Lymington branch line

The Lymington branch line is a railway that runs from Brockenhurst to Lymington Pier, both in the New Forest. The railway line is around long, and is single track throughout its length. It diverges from the South Western Main Line at Lymington Junction; and, at Lymington Pier, trains connect with Wightlink ferry services to Yarmouth, on the Isle of Wight. The Lymington branch line is electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system as is usual in the former Southern Region of British Railways.
Origins.
The line had been constructed by the Lymington Railway Company, which was authorised on 7 July 1856, with a capital of £21,000. It was to be built from the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) at Brockenhurst to Lymington Town Quay. The company was authorised to purchase the Quay and the Town Bridge, and to build a jetty.
The short line was constructed quickly, and an inaugural passenger train ran on 8 May 1858. However this was before the visit of the Board of Trade inspecting officer, and when he made he inspection, he expressed his satisfaction, but now the LSWR required additional work on the track before it would start operations. After this work was done, the line opened on 12 July 1858, with the LSWR working it. Goods traffic probably started on 23 July 1858. The jetty was not opened until 1 June 1861.
Independent ferry operators crossed from Lymington to the Isle of Wight, and the Company tried to interest the LSWR in using Lymington as a ferry terminal, but without success. At the time there was bitter competition between the LSWR and the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, resulting in extremely cheap fares via Portsmouth.
A further Act of 21 July 1859 authorised the company to purchase the river ferry to Boldre, and to charge tolls on Lymington Bridge. A further £11,800 capital was authorised: at this time, the original Lymington station was dilapidated and was said to be dangerous, and a new Lymington station was opened on 19 September 1860.
A station was opened at Shirley Holms, about a mile (about 2 km) from Lymington Junction, was opened on 10 October 1860; the station was not entered into public timetables, and was closed when the Sway line opened in 1888.
In 1878 agreement was reached for the LSWR to purchase the line, and this took effect on 21 March 1879.
Lymington's own commercial activity declined steeply during the existence of the railway, and the steamers that ran to the Isle of Wight assumed an increasing importance; but silting in the Lymington River often prevented ferries from berthing at the quay, and the walk to and from the jetty was dirty and inconvenient. When the Freshwater, Yarmouth and Newport Railway got its authorising Act in 1880, the LSWR determined to extend the Lymington line to reach a deep water berth. On 22 August 1881 they obtained powers to extend the line to a deep water location; the extension to Lymington Pier was 34 chains (684 m) long, and opened on 1 May 1884.
The principal ferry operator had been the Solent Steam Packet Company; on 1 July 1884 the LSWR purchased the paddle steamers "Solent" and "Mayflower" as well as numerous smaller vessels.
Twentieth century.
In 1967, the Brockenhurst to Lymington Pier branch line was the last steam-hauled branch on the British Railways system, with the last train a late evening run on Sunday 2 April 1967 behind LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2T tank engine 41312, whistling the rhythm of Yellow Submarine all the way to Lymington Town. Until then, according to the steam schedules, the last train of the day missed out Lymington Pier and the locomotive and coaches stayed overnight at Lymington Town to form the first next morning to Brockenhurst. The last time this happened was on the evening of Saturday 1 April and the morning of 2 April 1967. But for the very final journey on the evening of 2 April 1967 the locomotive ran round its carriages and returned the train to Brockenhurst. This was the last ever run-round of the coaches by a steam engine on a UK branch line in regular service. Locomotive 41312 is now preserved on the Watercress Line.
The branch line celebrated the 150th anniversary of its opening in July 2008. Between 2005 and 2010, it was promoted as a 'heritage' route, making use of older rolling stock that had been retired from elsewhere on the UK rail network.
Rolling stock.
Services on the line are currently operated by South Western Railway using stock based at Bournemouth depot. Previously, rolling stock had been restricted to Classes 411, 412, 421 and 423.
Following the withdrawal of slamdoor stock from the rest of the SWT network in 2005 it was expected that by May 2005 at the latest the operation of the line would have been taken over by the new Class 450 "Desiro" units. However, SWT considered that due to the self-contained nature of the branch it would be more cost effective to continue Mk 1 operation. On this basis SWT bought and refurbished two British Rail Class 421 units to exclusively operate services on the line. Work carried out on the units included the fitting of central door locking and other safety features to allow them to remain in service beyond the November 2005 deadline for the withdrawal of slam-door stock and the reduction of the 4 carriage units to 3 carriages (3Cig) to address the extreme height difference between the train and the platform at Lymington Town.
The final two units of this type to work the line were numbered 1497 and 1498 and officially named "Freshwater" and "Farringford" respectively at a ceremony at Brockenhurst railway station on 12 May 2005. They were also repainted into an approximation of their original liveries. The "heritage" service commenced on 12 May 2005 and an exemption was obtained to enable the use of the 3Cig units until 2013, at which point they were estimated to be life expired.
A "Lymington Flyer" headboard was made by Malcolm Ellis of Parkstone station, for use on the slam-door stock by local traincrew.
In Summer 2009 South West Trains announced plans to replace the heritage EMUs with more modern units; Class 158 Sprinters on weekdays and Class 450 on weekends (the latter were also used on occasion when the 3Cigs were unavailable, initially with the 4th carriage locked out of use to overcome the platform height issue at Lymington Town). This change took place on 23 May 2010, with the final 3Cig service departing from Lymington Pier on 22 May 2010 at 22:14 and arriving at Brockenhurst at 22:24.


Portishead Railway

The Portishead Railway is a branch line railway running from Portishead in North Somerset to the main line immediately west of Bristol, England. It was constructed by the Bristol & Portishead Pier and Railway Company, but it was always operated by its main line neighbour, and was more usually thought of as "the Portishead branch" or "the Portishead railway".
It opened as a broad gauge () line to connect new docks at Portbury, at the west side of the mouth of the River Avon, with the railway network. The line opened to Portishead in 1867, and to the docks in 1879.
The docks were always overshadowed by Bristol and Avonmouth docks. The ordinary passenger service declined in the twentieth century, leading to closure to passengers in 1964, and to all traffic in 1981.
When a new high capacity freight terminal was opened at the site of the Royal Portbury Dock, the line as far as that point was reopened to accommodate the new traffic, in 2002. Public consultation took place in 2015 regarding the reopening of the entire line to passenger traffic in 2020, as part of the MetroWest proposals. By 2020, the line was scheduled to reopen in December 2024.
History.
Getting authorisation.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Bristol harbour had been paramount as the focus of international trade with the New World. However the city centre location, and the difficult tidal negotiation of the Avon valley, was increasingly a constraint on development, particularly as larger vessels came into use. A number of schemes were put forward without success, but in 1846 the Portbury Pier and Railway Company obtained parliamentary authority to build a floating pier near Portbury, on the west side of the Avon near its mouth, and a railway to connect it to Bristol. Isambard Kingdom Brunel had proposed the development, and the railway was to be operated on the atmospheric principle, in which trains were propelled by a piston in a tube between the rails, from which the air ahead of the train had been exhausted by stationary steam engines.
Unfortunately at this time the collapse of investor confidence following the period of railway mania was taking effect, therefore finance for the work could not be raised and the new company was dissolved.
In 1849 a small stone pier was built at Portishead, and packet steamers unloaded passengers there from that time; but this did little to reduce the desire to improve the city's port facilities, and competing factions tried to get approval for their schemes. In July 1862 the Bristol Port Railway and Pier Company obtained Parliamentary authority for a railway on the eastern side of the Avon at "Clifton" (actually Hotwells), to a new dock at Avonmouth. This line opened in March 1865.
Those who favoured a port on the western side of the Avon were not deterred by the progress of the alternative, and formulated a scheme for a dock at Portbury, and a railway to serve it running from a junction with the Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER), with a branch to Portishead. The Company would be the Bristol & Portishead Pier & Railway Company. The main line would have curved sharply to the north before reaching Portished, and run directly to a northwards pier on the coast somewhat east of the present Portbury Wharf location. The branch was to continue directly west from a junction near Sheepway Gate Farm to the Portishead station. This scheme easily got its authorising Act of Parliament on 29 June 1863, with a capital of £300,000 and borrowing powers of £66,600.
Construction, and a change of location.
Work progressed swiftly, and a portion may have been opened in early 1865 from Rownham near Clifton Bridge to the junction with the B&ER main line near the Telegraph Inn in Bedminster.
A number of changes were made to the intended route as work progressed, and the most significant was the change from a pier at Portbury to a dock at Portishead. The pier would have been exposed to westerly winds and would have had limited accommodation for the reception and loading of vessels. The intended Portishead branch became the main line, curving north at Portishead to service the west side of the new dock, and the Portbury section of the originally intended main line was abandoned; these changes were authorised in a new Act of 1866. Evidently the dock required more expenditure than the pier, and an additional £66,000 of share capital and £20,000 in loans were authorised.
The access to the new dock required a crossing of Portishead Pill on a curve, and a wooden trestle viaduct of 23 spans was required.
Colonel Yolland of the Board of Trade carried out an inspection of the line on 12 April 1867. He noted that the gradients and curves were significantly inferior to those on the original 1863 design; this probably indicates that they were sacrificed to reduce earthworks and avoid one of the tunnels. The line was in length, with an additional at the dock. The track was broad gauge, and there were stations at Clifton Bridge, Pill, Portbury and Portishead, and a siding at Ashton Vale Works; there was an engine turntable at Portishead. However Yolland found numerous shortcomings; as well as fencing deficiencies there were inadequate clearances to two bridge abutments and to retaining walls, and in the No. 2 Tunnel; and proper signalling needed to be provided at the junction with the B&ER and at the Ashton Vale siding.
These and other shortcomings were attended to at once, and the line opened on 18 April 1867. The train service in 1870 was eight trains each way daily, with a journey time of 30 to 35 minutes; there was one train each way on Sundays, the return to Bristol leaving at 8:30 pm.
MacDermot describes the original opening: On 18 April 1867 the single line opened, constructed on the broad gauge (). There were four tunnels, respectively in length, and the stations on the line were , , and .
Shipping.
The emphasis now was on passenger and ordinary goods traffic, and the original objective, the shipping facility, was on the back burner; reporting the opening, the "Bristol Times" said, "It is intended shortly to commence a port, which is expected to occupy about two years in the erection."
However, in June 1868 a tidal pier was opened, and by April 1870 a low-water extension was ready. Vincent says that the railway company itself ran steamer services to Cardiff and Newport, and summer excursions to Ilfracombe.
Gauge conversion.
The Great Western Railway progressively converted its main lines and branches to standard gauge, , and the Portishead line, still the property of the Bristol & Portishead Pier and Railway Company, was converted between Saturday 24 and Tuesday 27 January 1880.
Connection to the Bristol Harbour lines.
By Act of Parliament of 1897, the GWR was authorised to make a connection between the branch and the Bristol Harbour Railway, and also with the north side of the Floating Harbour, following agreement with the Corporation of Bristol. These lines were completed to Canons Marsh and, via the water-hydraulic powered Ashton Swing Bridge to Wapping Wharf, opening to goods traffic on 4 October 1906, together with the West Loop at Ashton Gate, facing Exeter.
Closure.
Passenger services were discontinued in 1964 as part of the "Reshaping of British Railways" report. Freight was discontinued in 1981 but the railway was not dismantled. In 1985 a series of steam excursions ran along the line as part of the "GW150" celebrations. This is thought to be the last commercial use before the line was rebuilt.
Route.
The line branches northwards from the Bristol–Exeter main line at Parson Street Junction, originally called Portishead Junction, immediately west of Parson Street station in southern Bristol. From here it runs north along the southwest bank of the River Avon. At Ashton junction, the former line to Bristol Harbour diverged to the right. Immediately north of the site of the junction, the first station was Ashton Gate, opened in 1906, followed by Clifton Bridge station, south of the Clifton Suspension Bridge itself.
Now in the Avon Gorge, the railway runs through No. 1 Tunnel where the Clifton Suspension Bridge runs overhead. Next is Nightingale Valley Halt, opened in 1928 and closed in 1932, where a footpath leads up to the Leigh Woods suburb of Bristol; the site of the halt is then followed by No. 2 Tunnel. There were several small quarries adjacent to the line as far as Sandstone Tunnel. There was then a crossing loop at Oakwood, approximately opposite Sea Mills.
The line then swings away westwards to Ham Green Halt, opened in 1926 to serve a hospital. The longer Pill tunnel was next, followed by Pill viaduct and passenger station, and then Portbury Shipyard station; the latter was built in 1918 to serve a planned shipyard, but this was never built and the station closed in 1928. Portbury is the next station, followed by the terminus of the passenger railway, Portishead, as the line swerves north-eastwards. The line originally continued beyond the passenger station in that direction to the Pier. This extension closed in 1954.
A west curve was constructed at the main line junction west of Parson Street, forming a triangle there.
The derelict shell of the Portbury Shipyard building (built 1913) remains to the north of the line. A short line branched off back towards the river at this point to serve the proposed development. In 1954 the original Portishead station was demolished, to provide space for the second Portishead power station, and a new station constructed in a new location, lasting only a decade before the line stopped carrying passengers.
The original line towards Portishead is severed just north of Pill, where the line to the Royal Portbury Dock leads off to the north, crossing the adjoining cycle path on a low concrete bridge. No points have been installed to create a junction with the former line onwards to Portishead, although the derelict track remains in situ from here towards Portishead, passing under the M5 motorway via a bridge that was constructed with sufficient clearance to allow for electrification.
The railway alignment has been safeguarded by local planning policies, and when the site of Portishead station was redeveloped as a Waitrose supermarket, a nearby site was safeguarded for a potential new station. The alignment is breached on the southern approach to Portishead by Quays Avenue, constructed to serve housing development around the former dockside.
Reopening of the line.
Partial reopening to freight.
During 2000 and 2001 the railway was rebuilt as far as Pill and a short spur constructed to the Royal Portbury Dock to transport freight. The total cost of this work was £21 million. The guests for the official opening ceremony were taken from Parson Street station to Portbury on a train hauled by Bristol Industrial Museum's "Portbury" locomotive on 21 December.
2006–11: first proposals.
Some local politicians and organisations have been campaigning to have the remaining repaired and a new station constructed at Portishead. A campaign group advocates reopening the station and the short stretch of unopened line. The coastal town largely serves as a dormitory town for Bristol workers, and the main route into the city, a single carriageway, the A369, is often unable to cope with the volume of commuter traffic.
The 2006–2011 Joint Local Transport Plan reserved £1 million for the project. In January 2009, it was announced that Network Rail was to carry out a feasibility study on re-opening the line. During the Rail Priority Conference organised by the West of England Partnership in November 2011, delegates travelled on the line, using sections of track not currently used for passenger traffic.
From 2012: Metrowest programme.
The project to reopen the Portishead line to passenger rail services is part of the MetroWest programme to improve local rail services across the West of England. This will use both existing and disused rail lines in the Bristol area, operating half-hourly services subject to a proven business case being made and infrastructure constraints. Phase 1 of the programme will include reopening the Portishead line to passenger services and increasing the frequency of services on the routes to Severn Beach and Bath. The project is being led by North Somerset Council on behalf of four West of England councils (Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol City, South Gloucestershire, and North Somerset) with oversight from 2014 by the West of England Joint Transport Board within the West of England local enterprise partnership.
In March 2013, track clearance works began to allow surveying of the original line to Portishead. This was the beginning of the work required to reopen the line for passenger use. Technical assessment of potential sites for a new Portishead station was undertaken in 2013 and followed by public consultation in 2014. The site chosen in 2015 is at the junction of Harbour Road and Quays Avenue, some 600 metres short of the 1950s station.
In March 2017, MetroWest reported a substantial increase in the estimated costs of Phase 1, owing to the work required to upgrade the line in the Avon Gorge to achieve the line speeds required for a half-hourly service, and to reroute road traffic away from a level crossing in Ashton Vale. In order to reduce the cost from an estimated £145 million to £116M, the Joint Transport Board agreed to downsize the project to provide an hourly service to Portishead. A January 2019 report by the Campaign for Better Transport listed the line as a "priority 1" candidate for reopening.
In April 2019, £31 million of funding was promised by Chris Grayling, Secretary of State for Transport. In November 2019, North Somerset Council submitted a Development Consent Order (DCO) application to the Planning Inspectorate, which seeks powers to build and operate the disused section of railway from Portishead to Pill, gain environmental consent to undertake works to the existing freight railway through the Avon Gorge and obtain powers for the compulsory acquisition of land. The Secretary of State for Transport is expected to make a decision within 18 months. Subject to final business case approval, construction work is expected to start in December 2021 and take around two years to complete.
The Department for Transport's "Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline", published in October 2019, listed the project among those in development, awaiting a "Decision to Deliver" and the completion of a full business case.
Operations.
The freight-only route carries DB Schenker, Freightliner and GB Railfreight services. The major freight flows along the line are bulk coal and newly delivered vehicles. All services are operated by Class 66 or Class 70 locomotives.


Rochdale Corporation Tramways

Rochdale Corporation Tramways operated an electric tramway service in Rochdale between 1902 and 1932.
History.
In 1898, Rochdale Town Council adopted a resolution in favour of acquiring the steam tramways operated by the Manchester, Bury, Rochdale and Oldham Steam Tramways Company, which had operated services in Rochdale since 1 November 1883.
The Rochdale Corporation Act of 1900 included proposals for new tramways. Construction started on 15 June 1901, and the first line was inspected on 15 May 1902 and opened one week later.
Eventually the number of routes expanded, to Bacup, Norden, Castleton, Newhey and Todmorden.
In 1925 the Corporation bought the Middleton Electric Tramways Company for £79,000. The line was shared between Manchester Corporation and Oldham Corporation. The tram routes merged into Rochdale Corporation's network of services which offered the capability of through services to Manchester.
Fleet.
The company bought 94 passenger cars, and a water car. Five further cars were obtained second hand from the Middleton Company.
Closure.
The whole system was closed on 12 November 1932.


Derwent Valley line

The Derwent Valley line is a railway line from Derby to Matlock in Derbyshire.
The line follows the Midland Main Line as far as Ambergate Junction, which is just south of Ambergate railway station, continuing to Matlock, following the course of the River Derwent.
Operations.
Local passenger services are operated by East Midlands Railway from Nottingham via Derby to Matlock. Services are approximately hourly Monday to Saturday (with a two-hourly service on Sundays). Two trains per day start/terminate at Derby rather than Nottingham.
The line is operated as one single line block section from Ambergate, using the No Signalman Key Token system under the supervision of Derby PSB. The driver of each train heading for Matlock must collect a token from the machine at Ambergate station before proceeding, and return it prior to leaving the branch.
In addition to the local passenger services, the line between Derby and Ambergate Junction is also used by East Midlands Railway and CrossCountry fast services along with freight services operated by various companies.
The Matlock branch lost its through services to London St Pancras in 2004 when (the former mainline operator) Midland Mainline replaced its Class 170 Turbostar diesel units with Class 222 Meridian sets. The Meridians are not yet cleared to work on the branch.
History.
The section from Derby to Ambergate was built by the North Midland Railway (which ran between Derby and Leeds) and was opened in 1839. Ambergate quickly became busy with tourists alighting for Matlock Bath who would travel onwards by coach. The Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway also operated excursions from Birmingham completing the journey by way of the Cromford Canal.
In 1849 the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway opened from Ambergate and ran as far as Rowsley. Lack of finance prevented it from proceeding any further, but Matlock Bath capitalised on its reputation as a tourist town with the appellation "Little Switzerland".
The line was leased jointly by the Midland Railway and the LNWR and, in spite of determined opposition from the latter, the Midland succeeded in reaching Manchester in 1867.
The Midland, and later the LMS, regarded it as one of their premier lines, linking Manchester with the East Midlands and London. Indeed, it could be regarded as the original "Midland Main Line" carrying such prestige expresses as The Palatine and the Peaks. In the twentieth century, it also carried The Midland Pullman. Initially, there was a great deal of parcel traffic, particularly textiles from the various mills, and the line was also immensely important for coal traffic from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire to Manchester and, southwards, for limestone from the Peak District. A large Motive Power Depot was provided at Rowsley to split trains and provide banking engines for the long haul up to Peak Forest.
With the end of water power for the mills, and the introduction of road transport, the parcel traffic disappeared, but minerals remained important until the mid-20th century. In 1968, however, the route from Matlock to Buxton was closed during the Beeching Axe.
The line between the quarry north of Matlock and Ambergate remained as a single track carrying a small amount of limestone, with a passenger service continuing from Matlock (strongly supported by Derby railway employees with their free passes).
During the period from 1976 to 1993 trains would run through Derby from the Derwent Valley line to Sinfin. This ceased when the Sinfin branch line was first replaced with a taxi, then closed in 1998. The service later returned as a train as far as Peartree as a single train per day until 2001.
While the railway workers have largely disappeared, at the beginning of the 21st century, there is renewed public interest in rail, and Derbyshire County Council, among others, is keen to reduce traffic congestion on the A6 and in the Peak National Park. The route between Matlock and Rowsley was taken over by the Peak Rail preservation group, who are campaigning for the link to be restored to Buxton. The County Council carried out a study in 2004, which concluded that it was not economically feasible, but that the track bed would be protected from development.
It was designated by the Department for Transport as a community rail service in July 2006 and fully designated as a community rail line in September 2006.
Meanwhile, the interest shown by the local councils, and public groups such as the Derwent Valley Rural Transport Partnership and the Friends of the Derwent Valley, has encouraged the interest of railway companies. In particular, it follows the course of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage corridor. Former operator Central Trains heavily promoted the line's tourist potential with a specially liveried train. Another former operator, Midland Mainline, extended some of its London–Derby services to Matlock, though these ceased with the introduction of the Class 222 "Meridians" which were too heavy for several bridges north of Whatstandwell which are in a poor state of repair. However Network Rail has announced its intention to overhaul the line completely in 2008, reinforcing or replacing the defective bridges.
Passengers using the line have increased steadily at many stations on the line. 94% more passengers used its stations in 2010/11 than in 2007/08; journeys from Ambergate, Belper, Duffield and Matlock Bath have doubled in the same period.
On 2 July 2011 Peak Rail extended their services from Matlock Riverside station into Matlock (Network Rail) station to provide easy interchange between services.


St Leonards TMD

St Leonards TMD is a Traction Maintenance Depot located in Bulverhythe, East Sussex, England. The depot is situated on the East Coastway Line and is on the north side of the line between Bexhill and St Leonards Warrior Square railway stations.
The depot code is SE.
History.
The depot was opened in March 1957 as a DEMU depot. From 1963 to 1967, Class 33 locomotives could be seen at the depot. The depot was electrified in 1986. In 1987, the depot had an allocation of Classes 203, 205, 206 and 207 DEMUs and Class 411 EMUs. By 2010, it was used for servicing Class 377 EMUs.
Present.
As of 2017, the depot is used for stabling of Class 66 diesel locomotives, Class 73 diesel-electric locomotives and Class 171 DMUs.


Cliftonville Curve

Cliftonville Curve is a short railway that links the West Coastway Line to the Brighton Main Line between Hove and Preston Park. It was opened in July 1879. The curve includes a tunnel.
The line, which is also known as the Cliftonville Spur, was named in reference to Cliftonville station (now called ) which had opened in 1865. Cliftonville was an area of Hove which was developed speculatively as a "fashionable neighbourhood" in the mid-19th century. Construction of the curve allowed trains to travel between the Brighton Main Line and the West Coastway Line without having to reverse at , reducing congestion there and shortening journeys.


Didcot

Didcot ( ) is a railway town and civil parish in the ceremonial county of Oxfordshire and the historic county of Berkshire. Didcot is south of Oxford, east of Wantage and north west of Reading. The town is noted for its railway heritage, Didcot station opening as a junction station on the Great Western Main Line in 1844.
Today the town is known for the railway museum and power stations, and is the gateway town to the Science Vale: three large science and technology centres in the surrounding villages of Milton (Milton Park), Culham (Culham Science Centre) and Harwell (Harwell Science and Innovation Campus which includes the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory).
In January 2021 it was voted as being among the worst places to live in England.
History.
Ancient and Medieval eras.
The area around present-day Didcot has been inhabited for at least 9,000 years. A large archaeological dig between 2010 and 2013 produced finds from the Mesolithic, Neolithic, Iron Age and Bronze Age.
In the Roman era the inhabitants of the area tried to drain the marshland by digging ditches through what is now the Ladygrove area north of the town near Long Wittenham, evidence of which was found during surveying in 1994. A hoard of 126 gold Roman coins dating from about AD 160 was found just outside the village in 1995 by an enthusiast with a metal detector. It is now displayed at the Ashmolean Museum on loan from the British Museum.
The Domesday Book of 1086 does not record Didcot. In 13th-century records the toponym appears as "Dudecota", "Dudecote", "Doudecote", "Dudcote" or "Dudecothe". Some of these spellings continued into later centuries, and were joined by "Dodecote" from the 14th century onward, "Dudcott" from the 16th century onward and "Didcott" from the 17th century onward. It is derived from Old English, meaning the house or shelter of Dudda's people. The name is believed to be derived from that of Dida, a 7th-century Mercian sub-king who ruled the area around Oxford and was the father of Saint Frithuswith or Frideswide, now the patron saint of both Oxford and Oxford University.
Didcot was then a rural Berkshire village, and it remained so for centuries, only occasionally appearing in records. If Didcot existed at the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, it will have been much smaller than several surrounding villages, including Harwell and Long Wittenham, that modern Didcot now dwarfs. The nearest settlement recorded in the Domesday Book was "Wibalditone", with 21 inhabitants and a church, whose name possibly survives in Willington's Farm on the edge of Didcot's present-day Ladygrove Estate.
The oldest parts of the Church of England parish church of All Saints go back to the 12th century. They include the walls of the nave and east wall of the chancel, which were built about AD 1160. The church is a Grade II* listed building.
Early modern era.
Parts of the original village survive in the Lydalls Road area around All Saints' church. In the 16th-century Didcot was a small village of landowners, tenants and tradespeople with a population of about 120. The oldest surviving house in Didcot is White Cottage, a 16th-century timber-framed building in Manor Road that has a wood shingle roof. It is a Grade II listed building.
At that time the village centre consisted of a group of cottages and surrounding farms around Manor, Foxhall and Lydalls Roads. Those still surviving include The Nook, Thorney Down Cottage and Manor Cottage, which were all built in the early to mid-17th century. Didcot village was on the route between London and Wantage (now Wantage Road), which in 1752 was made a toll road. Didcot had three toll gates that collected revenue for the turnpike trust until 1879, when the trust was dissolved due to the growing use of the railway.
19th and 20th centuries: Arrival of the Railway.
Great Western Railway.
The Great Western Railway, engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, reached Didcot in 1839. In 1844 the Brunel-designed Didcot station was opened. The original station burnt down in the late 19th century. Although longer, a cheaper-to-build line to Bristol would have been through Abingdon farther north, but the landowner the first Lord Wantage is reputed to have prevented that alignment. The railway and its junction to assisted the growth of Didcot. The station's name helped to standardise the spelling "Didcot".
Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway.
Didcot's junction of the routes to London, Bristol, Oxford and to Southampton via the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway (DN&S) made the town militarily important, especially during the First World War campaign on the Western Front and the Second World War preparations for D-Day. The DN&S line has since closed, and the large Army and Royal Air Force ordnance depots have disappeared beneath the power station and Milton Park Business Park; however the 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Regiment RLC is still based at the Vauxhall Barracks in the town.
Remains of the DN&S railway survive in the eastern part of town. This line, designed to provide a direct link to the south coast from the Midlands and the North avoiding the indirect and congested route "via" Reading and Basingstoke, was built in 1879–82 after previous proposals had failed. It was designed as a main line and was engineered by John Fowler and built by contractors TH Falkiner and Sir Thomas Tancred, who together also constructed the Forth Railway Bridge.
It was a very costly line to build due to the heavy engineering challenges of crossing the Berkshire and Hampshire Downs with a 1 in 106 gradient to allow for higher mainline speeds, and this initial cost and the initially lower than expected traffic volumes caused the company financial problems. It never independently reached Southampton, but instead joined the main London and South Western Railway line at Shawford, south of Winchester.
In the Second World War there was so much military traffic to the port of Southampton that the line was upgraded. The northern section between Didcot and Newbury was made double track. It was closed for 5 months in 1942–43 for this to be done. Several of the bridges in the area of Didcot and the Hagbournes were also strengthened and rebuilt.
Although passenger trains between Didcot and were withdrawn in 1962, the line continued to be used by freight trains for a further four years, and there was regular oil traffic to the north from the refinery at Fawley near Southampton. But in 1966 this traffic also was withdrawn, and the line was then dismantled. The last passenger train was a re-routed "Pines Express" in May 1964, diverted due to a derailment at . A section of the abandoned embankment towards Upton, now designated as a Sustrans route, has views across the town and countryside.
21st century.
As at 2011, Didcot had a population of more than 26,000. The new town centre, the Orchard Centre, was opened in August 2005. As part of the Science Vale Enterprise Zone, Didcot is surrounded by one of the largest scientific clusters in the United Kingdom. There are a number of major science and technology campuses nearby, including the Culham Science Centre, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, and Milton Park. The Diamond Light Source synchrotron, based at the Harwell Campus, is the largest UK-funded scientific facility to be built for more than 30 years.
Didcot has been designated as one of the three major growth areas in Oxfordshire; the Ladygrove development, to the north and east of the railway line on the former marshland, is set to double the number of homes in the town since construction began in the late 1980s. Originally, the Ladygrove development was planned to be complete by 2001, but the plans for the final section to the east of Abingdon Road were only announced in 2006.
Before the Ladygrove development was completed, a prolonged and contentious planning enquiry decided that a 3,200-home development would be built to the west of the town, partly overlapping the boundary with the Vale of White Horse. This is now being built as Great Western Park.
In 2008 a new £8 million arts and entertainment centre, Cornerstone, was opened in the Orchard Centre. It has exhibition and studio spaces, a café and a 236-seat auditorium. Designed by Ellis William Architects, the centre is clad with silvered aluminium panels and has a window wall, used to connect the building with passing shoppers.
The United Kingdom government named Didcot a garden town in 2015, the first existing town to gain this status, providing funding to support sustainable and environmentally friendly town development over the coming 15 years.
In 2017, researchers named Didcot as the most "normal" town in England.
Railways.
Didcot Railway Centre.
Formed by the Great Western Society in 1967 to house its collection of Great Western Railway locomotives and rolling stock, housed in Didcot's 1932-built Great Western engine shed. The Railway Centre is used as period film set and has featured in works including "Anna Karenina", "" and "The Elephant Man". The centre is north of Didcot Parkway railway station, and can be accessed from the station via the pedestrian subway.
Didcot Parkway station.
The station was originally called Didcot but then renamed in 1985 by British Rail; the site of the old GWR provender stores, which had been demolished in 1976 (the provender pond was kept to maintain the water table) was made into a large car park to attract passengers from the surrounding area. An improvement programme for the forecourt of the station began in September 2012. This was viewed as being the first phase of better connecting the station to Didcot town centre.
Economy.
Power stations.
Didcot A Power Station (between Didcot and Sutton Courtenay) ceased generating electricity for the National Grid in March 2013. "Country Life" magazine once voted the power station the third worst eyesore in Britain.
The power station cooling towers were visible from up to away because of their location, but were designed with visual impact in mind (six towers in two separated groups apart rather than a monolithic 3×2 block), much in the style of what is sometimes called Didcot's 'sister' station – Fiddlers Ferry Power Station – at Widnes, Cheshire, constructed slightly earlier. The power station had also proved a popular man-made object for local photographers.
In October 2010, Didcot Sewage Works became the first in the UK to produce biomethane gas supplied to the national grid, for use in up to 200 homes in Oxfordshire.
On Sunday 27 July 2014 three of the six cooling towers were demolished in the early hours of the morning, using of explosives. The demolition was streamed live by webcam.
On Tuesday 23 February 2016, part of the boiler house building collapsed at Didcot Power Station; one person was declared dead, five injured and three missing. All were believed to have been preparing the site for demolition. On Sunday 17 July 2016, what remained of the structure was demolished in a controlled explosion. The bodies of the three missing men were still in the remains at that time. A spokesman said that because of the instability of the structure, it had not been possible to recover the three bodies. For safety reasons, robots were used to place the explosive charges, and the site was demolished just after 6 o'clock in the morning (BST).
On Sunday 18 August 2019, the remaining three cooling towers were demolished at 7am.
Car racing.
Didcot has a strong connection with the Williams Grand Prix Engineering team as Frank Williams founded the team there in a former carpet warehouse in 1977. After establishing themselves in Formula One, the factory, now including a small 'Williams Museum', moved within Didcot to a new factory on the Didcot A Power Station site on Basil Hill Road. They stayed there until 1995 when they finally outgrew the site, moving to nearby Grove where they are based today. In 2012 a new road through the new Great Western Park development in Didcot was named "Sir Frank Williams Avenue" in honour of Williams' contribution to the town.
Didcot also hosts a Pirelli distribution and logistics centre which provides tyres for Formula One Grand Prix motor racing events across Europe.
Didcot's link to the automotive industry continued in 2015 when the head offices of the Bloodhound SSC team were moved to the new University Technical College (UTC) Oxfordshire site on the boundary between Didcot and Harwell. The team are aiming to break the world land speed record with their supersonic car.
Agriculture.
Didcot is surrounded by farmland which has historically grown traditional British crops such as wheat and barley, sheep farming is also common in the area. The area is also noted for farmers growing opium poppies for legal production of morphine and heroin to meet National Health Service demand. The poppies produced are sold to Macfarlan Smith, a major pharmaceutical company, who hold a licence from the United Kingdom Home Office.

Alfonsina Storni

Alfonsina Storni (29 May 1892 – 25 October 1938) was an Argentine poet of the modernist period.
Early life.
Storni was born on May 29, 1892 in Sala Capriasca, Switzerland. Her parents were Alfonso Storni and Paola Martignoni, who were of Italian-Swiss descent. Before her birth, her father had started a brewery in the city of San Juan, Argentina, producing beer and soda. In 1891, following the advice of a doctor, he returned with his wife to Switzerland, where Alfonsina was born the following year; she lived there until she was four years old. In 1896 the family returned to San Juan, and a few years later, in 1901, moved to Rosario because of economic issues. There her father opened a tavern, where Storni did a variety of chores. That family business soon failed, however. Storni wrote her first verse at the age of twelve, and continued writing verses during her free time. She later entered into the Colegio de la Santa Union as a part-time student. In 1906, her father died and she began working in a hat factory to help support her family.
In 1907, her interest in dance led her to join a traveling theatre company, which took her around the country. She performed in Henrik Ibsen's "Ghosts," Benito Pérez Galdós's "La loca de la casa," and Florencio Sánchez's "Los muertos". In 1908, Storni returned to live with her mother, who had remarried and was living in . After a year there, Storni went to Coronda, where she studied to become a rural primary schoolteacher. During this period, she also started working for the local magazines "Mundo Rosarino" and "Monos y Monadas", as well as the prestigious "Mundo Argentino".
In 1912 she moved to Buenos Aires, seeking the anonymity afforded by a big city. There she met and fell in love with a married man whom she described as "an interesting person of certain standing in the community. He was active in the politics..." That year, she published her first short story in Fray Mocho. At age nineteen, she found out that she was pregnant with the child of a journalist and became a single mother. Supporting herself with teaching and newspaper journalism, she lived in Buenos Aires where the social and economical difficulties faced by Argentina's growing middle classes were inspiring an emerging body of women's rights activists.
Literary career.
Storni was among the first women to find success in the male-dominated arenas of literature and theater in Argentina, and as such, developed a unique and valuable voice that holds particular relevance in Latin American poetry. Storni was an influential person, not only to her readers but also to other writers. Though she was known mainly for her poetic works, she also wrote prose, journalistic essays, and drama. Storni often gave controversial opinions. She criticized a wide range of topics from politics to gender roles and discrimination against women. In Storni's time, her work did not align itself with a particular movement or genre. It was not until the modernist and avant-garde movements began to fade that her work seemed to fit in. She was criticized for her atypical style, and she has been labeled most often as a postmodern writer.
Early work.
Storni published some of her first works in 1916 in Emin Arslan's literary magazine "La Nota", where she was a permanent contributor from 28 March until 21 November 1919. Her poems “Convalecer” and “Golondrinas” were published in the magazine. In spite of economic difficulties, she published "La inquietud del rosal " in 1916, and later started writing for the magazine "Caras y Caretas" while working as a cashier in a shop. Even though today Storni's early works of poetry are among her most well known and highly regarded, they received harsh criticism from some of her male contemporaries, including such well known figures as Jorge Luis Borges and Eduardo Gonzalez Lanuza. The eroticism and feminist themes in her writing were controversial subject matter for poetry during her time, but writing about womanhood in such a direct way was one of her principal innovations as a poet.
Wider recognition.
In the rapidly developing literary scene of Buenos Aires, Storni soon became acquainted with other writers, such as José Enrique Rodó and Amado Nervo. Her economic situation improved, which allowed her to travel to Montevideo, Uruguay. There she met the poet Juana de Ibarbourou, as well as Horacio Quiroga, with whom she would become great friends. Quiroga led the Anaconda group and Storni became a member together with Emilia Bertolé, Ana Weiss de Rossi, Amparo de Hieken, Ricardo Hicken and Berta Singerman
During one of her most productive periods, from 1918 to 1920 Storni published three volumes of poetry: "El dulce daño" (Sweet Pain), 1918; "Irremediablemente" (Irremediably), 1919; and "Languidez" (Languor) 1920. The latter received the first Municipal Poetry Prize and the second National Literature Prize, which added to her prestige and reputation as a talented writer. she also published many articles in prominent newspapers and journals of the time. Later, she continued her experimentation with form in 1925's "Ocre", a volume composed almost entirely of sonnets that are among her most traditional in structure. These verses were written around the same time as the more loosely structured prose poems of her lesser-known volume, "Poemas de Amor", from 1926.
Theater.
After the critical success of "Ocre", Storni decided to focus on writing drama. Her first public work, the autobiographical play "El amo del mundo" was performed in the "Cervantes" theater on March 10, 1927, but was not well received by the public. However, this was not a conclusive indication of the quality of the work; many critics have observed that during those years Argentinian theater as a whole was in a state of decline, so many quality works of drama failed in this atmosphere. After the play's short run, Storni had it published in "Bambalinas", where the original title is shown to have been "Dos mujeres". Her "Dos farsas pirotécnicas" were published in 1931.
She wrote the following works intended for children: "Blanco...Negro...Blanco", "Pedro y Pedrito", "Jorge y su Conciencia", "Un sueño en el camino", "Los degolladores de estatuas" and "El Dios de los pájaros". They were brief theatre pieces with songs and dances. They were meant for her students at "Teatro Labardén" theatre. For "Pedrito y Pedro" and "Blanco...Negro...Blanco", Alfonsina wrote the music for the plays. These were performed in 1948 at "Teatro Colón" theatre in Buenos Aires. On these, Julieta Gómez Paz says: ""These present, ironically, adult situations transferred to the children's world to outline errors, prejudice and damaging customs by adults, but corrected by the poetic fantasy with happy endings"."
Later work.
After a nearly 8-year hiatus from publishing volumes of poetry, Storni published "El mundo de siete pozos" (The World of Seven Wells), 1934. That volume, together with the final volume she published before her death, "Mascarilla y trébol" (Mask and Clover), 1938, mark the height of her poetic experimentation. The final volume includes the use of what she termed "antisonnets," or poems that used many of the versification structures of traditional sonnets but did not follow the traditional rhyme scheme.
Illness and death.
In 1935, Storni may have discovered a lump on her left breast and decided to undergo an operation. On May 20, 1935, she underwent a radical mastectomy. In 1938 she found out that the breast cancer had reappeared. Around 1:00 AM on Tuesday, 25 October 1938. Storni left her room and headed towards the sea at "La Perla" beach in Mar del Plata, Argentina and committed suicide. Later that morning two workers found her body washed up on the beach. Although her biographers hold that she jumped into the water from a breakwater, popular legend is that she slowly walked out to sea until she drowned. She is buried in La Chacarita Cemetery. Her death inspired Ariel Ramírez and Félix Luna to compose the song "Alfonsina y el Mar" ("Alfonsina and the Sea").
Work.
Some of Storni's work
Teeth of flowers, cap of dew
hands of grass, you, kind nurse,
have ready for me sheets of earth
and the eiderdown of fresh moss
I shall sleep now, my nurse; help me to bed. Put a lamp at the head;
a constellation, whichever you choose;
all are fine; turn down a light a bit.
Leave me now; hear the buds bursting...
from above a heavenly foot will rock you
and a bird will sing to you
that you might forget... Thank you. Ah,
One request! If he should phone again, tell him not to persist,
for I have left...
Post mortem:
Awards and recognition.
In 1910 she receives her title as "Maestra Rural"
In 1917 Storni receives the Premio Annual del Consejo Nacional de Mujeres.
In 1920 Languidez, one of her publications was awarded the First Municipal prize as well as the second National Literature Prize.


Vasiliy Averin

Vasiliy Kuzmich Averin (; 1884 – 28 December 1945) was a Russian Bolshevik revolutionary, a leading member of the Cheka and a member of the Soviet government in Ukraine.
Biography.
Averin was born in 1884 or 1885 near Rognedino in the Roslavlsky Uyezd of the Smolensk Governorate of the Russian Empire (today Rognedinsky District, Bryansk Oblast, Russia) in a poor peasant family. In 1903 he joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party and in 1904 sided with Bolsheviks. Averin was uneducated and worked as a mechanic. His revolutionary career, he started in Yekaterinoslav where in October 1905 Averin headed a factory committee of RSDLP. During World War I in 1915 Averin was arrested and exiled to the Irkutsk Governorate. He was released in April 1917 on amnesty due to the February Revolution in Russia and returned to Yekaterinoslav.
Averin was a member of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, and the Russian Constituent Assembly. Along with Yakov Peters, Felix Dzerzhinsky and others, he was a member of the original Cheka. In December 1917 Averin was appointed in charge of the military revolutionary headquarters of the Yekaterinoslav Soviets and actively participated in the Yekaterinoslav Bolshevik Uprising.
With advance of the German troops, Averin was placed in charge to defend the Yekaterinoslav district. He later was placed as a chief of political department for the Ukrainian Front (also referred to as Ukrainian Soviet Army or Forces of Kursk direction). There are some evidences that he also headed a commissariat of internal affairs of the Soviet Ukraine in the beginning of 1919. In 1919 Averin chaired the Yekaterinoslav council and later he was a governor of Volhynia and Kharkiv governorates. In 1921-23 Averin was a governor and mayor of Odessa, while at that time being a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine. In 1923 Averin became the Left Opposition of Bolsheviks (Trotsky's followers). Sometime then he also was a member of the Central Executive Committee of the Ukrainian SSR and the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union.
In 1935 Averin was appointed the chief of Lena River Shipping Company and transferred to Yakutsk. There in 1937 he was arrested and sentenced to eight years in correctional camps. Averin was released after World War II in November 1945. On 28 December 1945, he was strangled to death by an unknown person. On 29 November 1955, Averin was rehabilitated by the Supreme Court of the Yakut ASSR.


Stephen McKeag

Stephen McKeag (1 April 1970 – 24 September 2000), nicknamed "Top Gun", was a Northern Irish loyalist paramilitary and a Commander of the Ulster Defence Association's (UDA) 'C' Company in the 1990s. He is responsible for many killings of Catholics and Republicans. He is also have thought to have shot the most Catholics in Northern Ireland. Although most of his operations took place from the Shankill Road in Belfast McKeag was actually a native of the lower Oldpark Road in the north of the city.
Early years.
As a youth, McKeag's first group affiliation was with the neo-nazi white power skinhead gangs that existed on the Shankill and which were co-opted into the UDA's youth wing Ulster Young Militants. McKeag then later became a born-again Christian and married young to a woman named Alison. His active interest in Christianity would diminish as he became more involved in the UDA, whilst his marriage also broke up. Along with Adair and other younger figures, McKeag helped to fill the power vacuum left in the UDA by the deaths of John McMichael and Jim Craig and the departures of Andy Tyrie and Tommy Lyttle.
Killings.
McKeag became involved in 'C' Company of the lower Shankill – the most active unit of the UDA – around 1989, heading his own section of the company which was a hit squad (other sections concentrating on drug-dealing, money laundering and similar activities). According to Henry McDonald and Jim Cusack, the UDA gave an annual "Volunteer of the Year" award to the organisation's top hitman. The award, presented on the Shankill Road and usually consisting of a trophy in the form of a model gun and plaque made by loyalists prisoners, was dominated by McKeag from 1990 onwards and helped to ensure that he became known as "Top Gun" both to his UDA comrades and his republican opponents. In all, the RUC estimated that McKeag was responsible for at least 12 killings, although the figure was placed higher by a number of his former paramilitary associates.
One of McKeag's earliest attacks occurred on 11 March 1990 when he shot and killed Eamon Quinn outside his Kashmir Road home in the Clonard district of the Falls Road, beginning a long campaign of sectarian killings by the UDA. On 31 July he was behind a similar attack on the Springfield Road, where Catholic John Judge was killed after being shot five times by McKeag and his unit. This was followed on 16 October by the killing of Dermot McGuinness in Rosapena Street in north Belfast. Another victim was Seamus Sullivan, the son of former Belfast City Council member Jim Sullivan of the Workers' Party, killed on 4 September 1991 at the council depot on Springfield Avenue where he worked. Lawrence Murchan, a shopkeeper who was killed by McKeag and his unit on St James's Road on 28 September was the 2000th person to be killed during The Troubles. This was followed on 14 November by an attack on the Devenish Arms in Finaghy, resulting in the death of civil servant Aidan Wallace and wounding an 8-year-old boy who lost an eye.
Following his killing of Catholic shop worker Philomena Hanna at a chemists near the Springfield Road on 28 April 1992, eyewitnesses reported that as McKeag and his driver sped back to the Shankill via Lanark Way they shouted and sang his favourite song, 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road' from "The Wizard of Oz". Other UDA members later confirmed that the Yellow Brick Road was McKeag's nickname for Lanark Way, a street linking the Shankill and Springfield roads and favoured by loyalist hitmen as an escape route from Republican West Belfast. An attack on 14 November 1992, launched by McKeag, under the orders of Johnny Adair, on a branch of Sean Graham's bookmakers on the Oldpark Road left three Catholics dead and a number of others, including some Protestants who also frequented the betting shop, injured.
As well as civilian Catholics, McKeag was also involved on attacks upon republicans. On 24 March 1993, Peter Gallagher, a 44 year old Sinn Féin member from Toomebridge, County Antrim was killed by McKeag when he arrived at his work at the Westlink Enterprise Centre, just off Distillery Street in West Belfast. Mr Gallagher was shot several times by a lone assassin which many now presume was McKeag. Mr Gallagher was a father to seven children and had recently became a grandfather before his death.
On 1 May 1993 Alan Lundy, a former Provisional IRA activist, was killed by McKeag at the home of Sinn Féin's councillor Alex Maskey, in the Andersonstown area. McKeag struck again on 8 August 1993, killing Sean Lavery at the Antrim Road home of his father Bobby Lavery, a Sinn Féin councillor who had been the target of the attack. However non-republicans continued to be targets and on 30 August he killed Marie Teresa Dowds de Mogollon in an attack on her home, although this murder was seen as extreme by UDA brigadiers outside C Company, resulting in it eventually being claimed as an accident when it was claimed under the UDA's Ulster Freedom Fighters cover name. This was followed on 7 September 1993 when McKeag and two other UDA members entered a hairdresser's shop on the upper Donegall Road and shot the proprietor Sean Hughes dead. Although brought to trial he was not convicted after eyewitness testimony did not stand up to scrutiny. The following day shopkeeper Michael Edwards was killed at his Finaghy home by McKeag and his unit and on 15 October McKeag killed Paddy McMahon after calling for him to deliver a pizza to a derelict house. McKeag was held in prison soon after this attack for the Hughes trial and the mantle of top hitman in C Company temporarily passed to Gary "Smickers" Smyth.
Following the killing of Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) leader Billy Wright by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) inside the Maze Prison in December 1997, Adair, who was a strong admirer of "King Rat", told McKeag that he had carte blanche to avenge the murder. McKeag did so on 28 December when he entered the Clifton Tavern in north Belfast and opened fire with an Uzi, killing Edmund Trainor and injuring a number of others. On 23 January 1998 he was also involved in the killing of Liam Conway on north Belfast's Hesketh Road, although McKeag was brought before the Inner Council of the UDA for this attack as the movement had declared a ceasefire a few hours earlier. McKeag claimed that the attack was in response to the continuing activity of the INLA, and his fearsome reputation meant that the Inner Council would not reprimand him, even though the murder resulted in the Ulster Democratic Party being excluded from all-party talks. By this time McKeag was effectively in command of C Company whilst Adair was in prison.
Decline.
In June 1998 McKeag, a keen motorcyclist, suffered serious injuries when a motorbike he was riding collided with a car being driven by a member of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). He suffered a number of broken bones and required several operations, including the insertion of pins into his leg, and as a consequence he also developed an addiction to painkillers. He also had a collapsed lung and stomach damage and for a time had to wear a urostomy bag.
A celebrated figure within loyalism for his exploits, cracks began to show in 1999, notably at an event at the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes on the Corcrain estate in Portadown where McKeag was mobbed by fans from the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) and on stage was applauded by all except his C Company comrades Adair and Gary "Smickers" Smyth. Smyth continued the resentment a few months later when, as McKeag received another "Volunteer of the Year" prize, he yelled "what about me" from the audience. With Adair in prison and Smyth in temporary command of C Company, McKeag fell out of favour and was soon ordered off the Shankill, ostensibly for becoming involved in fights between women at illegal UDA-run drinking dens on the Shankill.
When Adair returned to the Shankill in the summer of 2000 he brought McKeag back to use him for the loyalist feud he was planning against the UVF. McKeag however refused to take part and was severely beaten by Adair and his allies and cut off from organised loyalism altogether. Some within C Company, including William "Winkie" Dodds, felt that Adair had a long-term jealousy of McKeag's exploits as a killer and argued that Adair had based much of his own reputation for violence upon activities actually carried out by McKeag. It was also claimed in "An Phoblacht", Sinn Féin's official newspaper, that McKeag had been involved in a £70,000 cocaine deal that he had excluded Adair from, although the allegation was not quoted elsewhere. One of McKeag's last violent actions was opening fire on police with an AK-47 during riots in response to the Drumcree conflict on Belfast's Carlisle Circus, a junction at the base of the Crumlin and Antrim Roads near the city centre.
Personal life.
Physically McKeag, like Johnny Adair, was shaven-headed, muscular and heavily tattooed and he wore a miniature golden gun around his neck on a thick gold chain. Maintaining a number of girlfriends simultaneously, McKeag fathered four children by four different women – two daughters both called Stephanie and two sons both called Stephen. In the case of one child, McKeag even delivered it himself after his Newtownards-based girlfriend broke her waters in his car, forcing him to pull into a petrol station to deliver the baby. One of McKeag's girlfriends was Jacqueline Newell who had previously been involved with Derek Adgey, a one-time member of the Royal Marines. Both Newell and Adgey were sentenced in 1995 for passing information about leading republicans including Brian Gillen and Alex Maskey to the UDA and it has been claimed that McKeag was their main point of contact with the organisation. McKeag was also dating Tracey Coulter, daughter of the UDA's Jackie Coulter, later murdered in a UDA/UVF feud.
Outside of his loyalist activities McKeag also had a reputation for having unusual hobbies. An animal lover, McKeag variously owned a Rottweiler dog, a parrot, an iguana, a scorpion, a snake and a collection of tropical fish, and had even attempted to purchase a monkey until his then live-in girlfriend prevented him from doing so. He had an extensive collection of electronic gadgets and mixed rave music tunes as a hobby. He was also known for the flashy Christmas decorations with which he festooned his house every December, including flashing lights and plastic reindeer on the roof.
Death and aftermath.
McKeag was found dead by family members at his home at Florence Court off the Crumlin Road on 24 September 2000. With his face heavily bruised and a crossbow bolt embedded into the wall nearby, it was initially assumed that he had been killed; however a post-mortem found that his death was caused by a lethal combination of painkillers and cocaine. Some of his supporters continued to blame Adair, due to the love triangle which emerged between him and McKeag when Tracey Coulter started sleeping with Adair too. It was claimed that Adair's men had entered the house, attacked McKeag, who had fired the crossbow at them, and then forced quantities of cocaine down his throat to kill him. There was no evidence to support these claims.
McKeag was buried at Roselawn Cemetery in the east of the city in front of around 1,000 mourners, including Adair, Smyth and UVF/RHC representatives, with floral tributes sent by Ulster Young Militants and Combat 18. Although by this time he was estranged from the leadership of C Company, McKeag's litany of violence meant he retained his hero status with the younger members of the group and as a result a new mural was painted on the lower Shankill in commemoration of McKeag. It has been updated several times.


Scum (television play)

Scum is a 1977 British television play written by Roy Minton and directed by Alan Clarke. It was intended to be screened as part of the "Play for Today" series. Instead the production was banned by the BBC after it was completed in 1977, and not aired until Channel 4 showed it on 27 July 1991. In the interim, a theatrical film version was released in 1979. The original version features Ray Winstone (in one of his earliest roles), John Blundell, David Threlfall, Martin Phillips, Phil Daniels and Davidson Knight.
Plot.
Three young delinquents, Carlin, Davis and Angel, are escorted via van to a British borstal. Once they arrive, they are given rooms. Angel and Davis are allotted private rooms whilst Carlin has to stay in a dormitory. Carlin, who was transferred from another borstal as punishment for attacking an officer, is thoroughly told by the senior officer Mr. Sands that he expects no trouble and he will be severely punished for any transgressions. Shortly afterwards, Carlin strikes up a friendship with Archer, an intellectual, albeit eccentric, inmate. Meanwhile, Banks, the "daddy" (head inmate) of the wing is informed of Carlin's reputation and told to keep him in line. That night, Banks and his crony Richards assault Carlin, leaving his face bruised. Due to this, he is mistakenly accused of fighting by Sands and given three days solitary confinement as punishment.
After serving his punishment, Carlin seeks revenge on Banks and Richards by first attacking Richards and then beating Banks and effectively replacing him as the "daddy" of the wing. Carlin then makes a deal with house officer Mr. Goodyear. In exchange for a single room cell, Carlin will use his "natural leader" skills to keep peace in the wing. Carlin asks a new inmate named Rhodes to be his "missus", although Carlin stresses he is not homosexual.
A short while after, whilst Davis is working in the greenhouse, he is assaulted and gang raped by a group of boys. Sands looks in the window and sees the rape, but merely smiles and walks away. Later that night, Davis, traumatised by the rape, asks warder Mr. Greaves for help but is merely berated by him. Davis later slashes his wrists in his cell and dies as a result. His body is found the next morning by Sands.
The following day during breakfast, the boys refuse to eat out of protest of Davis' death. Carlin then incites a riot. Later, Carlin, Archer and several others are led away by guards, handcuffed. The Governor of the borstal makes an announcement to all the inmates stating he will tolerate no further outbursts. He then declares a minute silent prayer in Davis' memory.
Ban.
To protect against possible trouble, considerable research was undertaken to establish the authenticity of the drama, although executives in the corporation considered it unrealistic, according to "Play for Today" producer Margaret Matheson, because of the potential confusion between documentary and drama because of the detailed representation. An 'Early Warning Synopsis' practice existed in the BBC between producers and their superiors whereby details of a programme's content was communicated. In the case of "Scum", this had been seen by the controller of BBC 1, Bryan Cowgill, without any problems being raised. A change in personnel, with Bill Cotton succeeding Cowgill, soon led to difficulties in October 1977 when the completed work was awaiting its now scheduled transmission.
Some cuts were made at Cotton's request, an earlier suicide was removed; those involved in the play hoped the edits would prevent it being banned, but no avail. The play was not transmitted at the time. Matheson managed to screen the film for the press, outside the BBC in a Soho preview theatre, which did result in press coverage about the suppression, not necessarily favourable to "Scum" itself. At the screening, Minton dubbed the production the 'Billy Cotton "Banned" Show' after the light-entertainment programme "Billy Cotton Band Show", hosted by the BBC executive's father.


Chui A-poo

Chui A-poo (; died 1851) was a 19th-century Qing Chinese pirate who commanded a fleet of more than 50 junks in the South China Sea. He was one of the two most notorious South China Sea pirates of the era, along with Shap Ng-tsai.
In September 1849, his fleet, which was based in Bias Bay east of Hong Kong, was defeated by British and Chinese warships. More than 400 pirates were killed and Chui was seriously wounded.
Although he managed initially to escape, he was betrayed by his own crew and handed over to the British authorities. He was wanted with a bounty of £500 for the murder of two British officers His punishment was lifelong exile to Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania), but he hanged himself in his cell before it could be carried out.


Gus (Psych)

Burton "Gus" Guster is a fictional character on the USA Network television comedy "Psych" played by American actor Dulé Hill. He functions as the "straight man" for Shawn Spencer's antics, and provides sobering advice, helpful knowledge, steady support, and friendship. Over the course of the show, Gus evolves from nothing more than a conventional, uptight pharmaceutical representative to a strong support system through all Shawn Spencer's crazy antics. He frequently tries to pass himself off as "fearless"
although in reality the opposite is true, and often cries, sometimes due to "sympathy" and other times when Shawn is insensitive to his feelings. It is believed that Gus was named after a relative of Steve Franks, the technical producer of the show, Burton Franks.
Fictional biography.
Gus, born sometime in June 1977, has been Shawn Spencer's best friend since childhood. Together they co-own the detective agency "Psych", after Shawn was able to forge Gus' name on the lease. Gus tends to be strait-laced and more cautious, although he has been friends with Shawn for long enough that he understands that Shawn cannot be stopped once his mind has been made up. Shawn will often make up silly aliases for Gus while working a case. Gus has stated that he is not used to being introduced by his real name. The anagram of Burton Guster is "Guns or Butter".
Gus is often shown to be academically advanced. As a child, he applied for and was accepted into the Meitner School for gifted students; however, his parents turned down the placement, later telling Gus that it was too far to drive. In middle school, he was involved in spelling bees until 1989, when he lost a competition by accepting covert advice from Shawn on the spelling of "aggiornamento." He continues to follow the American Spelling Bee meticulously, and tapes the yearly championship. He was also voted "most likely to succeed" in high school and is upset that he has not done more in life. However, after helping Shawn solve a murder, he realizes that he leads a very productive life and he's happy with what he has done. Guster also attended Pomona College (class of 1998), something he shows off in multiple episodes.
Gus's parents, Bill and Winnie Guster, are shown to be overly protective of their son and still regard him as a child who needs looking after. They long disapproved of his friendship with Shawn, whom they regarded as a bad influence. After Shawn and Gus solve a murder for which Bill and Winnie had been wrongfully arrested, they mellow towards Shawn and admit that perhaps they do not need to baby Gus so much. (However, immediately after Gus leaves, they offer Shawn cash with a stern order to look after their son). A brother has been referenced in Gus' blog on the official USA Network website, but received no mention in the show. In the deleted scenes for "Gus' Dad May Have Killed an Old Guy" on the Season 2 DVD, Gus's mom mentions a brother who lives in Connecticut. In the episode "Christmas Joy", Gus' family comes to town for the holidays, including Gus' sister Joy, who shares a mutual attraction with Shawn.
While in Mexico on Spring Break in 1997, Gus met Mira Gaffney and married her on a drunken binge. He broke off the relationship soon afterward, and the two lost contact until 2008, when the marriage was annulled in anticipation of Mira's upcoming wedding. He also has an uncle named "Burton Guster", nicknamed "Burt" for short. Gus was baptized by his mother after his uncle, so the older is upset that he goes by the name "Gus" and not "Burton". Ever since Mira, Gus has a reputation for being attracted to crazy women.
Gus worked in pharmaceutical sales, where he made $48,000 a year. With his vast knowledge of pharmaceuticals, he helps solve cases by identifying poisons and other drugs used in crimes. He also tried to gain clients while they are interviewing doctors in a case.
As part of his day job, Gus drives a company car—a bright blue subcompact hatchback (2002 Toyota Echo), which Shawn and Gus (mostly Shawn) call the "Psych Mobile" or the "Blueberry". It's a 2002 Toyota Echo hatchback, which is actually inaccurate for a show set in California, as the USA only got the sedan and coupe models of the Echo (the show was filmed in Canada, a market that did get the hatch). In the season 8 episode "Cog Blocked," the "Blueberry" was completely destroyed, which proved fortuitous as Gus quit his job at the end of the episode.
Gus is an assumed Catholic. Although he rarely discusses matters of religion, it is confirmed he believes in demonic possessions, exorcisms, and that the third wise man was black and named Balthazar. He seems to regularly attend or at least be fairly comfortable with the practice of confession. He has also been shown to consider birth out of wedlock to be a sin.
Gus has a very refined sense of smell and has nicknamed his nose "the Super Sniffer". He is able to recognize the base component of a perfume by smelling it and can perform the same trick with food. The talent seems to be hereditary, as it has been displayed by both of his parents, and has led to the uncovering of crucial evidence in several cases. He has been shown to have a fear of dead people, having run away from a scene where a dead person is present on more than one occasion. He has showed the dislike of seeing blood on occasions. He is also well-versed in high-tech locks or safes, as demonstrated by his ability to crack an electronic lock on his first try.
Gus was described in the serial killer Mr. Yang's book as "laughing on the outside, crying on the inside. The fastidious wrinkle in the brow of Psych". Yang also wrote that Gus has "skin of pure cocoa velvetiness" and stated she would like to "use that skin to make children's dolls".
Gus is also an experienced tap dancer, as seen in "Feet Don't Kill Me Now", and was a member of an a cappella group in college, as seen in "High Top Fade-Out". Several episodes reference Gus's keen interest in astronomy and his particular fondness for the (dwarf) planet Pluto; he uses "Did you hear about Pluto? That's messed up, right?" as a pick-up line, which Shawn often mocks. While usually the voice of reason, Gus does have some beliefs that even Shawn thinks are crazy (such as his insistence that Michael Jackson faked his death with help from Lisa Marie Presley).
He is often compared to Rudy Huxtable's friend Bud on The Cosby Show, with many people looking at him and asking if he played the character on "The Cosby Show". Bringing it up constantly is meant to be ironic because Dulé Hill not only looks like Bud, but also had a role on the spinoff Cosby, playing a character named Marcus in one episode.
Characterization.
Although early in the series Gus is reluctant to get involved in Shawn's capers, James Roday (who portrays Shawn) says he feels the partnership has developed into a much more equal one, with Gus taking a larger role in their cases as opposed to constantly being "[dragged] around by the collar against his will". Actor Dulé Hill says that Gus has become more relaxed as the show has progressed and more capable of standing his ground against Shawn: "I think in the pilot he was more of a receiver, and he gives it back a little bit more now." The change in his clothing is reflective of his more relaxed approach.
In a cross-promotional ad for "Monk" featuring several characters from shows on USA, Gus corrects Shawn after he calls Monk, "his sidekick." In the Lee Goldberg novel "Mr. Monk Goes to Germany", it is mentioned that Gus (although not referred to by name) has met Natalie Teeger. This is implied when Natalie mentions that the group of detectives' sidekicks she regularly meets with sometimes has other such sidekicks as guests, one of which is mentioned to be a man who is sidekick to a false psychic (a clear allusion to Gus).
In a cross-promotional ad with "Royal Pains", Gus tries to hard-sell Hank Lawson on becoming Hank's pharmaceutical rep in a bathroom to the point of creeping Hank out.
In a cross-promotional ad with "White Collar", he is trying to find out what Neal Caffrey does for the FBI. After a few questions that are answered by Burke, Neal reveals that he had Gus' wallet, causing Gus not to want to "hang out with you guys anymore."


Simon J. Costa

Simon John Costa AO (born 9 February 1967 in Geelong, Victoria) is an Australian businessman, philanthropist and humanitarian. He has led large private, public and not-for-profit ventures and dedicated much of his life to private initiatives for the public good.
History.
Costa is the great-grandson of Italian and Irish immigrants who arrived in Australia during the 1880s. His ancestors settled in Geelong (Victoria), where they established a fruit and vegetable retail store which remained the principal family business until the 1960s, when Costa’s father (Adrian) and uncle (Frank) expanded into fresh produce wholesaling. Costa’s parents, Adrian and Mary, died in an automobile accident in 1972, leaving Costa, his elder brother Paul (b. 1964), elder sister Catherine (b.1965) and younger sister Sally (b. 1969) orphaned at young ages.
Despite early industry challenges, the Costa family business grew to become one of Australia’s largest privately-owned businesses, before being listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in July 2015. Simon Costa succeeded Frank Costa as the group managing director of the Costa Group of Companies in April 2004.
In 2012, Costa resigned from all corporate responsibilities and commenced a full-time voluntary role with the United Nations, World Food Programme.
Education.
Costa attended primary school at St. Josephs College Geelong, Victoria, before transferring to complete his secondary education in Kilmore, where he was a boarder at Assumption College from 1981 to 1985. A promising sportsman, he suffered a near fatal head injury on the playing field in 1984, which prevented him from participating in any further contact sport. Costa is currently the President of the Assumption College Old Collegians Association (ACKOCA).
Costa completed post-graduate studies at Deakin University, Monash University and Harvard University.
Career.
Costa was invited to join the family business in 1992, following a mandatory five years employment with other organisations. His initial years were spent working in the existing retail, wholesale and export divisions, before taking over the expanding Costa Logistics business in 1996. In 1999 he was promoted to the role of chief operating officer of the Costa Group of Companies, responsible for the performance of 17 operating divisions. During this time, he was jointly responsible for introducing the 'Character First!' leadership initiative across all business units. Developing a culture of character and investing in advanced business management systems, contributed to the organisation achieving strong increases in scale, profitability and geographic breadth over the following decade.
In April 2004, Costa was appointed group CEO and managing director of the Costa Group of Companies. Business expansion from organic growth, joint ventures and industry acquisitions, including Chiquita Brands South Pacific, positioned the Costa Group as Australia's largest horticultural company, with diversified operations across the supply chain, from farming and packing to marketing and large-scale distribution, both domestically and internationally. Costa was appointed CEO of the publicly listed Chiquita Brands / Costa Exchange in January 2010, but stepped down as CEO of the overall Group of Companies prior to the family entering into a strategic partnership with Paine + Partners in 2011. The Costa Group of Companies was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in July 2015.
Philanthropy.
Throughout his business career, Costa dedicated much of his private life to supporting charitable activities. In addition to being an Executive Board member of Vic Relief and Foodbank, he regularly participated in voluntary activities to assist local and international not-for-profit organisations, raising over $500,000 in the process. Most notably, in 2004 he cycled 1,100 kilometres across Europe to generate awareness and funds for Muscular Dystrophy and the 'Very Special Kids' charitable foundation. In 2008 Costa climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise financial support for an orphanage established specifically for HIV-infected children in South Africa.
In 2019, Costa founded a new organisation with the joint strategic objective of developing exceptional business leaders and raising valuable funds to support charitable causes. 'Inspiring Leader' donates 100% of all professional coaching fees to fight human rights abuses in developing countries, in particular violence against women and girls.
In 2019, Costa was appointed chairman of the Bluearth Foundation. Bluearth is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving the health of children and preventing diseases caused by sedentary lifestyles, through increased participation in physical activity. Bluearth works with schools, disadvantaged communities and Indigenous school communities to provide the building blocks to support active play in childhood; helping kids live better – physically, mentally and emotionally.
Humanitarian.
In April 2012, Costa commenced a full-time voluntary role with the United Nations, World Food Programme as Food Security Advisor for Sub-Saharan Africa. Focusing on the crippling levels of food loss occurring in the region annually and its direct contribution to widespread starvation and poverty, Costa initiated a sustainable development strategy for reducing post-harvest crop losses, significantly benefiting millions of low-income families and farming communities throughout developing regions of Africa. The measurable and sustainable impact of his team's work was recognized by the United Nations WFP in 2015, receiving the Global Innovation Challenge Award for the Most Impactful Humanitarian Innovation.
In September 2016 Costa was appointed a director of the United Nations World Food Programme and given the role as Global Head of a Strategic Alliance between the United Nations and 7 private and public partner organizations, seeking sustainable solutions to the major systemic problems affecting food systems in developing countries. Utilizing the expertise of global industry leaders to educate and empower farmers, as well as mobilizing local partners, the consortium established an effective pathway for global food security, greatly reducing poverty and starvation in the process.
Costa has also provided support in assisting East Timor and Australia to reach agreement regarding a maritime boundary in the Timor Sea. Along with former Victorian Premier Steve Bracks AC, Former East Timor President Xanana Gusmão and East Timor Ambassador to Australia Abel Guterres, Costa lobbied for a fair conciliation process to resolve the long-disputed maritime boundary between Australia and East Timor. An agreement was finally reached between the two countries in 2018.
In 2019 Costa became actively involved in providing refuge and support for vulnerable girls and marginalised young women being denied their basic human rights. Concentrating on east Africa, initiatives such as New Hope for Girls advance long-term, sustainable development of communities by protecting, educating and empowering women and girls, contributing directly to a world free of discrimination.
Honours.
In the 2019 Australia Day Honours, Costa was appointed an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia by the Governor-General of Australia, for distinguished service to business and humanity.
In 2016, Costa was awarded the Pride of Australia Medal for his services to support the disadvantaged overseas and within Australian society.
Costa has also been the leader of numerous teams honored for excellence. Awards include the United Nations WFP Global Innovation Award for the Most Impactful Humanitarian Innovation [2015]; the Australian Family Business of the Year [2008]; the Australian Agribusiness Leader of the Year [2006]; the Australian Agribusiness Employer of Choice Award [2006] and Australia’s Leading Transport and Logistics provider [2009]


Ronnie Shelton

Ronald 'Ronnie' Shelton (1 October 1961 – 25 September 2018), better known as West Side rapist, was an American convicted serial rapist. He was convicted of raping over 30 women in Cleveland, Ohio, over a 6 year period. He may have raped up to 50 women. Shelton was caught on video using an ATM with his victims' bank cards.
He was the subject of the book "Unfinished Murder: The Pursuit of a Serial Rapist" by James Neff.
Crimes.
Shelton's "modus operandi" was to break into victims' homes wearing something to obscure his face. He would initially tell victims he was going to rob them, but then rape them. He would insist victims not look at him and threaten them if they reported him to police. His language and pattern of sexual assaults helped link his crimes.
Trial.
Timothy J. McGinty prosecuted the case in 1989. He was found guilty of 220 charges, including 49 rapes of over 30 women in Cleveland, Ohio. Richard McMonagle sentenced him to between 1,554 and 3,195 years in prison. He received the longest sentence in Ohio's history.
Death.
At 4:30 pm on 25 September 2018, six days before his 57th birthday, Shelton jumped from the top of a prison building, suffering a skull fracture upon impact with the concrete below. He was pronounced dead at 8:15 pm at nearby MetroHealth Medical Center. Investigators did not immediately suspect foul play.


Zuleika Dobson

Zuleika Dobson, full title Zuleika Dobson, or, an Oxford love story, is the only novel by Max Beerbohm, a satire of undergraduate life at Oxford published in 1911. It includes the famous line "Death cancels all engagements" and presents a corrosive view of Edwardian Oxford.
In 1998, the Modern Library ranked "Zuleika Dobson" 59th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.
The book largely employs a third-person narrator limited to the character of Zuleika (pronounced "Zu-lee-ka"), then shifting to that of the Duke, then halfway through the novel suddenly becoming a first-person narrator who claims inspiration from the Greek Muse Clio, with his all-seeing narrative perspective provided by Zeus. This allows the narrator to also see the ghosts of notable historical visitors to Oxford, who are present but otherwise invisible to the human characters at certain times in the novel, adding an element of the supernatural.
Dr Robert Mighall in his Afterword to the New Centenary Edition of "Zuleika" (Collector's Library, 2011), writes: "Zuleika is of the future ... [Beerbohm] anticipates an all-too-familiar feature of the contemporary scene: the D-list talent afforded A-list media attention."
Beerbohm began writing the book in 1898, finishing in 1910, with Heinemann publishing it 26 October 1911. He saw it not as a novel, but rather as "the work of a leisurely essayist amusing himself with a narrative idea." Sydney Castle Roberts wrote a parody, "Zuleika in Cambridge" (1941).
Plot summary.
Zuleika Dobson—"though not strictly beautiful"—is a devastatingly attractive young woman of the Edwardian era, a true femme fatale, who is a prestidigitator by profession, formerly a governess. Zuleika's current occupation (though, more importantly, perhaps, her enrapturing beauty) has made her something of a small-time celebrity and she manages to gain entrance to the privileged, all-male domain of Oxford University because her grandfather is the Warden of Judas College (based on Merton College, Beerbohm's "alma mater"). There, she falls in love for the first time in her life with the Duke of Dorset, a snobbish, emotionally detached student who—frustrated with the lack of control over his feelings when he sees her—is forced to admit that she too is his first love, impulsively proposing to her. As she feels that she cannot love anyone unless he is impervious to her charms, however, she rejects all her suitors, doing the same with the astonished Duke. The Duke quickly discovers that Noaks, another Oxford student, also claims to have fallen in love with her, without ever having even interacted with her. Apparently, men immediately fall in love with her upon seeing her. As the first to have his love reciprocated by her (for however brief a time) the Duke decides that he will commit suicide to symbolise his passion for Zuleika and in hopes that he will raise awareness in her of the terrible power of her bewitching allure, as she innocently goes on crushing men's affections.
Zuleika is able to interrupt the Duke's first suicide attempt from a river boat, but seems to have a romanticised view of men dying for her, and does not oppose the notion of his suicide altogether. The Duke, instead pledging to kill himself the next day—which Zuleika more or less permits—has dinner that night with his social club where the other members also affirm their love for Zuleika. Upon telling them of his plan to die, the others unexpectedly agree also to commit suicide for Zuleika. This idea soon reaches the minds of all Oxford undergraduates, who inevitably fall in love with Zuleika upon first sight.
The Duke eventually decides that the only way he can stop all the undergraduates from killing themselves is by not committing suicide himself, hoping they will follow his example. By an ancient tradition, on the eve of the death of a Duke of Dorset, two black owls come and perch on the battlements of Tankerton Hall, the family seat; the owls remain there hooting through the night and at dawn they fly away to an unknown place. After debating whether to follow through with his suicide, while seeming to decide at last to embrace his life as just as valuable as Zuleika's, the Duke receives a telegram from his butler at Tankerton, reporting the portentous return of the owls. The Duke promptly interprets the omen as a sign that the gods have decreed his doom. He proudly tells Zuleika that he will still die, but no longer for her; she agrees as long as he makes it appear that he is dying for her by shouting her name as he jumps into the river. Later the same day, a thunderstorm overwhelms the Eights Week boat races while the Duke drowns himself in the River Isis, wearing the robes of a Knight of the Garter. Every fellow undergraduate, except one, promptly follows suit.
All of the Oxford undergraduates now dead, including, with some delay, the cowardly Noaks, Zuleika discusses the ordeal with her grandfather, who reveals that he too was enamoured by all when he was her age. While Oxford's academic staff barely notice that nearly all of their undergraduates have vanished, Zuleika decides to order a train for the next morning... bound for Cambridge.