Germany’s Manuel Neuer wins Golden Glove award Sunday 13 July 2014 18.45 EDT First published on Sunday 13 July 2014 18.23 EDT Close This article is 2 years old Lionel Messi has won the Fifa Golden Ball as the best player of World Cup 2014 . Messi, who won four man of the match awards throughout the tournament but did not influence the final against Germany in Rio de Janeiro in the way that he would have liked, was chosen from a 10-player list of candidates who were announced on the eve of the final, with seven of the nominees coming from the finalists, Argentina and Germany. His man of the match performances came early in the competition against Switzerland, Nigeria, Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Aside from Messi, Argentina had two nominees – Ángel di María and Javier Mascherano. Germany provided four candidates: Mats Hummels, Toni Kroos, Philipp Lahm and Thomas Müller. Neymar was the only candidate from Brazil on the list, which was selected by Fifa’s technical study group of coaching analysts. Arjen Robben of Holland and James Rodríguez of Colombia, winner of the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals, completed the list. The Golden Glove award for the tournament’s outstanding goalkeeper went to Germany’s Manuel Neuer. France’s Paul Pogba was named the World Cup’s best young player, while Colombia were given the fair play award. Hundreds of thousands of fans in black, red and gold flock to Berlin to see victorious team parade with World Cup trophy Published: 15 Jul 2014 From a frosty start to post-World Cup final photo in the changing room, pictures chart politician's growing rapport with the players Published: 14 Jul 2014 A beautifully taken extra-time goal by Mario Götze helped Germany win the 2014 World Cup final 1-0 against Argentina at the Maracanã Published: 13 Jul 2014 Relive the real highlights of the World Cup with our gongs for the fans, the fashion, the memes and much more Published: 14 Jul 2014


What was the name of the world’s first teletext information service started by the BBC in 1974 and ceasing in October 2012?

www.stv.tv , ITV is a commercial TV network in the United Kingdom . Launched in 1955 as Independent Television under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority (ITA, then after the Sound Broadcasting Act 1972, Independent Broadcasting Authority , now Ofcom ) to provide competition to the long established BBC , [2] it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK. Since the passing of the Broadcasting Act 1990 its legal name has been Channel 3, to distinguish it from the other analogue channels at the time, namely BBC 1 , BBC 2 and Channel 4 . In part, the number 3 was assigned as television sets would usually be tuned so that the regional ITV station would be on the third button, with the other stations being allocated to the number within their name. ITV is a network of television channels that operate regional television services as well as sharing programmes between each other to be displayed on the entire network. In recent years, several of these companies have merged so currently the fifteen franchises are in the hands of two companies. The ITV network is to be distinguished from ITV plc , the company that resulted from the merger of Granada plc and Carlton Communications in 2004 and which holds the Channel 3 broadcasting licences in England , Wales , southern Scotland , the Isle of Man , the Channel Islands and Northern Ireland . With the exception of Northern Ireland, the ITV brand is the brand used by ITV plc for the Channel 3 service in these areas. In Northern Ireland, ITV plc uses the brand name UTV . STV Group plc , uses the STV brand for its two franchises of central and northern Scotland . History The origins of ITV lie in the passing of the Television Act 1954 , designed to break the monopoly on television held by the BBC Television Service . [2] The act created the Independent Television Authority (ITA, then IBA after the Sound Broadcasting Act) to heavily regulate the industry and to award franchises. The first six franchises were awarded in 1954 for London, the Midlands and the North of England, with separate franchises for Weekdays and Weekends. [2] The first ITV network to launch was London's Associated-Rediffusion on 22 September 1955, with the Midlands and North services launching in February 1956 and May 1956 respectively. Following these launches, the ITA awarded more franchises until the whole country was covered by fourteen regional stations, all launched by 1962. The network has been modified several times through franchise reviews that have taken place in 1963, [3] 1967, [4] 1974, [5] 1980 [6] [7] and 1991, [8] during which broadcast regions have changed and service operators have been replaced. Only one service operator has ever been declared bankrupt, WWN in 1963, [9] with all other operators leaving the network as a result of a franchise review. Separate weekend franchises were removed, with the exception of London, in 1964 [3] and over the years more services were added including a teletext service and a national breakfast franchise, operating between 6:00 am and 9:25 am, in 1983. [6] The Broadcasting Act 1990 changed the nature of ITV; the then regulator the IBA was replaced with a light-touch regulator the ITC , companies now able to purchase other ITV regional companies [10] and franchises were now being awarded based upon a highest-bidder auction, with few safeguards in place. [8] This heavily criticised part of the review saw four operators replaced and the operators facing different annual payments to the treasury: Central Television, for example, paid only £2000, despite holding a lucrative and large region, because they were unopposed, while Yorkshire television paid £37.7 million for a region of the same size and status due to heavy competition. [8] Following the 1993 changes, ITV as a network began to consolidate with several companies doing so to save money by ceasing the duplication of services present when they were all separate companies. By 2004, ITV was owned by five companies of which two, Carlton and Granada had become major players by owning between the two


What is the name given to the vertical posts that hold up the handrail of a staircase (sometimes simply called guards or spindles)?

COMPONENTS OF STAIRCASE COMPONENTS OF STAIRCASE Home / Building Technology / COMPONENTS OF STAIRCASE Following are the terms used for components of staircase: Step – The step is composed of the tread and riser. Tread – The part of the stairway that is stepped on. It is constructed to the same specifications (thickness) as any other flooring. The tread "depth" is measured from the outer edge of the step to the vertical "riser" between steps. The "width" is measured from one side to the other. Riser – The vertical portion between each tread on the stair. This may be missing for an "open" stair effect. Nosing – An edge part of the tread that protrudes over the riser beneath. If it is present, this means that, measured horizontally, the total "run" length of the stairs is not simply the sum of the tread lengths, as the treads actually overlap each other slightly. Starting step or Bullnose – Where stairs are open on one or both sides, the first step above the lower floor may be wider than the other steps and rounded. The balusters typically form a semicircle around the circumference of the rounded portion and the handrail has a horizontal spiral called a "volute" that supports the top of the balusters. Besides the cosmetic appeal, starting steps allow the balusters to form a wider, more stable base for the end of the handrail. Handrails that simply end at a post at the foot of the stairs can be less sturdy, even with a thick post. A double bullnose can be used when both sides of the stairs are open. Stringer, Stringer board or sometimes just String The structural member that supports the treads and risers. There are typically two stringers, one on either side of the stairs; though the treads may be supported many other ways. The stringers are sometimes notched so that the risers and treads fit into them. Stringers on open-sided stairs are often open themselves so that the treads are visible from the side. Such stringers are called "cut" stringers. Stringers on a closed side of the stairs are closed, with the support for the treads routed into the stringer. Fig: Components of Staircase Winders Winders are steps that are narrower on one side than the other. They are used to change the direction of the stairs without landings. A series of winders form a circular or spiral stairway. When three steps are used to turn a 90° corner, the middle step is called a kite winder as a kite-shaped quadrilateral. Trim Trim (e.g. quarter-round or baseboard trim) is normally applied where walls meet floors and often underneath treads to hide the reveal where the tread and riser meet. Shoe moulding may be used between where the lower floor and the first riser meet. Trimming a starting step is a special challenge as the last riser above the lower floor is rounded. Flexible, plastic trim is available for this purpose, however wooden mouldings are still used and are either cut from a single piece of rounded wood, or bent with laminations Scotia is concave moulding that is underneath the nosing between the riser and the tread above it. Banister, Railing or Handrail The angled member for handholding, as distinguished from the vertical balusters which hold it up for stairs that are open on one side; there is often a railing on both sides, sometimes only on one side or not at all, on wide staircases there is sometimes also one in the middle, or even more. The term "banister" is sometimes used to mean just the handrail, or sometimes the handrail and the balusters or sometimes just the balusters. Volute A handrail end element for the bullnose step that curves inward like a spiral. A volute is said to be right or left-handed depending on which side of the stairs the handrail is as one faces up the stairs. Turnout


The Joshua Tree National Park is in which US state?

Joshua Tree National Park (U.S. National Park Service) Contact Us Where Two Deserts Meet Two distinct desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado, come together in Joshua Tree National Park. A fascinating variety of plants and animals make their homes in a land sculpted by strong winds and occasional torrents of rain. Dark night skies, a rich cultural history, and surreal geologic features add to the wonder of this vast wilderness in southern California. Come explore for yourself. Read More


Which Buckinghamshire farm was used as a hideout by the Great Train robbers?

John Maris led police to Great Train Robbers tells of years of fear and death threats | Daily Mail Online comments Worry: Farm worker John Maris, who was responsible for helping police track down the Great Train Robbers' hideout, has told how he received death threats in the years following the notorious gang's conviction. He is pictured at the time The farm worker responsible for helping police track down the Great Train Robbers' hideout has told how he received death threats in the years following the notorious gang's conviction. John Maris' tip off to police about the strange behavior at Leatherslade Farm in Buckinghamshire,  provided detectives with the big clue they were looking for in the hunt for the gang. The farm provided vital clues used in the conviction of 16 of the gang in what was dubbed 'The Crime of the Century'. But after being hailed a national hero - and picking up a £19,000 cheque in front of the Press - things quickly turned sour for the herdsman and his wife. He was sent threatening messages in the post, with his wife Grace receiving a letter which had a drawing of a coffin with her husband's name on it. The situation became so bad that Mr Maris began to carry around a wooden truncheon for protection. He even placed jars of acid and wooden staves around the farm buildings in case he was attacked. Speaking for the first time about the events following the robbery, Mr Maris, 83, told the Daily Mirror: 'I was constantly scared, always worried. The fear lasted for years. I was always looking over my shoulder.' Thursday marks the 50th anniversary since the gang of robbers, masterminded by Bruce Reynolds, stopped the Glasgow-Euston overnight mail train in the biggest robbery of its time. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share The 17-strong gang held up the Royal Mail travelling post office in Buckinghamshire as it ran between Glasgow and London. Helpful: His tip off to police about the strange behavior at Leatherslade Farm in Buckinghamshire, pictured, provided detectives with the big clue they were looking for in the hunt for the gang Important: The farm provided vital clues used in the conviction of 16 of the gang in what was dubbed 'The Crime of the Century' They escaped with a then record £2.6million – about £45 million in today’s money - in a crime which became a public obsession. After vanishing into the night, the police revealed they thought the gang were hiding within a 30-mile radius of the site of the robbery and put out public appeals for help. Mr Maris had witnessed strange behaviour at Leatherslade Farm and decided to take a closer look and was immediately struck by the scene in front of him. Fear: The farm worker responsible for helping police track down the Great Train Robbers' hideout has told how he received death threats in the years following the notorious gang's conviction. This shows the train which was targeted The £2.6 million stolen by the Great Train Robbers fifty years ago. It was the biggest robbery of its time The windows of the house had been blacked out, leading Mr Maris to contact the police, actions which changed his life forever. Speaking last week, Ronnie Biggs told how he was proud to have been part of the gang. The famous fugitive, who escaped from prison in 1965, spent 36 years on the run before finally being arrested and jailed in 2001. Charles Wilson (left) and Bruce Reynolds (right) were both also involved in the Great Train Robbery Roy John James (left) and Ronnie Biggs (right) were both jailed for 30 years for their part in the robbery William Boal (left) and Roger John Cordrey (right) at court in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire Released from prison on compassionate grounds in 2009 due to ill health he is still alive, being cared for in a north London nursing home. And he has few regrets about the crime that made him a household name. Biggs, who cannot speak and communicates through a spelling board, said: 'If you want to ask me if I have any regrets about being one of the train robbers, my answer is, "No!". Ronnie Biggs (pictured) said that he only


The wood from which common tree was traditionally used to make tennis racquets, snooker cues and hockey sticks

About Us | Tree Surgery | Merseyside | Acer Tree Services Pruning Mature Trees   Pruning is the most common tree maintenance procedure used by tree lovers in the UK. Although forest trees grow well with nature’s pruning, landscape trees require a higher level of care if they are to look good and stay safe. As a tree surgeon, I always have to consider how a tree will react to each cut made. Poor or improper pruning in tree surgery can cause damage that will last for the tree’s lifetime and can even speed up its demise resulting in tree removal by a qualified tree surgeon. Experts and tree surgeons in Liverpool believe that as Ash Dieback disease (Chalara fraxinea) takes hold in the UK, the effects on our landscape could be even worse than the outbreak of Dutch elm disease in the 1970s. There are far more ash trees in Britain than there were elms – at least 125?million. Ash is the third most common tree species in the UK – only oak and birch rank higher – and it is found in just about every region from Caithness to Cornwall, Norfolk to Pembrokeshire. The following towns including: Ashbourne in Derbyshire, Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, Ashford in Kent, Ashtead in Surrey and Ashton in Makerfield , near St. Helens, all take their name from the Ash tree. Working as a tree surgeon in Merseyside, I often tell customers that the Ash is a member of the olive family, although this is not immediately obvious from its leaves, seeds and fruit. It is a large, elegant deciduous tree with light grey, relatively smooth bark and distinctive velvety black buds.  From autumn into winter, ash carries bunches of seeds (known as keys) which are individually encased in fawn-coloured single papery wings. The first sign of spring warmth brings forth clusters of male and female purple/green flowers which adorn the tips of the branches long before the first leaves appear. These leaves are among the last of any tree species to emerge from bud, and most ash trees will not be in full leaf until well into May. The timing is the subject of a country rhyme that claims to forecast the weather: “Oak before ash, we’re in for a splash, Ash before oak, we’re in for a soak.”  As a tree surgeon in Merseyside, I have found that Ash timber is tough and displays an elasticity that allows it to withstand stress, strain and impact. It was used for the framework of early aircraft such as the De Havilland Mosquito. It was also used in the Morris Traveller car and is still used today for the frames of Morgan cars. It has long been the choice for the handles of tools such as axes, picks and mallets. Similarly, it has been used for walking sticks and sports equipment including hockey sticks, tennis racquets, snooker cues, oars and parallel bars used in gymnastics around the world. Ironically, the impending demise of ash will be a real boom for those tree surgeons in Merseyside with wood-burning stoves . It is one of few woods which will burn “green” (freshly cut) and it makes an excellent fuel. The demise of English ash is unlikely to bring anything but woe for Britain’s flora and fauna. More than 500 species of lichen grow on ash trees – with many of them already rare and endangered. There are more than 100 different species of invertebrates that are known to live on ash or in ash woodland, including the high brown fritillary butterfly and the dusky thorn moth, and up to 30 insects are totally dependent on the tree. Several species of bat either roost or feed in and around ash trees, as do birds such as redstart and bullfinch. The loss of ash woodland would also have a detrimental effect on woodland flowers, including bluebells, primroses, wild garlic and lily-of-the-valley. There are more than 130,000 hectares of ash-dominated woodland in Britain and that accounts for 13 per cent of all broadleaved woodland (an area roughly the size of Surrey). Ancient and historic trees Other ash trees have important historical associations, such as John Wesley’s ash tree in Winchelsea, East Sussex, which shaded the congregation when he gave his last outdoor sermon. How to spot


Which website was created by Steve and Julie Pankhurst in 1999 and now has the slogan ‘Millions of memories all in one place’?

Friends Reunited to close - YouTube Friends Reunited to close Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jan 19, 2016 Friends Reunited is to close. Friends Reunited, the social networking and friend finder website was launched on 1st July 2000 15 years ago after being conceived by Steve and Julie Pankhurst of Barnet, Hertfordshire and friend Jason Porter in 1999. Julie Pankhurst's curiosity about the current status of old school friends inspired her to develop the website By the end of the 2000, it had 3,000 members and a year later the membership had increased to 2.5 million The slogan of Friends reunited was ‘Millions of memories all in one place’ By December 2005, Friends Reunited had over 15 million members December 2005 saw the site being bought by British TV company ITV plc for £175 million ($250 million). Although originally intended to be a site where members could find school friends from their past, it soon became one of the very first true social networks. At one point it was even used by potential employers who used entries to screen job applicants in a similar way that current social networks are now. Friends Reunited made a profit of £22 million in 2007 In August 2009 it was announced that Friends Reunited had been sold for £25 million to Brightsolid Limited, a firm which is owned by DC Thomson. By 2010 they had 23.8 million members. In the UK, Friends Reunited was accused of being left behind by competitors who were primarily Facebook and Bebo. On 15 December 2011, the owners DC Thomson estimated that Friends Reunited was worth only £5.2 million. On 18 January 2016, Friends Reunited revealed that it will be closing down the website after 16 years of operation. Although this is a very sad event, if you are lucky enough to be 50 years old or more then you can join Buzz50 for free at http://www.buzz50.com/ Unlike Friends Reunited, Buzz50 has a diverse range of activities as well as being a friend finder and social networking site. Buzz50 even has over 50 forums at http://www.buzz50.com/forum/ where a whole variety of subjects are discussed and live chat rooms at http://www.buzz50.com/chat-rooms-home Category


Enver Hoxha was the leader of which country between 1944 and 1985?

Enver Hoxha - Enver Hoxha Biography Enver Hoxha       Enver Hoxha was born in Argirocastro, in the south of Albania, on October 16, 1908; his father was a modest employee, for many years an emigrant in America; his mother was a housewife. A great influence on the spiritual growth of Enver Hoxha was exercised by his uncle Hyen Hoxha, a man who for that period was a definite revolutionary.   He represented Argirocastro on November 28, 1912, in the act of proclamation of independence of Albania, signing a document that consecrated the will of the Albanian people to free themselves from the yoke of the Turkish empire.   Enver Hoxha later also took a hostile attitude towards the reactionary regime of king Zog. This played a fundamental role in the formation of the political ideas of Enver Hoxha. In his city he breathed the air of protest against a repressive government that culminated in the democratic revolution of 1924. Having finished elementary school he attended the high school of Argirocastro. At the age of 16 he was already among the first initiators and also secretary of the Society of the Students of Argirocastro, which was permeated with a democratic-revolutionary spirit. He led the protest of progressive students when center was closed by the government after a year. He left Argirocastro to move to Korca, where he continued his studies in the French high school. Here he learned French history, literature and philosophy. In this city he read for the first time the "Manifesto of the Communist Party" given to him by a worker named Koçi Bako. In this period he also learned for the first time about the October Socialist Revolution; all that together with the ideas of the French Revolution which thrilled Enver Hoxha, determined his cultural development and his political tendencies. In the summer of 1930 he finished his studies at the high school of Korca with excellent marks; in the same year he won a scholarship to attend the faculty of natural sciences at Montepellier in France. He wanted to study philosophy or law. Here he attended the lessons and the conferences of the Association of Workers organized by the French Communist Party. After a year, not having much interest in biology he left Montepellier to go to Paris, hoping to continue his university studies. He took courses in the faculty of philosophy at the Sorbonne and, in the Marxistenvironment of the French capital, he collaborated with "Humanite",writing some articles on the situation in Albania. Here he had the opportunity to study Marx's "Capital" and Engels' "Anti-Duhring." For these reasons in November of 1933 he was denied his scholarship by the government of Zog. For economic reasons and with the help of some Albanian friends he went to Brussels, where he found a job in the Albanian Consulate. He attended university courses in the faculty of law; here he broadened and enriched his knowledge of Marxist-Leninist literature. Once again he was dismissed, because the consul discovered through Zog's agents that his employee had deposited in his office revolutionary materials and books. In that period he studied in France and worked in Belgium, also attending the University of Brussels. Being without work and without money, he could not finish his university studies, so Enver Hoxha in the summer of 1936 finally returned to Albania. He spent a brief period of time in the city of his birth, he made contact with Albanian communists, and in July of 1936 he met Alì Kelmendi, an Albanian communist. He had contacts with the communist group of Korca, which was the most solid and organized of the movement. He returned to Korca as a teacher in the French high school. On April 7, 1939, Italy occupied Albania. For his openly revolutionary and anti-fascist ideas he was dismissed. He left Korca, went to Tirana, the Albanian capital, on November 29, 1939. Here he worked part-time in the government grammar school for a short time as a teacher, being again dismissed because he was by now known as a communist. With the help of some friends he opened a small shop, which became a


Anne Reid and Derek Jacobi appear as Celia and Alan, two childhood sweethearts reunited via Facebook, in which BBC TV drama series?

Last tango's Anne Reid: To get a part like Celia is manna from heaven | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV | Daily Express Last Tango's Anne Reid: To get a part like Celia is manna from heaven Anne Reid and Derek Jacobi are reunited for a new series of Last Tango In Halifax By Catrin Carrucan 13:56, Sat, Nov 16, 2013 TWO TO TANGO: Anne Reid and Derek Jacobi are thrilled to be making another series of Last Tango [BBC] NOBODY was more surprised and delighted at the reception that Last Tango In Halifax received when it aired late last year than actress Anne Reid. The first series atracted critical acclaim, impressive viewing figures and went on to win the coveted accolade of best drama series at the TV BAFTAs earlier this year. "I was very surprised by the positive response to the first series," Anne, 78, says. "I've been in the business a long time but I've never known anything like this. I've had people run up to me in the street and say, 'We love Last Tango, when are you doing some more? We love it, we love it!' It gradually dawned on me that we were in a very big hit. "The fans have been very enthusiastic. Once, a builder ran after me in the street. He jumped of his scaffolding and chased me down the road. I thought, 'Why on earth is he following me?' But he came up to me and said, 'I just wanted to tell you that Last Tango In Halifax was wonderful!'" Last Tango In Halifax, which returns for a second six–part series this week, follows the rekindled romance of Celia and Alan, played by Anne and Derek Jacobi. Now both in their seventies and widowed, the former childhood sweethearts tracked each other down via the internet and discovered their feelings for each other had not waned despite not seeing each other since the 1950s. "At my age, to get a part like Celia is manna from heaven. I feel very lucky indeed," says Anne, who has also starred in Coronation Street, dinnerladies and Marchlands. "When I was told the producers wanted me for it, the male lead hadn't even been cast. I was waiting to see who would be the lucky actor to play my husband. I had known about it for a year before it was finally decided. Ten Derek Jacobi was brought on board and it all fell into place and was just so exciting." The drama, written by Sally Wainwright, has been welcomed for its realistic and unpatronising depiction of older people and as a triumph against ageism on television. Anne says, "There aren't enough roles for older actresses but you can't force writers to write them. It's no good bleating on about it. Writers have to start treating people over the age of 50 seriously and stop putting token women in dramas in high heels, with sexy legs, because that still goes on all the time. I think you stand a better chance if you do comedy. There are usually opportunities for older women to play funny roles but not so many when it comes to the serious parts." FAMILY: Last Tango In Halifax returns for a second six–part series this week [BBC] I've been in the business a long time but I've never known anything like this. I've had people run up to me in the street and say, 'We love Last Tango, when are you doing some more? We love it, we love it! Anne Reid It's not only in the UK that Last Tango has struck a chord. Te series, which also stars Sarah Lancashire as Celia's daughter, Caroline, and Nicola Walker as Alan's daughter, Gillian, has also proved a hit in the US where it was bought by American television network PBS. "My friend is a famous singer called Barbara Cook. She lives in America and absolutely loved Last Tango," says Anne. "She just thinks Derek and I are magic together on–screen and she doesn't mince her words – she would have told me if she didn't like it." Anne says that although the cast of Last Tango have been overwhelmed by the positive response to the first series, they didn't let the attention distract them when filming the second series this summer. "The mood on–set was very regimented and ran like a well–oiled machine. You've got to remember the lines but it is nice when we have a giggle. Generally people were just worried about ge


Give the surname of the British father and son who shared the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1915?

William Henry Bragg (1854 - 1942) - Genealogy William Henry Bragg in City of London, Greater London, UK Immediate Family: Australian Newspapers Text: ... MAGICIAN Noted scientist aud magician of the lecture room, Sir William Bragg, died In London last Thursday night. He was president of th... Publication: Mar 17 1942 - Narrandera Region, New South Wales, Australia Page: Australian Newspapers Text: ... Sc'ehti!« t L.ONDOX, March. 15.-Tho death has occurred of Sir William Bragg, the noted British scientist. He was 79 ... recovered. Ile w... Publication: Mar 16 1942 - Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia Page: Newspaper Archive Text: "...thc No- bel Prize with his son William Lawrence Bragg In 1915 for their work on X-rays and died today at the age of 79 Also In 1915 t... Date: Newspaper Archive Text: "...Sir William Lawrence Bragg fnr research work on X-rays and tal structures died today COWBOY USES METER AMARILLO Texas co wb oy who d ... Date: Newspaper Archive Text: "...of aeronautics adapted to serve the national interest Sir William Bragg Scientist Is Dead LONDON March William Bragg 79 the scientist... Date: Newspaper Archive Text: ... Additional services and burial will take place in lis Saturday Sir William Bragg LONDON UR Sir William Bragg 79 famous physicist who in ... Date: Mar 12 1942 - London, England Parents: Robert John Bragg, Mary Wood Wife: brother About Sir William H. Bragg, Nobel Prize Sir William Henry Bragg OM, KBE, PRS (2 July 1862 – 10 March 1942) was a British physicist, chemist, mathematician and active sportsman who uniquely shared a Nobel Prize with his son William Lawrence Bragg - the 1915 Nobel Prize in Physics. The mineral Braggite is named after him and his son. Biography Early years Bragg was born at Westward near Wigton, Cumberland, the son of Robert John Bragg, a merchant marine officer and farmer, and his wife Mary née Wood, a clergyman's daughter. When Bragg was seven years old, his mother died, and he was raised by his uncle, also named William Bragg, at Market Harborough, Leicestershire. He was educated at the Old Grammar School there, at King William's College on the Isle of Man, and having won an exhibition [scholarship], at Trinity College, Cambridge. He graduated in 1884 as third wrangler, and in 1885 was awarded a "first" in the mathematical tripos. University of Adelaide In 1885, (at the age of 23), Bragg was appointed Elder Professor of Mathematics and Experimental Physics at the University of Adelaide, and started work there early in 1886. Being a skilled mathematician, at that time he had limited knowledge of physics, most of which was in the form of applied mathematics he had learnt at Trinity. Also at that time, there were only about a hundred students doing full courses at Adelaide, of whom less than a handful belonged to the science school, whose deficient teaching facilities Bragg improved by apprenticing himself to a firm of instrument makers. Bragg was an able and popular lecturer; he encouraged the formation of the student union, and the attendance, free of charge, of science teachers at his lectures. Bragg's interest in physics developed, particularly in the field of electromagnetism. In 1895 he was visited by Ernest Rutherford, en-route from New Zealand to Cambridge; this was the commencement of a lifelong friendship. "The turning-point in Bragg's career came in 1904 when he gave the presidential address to section A of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science at Dunedin, New Zealand", on "Some Recent Advances in the Theory of the Ionization of Gases". This idea was followed up "in a brilliant series of researches" which, within three years, earned him a fellowship of the Royal Society of London. This paper was also the origin of his first book Studies in Radioactivity (1912). Soon after the delivery of his 1904 address, some radium bromide was made available to Bragg for experimentation. In December 1904 his paper "On the Absorption of a Rays and on the Classification of the a Rays from Radium" appeared in the Philosophical Magazine, and in the


Fulgencio Batista was the leader of which country between 1952 and 1959?

BBC ON THIS DAY | 1 | 1959: Rebel army drives out Cuban dictator About This Site | Text Only 1959: Rebel army drives out Cuban dictator The President of Cuba, Fulgencio Batista, has fled the country, his government in ruins, in the face of a relentless advance by the rebel army led by a 32-year-old lawyer, Fidel Castro. Thousands of Cubans took to the streets in celebration this morning as word spread of Batista's departure for the Dominican Republic in the early hours of this morning. There was a carnival atmosphere as cars cruised through the streets of the capital, Havana, with Cuban flags draped over their bonnets, blowing their horns continuously. A large crowd gathered at the Principe prison as high court judges issued orders granting the release of hundreds of political prisoners. Ceasefire President Batista handed over to a nominal military junta before he left. They ordered a ceasefire and appealed to the rebel forces of Dr Fidel Castro for co-operation. Dr Castro, however, announced this morning on rebel radio that operations would continue. "The triumph of the revolution must be complete," he said. Anarchy There appeared to be little sign of anyone in charge on the streets of Havana today, as the city descended into anarchy. People armed with steel bars overturned virtually every parking meter in the city. Hundreds of slot machines from casinos - a symbol of the corruption of Batista's regime - were dragged into the street and smashed. One casino was looted. The homes of relatives and close friends of President Batista were also looted, as were the houses of the former Minister of the Interior, Santiago Rey, and his hated police chief, Colonel Esteban Ventura. Growing support The rebel movement has gone from strength to strength in the last year. They have had growing support from the general population since President Batista, who came to power in a coup in 1952, began cracking down with increasing ruthlessness on any signs of dissent. In one of the worst examples, even some of Batista's supporters expressed concern after police tortured or summarily hanged those suspected of organising a general strike last April. Some of those killed were still in their teens. In latter years, he has headed an increasingly ruthless and corrupt police state. He once boasted that he was one of the most shot-at heads of state in the world, and never appeared in public without being surrounded by bodyguards.


Which ship, launched in 1860, was the Royal Navy’s first iron-hulled warship?

HMS WARRIOR THE FIRST IRON HULLED WARSHIP 1860 | THE BRITISH ROYAL NAVY. HMS Warrior - Portsmouth             historic dockyard     HMS Warrior was the name ship of her class of two armoured frigates built for the Royal Navy in 1859ï¿½61. She and her sister ship HMS Black Prince were the first armour-plated, iron-hulled warships; they were built in response to the first ironclad ocean-going warship, the wooden-hulled French ironclad Gloire, launched in 1859. Rapid advances in naval technology left Warrior and her sister obsolete within a short time, however, and she spent more time in reserve and training roles than in first-line service. Warrior spent her active career with the Channel Fleet and was hulked in 1883. She served as a storeship and depot ship before she was assigned to Royal Navy's torpedo training school in 1904. The ship was converted into a floating oil jetty in 1927 and remained in that role until 1979 when restoration began. Listed as part of the National Historic Fleet, she is now a museum ship in Portsmouth, England.   Warrior             began active service most inauspiciously. She froze to             the slipway when she was launched on December 29th 1860             during the coldest winter for 50 years. Frozen snow             covered the dockyard and Thames braziers blazed down the             ship's sides but when Sir John Pakington, First Lord of             the Admiralty, came to do the honours, she refused to             budge.   Extra             tugs and hydraulic rams pulled her while hundreds of men             ran from side to side on her upper deck, trying to rock             her free. After 20 minutes, she finally gave way. Sir             John smashed a bottle of wine over her bow with the             words "God speed the Warrior"       Warrior             was obsolete in less than a decade. She was relegated to the Reserve Fleet ranks and in 1883, withdrawn from sea             service. She was now little more than a floating hulk,             although still officially classed an armoured cruiser.  Her             masts and guns were stripped when she was used as a             depot ship for two years. Her name became Vernon III in 1904, when she joined Portsmouth-based HMS Vernon,             the Navy's torpedo training school. Her role was             supplying steam and electricity to neighbouring hulks. A             year later, another armoured cruiser called Warrior was launched.   The             Hon Arthur Cochrane, son of the Earl of Dundonald,             became her captain after her commission on August 1st             1861. The ship underwent minor modifications after a sea             trial. In June 1862, she started active service in the             Channel Squadron, patrolling coastal waters and sailing             to Lisbon and Gibraltar.  Crowds             of people turned out to see the new battleship as she visited British ports.             But, she never fired a shot in anger. Her strength was her ability to             keep the peace by her awesome presence.   Foreign             navies soon imitated her technical features, and armour-plated             look-alikes with even greater firepower rolled down             dockyard slipways. Engine designs improved steadily,             with coaling stations springing up in ports all over the             world.       Nobody             wanted the old battleship when she went up for sale in             1924. Five years on, she inherited the name Oil Fuel             Hulk C77 when starting life as a shipkeeper's home             and floating oil jetty at Pe


The Shenandoah National Park is in which US state?

Shenandoah National Park - Virginia Is For Lovers Virginia is for Lovers Shenandoah National Park Guided Hikes When mentioning Shenandoah National Park, visitors often get that faraway look in their eye, fondly recalling adventures at this scenic mountain jewel rising high atop Virginia’s Appalachians. What makes Shenandoah so special? First, consider panoramic views from overlooks scattered on lofty Skyline Drive , which runs 105 miles down the length of the 300-square-mile sanctuary. Additionally, beyond Skyline Drive lies another Shenandoah, where bears roam the hollows and brook trout ply the tumbling streams. Trail side flowers color the woods. Quartz, granite, and greenstone outcrops jut above the diverse forest, allowing far-flung views of the Blue Ridge and surrounding Shenandoah Valley . It is this beauty near and far that create the unforgettable Shenandoah experience. Shenandoah -- Virginia’s first national park -- was dedicated July 3, 1936. Cobbled together along the Blue Ridge from Front Royal to Waynesboro , the long narrow preserve divides the proud Shenandoah Valley from the rolling Piedmont to the east. The park contains a wide array of flora and fauna as it rises from a mere 550 feet at its lowest elevation to over 4,049 feet at its highest atop Hawksbill. –WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO – Shenandoah National Park has an entrance fee, payable at one of the four major entrance stations. The fee is good for 7 consecutive days, even if you leave the park. The weather tends to be up to 10 degrees cooler than the surrounding lowlands, a good thing in summer. Although supplies are limited in the park, fuel is available 24/7 at Big Meadows Wayside. Skyline Drive closes during bad weather. If you have weather concerns, call (540) 999-3500, 1, 1 to see if Skyline Drive is open. The Park has three districts, each with its own characteristics - North, Central and South. Explore each district. Try new places and discover new wonders of Virginia’s biggest and oldest national   park. Stop by any Virginia Welcome Center to pick up a park guide with a convenient pull out map of Shenandoah National Park.


In October 2013, which country' was the last to leave the Commonwealth after 48 years of membership?

UK regrets The Gambia's withdrawal from Commonwealth - BBC News BBC News UK regrets The Gambia's withdrawal from Commonwealth 3 October 2013 Read more about sharing. Close share panel Media captionGambian President Yahya Jammeh told the UN he was determined to defend Gambia's dignity 'by whatever means necessary' The Gambia's decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth 48 years after joining is something to "very much regret", the UK Foreign Office has said. The west African nation branded the 54-member grouping, which includes the UK and most of its former colonies, a "neo-colonial institution". The withdrawal was announced on state TV but no other reasons were given. Two years ago President Yahya Jammeh accused the UK of backing his political opposition ahead of elections. Commonwealth officials said they only heard about the move through the media and had not yet been contacted by The Gambia. A spokesman said Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma had seen the reports with "dismay and disappointment" and had asked for "clarification" from the country. Guide to The Gambia Official name is The Gambia to distinguish it from the River Gambia One of Africa's smallest countries, it is surrounded on three sides by Senegal Its borders are said to have been set in the 19th Century by the distance a naval cannon could fire from a British gunboat on the river Tourism, fishing and peanuts are major industries Governed since 1994 by President Yahya Jammeh, who seized power aged 29 Last year he vowed to stay in power for "a billion years", if God willed it Claims he can cure Aids and infertility with herbal concoctions Warned in 2008 that gay people would be beheaded There is a history of tension between President Jammeh, who came to power in a 1994 coup, and the UK. Earlier this year, a Foreign Office report singled out The Gambia for its human rights record, citing cases of unlawful detentions, illegal closures of newspapers and discrimination against minority groups. On Thursday a Foreign Office spokesman said: "Decisions on Commonwealth membership are a matter for each member government. We would very much regret Gambia, or any other country, deciding to leave the Commonwealth." In August last year The Gambia was criticised by Amnesty International and others for executing nine prisoners by firing squad. 'Colonialism extension' The Commonwealth was founded in 1931 but acquired its modern shape after 1949 as former British colonies and protectorates, including The Gambia, started to achieve self-government and varying degrees of independence. According to the Commonwealth's charter, member states should communicate and co-operate "in the common interests of our peoples and in the promotion of international understanding and world peace". In its statement, The Gambian government said it had "withdrawn its membership of the British Commonwealth". It said it had "decided that The Gambia will never be a member of any neo-colonial institution and will never be a party to any institution that represents an extension of colonialism". Media captionPresident Jammeh's action is a "disaster", says Gambian journalist Ebrima Sankareh But Bakary Dabo, former vice president of The Gambia and chairman of the country's campaign for democratic change, said people there are generally "very happy" to be part of the Commonwealth. He said the government had recently begun "picking up war against poorly specified enemies called 'western powers'". Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Dabo said this rhetoric had "accelerated" in recent years and been used when President Jammeh gave a "rambling" speech at the United Nations General Assembly last month Aids claim Also at the UN, President Jammeh said homosexuality was one of the three "biggest threats to human existence". He has also drawn international criticism for claiming he can cure Aids with a herbal body rub and bananas. BBC Africa analyst Farouk Chothia said despite its image as an idyllic holiday destination, The Gambia, and its population of less than two million, were kept under tight contro


Which single family of birds, not native to Europe, comprises the order Spenisciformes?

Animals - 4 | Britannica.com Animals (kingdom Animalia), any of a group of multicellular eukaryotic organisms (i.e., as distinct from bacteria, their deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is contained in a membrane-bound nucleus). Browse Subcategories: (255) Displaying 201 - 300 of 800 results Daonella genus of extinct pelecypods (clams) useful as a guide, or index, fossil in Triassic rocks. The shell is characterized by a wide dorsal region and by fine radiating riblike lineations. The shell is circular in outline and may show fine growth lines. de Beer, Sir Gavin English zoologist and morphologist known for his contributions to experimental embryology, anatomy, and evolution. Concerned with analyzing developmental processes, de Beer published Introduction to Experimental Embryology (1926), in which he noted that... decapod (order Decapoda), any of more than 8,000 species of crustaceans (phylum Arthropoda) that include shrimp, lobsters, crayfish, hermit crabs, and crabs. The presence of five pairs of thoracic legs (pereiopods) is the basis for the name decapod (from the... deer Cervidae any of 43 species of hoofed ruminants in the order Artiodactyla, notable for having two large and two small hooves on each foot and also for having antlers in the males of most species and in the females of one species. Deer are native to all... Deltatheridium a genus of extinct mammals found as fossils in rocks from Upper Cretaceous times (about 100–65.5 million years ago) of Asia and, questionably, North America. Deltatheridium was a small insectivorous mammal about the size of a small rat. It is now recognized... Deuterostomia (Greek: “second mouth”), group of animals—including those of the phyla Echinodermata (e.g., starfish, sea urchins), Chordata (e.g., sea squirts, lancelets, and vertebrates), Chaetognatha (e.g., arrowworms), and Brachiopoda (e.g., lamp shells)—classified... Diatryma extinct, giant flightless bird found as fossils in Early Eocene rocks in North America and Europe (the Eocene Epoch lasted from 57.8 to 36.6 million years ago). Diatryma grew to a height of about 2 1 4 metres (7 feet). Its small wings were not used for... Dicaeidae songbird family, of the order Passeriformes, including the diamondbird and flowerpecker groups. Dictyoclostus genus of extinct brachiopods, or lamp shells, that were common invertebrate forms in the shallow seas of North America from the Carboniferous to the Permian periods (between 359 million and 251 million years ago). Dictyoclostus often grew to large size.... Dielasma genus of extinct brachiopods, or lamp shells, that occur as fossils in rocks deposited in marine environments of Carboniferous to Permian age (between 359 million and 251 million years old). The two small, rather smooth valves of the shell of Dielasma... dik-dik Madoqua any of four species of dwarf antelopes (tribe Neotragini, family Bovidae) that are adapted for life in the arid zones of eastern Africa. Three species inhabit the Horn of Africa: Guenther’s dik-dik (Madoqua guentheri), Salt’s dik-dik (M. saltiana),... dingo member of the family Canidae native to Australia. Most authorities regard dingos as either a subspecies of the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris dingo) or a subspecies of the wolf (C. lupus dingo); however, some authorities consider dingos to be their... dinosaur the common name given to a group of reptiles, often very large, that first appeared roughly 245 million years ago (near the beginning of the Middle Triassic Epoch) and thrived worldwide for nearly 180 million years. Most died out by the end of the Cretaceous... dinosauromorph any of a group of archosaurian reptiles that includes dinosaurs and all other reptiles bearing a closer evolutionary relationship to dinosaurs than to pterosaurs. Dinosaurs include birds and other theropods, sauropodomorphs, and ornithischians —familiar... dipluran Diplura any of a group of about 800 species of small primitive wingless insects, considered by some entomologists to have features similar to ancestral insects. In some classification schemes, the order Diplura is c


Which comedian has written several children’s books including Gangsta Granny?

David Walliams tops children's bestsellers - BBC News BBC News David Walliams tops children's bestsellers 23 October 2014 Close share panel Image copyright PA Image caption Walliams' first book The Boy in the Dress is being made into a BBC drama David Walliams' Awful Auntie has become the best selling children's fiction book of 2014 after four weeks on sale. The comedian notched up his fourth week at the top of the UK book chart, marking the longest run at number one by a British-born author this year. The book sold 37,903 units this week. In contrast Booker Prize winner Richard Flanagan shifted 10,242 print units. However sales of his novel The Narrow Road to the Deep North increased by more than 30 times the previous week. It saw his Booker-winning romance enter the top 50 at number 11 - taking second place in the original fiction chart. Nielsen BookScan figures suggest the £137,430 accrued through sales of Flanagan's novel last week, following his Booker triumph, eclipsed the combined sales of his work for the past 10 years. The "remarkable love story" novel is set during the construction of the Thailand-Burma Death Railway in World War Two. It took 12 years to complete and left Flanagan penniless. David Walliams has written seven children books, including Gangsta Granny, Mr Stink and Demon Dentist which topped the charts this time last year. Awful Auntie has sold more than 181,000 units since it was published on 27 September.


David Dinsmore is editor of which daily newspaper?

David Dinsmore | News UK David Dinsmore Chief Operating Officer David Dinsmore became Chief Operating Officer in September 2015. He has a long history with News UK starting as a reporter at the age of 22 on The Scottish Sun in 1990, before rising through the ranks to become Editor of The Sun in June 2013. David has held a number of senior roles at Britain’s best-selling paper including Managing Editor where he helped to oversee the launch of the Sunday edition. Born and raised in Scotland, David began his national newspaper career on The Scottish Sun where he became Editor in 2006, taking circulation to a market-leading 400,000-plus. In 2010, David was made General Manager of News UK in Scotland and subsequently became Director of Operations for News UK. A keen cyclist, he is married with two children.


The phrase ‘tender is the night’ comes from one of whose poems?

Themes and Symbols Themes and Symbols    Bookmark this page    Manage My Reading List The Sexual Metaphor While incest has often been cited as a theme of Tender Is the Night, it has less frequently been seen as part of a larger pattern of sexual relationships in the novel. Incest as a theme is pervasive; it recurs again and again, from Devereux and Nicole Warren in its blatant physicality to its artistic manifestation in Rosemary's movie, Daddy's Girl, to its psychological level in Dick Diver's relationship both to Nicole and Rosemary, each of whom plays a girl-child to his father role. But incest, psychological or physical, is part of a larger pattern of sexual roles in this novel. One is reminded of Sylvia Plath's "Daddy" in the Ariel poems, where "daddy" comes to stand for her own father, her husband, and Hitler, and finally for power, control, and even oppression. Fitzgerald says early in the novel that in Paris, Dick Diver was surrounded by women — Rosemary, Nicole, Violet McKisco, and Mary North — who "were all happy to exist in a man's world," therein differing from most American women. To exist in a man's world means, in each of these cases, that the woman allows herself to be managed by her mate or lover. When Abe North says that he is "tired of women's worlds," then, he probably means that he is tired of the passivity and lack of imagination exhibited by women. Only two women in the novel stand outside this "women's world" — Baby Warren and the Iron Maiden. Dick, as we have seen, sympathizes deeply with the Iron Maiden and is deeply affected by her death. She perishes, Dick knows, because she tried to live in a man's world and failed. She does not have the endurance to be independent and creative. Baby Warren is the other character who does not live in a "woman's world" because she refuses to submit to any man; indeed, with the aid of her fortune, she labors to attain power over men. Significantly, she never marries. The underlying dichotomy, then, is "woman's world" and man's world," with the former standing for coherence and passivity, and the latter embodying creativity and dominance. Abe North needs a man's world in order to create; the Iron Maiden, because she is a woman, cannot exist in the raw world of the independent artist. The homosexuals, who are male but reject the dominance and creativity due them and are generally treated scornfully for that reason, provide one variation on this theme. The American Woman, who, in one brief passage comes to be identified with Baby Warren, offers another variation; this creature unjustly usurps the dominant male role and, clumsily wielding her new-found power without its natural concomitant creativity, brings only destruction. War There are many references to war in the novel, references which provide a continuing metaphor for the disintegration of the Western world, as well as those which enrich the author's descriptions of Dick's state of mind. Dick Diver is associated with all three major American wars. He claims to be a descendant of Mad Anthony Wayne, a Revolutionary War hero. He is also compared, unfavorably it turns out, with Ulysses S. Grant, a Civil War hero. And Dick himself notes after a bad dream that he suffers from "non-combatant's shell-shock" after World War 1. As has been stated in the foregoing critical commentary, the First World War is described by Dick as a "love war" because it represented for both sides the eager defense of a way of life, a culture that had been centuries in the making. In the aftermath of the war, the Western world lay in disarray. Dick Diver has internalized that sorrow and fragmentation, and, as a result, he comes to typify a man of the Western world who is left to survive after its most devastating war. Moon In the revisions that Fitzgerald sketched out for his reorganization of the novel, there is the cryptic phrase — "change moon" after the first chapter revision. Malcolm Cowley confessed to never finding this exact reference, but the notation suggests that Fitzgerald probably saw the moon as an important symbolic vehicl


Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, Howard and Penny are characters in which US sitcom?

The Big Bang Theory (TV Series 2007– ) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error ON DISC ALL A woman who moves into an apartment across the hall from two brilliant but socially awkward physicists shows them how little they know about life outside of the laboratory. Creators: Leonard is disappointed when Penny develops an interest in an attractive physicist at the university. Meanwhile, Sheldon struggles to find an appropriate Christmas gift for Penny. 9.2 Leonard, Howard and Raj have to decide who will take their extra Star Wars movie ticket, while Sheldon plans something special for Amy's birthday. 9.2 Leonard tells Penny about how he and Sheldon became roommates and what happened to the elevator. 9.1 a list of 34 titles created 27 May 2012 a list of 46 titles created 07 Jun 2012 a list of 34 titles created 20 Jul 2012 a list of 31 titles created 22 Feb 2013 a list of 21 titles created 3 weeks ago Title: The Big Bang Theory (2007– ) 8.3/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won     1     Golden Globe. Another    60 wins & 211 nominations. See more awards  » Videos A father recounts to his children, through a series of flashbacks, the journey he and his four best friends took leading up to him meeting their mother. Stars: Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders Follows the personal and professional lives of six 20 to 30-something-year-old friends living in Manhattan. Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow Modern Family (TV Series 2009) Comedy | Romance Three different, but related families face trials and tribulations in their own uniquely comedic ways. Stars: Ed O'Neill, Sofía Vergara, Julie Bowen A hedonistic jingle writer's free-wheeling life comes to an abrupt halt when his brother and 10-year-old nephew move into his beach-front house. Stars: Jon Cryer, Ashton Kutcher, Angus T. Jones Game of Thrones (TV Series 2011) Adventure | Drama | Fantasy Nine noble families fight for control over the mythical lands of Westeros. Meanwhile, a forgotten race hell-bent on destruction returns after being dormant for thousands of years. Stars: Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington Spoiled billionaire playboy Oliver Queen is missing and presumed dead when his yacht is lost at sea. He returns five years later a changed man, determined to clean up the city as a hooded vigilante armed with a bow. Stars: Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, David Ramsey The Simpsons (TV Series 1989) Animation | Comedy The satiric adventures of a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield. Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Julie Kavner A high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine in order to secure his family's future. Stars: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn An antisocial maverick doctor who specializes in diagnostic medicine does whatever it takes to solve puzzling cases that come his way using his crack team of doctors and his wits. Stars: Hugh Laurie, Omar Epps, Robert Sean Leonard The Walking Dead (TV Series 2010) Drama | Horror | Thriller Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes leads a group of survivors in a world overrun by the walking dead. Fighting the dead, fearing the living. Stars: Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride The Flash (TV Series 2014) Action | Adventure | Drama After being struck by lightning, Barry Allen wakes up from his coma to discover he's been given the power of super speed, becoming the Flash, fighting crime in Central City. Stars: Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker New Girl (TV Series 2011) Comedy After a bad break-up, Jess, an offbeat young woman, moves into an apartment loft with three single men. Although they find her behavior very unusual, the men support her - most of the time. Stars:


Who was the commander of the Roman legions during the invasion of Britain in 43 AD and the first governor of the new province from 43 to 47?

BBC - History - Overview: Roman Britain, 43 - 410 AD Print this page Why Britain? Why did the Romans invade Britain in 43 AD? Their empire already extended from the Channel coast to the Caucasus, from the northern Rhineland to the Sahara. The great age of conquest had ended a few decades before. Three legions had been destroyed in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest by rebellious German tribesmen in 9 AD, and the emperor Augustus concluded that the empire was overextended and called a halt to new wars of conquest. Britain was an afterthought. It was not about economics. Rome's rulers were already the richest men in history. Nor was it about military security. The Channel was as effective a frontier as one could wish for. Claudius needed to secure his throne. What better than a glorious military victory in Britain? The invasion of Britain was a war of prestige. The 'mad' emperor Caligula had been assassinated in 41 AD, and an obscure member of the imperial family, Claudius, had been elevated to the throne. The new emperor faced opposition from the Senate, Rome's House of Lords. Claudius needed a quick political fix to secure his throne. What better than a glorious military victory in Britain? The army was the core of the Roman state. In a few centuries, it had transformed Rome from a small city-state into the greatest empire of antiquity. Its conquests more than paid for themselves in booty, slaves and tribute. War was highly profitable. Roman culture reflected this, valuing military achievement above all else. Roman leaders had to prove themselves first and foremost as army commanders. And where better for Claudius to prove himself than in Britain? Invasion and conquest Bronze statue of Boudicca located at Victoria Embankment, London    © A century before, in both 55 and 54 BC, Julius Caesar had invaded Britain with the aim of conquest. But revolt in Gaul (modern-day France) had drawn him away before he had beaten down determined British guerrilla resistance. Britain had remained free – and mysterious, dangerous, exotic. In the popular Roman imagination, it was a place of marsh and forest, mist and drizzle, inhabited by ferocious blue-painted warriors. Here was a fine testing-ground of an emperor's fitness to rule. For the Claudian invasion, an army of 40,000 professional soldiers - half citizen-legionaries, half auxiliaries recruited on the wilder fringes of the empire - were landed in Britain under the command of Aulus Plautius. Archaeologists debate where they landed - Richborough in Kent, Chichester in Sussex, or perhaps both. Somewhere, perhaps on the River Medway, they fought a great battle and crushed the Catuvellauni, the tribe that dominated the south east. Boudicca, queen of the Iceni tribe, came close to expelling the invaders Then, in the presence of Claudius himself, they stormed the enemy capital at Camulodunum (Colchester). But resistance continued elsewhere. Pushing into the south west of Britain, the Romans fought a war of sieges to reduce the great Iron Age hill forts of the western tribes. Driving through and beyond the Midlands, they encountered stiffening opposition as they approached Wales, where the fugitive Catuvellaunian prince, Caratacus, rallied the Welsh tribes on a new anti-Roman front. Wales took decades to subjugate. Before it was done, the east of Britain exploded in 60-61 AD. Bitterness against Roman oppression had driven Boudicca, queen of the Iceni tribe, into a revolt that came close to expelling the invaders. Later, under the provincial governor Gnaeus Julius Agricola, the Romans occupied northern Britain, reaching what is now called the Moray Firth in 84 AD. This, though short of total victory, was to be the high water mark of the Roman empire in Britain. Top Occupation Elsewhere, the empire's frontiers were under attack. Reinforcements were needed. Troop numbers in Britain had to be reduced. A phased withdrawal was carried out from the far north, eventually bringing the army to a line that stretched across modern Northumberland from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Carlisle on the Solway. Thi


Kirsten Mehr is the German bom wife of which prominent British politician?

Nigel Farage resigns as Ukip leader after Brexit win | Daily Mail Online Now it's Ukip's turn for a civil war: Carswell brands Farage 'electorally disastrous' after leader QUITS in wake of Brexit victory - but did he time his resignation to stop woman arch-rival getting the top job?  Nigel Farage bows as Ukip leader by saying Brexit would never have won without him and Ukip  Stages press conference today to say: 'I couldn't possibly achieve more than I managed to get in that referendum ' Farage insists'Ukip's best days are yet to come' and says the its 'greatest potential' lay in attracting Labour voters New leader will be appointed by Ukip's conference in September, with deputy leader Paul Nuttall early favourite  Ukip MP Douglas Carswell, at loggerheads with Farage for months, reacts to news by tweeting a sunglasses emoji  Asked about Mr Farage's stance on immigration he said: 'It's not just morally wrong, it's electorally disastrous'


Disarrono is a prominent brand of which alcoholic- drink?

Amaretto Liqueur - CulinaryLore.com CulinaryLore.com As Southern as Sweet Tea Amaretto is a liqueur produced from a neutral spirit flavored with bitter almond or apricot seeds, which have a similar flavor. The liqueur has an bitter-cherry almond-like flavor, but different brands may contain various herbs and spices, which are not named. The name comes from the Italian word for bitter, which is "amaro." The suffix "-etto" is a diminutive form, so that the word amaretto loosely translates to "a little bitter" or "a small amount of bitterness." Some sources seem to be confused by the bitter almond name, which is often given to the apricot kernel. Apricot kernels may be sweet or bitter. Since they resemble small bitter almonds in taste or appearance, they are often called bitter almonds or confused with almonds. Some almonds are also bitter, and the same compounds are responsible for the bitter cherry-like taste in both bitter apricot and bitter almond kernels. Amaretto may be made with actual bitter almonds or with bitter apricot kernels, but the name "bitter almonds" does not guarantee that almond is used. The most famous brand, Disoronno, claims to have always used bitter apricot, which is the traditional flavoring ingredient in Italy. The bitterness of bitter almond and apricot kernels comes from the high amount of amygdalin, which is found in much lesser amounts in sweet varieties. The breakdown products of this chemical produce benzaldehyde, which gives the cherry-like almond flavor. It also produces cyanide, which is why bitter almonds are regulated in the U.S. The flavor is much more intense, however, and you do not have to worry about cyanide in amaretto, since, similar to the effect of cooking, the alcohol infusion eliminates any traces of cyanide, and, in fact, in traces of nuts at all. The root word of amaretto is often conflated with amore, so as to take on connotations of romance (bitter love); encouraged by a few of the major brands, especially Disaronno and Lazarroni, which spin tells of a romantic beginning for their liqueurs. Amaretto has a sweet almond/cherry flavor with only a little agreeable bitterness, only serving to increase it's depth of flavor. Ameretto was first produced in Italy. Amaretto di Saranno, now called Disaronno Originale, claims to be the original Amaretto, said to have first been produced in the year 1525 by a young widow, who made it for the fresco painter Bernadino Luini. Luini painted the frescoes in Santa Maria delle Grazie in Saronno, Italy and the young widow was the keeper of the inn he lodged in, and is said to be the model for his Madonna. Whether this tale is true or not, Disaronno Originale is the most popular brand of amaretto liqueur. 1 The company claims its amaretto is still made with the original recipe and describes the product as absolute alcohol infused with "apricot kernel oil, burnt sugar, and the pure essence of 17 selected herbs and fruits." Amaretto can be enjoyed by itself, with ice, or mixed with other drinks, alcoholic or not. Coffee is by far the most popular pairing an amaretto is excellent added to a plain cup of coffee. The flavor of amaretto is used in many coffee flavoring or creamer products, which are non-alcoholic. It is used in mixed drinks such as the Amaretto Sour and the Cafe Zurich, which uses coffee. It is also often pared with Kahlua. Amaretto is also blended with ice cream or cream. Amaretto is also very good with Coca Cola or any cola drink, where it give a cherry cola flavor. Lazzaroni also claims that its amaretto is the first. Theirs does not use apricot kernels or bitter almond but instead uses an infusion of Ameretti, which is a biscuit (cookie) made with bitter almonds or apricot kernels. Amaretto Brands Besides Disaronno and Lazarroni, other brands of amaretoo liqueur are Luxardo Amaretto di Saschira


Which country was the last to join the Commonwealth, doing so in 2009?

Commonwealth of Nations: 'The club of the 21st Century' - BBC News BBC News Commonwealth of Nations: 'The club of the 21st Century' By Andrée Massiah BBC News 12 March 2012 Close share panel Image copyright Other Commonwealth Day is being marked with an annual observance at Westminster Abbey in London. The BBC News website looks at the role of the organisation and hears the views of some readers. In Diamond Jubilee year, the Queen celebrates 60 years as head of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth of Nations has been described by critics as merely a talking shop, raising questions about its effectiveness. But with 54 members and counting, it seems the Commonwealth still has global resonance. African countries such as Algeria, Madagascar and Sudan - as well as Yemen in the Middle East - have all applied to become members of the Commonwealth. So why is membership considered by some to be such an attractive prospect? The Commonwealth grants small countries greater access to network, and to raise matters of concern with their more influential fellow members. Image copyright Other The Arab Spring was all about the hope that the whole region could live by the values the Commonwealth has been espousing for so long Kamalesh Sharma, Commonwealth Secretary-General As news website reader Mohammed al-Sharif from Sanaa says: "Yemen needs a lot of help. We have been through a civil war and we have economic problems. "We have so many hopes that our president will lead us to a better future. But we cannot do anything without outside help." In 2009, Rwanda became the latest country to join the Commonwealth. Despite its brutal recent history, it was admitted into the Commonwealth because of its work towards democracy and the fact that the neighbouring countries of Uganda and Tanzania are members. Josh from Kigali in Rwanda says: "It is beneficial to join different blocs because it widens opportunities, and encourages cultural exchange and trade." The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Kamalesh Sharma, says it has played a major role in imparting its values of good governance, democracy and development around the world. "The fact that there is a lot of interest in the Commonwealth indicates that it really is the club of the 21st Century. "There is something that the Commonwealth has been doing right. "The Arab Spring was all about the hope that the whole region could live by the values the Commonwealth has been espousing for so long." He adds that the principles instilled by the Commonwealth in its members have been recognised by observers. " The Ibrahim Index of good governance in Africa is a very reputable one. The last ranking showed that out of 54 countries in Africa, in the first eight, seven were from the Commonwealth," says Mr Sharma. Media captionCommonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma describes the work of the Commonwealth. "This cannot be by accident. It is because of the Commonwealth's values that it becomes possible that institutions run better, elections are more credible and leaders are more conscious in their duties of leadership." As the Commonwealth is a voluntary association with no formal constitutional framework, members work in the understanding that they fully commit to its values. But the association's voluntary aspect, along with the fact that it cannot impose sanctions for non-compliance like other international blocs such as the UN and EU, have led to criticisms that it lacks bite. The director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies , Prof Philip Murphy, said the Commonwealth was very important to small states, but questioned the means to impose its values on members. "It tries to preserve good government, rule of law and democracy for unstable states and acts in everyone's interests. But whether it has the resources to hold states to Commonwealth values is a different matter," he said. Diplomacy The Commonwealth does help nations within its family as well as states that have chosen to go it alone. One former member of the Commonwealth is Zimbabwe, suspended in 2002 over human rights abuses. But after t


Henry 4th is the only King of England to be buried in which cathedral?

Westminster Abbey » Henry III Coronation Date: 17 May, 1220 Location in the Abbey: Shrine Type of memorial: Tomb Type of material: Marble; bronze Henry was born at Winchester Castle on 1 October 1207, eldest son of King John and Isabella. He succeeded his father in 1216. His was one of the longest reigns in English history. It is to Henry that we owe the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey in the new Gothic style of architecture.  In 1220 he had laid the foundation stone of the old Lady Chapel (later replaced by Henry VII's chapel) and he had a special devotion to St Edward the Confessor .  He wanted to emulate the great churches then being built in France and to transfer Edward's body to a new shrine near which he himself could be buried.  Demolition of Edward the Confessor's 11th century church began in 1245 and the king was recklessly extravagant in the money spent on the Abbey and its lavish decoration (the cost including the new Shrine was £45,000, about 15 million in today's money).  The  eastern section, including the intricate  Cosmati pavement , and transepts of the Church as far as one bay of the nave west of the organ screen, dates from his reign. The bones of St Edward were translated to the new shrine in 1269 and the consecration of the Church took place on 13 October 1269.  But building ceased when Henry died and it was completed at a much later date. Marriage and children Henry married Eleanor, daughter of Raymond Berenger V, Count of Provence, in Canterbury cathedral on 4 January 1236 (she became a nun and died at Amesbury in 1291). They had five sons - Edward succeeded his father as Edward I , Edmund, Earl of Lancaster is also buried in the Abbey, as are Richard, John and Henry who all died young. Their three daughters were Margaret who married Alexander III of Scotland, Beatrice who married Jean de Dreux Earl of Richmond and Princess Katherine , who died young in 1257. Katherine was buried in a tomb with Cosmati work on the top which had been moved from its original site before 1600 and is now within an arched recess in the south ambulatory, without inscription. This also contains her three young brothers. (It also contains the remains of several young children of Edward I) Coronation He was hastily crowned king at Gloucester Abbey on 28 October 1216 due to the uncertain political situation at the time and then again with full ceremonial in Westminster Abbey on 17 May 1220. Eleanor was crowned on 20 January 1236. Burial and tomb Henry died at the Palace of Westminster on 16 November 1272. He had a magnificent funeral and his body was temporarily buried in the old grave of Edward the Confessor in front of the High Altar of the Abbey. He was the first monarch to be buried in a coffin (rather than the body being visible on a bier) with a wax effigy (this does not survive) used in the procession.  Nineteen years later he was placed in the splendid tomb put up by his son Edward I to the north of the Shrine of St Edward, although his heart was delivered to the Abbey at Fontevrault in France as Henry had wished. Henry's large tomb is of Purbeck marble with slabs of purple and green antique porphyry set in the sides and inlaid with gilded "Cosmati" mosaic and coloured marble and glass.  Much of this has been robbed but decoration still remains on the north side.  The arched recesses on the chapel side may once have contained relics of saints. High on the tomb lies the superb gilt bronze effigy, cast in one piece, made by London goldsmith William Torel. It is hollowed out at the back to reduce the weight. The metal plate on which the king lies, the pillows beneath his head and his shoes are decorated with the lions of England. The gabled canopy behind his head has gone as have the jewels from his crown and robe and the sceptres he held in his hands. The two lions at his feet have also disappeared. When the effigy was removed from the plate it was seen that this has been cut to the shape of the figure and on the bare stone are etched figures of a queen and a nun praying before a larger uncompleted figure. There are a


The company TNT Post has changed its operating name in Britain to what?

Royal Mail’s challenger, TNT Post UK, to rebrand as “whistl” « Post & Parcel Royal Mail’s challenger, TNT Post UK, to rebrand as “whistl” Monday, September 15th, 2014 Royal Mail’s biggest rival in the UK postal market has announced a major rebrand, changing its name to “whistl”. TNT Post UK, the second biggest postal service operating in the UK, is owned by Dutch postal operator PostNL, which used to be part of the worldwide shipping giant TNT Group. TNT Group split up in 2011, with the express part of the business becoming TNT Express and the postal business becoming PostNL. However, PostNL’s international postal businesses were allowed to continue using the TNT Post name following the demerger, with the understanding that they would change their names by the end of 2014. In Germany, TNT Post has been rebranded as PostCon, while in Italy it is rebranding into Nexive. Keeping its previous orange and black colours, TNT Post UK said its new moniker has been the result of “extensive” research and development work over the past 18 months. The firm said whistl suggests the idea of “happy people” as the word is a “natural reaction when people are happily going about their work”. Beyond the Snow White and the Seven Dwarves-style image of its work force, the company also suggested that the brand whistl is future-proofed and flexible for any future expansion into new market sectors or segments. “We have reached another significant milestone in our history with the name change to whistl. The new brand reflects the team work culture of our business, our positive can-do attitude and our aim to do the right thing for our colleagues, customers and the communities in which we work,” said Nick Wells, the whistl chief executive. “whistl is dynamic and entrepreneurial; we will continue to make a noise in the industry, whether this is through innovation or challenging convention, so our clients continue to love us and we continue to be successful.” whistle’s rebranding has been overseen by the company’s director of marketing and communications, Melanie Darvall, with the brand launch developed by Leamington Spa-based Sutcliffes. whistl while you work whistl, as it is now known, is headquartered in Marlow, west of London, and has been providing postal services in the UK since 2004, taking advantage of the liberalisation of the postal market under European legislation. The company is one of the biggest Downstream Access operators in the UK, collecting business mail from customers before sorting it and handing it to Royal Mail for the last mile stage of delivery. It claims to collect 22% of UK mail, processing more than 4bn items a year. However, it has come to particular prominence since 2012 after it decided to take Royal Mail head-on in the last mile market, launching end-to-end collection-sorting-and-delivery operations in London. The service has now expanded to Manchester and Liverpool, with expectations of venturing further across the UK over the next few years. The TNT Post service has been labelled by Royal Mail as a threat to the UK’s universal postal service, because it is focusing on the most profitable areas of delivery, urban addresses. The regulator, Ofcom, has so far rejected calls to hold an inquiry into the threat to Royal Mail’s services. A report from Ofcom issued last month suggested that Royal Mail’s challenger now delivers to 1.2m of Britain’s 29m addresses through 23 delivery units, delivering three days a week compared to Royal Mail’s six. whistl’s delivery volumes still remain very small compared to Royal Mail’s, at less than 0.4% of the addressed mail market. But, Royal Mail’s argument for the company to be exposed to the same kind of universal postal service obligations is based on the fact that while smaller in scope, whistl’s delivery rounds are all in the most profitable areas, hitting Royal Mail’s most lucrative areas that would normally cover the financial cost of its most difficult, rural routes. Over the weekend, it emerged that MPs are considering launching an inquiry of their own into the competition TNT Po


Sarah Lancashire plays Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood and Steve Pemberton plays accountant Kevin Weatherill in which BBC TV drama about a kidnapping in West Yorkshire?

Happy Valley, BBC1, Sarah Lancashire, Steve Pemberton PREVIEW - CrimeTimePreview CrimeTimePreview You are here: Home / Happy Valley, BBC1, Sarah Lancashire, Steve Pemberton PREVIEW Happy Valley, BBC1, Sarah Lancashire, Steve Pemberton PREVIEW Rating: ★★★★ BBC1: starts Tuesday, 29 April, 9pm Story: When accountant Kevin Weatherill enlists a local dodgy businessman into a badly thought-out extortion plan, he sets off a sequence of disastrous events that will impact on a small Yorkshire town and its local police sergeant, Catherine Cawood. OF THIS week’s four major new drama series, Sally Wainwright’s Happy Valley is the most engrossing. Vera and Hinterland conform to the whodunit procedural format. While they will delight many viewers, they are the usual murder-investigation-solution plot we’ve seen a million times. ITV’s Prey has the advantage of the very popular John Simm in the lead, and runs Happy Valley a close second in raising anticipation levels. But Prey, an adrenaline-pumping, action-packed thriller, is very different to the BBC1 six-parter. Sarah Lancashire, seen recently in Wainwright’s other acclaimed hit Last Tango in Halifax, takes the lead here as a police sergeant in a beautiful West Yorkshire town blighted by drug crime. Sarah Lancashire as Sgt Cawood She plays Catherine Cawood, a good cop with a life that’s been through the storms. As she tells an addict head whose about to set light to himself in a playground, ‘I’m Catherine, by the way! I’m 47, I’m divorced, I live with my sister – who’s a recovering heroin addict – I have two grown-up children. One dead and one who doesn’t speak to me. And a grandson!’ And that’s not the half of it. She is shaken by news that a convicted drug dealer, Tommy Lee Royce, is out of prison after eight years inside, and we can guess that this news is going to affect on her in a big way. But already there is more going on here than you get in 10 series of Midsomer Murders. In a second story string there is Steve Pemberton as Kevin Weatherill, an accountant in Nevison Gallagher’s firm. He wants to send his daughter to a posh school and asks for a raise. When Nevison (George Costigan) initially blows cold, Kevin, being greedy and stupid, decides to involve a local crook in a scheme to extort the money from Nevison. Fine cast, fine setting, great plot This plotline bears a staggering similarity to Fargo the movie, with Weatherill as the Jerry Lundegaard character, who sets in train an appalling chain of events through his bungling and selfishness. And by the end of the episode, we realise this tragic twist is going to entangle Sgt Cawood too. Sally Wainwright, who also helped to develop the very successful Scott & Bailey with Suranne Jones, has created characters who immediately pull you in to a rich, finely balanced story. All the cast are terrific, with Lancashire as believable as ever, Pemberton perfect as the man you want to punch, and Joe Armstrong menacing as the ‘businessman’ Weatherill involves in his scheme. The setting – a lovely town with major problems – is interesting without having to be chocolate-box twee. There will no doubt be tears for these characters before the end, but Happy Valley should have viewers committed to their journey by the conclusion of episode one. Cast: Sarah Lancashire Catherine Cawood, Steve Pemberton Kevin Weatherill, James Norton Tommy Lee Royce, Adam Long Lewis Whippey, Joe Armstrong Ashley Cowgill, George Costigan Nevison Gallagher Like Loading... Related Join our Friends email list * indicates required CRIME AUTHOR INTERVIEWS Welcome to CrimeTimePreview‘s series of interviews with authors about their TV and reading habits. • PETER ROBINSON  is the author of the Inspector Banks novels – the fourth series of which has just started on ITV (see the post below). A multi-award-winning novelist, he was born in Yorkshire and now divides his time between Toronto and Richmond, North Yorkshire. We brought him in for questioning, and here he makes a full and frank confession of his criminal viewing and reading habits… • ADRIAN McKINTY is one of the


Which boat, launched in I960, was the Royal Navy’s first nuclear submarine?

Royal Navy History Article 8 Footnotes History It is sometimes claimed that the United Kingdom was the last major maritime power to use submarines at the beginning of the 20th century, as the idea of submarine warfare was considered by many senior personnel in the Admiralty to be "Underhand, unfair and damned un-English" (Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson VC, 1901). However, those in favour of experimenting with submarine technology eventually won the argument, and the Royal Navy launched its first submarine, Holland 1, in 1901. The Submarine Service proved its worth in World War I, where it was awarded five of the Royal Navy's 14 Victoria Crosses of the war, the first by LieutenantNorman Holbrook, Commanding Officer of HMS B11. During World War II the major operating arenas were the Norwegian waters; theMediterranean where a flotilla of submarines fought a successful battle against theAxis replenishment route to North Africa; and the Far East where Royal Navy submarines disrupted Japanese shipping operating in the Malacca Straits. The first British nuclear-powered submarine, HMS Dreadnought (S101) was launched in 1960 based around a US-built nuclear reactor. This was complemented by theValiant class from 1966, which featured the Rolls-Royce PWR1 reactor. Royal Navy submarines became an important part of the strategic nuclear deterrent with the introduction of the Resolution class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) from 1968. These carried US-built Polaris missiles and were later replaced by theVanguard class submarines and the Trident missile system from 1994. HMS Conqueror made history in 1982 during the Falklands War when she became the first nuclear-powered submarine to sink a surface ship, the ARA General Belgrano. In May 1991 Oberon class submarines HMS Opossum and her sister HMS Otus returned to the submarine base HMS Dolphinin Gosport from patrol in the Persian Gulf flying Jolly Rogers (see below), the only indication that they had been involved in alleged SAS and SBS reconnaissance operations. In 1999 HMS Splendid participated in the Kosovo Conflict and became the first Royal Navy submarine to fire a cruise missile in anger. After Operation Veritas, the attack on Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces following the 9/11 attacks in the United States, it emerged that HMS Trafalgar was the first Royal Navy submarine to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles against Afghanistan. HMSTriumph was also involved in the initial strikes. On April 16, 2003 it was reported that HMS Turbulent, the first Royal Navy vessel to return home from the war against Iraq, had launched fourteen Tomahawk cruise missiles. The Jolly Roger and the Submarine Service Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur Wilson VC, the Controller of the Royal Navy, summed up the opinion of many in the Admiralty at the time when he said in 1901 "[Submarines are] underhand, unfair, and damned un-English. ... treat all submarines as pirates in wartime ... and hang all crews." In response, Lieutenant Commander (later Admiral Sir) Max Horton first flew the Jolly Roger on return to port after sinking the German cruiser SMS Hela and the destroyer SMS S-116 in 1914 while in command of the E class submarine HMS E9. In World War II it became common practice for the submarines of the Royal Navy to fly the Jolly Roger on completion of a successful combat mission where some action had taken place, but as an indicator of bravado and stealth rather than of lawlessness. For example in 1982 returning from the Falklands conflict HMS Conqueror flew the Jolly Roger depicting one dagger for the SBS deployment to South Georgia and one torpedo for her sinking of the Argentinian Cruiser Belgrano. The Jolly Roger is now the emblem of the Royal Navy Submarine Service. Perisher 'Perisher' (as the Submarine Command Course is better known) is a 24-week course all officers must take prior to serving as an Executive Officer on board a Royal Navy Submarine. It has been run twice a year since 1917, usually starting on 2 July and 14 November each year. It is widely regarded as one of the toughest command courses in the wo