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What was the disorder afflicting the protagonist in Mark Haddon's 'The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time'? | Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time: Mark Haddon: Trade Paperback: 9781400032716: Powell's Books
Average customer rating 4.7 (39 comments)
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Angie Kopshy , January 19, 2015 (view all comments by Angie Kopshy)
Eager to read publications about autism? Don't discredit this novel, the curious incident of the dog in the night-time, by Mark Haddon just because he doesn’t have an ASD diagnosis. Haddon worked with people on the autism spectrum as a young man and provides a unique and plausible perspective of a boy working through his anxiety, love for math, and loss of a parent. My favorite paragraph: "And when Mother and Mr. Shears argued I took the little radio from the kitchen and I went and sat in the spare room and I tuned it halfway between two stations so that all I could hear was white noise and I turned the volume up really loud and I held it against my ear and the sound filled my head and it hurt so that I couldn't feel any other sort of hurt, like the hurt in my chest…" It’s a quick and enjoyable read that the parent of one of my client’s loaned to me. I definitely recommend checking it out!
ladymacbech , December 23, 2011 (view all comments by ladymacbech)
After the incredible 40+ years I had as a teacher, and having enjoyed ages of preschool through early college -and in that order - catagorizing anyone as "special needs" is an insult. The parents and I would have been the ones with special needs, if I had had to limit my students and myself in working through an enormous volume of experiences leading to knowledge in some form. This book was easily read in a few hours, and a second visit made the main character shout "GO-O-OA-ll." I Loved this book, the main character, his mom and the cover too. (Note; my early years teaching in public school, rarely included "labeled" students. Mainly because most of the recognized "tags" of the last years were not known. The earliest one I delt with was "cross dominance," and most of the "challenged" students were not included in the schools in any form.)
Gracie , April 02, 2011 (view all comments by Gracie)
This is a pretty amazing book. I didn't really know what to expect going in, but it's a fascinating story about an autistic boy who sees the world differently from most other people. Christopher sees things both as being more complicated and less complicated than everyone else does. Extremely intelligent and logical, he has a great deal of difficulty with people and emotions. So when he begins investigating the murder of a neighborhood dog and comes upon an even greater mystery about what truly happened to his mother, he confronts confusion and fear unlike any he's ever known before and he must learn to rely on himself. The story is very well crafted. Christopher journals his experience in painstaking detail, with order, organization, literal honesty, and refreshing perspective. Mark Haddon writes beautifully and poignantly of this boy and his struggles in such a simple, straightforward manner that you can't help but feel as you read.
Erin Kendrick , January 07, 2011 (view all comments by Erin Kendrick)
I had high hopes for this book, but it didn't do much for me. A similar book I would recommend is "Extremely loud and incredibly close", they are both told by young boys and deal with them trying to solve a mystery, and I found "Extremely" to be much more engaging and had more meat to it. "The Curious incident" is a quick read though, and even though it comes off as a light read, it is an interesting look into autism and can be rather dark at times.
Alberta J , November 23, 2010
Fifteen year old Christopher John Francis Boone isn’t your ordinary teenager. For enjoyment, Chris solves math problems, plays with his pet rat Toby, and also solves murder mysteries. The mystery of the neighbor Mrs. Shear’s dog is found dead. Christopher really shouldn’t mess around and be nosy with this neighborhood situation, but decides to get to the bottom of it. To calm himself down and relax, Chris solves math problems that no average person could even dream up and solve, and secludes himself into small spaces to feel safe when his world feels as if it is tumbling down. He screams when he is touched, and will not befriend the colors yellow and brown. Christopher does not talk to strangers, because they make him feel unsafe, he doesn’t change things around, and he lets car colors determine how his day is going to be played. Yes, Christopher John Francis Boone, is diagnosed with autism. Solving more than one mystery in this novel, Christopher learns about his quite dysfunctional family, close family members that aren’t truly deceased, who people really are, how he is different from others, and how the world really works in his hometown Swindon, United Kingdom. Honestly, I would give this book about three out of five stars. I thought this novel would be much different than what I came to discover. This book was very heartbreaking for me, and somewhat hard to stick to reading. I felt as if the novel jumped around a bit too often and had many places where I was astonished that this section was actually included in the book. On the bright side, I loved how I was able to live in the shoes of someone that was much different than me. The characters helped too, to represent how others in the true world would treat someone with a disorder such as autism. I recommend this book to readers who wish to understand and be kind of entertained by the point of view of Chris. Yet, I do not recommend this book to people who want a book to have a clear purpose.
bbrrtt1 , August 16, 2010 (view all comments by bbrrtt1)
I couldn't put this book down...written from the mind of an autistic boy, this book had all the complexity of a rich and well written novel with fully developed characters. It was very interesting to read a book from this perspective and I would highly recommend this to anyone. I loved the details and the way in which Christopher tells this story without worry about his thoughts and the ways in which they effect his life. It was touching and ironic, sad and fufilling in many ways. Mark Haddon hits the mark, in my mind with this novel. A great read.
Megan A , May 03, 2010
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon, is an inspirational and heartwarming novel about a young autistic boy’s journey of discovery. The book is centered around the mysterious murder of the neighbor’s dog, Wellington. As the narrator, Christopher Boone, uncovers the murderer, he also learns about some hidden family secrets and finds the strength to venture into an unknown place alone. The novel comments on disability and Christopher’s struggle to express human emotions, while highlighting the misperceptions many people have about disabilities. Mark Haddon effectively captures society’s misperceptions about disabilities through his use of an autistic narrator and unique structural and stylistic elements. The story of Christopher Boone will inspire and challenge the readers to alter their ideas about disabilities. The novel is a national bestseller, Whitbread Book of the Year, and New York Times Notable Book. The author, Mark Haddon is an author and illustrator of many notable children’s books and screen plays. He has also worked with autistic individuals in the past, giving him inspiration for this novel. The novel is set in Swindon and London, England in the late 1990’s with the narrator being determined fifteen year old Christopher Boone, an autistic boy. Christopher is an extremely intelligent boy but cannot understand or express human emotions. “I think prime numbers are like life. They are very logical but you could never work out the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them” (12). Christopher lives with his father, Ed Boone in Swindon, England. The novel begins with the death of the neighbor’s dog, Wellington. Christopher is writing a mystery novel about Wellington’s murder for school and wants to figure out who killed the dog. After initially being accused, Christopher digs further into his investigation, uncovering some hidden secrets about his family. As a result, his world of stability and order starts to break down. The events in the novel help to expose the unique talents of Christopher and the way his autistic mind functions. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time successfully achieves its goal of commenting on the misperceptions about disabilities through its point of view, structure, and writing style. The point of view of an autistic narrator helps the author shed a new light on disability. Seeing events from an autistic boy’s perspective allows the reader to better understand the thought processes of people with disabilities. It allows one to see an entirely different point of view, making the book more creative and unique. This point of view also accentuates the unique skills of Christopher, focusing on the positive side of disabilities, rather than the negative. For example, Christopher’s math and science knowledge astounded me. He knows more about astronomy and mathematics than most other people. “Some people think the Milky Way is a long line of stars, but it isn’t. Our galaxy is a huge disk of stars millions of light-years across, and the solar system is somewhere near the outside edge of the disk” (9). Christopher’s immense knowledge suggests that there is more to disabilities; people have the wrong ideas about those with disabilities. In addition, the author did an incredible job of creating the actions and thoughts of an autistic boy; it was as if the novel was actually written by an autistic person. While the point of view helps effectively display the autistic mind, the structure of the novel contributes as well. The author’s structural choices reveal the realistic thought processes of a child with autism and add creativity and intrigue to the novel. The fact that prime numbers are used to divide the sections of the novel, instead of chapters, mirrors the actions of an autistic person. In addition, drawings, diagrams, and pictures are not typically seen in novels. These objects help convey how the autistic mind works and really put life into perspective for me as I was reading. The pictures helped me to understand that this is how Christopher’s mind works through and understands ideas. I felt as if I was being directly addressed by Christopher. The disorderly pattern of events where Christopher would quickly change topics makes the novel more realistic and convincing. It allows you to see that this is “normal” for him and helps you to better appreciate disabilities for their uniqueness, rather than for their negative features. The fact that the book ends in a positive and uplifting light adds to the idea that believe in oneself can produce countless achievements. “And I know I can do this because I went to London on my own, and because I solved the mystery of Who Killed Wellington? And I found my mother and I was brave and I wrote a book and that means I can do anything” (221). Christopher’s undying determination and confidence in his abilities shows that disabilities are not crippling; people with disabilities may be different but not in a negative way. Disabilities are unique and each person has different gifts as a result of their impairments. These structural elements highlight Christopher’s individuality and amaze the reader with the incredible talents and skills of people with autism. Along with the structure, Haddon’s stylistic elements make a statement about people’s unfortunate misperceptions about disabilities. Mark Haddon’s writing style creates a convincing picture of the autistic mind and highlights the novel’s central idea. The language used depicts the thoughts and speech of a typical autistic boy. It also mirrors Christopher’s trouble expressing his emotions, as he tends to talk in long run-on sentences to make his point. “But if I say that I actually had Shreddies and a mug of tea I start thinking about Coco Pops and lemonade and porridge and Dr Pepper and how I wasn’t eating my breakfast in Egypt and there wasn’t a rhinoceros in the room and Father wasn’t wearing a diving suit and so on and even writing this makes me feel shaky and scared…” (19). The style and language choices are impeccably realistic. As I was reading I was amazed by the way Haddon formed sentences and ideas together in such a close manner to that of an autistic individual. In addition, Christopher’s vivid and detailed descriptions of his surroundings accentuate the positive side of disabilities. “And then lost of people started coming into the little station. And someone sat down on the other end of the bench and it was a lady who had a black briefcase and purple shoes and a brooch shaped like a parrot” (175). He notices details that the average person would not normally see. This explains that people with disabilities all have their own unique and uplifting talents; people just tend to make the wrong assumptions about disabilities. In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon effectively crafts the mind of an autistic boy and comments on the misperceptions people have about disabilities. The novel addresses all of the major issues with the inclusion of mystery, adventure, family dynamics, human emotions, and society’s misperceptions. I would highly recommend this book to other adult readers as it is a motivational story that can change the way people look at disabilities. The ideas, characterization, and style perfectly and successfully depict disability in its most positive form.
kathleen karpondo , January 01, 2010 (view all comments by kathleen karpondo)
A good book is an engaging read; a great book changes something in you. This is the book that did it for me. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time opens a window to the autistic mind, but at the same time, it tells a gripping story with humor, wit, and compassion. The story of a boy who can't bear being touched, but loves his rat and the neighborhood dog beyond reason, I was on board from the first page. With autism and Asberger's syndrome on the rise, I can' think of anyone who wouldn't benefit from reading this book.
Joe Allen , September 15, 2009
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is a story of a fifteen-year-old autistic boy named Christopher John Francis Boone. He cannot understand emotions, and so enjoys logistical things such as math and physics. Christopher can’t stand the colors yellow or brown, though he loves red; not for any particular reason, but because he wants to live in a world with order. Soon after the story begins, we discover that Christopher has come upon the body of his neighbor’s poodle, which had been speared with a garden fork. After spending a night in jail for hitting a policeman (because he hates it when people grab him), he decides, to his teacher Siobhan’s encouragement and his father’s dismay, that he will catch the killer. Mark Haddon introduces a unique, down to earth position in The Curious Incident. Since Christopher, being the narrator, can’t recognize feelings, he says things plainly, he tells his story plainly. He says upon finding Wellington, the dog that was killed, “I decided that the dog was probably killed with the fork because I could not see any other wounds in the dog and I do not think you would stick a garden fork into a dog after it had died for some other reason, like cancer, for example, or a road accident.” The blunt language of the story, rather than detracting from the work, stands out as it is a distinct characteristic that is rarely seen in a novel. The story also provides an intriguing window into the mind of an autistic boy. Christopher can’t go to new places, because he has to notice everything that there is to notice; he sees and hears everything at once, and his mind gets overloaded. To prevent this, his father doesn’t even move around furniture in their house. It’s definitely an unusual story, the likes of which might not be seen for a long time, and worth a look.
Laura Stanovich , September 15, 2009
One night, when Christopher was walking around the neighborhood he stopped in front of Mrs. Shears house to find her dog, Wellington, dead and covered with blood. The dog had been stabbed with a garden fork. Christopher holds the dog and gets yelled at by Mrs. Shears because she thinks he killed her dog. The police come and he is taken to jail when he slaps a police officer for touching him, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting to know who killed the dog. Because Christopher is autistic, he goes to the school counselor, Sibobhan. Sibobhan tells Christopher to write about what occurred and his investigations. His dad doesn’t like him going through peoples’ business, so Christopher gets in trouble for being a detective. But, his dad doesn’t stop him from wanting to find out who murdered the dog. I liked this book because it was very descriptive. Christopher, the main character, knows the exact time and specific details of what happens almost every day. He goes into detail about what he does every day, even the math problems he does. The author also makes the book sound realistic and entertaining by explaining how Christopher doesn’t like the colors brown and yellow, likes to do math problems, count prime numbers, and can’t understand emotions. In this book, the author was trying to say that it’s bad to lie because it can put you in confusing situations. Then, you have to lie about other things to cover up all of the lies that you say. I personally have a better view after reading this book. It helps explain what some people go through every day. It also has interesting things which could happen in real life such as fighting with people in the same family. At the beginning of the book, Christopher says, “This will not be a funny book. I cannot tell jokes because I do not understand them.” This quote is very funny and worth remembering because even though he says he cannot tell jokes, he does in his own way.
Travis Wilson , September 15, 2009
Imagine strolling along your community in the night-time and finding your neighbor’s dog dead with a fork in it. Well, this is exactly the startling discover that young fifteen year old Christopher John Francis Boone experienced in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Fueled by the false accusation against him, Chris decides to find the murder and in the process write a book about it against his father’s wishes. Chris’s investigation involves inquiring to suspects, rummaging through forgotten documents, and even exploring different countries. During his investigation, he learns about himself, his family, and his friends. This book contains many diverse topics that make it original and fun. For example the book gives you an insight on how a child with a disorder thinks. Also, you learn to think in a more logical and mathematical way by looking at his examples and reading his personal remarks. For example, in the book he discusses mathematical topics such as the quadratic and distance formulas. Also throughout the book you start to see how raising a child with behavior disorders, such as Christopher, really is. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is an eye-opener in general! Through out the book you truly can perceive the message that author Mark Haddon is trying to send. That even there may be situations that we ourselves cannot understand, by working hard and evaluating the problem at hand even the most impossible solutions seem possible. This book is definitely a must read for any involved sleuth. After reading this book your insight on the world around you will change. You will stop taking the valuable quality of reading emotions and connecting to the world for granted. By the end of the book you will soon see that even the most puzzling problems are solvable. As Christopher said,” Lots of things are mysteries. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an answer to them.”
Christian Sweeney , September 15, 2009 (view all comments by Christian Sweeney)
If someone told you that a book was about an autistic kid, you may think that it is not going to be an interesting book. This is what I thought at first, and then I read the book. I was surprised at how interesting the book was, and I am glad that I chose this book to read. The main character of the story is Christopher. He is a fifteen year old autistic boy who is emotionally connected to his math. The book starts off with Christopher in his neighbor’s backyard, holding their poodle. There is a fork through its body, and it is dead. Christopher is wrongly accused of killing the dog, and is determined to figure out the real killer. He begins a long journey to find out who killed the dog, with many unexpected twists and turns along the way, some of which are vital to Christopher’s life. This is a very interesting book, and I would recommend it to anyone that would be interested in reading it. Overall, I would give this book a 9.5/10. It flowed well, and it was an interesting story, filled with many events. One thing about the book stood out to me the most. The moral of the story is that you can do anything if you set your mind to it. This book explains this extremely well. Christopher undergoes many challenges along the way, which are difficult for him to overcome. All of the events have drastic endings, and are all connected to the book. Without these things happening, I do not know if the book would have been as great as it is. In the book, there is an interesting quote. It says “I see everything”. I found this interesting because it is not true. What he was actually meaning, is that he can remember everything he sees. This is a very interesting feature of a person, and he is lucky that he has this feature.
Micah Collins-Sibley , May 11, 2009 (view all comments by Micah Collins-Sibley)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time offers a rare view into the world of a boy with Asperger's syndrome. Chris's world is simple and pure, there are no lies and everything is told exactly the way they are. If you were to compare it to The Catcher in the Rye you would find The Curious Incident is the complete opposite. During the entirety of The Catcher you never truly know if Holden is telling the truth but in The Curious Incident you always know Chris is telling the truth. Through reading this book you experience a different world, Chris's world, while at the same time trying to solve a mystery. Its a wonderful book that explores Asperger's and then effect that disease has on a home.
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Authors On The Rise Book Reviews , May 22, 2008 (view all comments by Authors On The Rise Book Reviews)
Christopher Boone likes night-time walks. On one of these walks, he discovers the body of his neighbor’s dog pierced by a pitchfork. The death of the animal awakens Christopher’s desire to investigate and solve the dog’s hideous murder. Christopher’s detective work drums up some interesting leads, not only about the dog, but also about some mysteries in Christopher’s own life. In the end, Christopher will have to choose between the family he knows and his need for knowing the truth about the incident of the dog in the night-time. Mark Haddon’s portrait of an autistic boy on a mission is well written, and perfectly told. The story, composed as a first-person narrative, expertly portrays the actions and mind set of a person living with autism. Haddon’s complex storytelling may confuse some readers, but it is essential to building the foundation of Christopher’s character. It helps the reader to understand the thought patterns autistic people. Haddon does a wonderful job weaving the chapters to create a compelling and surprising read.
KAbbey , December 30, 2007 (view all comments by KAbbey)
This book is a fascinating insight into the mind of a young man with Aspergers Syndrome, a condition which is linked to Autism. As a young man who analyses everything, whether he wants to or not, he causes himself many worries. A fall out with his father, causes him to make a terrifying journey to London by himself. Anyone woring or planning to work with children with Autism will find this a very interesting and educational read. I have learnt a lot about the way an Autistic mind works!! I would also recommend reading Tino Georgiou's bestselling novel--The Fates--if you missed it!
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whitty23423432 , April 25, 2007
The Curious Incident of the dog in the night-time is an absolutely amazing story. It tells the story of an autistic boy named Christopher, and his view of life. Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capital cities and every prime number up to 7,057. He doesn?t understand human emotions but relates well to animals. Christopher loves math, and plans on being an astronaut. Christopher?s world falls apart when he stumbles upon his neighbor?s dog, Wellington, dead in a pitchfork. Christopher is blamed for the killing, and this gives Christopher the idea of doing some detective work to find the real killer. He questions his neighbors and doesn?t find anything. He then eventually gets in trouble by his father for his detective work. Christopher doesn?t think this is right that he is being punished, so he continues his work, even after his book with all the info is taken away. Christopher then goes searching for the book and comes across letters from his mother, who he thinks is dead. He?s heartbroken and loses trust in his father for quite sometime. This book is a compelling story and probably one of the greatest books on the shelf.
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gackatooly , April 24, 2007
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time was an insanely interesting read. I’ve met autistic people before, but never have I read a book that portrayed their life and thoughts as well as Mark Haddon has in this amazing piece of literature. Some books have such obvious themes that you can tell what the moral is when you first begin reading. This book is NOT that way. Counting from the top of my head I can think of more than three themes. Whether someone is completely unsympathetic or overly emotional, this book will do something for you. There were points in this story when you feel so eager, nervous, curious, and excited that your stomach gets goose bumps. If anything, I think this book really gives you a sense of patience and understanding. It also really brought this point out for me; don’t give up on someone. Chris’s mom could’ve just stayed and everything would’ve been just fine after a while. This could have been an underlying theme in the book, but I definitely saw and comprehended it. What kept me glued to this novel was the fact that you’re personally waiting to see what Chris’s next movements and decisions are. It has really taught me to be more logical about things. On the other hand, this book immensely increased my gratitude for my ability to feel emotion. I hope you call enjoy this book as much as I did!
Sheri Blyskal , September 27, 2006 (view all comments by Sheri Blyskal)
I love this book because it's story is mesmerizing. I was drawn, almost compulsively to sneak away and read this book. This book offers a rare glimpse into a life filled with challenges many people cannot fathom. My life hasn't been touched by autism, but I bought this book based on a Powells.com review and the fact the I love the author [a]Temple Grandin[/a] (who is herself autistic). I find the whole subject fascinating. After reading this book, I heard about another book of the same ilk called The [t]Pleasure of My Company[/t] by [a]Steve Martin[/a]. First, yes it is Steve Martin the well-known comedian who wrote the book. He has published several books and novellas. His book was similar to this in that the main character is autistic. His book however, pales in comparison on every literary level. The plot is not compelling and I didn't care for it at all. It seemed like Steve Martin read this book and tried to copy it and failed miserably.
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spindlefan , September 07, 2006
Even if I didn't have an autistic child of my own, I'd have found [t]The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time[/t] to be a charming and compelling story. But because I do, I found it to be a fascinating glimpse inside the mind of autistic children, my own included. The novel, by [a]Mark Haddon[/a], is written from an autistic boy's POV, and very accurately I think. Despite the uniqueness of the narrator, you easily come to like him and relate to him and wish him well in his quest for the truth about the situation in his neighborhood and his family. A must-read for anyone who loves an [kw]autistic [/kw]child.
| Asperger syndrome |
Killikrates and Iktinos were the architects of which building completed on the 5th century BC? | When Popular Novels Perpetuate Negative Stereotypes: Mark Haddon, Asperger's and Irresponsible Fiction | The Huffington Post
When Popular Novels Perpetuate Negative Stereotypes: Mark Haddon, Asperger's and Irresponsible Fiction
11/18/2011 01:59 pm ET | Updated Jan 18, 2012
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Greg Olear Weekling, Fathermucker
A celebrated novelist decrees that "imagination always trumps research." A father of a boy with Asperger's disagrees.
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Mark Haddon's debut novel, was the sort of mammoth best-seller writers dream of, a work that garnered both near-universal critical acclaim and enormous commercial success.
It was the Whitbread Book of the Year for 2003, a New York Times Notable Book, and an entry on countless end-of-year best-of lists. "Original and affecting," said The New Yorker. "Clever and observant," gushed The Washington Post. "Funny, sad, and totally convincing," added Time.
Curious Incident has sold more than two million copies, and continues to fly off the shelves. It is a staple of book clubs. It is widely taught in schools. A film adaptation is in development.
If there is a contemporary canon, Curious Incident is in it.
I read the novel early in 2006, on the recommendation of a writer friend, but I wasn't impressed by it. To me, Curious Incident is a gimmick novel -- a well-conceived one, perhaps, but a gimmick novel just the same -- and one hindered by a lame third act. When I finished, I filed it on my bookshelf and forgot all about it.
At the time, my son was 18 months old. He'd not yet been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome.
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The novel's appeal lies in its 15-year-old narrator, Christopher John Francis Boone, whom Slate lauded as "[o]ne of the strangest and most convincing characters in recent fiction."
Boone describes himself as "a mathematician with some behavioural difficulties," but despite this stylistic obfuscation, we're not left to guess at his diagnosis. Early book jackets made explicitly clear that he has Asperger's syndrome.
As an official medical diagnosis, Asperger's is relatively new. It was first included in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, in 1994, just nine years before Haddon's novel was published.
Curious Incident may not have been the first work of fiction ever written on the subject, but it was certainly the first "Asperger's novel" to achieve widespread notice. It introduced me to the term. Christopher John Francis Boone, Haddon's "most convincing" narrator, was the first "aspie" I knew.
* * *
My son is now six and a half. In the three years since his diagnosis, I've learned quite a bit about Asperger's and autistic spectrum disorder, both from personal observation and diligent research . And I've come to see what an inaccurate picture of Asperger's Curious Incident paints.
Asperger's tends to be a relatively mild form of autistic spectrum disorder. Most aspies are "high-functioning." They don't refuse to go to school if they spy a yellow car, or curl up into a whimpering ball on a train because there are too many people around, as Boone does in Curious Incident.
Indeed, if Christopher John Francis Boone has Asperger's, as we've been led to believe, he has one of the most extreme forms of the disorder ever recorded.
Although there are those on the autistic spectrum who found Haddon's portrayal of Asperger's on base -- William Schofield, then a student at a London college for aspies, wrote in The Guardian that "the similarities are very convincing between Chris and me especially, in my opinion" -- it is telling that many of Curious Incident's 73 one-star Amazon reviews (there are a staggering 1,720 reviews in all , most fours and fives) were submitted by aspies. Here's a smattering:
"Stereotyped, inaccurate, horribly offensive... this isn't how it is." "Haddon does not understand Asperger." "Stereotypical view of an autistic child." "I find it hard to believe that Mark Haddon is an autism expert, because Christopher Boone isn't like any other child with Asperger's that I've ever met." "A major disservice to the Autistic Community." "An excellent portrayal of autism...NOT!"
The aspie reviewers, as it happens, were onto something. Haddon, by his own admission, is clueless about Asperger's. "I know very little about the subject," he confessed on his website, in an blog posted on July 16, 2009 . "I did no research for Curious Incident... I'd read Oliver Sacks's essay about Temple Grandin and a handful of newspaper and magazine articles about, or by, people with Asperger's and autism. I deliberately didn't add to this list."
Then he added: "Imagination always trumps research. I thought that if I could make Christopher real to me then he'd be real to readers....Judging by the reaction, it seems to have worked."
Oh, it worked, all right. But at what cost?
* * *
In 1989, Rain Man won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Dustin Hoffman), Best Original Screenplay (Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass), Best Director (Barry Levinson), and Best Picture.
The character of Raymond Babbitt is based on Kim Peek, a man capable of astounding feats of mathematics and memory. Posthumously diagnosed with Opitz-Kaveggia syndrome, Peek had no corpus callosum connecting the two halves of his brain.
In the film, Babbitt is called an autistic savant...but the real Kim Peek was not autistic.
Nevertheless, Rain Man became the popular culture's introduction to autism.
Thirty years later, the belief persists that autistics can reliably count a pile of toothpicks at a glance. This is a powerful negative stereotype that autistic children (and their parents) must overcome.
* * *
Six years after the release of Curious Incident, Haddon, curiously, began to back away from Boone's book-jacket Asperger's diagnosis. "Curious Incident is not a book about Asperger's," he wrote on his blog . "It's a novel whose central character describes himself as 'a mathematician with some behavioural difficulties'. Indeed he never uses the words 'Asperger's' or 'autism' (I slightly regret that fact that the word 'Asperger's' was used on the cover)."
Was his regret only "slight" because he knew that without those magic words on the cover, the book might not have sparked as much interest, or sold as many copies?
More importantly, why did it take six years for Haddon to recant? Was he (belatedly) empathizing with the Asperger's community, the writers of those 73 one-star reviews, who now must deal with Christopher John Francis Boone as their pop-cultural representative? Had he awakened to the dangers of irresponsible fiction? Wherefore his dramatic reversal?
No. He wanted to explain, once and for all, why he always turned down requests from autism awareness groups. "Unsurprisingly," Haddon explained, "I'm often asked to talk about Asperger's and autism or to become involved with organisations who work on behalf of people with Asperger's and autism, many of whom do wonderful work. But I always decline, for two reasons: 1) I know very little about the subject...2) Curious Incident is not a book about Asperger's."
Curious Incident is not a book about Asperger's? Sure -- and Moby Dick is not a book about a whale.
* * *
I don't begrudge Haddon his freedom of speech, or his ability to make a living as a man of letters. He can write about whatever he pleases. What I find objectionable is that he seems unaware of -- or, worse, indifferent toward -- the fact that he has made both his name and his fortune exploiting the Asperger's community, my son included. After all, if his aim were to present an honest portrayal of the disorder, his research would have involved more than skimming an essay about Temple Grandin, who isn't even an aspie.
It may be that Haddon did not set out to create a character with a specific DSM diagnosis; Schofield, in his Guardian essay, suggests as much. It may be that Haddon wasn't responsible for the words "Asperger's Syndrome" appearing on the back cover of his novel; publishers, not authors, usually have the final say on book jacket copy. It may be that Haddon didn't intend to negatively stereotype those with Asperger's; Morrow, the Rain Man screenwriter, who gave his Academy Award statue to Kim Peek, certainly did not intend to negatively stereotype autistics.
But the fact remains: Haddon did write an Asperger's character, he did take advantage of the words "Asperger's Syndrome" in his marketing campaign, and knowingly or not, he did create a negative stereotype. And if he felt anything but indifference toward this literary exploitation after the fact, he would not have used the same narrator-with-relatively-rare-psychological-disorder gimmick in his follow-up novel, as he did with 2006's A Spot of Bother, replacing Asperger's with hypochrondria.
In any case, the damage is done. Christopher John Francis Boone is to Asperger's what Raymond Babbitt is to autism. And aspies everywhere -- including my son -- must now live with it.
Follow Greg Olear on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@gregolear
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What was the name of the gymnastics group who won this year's 'Britain's Got Talent' final? | Spelbound - Britain's Got Talent 2010 - Auditions Week 2 - YouTube
Spelbound - Britain's Got Talent 2010 - Auditions Week 2
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Uploaded on Apr 24, 2010
Britain's Got Talent: Gymnastics group Spelbound all come from different backgrounds and are just trying to get as far as the Royal Variety Show. Will their daredevil act be good enough for royalty? See more at http://itv.com/talent
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| Spelbound |
Initially ruling as part of a troika with Lavrentiy Beria and Vyacheslav Molotov, who became Premier of the Soviet Union upon the death of Josef Stalin in 1953? | Britain's Got Talent won by Spelbound gymnasts - BBC News
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Britain's Got Talent won by Spelbound gymnasts
6 June 2010
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Gymnastics troupe Spelbound have won ITV1's Britain's Got Talent, earning an appearance at the Royal Variety Performance later this year.
The group, of Ashford, Surrey, also picked up £100,000 after winning the final with an act which saw one member thrown over the heads of the judges.
Street dance duo Twist & Pulse were the runners-up in the public vote and drummer Kieran Gaffney, 13, came third.
Judge Simon Cowell said "the right boys and girls won on the night".
He likened Spelbound's routine to an Olympic gold medal-winning performance and said it was one of the most astonishing things he had ever seen on live TV.
Fellow judge Amanda Holden added: "We are hosting the Olympics Games and I can only think 'what a brilliant opening act'."
Spelbound said their victory was unbelievable and they would now be focusing on the world acrobatic championships.
There are 13 members of the group in total, with ages ranging from 12 to 24.
Image caption Runners-up Twist & Pulse described their act as "street-omedy"
Other acts to make the final included grandmother Janey Cutler, boy band Connected, singing accountant Christopher Stone and impressionist Paul Burling.
Street dancer Tobias Mead, dancing dog Chandi and her owner Tina Humphrey, and boy singer Liam McNally made up the final 10.
The dance acts had been hoping to repeat the success of former winners Diversity, who won the talent show last year, and 2008 winner George Sampson.
Teenage dancers and best friends Twist & Pulse coined the phrase "street-omedy" to describe their act, a fusion of street dance and comedy.
Previous victors, such as mobile phone salesman turned opera singer Paul Potts, who won in 2007, have turned their talent show win into a lucrative career, although none has matched the success of last year's runner-up Susan Boyle.
The singer recorded the UK's biggest-selling album of 2009 - and was narrowly beaten to the same accolade in the US by Taylor Swift.
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An aria sung by the unknown prince 'Calaf' in Puccini's 'Turandot', how does 'Nessum Dorma' translate into English? | Nessun Dorma Lyrics and Text Translations - Calaf's Aria from Puccini's Turandot
Nessun Dorma Lyrics and Text Translation
Calaf's Aria from Puccini's Turandot
Luciano Pavarotti is performing the role of Calaf in Puccini’s Opera, Turandot, at the San Francisco Opera House in 1977. Photo by Ron Scherl/Redferns/GettyImages
By Aaron Green
Updated July 18, 2016.
It's safe to say nearly everyone in the modern world is familiar with Giacomo Puccini 's famous aria, "Nessun Dorma" from the opera, Turandot ( read the synopsis of Turandot ), thanks to the BBC's choice of Luciano Pavarotti's rendition as that year's theme song for their FIFA coverage. Though the music was unusual for a sporting event, especially one as large as FIFA, the aria's Italian heritage and lyrics were in perfect harmony with the sentiments of the athletes, fans, spectators, and everyone else involved with the world cup which took place in Italy. With millions of people all over the world turning on their televisions and radios to watch and listen to the games, the aria and Luciano Pavarotti were catapulted into stardom seemingly overnight; "Nessun Dorma" has remained there ever since. (Learn why Pavarotti's performance of "Nessun Dorma" is so special.)
"Nessun Dorma" Context
You'll hear "Nessun Dorma" in the third act of Puccini's opera, Turandot.
continue reading below our video
Great Singers Gone too Soon
At the start of the opera, Calaf sees Princess Turandot for the first time and instantly falls in love with her. However, any man who wishes to marry her must correctly answer three riddles. Those who fail are killed. Despite protests from his father and his servant, Calaf accepts the challenge and is determined to marry the princess.
Much to the delight of the princess's father as well as the entire kingdom, Calaf answers all three riddles correctly. Turandot realizes she must now marry a stranger and becomes upset. Calaf makes a deal with her that if she can correctly answer his own riddle before dawn, he will die. If she does not answer correctly, he will marry her. Turandot agrees and the countdown begins.
Late that night, the princess declares that no one will sleep until she learns the name of her suitor. In fact, she cries out that everyone in the kingdom will be killed if no one steps forward to reveal Calaf's identity. Meanwhile, Calaf confidently sings "Nessun Dorma" (Nobody shall sleep).
Italian Text
| Nessun dorma |
Kieran Gaffney finished 3rd. in this year's 'Britain's Got Talent' final, playing which instrument? | Nessun dorma synonym by Babylon's thesaurus
Norsk Wikipedia (Bokmål og Riksmål) – Den frie encyklopedi
Nessun Dorma
Nessun Dorma (Norsk: "Ingen må sove") er en arie fra operaen Turandot, skrevet av Giacomo Puccini . Arien er i dag meget berømt, og er på mange måter blitt et symbol på Italiensk opera . I nyere tid har arien gjort seg kjent gjennom den verdenskjente tenoren Luciano Pavarotti . Pavarottis fremføring av stykket oppnådde andre plass på the UK Singles Chart , den høyeste plasseringen for et klassisk stykke i en slik rangering noensinne.
Dansk Wikipedia - den frie encyklopædi
Nessun dorma
"Nessun dorma" er en arie fra Giacomo Puccinis opera Turandot . Arien, hvis titel oversat fra italiensk betyder "Ingen må sove", følger efter prinsesse Turandots befaling om, at alle ved hoffet skal bruge natten på at finde navnet på den ukendte prins Calàf. Han har udfordret den koldhjertede prinsesse Turandot til at gætte sit navn. Kan hun ikke det, skal de giftes. Calàf synger overbevist om, at deres anstrengelser vil være forgæves.
Lietuviškoji Vikipedija - laisvoji enciklopedija
Nessun dorma
Nessun dorma – arija iš paskutiniojo Džiakomo Pucinio operos „Turandot“ veiksmo, viena žinomiausiu tenoru ariju. Ji dainuojama Kalafo, il principe ignoto ('nežinomojo princo'), kuris iš pirmo žvilgsnio pamilsta nuostabiai gražia, taciau šalta princese Turandot. Vyras, norintis vesti Turandot, pirma privalo iminti tris misles. Jei to padaryti nepavyksta, jam nukertama galva.
ดูรายละเอียดเพิ่มเติมที่ Wikipedia.org...
Nessun dorma
เนสซูน ดอร์มา (; แปลว่า None shall sleep) เป็นท่อน อาเรีย จากองก์ที่ 3 องก์สุดท้ายของ อุปรากร ภาษาอิตาลีเรื่อง ตูรันโด ของ จาโกโม ปุชชีนี เป็นผลงานชิ้นสุดท้ายของปุชชีนีที่ดัดแปลงจากนิทานเปอร์เซียเรื่อง พันหนึ่งทิวา แต่เสียชีวิตก่อนจะแต่งเสร็จ
Wikipedia în limba română - enciclopedia liberă
Nessun dorma
Nessun Dorma (în limba română , Nimeni nu va dormi) este o arie din actul final al operei Turandot , a compozitorului italian Giacomo Puccini . Este una dintre cele mai cunoscute arii pentru tenori dintre toate ariile de operă din toate timpurile. Aria este interpretată de personajul Calaf , Il principe ignoto (Principele necunoscut), care se îndrăgosteşte la prima vedere de frumoasa, dar distanta Prinţesă Turandot. Oricum, era un fapt cunoscut public că orice bărbat care ar fi dorit să o ia de soţie, trebuia să răspundă la trei din întrebările sale ghicitoare. Dacă nu răspundea corect, peţitorul era decapitat.
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Made up of the top members of the Central Committee, what was the name of the elected body that functioned as the central policymaking body of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union? | Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union | Article about Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union by The Free Dictionary
Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union | Article about Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union by The Free Dictionary
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Central+Committee+of+the+Communist+Party+of+the+Soviet+Union
Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Also found in: Wikipedia .
Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
(CC of the CPSU), the party’s ruling body in the intervals between congresses; members and candidate members of the CC are elected at congresses of the CPSU, with candidate members replacing members in the case of vacancies.
The CC of the CPSU is the party’s organ of political leadership and its theoretical and ideological center; its importance was repeatedly emphasized by V. I. Lenin. Commenting on the Mensheviks’ refusal to submit to the authority of the central organs elected at the Second Congress of the RSDLP in 1903, Lenin declared that “refusal to accept the direction of the central bodies is tantamount to refusing to remain in the Party, it is tantamount to disrupting the Party” (Poln. sobr. soch., 5th ed., vol. 8, p. 351). “The Congress elects the Central Committee, thereby expressing its supreme confidence and vesting leadership in those whom it elects” (ibid., vol. 43, p. 108).
The CC is guided in its work by the decisions of the party congresses, to which it is accountable. The functions of the CC are defined in the Rules of the CPSU. As stated in the Rules confirmed by the Twenty-second Congress of the CPSU in 1961 (amended in part by the Twenty-third Congress in 1966 and the Twenty-fourth Congress in 1971), the CC directs the entire work of the party and of local party organs, selects and places top-level personnel, and directs the workers’ central state and public organizations through the party groups operating within them; it establishes and oversees the work of the various party bodies, offices, and institutions; it appoints the editorial boards of the central newspapers and magazines whose publication it controls, disburses the party’s funds, and has control over the party budget. The CC represents the CPSU in the latter’s relations with other parties.
All power is vested in the CC, which is the organ of party authority; as such it has broad powers and enjoys the full confidence of the party’s members. The membership of the CC includes prominent and politically experienced party and state figures who are well versed in Marxist-Leninist theory, economic and administrative agency employees, front-rank production workers from various branches of the national economy, representatives of the building industry, finance workers, members of the armed forces and of the diplomatic service, lawyers, scholars, and representatives of the arts and sciences. The CC’s members are well-qualified leaders who are devoted to the cause of the party, are closely linked to the party and nonparty masses, and have a thorough knowledge of social conditions and needs. Consequently, the CC’s decisions and directives share the characteristic trait of penetrating to the core of an issue; they are concrete, wide-ranging, and efficient, and they reflect the creative thinking, political attitudes, and many-faceted experience of the CPSU’s membership as a whole.
Imbued with the Leninist spirit, the CC works for the unity and cohesion of the party into a monolithic whole; a great deal is demanded of the CC’s members and candidate members. Being a collegial leadership body, the CC of the CPSU holds regular plenums—that is, meetings of all the CC members and candidate members. According to the Rules of the party, such meetings-are held at least once in six months. Candidate members of the CC have consultative rights at the plenums. By established practice, members of the Central Auditing Commission (CAC) of the CPSU attend and have consultative rights in the CC plenums. The regular convocation of the CC plenums is a necessary condition for maintaining the collective nature of party leadership. The plenums of the CC elect the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the general secretary of the CC of the CPSU.
The CC, being at the head of the party in power, implements the general line set forth by the congresses of the CPSU; at its plenums the CC considers the cardinal questions of Soviet state policy, the principal national economic problems, and the successive tasks of communist construction; the CC’s decisions on these matters are binding on all party organizations and members.
In addition to the plenums at which attendance is restricted to CC members, CC candidate members, and members of the CAC of the CPSU, other plenums are convoked by the CC at which attendance and consultative rights are extended to persons who are not members of either body. Such plenums are similar to the meetings, or sessions, of the CC that were held jointly with party workers—for example, the Kraków Meeting of 1912 or the extended session of the CC of the RSDLP(B) held on Oct. 16 (29), 1917, which supported the CC’s decision to prepare for the armed uprising. Between August 1921 and January 1933, the CC and the Central Control Commission of the ACP(B) met 16 times in joint plenums in which the members of the two bodies had equal rights. These meetings, held at times of intensified intra-party struggle, played an important role in preserving party unity and strengthening the party’s collective leadership.
The Russian Bureau of the CC of the RSDLP and the Central Committee Bureau Abroad of the RSDLP functioned, with interruptions, until 1917—that is, during the party’s underground period. It was practically impossible and extremely dangerous for all the members of the CC to meet regularly; thus, on Feb. 9 (22), 1905, nine CC members were arrested during a meeting, and only two members, who were absent, were spared. As a rule, questions were discussed without the full membership being present; the opinion of the other members was subsequently ascertained by correspondence, and CC resolutions were adopted in the same manner. Because of the strict secrecy imposed by circumstances, only partial documentation remains with respect to the CC’s activities before 1917. The materials that have been preserved show that the first CC meeting to be referred to as a plenum of the CC was the one held in Geneva in August 1908. Discussions at this meeting included the question of the structure of the CC and the functions and rights of its subdivisions.
The Mensheviks’ schismatic activities complicated the work of the CC in its role of governing body of the RSDLP. In effect, the CC was repeatedly paralyzed by the Mensheviks—as, for example, in 1904, when on Lenin’s initiative the Bolsheviks were forced to set up the Bureau of the Committees of the Majority. After the Sixth All-Russian Conference of the RSDLP, held in Prague in January 1912, the Mensheviks were barred from membership in the party CC.
Before the Revolution of 1917, the party Rules gave the CC the right of co-optation, or self-replacement; in view of the party’s illegal status, this provision made it possible—in spite of savage police persecution—to maintain the viability of the party’s governing body, even though the turnover in CC membership was considerable. After the October Revolution of 1917, the CC grew in size as the party’s ranks continued to swell and as both the party’s activities and the tasks facing it increased in scope and complexity. As proposed by Lenin, the Twelfth Congress of the RCP(B), held in April 1923, raised the number of CC members to 40, and that of candidate members to 17. The CC’s membership was again enlarged by the Fifteenth Congress, held in December 1927, and by successive congresses; the Eighteenth Congress, held in March 1939, raised the number to 71 members and 68 candidate members. The CC elected by the Twenty-fifth Congress of the CPSU, held in February-March 1976, consisted of 287 members and 139 candidate members. L. I. Brezhnev was elected general secretary of the CC at the plenum of March 5.
The stenographic records and other materials of the CC plenums are published in the party press; CC resolutions have been reproduced in The CPSU in the Resolutions and Decisions of the Congresses, Conferences, and Plenums of the CC, consisting of several volumes. Such publications reflect the broad range of activities of the party’s ruling body as it leads the struggle against tsarism and capitalism on behalf of the dictatorship of the proletariat and for the establishment of socialism and communism.
REFERENCES
| Politburo |
How does Rossini's opera 'La Gazza Ladra' translate into English? | Obama Building a Politburo; ONE step at a Time | Romanticpoet's Weblog
Obama Building a Politburo; ONE step at a Time
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The Politburo (in Russian: Политбюро, full: Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, abbreviated Политбюро ЦК КПСС, Politbyuro TsK KPSS), known as the Presidium from 1952 to 1966, functioned as the central policymaking and governing body of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The body was made up of the top members of the Central Committee. In theory, it acted as the political bureau (hence Politburo) of the Central Committee, elected by them to direct the Party between the sessions of the committee and with a mandate that only covered the Party. The Politburo was responsible to, and its membership was subject to, the approval of the Central Committee.
In reality, the Politburo was a self-perpetuating body that served as the executive branch of the Soviet Union, and its decisions de facto had the force of law. It oversaw the operations of the Committee and made all major policy decisions, which it then passed down through the Central Committee, the Supreme Soviet and the Party Congress. Its control extended from the Party and into government because Party personnel held all key government posts and party discipline therefore ensured that Politburo policy was implemented by all government organizations. One of the few known instances of the Central Committee overruling the Presidium (as the Politburo was known) was the defeat of the so-called Anti-Party Group in 1957.
DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR AMERICA?
NO?
Excerpt from article titled: Barack Obama, America’s First Elected Traitor President
By Rev. Lainie Dowell
August 3, 2010
[…]
Barack Obama is no friend of America. He is illegally and unconstitutionally organizing and leading a lobbying force of monumental proportions from out of the White House in order to help him create his “citizen government,” to eventually bypass the legally constitutional legislative process. Moreover, they have been on a practice run. They have developed their own online voting booths that feed directly into the Wells of both the United States House and the United States Senate. And it is no secret he is very near to taking over all social networking sites on the internet to be able to censor and control all areas of communication and, thereby, chill free speech.
Obama’s Organizing for America (OFA) the offshoot of his “Obama For America” (OFA) has latched onto many national and international “partnerships.” They have aided in providing online access to all of the pending bills. And their purpose is to bring about “Direct Democracy.” The GOVIT site is better than the United States government website and more accessible. With permission from the Obama Administration, they have generated the software and sites that allow anybody anywhere to sign up and to vote at the same time as our elected representatives and senators in Washington, D.C. And, they know it is happening, too!
The GOVIT supporters believe that our elected leaders don’t know what the American people want; therefore, their purpose is to, in the near term, completely bypass Congress and create their own laws which will affect the entire nation. Anybody will be able to vote online even though Congress has not enacted any laws for them to do so, and the American people are unaware such activities (and more) are going on even as Obama feigns ignorance. Congress needs to step up and investigate that website, shut it down, and ensure the Executive Branch never institutes anything else like it—ever again! That Obama-generated ploy is misleading, subversive, unconstitutional and, regardless of the fact that Obama is their leader, those activities are illegal and dangerous to the general health and welfare of this nation.
The Smith Act – Long May It Live!
Contrary to popular belief, the Smith Act of the 1940s is alive and well in the land. In fact, as of February 2010, it has been updated. Anybody who reads it will see how closely it mirrors the Obama Administration ideology, and that Obama is courting impeachment, a trial, heavy fines, and/or imprisonment for many years, as a criminal traitor.
The Smith Act makes it very clear what constitutes a criminal UN-American offense against this nation, as well as penalties. It is quoted below, as follows:
Source: law.cornell.edu
Now, I hope the reader understands that Barack Obama is blatantly and arrogantly setting up this nation for a fall and to deliver it into the hands of our enemies near and far by enacting laws which are unconstitutional, by enacting laws through the Executive Order process, by hauling in his self-appointed, unvetted and ungodly people and shoving them between those who were lawfully approved by Congress to serve and himself. And, by Obama vigorously building up his own coalition grassroots, parliamentarian government within our Republic, he has more than provided enough evidence to support his impeachment and criminal trial and punishment in accordance with the United States Constitution and the rule of law.
Obama has done all he knows how to subvert the American political election process by his personal perpetual campaigning and his wholly partisan form of governance. His overall illegally undue influence can only result in a failed process and a failed nation. He must be stopped and Congress must step forward and act now to let him be the example to deter anybody anywhere who is harboring the self-same ideologies to take up where he will have left off. Unless steps are taken to stop Obama’s subversive actions, we are only pushing the problem down the road. And Obama is already up there with his criminal forces waiting to push back. Can anybody say, “Iran,” “Cuba,” “Venezuela,” and more?
But for the corruption running rampantly throughout our legal system and government, Obama and all of his cohorts who apparently want American citizens to believe they are all exempt from having to obey the law would, themselves, have likely become the American example of a modern-day Nuremberg. And, the only reason they have remained in office for so long is because too many of our elected legislators are instigators and perpetrators. Moreover, they are timid and our judiciary is corrupt. But the loyalty of free citizens of the United States of America belongs to the United States Constitution and not to the man who takes – and forsakes – the oath “to protect, preserve, and defend” it. Opting instead, to set himself up as the dictator-arbiter of every area of our lives.
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Which great modernist architect designed the Seagram Building in New York in collaboration with Philip Johnson? | Philip Johnson | About Philip Johnson | American Masters | PBS
About Philip Johnson
Comments
“New York City is endless. They said that the buildings on Wall Street would ruin New York, and a generation ago they said that Rockefeller Center would ruin New York. They didn’t. And the reason these buildings go up so close to each other is because people want to be next to other people.”
One of the major American architectural minds of the twentieth century, Philip Johnson has played an enormous role in both understanding and creating the urban skylines of the country. As historian, curator, and practicing architect he has had a formative effect on generations of architects.
Born in 1906, Philip Johnson grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. After graduating from high school he attended Harvard College, where he studied classics. Throughout the late 1920s, he became more and more interested in architecture and the growing modern aesthetic. At the age of twenty-six he became the director of the Museum of Modern Art’s new architecture department. These early years found Johnson primarily interested in a critical relation to architecture. He co-authored the influential book, THE INTERNATIONAL STYLE, which introduced the techniques of the Bauhaus to America.
Throughout the 1930s, Johnson was pivotal in bringing the great minimalist style to the public. As both a writer and curator he championed the work of major modern architects including Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius, and Mies van der Rohe (eventually writing the first monograph on van der Rohe). Johnson was interested in their aesthetic embrace of structural elements . Their minimalism overtly addressed the role of the designer and builder, seeking to make the foundational elements of a building part of its aesthetic exterior.
In his mid-thirties, no longer content with his role as a critic and curator, Johnson returned to Harvard, where he attended the graduate school of design and studied under the architect Marcel Breuer. By the late 1940s Johnson had graduated, and soon began designing houses and public buildings. His first and one of his most important works, was his own home in New Canaan, Connecticut. The home was a glass building with an exposed steel frame, placed in a rural setting. He made a number of other houses in a similar vane and throughout the 1950s designed many well-known works including the Seagram Building in New York City, done in collaboration with Mies van der Rohe.
Though he began in the stark style of Mies van der Rohe’s work, by the 1960s he had turned to a more individual style that incorporated historical elements. This break was the first step in a personal style that created monumental twentieth century architecture that could aesthetically include domes and colonnades. A busy time for Johnson, the 1960s saw him make the Sheldon Art Gallery at the University of Nebraska, the New York State Theater in New York City, an addition to the Museum of Modern Art, and the New York State Pavilion at the World’s Fair.
With the later work of the 1970s and 1980s, Johnson began to manipulate both texture and color on the exterior of his larger buildings. In 1978 he received one of his biggest commissions—designing the New York City AT&T Building (1978-1984). The 1990s saw a number of biographies and critical work examining him and his influence on architecture during the second half of the century. Perhaps the most important among all of these is Johnson’s own book, PHILIP JOHNSON: THE ARCHITECT IN HIS OWN WORDS, which brings together much of the thought and experience of nearly seventy years. Today, in his nineties, Johnson is one of the last of the modern architects and an important figure for the generations who grew up in the shadows of his buildings.
| Ludwig Mies van der Rohe |
Which football team have recently been crowned Portuguese League Champions? | Seagram Building | Park Avenue, Midtown Manhattan, New York … | Flickr
Park Avenue, Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States
Summary
The Seagram Building, erected in 1956-58, is the only building in New York City designed by architectural master Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Carefully related to the tranquil granite and marble plaza on its Park Avenue site, the elegant curtain wall of bronze and tinted glass enfolds the first fully modular modern office tower. Constructed at a time when Park Avenue was changing from an exclusive residential thoroughfare to a prestigious business address, the Seagram Building embodies the quest of a successful corporation to establish further its public image through architectural patronage.
The president of Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, Samuel Bronfman, with the aid of his daughter Phyllis Lambert, carefully selected Mies, assisted by Philip Johnson, to design an office building later regarded by many, including Mies himself,- as his crowning work and the apotheosis of International Style towers.
The innovative, modular design of the building was a feat furthered by a coalition of talented consultants, a successful collaboration rarely realized in twentieth-century architecture, and by pioneering efforts of research and fabrication. The juxtaposition of the structural members, articulated by extruded bronze, with the transparent glass surfaces of the elegant curtain wall creates the balance between solid and void which typifies International Style design.
Still virtually intact due to the foresighted maintenance plan of the Seagram Company, the building and plaza have inspired the work of many subsequent designers, affected New York's zoning regulations and real estate tax assessment, and provided a favorable environment for work and repose.
History of the Site
The history of Fourth (now Park) Avenue begins with the advent of the railroads. In 1834 the New York and Harlem Railroad first carried passengers along grade-level tracks down the center of Fourth Avenue from 42nd to 96th streets. By 1848 the New Haven Railroad entered Manhattan along Fourth Avenue. As railroad traffic increased, the avenue was widened to permit additional tracks, and the city mandated depressed tracks to minimize problems of noise, smoke, and the danger of fire and injury.
By the 1880s, Fourth Avenue officially became known as Park Avenue and was lined with one-and two-story commercial buildings and carriage houses serving the brownstone residences on nearby side streets; the trains ran in an open cut below grade to the Grand Central Depot. The east side of Park Avenue between East 52nd and 53rd streets contained the finishing manufactory of the renowned Steinway & Sons piano company; erected in the 1860s, it was a large brick building of five stories.
The remainder of the site which would eventually be occupied by the Seagram Building was divided up into brick-faced tenements on East 53rd Street and brick- and brownstone-fronted rowhouses on East 52nd Street.
In conjunction with the reconstruction of Grand Central Terminal (1903-13) and the electrification of the railroad (1903-07), Park Avenue was rebuilt solidly with a planted mall and the open wells were covered over. The avenue gradually became a thoroughfare lined with large apartment houses for the wealthy. One of these, the Montana Apartments, an eight-story neo-Romanesque building designed by Rouse & Golds tone and faced in brick and stone, was begun in 1919, replacing the Steinway piano factory.
The 1916 zoning resolution designated the portion of Park Avenue north of East 50th Street as residential, but by 1929 major property owners on the avenue, which was overtaking Fifth Avenue as the city's most prestigious address, succeeded in having the area between East 50th and 59th streets rezoned to permit commercial use.
Not until the building boom that followed World War II did these efforts come to fruition with the completion in 1947 of the Universal Pictures Building at 445 Park Avenue, designed by Kahn & Jacobs. The transformation of Park Avenue into a commercial avenue was assured by the rash of new office buildings in the 1950s: Lever House (1950-52, a designated New York City landmark); Olin Building, 460 Park Avenue (1954) ; Colgate-Palmolive Building, 300 Park Avenue (1954); 425 Park Avenue Building (Kahn & Jacobs, 1956); and the Seagram Building.
Samuel Bronfman and Joseph E. Seagram & Sons
Beginning his business career in the hotel industry in Winnipeg, Samuel Bronfman (1891-1971) later operated a mail order liquor company throughout Canada, eventually founding the Distillers Company, Ltd.
In 1928 this company bought out its major competitor, Joseph E. Seagram & Sons and incorporated the name. With the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, Bronfman began planning an impressive Manhattan headquarters for his Seagram group, not to be realized until the 1950s. At the time of his death, Bronfman had amassed at least $400,000,000 and his company was the world's largest distiller, with annual sales exceeding $1.3 billion.
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Among the roost prominent and influential architects of the twentieth
century, German-born Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) was initiated into architecture through the fields of masonry/ stone carving, stucco decoration, and furniture design, before working as an architect in the office of Peter Behrens.
By the end of the 1920s, Mies had emerged as one of Germany's leading architects, noted for his visionary skyscraper projects (wherein the apparently weightless and clearly revealed "skin and bone" modern construction permitted the greatest play of light on the building surface), leadership at the Weissenhof housing exhibition (1927) in Stuttgart, and designs for the Barcelona Exhibition (1929) and Tugendhat House (1928-30) in Brno.
His work was significant for its attempt to address problems such as standardization of architectural features and Baukunst (the art of good building, as opposed to manipulation of form for its own sake).
Soon after supervising the Bauhaus design school in 1930-33, Mies emigrated to the United States and assumed the directorship of the architecture department at Armour Institute (now Illinois Institute of Technology) for which he designed a master plan (1939-41) and several buildings.
Later Mies received commissions for apartment buildings in Chicago: Promontory Apartments (1946-49) arid 860-888 Lake Shore Drive Apartments (1948-51), the latter considered the prototypical Miesian (that is, International Style) high-rise structure with features that would recur in his buildings of the next two decades.
Refinements of this prototype are found in the Commonwealth Promenade Apartments (1953-56) and especially the Seagram Building in New York (1954-58). Among his last works was the New National Gallery in Berlin, West Germany (1963-69). He received, among other awards, Gold Medals from the Royal Institute of British Architects and the American Institute of Architects.
Philip C- Johnson
Critic, historian, and architect Philip Johnson (b. 1906) was graduated from Harvard University and became associated with the Museum of Modern Art soon after its founding in 1929, directing its innovative department of architecture and later designing its sculpture garden (1953) and two additions (1950, 1964).
With the critic and historian Henry-Russell Hitchcock, he organized the momentous exhibition, "Modern Architecture" (1932), and coauthored The International Style (1932), a manifesto for the vanguard architecture of Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, and Mies van der Rohe. Johnson was responsible for inviting Le Corbusier and Mies to the United States.
Completing his professional degree in architecture at Harvard in 1943, he subsequently designed several influential residences, including his own Glass House (1949).
His association with Mies on the Seagram Building, particularly his design for the Four Seasons Restaurant (1958-59), was a highlight in Johnson's career. His later work includes many New York projects: Asia House (now the Russell Sage Foundation/Robert Sterling Foundation Building), 112 East 64th Street (1958-60), located in the Upper East Side Historic District; New York State Theater at Lincoln Center (1964); New York State Pavilion (1964, with Richard Foster) for the World's Fair in Flushing; Elmer Holmes Bobst Library and Tisch Hall, New York University (1972, both with Richard Foster); and the American Telephone and Telegraph Building, 550 Madison Avenue (1980-84). In 1978 the American Institute of Architects awarded him its highest honor, the Gold Medal.
Kahn & Jacobs
Born in New York City, Ely Jacques Kahn (1884-1972) was educated at Columbia University and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Soon after joining the firm of Buchman & Fox in 1917, he became a partner and assumed effective control of the office, then known as Buchman & Kahn.
His best-known designs are those for many skycrapers of the 1920s and 1930s, which merged the stylistic influences of Art Deco and the Vienna Secession with his interest in oriental art and archaeology.
Extensive travel permitted Kahn to develop a specialized knowledge of building materials. As part of his devotion to architectural education, he organized numerous exhibitions which introduced new ideas in interior and industrial design. Kahn wrote widely for professional journals and in 1935 he published Design in Art and Industry.
A fellow of the American Institute of Architects, he lectured extensively, was consultant to the United States Housing Authority, and served as president of the Municipal Art Society.
From 1941 to 1972 Kahn's partner was Robert Allan Jacobs8 (b. 1905). Also a native of New York City, Jacobs was educated at Amherst College and Columbia University. After working in Paris as a designer and draftsman for le Corbusier in 1934-35, he returned to New York and joined the newly formed firm of Harrison & Fouilhoux.
In 1938 Jacobs began working for Kahn and was soon elevated to partner. In addition to its involvement in the Seagram Building, the firm's commercial, industrial, and institutional commissions include the Municipal Asphalt Plant, erected in 1941-44 (a designated New York City Landmark), admired as an early use of reinforced concrete in the United States, and several buildings in the Upper East Side Historic District.
Design and Construction
The Seagram Company decided to locate its symbol of corporate achievement on Park Avenue, New York's finest residential boulevard which was quickly becoming a center of international business. In 1951, Seagram paid $4,000,000 for 50,950 sq.ft. of property, including the Montana Apartments, on the east side of the avenue between East 52nd and 53rd streets.
In 1954 the company announced it would erect an office building to be completed in 1957, intended to coincide with the centennial of the House of Seagram.
In planning its headquarters, Seagram joined that group of American companies which, since the mid-19th century, have sought to establish further their corporate image through architectural patronage, particularly for tall office buildings, a conspicuous symbol of American capitalism.-
The commission was first awarded to the firm of Pereira & Luckman; however, after seeing this proposal, architect-to-be Riyllis Bronfman Lambert convinced her father to hire an architect who would distinguish the company with an architecturally compelling design. After a two-and-one-half month search, she recommended Ludwig Mies van der Rohe with Philip Johnson as his associate. Bronfman approved the choice and appointed his daughter director of planning. After selecting the final architects, it was decided more land was needed, so an additional 9,000 sq.ft. of adjacent land was bought for $900,000.
Plans for the new design were filed in March of 1955.13 At that time the site was occupied by the twelve-story Montana Apartment Building on Park Avenue, a nine-story apartment building on East 53rd Street, and a five-story tenement and row of four-story buildings, all on East 52nd street. These were demolished between June, 1955, and March, 1956. Construction began soon afterward.
The owner's "simple" requirements were that the building "be the crowning glory of everyone's work, his own, the contractor's, and Mies's."
The building was designed by Mies and Johnson, with Kahn & Jacobs preparing the working drawings. Other consultants were: Jaros, Baum & Bolles, mechanical engineers; Severud-Elstad Krueger, structural engineers; Clifton E. Smith, electrical engineer; Richard Kelly, lighting consultant; Charles Middeleer & Karl Linn, landscape architects; Bolt-Beranek & Newman, acoustical consultants; and Elaine Lustig, graphic consultant.
The general contractor was the George A. Fuller Company.By April, 1955, photographs of a model of the new design were published.16 It was clearly distinguished from contemporary (and nearby) buildings which, like the General Reinsurance Building at 400 Park Avenue (Emery Roth & Sons, 1956-57), were unmodern "ziggurats" dressed in modern materials, or like the Union Carbide Building, now Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company Headquarters, at 270 Park Avenue (Skidmore Owings & Merrill, 1960), conformed to International Style tenets but lacked the impressive amenity of public space. In short, the Seagram Building was the "ultimate logical development of the revolutionary ideas which [Mies] evolved thrity-five years earlier."
One of Mies's innovative decisions which aggrandized the design was the use of a broad elevated plaza (with a radiant heating system to keep it ice-free) , symmetrically arranged with fountains and weeping beech trees. This was in accordance with the viewpoints of several New York architectural firms such as Kahn & Jacobs, which had been urging Parks Commissioner Robert Moses to propose a revision to the zoning regulations, in order to replace full-site ziggurat towers with large buildings surrounded by open spaces.
At that time there were no direct precedents in Midtown Manhattan for this planning scheme. The Rockefeller Center mall, which serves a very different urban design role, unites a complex of buildings (Associated Architects, 1932-40, and 1947-73, a designated New York City landmark). Lever House, a glass-skinned slab balanced on a low-rise pedestal which permits entry into an atrium open to the sky, is an earlier solution by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill to the urban siting of modern skyscrapers.
Nor were there many precedents in Mies's previous designs: historian Franz Schulze has noted that the Seagram Building "is almost unique in [Mies's] American oeuvre for the excellence with which it is wedded to its urban situation."
Mies located the thirty-eight story tower, which occupies only fifty-two percent of the entire site, 100 feet back from Park Avenue. Using the glass-enclosed lobby and raised tower (elements refined from his designs for the 860-880 Lake Shore Drive buildings), and a slab marquee and continuous pavement, Mies provided the Seagram Building with a unity between indoor and outdoor spaces.
This, in addition to the monumental spaces for a bar and restaurant located in the opposing wings behind the lobby, satisfied the program' s demand for a large publ ic space on the ground story. To accommodate program requirements, the pristine slab rests on three subterranean levels19 and is backed by a ten-story "bustle," full-height spine, and five-story wings.
Structural and mechanical innovations abounded in the design. The 520-foot steel frame was the tallest office building so far ever erected with high-strength bolts and was unusual for its vertical truss wind bracing.
Exterior columns and all beams are encased in concrete; interior columns are fireproofed with gypsum block. Four-inch thick concrete floors contain utility ducts (including closed circuit television cables).
Great care was taken in selecting cladding materials, even ensuring that appearances would improve as the building aged.
The thirty-eight story tower has a curtain wall composed of 153,000 sq.ft. of bronze cladding and 122,000 sq.ft. of pinkish gray tinted glass, features which enhance the luxuriousness of the building. The sides of the "bustle" are covered in, serpentine marble. Traditional granite, travertine, and verde antique marble in the plaza were arranged in opposition to the modern bronze allays and extrusions and the warm tone of heat absorbing glass, all products of pioneering efforts of research and fabrication.
The Seagram Building is considered to be the first fully modular modern office tower due to the modular planning grid which integrates the partition system (designed by Hauserman, the company's first) the lighting (the first fully modular low-brightness system, designed by Richard Kelly), and the modular high- and low-tension electrical services.
Supported by a steel skeleton of columns on 27'-9" centers, the building accommodates a 4'-7.5" module used to furnish the interior with standardized parts such as floor-to-ceiling doors and partitions and low profile perimeter diffusers which permit mostly unobstructed views through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The juxtaposition of the structural members, articulated on the exterior by extruded bronze, with the transparent glass surfaces of the elegant curtain wall creates the balance between solid and void which typifies International Style design.
To maintain a uniform window appearance, Mies incorporated special Venetian blinds with only three -positions and slats angled to maximize the full impact of the building's illumination when viewed from the sidewalk. Mylar ceiling panels in a grid pattern, visible from the sidewalk, illuminate the window-wall spaces. An automatic time clock control permits nighttime display lighting and guarantees a uniform low-intensity glow around the whole tower.
All details, including square serif lettering and special door hardware, were painstakingly designed to harmonize. Seagram's own offices received furniture Mies himself had designed and works of art were both bought and specially commissioned.
The plans were arranged to permit the Seagram Company to occupy the first seven stories or about one-third of the total office space of approximately 854,000 sq.ft. The $50/sq.ft. construction cost (including the price of the land) was twice the usual cost for contemporary office buildings. However, over 115 tenants would pay high rents to share the remainder of the building, and partake of its luxurious materials, prestigious address, and spacious plaza, not to mention the cachet of having an office in a building designed by an internationally renowned architect. Therefore, the owner expected a thirteen percent return in the first year on the initial investment.
The Seagram Company moved into its new offices in December of 1957. By the next July, the popularity of the plaza among New Yorkers was acknowledged in a newspaper account. Although temporary Certificates of Occupancy were issued by the Department of Buildings in 1958, the final certificate was not issued until 1959.
Description
The symmetrically arranged thirty-eight story tower is surmounted by a tall mechanical story. The tower's first story, recessed to reveal the outermost row of bronze-clad columns, is faced in clear glass with bronze mullions. A Muntz metal marquee with two rows of incandescent recessed light fixtures extends on the west facade.
The tower is articulated by four-and-one-half by six inch bronze I-beam extrusions, continuous vertical elements applied to represent structural intent and provide shadow to the surface. Horizontal bands, created by Mjntz metal spandrels and pinkish-gray glass, balance the exterior's strong verticality. The five-story wings, ten-story "bustle," and full-height spine resemble the tower in their exterior articulation except that in portions of the ten-story section the glass is replaced by serpentine marble panels.
Restaurant entrances on East 52nd and 53rd streets have sidewalk canopies, double glass doors, and metal signs. Recessed from the face of the building within a bronze-clad entry, which is illuminated by three recessed light fixtures, the doors on East 52nd Street are flanked by two square bronze planters at the sidewalk. Service entrances on these streets are large rectangular openings with roll-down garage doors.
Other details ensure uniformity throughout the elevations. Each window contains a Venetian blind which may be adjusted to only three levels (open, half-closed, and fully-closed) and the angle of its slats is set at forty-five degrees so that during the day the exterior has a harmonious composition.
Around the perimeter of each ceiling there is a twenty-foot band composed of luminous panels in a grid pattern; therefore, at night the building is characterized by its consistent lighting level.
Elevated three risers above the Park Avenue sidewalk, the pink granite podium of the plaza is bound on its north and south sides by long parapets of verde antique marble and contains identical rectangular pools, each with water jets gathered in a tight group near the center.
Near the southern pool stands a bronze-clad flag pole, the only asymmetrical feature of the plaza. Flanking the base of the building are ivy-covered planting areas with gingko trees and, on each side, one staircase with two metal railings which leads to the sidewalk. The grandeur of the plaza is extended to the adjacent sidewalks, likewise paved in pink granite.
- From the 1989 NYCLPC Landmark Designation Report
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Which Portuguese navigator is widely regarded as the first European to discoverer of Brazil? | Explorers and Navigators
Explorers and Navigators
Idaho Pioneers
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Amerigo Vespucci (1454 - 1512)
Amerigo Vespucci (Italian pronunciation: [ameˈriːɡo vesˈputtʃi]; March 9, 1454 – February 22, 1512) was an Italian explorer, financier, navigator and cartogr...
List of Explorers
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain (including space, see space exploration) for the purpose of discovery of resources or information.
Please feel free to add to this project, or even create the framework for an Explorers and Navigators sub-project.
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Timeline
1550 B.C. to 300 B.C.
The Phoenicians (1550 B.C. - 300 B.C.), traded throughout the Mediterranean Sea and Asia Minor, and many of their routes are still unknown today. They may even have been to Britain because of the tin that was found in a few of their wares. The Phoenicians traveled far and wide, some scientists even speculate that they traveled all the way to Central America, although this is disputed. Even Queen Dido,[disambiguation needed] in the Virgil's Aeneid, was a Phoenician from the Asia Minor who sailed to North Africa for safety.
4th century BC
Pytheas (380 – c. 310 BC) – Greek explorer. First to circumnavigate Great Britain and to explore Germany. Reached Thule, most commonly thought to be the Shetland Islands or Iceland.
3rd century BC
Xu Fu (b. 255 BC) – Chinese court sorcerer who led two voyages to the Eastern Seas in 219 BC and 210 BC.
2nd century BC
Zhang Qian – Chinese imperial envoy to Central Asia who helped established the Silk Road.
5th century
Brendan the Navigator (c. 484 – 577) – Irish monk, allegedly discovered Iceland and America in the 6th century.
8th century
Dicuil (born 8th century) – Irish monk and geographer, author of "De mensura Orbis terrae". The Papar – Irish monks who lived in Iceland, 8th-9th centuries, before the Vikings.
9th century
Flóki of the Ravens was the first Norseman to deliberately sail to Iceland, he named the entire land Ísland (—Iceland).
10th century
Ahmad ibn Fadlan – 10th century Iraqi explorer.
Erik the Red (950–1003) – Norwegian Viking explorer. After being exiled from Iceland, he sailed to Greenland and settled there.
Leif Ericson (980–1020) – Icelandic explorer. Believed to have been the first European to land in North America.
13th century
Marco Polo (1254–1324) – Venetian explorer
14th century
Ibn Battuta (1304–1377) – Moroccan explorer.[2]
Wang Dayuan (fl. 1311–1350) – Chinese explorer who made two major trips by ship. During 1328–1333, he sailed along the South China Sea and visited many places in Southeast Asia and reached as far as South Asia, landing in Sri Lanka and India. In 1334–1339 he visited North Africa and East Africa.
James of Ireland (fl. 1316–1330) – Irish companion of Odoric of Pordenone.
Simon FitzSimon (fl. 1323) – Irish author of a itenerum through Egypt and the Holy Land.
Zheng He (1371–1433) – Chinese admiral who made seven voyages to Arabia, East Africa, India, Indonesia and Thailand.
15th century
Afanasy Nikitin (? - 1472) - Russian traveler and merchant. One of the first Europeans to travel to and document his visit to India.
João Fernandes Lavrador (1445? – 1501) – Portuguese explorer. First European reaching Labrador/Newfoundland. Fernandes charted the coasts of Southwestern Greenland and of adjacent Northeastern North America around 1498. In 1501, Fernandes set sail again in discovery of lands and was never heard from again.
John Cabot (c. 1450–1499) – Italian explorer for England. Discovered Newfoundland and claimed it for the Kingdom of England.
Bartolomeu Dias (c. 1450–1500) – Portuguese explorer. He sailed from Portugal and reached the Cape of Good Hope.
Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) – Genoese explorer for Spain. Sailed west in 1492 attempting to reach Asia, but instead arrived in the "New World" of the Americas.
Amerigo Vespucci (c. 1454–1512) – Italian explorer for Spain and Portugal. Sailed in 1499 and 1502. He explored the east coast of South America.
Juan Ponce de León (c. 1460–1521) – Spanish explorer. He explored Florida while attempting to locate a Fountain of Youth.
Piri Reis (c. 1465/1470–1554/1555) – Ottoman explorer.
Pedro Álvares Cabral (c. 1467 – c. 1520) – Portuguese explorer, generally regarded as the European discoverer of Brazil.
Vasco da Gama (c. 1469–1524) – Portuguese explorer. The first European to sail from Europe to India by rounding the Cape of Good Hope.
16th century
Vasco Núñez de Balboa (c. 1475–1519) – Spanish explorer. The first European to cross the Isthmus of Panama and view the Pacific ocean from American shores.
Francisco Pizarro (c. 1475–1541) – Spanish explorer. Conquered the Inca Empire.
Juan Sebastián Elcano (1476–1526) – Spanish explorer. Completed the first circumnavigation of the globe in a single expedition after its captain, Magellan, was killed.
Ferdinand Magellan (1480–1521) – Portuguese explorer for Spain. Initiated the first circumnavigation of the globe in a single expedition. Sailed through Strait of Magellan and named Pacific Ocean. Died in the Philippines after claiming them for Spain.
Diogo Rodrigues (c.1490-1501; Lagos, Portugal – †21 April 1577; Colva, Goa) - Portuguese explorer of Rodrigues Island. Explored and named an island called Rodrigues. He discovered the island in February 1528.
Giovanni da Verrazzano (c. 1485–1528) – Italian explorer for France. Explored the northeast coast of America, from about present day South Carolina to Newfoundland.
Hernán Cortés (1485–1545) – Spanish explorer. Conquered the Aztec Empire for Spain.
Jacques Cartier (1491–1557) – French explorer. Discovered Canada.
Hernando de Soto (c. 1496–1542) – Spanish explorer. Explored Florida, mainly northwest Florida, and discovered the Mississippi River.
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado (c. 1510–1554) – Spanish explorer. Searched for the Seven Cities of Gold and discovered the Grand Canyon in the process.
Francisco de Orellana (1511–1546) – Spanish explorer, in 1541–42 sailed the length of the Amazon River.
Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa (1532–1592) – Spanish explorer of the Pacific.
Yermak Timofeyevich (c. 1532-1585) - Russian cossack leader and explorer. Conquered the Khanate of Siberia.
Sir Francis Drake (c. 1540–1596) – English explorer. The first English captain to sail around the world and survive.
Alvaro de Mendaña de Neyra (1541–1596) – Spanish explorer of the Pacific.
Willem Barentsz (1550–1597) – Dutch navigator and explorer, leader of early expeditions to the far north.
Pedro Fernandes de Queirós (1565–1614) – Portuguese navigator. Explored the Pacific in the service of the Spanish Crown.
Pedro Páez (1564–1622) – Spanish missionary was the first European who saw and described the source of the Blue Nile.
Luis Váez de Torres (born c. 1565; fl. 1607) – Spanish or Portuguese navigator. Explored the Pacific in the service of the Spanish Crown.
17th century
Henry Hudson (1611) – English explorer. Explored much of the North Atlantic, including Labrador, the coast of Greenland, and Hudson Bay. Presumed dead in a 1611 mutiny of his own crew.
António de Andrade (1580–1634) – Portuguese explorer. First European reaching Tibet. His reports were the only account of the Tibet culture and geography until the second half of the 18th century.
Samuel de Champlain (1567/80-1635). - French explorer. He explored parts of Canada.
Semyon Dezhnyov (1605 – 1672). - Russian explorer of Siberia and the first European to sail through the Bering Strait.
Yerofey Khabarov (1603-1671). - Russian entrepreneur, best known for his exploring the Amur river region.
Abel Tasman (1603–1659) – Dutch explorer. Discovered New Zealand and Tasmania.
Evliya Çelebi (1611–1682) – Ottoman traveller.
Edmond Halley (1656–1742) -In 1690, Halley patented the diving bell. In 1698, Halley was given the command of the HMS Paramour, a 52-foot Pink, so that he could carry out investigations in the South Atlantic into the laws governing the variation of the compass.
Médard Chouart des Groseilliers (1618-1696), French explorer, North of Ontario. First to reach Hudson Baie.
Pierre-Esprit Radisson (1636-1710), French explorer, North of Ontario, North of Québec. First to reach Hudson Baie.
Étienne Brûlé (1592-1643, French explorer, Huronie (Georgian Baie, Ontario). First European in Michigan. Known as the first "Franco-Ontarien".
Louis Hébert (1575-1627), French pioneer, Acadia, first colonist of Québec.
René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle (1643-1687), French explorer, Mississippi River, claimed Louisiana in the name of France.
18th century
Vitus Bering (1681–1741) – Danish explorer. Explored the Siberian Far East and Alaska and claimed it for Russia.
Pierre Gaultier de La Vérendrye (1685-1749), French explorer, Ontario and Manitoba.
19th century
Ivan Krusenstern (1770-1846) - Russian explorer, who led the first Russian circumnavigation of the earth.
Captain Meriwether Lewis (1774–1809) – American explorer and field scientist who led the Lewis and Clark Expedition into the Louisiana Purchase and the Pacific Northwest in 1804–1806.
Sir John Franklin (1786-1847) – British explorer, surveyed the coast of the Polar Sea between 1819 and 1824; died on his final Arctic expedition in 1845.
Mikhail Lazarev (1788-1851) - Russian fleet commander and explorer who discovered Antarctica.
Edward Sabine(October 14, 1788 – May 26, 1883) – Irish participant in the Ross and Perry Arctic expeditions.
Sacagawea (c. 1788 – December 20, 1812) – accompanied and assisted Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806), the first American overland expedition to the Pacific coast and back.
Thomas Coulter (1793–1843) – Irish botanist and explorer of Mexico and Arizona.
Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) – American naval officer and explorer who commanded the United States Exploring Expedition.
George Fletcher Moore (10 December 1798 – 30 December 1886) – early Irish explorer of Australia.
Pierre-Jean De Smet (1801–1873) – Belgian missionary and explorer in North America.
David Livingstone (1813–1873) – Scottish missionary and explorer in central Africa. He was the first European to see Victoria Falls, which he named in honour of Queen Victoria.
John Rae (1813–1893) – Scottish doctor in Northern Canada. He discovered a Northwest Passage and reported the fate of the Franklin Expedition.
Robert O'Hara Burke (1821 – c. 28 June 1861) – Irish leader of the Burke and Wills expedition.
Richard Francis Burton (1821–1890) – English explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, ethnologist, linguist, poet, hypnotist, fencer and diplomat; known for his travels and explorations within Asia and Africa as well as his extraordinary knowledge of languages and cultures; according to one count, he spoke 29 European, Asian, and African languages.
Pyotr Semenov-Tyan-Shansky (1827 – 1914) - Russian geographer and explorer. He discovered the Altay Mountains and Tian Shan.
Isabella Bird (October 15, 1831 – October 7, 1904) – the first woman inducted into the Royal Geographical Society; she travelled extensively, exploring the Far East, Central Asia, and the American West.
Nikolai Przhevalsky (1839—1888) - Russian geographer and explorer of Central and Eastern Asia.
Henry Morton Stanley (1841–1904) – Welsh journalist and explorer in central Africa best remembered for his search for David Livingstone, and upon finding him saying: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"
Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza (1852–1905) - Franco-Italian explorer and colonial administrator, known for his humanitarian principles and egalitarian treatment of native workers in French Equatorial Africa. He founded the city later named Brazzaville in his honor.
Charles Marie Bonaventure du Breil, Marquis de Rays (1832–1893) - Third de Rays Expedition or simply the de Rays Expedition, was the third New Guinea expedition of a French nobleman who attempted to start a colony in the South Pacific.
The expedition attempted to establish a colony in a place the marquis called La Nouvelle France, or New France, which was the island now referred to as New Ireland in the Bismark Archipelago of present day Papua New Guinea. Three hundred and forty Italian colonists aboard the ship India set sail from Barcelona in 1880 for this new land, seeking relief from the poor conditions in Italy at that time. One hundred and twenty-three colonists died before being rescued by Australian authorities.
The marquis is widely believed to have deliberately misled the colonists, distributing literature claiming a bustling settlement existed at Port Breton, near present day Kavieng, which had numerous public buildings, wide roads, and rich, arable land.
Otto Sverdrup (1854–1930) – Norwegian explorer. Joined Fridtjof Nansen across Greenland in 1888 and captain on the Fram on the polar drift in 1893–1896 and the 2nd Fram expedition in 1898–1902. Mapped the Northernmost part of Canada in 1898–1902.
Harry De Windt (1856–1933) – British explorer and member of the Royal Geographical Society. Travelled overland from Paris to New York in 1901–1902. Writer of books about his many expeditions.
George Comer (1858–1937) – American polar explorer. The Comer Strait of northern Southampton Island and the Gallinula comeri flightless bird of Gough Island were named in his honor.
Fridtjof Nansen (1861–1930) – Norwegian explorer, scientist and diplomat. He was the first to cross the Greenland ice cap in 1888 and drifted across the Arctic ocean with the Fram in 1893–1896 where he attempted to reach the North Pole with Hjalmar Johansen.
Mary Kingsley (October 13, 1862 – June 3, 1900) – explored the Upper Ogawe River in Gabon and journeyed alone into unknown regions of the Congo jungle.
Mirko & Stjepan Seljan (1871-1913, 1875-1936) - Croatian explorers, explored South America
Roald Amundsen (1872–1928) – Norwegian explorer. He led the first successful Antarctic expedition between 1910 and 1912. He was also the first ever person to successfully traverse the North West Passage.
Ernest Shackleton (1874–1922) – Anglo-Irish Explorer, noted for his ill-fated Endurance expedition to Antarctica.
Hiram Bingham III (1875–1956) – U.S. Senator from Connecticut and explorer best known for uncovering Machu Picchu.
Robert Bartlett (1875–1946) – Newfoundland captain. Led over 40 expeditions to the Arctic, more than anyone before or since. Was the first to sail north of 88° N latitude.
Tom Crean (20 July 1877 – 27 July 1938) – Irish Antarctic explorer.
Knud Rasmussen (1879–1933) – Greenlandic polar explorer and anthropologist. Rasmussen was the first to cross the Northwest Passage via dog sled.
Auguste Piccard (1884–1962) – physicist, balloonist, hydronaut. Explored the stratosphere and the deep sea.
Mulford B. Foster (1888–1978) – American horticulturist known for extensive plant explorations of South America. Collected thousands of species of plants for the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University and the Smithsonian Institution. Discovered more new species of bromeliads than the previous plants explorers Andre and Glaziou.[4][5]
Richard Evelyn Byrd (1888–1957) - US naval officer whose expeditions may have been the first to reach the North Pole and the South Pole by air.
Ahmed Pasha Hassanein (1889–1946) – Egyptian explorer, diplomat, one of two non-European winners of Gold Medal of Royal Geographical Society in 1924, King's chamberlain, fencing participant to 1924 Olympics, photographer, author and discoverer of Jebel Uweinat, and writer of "The Lost Oases" book in three languages.[6]
Freya Stark (January 31, 1893, Paris, France – May 9, 1993) – not only one of the first Western women to travel through the Arabian deserts (Hadhramaut); she often traveled solo into areas where few Europeans, let alone women, had ever been.
20th century
Colonel Noel Andrew Croft (1906–1998) – held the record for the longest self-sustaining journey across the Arctic in the 1930s for 60 years.
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary (1919–2008) – New Zealand explorer, together with Tenzing Norgay, the first to climb Mount Everest on May 29, 1953.
Yuri Gagarin (March 9, 1934 – March 27, 1968) – Soviet cosmonaut who on April 12, 1961 became the first man in space and the first human to orbit Earth.
Neil Armstrong (b. August 5, 1930) – American astronaut – First human being to set foot on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
Valentina Tereshkova (b. 1937) – one of the first people in space; first female cosmonaut.
Robert Ballard (b. 1942) – undersea explorer; discovered the shipwreck of the RMS Titanic.
Ranulph Fiennes (b. 7 March 1944) – British adventurer. First journey around the world on its polar axis using surface transport only, covered 52,000 miles and visited both poles by land. First unsupported crossing of Antarctica.
Reinhold Messner (b. September 17, 1944) – Italian mountaineer, first man to climb all the 14 peaks higher than 8,000 meters.
E. Lee Spence (b. 1947) – undersea explorer and pioneer underwater archaeologist: discovered numerous shipwrecks including H.L. Hunley the first submarine in history to sink an enemy ship; and the Georgiana, said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser.
Robyn Davidson (b. September 6, 1950) – the first person to make a solo crossing of the Australian Outback by camel; she also explored the remote desert regions of India.
Michael Asher (b. 1953) – British adventurer. In 1986–7 Michael Asher and his wife, Italian-born photographer and Arabist, Mariantonietta Peru, made the first ever west-east crossing of the Sahara desert by camel and on foot.
Frank Cole (1954–2000) – Canadian adventurer, filmmaker and life extensionist. He was the first North American to cross the Sahara desert in 1990 alone on camel. He was murdered by bandits during a second crossing in 2000.
Kira Salak (b. September 4, 1971) – a National Geographic Emerging Explorer,[8] Salak was the first woman to cross the island of New Guinea; she was also the first person in the world to kayak 600 miles alone to Timbuktu. Salak has done solo exploration to regions such as Borneo, Libya, Iran, Madagascar, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
| Pedro Álvares Cabral |
What is the name of the cooking technique used in Japanese cuisine, in which foods are broiled or grilled in a sweet soy sauce marinade? | Pedro Álvares Cabral (c.1468 - c.1520) - Genealogy
Pedro Álvares Cabral
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Belmonte, Guarda Municipality, Guarda, Portugal
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About Pedro Álvares Cabral
Pedro Álvares Cabral (Belmonte, 1467 ou 1468 — Santarém, c. 1520) foi um fidalgo e navegador português, comandante da segunda viagem marítima da Europa à Índia, viagem em que se descobriu o Brasil, a 22 de Abril de 1500.
Biography in English
Acredita-se que nasceu na Beira Baixa (Portugal), em 1467 ou 1468. Foi o terceiro filho de Fernão Cabral, governador da Beira e alcaide-mor de Belmonte, e de Isabel de Gouveia de Queirós. O seu nome original seria Pedro Álvares Gouveia, pois geralmente apenas o primogênito herdava o sobrenome paterno. Posteriormente, com a morte do irmão mais velho, teria passado a usar o nome Pedro Álvares Cabral, uma vez que, a 15 de fevereiro de 1500 - quando recebeu de D. Manuel I (1495-1521) a carta de nomeação para capitão-mor da armada que partiria para a Índia -, já usava o sobrenome paterno.
Neto de Fernão Álvares Cabral, que exercera as funções de guarda-mor do Infante D. Henrique, os seus biógrafos remontam o seu título de nobreza, a um terceiro avô, Álvaro Gil Cabral, alcaide-mor do Castelo da Guarda sob os reis D. Fernando (1367-1383) e D. João I (1385-1433), da dinastia de Avis, que teria recebido por mercê as alcaidarias dos castelos da Guarda e Belmonte, com transmissão à descendência. Esses domínios, lindeiros à Espanha, eram terras de pastorícia, origem dos símbolos das cabras passantes do escudo de armas da família Cabral.
Aos onze anos de idade, Pedro mudou-se para o Seixal (onde ainda hoje existe a Quinta do Cabral), vindo a estudar em Lisboa Literatura, História e Ciência (como, por exemplo, Cosmografia), além de artes militares. Na Corte de D. João II (1481-1495), onde entrou como moço fidalgo, aperfeiçoou-se em cosmografia e marinharia.
Com a subida ao trono de D. Manuel I (1495-1521) foi agraciado com o foro de fidalgo do Conselho do Rei, o hábito de cavaleiro da Ordem de Cristo e uma tença, pensão em dinheiro anual.
Em 1499, foi nomeado pelo soberano como capitão-mor da armada que se dirigiria à Índia após o retorno de Vasco da Gama. Teria então cerca de trinta e três anos de idade. A missão de Cabral era a de estabelecer relações diplomáticas e comerciais com o Samorim, reerguendo a imagem de Portugal após a apresentação do Gama, e instalando um entreposto comercial ou feitoria, retornando com o máximo de mercadorias.
A sua foi a mais bem equipada armada do século XV, integrada por dez naus e três caravelas, transportando de 1.200 a 1.500 homens, entre funcionários, soldados e religiosos. Era integrada por navegadores experientes, como Bartolomeu Dias e Nicolau Coelho, tendo partido de Lisboa a 9 de março de 1500, após missa solene na ermida do Restelo, à qual compareceu o Rei e toda a Corte.
O Descobrimento do Brasil
A 22 de abril, após quarenta e três dias de viagem, tendo-se afastado da costa africana, avistou o Monte Pascoal no litoral sul da Bahia. No dia seguinte, houve o contato inicial com os indígenas. A 24 de abril, seguiu ao longo do litoral para o norte em busca de abrigo, fundeando na atual baía de Santa Cruz Cabrália, nos arredores de Porto Seguro, onde permaneceu até 2 de maio.
Cabral tomou posse, em nome da Coroa portuguesa, da nova terra, a qual denominou de "Ilha de Vera Cruz", e enviou uma das embarcações menores com a notícia, inclusive a Carta de Pero Vaz de Caminha, de volta ao reino. Retomou então a rota de Vasco da Gama rumo às Índias. Ao cruzar o cabo da Boa Esperança, quatro de seus navios se perderam, entre os quais, ironicamente, o de Bartolomeu Dias, navegador que o descobrira em 1488.
Existe uma discussão entre os historiadores a respeito da intencionalidade ou não da chegada de Cabral ao território brasileiro, embora não existam evidências concretas a sustentar qualquer das hipóteses. Certo é, no entanto, que por esta data já se tinha, na Europa, o conhecimento da existência de terras a leste da linha do Tratado de Tordesilhas.
A Armada chegou a Calecute a 13 de setembro, após escalas no litoral leste africano. Cabral assinou o primeiro acordo comercial entre Portugal e um potentado na Índia. A feitoria portuguesa foi instalada mas teve efêmera duração: atacada pelos Muçulmanos em 16 de dezembro, nela pereceram cerca de trinta portugueses, entre os quais o seu escrivão, Pero Vaz de Caminha.
Após bombardear Calecute e apresar embarcações árabes, Cabral seguiu para Cochim e Cananor, onde carregou as naus com especiarias e produtos locais e retornou à Europa.
O retorno a Portugal
Cabral chegou a Lisboa a 31 de julho de 1501, sendo aclamado como herói, não obstante o facto de, das treze embarcações, terem regressado apenas três.
Convidado pelo soberano para comandar a nova expedição ao Oriente em 1502, Cabral desentendeu-se com o monarca acerca do comando da expedição: tendo recusado a missão, veio a ser substituído por Vasco da Gama. Em desgraça perante o soberano, não recebeu mais nenhuma missão oficial até ao fim da vida.
Em 1503 desposou D. Isabel de Castro, sobrinha de Afonso de Albuquerque, deixando descendência. Em 1518 era cavaleiro do Conselho Real. Foi ainda senhor de Belmonte e alcaide-mor de Azurara.
Faleceu esquecido e foi sepultado na Igreja da Graça cidade de Santarém, segundo alguns em 1520, ou, segundo outros, em 1526.
Cabral é lembrado pelos brasileiros como aquele que descobriu o Brasil, sendo homenageado anualmente, a 22 de abril. Foi-lhe erguido um monumento na cidade do Rio de Janeiro (obra de Rodolfo Bernardelli). A cidade de Belo Horizonte homenageou-o, dando-lhe o nome a uma das suas principais vias, a Avenida Álvares Cabral.
Em Portugal, foi-lhe erguido um monumento em Lisboa, na avenida que recebeu o seu nome. Do mesmo modo, a sua terra natal homenageou-o com uma estátua, assim como a cidade onde está sepultado, Santarém.
Pedro Álvares Cabral
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pedro Álvares Cabral (about 1467 – about 1520), was a Portuguese navigator and explorer. Cabral is generally regarded as the European discoverer of Brazil (22 April 1500).
Biography
He is thought to have been born in Belmonte, in the Beira Baixa province of Portugal. He was the third son of Fernão Cabral (c. 1427-c. 1492), Governor of Beira and Belmonte, and Isabel de Gouveia de Queirós (c. 1433-c. 1483; descendant of the first King of Portugal, Afonso I), and married Isabel de Castro, the daughter of the distinguished Fernão de Noronha (also descendant of King Afonso I). He must have had excellent training in navigation and large experience as a seaman, for King Manuel I of Portugal considered him competent to continue the work of Vasco da Gama.
His commission was to establish permanent commercial relations and to introduce Christianity wherever he went, using force of arms if necessary. The nature of the undertaking led rich Florentine merchants to contribute to the equipment of the ships and also led priests to join the expedition. Among the captains of the fleet, which consisted of 13 ships with 1,500 men, were Bartolomeu Dias, Pêro Vaz de Caminha, Sancho de Tovar and Nicolau Coelho, the latter the companion of Vasco da Gama. Vasco da Gama himself gave the directions necessary for the course of the voyage.
The fleet of thirteen ships left Lisbon on 9 March 1500, and following the course laid down, sought to avoid the calms off the coast of Gulf of Guinea. On leaving the Cape Verde Islands, where Luís Pires was forced by a storm to return to Lisbon, they sailed in a decidedly southwesterly direction. On 22 April a mountain was visible, to which the name of Monte Pascoal was given; on the 23 April Cabral landed on the coast of Brazil, and on the 25 April the entire fleet sailed into the harbor called Porto Seguro. Cabral perceived that the new land lay east of the line of demarcation made by Pope Alexander VI (see Treaty of Tordesillas), and at once sent André Gonçalves (according to other authorities Gaspar de Lemos) to Portugal with the important tidings. Believing the newly-discovered land to be an island he gave it the name of Island of the True Cross (or Island of Vera Cruz) and took possession of it by erecting a cross and holding a religious service. The service was celebrated by the Franciscan, Father Henrique de Coimbra, afterwards Bishop of Ceuta. The iron cross used in that service is now in Cathedral Treasure in Braga and return to Brazil for the inauguration of Brasilia in 1960.
Cabral resumed his voyage on 3 May 1500. By the end of the month the fleet approached the Cape of Good Hope, where it was struck by a storm in which four vessels, including that of Bartolomeu Dias, were lost. With the ships now reduced to one-half of the original number, Cabral reached Sofala on 16 July and Mozambique on 20 July. In the latter place he received a cordial greeting. On 26 July he came to Kilwa where he was unable to make an agreement with the ruler. On 2 August he reached Melinde; here he had a friendly welcome and obtained a pilot to take him to India. On 10 August, the ship commanded by Diogo Dias, separated by weather, discovered an island they named after St Lawrence, later known as Madagascar.
Cabral continued to India to trade for pepper and other spices, establishing a factory at Calicut, where he arrived on 13 September. In Cochin and Cananor Cabral succeeded in making advantageous treaties. After a chain of bad luck, culminating in a two-day bombardment of the city, Cabral started on the return voyage on 16 January 1501, and returned with only 4 of 13 ships to Portugal, on 23 June 1501.
Cabral was buried in a monastery in Santarém, Portugal. He died forgotten.
He has been honored on a number of postage stamps, including one in a set of Brazilian stamps issued 1 January 1900 to mark the 400th anniversary of the discovery.
In Brazil, he is depicted on the 1 cent coin, and also on a special edition of the R$10 note.
Casou-se com Isabel De Castro (Albuquerque)
Irmãos:
Prior Diogo Fernandes Cabral (aprox. 1450 - 1520) Beatriz Cabral (aprox. 1450 - ?) João Fernandes Cabral (aprox. 1460 - aprox. 1507) Gil De Queirós De Gouveia (? - ?) Isabel De Gouveia (? - ?) Leonor De Gouveia (? - ?) Teresa De Gouveia (? - ?) Aldonça De Gouveia (? - ?) Violante De Gouveia (? - ?) Prior Álvaro Gil Cabral (? - ?) Vasco Fernandes Cabral (? - ?) Luis Álvares Cabral (? - ?)
Capitão-Mór das naus da Índia e descobridor do Brasil em 1500, Fidalgo da Casa de D. Manuel I.
Pedro Álvares Cabral[A] (Belmonte, 1467 ou 1468 — Santarém, c. 1520) foi um fidalgo, comandante militar, navegador e explorador português, creditado como o descobridor do Brasil. Realizou a primeira exploração significativa da costa nordeste da América do Sul, reivindicando-a para Portugal. Embora os detalhes da vida de Cabral sejam esparsos, sabe-se que veio de uma família nobre colocada na província interior e recebeu uma boa educação formal.
Origem: Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. ( http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_%C3%81lvares_Cabral )
Pedro Álvares Cabral foi um fidalgo, comandante militar, navegador e considerado como o descobridor do Brasil.
Nasceu em Belmonte em 1467 e faleceu em Santarém em 1520.
Realizou a primeira exploração significativa da costa nordeste da América do Sul, reivindicando-a para Portugal.
Embora os detalhes da vida de Cabral sejam esparsos, sabe-se que veio de uma família nobre colocada na província interior e recebeu uma boa educação formal.
Foi nomeado para chefiar uma expedição à Índia em 1500, seguindo a rota recém-inaugurada por Vasco da Gama, contornando a África. Aí a sua frota, de 13 navios, afastou-se bastante da costa africana, talvez intencionalmente, desembarcando no que ele inicialmente achou tratar-se de uma grande ilha à qual deu o nome de Vera Cruz e que Pêro Vaz de Caminha fez referência.
Explorou o litoral e percebeu que a grande massa de terra era provavelmente um continente, enviando em seguida um navio para informar o rei D. Manuel I da descoberta das terras.
Como o novo território se encontrava dentro do hemisfério português de acordo com o Tratado de Tordesilhas, reivindicou-o para a Coroa Portuguesa. Havia desembarcado na América do Sul, e as terras que havia reivindicado para o Reino de Portugal mais tarde constituiriam o Brasil.
Apesar da perda dos favores do rei, Cabral conseguiu um vantajoso casamento, em 1503, com D. Isabel de Castro, uma nobre mulher rica e descendente do rei D. Fernando I.
O casal teve pelo menos quatro filhos: dois meninos (Fernão Álvares Cabral e António Cabral) e duas meninas (Catarina de Castro e Guiomar de Castro). Cabral morreu de causas não especificadas, provavelmente em 1520, e foi enterrado no interior da Capela de São João Evangelista na Igreja do Antigo Convento da Graça de Santarém.
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Which American adventurer, the first man to fly non-stop around the world in a balloon, died in 2007 after the plane he was flying crashed in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California? | James Stephen "Steve" Fossett (1944 - 2007) - Genealogy
James Stephen "Steve" Fossett
Apr 22 1944 - Tennessee, United States
Death:
Cause of death: Aviation accident or incident - Sep 3 2007 - Sierra Nevada
Residence:
Apr 22 1944 - Jackson, Tennessee
Death:
Richard Leigh Fossett, Charalee Fossett
Partner:
Apr 22 1944 - Jackson, Tennessee
Death:
Richard Leigh Fossett, Charalee Martez Fossett (born Mizell)
Partner:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Fossett
James Stephen "Steve" Fossett (April 22, 1944 – c. September 3, 2007) was an American businessman, and a record-setting aviator, sailor, and adventurer. He was the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon. He made his fortune in the financial services industry, and was best known for many world records, including five nonstop circumnavigations of the Earth: as a long-distance solo balloonist, as a sailor, and as a solo flight fixed-wing aircraft pilot.
A fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the Explorers Club, Fossett set 116 records in five different sports, 60 of which still stood when he disappeared.
On September 3, 2007, Fossett was reported missing after the plane he was flying over the Nevada desert failed to return. Despite a month of searches by the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) and others, Fossett could not be found, and the search by CAP was called off on October 2, 2007. Privately funded and privately directed search efforts continued, but after a request from Fossett's wife, he was declared legally dead on February 15, 2008.
On September 29, 2008, a hiker found Fossett's identification cards in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, and the crash site was discovered a few days later (on 1 October 2008) 65 miles (100 km) due south from Flying-M Ranch where he took off, and 5.3 miles (8.5 km) due west (282 degrees) of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area's base operations, although his remains were not initially found. On November 3, 2008, tests conducted on two bones recovered about 750 feet (230 m) from the site of the crash produced a match to Fossett's DNA.
Early years
Fossett was born in Jackson, Tennessee but he grew up in Garden Grove, California and graduated from Garden Grove High School.
Fossett's interest in adventure began early. As a Boy Scout, he grew up climbing the mountains of California, beginning with the San Jacinto Mountains. "When I was 12 years old I climbed my first mountain, and I just kept going, taking on more diverse and grander projects." Fossett said that he did not have a natural gift for athletics or team sports, so he focused on activities that required persistence and endurance. His father, an Eagle Scout, encouraged Fossett to pursue these types of adventures and encouraged him to become involved with the Boy Scouts early. He became an active member of Troop 170 in Orange, California. At age 13, Fossett earned the Boy Scouts' highest rank of Eagle Scout and was a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow, the Boy Scouts' honor society, where he served as lodge chief. He also worked as a Ranger at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico during the summer of 1961. Fossett said in 2006 that Scouting was the most important activity of his youth.
In college at Stanford University, Fossett was already known as an adventurer; his Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity brothers convinced him to swim to Alcatraz and raise a banner that read "Beat Cal" on the wall of the prison, closed two years previously. (He made the swim, but was thwarted by a security guard when he arrived.) While at Stanford, Fossett was a student body officer, and he served as the president of a few clubs. In 1966, Fossett graduated from Stanford with a degree in economics. Fossett spent the following summer in Europe climbing mountains and swimming the Dardanelles.
Business career
In 1968, Fossett received an MBA from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where he was later a longtime member of the Board of Trustees. Fossett's first job out of business school was with IBM; he then served as a consultant for Deloitte and Touche, and later accepted a job with Marshall Field's. Fossett later said, "For the first five years of my business career, I was distracted by being in computer systems, and then I became interested in financial markets. That's where I thrived."
Fossett then became a successful commodities salesman in Chicago, first for Merrill Lynch in 1973, where he proved a highly successful producer of commission revenue for himself and that firm. He began working in 1976 for Drexel Burnham, which assigned him one of its memberships on the Chicago Board of Trade and permitted him to market the services of the firm from a phone on the floor of that exchange. In 1980, Fossett began the process that eventually produced his enduring prosperity: renting exchange memberships to would-be floor traders, first on the Chicago Board Options Exchange.
After 15 years of working for other companies, Fossett founded his own firms, Marathon Securities and Lakota Trading, from which he made millions renting exchange memberships. He founded Lakota Trading for that purpose in 1980. In the early 1980s, he founded Marathon Securities and extended that successful formula to memberships on the New York stock exchanges. He earned millions renting floor trading privileges (exchange memberships) to hopeful new floor traders, who would also pay clearing fees to Fossett's clearing firms in proportion to the trading activity of those renting the memberships. In 1997, the trading volume of its rented memberships was larger than any other clearing firm on the Chicago exchange. Lakota Trading replicated that same business plan on many exchanges in the United States and also in London. Fossett would later use those revenues to finance his adventures. Fossett said, "As a floor trader, I was very aggressive and worked hard. Those same traits help me in adventure sports."
Fossett said he did not participate in any of the "interesting things" he had done in college during his time in exchange-related activities: "There was a period of time where I wasn't doing anything except working for a living. I became very frustrated with that and finally made up my mind to start getting back into things." He began to take six weeks a year off to spend time on sports and eventually moved to Beaver Creek, Colorado, in 1990, where for a time he ran his business from a distance. Fossett later sold most of his business interests, although he maintained an office in Chicago until 2006.
Personal life
Fossett was married to Peggy Fossett (Viehland), originally from Richmond Heights, Missouri, in 1968. They had no children. The Fossetts had homes in Beaver Creek, Colorado, and Chicago and a vacation home in Carmel, California.
Fossett became well known in the United Kingdom for his friendship with billionaire Richard Branson, whose Virgin Group sponsored some of Fossett's adventures.
Records
Overview
Steve Fossett was well known for his world records and adventures in balloons, sailboats, gliders, and powered aircraft. He was an aviator of exceptional breadth of experience, from his quest to become the first person to achieve a solo balloon flight around the world (finally succeeding on his sixth attempt, in 2002, becoming the first person to complete an uninterrupted and unrefueled solo circumnavigation of the world in any kind of aircraft) to setting, with co-pilot Terry Delore, 10 of the 21 Glider Open records, including the first 2,000 km Out-and-Return, the first 1,500 km Triangle and the longest Straight Distance flights. His achievements as a jet pilot in a Cessna Citation X include records for U.S. Transcontinental, Australia Transcontinental, and Round-the-World westbound non-supersonic flights. Prior to Fossett's aviation records, no pilot had held world records in more than one class of aircraft; Fossett held them in four classes.
In 2005, Fossett made the first solo, nonstop, unrefueled circumnavigation of the world in an airplane, in 67 hours in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, a single-engine jet aircraft.
In 2006, he again circumnavigated the globe nonstop and unrefueled in 76 hours, 45 minutes in the GlobalFlyer, setting the record for the longest flight by any aircraft in history with a distance of 25,766 statute miles (41,467 km).
He set 91 aviation world records ratified by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, of which 36 stand, plus 23 sailing world records ratified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council.
On August 29, 2006 he set the world altitude record for gliders over El Calafate, Argentina at 50,722 feet (15,460 m).
Management and sponsorship of the majority of his projects was handled by UK based sports marketing agency Project 100 Communications Ltd for whom Fossett had first driven at Le Mans in 1992.
Balloon pilot
On February 21, 1995, Fossett landed in Leader, Saskatchewan, Canada, after taking off from South Korea, becoming the first person to make a solo flight across the Pacific Ocean in a balloon.
In 2002, he became the first person to fly around the world alone, nonstop, in any kind of aircraft. He launched the 10-story high balloon Spirit of Freedom from Northam, Western Australia, on June 19, 2002 and returned to Australia on July 3, 2002, subsequently landing in Queensland. Duration and distance of this solo balloon flight was 13 days, 8 hours, 33 minutes (14 days 19 hours 50 minutes to landing), 20,626.48 statute miles (33,195.10 km). The balloon dragged him along the ground for 20 minutes at the end of the flight. The control center for the mission was in Brookings Hall at Washington University in St. Louis. Fossett's top speed during the flight was 186 miles per hour (299 km/h) over the Indian Ocean. Only the capsule survived the landing; it was taken to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, where it was displayed. The trip set a number of records for ballooning: Fastest (200 miles per hour (320 km/h), breaking his own previous record of 166 miles per hour (270 km/h)), Fastest Around the World (13.5 days), Longest Distance Flown Solo in a Balloon (20,482.26 miles (32,963.00 km)), and 24-Hour Balloon Distance (3,186.80 miles (5,128.66 km) on July 1).
While Fossett had financed five previous tries himself, his successful record-setting flight was sponsored by Bud Light. In the end, Fossett actually made money on all his balloon flights; he bought a contingency insurance policy for $500,000 that would pay him $3 million if he succeeded in the flight, and along with sponsorship, that payout meant that in the end, Fossett did not have to spend any of his money other than for initial expenses.
Sailor
Fossett was one of the world's most accomplished sailors. Speed sailing was his speciality and from 1993 to 2004 he dominated the record sheets, setting 23 official world records and nine distance race records. He is recognized by the World Sailing Speed Record Council as "the world's most accomplished speed sailor."
On the maxi-catamaran Cheyenne (formerly named PlayStation), Fossett twice set the prestigious 24 Hour Record of Sailing. In October 2001, Fossett and his crew set a transatlantic record of 4 days 17 hours, shattering the previous record by 43 hours 35 minutes — an increase in average speed of nearly seven knots.
In early 2004, Fossett, as skipper, set the world record for fastest circumnavigation of the world (58 days, 9 hours) in Cheyenne with a crew of 13. In 2007, Fossett held the world record for crossing the Pacific Ocean in his 125-foot (38 m) sailboat, the PlayStation, which he accomplished on his fourth try.
At the time of his death, a submarine, DeepFlight Challenger, was under construction to let him be the first solo submariner to reach the Challenger Deep.
Airship pilot
Fossett set the Absolute World Speed Record for airships on October 27, 2004. The new record for fastest flight was accomplished with a Zeppelin NT, at a recorded average speed of 62.2 knots (115.0 km/h, 71.5 mph). The previous record was 50.1 knots (92.8 km/h, 57.7 mph) set in 2001 in a Virgin airship. In 2006, Fossett was one of only 17 pilots in the world licensed to fly the Zeppelin.
Fixed-wing aircraft pilot
GlobalFlyer
Fossett made the first solo nonstop unrefueled fixed-wing aircraft flight around the world between February 28, 2005, and March 3, 2005. He took off from Salina, Kansas, where he was assisted by faculty members and students from Kansas State University, and flew eastbound, with the prevailing winds, returning to Salina after 67 hours, 1 minute, 10 seconds, without refueling or making intermediate landings. His average speed of 342.2 mph (550.7 km/h) was also the absolute world record for "speed around the world, nonstop and non-refueled." His aircraft, the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, had a carbon fiber reinforced plastic airframe, with a single Williams FJ44 turbofan engine. It was designed and built by Burt Rutan and his company, Scaled Composites, for long-distance solo flight. The fuel fraction, the weight of the fuel divided by the weight of the aircraft at take-off, was 83 percent.
On February 11, 2006, Fossett set the absolute world record for "distance without landing" by flying from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, around the world eastbound, then upon returning to Florida continuing across the Atlantic a second time to land in Bournemouth, England. The official distance was 25,766 statute miles (41,467 km) and the duration was 76 hours 45 minutes.
The next month, Fossett made a third flight around the world in order to break the absolute record for "Distance over a closed circuit without landing" (with takeoff and landing at the same airport). He took off from Salina, Kansas on March 14, 2006 and returned on March 17, 2006 after flying 25,262 statute miles (40,655 km).
There are only seven absolute world records for fixed-wing aircraft recognized by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale and Fossett broke three of them in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer. All three records were previously held by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager from their flight in the Voyager in 1986. Fossett contributed the GlobalFlyer to the Smithsonian Institution’s permanent collection. It is on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. Fossett flew the plane to the Center and taxied the plane to the front door.
Transcontinental aircraft records
Fossett set two U.S. transcontinental fixed-wing aircraft records in the same day. On February 5, 2003, Fossett and co-pilot Doug Travis flew his Cessna Citation X jet from San Diego, California to Charleston, South Carolina in 2 hours, 56 minutes, 20 seconds, at an average speed of 726.83 mph (1169.73 km/h) to smash the transcontinental record for non-supersonic jets.
He returned to San Diego, then flew the same course as co-pilot for fellow adventurer Joe Ritchie in Ritchie's turboprop Piaggio Avanti. Their time was 3 hours, 51 minutes, 52 seconds, an average speed of 546.44 mph (879.46 km/h), which broke the previous turboprop transcontinental record held by Chuck Yeager and Renald Davenport.
Fossett also set the east-to-west transcontinental record for non-supersonic fixed-wing aircraft on September 17, 2000. He flew from Jacksonville, Florida to San Diego, California in 3 hours, 29 minutes, at an average speed of 591.96 mph (952.67 km/h).
First trans-Atlantic flight re-enactment
On July 2, 2005, Fossett and co-pilot Mark Rebholz re-created the first nonstop crossing of the Atlantic which was made by the British team of John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown in June 1919 in a Vickers Vimy biplane. Their flight from St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada to Clifden, County Galway, Ireland in the open cockpit Vickers Vimy replica took 18 hours 25 minutes with 13 hours flown in instrument flight conditions. Because there was no airport in Clifden, Fossett and Rebholz landed on the 8th fairway of the Connemarra Golf Course.
Glider records
The team of Steve Fossett and Terry Delore (NZL) set ten official world records in gliders while flying in three major locations: New Zealand, Argentina and Nevada, United States. An asterisk (*) indicates records subsequently broken by other pilots.
Distance (Free) World Record 2,192.9 km, December 4, 2004.
Triangle Distance (Free) World Record* 1,509.7 km, December 13, 2003.[30] Out and Return Distance (Free) World Record* 2,002.44 km, November 14, 2003.
1,500 Kilometer Triangle World Record 119.11 km/h (74.02 mph), December 13, 2003.
1,250 Kilometer Triangle U.S. National Record 143.48 km/h (89.51 mph). Exceeded world record by 0.01 km/h, July 30, 2003.
750 Kilometer Triangle World Record* 171.29 km/h (106.44 mph), July 29, 2003.
500 Kilometer Triangle World Record* 187.12 km/h (116.27 mph), November 15, 2003.
1,000 km Out-and-Return World Record* 166.46 km/h (103.44 mph), December 12, 2002.
1,500 km Out-and-Return World Record* 156.61 km/h (97.30 mph), November 14, 2003.
Triangle Distance (Declared) World Record* 1,502.6 km, December 13, 2003. Out-and-Return Distance (Declared) World Record* 1,804.7 km, November 14, 2003.
Fossett and co-pilot Einar Enevoldson flew a glider into the stratosphere on August 29, 2006. The flight set the Absolute Altitude Record for gliders at 50,727 feet (15,460 m). Since the glider cockpit was unpressurized, the pilots wore full pressure suits (similar to space suits) so that they would be able to fly to altitudes above 45,000 feet (14,000 m). Fossett and Enevoldson had made previous attempts in three countries over a period of five years before finally succeeding with this record flight. This endeavor is known as the Perlan Project.
Cross-country skiing
As a young adventurer, Fossett was one of the first participants in the Worldloppet, a series of cross country ski marathons around the world. While he had little experience as a skier, he was in the first group of 'citizen athletes' to participate in the series debut in 1979. And in 1980, he became the eighth skier to complete all 10 of the long distance races, earning a Worldloppet medallion. He has also set cross-country skiing records in Colorado, setting an Aspen to Vail record of 59 hr, 53 min, 30 sec in February 1998, and an Aspen to Eagle record of 12 hr, 29 min in February 2001.
Mountain climbing
Fossett was a lifelong mountain climber and had climbed the highest peaks on six of the seven continents. In the 1980s, he became friends with Patrick Morrow, who was attempting to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents for the "Seven Summits" world record (which Morrow did achieve in 1985). Fossett accompanied Morrow for his last three peaks, including Vinson Massif in Antarctica, Carstensz Pyramid in Oceania, and Elbrus in Europe. While Fossett went on to climb almost all of the Seven Summits peaks himself, he declined to climb Mount Everest in 1992 due to asthma. He also later returned to Antarctica to climb again.
Other accomplishments
Fossett competed in and completed premier endurance sports events, including the 1,165-mile (1,875 km) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, in which he finished 47th on his second try in 1992 after training for five years. He became the 270th person to swim across the English Channel on his fourth try in September 1985 with a time of 22 hours, 15 minutes. Although Fossett said he was not a good enough swimmer "to make the varsity swim team", he found that he could swim for long periods. Fossett competed in the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii (finishing in 1996 in 15:53:10), the Boston Marathon, and the Leadville Trail 100, a 100-mile (160 km) Colorado ultramarathon which involves running up elevations of more than 14,000 feet (4,300 m) in the Rocky Mountains.
Fossett raced cars in the mid-1970s and later returned to the sport in the 1990s. He competed in the 24 hours of Le Mans road race twice, in 1993 and in 1996, along with the Paris to Dakar Rally.
Previous attempts at records
Fossett tried six times over seven years for the first solo balloon circumnavigation. His fifth attempt cost him $1.25 million of his own money; his sixth and successful attempt was commercially sponsored. Two of the attempts were launched from Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis, and Washington University in St. Louis served as control center for four of the six flights, including the record-breaking one.
In 1998, one of the unsuccessful attempts at the ballooning record ended with a five-mile (8 km) plummet into the Coral Sea off the coast of Australia that nearly killed Fossett; he waited 72 hours to be rescued, at a cost of $500,000. The first attempt began in the Black Hills of South Dakota and ended outside Hampton, New Brunswick 1,800 miles (2,900 km) later. The second attempt, launched from Busch Stadium, cost $300,000 and lasted 9,600 miles (15,400 km) before being downed halfway in a tree in India; the trip set records at the time for duration and distance of flight (with Fossett doubling his own previous record) and was called Solo Spirit after Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis. Fossett slept an average of two hours a night for the six-day journey, conducted in below-zero temperatures. After taking too much fuel to cross the Atlantic Ocean and circling Libya for 12 hours while officials decided whether or not to allow him into their airspace, Fossett did not have enough fuel to finish the flight. That year, Fossett flew farther for less money than better-financed expeditions (including one supported by Richard Branson) in part due to his ability to fly in an un-pressurized capsule, a result of his heavy physical training at high altitudes. The Solo Spirit capsule was put on display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum across from the Apollo 11 command module.
Scouting
Fossett grew up in Garden Grove, California and earned the Eagle Scout award in 1957. He credited his experience in Scouting as a foundation for much of his later success. “As a Scout, I learned how to set goals and achieve them,” he once said. “Being a Scout also taught me leadership at a young age when there are few opportunities to be a leader. Scouting values have remained with me throughout my life, in my business career, and now as I take on new challenges.” In his later years, he was described as a "legend" by fellow Scouts. As a national BSA volunteer, he served as Chairman of the Northern Tier High Adventure Committee, Chairman of the Venturing Committee, member of the Philmont Ranch Committee, and member of the National Advisory Council. He later became a member of the BSA National Executive Board, and in 2007, Fossett succeeded Secretary of Defense Robert Gates as president of the National Eagle Scout Association. Fossett previously had served on the World Scout Committee.
Fossett was honored with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award in 1992. In 1999, he received the Silver Buffalo Award, BSA's highest recognition of service to youth!
Awards and honors
In 2002, Fossett received aviation's highest award, the Gold Medal of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) and in July 2007, he was inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame. He was presented at the ceremony by Dick Rutan.
In 1997, Fossett was inducted into the Balloon and Airship Hall of Fame. In February 2002, Fossett was named America's Rolex Yachtsman of the Year by the American Sailing Association at the New York Yacht Club. He was the oldest recipient of the award in its 41-year history, and he was the only recipient to fly himself to the ceremony in his own plane.
He received the Explorers Medal from the Explorers Club following his solo balloon circumnavigation. He was given the Diplôme de Montgolfier by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale in 1996. He received the Harmon Trophy, given annually "to the world's outstanding aviator and aeronaut", in 1998 and 2002. He received the Grande Médaille of the Aéro-Club de France, and the British Royal Aero Club's Gold Medal in 2002. He received the Order of Magellan and the French Republic's Médaille de l'Aéronautique in 2003.
The Scaled Composites White Knight Two VMS Spirit of Steve Fossett, was named in Fossett's honor by his friend Richard Branson, in 2007. Following his disappearance, Peggy Fossett and Dick Rutan accepted the Spread Wings Award in Steve Fossett's behalf at the 2007 Spreading Wings Gala, Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, Denver, Colorado.
Death
Disappearance and search
At 8:45 am, on Monday September 3, 2007 (Labor Day), Fossett took off in a single-engine Bellanca Super Decathlon airplane from a private airstrip known as Flying-M Ranch.
The search for Fossett began about six hours later. The aircraft had tail number N240R registered to the "Flying M Hunting Club, Inc." There was no signal from the plane's emergency locator transmitter (ELT) designed to be automatically activated in the event of a crash, but it was of an older type notorious for failing to operate after a crash. It was first thought that Fossett may have also been wearing a Swiss-made Breitling Emergency watch with a manually operated ELT that had a range of up to 90 miles (140 km), but no signal was received from it, and on September 13, Fossett's wife, Peggy, issued a statement clarifying that he owns such a watch, but was not wearing it when he took off for the Labor Day flight.
Fossett took off with enough fuel for four to five hours of flight, according to Civil Air Patrol spokesperson Maj. Cynthia S. Ryan. CAP searchers were told that Fossett had gone out for a short flight over favorite territory, possibly including the areas of Lucky Boy Pass and Walker Lake. At one point it was suggested that he might have been out scouting for potential sites to conduct a planned land speed run, but that later turned out to be untrue. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesperson noted that Fossett apparently did not file a flight plan, and was not required to do so. On the second day, Civil Air Patrol aircraft searched but found no trace of wreckage after initiating a complex and expanding search of what would later evolve into a nearly 20,000 square miles (52,000 km2) area of some of the most rugged terrain in North America. The search presented a severe challenge from the standpoint of flying hundreds of hours in very difficult conditions safely. On the first day of CAP searching, operations were suspended by mid-day due to high winds, according to spokesperson and Public Information Officer, Maj. Cynthia S. Ryan, of the Civil Air Patrol. By the fourth day, the Civil Air Patrol was using fourteen aircraft in the search effort, including one equipped with the ARCHER system that could automatically scan detailed imaging for a given signature of the missing aircraft. By September 10, search crews had found eight previously uncharted crash sites, some of which are decades old, but none related to Fossett's disappearance. The urgency of what was still regarded as a rescue mission meant that minimal immediate effort was made to identify the aircraft in the uncharted crash sites, although some had speculated that one could have belonged to Charles Clifford Ogle, missing since 1964. All told, about two dozen aircraft were involved in the massive search, operating primarily from the primary search base at Minden, Nevada, with a secondary search base located at Bishop, California. CAP searchers came from Wings across the United States, including Nevada, Utah, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas.
On September 7, Google Inc. helped the search for the aviator through its connections to contractors that provide satellite imagery for its Google Earth software. Richard Branson, a British billionaire and friend of Fossett, said he and others were coordinating efforts with Google to see if any of the high-resolution images might include Fossett's aircraft.
On September 8, the first of a series of new high-resolution imagery from DigitalGlobe was made available via the Amazon Mechanical Turk beta website so that users could flag potential areas of interest for searching, in what is known as crowdsourcing. By September 11, up to 50,000 people had joined the effort, scrutinizing more than 300,000 278-foot-square squares of the imagery. Peter Cohen of Amazon believed that by September 11, the entire search area had been covered at least once. Amazon's search effort was shut down the week of October 29, without any measurable success. Major Cynthia Ryan later said it had been more of a hindrance than a help. She said that persons purporting to have seen the aircraft on the Mechanical Turk or have special knowledge clogged her email during critical days of the search, and for even months afterward. Many of the ostensible sightings proved to be images of CAP aircraft flying search grids, or simply mistaken artifacts of old images. Psychics flooded the search base in Minden with predictions of where the aviator could be found. Ryan got the majority of these calls personally, often at her home, in the middle of the night. One man from Canada was particularly persistent with daily calls to Ryan, interfering with her press briefings. Ryan asked her Incident Commander to issue a cease and desist order, backed up by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) if necessary. Ryan noted that every message, letter, or phone call was taken seriously — which swamped the USAF specialists assigned the task of reviewing every one of them without regard to apparent plausibility. In retrospect, the crowdsource effort was "not ready for prime time," according to Major Ryan.
On September 12, survival experts speculated that Fossett was likely to be dead.
On September 17, the Nevada Wing of the Civil Air Patrol said it was suspending all flights in connection with its search operations, but National Guard search flights, private search flights and ground searches continued.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) began a preliminary investigation into the likely crash of the plane that Fossett was flying. The preliminary report originally stated that Fossett was "presumed fatally injured and the aircraft substantially damaged", but was subsequently revised to remove that assumption. Fossett's friend and fellow explorer, Sir Richard Branson, made similar public statements.
On September 19, 2007, authorities confirmed they would stop actively looking for Fossett in the Nevada Desert, but would keep air crews on standby to fly to possible crash sites. "Nobody is giving up on this man", said department spokesman. "The search is going to continue. It's just going to be scaled back", he said. On September 30, however, it was announced that after further analysis of radar data from the day of his disappearance, ground teams and two aircraft had resumed the search.
On October 2, 2007, the Civil Air Patrol announced it had called off its search operation Maj. Ryan later noted that the search was the largest, most complex peacetime search for an individual in U.S. history.
On August 23, 2008, almost a year after Fossett went missing, twenty-eight friends and admirers conducted a foot search based on new clues gathered by the team. That search concluded on September 10.
Search and rescue costs
On May 1, 2008, the Las Vegas Review-Journal attributed to Nevada State Governor Jim Gibbons's spokesman, Ben Kieckhefer, the Governor's decision to direct the state to charge Steve Fossett's family for the $687,000 expense of the search for Fossett. Kieckhefer later played that early report down, when he told the Tahoe Daily Tribune that Nevada did not intend to demand an involuntary payment from Fossett's widow, but that such a payment would be voluntary: "We are going to request that they help offset some of these expenses, considering the scope of the search, the overall cost as well as our ongoing budget difficulties." Hotelier Barron Hilton, from whose ranch Fossett had departed on the day he went missing, had previously volunteered $200,000 to help pay for the search costs.
In his later comments to the Tahoe Daily Tribune, Kieckhefer denied outright that a bill for the family was being prepared, and he said, "It will probably be in the form of a letter", which Kieckhefer indicated would include a financial outline of the steps taken by the state, the associated costs, and a mention of the state's ongoing budget difficulties.
Days prior to this announcement, state Emergency Management Director Frank Siracusa noted that "there is no precedent where government will go after people for costs just because they have money to pay for it. You get lost, and we look for you. It is a service your taxpayer dollars pay for", although he conceded that legally any decision would rest with Gibbons. At an April 10, 2008 Legislature's Interim Finance Committee hearing, Siracusa indicated that he had hired an independent auditor to review costs incurred by the state in searching for Fossett, but added, "We are doing an audit but not because we are critical of anybody or suspect something was done wrong". Chairman Morse Arberry queried Siracusa as to why, since they lacked funds, had the state not billed the Fossett family for its search costs, to which Siracusa did not directly respond. In his later interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, he stated that his comments to the Committee may have given the false impression that he had hired an auditor for the purpose of later challenging the state's financial burden incurred on its behalf by the National Guard during the search operation. Upon interview regarding reports that the state would seek payment, Arberry was recorded as stating that he was glad to hear steps were being taken to try to recoup some of the costs.
The Nevada search cost $1.6 million, "the largest search and rescue effort ever conducted for a person within the U.S." Jim Gibbons asked Fossett's estate to shoulder $487,000 but it declined, saying Fossett's wife had already spent $1 million on private searching.
Recovery of wreckage and remains
On September 29, 2008, a hiker found three crumpled identification cards in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountain range in California about 65 miles (100 km) south (186 degrees) of Fossett's take-off site. The items were confirmed as belonging to Fossett and included an FAA-issued card, his Soaring Society of America membership card and $1,005 in cash.
On October 1, late in the day, air search teams spotted wreckage on the ground at coordinates
37°40′2.8″N 119°08′0″WCoordinates: 37°40′2.8″N 119°08′0″W at an elevation of 10,100 feet (3,100 m) and about 750 yards (690 m) from where the personal items had been found. Later that evening the teams confirmed identification of the tail number of Fossett's plane. The crash site is on a slope beneath the southwest side of a ridge line (600 feet (183 m) lower than the top of the ridge) in the Ansel Adams Wilderness in Madera County, California. Other named places near the crash site include Emily Lake (0.7 miles (1.1 km) northeast), Minaret Lake (1.8 miles (2.9 km) west-southwest), the Minaret peaks (3 miles (5 km) west), Devils Postpile National Monument (4.5 miles (7.2 km) southeast), and the town of Mammoth Lakes (the nearest populated place, 9 miles (14 km) east-southeast). The site is 10 miles (16 km) east of Yosemite National Park.
Over the next two days, ground searchers found four bone fragments that were about 2 inches (5 cm) by 1.5 inches (4 cm) in size. However, DNA tests subsequently showed that these fragments were not human.
On October 29, search teams recovered two large human bones that they suspected might belong to Fossett. These bones were found 0.5 miles (0.8 km) east of the crash site.[85] Tennis shoes with animal bite marks on them were also recovered. On November 3, California police coroners said that DNA testing of the two bones by a California Department of Justice forensics laboratory confirmed a match to Fossett's DNA. Madera County Sheriff John Anderson said Fossett would have died on impact in such a crash, and that it was not unusual for animals to drag remains away. As of 2012, Fossett's remains had not been interred.
NTSB report and findings
On March 5, 2009, the NTSB issued its report and findings. It states that the plane crashed at an elevation of about 10,000 feet, 300 feet (91 m) below the crest of the ridge. The elevation of peaks in the area exceeded 13,000 feet (4,000 m). However, the density altitude in the area at the time and place of the crash was estimated to be 12,700 feet (3,900 m). The aircraft, a tandem two-seater, was nearly 30 years old, and Fossett had flown approximately 40 hours in this type. The plane's operating manual says that at an altitude of 13,000 feet (4,000 m) the rate of climb would be 300 feet per minute. The NTSB report says that "a meteorologist from Salinas provided a numerical simulation of the conditions in the accident area using the WRF-ARW (Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting) numerical model. At 0930 [the approximate time of the crash] the model displayed downdrafts in that area of approximately 300 feet per minute." There was no evidence of equipment failure. The report stated that a postmortem examination of the skeletal fragments had been performed under the auspices of the Madera County Sheriff's Department. The cause of death was determined to be multiple traumatic injuries.
On July 9, 2009, the NTSB declared the probable cause of the crash as "the pilot’s inadvertent encounter with downdrafts that exceeded the climb capability of the airplane. Contributing to the accident were the downdrafts, high density altitude, and mountainous terrain."
| Steve Fossett |
Known affectionately as 'The Hungarian Sea' and one of the country's major tourist attractions, which is the largest lake in Central Europe? | 'This closes painful chapter,' says Steve Fossett's wife as DNA tests are carried out on adventurer's 'remains' | Daily Mail Online
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The widow of missing adventurer Steve Fossett said tonight that the discovery of what appeared to be the remains of her husband closes ‘a very painful chapter in my life.’
DNA tests were being carried out yesterday on bones found near the mangled wreckage of his plane on a steep mountain slope in California.
But there was little doubt among his family and friends that the mystery of the 63-year-old daredevil’s disappearance thirteen months ago had finally been solved.
Search and rescue teams make their way to the site where Steve Fossett's plane was found as tests are underway on human remains found amid the wreckage
Experts say Mr Fossett, the first man to fly solo around the world in a balloon and the owner of a host of air and sea records, slammed his single-engine plan into the side of a mountain on a cloudy day last September.
His widow, Peggy, as well as friends such as Sir Richard Branson, remembered Mr Fossett for his many achievements rather than dwelling on the months of uncertainty since he took off on a routine flight from a friend’s Nevada airstrip to scout locations for an attempt on the land-speed record in a rocket-propelled car.
‘I prefer to think about Steve’s life rather than his death and celebrate his many accomplishments,’ said Mrs Fossett today.
The plane debris, hidden from sight for more than a year in dense undergrowth, littered an area the size of a football field at about 10,000 ft above sea level.
Officials confirmed that a small piece of bone was being tested to confirm whether it came from Mr Fossett.
‘Given the amount of time the wreckage has been out there, it’s not surprising there’s not very much,’ said US Transportation Safety Board spokesman Mark Rosenker.
The grim discovery came after hikers chanced upon Mr Fossett’s wallet and sweatshirt and alerted police in Mammoth Lakes, California.
Searchers hike to the site of the plane crash in Mammoth Lakes California
The remains will be examined by a coroner, possibly closing months of speculation over whether the millionaire adventurer actually died.
Rosenker said parts of the plane were scattered over a 10,000ft high debris field and it could be six months before the cause of the accident is known
But investigators have confirmed the plane was the one in which Fossett took off a year ago.
A helicopter was today hauling pieces of the wreckage away before a snow storm sweeps in.
Local officials said the wreckage implied a violent crash which destroyed the plane.
'It's not intact by any means... It looks like a very high impact crash,' said Shannon Kendall, a spokeswoman for the Mono County Sheriff's Department.
Enlarge
Nothing was found of the adventurer despite a frantic search, which included aerial flights and use of satellite imagery
Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson, a close friend of the businessman, said: 'Now that the plane has been found we can finally bring closure to Steve's wonderful life.
'The frivolous stories can also be put to rest and family, friends and the rest of the world can now pay tribute to a truly great and extraordinary man.'
The wreckage was found about a quarter of a mile from where hikers chanced on Mr Fossett's wallet containing $1,000 in cash and his sweatshirt on a rugged California mountainside earlier this week.
The remote forest area near the popular ski resort of Mammoth Lakes is rich with wildlife, including bears and mountain lions.
Rescuers found the plane's licence - wreckage was spread over 10,000ft high debris field
Local search and rescue teams set out to search the area for debris of the crash
Mr Fossett failed to return from a routine flight from a friend's ranch in Nevada last September.
Police said the 63-year-old's single-engine Bellanca plane had crashed head-on into the mountainside, scattering debris down the 9,700ft high slopes.
Most of the fuselage disintegrated and the engine was found hundreds of feet away.
It is not known if the plane suffered a mechanical failure or if Mr Fossett had a medical problem such as a heart attack.
Pals: Fossett with his sponsor and friend, Virgin tycoon Sir Richard Branson
The National Transportation Safety Board prepare to discuss the search of the plane crash site
Hiker Preston Morrow, who also found three identification cards with Fossett's name while returning from a trek on Monday, said: 'I was coming back down this really steep terrain and what caught my eye was these little ID cards in the dirt and the pine needles, and some $100 bills.
'I see the ID. I caught the name. I got the ID cards ... and about five or six of the hundred dollar bills (which) were dirty and muddy.
'I was wondering, why are there some ID cards and money when there was nothing else? No wallet, no bags, nothing nothing, nothing.
'When I originally found it I looked at the name so quickly it didn't enter my head. I'm just a hiker having a good time.
Mr Morrow, who said there was no sign of any wreckage at the site of his discovery, added: 'I'm hoping they find something there because we all know the family are all wondering what happened to him.'
Mr Fossett was the first person to circle the world solo in a balloon and broke more than 100 other records in jets, gliders and boats.
Sir Richard Branson, a fellow balloonist and close friend of Mr Fossett, said on Thursday night that he had led 'a most extraordinary life'.
A part of the wreckage found by rescue teams, discovered 10,000 feet up the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the vicinity of Mammoth Lakes, California
More wreckage from the plane crash, which is thought to have taken the life of a man who has set more than 100 world records in five sports
He also said the discovery should lay to rest conspiracy theories suggesting Mr Fossett may have faked his own death.
The speculation followed a judge's decision to declare Mr Fossett legally dead in February, five months after his disappearance, allowing his widow, Peggy, to collect his £6million estate.
Under Illinois state law, someone usually has to be missing for seven years before a court gives up hope.
But the judge granted an exception after hearing there was no hope he could have survived.
The British world landspeed record holder, Andy Green, said: 'I really want to know what happened to my friend Steve.
'His widow has found it very hard, as anyone would, when your husband of many years just disappears.'
Another friend of Mr Fossett, Don Cameron, of Cameron Balloons in Bristol, said: 'He was a great character. He was brave and had tremendous stamina.'
After hearing about Morrow's discovery Fossett's widow, Peggy, said in a statement:
'I am hopeful that this search will locate the crash site and my husband's remains,'
'I am grateful to all of those involved in this effort.'
Clue: Police believe this Bank of America card belongs to the missing adventurer
Discovered: A Federal Aviation Administration identification card found earlier this week
Steve Fossett had an unquenchable thirst for adventure.
The world-famous daredevil garnered a string of records for his spectacular challenges.
The millionaire achieved world records in feats involving balloons, sailing boats, gliders, airships and powered aircraft.
A few weeks before he disappeared last September, he was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame and told a crowd at Ohio's Dayton Convention Centre he had no intention of giving up his daring feats.
New search: Madera County Sheriff John Anderson holds up a photocopy of three pieces of Fossett identification found by hiker Preston Morrow in a rugged part of eastern California
'I'm hoping you didn't give me this award because you think my career is complete, because I'm not done,' he said.
Fossett, who was 63 when he disappeared, graduated from Stanford University and eventually went to Chicago to work in the securities business, founding his own firm, Marathon Securities.
But his passion was adventure.
In 2002 he became the first person to fly around the world alone in a balloon, travelling 19,428.6 miles around the Southern Hemisphere in just two weeks.
The record followed five previous attempts, some of which were dramatic failures.
In March 2005, he became the first person to fly a plane solo around the world without refuelling.
Four months later, Fossett completed a transatlantic flight in a replica First World War bi-plane.
Hiker: Preston Morrow who discovered some items belonging to missing adventurer Steve Fossett, is seen with his dog Kona
He and co-pilot Mark Rebholz successfully flew from Newfoundland to Clifden in County Galway on the west coast of Ireland, repeating the feat achieved by British pilots John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown 86 years before them.
He said the men who had inspired him had taken many chances, adding: 'I was very impressed that they didn't really have a good idea of the weather.
'They didn't have a good idea of the things that could go wrong with the airplane so they had it all hanging out, risking their lives.
'Whereas we were doing not what would be called a safe flight, but basically a flight that was under control with an acceptable risk.'
Fossett and Rebholz navigated their way across the Atlantic using only a sextant and compass - the instruments available to Alcock and Brown in 1919.
The wood and canvas bi-plane landed to cheers from thousands of spectators.
Fossett and a co-pilot also claimed a world glider altitude record of 50,671ft during a flight over the Andes.
Missing: Steve Fossett standing near the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer after flying the record-setting experimental plane
In February 2006, the businessman completed perhaps the ultimate aviation challenge - smashing the record for flying further than anyone in history.
The adventurer, from Beaver Creek, Colorado, said he was 'attracted by a challenge that is at the very edge of my ability and endurance'.
He flew 26,389.3 miles during a journey that lasted 76 hours and 45 minutes, beating the former record of 25,361 miles set by the Breitling Orbiter balloon in 1999.
Fossett was supposed to land at Kent International Airport but a massive electrical failure forced him to divert into Bournemouth Airport.
He was flying over Reading - having just been congratulated over the radio by sponsor Sir Richard Branson - when the generator on board malfunctioned, giving him 30 minutes to land the plane before its batteries ran flat.
Three-and-a-half days after taking off from Nasa's Kennedy Space Centre carrying more than 18,000lb of fuel, he landed with a little over 200lb remaining.
Historic: Fossett prepares to land his replica World War One bi-plane after completing his re-creation of a historic 1,600-mile transatlantic flight
Speaking at the time, Sir Richard paid tribute to him, saying: 'He's just flown further than man or woman has ever flown.
'Generally a record like that has a team of 10 people in place. Steve has gone and done it solo. He's had pretty well no sleep ... he has been through an incredible amount.
'He's only half human, that's all I can say!'
Speaking before his attempt, Fossett told of his doubts.
'I am not confident of success because of what I am trying to do.'
While in the air, Fossett survived by taking cat naps - no longer than 10 minutes each - totalling around two hours and drinking a steady diet of milkshakes.
But his adventures were not all plain sailing.
In 1998, Fossett, Branson and Per Lindstrand attempted to become the first to fly a balloon around the world.
They set off from Morocco and made it as far as the Pacific Ocean before landing near to rescue services in Hawaii.
Sir Richard once described Fossett as a 'loner, half-Forrest Gump, half-android' who relished adversity.
'If there's an ocean to swim, he'll choose Christmas Day and it must be snowing and, if possible, the only day in the last decade when the channel ices over.
'That's Steve for you.'
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Often used in sushi, which Japanese delicacy consists of very fresh raw seafood, sliced into thin pieces and served with a dipping sauce? | Sashimi, Tokyo Sashimi, Tokyo Cuisine, Gastronomy in Tokyo, Tokyo Speciality
Sashimi
Sashimi
Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy. It primarily consists of very fresh raw seafood, sliced into thin pieces, and served only with a dipping sauce (soy sauce with wasabi paste or such condiments as grated fresh ginger, or ponzu), and such garnishes as shiso and shredded daikon radish. Dimensions vary but are typically about 2.5 cm (1") wide by 4 cm (1.5") long by 0.5 cm (0.2") thick.
The word sashimi has been integrated into the English language and is often used to refer to other uncooked fish preparations. Many non-Japanese use the terms sashimi and sushi interchangeably, but the two dishes are actually distinct and separate. Sushi refers to any dish made with vinegared rice; and, while raw fish is one traditional sushi ingredient, many sushi dishes contain seafood that has been cooked, and others have no seafood at all.
Sashimi often is the first course in a formal Japanese meal, but it can also be the main course, presented with rice and miso soup in separate bowls. Many Japanese people believe that sashimi, traditionally considered the finest dish in Japanese cuisine, should be eaten before other strong flavors affect the palate. Culinarily, sashimi represents the Japanese cultural appreciation of subtlety. The finer sensation can vary from salmon (not traditionally Japanese) to squid and everything in between.
The sliced seafood that composes the main ingredient is typically draped over a garnish. The typical garnish is Asian white radish, daikon, shredded into long thin strands, accompanied by one green perilla leaf per slice. Wasabi paste is sometimes mixed directly into soy sauce as a dipping sauce, which is generally not done when eating sushi, however. Purists denounce the practice of mixing wasabi into soy sauce, saying that this dilutes the sharp hot flavor of wasabi. Another more correct way to flavor soy sauce with wasabi is to place the wasabi mound into the soy sauce dish and then pour it in. This allows the wasabi to infuse the soy sauce more subtly. A reputed motivation for serving wasabi with sashimi (and also gari, pickled ginger), besides its flavor, is killing harmful bacteria and parasites that could be present in raw seafood.
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Which dog that was originally bred in the Congo, is sometimes known as 'The Barkless Dog' as it produces an unusual yodel-like sound due to its unusually shaped larynx? | Sashimi
Sashimi
[saɕimiꜜ];
English:
[səˈʃiːmiː]) is a Japanese delicacy primarily consisting of very fresh raw seafood , sliced into thin pieces about 2.5cm (1") wide by 4cm (1.5") long by 0.5cm (0.2") thick, but dimensions vary depending on the type of item and chef, and served with only a dipping sauce ( soy sauce with wasabi paste or other condiments such as grated fresh ginger , or ponzu), depending on the fish, and simple garnishes such as shiso and shredded daikon radish.
The word sashimi means "pierced body", i.e. "刺身 = sashimi = 刺し = sashi (pierced, stuck) and 身 = mi (body, meat), may derive from the culinary practice of sticking the fish's tail and fin to the slices in identifying the fish being eaten.
One possibility of the name "pierced body" could come from the traditional method of harvesting. 'Sashimi Grade' fish is caught by individual handline, and as soon as the fish is landed, its brain is pierced with a sharp spike, killing it instantly, then placed in slurried ice. This spiking is called the Ike jime process. Because the flesh thus contains minimal lactic acid from the fish dying slowly, it will keep fresh on ice for about 10 days without turning white, or otherwise degrading.
The word sashimi has been integrated into the English language and is often used to refer to other uncooked fish preparations besides the traditional Japanese dish subject of this article. Many non-Japanese conflate sashimi and sushi ; the two dishes are actually distinct and separate. Sushi refers to any dish made with vinegared rice, and while raw fish is one traditional sushi ingredient, many sushi dishes contain seafood that has been cooked, while others have no seafood at all.
Serving
Sashimi often is the first course in a formal Japanese meal, but can also be the main course, presented with rice and Miso soup in separate bowls. Many Japanese people believe that sashimi, traditionally considered the finest dish in Japanese cuisine, should be eaten before other strong flavors affect the palate . Culinarily, sashimi represents the Japanese cultural appreciation of subtlety. The finer sensation can vary from salmon (not traditionally Japanese) to squid , and everything in between.
The sliced seafood that composes the main ingredient is typically draped over a garnish. The typical garnish is Asian white radish, daikon, shredded into long thin strands, accompanied by one green perilla leaf per slice. Wasabi paste is sometimes mixed directly into soy sauce as a dipping sauce, which is generally not done when eating sushi, however. Purists denounce the practice of mixing wasabi into soy sauce, saying that this dilutes the sharp hot flavor of wasabi. Another more correct way to flavor soy sauce with wasabi is to place the wasabi mound into the soy sauce dish and then pour it in. This allows the wasabi to infuse the soy sauce more subtly. A reputed motivation for serving wasabi with sashimi (and also gari , pickled ginger), besides its flavor, is killing harmful bacteria and parasites that could be present in raw seafood.
Varieties
See also: List of sushi and sashimi ingredients
Some of the most popular main ingredients for sashimi are: 鮭 Sake: Salmon
ほたて貝 Hotate-gai: Scallop
Some sashimi ingredients, such as octopus , are sometimes served cooked given its chewy nature. Most seafood, such as tuna, salmon , and squid , are served raw.
Tataki, (たたき or 叩き, "pounded"), is a type of sashimi. It is quickly and lightly seared outside, leaving it raw inside.
Less common, but not unusual, sashimi ingredients are vegetarian items such as yuba (bean curd skin) and raw red meats, such as beef or horse. In Japan, chicken "sashimi" (slightly braised on the outside) is a delicacy.
Other sashimi-style dishes
Basashi (馬刺し = 馬 ba = horse + 刺し sashi = pierced, stuck), or namasu, is raw horse meat, a 'traditional' dish from Kumamoto, Matsumoto, and Tohoku region. It is often served sashimi-style, and can be found readily in many restaurants in Osaka, Tokyo and other large cities in Japan.
Safety notes
A raw food, sashimi can cause foodborne illness due to bacteria and parasites, such as Anisakis simplex (Pseudoterranova decipiens). In addition, incorrectly prepared Fugu fish may contain Tetrodotoxin , a potent neurotoxin with no known antidote.
Traditionally, fish that spend at least part of their lives in brackish or fresh water were considered unsuitable for sashimi due to the possibility of parasites. For example, salmon, an anadromous fish, is not traditionally eaten straight out of the river. A study in Seattle, Washington showed that all wild salmon had roundworm larvae capable of infecting people, while farm-raised salmon did not have any roundworm larvae.
Freezing is often used to kill parasites. According to European Union regulations, freezing fish at -20°C (-4°F) for 24 hours kills parasites. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends freezing at -35°C (-31°F) for 15 hours, or at -20°C (-4°F) for 7 days.
While Canada does not federally regulate freezing fish, British Columbia and Alberta voluntarily adhere to guidelines similar to the FDA's. Ontario attempted to legislate freezing as part of raw food handling requirements, though this was soon withdrawn due to protests by the industry that the subtle flavours and texture of raw fish would be destroyed by freezing. Instead, Ontario has decided to consider regulations on how raw fish must be handled prior to serving.
Some fish for sashimi is treated with carbon monoxide to keep the flesh red for a longer time in storage. This practice can make spoiled fish appear fresh.
Environmental concerns
The increased popularity of bluefin tuna for sashimi is reported to have brought this popular species to the verge of extinction. Farming bluefin does not help the situation, because the captive fish are not raised from spawn, but rather from small wild fish that are netted and transported to the farms, mostly in the Mediterranean. (Wikipedia)
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What was the first name of Mr. Diesel, the inventor of the Diesel engine? | Rudolf Diesel, Inventor of the Diesel Engine
Rudolf Diesel, Inventor of the Diesel Engine
Rudolf Diesel, Inventor of the Diesel Engine
French-born German engineer and inventor Rudolf Diesel (1858 - 1913). Hulton Archive / Getty Images
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By Mary Bellis
The engine that bears his name set off a new chapter in the industrial revolution , but Rudolf Diesel initially thought his invention would help small businesses and artisans, not industrialists.
Early Life
Rudolf Diesel was born in Paris in 1858. His parents were Bavarian immigrants, and the family was deported to England at the outbreak of the Franco-German war. Eventually, Rudolf Diesel went to Germany to study at Munich Polytechnic, where he studied engineering. After graduation he was employed as a refrigerator engineer in Paris from 1880.
His true love lay in engine design, however, and over the next few years he began exploring a number of ideas. One concerned finding a way to help small businesses compete with big industries, which had the money to harness the power of steam engines . Another was how to use the laws of thermodynamics to create a more efficient engine. In his mind, building a better engine would help the little guy.
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The Diesel Engine
Rudolf Diesel designed many heat engines, including a solar-powered air engine. In 1893, he published a paper describing an engine with combustion within a cylinder, the internal combustion engine . In Augsburg, Germany on August 10, 1893, Rudolf Diesel's prime model, a single 10-foot iron cylinder with a flywheel at its base, ran on its own power for the first time. That same year he published a paper describing the internal combustion engine to the world. In 1894, he filed for a patent for his new invention, dubbed the diesel engine. Diesel was almost killed by his engine when it exploded.
Diesel spent two more years making improvements and in 1896 demonstrated another model with the theoretical efficiency of 75 percent, in contrast to the ten percent efficiency of the steam engine
In 1898, Rudolf Diesel was granted patent #608,845 for an "internal combustion engine." The diesel engines of today are refined and improved versions of Rudolf Diesel's original concept. They are often used in submarines , ships, locomotives, and large trucks and in electric generating plants.
Rudolf Diesel's inventions have three points in common: They relate to heat transference by natural physical processes or laws; they involve markedly creative mechanical design; and they were initially motivated by the inventor's concept of sociological needs—by finding a way to enable independent craftsmen and artisans to compete with large industry.
That last goal didn’t exactly pan out as Diesel expected. His invention could be used by small businesses, but it was embraced eagerly by the industrialists, as well. His engines were used to power pipelines, electric and water plants, automobiles and trucks , and marine craft, and soon after were used in mines, oil fields, factories, and transoceanic shipping. Diesel became a millionaire by the end of the 20th century.
In 1913, Rudolf Diesel disappeared en route to London while on an ocean steamer. He is assumed to have drowned in the English Channel.
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What is the name of the Italian tennis player who defeated Samantha Stosur to win the Women's French Open title earlier this month? | Rudolf Diesel
Rudolf Diesel
Location of death: English Channel
Cause of death: Suicide
Remains: Missing, lost at sea
Gender: Male
Nationality: Germany
Executive summary: Inventor of the diesel engine
German engineer Rudolf Diesel invented the pressure-ignited heat engine, adapting the internal combustion engine so that a spark is no longer needed to ignite the fuel-air mixture. His parents were Bavarian by ancestry, but lived in Paris until being forced out of France at the 1870 outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War. The family settled in England, but due to financial pressures young Rudolf was sent to live with relatives in Augsburg, where he became fascinated by engineering through frequent visits to the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts. He studied under Karl von Linde at Technical University Munich, and later worked at Linde's refrigeration company (now Linde AG).
Inspired by Sadi Carnot 's writings to create a more efficient engine, he began working on his project in 1885, and eventually secured financial support from Maschinenfabrik Augsburg (forerunner of Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-N�rnberg and the present-day MAN Diesel) and Friedrich Krupp AG (now ThyssenKrupp). He received a patent for his heat-driven oil engine, now called the diesel engine, in 1892, and powered up the first working diesel engine � fueled by peanut oil � on 10 August 1893. After working out some problems with the design, he introduced a 25-horsepower, four-stroke, single cylinder compression engine in 1897, which gained widespread use after being displayed in the Munich Exhibition of 1898.
The diesel engine is an internal-combustion, compression-ignition mechanism which works by heating fuels (either petroleum-based or bio-derived) and causing the fuel to ignite. Driven solely by high compression in its cylinders, the diesel engine is generally more energy-efficient, quieter, and needs less maintenance and repairs than other internal combustion engines. As Diesel himself wrote, "It is the diesel's higher compression ratio that leads to its greater fuel efficiency. Because the air is compressed, the combustion temperature is higher, and the gases will expand more after combustion, applying more pressure to the piston and crankshaft".
The diesel engine was adapted for use in automobiles, marine engines, trains, electric power generation, factories, farm machinery, mining, and oil drilling apparatus. Diesel sold the American rights to his invention to brewer Adolphus Busch , while in Europe MAN Diesel still operates a facility on the site where the machine was invented. In addition to his engineering work, Diesel warned of the dangers of air pollution, and wrote a book-length treatise on the human condition, suggesting that businesses should be employee-owned.
While crossing the English Channel on the steamer Dresden on 29 September 1913, Diesel vanished. His coat was found, neatly folded, on the ship's deck. By the time his body was found floating at sea more than a week later, it was so decomposed, fish-eaten and bug-infested that the fishermen who discovered the corpse did not want it aboard their vessel. Instead they gathered some personal effects from Diesel's pockets, items later identified by his son, and left the body to drift away in the water.
Numerous competing theories sprang up after his death, maintaining that Diesel had fallen or been pushed overboard, possibly by French spies who did not want Diesel's engines to power German submarines. Given his financial troubles at the time, however, as well as a prior nervous breakdown and his erratic behavior in the months before the end of his life, suicide is the most likely possibility.
Father: Theodor Diesel (leather worker)
Mother: Elise Strobel
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Which English monarch wrestled with Francis I of France at 'The Field of the Cloth of Gold'? | The Field of the Cloth of Gold
History > Tudor > Field of the Cloth of Gold
Field of the Cloth of Gold
BY DAVID ROSS , EDITOR
Background
In the early 16th century the balance of power in Western Europe was a precarious one; the major players being Francis I of France and Charles, Holy Roman Emperor. Each monarch tried to build a set of alliances to swing the balance in their favour. Into the mix came England, under Henry VIII. Henry's chief advisor, Thomas, Cardinal Wolsey, favoured an alliance with France. Henry's queen, Catherine, favoured the Empire (the Emperor Charles was her nephew). Yet Henry and Catherine's daughter Mary was affianced to Francis's son, the Dauphin.
Henry VIII
Henry himself was undecided as to which alliance offered him the best chance of personal and national gain. He played a waiting game in an attempt to stay on good terms with both Charles and Francis, hoping perhaps that no matter which monarch gained the ascendancy, England would benefit.
The Meeting
In 1520 Henry was persuaded to forge an alliance with France. A meeting was arranged between the two monarchs at a location just outside Calais, a bit of unremarkable countryside between the villages of Ardres and Guines. Francis and Henry were personal as well as political rivals, and each king prided himself on the magnificence of his court. Henry brought with him virtually his entire court, and he was determined to impress his host with the size and splendour of his retinue.
When it was determined that the castles of both villages were in too great a state of disrepair to house the courts, they camped in fields, Francis at Ardres and Henry at Guines. This was no ordinary camping expedition, however; huge pavilions were erected to serve as halls and chapels, and great silken tents decorated with gems and cloth of gold.
DEFINITION
Cloth of Gold was a fabric woven with thin strands of gold interspersed with more traditional materials, often silk. It might be used for clothing or for a ceremonial cloth used as a canopy for thrones.
It is this ostentatious display of wealth and power that earned the meeting-place between Francis and Henry the sobriquet "The Field of the Cloth of Gold". The meeting lasted for three weeks (June 7-June 24, 1520), during which time each court strove to outdo the other in offering splendid entertainments and making grandiose gestures. Feasts and jousts were held, including a tilt between Henry and Francis themselves. Balls, masques, fireworks, and military sports were just some of the activities on offer. The expense incurred by both monarchs was enormous, and put tremendous strain on the finances of each country.
Consequences
Yet for all the trouble they went to, the results of the meeting were negligible. Though Henry and Francis agreed in principle to an alliance, it was just two weeks later that Henry met with Charles himself in England. By the terms of this new treaty between England and the Empire, each agreed to not sign any new treaties with France for two years, and the betrothal of Mary to the Dauphin was broken in favour of a new betrothal to Charles himself (this alliance would later be broken also). Over the next several years the three monarchs formed, broke, and reformed alliances in an ever-shifting attempt to gain ascendance in Europe, with no-one gaining any permanent advantage.
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What was the first name of Mr. Braille, who devised a system allowing blind people to read and write? | Balinghem, France | People Don't Have to Be Anything Else Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
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Balinghem is a small town at the tip of northern France, located across the English Channel from England and 10 miles southeast of Calais . It is populated by just over 1,000 residents.
It is best known as the site of the Field of the Cloth of Gold, where Henry VIII met with Francis I of France in 1520.
People Born in Balingen
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Balingen in People's Lives
Henry VIII : Desiring good relations with France, I made plans beginning in 1517 for a series of diplomatic missions to be arranged to the French court, peppered with displays of goodwill. After three years of diplomacy, my efforts culminated successfully in a meeting between the new French king, Francis I of France, and I here, in 1520. We both hoped for a new friendship and peace between our countries, but we did not get along well. Our competitive streaks clashed, and our friendship was not to be. Our meeting place was afterward known as The Field of the Cloth of Gold. After this, a reigning English monarch did not set foot in France for another 323 years.
Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire : I was here in 1520, at the meeting between Henry VIII and Francis I of France, at the place called Field of the Cloth of Gold. Prior to their meeting, I had been busy on diplomatic missions to France since 1518, for the past two years, preparing the French court for the meeting.
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Which English king was overthrown after 'The Glorious Revolution'? | BBC - History - British History in depth: The Glorious Revolution
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Fear of Catholic tyranny
The Glorious Revolution of 1688-1689 replaced the reigning king, James II, with the joint monarchy of his protestant daughter Mary and her Dutch husband, William of Orange. It was the keystone of the Whig (those opposed to a Catholic succession) history of Britain.
According to the Whig account, the events of the revolution were bloodless and the revolution settlement established the supremacy of parliament over the crown, setting Britain on the path towards constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy.
But it ignores the extent to which the events of 1688 constituted a foreign invasion of England by another European power, the Dutch Republic.
Although bloodshed in England was limited, the revolution was only secured in Ireland and Scotland by force and with much loss of life.
England would become merely a satellite state, under the control of an all-powerful Catholic monarch.
Moreover, the British causes of the revolution were as much religious as political. Indeed, the immediate constitutional impact of the revolution settlement was minimal. Nonetheless, over the course of the reign of William III (1689-1702) society underwent significant and long-lasting changes.
To understand why James II’s most powerful subjects eventually rose up in revolt against him we need to understand the deep-seated fear of 'popery' in Stuart England.
'Popery' meant more than just a fear or hatred of Catholics and the Catholic church. It reflected a widely-held belief in an elaborate conspiracy theory, that Catholics were actively plotting the overthrow of church and state.
In their place would be established a Catholic tyranny, with England becoming merely a satellite state, under the control of an all-powerful Catholic monarch, (in the era of the Glorious Revolution, identified with Louis XIV of France). This conspiracy theory was given credibility by the existence of some genuine catholic subterfuge, most notably the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
A new crisis of ‘popery and arbitrary government' erupted in the late 1670s.
Public anxieties were raised by the issue of the royal succession. Charles II fathered no legitimate offspring. This meant that the crown would pass to his brother, James, Duke of York, whose conversion to Catholicism had become public knowledge in 1673.
Public concern about the succession reached fever pitch in the years 1678-1681. The so-called ‘exclusion crisis’ was provoked by allegations made by Titus Oates, a former Jesuit novice, of a popish plot to assassinate Charles II and place his brother on the throne. The fantastical plot was given credibility by the mysterious death of Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey, the magistrate who first investigated Oates’ claims.
Whig politicians within parliament, led by the earl of Shaftesbury, promoted exclusion bills which would have prevented James from succeeding to the throne.
But the radical tactics deployed by the king’s opponents, including mass petitions and demonstrations, gradually alienated some initial supporters of exclusion.
Charles’s hand was strengthened further by an agreement with France reached in March 1681, by which the king received £385,000 over three years.
With this financial support, and with public opinion turning against his critics, Charles was able to dissolve parliament on 28 March 1681.
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Rebellion and revolt
James II © James II’s authority appeared to be secure when he succeeded to the throne in February 1685.
The king’s initial promises to defend the existing government in church and state reassured many of those worried by his personal faith.
James was well-off financially, with a tax revenue over £1,200,000. The manipulation of borough charters in the last years of Charles II’s reign ensured that James’ first parliament was dominated by loyal Tories.
Parliament also voted James considerable emergency sums to suppress the rebellion raised by Charles II’s eldest illegitimate son, the duke of Monmouth in June 1685. James’ army of professional soldiers easily crushed the 3,000 to 4,000 rebels who joined Monmouth’s cause.
Initial support for the king ebbed away as it became clear that he wished to secure not only freedom of worship for Catholics, but also the removal of the Test and Corporation Acts so that they could occupy public office.
Unease at the king’s appointment of Catholic officers to the army forced him to prorogue parliament on 20 November 1685.
In April 1687, James issued a declaration of indulgence, suspending penal laws against Catholics.
James then attempted to secure his religious objectives through the use of his prerogative powers. The test case of Godden vs Hales (1686) established James’ right to suspend the provisions of the Test Acts, thereby allowing the king to appoint a number of Catholic peers to his Privy Council.
In April 1687, James issued a declaration of indulgence, suspending penal laws against Catholics and granting toleration to some Protestant dissenters.
In the summer of 1687, James formally dissolved his parliament and began canvassing officials across the country regarding their support for the formal repeal of the Test Acts. The information was used to begin a purge of corporations, aimed at producing a pliable parliament which would agree to the king’s wishes.
These measures met with increasing opposition from the Anglican-Tory establishment.
In July, members of Magdalen College, Oxford were stripped of their fellowships for refusing to appoint the king’s choice, Samuel Parker, a bishop who supported the repeal of the Test Acts, as their college president.
In May of 1688, seven leading bishops, including William Sancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury, refused to follow the order to read the king’s second declaration of indulgence from their pulpits. James responded by having them arrested for seditious libel and taken to the Tower of London. Their acquittal at trial was met with widespread public rejoicing.
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Dutch invasion
The Anglican campaign against James II’s religious policies went no further than passive resistance. But a number of English peers including the earls of Danby and Halifax, and Henry Compton, Bishop of London, went further, making contact with the Dutch leader, William of Orange.
Two factors moved James II’s opponents to urge William to intervene militarily. Firstly, after years of trying, James’ Catholic second wife finally fell pregnant. The birth of a healthy male heir, James Edward Stuart, on 10 June 1688, dashed hopes that the crown would soon pass to James’s protestant daughter Mary.
Secondly, William’s co-conspirators believed that the parliament James planned to summon in the autumn would repeal the Test Acts.
William’s main reason for interfering in English affairs was pragmatic – to bring England into his war against France.
The grave danger posed to the Protestant succession and the Anglican establishment led seven peers to write to William on 30 June 1688, pledging their support to the prince if he brought a force into England against James.
William had already begun making military preparations for an invasion of England before this letter was sent. Indeed, the letter itself mainly served a propaganda purpose, to allow the prince of Orange to present his intervention as a mercy mission.
In fact, William’s main reason for interfering in English affairs was essentially pragmatic – he wished to bring England into his war against Louis XIV’s France and a free parliament was seen as more likely to support this.
The forces that the prince of Orange amassed for his invasion were vast, the flotilla consisting of 43 men-of-war, four light frigates and 10 fireships protecting over 400 flyboats capable of carrying 21,000 soldiers. All in all, it was an armada four times the size of that launched by the Spanish in 1588.
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Revolution
Aided by the so-called ‘Protestant wind’ which prevented James’ navy from intercepting the Dutch fleet, William landed at Torbay, Devon, on 5 November 1688, the exact timing of his landfall neatly fitting with the anniversary of another celebrated moment when the nation was delivered from popery.
James had made military preparations for the defence of England over the summer and autumn of 1688 and his army encamped on Hounslow Heath was, at about 25,000 men, numerically larger than the force brought over by William. For the first time since the 1640s, England was faced with the prospect of civil war.
News of the prince’s arrival had sparked off waves of anti-Catholic rioting in towns and cities across England. The civil unrest convinced James to leave London and bring out his forces to meet the invading army in a pitched battle.
James made his first attempt to escape, but was captured by Kent fishermen near Sheerness.
But the Orangist conspiracy against James had been maturing for years and had infiltrated James’ own army, with the king’s nephew, Lord Cornbury, one of the first to defect to William. At this point, James’ health also deserted him. He was frequently debilitated by heavy nosebleeds.
Having reached Salisbury on 19 November with the intention of resisting William’s advance, James had by the 23 November resolved to retreat back to London.
The desertions continued, with the defection of John Churchill, later Duke of Marlborough, and James’ son-in-law, the Prince of Denmark on 24 November.
The final betrayal came on the king’s return to his capital on the 26 November when he discovered that his daughter, Princess Anne had also absconded to join the Orangist side.
James now announced that he was willing to agree to William’s main demand - to call a ‘free’ parliament. However, the king was now convinced that his own life was in danger and was making preparations to flee the country.
Meanwhile, William’s advance upon the capital had met with some resistance - a bloody skirmish at Reading on 7 December with over 50 killed.
On 11 December, in the wake of renewed anti-Catholic rioting in London, James made his first attempt to escape, but was captured by Kent fishermen near Sheerness.
The king’s capture was an inconvenience for William, who was now looked upon as the only individual capable of restoring order to the country, and on 23 December, with the prince’s connivance, James successfully fled the country.
The ‘convention parliament’, made up of members from Charles II’s last parliament, convened on 22 January 1689.
After considerable pressure from William himself, parliament agreed that he would rule as joint monarch with Mary, rather than act merely as her consort, and on 13 February William and Mary formally accepted the throne.
Before they were offered the crown, William and Mary were presented with a document called the Declaration of Rights, later enshrined in law as the Bill of Rights, which affirmed a number of constitutional principles, such as the illegality of prerogative suspending and dispensing powers, the prohibition of taxation without parliamentary consent and the need for regular parliaments.
In reality, the Bill of Rights placed few real restrictions on the crown. It was not until 1694 that the call for regular parliaments was backed up by the Triennial Act.
Pressure from William also ensured the passage in May 1689 of the Toleration Act, granting many Protestant groups, but not Catholics, freedom of worship. This toleration was, however, considerably more limited than that envisaged by James II.
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Consequences
If we take the revolution to encompass the whole of William III’s reign, it certainly imposed limitations on royal authority.
Parliament gained powers over taxation, over the royal succession, over appointments and over the right of the crown to wage war independently, concessions that William thought were a price worth paying in return for parliament’s financial support for his war against France.
William’s wars profoundly changed the British state. Their massive cost led not only to growth of modern financial institutions – most notably the Bank of England founded in 1694 – but also to greater scrutiny of crown expenditure through parliamentary committees of accounts. The bureaucracy required to harvest all this money grew exponentially too.
In Ireland and Scotland, the settlements were extremely politically and religiously divisive.
The revolution’s legacy might be seen as negative in other ways. In Ireland and Scotland, the revolution was militarily contested and its settlements extremely politically and religiously divisive. For example, Irish Protestants disregarded the generous peace terms of the Treaty of Limerick (3 October 1691) and established a monopoly over land-ownership and political power.
The revolution also failed to limit the power of parliaments and created no body of protected constitutional law. Therefore the Septennial Act of 1716 was able to effectively undermine the terms of the 1694 Triennial Act, ushering in the lengthy rule of a Whig oligarchy.
The revolution also fostered the growth of slavery by ending the Royal African Company’s monopoly on the trade in 1698. For the non-white inhabitants of the British Atlantic empire, the Glorious Revolution represented not the broadening of freedom but the expansion of servitude.
William III by T Claydon (Longman, 2002)
Revolution: The Great Crisis of the British Monarchy by T Harris (Allen Lane, 2006)
The Anglo-Dutch Moment: Essays on the Glorious Revolution and its World Impact by J Israel ed. (Cambridge University Press, 2003)
The Glorious Revolution by J Miller (Longman, 2nd edn., 1999)
The Glorious Revolution: A Brief History with Documents by SC A Pincus (St. Martin’s Press, 2005)
England in the 1690s by C Rose (Blackwell, 1999)
James II by WA Speck (Longman, 2002)
The Glorious Revolution: 1688 and Britain’s Fight for Liberty by E Vallance (Little, Brown and Co, 2006)
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About the author
Dr Edward Vallance is Lecturer in Early Modern British History at the University of Liverpool. He works on seventeenth-century British political and religious history and is the author of Revolutionary England and the National Covenant: State Oaths, Protestantism and the Political Nation, 1553-1682 (Boydell, 2005) and The Glorious Revolution: 1688 and Britain's Fight for Liberty (Little, Brown and Co, 2006). He is currently writing a history of English radicalism from Magna Carta to the present day.
| James II of England |
Thought to be the strongest of all dog breeds and certainly the strongest swimmer, which dog, originally bred in Canada, is noteable for its waterproof coat and webbed feet? | BRIA 25 3 England Glorious Revolution - Constitutional Rights Foundation
BRIA 25 3 England Glorious Revolution
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS FOUNDATION
Bill of Rights in Action
SPRING 2010 (Volume 25, No. 3)
England’s Glorious Revolution | John Maynard Keynes and the Revolution in Economic Thought | William Jennings Bryan, the “Great Commoner”
England’s Glorious Revolution
England’s Glorious Revolution was complex. It involved a struggle for power between a Catholic king and Protestant Parliament, a fight over religious and civil liberties, differences between emerging political parties, and a foreign invasion.
In 1534, King Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic faith and created the Protestant Church of England (also called the Anglican Church). Henry established the Anglican faith as the official religion of England and made himself and future English monarchs head of the church. Henry, rather than the Catholic pope, appointed the country’s top religious leaders and decided how people would practice Christianity in the kingdom.
Henry had broken from the Catholic Church after the pope refused to grant him a divorce. Henry did not object much to the Catholic faith itself. Therefore, he continued many Catholic beliefs and practices in the Church of England.
Henry’s break with the Catholic Church set off a long period of religious turmoil in England. One of Henry’s daughters, Mary, remained a Catholic. When she became queen, she tried to force England to return to Catholicism. Mary ordered hundreds of Protestants burned at the stake as heretics, earning her the name “Bloody Mary.”
Elizabeth, another of Henry’s daughters, took the throne after Mary’s death in 1558. Queen Elizabeth I, a Protestant, restored the Church of England, which then became a powerful force in English society and politics.
By the early 1600s, increasing numbers of English Protestants, known as Puritans, wanted to “purify” or get rid of many lingering elements of Catholic worship in the Church of England. The Puritans wanted a much simpler form of worship and the right to elect ministers for their own congregation. But when Charles I became king in 1625, he tried to force the Puritans to conform to Anglican worship practices.
Charles provoked great hostility from Parliament, dominated by Puritans. In 1642, a civil war began between the supporters of Charles, called Cavaliers, and the Puritan supporters of Parliament.
The Puritans, led by Oliver Cromwell, defeated Charles in 1648 and beheaded him. Fighting continued for a few years. The king’s son, also named Charles, fled to France when Cromwell finally crushed the remaining Cavalier armies.
The Puritan Parliament abolished the monarchy and established a republic called the Commonwealth. As commander-in-chief, Cromwell reluctantly took on the role of Lord Protector of England.
Cromwell and Parliament set up a new official state Puritan Church to replace the Church of England. But Cromwell also permitted Anglicans and Catholics to practice their faiths.
The Puritan Parliament proved ineffective, and in 1658, Cromwell died. Tired of Puritan rule, the English people wanted a king to lead them again. In 1660, Parliament restored the monarchy with the son of the beheaded king ruling as Charles II.
Charles II
After Charles II took the throne, a new Parliament met. The Cavaliers, those who had backed Charles I in the Civil War, controlled both the elected House of Commons and the appointed House of Lords. Parliament quickly acted to restore the Church of England and its Anglican worship as the state religion.
The Cavaliers believed that Catholics and Protestant Dissenters like Congregationalists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Puritans, and Quakers wanted to destroy the Church of England. Therefore, Parliament enacted new harsh criminal laws to punish Protestant Dissenters and Catholics for worshipping openly.
Charles II attempted to heal the divisions of the Civil War by adopting a policy of religious tolerance. In 1672 without the consent of Parliament, he issued a Declaration of Indulgence. This suspended all religious criminal laws, issued licenses to Protestant Dissenters to meet publicly, and allowed Catholics to worship in their homes.
His declaration outraged the Cavalier Parliament. It threatened to withhold its consent for the king’s requests for money and forced Charles to withdraw his declaration.
The next year, Parliament passed the Test Act. It prevented the king from appointing Protestant Dissenters and Catholics to any government or military post. A second Test Act soon followed, prohibiting Catholics from holding seats in either house of Parliament. These laws tested the religious beliefs of individuals by requiring them to take the sacrament of Holy Communion in an Anglican church.
In 1678, word of a “Popish Plot” to kill the king and massacre Protestants terrified England. The plot turned out to be a fake, but Protestants began to worry about the next person in line to inherit the throne.
Charles had fathered only illegitimate children. If he died without a legitimate heir, his brother, James, would become king. Parliament attempted to pass a law excluding James from inheriting the crown because he had converted to Catholicism.
During the drawn out debate over excluding James, members of Parliament divided into political parties, Tories and Whigs. These were not highly organized parties designed to campaign for the election of political candidates. (Highly organized modern political parties were first created in the United States in the early 1800s.)
Nevertheless, in the late 1600s, the Whigs and Tories were the first parties to rally around sets of principles in a lawmaking body. Their basic principles were:
Tories
The monarch is the supreme power, answerable only to God, and must not be resisted. But the monarch is also bound by the law.
The monarchy is based on hereditary succession.
The Church of England is the established state church. No religious toleration for Catholics or Protestant Dissenters should be permitted.
Whigs
The monarch shares power with Parliament. Both are answerable to the people and bound by the law.
The hereditary succession may be overridden by the common good.
The Church of England retains too many Catholic practices and should be further reformed. Toleration for Protestant Dissenters, but not for Catholics, should be permitted.
The Whigs controlled the elected House of Commons and took the lead in the attempt to exclude James from succeeding his brother as king. The Whigs argued that James would rule as a dictator like France’s Catholic King Louis XIV.
The more conservative Tories dominated the House of Lords and objected to overturning England’s tradition of a hereditary monarchy. Although they, too, dreaded a Catholic king, the Tories still blocked the exclusion bills proposed by the Whigs. The exclusion attempt finally ended when Charles, who opposed it, refused to call a new Parliament after 1681.
James II and Toleration
In 1685, Charles II died, and his brother became king, reigning as James II. Surprisingly, English Protestants welcomed their new Catholic king. Many sided with the Tories and believed even a Catholic king was better than another civil war over the monarchy.
James assured his subjects that he would “preserve this government both in church and state as it is now by law established.” Catholics made up only about 1 percent of the English population. But James believed that, if instructed properly, Protestants would voluntarily convert to Catholicism as he himself had done.
Shortly after James took the throne, the Duke of Monmouth, one of Charles II’s illegitimate sons, led a rebellion to make himself king. James formed an army and defeated him. Known as the Bloody Assizes, a series of trials followed, and hundreds of rebels were executed.
James violated custom and did not disband his army after the threat passed. Instead, he created a peacetime standing (permanent professional) army organized and trained like that of Louis XIV. James stationed his troops throughout England, frequently quartering them in private homes and inns. This caused resentment and fears that James would someday use this standing army against his subjects.
Meanwhile, James had formed a council of top government advisers who were nearly all Catholics. James attended Catholic mass in the royal palace. He also encouraged English Catholics to worship openly in public meetings even though this was illegal under the criminal laws passed by Parliament.
In addition, James approved the building of Catholic chapels and schools. He allowed the printing of Catholic Bibles and other religious publications. He welcomed Catholic missionaries from France and other European countries.
While all this was going on, James attempted to persuade Parliament to repeal the criminal laws and Test Acts that discriminated against both Catholics and Protestant Dissenters. Parliament refused and called for the rigorous enforcement of these laws. James then dissolved Parliament and ruled without it.
In 1686, James forged a political alliance with dissenting Protestants such as the Quakers led by William Penn. James promised them religious freedom in exchange for supporting his effort to secure the same for his fellow Catholics.
Acting on his own, James suspended enforcement of the criminal laws banning public worship by Catholics and Protestant Dissenters. He also dispensed with the enforcement of the Test Acts when he appointed Catholics and Dissenters to government and military posts.
His actions enraged Parliament. Whigs and some Tories argued that the king could not lawfully suspend or dispense with laws without Parliament’s consent. James replied that suspending and dispensing with laws were part of the king’s inherited powers. James replaced judges with those friendly to his policies. He won a court decision, taking his side of the controversy.
Next, James set out to pack a new Parliament with Protestant Dissenters and other allies. He sent spies to report on the political views of local officials who usually ran for seats in the House of Commons. If they opposed his policies, he replaced them. He also cracked down on speech, press, and other civil liberties to smother criticism of him and his government. He angered Protestants by ordering them to disarm.
James set up a Commission for Ecclesiastical (religious) Causes to punish Anglican clergy who defied his orders not to preach against Catholicism. He also forced colleges at Oxford to accept Catholic students.
In 1688, seven Church of England bishops sent a petition to James, protesting his order to read one of his declarations on toleration from their pulpits. James had them put on trial for “seditious libel” (inciting people to overthrow the government). A jury, however, acquitted the bishops to the cheers of those in the courtroom and throughout the kingdom.
Whigs, Tories, Anglicans, Dissenters, and even some Catholics increasingly grew critical of James. Hearing reports of local disobedience among his subjects and a possible Dutch invasion, James backtracked. Hoping to gain Tory support, he withdrew some of his bitterly opposed acts and summoned a new Parliament.
In June 1688, his wife gave birth to a son. This inflamed fears in England of a continuing succession of Catholic kings.
The English Bill of Rights (1689)
The following excerpt from the English Bill of Rights includes the comprehensive political settlement of the Glorious Revolution.
1. That the pretended power of suspending the laws or the execution of the laws by regal [the king’s] authority without consent of Parliament is illegal;
2. That the pretended power of dispensing with laws or the execution of laws by regal authority . . . is illegal;
3. That the commission for erecting the late Court of Commissioners for Ecclesiastical Causes, and all other commissions and courts of like nature, are illegal and pernicious [destructive];
4. That levying money [taxes] for or to the use of the Crown by pretense of prerogative [king’s authority], without grant of Parliament . . . is illegal;
5. That it is the right of the subjects to petition the king, and all commitments [imprisonment] and prosecutions for such petitioning are illegal;
6. That the raising or keeping a standing army within the kingdom in time of peace, unless it be with the consent of Parliament, is against law;
7. That the subjects which are Protestants may have arms for their defense suitable to their conditions and as allowed by law;
8. That elections of members of Parliament ought to be free;
9. That the freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament;
10. That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted;
11. That jurors ought to be duly impaneled and returned, and jurors which pass upon men in trials for high treason ought to be freeholders [property owners];
12. That all grants and promises of fines and forfeitures of particular persons before conviction are illegal and void;
13. And that for redress of grievances, and for the amending, strengthening and preserving of the laws, Parliaments ought to be held frequently.
William of Orange
Days after the birth of James’ son, a small group of Whig and Tory nobles sent a message to Protestant Holland’s Prince William of Orange. He was married to James’ Protestant daughter, Mary. The nobles asked William to intervene against James, apparently hoping to force him to stop his pro-Catholic and dictatorial rule.
William was putting together a coalition of Protestant and even Catholic countries against Louis XIV, who wanted to dominate all of Europe. William quickly saw the advantage of adding England to his coalition.
On November 5, 1688, William landed in England with more than 20,000 soldiers carried by a fleet larger than the Spanish Armada that had threatened England 100 years before. William’s army consisted of Dutch soldiers, English soldiers, and others who had fled to Holland.
James was shocked to learn that his English subjects cheered when William landed. Many waved swords and sticks with oranges stuck on them to show they were with him. Some of James’ soldiers deserted and joined William as he led his invading army to London.
Violent uprisings against James and his government took place throughout England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and even colonial America. Mobs attacked Catholic chapels, schools, printing shops, and the houses of James’ government officials and tax collectors. Mobs also attacked his Protestant Dissenter allies and some of James’ quartered troops.
Fearing the fate of his beheaded father, Charles I, James ordered his army disbanded, cancelled his call for a new Parliament, and escaped to France as William neared London. The disorder continued for several months.
James made one last stand. In the spring of 1689, he landed in Ireland with a fleet of ships and soldiers supplied by Louis XIV to join an army of Irish Catholics. They had besieged Protestant colonists and soldiers in Northern Ireland.
William led an army against James and defeated his Catholic force in the summer of 1690. James then returned to France.
The Settlement and English Bill of Rights
A new Parliament, divided between Whigs and Tories, assembled in January 1689. The two parties debated who should be the new king. The Whigs favored William. Most Tories, objecting to Parliament “electing” a king, wanted James’ Protestant daughter, Mary, as queen. A few Tories argued that James had only “deserted” not “abdicated” the throne, so he should return under certain conditions.
When William landed in England he said he was not interested in the throne. But in early 1689, he issued an ultimatum: Either Parliament proclaim him king or he would take his army back to Holland and leave England undefended and in chaos.
The Whigs and Tories finally settled on a compromise. William and Mary would technically rule as co-monarchs, but William would take charge of the government. In February 1689, Parliament offered William and Mary the crown.
At their crowning, Parliament presented William and Mary with a Declaration of Rights. This condemned the illegal acts of James, placed limits on royal authority, called for “frequent” Parliaments, and listed specific rights of Parliament and the people. Nevertheless, the monarchy kept most of its traditional powers.
Parliament later amended the Declaration to say that anyone who “shall profess the popish religion [Catholicism] or shall marry a papist, shall be excluded and be forever incapable to inherit, possess, or enjoy the crown and government of this realm. . . .” This requirement still exists today.
Parliament passed into law the amended Declaration with the consent of King William III. This document became the English Bill of Rights.
The Whigs, the main supporters of the Glorious Revolution, gained the confidence of William and passed into law the Toleration Act of 1689. This allowed moderate Protestant Dissenters, but not Catholics, to worship publicly in licensed meeting places. The Test Acts, however, still excluded the Dissenters along with Catholics from holding public office.
William did not strongly enforce the laws that continued to discriminate against Protestant Dissenters and Catholics. Many Dissenters evaded the Test Acts by taking Communion in an Anglican Church once a year just to qualify for public office. Catholics worshipped pretty much as they pleased. William also appointed bishops to the Church of England who favored a more open-minded policy toward toleration. But England still had a long way to go to before achieving true religious freedom.
For Discussion and Writing
1. Which one of the following do you think was the main winner and which was the main loser in the Glorious Revolution? Use evidence from the article to back up your choice.
A. Monarchy
| i don't know |
The name of which chemical element is derived from the Greek for 'colour'? | Chromium - Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table
Chemistry in its element: chromium
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You're listening to Chemistry in its element brought to you by Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
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Meera Senthilingam
This week an element that adds sparkle and value to minerals, through the colourful characteristics of its compounds.
Christopher Blanford
In the Western world, the colourful history of chromium begins, suitably enough, at the far end of the visible spectrum with a red-orange mineral that was named "Siberian red lead" by its discoverer, the 18th-century geologist Johann Lehmann. Although Mendeleev's periodic table was still almost a century away at this time, scientists around the world were rapidly discovering new elements - 30% of the naturally occurring elements were first isolated between 1775 and 1825. It was in the middle of this surge of discovery, over 35 years after Siberian red lead was first found that the French chemist Louis Vauquelin showed that this mineral, now known as crocoite, contained a previously unknown chemical element.
It took Vauquelin several steps to isolate chromium. First he mixed the crocoite solution with potassium carbonate to precipitate out the lead. Then he decomposed the lemon yellow chromate intermediate in acid, and finally removed the compounded oxygen by heating with carbon - leaving behind elemental chromium.
The name for this new element was debated among his friends, who suggested "chrome" from the Greek word for colour because of the colouration of its compounds. Although he objected to this name at first because the metal itself had no characteristic colour, his friends' views won out.
When Vauquelin exhibited his pale grey metal to the French Academy of Sciences, he commented on the metal's brittleness, resistance to acids and incapability of being melted. He thought these properties made it overly difficult to work with and thus limited its applications as a metal. He did suggest, however, that chromium's compounds would be widely used as beautiful, brilliantly coloured pigments. A browse through images of chromium compounds on Wikipedia shows a whole spectrum of colours: dark red chromium(VI) oxide, orange-red lead chromate, bright yellow sodium chromate, brilliant chrome green (that's chrome(III) oxide), light blue chromium(II) chloride, and violet anhydrous chromium(III) chloride. The last of these compounds shows an amazing property when hydrated. Its colour changes between pale green, dark green and violet depending on how many of the chromium ion's six coordination sites are occupied by chloride rather than water.
Of all these pigments, one of them stands out. I'm a chemist who was born, raised and schooled in the Midwestern United States, so the iconic yellow school buses in North America were familiar sights. Chrome yellow, also known as "school bus yellow", was adopted in 1939 for all U.S. school buses to provide high contrast and visibility in twilight hours. However, the presence of both toxic lead and hexavalent chromium of Erin Brockovitch fame has led to it being largely replaced by a family of azo dyes, known as Pigment Yellows, though chrome yellow is still used in some marine and industrial applications.
Of all chromium's natural occurrences, my favourites are gemstones, where a trace of the element adds a blaze of colour. As corundum, beryl, and crysoberyl, these metal oxides are colourless and obscure minerals. But add a dash of chromium, and they become ruby, emerald and alexandrite.
The chemist's tool of crystal-field theory, which models the electronic structure of transition metal complexes, provides a surprisingly accurate way of describing and predicting the source and variability of colour in chromium's compounds. In ruby - which is aluminium oxide with a few parts per thousand of the aluminium ions are replaced by chromium(III) ions - the chromium atoms are surrounded by six oxygen atoms. This means that the chromium atoms strongly absorb light in the violet and yellow-green regions. We see this as mainly red with some blue, giving, in the best cases, the characteristic pigeon-blood colour of the finest rubies.
The Cr3+ ion is about 26% bigger than the Al3+ ion it replaces. So, when more chromium is added to aluminium oxide, the octahedral environment around the chromium becomes distorted and the two bands of absorption shift towards the red. In aluminium oxide in which 20 to 40% of the atoms of aluminium have swapped to chromium, the absorbed and transmitted colours swap and we see this complex as green, transforming a synthetic ruby into a green sapphire.
My next gem, the emerald, in an oxide of silicon, aluminium and beryllium. It has the same substitution of a chromium ion for an aluminium ion and a similar distorted octahedral arrangement of oxygen around chromium, giving emeralds their characteristic green colour, like that from green sapphires.
Of the chromium gemstones, alexandrite is the most fascinating to me. Its stones are strongly pleochroic. That is, they absorb different wavelengths depending on the direction and polarisation of the light that's hitting them. So, depending on a gem's orientation, alexandrite's colour ranges from red-orange to yellow and emerald green. Its colour also changes depending on whether it is viewed in daylight or under the warm red tones of candlelight. When moved from daylight to candlelight, the best specimens turn from a brilliant green to a fiery red. Lesser gems turn from dull green to a turbid blood red.
Outside this rainbow of chromium compounds, chromium helps prevent a particularly undesirable colour: rust brown. In corrosion-resistant, or "stainless", steels, at least 11% of its mass is chromium. The alloyed chromium reacts with oxygen to form a transparent nanoscopic layer of oxide that forms a barrier to further oxygen penetration and so prevents the ruddy, flaky products of iron oxidation.
Given these widespread uses of chromium complexes, it should come as no surprise when I tell you that under one-half of a per cent of chromium produced is chromium in its elemental form. So, to some extent, Vauquelin's prediction from two centuries ago about the limited usefulness of elemental chromium was spot on. On the other hand, the first picture in my mind for chromium (after gemstones, of course) is when it is in its metallic form, such as for the mirrored corrosion and wear-resistant "chrome" surfaces of ball bearings and the shiny silvery trim on car parts.
Meera Senthilingam
So it's shiny and colourful as well as corrosion and wear resistant. I don't think I would say chromium had limited uses, would you? That was Oxford University's Christopher Blanford with the complex and colourful chemistry of chromium. Next week, a planetary element.
Brian Clegg
We're so familiar with uranium and plutonium that it's easy to miss that they are named after the seventh and ninth planets of the solar system. (At least, Pluto was the ninth planet until it was stripped of its status in 2006.) Between those planets sits Neptune, and the gap between the two elements leaves a space for their relatively unsung cousin, neptunium - element number 93 in the periodic table. In June 1940, American physicists Edwin McMillan and Philip Abelson, working at the Berkeley Radiation Laboratory, wrote a paper describing a reaction of uranium that had been discovered when bombarding it with neutrons using a cyclotron particle accelerator. Remarkably, the openly published Berkeley paper would show the first step to overcoming one of the biggest obstacles to building an atomic bomb.
Meera Senthilingam
And Brian Clegg will reveal how this obstacle was overcome in next week's Chemistry in its Element. Until then, I'm Meera Senthilingam and thank you for listening.
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Chemistry in its element is brought to you by the Royal Society of Chemistry and produced by thenakedscientists.com . There's more information and other episodes of Chemistry in its element on our website at chemistryworld.org/elements .
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| Chromium |
Also the name of a popular TV character, who was the father of the apostles John the Evangelist and James the Greater? | h2g2 - The Elements: Names and Origins - O-Z - Edited Entry
The Elements: Names and Origins
Osmium
(76Os)
Osmium was identified in 1803 by Smithson Tennent. Its oxide is volatile and has a sharp smell. For this reason the element was named after the Greek word 'osme' meaning 'smell'.
Oxygen
(8O)
Oxygen was identified in the 1770s by Joseph Priestley and Carl-Wilhelm Scheele. Priestley is credited with the identification of the element because he published his results first, in 1774, whereas Scheele's publication was delayed and only appeared in 1777. The name was given by Antoine Lavoisier in 1776, who thought oxygen was responsible for the acidity of acids (see The History of Acids and Bases ). 'Oxein' is the Greek word for 'sour' and 'gennan' means 'to form, to generate'. Oxygen had been isolated before by many scientists - for example, it is known that Oluf Bayen and Pierre Borch prepared oxygen in the early 1730s. They did not, however, recognise oxygen as an element. Even older descriptions of oxygen - as a component of air - are known, as references by Leonardo da Vinci, Empedocles and the 8th Century Chinese philosopher Mao Khoa demonstrate.
Palladium
(46Pd)
Palladium was named in 1803 after Pallas the asteroid, which was discovered in 1802 and is itself named after Pallas Athene, the Greek goddess of art and wisdom. The identification is credited to William Wollaston.
Phosphorus
(15P)
Phosphorus was isolated in 1669 by Henning Brandt from urine. Brandt noticed that the element glows in the dark and thus gave it the name 'phosphorus' which is derived from the Greek for 'light-bearing'.
Platinum
(78Pt)
Platinum was known of and used by pre-Columbian Indians. Spanish mathematician Don Antonio de Ulloa named the metal 'platina' meaning 'silver-like' or 'little silver' in 1748. The metal had been noticed earlier by explorers of the New World, but was not considered to have any value. A sample of this metal was described in 1557 by Julius Caesar Scaliger. The metal was isolated in its pure form in 1750 by William Brownrigg. The identification of the metal as being a new element is usually credited to Sir William Watson, also in 1750.
Plutonium
(94Pu)
Plutonium is named after planet Pluto, which is named after Pluto, the Roman god of the underworld. The naming follows the same order as with the planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto which were the inspiration behind the names of the elements. In the periodic table the order is the same: uranium, neptunium and plutonium. Plutonium occurs in traces in uranium ores, most plutonium, however, is prepared synthetically in nuclear reactors. It was synthesised for the first time by Glenn T Seaborg, Edwin McMillan, Joseph Kennedy and Arthur Wahl in 1940.
Polonium
(84Po)
Polonium is named after Poland, the native country of Marie Curie who identified the element with Pierre Curie in 1898.
Potassium
(19K)
Potassium is named after 'pot-ash' or Dutch 'pot-aschen'. Plant ashes, which were obtained by burning vegetal material in a pot, contain sodium and potassium carbonate, two alkaline compounds often used to make soap . The symbol K is derived from the Latin word 'kalium' which comes from the Arab word 'alqali' which means 'to roast' (ie, plants in pots). Potassium was known for a long time in the form of potassium carbonate, but it was identified as an element and isolated for the first time in 1807 by Humphry Davy. 'Potassium' is used in English, Celtic and Italic languages whereas 'Kalium' is used by most other languages.
Praseodymium
(59Pr)
Praseodymium comes from 'praseios' which is Greek for 'light green' and 'didymos' which is Greek for 'twin'. Praseodymium is therefore the 'greenish twin'. Twin? The story is rather long, because many of the so-called rare-earth metals occur together as a mixture. Before the entire mixture was separated into all its elements, a sub-mixture was isolated by Carl Gustav Mosander in the 1840s. Mosander believed that it contained an element, which he called 'didymium' (ie, twin) because it always occurred together with lanthanum. Some other folks thought it was named 'twin' because all his children were born as twins. In 1885, Carl Auer von Welsbach managed to separate this didymium into two further elements, one of which he called 'the new twin' (see neodymium) and the other one 'praseodymium' because of the greenish colour of its oxide.
Promethium
(61Pm)
Promethium was long sought-after, and with the implementation of the periodic table it already had its place as element 61 in the row of the rare-earth metals. However, it had never been isolated or identified in any mineral. All claims of 'discovery' were discarded in 1941 when it was shown that the element does not occur in natural minerals. Instead it was prepared synthetically in 1945 by Charles D Coryell, Jacob A Marinsky, Lawrence E Glendenin and Harold G Richter. They named it after the mythological figure Prometheus, who stole fire from the Gods and was punished - an allusion to the pros and cons of nuclear reactions.
Protactinium
(91Pa)
Protactinium has been, since 1949, shorthand for 'protoactinium'. The name describes its decay to actinium ('proto' is Greek for 'first'). The element was identified by Kasimir Fajans and Otto H Göhring in 1913.
Radium
(88Ra)
Radium was isolated and identified by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898. They named it 'radium' because its radiation is millions of times stronger than anything they had observed before.
Radon
(86Rn)
Radon was observed by many of those scientists studying radioactivity at the turn of the 19th Century. The first clear mention of this element is found in Pierre and Marie Curie's work. They observed a gas emanating from a radium solution, which they called 'Radium Emanation' which later on mutated to 'radon'. Other scientists soon found that thorium and actinium solutions also produced a radioactive gaseous emanation, called thoron and actinon, respectively. It became clear only in 1910 that these emanations were the same element. Ramsay suggested calling it 'niton' (from Latin 'nitens' meaning 'to shine'). However, in 1949, when all nomenclature had to become official, 'radon' was the most widely-used name for this element, and was therefore kept.
Rhenium
(75Re)
Rhenium is named after the river Rhine and the Rhineland, Germany, where Ida Eva Tacke was born. The element was identified by Masataka Ogawa in 1908, and originally called 'nipponium'. The story goes like this: The periodic table was already an established piece of work in the early 1900s. However, it still had some gaps in it for elements that had not been discovered. In that time, elements 43 and 75 were among the last elements missing in the main table. Ogawa isolated the metal but erroneously assigned it to element 43 instead of 75. Later on in 1925, Walter Noddack and Ida Eva Tacke, who later became Mrs Noddack, announced the identification of the two missing elements, which they called 'masurium' (43) and 'rhenium' (75) after the places of their births. The identification of masurium was never confirmed.
Rhodium
(45Rh)
Rhodium forms rose-coloured compounds. William Hyde Wollaston identified the element in 1803 and noticed that property. He therefore called the element 'rhodium' from the Greek word 'rhodon' for 'rose'.
Rubidium
(37Rb)
Rubidium has deep-red emission lines in its spectrum. These lines were used by Gustav Kirchhoff and Robert Bunsen to identify the element in 1861. For that reason it was named after the Latin word 'rubidis' for 'deep-red'. Bunsen isolated the metal in 1863.
Ruthenium
(44Ru)
Ruthenium was isolated in 1828 from platinum ore by a Russian chemist called Gottfried Osann, who called it 'ruthenium' after the Latin word for Russia, 'Ruthenia'. He withdrew his claim of 'discovery'. In 1844 Karl Klaus, another Russian, showed that Osann had been right, and retained the name for the element.
Samarium
(62Sm)
Samarium is a rare-earth metal found mixed together with other rare-earth metals in many minerals. It was named after the mineral samarskite, in which it occurs. Samarskite is named after Colonel von Samarski, a Russian mine officer. Samarium was identified in 1879 by Lecoq de Boisbaudran.
Scandium
(21Sc)
Scandium was found in an ytterbium containing mineral from Scandinavia (hence the rather obvious name) by Lars-Frederik Nilson in 1879.
Selenium
(34Se)
Selenium is a metal and it was isolated in 1817 by Jöns Jakob Berzelius while he was trying to purify tellurium (another metal). Since tellurium is named after the Roman goddess of the earth Telles, the new element was named after the Greek goddess of the moon, Selene.
Silicon
(14Si)
Silicon is named after the Latin world for the mineral flint, 'silex' or 'silicis', in which it occurs. It was isolated from flint by Jöns Jakob Berzelius in 1824. It was originally named 'silicium' with the suffix '-ium' to emphasise it is a metal. Later it was proven that silicium is not a metal, and for that reason the suffix was replaced by '-on' to avoid confusion.
Silver
(79Ag)
Silver was used widely as far back as prehistoric times. The old Sanskrit word 'argunas', meaning 'shining brightly', mutated into the Latin word 'argentum' from which the symbol 'Ag' is derived. The word 'silver' is of obscure Anglo-Saxon origin.
Sodium
(11Na)
Sodium had been known for a long time in the form of soda (sodium carbonate). The term 'soda', which was used by Humphry Davy as the basis to call the element he had isolated in 1807 from soda, sodium, comes from the Latin term sodanum which means 'remedy for headache', which was one of the things the Romans used soda for. The white powder itself, which was also successfully employed to make soap, was called natrum by the Romans, which is why the element's symbol is Na. In most languages, except for English and Italic languages, the element is also called natrium. The term 'natrum', used by the Romans, has Arabic roots and was originally from the Egyptian word for soda, which is spelled like this: 'nTrj'. Nitre (or saltpeter) which gave origin to the name 'nitrogen', has the same root here.
Strontium
(38Sr)
Strontium had been recognised by Thomas Hope in 1792 in a mineral called strontianite, which occurs near the Scottish town of Strontian (which gives the element its name). Humphry Davy isolated the metal in 1808.
Sulphur
(16S)
Sulphur was known from ancient times. The official spelling changed from 'sulphur' to 'sulfur' because most people didn't want to use the 'ph'. The origin of the English word is the Latin word 'sulphurium' which comes from Sanskrit 'sulveri'. Louis Thenard and Louis Gay-Lussac showed that sulphur was an element in 1809.
Tantalum
(73Ta)
Tantalum is not soluble in acids. It was isolated and named by Anders Ekeberg in 1802: Ekeberg must have had a fertile imagination and was obviously versed in Greek mythology. He named the element after Tantalos, the father of Niobe (see niobium, above), who was banished to Hades, where he was placed up to his chin in water, directly beneath branches of fruit. Whenever Tantalos raised or lowered his head to pick a fruit or to drink the water, the branches would draw back and the water would recede. He was not able to eat or drink anything, just as the element is not able to take up any acid. Now that was far-fetched, wasn't it?
Technetium
(43Tc)
Technetium was a long sought-after element. Claims for its 'discovery' date back to 1828. None of the claims, however, were ever confirmed. It was finally synthesised in 1937 by Emilio Segre and Carlo Perrier, and is thus an artificial element. The element was named after the Greek word techous which means 'artificial'. Originally it was to be called 'panormium' after the Latin word for Palermo, where it was synthesized. Segre and Perrier, however, did not like the idea and opted for a more neutral term.
Tellurium
(52Te)
Tellurium was named after the Roman goddess of the earth, Telles. It was identified by mine director Franz Müller von Richtenstein in 1782, working in a Transsylvanian mine, as a new 'problematic metal'. Von Richtenstein was not, however, able to characterise it any further. Paul Kitaibel working with Hungarian minerals also found a 'problematic metal', which he couldn't characterise further, in 1789. Both Müller and Kitaibel sent their samples and reports to chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth, who finally concluded that it was a new element in 1798.
Terbium
(65Tb)
Terbium has its name derived form Ytterby, the site of a quarry in Sweden. For more information, see Erbium (above).
Thallium
(81Tl)
Thallium emits a sharp green line in its emission spectrum, and was named after the Greek word for 'twig', thallos. It was identified in 1861 by William Crookes and isolated in 1862 by Claude-Auguste Lamy.
Thorium
(90Th)
Thorium forms a mineral called 'thorite' (thorium silicate). The mineral was found on the island of Løvø, Norway by Hans Morten Thrane Esmark, who sent a sample to his father Jens Esmark, who was a geology professor in Norway. He in turn sent a specimen to Jöns-Jakob Berzelius, who found out in 1828 that it was a new mineral and that this new mineral contained a new element. He called the mineral thorite, and the element thorium after Thor, the Nordic god of thunder. The element was isolated from thorite by D Lely Jr and L Hamburger in 1914.
Thulium
(69Tm)
Thulium was named after Thule, which is the old designation for the northern part of what the Greeks thought to be the habitable world, not necessarily Scandinavia. It was identified in 1879 by Per Theodor Cleve, who thought that the Greek designation thule corresponded to Scandinavia. The element was isolated by Charles James in 1911.
Tin
(50Sn)
Tin was known of as far back as prehistoric times. In antiquity, tin was already recognised as one of the elementary metals. It was used to make an alloy with copper, also known as bronze, which is easier to cast and harder (than copper) in its solid state. Initially, the metal was associated with Jupiter or Zeus and named accordingly, along the lines of 'Jupiter's element'. Later on, the element became named on the basis of it melting easily. The Latin name stannum is connected to the Indo-European fragment stag, also found in 'stagnation' which means 'to drip'. The Latin word stannum is also the origin of the element's symbol 'Sn'. The word mutated somewhat naturally into estanno which gave the Spanish estaño and Portuguese estanho. The French word etain already has the 's' dropped. The German word Zinn comes from reversing 'st' to 'ts', or stinn to tsinn. It is not clear whether the English word 'tin' comes from etain or from Zinn - or from both.
Titanium
(22Ti)
Titanium has its obvious origin in the Titans who were, according to Greek mythology, the first sons of the earth. In 1791, William Gregor found the element in Ilmenite (iron titanate), which he had called menachanite (as the mineral had been discovered by him in the Menachan Valley, Cornwall). The element he thus called menachin, but Gregor was not sure about it. In 1795, Martin Heinrich Klaproth, who knew Gregor's work, confirmed that it was an element. He chose, however, to give it the name titanium - because the element did not have any significant properties (like smell or colour) he could name it after. The metal was isolated by Jöns Jakob Berzelius in 1825.
Tungsten
(74W)
Tungsten derives from the Swedish tung sten which means 'heavy stone.' Tungsten also used to be the name of the mineral in which the element occurs (calcium wolframate), which forms very heavy stones, bit was it was later known as Scheelite in honour of Carl Wilhelm Scheele. The element also occurs in another mineral called wolframite (iron and manganese wolframate), from which it takes its official symbol and worldwide most common name, wolfram or wolframium (even in Sweden the element is called volfram). The name 'wolframite' comes from the German translation of lupi spuma ('Wolf Rahm') which means 'wolf's foam'. This name was given as during the extraction process it 'eats' tin like a wolf eats sheep. Tungsten was isolated by Don Fausto d'Elhuy in 1783, but it was already identified as an element by Carl Wilhelm Scheele in 1781. In 1951 the IUPAC decided to officially name the element 'wolframium', which caused some protest from the scientific community. The protest led IUPAC to reverse its decision and start a revision process for the naming of the element. The issue is still not resolved.
Uranium
(92U)
Uranium was identified by Martin-Heinrich Klaproth in 1789. He named it after the planet Uranus, which is named after the Roman deity Uranus. The planet was observed for the first time by William Hershel some years earlier, in 1781. Metallic uranium was obtained for the first time by Eugene Peligot in 1841.
Vanadium
(23V)
Vanadium forms many different-coloured compounds and was identified in 1830 by Nils-Gabriel Sefstrom in Sweden. For this reason it was named after the Nordic goddess of love and beauty, Freya Vanadis. The element had been observed decades earlier, in 1801, by mineralogist Andres Manuel del Rio y Fernandez, who also noted the colourful variety of compounds formed by vanadium. He called the element erythronium, after the colourful flowers of the plant erythronia. Later, Fernandez suspected that the colourful compounds were in reality due to chromium and withdrew his claims to have identified a new element. Posthumously, the sample Fernadez gave was re-examined and was shown to have contained vanadium. The metal was first isolated in 1869 by Henry Enfield Roscoe.
Xenon
(54Xe)
Xenon was identified quite late on, in 1898, due to technical problems. Xenon is an inert gas, and cannot be isolated using chemical tricks. It has to be distilled out of air, in which it is only present in small amounts. William Ramsay and Morris Travers liquefied air and obtained some of its components by fractional distillation. One of the fractions was liquefied Xenon gas, which they thought was 'strange' and xenos is Greek for 'strange'.
Ytterbium
(70Yb)
Ytterbium has its name derived form Ytterby, the site of a quarry in Sweden. For more information see Erbium (above).
Yttrium
(39Y)
Yttrium has its name derived form Ytterby, the site of a quarry in Sweden. For more information see Erbium (above).
Zinc
(30Zn)
Zinc was known of as far back as prehistoric times and was available as a metal as early as 1374, but was only identified as an element in 1746 by Andreas Marggraf. Many origins for the name have been suggested. The most plausible is that the name comes from the German word Zink or Zinke which translates to 'tine or sharp edge'. The mineral calamine (zinc carbonate) from which the metal can be obtained has many sharp edges. Another source suggests that 'zink' was used to denote an element that is 'not entirely unlike' Zinn which is the name for tin in German.
Zirconium
(40Zr)
Zirconium forms, as a silicate, semi-precious gemstones and has been known about since antiquity. The Persian word zargun, for these stones, meaning gold-like, denotes their yellow-ish colour. In Arabic the 'g' mutated into a 'k' giving the word zarkun. The element was only discovered in 1789 by Martin Heinrich Klaproth who examined a sample of earth coming from Ceylon. His friend and geologist Abraham Gottlob Werner found that the examined batch was mainly zircon (silex circonius), and thus the name of the element was 'zirconium'. The metal was isolated by Jöns Jakob Berzelius in 1824.
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Mount Cook is the highest point in which Commonwealth country? | An Overview and Geography of New Zealand
Area: 103,737 square miles (268,680 sq km)
Coastline: 9,404 miles (15,134 km)
Official Languages: English and Maori
Highest Point: Mount Cook (Aoraki) at 12,349 ft (3,764 m)
New Zealand is an island country located 1,000 miles (1,600 km) southeast of Australia in Oceania. It consists of several islands, the largest of which are the North, the South, Stewart and Chatham Islands. The country has a liberal political history, gained early prominence in women's rights and has a good record in ethic relations, especially with its native Maori. In addition, New Zealand is sometimes called the "Green Island" because its population has high environmental awareness and its low population density gives the country a large amount of pristine wilderness and a high level of biodiversity.
History of New Zealand
In 1642, Abel Tasman, a Dutch Explorer, was the first European to discover New Zealand. He was also the first person to attempt mapping the islands with his sketches of the North and South islands.
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In 1769, Captain James Cook reached the islands and became the first European to land on them. He also began a series of three South Pacific voyages where he extensively studied the area's coastline.
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries Europeans began to officially settle on New Zealand. These settlements consisted of several lumbering, seal hunting and whaling outposts. The first independent European colony was not established until 1840, when the United Kingdom took of the islands. This led to several wars between the British and the native Maori. On February 6, 1840, both parties signed the Treaty of Waitangi , which promised to protect Maori lands if the tribes recognized British control.
Shortly after signing this treaty though, British encroachment on Maori lands continued and wars between the Maori and British grew stronger during the 1860s with the Maori land wars. Prior to these wars constitutional government began to develop during the 1850s. In 1867, the Maori were allowed to reserve seats in the developing parliament.
During the late 19th century, parliamentary government became well established and women were given the right to vote in 1893.
Government of New Zealand
Today, New Zealand has a parliamentary governmental structure and is considered an independent part of the Commonwealth of Nations . It has no formal written constitution and was formally declared a dominion in 1907.
Branches of Government in New Zealand
New Zealand has three branches of government, the first of which is the executive. This branch is headed by Queen Elizabeth II who serves as the chief of state but is represented by a governor general. The prime minister, who serves as the head of government, and the cabinet are also a part of the executive branch. The second branch of government is the legislative branch. It is composed of the parliament. The third is the four-level branch comprised of District Courts, High Courts, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. In addition, New Zealand has specialized courts, one of which is the Maori Land Court.
New Zealand is divided into 12 regions and 74 districts, both of which have elected councils, as well as several community boards and special-purpose bodies.
New Zealand's Industry and Land Use
One of the largest industries in New Zealand is that of grazing and agriculture. From 1850 to 1950, much of the North Island was cleared for these purposes and since then, the rich pastures present in the area have allowed for successful sheep grazing. Today, New Zealand is one of the world's main exporters of wool, cheese, butter and meat. Additionally, New Zealand is large producer of several types of fruit, including kiwi, apples and grapes.
In addition, industry has also grown in New Zealand and the top industries are food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, mining and tourism.
Geography and Climate of New Zealand
New Zealand consists of a number of different islands with varying climates. Most of the country has mild temperatures with high rainfall. The mountains however, can be extremely cold.
The main portions of the country are the North and South islands that are separated by the Cook Strait. The North Island is 44,281 sq mi (115,777 sq km) and consists of low, volcanic mountains. Because of its volcanic past, the North Island features hot springs and geysers.
The South Island is 58,093 sq mi (151,215 sq km) and contains the Southern Alps-a northeast-southwest oriented mountain range covered in glaciers. Its highest peak is Mount Cook, also known as Aoraki in the Maori language, at 12,349 ft (3,764 m). To the east of these mountains, the island is dry and made up of the treeless Canterbury Plains. On the southwest, the island's coast is heavily forested and jagged with fjords. This area also features New Zealand's largest national park, Fiordland.
Biodiversity in New Zealand
One of the most important features to note about New Zealand is its high level of biodiversity. Because most of its species are endemic (i.e.- native only on the islands) the country is considered a biodiversity hotspot . This has led to the development of environmental consciousness in the country as well as eco-tourism
Facts About New Zealand
There are no native snakes in New Zealand
76% of New Zealanders live on the North Island
15% of New Zealand's energy comes from renewable sources
32% of New Zealand's population lives in Auckland
| New Zealand |
Colin Firth was nominated for an 'Oscar' for Best Actor this year for his role as 'George Falconer' in which film? | Christchurch - Queenstown - Christchurch
Lake Pukaki, with the peak of Aoraki / Mount Cook in the distance.
Photo by Tourism New Zealand
Day 1
Christchurch - Lake Tekapo - Mt Cook Village
3 hrs
331 km
206 mi
The South Island’s largest city, Christchurch is an entertaining mixture of refined lifestyle and cultural excitement. Visit heritage sites, museums and art galleries, and enjoy the highly developed restaurant scene.
The scenic route to Lake Tekapo begins at Rangiora, a rural centre north of Christchurch city. Small towns appear regularly as you travel across the Canterbury Plains through fields and farms. Explore the old coal mining settlement of Glentunnel before the road climbs over the braided Rakaia River and up to Mount Hutt. There are historic lime kilns at Staveley and Mt Somers, and the pretty town of Geraldine has an interesting car museum. After Fairlie you’ll ascend to the region known as the Mackenzie Country, named after the legendary Scottish sheep rustler who once roamed the area.
The settlement of Lake Tekapo is at the southern end of the lake. The opaque turquoise colour of this lake and others in the area is caused by fine, glacier-ground rock particles held in suspension. Fishing, kayaking, bike riding, horse trekking and skiing are some of the things you can do. The Church of the Good Shepherd and the sheepdog statue are great photo opportunities.
The road to Mt Cook takes you through high country tussock to beautiful Lake Pukaki. You’ll hug the edge of the lake for most of the way up the Tasman Valley to Mount Cook Village.
The Aoraki Mount Cook National Park includes the highest peak in Australasia (Mt Cook - 3755m). The region attracts mountain climbers, hikers and scenery fanatics. Heli skiing, heli hiking and aerial sightseeing provide visitors with amazing memories. A variety of walking trails begin in or near Mount Cook Village – most take only a couple of hours. In the bar of the local hotel, huge windows provide a perfect view of Mt Cook.
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Living to an age of 962 years, who was the second oldest person in the Bible? | Who was the oldest man in the Bible?
Who was the oldest man in the Bible?
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Question: "Who was the oldest man in the Bible?"
Answer: Genesis chapter 5 lists nine men who had very long lives. How and why they lived such long lives is not specifically said. Adam lived 930 years (Genesis 5:5). Seth lived 912 years (Genesis 5:8). Enosh lived 905 years (Genesis 5:11). Kenan lived 910 years (Genesis 5:14). Mahalalel lived 895 years (Genesis 5:17). Jared lived 962 years (Genesis 5:20). Enoch lived 365 years before God took him (Genesis 5:22–24). Lamech lived 777 years (Genesis 5:21). Genesis 9:29 records that Noah lived 950 years.
But the oldest man in the Bible, outliving all the rest, is a man named Methuselah , who lived 969 years (Genesis 5:27). There may have been someone in the antediluvian days who outlived Methuselah, but the Bible has no record of anyone older. Very little is said about Methuselah other than he was the grandfather of Noah. There are two possible meanings of Methuselah’s name: “man of the spear” and “his death shall bring.” There is a tradition outside of the Bible that Enoch, Methuselah’s father, was given a revelation from God that the Flood would not come until his son died. If this is true, Methuselah’s name would essentially mean “his death shall bring the Flood.”
The biblical math backs this up, as Methuselah died the same year the Flood occurred. Methuselah fathered Lamech when he was 187 years old (Genesis 5:25). Lamech fathered Noah when he was 182 years old (Genesis 5:28). The Flood occurred when Noah was 600 years old (Genesis 7:6). 187 + 182 + 600 = 969, which is the age Methuselah was when he died. So it appears there may be an interesting story behind the oldest man in the Bible, Methuselah, and why he lived exactly 969 years.
In the 2014 movie Noah, Methuselah is portrayed as sort of an eccentric witch doctor. While the Bible says nothing about Methuselah to confirm or deny this portrayal, it seems highly unlikely, considering the family line from Adam to Noah recorded in Genesis 5 is the “righteous” line who obeyed the Lord God.
There is very little we can know for sure about Methuselah, the oldest man in the Bible. He lived 969 years and apparently died the same year the Flood occurred. He was the great-great-great-great-great-grandson of Adam and the grandfather of Noah. He was likely a godly man to have been blessed by God with such a long lifespan.
| Jared |
Mount Logan is the highest point in which Commonwealth country? | Who was the oldest person in the Bible? -- Tony Capoccia
Questioner
Who was the oldest person in the Bible and how old was he when he died?
Answer
The oldest person in the Bible was Methuselah at 969 years, then later God lowered the average life span to 120 years, and then even lower to our current average of 70 to 80 years--and this because of the increasing wickedness of mankind.
Adam lived 930 years, and then he died. [Genesis 5:5]
Seth lived 912 years, and then he died. [Genesis 5:8]
Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died. [Genesis 5:11]
Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died. [Genesis 5:14]
Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died. [Genesis 5:17]
Jared lived 962 years, and then he died. [Genesis 5:20]
Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died. [Genesis 5:27]
Lamech lived 777 years, and then he died. [Genesis 5:31]
Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years." [Genesis 6:3]
"The length of our days is seventy years - or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away." [Psalm 90:10]
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "Tony Capoccia's Questions and Answers" by:
Tony Capoccia
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The 2001 film 'Blackhawk Down' told the story of a US | Black Hawk Down (2001) - IMDb
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160 elite U.S. soldiers drop into Somalia to capture two top lieutenants of a renegade warlord and find themselves in a desperate battle with a large force of heavily-armed Somalis.
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Won 2 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 37 nominations. See more awards »
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Edit
Storyline
Action/war drama based on the best-selling book detailing a near-disastrous mission in Somalia on October 3, 1993. On this date nearly 100 U.S. Army Rangers, commanded by Capt. Mike Steele, were dropped by helicopter deep into the capital city of Mogadishu to capture two top lieutenants of a Somali warlord. This led to a large and drawn-out firefight between the Army Ranges, US Special Forces, and hundreds of Somali gunmen; resulting in the destruction of two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters. The film focuses on the heroic efforts of various Rangers to get to the downed black hawks, centering on SSG. Eversmann, leading the Ranger unit Chalk Four to the first black hawk crash site, Chief Warrant Officer Durant who was captured after being the only survivor of the second black hawk crash, as well as many others who were involved. Written by Matthew Patay: revised by Corbin L.
Reporting for Duty Christmas 2001 See more »
Genres:
Rated R for intense, realistic, graphic war violence, and for language | See all certifications »
Parents Guide:
18 January 2002 (USA) See more »
Also Known As:
La caída del halcón negro See more »
Filming Locations:
$193,021 (USA) (4 January 2002)
Gross:
Did You Know?
Trivia
The donkey that Sgt. Ed Yurek briefly pets almost didn't make it into the film because of budget cuts. In fact, during the rewriting and re-editing of the script, screenwriter Ken Nolan found a note by Ridley Scott saying, "I miss the donkey". The donkey was eventually kept. See more »
Goofs
when CPT Steele calls out SFC Hooten to point out the safety of his weapon, it is obvious that when Hooten turns around, the right side of his rifle is facing outward but when Steele's finger is pointing at the safety lever, the left side of the rifle is facing outward See more »
Quotes
See more »
Crazy Credits
There are no studio logos at the beginning and the only opening credit is the title. See more »
Connections
Courtesy of Reachout International Records, Inc. (R.O.I.R.)
By Arrangement with Ocean Park Music Group
Tells it like it is
26 November 2004 | by BettieTeese
(Australia) – See all my reviews
I'm not a fan of war movies usually,but when i sat down to watch Black Hawk Down,i couldn't turn it off.Heres a war movie which doesn't sugar coat.There is no crappy dialogue,no soppy love story tie ins,just the real deal,brutal battle scenes,the gruesome reality of war.Black Hawk Down is based on a true story,the bloody battle at Somalia and it leaves one drained.Its confronting,and exposes war in its true light-there's nothing glamorous to see.In two hours and a bit the viewer is able to imagine being there at the horrible battleground,and suffering like the soldiers did.It really makes you appreciate how lucky we are to be in a free country,relatively peaceful,and not having our lives threatened every second of the day.Everything about BHD is right; the setting of the film,the Somalians,the American soldiers going through hell,the brutality,the battle,the
fatalities.Not for the faint hearted,or weak stomached,but a truly powerful,compelling motion picture.Ridley Scott takes the viewer on an imaginative journey through Black Hawk Down and appeals to our emotions.A brutal,yet bearable war film.
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| Somalia |
Which future American President was imprisoned by the British during the American War of Independence? | Black Hawk Down on PS4, PS3, PS Vita | Official PlayStation®Store US
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Description
From acclaimed director Ridley Scott (GLADIATOR, HANNIBAL) and renowned producer Jerry Bruckheimer (PEARL HARBOR, ARMAGEDDON) comes a gripping true story about bravery, camaraderie and the complex reality of war. BLACK HAWK DOWN stars an exceptional cast including Josh Hartnett (PEARL HARBOR), Ewan McGregor (MOULIN ROUGE!), Tom Sizemore (SAVING PRIVATE RYAN), Eric Bana (CHOPPER), William Fichtner (THE PERFECT STORM), Ewen Bremner (SNATCH) and Sam Shepard (ALL THE PRETTY HORSES). In 1993, an elite group of American Rangers and Delta Force soldiers are sent to Somalia on a critical mission to capture a violent warlord whose corrupt regime has lead to the starvation of hundreds of thousands of Somalis. When the mission goes terribly wrong, the men find themselves outnumbered and literally fighting for their lives.
© Copyright 2001 Revolution Studios Distribution Company, LLC and Jerry Bruckheimer, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Which British architect designed the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg? | The European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights /
The European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights is an international court set up in 1959. It rules on individual or State applications alleging violations of the civil and political rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights.
Since 1998 it has sat as a full-time court and individuals can apply to it directly.
In almost fifty years the Court has delivered more than 10,000 judgments. These are binding on the countries concerned and have led governments to alter their legislation and administrative practice in a wide range of areas. The Court's case-law makes the Convention a powerful living instrument for meeting new challenges and consolidating the rule of law and democracy in Europe.
The Court is based in Strasbourg, in the Human Rights Building designed by the British architect Lord Richard Rogers in 1994 – a building whose image is known worldwide. From here, the Court monitors respect for the human rights of 800 million Europeans in the 47 Council of Europe member States that have ratified the Convention.
How the Court works
Registry
Article 25 of the European Convention on Human Rights provides that: "The Court shall have a registry, the functions and organisation of which shall be laid down in the Rules of Court."
The task of the Registry is to provide legal and administrative support to the Court in the exercise of its judicial functions. It is therefore composed of lawyers, administrative and technical staff and translators. There are currently some 640 staff members of the Registry, 270 lawyers and 370 other support staff (see the Organisation Chart below). Registry staff members are staff members of the Council of Europe, the Court's parent organisation, and are subject to the Council of Europe's Staff Regulations. Approximately half the Registry staff are employed on contracts of unlimited duration and may be expected to pursue a career in the Registry or in other parts of the Council of Europe. They are recruited on the basis of open competitions. All members of the Registry are required to adhere to strict conditions as to their independence and impartiality.The head of the Registry (under the authority of the President of the Court) is the Registrar, who is elected by the Plenary Court (Article 25 (e) of the Convention). He/She is assisted by one or more Deputy Registrars, likewise elected by the Plenary Court. Each of the Court's five judicial Sections is assisted by a Section Registrar and a Deputy Section Registrar.
The principal function of the Registry is to process and prepare for adjudication applications lodged by individuals with the Court. The Registry's lawyers are divided into 31 case-processing divisions, each of which is assisted by an administrative team. The lawyers prepare files and analytical notes for the Judges. They also correspond with the parties on procedural matters. They do not themselves decide cases. Cases are assigned to the different divisions on the basis of knowledge of the language and legal system concerned. The documents prepared by the Registry for the Court are all drafted in one of its two official languages (English and French).
In addition to its case-processing divisions, the Registry has divisions dealing with the following sectors of activity: information technology; case-law information and publications; research and the library; just satisfaction; press and public relations; language department and internal administration. It also has a central office, which handles mail, files and archives.
| Richard Rogers |
Which English queen is said to haunt the library at Windsor Castle? | Strasbourg – Council of Europe Headquarters
HQ Strasbourg /
Strasbourg – Council of Europe Headquarters
Based in the beautiful city of Strasbourg, France, right next to the European Parliament, the Council of Europe headquarters forms the hub of our operations. In the heart of the European Quarter of Strasbourg, the headquarters is in fact a complex of 6 main buildings, with over 2000 staff.
Onsite, there are plenty of facilities to help provide staff with an excellent working environment. You can find 5 restaurants, 3 cafés, a newsagent, a bank, a post office, and a squash court. Right next to le Palais is the beautiful Orangerie park, an ideal place to take a walk, or have a picnic.
As well as impressive architecture, the Council of Europe headquarters is also home to some prestigious art works , donated by member states.
Palais de l'Europe
Designed by French architect Henry Bernard and inaugurated in 1977, the Palais de l'Europe is the Council of Europe's principal building. With its entrance flanked by the flags of all the Council's member states, the structure of the Palais – a solid, fortress-like exterior which contrasts with its gentler and more fluid curved interior – reflects the values of strength in unity, trust, and cordiality that define the work carried out within its walls. The outer layer of the Palais is a strong mixture of red, silver and golden-brown colours, which are found on the concrete of the buttresses, the aluminium-covered façade and the vast windows of the conference rooms respectively. In front of the Palais a gently sloping lawn sweeps down from its main steps. Once the site of the predecessor to the Palais de l'Europe – the Maison de l'Europe – this swathe of green land is home to several works of art which have been presented to the Council of Europe.
Agora
Agora is the Council of Europe's newest building, taking its name from the ancient Greek word for an open place of assembly. It was inaugurated in April 2008 and designed by the architectural firms Art & Build (Brussels) and Denu et Paradon (Strasbourg). Voted the best office building of the year in 2008 (MIPIM award), the Agora combines modernity, efficiency and respect for the environment. Behind its large glazed facade are two atria, which are enclosed by meeting rooms clad in pre-patinated copper. Covering this structure is an eye-catching cantilevered metal roof, which is topped by two fabric solar chimneys, shaped to allow natural ventilation of the atria. This progressive building bears witness to the Council of Europe's commitment to environmental responsibility.
European Court of Human Rights
Inaugurated in 1995, the Human Rights Building curves alongside the Ill, the river that flows through Strasbourg. It is one of the most striking achievements of the great British architect Lord Richard Rogers, who also designed the Centre Georges-Pompidou, London's Millennium Dome, and the Welsh National Assembly building. Situated across the water from the European Union's Louise Weiss European Parliament building, the design of the Human Rights Building is true to Lord Rogers' functional and modernist style. Steeped in symbolism (the façade evokes the scales of justice), its contemporary materials (the liberal use of glass is a metaphor for transparency) are used to striking effect. The front of the Human Rights Building is formed by the two cylindrical chambers of the European Court of Human Rights. These two towering structures link the main sections of the building: public spaces comprising intricate circular elements of metal, glass and Vosges sandstone and a simple and more sober office area.
EDQM
The new building of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare sits to the rear of the Agora. Designed by architects from the Brussels-based firm Art & Build and the Strasbourg-based Denu and Paradon, it was inaugurated in March 2007. The curved glass and wooden structure combines a modern aesthetic with contemporary functionality and houses laboratories, offices and meeting rooms that serve the organisation's expanding role in monitoring the quality of medicines in Europe and further afield.
European Youth Centre
Designed by the Norwegian architects Lund and Slaatto, this functional, contemporary building has received tens of thousands of young people from all backgrounds since 1972. It is located in the Wacken neighbourhood. The European Youth Centre, an outstanding example of Scandinavian architecture, blends the rawness of concrete and aluminium to striking effect.
European Audiovisual Observatory
The European Audiovisual Observatory's headquarters are situated in the beautiful art nouveau Villa Schutzenberger on Strasbourg's Allée de la Robertsau, the main axis leading to the Council of Europe.
Built in 1900 by the architects Berninger and Krafft, the Villa Schutzenberger is one of the finest examples of art nouveau architecture in Strasbourg. The details of its internal and external architecture have been closely associated to the identity of the Observatory ever since it took up working residence in this magnificent building in 1992. The Villa was kindly made available to the Observatory by the City of Strasbourg.
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The British Open Championships of which sport are held annually at Cowdray Park in West Sussex? | Cowdray Park Polo Club
Over 100 years of Polo
COWDRAY PARK POLO CLUB
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup for the British Open Championships
2017 - June 27 – 23 July
SEE OUR NEW FIXTURES FOR THE 2017 SEASON
2017 SEASON
Welcome to Cowdray Park Polo Club recognised worldwide as the Home of British Polo. Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty within Viscount Cowdray’s 16,500 acre estate in West Sussex.
The 2016 polo season has now finished, and will restart on the 29th April 2017.
News
| Polo |
In which sport does the '40/20 Rule' reward excellence in kicking? | Polo Gold Cup 2015: Jaeger-LeCoultre takes reins as patrons clock in £40m for British Championship - Telegraph
Polo Gold Cup 2015: Jaeger-LeCoultre takes reins as patrons clock in £40m for British Championship
Dubai and Zacara favourites to land prestigious tournament at Cowdray Park
Pulling in the star names: Facundo Pieres, the 10 goal Argentinian, wins the Gold Cup Photo: VANESSA TAYLOR
By Gareth A Davies , Polo Correspondent
6:00AM BST 08 Jun 2015
• Follow Telegrah Polo in 2015 season
Ali Albwardy’s Dubai team, featuring the world’s leading player Adolfo Cambiaso, return to defend the Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup for the British Open Championship, having claimed a fourth triumph in the world’s most important tournament at 22-goal level last summer.
The tournament begins on June 23, culminating with the final on July 19, with the draw to be held on Monday night at Jaeger-LeCoultre's new boutique on Old Bond Street , London, where players and patrons from each of the 14 teams will be represented.
Since its inception in 1956, the Gold Cup has become the most important single, polo tournament played outside Argentina, a powerhouse in the sport. Its home is Cowdray Park Polo Club, where all the final rounds are played.
Former England captain Luke Tomlinson will be present at draw
Set within Viscount Cowdray’s 16,500 acre estate in Midhurst, West Sussex, Cowdray Park Polo Club, with its cricket square and castle ruins next to the polo grounds, mark it out as quintessentially English.
For many, it has become a permanent fixture in the summer social and sporting diary as part of the summer season, with thousands of spectators turning out on finals day for an event which was sponsored from 1995 by Veuve Clicquot. Jaeger-LeCoultre are the official timekeepers for the polo grounds, and have become the newly-heralded title sponsors this season.
There is great anticipation for another hotly-contested title in 2015. An impressive debut was made in the 2014 tournament by the King Power team of Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha, which reached the final in its first ever entry of the Gold Cup.
They return in 2015 - with 10-goal brothers Gonzalo and Facundo Pieres - alongside a second King Power team with Top’s brother Apichet ‘Tal’Srivaddhanaprabha in the driving seat for King Power Foxes.
Winners in 2011 and 2013, Lyndon Lea’s Zacara team also makes a welcome return. El Remanso, with the Hanbury family team, has also featured strongly in the tournament in recent years, reaching the final in 2012. Other teams re-entering the British Open Championship are the HB Polo side of Sebastien and Ludovic Pailloncy, Nick Clarke’s Salkeld team, Edouard Carmignac’s Talandracas and Harald Link’s Thai Polo team, as well as the UAE side.
Brand new to the tournament are Michael Bickford’s La Indiana side - with England captain James Beim and compatriot James Harper - Ben Soleimani's RH Polo, and Dr Hilal Noordeen’s VPS Healthcare Sifani.
In all, around £40 million will have been invested in the teams by the patrons.
Chris Bethell, manager of polo at Cowdray Park, explained: "We're delighted that Jaeger-LeCoultre are this year's title sponsors for the British Open, a title coveted by the greatest players in the world, and a group of very ambitious patrons who invest heavily in having the best teams, and the best strings of ponies. It is unique in sport, in the sense that the patrons are amateurs, and choose from the very best players in the world.
• Jaeger-LeCoultre announced as Gold Cup sponsors
"Jaeger-LeCoultre are not new to Cowdray Park, though. Since 2006 they have been the official timekeeper and are now taking it to the next level."
Bethel will seed the top four teams, after the quarter finals of the Queen's Cup, which is currently ongoing. Bethell added: "Those four semi-finalists will be seeded and then everyone else will come out of the hat.
"I guarantee every team four league games, and the top eight, determined by points and goal difference, go forward to the quarter finals. We are expecting a thrilling tournament this year, culminating in the final with around 15,000 spectators at Cowdray Park."
Zahra Kassim-Lakha, Jaeger-LeCoultre Director of Global Strategy, said: "With our Reverso watch made for British officers in India in 1931, Polo is in our blood. Jaeger-LeCoultre is absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Cowdray at this level. With an unprecedented 14 teams competing in the Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup this year, we think 2015 will be the beginning of a very exciting era for the legendary tournament in the UK and around the world.”
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Falco subbuteo is the scientific name for which member of the falcon family? | Falco subbuteo (Eurasian Hobby, European Hobby, Hobby)
Falco subbuteo
Eurasian Hobby, Hobby, European Hobby
French
–
Faucon hobereau
Taxonomic Source(s): del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
Butchart, S., Ekstrom, J., Khwaja, N. & Ashpole, J
Justification:
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (extent of occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over 10 years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in 10 years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Previously published Red List assessments:
2015 – Least Concern (LC)
Countries occurrence:
Native:
Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Andorra; Angola (Angola); Armenia (Armenia); Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belgium; Benin; Bhutan; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; China; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Djibouti; Egypt; Eritrea; Estonia; Ethiopia; Finland; France; Gabon; Gambia; Georgia; Germany; Gibraltar; Greece; Hong Kong; Hungary; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Latvia; Lebanon; Liberia; Libya; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malawi; Maldives; Mali; Malta; Mauritania; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Netherlands; Nigeria; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Saudi Arabia; Serbia (Serbia); Seychelles; Slovakia; Slovenia; Somalia; South Africa; South Sudan; Spain (Canary Is.); Sudan; Swaziland; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; Uzbekistan; Viet Nam; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Vagrant:
Cameroon; Canada; Chad; Faroe Islands; Ghana; Guinea; Iceland; Indonesia; Lesotho; Malaysia; Senegal; Singapore; Taiwan, Province of China; Timor-Leste; United States (Georgia - Native)
Present - origin uncertain:
♦ Continuing decline in area of occupancy (AOO):
Unknown
♦ Extreme fluctuations in area of occupancy (AOO):
No
♦ Estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) - km2:
49300000
♦ Continuing decline in extent of occurrence (EOO):
Unknown
♦ Extreme fluctuations in extent of occurrence (EOO):
No
♦ Continuing decline in number of locations:
Unknown
♦ Extreme fluctuations in the number of locations:
No
Population [top]
Population:
The European population is estimated at 92,100-147,000 pairs, which equates to 184,000-295,000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015). Europe forms approximately 30% of the global range, so a very preliminary estimate of the global population size is 613,000-983,000 mature individuals, although further validation of this estimate is needed. The population is therefore placed in the band 500,000-999,999 mature individuals.
Trend Justification: The population is declining locally owing to habitat loss (del Hoyo et al. 1994). In Europe the population size is estimated to be stable (BirdLife International 2015).
Current Population Trend:
♦ Continuing decline of mature individuals:
Unknown
♦ All individuals in one subpopulation:
No
Habitat and Ecology [top]
Habitat and Ecology:
Behaviour Most individuals of the species are migratory, with western birds wintering in Africa and others in southern Asia (del Hoyo et al. 1994). Birds leave their breeding grounds between August and October, arriving at wintering quarters from late October onwards. The return journey begins in March and April, and breeding territories are occupied again in May and June. Birds are usually seen singly or in pairs or family groups, even on migration, with larger groups being rare except at roosts and especially rich feeding sites (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001). It migrates in broad fronts and does not generally concentrate at narrow sea crossings as do many other migratory raptors (del Hoyo et al. 1994, Snow and Perrins 1998). It is mainly diurnal although partly crepuscular and even nocturnal to some extent on migration (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001). Habitat It occurs in open wooded areas, and has been recorded up to 4,000 m (del Hoyo et al. 1994). Diet Flying insects form the main part of its diet, although birds are often taken in the breeding season (del Hoyo et al. 1994). Breeding site Birds almost always nest in trees, using abandoned nests of other raptors or corvids (del Hoyo et al. 1994). Management information The species requires trees in which to nest, so although preferring generally open areas in the breeding season it will avoid those that are completely deforested (del Hoyo et al. 1994).
Systems:
Threats [top]
Major Threat(s):
The cutting of old growth forest patches in Ukraine is thought to have caused local declines (Orta and Kirwan 2014). Some are shot, notably in Malta where hunters are thought to kill 500-1,000 individuals each year. A growing threat is human disturbance, which facilitates nest predation by crows and squirrels. Pesticide use has likely had only minor impacts, as has egg-collecting, which tends to be a local issue (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001). The species is highly vulnerable to the effects of potential wind energy development (Strix 2012).
Citation:
BirdLife International. 2016. Falco subbuteo. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22696460A93564381. . Downloaded on 02 January 2017.
Disclaimer:
| Hobby |
Which South African was a member of the British War Cabinet between June 1917 and January 1919? | Class - Aves
The scientific class Aves includes all birds.
Birds have feathers, wings, beaks, and scales on their legs and feet. They're also warm-blooded, breathe air, and lay eggs.
Subclass - Neornithes
This subclass includes all species of modern birds dating back to the late Cretaceous period.
Order - Falconiformes
Birds in the order Falconiformes have strong bills which are hooked at the tip and sharp on the edges; fleshy ceres (soft skin) at the base of the bills; feet with sharp, curved talons; an opposable hind toe; and keen vision. They are generally strong flyers and carnivores (animal-eaters).
Because they eat other animals, Falconiformes are commonly called birds of prey or raptors. More specifically, they hunt during the day and thus are called diurnal birds of prey. Owls (Order Strigiformes) are also birds of prey, but they are nocturnal (hunt at night).
Family
There are five families in the Order Falconiformes.
The secretary bird belongs to its own family, Sagittariidae. Though classified in Falconiformes, it has many cranelike physical qualities, such as long legs and short, blunt toes.
Ospreys belong to the family Pandionidae. This fish-eating species has a unique foot structure within the Order Falconiformes. The outer front toe can swing to face backward with the hind toe, an adaptation for grasping their prey.
Accipitridae is a large family which includes kites, Old World vultures, harriers, hawks, eagles, and buzzards. The members of this varied group are believed to be derived from a common kitelike ancestor. Most are active predators and build nests made of sticks. The insides of their eggs are green-tinted.
The family Falconidae contains the falcons and caracaras. They're similar to birds in the family Accipitridae, but their bills are notched, they have proportionately longer wings, and the insides of their eggs have a reddish-yellow tint.
The family Cathartidae includes New World vultures. Like Old World vultures, they're primarily carrion eaters and have more or less unfeathered heads. Unlike Old World vultures, they don't have a syrinx (voicebox), don't build nests, and their septum (the structure that separates the two nostrils) is perforated.
Genus & Species
There are 286 species in the Order Falconiformes (Brooke and Birkhead, 1991).
The family Sagittariidae has one species, the secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius).
Accipitridae is the largest family with 217 species. Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperii), bearded vultures (Gypaetus barbatus), and cinereous vultures (Aegypius monachus) belong to this family.
Falconidae has 60 species including the American kestrel (Falco sparverius), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), European hobby (Falco subbuteo), and crested caracara (Polyborus plancus).
The family Cathartidae has seven species including the turkey vulture (Cathartes aura), black vulture (Coragyps atratus), and the endangered California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) and Andean condor (Vultur gryphus).
Fossil Record
Fossil remains of a birdlike reptile, Archaeopteryx, have led scientists to believe that birds originated from reptiles in the Jurassic or late Triassic period.
The first fossil remains of Archaeopteryx were found in Southern Germany in 1861.
The reptilian features of Archaeopteryx include a dinosaurlike skull with toothed jaws, clawed fingers, a long bony tail, and abdominal ribs.
The avian features include a shoulder girdle, pelvis, and leg bones roughly similar to modern birds. Most importantly, Archaeopteryx has feathers.
Archaeopteryx belongs to the Subclass Archaeornithes.
Fossil evidence shows that two other subclasses of primitive birds existed during the Cretaceous period: Enantiornithes and Odontornithes.
Ancestors of modern birds, Subclass Neornithes, are believed to have originated during the Cretaceous period. During the late Cretaceous and early Tertiary, Neornithes underwent an extensive diversification. By the end of the Eocene, at least 80% of the modern orders of birds had appeared, including Falconiformes (Welty, 1982).
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Formerly known as 'Marky Mark', who played 'Charlie Croker' in the 2003 film 'The Italian Job'? | The Italian Job (2003) - IMDb
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After being betrayed and left for dead in Italy, Charlie Croker and his team plan an elaborate gold heist against their former ally.
Director:
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Title: The Italian Job (2003)
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7 wins & 7 nominations. See more awards »
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Frank is hired to "transport" packages for unknown clients and has made a very good living doing so. But when asked to move a package that begins moving, complications arise.
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Director: Louis Leterrier
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Director: Roger Donaldson
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Edit
Storyline
Led by John Bridger ( Donald Sutherland ) and Charlie Croker ( Mark Wahlberg ) a team is assembled for one last heist to steal $35 million in gold bars from a heavily guarded safe in Venice, Italy. After successfully pulling off the heist, a team member, Steve ( Edward Norton ), driven by greed and jealousy, arranges to take the gold for himself and eliminate the remaining members of the group. Thinking the team dead, he returns to L.A. with the gold. Charlie and the survivors of this betrayal follow Steve L.A. to exact revenge against the traitor. Charlie enlists the help of John Bridger's daughter, Stella ( Charlize Theron ) - a professional safe cracker, to get revenge. With Stella and the hacking skills of Lyle (Seth Green), the explosives skills of "Left Ear" ( Yasiin Bey ), and the driving skills of "Handsome" Rob ( Jason Statham ) this new team plans and executes a daring heist that weaves through the freeways and subways of L.A. Written by CKnapp
Steal The Day 5.30.03 See more »
Genres:
Rated PG-13 for violence and some language | See all certifications »
Parents Guide:
30 May 2003 (USA) See more »
Also Known As:
La estafa maestra See more »
Filming Locations:
$19,457,944 (USA) (30 May 2003)
Gross:
Did You Know?
Trivia
For the first time in cinematic history, the production shut down Hollywood Boulevard and Highland for seven days for the shooting, according to director F. Gary Gray in an interview featured in the DVD. See more »
Goofs
Obvious stunt double when Charlie hits Steve. See more »
Quotes
Stella : [on the phone] Hello.
John Bridger : [on the phone] Hello, sweetie.
Stella : [on the phone] Daddy, it's early.
See more »
Crazy Credits
At the very end of the credits, the sound of coins falling and tinkling can be heard. See more »
Connections
Slick, amusing caper film; Gray's best movie featuring Davis' best soundtrack
11 December 2005 | by lemon_magic
(Wavy Wheat, Nebraska) – See all my reviews
My reaction to this remake of "The Italian Job" is probably hopelessly mixed up with the events occurring in my life when I saw it; This is the first movie I saw after I had just landed a job after 8 months of unemployment and going back to school for retraining. Money was still tight, but I no longer had to choose between seeing a movie in the theaters and paying bills (or eating lunch), and the sense of relief and gratitude I was feeling at the time was enormous. In consequence, my enjoyment of "Italian Job" was probably far out of proportion to its actual worth.
Still, I picked it up used on DVD a few weeks ago and watched it again, and I still enjoyed it immensely. I have never seen the original (though I have heard it is an absolute classic), but its modern day counterpart is eminently watchable if you have a taste for modern day production values applied to older films plots and themes.
What initially won me over to this movie was the soundtrack - IMO Don Davis writes some of the most supple, textured and aurally pleasing soundtracks around. IJ opens with a sly, witty, pulsing arrangement that combines strings, guitar harmonics, brush work and quiet moments - it won me over completely from the opening seconds. And the whole movie is like this - I haven't heard this kind of ringing, chiming, pulsing soundtrack music since Stewart Copeland left the Police and started doing soundtracks for movies like "Rumble Fish". There are at least a dozen irresistibly scored motifs in here, along with some pop song remakes that range from "all right" to "inspired". For people to whom the soundtrack is important, this movie is a delight.
On to the movie: I can take or leave Mark Wahlberg, but he's okay here as the leading man, and the movie doesn't ask him to do anything he can't do well. He's the weakest "major" actor in the film, but that's because the rest of supporting cast is so strong, especially Donald Sutherland in a bit part. Mos Def, Jason Steadham, Ed Norton, Seth Green and Charlize Theron all turn in solid, fat-free performances. Norton seems to mostly be phoning it in (rumor has it that he didn't really want to be in the film), but he's still a natural even at 1/2 power. My one quibble with the casting and acting is with the character "Wrench", who seems to be a male model pretending to be an actor. His part seems to be shoehorned into the movie, and he has little chemistry with the rest of the cast (although you can blame some of that on the size of the part and the "late walk on" nature of the character). If I were a cynical sort,I would wonder who the actor slept with to get put into this movie in such a supernumerary role? Nah, never happen...
Production values, camera work, stunts, plot...everything cooks along quite nicely and Gray and his production crew pull things together pretty seamlessly (with the exception of the "Wrench" character, see above).
The dialog has a nice, light touch that rewards your indulgence, and there are several satisfying major and minor plot payoffs along the way. (My favorite moment - when Norton's character tells Wahlberg's character that he's just lost the element of surprise. Wahlberg proceeds to cold cock Norton with a right cross, and then asks him, "Were you surprised??" Hmmm, maybe you had to be there...)
Of course the movie requires a certain level of "suspension of disbelief" to work, but if you just relax and go along with it (and don't think too hard about the mechanics of cracking a safe underwater, or the likelihood of anyone being able to successfully hack and manipulate LA traffic via a laptop, etc), you'll have a fun ride.
"The Italian Job": it's lightweight summer fluff, but it's very good for what it is, and it doesn't try to be anything else. It isn't good enough for an "8" but I'd give it a "7.5".
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| Mark Wahlberg |
The new musical 'Betty Blue Eyes' is based on the film 'A Private Function' which starred Michael Palin and Maggie Smith 'Betty' is stolen at the time of the 1947 wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. What kind of animal is 'Betty'? | 1000+ images about Mark Wahlberg ♡♡ on Pinterest | This man, Maxim magazine and Timeline
Mark Wahlberg stands on his hotel room balcony as he gets a spray tan in Miami, Florida on May 29, 2012. Spray Tan provided by Tennille Cardinal of Norvell Skin Solutions - UsMagazine.com
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Who was Prime Minister from June 1885 to January 1886, June 1886 to August 1892 and June 1895 to July 1902? | Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (1830-1903)
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (1830-1903)
Marjie Bloy , Ph. D., Senior Research Fellow, the Victorian Web
[ Victorian Web Home —> Political History —> Prime Ministers ]
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil served three times as Prime Minister: from 23 June 1885 to 28 January 1886; from 25 July 1886 to 11 August 1892; and from 25 June 1895 to 11 July 1902 The third son and fifth child of six of James Brownlow William Gascoyne-Cecil and his first wife Frances Mary Gascoyne, he was born on 3 February 1830 at Hatfield House. However, their second son died at the age of two, leaving Salisbury effectively as the second son. The family was descended from the first Lord Salisbury, the son of Lord Burghley who was Elizabeth I's minister.
Salisbury was educated by a private tutor and briefly attended a boarding school near Hatfield; between 1840 and 1845 he was a student at Eton but he was removed because of constant bullying and again had a private tutor at Hatfield. In 1847 he was admitted to Christ Church, Oxford, and was awarded his Degree in 1850; in 1853 he obtained a fourth class Degree in maths and an MA in 1853.
Between July 1851 and May 1853 he visited South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, and soon after his return was elected as MP for Stamford. He made his maiden speech in April 1854. On 11 July 1857 Salisbury married Georgina Alderson, the daughter of a judge, despite his father's opposition. Consequently, his father refused to increase his son's allowance and Salisbury was obliged to become a journalist to earn enough money to keep his family. He wrote articles on a regular basis for Bentley's Review and the Tory periodical the Quarterly Review. In April 1850 he entered Lincoln's Inn, but his financial situation did not become secure until the death of his elder brother in 1865 at which point Salisbury took the courtesy title of Viscount Cranbourne and became heir to the wealth and estates of his family.
Hatfield House in Hertfordshire: the home of the Cecil family.
In July 1866 he was appointed as Secretary of State for India in Lord Derby 's third ministry and was also made a Privy Counsellor; however, he resigned from the government in March 1867 because he opposed the extension of the franchise proposed in Disraeli 's second Reform Bill. In March 1868 he spoke against Gladstone 's proposal for the disestablishment of the Irish Church; it proved to be his last speech in the Commons because his father died the next month and Salisbury succeeded to the title and a seat in the House of Lords.
In the general election of 1874 the Tories won a majority, and Disraeli became PM; Salisbury was appointed as Secretary of State for India once again although relations between the two men were not always easy. In December 1876 Salisbury was sent as Britain's representative to the Six Powers' conference on the Eastern Question in Constantinople [Istanbul]. Although the conference ended in the failure of the Powers to find a solution, it was clear that Salisbury had made a good impression on other European leaders. On the resignation of Lord Derby in April 1878, Salisbury was appointed as Britain's Foreign Secretary but before he took up his post formally, he issued the 'Salisbury Circular' to other European powers on why the treaty of San Stefano — agreed between the Ottoman Empire and Russia — should not be accepted by Europe. Consequently, the Congress of Berlin met between 13 June and 13 July 1878, hosted by Prussia under the auspices of Count Otto von Bismarck. Salisbury and Disraeli, who attended on behalf of Britain, claimed to have returned with 'peace with honour' for Britain following the signing of the treaty that supposedly settled the problems in the Balkans. For his efforts, Salisbury was created a Knight of the Garter.
On the death of Disraeli in 1880, Salisbury assumed leadership of the parliamentary opposition in the House of Lords to Gladstone's Liberal Government. The same role in the Commons was filled by Sir Stafford Northcote: the two men were deemed to be a dual leadership of the Conservative Party in the country. In October 1883 Salisbury published (anonymously but recognisably) an article in the Quarterly Review on the dangers of radicalism: this was during the process of framing the third Reform Bill. Gladstone's government was brought down on a vote over the Budget and Salisbury accepted office as PM on 23 June 1885. He then decided to take on the role of Foreign Secretary as well. In the December general election he failed to win a majority: the results were as follows:
Liberals — 335
Conservatives —249
Irish Nationalists —86
Shortly afterwards the government was defeated over the issue of the 'three acres and a cow' amendment to the Queen's Speech on 28 January 1886. The reality of the debate was not on whether every person should be entitled to the 'three acres and a cow' but on whether Ireland should be granted Home Rule. However, Salisbury returned to power within the year, following the defeat of Gladstone's bill for Irish Home Rule with his party reinforced by the addition of Joseph Chamberlain's "Liberal Unionists": Liberals who opposed Gladstone's attempts to give home rule to Ireland. Salisbury's Chancellor of the Exchequer was Lord Randolph Churchill — father of Winston Churchill — nother unpredictable ally. Salisbury was reported as saying, 'I have four departments —the Prime Minister's, the Foreign Office, the Queen and Randolph Churchill; the burden of them increases in that order'. In December 1886 Churchill resigned after a series of differences with Salisbury: it is thought that he did not expect his resignation to be accepted and was most surprised when it was. Salisbury's habit of appointing his family to positions of power is thought to have been the origin of the expression, "Bob's your uncle": in 1887 he appointed his nephew Arthur Balfour as Chief Secretary of Ireland.
In 1888 the government passed the Local Government Act, which created County Councils that were responsible for local administration. The following year the British South Africa Company was granted a Royal Charter to colonise an area in central east Africa that ultimately became Rhodesia with its capital at Salisbury [now Zimbabwe and Harare respectively]. Salisbury attempted to avoid alignments in European affairs, maintaining the policy of what was later called splendid isolation. Colonial affairs, however, brought difficulties with some of the European powers.
an Anglo-German agreement in 1890 resolved conflicting claims in East Africa: by the agreement, Great Britain received Zanzibar and Uganda in exchange for Heligoland
a treaty with Portugal in 1891 gave Britain further rights in East Africa.
the Fashoda Incident of 1898 brought Britain and France to the verge of war but ended in a diplomatic victory for Britain.
difficulties with the Boers-Dutch settlers in southern Africa who had attempted to escape from British rule-resulted in the Boer War of 1899--1902
Salisbury conciliated the United States at the time of the
Venezuela Boundary Dispute (1895)
the Spanish-American War
the Panama negotiations
In 1891 his government passed an Education Act that introduced free elementary education but the general election of 1892 resulted in a small majority for the Liberals; Salisbury resigned and Gladstone formed his fourth and last ministry, retiring finally in March 1894 to give way to Lord Rosebery . Rosebery's ministry was defeated in 1895 on a vote on the Army Estimates and Salisbury formed a coalition government with the Duke of Devonshire and Joseph Chamberlain until an election could be held. Chamberlain had taken a substantial number of Liberal MPs over to the ranks of the Conservatives because they disagreed with Gladstone's attempts to give Home Rule to Ireland. Having split the Liberal Party in the 1880s, Chamberlain went on to do the same to the Conservative and Unionist Party in 1903.
This ministry passed the Workmen's Compensation Act in 1897 and a Local Government Act for Ireland in 1898. In the reconstructed administration of 1900 there were so many of Salisbury's relations holding office that it was nicknamed the 'Hotel Cecil'. During this part of the ministry, relations with the Boers living in the South African Republic (the Transvaal and the Orange Free State) deteriorated over the rights of the "foreigners" to vote: Paul Kruger had no intention of allowing the Boers to be outnumbered by other settlers. In October 1899 the Boer War broke out, ending only in May 1902 with the Treaty of Vereenging.
As his health failed, Salisbury handed over the Foreign Office to Lord Lansdowne; in July 1902 he resigned as PM on the grounds of ill health and was succeeded by his nephew, Arthur Balfour. Salisbury died on 22 August 1903 at Hatfield House. He was 73 years old.
Recommended Reading
Cecil, D. The Cecils of Hatfield House. London, 1973.
Kennedy, AL. Salisbury 1830-1903: Portrait of a Statesman. London, 1953.
Roberts, Andrew. Salisbury, Victorian Titan. 1st ed. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1999. Now available in paperback from Faber, 2010. 984pp. [ Reviewed by Joe Pilling]
Taylor, R. Lord Salisbury. London, 1975.
| Marquess of Salisbury |
Born in Oldham, who is the Chair of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester? | History of Robert Cecil - GOV.UK
GOV.UK
Robert Cecil, Marquess of Salisbury Foreign Secretary April 1878 to April 1880, June 1885 to February 1886, January 1887 to August 1892 and June 1895 to November 1900
Lived
1830 to 1903
Dates in office
April 1878 to April 1880, June 1885 to February 1886, January 1887 to August 1892 and June 1895 to November 1900
Political party
Interesting facts
A Secretary of State who successfully combined the offices of Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary.
Lord Salisbury wrote in 1862 on his political hero, Lord Castlereagh, ‘There is nothing dramatic in the success of a diplomatist.’ Rather, his successes are ‘microscopic advantages’ derived from ‘sleepless tact, immovable calmness, and a patience that no folly, no provocation, no blunders can shake’. In 1900, at the end of over 13 years as Foreign Secretary from 1878, the 1862 biography seemed to serve as a self-portrait.
Salisbury had a diplomatic baptism of fire as Plenipotentiary at the Constantinople Conference (1876 to 1877) where the inaction shown by Foreign Secretary Derby, in the face of the Eastern Crisis, allowed Salisbury to witness the dangers of passivity in diplomacy. When Salisbury became Foreign Secretary in March 1878 his circular despatch of 1 April challenged the dominance Russia had achieved over Turkey through the Treaty of San Stefano (1877). Salisbury then negotiated 3 separate conventions with Austria, Russia and Turkey, endorsed at the Congress of Berlin in the summer, facilitating, in the words of Disraeli, ‘peace with honour’.
After 5 years out of office, Salisbury became Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister in the caretaker government of 1885. Salisbury much preferred the Foreign Office to Downing Street. It was as Foreign Secretary that he could pursue a sophisticated intellectual policy in relative peace and quiet. It was in solitude that Salisbury thrived, but his impeccable manners meant that he would always listen to ambassadors and foreign dignitaries, often jabbing himself with a paper knife under the table to remain awake.
Salisbury's personality and style of working
A deeply religious man who refused to subvert Christianity to political purposes, he became highly empirical in office and disliked all dogmas and doctrines declaring ‘nothing can be certain until it happens’. Refusing to delegate and finding discussion unhelpful, Salisbury could be exceptionally difficult to work for.
Salisbury’s foreign policy has been labelled ‘splendid isolation’ (in fact a phrase of Joseph Chamberlain's), but it was really anything but. In early 1888 he said, “We are part of the community of Europe, and we must do our duty as such”. Salisbury believed that Britain was a satisfied power, and as such, that her best interests (namely imperial trade) were served by peace. Considering that all of the Great Powers, save Austria, impinged upon the empire somewhere, Salisbury focused on European diplomacy as the key to imperial security. Indeed, in 1887 he was concerned that the other powers would collectively treat the empire as ‘divisible booty’.
However, his style was one of engagement without commitment. He struck agreements with Germany and France in 1890, Portugal in 1891 and the United States in 1895 which ensured that the ‘scramble for Africa’ was, at least in British terms, rather orderly. Yet he never entered into a formal alliance with any power while he was Foreign Secretary. The closest he came were agreements with Austria and Italy to ensure the status quo in the Mediterranean in 1887, but these were ended in 1896 along with British interest in Constantinople, when Salisbury’s desire for the Royal Navy to intervene in the Armenian crisis was overruled by the Cabinet.
Despite not being a democrat, he maintained the (somewhat expedient) constitutional smokescreen that Britain could not commit to a formal alliance because he could not know “what may be the humour of our people in circumstances which cannot be foreseen”.
Achievements in office
Salisbury firmly believed peace was in the best interests of the empire, but he was no pacifist. However, he thought the first rule in negotiation was to select beforehand “the one point which all others must subserve”. For Salisbury, the passage to India was sacrosanct. Therefore, threats to the Suez Canal (rather than Constantinople) and the Cape would meet with force. Kitchener's securing of the Upper Nile in 1898 could easily have caused a war with France. Yet Salisbury, refusing to issue an ultimatum to a French government on the verge of collapse and allowing France to withdraw with some semblance of dignity, diffused the Fashoda Crisis in 1898.
Events in the Cape escalated more quickly in 1899, and Salisbury was taken unawares by the Boers desire for confrontation. His declining health and Chamberlain’s secret German negotiations helped to weaken his grip on policy, yet he quickly replaced General Buller following Black Week with Roberts and Kitchener, and remained Prime Minister until June 1902 to see the war through.
Salisbury said that the method of foreign policy was more important than the substance. His patience, tact and clarity of thought were unquestionable. He conceived of the empire and diplomacy as a single unit. Thus, while he was attacked for apparent inaction at the Russian entrance into Port Arthur in 1898, this was because securing the Upper Nile was of greater importance to an empire which could not afford a confrontation with two powers at once.
Nevertheless, his tenure saw a huge expansion of imperial territory, including Nigeria, New Guinea, Rhodesia, Upper Burma, Zanzibar and the Transvaal. He fended off German and French endeavours in East and West Africa respectively in the face of the Franco-Russian Alliance without war, and having only to lean to the triple Alliance. His was a policy of engagement with room to manoeuvre. In 1864, Salisbury lamented Britain's position “without a single ally and without a shred of influence”. By 1900, Britain was still without an ally, singularly thanks to Salisbury, but without influence she was not.
Further reading
Choose Your Weapons: The British Foreign Secretary, 200 Years of Argument Success and Failure by D Hurd (London, 2010)
Salisbury 1830–1903: Portrait of a Statesman by AL Kennedy (London, 1953)
‘The Principles and Methods of Lord Salisbury's Foreign Policy’ in the Cambridge Historical Journal Vol. 5 No. 1 (1935), p.87-106, LM Penson ‘The Principles and Methods of Lord Salisbury’s Foreign Policy’ in Cambridge Historical Journal Vol. 5 No. 1 (1935), p.87-106
Salisbury: Victorian Titan, A Roberts (London, 1999)
‘Cecil, Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne’ in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography by P. Smith, (Oxford, 2004)
Lord Salisbury: A Political Biography by D Steele (UCL, 1999)
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What was the occupation of the Ford workers who went on strike in 1968, the subject of the film 'Made In Dagenham'? | Workers' Liberty
Workers' Liberty
The real story of Made in Dagenham
Submitted by cathy n on
14 July, 2008 - 15:13
Author:
Becky Crocker
London Workers' Liberty is holding a meeting about the story and lessons of the strike on 21 October 2010. Details here .
***
In June 1968 women sewing machinists in the Ford car plant in Dagenham took a stand for equal pay in a strike that stopped production for three weeks. They succeeded in getting abolished their lower “women’s rate” of pay and precipitated wider action: there were other equal pay strikes that year and the National Joint Action Campaign Committee for Women’s Equal Rights (NJACCWER) was formed by women trade unionists, who organised a demonstration for equal pay in 1969. Without the Ford women, there would have been no Equal Pay Act of 1970.
Equal pay had been a confused aspiration for the trade union movement since the mid nineteenth century when women’s work was seen as a threat to male employment and bans on married women working were supported by trade unions.
When unemployment rose during the 1930s, increased female employment (from 27% of the total workforce in 1923 to 30% in 1939) fuelled the fear of a female threat and unions renewed their call for marriage bans or a wider gap between male and female wages. The idea of a male breadwinner bringing in a “family wage” institutionalised women’s low pay and influenced the labour movement. The welfare state was established around a conception of society in family units. Beverage said, “The attitude of the housewife to gainful employment outside the home should not be the same as that of the single woman. She has other duties...”
It was down to women’s organising to defy these attitudes and fight for a wage that would not allow women to be used as cheap labour to bring down wages as a whole.
The demand of the Ford women in 1968 was originally to re-grade their jobs from unskilled B grade to semi-skilled grade C. This demand was not won until another strike in 1984. Ironically, the Ford women had not been able to use the Equal Pay Act that they precipitated to win their re-grading, as they could not compare themselves to a man in their role; they could only claim that their skill level matched some men. The real cause of the pay gap between men and women was and remains women’s segregation into underpaid and devalued jobs. Just as the Ford women had to fight to prove their worth, fights in low-paid industries such as cleaning are happening and are necessary today.
This is the story of the Ford Sewing Machinists’ struggle for equal pay, with extracts from interviews (conducted by the TUC) with the women and trade unionists who took part.
The job
The sewing machinists at Ford made the car seat covers. It was a skilled job. Assessors inspected them on the job. Sheila Douglas, one of the women involved in the dispute said, “I had to do 30 seat covers an hour, we were watched over and timed”. At Ford there was a skilled male rate, a semi-skilled male rate, an unskilled male rate and a women’s rate, which was only 87% of the unskilled male rate. With the obvious injustice of the ‘women’s rate’ and the devaluation of the skill they brought to the job, there was a strong feeling, as expressed by Violet Dawson, from the dispute, that, “We wanted C grade, we wanted equal pay”.
The women put up with harsh working conditions. The company expanded its premises at the River Plant in Dagenham into an asbestos air craft hanger with holes in the roof. Sheila Douglas recalled, “We used to stuff the seats with wadding. The building was two-thirds brick and above that asbestos. All these little holes used to get drafts in. We used to stuff holes in the ceiling with wadding to keep warm”. Machinists worked without guards on the needles and injuries were common. It was said that you weren’t accepted as a proper machinist until you’d been caught by the machine.
The wage was small. On grade B, women earned eight or nine pounds. Sheila Douglas admitted it “seemed like a lot of money, because... I’d been on piece work... if I didn’t work, I didn’t earn. When we went to Fords we was on time work so whatever you done you got some wage each week…” But the money was already spoken for. Sheila was “living at home, I had to give my mum money and she needed anything I could give up.” Vera Sime, a fellow striker, said, “I gave my sister half my wages. She looked after my children so we had half each, that’s how we worked it”. Violet agreed, “It went in the home didn’t it, and on the children”.
Grievances about the women’s rate and their devalued skill were raised through company procedures with no success. The company feared upsetting its entire grading structure and causing resentment amongst male workers. Bernie Passington, convenor for the T & G union who fought for the women at the car plant, said, “They got ignored. I went up with two stewardesses with thirteen pieces for a head rest and said to the company man, ‘Put them together’. He said, ‘Well, what are they?’ I said, ‘You should know. 13 pieces. Give them to a production girl and she knows what to do with them. That girl don’t put all those bits in a jig or anything. All she knows is she’s got to put all those bits together so at the end of it there’s a neat rolled head rest’. I said, ‘Who else does that? Nobody. ...She has to use her mind’. But you still couldn’t get anywhere with the company...”
Sheila recalled, “That’s how it was all sort of kicking off really. About the C grade and for equal rights it ended up. But originally it was for the C grade we were fighting”.
Bernie said, “And in the end, like any group of workers, if they’re going to take no notice, better do something what makes them take notice”.
The strike
Sheila Douglas remembered, “We had a meeting on the shop floor and we had a meeting in the employment exchange to vote whether we would strike or not. And that’s how it happened. I don’t think it was unanimous but it was more for than against obviously because we came out on strike.” The strike by the women sewing machinists brought production at the Ford motor company to a standstill.
The impact was huge, especially when the Ford Halewood Plant in Liverpool joined the action. Bernie said “It shook them to the core. And being women, the mighty Ford motor company got women in dispute… It was something new. It shut the place down, they were laying people off”.
Sheila: “It wasn’t the done thing at the time.”
Violet: “It frightened them.”
| sewing machinists |
In 'Macbeth' who is 'Duncan's' son and 'Malcolm's' younger brother? | Bechdel Test Canon: Made in Dagenham | Bitch Media
Bechdel Test Canon: Made in Dagenham
by Alyx Vesey
Published on January 4, 2012 at 11:15am
Like many, I slept on Nigel Cole's 2010 period drama, Made in Dagenham. Set in 1968, the film fictionalizes a true story about a group of female sewing machinists employed by Ford who were tired of being classified as unskilled labor and went on strike for equal pay. Their efforts ultimately led to the Equal Pay Act of 1970. They are led by Rita O'Grady (Sally Hawkins), a modest working-class woman who continues to surprise herself and others with her natural aptitude to organize, negotiate, and lead an important political cause that is still relevant.
Barring the "for your consideration" trailer, I was interested in the film for a few reasons. For one, I love seeing women kick ass at work. I will stand by Broadcast News' Jane Craig, The Larry Sanders Show's Beverly Barnes, and Mad Men's Joan Harris, or watch 9 to 5 and Beauty Shop with you any day. I'm especially moved by women fighting institutional forces to secure their rights. I was also a huge Depeche Mode fan growing up and, as someone who read Dave Thompson's Some Great Reward several times during adolescence, knew that lyricist Martin Gore was born in Dagenham. My fandom prompted a minor interest in regional geography, with particular interest in Sheffield (The Human League, Pulp), Leeds (Gang of Four, Delta 5), and Manchester (the Factory Records scene, immortalized on vinyl and in 24-Hour Party People). I was interested in how regionalism opposed London's cultural dominance over the music industry and the prominence of the British heritage film during Margaret Thatcher's administration. Finally, Film Forager's Alex Kittle wrote a great review of the film, singling out its strong ensemble. How often do you get to see Hawkins share screen time with Bob Hoskins, Miranda Richardson, and Rosamund Pike?
Dagenham reminds me a bit of Tom Hooper's The Damned United, a British historical drama starring Michael Sheen about Brian Clough's iconoclastic turn as Leeds United's manager. Both films attempt to be sensitive to regional specificity and focus on historical movements and figures who attempted to buck the establishment while preserving British cinema's national identity. Both also could serve as prestige films with a larger international following if they were marketed better. I think both films could be popular, at least to Academy voters, if they were given a wider release. We're not dealing with kitchen sink realism here, but an aesthetic tradition that heightens grain and natural light to represent the limited options for the English working class notably represented by Lindsay Anderson's This Sporting Life, Ken Loach's Kes, Mike Leigh's early work, and recently Andrea Arnold's Fish Tank . Essentially both films are biopics that would be palatable to audiences familiar with Stephen Rea's The Queen and Hooper's The King's Speech. Phyllida Lloyd's The Iron Lady, or at least Meryl Streep's performance as Thatcher, is Oscar bait even if some critics argue that the film is sexist. But why must we fixate on British royalty and politicians when a number of films articulate the country's shifting class, gender, and racial politics without upsetting generic and narrative conventions?
This film is solid. William Ivory's screenplay may put too fine a point on how high the stakes are for these women, but the fight for gender parity and equal pay (and, I would add to that, the ongoing struggle for equality for women of color, queer communities, disabled communities, and girls within mainstream feminism) has radical connotations and is a big hairy deal. A minor issue, but sometimes composer David Arnold's cues suggest a complex psychological thriller when we're dealing with a historical drama about a group of women who are protesting for worker rights but also frequent dance halls, name-check Mary Quant and Biba, and engage in gossip and locker room talk to get through long days at the picket line. I think a number of popular selections were more successful, particularly Desmond Dekker's ska classic "Israelites" and the theme song, penned by Billy Bragg and sung by '60s-era pop star Sandy Shaw, who worked as a Dagenham Ford clerk.
The film's success resides in its ability to balance the mundane with the revolutionary. I was moved by stolen moments between Hawkins and Lisa Hopkins (Pike), a Cambridge-educated, upper-middle class housewife married to a Dagenham Ford manager (Rupert Graves) whose views on labor politics are ignored. The women meet at their children's school after O'Grady fails to convince her son's teacher to stop abusing him. Despite class differences, they forge a meaningful bond. Hopkins lends O'Grady a dress for her meeting with Secretary of State Barbara Castle (Richardson, taking no guff) and encourages her friend to stay committed to the fight despite considerable adversity. Ford brass constantly puts pressure on the women, most effectively by penalizing their male counterparts. This forces the women to question their values.
These women aren't professional politicians. This is a point a number of the machinists make during the film, particularly Connie (Geraldine James), a longtime Ford employee with a dying husband, and Sandra (Jaime Winstone), who has aspirations for fame and crosses the picket line for a modeling gig. During a heart-to-heart with O'Grady, Sandra admits that equal pay didn't used to mean anything to her but worries that she's letting down her friend. The two renew their investment in the cause and Sandra returns on set with "equal pay" scrawled across her stomach in lipstick like a proto-riot grrrl.
I also like that Dagenham includes men in the struggle for parity. Hoskins is known for playing Cockney tough guys in Long Good Friday and Brazil. Though he pulls out the Cockney accent here, he brings a gentle touch to floor manager Albert that reminds me of his performance in Mermaids as Cher's standup boyfriend Lou Lansky. Albert and, with some convincing, O'Grady's husband Eddie (Daniel Mays), understand that the struggle for equal pay isn't exclusively a gender issue. It's a human rights issue and an economic concern that would ultimately benefit men and women equally, particularly for the working classes whose labor is so often exploited. I wouldn't say that only a man could direct a female-led ensemble like Dagenham, as Pike claims in the film's DVD featurette. I have reservations about such participation, as men still dominate television and film's above-the-line credits. I also can never assume that men are inherently feminist for deciding to take on such projects, as patriarchy may subtly shade or inflect their interpretations. But I am heartened when men like Cole and Ivory feel compelled to work on a project like Dagenham. As the Arab Spring, the Occupy Movement, union-busting, jeopardized worker rights, and a simmering class war suggest, we're going to need all the help we can get to eradicate capitalist corruption. That's a fight for men, women, and children. Sometimes, as illustrated in Dagenham, white women start the call to action. But it's one we all must heed and solve together in order to defeat institutional disenfranchisement.
by Alyx Vesey
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In which country is the Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the deepest canyons in the world? | 10 Most Breathtaking Canyons In The World - 10 Most Today
10 Most Breathtaking Canyons In The World
Nature
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Here’s a list of some of the most breathtaking and spectacular canyons in the world:
1. Grand Canyon, Arizona – The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is one of the world’s largest canyons, it is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and attains a depth of over a mile (6,000 feet or 1,800 meters). It is considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World
Most Breathtaking Canyons In The World: The Grand Canyon, Arizona
2. Fish River Canyon, Namibia – The Fish River Canyon is located in the south of Namibia. It is the second largest canyon in the world and the largest in Africa, as well as the second most visited tourist attraction in Namibia. It features a gigantic ravine, in total about 100 miles (160 km) long, up to 27 km wide and in places almost 550 metres deep
Fish River Canyon, Namibia (source wiki)
3. Indus Gorge, Pakistan – Indus Gorge is the deepest canyon in the world. The Indus river, a major river in Asia, flows in this gorge. The Indus river passes the gigantic gorge 4,500–5,200 metres (15,000–17,000 feet) deep near the Nanga Parbat massif, where it passes the Nagan Parbat mountain – the 9th highest mountain in the world
Indus Gorge with the Nanga Parbat mountains, Pakista (source: wiki)
4. Bicaz Canyon, Romania – The Bicaz Canyon is located in north-east of Romania. The canyon was dug by the waters of Bicaz River and it serves as a passageway between the Romanian provinces of Moldova and Transylvania. The road is around 8 kilometres long of ravines and curves with rocks on one side and a sheer drop on the other. It is famous for being one of the most spectacular drives in the Romania
Most Breathtaking Canyons In The World: Bicaz Canyon, Romania (source: wiki)
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5. Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon, Iceland – Fjaðrárgljúfur is a canyon in south east Iceland which is up to 100 m deep and about 2 kilometres long, with the Fjaðrá river flowing through it. The canyon was created by progressive erosion by flowing water from glaciers through the rocks
Most Breathtaking Canyons: Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon, Iceland (source: wiki)
6. Verdon Gorge, France – The Verdon Gorge (Gorges du Verdon) in south-eastern France is a river canyon that is often considered to be one of Europe’s most beautiful canyons. It is 25 kilometres long and up to 700 metres deep and was formed by the Verdon River. The canyon is very popular with tourists, who can drive around its rim, rent kayaks or hike, and even do rock climbing on the limestone walls, which are several hundreds of metres high
Most Breathtaking Canyons: Verdon Gorge, France (source: wiki)
7. Antelope Canyon, Arizona – Antelope Canyon is the most-visited and most-photographed slot canyon in the Southwest America. It was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways are eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic ‘flowing’ shapes in the rock. Flooding in the canyon still occurs
Most Breathtaking Canyons: Antelope Canyon, Arizona (source: wiki)
8. Kali Gandaki Gorge, Nepal – The Kali Gandaki Gorge or Andha Galchi is the gorge of the Kali Gandaki (or Gandaki River) in the Himalayas in Nepal. The gorge depth is difficult to define due to disagreement over rim height, but by some measures the Kali Gandaki is the deepest gorge in the world. The gorge separates the major peaks of Dhaulagiri (8,167 m or 26,795 ft) on the west and Annapurna (8,091 m or 26,545 ft) on the east. The Kali Gandaki gorge has been used as a trade route between India and Tibet for centuries. Today, it is part of a popular trekking route from Pokhara to Muktinath, part of the Annapurna Circuit
Kali Gandaki Gorge, Nepal (source: wiki)
9. Copper Canyon, Mexico – A group of canyons consisting of six distinct canyons in Chihuahua, Mexico. The canyons were formed by six rivers that merge into the Rio Fuerte and empty into the Sea of Cortez. The origin of the name if from the color of the canyon walls which are copper-green
Most Breathtaking Canyons: Copper Canyon, Mexico (source: wiki)
10. Tiger Leaping Gorge, China – A canyon on the Jinsha River, southwestern China. It is a contender for the world’s deepest river canyon, depending on the exact definition used
Most Breathtaking Canyons: Tiger Leaping Gorge, China (source: wiki)
| China |
"Which word is missing from this Eric Cantona quote: ""When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think ...... will be thrown into the sea""?" | World's top 15 grandest canyons
World's top 15 grandest canyons
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Arizona's Grand Canyon is the largest canyon in the world. It is 446 km in length, 29 km wide at some points and 1.83 km deep at its lowest point. It is contained within one of the first national parks in the United States, the Grand Canyon National Park. (Fotolia)
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Antelope Canyon is one of the world's most photographed slot canyons. Located in Arizona, flash flooding in the area chiseled away the Navajo sandstone to create the unique and beautiful rock formations. (Fotolia)
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Utah's Bryce Canyon resembles a giant amphitheatre, thanks to years of erosion along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. The red, orange and white colours of the oddly shaped "hoodoo" rocks in the canyon are a definite tourist draw. (Fotolia)
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Copper Canyon is a group of six canyons in Mexico's Chihuahua state. The combined area is even greater than that of the Grand Canyon. The walls of the canyon are copper in colour, which is how the name was derived. (Fotolia)
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Alberta's Horseshoe Canyon is found in the province's badlands region. It is about 3 km in length and gets its name from the distinctive horseshoe shape of the canyon. (Shutterstock)
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Snake River Canyon in Idaho is 166 metres deep in some areas, 0.41 km wide and is best known as the site of Evil Knievel's unsuccessful jump in 1974. (Fotolia)
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Charyn Canyon in Kazakhstan is well known for its unusual rock formations, which have led to the nickname "Valley of Castles." It is 80 km in length. (Fotolia)
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Colca Canyon in Peru is 4,160 m deep, making it twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. A colourful Andean area, natives still live in the area and maintain the traditions their ancestors practiced. (Fotolia)
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Waimea Canyon is a 16 km long canyon in the Hawaiian Islands. The canyon was created by the Waimea River, which rises when there is rainfall. Being near the world's wettest point of Mount Waiʻaleʻale makes for a lot of rainfall. (Fotolia)
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Fish River Canyon is the world's second largest canyon and is located in Namibia. The canyon is about 160 km in length, 550 metres deep in some areas and is a popular tourist attraction in the African country. (Fotolia)
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Kings Canyon, located in Australia's Northern Territory, has walls that soar more than 300 metres high. A sacred Aboriginal site is located on part of the gorge. (Fotolia)
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South Africa's Blyde River Canyon is 26 km long and 800 m deep in some areas. This impressive canyon is the third largest in the world and is remarkably lush with a variety of flora and fauna. (Fotolia)
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Tiger Leaping Gorge is a canyon along China's Yangtze River. It is about 15 km in length and is one of the world's deepest river canyons. (Fotolia)
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France's Verdon Gorge is thought to be Europe's most beautiful river gorge. It is the world's second largest gorge and is about 25 km long. (Fotolia)
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Fraser Canyon in British Columbia provides spectacular scenery through mountains more than 914 m high at some points. There are several tunnels along the route carved from pure rock. (Fotolia)
| i don't know |
Which Trinidad born actress and 'Play School' presenter became a Peer in 2010? | Famous people of Trinidad and Tobago
Haddaway is a film score composer.
V.S. Naipaul
Novelist
V. S. Naipaul, in full, Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul, is a British writer born and raised in Trinidad, to which his grandfathers had emigrated from India as indentured servants. Naipaul is known for the wistfully comic early novels of Trinidad, the bleaker novels of a wider world remade by the passage of peoples, and the vigilant chronicles of his life and travels, all written in characteristic, widely admired, prose. In 2001, V. S. Naipaul was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Patricia Ann Hale, whom Naipaul married in 1955, served until her death 41 years later as first reader, editor, and critic of his writings. To her, in 2011, Naipaul dedicated his breakthrough novel, A House for Mr. Biswas, of a half-century before.
Stokely Carmichael
Politician
Stokely Carmichael was a Trinidadian-American black activist active in the 1960s American Civil Rights Movement. Growing up in the United States from the age of eleven, he graduated from Howard University and rose to prominence in the civil rights and Black Power movements, first as a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and later as the "Honorary Prime Minister" of the Black Panther Party.
Ato Boldon
Olympic athlete
Ato Jabari Boldon is a former athlete from Trinidad and Tobago and four-time Olympic medal winner. Only three other men in history—Usain Bolt, Frankie Fredericks and Carl Lewis—have won as many Olympic individual event sprint medals. He is the current Trinidad and Tobago national record holder in the 50, 60 and 200 metres events with times of 5.64, 6.49 and 19.77 seconds respectively. He also held the 100m national record at 9.86, having run it four times, until Richard Thompson ran 9.85 on 13 August 2011. He also holds the Commonwealth Games record in the 100 m. After retiring from his track career, he was an Opposition Senator in the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament, representing the United National Congress from 2006–2007. He is now a ESPN and NBC Sports television broadcast analyst for track and field.
Kenwyne Jones
Soccer
Kenwyne Joel Jones is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the Trinidad and Tobago national team. He previously played for Sunderland, Southampton, Sheffield Wednesday, W Connection and Joe Public. He began his football career with Joe Public in his native Trinidad and Tobago. He moved to W Connection in 2002, and he was a utility player in the Trinidad and Tobago team in 2003 against Finland. In 2004, he joined Southampton, where he was converted to a striker. He was later loaned to Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke City during the 2004–05 season. In 2007 he joined Sunderland for £6 million where he spent three seasons before he signed for Stoke City in August 2010.
Heather Headley
Contemporary Christian Artist
Heather Headley (born October 5, 1974) is a Trinidadian-American R and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress And Cordell Francis Made A Song Produced By Her Call Fare And Square. She has won one Tony Award and one Grammy Award. Headley was born in Barataria, Trinidad and Tobago, the daughter of Hannah and Eric Headley. At age four, Headley began playing the music of her native Trinidad, including calypso, reggae, and soca. In 1989 she moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana in the United States at the age of fifteen with her mother and brother Junior, when her father was offered a job as pastor of McKee Street Church of God(Fort Wayne,IN). Headley attended Northrop High School, and was a member of their resident show choir, Charisma, and starred as Fanny Brice in the school's production of Funny Girl. After graduating from Northrop High School, Headley attended Northwestern University to study communications and musical theatre until the last day of her junior year, when she made the difficult decision to become a part of the musical Ragtime...
Gary Goodridge
Martial Artist
Gary Goodridge, nicknamed "Big Daddy", is a retired Canadian super heavyweight kickboxer and heavyweight mixed martial artist fighting out of Barrie, Ontario. Prior to kickboxing and MMA, he was also one of the top ranked contenders in the world of professional arm wrestling. In early 2012 Goodridge was diagnosed with early onset of dementia pugilistica.
Theophilus London
Theophilus Musa London is a Trinidadian-born American rapper from Brooklyn, New York City.
Dwayne Bravo
Cricket Bowler
Dwayne James John Bravo is a West Indian cricketer. A genuine all-rounder, Bravo is an aggressive right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler. He was a key member of the West Indies team that won the 2012 ICC World Twenty20. Bravo played for the Mumbai Indians, and was later signed by the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. Bravo is Chennai Super Kings's leading wicket taker. Bravo also plays for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League, and the Chittagong Kings in the Bangladesh Premier League. He was named as a franchise player at the launch of the Caribbean Premier League for the 2013 tournament.
Kieron Pollard
Cricket Bowler
Kieron Adrian Pollard is a Trinidadian cricketer who plays for the West Indies. An aggressive all-rounder, Pollard provides medium-fast pace bowling and big-hitting from the middle-order. After shining during the 2009 Champions League Twenty20, he was signed by both the Southern Redbacks and Somerset for their domestic Twenty20 campaigns. He was the joint highest paid player in the 2010 Indian Premier League, playing for Mumbai Indians. He has been announced as an Icon Player at the launch for the Caribbean Premier League for the summer of 2013.
Trevor McDonald
Presenter
Sir Trevor McDonald OBE is a Trinidadian-British newsreader and journalist. He had a long career as a news presenter with ITN. He is notable for having been ITN's first black journalist, and for having won more awards than any other British broadcaster. McDonald was knighted in 1999 for his services to journalism.
Steven Pressfield
Novelist
Steven Pressfield is an American author, of historical fiction and non-fiction, and screenplays. He was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, in 1943, while his father was stationed there, in the Navy. He graduated from Duke University in 1965 and in 1966 joined the Marine Corps. In the years following, he worked as an advertising copywriter, schoolteacher, tractor-trailer driver, bartender, oilfield roustabout, attendant in a mental hospital, fruit-picker in Washington state, and screenwriter. His struggles to make a living as an author, including the period when he was homeless and living out of the back of his car, are detailed in his book The War of Art. His first book, The Legend of Bagger Vance, was published in 1995, and made into a film of the same name, starring Will Smith, Charlize Theron, and Matt Damon, and directed by Robert Redford. His second novel, Gates of Fire, is about the Spartans and the battle at Thermopylae. It is taught at U.S. Military Academy and United States Naval Academy, and at the Marine Corps Basic School at Quantico. In 2012, he launched the publishing house Black Irish Books with his agent Shawn Coyne.
Machel Montano
Soca Artist
Machel Montano is a soca singer, record producer and songwriter based in Trinidad and Tobago. He is the frontman of the popular soca band The HD Family, and is noted for his high energy, fast-paced, and often unpredictable on-stage performances. During his career, which spans over 30 years, he has recorded several songs alongside many of Caribbean music's most popular acts, such as Lerone Guy of St Anthonys College, Alison Hinds, Beenie Man, Calypso Rose, Burning Flames, Drupatee, Wyclef Jean, Canibus, Red Rat, Shaggy, Sparrow, Denise Belfon, Ken Marlon Charles, Destra, Walker Hornung, Vybz Kartel, Mohombi, G-Unit, Black Stalin, David Rudder, Buju Banton, Mr. Vegas, Doug E. Fresh, Pitbull, Busta Rhymes and many others. In 1987 he was the youngest finalist to ever win the Caribbean Song Festival. He now stands as one of the most well-known soca acts in the world, using his leverage as an artist able to sell-out shows. Recently he has moved to the Los Angeles area and furthered his pursuit saying "I may not be the one to bring it forth, but in the meantime, I have a lot of work to do in order for something to happen". He is very well known in New York and has had sold out concerts in Madison Square Gardens many times over.
Geoffrey Holder
Dancer
Geoffrey Richard Holder is a Trinidadian actor, choreographer, director, dancer, painter, costume designer, singer and voice-over artist.
Richard Thompson
Olympic athlete
Richard "Torpedo" Thompson is a sprinter from Cascade, Trinidad and Tobago who specializes in the 100 metres. He was the silver medalist in the event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, running a personal best of 9.89 seconds. He won NCAA titles indoors and outdoors in 2008. Thompson has also won medals with the national relay team, taking silver medals at both the 2008 Olympics and the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, where he ran a national record time.
Stern John
Soccer
Stern John is a retired Trinidadian football player. He played for a number of high-profile English football clubs that included Bristol City, Nottingham Forest, Birmingham City, Sunderland, Southampton, Coventry City and Derby County.
Sunil Narine
Cricket Bowler
Sunil Philip Narine is a Trinidadian cricketer who plays for the West Indies. Primarily an off-spin bowler, he is also a left-handed batsman. Domestically, Narine has played for Trinidad and Tobago since 2009 and made his One Day International debut in December 2011, and Test debut in June 2012. Narine's participated in the 2012 Indian Premier League where he represented Kolkata Knight Riders and was named Player of the Tournament in his first season with 24 wickets at a miserly 5.47 runs per over. He also became the first player in IPL 2013 to take a hat-trick on 16 April 2013 playing for Kolkata Knight Riders against Kings XI Punjab at the PCA Stadium in Mohali Sunil made his debut in first-class cricket for Trinidad and Tobago in February 2009 during the Regional Four Day Competition, bowling thirteen overs without taking a wicket. He did not play another first-class match until nearly a year later, and after going wicketless in the first innings claimed a single scalp in the second, that of tail-ender Lionel Baker. On 19 January 2011, during the Caribbean Twenty20, Narine played his first Twenty20 match but did not bowl as the match was rained off before Trinidad and Tobago could bowl. T&T won the competition and Narine managed five wickets at an average of 13.40. By virtue of winning the competition Trinidad and Tobago qualified for the 2011 Champions League Twenty20 held in September and October, in which Narine was one of three bowlers to take ten or more wickets. He made his List A debut on 20 October 2011 in the Regional Super50, claiming figures of one wicket for 35 runs; his wicket that of opening batsman Miles Bascombe. Trinidad and Tobago won the competition and Narine was the leading wicket-taker in the competition with 15 scalps, five more than the nearest competitor, fellow spin bowler Nikita Miller.
C. L. R. James
Author
Cyril Lionel Robert James, best known as C. L. R. James, who sometimes wrote under the pen-name J. R. Johnson, was an Afro-Trinidadian historian, journalist, socialist theorist and essayist. His works are influential in various theoretical, social, and historiographical contexts. His work is a staple of subaltern studies, and he figures as a pioneering and influential voice in postcolonial literature. His work is often associated with Caribbean and Afro-nationalism, though James himself contended that the "either-or" was a false dichotomy, and that Caribbean peoples were indebted to European as much as African cultural traditions. A tireless political activist, James's writing on the Communist International stirred debate in Trotskyist circles, and his history of the Haitian Revolution, The Black Jacobins, is a seminal text in the literature of the African Diaspora. Characterized by one literary critic as an "anti-Stalinist dialectician", James was known for his autodidactism, for his occasional playwriting and fiction, and as an avid sportsman. He is also famed as a writer on cricket.
Eric Williams
Historian
Eric Eustace Williams served as the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. He served from 1956 until his death in 1981. He was also a noted Caribbean historian, and is widely regarded as "The Father of The Nation."
Lorraine Toussaint
Actor
Lorraine Toussaint is a Trinidadian-born American actress best known for her role as Rene Jackson in Lifetime drama series Any Day Now.
Edmundo Ros
Singer
Edmundo Ros OBE FRAM, born Edmund William Ross, was a Trinidadian musician, vocalist, arranger and bandleader who made his career in Britain. He directed a highly popular Latin American orchestra, had an extensive recording career and owned one of London's leading nightclubs.
Floella Benjamin
Presenter
Floella Karen Yunies Benjamin, Baroness Benjamin, OBE, DL is a British actress, author, television presenter, singer, businesswoman and politician. She is known as presenter of children's programmes such as Play School, Play Away and Fast Forward. On 28 June 2010, Lady Benjamin was introduced to the House of Lords as a Life Peer nominated by the Liberal Democrats with the title Baroness Benjamin, of Beckenham in the County of Kent.
Kelly-Ann Baptiste
Olympic Track and field Athlete
Kelly-Ann Kaylene Baptiste is a track and field sprint athlete who competes internationally for Trinidad and Tobago.
Jason Scotland
Soccer
Jason Kelvin Scotland is a Trinidadian footballer who plays for Barnsley. He plays as a striker. Scotland started his footballing career in Trinidad and Tobago before moving to play professionally for Scottish club Dundee United. He has also had spells with St. Johnstone, Swansea City, Wigan Athletic and Ipswich Town. He has 41 international caps and has scored 8 goals for his country since his debut in 2000.
Imran Nazar Hosein
Delon Armitage
Man
Delon Anthony Armitage is a rugby union footballer who plays at wing or fullback for Toulon and England. He also occasionally plays centre and often does place kicking, mainly from a distance or if the regular kicker is unable to take it. From 1996 to 2002, Armitage lived in Roquefort-les-Pins on the French Riviera and from the age of 12 Armitage began playing for Rugby Nice Côte d'Azur Université-Racing. Armitage was rejected by the France Under-16s, who claimed he was too tall and skinny. On his return to London, Armitage joined Richmond before his current club, London Irish offered him a professional apprenticeship. Armitage joined the Academy in 2002, where he played for the England U19's and was involved in the team that won the U19's National Cup. From there he progressed to the U21 squad. His talent was recognised and Armitage played for England in the IRB World Sevens tournament 2005. In August 2009 he took part in the Middlesex Sevens tournament in Twickenham where he helped London Irish to victory over Samerai International to take the championship. In May 2013 he scored Toulon's only try of the match as they won the 2013 Heineken Cup Final by 16-15 against Clermont Auvergne.
Darren Bravo
Cricket Bowler
Darren Michael Bravo is a West Indian cricketer who plays domestic cricket for Trinidad and Tobago and has appeared for the West Indies cricket team in One Day International cricket and Test cricket. A left-handed batsman, he is focused and determined, like his role model, Brian Lara he too is a strong off side player: his batting style has drawn comparisons with Brian Lara. In fact, Brian Lara and Bravo's mother are first cousins meaning Bravo and Brian Lara are first cousins once removed. He is also the younger half brother of Dwayne Bravo.
Denesh Ramdin
Cricket Bowler
Denesh Ramdin is a West Indian cricketer of Indian descent from Trinidad. He is a right-handed batsman who generally occupies the position of wicket-keeper. Domestically, Ramdin has played for Trinidad and Tobago since 2004. In July 2005 Ramdin made both his Test and One Day International debut against Sri Lanka and India respectively. He holds the record for highest score by a West Indies wicket-keeper in ODIs, as well as the second-highest in Tests. In 2010 Ramdin was dropped from the team and his central contract was not renewed. He was recalled to the ODI team in 2011 and the Test team in 2012. Ramdin was appointed Trinidad and Tobago's captain in November 2011.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar
Politician
Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC, MP is the seventh Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the sixth person to hold this position. She was sworn in as Prime Minister on 26 May 2010 and is the country's first female Prime Minister. Persad-Bissessar is the political leader of the United National Congress and leads the People's Partnership, a coalition of four parties, formed for the general election of 24 May 2010. She was the first woman to serve as Attorney General, acting Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition of Trinidad and Tobago. She became Political Leader of the United National Congress and Opposition in 2010.
Ravi Rampaul
Cricket Bowler
Ravindranath Rampaul is a West Indian cricketer. He is the first quick bowler of Indian descent to represent West Indies at international level, playing Tests, One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals. Capable of decent pace and accuracy from a simple, smooth bowling action, Rampaul has been identified, along with Jerome Taylor, as a potential leader of the West Indies bowling attack in the years to come.He was also signed up to play in the Indian Premier League by Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2013 auctions.
Jlloyd Samuel
Soccer
Jlloyd Tafari Samuel is a professional footballer who plays as a defender or Midfielder for Esteghlal, he has also represented Trinidad and Tobago at international level.
Russell Latapy
Soccer Midfielder
Russell Nigel Latapy is a Trinidad and Tobago retired footballer who played as an attacking midfielder, and a current manager. In a senior career which spanned more than 20 years at both club and international level, he played in Portugal and Scotland. Latapy gained nearly 80 caps for the Trinidad and Tobago national team, appearing at the 2006 World Cup.
Jack Warner
Politician
Austin "Jack" Warner is a Trinidad and Tobago politician, businessman, and former football executive. Warner held the offices of Vice president of FIFA and President of CONCACAF until his suspension and eventual resignation from these roles in 2011. He is also the former Minister of National Security of Trinidad and Tobago and was an elected member of that country's parliament from November 2007 to 26 April 2013. A former school teacher, he is the owner of Joe Public F.C., a professional football club based in Tunapuna, Trinidad and Tobago. Warner had been a member of the FIFA Executive Committee since 1983, and CONCACAF President since 1990. He was re-elected for a new term in the spring of 2011. During his tenure, Warner was implicated in numerous corruption allegations some of which date back to the 1980s. On 24 May 2011 FIFA's ethics committee began official proceedings against Warner concerning at least three separate corruption and bribery charges. On 29 May 2011 Warner and Mohammed bin Hammam were provisionally suspended by FIFA's Ethics Committee from all involvement in soccer, pending the outcome of the investigation of corruption allegations against them.
Stephen Ames
Golfer
Stephen Michael Ames is a professional golfer on the PGA Tour holding dual citizenship of Trinidad and Tobago and Canada. Ames was born in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago and is of English/Trinidadian Portuguese descent, and much of his family resides in the Caribbean nation. His grandmother was Trinidad and Tobago Champion twice. He grew up in Pointe-à-Pierre and learned to play at the Petrotrin Pointe-à-Pierre Golf Club. Ames's golfing talent developed early in life, assisted by support and discipline from his father, Michael. In his Hoerman Cup debut at the age of 16 in 1980, he smashed the course record at Sandy Lane, Barbados with a six-under-par total of 66.
Robin Singh
Cricket Bowler
Rabindra Ramanarayan "Robin" Singh is a former cricketer who played as an all-rounder for India, especially in Limited Overs Internationals. He is currently the coach of Indian Premier League franchise Mumbai Indians. He was known for his brilliant running between the wickets, diving efforts to make the crease and great fielding ability.
Michael X
Civil rights activist
Michael X, born Michael de Freitas in Trinidad and Tobago to a Portuguese father and a Bajan-born mother, was a self-styled black revolutionary and civil rights activist in 1960s London. He was also known as Michael Abdul Malik and Abdul Malik. Convicted of murder in 1972, Michael X was executed by hanging in 1975 in Port of Spain's Royal Gaol.
Winifred Atwell
Boogie-woogie Artist
Una Winifred Atwell was a Trinidadian pianist who enjoyed great popularity in Britain and Australia from the 1950s with a series of boogie-woogie and ragtime hits, selling over 20 million records. She was the first black person to have a number one hit in the UK Singles Chart and is still the only female instrumentalist to do so.
Kerron Clement
Olympic athlete
Kerron Stephon Clement is Trinidadian-born track and field athlete who represents the United States and competes in the 400-meter hurdles and 400-meter sprint. He holds the indoor world record in the 400-meter sprint, having broken Michael Johnson's mark in 2005. Clement won the hurdles at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics and took the silver behind Angelo Taylor at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He retained his world title at the 2009 World Championships. He is a frequent member of the American 4x400-meter relay and is a two-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist in the event. As a junior athlete, he set a championship record at the 2004 World Junior Championships and won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2004/2005. He quickly progressed on the senior circuit, taking the hurdles title at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in both 2005 and 2006. He was fourth in his first global appearance at the 2005 World Championships and won his first global gold at the 2006 IAAF World Cup.
George Bovell
Swimmer
George Richard Lytcott Bovell III is an Olympic bronze medalist swimmer and former world record holder from Trinidad and Tobago. He is a four-time Olympian and the Caribbean region's most successful swimmer. Bovell recently won a Bonze Medal at the 2013 FINA Long Course World Championships in Barcelona in the 50m Freestyle, clocking a time of 21.51 seconds. This time would have clinched silver in the Olympic Final one year Earlier in which he placed 7th. In 2012 Bovell won a Bronze Medal at the FINA Short Course World Championships in Istanbul in the 100m Individual Medley; a testament to his versatility. He was ranked 2nd, 4th and 8th in the FINA World Rankings for 2012 in the 100m IM, 50m freestyle SCM, and the 50m freestyle LCM respectively.
Marvin Andrews
Soccer
Marvin Andrews is a Trinidadian football defender at Forfar Athletic. Andrews's career includes spells at Livingston, with whom he won the Scottish League Cup in 2004, and Rangers, where he won the double of the League Cup and the Scottish Premier League title in 2005. Between 1996 and 2006 Andrews was a regular for the Trinidad and Tobago national football team, winning 99 caps up to that point. He had stated that he wished for another callup in future, and earned his 100th cap in a 2–3 defeat to Costa Rica in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match on 6 June 2009.
Keshorn Walcott
Olympic athlete
Keshorn Walcott, ORTT is a Trinidadian javelin thrower. He is a three-time winner in the Under-20 javelin throw at the CARIFTA Games, setting a new North, Central American and Caribbean Junior record in 2012. He improved this record on 27 May 2012 with 80.11 m in Havana. He won the Olympic gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London with a result of 84.58 meters, beating Ukraine's Oleksandr Pyatnytsa and Finland's Antti Ruuskanen, becoming the youngest-ever Olympic champion in javelin throw and the second non-European to ever win the Olympic gold in men's javelin throw since Cy Young in Helsinki in 1952. His throw was a new North, Central American and Caribbean Junior record. Walcott is currently coached by Cuban-born Ismael Mastrapa of the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago.
Jehue Gordon
Track and field athlete
Jehue Gordon is a Trinidadian track and field athlete who specialises in the 400 metres hurdles. He turned professional on June 24, 2010, and signed a deal with Adidas in August 2010. He began his international athletics career along with his brother at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics, where he finished fifth in the semi-finals at the age of 16. He was the bronze medallist in the 400 m hurdles at the 2008 CARIFTA Games and went on to win the gold medal the following year, recording a championship record of 50.01 seconds. His success continued in the form of a bronze medal at the 2009 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics, where he ran a time of 49.45 seconds, and a silver at the 2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships. He qualified for the 2009 World Championships in Athletics and surprised by setting a world-age best and senior national record of 48.66 seconds in the heats. He progressed through the rounds and reached the final, finishing in fourth with a 48.26-second national record. Statisticians A. Lennart Julin and Mirko Jalava picked out Gordon's performances as sign of promise for future success. At the start of the 2010 season, he took a 400 m and 110 metres hurdles double at the trials for the CARIFTA Games. He went on to improve the championship records in both the 110 and 400 m hurdles at the 2010 CARIFTA Games, earning himself that year's Austin Sealy Trophy.
Carlos Edwards
Soccer Midfielder
Akenhaton Carlos Edwards, more commonly known as Carlos Edwards, is a Trinidadian footballer who plays for Ipswich Town as a winger or right-back.
Don Warrington
Actor
Don Warrington, MBE is a Trinidadian British actor. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2008 Birthday Honours.
Rudolph Walker
Actor
Rudolph Walker, OBE, is a British character actor, best known for his roles on television. He was the first black actor to appear in a major British TV series, his breakthrough role as Bill in the sitcom Love Thy Neighbour leading to a long and varied acting career. He is currently best known as Patrick Trueman in the BBC One TV soap opera Eastenders. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Walker came to the United Kingdom at the age of 20 in 1960.
Anthony Nesty
Swimmer
Anthony Conrad Nesty is a former competition swimmer from Suriname who was an Olympic gold medalist in the 100-metre butterfly event in 1988.
Carl Herrera
Basketball Player
Carl Víctor Herrera Alleyne is a retired Venezuelan basketball player. A power forward, he was part of the Houston Rockets National Basketball Association championship teams of the mid-1990s.
Stephen Hart
Stephen Hart is a former Trinidadian football player and head coach of Trinidad and Tobago.
Lord Kitchener
Musical Artist
Aldwyn Roberts, better known by the stage name Lord Kitchener, was one of the most internationally famous calypsonians.
Wintley Phipps
Christian Artist
Wintley Augustus Phipps, Sr. was born in Trinidad and Tobago. Phipps is an ordained Seventh-day Adventist minister, world-renowned vocal artist, and innovative initiator of special projects such as the US Dream Academy. He features a "booming baritone" voice, usually singing inspirational gospel music. He also founded Songs of Freedom Publishing Company and Coral Records Recording Company. Mr. Phipps has been the featured speaker and performer at many notable occasions around the world.
David Rudder
David Michael Rudder is a calypsonian from Trinidad.
Jennifer Carroll
Woman
Jennifer Sandra Carroll is a Trinidadian-born American politician who was the 18th Lieutenant Governor of the U.S. state of Florida. The first African American and the first woman elected to the position, she assumed the office on January 4, 2011. She was the first black person elected lieutenant governor of Florida, and the first black person elected to statewide office in Florida since Reconstruction. Carroll previously served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2003 until 2010. The New York Times reported that Carroll's tenure as lieutenant governor was "marred by scandal and poor judgment" and she was "increasingly viewed as an embarrassment to the man who chose her for the job." She resigned her post as lieutenant governor on March 12, 2013, following allegations that she was involved in an effort to steer money into Internet cafes that are fronts for gambling, the subject of federal and state criminal investigations.
Hasely Crawford
Olympic athlete
Hasely Joachim Crawford TC is a former athlete from Trinidad and Tobago. In 1976, he became his country's first Olympic champion and the first Olympic 100 m champion from a Caribbean country. A stadium was renamed in his honour in 2001.
Hazel Scott
Jazz pianist
Hazel Dorothy Scott was an internationally known, American jazz and classical pianist and singer; she also performed as herself in several films. She was prominent as a jazz singer throughout the 1930s and 1940s. In 1950, she became the first woman of color to have her own TV show, The Hazel Scott Show, featuring a variety of entertainment. To evade the political persecution of artists in the McCarthy era, Scott moved to Paris in the late 1950s and performed in France, not returning to the United States until 1967. Born in Port of Spain, Hazel was taken at the age of four by her mother to New York. Recognized early as a musical prodigy, Scott was given scholarships from the age of eight to study at the Juilliard School. She began performing in a jazz band in her teens and was performing on radio at age 16.
Basdeo Panday
Politician
Basdeo Panday was the fifth Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago from 1995 to 2001 and has served as Leader of the Opposition from 1976–1977, 1978–1986, 1989–1995 and 2001–2010. He was first elected to Parliament in 1976 as the Member for Couva North. He is the former Chairman and party leader of the Opposition United National Congress. In 2006, Panday was convicted of failing to declare a bank account in London and imprisoned but as of March 20, 2007, that conviction has been quashed by the Court of Appeal. He was granted bail on April 28 pending the outcome of his appeal due to his health condition and the poor state of health facilities at the Arouca prison. On May 1 he decided to resign as Chairman of the United National Congress, but the party's executive refuse to accept his resignation. However, he lost the party's internal elections on January 24, 2010 to Deputy Leader Kamala Persad-Bissessar by a large margin. Basdeo Panday is married to the former Oma Ramkissoon and has four daughters Niala, Mickela, Nicola and Vastala, one from his first marriage to who died in 1981. In 2006, he was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.
Patrick Manning
Politician
Patrick Augustus Mervyn Manning is a Trinidadian politician who was the fourth Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago from 17 December 1991 to 9 November 1995 and again from 24 December 2001 to 26 May 2010. He was also Political Leader of the People's National Movement from 1987 to 2010. A geologist by training, Manning has served as Member of Parliament for the San Fernando East constituency since 1971 and is currently the longest-serving member of the House of Representatives. He was the Leader of the Opposition from 1986 to 1990 and again from 1995 to 2001. Manning was born in San Fernando and received his secondary education at Presentation College, San Fernando, and his Bachelor's Degree from the University of the West Indies at Mona, in 1969. After graduation he returned to Trinidad where he worked as a geologist for Texaco. He entered Parliament in 1971 representing the San Fernando East constituency.
Wendy Fitzwilliam
Award competitor
Wendy Fitzwilliam is a former Miss Trinidad & Tobago Universe, the second woman of African heritage to capture the Miss Universe crown and the second Miss Universe in history from Trinidad and Tobago.
Darrel Brown
Olympic athlete
Darrel Brown is a sprinter from Trinidad and Tobago who specializes in the 100 metres. In the beginning of his career, he was awarded the Austin Sealy Trophy for the most outstanding athlete at the CARIFTA Games twice, both in 1999 and 2000, after becoming the first athlete to win back-to-back titles in both the 100 and 200 metres. After switching to the "junior" age group in 2001, Brown won the 100 metres for three consecutive years, becoming the first athlete ever to do so. He also performed well in World Youth and Junior Championships. At the 2000 World Junior Championships he finished fourth in both 100 metres and 4 x 100 metres relay. After setting a new World Youth Record over 100 meters at 10.24 on April 14, 2001, he then won gold medals at the 2001 World Youth Championships and the 2002 World Junior Championships. In 2002 he also won a bronze medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay. He also helped win a silver medal in relay at the 2001 World Championships for seniors. The 100 m at the 2003 World Championships saw him finishing second behind Kim Collins. In addition to the silver medal, he set the junior world record of 10.01 seconds in the quarter finals stage. He also won a relay silver medal at the 2003 Pan American Games, and an individual gold medal at the 2003 Central American and Caribbean Championships.
Cornell Glen
Cornelius "Cornell" Glen is a Trinidadian footballer currently with Shillong Lajong F.C. in the I-League.
Learie Constantine
Cricket Player
Learie Nicholas Constantine, Baron Constantine was a West Indian cricketer, lawyer and politician who served as Trinidad's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and became the UK's first black peer. He played 18 Test matches before the Second World War and took the West Indies' first wicket in Test cricket. An advocate against racial discrimination, in later life he was influential in the passing of the Race Relations Act in Britain. He was knighted in 1962 and made a life peer in 1969. Born in Trinidad, Constantine established an early reputation as a promising cricketer, and was a member of the West Indies teams that toured England in 1923 and 1928. Unhappy at the lack of opportunities for black people in Trinidad, he decided to pursue a career as a professional cricketer in England, and after the 1928 tour was awarded a professional contract with the Lancashire League club Nelson. He played for the club with great distinction between 1929 and 1938, while continuing as a member of the West Indies Test team in tours of England and Australia. Although his record as a Test cricketer was less impressive than in other cricket he helped to establish a uniquely West Indian style of play. He was chosen as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1939.
George Harris, 4th Baron Harris
Cricket Player
George Robert Canning Harris, 4th Baron Harris, GCSI, GCIE was a British politician, cricketer and cricket administrator. He succeeded to his title in November 1872, before which he was known as The Honourable George Harris.
Nigel Levine
Olympic Track and field Athlete
Nigel Levine is a British sprint athlete. As well as an impressive sprint talent, Levine made a big impact in his first ever season over 400m in 2007 recording 46.31 and in 2009 reduced that to 45.78. In 2010 he was part of the bronze medal GB 4x400m team at the world indoor championships in Doha and in 2011 he took the coveted European U23 crown as well as being part of the GB 4x400m relay squad. In 2013 he won an individual silver medal 2013 European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg in the 400 metres, as well as helping the relay team to a gold medal.
Keston Bledman
Olympic Track and field Athlete
Keston Bledman, HBM is a track and field sprint athlete, who competes internationally for Trinidad and Tobago. On 7 July 2007, at the 2007 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships in São Paulo, Brazil, he upset the Jamaican Yohan Blake in the 100 meters, finishing in 10.32 seconds. Bledman represented Trinidad and Tobago at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He competed at the 4 x 100 m relay together with Marc Burns, Aaron Armstrong and Richard Thompson. In their qualification heat they placed first in front of Japan, the Netherlands and Brazil. Their time of 38.26 was the fastest of all sixteen teams participating in the first round and they qualified for the final. Armstrong was replaced by Emmanuel Callender for the final race and they sprinted to a time of 38.06 seconds, the second time after the Jamaican team, winning the silver medal. On 4 June 2011, Bledman ran 9.93 over 100 m in Clermont, Florida, to become the 78th athlete to cross the 10-second barrier. He won his first national title in June 2012 by beating Richard Thompson over 100 m and ran a personal best time of 9.86 seconds.
Giselle Laronde
Award competitor
Giselle Jeanne-Marie Laronde-West won the 1986 Miss World 1986 contest, representing Trinidad and Tobago. Walking away with the title Miss World 1986, Giselle Laronde West became the first woman from Trinidad and Tobago to be victorious in the Miss World pageant, at just 23 years-old. She became the second woman from that nation to win an international beauty pageant, after Janelle Commissiong in 1977. The pageant was held in London. In that year, the USA was represented by aspiring actress Halle Berry.
Gerry Bednob
Actor
Gerry Bednob is an actor and comedian of Indo Trinidadian heritage from Bangladesh. Gerry currently appears as Bling Bling Shelton in Free Radio on Vh1. He had a role in the 2010 film Furry Vengeance, with Brendan Fraser and Brooke Shields, playing Mr. Gupta. He is also the uncle of Michelle Jhagroo.
Anthony Carmona
Judge
Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona, SC, ORTT is the fifth President of Trinidad and Tobago, in office since 2013. Previously he was High Court Judge at the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago, and he served as a Judge of the International Criminal Court from 2012 to 2013.
Roger Mooking
Chef
Roger Mooking is a Canadian chef, musician and TV host. Born in Trinidad, and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. Roger Mooking is currently the host of the television series "Man Fire Food" and is the Host and co-creator of Everyday Exotic, both airing on the Cooking Channel and Food Network Canada. He also appears on Heat Seekers with Aaron Sanchez on Food Network. Roger has made guest appearances on shows such as, Today, Good Morning America, The Marilyn Dennis Show, Iron Chef America and Top Chef Canada. With artists Chin Injeti and Ivana Santilli, Mooking was one-third of the 1990s Juno Award winning R&B, funk, hip-hop trio Bass Is Base.
Destra Garcia
Soca Artist
Destra Garcia is a Soca singer and songwriter based in Trinidad and Tobago. Destra is noted for her high energy performances, harmonious vocal skill and eccentric fashion style
Keon Daniel
Soccer Midfielder
Keon Kelly Daniel is a Trinidadian footballer currently playing for Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.
Dennis Lawrence
Soccer
Dennis William Lawrence is a Trinidad and Tobago former footballer who is currently part of the coaching staff for Everton in the Premier League. Prior to coaching, he had a successful playing career in England, Wales and Trinidad and Tobago. He lifted the Caribbean Cup with the Soca Warriors and won several cup competitions with Wrexham before winning a league title with Swansea City. Prior to moving Everton, he had coached for three years at Wigan Athletic during which time became the first Trinidadian to win the The FA Cup.
Ian Hanomansing
TV Anchor
Ian Hanomansing is a Canadian television journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He currently reports for CBC Television's nightly newscast, The National. He is married and has two sons.
Michael Fisher
Physicist
Michael Ellis Fisher is an English physicist, as well as chemist and mathematician, known for his many seminal contributions to statistical physics, including but not restricted to the theory of phase transitions and critical phenomena.
Daren Ganga
Cricket Bowler
Daren Ganga is a West Indian cricketer of East Indian descent. He is a right-handed top order batsman and part-time right-arm offbreak bowler. After debuting as a 19-year old he has found himself in and out of the West Indies team, playing regularly for and at times captaining the West Indies A side when he was not selected. After being named the 2006 West Indies Players' Association 'Test player of the year', Ganga had for the first time in his career cemented his spot in the side and when captain Ramnaresh Sarwan injured his shoulder in the second Test of their 2007 tour of England, the West Indies Cricket Board turned to Ganga to captain the side for the remainder of the series. Ganga has previously had a chance to hone his leadership from captaining the Trinidad and Tobago and the West Indies Under-23 teams. He can also bowl off spin bowling but he is mainly a batsman.
Phil Simmons
Cricket Bowler
Philip Veraint Simmons is a former all-round cricketer who played as an opening batsman a useful bowler and a slip fielder.
Hedy Fry
Politician
Hedy Fry, PC, MP is a Canadian politician and physician. She is the Member of Parliament for Vancouver Centre.
Joe Fortes
Deceased Person
Joseph Seraphim Fortes was a prominent figure in the early history of Vancouver. He was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad on February 9, 1863. After leaving his homeland in his mid-teens, he worked in Britain for several years. In 1884 he sailed around Cape Horn from Liverpool on the Robert Kerr, arriving in Burrard Inlet in September 1885. His name occurs repeatedly in the ship's log as Seraphim Fortes. After the disastrous fire, which completely destroyed the recently incorporated City of Vancouver on June 13, 1886, Joe Fortes worked as a shoeshine boy and porter at the Sunnyside Hotel and as a bartender at the Bodega Saloon on Cordova and Carrall. Making his home at English Bay, he lived in a tent on the beach during the milder months of the year. After the start of the 20th century, he moved into a cottage at the foot of Bidwell Street on the shore-side of Beach Avenue. His little house was later moved to the other side of the street, just east of Alexandra Park. Joe Fortes devoted all of his free time to teaching children to swim and to patrolling the beach. The self-appointed unpaid guard continued to support himself by working odd jobs until, in 1900, the City appointed him its first official lifeguard.
Pete de Freitas
Drummer
Peter Louis Vincent de Freitas was a musician and producer, best known as a drummer with Echo & the Bunnymen. De Freitas was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago and educated by the Benedictines at Downside School. He joined the Bunnymen in 1979. He died in a motorcycle accident in 1989 at the age of 27, on his way to Liverpool from London. He was riding a 900cc Ducati motorcycle on the A51 road in Longdon Green, Staffordshire and was in collision with a motor vehicle at approximately 16:00 hrs. Peter is survived by his only daughter Lucie-Marie de Freitas. His ashes are buried in Goring-on-Thames. His sisters Rose and Rachel were founding members of the band The Heart Throbs. His brother Frank is the bass player of The Woodentops.
Lendl Simmons
Cricket Bowler
Lendl Mark Platter Simmons is a West Indian cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman, an occasional right-arm medium pace bowler and a part-time wicket-keeper. A prominent junior cricketer, he played in both the 2002 Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand and the 2004 Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh for the West Indies U-19s. Two years later he made his ODI debut against Pakistan at Faisalabad on 7 December 2006. Simmons is capable of large scores; with three first class double-centuries to his name, but at the same time he has been prone to inconsistency. His career best of 282, in a first-class match for West Indies A against a touring England XI in January 2009, heralded his Test debut in the final Test of that tour. Simmons scored 24 and 8 as the West Indies secured a series-clinching draw at the Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad. Simmons was retained for the following West Indian tour of England, but has played no further Tests. His uncle is former West Indian Test cricketer Phil Simmons.
Pelham Warner
Cricket Player
Sir Pelham Francis Warner MBE, affectionately and better known as Plum Warner, or even "the Grand Old Man" of English cricket was a Test cricketer.
Adrian Barath
Cricket Bowler
Adrian Boris Barath is a West Indian cricketer. A right-hand opening batsman for Trinidad and Tobago, Barath made his Test debut in November 2009, becoming the youngest West Indian to score a century. He played his first One Day International in March the following year. He is also the youngest West Indian to have scored a century in first-class cricket.He played for Kings XI Punjab in the Indian premier league.
Stephen Mallory
US Congressperson
Stephen Russell Mallory served in the United States Senate as Senator from Florida from 1850 to the secession of his home state and the outbreak of the American Civil War. For much of that period, he was chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs. This was a time of rapid naval reform, and he insisted that the ships of the United States Navy should be as capable as those of Great Britain and France, the foremost navies in the world at that time. He also wrote a bill, and guided it through Congress, that provided for compulsory retirement of officers who did not meet the standards of the profession. Although he was not a leader in the secession movement, Mallory followed his state out of the Union. When the Confederate States of America was formed, he was named Secretary of the Navy in the administration of President Jefferson Davis. He held the position throughout the existence of the Confederacy. Because of indifference to naval matters by most others in the Confederacy, Mallory was able to shape the Confederate Navy according to the principles he had learned while serving in the US Senate. Some of his ideas, such as the incorporation of armor into warship construction, were quite successful and became standard in navies around the world. On the other hand, the navy was often handicapped by administrative ineptitude in the Navy Department. During the war, he was weakened politically by a Congressional investigation into the Navy Department for its failure in defense of New Orleans. After months of taking testimony, the investigating committee concluded that it had no evidence of wrongdoing on his part.
Marc Burns
Olympic Track and field Athlete
Marc Burns is an athlete from Trinidad and Tobago specializing in the 100 metres and the 4x100 metres. Participating in the 2004 Summer Olympics, he was disqualified from his 100 metres heat, thus failing to make it through to the second round. Marc Burns placed second in the men's 100 metres dash at the Bislett Games IAAF Golden League meet in Oslo in July 2005, in preparation for the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. At the 2005 World Championships he won a silver medal. Later that year he won the World Athletics Final. At the 2006 Commonwealth Games he won a bronze medal over 100 metres. He finished last in the 100 m final at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka. At the London Grand Prix he ran a seasons best time of 9.97 seconds coming second behind former world record holder Asafa Powell. In the 2008 Summer Olympics he competed at the 100 metres sprint and placed 2nd in his heat after Samuel Francis in a time of 10.46 seconds. He qualified for the second round in which he improved his time to 10.05 seconds, winning his race with opponents as Kim Collins and Tyrone Edgar. In the semi finals he finished 3rd in his heat behind Usain Bolt and Walter Dix and qualified for the final. There he finished his race in 7th place in a time of 10.01 seconds. Together with Keston Bledman, Aaron Armstrong and Richard Thompson he also competed at the 4x100 metres relay. In their qualification heat they placed first in front of Japan, the Netherlands and Brazil. Their time of 38.26 was the fastest of all sixteen teams participating in the first round and they qualified for the final. Armstrong was replaced by Emmanuel Callender for the final race and they sprinted to a time of 38.06 seconds, the second time after the Jamaican team, winning the silver medal.
Scott Sealy
Soccer Midfielder
Scott Ryan Sealy is a Trinidadian footballer who most recently played for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer.
Marian Marsh
Marian Marsh was an American film actress, and later, environmentalist.
Kevin Molino
Soccer Midfielder
Kevin Molino is a Trinidadian footballer who currently plays for Orlando City in the USL Professional Division.
Kevon Cooper
Cricket Player
Kevon Cooper is a cricketer from Trinidad and Tobago. He plays for Trinidad and Tobago as well as for the Chittagong Kings in the Bangladesh Premier League. He was also signed up to play in the Indian Premier League by Rajasthan Royals during the 2012 auction.
George Maxwell Richards
Politician
George Maxwell Richards, TC, CM was the fourth President of Trinidad and Tobago, in office from 2003 to 2013. A chemical engineer by training, Richards was Principal of the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies in Trinidad in 1996. He previously worked for Shell Trinidad Ltd before joining the University of the West Indies in 1965. He was sworn into office on 17 March 2003 for a five-year term. Richards was the first Head of State in the Anglophone Caribbean of Amerindian ancestry.
Roaring Lion
Calypso Artist
Roaring Lion was a calypsonian. His 65-year career began in the early 1930s and he is best known for his compositions "Ugly Woman", "Mary Ann" and "Netty, Netty", which are still performed today. The song "If You Wanna Be Happy", which hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on 18 May 1963, as well as the R&B singles chart, is based on Roaring Lion's "Ugly Woman".
David Jenkins
Olympic athlete
David Andrew Jenkins in Pointe-à-Pierre, Trinidad and Tobago: British West Indies, the son of an oil refinery manager was a Scottish athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres. Jenkins is a serial entrepreneur, and inventor within the United States sports nutrition industry and is an international multi-patent holder. As President and Chief Executive Officer of NEXT Proteins, Inc., Jenkins is the creator of the world’s first carbonated protein drinks. This technology is embodied in six patents issued in the U.S. as well as in more than 32 countries representing the majority of the world’s population. Jenkins founded and incorporated NEXT Proteins, Inc., based in Carlsbad, California, in 1988. Under his direction and with 100 percent personal funding, NEXT Proteins grew from a garage start up, with $50,000 in capital, to a leader in U.S. whey protein products. Jenkins was educated at Edinburgh Academy, where he excelled at sport. He started off as Scottish 100/200/400 Champion, followed by his first of 6 AAA's 400metre titles. Also In 1971, still aged only nineteen, Jenkins won the 400 meters at the European Athletics Championships in Helsinki
Lalonde Gordon
Olympic Track and field Athlete
Lalonde Gordon, HBM is a male track and field sprinter from Trinidad and Tobago who specialises in the 400 metres. He won the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics with a personal best of 44.52 seconds. He is the second fastest 400 m runner from his country after Ian Morris. He took a second Olympic bronze with the 4 × 400 metres relay team in London, setting a national record in the process. He was also part of the Trinidad and Tobago relay teams that won bronze 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships, silver at the 2011 CAC Championships, and bronze at the 2010 CAC Games.
Dionne Brand
Novelist
Dionne Brand is a Canadian poet, novelist, essayist and documentarian. She was named Toronto's third Poet Laureate in September 2009.
Steffon Armitage
Steffon Armitage is a rugby union player for RC Toulon in the Top 14.
Anthony Ian Berkeley
Hip hop Artist
Anthony Ian Berkeley better known as Poetic, was an American rapper and producer. He was also a founding member of the hip-hop group Gravediggaz, for which he used the alias Grym Reaper.
Brent Sancho
Soccer
Brent Sancho is a Trinidadian soccer player who currently plays for Rochester Rhinos in the USL First Division.
Oscar James
Actor
Oscar James is a Trinidadian actor, who is based in the United Kingdom. He has had a long and varied career, but is best known for appearing on British television, in particular the BBC soap opera EastEnders, where he played original character, Tony Carpenter, for over two years. James resides in North London.
Ian Bishop
Cricket Bowler
Ian Raphael Bishop is a former West Indian cricketer who represented his team between 1989 and 1998. He reached 100 test wickets in only 21 Test matches. A powerful fast bowler with a talent for outswing, severe back injuries cut him down in 1991. He rehabilitated strongly and made adjustments to his bowling action, returning strongly late in 1992. however in 1993, he was struck by injuries again, not returning until mid 1995, thus what was at one stage a highly promising career had been substantially reduced. He now tours the globe as a commentator. Like several other past players for the West Indies, he is quite vocal about the languishing state of his former team. Bishop also commentated for Cricket on Five for the highlights of the 2007 England Tests and the One Day International series between the West Indies cricket team and the Indian cricket team.
Fay-Ann Lyons
Soca Artist
Fay Ann Lyons-Alvarez is a Trinidadian soca songwriter, recording artist and performer. She is also known by such titles as the Lyon Empress, Mane the Matriarch and the Silver Surfer, a nickname which she claimed during her performance at the 2008 International Soca Monarch. Fay Ann is married to fellow recording artist and 'Ragga Soca' lyricist Bunji Garlin. Fay Ann was born in Point Fortin, Trinidad to parents Austin Lyons and Lynette Steele. Fay Ann Lyons is a three-time Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Road March champion and the 2009 International Soca Monarch and International Groovy Soca Monarch champion. She created history when she won the International Soca Monarch for the first time in 2009, as the first female to win the Power category, and the first individual to win the Power, Groovy and People's Choice awards on Fantastic Friday during the finals of the competition which is held annually in Trinidad. She also went on to win the Carnival Road March that year, becoming the first soca artist to win that soca 'triplet' of titles. She is the first woman to accomplish that feat while pregnant. Fay Ann is the youngest solo artist, still actively recording, with multiple wins of the Carnival Road March crown.. Fay Ann remains the only female artist who has won the Carnival Road March three times, and is the second to attain back-to-back wins in two consecutive years. Fay Ann and husband Bunji also became parents in 2009 to a daughter, Syri, born on February 28, 2009, just a few weeks after Carnival.
Julius James
Soccer Defender
Julius James is a Trinidadian footballer who currently plays for Carolina RailHawks in the North American Soccer League.
Lester Peltier
Soccer Midfielder
Lester Stefan Peltier is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays for the Corgoň Liga club Slovan Bratislava in Slovakia.
World Countries
| Floella Benjamin, Baroness Benjamin |
In which year on June 14th was the Battle of Naseby? | Floella Benjamin OBE « The British Blacklist
More Information...
On stage, she has appeared in Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Black Mikado, The husband in law and pantomime. On screen, she appeared in the 1975 horror film I Don’t Want to Be Born and starred in the 1977 film Black Joy.
On TV, her credits include Angels, Within These Walls, Crown Court, The Gentle Touch and Dixon of Dock Green. She appeared as Juniper in the first episode of Bergerac (1981).
She read two stories for the Story Teller magazine series (1983 and 1984). She is chief executive of Floella Benjamin Productions, which has made television programmes since 1987. She is the voice of the ‘U’ and ‘PG’ Video Standards Council information clips.
In 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011, she guest-starred in the Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures as Professor Rivers from the Pharos Institute in the stories The Lost Boy, Day of the Clown, The Eternity Trap and Sky. She also narrated three “making-of” documentaries on the Doctor Who DVD boxset, The Black Guardian Trilogy.
In 2007, she played a small role in the British comedy Run Fatboy Run. In 2011, she rocked up at Exeter University’s Graduation Ball in a gold blouse and black mini skirt, dancing and singing for all the new graduates.
Her 20th book, an autobiography Coming To England, was published in 1997.
She was awarded an OBE for services to broadcasting in 2001. At that time she was chairman of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). She has also won a Special Lifetime Achievement award from BAFTA. She was chairman of the Women of the Year Lunch for five years and a Millennium Commissioner.
She is president of the Elizabeth ’R’ Commonwealth Broadcasting Fund and a governor of the National Film and Television School. She was a governor of Dulwich College, where her mother once worked and her son attended. She is a Vice-President of the Royal Commonwealth Society.
In 2010 she was appointed Chair of Governors at the Isle of Sheppey Academy, which has approval for a multi-million pound government investment that HAS been secured.
In 2006, she became an honorary graduate of the University of Exeter and was awarded the degree of Hon D.Litt (Exon) for contributions to the life of the United Kingdom. Lady Benjamin succeeded Lord Alexander of Weedon to become the Chancellor of the University of Exeter.
In 2008 she was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London.
In the 2010 Dissolution Honours List announced on on 28 May 2010 she was appointed a Liberal Democrat Life Peer.
Her interest in education has also seen her on the “4Rs Commission” established by the Liberal Democrats to look into primary education in the UK.
She is vice-president of NCH Action for Children and Barnardo’s, and was in the NSPCC’s Hall of Fame. She runs the London Marathon to raise funds for Barnardo’s and the Sickle Cell Society.
She is a cultural ambassador for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. In September 2011, Floella participated in the Great North Run.
She features in the BBCs CBeebies animation Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies.
In July 2007 she spoke of what she saw as the low standard of children’s television.
| i don't know |
In the musical 'My Fair Lady', which song is performed by the character 'Freddy Eynsford-Hill' | (HD 720p) On The Street Where You Live - My Fair Lady - YouTube
(HD 720p) On The Street Where You Live - My Fair Lady
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Uploaded on Feb 19, 2010
Song from the Broadway musical "My Fair Lady" sung by the character Freddy Eynsford-Hill. Presented in its theatrical form from a video clip from the 1964 movie version and its popular standard sung by Vic Damone.
The character Freddy Eynsford-Hill was portrayed by the British actor Jeremy Brett. Although a singer in his own right, his singing voice for the film was dubbed by Bill Shirley, an American singer-actor.
Category
| On the Street Where You Live |
'Jam and Jerusalem' is a traditional epithet for which organisation? | Tryron de Guzman | On the street where you live 1956 | Ukulele Instrumental - YouTube
Tryron de Guzman | On the street where you live 1956 | Ukulele Instrumental
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Published on Jul 21, 2014
"On the Street Where You Live" is a song with music by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, from the 1956 Broadway musical, My Fair Lady. It is sung in the musical by the character Freddy Eynsford-Hill, who was portrayed by John Michael King in the original production. In the 1964 film version, it was sung by Bill Shirley, dubbing for actor Jeremy Brett.
The most popular single of the song was recorded by Vic Damone in 1956 for Columbia Records. It reached No. 4 on the Billboard chart and #6 on Cashbox magazine's chart. It was a No. 1 hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1958. Eddie Fisher also had a top 20 Billboard hit with the song in 1956, reaching No. 18. Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra released a version that went to No. 96 in 1956. Andy Williams' recording appeared in the Billboard top 40 in 1964, reaching No. 3 on the adult contemporary chart and #28 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Ukulele arrangement by Kiyoshi Kobayashi キヨシ小林
Performed by Lami Jeon / Tryron de Guzman
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Emmanuel Leutze's most famous painting is of George Washington crossing which river, an event that took place in 1776? | Emanuel Leutze’s Symbolic Scene of Washington Crossing the Delaware | EDSITEment
Emanuel Leutze’s Symbolic Scene of Washington Crossing the Delaware
The Boat | The Hero & The Men | The Flag & The River | Weather & Background | Trenton & Composition | Picturing America & Student Interactive | Featured Lessons | About the Image
NEW! Metropolitan Museum of Art Podcast
This December, EDSITEment is enhancing this feature with Metropolitan Museum of Art, (New York) Curator Carrie Rebora Barratt's podcast narration of one of the great icons of American painting.
Brrrrr!!! What a way to spend the holidays! On Christmas Night, December 25, 1776, George Washington led Continental army soldiers across the Delaware River to attack Britain’s Hessian army at Trenton, New Jersey. This successful surprise attack provided a much-needed victory for Britain’s former colonies as they struggled for freedom.
At the mention of this event, most Americans picture a heroic George Washington standing in a small boat. That’s how Emanuel Leutze pictured it in his huge painting that has been reproduced in history textbooks and hung in American classrooms for the past 150 years.
But there are a lot of surprises about this most famous icon of American history. First a German artist painted it in response to German politics. Emanuel Leutze, born in Germany in 1816, moved to America as a child, but returned to Germany to study art in 1840. With a strong belief in liberal democracy, he painted this American Revolution scene to inspire German reformers. When his first painting of Washington’s crossing became popular in Europe, he shipped this second huge version to the United States in 1851. It became an instant success with more than fifty thousand people coming to see it. Today it is owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
But is it accurate? Is this really how it happened? Yes, and no. Leutze got the spirit of ’76 right and that was his main purpose. He created an inspirational vision of brave and upright men from a variety of backgrounds standing up and fighting together against incredible odds for the common cause of liberty. However, the details of the scene are more symbolic than accurate. Leutze exercised his artistic license to create a powerful composition.
The Boat
The boat in the painting is much smaller than the Durham boats that Washington had requested to ferry his army back and forth across the Delaware. If he had stood in a boat this small, he probably would have tipped it over. Leutze made it small to emphasize the almost life-size figures. The boat represents the revolutionary cause, carrying and uniting the men towards a common goal of liberty.
The Hero
George Washington, the commanding general, seems much older in this painting than others of him that were painted from life not too long after the Revolution. (See Charles Wilson Peale’s portrait of Washington at Princeton .) Wearing his Continental army uniform, tricorne hat, boots, and a red-lined cape, he holds a brass telescope symbolizing his visionary leadership. His prominent saber suggests that he is a powerful warrior. Standing on one leg, he is one of the few objects in the painting that is not moving. He looks forward to the New Jersey shore and the upcoming battle. (There is a useful discussion of his strategy on the eve of the battle in section three “ George Washington as Military Leader ” from the PBS website Rediscovering George Washington .)
The Men
Twelve diverse, determined soldiers, including Washington, crowd the main boat. They wear clothing distinctive to their region. In addition to Washington, another Virginian and future president, who may represent Lieutenant James Monroe holds the flag. Western frontiersmen guide the boat, a man wearing a Scotch hat rows. Is he a recent immigrant? An African American man rows on the far side. He could represent one of the Massachusetts seamen who played an important role in ferrying the army back and forth across the river. Leutze was an ardent abolitionist. See the EDSITEment lesson plan African-American Communities in the North Before the Civil War .
A hatless figure in a man’s red shirt is rowing. There were women on Washington’s ration list and some historians guess that this figure could be a woman. Farmers huddle in blankets and broad-brimmed hats. One holds a double-barreled rifle. By this time in the war, many of Washington’s army no longer had shoes and wrapped their bleeding, freezing feet in rags. Leutze dressed models in colonial clothing to pose for his painting. See the EDSITEment unit and lesson plans The American War for Independence.
The Flag
The flapping flag in the painting features a circle of stars on a blue field and red and white stripes. It represents the unity of the states, but was not designed until 1777, after this event. On the night of the crossing each unit carried their own distinctive flag or that of their state. See the EDSITEment lesson plan Stars and Stripes Forever: Flag Facts for Flag Day .
The River
As the temperature dropped on Christmas Day, ice was forming in the swollen Delaware River. Washington decided to cross the river in a blinding snow storm because he feared that once the river froze, the Hessians would easily move their heavy artillery, horses, and army over the ice to attack Philadelphia. Leutze modeled the river in the painting after Germany’s Rhine River. Ice on this section of the Delaware River usually forms in large flat sheets, not chunks pictured in the painting. Washington had divided his army into several groups with each to cross the river at a different place, but due to river and weather conditions only Washington’s contingent made it across the river that night. Although a few fell overboard, they all survived the crossing. See the EDSITEment lesson plan What Made George Washington a Good Military Leader?
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The Weather
Foul weather played a much more important role in the actual crossing than in Leutze’s painting. A powerful nor’easter pelted snow and sleet, blocking out the sky. The crossing began in late afternoon as the sun sank and continued until about 4 a.m. Darkness covered Washington’s advance to Trenton. The painting is much lighter than the actual event. Leutze’s dawn promises a new day and bright future for the new nation.
The Background
Distant small indistinct light figures of men and horses in the background suggest the size of Washington’s army. 2400 men with horses and cannon crossed the river from Pennsylvania to attack 1500 Hessians in Trenton. The horses and cannon were probably loaded onto flat ferries rather than Durham boats. The rearing horses and disarray of oars suggest the excitement of the moment.
The Battle of Trenton
After this scene, Washington marched his men quickly to Trenton to attack the surprised Hessian army. They captured 900 Hessians and ferried them back across the treacherous river to Pennsylvania. Although no Americans were killed in the battle, two froze to death on the march to battle. This victory greatly boosted the Continental army’s morale.
The Composition
Leutze arranged the figures in a triangular composition. The main triangle extends from the top of the flag to the boat’s bow and back to its stern. Other triangles are in the figure groupings. One extends from Washington’s head to the bow and back to the extended arms of the red shirted figure.
The figures look to the left of the painting showing the progressive movement towards their objective. The figures are clad in dull, muted colors except for the accents of bright red. Leutze unifies the composition by overlapping figures and repeating various shades of blue through out the painting. Light and shadows show the depth and form of the figures. Students may explore this composition in depth on the Metropolitan Museum’s museumkids website . See the EDSITEment lesson plans An Introduction to the Relationship Between Composition and Content in the Visual Arts and What’s in a Picture? An Introduction to Subject in the Visual Arts .
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The Knockoffs
Hundred of cartoons are based on Leutze’s famous painting. See political cartoons such as suffragist Rosalie Jones Crossing the Delaware and Far Side creator Gary Larson’s Washington Crossing the Street . The painting is even reproduced on the back of the 1999 New Jersey State quarter .
Picturing America Resources
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Washington Crossing Historic Park offers more than 500 acres of American history, natural beauty and family fun. The park preserves the site where George Washington crossed the Delaware River and turned the tide of the Revolutionary War.
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Who wrote the book 'A Town Like Alice'? | A Town Like Alice (Vintage Classics): Amazon.co.uk: Nevil Shute Norway, Eric Lomax: 9780099530268: Books
A Town Like Alice (Vintage Classics)
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Publisher: Vintage Classics (3 Sept. 2009)
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 13 x 2.3 x 19.8 cm
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"This direct, simply told story is about honest, dogged virtues, at least as redolent of its era as street parties or 'We'll Meet Again'" (The Times)
"A Town like Alice is the most romantic book I've ever read...Jean's determination to survive is inspirational, and the love she finds later is beautiful" (Catherine Tate Mail on Sunday)
"A ripping tale of budding romance and grace under pressure" (The Times)
"A heart-rending tale of torture, human fortitude and forbearance, inhumanity and hardship" (Sunday Times)
"That supreme storyteller, Nevil Shute...I could hardly bear to put the book down. I read it voraciously for days" (May Lovell The Times)
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'Probably more people have shed tears over the last page of A Town Like Alice than about any other novel in the English language ... remarkable.' (The Guardian)
'A Town like Alice is the most romantic book I've ever read ... Jean's determination to survive is inspirational, and the love she finds later is beautiful.' (The Mail on Sunday)
'A ripping tale of budding romance and grace under pressure.' (The Times)
'A heart-rending tale of torture, human fortitude and forbearance, inhumanity and hardship.' (The Sunday Times) -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verfügbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.
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Which amateur jockey rode the winner of the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup and the runner-up in the 2011 Grand National? | Nevil Shute Book List - FictionDB
Literary
Nov-2010
When Henry Warren, director of an English bank, lands by chance in a hospital in a bleak Northern town that has been ruined by the closure of its shipyard, he discovers nothing less than a new purpose for his life. Moved by the fate of the town’s i...
General Fiction
Aug-2010
Nevil Shute wrote this prophetic novel just before the start of the Second World War. In it he imagines the devastation that results from an aerial bomb attack on Southampton that destroys the city's infrastructure and leaves the inhabitants at the m...
General Fiction
Jun-2002
Book annotation not available for this title.Title: The SeafarersAuthor: Shute, Nevil/ Telfair, Dan/ Milgram, ShoshanaPublisher: Lightning Source IncPublication Date: 2002/05/01Number of Pages: Binding Type: HARDCOVERLibrary of Congress: ...
General Fiction
Jun-1985
Genevieve is a converted French fishing boat, manned by British officers and a small crew of free French ex-fishermen, armed only with a flame-thrower and a few arms. They carry out their daring attack on German boats off the Brittany coast....
General Fiction
Feb-1985
A young man with a chequered past, has been told he has just one year to live. He decides to use his time in search of three very different men he met briefly during the war: a snobbish British pilot, a young corporal accused of murder, and a GI accu...
General Fiction
Mar-1977
Philip Stenning was grateful to the man who's saved his life, grateful enought ot change his identity and become part of a daredevil prison escape, grateful enough to risk being caught in the cneter of a family crossfire. But Philip Stenning wasn't ...
General Fiction
Mar-1977
When Johnny Pascoe attempts to rescue a sick girl from the Tasmanian outback, his plane crashes. Ronnie Clark, who was trained by Pascoe, endeavors to fly a doctor in to help, but this proves more difficult than he imagined. Clarke revisits the past ...
General Fiction
1971
Jennifer fled the drab monotony of post-war London. When she landed in Australia, it was like coming home. She loved it and when she met Carl, she had every reason to stay. But the two of them came from quite different worlds, and it is the story ...
Science Fiction
Jun-1967
A BOOK TO READ. A BOOK TO READ AGAIN. A TERRIFYING PROPHECY. A REASON TO ACT NOW. The last generation... innocent victims of an accidental war, living out the last days, making plans that will never be carried out, making do with what they hav...
Literary
Jun-1955
"The Breaking Wave "is one of Nevil Shute s most poignant and psychologically suspenseful novels, set in the years just after World War II. Sidelined by a wartime injury, fighter pilot Alan Duncan reluctantly returns to his parents' remote sheep stat...
Literary
1949
Nevil Shute's most beloved novel, a tale of love and war, follows its enterprising heroine from the Malayan jungle during World War II to the rugged Australian outback. Jean Paget, a young Englishwoman living in Malaya, is captured by the invadin...
Beyond the Black Stump
General Fiction
Stanton Laird comes to the Australian outback to search for oil. There he meets and falls in love with Mollie. However cultural differences between Stanton and Mollie's world force the two lovers to make difficult decisions....
In the Wet
General Fiction
Drunk and delirious, an old man lies dying in the Queensland bush. In his opium-hazed last hours, a priest finds his deserted shack and listens to his last words. Half-awake and half-dreaming the old man tells the story of an adventure set decades in...
Landfall
General Fiction
"Grips the reader . . . The story has pace and excitement, unforced sentiment and wholly unaffected gaiety." - "Times Literary Supplement" "He knows how to build a story mounting page by page in suspense . . . a thriller if ever there was one, and a...
Lonely Road
General Fiction
A rich middle-aged man finds his lonely life turned upside down when he falls in love with a pretty dance hostess and becomes involved in exposing a conspiracy to sabotage the British General Election. His dogged pursuit of the criminals will throw h...
Marazan
General Fiction
After Philip Stenning is involved in a near-fatal plane crash, he feels he owes a debt of gratitude to the man who rescued him. His mysterious saviour is an escaped convict, and his determination to help him leads Stenning into a tense and dramatic a...
No Highway
General Fiction
When a passenger plane crashes in unexplained circumstances, Theodore Honey, a shy inconspicuous aircraft engineer with eccentric interests in quantum mechanics and spiritualism, must convince his superiors that his unorthodox theories are correct be...
An Old captivity
General Fiction
"Keeps you pegging away, page after page, unwilling to put the book down." - "New York Times" "Mr. Shute knows how to pick astonishing stories and how to keep them moving on non-stop tracks." - "New Republic" "Excellent entertainment, varied and un...
Pastoral
General Fiction
During WWII, Peter Marshall’s crew becomes one of the most successful bombing teams on their Oxfordshire airbase. When Peter falls in love with a young WAAF officer, his concentration begins to suffer and it looks as though his perfect run of m...
Pied Piper
General Fiction
One of Nevil Shute s most exciting novels, "Pied Piper" is the gripping story of one elderly man's daring attempt to rescue a group of children during the Nazi invasion of France. It is the spring of 1940 and John Sidney Howard wants nothing more tha...
Requiem for a Wren
General Fiction
Alan Duncan returns to Australia after the war and several years of study in England. But his homecoming is marred by the mysterious suicide of his parents’ quiet and reliable parlour-maid. A search through her belongings in search of clues leads t...
Round the Bend
General Fiction
"On the fields and farms of England, on the airstrips of the desert and the jungle, in the hangars of the Persian Gulf and on the tarmacs of the southern islands, I have walked and talked with God." --"Round the Bend" When Tom Cutter hires Constanti...
Ruined City
Thriller
Henry Warren ends up in a hospital in a Northern town ruined by the closure of its shipyard. Moved by the fate of the town’s inhabitants, Warren risks his fortune and reputation to save the shipyard and restore the town....
Slide Rule
General Fiction
Nevil Shute was a power and a pioneer in the world of flying long before he began to write the stories that made him a bestselling novelist. This autobiography charts Shute’s path to his career. The inspiration for many of the themes and concerns o...
So Disdained
General Fiction
When Peter Moran picks up a man on the roadside while driving through a bitter rainy night, he embarks upon an adventure that will lead him into treasonous international plots, flying adventures and tests of both his bravery and loyalty....
Stephen Morris
General Fiction
'Stephen Morris' and 'Pilotage' are linked novellas of the pioneer days of flying and also the first that Nevil Shute wrote. Not discovered until after his death, the reflect strongly personal elements of the thrilling and eloquent style of writing t...
Trustee from the Toolroom
General Fiction
When his sister's boat is wrecked in the Pacific, Keith Steward becomes the trustee for his little niece. In order to save her from destitution he has to embark on a voyage in a small yacht in inhospitable waters....
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In which English city are the Abbeydale Brewery and the Steel City Brewery? | Steel City Brewing - Our Beers
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Where it got to :
Brew 29 : Full Marx, 28/11/2011
Forged at The Bull , Highgate, London, in collaboration with Steve and Dan of London Brewing ABV : 4.3% Colour : 6 EBC = Pale
Style : Mid-Atlantic Pale Ale
Gazza visited this new brewpub in leafy Highgate not long after they had started brewing their own beers back in Autumn 2011 and immediately hit it off with Dan, the owner, and Steve, head brewer, after they let slip they'd been the team behing the "Sloaney Pony" which had ordered our beers! So, ever one to piss about on someone else's brewkit, Gazza soon blagged a brewday...
With a base of low-colour Fawcett Maris Otter and Herkules, Green Bullet and Columbus hops, this is a pale and pungently hoppy brew with all the hemp notes you'd expect from CTZ although the house yeast, Mauri, leaves in a little sweetness to keep it all in balance.
It's only fair to say that I was fantastically looked after on brewday and I'd recommend everyone to visit the Bull for the beers and superb food on offer there, also there was a slight problem with the beer which Steve managed to sort out... but everything was OK in the end!
Why "Full Marx" then? Well, one of Gazza's heroes, Karl Marx, is buried in nearby Highgate cemetery (and in a case of Capitalism gone mad you are supposed to pay to see his grave!!!) so the name basically wrote itself.
Watch out for a future follow-up brew with an even better name... !
Or, you can tell us your opinion!
Brew 28 : The Grim North BIPA, 12/11/2011
Forged at Fortiverd , Barcelona, Catalunya in collaboration with Cervesas Marina of Blanes ABV : 7% Colour : 60? EBC = Black
Style : Black IPA
This was the return leg of our Collaboration with Pep and Kevin from Cervesas Marina of Blanes, Catalunya, and for this brew Gazza travelled to Barcelona to cook up what must be the first Black IPA to be brewed in Iberia!
With the hops and yeast delayed in transit, Gazza helped out by packing 2.5kg of Galaxy, 600g of Super Alpha and a pack of K-97 yeast in his suitcase (along with a suitable amount of bottled beer to keep us entertained during brewing) so the planned brew could go ahead...
Fortiverd is based on an industrial estate to the North of Barcelona and brews on a lovely plant installed by Ca l'Arenys of Barcelona, the sort of plant where everything works and makes me wish we had one just like it... it's the kind of brewery that wouldn't be out of place in a brewpub and looks (as well as operates) beautifully making the brewday less of hard work and more enjoyment with plenty of time to drink beer and discuss beer with visiting brewers!
Belgian pale ale and Cara50 malt, Weyermann Carared and Carafa spezial 3 plus a dash of rolled oats gave the big malt backbone for the brew and with Galaxy at first wort, Super Alpha for bittering and yet more lusciously fruity Galaxy for flavour and aroma this is going to be one monster of a beer and I can't wait to try it!
Or, you can tell us your opinion!
Brew 27 : DILLIGAF, 12/11/2011
Brew 25 : Escafeld, 24/09/2011
Forged at Little Ale Cart in collaboration with David from Raw of Staveley ABV : 5.2% Colour : 16.6 EBC = Orange / Red
Style : American Red Ale
Brew 25 sees the return leg of our collaboration with David of Raw Brewing, Staveley, and this time he has come to the little brick shed to see how we roll with the Heath Robinson contraptions contained therein!
Using pale malt along with Vienna and a whole sack of Weyermann Melanoidin for colour, we have brewed a complex orangey-red brew with plenty of hop character as you'd expect from three of the more enthusiastic users of the sticky green bracts! US Warrior and German Herkules were used for bittering before bucketloads of Citra, Nelson Sauvin and Sorachi Ace were added for flavour and aroma resulting in the deepest hopbed I've seen since Mental Hop Bastard down at Brodies!
Dry-hopped in the fermenter and cask with deliciously pungent Nelson Sauvin hops, this should be a hugely hoppy yet succulently malty brew and should, in an event that's rare for us, have some semblance of balance to the flavour, although the hops will win out in the end!
The brewday went so well - even with Gazza dropping (as is now customary) something into the just-filled mashtun, this time the mash hopper stand - that we may even do another brew! Plenty of ideas are flying around so you never know...
Variants on the brew
" Westby Rant " - A special for Nottingham beer festival, the right colour but wrong hops for Mr Westby!!!
" It's Better oop North " - Another special, this one for Oxford.
" Červen� Bez Dva " - If we do this it'll be the beer just as it comes out of the FV with no dry-hops!
" A Slight Case of Overhopping 5 " - The usual performance with way too many hops added in the cask!
From the Mini-kit...
" Red Eye IPA " - Red in colour with plenty of hops at flame-off, a total Citra and Sorachi overkill - but just what we like!
Escafeld - The Melanoidin malt gave it a reddy/amber colour and
Or, you can tell us your opinion! Where it got to :
Brew 24 : Darkthrone Sorachi Porter, 20/08/2011
Forged at Little Ale Cart in collaboration with David from Raw of Staveley ABV : 4.5% Colour : 57.7 EBC = Almost Black
Style : Porter (kind of)
People are always telling us that our dark beers don't get the recognition they deserve as we're always banging on about our "pale'n'hoppy" beers and forget to big up the stouts and porters... well, let's start with this one!
Our latest brew, our 18th at Little Ale Cart, uses our beloved hops of Japanese origin - the bizarre Sorachi Ace - in alliance with lots of Maris Otter pale malt, Caramalt for body and Chocolate malt for flavour plus some Galena and Herkules for bittering, to create a right old mouthful of contrasting yet enticing flavours; bitter chocolate, cocoa, roasted grain, pineapple, coconut... you name it, it's probably in there somewhere! With 40g of extra Sorachi Ace hops in each cask to bump up the aroma and flavour this should be a brew well worth seeking out and will prove that Porter doesn't have to be a sweet, caramelly mess but can instead be complex, hoppy and interesting!
The variants come thick and fast this month with coconut, honey, almond and "biscotti" (coffee, almond and vanilla) all appearing; these have been made with natural flavours and/or extracts and should be interesting even if not to your taste! We are particularly looking forwards to the biscotti one which smelt absolutely gorgeous in the cask... so come along to the Sheffield Tap from Wednesday 21st to Saturday 24th September when we will be taking over the pumps for the weekend!
Variants on the brew
" Alco Clag Coconut Porter " - With 500g of toasted coconut flakes added to the cask.
" Biscotti Porter " - This should be interesting! Madagascan Vanilla extract, American Almond extract and self-steeped coffee liquor from hand-crushed beans!
" Honey Porter " - With a whole jar of honey added to the cask.
" Čern� Bez 3 " - The brew without any dry-hops in the cask, just to prove how much better it is with them in there!
" Knackerneck Almond Porter " (kegged) - One of our 20 litre kegs with American almond extract added to the beer.
From the Mini-kit...
" Commissar Swejkowski's Imperial Porter " - a strong and very flavoursome Sorachi porter from the mini-kit!
Or, you can tell us your opinion! Where it got to :
Brew 23 : Sheffield Hop Infusion Team, 06/08/2011
Forged at Little Ale Cart ABV : 5.7% Colour : 8.7 EBC = Golden
Style : Mid-Atlantic Pale Ale
Having travelled around the country emptying everyone else�s hop stash, we decided it was about time to clear out our own! Basically, our desire to experiment with as many different hops as possible, combined with our infrequent brewing, left us with too many open bags - so rather than let them deteriorate this was our �let�s throw in absolutely everything and see what we get�! With Gazza away in London drinking in overpriced trendy beer bars, Sheffield Tap barsteward Dan continued his training with Dave (maybe "training" is a touch optimistic, but apparently he will be doing some brewing for the Tap�s forthcoming brewery, so hopefully our influence will rub off!).
We started off by emptying our sack of Columbus as the First Wort Hop and followed this up with two charges of Galena, all of which combined to give a respectable 120IBU of smooth bitterness. At flame-off we then lobbed in (in a very carefully calculated and technical manner, obviously) over 3 kilos of a mix of Simcoe, Chinook, Pacific Jade, Citra and Nelson Sauvin and, for good measure, we dry-hopped the casks with Citra. All this was overlaid on our strongest �big kit� brew wort yet (low colour Maris Otter and wheat malt), coming in at 5.7%.
Variants on the brew
" Bez 11 " - Without any dry hops, but you know that by now.
" Fudge's Legacy" - Festival Special for Tamworth Beer Festival dry-hopped with Simcoe in memory of Chris Fudge, one year on.
" Melissa�s Milestone " - Another festival "mod", this one for our friends at York, dry-hopped with Amarillo.
" A Slight Case of Overhopping 4 " - Extra dry-hopped variant for the Sheffield Tap
Or, you can tell us your opinion! Where it got to :
Brew 22 : Raw Steel, 23/07/2011
Collaboration with David of Raw Brewing, Staveley, Derbyshire.
Forged at Raw Brewing , Staveley
The brewday photos are here... ABV : 6.2% Colour : Amber
Style : IPA
Another week, another collaboration... life does seem to be one long round of them at the moment! If this sounds like we're not enjoying it you've got the wrong impression because we most certainly are, but it does seem as if suddenly, for some inexplicable reason, the whole world wants us to come brew on their plant and use all their hops!
Dave gets the blame (or was that credit?) for this one so expect, as per the usual script with us, something pale and very hoppy with - maybe - a whole load of Apollo, Herkules, Pacific Gem and Nelson Sauvin... business as usual, then, and we look forwards to using all David's hops for him!
The brewday went stunningly well and we're quite pleased with the resulting wort! It will be a touch darker than our usual beers yet still packed with hops and should be well worth seeking out... there will only be 19 or 20 9's so you'll need to be quick...
See what Ratebeer folks think about it here ...
Our Verdict - This was a big departure from our "normal" style of beer but equally as good! Plenty of maltiness and a long bitter finish were the obvious characters although a fruity hoppiness gradually took over and all flavours combined well in the finish to give a rich, hoppy beer which was deceptively strong and moreish. (8/10)
Or, you can tell us your opinion!
Brew 21 : Blanes Half IPA, 16/07/2011
Forged at Little Ale Cart, Sheffield
The brewday photos are here... ABV : 3.2% Colour : 9.9 EBC = Golden
Style : Half IPA
And now, as they say on dated unfunny "comedy" programmes, for something completely different...
From Gazza's chance meeting with Kevin and Pep from Cervesa Marina of Blanes in the superb 2D2DSpuma bar/shop/Catalan beer showcase in Barcelona came the first ever collaboration between cuckoo brewers in the UK and Catalunya and this beer is the result of the "home leg" (for us, obviously) of that collaboration!
A half IPA is a rare and unusual beast being, as the name suggests, a weak version of the hopped-up IPA style. Taking Brewdog's last decent beer (How to Disappear Completely) as our starting point and Grassroots' stunning Den Lil IPA as further refinement of the idea, the four of us - Gazza, Dave, Kevin and Pep - have created what we think will be an absolute monster of a brew with the biggest hop hit we have used thus far - by quite a margin - allied to a low gravity mash albeit with plenty of flavoursome malt to (hopefully) add some body to carry the huge lupulous assault.
First-wort hopped with our beloved Columbus, kettle hopped with smooth and bitter Warrior, then flavour and aroma hopped with the "dream team" of Columbus, Simcoe, Citra and Sorachi Ace this promises to be an extreme brew of potentially awesome proportions! It may work, it may not, but we're pretty sure that we have brewed up something that will be remembered - for the right or wrong reasons - for many years to come!
On the upside, we feel that we might have cracked the clarity issues which have dogged our last few beers... time will tell on this one!
If we have proved one thing with this brew it's that you don't need strength to have flavour... in this case, it's quite the opposite!
" Bez 10 " - As usual, a single cask without the dry hops...
" Mighty Hop " - A special for the Rutland Arms dry-hopped with our beloved Sorachi Ace hops!
" Palin Hoppy " - Another special for the Rutland Arms just because we love playing around with dry-hopping to see what happens!
" A Slight case of Overhopping 3 " - Extra dry-hopped variant for the Sheffield Tap
From the Mini-kit...
" Sorachi IPA " - 100% Sorachi Ace hops in an amber 7%-ish brew... expect honeyed malt, coconut, pineapple, oranges... all manner of flavours!
Brew 18 : Riot in Paradise, 21/05/2011
Forged at Little Ale Cart, Sheffield
The brewday photos are here... ABV : 4.7% Colour : 5.6 EBC = Quite pale
Style : Mid-Atlantic Pale Ale
With Dave away, Gazza roped in as guest brewer old-skool beer scooper, long-time mate and dedicated hophead Dean from Devon and this beer is the result of a long hot day's brewing in the little brick shed!
With no yeast available, and the decision having been taken to experiment with dried yeast anyhow, we borrowed yet another pack of Safale US-05 from our original collaborator Pete Roberts at the Brew Company (cheers, Pete... you'll get them back one day!) to ferment the wort made from Munton's low-colour Maris Otter and a whole stack of hops which should give this brew a right old mix of flavours; peach from Simcoe, mango from Citra, coconut and pineapple from Sorachi, gooseberry from Nelson Sauvin, hefty bitterness and citrus from Galena and lean zestiness from Green Bullet are all in there somewhere!
Over 3kg of hops went in at flame-off so this should be one hop-monster of a brew and weighs in at 108 IBUs, plenty to balance out the malt in a 4.6% pale ale! Just for a change, we also added a dash of Caramalt which Dean had brought along to give a touch of body (but very little colour) to the brew; we don't want to be typecast as only brewing extremely pale beers, do we? No, so this one is merely very pale in colour...!
Variants on the brew
"The Rapture" - this variant - dry-hopped with Sorachi Ace - will happen, unlike the Rapture which was prophesized for brewday and didn't!
"No Doss!" - A special mod of the main brew for John Bratley's 60th Birthday, double-dry hopped with the double-A side of Citra and Simcoe; only 2 casks exist!
From the Mini-kit...
"Spanner in the Works" - 100% Simcoe in this 8% or so IIPA... over 120 IBU. So named due to Gazza dropping the brewery's (only) spanner into a just-filled mashtun! And yes, we did get it out, after much fishing around...
Brew 17 : Weapons of Mouth Destruction, 16/04/2011
Forged at Little Ale Cart, Sheffield
The brewday photos are here... ABV : 4.5% Colour : 5.3 EBC = Rather pale
Style : Mid-Atlantic Pale Ale
Well, they are the way we use 'em!
Our latest brew utilises a new hop for us, Galena as the first-wort charge, which Gazza was impressed with at Otley the other week and thought we should try out, plus lots of lovely Green Bullet for bittering then flavour and aroma additions of Nelson Sauvin, Citra and Pacific Jade... what a mixture! It clocks in at a mere 84 IBU but that's not an issue given the varieties we used at the start of the boil which should mean a huge hop flavour! And, anyway, 84 isn't exactly a low IBU level...!
Over a kilo of hops per barrel went in so there should be plenty of hop flavour and aroma, plus we're going to use our new hop-steeping bags in the FV with Crystal (hops not malt!) and more Pacific Jade, and in addition the casks will be dry-hopped with something which we've not yet decided!
The main deviation from the norm, however, was in the use of dried yeast owing to a shortage of the Ale Cart house strain and so many thanks to Pete at Brewco for stepping in at very short notice and donating a pack of S05 for us to pitch in! We've used S05 once before, at Pete's during our second-ever brew, and think it's probably the best dried yeast around so we feel pretty confident something good should come out of FV2 next weekend! S05 gives a neutral character with a hint of Burton sulphur to the beer - not something we normally go for - so it will be interesting to see how things pan out!
Variants on the brew
"All at Sea" - A special version (Simcoe dry-hopped) of the beer for the " Ocean of beer " cruise to celebrate the 10th birthday of the superb beer temple that is Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa' in Rome!
"Aston Clowne" - this variant, dry-hopped with US Crystal hops, is named after two villages on the way into Sheffield from the M1.
"Bez 8" - Bez is the normal non-dry-hopped thing we do... but you know that by now I hope.
From the Mini-kit...
"Sweating Bullets" - Green Bullet and nothing else, over 500g of hops in a single 9 and almost 9%... oh yes!! Barley wine or IIPA? You decide...
Brew 16 : Oxymoron Black IPA, 28/03/2011
Collaboration with Otley of Pontypridd, South Wales
Forged at Otley, Pontypridd, Mid-Glamorgan, Wales
The brewday photos are here... ABV : 5.5% Colour : Nearly black
Style : Black IPA
In yet another trendy "Collaboration" brew with mates of ours who are daft enough to let us go rummaging around their hop store, Gazza visited old friends from University (well, he did hand his entire grant over the bar in the Otley Arms...) the Otley family of South Wales where, after a lot of rubbing hops, making hop tea, slurping said tea and generally pissing around, Matt Otley and Gazza formulated what they reckon will be an absolute belter of a Black IPA!
I know, the world needs another Black IPA like the proverbial hole in the head, but after the success of Shadowplay and the realisation that fruity hops work so much better than citrussy ones, Gazza reckoned that just one more wouldn't hurt...
I'm really, really excited about this brew and think it should be very special indeed... think about it; Sorachi Ace, Columbus, Citra, Chinook and super-sub Galena coming together in huge amounts to produce a jet-black beast loaded with Weyermann Carafa Spezial 2 should, adding in the two brewers' skills and enthusiasm for the job, result in something very exciting indeed!
See what Ratebeer folks think about it here ...
Our Verdict - Wow, that was a hop-fest! A big smooth chocolate and roasted grain flavour carried the big hop charge perfectly and, although I think we underhopped at the bittering stage slightly, the aroma and dry hopping shone through like a beacon! The mix of Columbus, Citra, Sorachi and Chinook in the cask gave a gloriously complex and oily hop aroma and flavour which I'm very pleased with indeed and the interplay with the malt was delightful; it must be, I drank 4 pints the other evening! (8.5/10)
Or, you can tell us your opinion!
Brew 15 : Decadent and Desperate, 27/03/2011
Forged at Little Ale Cart, Sheffield
The brewday photos are here... ABV : 5% Colour : 5.5 EBC = Rather pale
Style : Mid-Atlantic Pale Ale
With the previous week's brewing cancelled and Gazza away on a birthday scooping trip in Warsaw, Dave (and guest brewer Danny) stepped up to create a strong pale ale absolutely stuffed full of three of his favourite hops; Citra, Columbus and Chinook. The name, in case you've not realised, is from another of our Musical heroes this time Industrial Goth-metal top geezer Mortiis from Norway...
This won't be a beer for those who think British beer needs to be brown, toffeeish, vaguely dry and with the merest suggestion of dusty old hops; no, this will be a very pale, very bitter (120+ IBU) and ludicrously hoppy monster which might even top the awesomeness of CTZ, our last brew, in the hop stakes! (CTZ was reportedly described as "almost undrinkable" by, presumably, someone who likes brown beer!) .
Well, Gazza racked it on Sunday and it tasted very impressive indeed from the fermenter and drop-test... this should be yet another hop monster of a brew from us, but would you expect anything different?
There was also a brew done on the "mini-kit" of Citra IPA which should come in at around 5.8% or so and we did the customary Bez variant with no dry hops too as Richard at the Cask & Welly thinks they are our best beers (we don't agree but when there's a pin left in the FV we may as well do one!)
Variants on the brew
"Beards and Guts Society" - A Chinook dry-hopped version of the main brew which is named after that institution which does so much for Regional brewers, Fuggle growers and Crystal maltsters everywhere... CAMRA, in case you were wondering...
"No Future" - A blatant rebadge of this brew's Bez to "celebrate" the extra bank holiday we get this month...!
"A Slight Case of Overhopping 2" - Festival Special for Doncaster with absolutely shed-loads of Citra and Chinook crammed into the single cask! Will we win again? Nah... but it'll taste nice!
"2 Desperate" - A pin especially double dry-hopped with Simcoe for the Rutland Arms!
From the Mini-kit...
"Citra IPA" - The next in our ongoing series of single hop IPA's from our mini-kit, this time we used only Citra; 140+ IBU of Mangoey cat's piss (in a nice way)!
"South Pacific" - A version of Saint Brendan dry-hopped with Green Bullet.
"Bez Such�ho Chmele Sedm" - Our 7th non dry hopped limited edition brew.
"Quad Kiwi" - A pin of Bez with the addition of a whole load of sliced Kiwi Fruit... will it work? We hope so!
From the Mini-kit...
"Ha Ha!" - A strong pale ale from the "mini-kit" hopped with oodles of luscious Nelson Sauvins... and only Nelsons!
Our Verdict -
Saint Brendan was, in some respects, one of our best brews to date and showcased the lively, zesty hop character of New Zealand hops pretty damn well! A huge resinous fruity, mangoey, melon-like hop aroma was a great start, then the flavour had a very dry maltiness topped by a bitter fruitiness, soft kiwi-like fruit and even some citrus! The finish was bitter, malty and increasingly dry yet with sweet soft fruit oozing out all over the place leading to a finale of bitterness and pungent hoppiness... bloody lovely stuff! (9/10)
South Pacific had the same dryness and lean body with an almost herby, bitter flavour and a lively, zippy and zesty fruity hoppiness which was delicious. The finish was increasingly dry and bitter with a complex hop aroma and flavour, increasing bitterness, and an attractively leafy, herby yet restrained hoppy finish which was very, very pleasant indeed. (8.5/10)
Bez 7 Wasn't, as is usual for the non-dry-hopped brews, as aromatic or immediately attractive as the other versions yet was bitter, aromatic and had a pungency of zesty, fruity hops in the finish which led to a quite delicious finish with everything in perfect harmony... started poorly, finished well, I really liked this! (8.5/10)
Quad Kiwi had a suggestion of the fruit in the nose and, more so, flavour yet it was the hops which came to the fore and pushed the fruit into the background... I say that, yet the three hops we used are so fruity themselves that it was hard to notice if those fruity flavours were from the added kiwis or the hops themselves! (7/10)
Ha Ha! was, as expected, a bit of a bruiser yet not as much as maybe it could have been with the extended fermentation taking the edge off the bitterness somehow! The increased alcohol was immediately obvious yet this was a beer all about the hops with a massive fruity, hoppy nose which was everything Nelson Sauvin is about rolled into one sniff! Lots of hop resins and bitterness led into a finish which had more than a suggestion of alcohol yet the dry, bitter, grapey and pungent hoppiness swamped everything in a tide of Nelsony goodness... extreme yet quite subtle all in one! (8/10)
Or, you can tell us your opinion!
Where it got to : Cask & Welly, Sheffield (SB); Magna (Rotherham) Beer Festival (SB); Anchor, Digbeth (SB); Harwich Town brewery (x2 SB); Boggart Distribution (x4 SB); Old Oak, Horsley Woodhouse (SB); Rutland Arms, Sheffield (SB, SP, QK); Star, Huddersfield (SP); Southampton Arms, London (SB); Bent & Bongs (Atherton) beer festival (SB x 2); Blackpool Beer Festival (SB); Dove, Ipswich (SB)
Brew 12 : Shadowplay Black IPA, 11/12/2010
Forged at Little Ale Cart, Sheffield
The brewday photos are here...
Ah yes, Black IPA - the ultimate oxymoron - a black "pale ale"? What's all that about, eh? Well, over in the US these brews are all the rage at present and the infection is spreading across the Atlantic with more and more being brewed in the UK so, never ones to shy away from having a go at something difficult, we thought we'd have a go ourselves.
Brewing a proper black IPA requires very different ingredients than making a stout despite the beers looking identical; the dark malt needs to be de-husked to minimise the burnt flavour meaning Weyermann Carafa-Spezial , from Bamberg in Franconia, is the only real option, then you need a good dose of flavoursome pale malt to hold it all together plus a whole shed-load of resinous American hops to add the bitterness and hop aromatics these beers demand.
Having studied (OK, drank) plenty of commercial examples whilst in Portland, Oregon, and consulted brewers about the techniques and ingredients required, we're now ready for our first attempt at a Black IPA - or Cascadian Dark Ale - and are confident that it'll be an absolute beast of a beer! It finished at 5.6% and 116 IBU so expect something rather tasty...
Variants on the brew
"Dead Souls" - Shadowplay dry-hopped with deliciously fruity Citra.
"Čern� Bez - Dva" - A lone pin of this exists at the Cask & Welly in Sheffield, as usual this is the base beer without any dry hops.
From the Mini-kit...
"Martin's Fearless Sorachi Mild" - A dark mild from the "mini-kit" hopped with - guess what? - for Martin the Mildman's birthday!
Our Verdict -
Shadowplay worked more or less exactly how we hoped it would with a big, burly chocolatey malt taste and just a touch of roastiness but all overlain by a huge oily, zesty, fruity and hash-like hoppiness which worked really well against the dark maltiness. The finish was a crescendo of hop oils and resinous lupulins set against a solid chocolatey backdrop and, overall, this was a beer of which we were very proud indeed although, being super-critical, maybe Sorachi or Citra would work better as the aroma hop...? maybe next time! (8.5/10)
Dead Souls was, if anything, even better than Shadowplay owing to the deliciously mangoey, fruity character the Citra gave to the brew and this seemed to mesh perfectly with the dark maltiness and resinous hop base to give something truly exceptional. This is definitely something we'll be considering for our next black IPA, whenever that is... (9/10)
Martin's Fearless Sorachi Mild was brewed for a mild lover by hop-heads; could this ever work? Well, yes it did! Created on our "mini-kit" and hopped with a featherlight touch (for us, anyhow) this was a very dark brown brew with sweet malt, chocolate, toast and pineapply fruit on the nose. The flavour was full-on rich chocolate, smooth and mellow, with a noticeable and very attractive pineapple hint from the Sorachi then hints of bitter dryness in the very malty, chocolatey aftertaste; it works! (8.5/10)
Čern� Bez Dva somehow lacked the oomph of the two dry-hopped brews yet still gave a big chocolate malt and oily hop character which some drinkers preferred over the other two... but for me it needed the extra "top dressing" dry hops give. Still, a very tasty brew and impressively hoppy! (8/10)
Or, you can tell us your opinion! Where it got to : Cask & Welly, Sheffield (SP, DS); Hunters, Kilburn (SP); Old Oak, Horsley Woodhouse (DS); Star, Huddersfield (SP, DS); Rutland, Sheffield (SP, DS); Cask Corner, Doncaster (SP); Wenlock Arms, London (MFSM, SP); Harlequin, Sheffield (SP); Anchor, Birmingham (SP); Ely Beer Festival (SP); Otley Brewing (2xSP); Shoulder of Mutton, Wantage (SP); Merton Beer Festival (SP);
Brew 11 : This Corrosion, 13/11/2010
Forged at Little Ale Cart
The brewday photos are here...
Not content with challenging perceptions of us as a one-trick pony by brewing a glorious dry stout (Marduk) a few months back we're at it again with the dark malts although, this time, the hops have more than a supporting role.
"This Corrosion" is an unusual and, we'd like to think, very different brew utilising some interesting ingredients and brewing techniques. We mashed slightly hotter than usual at 66.5c to add some body and, in addition to our usual Fawcett's low-colour Maris Otter malt, we used a relatively high proportion of Wheat malt - just under 20% - to aid smoothness and head retention, plus a dash of Caramalt for added body. A good dose of Weyermann Carafa Spezial type 1, a de-husked chocolate malt, was our grain of choice to give colour and flavour without the burnt malt taste (so as not to conflict with the hops) plus, for extra colour, we "sparged through" some Roasted Barley to extract colour but not flavour (thanks to Phil Lowry for the tip!).
Such a good grain recipe demands a clever hop mixture but, for once, this wasn't the plan and a mere three hops sufficed with Magnum for bittering, Bramling Cross for aroma and over 3kg of mangoey, fruity Simcoes for bitterness, flavour and aroma were added at five occasions during the brewing process to give the fruity hop character we are after plus, as is our wont, we'll be dry-hopping it with yet more Simcoes to add extra tropical fruit aromas and flavour!
So, what will it be like? First tastings of chilled wort from the paraflow were extremely promising with lashings of tropical fruit and only a suggestion of toffeeish maltiness and so, hopefully, this brew will be just what we envisaged when creating the recipe... time will tell!
The "mini-kit" was pressed into use for it's second run to create a stronger beer from the first runnings of the mash. There will be a single cask of this beer which we hopped extravagantly with Chinook which should bring an interesting combination of grapefruit flavours to the toffee maltiness of the malt and may or may not work... but hey, it might and we just had to find out!
"Red Star" - The main brew with Citra as the dry-hop.
"Červen� Bez" - Our "Red Bez" will be without the Simcoes in cask...
"Red Hot" - Basically Bez with the addition of three sliced chillies (grown by Brian Moore!!!) just to see what happens!
From the Mini-kit...
"Number of the Beast" - Red IPA? You'd better believe it, all 131 IBU's of it, 1066.6� and 90% Chinook from our "Mini-kit"!
Our Verdict -
This Corrosion was tawny amber/red in colour with a toasted grain and perfumey, fruity hop nose. The flavour wasn't quite as integrated as we'd hoped with the dark malts not sitting altogether perfectly with the fruity hops, but what it lacked in flavour integration it more than made up for in full-blooded punchiness! The toasty malt mixed with the fruity hop, more perfumed (almost honeysuckle or orchids?) hops and then a good bitter, malty yet still flowery and perfumed finish with a long roast and bitter aftertaste... so, not a total success but it was very interesting indeed! (7.5/10)
Red Star had all of the above yet, as is their wont, the delicious Citra hops lifted the aroma to a crescendo of rosepetals and fruity sublimity; it may even be one of the most inviting aromas I've ever sniffed! The flavours, again, didn't quite mesh but the full-on hoppiness brought it home in style with a big hop and toasty malt finish. (8.5/10)
Červen� Bez was altogether more of a well-rounded and well-mannered brew without any of the excesses Red Star's Citra brought to the party and less perfumey fruit that Corrosion. A good, toasted malt and bitter flavour somehow melded together better than the two dry-hopped brews and the finish was smooth, roasty yet bitter and hoppy... one of our better Bez's! (8/10)
Red Hot was simply one of the best chilli beers I've ever tried, and that's not me with my Steel City hat on, that's with my beer tasting hat on! Most chilli beers have too little else in the flavour and tend towards a simple fieriness, but Red Hot trumped them all with it's chocolatey flavour backed by an almost crunchy capscium flavour - you could really taste the chillies! - and a subtle yet persistent and building heat in the finish which tingled on the lips. So, darker beers do work with chillies... in this case, very well indeed! (8.5/10)
Number of the Beast didn't really finish fermenting properly owing to the very cold weather and the lack of cladding on the little fermenter (now fixed!) and so the final gravity was higher than we'd have liked. This gave the beer a sweetness that wasn't sticky owing to the huge amounts of Chinook hops in there (with their bitter, grapefruity blast) but, even so, we'd have liked a little more dryness to the finished brew. Ah well, it was still a big, bitter, hoppy bruiser of a beer and very tasty! (7.5/10)
Or, you can tell us your opinion! Where it got to : Cask & Welly, Sheffield (RS, TC, CB); Hunters, Kilburn (TC); Old Oak, Horsley Woodhouse (TC, RS); Star, Huddersfield (TC, RS); Rutland, Sheffield (TC, RH, NOTB); Boggart (6xTC); Mexborough Imperial Club (TC); Wellington, Brum (TC); Frodsham Beer Festival (TC); Anchor, Brum (TC); Strathmore Arms, St Paul's Walden (TC); Wenlock Arms, London (TC); Swan, Stone (TC)
Brew 10 : Nightmare on Henry Street, 09/10/2010
Forged at Little Ale Cart
The brewday photos are here...
Our "spookily hoppy" October brew should be hoppy enough for the thirstiest lupulin-sucking vampires out there! We resisted the temptation to dye it lurid red (as adding food dye to beer is a disgusting practice) and instead settled for 7.5kg of hops in the 6 barrel brew!
We have tried out a slightly unusual technique this time in the form of "sparge hopping" which involves spreading a kilo of Amarillo on top of the mash and sparging through them to extract the hoppy goodness (which does work, apparently) and then we went mad and piled in a kilo each of Cascade and Amarillo as First-Wort hops! Magnum was, as usual, the bittering hop then we progressively added kilo-loads of Centennial throughout the boil plus a hefty dose of gorgeous Citra at flame-off for a total hop charge of 7.5kg (plus dry-hopping, of course!).
The brew is 5.2% and we're hoping for something pretty good as it tasted delicious from the paraflow and should be even better once dry-hopped with Citra and Amarillo...
Variants on the brew
"Bez Such�ho Chmele - �est" - No dry hops in the cask to give you that "straight from the FV" taste!
"Exeter" - Dry-hopped with Cascade hops for Andy Powis' 44th birthday... hence the log "Exeter"!
Our Verdict -
Henry Street was yet another hop beast with luscious aromas of citrus, tropical fruit, malt and a sweet mango overtone. Malt was prominent in the flavour at first although this was soon overtaken by waves of complex hoppiness with first citrus then sticky resins, oranges, peaches and finally those sweet tropical fruits parading across the tongue. It ended with a well balanced bitter, hoppy, citrussy and malty finish which lasted for ages and left a bitter, citrussy aftertaste with a smooth bitterness lingering. Overall, then, a big success! (9/10)
Exeter had a far dryer flavour without the sweet mangoey Citra to help the character and, although the lemony Cascade tried hard, it didn't quite mesh with the rest of the hops and fell a touch short in the aroma department... still, the finish was a delight of bitterness and waves of hoppiness so all wasn't lost! (7.5/10)
Bez 6 showed that dry hopping is an essential part of brewing as, despite a rich hop mix in the flavour, it was lacking the finesse and power of Henry Street. (6.5/10)
Or, you can tell us your opinion! Where it got to : Dragon, Worcester (NoHS); Cask & Welly, Sheffield (NoHS, Bez 6, E), Riverside, Sheffield (NoHS); Hunters, Kilburn (NoHS), Old Oak, Horsley Woodhouse (NoHS); Queen Vic, Stroud (E); Star, Huddersfield (NoHS); Bury Beer Fest (NoHS); Ring'o Bells, Bridgewater (NoHS); St Austell Celtic Festival, St Austell (NoHS); Talbot Taphouse, Ripley (NoHS); Henry's, Sheffield (NoHS); Otley Arms, Treforest (NoHS); Bunch of Grapes, Pontypridd (NoHS); City Arms, Cardiff (NoHS)
Brew 9 : Marduk Oatmeal Stout, 19/09/2010
Forged at Little Ale Cart
The brewday photos are here...
Marduk is our second stout, the first being Black No.1 back in January, and although the recipe is similar we have learned the lessons of last time and cut out the crystal malt - there really is no need, not even in stout! We've used "full-colour" 5EBC Fawcett's Maris Otter this time and mixed in Roast Barley and Chocolate Malt for colour and flavour, Caramalt for body, Malted Oats for smooth mouthfeel and texture plus 5kg of Demerera and Muscovado sugar for... well, whatever they bring to the party!
Hop-wise we have used, in addition to half a kilo of our preferred Magnum for bittering, UK hops in the form of the delicious and sadly all-too-rare Bramling Cross which will give a berryish, fruity and juicy bramble aroma / flavour to the brew plus, as is our wont, we've dry-hopped it with yet more Bramling Cross just to be sure there's enough hop character in there! The hop rate is almost double the last stout at nearly 4kg in a 6BBL brew and we have very high hopes for this one indeed...
Last time we produced a single cask of stout (Czarna Kawa) dosed with liquor in which 500g of coffee beans had been steeped overnight. This time we've upped the number of coffee casks to six although we have downgraded the coffee to 250g per firkin as last time it tended to overshadow the beer! Our plan for a chocolate and vanilla stout will happen next time, we promise...
We've also racked a single pin of non dry-hopped Marduk which goes by the name of "Čern� Bez - Jeden" (Black Bez) and will be at the Cask & Welly, Sheffield, in due course.
Finally, Dominion / Mother Russia, our imperial stout, is still fermenting away and we will be racking that next weekend. We're not 100% sure where it's going yet but there's a possibility it'll be kept back for the Scooper's Piss-up weekend in Sheffield during December... watch this space!!!
Variants on the brew
"прикарпатс кий сильный кофе" - Our "Carpathian Strong Coffee" is Marduk stout with a shot of liquor made from steeping 250g of hand-crushed coffee beans added to each cask!
"Čern� Bez Jeden" - A non dry-hopped pin of Marduk, there are only 36 pints of this in existence!
From the Mini-kit...
"Mother Russia" - Our first play with the "First Runnings" kit, this monstrous brew was as black (and as thick!) as Brent crude and ended up, after 4 weeks' fermentation, at 8.2%! We hopped it at double the rate of Marduk in order to balance the massive maltiness and, just to make things more interesting, we added a whole bottle of natural Vanilla extract...
"Dominion" - The "non-vanilla" version of Mother Russia, just as it came out of the FV!
Our Verdict -
Marduk was like our first stout... only better! We deliberately mashed low to give us a dry, lean body and to balance the sweetness from the malt but, for me, the star of the show were the Bramling Cross hops which meshed perfectly with the roasty, chocolatey maltiness to give a deliciously moreish yet eminently drinkable dry stout with plenty of bitterness, hop character and dark malt for everyone... plus it was pretty black, too! (9/10)
Kofe was, surprisingly, not as impressive as we'd hoped and it seems as if we've veered too far the other way in our coffee additions after over doing it last time! Still, the fresh espresso flavour was there and went well with the roastiness of the brew although we'd both have been pleased with a touch more in the coffee department... another lesson learnt for next time, who said this brewing lark was easy? (7.5/10)
"Black Bez" showed that dry-hopping with the criminally rare Bramling Cross brought that extra layer of finesse and flavour to Marduk although it was still a mightly fine stout. (8/10)
"Mother Russia" was a huge beer in all aspects... but what a beer!!! The massive winey, roasted, burnt and thick-as-tar body carried the thankfully natural-tasting vanilla very well and all flavours combined well to leave the tastbuds blasted yet, strangely, crying out for more; this didn't last long in the Rutland and we had some very good feedback and so will be trying a similar thing again in due course! (9/10)
"Dominion" was the standard beer without the vanilla and, after a month's long, slow fermentation and a further two months in cask had developed some amazing flavours with jammy fruit, woodiness (no idea where that came from!), tawny Port, pipe tobacco and all the stuff you'd expect from a strong stout such as roast, sweetness, dry bitterness, tar, chocolate and much more besides... a huge beer and one of which we are very proud; Gazza preferred this to Mother Russia whilst Dave preferred the opposite but they were both crackers! (9.5/10)
Or, you can tell us your opinion! Where it got to: Nottingham BF (M, CSC); Cask & Cutler (M, CSC, ČB, Vlad); Oxford BF (M); Strathmore Arms (M); Boggart (2 more); Coastal (3 M, 1 CSC); Anchor, Brum (M), Rutland, Sheffield (M, MR); Star, Huddersfield (M, CSC); Sheffield BF (M, CSC); Wenlock Arms, London (M); Hunters Arms, Kilburn; Falmouth Beer Festival (M); Star, Crowlas (M);
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In Rugby Union a high up-and-under kick is named after which Irish club? | Steel City Brewing | CAMRA Sheffield & District
CAMRA Sheffield & District
Steel City Brewing
Steel City have gone all political in the wake of the election results!
(A quick word from the editor – CAMRA is a non party political organisation – views here are from the brewer, who also advocates a system of democracy of one-man-one-vote as long as he is the one man with the one vote…)
The first brew after Britain sentenced itself to five years of pain is Just What Nobody Wanted, a name taken from a Skyclad track and very fitting given two thirds of people voted against the ruling party. The beer itself is a Transatlantic Pale Ale, featuring Columbus for bittering followed by Mosaic, Azacca and Pacific Jade for flavour. An even more politically explicit version for Glastonwick beer festival has added lemongrass and chilli and is named appropriately.
The minikit was also fired up, though not politically… Sean from Beer Central came along to brew an exclusive bottling for the shop, a keykeg will also be produced for the Shakespeare. Mango Fruit Machine is, as the name suggests, a Mango IPA. Weighing in at 6.5%ish, Mangosaic features 120IBU of Columbus followed by Mosaic and Azacca for flavour, then mango pulp added both before and after fermentation. Approximately 60 bottles will be produced (Steel City’s new craft-as-you-like blue-glass swing-top bottles, no less!), look out for the announcements on social media (Beer Central and Steel City Brewing on Farcebook, @BeerCentralLtd and @SteelCityBrew on Twitter), they’re sure to not last long!
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Beer Matters
Beer Matters is our free monthly mag with local pub, club, brewery, festival and campaign news.
Articles, letters and suggestions are most welcome so send them in .
Sheffield Pub of the Month
Pub of the Month November 2016 - Now my association with the Hillsborough Hotel goes back a long way. From the heady days of Dell Tilling, when the bar only opened Thursday to Sunday and we packed in to drink Brian Hendry’s excellent Crown HPA and Stannington Stout. Well since then the Hillsborough has gone through some ups and downs and in […]
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Wisewood Inn Loxley (buses 31, 31a, 763, 764, 767)
Sheffield District Pub of the Season
District Pub of the Season Autumn 2016 - Our members have been voting through the autumn for our latest District Pub of the Season and we are pleased to announce the winner as the Packhorse at Little Longstone. This award is for pubs in the Derbyshire part of our branch area and is designed to raise the profile with real ale drinkers of […]
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Pub of the Year
North Derbyshire Pub of the Year - Both Sheffield & District and Dronfield & District branches of CAMRA name a pub of the year winner in Derbyshire which gets put forward into the opening round of the national competition, the county round, which in this case is North Derbyshire. Sheffield’s entry was the Anglers Rest in Millers Dale and Dronfield’s was the […]
Pub of the Year - The annual Sheffield & District CAMRA Pub of the Year award winners have just been announced. Two are presented, one for the Yorkshire bit of our branch area (Sheffield Pub of the Year) and one for the Derbyshire bit of our branch area (District Pub of the Year). These winners are then entered into the […]
Dronfield & District Pub of the Year – The Miners Arms, Hundall - The Miners Arms in Hundall, Derbyshire has been voted the Dronfield CAMRA pub of the year. Situated in a picturesque hamlet between Apperknowle & Unstone, The Miners Arms is a traditional, friendly and welcoming country pub with a pool table, Sky Sports, a conservatory and views over the Derbyshire countryside. 5 cask ales are available, […]
Yorkshire Pub of the Year 2015 - The Kelham Island Tavern in Sheffield has been named ‘Yorkshire Pub of the Year 2015’ and will now go forward into the next round of the National Pub of the Year 2015 competition. The Kelham Island Tavern is situated in Russell Street in Sheffield, and has now won the prestigious title for a record seven […]
Pub of the Year 2015 - At the recent branch AGM, the winners of our Pub and Club of the Year competitions were announced by outgoing branch Chairman Alan Gibbons.
Dronfield Club of the Year 2015 - Dronfield CAMRA members have again voted for the Hill Top Sports & Social Club as the winner of their Club of the Year competition, which will be entered as our area's entry into the Derbyshire competition.
Diary
Here are the details of our branch meetings, socials and other activities for members coming up over the next month or two.
More information is available from our social secretaries Patrick Johnson or Mark Boardley – email [email protected].
Public transport – information on timetables, maps, tickets etc can be obtained at www.travelsouthyorkshire.com . If you are travelling any distance an all day ticket is usually good value (for example the Citywide at £4.30 offering all day bus and tram travel). Where possible we’ve provided a link to Google maps to show you where the venue is.
Beer Matters distribution and committee meeting
8pm Tue 24 Jan
If you have signed up for a magazine delivery run, come along to the Rutland Arms on Brown Street and collect your supply of the February issue and enjoy a beer with other distributors.
If the pubs you frequent are in our area but don’t receive copies, why not sign up as a distrubution volunteer?
Ale Trail leaflet meeting
8pm Tue 31 Jan
We are planning on producing a series of Ale Trail leaflets including local area pub guides and/or guides to pubs along bus/tram routes with the aim of launching the first one during Sheffield Beer Week in March. We’re looking for volunteers to help with ideas, writing, photographs, graphic design and surveying. If you are interested please come along to this meeting, upstairs at Shakespeares on Gibralter Street, 8pm start.
Little Critters Brewery Tour
2:45pm Tue 7 Feb
An afternoon visit to this fairly new and award winning brewery. Please book your place in advance as places are limited.
For info and bookings, please contact our social secretary .
Dronfield & District events are listed on their branch website .
Pub Guides
Visiting Sheffield and looking for ideas where to go for good beer?
Our 2011 A Real Ale Guide to Sheffield And District along with the national Good Beer Guide 2017 are available to buy.
Download the special 2014 SIBA BeerX edition of the Supertram leaflet showing pubs along the tram route.
Or why not visit CAMRA’s national pub database website, WhatPub .
ALE TRAILS FEATURED IN BEER MATTERS MAGAZINE
Here is an index of the articles featuring pubs along bus and tram routes, in specific areas of the City or with a certain theme, to give you some ideas:
November 2016 Yorkshire Heritage pubs
THE ALE TRAIL PROJECT
A new project for 2017 is to produce a series of Ale Trail leaflets – some printed, some PDF, to promote Sheffield as a destination for beer tourists. At this time we envisage a leaflet that is distributed widely with a broad idea of what Sheffield has to offer along with a series of local area guides featuring all the pubs and breweries in a specific area, or perhaps on a specific bus or tram route.
We are looking at volunteers to get involved – be that writing, taking photographs, designing the layout, getting sponsorship or simply coming up with ideas. There is a meeting at Shakespeares to get things moving on 31st January, 8pm start.
Campaign for Real Ale
| i don't know |
Complete the title of this South American country: 'The Bolivarian Republic of ......'? | Venezuela - Country Profile - Nations Online Project
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela | República Bolivariana de Venezuela
Country Profile
Background:
Venezuela was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Colombia and Ecuador).
For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social reforms. Democratically elected governments have held sway since 1959.
Under Hugo CHAVEZ, president from 1999 to 2013, and his hand-picked successor, President Nicolas MADURO, the executive branch has exercised increasingly authoritarian control over other branches of government. At the same time, democratic institutions have deteriorated, threats to freedom of expression have increased, and political polarization has grown.
Current concerns include: an increasingly politicized military, rampant violent crime, high inflation, and widespread shortages of basic consumer goods, medicine, and medical supplies, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples.
Venezuela assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2015-16 term.
(Source: CIA - The World Factbook)
| Venezuela |
In which year on June 14th was the Battle of Marengo? | The Bolivarian Revolution
The Bolivarian Revolution
U. S. Naval Institute Proceedings ^ | May 2006 | Colonel Bruce A. Gandy, U.S. Marine Corps
Posted on 08/27/2006 6:30:07 PM PDT by Retain Mike
Colonel Bruce A. Gandy, U.S. Marine Corps
Proceedings, May 2006
Discuss this article in the eForum.
The focus on the back door of the United States should be wider ranging than illegal immigration. The banana republics are no more. In their stead is a burgeoning political power hidden beneath the cloak of 19th-century Latin American nationalism that is unfriendly to its northern neighbor.
GIRAUDON/ART RESOURCE, NY
Simon Bolivar, as depicted in 1859 by Arturo Michelena, is a man of almost mythic proportions in Latin America. One scholar noted that he is viewed as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in one.
While the world is focused on the monumental and heroic struggle in Iraq and Afghanistan following reports of daily Islamic terrorist violence, a vocal, popular, and well-financed challenge to democracy and regional stability is gaining power in strategically crucial Latin America. The growing Bolivarian movement led by President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela is a combination of Cuban-style political repression, radical populism, broad militarism, and national socialism covered in an emotional mantle associated with the name of the 19th-century hero, Simon Bolivar, who was known simply as El Libertador-The Liberator.
Strategic Importance of Latin America
There is no region in the world where political changes affect our economy and our national security so profoundly as Latin America. The tide of undocumented aliens crossing our border comes not only from Mexico. Miami has received a flood of Venezuelans in the last five years, one of every seven Hondurans works in the United States, and migration from Haiti or Cuba can quickly be triggered by a variety of circumstance as in the past. The region's huge population is the fastest growing market for U.S. products in the world. It is our prime source of imported oil. It is also the base for narco-terrorism that kills 21,000 U.S. citizens each year in drug-related deaths, according to the Office for National Drug Control Policy. It also has embroiled Colombia in a savage war that threatens other countries.
For the past decade, and until quite recently, the area has been a good-news story as a model for advances of democracy and overall wealth. For example, the Miami Herald reported Latin America experienced a healthy 5.5% increase in economic growth in 2004. This activity is credited to the spread of democracy and free-market policies there over the last 25 years. Since the late 1970s-when dictators or military juntas ruled the majority of Latin American countries-democracy, individual liberty, and free-market systems have grown to the point where today only Cuba remains governed by a dictator, Fidel Castro. Unfortunately, the benefits of increased wealth and liberty have not been shared across the board. The continuing wide disparity between rich and poor is a key element in the discord breeding the Bolivarian movement and fueling increased migration. There is no doubt the region's fundamental problem is poverty and the slow emergence of a middle class.
The Movement's Origin
Bolivar died in 1830, bitter and disillusioned. He was a man of idealistic vision and foresight tempered by personal disappointments and what he viewed as the harsh reality of Latin American politics. He liberated the present-day countries of Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela from 400 years of Spanish domination and formed them into a single nation called Gran Colombia. Soon afterward he liberated Peru and Bolivia as well. Bolivar had hopes of following the example of the United States, which in 1788 ratified a constitution binding all the states formed from former British colonies into one nation. He was certain Latin America could never reach its full potential unless formed into a union capable of countering the traditional sway of Europe and the growing power of the United States. His hopes seemed to be realized at the Panama Congress, which opened on 22 June 1826, and where Gran Colombia, Peru, Mexico, and the nations of Central America agreed to form a permanent union to protect their sovereignty and independence against foreign interference. It was, however, not to be. Political discord made regional unity impossible.
The Movement's Nature
Venezuela President Chavez is one of the Latin Americans who dream of rebuilding Bolivar's nation and has committed his life to making it reality. It is a dream, however, of a nation adapted to what Chavez believes is the reality of Latin American society; it is not representative democracy. A charismatic autocrat will rule Chavez's Bolivarian nation, it will subordinate individual liberty, and it will actively oppose the United States.
President Chavez has given the world fair warning of his intentions. As he explained in a Newsweek interview with Lally Weymouth more than five years ago, "We are in the midst of giving birth to a new political system because representative democracy is not really good for us. It failed completely in the past. . . . I want you to understand the battle we are waging. It's a revolution."
To understand the nature of this revolution, it is important to understand Bolivar. The Liberator was a towering historical figure whose beliefs were shaped by harsh combat on the battlefield and by years of bitter political disputes. His youthful liberal idealism was tempered by the reality of his own experiences in politics where unity was achieved by power. Rejecting a representational democracy such as that of the United States, the Bolivarian movement believes it is adapted for the Hispanic culture with its history of authoritarian rule and charismatic leaders. It essentially establishes a republican monarchy.
The ideal Bolivarian state is a centrally controlled authoritarian regime with a president who serves for life and who can name his own successor. When Bolivar stepped down from the presidency of Gran Colombia in 1830, that is exactly what he did. Unfortunately, his hand-picked successor, Jose Domingo Caicedo, was unable to hold together what Bolivar had created.
Bolivar was convinced-as is Chavez today-that the Latin American people cannot succeed in building a free and open democracy. As he observed in his widely published "Letter from Jamaica," written in 1815:
A great monarchy would not be easy to maintain, a great republic impossible. It is a grandiose idea, to aim at fashioning all this New World into one single nation, with a single link binding all these different parts into one whole. Since this New World shares a common origin, a common language, set of customs, and religion, it would clearly benefit from a single government federating all the different states that might develop. But, this is not possible because [the regions of Spanish] America are divided by differences in climate and geographical location, by contending interests and dissimilarity of character.
As Carlos Rangel points out in his book, The Latin Americans: Their Love-Hate Relationship with the United States (Somerset, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 1987), Bolivar also believed the democratic example of the United States would never work for Hispanics. As Rangel quotes Bolivar: "I think it would be better [for Spanish] America to adopt the Koran [as a political code] than the form of government of the United States, even if the latter is the best in the world."
It is difficult for a U.S. citizen to understand how a modern popular political leader can turn his back on the democratic ideals of individual liberty and open elections. But the bloodiest dictators of the 20th century were swept into power by elections and popular support only to later unleash violence and repression. Unfortunately, it is well documented that the majority of Latin Americans living today share in a rejection of democracy as an answer for the people of Latin America. Geri Smith recently wrote in BusinessWeek: "The truth is that most Latin Americans are disappointed in democracy. In a 2004, 18-country survey by the Chilean research company, 'Latinobarometro,' just 29% of Latin Americans said they were satisfied with the way their democracies are working." What is truly worrisome is that ". . . 55% of those polled said they would back a non-democratic government if it could resolve economic problems."
Who is Hugo Chavez?
Bolivar's chief disciple is the self-proclaimed leader of the growing Bolivarian revolution in Latin America. The billions of dollars from Venezuela's state-owned oil industry places tremendous wealth in his hands. He is an undeniably popular and charismatic leader who was elected with a clear 56.2% majority vote. Unfortunately, he is methodically dismantling the system that carried him to power. Chavez has made his goal clear in words and actions. He has contempt for the political oligarchies that dismantled Bolivar's original state of Gran Colombia and has vowed to sweep them away in a popular revolution. He has done so in Venezuela and would like to incorporate the rest of the peoples once liberated by Bolivar in Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Bolivia into one powerful country.
Born on 28 July 1954, Hugo Chavez Frias came from a modest background. His parents barely scraped by on their primary-school teachers' salaries. He was a gifted child who once won a regional art competition, was an accomplished musician, and had aspirations of playing professional baseball. He was told his best hope of doing so was by joining the army and building a name for himself on an army baseball team. However, Chavez did not go on to play professionally, although he did join the army, becoming a career officer and playing ball while under instruction.
Like every other child in Venezuela, Chavez knew by the age of six that Simon Bolivar defeated the Spanish in 1819 to win independence for Gran Colombia. The country lasted barely a decade before dissolving in struggles among factious power elites. Chavez views this historical betrayal of Bolivar's ideal as a disaster. He also has a personal reason to redress this error: an ancestor rode into battle with the great liberator. As Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote in "The Two Faces of Hugo Chavez," for the May/June 2000 issue of the NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America) Report on the Americas, his love of the Bolivarian ideal is deeply personal. "Chavez, a fervent Catholic, attributes his charmed existence to the 100-year-old scapular which he has worn since childhood, inherited from a maternal great-grandfather, Colonel Pedro Perez Delgado."
As a further example of the depth of his conviction and of his charismatic power of persuasion, Chavez related in an interview with Marquez of how he was captured as a spy by the Colombian army as he walked across Venezuela researching the battles of Bolivar and his great-grandfather. Apparently he strayed into Colombian territory and was apprehended with a suspicious backpack carrying a camera, maps, and drawings. During his interrogation by a Colombian officer in a room with an official portrait of Bolivar, he said, "Look, my captain, the way life is: just a century ago we were a single army, and that fellow who is watching us from the painting was the commander of us both. How could I be a spy?" The Colombian captain released him the next day at the international border with an abrazo, a comradely hug reserved for friends or family.
Although a professional army officer, Chavez has never had loyalty to the government of Venezuela. He conspired with other junior officers to found the Bolivarian Peoples' Army of Venezuela at the age of 23 when he was a lieutenant. His revolution began with a small circle of conspirators who made no overt actions, but who swore to be ready at the right time. As a major he led an abortive coup attempt in 1992 against the corrupt government of President Carlos Andres Perez. It failed, and he was imprisoned for two years, although he remained politically active in jail. After Perez was removed from office for corruption, President Rafael Caldera released Chavez and pardoned him in 1994. Soon after, Chavez devoted himself wholeheartedly to preparing for the 1998 elections, which he won.
Chavez's popularity is easily understood. Venezuela is abundantly blessed with natural resources, iron ore, gold, bauxite, hydropower, and vast oil reserves. Oil revenues alone fuel more than 50% of the national budget. However, corruption and government mismanagement has kept the potential of the Venezuelan economy from being realized and has provided riches for a powerful elite while 60% of the population lives in abject poverty, earning only a few dollars a day.
Although democratically elected, Chavez has dissolved and remolded the country's congress, added to the supreme court enough new hand-picked justices to ensure its loyalty, replaced the military leadership with obedient followers, written laws to limit freedom of the press, ordered 100,000 assault rifles to be distributed to a newly created militia of citizens answerable only to him, imported 15,000 Cuban medical personnel and government advisors, set up neighborhood-watch committees to report political dissent, and ordered new warships and aircraft from Spain as well as MiG-29 fighter aircraft and assault- and troop-carrying helicopters from Russia.
The United States has felt the first impact of Chavez's Bolivarian revolution. Many Venezuelans have chosen to leave their homeland rather than live under his rule. The population of Venezuelans living in Miami has risen from 5,000 in the 1980s to more than 150,000 now. The strategic implications of a Venezuelan-patterned Bolivarian revolution spreading to encompass much of Latin America are staggering. We only have to follow the recent actions of President Chavez in Venezuela to understand it means an end to democracy for much of the region.
Strategy and Tactics of the Bolivarian Movement
Chavez quotes Bolivar as having said, "Damned be the soldier who turns his weapons against his own people." This is key to understanding the tactics of the Bolivarian revolution as it pursues its strategy of regional domination. As Chavez foments and finances radical populism with crowds of armed demonstrators taking over essential utilities and government buildings and closing roads, the police and military are warned not to use force in any confrontation with demonstrators lest they face criminal prosecution. Across all of Latin America the military is the scapegoat for violence against violent insurgencies that sought political power through terrorism during the 1960s and 1970s. As a warning, military personnel are actively prosecuted.
It is important to recognize that Chavez is not the only political leader in the region intent on becoming a strongman. Many democracies are under attack in the area. In each country the tactic of holding the military accountable for violence in political confrontations is consistent. Within the last two years, Bolivia has had two presidents driven from power by carefully organized street demonstrations aided by advice and money from Chavez. At this point, transitions by elections in Latin America are being replaced by radical populism with a minority of fervent followers attempting to lift undemocratic leaders to power by violent confrontations.
One of the prime examples occurred in June 2005, when the president of Bolivia, Carlos Mesa, was forced from office after 19 months in power by a few thousand demonstrators who barricaded the streets and roads leading to the capital, strangling movement, and crippling the country. The demonstrators' leaders dared the police and military to use force against them. Mesa stepped down from office rather than confront the mobs and risk violence between the demonstrators and the police or military security forces. He understood the danger because when he moved from vice president to president after violent clashes forced his predecessor, President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, to resign and flee the country in October 2003, one of Mesa's first acts was to issue an indictment for genocide against his former boss, holding him responsible for the deaths of 60 protesters. As Sanchez de Lozada bitterly observed, as reported by Mary O'Grady in a Wall Street Journal article, "Since they can't win in the Congress, they go to the streets."
The firebrand opposition leader in Bolivia, Evo Morales, played a key part in organizing the mobs that drove the elected president and vice president from office. Morales was easily elected president by a 54% clear majority vote in December 2005. There is no doubt he will soon follow the example of Castro and Chavez by dismantling the democracy that elected him to power. He acknowledged his model when he was quoted in the Miami Herald: "Chavez isn't alone. The people of Latin America support him."
Similarly, President Lucio Gutierrez of Ecuador was chased from his country in May 2005 before he could complete his term. As an indication of the influence Chavez wields, Abdala Bucaram, a former president of Ecuador, returned home early this year after eight years in exile to proclaim to a group of 20,000 supporters: "I come to Ecuador to copy Chavez's style with a great Bolivarian revolution."
Peru will hold presidential elections this spring. Not surprisingly, a front-runner is Ollanta Humala who is supported by Chavez. Humala, like Chavez and Morales, is pledging to protect the country from intrusive foreign interests. Also, like Chavez, he is a former army lieutenant colonel who led a failed coup attempt in 2000.
These leaders look to Chavez, Castro, and finally, to Simon Bolivar for inspiration. Make no mistake about it, the Bolivarian revolution is finding fertile ground in Latin America, and the Bolivarian movement has a deep disdain for democracy. Obviously, grave social injustice must be addressed in Latin America, but is the grim Bolivarian solution the answer? The United States may soon find in Hugo Chavez a regional antagonist who makes Castro's defiance for the past 40 years seem insignificant and childish. If Chavez is successful in his dream of reuniting Gran Colombia through democratic means, it will be a monumental advance of Bolivar's ideal, and the United States will find a large, new, and unfriendly economic power to its south. If Chavez attempts to forcibly export his revolution, it could spell violent tragedy. The United States will do well to watch carefully the developments in Venezuela and heed the clear warning Chavez has given the world.
Colonel Gandy is chief of staff, U.S. Marine Corps Forces South. Previously he served in Chile in the Foreign Area Officer Program and commanded the 3d Battalion, 8th Marines, and the Marine Corps
The Bolivarian Revolution
Bolivaria is beautiful this time of year...
6 posted on 08/27/2006 6:56:37 PM PDT by Triggerhippie (Plus �a change, plus c'est la m�me chose.)
To: Retain Mike
I searched and found the working link for you.
Please provide a working link, the correct source name and use the correct title for any published article you wish to post.
7 posted on 08/27/2006 6:58:57 PM PDT by Admin Moderator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]
To: Retain Mike
Mass immigration into the U.S. isn't a natural force. The U.S. government has both the responsibility and the ability to control our borders regardless of what's happening in South America. They consciously choose not too. Flooding America is government policy.
Strictly controlling our borders to prevent these South Americans from invading would accomplish two important things: it would prevent our society from becoming like theirs and it would force the migrants to stay home and either roll in the pig dung that is their societies or do something about it.
8 posted on 08/27/2006 11:02:35 PM PDT by jordan8
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In 'Hamlet' who is the sister of 'Laertes'? | Hamlet vs. Laertes in the Play | Novelguide
Home › Literature › Hamlet vs. Laertes in the Play
Hamlet vs. Laertes in the Play
Laertes and Hamlet both display impulsive reactions when angered. Once Laertes discovers his father has been murdered Laertes immediately assumes the slayer is Claudius. As a result of Laertes's speculation he instinctively moves to avenge Polonius's death. "To hell, allegiance! vows, to the blackest devil! Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit! I dare damnation: to this point I stand, that both worlds I give to negligence, let come what comes; only I'll be revenged most thoroughly for my father." Act 4 Scene 5 lines 128-134 provide insight into Laertes's mind displaying his desire for revenge at any cost. In contrast to Laertes speculation of his father's killer, Hamlet presumes the individual spying on his conversation with Gertrude is Claudius("Nay, I know not: is it the King?" Act 3, Scene 4 line 28). Consequently, Hamlet consumed with rage automatically thrusts out attempting to kill Claudius, but instead strikes Polonius. Hamlet's and Laertes's imprudent actions are incited by fury and frustration. Sudden anger prompts both Hamlet and Laertes to act spontaneously, giving little thought to the consequences of their actions. Hamlet and Laertes share a different but deep love and concern for Ophelia. Before his departure for
France
Laertes provides lengthy advice to Ophelia pertaining to her relationship with Hamlet. Laertes voices his concern of Hamlet's true intentions towards Ophelia and advices her to be wary of Hamlet's love. Laertes impresses upon Ophelia, Hamlet is a prince who most likely will have an arranged marriage. Hamlet's strong love for Ophelia withers after she rejects his affinity. Hamlet's extensive love for Ophelia resulted in grave suffering for Hamlet once his affection was rejected. Hamlet's appearance decays due to the rejection of his love for Ophelia("Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other" Act 2, Scene 1, line 82). The loss of Ophelia's love for Hamlet instigates Polonius into believing it has caused Hamlet to revert to antic disposition. Once Laertes learns of the death of his sister he is afflicted with sadness. In the same way, Hamlet is shocked and enraged over Ophelia's demise. Both Hamlet and Laertes are so profoundly distressed at the death of Ophelia they jump into her grave and fight each other. Although Hamlet and Laertes despised one another, they both loved Ophelia. Hamlet was infatuated with Ophelia which was obvious during his constant anguish over her(in her rejection of Hamlet, and in her death Hamlet suffered greatly). Laertes shared a strong brotherly love for Ophelia which was evident in his advice to her. Laertes further displayed his love for Ophelia during her funeral were he fought with Hamlet. Hamlet and Laertes are similar in the way they associate with their families. Laertes highly respects and loves his father Polonius. Similarly, Hamlet holds a great respect for his dead father(Hamlet compares his father to a sun god "Hyperion"). After the death of their fathers, Hamlet and Laertes strive to seek revenge on the assassins. Hamlet and Laertes exhibit domineering attitudes towards females. Laertes gives his sister Ophelia guidance on her relationship with Hamlet. In the same way, Hamlet is able to persuade Gertrude he is not mad and manipulate her to follow his instructions. Hamlet directs his mother to convince Claudius of Hamlet's madness. Hamlet is able to make his mother reflect upon her part in the death of his father and feel guilt("Thou turn'st mine eyes into my very soul, and there I see such black and grained spots as will not leave their tinct." Act 3, Scene 4 lines 90-93). Furthermore, Hamlet instructs his mother not to sleep with Claudius. The fathers of Laertes and Hamlet both attempted to use spies to gain information on their sons(although not his real father Claudius was his uncle as well as step-father). Claudius employed Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to gather information on Hamlet. In comparison, Polonius dispatches Reynaldo to check up on Laertes. Hamlet and Laertes share similar aspects within their families. Hamlet and Laertes demonstrate rash behaviour when infuriated. Hamlet becomes outraged at the notion of Claudius spying on him which results in Hamlet mistakenly killing Polonius. Laertes becomes drastically angered at the death of his father and boldly seeks vengeance against Claudius. Momentary rage overcomes Laertes and Hamlet which prompts them to act spontaneously. Hamlet and Laertes both have a strong love for Ophelia. Hamlet's deep love for Ophelia is evident in his reaction to her rejection of him. In the same way, Laertes care and affection are revealed by his advice to his sister. The families of Laertes and Hamlet contain similar attributes. Hamlet and Laertes hold a high admiration for their fathers and are willing to even kill the king to enact revenge. Both characters exercise a dominating attitude towards females. In conclusion, although adversaries, Hamlet and Laertes share several characteristics which make them similar.
| Ophelia |
The ICC 'Hall of Fame' was launched in 2009. Who is the only female cricketer to be inducted, captaining England to victory in the 1973 World Cup? | o Ophelia Daughter of Polonius sister of Laertes Ophelia is - THTR - 1009
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o Ophelia Daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes, Ophelia is beloved of Hamlet. o Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Classmates of Hamlet's in Wittenberg. Claudius summons them to Elsinore to spy on Prince Hamlet. o Fortinbras King of Norway, bound to avenge his father's death by the Danes' hands. o Osric Affected courtier who plays a minor role as the King's messenger and as umpire of the fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes. o Voltimand and Cornelius Danish courtiers who are sent as ambassadors to the Court of Norway. o Marcellus and Barnardo Danish officers on guard at the castle of Elsinore. o Francisco Danish soldier on guard at the castle of Elsinore. o Reynaldo Young man whom Polonius instructs and sends to Paris to observe and report on Laertes' conduct. o Two Clowns (the Gravediggers) Two rustics (identified as clowns) who dig Ophelia's grave Tartuffe: • By Molière— Jean Baptiste Poquelin • Madame Pernelle, visiting her son Orgon’s house, uses the opportunity to criticize all the members of the house and to praise their boarder, Tartuffe, because he is a man of such holiness and zeal. The others present offer objections to Tartuffe, maintaining that he is false and hypocritical, but Madame Pernelle will not entertain such thoughts. As she leaves, she admonishes everyone to follow Tartuffe’s precepts. After Madame Pernelle’s departure, Cléante and Dorine talk about Tartuffe and both agree that he has beguiled Orgon. Damis, Orgon’s son, wonders whether his father will still allow Mariane to marry Valère; Damis must know Orgon’s feelings because he wants to marry Valère’s sister. He asks Cléante to question Orgon about his promise to allow the marriage to take place. Orgon arrives and seems much more concerned about the welfare of Tartuffe than he is about his wife’s illness. Cléante tries to discuss Tartuffe with Orgon, but fails and discovers that Orgon is only interested in singing Tartuffe’s praises. When Orgon is questioned about the intended wedding, he dodges the issues and refuses to give a direct answer. When his daughter arrives, Orgon tells her that he wants to ally Tartuffe with his house; this he can best do by Mariane’s marrying Tartuffe. Mariane is
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so shocked that she cannot believe her ears. After Orgon departs, Dorine, the maid, reprimands Mariane for not having refused to marry Tartuffe. Mariane’s beloved, Valère, arrives and accuses her of consenting to the marriage. Dorine listens to them argue and then, after they are reconciled, she promises to help them expose Tartuffe’s hypocrisy. Damis, incensed about Tartuffe, is also determined to reveal Tartuffe’s hypocrisy, and, as he hears Tartuffe’s approach, he hides in the closet. Elmire, Orgon’s wife, arrives and Tartuffe, thinking that they are alone, makes some professions of love to Elmire and suggests that they become lovers. Having heard Tartuffe make such a proposition, Damis reveals himself and threatens to expose Tartuffe. When Orgon arrives, Damis tries to inform his father about Tartuffe’s
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TERM
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Lizzie Siddall was the model for the painting of the drowning of Ophelia by which Pre-Raphaelite? | Lizzie Siddal: The Tragedy of a Pre-Raphaelite Supermodel: Lucinda Hawksley: 9780233002583: Amazon.com: Books
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
This book traces the life of Lizzie Siddal, who, from her humble beginnings as a shop girl, became a central figure of the Pre-Raphaelite movement by the time she died at 32 from a self-inflicted overdose of opiates. Today, readers are used to stories of small-town hopefuls using modeling as a springboard to wider artistic success (think Marilyn Monroe or Andie MacDowell), but Siddal, Hawksley claims, was the first. As a model and then an artist in her own right, this remarkable woman crossed paths with some of Victorian England's greatest artistic luminaries, appearing in masterworks by Walter Deverell, William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and supported by Ford Madox Brown and John Ruskin. Hawksley recounts Siddal's life in exhilarating and painful detail, providing a glimpse of the internal and external forces that contributed to her self-destruction. Because direct evidence is scant-few of Siddal's letters or prose writings survive-scholars have inferred a great deal from the words of others and Siddal's own paintings. In doing so, Hawksley sometimes overreaches, coming across less like a biographer than a conjectural psycholoanalyst; on the whole, however, her work on this important figure is solid, lively and lucid. Scholars of the period will find the book of great interest, as will those wishing to learn more about women in the Victorian art world or about the Pre-Raphaelites in general.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
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Who wrote the book 'From Here To Eternity'? | Elizabeth Siddal: The Pre-Raphaelite Supermodel | A R T L▼R K
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Home » Art » Elizabeth Siddal: The Pre-Raphaelite Supermodel
February 11
Posted by ArtLark on February 11, 2016 in Art , Art History | 8 Comments
On the 11th of February 1862, Elizabeth Siddal, an English artists’ model, died in London of a self-administered overdose of laudanum. In the early 1850s, as a young woman, Siddal was painted extensively by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. She sat for Walter Deverell’s Viola in Twelfth Night (1850), for William Holman Hunt’s British Girl in A Converted British Family Rescuing a Christian Priest from Persecution by the Druids (1851), for John Everett Millais’s Ophelia (1852) – for which she posed floating in a bathtub full of water, and for Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s Beatrice, the Virgin Mary, St Catherine, and many others. Rossetti became eventually her husband, and even though Siddal did pursue her own artistic career under the financial patronage of John Ruskin, it was Rossetti who became the eventual medium to Siddal’s posthumous legendary status. In fact, “[in] her lifetime, she had virtually no public identity, and in the twenty years following her death there were few published references made to her. Only when her husband died in 1882 did her ‘own’ history begin.” (Jan Marsh, Imagining Elizabeth Siddal, History Workshop, No. 25, Spring, 1988).
Siddal, née Elizabeth Eleanor Siddall, was born on the 25th of July 1829 to a working-class family. Passionate about poetry, Siddal had a whimsical aura about her, which, especially in the age of Romanticism, made her distinguished look very attractive to men. Her brother-in-law described her as “a most beautiful creature with an air between dignity and sweetness with something that exceeded modest self-respect and partook of disdainful reserve; tall, finely-formed with a lofty neck and regular yet somewhat uncommon features, greenish-blue unsparkling eyes, large perfect eyelids, brilliant complexion and a lavish heavy wealth of coppery golden hair.”
(R ussell Ash, Dante Gabriel Rossetti ). In 1849, Siddal was spotted working in a milliner’s shop by Deverell, who then employed her to model for him. It was only a matter of time for Siddal to become the leading muse to the whole Pre-Raphaelite movement. However, each and every one of the painters used Siddal’s image in their own way, depriving her, as Griselda Pollock has claimed, of her own historical and artistic personality. (Griselda Pollock, Woman as Sign in Pre-Raphaelite Literature: A Study in the Representation of Elizabeth Siddal, Art History, Vol. 7, no. 2, June 1984). “[T]he persona of Elizabeth Siddal has been represented over the years, like a soft clay pot constantly shaped and reshaped and filled with new meanings.” ( Jan Marsh, The Legend of Elizabeth Siddal ).
In 1851, Siddal began sitting for Rossetti, who then developed some form of obsession for his model. The number of paintings he did of her oscillates around a few thousand. Rossetti and his muse got married in 1860, and Siddal, whose state of health had been fragile throughout her entire life, committed suicide in 1862. It was then that Rossetti’s obsession turned into insanity, as he became haunted by the ghost of love that had been often abused by him, when Siddal was still alive. Perversely, thanks to this obsession, Siddal’s image was being successively rehabilitated. The more time passed from her death, the stronger was her posthumous persona. For example, after Siddal’s death, overcome with grief, Rossetti enclosed in his wife’s coffin the only copy of his poems. “Some years later, in response to persuasion, he was said to have reluctantly agreed to an exhumation to retrieve the verses, subsequently published in 1870. This macabre event, which still provokes an emotional response, successfully helped to establish Rossetti’s position as a noteworthy Romantic artist alongside Keats, Byron and Shelley, and with it, the dependent reputation of his beautiful lover. Her role was also posthumously enhanced through the reproduction of her likeness in Rossetti’s painting of Beata Beatrix , as Dante’s beloved Beatrice at the moment of her rapture into heaven…” (Marsh).
Whilst during Rossetti’s lifetime Siddal was still being perceived more as an icon of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, after the painter’s death, public attention started slowly turning towards her artistic personality. After a brief mention in Rossetti’s obituary, “[the] first full account of Elizabeth Siddal came from Hall Caine, whose Recollections of Rossetti (1882) disclosed that before marriage she had been her husband’s model and pupil, and described her as ‘a young lady of great personal beauty, in whom she discovered a natural genius for painting and a noticeable love of the higher poetic literature’. Also revealed was her drug addiction, when after marriage ‘the lady’s health began to fail’ and she resorted to laudanum to combat ‘neuralgia’; thereafter ‘her spirits drooped and her art was laid aside’.” (Marsh). It seems that the death of her lover and husband de-objectified Siddal and for the first time she became treated not as “a cipher for masculine creativity” (Pollock) but as an artist, and most of all – a woman.
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Brian Cox was a keyboard player in the 1990's for the band 'D:Ream'. What is the title of the band's number one hit from 1994? | D:Ream - Music, Albums, Songs, News and Videos - FamousFix
Photo Credit: lonepine
D:Ream is a Northern Irish pop rock and dance group. They had a UK Number One hit with " Things Can Only Get Better " in 1994 as well as eight more top 40 hits. They released two albums, both of which reached the top five. The group had an all-male line-up which varied in number, but mainly centred on lead singer Peter Cunnah . The live band included keyboard player Brian Cox , who is now a professor of physics and a television presenter, though Cunnah normally played keyboards on studio recordings. Wikipedia
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From this profile you will find 25 lists , 20 albums , 110 songs , and key facts about D:Ream!
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In which English town is the Spire Brewery and is in the CAMRA magazine called Inn Spire? | Life on Mars and the date the world will end, by Professor Brian Cox
Life on Mars and the date the world will end, by Professor Brian Cox
Life on Mars and the date the world will end, by Professor Brian Cox
Blackleaf
#1Mar 6th, 2011
The BBC is probably the best in the world when it comes to making science and wildlife documentaries, which is appropriate in a country with such a strong history of scientific discoveries and achievements.
Its best science series of 2010 was Wonders of the Solar System, which turned out to be one of the most successful of recent years. Its success was largely due to its presenter, the charming and likeable quantum physicist Professor Brian Cox.
The English scientist from Oldham near Manchester, who turned 43 years old on Thursday, has made science sexy. A large chunk of the millions who tuned in every week to watch Wonders of the Solar System last year was women, attracted by Professor Cox's boyish good looks and his friendly-sounding Northern accent.
The show was also watched by children, a section of society who are usually turned off when it comes to all things physics. But Professor Cox has a great knack of explaining the most complicated aspects of physics in a simple, easy-to-understand and interesting way.
But Professor Cox hasn't always been a scientist. The 43-year-old was, in the 1990s, the keyboard player in pop band D:Ream, who had a UK Number One hit with "Things Can Only Get Better" in 1994 which, in 1997, was New Labour's anthem during that year's General Election campaign, which saw the party win in a landslide, ending 18 years of Tory rule. After the victory, Cox, a Labour voter, played keyboards at the election victory party on the South Bank.
During his music career he earned an undergraduate first class honours degree and M.Phil. degree both in physics from the University of Manchester. A year after D:Ream disbanded in 1997, Cox was awarded his Ph.D. degree in high energy particle physics at the same university. And, after last year's success of Wonders of the Solar System, Cox is now the most popular scientist in Britain.
Combine him being a scientist with his other interest, politics, and you produce a campaigner for better science funding.
He says: "While the level of funding for research has been preserved, other nations are increasing their spending fast. I do have a very clear message. I said it to (universities minister) David Willetts, I’ll say it to Cameron if I get to him: make Britain the best place in the world to do science and engineering."
Britain is second only to the U.S. for the quality of its scientific research yet it spends less on it than other European countries.
Now he returns with another TV science series, with the sequel to Wonders of the Solar System. Called Wonders of the Universe, the first episode is shown tonight at 9pm on BBC Two.
In this interview with The Daily Mail, Professor Brian Cox explains in more detail how he went from touring alongside Take That to working on the Large Hadron Collider and making popular TV documentaries.
Life on Mars, the second law of thermodynamics and the date the world will end, by Professor Brian Cox
26th February 2011
Daily Mail
He looks more like a pop star than a particle physicist (but then he did have a No1 hit single). But how did Britain's top TV scientist go from touring alongside Take That to working on the Large Hadron Collider?
'I want people to have an emotional response to science, because that's what I have,' said Brian Cox
"We live on a world of wonders. A place of astonishing beauty and complexity. We have vast oceans and incredible weather. Giant mountains and breathtaking landscapes. If you think that this is all there is, that our planet exists in magnificent isolation, then you're wrong. As a physicist I am fascinated by how the laws of nature that shaped all this also shaped the worlds beyond our home planet. I think we are living through the greatest age of discovery our civilisation has known."
Professor Brian Cox's opening narration to "Wonders of the Solar System" (BBC, 2010)
Scientists shouldn’t look like this. They should have wild hair like Einstein or wild eyes like Patrick Moore, not amble into the room looking as if they’ve just come off stage at Glastonbury. But this is Professor Brian Cox, known as the ‘rock-star scientist’ and described by People magazine as the World’s Sexiest Quantum Physicist, a title that makes him sigh.
‘They were doing an A to Z of desirable people and needed to put someone in the Q category. Who else could it be?’
Cox prefers to call himself a particle physicist, which is apparently all about ‘trying to understand what everything is made of and how everything sticks together’.
But suddenly he’s also become the nation’s favourite scientist, able to make television viewers swoon – or at least watch in rapt attention – as he explains the wonders of the universe. Lots of women say the professor makes their particles accelerate – and quite a few men do, too.
‘Yeah. Well. There you go. I take that as a compliment. Gia says she thought I was gay when we first met, and therefore she could have a non-threatening night out with me.’
He’s talking about his wife Gia Milinovich, the American producer he met ten years ago. They got off to a bad start.
‘She saw me on television with the sound turned down and thought, “Oh no, they’ve hired another mindless pretty idiot from a pop band.”’
That was a fair guess. Cox had only recently stopped playing keyboards with D:Ream, whose No 1 single Things Can Only Get Better had put him on Top Of The Pops. Gia was a serious-minded woman working on science shows for an internet television channel. She took a look at his pop-star clothes, Stone Roses haircut and wide smile, and groaned.
‘Then she saw that my email address was from CERN (the research centre in Switzerland and home to the Large Hadron Collider particle accelerator). She is a geek herself, so she was like, “Oh, wow. Maybe you’re not mindless after all.”’
That story illustrates the two sides of Brian Cox perfectly. On the one hand he’s a boyishly handsome performer who looks good on camera. On the other he’s a serious scientist who was studying for a first-class degree in physics even while he was with D:Ream.
‘I was into science as far back as I can remember. The Apollo Moon landings happened when I was only a year old, but my dad loved all that and had posters up on the wall. Then when I got into music later, it was because of the electronics, the synthesisers.’
Cox gave up playing with D:Ream in the late Nineties to become a research scientist at Manchester University, and was sent on secondment to CERN – hence the email address that impressed Gia so much. It was his work there, leading a team, that earned Cox a professorship. Still, when they got married his name was only really known to academic peers.
'I am a geek. To me, that's someone who is immersed in science and engineering and all the real things about the universe and who values exploration and discovery. Not fluff'
Then came the Big Bang, or rather CERN’s attempt to recreate conditions as they were at the creation of the universe, by firing particles at great speed around a vast underground loop and smashing them together.
The launch transformed his life. Cox was nominated as a spokesman, and although charming he also had an edge to him, sounding like Liam Gallagher in a lab coat: ‘Anyone who thinks LHC will destroy the world is a t***.’
The BBC swooped. His first series, Wonders Of The Solar System, attracted six million viewers last year.
The reason for that was Cox himself. Even in the flesh, you’d guess Cox was ten years younger than 42.
Expect to see lots of close-ups this month in his new show Wonders Of The Universe. But it also contains a hefty dose of science.
‘I insist on that. I like there to be some piece of science in it that’s done really well. You can’t do many because it’s not the Open University and I’m as aware of that as the BBC schedulers are, but in the first programme of the new series we talk about something called the second law of thermodynamics, which is notoriously difficult to explain. We’ve had a really good go at it.’
I’ve heard his explanation before: ‘The second law of thermodynamics means that if you want to process information, if your brain wants to work, then you need an energy source. We put energy in by eating things.
When you’re alive, everything works. When you die, it’s like pulling a plug out of the wall. The law says that everything tends to disorder.’
He smiles when he talks about concepts like that, but then he smiles all the time. Some scientists are intimidating but Cox comes across as a matey Lancashire lad who just happens to have a brain the size of a planet.
Professor Brian Cox as he appears in the 2011 Geek Calendar, for February. The woman with him is his American wife Gia Milinovich, a writer
‘I am a geek. To me, that’s someone who is immersed in science and engineering and all the real things about the universe and who values exploration and discovery. Not fluff. I think pop music is less interesting than the Apollo Moon landings. That’s a geek.’
As for his new-found celebrity, if the paparazzi tried to snatch a picture of Cox he’d probably ask what camera lens they were using.
‘I got used to attention from people when I was with D:Ream and we were touring with Take That and so on.
There’s more now, and it does make some things difficult, like when you’re walking down the street and people recognise you. But it doesn’t bother me that much.’
The young Cox did science and maths at A level, and at home in Oldham he loved watching the BBC's The Sky At Night, the world's longest running TV series.
‘That show was really big for me. Patrick Moore influenced a lot of people of my generation. I filmed the 700th Sky At Night this week with Patrick (the 87 year old astronomer who has been presenting the series since its first episode on 24th April 1957). I took a book down with me, a school prize I won in 1979, a Patrick Moore Observer’s Book Of Astronomy. I got him to sign it. That was brilliant.’
Moore won over people with sheer enthusiasm and Cox does the same today.
D-Ream on stage in the mid-Nineties. Cox played keyboards (rear of picture)
‘I want people to have an emotional response to science, because that’s what I have. Thinking about the stars throws you outside of your own world and into the universe, and it is inspirational. Think about how rare life is, for example.
'The universe has been going for 11 billion years and will carry on until that moment in the future when it might end, which we predict might be around a year that can be written as ten followed by 100 noughts. In all of that time, the period when conditions have been right for life to exist will have been ludicrously small, a tiny sliver.
'Now think about the size of the universe, which may be infinite. So far, we can only say that there is life on this one tiny Earth. So in all that time and space life is very rare indeed, and rarity makes things valuable.
That can make you feel extremely small but it should also make you feel special because we live in a moment and place that is so rare and precious.’
So is there only life on Earth?
‘There are missions going to look for life on Mars and Jupiter’s moon, Europa. If I was to put money on it I’d say that they’d find microbes on Mars in the next ten to 15 years. The big question is whether it is the same as life on Earth. If it turns out that it evolved separately, and is very different, then I think that will be huge; probably the biggest discovery in human history. I do expect that will be the case.’
So there is life on Mars, you heard it here first. But he’s talking about microbes and I want to know about aliens.
‘Are there little green men up there? Ha. You would think there must be. It’s a paradox which Enrico Fermi, the great physicist, pointed out. He said that because there are so many planetary systems and there has been so much time, then even if just one other civilisation has arisen, say a million years before us, the evidence should be there to see, it should be all over the place.
'If we don’t mess up we will be all over the galaxy in a thousand years. So my instinct would be yes, the galaxy should be crawling with civilisations. But we’ve looked and there’s no evidence. I honestly don’t understand it.’
Cox is a science-fiction fan who fell in love with his wife when he saw what was in her flat.
‘Any woman who collects Star Wars toys is fine by me.’ It remains to be seen whether their baby son George will turn out like his dad and be a ‘bus spotter’.
‘When I was a boy I had a book of all the serial numbers of the buses working in Greater Manchester and I ticked them off. I like buses. I went on to spot planes after that. Then when I got into music at 15 it was all about the electronics, with bands like Kraftwerk and early Ultravox.’
The large Hadron Colider is an attempt to recreate conditions as they were at the creation of the universe, by firing particles at great speed around a vast underground loop and smashing them together
He might have been obsessed with electronics, but the first band he joined was all about guitars and mullets.
‘Dare were adult-oriented rock just at the point when the clubby music of Happy Mondays came out and torched all that. We were two or three years out of date, although we did get to make an album in Los Angeles.’
Dare had a fight on tour and split up – so Cox, then 23, applied to Manchester University and got in.
‘Then while I was waiting for the academic year to start I joined D:Ream by accident. My friend Peter Cunnah needed someone to drive him and his DAT tape up and down the country to gigs. He got a record deal and asked me to play keyboards.’
D:Ream had a No 1 with Things Can Only Get Better in 1994, and it was a hit again three years later, after being taken up as the anthem of New Labour. Cox played keyboards at the election victory party on the South Bank.
‘Everyone was dancing. I remember all that optimism.’
What does he think of it now, 14 years later?
‘What it says to me is that Britain is a really small country, with a sense of optimism. Opinions can catch fire and really take hold. It took a while for it all to wear off.’
So is he still a Labour man?
‘No, I’m not. I’m rather single-issue. I am quite political but not in a party-political way. I have a few agendas, and one of them is to get more attention for science and more investment. It’s said that 6.7 per cent of our gross domestic product in this country comes from physics-based industry. That is more than the City. Yet if you look at the investment we make in physics, it’s tiny.
‘We are going backwards. While the level of funding for research has been preserved, other nations are increasing their spending fast. I do have a very clear message. I said it to (universities minister) David Willetts, I’ll say it to Cameron if I get to him: make Britain the best place in the world to do science and engineering. It’s a realistic ambition. Science is astonishingly cheap, small change compared to the money we spend on other things. Making science a national priority means spending �1bn or something. It’s not ludicrous.’
Britain is second only to the U.S. for the quality of its scientific research, he says, yet we spend less on it than other European countries.
‘We’ve got so little money that we only fund things like CERN and the European Space Agency, which are absolutely excellent and bound to work. Any venture capitalist will tell you that you don’t just want to fund things that are guaranteed to work.’
Cox is also scathing about the rise in tuition fees (which affect the English only. The pampered Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish will not suffer a rise and the Scots don't have to pay tuition fees at all).
‘The aspiration of our country should be to educate everybody who wants to be educated to as high a standard as possible. It just seems obvious, right? If you get to a point where you are discouraging people who haven’t got a lot of money from going to university, then first of all it’s immoral. Second, it’s ludicrous to think that if there is an Einstein or a Newton out there, then they are going to come from a rich family.’
Do his colleagues resent the attention he gets?
‘They know that it’s about the science. I want to get younger people involved and I want to use the platform I have to put pressure on the Government and on decision makers to support science. I’m completely open about that.’
The truth is that he only has the platform because he’s good-looking, surely?
‘You’ve got to use what you’ve got, haven’t you? So if I can talk with some level of eloquence and, you know, look all right on television, then yes, I will.’
Wouldn’t he be devastated if the BBC threw him back into obscurity?
‘No. I don’t see myself as a TV presenter. I don’t have an ambition to have a career presenting programmes. I like being an academic. In the end, I would like people to be left with the feeling that science is delivering not only useful things but also something more profound, and profoundly human.
‘When I was very young, I got caught up in the wonder of the Apollo Moon landings and I thought that looking at stars was just really powerful, a beautiful thing to do. I just want people to share that feeling.’
‘Wonders Of The Universe’ is on BBC2, on Sunday March 6, at 9pm
Episodes
1. "Destiny"
In the first episode, Brian Cox considers the nature of time. He explores the cycles of time that define the lives of humans on the earth, and compares them to the cycles of time on a cosmic scale.
2. "Stardust"
In this episode, Brian discusses the elements of which all living things, including humans, are made of. He explains how these elements are related to the life cycles of the stars and the recycling of matter in the Universe.
3. "Falling"
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In musical notation, how many semiquavers equal one semibreve? | Music Theory / Time / Sound and silence
Total time is calculated by adding the notes and rests.
Two quavers equal a crotchet.
Four crotchets equal a semibreve.
Eight quavers equal a semibreve.
This music plays for 16 crotchets.
How long is 16 crotchets in seconds? See Tempo later in this book of Time.
Picture notes
If you are learning to read music for the first time, it might help to see the notes in pictures.
Every note begins with a note-head. The notehead is oval shaped.
A semibreve is an empty notehead
Notes shorter than a semibreve have a stem. A stem is a vertical line jutting up from the right or down from the left of the notehead
A minim is a semibreve with a stem.
A crotchet is a minim with a coloured notehead
A quaver is a crotchet with a tail.
A semiquaver is a crotchet with two tails.
A demisemiquaver is a crotchet with three tails.
A hemidemisemiquaver is a crotchet with four tails.
Clap your hands to the beat. Tails are beamed to the beat.
Here are some examples.
2 quavers beamed to a crotchet beat.
4 semiquavers beamed to a crotchet beat.
8 demisemiquavers beamed to a crotchet beat.
In a crotchet beat two factors are important. Notes are beamed in multiples of 4. You can slice the beam (beat) in half.
16 hemidemisemiquavers beamed to a crotchet beat.
Here are some more complex patterns.
In these patterns the beat is equal to a crotchet, so you can count up to the value of a crotchet under every beam. Remember, we beam the beat.
Beam (beat) 1. Quaver - Semiquaver - Semiquaver
Beam (beat) 2. Semiquaver - Semiquaver - Quaver
Beam (beat) 3. Semiquaver - Quaver - Semiquaver
Music Theory
| sixteen |
In which country is the Laerdal Tunnel, the longest road tunnel in the world? | Mensuration in renaissance music - introduction
No barlines
This is striking at first sight, and it will remain a problem as long as we won't become familiar with the very heart of this music: we'll have to listen to sentences paced by the tactus, instead of counting values fitting a regular time signature.
But let's be realistic: though we all wish to discover this music, we're not necessarly wishing to enter a long range learning curve (AFAIK I'm just walking my first steps). And, even if it would be the case, an immediate listening would be a useful motivation...
After all, why should we transcribe to modern notation? As a matter of fact, I currently have no other mean to create sound files, since the Encore score editor that I'm using only knows about measured notation. Not to mention the pleasure to meet and play this music, taking in account goodwills and scores available to us, amateurs...
However, if you're interested in practicing this beautiful early notation, here is a learning program suggested by Sybrand Bakker, who has got a great experience in singing and playing it :
don't try to transcribe, forget about modern notation ; and get used to the various C clefs;
begin with the white mensural notation used in the 1500s (that's what we're doing here), simpler than the former black one (however, let me add - hoping Sybrand won't mind: I remember having read a different opinion on this point in the newsgroup rec.music.early!) ;
easy white notation documents would be, for example (available in facsimile from Alamire): Susato et Attaignant, specially the Livre septi�me, a gem containing all the Parisian chansons;
then one could practice the Chansonnier for Marguerite of Austria (Brussels 228, available from Alamire), containing for example a triple canon for six voices, Ave Sanctissima Maria, perhaps written by Pierre de La Rue;
then, you could read the Burgundian Choirbook (Brussels 5557, also available from Alamire), containing the mass Ave Regina coelorum by Guillaume Dufay ;
then only, try to gradually move to older music.
While writing these pages, I realized that I had no exact idea about the reason for barlines in modern notation! Thus, I once asked about that in newsgroups, and most persons seem to think that it's more a tool making easier to work on music, rather than an essential element of its expression:
First, barlines don't help to read a piece in which musical ideas have various rythms and lengths, and, conversely, when reading a dance, one may think that barlines aren't indeed saying anything more than the music itself.
But not everybody agrees on this point: Sybrand Bakker, already mentionned, thinks that barlines do bring structural information in dances published at the end of the 1600s.
I haven't had a chance to submit him a few objections: first, it seems that this kind of dances appeared somewhat before these years; secondly, one has often to make a decision inside a measure - just think about hemioles occurring so often; and, last, strangely enough, I remember having read in Apel about pieces from the beginning of the 1600s, published later on in this century, with barlines added in a very weird way!
By the way, it's interesting to notice that barlines appeared around 1600, at the moment when music began to be published in vertical scores like it's the case nowadays. Formerly, pieces published for performance were layed out in separate parts, that is, one part after the other (the whole cantus part, then altus, etc): have a look at the facsimiles shown on this site . Meanwhile, for their personal usage, composers sometimes wrote their music in vertical scores, and this is quite understandable!
No ties
Ties are used today for several reasons:
First, when a note must go across a barline; thus we won't come upon such a situation, and that's a good point, since this notation artefact leads sometimes to write identical rhythmic patterns in different ways!
Then, a tie is sometimes used to make reading easier, or to suggest some accent in time signatures involving dotted values.
Last but not least, some values must be written with ties, by adding smaller values. And here we come to the very heart of our subject: since ties didn't exist in the renaissance, mensuration system wrote composite values in a different way.
Ternary values do exist
Nowadays all value ratios are binary: a whole note is equal to two half notes, each of them being equal to two quarter notes, and so on. Formerly some ratios were ternary, and this is more and more true when looking at older music, because these ternary ratios - which were said perfect - were the very foundation of the system. We use to think today, and there's some evidence for that, that this idea of perfection was first related to the ternary nature of God.
Mensuration signs found at the beginning of each part told which notes were in ternary or in binary relationships. Mensurations weren't necessarly the same in each part, and they might change when a new sign was written further inside the staff.
Note values may change
That's probably the most astounding feature of the system at first sight, but also the most specific and the most understandable one, if we remember the lack of ties. Since new values couldn't be built by adding smaller ones with ties, they were obtained by substraction: in a ternary mensuration, a long note may be made shorter by some smaller note standing on its right or left side!
Though the mensuration sign first specifies that a perfect note weights three smaller ones, this long note may be imperfected by a neighbouring smaller note, and then weights only two of them; the total values still amount to three, and this is called a perfection.
These basic principles will be better understood when we will have said enough to be able to give examples..
A few words about tactus
At first sight there's no tempo indication for any music of this time, but that's not true, because it was indeed included in mensuration signs, at least when considering their standard meaning at the very beginning of the system: several documents of this time show singers touching each other's shoulders with hands, in order to beat the tactus, which specifies that a semibreve (our whole note) should be played roughly as fast as human heart beat.
This definition shouldn't be taken too strictly (we know that a performance might change according to the room size or other circumstances), but it's nevertheless an indication of tempo, for this is proven by the existence of proportion signs which specified that the music had to be sometimes played twice, third, ... as fast or as slow. Proportion signs are an extremely complex subject, because they were written with many different symbols, about the meaning of which theoreticians were fighting each other! For instance, the meaning of the
symbol still in use today has changed in a rather obscure way, which hasn't been fully understood up to now, though it might have looked so simple at first sight... (this point is mentionned in a few words in Apel page 192, and widely investigated in Busse Berger ).
That's why we will study only basic mensuration signs: those specifying a performance according to the unitary tactus (integer valor), that is, at the approximative tempo of a semibreve per human heart beat. To avoid any misunderstanding, let's add that a tactus or battuta is made of a downbeat and an upbeat on every semibreve.
It's obvious indeed: how could we have several downbeats without any upbeat in between?
Strategy of a transcription
We will start from a facsimile like those available on the site, and we'll get its transcription into modern notation, and then we'll even be able to listen to it: if you haven't did it yet, please go and listen to my transcriptions of Josquin, Barbireau, Mouton, etc, on the page dedicated to pieces from the renaissance , I guess this will give you some reason to read the following lines!
Of what steps will be this process made of?
First be careful to chose an easily readable facsimile. It's more important than you might think at first sight, since my experience has been that the bad condition of a document may lead to more problems than the transcription rules themselves: some continuation signs may refer to various places on the sheet, some notes have been emendated, some note stems are hardly visible, some rests may look like points - or conversely - all these problems can be real traps for the beginner that we still are at the present time!
Then, you'll have to change ligatures on the manuscrit into separate note symbols, like those we write today. I think this is a simple and pleasant process, which is explained on my page about ligatures . Having done so, you'll get a sequence of notes, but you won't know yet their value ratios, which are specified by mensuration, our present subject.
Thus, the last step will be to read the mensuration signs, in order to know the transcription rules toward modern notation. I'd advise you to begin with a piece written in binary mensuration, that you'll read quite easily: it's a good idea to practice each new point after the other, rather than trying to deal with all of them simultaniously.
I won't give once more the note names shown at the beginning of the page about ligatures ; instead I'll give only their abbreviations and symbols, with a new line dedicated to rest symbols:
Mx
or
or
Beware, rest values, like note ones, depend on mensuration. For instance, when a breve is equal to three semibreves, the same is true for the corresponding rests...
One can see that our modern rests nearly look like former ones, with a striking exception: today a whole note rest is said to hold for the whole measure - whatever the time signature might be, while other rests have all the same duration as the corresponding note.
The various symbols for maxima and longua rests will be explained later on .
Shall we divide values?
Now, a few words about a practice quite usual amongst many editors: dividing note values. If you don't, it means that you'll transcribe a semiminim by a quarter note, a minim by a half note, then, according to mensuration, a semibreve by a dotted or undotted whole note, a breve by a dotted or undotted square note, a longua by two or three tied square notes, and a maxima, which is nearly always binary, by four tied square notes!
Shall we preserve this 1:1 ratio in the transcription?
I'd answer yes, every time we don't get a cumbersome modern transcription, that is, in all cases but those which involve a part written in very long values from its beginning to its end, like would be the case of a cantus firmus, for instance. In this latter case, and only then, we'll have to divide all values by four, for instance, and thus transcribe maximas by square notes, ternary or binary longuas by dotted or undotted whole notes, etc, and semiminims by semiquavers.
In every other circumstance I by far prefer not to divide values, for both aesthetic and reading reasons: I can't see any problem with time signatures like 2/1, 3/1, 6/2, etc, that some editors have been using more and more often when publishing canzonas, for instance; furthermore, as an amateur, I'm often playing with hystery when only speed is required, and thus reading quarter notes instead of semiquavers in diminutions helps me to play them in a cooler way...
That's a pleasant example of getting something positive from a cultural gap: obviously, any renaissance amateur having the same problem as mine would have been frightened by semiminims like I'm by semiquavers!
Whenever you have good reasons to divide values, you'd rather get first an undivided version which will be more easily compared with the original if necessary. Failing to do so in my first attempts, I had several times to erase many lines which I had translated so painfully! Don't forget that you're working on parts without vertical "milestones": applying simultaniously translation rules for ligatures, mensuration rules - some of them rather tricky, and division ratios on note symbols quite new to us, that's perhaps a little too much to begin with...
Division levels
I'm happy to give you now good news, rather than bad ones: indeed, only two levels of division are really relevant in most cases, and they are: how many semibreves (whole notes) in a breve (square note), and how many minims (half notes) in a semibreve.
At lower levels, the ratio is always binary, like it is nowadays: a minim is equal to two semiminims (quarter notes), a semiminim to two fusas (quavers), and a fusa to two semifusas (semiquavers).
Higher levels, maxima => longuas => breves, are not so often relevant: they're binary in the absence of a different indication, and thus we'll tell about them later on .
Division of breves into semibreves is called tempus. When ternary, this division is called tempus perfectum, when binary it is called tempus imperfectum.
Ternary division of semibreves to minims is called prolatio major, and binary division is called prolatio minor.
Don't get confused because of these different names: major and minor are indeed the perfect and imperfect instances of the division prolatio.
In real musical life, we'll always need to specify the nature of both levels of division, thus we'll have to deal with four possible combinations: perfect time - major prolation, perfect time - minor prolation, imperfect time - major prolation, and imperfect time - minor prolation. Besides that, the history of the system and the design of mensuration signs would suggest to study first the perfect ternary mensurations.
However, I've choosen a different way to tell you this story, which I hope to be simpler just because the learning curve will be smoother:
first we'll study the binary division, because it's by far the simpler one, beeing quite close to our modern notation;
then we'll study the rules for a single ternary division, which might as well be time or prolation, since their rules are quite similar;
and then only, we'll look whether this similarity remains true in every detail, and whether dealing with two levels of division at the same time leads to remarkable interactions.
Fasten your seat belts!
Now it's time to give the mensuration rules, that you'll find on the next page .
In case you'd wish to go deeper in this subject, or to compare my contribution with the sources that I've used to write it, you might have a look at the bibliography . But remember what I told you a few moments ago about proportions: don't read about them without some aspirin quite ready, oh... we might say willow leaves, to set up a more renaissance mood :-)
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Who conducted the premiere of 'Turandot' at La Scala in 1926? | Performance Review Turandot | News Press | Opera Carolina
Performance Review: Turandot
Joseph Newsome, Voix des Arts
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Performance Review: Turandot
The première of Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot at La Scala on 25 April 1926, seventeen months after the composer’s death, is one of the most famous occasions in opera. Conducted by Arturo Toscanini, whose association with the operas of Puccini from the podium began with his pacing of the première of La bohème in Torino in 1896, the first performance was an emotional homage to the composer. The performance ended with Liù’s death in Act Three, the last scene that Puccini left in complete form: Toscanini turned to the audience and said, depending upon which source one believes, something along the lines of, ‘We stop here because it was at this point that the composer laid down his pen.’ At the second performance, which—again, sources differ—may or may not have been conducted by Toscanini, the completion of the opera’s final scene by Franco Alfano was also sung. The composer of successful operas such as Cyrano de Bergerac, La Leggenda di Sakùntala, and Risurrezione, Alfano was himself an expert musical craftsman and not at all unworthy of being entrusted with the formidable task of completing Turandot except in the sense of no one but Puccini being fully able to realize the ultimate fruition of what was his most ambitious endeavor. As in the case of Süßmayr’s completion of Mozart’s Requiem, it is foolish to condemn Alfano’s work with the statement that Puccini would have done better. The fact is that he did not, and, unlike Hemingway’s ostensibly unfinished but bizarrely resolved The Garden of Eden, Turandot without the final scene is a wondrous body without its head. Furthermore, subsequent efforts at re-scoring the final scene have proved no more successful than Alfano’s, so fidelity to the work of an artist who knew and respected Puccini and his style is surely the most logical path. Directed by Tom Diamond, Opera Carolina’s production of Turandot employed the Alfano ending but made it seem an unusually organic part of the score. The seams that are all too apparent in the transition from Puccini to Alfano in many performances were here mitigated by the decision to take a brief pause at the end of Liù’s death scene, signaling the point at which the composer’s completion of the score was cut short. Nevertheless, the most brilliant staging of Turandot with poor singing is an unredeemable failure, and in this realm, too, Opera Carolina had a triumph. One no longer expects to hear Turandot without at least occasionally cringing at curdled tones and missed pitches, but this performance defied those expectations. Continuing the company’s trend in recent productions of other repertory, Opera Carolina could teach many of the world’s larger, more renowned opera companies quite a lot about casting, preparing, and performing Puccini’s Turandot.
Scenically, Turandot is one of the most difficult operas in the Italian repertory to produce effectively. The grandeur of the music demands equal dramatic largesse, but there is a real danger of sacrificing the human depth of the opera to the extravagant pageantry of the monumental public scenes. With projections and lighting designs by Michael Baumgarten, Opera Carolina’s production shrank from none of the gargantuan spatial effects required by the score but also concentrated focus on the intimate interactions between Liù and Timur and, eventually, Turandot and Calàf. Martha Ruskai’s wig and make-up designs were particularly effective, and Anita Stewart’s sets and Anna Oliver ’s costumes placed the action in a visually stimulating, fancifully colorful Forbidden City. The costumes for Ping, Pang, and Pong were unusually inventive, mirroring the ‘elevated’ habits for the Nymphs in Elijah Moshinsky’s Metropolitan Opera production of Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos. The vocal challenges of Turandot render it an opera in which hoary stand-and-sing blocking is typical, but Opera Carolina’s production avoided the worst of the ‘parking and barking’ traditions while also placing the singers for optimal projection during key passages. The stage tableaux depicting the moonrise in Act One and sunrise in Act Three were especially lovely, and it was an imaginative touch in Act Two to pull away the mobile scaffolding that elevated the Emperor and Turandot, leaving Turandot physically and symbolically isolated after Calàf’s solving of the riddles. At her first appearance in Act One, however, Turandot was so heavily veiled that Calàf’s description of her ‘divina bellezza’ must indeed have been the product of hallucination as the Maschere later suggest. The projections and stage pictures eloquently evoked Puccini’s China—which of course is not quite the same thing as historical China—and made use of space to cleverly create the impression of an even more expansive setting.
From a musical perspective, Turandot is one of the great operatic masterpieces of the Twentieth Century. Puccini rarely receives the acknowledgement that he deserves for the originality of his orchestrations, and only in La fanciulla del West and Il tabarro did he write anything rivaling the modernity of the orchestrations in Turandot. Under the baton of James Meena the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra delivered an awe-inspiring performance of the score. The exposed passages for xylophone in the opera's opening scene, repeated at key moments throughout the drama, were played with total accuracy, and the important harp figurations were gracefully executed and, owing to Maestro Meena’s thoughtful management of orchestral textures, always audible. There were a couple of breakdowns in ensemble at the start of Act Three, but recovery was rapid, bolstered by especially fine playing from the strings. Maestro Meena’s conducting was notable for the manner in which, like the great past interpreters of the operas of Richard Strauss, he coaxed sounds from the orchestra that compellingly fulfilled the lush late-Romantic promise of the melodic lines while also always sounding like an opera composed in 1924. The influence of Debussy has almost never been more discernible than in Maestro Meena’s handling of the score. His work in Charlotte has been consistently perceptive, but he found in Turandot—a score by which many conductors have been defeated—an ideal outlet for the controlled ecstasy of which he is a master.
Augmented by students from the Choir School at St. Peter's, the singers of the Opera Carolina Chorus have surely never sung better than in this performance of Turandot. The sheer enormity of their sound in Act One was fantastic, and the contrasting delicacy of their invocation to the moon was alluring. The children sang ‘Là, sui monti dell'Est la cicogna cantò’ with touching purity and near-perfect intonation. The funeral march ‘O giovinetto,’ sung as the Principe di Persia is led to his execution, was more differentiated than in many performances from the choir’s bloodthirsty utterances earlier in the act. In Act Two, neither the sobriety of ‘Gravi, enormi ed imponenti col mister dei chiusi enigmi’ nor the perilous tessitura of ‘Diecimila anni al nostro Imperatore!’ upset the choristers, and the children again rose to the challenge of their ‘Dal deserto al mar non odi mille voci sospirar.’ The eruption of joy upon Calàf’s successful response to the final riddle, ‘Gloria, gloria, o vincitore,’ was thrilling. At the beginning of Act Three, the tenors who voiced the Araldi were occasionally uncertain in ‘Così commanda Turandot: "Questa notte nessun dorma in Pekino,’ but, after lustily demanding that she divulge Calàf’s name, the full chorus demonstrated substantial emotional sincerity in ‘Ombra dolente, non farci del male! Perdona, perdona!’ after Liù’s self-sacrifice. Countless performances of Turandot have been undermined by poor choral singing. Conversely, Opera Carolina’s performance was a reminder of how mightily superb choral singing can enrich enjoyment of Turandot.
Baritone John Fortson was a Mandarino of vocal strength and ramrod authority, imposingly tossing off the profusion of C♯s at the top of the staff in his proclamations of 'Popolo di Pekino! La legge è questa.’ His towering presence made him a suitably majestic representation of imperial clout.
Perched high above the stage on a golden throne, L’Imperatore Altoum presided over his scenes like a benevolent deity. His declarations in Act Two were delivered with apt authority by tenor Johnathan Stanford White, who had the distinction of not sounding as though he had already lived the bulk of the ten thousand years of which the chorus often sings. There was genuine regret in his voicing of 'Un giuramento atroce mi costringe a tener fede al fosco patto,' and he conveyed tenderness in his exchanges with Turandot. Significantly, he evinced an indication of relieved joy when Calàf solved the riddles. Mr. White used his compact, reedy timbre to excellent effect.
Fermo! che fai? T’arresta: (from left to right) Tenor Gianluca Bocchino as Pang, tenor Carl Tanner as Calàf, tenor Joseph Hu as Pong, and baritone Giovanni Guagliardo as Ping in Opera Carolina’s 2015 production of Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot [Photo by jonsilla.com, © Opera Carolina]
Puccini’s comic Maschere, Ping, Pang, and Pong, often inspire more wincing than amusement, and Opera Carolina’s production did not wholly avoid slightly uncomfortable pseudo-Chinese stereotypes, but baritone Giovanni Guagliardo as Ping and tenors Gianluca Bocchino and Joseph Hu as Pang and Pong earned their laughs and sang handsomely. Starting with their ‘Fermo! che fai? T'arresta!' in Act One, Ping's line littered with top E♭s and Fs, all three gentlemen made the most of their jaunty music. Mr. Guagliardo gave Ping’s ‘Lascia le donne! O prendi cento spose’ wry humor, and his launching of the wonderful scene at the start of Act Two with ‘Olà, Pang! Olà, Pong!’ was delightfully exasperated. There was true wistfulness in the gentlemen’s lament for the current state of their homeland, ‘O China, o China, che or sussulti e trasecoli in quieta,’ and Mr. Guagliardo’s phrasing of the beguiling ‘Ho una casa nell'Honan con il suo laghetto blù’ was endearingly noble. Their unison top G was rousing. Mr. Bocchino and Mr. Hu revealed bright upper registers in their scene with Calàf in Act Three, ‘Tu che guardi le stelle, abbassa gli occhi,’ their frustration growing as they gleaned that their appeals were falling on deaf ears. All three singers played their parts with gusto, brightening the mood of every scene in which they appeared.
Bass Kevin Langan sang Timur with absolute vocal and dramatic security, ably depicting the deposed King of Tartary’s—historically and geographically, slightly different from the supertitles’ suggested Mongolia—blindness. The elation of Timur’s unexpected reunion with his son in Act One was movingly conveyed by Mr. Langan’s powerful enunciation of ‘O mio figlio! tu! vivo?!’ His recounting of the events that led to his exile, ‘Perduta la battaglia, vecchio Re senza regno e fuggente,’ was mesmerizing, the security of his top Ds increasing the impact of the music. The bass brought a flood of anguish to his singing of ‘O figlio, vuoi dunque ch'io solo, ch'io solo trascini pel mondo la mia torturata vecchiezza,’ seeming to already surmise that there was no reasoning with Calàf. In Act Three, this Timur’s reaction to Liù’s death was almost unbearably heart-rending. Mr. Langan’s entreating ‘Liù! Liù! sorgi! sorgi! È l'ora chiara d'ogni risveglio!’ was pained, and his singing of ‘Ah! delitto orrendo!’ was harrowing, the climactic top F and E♭ shot into the auditorium with unanswerable severity. The quiet sadness of his phrasing of ‘Liù! bontà! Liù! dolcezza!’ defined the very personal tragedy of Liù’s sacrifice. In terms of quantity of notes, Timur is not a large rôle, but Mr. Langan devoted sonorous tone to every one of those notes, and he made the old king more tellingly a ‘padre augusto’ than the exalted Imperatore.
Moscow native Dina Kuznetsova created a vulnerable but fearless Liù who held the audience’s sympathy in the palms of her hands from her first note. At her entrance in Act One, her plea for help with the fallen Timur, ‘Il mio vecchio è vaduto,’ was spun like the finest Chinese silk, and her phrasing of ‘Chi m'aiuta, chi m'aiuta a sorreggerlo’ was exquisite. She was the model of humility in her singing of ‘Nulla sono...una schiava’ (‘I am nothing, only a slave’), and her top B♭ on ‘mi hai sorriso’ (‘you smiled at me’) was radiant. Ms. Kuznetsova sang the aria ‘Signore, ascolta!’ with heartwarming restraint, caressing the repeated top A♭s and B♭. In Liù’s death scene in Act Three, the soprano’s grasp of Puccini’s arching melodic lines was intuitive, and her singing of ‘Tanto amore segreto, e inconfessato,’ its top As and B taxing but on pitch, was magical. The apotheosis of her performance—as should be true of every Liù—was her sumptuously-sung ‘Tu, che di gel sei cinta,’ her final top B♭ suggesting the serenity of an impressionable but indomitable young woman who dies knowing that she has fulfilled her destiny with courage and honor.
If only Calàf were more deserving of Liù’s sacrifice! Puccini and his librettists, Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni, did not succeed in making Calàf a fully genial hero, but Carl Tanner gave his all to portraying a Calàf of uncompromising integrity and romantic magnetism. He bounded onto the stage at his Act One entrance with the brio of an impassioned teenager, and the exuberance of his ‘Padre! Mio padre!’ matched Timur’s glee at their meeting. Mr. Tanner’s top B♭ on ‘O padre, sì, ti ritrovo!’ and B♭♭ on ‘T'ho pianto, padre...e bacio queste ma ni sante!’ were confident and ringing. The vehemence of his denunciation of Turandot’s cruelty in ‘Ch'io ti veda e ch'io ti maledica!’ was juxtaposed by the sudden softening of his sentiments with ‘O divina bellezza, o meraviglia,’ his ascent to top A♭ elucidating Calàf’s budding infatuation with Turandot. Proclaiming his character’s suit for the princess, his repetitions of Turandot’s name cresting on top B♭, Mr. Tanner’s voice soared into the theatre exhilaratingly. There was an air of mystery in his ‘Si profuma di lei l'oscurità,’ but his phrasing of the aria ‘Non piangere, Liù!’ left nothing unsaid: though unable to return Liù’s chaste love, he was sensitive to magnitude of her devotion. In Act Two, the calmness of Mr. Tanner’s singing of the three statements of ‘Figlio del cielo, io chiedo d'affrontar la prova!’ was striking. He sailed bravely to the unison top C with Turandot on ‘Gli enigmi sono tre, una è la vita!’ His vocal and dramatic engagement escalated to feverish intensity in the Riddle Scene, Mr. Tanner’s shining top B♭s on ‘Il mio fuoco ti sgela: Turandot!’ leaving no doubt of his triumph. He brought phenomenal swagger to ‘No, no, Principessa altera! Ti voglio tutta ardente d'amor!’ without hectoring, and he gently stroked the phrases prefiguring ‘Nessun dorma’ on ‘Il mio nome non sai!’ Though in strictly musical terms ‘Non piangere, Liù’ is the better aria, it is Calàf’s Act Three aria ‘Nessun dorma’ that many listeners eagerly await. Mr. Tanner sang it sweepingly, sustaining the most famous top B in opera—a sixteenth note in Puccini’s score, incidentally—valiantly. He displayed true sorrow in ‘Ah! Tu sei morta, tu sei morta, o mia piccola Liù’ and tempestuous indignation in ‘Principessa di morte! Principessa di gelo!’ In the opera’s final scene, his ardor was rapidly transformed into respect and emotional intimacy. Following the performance, it was revealed that Mr. Tanner was very ill with bronchitis, and it is indicative of his artistic rectitude that there was virtually no evidence of his indisposition in any aspect of his performance. No announcement requesting the audience’s indulgence was made: rather, Mr. Tanner took the stage and sang with undeterred professionalism. In so doing, he created a vocally and dramatically outstanding Calàf.
The description ‘a natural Turandot’ seems a contradiction of terms, but Canadian-born soprano Othalie Graham deserves the designation more than almost any other soprano singing today. A svelte, beautiful lady, she moves with confidence and uses her expressive face to mirror the emotions of which she sings. Turandot is not an easy rôle to master, dramatically: the necessity of almost continuous full-throttle singing limits many sopranos’ abilities to connect with the character on a plane beyond the concern for getting the notes out. The profundity of Ms. Graham’s identification with Turandot was evident from the first phrase of ‘In questa reggia.’ What was also obvious from the first lines that she sang was that Ms. Graham’s command of the rôle’s two-octave range is comprehensive. Her singing of ‘Principessa Lou-Ling, ava dolce e serena’ seethed with fury, the top B on ‘Quel grido e quella morte!’ unleashed with zeal. Her phrasing of ‘Ah, rinasce in me l'orgoglio di tanta purità!’ exploded with umbrage. Ms. Graham gloriously joined Mr. Tanner on the unison top C on ‘No! No! Gli enigmi sono tre, la morte è una,’ and she shaped the Riddle Scene with glacial singing of ‘Straniero, ascolta!’ and ‘Percuotete quei vili!’ The biting irony of ‘Su, straniero, il gelo che dà foco, che cos'è?’ inspired the soprano to singing of frightening potency, offset by her glowingly feminine delivery of ‘Figlio del cielo! Padre augusto!’ The power of her pair of top Cs trumpeted over the chorus on 'Mi vuoi nelle tue braccia a forza riluttante, fremente!—the second of them doubled by the sopranos in the chorus—was stupendous. Turandot’s gradual awakening to love was clearly indicated by Ms. Graham’s singing of ‘Che mai osi, straniero!’ She brought to Turandot’s ‘La mia gloria è finita!’ an element of catharsis that cemented the passage’s kinship with the decisive ‘Son io’ in the penultimate scene of Bellini’s Norma. The repeated top As and hair-raising top B in ‘Del primo pianto’ embodied this Turandot’s blossoming sensuality. After so much extraordinary singing, the top B♭ on ‘Il suo nome è Amor!’ as Turandot reveals to her father and the people of Peking that she has discovered her unknown swain’s name—Love—perfectly crowned Ms. Graham’s performance. Dramatically, she was the unique Turandot who made the character a woman, not an archetype. Vocally, she was, as bears repeating, a sensationally natural Turandot.
Among the world’s good regional opera companies, performances of Puccini’s Turandot are infrequent, but even in the world’s most acclaimed opera houses performances of Turandot of the quality of Opera Carolina’s are rarer still. There is tremendous significance in the fact that, when Turandot was first performed at the Metropolitan Opera seven months after its La Scala première, the production costs and salary for the leading lady, Maria Jeritza, were the highest ever paid for performances at the Old MET on Broadway in the company’s then-four-decade history. The first performance of Turandot was also the highest-grossing show of the MET’s 1926 – 1927 season. These statistics document both the difficulties and the enticements of staging Turandot. Whether or not the company’s production of Turandot was a financially lucrative enterprise for Opera Carolina, it was an artistic tour de force. It was also a fresh reminder of the fabulous reality that Charlotte has become a major destination for some of the world’s premier singers.
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Denis Healey was an MP for a constituency in which city throughout his career? | Turandot - iSnare Free Encyclopedia
Turandot
For other uses, see Turandot (disambiguation) .
Turandot
) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini , completed by Franco Alfano , and set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni .
Though Puccini's first interest in the subject was based on his reading of Friedrich Schiller 's 1801 adaptation of the play, his work is most nearly based on the earlier text Turandot by Carlo Gozzi . The original story is based on Turan-Dokht (daughter of Turan ) from the epic Haft Peykar ( The Seven Beauties ), work of 12th-century Persian poet Nizami . [1] The opera's story is set in China and involves Prince Calaf, who falls in love with the cold Princess Turandot. To obtain permission to marry her, a suitor has to solve three riddles; any wrong answer results in death. Calaf passes the test, but Turandot still refuses to marry him. He offers her a way out: if she is able to learn his name before dawn the next day, then at daybreak he will die.
The opera was unfinished at the time of Puccini's death in 1924, and was completed by Franco Alfano in 1926. The first performance was held at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan on 25 April 1926 and conducted by Arturo Toscanini . This performance included only Puccini's music and not Alfano's additions. The first performance of the opera as completed by Alfano was the following night, 26 April, although it is disputed whether this was conducted by Toscanini again or by Ettore Panizza .
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Origin and pronunciation of the name
Turandot is a Persian word and name that means "the daughter of Turan ", Turan being a region of Central Asia , formerly part of the Persian Empire . In Persian, the fairy tale is known as Turandokht, with dokht being a contraction of dokhtar (daughter); the kh and t are both pronounced.[ citation needed ]
According to Puccini scholar Patrick Vincent Casali , the final t is silent in the opera's and title character's name, making it sound
In 1710, while writing the first biography of Genghis Khan, the French scholar François Pétis de La Croix published a book of tales and fables combining various Asian literary themes. One of his longest and best stories derived from the history of Mongol princess Khutulun . In his adaptation, however, she bore the title Turandot, meaning "Turkish Daughter," the daughter of Kaidu . Instead of challenging her suitors in wrestling, Pétis de La Croix had her confront them with three riddles. In his more dramatic version, instead of wagering mere horses, the suitor had to forfeit his life if he failed to answer correctly.
Fifty years later, the popular Italian playwright Carlo Gozzi made her story into a drama of a "tigerish woman" of "unrelenting pride." In a combined effort by two of the greatest literary talents of the era, Friedrich von Schiller translated the play into German as Turandot, Prinzessin von China, and Goethe directed it on the stage in Weimar in 1802. – Jack Weatherford [3]
Composition history
The story of Turandot was taken from a Persian collection of stories called The Book of One Thousand and One Days [4] (1722 French translation Les Mille et un jours by François Pétis de la Croix – not to be confused with its sister work The Book of One Thousand and One Nights ) – where the character of "Turandokht" as a cold princess was found. [5] The story of Turandokht is one of the best known from de la Croix's translation. The plot respects the classical unities of time, space and action.
"In questa reggia" – quotation from the reduced score
Puccini first began working on Turandot in March 1920 after meeting with librettists Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni . In his impatience he began composition in January 1921 before Adami and Simoni had even produced the text for the libretto.[ citation needed ] Baron Fassini Camossi, the former Italian diplomat to China, gave Puccini as a gift a music box which played a number of Chinese melodies. Puccini used three of these in the opera, including the national anthem (heard during the appearance of the Emperor Altoum) and, most memorably, the folk melody " Mo Li Hua " (Jasmine Flower) which is first heard sung by the children's chorus after the invocation to the moon in act 1, and becomes a sort of ' leitmotif ' for the princess throughout the opera. Puccini commissioned a set of 13 gongs constructed by the Tronci family specifically for Turandot. Decades later, percussionist Howard Van Hyning of the New York City Opera had been searching for a proper set of gongs and obtained the original set from the Stivanello Costume Company, which had acquired the gongs as the result of winning a bet. In 1987 he bought the gongs for his collection, paying thousands of dollars for the set, which he described as having "colorful, intense, centered and perfumed" sound qualities. [6]
By March 1924 Puccini had completed the opera up to the final duet. However, he was unsatisfied with the text of the final duet, and did not continue until 8 October, when he chose Adami's fourth version of the duet text. On 10 October he was diagnosed with throat cancer and on 24 November went to Brussels, Belgium, for treatment. There he underwent a new and experimental radiation therapy treatment. Puccini and his wife never knew how serious the cancer was, as the news was revealed only to his son. Puccini, however, seems to have had some inkling of the possible seriousness of his condition since, before leaving for Brussels, he visited Toscanini and begged him, "Don't let my Turandot die". [7] He died of a heart attack on 29 November 1924, when it had seemed that the radium treatment was succeeding. His step-daughter Fosca was in fact joyfully writing a letter to an English friend of the family, Sibyl Seligman, telling her that the cancer was shrinking when she was called to her father's bedside because of the heart attack. [8]
Completion of the score after Puccini's death
When Puccini died, the first two of the three acts were fully composed, including orchestration. Puccini had composed and fully orchestrated act 3 up until Liù's death and funeral cortege. In the sense of finished music, this was the last music composed by Puccini. [9] [10] He left behind 36 pages of sketches on 23 sheets for the end of Turandot. Some sketches were in the form of "piano-vocal" or "short score," including vocal lines with "two to four staves of accompaniment with occasional notes on orchestration." [11] These sketches supplied music for some, but not all, of the final portion of the libretto.
Puccini left instructions that Riccardo Zandonai should finish the opera. Puccini's son Tonio objected, and eventually Franco Alfano was chosen to flesh out the sketches after Vincenzo Tommasini (who had completed Boito 's Nerone after the composer’s death) and Pietro Mascagni were rejected. Puccini's publisher Tito Ricordi II decided on Alfano because his opera La leggenda di Sakùntala resembled Turandot in its setting and heavy orchestration. [12] Alfano provided a first version of the ending with a few passages of his own, and even a few sentences added to the libretto which was not considered complete even by Puccini himself. After the severe criticisms by Ricordi and the conductor Arturo Toscanini, he was forced to write a second, strictly censored version that followed Puccini's sketches more closely, to the point where he did not set some of Adami's text to music because Puccini had not indicated how he wanted it to sound. Ricordi's real concern was not the quality of Alfano's work, but that he wanted the end of Turandot to sound as if it had been written by Puccini, and Alfano's editing had to be seamless. Of this version, about three minutes were cut for performance by Toscanini, and it is this shortened version that is usually performed.
Performance history
Directed by Roberto De Simone ( it ), January 2012, Teatro Comunale di Bologna
The premiere of Turandot was at La Scala , Milan, on Sunday 25 April 1926, one year and five months after Puccini's death. Rosa Raisa held the title role. Tenors Miguel Fleta and Franco Lo Giudice alternated in the role of Prince Calaf in the original production, although Fleta had the honor of singing the role for the opera's opening night. It was conducted by Arturo Toscanini . In the middle of act 3, two measures after the words "Liù, poesia!", the orchestra rested. Toscanini stopped and laid down his baton. He turned to the audience and announced: "Qui finisce l'opera, perché a questo punto il maestro è morto" ("Here the opera ends, because at this point the maestro died"). The curtain was lowered slowly. These are the words reported by Eugenio Gara , who was present at the premiere. [13] A reporter for La Stampa recorded the words slightly differently: "Qui finisce l'opera, rimasta incompiuta per la morte del povero Puccini/Here the opera ends, left incomplete by the death of poor Puccini." [14] It is also frequently reported that Toscanini said, more poetically, "Here the Maestro laid down his pen". [15]
A newspaper report published the day before the premiere states that Puccini himself gave Toscanini the suggestion to stop the opera performance at the final notes composed by Puccini:
Poche settimane prima di morire il Maestro, dopo aver fatto sentire l’opera ad Toscanini, esclamò: "Se non riuscirò a condurla a termine, a questo punto verrà qualcuno alla ribalta e dirà: "L’autore ha musicato fin qui, poi è morto" Arturo Toscanini ha raccolto con commozione queste parole e, con la pronta adesione della famiglia di Giacomo Puccini e degli editori, volle che la sera della prima rappresentazione, l’opera apparisse come l’autore la lasciò, con l'angoscia di non poterla finire.
(A few weeks before his death, after having made Toscanini listen to the opera, Puccini exclaimed: "If I don't succeed in finishing it, at this point someone will come to the footlights and will say: 'The author composed until here, and then he died.'" Arturo Toscanini related Puccini's words with great emotion, and, with the swift agreement of Puccini's family and the publishers, decided that the evening of the first performance, the opera would appear as the author left it, with the anguish of being unable to finish). [14]
Two authors believe that the second and subsequent performances of the 1926 La Scala season, which included the Alfano ending, were conducted by Ettore Panizza and Toscanini never conducted the opera again after the first performance. [16] However, in his biography of Toscanini, Harvey Sachs claims that Toscanini did conduct the second and third performances before withdrawing from the production due to nervous exhaustion. [17] A contemporary review of the second performance states that Toscanini was the conductor, taking five curtain calls at the end of the performance. [18]
Turandot quickly spread to other venues: Rome ( Teatro Costanzi , 29 April, four days after the Milan premiere), Buenos Aires ( Teatro Colón , 23 June), Dresden (6 September, in German), Venice ( La Fenice , 9 September), Vienna (14 October; Mafalda Salvatini in the title role), Berlin (8 November), New York (Metropolitan Opera, 16 November), Brussels (La Monnaie, 17 December, in French), Naples (Teatro San Carlo, 17 January 1927), Parma (12 February), Turin (17 March), London (Covent Garden, 7 June), San Francisco (19 September), Bologna (October 1927), Paris (29 March 1928), Australia 1928, Moscow (Bolshoi Theatre, 1931). Turandot is a staple of the standard operatic repertoire and it appears as number 17 on the Operabase list of the most-performed operas worldwide. [19]
For many years, the government of the People's Republic of China forbade performance of Turandot because they said it portrayed China and the Chinese unfavourably. [20] [21] In the late 1990s they relented, and in September 1998 the opera was performed for eight nights as Turandot at the Forbidden City , complete with opulent sets and soldiers from the People's Liberation Army as extras. It was an international collaboration, with director Zhang Yimou as choreographer and Zubin Mehta as conductor. The singing roles saw Giovanna Casolla , Audrey Stottler, and Sharon Sweet as Princess Turandot; Sergej Larin and Lando Bartolini as Calaf; and Barbara Frittoli , Cristina Gallardo-Domâs , and Barbara Hendricks as Liù. As with Madama Butterfly , Puccini strove for a semblance of Asian authenticity (at least to Western ears) by using music from the region in question. Up to eight of the themes used in Turandot appear to be based on traditional Chinese music and anthems, and the melody of a Chinese song named " Mò Li Hūa (茉莉花) ", or "Jasmine", is included as a motif for the princess. [22]
Alfano's and other versions
The debate over which version of the ending is better is still open, [16] but the consensus generally tends towards Alfano's first score.[ citation needed ] The opera with Alfano's original ending was first recorded by John Mauceri and Scottish Opera (with Josephine Barstow and Lando Bartolini as soloists) for Decca Records in 1990 to great acclaim. [23] [24] The first verifiable live performance of Alfano's original ending was not mounted until 3 November 1982, by the Chelsea Opera Group at the Barbican Centre in London. However, it may have been staged in Germany in the early years, since Ricordi had commissioned a German translation of the text and a number of scores were printed in Germany with the full final scene included. Alfano's second ending has been further redacted as well: Turandot's aria "Del primo pianto" was performed at the premiere but cut from the first complete recording;[ citation needed ] it was eventually restored to most performances of the opera.
From 1976 to 1988 the American composer Janet Maguire , convinced that the whole ending is coded in the sketches left by Puccini, composed a new ending,[ citation needed ] but this has never been performed. In 2001 Luciano Berio made a new completion sanctioned by Casa Ricordi and the Puccini estate, using Puccini's sketches but also expanding the musical language. It was subsequently performed in the Canary Islands and Amsterdam conducted by Riccardo Chailly , Los Angeles conducted by Kent Nagano , at the Salzburg Festival conducted by Valery Gergiev in August 2002. However, its reception has been mixed. [25] [26]
Roles
Anna May Wong as Princess Turandot, 1937
In front of the imperial palace
A Mandarin announces the law of the land (Aria – Popolo di Pechino! – "People of Peking!"). The Prince of Persia has failed to answer the three riddles, and he is to be beheaded at the next moonrising. As the crowd surges towards the gates of the palace, the imperial guards brutally repulse them, causing a blind old man to be knocked to the ground. The old man's slave-girl, Liù, cries out for help. A young man hears her cry and recognizes that the old man is his long-lost father, Timur, the deposed king of Tartary . The young Prince of Tartary is overjoyed at seeing Timur alive, but still urges Timur to not speak his name because he is afraid that the Chinese rulers, who have conquered Tartary, may kill or harm them. Timur then tells his son that, of all his servants, only Liù has remained faithful to him. When the Prince asks her why, she tells him that once, long ago in the palace, the Prince had smiled at her (Trio with chorus – The crowd, Liù, Prince of Tartary, Timur: Indietro, cani! – "Back, dogs!").
The moon rises, and the crowd's cries for blood dissolve into silence. The doomed Prince of Persia, who is on his way to be executed, is led before the crowd. The young Prince is so handsome and kind that the crowd and the Prince of Tartary decide that they want Turandot to act compassionately, and they beg Turandot to appear and spare his life (Aria – The crowd, Prince of Tartary: O giovinetto! – "O youth!"). She then appears, and with a single imperious gesture, orders the execution to continue. The Prince of Tartary, who has never seen Turandot before, falls immediately in love with her, and joyfully cries out Turandot's name three times. Then the Prince of Persia cries out one final time. The crowd, horrified, then screams out one final time. The Prince of Persia is then beheaded.
The Prince of Tartary is dazzled by Turandot's beauty. He is about to rush towards the gong and to strike it three times – the symbolic gesture of whoever wishes to attempt to solve the riddles so that he can marry Turandot – when the ministers Ping, Pang, and Pong appear. They urge him cynically to not lose his head for Turandot and to instead go back to his own country (Fermo, che fai?). Timur urges his son to desist, and Liù, who is secretly in love with the Prince, pleads with him not to attempt to solve the riddles ( Signore, ascolta! – "Lord, hear!"). Liù's words touch the Prince's heart. He begs Liù to make Timur's exile more bearable by not abandoning Timur if the Prince fails to answer the riddles ( Non piangere, Liù – "Do not cry, Liù"). The three ministers, Timur, and Liù then try one last time to stop the Prince (Ah! Per l'ultima volta! – "Ah! For the last time!") from attempting to answer the riddles, but he refuses to heed their advice.
He calls Turandot's name three times, and each time Liù, Timur, and the ministers reply, "Death!" and the crowd declares, "We're already digging your grave!" Rushing to the gong that hangs in front of the palace, the Prince strikes it three times, declaring himself to be a suitor. From the palace balcony, Turandot accepts his challenge, as Ping, Pang, and Pong laugh at the Prince's foolishness.
Act 2
Scene 1: A pavilion in the imperial palace. Before sunrise
Ping, Pang, and Pong lament their place as ministers, poring over palace documents and presiding over endless rituals. They prepare themselves for either a wedding or a funeral (Trio – Ping, Pang, Pong: Ola, Pang!). Ping suddenly longs for his country house in Honan , with its small lake surrounded by bamboo. Pong remembers his grove of forests near Tsiang, and Pang recalls his gardens near Kiu. The three share their fond memories of their lives away from the palace (Trio – Ping, Pang, Pong: Ho una casa nell'Honan – "I have a house in Honan"), but they are shaken back to the realities of Turandot's extremely bloody reign[ clarification needed ]. Continually, they have been accompanying young men to their deaths and are now recalling the horrors of their ghastly fate. As the palace trumpet sounds, the ministers ready themselves for another spectacle as they await the entrance of their Emperor.
Scene 2: The courtyard of the palace. Sunrise
The Emperor Altoum, father of Turandot, sits on his grand throne in his palace. Weary of having to judge his isolated daughter's sport, he urges the Prince to withdraw his challenge, but the Prince refuses (Aria – Altoum, the Prince: Un giuramento atroce – "An atrocious oath"). Turandot enters and explains ( In questa reggia – "In this palace") that her ancestress of millennia past, Princess Lo-u-Ling, reigned over her kingdom "in silence and joy, resisting the harsh domination of men" until she was ravished and murdered by an invading foreign prince. Turandot claims that Lo-u-Ling now lives in her, and out of revenge, Turandot has sworn to never let any man wed her. She warns the Prince to withdraw but again he refuses. The Princess presents her first riddle: Straniero, ascolta! – "What is born each night and dies each dawn?" The Prince correctly replies, Speranza – "Hope." The Princess, unnerved, presents her second riddle (Guizza al pari di fiamma – "What flickers red and warm like a flame, but is not fire?") The Prince thinks for a moment before replying, Sangue – "Blood". Turandot is shaken. The crowd cheers the Prince, provoking Turandot's anger. She presents her third riddle (Gelo che ti da foco – "What is ice which gives you fire and which your fire freezes still more?"). As the prince thinks, Turandot taunts him, "What is the ice that makes you burn?" The taunt makes him see the answer and he proclaims, "It is Turandot! Turandot!"
The crowd cheers for the triumphant Prince. Turandot throws herself at her father's feet and pleads with him not to leave her to the Prince's mercy. The Emperor insists that an oath is sacred and that it is Turandot's duty to wed the Prince (Duet – Turandot, Altoum, the Prince: Figlio del cielo). She cries out in despair, "Will you take me by force? (Mi porterai con la forza?) The Prince stops her, saying that he has a riddle for her: Tre enigmi m'hai proposto – "You do not know my name. Tell me my name before sunrise, and at dawn, I will die." Turandot accepts. The Emperor then declares that he hopes that he will be able to call the Prince his son when the sun next rises.
Act 3
Scene 1: The palace gardens. Night
In the distance, heralds call out Turandot's command: Cosi comanda Turandot – "This night, none shall sleep in Peking! The penalty for all will be death if the Prince's name is not discovered by morning". The Prince waits for dawn and anticipates his victory: Nessun dorma – "Nobody shall sleep!"
Ping, Pong, and Pang appear and offer the Prince women and riches if he will only give up Turandot (Tu che guardi le stelle), but he refuses. A group of soldiers then drag in Timur and Liù. They have been seen speaking to the Prince, so they must know his name. Turandot enters and orders Timur and Liù to speak. The Prince feigns ignorance, saying they know nothing. But when the guards begin to treat Timur harshly, Liù declares that she alone knows the Prince's name, but she will not reveal it. Ping demands the Prince's name, and when Liù refuses to say it, she is tortured. Turandot is clearly taken aback by Liù's resolve and asks Liù who or what gave her such a strong resolve. Liù answers, "Princess, love!" (Principessa, amore!). Turandot demands that Ping tear the Prince's name from Liù, and Ping orders Liù to be tortured even more. Liù counters Turandot ( Tu che di gel sei cinta – "You who are begirdled by ice"), saying that Turandot too will learn the exquisite joy of being guided by caring and compassionate love. [note 1] Having spoken, Liù seizes a dagger from a soldier's belt and stabs herself. As she staggers towards the Prince and falls dead, the crowd screams for her to speak the Prince's name. Since Timur is blind, he must be told about Liù's death, and he cries out in anguish. When Timur warns that the gods will be offended by Liù's death, the crowd becomes subdued, very afraid and ashamed. The grieving Timur and the crowd follow Liù's body as it is carried away. Everybody departs, leaving the Prince and Turandot. He reproaches Turandot for her cruelty (Duet – The Prince, Turandot: Principessa di morte – "Princess of death"), then takes her in his arms and kisses her in spite of her resistance. [note 2]
The Prince tries to convince Turandot to love him. At first she feels disgusted, but after he kisses her, she feels herself becoming more ardently desiring to be held and compassionately loved by him. She admits that ever since she met the Prince, she realized she both hated and loved him. She asks him to ask for nothing more and to leave, taking his mystery with him. The Prince, however, then reveals his name: "Calaf, son of Timur – Calaf, figlio di Timur", thereby placing his life in Turandot's hands. She can now destroy him if she wants (Duet – Turandot, Calaf: Del primo pianto).
Scene 2: The courtyard of the palace. Dawn
Turandot and Calaf approach the Emperor's throne. She declares that she knows the Prince's name: Diecimila anni al nostro Imperatore! – "It is ... love!" The crowd cheers and acclaims the two lovers (O sole! Vita! Eternità).
Critical response
While long recognised as the most tonally adventurous of Puccini's operas, [29] Turandot has also been considered a flawed masterpiece, and some critics have been hostile. Joseph Kerman states that "Nobody would deny that dramatic potential can be found in this tale. Puccini, however, did not find it; his music does nothing to rationalize the legend or illuminate the characters." [30] Kerman also wrote that while Turandot is more "suave" musically than Puccini's earlier opera, Tosca , "dramatically it is a good deal more depraved." [31] However, Sir Thomas Beecham once remarked that anything that Joseph Kerman said about Puccini "can safely be ignored". [32]
Some of this criticism is possibly due to the standard Alfano ending (Alfano II), in which Liù's death is followed almost immediately by Calaf's "rough wooing" of Turandot, and the "bombastic" end to the opera. A later attempt at completing the opera was made, with the co-operation of the publishers, Ricordi, in 2002 by Luciano Berio . The Berio version is considered to overcome some of these criticisms, but critics such as Michael Tanner have failed to be wholly convinced by the new ending, noting that the criticism by the Puccini advocate Julian Budden still applies: "Nothing in the text of the final duet suggests that Calaf's love for Turandot amounts to anything more than a physical obsession: nor can the ingenuities of Simoni and Adami's text for 'Del primo pianto' convince us that the Princess's submission is any less hormonal." [33]
Ashbrook and Powers consider it was an awareness of this problem – an inadequate buildup for Turandot's change of heart, combined with an overly successful treatment of the secondary character (Liù) – which contributed to Puccini's inability to complete the opera. [16] Another alternative ending, written by Chinese composer Hao Wei Ya, has Calaf pursue Turandot but kiss her tenderly, not forcefully; and the lines beginning Del primo pianto (Of the first tears) are expanded into an aria where Turandot tells Calaf more fully about her change of heart. [34] [35] [36]
Concerning the compelling believability of the self-sacrificial Liù character in contrast to the two mythic protagonists, biographers note echoes in Puccini's own life. He had had a servant named Doria, whom his wife accused of sexual relations with Puccini. The accusations escalated until Doria killed herself – though the autopsy revealed she died a virgin. In Turandot, Puccini lavished his attention on the familiar sufferings of Liù, as he had on his many previous suffering heroines. However, in the opinion of Father Owen Lee , Puccini was out of his element when it came to resolving the tale of his two allegorical protagonists. Finding himself completely outside his normal genre of verismo , he was incapable of completely grasping and resolving the necessary elements of the mythic , unable to "feel his way into the new, forbidding areas the myth opened up to him" [37] – and thus unable to finish the opera in the two years before his unexpected death.
Instrumentation
Turandot is scored for three flutes (the third doubling piccolo ), two oboes , one English horn , two clarinets in B-flat , one bass clarinet in B-flat, two bassoons , one contrabassoon , two onstage Alto saxophones in E-flat; four French horns in F, three trumpets in F, three tenor trombones , one contrabass trombone , six onstage trumpets in B-flat, three onstage trombones, and 1 onstage bass trombone ; a percussion section with timpani , cymbals , gong , one triangle , one snare drum , one bass drum , one tam-tam , one glockenspiel , one xylophone , one bass xylophone , tubular bells , tuned Chinese gongs, [38] one onstage wood block , one onstage large gong; one celesta , one pipe organ ; two harps and strings .
Recordings
References
Notes
^ The words of that aria were actually written by Puccini. Waiting for Adami and Simoni to deliver the next part of the libretto, he wrote the words and when they read them, they decided that they could not better them. [28]
^ Here Puccini's work ends. The remainder of the music for the premiere was completed by Franco Alfano.
Citations
^ Blades, James, Percussion instruments and their history , Bold Strummer, 1992, p. 344. ISBN 0-933224-61-3
Sources
Carner, Mosco , Puccini: a Critical Biography, Gerald Duckworth, 1958
Kerman, Joseph, Opera as Drama, New York: Knopf, 1956; Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988. ISBN 0-520-06274-4
Sachs, Harvey. Toscanini. Robson, 1993. ISBN 0-86051-858-2
Further reading
Maehder, Jürgen ( de ), Turandot-Studien, Deutsche Oper Berlin , Beiträge zum Musiktheater VI, Spielzeit 1986/87, pp. 157–187.
Maehder and Sylvano Bussotti , Turandot, Pisa: Giardini, 1983.
Maehder (with Kii-Ming Lo), Puccini's Turandot – Tong hua, xi ju, ge ju, Taipei (Gao Tan Publishing) 1998, 287 pp.
Maehder, "Puccini's Turandot – A Fragment", in Nicholas John (ed.), Turandot, London: John Calder / New York: Riverrun, 1984, pp. 35–53.
Maehder, "Studi sul carattere di frammento della Turandot di Giacomo Puccini", in Quaderni Pucciniani 2/1985, Milano: Istituto di Studi Pucciniani, 1986, pp. 79–163.
Maehder, "La trasformazione interrotta della principessa. Studi sul contributo di Franco Alfano alla partitura di Turandot", in Jürgen Maehder (ed.), Esotismo e colore locale nell'opera di Puccini, Pisa (Giardini) 1985, pp. 143–170.
External links
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'Professor Yaffle', a wooden woodpecker, featured in which children's TV series? | From Bagpuss to Zebedee: classic British children's TV - Expat
Expat
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Bagpuss was an old, saggy cloth cat – baggy and a bit loose at the seams. But Emily loved him. There were only 13 episodes of Bagpuss ever made, each set in Emily’s shop. The cloth cat came to life after she left, together with various other toys including Gabriel the toad, Madeleine the rag doll, Professor Yaffle the wooden woodpecker and the mice carved on the side of the 'mouse organ’. The series, created by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin, was first shown in 1974. It will feature in a retrospective of Smallfilms (Firmin and Postgate’s much-loved production company) at the V&A Museum of Childhood. The free exhibition runs from March 19-October 9 2016
Credit: SmallFilms/V&A
| Bagpuss |
In 1902, who succeeded the Marquis of Salisbury as Prime Minister? | Bagpuss
Bagpuss
1 9 7 4 (UK)
13 x 20 minute episodes
"Bagpuss, dear Bagpuss, Old fat furry cat-puss, Wake up, and look at this thing that I bring, Wake up, be bright, be golden and light, Bagpuss, oh hear what I sing"
Bagpuss - which first aired on 12 February 1974 - was written and narrated by Oliver Postgate, who along with Peter Firmin and their company, Small Films, was responsible for many classic British children's TV shows' including The Clangers , Noggin The Nog and Ivor The Engine .
The Bagpuss stories were set in Victorian England in a shop owned by a girl called Emily (played by Firmin's daughter). She would bring various items into the shop that she had discovered, with the object of repairing them and returning them to their rightful owner.
She was assisted by Bagpuss, a fat pink and white striped cloth cat, who would spring to life at the sound of Emily's voice.
Bagpuss was in turn assisted by Professor Yaffle, a carved wooden bookend in the shape of a woodpecker (pictured at left), Madeline, a motherly rag doll, Gabriel a banjo-playing toad, and the mice of the Mechanical Mouse Organ.
"Bagpuss gave a big yawn, and settled down to sleep. And when Bagpuss goes to sleep, all his friends go to sleep too. The mice are ornaments on the Mouse Organ, Gabriel and Madeleine are just dolls."
"And Professor Yaffle is just a carved wooden bookend in the shape of a woodpecker. "
"Even Bagpuss himself, once he is asleep, is just an old, saggy cloth cat; baggy and a bit loose at the seams. But Emily loved him"
Despite only appearing in 13 brief episodes, Bagpuss was voted Britain's favourite children's TV show in a 1999 poll, leading to 100 lines of merchandise and a comfortable retirement for all concerned.
Narrator
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In 'My Fair Lady' what is the first name of 'Eliza Doolittle's' father? | My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
First performance of the third subscription
Performers
Credits
Music by Frederick Loewe
Libretto and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner after the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw and the film of the same name by Gabriel Pascal
Russian text by Yury Korneyev & Polina Melkova
Orchestration by Robert Russell Bennet & Philip J. Lang
Principal Chorus Master: Andrei Petrenko
Synopsis
Act I
On a cold night in London, patrons leaving the Royal Opera House are trying to find taxis. Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl, is knocked over by one of them: a young man called Freddy Eynsford-Hill. She admonishes him, becoming even more upset when she sees another man copying down her words. This is Henry Higgins, a distinguished professor of phonetics. Lamenting Eliza’s dreadful accent, he declares that in six months he could turn her into a lady simply by teaching her to speak properly. An older gentleman introduces himself as Colonel Pickering, a linguist who has long studied Indian dialects. As both men have always wanted to meet each other, Higgins invites Pickering to stay with him.
As they leave, the professor distractedly throws some spare change into Eliza’s flower basket. She and her cockney friends wonder what it would be like to live a comfortable life. Eliza’s father, Alfred P. Doolittle, and his drinking companions Harry and Jamie, all dustmen, emerge from a nearby pub. Doolittle, as usual, is searching for money for another drink, and Eliza reluctantly gives him some.
At Higgins’s home the housekeeper, Mrs. Pearce, announces that a young woman has arrived. It is in fact Eliza, who wants Professor Higgins to teach her to speak properly so that she can obtain work in a florist’s shop. Pickering bets Higgins that he will not be able to make good his claim to transform Eliza and even volunteers to pay for Eliza’s lessons. An intensive makeover of Eliza’s speech, manners and dress begins.
Eliza’s father arrives at Higgins’ house the next morning, claiming that Higgins is compromising Eliza’s virtue. Higgins is impressed by the man’s natural gift for language and his brazen lack of moral values. He and Doolittle agree that Eliza can continue to take lessons and live at Higgins’ house if Higgins gives Doolittle five pounds for a drinking spree. While Eliza endures the long and difficult speech tutoring, the servants lament the long hours that Higgins imposes on the entire household. Just as they are all about to give up, Higgins eloquently speaks of the glory of the English language and Eliza makes the long-awaited breakthrough.
For her first public tryout, Higgins takes Eliza to his mother’s box at Ascot Racecourse. Eliza initially impresses with her polite manners but then unintentionally shocks everyone when she excitedly reverts to Cockney during a horse race. But she has captured the heart of Freddy Eynsford-Hill, the young man who knocked her over outside the Royal Opera. Freddy calls on Eliza, but after the Ascot disaster she refuses to see anyone. He declares that he will wait for her as long as is necessary.
After further preparation Eliza is finally ready for an even more difficult test: the Embassy Ball. Higgins, his mother and Colonel Pickering are all nervous as to how the evening will unfold. But Eliza passes the test brilliantly. Everyone at the ball is fascinated by her, including a Hungarian phonetician named Zoltan Karpathy. Higgins’ triumph is complete when the Queen of Transylvania not only notices Eliza but encourages her son, the Crown Prince, to dance with her.
Act II
After the ball, Pickering flatters Higgins about his triumph, while the professor expresses his pleasure that the experiment is finally over. The episode leaves Eliza feeling used and abandoned, particularly as Higgins completely ignores her except to ask where he has left his slippers. When Eliza throws them at him, Higgins is completely mystified by her ingratitude. Deciding to leave the house that very night, Eliza finds Freddy still waiting outside. He is overjoyed to see her, but Eliza cuts him off, telling him that if he really loved her, he would show her rather than talk about it. Returning to Covent Garden, Eliza’s old friends no longer recognize her. But her father, surprisingly dressed in top hat and tails, does. He explains bitterly that as a result of Professor Higgins’ intervention, he has received a surprise bequest from an American millionaire, which has ruined him by raising him to middle-class respectability. The worst thing is that he now has to marry the woman he has been living with for all these years. Doolittle and his friends decide to have one last drinking spree before his wedding the next morning.
Higgins and Pickering are upset to discover that Eliza has left, and Pickering leaves to try and find her. Concluding that men are far superior to women in everything, Higgins nevertheless seeks his mother’s advice. He is astonished to find Eliza having tea with her. Higgins demands that she return home, but Eliza accuses him of wanting her back only to fetch and carry for him. She further declares that she was foolish to ever think that she needed Higgins, and that she will marry Freddy instead. The professor is struck by Eliza’s spirit and independence and asks her once more to stay with him, but she tells him that he will not be seeing her again.
As Higgins returns home alone, he begins to discover what his real feelings for Eliza might be. As he listens once again to the first recording he made of Eliza’s voice, the recording is suddenly replaced by Eliza’s real voice. Without even looking up, Higgins asks her if she has any idea where his slippers might be…
Robert Carsen
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"Who said in 1996, ""If anyone sees me anywhere near a boat they have my permission to shoot me""?" | Alfred Doolittle
Alfred Doolittle
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Doolittle is not so much a character as he is a vehicle which Shaw manipulates for his own dramatic purposes. Through Doolittle, Shaw is able to make many satirical thrusts at middle-class morality and to make additional comments on class distinctions and on class manners. (It is especially witty when Eliza points out to Higgins that the Professor's so-called equality in the way he treats people shows that he has the same manners as her father because Doolittle makes no class distinctions either: the analogy wounds Higgins because he has to acknowledge that it is essentially true.)
As his name readily suggests, Doolittle does as little as possible to get through life. He is a dustman because that is easier for him than "real work." (A dustman was a person who simply collected the ashes that people put out; by Shaw's time, refuse was added to the ashes, making Doolittle essentially a garbage collector.)
The comedy connected with Doolittle is his transformation during the course of the play. Whereas his daughter wants to become a member of the respectable middle class, Doolittle is delighted that his job as dustman is so low on the social class scale that it has absolutely no morals connected to it; therefore, he is not subjected to "dreadful" middle-class morality — at least not until the last act.
When we first meet Doolittle, he comes to Professor Higgins' house in the hypocritical role of the "virtuous father" in order to rescue his "compromised daughter." It is soon discovered, however, that he threw his daughter out into the streets to earn her own living over two years ago, and, furthermore, he was never married to Eliza's mother. In fact, the people in the neighborhood won't even let Doolittle have any of Eliza's belongings. When the ruse of the virtuous father fails, Doolittle quickly changes his pitch and becomes the ingratiating pimp as he tries to sell his own daughter to the men for almost any price they are willing to pay. Higgins and Pickering are not taken in by his nauseating suggestions, however, but they are delighted by Doolittle's poetic use of the English language, by his use of rhetoric that could only be used by a Welshman, and by his ingenuity as he tries one method after another until he assumes a philosophical pose; in his resourceful rhetoric, he stoutly proclaims that too much charity has been directed at the "deserving poor." Now is it time for him to claim his equal share as a member of the "undeserving poor." An undeserving poor man, according to Doolittle, has as much right to go on a drunken binge as does a deserving poor man; furthermore, if they will give him some money, he will promise to spend it all on a drunken binge immediately and will thus be broke and ready for work on Monday morning.
The originality of this idea, and the audacity and impudence with which it is put forward, cause Higgins and Pickering to yield to Doolittle's request, and they even offer him ten pounds, but Doolittle refuses because it would involve him in responsibilities; he can't drink up ten pounds in the weekend, but he can drink up five pounds.
In the last act, Doolittle's character does not essentially change. It is only that through a large sum of money, he has been forced to accept responsibilities that he would rather not have been faced with. The immoral blackmailer and pimp of the second act has now been forced into the role of a lecturer on moral reforms, and he must now adopt middle-class morality. Since Shaw philosophically wanted to do completely away with the lower class, he is pleased to force Doolittle into accepting a position where he will not be comfortable being one of the "undeserving poor"; Shaw undoubtedly was secretly delighted at the discomfiture that Doolittle was undergoing.
| i don't know |
Gilbertese is an official language of which Pacific island nation? | RIO 2016 | 7 Obscure Countries Competing At The Olympics
1/7
Vanuatu
Pacific island nation located in the South Pacific. The archipelago is 1,090 miles northeast of Australia || Official Languages: Bislama, French & English || Population (2009): 243,304 || Most popular sport: Soccer (association football)
2/7
Tuvalu
Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific, midway between Hawaii and Australia || Official languages: Tuvaluan, English || Population (2012): 10,640 || Popular sport: Track & Field, kilikiti (form of cricket)
3/7
Tonga
Polynesian country comprised of 169 islands over 270,000 square miles of the South Pacific Ocean, between New Zealand and Hawaii II Official languages: Tongan, English: Population (2011): 103,036 || Popular sport: Rugby
4/7
Sao Tome & Principe
Island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western central coast of Africa || Official languages: Portuguese || Population (2014): 190,428 || Popular sport: Soccer
5/7
Nauru
Island country in Micronesia in the Central Pacific || Official Languages: Nauruan, English || Population (2011): 10,084 || Popular sport: Australian rules football, weightlifting
6/7
Kiribati
Island nation in the Central Pacific The nation comprised of multiple reef/coral islands and atolls 33 atolls and reef islands spread across 1,351,000 square miles || Official languages: English, Gilbertese || Population (2010): 103,500 || Popular sport: Weightlifting, sprinting
7/7
Lesotho
Small landlocked country surrounded completely by South Africa || Official languages: Sesotho, English || Population (2009): 2,067,000 || Popular sport: Soccer
1/7
Vanuatu
Pacific island nation located in the South Pacific. The archipelago is 1,090 miles northeast of Australia || Official Languages: Bislama, French & English || Population (2009): 243,304 || Most popular sport: Soccer (association football)
2/7
Tuvalu
Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific, midway between Hawaii and Australia || Official languages: Tuvaluan, English || Population (2012): 10,640 || Popular sport: Track & Field, kilikiti (form of cricket)
3/7
Tonga
Polynesian country comprised of 169 islands over 270,000 square miles of the South Pacific Ocean, between New Zealand and Hawaii II Official languages: Tongan, English: Population (2011): 103,036 || Popular sport: Rugby
4/7
Sao Tome & Principe
Island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western central coast of Africa || Official languages: Portuguese || Population (2014): 190,428 || Popular sport: Soccer
5/7
Nauru
Island country in Micronesia in the Central Pacific || Official Languages: Nauruan, English || Population (2011): 10,084 || Popular sport: Australian rules football, weightlifting
6/7
Kiribati
Island nation in the Central Pacific The nation comprised of multiple reef/coral islands and atolls 33 atolls and reef islands spread across 1,351,000 square miles || Official languages: English, Gilbertese || Population (2010): 103,500 || Popular sport: Weightlifting, sprinting
7/7
Lesotho
Small landlocked country surrounded completely by South Africa || Official languages: Sesotho, English || Population (2009): 2,067,000 || Popular sport: Soccer
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| Kiribati |
Which player defeated the reigning champion Neil Robertson in the First Round of the 2011 World Snooker Championships before losing in the Final to John Higgins? | Kiribati facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Kiribati
Republic of Kiribati
CAPITAL: Tarawa
FLAG: Above a blue and white heraldic representation of Pacific waters, a golden sun rises against a red background, with a golden frigate bird at the top.
ANTHEM: Troika kain Kiribati (Stand Kiribati).
MONETARY UNIT: The Australian dollar is the national currency. a$1 = us$0.76336 (or us$1 = a$1.31) as of 2005.
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: Kiribati is in transition from imperial to metric standards.
HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day, 1 January; Independence Day, 12 July; Youth Day, 4 August; Christmas Day, 25 December; Boxing Day, 26 December. Movable holidays include Good Friday, Easter Monday, Queen's Birthday (June), Bank Holiday (August), and Prince of Wales 's Birthday (November).
TIME: Midnight = noon GMT.
LOCATION, SIZE, AND EXTENT
Kiribati (pronounced "Kiribass") consists of 33 islands in the central Pacific, situated around the point where the International Date Line intersects the equator. Scattered over more than 5 million sq km (2 million sq mi) of ocean are the 17 islands of the Gilberts group (including Banaba, formerly Ocean Island); the 8 Line Islands (including Christmas Island); and the 8 Phoenix Islands. The distance between Christmas Island in the e and Banaba in the w is more than 3,200 km (2,000 mi). Kiribati's total land area is 811 sq km (313 sq mi), and its total coastline is 1,143 km (710 mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by Kiribati is about four times the size of Washington, DC.
Kiribati's capital city, Tarawa, is located on the island of Tarawa.
TOPOGRAPHY
Kiribati is made up of three island groups: the Gilbert Islands (on the equator), the Phoenix Islands (to the east), and the Line Islands (north of the equator). Most of the islands are coral atolls built on a submerged volcanic chain. Christmas Island is the largest atoll in the world, with an area of 606 sq km (234 sq mi). The highest point of the country is an unnamed point on the island of Banaba, which reaches a peak of 81 m (266 ft). The lowest point is at sea level ( Pacific Ocean ).
CLIMATE
Tempered by prevailing easterly trade winds, the islands have a maritime equatorial climate, with high humidity during the November–April rainy season. Although the islands lie outside the tropical hurricane belt, there are occasional gales and even tornadoes. Rainfall varies from an average of 102 cm (40 in) near the equator to 305 cm (120 in) in the extreme north and south. Severe droughts can also occur. On average, there is less than 1% variation between the cool and hot months, but daily temperatures range from 25°c (77°f) to 32°c (90°f), with an annual mean temperature of 27°c (81°f).
FLORA AND FAUNA
The extreme poverty of the soil and the variability of the rainfall make cultivation of most crops impossible. Only babai (a kind of taro root), coconut palms, and pandanus trees grow easily on most islands. Pigs and poultry were probably introduced by Europeans. Sea life abounds.
ENVIRONMENT
According the United Nations (UN) Report for Pacific Island Developing Countries (1992), the most significant environmental problems facing the nations in this area of the world are global warming and the rise of sea levels. Variations in the level of the sea may damage forests and agricultural areas and contaminate fresh water supplies with salt water. A rise in sea level by even 2 feet (60 cm) would leave Kiribati uninhabitable; in 1996, such a rise was forecast as a possibility by 2100. Kiribati, along with the other nations in the area, is vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic activity. The nation also has inadequate facilities for handling solid waste, which has been a major environmental concern, particularly in the larger population centers.
The environment in Kiribati has also been adversely affected by metals and chemicals from mining activities, and agricultural chemicals have polluted coastal waters. Phosphate mining was especially devastating, rendering the island of Banaba almost uninhabitable. The Banabans, who were forced to move to the Fijian island of Rabi, sued the owners of the mines and won special compensation. A fund was set up to compensate the people of Kiribati. Called the Phosphate Revenue Equalization Fund (PREF), in 1996 it amounted to a$200 million.
The lagoon of the southern Tarawa atoll has been heavily polluted by solid waste disposal. Like other Pacific islands, Kiribati is sensitive to the dangers of pollution and radiation from weapons tests and nuclear waste disposal. The UN report describes the wildlife in these areas as "among the most critically threatened in the world." According to a 2006 report issued by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), threatened species included 5 species of birds, 1 type of reptile, 4 species of fish, and 1 type of mollusk. Endangered species included the green sea turtle, the coconut crab, the giant grouper, the tiger shark, the pygmy killer whale, and the mukojima bonin honeyeater.
POPULATION
The population of Kiribati in 2005 was estimated by the United Nations (UN) at 92,000, which placed it at number 180 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In 2005, approximately 3% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 40% of the population under 15 years of age. According to the UN, the annual population rate of change for 2005–10 was expected to be 1.8%, a rate the government viewed as too high. Population growth in the capital, Tarawa, was seen as a serious problem by the government. The projected population for the year 2025 was 141,000. The population density was 126 per sq km (326 per sq mi). The population is unevenly distributed; some islands of the Phoenix and Line groups are uninhabited.
The UN estimated that 43% of the population lived in urban areas in 2005 and that urban areas were growing at an annual rate of 3.67%. The capital city, Tarawa, had a population of 42,000 in that year, with an annual growth rate of about 5.2%.
MIGRATION
For the islanders, migration has been a perennial form of escape from drought and starvation. In the 19th century, recruiting ships forcibly took Gilbert Islanders for plantation work in Hawaii , Australia , Fiji , and Peru ; some voluntarily reenlisted after the great drought of 1870. Although the majority eventually returned home, it is reckoned that between 1860 and 1890, some 10,000 islanders (of a total population of 30,000) were living overseas. In the 20th century, Fiji and the Solomon Islands continued to be popular places for Gilbert Islanders in search of work. Internal migration until 1979 was mainly to Banaba Island for work in the phosphate industry; since then, migration has been primarilly to Nauru or to copra plantations in the Line Islands. During 1988–93, some 4,700 people were resettled on the Teraira and Tabuaeran atolls of the Line Islands because of overcrowding on the main island group. The total number of migrants in 2000 was 2,000. In 2001 Australia refused entry to all boat people, many of them Iraqis setting out from Indonesia . Kiribati and other Pacific islands agreed to accept migrants headed to Australia from Indonesia in boats in exchange for aid from Australia. In 2005, the net migration rate was estimated as zero migrants per 1,000 population. The government views the migration levels as satisfactory.
RELIGIONS
Christian missionaries first arrived in 1857, when Dr. Hiram Bingham, of the American Board of Foreign Missionaries, began to spread Protestantism in the northern Gilberts with the help of Hawaiian pastors. In 1888, Catholicism was introduced to the islands by the Sacred Heart Mission. The American Board withdrew from the territory in 1917 and was succeeded by the London Missionary Society, which had placed Samoan pastors on the islands as early as 1870.
Virtually the entire population is Christian. According to 2002 government statistics, 55% of the population were Roman Catholics and 37% belonged to the Kiribati Protestant Church (formerly called the Congregational Church). Religious minorities included the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (3%), the Seventh-Day Adventists (2%), and Baha'is (2%). About 5% of the population claimed no religious preference.
The constitution provides for freedom of religion, and this right is generally respected in practice. Christmas , Easter , and National Gospel Day are celebrated as national holidays.
TRANSPORTATION
The remoteness of the scattered islands has severely hampered transport and communications. There are only about 670 km (416 mi) of roads, mostly on Tarawa. The Nippon Causeway, completed in 1987 with Japanese assistance, replaced ferry service between Betio and Bariki. A series of similar causeways links north and south Tarawa. In 1995, there were about 2,000 vehicles in Kiribati, almost three-quarters of which were motorcycles.
There is no rail, river, or lake transport, although canoes travel freely on the lagoons. However, as of 2003, there were some 5 km of canals on the Line Islands. The main ports are located on Betio islet, near Tarawa, and on Tabuaeran and Christmas islands. Betio is equipped for handling containers, and Banaba has a cantilever for phosphate loading. In 2005 Kiribati had one passenger cargo ship of 1,000 GRT or more at 1,291 GRT. A number of shipping lines call at the islands, and government boats provide interisland service. There were an estimated 20 airports in 2004, of which 3 had paved runways as of 2005. All the major islands have airstrips; the airports on Christmas Island and at Bonriki (Tarawa) are used for scheduled overseas flights. Air Tungaru, the national airline, operates regularly scheduled flights to Honolulu and Tuvalu. In 1997 (the latest year for which data was available), 28,000 passengers were carried on scheduled domestic and international flights.
HISTORY
The main wave of Micronesian settlement is thought to have come from Samoa in the 13th century, but Gilbertese tradition suggests that the Samoans were not the first settlers. European discovery dates from 1537, when Christmas Island was sighted by Spanish explorers. The English sea captain James Cook encountered the islands in 1777, and commercial activities in the region began early in the 19th century. The Gilbert Islands were a favorite whaling ground, and deserting crews began to settle on the islands in the 1830s. Trading ships were calling there regularly by the 1850s, and a flourishing copra and coconut trade was established by the 1860s, as well as an illicit human traffic. The Office of British High Commissioner to the Western Pacific was created in 1877 to help suppress abuses by recruiting ships seeking labor for overseas service. In 1888, Christmas, Fanning (now Tabuaeran), and Washington (now Teraina) islands were annexed by the British, and Phoenix Island was placed under their protection. A declaration of British protectorate over the Gilbert and Ellice groups followed in 1892. A handful of administrators established local native governments, and a period of stability ensued.
Ocean Island was annexed by Britain in 1900 following Sir Albert Ellis's discovery of its valuable phosphate deposits. The Gilbert and Ellice groups (including Ocean, Fanning, and Washington islands) were declared a British colony in 1916. British control was extended to Christmas Island in 1919 and to the uninhabited Phoenix group in 1937, but after the United States laid claim to Canton and Enderbury, a joint British-American administration over these islands was established. During World War II , the Gilberts were occupied by Japanese forces until 1943, when the invaders were driven out by US forces after heavy casualties on both sides. Ocean Island was liberated by the Australians in 1945.
In a 1974 referendum, the Ellice Islands voted for separation, subsequently becoming the independent nation of Tuvalu. Internal self-government for the Gilberts was established as of 1 January 1977, and the islands became the independent Republic of Kiribati on 12 July 1979. In September, the new nation signed a treaty of friendship with the United States (ratified by the US Senate in 1983), by which the United States relinquished its claim to the Line and Phoenix groups (including Canton, Enderbury, and Malden).
Ieremia Tabai, chief minister at the time of independence, became president of the new republic in 1979 and was reelected in May 1982 and February 1983. Although the constitution limits a president to three terms, Tabai argued that he had not completed three full terms and was reelected in May 1987. In 1991, Tabai stepped down and was replaced by Teatao Teannaki, head of the National Progressive Party. Teannaki served until 1994, when Teburoro Tito, head of the nation's first real political party, the Maneaban Te Mauri Party (MTM), was elected. The MTM won 19 of 39 seats in the House.
A special problem was posed by the Banabans, who were resettled in 1946 on Rabi (Fiji)—bought for them by means of phosphate royalties—so that strip mining on their native island could continue unimpeded. In 1975, the Banabans sued, petitioning the British courts for damages. After a lengthy legal battle, representatives of the Banabans (most of whom still reside on Rabi) agreed in 1981 to the creation of a trust fund of nearly a$15 million for Banaban development. Recognition of Banaban minority rights is enshrined in Kiribati's constitution.
Kiribati opposes French nuclear testing in the Pacific and signed the 1985 Raratonga Agreement declaring the South Pacific a nuclear-free zone. In 1985, Kiribati signed a one-year fishing agreement with the former Soviet Union that aroused controversy at home and abroad. The agreement was not renewed after talks for its renegotiation broke off in September 1986.
Kiribati began resettling more than 4,700 people on outlying atolls in August 1988 in an attempt to relieve overcrowded conditions on the Tarawa atolls. Overcrowding was still a concern in 2004, when Kiribati planned to launch a program for the development of up to four new urban centers on the outer islands. The program had the backing of the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations Development Program, and was aimed at reducing the flow of population to Tarawa.
In September 1988 Kiribati ratified the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Treaty, which permits US tuna ships to operate within its 200-mi exclusive zone. In early 1992, the Parliament of Kiribati instructed the government (against its wishes) to seek compensation from the United States for damage done to the country during the Pacific War (1941–45).
In 1994, the government of Kiribati underwent a constitutional crisis when President Teatao Teannaki was forced to resign following a no-confidence vote by the opposition in parliament, who had charged him with misusing travel funds. As specified in the constitution, executive authority was then transferred to a Council of State until new parliamentary and presidential elections could be held, but one member of the council refused to resign when his term expired and had to be forcibly removed, prompting calls for constitutional reform to prevent a similar situation from occurring in the future. Teburoro Tito was elected president in September, and elected to a second term in November 1998.
Together with Nauru and Tonga, Kiribati was admitted to the United Nations in 1999. In March of that year, the government declared a state of emergency as water shortages reached crisis levels due to an extended drought and pollution of the available water supply. Long-term elevation of the surrounding sea level due to global greenhouse emissions remains a serious concern for Kiribati, which reportedly has already lost two uninhabited islands and has been forced to move segments of its population inland, away from coastal regions.
The 2002 presidential election process began with a general election for parliament on 29 November, but several rounds of voting took place before the election of a president on 25 February 2003. In January 2003, opposition parliamentarians named Taberannang Timeon to stand against Tito in the February election, instead of Harry Tong, after Tong stepped aside in order not to split the opposition vote against Tito. Bakeua Bakeua Tekita stood as a third candidate. Tito narrowly won the 25 February election, defeating Timeon by only 547 votes, but after serving only one day of his third term as president, Tito's government was toppled by a vote of no-confidence in the opposition-controlled parliament. In July 2003, Anote Tong was elected president.
Kiribati established diplomatic relations with the former Soviet Union in 1979 and with the People's Republic of China in 1980. In November 2003, Kiribati was the fifth Pacific nation to recognize Taiwan . Kiribati hoped to maintain ties with both Taiwan and mainland China, but by the end of the month, China had cut diplomatic ties and removed the Chinese space tracking station located on Tarawa atoll, but continued to maintain an embassy staffed by three diplomats.
GOVERNMENT
Under the independence constitution of 1979, Kiribati is a democratic republic within the Commonwealth of Nations. It has a 42-member unicameral legislature, the House of Assembly (Maneaba ni Maungatabu). Forty members are elected for four-year terms, one appointed seat is reserved for a representative of the Banaban community, and the attorney general sits (ex-officio) as a nonelected member of parliament. The Speaker is elected to office by members of parliament but is not a member of parliament. He has neither an original nor casting vote in parliamentary decisions. The president (beretitenti ), who is both head of state and head of government, is elected directly by popular vote from among members of the House of Assembly, to a term of up to four years; candidates are selected by the House from among its own members. When the president no longer enjoys the confidence of the legislature, the House is dissolved and new parliamentary and presidential elections are held, with a Council of State (consisting of the head of the Civil Service Commission, the chief justice, and the Speaker of the House) governing in the interim. The cabinet consists of the president, vice president, attorney general, and no more than 10 other ministers selected from parliament.
Teatao Teannaki, head of the National Progressive Party, was elected the nation's second president in July 1991. He was obliged to resign following a no-confidence vote in 1994, and Teburoro Tito, head of the Maneaban Te Mauri Party (MTM), was elected president. Tito was reelected in 1998 and 2003. Following a vote of no-confidence, another presidential election was held in July 2003. Anote Tong was elected president, with Teima Onorio serving as his vice president.
POLITICAL PARTIES
Traditionally, Kiribati had no formally organized parties. Instead, ad hoc opposition groups tended to coalesce around specific issues. There were no formally constituted political parties until 1985, when opponents of the Soviet fishing agreement founded the Christian Democratic party, headed by Dr. Harry Tong.
Other parties that formed after 1991 include the Boutokaan te Koaua Party; the Liberal Party; the New Movement Party; and the Health Peace and Honour Party. Today, the only recognizable parties are the Maneaban te Mauri Party (formerly known as the Christian Democratic Party) and the Boutokaan te Koaua Party.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
There are fully elected local councils on all the islands, in accordance with the local government ordinance of 1966. For administrative purposes the islands are divided into six districts: Tarawa (including the Phoenix group); North, South, and Central Gilberts; Banaba; and the Line Islands. This structure has been further divided into 21 island councils, one for each of the inhabited islands. The geographic dispersion of the islands leaves considerable freedom for the districts; their councils have wide taxing powers, including land taxes, and draw up their own estimates of revenues and expenditures.
JUDICIAL SYSTEM
The 1979 constitution provides for a High Court with a chief justice and other judges, acting as the supreme court. There is also a Court of Appeal and magistrates' courts. Island courts were established in 1965 to deal with civil and criminal offenses. Native land courts have jurisdiction over property claims. High Court and Court of Appeal judges are appointed by the president.
The judiciary is independent and free from government influence. Civil rights and civil liberties are guaranteed in the constitution and respected in practice. Procedural due process safeguards are based on English common law. Trials are fair and public. The law prohibits arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, and correspondence. The government authorities respect these provisions.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Kiribati was admitted to the United Nations (UN) on 14 September 1999 and is a member of several nonregional specialized agencies, including the FAO, ICAO, the World Bank, IMF, IFC, ILO, UNESCO, and WHO.
Kiribati participates in the Asian Development Bank, the ACP Group, the Pacific Island Forum, and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). The nation is also part of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. In environmental cooperation, Kiribati is part of the Basel Convention, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the London Convention, the Kyoto Protocol, the Montréal Protocol, and the UN Conventions on the Law of the Sea, Climate Change, and Desertification.
ECONOMY
Kiribati's economy was supported by revenues from phosphate mining on Banaba until the deposits were exhausted in 1979. Since then, the nation has relied on fishing, subsistence agriculture, and exports of copra, recently 80–95% of exports, and fish, 4–20% of exports. The country is heavily dependent on aid from the United Kingdom , Japan , Australia, New Zealand, and China. Aid equals 25–50% of GDP , while tourism provides about 20%. In the 1990s, GDP increased steadily, peaking at a$80.3 million in 1999, and then fell by 2.7% and 1.2% in 2000 and 2001, respectively, to a$78.1 million and a$77.2 million, respectively. GNP runs between 1.5 to 2 times the size of GDP. In 2001, GNP was a$136.9 million, 177% of GDP. Per capita GDP in 2000 was a$843 and per capita GNP was a$1,495. Inflation, at 0.4% in 2000 as measured by consumer prices, increased to 9.4% in 2001. Unemployment was officially 2%, but underemployment was estimated by the government to be about 70% by a 1992 estimate.
In 2004, the GDP growth rate was 1.8%, down from 2.5% in 2003. The inflation rate increased slightly, from 1.4% to 2.3%, but is not expected to pose any problems to the economy. The country is still heavily dependent on foreign aid and on remittances from workers abroad.
INCOME
The US Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA ) reports that in 2005, Kiribati's gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at $79.0 million, supplemented by a nearly equal amount from external sources The CIA defines GDP as the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year and computed on the basis of purchasing power parity (PPP) rather than value as measured on the basis of the rate of exchange based on current dollars. The per capita GDP was estimated at $800. The annual growth rate of GDP was estimated at 1.5%. The average inflation rate in 2001 was 2.5%. It was estimated that agriculture accounted for 30% of GDP, industry 7%, and services 63%.
LABOR
In 2001 (the latest year for which data was available), there were an estimated 7,870 economically active people in Kiribati, excluding subsistance farmers. Overall, about 90% of the labor force is engaged in agriculture or fishing. Overseas workers remitted a large percentage of their wages to Kiribati.
In urban areas there is a small but strong trade union movement. Affiliates of the Kiribati Trades Union Congress (KTUC), founded in 1982 with Australian assistance, include the Fishermen's Union, the Cooperative Workers' Union, the Seamen's Union, the Teachers' Union, and the Public Employees' Association; in 2002, the KTUC had about 2,500 members. Workers have the right to strike but rarely exercise this option. The government does not interfere with union activity.
There is no statutory minimum wage; however, the government sets wage levels in the large public sector, which is the major employer in the cash economy. The standard workweek for those in the public sector was 36.25 hours, with overtime pay for any additional hours. Children may not work under the age of 14. This is effectively enforced by the government in the modern, industrial sector of the economy, but many children do perform light labor in the traditional fishing economy.
AGRICULTURE
Agriculture is limited chiefly to coconut and pandanus production. About 37,000 hectares (91,400 acres) of land is considered arable, representing 5.1% of the total land area. Overseas technical aid has allowed some islands to cultivate bananas and papaws for the Tarawa market. An estimated 103,000 tons of coconuts, 5,000 tons of bananas, and 5,900 tons of vegetables and melons were produced in 2004. Agricultural trade in 2004 consisted of us$1.8 million in exports and us$14.3 million in imports. Agriculture contributes 30% to GDP.
ENERGY AND POWER
Kiribati has no known reserves of oil, natural gas, or coal. Thus imports are relied upon to meet any fossil fuel needs.
In 2002, imports and consumption of refined petroleum products each averaged 210 barrels per day. There were no imports of coal or natural gas in 2002.
The government maintains electricity-generating plants on Tarawa and Christmas Island, and there are private generators on Banaba and several other islands. In 2002, electric power generating capacity was 0.003 million kW, with production at 0.012 billion kWh. Consumption in that year came to 0.011 billion kWh. All electric power was generated from fossil fuels.
INDUSTRY
Several small industries have been established, including a soft drink plant, a biscuit factory, boat-building shops, construction companies, furniture plants, repair garages, bakeries, and laundries. The government also promotes local handicrafts. A pilot project on Kiritimati for producing solar-evaporated salt began operations in 1985. In 2000, this had declined to 0.7%, down from 1.2% in 1999. Construction was 2.7% of GDP in 2000, down from 4.6% in 1999.
There is not a lot of data pertaining to the country's industry, but in 1998 this sector was estimated to have a 7% share in the GDP—as compared to the services sector which amounted to 63%. In 2001, the economically active population of Kiribati (excluding subsistence farmers) was 7,870.
DOMESTIC TRADE
The domestic economy operates on a subsistence and barter basis. With very few local production or agricultural facilities, the nation relies heavily on imported goods of all types. Revenues from fishing licenses, worker remittances, and foreign assistance form the basis of the economy. Retail sales are handled by cooperative societies, which distribute the bulk of consumer goods and perform all merchandising functions not dealt with by the government. Although private trade is growing, cooperatives are preferred as a matter of public policy because they are closer to the local tradition than individual enterprises. Tourism is slowly growing as the main domestic economic activity.
FOREIGN TRADE
The loss of the phosphate industry, copra price fluctuations, and the islands' remoteness have hindered overseas trade, but an upward trend in foreign trade was perceptible in the 1980s. Copra—the only commodity exported by Kiribati—accounted for 64% of total domestic exports in 1996. Fish and seaweed are also exported, accounting for 14% and 8% of total exports, respectively. Kiribati's main export partners are the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Australia provides 44% of imports; Fiji, 19%; Japan, 15%; New Zealand, 4%; and the United States and China, 5% each.
In 2002, Kiribati's exports amounted to $35 million (FOB—Free on Board), while the imports rose to $83 million (CIF—Cost and Freight). In 2004, the bulk of exports went to France (45.7%), Japan (29.2%), the United States (9.1%), and Thailand (5.4%). Imports included foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, and fuel, and mainly came from Australia (33.6%), Fiji (29.8%), Japan (10.3%), New Zealand (6.9%), and France (4.1%).
Country
BALANCE OF PAYMENTS
Continued deficits in the trade balance are often met by grants from the United Kingdom to the government's current and capital accounts. Foreign aid, in fact, accounts for between 25% and 50% of GDP.
The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reported that in 1998, the purchasing power parity of Kiribati's exports was us$6 million, while imports totaled us$44 million, resulting in a trade deficit of us$38 million.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported that in 1994 Kiribati had exports of goods totaling us$6 million and imports totaling us$27 million. The services credit totaled us$18 million and debit us$17 million.
There was no data available on the exports and imports of goods and services, but the World Bank estimated that in 2003, Kiribati's resource balance reached -$77 million. The current account balance was also negative, at -$13 million, and the country had virtually no foreign exchange reserves.
BANKING AND SECURITIES
The Bank of Kiribati in Tarawa is jointly owned by the Westpac Banking Corp. (Australia) and the government of Kiribati (49%). The Kiribati Development Bank, opened in 1987, was to take over the assets of the National Loans Board when it became fully operational.
PUBLIC FINANCE
Local revenues are derived mainly from import duties, fishing fees, and investment income from the phosphate fund. The country has been running a capital account deficit since independence. Overall, budgetary deficits have appeared in recent years, growing substantially in the 1990s.
The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) estimated that in 2000 Kiribati's central government took in revenues of approximately $28.4 million and had expenditures of $37.2 million. Revenues minus expenditures totaled approximately -$8.8 million. Total external debt was $10 million.
TAXATION
The main source of tax revenue, the phosphate industry, ended in 1979. Other taxes have brought meager returns, except for a copra export tax, with producers protected by a government stabilization fund. The Revenue Equalization Reserve Fund decreased from a$658 million at the end of 2000 to a$635 million at the end of 2001. This is equivalent to 10 years of imports or 8.2 times GDP.
A progressive income tax, introduced in 1975, is set at 25% of gross income above us$1,233 and increases in two steps to 35% on gross incomes over us$34,393. Companies are taxed 25% of net profits of the first us$34,393 and 35% on any net profits over this amount. The hotel tax is a flat rate of 10% of turnover. Withholding tax on dividends paid to overseas investors (except Australians) is 30%; withholding tax on dividends paid to Australians is 15%. Island councils levy local rates; a landowners' tax is based on land area and fertility.
CUSTOMS AND DUTIES
Since a single-line tariff was introduced on 1 January 1975, trade preferences are no longer granted to imports from Commonwealth countries. Tariffs, applying mostly to private imports, are imposed as a service of revenue at rates up to 75%. Most duties are levied ad valorem, with specific duties on alcoholic beverages, tobacco, certain chemicals, petroleum, cinematographer's film, and some other goods. Goods from all sources are subject to an additional freight levy charge.
FOREIGN INVESTMENT
Foreign investment legislation was passed in 1986. The Foreign Investment Commission (FIC) grants licenses on a case-by-case basis. Investments over us$171,790 must also be approved by the cabinet. Performance criteria regarding employment, training, and production are often set. Certain local industries are closed to foreign investment, including pig farming, poultry farming, millionaire salad exportation, domestic interisland shipping, and wholesaling. Endangered species are protected. Fisheries and the agricultural sector are not closed, but are subject to restrictions.
There has been little appreciable investment in recent years. Government statistics show a total of 21 approved foreign investments from 1995 to September 1997, whereas there were only five approved foreign investments the previous three years. In 2001, foreign direct investment (FDI) was a -us$426,000 and portfolio investment was a -us$5.7 million. Portfolio investment flows have been persistently negative, reaching a peak outflow of us$17.7 million in 1992. The main sectors for investment have been tourist-related activities, shipping, fishing ventures, and the processing and export of fish. The main sources of investments have been the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The economic development plans for 1979–82 and 1983–86 were financed chiefly by the United Kingdom and supplemented by Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, with loans from the Asian Development Bank. Canada , Germany , and the Republic of Korea also have started small aid programs. The government lays out National Development Plans at four-year intervals, the most recent plan covered 2000–04. The goals are set with expertise assistance from Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and international financial organizations, the country's primary sources of aid. The current National Development Plan sets priority on the development of fisheries and air transportation, including a proposal for a government airline. Other sectors emphasized are communications, agriculture, and tourism. Policies are aimed at improving education and training, increasing government revenues, increasing employment opportunities, and narrowing the trade deficit. It has been made illegal to sell land in Kiribati, but it may be leased. Concern about preserving traditional culture and the environment, and preventing the formation of a landless class, are as strong as aspirations for economic growth and participation in the cash economy. Of particular concern in this group of lowlying atolls is the effects of global warming, as a significant rise in the sea level could literally make much of the country disappear.
Economic development continued to be hampered by the fragmented structure of the country, a weak infrastructure, an uneducated workforce, and the remoteness from foreign markets. The main growth sector is tourism. Kiribati is dependent on foreign aid (which represents around 50% of the GDP), and on remittances sent back by people working abroad.
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
A provident fund system provides old age, disability, and survivor benefits for all employees over 14 years old, with the exception of domestic workers. It is funded by employee contributions of 7.5%; employers pay an equal percentage of payroll. Retirement is allowed at ages 45–50 and benefits are paid as a lump sum. Workers' compensation is available for some employed persons and the cost is covered by the employer. A funeral grant is provided if there are no eligible survivors.
Women are accorded the same legal rights as men, but have traditionally been relegated to a subordinate role in society. However, they are gradually breaking out of their traditional role and entering both skilled and unskilled occupations. There have also been signs of affirmative action in government hiring and promotions. Domestic violence is a significant problem, and alcohol abuse is often in a factor in violence against women. Child abuse appears to be a growing problem, although the government is committed to the welfare of children.
There were no reports of human rights abuses or of the systematic discrimination of minorities. Corporal punishment remains legal for some crimes.
HEALTH
All health services are free. A nurses' training school is maintained at the 160-bed Central Hospital in Tarawa. There are four medical districts, each with its own medical officer and staff. Each inhabited island has a dispensary, and there is a medical radio network linking all the islands. In 2004, there were an estimated 30 physicians, 235 nurses, and 5 dentists per 100,000 people. The population of Kiribati had increased access to safe water and sanitation.
Tuberculosis remains the most serious public health problem (about 200 cases per 100,000 people in 1990); other endemic diseases are leprosy, filariasis, and dysentery. There was a cholera outbreak in 1977, after which projects to construct water and sewage pipes were sped up. Vitamin A deficiency, frequently causing night blindness and xerophthalmia, is a common occurrence among children in Kiribati.
Infant mortality was estimated at 48.52 per 1,000 live births in 2002 and average life expectancy was 61.71 years. The immunization rates for a child under one year of age were as follows in 1995: diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough, 60%; polio, 100%; measles, 100%; and tuberculosis, 60%. As of 2002, the crude birth rate and overall mortality rate were estimated at 31.6 and 8.8 per 1,000 people respectively. The total fertility rate was estimated at 4.3 births per woman.
HOUSING
Most Kiribatians live in small villages of 10 to 150 houses and construct their own dwellings from local materials. The use of more permanent building materials, such as concrete with corrugated aluminum roofing, is becoming common in urban areas. Loans to prospective homeowners are provided by the National Loans Board. Dwellings range from traditional houses with thatched roofs to nontraditional houses with metal roofs.
EDUCATION
The government has gradually taken over control of primary education from the missions. Education has been made compulsory by the government for children between the ages of 6 and 15. They go through seven years of primary education and five years of secondary education. In 1997, there were 17,594 students attending 86 primary schools, with 727 teachers. The student-to-teacher ratio stood at 24:1. In secondary schools, there were 215 staff and 4,403 students in that same year. Secondary school pupils take the New Zealand school certificate. The estimated adult literacy rate is 93%.
Higher education courses are available at the Kiribati Extension Center of the University of the South Pacific (Fiji) in Tarawa. Other postsecondary education is provided by scholarships for study abroad. The Tarawa Technical Institute offers instruction in technical and vocational skills. The Marine Training Center offers 18month instruction in deck, engine room, and catering work on foreign shipping lines; there are approximately 200 students enrolled in these programs.
LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS
The National Library and Archives in Tarawa is the largest library in the country with a collection of 50,000 volumes, including those in small units throughout the islands. The University of the South Pacific has a campus in Tarawa with a small library of 5,700 volumes. The Kiribati Library and Information Network was formed in 2001 to promote libraries and the study and profession of library science in the nation. The Kiribati Cultural Centre in Bikenibeu houses the National Museum of Kiribati.
MEDIA
In 2002, there were 4,500 mainline telephones and 500 mobile phones in use across the country. Radio Kiribati, operated by the Broadcasting and Publications Authority (BPA), transmits daily in I-Kiribati and English and broadcasts a few imported Australian programs. As 2004, there were three radio stations, two of which were owned by the government. There were no national television stations in operation. Kiribati is on the Peacesat network, which provides educational transmissions from Suva. A satellite link with Australia was established in 1985. As of 1997, there were 17,000 radios and 1,000 televisions in use nationwide. In 2002, there were 2,000 Internet subscribers.
The BPA publishes a fortnightly bilingual newspaper, Te Uekera. There is no commercial press; all publications are governmentor church-sponsored. The Information Department at Tarawa publishes Atoll Pioneer, a weekly newspaper. Te Itoi ni Kiribati, a weekly newsletter, is published by the Roman Catholic Church . Te Kaotan te Ota is a newspaper published monthly by Protestant Church. The constitution provides for legally guaranteed freedom of speech and press.
ORGANIZATIONS
The most important organization is the mronron (meaning "sharing"), a cooperative society based on kinship or locality. There is a national Credit Union League and a teachers' union. National youth organizations include the Kiribati Students' Association, the Kiribati Scouts Association, and the Kiribati Girl Guides Associations. Sports clubs and associations represent amateur athletes in a variety of pastimes, including tennis, weightlifting, and track and field. There is a national chapter of the Red Cross Society.
TOURISM, TRAVEL, AND RECREATION
Tourism, although important to the economy of Kiribati, is very limited. There is a visitors' bureau at Tarawa, and there are hotels in Betio and on Abemama and Christmas islands. The bureau makes available fishing, swimming, and boating facilities on Tarawa and arranges trips by sea or air to other islands. Ecotourism and World War II battle sites are also attractions.
Popular sports in Kiribati are football (soccer) and weightlifting. Kiribati first competed in the Olympic Games in Athens , Greece , in 2004. Traditional dancing and singing styles have survived.
In 2001, a total of 4,555 tourists visited Kiribati. Over 50% of these visitors came from East Asia. There were 162 hotel rooms in 2002. A valid passport, visa, onward/return ticket, and proof of sufficient funds are required to travel in Kiribati.
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Leibo, Steven A. East and Southeast Asia, 2005. 38th ed. Harpers Ferry, W.Va.: Stryker-Post Publications, 2005.
Piazza, Anne Di. Sailing Routes of Old Polynesia: The Prehistoric Discovery, Settlement and Abandonment of the Phoenix Islands. Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press, 2004.
Smith, George W. Carlson's Raid: The Daring Marine Assault on Makin. Novato, Calif.: Presidio Press, 2001.
Wilson, Craig. Kiribati: State of the Environment Report, 1994. Apia, Western Samoa: South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, 1994.
Wright, Derrick. Tarawa, 20–23 November 1943: A Hell of a Way to Die. Marlborough: Crowood Press, 2002.
Cite this article
COUNTRY OVERVIEW
LOCATION AND SIZE.
The Republic of Kiribati comprises 33 atolls in 3 principal island groups, scattered within an area of about 5 million square kilometers (2 million square miles) in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The 3 island groups are the Gilbert Islands, the Line Islands, and the Phoenix Islands. The country extends about 3,870 kilometers (2,400 miles) from east to west and about 2,050 kilometers (1,275 miles) from north to south and has a coastline of 1,143 kilometers (710 miles). The total land area is 717 square kilometers (277 square miles). The nearest neighbors are Nauru to the west, and Tuvalu and Tokelau to the south. The capital, Tarawa, is on the island of Bairiki. Bairiki is the most populous island with around 65,000 inhabitants. The nation's largest atoll is Kiritimati (Christmas Island)—in the Line Islands group at the eastern extremity—at 388 square kilometers (150 square miles). The smallest is Banaba Island in the west at 6 square kilometers (2.3 square miles).
POPULATION.
The population of Kiribati was estimated at 91,985 in July 2000. The current annual population growth rate is 2.34 percent, which will result in a population of 113,509 by 2010. The birth rate is 32.43 births per 1,000 population, and the fertility rate is 4.4 births per woman. The death rate is 9.01 deaths per 1,000 population. There is little or no migration to or from Kiribati. Partly because of sanitation problems caused by the lack of fresh water, as well as heavy pollution in the lagoon of South Tarawa, Kiribati has a high infant morality rate of 55.36 deaths per 1,000 live births (compared to the U.S. rate of 7 deaths per 1,000 live births).
The people are known locally as I-Kiribati. The population structure is biased toward the younger age groups, with some 41 percent of the population aged less than 15, while just 3 percent are over the age of 64. Most Kiribati are ethnically Micronesian (78 percent). The population is mainly urban and more than two-thirds (65,000) live on Tarawa atoll.
OVERVIEW OF ECONOMY
The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the United Kingdom in 1971 and complete independence in 1979 under a new name, Kiribati. The United States relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati, thus giving the island nation its present geographic composition. The economy of Kiribati is small, and growth prospects are limited by the nation's remote location, poor infrastructure , poor soil, unskilled labor force , and lack of natural resources. Marine resources offer the greatest potential for the development of an independent, sustainable economy. Interest earned from the phosphate reserve fund is the nation's main source of foreign exchange. Prior to independence, it was realized that the phosphate resources of Kiribati were limited, and instead of using the royalty revenues from phosphate mining for immediate expenditures, they were placed in a trust fund, the Revenue Equalization Reserve Fund (RERF). The interest income from the investment of this trust fund has been available for expenditure by the Kiribati government since independence in 1979. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted by the time of independence. Other sources of foreign exchange include some commodity exports (copra [coconut meat], seaweed, and fish), licensing income from fishing, and remittances from Kiribati citizens working for international shipping lines. The financial sector is at an early stage of development, as are private initiatives in other sectors. Economic development is constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak infrastructure, and remoteness from international markets.
Kiribati has a modest income level that places it among the poorer countries in the world's lower middle-income group. The agricultural base, including subsistence production, is narrow and generated 14 percent of GDP in 1996. Copra is the only important cash crop , and commercial fishing (mainly tuna) is undertaken by the small fleet of the national fishing company. The agriculture sector (including fishing) is the occupation of the majority of the working population and accounted for 71 percent of employment in 1990, though most of this employment was self-employment on small family farms. The industrial sector contributed 7 percent of GDP in 1996 (of which manufacturing was 1 percent) and the services sector contributed 79 percent. The main service activity is the government sector, with trade and hotels accounting for 14 percent of GDP. Tourism remains underdeveloped, although it has the potential to become the second largest sector after fisheries. Kiribati's extremely limited export base and dependence on imports for almost all essential commodities result in a permanent (and widening) trade deficit , which is in most years only partially offset by revenues from fishing license fees, interest earned on the RERF, and remittances from Kiribati working overseas.
The government has earmarked Christmas and Fanning islands in the Line group and Canton Island in the Phoenix group as prime areas for future development. There is little open unemployment in the sense of people being unable to find some gainful employment if they so wish, and unemployment is estimated at around 2 percent of the workforce. However, there is evidence of underemployment , with the workforce engaged for perhaps only 30 percent of the hours that might be considered normal in a working week.
Foreign financial aid is a critical supplement to GDP, equal to 25 to 50 percent of GDP since independence in 1979. Initially the United Kingdom was the largest aid donor, but has now been overtaken by some of Kiribati's Pacific Ocean neighbors. Grants from principal donors amounted to an estimated US$20.7 million in 1998, of which US$5.7 million was from Japan , US$4.5 million from Australia , and US$4.3 million from New Zealand . The country is particularly reliant on foreign assistance for its development budget. Remittances from workers abroad account for more than US$5 million each year.
The government is involved in all aspects of the economy—its spending accounts for 71.5 percent of GDP—and it is taking measures to expand the private sector and develop the fledgling industrial sector. The poor performance of most public enterprises burdens the budget and adversely effects economic efficiency. Unfortunately, little progress has been made in implementing the government's Medium Term Strategy, which focuses on reducing the role of the public sector by freezing civil service recruitment, reducing government spending, improving the accountability of public enterprises, and introducing privatization .
The sale of fishing licenses to foreign fleets provides an important source of income. Revenues from the sale of fishing licenses amounted to more than half of GDP in 1998. Mining of phosphate rock on the island of Banaba (which ceased in 1979) formerly provided some 80 percent of earnings. As well as providing foreign exchange, interest from the phosphate reserve fund, RERF, continues to be an important source of budgetary income. The value of the fund was put at US$380 million at the end of 1998, and generates around US$20 million a year in revenues from interest.
POLITICS, GOVERNMENT, AND TAXATION
Kiribati is an independent republic and a member of the British Commonwealth. The president is head of state and chief executive, and leads a cabinet made up of a vice-president, attorney-general, and 8 ministers. The president appoints the ministers, while the president is elected nationally from several candidates nominated by the House of Assembly (Maneaba-ni-Maungatabu). The House of Assembly consists of 41 members, elected every 4 years. Local councils have considerable autonomy in the management of local affairs.
Kiribati is governed by a constitution adopted in 1979. The first general election since independence took place in March-April 1982. The current president is Teburoro Tito, who was first elected in 1994 and reelected in November 1998.
The Kiribati government aims to improve the growth performance of the country by encouraging new businesses and attracting new foreign companies through designation of "pioneer status." Any company that wishes to establish a business in Kiribati may apply to the Internal Revenue Board for "pioneer status". This allows for a reduced company tax rate of 10 percent for 5 years with the exceptions of business operations on South Tarawa and Christmas Islands. In addition, the government hopes to encourage diversification of the economy and is introducing reforms (such as privatization) to improve the efficiency of the economy.
There is personal income tax , which is set at 25 percent of gross income for the first US$36,000 and at 35 percent for amounts in excess of this. Normal company tax is based on a flat rate of 25 percent of net profit for the first US$36,000 and 35 percent for amounts above this. Tax on dividends paid to overseas investors is 30 percent, except for dividends paid to an Australian resident, where the rate is 15 percent.
Because of the high population density on South Tarawa was giving rise to social and economic problems, it was announced in 1988 that nearly 5,000 inhabitants were to be resettled on outlying atolls, mainly in the Line Islands. A further resettlement program from South Tarawa to 5 islands in the Phoenix group was initiated in 1995. Another important issue is a 1989 UN report on the "greenhouse effect" (the heating of the earth's atmosphere, and a resultant rise in the sea-level), which listed Kiribati as one of the countries that would completely disappear beneath the sea in the 21st century unless drastic measures are taken. None of the land on the islands is more than 2 meters above sea level, making the country extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
The current president, Teburoro Tito, declared that reducing Kiribati's dependence on foreign aid would be a major objective for his government. He also announced his intention to pursue civil and criminal action against members of the previous administration for alleged misuse of public funds while in office.
INFRASTRUCTURE, POWER, AND COMMUNICATIONS
The infrastructure of Kiribati is quite rudimentary. Whenever practicable, roads are built on all atolls, and connecting causeways between islets are also being built as funds and labor permit. A program to construct causeways between North and South Tarawa was completed in the mid-1990s. Kiribati has about 640 kilometers (398
Communications
aData is for 1997 unless otherwise noted.
bData is for 1998 unless otherwise noted.
cData is for 2000 unless otherwise noted.
SOURCE: CIA World Factbook 2001 [Online].
miles) of roads that are suitable for motor vehicles. All-weather roads exist in Tarawa and Kiritimati. In 1998, there were some 2,000 motor vehicles registered in the islands, of which some 75 percent were motorcycles.
In early 1998, work began on a major project to rehabilitate the port terminal and facilities at Betio. Financing for the project, with expected completion by mid-2000, was funded by a grant from Japan of US$22 million. There is a small network of canals, totaling 5 kilometers (3.1 miles), in Line Islands as well as ports and harbors such as Banaba, Betio, English Harbor, and Kanton. There are 21 airports, 4 of them with paved run-ways. Only Tarawa and Christmas Island are served by international flights.
Electricity production and consumption was equal to 7 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 1998, 100 percent of which is produced from imported fossil fuels.
Kiribati has an earth satellite station, 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean). Kiribati is being linked to the Pacific Ocean Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which should improve the telephone service. In 1995, it was estimated that there were 2,600 main telephone lines in use. There is 1 shortwave radio station, 1 AM station, and 1 FM station broadcasting to 17,000 radios, according to 1997 estimates. There is 1 television broadcast station and 1,000 televisions.
ECONOMIC SECTORS
The majority of the population—an estimated 79 percent—depends on subsistence fishing and agriculture for its livelihood. Fishing and agriculture together contributed only 14 percent of GDP in 1996, however. The private sector of the economy is small, and there are few manufacturing activities. Industry contributed just 7 percent of GDP in 1996. Government services are the biggest portion of the services sector, which contributed a total of 79 percent of GDP in 1996. The country is heavily reliant on overseas aid for government administration, education, health, and the development of infrastructure. One of the government's main priorities is to reduce reliance on foreign aid through developing a more efficient economy.
AGRICULTURE
Agriculture (including fishing) employed 79 percent of the working population and contributed an estimated 14 percent of GDP in 1996. Much agricultural production goes to provide food for the families producing it. The major agricultural products are copra, taro, bread-fruit, sweet potatoes, and vegetables; fishing is another major source of food for I-Kiribati. The principal cash crop is coconuts yielding copra, which accounted for an estimated 60 percent of merchandise export earnings in 1998. Bananas, screw-pine, breadfruit (a round seedless fruit from the mulberry family whose texture resembles bread when cooked), and papaya are also cultivated as food crops. Seaweed provided an estimated 8 percent of domestic export earnings in 1998. Pigs, chickens, and cattle are the most common agricultural livestock. Most of the land is farmed, and agriculture accounts for 51 percent of land-usage.
Average annual rainfall varies greatly, from 3,000 millimeters (118 inches) in the northern islands to 1,500 millimeters (59 inches) in Tarawa and 700 millimeters (28 inches) in the Line Islands, but the rains are reliable and sufficient to provide stable agricultural conditions.
The closure of the state fishing company was announced in 1991, as a result of a dramatic decline in the fish catch. Fish provided only 2 percent of export earnings in 1996 (compared with 32 percent in 1990). However, earnings from exports of fish had recovered to an estimated 12 percent of domestic export earnings by 1998. Agricultural GDP grew at an average annual rate of 4.1 percent in 1990-98, comfortably faster than the rate of increase of the population. Kiribati allows other nations such as South Korea, Japan, Taiwan , and the United States to fish in its territorial waters in exchange for license fees that amounted to US$28.3 million in 1998.
INDUSTRY
Industry (including manufacturing, construction, and power) contributed an estimated 7 percent of GDP in 1996. Industrial GDP increased by an average of 4.2 percent per year in the period 1990-98. Kiribati's industry is quite limited and mainly consists of fishing processing and handicrafts for tourists and for export.
SERVICES
Services provided 79 percent of GDP in 1996. The GDP of the services sector increased at an annual average rate of 4.2 percent between 1990 and 1998. Tourism makes a significant contribution to the economy, with the trade and hotels sector providing an estimated 15 percent of GDP in 1998. Between 3,000 and 4,000 visitors per year provide US$5 to US$10 million in revenues. Attractions include World War II battle sites, game fishing, ecotourism , and the Millennium Islands, situated just inside the International Date Line and the first place on earth to celebrate each New Year.
The financial sector is heavily reliant on 1 commercial bank, the Bank of Kiribati. Modern expertise is provided by the majority shareholder, the Westpac Banking Corporation of Australia, which owns 51 percent, while the government of Kiribati owns 49 percent. The bank has 3 branches and provides checking and savings accounts, makes loans to individuals and businesses, provides financial facilities for international trade (such as letters of credit), and undertakes foreign exchange dealings. However, the bank provides no credit card facilities. The only other bank is the Kiribati Development Bank, which lends to small-scale businesses.
The retail sector consists mainly of small outlets, with a few supermarkets and department stores, mostly owned by Australian companies, in the capital, Tarawa.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
As a result of its small size and its negligible manufacturing sector, Kiribati relies heavily upon products produced in other countries. The main imports include foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, and fuel. The main exports of Kiribati are copra (62 percent of the total), seaweed, and fish. Kiribati's main export destinations are the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, while the main origins of imports are Australia (46 percent), Fiji , Japan, New Zealand, and the United States. In 1998, the country had exports of US$6 million and imports of US$37 million.
MONEY
The Australian dollar (A$) is the legal currency of Kiribati. The value of the A$ fluctuates against the value of other world currencies. The Bank of Kiribati is responsible for the majority of the available financial services. In December 1997, its total assets amounted to US$26.1 million, of which deposits were US$23.3 million and reserves amounted to US$0.9 million. The Development Bank of Kiribati identifies, promotes, and finances small-scale projects, and its capital amounts to
Exchange rates: Kiribati
1.2773
SOURCE: CIA World Factbook 2001 [ONLINE].
US$1.33 million. There is also a network of small-scale lending agencies known as "village banks" operating throughout the islands.
POVERTY AND WEALTH
Only 2 percent of the working population is registered as unemployed, and poverty (as defined by the US$1 a day poverty line) is virtually unknown. Using the purchasing power parity conversion (which takes into account the low prices of many basic commodities in Kiribati, and which is the best indication of living standards) annual income per capita was US$860 in 1999 (in the United States, by way of comparison, it was US$33,900).
Education is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and 15. Every atoll is provided with at least 1 primary school. The adult literacy rate was estimated at 90 percent in 1993-95. There are about 200 seamen trained each year by the Marine Training Center for employment by overseas shipping companies. In 1998, education was allocated US$7.8 million (22.5 percent of total budgetary expenditures).
The government maintains a free medical service. Each atoll has a dispensary, with a medical assistant in charge. In 1982, Kiribati had 34 government-controlled hospital establishments, with a total of 308 hospital beds. Life expectancy is 60 years (in the United States, by way
GDP per Capita (US$)
2,000
Note: Data are estimates.
SOURCE: Handbook of the Nations, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th editions for 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 data; CIA World Factbook 2001 [Online] for 2000 data.
of comparison, it is 76). In 1999, a major public health project, involving the improvement of water supply and sanitation, was undertaken with a loan of some US$10 million from the Asian Development Bank.
WORKING CONDITIONS
The society of Kiribati is egalitarian, democratic, and respectful of human rights. There have been no reports of human rights abuses. However, in the traditional culture, women occupy a subordinate role and have limited job opportunities.
The Kiribati Trades Union Congress (KTUC) was formed in 1998 and includes 2,500 members affiliated with other unions, of which the most important are the Fishermen's Union, the Seamen's Union, and the Teachers' Union. Workers are free to organize unions and choose their own representatives. The government does not control or restrict unions. More than 80 percent of the workforce is occupied in fishing or subsistence farming , but the small wage sector has a relatively strong and effective trade union movement.
The Constitution prohibits forced or compulsory labor, and it is not practiced. The prohibition does not specifically mention children, but the practice of forced and bonded labor by children does not occur. The law prohibits the employment of children under the age of 14. Children through the age of 15 are prohibited from industrial employment and employment aboard ships. Women may not work at night except under specified circumstances. Labor officers from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Employment normally enforce these laws effectively, given the rudimentary conditions of the economy and its industrial relations system.
The government has taken no concrete action to implement longstanding legislation authorizing the establishment of minimum wages. There is no legislatively prescribed length to the working week. The government is the major employer in the cash economy. Employment laws provide rudimentary health and safety standards for the workplace. Employers must, for example, provide an adequate supply of clean water for workers and ensure the existence of sanitary toilet facilities. Employers are liable for the expenses of workers injured on the job. The government's ability to enforce employment laws is hampered by a lack of qualified personnel.
COUNTRY HISTORY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
0-100 A.D. Kiribati begins to be settled by Austrone-sian-speaking peoples.
1300. Fijians and Tongans arrive during the 14th century and subsequently merge with the already established groups to form the traditional I-Kiribati Micronesian society and culture.
1837. First British settlers arrive.
1892. British protectorate is established.
1915-16. Gilbert and Ellice Islands become a Crown Colony of Great Britain .
1919. Kiritimati (Christmas) Atoll becomes a part of the Crown Colony.
1937. Phoenix Islands becomes a part of the Crown Colony.
1941-45. Tarawa and other islands of the Gilbert group occupied by Japan during World War II. Tarawa is the site of one of the bloodiest battles in U.S. Marine Corps history when Marines land in November 1943 to dislodge Japanese defenders.
1975. The Gilbert Islands and Ellice Islands separate and the Ellice Islands are granted internal self-government (as Tuvalu) by Britain .
1979. Kiribati becomes independent on 12 July.
1995. Kiribati unilaterally moves the international date line to the east, so that all of Kiribati's islands are in the same date zone.
1999. Kiribati gains United Nations membership.
FUTURE TRENDS
Kiribati's economic prospects are limited by its small size in terms of both geographical area and population, its remote location, and the absence of any valuable mineral resources now that the phosphate deposits are exhausted. The population size not only means that there is not a domestic market of sufficient size to support any serious manufacturing, but that there is limited provision of services. There is only 1 bank, and as a monopoly , its services will tend to be expensive and the range of services limited.
On the positive side, Kiribati has a tropical location with good facilities for an expansion of tourism. Moreover, the marine fishing resources are excellent and can provide for expanded local production and employment and even be the basis of some manufacturing, such as fish processing and canning. Finally, the national revenue from the phosphate fund remains a vital, and secure, source of foreign exchange.
However, to make the most of its tourism and fishing grounds, it is important that Kiribati attract foreign investment into these sectors. The fishing is large-scale and requires expensive fishing fleets together with equipment and installations for storage. Tourism needs high-quality hotels and international marketing. The current development plan recognizes these needs, but it remains to be seen how successful Kiribati will be in implementing the plan. A recent initiative is the agreement to lease land on Christmas Island to the Japanese National Space Agency, who will build a space shuttle launch facility there. Under the arrangement Kiribati will be paid just under $1 million a year in leasing fees. A research project is under way to use coconut oil to power internal combustion engines for electricity generation, and this may well contribute to energy self-sufficiency, as will the expansion of solar power on the outlying islands.
Overall, Kiribati can be expected to maintain its lower middle-income status in the immediate future, but its long-term growth prospects depend on its ability to expand tourism and undertake more of the exploitation of its fishing grounds rather than licensing foreign fleets.
DEPENDENCIES
Kiribati has no territories or colonies.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Asian Development Bank. Kiribati: 1997 Economic Report. Manila : Asian Development Bank, 1998.
Economist Intelligence Unit. Country Profile: Kiribati. London: Economist Intelligence Unit, 2001.
"Kiribati and the IMF." International Monetary Fund. <http://www.imf.org/external/country/KIR/index.htm> . Accessed September 2001.
Pacific Island Business Network. Kiribati: Country Profile. <http:// pidp.ewc.hawaii.edu/pibn/countries/Kiribati.htm>. Accessed September 2001.
U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. World Factbook 2000. <http:// www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html>. Accessed August 2001.
U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Kiribati. <http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/1998_hrp_report/kiribati.html> . Accessed September 2001.
—Oygal Musakhanova
Tarawa.
MONETARY UNIT:
Australian dollar (A$). One Australian dollar equals 100 cents. There are notes of A$5, 10, 20, 50, and 100. There are coins of A$1 and 2, and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents.
CHIEF EXPORTS:
ETHNONYMS: Gilbertese (Gilbert Islands), I-Kiribati, Tungaru
Orientation
Identification. Almost all of the citizens of Kiribati have at least some I-Kiribati ancestors and have inherited land rights in the Gilbert Islands. The indigenous inhabitants of Banaba (Ocean Island) speak a Gilbertese dialect and practice a variant of Gilbertese culture but consider themselves a separate people politically. Most of the Banabans have lived on Rabi Island in Fiji since 1945. Another Gilbertese dialect is spoken on Nui in Tuvalu. The Gilbert Islands were named in honor of Thomas Gilbert, a British captain whose ship sighted some of the islands after transporting convicts to Australia in 1788. In default of a generally acceptable indigenous name, it was decided at the time of independence to adopt "Kiribati" (pronounced "kiribass"), the local respelling of "Gilberts," for the new nation. The poetic "Tungaru" usually connotes the ancestors and their savage or superhuman feats.
Location. The Gilberts comprise sixteen inhabited coral reef islands and atolls between 3° N and 3° S and between 173° and 177° E. The territory of the Republic of Kiribati also includes the raised coral island of Banaba, about 400 kilometers west of the Gilberts, and the Phoenix and Line Islands lying as much as 2,800 kilometers to the east. The average annual rainfall diminishes from north to south. The islands south of the equator and Banaba suffer from periodic droughts.
Demography. According to the 1985 census, Kiribati had a total population of 63,883. The average population density for the Gilbert Islands, which have a combined area of 279 square kilometers, was 219 persons per square kilometer. The growth rate averaged 2.0 percent per annum in the 6 ½ years between censuses. A third of the population was enumerated in the urbanized area of South Tarawa.
Linguistic Affiliation. I-Kiribati and Banabans speak a single language, usually known as Gilbertese. Linguists agree that Gilbertese belongs to the Oceanic Branch of the Austronesian languages, and its closest relatives are the other Nuclear Micronesian languages: Trukese, Ponapean, Kosraean (Kusaian), and Marshallese. The more distant connections of Nuclear Micronesian within Oceanic Austronesian are still being debated, but they seem to point toward the southern Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, with the languages of San Cristobal and Malaita as perhaps the strongest candidates. The pioneer American missionary, Hiram Bingham, Jr., devised a written form of Gilbertese based on the Latin alphabet that is still in general use, having undergone only minor modifications.
History and Cultural Relations
On linguistic and archaeological grounds, it is likely that voyagers from southern Melanesia arrived in the Gilberts long before a.d. 600, the earliest radiocarbon date obtained up to now. Kiribati language and culture show signs of borrowing from western Polynesia at some time after the islands were settled. The political and social structure of all the islands except for Butaritari-Makin and Banaba was forcibly unified, possibly in the seventeenth century, when armies led by Kaitu, Beru, and Uakeia of Nikunau introduced the meetinghouse organization. Regular contacts with Europeans and Americans began when merchant ships sailing new routes across the Pacific, New England whalers, and exploring expeditions discovered or rediscovered all the islands between 1765 and 1826. Resident traders bought coconut oil from 1846 to the 1870s and then switched to copra, which remains Kiribati's sole agricultural export. A British protectorate was proclaimed over the Gilberts and their Polynesian neighbors, the Ellice Islands, in 1892. The Japanese occupation of the Gilberts early in World War II ended with an American victory in the "particularly bloody battle at Tarawa" (as Richard Overy has aptly termed it) fought in November 1943. The phosphate mine on Banaba provided most of the colony's revenue and employment for its people from 1900 until the deposits were exhausted in the year of independence; I-Kiribati still mine phosphate on the neighboring independent island of Nauru. Since 1967, the Marine Training School has made it possible for many young men to get jobs as seamen on West German ships and to add greatly to their families' incomes through remittances. Four years after the Ellice Islands had separated from the colony to become the state of Tuvalu, the Gilberts also became independent as the Republic of Kiribati on 12 July 1979.
Settlements
Precolonial villages were social and political units centered on a meetinghouse (te mwaneaba). The settlement pattern was one of dispersed hamlets on descent-group lands, which usually ran across islets from west to east. Around 1900 the Resident Commissioner and government agents ordered Villages consolidated along a road running parallel to the Western (leeward) shore of each inhabited islet, even if that meant forcing people to move off their hereditary lands. They also compelled the islanders to build houses according to a uniform pattern. A house consists essentially of a roof covered with coconut- or pandanus-leaf thatch and supported by four or six wooden posts. Unlike most precolonial houses, the new-style ones have raised floors of split coconut-leaf midribs and can comfortably accommodate only one nuclear family. Following a colonial regulation, each family still builds separate houses for sleeping and eating. In the 1980s some relatively affluent people, such as the families of merchant seamen, and members of clubs organized for that purpose were erecting cement-block houses with galvanized-iron roofs and facilities for catching rainwater. Large meetinghouses are still constructed in more or less the traditional style, not only as sites for village councils and festivities but also by church congregations and neighborhoods.
Economy
Subsistence and Commercial Activities. The only crop that I-Kiribati cultivate regularly is the atoll taro Cyrtosperma chamissonis, which is grown in gardens dug down to the level of the freshwater lens or in natural swamps. The slower-growing varieties are often fertilized for years with mixtures of humus and leaf compost sprinkled into "pots" of plaited coconut fronds or braided pandanus leaves, until the leaves are as much as 3.5 meters high. The huge corms that develop as a result of this treatment are suitable for feasts and formal Presentations. Smaller varieties, allowed to clone and not usually fertilized, are an everyday food on the northern islands. The only other important native vegetable foods are tree crops—coconuts, pandanus, and, mainly in the north, breadfruit. The coconut palm is also the source of toddy, the juice of the unopened flower spathe which is collected in a coconut shell as a fresh drink, boiled into molasses, or allowed to ferment. The numerous fishing methods include trolling behind a canoe furnished with a sail or an outboard motor, unrolling a line with baited hook into deep water from a smaller paddling canoe, catching flying fish with a coconut-leaf torch or kerosene lantern and a scoop net, searching the holes and pools of the nighttime reef with a scoop net and machete, netting on the reef at high tide, angling from the edge of the reef, and trapping fish behind a stone weir. Domestic animals, all of which are eaten, include dogs, chickens, and introduced pigs.
Industrial Arts. There are part-time builders of canoes, houses, and meetinghouses in every village. These men, like the few remaining navigators, enjoy respect and deference, but they receive no pay except their food while at work and perhaps a waist cloth when the job is finished.
Trade. Most adults hold shares in their village cooperative store, which is affiliated with a national federation. There are many even smaller general stores belonging to individuals, partnerships, and clubs. Women sell or give away all of their husbands' catches of tuna, flying fish, and shark that exceed household requirements.
Division of Labor. Men cultivate and harvest Cyrtosperma in the south, where the corms are a luxury food. In the north women do most of the routine fertilizing, and the custom that only a woman may dig up a corm is used as an argument for marriage. The I-Kiribati also believe that only men should climb trees. Men do the bulk of the fishing; women collect shellfish and catch land crabs, but occasionally they engage in other kinds of fishing as well. Work with leaves is restricted to women, who make mats, baskets, and thatch and produce cordage from fiber obtained from coconut husks. Men build houses and canoes and make smaller wooden objects. Women normally fetch water, cook meals, and wash clothes. The division of labor is not rigid, but persons who habitually perform tasks associated with the opposite sex are regarded as having changed their gender identity, like North American Indian berdaches.
Land Tenure. Both men and women inherit land rights from both parents, rights that are inseparable from one's Status as a blood relative and a member of the community. The colonial administration abrogated the old rules, under which sons received larger shares than daughters and an eldest son (and sometimes an eldest daughter) more than younger Children, in favor of an equal division. Parents customarily divide their lands in a way that assures each of their children of rights in as many of the parental descent groups as possible. 1f someone dies without leaving natural or adopted children, his land will be divided among his siblings or, lacking these, will revert to the estate of his father and mother. Most of the lands (though not the Cyrtosperma gardens) on Butaritari and Makin are the joint property of descent groups, necessitating a system of annual or weekly turns for collecting coconuts. A widespread Micronesian distinction between provisional titleholders or caretakers (who actually work the land and utilize its products) and residual titleholders (whose claims must be acknowledged by gifts and assistance) is the basis for several social relationships, such as those between brother and married sister and between guardian and ward.
Kinship
Kin Groups and Descent. Descent, like inheritance, is ambilineal. Everyone is affiliated with the descent groups (ramages) of several ancestors, although he or she is most active in a group associated with his or her own or the parents' place of residence. Before the introduction of lands registers, inactive memberships tended to lapse after a few generations, especially if the link to the group was a female ancestor. Members of a descent group who together with their spouses and children occupied a communal dwelling or hamlet on its estate constituted a residential group (te kaainga, a term used for a descent group conceived of as a landholding corporation and also for the land itself). Each descent group has traditionally been associated with a place in the meetinghouse (te inaki, literally "a vertical row of thatch," or te boti).
Kinship Terminology. Cousin terminology is Hawaiian-type: everyone with whom one shares an ancestor an equal number of generations removed can be referred to by the terms for "sibling of the same sex" or "sibling of the opposite sex." Other cognatic and affinal relatives are also classified by generation. Native kinship terms are not used in address.
Marriage and Family
Marriage. First marriages, in particular, ideally are arranged by the parents or at least require their consent, but elopements are becoming more common. In theory, persons who share an ancestor within three generations, or who trace descent from a more distant common ancestor but themselves belong to different generations, are forbidden to marry. In practice, reaction to a proposed marriage that would join together distant relatives depends on whether the immediate families of the young people have been treating one another as kinsfolk. Some families still follow the old custom of rejoicing publicly when a bride has demonstrated her virginity. Most young married people reside with the husbands' parents until they are considered ready for independent life. Until recently, they were also expected to reside permanently on land the husband had inherited either through his father or through his mother. A man who agreed to live with his wife's kin was thought to yield much of his authority over his household. A permanently separated couple is regarded as divorced by the community if not by the church. Once children have been born, kin on both sides will put pressure on the spouses to reconcile or will try to persuade an unmarried sibling to act as stepparent. Sororal polygyny is dying out.
Domestic Units. The people who cook and eat meals together are considered a family. The teenage boys and young unmarried men of the neighborhood often sleep in an unoccupied house but eat with their families. A nuclear family or a currently unmarried woman and her children are ordinarily the minimal family units. As their own children grow up and leave home, couples often begin rearing a second family of grandchildren or wards. Other helpful or dependent kinsfolk may be present as well. Families outside South Tarawa average 5.8 persons.
Inheritance. Parents leave their house to one of their Children, often when they retire to stay with each of their children in turn. Portable artifacts are probably distributed informally, but large canoes tend to be treated like land. Items of esoteric knowledge, which are considered a kind of personal property, may be bestowed on a favorite child, on another young relative, or even on an outsider.
Socialization. A good deal of personal independence is conceded even to young children, who at least in theory have the right to own property and to decide with whom they will live. Small children are treated indulgently by everyone, even when they act aggressively. Older children are expected to help with household tasks, to show respect for senior kinsfolk, and to refrain from calling attention to themselves when adults are present. Physical punishment is acceptable once a child has reached the age of reason. Threats, ridicule, and scary stories about punitive agents from outside the family are commoner sanctions, however.
Sociopolitical Organization
Kiribati is a democracy with a popularly elected president and House of Assembly.
Social Organization. Chiefs were present in the central and northern Gilberts, but on several islands no single chief managed to hold undisputed power for very long. The most stratified societies in the late precolonial and early colonial periods were Butaritari-Makin and Abemama, which had conquered the neighboring islands of Aranuka and Kuria. The Butaritari-Makin hierarchy, which resembled those of other Micronesian societies to the north, was headed by a high chief who was a focus for redistributive activities. Below the high chief and his siblings and children were aristocrats, commoners, and descendants of strangers from other islands. Since the 1970s life-styles have reflected differences in family incomes, even in the villages.
Political Organization. The government of the republic provides a system of courts and health, educational, and agricultural services on the national and island levels. Elected island councils are responsible for repairing roads, maintaining schools, granting permission to build new houses, and filling some off-island jobs. Lands courts approve the inheritance and transfer of real property and resolve disputes over boundaries and the rights of coowners. Especially since independence, many of the powers of the island councils have been assumed by unofficial bodies of village elders that developed out of the traditional councils of heads of descent groups. The elders legislate on matters ranging from trips by the local soccer team to the prohibition of alcohol. They punish violators with fines, beatings, and occasionally exile. Wider consensus is reached by inviting delegates from other villages to a joint meeting or, as on Nonouti in the late 1960s, by organizing a single council for the whole island.
Social Control. The Kiribati ethos holds that an adult should be prepared to fight if challenged and be ready to avenge an injury or insult against himself or a member of his family. On the other hand, the wisdom and control over the passions that comes with age gives some older people the Status of acknowledged peacemakers. Any assembly is thought to assert social norms over the selfish or shortsighted impulses of individuals. The fear of gossip and of secret or open mockery by neighbors are commonplace checks on deviant behavior.
Conflict. In the past, villages and intervillage factions fought to avenge offenses, to seize land, and to gain a chieftainship for their candidate. Wars became more destructive in the nineteenth century, when steel weapons and firearms were widely available and the activities of labor recruiters, traders, and missionaries weakened the social order and created new causes for conflict. In the presidential election preceding independence, the voters of Kiribati decided against having an army.
Religion and Expressive Culture
Religious Beliefs. The forerunners of the present-day Kiribati Protestant Church (K.P.C.), the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and the London Missionary Society, arrived in the northern and southern islands, respectively, in 1857 and 1870. The French Roman Catholic fathers of the Order of the Sacred Heart began work on Nonouti in 1888. Catholics (53 percent of the indigenous population) are in the majority from Tarawa northward. The K.P.C. (41 percent) holds a near-monopoly on Arorae and Tamana and retains majorities on a few of the other southern islands. About 2½ percent of the I-Kiribati adhere to the Baha'i faith. Mormons, Seventh-Day Adventists, and members of other Christian sects make up the remainder of the population. A good deal of social, recreational, and even economic activity centers on the churches.
Religious Practitioners. The expatriate (mostly French) Catholic clergy has been largely replaced by I-Kiribati priests and nuns. Local catechists conduct services on most islands between occasional visits by a priest. K.P.C. ministers are all I-Kiribati (except for a few from Tuvalu) but do not serve on their home islands. The priests of the old pagan religion interpreted omens and made offerings to deities that descended from time to time onto pillars of coral limestone and other shrines or took animal forms. Spirit mediums are probably still active, although they are possessed by recently introduced supernaturals and are regarded with great ambivalence. I-Kiribati deities (some with western Polynesian names) were believed to have been ancestors of descent groups that obeyed their taboos and relied on them for protection. Their associations with animals and natural phenomena gave them significance for the community as a whole.
Ceremonies. Early in the colonial period, indigenous dancing was permitted only on Christmas , New Year's, and the Queen's birthday. These holidays, with Independence Day replacing the Queen's birthday and Easter and Youth Day added, are still occasions for public feasting and dancing. Catholics celebrate the major feasts of the church in the same ways and sometimes by mass visits to their coreligionists in other villages.
Arts. The patterns of plaited sleeping mats, created by alternating light- and dark-colored strips of dried pandanus leaf, show off women's esthetic sense as well as their technical skills. Durable ornaments are made of spondylus, mother-of-pearl, and marine snail shells; in former times, dolphin, whale, and human teeth were also used. Kiribati sitting and standing dances, accompanied by singing and by clapping hands or beating on a box, are famous. Songs are still composed by traditional methods, although usually on a Western tonal scale.
Medicine. Illness is generally attributed to material causes, although attacks by ghosts, retribution for offending a parent or other superior, sorcery, soul loss, and divine punishment are advanced as explanations in particular cases. Indigenous curing methods include the use of proprietary herbal medicines and systems of massage and cautery.
Death and Afterlife. Nineteenth-century travelers reported that the body was kept in the house for three to nine days and even longer if the deceased had been prominent. Some months after burial the skull was removed and thereafter oiled and offered food and tobacco. Mission influence has been opposed to drawn-out funerals and of course to the custom of keeping a relative's skull on a shelf or carrying it around. The wake is still attended by a large number of kinsfolk, who contribute Cyrtosperma corms and money and eulogize the departed. Burial is in a village cemetery or in a grave next to the house. Despite strong Christian beliefs in an afterlife of rewards or punishments, people remember the old story that the god Nakaa welcomes souls at the north end of the Gilberts.
See also Nauru, Rotuma, Tuvalu
Bibliography
Geddes, William H. (1977). "Social Individualisation on Tabiteuea Atoll." Journal of the Polynesian Society 86:371-392.
Macdonald, Barrie (1982). Cinderellas of the Empire: Towards a History of Kiribati and Tuvalu. Canberra: Australian National University Press.
Silverman, Martin G. (1971). Disconcerting Issue: Meaning and Struggle in a Resettled Pacific Community. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Waiters, Ray, and Nancy J. Pollock, project directors (1983). Atoll Economy: Social Change in Kiribati and Tuvalu. 6 vols. Canberra: Australian National University Press.
BERND LAMBERT
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.
MLA
Abemama, Butaritari
INTRODUCTION
The main wave of Micronesian settlement to the islands now known as KIRIBATI came from the Samoa Islands sometime between the 11th and 14th centuries, but the Samoans were probably not the first settlers. European contact began in 1537, when Kirimati (Christmas Island) was sited by the Spanish. Commercial activity by the English began in the early 19th century. By the 1850s and 1860s, trade ships were visiting the islands regularly. The British declared a protectorate over the Gilbert and Ellice island groups in 1892. During World War II , the Japanese occupied the Gilberts until 1943. In 1974, the Ellice island group split away and became the independent nation of Tuvalu. Self-government for the Gilberts was established on July 12, 1979, and the islands became the independent Republic of Kiribati.
MAJOR CITY
Tarawa
Tarawa, the capital of Kiribati, is actually a small atoll with government offices located on south Tarawa at Betio, Bairiki, and Bikenibeu. Tarawa lies among the nation's western island group between the larger islands of Maiana and Marakei.
Tarawa has a population of about 28,000. Between the 1950s and the 1980s, Tarawa's population increased ten-fold. An estimated 40% of the country's entire population lives on Tarawa, and overcrowding of the island is a major concern. The government has begun a resettlement program to eventually relocate almost 5,000 people from the densely populated western atolls (especially Tarawa) to the sparsely populated or uninhabited Line Islands and Phoenix Islands. During 1988-93, some 4,700 people were resettled on the Teraina and Tabuaeran atolls in the eastern Line Islands.
Most of the country's roads are located on Tarawa. The Nippon Causeway, completed in 1987 with Japanese assistance, replaced ferry service between the town of Bairiki and Betio (an islet) on Tarawa. A series of similar causeways linking north and south Tarawa are under construction.
Betio is the main port for western Kiribati and is equipped to handle containers. The Pacific Forum Line links Tarawa with other shipping routes. The airport at the town of Bonriki on Tarawa handles international flights.
An industrial center was established in 1990 at Betio with aid from Great Britain . Manufactured items include clothing, shoes, furniture, leather goods, and kamaimai (coconut liquor). The Foundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific, located at Bairiki, provides technical assistance for agriculture and nutrition programs.
Recreation and Entertainment
Tourism is underdeveloped because of a lack of regular transport. Tarawa has a visitors' bureau, and there is a hotel on Betio. However, the government has singled out Kiritimati, in the eastern Line Islands, for tourist development. The government is encouraging ecotourism, game fishing, and the promotion of historic battle sites of World War II. The Japanese constructed a fortress on Betio, which was the site of a 1943 battle resulting in 4,000 Japanese, 1,000 American, and no Kiribati casualties. Soccer is a popular recreational sport, and traditional singing and dancing are practiced. The National Library and Archives in Tarawa has 50,000 volumes. Items are in storage at the National Archives in anticipation of the formation of a national museum to be built in Tarawa.
OTHER CITIES
Robert Louis Stevenson was one of the most famous temporary residents in ABEMAMA. He came to the island in 1889 with his wife. As the story goes, she was so taken by the place that she took it upon herself to design a flag for the island, which featured the picture of a shark wearing a crown. Of course, the flag was never officially used. The atoll is one of the Gilbert islands with a population of about 3,200 (1990 est.). With the exception of two major resorts, it remains fairly undeveloped. As such it provides an opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of the island and experience the original I-Kiribati culture. Nature lovers should try to catch a sight of the unusual tiny yellow "barking" frog that is believed to be helpful in controlling the mosquito population. Abemama is about 50 mi. southwest of Tarawa and can be reached by air or boat.
The lush, green island of BUTARITARI (formerly Makin Island) is worth a visit for the adventuresome who don't mind a little rain. Also located in the Gilbert Islands, Butaritari has a population of over 3,700 (1990 est.) and receives about 157" of rain a year. Several war relics, included downed aircraft can be seen around the island as what remains from a 1942 US Marine operation. The American film, "Gung Ho," basically retells the story of this operation, starring Ronald Regan. Visitors will want to find an opportunity to sample fried breadfruit while on the island, since this particularly variety does not exist anywhere else. A large, beautiful lagoon with coral reefs can be explored from the island.
COUNTRY PROFILE
Geography and Climate
The islands of Kiribati are situated around the intersection of the International Date Line and the Equator. Scattered over 2 million square miles are 33 islands with a total land area of 277 square miles. Kiribati has more sea area per person than any other country. There are three main island groups: the seventeen Gilbert Islands, the eight Line Islands, and the eight Phoenix Islands.
The islands are coral atolls built on submerged volcanic chain and seldom rise more than 13 feet above sea level. Kirimati (Christmas Island), in the Line Islands, is the largest atoll in the world, with an area of 481 square miles. The atoll was used as a nuclear test site by the British from 1957 to 1962, and by the US in 1962.
Kiribati has an equatorial climate, with high humidity during the November-April rainy season. Although the islands lie outside the traditional South Pacific tropical storm belt, there are occasional gales and even cyclones. Annual rainfall varies from 40 inches near the Equator to 120 inches in the extreme north and south. Daily temperatures range from 77° F to 90° F, with very little fluctuation during the year. The islands have prevailing easterly trade winds.
Population
Kiribati has a population of approximately 87,000, unevenly distributed among the islands. Some 40% of the population is concentrated on Tarawa, while some of the islands of the Phoenix and Line groups are uninhabited. Since the 1980s, the government has resettled people from Tarawa to Teraira and Tabuarean in the Line Islands because of overcrowding.
Nearly all of the country's population is Gilbertese or Micronesian. Polynesians (mainly from Tuvalu) account for less than 0.5%, and Europeans and people of mixed races, 0.6%.
Nearly all the population is Christian, the largest sects being the Kiribati Protestant Church and the Roman Catholic Church . Religious minorities include Seventh-Day Adventists, Church of God , Assemblies of God, Mormons, and Baha'is. Christianity is an integral part of social interaction.
The main languages spoken are Gilbertese (I-Kiribati) and English. The official language is English, but it is seldom used on the outer islands. I-Kiribati is an Austronesian language related to many other in the South Pacific.
Government
Kiribati became an independent democratic republic within the Commonwealth of Nations in 1979.
Kiribati has a unicameral chamber legislature called the Maneaba ni Maungatabu House of Assembly). There are 41 members: 39 are directly elected for four years; the Attorney-General is an ex-officio member; and there is one representative of the Banaban community (inhabitants of Ocean island). The president is head of both state and government, and is also directly elected. The president appoints a cabinet from the incumbent members of the Maneaba, with which he shares executive power.
In 1994, Teburoro Tito, head of the Maneaban Te Mauri Party, was elected president.
The judicial system consists of the High Court, a court of appeal, and magistrates' courts. All judicial appointments are made by the president.
Though political parties do exist, they are more similar to informal coalitions in behavior. They do not have official platforms or party structures. Most candidates are considered as independents.
Kiribati's flag shows a blue and white heraldic representation of the Pacific waters, with a golden sun rising on a red background. There is a golden frigate bird in flight over the sun.
Arts, Science, Education
Education is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 15. For many residents, a primary-level education is all that is needed to succeed in a subsistence community. Secondary school students take the New Zealand School Certificate. Tarawa Technical Institute conducts courses in technical and vocational subjects. A nurses' training center operates at the hospital in Tarawa. The Marine Training Centre trains about 200 students each year for working on foreign merchant shipping lines. There is a state-operated college for primary school teachers, and a satellite center of Fiji 's University of the South Pacific at Tarawa.
Commerce and Industry
The people of Kiribati depend on the sea for their livelihood. Individuals fish for their family's food, and commercial fishing is also important. A hatchery provides bait fish to domestic commercial fishing vessels. The government also sells fishing licenses to foreign fishing vessels, and the Royal New Zealand Air Force patrols the vast sea area to discourage poaching. The economy relies on foreign aid supplied by the United Kingdom , New Zealand , Japan , and Australia . Foreign aid typically accounts for 25-30% of the domestic economy. Money sent home by men working overseas on oceangoing vessels accounts for a significant portion of the cash economy. The economy was once reliant on phosphate exports from the island of Banaba until production ceased in 1979. Since then Kiribati has relied on fishing, subsistence agriculture, and exports of copra (dried coconut meat). Coconuts are one of the few natural resources on the islands, due to poor soil quality and occasional droughts.
Tourism is one of the largest domestic activities. Between 3,000 and 4,000 visitors per year provide $5-$10 million in revenue. Attractions include World War II battle sites, game fishing, ecotourism, and the Millennium Islands, situated just inside the International Date Line and the first place on earth to celebrate every New Year. The government is also promoting Kirimati (Christmas Island) in the Line Islands as a tourist destination for game fishing and bird watching.
With a per capita GDP of about $850 (2000 est.), Kiribati is one of the poorest nations in the world.
Transportation
Kiribati has about 400 miles of roads, mostly on Tarawa. The Nippon Causeway opened in the 1980s, connecting Betio and Bariki. Other causeways linking north and south Tarawa were built in the 1990s. There is no rail, river, or lake transport, but canoes travel across the lagoons frequently. Motorcycles are the most popular land vehicles.
Roads in Tarawa, while satisfactory in some areas, are generally in need of repair. After heavy rains, some road sections experience temporary flooding. Vehicle traffic proceeds at a relatively slow rate. Drinking and driving is a common practice, especially on the weekends. Kiribati was a former British protectorate, and cars drive on the left side of the road.
The main islands have airstrips that are served from Tarawa. Passenger ferries also go to many of the smaller islands.
Communications
Radio Kiribati, operated by the government, is the country's only radio station, transmitting in I-Kiribati and English and broadcasting a few imported Australian shows. Tarawa has an earth station to transmit and receive satellite communications. Kiribati is on the Peacesat network, which provides educational transmissions from Suva, Fiji.
There is no commercial press; all publications are government-or church-sponsored. The government publishes the weekly Atoll Pioneer ; Te Itoi ni Kiribati is published by the Roman Catholic Church; and Te Kaotan te Ota is published monthly by the Protestant Church.
Health
The Central Hospital in Tarawa, with 160 beds, is the main health care facility. There are four medical districts, each with its own medical officer and staff. Each inhabited island has its own medical dispensary, and a medical radio network links all the islands.
Tuberculosis is the most serious health problem on the islands. Other problems include leprosy, filariasis, and dysentery. Vitamin A deficiency, causing night blindness and xerophthalmia, occurs often among children in Kiribati. There was a cholera outbreak in the 1970s.
As the role of cash in the economy has grown, the level of nutrition has declined. Malnutrition, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular problems have increased among urbanized islanders, because many have given up the traditional nutrient-rich diet for store-bought rice, canned food, and sweets. Inhabitants of the outer islands have largely avoided these nutritional problems.
All water should be regarded as a potential health risk. Visitors should therefore refrain from drinking any water that is not bottled, boiled or otherwise sterilized. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit should be peeled before eating.
NOTES FOR TRAVELERS
A valid passport and visa are required. Visa requirements include one application form, two photos and a fee. There is no Embassy of Kiribati in the United States . For information on entry requirements, please contact the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Kiribati, Suite 503, 850 Richards Street, Honolulu , HI 96813, telephone (808) 529-7703; fax (808)521-8304. For visa or other information, travelers may consult the Consular Section of the nearest British embassy or consulate. The British Embassy in the United States is located at 3100 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C., 20008. The telephone number is (202) 588-7800.
The Republic of Kiribati's customs authorities strictly prohibit the importation of firearms, ammunition, explosives and indecent publications. Strict quarantine laws govern the import of any part of plants, fruits, vegetables, soil, as well as animals and animal products. Visitors are not allowed to export human remains, artifacts that are 30 or more years old, traditional fighting swords, traditional tools, dancing ornaments or suits of armor. For more information, please contact the British Embassy.
Americans living in or visiting Kiribati are encouraged to register at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Majuro, whose consular district includes the Republic of Kiribati. U.S. citizens may also obtain updated information on travel and security within Kiribati from the Embassy. Officers of the U.S. Embassy in Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands, are concurrently accredited to Kiribati and make periodic visits. The U.S. Embassy does not have a street address in Majuro. The Embassy is located on the ocean-side of the island's road, near the Church of the Latter-Day Saints and Gibson's Express, " Long Island ." The U.S. Embassy's mailing address is P.O. Box 1379, Majuro, MH 96960-1379. The telephone number is (692) 247-4011. The fax number is (692) 247-4012.
Currency
In Kiribati, the Australian dollar is the legal currency. Travelers' checks and all major currencies are accepted by banks and may also be exchanged for local currency at some local hotels. Visa and Master-Card are accepted at most hotels
LOCAL HOLIDAYS
Jan. 1 … New Year's Day
Mar/Apr. … Good Friday*
Official name: Republic of Kiribati
Area: 717 square kilometers (277 square miles)
Highest point on mainland: Unnamed location on Banaba (81 meters/266 feet)
Lowest point on land: Sea level
Hemispheres: Northern and Eastern
Time zone: Midnight = noon GMT
Longest distances: Not available
Coastline: 1,143 kilometers (709 miles)
Territorial sea limits: 22 kilometers (12 nautical miles)
1 LOCATION AND SIZE
Kiribati (h2onounced "Kiribass") is a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean , between Hawaii and Australia , situated at the intersection of the equator and the international date line. The islands are scattered over more than five million square kilometers (two million square miles) of ocean.
2 TERRITORIES AND DEPENDENCIES
Kiribati has no territories or dependencies.
3 CLIMATE
Located in the equatorial region, Kiribati's climate is tempered by the easterly trade winds, and humidity is high during the November to April rainy season. Occasional gales and tornadoes occur on the islands, even though they lie outside the tropical hurricane belt. The average temperature is 27°C (81°F) year-round. Daily temperatures, however, range between 25°C and 32°C (77°F and 90°F). Near the equator, annual rainfall averages 102 centimeters (40 inches), and in the extreme north and south, it averages 305 centimeters (120 inches). The islands also face the possibility of severe droughts.
4 TOPOGRAPHIC REGIONS
Kiribati comprises three island groups of thirty-three low atolls, or coral islands. The three island groups are dispersed over the mid-Pacific: the Gilbert Islands on the equator; the Phoenix Islands to the east; and the Line Islands to the north of the equator.
The Gilbert group consists of Abaiang, Abemama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba (formerly Ocean Island), Beru, Butaritari, Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa, Tabiteuea, Tamana, and Tarawa.
The Phoenix group is composed of Birnie, Kanton (Abariringa), Enderbury, Gardner (Nikumaroro), Hull (Orona), McKean, Phoenix (Rawaki), and Sydney (Manra).
The Line Group encompasses Christmas (Kiritimati), Fanning (Tabuaeran), Malden, Starbuck, Vostock, Washington (Teraina), Caroline, and Flint; the last two are leased to commercial interests on Tahiti. Only some of the islands are inhabited. With an area of 481 square kilometers (186 square miles), Christmas Island (Kiritimati) is the largest atoll in the world.
5 OCEANS AND SEAS
Seacoast and Undersea Features
As almost all of the islands are coral atolls (except for Banaba), they are built on a submerged volcanic chain and are low-lying.
Sea Inlets and Straits
A reef encloses a lagoon in most of the atolls.
Islands and Archipelagos
Christmas Island (Kiritimati), representing about half the total land area of Kiribati, is the largest of the world's coral atolls. The other Line Islands—Tabuaeran, Malden, Starbuck, Vostok, Teraina, and Flint—are either sparsely inhabited or uninhabited, although Tabuaeran Island has become a stop for cruise ships.
Banaba Island is among the most westerly islands in Kiribati, and once was a rich source of phosphate. But of all the islands making up the country, Banaba has suffered the most negative environmental effects from phosphate mining, which include air pollution, water pollution, loss of green cover, and diminished aesthetic appeal of the natural surroundings. The land quality and phosphate resources have both deteriorated to the point that Banaba is no longer either mined or inhabited.
Coastal Features
Because of Christmas Island's low-lying land, it is sensitive to changes in sea level; a rise of even 60 centimeters (24 inches) in sea level would leave the island uninhabitable. On the east coast of Christmas Island (Kiritimati) is the Bay of Wrecks, named for the many sunken ships that struck the coral reefs just offshore. The western coast of the island forms a large, reverse C -shape, enclosing a lagoon.
6 INLAND LAKES
There are dozens of lakes and ponds sprinkled across the interiors of the islands. Christmas Island has several large lagoons lying in its interior, including Manulu Lagoon in the north, Isles Lagoon in the center, and Fresh Water Lagoons in the south.
7 RIVERS AND WATERFALLS
The islands of Kiribati do not support any rivers.
8 DESERTS
There are no desert regions in Kiribati.
9 FLAT AND ROLLING TERRAIN
The soil is poor and rainfall is variable on the islands, making cultivation of most crops impossible. Coconut palms and pandanus trees, however, grow without difficulty on most of the islands.
The islands are low-lying, with no significant hill or valley regions.
10 MOUNTAINS AND VOLCANOES
The islands of Kiribati are low-lying, with little variation in elevation. The island of Banaba, however, has the country's highest elevation, at 81 meters (266 feet) high.
11 CANYONS AND CAVES
The islands of Kiribati have no significant canyons or caves.
12 PLATEAUS AND MONOLITHS
There are no elevated regions in Kiribati above 81 meters (266 feet).
13 MAN-MADE FEATURES
There are no significant man-made features in Kiribati.
DID YOU KNOW?
Most Kiribatians live in small villages of 10 to 150 houses. They build their own homes from local materials.
14 FURTHER READING
Books
Däniken, Erich von. Pathways to the Gods: The Stones of Kiribati. New York : Putnam, 1982.
Grimble, Arthur Francis. Migrations, Myth, and Magic from the Gilbert Islands. London: Routledge & K. Paul, 1972.
Web Sites
Consular Information Sheet: Kiribati. http://travel.state.gov/kiribati.html (accessed April 24, 2003).
Kiribati Home Page. http://www.tskl.net.ki/kiribat (accessed April 24, 2003).
Cite this article
Literacy Rate:
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The Republic of Kiribati consists of 33 coral islands and is located in the central Pacific Ocean , halfway between Hawaii and Australia . Kiribati gained independence from Britain in 1979 and has a population of 91,985 people (July 2000 est.). Kiribati are generally described as Micronesian, and many speak Gilbertese, a Micronesian dialect, on the islands surrounding the capital island of Tarawa. However, English is the official language and is most commonly spoken on Tarawa and is understood in all government offices.
Education in Kiribati is free and compulsory for ages 6 to 13. Primary education includes the first seven years: classes one to six. The 110 government-funded primary schools throughout the islands enroll 17,594 students (approximately 49 percent female) and employ 727 teachers (approximately 62 percent female). In 1997, some 75 students were retained in a primary grade because of inadequate academic performance. Educational attainment in Kiribati is largely restricted to the primary level; this is principally the result of a lack of availability and cost of secondary and tertiary schools on the islands.
Secondary education (classes 7 through 11) placements are competitive and based on scores from a National Entrance Examination. Less than 20 percent of primary school children receive any secondary education. In 1997, there were 1,901 students enrolled in secondary schools. Students who wish to continue to receive education beyond the primary level, but are unable to find placement in a secondary school, may continue for another three years in Classes 7-9.
In 2001 there were 6 academic secondary schools, which employed 192 teachers throughout the republic, providing technical, professional, and administrative training. These include the Catholic Senior College on North Tarawa, the Catholic Junior College on Abaiang, the Hiram Bingham High School on Beru, the Seventh Day Adventist on Abemama, the South Tarawa-Moroni High School (Mormon), and the King George V (boys' section) and Elaine Bernacchi (girls' section) on Tarawa.
Since 1973, the University of the South Pacific has had an extension site in Kiribati. It is connected to the main campus in Fiji via satellite and radio telephones. However, most students from Kiribati attend the University of the South Pacific in New Zealand or Australia on funded scholarships. Other institutions of higher learning include the Tarawa Technical Institute, which offers technical and vocational courses; a maritime training school, which prepares students for careers at sea; a teacher training college, which produces the majority of teachers on the islands; and a nurse training school.
The Ministry of Education oversees education in Kiribati. Control of educational issues is given to the Minister of Education who appoints a permanent secretary. Administration is centralized with little authority given to individual schools. The government, churches, and parents provide funding for the educational system. In 1993, educational expenditures accounted for approximately 25 percent of the national budget. Curriculum development for the schools is conducted through the Ministry's Curriculum Development Center in Tarawa. As of April 2001, Kiribati had not participated in any international or local research studies to assess the effectiveness and provision of education in the republic. However, the literacy rate was estimated to be about 90 percent.
Bibliography
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization: Institute for Statistics, September 2000. Available from http://www.unesco.org/ .
Kiribati: Education, 1996. Available from http://www.collectors.co.nz/kiribati/education.html.
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The World Fact-book 2000. Directorate of Intelligence, 1 January 2000. Available from http://www.cia.gov/ .
—Greg Forehand and Sanna J. Thompson
Cite this article
Literacy rate:
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Kiribati (pronounced "Kiribass") is one of the smallest countries in the world. Although it includes some 33 atolls—only twenty of which are inhabited—its total land area is only 264 square miles. The island group, located in Oceania between Australia and Hawaii , was once called the Gilbert Islands and was controlled by Britain . It achieved self-rule in 1971 and, when it declared independence in 1979, it did so under its new name. Kiribati is governed by a President, and the legislative branch consists of a 41-seat unicameral House of Assembly, or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu. The approximate population is 92,000. Natural resources are scarce in Kiribati, as is skilled labor. The most important exports are copra (the white meat of the coconut) and fish. Financial aid from Britain and Japan also supplement the gross national product.
Freedom of speech and of the press is generally respected. There are two main papers in Kiribati, and both are weekly. Te Uekera is a government-owned paper managed and owned by a board that is overseen by a government minister. Its approximate circulation is 1,800. Its competition comes from the country's independent newspaper, The Kiribati Newstar, which debuted in May 2000. It appears on Friday and publishes in the native language with some English content. It is available online. The Catholic Church publishes a monthly newspaper called Te Itoi ni Kiribati, and the Protestant Church produces a weekly newspaper called Kaotan te Ota, but publication is irregular. There are two radio stations, one AM and one FM, for 17,000 radios. There is one television station broadcasting to 1,000 televisions, and TSKL is the island's sole Internet service provider.
Bibliography
"Country Profile." Worldinformation.com , 2002. Available from http://www.worldinformation.com .
"Country Report—Kiribati." Australian Press Council, 2002. Available from http://www.presscouncil.org.
"Kiribati." CIA World Fact Book, 2001. Available from http://www.cia.gov .
"Political Rights and Civil Liberties." Freedom House, 2000. Available from http://www.freedomhouse.org .
Jenny B. Davis
Kiribati
Culture Name
I-Kiribati or kaini Kiribati. "Kiribati" is a transliteration of "Gilberts," the British colonial name for part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony.
Alternative Names
The Kiribati name for the Gilbert Islands is Tungaru, and the archipelago's inhabitants sometimes refer to themselves as I-Tungaru. Island of origin is an important aspect of identification that predates colonialism, and I-Kiribati differentiate themselves by birthplace.
Orientation
Identification. Kiribati is located at the interface of the Micronesian and Polynesian cultural areas and is generally considered Micronesian. The over-whelming majority of the population is I-Kiribati, with very small minorities (less than 2 percent) of Tuvaluans and I-Matang (Westerners).
Location and Geography. The country consists of 33 islands in three primary groups—the western Tungaru chain (sixteen islands), the Phoenix Islands (eight islands), and the Line Islands (eight of the ten islands in the chain)—plus Banaba (Ocean Island) at the western edge of the nation. Ocean-rich and land-poor, these equatorial islands are scattered over millions of square kilometers of the central Pacific Ocean , with a total land area of about 284 square miles (736 square kilometers). Kiritimati (Christmas Island) in the northern Line Islands accounts for about 48 percent of this land area. Banaba is a raised limestone island, but the other islands are all coral atolls, and most have lagoons. These atolls rise less than thirteen feet (four meters) above sea level, raising concerns over rising sea levels as a result of global warming. The thin alkaline soils are extremely infertile, and there is no fresh surface water. Mean daily temperatures vary only slightly, averaging approximately 83 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius). The north of the Tungaru chain is wetter, more verdant, and less prone to drought than the south.
Demography. Banaba and the sixteen most westerly islands have been inhabited for over three thousand years by ancestors of the contemporary I-Kiribati. The Phoenix Islands and Line Islands were not permanently inhabited before the twentieth century. Twenty of the islands are permanently settled. The majority of the population (92 percent) lives in the Tungaru chain, with over one-third living on urban South Tarawa.
The population reached 84,000 in 1998, and is growing at a rate of 1.4–1.8 percent per year. Population has been growing rapidly since the early 1900s, and overpopulation is a serious concern of the government. While family-planning methods were introduced in 1968 and are delivered free, fertility remains moderately high and large families are culturally valued. Despite government efforts to maintain and improve life on the outer islands, there has been substantial migration to the capital on South Tarawa. There are several thousand I-Kiribati in other countries, most serving as temporary workers. There is a small migrant community of I-Kiribati in Vanuatu. Most Banabans were resettled on Rabi Island in Fiji , and became Fijian citizens in 1970. However, they retain ownership of land on Banaba and rights of residence and representation in Kiribati.
Linguistic Affiliation. The I-Kiribati language, sometimes referred to as Gilbertese, is a Micronesian language in the Austronesian family and is spoken in a relatively uniform manner throughout the islands. While the language shows considerable borrowing from Polynesia, it is distinct from the language of neighboring Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands. English is the official language and is taught in primary and secondary schools. Many adults on the outer islands speak little English.
Symbolism. Symbols of nationalism are linked centrally to independence. The primary symbol of the republic is the flag, which depicts a frigate bird over an ocean sunrise. Seventeen rays of sunlight represent the sixteen Tungaru islands and Banaba, and three waves represent the Tungaru, Phoenix, and Line island groups. On the flag is the motto te mauri te raoi ao te tabomoa ("Good Health, Peace, and Honor"). The national anthem is Teirake kaini Kiribati (Stand Up, I-Kiribati ).
History and Ethnic Relations
Emergence of the Nation. In 1892, the Gilbert Islands became a protectorate of Great Britain and were joined with the Ellice Islands protectorate in 1916 to form the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. In that year, Banaba, Fanning Island (Tabuaeran), Washington Island (Teraina), and the Union Islands (Tokelau) became part of the colony, as did Kiritimati in 1919 and most of the Phoenix Islands in 1937.
Despite a centralized colonial government, a schism developed over time between the culturally and linguistically different Gilbert and Ellice Islanders concerning jobs and other political issues. This ultimately resulted in the separation of the Ellice Islands to become Tuvalu in 1978. In contrast to Kiribati, Tuvalu opted for membership in the British Commonwealth. In July 1979, the Gilberts, Banaba, and the Phoenix and Line Islands became the independent Republic of Kiribati.
Several islands in northern and central Kiribati were occupied by the Japanese in World War II , and the Battle of Tarawa in November 1943 was one of the bloodiest of that war. However, there was little ongoing impact from the Japanese occupation.
National Identity. Precolonially, the people of the Tungaru islands formed small, shifting political units, and there was no unified economic or political system or cultural identity. A single national identity emerged only after World War II as a result of colonial policies intended to move the area toward political independence.
Differences between the northern, central, and southern islands of Tungaru, especially in terms of social and political organization, traditions, and group characteristics, are clearly identified by I-Kiribati and underlie national politics. Traditionally, the north had a more complex social organization with a kingship and chiefly classes compared with the more egalitarian social structure of the south. Currently the north and central islands are seen as more progressive than the south, which is more politically and socially conservative.
Ethnic Relations. I-Kiribati can be considered culturally and ethnically homogeneous, with a shared genetic history, cultural traditions, values, historical experience, and language. I-Kiribati distinguish themselves from neighboring island groups and see the greatest conceptual divide between themselves and I-Matang ("Westerners"). The culture and language of Banaba are basically I-Kiribati. The primary issue in Banaban independence movements has been the distribution of phosphate revenues, not cultural differences.
Urbanism, Architecture, and the Use of Space
Rural houses usually are built of traditional materials and are open-sided rectangular structures with thatched roofs and raised floors. In towns, more houses are built with imported materials such as concrete block and corrugated iron. The most symbolically important structure is the rectangular, open-sided maneaba (meeting house), which may be owned by a family, church community, or village. The maneaba functions as a central place for formal and informal group activities. Maneaba built with modern materials follow the traditional prescriptions of style, aspect, and orientation. The floor is composed of unmarked but known sitting places termed boti arranged around the perimeter, with one belonging to each family represented in the maneaba ; this is the place from which a representative (usually the oldest male) of each family participates in community discussions and decision making. Churches are architecturally European and often are the largest structures in a village.
Food and Economy
Food in Daily Life. Fish and marine resources are a primary food source, as the ecological nature of atolls mean that only the most hardy plants can grow there. Local crops include coconut, giant swamp taro, breadfruit, pandanus, and a native fig. Coconut is central to the diet and is especially valued for the sweet, vitamin-rich toddy (sap) cut from the flower spathe. Toddy is used as a children's drink or as a base for syrup. It can also be soured into vinegar and fermented into an alcoholic drink. Drunkenness is a widespread problem that is dealt with on some islands by the prohibition of alcohol. Imported goods, especially rice, but also flour, canned butter, and canned fish and meat, are becoming increasingly important in the daily diet.
Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions. The display and eating of prestige foods is central to all celebrations and banquets. Although imported goods are increasingly available, local foods are more important in feasting, such as crayfish, giant clam, pig, chicken, and giant swamp taro. The most symbolically valued crop is giant swamp taro, which is grown in pits dug into the water lens under each atoll.
Basic Economy. Around 80 percent of the population engages in subsistence agriculture and fishing. The cash economy is limited largely to South Tarawa, where the private sector of the economy is very small and there are few manufacturing enterprises. Independence in 1979 coincided with the end of phosphate mining on Banaba, which in 1978 had accounted for 88 percent of the nation's export earnings. The cash economy has now shifted to dependence on remittances from I-Kiribati employed in phosphate mining on Nauru or working as seamen on foreign-owned merchant ships, as well as foreign aid. Accounting for some 60 percent of the gross domestic product in 1995, aid is received mainly from Japan , Australia , New Zealand , South Korea, and the European Union . The government has determined that there is potential for the development of tourism. However, economic development is constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak infrastructure, and geographic remoteness.
Land Tenure and Property. Access to and ownership of land underlie and cement social relations. A vital unit in I-Kiribati society, the utu includes all those people who are linked as kin and share common ownership of land plots. Everyone on an island belongs to several utu; people may inherit the land rights for each utu from either parent. The kainga, or family estate, sits at the heart of each utu, and those who live on the particular kainga of one of their utu have the greatest say in utu affairs and the largest share of produce from the land in that utu. The colonial government attempted to reorganize the land tenure system to encourage the codification of individual land holdings, in part to reduce land disputes. As a result, land transfers are now registered.
Commercial Activities. Marine resources have emerged as the most important natural resource for Kiribati, particularly the licensing of foreign fishing vessels to fish in the two hundred nautical miles of the exclusive economic zone in the waters surrounding the islands. Efforts to develop a competitive local fishing company have been less successful but large stocks of tuna fish remain in Kiribati waters. Copra, fish, and farmed seaweed are major exports.
Trade. The primary imports are food, manufactured goods, vehicles, fuel, and machinery. Most consumer goods are imported from Australia, and the Australian dollar is the unit of currency.
Social Stratification
Classes and Castes. Generally, postcolonial Kiribati can be considered a relatively classless society. A new social class of young leaders is emerging, however, threatening the village-based traditional authority of elders. There are also growing income disparities, and access to higher education is emerging as a key differentiating factor.
Political Life
Government. The boti, or clan, system, which according to oral tradition was imported from Samoa around 1400 c.e., remained the central focus of social and political life in Tungaru until around 1870. By the time of the establishment of the British protectorate in 1892, the traditional boti system had largely been eradicated, replaced judicially and administratively by a central government station on each island. Another major change came when the colonial administration completely reorganized the land tenure system before the 1930s, taking households that had been dispersed as hamlets in the bush and lining them up in villages along a central thoroughfare. At that time, control over village and family activities started to move to the heads of families. In 1963, the British colonial government abolished the kingship (uea ) system that was part of the traditional political structure of the northern islands. The council of elders (unimane ) that historically included all the male senior family heads is now responsible for overseeing village and island affairs. Local government consists of statutory island councils with elected members and limited administrative and financial powers and government-appointed administrators.
The government consists of a Maneaba ni Maungatabu, or parliament, which is unicameral. The Beretitenti, or president, is elected by popular vote every four years and is both head of government and chief of state. There is no tradition of formal political parties, although there are loosely structured political parties. There is universal suffrage at age 18.
Leadership and Political Officials. The council of elders in each community continues to be an effective local political force. The village household is the most important unit, and within it the most important person is the oldest male.
Social Problems and Control. The judicial branch of the government includes a court of appeals and a high court, as well as a magistrate's court on each inhabited island. The jurisdiction of the magistrates' courts is unlimited in land matters but limited in criminal and civil cases. There are small police forces on all the islands. Emerging substantial problems include embezzlement (often connected with the practice of bubuti, or requests by kin that cannot be refused), robbery, sexual coercion, and child and domestic abuse, often linked to alcohol use.
Military Activity. There is no standing army. Kiribati has shown some assertiveness in its foreign relations, for example, in the 1986 fishing rights treaty that was negotiated with the Soviet Union despite strong opposition from the United States .
Nongovernmental Organizations and Other Associations
Nongovernmental organizations (NGO) include the Catholic and Protestant women's organizations and the Scouting Association and Guiding Association. An NGO of traditional healers was recently formed. Australian, British, Japanese, and American volunteer organizations are active in Kiribati.
Gender Roles and Statuses
Division of Labor by Gender. Labor is divided by gender, with men fishing and collecting toddy and doing heavy construction tasks, while women handle child care and cook and keep house; both genders cultivate crops. While women may fish and often collect shellfish in the lagoon, only men may collect toddy. There is a clear status ranking in each household, which is usually headed by the oldest male unless he is too elderly to be active. The control of domestic activities lies with a senior married woman.
The Relative Status of Women and Men. While Kiribati society is currently egalitarian, democratic, and respectful of human rights, in the traditional culture women occupy a subordinate role. Job opportunities for women are limited, and there is no law against gender discrimination. Few women have served in key governmental or political positions. Women have started to play a more prominent role through women's associations and they now occasionally speak in the maneaba.
Marriage, Family, and Kinship
Marriage. Although historically polygamy was practiced, the marriage system is now monogamous. Arranged marriages remain common, especially in rural areas. "Love matches" and elopements have become more common and are tolerated by most families. Virginity tests of the bride remain valued despite criticism by churches. Marriage is almost universal, and divorce is unpopular and uncommon.
Domestic Unit. The household is commonly based on a single nuclear family and may include aging parents and adoptive kin. Patrilocal residence remains common in rural areas, with married women moving to live on the husband's kainga.
Kin Groups. The main kinship units are mwenga ("household"), utu ("related family"), and kainga. Membership in mwenga is determined by residence, in utu by kin relations, and in kainga by common property holding and descent from a common ancestor. Inheritance of property and kinship are traced through both the mother's and the father's families. Adoption is widely practiced, especially between close kin.
Socialization
Infant Care. In this pro-natal society, infants are showered with attention and care by both parents and by the extended family. In the first few months after a birth, the mother stays in the house with the baby, and breast-feeding on demand is standard until at least six months of age. Kiribati has one of the highest infant death rates in the world as a result of diarrheal disease and respiratory infection.
Child Rearing and Education. After infancy, care by siblings, especially sisters, is very common, even by siblings as young as eight years. Children are indulged until they are about four years old, after which they become subject to strict parental and kin authority reinforced by corporal punishment. Crying and emotional outbreaks are not tolerated, and a good child is obedient, helpful, and respectful. By age eight or nine, children are expected to start helping around the house.
Schooling is compulsory for children from age six. Approximately 20 percent of primary students go on to receive secondary education. Education is highly valued by parents as a means of increasing their children's wage-earning abilities.
Higher Education. Higher education is expanding and increasingly valued. Kiribati participates with eleven other Pacific Island countries in funding the University of the South Pacific with its main campus in Suva, Fiji. Technical education is available in South Tarawa at the Teacher's Training College, Tarawa Technical Institute, and the Marine Training Centre.
Etiquette
The most important aspect of etiquette for locals and guests involves behavior in the maneaba, where there are appropriate places and ways to sit and interact. In all aspects of life, humility and humbleness are admired. Direct eye contact is uncommon, and it is inappropriate to look directly at one of higher status or cut between the gaze of talking individuals. Touching of heads is considered extremely intimate, and the top of the head is a taboo area. Modest dress is important for women, and cleanliness of the body and clothing is valued.
Religion
Religious Beliefs. According to I-Kiribati mythology, the giant spider Nareau was the creator, followed by spirits (anti ), half spirits, half humans, and finally humans. The anti were the most important figures in I-Kiribati worship before Christian missionaries arrived, and they remain respected in everyday life.
Conversion activity began in 1852 with the arrival of Protestant missionaries. There was a rivalry between the Catholic and Protestant missions, resulting in deep-seated animosities that remain as an undercurrent in national and island politics. Just over half of all I-Kiribati are Catholic, almost half are Protestant, and the remainder are Seventh-Day Adventist, Baha'i, and members of the Church of God and the Church of Latter-Day Saints.
Medicine and Health Care
Life expectancy is low, and the most common causes of adult death are infectious diseases, including tuberculosis. Liver cancer is a common cause of male death, exacerbated by widespread infection with hepatitis B and heavy alcohol use. There have been several cases of AIDS . Traffic-related accidents are increasing.
While a new central hospital was completed in Tarawa in 1992 and the Ministry of Health and Family Planning provides free medical care in most villages, medical supplies and services are not always available. A pluralistic system of traditional herbal and massage treatments is maintained alongside biomedical services, and many women give birth at home. Healing traditions are passed on as special knowledge within families.
Secular Celebrations
The most important holiday is the annual celebration of independence on 12 July, which includes sports competitions, parades, and feasts. Other national holidays include New Year's Day, Easter , Christmas , and Youth Day (4 August).
Bibliography
Brewis, Alexandra. Lives on the Line: Women and Ecology on a Pacific Atoll, 1996.
Grimble, Arthur Francis and H. E. Maude, eds. Tungaru Traditions: Writings on the Atoll Culture of the Gilbert Islands, 1989.
Macdonald, Barrie. Cinderellas of the Empire: Toward a History of Kiribati and Tuvalu, 1982.
Mason, Leonard, ed. Kiribati: A Changing Atoll Culture, 1984.
Talu et al. Kiribati: Aspects of History, 1979.
Van Trease, Howard, ed. Atoll Politics: The Republic of Kiribati, 1993.
—Alexandra Brewis and Sandra Crismon
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Which country used the Markka as currency before the Euro? | The Details of Finland Currency
By Terri Mapes
Updated September 09, 2016.
Unlike its Nordic neighbors, Finland never formed part of uniformed Scandinavian Monetary Union . Instead, Finland used its own currency of Markka since 1860, never resorting to Kronur as the main currency. The Markka officially ceased to be legal tender in February 2002, when Finland introduced the Euro as its new currency. At the point of conversion, the Markka had a fixed rate of 6 Markka equal to 1 Euro.
Finland is the only Nordic country to use the Euro.
In January 1999, the ball was set in motion towards a unified Europe with the introduction of the Euro as the official currency in eleven countries. In spite of resistance from its neighbors, Finland embraced the idea of converting to the Euro. Finland joined the Third Phase of the Economic and Monetary Union in in May 1998 before adopting the new currency. However, members of this Union didn’t start using the Euro as hard currency until 2002, when Euro banknotes and coins were introduced for the first time.
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At the same time, the Markka was completely withdrawn from circulation in Finland.
So far, the Finnish economy has performed very well after joining the EU. The country received much need financial alms, aiding as a buffer from the Russian financial crisis. Today the Euro is one of the most powerful currencies, being used by 23 European countries in total. It is denominated as € (or EUR). Notes are valued in 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euro, while coins are valued at 5, 10, and 20, 50 cents and 1 and 2 Euro. 1 and 2 cent coins might be used in other countries, but is not applicable to Finland.
When visiting Finland, amounts exceeding EUR 10 000 need to be declared if you are traveling to or from a country outside the European Union. There are no restrictions on all major types of debit and credit cards, so they can be used freely. When exchanging currency, consider using only banks and ATM’s for the best rate. In general, local banks are open between 9 am and 4.15 pm on weekdays.
From the Bank of Finland: "The Bank of Finland acts as Finland's central bank, national monetary authority, and member of the European System of central banks and the Eurosystem. The Eurosystem covers the European Central Bank and the euro area central banks. It administers the world's second largest currency, the euro. There are over 300 million people living in the euro area and from the beginning of 2011 the area covers 17 countries. Therefore, the Bank of Finland's strategies are related to both domestic and Eurosystem objectives. "
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Cornell James Junior is the real name of which 'rapper'? | Currencies in Scandinavia
Currencies in Scandinavia
Which are the currencies used in Scandinavia?
Scandinavian Currency. © TAM112007
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By Terri Mapes
Contrary to popular belief, not all European countries converted to using the Euro . In fact, the greater part of Scandinavia and the Nordic region are still using their own currencies. Scandinavia is comprised of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and arguably, Iceland. There is no “universal currency” to be used in these countries, and their currencies are not interchangeable, even if the currencies have the same name and local abbreviations.
Sounds confusing? Allow me to explain. In 1873, Denmark and Sweden established the Scandinavian Monetary Union in order to merge their currencies to a gold standard. Norway joined their ranks 2 years later. This meant that these countries now had one currency, called Krona, at the same monetary value, with the exception that each of these countries minted their own coins. The three central banks now acted as one Reserve Bank.
However, with the outbreak of the First World War, the gold standard was abandoned and the Scandinavian Monetary Union disbanded.
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Following the fallout, these countries decided to keep to the currency, even if the values are now separate from each other. A Swedish Crown, as it is more commonly known in English, can for instance not be used in Norway, and vice versa. Finland is the one exception to this list of Scandinavian countries, as it never joined the SMU, and is the only country among its neighbors to use the Euro.
Denmark: The Danish Kroner is the currency of both Denmark and Greenland, and the official abbreviation is DKK. Denmark abandoned the Danish Rigsdaler when the Scandinavian Monetary Unit was established in favor of the new currency. The domestic abbreviation of kr or DKR can be seen on all the local price tags. Based on the average exchange rate in 2012, you can expect to get roughly DKK 5.70 for $1.00.
Iceland: Technically, Iceland was also part of the Union, since it fell under Danish dependency. When it gained independence as a country in 1918, Iceland also decided to stick to the Krone currency, attaching their own value to it. The universal currency code for the Icelandic Krona is ISK, with the same local abbreviation code of its fellow Scandinavian countries. For $1.00, you can get an estimated ISK 123.50, based on current exchange rates.
Sweden: Another country making use of the Krona currency (see photo), the universal currency code for the Swedish Krone is SEK, with the same “kr” abbreviation as the above mentioned countries. Sweden is facing pressure from the Accession Treaty to join with the Eurozone and adopt the widely used Euro, but at the moment, they are still keeping to their own until a later referendum will decide otherwise. For $1.00 you will get roughly SEK 6.80.
Norway: After replacing the Norwegian Speciedaler to join up with the rest of its neighbors, the currency code for the Norwegian Krone is NOK. Again, the same local abbreviation applies. You will get around NOK 5.70 for $1.00. This currency is one of the strongest in the world today after it reached impressive highs against the equally strong Euro and US Dollar.
Finland: As mentioned previously, Finland is the one exception, opting to adopt the Euro instead. It was the only Scandinavian country to openly embrace the change-over. Even if it is part of Scandinavia, Finland used the Markka as their official currency from 1860 until 2002, when it officially accepted the Euro. $1.00 gets you 80 cents, depending on the daily exchange rates .
If you are planning a trip to more than one of these countries, it is not necessary to purchase foreign currency from home. You will usually get a very good exchange rate at the banks located in the arrival terminals. This eliminates the need to carry bulk loads of cash on you. You can also exchange money at any of the numerous ATMs for a nominal international handling fee. This will still be a more economical option than making use of an exchange office or kiosk. It is advisable that just double check with your bank prior to departure to ensure that your current card can be used from abroad.
All the indicated exchange rates are based on current exchange rates as per 2012.
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What is the nickname of Millwall Ladies Football Club? | Millwall Lionesses
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The River Tyne is formed by the confluence of the North Tyne and the South Tyne, west of which town? | Millwall | Uncyclopedia | Fandom powered by Wikia
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Kilt loving friends: Legendary Millwall hardman Dave Sinclair and friends
Millwall is a football club based in Kent , formed by a group of haggis loving anti-American imperialists in the late 1990's. The clubs Latin motto is "El Bellendo, Generous Bellendous", which translates into "Were just a shit team from Kent and have only two supporters and a cat". This mentality was the foundation for their famous song "No-one likes the U.S, we don't care!". The founder members wanted an environment where they could practice their religion of haggis -shagging without fear of persecution. Millwall were forced to flee south of the river by Mark Noble and Bobby Moore's great great granparents back in the eartly twentieth century after they were caught giving the great grandaughters of said great great grandparents a womb like a plasters radio, ever since then they've hated all cockneys and East London, making Jamie Oliver and Guy Richie very upset.
edit Millwall and football hooliganism
A Millwall fan rescues a cat from a tree. Note how there are palm trees in South London. The Millwall fan is also black, and thus not racist .
Millwall have a reputation for being incredibly amazing at football, and also rather good at twatting passers by with lumps of wood. However, the reality is somewhat different, and Millwall fans can frequently be found doing good deeds and fine works all around the world. Most leper colonies have a number of Millwall fans who help out, e.g. by picking up lost limbs, peeling off leperous scabs from inmates, that sort of thing. Fire stations around the UK have Millwall fans on call to assist with helping cats out of trees, as British firefighters feel unqualified to handle animals.
Perhaps Millwall's greatest good deed came during a fixture at Luton . In this instance the Millwall supporters, shocked to the core at how derelict and pathetic the home side's stadium was, took it upon themselves to demolish the offending eyesore. This demolition of Kennilworth Road would have freed up valuable space for the town to erect something more aesthetically pleasing, such as a 100ft accurate replica of a dog turd.
The Millwall fans' intentions were, unfortunately, misunderstood. They were roundly condemned and the blight on the landscape that is Kennilworth Road persists to this day.
Every cloud has a single lining, however. British broadcasters and particularly the BBC frequently have gaps in their schedules, which they fill by broadcasting the footage of the Luton "riot" repeatedly. Millwall FC consequently receive valuable royalty money for such broadcasts.
edit Millwall and West Ham
The two became friends shortly after being introduced to eachother by rival dock-workers union representatives intent on creating violence and enmity between the two, this plan failed and the two have been friends ever since. After long games of backgammon - which involved eating the back of a gammon steak - and crocker; Millwall and West Ham would frequent the pub, wherein they would get smashed; all in all good friends.
Viscious rumours by the press, the Queen, and Oscar Wilde, envious of such firm freindship, have circulated that Millwall and West Ham are in fact "violent towards eachother," and "a prime example of football hooliganism". This assesment is not all unfair. The recent Millwall vs West Ham F.A. cup match was misunderstood by the world at large, for what was essentially a bit of boystrous fun. Green Street had hundreds of riot police, and mounted policemen during, before, and sometime after the match; cars, bottles, and men were all smashed, but hey; this is football. If you asked the average Millwall fan what he thought of the match - unless he was the fan who was stabbed - he would say "Good clean fun".
The Thing's Millwall supporters like to do is pretend they are all "badmanz" (a term for want-to-be gangsters) and then as soon as they see a West Ham supporter (the amazing kind) run in the opposite direction like lost puppys ( only with a lower I.Q.).
Millwall used to be an East End club but following an intense game of "Operation" with East End big shots Leyton Orient, Barry Hearn threatened to have every caravan site in Kent burnt to the ground. Millwall seeing no other option but to protect their future generations, moved (ironic I know they're always moving) into a Stadium by a waste processing plant. The close proximity to said plant has cause untold confusion to local refuse collectors as they cannot tell the difference between two.
edit Facts about Millwall
Millwall average 10,000 at home games with the majority of supporters coming from the Isle of Sheppey, a shithole slum island in Kent. They also have huge support in Samoa (Hence why they get fuck all each week).
Millwall's nickname is "the Lines", as a result of the activities many supporters and most players get up to in the cubicles of public toilets.
It is part of the constitution of the FA that Millwall must NEVER be given a penalty. Similarly they must have at least one player sent off every game.
Millwall once got to the FA Cup final. They played Manchester United , who sportingly agreed to give Millwall an infinite number of goals as a head start. Unfortunately Millwall still lost.
Millwall was once managed by ex-England and Chelsea shortarse Dennis Wise. However, Wise's tenure came to an end when the club lost him. I mean, literally, LOST him. To this day, back room staff at Millwall still occasionally spend a few minutes lifting up stray pieces of paper just in case someone left him on a desk somewhere under a load of paperwork.
Millwall v Charlton is the most one-sided local derby in English history. Regardless of the two rivals' league placings, Charlton always lose such fixtures. This was evidenced recently when Charlton Cricket Club played Millwall FC. Millwall won by five goals to three runs all out.
The most commonly known fact about Millwall is there shit, inbred pikey south London unwanted rat fucking cunts. They only have one supporter.
Millwalls biggest fan is Billyboy, from Bermonsdey. Billy is often found frequenting the newsagents of the blue with his best mate, Andy, in tow, checking out the variances in prices of rowntrees fruit pastilles.
The last time Millwall faced rivals West Hamas at the Den, they won 4-1. This directly led to a number of armed conflicts breaking out in the Middle East . This fact is indeed incorrect, and the bellend who wrote needs to get his facts right. In August 2009, West Hamas and Millwall met at Upton Park, which ended in West Hamas winning 3-1 after extra time. This indeed solved the conflict in the Middle East but mild scraps break out once in a yellow moon.
Millwall's most successful manager is Steve Claridge. Under Claridge's reign, Millwall never lost a single competitive match, a remarkable feat. Some historians denounce this achievement by pointing out that Claridge's Millwall never actually PLAYED a competitive match, but Lions fans refute this argument by slapping such historians around the face with a brick. Meanwhile, Claridge is nonplussed by such criticism. "Tennis is gay" he beamed. Despite retiring from management, he stayed on at the club as a player, vowing never to stop, and at the tender age of 136 is still the first name on the teamsheet.
Millwall's well-known former stadium, "The Den", is named after one of Millwall's most well-loved former chairmen, Mr Theodore Den, or "The" to his friends.
Similarly, Millwall's current stadium, "The New Den", is named after Theodore Den's son, Theodore Newton Den, or "The New" to his friends, who also went onto become chairman.
Millwall have plans to relocate to a new stadium on the outskirts of Helmand province - Afganistan. The stadium has been named the new new den. Facilities include a roof, a minefeild around the pitch perimeter, family friendly public executions, one latrine located in the goal mouth and a club bar named 'Alan Carrs Tap'
Peter Mayhew represented the club, both at first team and at hooligan level
in 2011 a Cardiff FC supporter was so enamoured with Millwall that he leapt off the stand in order to convert himself. Unfortunately he was 20 feet above the lower tier and sustained slight injuries and a lifetime's embarrassment.
Millwall is not to be confused with the sexually transmitted diseased Millwall, in which the cunt flares up and retreats into its fold.
They're scum.
Millwall have a 'knack' of turning up late and claiming victory, and that they 'turned you over in your own manor' (even though they faced no resistance as everyone is inside the stadium)
Millwall are the only team sad enough to release a DVD after winning one game. Albeit it was 4-1 but the Marketing team at Millwall are a clever bunch they wanted to give the false perception that Millwall fill the ground every week and not only when West Ham are in town.
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Who was the Bishop of Lesotho from 1976 to 1978? | Archbishop Desmond Tutu - Academy of Achievement
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
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I never doubted that we were going to be free because, ultimately, I knew there was no way in which a lie could prevail over the truth, darkness over light, death over life.
Forging Equality in South Africa
Date of Birth
October 7, 1931
Desmond Tutu was born in Klerksdorp, in the South African state of Transvaal. The family moved to Johannesburg when he was 12, and he attended Johannesburg Bantu High School. Although he had planned to become a physician, his parents could not afford to send him to medical school. Tutu’s father was a teacher, he himself trained as a teacher at Pretoria Bantu Normal College, and graduated from the University of South Africa in 1954.
June 2001: Archbishop Desmond Tutu speaks after receiving the Jamnalal Baja International Award in Cape Town, South Africa. The award, named after a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, recognizes Gandhi’s pacifist values.
The government of South Africa did not extend the rights of citizenship to black South Africans. The National Party had risen to power on the promise of instituting a system of apartheid — complete separation of the races. All South Africans were legally assigned to an official racial group; each races was restricetd to separate living areas and separate public facilities. Only white South Africans were permitted to vote in national elections. Black South Africans were only represented in the local governments of remote “tribal homelands.” Interracial marriage was forbidden, blacks were legally barred from certain jobs and prohibited from forming labor unions. Passports were required for travel within the country; critics of the system could be banned from speaking in public and subjected to house arrest.
1986: At the height of the anti-apartheid struggle, Archbishop Tutu addresses a meeting in Alexander Township.
When the government ordained a deliberately inferior system of education for black students, Desmond Tutu refused to cooperate. He could no longer work as a teacher, but he was determined to do something to improve the life of his disenfranchised people. On the advice of his bishop, he began to study for the Anglican priesthood. Tutu was ordained as a priest in the Anglican church in 1960. At the same time, the South African government began a program of forced relocation of black Africans and Asians from newly designated “white” areas. Millions were deported to the “homelands,” and only permitted to return as “guest workers.”
Desmond Tutu lived in England from 1962 to 1966, where he earned a master’s degree in theology. He taught theology in South Africa for the next five years, and returned to England to serve as an assistant director of the World Council of Churches in London. In 1975 he became the first black African to serve as Dean of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Johannesburg. From 1976 to 1978 he was Bishop of Lesotho. In 1978 he became the first black General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches.
1986: Archbishop Desmond Tutu: “I am made for goodness. I am made for laughter.” (© David Turnley/CORBIS)
This position gave Bishop Tutu a national platform to denounce the apartheid system as “evil and unchristian.” Tutu called for equal rights for all South Africans and a system of common education. He demanded the repeal of the oppressive passport laws, and an end to forced relocation. Tutu encouraged nonviolent resistance to the apartheid regime, and advocated an economic boycott of the country. The government revoked his passport to prevent him from traveling and speaking abroad, but his case soon drew the attention of the world. In the face of an international public outcry the government was forced to restore his passport.
February 21, 1990. After his release from Robben Island prison, Nelson Mandela visits Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
In 1984, Desmond Tutu was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace, “not only as a gesture of support to him and to the South African Council of Churches of which he is leader, but also to all individuals and groups in South Africa who, with their concern for human dignity, fraternity and democracy, incite the admiration of the world.”
2005: Archbishop Desmond Tutu pays a tribute to the late Pope John Paul II in Cape Town, South Africa. Tutu recalled the support given by the Pope to him and other church leaders during South Africa’s apartheid struggle.
Two years later, Desmond Tutu was elected Archbishop of Cape Town. He was the first black African to serve in this position, which placed him at the head of the Anglican Church in South Africa, as the Archbishop of Canterbury is spiritual leader of the Church of England. International economic pressure and internal dissent forced the South African government to reform. In 1990, Nelson Mandela of the African National Congress was released after almost 27 years in prison. The following year the government began the repeal of racially discriminatory laws.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu addresses the Academy of Achievement — after a performance by a local youth choir and dance troupe — at St. George’s Cathedral in Cape Town, during the 2009 International Achievement Summit.
After the country’s first multi-racial elections in 1994, President Mandela appointed Archbishop Tutu to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, investigating the human rights violations of the previous 34 years. As always, the Archbishop counseled forgiveness and cooperation, rather than revenge for past injustice. In 1996 he retired as Archbishop of Cape Town and was named Archbishop Emeritus. For two years, he was Visiting Professor of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Published collections of his speeches, sermons and other writings include Crying in the Wilderness, Hope and Suffering, and The Rainbow People of God.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu dances at the 2009 International Achievement Summit in Cape Town, South Africa, with hotel magnate Sol Kerzner during electrifying performance of Yvonne Chaka Chaka, the “Princess of Africa.”
In 2007, Desmond Tutu joined former South African President Mandela, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, retired U.N Secretary General Kofi Annan, and former Irish President Mary Robinson to form The Elders, a private initiative mobilizing the experience of senior world leaders outside of the conventional diplomatic process. Tutu was named to chair the group. Carter and Tutu have traveled together to Darfur, Gaza and Cyprus in an effort to resolve long-standing conflicts. Desmond Tutu’s historic accomplishments — and his continuing efforts to promote peace in the world — were formally recognized by the United States in 2009, when President Barack Obama named him to receive the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Watch a tribute to Nobel Peace Prize-winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s life and work. Listen to former South African President Nelson Mandela, other Nobel Peace Prize recipients, and inspiring achievers speak about the leadership of Archbishop Tutu in post-apartheid South Africa in the film Just Call Me Arch.
Inducted in 2003
Date of Birth
October 7, 1931
“We received death threats, yes, but you see, when you are in a struggle, there are going to have to be casualties, and why should you be exempt?”
When Desmond Tutu became General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches, he used his pulpit to decry the apartheid system of racial segregation. The South African government revoked his passport to prevent him from traveling, but Bishop Tutu refused to be silenced. International condemnation forced the government to rescind their decision. He had succeeded in drawing the world’s attention to the injustice of the apartheid system. In 1984, his contribution to the cause of racial equality in South Africa was recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize.
As Archbishop of Cape Town, spiritual leader of all Anglican Christians in South Africa, his spiritual authority dealt a death blow to white supremacy in South Africa. As chairman of the post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission, he helped his country to bind up its wounds, and choose forgiveness over revenge. He continues to raise his voice for peace and justice all over the world.
Watch full interview
Forging Equality in South Africa
Chicago, Illinois
June 12, 2004
Being the Archbishop of Cape Town carried political responsibilities. Had you seen the black African’s struggle to end apartheid escalating from one of peace to a more forceful resistance?
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: I wasn’t really a political animal in the sense of being outraged almost all of the time but when I was at Theological College — I went to Theological College in 1958, and the year when I was going to be ordained a deacon is the year of Sharpeville, the Sharpeville Massacre when police opened fire on peaceful demonstrators against the past laws. Then, you know, you began — I mean, you intensified a sense of outrage that you had, which had developed actually even at Teacher Training College.
You see, in 1955 the ANC had this passive resistance campaign which didn’t succeed. In 1960 you had Sharpeville. You kept thinking that our white compatriots would hear — you know, would hear the pleas that were being made. I mean, we had people like Chief Albert Luthuli, who won the Nobel Peace Prize, the first South African to do so, who had been president of the ANC. And remarkably moderate really in the kind of demands that they were making, but it was — it kept falling on deaf ears, and increasingly people felt that it was going to be more and more difficult to bring about these changes peacefully.
I mean, even people like Nelson Mandela. I mean, they were striving to work for those changes nonviolently, and when they began engaging in acts of sabotage, they were very careful to ensure that they were attacking installations and not people. They tried to avoid casualties as much as possible. And it was 1960 that changed them when, after Sharpeville, and they were banned — the ANC and the PAC were banned — that they decided there was no real hope of a nonviolent end to apartheid. They were forced to take on the armed struggle, but even at that time I was not articulate, and there was an evolution.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu conducts Christmas services in Washington’s National Cathedral, December 23, 1984.
I was appointed Dean of Johannesburg in 1975. And that — we were sufficiently political, my wife and I, because up to that point the Dean of Johannesburg had been white and the deanery was in town. My wife and I, we were in London. When we were appointed we said we’re not going to ask for permission, which we might have got, to go and live in town and the permission under — I mean, it wasn’t a right. We said, “Well, we’ll live in Soweto.” And so that — we begin always by making a political statement even without articulating it in words.
And when I arrived I realized that I had been given a platform that was not readily available to many blacks and most of our leaders were either now in chains or in exile. And I said, “Well, I’m going to use this to seek to try to articulate our aspirations and the anguishes of our people.” And I was — I mean for some reason the press were very friendly. I mean virtually anything I said it got fairly wide publicity, which was a great help.
But the thing I think that thrust me possibly into the public consciousness, I had just been elected Bishop of Lesotho. I had gone there to become bishop and I went for a retreat. I don’t know — I mean, I don’t know what happened but it just seemed like God was saying to me, “You’ve got to write a letter to the Prime Minister.” And the letter wrote itself.
Desmond Tutu meets Rosa Parks, heroine of the American Civil Rights Movement. 1985. (© David Turnley/CORBIS)
In May of 1976 you wrote a letter to the Prime Minister warning of a building tension among black South African youth over the government-imposed Bantu education. What was its significance leading up to the June 16, 1976 riots?
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: I wrote the letter to the Prime Minister and told him that I was scared. I was scared because the mood in the townships was frightening. If they didn’t do something to make our people believe that they cared about our concerns I feared that we were going to have an eruption.
I sent off the letter. I probably made a technical mistake by giving it to a journalist before hearing from the Prime Minister because this journalist was working for a Sunday newspaper and gave it enormous press, and I think quite rightly the Prime Minister was annoyed that I had not given him the opportunity but never mind. He, the Prime Minister, dismissed my letter contemptuously. I wrote to him in May of 1976. I said, “I have a nightmarish fear that there was going to be an explosion if they didn’t do anything.” Well, they didn’t do anything and a month later the Soweto [uprising] happened.
Keys to success — Integrity
The South African government for some odd reason had ignored my letter where I warned. I didn’t have any sort of premonition, although I felt there was something in the air, but when it happened, when June the 16th happened, 1976, it caught most of us really by surprise. We hadn’t expected that our young people would have had the courage. See, Bantu education had hoped that it was going to turn them into docile creatures, kowtowing to the white person, and not being able to say “boo” to a goose kind of thing, you know, and it was an amazing event when these schoolkids came out and said they were refusing to be taught in the medium of Afrikaans. That was — that was really symbolic of all of the oppression. Afrikaans was the language they felt of the oppressor, and protesting against Afrikaans was really protesting against the whole system of injustice and oppression where black people’s dignity was rubbed in the dust and trodden underfoot carelessly, and South Africa never became the same — we knew it was not going ever to be the same again, and these young people were amazing. They really were amazing.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu delivers a commencement address at Oberlin College, Ohio, May 25, 1987. (CORBIS)
What was it about these kids that makes you use the word “amazing?”
Keys to success — Courage
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: I recall that on one or two occasions, I spoke to some of them and said, “You know, are you aware that if you continue to behave in this way, they will turn their dogs on you, they will whip you, they may detain you without trial, they will torture you in their jails, and they may even kill you?,” and it was almost like privata on the part of these kids because almost all of them said, “So what. It doesn’t matter if that happens to me, as long as it contributes to our struggle for freedom,” and I think 1994, when Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the first democratically elected president, vindicated them. It was the vindication of those 1977 remarkable kids.
Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu is presented with the American Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate Award by civil rights pioneer Coretta Scott King during the 2003 International Achievement Summit in Washington, D.C.
When you first began to speak out publicly against the apartheid system as Bishop of Lesotho, there must have been people who said, “This is hopeless. It’s not going to make a difference. There’s nothing you can do that will ever change anything.” How did you cope with that?
Keys to success — Vision
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: Many of us had moments when we doubted that apartheid would be defeated, certainly not in our lifetime. But, I never had that sense. I knew in a way that was unshakable, because you see, when you look at something like Good Friday, and saw God dead on the cross, nothing could have been more hopeless than Good Friday. And then, Easter happens, and whammo! Death is done to death, and Jesus breaks the shackles of death and devastation, of darkness, of evil. And, from that moment on, you see, all of us are constrained to be prisoners of hope. If God could do this with that utterly devastating thing, the desolation of a Good Friday, of the cross, well, what could stop God then from bringing good out of this great evil of apartheid? So, I never doubted that ultimately we were going to be free because ultimately, I knew there was no way in which a lie could prevail over the truth, darkness over light, death over life.
And actually now having had the advantage of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and being able to look at some of the records of what the apartheid government was doing, the thing that is surprising to me is why so many of us survived. I mean, how is it that they did not assassinate more of us? And it is in a sense a mystery unless, of course, you say, well, God does have very strange ways of working because, I mean, they could have — you know, I mean, people say, “Well, maybe you were saved by the fact that you were in the church and you — ” and I believe that that is true.
“Fly! Fly!” Desmond Tutu exhorts Academy delegates at 2006 International Achievement Summit in Los Angeles.
I really would get mad with God. I would say, “I mean, how in the name of everything that is good can you allow this or that to happen?” But I didn’t doubt that ultimately good, right, justice would prevail. That I said — there were times, of course, when you had to almost sort of whistle in the dark when you wished you could say to God, “God, we know you are running the show but why don’t you make it slightly more obvious that you are doing so?”
And I mean, you know, you look and you say today there really isn’t a cause today in the world that captures the imagination, the support, the commitment of people in the way that the anti-apartheid cause did. I mean, the anti-apartheid cause was global. You could go almost anywhere in the world and you’d be sure to find an anti-apartheid group there. We are beneficiaries of an incredible amount of loving. People were ready to be arrested. They were demonstrating on our behalf. People kept vigils on our behalf. I mean you see it now in some ways — well, even before Nelson Mandela was released in 1988, Trevor Huddleston, who was my mentor and was President of the Anti-Apartheid Movement suggested that young people should come on a kind of a pilgrimage which would culminate in Hyde Park Corner on the day or very close to the day of Nelson’s birthday, the 16th, I think the 16th of July, and young people responded. Young people who most of them were not born when Nelson Mandela went to jail, in 1988, and they flocked. There must have been at least a quarter million young people congregated in Hyde Park Corner in London and Trevor Huddleston said — this was Nelson’s 70th birthday — “Let this be his last birthday in jail.” Now that was ’78 — in ’88. It’s not too bad when you think that two years later he was out. But, you know, here was a man who could command so much reverence and support especially from people — young people who had never seen him, heard him, seen pictures of him, were not born when he went to jail. That was a measure of the support that we have had.
What I have to say really bowled me over was how quickly the change happened when it happened.
Keys to success — Perseverance
One moment, Nelson Mandela is in jail, and the next moment, he is walking, a free man. One moment, we are shackled as the oppressed of apartheid; the next, we are voting for the very first time. I was 63 when I voted for the first time in my life in the country of my birth. Nelson Mandela was 76 years of age. But it happened, it happened. It happened partly because the international community supported us. People prayed for us. People demonstrated on our behalf, especially young people. Students at universities and college campuses used to sit out in the baking sunshine to force their institutions to divest and the miracle happened. We became free because we were helped and we want to say a big “thank you” to the world. And, you can become free nonviolently.
Archbishop Tutu welcomes Barack Obama to the 2007 International Achievement Summit in Washington, D.C.
Did you and Nelson Mandela meet for the first time after he was released from imprisonment in 1990?
Keys to success — Perseverance
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: I had seen him only once before, before he got arrested, in the 1950s when he adjudicated at a debating contest, and I was part of that. I never saw him really again, although now our houses in Soweto are not so very far apart. In 1990, I think it’s the 11th of February, he came out and came to spend his first night in the house which was the official residence of the Archbishop of Cape Town, and I was the Archbishop of Cape Town! He was ensconced with the leadership of his party, the African National Congress, and now and again, they would be interrupted. There is a phone call. This is the White House, and there is a phone call. This is the Statehouse in Lusaka. I mean, he was getting telephone calls congratulating him and wishing him well, and he then had his first — on the Monday, he had his first press conference as a free man on the lawns of Bishop’s Court. Sort of, that was the extent of our meeting. I mean, I met him in the morning just to say “hi,” but what I do remember is he went around thanking the people, my staff, for, you know, people who had cooked their meals. He’s always been gracious in that kind of way, but this is sort of the first time I saw his charm working on people.
St. George’s Cathedral in Cape Town, during the 2009 International Achievement Summit, where Archbishop Tutu served as the Anglican Archbishop for ten years. Tutu hosted the Academy members for an evening symposium.
There were times when you were subjected at the least to fierce criticism, and there were times when you must have feared for your life. How do you deal with that?
Keys to success — Courage
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: We received death threats, yes, but you see when you are in a struggle, there are going to have to be casualties, and why should you be exempt? But I often said, “Look, here, God, if I’m doing your work, then you jolly well are going to have to look after me!” And God did God’s stuff. But it was — I mean people prayed. People prayed. You know, there’s a wonderful image in the Book of the Prophet Zechariah, where he speaks about Jerusalem not having conventional walls, and God says to this overpopulated Jerusalem, “I will be like a wall of fire ’round you.” Frequently in the struggle, we experienced a like wall of fire — people all over the world surrounding us with love. And you know that image of the Prophet Elijah — he is surrounded by enemies, and his servant is scared, and Elijah says to God, “Open his eyes so that he should see,” and God opens the eyes of the servant, and the servant looks, and he sees hosts and hosts and hosts of angels. And the prophet says to him, “You see? Those who are for us are many times more than those against us.”
When you first began, you knew what you were trying to do, and you perhaps had some idea of what you thought it would take to achieve this goal. Now that the goal of ending apartheid and creating democracy in South Africa is achieved, what do you know now that you didn’t know before?
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: I have come to realize the extraordinary capacity for evil that all of us have because we have now heard the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and there have been revelations of horrendous atrocities that people have committed. Any and every one of us could have perpetrated those atrocities. The people who were perpetrators of the most gruesome things didn’t have horns, didn’t have tails. They were ordinary human beings like you and me. That’s the one thing. Devastating! But the other, more exhilarating than anything that I have ever experienced — and something I hadn’t expected — to discover that we have an extraordinary capacity for good. People who suffered untold misery, people who should have been riddled with bitterness, resentment and anger come to the Commission and exhibit an extraordinary magnanimity and nobility of spirit in their willingness to forgive, and to say, “Hah! Human beings actually are fundamentally good.” Human beings are fundamentally good. The aberration, in fact, is the evil one, for God created us ultimately for God, for goodness, for laughter, for joy, for compassion, for caring.
When you were a boy in Klerksdorp, what was your childhood like, and what experiences had a large influence on you?
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: My childhood in Klerksdorp? Well, like any other black child, we lived in a ghetto, and yet, it wasn’t as if you went around feeling sorry for yourself.
My father was a schoolmaster, and I remember waking up one evening late, and seeing the room in which I was sleeping filled to the brim, as it were, with musical instruments — drums and kettle drums and trumpets — because they had a troop of Pathfinders — something like Boy Scouts — and it was just wonderful waking up and having all of this in front of you! And then, I often accompanied my father. I really liked riding with him on his bicycle on Saturdays. He was very fond of fishing. I don’t think I liked fishing. I mean, you had to sit quietly and still, but I enjoyed the ride. And it was fun, it was fun. I mean, as I say, you didn’t go around lugging a deep sense of resentment. We knew, yes, we were deprived. It wasn’t the same thing for white kids, but it was as full a life as you could make it. I mean, we made toys for ourselves with wires, making cars, and you really were exploding with joy!
And it really was fun. I mean, my parents — my father was a school master and principal of the primary school/elementary school in which I started. My mother was not very educated but it was great fun. I mean, you know, I had two — still have two sisters. My brothers died in infancy so I was the only boy in the family and to some extent perhaps a little bit spoiled.
Was there any book that you read growing up that had the most effect on you?
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: But one of the things that my father did was to let me read comics. Now people used to say that’s bad because it isn’t — it spoils your English but, in fact, letting me read — I devoured all kinds of comics — fed my love for English and my love for reading but I suppose if he had been firm I might not have developed this deep love for reading and for English, which stood me in good stead when I later went into hospital for 20 months. I did have something to do.
I had — as things maybe got a little bit more serious, I was given a diet — we didn’t have too many books but my father was keen that one read things like Aesop’s Fables and Lamb’s, Tales from Shakespeare. I didn’t read the originals but I read these stories that describe what Shakespeare was saying in the plays and that possibly was something that sharpened your appetite for later. I read — that would have been some of the things that I did. And then he had books that seemed to be like encyclopedia and it was fun just paging through. I recall just one occasion in class in this elementary school our teacher asking whether any one of us knew what they called those things in Holland for stopping the water. And it had just happened that I had been looking through these several books that my father had and it looked like I was really smart because I put up my hand and I said, “Dikes.” And the teacher didn’t know what to do. I mean, he was looking for something to — I mean, he really wanted to put me on a pedestal for having been able to know this particular thing but, yeah, I really enjoyed and had fun.
Was there one teacher in particular you remember?
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: Ultimately, it’s a man who was teaching us English Literature in what we call matricula, the last 2 years of high school. He really was quite extraordinary. When he spoke of a Shakespearean play, you almost thought that he grew up with Shakespeare! He was very good, yes. A black guy who was fantastic and gave us a deep love for literature.
Do you remember his name?
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: Yes. Geoff Mamabulu. He died. Geoff Mamabulu. He was fantastic, fantastic. But I had other teachers. If you gave me five opportunities, I would give you five good teachers who were incredible.
I mean good teachers, you know, people who were dedicated despite the fact that — yeah, we lived a segregated life and when you went to town where the whites lived you saw their schools much, much, much better in equipment, better grounds.
And even more extraordinary — see, I used to — my father bought me a bicycle and I was about the only kid in the ghetto who had a bicycle and he would send me into town. And, frequently I would see black kids scavenging in the dust bins of the schools where they picked out perfectly okay apples and fruit. White kids were being provided with school feeding, government school feeding, but most of the time they didn’t eat it. They preferred what their mommies gave them and so they would dump the whole fruit into the dust bin and these kids coming from a township who needed free meals didn’t get them. And so they got — it was things that registered without your being aware that they were registering and you’re saying there are these extraordinary inconsistencies in our lives.
But you see I grew up in a town called Ventersdorp and today — well, Ventersdorp became notorious because it’s the town where somebody called Eugène Terre’Blanche, who headed up the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging, AWB, Afrikaans Resistance Movement. A Neo Nazi group. Well, that was also his headquarters and I frequently said, “Well, you know, if South Africa can survive DTs and ET, it can survive anything.” But this town that had — yeah, I mean, it was racist to the extent that, you know, I mean all of South Africa was racist. blacks lived in ghetto townships called “Locations” and the whites in the white area. Although actually very strangely they allowed Indians even in Ventesdorp. Indians could live in the white residential area but they went to school with us.
But what I was trying to say is human beings are odd. I would go to town in part to go and buy newspapers for my father and, before taking them home, I would spread them on the sidewalk, the pavement, and I would kneel to read. Now this is a racist town. I can’t ever recall any day when what should have happened, in fact, did happen, which is that a white person would walk across the face of the newspaper. I can’t — I mean, I still am puzzled that they used to walk around this newspaper with this black kid kneeling down there reading when you would have expected that they would have made my life somewhat uncomfortable. I mean, I cannot understand that particular inconsistency. It is, therefore, one of my memories that why in the name of everything that is good didn’t those whites actually just be nasty, and they weren’t.
What kind of student were you as a kid?
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: I was okay. I think I was okay. Some people might have thought that I was perhaps, not totally unintelligent, but I give a lot of credit to our teachers because although our schools had very deficient equipment that we didn’t have many of the things that you would have expected in a school. We had very — many of the people who taught us were very dedicated and they inspired you to want to emulate them and really to become all that you could become. They gave you the impression that, in fact, yeah, the sky is the limit. You can, even with all of the obstacles that are placed in your way; you can reach out to the stars. I mean, when I went to high school our school did not have enough classrooms to accommodate all the students and so many of us, especially in — well, what we call from one, the first year of high school, we used to meet in church buildings and it used to be just one big hall where they accommodated four classes. So, you had to have a teacher who was engrossing because you could hear what the teacher in the other class was saying and if that was more interesting your teacher really had his job cut out to keep your attention, and we didn’t have desks. We sat on benches that were used on Sundays as the pews for the church and you sat when the teacher was holding forth and then when you wrote you knelt behind the bench and where you had been sitting was now your desk top so we used to write on those.
But again, you know, it’s — maybe we were not as politically conscious as kids became although I don’t think that is entirely true because we were glad when the Nazis were defeated. I went to high school in 1945 and we celebrated VE day. It was just wonderful.
We were wonderfully encouraged by what blacks were achieving in the United States. I recall when I was about nine picking up a tattered copy of Ebony magazine and I think — I mean, maybe journalists ought to know just how much power they actually have because here I was 10,000 miles away from America with this copy of Ebony magazine and it was describing the exploits of Jackie Robinson and how he broke into major league baseball. Now I didn’t know baseball from ping pong but what was so important for me, what made me grow inches was to know that a black guy had triumphed over all of the obstacles that were placed in his way and there he was now playing for something called Brooklyn Dodgers. Now I didn’t know Brooklyn Dodgers. I didn’t know Jackie, but it helped to exorcise what is the most awful consequence of racial injustice and it is the sense — this demon of self-hate when you have a very low self-esteem.
And I recall the many deaths we died when say Joe Louis, the Brown Bomber, fighting Billy Conn (1941) and losing or nearly losing. We would weep for those losses and when he triumphed somehow it was our victory. He was a kind of surrogate for us over there. Yes, we were being clobbered here but that didn’t matter, that is how it should be. It was possible as he had indicated and others.
I recall, too — it may not have been a very good film, Stormy Weather. I don’t know — I mean, whether you realize my pedigree vintage from the fact that Stormy Weather was a hit movie in the townships largely, of course, because the cast was all black and when I met Lena Horne later in life I told her, “Oh, I fell in love with you when I was about nine years of age.” The Fats Waller and the Ink Spots and all that kind of thing, you know, those were things that helped us to know that — how a racist society defined us was not the truth about us. And, again, you see, I mean we didn’t sit down and sort of work this out rationally consciously. It was things that as we were taking in unaware that you were in but that they helped you eventually one day in the struggle that you were going to make against the awfulness of apartheid. The recognition that not all white people, in fact, were the same. I mean, even that thing that these Afrikaans in Fantastop didn’t walk over my paper but walked around the paper maybe contributed to when one later on was in the struggle against racist apartheid remembering the essential humanity of people.
When you were a kid, what did you want to do? What did you want to be when you grew up?
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: I know that for a very long time my consuming passion, which was confirmed when I contracted TB — I had TB when I was about 12 or so — was I wanted to be a physician and when I got TB I was even more determined. I want to be physician so that I can find a cure for the scourge. And, in fact, I was admitted to medical school. If we had had the funds maybe today I would have been a physician. As it turned out, I was not able to take up my place at medical school and instead went to Teacher Training College because the government was giving scholarships for people who wanted to become teachers.
I became a teacher and I haven’t regretted that. I mean, it has just been wonderful because I thought back to my own teachers and what they had meant for me. And really trying to get kids who in so many other aspects of life were being told that they didn’t really count to get them to know that they really could become outstanding whatever they wanted within reason because in South Africa there were things that were outside the range for blacks — that were put outside the range for blacks by, I mean, deliberate decision.
I went back to teach at my alma mater, the high school where I’d done my own high school education and you were shaken by the conditions under which our kids were having to learn. I was teaching English and to think, I mean, that we had classes — this was average — of 80 students in a class and especially with language work you had to give kids a great deal of exercises, marking all of those 80. And, maybe you taught not just one class, you taught — I taught one, two, three, four classes. Two of which were about 80 each and the other two about 40 each, but that was sort of virtually par for the course. And, you complain — to whom would you complain because the government’s position was that these natives are a nuisance and the least you can do for them, the least you can get away with the better, but you would have thought we were already the pits in many ways. Our educational system was the pits. It was just the sheer determination of the people who — well, the parents, many of the parents uneducated but they were slogging like nobody’s business to give their kids the little education that they could get because they felt it gave them a chance to lead a reasonably better life, slightly better than their own parents.
I remember that one of the people who became a leading novelist in South Africa, Askim Patheli, he had at one time been a teacher, a high school teacher, and then couldn’t take government policy. And you know he went and worked as a clerk at a blind — at a school for blind blacks and he was a driver/clerk. I met up with him because my mother was a cook in the same institution and now here was this guy, he could have sort of disintegrated but despite doing what was a very lonely job he went on to study and by correspondence, distance learning he put in a master’s thesis and was the first person — not the first black — he was the first person at the university, the University of South Africa, to get a master’s in English with distinction, you know. And so you had wonderful role models and they were some of the things that subverted the ghastliness of our situation.
And so I — yeah, I tried to be what my teachers had been to me to these kids seeking to instill in them a pride, a pride in themselves. A pride in what they were doing. A pride that said they may define you as so and so. You aren’t that. Make sure you prove them wrong by becoming what the potential in you says you can become. And so I taught for four years and it was fun. It was fun. I mean, it was fun when you got — I taught English and History and it was fun when you got kids beginning to see the interconnectedness of things.
But then I decided, no, I would not participate any longer as a collaborator. When the government decided that they were going to have something called Bantu education, an education specifically designed for blacks, and they made no bones about the fact that it was designed as education for perpetual serfdom. Dr. Favolt said, “Why do you have to teach blacks mathematics? What are they going to do with mathematics? You must teach them enough English and Afrikaans, the other white language as it were, for them to be able to understand instructions given to them by their white employers.” He said that. I mean, unabashedly that was the purpose for him of education. So I said, “No, I’m sorry. I can’t — I can’t collaborate with such a travesty, but I didn’t have too many alternatives, too many options to choose from.
What first drew you to the priesthood?
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: I wanted to become a doctor, a physician, and I was admitted to medical school, but my family did not have the money for fees. So I ended up becoming a teacher. I stopped being a teacher when the South African Government introduced a deliberately inferior education for blacks called Bantu education, and I felt I wasn’t ready to collaborate with this apology for an educational system. Our children, the 1976 kids who revolted against apartheid in Soweto, called it “gutter education,” and it was gutter education. I left teaching. Of course, I didn’t have too many option, and mercifully, the Bishop of Johannesburg at that time accepted me for training for the priesthood. So I came to the priesthood, as it were, by default.
What do you think the Bishop saw in you that set you apart from other young men?
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: What did the Bishop see in me? I wonder. I actually do wonder. There is one thing which made me slightly different. Up to that point, not too many people with university degrees were offering themselves — certainly in the black community — were offering themselves for training for the priesthood. So, he might have considered me a rare catch. And, I have to say it’s been an incredibly fulfilling and rewarding vocation. God has been wonderfully, wonderfully good.
What have you found so rewarding about the priesthood that someone who has never experienced it wouldn’t know?
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: What is rewarding about the priesthood is, one, that you have an incredible privilege of being privy to some of the most extraordinary things about people. I mean, as their parish priest, you visit people who are sick, say, on their death bed and they tell you things that they probably have not shared with any other person. You are privileged to bring the Holy Sacrament to people at a time when they are probably at their lowest. But you also have the privilege of meeting up with people at their moment of great joy, when they are getting married, or when they have a child baptized. And you know, you are given the privilege of connecting people, as it were. Connecting people with the transcendent, connecting people with their God. And in many ways, each one of us, of course, is expected to be an icon, an image of that which is invisible, an image of God, each one of us because we each have been created in the image of God. So people actually, if they want to know, “What is God like?” they would have to look at you and me and see us as being compassionate, because God is compassionate, as being loving, because God is loving. God is invisible. People wouldn’t know about God except through those who are God’s representatives, you and I and all of us.
When Nelson Mandela became President of South Africa in 1994, he appointed you Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Do you think that marks the beginning of a new South Africa?
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: Well, when in 1994 he was elected and I was given the privilege of introducing him to South Africa as our new president and to the world, I sort of whispered to God and said, “God, I don’t really mind now. I mean, if I die now, it would be almost the perfect moment. This is the theme for which we had all been waiting for,” and then a year or so after that, to be asked to preside over a process for trying to heal a traumatized and wounded people was just an unbelievable privilege, and it was an amazing, amazing experience where people of all races, not just black people, people of all races amazed the world with the exhibition of their magnanimity, their generosity of spirit, their willingness not to seek revenge and retribution, but to be willing to forgive. I mean forgive sometimes the most horrendous atrocities that had been committed against them. We would not be sitting here and speaking of a South Africa that is now celebrating 13 years of freedom I think if we had not had a process similar to the one that we engaged in.
It was not faultless. I mean, it couldn’t have been perfect. It had its flaws, but it was a good thing to have happened for us to, and I said at one time it was like looking the beast of our past in the eyes, taking very serious account of what had happened, not pretending it hadn’t happened, and to the extent that we could do anything about it, dealing with it in that fashion, and then saying we have dealt with a significant part of our past, we are now closing that chapter of our history, and we are turning a new page where we are going to try to walk together as a united people.
In the past, we were aware of alienation, oppression, and injustice. Now we want to demonstrate to the world that it is possible to become a rainbow nation, a nation of all races, of different cultures, of different religions, and say it is possible for such to cohere and become one nation.
We are the only nation that has 11 official languages. We have a national anthem in which we sing in four languages. I think we are about the only nation in the world that has a polyglot anthem of that kind and with different tunes, as it were, trying to incorporate elements that were held in high regard by different sections of our community, so we have something that reminds us of the Africana. We sing in English, we sing in Xhosa, we sing in Sotho, we sing in Afrikaans, all in one national anthem, and yeah, it has been amazing, given where we come from. It has been amazing that we should have the kind of stability we have had.
We have got many problems, poverty, HIV/AIDS, crime, but anyway, you can say show me one nation in the world that has no problems and I will tell you of a fiction.
How do you see the situation in South Africa now? Do you see a conflict between the drive to attract investment, and at the same time repair the economic inequalities that have survived apartheid? Some have said the reparation process is being slowed down by economic considerations. What are your views on that?
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: You can’t put a money value to freedom. You know, people will frequently ask, “Have things changed in South Africa?” And in a sense, they haven’t changed. I mean — when you referred to the material things, which are quite important — I mean, the people who lived in shacks in 1994, many of them still live in shacks. Those who were the affluent in the apartheid years have tended still to be the affluent. But you know, what money value do you put to being free? It’s an incredibly difficult thing to describe to someone who has never been un-free, what it means now not to have shackles. It’s almost like trying to describe a red rose to a blind man or to try to tell someone about the beauty of a Beethoven symphony and they’re deaf.
So a great deal has changed, but we in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission said, “Watch it. You can kiss reconciliation and forgiveness goodbye, unless the gap between the rich and the poor — the haves and the have-nots — is narrowed, and narrowed quickly and dramatically.”
So yes, we face very, very considerable problems. I used to be “Mister Disinvestment.” Now I would like to be Mister Investment and say, “Come! Come and be part of an exciting, exhilarating process. Come in! Come in on the ground floor and see a people do something that’s probably never happened before, people seeking to become something radically different from what their antecedents would have made us believe they were likely to become.”
How did you learn that you had won the Nobel Peace Prize?
We got word that somebody was — my aide — I was at a seminary, a general theological seminary and he got word from the Norwegian Ambassador to the United Nations who he said asked him whether I would be there the following day, which is I think the 10th of October when the announcement is usually made. And, I said to my wife, “I don’t think they usually want to come and tell you, you have not got the Nobel Peace Prize. Why should he want to know where I will be tomorrow?” And it was the most awful thing to have been told, you know, because try as we might to be indifferent, it was a lie. I mean, you were not — certainly I wasn’t indifferent. In many ways I wanted to have got the prize for the reasons that I — and also just for personal reasons. I mean, yeah, it’s nice to be a Nobel Laureate. And my wife and I, poor things, we had one of the most awful nights that I could ever remember and I got up early, usually I went for a jog. I was this — the professor who was looking after me said, “I’m sorry, don’t go out today. Don’t go out because the press was camped outside the seminary.” And then somebody said, “The Ambassador is arriving and he is carrying flowers.” But, I say I don’t — I don’t think they usually come with bouquets to come and tell you, “Look here, sorry, I mean you have not got the Nobel Peace Prize.” My poor wife and I tried to be as indifferent as you could have ever imagined and then his Excellency came and knocked on the door of the apartment and greeted us and said, “Good morning.” And it was about, I think, 10:00 o’clock or so, and he said, “Well, at this time in Oslo they are announcing now that you are the Nobel Peace Prize winner for 1984.” And again, I mean, you are not quite sure. You pinch yourself. Is this a dream? You’re going to wake up and discover you were imagining all of this, yeah.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: [Laughter.]. There’s a fantastic feeling. A fantastic feeling. You — I mean, elated. Elated because it made several points. It was saying our cause is noble. Our cause is nonviolent and you’re saying you people who have been oppressed in South Africa the world is with you. You people, who have been oppressing them, watch out.
And then — I mean, one of the points that the committee made was that the award was not a personal award. I was General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches at the time and they made it quite clear that really it was a corporate award. They gave it to me because I think it is usually better than giving it to an institution and I have an easy name. You know what I mean, Tutu. Every — any European can say — any American can say Tutu. Whereas if, I mean, I had been something like Matashavalla that might have made it a little more difficult. So — and you see it’s an incredible thing. You say something before you get the Nobel Peace Prize. You say something. You get the Nobel Peace Prize and you say the same thing that you said before you got the prize and now everybody thinks, “Oh, dear, the oracle has spoken.”
And, it opened doors which was important for our people. It was important for our people at that point in our history because we were tending to go off the radar screen and this brought us back spectacularly. I had been trying — and it happens I was trying to have an interview with President Reagan and they weren’t particularly interested in seeing me. As soon as I got the Nobel Peace Prize, I didn’t do anything and I got word, “The President is inviting you to the White House with Mrs. Tutu.” So, I was able to meet with him and to say the things that I wanted to say on behalf of our people face-to-face. So, it was a fantastic — it was a fantastic thing. I was in New York at the time. In the extraordinary kinds of ways that God works. See the South African Government had prevented me coming the previous year. They had taken away my passport and then allowed me to come in 1984. And you couldn’t have had a better place in a sense for the thing to be announced so that it had maximum impact. I mean, New York. If you wanted — if they had asked me where do you want to be when they announce the Nobel Prize, I couldn’t have chosen a better spot but they are very meticulous, these people, and very, very careful.
How can a government gain the trust of its enemies after peace has been declared? How can the United States, for example, begin the process of peace in Iraq through the eyes of the world?
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: Remember that the resentment and the anger leveled at the United States is not leveled against Americans as Americans. It is leveled against a particular policy followed by a particular administration, and change the policy or maybe change the administration, and you will find, I mean, that there is very little anti-Americanism in the world. There is a lot of — I mean, there is a lot of anger at an America that has been arrogant and an America that believe it is good, go it alone. You know, your unilateralism where you went to the United Nations thinking that they would just endorse your view, and when they said no, you said go jump in the lake, and you went and you did your own thing, and you landed in a huge mess. Well, people don’t want to say we told you so, you know, because you realize, I mean, after 9/11, most of the world was deeply — I mean, America was held in the highest. People really felt deeply for you, and I’m sure you all felt loved, and you dissipated it in next to no time. You know, I mean, chop, chop, chop, and it disappeared, but it shows, you know, it isn’t that there is an ingrained hatred of America. There isn’t. I mean, people love you, and you can still travel I think. On the whole, you can travel in most parts of the world, but they certainly — and I share — I share that anger at your arrogance, at your bully, bully boy behavior. I mean, it doesn’t sit well. If you change that, you will be — you will be the blue-eyed boy, blue-eyed girl of the world.
You provided extraordinary leadership at a crucial time in your country’s history. What do you think are the essential elements of leadership?
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: You might say that it helps if you maybe are articulate. It helps if you can be funny and it helps — it helps to know — I mean — and it’s not because you are being humble. It is that you know that you are standing out in this crowd because you are being carried on the shoulders of others. You know, you may have the capacity to articulate their aspirations. That is maybe something special you might have. But what is a leader without followers? I mean you would have all of these interviews and people will not — would not necessarily want to follow. No, I am a great believer in the fact that everything is corporate. Everything is corporate and you — as a leader you are one who can coax the best out of others.
What do you say to young people? Dream. Dream. Dream. Be like God, dream because God believes in you young people. Most of God’s best collaborators and partners have been young people. Joseph, David, Jeremiah, St. Francis. They are young, young, young. And in many ways Jesus was young. Many of those who have been God’s best works — fellow workers have been young. And don’t allow oldies to fill you with their cynicism and disillusionment.
Dream. Dream that this world can become better as you do dream, in fact. I mean, when these young people go off and work as Peace Corps and other volunteering groups in poverty stricken places where they don’t get any better headlines for dreaming the good things. Dream. Dream. Dream. Dream that this can be a world without poverty. Dream that this can be a world without war. Dream that this is a world that will recognize that every human being matters. Dream. Dream. Dream.
Our Lord Jesus Christ provided a revolutionary paradigm shift for what a leader should be, turning sort of topsy-turvy the prevalent conventional views according to which the leader is one who lords it over his underlings. Basically they have to know their place.
It seems that the lines are often blurred that distinguish between a political leader and a spiritual leader. Your ambitions didn’t seem to set you on a path to holding a political office. Did you ever envision yourself pursuing politics?
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: There will always be so many who might say, “Ah, he’s a politician masquerading as an archbishop.” Politics is so all-pervasive, and in my theology, obviously, all of life belongs to God, and you don’t have compartments, this is your economic life, this is your political life, this is your religious life. Religion encompasses all of those. But yes, I wouldn’t myself have said I was setting out to be a political animal. It is just how things have panned out that at a particular moment, our political leaders were not available. Either they were in jail or in exile or restricted in some form or another, and I just happened to be a leader by default to our people and that particular time in our history.
Someone said, “There are two rules in this operation. Rule number one: the leader is always right. Rule number two: in case the leader is wrong, refer to rule number one.” It is that we think of the one who leads as a person who uses verbs in the imperative mood. “Do this!” “Jump!” You ask, “How high?” Now Jesus said, in fact, the real, the authentic leader shows the attribute of leadership in a kind of paradoxical way, almost an oxymoron.
The leader is the servant. So leadership is not having your own way. It’s not for self-aggrandizement. But oddly, it is for service. It is for the sake of the led. It is a proper altruism. Now that paradigm sounds hugely unrealistic, idealistic, something for dreamers, namby-pamby — when you think of our current world as a world of cutthroat competitiveness, dog-eat-dog, where stomach ulcers become status symbols, survival of the fittest, everyone for himself, herself, and the devil take the hindmost. And yet, you see, if you live by this latter code in your corporation, in your school, in whatever organization, you may indeed succeed, but it is at very, very great cost. You end up being feared rather than loved, as happened with a former state president of South Africa’s, P.W. Botha, when the knives were out for him. No one, not even his closest associates, mourned his departure. And so they frequently say, “On your way up, be nice to those you meet. You might encounter them on your way down.”
And you realize that this isn’t just something that is idealistic, romantic, sentimental. Just look at a Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa and Aung San Suu Kyi and Nelson Mandela, and you’ll see that one of the outstanding characteristics of each one of these is how they have poured themselves out prodigally on behalf of others, of their being so utterly selfless.
And when you thought that in a hard-nosed, cynical age such as our own, you would be wanting to admire, hold in high regard the macho, the aggressive. It isn’t the “hose” that we revere! Mother Teresa? You could say a lot about her, but “macho” is not one of the words you would use of her. And yet the world has had an incredibly deep reverence for her. She’s not been even successful. And yet people almost universally would say this is true leadership, this is authentic leadership, because she has a credibility that seems to come far more easily through suffering.
Suffering seems to authenticate the leader. And so you see a Nelson Mandela, who was President not of a usually successful country, militarily or economically, and yet one has to admit that perhaps we have to say he stands head and shoulders above virtually every other statesperson in the world. And you say, “Why?” And it will be that people will say, “Well, his magnanimity, his readiness to have forgiven those who treated him so shabbily.” Ultimately, it is that we recognize goodness. Goodness! Mother Teresa, she is good. Not successful, not macho. The Dalai Lama, mischievous, and yet with an incredible well of serenity at the center of his life. Someone who’s been in exile for several, several decades. And so you think, I mean, that to some extent, suffering has to be a component of that which goes to make a good leader. And then you lead by leading, being willing to take risks. Mikhail Gorbachev did that with glasnost and perestroika. Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk, they were not doing things that were hugely popular within their constituencies. And then I think you have to be someone who affirms others, someone who is ready to see the good that is in others, and perhaps help to coax it from them.
There was a cartoon that showed God looking at a poster that said, “God Is Dead.” And God, looking somewhat quizzical, said, “Oh, that makes me feel so insecure.” We, each of us, need so much to be affirmed. For each of us has — gnawing away at the center of our being — a sense of insecurity, some more than others. And frequently, the more insecure, the more aggressive we become. The more we like to throw our weight about and say people should recognize us. If they don’t recognize us for goodness, then they will recognize us for being stroppy (obstreperous).
Almost all seem to want to see in the leader the attributes that they wish they themselves have: integrity, compassion, gentleness, magnanimity — the things that make you and I proud to be human, to say, “Ah yes. There are awful things about us, but I realize I am actually made for the transcendent. I am made for goodness. I am made for laughter. I am made for caring. I am made for sharing.” And those leaders who somehow embody these things show that it is achievable. Yes, the sky is the limit, and we are meant to reach for the stars and dream God’s dream.
Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us, Archbishop.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: God bless you.
A lot of people will draw inspiration from your words today.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: Thank you.
| Desmond Tutu |
Which western European city is served by 'Kloten Airport'? | International Civil Rights: Walk of Fame - Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu
1925 - present
A world-renowned South African Anglican cleric and human rights activist, Bishop Desmond Tutu's work to end apartheid gained international attention and served as a basis for his being awarded the Noble Peace Prize (1984). In June 1976 after police killed youths in Soweto as they protested the repressive Bantu education system, the Anglican cleric supported the economic boycott of South Africa. At the time, he was Bishop of Lesotho (1976-1978). After he became the first black Secretary-General of the South African Council of Churches (1978-1985), Tutu joined Reverend Alan Boesak in the creation of the United Democratic Front (1983), an organization that called for the government to abolish apartheid and eliminate the homelands. After the defeat of apartheid in 1990, South Africa held its first multi-racial elections in 1994. Newly elected President Nelson Mandela appointed Archbishop Tutu to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, investigating the human rights violations of the previous 34 years.
At the age of 12, Desmond moved to Johannesburg with his family. Though he wanted to be a physician, his family could not afford to send him to medical school. Desmond became a teacher like his father instead. He attended Bantu Normal College (1951-1953), earning a Teacher's Diploma. For the next several years Tutu taught high school. In 1958 Tutu began to study theology; two years later he was ordained a Deacon in the Anglican Church. From 1962-66 Tutu studied and taught theology in England (1962-1966) and earned a Master of Theology degree. He taught theology in South Africa (1967-1972). Then in 1975, he was appointed Dean of St. Mary's Cathedral in Johannesburg, the first black to hold that position.
Tutu continues to speak out on human rights issues. He has called on Israel to respect the human dignity of the Palestinians. He has been critical of the War in Iraq, calling it an immoral war that has made the world less safe. Tutu is married to Leah Nomalizo and they have four children: Trevor Thamsanqa, Theresa Thandeka, Naomi Nontombi, Mpho Andrea.
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Which name describes a battle in Northumberland, a district of Washington DC, and an American actor? | Community and cultural events in the District - The Washington Post
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June 22, 2016
Thursday, June 23
Reflecting Pool memorials National Park Service rangers lead walking tours of the Lincoln, Vietnam Veterans, Korean War Veterans and World War II memorials. Daily at 10 a.m. 2 and 6 p.m. Through June 30. Meet at the Hawaii-Alaska Plaque, below the Lincoln Memorial steps, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. 202-426-6841. Free.
Washington Cathedral behind the scenes Age 11 and older. See gargoyles and stained-glass windows and climb stairs for a panoramic view of the city. Take a camera. Weekdays except holidays at 10:30 a.m. Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-537-2228. nationalcathedral.org . $26, ages 11 and 12 $21.
Therapeutic yoga classes Gentle yoga classes to help reduce stress and balance the mind, body and spirit. All experience levels welcome. Thursdays and Mondays at 10:30 a.m., Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Through June 30. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. 202-483-2800. smithcenter.org . $10 per class, $25/month.
Spring garden tours A tour guide discusses the history, design, plants and flowers of the 13 acres of the Hillwood Estate formal gardens in a one-hour tour. Daily at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Through June 26. Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. 202-686-5807. hillwoodmuseum.org . $15; 65 and older, $12; 6 to 18, $5; 5 and younger, free.
“World War I: Black Jack Pershing and American diplomacy” A National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour and discusses World War I’s questions about the college teacher and diplomat who commanded U.S. forces. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Pershing Park, 1400 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Joe Mohr, 202-359-1532. Free.
“Dear Senator: Estes Kefauver and the anti-crime crusade in the South” Tammy Ingram, associate professor of history at the College of Charleston, discusses her research and book project, “The Wickedest City in America: Sex, Race, and Organized Crime in the Jim Crow South.” Noon. National Archives, Room 25, Research Center, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-357-5000. Free.
Tidal Basin memorials National Park Service rangers lead walking tours of the Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson memorials. Daily at noon and 4 p.m. Through June 30. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, 1964 Independence Ave. SW. 202-426-6841. Free.
Stroll through the National Garden Education program specialist Alexandra Torres leads a tour of the outdoor garden and discusses its history, favorite native plants and the sustainable techniques to create and care for it. Wear protective clothing and bring sunscreen and water. Noon. U.S. Botanic Garden. Meet by the entrance to the Conservatory on the terrace, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. usbg.gov . Free.
Coloring club for adults Not just for kids. Coloring sheets and pencils provided. Thursdays and Tuesdays at 2 p.m. West End Interim Library, 2522 Virginia Ave. NW. 202-724-8698. Free.
Kids Club: Reader’s Theatre Bring your inner ninja to life through a reading of Corey Rosen Schwartz’s “The Three Ninja Pigs.” Children will read aloud from scripts created from the book; parents are welcome. 2 p.m. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-0321. Free.
Music for Little Ones A 20- to 30-minute introduction to language and music for children 5 and younger; grown-ups will actively participate. Thursdays 2 p.m. Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-0232. Free.
BioArt: The Brain Ages 7-12. Participants use images from a “BioArt” exhibition to investigate how the brain sends signals to the body, and participate in a role-playing activity about neural connections. 3:30 p.m. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. [email protected] . 202-282-3139. Free.
Sculpture Gallery tours Saturdays at 3:30 p.m., Sundays at 11:30 a.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2:30 p.m. National Gallery of Art, West Building, main floor rotunda, Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215. Free.
French story time For children of all ages. Learn French songs, practice spoken French and connect words with motion and stories. Thursdays 4 p.m., through June 30. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. [email protected] . 202-671-3121. Free.
Movie: “Cars” The Disney Pixar animated film that honors this summer’s theme, “Go for the Gold: Read.” 4 p.m. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. 202-727-0232. [email protected] . Free.
Ready, Set, GoBots for teens Ages 13-19. Build an amazing motorized machine that wiggles, spins, moves and goes home with you. 4 p.m. Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. 202-698-6373 or [email protected] . Free.
Lego club Ages 5-12 may build a skyscraper, a pirate ship or whatever they may imagine. Thursdays at 4 p.m. Woodridge Library, 1790 Douglas St. NE. 202-541-6226. [email protected] . Free.
“One Destiny” Actors take on the identities of individuals who were present the night of President Lincoln’s assassination and explore the key facts surrounding it. Wednesdays-Saturdays 4:30 and 5:30 p.m., Mondays 4:30 p.m., through July 2. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. 202-347-4833 or fords.org . $5.
Lego games Fun with some LEGO-inspired games. 4:30 p.m. Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. [email protected]. . 202-243-1188. Free.
Chess for kids Weekly instruction for all ages of children who want to learn how to play the game or play with better strategy in tournaments, chess instructor teaches how to think, plan your next move and use your brain power to win, made possible by the Friends of the Cleveland Park Library. Thursdays at 5 p.m. Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. [email protected] . 202-282-3080. Free.
Game night at the library Kids and teens, ages 7-16, may play competitive games from video games to card games to board games. Thursdays at 5 p.m. Parklands-Turner Library, 1547 Alabama Ave. SE. parklandsturnerlibrary@dc . 202-645-4532. Free.
Let’s get crafty Teens may get involved in creating crafts, all materials provided. 5 p.m. Deanwood Library, 1350 49th St. NE. [email protected] . 202-698-1175. Free.
Conversation: Gabriel Dawe and Nora Atkinson Artist Gabriel Dawe discusses his installation Plexus A1, a rainbow prism created from hundreds of threads of colored string, with Renwick Gallery curator Nora Atkinson. Dawe will delve into his process and inspirations, including the embroidery that surrounded him in his childhood in Mexico City. 5:30 p.m. Renwick Gallery, 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. 202-633-1000. Free.
Luce Unplugged: BRNDA Listen to the local jangly post-punk band. With an art talk; snacks and drinks available at a cash bar. 5:30 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free.
Employment discrimination workshop Staff members from the D.C. Office of Human Rights will discuss employment discrimination and the rights of job seekers, applicants and employees. Topics include laws that protect pregnant workers and unemployed job seekers. 6 p.m. Shaw (Watha T. Daniel) Library, 1630 7th St. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-1288. Free.
“Shear Madness” A comedy murder mystery set in Georgetown, with audience participation. Thursdays at 6 and 9 p.m. Fridays at 5 p.m. Saturdays at 6 and 9 p.m. Sundays at 3 and 7 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center, Theater Lab, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. $50.
Learn to play chess For all ages to learn to play the game, improve your strategy or practice your moves with other players. Thursdays and Tuesdays at 6 p.m. Deanwood Library, 1350 49th St. NE. [email protected] . 202-698-1175. Free.
Color away your stress For adults who want to relax and de-stress with something more complicated than a children’s coloring book, all supplies provided or bring your own. Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. Through July 7. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. [email protected] . 202-282-3139. Free.
“A Serious Man” The 2009 black comedy-drama film by the Coen Brothers, rated R. 6:30 p.m. West End Interim Library, 2522 Virginia Ave. NW. 202-724-8698. Free.
Book to film club Which is better, the book or the movie? Throw in your two cents at this event, get the current title from Peter Sullivan by email [email protected] , popcorn provided. 6:30 p.m. Takoma Park Library, 416 Cedar St. NW. [email protected] . 202-576-7252. Free.
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” The start of the Summer Pajama Movie Night Series, watch Han Solo and Chewbacca to search for the one hope of restoring peace. 6:30 p.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-1488. Free.
Adult book club discussion People who love to read discuss “Go Set a Watchman,” by Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and then join the group for a stroll around the neighborhood. 6:30 p.m. Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. [email protected] . 202-698-6373. Free.
Refugees Then and Now: What Has Changed? Program with a refugee who fled Europe to escape the Nazis in the 1930s and seek refuge in the United States, and a Syrian refugee who was forced to leave Syria in 2011. 6:30 p.m. Goethe-Institut, 1990 K St NW, Suite 3. 202-847-4700. goethe.de/washington .
Meditation for peace and well being Long time meditator David Newcomb welcomes new and advanced meditators to share a simple technique of spiritual meditation. 7 p.m. Chevy Chase Library, DC, 5625 Connecticut Ave. NW. [email protected] . 202-282-0021. Free.
Meditation workshop: stop and breathe Staff member from CALMFIDENCE Institute teaches understanding mindfulness, how it affects your breathing, finding peace, boosting happiness and more. 7 p.m. Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. 202-698-6373. [email protected] . Free.
Meditation: tool to balance your life Group meeting. 7 p.m. Lamond-Riggs Library, 5401 South Dakota Ave. NE. [email protected] . 202-541-6255. Free.
Summertime self-defense class D’Angelo Kinard, of Advanced Sports Performance, teaches the basics of self-defense during a 90-minute session. 7 p.m. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. [email protected] . 202-282-3139. Free.
Yoga at Northwest One Beginner and intermediate levels, wear comfortable clothing, mats and blocks provided. Thursdays at 7 p.m. Northwest One Library, Meeting Room, 155 L St. NW. [email protected] . 202-939-5946. Free.
“District Merchants” Four-time Helen Hayes Award-winner Aaron Posner writes and directs a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice.” Tuesdays-Thursdays 7:30 p.m.. Fridays 8 p.m., Saturdays 2 and 8 p.m. and Sundays 2 and 7 p.m. Through July 3. Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE. 202-544-4600. folger.edu . $35-$75.
Chris Thile, Gabriel Kahane, Julian Lage and Merrill Garbus 7:30 p.m. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. www.kennedy-center.org . Free.
“Hitch” Crime thriller starring Will Smith, Eva Mendes and Kevin James. Doors open 8 p.m. Film at 8:35 p.m. Canal Park, Second and I streets SE, 200 M St. SE. 202-465-7080. capitolriverfront.org . Free.
Friday, June 24
Baby and toddler story time Ages 3-5 and their adult caregivers explore stories and activities that encourage them to develop a lifelong love of reading and learning in this 30-40 minute program designed to promote language and listening skills, expand children’s imaginations and arouse their curiosity about the world around them. Fridays at 10 a.m. Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library, 1630 7th St. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-1288. Free.
Bilingual Spanish story time Fridays at 10 a.m. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. [email protected] . 202-671-3121. Free.
“Free State of Jones” Action drama set during the Civil War, the true story of a defiant Southern farmer and his extraordinary armed rebellion against the Confederacy. Banding together with other small farmers and local slaves, an uprising that led Jones County, Miss. to secede from the Confederacy, creating a Free State of Jones. Friday-Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., 1:30, 4:30 and 7:45 p.m., Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., 1:30, 4:30 and 8 p.m., June 30 at 10:30 a.m., 1:30, 4:30 and 7:45 p.m. Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-966-6000. $8.75-$11.75.
Children’s safety seats and belts inspection D.C. Safe Kids ensures the proper installation of seats and seat belts. Fridays at 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-476-3618. thearcdc.org . www.thearcdc.org . Free.
“Gravedigger’s Tale” Comedic actor Louis Butelli stars in a one-man production based on “Hamlet.” Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m. and Sunday at noon. Folger Theatre, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202-544-7077. folger.edu/events/gravediggers-tale-0 . Free.
Move, Learn, Create Stretch your creative capacity, feel good and connect with fellow participants, features a variety of dance styles, all experience levels welcome. Fridays 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. 202-483-8600. www.smithcenter.org . $10/class, $25/month.
Guided Garden Tour: Historic and Growing Learn about the history and horticulture of centuries-old trees, heirloom plants and flowers, English boxwood shrubs that thrive in a 5½-acre historic landscape, and how they have changed since the nation’s earliest days. Fourth Fridays through October. 11 a.m. Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW. 202-965-0400. Register at tudorplace.org . $10.
Noon garden tour Visit a jungle, desert and tropical paradise, travel back to the Jurassic period or tour with a guide who will connect the exotic plant world to everyday life, look at bananas, cacao and coffee ripening on the tree or learn about the next big breakthrough in medical plant research. Fridays, Mondays and Wednesdays at noon. Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Through June 29. U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . Free.
Pipe organ concert New York organist Aaron Comins will perform a set of organ transcriptions of musical works by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Edward German, and bring the concert season to a close with the overture from Bizet’s “Carmen.” 12:15 to 1 p.m. National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir. NW. Donations welcome. 202-797-0103 or nationalcitycc.org .
“Genius” Drama about the complex friendship and transformative professional relationship between the editor who discovered F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway and a larger-than-life literary giant, starring Colin Firth and Jude Law. Friday-Tuesday at 1, 5:30 and 8:15 p.m., Wednesday at 1 and 5:30 p.m., June 30 at 1, 5:30 and 8:15 p.m. Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-966-6000. $8.75-$11.75.
“Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer” For all ages, a film about a feisty third-grader who is determined to have the most exciting summer of her life, age nine and younger must be accompanied by a caregiver. 3 p.m. Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. 202-724-4752. [email protected] . 202-724-4752. Free.
Whatever Became of . . . ? National Park Service Ranger Lowell Fry discusses the search for Lincoln family members and itheir descendants. Friday and Saturday at 3 and 7 p.m. Lincoln Memorial, Statuary chamber, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Lowell Fry, 202-438-9603. Free.
Diary of a Chambermaid Drama set in late 19th century France, about a resentful young chambermaid who works in a bourgeoisie Normandy home and chafes againist the cruelty and perversions of her upper class employers. Friday-Thursday at 3:20 p.m. Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-966-6000. $8.75-$11.75.
Drawing up close Ever noticed how different things look from up close? Use the library’s magnifying glasses to observe and draw everyday items differently. Fridays at 3:30 p.m. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. [email protected]. . 202-282-3139. Free.
U.S. Department of Agriculture farmers market With 32 vendors of fresh fruits and vegetables, bedding plants, herbs, seafood, eggs, dairy products, cured meats and baked goods. Also, classes on vegetables and fruits. Fridays 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. Farmers market, Department of Agriculture, 12th Street and Independence Avenue SW. 866-632-9992. ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets .
Jazz in a sculpture garden: Enter the Haggis A Celtic folk rock Toronto-based band. 5 p.m. National Gallery of Art, Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215. Free.
“Serenade! A Cappella Celebration in Capitol Hill” Choral groups Koris Logos (Latvia) and Kobra Ensemble (Netherlands) perform as part of the 2016 Serenade! Washington, D.C. Choral Festival. 7:30 p.m. Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 212 East Capitol St. NE. 703-683-6045. classicalmovements.com . Suggested donation: $5-$15.
“The Miser” Popular comedy by Molière with lightning-fast dialogue, appropriate for age 7 and older. Some performances are ASL-interpreted; open captioning available. Friday 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Elstad Auditorium, Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Ave. NE. 800-838-300 or brownpapertickets.com/event/2267216 . $25, students, military, seniors $18, children 11 and younger $12.
Punch Brothers, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer and I’m With Her 8 p.m. Kennedy Center, Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. www.kennedy-center.org . $25-$79.
U.S. Army Chorus The men’s choral group celebrates its 60th anniversary with a concert series. 8 p.m. U.S. Capitol building, west lawn, 100 Constitution Ave. NE. 703-696-3718. usarmyband.com . Free.
U.S. Marines on Parade Silent Drill Team, Drum and Bugle Corps, Color Guard, Silent Drill Platoon and Ceremonial Marchers; guests with reservations admitted at 7:15 p.m.; visitors must arrive no later than 8 p.m. Parade, 8:45 p.m. Fridays through Aug. 26. Marine Barracks, Eighth and I streets SE. 202-433-4011 or 202-433-6060. mbw.usmc.mil . Free; reservations required.
Saturday, June 25
Ranger-led run A trek of about four miles around the Mall. Learn about some of the most iconic city sites. The pace is about 10 minutes per mile, with multiple stops. 9-10:30 a.m. Washington Monument, Lodge, 15th Street NW between Jefferson and Madison drives. Laura Abbott, 202-570-2785.
Street photography Two hour workshop to learn the basic skills and how to upload your photos to flickr.com . 10 a.m. Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188. Registration required at dclibrary.org/petworth#eventsTab . Free.
ESL Conversation circle For adults who speak English as a second language, facilitated by Washington English Center volunteer teachers. Saturdays at 10 a.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-727-1488. [email protected] . Free.
Fitness event: practice with love yoga gatherings WithLoveDC, a movement to spread love, joy and acceptance throughout the city. Bring a mat. Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory West Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . Free.
Historic Congressional Cemetery tour Docent-led introductory tour; wear comfortable walking shoes. Saturdays at 11 a.m. Historic Congressional Cemetery; meet inside the front gate adjacent to the gatehouse. 1801 E St. SE. 202-543-0539. Free.
Family story time Session packed with books and activities for all ages, promotes language and literacy skills, nurtures the love of reading and learning. Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-1488. Free.
Yoga at your library Beginner level class, no experience required, bring a mat. Saturdays at 11 a.m.Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188. [email protected] . Free.
National Capital Barbecue Battle Barbecue teams from around the country compete for over $40,000 in cash and prizes in two major contests. The event includes live entertainment and barbecue tastings. Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Pennsylvania Avenue NW between Ninth and 14th streets. $12; two-day pass $20.
Trading card meetup Trading card meetup Show your trading card prowess, swap with your opponents and others, games open to adults and teens, tournaments twice a year for adults and teens. Saturdays at noon. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Lower Level Gallery A-6, 901 G St. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-0321. Free.
Mimoza design floral workshop Create an Asian-inspired bowl arrangement with orchids, grasses and other flora; all supplies and tools provided. No experience necessary. Noon-1:30 p.m. Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. Registration: 202-547-6839 or chaw.org . $80.
Celebrating summer foods How to combine summer fruits, vegetables and herbs with sweet grains to balance the summer heat; especially tailored to meet the needs of those affected by cancer. 1-4 p.m. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-483-8600. smithcenter.org . $20.
Portrait Story Days Listen to a story about sculptor Patience Wright, who created wax figures of people and wrote poetry, and then complete an art project to take home. Saturday 1-4 p.m. National Portrait Gallery, Education Center, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free.
Luce artist talk with Anne Bouie Exhibiting artist Anne Bouie discusses the trajectory of her career and the cultural goals she has for her work. 1:30 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free.
Robert Post Comedy Theater for Kids Robert Post’s one-man variety show. His sketches fill the stage with bumblers, dreamers and cartoonish heroes. 2 p.m. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. $20.
American Acoustic: How to Play with Others Chris Thile and his Punch Brothers bandmates lead a workshop on instrumental collaboration. 4 p.m. Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/event/PQASH . Free.
Master Craftsman: Artful Stories in the City Gallery opening reception, work of sculptor Charles Bergen, a unique intersection of skill and imagination, exhibit continues through Aug. 13. Reception and artist’s talk. 5-7 p.m. Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. Free.
How to sing with others An open master class and workshop on vocal and string performance led by singer-songwriters Aoife O’Donovan and Sarah Jarosz. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free.
Dick Gregory: An Evening of Comedy & Jazz 7 p.m. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. www.kennedy-center.org . $50.
Serenade! Celebration in Washington, DC Female choral groups Ensemble Planeta (Japan), Tucson Girls Chorus (USA) and Kobra Ensemble (Netherlands) perform in a concert titled “Celebrating Women’s Voices.” Part of the 2016 Serenade! Washington, D.C. Choral Festival, it also features FEBC Busan, Korea Children’s Choir. 7 p.m. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. 703-683-6045. www.classicalmovements.com . Suggested donation: $5-$15.
“Fidelio” The In Series performs Nick Olcott’s English adaptation of Beethoven’s only opera. Saturday 8 p.m. Sunday 4 p.m. Atlas Performing Arts Center, Lang Theatre, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. www.atlasarts.org . $46, seniors $43, age 35 and younger $25, students $23.
Dance concert Light Switch Dance Theatre and Next Reflex Dance Collective perform. Saturday 8 p.m. and Sunday 2 p.m. Dance Place, 3225 Eighth St. NE. 202-269-1600 or danceplace.org. $15-$30.
“A Midnight Serenade - Concert by Candelight” The choral groups Koris Logos (Latvia) and Ensemble Musicaficta (Italy) perform as part of the 2016 Serenade! Washington, D.C. Choral Festival. 10 p.m. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. 703-683-6045. classicalmovements.com . Suggested donation: $5-$15.
Sunday, June 26
Palisades farmers market Locally grown seasonal produce year-round, with music by Sherier Mountain. Sundays 9 a.m.-1 p.m. 48th Place and MacArthur Boulevard NW. palisadesfarmersmarket.com .
Babe Ruth Baseball Family Day Celebrate America’s pastime and one of its greatest heroes by enjoying games, crafts and music then view the exhibit “One Life: Babe Ruth.” 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free.
Art Signs: Gallery Talk in ASL A volunteer American Sign Language gallery guide leads conversations about various artworks. 1 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, F Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free.
Kids@Katzen Family Day Art-filled afternoon for all ages including an age-appropriate tour and hands-on workshop based on art from the Northeast of Brazil in Bandits & Heroes and Poets & Saints. 1-3 p.m. American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-885-1300. Tickets: www.tinyurl.com/aumtickets . $15, children $5.
Anancy Festival Celebration of the Caribbean’s literature and folklore, designed to appeal to the young and young at heart, includes face painting, storytelling and arts and crafts. 3-5 p.m. THEARC, Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-643-7622. Tickets: www.anancyfestival.eventbrite.com . Free, tickets required.
Shaw knitting and crochet circle All experience levels welcome, special instruction for beginners, in-house training materials provided, but please bring needles and yard for your own take-home projects. Sundays at 3 p.m. Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library, 1630 7th St. NW. 202-727-1288. www.dclibrary.org/watha . Free.
Young Adult Cancer Meet Up and Support Group Have a light dinner and facilitated group session. 5-6:30 p.m. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. 202-483-8600. www.smithcenter.org . Free.
Monday, June 27
Baby and toddler story time Books, songs, rhymes and fingerplays for children birth to two-years-old to introduce children to language skills in a positive and fun environment. Mondays-Tuesdays at 10 a.m. West End Interim Library, 2522 Virginia Ave. NW. 202-724-8698. Free.
Awareness through movement Learn the Feldenkrais Method, a unique approach to fitness for those with injuries or in chronic pain, simple floor exercises with profound effects on posture, breathing and movement capabilities. at 12:15-1:15 p.m. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. 202-483-8600. www.smithcenter.org . $10/class, $25 per month.
GSK Science in the Summer For children entering grades 2 and 3. Learn about oceanography through fun activities. 2 p.m. Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188 or scienceinthesummer.com . Free; registration required in person or online.
Staying in your own home Howard Gleckman, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, will outline life choices as people age; sponsored by Dupont Circle Village Live and Learn Seminar. Wheelchair accessible. 3:30-5 p.m. St. Thomas Church, 1772 Church St. NW, 14300 St. Thomas Church Rd., Upper Marlboro. Reservations: Linda Harsh. 202-234-2567 or [email protected] . $10.
Youth chess club Children learn how to play from an experienced instructor and participate in friendly games against each other. Mondays and Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Rosedale Library, 1701 Gales St. NE. 202-727-5012. [email protected] . Free.
Jazz concert Drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath, saxophonist Charles McPherson and the Howard Burns Quartet perform a tribute to the late jazz trumpeter, musical arranger and bandleader Don Redman. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free.
Let’s speak English For adults who can read, write and carry on conversations in English. Mondays and Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. [email protected] . 202-671-3121. Free.
Prostate health: Knowledge is power Learn about the latest advances in radiation, diagnosis and surgical options, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy treatments, the role of the nurse navigator and managing psychosocial concerns. Bring your questions about treatment options and how to improve your quality of life after treatment. Light refreshments served. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sibley Memorial Hospital, Sibley Medical Building, Conference Room 2, 5215 Loughboro Rd. NW, 5255 Loughboro Rd. NW. Registration required. Contact Pam Goetz at 202-243-2320 or [email protected] . Free, with free parking.
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” David Fincher’s 2008 film about a man who ages in reverse, adapted from a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The movie is shown in conjunction with the group exhibition “Suspended Animation.” 7 p.m. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Ring Auditorium, 700 Independence Ave. SW. 202-633-0828. Free.
Shakespeare anniversary lecture Kim Hall, a professor of English and Africana Studies at Barnard College, discusses “Othello Was My Grandfather: Shakespeare in the African Diaspora.” 7 p.m. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. 202-544-7077. $15.
Yoga mortis Instructor Kelly Carnes leads people of all experience levels in a one-hour class. Mondays 7 p.m. Historic Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. 202-543-0539. http:// www.congressioalcemetery.org . $10.
Zumba at Southwest Library Instructor Roshaunda Jenkins will lead this one-hour fitness and dance workout—all fitness levels welcome! The class is free and no registration is required. Dance your way to fitness. Mondays at 7 p.m. Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. [email protected] . 202-724-4752. Free.
U.S. Navy Band Concert The U.S. Navy Concert Band performs a variety of genres, including marches and a modern wind band repertoire. 8 p.m. U.S. Capitol (west steps), Pennsylvania Avenue and First Street NW. 202-433-2525. navyband.navy.mil . Free.
Tuesday, June 28
Constitution-in-Action Take on the role of researchers and archivists during a two-hour simulation, help the President and his communications director prepare for a very special press conference, families will work together to locate and analyze facsimile documents and find the connection each has to the Constitution.Tuesday and Wednesday at 10 a.m.-noon. National Archives, Boeing Learning Center, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. 202-357-5000. Free, reservations required at least 24 hours in advance: www.archivesfoundation.org/events/ .
Under the Sea Children 5-12 will learn about the ocean’s most feared and misunderstood creatures, including sharks, stingrays and skates, and about their imporastnce to marine ecosystems. 2 p.m. Shaw (Watha T. Daniel) Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. Free. 202-727-1288 or [email protected] .
“The Uncle Devin Show” Ages 3-10. An interactive musical experience with drummer and storyteller Devin Walker. 10:30 a.m. Benning/Dorothy I. Height Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 202-281-2583. [email protected] . Free.
Rhythm and rhyme Age 5 and younger, an interactive musical experience incorporating the use of musical instruments. Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library, 1630 7th St. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-1288. Free.
Toddler story time Ages 18-36 months and a caregiver will be treated to books, songs and fun activities designed to develop your child’s language skills in these 20-30 minute programs. Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-1488. Free tickets distributed 30 minutes before the story time start.
Chair yoga classes Gentle yoga to perform in seated and supported poses that safely promote deep relaxation and mental clarity; all experience levels welcome. Tuesdays at noon. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. 202-483-8600. smithcenter.org . $10 per class, $25/month.
“Next to Normal” A musical about how one suburban family struggles with crisis; music by Tom Kitt, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey. Tuesdays-Saturdays 8 p.m. and Sundays 3 p.m. Through July 10. Andrew Keegan Theater, 1742 Church St. NW. [email protected] , 202-265-3767 or keegantheatre.com . $55, age 60 and older $50, age 25 and younger $45.
“Magnificat” Philip Cave directs the professional and award-winning British Early Music Ensemble, specializing in the restoration and performance of neglected choral masterpieces from Reformation England and 16th-century Spain. 12:10 p.m. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. www.epiphanydc.org . $10.
“The Uncle Devin Show” Ages 3-10. An interactive musical experience with drummer and storyteller Devin Walker. 2 p.m. Northwest One Library, 155 L St. NW. 202-939-5946. [email protected] . Free.
Sketching: draw and discover Draw inspiration from artists’ sketches and objects on display in the Luce Foundation, then sketch on the center’s workshop, bring a sketchbook and pencils, other materials provided. Tuesdays from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free.
I Spy: patterns and puzzles for teens, tweens and young children Test your visual, spatial, mathematical and logical acumen using mandalas, logical geometric and pictorial puzzles, LEGO, wooden blocks and more. Tuesdays from 3-5 p.m. Parklands-Turner Library, 1547 Alabama Ave. SE. [email protected] . 202-645-4532. Free.
Maker Martes (Tuesday) For age 6 and older, create what you can imagine in art, music, science, technology and more. Tuesdays at 4 p.m. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. [email protected] . 202-671-3121. Free.
Smart with art and stories Tuesdays Listen to one or more short stories then do your best in an hour of arts and crafts. Tuesdays at 5 p.m. Rosedale Library, 1701 Gales St. NE. 202-727-5012. [email protected]. . Free.
West End knitting circle Learn the basics of knitting or the fine points or just get help with a difficult situation, bring your own materials.Tuesdays at 5 p.m. West End Interim Library, 2522 Virginia Ave. NW. 202-724-8698. [email protected] . Free.
Teen trivia Tuesday Come and test your knowledge of pop culture, win some prizes, themes include hip hop, blockbusters, Harry Potter, TV and pop culture icons. 5 p.m. Deanwood Library, 1350 49th St. NE. [email protected] . 202-698-1175. Free.
Get in the game: summer activities Participate in a fun activity including crafts, challenges and contests with prizes then try your hand at origami, duct tape crafts, blackout poetry, bookface photo contests and scavenber hunts, something new every Tuesday, earn your badges and win cool prizes. Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. [email protected] . 202-282-3139. Free.
“Ghostbusters” Ivan Reitman’s 1984 film rated PG., see this one before the remake is released in July, starring Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray. 6 p.m. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. 202-727-0321. [email protected] . Free.
Billy McComisky and Sons: Irish folk music McComisky, sons Patrick, Sean and Michael, and other family members and friends perform on accordions, flutes and whistles. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free.
U.S. Navy Band concert The U.S. Navy Concert Band, Sea Chanters chorus and the Cruisers perform alongside the Navy Ceremonial Guard and the Navy Drill Team in a musical tribute to the greatest generation. Selections include Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” and a medley of songs from “Grease.” 7:30 p.m. U.S. Navy Memorial Heritage Center, Burke Theater, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-737-2300 or navymemorial.org .
U.S. Air Force Band concert Tuesdays8 p.m. U.S. Capitol (west steps), Pennsylvania Avenue and First Street NW. 202-767-5658. usafband.af.mil . Free.
Wednesday, June 29
Yoga in the galleries Certified Kripalu yoga instructor Eva Blutinger leads a rejuvenating class in the peaceful surroundings of art, bring your own mat, all experience levels welcome. Wednesdays at 10 a.m. American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-885-1300. american.edu/cas/katzen . $10 per class.
Toddler dance party Music and dancing for all ages. Wednesdays at 11 a.m. Chevy Chase Library, DC, 5625 Connecticut Ave. NW. [email protected] . 202-282-0021. Free.
Gallery talk Assistant educator Ashley W. Harris discusses artworks in the exhibit “She Who Tells a Story.” Noon-12:30 p.m. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. 202-783-5000. Free.
Creative writing in the afternoon Reza, a library associate with an MA in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University, leads the class. Wednesdays at 1 p.m. Northeast Library, 330 Seventh St. NE. 202-698-0058. [email protected] . Free.
Engineering Wednesdays Children may spend an hour designing and creating something they have dreamed of, a special engineering project. Wednesdays at 2 p.m. Rosedale Library, 1701 Gales St. NE. 202-727-5012. [email protected] . Free.
Lunder behind the scenes Staff member discusses how conservators use science, art history and skilled hands to preserve objects from the museum collection in the Lunder Conservation Center. Wednesdays at 3 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, third floor, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free.
Conservation of Our Collection: “Woman Eating” Objects conservator Jamie Gleason describes the exhaustive work that goes into conserving the sculpture, including research, examination, documentation and treatment. 4 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum. Meet in the F Street lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free.
Board game bonanza Ages 6-12 and their family members are encouraged to come and play classic games including Scrabble, Monopoly, Connect Four, Sorry and others. 4 p.m. Northeast Library, 330 Seventh St. NE. 202-698-0058. [email protected] . Free.
Lego construction crew For ages 4-12, the library supplies the Legos, you bring your imagination. Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-1488. Free.
Chess and checkers club Children of all ages and levels are encouraged to come and learn the games and their strategies for winning, prizes for those who participate. Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Bellevue (William O. Lockridge) Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. 202-243-1185. [email protected] . Free.
Anime Club A place for teens to gather, watch and talk Japanese animation, film are shown in Japanese with English subtitles, classic and new releases shown, share your own fan fiction and fan art. Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. [email protected] . 202-243-1188. Free.
Kids computer class Students from age 8-13 may learn new ways to create data and have fun using computers, meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays each month for one hour. Wednesday, May 25, June 22 and July 27 at 4:30 p.m. Capitol View Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE. 202-645-0755. [email protected] . Free.
BARS workshop For youth who enjoy rapping and writing spoken word poems, write new songs to original beats and poems to record and perform. Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library, 1630 7th St. NW. 202-727-1288. [email protected] . 202-727-1288. Free.
Summer adult-child yoga Led by instructor Dexter Sumner guiding adults and children through the basic principles of yoga, breathing exercises and poses, learn the many benefits of yoga, from flexibility and strength to creating confidence and peace of mind, all levels welcome, wear comfortable clothing, for age 6 and older. Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. [email protected] . 202-282-3139. Free.
Soul of Afghan Music: Homayoun Sakhi and Salar Nader Homayoun Sakhi, a rubâb player, and Salar Nader, a percussionist, perform at the 2016 Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the Aga Khan Music Initiative. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free.
Yoga with Caroline Bring water and a mat and wear comfortable clothes. Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Northeast Library, 330 Seventh St. NE. [email protected] . 202-698-0058. Free.
PAL (People animals love) Pajama Party Pajama party with doggies; come in your jammies for a doggie story time and an opportunity to read to a PAL dog. Wednesdays 7 p.m. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. [email protected] . 202-671-3121. Free.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival The folkways of Spain’s Basque region and the sounds of California are explored with performances by musicians, dancers and storytellers, craft demonstrations, children’s activities and cooking demonstrations. Festival hours Wednesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m., with evening concerts. Visit the website for details. Opens Wednesday. July 4 and July 7-10 on the Mall, between Third and Fourth streets SW. festival.si.edu . Free.
Thursday, June 30
Cooking Demonstration: summer sweets The Cook sisters feature blueberries and melon in their class. 12-12:45 and 12:50-1:30 p.m.U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. usbg.gov . Free.
“Home Within” A beautiful audio-visual performance by Syrian composer and clarinetist Kinan Azmeh and Syrian Armenian visual artist Kevork Mourad art and music develop in counterpoint to each other, creating an impressionistic reflection on the Syrian revolution and its aftermath. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free.
Memoir and essay club Writing enthusiast Maura Policelli leads adult writers. Thursdays at 7 p.m. Through July 28. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-1488. Free.
“Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens” Outdoor screening of the film starring Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley. Doors open 8 p.m. ; film starts 8:35 p.m. Canal Park, Second and I streets SE. 202-465-7080or capitolriverfront.org . Free.
— Compiled by Gerri Marmer
| Chevy Chase |
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June 22, 2016
Thursday, June 23
Reflecting Pool memorials National Park Service rangers lead walking tours of the Lincoln, Vietnam Veterans, Korean War Veterans and World War II memorials. Daily at 10 a.m. 2 and 6 p.m. Through June 30. Meet at the Hawaii-Alaska Plaque, below the Lincoln Memorial steps, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. 202-426-6841. Free.
Washington Cathedral behind the scenes Age 11 and older. See gargoyles and stained-glass windows and climb stairs for a panoramic view of the city. Take a camera. Weekdays except holidays at 10:30 a.m. Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-537-2228. nationalcathedral.org . $26, ages 11 and 12 $21.
Therapeutic yoga classes Gentle yoga classes to help reduce stress and balance the mind, body and spirit. All experience levels welcome. Thursdays and Mondays at 10:30 a.m., Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Through June 30. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. 202-483-2800. smithcenter.org . $10 per class, $25/month.
Spring garden tours A tour guide discusses the history, design, plants and flowers of the 13 acres of the Hillwood Estate formal gardens in a one-hour tour. Daily at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Through June 26. Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. 202-686-5807. hillwoodmuseum.org . $15; 65 and older, $12; 6 to 18, $5; 5 and younger, free.
“World War I: Black Jack Pershing and American diplomacy” A National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour and discusses World War I’s questions about the college teacher and diplomat who commanded U.S. forces. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Pershing Park, 1400 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Joe Mohr, 202-359-1532. Free.
“Dear Senator: Estes Kefauver and the anti-crime crusade in the South” Tammy Ingram, associate professor of history at the College of Charleston, discusses her research and book project, “The Wickedest City in America: Sex, Race, and Organized Crime in the Jim Crow South.” Noon. National Archives, Room 25, Research Center, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-357-5000. Free.
Tidal Basin memorials National Park Service rangers lead walking tours of the Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson memorials. Daily at noon and 4 p.m. Through June 30. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, 1964 Independence Ave. SW. 202-426-6841. Free.
Stroll through the National Garden Education program specialist Alexandra Torres leads a tour of the outdoor garden and discusses its history, favorite native plants and the sustainable techniques to create and care for it. Wear protective clothing and bring sunscreen and water. Noon. U.S. Botanic Garden. Meet by the entrance to the Conservatory on the terrace, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. usbg.gov . Free.
Coloring club for adults Not just for kids. Coloring sheets and pencils provided. Thursdays and Tuesdays at 2 p.m. West End Interim Library, 2522 Virginia Ave. NW. 202-724-8698. Free.
Kids Club: Reader’s Theatre Bring your inner ninja to life through a reading of Corey Rosen Schwartz’s “The Three Ninja Pigs.” Children will read aloud from scripts created from the book; parents are welcome. 2 p.m. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-0321. Free.
Music for Little Ones A 20- to 30-minute introduction to language and music for children 5 and younger; grown-ups will actively participate. Thursdays 2 p.m. Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-0232. Free.
BioArt: The Brain Ages 7-12. Participants use images from a “BioArt” exhibition to investigate how the brain sends signals to the body, and participate in a role-playing activity about neural connections. 3:30 p.m. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. [email protected] . 202-282-3139. Free.
Sculpture Gallery tours Saturdays at 3:30 p.m., Sundays at 11:30 a.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2:30 p.m. National Gallery of Art, West Building, main floor rotunda, Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215. Free.
French story time For children of all ages. Learn French songs, practice spoken French and connect words with motion and stories. Thursdays 4 p.m., through June 30. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. [email protected] . 202-671-3121. Free.
Movie: “Cars” The Disney Pixar animated film that honors this summer’s theme, “Go for the Gold: Read.” 4 p.m. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. 202-727-0232. [email protected] . Free.
Ready, Set, GoBots for teens Ages 13-19. Build an amazing motorized machine that wiggles, spins, moves and goes home with you. 4 p.m. Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. 202-698-6373 or [email protected] . Free.
Lego club Ages 5-12 may build a skyscraper, a pirate ship or whatever they may imagine. Thursdays at 4 p.m. Woodridge Library, 1790 Douglas St. NE. 202-541-6226. [email protected] . Free.
“One Destiny” Actors take on the identities of individuals who were present the night of President Lincoln’s assassination and explore the key facts surrounding it. Wednesdays-Saturdays 4:30 and 5:30 p.m., Mondays 4:30 p.m., through July 2. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. 202-347-4833 or fords.org . $5.
Lego games Fun with some LEGO-inspired games. 4:30 p.m. Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. [email protected]. . 202-243-1188. Free.
Chess for kids Weekly instruction for all ages of children who want to learn how to play the game or play with better strategy in tournaments, chess instructor teaches how to think, plan your next move and use your brain power to win, made possible by the Friends of the Cleveland Park Library. Thursdays at 5 p.m. Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. [email protected] . 202-282-3080. Free.
Game night at the library Kids and teens, ages 7-16, may play competitive games from video games to card games to board games. Thursdays at 5 p.m. Parklands-Turner Library, 1547 Alabama Ave. SE. parklandsturnerlibrary@dc . 202-645-4532. Free.
Let’s get crafty Teens may get involved in creating crafts, all materials provided. 5 p.m. Deanwood Library, 1350 49th St. NE. [email protected] . 202-698-1175. Free.
Conversation: Gabriel Dawe and Nora Atkinson Artist Gabriel Dawe discusses his installation Plexus A1, a rainbow prism created from hundreds of threads of colored string, with Renwick Gallery curator Nora Atkinson. Dawe will delve into his process and inspirations, including the embroidery that surrounded him in his childhood in Mexico City. 5:30 p.m. Renwick Gallery, 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. 202-633-1000. Free.
Luce Unplugged: BRNDA Listen to the local jangly post-punk band. With an art talk; snacks and drinks available at a cash bar. 5:30 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free.
Employment discrimination workshop Staff members from the D.C. Office of Human Rights will discuss employment discrimination and the rights of job seekers, applicants and employees. Topics include laws that protect pregnant workers and unemployed job seekers. 6 p.m. Shaw (Watha T. Daniel) Library, 1630 7th St. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-1288. Free.
“Shear Madness” A comedy murder mystery set in Georgetown, with audience participation. Thursdays at 6 and 9 p.m. Fridays at 5 p.m. Saturdays at 6 and 9 p.m. Sundays at 3 and 7 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center, Theater Lab, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. $50.
Learn to play chess For all ages to learn to play the game, improve your strategy or practice your moves with other players. Thursdays and Tuesdays at 6 p.m. Deanwood Library, 1350 49th St. NE. [email protected] . 202-698-1175. Free.
Color away your stress For adults who want to relax and de-stress with something more complicated than a children’s coloring book, all supplies provided or bring your own. Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. Through July 7. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. [email protected] . 202-282-3139. Free.
“A Serious Man” The 2009 black comedy-drama film by the Coen Brothers, rated R. 6:30 p.m. West End Interim Library, 2522 Virginia Ave. NW. 202-724-8698. Free.
Book to film club Which is better, the book or the movie? Throw in your two cents at this event, get the current title from Peter Sullivan by email [email protected] , popcorn provided. 6:30 p.m. Takoma Park Library, 416 Cedar St. NW. [email protected] . 202-576-7252. Free.
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” The start of the Summer Pajama Movie Night Series, watch Han Solo and Chewbacca to search for the one hope of restoring peace. 6:30 p.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-1488. Free.
Adult book club discussion People who love to read discuss “Go Set a Watchman,” by Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and then join the group for a stroll around the neighborhood. 6:30 p.m. Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. [email protected] . 202-698-6373. Free.
Refugees Then and Now: What Has Changed? Program with a refugee who fled Europe to escape the Nazis in the 1930s and seek refuge in the United States, and a Syrian refugee who was forced to leave Syria in 2011. 6:30 p.m. Goethe-Institut, 1990 K St NW, Suite 3. 202-847-4700. goethe.de/washington .
Meditation for peace and well being Long time meditator David Newcomb welcomes new and advanced meditators to share a simple technique of spiritual meditation. 7 p.m. Chevy Chase Library, DC, 5625 Connecticut Ave. NW. [email protected] . 202-282-0021. Free.
Meditation workshop: stop and breathe Staff member from CALMFIDENCE Institute teaches understanding mindfulness, how it affects your breathing, finding peace, boosting happiness and more. 7 p.m. Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. 202-698-6373. [email protected] . Free.
Meditation: tool to balance your life Group meeting. 7 p.m. Lamond-Riggs Library, 5401 South Dakota Ave. NE. [email protected] . 202-541-6255. Free.
Summertime self-defense class D’Angelo Kinard, of Advanced Sports Performance, teaches the basics of self-defense during a 90-minute session. 7 p.m. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. [email protected] . 202-282-3139. Free.
Yoga at Northwest One Beginner and intermediate levels, wear comfortable clothing, mats and blocks provided. Thursdays at 7 p.m. Northwest One Library, Meeting Room, 155 L St. NW. [email protected] . 202-939-5946. Free.
“District Merchants” Four-time Helen Hayes Award-winner Aaron Posner writes and directs a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice.” Tuesdays-Thursdays 7:30 p.m.. Fridays 8 p.m., Saturdays 2 and 8 p.m. and Sundays 2 and 7 p.m. Through July 3. Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE. 202-544-4600. folger.edu . $35-$75.
Chris Thile, Gabriel Kahane, Julian Lage and Merrill Garbus 7:30 p.m. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. www.kennedy-center.org . Free.
“Hitch” Crime thriller starring Will Smith, Eva Mendes and Kevin James. Doors open 8 p.m. Film at 8:35 p.m. Canal Park, Second and I streets SE, 200 M St. SE. 202-465-7080. capitolriverfront.org . Free.
Friday, June 24
Baby and toddler story time Ages 3-5 and their adult caregivers explore stories and activities that encourage them to develop a lifelong love of reading and learning in this 30-40 minute program designed to promote language and listening skills, expand children’s imaginations and arouse their curiosity about the world around them. Fridays at 10 a.m. Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library, 1630 7th St. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-1288. Free.
Bilingual Spanish story time Fridays at 10 a.m. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. [email protected] . 202-671-3121. Free.
“Free State of Jones” Action drama set during the Civil War, the true story of a defiant Southern farmer and his extraordinary armed rebellion against the Confederacy. Banding together with other small farmers and local slaves, an uprising that led Jones County, Miss. to secede from the Confederacy, creating a Free State of Jones. Friday-Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., 1:30, 4:30 and 7:45 p.m., Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., 1:30, 4:30 and 8 p.m., June 30 at 10:30 a.m., 1:30, 4:30 and 7:45 p.m. Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-966-6000. $8.75-$11.75.
Children’s safety seats and belts inspection D.C. Safe Kids ensures the proper installation of seats and seat belts. Fridays at 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-476-3618. thearcdc.org . www.thearcdc.org . Free.
“Gravedigger’s Tale” Comedic actor Louis Butelli stars in a one-man production based on “Hamlet.” Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m. and Sunday at noon. Folger Theatre, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202-544-7077. folger.edu/events/gravediggers-tale-0 . Free.
Move, Learn, Create Stretch your creative capacity, feel good and connect with fellow participants, features a variety of dance styles, all experience levels welcome. Fridays 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. 202-483-8600. www.smithcenter.org . $10/class, $25/month.
Guided Garden Tour: Historic and Growing Learn about the history and horticulture of centuries-old trees, heirloom plants and flowers, English boxwood shrubs that thrive in a 5½-acre historic landscape, and how they have changed since the nation’s earliest days. Fourth Fridays through October. 11 a.m. Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW. 202-965-0400. Register at tudorplace.org . $10.
Noon garden tour Visit a jungle, desert and tropical paradise, travel back to the Jurassic period or tour with a guide who will connect the exotic plant world to everyday life, look at bananas, cacao and coffee ripening on the tree or learn about the next big breakthrough in medical plant research. Fridays, Mondays and Wednesdays at noon. Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Through June 29. U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . Free.
Pipe organ concert New York organist Aaron Comins will perform a set of organ transcriptions of musical works by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Edward German, and bring the concert season to a close with the overture from Bizet’s “Carmen.” 12:15 to 1 p.m. National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir. NW. Donations welcome. 202-797-0103 or nationalcitycc.org .
“Genius” Drama about the complex friendship and transformative professional relationship between the editor who discovered F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway and a larger-than-life literary giant, starring Colin Firth and Jude Law. Friday-Tuesday at 1, 5:30 and 8:15 p.m., Wednesday at 1 and 5:30 p.m., June 30 at 1, 5:30 and 8:15 p.m. Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-966-6000. $8.75-$11.75.
“Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer” For all ages, a film about a feisty third-grader who is determined to have the most exciting summer of her life, age nine and younger must be accompanied by a caregiver. 3 p.m. Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. 202-724-4752. [email protected] . 202-724-4752. Free.
Whatever Became of . . . ? National Park Service Ranger Lowell Fry discusses the search for Lincoln family members and itheir descendants. Friday and Saturday at 3 and 7 p.m. Lincoln Memorial, Statuary chamber, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Lowell Fry, 202-438-9603. Free.
Diary of a Chambermaid Drama set in late 19th century France, about a resentful young chambermaid who works in a bourgeoisie Normandy home and chafes againist the cruelty and perversions of her upper class employers. Friday-Thursday at 3:20 p.m. Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-966-6000. $8.75-$11.75.
Drawing up close Ever noticed how different things look from up close? Use the library’s magnifying glasses to observe and draw everyday items differently. Fridays at 3:30 p.m. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. [email protected]. . 202-282-3139. Free.
U.S. Department of Agriculture farmers market With 32 vendors of fresh fruits and vegetables, bedding plants, herbs, seafood, eggs, dairy products, cured meats and baked goods. Also, classes on vegetables and fruits. Fridays 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. Farmers market, Department of Agriculture, 12th Street and Independence Avenue SW. 866-632-9992. ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets .
Jazz in a sculpture garden: Enter the Haggis A Celtic folk rock Toronto-based band. 5 p.m. National Gallery of Art, Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215. Free.
“Serenade! A Cappella Celebration in Capitol Hill” Choral groups Koris Logos (Latvia) and Kobra Ensemble (Netherlands) perform as part of the 2016 Serenade! Washington, D.C. Choral Festival. 7:30 p.m. Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 212 East Capitol St. NE. 703-683-6045. classicalmovements.com . Suggested donation: $5-$15.
“The Miser” Popular comedy by Molière with lightning-fast dialogue, appropriate for age 7 and older. Some performances are ASL-interpreted; open captioning available. Friday 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Elstad Auditorium, Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Ave. NE. 800-838-300 or brownpapertickets.com/event/2267216 . $25, students, military, seniors $18, children 11 and younger $12.
Punch Brothers, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer and I’m With Her 8 p.m. Kennedy Center, Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. www.kennedy-center.org . $25-$79.
U.S. Army Chorus The men’s choral group celebrates its 60th anniversary with a concert series. 8 p.m. U.S. Capitol building, west lawn, 100 Constitution Ave. NE. 703-696-3718. usarmyband.com . Free.
U.S. Marines on Parade Silent Drill Team, Drum and Bugle Corps, Color Guard, Silent Drill Platoon and Ceremonial Marchers; guests with reservations admitted at 7:15 p.m.; visitors must arrive no later than 8 p.m. Parade, 8:45 p.m. Fridays through Aug. 26. Marine Barracks, Eighth and I streets SE. 202-433-4011 or 202-433-6060. mbw.usmc.mil . Free; reservations required.
Saturday, June 25
Ranger-led run A trek of about four miles around the Mall. Learn about some of the most iconic city sites. The pace is about 10 minutes per mile, with multiple stops. 9-10:30 a.m. Washington Monument, Lodge, 15th Street NW between Jefferson and Madison drives. Laura Abbott, 202-570-2785.
Street photography Two hour workshop to learn the basic skills and how to upload your photos to flickr.com . 10 a.m. Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188. Registration required at dclibrary.org/petworth#eventsTab . Free.
ESL Conversation circle For adults who speak English as a second language, facilitated by Washington English Center volunteer teachers. Saturdays at 10 a.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-727-1488. [email protected] . Free.
Fitness event: practice with love yoga gatherings WithLoveDC, a movement to spread love, joy and acceptance throughout the city. Bring a mat. Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory West Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . Free.
Historic Congressional Cemetery tour Docent-led introductory tour; wear comfortable walking shoes. Saturdays at 11 a.m. Historic Congressional Cemetery; meet inside the front gate adjacent to the gatehouse. 1801 E St. SE. 202-543-0539. Free.
Family story time Session packed with books and activities for all ages, promotes language and literacy skills, nurtures the love of reading and learning. Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-1488. Free.
Yoga at your library Beginner level class, no experience required, bring a mat. Saturdays at 11 a.m.Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188. [email protected] . Free.
National Capital Barbecue Battle Barbecue teams from around the country compete for over $40,000 in cash and prizes in two major contests. The event includes live entertainment and barbecue tastings. Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Pennsylvania Avenue NW between Ninth and 14th streets. $12; two-day pass $20.
Trading card meetup Trading card meetup Show your trading card prowess, swap with your opponents and others, games open to adults and teens, tournaments twice a year for adults and teens. Saturdays at noon. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Lower Level Gallery A-6, 901 G St. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-0321. Free.
Mimoza design floral workshop Create an Asian-inspired bowl arrangement with orchids, grasses and other flora; all supplies and tools provided. No experience necessary. Noon-1:30 p.m. Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. Registration: 202-547-6839 or chaw.org . $80.
Celebrating summer foods How to combine summer fruits, vegetables and herbs with sweet grains to balance the summer heat; especially tailored to meet the needs of those affected by cancer. 1-4 p.m. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-483-8600. smithcenter.org . $20.
Portrait Story Days Listen to a story about sculptor Patience Wright, who created wax figures of people and wrote poetry, and then complete an art project to take home. Saturday 1-4 p.m. National Portrait Gallery, Education Center, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free.
Luce artist talk with Anne Bouie Exhibiting artist Anne Bouie discusses the trajectory of her career and the cultural goals she has for her work. 1:30 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free.
Robert Post Comedy Theater for Kids Robert Post’s one-man variety show. His sketches fill the stage with bumblers, dreamers and cartoonish heroes. 2 p.m. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. $20.
American Acoustic: How to Play with Others Chris Thile and his Punch Brothers bandmates lead a workshop on instrumental collaboration. 4 p.m. Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/event/PQASH . Free.
Master Craftsman: Artful Stories in the City Gallery opening reception, work of sculptor Charles Bergen, a unique intersection of skill and imagination, exhibit continues through Aug. 13. Reception and artist’s talk. 5-7 p.m. Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. Free.
How to sing with others An open master class and workshop on vocal and string performance led by singer-songwriters Aoife O’Donovan and Sarah Jarosz. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free.
Dick Gregory: An Evening of Comedy & Jazz 7 p.m. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. www.kennedy-center.org . $50.
Serenade! Celebration in Washington, DC Female choral groups Ensemble Planeta (Japan), Tucson Girls Chorus (USA) and Kobra Ensemble (Netherlands) perform in a concert titled “Celebrating Women’s Voices.” Part of the 2016 Serenade! Washington, D.C. Choral Festival, it also features FEBC Busan, Korea Children’s Choir. 7 p.m. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. 703-683-6045. www.classicalmovements.com . Suggested donation: $5-$15.
“Fidelio” The In Series performs Nick Olcott’s English adaptation of Beethoven’s only opera. Saturday 8 p.m. Sunday 4 p.m. Atlas Performing Arts Center, Lang Theatre, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. www.atlasarts.org . $46, seniors $43, age 35 and younger $25, students $23.
Dance concert Light Switch Dance Theatre and Next Reflex Dance Collective perform. Saturday 8 p.m. and Sunday 2 p.m. Dance Place, 3225 Eighth St. NE. 202-269-1600 or danceplace.org. $15-$30.
“A Midnight Serenade - Concert by Candelight” The choral groups Koris Logos (Latvia) and Ensemble Musicaficta (Italy) perform as part of the 2016 Serenade! Washington, D.C. Choral Festival. 10 p.m. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. 703-683-6045. classicalmovements.com . Suggested donation: $5-$15.
Sunday, June 26
Palisades farmers market Locally grown seasonal produce year-round, with music by Sherier Mountain. Sundays 9 a.m.-1 p.m. 48th Place and MacArthur Boulevard NW. palisadesfarmersmarket.com .
Babe Ruth Baseball Family Day Celebrate America’s pastime and one of its greatest heroes by enjoying games, crafts and music then view the exhibit “One Life: Babe Ruth.” 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free.
Art Signs: Gallery Talk in ASL A volunteer American Sign Language gallery guide leads conversations about various artworks. 1 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, F Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free.
Kids@Katzen Family Day Art-filled afternoon for all ages including an age-appropriate tour and hands-on workshop based on art from the Northeast of Brazil in Bandits & Heroes and Poets & Saints. 1-3 p.m. American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-885-1300. Tickets: www.tinyurl.com/aumtickets . $15, children $5.
Anancy Festival Celebration of the Caribbean’s literature and folklore, designed to appeal to the young and young at heart, includes face painting, storytelling and arts and crafts. 3-5 p.m. THEARC, Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-643-7622. Tickets: www.anancyfestival.eventbrite.com . Free, tickets required.
Shaw knitting and crochet circle All experience levels welcome, special instruction for beginners, in-house training materials provided, but please bring needles and yard for your own take-home projects. Sundays at 3 p.m. Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library, 1630 7th St. NW. 202-727-1288. www.dclibrary.org/watha . Free.
Young Adult Cancer Meet Up and Support Group Have a light dinner and facilitated group session. 5-6:30 p.m. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. 202-483-8600. www.smithcenter.org . Free.
Monday, June 27
Baby and toddler story time Books, songs, rhymes and fingerplays for children birth to two-years-old to introduce children to language skills in a positive and fun environment. Mondays-Tuesdays at 10 a.m. West End Interim Library, 2522 Virginia Ave. NW. 202-724-8698. Free.
Awareness through movement Learn the Feldenkrais Method, a unique approach to fitness for those with injuries or in chronic pain, simple floor exercises with profound effects on posture, breathing and movement capabilities. at 12:15-1:15 p.m. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. 202-483-8600. www.smithcenter.org . $10/class, $25 per month.
GSK Science in the Summer For children entering grades 2 and 3. Learn about oceanography through fun activities. 2 p.m. Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188 or scienceinthesummer.com . Free; registration required in person or online.
Staying in your own home Howard Gleckman, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, will outline life choices as people age; sponsored by Dupont Circle Village Live and Learn Seminar. Wheelchair accessible. 3:30-5 p.m. St. Thomas Church, 1772 Church St. NW, 14300 St. Thomas Church Rd., Upper Marlboro. Reservations: Linda Harsh. 202-234-2567 or [email protected] . $10.
Youth chess club Children learn how to play from an experienced instructor and participate in friendly games against each other. Mondays and Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Rosedale Library, 1701 Gales St. NE. 202-727-5012. [email protected] . Free.
Jazz concert Drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath, saxophonist Charles McPherson and the Howard Burns Quartet perform a tribute to the late jazz trumpeter, musical arranger and bandleader Don Redman. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free.
Let’s speak English For adults who can read, write and carry on conversations in English. Mondays and Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. [email protected] . 202-671-3121. Free.
Prostate health: Knowledge is power Learn about the latest advances in radiation, diagnosis and surgical options, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy treatments, the role of the nurse navigator and managing psychosocial concerns. Bring your questions about treatment options and how to improve your quality of life after treatment. Light refreshments served. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sibley Memorial Hospital, Sibley Medical Building, Conference Room 2, 5215 Loughboro Rd. NW, 5255 Loughboro Rd. NW. Registration required. Contact Pam Goetz at 202-243-2320 or [email protected] . Free, with free parking.
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” David Fincher’s 2008 film about a man who ages in reverse, adapted from a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The movie is shown in conjunction with the group exhibition “Suspended Animation.” 7 p.m. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Ring Auditorium, 700 Independence Ave. SW. 202-633-0828. Free.
Shakespeare anniversary lecture Kim Hall, a professor of English and Africana Studies at Barnard College, discusses “Othello Was My Grandfather: Shakespeare in the African Diaspora.” 7 p.m. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. 202-544-7077. $15.
Yoga mortis Instructor Kelly Carnes leads people of all experience levels in a one-hour class. Mondays 7 p.m. Historic Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. 202-543-0539. http:// www.congressioalcemetery.org . $10.
Zumba at Southwest Library Instructor Roshaunda Jenkins will lead this one-hour fitness and dance workout—all fitness levels welcome! The class is free and no registration is required. Dance your way to fitness. Mondays at 7 p.m. Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. [email protected] . 202-724-4752. Free.
U.S. Navy Band Concert The U.S. Navy Concert Band performs a variety of genres, including marches and a modern wind band repertoire. 8 p.m. U.S. Capitol (west steps), Pennsylvania Avenue and First Street NW. 202-433-2525. navyband.navy.mil . Free.
Tuesday, June 28
Constitution-in-Action Take on the role of researchers and archivists during a two-hour simulation, help the President and his communications director prepare for a very special press conference, families will work together to locate and analyze facsimile documents and find the connection each has to the Constitution.Tuesday and Wednesday at 10 a.m.-noon. National Archives, Boeing Learning Center, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. 202-357-5000. Free, reservations required at least 24 hours in advance: www.archivesfoundation.org/events/ .
Under the Sea Children 5-12 will learn about the ocean’s most feared and misunderstood creatures, including sharks, stingrays and skates, and about their imporastnce to marine ecosystems. 2 p.m. Shaw (Watha T. Daniel) Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. Free. 202-727-1288 or [email protected] .
“The Uncle Devin Show” Ages 3-10. An interactive musical experience with drummer and storyteller Devin Walker. 10:30 a.m. Benning/Dorothy I. Height Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 202-281-2583. [email protected] . Free.
Rhythm and rhyme Age 5 and younger, an interactive musical experience incorporating the use of musical instruments. Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library, 1630 7th St. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-1288. Free.
Toddler story time Ages 18-36 months and a caregiver will be treated to books, songs and fun activities designed to develop your child’s language skills in these 20-30 minute programs. Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-1488. Free tickets distributed 30 minutes before the story time start.
Chair yoga classes Gentle yoga to perform in seated and supported poses that safely promote deep relaxation and mental clarity; all experience levels welcome. Tuesdays at noon. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. 202-483-8600. smithcenter.org . $10 per class, $25/month.
“Next to Normal” A musical about how one suburban family struggles with crisis; music by Tom Kitt, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey. Tuesdays-Saturdays 8 p.m. and Sundays 3 p.m. Through July 10. Andrew Keegan Theater, 1742 Church St. NW. [email protected] , 202-265-3767 or keegantheatre.com . $55, age 60 and older $50, age 25 and younger $45.
“Magnificat” Philip Cave directs the professional and award-winning British Early Music Ensemble, specializing in the restoration and performance of neglected choral masterpieces from Reformation England and 16th-century Spain. 12:10 p.m. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. www.epiphanydc.org . $10.
“The Uncle Devin Show” Ages 3-10. An interactive musical experience with drummer and storyteller Devin Walker. 2 p.m. Northwest One Library, 155 L St. NW. 202-939-5946. [email protected] . Free.
Sketching: draw and discover Draw inspiration from artists’ sketches and objects on display in the Luce Foundation, then sketch on the center’s workshop, bring a sketchbook and pencils, other materials provided. Tuesdays from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free.
I Spy: patterns and puzzles for teens, tweens and young children Test your visual, spatial, mathematical and logical acumen using mandalas, logical geometric and pictorial puzzles, LEGO, wooden blocks and more. Tuesdays from 3-5 p.m. Parklands-Turner Library, 1547 Alabama Ave. SE. [email protected] . 202-645-4532. Free.
Maker Martes (Tuesday) For age 6 and older, create what you can imagine in art, music, science, technology and more. Tuesdays at 4 p.m. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. [email protected] . 202-671-3121. Free.
Smart with art and stories Tuesdays Listen to one or more short stories then do your best in an hour of arts and crafts. Tuesdays at 5 p.m. Rosedale Library, 1701 Gales St. NE. 202-727-5012. [email protected]. . Free.
West End knitting circle Learn the basics of knitting or the fine points or just get help with a difficult situation, bring your own materials.Tuesdays at 5 p.m. West End Interim Library, 2522 Virginia Ave. NW. 202-724-8698. [email protected] . Free.
Teen trivia Tuesday Come and test your knowledge of pop culture, win some prizes, themes include hip hop, blockbusters, Harry Potter, TV and pop culture icons. 5 p.m. Deanwood Library, 1350 49th St. NE. [email protected] . 202-698-1175. Free.
Get in the game: summer activities Participate in a fun activity including crafts, challenges and contests with prizes then try your hand at origami, duct tape crafts, blackout poetry, bookface photo contests and scavenber hunts, something new every Tuesday, earn your badges and win cool prizes. Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. [email protected] . 202-282-3139. Free.
“Ghostbusters” Ivan Reitman’s 1984 film rated PG., see this one before the remake is released in July, starring Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray. 6 p.m. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. 202-727-0321. [email protected] . Free.
Billy McComisky and Sons: Irish folk music McComisky, sons Patrick, Sean and Michael, and other family members and friends perform on accordions, flutes and whistles. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free.
U.S. Navy Band concert The U.S. Navy Concert Band, Sea Chanters chorus and the Cruisers perform alongside the Navy Ceremonial Guard and the Navy Drill Team in a musical tribute to the greatest generation. Selections include Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” and a medley of songs from “Grease.” 7:30 p.m. U.S. Navy Memorial Heritage Center, Burke Theater, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-737-2300 or navymemorial.org .
U.S. Air Force Band concert Tuesdays8 p.m. U.S. Capitol (west steps), Pennsylvania Avenue and First Street NW. 202-767-5658. usafband.af.mil . Free.
Wednesday, June 29
Yoga in the galleries Certified Kripalu yoga instructor Eva Blutinger leads a rejuvenating class in the peaceful surroundings of art, bring your own mat, all experience levels welcome. Wednesdays at 10 a.m. American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-885-1300. american.edu/cas/katzen . $10 per class.
Toddler dance party Music and dancing for all ages. Wednesdays at 11 a.m. Chevy Chase Library, DC, 5625 Connecticut Ave. NW. [email protected] . 202-282-0021. Free.
Gallery talk Assistant educator Ashley W. Harris discusses artworks in the exhibit “She Who Tells a Story.” Noon-12:30 p.m. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. 202-783-5000. Free.
Creative writing in the afternoon Reza, a library associate with an MA in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University, leads the class. Wednesdays at 1 p.m. Northeast Library, 330 Seventh St. NE. 202-698-0058. [email protected] . Free.
Engineering Wednesdays Children may spend an hour designing and creating something they have dreamed of, a special engineering project. Wednesdays at 2 p.m. Rosedale Library, 1701 Gales St. NE. 202-727-5012. [email protected] . Free.
Lunder behind the scenes Staff member discusses how conservators use science, art history and skilled hands to preserve objects from the museum collection in the Lunder Conservation Center. Wednesdays at 3 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, third floor, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free.
Conservation of Our Collection: “Woman Eating” Objects conservator Jamie Gleason describes the exhaustive work that goes into conserving the sculpture, including research, examination, documentation and treatment. 4 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum. Meet in the F Street lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free.
Board game bonanza Ages 6-12 and their family members are encouraged to come and play classic games including Scrabble, Monopoly, Connect Four, Sorry and others. 4 p.m. Northeast Library, 330 Seventh St. NE. 202-698-0058. [email protected] . Free.
Lego construction crew For ages 4-12, the library supplies the Legos, you bring your imagination. Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-1488. Free.
Chess and checkers club Children of all ages and levels are encouraged to come and learn the games and their strategies for winning, prizes for those who participate. Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Bellevue (William O. Lockridge) Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. 202-243-1185. [email protected] . Free.
Anime Club A place for teens to gather, watch and talk Japanese animation, film are shown in Japanese with English subtitles, classic and new releases shown, share your own fan fiction and fan art. Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. [email protected] . 202-243-1188. Free.
Kids computer class Students from age 8-13 may learn new ways to create data and have fun using computers, meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays each month for one hour. Wednesday, May 25, June 22 and July 27 at 4:30 p.m. Capitol View Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE. 202-645-0755. [email protected] . Free.
BARS workshop For youth who enjoy rapping and writing spoken word poems, write new songs to original beats and poems to record and perform. Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library, 1630 7th St. NW. 202-727-1288. [email protected] . 202-727-1288. Free.
Summer adult-child yoga Led by instructor Dexter Sumner guiding adults and children through the basic principles of yoga, breathing exercises and poses, learn the many benefits of yoga, from flexibility and strength to creating confidence and peace of mind, all levels welcome, wear comfortable clothing, for age 6 and older. Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. [email protected] . 202-282-3139. Free.
Soul of Afghan Music: Homayoun Sakhi and Salar Nader Homayoun Sakhi, a rubâb player, and Salar Nader, a percussionist, perform at the 2016 Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the Aga Khan Music Initiative. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free.
Yoga with Caroline Bring water and a mat and wear comfortable clothes. Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Northeast Library, 330 Seventh St. NE. [email protected] . 202-698-0058. Free.
PAL (People animals love) Pajama Party Pajama party with doggies; come in your jammies for a doggie story time and an opportunity to read to a PAL dog. Wednesdays 7 p.m. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. [email protected] . 202-671-3121. Free.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival The folkways of Spain’s Basque region and the sounds of California are explored with performances by musicians, dancers and storytellers, craft demonstrations, children’s activities and cooking demonstrations. Festival hours Wednesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m., with evening concerts. Visit the website for details. Opens Wednesday. July 4 and July 7-10 on the Mall, between Third and Fourth streets SW. festival.si.edu . Free.
Thursday, June 30
Cooking Demonstration: summer sweets The Cook sisters feature blueberries and melon in their class. 12-12:45 and 12:50-1:30 p.m.U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. usbg.gov . Free.
“Home Within” A beautiful audio-visual performance by Syrian composer and clarinetist Kinan Azmeh and Syrian Armenian visual artist Kevork Mourad art and music develop in counterpoint to each other, creating an impressionistic reflection on the Syrian revolution and its aftermath. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free.
Memoir and essay club Writing enthusiast Maura Policelli leads adult writers. Thursdays at 7 p.m. Through July 28. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. [email protected] . 202-727-1488. Free.
“Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens” Outdoor screening of the film starring Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley. Doors open 8 p.m. ; film starts 8:35 p.m. Canal Park, Second and I streets SE. 202-465-7080or capitolriverfront.org . Free.
— Compiled by Gerri Marmer
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In March 1992 'Deeply Dippy' was the only number one hit for which group? | Right Said Fred - Book Right Said Fred for your Corporate Events, Fund Raisers
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Right Said Fred
To book artists and talent such as Right Said Fred for your corporate event, convention, or fundraiser, just use our Find Talent Form or Contact us .
Although best known for their worldwide hit single 'I'm Too Sexy', there's a lot more to RIGHT SAID FRED than providing the planet with one of the classic catch phrases of the Nineties. Here are just a few facts on one of Britain's best loved and most enduring groups:
RIGHT SAID FRED are brothers RICHARD FAIRBRASS and FRED FAIRBRASS. The group has sold in excess of seventeen million units worldwide. They have amassed a staggering tally of hitting Number One in twenty eight different countries. From total obscurity, the band became the darlings of 1991 with the release of their debut single 'I'm Too Sexy' and proved that bald men in tight lycra shorts can become the ultimate pop stars!
The single sold in excess of a million copies in Great Britain and spent seven consecutive weeks at Number Two in the UK Charts The phrase 'I'm Too Sexy' became an integral part of the American language � A U.S. Senator was absent from the House of Representatives because he was 'too sexy'; Whoopi Goldberg used it and American kids playing truant claimed it was because they were just 'too sexy'. The release saw the band hailed as 'The world's latest and greatest pop phenomenon' by Melody Maker and 'The best pop group for years' by The Face.
The single went on to become a massive worldwide hit, including the USA where it spent three weeks at Number One and toppled George Michael and Elton John from the coveted top spot. RIGHT SAID FRED are the only British group to hit Number One for three weeks in the American Charts with a debut single since The Beatles. 'I'M TOO SEXY' earned the group a prestigious Ivor Novello Award for 'Most Played Song'. The groups outrageous dress sense, shaven heads and outlandish sense of humour quickly endeared them to both media and public alike. As Richard Fairbrass commented at the time 'My workwear has to be ludicrous. I couldn't exactly sing 'I'm Too Sexy' in a duffle coat, could I?' Madonna publicly expressed a desire to 'bed Richard' in front of sixty million viewers of America's Arsenio Hall Show.
The massive worldwide success of 'I'M TOO SEXY' was not shared in South Korea where it was banned by Government officials. Following the success of 'I'M TOO SEXY', the band dispelled any critics who believed that they were a 'one hit wonder' by hitting Number Three in the UK with their second single 'DON'T TALK JUST KISS' which also featured soul diva Jocelyn Brown. The single was also massive in South America and Japan and both 'DON'T TALK JUST KISS' and 'DEEPLY DIPPY' ensured continued success in the USA as huge club / dance hits. It was a case of third time lucky when the group finally reached Number One in the UK in 1992 with their third single 'DEEPLY DIPPY'. The success of the singles resulted in the groups debut album 'UP' also hitting Number One in the UK album charts. The album hit the Top Five in over twenty countries. With total sales in excess of four million, 'UP' achieved double platinum sales in the UK and Gold status in America.
DEEPLY DIPPY earned the group a second Ivor Novello Award, again for 'Most Played Song'. Between '91 and '94 RIGHT SAID FRED toured some thirty countries on promotional visits and had less than a month off in more than two years. It was a workload the trio certainly didn't complain about. Less than three years previously the brothers had been knocked out of Keith Chegwin's 'Search For a Star' at the semi finals stage! Their Comic Relief collaboration with Lennox Lewis on 'STICK IT OUT' in 1993 resulted in another Top Five single in the UK and huge single success throughout Europe. Success saw the brothers become stars in their own right, having previously worked alongside the likes of David Bowie, Boy George, Mick Jagger, Billy Ocean and Bob Dylan.
In 1993 RIGHT SAID FRED released their second album, aptly titled 'SEX AND TRAVEL'. The album spawned two hit singles in 'BUMPED' and 'HANDS UP FOR LOVERS'. The album was a huge international success, hitting Number One in territories as far apart as Brazil and South Africa where they were the first white artists to appear in the country following Nelson Mandela's election as president. Their third album 'SMASHING' was released in 1996, coinciding with the groups first ever world tour. From Germany to Ghana and from England to Estonia, critics unanimously hailed the live show. The album spawned three massive European hit singles in 'LIVING ON A DREAM', 'EVERYBODY LOVES ME' and 'BIG TIME'.
After spending the vast majority of their time overseas, February 1997 saw RIGHT SAID FRED make a long overdue return to the charts in Britain with 'BIG TIME'. The club mix of the single with Joe T. Vanelli was also a huge dance hit with support from Kiss FM. 1997 also saw the birth of RICHARD FAIRBRASS, TV Star! with regular appearances on 'Never Mind The Buzzcocks' and his critically acclaimed presentation of BBC 2's 'Gaytime TV'. Richard has subsequently presented a further series of 'Gaytime TV' and two specials for BBC TV � One from the Gay Games in Amsterdam and a hilarious behind the scenes look at the Eurovision Song Contest. 1999 saw THE FREDS writing and recording in their own studio in Fulham. It also saw them create a new team around them and everyone is very excited about taking the band into the 21st Century. So far, the year 2000 has seen the band perform to 20,000 people in Mumbai, India, at the first Festival to stage Western and Indian artists on the same bill. The year 2000 also finds the boys recording new material to unleash on the world very soon!
To book an artist such as Right Said Fred or other big name talent for your Corporate Event, Private Party, Fundraiser or Convention, let one of our mediator agents negotiate with managers, agents and artists to achieve the best possible entertainment experience.
Just fill out the Talent Request form for "Right Said Fred", so that one of our experienced professionals can contact and book this artist for you. We make booking entertainment and booking musicians easy! So get started with the preliminary Talent Request form and let us use our negitiating skills to get Right Said Fred booked for your next event.
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"Which ship carried ""five million hogs and six million dogs, and seven million barrels of porter""?" | Right Said Fred | Free Internet Radio | Slacker Radio
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Biography
The British dance-pop trio Right Said Fred scored a U.S. number one single in early 1992 with "I'm Too Sexy," perhaps the most ubiquitous novelty song of the '90s. The group was formed by brothers and Sussex natives Richard and Fred Fairbrass (the latter of whom handled lead vocals); guitarist Rob Manzoli was later added to flesh out the sound, and the trio's name was actually the title of a 1962 U.K. Top Ten single by Bernard Cribbins. Inspired by the male models who frequented the gym where the Fairbrass brothers worked, the group cut a rough demo of "I'm Too Sexy" and, convinced that they were on to something, borrowed £1,500 to produce a finished master with a proper mix. Dismayed by the lack of record company interest, promoter Guy Holmes released the single on his own Tug label, and there was no stopping it once it hit the BBC airwaves. The song's campy, tongue-in-cheek lyrics, coupled with Fairbrass' deadpan speak-sing, made "I'm Too Sexy" a world-wide smash, and the video -- prominently showcasing the brothers' shaven heads and bare chests -- became just as incessant as the catch phrase. "I'm Too Sexy" topped the American charts for three weeks, making Right Said Fred the first British act to accomplish that feat with a debut single since the Beatles. The follow-ups, "Don't Talk Just Kiss" and "Deeply Dippy" (taken from the group's debut album Up), were major U.K. hits, with the latter becoming Right Said Fred's first number one hit in their homeland; however, neither single made much of an impact in the U.S. outside of dance clubs, since they weren't quite as campy as the public had come to expect. The non-album single "Stick It Out," a benefit for Comic Relief, became Right Said Fred's fourth Top Five hit in the U.K. in 1993, the same year their second album Sex and Travel was issued; however, with the group already pegged as a one-hit wonder in the U.S., the record wasn't even released Stateside. Frustrated, Right Said Fred formed their own label and in 1996 returned with their third album, Smashing!, which featured the British hit "Big Time"; however, its limited distribution hurt its overall chances for commercial success. The group then set their sights on Germany, having grown frustrated with the U.K.'s lukewarm reception. Signing with the country's BMG branch, they charted back-to-back entries in the German Top 10 with 2001's Fredhead and 2002's Stand Up. Meanwhile, the group also charted their first Top 20 hit in the U.K. with the single "You're My Mate." Right Said Fred toured Europe extensively between 2004 and 2006, often playing alongside the German pop star Nena, and 2008 saw them returning to the U.K. to record another album. Released later that year, I'm a Celebrity spawned a minor international hit with its title track, which poked fun at the celebrity lifestyle. ~ Steve Huey & Andrew Leahey
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In which country in the northern hemisphere is Cape Farewell? | Extreme weather events - Cape Farewell - The cultural response to climate change
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Extreme Weather Events and Our Changing Climate
In the First IPCC Assessment Report published in 1990, they stated that episodes of high temperatures would most likely become more frequently observed in the future. In the Third IPCC Assessment Report published in 2001, the likelihood of higher maximum temperatures, higher minimum temperatures and more intense precipitation had increased from most likely to very likely (90-99% probability).
The most recent IPCC Assessment published in 2007 takes this even further, mentioning the contraction of snow area, decrease in sea ice extent and glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere and increases in permafrost thawing. So have these climate predictions based on assessment of scientific research been borne out? The following text was produced by the World Meteorological Organisation in December 2010, who reviewed extreme weather events over the past decade.
The 10 warmest years on record have all occurred since 1998. The 2000s decade was warmer than the 1990s which was warmer than the 1980s and earlier decades. The first ten months of 2010 tied the same period in 1998 for the warmest combined land and ocean surface temperature on record worldwide, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the UK Met Office’s Hadley Centre. On 19 September 2010 at the end of the melt season the sea-ice extent was the third smallest on the satellite data record, after 2007 and 2009 (data of U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center) ( Figure 1
). Global mean sea level is higher now and is rising more rapidly than at any other time in the past 3 000 years at the pace of approximately 3.4 mm per year from 1993 to 2008, according to data published by the WMO co-sponsored World Climate Research Programme. This is almost twice the average rate for the twentieth century.
Greenland will record its warmest decade (2001-2010) since modern measurements began. Most stations in West Greenland especially in the south western part will very likely record its warmest ever year in 2010. In August, ice measuring more than 200 sq. km calved from the Petermann Glacier in northern Greenland – the largest chunk in the past 50 years of observations and data (since 1962). Tens of thousands of icebergs calve yearly from the glaciers of Greenland, but this one was exceptionally large and because of its size more typically resembled icebergs in the Antarctic.
Source: World Meteorological Organisation, 2010. A snapshot of some extreme events over the past decade.
The following listing of 34 notable extreme weather events, taken from a WMO report (2010), provides sobering reading, and emphasises the impact on societies as we try to cope with our changing climate.
Extreme cold winter in Siberia and Mongolia. Minimum temperatures dropped to near -60°C across central and southern Siberia resulting in hundreds of deaths. (2001)
Between February and April, heavy rainfall and flooding hit the southern African countries of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia. (2001)
Typhoon Rusa hit Korea causing flooding and hundred of deaths. It was reported as the worst national storm since 1959 and also led to a new national record of 24-h rainfall with 870 mm. (2002)
Unprecedented extreme heat waves occurred across much of Europe during summer. This led to record breaking temperatures, surpassing in some cases 40°C, and tens of thousands of related deaths. (2003)
Tropical cyclone Gafilo hit Madagascar with winds up to 260 km/h, causing hundreds of deaths. (2004)
Hurricane Ivan hit the Caribbean causing flooding, massive destruction and deaths. (2004)
For the first time in history a documented hurricane developed in the South Atlantic Ocean in March. Unofficially named Catarina it made landfall along the southern coast of Brazil causing great damage. (2004)
Warmest summer on record in central Canada (2005).
Worst drought in 60 years in Brazil caused the lowest Amazon flow in 30 years. (2005)
The monsoon season brought unprecedented heavy rain and widespread massive flooding to parts of western and southern India affecting more than 20 million people. (2005)
Most active Atlantic hurricane season on record. Hurricane Katrina hit the southern United States killing more than 1300 people, and was considered as the deadliest hurricane to hit the country since 1928. (2005)
Typhoon Durian hit Philippines causing massive damages and more than 1000 deaths. (2006)
Long term drought continued in the early part of the year over Greater Horn of Africa. (2006)
Severe to extreme drought was present across large parts of western United States, as well as in the southern plains. Devastating fires caused massive destruction and millions of hectares burned. (2006-2007)
In July extreme rainfall triggered the worst flooding in 60 years over the United Kingdom. (2007)
Coldest winter in 50 years and unusual snowfalls in large parts of southern South America. (2007)
Massive flooding in Mexico in early November was considered the worst weather-related disaster in the nation’s history. (2007)
Summer heavy rainfall caused flooding and flash floods in several African countries. Thousands of homes were destroyed and more than 1.5 million people were affected. (2007)
Tropical cyclone Gonu formed in the north Indian Ocean making landfall in Oman and then reaching Iran. It was reported as the strongest cyclone on record in the Arabian Sea. (2007)
Remarkably mild winter over most parts of Scandinavia. With monthly anomalies exceeding +7°C, large parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland had the warmest winter ever recorded since the beginning of measurements. (2008)
Extreme cold temperatures combined with the worst snowstorm in 5 decades were observed across China during January. The extreme cold event extended as far west as Turkey. (2008)
Severe prolonged drought hit Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Brazil causing severe damage to agriculture, livestock and water resources. For large areas it was one of the driest years on record. (2008)
Several all time winter snowfall records were set across Canada. (2008)
During September-November period heavy and extended rainfall affected Algeria and Morocco, causing severe infrastructure damage. These were the worst floods in a century for Algeria. A similar meteorological situation was repeated one year later across the same region. (2008)
In southern Australia dry conditions reinforced long term drought. These conditions exacerbated severe water shortages in the agriculturally important Murray-Darling Basin, resulting in widespread crop failures. (2008-2009)
Tropical cyclone Nargis was the worst natural disaster to hit Myanmar. It killed more than 70 000 people. (2008)
Exceptional heat wave in late October/early November in northern and central Argentina, with record breaking temperatures of more than 40°C in large areas. (2009)
Record heat waves across Australia during January/February, August and November. Disastrous bushfires associated caused more than 170 fatalities. Highest temperature ever recorded so far south anywhere in the world was observed in Victoria with 48.8°C. (2009)
Extreme cold waves and record snowfalls were observed during winter 2009/2010 in Europe, and large parts of the United States. (2010)
Extreme heat and drought in July and August led to disastrous bushfires in western Russia. (2010)
In summer Pakistan experienced the worst floods in its history. More than 1 700 deaths were reported and more than 20 million people were affected. (2010)
Heavy rainfall in China contributed to floods and landslides, including a devastating mud-rockslide which killed more than 1,500 people in Zhoqu County, northwest China (2010)
Extreme precipitation events in West Africa, with the worst flooding in 50 years in Benin (2010)
Flooding affected Central and Eastern Europe several times during the decade. Poland was most affected in 2001, while Germany, Romania, Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia suffered the most in 2002, with thousands of people evacuated. More recently, in 2008, Germany was hit by a large number of thunderstorms with hail and tornadoes and in 2009 some countries suffered from similar floods to those observed in 2002. In 2010 flooding in the Danube river basin caused severe damage. (2001-2010)
Source: World Meteorological Organisation, 2010. A snapshot of some extreme events over the past decade.
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What was the middle name of the character 'Arnold Rimmer' from the t.v. series 'Red Dwarf'? | World Hemisphere Maps - Southern, Eastern, Northern and Western Hemisphere
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World Hemisphere Maps
If a circle is drawn around the Earth, which divides it into two equal halves, then each of the half is called hemisphere. There are, generally considered to be four hemispheres: Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western.
Western Hemisphere Map
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Eastern Hemisphere Map
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Northern Hemisphere Map
Southern Hemisphere Map
Hemisphere means half of sphere. Hemispheres of the Earth in geography and cartography refer to any bipartite division of the globe into a hemisphere.
Most common division is Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, Eastern Hemisphere, Western Hemisphere.
The imaginarly line at 0º latitude which divides the earth into two equal parts is called Equator. The Equator divides the earth into Northern and Southern Hemisphere.
Prime Meridian divides the earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Prime Meridian is a line of longitude, at which longitude is defined to be 0°.
The Western Hemisphere includes Greenland , about half of Antarctica, and all of North and South America which includes the Caribbean and Central America.
Eastern Hemisphere includes most of Africa, most of Europe, about half of Antarctica and all of Asia and Australia/Oceania.
The Northern Hemisphere includes all of North America, the northern portion of South America, Eurpoe, about two-thirds of Africa, mostly all of Asia.
The Southern Hemisphere includes Antartica, Australia/Oceania, most of South America and one-third of Africa.
Last Updated on: January 06, 2017
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The 'Gremlins' are/were a gang of football hooligans who supported which North East club? | Watch unseen footage of Tyneside's hooligan battles to be revealed on new DVD - Chronicle Live
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Watch unseen footage of Tyneside's hooligan battles to be revealed on new DVD
Documentary makers say film aims to explore, not glorify, the dark days of football violence among Newcastle United fans
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Unseen footage from the dark days of Tyneside’s hooligan past will be revealed in a new documentary.
Newcastle’s most infamous soccer yob, Mark Mennim, along with other members of the city’s once-thriving ‘football firms’ have opened up about their experiences on camera.
Makers of the film, Newcastle Mainline Express (NME) The Documentary, say the aim is not to glorify hooliganism - which true football fans strongly condemn.
Instead, they wanted to explore the place that it holds in our city’s history.
It follows on from the release of a book last year in which Mennim, 53, opened up about a life devoted to organised football violence.
Along with candid interviews with Mennim, the film features rare mobile phone footage and archive pictures from some of the firms’ ‘rucks’, along with chats with other hooligans who were embroiled in the ‘action’.
Director Dan Perry said the documentary was a “factual” look at how football firms came about.
Mark Mennim, former football hooligan and member of the Gremlins gang is pictured with Steve Wraith, left
“This DVD is about the evolution of football hooliganism,” he said. “It’s a factual account of the Newcastle hooligan firms.
“It looks at the social factors that influenced the firms and how it effected the lives of people like Mark, how they got into it and how society shaped it.
“It’s like a window into history from a first hand point of view. It isn’t there to glamorise it, it’s to tell the story.”
Mennim, from Byker, Newcastle , became hooked on football violence at an early age and it soon took over his life.
Relationships came and went, and even after becoming a father he could not give up.
Not long after the birth of his daughter Mennim was jailed for carrying a knife when he travelled down to London in 1987 for a Spurs game, something he claims was a ‘fit-up’.
Following his release 18 months later he tried to go straight - but soon returned to violence, and his partner of 12 years left him, taking his three-year-old girl with her.
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Many football thugs from the 80s and 90s gave up the violence when they settled down and had families.
But Mennim found it impossible to quit, and told the Chronicle he has only stopped now because of his ill health.
During the documentary Mennim returns to the scenes of some of the most infamous fights.
“It brought back a lot of memories. I was there, it was just the life that I led,” he said. “It was quite emotional.
“Football violence is pretty much finished now because of all the CCTV cameras and Facebook.”
Fanzine editor, actor and promoter, Steve Wraith, who co-wrote the book on which the DVD is based, said: “Trying to get people to talk about this on camera was difficult. But the book was very well received.
“There will always be people that are critical, but others will see it as part of our history.”
Newcastle Mainline Express (NME) The Documentary, will be released on December 1.
It can be bought at The Back Page shop on St Andrew’s Street in Newcastle city centre and is available pre-order now from http://gm2projects.bigcartel.com
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04 November 2003 - Football thugs get match bans A FOOTBALL hooligan from Rotherham is among five Barnsley "fans" banned from soccer games for three years after clashing with Cardiff police at a match. K*** B******, aged 22, from Rotherham and Barnsley men J**** D*****, 35, D*** S****, 38, J**** A*****, 29, and D***** L***, 35, all admitted public order offences. Cardiff Crown Court heard they clashed with police trying to keep Barnsley fans away from Cardiff City fans after the Bluebirds scored a late equaliser at a league match in Wales in February. Hywel Hughes, prosecuting, said a group of Barnsley fans had arrived in Cardiff by train at 10am, five hours before kick-off. Police took them to the city's Walkabout pub, which opened specially for them, the court heard. Then a double-decker bus was arranged to take them to the Ninian Park ground, said Mr Hughes. Barnsley were leading 1-0 until towards the end of the game when Cardiff City equalised, he said. Then a group of about 100 Barnsley supporters decided to leave the ground early, despite being instructed by a loudspeaker announcement to stay until they were released. A cordon of about eight or nine police officers was able to hold the away fans back and stop them leaving the ground on to Sloper Road, where Cardiff fans were congregating. An outbreak of disorder followed, said Mr Hughes, in which one police officer was kicked and another was pulled into the crowd. A wheelie bin and sections of metal railing were thrown at police. Taxi driver A*****, of Hoyland, Barnsley, and engineer L*** of Old Mill, Barnsley were involved in pulling the woman police officer into the mob of fans, the court heard. Plumber B********, from Rotherham, trade union activist S****, of Wilthorpe, Barnsley, and decorator D*****, of Monk Bretton, Barnsley, were caught on police video and identified as being part of the mob. All five denied violent disorder, but admitted an alternative public order offence. They were given football banning orders, which stop them from attending league, cup and international matches in England and Wales, for three years. Judge Roderick Denyer QC also fined them �750 each and ordered them to pay �250 each in prosecution costs. He told them: "Why blokes of perfectly good character with good jobs suddenly want to go out and fight Cardiff City I don't know. It is a mystery." Outside court Det Sgt Terry Lee of South Wales Police Football Intelligence Unit said: "This was a fairly major disturbance and quite a nasty incident. Hopefully we can send out a message that this will not be accepted." story 2 Reds thugs banned after police clashes A GANG of Barnsley football hooligans has been banned from every ground in the country after a clash with police in Cardiff earlier this year. 23 thugs were given three-year banning orders and many were ordered at Cardiff Crown Court to pay fines or costs after troubled flared at a match in February this year. The fans made a charge for the stadium exit to beat police blocks shortly before the end of the fixture. There was a scuffle with officers and many Barnsley fans were arrested for public order offences. Of 16 Cardiff fans arrested for trouble in the city centre after the game, 12 were convicted and received banning orders. The Barnsley fans, aged between 21 and 40, can now "no longer enter within 2,000 metres of any regulated football match in the period of five hours before kick-off and five hours after the final whistle". Fans who breach the order can be arrested and brought back before the courts. Chief Insp Keith Lumley, of South Yorkshire Police, said: "We won't tolerate anyone who wants to spoil these family events through violence. "On every occasion, in Barnsley or anywhere in the country, hooligans can expect to go before court. "There have been about 30 banning orders imposed in Barnsley as a result of our zero tolerance policy in the last 18 months. "There are quite a few problems with hooligans throughout the country at the moment. But the majority of fixtures in Barnsley this season have been police-free � no officers were needed. "That just shows that by taking the hooligans away from the matches through the action we have taken, there is a drop-off in violence." 12 February 2003 Reds thugs in clashes FOOTBALL violence erupted when Barnsley fans were involved in running battles with rival supporters in the streets of Cardiff. Three people were arrested after fighting flared before Barnsley's match with Cardiff City in the Welsh capital. Innocent shoppers fled as police grabbed the men who were arrested before the match began when disturbances occurred on a busy street in the city centre. A 26-year-old Cardiff man was arrested for violent disorder and another male, aged 35, also from the home city, was arrested for a public order offence. South Wales Police also arrested a 33-year-old Barnsley man in connection with a drugs offence. A fourth, a man in his early 20s, from Cardiff, was arrested during the match, also on a drugs offence. Supt Kevin Tumelty said: "Police responded positively to the earlier incident of public disorder, which was resolved by the prompt action of officers on duty in St Mary's Street. "The majority of games this season have passed without incident and it is disappointing that a small number of hooligans, from both Cardiff and Barnsley, were openly seeking confrontation with one and other. "The game itself passed without any incident and there were no further arrests." The skirmishes follow major problems in Barnsley in November when Cardiff played at Oakwell, Trouble flared as police chiefs mounted their biggest ever operation in the town centre for a football match - with around 300 Barnsley officers on duty. But tempers boiled and violence broke out on the streets and extra riot squad officers were drafted in from West Yorkshire. Six fans were arrested. Officers said a number of Cardiff fans arrived in the town "determined to look for and cause trouble" and riot squad police were deployed inside the ground at pitchside to try to contain them. Eldon Street and Pontefract Road were both closed for some time because of the amount of broken glass littering the road and to allow emergency vehicles to get through. After the match fans, described by police as "volatile and aggressive", again clashed with police at a number of locations in the town centre. During the match four Cardiff fans were charged with either invading the pitch or being drunk and disorderly. n Did you witness any of the violence? Ring The Star news desk on 0114 2521346 or 01226 284243. 13/11/02 Barnsley-Cardiff BARNSLEY football fans today criticised policing methods at Saturday's clash against Cardiff and claimed much of the violence was caused be their heavy handed tactics. And the manager of a pub at the centre of some of the worst problems alleged: "The police started it." More than 300 police officers were on duty for a match police intelligence reports had warned could lead to street violence and which saw riot police and fans clashing in the town centre. Today some of the fans who were in The Room public house on Eldon Street claim violence only broke out before kick off after they were trapped inside the pub by riot squad police. Police deny being aggressive or confrontational. Locals say police vans were used to block off emergency exits and riot shields pressed against doors and windows to cage the fans inside. And the manager of The Room, Fiona Thomas, said: "There was absolutely no trouble whatsoever until all these police in riot gear surrounded the pub, blocked off doors and windows and turned everyone inside into a prisoner. "Even members of staff could not get out, people were trapped inside for almost an hour. "They only set the toilets alight to try to force the police to move back and allow people to leave. Neither myself nor any member of staff felt threatened in any way- until the police arrived and then it was just terrible." The Room was badly damaged by smoke caused by that fire and will not re-open until Friday when repairs will be finished. Today police denied they had used heavy handed tactics and said they had responded to the "violence and intimidation" shown by a hard core of people. They also insisted no matter how frustrated fans might have been, it was no excuse for the violence that broke out. A Barnsley police spokesman said: "There were tactical policing reasons for containing those fans at that time. Even if they did not wish to remain inside the pub that cannot excuse the violence that then broke out. "I would also question the motives and logic of anyone who deliberately starts a fire." story 2 Soccer yobs in street riot SOCCER violence erupted in Barnsley when yobs clashed with riot police. Officers in riot gear surrounded The Room pub in Eldon Street where Barnsley fans had set the toilets ablaze before Saturday's match against Cardiff. The main road outside was also closed. Trouble flared as police chiefs mounted their biggest ever operation in the town centre for a football match - with around 300 Barnsley officers on duty. But tempers boiled and violence broke out on the streets and extra riot squad officers were drafted in from West Yorkshire. Six fans were arrested and senior police officers today said they were "satisfied" with how they had dealt with the violence - and vowed more arrests will follow. Officers say a certain number of Cardiff fans arrived in the town "determined to look for and cause trouble" and riot squad police were deployed inside the ground at pitchside to try to contain them. Eldon Street and Pontefract Road were both closed for some time because of the amount of broken glass littering the road and to allow emergency vehicles to get through. Some local fans and police also claimed Leeds and Huddersfield supporters mingled with home fans, determined to cause trouble. Today police are trawling through CCTV footage to identify those in the centre of the worst violence and football intelligence officers from Leeds and Huddersfield will be used to identify the troublemakers. Action is also being threatened against some Cardiff coach drivers who ignored police orders and dropped passengers off in Sheffield Road to allow them to walk past and taunt Barnsley fans on their way to the ground. After the match fans, described by police as "volatile and aggressive", again clashed with police at a number of locations in the town centre. Inspector Graham Leckey said: "We have never had a police operation of this size and we are satisfied with how we dealt with a very difficult situation. "The intelligence we received had indicated there were a large number of people coming to Barnsley determined to cause violence and trouble on Saturday and sadly that proved to be correct and all those police officers on duty were needed." 05 November 2002 Hooligans in police clash BARNSLEY fans were among 300 hooligans who attacked police and tried to turn Sheffield city centre into a battlefield during the latest escalation of football violence. Police with riot shields had to use "stern methods" to break up gangs of rival hooligans as they came under attack from a barrage of bottles and missiles. The action prevented a large-scale pitched battle, but outbreaks of violence continued until the early hours of the morning. The Barnsley yobs had headed for Sheffield on their way to the club's away game at Chesterfield, but police say some remained in the city drinking rather than travelling on to the match There were also some Derby fans who had travelled with no intention of attending the Owls match. Sheffield United fans joined in clashes on their return from Nottingham. The main trouble happened between 6 and 8pm on Saturday in the Campo Lane area. The police helicopter monitored the movements of hooligans. Supt Martin Hemmingway, who oversaw the operation, said: "There were confrontations across the city centre, and officers had to use riot shields to protect themselves. It is very damaging for the reputation of Sheffield." Police made eight preventative arrests as they kept rival factions apart, and five were arrested at an incident in the Casbah club, where one person was seriously hurt in an assault. Officers also assisted doormen at the Brighton Beach event at Sheffield City Hall, to ensure those involved in stirring up trouble were unable to get inside. Senior officers are planning to have large numbers of police available for the potentially explosive cup clash between Sheffield United and Leeds United at Bramall Lane on Wednesday evening. 01 October 2002 Football thugs in police attack MOUNTED police came under a hail of missiles from football yobs after Barnsley's home defeat against Wigan. A gang of around 100 Wigan fans clashed with police underneath the fly-over near the Jumble Lane crossing. At the same time a group of Barnsley fans, who were being kept away from the rival gang, turned on the mounted officers, hurling bricks and stones at them. Four fans were arrested and police today confirmed they are considering taking action against some of the coach drivers that brought the away fans into town. Inspector Graham Leckey said the trouble flared when a large group of Wigan fans failed to get on to coaches at the end of the game, in which the Reds were beaten 3-1. Instead the Wigan fans headed into the town centre where they were apparently being met by locals. Insp Leckey said: "We did manage to keep them apart, but the Barnsley fans in particular turned very nasty and rounded on the mounted police. "We will be seeking to identify those involved in that particular group of Barnsley fans. We are also very concerned because at least one double decker coach travelling from Wigan did not bring those fans straight to Oakwell as they were supposed to do. "Instead some fans were dropped off at a pub in Darton where they were drinking before making their way via public transport to the ground. "The attitude of those that gathered close to Jumble Lane was they did not wish to be policed, they thought they could behave in any way they wanted. "They rounded on the mounted police, hurling missiles at them. "We are not prepared to put up with behaviour like that and when we identify those responsible we will take firm action." 21 August 2002 Arrests rise as Barnsley tackle yobs A SENIOR police officer has hailed the rise in arrests of Barnsley football fans as a triumph for the force - but warned trouble could flare this season. Figures show that at League matches last year there were 44 arrests of Barnsley supporters compared to 38 the year before. There were 46 arrests of Barnsley supporters at all matches - 34 at home and 12 away, with one arrest for violent disorder, 18 for public disorder, three for racist chanting, three for running on the pitch, 13 for alcohol offences and eight others. Insp Graham Leckey said he believed there were a further 10 arrests at Oakwell for crimes including ticket touting, fraudulently obtaining tickets and burglary. But he said the figures were low compared to the third of a million people who attended Oakwell last year. And the slight rise in arrests could be attributed to better targeting of resources and intelligence. He said: "I don't think disorder in itself has increased, we are a lot more proactive and work more closely with clubs and stewards to identify possible troublemakers such as those trying to enter the ground drunk." But he warned a police drive to make clubs pay more for match day policing had already seen fewer resources deployed as Barnsley FC looked to make savings. The club is in tighter financial straits after relegation to Division Two and the loss of television money following the collapse of ITV Digital. Traffic wardens were not used for the first time when Barnsley played Leeds at a home friendly on Saturday. Insp Leckey said at the same time there was a lack of intelligence on clubs in Division Two because Barnsley had never played them. He added: "The mentality of fans in lower division clubs is different, they are not used to being as well policed or stewarded and our presence will be scaled down. They are an unknown quantity. We've had no previous contact with Mansfield, Cheltenham and Swindon for example. "At Leeds on Saturday there were a lot of families and younger kids and we want to encourage that. "But if violence, bad language and drunkeness increase those people will be driven away and create difficulties because we will be forced to increase police resources and that has a knock-on effect on costs." He added that policing was a balancing act and some matches would be virtually police-free this season, with crowd control being handled by stewards. But there would be a significant presence when Cardiff came to Barnsley on November 9. The Welsh club has recently developed a reputation for hooliganism including a high profile home clash with Leeds fans. Yesterday's figures also showed seven Barnsley supporters received banning orders which prevented them from travelling to the World Cup in Japan. They were forced to surrender their passports. All had previous hooligan convictions or were suspected by police of planning violence. Sheffield Wednesday v Barnsley 21/04/2001 - Nationwide League Division One Prior to the game, a group of Sheffield supporters attempted a confrontation with the visiting group. Missiles were thrown, but order was restored by police. After the game, police prevented confrontation with rivals on the outer concourse and mounted police dispersed a group of Sheffield supporters. The Barnsley supporters were escorted out of the city. Disorder Barnsley Town Centre 19/08/00 70 Huddersfield Town supporters left Sheffield Town Centre, believed to be on the way home to Huddersfield. The train had to pass through Barnsley Station. On arrival at Barnsley, there were a group of Barnsley supporters waiting on the platform. The Barnsley group jeered and one was seen to kick out at one of the train doors. Fortunately BTP officers were on the train and prevented anyone from getting off. The train quickly moved out of the station; however, as it reached the next station, 30 of the Huddersfield supporters got off and made their way back into Barnsley Town Centre. In the town centre the Huddersfield supporters were attacked by a group of Barnsley supporters. A Huddersfield supporter was punched in the face and knocked unconscious. Police were quickly on the scene and prevented the situation from escalating.
Jan 12th 2004 Yorkshire soccer fans facing Euro 2004 ban BY DAVID BRUCE MORE than 100 West Yorkshire football hooligans are expected to be banned from travelling to the Euro 2004 championships. Eighty soccer thugs are already barred from attending designated domestic matches and international games. West Yorkshire Police announced today they are targeting a further 20-plus individuals who are suspected of being involved in football violence in the county. Police chiefs said that they will be asking magistrates to issue Football Banning Orders to prevent them causing any mayhem at the Championships. Magistrates The Government has provided additional funding to carry out the new operation in West Yorkshire, which will continue until the end of the three-week-long tournament. The first cases are expected to be brought before magistrates within a few weeks. Det Supt Gary Baker, of West Yorkshire Police, said they were very involved in preventing English fans causing disorder at the forthcoming European Championship tournament which starts in Portugal in June. He added: "We are currently gathering evidence against at least 20 individuals who are suspected of being involved in football violence in the county. "We will seek to obtain Football Banning Orders to prevent violence or disorder at, or in connection with, football matches by making an application to the Magistrates' Court to prevent those people attending future football matches, including those involving the England team. "We are working closely with other forces, local clubs and the government to ensure the European Championships will be trouble free. This includes the Football Supporters Federation and FA. "We have received additional financial support from the Home Office to carry out this operation, which will continue until the end of the Championships." Det Supt Baker said that most England football supporters were law abiding, pointing out that matches played in England and Wales last year attracted 33 million fans, of whom only 0.01 per cent were arrested. He warned: "Those who are involved in football related violence should be aware that we are investigating their activities and we will not tolerate any football hooliganism." Those made subject of Football Banning Orders are required to attend a local police station in the five days before an international game � and hand in their passports. The move in West Yorkshire is part of a concerted, nationwide effort to stamp out hooliganism at the high-profile championships. [email protected] Train hit by soccer yobs at station Dec 15 2003 By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner A MOB of soccer yobs ambushed a train and hurled missiles at the windows. British Transport Police believe Huddersfield Town followers were to blame. The train, which carried a mixture of Bradford City supporters and shoppers, was immediately taken out of service. Police are appealing for information about the attack on the Manchester to York train as it pulled into Halifax Station at 10.30pm on Saturday night. A group of about 30 men, believed to be Huddersfield Town supporters waiting on the platform, threw bricks and bottles. Eight windows were smashed. Huddersfield Town played at Macclesfield on Saturday while Bradford's game was at Wigan. A spokesman said officers were studying CCTV footage. Bradford v Aberdeen July 2003 Nine arrests in city soccer thug raids by Steve Wright Suspected hooligans who clashed with rival fans during a pre-season football tournament were in custody today after police carried out dawn raids across Bradford. An accountant was among nine people arrested as police targeted the homes of soccer yob suspects. Dozens of officers swooped on up to 20 homes in co-ordinated raids which began shortly after 6am. The crackdown, codenamed Operation Olive, aimed to detain suspected thugs from Bradford who fought with Aberdeen fans in the city centre during City's Centenary Tournament in July. More than 100 hooligans were involved in the violence on Ivegate on the afternoon of Saturday, July 26, the first day of the tournament, which was billed as a family event. Bottles and hoardings were thrown and a police dog was injured when the windscreen of a police van was smashed as officers restored order. Twelve people were arrested on the day and a further nine arrests were made after more than 20 hooligans from the two clubs brawled in Manningham Lane on the same afternoon. Today's operation - involving about 60 officers from Bradford, the Operational Support Unit and Task Force - targeted suspects identified from CCTV footage of the violence in Ivegate and film taken of the disorder by police. Four-strong teams of officers swooped on addresses across Bradford and two in Pudsey and Leeds to detain 14 suspects, mostly linked to the Bradford City hooligan Ointment gang. The raids included one at a neat, semi-detached house in Wrose, where a shaven-headed man in his mid-20s was led away in handcuffs. A curly-haired man in his 40s was arrested at a stone-built end terraced house in Allerton. By mid-morning nine people had been held and inquiries were ongoing to trace five more, with the number of arrests expected to rise. They were being held at Bradford Central police station. Those detained included an accountant, a builder, a window fitter and a machine operator. They were expected to be interviewed all day and police were hoping to charge and bail them later. Chief Inspector David Lunn, in charge of the operation, said police would not accept the serious organised violence that took place in Ivegate. He said: "Our message is that Bradford City football club and West Yorkshire Police will not tolerate such behaviour. It is unacceptable. At the end of the day people have died through football violence. It must stop now." Chief Insp Lunn said violence had moved away from the grounds to city centres, with a knock-on effect for other people. He added: "We want Bradford to be a safer place for people to come to and we won't allow football hooligans to disrupt people going about their business." Seven Aberdeen fans have been identified after West Yorkshire Police sent posters of suspects to Scotland. story 2 First published on Thursday 06 November 2003: Eight jailed over football violence Eight Bradford men have been jailed for their part in clashes with visiting football fans in Bradford city centre. They were also banned from all football matches for periods ranging from six to seven years, as the police and Crown Prosecution Service sought a new crackdown on football-related violence. The city's magistrates court heard how punches and kicks were exchanged when Bradford City fans clashed with Aberdeen supporters in Ivegate on July 26. The match was part of City's Centenary Tournament. Sentencing some of those involved yesterday district judge David Thomas said the incident - which lasted only 37 seconds - blighted the city which had suffered from riots in July 2001. He said: "Bradford has had its share of problems in the last few years and, while this was not like the events of 2001, incidents of this nature bring discredit on the city. "This was a serious city centre incident, fortunately nipped in the bud by the prompt action of the police." The citizens of Bradford were entitled to walk the streets in safety without having to face such incidents perpetrated by "supposed football supporters" who were really "hooligans", he added. Malcolm Christy, prosecuting, said all the defendants were in a group walking uphill and some Aberdeen fans came downhill towards them. During the brief confrontation that followed, fighting broke out and advertising boards were thrown through the air before police officers moved in to separate the two groups. Pleading guilty to violent disorder were: D***d H******l, 35, of Chellow Grange, who was jailed for five months and banned for seven years; C***g B*********n, 31, Wrose, jailed for four months and banned for six years; A*****y ********l, 37, of Horton Bank Top, jailed for four months and banned for six years; J****** B***n, 22, of Odsal, jailed for three months and banned for six years; J***** G*****t, 28, of Brown Royd, jailed for three months and banned for six years; T****** C*****, Wibsey, jailed for three months and banned for six years; R***** L**, 24, of Low Moor, jailed for three months and banned for six years; N*** S*****, 34, Oakwood, jailed for three months and banned for seven years, plus a further two months consecutive for unrelated driving offences. Also pleading guilty to violent disorder were: C********r M******l, 34, of West Bowling, 160-hour community punishment order and banned for three years; J**n S*****, 39, of Allerton, 12-month community rehabilitation order and 80-hour community punishment order and banned for three years. C*********r C***, 24, of Allerton, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and was released on bail until November 27, for a pre-sentence report to be prepared. P**l W*******n, 30, of Wrose, pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour and was given a 160-hour community punishment order and was banned for three years. P****p S*****, 36, of Idle, had a charge of using threatening behaviour discontinued by the prosecution. story 3 (sorry) City yobs for rent by Drew Kendell Football hooligans in Bradford are using "rent-a-thug" reinforcements to compete with rival mobs, it was revealed today. It is thought Bradford City's hooligan "firm" - known as the Ointment - stands at about 30-strong, but police believe they can double or even treble their strength by drawing on a pool of outsiders. More than 50 thugs from the city are believed to have been involved in violence at a tournament 10 days ago. Officers suspect the new faces are not regular attenders but are brought in when the potential for large-scale disorder arises. Football intelligence officer PC Jamie Smith said: "People will be brought in by hooligans for higher category games." He said they were not paid but were attracted by the potential of getting involved in violence. "These are associates of prominents (hooligans) who will come in and give them a hand when they think the need is there," he said. "We see them out and about on match days although they have no particular interest in the team." While officers are aware of the identities of long-standing Ointment members, little is known about those involved on a casual basis. "We are in the process of gathering intelligence on them and we will be coming down hard on anyone involved in disorder," said PC Smith. "While the numbers of the Ointment itself are not growing, I am sure that these people will be calling themselves by that name. "These people have got no connection to football. They do not go to games and probably never have." Police arrested three Bradford men after violence erupted between City and Aberdeen supporters in Ivegate on July 26. About 50 thugs from each faction clashed during the friendly tournament arranged as a celebration of the Bantams' centenary season. A police dog was injured and a force van had its windscreen smashed. Police, who had already made arrests when fans clashed earlier in Manningham Lane, quickly restored order. In January, there were violent scenes at Leeds train station when Bradford thugs came head-to-head with rival hooligans from the city. It is thought Bradford's "rent-a-thug" tactics will be used for fixtures categorised with a high potential for violence next season such as games against Burnley, Millwall and Sheffield United. On these occasions the police will beef up their match-day operations to try to stop the potential for violence. But PC Smith stressed that the huge majority of City fans were well behaved at both home and away ties. "Ninety-nine per cent of those who follow Bradford City love football and simply follow the game," he said. And he said that, unlike many other clubs, there were no signs of a new youth "firm" emerging. "It seems that it is the same people who have been involved for years," said PC Smith. "There are those who are still intent on disorder while in their 40s." Thursday 03 April 2003: Bradford 15 held at Turkey clash Fifteen football fans from Bradford were arrested by police as the Euro 2004 qualifier between England and Turkey was marred by violence. A spokesman for Northumbria police, which had around 1,000 officers on duty to cope with the crowd, said the arrests were mainly for drink and disorderly offences. By the end of the match at The Stadium of Light in Sunderland police had arrested 95 people. Superintendent Jim Campbell, in charge of security at the 48,000 sell-out match, said a group of more than 25 supporters, believed to follow Leeds, were arrested in the afternoon. Supt Campbell said: "The number of arrests would indicate there were major problems but approximately 60 resulted from two incidents, both fairly early on. "It would appear there was no-one from the Turkish community arrested or injured and the problems we had around the ground were English fans having a go at each other." As kick-off approached, dozens of riot police clashed with hundreds of football supporters on the approach to the stadium. Hooligans pelted riot police and uniformed officers with bottles and a full-scale charge was launched by baton-wielding police. Bradford City v Manchester City 17/03/2001 - Premier League At about 2.45pm a group of Bradford supporters attempted to gain entry to a public house containing mainly Manchester City fans and disorder occurred. Officers quickly restored order. At the ground, Manchester City fans were found in the 'home' ends of the ground. Four arrests were made for racial chanting which was aimed at the local community outside the stadium. This resulted in stones being thrown into the stadium from local children. After the match, throughout the town for a period of 15minutes small pockets of disorder broke out, resulting in a number of arrests. 20 Manchester City fans were arrested as well as six Bradford fans. The large police presence prevented further more serious outbreaks of disorder. Bradford city v Manchester United 27/01/2001 - Premier League Intelligence for this fixture indicated that Manchester and Leeds fans had planned disorder at Halifax. After disturbances in Halifax the Manchester fans travelled by train to Bradford. As some Manchester fans used mob tactics to avoid paying fares all season a barrier check aided by police was set up at Bradford and over �1000 was collected. After the match Leeds fans again started grouping and it became obvious that disorder was planned. All the Manchester fans were placed on the train back to Manchester and police on board ensured that they did not get off en route to prevent disorder. This operation was an example of an excellent policing plan between BTP areas and two other forces whereby the policing tactics used on the day prevented major disorder. Bradford City v Manchester United 13/01/01 - Premier League During this game rival supporters clashed with each other inside the stadium. Several fights erupted and there was spitting and verbal abuse between the supporters. Several arrests were made. At the end of the match there were sporadic outbursts of fighting between the rival groups. A section of the Manchester United supporters made their way to the city centre. This group fought with anyone who challenged them on route. As the Manchester group passed through Centenary Square individual fights occurred between rival groups. Leeds - Bradford 30 jan 2003 Armed with a mobile and a website... football's new generation fight club TEENAGE football thugs are being recruited by a new youth section of a notorious hooligan gang. Members of the Infant Hit Squad (IHS) boast about their violent exploits on a website under the banner: "Leeds Infant Hit Squad � Britain's Number One Casual Youth Firm". The Yorkshire Evening Post can reveal that police football liaison officers are closely monitoring the squad � which is believed to have links with the Leeds Service Crew. Hooligan gangs emerged in the late 1970s and during the 1980s violence between rival gangs exploded on the terraces. After a police crackdown hundreds of thugs were jailed for taking part in these highly organised and large-scale fights. The problem was thought to be under control but the emergence of the Leeds IHS coincides with an increase in football related violence across the England and Wales. Less than a fortnight ago, Service Crew and IHS yobs clashed with members of Bradford's Ointment gang at Leeds City Station after United's 0-0 draw with West Bromwich Albion. An "eye-witness" described the fight on the IHS's website a day later. Insp Melvin Stubbs, head of football operations at Millgarth police station Leeds, said: "The Infant Hit Squad ... are fluid in nature and people only associate themselves with it on a casual basis. "There are a number of websites produced by football hooligan groups. We monitor them and if any offences are described we take the appropriate action. We monitor the protagonists both at football matches and on other days." Hurled Violence tends to be restricted to specific matches, such as derby games and FA cup rounds. Last November Leeds fans ripped up wooden seats and hurled them at Sheffield United fans after the 2-1 Worthington Cup defeat. A month before the match a message appeared on the IHS site � claiming to be from an Leeds Service Crew veteran � which urged the young hooligans to link up with them for a clash with Sheffield's Blades Business Crew that day. An ex-Service Crew member, who did not want to be named, said: "I know there's a game set of lads starting to hang around Leeds again. Back in the 1980s there was the Very Young Team, which were the up-and-coming ones. "With the passage of time some of the VYT ended up as the top boys. "Old Service Crew members keep a low profile. It's very rare to get trouble inside the grounds because there are CCTV cameras everywhere. "It's more likely to happen at train stations or in pubs. With the advent of the mobile phone it's very easy to set up." Inspector Cameron Young, of the British Transport Police, said there had been a marked increase in hooligan activity this season. He said: "In the last six months the presence of the Leeds hooligan fraternity has been noticable. There also seems to be more younger fans turning up." Bradford v Leeds - Tuesday 14 March 2000: We will ban hooligans from all soccer grounds' Hooligans convicted of public order offences at Bradford City's derby clash with Leeds United could be banned from every football stadium in the land, police warned today. Eleven people were arrested during or immediately before Bradford City's crunch match with Leeds United on Sunday. Six were arrested for public order offences, one for pitch invasion and three for drunkenness. All have now been charged, said Inspector Jeff Baker, of Bradford Central Police. "We will be pressing to have a banning order imposed on them which will prevent them from going into any football stadium in the country," he said. "We want to send out a strong message that police will not tolerate this sort of thing." Another person who was arrested before the game in connection with an alleged assault on an anti-racism campaigner has been released on police bail pending an investigation. Some Bantams fans have also accused their club of greed for selling tickets in the home stands to Leeds United supporters. Seats in the Ciba stand were put on open sale and up to 500 were snapped up by Leeds fans. Areas exclusively for Bradford season ticket holders were also invaded by Leeds fans who bought up unused tickets. "It was just greed," said Paul Snowden, secretary of the Queensbury branch of the Bradford City Supporters Club. "They didn't need to sell them to Leeds fans, they could have easily sold out if they had just sold to Bradford fans." A system where vouchers were handed out to people who had attended other City games in the season would have ensured that Leeds fans were excluded, he said. Mr Snowden, who is writing to Bantams chairman Geoffrey Richmond, added: "In all my years as a Bradford City fan I have never seen anything like it in the ground before. It was scandalous. There were at least 500 Leeds fans in Bradford stands." Mr Snowden added that his 12-year-old daughter, Kemma, who is a season ticket holder, was too scared to go into the ground. Shaun Harvey, Bradford City's managing director, said it was standard procedure to review the events of each game and the Leeds match would be no different. "We will be looking at everything from how tickets were distributed to the events of the day. We always look at how things could have been done differently." But Mr Harvey said preventing Leeds fans from getting into home stands was an impossible task. Police had been expecting most of the Leeds fans to be in those three blocks, but in the event found they were dotted all over the ground. l Police are appealing for witnesses after a woman was assaulted as she handed out Anti-Nazi League leaflets before the match. She was hit on the head by a bottle allegedly thrown by a person in a nearby group. Witnesses to the incident at 3.40pm are asked to contact Bradford Central Police on 376459. A man has been arrested in connection with the incident and released on police bail.
HEAVY POLICE PRESENCE TO CURB TROUBLE 12:30 - 05 February 2004 Scunthorpe United will play host to local rivals Doncaster Rovers on Saturday, and police are warning fans trouble will not be tolerated. Tense time expected as United play Doncaster at home The match will be an all-ticket affair, and fans are advised to purchase their tickets in advance. The game is set to attract in the region of 6,500 fans, with a large contingent of Doncaster supporters expected to make the short trip up the M180 for what promises to be an eventful local derby. The historic rivalry between the clubs brings with it real potential for conflict between both sets of fans. There will be a heavy police presence in and around the ground and within the town centre itself in a bid to prevent any trouble breaking out. Uniformed officers will be supported by dog handlers and officers from the mounted division. Sgt Brian Burns, of Scunthorpe Police, said: "The police presence will be strong, with staffing increased due to intelligence and the potential for disorder. "This should ensure this fixture goes smoothly and police resources are able to respond to any developing tension." As Rovers have not visited Glanford Park for four years, Humberside police will be looking to the lessons learned when the club travelled to Lincoln last year. The violence witnessed at that game led to the first use, by Lincolnshire Police, of a taser, a device which delivers an electrical charge designed to temporarily disable troublemakers. Scunthorpe fans have a formidable reputation. In 2002, there were more arrests made at Glanford Park than anywhere else in the country. And, just weeks ago, eight Iron fans were handed three-year bans following trouble at a Rochdale game last October. Sgt Burns said: "As part of the pro-active approach we have to football hooliganism, protected evidence-gathering teams will be out on the day. "The evidence gathered by these teams, who will be using hand-held video cameras, will be utilised to obtain convictions at court. "This approach has, so far, resulted in nine people being summoned to appear at Scunthorpe Magistrates' Court later this month." Doncaster, meanwhile, still holds the unenviable record for the highest number of arrests at any division three ground. It is hoped the level of policing will not only mean a trouble-free fixture, but also minimum disruption within the town itself. Sgt Burns continued: "Other people in the town who are not connected with the game should be able to go about their daily business without incident." York v Doncaster rovers - November 2003 York braced for trouble as football yobs head to city by Evening Press reporter FOOTBALL hooligans from Doncaster are planning to create havoc at tomorrow's Yorkshire derby match with York City. Extra police officers, including mounted officers and dog handlers, will be on duty in the city centre and around the ground for the game. Specialist North Yorkshire Police officers trained in dealing with public order incidents will also be deployed. South Yorkshire Police is doubling its number of hooligan "spotters" from two to four. The force is also sending two public order trained evidence gatherers, who film football crowds. Pc Paul Maloney, York police football liaison officer, said about 50 Doncaster hooligans were expected to be among the thousands travelling to the all-ticket match. Pc Maloney said: "We are expecting some problems both inside and outside the ground. The matches that Doncaster have played so far this season indicates that and so appropriate police resources will be deployed." Pc Maloney said there was no intelligence suggesting York City's hooligans were planning any trouble. But he said: "Our hooligan element have caused problems this season at several matches, but when they have been travelling away rather than here in York." PC Andy Baker, South Yorkshire Police football intelligence officer, said: "The intelligence started rolling in on this weeks ago. Our hooligan element are looking at this game as a really big one." Pc Baker said intelligence suggested Leeds supporters would also be in York looking for a fight. British Transport Police Sergeant Mark Seales said there would be a heavy police presence at York station. "It will be policed firmly," he said. North Yorkshire police declined to say how many extra police would be involved. Chief superintendent John Lacy, York and Selby area commander, said people living near Bootham Crescent had received leaflets telling them of the heavy police presence. "This is a high category match," he said. story 2 Soccer hooligans cause pub havoc A LANDLORD told today how his pub resembled a scene from the Wild West as brawling soccer fans brought chaos to York city centre. Two women customers were hurt and a party of elderly tourists was showered with glass and beer when up to 30 York City and Doncaster Rovers fans clashed at the Golden Lion in Church Street. "I have been here four years and I have never seen anything like it," said landlord John Raw. "It was like something from the Wild West." Trouble also erupted elsewhere in the city centre, and pubs were counting the cost today after closing their doors to customers for several hours amid warnings about troublemakers. Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of York Tourism Bureau, spoke of her concern today about the impact of the trouble on York's reputation for tourists. "This is potentially very damaging to the tourist industry, even if it was a one-off," she said. "If people have had this sort of experience they not only don't want to come again, but they also tell other people what happened when they went to York." At the Golden Lion, Mr Raw said a woman suffered pain in her lower back after being pushed down some stairs, and another suffered a cut to her head. "A group of elderly people sitting by the door - tourists - were showered in glass and beer. They were soaked and not best pleased." He said the fans fled after police arrived "very quickly" on the scene. Another pub hit by hooligans was The Punch Bowl, in Blossom Street. A spokesman for operators Wetherspoons said Doncaster fans inside were called out by "baying" York fans and a punch-up ensued, during which two windows were broken. A man came into the pub after having been "glassed" outside. The pub shut for 90 minutes. Police said Saturday's trouble could have been a lot worse but for a highly visible police presence before and after the Yorkshire derby game between City and Rovers. Officers had anticipated trouble, predicting that about 50 Doncaster hooligans would make the trip to York, and extra officers, including mounted police and dog handlers, were drafted in to deal with the trouble. South Yorkshire Police also doubled its hooligan spotters from two to four for the occasion and sent two public order specialists to film the football crowds. Sgt Richard Hall said: "A mindless minority decided to cause problems instead of just enjoying the game. A few arrests were made but a lot of trouble was stopped by the high-profile police presence. "It was a very good high profile police operation which prevented more serious trouble." He said there had been various incidents of violence throughout the city, both before and after the match. One man was arrested after an object was thrown through a window at the Golden Lion, and several arrests were made elsewhere for public order offences and criminal damage. He said some of the city's pubs had helped minimise the problem by closing or refusing entry to rowdy groups of supporters. At 5.45pm, The Bootham Tavern closed for the evening, and The Five Lions in Walmgate shut its doors until 7pm to stop any Doncaster fans causing trouble in the pub. Craig Holt, landlord of the Five Lions, said they had still continued to serve the people who were already in the pub, but decided to keep their doors closed until the Doncaster fans had left. 12/08/03 Doncaster Rovers-Grimsby Town Trouble flared following Rovers' surprise 3-2 Carling Cup victory over Second Division Grimsby on Tuesday night. A police spokesman said six Grimsby fans and three Doncaster supporters were charged with public order offences and invading the Belle Vue pitch. The nine men have all been bailed and are due to appear before Doncaster magistrates on Friday.
Halifax town casuals
Blackpool - Halifax 21 January 2004 TWO Halifax men were arrested in connection with a serious assault in Blackpool town centre ahead of a crunch football match. Police are also hunting another two men who are thought to have been involved in the attack which left a Blackpool supporter in hospital. The incident happened at 6.15 pm yesterday, before the northern section semi-final LDV Vans Trophy game between Blackpool and Halifax Town. Town crashed out of the competition in a 3-2 defeat. PC Paul Rawstron, of Blackpool Police, said four men were sitting on the injured man when police intervened. The man was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital by ambulance. PC Rawstron said a number of people were also turned away from the ground drunk but in general the Town fans were well behaved. "There were 942 away fans in the ground, which was higher than was anticipated," he said. "They were good local supporters. They did well to get behind their team. "It was quite a successful policing operation." PC Rawstron said the game, which attracted 4,764 supporters, was classed as a low risk Category A, in terms of policing numbers and he was unaware of any disturbance after the match.
7th April 2004 SUSPECTED soccer hooligans were netted in dawn raids around Huddersfield this morning. Police mounted a big operation after expressing fears over problems surrounding Huddersfield Town's forthcoming clash with Hull and the approaching European Championships in Portugal. And police said they were determined to deliver a hefty tackle to violent troublemakers planning fights both at home and abroad. More than 20 officers targeted 10 homes in Fartown, Almondbury, Marsden, Slaithwaite and Thurstonland to track down the suspects, aged between 16 and 35. Six men were arrested following a clash between Town and Leeds United fans in Leeds City Station on February 21. The Town gang had allegedly hunted the city's bars for their rivals. The fight was captured on CCTV. About 35 people were involved in the fracas after which five Huddersfield supporters and one Leeds fan were arrested. Officers were also looking for evidence following an incident on December 13, when a train carrying Bradford City fans was pelted with bricks, stones and bottles while waiting at Halifax Station. The train was extensively damaged and taken out of service. "What we are trying to do is prevent other outbreaks of violence," said Det Sgt Dave Boldison, of the British Transport Police. Banning orders forbidding fans from football stadiums, the rail network and even foreign travel can be handed out by the courts. Worries about Town's forthcoming away match with Hull on April 24 as well as the European Championships this summer led to the police crackdown. While domestic rivals happily arrange fights over mobile telephones and e-mail, when abroad they unite under the England flag. The raids were the first of their type carried out in Kirklees by the British Transport Police. The arrested men were held for questioning at Huddersfield and Dewsbury Police Stations. Det Sgt Boldison said: "Most police forces will be working to the same end - to prevent these people going to Portugal and prevent the good name of the England football team being dragged into the mire." Football intelligence officer John Stubbs said the British Transport Police raids targeted the younger trouble-makers. "The younger group feel they have to make a name for themselves. Some of the older group will only attack and fight other recognised groups." He said yobs in their teens or twenties would lash out at anyone in a rival strip. "The younger ones are quite happy to attack normal `shirts'. They are in many ways more dangerous and certainly more of a danger to the normal public." Jan 12th 2004 Yorkshire soccer fans facing Euro 2004 ban BY DAVID BRUCE MORE than 100 West Yorkshire football hooligans are expected to be banned from travelling to the Euro 2004 championships. Eighty soccer thugs are already barred from attending designated domestic matches and international games. West Yorkshire Police announced today they are targeting a further 20-plus individuals who are suspected of being involved in football violence in the county. Police chiefs said that they will be asking magistrates to issue Football Banning Orders to prevent them causing any mayhem at the Championships. Magistrates The Government has provided additional funding to carry out the new operation in West Yorkshire, which will continue until the end of the three-week-long tournament. The first cases are expected to be brought before magistrates within a few weeks. Det Supt Gary Baker, of West Yorkshire Police, said they were very involved in preventing English fans causing disorder at the forthcoming European Championship tournament which starts in Portugal in June. He added: "We are currently gathering evidence against at least 20 individuals who are suspected of being involved in football violence in the county. "We will seek to obtain Football Banning Orders to prevent violence or disorder at, or in connection with, football matches by making an application to the Magistrates' Court to prevent those people attending future football matches, including those involving the England team. "We are working closely with other forces, local clubs and the government to ensure the European Championships will be trouble free. This includes the Football Supporters Federation and FA. "We have received additional financial support from the Home Office to carry out this operation, which will continue until the end of the Championships." Det Supt Baker said that most England football supporters were law abiding, pointing out that matches played in England and Wales last year attracted 33 million fans, of whom only 0.01 per cent were arrested. He warned: "Those who are involved in football related violence should be aware that we are investigating their activities and we will not tolerate any football hooliganism." Those made subject of Football Banning Orders are required to attend a local police station in the five days before an international game � and hand in their passports. The move in West Yorkshire is part of a concerted, nationwide effort to stamp out hooliganism at the high-profile championships. [email protected] Train hit by soccer yobs at station Dec 15 2003 By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner A MOB of soccer yobs ambushed a train and hurled missiles at the windows. British Transport Police believe Huddersfield Town followers were to blame. The train, which carried a mixture of Bradford City supporters and shoppers, was immediately taken out of service. Police are appealing for information about the attack on the Manchester to York train as it pulled into Halifax Station at 10.30pm on Saturday night. A group of about 30 men, believed to be Huddersfield Town supporters waiting on the platform, threw bricks and bottles. Eight windows were smashed. Huddersfield Town played at Macclesfield on Saturday while Bradford's game was at Wigan. A spokesman said officers were studying CCTV footage. Lincoln v Huddersfield Town - Oct 20 2003 By Brigid Shaw, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner FOOTBALL hooligans were branded `brainless idiots' by fans after trouble broke out during Town's match against Lincoln on Saturday. One man, from Nottingham, was arrested after the fracas at Sincil Bank which caused the referee to call a halt to the match. Players were brought into the centre of the pitch while police tackled the troublemakers. Several Town fans who were at the game have condemned the trouble on fans' website, Down at the Mac. Ann Hough, Huddersfield Town club secretary, said she would discuss the matter with police and the club's safety officer at their regular meeting. "Once we do know the full facts we will decide where to go from here," she said. One fan who was at the match said: "What a disgrace. The hooligans at the match are not football fans, they are brainless idiots there to antagonise people and cause trouble. "These idiots lost us the game - not the team." Huddsfield & Leeds - Feb 24 2003 By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner EXTRA police were drafted into Huddersfield town centre after fighting broke out between rival soccer fans. Even though Huddersfield Town had played away at Barnsley on Saturday afternoon, police believe yobs from the town and Leeds United had set up a fight in the town centre during the evening. Police quickly brought extra officers in and the trouble - which happened mainly near the Southgate stretch of the ring road - was quickly quelled. Sgt Tim O'Sullivan, of Huddersfield police, said: "There was sporadic fighting in the town between about 8pm and 10pm. "It sounds as though the trouble was pre-planned between Town supporters and Leeds fans. "Police rounded up many of the people from Leeds and sent them back home by train." Police arrested four men - two from Huddersfield, one from Batley and one from Wakefield. Sgt O'Sullivan added: "Some of the group from Leeds tried to gatecrash the Commonwealth championship boxing at the sports centre, but were turned away." * Police arrested four men before Town's match with Barnsley. Two were held on public order charges and two on suspicion of criminal damage. Around 2,500 Town fans watched Town's 1-0 triumph. Huddersfield V Brentford - May 11 2002 By Mel Booth, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner HUDDERSFIELD Town are threatening life bans on hooligan fans after crowd trouble. The club have been hauled over the coals by the Football Licensing Authority for violence at the play-off game against Brentford. The match was at the McAlpine Stadium in Huddersfield last month. If Town fail to give a yellow card to the yobs in future, they could face: * Capacity cuts at the McAlpine * Removal of the safety licence from certain sections * Greater police involvement on matchdays. Town have been trying to create a better atmosphere by encouraging vocal fans to band together in the John Smith's Kilner Bank stand, but the Licensing Authority were alarmed by behaviour in the opposite lower tier of the Lawrence Batley main stand during the goalless draw against Brentford on April 28. "Not only were large numbers of spectators standing throughout the game, but they were blocking gangways and behaving in an extremely aggressive manner," said the Football Licensing Authority (FLA) in a letter. The letter was sent to Town, Kirklees Council, the McAlpine Stadium company, West Yorkshire Police and the Football League."The tension came to a head at half time in the lower concourse, when several stewards were attacked and there was a stand-off between police and a large hooligan element," said the FLA. Ahead of Monday's meeting of the stadium Events Panel, Town director Paul Haigh promised strong measures. "We do not want unruly fans causing trouble at any time and, in this instance, maybe as few as 20 people could potentially cost the club thousands of pounds in extra costs," said Mr Haigh. "If these people are true fans they will realise we can't afford this and will behave themselves in future. If not, we will have no alternative but to ban them for life." Huddersfield Town v Queens Park Rangers 21/04/01 - Nationwide League Division 1 There was continual baiting between each group during the game. In extra time, Huddersfield scored the winning goal and supporters celebrated by coming to the front of the seated area and baiting QPR supporters. Stewards and police moved in to Huddersfield supporters and attempted to move them into the seating area. QPR supporters overran the steward lines and attempted to move towards the Huddersfield area. Police were deployed with batons and supporters were driven back into the away area and out of the stadium. Huddersfield and QPR supporters moved out of the Stadium and attempted disorder which was prevented by police officers. Two officers were injured, resulting in two arrests for disorder and assault. Disorder in Huddersfield 24/02/2001 Nationwide League Division 1 Saturday 24th February 2001, Huddersfield played away to Burnley and the fixture passes without incident. Huddersfield supporters returned to Huddersfield town centre and settled in a public house. Around 8pm a coach of around 34 Leeds United supporters on their way back from Haydock Park Races stopped off in Huddersfield for a drink. The pub containing the Huddersfield supporters was then attacked by the Leeds group and the Huddersfield group came out of the pub. Serious Disorder takes place within St George's Square, Huddersfield. A number of weapons were used. A number of Leeds hooligans required hospital treatment for head injuries. Huddersfield Town v Nottingham Forest 07/02/01 - Nationwide League Division1 After this match disturbance took place at Huddersfield railway station between Huddersfield and Nottingham Forest supporters on the platforms and missiles thrown between the groups. Police restored order and the Huddersfield supporters left the area. The Huddersfield supporters were later involved in disturbance at a local nightclub. Huddersfield Town v Sheffield Wednesday 30/12/2000 Nationwide League Division1 After this fixture fighting broke out between rival groups in the town centre. A group of Huddersfield supporters attacked the Sheffield supporters at a local public house. Police dispersed the groups and the Sheffield supporters were removed and taken under escort back to the railway station. Huddersfield Town v Burnley 23/09/2000 - Nationwide League Division 1 125 Burnley fans got on a train to travel to Huddersfield including five known hooligans. The fans got off the train at Halifax to seek a confrontation. Good intelligence and sufficient police resources prevented serious disorder. As a result of further intelligence the return service was adequately policed and the fans were prevented from leaving the train. A classic example of good police work involving three forces. One man was arrested for public order offence Disorder Barnsley Town Centre 19/08/00 70 Huddersfield Town supporters left Sheffield Town Centre, believed to be on the way home to Huddersfield. The train had to pass through Barnsley Station. On arrival at Barnsley, there were a group of Barnsley supporters waiting on the platform. The Barnsley group jeered and one was seen to kick out at one of the train doors. Fortunately BTP officers were on the train and prevented anyone from getting off. The train quickly moved out of the station; however, as it reached the next station, 30 of the Huddersfield supporters got off and made their way back into Barnsley Town Centre. In the town centre the Huddersfield supporters were attacked by a group of Barnsley supporters. A Huddersfield supporter was punched in the face and knocked unconscious. Police were quickly on the scene and prevented the situation from escalating. Huddersfield Town v Watford 12/08/00 - Nationwide League Division 1 As this fixture started, disorder occurred outside the ground between groups of Watford and Huddersfield supporters with stones being thrown by the Huddersfield group. Police at the ground dealt with this incident and one man was arrested. At the end of the fixture Huddersfield supporters made their way to a local pub in the Town Centre. Watford supporters were escorted to the railway station; as they passed the pub containing the Huddersfield supporters ashtrays were thrown towards the Watford group and the escorting police. Mounted officers prevented the Huddersfield group from leaving the pub. The Watford supporters were placed on the rail network and left the area. Huddersfield Town v Leeds United 05/08/00 - Pre Season Friendly Leeds fans travelling to Huddersfield were attacked upon arrival at railway station. During this disturbance BTP officers were singled out for attack. The Huddersfield fans made it clear to BTP officers that when no West Yorkshire police were present they would be attacked. After the match sporadic fighting outside station when again BTP came under attack. Officers with batons drawn and dog section repelled this attack. The Huddersfield group stated to officers that they were aware that BTP had few officers on duty and that they would be attacked when the opportunity arose
Lincoln - Hull 28/2/04 Football fans go on the rampage Police say 74 football fans were arrested after rioting at a hotel in Lincoln. The trouble broke out after the derby game between Hull and Lincoln City on Saturday, which none of the people involved, attended. Riot police were called to the Barbican Hotel on St. Mary's Street after the crowd became violent. No-one was injured during the incident and all of the fans have been released on police bail pending investigations. I was terrified. Anthony Matthews, Hotel owner A force spokesman said the group threw bottles and officers . The owner of the Barbican Hotel, Anthony Matthews told the BBC that the police had brought the supporters to the premises and asked his staff to let them in. The fans then caused considerable damage to the hotel. He then had to call the police to help him deal with the disturbance. The area was sealed off and several arrests made. Riot police were called to the scene and the area cordoned off, but the hotel was still considerably damaged. Mr Matthews said: "I didn't know what to do. "I was terrified. "They broke everything, gambling machines, everything." Officers took the fans who were all arrested for violent disorder, to Gainsborough and Lincoln police stations for questioning but they were later released on police bail. 31/08/03 Hull-City-Boston United Football fans' coach attacked The police are investigating after a number of coaches carrying Boston United fans came under attack. At least three vehicles were pelted with missiles following Saturday's division three match against Hull City. It happened as supporters left the KC Stadium after the game. No one was reported injured but the vehicles were damaged. Pilgrims' fan Andy Butler, who was on board one of the coaches, said: "I saw a crowd of Boston fans getting attacked. "The buses have all been hit, we have all had bricks thrown at us. "Ours got through fairly unscathed but the one in front of us had a window put through. "We had to have an escort to get out. It was just mad." Hull - Leeds 02 August 2003-CLASH OF THE YOBS BY CHARLES HESLETT Punches fly as soccer thugs brawl in the streets before Leeds United's friendly against Hull. Last night 80 Leeds yobs never even saw their team lose 2-0 after police swooped on the mob � which was described by officers as "threatening, drunk and unruly". Nine fans, five from Leeds and four from Hull, were arrested for a variety of public order offences, including breach of the peace, and being drunk and disorderly A 500-strong army of police officers swamped Hull's Paragon train station and the football ground in a bid to quell disorder � but even they could not stop violence erupting. Today a spokesman for Humberside Police said: "The night did not pass without incident but on the whole we believe the policing operation was a success. "A group of Leeds fan was immediately picked up at the train station after they arrived behaving in an unruly and threatening way." The mob was stopped by police from West and South Yorkshire in riot gear. Dog handlers and mounted officers corralled the gang inside the station while they searched for weapons. They were then ushered onto two buses and given a police escort back to Leeds. Elsewhere in the city trouble flared between rival supporters. A skirmish broke out in front of the train station when Leeds fans, who had just got off a train, clashed with Hull supporters on Ferensway. They had to be dealt with by mounted police. Other minor fights were also quickly extinguished, with police then busing fans from the station to the KC superstadium three-quarters-of-a-mile away. There were also fights along the Anlaby Road area near the Eagle pub � a known haunt for Hull City supporters � and also scuffles outside the Vauxhall Tavern pub in Hessle Road. Thugs today boasted of last night's violence on the internet on a messageboard website for the so-called Leeds Service Crew � the city's hardcore soccer yobs. Police football intelligence units from West and East Yorkshire had liaised extensively before the game as trouble was expected. It is believed the operation was the biggest Hull has put into action for a football match. � Police are appealing for calm when the Leeds Rhinos visit Hull for a Super League match tonight. story 2 'Cool it' plea to fans ahead of local derby By Paul Robinson and Paul Dews LEEDS United fans have been handed a "cool it" warning ahead of tomorrow night's flashpoint friendly at Hull City. Police fear the match could be marred by pre-arranged clashes between up to 1,000 hooligans, with 400 yobs linked to Leeds thought to be ready to descend on Humberside. Today both clubs urged fans to keep the peace before, during and after United's first game in Hull since 1990. Ian Silvester, club secretary at Elland Road, said: "I'm confident Humberside Police are experienced enough to deal with any incidents of disorder should they occur, but we appeal to all our supporters to uphold our good name. "We hope they will behave in a responsible manner for what is purely a friendly game." Hull chairman Adam Pearson, a former Leeds director, added: "If there is trouble we'll handle it on the night, but I'm hopeful there won't be. I'd like to think everyone will come, enjoy themselves and that the game will be trouble-free." Leeds United Supporters' Club chairman Ray Fell also implored fans not to step out of line. He said: "I am surprised there is so much tension surrounding this match � I can't recall any major incidents involving Leeds and Hull. Followers "The police do seem concerned, though, and they must have their reasons, so all I can ask is that our fans do not step out of line." It is thought around 4,000 Leeds followers will travel to the game at Hull's new Kingston Communications Stadium. Police chiefs on Humberside are adamant their intelligence suggests hardcore hooligans are planning to hijack the friendly. Hull-based thugs are believed to be recruiting yobs from Grimsby and Scunthorpe to fight alongside them. Police leave has been cancelled for Friday and more than 400 officers will be on duty in an operation likely to cost in excess of �150,000. The Humberside force also tried � and failed � to slap a booze ban on large swathes of the city by forcing scores of pubs, hotels and shops to shut between noon and 8pm. Magistrates threw out the police's application on Tuesday after protests from local landlords. Police are also appealing for calm when the Leeds Rhinos visit Hull for a Tetley's Super League match on Saturday evening. Trouble flared at the end of a Silk Cut Challenge Cup semi-final tie between the two sides at Huddersfield's McAlpine Stadium in 2000. [email protected] 31 July 2003 Hull City v Chesterfield 28/04/2001 - Nationwide League Division 3 A large police presence kept fans apart until they were queuing for entry. The north east corner turnstiles saw a charge by Hull supporters collapsing the segregation fence. Horses, dogs and officers were deployed and order was restored. Unfortunately several officers were injured. CS Spray and batons were used and 15 were arrested. A large police and steward presence inside the stadium prevented anything further. After the match, police kept fans apart and a well timed heavy downpour of rain helped enormously. There was no disorder after the match. Hull City v Scunthorpe United 07/04/2001 - Nationwide League Division 3 A coach carrying Scunthopre supporters stopped at traffic light adjacent to the ground and was attacked. The Scunthorpe supporters got off the bus and a fight ensued. After 20 minutes police restored order. 14 were arrested. During the game, two arrests were made for pitch invasion. After the match, police deployment prevented any disorder. After a call to a local hotel at 5 am the next morning Sunderland supporters and a Hull supporter were arrested for damage at the hotel. The Sunderland supporters had been seen at the game in the company of Hull supporters. Cardiff City v Hull City 02/3/2001 - Nationwide League Division 3. After the match a confrontation took place in the car park opposite the ground involving around 70 rival supporters. The rivals discharged CS spray during the disorder. Several further scuffles ensued as the fans moved up the car park, before officers separated the groups. The Cardiff fans began to stone the visitors and their busses before being effectively dispersed. Chesterfield v Hull City 11/11/00 - Nationwide League Division 3 Police attended a local pub where Hull supporters had gathered. This group, numbering around 100, was then escorted to the ground. Prior to the group leaving windows were smashed in the pub. When the game commenced the rival supporters baited each other. After 20 minutes a disturbance took place. Hull supporters entered the field of play and fought with Chesterfield supporters. After five minutes order was restored and play continued. A presence of stewards and police prevented any repeat. Hull City v Cardiff City 30/09/00 - Nationwide League Division 3 Police in public order equipment had to be deployed to prevent serious disorder at this fixture. Hull supporters bombarded Police with pool balls, bottles, bricks and glasses. On making arrests police found a number of the supporters were carrying pieces of heavy duty copper cable. Blackpool v Hull City 12/08/00 - Nationwide League Division 3 A large group of Hull supporters travelled to Blackpool on the Friday before this fixture. A group of 50 were refused entry to a nightclub in Blackpool. There was a police presence at this time and two arrests were made for offences of being Drunk and Disorderly. The group moved on and tried to gain access to another club. The doormen refused them access but the group then rushed the door and entered. Police were called to the premises and the group was ejected. On the day of the match a group of around 60 Hull supporters attacked a number of Blackpool supporters who were with children. This group also attacked Blackpool supporters queuing at the turnstiles. Mounted police officers charged this group who then ran off. One was arrested for a public order offence. In the ground after Blackpool scored, a group of Hull supporters could be seen moving towards the dividing fence and disorder was only prevented by a positive police response. The area remained tense throughout the game, with a number of the Hull supporters intimating trouble after the game. At the final whistle Hull supporters gathered on and under Bloomfield Road Bridge until there were about 150 of them. Police were required to move them away. A group of Blackpool supporters began shouting and gesturing abuse at the group from the open fire exit of a local club. The Hull supporters then charged at the Blackpool supporters. Police responded with a full baton and mounted charge and the Hull supporters retreated and were escorted along the Promenade until they split into smaller groups. They then boarded a train from Blackpool. At Preston Railway station they clashed with Burnley supporters returning from Bolton. One police officer was injured during the disorder. 08/05/99 Swansea City-Hull City 2-0 Swansea supporters invaded the pitch from the North Bank and attacked 500 Hull City supporters behind the West terrace goal after they displayed a "King Billy" Loyalist flag. Suprising as Swansea are known to have a large loyalist following. Swansea fans used umbrellas as spears, smashed up advertising hoardings to attack Hull supporters, bottles were thrown. The invasion was by about 300 Swansea fans. The club is already in trouble for disturbances in the games against West Ham and Millwall in the FA Cup and against Brighton in the league. Fences have now been put back up at Swansea reducing the capacity for Sundays home game against Scunthorpe in the play offs to 10,300. The club expect disciplinary action to be taken against them by the football league.
3/5/2004 Leeds thugs top league of shame for railway violence Kate O'Hara Crime Correspondent LEEDS football fans have topped a nationwide "League of Shame" of troublemakers on the railways. British Transport Police told the Yorkshire Post last night that the club's fans were way ahead of any other team in the country when it came to serious incidents, disorder and arrests on trains and in stations. A new "matrix" system introduced by officers last August allocates points to each incident handled by transport police. Five points are given for serious incidents, two for anti-social behaviour or minor disorder, and one for each arrest. Leeds fans have clocked up 90 points so far � a figure which officers said does not even include an incident of violent disorder at Leeds train station last weekend, which ended in five more arrests. DC Graham Naughton of the force's Football Unit said: "As fans were returning from the match police were in the process of closing down Wetherspoon's public house for safety reasons. "As some, mainly Chelsea and Newcastle fans appeared, some of the people who were at Wetherspoon's started throwing ash trays, tables and chairs at them. It didn't last very long but for the innocent bystanders caught up in it, it was very frightening." Transport police also said they expected the problem to get worse over the coming weeks, with Leeds likely to be relegated. Next in the league of shame is Wolverhampton Wanderers with 63 points, followed by Tottenham Hotspur with 44. Portsmouth come close behind with 41 points and Manchester United have 38. DC Naughton added: "I have been with British Transport Police 25 years and it still terrifies me what I see at first hand. "It's all right for me to record all these incidents but for the innocent people involved they are absolutely terrified. "This is just an analytical tool to enable us to keep an eye on who is particularly bad on the railways so we can target particular matches and routes. "Leeds are well up at the top of our league of shame for committing crime on trains. It's not a surprise, though if we had opened a book at the start of the season I might have expected Manchester United, Liverpool and Everton to be up there. "We're anxious, though, that people don't get any notoriety out of this." Down at the bottom of the table, in 83rd place, is Darlington, with just one point. Yorkshire teams who have not fared too badly are Bradford City who are in 63rd place with five points, and York City who are 54th with six. Hull City come in 42nd with 10 points, Scarborough also has 10 and Barnsley come in 25th with 20 points. Huddersfield Town and Doncaster Rovers each have 26 points and Sheffield Wednesday come in 11th with 33. Sheffield United are in 28th place with 19 points. DC Naughton said a lot of the clubs did not accept troublemakers were anything to do with them. "It's not a case of attributing blame to any particular club � if we can't establish which team they support we just leave the category blank. "But there is a link � however tenuous � between the clubs and the hooligans, whether the clubs like it or not," he said. "If it wasn't for the football then there wouldn't be the trouble." He added that arrests on the country's trains were rising every year. "We're making inroads with a 'zero-tolerance' approach, but getting rid of the trouble is proving to be a bigger problem. At the end of the day though, it's a problem we're determined to tackle." Alan Hegarty, operations manager of Leeds United, said: "I will be happy to comment once we have had time to peruse the data which has been supplied. "What I can say is that when I travelled to London to watch the Arsenal-Leeds match I didn't experience a single incident going down or coming back." Eric Carlile, general secretary of Leeds United Supporters Club, said: "Everyone seems to have a downer on Leeds United at the moment. I am very surprised and was completely unaware of these facts. I don't think there will be many members of our supporters club involved." kate.o'[email protected] 26/4/2004 Five Leeds United fans have been jailed for attacking Turkish soccer supporters. Violence flared as Turkey's followers tried to leave a car park in Sunderland after the Euro 2004 qualifier between England and Turkey on April 2 last year. Prosecutor Alec Burns told Newcastle Crown Court:"There was shouting about Galatasarary, the incident involving Leeds supporters and a stabbing which occured a couple of years ago." United fans Kevin Speight and Chris Loftus were stabbed to death in Istanbul before the UEFA cup semi-final between Leeds and Galatasaray in April 2000. The court heard how abuse and chants quickly erupted when Turkish fans got out of their cars in response to the taunts. Despite starting the violence (Do not make me laugh), the English were soon outnumbered as Turks arriving at the car park joined the fray. Mr A, of blank, Mr B, of blank, Mr C, of blank, Mr D, of blank, Mr F, of Blank and Mr H, of blank, had all admitted affray at an earlier hearing. Mr H was the only one who was not a Leeds fan. Defence barristers (Bag of shite) said the men were essentially hard working and law abiding. Mr A was jailed for 21 months due to his previous history of violence. The others each got 18 months. Judge John Milford (Complete Twat) told them: "It is a clear case in my view of England fans deliberately making themselves offensive and then using violence to supporters of the opposing team." Judge Twat said one of the witnesses to the attack, who was also an England fan, told police the outburst left him feeling ashamed to be English. The Cunt added:"It was a quite outrageous incident. Frankly, when the general public read about incidents such this or see them in the media, they feel ashamed to be English." As well as the jail sentences, Judge Twat banned the defendents from attending any football match, either at home or abroad, for 6 years 30 March 2004 Yorks men face jail over football fracas FIVE men from West Yorkshire are facing prison for their part in violent incidents following England's football match with Turkey last year. Each could be sentenced to a maximum of three years after pleading guilty to affray at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday. They are ****** ********, 32, Tingley; **** *****, 32, Birstall;******* ******, 37, of Mirfield; ******* *******, 31, Cleckheaton and ***** ******, 22, Huddersfield. A sixth man, **** *********, 21, Newcastle, admitted the same charge. They were originally due to go on trial for violent disorder but prosecutor Alexander Burns said he was willing to accept guilty pleas to the lesser charge of affray. The court was told that the men drove to Sunderland for last April's Euro 2004 qualifying match despite the fact that most of them did not have a ticket. They met ********* in the city centre after the game and he led them to a car park, where they confronted a group of Turkish fans. They goaded the rival supporters until a couple of other England fans intervened and tried to calm the situation. One of the seven was heard to shout: "No, they stabbed two of our lads over there," a reference to the murders of Leeds United fans Kevin Speight and Christopher Loftus in Turkey in 2000. A member of the group then lashed out at a Turkish supporter and violence erupted. CCTV footage showed the Englishmen arming themselves with a yellow McDonalds cone and a strip of plastic piping as the fight escalated. The Turkish supporters also emerged from their cars with weapons. One witness recalled seeing a set of Nunchakus � a martial arts weapon � being used. Adjourning sentencing until April 26, Judge Esmond Faulks said: "All of you have pleaded guilty to affray which carries a lesser maximum prison sentence, but all of you are at risk of going to prison. "I am not giving any of you any promises about your sentence.This could well be a custodial sentence." [email protected] Jan 12th 2004 Yorkshire soccer fans facing Euro 2004 ban BY DAVID BRUCE MORE than 100 West Yorkshire football hooligans are expected to be banned from travelling to the Euro 2004 championships. Eighty soccer thugs are already barred from attending designated domestic matches and international games. West Yorkshire Police announced today they are targeting a further 20-plus individuals who are suspected of being involved in football violence in the county. Police chiefs said that they will be asking magistrates to issue Football Banning Orders to prevent them causing any mayhem at the Championships. Magistrates The Government has provided additional funding to carry out the new operation in West Yorkshire, which will continue until the end of the three-week-long tournament. The first cases are expected to be brought before magistrates within a few weeks. Det Supt Gary Baker, of West Yorkshire Police, said they were very involved in preventing English fans causing disorder at the forthcoming European Championship tournament which starts in Portugal in June. He added: "We are currently gathering evidence against at least 20 individuals who are suspected of being involved in football violence in the county. "We will seek to obtain Football Banning Orders to prevent violence or disorder at, or in connection with, football matches by making an application to the Magistrates' Court to prevent those people attending future football matches, including those involving the England team. "We are working closely with other forces, local clubs and the government to ensure the European Championships will be trouble free. This includes the Football Supporters Federation and FA. "We have received additional financial support from the Home Office to carry out this operation, which will continue until the end of the Championships." Det Supt Baker said that most England football supporters were law abiding, pointing out that matches played in England and Wales last year attracted 33 million fans, of whom only 0.01 per cent were arrested. He warned: "Those who are involved in football related violence should be aware that we are investigating their activities and we will not tolerate any football hooliganism." Those made subject of Football Banning Orders are required to attend a local police station in the five days before an international game � and hand in their passports. The move in West Yorkshire is part of a concerted, nationwide effort to stamp out hooliganism at the high-profile championships. [email protected] 9th october 2003-Hooligans alert BY PAUL JEEVES HARDCORE Leeds hooligans are still planning to make their way to Turkey at the weekend, pledging to cause trouble at England's European Championship crunch match. The English FA has banned fans from attending the vital game and pleaded with supporters not to travel or make any attempt to get into the ground. No ticket allocation was taken up by the FA for travelling fans but tickets are believed to be rife on the black market. On Monday, 62 known or suspected Leeds hooligans were forced to surrender their passports to local police stations. That was the largest number of hooligans affiliated to any Premiership side. Qualifies But dozens of Leeds thugs are still planning to try and avoid the authorities and travel to the fixture � which will decide which country qualifies for next year's European Championships. The yobs have even run reconnaissance missions over previous months to seek out ways of sneaking into the country. Police say some thugs are misguidedly seeking revenge for the deaths of Leeds United supporters Kevin Speight and Christopher Loftus in the Turkish capital three years ago. Mr Speight, from Farsley, and Mr Loftus, of Burmantofts, died in street clashes on the eve of a UEFA Cup tie between Leeds and local side Galatasaray. Notorious Leeds hooligan firm The Service Crew has closed down part of its internet site in a bid to foil police because fans were making arrangements to travel to Turkey on the website's message board. Threats were also being made against Turkish-run take-aways such as kebab shops. Police closely monitor hooligan websites and the yobs fear public posting of any plans could scupper their attempts to reach Turkey. Instead they are using untraceable pay-as-you-go mobile phones to make their plans. Hundreds of Leeds yobs travelled to Sunderland in March to cause trouble at England's home clash with Turkey and last week a group of around 20 went to London for Chelsea's match with Turkish team Besiktas. Information on 1,800 yobs who are banned from watching Sven Goran Eriksson's team abroad has been circulated to Turkish police as part of one of the biggest security operations in football history. Football intelligence officers from West Yorkshire have travelled to Turkey this week to help in the biggest football security operation ever staged. Police fear as many as 1,000 England followers will attempt to reach Istanbul and the intelligence officers will also be on duty at ports and airports across the UK. English visitors arriving in Turkey face being turned back unless they can convince customs officials they do not intend to go to the match. Checkpoints will also be set up outside the Sukru Saracoglu stadium itself, where fans will be asked to produce ID cards proving they are Turkish. Any England supporters who are found inside the ground will be immediately ejected. Chief Supt George Robinson said: "All we can do is make it as hard as possible for them. I have never known a joint operation be run as effectively as this. The Turkish authorities are doing everything. There will be cordons and checkpoints on all approaches to the ground." [email protected] Hull - Leeds 02 August 2003 Shame of the United thugs FOOTBALL yobs have disgraced Leeds United by finishing top of the league of shame. They received the highest number of "banning orders" in soccer's Premiership, with 62 supporters now barred from every ground in the country. Nationally, the number of banning orders rose by more than half, from 1,149 on August 5 last year to 1,794 last Thursday. The number of arrests for football-related offences rose 19 per cent last season to 4,793, including the highest number at league matches since 1994-1995. The number of arrests for racist chanting increased 57 per cent from 47 to 74, reflecting tougher police attitudes towards racism on the terraces. Most arrests at matches were for public disorder (1,886), alcohol offences (1,216) and violent disorder (439). The statistics, collected by the Football Banning Orders Authority and published by the Home Office, cover all domestic and international games in England and Wales from August 2002 to June 2003. The Home Office has said it will spend �5m over three years to help police to crack down on "known and emerging" hooligans. Home Office minister Hazel Blears said: "Football disorder has been significantly reduced in recent decades but a minority of troublemakers continue to threaten our national game. "We are determined to work with police, fans and football authorities to stamp out violence." David Swift, deputy chief constable of Staffordshire and spokesman for the Association of Police Officers on football issues, said: "In the coming season there will be more emphasis on dedicated intelligence operations and high levels of policing to bring those responsible for disorder to justice." Home Office ministers are to meet officials from the Department of Constitutional Affairs, police, Crown Prosecution Service and the Magistrates' Association to explore further crackdowns. Chris Whalley, the Football Association's head of stadia, safety and security, said: "We are encouraged by the figures which show that the tougher policy towards violent and anti-social behaviour at football matches is working. "Football is still far and away the most popular sport in the country, with 33 million people attending matches last season, and arrests constitute only 0.01 per cent of that total number. "Nevertheless, the FA is fully committed to tackling this problem. "We are particularly encouraged by the increase in banning orders, which prevent troublemakers from attending matches both domestically and abroad." Alan Hegarty, sales and operations manager at Leeds United, said: "Leeds United is among the most diligent of clubs in tackling racism and in reaching out to ethnic minority communities. "Leeds still has problems to be tackled. It is the minority of supporters who are to blame." [email protected] 02 August 2003-CLASH OF THE YOBS BY CHARLES HESLETT Punches fly as soccer thugs brawl in the streets before Leeds United's friendly against Hull. Last night 80 Leeds yobs never even saw their team lose 2-0 after police swooped on the mob � which was described by officers as "threatening, drunk and unruly". Nine fans, five from Leeds and four from Hull, were arrested for a variety of public order offences, including breach of the peace, and being drunk and disorderly A 500-strong army of police officers swamped Hull's Paragon train station and the football ground in a bid to quell disorder � but even they could not stop violence erupting. Today a spokesman for Humberside Police said: "The night did not pass without incident but on the whole we believe the policing operation was a success. "A group of Leeds fan was immediately picked up at the train station after they arrived behaving in an unruly and threatening way." The mob was stopped by police from West and South Yorkshire in riot gear. Dog handlers and mounted officers corralled the gang inside the station while they searched for weapons. They were then ushered onto two buses and given a police escort back to Leeds. Elsewhere in the city trouble flared between rival supporters. A skirmish broke out in front of the train station when Leeds fans, who had just got off a train, clashed with Hull supporters on Ferensway. They had to be dealt with by mounted police. Other minor fights were also quickly extinguished, with police then busing fans from the station to the KC superstadium three-quarters-of-a-mile away. There were also fights along the Anlaby Road area near the Eagle pub � a known haunt for Hull City supporters � and also scuffles outside the Vauxhall Tavern pub in Hessle Road. Thugs today boasted of last night's violence on the internet on a messageboard website for the so-called Leeds Service Crew � the city's hardcore soccer yobs. Police football intelligence units from West and East Yorkshire had liaised extensively before the game as trouble was expected. It is believed the operation was the biggest Hull has put into action for a football match. � Police are appealing for calm when the Leeds Rhinos visit Hull for a Super League match tonight. story 2 'Cool it' plea to fans ahead of local derby By Paul Robinson and Paul Dews LEEDS United fans have been handed a "cool it" warning ahead of tomorrow night's flashpoint friendly at Hull City. Police fear the match could be marred by pre-arranged clashes between up to 1,000 hooligans, with 400 yobs linked to Leeds thought to be ready to descend on Humberside. Today both clubs urged fans to keep the peace before, during and after United's first game in Hull since 1990. Ian Silvester, club secretary at Elland Road, said: "I'm confident Humberside Police are experienced enough to deal with any incidents of disorder should they occur, but we appeal to all our supporters to uphold our good name. "We hope they will behave in a responsible manner for what is purely a friendly game." Hull chairman Adam Pearson, a former Leeds director, added: "If there is trouble we'll handle it on the night, but I'm hopeful there won't be. I'd like to think everyone will come, enjoy themselves and that the game will be trouble-free." Leeds United Supporters' Club chairman Ray Fell also implored fans not to step out of line. He said: "I am surprised there is so much tension surrounding this match � I can't recall any major incidents involving Leeds and Hull. Followers "The police do seem concerned, though, and they must have their reasons, so all I can ask is that our fans do not step out of line." It is thought around 4,000 Leeds followers will travel to the game at Hull's new Kingston Communications Stadium. Police chiefs on Humberside are adamant their intelligence suggests hardcore hooligans are planning to hijack the friendly. Hull-based thugs are believed to be recruiting yobs from Grimsby and Scunthorpe to fight alongside them. Police leave has been cancelled for Friday and more than 400 officers will be on duty in an operation likely to cost in excess of �150,000. The Humberside force also tried � and failed � to slap a booze ban on large swathes of the city by forcing scores of pubs, hotels and shops to shut between noon and 8pm. Magistrates threw out the police's application on Tuesday after protests from local landlords. Police are also appealing for calm when the Leeds Rhinos visit Hull for a Tetley's Super League match on Saturday evening. Trouble flared at the end of a Silk Cut Challenge Cup semi-final tie between the two sides at Huddersfield's McAlpine Stadium in 2000. [email protected] 31 July 2003 7 April 2003 - Thugs' net boast POLICE have condemned Leeds thugs who bragged over the internet about their involvement in violence at England's football clash with Turkey. Members of hooligan group the Leeds Service Crew boasted of beating up Turkish fans in a series of sickening claims left on message boards. Many claimed to have been arrested during the trouble and spoke of "Turks getting slapped all over Sunderland". One yob crowed that the Turks had "taken a pasting" from the Gremlins � thugs attached to Newcastle United � and the Service Crew. He added: "Respect." Another member boasted: "1,000 OB (police officers) on duty and still it kicked off." The website messages have been blasted by West Yorkshire Police. Insp Melvyn Stubbs, football liaison officer for Leeds United, said: "We would condemn anything which incites violence. "We monitor the messageboards on a daily basis for these types of stories and if criminal offences are discussed we will take appropriate action." Thirty men from Leeds were among 100 people arrested in clashes before England's Euro 2004 match last Wednesday. Rival gangs fought running battles across Sunderland as more than 1,000 police officers struggled to maintain control. At the height of the trouble Leeds thugs joined a 300-strong mob in a vicious attack on Turkish coaches. Missiles rained down on the stranded buses as Turkish supporters cowered. Hooligans chanting racist songs tried to force open the doors. Leeds fans were said to be out to avenge the deaths of Kevin Speight and Christopher Loftus in Istanbul three years ago. [email protected] 06 March 2003 City braced for football yob invasion POLICE are preparing to deal with up to 600 football hooligans at Sheffield United's FA Cup quarter final clash against Leeds. They expect about 250 known trouble makers to be among the fans travelling from Leeds for Sunday morning's tie, and are planning one of the largest police operations in the city this season. They also expect up to 100 Donny Whites, Leeds fans from Doncaster. They also expect around 250 Blades Business Crew (BBC) members, linked with trouble at Sheffield United games all season, to be at the match. The number of hooligans expected, and the police response, is as high as it was for the Sheffield derby at Bramall Lane in January. Police commanders are today preparing to put about 250 officers on duty on Sunday. Chief Insp Andy Eddison said: "Intellig-ence from West Yorkshire and other sources suggests as many as 250 known hooligans will travel to the game from Leeds. There will be up to 100 'Donny Whites' making the trip from Doncaster. "We will have British Transport Police officers along the route survey the Midland Station. "We expect as many as 250 known trouble makers linked with the BBC (Blades Business Crew)." City licensing chiefs have partially relented on their ban on supporters in the ground's lower tier. The council licensing committee decided on Tuesday to allow extra supporters into the lower tier of the Bramall Lane stand, where there was trouble at the last game the Blades and Leeds. But more than 2,000 seats in the Laver Stand, where BBC members are known to congregate, will only hold extra stewards. The ban follows ugly clashes after the Blades' Worthington Cup victory over Leeds last November, when seats were ripped out of the Bramall Lane stand and thrown onto supporters below. The new �50,000 mobile CCTV camera will survey Sheffield Midland Station and turnstiles. Huddsfield - Leeds - Feb 24 2003 By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner EXTRA police were drafted into Huddersfield town centre after fighting broke out between rival soccer fans. Even though Huddersfield Town had played away at Barnsley on Saturday afternoon, police believe yobs from the town and Leeds United had set up a fight in the town centre during the evening. Police quickly brought extra officers in and the trouble - which happened mainly near the Southgate stretch of the ring road - was quickly quelled. Sgt Tim O'Sullivan, of Huddersfield police, said: "There was sporadic fighting in the town between about 8pm and 10pm. "It sounds as though the trouble was pre-planned between Town supporters and Leeds fans. "Police rounded up many of the people from Leeds and sent them back home by train." Police arrested four men - two from Huddersfield, one from Batley and one from Wakefield. Sgt O'Sullivan added: "Some of the group from Leeds tried to gatecrash the Commonwealth championship boxing at the sports centre, but were turned away." * Police arrested four men before Town's match with Barnsley. Two were held on public order charges and two on suspicion of criminal damage. Around 2,500 Town fans watched Town's 1-0 triumph. Leeds - Bradford 30 jan 2003 (IHS) Armed with a mobile and a website... football's new generation fight club TEENAGE football thugs are being recruited by a new youth section of a notorious hooligan gang. Members of the Infant Hit Squad (IHS) boast about their violent exploits on a website under the banner: "Leeds Infant Hit Squad � Britain's Number One Casual Youth Firm". The Yorkshire Evening Post can reveal that police football liaison officers are closely monitoring the squad � which is believed to have links with the Leeds Service Crew. Hooligan gangs emerged in the late 1970s and during the 1980s violence between rival gangs exploded on the terraces. After a police crackdown hundreds of thugs were jailed for taking part in these highly organised and large-scale fights. The problem was thought to be under control but the emergence of the Leeds IHS coincides with an increase in football related violence across the England and Wales. Less than a fortnight ago, Service Crew and IHS yobs clashed with members of Bradford's Ointment gang at Leeds City Station after United's 0-0 draw with West Bromwich Albion. An "eye-witness" described the fight on the IHS's website a day later. Insp Melvin Stubbs, head of football operations at Millgarth police station Leeds, said: "The Infant Hit Squad ... are fluid in nature and people only associate themselves with it on a casual basis. "There are a number of websites produced by football hooligan groups. We monitor them and if any offences are described we take the appropriate action. We monitor the protagonists both at football matches and on other days." Hurled Violence tends to be restricted to specific matches, such as derby games and FA cup rounds. Last November Leeds fans ripped up wooden seats and hurled them at Sheffield United fans after the 2-1 Worthington Cup defeat. A month before the match a message appeared on the IHS site � claiming to be from an Leeds Service Crew veteran � which urged the young hooligans to link up with them for a clash with Sheffield's Blades Business Crew that day. An ex-Service Crew member, who did not want to be named, said: "I know there's a game set of lads starting to hang around Leeds again. Back in the 1980s there was the Very Young Team, which were the up-and-coming ones. "With the passage of time some of the VYT ended up as the top boys. "Old Service Crew members keep a low profile. It's very rare to get trouble inside the grounds because there are CCTV cameras everywhere. "It's more likely to happen at train stations or in pubs. With the advent of the mobile phone it's very easy to set up." Inspector Cameron Young, of the British Transport Police, said there had been a marked increase in hooligan activity this season. He said: "In the last six months the presence of the Leeds hooligan fraternity has been noticable. There also seems to be more younger fans turning up." [email protected] 14 September 2002 Leeds v Man U Manchester United's misery in West Yorkshire could be prolonged, as it was confirmed that Police are looking into an allegation that a Leeds fan was struck by a bottle allegedly thrown by Fabien Barthez. The alleged incident is said to have occurred after Leeds took the lead during their 1-0 win over their bitter-rivals on Saturday. A plastic bottle appeared to be thrown after Kewell's goal and Barthez is alleged to have thrown it back into the crowd, where it is claimed it struck a Leeds supporter. 'We have been made aware of an incident and we will be investigating.' said a spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police. The Police were on full-alert on Saturday for what is always a powder-keg fixture. However security was heightened due largely to the return of Rio Ferdinand and an incident last-season which saw 400 hard-core hooligans battle on wasteland a mile from the stadium. Police confirmed that 11 arrests were made and 2 officers sustained injury as rival fans battled before and after the match. A coach carrying Manchester United fans is understood to have been damaged, whilst reports of the bus carrying the team being vandalised have been denied. 15 August 2002 POLICE today said they are confident the new football season will kick off without trouble with their own team prepared for the Premiership. Leeds United topped the league of shame with more fans being banned from matches than any other Premiership club last season with 71 banning orders issued. United start the new season with a home match against Manchester City and a 40,000 sell out crowd is expected. The Government has ploughed massive investment into tackling football violence with extra funding for police nationwide. A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: "A great deal of work has gone into preparing for the season and ensuring we have sufficient resources to deal with anyone intent on causing problems at the Elland Road matches. Arrests "We work with Leeds United throughout the season to prevent disorder and anti-social behaviour." He added that recent statistics, including 100 arrests throughout the 2001-02 season, highlighted the positive and pro-active approach taken by the police and the club towards the perpetrators. "We will continue to take action. West Yorkshire Police has considerable experience in policing both Premiership and European matches." Criminal damage, assaults and drunk and disorderly are the most common crimes committed. There were 71 orders stopping hooligans going to Leeds United games � by far the highest in the Premiership and topped only by Cardiff City and Stoke City in the Football League. Earlier this year Leeds United had more fans than any other Premiership club banned from travelling to the World Cup in Japan and South Korea. But the club's operations director, David Spencer, said the figures were a sign that the efforts of Leeds United, West Yorkshire Police and local magistrates to stamp out hooliganism were working. "This is testament to the huge effort that is being put in and shows we are going that extra mile to stop people who want to cause trouble at Leeds United games," he said. The Government report showed 100 Leeds United fans were arrested at matches in all competitions - with 43 arrests at home and 57 at away games. Nationwide, the number of orders banning hooligans from travelling to matches rose to 1,149 compared with 687 the year before. Ron Hogg, football spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers, said lack of violent disorder at last June's World Cup showed banning orders were working in tackling hooliganism. [email protected] 6 January 2002 Cardiff City v Leeds United Around 200 Leeds hooligans travelled by coach to Hereford, where they boarded a train to Cardiff. They were escorted to the ground. A small group of Cardiff attempted to ambush them on Sloper Road, but were easily pushed back by the police. Leeds hooligans racially abused Asian families on the way to the ground. Outside the ground the Leeds escort was pelted with missiles. During the match missiles were thrown at Leeds fans, who returned many of them. At full time Cardiff fans invaded the pitch and were prevented from attacking the Leeds supporters by riot police and dogs. 9 February 2002 Middlesborough v Leeds United About 60 Leeds fans attacked home fans and police. Missiles were thrown and CS gas was used by Leeds hooligans. The group was finally dispersed by a police baton charge. 30 March 2002 Leeds United v Manchester United Rival football fans clashed outside the ground following the Premiership match at Elland Road. Eight men were arrested for various offences including public disorder and being drunk and disorderly but police managed to prevent major disorder. 20 January 2001 Leeds United v Newcastle United Leeds United v Manchester United 03/03/2001 - Premier League 450 Manchester United fans travelled to this match. This group also contained a significant number of serious hooligans from other clubs. A revenue protection operation resulted in over �600 being recovered. When the train was searched 64 forged tickets for the match were found. After the game, which was played at 11.30am, there was large-scale disorder when some 250 Manchester United supporters left the stadium and were unable to be corralled by the local police. Around 150 Leeds United confronted the Manchester group near to a public house. From there a running battle ensued involving various missiles. Supporters on both sides were injured and missiles hit some police officers. No arrests were made at the time due to the nature of the violence and the need to keep officers engaged. The Manchester United group was eventually taken to the railway stations and dispatched to Manchester without further incident. The Leeds group themselves made their way home again without incident. A group of Newcastle United fans alighted a train at Leeds city station and went into a bar on the concourse. The bar was then attacked by a group of Leeds fans who had de-camped from another public house on the new concourse. Officers attended and dispersed the groups. A fire extinguisher and bar table were thrown through the bar windows during the disturbance. 29 April 2000 Sheffield Wednesday v Leeds Utd A group of Leeds supporters numbering around 80 in number took the local tram towards the ground. During the journey they vandalised the tram disabling it. Police attended the scene to keep rival groups apart. The police then escorted the Leeds group to and from the stadium preventing disorder. Later that evening Sheffield Wednesday supporters clashed with Sheffield United supporters. This led to eight arrests for public order offences. Bradford v Leeds - Tuesday 14 March 2000: We will ban hooligans from all soccer grounds' Hooligans convicted of public order offences at Bradford City's derby clash with Leeds United could be banned from every football stadium in the land, police warned today. Eleven people were arrested during or immediately before Bradford City's crunch match with Leeds United on Sunday. Six were arrested for public order offences, one for pitch invasion and three for drunkenness. All have now been charged, said Inspector Jeff Baker, of Bradford Central Police. "We will be pressing to have a banning order imposed on them which will prevent them from going into any football stadium in the country," he said. "We want to send out a strong message that police will not tolerate this sort of thing." Another person who was arrested before the game in connection with an alleged assault on an anti-racism campaigner has been released on police bail pending an investigation. Some Bantams fans have also accused their club of greed for selling tickets in the home stands to Leeds United supporters. Seats in the Ciba stand were put on open sale and up to 500 were snapped up by Leeds fans. Areas exclusively for Bradford season ticket holders were also invaded by Leeds fans who bought up unused tickets. "It was just greed," said Paul Snowden, secretary of the Queensbury branch of the Bradford City Supporters Club. "They didn't need to sell them to Leeds fans, they could have easily sold out if they had just sold to Bradford fans." A system where vouchers were handed out to people who had attended other City games in the season would have ensured that Leeds fans were excluded, he said. Mr Snowden, who is writing to Bantams chairman Geoffrey Richmond, added: "In all my years as a Bradford City fan I have never seen anything like it in the ground before. It was scandalous. There were at least 500 Leeds fans in Bradford stands." Mr Snowden added that his 12-year-old daughter, Kemma, who is a season ticket holder, was too scared to go into the ground. Shaun Harvey, Bradford City's managing director, said it was standard procedure to review the events of each game and the Leeds match would be no different. "We will be looking at everything from how tickets were distributed to the events of the day. We always look at how things could have been done differently." But Mr Harvey said preventing Leeds fans from getting into home stands was an impossible task. Police had been expecting most of the Leeds fans to be in those three blocks, but in the event found they were dotted all over the ground. l Police are appealing for witnesses after a woman was assaulted as she handed out Anti-Nazi League leaflets before the match. She was hit on the head by a bottle allegedly thrown by a person in a nearby group. Witnesses to the incident at 3.40pm are asked to contact Bradford Central Police on 376459. A man has been arrested in connection with the incident and released on police bail. 5 Febuary 2000 Liverpool v Leeds At half time Leeds supporters began to fight with each other in the refreshment area. They then turned their attention on both the stewards and the police. Several officers were punched and kicked as they went to the assistance of their colleagues. This attack on the police appeared to have been organised and was started on a given signal. Assistance was required from outside the stadium in order to quell the disturbance and officers were forced to draw batons during the disturbance. 9 January 2000 Manchester City v Leeds United FA Cup A group of 60 Manchester City supporters attempted to attack a group of Leeds supporters who were being escorted to the ground. Police kept the rival groups apart. At the end of the fixture Manchester City supporters attacked police officers with bottles and other missiles. A van belonging to visiting Leeds supporters was overturned and damaged 5 August 2000 Huddersfield Town v Leeds United Pre Season Friendly Leeds fans travelling to Huddersfield were attacked upon arrival at railway station. During this disturbance BTP officers were singled out for attack. The Huddersfield fans made it clear to BTP officers that when no West Yorkshire police were present they would be attacked. After the match sporadic fighting outside station when again BTP came under attack. Officers with batons drawn and dog section repelled this attack. The Huddersfield group stated to officers that they were aware that BTP had few officers on duty and that they would be attacked when the opportunity arose. Roma V Leeds - 2nd March 2000 The trouble that occured before this game sums up the cowardice and lack of bottle that foreign firms show. Leeds took some 7000 fans to Rome, with several tidy mobs looking for a row with their Italian conterparts. As what always happens when English fans are abroad the Romans wanted nothing to do with the Leeds crew except when they outnumbered them 20 to 1. Outside the stadium there was a group of about 50 Leeds that had been checking out the area looking for a like minded Roma mob to kick off with. A group of nearly 200 Roma fans appeared and still did'nt fancy the row although they heavily outnumbered the Leeds fans. Leeds were up for it but Roma made no challenge. When the Rome police turned up on the scene, all of a sudden the Roma fans start throwing bottles at the Leeds knowing they had their English hating police force to protect them. The Leeds fans dispersed, so as not to get batton charged by the police and made their way to the stadium. Not long after this a group of about only 10 Leeds fans (not hooligans, just fathers with their kids there to enjoy the match and atmosphere of a European game in Rome) were savagely attacked by about 100 Roma fans which resulted in one sixteen year old child and his father receiving stab wounds to their legs. All English firms have a code of conduct that they will only row with like minded people and never attack inocents. What happened in Rome was a disgrace and shows the Italians up for the cowards they are. We thought Roma were supposed to be one of the most feared mobs in Italy but they did'nt want to know against our lads. Some Roma fans were also riding round the city on mopeds, holding knives, trying to slash Leeds fans as they strolled around the streets. Don't they know how to fight toe to toe? They attack innocent fans and children and claim this as some sort of result. Fucking COWARDS. These same sort of incidents have always occured when the English invade Italy. They will never be respected in the hooligan world if they only want to fight with inocents who they heavily outnumber. Try fighting with our main mobs and see what happens. When England played in Italy in the World Cup 1990 & the World Cup qualifer in Rome 1997, the Italians were taught a severe lesson and can't handle the fact the the English always take the fight to them and remain victorious on their soil. How many Italian mobs have ever travelled to England - none. It's the same with all the foregin hooligans, none have ever showed in England since Feyenoord travelled to Tottenham in the 1970's! Look what happened at Euro 96 when no mobs turned up except for the Scottish which left the English with no-one to fight with except for the police. How do any foreign hooligans expect to be compared to the English if they can't take the fight off their own soil, which they normally loose anyway. 23 January 2000 Sunderland v Leeds United At half time a refreshment bar came under attack from Leeds supporters. They abused the staff and attempted to remove a till. Police moved in to restore order but they to came under attack. Batons were drawn and the supporters were moved back in to the seating area. At the conclusion of the fixture a group of 100 Leeds supporters attempted to confront a group of 30 Sunderland supporters. Police kept both groups apart but there was some sporadic outbreaks of disorder. 18 arrests were made. 29 July 2000 Nottingham Forest v Leeds United - Pre-Season Friendly After this pre-season friendly Forest supporters attacked a group of Leeds supporters as they returned to their cars. Several Forest supporters were arrested as a result of this incident and a Leeds supporter was taken to hospital after being hit with a bottle. 28 August 1999 Tottenham Hotspur v Leeds United Following this match a group of Tottenham supporters turned on the police when officers stepped in to prevent them from approaching a van driven by a Leeds supporter. Tottenham supporters drinking outside the Bank Public House threw numerous missiles at police. Order was quickly restored although a number of missiles continued to be thrown 16 October 1999 Leeds v Sheffield Wednesday Prior to this fixture a group of around 30 Leeds supporters attacked a group of 20 Sheffield Wednesday supporters in a local public house. Glasses, bottles and chairs were thrown during the disorder and as a result several people sustained cuts from flying glass. Police attended and order was restored. After the game a large group of Leeds supporters attempted to confront Sheffield supporters but were prevented from doing so by mounted branch officers.
11 August 2003 - Inquest into fan struck by police horse A JURY were today due to visit the site where a football fan was fatally injured after being trampled by a police horse before a Rotherham United game. Swansea City supporter Terry Coles was stamped on outside the Millmoor ground before the Third Division Championship decider in May, 2000. The dad-of-two was trampled on by a police horse ridden by Pc Dave Lindsay as chaos ensued after stone-throwing broke out between some Rotherham and Swans' supporters. The 41-year-old was taken to Rotherham General Hospital but died later. Today, a two-week inquest into Mr Coles death was due to begin in Doncaster, with dozens of witnesses and statements to be heard by the Coroner and Jury. The jury was today due to be sworn in today at Doncaster Magistrates Court, who will hear evidence of Mr Coles' death and events surrounding it. It is being held in the Magistrates' Court because of the number of witnesses and members of the public who will be attending. The jury was set to visit the Millmoor ground this afternoon as part of the inquiry. Mr Coles' death sparked a lengthy police investigation. It is believed CCTV footage formed a vital part of that investigation. South Yorkshire Police asked the West Yorkshire force to investigate the matter and evidence was passed on to the Crown Prosecution Service special unit in York. The Police Complaints Authority launched its own inquiry but no criminal or disciplinary proceedings were brought against the officer or his colleagues. The final game of the season in May 2000 was marred by trouble from both sets of fans including two pitch invasions. 20 August 2002 - Arrests soar as Millers tackle yobs ARRESTS at Rotherham United games rocketed to 43 last year from 13 the previous season. Today police blamed the increase on more thugs "trying it on" - although they were being tackled by more police officers with better resources. Hooligans had especially caused trouble at First Division away games - with Manchester City and Birmingham being two hot spots. Skirmishes Millers fans were criticised by staff at Maine Road for turning up late, with dozens of fans sitting in wrong seats, blocking aisles and refusing to sit-down. It even led to skirmishes between fellow Rotherham fans within the ground. Stewards and police battled to control the situation. A spokesman for Rotherham Police said: "Quite a few of the arrests were made away from home. There was a bigger potential for trouble in the First Division and more police were deployed with better resources because the games were a higher category. "On top of that more fans tried it on at games and this resulted in more arrests being made." The figures contrast with general falls nationwide in the number of arrests - down in England and Wales from 4,162 to 3,898. Arrests of Barnsley fans increased from 38 to 44 but arrests of Owls fans were down from 83 to 78 - still leaving them with the third worst arrest record in that division. Sheffield United fans got the biggest pat on the back after arrest figures dropped dramatically from 90 to 35. Banning orders were imposed on 10 Rotherham fans, seven Barnsley supporters, 11 Blades fans, and six Owls fans preventing them from going to matches Wigan Athletic v Rotherham United 21/04/2001 - Nationwide League Division 2 There were no problems before or during the game. After the game a Wigan group that included supporters attacked a mini bus containing Rotherham. The windscreen of the vehicle was shattered and the driver injured. Fighting took place and further up the street a group of five Rotherham fans were also attacked. Two of this group required hospital treatment. There was also disorder at another public house on Wallgate where more arrests were made.
5/6/04 BANNED A SHEFFIELD United thug has been banned from the Euro 2004 football championships after trouble in Portugal. Railway worker **** ****** joins another 177 hooligans from across South Yorkshire and Chesterfield who will surrender their passports to police from Monday so they cannot travel to the event. ****** became one of the latest fans to receive a football banning order after magistrates heard he injured a police officer in the Algarve town of Faro during an England friendly in February. He is banned from all matches - including those involving England and Sheffield United - for three years. The 33-year-old, of , Birley Carr, Sheffield, became the first supporter in the city to be ordered to stay away from matches in England, Wales and Europe as a result of an incident abroad. Sheffield Magistrates Court heard ****** was involved in trouble and taken into custody after unrest around a beer tent set up for fans in Faro. An officer was injured during ******'s arrest and needed stitches. Meanwhile, two other Sheffield United fans also agreed to comply with football banning orders as a result of violence and disorder in relation to matches in Sheffield. , ****** ***** ******** aged 24, Low Edges, and ***** ****** ****, 20, of , Low Edges, were both banned from football matches across the country and Europe for three years. Sheffield magistrates also imposed restrictions which mean **** and ***** are not allowed within a two-mile radius of United's ground on Bramall Lane - or Hillsborough during a derby game with Sheffield Wednesday - or the Town Hall at certain hours on match days. They were also banned from using the Supertram during periods before and after home matches. ****** was banned from his home ground and from travelling to England games at home and abroad. Evidence revealed he had also been involved in domestic football-related trouble. The three new orders bring to 22 the total number of civil bans handed out by city magistrates since the Football Banning Order Project Team was set up by South Yorkshire Police last October. Team leader Phil Woodward said a total of 139 orders have now been handed out across the county in the past three years, impacting on hooligan groups connected with all five of South Yorkshire's league clubs. Derbyshire Police expect 39 Chesterfield FC fans to hand over their passports during Euro 2004, which begins next week. All those covered by a ban will have to surrender their passports to police until July 4, when the tournament concludes, and report to an allotted police station on England match days, or face another day in court. Breaching a banning order can bring a jail sentence of up to five years or a heavy fine. Hooligans can apply for their ban to be lifted after two years. "We will strictly enforce any breaches," said Mr Woodward. "We are working hard at preventing any known hooligans from travelling. We have taken some of the leaders of the Blades Business Crew out a month or so ago." Mr Woodward said the police in South Yorkshire could claim a role in keeping trouble off the streets of Portugal during Euro 2004. "I go to national meetings and we have been recognized as, perhaps, one of the leading lights with this, which is good. We are going in the right direction." Football fans in 'worst fight in years' FIGHTING which broke out after a Norwich City home game was the worst to hit city streets in many years, a court has heard. At one point only four scared police officers were trying to control between 50 and 60 chanting and fighting fans of Norwich City and Sheffield United. In two separate court cases, three men � two from Norfolk and one from Sheffield � admitted using threatening behaviour. District judge F****r M******n yesterday adjourned the cases against Norfolk men A**m M**o and D****n C******y for pre-sentence reports. Prison would be one of the options, he said. M**o, 29,of Brundall and C******y, 31, of Sprowston both admitted threatening behaviour after the January 31 match. They were both bailed on condition they do not go to any Norwich matches in the meantime and stay away from the ground and the city centre two hours before and four hours after kick-off when the Canaries play at home. Prosecutor Elizabeth Houghton told the court at a previous hearing: "I am told it was the biggest football-related violence on the streets of Norwich for many years." Trouble broke out on the Riverside complex after the match and police were alerted to a disturbance outside Squares at about 6pm. "In total there were about 50 to 60 fans on the streets taunting each other," said Miss Houghton. Officers tried to separate groups of fans who started fighting. At one point just four officers were trying to control the escalating public disorder which was breaking out. Then people, including families with children, started leaving the nearby UCI Cinema and coming into contact with the violence. One officer described in a statement how hostile the atmosphere was and how the violence was spreading. "Officers were vastly outnumbered. He was concerned for his safety and that of his colleagues because of that and because the supporters were clearly very aggressive and volatile," said Miss Houghton. At yesterday's hearing, prosecutor Richard Paterson said that after the match, between 10 and 15 Sheffield supporters went to Squares. They were asked to leave and were followed by a number of Norwich supporters. At that point there were only two police officers in the immediate area and they had to call for reinforcements. Cockaday was seen to force a Sheffield supporter to the ground while Mayo appeared to be goading the Sheffield fans by pacing back and forwards with his arms out. Then Cockaday started to goad the opposing fans. Mayo walked around effectively in a circle so that he was behind the Sheffield fans. He punched one of the fans from behind and that man fell to the ground. At the same time C******y was seen to walk towards the Sheffield group and punch one of them. More police officers had just arrived and the two defendants were detained. David Foulkes, for both men, said they were not arrested on the day, but later went to the police station to be interviewed by arrangement. Football fracas - two arrested February 2, 2004 18:17 Police arrested two rival football supporters after a fight broke out among 40 men following Saturday's match between Norwich City and Sheffield United. The fracas came after the Canaries' victory on what was a memorable day for fans with the first opening of a section of the new stand. Police said today that a Norwich City fan and a rival Sheffield supporter had both been arrested and charged with violent disorder after a fight broke shortly after the match near the Pizza Hut restaurant on Riverside. There was also some minor trouble in the ground during the match when three Sheffield supporters found themselves in the wrong part of the stadium, among Norwich supporters. Police spokeswoman Nina Goad said today: �It appears that a fight broke out between fans from Norwich and Sheffield following the match. At this time of day, there would have been other members of the public around, possible visiting the cinema, bowling alley or one of the restaurants, so it is possible people would have witnessed the disorder.� No injuries were reported. The two men, a 40-year-old from Norwich and a 35-year-old from Sheffield, were arrested at the scene and subsequently charged. The Sheffield man is due to appear before city magistrates on Friday and the Norwich man next Monday. Police are seeking to obtain football banning orders on both men. This evening, Neil Doncaster, Norwich City's chief executive, said he was not aware of any major problems within the ground during the match. �Everyone seemed to be behaving � some Sheffield supporters were moved to the right area for their own safety,� he said. Any witnesses to the fight afterwards are asked to contact keep their fuckin mouth shut. Man denies hooliganism charge - 08 January 2004 A MAN accused of being a football hooligan fought back tears as he told a jury he was badly beaten by the police officer who arrested him. J**n D*******re, of Brinsworth, Rotherham, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of violent disorder on May 4 last year. It is alleged Darbyshire had been the ringleader of a big gang of Sheffield United supporters who attacked police outside the Lescar pub on Sharrow Vale Road. D*******re, aged 48, claims police used excess force to arrest him and left him needing hospital treatment. He says he was unable to do his job as a milkman for two months. "I tried to tell the police officer that I wasn't part of the group who attacked him," said D*******re at Sheffield Crown Court. "I kept shouting 'it wasn't me' but he hit me about 14 times around the head and arms with his baton. "Then he rammed his shield into my body and started jabbing at my belly, which really hurt." The jury were shown pictures allegedly taken my D*******re's wife the day after his arrest, which include images of bruising to his knee, arms and stomach. The defendant also told the court that he was not a member of the group of United fans who bombarded police officers with bricks and other missiles. Darbyshire also denied the accusation that he was running at the forefront of the attacking mob of United fans, urging them on. The trial continues. 'A disgrace' 13 December 2003 THESE soccer hooligans have been locked up and banned from every stadium in the country for the "mindless and thuggish" siege of a South Yorkshire pub. The men hurled bottles, glasses, stools and snooker cues at officers from inside the Sportsman, in Denby Street, Sheffield, after the United versus Wednesday match in September last year. The mob, some of whom had been drinking all day, caused innocent drinkers, including young children, to shelter in the kitchen of the pub while the battle with police took place. A judge said they had "besmirched" the name of football and their behaviour was a disgrace. The men have been jailed for between six months and two years, banned from every football ground in the country for six years and will have to surrender their passports when England play away games. Sheffield Crown Court heard a "violent onslaught" against police started when police tried to detain a group of drinkers inside the Sportsman after a gang of Wednesday fans moved into the area. The mob, some described as "hangers-on" to Sheffield United's hooligan groups, soon became aggressive and launched a half hour attack on officers, during which 150 glasses were smashed, furniture, pool cues and ashtrays were broken, the landlady's car was scratched and four windows were shattered. Each man played a part in the attack, ranging from a couple of minutes to more than a quarter of an hour. Judge Patrick Robertshaw branded the behaviour "disgraceful". He said: "This was violence and disorder committed by a mob. "Football is supposedly the national game yet all too often its good name is besmirched by the mindless and thuggish behaviour of just such a kind that has brought you into the dock." After the sentencing DC Mark Oughton, who led the five month operation to catch and identify the mob, said the sentences would send out a strong message to potential trouble-causers. The officer, who along with DC Gary Rittler was commended by Judge Patrick Robertshaw for a "skilled" investigation, said the force will continue to come down hard on violence. DC Oughton said: "Hopefully it will act as a deterrent to the small minority of people who attend football matches with the intention of causing violence. "Football violence is a growing problem in Sheffield but we are always taking steps to combat it. We are pleased with the sentences. These people were not the main hooligans, they were hangers on or people just caught up in violence." ******* ******, 27, of Malin Bridge, was found guilty at trial and jailed for two years. ******* ******, 41, of Loxley, and **** *********, 35, of Atherton Road, Arbourthorne, were also found guilty at trial and jailed for 21 months. ***** *****, 37, of Parson Cross, and ****** *******, 42, of Arbour-thorne, admitted the charge and were jailed for 21 months. ***** ******, 21, of Westfield, was jailed for 18 months and **** *********, 20, of Rollestone, and **** ********, 20, of Waterthorpe, were detained in a young offenders centre for the same period. ***** ***** 24, of Meersbrook, was jailed for 12 months, **** ****** 37, of Penrith Road, Longley, received nine months as did ******* *******, 31, Gleadless, and ****** *******, 21, of Meersbrook, was jailed for six months. Another man, ***** ****, aged 33, of Wisewood, received a 200-hour community punishment order and a three-year ban. Sheff u v Cardiff - September 2003 story 1 Police say an investigation will be carried out into violent clashes between rival football fans in Sheffield. Trouble flared before and after the Division One match between Sheffield United and Cardiff City at Bramall Lane on Saturday. Police wearing protective equipment, mounted officers and the helicopter were brought in after officers learned that a group of Cardiff fans planned to arrive early in order to confront United supporters. The intelligence proved to be correct and the result was described by Superintendent Martin Hemingway as the worst football violence seen in South Yorkshire for many years. Five Cardiff supporters and one Sheffield fan were arrested - two of the Cardiff fans were charged with affray, one with threatening behaviour and two with disorderly conduct. The Sheffield supporter was charged with threatening behaviour. Two police officers and three Cardiff fans sustained minor injuries in the disturbance and one Cardiff supporter went to the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield where he was given treatment for a head injury story 2 Six held as football hooligan fears rise Football hooliganism is creeping back to taint the national game as fears grow for England's qualifying match against Turkey next month, according to police. Violent clashes between rival Cardiff City and Sheffield United supporters yesterday were described by South Yorkshire Police as the worst in years. Fans and police were injured and six people were arrested during the brawl when rival factions started throwing coins at each other and ended up attacking officers. Mounted officers and a police helicopter were called in after intelligence revealed a group of Cardiff fans planned to arrive in Sheffield early to confront local hooligans. More than 150 officers quelled the trouble which was described by a police spokesman as "the worst we've seen in many years". The six arrested - five from Cardiff and one from Sheffield - face a charges including affray, threatening behaviour and disorderly conduct. According to figures released by the Home Office, the number of fans arrested for causing trouble has risen by 19% in the last year. "That is a significant increase, it is up by a fifth," said Mark Steels from the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS). The violence tends to occur away from the stadiums, but Mr Steels described the rise as "worrying". Mr Steels said law enforcement agencies and football organisations were "standing shoulder to shoulder" in an attempt to avoid problems at England's vital Euro 2004 qualifier in Turkey on October 11. At least 1,750 troublemakers have had their passports confiscated and are banned from travelling to Turkey. The Football Association did not accept its allocated tickets and has advised all fans to stay in the UK. story 3 Police scour CCTV for hooligans More arrests are expected following violence before and after Cardiff City's game at Sheffield United at the weekend. South Yorkshire Police are studying video evidence of clashes between rival supporters to identify offenders - so far five men from Cardiff and one from Sheffield have been charged. But some Cardiff fans believe the Police were heavy-handed - and say they have their own video footage to support their claims. Meanwhile, a senior police officer has defended the way officers reacted to the clashes. Chief Inspector Jim Haylett of South Yorkshire Police told BBC Wales there would have been "carnage" if officers in his force had not intervened when trouble broke out on Saturday following a league match at United's Bramall Lane ground. More arrests are expected following the clashes during which five Cardiff fans and one Sheffield supporter were arrested. But Cardiff City Supporters' Club spokesman Vince Alm has accused the police of failing to protect City fans from attack. He also said officers targeted them and ignored the Sheffield fans, who he claimed started the trouble. We look for build ups of people who are known to be involved in football violence Chief Inspector Jim Haylett According to Mr Haylett, a feature of the trouble was "the sheer amount of people that seemed intent on confrontation with both the police and the local hooligan group". He said: "We look for build-ups of people who are known to be involved in football violence. "You can see the congregations starting, conversations on mobile telephones, large groups of supporters moving en masse from one location to another. "As soon as there is an attempt to stop that they get aggressive." He said the tactic aimed to prevent the two sides getting together in the first place. But Mr Alm claimed most fans stayed outside the city in coaches before the game and some missed the kick-off because police refused to escort them to the game. He said: "Trouble flared after the game, and that was because we were all outside in the holding area and they hadn't secured the boundary. I think we're spoilt down in south Wales - our police are absolutely fantastic down here Vince Alm "About 100 of the local hooligans came down the side street and started wading into anybody, including women and children. "Cardiff City fans - who are not slow in coming forward when there is trouble, I'm not going to defend them - started retaliating. "They didn't start the fight." He added: "The police came charging down the road, didn't touch any Sheffield United fans whatsoever, and started attacking 13-year-old boys, women and men, round the head." He welcomed the police's review of video footage, adding that supporters had taken their own. He suggested South Yorkshire police could take lessons from their counterparts in south Wales. "I think we're spoilt down in south Wales - our police are absolutely fantastic down here. "We have very little trouble and they know exactly how to police a game. "Perhaps Jim Haylett should spend a few weeks down here." 22 September 2003 FANS RIOT SOCCER yobs caused some of the worst football violence seen in Sheffield for years as Blades and Cardiff hooligans ran riot. Two police officers were injured, one needing hospital treatment, as more than 150 riot officers tried to prevent vicious skirmishes between United and Welsh supporters. Violence erupted before and after Sheffield United's 5-3 victory at Bramall Lane on Saturday afternoon, with parts of the city centre turned into a battleground. Police had to call in re-inforcements from other forces as the level of brutality reached levels not seen for years. Officers were forced to use batons to keep the thugs apart during some scuffles. Police today promised they would use video and CCTV images to hunt the hooligans to the "limit of the law". Five Cardiff men were arrested and charged with offences related to the violence and one Sheffield United fan was also charged. All were released on bail to attend Sheffield Magistrates' Court. Several Welshmen were injured - three were treated on the spot by paramedics and one was taken to the Northern General Hospital with head injuries. Today, Match Commander, Supt Martin Hemmingway, slammed the yobs and praised his officers. "The enjoyment of a football match has been marred by the appalling behaviour of a minority who were intent of causing trouble," he said. "The level of violence towards police officers by Cardiff hooligans was extremely high. It was the worst we have seen in Sheffield for many years. "My officers did a superb job in ensuring large scale disorder was averted. In the circumstances many arrests were impossible but there will now be a full scale investigation to bring these people to justice." The two policemen who were injured were a football liaison officer from Cardiff and a Sheffield officer. The South Yorkshire officer had to be rescued by colleagues after being pulled into a mass of Cardiff yobs and kicked and punched to the ground. He was taken to hospital with the hand injury and was said to be "very lucky" to escape so lightly. The match was delayed by ten minutes as traffic chaos was caused by Sheffield yobs waiting to ambush the incoming Cardiff hooligans. Violence broke out at several locations in the city and around the ground in Randall Street, Bramall Lane and Harwood Street. Intelligence officers and the force helicopter were also working throughout the afternoon. 26 August 2003 Brawling yobs terrorise city theatre crowd DOZENS of Blades hooligans clashed with Derby County supporters in the first major yob battle of the football season. Up to 100 Sheffield United supporters left Surrey Street strewn with smashed glass, and theatregoers feared for their safety after the beer-fuelled flare up. The mob had been lying in wait for Sheffield Wednesday fans when about 15-20 Derby fans wandered into their path. Police said the rendezvous was organised to "settle" the confrontations which had been rumbling since Owls fans were allegedly involved in an incident at the Moor Foot Tavern weeks ago. Dozens of bottles were hurled across the street during that battle, after United's home game against Norwich. Riot police patrolled the streets until 11pm that night. Chief Insp Andy Eddison told The Star the mob in the latest fracas were waiting for Owls fans returning from their match at Peterborough on Saturday. "We knew there was going to be a showdown but the Derby fans got there first. We have absolutely no idea why they were even in the city. "It was an appalling incident and was very frightening for the scores of people visiting the city centre and going to nearby theatres. "The manager of the Surrey pub was left to clear up a large amount of broken glass." A spokesperson from the Surrey pub, who did not want to be named, said many of his locals fled as the mob arrived. He said: "We heard the incident outside and they then tried to get back into the pub so we had to close our doors." A 19-year-old from Parson Cross was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder and released on police bail. Police are examining CCTV. Anyone with information should phone Chief Insp Eddison on 0114 296 4059. 22 March 2003 Police probe Blades thugs film violence POLICE are investigating the legality of a controversial new video which shows fights involving members of the Blades Business Crew. Fists 'n' Style, which is due to be made available from Monday, includes footage of the notorious hooligan gang clashing with rival fans of other clubs, including Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday. The Star has seen the film and talked to its maker. We can reveal it shows graphic scenes of violence, including a fan falling to the ground and being repeatedly kicked about the head. Another scene shows doormen at a Sheffield nightspot being bludgeoned with pick axe handles as they try to stop a large gang of men entering the premises. The film also contains footage of hooligans gathering in H Block of Bramall Lane's Laver Stand, which was recently closed due to escalating violence in that part of the ground. Each episode of violence is accompanied by a soundtrack taken from Shoreham Bootwalk, a collection of anti-Wednesday songs. Film-maker Steve Martin, of Pick Pocket Films, shadowed the Blades hooligans for 16 months to make the 65-minute documentary. He uses footage taken from CCTV cameras and his own covert camera. Faces of those taking part have been blanked out to protect their identity. The documentary also includes an interview with reformed hooligan Steve Cowens, author of a best selling Blades Business Crew book. Mr Martin said he was moved to make the film after reading reports of football violence on hooligan websites. He claims there was never an intention to glorify hooliganism, but simply to show it as it is. "There are worse things in life than two sets of lads engaging in fist fights between like-minded individuals," he said. "The film puts to bed the misconceptions. There is footage of offs between rival fans not for glorification or controversy's sake but because we believe it is a necessity in the context of the film." A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said they were aware of a video tape being marketed for sale through the Internet and other sources and were currently making enquiries into its legality. The police spokesman said: "Hooliganism is an issue that blights modern football. It causes safety risks at football grounds and fear among genuine supporters and the wider public. "The necessary police response diverts officers from other duties and costs local taxpayers a considerable amount of money that would be better spent elsewhere. "Anything that glorifies the activities of hooligans is deplorable." 06 March 2003 City braced for football yob invasion POLICE are preparing to deal with up to 600 football hooligans at Sheffield United's FA Cup quarter final clash against Leeds. They expect about 250 known trouble makers to be among the fans travelling from Leeds for Sunday morning's tie, and are planning one of the largest police operations in the city this season. They also expect up to 100 Donny Whites, Leeds fans from Doncaster. They also expect around 250 Blades Business Crew (BBC) members, linked with trouble at Sheffield United games all season, to be at the match. The number of hooligans expected, and the police response, is as high as it was for the Sheffield derby at Bramall Lane in January. Police commanders are today preparing to put about 250 officers on duty on Sunday. Chief Insp Andy Eddison said: "Intellig-ence from West Yorkshire and other sources suggests as many as 250 known hooligans will travel to the game from Leeds. There will be up to 100 'Donny Whites' making the trip from Doncaster. "We will have British Transport Police officers along the route survey the Midland Station. "We expect as many as 250 known trouble makers linked with the BBC (Blades Business Crew)." City licensing chiefs have partially relented on their ban on supporters in the ground's lower tier. The council licensing committee decided on Tuesday to allow extra supporters into the lower tier of the Bramall Lane stand, where there was trouble at the last game the Blades and Leeds. But more than 2,000 seats in the Laver Stand, where BBC members are known to congregate, will only hold extra stewards. The ban follows ugly clashes after the Blades' Worthington Cup victory over Leeds last November, when seats were ripped out of the Bramall Lane stand and thrown onto supporters below. The new �50,000 mobile CCTV camera will survey Sheffield Midland Station and turnstiles. 24 January 2003 Victim of the yobs FURIOUS Dad Royce Hall today slammed football thugs who caused these terrible injuries to his teenage son. Blades fan Christopher Hall was today awaiting facial surgery after being hit by a flying glass in Liverpool's Arkles pub before Tuesday night's Worthington Cup semi. He suffered a broken jaw, facial lacerations and swelling, lost two front teeth and damaged a number of others as violence broke out between rival sets of fans. Witnesses saw the 16-year-old screaming as a glass smashed into his face during 30 seconds of mayhem at the pub. Mr Hall, of Zamor Crescent, Thurcroft, was by his side in Rotherham District General Hospital last night after collecting his son from Liverpool. He said: "I couldn't believe what had happened when I saw his face. It's awful. "My son wouldn't say 'boo' to a goose, he was just there to watch a game of football. "He's been in such pain because of what these hooligans have done." Grandmother Lynda McKenna, who travelled with Christopher and her own family on the same bus from Sheffield, said she has barely slept since. She said: "There was so much glass flying about that we had to duck for cover. "Then I saw this lad screaming, and there must have been half a pint of blood coming from his mouth." Blades fan Liz Burke said her friend Danielle Stokes, aged 23, was struck by a brick while in the same pub. Liz, also 23, said: "It was terrifying. We weren't hurt, but that doesn't stop you being scared. "After the game there were loads of stupid kids throwing things at the buses." The fans are the latest victims of the violence following Sheffield football matches this season. On Friday 13-year-old Emma Jayne Barker was hit on the head by a flare fired at Wednesday supporters during the Steel city derby at Bramall Lane. Police are examining CCTV evidence of the Arkles fracas, which is said to show Blades fans trashing it. Travelling supporters claim the venue was stormed by Liverpool supporters. After the game, a Blades fan needed hospital treatment after a brick was thrown through the window of a Sheffield United supporters coach. The 46-year-old man suffered cuts to his head and was taken to Aintree Hospital following the attack in Landford Avenue, Fazakerley. 05 November 2002 Hooligans in police clash BARNSLEY fans were among 300 hooligans who attacked police and tried to turn Sheffield city centre into a battlefield during the latest escalation of football violence. Police with riot shields had to use "stern methods" to break up gangs of rival hooligans as they came under attack from a barrage of bottles and missiles. The action prevented a large-scale pitched battle, but outbreaks of violence continued until the early hours of the morning. The Barnsley yobs had headed for Sheffield on their way to the club's away game at Chesterfield, but police say some remained in the city drinking rather than travelling on to the match There were also some Derby fans who had travelled with no intention of attending the Owls match. Sheffield United fans joined in clashes on their return from Nottingham. The main trouble happened between 6 and 8pm on Saturday in the Campo Lane area. The police helicopter monitored the movements of hooligans. Supt Martin Hemmingway, who oversaw the operation, said: "There were confrontations across the city centre, and officers had to use riot shields to protect themselves. It is very damaging for the reputation of Sheffield." Police made eight preventative arrests as they kept rival factions apart, and five were arrested at an incident in the Casbah club, where one person was seriously hurt in an assault. Officers also assisted doormen at the Brighton Beach event at Sheffield City Hall, to ensure those involved in stirring up trouble were unable to get inside. Senior officers are planning to have large numbers of police available for the potentially explosive cup clash between Sheffield United and Leeds United at Bramall Lane on Wednesday evening. 14 August 2002 Football thugs' sick challenge SHEFFIELD soccer thugs are preparing for an onslaught of violence to "improve" their position in a Home Office football violence league table, police believe. The Government has published details of each club's record of trouble, including numbers of fans arrested and banned from attending matches. But within days of the information being released South Yorkshire Police intelligence officers were reporting feedback that key troublemakers in Sheffield were planning a campaign of increased violence this season. Police believe football hooligans in other towns and cities have taken the same approach, which could lead to spiralling problems in the season ahead. South Yorkshire Police are now planning to approach the Home Office with their concerns over the release of the information. Supt Martin Hemmingway, responsible for policing at Bramall Lane, said: "We have had feedback about various hooligan elements, including our own, not being satisfied with their position in the Government league table and intimating they will be doing everything they can to 'improve' their position. "It has given some a grudge � other hooligan elements are more dangerous than they are. They need a higher sense of self-esteem, in their own twisted way. We will be making our observations known to the Home Office." Supt Hemmingway said he believed the tables provided thugs with "an objective measure of how notorious other people think they are". Police have already persuaded Sheffield United to put back their Bank Holiday Monday match this month because of fears the clash with Millwall would end in trouble. Blades fans were caught up in brawling in Coventry at the first match of the season on Saturday and then again in Derby city centre as they travelled home. And details have also emerged about organised attempts to create mayhem in Sheffield city centre when Stoke fans visited Hillsborough. Police escorted visiting fans to and from the ground in a convoy, but Supt Hemmingway said a mob of about 50 Sheffield troublemakers gathered following a series of mobile telephone conversations and were "heading straight for the police escort" at one point. Stern intervention from officers prevented trouble from escalating, and he also praised the Pub Watch organisation, which helped to minimise problems by closing city centre bars. Derby v Sheff U - Monday, 12 August, 2002, CCTV clues to football hooligans Hooligans caused serious damage to two pubs Police are looking at CCTV footage to identify hundreds of football fans who ran riot in Derby city centre. Violence erupted after two coachloads of Sheffield United fans stopped off in Derby after travelling back from watching a game in Coventry. About 150 fans from the Yorkshire club attacked two pubs near The Spot before fighting broke out with Derby County fans at about 1830 BST on Saturday. Police said they had no tip-offs about the visit and had stood down after the game between Reading and Derby had earlier passed off peacefully. Running battles Video tapes of the fighting have been recovered from business premises and the city's CCTV system. Detectives from Derbyshire Police say they will spend the next few days examining the footage and expect to make further arrests. The coaches stopped in London Road and the Sheffield fans attacked two nearby pubs causing thousands of pounds worth of damage. Running battles then began between the Sheffield fans and Derby County supporters in St Peter's Street. After police regained control, the Sheffield fans were searched and photographed by police before being transported out of the county. story 2 A MOB of Sheffield United supporters involved in running battles with police and rival fans should be banned from football for life, a Government minister said today. Sports Minister and Sheffield MP Richard Caborn said thugs who ran amok in Derby after stopping off on the way home from the Coventry City match deserved to be banned from the game for life. Derbyshire Police said the trouble were the worst case of football related violence in Derby for years. Officers are now studying CCTV recordings in an effort to identify those involved. Police say ten witnesses have come forward and others are being urged to contact Derbyshire Police. Sheffield Central MP Mr Caborn said: "For this to have happened on the first day of the new season is extremely disappointing and I hope the police will do all they can to avoid it happening again. "The Government has given officers the full power of the law to act against football hooligans and I hope it is used. "Bans have been used before and I hope they will be used in this instance for those identified as being involved in the trouble. "I will support the police in seeking the bans and would hope that anyone banned from other games will be ordered to report to police stations on match days. "The people involved in this violence aren't football fans, they are hooligans - who have damaged the reputation of the club for the rest of the Sheffield United club and its genuine fans." The trouble came after South Yorkshire police announced the Blades' planned bank holiday Monday match against Millwall had been put back until Tuesday night because of the threat of violence. Three men from the Sheffield area were arrested during the disturbances in Derby and face charges of violent disorder and assault. A police spokesman said it was fortunate no one had been seriously injured. Sgt Mick Goacher, of the Derbyshire force, said it was one of the most serious outbreaks of football violence seen in Derby for years. "There was extensive damage caused to pubs in the area and officers were subjected to a barrage of missiles for well over an hour as they tried to keep the opposing groups apart. "The arrival of the Sheffield United fans caught us completely unaware, though I cannot rule out that the incident had not been arranged between the two sets of fans prior to the incident. "Fortunately we had a number of officers deployed in the town as part of operation to police the Derby County versus Reading game and were able to cope." The Blades mob, thought to number more than 150, arrived in Derby at around 6.30pm and were confronted by a similar sized group of local men. Police were called when a pitched battle started in the Peter Street area of the city centre. Windows in several pubs were broken in what Derbyshire Police describe as "large scale public disorder". Officers also came under a barrage of bricks, glasses and bottles as they tried to keep the groups apart. Eventually peace was restored by officers using dogs. The force helicopter was also deployed. The Blades fans were put on coaches and given a police escort back to Sheffield. The game between Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke game passed off without major incident thanks to a massive operation by South Yorkshire Police Stoke fans were ferried via Supertram to the ground from Sheffield Midland Station. Then after the game officers escorted a large group of Stoke fans who walked down Penistone Road back to the station. Wednesdayites gathering in the town centre were monitored by other officers to ensure the two groups did not clash. Sheffield Utd v Sheffield Wed SOCCER yobs attacked police and took over a Sheffield pub in the worst of a series of derby match incidents in the city centre. The Sportsman pub, near the Blades' ground, was surrounded by 100 officers with fans eventually led out in twos and photographed as the first stage of a police investigation into the trouble. The Denby Street landlady and her staff had been forced to abandon the bar as trouble flared among Blades' yobs following an attack on police outside. Police had mounted a high profile crowd control operation for the match, which started at Sunday lunchtime to minimise pre-match drinking and potential violence. Senior officers described the operation around the stadium as a success, with three arrests before kick-off and three more after the match near the ground. The problems at the Sportsman appeared to involve only United supporters who attacked police and turned on the pub, known as a gathering point for Blades followers. A force spokesman said: "Officers came under attack from bottles. We called for re-inforcements and the situation seemed to unleash itself. The pub was trashed." One person was arrested in connection with the incident at the Sportsman but police say further arrests may follow as they make further inquiries to confirm the identities of those responsible for attacking officers and wrecking the pub. Police said they had a "busy" evening in the city centre dealing with soccer fans and there was another skirmish between fans near the Royal Standard pub in St Mary's Road. The violence meant the football match operation - which had started on Saturday evening - was extended into the early hours of this morning. Indications from the start of the football season suggest hooliganism problems may become increasingly worse for Sheffield's teams. United fans have already been involved in trouble at Coventry and Derby and police reported problems with fans following the Owls' match with Rotherham. 10 August 2002 Sheffield United & Derby A MOB of Sheffield United supporters were involved in running battles with police and rival fans after they stopped off in Derby on the way home from the Coventry City match. Police say it was the worst case of football related violence seen in Derby for years. But trouble in Sheffield for the visit of Stoke City was averted after a massive police operation. The Blades mob, thought to number more than 150, arrived in Derby at around 6.30pm and were confronted by a similar sized group of local men. Police were called when a pitched battle started in the Peter Street area of the city centre. Windows in several pubs were broken in what Derbyshire Police describe as "large scale public disorder". Officers also came under a barrage of bricks, glasses and bottles as they tried to keep the groups apart. Eventually peace was restored by officers using dogs and the force helicopter. The Blades fans were placed onto coaches and given a police escort back to Sheffield. The trouble came 24 hours after South Yorkshire police announced the Blades' bank holiday home match against Millwall had been put back until Tuesday night because of the threat of violence. 17 November 2001 Sheffield United v Birmingham City A police officer was injured trying to separate fighting fans at Sheffield Midland Rail Station after the match. Fighting broke out on a platform when West Bromwich Albion fans returning from Rotherham clashed with Birmingham supporters. 16 March 2002 Sheffield United v West Bromwich Albion Trouble broke out in the ground after the match was abandoned when Sheffield United were left with just six players on the pitch. There was also fighting outside the ground in a match marred by fighting on the pitch as well. 21 April 2001 Grimsby Town v Sheffield United After match, Grimsby supporters gathered in a public house and a search was made for away fans but all the pubs were fairly quiet although some were closed. Officers were supervising this pub when the decision was made to stand most of them down just before 6 pm. Some five minutes later a call was received from the licensee of the a public house which had contained Sheffield supporters, stating public disorder had taken place in the pub with around 80 split between rival groups, glasses thrown and tables damaged. All was quiet on the arrival of the officers. Disorder near Sheffield 25/03/2001 A confrontation took place about 5.30 pm at licensed premises in Mosborough, near Sheffield, between rival groups that associate themselves with the two Sheffield clubs. Queens Park Rangers v Sheffield United 03/03/2001 - Nationwide League Division 1 Over 50 Sheffield United supporters travelled by train to London. Pre-match was trouble free but after the game the group made their way to Kings Cross area where they were attacked by Tottenham fans resulting in two fans receiving head injuries from broken bottles. After a brief stand-off the police dispersed the groups and they were taken to St Pancras and placed on a train. 17th December 2000 Wednesday v United More than 30 football hooligans have been arrested after rival fans from Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United rioted through the streets of the city centre. The violence is thought to have been an organised confrontation after the derby match. Police wearing riot gear used CS gas and batons to disperse the "highly aggressive" 300-strong crowd, who clashed just hours after their respective sides had drawn 1-1 at Sheffield United's Brammall Lane ground. Running battles between both sets of supporters and police began when a tram carrying 150 Sheffield Wednesday fans stopped on the city's West Street, where more than 100 rival supporters had spent the afternoon drinking in local pubs. For almost an hour 100 police officers, who had been monitoring the city centre for trouble, attempted to restrain violent thugs who had planned the gathering through mobile phones, arranging to meet at a certain venue. "It was the fact that they couldn't get to each other for the organised punch-up which frustrated the fans and sparked it all off," said a spokesman for South Yorkshire Police, who had deployed a further 200 officers to cover the match. "The fans then became highly aggressive towards the police, and officers had to use CS gas and baton to disperse the crowd." Admitting that there had always been a possibility of trouble, the spokesman added: "Obviously there was a heavy police presence at the match so they weren't like to pre-arranged anything for that. "It seems to have been done very, very quickly after the match via mobile phones." There was always that possibility of trouble, bearing in mind the history between the two clubs," said the spokesman. "This was the first League match for almost seven years between the two sides." Sheffield United v Grimsby Town 18/11/2000 - Nationwide League Division One After the above match a group of Grimsby Town supporters went to Meadowhall interchange and attacked at group of Arab students. The group was subjected to racial abuse and an assault to one victim. 25th October 2000 Rival fans clash on rail network From thisissheffield.co.uk FOOTBALL violence is escalating on South Yorkshire's railway network - almost reaching the same levels as the late 1970s, transport police warned today Officers have to cope with fans from the five South Yorkshire teams as well as others travelling through Sheffield. Sgt Don Lorimer, of Sheffield's British Transport Police, believes the hooligan problem has never gone away and is now on the increase again. He said: "We regularly have to travel on the trains with fans to try to keep the lid on things. It is getting bad again. "Anyone who thinks this problem has gone away is burying their head in the sand - it never has and is steadily growing worse once again with many smaller clubs' fans causing problems." Five major networks pass through Sheffield meaning fans often stop off causing extra headaches for police. Sgt Lorimer said: "The other week we had Manchester United here en route to Leicester and there were problems. We are also getting increasing problems with Chesterfield as borne out on Saturday with 500 Brighton fans travelling. "It was an extremely volatile situation and we had to travel with them on the train all the way back to London". 5 Febuary 2000 Disorder in Sheffield City Centre On their return from their fixture at Derby a group of around 200 Sheffield Wednesday walked en mass through the city centre and entered a public house. At 7.50pm a group of 150 Sheffield United supporters made their way to where the Sheffield Wednesday supporters were drinking. Some were carrying glasses or bottles and most had their faces covered with hoods or scarves. It was apparent that disorder had been arranged via mobile phones. As the Sheffield United group approached the police a number of missiles including bottles, glasses and stones were thrown. The police officers present at that time, attempted to keep the groups apart. The Sheffield United group then attacked the police. A police officer was knocked to the floor and kicked about the body and head. He was rescued as more officers got to the scene and he was taken to hospital with a suspected broken jaw. Running fights then took place throughout the city centre. The United supporters then attacked another public house. This group, numbering around 50, attempted to force their way into the premises. The doorstaff were able to close the doors and the police again prevented a serious incident arising. Operational support was called at 8.50pm and officers from the surrounding districts attended. No further problems resulted. A team of officers were set up to look at this incident with a view to making retrospective arrests for serious public order offences.
11th Feb 2004 POLICE are investigating an attack on several Sheffield Wednesday fans by thugs linked with Stoke City's hooligan crew. Violence involving up to 30 people flared outside Stoke train station as Wednesday fans made their way home from their fixture with Port Vale. Police say a number of Stoke City thugs stayed in their area rather than travelling to watch their team play Milwall to attack Owls followers, after the game. One man has been arrested and bailed in connection with the violence and more are expected in the coming days. The violence comes hours after nine Wednesday supporters were arrested in connection with trouble at Vale Park. Pc Tony Drinkwater said: "From the information we have so far, it appears a number of Stoke hooligans that did not travel to Millwall deliberately targeted this group of Wednesday fans." Police are appealing for any witnesses to contact them on Sheff u - Sheff w 24 January 2003 Victim of the yobs FURIOUS Dad Royce Hall today slammed football thugs who caused these terrible injuries to his teenage son. Blades fan Christopher Hall was today awaiting facial surgery after being hit by a flying glass in Liverpool's Arkles pub before Tuesday night's Worthington Cup semi. He suffered a broken jaw, facial lacerations and swelling, lost two front teeth and damaged a number of others as violence broke out between rival sets of fans. Witnesses saw the 16-year-old screaming as a glass smashed into his face during 30 seconds of mayhem at the pub. Mr Hall, of Zamor Crescent, Thurcroft, was by his side in Rotherham District General Hospital last night after collecting his son from Liverpool. He said: "I couldn't believe what had happened when I saw his face. It's awful. "My son wouldn't say 'boo' to a goose, he was just there to watch a game of football. "He's been in such pain because of what these hooligans have done." Grandmother Lynda McKenna, who travelled with Christopher and her own family on the same bus from Sheffield, said she has barely slept since. She said: "There was so much glass flying about that we had to duck for cover. "Then I saw this lad screaming, and there must have been half a pint of blood coming from his mouth." Blades fan Liz Burke said her friend Danielle Stokes, aged 23, was struck by a brick while in the same pub. Liz, also 23, said: "It was terrifying. We weren't hurt, but that doesn't stop you being scared. "After the game there were loads of stupid kids throwing things at the buses." The fans are the latest victims of the violence following Sheffield football matches this season. On Friday 13-year-old Emma Jayne Barker was hit on the head by a flare fired at Wednesday supporters during the Steel city derby at Bramall Lane. Police are examining CCTV evidence of the Arkles fracas, which is said to show Blades fans trashing it. Travelling supporters claim the venue was stormed by Liverpool supporters. After the game, a Blades fan needed hospital treatment after a brick was thrown through the window of a Sheffield United supporters coach. The 46-year-old man suffered cuts to his head and was taken to Aintree Hospital following the attack in Landford Avenue, Fazakerley. Sheff Wed - july 2002 Five known trouble making Owls "fans" have had their passports temporarily taken from them - as English officials look to play their part in ensuring hooligans will play no part in this year's FIFA World Cup in Japan and Korea. Some 1000 English football hooligans are being prevented from leaving the country for the next month or so, with the World Cup kicking off in just ten days time. The Owls have themselves attempted to stamp out hooliganism and racism at Wednesday's games, but sadly outbursts from this pathetic minority of "fans" were seen in games against Burnley at Hillsborough and also away games against Millwall, Stockport County and Blackburn Rovers. In particular there were problems at Ewood Park for the Worthington League Cup Semi-final. Riot police were called in to confront a small minority of travelling Wednesday supporters who got out of control. A full investigation by the South Yorkshire police followed when many other Owls fans complained of being physically abused by the riot police for no apparent reason. Those five Owls "fans" make up only 0.5% of English football fans who are banned from travelling to the Far East in June and July, but a few of Wednesday's rival clubs have more hooligans who will be kept on English land. Rotherham United and Sheffield United both have 10 fans banned, with local nutters Chesterfield Town having had 12 banned. "Supporters" from Leeds United, Stoke City and Cardiff City - three English clubs with bad hooligan records - make up an astonishing 17% of all banned English hooligans. 1 April 2002 Grimsby Town v Sheffield Wednesday Trouble in Cleethorpes after the match led to 17 arrests. Police came under attack from a hail of missiles from Sheffield Wednesday supporters. There were further outbreaks of disorder at the railway station and two fans were bitten by a police dog. 01/04/02 Grimsby Town-Sheffield Wednesday FOOTBALL fans went on the rampage in Cleethorpes following the relegation battle between Grimsby Town and Sheffield Wednesday. Scores of police officers, some wearing body armour, were drafted in yesterday as a series of flare-ups escalated into scenes of violence close to the resort's train station. Tourists enjoying the bank holiday break in Cleethorpes looked on in disbelief, as alcohol-fuelled thugs from Sheffield threw missiles and hurled abuse at police officers, police dogs and officers on horseback. At one point a policeman and a fan fell onto the track after a scuffle on the platform. In all 17 arrests were made for general public disorder offences. The ugly scenes followed the 0-0 draw, after which a large section of Grimsby Road was closed off to prevent rival fans clashing. Supporters of both teams were locked up. Following the match Sheffield Wednesday fans congregated outside The Submarine pub on Sea Road. Eight officers on horseback accompanied by scores of police officers on foot supervised the supporters and separated them from rival fans. On several occasions officers chased smaller groups who broke away from the crowd as they ran towards the town centre. "Initially there were some serious disturbances in the centre of Cleethorpes which were contained and managed by officers who were working the match. Additional resources were called in from other parts of the force to support police officers as there was the potential for further violence." Most of the visiting fans who headed for Cleethorpes boarded the 7.15pm train back to Sheffield. Chief Supt Sharp added: "Because of the behaviour of the Sheffield fans and the amount of alcohol they had consumed they were closely supervised from Sea Road to the railway station. "At the station there were sporadic incidents of disorder and arrests were made." During this disorder police dogs were brought in and two fans were bitten. These two men were later arrested along with 15 other Sheffield Wednesday and Grimsby Town fans for general public disorder offences. Chief Supt White said: "Although at times there were difficult bouts to police, considering there was a capacity crowd, the majority of people seemed to have a very good day." Minor injuries were suffered by police officers, including one who had a bottle thrown at her. No one required medical treatment. 13 April 2002 Wednesday v United Around 300 supporters had to be kept apart at Sheffield Midland Rail Station when Wednesday fans travelling from Stockport were confronted by those from Sheffield United. 21 April 2002 Sheffield Wednesday v Wolverhampton Wanderers Sheffield United hooligans (the "Blades Business Crew") attempted to ambush Wolves supporters at the railway station before the game. They had decided not to follow their own team. There were 14 arrests. Trouble continued closer to the ground between Wolves and Sheffield Wednesday supporters. During the game around 500 Wolves fans in the home seating area of the ground were moved into an empty corner of the stadium. After the match the trouble continued with three rival groups of supporters roaming the city centre looking for trouble. Two police officers and a steward were injured during clashes during the day 8 January 2000 Sheffield Wednesday v Wolverhampton Wanderers FA Cup Supporters from both teams clashed in the town centre after this fixture. Windows were smashed in a public house during the disorder. Four supporters from Sheffield Wednesday and one from Wolves were arrested during the disorder. 23 February 2002 Sheffield Wednesday v Rotherham United During the match riot police joined stewards to hold back a mob trying to climb from the main stand into the Leppings Lane end. After the game about 50 Sheffield United fans, whose team was playing in London, made their way to the Brown Bear pub in the City Centre, where they confronted a similar sized mob of Wednesday hooligans. They fought outside the pub until the police arrived to split them up. There were further clashes later in the evening. 16 March 2002 Millwall v Sheffield Wednesday Millwall hooligans attacked Sheffield Wednesday supporters as they left the ground. Police officers were hit with bricks and bottles and two needed hospital treatment. Southampton v Sheffield Wednesday 27/01/01 - FA Cup A group of about 20 Wednesday fans arrived early by rail and went into a local public house. An incident occurred inside the premises between rival supporters, resulting in a local man being wounded by one of the visitors. He was taken to hospital by ambulance with a head injury. A suspect was arrested shortly after the incident. 22 September 2001 Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City On the same day Sheffield United were away at Millwall. As their hooligans returned to the station they met the departing Manchester City fans. There were running battles at the station and in the city centre. At around 10pm there was serious disorder at the station where police officers were attacked. Four officers were injured and one was nearly killed. The train departed with the Manchester City hooligans on board but there was continuing trouble throughout the journey. Sheffield Wednesday v Crewe Alexandra A football steward was kicked unconscious outside the stadium as he returned to his car Sheffield Utd v Sheffield Wed SOCCER yobs attacked police and took over a Sheffield pub in the worst of a series of derby match incidents in the city centre. The Sportsman pub, near the Blades' ground, was surrounded by 100 officers with fans eventually led out in twos and photographed as the first stage of a police investigation into the trouble. The Denby Street landlady and her staff had been forced to abandon the bar as trouble flared among Blades' yobs following an attack on police outside. Police had mounted a high profile crowd control operation for the match, which started at Sunday lunchtime to minimise pre-match drinking and potential violence. Senior officers described the operation around the stadium as a success, with three arrests before kick-off and three more after the match near the ground. The problems at the Sportsman appeared to involve only United supporters who attacked police and turned on the pub, known as a gathering point for Blades followers. A force spokesman said: "Officers came under attack from bottles. We called for re-inforcements and the situation seemed to unleash itself. The pub was trashed." One person was arrested in connection with the incident at the Sportsman but police say further arrests may follow as they make further inquiries to confirm the identities of those responsible for attacking officers and wrecking the pub. Police said they had a "busy" evening in the city centre dealing with soccer fans and there was another skirmish between fans near the Royal Standard pub in St Mary's Road. The violence meant the football match operation - which had started on Saturday evening - was extended into the early hours of this morning. Indications from the start of the football season suggest hooliganism problems may become increasingly worse for Sheffield's teams. United fans have already been involved in trouble at Coventry and Derby and police reported problems with fans following the Owls' match with Rotherham. Sheffield Wednesday v Barnsley 21/04/2001 - Nationwide League Division One Prior to the game, a group of Sheffield supporters attempted a confrontation with the visiting group. Missiles were thrown, but order was restored by police. After the game, police prevented confrontation with rivals on the outer concourse and mounted police dispersed a group of Sheffield supporters. The Barnsley supporters were escorted out of the city. Stockport County v Sheffield Wednesday 07/04/2001 - Nationwide League Division 1 Small skirmishes broke out in the town centre prior to kick-off. Following the game, the Sheffield supporters drank in a public house until 6 pm and were then escorted back towards the railway network. As the escort reached the market area individuals broke from the group, prompting a police response with batons to encourage them back into the escort. This was achieved without further trouble. On arrival at Stockport railway station, the group was corralled until shuttle coaches arrived and conveyed them to Manchester railway station, under police escort. Individuals were arrested for public order at that location. The Sheffield group was encouraged to catch the first return train. BTP escorted the train. A South Yorkshire Police public order unit met the train upon its arrival. Sheffield Wednesday v Burnley 17/03/2001 - Nationwide League Division 1 At 11.10 am a train arrived from Burnley via Manchester. About 25 Burnley supporters alighted and walked across towards a public house. They were confronted by a similar sized group of Sheffield United supporters and police used batons to disperse the two groups. The United group later left by rail to Huddersfield without problems. After the match a group of Sheffield Wednesday supporters outside the stadium attempted to confront a small group of Burnley fans. They were dispersed by mounted police and made their way to their 'local' at Hillsborough Corner. The Burnley supporters were located after the match and monitored until they left the city by rail. Later in the evening damage was caused to a pub in the city centre when two local rival groups from United and Wednesday clashed. A short time later another pub near the railway station was also subjected to windows being smashed when rivals clashed. Two groups of rivals, 25/30 strong, were located police officers and monitored until they dispersed later in the evening. Disorder near Sheffield 25/03/2001 A confrontation took place about 5.30 pm at licensed premises in Mosborough, near Sheffield, between rival groups that associate themselves with the two Sheffield clubs. Sheffield Wednesday v Bolton Wanderers 20/01/01 - Nationwide League Division1 After the match a fight involving a group over 30 rival supporters was reported at Hillsborough Corner. Upon police arrival at the scene, the groups had dispersed. One supporter sustained a facial injury which required medical attention. Southampton v Sheffield Wednesday 27/01/01 - FA Cup A group of about 20 Wednesday fans arrived early by rail and went into a local public house. An incident occurred inside the premises between rival supporters, resulting in a local man being wounded by one of the visitors. He was taken to hospital by ambulance with a head injury. A suspect was arrested shortly after the incident. 17th December 2000 Wednesday v United More than 30 football hooligans have been arrested after rival fans from Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United rioted through the streets of the city centre. The violence is thought to have been an organised confrontation after the derby match. Police wearing riot gear used CS gas and batons to disperse the "highly aggressive" 300-strong crowd, who clashed just hours after their respective sides had drawn 1-1 at Sheffield United's Brammall Lane ground. Running battles between both sets of supporters and police began when a tram carrying 150 Sheffield Wednesday fans stopped on the city's West Street, where more than 100 rival supporters had spent the afternoon drinking in local pubs. For almost an hour 100 police officers, who had been monitoring the city centre for trouble, attempted to restrain violent thugs who had planned the gathering through mobile phones, arranging to meet at a certain venue. "It was the fact that they couldn't get to each other for the organised punch-up which frustrated the fans and sparked it all off," said a spokesman for South Yorkshire Police, who had deployed a further 200 officers to cover the match. "The fans then became highly aggressive towards the police, and officers had to use CS gas and baton to disperse the crowd." Admitting that there had always been a possibility of trouble, the spokesman added: "Obviously there was a heavy police presence at the match so they weren't like to pre-arranged anything for that. "It seems to have been done very, very quickly after the match via mobile phones." There was always that possibility of trouble, bearing in mind the history between the two clubs," said the spokesman. "This was the first League match for almost seven years between the two sides." Sheffield United v Sheffield Wednesday 16/12/00 - Nationwide League Division 1 There was serious disorder in Sheffield City centre after this fixture. At 5.30 pm a group of 250 United supporters appeared at a public house in the city centre. At same time over 200 Wednesday supporters left Hillsborough and boarded the supertram to the city centre. The rival groups made their way to West Street. Police formed a cordon across the road when the Wednesday group alighted from the supertram and the pub containing the United group was surrounded by police in an attempt to prevent confrontation and serious disorder. Batons and CS incapcitants were used when the United group did a starburst from the pub and the Wednesday group charged the police line. The United group caused damage to the pub. Both groups were dispersed, but fighting broke out in different parts of the centre. The two main groups were gradually fragmented following police searches and in excess of 30 arrests were made. Huddersfield Town v Sheffield Wednesday 30/12/2000 Nationwide League Division1 After this fixture fighting broke out between rival groups in the town centre. A group of Huddersfield supporters attacked the Sheffield supporters at a local public house. Police dispersed the groups and the Sheffield supporters were removed and taken under escort back to the railway station. 25th October 2000 Rival fans clash on rail network From thisissheffield.co.uk FOOTBALL violence is escalating on South Yorkshire's railway network - almost reaching the same levels as the late 1970s, transport police warned today Officers have to cope with fans from the five South Yorkshire teams as well as others travelling through Sheffield. Sgt Don Lorimer, of Sheffield's British Transport Police, believes the hooligan problem has never gone away and is now on the increase again. He said: "We regularly have to travel on the trains with fans to try to keep the lid on things. It is getting bad again. "Anyone who thinks this problem has gone away is burying their head in the sand - it never has and is steadily growing worse once again with many smaller clubs' fans causing problems." Five major networks pass through Sheffield meaning fans often stop off causing extra headaches for police. Sgt Lorimer said: "The other week we had Manchester United here en route to Leicester and there were problems. We are also getting increasing problems with Chesterfield as borne out on Saturday with 500 Brighton fans travelling. "It was an extremely volatile situation and we had to travel with them on the train all the way back to London". Tranmere Rovers v Sheffield Wednesday 16/09/00 - Nationwide League Division 1 After this fixture a group of 50 Sheffield Wednesday supporters tried to confront a group of 20 Tranmere supporters. Police escorted the Sheffield Wednesday supporters to the Railway Station preventing any disorder. 29 April 2000 Sheffield Wednesday v Leeds Utd A group of Leeds supporters numbering around 80 in number took the local tram towards the ground. During the journey they vandalised the tram disabling it. Police attended the scene to keep rival groups apart. The police then escorted the Leeds group to and from the stadium preventing disorder. Later that evening Sheffield Wednesday supporters clashed with Sheffield United supporters. This led to eight arrests for public order offences. 8 January 2000 Sheffield Wednesday v Wolverhampton Wanderers FA Cup Supporters from both teams clashed in the town centre after this fixture. Windows were smashed in a public house during the disorder. Four supporters from Sheffield Wednesday and one from Wolves were arrested during the disorder. 31 July 1999 Rotherham v Sheffield Wednesday Pre Season Friendly At this match the visitors' end of the ground was filled to near capacity, with just over 3,000 supporters in attendance. Some of the visiting supporters entered the Rotherham end of the ground. Fighting broke out during the match, a number of arrests were made and the visiting Sheffield Wednesday supporters were transferred into their end of the ground. At the end of the match a large number of Sheffield Wednesday supporters went to a public house in the town centre where Rotherham supporters were drinking. Officers were outside the premises monitoring the situation when the windows were smashed from inside by chairs and fire extinguishers being thrown through them. The visiting Sheffield Wednesday supporters were running amok inside helping themselves to the alcohol. Officers in protective clothing entered the pub and a number of arrests were made. A large group of Sheffield Wednesday supporters were then escorted to the railway station and put onto a train. 14 August 1999 Bradford City v Sheffield Wednesday After the match a large group of Bradford supporters went to their usual public house in the city centre. At about 6pm this group then went to another nearby public house, where a number of Sheffield Wednesday supporters were drinking. The Bradford supporters threw bottles and glasses at the visitors and tables and chairs were knocked over. Police responded to the incident and prevented it escalating. The Sheffield supporters were requested to vacate the premises and were then escorted to the railway station. 16 October 1999 Leeds v Sheffield Wednesday Prior to this fixture a group of around 30 Leeds supporters attacked a group of 20 Sheffield Wednesday supporters in a local public house. Glasses, bottles and chairs were thrown during the disorder and as a result several people sustained cuts from flying glass. Police attended and order was restored. After the game a large group of Leeds supporters attempted to confront Sheffield supporters but were prevented from doing so by mounted branch officers
York v Doncaster rovers - November 2003 York braced for trouble as football yobs head to city by Evening Press reporter FOOTBALL hooligans from Doncaster are planning to create havoc at tomorrow's Yorkshire derby match with York City. Extra police officers, including mounted officers and dog handlers, will be on duty in the city centre and around the ground for the game. Specialist North Yorkshire Police officers trained in dealing with public order incidents will also be deployed. South Yorkshire Police is doubling its number of hooligan "spotters" from two to four. The force is also sending two public order trained evidence gatherers, who film football crowds. Pc Paul Maloney, York police football liaison officer, said about 50 Doncaster hooligans were expected to be among the thousands travelling to the all-ticket match. Pc Maloney said: "We are expecting some problems both inside and outside the ground. The matches that Doncaster have played so far this season indicates that and so appropriate police resources will be deployed." Pc Maloney said there was no intelligence suggesting York City's hooligans were planning any trouble. But he said: "Our hooligan element have caused problems this season at several matches, but when they have been travelling away rather than here in York." PC Andy Baker, South Yorkshire Police football intelligence officer, said: "The intelligence started rolling in on this weeks ago. Our hooligan element are looking at this game as a really big one." Pc Baker said intelligence suggested Leeds supporters would also be in York looking for a fight. British Transport Police Sergeant Mark Seales said there would be a heavy police presence at York station. "It will be policed firmly," he said. North Yorkshire police declined to say how many extra police would be involved. Chief superintendent John Lacy, York and Selby area commander, said people living near Bootham Crescent had received leaflets telling them of the heavy police presence. "This is a high category match," he said. story 2 Soccer hooligans cause pub havoc A LANDLORD told today how his pub resembled a scene from the Wild West as brawling soccer fans brought chaos to York city centre. Two women customers were hurt and a party of elderly tourists was showered with glass and beer when up to 30 York City and Doncaster Rovers fans clashed at the Golden Lion in Church Street. "I have been here four years and I have never seen anything like it," said landlord John Raw. "It was like something from the Wild West." Trouble also erupted elsewhere in the city centre, and pubs were counting the cost today after closing their doors to customers for several hours amid warnings about troublemakers. Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of York Tourism Bureau, spoke of her concern today about the impact of the trouble on York's reputation for tourists. "This is potentially very damaging to the tourist industry, even if it was a one-off," she said. "If people have had this sort of experience they not only don't want to come again, but they also tell other people what happened when they went to York." At the Golden Lion, Mr Raw said a woman suffered pain in her lower back after being pushed down some stairs, and another suffered a cut to her head. "A group of elderly people sitting by the door - tourists - were showered in glass and beer. They were soaked and not best pleased." He said the fans fled after police arrived "very quickly" on the scene. Another pub hit by hooligans was The Punch Bowl, in Blossom Street. A spokesman for operators Wetherspoons said Doncaster fans inside were called out by "baying" York fans and a punch-up ensued, during which two windows were broken. A man came into the pub after having been "glassed" outside. The pub shut for 90 minutes. Police said Saturday's trouble could have been a lot worse but for a highly visible police presence before and after the Yorkshire derby game between City and Rovers. Officers had anticipated trouble, predicting that about 50 Doncaster hooligans would make the trip to York, and extra officers, including mounted police and dog handlers, were drafted in to deal with the trouble. South Yorkshire Police also doubled its hooligan spotters from two to four for the occasion and sent two public order specialists to film the football crowds. Sgt Richard Hall said: "A mindless minority decided to cause problems instead of just enjoying the game. A few arrests were made but a lot of trouble was stopped by the high-profile police presence. "It was a very good high profile police operation which prevented more serious trouble." He said there had been various incidents of violence throughout the city, both before and after the match. One man was arrested after an object was thrown through a window at the Golden Lion, and several arrests were made elsewhere for public order offences and criminal damage. He said some of the city's pubs had helped minimise the problem by closing or refusing entry to rowdy groups of supporters. At 5.45pm, The Bootham Tavern closed for the evening, and The Five Lions in Walmgate shut its doors until 7pm to stop any Doncaster fans causing trouble in the pub. Craig Holt, landlord of the Five Lions, said they had still continued to serve the people who were already in the pub, but decided to keep their doors closed until the Doncaster fans had left. Friday 16 May 2003: York soccer violence up by 50 per cent by Evening Press reporter THE Evening Press today uncovers the true cost and misery caused by a shocking rise in football hooliganism in York. Police chiefs revealed that well-orchestrated football-related violence before, during and after York City games had increased by 50 per cent this season. Officers made a total of 42 arrests both inside and outside Bootham Crescent - an increase of 30 per cent. Many more were arrested during away matches. Meanwhile, it cost more than �150,000 to police the trouble - with only �30,000 recouped from the football club. And police predicted today that the problems and costs may get worse next season with the visit of Yorkshire rivals, Huddersfield and Doncaster. City police commander Chief Superintendent John Lacy is this week attending a national police conference in Hampshire to discuss ways of dealing with football-related violence. He said York had seen a dramatic surge in well-organised hooliganism, with mobile phones, pagers and the internet being used to orchestrate the trouble. "We're not prepared to tolerate the disorder," he told the Evening Press. "This is well-organised. It didn't just happen that violence broke out - meeting places were clearly arranged. "The cost of policing it is crazy, but we've got no option. It's an increasing burden on my budget." Incidents this season have included: Seven people being arrested after more than 40 supporters clashed at the Monument, in Station Rise, as Bury fans made their way to York station. Fighting broke out and several missiles were thrown, including pool balls and bottles A man being "glassed" in the head in the Old White Swan pub, in Goodramgate, during an alleged attack on York City fans by three van loads of Shrewsbury supporters. Bottles were thrown and punches exchanged Stewards and police separating Carlisle United and York City fans in Bootham Crescent's Popular Stand. Several seats were ripped out and thrown on to the pitch by some away supporters and a number of punches thrown Police arresting 13 supporters, mainly in the city centre, before and after York City's home match against Hartlepool United. A York City fan, who asked not to be named, was in the Old White Swan when the Shrewsbury supporters allegedly attacked. "This guy had a chunk taken out of his nose with a bottle," she said. "It was just awful. We weren't even playing them." PC Alistair Kennan, the city's football intelligence officer, added: "Hooliganism has come back this year in a big way. Many people think banning fans from grounds is draconian, but if they're involved in trouble they have got to accept the consequences." York City spokesman Sophie McGill said the club would not tolerate hooliganism. 22/03/03 Wrexham-York city Between 300 and 400 York fans with 45 lads: 15 on minibus, three car loads, and 15 on train. Minibus didn't arrive until about 2pm because of transport problems but went into town. Others arrived 1pm and went into Miliners and the Welsh version of Weatherspoons - it's called some Welsh name but it's a Weatherspoons. The only enquiry we got was when York liason police popped into Miliners and later on in Weatherspoons. Do Wrexham have any lads over 17? Wrexham "lads" giving it the big one from their new stand on the side during the game, but nothing outside after, just two tossers making a show by looking at the away fans walking to the station. If this is the so-called Front Line, we stepped over it. Monday 24 February 2003: Seven arrested after rival fans clash again by Matthew Woodcock SEVEN people were arrested when violence flared between rival fans following York City's game with Bury. Police said between 30 and 40 supporters clashed at the Monument, in Station Rise, as Bury fans made their way to York station. Fighting broke out and several missiles were thrown, including pool balls and bottles. Dozens of police officers - including the dog section - fought to bring the situation under control. "It was like the OK Corral," an eyewitness told the Evening Press. "The police looked as though they were struggling to control it because there were so many people fighting." This latest outbreak of football-related violence comes only one week after police made 13 arrests leading up to York City's match against Hartlepool last Saturday. A police spokeswoman said of the seven arrested four were Bury fans and three were York City followers. Several of them have been charged with public order offences while others have been bailed pending further inquiries. Chief Superintendent John Lacy said today that the violence would not be tolerated. "If anybody thought that football hooliganism was declining they need only look at York City in the last couple of matches, where 20 arrests have been made in streets outside the ground. "We've seen an emergence of organised violence outside the ground. Clearly, fans have been determined to fight in our streets. "It's unbelievable that York City supporters are prepared to organise violence when the club is on its uppers. "We will be seeking more banning orders." Violence also erupted on Saturday night in a number of pubs in Micklegate following the initial disturbance. Sergeant John Suchomski said: "Police officers were engaged in keeping rival groups apart."
07 June 2003 Violence fear at soccer curtain-raisers POLICE fear clashes bet-ween travelling football fans if FOUR matches are allowed to go ahead on the same day in the South Yorkshire area. Supporters from New-castle, Middlesbrough and Leeds will all descend on the region if the friendly matches are played as planned on August 2. Hundreds of officers would be needed to maintain security at the games and in the city centre and officers say resources will be 'severely stretched' if at least one of the games is not postponed. Police have have appealed to Sheffield Wednesday to change the date of their game with Newcastle United, but Owls officials say they are committed to that date and cannot change. United face Middlesbor-ough at Bramall Lane in Simon Tracey's testimonial game and Leeds play at Chesterfield - all games kicking off at 3pm. Rotherham entertain Doncaster at 6.30pm. The onus is on Wednesday to change their fixture because United told police of the Middlesbrough game first - back in April - and so take priority. It is believed Newcastle's pre-season commitments mean the club would not be available for any re-arranged fixture. Police football liaison officer Chief Insp Alan Shep-herd says the games will stretch policing capabilities to the limit if they are played simultaneously. "Wednesday are reviewing the issue based on the information we have given them," he said. "We have two teams from the North East and Leeds fans going through to Chesterfield. "It would put a massive strain on our resources." A Wednesday spokesman said: "We are aware of police concerns and we are in discussions with them." England v Turkey Thursday 03 April 2003: Bradford 15 held at Turkey clash Fifteen football fans from Bradford were arrested by police as the Euro 2004 qualifier between England and Turkey was marred by violence. A spokesman for Northumbria police, which had around 1,000 officers on duty to cope with the crowd, said the arrests were mainly for drink and disorderly offences. By the end of the match at The Stadium of Light in Sunderland police had arrested 95 people. Superintendent Jim Campbell, in charge of security at the 48,000 sell-out match, said a group of more than 25 supporters, believed to follow Leeds, were arrested in the afternoon. Supt Campbell said: "The number of arrests would indicate there were major problems but approximately 60 resulted from two incidents, both fairly early on. "It would appear there was no-one from the Turkish community arrested or injured and the problems we had around the ground were English fans having a go at each other." As kick-off approached, dozens of riot police clashed with hundreds of football supporters on the approach to the stadium. Hooligans pelted riot police and uniformed officers with bottles and a full-scale charge was launched by baton-wielding police. story 2 England fans could face an away travel ban following crowd trouble at the Euro 2004 qualifier against Turkey in Sunderland. The Football Association (FA) says it is considering the ban for the return game in Istanbul, while Uefa bosses say they are investigating pitch invasions after England's two winning goals. Despite the inquiry, police praised the vast majority of English supporters and blamed hardcore hooligans for the bulk of the disorder. More than 100 people were arrested during trouble inside and outside the Stadium of Light, in Sunderland, which attracted a full house of almost 49,000 supporters. The hardcore element of football hooligans intent on causing havoc were blamed for scenes which marred the victory. Superintendent Jim Campbell, of Northumbria Police, said the sooner hooligans were weeded out of football, the better it would be for the game's image. What we need to do is identify and ostracise this minority intent on causing problems Superintendent Jim Campbell, Northumbria Police A total of 106 people were arrested throughout Wednesday, with almost half from two particular incidents in which police targeted potential troublemakers and moved in before any violence erupted. The arrested fans were from across the country, with almost half from Yorkshire and 29 from Leeds itself. It had been feared before the game that Leeds United supporters would use the Euro 2004 qualifier to seek "revenge" for the murder of two Leeds fans in Istanbul three years ago. Others arrested came from areas including London, Cumbria, West Midlands, Middlesex and Kent, with 15 from Sunderland and a small number from Newcastle. Mr Campbell said: "The vast majority of English fans were there to enjoy the game. Arrests may rise "What we need to do is identify and ostracise this minority intent on causing problems. "It is likely that a significant number of those arrested will be known football hooligans. "We will now have an intelligence debrief and the information we get from that can be used to aid policing of future internationals." He warned the arrest figure could rise after video footage was studied of an incident in which England fans attempted to ambush coaches carrying Turkish supporters. Of the arrests, more than 60 were arrested for public order offences, and others for being drunk and disorderly, using threatening behaviour and a handful for affray and violent conduct. 'Cause more problems' England ran out 2-0 winners with goals from Darius Vassell and captain David Beckham, but on both occasions fans swarmed on to the pitch to celebrate. Uefa spokesman Mike Lee said: "We are still awaiting the report of the match delegate but a disciplinary investigation will now be opened." FA chief executive David Davies said: "There is an argument not to allow England fans to travel. "England are the world champions of fans travelling without tickets and that could cause more problems. "I can understand not sending any supporters at all. If it is the right decision we will take it but we will not make any decision until June." Story 3 Hundreds of fans clashed with police in Sunderland before Wednesday night's Euro 2004 qualifier against Turkey as officers were pelted with missiles. At least 50 of the arrests were preventive when known hooligans were detained to prevent disturbances. Superintendent Jim Campbell said he hoped England's 2-0 win on the pitch would be remembered more than the hooliganism off it. The officer told BBC Breakfast: "We had quite a bit of information that there was going to be quite a large hooligan element. "We planned extensively because of that and those plans worked relatively well. Hooligans isolated "We did what was really a pre-emptive strike. We acted positively, we acted robustly and those people were taken out of circulation." Mr Campbell said police managed to isolate many hooligans who had descended on Wearside intent on fighting. He said: "We did that successfully and we achieved our goal." There had been fears that Leeds United fans would use the match to gain revenge for the death of two supporters in Istanbul in 2000. None of the 5,000 Turkish fans who travelled to the game were arrested. Coaches carrying Turkish fans to the game were attacked by English hooligans and mounted police officers had to keep them at bay. Riot police About 25 fans from Sunderland and Newcastle were arrested in a local pub before the sell-out match as officers believed they were about to attack each other. More than 25 supporters believed to be associated with Leeds United were later arrested in the Fawcett Street area of the city centre. As kick-off approached, dozens of riot police clashed with hundreds of supporters on the approach to the stadium. The violent skirmishes followed numerous incidents on the Wearmouth Bridge. Police dog handlers were involved in the incident in the Roker Avenue area and a police helicopter hovered overhead. Near the stadium one fan was knocked to the floor and hit his head against the pavement, and was treated by paramedics before being taken away in an ambulance. 8th june 2002 Regional chaos after England victory 45 held in match violence by Rosslyn Brennan POLICE today condemned yobs who marred England's World Cup joy by bringing violence to the streets of York. Forty five people were arrested for public order offences in the city in the hours that followed the historic 1-0 victory over Argentina, and police officers had to be drafted in from other areas of the city to cope with the "pockets of disruption". Many football fans had indulged in a 12-hour drinking session before, during and after the World Cup group showdown in Sapporo, Japan, which was screened in pubs throughout the city. The number arrested was too great to be accommodated in police cells in York. Inspector Andy Everitt, of York Police, condemned the actions of the fans and said they had let themselves down. He said that door staff, licensees and the police worked together to prevent potentially volatile situations getting out of hand. "There were lots of violent incidents last night in the city centre in particular. "Between 7pm and 7am 45 people were arrested. "It was a combination of too much alcohol and over exuberance. "I do feel that a lot of people who were arrested and involved in public order incidents have let themselves down. "Towards the end of the game there were large groups of youths shouting and chanting and lots of violence breaking out," he said. Inspector Everitt said he was not expecting a similar level of disorder for England's next game against Nigeria on Wednesday, which has a 7.30am kick-off. Incidents began as early as 4.30pm yesterday, just two hours after the full time whistle, when officers were called to Lendal after reports of a group of up to 30 men fighting outside the Varsity bar. The group was dispersed quickly and no arrests were made at that time. Those arrested were taken to York Police Station but many were then transferred to Selby. Drunken yobs also caused chaos on the streets of Hull and Grimsby. Bottles and coins were thrown at police during 90 minutes of chaos, a spokesman said. Between eight and 10 people were arrested for public order offences and Beverley Road in Hull had to be closed as a crowd of more than 500 spilled out of pubs in the area. Officers were drafted in from surrounding areas to help contain the situation. Insp Steve Page of Humberside Police said: "The public ignored police warnings to control themselves and drunken yobs caused difficulties in both Hull and Grimsby."
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The 'Naughty Forty' are/were a gang of football hooligans who supported which Midlands club? | Сток Сити: хроника | Ultras Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
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Bolton Wanderers - Stoke City - Cup - 09/03/1946
Tragedy hits an FA Cup tie between Bolton and Stoke when a wall supporting fans collapses at Burden Park. The collapse crushes spectators and sparks a stampede which kills 33 people and injures more than 400. // BBC
1980-е
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Blackburn Rovers - Stoke City - 28/03/1986
A GANG of soccer hooligans laid siege to a Blackburn pub and caused more than £1,000 worth of damage.
The Stoke City supporters rained house bricks through the windows of the Brewers Arms, Great Bolton Street, while terrified drinkers dived for cover. Landlady Mrs Margaret Rothwell, said: "It was terrifying. There were full bricks coming through the windows and glass flying everywhere." // Lancashire Evening Telegraph
1990-е
Stoke fans staged a pitch invasion at the Britannia Stadium after Birmingham City thrashed the struggling Potters 7-0.
England: Thugs' hi-tec guide to soccer battles - 20/08/1999
SOCCER hooligans are using an internet site to arrange fights on match days in and around Preston North End's Deepdale ground.
A site set up by notorious soccer hooligan Paul Dodd - who boasts to be the country's number one football fighter - is being used by Preston's fighting factions to arrange 'dates' with rival teams, both home and away. A number of fights were pre-arranged on the controversial site's message board ahead of last Saturday's clash with Stoke City, including a bust-up in the Bill Shankly Kop. The fight never took place due to a high police presence in the stand. Instead, boasts one PNE supporter, Wigan fans were waiting for the Stoke fans when a group went to Blackpool.
Police have confirmed to the Citizen that they are viewing the site on a daily basis in a bid to stamp out violence all together, but added the use of modern technology for criminal activity was of concern to them. Messages on the site currently talk about the Christmas game against local rivals Blackpool, with fans from both sides - arranging times and places for clashes before and after the game.
One PNE 'fan,' using the code name Preston Para warns fans of the Seasiders: "You will go the same way as Diana and Jill Dando." Another message, from a fan calling himself PPS 88 warns: "All fans be warned. Come to Preston and endure the toughest fight of your life." Fights are also being arranged in towns around Preston, including Chorley and Blackburn, with opposing supporters.
Officers at Preston Police are aware of the use of the internet and are using it to cut out violence all together. PC Philip Billsborough, from the town's football intelligence unit, said: "We have been aware of the use of this site and monitor activity on it on a regular basis. "Fortunately many of the comments are just talk, but we don't take any chances and it is of concern to us." // Lancashire Evening Telegraph
2000-е
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21 City fans have been arrested in a series of dawn raids in S Wales. - 26/01/2001
Operation Javelin was carried out by Staffordshire Police who also arrested many Stoke fans as well in similar raids in the Potteries. The arrests are the result of months of investigation into trouble at the Brittania Stadium last April.
Police have charged 21 Cardiff City fans with violent disorder after a series of dawn raids involving three forces. The arrests were made in the south Wales and Gwent areas in conjunction with officers from Staffordshire Police. They follow disturbances in which 27 members of the public and 12 officers were injured when fighting broke out at a Stoke City - Cardiff City match in Stoke on Trent at the end of April 2000.
A dozen detectives have spent the past nine months gathering evidence in Operation Javelin. A further 29 others were arrested on the day for public order and drink-related offences. The fans arrested this week will remain on bail until they appear before Stoke on Trent magistrates in February. In addition, 22 Stoke City fans have also been charged with violent disorder.
Police say inquiries are continuing to identify a further 66 Stoke supporters involved in the trouble. Their investigations have included watching hundreds of hours of CCTV footage in order to identify those responsible for the disorder. Trouble flared among Cardiff City supporters at a key relegation match against Stoke. Police on horseback and officers armed with batons entered the ground shortly after half-time. Problems continued outside the ground after safety fences put up to keep rival fans apart were torn down.
A massive police operation had been mounted to prevent rival fans from Cardiff City and Stoke City clashing during a key Division Two match. Officers ringed the edge of the Stoke pitch to prevent any risk of trouble after kick-off. Their enforced presence had followed threats of violence posted on the internet between rival fans ahead of the Sunday game. // BBC News
Stoke: Soccer thugs banned from games - 07/02/2001
A football hooligan has been jailed for his part in violent disturbances during a game between Stoke and Cardiff. Twelve police officers and 27 members of the public were injured when trouble involving hundreds of fans from both sides flared during the game in April.
A***** T******, 22 - who was jailed for six months - was one of 21 Stoke City fans who appeared at court, Stoke-on-Trent on Thursday. Their appearances followed mass disturbances at Stoke's Britannia Stadium. Three police forces - Staffordshire, South Wales, and Gwent - have since been involved in tracking down those responsible.
In January, police charged 21 Cardiff City fans with violent disorder after a series of dawn raids. Inquiries have been continuing since the match at Stoke City's Britannia Stadium 10 months ago, during which 27 members of the public and 12 officers were injured. A total of 29 people were arrested at the ground, but video evidence showed that hundreds more were involved. The officers later mounted a series of dawn raids on homes in south Wales and made more arrests.
As the Stoke fans appeared in court on Thursday, Staffordshire police travelled to Cardiff to release 64 photographs of others - believed to be Cardiff City fans - who are wanted for questioning. The pictures were taken from CCTV footage shot on security cameras on the day. Two people have so far come forward of their own accord.
Fenton magistrates heard that A***** T****** was seen throwing punches in the stadium. After leaving the game he was seen to pick up an object and throw it at mounted police officers. Townley, of Pennarth Grove, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, pleaded guilty to two charges of affray and was banned from all league football grounds for 10 years.
District Judge Graham Richards, who watched videos of the clashes in court, said the scenes around the all-seater stadium resembled the protracted war which tore apart the Lebanon in the 1980s. He told the court: "There were the most appalling scenes of fighting during the course of the game and along Hartshill Road. "It carried on after the game at a time when people should have been at home. People were throwing objects at police on horses. It looked like the streets of Beirut 10 years ago."
Of those who appeared in court on Thursday, 16 were banned from attending any designated sporting event for between three and 10 years. Those sentenced ranged in age from 18 to 40 and included a university student, a store manager and a laboratory technician. The clashes between rival fans also resulted in 27 members of the public being injured and damage running into thousands of pounds to property in the Stoke-on-Trent area. The cases of five other men - all facing charges of violent disorder - were adjourned. // BBC
2001/02
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Huddersfield Town - Stoke City - 29/12/2001
Hooligans from Stoke’s "Naughty Forty" and "Under 5's" firms fought Huddersfield supporters throughout the day. In the worst incident Stoke fans smashed up and set fire to the White Hart pub, causing extensive damage. // BBC
Stoke City - Everton FC - 05/01/2002
Some 500 Stoke supporters and 100 Everton fans intent on disorder attended this match. But whilst there was trouble at the train station after the game, the heavy police presence prevented any escalation. One Everton fan spent four days in hospital after being bitten by a police dog. He was later charged with a public order offence. // BBC
2003/04
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Beerschot - Stoke City - 22/07/2003 friendly match
The younger elements of the contingency had it twice with mobs of turks last night. At one stage 60 turks rolled up at a boozer where the lads were located. Not sure of Stoke numbers but it weren't many, so safe to assume turks done their usual trick of cowardly tactics. Stoke held em off well, OB turned up and what should have been a battering turned out to be kept well tight by the smaller Stoke numbers. All lads at the game now, might be more fun and games later tonight. // Stoke Under 5's forum
Potters winning fight against hooliganism - 06/08/2003
Stoke believe they are winning the fight against elements of hooliganism ahead of the new season. More than 4,000 City fans have applied to the True Supporters card scheme, which was introduced in February, and vets fans' criminal records before allowing them to purchase tickets for away games. The scheme is already seeing a positive effect, with Derbyshire police happy to allow fans to travel to and from Saturday's opener against Derby at Pride Park as they wish.
The positive build-up to the game is in stark contrast to the corresponding fixture last season, which saw strict transport controls imposed on away fans and an early kick-off amid fears of potential violence. "Those who go can look forward to travelling as they wish and watching the game in a proper sporting atmosphere without intimidation or the threat of violence," said City's chief executive Jonathan Fuller. "We are absolutely determined to win our fight against the hooligan minority who have followed the club around the country in the past and tarnished our image and the True Supporters Card is helping us to do that." // Teamtalk
Stoke City - Derby County - 10/01/2004
After the game, a short fight erutped, opposing approx 12 Derby youths with the same number of locals. Derby youths have to retreat. // ITK
Hunt for soccer violence suspects - 14 may 2004
Detectives have released photographs of several men who are suspected of attacking police officers following a Stoke City football match. Staffordshire Police say the officers came under attack as they tried to maintain order after the Potters' game with West Ham United on 28 April. A number of people who took part in the disorder near the railway station in Shelton have already been identified. But detectives are still trying to find out the names of 10 further suspects.
A large number of officers, supported by police dogs, horses and the force helicopter, successfully kept rival groups from clashing after the match, which West Ham won 2-0. Police say the hooligans responsible for the violence towards officers were connected with Stoke City. Detectives have been reviewing hours of video footage recorded during the trouble.
Chief Inspector Paul Giannasi said: "We are already planning to make a number of arrests in connection with this disorder, but I urge all true supporters of British football to help us by contacting the football unit with any information they have about those involved. This sort of behaviour has no place in our community and we are determined to identify those responsible and to present them before the court." // BBC News
2004/05
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AS Roma - Stoke City - friendly game - 23/07/04
A few skirmishes erupted after the game, opposing some locals with approx 50 Stoke lads. Police forces restored order. // Tifonet + ITK
2005/06
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stoke city - queens park rangers (03/12/2005)
Six Stoke City fans have been arrested after Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Simon Royce was attacked on the pitch at Stoke's Britannia Stadium.
Stoke City lost 2-1 and Staffs Police said a fight started shortly after the full time whistle at the Boothen End in front of the QPR goal-mouth. No-one was injured but police have been talking to fans, players and stewards. Four of the men were arrested for pitch encroachment and two for public order offences. They were released on bail. Witnesses said players from both sides ran to Royce's aid, but then appeared to wrestle between themselves in the goal net. Stewards also became involved and it was three minutes before calm was restored. // BBC NEWS
Stoke fans face life ban (06/12/2005)
Fans who ran onto the pitch in Stoke's clash with QPR may face lifetime bans from the Britannia Stadium and beyond. The FA are investigating the incident which saw several fans invade the Britannia Stadium pitch after the Potters' 2-1 defeat with goalkeeper Simon Royce allegedly assaulted. Six men, all from Stoke, were arrested and five were released on police bail "pending further investigation" but a 60-year-old man was charged for an incident outside the stadium.
Potters chief executive Tony Scholes said: "A ban may not just apply to the Britannia Stadium, but potentially for other football stadia across the country. The vast majority of our supporters behave very well and are a credit to the club." He added: "We will not let the bad behaviour of one or two individuals undermine all the hard work being done at the club, or harm the good name of the vast majority of our supporters." // TEAMTALK
Stoke City - Birmingham City - FA CUP - 19/02/2006
Hundreds of football fans attacked police officers as violence broke out after Sunday's FA Cup tie between Stoke City and Birmingham City.
Trouble began at the Britannia Stadium when a group of about 200 visiting fans ripped down fencing separating them from Stoke supporters. As rival gangs left the ground, police faced what a senior officer described as "extreme violence". Several arrests were made and officers are studying CCTV images.
Mounted officers and dog handlers were among those attacked by fans of both clubs outside the stadium, and police had to close the nearby A50 as they dispersed the crowd. The match commander, Supt Andy Franks, said: "Our officers prevented serious disorder between the rival groups of hooligans and a number of arrests have been made in and around the stadium. Those officers were faced by extreme violent behaviour from a significant number of criminals. Those arrested will be questioned by detectives this evening and further arrests are likely." // BBC NEWS
Police to show Cup riot pictures - 27/02/2006
Detectives investigating violence at an FA Cup tie say they will soon be publishing pictures of people wanted for questioning.
Seven people were arrested and one man charged with a public order offence following the match between Stoke City and Birmingham City on 19 February. The disorder between the rival fans started after Birmingham City's 1-0 victory at Stoke's Britannia Stadium. Officers say they are closing in on a number of people they wish to speak to.
Members of the Football Intelligence Unit have spent the last week studying hours of CCTV footage and stills. They have made a list of more than 30 people whom they wish to identify in connection with incidents outside the stadium. Officers also wish to speak to another six people seen inside the stadium in connection with racist chanting.
Det Sgt Steve Parker said: "The images are being reviewed by officers from both Staffordshire and the West Midlands and a number of people have already been named by officers and will face arrest. "Within the next few days we will be able to publish a number of photographs of other people we need to speak to about the violence and disorder." // BBC NEWS
Many charged over FA Cup disorder - 20/03/2006
A total of 39 people have been charged following disorder and racist chanting at an FA Cup football match in Stoke.
Police arrested the 38 men and one woman between Thursday and Sunday over the violence at the Stoke City v Birmingham City game in February. All 39, aged from 14 to 56, have been released on police bail and are due before magistrates in April and May. Staffordshire Police said it was one of the largest football-related operations in recent years.
Seven of those arrested are from the West Midlands area. The other 32 are from Stoke-on-Trent or North Staffordshire. Detectives had earlier released a number of CCTV still images depicting football fans they wanted to speak to following the disorder.
Det Sgt Steve Parker, from Staffordshire Police, said: "This has been the largest football disorder enquiry in Staffordshire for many years. "The disorder in February was a set-back to the fantastic work achieved by working closely with fans and the football clubs. Disorder like that witnessed in and around the stadium a month ago has no place in our community or our football stadiums." // BBC NEWS
| Stoke City F.C. |
The census of which year was the first, in which the people of Great Britain were required to fill in the form themselves? | Football hooliganism : definition of Football hooliganism and synonyms of Football hooliganism (English)
Lokomotive Leipzig fans before their team's encounter with Dynamo Schwerin in the FDGB-Pokal in 1990
Football hooliganism is widely considered to be unruly and destructive behaviour. Actions such as brawling, vandalism and intimidation are enacted by association football club fans participating in football hooliganism . [1] The behaviour is often based upon rivalry between different teams and conflict may take place before or after football matches. Participants often select locations away from stadia to avoid arrest by the police, but conflict can also erupt spontaneously inside the stadium or in the surrounding streets.
Football hooliganism can range from shouts and small-scale fistfights to huge riots where firms attack each other with deadly weapons (including, but not limited to, sports bats , glass bottles, rocks, knives, machetes and pistols ). [2] In some cases, stadium brawls have caused fans to flee in panic and injuries have been caused when fences or walls have collapsed from the pressure of the exiting crowd. [3] In the most extreme cases, hooligans, police, and bystanders have been killed, and riot police have intervened with tear gas , armoured vehicles and water cannons . [4]
Contents
12 External links
Early history
The first instance of football violence is unknown, but the phenomenon can be traced back to the 14th century England . In 1314, Edward II banned football (at that time, a violent, unruly activity involving rival villages kicking a pig's bladder across the local heath ) because he believed the disorder surrounding matches might lead to social unrest , or even treason . [5] According to a University of Liverpool academic paper , conflict at an 1846 match in Derby , England, required a reading of the " riot act " and two groups of dragoons to effectively respond to the disorderly crowd. This same paper also identified " pitch invasions " as a common occurrence during the 1880s in English football. [6]
The first recorded instances of football hooliganism in the modern game allegedly occurred during the 1880s in England, a period when gangs of supporters would intimidate neighbourhoods, in addition to attacking referees, opposing supporters and players. In 1885, after Preston North End beat Aston Villa 5-0 in a friendly match, both teams were pelted with stones, attacked with sticks, punched, kicked and spat at. One Preston player was beaten so severely that he lost consciousness and press reports at the time described the fans as "howling roughs". [5] The following year, Preston fans fought Queen's Park fans in a railway station—the first alleged instance of football hooliganism outside of a match. In 1905, a number of Preston fans were tried for hooliganism, including a " drunk and disorderly " 70 year-old woman, following their match against Blackburn Rovers . [5]
Between the two World Wars, there were no recorded instances of football hooliganism (although, Millwall 's ground was reportedly closed in 1920, 1934 and 1950 after crowd disturbances). The phenomenon then regained the media's attention in the late-1950s due to the re-emergence of violence in Latin American football . In the 1955-56 English football season, Liverpool and Everton fans were involved in a number of incidents and, by the 1960s, an average of 25 hooligan incidents were being reported each year in England .
Football firms
A football firm (also known as a hooligan firm ) is a gang formed for the specific purpose of antagonising and physically attacking supporters of other clubs. Some firms exist to promote fringe political causes , both on the far Left and Right , and, in some cases, the promotion of political ideals through violence is of greater importance than the football club itself.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, the " casual " subculture transformed the British football hooligan scene. Instead of wearing skinhead -style, working class clothes, which readily identified hooligans to the police, firm members began wearing designer clothes and expensive "offhand" sportswear (clothing worn without careful attention to practical considerations). [7]
Europe
Azerbaijan
In Azerbaijan , the biggest problems come from fans of PFC Neftchi Baku (Flagman) (Ultra Neftchi) and Khazar Lankaran (Bosman) (12 Player).
Belgium
Hooliganism used to be a problem for the last years in Belgian football. Riots between several major teams as Club Brugge , Anderlecht and Standard de Liège were a common problem. In Belgium, the Flemish firms are mostly right-winged. In Wallonia there are more left-winged groups, due to the political situation in the country.
On June 3, 2011, after the match Belgium - Turkey, several riots occurred in the city center of Ghent after the match ended in a 1-1 draw. 30 people were injured.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosniak oriented groups are fans of FK Željezničar Sarajevo (The Maniacs), NK Čelik Zenica (Robijaši), FK Velež Mostar (Red Army), FK Sloboda Tuzla (Fukare) also fans of the FK Sarajevo (Horde Zla). Serb oriented groups are fans of FK Borac Banja Luka (Lešinari), FK Slavija , and associated with Serbs are FK Drina Zvornik (Vukovi). Croat oriented groups are fans of NK Široki Brijeg (Škripari) and HŠK Zrinjski Mostar (Ultras). Large number of Bosnian football hooligans, regardless of ethnic or geographical origin, are aligned with right-wing political ideologies.
Bulgaria
Football hooliganism is common in Bulgaria . Several teams have organised ultras groups and firms, including CSKA Sofia (Ofanziva, 14, Lulin Boys, Torcida Plovdiv, UCSH, SWCR), Levski Sofia (Sofia Zapad, South Division), Botev Plovdiv (Izgrev Boys, Brigada Trakia), Lokomotiv Plovdiv (Lauta Hools, Napoletani), Minyor Pernik (Teva Boys), Beroe Stara Zagora (Zara Boys), etc. Most of the groups express far-right political views, especially against gypsies and Turks . There are several feuds between the ultras groups, with the biggest being between CSKA and Levski Sofia fans and between Botev and Lokomotiv Plovdiv supporters. Numerous occasions of vandalism on the stadiums have occurred, most notably on 26.02.2011 in the derby between Levski and CSKA Sofia played on Georgi Asparuhov Stadium .
Croatia
Football hooliganism in Croatia has seen riots over inter-ethnic resentments and the politics that were reignited by the breakup of the Yugoslav federation in the 1990s. [4] Two of the best known hooligan firms are Torcida ( Hajduk Split ) and Bad Blue Boys ( Dinamo Zagreb ). [8] However, the groups are not just hooligan firms; they are more like the South American Torcida supporters groups and Ultras groups, with organised Tifos and so on.
On 13 May 1990 (before the breakup of Yugoslavia) Serbian club Red Star Belgrade was in Zagreb to play Dinamo Zagreb at the Maksimir Stadium . Red Star brought over 3,000 fans to the game with the late Željko Ražnatović (known as Arkan) a Serbian paramilitary leader being a prominent member. Before the match a number of small fights broke out. Police reinforcements soon arrived with armoured vehicles and water cannons , focusing and beating mostly Dinamo's fans; the legendary reaction of the Dinamo's player Zvonimir Boban is when he kicked the policeman, defending Dinamo's fan beaten by the police. The fighting lasted for over an hour and hundreds of people were injured. Football hooliganism in Croatia is sometimes connected with racism and nationalism, [4] although the racist remarks, if any appear, are pointed solely to opposing club's players, never to own squad.
Ethnic tension between Croats and Serbs has also led to fighting at a football match in Australia. On 13 March 2005, Sydney United (who have a large Croatian following, and were established by Croatian immigrants) and Bonnyrigg White Eagles (who have a large Serbian following and were established by Serbian immigrants) met in Sydney in the New South Wales Premier League . About 50 fans clashed, resulting in two police officers getting injured and five fans being arrested. Football NSW held an inquiry into the events. Both clubs denied that the fight was racially motivated or that there was any ethnic rivalry. [9]
Croatian hooligans are also notorious for staging large illegal pyroshows at stadiumsrge incident occurred in 2003 in which signal flares and smoke bombs are hurled into the pitch causing postponement or cancellation of the match. A lain Rome during the Hajduk-Roma match when 900 Torcida fans threw signal flares at Roma fans resulting in various injuries and clashes with the police.
Another incident occurred in Genoa in 2007 when masked Torcida fans attacked the police with bricks,bottles and stones.Rioting continued in the stadium when Torcida fans threw chairs into the pitch and made nazi salutes.
A riot occurred in 2006 in Osijek during the Osijek-Dinamo match.Several clashes between the Bad Blue Boys and Kohorta occurred before the match in which one Osijek fan received several stab wounds after which Osijek fans attacked the police and Dinamo fans with signal flares and stones.
A large riot occurred in 2008 in Prague prior to the Sparta Prague -Dinamo match. Riots were ignited with the support of Sparta's ultrafans to Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić [10] . Approximately 500 Bad Blue Boys rioted in the city centre breaking shops and attacking police with chairs,signal flares and stones.Approximately 300 Bad Blue Boys were detained and 8 police officer were injured.Prior to the riots some Bad Blue Boys provoked local Romani people by giving nazi salutes.
A large riot occurred in 2010 on 1.May at the Maksimir stadium when the Bad Blue Boys clashed with the police resulting in many arrests and one critically injured police officer.After the match violent clashes continued in which one Dinamo fan was shot by police officers.
A large number of Croatian football supporters are patriots and nationalists and often rally together at political or self organized events to show support for the national idea. In 2008 local Delije attacked a Croatian student home in Vukovar . After 2 weeks a large rally was organized by hooligan firms. 2500 Croatian football supporters converged on the city in search of Serbian football supporters but a heavy police presence prevented large scale violence. Several weeks after the rally masked Kohorta stormed a Delije fan club meeting in Bobota and attacked the police and Delije with signal flares and baseball bats resulting in several injuries. A large incident occurred in 2009 prior to the FC Timişoara -Dinamo match. 400 Bad Blue Boys rioted in the city centre and attacked local Serbs and Romani people. After the incident Romanian police detained a large number of Dinamo fans but the situation escalated again at the FC Timişoara stadium when 200 Bad Blue Boys tore down the pitch fence and attacked the police with chairs and bats resulting in several injured police officers.During the clash Dinamo fans fired signal missiles at FC Timişoara fans resulting in severe injuries. Many Croatian hooligan groups have also displayed nazi flags at matches and have neo-nazi skinheads in their ranks. Several incidents occurred when Bad Blue Boys and Torcida made racist chants towards opposing club's football players of black skin descent and hurled bananas in the pitch. In 2010 an Camerun player was attacked in Koprivnica resulting in severe injuries.
In December 2010. 10-15 Tornado ( Zadar ) hooligans attacked an Partizan traveling coach with stones and bricks resulting in one injured person .
In December 2010 30-40 Bad Blue Boys attacked an PAOK traveling coach with stones, bricks and flares setting the traveling coach on fire and inflicting injuries on several passengers.
Denmark
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(August 2011)
Hooliganism has been a term used in Denmark since the early nineties just one decade after the peaceful roligan culture was introduced in Denmark. Hooligans in Denmark are mostly football fans who engaged in violence at football matches. Hooligans in Denmark usually fight in hooligans groups against other hooligans groups from rival football teams. The hooligan in Denmark usually arranges fights with the counterparts before or after the matches, but the fights can also take place far from the stadium or in the stadium during the matches. The Danish man who attacked the referee during a UEFA Euro qualification match in 2008 between Denmark and Sweden later known as the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier fan attack has however not been classified as a hooligan. In the beginning of the era of hooliganism in Denmark the hooligans operated with a relatively sharp honor code among themselves, which meant that they only fought with like-minded people, and the use of weapons was not permitted. However in recent years there have been examples of this so-called honor code being disregarded by various Danish hooligan groups. Casuals and hooligans operate close with each other in Denmark and the two groups often overlap each other both at the stadium and outside the stadium in this country. The hooligan groups in Denmark are often linked to the radical right-wing like the radical right-wing group Danish Front. Football hooliganism is regarded as a serious problem in Denmark both too the sport itself and too the Danish society in general. In an attempt to control hooliganism in Denmark the Danish parliament introduced a hooligan registry in 2008.
The following hooligan groups have been or are still active hooligan groups in Denmark: White Pride ( AGF ) formerly Ultra White Pride was the first real nationalist/ racist hooligan group in Denmark. They have existed since 1994. Aarhus Casuals (AGF) usually has a size of about 50 people. However, this may change depending on the significance of the concrete match. Southside United ( Brøndby IF ) was the first hooligan group in Denmark. The group started under the name Southside Brigade, but was renamed after several groups joined forces. The group consist of about between 170 and 250 people. Blue Front (Brøndby IF) consists of approx. 80 members between 17 and 22 years. Blue Front serves as the youth group to Southside United. Yellow Blue Crew (Brøndby IF) can assemble up to 70 people at big matches. Yellow Blue Crew is a non political group. It started out as a regular ultras group in 2006 but has had a great member replacement and is now back on track, as a more direct casual group consisting of young people in their early 20s. The group is centered around the town of Herlev and also known as The Herlev Boys or YBC. Copenhagen Casuals ( FC Copenhagen ) was founded in the mid-1990s under the name Copenhagen Ultras. The group consists of approximately between 50 and 100 people. Several members are active on the extreme right. Copenhagen Casuals Young Boys (FC Copenhagen) is a group of young people which are active in Copenhagen Casuals. The group was formed in 2003 and serves as a springboard to Copenhagen Casuals. Blue Army ( Lyngby BK ) counts approximately between 70 and 100 people, several persons from the right wing. The Island Boys ( OB ) is a relatively new group at the Danish hooligan scene, which includes supporting forces from the Odense football environment. The group is non-political. Green City Casuals ( Næstved BK ) is a non political group that first appeared on 13 April 2006. Membership is estimated to be approximately 15 people. Horsens Casuals ( AC Horsens ) is a violent group of Horsens fans who have not been active since the 2005/06 season. They were best known for their brawl with Odense Casuals, where there were used golf clubs as weapons. It is said that the group had approximately 100 members. HIK Hooligans ( HIK ) is a non-political group that emerged in the season of 2005/2006. The group consists of around 25 members and is due to their club's location in the second best Danish league limited to fewer direct confrontations than the hooligan groups supporting the clubs from the best Danish league. The group moves in the environment around Copenhagen Casuals and has a friendly relationship with this group. The HIK Hooligans is also known as 8911. Supra Esbjerg ( Esbjerg fB ) is a hooligan group from the city of Esbjerg which does not exist anymore. The group contained a hardcore inner group of between 15 and 20 people and a relatively large youth group taking the city's size into consideration. There have been many cases of brawl with other fans, however, the group was best known for their showdown with the group Aalborg Casual Youth.
Besides the official members of this hooligan groups there are also a lot of so-called hangarounds which means people which are not permanently attached to the groups.
France
Football hooliganism in France is often rooted in social conflict , including racial tension. In the 1990s, fans of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fought with supporters from Belgium, England, Germany, Italy and Scotland. [11] There is a long standing north/south rivalry between PSG (representing Paris and by extension northern France) and Olympique de Marseille (representing the South of France) which has encouraged authorities to be extremely mobilized during games between the two teams. Violent fights and post-game riots including car burning, and store windows smashing have been a regular fixture of PSG-OM games. In 2000, the bitter rivalry turned particularly violent. [12] On 24 May 2001, fifty people were injured when fighting broke out at a match between PSG and Turkish club Galatasaray at the Parc des Princes stadium. [13] [14] PSG were initially given a record $571,000 fine, but it was reduced on appeal to $114,000. Galatasaray was initially fined $114,000 by UEFA, but it too was eventually reduced to $28,500. [15] In May 2001, six PSG fans from the Supporters Club, were arrested and charged with assault, carrying weapons, throwing items on the pitch and racism. The six were alleged to have deliberately entered a part of the Parc des Princes stadium where French fans of Turkish origin were standing, in order to attack them. The six were banned from all football stadiums for the duration of their trial. [15] [16] [17]
On 24 November 2006 a PSG fan was shot and killed by police and another seriously injured during fighting between PSG fans and the police. The violence occurred after PSG lost 4-2 to Israeli club Hapoel Tel Aviv at the Parc des Prince in a UEFA Cup match. PSG fans chased a fan of Hapoel Tel Aviv, shouting racist and anti-semitic slogans. A plainclothes police officer who tried to protect the Hapoel fan was attacked, and in the chaos, one fan was shot dead and another seriously injured. In response, the French Interior Minister, Nicolas Sarkozy held a meeting with the president of the French Football League, Frederic Thiriez to discuss racism and violence in football. The director-general of the French police, Michel Gaudin, insisted that measures against football hooliganism had reduced racist incidents to six that season from nineteen in the previous season. Gaudin also stated that 300 known hooligans could be banned from matches. [18] The fan who was shot, was linked with the Boulogne Boys, a group of fans who modelled themselves on British hooligans in the 1980s. The group's name comes from the Kop of Boulogne (KOB), one of the two main home fan stand at the Parc des Princes. The KOB themselves held a silent memorial march attended by 300 and accused the police office of murdering the fan. They cited bias in the French press who had only given a "one-sided" account of the incident. [18] French President Jacques Chirac condemned violence that led up to the shooting, stating that he was horrified by the reports of racism and anti-Semitism. French Prime Minister , Dominique de Villepin called for new, tougher measures to deal with football hooligans. Prosecutors opened an inquiry into the incident, to determine whether the officer involved should face criminal charges. [19] [20]
Before a home match against Sochaux on 4 January 2006, two Arab youths were punched and kicked by white fans outside the entrance to the KOB. During the match racist insults were aimed at black players and a PSG player of Indian origin, Vikash Dhorasoo was told to "go sell peanuts in the metro". [11] [ citation needed ]
In the recent years, following UK's example, France's legislation has changed, including more and more banning of violent fans from stadiums. The threat of dissolution of fan groups has also tempered the outward rivalry and violence of a number of fans. Known violent fans under ban sentences are to report to the nearest Police station on nights of game, to prove they are not anywhere in proximity to the stadium.
Germany
Some football hooliganism in Germany has been linked to neo-Nazism and far right groups. [21] In June 1998, after a FIFA World Cup match in France between Germany and Croatia a French policeman was beaten to the point of brain damage by German fans. Following the incident, German police contacted many of the known 2,000+ German hooligans to warn them they would be arrested if they travelled to upcoming matches in France. [22] A German fan was arrested in 1998 and charged with attempted murder [23] [24] and in 1999, four more Germans were convicted in the attack [25] [26] In 2001, Markus Warnecke, the German fan who was accused of leading the attack, was found guilty and jailed for five years and banned from France for ten years, and from all sports facilities for five years. [27]
In March 2005, German football fans fought with police and rival fans at a friendly match between Germany and Slovenia in Celje , Slovenia , damaging cars and shops, and shouting racist slogans. The German Football Association (DFB) apologised for the behaviour. As a result, 52 people were arrested; 40 Germans and 12 Slovenians. [28] [29] Following a 2-0 defeat to Slovakia in Bratislava , Slovakia , German hooligans fought with the local police, and six people were injured and two were taken into custody. The DFB again apologised for fans who chanted racist slogans. [30]
In June 2006, Germany beat Poland in a World Cup Finals match in Dortmund , which led to violent clashes. The police detained over 300 people in Dortmund and German fans threw chairs, bottles and fireworks at the police. Of the 300 arrested, 120 were known hooligans. [31] In October 2006, a task force was established to deal with violence and racism in German football stadiums. [32] The worst incident took place at a Third division (North) match between the Hertha BSC Berlin B-team and Dynamo Dresden , in which 23 policemen were injured. [33] [34] In February 2007 in Saxony , all German lower league matches, from the fifth division downward were cancelled after about 800 fans attacked 300 police officers (injuring 39 of them) after a match between Lokomotive Leipzig and Erzgebirge Aue II. [35] There were minor disturbances after the Germany and England match during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. An England flag was burned down amongst a mob of German supporters in Duisburg-Hamborn in Germany. [36]
Greece
In April 2007 all sports stadiums were closed down in Greece for two weeks following the death of a fan in a pre-arranged fight between hooligans in Athens on 29 March. The fight involved 500 fans of rival Super League Greece clubs Panathinaikos , which is based in Athens , and Olympiacos , which is based in nearby Piraeus . The Greek government immediately suspended all team sports in Greece and severed the ties between teams and their supporter's organizations. [37]
On a Third Division match between Panetolikos and Ilioupoli was stopped for thirty minutes when players and fans clashed following a Panetolikos disallowed goal. Two players and a coach were sent to the hospital. [38]
On 18 April rival fans clashed with each other and riot police in Ioannina during and after a Greek Cup semi final match between local rivals PAS Giannena and Larissa . There was trouble during the game in which Larissa won 2-0. Fans set fire to rubbish bins and smashed shop windows, while police tried to disperse them by firing tear gas. [37] [39]
On 10 October 2009, a group of about 30 hooligans disrupted an "Under 17" match between local rivals PAOK and ARIS. Among the injured were a group of ARIS players and their coach, a veteran PAOK player and another official.
On October 7, 2011, a group of Greek supporters firebombed the away section of a Euro 2012 qualifying match against Croatia in Athens.
On March 18, 2012, during the match for the Super League Greek Championship in Athens Olympic Stadium between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos, home team's Panathinaikos fans invaded the pitch and attacked police forces with molotov bombs, causing extended damages to the stadium, while police forces were unable to keep peace.
Hungary
There are three big regional derbies in Hungary year by year. The most famous and the oldest derby is in the capital city, Budapest between Hungary's two most well-known clubs; Ferencvárosi Torna Club (FTC, Fradi) from the IX. district and Újpesti Torna Egylet (UTE) from the IV. district. If anyone knows any of these team they should know that riots are more than guarrenteed when they meet in Hungarian First Division. there are lots of injuries, arrests, petards and trouble every time between the greens (FTC) and purples (UTE) fans. Ferencváros fans are also well-known about their behavior and fanaticism all around Europe. The Eastern-Hungarian derby is diveded by three clubs: Debreceni VSC (from Debrecen), Diósgyőri VTK (from Miskolc) and Nyíregyházi Spartacus (from Nyíregyháza, whois in the second division at the moment.) thousand of fans are supporting their team in a hellish atmosphere. Western-Hungary's derby is between Zalaegerszegi TE (ZTE, Man U fans must remember them) and Haladás VSE (from Szombathely.) a hellish atmosphere also guarranted at their games. One thing is common between these hooligans; they hate their biggest rival's fans and they want to show them, who is the strongest.
Italy
During a Lazio-Padova match in 1987, a 10 meter long banner announced the arrival of a new Ultra group on the scene, Irriducibili Lazio. Irriducibili rose to power in the Roman Curva Nord and revolutionized the way S.S. Lazio fans supported their side. No more drums were used but English chanting styles were adopted. This contrasted boldly with the Italian style of the Eagles Supporters, and by 1992, Irriducibili were by far Lazio's most powerful group as the Eagles Supporters disbanded. Fighting in every single stadium of the Italian Peninsula, along with Brigate Gialloblù of Hellas Verona In February 2001, AS Roma fans fought with police and with Liverpool fans, and five English supporters were stabbed. [40] .
After a weekend of violence in January 2007, the president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) threatened to halt all league football. An official of amateur club Sammartinese died when he was caught up in a fight between players and fans in Luzzi and in Florence, a Livorno fan needed 20 stitches in his head after being attacked by Fiorentina fans. About 100 Atalanta fans tried to attack coaches carrying Catania fans and fought with police and at a Serie D game, a linesman was hit by a metal drum thrown from the stands. [41] In February 2007 the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) suspended all football matches after a policeman was killed at the Serie A match between Catania and Palermo . The policeman, Officer Filippo Raciti, died when he was struck in the face by a small explosive as the police were trying to deal with the fighting outside the ground.
Netherlands
Football hooliganism in the Netherlands began after rioting between supporters of Feyenoord and English club Tottenham Hotspur at the 1974 UEFA Cup Final.[ citation needed ] Since then, several Dutch clubs have been associated with hooliganism, N.E.C. Nijmegen , Ajax , Feyenoord , FC Utrecht , FC Groningen , Twente Enschede and ADO Den Haag . The most violent rivalry is between Ajax and Feyenoord. On 16 June 1990, English fans were arrested for brawling in Amsterdam before a friendly match. [42] The bloodiest football hooligan encounter has been the Battle of Beverwijk between Feyenoord and Ajax hooligans on 23 March 1997, in which several people were seriously injured and Carlo Picornie was killed. [43] On 26 April 1999, 80 football fans were arrested when Feyenoord supporters rioted after a cup match with NAC Breda . [44] The 2002-03 season was marked by continued fighting between fans of Ajax and FC Utrecht , and between fans of Ajax and Feyenoord. [45] In 2006, a riot broke out between Feyenoord fans and French police in Nancy . [46]
Norway
Hooliganism has escalated in Norway in recent years, though the activity still can not be compared to that in neighboring countries such as Sweden and Denmark. The little that exists of hooligans and casuals in Norway are usually smaller fractions of the supporter clubs of the bigger football teams. Clubs such as Brann , Lillestrøm , Vålerenga , IK Start and Rosenborg are all known for having supporter groups and firms which are involved with arranged fighting, vandalism and rioting.
Poland
Further information: Football hooliganism in Poland
Polish fans have become known throughout the world for their violence, they are most feared in Europe and make up an elite of football hooligans. In almost every city in Poland there is football violence, the most bloody in Kraków where supporters of two teams - Wisła Kraków and Cracovia - compete against each other including killings.
Arranged football hooligan fights in Poland are known as ustawki , they became common in Poland since the late 90s. On 30 March 2003, it was reported that Polish police arrested 120 people because rival football supporters fought during a match between Śląsk Wrocław and Arka Gdynia . [47] During the riot , hooligans pelted police officers with stones and fought a running battle with knives and axes. One victim was found lying seriously injured at the scene, and later died in hospital. During the 1998-99 UEFA Cup , Italian footballer Dino Baggio , from Parma F.C. was stabbed in the head by Wisła Kraków supporters. The knife was thrown at him from the part of the terraces occupied by the Poles. [48] Supporters of Legia Warsaw attract also some negative attention, in particular after events such as riots in Lithuania during the match against Vetra Vilnius on July 10, 2007.
Portugal
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The violence of football hooliganism in Portugal has increased in the past several years. Groups of hooligans identified with bigger teams can be violent when their team's reputation is at stake. Firms identify with teams such as F.C. Porto , S.L. Benfica , Sporting Clube de Portugal .Porto have the official firm the Super Dragões. Various illegal firms support Porto as well, being known as some of the most violent in northern Portugal, giving F.C. Porto fans a bad reputation amongst rival firms. SL Benfica have also the two firms, one official the Diabos Vermelhos and other non-official called No Name Boys. Sporting CP have three firms and of the three major teams of Portugal Juve Leo or Juventude Leonina along with Directivo Ultras XXI and Torcida Verde. Juventude Leonina is also the eldest Firm in Portugal (1976).
Recent violence in Portuguese football included fans throwing objects at players on the pitch and staff. Super Dragoes threw golf balls towards Benfica Goalkeeper Roberto during a FC Porto vs Benfica game, and got into various fist fights with the Benficas fans, proceeding afterwards to a massive riot. In 1996, during the Portuguese Cup final between Sporting and Benfica, a Benfica fan purposefully launched a flare towards the Sporting fans, killing one man. During a high policed rivalry between S.C. Braga and Vitória Guimarães incidents have occurred outside the pitch. Incidents of golf ball chucking and seats torn apart in each others stadium are very common, especially by the well-known Vitória Guimarães firm White Angels.
During a high profile UEFA Europa League game on 18 March 2010, Sporting fans hurled rocks and flares towards Atlético Madrid away fans outside the stadium, whilst some Atletico fans threw glass bottles back. A strong police presence around the stadium helped stop the violence between the two sets of fans.
Russia
Football hooliganism has become prevalent in Russia since the beginning of the 70s, growing from almost nothing into some of the most feared hooligans in the world. The most ruthless firms in Russia are very often linked to the Moscow teams, such as FC Spartak Moscow (Gladiators, Union), FC Lokomotiv Moscow (Red-Green's, Vikings, BHZ, Trains Team), PFC CSKA Moscow (RBW, Gallant Steeds, Yaroslavka, Einfach Jugend), FC Dynamo Moscow (Capitals, 9-ka) and FC Torpedo Moscow (Tubes, TroubleMakers), but faces tough competition from the internationally feared firms of FC Zenit Saint Petersburg (Music Hall, Coalition, Snakes Firm) from the second biggest city of Russia, Saint Petersburg . Russian hooligans often have an underlying resentment towards Russia's perceived political rivals. [49] [50] [51] [52] [53] [54]
Serbia
The most prominent groups of hooligans are associated with Belgrade and Serbia 's two main clubs, FK Partizan and Red Star Belgrade . They are known as the Grobari (Gravediggers) and Delije (the name means heroes), respectively. FK Rad is a less-successful Belgrade club, whose associated hooligans, known locally as "United Force", have notoriously been involved in many violent incidents. [55]
On 2 December 2007, a plainclothes police officer was seriously injured when he was attacked during a Serbian Superliga match between Red Star Belgrade and Hajduk Kula . [56] [57] On 14 April 2008 a football fan was killed near Novi Sad after clashes between FK Partizan 's Grobari and fans of FK Vojvodina . [58] That same week, after a Red Star Belgrade-Partizan cup match, three people were injured and a bus destroyed by hooligans. [59]
On 19 September 2008 a Serbian football hooligan was sentenced to ten years in jail for an attack against a police officer at a Red Star Belgrade – Hajduk Kula game. [60]
On 12 October 2010 Serbia's Euro 2012 Qualifying clash with Italy was abandoned after only 6 minutes after several Serbian fans threw flares and fireworks onto the pitch and caused severe trouble in and out of the ground. [61]
Partizan Belgrade were disqualified from the UEFA Cup, after crowd trouble in Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina. Grobari threw flares and stones and fought with supporters of Zrinjski Mostar and police.
Fourteen Grobari were convicted for the murder of Toulouse fan Brice Taton in Belgrade. They attacked them with baseball bats and flares while wearing surgical masks. The hooligans received up to 35 years in prison. [62]
Sweden
Hooliganism began in Sweden at the turn of the 20th century as fans of AIK and Djurgårdens IF have been reported fighting after games in Stockholm .[ citation needed ] Modern hooliganism began in 1970 when fans of IFK Göteborg invaded the pitch, destroyed the goalposts and fought the police at the end of a match that relegated Göteborg from the Allsvenskan , although Hooliganism in Sweden became a growing problem in the 1980s, but pitch invasions and violence at football grounds decreased in the late 1990s; when hooligan firms started pre-arranging their fights away from the grounds and the regular supporters. Five clubs that have large organised hooligans firms are AIK (Firman Boys), IFK Göteborg (Wisemen) Djurgårdens IF (DFG) Hammarby IF (KGB) and Helsingborgs IF (Frontline). But several other football, bandy and ice hockey clubs have active hooligan followings. [63] In July 2002, a member of the Wisemen was killed after a pre-arranged fight against Firman Boys. [63] In November 2002, 12 members of the Wisemen stood trial for inflicting life-threatening injuries on a Hammarby fan in 2001. [63]
Spain
Football hooliganism in Spain arises from three main sources. The first is racism , as some black players have been victims of ethnic slurs . Samuel Eto'o , a former FC Barcelona player from Cameroon , has denounced the problem. The second source is the strong rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona . After transferring from Barcelona to Real Madrid, Luís Figo 's appearance in Barcelona's Nou Camp Stadium triggered a strong reaction. The crowd threw bottles, mobile phones and other things (including a pig's head). Although nobody was injured the match was followed by a large discussion on fan violence in the Spanish Primera División . Hooliganism is also rooted in deep political divisions arising from the General Franco fascist regime days (some Real Madrid , Atlético Madrid , Espanyol , Real Betis Balompie or Valencia CF ultras are linked to franquista groups), the communist ones, (such as Deportivo La Coruña , Athletic Club Bilbao , Sevilla FC or Rayo Vallecano ) and the independentist movements in Catalonia (like FC Barcelona ) and the Basque region. In Spain, organized hooligan groups are popularly called grupos ultra.
In 1998, Aitor Zabaleta, a supporter of Real Sociedad was killed by an Atlético Madrid hooligan [64] who was linked to a neo-Nazi group (Bastión), just before a match between these two teams. In 2003, a supporter of Deportivo La Coruña was killed in riots by Deportivo hooligans, when he tried to protect a supporter of the opposing team, SD Compostela . Since then, authorities have made attempts to bring hooliganism more under control. In 2007, there were acts of hooliganism before a match between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid, with several cars being destroyed and policemen injured by flares and bottles which were thrown at them. [65] Many black foreign players have been racially abused, such as at a recent friendly match between Spain and England, in which black England players such as Shaun Wright-Phillips and Ashley Cole endured monkey chants from Spain supporters. [66] There also have been local disputes between rival teams, for example between Cádiz Club de Fútbol and Xerez CD or Real Betis Balompie and Sevilla FC . In 2008, after a hooligan incident versus Espanyol , FC Barcelona very publicly took a stand on violence, saying it hoped to stamp out violence for good. [67] In 2007 Atlético Madrid hooligans clashed with Aberdeen FC hooligans prior to a UEFA Cup match.
Switzerland
Football hooliganism is relatively new in Switzerland.[ citation needed ] One incident, dubbed the 2006 Basel Hooligan Incident , 13 May 2006, occurred on the last day of the 2005-06 season, when FC Zürich defeated FC Basel at St. Jakob Park to win the Swiss championship with a last-minute goal. After the final whistle, angry Basel hooligans stormed the field and attacked Zürich players. The Zürich team were forced to celebrate in the upper deck of the stands while the fighting continued. There was similar fighting in the streets that night. [68] [68]
Turkey
According to the Turkish Daily News , hooligan groups are well organised, have their own "leaders", and often consist of organised street fighters . These groups have a "racon" (code of conduct), which states that the intention must be to injure rather than kill and that a stab must be made below the waist. [69] Other hooligans have fired firearms into the air to celebrate their team's victory, which has been known to accidentally kill innocent people watching the celebrations on their balconies. [70] [71]
Trouble has arisen during matches between Istanbul rivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe. [70] However, the Turkish Football Federation has tightened security to try and contain the hooliganism. During the 2005 Turkish cup final between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe , 8,000 police , stewards and officials were employed to prevent violence. [72] In 2006, the Turkish Football Federation introduced new measures to combat the threat of hooliganism and have made new regulations that allow the Professional Football Disciplinary Board to fine clubs up to YTL 250,000 for their fans behavior. Repeat offenders could be fined up to YTL 500,000. [73] Despite reports from the Turkish Football Federation, the Turkish police believe that football hooliganism is not a major threat and are "isolated incidents". [74]
Before Galatasaray's semi-final UEFA Cup match with Leeds United A.F.C. in 2000, two Leeds fans, Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight, were innocently stabbed to death in Istanbul following street fights between Turkish and British hooligans. [69] UEFA allowed the game to proceed and Galatasaray won 2-0. Leeds complained because home fans jeered while a message of condolence was read for the victims. [75] Galatasaray's players refused to wear black arm bands. The Leeds chairman at the time, Peter Ridsdale , accused Galatasaray of "showing a lack of respect". [76] He also revealed that his teams' players had received death threats before the match. [77]
Ali Umit Demir was arrested and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for the stabbing, but the sentence was reduced to 5 years on the basis of heavy provocation, while five others were given lesser sentences of under four months. [74] The families of those accused of attacking with knives are reported to have defended their actions and approved of their children punishing the "rude British people". [69] Galatasaray fans were banned from traveling to the return match to try and avoid further clashes between fans, although there were reports of attacks by Leeds fans on Turkish television crews and the police. [78] However the Assistant Chief Constable in charge of policing the game believed that the number of arrests was "no worse than a normal high category game". [78] Hakan Şükür was hit with projectiles from Leeds United supporters and the Galatasaray team bus was stoned after driving through an underpass. The game saw Emre Belözoğlu and Harry Kewell sent off and Galatasaray sealed their way to the final with a 2-2 score.
Violence also occurred between Arsenal fans (mainly from The Herd ) and Galatasaray fans before the 2000 UEFA Cup final in Copenhagen [79] in which a Galatasary fan, an Arsenal fan and a Dane were said to have been stabbed. [80] Galatasaray later won the match after a penalty shoot-out.
Hooliganism in Turkey is also a problem in Ankara , İzmir , Eskişehir , Bursa , Samsun and Adana [ citation needed ]. During the 2003–2004 season, a Second League Category A , match between Karşıyaka and Göztepe on 8 February 2004, involved rival Karşıyaka and Göztepe supporters clashing and the match was subsequently stopped for 33 minutes. This was due to Karşıyaka leading 5-2 after coming back from a 2-0 deficit. After the match, Göztepe fans clashed with the police, seven police officers were wounded and fifteen Göztepe fans were arrested. [81]
Bursaspor fans clashed with policemen at a match against Samsunspor match in the Turkcell Super League in Adapazarı at the end of the 2003-04 season. The match was played in Adapazarı due to events at a previous match between Bursaspor and Çaykur Rizespor. Bursaspor were playing to avoid relegation. Bursaspor won 1–0 the but were relegated to Category A after rivals won. After the match, Bursaspor fans ripped out and threw seats at the Sakarya Atatürk Stadium [82] They also fought with craftsmen of Gölcük during their journey to Adapazarı. [83] The Bursaspor-Diyarbakırspor game in March 2010 was suspended in the 17th minute after Diyarbakırspor supporters threw objects on the field. One object struck and knocked down an assistant referee.
On 7 May 2011, Bursaspor supporters clashed with the police ahead of the team's match with rival Beşiktaş. 25 police officers and 9 fans were injured in the violence. [84]
United Kingdom
Beginning in at least the 1960s, the UK had a reputation worldwide for football hooliganism; the phenomenon was often dubbed the English Disease. [85] [86] [87] [88] However, since the 1980s and well into the 1990s the UK government has led a widescale crackdown on football related violence. While football hooliganism has been a growing concern in some other European countries in recent years, British football fans now tend to have a better reputation abroad. Although reports of British football hooliganism still surface, the instances now tend to occur at pre-arranged locations rather than at the matches themselves.
England
Football hooliganism in England dates back to the 1880s, when individuals referred to as roughs caused trouble at football matches. [5] Local derby matches would usually have the worst trouble, but in an era when travelling fans were not common, roughs would sometimes attack the referees and the away team's players. [89] In the early 1980s, many British hooligans started wearing expensive European designer clothing, to avoid attracting the attention of authorities. This led to the development of the casual subculture.
During the 1970s, organised hooligan firms started to emerge with clubs such as Arsenal (Gooners, The Herd ), Aston Villa (Steamers, C-Crew, Villa Hardcore , Villa Youth), Birmingham City ( Zulus, Zulu's Warriors, Zulu's Army, The Zulu ), Derby County ( Derby Lunatic Fringe ), Chelsea ( Headhunters ), Everton (County Road Cutters), Liverpool ( The Urchins ), Leeds United ( Leeds Service Crew ), Middlesbrough ( Middlesbrough Frontline ), Newcastle United ( Gremlins , Newcastle Mainline Express NME ), Nottingham Forest (Forest Executive Crew), Manchester United ( Red Army ), Portsmouth ( 6.57 Crew ), Sheffield United ( Blades Business Crew ), Tottenham Hotspur ( Yid Army ), Wolverhampton Wanderers ( Subway Army ) and most famously West Ham United 's ( Inter City Firm ). Lower league clubs also have firms, such as Blackpool 's ( Rammy Arms Crew ), Coventry City (The Legion), Millwall ( Bushwackers ), Stoke City ( Naughty Forty ) sunderland AFC (Seaburn Casuals) , Walsall (Junction 9), Grimsby Town (GHS). Two main events in 1973 led to introduction of crowd segregation and fencing at football grounds in England. [90] Manchester United were relegated to the Second Division , the Red Army caused mayhem at grounds up and down the country, and a Bolton Wanderers fan stabbed a young Blackpool fan to death behind the Kop at Bloomfield Road during a Second Division match. [91]
The so-called relegation battle when Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea fans fought on the pitch before Spurs relegated Chelsea in the return fixture in 1975, made national news when shown on the BBC television programme John Craven's Newsround .
In March 1978, a full-scale riot broke out at The Den during an FA Cup quarter-final between Millwall and Ipswich. Fighting began on the terraces, then spilled out on to the pitch and into the narrow streets around the ground. Bottles, knives, iron bars, boots and concrete slabs rained from the sky. Dozens of innocent people were injured. In March 1985, hooligans who had attached themselves to Millwall were involved in large-scale rioting at Luton when Millwall played Luton Town in the quarter final of the FA Cup. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher 's immediate response was to set up a "War Cabinet" to combat football hooliganism. [92] On 29 May 1985, 39 Juventus fans were crushed to death during the European Cup Final between Liverpool and Juventus at Heysel Stadium in Brussels ; an event that became known as the Heysel Stadium disaster . Just before kick-off, Liverpool fans broke through a line of police officers and ran toward the Juventus supporters in a section of the ground containing both English and Italian fans. When a fence separating them from the Juventus fans was broken through, the English supporters attacked the Italian fans, the majority of whom were families rather than ultras who were situated in the other end of the ground. Many Italians tried to escape the fighting, and a wall collapsed on them. [93] [94] As a result of the Heysel Stadium disaster, English clubs were banned from all European competitions until 1990, with Liverpool banned for an additional year. [95]
On 11 May 1985 a 14-year-old boy died at St Andrews stadium when fans were pushed onto a wall by Police which subsequently collapsed following crowd violence at a match between Birmingham City and Leeds United. [96] [97] The fighting that day was described by Justice Popplewell , during the Popplewell Committee investigation into football in 1985 as more like "the Battle of Agincourt than a football match". [92] [98] [99] Because of the other events in 1986 and the growing rise in football hooliganism during the early 1980s, an interim report from the committee stated that "football may not be able to continue in its present form much longer" unless hooliganism was reduced, perhaps by excluding "away" fans. [92]
Margaret Thatcher , UK Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990, made a high-profile public call for the country's football hooligans to be given "stiff" prison sentences to act as a deterrent to others in a bid to clamp down on hooliganism. Her minister for sport, Colin Moynihan , attempted to bring in an ID card scheme for football supporters.
Millwall hooligans were involved in their third high profile incident in decade on January 1988, when in an FA Cup tie against Arsenal at Highbury , 41 people were arrested for rioting after The Herd and The Millwall Bushwackers clashed.
The government acted after the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, when 96 fans died, bringing in the Football Spectators Act 1989 in the wake of the Taylor Report . [93] [94] However, the Hillsborough Justice Campaign states: "the British Judicial system has consistently found that violence or hooliganism played no part whatsoever in the disaster". [95] On 15 February 1995, England played Ireland . English fans started to throw items down into the stand below and rip up seats; after battles broke out between police and English fans, 50 people were injured.
English and German fans have a rivalry dating back to the late 1980s. [100] [101] [102] [103] [104] [105] After England's defeat to Germany in the Euro 96 semi-finals, a large scale riot took place in Trafalgar Square , with a number of injuries. A Russian youth was also stabbed in Brighton, because his attackers mistook him as being German. [106] Other occasional clashes have occurred with a few other teams since the mid 1980s. [107] France 98 was marred by violence as English fans clashed with the North African locals of Marseille , which led to up to 100 fans being arrested . [108]
In the 2000s, English football hooligans often wear either clothing styles that are stereotypically associated with the "[casual]" subculture, such as items made by Shark and Burberry . Prada and Burberry withdrew certain garments over fears that their brands were becoming linked with hooliganism. [109] English hooligans have begun using Internet forums , mobile phones and text messages to set up fight meetings or provoke rival gangs into brawls. [110] Sometimes fight participants post live commentaries on the Internet. [111]
Football violence in British stadiums declined after the introduction of the Football Spectators Act, and in the 2000s much of the trouble occurred away from stadiums or away at major international tournaments. [89] At Euro 2000 , the England team was threatened with expulsion from the tournament, due to the poor behaviour of the fans. [112] Following good behaviour in the Korea-Japan 2002 and Portugal 2004 , the English reputation has improved. [113] At the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, there were limited incidences of violence, with over 200 preventative arrests in Stuttgart (with only three people being charged with criminal offences) 400 others taken into preventative custody. [114] [115] During that day, Police believe that on average each rioter consumed or threw 17 litres of beer . [115]
Despite hooliganism declining domestically, death threats by English hooligans have become more common in the 2000s. Rio Ferdinand was the target of death threats from Leeds United fans, as was Peter Ridsdale . [116] [117] Swedish referee Anders Frisk quit his position after receiving death threats from Chelsea F.C. fans. [118] Reading players Ibrahima Sonko and Stephen Hunt also received death threats from Chelsea fans in 2006. [119] Fernando Torres received death threats from Liverpool fans . [120] Sol Campbell received death threats from Tottenham fans. [121] A steward died after serious clashes between firms from Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers after a League Cup game in September 2004. [122]
After some 20 years of relatively good behaviour among English football fans in general, extreme scenes of rioting and hooliganism made a comeback at Upton Park on 25 August 2009, during a Football League Cup second round tie between London rivals West Ham United and Millwall . The pitch was invaded several times during the game and rioting in the streets came afterwards, with one incident resulting in a man suffering stab wounds. [123] [124]
There were minor disturbances during and after England's 4-1 defeat to Germany during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. A German flag was burned down amongst a mob of English supporters in Leicester Square in England, as well as damage to a Haagen Daz restaurant within the vicinity. One German fan amongst the crowd was confronted by the mob, but there were no injuries. [125]
On 1 December 2010, supporters of rival West Midlands clubs Aston Villa and Birmingham City clashed at St Andrew's stadium after a Football League Cup tie, which resulted in 14 people being injured - less than 24 hours before England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup failed. [126] Missiles were hurled onto the pitch, a rocket flare was released in the stands, and there were also scuffles in nearby streets. By this stage, football hooliganism was rising dramatically, with 103 incidents of hooliganism involving under 19's in the 2009-10 season compared to 38 the season before. Cass Pennant, a former football hooligan, said that the rise in football hooliganism was the result of rising unemployment, poverty, and social discontent in the aftermath of the recent recession - a similar situation which had affected Britain for much of the 1970s and 1980s when hooliganism was at its peak. [127]
Football hooliganism in the English game is not exclusively in the Football League, as a few sparse incidents have occurred in the English non-league. For example on the 19 February 2011, fighting broke out before and after the maatch between Chorley and Chester supporters during a top of the table clash between the sides.
Northern Ireland
Northern Irish football has suffered from hooliganism. While riots have occurred in the past such as that between Belfast Celtic and Linfield in 1948, [128] there has historically been a heated rivalry between Linfield F.C. and Glentoran F.C. that has escalated somewhat in recent years, such as the 2005 riot, after former Linfield striker Chris Morgan scored a late winner to help Glentoran clinch the League, Linfield had won the league the year before. The game finished 3-2. [128] and the 2008 Boxing Day riot. Linfield were defeating Glentoran 3-0 and Glentoran fans started ripping out chairs of Windsor Park and throwing them towards Linfield fans. [128] Additionally, in the 1970s, the political Troubles in Northern Ireland spilled onto the terraces of the football stadiums, and is seen as a major factor in Derry City leaving the Irish Football League to join the League of Ireland . [128] [129] [130]
Scotland
One of the first recorded incidents of large-scale crowd violence took place after a 1909 match between the Rangers and Celtic. [131]
By the 1980s the Casual manifestation of football hooliganism was adopted by fans of many clubs in Scotland with Aberdeen being the first club with a "casual" following and the established skinhead/punk hooligan elements from Airdrie , Hearts and Rangers that had dominated prior to this were then challenged by casual firms (or 'mobs' as they were more popularly known as in Scotland). Casual firms were attached to clubs such as St.Mirren (Love Street Division), Clyde (Shawfield Shed End Boys), Aberdeen (Aberdeen Soccer Casuals), Dundee and Dundee United (Dundee Utility), Hibernian (Capital City Service), Motherwell (Saturday Service), Partick Thistle (North Glasgow Express), Falkirk (Fear) and Dunfermline (Carnegie Soccer Service). Aberdeen, under the name Aberdeen Soccer Casuals (ASC), becoming the best known. [132] [133]
From the 1980s onwards Aberdeen's ASC and Hibernian's CCS became the most feared casuals in Scotland, the CCS gaining particular notoriety. From the 2000s Hooliganism has declined in Scotland but Aberdeen, Dundee Utility, Celtic, Hibernian, Hearts, Motherwell, Partick Thistle, Airdrie, St.Mirren and Rangers still have a number of hooligans. [134]
While the Scotland national team's travelling supporters, the Tartan Army , are generally not violent these days, hooliganism does occur in other areas of Scottish football . Pre-arranged fights between firms on match days mostly take place away from the football grounds. [135] Most Scottish football fans are against this behaviour, and authorities have taken several measures to reduce football hooliganism. [134]
During Euro '96 there was an organised and well publicised fight between Scottish and English fans in the Centre of Trafalgar Square. This incident attracted worldwide media attention with footage of both sets of casuals attacking each other and police. [136]
Celtic and Rangers are the two biggest teams in Scotland , and the Old Firm rivalry is one of the most heated football rivalries in the world. The Old Firm rivalry is largely motivated by religious sectarianism , and is related to the conflict between Loyalists and Republican in Northern Ireland .[ citation needed ] Rangers' hooligan element (the ICF) have a strong rivalry with Celtic's CSC and Aberdeen's ASC, with Celtic being their traditional cultural enemy. They have also had major clashes with Motherwell, Hibs, Partick Thistle and Dundee's Utility. At the 2008 Uefa Cup final when Rangers reached the final, Rangers fans and the ICF rioted in Manchester with a huge media spotlight [137]
The oldest rivalry in Scotland is between Hibernian F.C. and Heart of Midlothian F.C. and contained a sectarian hatred from the outset as Hibernian were initially an Irish Catholics only club and Hearts represented the Scottish Protestant establishment [138] - however, this aspect of the rivalry is now almost non-existent. At the first ever match between Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian on Christmas Day 1875 the Hibs fans chased the Hearts captain, Tom Purdie after allegations of foul play, [139] and since then the rivalry escalated into more serious crowd trouble at virtually every game between them over the next 15 years. [140] This continued as an issue between the clubs and the fans indefinitely. [141] [142] [143] [144]
In the 1980s and 1990s these Hibernian hooligans had documented clashes across the UK with various mobs including notorious hooligan followers from such teams as Aberdeen, Leeds United, Millwall and Chelsea. In European competition the CCS also had clashes with Belgian hooligans and local residents in 1989 and in 1992, in 2005 in the Ukraine against Dnipro hooligans. The Hibernian CCS story has been told in books such as 'These Colours Don't Run' and 'Hibs Boy', and online by former notable members. In Scotland, the CCS had a particular hatred towards Aberdeen's ASC, Rangers ICF, Hearts CSF and Airdrie's Section B . [145] [146] [147] [148] [149]
During Euro '96 the CCS , along with Celtic's CSC, Dundee's Utility, Partick Thistle's NGE, Motherwell's SS, St.Mirren's LSD and Aberdeen's ASC organised a well publicised fight with Chelsea, Millwall, Rangers and Airdrie's Section B Hooligans in the Centre of Trafalgar Square. This incident attracted worldwide media attention with footage of both sets of casuals attacking each other and police. [136] [149]
In the 2000s Aberdeen Soccer Casuals (ASC) had clashes in England at Bradford and Hartlepool and also in Europe. [150]
Wales
Cardiff City F.C. 's hooligan firm are known as the Soul Crew and have been involved in full scale riots since the 1970s. In January 2002, Leeds United A.F.C. and Cardiff City fans, players, and Cardiff chairman Sam Hammam were hit by missiles during a match, and hundreds of Cardiff fans invaded the pitch after the final whistle to celebrate knocking the then leaders of the Premier League out of the FA Cup. [151] In May 2002, Cardiff City were fined £40,000 by the Football Association of Wales for the events that day. Hammam was criticised by the head of the English Police Spotting teams for his comment preceding the game, which were deemed to be encouraging hooligans. Hammam had said, "It's better for us to play them at Ninian because the intimidatory factor will be so big... It's a bit like the old Den at Millwall except ten times more." Hammam at first blamed what he called a "racist English media" for exaggerating the trouble at the Leeds game. Hammam also launched "a war on hooliganism." [151] In October 2004 a BBC report stated that Cardiff had more fans banned than any other Football League club, with 160 banning orders against its fans; showing a clear willingness to stamp out holliganism. [152]
Despite the club's small size, Wrexham F.C. 's football hooligan element is known as the front line, and has gained a reputation as being amongst most fearsome 'firms' in the UK. The front line has been involved in full scale riots with many of the top firms in the UK, perhaps most notably in recent years with arch rivals Chester City F.C. , Everton, Port Vale, Shrewsbury and Oldham. ref Everton Port Vale hooliganism at Wrexham
South America
Argentina
Although in Argentine football violence was already present from the beginning (late 19th century), the organized groups (barras bravas) appeared in the 1950s (barras bravas of Independiente , San Lorenzo de Almagro , Lanús , Rosario Central , Vélez Sarsfield , Racing, etc.) and 1960s (barras bravas of Belgrano , Boca Juniors, River Plate, etc.), and continued to grow in the coming decades. Every major and minor football club in Argentina has a corresponding barra brava , and all are violent. In this country there are the largest and strongest organized supporter groups in the world, [153] and the most powerful of them are the barras bravas of Boca Juniors , La 12 , followed by the barra bravas of Independiente , Club Atletico River Plate , and San Lorenzo ., [154] [155]
The first murder related with the Argentine football occurred on 2 November 1924 in Montevideo ( Uruguay ), after the final match of the South American Championship of this year between Uruguay and Argentina. In the Colón Hotel (where the Argentina national football team was staying) broke out a fight of Uruguay supporters and Argentine fans and footballers. Consequentially, a Uruguayan fan died. [156]
On 14 May 1939 at the stadium of Lanús (in the city of Lanús , in the Greater Buenos Aires ), the violence claimed its first fatality in Argentine territory. In a match of the minor divisions of Boca Juniors and the local team, after a foul by a player of Lanús, players began to fight. Seeing this, the Boca Juniors fans wanted to tear down the fence and invade the pitch, prompting the police to fire shots to disperse them. But a police officer named Luis Estrella shot into the stands, killing two spectators: Luis López and Oscar Munitoli, a minor of 9 years. [157]
But this violence was not only among fans, footballers or the police, but also against the referees. On 27 October 1946, during a match between Newell's Old Boys and San Lorenzo de Almagro at Newell's Old Boys stadium (in the city of Rosario ), local fans tried to strangle the referee Osvaldo Cossio. The match was tied on two goals when Cossio annulled a goal of the premises, and the third goal of San Lorenzo de Almagro in the next play made worsen the situation. Averaging 89 minutes of the game, several Newell's Old Boys fans entered the pitch, hit the umpire and tried to hang him with his own belt. [158]
But this phenomenon suffered a major transformation in the late 1950s. The journalist Amílcar Romero sets 1958 as the beginning of the current barras bravas (although some had already existed for several years), with the murder by the police of Mario Alberto Linker (in a Vélez Sársfield - River Plate match at the José Amalfitani stadium). Because of the murder of this fan of Vélez Sársfield, in October 1958, the society notes the existence of this organized groups (the barras bravas). The so-called "industrialization of football" was the kickoff for this organization, because needed to control all aspects involved in the game. Before the emergence of these groups, when a team played as a visitor, was pressured by rival fans. This prompted the organization of the barras bravas in response to that pressure:
In Argentinian football, it was well established that if you played as the visiting team, you were inexorably in a tight spot. Although they were not barras bravas as we know them today, local fans would pressure you, and the police, when not looking the other way, would pressure you as well. That had to be offset by a doctrine that in the next decade became common currency: the only means by which to neutralize any effectual group with a reputation and capacity for violence, is with another, closer-knit group with as great, or greater, reputation for violence.
—Amílcar Romero,
[159]
In this way, each club began having his barra brava, which was funded by the leaders of the institution. These groups were given their tickets and paid trips to the stadium, adding later other forms of financing. But the access to these "benefits" by the barra brava depended of the hierarchy inside her. For have prestige in the barra brava, had to be violent, so they began to increase the number of dead. [160]
After the death of Linker, in Argentine football began a phase marked by "habituation" to the violence of the barras bravas, and an increase in the number of deaths. According to Amílcar Romero, between 1958 and 1985 are produced in Argentina 103 deaths related to football violence, that is, on average one every three months. However, it also clarifies that the origin of such deaths is not always confrontation in the stadium, and go from the premeditated clash between barras bravas outside the sporting venues, police repression against disorder, infighting in a barra brava or "accidents", it analysis tends to show some kind of negligence or violation of safety standards.
In 1964 more than 300 football fans died and another 500 were injured in Lima ( Peru ) in a riot during an Olympic qualifying match between Argentina and Perú in 24 May. [161] On 11 April 1967 in Argentina, before a match between Huracán and Racing de Avellaneda, a Racing fan of 15 years died murdered by the Huracán barra brava [162] at the Tomás Adolfo Ducó stadium. Over 70 Boca Juniors fans died in 1968 when crowds attending a Superclásico in Buenos Aires stampeded after youths threw burning paper onto the terraces and the exit (Puerta 12) was locked. [161] [163] [164] In Argentina, one fan was killed and 12 people injured, including six police officers when fans of Racing Club de Avellaneda and Club Atlético Independiente clashed in February 2002. An Independiente fan was shot dead and another fan was shot in the back and hospitalised when about 400 rival fans fought outside Racing Clubs Estadio Juan Domingo Perón in Avellaneda before the match. Between 70 and 80 people were arrested as a result. The match started late when Independiente fans threw a smoke bomb at Racing Club goalkeeper , Gustavo Campagnuolo. That same weekend, 30 people were arrested and 10 police officers injured when fighting broke out at a match between Estudiantes de La Plata and Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata in La Plata . [165]
From the 1980s the nuclei of the biggest barras bravas began to attend the matches of the Argentina national football team in the FIFA World Cups . That caused fights against supporters of other countries (sometimes were hooligans or ultras ) and between themselves Argentine barras bravas. Also, in the 1980s and the 1990s were recorded the highest levels of violence in the history of the Argentine football, and there was a new phenomenon: the internal fragmentation of the barras bravas. It was produced by the emergence of sub-groups with own names inside the barras bravas. Sometimes these sub-groups fought among themselves to have the power within the barra brava to which they belonged.
A example of the violence of this years was the Roberto Basile's death. Before the start of a match between Boca Juniors and Racing in 1983 in the Bombonera stadium, this Racing supporter died after being pierced in the neck by a flare thrown from the Boca Juniors stand. [166]
In 1997 a Racing de Avellaneda ) supporter was murdered by Independiente's Barra Brava but surprisingly in a match that didn't involve the two teams. [167] In 2002, a member of Independiente's Barra Brava was killed in a clash between Independiente's Barra Brava and La Guardia Imperial (barra brava of Racing de Avellaneda ) and 20 others were injured, some even facing life in a wheelchair after the fight, all members of Independiente's Barra Brava. [168] Independiente and Racing (both from the city of Avellaneda , in the Greater Buenos Aires ) have a huge rivalry (they form the Avellaneda Derby ), the second most important in Argentina but maybe the fiercest (noteworthy that their stadiums are apart only for about 300 meters).
A 2002 investigation into football hooliganism in Argentina stated that football violence had become a national crisis, with about 40 people murdered at football matches in the preceding ten years. In the 2002 season, there had been five deaths and dozens of knife and shotgun casualties. At one point the season was suspended and there was widespread social disorder in the country. The first death in 2002 was at a match between fierce rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate . The match was abandoned and one Boca Juniors fan was shot dead. Boca Juniors, one of the largest clubs in Argentina, may have the largest barra brava element in the country (it is similar to the barras bravas of Independiente and River Plate), with their self-styled leader, Rafael Di Zeo, claiming in 2002 that they had over 2000 members (however there are doubts about the reliability of this information). [169] In 2004, while driving up to Rosario to watch their side play Rosario Central , Los Borrachos del Tablón (River's Barra Bravas) confronted a bus of Newell's firm (one of the big rival firms) on Highway 9, in a battle that killed two Newell's fans. Up to this day, some members of Los Borrachos still face charges because of the deaths.
In 2005, a footballer, Carlos Azcurra, was shot and seriously wounded by a police officer, when rival fans rioted during a Primera B Nacional match between local Mendoza rivals (but not a derby) San Martín de Mendoza and Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba . [170]
During the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, there was a confrontation [171] between 6 members of the barra brava of Independiente and 16 members of the barras bravas of Boca Juniors and Defensa y Justicia (both were together) in Czech Republic (country where were housed the three barras bravas). As a result of the fight, a supporter of Boca Juniors had to be hospitalized.
In 2007, during the match of the promotion/relegation playoff of the 2006–2007 season between Nueva Chicago and Tigre (in the Nueva Chicago's stadium), broke out a fight between the barras bravas of both teams because, when a penalty was sanctionaty for Tigre (who was winning the match 2-1, a result that relegated to Nueva Chicago to the Second division) in the minute 92, the barra brava of Nueva Chicago invaded the pitch and ran on direction to the stand occupied by the supporters of Tigre for attack them. After this, were serious riots near the stadium (not only caused by the barras bravas, but also by ordinary people), and as a result of it, a fan of Tigre died. [172]
On 19 March 2010 in a bar of Rosario, the ex leader of the Newell's Old Boys barra brava (Roberto "Pimpi" Camino) was shot and later died in a hospital of that city. [173] Camino and his sub-group lead the barra brava from 2002 to 2009, year in which were expelled from it to be defeated by another sub-group, who currently dominates La Hinchada Más Popular (name of the Newell's Old Boys barra brava). Some members of the now main sub-group are the suspects of the murder, and the bar's owner are suspected of helping them. [174]
In the early morning of 4 July 2010 (the next day of the match between Argentina and Germany for quarter-finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup ) in Cape Town , South Africa , there was a fight between some integrants of the barras bravas of Independiente and Boca Juniors. During the brawl, one member of the Boca Juniors barra brava lost consciousness after being brutally beating by the Independiente fanatics. [175] He was admitted to a hospital in the city and died there on 5 July. [176]
From 1924 to 2010 there were 249 deaths (250 with the Argentine recently died in South Africa) related to the Argentine football (if aren't counted the 300 dead in Perú in 1964). [177]
Brazil
Fans in Brazil join in organized groups often considered criminal organizations that differ in many aspects from European hooligans. They act as the main supporters of each club and often sell products and even tickets. They have up to 50 members and are often involved in criminal activities other than fights such as drug dealing and threats to players. These fans establish alliances with other "torcidas organizadas" as they are called such as the alliance between Força Jovem Vasco ( CR Vasco da Gama ), Galoucura ( C Atlético Mineiro ) and Mancha Verde ( SE Palmeiras ), the alliance between Torcida Indepdendente (São Paulo F.C), Torcida Jovem (C.R Flamengo) and Máfia Azul (Cruzeiro Esporte Clube) and some others alliances. They often schedule fights against rival groups where many are injured and killed[ citation needed ]. Sometimes different groups of hooligans from the same team clash.
As an example, fans of local rivals TJP - Torcida Jovem Ponte Preta and TFI -Torcida Furia Independente clashed and rioted at a match in Campinas in 2002.Violence had been expected, and just before kick-off, fans started fighting. Police tried to intervene but were pelted by stones. As the fighting continued inside the stadium, a railing collapsed and numerous fans fell over 13 ft (four metres) into a pit between the stands and the pitch. Over 30 people were injured. [178]
North America
Mexico
Football hooliganism in Mexico appears to be low key, but there have been some incidents, such as small-scale fighting between fans of Monterrey and Morelia at a Primera División match in Monterrey in 2003. [179] In June 1998, one man died and several people were injured when Mexican football fans rioted after the Mexico national football team lost to Germany in the World Cup , a result that eliminated Mexico from the tournament. [180] After the match, hundreds of riot police were brought in to restore order because fans were looting and rioting. Fans then clashed with the police, and many fans were injured or arrested.
United States and Canada
While football (called soccer in the United States and Canada) is traditionally viewed as a family-friendly event, violence does occur. On July 20, 2008, in a friendly match between Major League Soccer side Columbus Crew and English Premier League club West Ham United , in Columbus, Ohio , a fight broke out between rival fans. Police estimated more than 100 people were involved. [181]
That same weekend, a riot was narrowly avoided at a packed Giants Stadium as members of the New York Red Bulls supporters club, Empire Supporters Club (ESC), and members of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority security force clashed over what the ESC claimed was unfair and repeated mistreatment. Clashes also took place in the parking area around the stadium after the game, involving already ejected-for-life North Jersey Firm (NJF) members, and the New Jersey State Police were called to quell the situation. [182] There were several arrests, mostly of known NJF hooligans.
Asia
Bangladesh
Football hooliganism in Bangladesh does not appear to be a major problem. However, in August 2001, 100 people were injured when thousands of football fans rampaged at a B-League match between Mohammedan Sporting Club and Rahmatganj Sporting Club in the Bangabandhu National Stadium , Dhaka . When the referee disallowed a penalty, Mohammedan fans invaded the pitch, throwing stones at the police, who had to fire tear gas at the fans to try and restore order. Outside the stadium dozens of cars and buses were damaged and set on fire. [183]
China
Football hooliganism in China is often linked to accusations of corrupt refereeing, with Chinese football being plagued by allegations of match fixing in the early 2000s. [184] After a match in 2000 between Shaanxi Guoli and Chengdu Wuniu in Xi'an , football fans clashed with police who had to use tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd. Police car windows were smashed as the police tried to stop the fans attacking the match referee, whom they were angry at for a decision made during the match. Eight people were arrested but later released. [185] In March 2002 fans fought with police again as hundreds of football fans rioted at a match in Xi'an, this time between Shaanxi Guoli and Qingdao Yizhong. At the final whistle, and in response to a late penalty to the visiting team, Shaanxi Guoli fans threw missiles at the players and the police before setting fire to the stadium seats. The fans accused the referee of being corrupt and fixing the match. The fans were finally dispersed by riot police with batons and high pressure water hoses. Outside the stadium fighting broke out again, a police van and four police cars were overturned. Two years before this incident following crowd trouble at a match also in Xi'an, the government had demanded more action to stamp out football hooliganism. [184] Football hooliganism continued to rise in China partly due to allegations of corrupt referees. [186]
In June 2002, thousands of football fans rampaged for two hours in the streets of Fuzhou in Fujian province, overturning police cars, damaging a bus and tearing street signs down. Order was only restored when one hundred heavily armed paramilitary policemen were called in. The rampage had started when fans were unable to watch the World Cup match between China and Brazil at an outside broadcast. [186] On 4 July 2004 fans rioted in Beijing when China lost the final of the AFC Asian Cup to Japan , 3-1, at the Workers Stadium . After the match hundreds of Chinese fans threw bottles, confronted riot police, burned Japanese flags and vandalised a Japanese Embassy official's car. The Japanese fans had to be protected by the police, and bussed to safety after they had been given a hostile reception by Chinese fans. [187] [188] The rioting was attributed to ill-feeling toward Japan for atrocities committed before and during the Second World War. [187]
Jordan
Football riots in Jordan are generally regarded as an expression of tension between the country's Palestinian ethnic group and the other ethnic groups that live in the kingdom, two groups of roughly equal size. [189]
In December 2010, rioting broke out following a game between the Wahdat and the Faisaly football clubs, rivals based in Amman. About 250 people were injured. According to Al Jazeera, supporters of Wahdat are generally of Palestinian origin, while Faisaly fans are of Jordanian origin. According to Al-Jazeera, The Wahdat fans are known for their bravery and madness. During the fights that occurred in December 2010, 243 out of 250 people injured were Faisaly fans, according to senior officials from the hospitals. [189]
A similar riot occurred in 2009. [189] [190]
Israel
In Israel in the 2000s, tensions surrounding the Arab-Israeli conflict spilled over into sporadic riots between Jewish and Arab Israeli football fans. In December 2000 it was reported that every club in Israel was on a final warning following escalating violence and intimidation at matches. Beitar Jerusalem were attracting attention because of their fans' behaviours. Earlier that season Beitar were fined when their fans shouted racist abuse at PAOK FC players during a UEFA Cup match. Beitar had already been under a suspended sentence following an incident two years previously when Rangers F.C. player Rod Wallace was also the subject of racist abuse. [191]
In August 2005 at the start of the domestic season, 7,000 Beitar Jerusalem fans travelled to an opening day away match at Maccabi Tel Aviv . Beitar fans chanted anti Arab chants throughout the match, and later rioted in Tel Aviv . After a match in Sakhnin against Bnei Sakhnin a predominantly Arab supported club, Beitar fans rioted. Beitar have a hooligan firm, La Familia, whose members consider Israeli Arabs to be their enemy.
In November 2007 the Israel Football Association (IFA) ordered Beitar to play their game against the Arab club, Bnei Sakhnin behind closed doors after Beitar fans, led by La Familia, broke a minute's silence for former Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin and sang chants in praise of his assassin, Yigal Amir.
After a pitch invasion led by La Familia on 13 April 2008, which forced the abandonment of the match, when Beitar were leading Maccabi Herzliya 1–0 and just four minutes from winning the Israeli Premier League, the IFA gave the points to their opponents, deducted two points and ordered that the clubs remaining home games were to be played behind closed doors. At almost every Beitar Jerusalem game illegal smoke bombs and fire works are shot out to the field and seats. Even some games fights break out between fans [192]
North Korea
There was brief unrest from North Korean fans at an international match vs Iran in North Korea in 2005. It appears that a North Korean player got into an argument with the Syrian referee, and then things got out of hand. [193]
Syria
On March 12, 2004 a fight between Arab and Kurdish supporters of rival Syrian football clubs at a match in Qamishli , 450 miles (720 km) north east of Damascus , escalated into full scale riots that left 25 people dead and hundreds injured. [194] [195]
Japan
Japanese extreme right-wing groups, known for their financial and political connection with Japanese corporations and Japanese organized crime syndicates, are also associated with supporters of various sports events including international football matches. Japanese hooligans often use the country's military flag called kyokujitsu-ki (旭日旗 or 旭日昇天旗) at international football games, especially in which the Japanese national team plays against East Asian national teams. This is highly offensive to the countries of the opposing teams because the flag signifies Japan's military aggression before and during World War II, which resulted in deaths and sufferings of millions of Asian people under Japan's brutal regime. [196] In most East Asian countries, including China, Taiwan, the Philippines and South Korea, public sentiment toward kyokujitsu-ki is analogous to public sentiment in Europe and North America toward Swastika, and displaying the flag in public places is strictly prohibited by law in these countries. Most recent incident in which the Japanese hooligans used the flag was during the FIFA-sanctioned 2011 Qatar AFC Asian Cup, in a match between South Korea and Japan. Many supporters of the Japanese national team, calling themselves as Ultra-Nippon, were seen waving kyokujitsu-ki during the match, and this caused a huge public condemnation in South Korea. [197]
Africa
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Four died when troops opened fire at a derby match between AS Vita Club and DC Motema Pembe at the Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa in November 1998. [198] In April 2001, 14 people died following a stampede at a derby match between TP Mazembe and FC Saint Eloi Lupopo . When fans invaded the pitch after Mazembe had equalised, and rival fans started throwing missiles at each other, the police fired tear gas, and fans rushed to escape the effects of the tear gas. In the resulting stampede, 14 people died. Fans of the two clubs are alleged to have a history of hatred and violence to each other. [199]
Egypt
In January 2006 riot police had to attack Libyan fans in the Cairo International Stadium after they threw missiles at the Egyptian fans in the tier above them during a match between the Egypt national football team and the Morocco national team . The Libyan fans had stayed on to watch the match after they had seen Libya lose 2-1 to Ivory Coast and had started taunting the home supporters. The Egyptian fans responded by asking them to leave the stadium and verbally attacking them at half time, and when, despite a plea to stop, it continued into the second half, the riot police were called in. The Libyan Football Association were fined $7,000 by the Confederation of African Football disciplinary Commission. [200]
A melee broke out on February 1, 2012, after fans of Al-Masry, the home team in Port Said, stormed the field after a rare 3-1 win against Al-Ahly, Egypt's top team. Al-Masry supporters attacked the Al-Ahly players and their fans, who tried to escape, with knives, swords, clubs, stones, bottles, and fireworks. At least 79 people were killed and over 1,000 were injured in the Mediterranean port city.
Gambia
Massive riots occurred during and after a Cup of African Nations qualifying game between rival neighbours Senegal and Gambia at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium in Dakar , Senegal in June 2003. Gambian supporters hurled missiles towards Senegalese fans and were subsequently charged by soldiers. After the game, violent clashes were reported in both Gambia and Senegal. In Gambia several severe beatings of Senegalese citizens occurred, which led to over 200 Senegalese seeking shelter at their embassy. Also, there were rumours of a fatal beating of a Senegalese citizen. In Senegal a Gambian BBC reporter was attacked and robbed by a group of youths. The riots eventually led to the closing of the border between Gambia and Senegal until order was restored. [201] [202]
Ghana
Up to 125 people died and hundreds were injured when football fans stampeded at a match in Accra in 2001. Accra Hearts were leading 2-1 against Asante Kotoko — with five minutes left in the match — when some fans began throwing bottles and chairs onto the pitch. Police then fired tear gas into the crowd, creating panic. Fans rushed to escape the gas, and in the ensuing crush, up to 125 people were killed. [203]
Ghana giant Asante Kotoko face ban after Fans assault referee in CAF confederations cup game with Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia. [204]
Ivory Coast
Fighting among fans at a match claimed one life on 6 May 2001 and injured 39 people. [164] [205]
Kenya
In Kenya, the most hotly contested rivalry is the Kenya derby between AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia , both of whom have won the Kenya Premier League title a record 12 times. On 18 March 2012, a Kenya derby match was held up for over 26 minutes when a riot broke out leading to destruction of property and several people injured, after Gor Mahia midfielder Victor Abondo was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle on Leopards defender Amon Muchiri. Gor Mahia were banned by the Sports Stadia Management Board from playing in their facilities for the rest of the 2012 season, meaning that the club will not be able to play in neither the Nyayo National Stadium nor the Moi International Sports Centre . [206] [207] The KPL Board has yet to announce further disciplinary measures on the club. [208]
Libya
Eight fans died and 39 were injured as troops opened fire to stop both pro and anti Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi sentiments being expressed in a Tripoli stadium during a match between Al Ahli and Al Ittihad in December 1996. [209]
Mali
After a World Cup qualifying match between Mali and Togo on 27 March 2005, which Togo won 2-1, Mali fans rioted and went on a spree of destruction and violence. The trouble started when Togo scored the winning goal. Police fired tear gas at Mali fans who had invaded the pitch. The match was abandoned and the result awarded to Togo. The result set off a wave of violence in the capital of Mali, Bamako . Thousands of Mali fans in Bamako began chanting threats toward the Mali players, cars were set on fire, stores looted, property and monuments destroyed and a building housing the local Olympics committee burnt down. [210]
Mauritius
In May 1999, seven people died when rioting football fans threw petrol bombs into a casino, following a match in Port Louis between the Mauritian League champions, Scouts Club, and Fire Brigade SC. After the match which Fire Brigade SC won, hundreds of Scouts fans went on a rampage, attacking police vehicles and torching sugar cane fields. [211]
Mozambique
The government of Mozambique had to apologise for the violent behaviour of Mozambique fans, before, during and after a match between Mozambique team, Clube Ferroviário de Maputo and Zimbabwe team, Dynamos on 10 May 1998. Ferroviário fans attacked the Dynamo players and the referee, stoned vehicles and fought running battles with riot police outside the stadium. Fifteen people, including four Red Cross workers, needed hospital treatment. [212]
South Africa
In Johannesburg, South Africa, on 14 January 1991, forty people died when fans surged toward a jammed exit to escape rival brawling fans at a match southwest of Johannesburg. [213]
Zimbabwe
In July 2000 twelve people died following a stampede, when they were crushed, at a World Cup qualifying match between Zimbabwe and South Africa in Harare . Police fired tear gas when the crowd started throwing missiles onto the pitch, after South Africa had taken a two goal lead. After Delron Buckley scored South Africa's second goal bottles began to fly onto the pitch. The police then fired tear gas into the 60,000 crowd, who began running to the exits to escape the effects of the tear gas. The match had to be abandoned as players from both sides felt the effects of the tear gas and had to receive medical treatment. The police were condemned for firing tear gas, calling it a total over-reaction. [214] In July 2002, two fans were shot when police opened fire on rioting fans at a match in Bulawayo . Seven police officers were injured and five vehicles badly damaged. [215]
Oceania
Australia
Football rivalries in Australia have continued to grow, particularly between Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory supporters. To date there have been no major clashes in Australia's fledgling A-League competition between Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory supporters. Like in Europe, there is crowd segregation at the games between these clubs but this is a deliberate policy to improve the atmosphere at games.
The incident with most notoriety in Australian Soccer is the Pratten Park riot in 1985 where hundreds of fans stormed the pitch midway through a Sydney Olympic v Sydney City match.
In February 2011 Victoria Police said they were reluctant to cover Melbourne Victory games because of unacceptable behaviour by fans. Problems included violence, anti-social behaviour and the lighting of flares. One senior policeman branded football fans the most violent of any sporting code. [216] [217]
At an international football friendly between Australia and Serbia in Melbourne in June 2011, fans lit flares both inside and outside the stadium, and in city streets. Banners supporting Ratko Mladic , the Serbian military leader charged with war crimes by the International Court of Justice , were displayed. A laser light was seen in use. Seating at the stadium was also damaged. [218] [219]
Media portrayal
Football hooliganism has been depicted in films such as I.D. , The Firm , Cass , The Football Factory , Green Street , Rise of the Footsoldier and Awaydays . There are also many books about hooliganism, such as The Football Factory and Among the Thugs . Some critics argue that these media representations glamorise violence and the hooligan lifestyle.
See also
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Who was the last Prime Minister to represent a Welsh constituency? | BBC NEWS | UK | Wales | Welsh tributes to ex-PM Callaghan
Welsh tributes to ex-PM Callaghan
Lord Callaghan 'never lost touch with his former Cardiff constituency'
Politicians from Wales have joined the tributes to former prime minister Lord Callaghan of Cardiff, who has died on the eve of his 93rd birthday.
Welsh Secretary Peter Hain called him a "much-loved adopted son of Wales" and assembly First Minister Rhodri Morgan said he made an "immense contribution".
Lord Kinnock, one of his successors as Labour leader, applauded his "justice, great dignity and determination".
James Callaghan was an MP in Cardiff for 42 years.
Lord Callaghan died at his home in East Sussex, only 11 days after the death of his wife of 67 years, Audrey, aged 91.
He may be the last British politician to have risen from real poverty to the top of the British political tree
First Minister Rhodri Morgan
He was prime minister from 1976 to 1979, and became the first of three successive Labour leaders to represent south Wales seats. He was followed by Michael Foot, then MP for Blaenau Gwent, and Neil Kinnock, who represented Islwyn.
He was MP for Cardiff South-East - later Cardiff South and Penarth - from 1945 until his retirement at the 1987 general election.
Neil and Glenys Kinnock who met and cut their political teeth together at Cardiff University in the 1960s, said they had the "great pleasure of working with Jim" when they were students. "Jim had a strong sense of justice, great dignity and determination, and he will long be remembered with huge affection and respect in Cardiff, Wales and internationally," they said in a joint statement.
Lord Callaghan died 11 days after his wife Audrey
Rhodri Morgan was another young political activist in Cardiff at the time and joined the Labour Party in Lord Callaghan's constituency in the early 1960s.
Mr Morgan, who became MP for neighbouring Cardiff West in 1987, said he had lost "a great friend and mentor".
'Warmth and wisdom'
"I would like to express my deepest sympathies to his children, Margaret, Michael and Julia and his many grandchildren," said Mr Morgan, who has led the Welsh assembly since 2000.
His leadership as prime minister in an enormously difficult time for the Labour Party and the tremendous contribution he made nationally and internationally has always been underestimated
Alun Michael MP
"He may be the last British politician to have risen from real poverty to the top of the British political tree but the notable thing with Callaghan was that it would never have occurred to him to have a chip on his shoulder about anything."
Neath MP Mr Hain, who is also leader of the Commons, said: "Jim Callaghan was a much loved adopted son of Wales, who achieved fantastic heights in government. He will be sorely missed."
Alun Michael, who succeeded Lord Callaghan as MP for Cardiff South and Penarth, said he never lost touch with his roots.
"His many friends in the constituency will miss the regular contact he maintained even after he ceased to be our MP.
"His leadership as prime minister in an enormously difficult time for the Labour Party and the tremendous contribution he made nationally and internationally has always been underestimated.
"He was a great statesman, a great leader and a great parliamentarian.
"I and many others in the local party will miss his warmth and his wisdom."
Conservative leader Michael Howard, who was born and raised in Llanelli, south Wales, said: "Lord Callaghan was the only politician to hold all the high offices of state.
"His long and distinguished career was marked by many highs and lows. He will be remembered with affection and respect."
| James Callaghan |
What type of creature is a 'Falabella', found in Argentina? | BBC - History - British History in depth: Prime Ministers and Politics Timeline
On This Day
Prime Ministers and Politics Timeline
Do you know which prime minister brought 'fallen women' to 10 Downing Street? Or which one fought a duel? Or who was known as 'the Goat'?
Take a political journey through nearly 300 years of high ideals and low cunning, from Gordon Brown to the first man to hold prime ministerial powers, Robert Walpole.
Margaret Thatcher
Conservative, 1979 - 1990
Britain's first female prime minister came to power with the country descending into industrial and economic chaos. A relatively inexperienced politician, she nonetheless adopted a personal style of indomitable self-confidence and brooked no weakness in herself or her colleagues. Derisively dubbed the 'Iron Lady' by the Soviet press, she wore the moniker with pride. Her government's free-market policies included trade liberalisation, deregulation, sweeping privatisation, breaking the power of the unions, focus on the individual and the creation of an 'enterprise culture'. 'Thatcherism' has had a profound and lasting economic and social impact on Britain, and still sharply divides opinion to this day. The first PM to serve three consecutive terms (including two 'landslide' victories) she was eventually toppled by her own party following the disastrous imposition of a 'poll tax'. Nonetheless, she is generally considered to be one of the best peace time prime ministers of the 20th Century.
James Callaghan
Labour, 1976 - 1979
Callaghan inherited the office of prime minister following the surprise resignation of Harold Wilson. With only a tiny parliamentary majority to support him, he faced an increasingly one-sided confrontation with organised labour in the form of rampant strike action. Things came to a head in the so-called 'Winter of Discontent', a phrase from Shakespeare borrowed by Callaghan himself to describe the events leading up to February 1979. Britain was 'strikebound', with public servants staging mass walk outs, leaving food and fuel supplies undelivered, rubbish uncollected and - most notoriously - bodies unburied. Things became so bad in Hull it was dubbed 'the second Stalingrad'. The tabloid press has since been accused of overstating the severity of the situation (and wrongly quoting him as saying 'Crisis? What Crisis?') but it was enough at the time to sound the death knell for Callaghan's government later in the same year.
Harold Wilson
Labour, 1974 - 1976
In March 1974, Wilson became prime minister for the third time at the head of a minority government, following the first hung parliament (one where no party holds a majority) for 45 years. Often described as a wily fixer and negotiator, it took all of his skills to hold on to power in the face of economic and industrial turmoil. His party was also sharply divided, with many Labour members of parliament (MPs) bitter about Wilson's manoeuvring against his colleagues. He called another general election in October 1974, thereby ending the shortest parliament since 1681, and was returned to office with a majority of just three seats. He presided over a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Economic Community (EEC), and a collapse in the value of the pound which prompted a humiliating 'rescue operation' by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Exhausted, Wilson resigned saying 'politicians should not go on and on'.
Edward Heath
Conservative, 1970 - 1974
Heath succeeded in taking Britain into the European Economic Community (EEC), the precursor to the European Union, despite two previous failed attempts by Britain to gain entry, in 1961 and 1967. But his government was dogged by torrid industrial relations and recurrent economic crises. Things came to a head in January 1974, when industry was put on a 'three-day week' to conserve fuel. Fuel was in dangerously short supply following a combination of domestic industrial action (coal miners on 'work-to-rule') and a quadrupling of prices by Middle Eastern oil exporting nations in the wake of Israel's victory in the Yom Kippur War. In March 1974, Heath called a general election on the question of 'who governs Britain?' - the unions, or the elected representatives of the people. To his surprise the result was a hung parliament (one where no party holds a majority) and he was ousted.
Harold Wilson
Labour, 1964 - 1970
In 1964, 'Good old Mr Wilson' - an avuncular, pipe-smoking figure - came to power amid much excitement and optimism. He had promised a 'new Britain' forged in 'the white heat of a second industrial revolution'. In reality, his administration never escaped from a cycle of economic crises, vainly battling against further devaluations of the pound. Wilson won a second general election in 1966 (the year England lifted the football World Cup) making him the first Labour PM to serve consecutive terms. In 1967, the government failed in its application for membership of the European Economic Community (EEC) and was also finally forced to devalue sterling. The electorate became disillusioned with Wilson, who lost narrowly to the Conservatives in the 1970 election.
Sir Alec Douglas-Home, Conservative, 1963 - 1964
In 1963, a change in the law allowed hereditary peers to disclaim (or 'drop') their titles, which in turn meant they were able to become members of parliament (MPs). The only peer ever to do so and become prime minister was Douglas-Home, formerly the 14th Earl of Home, who assumed the office when Harold Macmillan retired due to ill health. He was the first prime minister in the post-war period not to win his own mandate (be elected or re-elected by popular vote).
Harold Macmillan, Conservative, 1957 - 1963
Macmillan came to power at a time when Britain was confronting its loss of world-power status and facing mounting economic troubles. Nonetheless, he successfully associated the Conservatives with a new age of affluence and the burgeoning consumer revolution. But his oft-quoted assurance 'You've never had it so good' actually finishes 'What is beginning to worry some of us is, is it too good to be true?'. His government is principally remembered for the so-called 'Profumo Affair', a sex scandal that erupted in 1963 and contributed to the Conservatives' defeat at the general election the following year. Secretary of State for War John Profumo had been having an affair with a showgirl who was also seeing the Soviet naval attaché to London - a serious transgression at the height of the Cold War. After lying to the House of Commons, Profumo admitted the truth in June 1963 and resigned in disgrace. Macmillan resigned due to ill health in October the same year.
Sir Anthony Eden, Conservative, 1955 - 1957
When Sir Winston Churchill retired due to ill health, Eden took over as prime minister. Many years before, Churchill had anointed Eden as his successor, but later acknowledged he had made 'a great mistake'. His opinion was born out as the new PM blundered into the Suez Crisis. Following Egypt's decision to nationalise the Suez canal, Britain (the principal shareholder), France and Israel invaded in October 1956 to near-universal condemnation and the threat of nuclear strikes by the Soviet Union. Within a week, Britain was forced into an embarrassing climb-down. Humiliated and in ill-health, Eden left the country for a holiday at the Jamaican home of James Bond author, Ian Fleming. He returned in mid-December to the sarcastic newspaper headline: 'Prime Minister Visits Britain'. He resigned on 9 January 1957.
Sir Winston Churchill, Conservative, 1951 - 1955
Churchill's desire to return to power, despite his assured place in history, had much to do with his belligerent refusal to accept that the British public had rejected him in 1945. Now the electorate was seeking to put behind it the hardships and privations of the post-war years under Clement Atlee and return to a more traditional idea of society - so-called 'housing and red meat' issues. Churchill tried - and failed - to recreate the dynamism of his wartime administration, and he struggled to adjust to the political realities of the Cold War, preferring direct action and personal diplomacy to proxy wars and cabinet consensus. His refusal to retire, despite suffering a stroke, caused mounting frustrations among his colleagues. At the age of 80, he finally conceded to his failing health and stepped down, although he continued to serve as an MP.
Clement Attlee, Labour, 1945 - 1951
World War Two had sharply exposed the imbalances in Britain's social, economic and political structures. For a population that had sacrificed so much, a return to the pre-war status quo was simply not an option. In 1942, a report by Sir William Beveridge, chairman of a Ministry of Health committee, had advocated a system of national insurance, comprehensive welfare for all and strategies to maintain full employment. The 'Beveridge Report' formed the basis of Labour pledges in the 1945 election and resulted in a landslide victory. Attlee's government successfully harnessed the wartime sense of unity to create the National Health Service, a national insurance scheme, a huge programme of nationalisation (including the Bank of England and most heavy industries) and a massive building programme. He also made Britain a nuclear-armed power. These sweeping reforms resulted in a parliamentary consensus on key social and economic policies that would last until 1979. But by 1951, a row over plans to charge for spectacles and false teeth had split the cabinet. Party disunity and a struggling economy contributed to Attlee - cruelly dubbed by Churchill 'a modest man with much to be modest about' - losing the next election.
Winston Churchill, Conservative, 1940 - 1945
By the time Churchill was asked to lead the coalition government in 1940, he had already enjoyed colourful and controversial careers as a journalist, soldier and politician. He had twice 'crossed the floor' of the House of Commons, the first time defecting from Conservative to Liberal and serving as First Lord of the Admiralty during the early years of World War One. Demoted in the wake of the slaughter at Gallipoli, he preferred to resign and take up a commission fighting on the Western Front. Despite standing against the Conservatives in a 1924 by-election, Churchill was welcomed back into the party that same year and served as Chancellor of the Exchequer for five years under Stanley Baldwin. But personal disagreements and his vehement anti-Fascism would lead to nearly a decade in the political wilderness. Following Neville Chamberlain's resignation in 1940, Churchill finally realised his 'destiny' and accepted the office of prime minister. Promising nothing more than 'blood, toil, tears and sweat', he almost single-handedly restored Britain's desire to fight on in adversity. Despite Churchill's enormous personal popularity, by 1945 the electorate no longer wanted a war leader and the Conservatives lost by a landslide.
Neville Chamberlain, Conservative, 1937 - 1940
Rarely has the hyperbole of politicians been as resoundingly exposed as when Neville Chamberlain returned from his 1938 negotiations with Adolf Hitler, brandishing his famous 'piece of paper' and declaring the agreement it represented to be 'peace for our time'. Within a year, Germany had invaded Poland and Britain was plunged into World War Two. With his policy of 'appeasement' towards Hitler utterly bankrupted, Chamberlain resigned in 1940. He was replaced by Winston Churchill. When the issue of honours was discussed, he stated that he wanted to die 'plain Mr Chamberlain, like my father'. His father, Joseph Chamberlain, was the politician who split the Conservatives in 1903 by pushing for tariffs on imported goods. It was this very issue that convinced Churchill to defect to the Liberals, with whom he first achieved high office. Chamberlain died six months after resigning.
Stanley Baldwin, Conservative, 1935 - 1937
When Baldwin returned to power in 1935, the financial crisis sparked by the Wall Street Crash six years before appeared to be over. It was to be swiftly replaced by a constitutional crisis brought about by Edward VIII's desire to marry a twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson. Baldwin advised Edward that Mrs Simpson would not be accepted as Queen by the public, and that the king could not condone divorce as head of the Church of England. The king proposed a 'morganatic' marriage, whereby Mrs Simpson would become his consort, but not Queen. The government rejected the idea and threatened to resign if the king forced the issue. The story then broke in the press, to general disapproval by the public. Rather than break the engagement, Edward abdicated on 11 December 1936. Credited with saving the monarchy, Baldwin is also condemned for failing to begin re-arming when it became clear that Nazi Germany was building up its armed forces.
Ramsay MacDonald, Labour, 1929 - 1935
MacDonald began his second term at the head of a minority government (one that does not have an outright majority) and with the economy in deep crisis. Britain was still in the grip of the Great Depression and unemployment soon soared to two million. With fewer people able to pay tax, revenues had fallen as demand for unemployment benefits had soared. Unable to meet the deficit, by 1931 it was being proposed that benefits and salaries should be cut. Labour ministers rejected the plan as running counter to their core beliefs. MacDonald went to the king, George V, to proffer his resignation. George suggested MacDonald to try and form a 'national government' or coalition of all the parties. (This is the last recorded direct political intervention by a British monarch.) The National Government was formed, with MacDonald as prime minister, but Stanley Baldwin, leader of the Conservative Party, the de facto 'power behind the throne'. MacDonald is still considered by many in the Labour Party as their worst political traitor.
Stanley Baldwin, Conservative, 1924 - 1929
In May 1926, the Trades Union Congress called for a general walkout in support of a coal miners' protest against threatened wage cuts. It was the first and, to date, only general strike in British history. The strike affected key industries, such as gas, electricity and the railways, but ended after just nine days due to lack of public backing and well-organised emergency measures by Baldwin's government. Far from succeeding in its aims, the General Strike actually led to a decline in trade union membership and the miners ended up accepting longer hours and less pay. It also gave impetus to the 1927 Trade Disputes Act, which curtailed workers' ability to take industrial action. Baldwin's government also extended the vote to women over 21 and passed the Pensions Act, but eventually fell as a result of the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and the Depression that followed.
Ramsay MacDonald, Labour, 1924
In 1924, MacDonald briefly became the first Labour prime minister, ending two centuries of Conservative - Liberal domination of British politics. It was the first party to gain power with the express purpose of representing the voice of the 'working class'. An MP since 1906, MacDonald was respected as a thinker, but criticised by many within his own party as insufficiently radical (despite appointing the first female cabinet minister, Margaret Bondfield, in 1929). His opposition to World War One had made him deeply unpopular and he continually suffered a torrid time at the hands of the press. The publication by two newspapers of the 'Zinoviev letter' did much to damage his chances in the run up to the 1924 election. The letter (which he had seen but decided to keep secret) purported to be from Soviet intelligence and urged British communists to commit acts of sedition. He lost by a wide margin. The letter is now widely accepted to be a fraud.
Stanley Baldwin, Conservative, 1923
During his very brief first term as prime minister, Stanley Baldwin bumped into an old school friend on a train. Asked what he was doing these days, Baldwin replied: 'I am the prime minister.' Having come to power following Andrew Bonar Law's resignation, he called an election in the hope of gaining his own mandate (election by popular vote), but lost.
Andrew Bonar Law, Conservative, 1922 - 1923
Branded the 'unknown prime minister' by his bitter political rival HH Asquith, Canadian-born Bonar Law is principally remembered for a single speech he made in 1922. The Conservatives had been part of a coalition under the Liberal prime minister, David Lloyd George, since 1916. Many were considering joining Lloyd George permanently, but Bonar Law's speech changed their minds. Instead, the Conservatives withdrew from the coalition and Lloyd George was forced to resign. The king, George V, asked Bonar Law to form a new government. Reluctantly he accepted, despite still grieving two sons killed in World War One and - as it turned out - dying of throat cancer. He held office for 209 days before resigning due to ill health. He died six months later and was buried at Westminster Abbey, upon which Asquith commented: 'It is fitting that we should have buried the Unknown Prime Minister by the side of the Unknown Warrior.'
David Lloyd George, Liberal, 1916 - 1922
Lloyd George guided Britain to victory in World War One and presided over the legislation that gave women the vote in 1918, but he is remembered as much for his private life as his public achievements. Nicknamed the 'Welsh Wizard', he was also less kindly known as 'The Goat' - a reference to his countless affairs. (Scandalously, he lived with his mistress and illegitimate daughter in London while his wife and other children lived in Wales.) The first 'working class' prime minister, Lloyd George had risen to prominence by solving the shortage of munitions on the Western Front. It was his desire to get to grips with the requirements of 'total war' that led to his split with then Liberal Prime Minister HH Asquith. It also brought him closer to the Conservatives, with whom he formed a new coalition government when Asquith resigned. That coalition would disintegrate six years later in the midst of a scandal. Serious allegations were made that peerages had been sold for as much as £40,000. (One list even included John Drughorn, who had been convicted for trading with the enemy in 1915.) Lloyd George resigned in October 1922.
HH Asquith, Liberal, 1908 - 1916
Asquith's government had shown great longevity, but disintegrated in the face of the unequalled disasters of the Somme and Gallipoli. With World War One going badly, fellow Liberal David Lloyd George had seized his chance and ousted Asquith. But in the preceding eight years, the two politicians had together overseen one of the greatest constitutional upheavals of the 20th Century and ushered in some of the predecessors of the Welfare State. Old Age Pensions were introduced and Unemployment Exchanges (job centres) were set up by then Liberal minister Winston Churchill. But when Lloyd George attempted to introduce a budget with land and income taxes disadvantageous to the 'propertied' classes, it was thrown out by the House of Lords. Lloyd George branded the Lords 'Mr Balfour's poodle' (a reference to Conservative leader AJ Balfour's supposed control over the peers). The stand-off resulted in two general elections during 1910, the second of which the Liberals won with a 'peers against the people' campaign slogan. The budget was passed and, in 1911, the Parliament Act became law. The Act stated that the Lords could only veto a Commons bill twice, and instituted five-yearly general elections.
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, Liberal, 1905 - 1908
Arthur James Balfour, Conservative, 1902 - 1905
The nephew of the Marquess of Salisbury, Balfour had none of his uncle's political skills despite a long period of mentoring. He was instead something of a philosopher, publishing several weighty books, including 'A Defence of Philosophic Doubt', 'The Foundations of Belief', and 'Theism and Humanism'. Following a cabinet split Balfour resigned, gambling that the Liberals would be unable to form a government and that he would be returned to power. He was wrong.
Marquess of Salisbury, 1895 - 1902, Conservative
Salisbury came to power for the third and final time when the weak Liberal government of the Earl of Rosebery fell. The political climate was one of rising resentment among the lower and middle classes, who demanded better conditions, social reforms and proper political representation. Bitterly divided, the Liberals would nonetheless experience a revival as they sought reforms of the squalid, disease-ridden British 'concentration camps' used in the Boer War. But it was the founding of the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) on 27 February 1900 that signalled a quiet, yet highly significant sea-change in British politics. This coalition of socialist groups would win two seats in the 1900 general election and 29 seats in 1906. Later that same year, the LRC changed its name to the Labour Party. Despite failing health, Salisbury agreed to stay on to help Edward VII manage the transition following the death of his mother, Queen Victoria. He resigned in favour of his nephew, AJ Balfour, in the first months of the new King's reign. (Notably, he was the last serving prime minister to sit in the Lords.)
Earl of Rosebery, Liberal, 1894 - 1895
Rosebury reluctantly became prime minister on the insistence of Queen Victoria, despite still mourning the loss of his wife. Desperate to have a minister she actually liked, Victoria had taken the unusual step of not consulting the outgoing PM, William Gladstone, about his successor. Rosebery, who always loved horseracing more than the 'evil smelling bog' of politics, was gratefully allowed to resign a year later. Notably, he is the only prime minister to have produced not one, but three Derby winners, in 1894, 1895 and 1905. (Despite his aversion to politics, Rosebery was no stranger to scandal. The Prince of Wales had reputedly once intervened to prevent him from being horsewhipped by the Marquess of Queensbury, with whose son Rosebery was believed to be having an affair. Queensbury's other son was Lord Alfred Douglas, Oscar Wilde's lover.)
William Ewart Gladstone, Liberal, 1892 - 1894
Gladstone's fourth term as prime minister was completely overshadowed by his insistence on introducing a third bill on the subject of 'Home Rule' for Ireland. The Conservative-dominated House of Lords threw the bill out and generally obstructed Liberal attempts to pass legislation. With his cabinet split and his health failing, the 'Grand Old Man' stepped down for the last time. The public was, in any case, exhausted with Home Rule and instead wanted reforms to working conditions and electoral practices. (Meanwhile, out on the political fringe, the Independent Labour Party had been set up under Keir Hardie to represent the working class and 'secure the collective ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange'. Leading figures in the party included George Bernard Shaw and Ramsay MacDonald.)
Marquess of Salisbury, Conservative, 1886 - 1892
William Ewart Gladstone, Liberal, 1886
Gladstone came to power for the third time with 'Home Rule' (devolution) for Ireland still the dominant issue. A bitter election battle had seen the Conservative government fall after Irish Nationalist members of parliament sided with the Liberals to defeat them. Instead, the Liberals formed a government in coalition with the Irish Nationalists and Gladstone tried to push through his second attempt at a Home Rule bill. The bill split the Liberals and Gladstone resigned. He lost the general election when the 'Liberal Unionists' - those who wanted Ireland to be ruled from Westminster - broke away from Gladstone's Liberals to fight the next election as a separate party. Most Liberal Unionists were of the 'Whig' or propertied faction of the party, which meant that when they went, they took most of the money with them.
Marquess of Salisbury, Conservative, 1885 - 1886
William Ewart Gladstone, Liberal, 1880 - 1885
Having failed to force Gladstone to serve under Lord Hartington, Queen Victoria reluctantly accepted 'that half-mad firebrand' as prime minister for the second time. He had only lately returned to politics from retirement after his so-called 'Midlothian Campaign', in which he spoke to large crowds - a practice considered by polite Victorian society to be 'undignified'. His campaign did much to discredit Disraeli's government and had clearly struck a chord with a public eager for social and electoral reform. The Ballot Act in 1872 had instituted secret ballots for local and general elections. Now came the Corrupt Practices Act, which set maximum election expenses, and the Reform and Redistribution Act, which effectively extended voting qualifications to another six million men. There were other burning issues. The United States had just overtaken Britain as the world's largest industrialised economy, and 'Home Rule' (devolution) for Ireland continued to dominate. In seeking support for Home Rule, James Parnell's Irish Nationalists sided with the Conservatives to defeat a Liberal budget measure. Gladstone resigned and was replaced by the 'caretaker government' of the Marquess of Salisbury.
Benjamin Disraeli, Conservative, 1874 - 1880
After a brief taste of power in 1868, it had taken Disraeli six years to become prime minister again. He wasted no time in bringing about the social reforms he had envisaged in the 1840s as a member of the radical Young England group. His Acts included measures to provide suitable housing and sewerage, to protect the quality of food, to improve workers rights (including the Climbing Boys Act which banned the use of juveniles as chimney sweeps) and to implement basic standards of education. In 1876, Disraeli was made the Earl of Beaconsfield, but continued to run the government from the Lords. He persuaded Queen Victoria to take the title 'Empress of India' in 1877 and scored a diplomatic success in limiting Russian influence in the Balkans at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. He retired in 1880, hoping to spend his remaining years adding more novels to his already impressive bibliography, but died just one year later.
William Ewart Gladstone, Liberal, 1868 - 1874
Upon taking office for the first time Gladstone declared it his 'mission' to 'pacify Ireland' - a prize that was always to elude him. Nonetheless, Gladstone was to become the dominant Liberal politician of the late 19th Century, serving as prime minister four times despite earning Queen Victoria's antipathy early in his career. (She famously complained that 'he always addresses me as if I were a public meeting'.) He had started his career as an ultra-conservative Tory, but would end it as a dedicated political reformer who did much to establish the Liberal Party's association with issues of freedom and justice. But Gladstone also had his idiosyncrasies. He made a regular habit of going to brothels and often brought prostitutes back to 10 Downing Street. In an era when politicians' private lives were very private, his embarrassed colleagues nonetheless felt it necessary to explain his behaviour as 'rescue work' to save 'fallen women'.
Benjamin Disraeli, Conservative, 1868
On being asked to become prime minister following the resignation of the Earl of Derby, Disraeli announced: 'I have reached the top of the greasy pole'. He immediately struck up an excellent rapport with Queen Victoria, who approved of his imperialist ambitions and his belief that Britain should be the most powerful nation in the world. Unhappily for the Queen, Disraeli's first term ended almost immediately with an election victory for the Liberals. Despite serving as an MP since 1837 and twice being Chancellor of the Exchequer, Disraeli's journey to the top was not without scandal. In 1835, he was forced to apologise in court after being accused of bribing voters in Maidstone. He also accrued enormous debts in his twenties through speculation on the stock exchange. Disraeli suffered a nervous breakdown as a result, but eventually paid off his creditors by marrying a rich widow, Mary Anne Wyndam Lewis, in 1839.
Earl of Derby, Conservative, 1866 - 1868
The introduction of the 1867 Reform Act made Derby's third term as prime minister a major step in the true democratisation of Britain. The Act extended the vote to all adult male householders (and lodgers paying £10 rental or more, resident for a year or more) living in a borough constituency. Simply put, it created more than 1.5 million new voters. Versions of the Reform Act had been under serious discussion since 1860, but had always foundered on Conservative fears. Many considered it a 'revolutionary' move that would create a majority of 'working class' voters for the first time. In proposing the Reform Act, Benjamin Disraeli, Conservative Leader of the House of Commons, had warned his colleagues that they would be labelled the 'anti-reform' party if they continued to resist. The legislation was passed, and also received the backing of the Liberals under their new leader, William Gladstone.
Earl Russell, Whig, 1865 - 1866
Viscount Palmerston, Liberal, 1859 - 1865
Earl of Derby, Conservative, 1858 - 1859
The property qualification - the requirement that a man must own property in order to stand as a member of parliament - was finally abolished during Derby's second term as prime minister. It meant that members of parliament (MPs) were no longer drawn exclusively from the 'propertied' classes and could realistically be 'working class'. This fulfilled one of the six conditions set out by the Chartists - supporters of the Third Chartist Petition, written in 1838. It demanded universal male suffrage (votes for all adult men), secret ballots (rather than traditional open ballots), annual parliamentary elections, equal electoral districts (some had less than 500 voters, while others had many thousands), the abolition of a property qualification for MPs, and payment for MPs (which would allow non-independently wealthy men to sit in parliament).
Viscount Palmerston, Liberal , 1855 - 1858
Earl of Aberdeen, Tory, 1852 - 1855
It was something of a cruel irony that Aberdeen came to be blamed for blundering into the dreadful Crimean War. As plain George Hamilton Gordon he had made a successful career as a diplomat and had done much to normalise Britain's relationships with its powerful neighbours. Vivid reports from the front by WH Russel of the Times have since led to the Crimean being styled the first 'media war'. His reports publicised the squalor and disease that were claiming more soldiers' lives than the fighting, and inspired Florence Nightingale to volunteer and take the first 38 nurses out to treat the wounded. In 1855, Aberdeen conceded to his critics and resigned.
Earl of Derby, Conservative, 1852
Earl Russell, Whig, 1846 - 1851
Confronted by the Irish Potato Famine, declining trade and rising unemployment, Russell still managed to push through trade liberalisation measures and limits on women's working hours. A dedicated reformer, he nonetheless presided over the rejection of the Third Chartist Petition. Set out 1838, it demanded universal male suffrage (votes for all adult men), secret ballots (rather than traditional open ballots), annual parliamentary elections, equal electoral districts (some had less than 500 voters, while others had many thousands), the abolition of a property qualification for members of parliament (MPs), and payment for MPs (which would allow non-independently wealthy men to sit in parliament). Already rejected once by parliament in 1839, the petition had gathered 5 million signatures by 1848. Presented to parliament a second time, it was again rejected. The Chartist movement slowly petered out, even as revolutions blazed across Europe, but many of its aims were eventually realised.
Sir Robert Peel, Tory, 1841 - 1846
Peel's second term as prime minister was nothing short of tumultuous. Economic depression, rising deficits, Chartist agitation, famine in Ireland and Anti-Corn League protests crowded in. A raft of legislation was created to stabilise the economy and improve working conditions. The Factory Act regulated work hours (and banned children under eight from the workplace), the Railway Act provided for cheap, regular train services, the Bank Charter Act capped the number of notes the Bank of England could issue and the Mines Act prevented women and children from working underground. But a failed harvest in 1845 provided Peel with his greatest challenge. There was an increasing clamour for repeal of the Corn Laws, which forbade the import of cheap grain from overseas. Powerful vested interests in the Tory Party opposed such a move, but in the end Peel confronted them and called for repeal. After nearly six months of debate, and with the Tories split in two, the Corn Laws were finally repealed. Defeated on a separate issue, Peel resigned the same day, but was cheered by crowds as he left the Commons. (The 'Peelite' faction of the Tories is widely recognised as the foundation of the modern Conservative.)
Viscount Melbourne, Whig, 1835 - 1841
Sir Robert Peel, Tory, 1834 - 1835
Invited by William IV to form a new government, Peel immediately called a general election to strengthen his party. Campaigning on his so-called 'Tamworth Manifesto', Peel promised a respectful approach to traditional politics, combined with measured, controlled reform. He thereby signalled a significant shift from staunch, reactionary 'Tory' to progressive 'Conservative' politics. Crucially, he pledged to accept the 1832 Reform Act, which had recently increased the number of people eligible to vote. Peel won the election, but only narrowly. He resigned the following year after several parliamentary defeats. (Peel is probably best remembered for creating the Metropolitan Police in 1829 while Home Secretary in the Duke of Wellington's first government. The nickname 'bobbies' for policemen is derived from his first name.)
Duke of Wellington, Tory, 1834
Viscount Melbourne, Whig, 1834
In a bid to repress trade unions, Melbourne's government introduced legislation against 'illegal oaths'. As a result, the Grand National Consolidated Trades' Union failed. In March of the same year, six labourers were transported to Australia for seven years for attempting to provide a fund for workers in need. They became known as the 'Tolpuddle Martyrs'. Melbourne himself was notoriously laid back. When first asked to become prime minister he declared it 'a damned bore'. Having accepted, he would often refuse to allow his cabinet colleagues to leave the room, insisting 'I'm damned if I know what we agreed on. We must all say the same thing.'
Earl Grey, Whig, 1830 - 1834
In June 1832, the Reform Act finally passed into law after 15 torrid months of debate. It extended the vote to just 7% of the adult male population, based on a series of lowered property qualifications. Introduced in March 1831, the bill scraped through the Commons by a single vote, but was thrown out at the committee stage (when the bill is debated in detail - sometimes called the 'second reading'). Parliament was dissolved and the general election was fought on the single issue of the Reform Act - an unprecedented event in British political history. The Whigs won the election and passed the bill, but the House of Lords (with a majority of Tories) threw it out, sparking riots and civil disobedience across the country. With the spectre of France's bloody revolution clearly in mind, William IV eventually agreed to create 50 Whig peers to redress the balance in the Lords if the bill was rejected again. The Lords conceded and the Act was finally passed into law. After all his efforts, Earl Grey is principally remembered for giving his name to a fragrant blend of tea.
Duke of Wellington, Tory, 1828 - 1830
Wellington's first term in office was dominated by the thorny subject of Catholic emancipation. Catholics were permitted to vote, but were not allowed to sit as members of parliament (MPs) and had restrictions on the property they could own. Initially, the 'Iron Duke' was staunchly in favour of the status quo, but soon came to realise that emancipation might be the only way to end conflict arising from the Act of Union between Britain and Ireland in 1801. He became such an advocate that he even fought a duel with the 10th Earl of Winchilsea over the issue. The Earl had accused him of plotting the downfall of the 'Protestant constitution', but then backed down and apologised. They still had to go through the ritual of the duel at Battersea Fields, with both men deliberately firing high and wide. Wellington eventually drove the legislation through, opening the way for Catholic MPs.
Viscount Goderich, Tory, 1827 - 1828
George Canning, Tory, 1827
Canning finally became prime minister after a long career in politics, only to die of pneumonia 119 days later. He had famously fought a duel in 1809 with his bitterest political rival, Lord Castlereagh, and was shot in the thigh. Castlereagh committed suicide with a penknife in 1822, after becoming depressed about his falling popularity.
Earl of Liverpool, Tory, 1812 - 1827
Liverpool is the second longest serving prime minister in British history (after Robert Walpole), winning four general elections and clinging on to power despite a massive stroke that incapacitated him for his last two years in office. Liverpool became PM at a time when Britain was emerging from the Napoleonic Wars and the first rumblings of 'working class' unrest were just beginning to be felt. Staunchly undemocratic in his outlook, Liverpool suppressed efforts to give the wider populace a voice. He was unrepentant when, in 1819, troops fired on a pro-reform mass meeting at St Peter's Fields in Manchester, killing eleven - the so-called 'Peterloo Massacre'. Trade unions were legalised by the 1825 Combination Act, but were so narrowly defined that members were forced to bargain over wages and conditions amid a minefield of heavy penalties for transgressions. (Liverpool's one concession to popular sentiment was in the trial of Queen Caroline on trumped up adultery charges. The legal victimisation of George IV's estranged wife, who was tried in parliament in 1820, brought her mass sympathy. Mindful not to provoke the mob in the wake of Peterloo, the charges were eventually dropped.)
Spencer Perceval, Tory, 1809 - 1812
Perceval bears a dubious distinction as the only British prime minister to be assassinated. As chancellor of the exchequer he moved in to 10 Downing Street in 1807, before rising to the office of prime minister two years later. His 12 young children - some born while he was in office - also lived in the PM's crowded residence. Against expectations, he had skilfully kept his government afloat for three years despite a severe economic downturn and continuing war with Napoleon. He was shot dead in the lobby of the House of Commons on 11 May 1812 by a merchant called John Bellingham who was seeking government compensation for his business debts. Perceval's body lay in 10 Downing Street for five days before burial. Bellingham gave himself up immediately. Tried for murder, he was found guilty and hanged a week later.
Duke of Portland, Tory, 1807 - 1809
Lord Grenville, Whig, 1806 - 1807
William Pitt 'the Younger', Tory, 1804 - 1806
Faced by a fresh invasion threat from Napoleon, George III once again turned to Pitt. A shadow of his former self due to failing health and suspected alcoholism, Pitt nonetheless accepted. He made alliances with Napoleon's continental rivals - Russia, Austria and Sweden - then, in 1805, Admiral Lord Nelson shattered French invasion hopes at the Battle of Trafalgar. Pitt did not have long to savour victory before Napoleon defeated both Russia and Austria to stand astride the whole of Europe. Heartsick, utterly exhausted, penniless and unmarried, Pitt died on 23 January 1806 at the age of 46.
Henry Addington, Tory, 1801 - 1804
Addington secured the Peace of Amiens with France in 1802, but would see Britain plunge into war with Napoleon again just two years later. He also passed the first Factory Act into law. The Act was the earliest attempt to reform working conditions in factories. It set a maximum 12 hour working day for children and addressed issues like proper ventilation, basic education and sleeping conditions. (Notably, his government also awarded Edward Jenner £10,000 to continue his pioneering work on a vaccine for smallpox.) But he was generally poorly regarded, prompting the satirical rhyme 'Pitt is to Addington, as London is to Paddington' - a reference to his distinguished predecessor as prime minister, William Pitt.
William Pitt 'the Younger', Tory, 1783-1801
Pitt 'the Younger' was the youngest prime minister in British history, taking office at the tender age of just 24. But his youth did not seem to disadvantage him as he threw himself into the manifold problems of government, holding on to the top office for 17 years - fifteen years longer than his father, Pitt 'the Elder'. His first priority was to reduce the National Debt, which had doubled with the loss of the American colonies in 1783. George III's mental illness then threw up the spectre of a constitutional crisis, with the transfer of sovereignty to the erratic Prince of Wales only narrowly averted by the king's recovery. Further threats to the monarchy emanated from across the Channel, with the bloody French Revolution of 1789 and subsequent war with France in 1793. War increased taxes and caused food shortages, damaging Pitt's popularity to the extent that he employed bodyguards out of fear for his safety. In a bid to resolve at least one intractable conflict, he pushed through the Act of Union with Ireland in 1800, but the related Emancipation of Catholics Bill was rejected by the king a year later. Having lost George III's confidence, Pitt was left with no option but to resign.
Duke of Portland, Tory, 1783
Earl Shelburne, Whig, 1782 - 1783
Marquess of Rockingham, Whig, 1782
Lord North, Tory, 1770 - 1782
North is chiefly somewhat unfairly remembered as the prime minister who lost the American colonies. Groomed by George III to lead his parliamentary supporters, North was fiercely loyal to his king, whose policy it had been to 'punish' the American colonials. The American War of Independence, reluctantly entered into by both sides, had been prosecuted at the king's behest in retaliation for their refusal to pay more towards their own defence. As hostilities progressed, North's blundering and indecision worsened an already difficult situation, and by 1782 it was clear that the outcome was likely to be a disaster. He begged George III to be allowed to resign, but the king refused to release him until the war was over. North has since become the yardstick for prime ministerial mediocrity, with later PMs being criticised as 'the worst since Lord North'.
Duke of Grafton, Whig, 1768 - 1770
An unremarkable prime minister, Grafton had a quite remarkable appetite for extra-marital affairs and openly kept several mistresses. He scandalised polite society in 1764 by leaving his wife and going to live with his mistress, Anne Parsons, also known as 'Mrs Houghton'. (Horace Walpole referred to her derisively as 'everybody's Mrs Houghton'.) Popular opinion had disapproved of Grafton's behaviour, until his wife did something even more shocking. She eloped with the Earl of Upper Ossory and had a child by him. Grafton divorced her in 1769, then abandoned Mrs Houghton and married Elizabeth Wrottesley, with whom he had 13 children. The Mrs Houghton ended up marrying the king's brother. This unsuitable union gave impetus to the Royal Marriages Act of 1772, which decreed that the monarch had to give permission for all royal weddings.
Earl of Chatham, Pitt 'The Elder', Whig, 1766 - 1768
Pitt 'the Elder' is widely credited as the man who built the British Empire, although much of this was done in the role of secretary of state under the governments of the Duke of Newcastle. He chose his fights carefully, conducting military campaigns where conditions were best suited to British merchants. Pitt added India, West Africa, the West Indies and the American colonies to Britain's overseas possessions, and was persistently belligerent towards colonial rivals like France and Spain. His relentless imperialism kept the merchants happy but infuriated men like Newcastle who counted the financial cost of his wars. Pitt was a superb public speaker and a master of the devastating put-down, but his career was dogged with recurrent mental illness and gout. Ironically, it was during his term as prime minister that he was at his least effective, often struggling to build support. He collapsed in the House of Lords in October 1768 and died four days later. (Pitt was the MP for a 'burgage borough' - an empty piece of land with no-one living on it. His constituency, Old Sarum, was a mound in Wiltshire. On polling day, seven voters met in a tent to cast their votes.)
Marquess of Rockingham, Whig, 1765 - 1766
George Grenville, Whig, 1763 - 1765
Grenville is one of the few prime ministers to have been sacked by the monarch. He was fired after a row with George III over who should rule in his place if his mental health continued to deteriorate.
Earl of Bute, Tory, 1762 - 1763
Bute was one of Britain's more unpopular prime ministers. Things came to a head when he failed to lower the taxes he had raised to fight France in the American colonies. Rioting erupted, his effigies were burnt and the windows in his house were smashed. Bute was generally disliked by colleagues and public, and was lampooned for his 'fine pair of legs', of which he was reputed to be extremely proud. His close relationship with the Prince of Wales's widow, the Dowager Princess Augusta, was also the subject of much scurrilous gossip. The nickname 'Sir Pertinax MacSycophant' was a contemptuous reference to the Roman Emperor Publius Helvius Pertinax, who was murdered three months after his meteoric assent by his own bodyguard. Unable to muster support in parliament, Bute resigned in 1763.
Duke of Newcastle, Whig, 1757 - 1762
Newcastle healed his rift with Pitt 'the Elder' by inviting him to serve in his government as secretary of state. Effectively a power-sharing coalition of two powerful men, the relationship gave birth to the British Empire. Their government eventually fell as a result of the new king, George III's hostility to Pitt, who had sought to restrict the influence of the monarch in political matters.
Duke of Devonshire, Whig, 1756-1757
Duke of Newcastle, Whig, 1754 - 1756
Newcastle became PM after his brother, Henry Pelham, died in office. It is the only instance of two brothers serving as prime minister. Newcastle enraged Pitt 'the Elder' by refusing to promote him in the new government, then compounded the insult by sacking him.
Henry Pelham, Whig, 1743 - 1754
Earl of Wilmington, Whig, 1742 - 1743
Sir Robert Walpole, Whig, 1721 - 1742
Walpole is widely acknowledged as the first prime minister, although he never actually held the title. He was also the longest serving, lasting 21 years. But Walpole's first stint in government, as secretary of war, had ended inauspiciously with a six month spell in the Tower of London for receiving an illegal payment. Undeterred, he rose to power again on the back of a collapsed financial scheme in which many prominent individuals had invested. Walpole had the foresight (or luck) to get out early, and as a result was credited with great financial acumen. George I invited him to become chancellor and gave him the powers that came to be associated with the office of prime minister. His owed his longevity in office (and the incredible wealth he accumulated) to a combination of great personal charm, enduring popularity, sharp practice and startling sycophancy. The accession of George II saw him temporarily eclipsed, but he worked hard to win over the new monarch. He was rewarded with both the new King's trust and 10 Downing Street, which remains the official residence of the prime minister to this day. Walpole was eventually brought down by an election loss at Chippenham and died just three years later.
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What in April 1983 was the only number one hit for 'Spandau Ballet'? | Story of the Song - Spandau Ballet, True (1983) | The Independent
Story of the Song - Spandau Ballet, True (1983)
Friday 27 March 2009 00:00 BST
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The Independent Culture
Gary Kemp had long desired to emulate the Motown greats.
Sitting on the bed at his parents' house in 1982, strumming his guitar, he hit on something that he figured might just fulfil that ambition. "Why do I find it hard to write the next line / When I want the truth to be said," he sang, commenting later that "it became a song about trying to write a love song to someone who didn't know your true thoughts." A girl he had pinned his hopes on at the time was resisting his amorous advances. "The lyrics were delicately influenced by Nabakov's Lolita, a book that she'd given me."
"We never realised the full potential of this song until we started to record it," said Kemp. "Everybody, including the roadies, [sang] along to it," he said. "It was at that moment that I knew we had something special." The final version ran to six minutes and became the band's signature tune and the title track to their bestselling album. The single release made No.1 in the UK in April 1983 and was their sole Billboard hit, branding Spandau Ballet as one-hit wonders in the United States.
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| True |
Which singer postponed his civil ceremony with long time partner Kenny Goss in 2006? | Spandau Ballet | New Music And Songs |
Spandau Ballet
About Spandau Ballet
As one of the leading New Romantic bands, Spandau Ballet racked up a number of British hits -- as well as one Top Ten American hit, "True" -- during the early '80s, becoming one of the most successful groups to emerge during the new wave. The only other new romantic band to enjoy greater commercial success was Duran Duran, yet Spandau Ballet was there first, scoring three Top Ten hit singles during 1981 with their synthesized dance-pop. By 1983, the London-based quintet had shed its Roxy Music-inspired robotic art-disco and picked up on Bryan Ferry's latter-day crooner persona, revamping themselves as a slick, stylish white soul act. It was in this incarnation that Spandau Ballet experienced its greatest success, as "True" reached number one in Britain and number four in America. However, their time in the spotlight was short-lived. Though they had a few more hits in Britain, none of them were particularly big, and in America they disappeared at the end of 1984. By the end of the decade, the group had split, with their core members, brothers Gary and Martin Kemp, launching acting careers with the 1990 film, The Krays.
The Kemps -- who played guitar and bass, respectively -- founded Spandau Ballet in 1979 with Tony Hadley (vocals), Steve Norman (rhythm guitar, saxophone, percussion), and John Keeble (drums). The group hired their school friend Steve Dagger as manager. Spandau Ballet began playing nightclubs in London that had responded to punk by embracing exaggeratedly fashionable clothes and makeup. Soon, the band was one of the most popular attractions on this scene, which was subsequently dubbed by the British press as "New Romantic." Chris Blackwell, the head of Island Records, saw the group at a London party and offered them a contract on the spot. They rejected his offer, choosing to set up their own label, Reformation. Early in 1980, the group licensed Reformation to Chrysalis, giving their label the distribution power of a major label.
"To Cut a Long Story Short," Spandau Ballet's first single, shot to number five in Britain upon its fall 1980 release. It was quickly followed by the number 17 hit "The Freeze" in early 1981, and "Musclebound," which reached number ten in the spring. The singles made their way over to America, where they received play in dance clubs. By the spring, their debut album, Journey to Glory, had been released. In the summer, they released a new, non-LP single, "Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)," which boasted a funkier beat and soulful flourishes. The group continued to pursue this direction on their subsequent singles, including the gold-selling Top Ten U.K. hits "Instinction" and "Lifeline," as well as their 1982 album Diamond, but it didn't reach its fruition until the 1983 album True.
True was a full-fledged white soul album, much like the sophisticated pop of late-'70s Roxy Music albums. The title ballad reached number one in Britain during the spring and a few months later, the single and album became a hit in America, peaking at number four and 19, respectively. Spandau Ballet managed to hit the Top Ten once more in the U.K. with "Gold," which peaked at number two; in the U.S., it reached 29. "Communication," a third American single from True, fizzled in the spring of 1984. Its failure was the beginning of the band's commercial downfall. "Only When You Leave," the first single from 1984's Parade, was a number three hit in the U.K., yet it only reached 34 in the U.S.; furthermore, it was their last American hit ever. Parade was a success in Britain, but it wasn't as big as its predecessor. In 1985, Spandau Ballet sued Chrysalis, claiming that the label wasn't providing enough promotional support for the band, especially in the U.S., and thereby harming its career. The suit was settled in 1986, and the group jumped ship for CBS/Columbia (Epic in the U.S.), where they released Through the Barricades that same year. The title track was a Top Ten hit, but its follow-up, "How Many Lies?," became the group's last Top 40 hit ever. Following the release of Heart Like a Sky in 1989, the group quietly disbanded.
Gary and Martin Kemp played the notorious British mobsters the Krays in a 1990 film of the same title. Gary Kemp pursued acting as his vocation during the '90s, appearing in The Bodyguard with Whitney Houston, HBO's The Larry Sanders Show, and Embrace of the Vampire with Alyssa Milano. Tony Hadley released a solo album, State of Play, in 1993. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
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Which Pre-Raphaelite artist painted 'The Scapegoat', presently on display at the Lady Lever Art Gallery? | Collection | Artists | The Scapegoat | The Pre-Raphaelite Gallery
William Holman Hunt (1827 - 1910)
The Scapegoat (1854-6) is a painting by William Holman Hunt which depicts the "scapegoat" described in the Book of Leviticus. On the Day of Atonement, a goat would have its horns wrapped with a red cloth - representing the sins of the community - and be driven off.
He started painting on the shore of the Dead Sea, and continued in his studio in London. The work exists in two versions, a small version in brighter colours with a dark-haired goat and a rainbow, held by Manchester Art Gallery,[1] and a larger version in more muted tones with a light-haired goat held by the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight.
Themes
| William Holman Hunt |
Which former England Cricket player was nicknamed 'Bumble'? | William Holman Hunt 1827–1910 | Tate
Wikipedia entry
Artist biography
Hunt was born in London, the son of a warehouse manager. He worked as an office clerk before being accepted at the Royal Academy Schools in 1844. He met J.E. Millais around this time. He exhibited at the Royal Manchester Institution from 1845, and at the Royal Academy and the British Institution from 1846. In September 1848, with D.G. Rossetti and Millais, he formed the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. The group's stated aims were:
1, To have genuine ideas to express; 2, to study Nature attentively, so as to know how to express them; 3, to sympathise with what is direct and serious and heartfelt in previous art, to the exclusion of what is conventional and self-parading and learned by rote; and 4, and most indispensable of all, to produce thoroughly good pictures and statues.
(William Michael Rossetti, ed., Dante Gabriel Rossetti: His Family-Letters, with a Memoir, London 1895, I, p.135)
In 1850 Hunt exhibited A Converted British Family Sheltering a Christian Missionary from the Persecution of the Druids (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford) at the Royal Academy; it was sold to Thomas Combe, who become his major patron, friend and business adviser. In 1852 he sold The Hireling Shepherd (City of Manchester Art Galleries), his first work to display his new style of symbolic realism which was intended to expressed Christian ideals. His 1853 Royal Academy exhibits attracted the attention of Thomas Fairbairn, who commissioned him to complete The Awakening Conscience (1853, Tate Gallery T02075 ).
Hunt left England for Egypt in January 1854, spending two years in the Holy Land. The major painting to result from this stay was The Scapegoat (1854-5, Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight). He contributed to Moxon's edition of Tennyson's Poems in 1857. In 1865 he married Fanny Waugh. They left England for the East in August 1866; however while in quarantine detention in Florence Fanny gave birth to a son, contracted miliary fever and died. Hunt returned to England in September 1867. The following year he travelled back to Florence to work on a memorial to Fanny.
Hunt was elected a member of the Old Water-Colour Society in 1869. He visited Jerusalem in August of that year. In 1875 he married Fanny's sister Edith, and returned to Jerusalem, where he began The Triumph of the Innocents (see Tate Gallery T03321 , N03334 ). He returned to London in 1878, preferring to exhibit at the Grosvenor and New Galleries (1877-99) or in one-picture exhibitions, rather than with the Royal Academy. His first retrospective was held in London in 1886, and was accompanied by the publication of his series of articles on the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in the Contemporary Review. He visited the Middle East for the last time in 1892. By the end of the century his eyesight had deteriorated. In 1905 he was awarded the Order of Merit and an honorary Doctor of Civil Law by Oxford University. His memoirs were published that year. A series of one-man shows was held in 1906-7, in London, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. In 1907 his painting The Ship (1875, Tate Gallery N02120 ) was bought by a group of his friends and presented to the Tate Gallery to commemorate the artist's eightieth birthday. He died in London.
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Wikipedia entry
William Holman Hunt OM (2 April 1827 – 7 September 1910) was an English painter and one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. His paintings were notable for their great attention to detail, vivid color, and elaborate symbolism. These features were influenced by the writings of John Ruskin and Thomas Carlyle, according to whom the world itself should be read as a system of visual signs. For Hunt it was the duty of the artist to reveal the correspondence between sign and fact. Of all the members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Hunt remained most true to their ideals throughout his career. He was always keen to maximize the popular appeal and public visibility of his works.
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In which country in 2003 was the 'Rose Revolution'? | BBC NEWS | Europe | How the Rose revolution happened
Printable version
How the Rose revolution happened
In November 2003, a revolution took place in Georgia - a revolution of a kind the turbulent region had never seen before.
Roses symbolised the protesters' peaceful intentions
Not one person was injured, not a drop of blood was spilled.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to protest against the flawed results of a parliamentary election.
The demonstrators demanded the resignation of Eduard Shevardnadze, a man who had ruled Georgia for more than 30 years in total, as its Soviet-era Communist Party boss and its longest-serving post-independence president.
Mr Shevardnadze told protesters they risked causing a civil war and he deployed hundreds of soldiers on the streets of Tbilisi.
At that point, student demonstrators decided to give red roses to the soldiers.
Many soldiers laid down their guns.
Parliament stormed
"People were kissing the police and military, it was really spectacular," said Giorgi Kandelaki, a 21-year-old student.
Constitutional changes have boosted Mr Saakashvili's powers
"And the roses of course which people had with them, which Misha carried with him into the parliament hall, that was the moment when people said that it was a rose revolution."
Misha is Mikhail Saakashvili, the US-educated 35-year-old firebrand who, on 23 November, led the demonstrators to the parliament building.
Along with thousands of his supporters he forced his way through the thick wooden doors of the parliament chamber where Mr Shevardnadze was inside, giving a speech.
Mr Saakashvili held a long-stemmed red rose above his head and shouted "Resign!"
He waved the rose in the face of Georgia's 75-year-old president.
Mr Shevardnadze's bodyguards rushed him out of the parliament building by a back door.
That was the moment that power changed hands in Georgia.
Anti-corruption drive
In January 2004, Mr Saakashvili was elected president.
The following month, the Georgian parliament passed constitutional amendments which strengthened the presidency at the parliament's expense, and gave the country a cabinet and a prime minister for the first time.
Then in March 2004, Mr Saakashvili's National Movement-Democratic Front won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections.
In the first year after the revolution, dozens of former government officials were jailed on corruption and embezzlement charges. Their assets were confiscated and their savings moved to state coffers.
One of Mr Saakashvili's two main allies in the Rose Revolution, Zurab Zhvania, became prime minister. The other, Nino Burjanadze, remained in her position as speaker of the weakened parliament.
Mr Zhvania died of gas poisoning blamed on a faulty heater, in February 2005.
| Georgia |
"Which author said ""Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries, because you were born in it""?" | Georgia's Rose Revolution | The Huffington Post
Georgia's Rose Revolution
11/24/2015 11:03 am ET | Updated Nov 24, 2016
ADST American Diplomacy, Warts and All
Georgia declared independence from the Soviet Union in April 1991; Eduard Shevardnadze was chosen as Georgia's second president in 1995. Several bloody conflicts wracked the young country early on, such as a stunning military defeat by a separatist movement in the region of Abkhazia and ethnic violence in the region of South Ossetia.
During this time, Shevardnadze's government faced many charges of corruption and steadily declined in support and popularity. The instability during Shevardnadze's presidency led to poverty and economic stagnation, which, coupled frustration with the government, led to a widespread desire for change.
On November 2nd, 2003, elections were held for the Georgian Parliament. These elections were seen as crucial for laying the groundwork for the 2005 presidential election, during which Georgians hoped to elect someone who could move the country forward.
It was suspected that Shevardnadze rigged the elections in his party's favor, and non-violent protests broke out on November 3, 2003, following the announcement of the election results.
This "Rose Revolution," so called for the roses protestors carried, resulted in the resignation of Shevardnadze and new elections being held the following January. Mikheil Saakashvili, a prominent politician and leader of the movement, ran unopposed and was inaugurated on January 25th, 2004.
Richard Miles served as the U.S. Ambassador to Georgia from 2002 to 2005.
Read the entire Moment here .
"You had to pay bribes to accomplish the most simple thing"
MILES: In 2002, people were not really looking for street action nor were they engaged in conspiracies to oust Shevardnadze. They were going through the motions of the democratic system but with the idea that change was still a year and a half or two years away.
In 2002, crime and corruption were rampant. You had to pay bribes to accomplish the most simple thing, policemen were not paid basically. A police or Customs Officer job was considered a license to steal. Policemen would buy their jobs from the local police chief or the regional police chief or the Minister, depending on how high up the job was, and he would then buy his uniform and his equipment, such as it was, and then he would collect bribes.
Physical conditions in the hospitals, clinics and schools were unbelievably bad. No electricity, no heat, no running water; children and the teachers would have to go out and use an outhouse in the back. Buildings not painted or repaired for 10 years; the windows broken and replaced with a piece of cardboard.
Each child, every day, had to bring in a couple of sticks of firewood to fuel the fire in this little tin stove to heat the class room that day.
In order to get medical care, you would pay the doctor directly -- you'd bribe the doctor in essence to provide you with a little bit of medical care, and your family would bring food for you and maybe a brazier and some charcoal to the hospital ward for a tiny bit of heat....
The issue was Shevardnadze's willingness to implement the decisions that he had made and by the stage of his career when we were together from 2002 to 2003 he either was no longer capable of implementing unpleasant decisions, unpopular decisions or really unwilling to.
That's one of the major reasons why you had this enormous feeling of hopelessness on the part not only of the population, but even on the part of the Members of Parliament, even the leaders of the Parliament, his own ministers, his own personal staff; the feeling of hopelessness was absolutely and totally pervasive and depressing as hell.
The Beginning of the End: The 2003 Parliamentary Elections
Q: The fraudulent election of 2003 -- how did we see that at the time and what happened?
MILES: That is what brought the Shevardnadze government down, basically. This was the regularly scheduled parliamentary election. And it's a real Parliament; it's not a rubber stamp in Georgia.
We felt as the Georgians felt, that the November 2003 parliament election was a rehearsal for the presidential elections in April 2005 and so we wanted to do everything we could to get the Georgian authorities to run an open and honest and decent election. It didn't have to be perfect but it should be something like our own elections, except for Florida I guess, and we really went at it hammer and tongs.
We spent a lot of U.S. taxpayer money on this process -- I'll give some examples. We set up an Election Advisory Committee of all the ambassadors who were interested in this issue and we included the Russian and the Chinese ambassadors if they wanted to come. The Russian ambassador would come from time to time, never did anything, but he'd attend from time to time. I never saw the Chinese ambassador but he was invited....
This wasn't an American thing, in other words. We involved the EC [European Commission], we involved the UNDP, UN Development Programme people there, we had the European Commission representative, we got the British and the others to provide a fair amount of money.
We organized a massive campaign to rectify the voter registration list. That list was just a bloody mess and so through USAID we rented a huge, vacant building, like a gymnasium; we filled it up with tables and chairs, computers, of course, and then we hired a small army of young people who would sit and type these lists precinct by precinct into the computer in a way in which you could cross-check names. The result was a pretty useable list. That cost over $1 million; I think $1.8 million or something to do all that.
Now, I have to confess that, in the end, these lists were often ignored by the various election commissions -- they preferred "their" lists which were easy to manipulate. But where you had a more progressive set of local election officials or a certain balance in the local electorate, then the lists were a wonderful asset.
We provided training, which we do in a lot of countries, but we did a lot of it in Georgia. It didn't matter which political party -- the government party, the opposition parties, the radical parties -- we would provide training for them, for election workers, even for people working in the political campaign. How do you run a political campaign? How do you organize a political rally? And so on. How do you do media? We organized working visits to the United States but we also had U.S. experts coming to Georgia.
We had a leading American expert on exit polls come to Georgia and help set up a professional exit polling system for Georgia so everyone would have a rough count of how the election was looking as the day went on. This proved quite valuable when I had my conversations with Shevardnadze after Election Day.
"Shevardnadze thought this fuss over the election would blow over and that he would be able to get away with this"
Then Election Day came. And actually the first returns on election morning indicated that things were going smoothly but then it got worse during the day and it was clear that the election wasn't going well.
The exit polls showed that the opposition parties were winning the majority of the seats in the Parliament, not one opposition party but two or three opposition parties, which all together would have developed a majority in the Parliament, and Shevardnadze's government party was coming in third or fourth and so they would have been relegated to a minority position in the Parliament, which they controlled up to that point.
The situation got worse during the day and meanwhile there were 600 foreign observers there in a country of four and a half million people; that's a lot of observers. And they issued a scathing report. My own people reported some of the weird things which they had seen. I went out and looked at a few polling places myself; it was just a debacle.
It was too obvious, too massive, too well documented by the foreign observers and the Georgian observers, too much at odds with the rather scientific exit polling which had been done, and Shevardnadze ran up against a very determined and dedicated and intelligent opposition in the form of [Mikheil] Saakashvili, the [future] President, but also backed up by Nino Burjanadze, the Speaker of the Parliament, and by Zurab Zhvania, who later became Prime Minister, who had been in the government before and had fallen out with Shevardnadze.
And the three of them called for a rally of their supporters down in the main city square of Tbilisi. A lot of people turned out, and to make a long story short they stayed for a month down there during very bad weather; this was already November. Tbilisi has relatively mild winters but it does snow and blow and it can get pretty damn cold and unpleasant. And the people stayed through all that.
The organizers were very good at changing the venue slightly, bringing in entertainment, declaring, "Okay, we're going to take a day off. Everybody go home and have a shower and a hot bath if you can and drink some tea and come back the next day and we'll do this again" and so on. And Shevardnadze just wasn't willing to compromise.
"Saakashvili saw the moment and in an astute, if demagogic, political move, began immediately to call for Shevardnadze's resignation"
Saakashvili, in contrast to the other leaders of the opposition, had immediately called for Shevardnadze's resignation.
Now, this was a parliamentary election and, logically the Georgians really should have focused on correcting the parliamentary election and worried about the presidency later, because after all the presidential election was set for April 2005 --only a year and a half away.
But Saakashvili saw the moment and in an astute, if demagogic, political move, began immediately to call for Shevardnadze's resignation. Neither Burjanadze nor Zhvania had planned to appear continuously at the demonstrations downtown. But they simply couldn't break away --the demonstrations were simply too big and too enduring -- so they began to reappear more frequently than they had planned.
People were already fed up with the Shevardnadze administration. They were unhappy over the poor collection of revenues, the abysmal state of the infrastructure, the failure to pay salaries and pensions and the increase in crime and corruption, and they responded to Saakashvili's repeated demand for Shevardnadze's resignation and so there began to be increasing pressure on Shevardnadze, not just to rectify the election but to resign.
In the end it was quite non-violent, quite bloodless. This was the Rose Revolution. It was a major political development and all achieved bloodlessly.
[The roses were] a kind of a gimmick, actually the idea of Mark Mullen, of the National Democratic Institute. I expect he was as surprised as anyone to see the way in which this became the symbol of the democratic movement in Georgia. But it was designed to demonstrate the non-violent nature of the opposition. Amazing, the over-sized role such gestures can assume.
In the last days just before Shevardnadze resigned, the opposition leaders called on their supporters to march on the Parliament building. Shevardnadze had decided to open the Parliament based on the fraudulent returns. Predictably, the opposition declared this an illegitimate Parliament, refused to attend the session and had then marched on the Parliament in a demonstrative way, carrying roses as a symbol of non-violence -- you know, "We're not carrying guns, we're not carrying clubs, we are carrying roses."
And as the opposition leaders approached the Parliament, and Shevardnadze was already in there speaking, the ranks of the uniformed policemen opened like Moses parting the Red Sea and the demonstrators poured into the Parliament building waving their red roses and declaring that this is an illegal Parliament and people should disperse and go home....
Shevardnadze was hustled out by his security guards, Saakashvili took the podium, the rostrum, and ceremoniously drank the tea out of Shevardnadze's glass that had been left sitting there on the rostrum and declared that the people have taken power, or whatever, and then everybody went home. They actually stayed around the building for a while but basically they went home....
"Some guy in the Parks Department had some very serious fireworks; the instant that resignation was announced, poom, off into the air went these fireworks"
That evening, as usual for the past month, there were tens of thousands of people out in the streets of Tbilisi. This was late at night; I was at the Embassy with the team, and you began to hear this roar.
We were close enough to where the people were to hear the roar of the crowd and at the same time they were broadcasting the news on the TV and on the radio and simultaneously, and I don't know what insightful civil servant had thought about this, but fireworks broke out. I mean, I'm talking about the kind of big fireworks that you have on the mall here on the Fourth of July.
So some guy in the parks department had somehow managed to get his hands on some very serious fireworks and the instant that resignation was announced, poom, off into the air went these fireworks. It was a pretty amazing thing, really.
[Presidential elections were held.] We were very supportive of the new government. [Inauguration in photo]...
And then after that, because the government immediately embarked on a serious reform program, and I'm not saying they did that perfectly...but it was so vastly superior to what the Shevardnadze government had done that there was no question that we would support these efforts and would be very helpful to them in the process. So we began doing things that we would not have dreamed of doing before with Shevardnadze.
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Which Dickens novel starts with a Thames boatman and his daughter 'Lizzie' searching for bodies in the river? | BUY IT
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����Charles Dickens wrote 14 complete novels between Pickwick Papers in 1836 and Our Mutual Friend in 1865. He charted the social course of Great Britain and played a part in bringing the injustices of the system to light. His works were revered by critics and the public alike. Released in serial form they were priced cheaply enough to be bought by the poorest labourer ensuring that his genius was recognised across class barriers.
����Seven of Dickens novels and his short novel A Christmas Carol are gathered in their mini-series form in the Dickens Collection . These comprise a formidable 33 hours of blacksmiths and orphans, toffs and conmen. Whilst this may present a serious challenge to the sanity of a reviewer charged with analysing the films within a timeframe, for the dedicated Dickens fan this is a collection to be treasured and watched at leisure with a guarantee of many hours of enjoyment.
����There are no duds amongst this collection. I found A Tale of Two Cities to be perhaps the most dated in style although it is not without its charms. It was good to get a chance to see the rare dramatisation of Our Mutual Friend although the transfer was a little poor by comparison with the others in the collection, judged by the year of production.
����There are some moments that I will treasure from the collection. One is seeing young Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe, as David Copperfield. Another is seeing a little known book like Martin Chuzzlewit elevated in status by some exceptional performances from Tom Wilkinson and Paul Schofield. Despite its faults the final moments of A Tale of Two Cities are unforgettable.
����Suitable for casual dipping as well as a dedicated Dickens Weekend this is a collection destined to bring joy into many a household.
| Our Mutual Friend |
What type of creature is a 'Fennec', which is native to North Africa and Arabia, and which has large pointed ears? | OUR MUTUAL FRIEND (Annotated) (English Edition) eBook: Charles Dickens: Amazon.it: Kindle Store
Di Giulia il 23 aprile 2016
Formato: Copertina flessibile Acquisto verificato
Our Mutual Friend it's quite the long book but you do not feel the length of it while reading it because the characters and the many turning points and surprises are enough to keep you interested, the descriptions sometimes can be a bit boring but the story is catching enough to not discourage you and make you put down the book. At the same time it could be kind of difficult for someone that is not native English like me, because it is written in not a very modern English so certain words can be a bit tricky to understand.
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In which Dickens novel does the action start with the Dover mail coach being stopped on Shooters Hill with a message for a passenger - lawyer 'Jarvis Lorry'? | A Tale of Two Cities: Amazon.co.uk: Charles Dickens: 9781517275471: Books
A Tale of Two Cities
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Product details
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (9 Sept. 2015)
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 15.2 x 1.8 x 22.9 cm
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[A Tale of Two Cities] has the best of Dickens and the worst of Dickens: a dark, driven opening, and a celestial but melodramatic ending; a terrifyingly demonic villainess and (even by Dickens standards) an impossibly angelic heroine. Though its version of the French Revolution is brutally simplified, its engagement with the immense moral themes of rebirth and terror, justice, and sacrifice gets right to the heart of the matter . . . For every reader in the past hundred and forty years and for hundreds to come, it is an unforgettable ride. from the Introduction by Simon Schama" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
With an exclusive introduction by Peter Ackroyd, these out of print editions are brought back to life with a fresh and timeless new look. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
By Misfit TOP 1000 REVIEWER on 1 July 2007
Format: Paperback
I will never, the rest of my life forget these two sentences. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness...." and at closing "It is a far, far, better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known."
Wow, this is not your usual Dickens. No quirky characters with strange names and laugh out loud moments, just a darn good story -- the story of two cities, London and Paris. It is difficult to put the plot into words, but when the book begins you are in London at the time of the American revolution and spies (or suspected spies) abound, and the story eventually switches to France prior to and during the French revolution.
Dickens does a marvelous job (as always) of building his story one step at a time and slowly peeling back the layers one at a time. This is not a put down and pick it up a week later kind of a book, it is very intense and complicated and you have to pay close attention. I was just floored at how he sucked me in with his descriptions of the mobs, terror and the madness of the revolution leading you to a nail biting finish. I admit to holding my breath during those last few pages!
Highly recommended, and well worth the time to discover (or rediscover) an old classic.
| A Tale of Two Cities |
What name links a woman who died in childbirth in 1537, and the role of 'Solitaire' in a 1973 film? | Mission Statement | NeoEnglish | Visit New Website: www.NeoTrainings.com | Page 247
Mission Statement
BOOK THE SECOND: THE GOLDEN THREAD
Chapter 1: Five Years Later
It was 1780, five years since Dr Manette was removed from the attic room over Defarge’s wineshop. The chapter opens with a description of Tellson’s bank, the institution that had looked after Manette’s affairs and had sent Jarvis Lorry to Paris. Tellson’s was a very old bank where things did not change much. At Tellson’s “the oldest men carried on the business gravely. When they took a young man into Tellson’s London house, they hid him somewhere till he was old.”
Outside the bank’s door could be found a messenger and a jack-of-all trades, one Jerry Cruncher who, when he was absent from work would be represented by his son, young Jerry Cruncher, twelve years old. The old man was a mysterious fellow who had another occupation which no one knew about. But he always said he was an “honest tradesman.” His son however used to wonder why his father’s fingers were stained with rust “Always rusty!… Where does my father get all that iron rust from? He don’t get no iron rust here!” And probably because Jerry Cruncher kept something to himself about the nature of his work, he was in a bad mood in the house and quarrelled with his wife. He said that he could not understand why she would spend so much time in prayers and said that he was certain that she was praying against his prosperity.
In this chapter, Dickens offers some strong social criticism against British conservatism and adds another element to the social comparison between “the two cities,” London and Paris.
‘Any one of these partners would have disinherited his son on the question of rebuilding Tellson’s. In this respect the House was very much on a par with the Country; which did very often disinherit its sons for suggesting improvements in laws and customs that had long been highly objectionable, but were the more respectable.’
In Britain, nothing seemed to change conditions except Death “which was Nature’s remedy for all things,… Accordingly, the forger was put to Death…the unlawful opener of a letter was put to Death…the holder of a horse at Tellson’s door, who made off with it, was put to Death…Not that it did the least good in the way ofprevention—but it cleared off (from this world) the trouble of each particular case, and left nothing else connected with it to be looked after. Thus Tellson’s in its day, like greater places of business, its contemporaries, had taken so many lives…”
Basically this is social criticism against the conservatism of the British and their refusal to change with the times. Meanwhile, in France the winds of change were blowing. The French aristocrats lived their lives in a delicate, refined world, totally insensitive to the conditions of the common people. In England, the aristocracy did not oppress the people in the same manner but they also opposed social reforms and clung on to objectionable customs and practices.
In the second paragraph quoted above, Death is seen as the great leveller. But this leveller was often used for the smallest of crimes. This legally sanctioned punishment was a great social abuse because it was often used against the common people who indulged in petty thefts and practices.
The mysterious Mr Cruncher
We know that Jerry Cruncher has another business apart from his messenger duties for Tellson’s bank. He calls himself “a honest tradesman” but his boots are dirty in the mornings when they were clean the evening before. Young Jerry is puzzled and so is the reader. He says that his hands are ‘rusty’ and yet his hands never get rusted in his work for Tellson’s. The elder Cruncher is always quarrelling with his wife who, we suspect, is quietly opposed to whatever Cruncher is doing. But we are not told of his secret occupations because this is Dickens’ way of drawing the reader on with the narrative.
Chapter 2: A Sight
In this chapter, Dickens gives a description of the British administration of justice at the Old Bailey, a well-known criminal court in London. There is a prisoner, Charles Darnay, who is accused of acting as a spy for the French king; if found guilty of high treason, the punishment would be death by “quartering”, or a form of slaughtering. It is this prospect of a hideous sentence that had attracted the attention of the crowd to the handsome young man who was in the docks.
Dickens also draws attention to a middle-aged man and a young woman who were seated in the courtroom. The prisoner notices the young woman whom he finds very attractive and beautiful. Also seated on the lawyer’s bench is an absent-minded lawyer who appears
to take no interest in the proceedings and is constantly staring at the ceiling. This is Sidney Carton, a man who will move from this courtroom to a position of supreme importance in the novel.
This chapter is a kind of a preparation for the dramatic events that we about to follow. We see Dr Manette, his daughter, Charles Darnay, the accused and prisoner, and above all, Sidney Carton, the briefless lawyer who is to play a central role in the novel.
In this chapter, Dickens also draws attention to the psychology of the crowd who are attracted by the morbidity of the trial and the prospect of the prisoner being sentenced to death. The merits of the case were not of the least interest to the crowd; all they wanted was blood and in this sense was no different from the rabble in the Paris streets. Dickens has also used his novel as a social comment and this chapter is an illustration of the common mentality of the people.
Chapter 3: A Disappointment
This is the trial of Charles Darnay accused of being a spy for the French.
The Attorney General says that the prisoner may be a young man but he is well-practised in the art of spying and treason. Not having much substance to press his charges, the Attorney General tries to stir the passions of the crowd and influence the jury against the accused through high-sounding phrases. He says that the chief witness, John Barsad, was “a patriot” and “an immaculate and unimpeachable witness for the Crown.” With melodramatic gestures, the Attorney General tells the jury that they “must positively find the prisoner Guilty, and make an end of him, whether they liked it or not.”
The Solicitor General first begins by questioning “the unimpeachable witness”, John Barsad, who had testified against Charles Darnay as a spy. Under close questioning, Barsad is shown up to be a questionable character, and certainly not a selfless patriot- as painted by the prosecution. Barsad was a man of property, living form its income but for the moment forgetful of just where that property was located. He also confessed that he had been to the debtor’s prison on five or six occasions. He also admitted that he had borrowed money from the accused but had failed to repay it; he had been thrown out of a gambling house for having cheated at dice.
After the Solicitor General broke down the first prosecution witness, the second, one Roger Cly, was called to the bar. He too broke down when his antecedents were questioned: he had been accused of theft and above all he had known the last witness for seven or eight years.
Jarvis Lorry was now called as witness, but the prosecution could not persuade him to identify Charles Darnay as having been a passenger with him from London to Dover. However, Lorry could identify the accused as a passenger during his return jurney from Calais to Dover. Lorry said he had been accompanied by a gentleman and a young lady on that trip, both of whom were seated in the courtroom. Lucie Manette was called upon to identify the prisoner. Yes, she said she had spoken with the “gentleman” (which was immediately corrected to “prisoner”) on the Dover-Calais boat. The prisoner had assisted her in making he father comfortable. Lucie Manette said the prisoner had talked about the American colonies and had even suggested that England was acting foolishly.
A witness was now called by the prosecution who said he had seen the prisoner in the coffee room of a hotel along with a well known French agent. This witness remained firm in his conviction about having seen the prisoner until the defence lawyer asked him to see Sidney Carton (he had slipped a note to the defence lawyer) who was sitting in the courtroom. Now look at the prisoner, the defence lawyer commanded: “How say you? Are they very like each other?” Despite the attractive appearance of Darnay and the dirty condition of Sidney Cation, the resemblance between the two was astounding. When Carton removed his lawyer’s wig, the resemblance was even more striking. The prosecution witness collapsed. Charles Darnay was acquitted.
Comment
Dickens has called this chapter A Disappointment because it is a disappointment to the people who had fathered in the courtroom in the hope that the prisoner would be sentenced to death. The intensity of the crowd’s interest is directly proportional to the punishment that will be meted out if the prisoner is convicted. Sadly, for them he is acquitted. So at the end of the trial when Darnay is released, Dickens says of the crowd of spectators that with a “loud buzz (they) swept into the street (like) baffled blue-flies… dispersing in search of another carrion.” The tide of the chapter belongs to the crowd whose sordid hunger for blood was not satisfied.
The courtroom scene is arranged by Dickens in much the same manner as that used in the broken wine cask episode in Chapter 5 of Book 1. There is “a touch of drama in this chapter, particularly when Sidney Carton casually tosses a note to the defence lawyer, suggesting the resemblance between himself and Darnay. This changes the whole trend of the case and Darnay is acquitted.
The prosecution witness is discredited by the marked resemblance between Carton and the accused. Just as Carton has used this device to help free Darnay, he will make use of it years later in France when this man’s life is imperilled once again.
Chapter 4: Congratulatory
When the drama finally ended, the participants all went home. In the five years since Dr Manette had returned from Paris, he had changed considerably. He no longer looked haggard and weak; his expression was alert and intelligent. But Sidney Carton noticed that during the trial, Dr Manette had his eyes fixed on Charles Darnay, with a look of fear and distrust on his face.
After all the participants had left, Sidney Carton led Darnay to a drinking house. Darnay had something to eat but Carton only ordered a bottle of port wine. Strangely, Carton was bitter and started to taunt Darnay. “That’s a fair young lady to be pitied by and wept for by! How does it feel? Is it worth being tried for one’s life, to be the object of such sympathy and compassion, Mr Darnay?” Carton continues like this throughout but Charles Darnay does not become annoyed. He remembered that Carton had helped to get his acquittal and thanked him for it. “I neither want any thanks, nor merit any,” was the reply. Later as they were getting up from the table, Carton said: “I am a disappointed drudge, sir. I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me.” Darnay replied that it was a great pity and that Carton should have employed his abilities far better than he had, to which Carton replied: “May be so, may be not. Don’t let your sobre face elate you, however; you don’t know what it may come to Good-night!”
When he was at last alone, Sidney Carton, with a candle in his hand, looks at his image in a mirror against the wall:
‘Why should you particularly like a man who resembles you? There is nothing in you to like; you know that. Ah, confound you…A good reason for taking to a man, that he shows you what you have fallen away from, and what you have been! Change places with him, and would you have been looked at by those blue eyes as he was, and commiserated by that agitated face as he was? Come on, and have it out in plain words! You hate the fellow.’
Comment
In this chapter we become acquainted with Sidney Carton and the miserable, wasted life that he leads. He is a drunkard and dressed in a very careless manner. Like all drunkards, he has a deep sense of bitterness that often lapses into Along with Sidney Carton, a reader would immediately compare him with the sobre Charles Darnay: the wholesomeness of Darnay and the debauchery of Carton. One of the reasons why Carton taunts Darnay is because he sees in him all the potential that he himself failed to fulfill. This confrontation between Carton and Darnay should be remembered by the reader especially when the relationship between the two is terminated at last. It will also be important to recall Carton’s remark about not caring for any man and no man caring for him and his depressed and self-pitying condition.
Chapter 5: The Jackal
Drinking was a popular pastime in eighteenth century England. Sidney Carton had taken to the bottle and perhaps under his influence so had the defence counsel in Darney’s case, Mr Stryver. But unlike Carton who had wasted his talents, Stryver was a rising lawyer and a great favourite at the court of Old Bailey. “He was like a great sunflower pushing its way at the sun from among a rank garden full of flaring companions.” However it had been noted among lawyers that Stryver lacked the ability to extract what was essential from statements and evidence and that this weakness was made up by his friend, Sidney Carton, who always accompanied Stryver on his cases.
On the evening that Carton had spent with Darnay and was totally drunk when he got home at 10 o’clock, a messenger came from Stryver’s house with an urgent summons. There were some important legal briefs for which Stryver needed clarifications. Carton went over immediately and plunged himself into the files, “aided with a liberal supply of towels and a basin of cold water” to keep himself sobre. Carton worked away, while Stryver lounged around on the sofa, glancing at a few papers. Seeing Carton continuously at work, Stryver remarked that Sidney was the same old Sidney he knew at school, “the old Seesaw Sydney”, spirited one moment and sad the very next, doing other boys’ lessons for them, and rarely attending to his own. Stryver told Carton that he was ruining his life through drink and drift but Carton would not get dragged into the discussion saying one should not discuss one’s past in the early hours of the morning when the dawn was breaking.
Stryver and Carton make an odd couple. Stryver makes his way through the world through sheer brashness and aggressiveness without any real talent at all; Sydney Carton has all the talent in the world but
gets nowhere because he does not care a damn either for himself or for the world around him. But the two make an excellent team in the courtroom—one feeding the other’s deficiencies.
Chapter 6: Hundreds of People
The scene that opens in this chapter is four months after the trial of Charles Darnay in the house of Dr Manette which was situated in central London. It was a quiet corner of London, away from all the noise and Lucie Manette had done up the house very well. Jarvis Lorry had gone there on some urgent business and was shown inside by Lucie Manette’s secretary, Miss Prom. As usual, Miss Pross was complaining about the number of people who came to the house as suitors to Lucie and most of them she did not approve of because no one was worthy of her Ladybird’s love! From Miss Pross, Jarvis Lorry learned that Dr Manette never talked about his past although he knew that this silence on his part did not indicate that he had completely forgotten what had happened and his mental disorder could not recur. Just as Lorry was talking to Miss Press, Lucie arrived and they had dinner together along with Dr Manette. Charles Darnay joined them later in the garden and he related a story about the Tower of London where he had been imprisoned for a while. He said there was a curious story going around the Tower of London where it is said a prisoner had buried a small leather bag with little bits of paper that put together made a story. On hearing this, Dr Manette suddenly felt uneasy and had to be taken inside the house. As they went in, Sidney Carton also joined them. The storm that was raging outside became worse and Lucie became pensive. She said that sometimes she would sit by the window listening to all the echoes and imagining they were sounds of “all the footsteps that are coming by and by into our lives.” When the storm abated, the guests left one by one, but all of them were strangely very quiet as if some great event was about to happen.
Dickens has written this chapter to foreshadow the French Revolution and the effect it would have on everyone in the room. Dickens has also introduced Miss Pross’ brother, Solomon, a total waster who had been accused of stealing her money, but to whom she was totally devoted. Later in the novel, Solomon Pross, Jerry Cruncher, and the two prosecution witnesses, Barsad and Cly, have to play a crucial role. Dickens introduces many minor characters in his novels whom we tend to dismiss but all of them together tie up many loose ends of the novel towards its end. So, it will be here too.
Chapter 7: Monseigneur in Town
The scene now shifts to France. In English, monseigneur means “My Lord”, the title of address for any of the great noble lords of the French court. These lords lived a superficial life, totally unaware of what was going on around them and indifferent to the conditions of the people. And because they lived a life of their own creation, the courtiers who surrounded them were incompetent and ignorant too; they were hangers-on whose only job was to keep the Lord happy and free from all tensions. Dickens has described the life of these Lords and in the courts in great detail to underline the basic reasons why the French Revolution took place.
Dickens describes the scene in the court where one of the hangers-on was unhappy with the Lord because he had not been given what he deserved. Irritated, he entered his carriage and ordered the coachman to drive off with the greatest speed. As the carriage was driven recklessly, a small child came under the wheels and died instantly. Its father weeping pitifully, huddled his child and a crowd gathered immediately. The Marquis was annoyed at the delay and flung a gold coin at the crowd and ordered his coachman to drive on.
Another man appeared on the scene and comforted the weeping father, Gaspard, with the observation that the child had died quickly and without pain. “Could it have lived an hour as happily?” he added. The Marquis who was standing nearby overheard the remark and asked the name of the man who had passed the comment. The man replied his name was Defarge, the wine-vendor. At this, the Marquis flung another gold coin to Defarge and then drove off. Suddenly a gold coin was flung into the moving carriage and the Marquis, enraged at this arrogance, halted the carriage. The man named Defarge had disappeared. Meanwhile, Madame Defarge who was watching the whole scene from inside the wineshop did not stop knitting for a moment.
Comment
It is the picture of the decayed aristocracy that Dickens presents in this chapter. The whole tone of the description is bitterly sarcastic. The entire French aristocracy was totally insensitive to the sufferings of the people and “this leprosy of unreality disfigured every human creature in attendance upon Monseigneur.”
In this chapter we meet Monseigneur, the Marquis as well as Monsieur and Madame Defarge. All four represent social types in Dickens’ novels, but three continue in the novel as individual characters.
Monseigneur is a great lord, pampered and adored by his courtiers; the Marquis, in his desire for attention from the Monseigneur, is the epitome of the aristocracy on the eve of the Revolution; the Defarges represent the common people of France, embittered by the excesses of the ruling class and ready to risk their lives for a violent revolution. In many ways, Madame Defarge particularly stands for the symbol of “the inexorable fate itself, silent and expressionless, an almost timeless figure as she knits without pause.”
Chapter 8: Monseigneur In the Country
The Marquis, after running down the poor boy in Paris drove straight out to his castle in the city. Dickens describes the impoverished condition of the country and the poverty of the people—the result of the unbearable taxes that were levied on everyone and everything. The Marquis’ carriage had a short halt at a checkpost, located near a mountain in a village. The Marquis came out to stretch his legs and noticed that a man was staring at the carriage in a strange way. Why? The Marquis demanded to know. The peasant said that he had seen a man riding beneath the carriage, hanging on to a chain there. He said he did not know who the man was because he was covered by the dust of the road but he did know that he did not belong to the village. The Marquis instructed a minor official of the village to look out for a strange-looking man, and drove off. On the way to his castle, a peasant woman submitted a petition for a piece of stone or wood as a grave marker on the spot where her late husband was buried. Impatiently, the Marquis heard her petition and even as he spoke, his valet thrust the poor woman aside and the carriage drove off.
When the Marquis reached his castle, he asked his servant whether ‘Monsieur Charles’ from England had arrived as yet. The answer was that he had not.
This chapter reveals two things: first, there is wretchedness everywhere in France––in the cities and the countryside—but the nobility is never satisfied; second, the poor, although they are oppressed, are not prepared to give in easily. The rider underneath the carriage was Gaspard, whose tiny child had been crushed beneath the carriage only a short time earlier.
Chapter 9: The Gorgon’s Head
The Marquis’ castle was “a stony business altogether’ which meant that it was very well protected, as well as very artificially decorated. There were stone flowers, stone urns, stone lion heads and stone faces of men. A dinner for two had been set out in one of the large dining rooms. Monseigneur was ready to dine but his nephew, Charles Darnay had not yet arrived from London. After a little while he did and the two men got into a furious argument. It was obvious that the relationship between the two was not at all pleasant. Charles Darnay said that their family name. Evrémonde, was in disgrace throughout France. The Marquis was not moved at all. Charles Darnay continued to press that many wrongs were being done in his late father’s name and that he was being compelled to support a system that he deeply hated. Charles Darnay said he would rather give him all his titles and privileges—in France itself—rather than support such a cruel system. He added that he intended to live in England and begin a new life under the name of Darnay. The Marquis enquired whether he knew another Frenchman and his daughter, who now lived in England. Darnay could not question his uncle on this because tempers were high and both went to bed.
During the night, a strange face was seen in the moonlight but no one took much notice of it. In the morning, the Marquis was found with a knife through his heart with a note pinned on the body: “Drive him fast to his tomb. This from Jacques.”
Comment
This is an important chapter because it shows that Charles Darnay belongs to the noble family of Saint Evrémonde, the most hated in all France. This relationship has an important bearing on the development of the novel because it has been established that Charles Darnay belongs to the French aristocracy and particularly’ to the hated Evrémonde family. The Marquis’ innocent enquiry whether he knew another Frenchman and his daughter—by which he meant Dr Marlette and his daughter, Lucie…indicates that he could have made treason charges against his nephew and passed these on to the revolutionaries.
The Marquis had been murdered by Gaspard, the father of the child who had been run over by the Marquis in Paris. It was he who was travelling under the Marquis’ carriage and was covered with dust in the journey from Pans.
The conversation between Charles Darnay and the Marquis is also important. The Marquis’ observation that “the detestation of the high is the involuntary homage of the low…The dark deference of fear and slavery…will keep the dogs obedient to the whip…I will die, perpetuating the system under which I have lived.” This goes to show how deep was the contempt of the French aristocracy for the poor. Dickens is preparing us for the outbreak of the Revolution and all its honors.
Chapter 10: Two Promises
During the year that passed since the murder of the Marquis, Charles Darnay established himself as a tutor in the French language and literature in England. He also undertook some translations to supplement his income and divided his time between London and Cambridge University. His love for Lucie Manette steadily grew stronger and stronger, until one day he told her of his feelings. Lucie responded positively but asked Darnay to speak to her father. Dr Manette took the news in a most curious manner. He appeared to be deeply disturbed when Charles told him of his love for Lucie. Seeing that Dr Manette still did not respond, Darnay said: “You have loved yourself; let your old love speak for you.” The doctor lapsed into even greater silence but on Darnay’s insistence to say something he said that if Lucie confessed her love with the same intensity as he had, he would not come in the way. But Darnay could see he was not happy and even cried out to him to stop.
Darkness had fallen when Darnay left. Lucie returned after seeing Darnay off but when she came into the house she found that her father was not in his reading chair. Instead she heard a loud hammering sound coming from her father’s room. Peering into the room, she found him working with his shoemaking tools. Lucie Manette calls out to her father and together they retire from the room.
Comment
Why was Dr Manette so upset on hearing of the news of Darnay’s love for his daughter? Because Darnay is an Evrémonde, the very family that was the source of Dr Manette’s long suffering in prison. It is a moment of acute agony for Lucie’s father. The shock is obviously too much for the old man whose memories of the long years in prison come back to hint and he goes back to his shoemaking. It is of course a temporary lapse and Lucie is able to soothe him but the past has begun to cast its shadows on what is in store.
Chapter 11: A Companion Picture
Sidney Carton had been working overtime in Stryver’s office for many days. On the very day that Charles Darnay had confessed his love for Lucie Manette, Carton had been clearing a lot of papers in Stryver’s office and, as usual, was quite drunk. Stryver announced that he intended to get married to Lucie Manette and settle down to a happy married life, and advised Carton that he should change his ways and settle down too. He also said that Carton should choose as his wife a rich landlady with money who would take care of him and his future. Carton listened to Stryver and took another round of drink.
Chapter 12: The Fellow of Delicacy
Stryver made up his mind that before the closing of the courts, he would propose to Lucie Manette and clinch the matter. On his way to the Manettes’, he dropped in at Tellson’s Bank to see Mr Jarvis Lorry and let him know of his plans. When he told the older man of what he intended to do, Lorry told him to be careful of what he set out to do, or at least be sure that there was a reasonable chance of success. Rather offended and not sure what Lorry meant, Stryver asked whether he was not legible, and prosperous and promising. Lorry controlled a situation that was rapidly getting difficult and embarrassing—he was after all a close friend of the Manettes—and undertook to find out the chances from Dr Manette and Lucie directly. Lorry did so, and told Stryver that it would not be wise to pursue the matter further.
Chapter 13: A Fellow of No Delicacy
Sidney Carton had been a regular visitor to the Manettes’ house and usually he came in quite drunk and depressed. He was a “moody and morose lounger”. On this particular day in August, Carton was in his usual depressed self and broke down when he saw Lucie alone. He told her that he had tried to reform his ways of living many times but it all came to nothing. But he wanted her to know that it was she who inspired him to change his ways for the better, to give up drinking and he wanted her to keep this secret and not even tell “the dearest one ever to be known to her.” She said she would do so. Just as he was about to leave, he said that if ever in his life there was “any opportunity or capacity of sacrifice in it, I would embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you… think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you.” Lucie Manette was crying when Sidney Carton left the house.
Comment
This chapter should b cad along with the previous One in which Dickens has sketched he personality of Stryver. Stryver, despite his outward appearances of a gentleman, is really a brash, stupid human
being. Sidney Carton, who was always very poorly dressed and invariably drunk was considered bad company by the high society of London. But we see that he is really a man of great delicacy and sensitivity who can understand the problems of other human beings in trouble.
Chapter 14: The Honest Tradesman
Just what did Jerry Cruncher do, apart from being a messenger for Tellson’s bank is made clear in this chapter. One day when Jerry Cruncher and his son sat outside the bank, a hearse passed with a single mourner. Jerry learned the dead person was Roger Cly who had been a spy at the Old Bailey, and a witness at the trial of Charles Darnay. A crowd accompanied the hearse into the graveyard and so did Jerry Cruncher following behind them. Cruncher saw the burial from a distance and on his way back dropped in to see his “medical adviser”, a most reputable surgeon.
On reaching home, Cruncher told his son to retire to bed early and said he too would go to bed soon as he was tired. He pretended to undress but the son knew he had other things in mind. So he too pretended to drop off to sleep but saw that his father, along with a crowbar, rope and chain and a sack, set out of the house at one o’clock in the morning. After leaving the house, the father (the son was following at some distance behind) was joined by two other men and they proceeded to the graveyard. From a spot near the gate, the young Jerry, saw his father and two companions begin their ‘fishing’ by digging up the grave and raising the coffin from where it lay. Terrified the boy ran all the way home and did not stop till he was safely in bed.
Jerry Cruncher had a fight with his wife next morning for no apparent reason. On the way to the bank, the young Jerry asked his father was a Resurrection-Man was”. He was a tradesman of scientific goods, he said. The son said he hoped to become a resurrection-man when he grew up.
Comment
In this chapter, we come to learn what the real occupation of Jerry Cruncher was: he was a body snatcher, digging up graves and selling the corpses for scientific experiments. Roger Cly who had appeared as a prosecution, witness in the trial of Charles Darnay now makes a reappearance as the corpse, with the lone mourner to see him to the graveyard. Who was the lone person? We will come to hear of him again but what is important to bear in mind from this chapter is that Dickens introduces minor characters who come to play significant roles in the novel later on. The tendency to dismiss minor characters and minor happenings by readers is a mistake because it is these that tie up the loose threads of a Dickens novel.
Chapter 15: Knitting
In the wine shop of the Defarges, it is six o’clock in the morning but already some figures are hunched over their cups of thin, lifeless wine. This was the third day of early drinking in the shop and there was an air of deep conspiracy in the air. Monsieur Defarge was not about and it was Madame who was dispensing the wine in her husband’s place. At noon, Monsieur Defarge enters the shop accompanied by the mender of roads, the man called Jacques, who had told the Marquis at the village that he had seen a man clinging to the underside of his carriage. Defarge took the road mender to his room upstairs and there met three men: Jacques One, Jacques Two and Jacques Three. Defarge was Jacques Four and the road mender, Jacques Five.
Jacques Five started telling the story of the Marquis coach and the man who hung underneath it. It took the police a ful year to catch him and charge him with the murder of the Marquis. Gaspard, who had murdered the Marquis, was sentenced to death and after the petitions of pardon to the King and Queen failed, he was hung in the public square and his body was left hanging for a long time to warn the people of the fate of those who disobeyed the law. After the story was completed, Jacques Five was asked to wait outside while Defarge and the others conferred. Jacques One asked what was to be done, and the latter replied: ‘To be registered as doomed to destruction.” The King’s castle and his family were to be destroyed. Defarge then announced that he would take Jacques Five to Versailles (the place outside Paris where the King and Queen lived) on Sunday to see the King and Queen. The others were astonished and asked if it was a good thing that he wished to see the royalty. Defarge replied that you must show a cat milk if you expect that cat to hunger after it, and likewise a dog must know its natural prey if it is to bring it down eventually.
On Sunday, Monsieur and Madame Defarge and the road mender went to Versailles by public transport. All through the trip, Madame Defarge continued to knit and when she was asked what it was that she knitted, she replied calmly, “Shrouds”, which means a piece of cloth to wrap a dead body. When the King and Queen appeared the road mender shouted with great enthusiasm, “Long live the King,” but then regretted it. Madame Defarge said it was good because the royalty would not suspect anything. Madame Defarge commented that if the road mender saw a heap of richly dressed dolls and gaily feathered birds, would he not destroy them. The road mender, who was somewhat afraid of Madame, agreed. Then, added Madame, you had seen these dolls today!
Comment
“To be registered as doomed to destruction.” It is in Madame Defarge’s knitting that this register of doom is contained. In her seemingly endless knitting, Madame Defarge is recording the names of those who are to be executed in the coming revolution. So, when Madame Defarge says that she is knitting a shroud, she is actually telling the truth to Jacques Five: all the names of people who are to be done to death are being knitted and what she is knitting is a piece of cloth to wrap many dead bodies!
Dickens in this chapter is building up an atmosphere of conspiracy and preparing us for the coming revolution which will destroy the old aristocracy of France.
Chapter 16: Still Knitting
On their way back from Versailles, Monsieur and Madame Defarge stopped for a while at a checkpost outside Paris. Defarge had a friend there who told them that a new spy had been assigned to their district and his name was Barsad. The guard described the spy to Defarge and Madame made a mental note of the details and promised to record his name in her register of knitting. The Madame checked some accounts and added that the revolution was on its way. When it comes, it will grind everything in its path. Monsieur Defarge just stood in front of his wife in admiration, or as Dickens puts it, “like a docile attentive pupil before his catechist.” (A catechist is a religious teacher in Christianity who gives oral instructions to his pupils.)
On the following day, a stranger entered the wineshop in the morning. Almost as soon as he did, Madame Defarge put a rose in her name which was an indication to the others in the shop to leave at once. The stranger, who was the English spy, John Barsad, asked a number of questions but Madame Defarge just ignored them saying that she knew nothing about the execution of Gaspard in the public square or about the mood of the people. After a while, Monsieur Defarge entered and Barsad addressed him in familiar tones of Jacques.
Defarge replied that his name was Ernest and not Jacques and remained cold and aloof. When Barsad got no responses from the Defarges, he himself started giving information the Manettes were happily settled in England and that Lucie Manette was getting married to Charles Darnay. This shocked Monsieur Defarge and after Barsad left, he remarked to his wife how strange it was that after all their efforts and sympathies for Dr Manette and his daughter that the girl’s husband should be a member of the hated French aristocracy. Madame Defarge said that destiny will take a person where it will and Charles Darnay’s destiny will take it to his. And she knitted his name as well as Barsad’s into her knitting register!
This chapter once again brings out the strong will and determination of Madame Defarge and in contrast the weaknesses of her husband. The Madame can wait for the right time to come—the husband is impatient and a much weaker personality. It will take an equally strong personality to get the better of Madame Defarge and we have met her already in Miss Pross.
Chapter 17: One Night
Lucie Manette had set aside the final evening before her marriage to pass with her father. Although Lucie was delighted with the prospects of her marriage to the man she loved, she still could not understand her father’s curious attitude towards Charles Darnay. But Dr Manette assured her that there was no hesitation on his part to bless the marriage and told her that the marriage would strengthen the bonds between them. Dr Manette also spoke for the first time of his long imprisonment in France and how he had thought of her as a grown up girl and her marriage. After his long period of suffering, these reflections were a great source of strength to him.
But Lucie was not entirely satisfied with her father’s response. Something she felt was being kept back and at night she came into her father’s room and kissed his hand.
Chapter 18: Nine Days
The wedding passed off peacefully. After the marriage the party returned home and Lucie and Charles Darnay left for their honeymoon. Jarvis Lorry who had attended the marriage noticed that Dr Manette had a strange expression on his face and did not look quite well. After attending to some work in his bank, Lorry came back to Dr Manette’s home and heard a strange noise like that of a knocking from the doctor’s room. Dr Manette was at his bench making shoes and did
not even recognise Miss Pross. He could not recognise Jarvis Lorry either and carried on with his shoe-making. As days passed there was no change in Dr Manette; in fact all that happened in nine days was that his shoe-making became better and better and the hands that had not practised the art for a long time now found their old touch.
Comment
Why was Dr Manette so upset and looked pale and disturbed at the wedding? This is because Charles Darnay had told Dr Manette that he is an Evrémonde and a French aristocrat—a member of the very family that was responsible for his imprisonment. Buried terrors have been revived and the doctor is now drawn in two separate directions by two conflicting emotions. On the one hand, he desires only Lucie’s happiness; on the other, he cannot deny his hate and fear of that aristocratic family that had been responsible for so many dark years of his life. Dr Manette goes back to his shoe-making in which he found his solace during his years in prison.
Chapter 19: An Opinion
On the morning of the tenth day following Dr Manette’s relapse, Jarvis Lorry woke up—he had been sleeping in the doctor’s house—to find him sitting at the breakfast table reading a book. Dr Manette had no memory of what had happened and Jarvis Lorry decided to find out in a tactful manner what had happened. Dr Manette understood what Lorry was trying to do, and said that the relapse was prompted by a recollection that was itself the first cause of the affliction. The man was not unaware of the possibility of such a relapse; but the shock of the association that was brought to his mind was too much for the mind to take. In taking to making shoes, or in getting back to the workbench, the doctor substituted the “perplexity of the fingers for the perplexity of the brain.” Dr Manette added that the most serious part was over and it would require a truly heavy emotional blow to awaken the mental illness.
After this episode, Lucie and Charles Darnay, along with Jarvis Lorry and Miss Pross decided to cut the workbench into pieces and burn it completely. The tools, shoes and the leather were also buried in the garden.
Comment
From what had seemed a condition of almost total psychological breakdown, Dr Manette had mustered enough strength to understand his condition and to be able to fight it. Dr Manette finally agrees to get rid of the props of his life—the workbench, tools, shoes, etc.—but only on condition that it is done in his absence. In a sense, Dickens is fortifying Dr Manette psychologically for the great trials that he will have to face in the near future. This chapter also shows Dr Manette’s great psychological weakness as well as the great strength and potential of his mind and will.
Chapter 20: A Plea
Sidney Carton came to see Charles Darnay and Lucie Manette on their return from the honeymoon. Carton drew Darnay aside and spoke to him in a tone of great sincerity and purpose. He wished that Darnay and he might be friends and he could come and visit them once in a while. He also hoped that Charles Darnay would forget his wretched behaviour on the evening after Darnay’s trial when they sat together in the tavern. Charles Darnay told Carton to forget all about it and that he was free to come and go whenever he liked.
Later that evening, Darnay spoke to Lucie about the curious conversation he had with Sidney Carton and said what a pity it was that he was a drunk and dissipated. Lucie said she believed that Sidney Carton was “capable of good things, gentle things, even magnanimous things.”
Comment
Dickens is gradually building up Sidney Carton form the human wretch he is to something much greater. His love for Lucie Manette, one which he had always known could not be realised, has gradually elevated him, if not in his own eyes, at least in those of his friends. Lucie Manette’s remark that Carton is capable of “magnanimous things” is a prophetic remark, for Carton is to prove capable of the most magnanimous gesture.
Chapter 21: Echoing Footsteps
A daughter had been born to Charles and Lucie Darnay and the child changed the whole complexion of the house. Sidney Carton came, and as promised totally sabre, and the child grew very fond of him. Meanwhile, Stryver had married a very rich widow and continued to give moral instructions to Carton on how to get on in life.
Across the Channel, the long-awaited Revolution finally broke out. The Bastille, the prison where the wretched of France had been kept, was stormed and taken. The Defarges led the way, followed by a huge crowd aimed with pickaxes, pikes, bayonets, muskets, powder and ball––in fact anything that would bring the old order crashing down. When the walls of the Bastille broke down, Monsieur Defarge forced one of the prison officers to lead him to One Hundred and Five North Tower, to the place where Alexander Manette had been imprisoned for so many years Accompanied by Jacques Three, he pushed his way through the crowd to the cell. On the wall was written, “A M. a poor physician”. Defarge and Jacques ransacked the cell, as did the crowds who had surged inside the prison walls. Below, the Governor of the Bastille was seized by the surging sea and dragged along. Beaten and stabbed by a multitude of hands, he fell dead. The heads of prison guards were cut off and raised upon pikes. The Revolution had finally broken out in all its fury.
Comment
Dickens has called this chapter Echoing Footsteps because what happens in France finds its echoes in England, particularly on the Darnays and Dr Manette, The peace and quiet of Soho and the Darnay household will be shattered soon and Dickens brings out the contrast between the two cities, which although separated by the English Channel, will merge with one another as surely as “the tongues of two cities were blended in little Lucie Manette.”
The Cell in the North Tower: You will recall that on one occasion, when Charles Darnay was recounting a story about a prison diary left in the Tower of London, Dr Manette felt very disturbed. Defarge and Jacques when they break into the cell which had been occupied by Dr Manette were actually looking for some evidence that would implicate Charles Darnay, the French aristocrat related to the detested Evrémondes.
Chapter 22: The Sea Still Rises
There was no let-up in the Revolution. People wanted blood and more blood of the aristocrats, and the wineshop of the Defarges became in many ways, the storm centre of the Revolution. A woman who came to be called The Vengeance because of the savagery of her recent butchery became Madame Defarge’s lieutenant in the wineshop. As The Vengeance sat next to Madame Defarge she knitted on, adding more and more names of aristocrats who had to be executed. Monsieur Defarge suddenly burst into the shop with the information that a French Aristocrat named Foulon who was thought to be dead—he had faked his own funeral––was just discovered in toe countryside. At this news, the crowd howled for his blood.
Dickens describes the crowd scenes in great detail. The crowd empties out of the wineshop and led by The Vengeance muses down from street to street, rousing the people to come out and arrest Emden who had been brought from the countryside and kept in a hotel. The old man was pulled out and hung at the nearest lamppost. The rope breaks. A new rope is produced and the aristocrat is strung up again. Again it breaks. The head is cut off and raised on a pike. News comes that Foulon’s nephew has come to Paris. The crowd surges to meet him. He is surrounded by a guard of live hundred soldiers but there is nettling they can do to protect him. His head and heart are cut off awl hoisted on a pike.
Gradually the fury of the crowd subsides. When the wineshop is closed, it is nearly morning and Monsieur Defarge continents to his wife that it has come at last, “Almost,” was the Madame’s reply.
Comment
The sea is still rising. What the wild mobs have demonstrated so far is only the beginning of the terrible bloodbath in which France would be plunged. So, when Monsieur Defarge tells his wife that it has finally arrived, she says “almost” because the climax has yet to come.
Chapter 23: Fire Rises
In this chapter Dickens describes how a revolution spreads into the countryside, far from its centre. Here the work was done by the Jacquerie, the group of committed revolutionaries who were simply called Jacques. They went from town to village and told them what was going on. In the village when Gaspard was hanged for the murder of the Marquis, things were not as they had been. The prison that looked down on the town did not seem as ominous as before. The soldiers were not as numerous as they once were, and there was always the doubt in the officers’ minds that their orders would not be obeyed. Instead, throughout the countryside, strange and unfamiliar faces were to be seen, members of the Jacquerie whose task it was to move throughout France sparking the violence and terror of the Revolution. Like elsewhere, the first casualty is the aristocrat’s villas and castles. A fire, whose origins no one knows or cares to know, is seen rising from the chateau. Calls for firemen, come but no one responds. The officers who had observed their soldiers just gazing at the rising fires, responded simply: “It must burn.”
Comment
You will recall that in chapter 15, Jacques One (i.e. Monsieur Defarge) when informed of Gaspard’s hanging had said, “to be registered and doomed to destruction” by which he meant that the chateau and all the race had to be exterminated. The first part of this declaration has now been satisfied, for the chateau of Saint Evrémondes has been razed. Now the question is how Charles Darnay and his family can be lured across to France and executed. This would be done by Monsieur Gabelle, a tax collector of the village, whose life is spared by the revolutionaries only to get him to write a letter to Dr Manette and the Darnays which would bring them across the Channel.
Chapter 24: Drawn to the Lodestone Rock
During the three years since the fall of the Bastille, Tellson’s bank in London had become a focal point for news on the French Revolution because many French aristocrats had opened their accounts in the bank. Some, who could not see the revolution coining in France, were in need of money which they borrowed from the bank. Therefore there were a lot of French aristocrats who came to the bank with news of what was happened across the Channel in France and how the revolution was getting along.
On a certain misty morning, Jarvis Lorry and Charles Darnay talked of a forthcoming trip to France by Mr Lorry. Darnay wanted to go but Lorry said that it was necessary that he go himself to attend to affairs in Tellson’s Paris office and to recover the records and important documents of customers. As they were discussing this matter, a letter arrived at Mr Lorry’s desk, addressed to Marquis Saint Evrémonde. Mr Lorry did not know that Charles Darnay and Saint Evrémonde were the one and same person for Darnay had disclosed this information only to Dr Manette, on condition that it was a secret between them. After telling Mr Lorry that he knew the whereabouts of the Marquis, Charles Darnay read the letter.
It was written by Monsieur Gabelle, the tax collector who said he had been imprisoned by the revolutionary council on the grounds that he had been a loyal servant of the hated Marquis and his family and could now be saved only if he would come and plead his case. After some hesitation, Darnay decided to make a short trip to Paris but he did not tell his wife of Dr Manette. Instead he wrote two letters, one to his wife and another to Dr Manette, explaining why he had to go to Paris on short notice. These letters were delivered to them after he left for Paris.
Comment
Charles Darnay had fallen neatly in the trap of the French revolutionaries. An aristocrat was simply an aristocrat and there was nothing that could be done to save him, even though Charles Darnay had renounced his title, his estate and all aristocratic rights. Madame Defarge’s prophecy (chapter 16) upon hearing of Lucie Manette’s marriage to Charles Darnay, that “her husband’s destiny will take him where he is to go, and will lead him to the end that is to end him.” is about to come to true.
neoenglish MA English-Literature
Charles Dickens had divided his novel into three parts or three books as he called them: Book the First: Recalled to Life; Book the Second: The Golden Thread and Book the Third: The Track of the Storm. Between them, the three books deal with the tale of the two cities, London and Paris, with the French Revolution as the main backdrop to the story. Here is a detailed summary of the chapters in each part of the book.
BOOK THE FIRST: RECALLED TO LIFE
Chapter 1: The Period
It is the year 1775 and Dickens describes the political, economic and social conditions of the age:
‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the age of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, We had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.’
In France, as in England, things followed in their usual course and the regular pattern of affairs reflected both wisdom and foolishness, hope and despair, light and darkness. This brief chapter shifts from one side of the English Channel to the other and back again. What Dickens does here is to prepare us for the two stages upon which he is to present his story: France and England. Both countries were corrupt and diseased; and if England was perhaps slightly better off than France, it was just a matter of degree. In a sense this chapter also serves as a prophetic pointer to the tragedy that lies ahead in the novel.
Para 2: ‘There was a king with a large jaw’ etc: This refers to King George III and his wife, Sophia of England and to King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette of France.
Chapter 2: The Mail
On a cold and misty night in November 1775, a mail coach struggles up the hill on the road to Dover. Three passengers, heavily padded up against the cold sat silently in the coach, hoping against hope that they would reach Dover safely because England at the time was threatened with highway robbers. As the coach reached the top of the hill, the driver and passengers heard the sound of distant horses. The horseman was challenged by the guard—apart from the driver, there was always a heavily armed guard seated with him—who stood suspicious and ready to fire. The horseman asked if the coach was the Dover mail and if a passenger, Mr Jarvis Lorry, was travelling on it. The horseman said, if so, he had got a message for Mr Lorry from Tellson’s Bank of London. Mr Lorry got off the coach and read the message: “Wait at Dover for Mam’selle,” and added that his answer to the sender was “Recalled to Life.” The horseman was very puzzled by the reply and said to himself, “That’s a blazing strange answer.”
You will notice that Dickens commences the action of the novel on a note of mystery. The message sent back by Mr Lorry, ‘Recalled to Life’ in the dead of night in the middle of the highway to a mysterious horseman immediately creates a secretive and puzzling atmosphere. But, as the novel develops, the statement proves prophetic. It is characteristic of Dickens that he lets drop a number of innocent statements whose loose ends weave together as the plot of the novel thickens.
Chapter 3: The Night Shadows
As the coach struggles off into the mists, Jerry Cruncher, the messenger, made his way back to London, slopping off for a drink or two at the numerous ale houses on the way. He kept thinking to himself about the curious message he had received from Mr Jarvis Lorry and reminded himself constantly that such a thing as coming back to life would not do as an answer. There must something more to it but he could not figure out what this could be.
Meanwhile, in the coach, Jarvis Lorry who described himself as “a man of business” dozes off with the constant jostling. The bank of Tellson rarely left his thoughts even in his drowsiness and dreams: keys, bank drafts, vaults, and the many inner secret places of the bank. And along with the images of the bank were a multitude of faces, faces that crowded in on him. He dreams that he is going to dig someone from his tomb, but which of the faces before him Was the buried man he could not tell. Each of the faces in the dream were the same, that of men of forty-five or so, all haggard and tired with
sunken cheeks and pale skins. Again and again, Lorry enquires: “Buried how long?” And the reply was always the same, “Almost eighteen years.” The emaciated man, with a worn and tired face confessed to having abandoned all hope, to which Lorry inquires if he knew he had been “recalled to life” and wished to live. The dreaming Lorry asked, “Shall I show her to you?” But the replies of the old man were all muddled and confused, the longing giving way to pain and bewilderment. Lorry also dreams that he is digging, sometimes with a spade, sometimes with the keys of a vault and sometimes with bare hands. Finally freed, with his body filled with dust, Lorry is jolted out of his dreams. But the dreams were so real to him that when the sun rose, Lorry gazed out of the coach and remarked: “Gracious Creator of the day! To be buried alive for eighteen years.”
Mr Lorry’s Dream
Mr Jarvis Lorry tells us time and again in the novel that he is “a man of business” who is not interested in idling his time and that his sixty years of life were marked by a practicality and a clear vision of what he wanted to do. He is, in other words, “a man on a mission”, but he is also a haunted man who is about to perform a function not expected from a man of business. Again and again, he says “recalled to life”, “buried alive for eighteen years”, “I hope you care to live?—I can’t say”, and so on. These words are mysterious and suspenseful, the answers to which we will get later in the novel. But as a reader you want to know why he introduces these elements so early in the novel. Part of the reason is of course that suspense and mystery keeps alive a reader’s interest. But, more importantly, you must remember that Dickens wrote the novel in a serialised form in the magazine, All the Year Round from April to November 1859. Dickens successfully created suspense and anticipation: the lonely road to Dover, the mist and the rain, the silent passenger huddled together in the cold, the dream of Jarvis Lorry which shows that there is something very real and dreadful troubling his mind. All these elements combine to draw the reader into the heart of the narrative.
Chapter 4: The Preparation
When the coach arrived at Dover, Jarvis Lorry registered at the King George Hotel. He enquired about the schedule of boats leaving for Calais on the French coast and then went up to his room, cleaned and shaved, and had breakfast. Being a well-disciplined man who had repeatedly described himself as “a man of business”, Lorry had acquired all the appearances of a staid, polished banker who could be relied upon on any urgent matter of business. After breakfast, Jarvis informed the hotel manager that he wanted a room to be reserved for a young lady who was expected to arrive that very day. He also told the manager that the young lady would inquire about him by name or simply ask for a gentleman from Tellson’s. Late in the afternoon, after Lorry had his lunch, ‘Mam’selle’, or the young woman Lorry had been waiting for arrived. She was shown to her rooms and called for Mr Lorry immediately.
The young woman was Lucie Manette, the daughter of Dr Manette and she had been advised to go to Dover to meet a representative of Tellson’s bank. She was also told that she would have to journey to Paris on “some business matters concerning her father.” Tellson’s bank had told her further details about the name of the business would be revealed by the representative in Dover but she should be prepared to find it of “a surprising nature.” Finding it difficult to break the news, Lorry began very gently by telling her how he had brought Lucie Manette to England following her mother’s death, with the girl believing that her father was dead. But, Lorry said, her father was alive, in Paris, and they must now journey there to bring him to England where she could restore him to good health after a long prison confinement. But Lorry said that the whole affair must be carried out in great haste and the utmost secrecy. All the time that Lorry relates the story to Lucie Manette, he does so with the utmost gentleness saying that he was “a man of business”, it was “a business charge”, “there were business relations” that he was merely doing what he was doing as an act of duty.
Lucie Manette knew very little about her father apart from the fact that he disappeared mysteriously when she was a child. Her mother, desiring to keep the curious circumstances of his disappearance from her, had allowed her to believe that her father was dead. But the father had been imprisoned for a long time in the Bastille and was now about to be released in a very poor mental and physical condition.
After her mother’s death, Tellson’s bank had attended to the financial affairs of the Manettes and the entire property and assets had passed on to Lucie. But she knew nothing about her father. Lorry’s main task was to prepare her for the shock and also to tell her that although alive, her father had greatly changed over the years and may not even be able to recognise her. But, Lorry hoped that love and affection would restore the old man to health.
Lucie Manette sat stunned and paralysed. Shocked by her condition, Lorry cried out for help because this “man of business” had not encountered anything like it before. On hearing the cries, “a wild-looking woman…all of a red colour…(and) red hair (who) by laying a brawning hand upon his chest (sent) him flying against the nearest wall.” Addressing Lorry, “you in brown” the woman turned to Lucie and consoled her in the gentlest manner. The woman was Miss Pross who plays a crucial role in the novel towards the end.
“A Man of Business”: Why does Dickens constantly describe Lorry as “a man of business?” He does so to show that Lorry is a man without feeling who repeatedly tells Lucie that the whole matter has to be looked upon as a matter of business, business that must be done calmly and collectedly. But is the real Mr Lorry so hard and businesslike? He is endowed with much feeling and sentiment and is really a tender, thoughtful, sensitive personality because while he tells Lucie that the matter is urgent and grave he does so with great feeling and understanding that completely wins the young girl to his side.
Miss Pross: We are introduced to Miss Pross, who acts as Lucie’s companion as well as cook. Here again, she is shown as a gruff and wild-looking woman but whose rough exterior gives way to warn emotions when her “darling pretty” (as she calls Lucie) is involved. This aspect of her character comes through again and again and especially towards the end.
Chapter 5: The Wine Shop
The scene shifts for the first time to Paris, France.
In front of a wine shop in a very poor district, St Antoine in Paris, a cask of red wine had toppled from a cart, cracked open, and spilled out on the street. From all directions, people run towards the spilled wine, scoop it up and start to drink it. Some scoop it up with their hands, some soak their rags and then squeeze out the wine, while others even pick up the broken pieces of wood from the wine casks. But they all drink frantically and eagerly and just for a brief moment of their lives there is much laughter, gaiety, embracing and dancing. After all the very poor and idle in France before the Revolution had nothing to do and went hungry all the time. And after the wine was over, the poor went back to their hovels and to their miserable existence with nothing to do. One poor soul, drunk and sodden with all the spilled wine had scrawled across the wall: BLOOD.
What Dickens shows in this scene is that dirt, cold, ignorance, hunger and illness was everywhere. Filth and disease bred in the foul streets; the people were in rags, and in some of them burned a deep hatred that waited for a time to express itself. This is what the description of the wild man who had written BLOOD across the wall is meant to convey: the poor may be ignorant and incapable of doing anything constructive, but there were some who could and it was these people who became the leaders of the French Revolution.
The keeper of the wineshop, Monsieur Defarge had seen the whole scene and even scolded the man who had scribbled across the wall. As Defarge enters the shop, his wife, Madame Defarge was sued behind the counter. She was about thirty years old, a little stout, but she had the ability to see everything without appearing to see anything at all. And Madame had the astonishing quality of maintaining her calm all the time, keeping her restless hands busy, knitting something or the other. Dickens has painted the personality of Madame Defarge so well in this novel that she has become a metaphor for any woman who is strict and unforgiving and does not smile at all!
When Monsieur Defarge entered the wineshop, Madame coughed and raised one eyebrow to suggest to her husband that he should look around the shop. In the corner of the room were an elderly gentleman and a young woman, but Defarge seemed to take no notice of them and continued to talk to three customers and discuss the incident of the broken wine cask. They all addressed each other as ‘Jacques’ which is a common French name like Jack in English probably because they did not want to be identified in front of strangers. In the course of the conversation, one of them said that the wretched people of Paris did not know good wine from bad and it was all the same to them. Black bread and death was all they could look forward to in life, and nothing more. The conversation was continuing in this aimless manner when Madame Defarge coughed loudly to draw her husband’s attention. Monsieur Defarge told his customers that the room they wanted was on the fifth floor and then excused himself.
Sitting in the corner of the room were Jarvis Lorry and Lucie Manette. Monsieur Defarge took them into the courtyard and then through a very narrow and dirty staircase to a little room at the top. On the way up, Defarge told his visitors that he had been Dr Manette’s servant and had brought him from the prison and had kept him in the room alone out of ‘necessity’ because the doctor had changed greatly.
When the three of them reached the little room at the top, Defarge took a large key from his pocket. Lorry wondered why he had locked up the old man but Defarge replied that not to do so would be
dangerous for Dr Manette, having been imprisoned and kept alone for a long time: “He would be frightened—rave––tear himself to piecesdie—come to I know not what harm—if the door was left open.”
When the three entered the room, they saw a stooped figure of a white-haired man, seated and bent busily over a workbench on which he was making shoes.
Chapter 5 is a crucial chapter in the novel. For the first time, Dickens introduces the reader to the second city, Paris and to the poverty and squalor of the ordinary people. Oppressed by hunger, poverty, disease and idleness, the spilled cask of wine provides a moment of joy to the people. In the poverty of Saint Antoine, there is no comfort, unless it lies in the hope that a time for vengeance is coming.
This is the significance of the tall, thin man who scrawls the word, BLOOD on the wall. In this way, Dickens is able to show that a bloodbath is on its way with the French Revolution. When Monsieur Defarge “perhaps accidentally perhaps not” places his hand on the man’s heart, while enquiring whether there is no other place on which he could write, Blood, Defarge’s concern is not for the defacement of public property but that such a vengeful name should be written, not publicly, but on one’s heart until the time is right to strike. This is the symbolic message of this action in the novel.
The Defarges: This chapter introduces Ernest and Therese Defarge. They represent the spirit, the fierce hate and the longing for vengeance against the aristocracy. In fact, they are more than this. They are leaders of the revolutionary movement and take a significant part in it. But they we different from the rabble in the streets. They are intelligent and cunning, especially Madame Defarge who is shown as the more forceful of the two personalities. Both play a crucial role in the novel and the reader should re-read this chapter, especially to draw a comparison between the husband and wife.
Chapter 6: The Shoemaker
When Ernest Defarge, Jarvis Lorry and Lucie Manette entered the attic rook, Defarge first spoke to the gray-haired figure at the workbench. He asked him why he was still working so hard. For a long time there was silence. Then Dr Manette raised his face and said in a very weak voice, “not the faintness of physical weakness (but that) of solitude and disuse. It was like the last feeble echo of a sound made long and long ago.” Dickens describes Dr Manette’s physical and mental condition closely to show the hell he had gone through in prison. Defarge asked Dr Manette what he was doing and after a great deal of hesitation he said he was making a lady’s shoe, and when he was asked what his name was, he said, “One Hundred and Five, North Tower.” Lorry came and stood close to Dr Manette and was soon joined by Lucie. It now became a story of how the father recognised his long-lost daughter and how the two embraced each other. Lucie, overwhelmed by a mixture of sadness and supreme joy, told her father that they would return to England where he could rest in peace. Arrangements are made to take Dr Manette back to London and Lorry and Lucie take the old man into the coach.
Dickens describes the scene of the departure at some length. When the daughter and father reach the bottom of the staircase, an “unnatural silence” seemed to hang in the air, and the only person to be seen was the expressionless Madame Defarge, knitting and unconcerned with anything about her. As Dr Manette entered the coach, he suddenly asked for his shoemaking tools. Madame Defarge said that she would fetch them, and quickly returned with the articles. She then goes back to the shop and continues her knitting as if nothing had happened.
Throughout the night’s journey, Lorry gazed at the wasted figure of Dr Manette and heard the same words that had haunted him on the recent trip to Dover: “I hope you care to be recalled to life?… I can’t say.”
With Chapter 6, Book 1 of A Tale of Two Cities concludes. Dickens has told the reader of the mystery of the curious messages received on the Dover road and of the union of the father and daughter after eighteen years of separation. But this happiness is only temporary. Ahead lies the French Revolution, an event that will draw these three people and some others too.
Monsieur and Madame Defarge
Both the Defarges were to play a crucial role when the Revolution broke out. Here Dickens is merely preparing the reader to the character of the ordinary French people who were so oppressed by the social and economic conditions that all compassion had been stamped out, leaving only a smouldering hate for the system and the aristocracy. The reader is also made aware that Madme Defarge is too quiet, too observant, too busy with her continuous knitting. She has yet to play her true role in the novel, and when she does it will be a powerful one, terrible and frightening for the Manettes. She is an example of strong characterisation, created gradually rather than by a direct
statement Dickens had specialised in creating characters in bits and pieces in all his novels, and the making of Madame Defarge is one of them.
neoenglish MA English-Literature
When Charles John Huffham Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, the great nineteenth century of political, social and literary change was only beginning. The Victorian Age, when Dickens was to reach his greatness as a novelist lay ahead; and in the year of his birth, Napoleonic France received its first setback at the gates of Moscow, which was followed in 1817, 1830 and 1848 with the liberal movements that overthrew some of the revolutionary message, of the French Revolution.
But France remained nonetheless continually in men’s minds throughout his life. In 1837, Thomas Carlyle’s History of the French Revolution had a profound impact on English thought and made a specially deep impression upon Dickens, and it is on this dramatic episode that his A Tale of Two Cities came to be written.
The Tale of Two Cities—London and Paris—shifts, as its name suggests, from England to France, arid back again settling down finally in France. In its English episodes, Dickens tells us something of the condition of England at the time of George III: the squalor of everyday life—which grew considerably worse in Victorian England as the industrial revolution gathered momentum—the conduct of justice—and injustice—as administered in the London courts; the close-packed, haphazard, drunken London of old times. Through one of his characters in this novel, Jerry Cruncher the bank messenger and ‘Resurrectionist’, Dickens even gives a glimpse of the illicit violation of the hallowed churchyards and sale of dead bodies for the dissection table of the doctor. Dickens does not bring out the sordidness of Victorian England to the extent he does in Oliver Twist and David Copperfield but he does tell us something of the life and times in the first half of the nineteenth century in England when the industrial revolution began to make its impact on the lives of ordinary men and women.
But it is with France and the French Revolution that the main theme of the story is concerned. It is the first five years of the Revolution, 1789-1794, when the Terror was at its height and thousands were executed or guillotined, that forms the backdrop of A Tale of Two Cities; subsequent events when ‘the Revolution ended and the Republic began’, are mentioned en passant but do not form the core of the novel. But it is important to remember that while Dickens wrote a historical novel there are some deviations from the actual course of events and a historian would not take it as an accurate picture of how the revolution developed its elan and then petered away. A Tale of Two Cities must therefore be read as a novel where the novelist’s imagination is stretched to its limits and allowed full play.
The book, written in 1859, has in fact been regarded as one of Dickens’ most mature works and differs from his earlier novels in three noticeable points. First, it has an elaborately constructed plot: his characters are carefully delineated and are not allowed to run away without any aim or purpose. Second, in the semi-historical nature of his theme, the descriptions of courts of justice, the French Bastille, the old aristocracy in Britain and France are as close to the actual conditions as possible. In fact, the bulk of the background information for A Tale was drawn from Thomas Carlyle’s The French Revolution and from “about two cart loads” of books that Carlyle sent Dickens while he was writing the novel! Third, Dickens’ description of “the topmost stratum of the social world in England and France” and the lowest layer of all, “the uncultured, the poor, the quaint, the ruffianly, the oppressed” are so true that social historians have used the material in A Tale as source material for a social history of the times. Dickens was to say later that he regarded A Tale of Two Cities as perhaps his best work (he was equally fond of David Copperfield) for which he Lad to do an enormous amount of research, quite apart from using Thomas Carlyle’s The French Revolution as a basic guide to the momentous events of the Revolution
THE STRUCTURE OF THE STORY
The story opens in 1775 when the troubles were just beginning in France. Dr Manette, an old Bastille prisoner, long believed to be dead is brought away from Paris. It continues in 1780 when the troubles had begun to reach a boiling point with the trial in London, on false charges of treason, of one ‘Charles Darnay’ who was believed to be a member of the French aristocratic family which had imprisoned Dr Manette. Meanwhile ‘Darnay’ had married two years later the Doctor’s daughter and had two children. The Revolution in 1789 brings to the surface all the pent up emotions of the poor and the oppressed who storm the Bastille and unearth an old confession of Dr Manette in one of the prison cells. Darnay, in the meantime, goes to France to rescue an old friend and is immediately arrested by the French revolutionary council as a member of the French aristocracy. The year is now 1793 and the beginning of the Reign of Terror. Darnay is tried, acquitted, and then re-arrested and condemned to death. Darnay is rescued from the guillotine much against his wishes by his friend and look-alike, Sidney Carton who sacrifices his life for Darnay and his family, and above all for his love for Lucie Manette.
But A Tale is considered a great novel not merely for the story that Dickens weaved with the French Revolution in the background. It is remembered for the array of characters that Dickens brings into play in the drama of terror and for the self-sacrifice of Sidney Carton, a drunken and dissolute advocate.
neoenglish MA English-Literature
Having quoted an extract from Changing Places, Belsey gives us a summarised view of teacher student discussion. I don’t find myself disagreed. But when she names this type of sharing a common sense view of literature, I don’t find myself agreeing to Belsey.
To accept the teacher-student sharing, or finding common points in their understanding, as a common sense view of literature, would simply mean that the function of common sense – of course with other defined or undefined functions – is to provide a kind of general or overall type of understanding which is indeed not the case. Instead, Belsey should have termed her meanings as common view of literature.
The words ‘obvious’ and ‘natural’, written in single inverted commas, indicate the function of a common sense view of literature. In this way of viewing texts the obvious and natural understanding of literature is considered the most important.
Some times the lies are so unobjectionable that they seem truths. The above view about the untenability of authorship is one of such lies. It seems acceptable because it is new. Otherwise the authorship of an author is still unchallenged.
Creations need force. They have never been automatic – I mean independent or self-dependent – in nature. What we need to point out is – not in any case the importance or role of a writer – but the function of a writer in the process of creation. We can say that a text may carry meanings beyond writer’s perceptions. But we cannot say that the role of writer is finished as soon as the text of certain meaning (in my opinion, whatever we write and read, whatever we express and understand, are meanings) is finished. The opinion of writer about his text remains still dominant. What others can say may well be called quite irrelevant to the text.
What Barthes says may prove true in its context. But it shall not be truth in real, it shall merely be an illusion of truth. If the surrounding or the mind of writer is meaningless once the text is created, why the texts written in different periods become incomprehensible in others, why the feelings in reading a text written two hundred years ago are different from the feelings we find in reading a text written in our own age?
In fact what is I want to point out is quite abstract in apprehension. The knowledge and pleasure we get out a reading are not based on the written signs of certain meanings. Rather they are based on the growth or level of mind this knowledge and pleasure took place from. The knowledge and pleasure are in fact the names of certain growths. We can simply call these growths the intellectual and emotional growths. When we try to understand a text we in fact try to communicate with the mind of that text’s writer. The arrangement of written signs in certain meaning is nothing in itself. That is why the different writers are different in readings.
If there is no author, and if the process of creation is automatic, why all the creations are not new in content, why all the writers are not equal and same in mind? The difference in texts and authors proves that the text is still dependent on author, and that it remains dependent on its author even after centuries of its author’s death. As the mind is impossible without environment, the under-standing of mind is impossible without the understanding of environment.
What I feel in this case is quite different from what most of the critics feel with respect to the text and its ultimate meanings. In my opinion the job of a critic is to feel the unsaid in the text, and present it to the readers in a non-creative way. To present this unsaid, however, he should rely upon the related sources, the writer has left in other writings.
Sometimes the creation takes place in parts. To understand a written text we should place it with the other texts written by the same writer and the other writers at the same time. What modern critics say about the authority of text and death of author is but a kind of fallacy. It seems quite impracticable. This rereading of text is a kind of writing another text – or simply rewriting.
As a whole the idea is no doubt a great success in critical practice. We can feel that criticism is also a kind of creative form. The critics are not parasites but creative writers. But the problem is we cannot accept Barthes concept in the evaluation of a poem or fiction. We can give him some concession if he is applied to some philosophical, political or scientific texts.
In these lines the empiricism and eclecticism are rather confused with each other. The most common definition of empiricism is the philosophical belief that all knowledge is derived from the experience of the senses. In other words the application of observation and experiment, rather than theory, in determining something is called empiricism.
The eclecticism, however, seems quite different a discipline. Mostly the way of choosing what is best or preferred from a variety of sources or styles is called eclecticism. In other words we can say that an eclectic view is made up of elements taken from various sources.
What Belsey wants to say in the above lines is the function of common sense with respect to the language we speak. In other words we can say that she wants to discuss the role of language in the formation of a common sense.
Belsey means to say that the opacity and tyranny of lucidity create an impression that takes the reader away from the objective reality. What is said is said in such an exaggerated way that the reader remains unaware of contextual truth.
Pluralism, in simple words, is a quality of text withholding more than one meaning. The co-existing of different meanings in a single term or word may also be called pluralism.
In the above lines Belsey has pointed out the commonest way of writing about literature. However, Belsey’s disliking or not-preferring-this-way-of-criticising-a-literary-text is not very difficult to detect.
This is very much an impressive way of writing. Critical works are mostly dull and drab. This way of writing a critical book makes its readers involved, and keeps them in a kind of suspension. It may self-evidently be called an impressive style.
Here in the above lines we can see a glimpse of Belsey’s pluralistic approach. This is indeed a specific characteristic of her work. What Belsey means by pluralism, seems quite explicit in itself.
The comments, Belsey has so far given on New Criticism, do not prove if she is approving it or not. Her comments are based on her personal understanding, and we cannot say that the theory and practice of New Criticism was really of the aim what Belsey has introduced us with.
neoenglish MA English-Literature
About the Book
What is poststructuralist theory, and what difference does it make to literary criticism? Where do we find the meaning of the text: in the author’s head? in the reader’s? Or do we, instead, make meaning in the practice of reading itself? If so, what part do our own values play in the process of interpretation? And what is the role of the text? Catherine Belsey considers these and other questions concerning the relations between human beings and language, readers and texts, writing and cultural politics. Assuming no prior knowledge of poststructuralism, Critical Practice guides the reader confidently through the maze of contemporary theory. It simply and lucidly explains the views of key figures such as Louis Althusser, Roland Barthes, Jacques Lacan and Jacques Derrida, and shows their theories at work in readings of familiar literary texts.
Critical Practice argues that theory matters, because it makes a difference to what we do when we read, opening up new possibilities for literary and cultural analysis. Poststructuralism, in conjunction with psychoanalysis and deconstruction, makes radical change to the way we read both a priority and a possibility.
With a new chapter, updated guidance on further reading and revisions throughout, this second edition of Critical Practice is the ideal guide to the present and future of literary studies.
In an attempt to become at least a bit more familiar with contemporary debates about critical theory, I recently finished reading two introductions recommended by one of my professors, Dr. Scott Crider. They were Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction by Jonathan Culler and Critical Practice by Catherine Belsey. Both were accessible (a quality rarely found even in an introduction), yet neither appears to oversimplify. So what is theory? Jonathan Culler includes the following items:
1. Theory is interdisciplinary–discourse with effects outside an original discipline.
2. Theory is analytical and speculative–an attempt to work out what is involved in what we call sex or writing or meaning or the subject.
3. Theory is a critique of common sense, of concepts taken as natural.
4. Theory is reflexive, thinking about thinking, enquiry into the categories we use in making sense of things, in literature and in other discursive practices.
Culler also includes a very helpful appendix, which offers brief paragraphs on each of the major theoretical movements from Russian Formalism to Queer Theory–quite a handy little reference. Catherine Belsey’s Critical Practice is a bit less accessible than Culler, but effectively traces the challenges to what she terms “common sense criticism.”
One major question in literary theory concerns meaning. What is meaning, and how does it function? Is it within or outside a text? Does it dwell with the author or the reader? Here’s a crude illustration of “meaning” I made while reading Belsey:
So meaning lies at the intersection between these four criteria: 1) Authorial Intent; 2) The reader’s perception; 3) The text itself; 4) Historical and Traditional Context. Though I am sure more criteria exist (perhaps the graph should be made three-dimensional?), I find the above illustration quite helpful. I also made a similar illustration for the human self, one that is equally crude yet somewhat helpful.
Like meaning, the self lies at the intersection between two dichotomies: Individual/Social and Made/Given. Again, this graph is taken from my reading of Belsey, who handles the issue of the human self with a great deal more subtlety and precision than my illustration.
When I was an undergraduate in Canada encountering literary and cultural theory for the first time, my teachers pointed me towards two introductions, Catherine Belsey’s Critical Practice (1980) and Terry Eagleton’s Literary Theory: An Introduction (1983). Each in their fashion, these books stirred the blood, inviting students to a struggle waged over the literary text (as I remember it). There was never any doubt as to where these texts stood: they told us what to distrust and firmly put us on a new path. Belsey armed her readers with Althusser and Lacan and sent them out to slay ‘common sense’ and the ‘classic realist text’ wherever they found them.
What is poststructuralist theory, and what difference does it make to literary criticism? Where do we find the meaning of the text: in the author’s head? in the reader’s? Or do we, instead, make meaning in the practice of reading itself? If so, what part do our own values play in the process of interpretation? And what is the role of the text? Catherine Belsey considers these and other questions concerning the relations between human beings and language, readers and texts, writing and cultural politics. Assuming no prior knowledge of poststructuralism, Critical Practice guides the reader confidently through the maze of contemporary theory. It simply and lucidly explains the views of key figures such as Louis Althusser, Roland Barthes, Jacques Lacan and Jacques Derrida, and shows their theories at work in readings of familiar literary texts.
Critical Practice argues that theory matters, because it makes a difference to what we do when we read, opening up new possibilities for literary and cultural analysis. Poststructuralism, in conjunction with psychoanalysis and deconstruction, makes radical change to the way we read both a priority and a possibility. With a new chapter, updated guidance on further reading and revisions throughout, this second edition of Critical Practice is the ideal guide to the present and future of literary studies………In this now classic exposition of critical theory, Catherine Belsey explores the possibilities for a new critical practice that draws on semiotics, Marxist theory and psychoanalysis.
neoenglish MA English-Literature
Biographical Information
English Literature has swelled above its own banks. No longer purely English if, indeed, it ever was, it is no longer purely literary either. We have largely done away with the literary canon and the value judgements it implied, and at the same time blurred the line between English and its surrounding disciplines. Critics are now required to be not only historians, but also interpreters of materials other than written texts: paintings, portraits, monuments, rituals, dramatic performances, cityscapes, and all the materials of everyday life.
Among the early postwar symptoms of this expansion, Cultural Studies broke away from English Literature in the 1960s. As defined by Raymond Williams, Richard Hoggart and others, Cultural Studies was everything that English was not: contemporary, popular, and theoretically self-aware. Its practitioners developed skills in reading visual and aural culture.
The new discipline was given a major boost by the development in Paris at the same moment of a form of cultural analysis that drew on structuralism and linguistics. But these French theories posed — and continue in their current incarnation to pose — a problem for the binary opposition that prevails in the UK between English and Cultural Studies. The rationale for isolating the study of popular, contemporary culture from high culture and the culture of the past now seems largely historical and institutional.
I shall propose that we move towards Cultural Criticism, which, while more comprehensive than either in its objects of knowledge, would have, paradoxically, less difficulty in defining itself as a skill and justifying itself as an intellectual pursuit. Its defining strength would be a close attention to the signifier in all its forms.
Biography
Professor Belsey’s main area of work is on the implications of poststructuralist theory for aspects of cultural history and criticism. Her books include Critical Practice (1980), Desire: Love Stories in Western Culture (1994) and Shakespeare and the Loss of Eden: The Construction of Family Values in Early Modern Culture (1999). Her present project is Culture and the Real, a consideration of the limitations of contemporary constructivism in the light of Lacanian psychoanalysis. Professor Belsey chairs the Centre for Critical and Cultural Theory, a research forum for discussion and debate on current views of the relation between human beings and culture.
neoenglish MA English-Literature
A Romaunt
In 1809 Byron, with his friend, John Cain Hobhourse, left England for a tour of Portugal, Spain, Malta, Albarnia, Greece and Turkey. When he returned, he had completed two cantos of a long, semi-autobiographical poem he called Childe Buriun’s* Pilgrimage. When his distant relative R.C. Dallas urged him to publish the poem, it was retitled Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, and prepublication copies were carefully circulated among influential members of the nobility and other tastemakers. As Byron said, he awoke one mom-ing and found himself famous.
* The title ‘childe’ does not mean ‘child’ in our sense, but is rather a medieval term for a squire on the point of taking his vows of knighthood. Byron insisted, in the preface to the original poem, that it was not autobiograhical: “Harold is the child of imagination.” But his disclaimers were not taken seriously by the reading public and the identification of Harold with Byron was indeed largely responsible for the immense celebrity (and notoriety) into which the poem’s publication thrust him. And the original working title of the poem, which Byron composed during his tour of the Mediterranean and the Near East (1809-11) was Childe Burun-’Burun’ being an archaic form of Byron.
On the strength of Childe Harold, and then of the “Oriental” romances he published rapidly in the next three years, Byron from 1812 to 1815 enjoyed an almost unprecedented celebrity in the literary and social world of England. Men and women alike wept at public readings of Childe Harold, popular illustrations of the gloomy exile Harold (usually exactly like Byron and often contemplating a gravestone) abounded. Not since Georthe’s 1774 novel of sentiment and despair The Sorrows of Young Werther, had a book caught suprecisely the tone of the age.
In 1815-16, however, Byron’s popularity weered toward immense notoriety. Starting from his disastrous marriage, socially ostracised because of his rumoured liaison with his half-sister Augusta Byron Leigh, Byron left England in 1816 never to return. And, in the first two years of his self-imposed exile, he completed the poem that had brought him his initial success, publishing Canto III of Childe Harold in 1816 and Canto IV in 1818. The two later cantos have seemed to many critics powerful, more deeply honest in their articulation than the first two. And, certainly under the influence of his newly-acquired fried Percy Bysshe Sheeley, Childe Harold Canto III represents Byron’s closest approach to the prophetic strain of Romantic poetry. But a re-examination of Canto I of the poem rhows it, too, to be poetry of a very high-if idiosyncratic order.
Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage purports to describe the travels and reflections of a pilgrim who sated and disgusted with a life of pleasure and revelry, seeks distraction in foreign lands. The first two cantos take the reader to Portugal, Spain, the Ionian Isles and Albania, and end with a lament on the bondage of Greece. In the third Canto the pilgrim passes to Belgium, the Rhine, the Alps and the Jura. The historical association of each place are made the poet’s theme, the Spanish War, the eve of Waterloo and Napoleon, and more especially Rousseau and Julie. In the fourth canto the poet abandons his imaginary pilgrim and speaks in his own person, of Venice, Arqua and Petrarch, Ferrara and Tasso, Florence and Boccacio Rome and her great men, from the Scipios to Remzi.The story of the progress of Childe Harold, however, is not the story of Byron’s own fortunes and reversals. Throughout his life Byron was an obsessive and voracious reader of history, and Harold is deeply imbued, throughout its course, with a sense of the events which were shaping the future of Europe as Byron wrote. In 1808 Napoleon, in an attempt to strangle Britain’s foreign markets, had attempted to occupy Portugal, a long standing British ally, and had met with unexpected resistance from the Portuguese, as well as with a newly efficient British army. Napoleon then removed the Spanish king from his throne, installing his own brother Joseph-and found himself faced with a Spanish revolution of real ferocity. Thus began the Peninsular War (1808-14), which signalled the turning of the tide of conquest against Napoleon.
Napoleon’s defeat came in 1815 at Waterloo. But the aftermath of that defeat, the reconciliation of the old monarchies (symbolised by the return of the Bourbons to the throne of France) was, to many libertarians and revolutionaries grimmer threat to freedom than the unified Europe of Napoleon’s dream. So the “deepening of tone” readers have found in the last two cantos of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, however intimately it may be related to Byron’s own life, is also a result of the added complexity, melancholy and even grudging admiration the events of 1815-16 forced upon the poet’s conception of the flawed but titanic character of Napoleon.
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