text:
Ditech

Ditech Financial LLC (rebranded from “ditech Mortgage” and "Green Tree Servicing" in 2015) was a provider of home loan, loan servicing and refinance products to consumers and institutional partners in the U.S.

In May 2014, Ditech announced its re-entry to the national housing market after it “disappeared” from the marketplace for five years during the subprime mortgage crisis in the late 2000s. It also announced a corporate re-branding with its servicing affiliate, Green Tree Servicing, which took place in 2015.

1995-2000
In 1995, John Paul Reddam founded DiTech Funding Corporation (DiTech) in Costa Mesa, California. The company's name was derived from the phrase “direct technology.” DiTech became one of the first lenders to offer mortgages to the public online and via a toll-free number. In April 1995, Reddam began originating, selling, and servicing mortgage loans tied to the prime interest rate. Reddam's business model quickly extended DiTech's operating territory to seven states by the end of the 1995, and 46 states by the end of 1996. DiTech's rapid growth was fueled in part by an aggressive marketing campaign that included a national television commercial featuring a frustrated loan officer who would mutter, "Lost another loan to DiTech," after losing business to the company. DiTech became a household name as a result of the commercials.

In 1999, DiTech was acquired by GMAC (now Ally Financial), then owned by General Motors. GMAC Mortgage renamed DiTech “ditech.com.” Reddam left the company in 2000.

2005-2012
In 2005, DiTech was organized as a business unit of Residential Capital, LLC (often referred to as "ResCap"), which controlled mortgage-related subsidiaries owned by General Motors Corporation.

Ditech pioneered 125 percent loans that allowed mortgage loan applicants to borrow more than properties were worth. The loans were also low-documentation mortgages, or stated income loans, and many borrowers falsified their incomes.

Powers introduced "People Are Smart," an advertising campaign that leveraged GMAC's reputation as a responsible lender and stressed the importance of making prudent decisions based on expert advice provided by ditech.com loan consultants.

In February 2010, GMAC relocated ditech.com offices from Costa Mesa to Fort Washington, PA. In May 2010, GMAC changed its name to Ally Financial.

In 2012, during the mortgage crisis, Ally took its residential lending unit into bankruptcy in order to pay back the U.S. Treasury following its acceptance of bailout funds. In November 2012, Ditech was formed from assets of the estate of GMAC ResCap during the bankruptcy proceeding.

Purchase by Walter Investment
In March 2013, Ditech was acquired by Walter Investment Management Co. from Ally Financial, the former GMAC ResCap. Following the acquisition, Ditech used the name of Walter's Green Tree Servicing subsidiary to originate loans for regulatory and licensing reasons. DT Holdings, Ditech's parent company, is a subsidiary of Walter Investment Management.

In March 2014, the company resumed originating loans using the Ditech name. The brand had effectively “disappeared” from the marketplace for five years during the mortgage crisis, and the company decided to bring Ditech name back. In May 2014, Ditech announced its re-entry to the U.S. housing market.

Corporate Re-brand
In March 2015, Ditech, along with Walter Investment affiliate Green Tree Servicing, announced the two would undergo a co-branding effort to become "Ditech Financial, A Walter Company," bringing Walter's origination and servicing entities together under one, recognizable brand name. The transition concluded in the second half of 2015.

Products
Ditech offers a range of home loan and refinance options. Home loan options include fixed rate, adjustable rate and FHA loans. Refinancing options include fixed rate, adjustable rate and FHA loans, as well as special financing programs such as HARP with expanded loan-to-value limits for qualified applicants. The company will no longer provide nonprime mortgages.

Institutional partner strategy
In May 2014, Ditech launched a co-branding and joint-venture initiative with more than 600 institutional partners that provide mortgage and refinance loans to their customers. The strategy encompasses direct consumer lending and correspondent lending. Institutional partners can price, lock and deliver individual loans through the Ditech website.

Also in May 2014, Ditech announced new correspondent banking products and services including MyCommunityMortgage, FHA Program, Expanded LMPI, and Freddie Only. In June 2014, Ditech's correspondent lending division began focusing on services for community banks and credit unions, offering their customers access to Ditech's technology, underwriting, processing, servicing and marketing expertise.

Advertising
Ditech is well known for television commercials that aired during the 2000s. They featured a nefarious loan officer, played by actor Ron Michaelson, repeating the catchphrase "Lost another loan to Ditech" written by writer, producer and director Ken Roberts, who created the Ditech television and radio commercials from 1995 to 2007. In May 2007, the company introduced a new marketing campaign, adding the tagline "People Are Smart" and including the signature line Home financing by GMAC to further help distinguish the Ditech brand from direct-to-consumer lenders of questionable repute. Ditech had immensely high unaided brand awareness and customer satisfaction, but many people mistakenly thought Ditech was a subprime lender.

On September 11, 2001, in the U.S., a Ditech commercial was airing on the CNN television channel when it was interrupted for an announcement that a plane had struck one of Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. This would begin CNN's ongoing live coverage of the September 11 attacks.

Ditech held a sponsorship in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series from 2004 to 2007, prominently appearing on the #25 Chevrolet driven by Brian Vickers. The company held sponsorships on Hendrick's part-time #44 car, as well as the #87 car on Busch Series level. DiTech also sponsored Kevin Harvick for Stewart-Haas Racing from 2015 to 2016. Harvick would win at New Hampshire with DiTech on his Chevrolet SS.

Bankruptcy
In February 2019, Ditech filed for bankruptcy for the second time in as many years. Later that year, the company's forward mortgage servicing and originations business Ditech Financial LLC was acquired by New Residential Investment Corp. and their reverse mortgage business, Reverse Mortgage Solutions Inc., was acquired by Mortgage Assets Management LLC.

title: Ditech


text:
Warren Gatland

Warren David Gatland (born 17 September 1963) is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player who is the head coach of the Wales national team.

As head coach of Wales from 2007 to 2019, he won four Six Nations titles, including three Grand Slams, and reached the semi-finals of the 2011 and 2019 Rugby World Cups. Gatland was also head coach of the British & Irish Lions on three tours, to Australia in 2013, when they won the Test series 2–1; New Zealand in 2017, when the series was drawn; and South Africa in 2021, losing the series 2–1.

He has previously coached Connacht, Ireland, London Wasps, where he won three Premierships and the Heineken Cup, and Waikato, with whom he won the Air New Zealand Cup. He has also coached Chiefs between 2020 and 2022 before returning to Wales in December 2022.

As a player, he played as a hooker and was one of Waikato's longest-serving players, playing 140 games for the province – a record at the time.

Playing career
Gatland was born in Hamilton, New Zealand and educated at Hamilton Boys' High School and Waikato University. He played 17 non-international matches for New Zealand, but never won an international cap. His first game as an All Black was in 1988, when he is said to have introduced a hybrid Australian rules–Gaelic football game to the training sessions, which was well received by the other players.

Gatland became the record-holder of the most games for Waikato near the end of the 1994 season. He finished the season with 140 games in total and announced his retirement before the start of the 1995 season.

Coaching career
Gatland launched his coaching career as a player/coach for Taupiri in 1989, and after the All Blacks' 1989 tour, he remained in Ireland to act as a player/coach for Galwegians RFC leading them to promotion into the All-Ireland League Division 2.

After retiring from the club in 1994, he became assistant coach to Thames Valley in New Zealand. He coached the team to promotion from the third division to the second in the National Provincial Championship. In 1996, he returned to Ireland and became the director of rugby at Connacht, leading them to the quarter-finals of the 1997–98 European Challenge Cup after twice beating Northampton Saints in the pool stages.

Ireland/New Zealand
On 24 February 1998, after Brian Ashton resigned after round one of the 1998 Five Nations Championship, Gatland was appointed coach of Ireland. His first match in charge was against a rampant French side who had already scored over 70 points in their opening two fixtures. However, Gatland led Ireland to a close 18–16 defeat at the Stade de France in Paris. Ireland finished in last place with zero points. Gatland quickly improved Ireland's performances. This included a 29–23 victory over the Welsh in the 1999 Five Nations Championship and a 32–24 win over Argentina. Ireland had a disappointing 1999 Rugby World Cup campaign and failed to make it to the quarter-finals after losing narrowly to Argentina in a play-off game 28–24.

On 19 March 2000, Ireland beat France in Paris for the first time since 1972, when a hat-trick of tries from Brian O'Driscoll led them to a 27–25 win. Ireland also beat France at Lansdowne Road in the return fixture in the 2001 Six Nations Championship. Ireland also beat Italy in a six-try romp, 60–13 in Dublin. In 2001, Gatland's last year as coach, Ireland finished the championship with the same points as winners England, losing on points difference. In the same year, Gatland's Irish team played against the touring All Blacks, losing 29–40 in Gatland's last match in charge of Ireland. He was sacked and was replaced by his assistant coach Eddie O'Sullivan. Overall, Gatland moved Ireland from eighth to sixth in the IRB World Rankings, with a 47% win rate.

London Wasps
After losing his job with Ireland, he joined the coaching staff at London Wasps under director of rugby Nigel Melville. The team was bottom of the Premiership at this time, but Gatland helped steer them away from the relegation zone and develop one of the meanest defences in Europe. He took over as director of rugby when Melville left for Gloucester at the end of the 2001–02 season. Under Gatland's guidance, Wasps won three Premiership titles; in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

In Europe, Wasps won the 2002–03 European Challenge Cup, winning eight from eight matches, and beating Bath 48–30 away in the final. After qualifying for the Heineken Cup in the 2003–04 season, Wasps won the title, beating Toulouse 27–20 in the final. At the end of the 2004/2005 season, Gatland returned to New Zealand, where he was installed as coach at Waikato.

Return to New Zealand (Waikato)
On his return to New Zealand to coach Waikato in the National Provincial Championship (NPC), he led the side to seventh in the Division 1 table. However, under the new competition format, the Air New Zealand Cup in 2006, Gatland took Waikato to the final of the 2006 Air New Zealand Cup, beating Wellington in the final 37–31, losing only one match in the run up to the knock out stages. However, in the 2007 Air New Zealand Cup, Gatland was only able to lead Waikato to the quarter-finals, losing to 38–35 to Hawke's Bay. In addition to his role as head coach of Waikato, during the off-season, he acted as technical advisor for the Chiefs Super 14 team in 2006.

Wales
On 9 November 2007, Gatland was named head coach of Wales, and took up his position on 1 December 2007.

Gatland's first game as coach of Wales was in the opening week of the 2008 Six Nations Championship, which was a major upset as Wales beat England 26–19 after trailing 19–6 with nearly sixty minutes played. It was Wales' first win at Twickenham since 1988. After victories over Scotland and Italy, Wales went on to defeat the Triple Crown holders Ireland at Croke Park 16–12, thus winning the Triple Crown themselves. This was the first time Wales has held this trophy since 2005. In the final round of fixtures, Wales beat France at the Millennium Stadium 29–12, to clinch their 10th Grand Slam, 100 years after they won their first. Despite being Six Nations Champions, Gatland led Wales to a 2–0 test series defeat to South Africa during the 2008 mid-year rugby union tests, losing 43–17 and 37–21. Wales then went on to lose to South Africa at home during the 2008 Autumn internationals. Their Autumn campaign saw Wales win two, lose two – the two wins being a 34–13 win over Canada and a 21–18 win over Australia. This was Wales' first win over the Wallabies since 2005.

Wales were unable to retain their Six Nations title in 2009, finishing fourth with just three wins; England, Italy and Scotland. Due to his commitments to the British & Irish Lions, he was unable to coach Wales to their Summer tour of North America against Canada and the United States. However, he led the team in their 2009 Autumn internationals campaign, which consisted of wins against Samoa, and Argentina, but losses to New Zealand and Australia. Wales remained fourth in the 2010 Six Nations Championship, with victories over Italy and Scotland.

Their Summer tour consisted of a 2–0 test series defeat to the All Blacks (42–9 and 29–10), and their 2010 Autumn campaign saw Wales at best get a 16–16 draw with Fiji – losses to Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. For the third consecutive year, Wales finished fourth in the Six Nations table, but on top of their wins over Scotland and Italy, Gatland led Wales to their first victory over Ireland since 2008.

Gatland led Wales to fourth in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, winning three of their four Pool D matches; 17–10 win over Samoa, 81–7 win over Namibia and a record breaking 66–0 win over Fiji, their loss was a 17–16 defeat to the Springboks. Wales beat Ireland 22–10 in the quarter-final, but lost to France 9–8 in the semi-final. They lost the Bronze final to Australia 21–18 to finish fourth. This meant that Wales were ranked fourth in the world, their highest ever ranking again under Gatland, previously fourth in 2009.

In the 2012 Six Nations Championship, Gatland won a second Grand Slam in four years. However, Gatland was unable to see Wales' great form in their Summer tour of Australia, as in April 2012 Gatland broke both his heels while on holiday in New Zealand, and needed reconstructive surgery on his right heel. Initial hopes were that he would recover in time to lead Wales for their three-test tour, but on 19 April 2012 it was announced that he would not recover before the tour, and assistant coach Robert Howley was appointed as caretaker. Due to his success with Wales, Gatland was named head coach for the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia. This meant that Gatland was unable to coach Wales in their 2012 Autumn campaign, but was allowed to coach the side against Australia and New Zealand. With Wales suffering three defeats on their summer tour, and their winless Autumn campaign, Wales dropped to ninth in the IRB World Rankings, their second-lowest ever ranking and a position they had not been in since 2007, before Gatland's appointment.

Gatland returned to his post with Wales ahead of the 2013 Autumn internationals, where Wales claimed their first Autumn international win since 2009, when they beat Argentina 40–6, a record winning margin, in their second test of their campaign. Despite there being mostly Welsh players on the British & Irish Lions tour earlier that year, Wales failed to defeat Australia at home, going down 30–26 in their final match of the series. Gatland led Wales to third in the 2014 Six Nations Championship, defeating Italy 23–15 in their opening match, before they were convincingly beaten by Ireland a week later 26–3. They returned to winning ways when they beat France 27–6, however they lost to England at Twickenham to end any hopes of retaining their Championship. In their match of the Championship, Wales defeated a 14-man Scotland side, 51–3, a record winning margin. Ahead of Wales' 2014 South African tour, Wales were without key players, like Richard Hibbard, captain Sam Warburton and fullback Leigh Halfpenny. Despite this, and despite Wales' defeat in the first test 38–16, Wales were within seconds of beating South Africa in the second test, having led 17–14 at half time, with those 17 points being scored in the opening 22 minutes to lead 17–0. By the 65th minute, Wales led 30–17, but a Willie le Roux try brought South Africa within 6 points of a draw. With 2 minutes left on the clock, Wales conceded a penalty try to lose the match 31–30. Wales earned two victories during the 2014 autumn internationals, one of which came against the Springboks, 12–6. This was Wales' first victory over South Africa since 1999, and Wales' first victory over a Southern Hemisphere giant since 2008, ending a 22 match losing streak.

He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2014 Birthday Honours for services to rugby.

Wales were within a chance of claiming the 2015 Six Nations Championship title heading into the final week. Having beaten Scotland, France, Ireland before the closing week, Ireland, England and Wales were all even on 6 points, while France were also still in contention on 4 points. For Wales to claim the title, they needed to beat Italy by 26 points or more to get ahead of England and Ireland. They defeated Italy by 41 points, winning 61–20 scoring 8 tries. However, Ireland overtook Wales when they beat Scotland 40–10, which meant when England won 55–35, Ireland retained their 2014 title. Gatland was heavily criticised ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, having played some key players in Wales' final RWC warm-up, Wales lost Leigh Halfpenny and Rhys Webb to injury. Despite many injuries before and during the World Cup, Gatland guided the team out of the "pool of death", with victories over Uruguay 54–9, England 28–25 and Fiji 23–13. They played South Africa in the quarter-final, and with 5 minutes to go, Wales were leading 19–18, but a try to Springbok captain and scrum half Fourie du Preez, saw South Africa claim a 23–19 win.

During the 2016 Six Nations Championship, Gatland led Wales to second with 7 points, 3 points behind victors England. The Championship started with a 16–all draw against Ireland in Dublin, before Wales went on to secure a 27–23 victory over Scotland in Cardiff. They backed up the Scottish victory with a 19–10 win over the French, before going down to England 25–21. At one point in that match, Wales were down 19–0, but scored three tries in the second half to come with in 4 points of the victory. In the final match, Wales earned their biggest winning margin in a six nations match, winning by 53 points in a 67–14 victory over Italy. In June 2016, Gatland took Wales on a three-test series against the world champions New Zealand. The All Blacks were without many of their World Cup winning side, with Dan Carter, Richie McCaw, Keven Mealamu, Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith all retiring. The first test saw Wales put up a convincing display, leading the World Champions 18–15 at half time. However, Wales dropped off after the 60th minute, conceding three tries to lose the game 39–21. Wales then went down to Super Rugby side the Chiefs, 40–7 in a mid-week match. In the second test, the teams were level after 40 minutes 10–all, but 26 unanswered points in the second half, including 4 tries with in 15 minutes saw the All Blacks secure the series after winning 36–22. The final test saw New Zealand clinch the series 3–0, winning 46–6.

Following a sabbatical from Wales due to his 2017 British and Lions commitments, Gatland led Wales to 2 victories in four matches during the 2017 Autumn Internationals, defeating Georgia in the countries first ever meeting, 13–6, and South Africa 24–22. Their defeats came at the hand of Australia 29–21 and New Zealand 33–18. In the buildup to the 2018 Six Nations Championship, Gatland stated that Wales "will win the Six Nations". His statement was backed up after Wales convincingly beat Scotland 34–7 in the opening round, earning themselves their first ever try bonus point. The following week, despite keeping England scoreless for 60 minutes, Wales lost 12–6. In round three, Wales came within moments of stealing the game from Ireland, only losing by 3 points in over time. However, an intercept from Jacob Stockdale, saw Wales go down to Ireland 37–27, ending their chance of winning the Six Nations. In rounds 4 and 5, Wales returned to winning ways, defeating Italy 38–14 and France 14–13 to finish the Championship in second behind victors Ireland.

In June 2018, Gatland led his side to three from three victories, defeating South Africa in Washington, D.C. in a one-off test match 22–20, before securing a 2–0 series win over Argentina. The first test victory (23–10) was Wales' first win in Argentina since 2004, and with the second test victory, meant Wales won a first series over Argentina since 1999.

In the buildup to the 2019 Six Nations Championship, Gatland said that should Wales start off the campaign with a victory over France, "we can win it given we have home games against England and Ireland." Down 0–16 after the first half in Paris, Wales rallied to win 24–19, and subsequent wins over Italy (26–15), England (21–13), Scotland (18–11) and Ireland (25–7) saw them win the Grand Slam, stretching their winning run to 14, breaking their previous record of 11 set in 1910, and making Gatland the first-ever coach to win three Grand Slams in the Five or Six Nations era.

At the 2019 Rugby World Cup, Gatland repeated the success of the 2011 tournament by taking Wales to a World Cup semi-final after they finished top of Pool D with four wins from four. Wales then faced France in a thrilling come-from-behind 20-19 victory, after France's Sébastien Vahaamahina was shown a red card for an elbow to Aaron Wainwright's face. Gatland admitted after the match that he believed that France were "the better team", and had deserved to win. After Wales' subsequent 16-19 loss to South Africa in the semi-final, as well as England's win over New Zealand beforehand, Gatland stated that it would have been "his dream" to face England in his final game in charge of Wales. As it was, Wales played their final game of the tournament, and Gatland's final game as Head Coach (prior to his reappointment in 2022 ) against New Zealand in the bronze medal match - a convincing 40-17 win for the All Blacks.

British & Irish Lions
For the 2009 tour of South Africa, Gatland was named as an assistant coach, specialising as the forwards coach under Ian McGeechan.

In March 2012, in the wake of his second Six Nations Grand Slam with Wales, he was interviewed for the position of head coach for the Lions' 2013 tour of Australia, before being appointed in September that year. The Lions won the test series against Australia 2–1. He was given a 10-month contract with the Lions, taking a sabbatical from coaching Wales, although he did coach Wales against Australia and New Zealand in the 2012 Autumn internationals. Gatland promised impartial selection and said he believed that Graham Henry in 2001 picked too many Welsh players who were insufficiently good for the tour. He named Rob Howley, Graham Rowntree, Andy Farrell and Neil Jenkins as his assistants for the tour.

During the tour, Gatland led the Lions to a 2–1 series victory over the Wallabies, the first series win since the 1997 tour of South Africa. Including the non-test matches, Gatland coached the Lions to win eight out of the ten matches played, the losses coming against Australia in the second test, and the Brumbies in a mid week match. In the first test, he named ten Welsh players in the match day-23, four Irish, eight English and one Scot. This team won the first test 23–21, following a missed penalty by Kurtley Beale post 80 minutes. His team in the second test, consisting of nine Welsh, six Irish, seven English and one Scot, lost the test in Melbourne 16–15. In the third test, Gatland was heavily criticised for naming 11 Welsh players in the matchday squad, as well as for the dropping of Brian O'Driscoll. Despite this, the Lions won the final test 41–16, which was a record winning margin for the Lions against Australia.

Since the 2013 tour, Warren Gatland has been very vocal over his desire to lead the Lions in 2017 against his home nation New Zealand. In December 2013 Gatland was named UK coach of the year at the 2013 UK Coaching Awards.

In March 2015, he was criticised, by former Irish international Neil Francis, who described him as having "the intellectual capacity of a tub of Flora."

On 7 September 2016, Gatland was announced as head coach for the 2017 Lions Team.

Gatland this time took a full 10-month sabbatical from Wales, handing his coaching reins to Rob Howley. Gatland wanted continuity in his coaching staff, with the only change being Steve Borthwick coming in as forwards coach, while retaining Rob Howley as attack coach and Andy Farrell as defence coach. Graham Rowntree and Neil Jenkins remained, however specialising in scrummaging and kicking. On 19 April, Gatland and his team named a 41-man squad, consisting of 16 English, 12 Welsh, 11 Irish and 2 Scottish players. His Welsh captain Sam Warburton remained as captain. Gatland was heavily criticised for the lack of Scottish players in squad, considering Scotland had beaten both Ireland and Wales during the 2017 Six Nations Championship. The criticism continued into the tour, especially after he called up 6 players to the squad on 17 June (a further 4 Welsh players) that was based purely on geography rather than skill. He was depicted as a clown in the New Zealand media after he continued to complain about "foul" tactics of the All Blacks.

Despite all the criticism from both British and New Zealand press and fans, Gatland persisted with his style and selections and gained 4 wins in the non-test games; New Zealand Provincial Barbarians (13–7), Crusaders (12–3), Māori All Blacks (32–10) and Chiefs (34–6). In the test series, Gatland led the Lions to a single victory, winning the second test 24–21, to become the first team to beat New Zealand at home since South Africa in 2009. It was the Lions first win over the All Blacks in the professional era, with the last victory coming in 1993, coached by Ian McGeechan, 20–7. With the first test being won by the All Blacks 30–15 and the third and final test being drawn 15–15, the test series was drawn, with the draw being the first time since 1994 that the All Blacks has failed to win at Eden Park. The series was the first drawn series since their 1955 tour to South Africa.

Following the tour, Gatland was in the running to be the next All Blacks head coach.

Gatland was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to rugby in Wales.

In 2019 Gatland was once again named head coach of the British and Irish Lions ahead of their 2021 tour of South Africa. South Africa won the series by two games to one.

Chiefs
On 28 June 2019, it was announced Gatland would return home to Hamilton to coach the Chiefs on a four-year deal which would include a sabbatical in 2021 to coach the British & Irish Lions. His first season in charge was a disaster, with his side losing all eight games in the Super Rugby Aotearoa competition. This led to him being voted as the worst coach in the competition. In December 2022, Gatland left his role at the Chiefs and returned to coach the Welsh national team.

Return to Wales
In December 2022, Wales head coach Wayne Pivac, who had replaced Gatland, was sacked by the Welsh Rugby Union after a poor period of results. Gatland returned to Wales on a contract to take him through to the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The contract also contains the potential to extend another four years, through the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

The 2023 Six Nations Championship saw Gatland's Wales fall to a second consecutive finish in fifth place, after only winning one match away against Italy in the fourth round of the competition. During this tournament, player disputes with the WRU nearly caused the Welsh players to go on strike before the match against England on the 25th February 2023 - on which Gatland commented of his players that there had been "quite a significant split in the group" over the option to strike - the match, a 10-20 loss for Wales, eventually went ahead.

Gatland's Wales went on to show signs of improvement during the warm-up matches played in the summer of 2023, despite only winning one of their three tests. This form continued during the pool stages of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, where Wales won all of their matches in Pool C: a narrow 32-26 victory against Fiji, a 28-8 win over Portugal, a record-breaking 40-6 win over Australia, and a 43-19 victory against Georgia. Wales finished top of their pool with 19 out of a possible 20 points, taking Wales to a fourth consecutive Rugby World Cup quarter-final under Gatland.

Gatland offered his resignation following Wales' sixth place finish in the 2024 Six Nations Championship. Wales finished the tournament with no wins including a loss to Italy at the Millennium Stadium. This was Wales' first wooden spoon finish for 21 years. His resignation offer was rejected by the WRU.

Ireland

 * Six Nations Championship
 * Runner-up: 2001
 * Millennium Trophy
 * Winner: 2001
 * Centenary Quaich
 * Winner: 2000

London Wasps

 * English Premiership
 * Winner: 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05
 * Heineken Cup
 * Winner: 2003–04
 * European Challenge Cup
 * Winner: 2002–03

Waikato

 * Air New Zealand Cup
 * Winner: 2006

Wales

 * Six Nations Championship (* = Grand Slam)
 * Winner: 2008*, 2012*, 2019*
 * Runner-up: 2016, 2018

British & Irish Lions

 * Tom Richards Cup
 * Winner: 2013
 * Lions–New Zealand test series
 * Winner: 2017 (shared)
 * BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award
 * Winner: 2013
 * BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year Award
 * Winner: 2013

Outside rugby
In 2012, Gatland made a cameo appearance as himself in an episode of the UK TV comedy drama Stella. The same year, he was honoured by the University of Waikato as one of the year's three distinguished alumni. In 2022, Gatland received a honorary fellowship from Cardiff University.

Gatland published his autobiography, Pride and Passion, in November 2019.

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

title: Warren Gatland


text:
User talk:Pharos/Golden Age of Arcade Games

How's that ...
... for timing. I think I did the nominating steps in reverse order. The text on fac:bicycle should be there now. Sfahey 02:31, 18 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Queens neighborhoods
There has been much discussion over the naming conventions of NYC neighborhoods, or neighorhoods in general, on Wikipedia. Personally, I prefer "Neighborhood, Borough, New York" but that's mainly because most city neighborhoods are disambiguated "Neighborhood, City" (and Queens is not technically a city in its own right). However, I moved the Flushing article because Flushing, New York is not really correct (or consistent), even if that is the correct "postal address." Darkcore 04:09, 18 Feb 2005 (UTC)

My signature
I apologize for the problem. I found where I goofed up the HTML font code, so my signature should work now. My Firefox browser ignored the error, so everything looked fine to me. You are the first person who has complained, although I've been using the new signature for about a week, so I'm curious which web browser and skin you are using. I won't have time to track down my signatures tonight, but I will try to do that tomorrow. Blank Verse  ∅  08:42, 28 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Categories
Hi Pharos, I saw you moved Wilhelm Reich out of Category:Jews, saying the category isn't for Jewish individuals. How do I list Reich in the list of Jews or list of Jews by country subcategories? I thought the way to do it was to list him under Category:Jews, but I'm unsure how the category system works. Best, SlimVirgin 22:15, Mar 4, 2005 (UTC)

 * I suppose the point of the categories is to help people find articles they don't know exist. You have to know that List of Jews exists to find it. I wonder if you could discuss this on the categories page, because I don't know enough about it to advise, but there are people who may prefer to leave these names in the category. SlimVirgin 22:30, Mar 4, 2005 (UTC)

Zanzibar
Hi! Nice work with Zanzibar, cheers! — Matt Crypto 18:45, 5 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Notenglish
Please, please, please, if you add the "notenglish" tag to an article, also make a note at Pages needing translation into English. Not doing that is just like adding the VFD tag and not making a note on WP:VFD. -- Jmabel | Talk 08:14, Mar 6, 2005 (UTC)

Burundi Civil War
You voted for Burundi Civil War, this week's CSB Collaboration of the week. Please come and help it become a featured-standard article. -  Banyan Tree  20:36, 9 Mar 2005 (UTC)

New York Books
Thanks for updating that. What is the next stage? Just incomplete? How many more books till then?

Blocking policy
Hi Pharos, I was wondering why you created Blocking policy can be a drastic and unexpected change and a talk page for it, then redirected them. It's not as though anyone would type that title in by accident. ;-) Just curious. SlimVirgin 01:45, Mar 12, 2005 (UTC)
 * Yes, vandalism is very annoying. What was the IP address that was doing it? SlimVirgin 02:31, Mar 12, 2005 (UTC)

Thank you for pointing out my mistake
Thank you for pointing out that I put my vote under the wrong heading. I really did intend to vote for you, and I wish you luck. All the best. David Cannon 10:59, 12 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Talk:Human
Hi Pharos, I've written up a compromise suggestion for the introduction of Human, which editors are looking at here. A couple of editors said they preferred your first sentence, so I've included that too (as the first sentence). It would be helpful if you could take a look and see whether you think it needs anything else, as your input was very valuable. Best, SlimVirgin 03:49, Mar 16, 2005 (UTC)

Image:Taiwan-icon.PNG
You seem to have mistyped when you intended. I have turned this into the effect you intended, but only you can change it to the correct template. --Henrygb 11:58, 16 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Vandalism
Much thanks for your reversion of vandalism to my user talk page. :-) BLANKFAZE | (что??) 01:33, 19 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Congratulations!
Congratulations! It's my pleasure to let you know that, consensus being reached, you are now an administrator. You should read the relevant policies and other pages linked to from the administrators' reading list before carrying out tasks like deletion, protection, banning users, and editing protected pages such as the Main Page. Most of what you do is easily reversible by other sysops, apart from page history merges and image deletion, so please be especially careful with those. You might find the new administrators' how-to guide helpful. Cheers! -- Cecropia | explains it all ® 03:13, 19 Mar 2005 (UTC)

 * Hey, congratulations Pharos! You deserve it. SlimVirgin 03:23, Mar 19, 2005 (UTC)

Ooops
A new user posted a message to me, but instead of signing it with tildes, he produced his User name manually — and got it wrong. Instead of signing OlivierSeres he signed OlivierSeres; without paying close enough attention, I went to the page, and added then removed a full stop in order to stop his name coming up as a red link. Only then did I notice that I'd in fact created a useless page. Could you delete it for me with your new mutant powers? Thanks in advance, and sorry to be such a pain. Mel Etitis ( Μελ Ετητης ) 22:53, 22 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Analogous Movements
You changed links in the See also section of Liberal movements within Islam. I don't think I agree with you that the analogy you draw is accurate. The one you replaced might have been wrong, too; but that's neither here nor there. The article presents more of a general "lay of the land" about liberalism in the Islamic context, not one specific movement like Liberal theology and Reform Judaism. The analogy to, say Reform Judaism, would be the Progressive Islamic movement congealing in North America right now; or the movement that Sayed Ahmad Khan set in motion--both of which fall under the rubric of that article. —iFaqeer (Talk to me!) 23:46, Mar 22, 2005 (UTC)

Thank you!
Hi Pharos, thank you so much for supporting me in my adminship nomination. The vote closed tonight, then suddenly all these new buttons appeared! I really appreciate your support and your kind comments, and I look forward to working with you. Best, SlimVirgin 04:18, Mar 23, 2005 (UTC)

EastEnders characters
Please don't edit the EastEnders category stuff for a moment: I'm trying to create this category in such a way that it will (correctly) be a child category of both Category:EastEnders and Category:Soap opera characters -- Karada 19:42, 2 Apr 2005 (UTC)

General Slocum
Please see my reply at Votes for undeletion/List of General Slocum victims -- brian0918   22:28, 2 Apr 2005 (UTC)

66.154.184.34
Please don't blank comments on anon talk pages. It is helpful to administrators to see the history of complaints about a particular IP address. Gamaliel 20:27, 4 Apr 2005 (UTC)


text: User talk:80.42.195.130

title: User talk:80.42.195.130


text:
User:Dzzl/ish

A common word in dzzl speak, though it is used by many in English.

See also Ish

title: User:Dzzl/ish


text:
Bryant Notree

Bryant Notree (born June 19, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. Born in Chicago, Illinois, he played college basketball for the Illinois Fighting Illini and UIC Flames.

Professional career
After graduating from UIC in 1999, Notree started his professional career in the International Basketball League with the New Mexico Slam, spending two seasons there. He participated in the 2001 preseason with the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA, but was cut before the start of the 2001–02 NBA season. He then moved to Cyprus, signing with Keravnos. During his stint with the club, he took part in the 2001–02 FIBA Saporta Cup, averaging 21.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in 6 appearances.

In 2002 he took part in the Shaw's Pro Summer League with the Atlanta Hawks and was briefly signed by the Denver Nuggets, taking part in preseason games, but did not make it to the final roster, being released on October 17, 2002. He played for the Gary Steelheads of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) during the 2002–03 season and was named to the All-CBA First Team after averaging 21.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game over 48 appearances (44 starts).

Notree was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy during a routine medical checkup in Israel but persisted playing despite the health risks. In 2003 he played 8 games for Atléticos de San Germán in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional of Puerto Rico, averaging 17.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He then played for Avtodor Saratov of the Russian Super League, averaging 17.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game over 12 games. He then started the 2004–05 season with Lokomotiv Novosibirsk, with averages of 10.7 points, 3 rebounds and 2.8 assists, before going back to the United States.

His final stint was with the Dakota Wizards of the CBA before he retired in 2005 out of concern for his family. In his final season, Notree played 27 regular season games with averages of 16.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists; he also appeared in 5 playoff games, averaging 28 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. The Wizards named him an assistant coach for the 2005–06 season.

Notree works as a personal trainer and nutritional consultant in Dallas, Texas.

title: Bryant Notree


text:
AirQuarius Aviation

AirQuarius Aviation was an airline based in Johannesburg, South Africa, operating chartered flights and aircraft leasing contracted by companies throughout Africa and the Middle East. The airline's base was at Lanseria Airport, Johannesburg.

History
AirQuarius Aviation (Pty) Ltd was established by Gavin Branson in 1997 and started operations in 2001, doing business as AirQuarius Air Charter. The name was changed to Branson Air (Pty) Ltd, doing business as AirQuarius in 2007. At one time, it had 120 employees. The airline specialized in operating flights to political crisis areas. As such, AirQuarius was the only operator into Baghdad or Basra during the Iraq War. Other missions included UN flights into Afghanistan and Sudan.

In 2011, it was alleged that an air operating certificate was awarded to an AirQuarius Charters aircraft on the basis of an inspection form which the inspector said was not written or signed by him.

AirQuarius stopped operating on 7 February 2012.

Fleet
AirQuarius operated Fokker 28, Fokker 100, Hawker Siddeley HS 748 and Boeing 737-200 aircraft.

title: AirQuarius Aviation


text: User:Son of Paddy's Ego

title: User:Son of Paddy's Ego


text:
Talk:Akio Morita

Untitled
Seems has been removed. There are pictures available on the web, the first one I'd try is http://www.time.com/time/time100/builder/profile/morita.html. I would upload the picture, but labelling the copyrights is out of my range. PeepP 21:50, July 16, 2005 (UTC)

The most common American Expression
In the article it says, "Sonny-boys the most common American expression." I am not sure what that means. There is no way that "sonny-boys" is the most common expression used in America. I am not sure of the definition of "expression" but if it is limited to to or more word phrase, then perhaps "oh my god" might be up there, but "sonny-boys," no way. Timtak (talk) 00:02, 26 May 2018 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page has been nominated for speedy deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page has been nominated for speedy deletion: You can see the reason for deletion at the file description page linked above. —Community Tech bot (talk) 04:21, 12 June 2019 (UTC)
 * Akio Morita (盛田 昭夫).jpg

First transistor radio?
the article says In 1957, the company produced a pocket-sized radio (the first to be fully transistorized) but that title belongs to the Regency TR-1 which beat it to market by 5 years. Banjodog (talk) 23:29, 7 May 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Akio Morita


text:
Preston railway station

Preston railway station, in Preston, Lancashire, England, is an interchange railway station on the West Coast Main Line, half-way between London Euston and Glasgow Central (209 miles from London Euston, 194 miles from Glasgow Central). It is served by Avanti West Coast, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express services, plus Caledonian Sleeper overnight services between London and Scotland. It is also served by the Calder Valley line to Leeds and York, and by branch lines to Blackpool North, Ormskirk (for Merseyrail services to Liverpool Central) and Colne.

The North Union Railway opened a station on the site in 1838. It was extended in 1850, with new platforms under the separate management of the East Lancashire Railway, and by 1863 London–Scotland trains stopped here to allow passengers to eat in the station dining room. The current station was built in 1880 and extended in 1903 and 1913, when it had 15 platforms. A free buffet for servicemen was provided during both World Wars. The East Lancashire platforms were demolished in the 1970s as connecting lines closed.

As well as intercity trains to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley, the station is served by local trains to other parts of Lancashire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Yorkshire.

Station layout and amenities
The main entrance to the station is at the bottom of the station approach, a ramp off the bridge that carries Fishergate over the railway. The ticket office is located within the small concourse, which provides direct access, down the ramp, to the intercity platforms 3 and 4. There are footbridges on either side of this ramp to all other platforms. The eastern footbridge ends at an alternative entrance to the station on Butler Street, giving closer access to Preston city centre and the station car park. There are two subways, one of which provides step-free access to all but one platforms in use at the station; the second, adjacent to the passenger subway, was formerly a freight subway and only had access by staff operated freight lifts; these were converted to passenger operated lifts in the 1990s, giving full step-free access to all platforms for wheelchairs, trolleys and pushchairs. There is another entrance serving the station car park at the south end of platform 7.

The island forming platforms 3 and 4 is a very wide island platform with a long series of buildings. Inside these buildings are services and amenities such as a newsagent and several food outlets, including a licensed restaurant. There are also toilets and a large waiting room. A small travel centre on platform 3, near the ramp, is operated by Avanti West Coast staff to give information for passengers on the platform. In addition to these main amenities, there is a small coffee shop outlet on platform 4, as well as an additional shop on platforms 1 and 2.

Passenger information systems were updated during 2007 and now use dot matrix display screens. Preston retained a manual Tannoy system until 30 January 2017, a rarity amongst the larger stations in the UK. An automated announcement system was introduced. In 2009, the station was identified as one of the ten worst category B interchange stations for mystery shopper assessment of fabric and environment, and was set to receive a share of £50 million funding for improvements prior to a public spending review initiated in 2010.

Services
There are currently six through and two bay platforms in use at Preston, with two more available for emergency use. All lines are electrified, allowing any train to use any platform.

Caledonian Sleeper

 * 1 train per day to London Euston
 * 1tpd to Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness (departs as a single train and divides at Edinburgh into three portions for each destination)

Northern Trains

 * 4tph to Blackpool North (3tph on Sundays)
 * 1tph to Blackpool South
 * 1tph to Liverpool Lime Street
 * 1tph to York via Leeds
 * 3tph to Manchester Airport via Chorley (2tph on Sundays)
 * 1tph to Barrow-in-Furness (11tpd) or Windermere (4tpd)
 * 1tph to Colne
 * 1tph to Ormskirk
 * 1tpd to Carlisle (via Whitehaven)

TransPennine Express

 * 1tph to Manchester Airport
 * 1tph to Glasgow Central or Edinburgh Waverley (alternately)
 * 2tpd to Liverpool Lime Street

Avanti West Coast
Northbound:
 * 1tph to Glasgow Central
 * 1tp2h to Edinburgh Waverley (7tpd)
 * 1tp2h to Glasgow Central (6tpd) or Blackpool North (3tpd)

Southbound:
 * 2tph to Euston (1 via the Trent Valley line, and the other via the Birmingham loop)

History
In coaching days, Preston was an important centre for both passenger and postal traffic. This importance continued into the railway age, both as a major junction and as a stopping point about halfway between London and Glasgow.

Preston's railways
The first rail lines in Preston were those of the Lancaster Canal Tramroad, a horse-drawn line connecting two parts of the Lancaster Canal. It opened in 1805, but never carried passengers and never converted to steam. It ceased operating in Preston in 1862.

The first steam-hauled passenger railway in Preston was the North Union Railway (NUR). On 31 October 1838, it opened its line from Wigan to a station on the site of the present-day Preston Station. This immediately linked the town to London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester.

Each subsequent line was built by a different company. Rivalry often prevented any cooperation over shared facilities, and so almost every railway line into Preston used its own station. It was not until 1900 that all lines in Preston shared a single station, by which time all the companies had been taken over by one or both of just two companies.

The second passenger railway into Preston was the Preston and Longridge Railway, which opened as another horse-drawn tramway on 1 May 1840, to a terminus in Deepdale Street. It converted to steam in 1848, but did not run its trains into the North Union station until 1885.

The Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway (L&PJR) was the third line, which opened on 25 June 1840, initially using the North Union station. However, relations between the NUR and L&PJR soured, and, from 1 January 1842, most L&PJR trains used, instead, Maxwell House railway station, a short distance to the north of the North Union station. A few trains passed through, but the NUR charged a toll of 6d per passenger. Most passengers refused to pay, preferring to alight at Maxwell House and walk the 200 yd to the North Union station, but the NUR refused to hold the train to allow passengers to walk and rebook. The NUR advised northbound passengers to travel by the Lancaster Canal rather than the L&PJR. On 1 January 1844, Maxwell House station came into the possession of the NUR, and lack of agreement led to several weeks when hapless L&PJR passengers had to alight on the trackside at nearby Dock Street (off Pitt Street). Lancaster trains were able to use the North Union station from 12 February.

Preston's fourth railway was the Preston and Wyre Joint Railway to Fleetwood, opening, just a few weeks after the L&PJR, on 16 July 1840, to its own terminus at Maudlands in Leighton Street. After 12 February 1844, regular Preston and Wyre trains used the North Union station, along with the L&PJR, although Maudlands Station continued to be used for excursions for some decades.

The fifth company to run trains into Preston was the Bolton and Preston Railway (BPR), from 22 June 1843. Its line joined the North Union's at Euxton, 5+1/2 mi south of Preston, but the company used Maxwell House railway station instead of the North Union's. However, the NUR charged 1s per passenger to BPR trains over its tracks, and eventually the BPR resorted to ferrying its passengers by road between Euxton and Preston. The BPR was driven into submission and was taken over by the NUR from 1 January 1844.

The sixth line into Preston was that of the Preston and Blackburn Railway, which opened on 1 June 1846, joining the North Union line immediately south of Farrington Station (respelt "Farington" from October 1857). The railway company was absorbed into the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) on 3 August 1846. Once again, the NUR charged high tolls for the use of its line which led the ELR to build its own line into Preston. The line was initially opposed by Preston Corporation, but was eventually permitted on condition that the embankment north of the Ribble (which later became the dividing line between Avenham and Miller Parks) be ornamentally laid out, and that a pedestrian path (still in use today) be provided on the river bridge. The line ran into new platforms built on the east side of the North Union station, which were managed and staffed by the ELR, and which had their own booking hall and entrance in Butler Street. The new platforms were effectively a separate station. The new line and station opened on 2 September 1850.

The seventh line in Preston was the North Union's own Victoria Quay Branch to Victoria Quay on the River Ribble (later extended to Preston Docks in 1882 and which now connects to the heritage Ribble Steam Railway). The single-track goods line opened in October 1846 from a south-facing junction immediately south of Preston Station, through a tight curve into a tunnel with a gradient of 1 in 29, emerging north of Fishergate Hill near the riverside.

The eighth line to Preston was the Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway, owned by the ELR and connected to its Blackburn line into Preston. It opened on 2 April 1849. From 1891, its trains used a new curve at Farington to enter Preston via the North Union line.

The ninth and final line into Preston was the West Lancashire Railway (WLR) from Southport. The railway arrived in Preston on 16 September 1882, by which time all the town's other lines were owned by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) or the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (LYR), or jointly by both. The independent WLR built its own Fishergate Hill station. It also built a connecting line to the former ELR (then LYR) line, via which the majority of Southport-to-Preston trains continued to Blackburn. The railway was not a success, and on 1 July 1897 it was taken over by the LYR. This resulted in the diversion of all passenger services to use the East Lancashire platforms of Preston Station from 16 July 1900.

The network of lines south of Preston allowed great flexibility in the routing of trains. A train approaching the town on any of the lines from the south (except the WLR from Southport) could be routed to enter the station via either the North Union or the East Lancashire line. It was even possible for trains from the north to perform an effective U-turn, a feat sometimes carried out by trains between Scotland and Blackpool that would otherwise have had to reverse.

Station development
When the station was first opened in 1838 by the North Union Railway, the line north of the station passed through a tunnel under the west end of Fishergate (then Preston's major thoroughfare). It was on a slope so steep that sometimes station staff had to push trains out of the station. By 1846, the station was already very busy, handling trains from Wigan and the south, Bolton, Fleetwood, Blackpool, Lancaster and the north, and Blackburn. There were no footbridges; passengers had to cross the lines escorted by station staff. North of the station was a network of goods lines around the end of the Lancaster Canal. The coal yards and sidings here continued to operate long after the canal had fallen into commercial disuse.

The station's first expansion came in 1850 when the new East Lancashire line used new platforms staffed and managed by the East Lancashire Railway, with their own entrance and booking office in Butler Street. From 1863, trains between London and Scotland, having no dining cars, were scheduled to allow 20 minutes at Preston for passengers to eat in the station's dining room. The pressure on catering staff was increased when northbound and southbound trains would often arrive about the same time. The condition of the station deteriorated to the extent that on 18 August 1866 part of the roof on the East Lancashire side collapsed injuring three people, one seriously. By then, 150 trains a day passed through the station.

Eventually the station was rebuilt, at a cost of a quarter of a million pounds, reopening in July 1880, and with seven through platforms and four bay platforms. At this time, both the Ribble bridge and the line as far as Euxton, were widened from two tracks to four. A striking feature of the new station was its long and wide central island platform, 1225 ft long and 110 ft wide. It was larger than any of the London terminal station platforms, the longest being Kings Cross at 990 ft. Along the centre of the platform were refreshment rooms, offices, and waiting rooms. A booking hall at the north end of the station was accessed from the middle of a new bridge carrying Fishergate over the railway. A broad ramp led down to the main island platform, with footbridges to smaller platforms on either side. Further south, the platforms were also linked by a passenger subway and a separate subway for luggage, accessed via hoists. At the south end of the main platform, a footbridge led to the nearby Park Hotel, a joint LYR/LNWR property, opened in 1883.

On 30 January 1877, a heavy storm blew the roof completely away from the station, but a more serious accident occurred on 13 July 1896 when a Euston to Glasgow train passed through the station at an estimated 45 mi/h, despite a 10 mph speed limit. It was derailed on a tight curve at the north end of the station, killing one person. As a result of this, the tracks were realigned. Charles Street, to the west of the station, was demolished, as were more houses northwest of the station. Fishergate bridge was extended on its west side. This allowed more tracks and platforms to be built on the west side of the station, with gentler curves. The Ribble bridge was widened again, from four to six tracks. These enlargements were completed by 1903. The east side of the station was also extended in 1913.

By 1926, the lines and platforms were used as follows, from west to east:

 * Southwest of the station was Christian Road Goods Station (previously known as Charles Street Goods Station before 1903).
 * Next was the single-track goods line that curved west to enter the tunnel to the docks.
 * North of the tunnel was a goods loading platform, added in 1903.
 * Then were two through lines for non-stop traffic, added in 1903.
 * Platforms 1 and 2 formed a large island platform, added in 1903, with station buildings, handling through traffic to and from Blackpool. Platform 2 was also used as a terminal platform for Longridge trains, and as a reversal platform for trains between Lancaster and Blackpool.
 * Between platforms 2 and 3 was a centre line used as a run-around loop.
 * Platforms 3 and 4 formed a narrow island platform without buildings. Platform 3 was used for terminal and reversal trains, as Platform 2. Platform 4 was a loop platform for Platform 5.
 * Platforms 5 and 6 formed the main, wide island platform, with a full set of buildings along its centre. The platforms were used mainly for West Coast Main Line services, northbound and southbound respectively. At the south end were two bay platforms, between platforms 5 and 6, used for short trains and goods vans.
 * Platforms 7 and 8 formed another narrow island platform, somewhat shorter than the other platforms. Platform 7 was a loop platform for Platform 6. Platform 8 was the northbound East Lancashire through platform.
 * Platform 9 was the main southbound East Lancashire through platform, containing more buildings and linked to the Butler Street station entrance.
 * Platform 10 was added in 1913, as another southbound East Lancashire through platform, which trains accessed via a short tunnel underneath a rebuilt Butler Street entrance.
 * Platform 11 was a bay platform, set back at the south end of Platform 9, and curving sharply to the east.
 * Platforms 12 and 13 were bay platforms, between Platforms 11 and 10, also curving east. All three bay platforms were for terminating services to and from Southport, Blackburn and Liverpool via Ormskirk. Platform 13 was added in 1913.
 * To the east of the station was Butler Street Goods Station, with a large number of sidings and two warehouses.

Later, platforms 11, 12, 13 and 10 were renumbered into the more logical sequence 10, 11, 12, 13.

Contraction
A number of lines around Preston have closed, including the Longridge line in 1930 and the West Lancashire line in 1964. The old island platforms one and two were closed in 1970 together with the goods lines to the west of the station, but it was then extended northwards to allow platform two to become a dedicated parcels platform. The line towards Liverpool was truncated and singled in summer 1970, with Preston services terminating at Ormskirk. This was followed by the closure of the East Lancashire line, between Preston and Bamber Bridge, via its original direct route, in April 1972. The East Lancashire platforms 10 to 13 were demolished, along with the Butler Street Goods Yard. Their site is now covered by car parks for the station and the adjacent Fishergate Shopping Centre, which was built in the 1980s, partly over the north end of the former goods yard. The remaining platforms 3 to 9 were renumbered 1 to 7. A new Butler Street entrance to platforms was opened in 2017, designed by AHR, and on account of its inept design and confusing and awkward changes of level was short-listed for the annual Carbuncle Cup, awarded UK-wide for architectural bloopers.

Some of the station's heritage can still be seen:
 * At the far north end of platform 4 are the remains of the Ladywell Sidings, most of which was lifted to make way for a ring road which was built in the 1990s.
 * At the north end of platform 3, a disused bay platform can be seen. It follows the original alignment of the main platform before the 1903 expansion.
 * There is a tunnel between platforms 3 and 4, under the station approach. Locomotives and trains are occasionally stored there.
 * At the north of platform 7 is the blocked up remains of the tunnel which took the platform 13 (originally number 10) through-line from the north, under the Butler Street entrance.
 * At the southern end of platform 7, the platform edge curves away to the east but the line now turns westward to join the main line.
 * The former platforms 1 and 2 are also still in existence, but closed to passengers, and was used formerly used Royal Mail Parcelforce services. Old platform 1 and the lines to its west have been broken to form two bay platforms. Network Rail has its offices here.

Electrification
In 1970, approval was given to electrify the rest of the West Coast Main Line from Weaver Junction through Preston to Glasgow Central. Electric trains began serving Preston in 1973. This was accompanied by new signals on the line and a power signal box was constructed north of the station close by Fylde Junction. An electrification over run also took place at this junction to facilitate electrification to Blackpool at a later date- although in the event it would be over forty years before the Blackpool line was electrified.

Special features
A free buffet for servicemen was provided at the station during both World Wars. The Preston Station Free Buffet Association served free hot drinks, biscuits and buns and sold sandwiches at cost price to anyone in uniform 24 hours a day for the duration of the First World War. Four hundred women working 12-hour shifts served over 3 million men between 1915 and 1919. 12 million cups of tea were served between 1939 and 1945. It was funded by subscription and had its own marked crockery. The station was on a major north–south route for troops. There are three commemorative plaques related to the First World War buffet in the waiting room on platforms 3 and 4, the former site of WWI buffet. One of the drama segments of the televised Preston Passion of 2012 was set in the First World War servicemen's buffet. The Second World War buffet was located in the southern building further down platforms 5&6 (now platforms 3&4).

One of the catenary stanchions on platform 4 is notably better kept than others, and carries a small plaque detailing the visit of Queen Elizabeth II on 7 May 1974, after the completion of electrification of tracks north of the point where it stands. This was significant because it marked the completion of the total electrification of the West Coast Main Line.

Merseyrail
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Long Term Rail Strategy document of October 2017, page 37, states a review in 2020 to introduce new Merseyrail battery trains will be undertaken, in view to put Preston onto the Merseyrail network by extending the Merseyrail Northern Line from Ormskirk to Preston. The aim is to have Preston one of the terminals of the Northern Line. The document states, "The potential use of battery powered Merseyrail units may improve the business case".

HS2

Preston will be a part of the "classic compatible" sections of the High-Speed 2 network. This will see journey times from London reduced by 50 minutes to 1 hour and 18 minutes. Travel times from Birmingham will be reduced by 46 minutes to 50 minutes.

In order to accommodate HS2's 400 m long trains, platforms 3c and 4c will be filled to allow for platforms 3 and 4 to be extended. Services that currently use platforms 3c and 4c will be diverted to the parcel platform on the western side of the station, which will be reopened to passenger traffic and renamed to Platform 0.

HS2 services
The following HS2 services are planned to call at Preston: If Phase 2 is completed, the following routes are planned to call at Preston:

Accidents and incidents

 * On 1 October 1831, some wagons ran away on an inclined plane, worked by a stationary steam engine, at Avenhambrow. The brakesman jumped off but was run over and killed by wagons being drawn up the incline on an adjacent line.

 * On 17 August 1845, two passenger trains collided due to one of them having insufficient brakes and passing a signal at danger. Some passengers sustained slight injuries.

 * On 16 September 1854, a passenger train collided with some wagons on the line near Preston due to a pointsman's error and his lack of training. Some passengers were injured.
 * On 23 July 1855, a passenger was run down and killed by a train whilst crossing the tracks at Preston, no footbridge then being provided.
 * On 4 October 1856, a passenger train collided with an empty stock train that was being shunted and had derailed south of Preston due to a pointsman's error.
 * On 25 September 1858, a passenger train and a freight train were in a head-on collision near Preston due to the passenger train passing a signal at danger. Two passengers were injured.
 * On 26 January 1866, a passenger train collided with some wagons that were being shunted.
 * On 8 November 1866 a light engine collided with a freight train near Preston. Both trains were derailed.
 * On 18 April 1870, an excursion train collided with a freight train due to a pointsman's error. There were no injuries.
 * On 5 February 1871, a cattle train was in a head-on collision with a light engine and was derailed. There were no injuries.
 * On 23 November 1871, a passenger train and a freight train collided at Water Lane Junction. One person was killed and fifteen people were injured, twelve seriously.
 * On 22 May 1872, a banking engine ran into the rear of the passenger train it had been sent to assist. Seven people were slightly injured.
 * On 18 July 1872, two passenger trains collided due to a pointsman's error. A few passenger were slightly injured.
 * On 17 April 1873, a passenger train collided with some wagons that were being shunted on the main line. Ten passengers were injured.
 * On 7 November 1873, a freight train ran away and collided with some wagons that were being shunted and was derailed.
 * On 5 September 1874, collision a passenger train overran signals and ran into the rear of a luggage train. Seven people were injured.
 * On 14 December 1880, a passenger train overran signals and ran into the rear of a freight train south of Preston. Four people were slightly injured.
 * On 5 February 1881 an express passenger train ran into a rake of wagons on the line. Several passengers were slightly injured.

 * On 25 April 1882, Detective Constable George Holland of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Police was crossing railway lines at Butler Street goods yard, adjacent to Preston Railway Station when he was struck and killed by wagons being loose-shunted.
 * On 17 October 1885, a passenger train overran signals and collided with a light engine. One person was seriously injured, several sustained slight injuries.
 * On 21 April 1888, an express passenger train collided with some carriages that were being shunted; both trains were derailed. One passenger was injured.

 * On 21 January 1892, a locomotive ran into the rear of a stationary passenger train due to a signalman's error.
 * On 23 July 1892, an express passenger train ran into the rear of another due to a signalman's error. Thirteen passengers were injured.
 * On 1 June 1895, an excursion train overran signals and ran into the rear of another excursion train. Seventeen people were injured.
 * On 27 October 1895, an express passenger train, hauled by LNWR Renewed Precedent Class 2-4-0 No. 790 Hardwicke, collided with a freight train due to the driver of the freight misreading signals.
 * On 13 July 1896, an express passenger train was derailed due to excessive speed. One person was killed.

 * On 1 August 1903, an express passenger train ran into the rear of a passenger train due to an error by the driver of the express. One person was killed and 78 were injured.
 * On 16 August 1903, a passenger train ran into the rear of another due to a signalman's error. Sixteen passengers were injured.
 * On 4 February 1908, a light engine was in a sidelong collision with a passenger train due to a signalman's error. Seven passengers were injured.
 * On 4 October 1912, a passenger train overran signals and was in a rear-end collision with an express train. Twenty-six people were injured.

 * On 21 July 1919, a light engine ran into the rear of a passenger train due to an error by the driver of the light engine. About 20 people were injured.
 * On 16 January 1920, a freight train collided with a light engine near Preston due to errors by the driver of the light engine and a signalman.
 * On 27 August 1920, an express passenger train collided with a van at Preston. There were no injuries.
 * On 11 February 1929, two locomotives collided whilst shunting. Two people were injured.
 * On 12 October 1931, a passenger train was derailed due to a set of points moving under it as it traversed them. Twenty-two people were injured. A signal displaying a false "clear" aspect due to a fault was a major contributory factor.
 * On 22 September 1934, an excursion train was in a rear-end collision with a passenger train near Preston. The locomotive of the excursion train was derailed. One person was injured.
 * On 16 January 1958, a passenger train collided with a light engine which was standing foul of the line and was derailed. The light engine ended up on its side. Thirteen people were injured. A signalman was blamed for the accident as he failed to ensure that the line was clear for the passenger train.
 * On 18 January 1986, a Class 104 diesel multiple unit suffered a brake failure, passed three signals at danger and collided with a Class 47 diesel-electric locomotive near Preston. Forty-four people were injured.
 * On 1 April 2017, a passenger train operated by a Class 158 diesel multiple unit from York collided with the buffer stops at a speed of 6 mph on arrival. Fifteen people were injured. The cause was driver error.

In popular culture
The autobiographical song "Cheap Day Return", on the Jethro Tull album Aqualung (1971), is set on the Preston platform, a transfer stop on the return leg of a trip from London to Blackpool.

title: Preston railway station


text: User talk:84.190.97.133

title: User talk:84.190.97.133


text:
Talk:Natasa Pazaïti

Higher Standard of Quality
I cleaned the article up a bit and added an image. It's now at a higher standard than before, but still fragmentary --HawkeyE 21:52, July 16, 2005 (UTC)

I find ridiculus the comment "She has rarely be seen in med classes and clinics. Obviously, being wife of the prime minister has helped", so I remove it. It is just a personal assumption, an assumption suitable for gossip shows, rather than a serious Wikipedia article. --miv 05:47, April 12, 2007 (UTC+2)

Pazaïti or Pazaiti
Why her name in English is given as Pazaïti? Latin characters and a greek letter without accent? I think it should change. -- Magioladitis 07:45, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

John.ledgerwood2007 14:56, 4 May 2007 (UTC) How old is she? There is hardly any information about her. John.ledgerwood2007 14:56, 4 May 2007 (UTC)
 * I was going to ask the same question about the i with the 2 dots. That's not standard English. I didn't realise you were able to use alternate characters in English on W/P. Ozdaren 22:49, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified one external link on Natasa Pazaïti. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20090226201618/http://nom-athinas.gov.gr/main/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=109 to http://nom-athinas.gov.gr/main/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=109

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

Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 10:46, 3 December 2017 (UTC)

title: Talk:Natasa Pazaïti


text:
The Fool on the Hill

"The Fool on the Hill" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1967 EP and album Magical Mystery Tour. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The lyrics describe the titular "fool", a solitary figure who is not understood by others, but is actually wise. McCartney said the idea for the song was inspired by the Dutch design collective the Fool, who derived their name from the tarot card of the same name, and possibly by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

The song's segment in the Magical Mystery Tour television film was shot separately from the rest of the film and without the other Beatles' knowledge. Accompanied by a professional cameraman, McCartney filmed the scene near Nice in France.

In 1968, Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 recorded a cover version of the song that reached the top ten in the US. By the late 1970s, "The Fool on the Hill" was one of McCartney's most widely recorded ballads. A solo demo and an outtake of the song were included on the Beatles' 1996 compilation album Anthology 2.

Background and lyrics
The song's lyrics describe the titular "fool", a solitary figure who is not understood by others, but is actually wise. In his authorised biography, Many Years from Now, Paul McCartney says he first got the idea for the premise from the Dutch design collective the Fool, who were the Beatles' favourite designers in 1967 and told him that they had derived their name from the Tarot card of the same name. According to McCartney, the song possibly relates to a character such as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the Beatles' meditation teacher: "'Fool on the Hill' was mine and I think I was writing about someone like Maharishi. His detractors called him a fool. Because of his giggle, he wasn't taken too seriously. It was this idea of a fool on the hill, a guru in a cave, I was attracted to... I was sitting at the piano at my father's house in Liverpool hitting a D 6th chord, and I made up 'Fool on the Hill'."

Alistair Taylor, in his book Yesterday, reports a mysterious incident involving a man who inexplicably appeared near him and McCartney during a walk on Primrose Hill and then disappeared again, soon after McCartney and Taylor had conversed about the existence of God. In Taylor's account, this incident prompted McCartney to write "The Fool on the Hill".

McCartney played the song for John Lennon during a writing session for "With a Little Help from My Friends" in March 1967. At this point, McCartney had the melody but the lyrics remained incomplete until September. Lennon told him to write it down; McCartney said he did not need to, because he was sure he would not forget it. In his 1980 interview with Playboy magazine, Lennon said, "Now that's Paul. Another good lyric. Shows he's capable of writing complete songs."

Composition
The song involves alternations of D major and D minor in a similar manner to Cole Porter's alternations of C minor and C major in "Night and Day". The verses are in the major key while the chorus changes to the parallel minor, indicating the confusion implied by the song title. Ian MacDonald says the change to the parallel minor key effectively conveys "the simultaneously literal and metaphorical sense of the sun going behind a cloud".

The D major tonality that begins with an Em7 chord on "Nobody wants to know him" moves through a ii7–V7–I6–vi7–ii7–V7 progression until the shift to the Dm tone and key on "but the fool". According to musicologist Dominic Pedler, other highlights are the use in the Dm section of a minor sixth (B♭) melody note on the word "sun" (with a Dm♯5 chord) and a major ninth (E melody note) on the word "world" (with a Dm chord).

Recording
The Beatles recorded "The Fool on the Hill" for their Magical Mystery Tour film project. It was the band's first project following the death of their manager, Brian Epstein; according to publicist Tony Barrow, McCartney envisaged the film establishing a "whole new phase of their career" with himself as "the film producer of the Beatles". McCartney first taped a solo demo of the song on 6 September 1967. This version was later released on the Anthology 2 compilation. Recording began in earnest on 25 September, with significant overdubs by the Beatles on 26 September. Mark Lewisohn said that the 26 September version was "almost a re-make". A take from 25 September – noticeably slower, somewhat heavier and with slightly different vocals – is also included on Anthology 2. After another session on 27 September, where McCartney added another vocal, the song sat for a month before flutes were added on 20 October. The recording includes a tape loop of bird-like sounds, heard towards the end of the song, that recalls the seagull effect heard in "Tomorrow Never Knows".

Sequence in Magical Mystery Tour film
According to Alistair Taylor, McCartney "disappeared" in late October and it was only on his return that the others learned that he had been to France to film a sequence for "The Fool on the Hill". McCartney flew to Nice with cameraman Aubrey Dewar and filmed the sequence at dawn on 31 October. The location was in the mountains inland from the city. McCartney mimed to the song as Dewar filmed the sunrise. The clip was the only musical segment filmed at an exterior location and using professional photography, and the shoot took place when the rest of the Magical Mystery Tour footage was well into the editing stage. Peter Brown, who was coordinating the Beatles' business affairs following Epstein's death, recalled that McCartney phoned him from Nice asking for new camera lenses to be sent out for the shoot. According to Brown, the cost for the location filming was considerable, at £4000. In Taylor's description, the footage was "terrific" and "really complemented the song".

The clip shows McCartney in contemplation and cavorting on the hillside. He recalled that he "ad-libbed the whole thing" and that his directions to Dewar were: "Right get over there: Let me dance. Let me dance from this rock to this rock. Get a lot of the sun rising ..." According to author Philip Norman, while the non-musical portions of Magical Mystery Tour were uninspired, the "serial pop video" aspect of the TV film succeeds as a "tour through three rapidly emerging solo talents" in Lennon, McCartney and Harrison. He says the sequence for McCartney's "almost 'Yesterday'-size future standard" shows the singer "on a Provençal mountainside, all big brown eyes and turned-up overcoat". Author Jonathan Gould describes the sequence as "over-lush footage of Paul on a hill ... playing the Fool as if the Fool were a model in a fashion ad".

Release
"The Fool on the Hill" and the five other songs from the television film were compiled for release on a double EP, except in the United States, where Capitol Records chose to augment the line-up with the Beatles' non-album single tracks from 1967 and create an LP record. The Capitol release took place on 27 November 1967, while Parlophone issued the EP on 8 December. "The Fool on the Hill" appeared as the opening track on side three in the EP package. On the LP, it was sequenced as the second track on side one, following "Magical Mystery Tour".

The song's segment in the Magical Mystery Tour film proved the most problematic during the editing process since McCartney and Dewar had failed to use a clapperboard. The film was broadcast in the UK on BBC1 on 26 December, but in black and white rather than colour. It was the Beatles' first critical failure. As a result of the unfavourable reviews, networks in the US declined to show the film there. Brown blamed McCartney for its failure. Brown said that during a private screening for management staff, the reaction had been "unanimous ... it was awful", yet McCartney was convinced that the film would be warmly received, and ignored Brown's advice to scrap the project and save the band from embarrassment. In Many Years from Now, McCartney cites the inclusion of Lennon's "I Am the Walrus" as justification for Magical Mystery Tour and highlights the sequence for "The Fool on the Hill" as another of the film's redeeming features.

In 1973, three years after the Beatles' break-up, "The Fool on the Hill" was included on the band's compilation album 1967–1970. The song plays over the opening titles of the 2010 Jay Roach film Dinner for Schmucks, marking a relatively rare example of a Beatles recording being licensed for use in a feature film. Reports at the time claimed that Paramount/DreamWorks paid $1.5 million for the song, although Paramount later said that the figure was under $1 million. In 2011, a new mix of "The Fool on the Hill" was issued as an iTunes-exclusive bonus track with the download release of the Beatles' 2006 album Love.

Critical reception
Unlike the film, the Magical Mystery Tour EP and album were well received by critics. Bob Dawbarn of Melody Maker described the EP as "six tracks which no other pop group in the world could begin to approach for originality combined with the popular touch". He found "The Fool on the Hill" likeable from the first listen as a "typical Beatle lyrical ballad", and said it would make an "excellent single A-side". In Saturday Review magazine, Mike Jahn highlighted the song as an example of how the album successfully conveyed the Beatles' "acquired Hindu philosophy and its subsequent application to everyday life", in this instance by describing "a detached observer, a yogin, who meditates and watches the world spin". Richard Goldstein of The New York Times rued that, more so than Sgt. Pepper, the soundtrack demonstrated the Beatles' departure from true rock values and an over-reliance on studio artifice and motif, such that when "the hero of 'The Fool On The Hill' sees the world spinning round, we whirl gently amid dizzy rhythms". He nevertheless found the song "so easy to adore", with a melody that he deemed "the most haunting thing on the album", and concluded: "The fool as visionary is a common theme ... But there are lovely ways of presenting cliché, and this is one of them."

Rex Reed, in a highly unfavourable review of the LP for HiFi/Stereo Review, described "The Fool on the Hill" as "the only item on the disc that is not distorted so much that you can't understand the lyrics" and admired the flutes on the recording. Having dismissed the Beatles as "lousy entertainers and downright untalented, tone-deaf musicians", he added that the song "will probably be picked up by people who can sing, and then maybe I will like it even more". Robert Christgau, writing for Esquire in May 1968, said the song "shows signs of becoming a favorite of the Simon & Garfunkel crowd and the transcendental meditators, who deserve it. A callow rendering of the outcast-visionary theme, it may be the worst song the Beatles have ever recorded." Christgau added that McCartney "should know better by now", but also conceded that the new material was meant to be heard in the context of the Magical Mystery Tour TV film. In his article "Rock and Art" for Rolling Stone in July that year, Jon Landau rued that the basic values of rock 'n' roll music had been lost to an artistic aesthetic, a trend he found particularly evident in the Beatles' recent work. He said the song represented the "complete negation of their earlier selves" and contained "all the qualities that the early Beatles sought to deflate: it is pious, subtly self-righteous, humorless and totally unphysical."

NME critics Roy Carr and Tony Tyler described the song as "exquisite" and paired it with "I Am the Walrus" as being "by far the most outstanding cuts" on the Magical Mystery Tour soundtrack. Writing in his book The Beatles Forever, Nicholas Schaffner identified the same tracks as "two of the most impressive Beatle songs ever". He said "The Fool on the Hill" was among McCartney's "most irresistible, universal" ballads, with a lyric that successfully transposed into pop music the literary theme established through fairy tales, through stories of monarchs prizing their court jester over more learned counsel, and in Dostoevsky's popular novel The Idiot.

Bob Woffinden said the film project was undertaken too quickly after Epstein's death, at McCartney's insistence, and McCartney's misguided leadership was also reflected in the "particularly narcissistic" sequence he created for "The Fool on the Hill". Tim Riley writes that unlike the sharp insights offered by fools in Shakespeare's works, the lyrics teach the listener "Little or nothing, except how to pull the heartstrings." Riley concludes: "Possibilities in this song outweigh its substance – it's the most unworthy Beatles standard since 'Michelle.'" Ian MacDonald admires the melody as "poignantly expressive" and says the lyric "skirts sentiment by never committing itself, remaining open to several different interpretations". He describes the song as "an airy creation, poised peacefully above the world in a place where time and haste are suspended" and says that its "timeless appeal ... lies in its paradoxical air of childlike wisdom and unworldliness". Writing for Rough Guides, Chris Ingham includes "The Fool on the Hill" among the Beatles' "essential" songs. He calls the melody "bewitching" and adds: "part of the joy of the piece is the finely judged lyrical ambiguity that, along with the beautiful spaciousness of the arrangement (all flutes, recorders, bass harmonica and whispery brushes on the drums), allows a myriad of implied meanings to float beguilingly into the imagination of the listener."

In 2012, "The Fool on the Hill" was ranked the 420th-best classic rock song of all time by New York's Q104.3. In 2006, Mojo ranked it 71st in the magazine's list of "The 101 Greatest Beatles Songs". In 2018, the music staff of Time Out London ranked it at number 34 on their list of the best Beatles songs.

McCartney live performances
The Beatles were no longer performing concerts when they released "The Fool on the Hill". McCartney considered including it in the set list for his and Wings' 1975–76 world tour – the first time he conceded to playing Beatles songs with Wings – but decided against it. Wings performed it throughout their 1979 tour of the UK.

McCartney included "The Fool on the Hill" on his 1989–1990 world tour. Keen to embrace his Beatles past, he played it on the same multi-coloured piano he had used for writing during the 1960s; he introduced the instrument as the "Magic Piano". His performances of the song incorporated sound bites from Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. In his press conference on the final day of the world tour, McCartney commented that the song was about "someone who's got the right answer but people tend to ridicule him". A live version from McCartney's concert at London's Wembley Arena on 13 January 1990 was included on the album Tripping the Live Fantastic. The song surfaced again for McCartney's 2001–2002 tours, and another live version appeared on the Back in the U.S. album.

Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66
Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 recorded "Fool on the Hill", using their approach of marrying a simple bossa nova rhythm with a string accompaniment. The lead vocal was by Lani Hall. Released as a single in late July 1968, the song reached number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped Billboard's Easy Listening chart for six weeks. It was also the title track of Mendes' 1968 album Fool on the Hill.

In 2018, Mendes recalled that he was introduced to the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour album over Christmas 1967 by Herb Alpert, his producer. Impressed with the melody of "The Fool on the Hill", he thought, "Wow, I think I can do a totally different arrangement." He said McCartney later wrote him a letter to thank him for his version of the song.

Other artists
By the late 1970s, "The Fool on the Hill" was one of McCartney's most widely recorded ballads. According to Ingham, it was especially popular among cabaret performers during the late 1960s. In 1971, a recording by Shirley Bassey peaked at number 48 on the UK Singles Chart. Helen Reddy recorded the song for All This and World War II, a 1976 film in which wartime newsreel was set to a soundtrack of Lennon–McCartney songs. According to author Robert Rodriguez, it was one of the few "clever juxtapositions" in the film, as the song plays over footage of Adolf Hitler at his mountain hideaway in Berchtesgaden. The duo Eurythmics, nine years after disbanding, reunited in January 2014 to perform "The Fool on the Hill" for The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles.

The following are among the many other artists who have covered the song:  the Four Tops, Björk, Sarah Vaughan, Aretha Franklin, Petula Clark, John Williams, Santo & Johnny, Ray Stevens, Bobbie Gentry, Eddie Fisher, Lena Horne with Gábor Szabó, Micky Dolenz, Stone the Crows, Vera Lynn, Enoch Light, Andre Kostelanetz, the Boston Pops Orchestra, Corry Brokken, the King's Singers, Zé Ramalho, Bud Shank, Mulgrew Miller, the Chopsticks, Mark Mallman, Lana Cantrell, Barry Goldberg, Sharon Tandy, Libby Titus, the Singers Unlimited, Isabelle Aubret and Eddy Mitchell.

Personnel
According to Ian MacDonald (except where noted), the following musicians played on the Beatles' recording:

The Beatles
 * Paul McCartney – vocals, piano, acoustic guitar, recorder, bass, penny whistle
 * John Lennon – classical guitar, bass harmonica, Jew's harp
 * George Harrison – 12-string acoustic guitar, bass harmonica
 * Ringo Starr – drums, maracas, finger cymbals

Additional musicians
 * Christopher Taylor, Richard Taylor, Jack Ellory – flutes

title: The Fool on the Hill


text:
User:Dzzl/vonn

German sounding middle name, or last name prefix or infix. fuck infixes.

vonness

vahn, von, vonn, vonn-ness

title: User:Dzzl/vonn


text:
User:Riansnider

I am currently an undergraduate at Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA, majoring in Liberal Studies with interests in English Literature, Philosophy and Classics.

I have yet to actually edit any articles or be very active in the Wikipedia community in general, but as I personally gain more knowledge (both in my academic pursuits and in the ways of editing on Wikipedia) I will become more active.

I have a LiveJournal which can be found at http://www.livejournal.com/users/riansnider.

--riansnider 21:55, July 16, 2005 (UTC)

title: User:Riansnider


text:
Isis (journal)

Isis is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal published by the University of Chicago Press. It covers the history of science, history of medicine, and the history of technology, as well as their cultural influences. It contains original research articles and extensive book reviews and review essays. Furthermore, sections devoted to one particular topic are published in each issue in open access. These sections consist of the Focus section, the Viewpoint section and the Second Look section.

History
The journal was established by George Sarton and the first issue appeared in March 1913. Contributions were originally in any of four European languages (English, French, German, and Italian), but since the 1920s, only English has been used. Publication is partly supported by an endowment from the Dibner Fund. Two associated publications are Osiris (established 1936 by Sarton) and the Isis Current Bibliography.

The publication of the journal was interrupted in 1914 by the German invasion of Belgium during World War I, and resumed in 1919. During World War II, the publication was interrupted again in 1940 and in 1945. Since then, each year four issues (sometimes double issues) of one volume have appeared in print, and since 2002 the journal has also been published in full-text electronic format.

The Isis Current Bibliography started as Critical Bibliography and was published from the very first volume onwards. Since 1969, the Critical Bibliography was published as the fifth issue of a volume. In 1989, the name was changed to Isis Current Bibliography to reflect that, since Sarton's retirement in 1953, the bibliography had not been truly critical in the sense that each citation was commented on by an expert. It then also became a separate publication from Isis. It includes citations to publications in the history of science and related fields, including books, book reviews, journal articles, and more. The bibliography is the oldest and largest bibliography in the field, going back to the first issue of Isis in 1913. The Isis Current Bibliography is freely available at the website of the University of Chicago Press and the IsisCB Explore website.

History of Science Society
In 1924, the History of Science Society was founded by George Sarton and Lawrence Joseph Henderson to secure the future of Isis.

Journal title
In a paper, Why Isis, Sarton explains that the choice of the name for his journal was made rather unconsciously, after having been introduced to Egyptology during a visit to the Egyptian section of the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in The Netherlands. In his paper, Sarton elaborates on the misunderstandings the name Isis can generate: in the early years, Isis was often linked to freemasonry, because some of their rites are purported of Egyptian origin. Another misinterpretation was that Isis referred to theosophy, most likely caused by the book entitled Isis Unveiled (1877) by Helena Blavatsky, who was the leader of the theosophic movement at that time. Isis has also been assumed to be a journal devoted to Egyptology. It is sometimes incorrectly written ISIS, but using all upper-case letters suggests that the title is an acronym, which it is not; this is a particularly unfortunate mistake, since it could create an association with the militant Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

Editors
The following persons are or have been editors-in-chief: • George Sarton (1913–1952)

• I. Bernard Cohen (1953–1958)

• Harry Woolf (1959–1963)

• Robert P. Multhauf (1964–1978)

• Arnold Thackray (1979–1985)

• Charles E. Rosenberg (1986–1988)

• Ronald L. Numbers (1989–1993)

• Margaret W. Rossiter (1994–2003)

• Bernard V. Lightman (2004–2014)

• H. Floris Cohen (2014–2019)

• Alexandra Hui and Matthew Lavine (2019-2024)

• Projit Bihari Mukharji and Elise K. Burton (2024-present)

Abstracting and indexing
The journal is abstracted and indexed in: • America: History and Life

• Arts and Humanities Citation Index

• Chemical Abstracts

• Current Contents/Arts and Humanities

• Engineering Index Monthly

• EBSCO databases

• FRANCIS

• Historical Abstracts

• Index Medicus/MEDLINE/PubMed

• Inspec

• Mathematical Reviews

• ProQuest databases

• Science Citation Index

• Scopus

• Social Sciences Citation Index

• Zentralblatt MATH According to the Journal Citation Reports, the journal has a 2017 impact factor of 1.070, ranking it 11th out of 61 journals in the category "History and Philosophy of Science" (Science edition).

title: Isis (journal)


text:
Condeixa-a-Nova

Condeixa-a-Nova, also known as just Condeixa, is a town and a municipality in the district of Coimbra, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 17,078, in an area of 138.67 km2. It is located 15 km south of Coimbra, and is part of the Região de Coimbra. The town is known for the ancient Roman settlement of Conímbriga which is located nearby, and includes a museum and the well-preserved ruins.

Economy
The municipality of Condeixa-a-Nova is traditionally a center for agriculture. The municipality has also a number of industries ranging from ceramics to pharmaceuticals (Medinfar). The ancient Roman settlement of Conímbriga, is an important tourist attraction.

Parishes
Administratively, the municipality is divided into seven civil parishes (freguesias):
 * Anobra
 * Condeixa-a-Velha e Condeixa-a-Nova
 * Ega
 * Furadouro
 * Sebal e Belide
 * Vila Seca e Bem da Fé
 * Zambujal

Notable people

 * Antão de Almada (1718 in Condeixa-a-Nova – 1797) the Grand Master of Ceremonies for the Royal House and first Captain-General of the Azores.
 * Fernando Namora (1919 in Condeixa-a-Nova – 1989) a Portuguese writer and medical doctor.

title: Condeixa-a-Nova