text:
Talk:John Reith, 1st Baron Reith

Improvements
I've been working on improvements to this article, using as main sources Ian McIntyre's biography, and the two television interviews Reith gave. In particular I have rewritten the BBC section, and re-ordered some of the text in others to make it more chronological. I have tried to restrict the BBC section to events and issues which directly involved Reith (as opposed to developments which occurred whilst he was DG). Reith's autocratic approach notwithstanding, I think the temptation to cover matters better suited to articles on BBC history should be resisted. I welcome any more input.--Stevouk 11:08, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

from CalJW talk page
Category: Gay, lesbian or bisexual people

In the article about John Reith, 1st Baron Reith you removed the above category. Lord Reith was bisexual and there is no doubt about this because he wrote about his life in diaries which have been published.Damson88 15:16, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Many people are undoubtedly heterosexual, but they don't get categorised for it. If you have a right to use the category system for propaganda purposes, I have a right to counter that on the grounds that it is a breach of the neutrality rule.CalJW 15:25, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

 * I don't accept your premise. Surely categorisation is one of the essences of an encyclopedia. Please explain exactly where the neutrality rule is being breached by categorising someone's sexuality.Damson88 15:51, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I am perhaps the most active categoriser on here at the moment, but I don't use categories to promote an agenda. There is no point in debating this as there is no chance we can agree. Like religious people in Victorian times gay rights activists are no so certain of their moral rectitude that they are impervious to counter arguments. Let's not waste any more of each other's time. .CalJW 15:25, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I agree that it is incumbent on all contributors to try and maintain a neutral POV, and I strive so to do. I simply note that you have not explained how the neutrality rule was being breached. Damson88 16:29, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * This category exists to promote the idea that homosexuality is widespread, is associated with talent (more so than heterosexuality) and should be celebrated more than heterosexuality. Many people think it should be abolished, but I am aware that the gay rights crowd are too well organised to let this happen, and since it will mainly be them who see any related deletion proposal there is no prospect of a properly balanced vote taking place. Now can we please stop wasting each other's time? CalJW 16:35, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

Does "properly balanced" mean that your POV prevails :) Damson88 17:05, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * No it means that yours doesn't because heterosexuals and homosexuals are treated the same. Since gay rights activists can be confident of their continuing ability to manipulate wikipedia in this way, it would be decent of them to at least admit to what they are doing. CalJW 17:09, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

 * I do not care for your assertion of bad faith.

 * I, for one, have no objection if you want to categorise most people as heterosexual. However it might seem rather tedious to do that. Damson88 17:28, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * You might not like it, but I am confident it is correct. You openly state on your user page that you are an activist. On the other hand, I am neutral and spend my time on such matters of no personal relevance to me as reorganising the neglected main categories of developing countries because I am here to help to create a neutral encyclopedia. CalJW 17:30, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

 * Your assertion of bad faith is made not just against me but against the democratic principles upon which Wikipedia makes progress. I have already said that I try to maintain a neutral POV but that does not mean that I can't concentrate my contributions in a particular area, just as you do - albeit in a more abstract area. Damson88 17:49, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * This is not a discussion forum. I correctly observed early on that this discussion is a waste of time. If you extend it further I will remove it from this page.

CaljW's approach is obviously wrong not only because he claims intention is a factor in neutrality, but he then claims to know the intentions of people who supply the facts and acts on his unsupported beliefs. --Kstern999 16:41, 20 August 2006 (UTC)

=
On Reith and his sexuality, I take issue with the description of Reith as bi-sexual. Having researched the early history of the BBC in PhD-level depth and breadth, including reading Reith's UNEDITED diaries in the BBC Written Archive at Caversham, Berkshire, in my estimation as a properly trained historian, Reith was a homosexual. He wasn't sexually or physically attracted to the opposite sex. He says this in his diaries and I have to say, reading about his feelings there about his male lover (romantic or sexual, or both, it is not clear), I have no reason to doubt him at his word.

I know the above argument is 7 and 8 years old, but I would suggest that anyone interested in Wikipedia and Reith's sexuality takes full notice of the above paragraph. I write this as a hetrosexual, Labour-supporting male. I hold no brief for or against Reith on the grounds of gender, social class or any other.

I'd like to comment further on the 'Nazi Sympathies' section and the description further up the page of Reith as a "dictator" in terms of style. In the first instance, his positive comments re. Hitler have to placed in a wider context than this to have any real credibility. The comment about Czechoslovakia could easily read ironically. It's presented here as a virtual accusation of Reith being a proto-Nazi. The notion is not at all supported by the historical evidence. I'm sorry that I do not have time here to go into the details. The comment about Mussolini must also be made within the context that virtually everyone in Britain in the 1920s who had ever held a conservative or reactionary opinion about any issue was in all possibility an admirer of Mussolini or if not him personally, of some of his policies and actions. It also has to be born in mind re. the Night of the Long Knives being raised here, that we all come to Hitler in the present age with the full knowledge of the Holocaust and other Nazi atrocities. In June 1934 the info that British people had about Hitler was a mere fraction of what we have now, a further point of importance. When we see the term "Nazi sympathizer" in this modern age we cannot help, consciously or unconsciously, of equating the relevant person with support for the Holocaust.

In conclusion, the whole section on Nazi sympathy of Reith brings WIKI into disrepute. To include such stuff makes the whole Reith entry a piece of virtual juvenilia.

For the record, I have now read or consulted around 150 books, articles and pieces of archive material on the early BBC. My PhD supervisor at DMU, Leicester is a world renowned historian. 90.207.42.36 (talk) 17:35, 10 December 2013 (UTC)

This article is a hodge-podge
There are statements made within this article that lack citations. The article opens by failing to identify the fact that two BBCs are being discussed and the sub-head BBC also fails to show that a company was wound-up and went out of business and that a Crown corporation formed by the Privy Council took over. If this is a biography about the man then it should include his own writings and published statements by his family that reveal his character which in public was one thing and in private something entirely different. In that respect he was very much like Ted Haggerman or Jimmy Swaggart. In short this article fails to inform and if anything it is misleading. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.128.87.235 (talk) 17:02, 13 March 2007 (UTC).

This section contains so many errors!
Leaving this section in the article makes a mockery out of Wikipedia's reliability and it forms the guts of the article - meaning that the remainder is just as bad.70.254.90.118 15:32, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

The BBC
On 14 December 1922 Reith became the general manager of the British Broadcasting Company, an organisation formed by manufacturers to provide broadcasts to foster demand for wireless sets. In his own words he was:

 * ... confronted with problems of which I had no experience: Copyright and performing rights; Marconi patents; associations of concert artists, authors, playwrights, composers, music publishers, theatre managers, wireless manufacturers.

Reith oversaw the vesting of the company in a new organisation, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), formed under royal charter and became its first Director-General from 1 January 1927 to 30 June 1938.
 * This is totally incorrect! The company was wound-up and the Privy Council created the corporation under a Royal charter! This was not the work of Reith!70.254.90.118 15:32, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

He expounded firm principles of centralised, all-encompassing radio broadcasting, stressing programming standards and moral tone. When asked whether he was going to give the people what they wanted, Reith replied: "No. Something better than that." To this day, the BBC claims to follow the Reithian directive to "inform, educate and entertain".
 * This seems to be lifted from a newspaper review that contracted the words of Reith which appeared in his first autobiography of 1924 called "Broadcast Over Britain" and which seems to lack any mention in this article!70.254.90.118 15:32, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

In 1922 Reith felt that King George V should use the new medium of radio to speak to the nation as one family. The King declined as he felt that radio was still too experimental to be used for a royal message. The King was asked again in 1932 by which time the BBC has begun its overseas service and the King had the opportunity to talk to his subjects around the world. At 3:00pm on 25 December 1932, the King made the first broadcast live from Sandringham. Since then King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II have continued the tradition. Since 1957 the broadcast has also gone out on television.
 * More nonsense! In 1922 the BBC was a private commercial company and in 1932 the BBC was a Royal institution!70.254.90.118 15:32, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

In 1924, Reith approved a novel type of broadcast - a nightingale chorus. This was the idea of Beatrice Harrison, an accomplished cellist living in Surrey, England. In May 1923, Harrison was rehearsing on an outside bench when a nightingale broke into song and accompanied her throughout her practice. In 1924 while Harrison made her broadcasting debut with an Elgar piece it occurred to her that the nightingales would make an interesting addition. Reith was sceptical at first as he believed that the nightingales would be unlikely to perform. A rehearsal was tried and went well. The first nightingale chorus was broadcast on Saturday, May 19, 1924, fifteen minutes before the station went off the air. The summerhouse was filled with amplifiers, engineers were swarming in the undergrowth and Miss Harrison played pieces by Elgar and Dvorak in a ditch.

These concerts continued for the next twelve years and on one occasion featured a chorus of frogs. After Harrison moved house, the unaccompanied birds continued to be recorded and broadcast. In 1942, the recording was interrupted by a fleet of Lancaster bombers droning overhead, the first of the thousand bomber raids targeting Cologne. This particular recording was never broadcast but remains in the BBC archives.
 * Why is so much space devoted to this? It has NOTHING to do with Reith as a person. Not only that - it is incorrect because although it may not have been broadcast at the time - it has been broadcast many times since then - but this article says that it was never broadcast. Even so it does not belong in this article about the life of Reith.70.254.90.118 15:32, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

In 1926, a General Strike broke out across Britain. When the value of broadcasting as a governmental and political instrument became apparent, Winston Churchill and others in the Government wanted to commandeer the organisation for the emergency. Reith refused to comply, maintaining the BBC's independence. He won the argument but made an enemy of Churchill for years to come. This enmity was enhanced when the BBC refused Churchill air time to outline his controversial views on Indian policy and rearmament during the 1930s.

Regardless of his personal disagreements with Churchill over editorial control during the General Strike, Reith regarded the BBC as a tool of Parliament and allowed the broadcasting of material unfavorable to the strikers. Workers’ representatives were not allowed to broadcast their side of the dispute and supporters of the strike would refer to the BBC as the 'British Falsehood Corporation'.
 * Obviously the people who wrote this never read anything written by Churchill or those closest to him to understand that Churchill was not a sidebar but a key to understanding the BBC under Reith and why ITV was created (with Churchill's backing - even though he hated it), just to smash the BBC monopoly. Reith not only kept Churchill off the air before WWII but Churchill used American radio to get his message out and at least on one occasion used the continental commercial International Broadcasting Company of Captain Plugge to broadcast in to Britain from France. 70.254.90.118 15:32, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

Reith introduced the BBC's Empire Service - later renamed the BBC's World Service - in 1932. He was less than enthusiastic about its launch as he declared 'I doubt that the Empire Service will be either very good or very interesting.'
 * Reith did not introduce it - it was created as the propaganda arm of the Foreign Office and it picked up from the earlier disaster of the Marconi project that went down in flames over a major stock scandal. The service was called the Empire Service because the earlier Marconi scheme used that same name. 70.254.90.118 15:32, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

Regardless of his opinion, Reith was correct when he remarked in the Inaugural Empire Service Broadcast: 'This occasion is as significant as any in the 10 years of British broadcasting. It is a significant occasion in the history of the British Empire; there must be few in any civilised country who have yet to realise that broadcasting is a development with which the future must reckon and reckon seriously.'

In 1999, the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, described the World Service as "perhaps Britain's greatest gift to the world this century". Currently (Dec 2006) the World Service broadcasts in 33 languages to a worldwide audience of 163 million. Millions more listen on the internet.
 * This is more nonsense that does not belong here. The domestic BBC is not the same as the World Service which is the propaganda arm funded by the Foreign Office (similar to the Voice of America in the USA.) It even originates from a different location.70.254.90.118 15:40, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

BBC and television
The first regular television broadcasts (November 1936 to September 1939) started under Reith's stewardship, but this service initially ground to a halt at the outbreak of the Second World War. When the television service resumed in 1945 it was to be very different due to the impact of the war and Reith having long since departed.

Television broadcasting in Britain started in the late 1920's. The Scotsman John Logie Baird in 1926 enlisted the aid of Selfridges, London to sell his new 'Televisor'. Demonstrations began in the store in 1928 but no regular broadcasting service was available. The BBC's official line was that the pictures were unacceptably poor (only 30 lines per screen) and that there was no likelihood of improvement. Unofficially the BBC were very interested and provided space for Baird to work from. In January 1935 the Selsdon Report commissioned by Parliament recommended that the BBC be entrusted with the development of television in Britain.
 * this section is factually incorrect. First of all there were regular programs before WWII and they were published. Second this was a major battle between Baird and EMI with the help of RCA. There is no mention of EMI and the fact that while Baird had a mechanical system, EMI had an electronic system and the electronic system replaced the mechanical system. 70.254.90.118 15:40, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

The new service had something of a rushed introduction. The Director of Radio Outside Broadcasting, Gerald Cock was appointed the BBC's Director of Television. His first task was to assemble a team of experts and then summon them to a meeting where a plan could be worked out. Cox chose Peter Bax a stage designer as studio manager, Cecil Madden, a playwright as programme organiser, Stephen Thomas, Douglas Bower and Harry Pringle as producers, Cecil Lewis, Bill Barbrooke a film cameraman, George Moore O'Farrell and Mary Adams. In front of camera was to be Leslie Mitchell and female announcers Jasmine Bligh and Elizabeth Cowell who were chosen from the thousands who had applied.

Cock assembled his staff and told them that since none of them knew a thing about television broadcasting they were given four months to study the new medium. The meeting came to a close and all returned to their respective offices.

As Madden returned to his the phone was ringing. It was Cock.

"Wash out everything I said."

"What?"

"We've been asked to provide television for Radiolympia."

"But - that's only ten days away!"

"That's right, old chap, you'd better get cracking!"

...

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to the magic of television..."

With those words Leslie Mitchell on 26th August 1936 introduced Britain's first high-definition public television programme from Radiolympia.
 * and all of these words are in an article about John Reith? What has any of this got to do wth John Reith? Where is there any mention of Peter Eckersley in the creation of the original BBC? This entire article is very, very poor. 70.254.90.118 15:40, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

Church of Scotland
Reith was a member of the established Church of Scotland, not the Free Church, a point on which he vehemently corrected John Freeman in the celebrated Face to Face interview. In 1967 he served as the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.--Stevouk 12:58, 17 April 2007 (UTC)
 * I note the changes made, but without going into the complicated brief history of the various sects that formed the Church of Scotland, it would appear that the current change is in error because the initial reference is to the father of John Reith and not to John Reith himself. It was not until 1929 that the various factions came together to form another and unified Church of Scotland, but underlying all of the actions of John Reith (the son) in his early years and his activities in 1967 are well outside the scope of this section which concerns the late 1800s. John Reith (son) outwardly followed a strict Calvinist interpretation of the Presbyterian faction that also formed the Church of Scotland. I do not claim to be an expert in this matter but if you follow ALL of the links relating to these various sects that are in Wikipedia articles relating to the unified Church of Scotland as it became in 1929, it is not possible to draw a conclusion. (I used the word "unified" in order not to be confused with the name "United".) You cite an interview (and of course interviews are not reliable sources), but when your links are followed there is no source material for your statement, meaning that the interview could have said anything. The sourcea that I relied upon were the many works by Asa Briggs concerning the life of John Reith in relation to his work in the formative years of the BBC. I would appreciate your input on this matter because the current revised statement is also misleading since it gives no hint of John Reith's strict Calvinist background and Calvinism is central to his story. Fragilethreads 04:06, 5 May 2007 (UTC)
 * Reith, like his father, was a member of the United Free Church of Scotland until its amalgamation with the established Church.

 * The exchange with Freeman on Face to Face is as follows:

 * Freeman: You are the youngest son of a Free Church minister in Glasgow, is that right?
 * Reith: We don't like being called 'Free Church', it's the Church of Scotland.
 * F: Oh, right, a Church of Scotland minister.
 * R: The established Church of Scotland.

 * I made the point, as Reith did, as so many sources ascribe his 'outlook' as that of the Free Church, which was a different (and still existent) organisation.--Stevouk 23:01, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

 * Quote: "Reith: We don't like being called 'Free Church'". This does not explain anything. Please cite a published source of authority with page number concerning the ministry of Reith's father. People don't like being called many things and Reith is joining that crowd. It is not what Reith became, but what his father was when Reith was born. Fragilethreads 15:18, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

I simplified the following section: 'Revd Dr George Reith, a minister of the United Free Church of Scotland (later amalgamated with Church of Scotland, and not to be confused with the Free Church of Scotland' - with its associated reference at the end of that quotation, which reads 'A point that Reith vehemently corrected John Freeman on in his Face to Face interview.'

I don't know what it *should* say about the churchmanship of his father (and of himself), but I know it is sufficiently wrong in this form that it's best to remove it for the time being until someone writes it up more accurately:

it implies he was born to a United Free (UF) minister, but UF only founded in 1900 (see Wikipedia article), 11 years after his birth;

UF did continue as a denomination after the merger of most of it with the CofS in 1929;

the point Reith 'vehemently corrected' was not arising out of a 'confusion' between UF and Free Church, as implied here, but CofS and Free Church (and as another editor notes above, it's not clear if this reflects a 'confusion' or a disputed preference of use of terms.) Iaineditor (talk) 22:03, 15 May 2016 (UTC)

Reithianism
What about his legacy in broadcasting and the concept of Reithianism? Surely this deserves a mention?Malick78 10:17, 26 September 2007 (UTC)

 * Good point. I've started a new subsection of the article headed Reithianism, with a redirect from Reithianism. You may be able to improve on it? Xn4  20:58, 26 September 2007 (UTC)

LGBT?
I've removed the LGBT cat and the banner for the WikiProject. In the article it states that as a young man he had an affair with a man, but that hardly makes him gay or bisexual. If there's other information on Reith that states that he was gay or bisexual, please feel free to re-add the cat, banner, and source the info. Thanks! -- SatyrTN (talk | contribs) 04:50, 24 October 2007 (UTC)

 * So how many young men do you have to have affairs with before you can be called gay or bisexual?
 * OhNoPeedyPeebles (talk) 21:40, 12 December 2022 (UTC)

Why say finally?
Quoting the article:

"He was also appointed Lord Rector of Glasgow University from 1965 to 1968. In 1967 he finally accepted the much-cherished post of Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland."

It's not clear if "he finally accepted" means that he accepted the post after being offered it a number of times, or that he was "finally" offered the post which he had wanted for a long time, or something else. Wanderer57 (talk) 00:19, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Read the section Wartime Activities for context. --Stevouk (talk) 20:01, 18 December 2008 (UTC)

Small edits
I made a number of small edits to the article to try to improvr the wording. I have tried not to change the meaning. Wanderer57 (talk) 00:27, 20 October 2008 (UTC)

quotations too shiny
coming from the german wikipedia, may i suggest to (formally) boil down the quotations in this article? it looks a bit old fashioned and too prancing, with the oversized frame and the grey background:

why not just put it this way:

 * ... confronted with problems of which I had no experience: Copyright and performing rights; Marconi patents; associations of concert artists, authors, playwrights, composers, music publishers, theatre managers, wireless manufacturers.

Maximilian (talk) 16:14, 26 October 2012 (UTC)

Article is incomplete
Article is oddly incomplete - no details on his personal life, for example. Just listened to a radio programme on Radio 4 about Reith ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nsyxq - not sure how long this programme will be available on the "listen again" function ) and the programme had all sorts of points about the interesting arrangement he had with his wife and a third person, his childhood "love", Charlie Bowser. At one juncture in the programme, during an interview, Reith even admits that although he has high ethical standards, in his own life he does not necessarily come up to these standards.

Here is a quote from the BBC page on the programme (I point out part of it in bold):

''Who's Reithian Now? As the BBC approaches its 90th birthday, arch scrutiniser and listeners' champion Roger Bolton examines the genesis of Reithian values and finds out how well Lord Reith - the first Director General of the BBC - lived up to his own exacting standards. Memos and diary entries reveal Reith's spotless fingerprint on daily transmissions. "Hot jazz" was a "filthy product of modernity" and announcers should be "indirect and impersonal". In conversation with Malcolm Muggeridge, Reith recalls how he stopped the BBC being taken over by the Government during the General Strike - a stand-off which caused a life-long rift with Churchill. Former BBC Director General Greg Dyke says Reith set a precedent in establishing the Corporation's relationship with the Government and he talks about his own political conflicts. Ex-BBC radio controller and Reith biographer Ian McIntyre points out how Reith's public distain for divorce and immorality contrasted with his own confused lovelife. Reith's daughter Marista Leishman - who wrote a frank biography of him - tells Bolton that her father's affairs were just his way of making himself the centre of attention''

Surely some of these points should be mentioned in the article? At least how many children he had, etc.? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.162.26.74 (talk) 21:38, 10 November 2012 (UTC)

WW1
A few more details about his service in World War I would be appropriate. Valetude (talk) 01:46, 28 July 2016 (UTC)

Using caricature as profile picture?
There are images of John about on the internet so I don't see why something as unrepresentative and obscure as a caricature should be used to show his appearance? 144.32.74.71 (talk) 11:55, 8 September 2016 (UTC)Jordan

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified one external link on John Reith, 1st Baron Reith. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20140219060057/http://www.winstonchurchill.org/learn/in-the-media/churchill-in-the-news/692--reith-of-the-bbc to http://www.winstonchurchill.org/learn/in-the-media/churchill-in-the-news/692--reith-of-the-bbc

When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.

Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 15:44, 28 November 2017 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified one external link on John Reith, 1st Baron Reith. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20101216044637/http://www.frigateunicorn.org/hms-unicorn/unicorns-big-move to http://www.frigateunicorn.org/hms-unicorn/unicorns-big-move

When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.

Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 14:10, 22 December 2017 (UTC)

Wuthering Height
When did Churchill say of him "Keep that Wuthering Height away from me" or words to that effect?Paulturtle (talk) 01:07, 21 August 2018 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page has been nominated for speedy deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page has been nominated for speedy deletion: You can see the reason for deletion at the file description page linked above. —Community Tech bot (talk) 02:22, 30 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Lord reith.jpg

title: Talk:John Reith, 1st Baron Reith


text:
Buddy check

The buddy check is a procedure carried out by scuba divers using the buddy system where each diver checks that the other's diving equipment is configured and functioning correctly just before the start of the dive. A study of pre-dive equipment checks done by individual divers showed that divers often fail to recognize common equipment faults. By checking each other's equipment as well as their own, it is thought to be more likely that these faults will be identified prior to the start of the dive.

The wide variety of types of buoyancy compensator, diving suits and types of scuba equipment means that it is important for each buddy to understand the other's equipment configuration in case one has to help or rescue the other. The buddy check is a last minute opportunity to become familiar with the dive buddy's equipment.

Similar systems are used by technical team divers and professional divers with the similar goal of ensuring that the divers are ready to safely enter the water. Professional divers may be required by organizational policy to use an itemised checklist.

Purpose
The basic buddy check is a pre-dive equipment check intended to reduce the risk of the diver entering the water with life-support equipment which has not been checked to be functioning correctly. The extended buddy checks include dive planning information sharing to improve the ability of the divers to co-operate usefully both during the planned dive and in case of a contingency, and may include a review of the current conditions and a basic risk assessment. Checklists have been shown to be highly effective at reducing operator error in several fields where the correct completion of a series of tasks is of critical importance.

Effectiveness
Although generally not a written checklist, a simple buddy check can be effective in avoiding major problems due to failure to prepare critical equipment correctly. Effectiveness can vary depending on the completeness of the checks, and the attention given, and can be reduced by distractions, interruptions, and time pressure.

Procedures
There are several formats of buddy check, but almost all cover these four aspects: Buddy checks may be extended to include aspects of dive planning, to ensure that the divers are agreed on the intended activity and contingency plans. When larger groups and more complex dive plans are involved this would be considered part of the dive briefing. To be effective, all safety critical items must be checked, and shown to be functional within specification, and preferably all items that could cause a premature termination of the dive if not set up correctly should be verified to be correct. This requires some attention by the diver to ensure that all the checks are done, particularly if the sequence is interrupted to make corrections.
 * Checks on breathing apparatus function and breathing gas supply.
 * Checks on buoyancy and weighting equipment.
 * Checks on harness security and connectors, and quick release functions.
 * Checks on hose routing, attachment and presence of auxiliary equipment: Mask, dive computer, knife etc.
 * Risk assessment update
 * Emergency plans
 * Contingency plans
 * Dive plan, including planned activities, route, decompression if applicable, and who will lead.

Breathing apparatus checks

 * Adequate supply of breathing gases. (cylinder volume and pressure checks)
 * Suitable type and quality of breathing gas. (correctly and unambiguously identified if applicable)
 * Cylinders mounted securely and accessibly.
 * Valves opened or closed as planned, accessible if applicable.
 * Demand valves functioning correctly. (work of breathing low, no leaks or free-flows)
 * Hose routing correct, no kinks or hoses trapped under other equipment, pressure gauges accessible.
 * Demand valves secured correctly where applicable.

For rebreathers the list is longer and may include:
 * Oxygen monitoring functioning if applicable.
 * Prebreathing has been done to ensure scrubber function.

Buoyancy and weighting equipment checks

 * Low pressure inflation hose secure and free of leaks.
 * Operation of inflation and deflation valves to ensure that BCD can be filled and vented.
 * Oral inflation valve function.
 * Dump valves function and accessible.
 * Weight belts or weight pockets in place and have the correct weight to compensate for the diving suit and other equipment.
 * Trim weights secured if applicable.
 * Dry suit inflation hose connected if applicable, inflation valve functions without sticking.

Harness security and release function checks

 * Scuba/BCD harness adjusted and secured, buckles accessible for quick release as applicable. Straps adjusted and lying flat.
 * Weight belt secured, buckle accessible. Belt free to drop clear if ditched in an emergency. Integrated weight system pockets secure, accessible and free to ditch in an emergency.
 * Other equipment attached to the diver secure, accessible and can be removed if necessary.

Presence and condition of required equipment

 * Diving suit fasteners done up correctly, Dry suit zipper closed, neck and wrist seals lying smooth and good fit.
 * Mask (and snorkel if applicable)
 * Fins
 * Depth gauge and timer or dive computer. Computer set to correct gas if applicable.
 * Diver's knife or cutting implement secure and accessible.
 * Compass, slate, cameras etc. secure.

Mnemonics
There are several mnemonics for the buddy check taught by the various training agencies. All have the intended function of ensuring that the pre-dive checks are done effectively. The equipment and procedures used by recreational divers tends to be much the same between agencies, but the mnemonics vary considerably, even in the number of groups listed, and the scope of the checks. No data on the relative effectiveness of these mnemonics has been published, and well designed written checklists have been shown experimentally to be consistently more reliable.

BWRAF
The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) use the formula BWRAF to represent the following checks:

 * B - BCD : Function of the BCD is tested by operating inflation and deflation valves to ensure that the BCD can be filled and can release air. Both oral and low pressure inflator valves are checked to ensure that the valves operate freely, do not stick, and the low pressure inflation hose is connected correctly.  All dump valves are operated to verify that they open correctly and close automatically. Shoulder straps, cummerbund, waist belt, crotch strap and other harness components have no slack or twists, and are lying flat.

 * W - Weights : If a weight belt is worn, the belt is checked for security and position, and that the buckle is positioned so that it can be released by the diver's right hand. Weights on the belt should be secured to prevent sliding along the belt not and must be sufficient for the buoyancy of diver and equipment at the end of the dive, but not excessive at the start of the dive.  If a weight harness is worn, or the BCD uses an integrated-weights system, the system is checked for correct assembly and function of clip release.  A secondary check is to ensure that the buddy is familiar with the weight system of the diver being checked, and is able to operate it to ditch weights in an emergency.

 * R - Releases : The buddy will locate and check that all of the diver's harness fasteners are properly secured and they know how to release them in an emergency. This includes the velcro waist band, shoulder clips, and where present, the chest and waist clip. It is recommended to touch and name each clip as it is checked, as this makes it less likely to miss one. The tank strap and clip can be checked by testing whether lifting the cylinder causes the strap to move.

 * A - Air : The cylinder valve is checked to ensure that it is fully open. The practice of closing by a quarter-turn is recommended by some instructors as it leaves the valve easy to turn, which allows a quick check to ensure it is not closed. A fully open valve may be damaged if the cylinder is empty and someone tries to open it, thinking it is tightly closed, as may happen if the cylinder is empty. However, this practice has been widely discouraged, after several fatalities were attributed to divers mistakenly closing the valve and then opening a quarter turn. (This means that adequate airflow may be delivered at the surface, but restricted at depth due to increased air density.) After opening the valve, the demand valves are tested for function by drawing full breaths while monitoring the pressure gauge to ensure that the valve allows adequate gas flow. Both should breathe comfortably, and not 'free-flow' when purged. Taste and smell of the air is assessed. Contaminated air is extremely dangerous under pressure, but can often be recognized through an unpleasant, often oily, taste or smell. The secondary regulator (the 'octopus') is confirmed to be attached in the triangle between the chin and the base of the ribs, and can be released easily, to ensure easy access for the buddy in the event of an emergency.

 * F - Final Check : The final check ensures that hoses lead correctly and are clipped to the diver neatly, that the diver has fins, a mask, and any other accessories (cameras, reels, knife, compass, torch etc.) needed for the dive, and that these are secured to the diver, or are placed ready to be handed down once the diver is in the water.

PADI teach the mnemonic Begin With Review And Friend, but many divers have their own.

BAR
BAR is another acronym for the parts of a buddy check, used by the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC):

 * B - Buoyancy : Test and demonstrate how each buoyancy device, such as a buoyancy compensator or dry suit is inflated or vented. It is important to test common failure modes, for example, that the device remains inflated when required and that the inflation stops when required. Rebreather divers may test the breathing loop to ensure that it does not leak under a positive internal pressure and negative internal pressure.

 * A - Air : Test that each air source has its cylinder valve open, has sufficient gas, is functioning and has no taste. If the indicating needle of the contents gauge moves when the diver inhales that may indicate the cylinder valve is only partially open and may not provide enough gas at the higher ambient pressures at depth. An oily taste to the gas may indicate a contaminated gas fill. Some rebreather divers breathe from the loop for 2 or 3 minutes before entering the water, to check that the soda lime of the carbon dioxide scrubber is active, but this has been shown to be unreliable.

 * R - Releases : Check how to operate the releases that can be used in an emergency to separate the diver from the weighting system, buoyancy compensator and scuba set.

SEABAG
The National Association of Underwater Instructors uses the acronym SEABAG to address all pre-dive preparations: The first part relates to dive and contingency planning, and the second part to the equipment checks

 * S - Site : The site survey checks if the chosen site is acceptably diveable under the prevailing weather and tidal conditions, and whether currents or other local transient hazards are present.

 * E - Emergencies : The established emergency procedures and equipment are reviewed to ensure that they are appropriate for the prevailing conditions. This may include availability of emergency oxygen available and the route to the closest recompression chamber.

 * A - Activities : What is the purpose of the dive? Are there any special risks or concerns that must be addressed?

 * B - Buoyancy : Buoyancy checks include negative and positive buoyancy control devices (this includes environmental suits and equipment), and knowing where the buddy's weight and harness releases are in case they must be ditched.

 * A - Air : Both buddies check each other's first and second stages, confirm the locations of their octopuses, and proof check by breathing from each other's equipment. Surface Air Consumption (SAC) rates and available breathing gas are confirmed.

 * G - Gear : Other gear is checked.

DIR equipment checks
The equipment check is the DIR diving equivalent of a buddy check procedure. Before the dive, all members of the diving team in turn examine and announce to other team members the presence, configuration, functionality, place and form attachment of each item of their standardized diving equipment.

The complete dive plan review uses the mnemonic SADDDD:
 * Sequence: Who leads, who follows, and the responsibilities of each member of the team.
 * Air: Turn pressure, decompression ('deco'), bailout deco.
 * Distance: Planned penetration of a cave/ wreck, how far from boat/ shore, etc.
 * Depth: Planned maximum and average depths of the dive.
 * Direction
 * Dive

In 2006, SADDDD was replaced within the Global Underwater Explorers organisation with GUE EDGE which stands for:
 * G : Goal, dive objectives
 * U : Unified team, team strategies
 * E : Equipment match
 * E : Exposure, planned depth and time profile
 * D : Decompression strategies (planned profile and contingency plans)
 * G : Gas strategies (planned turn points, critical pressures)
 * E : Environmental issues

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Buddy check


text:
Oliwa

Oliwa (Oliva; Òlëwa; Oliva) is a northern district of the city of Gdańsk, Poland. From east it borders Przymorze and Żabianka, from the north Sopot and from the south with the districts of Strzyża, VII Dwór and Brętowo, while from the west with Matarnia and Osowa. It is known for its medieval monastery with the Oliwa Cathedral, the 1627 Battle of Oliwa and the 1660 Treaty of Oliva.

Administration
Oliwa is a part of the city of Gdańsk now in northern Poland. It is bordered on the east by the Bay of Gdańsk (Zatoka Gdańska), on the north by the town of Sopot, on the south by the boroughs of Wrzeszcz and Zaspa and on the west by the chain of hills and forest surrounding Gdańsk. Except for the 'old city' Oliwa encompasses the boroughs of Polanki, Jelitkowo, Przymorze and Żabianka.

Population and sites
The population in 2004 was 19,824. The area is 18.23 km2 with a population density of 1087 /sqkm. The landmark of Oliwa is the Cistercian-Cathedral complex with the Oliwa Cathedral, Baroque Abbot's Palace, Adam Mickiewicz Park, botanical garden and old granaries. The complex is listed as a Historic Monument of Poland. The complex houses two branches of the National Museum in Gdańsk: the Department of Modern Art in the Abbot's Palace and the Ethnographic Department in one of the historic granaries. Other sights of Oliwa include the observation tower at the Pachołek Hill, the Gdańsk Zoo.

The Hala Olivia indoor arena, home venue of the Stoczniowiec Gdańsk ice hockey team, is located in Oliwa.

Oliwa abbey
It is not exactly known when Oliwa was established. Archeological excavations suggest that the first settlement in this area was established in early Iron Age. The Cistercian Monks' tradition (unconfirmed by other sources) speaks of it as an early seat of power of the Pomeranian Princes. The name of this suspected burgh is unknown.

The first mention of Oliwa dates to 1186 when the Cistercians established a monastery there. The Cistercian Monks named it Oliva, either derived from an older Slavic name or the biblical Mount of Olives or olive tree. The monks received a deed of ownership from Duke Sambor I of Pomerania in 1188. The deed encompassed a number of villages, including Oliwa which became a monastic village for long centuries to come. The village's history is directly linked to the development of the monastery.

The village was raided by Old Prussians in 1224 (1226?) and 1234 (1236?) and by Teutonic Knights in 1246, 1247 and 1252. In 1308, the Polish coastal region was invaded by the Margraviate of Brandenburg, and in 1309 it was captured and occupied by the Teutonic Knights in 1309 after the Teutonic takeover of Gdańsk, however, Poland made attempts to regain the region. In 1350, the monastery suffered a fire. In 1433, there were incursions of Hussites during the Polish–Teutonic War of 1431–1435. In 1454, King Casimir IV Jagiellon reincorporated the territory to the Kingdom of Poland. The subsequent Thirteen Years' War ended in 1466 with a peace treaty, confirming the reincorporation of Oliwa to Poland. Oliwa was a private church village of the local monastery, administratively located in the Gdańsk County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship.

In 1588, 1653 and 1709 Oliwa was hit by epidemics. During the Polish–Swedish War of 1626–1629, Oliwa was invaded by Sweden in 1626, and the Battle of Oliwa was fought nearby in 1627, considered one of the greatest victories in the history of the Polish Navy. Oliwa was invaded by Sweden once again in 1656, and the Swedish war against Poland ended with the Treaty of Oliwa signed in the village in 1660. Oliwa was devastated once again during the War of the Polish Succession in 1733–1734.

As a result of the First Partition of Poland in 1772 Oliwa became part of Prussia, at that time it was inhabited by about 500 people and counting approximately 70 buildings. The Prussians confiscated all of the Cistercian Monks' possessions. The abbey prior received a salary and the monastery received financial reparations. In 1804 Oliva became an administrative headquarters for the surrounding villages and the administrator settled in the former abbey gatehouse.

Modern history
In 1807 the Napoleonic armies took the village over and set up a field hospital in the abbey. Napoleon stayed in one of the local estates. Oliva became part of the Free City of Danzig (Gdańsk) until 1813 when the Russians entered Oliva and once again used the abbey as a field hospital. In 1815 Oliwa was re-annexed by Prussia.

A period of relative calm ensued. In 1822 a paved road joining Oliva and Danzig (Gdańsk) was built. In 1831 the monastery was liquidated. The abbey became a Catholic parish and the former parish church was transferred to the local Evangelical Protestant community. The Oliva parish consisted of a number of small settlements from Zoppot (Sopot) to Danzig including today's boroughs of Wrzeszcz, Zaspa, Nowy Port, Wysoka and Rynarzewo. The Dom Bramny underwent renovation in 1836 so as to be able to function as a modern administrative center. Gustav Schilling was nominated as the first Vogt (administrator of a number of villages) in 1852.

In 1864 the villages of Polanki and Schwabenthal (Dolina Radości) became part of Oliva, which by then numbered approximately 2,000 inhabitants. In 1867 a new Vogt is nominated i.e. Herman Tümmler. During his term Oliva gained a rail connection with Danzig (Gdańsk) and Köslin (Koszalin) in 1870. In 1873 a local enterprise Quistrop established a horse drawn tramline. The line met its demise in 1879 because it was not very profitable. In 1874 Oliva community leader became Georg Czachowski. During his term a number of paved roads joining the township with surrounding settlements were built and the number of inhabitants surpassed 4,000. Between 1885 and 1907 Oliva was headed by a number of administrators and slowly expanded in all directions, not in the least due to the continuing efforts in improving the infrastructure. The present-day separate districts of Jelitkowo, Przymorze and Żabianka were incorporated by Oliva in 1907. Jelitkowo became a center of leisure with bathhouses and a wooden pier. In the same year a gas factory was built. In 1911 Oliva received running water, although a sewage system was not installed until 1921. By 1910 there were more than 9000 inhabitants.

In 1910 Oliva celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Treaty of Oliva. In 1911 a Catholic school was established at today's Cistercians' Street. The surrounding forest was enriched by a botanical garden in 1912. In 1913 another railway line was added, joining Oliva with the Kashubian town of Kościerzyna. After World War I and on the basis of the Treaty of Versailles the Free City of Danzig was established on November 15, 1920 under the protectorate of the League of Nations and Poland. The borders of the free city included Oliva; a part of the parish was however in Poland. In 1922, the former abbey church became a cathedral of a newly established Catholic diocese.

In 1921 Herbert Creutzburg was nominated as the mayor of Oliva. His term was disastrous. He wanted to open a casino styled on the Sopot casino (by then Sopot was a renowned seaside spa). He ruined the city funds and the losses amounted to 400,000 guilders. The losses were paid up by the city of Danzig which sped up the incorporation of Oliva by Danzig on July 1, 1926. The remainder of the twenties brought a lot of prosperity. A paint factory "Daol" and a chocolate factory "Anglas" were established. These still exist today, although under different names. The world-renowned Dr.Oetker company also established a factory in Oliva in the twenties. In 1926 a small Zoo and fur farm were established. The Zoo is today one of the largest in Poland. The most important event of 1926 were however the celebrations of the 750th anniversary of Oliwa. In 1927, a municipal museum was established at the monastery.

In the thirties the National-Socialist NSDAP was gaining strength in the free city. In 1930 the party numbered 500 in Danzig. In 1932 when Adolf Hitler made a stopover at the Zaspa airport he was greeted by 10,000 NSDAP members. In 1939 the square in front of the (then recently upgraded) Oliva cathedral was paved with granite slabs and was frequently used as a drill terrain for the Hitlerjugend. On August 23, 1939 Albert Forster was named head of state and took full control of the free city. A week later World War II started when the German cruiser Schleswig-Holstein attacked a small outpost on the Westerplatte. Polish activists including priests were arrested by the Germans who took over all the important control points and marched into Poland. Freie Stadt Danzig with Oliva, together with the Polish Pomeranian Voivodeship were annexed by Nazi Germany as Reichsgau Danzig-Westpreußen.

In March 1945 the advancing Red Army captured Oliwa and afterwards it became again part of Poland. During the postwar years Oliwa developed in tune with the rest of the city of Gdańsk.

The Kompleks Alchemia and Olivia Business Centre business parks are located in Oliwa.

Education
The main campus of the University of Gdańsk is located in Oliwa.

Transport
The Gdańsk Oliwa railway station is located in the district.

title: Oliwa


text:
Oliva

Oliva is a municipality in the comarca of La Safor in the Valencian Community, Spain. To its east lie 10 km of coastline and beaches fronting the Mediterranean Sea, and eight kilometres to the north is Gandia.

Description
The Passeig (promenade) runs through the centre of the town, and features a market each Friday. On the left side of the Marina beach is Kiko beach. The blue flagged beaches of Oliva stretch for 7 km; many contain sand dunes.

Oliva has two big and colourful Moors and Christians festivals (festes de Moros i Cristians, in Valencian language) in the area; the falles "Fiesta" in March, the Moors and Christians in July and Setmana Santa (Holy Week). In the old town there are two churches, Sant Roc and Santa Maria la Major. Sant Roc dates from the 18th–19th centuries, and Santa Maria from the 17th–18th centuries. At the top of the hill in the old town is Santa Anna Castle, built in the 16th century.

In the centre of the village is a Roman kiln situated below one of the blocks of apartments on Santíssim street.

Economy
About 80% of the economy of Oliva is based on the tertiary sector, especially in commerce, shops, banks and tourism, currently there are more than 30 banks in Oliva.

The secondary sector makes up about 15% of the economy, with an extended industrial area, located outside of the city, in the south-east of Oliva.

The primary sector, makes up less than 5% of economy, with extended plantations of oranges and tangerines, and minor plantations of avocado, loquat, fig, banana, prickly pear, etc.

Demography
In 2011, Oliva had a population of 28,400 inhabitants, of which, 7466 (26.29%) of the population were immigrants, with the majority coming from Bolivia, Ecuador, Morocco, United Kingdom and Romania. In Oliva there are citizens of more than 50 countries, especially from South America, Europe, Africa and Asia

In 2011 the unemployment rate in the city was 9.7%

The median income of a person in Oliva in 2011 was €22,400 ($27,637.)

Climate
Oliva has a Mediterranean-Subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa), with more than 230 days above 20 °C. The winters are mild and temperate whilst summers are hot and dry. The average annual temperature is about 19 °C. In winter, during the cold waves, the minimum temperature can fall slightly under 6 °C. Temperatures below the freezing mark and snow are almost unknown in Oliva. Whilst in summer the average day-time temperature ranges from 28 to 32 °C. Temperatures may vary, however during heat waves which occur every year, the temperatures always exceed 38 °C and also can exceed 41 °C. The wettest season is the autumn, while the driest season is the summer. Typically the city has more than 300 days in a year with clear skies.

Temperature and precipitation:

Notable people

 * Francisco Brines, poet
 * David Fuster, footballer
 * Enric Morera (1964), a Spanish nationalist politician

title: Oliva


text:
Ports of the Baltic Sea

The table below lists the most recent statistics for over a 100 ports of the Baltic Sea which handle notable freight or passenger traffic.

Container traffic is given in terms of Twenty-foot equivalent units of cargo. For ferries, transport vehicles like heavy trucks are included using their full weight, while passenger cars are not counted as cargo. Containers on trucks on ferries are not counted in containers column here.

title: Ports of the Baltic Sea


text:
Charles Darrow

Charles Brace Darrow (August 10, 1889 – August 28, 1967) was an American board game designer who is credited as the inventor of the board game Monopoly by Parker Brothers, the game's publisher.

Personal life
Darrow was a domestic heater salesman from Germantown, a neighborhood in Philadelphia (the part of Germantown he lived in is now called Mount Airy) during the Great Depression. The house he lived in still stands at 40 Westview Street. While Darrow eventually sold his version of Monopoly to Parker Brothers, claiming it to be his own invention, modern historians credit Darrow as just one of the game's final developers.

Monopoly

Monopoly is a board game which focuses on the acquisition of fictional real estate titles, with the incorporation of elements of chance. After losing his job at a sales company following the Stock Market Crash of 1929, Darrow worked at various odd jobs. Seeing his neighbors and acquaintances play a board game in which the object was to buy and sell property, he decided to publish his own version of the game, with the help of his first son, William, and his wife Esther. Darrow marketed his version of the game under the name Monopoly.

In truth, Darrow was just one of many people in the American Midwest and East Coast who had been playing a game of buying and trading property. The game's direct ancestor was The Landlord's Game, created by Elizabeth Magie. The game was used by college professors and their students, and another variant, called The Fascinating Game of Finance, was published in the Midwest in 1932. From there the game traveled back east, where it had remained popular in Pennsylvania, and became popular with a group of Quakers in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Darrow was taught to play the game by Charles Todd, who had played it in Atlantic City, where it had been customized with that city's street and property names.

In 2004 the PBS program History Detectives investigated a game board owned by Ron Jarrell of Arden, Delaware, which had elements of both The Landlord's Game and Monopoly. The investigators concluded that this game board had "key elements in it that link the Landlord's Game and the Monopoly Game together".

The Darrow family initially made their game sets on flexible, round pieces of oilcloth instead of rigid, square carton. Charles drew the designs of the properties with drafting pens, and his son and wife filled in the spaces with colors and made the title deed cards and Chance and Community Chest cards. On these early round boards, Darrow included some of the icons (actually designed for him by a hired graphic artist) that the later Monopoly made famous, such as the large red arrow for "Go", the black locomotives on the railroad spaces, the faucet on "Water Works" and light bulb on "Electric Company" and the question marks on the "Chance" spaces. Darrow then secured a copyright for the game in 1933. The next known versions he produced had printed "boards" on oilcloth squares with hand colored details.

Controversy
Some say that the original idea for the Monopoly game came from Lizzie Magie's The Landlord's Game

Commercial sales
By 1934, Darrow started having the game printed on cardboard, and sold copies in long white boxes to Wanamaker's Department Store in Philadelphia. Later that year, Darrow showed his game first to Milton Bradley, who rejected it initially, and later to Parker Brothers.

Darrow reinvested money from the sales into smaller sets, sold in black cardboard boxes, with boards sold separately from the sets. After Darrow started to take orders from other Philadelphia department stores, Parker Brothers reconsidered buying the rights to the game.

Parker Brothers negotiated the rights to produce the game in large scale from Darrow. Darrow sought and received on the game in 1935, which Parker Brothers acquired. Within a year, 20,000 sets of the game were being produced every week. Monopoly became the best-selling board game in America that year, and it made Darrow the first millionaire game designer in history.

Parker Brothers also promoted Darrow as the sole inventor of the game, though later research has shown that Magie, Jesse Raiford, Ruth Hoskins, Louis and Ferdinand Thun, and Daniel Layman, among others, were responsible for many – or all – of the game's significant elements collectively. Darrow's contribution was the visual appearance of the game and the iconic cartoon-like illustrations on the corner spaces. He also standardized the number of houses and hotels (32 and 12, although in his oilcloth version it was 42 and 10).

A posed photograph of and a credit to Charles B. Darrow appear on the Parker Brothers stock exchange game Bulls and Bears copyrighted in 1936. In this case, Darrow was used as a "celebrity endorser", although he had not created the game.

Later life and death
In 1957, Darrow appeared as a mystery challenger on the TV panel show To Tell the Truth.

Darrow died on August 28, 1967, at his home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Legacy
In 1970, three years after Darrow's death, Atlantic City placed a commemorative plaque in his honor on The Boardwalk near the corner of Park Place. In 1973 Ralph Anspach, an economics professor at San Francisco State University, produced Anti-Monopoly, a game similar to Monopoly, for which Parker Brothers sued him. During the ten-year suit, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found that Darrow had directly copied the rules (including the misspelling of Marven Gardens as "Marvin Gardens") from the version Charles Todd had produced.

title: Charles Darrow


text:
Sheung Wan

Sheung Wan is an area in Hong Kong, located in the north-west of Hong Kong Island, between Central and Sai Ying Pun. Administratively, it is part of the Central and Western District. The name can be variously interpreted as Upper District (occupying relatively high ground compared to Central and Wan Chai), or Gateway District (perhaps a reference to the location where the British first entered and occupied Hong Kong).

History
Sheung Wan was one of the earliest settled places by the British, and belonged to the historical Victoria City. The site of the original occupation of Hong Kong Island by British forces in 1842 was at Possession Street, between Queen's Road Central and Hollywood Road. A plaque to this effect can be found in Hollywood Road Park at the top of Possession Street. The foot of Possession Street, Possession Point, was at that time on the shoreline, but is now several hundred yards inland due to reclamation.

Geography
Sheung Wan is surrounded by Sai Ying Pun in the west, Central in the east, Victoria Harbour in the north and Victoria Peak in the south. Part of the Mid-Levels is located within Sheung Wan. The border between Central and Sheung Wan consists of the entire Castle Lane, the entire Aberdeen Street, the entire Wing Kut Street, the section of Des Voeux Road Central between Wing Kut Street and Wing Wo Street, the section of Wing Wo Street north of Des Voeux Road Central, the section of Connaught Road Central between Wing Wo Street and Rumsey Street, and the section of Rumsey Street from Connaught Road Central to the waterside. Garfield Mansion is in Sheung Wan while Green Field Court is in Central. The border's location south of Seymour Road in the Mid-Levels is unknown.

Features

 * Asia Art Archive
 * Blake Garden
 * Hollywood Road Park
 * Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences
 * Man Mo Temple
 * Pak Tsz Lane Park
 * Sheung Wan Civic Centre
 * Sheung Wan Market
 * Shun Tak Centre
 * Soho, Hong Kong (also part of Central)
 * The Center
 * Tung Wah Hospital
 * Western Market
 * YMCA of Hong Kong Bridges Street Centre

The Sheung Wan Route
The Sheung Wan Route is one part of Central and Western Heritage Trail designed by the Antiquities and Monuments Office and Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The route covers 35 historic buildings and sites in Sheung Wan.

Streets
Streets in Sheung Wan include:

 * Aberdeen Street, marking the border with Central
 * Bonham Strand and Bonham Strand West
 * Bridges Street
 * Cleverly Street (Hong Kong) (急庇利街). Named after Charles Saint George Cleverly, the 2nd Surveyor General of Hong Kong Government.
 * Des Voeux Road Central and Des Voeux Road West
 * Gough Street
 * Hillier Street
 * Hollywood Road (also in Central)
 * Jervois Street
 * Ladder Street and other ladder streets
 * Man Wa Lane
 * Morrison Street (摩利臣街)
 * Possession Street
 * Pound Lane, a ladder street
 * Queen's Road Central and Queen's Road West
 * Rumsey Street
 * Shing Wong Street, a ladder street
 * Tai Ping Shan Street, a popular shopping street
 * Upper and Lower Lascar Row
 * Wellington Street, Hong Kong (also in Central)
 * Wing Lee Street
 * Wing Lok Street (Hong Kong) (永樂街)
 * Wing Sing Street

Economy
The head office of Wing On is in Wing On Centre (永安中心) in Sheung Wan.

Education
Sheung Wan is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 11. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and the following government schools: Bonham Road Government Primary School and Li Sing Primary School (李陞小學).

Another school in the area is Discovery Montessori School, a Montessori-based school located at 3/F Mandarin Building, 43B Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan. Discovery Montessori School (DMS) is for children from 6 months to 6 years old, with programs including playgroup, nursery, and kindergarten.

Due to the high French expatriate population, the French International School of Hong Kong previously operated a Kindergarten campus in Shops 2-4 on the ground floor of Tung Fai Gardens (東暉花園) in Sheung Wan.

Transport
Sheung Wan is served by the Sheung Wan station, formerly the western terminus of the Island line of the MTR metro system. Kennedy Town became the new terminus of the Island on 28 December 2014.

Trams also run through Sheung Wan, and one of the tram termini, Western Market, is located at the junction of Des Voeux Road Central and Morrison Street near its namesake.

The Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal in the Shun Tak Centre has ferries and helicopters to Macau and to several destinations in Mainland China.

Numerous bus routes run through Sheung Wan. Central (Macau Ferry) Bus Terminus, located next to the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal, is one of the largest bus termini on Hong Kong Island.

title: Sheung Wan


text:
Oblique projection

Oblique projection is a simple type of technical drawing of graphical projection used for producing two-dimensional (2D) images of three-dimensional (3D) objects.

The objects are not in perspective and so do not correspond to any view of an object that can be obtained in practice, but the technique yields somewhat convincing and useful results.

Oblique projection is commonly used in technical drawing. The cavalier projection was used by French military artists in the 18th century to depict fortifications.

Oblique projection was used almost universally by Chinese artists from the 1st or 2nd centuries to the 18th century, especially to depict rectilinear objects such as houses.

Various graphical projection techniques can be used in computer graphics, including in Computer Aided Design (CAD), computer games, computer generated animations, and special effects used in movies.

Overview

Oblique projection is a type of parallel projection: In both oblique projection and orthographic projection, parallel lines of the source object produce parallel lines in the projected image. The projectors in oblique projection intersect the projection plane at an oblique angle to produce the projected image, as opposed to the perpendicular angle used in orthographic projection.
 * it projects an image by intersecting parallel rays (projectors)
 * from the three-dimensional source object with the drawing surface (projection plane).

Mathematically, the parallel projection of the point $$(x, y, z)$$ on the $$xy$$-plane gives $$(x+az, y+bz, 0)$$. The constants $$a$$ and $$b$$ uniquely specify a parallel projection. When $$a = b = 0$$, the projection is said to be "orthographic" or "orthogonal". Otherwise, it is "oblique". The constants $$a$$ and $$b$$ are not necessarily less than 1, and as a consequence lengths measured on an oblique projection may be either larger or shorter than they were in space. In a general oblique projection, spheres of the space are projected as ellipses on the drawing plane, and not as circles as they would appear from an orthogonal projection.

Oblique drawing is also the crudest "3D" drawing method but the easiest to master. One way to draw using an oblique view is to draw the side of the object you are looking at in two dimensions, i.e. flat, and then draw the other sides at an angle of 45°, but instead of drawing the sides full size they are only drawn with half the depth creating 'forced depth' – adding an element of realism to the object. Even with this 'forced depth', oblique drawings look very unconvincing to the eye. For this reason oblique is rarely used by professional designers or engineers.

Oblique pictorial
In an oblique pictorial drawing, the angles displayed among the axis, as well as the foreshortening factors (scale) are arbitrary. More precisely, any given set of three coplanar segments originating from the same point may be construed as forming some oblique perspective of three sides of a cube. This result is known as Pohlke's theorem, from the German mathematician Pohlke, who published it in the early 19th century. The resulting distortions make the technique unsuitable for formal, working drawings. Nevertheless, the distortions are partially overcome by aligning one plane of the image parallel to the plane of projection. Doing so creates a true shape image of the chosen plane. This specific category of oblique projections, whereby lengths along the directions $$x$$ and $$y$$ are preserved, but lengths along direction $$z$$ are drawn at angle using a reduction factor is very much in use for industrial drawings.
 * Cavalier projection is the name of such a projection, where the length along the $$z$$ axis remains unscaled.
 * Cabinet projection, popular in furniture illustrations, is an example of such a technique, where in the receding axis is scaled to half-size (sometimes instead two-thirds the original).

Cavalier projection
In cavalier projection (sometimes cavalier perspective or high view point) a point of the object is represented by three coordinates, x, y and z. On the drawing, it is represented by only two coordinates, x″ and y″. On the flat drawing, two axes, x and z on the figure, are perpendicular and the length on these axes are drawn with a 1:1 scale; it is thus similar to the dimetric projections, although it is not an axonometric projection, as the third axis, here y, is drawn in diagonal, making an arbitrary angle with the x″ axis, usually 30 or 45°. The length of the third axis is not scaled.

It is very easy to draw, especially with pen and paper. It is thus often used when a figure must be drawn by hand, e.g. on a black board (lesson, oral examination).

The representation was initially used for military fortifications. In French, the "cavalier" (literally rider, horseman, see Cavalry) is an artificial hill behind the walls that allows sighting of the enemy above the walls. The cavalier perspective was the way the things were seen from this high point. Some also explain the name by the fact that it was the way a rider could see a small object on the ground from his horseback.

Cabinet projection
The term cabinet projection stems from its use in illustrations by the furniture industry. Like cavalier perspective, one face of the projected object is parallel to the viewing plane, and the third axis is projected as going off at an angle (typically atan(2) or about ~63.4°). Unlike cavalier projection, where the third axis keeps its length, with cabinet projection the length of the receding lines is cut in half.

Mathematical formula
As a formula, if the plane facing the viewer is xy, and the receding axis is z, then a point P is projected like this:
 * $$ P \begin{pmatrix} x \\ y \\ z \end{pmatrix} = \begin{pmatrix}

x + \frac12 z \cos \alpha \\ y + \frac12 z \sin \alpha \\ 0 \end{pmatrix}$$ Where $$\alpha$$ is the mentioned angle.

The transformation matrix is:
 * $$ P = \begin{bmatrix}

1 & 0 & \frac12 \cos \alpha \\ 0 & 1 & \frac12 \sin \alpha \\ 0 & 0 & 0 \end{bmatrix}$$

Alternatively one could remove one third from the leading arm projected off the starting face, thus giving the same result.

Military projection
In the military projection, the angles of the x and z-axis and y and z -axis are at 45°, meaning that the angle between the x-axis and the y-axis is 90°. That is, the xy-plane is not skewed. It is rotated over 45°, though.

Examples
Besides technical drawing and illustrations, video games (especially those preceding the advent of 3D games) also often use a form of oblique projection. Examples include SimCity, Ultima VII, Ultima Online, EarthBound, Paperboy and, more recently, Tibia.

title: Oblique projection


text:
Start the Week

Start the Week is a discussion programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 which began in April 1970. The current presenter is Tom Sutcliffe. The previous regular presenters were Richard Baker, Russell Harty, Melvyn Bragg, Jeremy Paxman and Andrew Marr

It is broadcast (usually) live on Monday mornings between 9:02am and 9:45am, and repeated in a shortened, edited version at 9:30pm the same evening. Its guests typically come from the worlds of politics, journalism, science and the arts. Prior to Marr the programme had a number of regular secondary presenters including Ken Sykora, Kenneth Robinson (who began in 1971 during the Baker era ), Rosie Boycott, Catherine Bennett and Lisa Jardine.

Richard Baker (1970–1987)
The original programme differed from its current form; for the first year or so it was entirely pre-recorded. Produced by Michael Ember, a flamboyant producer from the BBC Hungarian Service, the 1970 show was supposed to be intelligent banter on a weekly theme held together in a jocular fashion by Richard Baker, a well-known television newsreader.

If that week contained Valentine's Day, for example, the show would start with some hints as to proper behaviour for that day, a bit of history, then a tape recorded by Doug Crawford, a former pirate radio DJ, consisting of a montage of music, archive recordings, opinions recorded on the street and the like, presenting the public's image of the day in question.

After eight minutes or so, the programme returned to the live studio for anecdotes and discussion from a variety of guests. Regulars included Lance Percival, a satirist from TV shows of the time who sang the Start the Week intro theme as a topical calypso, cookery with Zena Skinner.

The programme had a regular following but was thought to be too light-hearted and irreverent for 9.00am on Monday mornings by a new Director of Programmes.

Russell Harty (1987–1988)
The programme turned towards being a chat show during Harty's year in the chair; Melvyn Bragg, a friend of Harty's first appeared on the programme as a substitute presenter before illness led to Harty's death in 1988.

Melvyn Bragg (1988–1998)
After Harty's death, several presenters were tried out, including Kate Adie, Sue Lawley, George Melly and Melvyn Bragg. During Bragg's tenure the programme gained "a new reputation for gravitas"; and also a larger audience, which by 1996 was "at one to one and a half million, slightly more than the far more middle-brow programmes such as Midweek, Desert Island Discs and Loose Ends, which occupy the slot on other days."

According to The Independent, "rows, however innocuous some of them seemed at the time, have become a trademark under Bragg: among the most notable have been Ben Elton vs Brenda Maddox, Rosie Boycott and Bragg vs novelist Kathy Lette, Armistead Maupin vs Libby Purves, and Bragg himself vs (separately) Joan Smith, Michael Dobbs, William Cash, Tony Parsons and Jean Aitchison.

The programme's prominence in Radio 4's schedule meant that Bragg's elevation to the House of Lords as a life peer necessitated Bragg's relinquishing of an involvement in the programme.

Jeremy Paxman (1998–2002)
Paxman's tenure was relatively short for a broadcaster of his stature because his aggressive style of interviewing was not considered compatible with the programme.

Andrew Marr (2002–2020)
Andrew Marr took over as the programme's presenter in 2002. Occasional stand-in presenters in recent years have included David Baddiel and Sue MacGregor. In January 2013, Marr suffered a stroke and went on sabbatical from the show, though he did chair a one-off episode in November and several episodes in December 2013. He thereafter returned as the presenter of the show, but not on a full-time basis. Since 2013, he has alternated with various presenters, currently Tom Sutcliffe, Kirsty Wark, Adam Rutherford and Amol Rajan.

Awards
Start the Week won the Best Radio Programme category in the 1994 and 2005 Voice of the Listener & Viewer Awards, and is only the second programme to win the award twice.

title: Start the Week


text:
CASA C-101 Aviojet

The CASA C-101 Aviojet is a low-wing single engine jet-powered advanced trainer and light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Spanish aircraft company Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA).

The C-101 was developed in response to a Spanish Air Force requirement, which needed a replacement for the outdated Hispano Saeta. During 1975, CASA commenced work on what would become the C-101. In addition to its own design team, technical assistance was provided by Germany's Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) and the United States' Northrop. In June 1977, the first of four prototypes performed the type's maiden flight. The design was somewhat reminiscent of other jet trainers of the era, such as the BAE Hawk and the Alpha Jet, but was less aerodynamically sophisticated, being equipped with an unswept wing. Performance of the C-101 during flight testing was reported in excess of predictions.

On 17 March 1980, the first examples were introduced to operational service with the Spanish Air Force, which would be the principal customer for the C-101. The initial model possessed only a limited weapons capability, this attack capability was expanded upon later-built aircraft. Several models were exported to overseas operators; the C-101 has been adopted by the Chilean Air Force, Honduran Air Force and the Royal Jordanian Air Force. A final improved model, designated C-101DD, was demonstrated but did not find customers and thus it did not enter serial production. In addition to its use as a trainer aircraft, it has been used to perform aerobatics; in the latter context, it has been flown by the Patrulla Aguila aerobatics team. As of 2019, the C-101 remains in service in the Spanish Air Force and several other countries.

Early on the 2010s there were talks about the replacement of the C-101. Finally, in 2020 it was decided that the C-101 would be replaced by the Pilatus PC-21 (24) and the Airbus Future Jet Trainer (50 - 55).

Design and development

The C-101 was designed in response to a Spanish Air Force requirement issued in 1975, calling for a new jet trainer to replace its aging fleet of Hispano HA-200s and Ha.220s. Akin to the majority of contemporary European jet trainers, it was also to have a limited attack capability. During 1972, Hispano had been absorbed by Spanish aircraft company Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA), who took an interest in the trainer requirement. During October 1975, CASA was awarded a development contract based upon their submission, requiring a pair of static airframes and four flight-capable prototypes to be built for testing purposes at a cost of 1,297 million pesetas ($22 million).

To develop the aircraft, CASA sought technical assistance from abroad. Both the German manufacturing conglomerate Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) and American defense company Northrop opted to participate in the venture; specifically, engineers at MBB worked on the design of the rear fuselage and tail section while Northrop's team were responsible for the design of the aircraft's wings and engine inlets. Out of these efforts, a relatively conventional design was developed; according to aviation author John C. Fredriksen, the principles of simplicity and economy were highly emphasised by the design, shunning high performance features.

In terms of its basic configuration, the C-101 is a low-mounted monoplane, with unswept wings. The cockpit, which was relatively spacious amongst its peers, accommodated a crew of two in a tandem seating; the seats were staggered to provide the instructor in the rear position with greater visibility. The fuselage provided considerable internal space, permitting the installation of various additional aviation or supplemental systems as to suit future requirements or other secondary roles. Foreseen secondary roles included ground attack, armed escort, photographic reconnaissance, and as an electronic countermeasures (ECM) platform.

The only surprising feature of the aircraft was the presence of a large internal weapons bay located beneath the rear cockpit; this allowed for a wider variety of armament to be carried than the underwing hard points could accommodate; alternatively, this bay enabled the carriage of other equipment, including reconnaissance payloads. In addition to the weapons bay, both armaments and stores could be fitted upon six underwing hard points. The design was produced in a modular fashion, which eases both manufacture and maintenance activities. It was provisioned with a considerable endurance range as a result of the initial requirement having called for a self-deployment capability to the Canary Islands from the Spanish mainland.

The powerplant selected for the aircraft was the Honeywell TFE731-5-1J turbofan engine. This unit was actually a commercial engine that had been re-developed for military use. Even from an early stage of development, the TFE731 was viewed as a front runner for the aircraft. According to Fredriksen, it provided relatively favourable performance and a high level of fuel economy amongst its peers. Overall, the aircraft provided mainly favourable characteristics while remaining an affordable trainer in comparison to international competition.

Operational history
Although the first flight took place on 27 June 1977, the test flight phase, which included vibration, flutter and spin tests, did not commence until 17 April 1978. The prototype was flown in the Farnborough International Airshow during late July 1978. Performance was reportedly found to be better than anticipated by the designers. An initial order for 88 aircraft was placed by the Spanish Air Force; built as a dedicated trainer version, designated as C-101EB-01 by CASA and E.25 Mirlo ("Blackbird") by the air force. On 17 March 1980, the first aircraft entered service with the Spanish Air Force.

Shortly after this dedicated trainer model was introduced, the aircraft was followed in production by a combination attack/trainer variant. Equipped with an uprated engine, this variant was designated C-101BB-02. It was bought by numerous export customers, including Honduras, which bought four, and Chile, which bought four aircraft and parts for another eight to be assembled locally by ENAER. The Chilean BB-02s are designated T-36 Halcón.

In 1983, CASA flew a dedicated attack version, the C-101CC-02, which was again ordered by Chile. This time, only the prototype was built in Spain, with the remaining 22 machines built by ENAER. This variant featured yet another engine upgrade and increased fuel capacity; it has been designated A-36 Halcón ("Falcon").

Sixteen similar aircraft, the C-101CC-04 were sold to Jordan. During 2018, the last of these aircraft were phased out by the Royal Jordanian Air Force.

The final version of the C-101 to be developed, designated C-101DD, was first demonstrated by CASA during 1985. This model featured vastly improved avionics and featured systems such as a head-up display, HOTAS-cockpit, AN/ALR-66 radar warning receiver, chaff and flare countermeasures, as well as the capability to carry the AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missile; however, as of 2000 it had not attracted any orders.

Between 1990 and 1992, all Spanish Air Force C-101s received an extensive upgrade package which mainly focused on the aircraft's navigation and armament systems.

Operators

 * 🇨🇱 Chile
 * Chilean Air Force (35 -12 C-101BB and 23 C-101CC). Around 20 C-101CC still in service as A-36.
 * 🇭🇳 Honduras
 * Honduran Air Force (4 C-101BB)
 * 🇯🇴 Jordan
 * Royal Jordanian Air Force (16 C-101CC) –
 * 🇪🇸 Spain
 * Spanish Air and Space Force (88 C-101EB)

title: CASA C-101 Aviojet


text:
Chasewater

Chasewater is a reservoir located in the parish of Burntwood and the district of Lichfield in Staffordshire, England. Originally known as Norton Pool and Cannock Chase Reservoir, it was created as a canal feeder reservoir in 1797. The reservoir was created to directly supply the Wyrley and Essington Canal and maintain levels in the 160 mi Birmingham Canal Network. During a period of great industrial growth in the Black Country region the maintenance of water levels in canal infrastructure was essential and Chasewater was in great demand. As canals became less essential for transport of goods during the mid-20th century, the reservoir diversified and became a popular public amenity with activities such as water-skiing, sailing, wakeboarding and cycling. Chasewater is the third largest reservoir by volume in the county of Staffordshire and the largest canal feeder reservoir in the West Midlands.

History
An act of Parliament, 34 Geo. 3. c. 25, received royal assent on 28 March 1794, entitled "An Act for extending the Wyrley and Essington Canal", this authorised a long extension, from Sneyd past Lichfield to Huddlesford Junction on the Coventry Canal, together with the raising of up to £115,000 to complete construction. As part of the act the Wyrley and Essington Canal Company were required to provide a water source to keep the new length of canal topped up.

A site in the Crane Brook Valley was selected to be dammed to create a reservoir which would provide water to the new stretch of canal. Excavations started in the valley floor in 1796 and were used to build earthwork dams along the eastern and western edges of the reservoir. A feeder channel to supply water to the canal was cut through from the eastern dam to the top of the locks at Ogley Hay 1.5 mi to the south east.

The reservoir opened on 8 May 1797, however in June 1799 the eastern dam burst releasing a flood wave downstream along the Crane Brook Valley towards Shenstone, about 4.5 miles to the south east. The cause of the burst was not clear however it was likely that no overflow system was provided and a summer storm caused the dam to overtop and erode the earth embankment. The flood wave caused significant damage with roads and bridges destroyed, fields flooded and livestock killed. The canal company paid out compensation to all who had suffered losses and set about rebuilding the dam. The dam was rebuilt thicker and wider than previously with its inner faces lined with limestone. In the March 1800 the dam had been rebuilt by Thomas Dadford and the reservoir refilled. A watch house was built by the canal company with a full-time watchman to safeguard against any similar incidents in the future.

In 1840 ownership of the reservoir passed to Birmingham Canal Navigations after the company acquired the Wyrley and Essington Canal Company. During the mid-19th century the coal deposits beneath the reservoir and the surrounding area began to be mined on a large scale due to the Industrial Revolution. The landowner of the area, the Marquess of Anglesey planned to open pits near to the reservoir. The Anglesey Branch of the Wyrley and Essington Canal was constructed between 1848 and 1850 and made the existing feeder channel navigable. In 1849 the Marquess opened the Hammerwich Colliery, located adjacent to the Anglesey Branch at the toe of the dam. After barely eight years of operation the colliery last drew coal in January 1857, as it became impossible to work due to the influx of sand and gravel caused by working too close to unconsolidated surface deposits. Many other collieries were opened at this time around the reservoir and continued to be mined into the 20th century.

After the opening of the South Staffordshire Railway Line in 1849 rail infrastructure serving the collieries around the reservoir began to expand. John Robinson McClean engineered the rail line linking the South Staffordshire Line to the Hammerwich and Uxbridge Collieries as well as the Norton Branch. McClean leased pits from the Marquess of Anglesey and formed the Cannock Chase Colliery Company in 1859. In 1871 the rail line linking the Norton Branch and the Uxbridge Colliery was built. This line, now used by Chasewater Railway, involved the building of a causeway across the Crane Brook valley at the western end of the reservoir. Subsidence in the 1890s led to the extension of the western embankment north to the railway causeway and Norton East Road. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the eastern dam was raised, with this a new hexagonal valve house and weir was built and the capacity of the reservoir was increased. The increased capacity of the reservoir created Jeffries Swag at the western end of the reservoir.

Under the terms of an Act of Abandonment obtained in 1954, most of the branches of the original Wyrley and Essington Canal were closed, including the branch from Ogley to Huddlesford, which was abandoned in 1955. The closing of this section of canal reduced the demand for water from Chasewater. On 21 Oct 1957 the reservoir was purchased by Brownhills Urban District Council from the British Transport Commission for £5,600 and the reservoir was renamed Chasewater.

During the mid-20th century the majority of mines were closed around Chasewater and the area was becoming increasingly used for leisure purposes. In the early 1950s sailing dinghies were the first to arrive, subsequently speedboats joined them a little further up the shore. By the early 1960s the sailing club moved to its present position and a funfair etc. was set up on the south shore, in 1961 the pier and the castle were built along the south shore. The 1960s saw the final rail traffic passing over the causeway and the final coal barge leaving Anglesey Basin. In 1984 a Chasewater Master Plan and Development Strategy was published, which recognised the nature conservation value of Chasewater and the surrounding land. In 1994 Lichfield District Council became responsible for management of Chasewater and the site became a country park in 1998. Continued investment in the nature and leisure value at Chasewater led to the building of the £1.9 million Forest of Mercia Innovation Centre in 2000 and the restoration of the Chasewater Railway as a heritage line. Following an inspection in 2006 it was discovered that remedial works were needed to the eastern dam. As a result of this the reservoir was drawn down 8 m in spring 2010 for works to be complete by spring 2012. In May 2011 Staffordshire County Council took over ownership of the reservoir to ensure completion of the remedial works.

Dam and reservoir
Chasewater reservoir is retained by two earth embankment dams. The main eastern dam runs north-south along the eastern side of the reservoir and is 560 m long with a maximum height of 14 m, a crest width of 15 m and maximum width at its base of 70 m. The secondary western dam is a continuous embankment along the western side of the reservoir and is 1300 m long with a maximum height of 4 m.

The eastern dam was constructed between 1796 and 1797 across the Crane Brook valley damming Crane Brook; a tributary of the River Tame. The dam was constructed with the boulder clay and alluvium excavated from the reservoir bed. Later additions to the dam are formed with colliery waste from mining activity in the area. The overflow level of the dam was raised in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to increase the capacity of the reservoir. The dam was raised by approximately 1.5 m, a new bridge was built across the outflow basin above the old one, a new valve house was constructed on the raised crest and a 3 ft wave wall was built along the crest.

The western dam stretches from approximately 300 m north of Brownhills West station to Norton East Road. The embankment dams the headwaters of streams which formerly flowed westwards to discharge into the River Penk. The dam was constructed between 1796 and 1797 with excavated materials from the reservoir bed, however it was extended northwards in the 1890s to counteract the settlement of the land due to mining subsidence. The extended section of the dam was formed with tipped material containing burnt clay and a core of clay puddle. South of the railway causeway the dam was widened when the area was landscaped using colliery waste as fill, it now does not resemble a dam although it still acts as one. The extension of the western dam allowed the overflow to be raised on the eastern dam in the late 19th century. This increased the capacity of the reservoir and created Jeffries Swag on the north side of the railway causeway.

The reservoir has a capacity of 4,400,000m3 (4.4 billion litres) and a surface area of 1.08 km2 (270 acres) with a maximum water depth of 11.3 m near its eastern end. Chasewater is the third largest reservoir in Staffordshire by capacity and second by surface area.

Flora and fauna
The Chasewater habitat supports several rare plant and animal species including: floating water-plantain (Luronium natans), round-leaved wintergreen (Pyrola rotundifolia), the carnivorous round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), adder's tongue (Ophioglossum), black spleenwort (Asplenium adiantum-nigrum), goldeneye duck (Bucephala) and tufted duck (Aythya fuligula)

Today
The surrounding area is designated as a country park. The reservoir hosts a variety of activities including water skiing, sailing, angling and bird watching. Running around Chasewater is the Chasewater Railway.

The large house situated halfway along the dam wall was originally the weir master's cottage. The weir master would walk up to the hexagonal valve house, constructed to the same design as BCN tollhouses, and operate the gate valves to release water from Chasewater reservoir into the canal. The construction of the M6 Toll between the reservoir and the A5 required the construction of a new bridge over the motorway to access the southern side of the lake, where an Innovation Centre provides enhanced access to the waterfront. Selling land for motorway construction also allowed the Chasewater Railway to construct new premises and a large engine shed on the lake side.

In June 2019, a parkrun (a free, weekly timed 5 km run/walk) event started at Chasewater, taking place every Saturday morning at 9am.

Dam repair
Following an inspection in 2006 and further investigations in the years that followed, it was decided that maintenance works were needed to the eastern dam. The threats to the dam included internal erosion and overtopping of the dam during a storm event. Lichfield District Council appointed Galliford Try as principal contractor for works to start in December 2010. In May 2011 ownership of the reservoir passed to Staffordshire County Council to ensure successful completion of the works. The county council maintained the principal contractor and appointed civil engineers, URS to complete the works.

The water level in the reservoir was lowered by 8 m from February to April in 2010, in order for the works to be carried out on the eastern dam. To reduce the risk of internal erosion filters were installed at the downstream toe of the embankment to control and monitor seepage through the dam. To meet regulations the reservoir has to be able to withstand a 1 in 10,000-year storm event. To increase the overflow capacity culverts were installed through the causeway carrying Chasewater Railway, this was to increase water flows from Jeffries Swag into the main body of the reservoir. A new bridge, weir and spillway were built at the southeastern end of the reservoir. The drawdown culvert which runs from the reservoir bed to the canal was inspected and restored for the first time in 200 years. The £5.5 million repairs were completed in April 2012.

When the water was lowered, two suspected bombs were discovered on the reservoir bed, these were later determined to be mortar rounds dating from the Second World War.

title: Chasewater