text:
Warrington bombings

The Warrington bombings were two bomb attacks that took place during early 1993 in Warrington, Cheshire, England. The first attack happened on 26 February, when a bomb exploded at a gas storage facility. This first explosion caused extensive damage, but no injuries. While fleeing the scene, the bombers shot and injured a police officer and two of the bombers were caught after a high-speed car chase. The second attack happened on 20 March, when two smaller bombs exploded in litter bins outside shops and businesses on Bridge Street. Two children were killed and 56 people were injured.

The attacks were carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). From the early 1970s, the IRA had been carrying out attacks in both Northern Ireland and England with the stated goal of putting pressure on the UK Government to withdraw from Northern Ireland. The IRA is designated a terrorist organisation in the United Kingdom.

First attack
On the night of 25 February 1993, three IRA members planted Semtex bombs at the gas holders on Winwick Road, Warrington. At 11:45pm that night, a police officer stopped the three men in a van on Sankey Street. As he was questioning them, the IRA members shot him three times and sped off in the van. About an hour later, they hijacked a car in Lymm, put the driver in the boot and drove off towards Manchester. At about 1am, police spotted the car and chased it along the M62 motorway in the direction of Warrington. Shots were fired during the high-speed chase and two police vehicles were hit. Police stopped the car on the motorway near Croft and arrested two of the IRA members: Páidric MacFhloinn (age 40) and Denis Kinsella (age 25). The third member, Michael Timmins, escaped. At 4:10am on 26 February, the bombs exploded at the gas holders, sending a fireball 1000 ft into the sky and causing extensive damage to the facility. The emergency services arrived and evacuated about 100 people from their homes. There was much disruption to transport that morning as police set up roadblocks and trains were diverted away from Warrington.

In 1994, MacFhloinn was sentenced to 35 years in prison and Kinsella to 25 years for their part in the bombing. John Kinsella (age 49) was sentenced to 20 years for possessing Semtex explosives that he had hidden for the IRA unit. These explosives were previously supplied by Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Second attack
Shortly before midday on Saturday, 20 March 1993, The Samaritans in Liverpool received a bomb warning by telephone. According to police, the caller said only that a bomb had been planted outside a Boots shop. Merseyside Police sent officers to branches of Boots in Liverpool and warned the Cheshire Constabulary, who patrolled nearby Warrington. About 30 minutes later, at about 12:25,  two bombs exploded on Bridge Street in Warrington, about 100 yd apart. The blasts happened within a minute of each other. One exploded outside Boots and McDonald's, and one outside the Argos catalogue store. The area was crowded with shoppers. Witnesses said that shoppers fled from the first explosion into the path of the second. It was later found that the bombs had been placed inside cast-iron litter bins, causing large amounts of shrapnel. Buses were organised to ferry people away from the scene and 20 paramedics and crews from 17 ambulances were sent to deal with the aftermath.

Three-year-old Johnathan Ball died at the scene. He had been in town with his babysitter, shopping for a Mother's Day card. The second victim, 12-year-old Tim Parry, was gravely wounded. He died on 25 March 1993 when his life support machine was switched off, after tests had found only minimal brain activity. Another 54 people were injured, four of them seriously. One of the survivors, 32-year-old Bronwen Vickers, the mother of two young daughters, had to have a leg amputated, and died just over a year later from cancer.

The Provisional IRA issued a statement the day after the bombing, acknowledging its involvement but saying:"Responsibility for the tragic and deeply regrettable death and injuries caused in Warrington yesterday lies squarely at the door of those in the British authorities who deliberately failed to act on precise and adequate warnings." A day later, an IRA spokesman said that "two precise warnings" had been given "in adequate time", one to the Samaritans and one to Merseyside Police. He added: "You don't provide warnings if it is your intention to kill". Cheshire's assistant chief constable denied there had been a second warning and said:"Yes, a warning was given half-an-hour before, but no mention was made of Warrington. If the IRA think they can pass on their responsibility for this terrible act by issuing such a nonsensical statement, they have sadly underestimated the understanding of the British public."

A piece on BBC North West's Inside Out programme in September 2013 speculated that the bombing may have been the work of a "rogue" IRA unit, which was supported by the IRA but operated independently and who used operatives who were from England to avoid suspicion. The programme also examined a possible link between the attack and British leftist political group Red Action, though nothing was ever proven.

Aftermath
The deaths of two young children ensured that the 20 March bombings received major coverage in the media and caused widespread public anger. Shortly after the bombings, a group called "Peace '93" was set up in Dublin. The main organiser was Susan McHugh, a Dublin housewife and mother. On 25 March 1993, thousands held a peace rally in Dublin. They signed a condolence book outside the General Post Office and laid bouquets and wreaths, with messages of sorrow and apology, to be taken to Warrington for the boys' funerals. Some criticised Peace '93 for focusing only on IRA violence and for not responding to the deaths of children in Northern Ireland.

On 1 April 1993, the Irish Government announced measures designed to make extradition easier from the Republic of Ireland to the United Kingdom.

On 19 September 1994, Irish rock band The Cranberries released the song "Zombie", which was written in protest at the bombings. The song went on to become their biggest hit.

On 14 November 1996, the Duchess of Kent officially inaugurated a memorial called The River of Life, depicting "a symbol of hope for future generations", in Bridge Street. It was developed in the aftermath of the bomb attack and commissioned by the Warrington Borough Council. The project, consisting of a symbolic water sculpture that features a commemorative plaque, was designed by local primary school and Stephen Broadbent.

The parents of Tim Parry set up the Tim Parry Trust Fund to promote greater understanding between Great Britain and Ireland. The Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace worked jointly with the NSPCC to develop The Peace Centre, close to Warrington town centre, which opened on the seventh anniversary of the attack in 2000. Its purpose is to promote peace and understanding amongst all communities affected by conflict and violence. The centre hosts an annual peace lecture, as well as being home to the local NSPCC and was the home of Warrington Youth Club until 2022.

The bombings received further attention in 2019 after the Brexit Party selected former Living Marxism writer Claire Fox as their lead candidate in the North West for the 2019 European Parliament election; the Revolutionary Communist Party, of which Fox was a leading member in 1993, defended the IRA's bombing in their party newsletter. Despite the controversy, which saw another Brexit Party candidate resign from the party list in protest at the comments, Fox and the Brexit Party topped the poll in several areas of the North West, including in Warrington.

The killing of Ball and Parry is still on Cheshire Police's list of unsolved murders.

Made for TV film
The events around the second bombing, with the killing of two children, and the efforts of the parents of Tim Parry and "Peace '93" and McHugh, were dramatised in the 2018 television film, Mother's Day, starring Vicky McClure, Daniel Mays, and Anna Maxwell Martin.

title: Warrington bombings


text:
Talk:Elections in the United Kingdom

Electoral Commission
Good page... small change needed. The Electoral Commission is not responsible for 'running' elections in the UK. It has a monitoring and best practice role, but it is local authorities in the UK that run elections. Votes are certified by the returning officer, who is invariably the chief executive of the relevant local authority. Local authorities also manage and have responsibility for the electoral roll although it is possible that this will be transferred to the EC or a new body in the medium term.91.106.231.216 (talk) 18:28, 19 November 2008 (UTC)

I think this goes too far in discussing electoral reform issues which have not been and which the article suggests might never be. Such issues should be in an article on its own, and leave this to what has been and is. --Henrygb 22:13, 30 Jun 2004 (UTC)

Hustings
I am surprised that nothing is said about hustings. – Kaihsu 18:55, 2005 Feb 5 (UTC)

Eligibility
I think a specific point should be made about eligibility for each type of election. If they are all the same, this point should be addressed.

I agree. I'm pretty certain that the contention that "anyone who is a legal resident of the UK... is eligible to vote" is only the case for local elections, not general elections. 80.227.170.154 —Preceding signed but undated comment was added at 12:25, 8 October 2007 (UTC)

As things get ever more complicated in Britain, I've just found this: "From 1st June 2007 people can now formally apply to be placed on the electoral register as anonymous electors. [this] means that the person’s name and address will not appear on the electoral register but they can still vote." It means that : "Eligibility... provided they are on the electoral register ..." might need to be amended a little.

Source:http://www.walsall.gov.uk/contrast/index/council_and_democracy/elections/anonymous_registration-2.htm Pennypennypennypenny (talk) 17:10, 5 May 2010 (UTC)

Some other old practices
This needs info about (a) the practice of holding elections over multiple days, and (b) the practice of uncontested elections. As I understand it the elections were phased, so that one borough would hold the election one day, another borough a day later, and suchforth. So members would be returned in some constituencies before elections had even opened in others. Newspapers reported interim reports.

Morwen - Talk 11:26, 15 Jun 2005 (UTC)

"Most electoral systems of any country"
I removed text claiming that the UK's use of 5 electoral systems is the most of any country; this is incorrect. The United States, to my knowledge, uses single member plurality, plurality at large (bloc voting), cumulative voting, instant runoff, and multimember single transferable vote in elections, albeit some of these rather limitedly. It's possible there are other localities in the US using other voting systems (approval voting, for instance), however I'm not certain of them at the moment. Scott Ritchie 07:04, 9 August 2005 (UTC)

Information on future elections
Hello, good page. As a voter I'd be interested to know where I can get information on the dates of future elections. I see there is a Electoral calendar but this is not specific to the UK (and doesn't have any UK dates on). --RickiRich 19:20, 20 November 2005 (UTC)

That is because the dates for parliamentry elections are not fixed in advance. General elections are held on a date chosen by the prime minister, who requests the Queen for a dissolution of parliament. By-elections are held when vacancies occur--Captdoc 22:47, 9 February 2006 (UTC)

Suspension of elections during World War II
What statute was this done with? Tried to research this, got nowhere. Morwen - Talk 16:59, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

 * There were a series of Local Elections and Register of Electors (Temporary Provisions) Acts, annually extending terms and postponing elections. There were provisions for casual vacancies on local authorities to be filled by co-option. 1939 (2 & 3 Geo. 5) c. 115; 1940 (4 & 5 Geo. 5) c. 3; 1941 (4 & 5 Geo. 5) c. 49; 1942 (5 & 6 Geo. 5) c. 38; 1943 (7 & 8 Geo. 5) c. 2 and 1944 (8 & 9 Geo. 5) c. 3. --Gary J 18:56, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

 * After further research I can confirm that the above acts did not affect the maximum term of Parliament. That was done by a series of Prolongation of Parliament Acts. 1940 (3 & 4 Geo. 6, c. 53) - amended s.7 of the Parliament Act 1911 to make the maximum term six years. 1941 (4 & 5 Geo, 6, c. c. 48) repealed s. 7 of the Parliament Act for the wartime Parliament, so the Septennial Act 1715 applied unamended to produce a seven year maximum term. 1942 (5 & 6 Geo. 6, c. 37, amended the Septennial Act 1715 to produce an eight year maximum term. 1943 (6 & 7 Geo. 6, c. 46) produced a nine year maximum term (and a six year term for the Northern Ireland Parliament, last elected in 1938). 1944 (7 & 8 Geo. 6, c. 45) extended the maximum term to ten years (and seven for the Northern Ireland Parliament). --Gary J 14:35, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

Queen's role
The Wikipedia article claims that "Only if the Prime Minister resigns can the Monarch then commission someone else to form a government." I believe that is obviously incorrect as the Queen also has the power to dismiss a prime minister and appoint a new one.

inglese/italiano
party system

Election results tables
I propose that all results tables should also include a column denoting the party leader at the time, as the Northern Ireland pages (2003 and 2007) do. This gives people a bigger idea of the personalities and issues at hand, amongst other things. For example, for the 1997 General election, a column should be added between 'Party' and 'seats', with columns stating (in order); 'Tony Blair', 'John Major', 'Paddy Ashdown', 'James Goldsmith', 'Alex Salmond', 'David Trimble', etc. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 86.29.210.111 (talk) 15:14, 13 February 2007 (UTC).

Nearly a year ago and nobody effin agrees? OPINIONS PLEASE —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.29.220.114 (talk) 19:53, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Weaseled statements
The following statements, which can be found under the arguments against reform, are in need of improving due to the presence of weasel words:

"...Some think it would be irresponsible to give 'extremists' the opportunity to have political power. Others counter that in a true democracy, this is no argument."

-- Robnpov 22:48, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

I just found another in the reform section:

"Some people assert that the electoral system ought to make such a connection, and therefore campaign for a change."

-- Robnpov 22:50, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

New/ex-electors
Is there any source for the number of new people to the electoral roll, and the number of people who fall off it? Preferably for the individual constituencies?

I don't mean simply the net change of people on the roll, but the raw numbers of how many new electors? Or how many left the electoral roll? It would also be useful to find the number of people voting who didn't last time.

I think this would be very useful in analysing changing vote patterns: for example it would shed light on whether Labour voters are switching to Liberal or whether the Liberal voters are primarily new voters and the Labour voters are staying at home. BillMasen 18:27, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

Eligibility section
This section is a little convoluted and could do with some clarification and expansion.

For example, what does "legal resident" mean in this context? Is it the same thing as a person with Right of Abode?

Also, what does a Commonwealth citizen have to do in order to be able to vote in British general elections? Commonwealth citizens do not necessarily have Right of Abode in the UK - does that matter?

Would an Australian citizen or an Indian citizen be able to travel to to the UK as a tourist for a week or two, add themselves to the electoral register, and then vote in a general election?

What about people who are British nationals (not subjects or citizens), but are not Commonwealth citizens (if that is even possible)? 217.155.20.163 20:09, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

Commonwealth voters
According to this article, British subjects are entitled to vote - this included the whole British Empire. Since the transformation of the Empire into the Commonwealth, its "citizens have retained the right to vote in the UK if they live in the UK". This makes sense for Jamaicans and Indians etc. But what's the status of citizens of Commonwealth countries that weren't part of the British Empire, e.g. Mozambique? Can they vote in UK elections? Bazonka 12:37, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Party nomination process?
I'm sure this is common knowledge to anyone living over there, but as an American I have no clue how a party's candidate is chosen to run in a general election in the U.K. Whoever knows the answer, could you kindly add it to this page? I think it's important to cover.--Reydeyo (talk) 05:22, 29 April 2009 (UTC)

 * Yes, I have the same question down below. Int21h (talk) 23:31, 12 May 2014 (UTC)

Do smaller parties tend to get more votes under PR?
"Smaller parties receive many more votes (and seats) in the elections using a proportional system, which are the regional elections for the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, Northern Ireland Assembly and London Assembly, and the European Parliament elections. Regional parties, such as the Scottish National Party or Plaid Cymru receive many more votes than at general or local elections, and at European elections, the United Kingdom Independence Party and Green Party of England and Wales perform better. It can be argued that in these elections, there is a multi-party system."

It's true that smaller parties tend to get more seats in PR elections, but that's mainly because the seats are allocated proportionally to the number of votes cast for that party. Is there any evidence that more people vote for smaller parties in PR elections than would in FPTP elections?

And also looking at the statistics, it seems the bit about SNP and Plaid Cymru doing better in regional elections than at general elections is completely untrue. It's hard to tell because there's never been a Welsh Assembly or Scottish Parliament election in the same year as a General. But for example, in the 2001 General election, Plaid got 195,893 votes, in the 2003 Welsh Assembly elections they got 180,185 consituency FPTP votes, and in the 2005 General election they got 174,838. So not much of a difference between regional and general elections at all.

Again, if we take SNP as the example, they got 464,314 votes in the 2001 general election, 449,476 constituency FPTP votes in the 2003 Scottish Parliament election, and 412,267 votes in the 2005 general election. So again, little difference at all. Jh39 (talk) 07:25, 16 August 2009 (UTC)

Suggestion
The title of this page is Elections not the most recent Election in each nation of UK. There should be an historical overview table. At the moment the article is very biased towards the most recent few elections. What is the justification for massive tables of fringe parties that stood but gained no seats on an overview page ? There is none. Leave that heavy detail for the detailed pages on each election.77.86.87.77 (talk) 11:56, 18 September 2009 (UTC)

This doesn't make sense?
"Of the 17 general elections between 1945 and 2005, four each were held in October, June, and May, and two were held in February" That only adds up to 14. 98.28.68.59 (talk) 15:35, 27 March 2010 (UTC)

 * It still makes sense. "Of his 17 children, three were born in Hungary and five in Peru."  Perfectly OK not to enumerate every single child's birth place.  --   Jack of Oz    ... speak! ...   20:39, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

This section also doesn't make sense: Section heading: "Elections to national parliaments and assemblies". There is only one national parliament. To say otherwise is to say that Parliament isn't the national parliament of The U.K., i.e. that the U.K. doesn't exist. (The Scottish Parliament always needs to stated in full when there's a chance of confusing the two.) Pennypennypennypenny (talk) 16:45, 5 May 2010 (UTC)

European Citizens
I was convinced that European citizens (in my case Greek) who are residents of the UK were not eligible to vote in UK general elections, a position that I have found elsewhere on the net as well as in this article. But last week I received my polling card and, having phoned the local council, I was informed that I was eligible and already registered to vote on 6 May in the UK general elections. When was this changed? I could not find a real announcement of a change like this anywhere. Iago 212 07:30, 19 April 2010 (UTC)

 * AFAIK, EU citizens resident in the UK have always been able to vote. I know they were at the last election at least. BillMasen (talk) 10:34, 19 April 2010 (UTC)

 * Apparently we are able to vote, but that is not what, e.g. this article says: In addition, while UK, Irish and Commonwealth citizens may register to vote in all elections, European Union nationals resident in the UK may register to vote in local, European, Scottish and Welsh elections. Iago 212 23:10, 19 April 2010 (UTC)

 * Hi. I've found this at Walsall local Council's site:http://www.walsall.gov.uk/contrast/index/voting_rights_of_european_nationals.htm

 * "Citizens of EU countries other than the UK, Cyprus, Malta and the Republic of Ireland cannot vote in the UK parliamentary elections."

 * And at the main government site:http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/Elections_Voting/DG_185706

 * "Who can vote at the elections?
 * You can vote in the UK general election if you are aged 18 or over on polling day and are either a British citizen, or a Commonwealth or Irish citizen resident in the UK. Some other groups - such as European Union citizens - can vote in local elections." Pennypennypennypenny (talk) 16:48, 5 May 2010 (UTC)

 * Well, Pennypenny, that's what I thought. But, as I said, I received my polling card, was told over the phone that I was both eligible and already registered and just went and voted. And I am not the only one. I know of at least one other person who voted and one more who also received a polling card. None of us are British, Irish or Commonwealth citizens. I am sure many votes were cast like that today. What do you think? Iago 212 19:10, 6 May 2010 (UTC)
 * I'm interested to hear about it. It sounds like the procedures for registering people might be quite lax, and I didn't know about this before. (Although once I went to the registration office and was told that someone I had never heard of was registered at my address. It might have been a previous resident.)

 * This letter in The Telegraph says the same as you:
 * "SIR – Arriving with photo ID at the town hall, as my postal vote did not arrive, I was told that as a Dutchman I could not vote in any but local elections. I have spent 31 years casting illegal votes. How many other criminals can boast so long a career and get away with it when caught?".
 * SEE (near bottom of the page):http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/7692655/The-urgent-need-for-economic-stability-means-that-the-worst-thing-would-be-to-hold-another-election-soon.html Pennypennypennypenny (talk) 14:36, 11 May 2010 (UTC)

→ Receiving a poll card is not necessarily an indication that you have a right to vote. Slip ups do occur, like the one that allowed a 14 year old boy to vote. Road Wizard (talk) 14:55, 11 May 2010 (UTC)

 * I am afraid, Swansea City Council made it even easier. I never registered. I thought about registering right after I missed the deadline to register in time for last year's European elections. I knew that we would have UK general elections in 2010, but I was convinced I could not vote, so I never bothered registering. What Swansea city council did was that they apparently just took all data from the Council Tax register and sent polling cards to everyone on that list. As I said, I know of at least two more people who received cards, one of which did vote. I think this is more than just a small slip up.Iago 212 21:52, 11 May 2010 (UTC)

Okay basically the registration system relies on a huge amount of trust and also dates from an era when the electorate was smaller, polling stations more limited and parties had resources to challenge entries and would-be voters. The register is compiled by the local agency each year sending a form to every residential address on its records requiring the "head of the household" to list everyone resident in the house over 16 (including dates of birth for 16 & 17 year olds) who is a British/Commonwealth/Irish/other EU citizen and specify each nationality. In following years the form will come preprinted with the existing details on it and the head of household has to either verify everyone is still there or else cross out and add on accordingly. (Voters who move mid year can also add themselves to the register by obtaining another form, filling in their details and sending it in.) It is very easy to get the details wrong on the form; especially if you're not well versed in electoral matters. It's also not always clear who the "head of the household" is, especially given changes in society, and so whoever actually fills in the form may not have all the details to hand. Further confusion arises in rented properties with some believing it's the landlord's responsibility to register the tenants, others believing it's the tenants and problems arise because of a) who actually gets their hands on the forms and b) expectations of universal practice confuse (a particular problem is that some universities register their residential students automatically but others don't). In terms of citizenship many landlords may not know the precise citizenships - especially dual nationalities - of everybody living in their properties (and don't need to so long as they're getting the rent every time. As a result I suspect a lot of EU citizens have wound up being registered for all elections. I'm not sure what Swansea Council is up to as there isn't supposed to be automatic registration of voters, though I think there's nothing stopping electoral services from using data held by the council to contact people missing from the register, albeit only to give them forms. Because the registration isn't done by the individuals themselves, many people don't know if they're on the register or not and can be surprised either way when they get a polling card or when they turn up at a polling station to find they're not on it. Timrollpickering (talk) 23:38, 24 July 2011 (UTC)

Timing of elections
It would be nice if a little more could be added to the information about the considerations that go into this. For instance, why did Brown decide to call for an election now? Given that Labour seemed certain to lose power, why not hold onto power for another year? Sylvain1972 (talk) 20:24, 6 May 2010 (UTC)
 * As to the reason why now the article does cover this by saying "parliamentary sessions last a maximum of five years". As the previous election was held in May 2005 the election had to be held by June this year. Davewild (talk) 20:36, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

 * I think there's a confusion here. The 5 years is the length of the Parliament. It's obviously not unrelated to when the elections are held, but just limiting the period between successive elections to 5 years is not what this is about, because that would mean the Parliament could never run for its theoretical maximum period of 5 years, as it would have to be dissolved some weeks before the 5 years was up, to allow time for the election to be organised.  --   Jack of Oz    ... speak! ...   21:02, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

 * I see, I thought I'd read somewhere that the last election was four years ago. Still, I think it would be a helpful addition. Consider this quote:

 * David Cameron may offer Clegg a few concessions to gain his consent, but he will go to the country again before the pain of his economic measures are felt and as soon as the Lib Dem surge fades. He will want to win a proper mandate for a fully fledged Conservative government and then refine the first-past-the-post voting system, reduce the number of constituencies by 10% but in so doing redraw their boundaries to be fairer to the Tories and disqualify Scottish and Welsh MPs from voting on English issues.

 * Not knowing much about British elections, it took me a while to figure out what he was talking about. But as I understand it now, the writer is suggesting that Cameron would form a government with the Liberals, then call another election in a relatively short amount of time to try to consolidate power. If this is correct, it might be good to have a paragraph or so explaining considerations like this.Sylvain1972 (talk) 13:42, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

How are a party's general election candidates chosen?
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I can gather, the process for the general elections are thus:

1. Parliament is dissolved 2. ????? choose candidates for each party in each constituency 3. The electorate in each constituency chooses amongst those chosen candidates

Am I to assume the Queen chooses each party's candidate? Or is there some more transparent process? Int21h (talk) 23:30, 12 May 2014 (UTC)

 * - the process varies by party, the article makes brief reference to Labour and Conservative processes. Selections will normally be done way in advance of the GE (in some marginal seats candidates may be selected 3-4 years out), all that has to be done after parliament is dissolved is that the candidates have to fill in their nomination papers and submit them to the Acting Returning Officer by a given deadline. Only in a few cases (e.g. where a candidate has stepped aside at the last minute) will any selection processes occur after the dissolution. Frinton100 (talk) 21:25, 15 October 2014 (UTC)

 * The process you describe appears to be missing crucial information, such as the conditions under which someone may submit nomination papers (and, by extension, fill them out first, by a given deadline, in English, using paper, and received physically within the UK), and how and who selects between those nominated. It appears the major UK parties use some sort of caucus system, but that's as far as I got. (I added that information currently in the article.) Is it that only a single person named by the party elite may submit nomination papers, as is done in North Korea etc.? Int21h (talk) 06:02, 16 October 2014 (UTC)

 * I think you are confusing two separate issues:

First, candidate selection is down to the individual parties. As far as I am aware in almost all circumstances Labour, Conservative, LibDems and UKIP operate a "one member one vote" (OMOV) process, where any member of that party can vote for their party's candidate at that election. This takes place in many cases years in advance of the GE. The processes vary in the way in which the shortlist of candidates is drawn up. In the Labour Party, any member can put themselves forward for consideration for a constituency selection. Branch Labour Parties (BLPs) and Affiliate Branches can nominate candidates (usually up to 3) from the list of everyone who as expressed an interest. The Constituency Labour Party's General Committee (a body comprising representatives of all the BLPs and affiliates) whittles down the names of people nominated to come up with a shortlist (typically 4 to 6 names) which goes before the full membership for the OMOV ballot. The process can be amended depending on the make-up of the CLP (not all CLPs have BLPs or a General Committee for example) and the number of candidates who apply (in some less winnable seats you may only get 2 people apply, in which case the selection will often bypass the nomination and shortlisting stage and move straight to the OMOV ballot). The other main parties obviously have different processes as their structures are different. The obvious exception is Conservative seats where there is an open primary open to al voters in that constituency.

The second issue is submitting nomination papers. Anyone who is entitled to vote at a parliamentary election (i.e. UK, Irish and Commonwealth citizens over 18 who are not members of the House of Lords) is entitled to stand at an election. Every candidate must complete their own set of nomination papers, which includes the appointment of an election agent, the signatures of 10 electors from the constituency who agree to their nomination and the candidate's own consent to nomination. Additionally at a parliamentary election you have to pay a £500 deposit, which is returned if you get over 5% of the vote. If a candidate is standing for a registered party (of whatever size - it could be a national party, a local "Ratepayers Association" type party, or one they have created for themselves), they need the signature of the party's nominating officer (or someone authorized in writing by the nominating officer) to be allowed to use the party name on the ballot. This is to stop people from claiming they are, say, the UKIP candidate, when UKIP have actually selected someone else. While the central party organization has a role to play in making sure all of their candidates have the appropriate forms to allow them to use the party name, the process of actually completing and submitting the nomination form is down to the candidate themselves, and their agent. The forms have to be submitted to the Acting Returning Officer in the individual constituency, rather than to the Electoral Commission or any other central body.

But the short answer to your question is that in order to stand in an election, anyone can submit a nomination paper, provided they can pay the £500 deposit and find 10 people to sign their form. Frinton100 (talk) 14:40, 16 October 2014 (UTC)

Independent Candidates in 2010
Under "General Elections" the article states: "with only one independent elected in the 2010 election and only four independent candidates in the entire country gaining more than a hundred votes"

This is plainly wrong (there were 4 independents who got over 100 votes in Luton South alone!). I wonder if it should be 1,000 votes instead of 100, but even then 4 doesn't sound like a lot. Anyone have any idea about this, if not I suggest this part is just deleted. Frinton100 (talk) 21:32, 15 October 2014 (UTC)

Constituencies and residency
Should it perhaps be mentioned somewhere in the article that candidates standing for seats don't have to live in the constituency which they are running for? I'm not sure if UK citizens don't view this as notable, but there are plenty of countries in which this isn't the case. I know that in my state in the United States, a person running for a seat in the state legislature must be a legal resident of in that electoral district. --Criticalthinker (talk) 07:15, 8 May 2015 (UTC)

 * I don't think that's relevant. Candidates home addresses (or the constituency in which they live) are printed on the ballot paper, so any candidate's lack of residency or otherwise is completely transparent. Frinton100 (talk) 09:53, 12 May 2015 (UTC)
 * You're confused. I'm not arguing the merits of it, rather that I think it's an important note to add, since in some countries residency is required and in other's it's not.  --Criticalthinker (talk) 15:17, 14 May 2015 (UTC)

 * No, I'm not confused thank you very much. My view is it is not relevant to the article, hence my very clear response "I don't think that's relevant".

You did say "I'm not sure if UK citizens don't view this as notable" so I was explaining why I don't believe we view it as notable either. In other words, I was answering two questions that you posed 1. Is it relevant for this article? No. 2. Is it an issue for the electorate? No. Frinton100 (talk) 17:38, 14 May 2015 (UTC)

External links modified
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Stripping out election results
The election results on this page have now all been superceeded by more recent elections. I propose that we strip out all the results on this page, and instead simply add more links in to the relevant individual pages. QuakerActivist (talk) 14:24, 9 May 2016 (UTC)
 * Makes sense. Whizz40 (talk) 18:52, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

Done QuakerActivist (talk) 09:38, 10 May 2016 (UTC)

External links modified
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Northern Ireland
As I read in Free Derry, listened in File:Ulster.ogv and added to sect #20th century, only ratepayers voted in NI in 1968&ss. This doesn't agree with 1949 Act. Why? ※ Sobreira ◣◥ ፧ (parlez)⁇﹖ 08:55, 10 January 2020 (UTC)

Photo ID
Since the passing of the Elections Act 2022 photo ID is now required at UK general elections and English local elections, not just Northern Ireland as previously. I've added this to the article, though we still need a list of the photo ID types valid for elections in England, Scotland and Wales, similar to what we already have for NI. Mark and inwardly digest (talk) 13:57, 17 February 2024 (UTC)

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

title: Talk:Elections in the United Kingdom


text:
Staten Island Zoo

The Staten Island Zoo is an 8 acre urban zoo in West New Brighton, Staten Island, New York City. The zoo is open year-round except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. It has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 1988.

History
The history of the Staten Island Zoo (Barrett Park) can be traced back to three Staten Island War heroes: Colonel Edward Harden, Colonel Richard Penn Smith, and Major Clarence Barrett. In the 1800s, Staten Island was home to many ranking military leaders including Colonel Harden and Colonel Penn Smith whose estates were located right across from each other on opposite sides of Clove Road.

The Staten Island Zoo was built on the former estate grounds of Colonel Edward Harden. Colonel Harden fought in the Spanish–American War and moved to 614 Broadway on Staten Island in 1908 with his wife Julia Harden where they resided in what was later known as the "Harden Mansion". Julia Harden willed the land to the city upon her death under three conditions: that it be named for her brother-in-law, Civil War Major Clarence Barrett, that the property not be used for a playground, and that her husband Colonel Harden be allowed to reside in the house that stood on the property. Julia Harden died in 1930 and the property was transferred to the city of New York. The site was (and still is) officially called "Barret Park" in city planning records and it wasn't until the 1960s when the "Staten Island Zoo" became the popular name for the site. In the first few years, the only mention of "Zoo" in the Zoo signs were in the word "Zoological" for the "Staten Island Zoological Society" which operated Barret Park.

In August 1933, the Staten Island Zoological Society was created and the park built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. On March 25, 1935, the Egbert-Robillard Bill was passed by the New York State Senate to have the city provide maintenance for the zoo. Two months later on May 7, 1935, the Governor of New York signed an agreement to allocate public funds for the zoo to cover operational and maintenance costs while the exhibits, animal care and educational programs were to be maintained by the Staten Island Zoological Society With the land now owned by the city and a Zoological Society in place to run and administer the site, zoo construction commenced in 1933 as part of the Federal Government's works program to convert the 8-acre estate into a zoo. The zoo opened to the public on June 10, 1936, and was considered the first U.S. "educational zoo".

From 1942 to 1966, Patricia O'Connor served as the chief animal caretaker at the zoo. She was reported to be "the only woman veterinarian in any zoo in the country."

In 1949 the zoo boasted a collection of over 1,200 animals, a 400-seat auditorium, and greeted 500,000 visitors per year. The zoo was reported to be "spotless, modern, and odorless."

The parking lot which was built in 1968 and was built on a plot of land across from the zoo on the corner of Clove Road and Martling Avenue, The property was originally the mansion of United States Civil War Colonel Richard Penn Smith who fought at the Battle of Gettysburg. The war hero resided in Staten Island and is buried in Staten Island's Moravian Cemetery on Richmond Road. Smith's large stately home and surrounding plot of land was later purchased by the Actors Fund which turned the home into a retreat for actors with 50 bedrooms and views of Martling Pond. In the late 1920s, the retreat was closed and the 20 acres of the estate were eventually acquired and split between the Staten Island Zoological Society for use as a parking lot and by the Saint Peter's Cemetery for expansion of burial sites.

In 1971 several animals at the zoo died from what later was found to be Lead poisoning. A Black Leopard named Mr Leo Pard suffered severe nerve damage due to lead poisoning. It was later found that the source of the Lead was from Tetraethyllead an additive in Gasoline. This incident contributed to the phaseout and ban of leaded gasoline in the United States.

Staten Island Zoological Society
Unlike all the other zoos in New York City, which are operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the Staten Island Zoo is operated by the Staten Island Zoological Society which was created in August 1933 under the organization of Harold O'Connel. Local legend maintains that the society was partially formed from the Staten Island Reptile Club which was located nearby on Britton Street and Broadway. Although no written documentation exists regarding the merger it would explain the newly formed Staten Island Zoological Society's affinity for reptiles and why the zoo was (and still is) known for its extensive reptile collection. Just short of one year after its organization on July 24, 1934, the Staten Island Zoological Society was officially incorporated. The Society included Harold O'Connel, Ellsworth Buck, Dr. James Chapin, George Allison, and Howard Worzel.

The Staten Island Zoological Society created the Zoo with the founding principle that it be an educational zoo. The Society held monthly evening lectures at the zoo, provided lessons at local schools, and provided zoo tours for school children. The zoo later expanded its education program under the zoo veterinarian, Dr. Patricia O'Conner, to include educational programs for hospital children and educational courses at the zoo for high school teachers and lectures for educators and local animal and wildlife clubs. The Staten Island Zoo still continues providing on-site and in-school lessons and special educational programs at the zoo. With a fully operational on-site veterinary clinic, the zoo has an extensive internship program for college students studying to become veterinary technicians and veterinarians. A small lecture auditorium was built in the basement level of the zoo building and a classroom and a private library are located on the second floor of the zoo building along with the administrative offices of the Zoological Society.

Animals
Initially, the focus of the zoo was reptiles, in particular including the collection of snakes housed in the zoo's Serpentarium. Although the focus of the zoo has broadened, the zoo's collection of rattlesnakes is still regarded as among the largest and most complete in North America. The current collection comprises over 1,500 animals of over 350 different species. Among the zoo's current exhibits is the African Savannah at Twilight.

Many of the animals were obtained through purchases and through procurements from other zoological parks. From the 1930s to the early 1960s, animals were also acquired through annual expeditions by zoological staff such as the collection trip in 1936 by curator Carl Kauffeld for rattlesnakes and a later 1965 trip by zookeeper Bob Zappalorti and through donations such as a pair of Solenodons which were donated by the Dominican Republic's Rafael Trujillo. The Collection of Marine fish was donated by the Staten Island Aquarium Society in the late 1950s.

A The New York Times article in 1944 reported that there were "over 600" animals at the zoo, including a binturong, an ocelot, a spider monkey, a herring gull, as well as an African leopard named Tommy.

In 1949 the Times reported that the zoo held over 1,200 animals, including a concave-casqued hornbill, a white pelican, a Pel's fishing owl, a black mangabey ape, a pair of Guatemalan quetzal birds, a regal python, and "perhaps the only bushmaster snake in the country."

The zoo is also the home of Staten Island Chuck, a groundhog who is the official Groundhog Day forecaster for New York City, and Grandpa, a Black-handed Spider Monkey who made local newspapers when he accurately "predicted" the outcome of six out of nine matches during the U.S. Open Tennis Championship.

Other animals include:

 * Spider Monkeys
 * Patagonian Cavy
 * Groundhog
 * Chinese Alligator
 * Red Kangaroo
 * Tawny Frogmouth
 * Serval
 * Highland Cow
 * Fennec Fox
 * Capybara
 * Donkey
 * Green Anaconda
 * Emu
 * Ibex
 * Sloth
 * Ostrich
 * Binturong
 * Roadrunner
 * Bearded Dragon
 * Meerkat
 * Amur Leopard
 * Southern Ground Hornbill
 * Pacu

Transportation
The zoo is accessible by the bus routes. There are no Staten Island Railway stations in the vicinity of the zoo.

title: Staten Island Zoo


text:
Vancouver Island North

Vancouver Island North is a former federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1997 to 2015.

Geography
The district included the Regional Districts of Comox Valley, Strathcona, Mount Waddington and the southern half of Central Coast excluding Calvert Island and Hunter Island. These regional districts include the towns of Campbell River, Comox, Courtenay, Port Alice, Port McNeill, Port Hardy, Alert Bay, Quadra Island, Denman Island and Hornby Island.

History
The electoral district was created in 1996 from Comox—Alberni and North Island—Powell River ridings.

The 2012 electoral redistribution dissolved the riding into the new ridings of North Island—Powell River and Courtenay—Alberni for the 2015 election.

Members of Parliament
This riding elected the following members of Parliament:

2006
Nomination contests

2004
Nomination contests

title: Vancouver Island North


text: User talk:205.188.117.24

title: User talk:205.188.117.24


text:
Prehistoric archaeology

Prehistoric archaeology is a subfield of archaeology, which deals specifically with artefacts, civilisations and other materials from societies that existed before any form of writing system or historical record. Often the field focuses on ages such as the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age, although it also encompasses periods such as the Neolithic. The study of prehistoric archaeology reflects the cultural concerns of modern society by showing interpretations of time between economic growth and political stability. It is related to other disciplines such as geology, biology, anthropology, historiography and palaeontology, although there are noticeable differences between the subjects they all broadly study to understand; the past, either organic or inorganic or the lives of humans. Prehistoric archaeology is also sometimes termed as anthropological archaeology because of its indirect traces with complex patterns.

Due to the unique nature of prehistoric archaeology, in that written records can not be drawn upon to aid the study of the societies it focuses on, the subject matter investigated is entirely material remains as they are the only traceable evidence that is available. Material evidence includes pottery, burial goods, the remains of individuals and animals such as bones, jewellery and decorative items as well as many other artefacts. The subfield has existed since at least the late 1820s or early 1830s and is now a fully recognised and separate field of archaeology. Other fields of archaeology include; Classical archaeology, Near Eastern archaeology - as known as Biblical archaeology, Historical archaeology, Underwater archaeology and many more, each working to reconstruct our understanding of everything from the ancient past right up until modern times. Unlike continent and area specific fields of archaeology such as; Classical - which studies specifically the Mediterranean region and the civilisations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome in antiquity, the field of prehistoric archaeology is not contained to one continent. As such, there are many excavations attributed to this field which have occurred and are occurring all over the world to uncover all different types of settlements and civilisations.

Without history to provide evidence for names, places and motivations, prehistoric archaeologists speak in terms of cultures which can only be given arbitrary modern names relating to the locations of known occupation sites or the artifacts used. It is naturally much easier to discuss societies rather than individuals as these past people are completely anonymous in the archaeological record. Such a lack of concrete information means that prehistoric archaeology is a contentious field and the arguments that range over it have done much to inform archaeological theory.

Origins
Prehistoric archaeology, as with many other fields of archaeology, is attributed to multiple different individuals therefore an accurate and definitive timeline for its creation is difficult to present. The origins of prehistoric archaeology were marked by treasure hunting also known as antiquarianism and the individuals involved were not focused on scientific enquiry, as such the line between when the field moved from gathering artefacts to legitimate study is difficult to define. The first mention and use of the word prehistoric in archaeological terms was in the works of Daniel Wilson in 1851 within his book ‘The Archaeology and Prehistoric Annals of Scotland’, another early instance of prehistoric being used archaeologically is within Paul Tournal’s work in 1833 where he uses préhistoire to describe his work in Bize-Minervois located in the south of France. The phrase prehistoric archaeology did not officially become an English archaeological term until 1836, and further, the common three-age system coined by Christian Jürgensen Thomsen which classifies European prehistoric chronology was also invented during this year.

Beyond that, there are three other individuals who represented different field schools who are thought to have begun the first excavations dedicated solely to the study of prehistoric archaeology at roughly the same time between the 1820s to 1830s. Boucher de Perthes – a French archaeologist leading the Abbeville field school who uncovered handaxes in the Somme River, Jens Jacob Worsaae – a Danish archaeologist leading the Copenhagen field school who studied stratified assemblages in Denmark, and Giuseppe Scarabelli – an Italian archaeologist who led the Imola field school who studied stratigraphy in Italy.

Outside of these individuals, each continent began to host excavations and field schools to explore their own prehistory across a wide spectrum of dates. Several examples, though not a complete list of every country, are listed below by continental area. Within Europe exploration began in England with several individuals such as amateur archaeologist William Pengelly who studied the Kent Cavern in approximately 1846, and within Turkey excavation into specifically prehistoric archaeological sites did not begin until much later between the 1980s to the 1990s into the region of Anatolia. In Asia and Australasia, prehistoric archaeology began in China in the 1920s with the work of amateur Swedish archaeologist Johan Gunnar Andersson who uncovered Homo erectus fossils in the Zhoukoudian cave in southwest Beijing and excavated Yangshao in Henan, in India excavation began with the works of Captain H. Congreve in 1847, in Japan prehistoric archaeology as it is defined by European standards began with the works of German collector Heinrich von Siebold in 1869 – though there had been an internal interest in prehistoric archaeology since the 1700s, in Vietnam excavation began in 1960 and in Australia the discipline of archaeology was solidified in the 1960s and 70s which allowed it to begin to expand and include Indigenous peoples and their heritage. In North America exploration began in the United States in the mid-1800s with the collective excavation interests being led by the works of the American Philosophical Society, the American Antiquarian Society, and the Smithsonian Institution and in Canada excavations started in 1935 though it was not until 1965 that it fully took off as an important field of archaeology. In South America within Argentina excavations began between 1880 and 1910. In Africa investigations into prehistoric civilisations began in roughly the 1960s and 70s and further prehistoric archaeology began explorations into the Middle East in areas such as Iran in 1884 with excavations by the French at Susa.

Purpose
The purpose of prehistoric archaeology is to explore and understand civilisations that existed before writing systems; including the Stone, Bronze and Iron Age societies across the world. Within its early origins prehistoric archaeology had a focus on gathering artefacts and treasures to display in museums and private collections often to bring wealth back for the individual. Later on the field allowed for the more legitimate study of material evidence and data in order to ascertain important details such as; when the site may have been occupied, who was living there, what activities they may have engaged in, and finally what happened to them to either cause them to leave or make the area uninhabitable.

Notable Archaeologists
There are multitudes of credible past and emerging prehistoric archaeologists who have dedicated time and effort into honing their craft in order to accurately understand the lives of the individuals and societies they are studying. Some of the important foundational archaeologists are; Daniel Wilson – a Scottish-born Canadian archaeologist who first brought the term prehistoric into an archaeological context, Paul Tournal – a French amateur archaeologist, Christian Jürgensen Thomsen – a Danish antiquarian who classified the three age system important to aiding early European archaeological works, Boucher de Perthes – a French archaeologist who uncovered handaxes in the Somme River,  Jens Jacob Worsaae – a Danish archaeologist who studied stratified assemblages in Denmark, Giuseppe Scarabelli – an Italian archaeologist who studied stratigraphy in Italy, and William Pengelly – an English archaeologist. They each fundamentally contributed to beginning the field of archaeology through defining how the subfield is different to archaeology.

More modern archaeologists, including Ali Umut Türkcan – who directed the excavations at Çatalhöyük as of 2022, have helped to further these developments in the field by directing excavations and studying materials found within the sites. Other modern archaeologists include; Paul Bahn – a British archaeologist who studies prehistoric rock art, Richard Bradley – a British archaeologist who specialises in European prehistory and has a particular focus on Prehistoric Britain, E. C. L. During Caspers (also known as Elizabeth Christina Louisa During Caspers) – a Dutch archaeologist who studied prehistoric Mesopotamia, Ufuk Esin – a Turkish archaeologist who specialised in prehistoric Anatolia, Pere Bosch-Gimpera – a Spanish-born Mexican archaeologist who studied prehistoric Spain, Lynne Goldstein – an American specialising in prehistoric eastern North America, Jakob Heierli – a Swedish archaeologist who studied prehistoric Sweden, Louise Steel – a British archaeologist who focused on prehistoric Cyprus, and Joyce White – an American archaeologist who specialises in prehistoric Southeast Asia. There are many more individuals whose importance to the continuation of this field has not been stated or acknowledged here.

Main types and locations of sites
Some of the main types of sites include early proto-city and proto city-states, settlements, temples and sanctuaries of worship and cave sites. To define each of these terms archaeologically; a proto city-state is a large town or village that existed in the Neolithic era, it is also categorised by its lack of central rule or deliberate city organisation of infrastructure. A settlement is an area where individuals lived either permanently or semi-permanently, conversely temples or sanctuaries were areas of cult practice or worship to the gods or beings associated with the specific people, areas of worship in early prehistoric sites or periods can also include spiritual areas of prominent religious importance without the presence of a directly associated deity. Cave sites are sheltered areas, usually in rock formations where individual members of a society may have gathered together in either semi-permanent or permanent basis to create art, to dwell or to prepare food. All prehistoric archaeology sites must contain evidence of humans – even if they did not actively live on the site or visited it occasionally, and a lack of historical record within the society. Sites that feature the ability of the inhabitants to record information about themselves are not considered prehistoric.

Prehistoric settlements are scattered all over the world, they vary in age and size. The period in which prehistoric archaeology covers is most often the Stone, Bronze and Iron ages, within each of these ages periods such as the Neolithic within the Stone age are explored deeply. In Western Europe the prehistoric period ends with Roman colonisation in 43 AD, with some non-Romanised areas the period does not end until as late as the 5th Century AD. Although in many other places, notably Egypt (at the end of the Third Intermediate Period ) it finishes much earlier and in others, such as Australia, much later. Some of the main sites that are being studied are; Çatalhöyük in Turkey, the Chauvet Cave in southern France, Bouldnor Cliff Mesolithic Village in the United Kingdom and Franchthi in Greece among many others. New sites are being uncovered regularly and their importance to understanding prehistoric peoples continues to further our knowledge of the past.

Methods of investigation and analysis
Archaeologists use many different methods to research the artefacts and materials that may be found during an excavation. Within early excavations dedicated to treasure hunting little to no care was taken when removing soil covering artefacts or when removing the artefacts and materials themselves from sites which may have led to the destruction of materials and has placed some recovered artefacts at risk. Often the digs were conducted by amateurs and treasure hunters who did not have the knowledge we do now about how to remove artefacts safely. Some of the main techniques used to gently recover artefacts or to ensure the integrity of the site remains for future exploration and the preservation of the site are; aerial photography – to survey the site, stratigraphic measurements – which document the layers of soil to aid in site dating, fieldwalking - which involves walking the ground and looking for objects and making site plans to record the locations of objects and remains on a site. Within aerial photography several important markers of archaeological sites can be revealed such as; shadow marks, crop marks and soil marks. Archaeologists also use a range of techniques when excavating a site to uncover materials including; digging test pits, creating trenches and using the box-grid or quadrant method to keep track of different areas of the site.

Some of the technology used to assist in looking for and uncovering materials in prehistoric archaeological sites are; electrical resistivity meters – which help locate objects underground non-disruptively, laser theodolites – to help map the site layout, satellite survey - which uses satellites to get an aerial view of the site, lidar - which uses lasers to scan for objects underground and sonar - which uses soundwaves to scan the earth for objects. None of these techniques are solely practised within prehistoric archaeology, most archaeological techniques may be used across many of the different subfields of archaeology.

Issues in the field
There are a vast amount of difficulties faced within prehistoric archaeology including; site degradation, which makes understanding a site very difficult as it erases evidence that may have been useful for gaining insight into the civilisation. Degradation of a site may be exacerbated by climate change as often prehistoric sites are delicate due to the nature of their age, for example, material evidence such as textile fabric which may have survived from antiquity in rare contexts due to being buried may be lost due to the top layers of the site being uncovered. However, as cosmologist Martin Rees and astronomer Carl Sagan have said ‘absence of evidence is not evidence of absence’ which is highly relevant within the field of prehistoric archaeology as often archaeologists must work with missing pieces and theorise in order to understand a site. Due to the substantial gaps that exist in the prehistoric record, there are many periods of time, inventions and materials – particularly those that were made out of perishable materials such as wood or textile fabrics, that have been lost to time or that are incredibly difficult to locate due to the conditions that must exist in order for them to survive. It is because of these gaps that in order to understand the physical evidence that has been recovered prehistoric archaeologists, as well as their counterparts in the sibling fields of archaeology, must make educated guesses as to what is there and what should be there based on the finds that they have. The variety of theories regarding the purpose of objects or sites for example obliges archaeologists to adopt a critical approach to all evidence and to examine their own constructs of the past. Structural functionalism and processualism are two schools of archaeological thought which have made a great contribution to prehistoric archaeology.

Other issues within the field of prehistoric archaeology which also affect every other branch of archaeology is the ethics of removing artefacts and or storing finds in museums. This moral question is a delicate balance within prehistoric archaeology as all finds and bodies must be treated with respect but archaeologists also wish to study them in order to further their understanding of the different origins of humanity.

title: Prehistoric archaeology


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Emydinae

The Emydinae are a subfamily of turtles in the family Emydidae.

Classification
The genera of the Emydinae remain unresolved, with Actinemys and Emydoidea being used in some publications.

title: Emydinae


text:
Dungeon crawl

A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) in which heroes navigate a labyrinth environment (a "dungeon"), battling various monsters, avoiding traps, solving puzzles, and looting any treasure they may find. Video games and board games which predominantly feature dungeon crawl elements are considered to be a genre.

Board games
Dungeon crawling in board games dates to 1975 when Gary Gygax introduced Solo Dungeon Adventures. That year also saw the release of Dungeon!. Over the years, many games built on that concept. One of the most acclaimed board games of the late 2010s, Gloomhaven, is a dungeon crawler.

Video games
The first computer-based dungeon crawl was pedit5, developed in 1975 by Rusty Rutherford on the PLATO interactive education system based in Urbana, Illinois. Although this game was quickly deleted from the system, several more like it appeared, including dnd and Moria.

Computer games and series from the 1980s, such as Rogue, The Bard's Tale, Cosmic Soldier, Dungeon Master, Gauntlet, Madō Monogatari, Megami Tensei, Might and Magic, Legend of Zelda, Phantasy Star, Ultima, and Wizardry, helped set the standards of the genre. Their primitive graphics were conducive to this style, due to the need for repetitive tiles or similar-looking graphics to create effective mazes. Game Developer's Matt Barton described Telengard (1982) as a "pure dungeon crawler" for its lack of diversions, and noted its expansive dungeons as a "key selling point".

Some dungeon crawlers from this era also employed action role-playing game combat, such as Dragon Slayer, and The Tower of Druaga. Games that grew out of this style are also considered dungeon crawlers, in that the player is limited to the confines of the walls of the dungeon, but still allows for complex systems around combat, enemy behavior, and loot systems, as well as the potential for multiplayer and online play. Gauntlet, Diablo, The Binding of Isaac and Enter the Gungeon are examples of these dungeon crawlers.

Variations on the dungeon crawl trope can be found in other genres. In the early 2010s there was a modest resurgence in their popularity, particularly in Japan, largely due to the success of the Etrian Odyssey series by Atlus.

Instance dungeon
In massively multiplayer online games, an instance is a special area, typically a dungeon or a restricted dungeon-like environment, that generates a new copy of the location for each group or certain number of players that enters the area. Instancing, the general term for the use of this technique, addresses several problems encountered by players in the shared spaces of virtual worlds, but also sacrifices the social element of shared spaces and realistic immersion in that virtual world. They also tend to be a lot smaller and more linear.

First-person party-based dungeon crawlers
This subgenre consists of RPGs where the player leads a party of adventurers in first-person perspective, typically in a grid-based environment. Examples include the aforementioned Wizardry, Might and Magic and Bard's Tale series; as well as the Etrian Odyssey and Elminage series. Games of this type are also known as "blobbers", since the player moves the entire party around the playing field as a single unit, or "blob".

Many "blobbers" are turn-based, such as the play-by-mail game Heroic Fantasy, but some games such as Dungeon Master, Legend of Grimrock and Eye of the Beholder series are played in real-time. Early games in this genre lack an automap feature, forcing players to draw their own maps in order to keep track of their progress. Spatial puzzles are common, and players may have to, for instance, move a stone in one part of the level in order to open a gate in another part of the level.

title: Dungeon crawl


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Pope Avilius of Alexandria

Pope Avilius of Alexandria (also known as Abilius, Sabellius, Abylius, Abitius, Milius and Melyos) (? – 95 AD), was the 3rd Patriarch of Alexandria.

Overview
Upon the death of Anianus of Alexandria, the suffragan bishops and priests of the area converged with the laity in Alexandria and unanimously elected Avilius in the month of December (Kiahk), 83 AD, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian.

Pope Avilius was known for his chastity, and was pious and caring towards the people of Christ. He continued to establish the people in faith and the Christians grew in number in Egypt and in the five western provinces, and Sudan. During his time serving, the Egyptian people began renouncing the worshiping of idols and practiced their Christianity together, in groups. Despite the religion of Egypt being Roman Paganism, his time as pope was a time of peace for the church.

While some historians claim that Emperor Domitian expelled Avilius from the episcopal throne, and installed another in his place, there is no written record of this. According to historical records, he remained in his position for twelve years, and died on the first of Thout (11 September), in the year 95. Avilius was buried next to the remains of St. Mark the Evangelist in the Church of Baucalis in Alexandria.

Veneration
He is venerated as a saint in various churches. His feast day in the Coptic Church is on The Coptic New Year 1 Thout, which is September 11 in the Gregorian calendar, and on 29 August and 29 March in the Catholic Church, and February 22 in Eastern Orthodox Church.

title: Pope Avilius of Alexandria


text:
Mayor of Warrington

The Mayor of Warrington is the highest-ranking officer in the municipal government of Warrington, England.

Role
The Mayor of Warrington, as the first person of the borough, chairs meetings of Warrington Borough Council. Elected for one year, the mayor also is a representative of the town who is responsible for officially welcoming people and inviting people to the town. The mayor officially hosts civic events of the town. In this role and the mayor promotes the town of Warrington to attract more investment and visitors to the area.

History
The first mayor of Warrington was William Beamont. He became mayor following the incorporation of the borough in 1847. At that time, 27 councillors from the then much smaller borough were appointed to the small town hall in the centre of modern Warrington. As the town increased in size, the council was moved to Bank Hall, the former home of Lord Winmarleigh for £9,700. This is still the town hall and its "golden gates" are one of the town's attractions.

title: Mayor of Warrington


text:
Talk:Formula One regulations

scoring
The scoring details are wrong. Under current rules FIA will award points to retired cars. Read the sporting regulations very carefully and you will see there is no current provision that requires a car to be classified in order to score points. This has already happened in Endurance World FIA championship this season. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.70.197.90 (talk) 14:49, 17 September 2017 (UTC)

While in the fifties superchargers were used to increase power, as far as I know, in the eighties the turbocharger was the means to boost power. I have not edited the page because I am not sure of my facts.

 * Yes but the turbocharger is known since before the WWII. Reguarding the rule there's no difference between a turbo and a simple supercharger. Maybe we should write simply "charged" ?

Sorry Ericd. The reason I removed the content of this page is because I made a new page called Formula One regulations and copied the content. I think that regulations is a more accurate description than rules. I realise that I shouldn't have simply deleted the content of this page though. Do you think that this page should be a redirect to F1 regs, put up on VfD or simply kept as it is, bearing in mind that the main F1 page is the only article that links here? 999 10:26, 8 May 2004 (UTC)

It's better to use "Move this page" in that case. I will go on adding a redirect and moving talk page as well. Ericd 14:36, 8 May 2004 (UTC)

blue flags
As far as I know the blue flags only mean that a faster driver is coming up behind you, and is shown even when this driver is in the same lap. If he is, you don't have to let him pass of course. (Tinus)
 * Perhaps I worded it badly. The FIA regulations define it thus: "Blue flag - Warns a driver that he is about to be lapped and to let the faster car overtake. Pass three blue flags without complying and the driver risks being penalised. Blue lights are also displayed at the end of the pit lane when the pit exit is open and a car on track is approaching." Rdsmith4 19:54, 25 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * That quote, which suggests that the blue flag is only used on a driver who is about to be lapped, is from the official Formula One website's guide, right? BBC Sport's flag guide says that the blue flag is shown to any driver who is being approached by a faster car. I skimmed the FIA F1 Sporting Regulations  (PDF file) but couldn't find anything about flags. Other websites mainly only mention the blue flag being used in a 'backmarker' situation but some mention it being used with cars racing for position and also for cars exiting the pits. My suspicion is that the blue flag simply means that a faster car is approaching but that in practice it is only used on 'backmarkers' (that's the only time I've seen it used). SamH 22:05, 25 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * Yes, you're right of course, www.f1.com appears to have paraphrased from the FIA regs. The PDF you linked mentions blue flags only for use at the exit of the pitlane to signal an oncoming car, but it seems the actual flag definitions are found in Appendix H (PDF) of the International Sporting Code, which is a general FIA rulebook. (The FIA certainly has a lot of rules.)

 * From Appendix H: "d) Light Blue flag: This should normally be waved, as an indication to a driver that he is about to be overtaken. It has different meanings during practice and during the race. At all times: A stationary flag should be displayed to a driver leaving the pits if traffic is approaching on the track. During practice: Give way to a faster car which is about to overtake you. During the race: The flag should normally be shown to a car about to be lapped and, when shown, the driver concerned must allow the following car to pass at the earliest opportunity.

 * I will change the article to make this clear - hope that's OK. Rdsmith4 22:42, 25 Jul 2004 (UTC)

start from pit
The article says: "Starting from the pit lane means they start at the tail end of the grid, however, they can not only change an engine, but also start the race on a full load of fuel and with fresh tires" (Race procedure). Is this correct? Is changing of tires (under the new regulations) allowed? Also doesn't refueling AND changing tires in the same pitstop result in a drive-through penalty? Or does a start from the pit not count as a pitstop? Felsir 06:44, July 27, 2005 (UTC)

I think when cars start from the pits and want to add extra fuel (if they were top ten qualifiers) they can't add fuel until the race starts. So it counts as a pitstop. I think one driver was punished (since the race fuel thing started) for refueling in the pits at the start - the start was delayed because someone had stalled, but the team started the fuelling when they thought the lights were going out, instead of when the lights actually did.

if they must do other significant work, body work or suspension adjustments, the car will start from the pit lane. This isn't strictly correct. At Monaco Massa crashed in practice and he started from last on the grid (only because he hadn't set a time). However as long as the damaged parts are replaced with identically set up parts there is no penalty. Maybe if the team wished to change the setup the car would have to start from the pits.

If, for some reason, the car cannot start the race (engine failure during qualifying or practice, suspension fails, etc), the car can still join the race, but will take a 10-position penalty at the start. The ten-place penalty is only for engine failures that occur before qualifying. No other problems get punished. (Engine fails during/after qualifying and the car goes to the back.) --Don Speekingleesh 22:42, 9 June 2006 (UTC)

Reason for technical limitations
I seem to remember reading somewhere that if all the technical innovations had been allowed to continue unregulated, it's estimated that todays formula one cars would be capable of a top speed of over 400 mph, and 0-100 in about 2 seconds. Might be worth incorporating to demonstrate need for restrictions on technology in F1. 81.76.6.123 10:45, 18 January 2006 (UTC)

Penalties
Does anyone know if the two most severe possible penalties listed (being banned for a number of races, and being banned for the rest of the championship) have ever been applied, and if so when? FiggyBee 17:40, 25 February 2006 (UTC)

I think the worse penalty was applied to Tyrell. Ericd 17:53, 25 February 2006 (UTC)

BAR-Honda was banned for a number of races in 2005 after some, um, misunderstandings, over the rules on weight and fuel remaining in the car. 4u1e

 * Well M. Schumacher in 1997 was disqualified from the World Championship, which I suppose is even more extreme than being banned for the rest of the championship. Alexj2002 16:23, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

I'd disagree - Schumacher recieved a complete non-punishment. None of his 1997 results were removed from him, only his standing in a championship he didn't win. Being DSQed for (part of) a season meaning missing races and chances to gain podiums and wins. --Don Speekingleesh 06:58, 17 August 2006 (UTC)

Don't forget that he also had to do 'Community Service' for the FIA's road car safety campaign. Nice one Max, he won't do that again in a hurry. Oh... miterdale 12:16, 17 August 2006 (UTC)

Start Procudure
From the article: "The race is started by ten red lights, controlled by Charlie Whiting. The lights illuminate two at a time, left to right, in one-second intervals, and then go out simultaneously after an interval of between four and seven seconds. When the lights go out, the race begins."

10 red lights? I'm almost sure it's only five (see for example. The lights appear from videos I've watched to be arranged as shown on the right. The official F1 website  agrees "Once all cars have safely taken up their grid positions at the end of the formation lap five red lights will appear in sequence at one-second intervals" Unless there are any objection, I'm going to change the article. Alexj2002 13:32, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

 * Watching the race today (2006 Turkish Grand Prix) it's definately 5. I'm changing the article. Alexj2002 23:19, 27 August 2006 (UTC)

Would it be worth saying that this regulation was first brought into Formula One at the start of the 1996 season? --Phill talk Edits 15:57, 15 March 2007 (UTC)

 * For several years now it has been ten red lights - however on TV we only see the reverse side which is condensed to the two rows (5 red, 3 orange, 2 green) we are familiar with. The Starting lights proper are arranged in four rows of 5 - 5 orange on the top row, then 5 green, then two rows of 5 red, as seen in my pictures from 2005 British GP, , Scrxisi (talk) 14:48, 21 December 2008 (UTC)

 * My understanding is that this is the light layout as the driver sees it (my diagram at right), correct ? So why does this article still state 5 ? Together with Formula One racing and Formula One. Makes sense to me that the lights are duplicated - is it for safety (in case one fails) ? However, F1's own website states "five red lights will appear in sequence at one-second intervals. These red lights are then extinguished to signal the start of the race" [ http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/inside-f1/rules-regs/Race_start_procedure.html ] and [ https://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/inside-f1/understanding-f1-racing/The_race_start.html ]. But F1's own photo (Slide 1 in sequence) of the light gantry as seen by drivers [ https://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/inside-f1/understanding-f1-racing/The_race_start.html ] indeed shows lights in pairs i.e. 10 reds. Huh ? How does this error keep getting trotted out ? Rcbutcher (talk) 00:23, 9 April 2015 (UTC)

 * F1 start light sequence animation.gif

I've created an animated gif showing race start sequence as the drivers actually see it for this article based on actual photos and videos, giving minimum four seconds between all lights coming on and going out to start the race. Comments ? Rcbutcher (talk) 05:03, 9 April 2015 (UTC)

 * I've corrected the error introduced by user:Alexj2002 in 2006. This appears to have corrupted the article which previously correctly discussed red lights in 5 pairs. Watching TV is not basis for updating encyclopedias. Rcbutcher (talk) 11:11, 9 April 2015 (UTC)

 * Are TV viewers still seeing different start lights to what the drivers see ? If so, idiotic. Why ? I see websites about programming F1 start lights for PCs and games and they all show the TV view rather than the driver view. ?? Rcbutcher (talk) 11:20, 9 April 2015 (UTC)

To Be Done
(transferred from the "History" section of the article): crash test, minimal weight, fuel rules, aerodymics rules, tyre size, number of wheels. (Althought I think some of these have already been at least partly done). DH85868993 04:05, 3 December 2007 (UTC)

Gentlemen, start your lawsuits
Some questions. When was the blue flag rule introduced? What regs govern the type of fuel? (It used to be a mix of gasoline & nitromethane, & in the '80s a crazy mix of benzenes & other exotic stuff with only a passing relationship to gasoline.) And are onboard starters prohibited, or just undesirable (due to adding weight)? TREKphiler  any time you're ready, Uhura  13:34, 5 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Fuel regulations were introduced in the late 50s - prior to that you could use pretty much anything, with alcohol being the primary constituent. For, IIRC, 1958 the rules mandated "pump petrol" but this was soon changed to some kind of AvGas as the latter was subject to proper standards.  By the 1970s the regs stipulated a maximum octane rating (conspiracy theorists can look at the penalties applied to McLaren and Penske by the Italian stewards in 1976); this allowed the toluene-based fuels used in the turbo era, before the rules were tightened.   Anyone au fait with the current state of F1 fuel regulations is either a professional or has far too much time on his hands...  Onboard starters were certainly mandatory in the 60s and 70s - McLaren developed a compressed-air starter system for the M23 to save the weight of a GBFO battery.  I don't think they have starters these days as you can't start them without half a dozen engineers and a laptop in attendance. Mr Larrington (talk) 01:07, 23 June 2014 (UTC)
 * Thx. (Yes, I still wanted to know... ;p )
 * As for onboard starters, I was unaware of them being fitted ever, & certainly not now; I've never seen film of one actually used... We may be disagreeing on "starter", tho. I recall "plug-in" units used in the pits (maybe that's Indy only), but I had in mind self-contained systems, like a road car would use; AFAIK, that's never been aboard. (You're probably right about the modern systems; self-starting now more/less requires a trained engineer as co-driver. ;p ) TREKphiler   any time you're ready, Uhura  20:17, 23 June 2014 (UTC)

Stop-go penalties with short pit lanes
I recall something about a circuit where the pit lane actually isn't much slower than the normal circuit, due to it being a short-cut, and so penalties that would be drive-throughs at other tracks are stop-gos there. Not sure what circuit it is. (Donington Park had the pit lane route be FASTER, but it only held one GP). 94.194.66.92 (talk) 19:55, 24 February 2012 (UTC)

Tyre types available to teams at a race
"slick dry-weather tyres (super soft, soft, medium and hard), of which two compounds are provided at each race". I find this confusing. Do all teams get the same two types of tyres at a race, in which case how are the two types decided; or can each team or driver select which two it/he gets ? Rcbutcher (talk) 23:50, 8 April 2015 (UTC)
 * The tyre supplier (Pirelli) decides which two compounds are provided for each race. Every team is supplied with the same two compounds. DH85868993 (talk) 05:59, 9 April 2015 (UTC)
 * OK, so what decides which compounds are provided for a race ? As a general reader rather than a motorsport fan, these are still the kinds of questions I ask when I read Wikipedia articles. I like Wikipedia to explain what/why/how. Rcbutcher (talk) 10:07, 9 April 2015 (UTC)
 * The decision is based on factors such as the characteristics of the track surface (abrasiveness, etc) and expected temperatures. At most races, the two compounds are "two apart" (i.e. hard and soft or medium and super-soft), so that there is a marked difference in speed and longevity between the two compounds, placing extra importance on the teams' strategy of when/how long to use each compound in the race. DH85868993 (talk) 12:15, 9 April 2015 (UTC)

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bhp !?
Is someone in the world other than a British still using bhp as unit of measurementfor engine power ?? I recommend changing the power indications to kW and/or HP194.39.218.10 (talk) 12:28, 21 February 2018 (UTC)

title: Talk:Formula One regulations


text:
Punxsutawney Phil

Punxsutawney Phil is a groundhog residing in Young Township near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, who is the central figure in Punxsutawney's annual Groundhog Day celebration.

Folklore
On February 2 each year, Punxsutawney holds a civic festival with music and food. During the ceremony, which begins well before the winter sunrise, Phil emerges from his temporary home on Gobbler's Knob, located in a rural area about 2 mi southeast of the town. According to the tradition, if Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, he has predicted six more weeks of winter-like weather. If Phil does not see his shadow, he has predicted an "early spring." Punxsutawney's event is the most famous of many Groundhog Day festivals held in the United States and Canada. The event formally began in 1887, although its roots go back even further.

The event is based upon a communal light-hearted suspension of disbelief which extends to the assertion that the same groundhog has been making predictions since the 19th century.

The event is organized by the "Inner Circle" – recognizable by their top hats and tuxedos – who ostensibly communicate with Phil to receive his prognostication. The vice president of the Inner Circle prepares two scrolls in advance of the actual ceremony, one proclaiming six more weeks of winter and one proclaiming an early spring. At daybreak on February 2, Punxsutawney Phil awakens from his burrow on Gobbler's Knob, is helped to the top of the stump by his handlers, and purportedly explains to the president of the Inner Circle, in a language known as "Groundhogese", whether he has seen his shadow. The president of the Inner Circle, the only person able to understand Groundhogese through his possession of an ancient acacia wood cane, then interprets Phil's message, and directs the vice president to read the proper scroll to the crowd gathered on Gobbler's Knob and the masses of "phaithphil phollowers" tuned in to live broadcasts around the world.

The Inner Circle scripts the Groundhog Day ceremonies in advance, with the Inner Circle deciding beforehand whether Phil will see his shadow. The Stormfax Almanac has made note of the weather conditions on each Groundhog Day since 1999; the almanac has recorded 12 incidents in a 20-year span in which the Inner Circle said the groundhog saw his shadow while the sky was cloudy or there was rain or snow coming down, and in one case said the groundhog did not see his shadow despite sunshine. Outside of Groundhog Day, Phil resides with a mate, Phyllis, at the Punxsutawney Memorial Library in a climate-controlled environment. In March 2024, the Inner Circle announced that Phil had sired two babies, the first time in the history of the event that such a siring had happened; the birth surprised the Inner Circle, which had assumed that groundhogs do not breed in captivity. As a result of the births, the family will move permanently to Gobblers Knob. The Inner Circle disowned the babies from ever inheriting their father's position.

Punxsutawney Phil canon
The practices and lore of Punxsutawney Phil's predictions are predicated on a light-hearted suspension of disbelief by those involved. According to the lore, there is only one Phil, and all other groundhogs are impostors. It is claimed that this one groundhog has lived to make weather prognostications since 1886, sustained by drinks of "groundhog punch" or "elixir of life" administered at the annual Groundhog Picnic in the fall. The lifespan of a groundhog in the wild is roughly six years.

According to the Groundhog Club, Phil, after the prediction, speaks to the club president in the language of 'Groundhogese', which supposedly only the current president can understand, and then his prediction is translated and revealed to all.

The Groundhog Day celebration is rooted in Germanic tradition that says that if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on February 2, the Christian celebration of Candlemas, winter and cold weather will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says, spring will come early. In Germany, the tradition evolved into a myth that if the sun came out on Candlemas, a hedgehog would cast its shadow, predicting snow all the way into May. When German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania, they transferred the tradition onto local fauna, replacing hedgehogs with groundhogs. Several other towns in the region hold similar Groundhog Day events.

Phil first received his name in 1961. The origins of the name are unclear, but speculation suggests that it may have been indirectly named after Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Reception
Prior to 1993, the Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney attracted crowds of approximately 2,000. The popularity of the film Groundhog Day brought significantly more attention to the event, with annual crowds rising to 10,000–20,000. A notable exception was 2021, when the event took place without any crowds due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since approximately 2018, the event is streamed online each year.

Also given the recent increase in crowd sizes, three sitting governors of Pennsylvania have attended the festivities, all since 2000: Ed Rendell in 2003, Tom Corbett in 2012, and Josh Shapiro in 2023 and 2024.

Phil was named the "Official" State Meteorologist by Governor Shapiro during the 2024 ceremony.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals object to the event, claiming that Phil is put under stress. They suggest replacing Phil with a robotic groundhog.

In some cases where Phil's prognostications have been incorrect, organizations have jokingly made legal threats against the groundhog. Such tongue-in-cheek actions have been made by a prosecutor in Ohio, the sheriff's office of Monroe County, Pennsylvania, and the Merrimack, New Hampshire Police Department.

In media and popular culture

 * Phil and the town of Punxsutawney were portrayed in the 1993 film Groundhog Day. The actual town used to portray Punxsutawney in the film is Woodstock, Illinois.
 * In Groundhog Day, the 2016 Broadway musical adaptation of the film, Phil is ascribed a more mythical role.
 * In 1995, Phil flew to Chicago for a guest appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, which aired on Groundhog Day, February 2, 1995.
 * A 2002 episode of the children's animated series Stanley, titled "Searching for Spring", featured Punxsutawney Phil.
 * Phil was the main attraction in "Groundhog Day", the April 10, 2005 episode of the MTV series Viva La Bam. In the episode, street skater Bam Margera holds a downhill race in honor of Punxsutawney Phil at Bear Creek Mountain Resort in Macungie, Pennsylvania.
 * The Pennsylvania Lottery's mascot is a groundhog named Gus, referred to in commercials as "the second most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania", in deference to Phil. Because the Groundhog Club Inner Circle has trademarked the use of the name "Punxsutawney Phil", no commercial entity may use the name without the permission from the Inner Circle, which does not allow commercialization of the name.

Predictive accuracy
The Inner Circle, in keeping with the suspension of disbelief, claims a 100% accuracy rate, and an approximately 80% accuracy rate in recorded predictions. They claim that whenever the prediction is wrong, the person in charge of translating the message must have made a mistake in their interpretation. Impartial estimates place the groundhog's accuracy between 35% and 41%.

title: Punxsutawney Phil


text:
Westy

Westy is a suburban district in Warrington, England. It lies between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal. The village of Westy is a suburban area, itself unofficially a suburb of Latchford. The area features mainly inter-war council housing, however some of these homes are now privately owned. There is an apparent strong community spirit with its hub at the community centre and also a thriving community hall based within St Margaret's Community Centre on Lindley Avenue, hosting activities for all age groups.

title: Westy


text:
Resistance to interrogation

Resistance to interrogation, RTI or R2I is a type of military training to British and other NATO soldiers to prepare them, after capture by the enemy, to resist interrogation techniques such as humiliation and torture.

The trainees undergo practices such as hooding, sleep deprivation, time disorientation, prolonged nakedness, sexual humiliation and deprivation of warmth, water and food. Many of these techniques are against international law if used in interrogations.

In such interrogation sessions, the subjects must maintain dead silence regardless of the practice being inflicted on them. Only three pieces of information can be surrendered: name, rank and serial number. Both the subjects and the practitioner have a right to insist on a return to unit every hour.

Standard RTI for most special military branches of American and European governments covers both tortures that are condemned by the United Nations and interrogation techniques that are considered legitimate, usually presented along a sliding scale. For instance, a soldier would be subjected to slight discomforts before being subjected to more torturous techniques.

The Guardian has reported that according to a former British special forces officer, the acts committed by U.S. Army soldiers who committed torture and prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib resembled the techniques used in RTI training.

title: Resistance to interrogation