title: Solaris (2002 film)

text: In 2000, around the time Steven Soderbergh was working on "Traffic", he pitched his ideas of a "Solaris" film adaptation to Cameron and Lightstorm producers Rae Sanchini and Jon Landau. Cameron was thrilled with what he heard and development began on the project. As "Traffic" was wrapping up, Soderbergh began drafting a script. Using both the 1972 film and the book as reference, the script allowed him to dig into various themes and subjects he wasn't able to come to terms with in his earlier films. Soon after, Soderbergh and Lightstorm took the story to 20th Century Fox.


title: Solaris (2002 film)

text: Soderbergh originally intended Daniel Day-Lewis to play the role of Chris Kelvin, but Day-Lewis was busy with Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York" at the time. Since George Clooney was Soderbergh's producing partner, having formed Section Eight Productions together in 2000, Soderbergh was obligated to send Clooney a copy of the "Solaris" script. A month later, during the editing of "Ocean’s Eleven", Soderbergh received a letter from Clooney stating that he was ready to step into the role.


title: Solaris (2002 film)

text: Because both Soderbergh and Clooney had prior commitments at the time, the film did not enter production until close to mid-2002. Principal photography began May 5, 2002 in downtown Los Angeles. Following a week of filming exteriors, the crew moved to the Warner Bros. lot where it shot on stages 19 and 20 for the remainder of production. These were the same stages that held the sets for Soderbergh's "Ocean's Eleven".


title: Solaris (2002 film)

text: In addition to fulfilling the roles of director and screenwriter, Soderbergh also acted as the film's cinematographer and editor, both of which were credited under pseudonyms.


title: Solaris (2002 film)

text: The sex scenes were filmed on a closed set with only George Clooney, Natascha McElhone and Steven Soderbergh, who used a hand-held camera.


title: Solaris (2002 film)

text: A few weeks prior to the film's release, in early November 2002, the Motion Picture Association of America assigned the film an R rating primarily due to two scenes that depicted Clooney's naked backside. This caused an outburst among filmmakers against the MPAA and Directors Guild of America, and Soderbergh appealed, stating that similar content had been broadcast on network television. Twelve days prior to the film's release, an appeals board overturned the R-rating for a PG-13 rating.


title: Solaris (2002 film)

text: Released on November 27, 2002, "Solaris" grossed $14,973,382 at the North American box office and $15,029,376 in other territories, against an estimated $47 million budget. Because of the film's poor box office, blame was placed on its marketing campaign that was a challenge from the beginning as Soderbergh expressed on the film's commentary track. Clooney stated that the film's "trailers and commercials [had] nothing to do with the film," depicting more of a science fiction love story (or thriller).


title: Solaris (2002 film)

text: On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 66% on based on reviews from 208 critics, with an average score of 6.51/10. The consensus states: "Slow-moving, cerebral, and ambiguous, "Solaris" is not a movie for everyone, but it offers intriguing issues to ponder." On Metacritic the film has a score of 65 out of 100 based on 38 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". However, it received a rare grade of "F" from CinemaScore, based on moviegoers' survey responses.


title: Solaris (2002 film)

text: The Time Out Film Guide describes the film as superior to the Tarkovsky version. The film was a "New York Times" Critics' Pick, with Stephen Holden saying: "The movie aspires to fuse the mystical intellectual gamesmanship of "" with the love-beyond-the-grave romantic schmaltz of "Titanic", without losing its cool...a tricky balancing act that doesn't quite come off." As Holden notes: ""Solaris" is a science-fiction film lacking action-adventure sequences. The absence of boyish friskiness, kineticism and pyrotechnics makes it a film that offers no vicarious physical release. Its insistence on remaining cerebral and somber to the end may be a sign of integrity, but it should cost it dearly at the box office."


title: Solaris (2002 film)

text: Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half out of four stars and called it "the kind of smart film that has people arguing about it on their way out of the theater", noting that while it "needs science fiction to supply the planet and the space station, which furnish the premise and concentrate the action... it is essentially a psychological drama." Ebert concludes with: "When I saw Tarkovsky's original film, I felt absorbed in it, as if it were a sponge. It was slow, mysterious, confusing, and I have never forgotten it. Soderbergh's version is more clean and spare, more easily readable, but it pays full attention to the ideas and doesn't compromise. Tarkovsky was a genius, but one who demanded great patience from his audience as he ponderously marched toward his goals. The Soderbergh version is like the same story freed from the weight of Tarkovsky's solemnity. And it evokes one of the rarest of movie emotions, ironic regret."


title: Solaris (2002 film)

text: Soderbergh "said that he didn't intend "Solaris" to be a remake of Tarkovsky's film but rather a new version of Stanislaw Lem's novel".


title: Solaris (2002 film)

text: While admitting that he had not seen the film, Stanisław Lem criticized what he had heard as departing far from his original intentions by focusing almost exclusively on the psychological relationship between the two main characters, while reducing the vast and alien ocean to a mere "mirror" of humanity:


title: Solaris (2002 film)

text: In 2010, "Solaris" made "Time" magazine's "Top 10 Hollywood Remakes" list, saying it was "expertly and exquisitely executed" and "manages to extract that all too rare achievement from a sci-fi film: emotion.


title: Solaris (2002 film)

text: The film was nominated for three Saturn Awards: George Clooney, Best Actor; Natascha McElhone, Best Actress; and Best Science Fiction Film.


title: Solaris (2002 film)

text: The score was composed by Cliff Martinez in 2002 and first released by Superb Records on Compact Disc in 2002. After being out of print, it was re-released in a remastered edition in January 2011 by La-La Land Records. The soundtrack was praised by the BBC Music's Chris Jones as a "...brooding slow, meditative work".


title: Solaris (2002 film)

text: Six vinyl versions of the soundtrack were later released by Invada Records. The first repress was introduced in 2013 on black vinyl, white vinyl, and picture disc. The second in 2017 on "Cosmic Coloured" vinyl, "Crystal Clear Vinyl With Heavy White Splatter" vinyl, and a new picture disc version.


title: Eric Dier

text: Eric Jeremy Edgar Dier (born 15 January 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays for club Tottenham Hotspur and the England national team. A versatile defensive player, Dier has been deployed as a defensive midfielder, a centre-back and a right-back.


title: Eric Dier

text: Dier grew up in Portugal, where he came through the youth ranks at Sporting CP, making his reserve and senior debuts in 2012 after a loan to Everton. In 2014, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur on a five-year contract for a fee of £4 million. He has made over 200 appearances for Tottenham, including in the 2015 Football League Cup Final and the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final.


title: Eric Dier

text: Despite interest from Portugal, Dier opted to represent England in international football. He made his debut for the senior team in November 2015, and was chosen for UEFA Euro 2016, the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.


title: Eric Dier

text: Dier was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire to Jeremy and Louise Dier. His father is a former professional tennis player. Dier is the grandson of Ted Croker, a former secretary of The Football Association (FA) and president of Cheltenham Town, and great-nephew of Peter Croker, who both played professionally for Charlton Athletic.


title: Eric Dier

text: Dier moved to Portugal from England when he was seven years old, when his mother was offered a job running the hospitality programme at UEFA Euro 2004. With his parents and five siblings, Dier spent a year living in the Algarve region before moving to Lisbon. In 2010, his parents returned to England while Dier remained in Portugal, living at Sporting CP's academy.


title: Eric Dier

text: While playing football at the International Preparatory School in Lisbon, Dier's footballing ability was spotted by his P.E. teacher Miguel Silva, who referred him to Sporting Lisbon for a trial at the age of eight. Dier signed professional terms with Sporting in April 2010. The Portuguese club beat Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur to his signature. Sporting also sold 50% economic rights of the player to a third-party owner, Quality Football Ireland Limited.


title: Eric Dier

text: In January 2011, Dier agreed to join Everton on loan until 30 June. Sporting CP's official website stated that the loan was "an opportunity for the athlete to grow in a more competitive and demanding environment". Dier represented Everton U18s ten times during his loan spell and won the 2010–11 U18 Premier League with the team. Dier encountered difficulties resettling into English life, but in the summer of 2011, he extended his loan stay in the Everton academy for an additional 12 months.


title: Eric Dier

text: On 26 August 2012, Dier made his debut with Sporting B in a 2012–13 Segunda Liga 3–1 away win against Atlético, replacing Diego Rubio in the 77th minute. On 4 November 2012, Dier scored his first senior goal with a direct free kick against Benfica B in a 3–1 away win in the Segunda Liga.


title: Eric Dier

text: On 11 November 2012, Dier was called to play for the first team in a Primeira Liga 1–0 home win against Braga, assisting Ricky van Wolfswinkel for the match's only goal. Fifteen days later, he scored his first goal for Sporting's first squad in a 2–2 league away draw against Moreirense.


title: Eric Dier

text: On 2 August 2014, Dier signed a five-year contract with Tottenham Hotspur in a £4 million transfer. He made his competitive debut for the club on the first day of the 2014–15 Premier League season away to West Ham United on 16 August, and scored the only goal of the match in added time. Eight days later, in his second match and in his White Hart Lane debut, he headed in a corner from Erik Lamela in an eventual 4–0 win over newly promoted Queens Park Rangers. Dier started on 1 March 2015 as Tottenham lost the 2015 League Cup Final to Chelsea at Wembley Stadium.


title: Eric Dier

text: Dier signed a new contract on 9 September 2015, lasting until 2020. During the 2015–16 season, he was utilised as a defensive midfielder by Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino, establishing himself as the regular partner to Mousa Dembélé as Tottenham challenged eventual champions Leicester City for the Premier League title. On 15 August, he scored Tottenham's first goal of the Premier League season in a 2–2 draw at home to Stoke City, and on 26 September, Dier scored the team's equalising goal in a 4–1 home victory over Manchester City.


title: Eric Dier

text: On 13 September 2016, Dier signed a new five-year contract to last until 2021. During the 2016–17 season, Dier returned to the centre-back position due to Tottenham's acquisition of defensive midfielder Victor Wanyama and injuries to defenders Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen. He made his UEFA Champions League debut in a 2–1 loss to AS Monaco FC in Tottenham's opening group match at Wembley Stadium. On 25 October 2016, Dier captained Tottenham for the first time in a 2–1 loss to Liverpool at Anfield in the fourth round of the EFL Cup. He was also given the captain's armband for the 3rd and 4th round FA Cup ties against Aston Villa and Wycombe Wanderers respectively. On 1 April 2017, Dier scored his first goal of 2016–17 in a 2–0 win over Burnley in the Premier League.


title: Eric Dier

text: In the 2018–19 season, Dier scored his first goal of the season, which is his first in 18 months, in the 1–0 win against Cardiff City, helping Tottenham to their joint best start of a season in the Premier League after eight games. He underwent surgery mid-December 2018 due to appendicitis, and returned to the team on 20 January 2019, coming on as a substitute in the game against Fulham. However, he continued to suffer the after-effects of the appendicitis operation, repeatedly falling ill and missing games. On 1 June, in Tottenham's first appearance in the Champions League final, Dier replaced the injured Moussa Sissoko for the final 16 minutes of a 2–0 loss to Liverpool in Madrid.


title: Eric Dier

text: Dier had to undergo another procedure before the start of the 2019–20 season, and did not start his first game of the season until 24 September. This game, an EFL Cup game against lower-league Colchester United, ended poorly as they lost in a penalty shoot-out. He performed better in the Champions League game against Red Star Belgrade, helping the team to a 4–0 away win.


title: Eric Dier

text: On 4 March 2020, Dier was involved in a confrontation with a spectator in the stands following Tottenham's FA Cup defeat by Norwich City. Dier climbed into the lower tier at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after the person "insulted" Dier and became involved in a dispute with Dier's brother Patrick who was also in the stand. The following day, the Metropolitan Police said they wish to interview Dier, his brother and the supporter alleged to be involved in the incident. On 23 April, Dier was charged by the FA with misconduct for a breach of FA Rule E3 due to his "improper and/or threatening" action. In July 2020, Dier was fined £40,000 and banned for four games.


title: Eric Dier

text: Dier had been approached by the Portuguese Football Federation to play for Portugal in the future, but could only do so once he turned 18. He had been involved in a high-profile England national team kit promotion for sportswear manufacturers Umbro. Upon his signing for Everton, an FA spokesman said, "Our intention will be to select him for the youth squad in the coming weeks," referring to the 2011 edition of the under-17 international Algarve Tournament.


title: Eric Dier

text: Dier earned his first England call-up in November 2011 when under-18 head coach Noel Blake picked him for a match against Slovakia. He played the full 90 minutes in the 1–1 draw on 16 November 2011.


title: Eric Dier

text: On 28 May 2013, he was named in manager Peter Taylor's 21-man squad for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He made his debut on 16 June in a 3–0 win in a warm-up match against Uruguay.


title: Eric Dier

text: Dier made his debut for the England under-21s on 13 August 2013 in a 6–0 win against Scotland. In 2014, he pulled out of the squad, informing manager Gareth Southgate that he did not want to be deployed as a right-back anymore and would rather work on the centre-back position at his club, Tottenham.


title: Eric Dier

text: On 5 November 2015, Dier was selected for the first time to the England senior team by manager Roy Hodgson ahead of friendlies against Spain and France. He made his debut eight days later against the former at Alicante's Estadio José Rico Pérez as a 63rd-minute substitute alongside his Tottenham teammate Dele Alli in a 2–0 loss. Dier made his first start on 17 November against France, a 2–0 win at Wembley. On 26 March 2016, he scored his first international goal, heading Jordan Henderson's corner for the winner in a 3–2 victory against Germany in Berlin.


title: Eric Dier

text: Dier was chosen for UEFA Euro 2016 in France. In England's opening match against Russia at the Stade Vélodrome, he opened the scoring in the 1–1 draw through a direct free-kick.


title: Eric Dier

text: On 10 November 2017, Dier captained the England team for the first time in a friendly match against Germany at Wembley that ended in a goalless draw.


title: Eric Dier

text: He was named in the 23-man England national team squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and captained the squad in the final group stage match against Belgium. Dier scored the decisive penalty in the second round match against Colombia, giving England its first ever World Cup shootout victory and first competitive shootout victory since Euro 1996.


title: Eric Dier

text: In September 2022, Dier received his first England call-up in 18 months for the UEFA Nations League matches against Italy and Germany. He started in the 1–0 defeat to Italy at the San Siro.


title: Eric Dier

text: Dier can play as a midfielder, centre-back and right-back. It has been noted that his versatility enabled Tottenham's effective adoption of a flexible approach, allowing them to switch systems efficiently within a single match. Dier has said that he has mixed Portuguese and English footballing styles on his own. In 2018, ESPN's Mark Ogden described Dier as "more of a destroyer than a creator".


title: Blue Exorcist

text: The manga has been serialized in Shueisha's "Jump Square" magazine since April 2009, with individual chapters collected in 28 "tankōbon" volumes as of November 2022. Viz Media has licensed the manga for North American production, with the first volume released in April 2011. Aniplex of America also released the anime's DVDs in English regions. The series was adapted into an anime television series produced by A-1 Pictures, and broadcast from April to October 2011. An anime film, "", premiered in December 2012. A second season, titled "Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga", aired from January to March 2017. A third anime series adaptation has been announced.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: As of December 2022, "Blue Exorcist" had over 25 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series. The manga has been well received by readers with sales having received a boost thanks to the anime's release.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: The world of "Blue Exorcist" consists of two dimensions, attached to each other as a mirror and its reflection. The first is the material world where humans live, , and the other is , the world of demons, which is ruled by Satan. Originally, a journey between the worlds, or even a contact between them, was impossible, however, any demon is able to pass to the dimension of Assiah through the possession of a living being in it. Even so, demons have historically wandered among humans unnoticed, visible only to people who have had contact with demons before.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: In contrast, there are Exorcists, people who train to destroy demons who act in a damaging manner in Assiah. With more than two thousand years of existence, this group has several branches all over the world being secretly under the command of the Vatican itself and acting in a clandestine manner.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: The story revolves around Rin Okumura, who, along with his younger twin Yukio Okumura, was raised by Father Shiro Fujimoto, an Exorcist. One day, Rin learns that he and Yukio are the sons of Satan. Witnessing Shiro dying to protect him, Rin draws the demon-slaying sword , which restrains his demonic powers. From that moment on, Rin not only gains demonic features like fangs and a tail, but also the power to ignite into blue flames that destroy almost anything he touches.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: Rin wishes to become an Exorcist like his guardian to become stronger and to defeat Satan. He enrolls at the prestigious , an exorcist cram school, which is actually the Japanese branch of the , an international organization dedicated to protect Assiah (human realm) from the Gehenna (demonic realm). Much to his surprise, Rin finds that Yukio is already a veteran Exorcist and is one of his teachers. Thus begins Rin's journey to become an Exorcist, accompanied by his brother and his fellow students who quickly become his close friends.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: Kazue Kato took inspiration from the 2005 film "The Brothers Grimm", as she tried to work the angle of brothers fighting against monsters into a story. She eventually decided on making the story about demons and exorcists, thus conceiving "Blue Exorcist". Due to exorcists being the main idea of the story, the manga features a lot of Biblical references. In an interview with Anime News Network, Kato said: "I should not run away from these references if I'm working in the Exorcist genre." An ending was planned by Kato but the exact length of the series has yet to be decided based on the manga's popularity in Japan.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: In 2016, Kato stated, "I think there might be four more arcs. I have a rough storyline complete for the ending, but I haven’t figured out all of the details. I have a few things where I’m not sure what to decide to do." In July 2021, Kato announced that the manga would enter on an eight-month hiatus to work on a six-chapter manga mini-series adaptation of Fuyumi Ono's "Eizen Karukaya Kaiitan". The manga resumed publication one month later than planned, on May 2, 2022.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: "Blue Exorcist" is written and illustrated by Kazue Kato. A one-shot chapter, titled , was first published in Shueisha's "Jump Square" on August 4, 2008. "Blue Exorcist" has been serialized in "Jump Square" since April 4, 2009. Shueisha has collected its chapters into individual "tankōbon" volumes. The first volume was released on August 4, 2009. As of November 4, 2022, twenty-eight volumes have been published.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: The series has been licensed by Viz Media for release in North America, with the first volume released under the "Shōnen Jump Advance" imprint on April 5, 2011. Twenty-seven volumes have been released as of May 3, 2022. The series is also licensed in France by Kazé, and in Poland by Waneko.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: A spin-off series written by Kato and illustrated by Minoru Sasaki, focused on Rin's brother, Yukio, titled , started in "Jump SQ.19" on April 19, 2013. After the magazine ceased publication on February 19, 2015, the series was transferred to "Jump Square". The series finished on April 3, 2020. Its chapters were collected in four "tankōbon" volumes, released from February 4, 2015, to June 4, 2020.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: An anime adaption for the manga was announced on November 27, 2010, on Shueisha's "Jump Square" official website. The anime was produced by A-1 Pictures with Hitoshi Okamura as the producer. Originally, the series was scheduled to air on April 10, 2011, on MBS, replacing ""; however, due to the March 11, 2011, Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami the series' broadcast was delayed until April 17, 2011. The anime ended on October 2, 2011.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: The opening theme for the first 12 episodes is "Core Pride" by Japanese rock band Uverworld, while the opening theme from episode 13 onwards is "In My World" by Japanese rock band ROOKiEZ is PUNK'D. The ending theme for the first 12 episodes is "Take Off" by South Korean boy band 2PM, while the ending theme from episode 13 through episode 25 is "Wired Life" by Japanese singer Meisa Kuroki.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: Aniplex announced they would simulcast the series in North America through video sites Hulu, Crunchyroll, "Anime News Network" and Netflix starting on April 20, 2011. Aniplex of America released Blue Exorcist on DVD in four sets, starting by releasing the first DVD on October 18, 2011. An OVA was released in 2011, called "Ao No Exorcist: Kuro no Iede". The series began broadcasting in the United States and Canada on Viz Media's online network, Neon Alley, on October 2, 2012. The series began airing on Adult Swim's Toonami block on February 23, 2014, and finished airing on August 10, 2014.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: After six years, a second season titled "Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga" was announced in June 2016 and premiered on January 7, 2017. Koichi Hatsumi directed the sequel, while Toshiya Ōno wrote the scripts, Keigo Sasaki designed the characters, and Hiroyuki Sawano and Kohta Yamamoto composed the series' soundtrack. A-1 Pictures returned to produce the animation. The opening theme song was by Uverworld, while the ending theme song was by Rin Akatsuki. The series has been licensed by Aniplex of America.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: In December 2022, it was announced that the series will receive another television series adaptation.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: An anime film, "", was released on December 28, 2012, in Japan. The English dub cast reprised their roles for the movie.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: A stage play based on the series titled "Live Act Ao no Exorcist: Mashin no Rakuin", ran for nine performances at the Nippon Seinenkan hall in Tokyo's Shinjuku ward from May 11–17, 2012. Satoshi Owada directed and wrote scripts for the play. Main characters Rin and Yukio Okumura were portrayed by Ryou Kimura and Kimito Totani respectively. A light novel titled "Ao no Exorcist: Weekend Hero" was written by Aya Yajima and illustrated by Kato. It was released by Shueisha on September 2, 2011. A visual novel for PlayStation Portable, "Ao no Exorcist: Genkoku no Labyrinth" was released on April 26, 2012, by Bandai Namco Games. A smartphone game, "Blue Exorcist: Damned Chord" was originally announced in December 2018, however in November 2020, it was announced that the game was canceled.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: As of November 2016, "Blue Exorcist" had over 15 million copies in circulation. As of December 2022, the manga had over 25 million copies in circulation. The manga has been popular in Japan with the seventh volume receiving first print run of one million copies becoming the first "Jump Square" manga to reach such milestone. The release of the anime also drastically increased the manga's sales to the point that Shueisha decided to increase the print run for the seventh volume.


title: Blue Exorcist

text: Critics have praised the "Blue Exorcist" manga, with "Comic Book Bin" reviewer Leroy Douresseaux feeling the first volume had potential, enjoying the comedy in the work and the characters and their interactions, recommending it to teen readers. Danica Davidson from "Otaku USA" felt that while the series employs disturbing storytelling, Rin's heroic traits despite being Satan's son make the plot more appealing to the readers. Kato's artwork has been praised by "Anime News Network"s Carlo Santos for the way each character has distinct traits while background images are well designed. Deb Aoki of "About.com" praised Kato's art and the series' "multi-dimensional world that melds European architecture, Japanese culture, modern technology and Tim Burton-esque whimsy", also stating that it is a "multicultural mishmash" of "Harry Potter", Cirque du Soleil, "Blade Runner" and "Alice in Wonderland", but she called the action scenes "a bit chaotic, and sometimes hard to follow".


title: Blue Exorcist

text: Carl Kimlinger from "Anime News Network" emphasized how the execution was well-performed, resulting in entertaining episodes, especially its fight scenes, which were noted to be one of the anime's strongest points, and described it as "Great action, fun characters, and an occasional tug at the heart as well; every episode without fail is a blast". Sandra Scholes of "active Anime" noted similarities to other series like "Trinity Blood", "Fullmetal Alchemist" and "Bleach", but wrote that the story and characters have "plenty of their own to tantalize us to watch" and wrote that it is "a truly shōnen series, but there is room for some emotional scenes".


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: Underworld: Blood Wars is a 2016 action horror film directed by Anna Foerster (in her feature film directorial debut). It is the fifth installment in the "Underworld" franchise and the sequel to "" (2012), with Kate Beckinsale reprising her role as Selene. The main cast also includes Theo James, Lara Pulver, Tobias Menzies, Bradley James, Peter Andersson, James Faulkner, Clementine Nicholson, Daisy Head, Oliver Stark, and Charles Dance.


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: Principal photography began on October 19, 2015, in Prague, Czech Republic. The film was released on November 24, 2016, in various countries and was subsequently released in the United States on January 6, 2017, by Screen Gems. It received generally negative reviews and has grossed over $81 million worldwide, against its production budget of $35 million.


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: The remaining vampire covens are on the verge of annihilation by the Lycans. Both species are searching for Selene: the vampires seek justice for the death of Viktor, while the Lycans, led by Marius, intend to use her to locate Eve, whose blood holds the key to building an army of vampire-werewolf hybrids.


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: Semira, a council member of the Eastern Coven, asks Thomas to plead Selene's case before the council. The plea is successful and the council reluctantly agrees to a pardon in exchange for Selene's help. Selene arrives with David and starts training the coven's neophyte Death Dealers for the upcoming war. Semira and Varga, her ally and lover, later poison Selene, slaughter the trainees and frame her for the atrocity. With Selene in her custody, Semira begins draining her blood, intending to drink it to steal her power. Thomas and David attempt a rescue and manage to save Selene. Unfortunately, Thomas dies in the process.


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: David and Selene take refuge at the Nordic Coven, pursued by Alexia, an Eastern Coven vampire dispatched by Semira. At Var Dohr, the Nordic Coven stronghold, Elder Vidar reveals that David is the son of Grand Elder Amelia, and thus the legitimate heir to the Eastern Coven.


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: Meanwhile, Alexia tells Marius, her secret lover, that Selene is going to the Nordic Coven. Marius and his Lycans attack Var Dohr to get her. Selene and David fight alongside the Nordic vampires, who are led by Vidar's daughter Lena. During the fight, Alexia stabs Selene. Marius demands to know Eve’s location, but finds out Selene does not know, so he sounds the retreat. Selene deliberately drowns under the broken ice of the lake, telling herself that 'my time is done'.


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: At the Eastern Coven, Semira drinks the blood taken from Selene. Alexia returns and informs her of the attack at the Nordic Coven. Semira kills Alexia, telling her that she knew of her secret alliance with Marius. David returns to the Eastern Coven, presents himself as its rightful heir and denounces Semira. Even Varga deserts her, saying his loyalty is to the rightful leader. She is led off to be imprisoned in her room.


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: The coven comes under attack by Marius and his forces. The Lycans blow holes in the castle's walls, letting in sunlight and killing some vampires. David continues fighting, only to find himself face to face with Marius. Selene suddenly reappears, now Nordic in appearance and wearing a coat over her Death Dealer uniform. It turns out that she was resurrected by the Nordic Coven and now has new powers, including enhanced speed. She swiftly dispatches the Lycans, as the Nordic Coven joins the fight.


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: As Selene makes her way through the castle, Semira escapes from her room and kills the guards. Selene and David find Marius, but David is waylaid by Semira. During the fight, a drop of Marius' blood lands on Selene's lips and she is suddenly flooded by his memories. She sees Marius capturing Michael Corvin and slitting his throat to collect his blood and consume it. To counter her despair over Michael's death, she bites her own wrist, accessing her own blood memories of time spent with him. Selene then rips out Marius' spine, killing him instantly. Meanwhile, David manages to kill Semira. He shows Marius' severed head to the Lycans and calls on them to collect their wounded and retreat.


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: In the aftermath, Selene, David, and Lena are chosen as new Elders. It is revealed that after her resurrection at the Nordic Coven, Selene was reunited with Eve, who had been following her mother through their telepathic link, as she had anticipated.


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: Trent Garrett portrays Michael Corvin, a Lycan-Vampire Hybrid, and Selene's lover. Michael and his daughter, Eve, are also Alexander Corvinus' distant descendants. Garrett replaces Scott Speedman, who played the role in two of the previous four films. Speedman appears in archival footage from "Underworld" and "Underworld: Evolution" for key scenes in "Blood Wars". Zita Görög, who played the role of Amelia in the first two films but had retired from acting, appears in archival footage from "Underworld: Evolution" for several key scenes in "Blood Wars". India Eisley, who portrayed Eve in the fourth film, appears in archival footage from that film. Eve is portrayed in "Blood Wars" by a stand-in.


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: On August 27, 2014, Lakeshore Entertainment announced their plans to develop a reboot of the "Underworld" franchise, with Cory Goodman hired to write the script for the first film. Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi were named as producers. The film was later confirmed to be a fifth entry in the series, rather than a reboot. Titled "Underworld: Next Generation", the film was in production and set to be released in 2015. Theo James, who appeared in the role of David in the fourth film, would return as the new lead. On October 12, 2014, director Len Wiseman told IGN that original "Underworld" lead Kate Beckinsale would be back for the film. On May 14, 2015, Anna Foerster signed on to make her directorial debut with the film, being the first woman to direct a film in the series, with Beckinsale confirmed to return. On August 14, it was announced by "Deadline Hollywood" that Tobias Menzies had been cast as Marius, a mysterious new Lycan leader. On September 9, Bradley James was cast as the male villain. Same day, newcomer Clementine Nicholson signed on to play Lena, the Nordic Coven's greatest warrior and daughter of Vidar. On September 22, Lara Pulver was added to the cast to play a fiercely ambitious Vampire. On October 19, Charles Dance was confirmed to return to play Vampire elder Thomas. Additional cast was also announced which included James Faulkner, Peter Andersson, and Daisy Head.


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: Principal photography on the film began on October 19, 2015, in Prague, Czech Republic, and was set to take place over ten weeks. The film's crew included cinematographer Karl Walter Lindenlaub, production designer Ondřej Nekvasil, costume designer Bojana Nikitović, and editor Peter Amundson. Filming wrapped up on December 11, 2015.


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: Initially the film was set for an October 21, 2016, release. After announcement about release delay, the film's earliest release date became November 24, 2016, when the film was released in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Kazakhstan, followed by December 1, 2016, release in various countries such as El Salvador and Australia. It was released in the U.S. on January 6, 2017.


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: "Underworld: Blood Wars" grossed $30.4 million in the United States and Canada and $50.7 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $81.1 million, against a production budget of $35 million.


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: In North America, the film was expected to gross $15–19 million over its opening weekend. It went on to open to $13.7 million, down 49% from the previous installment, finished fourth at the box office and marking the lowest debut of the franchise. The film made $6.2 million in its second weekend and in its third was dropped from 1,604 theaters (the 105th biggest third-week theater decrease of all-time) and made $1.7 million.


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: , the film holds a 21% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 96 reviews, with an average rating of 3.96/10. The site's critical consensus reads, ""Underworld: Blood Wars" delivers another round of the stylized violence that the series is known for, but – like many fifth franchise installments – offers precious little of interest to the unconverted." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 23 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: Rafer Guzman of "Newsday" called the film the weakest and most bloodless of the series, with "third-rate" special effects and "clunky" action scenes. Ben Kengisberg of the New York Times wrote that the film was "so heavy with exposition" that the director and screenwriter were making "a dissertation instead of a sequel", and criticized what he saw as the film's "almost willful lack of fun". Frank Scheck of "The Hollywood Reporter" wrote that the film was a "generic, by-the-numbers" exercise that was "strictly anemic", given "all its talk of blood". He did praise the acting of Beckinsale and Dance, also saying that the presence of Dance continued the tradition of distinguished British actors "appearing in Hollywood crap in lieu of receiving a proper pension".


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" was very negative in his review, writing that "scraping bottom would be a step up" for the film, and that the franchise "needs [a] stake through the heart". In a positive review, Owen Gleiberman of "Variety" wrote that it was "gun-blazing, body-splattering business as usual", and that the film made "a token stab at actual theatrical drama" in setup for the "action slaughter" that is "its own (numbing) reward". He also praised the performances of Beckinsale, Pulver, and especially, Dance.


title: Underworld: Blood Wars

text: In 2017, Wiseman revealed that a sixth film is also in development with Beckinsale reprising her role as Selene. On September 13, 2018, Beckinsale said she will not appear in the sixth film, stating: "I wouldn't return. I've done plenty of those".


title: Miniature Schnauzer

text: The Miniature Schnauzer is a breed of small dog of the Schnauzer type that originated in Germany in the mid-to-late 19th century. Miniature Schnauzers may have been developed from the smallest specimens of the Standard Schnauzer, or crosses between the standard and one or more smaller breeds such as the Affenpinscher, Miniature Pinscher, and Poodles, as farmers bred a small dog that was an efficient ratting dog. They are described as "spunky" but aloof dogs, with good guarding tendencies without some guard dogs' predisposition to bite. Miniature Schnauzers are recognized in four colors internationally: solid black, black and silver, salt and pepper, and white.


title: Miniature Schnauzer

text: It is the most popular Schnauzer breed, and remains one of the most popular worldwide, primarily for its temperament and relatively small size. As of 2020 it is the 19th most popular breed in the U.S.


title: Miniature Schnauzer

text: The earliest records surrounding the development of the Standard Schnauzer in Germany come from the late 19th century. They were originally bred to be medium-sized farm dogs in Germany, equally suited to ratting, herding, and guarding property. As time passed, farmers bred the Standard Schnauzer into a smaller, more compact size for ratting by combining it, according to cynologist theorization, with one or more small breeds such as the Affenpinscher and Miniature Poodle, Miniature Pinscher, or Pomeranian, or by chance from smallest specimens of the Standard Schnauzer. The first recorded Miniature Schnauzer appeared in 1888, black female named Findel, and the Pinscher-Schnauzer Klub (formed in 1895) in its first volume of the club's stud book mentioned Wirehaired Miniature Pinscher. The first exhibition was held in 1899.


title: Miniature Schnauzer

text: The American Kennel Club accepted registration of the new breed in 1926, two years after Miniature Schnauzers were introduced to the United States. The American Miniature Schnauzer Club was formed in 1933, from the older parent club Wire-Haired Pinscher Club of America which also included Standard Schnauzer, and initially both competed in the Working Group until 1927. International Kennel Club classifications vary; by the VDH and FCI it is placed in "Group 2, Section 1: Pinschers and Schnauzers", with "Nr. 183" in "Section 1.2" dedicated to the Miniature Schnauzer breed, the KC, ANKC and NZKC include it in the Utility Group, while by the AKC, UKC and CKC the Miniature Schnauzer is classed in the Terrier Group.


title: Miniature Schnauzer

text: The start of the modern Miniature Schnauzer in the United States is considered to have a beginning in 1924 when four dogs were imported from Germany. It is argued that almost all American-bred Miniatures partly descend from them, and between 1926 and 1936, 108 more dogs were imported. One of the most notable champions was Ch. Dorem Display, born in 1945 and lived to be nearly fourteen. It is claimed that many champion Miniature Schnauzers in America can trace its lineage back to Dorem Display.


title: Miniature Schnauzer

text: Miniature Schnauzers were the 11th most popular breed in the U.S. in 2008, falling to 17th most popular in 2016.


title: Miniature Schnauzer

text: Miniature Schnauzers have a very square-shaped build, measuring tall and weighing for females and for males. They have a double coat, with wiry exterior fur and a soft undercoat. In show trim, the coat is kept short on the body, but the fur on the ears, legs, belly, and face is retained. Recognized coat colors are black, pepper and salt, black and silver, and pure white; pepper and salt coloration is where coat hairs have banded shades of black, gray and silver, fading to a gray or silver at the eyebrows, whiskers, underbody and legs.


title: Miniature Schnauzer

text: Miniature Schnauzers are often described as non-moulting dogs, and while this is not entirely true, their shedding is minimal and generally unnoticeable. For this reason, Schnauzers are considered a hypoallergenic breed. They are characterized by a rectangular head with bushy beard, mustache, and eyebrows; teeth that meet in a "scissor bite"; oval and dark colored eyes; and v-shaped, natural forward-folding ears (when cropped, the ears point straight upward and come to a sharp point). Their tails are naturally thin and short, and may be docked (where permitted). They will also have very straight, rigid front legs, and feet that are short and round (so-called "cat feet") with thick, black pads.


title: Miniature Schnauzer

text: Docking of tails and cropping of ears has become a controversial practice, especially for non-working dogs, and is now illegal or restricted in a number of countries worldwide, including the UK and Australia.


title: Miniature Schnauzer

text: Schnauzers have a specific groom cut that is standard among the schnauzer breeds. Schnauzers require regular grooming, either by stripping, or by clipping. Stripping removes the loose, dead coat; it may be done by hand, called finger stripping, or plucking, or with a stripping knife; either way, it is a laborious process. When kept as pets, Miniature Schnauzers are often groomed differently (usually via clipping) from show dogs (often using stripping). Regular grooming of a Miniature Schnauzer is recommended approximately every six weeks. Clipping, using a mechanical clippers (or shaver), produces a soft, silky, skin-close trim. Whether stripped or clipped, the coat is close at the body, and falls into a fringe-like foundation on its undercarriage, called furnishings, which can be left to grow, but must be combed regularly. All schnauzers, whether they are Miniatures, Standards, or Giants, often sport a beard, created by allowing the hair around their noses to grow out. Left unclipped or unstripped, the body hair will grow two to four inches, and will often tangle into mats and curls.


title: Miniature Schnauzer

text: White is one of four color varieties of the Miniature Schnauzer currently recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. However, they are not accepted for conformation showing by the American Kennel Club and Canadian Kennel Club. The controversy rests on the disputed origins of the white variation, namely whether it was contained within the genes of the originally recognized breed, or whether it was the result of subsequent modifications. Since the other two schnauzer types have never been available in a white variation, and the original German standard never included white as an acceptable color, the American Miniature Schnauzer Club chooses not to recognize white.


title: Miniature Schnauzer

text: The American Kennel Club breed standard describes temperament as "alert and spirited, yet obedient to command ... friendly, intelligent and willing to please... never overaggressive or timid". Usually easy to train, they tend to be excellent watchdogs with a good territorial instinct, but more inclined toward barking than biting. They are often aloof with strangers until the owners of the home welcome the guest, upon which they are typically very friendly to them. While the Miniature Schnauzer is included in the Terrier Group in North America (due to rat-catching background), it does not have common ancestry with Terriers from Great Britain, and compared to them has a different personality, being more laid back, obedient, friendly, and less aggressive to other dogs.


title: Miniature Schnauzer

text: They are highly playful dogs, and, if not given the outlet required for their energy, they can become bored and invent their own "fun". As an example: many Miniature Schnauzers enjoy playing with paper, and will happily shred wrapping paper, toilet paper, etc. if left unsupervised when bored or seeking attention. Miniature Schnauzers can compete in dog agility trials, obedience, showmanship, flyball, and tracking. Schnauzers have a high prey drive, which means they may chase other small animals and hence should not be off leash when not in a fenced area. Based on Stanley Coren's book "The Intelligence of Dogs" (2006) ranking methodology, the Miniature ranked 12th out of 140 breeds within 79 ranks on the ability to learn and obey new commands i.e. working and obedience intelligence, being grouped among "excellent working dogs". Additionally, experts ranked the Miniature as fifth among top 15 breeds at watchdog barking ability.


title: Miniature Schnauzer

text: A UK Kennel Club survey puts the median lifespan of Miniature Schnauzers at a little over 12 years. About 20% lived to >15 years. While generally a healthy breed, Miniature Schnauzers may suffer health problems associated with high fat levels. Such problems include hyperlipidemia, which may increase the possibility of pancreatitis, though either may form independently. Other issues which may affect this breed are diabetes, bladder stones and eye problems. Feeding the dog low- or non-fatty and unsweetened foods may help avoid these problems. Miniature Schnauzers are also prone to comedone syndrome, a condition that produces pus-filled bumps, usually on their backs, which can be treated with a variety of methods. Miniature Schnauzers should have their ears dried after swimming due to a risk of infection, especially those with natural ears; ear examinations should be part of the regular annual check up. Miniature Schnauzers are also prone to von Willebrand disease (vWD). vWD in dogs is an inherited bleeding disorder that occurs due to qualitative or quantitative deficiency of von Willebrand factor (vWF), a multimeric protein that is required for platelet adhesion.


title: Chevrolet small-block engine

text: Chevrolet small-block engine refers to one of a number of gasoline-powered vehicle engines manufactured by the General Motors company. These include:


title: Denis Lawson

text: Denis Stamper Lawson (born 27 September 1947) is a Scottish actor and director. He is known for his roles as John Jarndyce in the BBC's adaptation of "Bleak House", as Gordon Urquhart in the film "Local Hero", as Retired DI Steve McAndrew in BBC One's "New Tricks", as Kit Curran in "The Kit Curran Radio Show", and as Wedge Antilles in the original "Star Wars" trilogy.


title: Denis Lawson

text: Lawson was born in Glasgow but grew up in Crieff, Perthshire, after his family moved there when he was three years old. He is the son of Phyllis Neno (née Stamper), a merchant, and Laurence Lawson, a watchmaker. Lawson was educated at Crieff Primary School (then called Crieff Public School). After the 11-plus examination, he attended Morrison's Academy as a day pupil before attending the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, having first unsuccessfully auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He then sold carpets and did amateur theatre work for a year in Dundee before auditioning again at RADA in London and successfully at RSAMD in Glasgow.


title: Denis Lawson

text: Lawson began his acting career with a small role in a 1969 stage production of "The Metamorphosis" in London's West End. and has since starred in television dramas such as "The Merchant of Venice" (1973) opposite Laurence Olivier as Shylock, "Rock Follies" (1976) and "Dead Head" (1986).


title: Denis Lawson

text: Lawson played X-wing pilot Wedge Antilles in all three films of the original "Star Wars" trilogy. In 2001, he reprised the role, in voiceover form, for the Nintendo GameCube game "".


title: Denis Lawson

text: He has appeared often on the West End stage, notably in the musical "Mr. Cinders" at the Fortune Theatre from 1983 to 1984.


title: Denis Lawson

text: In 1999, Lawson directed a production of "Little Malcolm & His Struggle Against the Eunuchs" which was first staged at the Hampstead Theatre before transferring to the Comedy Theatre in London's West End starring his nephew Ewan McGregor in the lead role of Malcolm Scrawdyke.


title: Denis Lawson

text: In 2005, he played the leading role of John Jarndyce in the critically acclaimed BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Bleak House", receiving an Emmy nomination. Two years later he played Peter Syme in the BBC One drama serial "Jekyll", a modern version of "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde". Lawson also appeared as Captain "Dreadnought" Foster in ITV's dramatisations of C.S. Forester's "Hornblower". He appeared in "Robin Hood" in which he played the Harold of Winchester.


title: Denis Lawson

text: He also appeared in the West End playing the character of Georges in the revival of the musical hit "La Cage Aux Folles". No stranger to musical theatre, Lawson previously starred in the London revival of "Pal Joey".


title: Denis Lawson

text: He starred as the lead in "Above Their Station", a sitcom for the BBC written by Rhys Thomas about Community Support Officers; it was made as a pilot but never commissioned, being shown only as a one-off special. Lawson appeared alongside actress Helena Bonham Carter in the BBC Four movie based on the life of Enid Blyton, playing Kenneth Darrell Waters, a London surgeon who becomes Blyton's second husband. In July 2009 Lawson appeared as Alexander Fleming in a BBC Four drama called "Breaking the Mould: The Story of Penicillin" alongside Dominic West. Lawson played the part of Alice's grandfather in ITV1's supernatural crime thriller "Marchlands" which was shown in February 2011.


title: Denis Lawson

text: Lawson has said he was asked to reprise his role as Wedge Antilles in "", but reportedly turned down the role because he believed it would have "bored" him. However, Lawson later said he actually declined to appear in "The Force Awakens" due to a scheduling conflict, and would have appeared in the film had he been available. Lawson returned to the role in 2019's "".


title: Denis Lawson

text: In 1973, he met actress Diane Fletcher in a stage production of "Twelfth Night". They have a son together, Jamie (born 1979).


title: Denis Lawson

text: He met his wife, actress Sheila Gish, on the set of the 1985 film "That Uncertain Feeling". They lived together for nearly 20 years before marrying in March 2004 in Antigua; she died of cancer a year later.


title: Royal Mail

text: International Distributions Services plc (formerly Royal Mail plc), trading as Royal Mail, is a British multinational postal service and courier company, originally established in 1516 as a government department. The company's subsidiary Royal Mail Group Limited operates the brands Royal Mail (letters and parcels) and Parcelforce Worldwide (parcels). GLS Group, an international logistics company, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Mail Group. The group used the name Consignia for a brief period in the early 2000s and Royal Mail until October 2022.


title: Royal Mail

text: The company provides mail collection and delivery services throughout the UK. Letters and parcels are deposited in post or parcel boxes, or are collected in bulk from businesses and transported to Royal Mail sorting offices. Royal Mail owns and maintains the UK's distinctive red pillar boxes, first introduced in 1852 (12 years after the first postage stamp, Penny Black), and other post boxes, many of which bear the royal cypher of the reigning monarch at the date of manufacture. Deliveries are made at least once every day except Sundays and bank holidays at uniform charges for all UK destinations. Royal Mail generally aims to make first class deliveries the next business day throughout the nation.


title: Royal Mail

text: For most of its history, the Royal Mail was a public service, operating as a government department or public corporation. Following the Postal Services Act 2011, a majority of the shares in Royal Mail were floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2013. The UK government initially retained a 30% stake in Royal Mail, but sold its remaining shares in 2015, ending 499 years of state ownership. It is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.


title: Royal Mail

text: The Royal Mail can trace its history back to 1516, when Henry VIII established a "Master of the Posts", a position that was renamed "Postmaster General" in 1710.


title: Royal Mail

text: Upon his accession to the throne of England at the Union of the Crowns in 1603, James VI moved his court to London. One of his first acts from London was to establish the royal postal service between London and Edinburgh, in an attempt to retain control over the Scottish Privy Council.


title: Royal Mail

text: The Royal Mail service was first made available to the public by Charles I on 31 July 1635, with postage being paid by the recipient. The monopoly was farmed out to Thomas Witherings.


title: Royal Mail

text: In the 1640s, Parliament removed the monopoly from Witherings and during the Civil War and First Commonwealth the parliamentary postal service was run at great profit for himself by Edmund Prideaux (a prominent parliamentarian and lawyer who rose to be attorney-general). To keep his monopoly in those troubled times Prideaux improved efficiency and used both legal impediments and illegal methods.


title: Royal Mail

text: In 1653, Parliament set aside all previous grants for postal services, and contracts were let for the inland and foreign mails to John Manley. Manley was given a monopoly on the postal service, which was effectively enforced by Protector Oliver Cromwell's government, and thanks to the improvements necessitated by the war, Manley ran a much improved Post Office service. In July 1655, the Post Office was put under the direct government control of John Thurloe, a Secretary of State, best known to history as Cromwell's spymaster general. Previous English governments had tried to prevent conspirators communicating; Thurloe preferred to deliver their post having surreptitiously read it. As the Protectorate claimed to govern all of Great Britain and Ireland under one unified government, on 9 June 1657 the Second Protectorate Parliament (which included Scottish and Irish MPs) passed the "Act for settling the Postage in England, Scotland and Ireland", which created one monopoly Post Office for the whole territory of the Commonwealth. The first Postmaster General was appointed in 1661, and a seal was first fixed to the mail.


title: Royal Mail

text: At the restoration of the monarchy, in 1660, all the ordinances and acts passed by parliaments during the Civil War and the Interregnum passed into oblivion, so the General Post Office (GPO) was officially established by Charles II in 1660.


title: Royal Mail

text: Between 1719 and 1763, Ralph Allen, postmaster at Bath, signed a series of contracts with the post office to develop and expand Britain's postal network. He organised mail coaches which were provided by both Wilson & Company of London and Williams & Company of Bath. The early Royal Mail Coaches were similar to ordinary family coaches, but with Post Office livery.


title: Royal Mail

text: The first mail coach ran in 1784, operating between Bristol and London. Delivery staff received uniforms for the first time in 1793, and the Post Office Investigation Branch was established. The first mail train ran in 1830, on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The Post Office's money order system was introduced in 1838.


title: Royal Mail

text: In December 1839, the first substantial reform started when postage rates were revised by the short-lived Uniform Fourpenny Post.


title: Royal Mail

text: Rowland Hill, an English teacher, inventor and social reformer, became disillusioned with the postal service, and wrote a paper proposing reforms that resulted in an approach that would go on to change not only the Royal Mail, but also be copied by postal services around world. His proposal was refused at the first attempt, but he overcame the political obstacles, and was appointed to implement and develop his ideas. He realised that many small purchases would fund the organisation and implemented this by changing it from a receiver-pays to a sender-pays system. This was used as the model for other postal services around the world, but also spilled over to the modern-day crowd-funding approach.


title: Royal Mail

text: Greater changes took place when the Uniform Penny Post was introduced on 10 January 1840, whereby a single rate for delivery anywhere in Great Britain and Ireland was pre-paid by the sender. A few months later, to certify that postage had been paid on a letter, the sender could affix the first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black, which was available for use from 6 May the same year. Other innovations were the introduction of pre-paid William Mulready designed postal stationery letter sheets and envelopes.


title: Royal Mail

text: As Britain was the first country to issue prepaid postage stamps, British stamps are the only stamps that do not bear the name of the country of issue on them.


title: Royal Mail

text: By the late 19th century, there were between six and twelve mail deliveries per day in London, permitting correspondents to exchange multiple letters within a single day.


title: Royal Mail

text: The first trial of the London Pneumatic Despatch Company was made in 1863, sending mail by underground rail between postal depots. The Post Office began its telegraph service in 1870.


title: Royal Mail

text: The first Post Office pillar box was erected in 1852 in Jersey. Pillar boxes were introduced in mainland Britain the following year. British pillar boxes traditionally carry the Latin initials of the reigning monarch at the time of their installation, for example: "VR" for "Victoria Regina" or "GR" for "Georgius Rex". Such branding was not used in Scotland for most of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, due to a dispute over the monarch's title: some Scottish nationalists argue that Queen Elizabeth II should have simply been Queen Elizabeth, as there had been no previous Queen Elizabeth of Scotland or of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Elizabeth I was only Queen of the pre-1707 Kingdom of England). The dispute involved vandalism and attacks on pillar and post boxes introduced in Scotland which displayed EIIR. To avoid the issue, pillar boxes in Scotland were either marked 'Post Office' or used the Scots Crown.


title: Royal Mail

text: A national telephone service was opened by the Post Office in 1912. In 1919, the first international airmail service was developed by Royal Engineers (Postal Section) and Royal Air Force. The London Post Office Railway was opened in 1927.


title: Royal Mail

text: In 1941, an airgraph service was introduced between UK and Egypt. The service was later extended to Canada (1941), East Africa (1941), Burma (1942), India (1942), South Africa (1942), Australia (1943), New Zealand (1943) Ceylon (1944) and Italy (1944).


title: Royal Mail

text: Under the Post Office Act 1969 the General Post Office was changed from a government department to a statutory corporation, known simply as the Post Office. The office of Postmaster General was abolished and replaced with the positions of chairman and chief executive in the new company.


title: Royal Mail

text: The two-class postal system was introduced in 1968, using first-class and second-class services. The Post Office opened the National Giro Bank that year.


title: Royal Mail

text: In 1971, postal services in Great Britain were suspended for two months between January and March as the result of a national postal strike over a pay claim. Postcodes were extended across Great Britain and Northern Ireland between 1959 and 1974.


title: Royal Mail

text: Postal workers held their first national strike for 17 years in 1988, after walking out over bonuses being paid to recruit new workers in London and the South East. Royal Mail established Romec (Royal Mail Engineering & Construction) in 1989 to deliver facilities maintenance services to its business. Romec was 51% owned by Royal Mail, and 49% by Haden Building Management Ltd, which became Balfour Beatty WorkPlace and is now Cofely UK, part of GDF Suez in a joint venture.


title: Royal Mail

text: British Telecom was separated from the Post Office in 1980, and emerged as an independent business in 1981. Girobank was sold to Alliance & Leicester in 1990, and Royal Mail Parcels was rebranded as Parcelforce. The remaining business continued under public ownership, as privatisation of this was deemed to be too unpopular. However, in the 1990s, President of the Board of Trade Michael Heseltine began investigating a possible sale, and eventually a Green Paper on Postal Reform was published in May 1994, outlining various options for privatisation. The ideas, however, proved controversial, and were dropped from the 1994 Queen's Speech after a number of Conservative MPs warned Heseltine that they would not vote for the legislation.


title: Royal Mail

text: After a change of government in 1997, the Labour government decided to keep the Post Office state-owned, but with more commercial freedom. This led to the Postal Services Act 2000, whereby the Post Office became a public limited company in which the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry owned 50,004 ordinary shares plus 1 special share, and the Treasury Solicitor held 1 ordinary share. The company was renamed Consignia plc in 2001 and the new name was intended to show that the company did more than deliver mail; however, the change was very unpopular with both the general public and employees. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) boycotted the name, and the following year, it was announced that the company would be renamed Royal Mail Group plc.


title: Royal Mail

text: In 1999, Royal Mail launched a short-lived e-commerce venture, ViaCode Limited, aimed at providing encrypted online communications services. However, it failed to make a profit and closed in 2002.


title: Royal Mail

text: As part of the 2000 Act, the government set up a postal regulator, the Postal Services Commission, known as Postcomm, which offered licences to private companies to deliver mail. In 2001, the Consumer Council for Postal Services, known as Postwatch, was created for consumers to express any concerns they may have with the postal service in Britain.


title: Royal Mail

text: In 2004, the second daily delivery was scrapped in an effort to reduce costs and improve efficiency, meaning a later single delivery would be made. The same year, the travelling post office mail trains were also axed. In 2005, Royal Mail signed a contract with GB Railfreight to operate an overnight rail service between London and Scotland (carrying bulk mail, and without any on-train sorting); this was later followed by a London-Newcastle service.


title: Royal Mail

text: On 1 January 2006, the Royal Mail lost its 350-year monopoly, and the British postal market became fully open to competition. Competitors were allowed to collect and sort mail, and pass it to Royal Mail for delivery, a service known as downstream access. Royal Mail introduced Pricing in Proportion (PiP) for first and second class inland mail, whereby prices are affected by the size as well as weight of items. It also introduced an online postage service, allowing customers to pay for postage online.


title: Royal Mail

text: In 2007, the Royal Mail Group plc became Royal Mail Group Ltd, in a slight change of legal status. Royal Mail ended Sunday collections from pillar boxes that year.


title: Royal Mail

text: In 2008, due to a continuing fall in mail volumes, the government commissioned an independent review of the postal services sector by Richard Hooper CBE, the former deputy chairman of Ofcom. The recommendations in the Hooper Review led Business Secretary Lord Mandelson to seek to part privatise the company by selling a minority stake to a commercial partner. However, despite legislation for the sale passing the House of Lords, it was abandoned in the House of Commons after strong opposition from backbench Labour MPs. The government later cited the difficult economic conditions for the reason behind the retreat.


title: Royal Mail

text: After the departure of Adam Crozier to ITV plc on 27 May 2010, Royal Mail appointed Canadian Moya Greene as chief executive, the first woman to hold the post.


title: Royal Mail

text: On 6 December 2010, a number of paid-for services including Admail, post office boxes and private post boxes were removed from the Inland Letter Post Scheme (ILPS) and became available under contract. Several free services, including petitions to parliament and the sovereign, and poste restante, were removed from the scheme.


title: Royal Mail

text: Following the 2010 general election, the new Business Secretary in the coalition government, Vince Cable, asked Richard Hooper to expand on his report, to account for EU Directive 2008/6/EC which called for the postal sector to be fully open to competition by 31 December 2012. Based on the Hooper Review Update, the government passed the Postal Services Act 2011. The Act allowed for up to 90% of Royal Mail to be privatised, with at least 10% of shares to be held by Royal Mail employees.


title: Royal Mail

text: As part of the 2011 Act, Postcomm was merged into the communications regulator Ofcom on 1 October 2011, with Ofcom introducing a new simplified set of regulations for postal services on 27 March 2012. On 31 March 2012, the Government took over the historic assets and liabilities of the Royal Mail pension scheme, relieving Royal Mail of its huge pensions deficit. On 1 April 2012, Post Office Limited became independent of Royal Mail Group, and was reorganised to become a subsidiary of Royal Mail Holdings, with a separate management and board of directors. A 10-year inter-business agreement was signed between the two companies to allow Post Offices to continue issuing stamps and handling letters and parcels for Royal Mail. The Act also contained the option for Post Office Ltd to become a mutual organisation in the future.


title: Royal Mail

text: In July 2013, Cable announced that Royal Mail was to be floated on the London Stock Exchange, and confirmed that postal staff would be entitled to free shares. Cable explained his position before the House of Commons:


title: Royal Mail

text: The government's decision on the sale is practical, it is logical, it is a commercial decision designed to put Royal Mail's future on a long-term sustainable business. It is consistent with developments elsewhere in Europe where privatised operators in Austria, Germany and Belgium produce profit margins far higher than the Royal Mail but have continued to provide high-quality and expanding services.


title: Royal Mail

text: Royal Mail's chief executive Moya Greene publicly supported Cable, stating that the sale would provide staff with "a meaningful stake in the company", while the public would be able to "invest in a great British institution". On 12 September 2013, a six-week plan for the sale of at least half of the business was released to the public; the Communication Workers Union (CWU), representing over 100,000 Royal Mail employees, said that 96% of Royal Mail staff opposed the sell-off. A postal staff ballot in relation to a nationwide strike action was expected to take place in late September 2013.


title: Royal Mail

text: Applications for members of the public to buy shares opened on 27 September 2013, ahead of the company's listing on the London Stock Exchange on 15 October 2013. The government was expected to retain between a 37.8% and 49.9% holding in the company. A report on 10 October 2013 revealed that around 700,000 applications for shares had been received by HM Government, more than seven times the amount that were available to the public. Cable stated: "The aim is to place the shares with long-term investors, we are absolutely confident that will happen." At the time of the report, Royal Mail staff continued to ballot regarding potential strike action.


title: Royal Mail

text: The initial public offering (IPO) price was set at 330p, and conditional trading in shares began on 11 October 2013, ahead of the full listing on 15 October 2013. Following the IPO, 52.2% of Royal Mail had been sold to investors, with 10% given to employees for free. Due to the high demand for shares, an additional 7.8% was sold via an over-allotment arrangement on 8 November 2013. This left the government with a 30% stake in Royal Mail and £1.98bn raised from the sale of shares.


title: Royal Mail

text: The CWU confirmed on 13 October 2013 that strike action would occur in response to the privatisation of Royal Mail, with a possible start date of 23 October 2013. A union source stated: "It is likely to be an all-out strike first, then rolling strikes in the run up to Christmas", while the CWU had dismissed the offer of an 8.6% rise over three years as "misleading and unacceptable". Prior to the announcement of the strike ballot results on the afternoon of 16 October 2013, employees were offered £300 to cross the picket line if a nationwide postal strike occurred. The CWU called off strike action on 30 October 2013, while negotiations progressed with Royal Mail's management. The talks were extended on 13 November 2013, with the aim that an agreement be reached by both sides by 20 November 2013. Royal Mail confirmed that both sides had reached a proposed settlement on 4 December, and the CWU confirmed on 9 December 2013 that it would recommend the deal to its members. On 6 February 2014, the CWU confirmed that Royal Mail staff had voted to accept the settlement.


title: Royal Mail

text: Share prices rose by 38% on the first day of conditional trading, leading to accusations that the company had been undervalued. Six months later, the market price was 58% more than the sale price, and peaked as high as 87%. Business Secretary Vince Cable defended the low sale price that was finalised, saying that the threat of strike action around the time of the sale meant it was a fair price in the circumstances, following questioning from the House of Commons Business Committee in late April 2014. On behalf of both himself and Business Minister Michael Fallon, Cable stated before the committee: "We don't apologise for it and we don't regret it."


title: Royal Mail

text: Cable was required to respond to the sale price issue again on 11 July 2014 after a report was published on that date by the Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Committee. Chaired by MP Adrian Bailey, the report concluded:


title: Royal Mail

text: It is clear that the Government met its objectives in terms of delivering a privatised Royal Mail with an employee share scheme. However, it is not clear whether value for money was achieved and whether Ministers obtained the appropriate return to the taxpayer. We agree with the National Audit Office that the Government met its primary objective. On the basis of the performance of the share price to date, it appears that the taxpayer has missed out on significant value.


title: Royal Mail

text: The report also concluded that the "Government over-emphasised the risk" in regard to the industrial relations between the government and the CWU, with the BIS Committee referring to the Royal Mail share price before, during and after the finalisation of the pay deal with the union. During the presentation of the report, Bailey referred to the underpinning factors of "fear of failure and poor quality advice", and warned that British taxpayers could sustain further losses in the future due to the inclusion of Royal Mail's 'surplus' assets as part of "the most significant privatisation in years". The BIS Committee called on the UK government to publish a list of the preferred investors involved in the sale, including the details of those investors who sold their shareholding. Billy Hayes, general secretary of the CWU, also responded to the BIS report: "The BIS select committee's damning report published today shows the extent of the government's incompetence in the privatisation of Royal Mail."


title: Royal Mail

text: On 4 June 2015, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, announced that the government would sell its remaining 30% stake. A 15% stake was subsequently sold to investors on 11 June 2015, raising £750m, with a further 1% passed to the company's employees. The government completed the disposal of its shareholding on 12 October 2015, when a 13% stake was sold for £591m and another 1% was given to employees. In total the government raised £3.3bn from the full privatisation of Royal Mail.


title: Royal Mail

text: As of 13 January 2020, Royal Mail shares are trading below the issue price, as they did throughout all of 2019.


title: Royal Mail

text: On 1 June 2022, it was announced that it will be demoted from the FTSE 100, and became a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index on 20 June.


title: Royal Mail

text: During its Annual General Meeting on 20 July 2022, the company announced that the holding company responsible for both Royal Mail and GLS would change its name to International Distributions Services. It was also suggested that the board of directors may look to separate GLS in order to distance the profitable company from Royal Mail, which are currently in negotiations with the CWU over both pay and future changes to ways of working. The name change was filled in the Companies House on 28 September 2022 and registered on 3 October.


title: Royal Mail

text: Royal Mail is required by law to maintain the universal service, whereby items of a specific size can be sent to any location within the United Kingdom for a fixed price, not affected by distance. The Postal Services Act 2011 guaranteed that Royal Mail would continue to provide the universal service until at least 2021.


title: Royal Mail

text: Royal Mail Special Delivery is an expedited mail service that guarantees delivery by 1 p.m. or 9 a.m. the next day for an increased cost. In the event that the item does not arrive on time, there is a money back guarantee. It insures goods to the value of £50 for 9 a.m. or £500 for 1 p.m. to £2,500 (for either service).


title: Royal Mail

text: The Royal Mail runs, alongside its stamped mail services, another sector of post called business mail. The large majority of Royal Mail's business mail service is for PPI or franked mail, where the sender prints their own 'stamp'. For PPI mail, this involves either a simple rubber stamp and an ink pad, or a printed label. For franked mail, a dedicated franking machine is used.


title: Royal Mail

text: Bulk business mail, using Mailmark technology, attracts reduced prices of up to 32%, if the sender prints an RM4SCC barcode, or prints the address in a specified position on the envelope using a font readable by optical character recognition (OCR) equipment.


title: Royal Mail

text: Royal Mail will not carry a number of items which it says could be dangerous for its staff or vehicles. Additionally, a list of 'restricted' items can be posted subject to conditions. Prohibited goods include alcoholic, corrosive or flammable liquids or solids, gases, controlled drugs, indecent or offensive materials, and human and animal remains.


title: Royal Mail

text: In 2004, Royal Mail applied to the then postal regulator Postcomm to ban the carriage of sporting firearms, saying they caused disruption to the network, that a ban would assist police with firearms control, and that ease of access meant the letters network was a target of criminals. Postcomm issued a consultation on the proposed changes in December 2004, to which 62 people and organisations responded.


title: Royal Mail

text: In June 2005, Postcomm decided to refuse the application on the grounds that Royal Mail had not provided sufficient evidence that carrying firearms caused undue disruption or that a ban would reduce the number of illegal weapons. It also said that a ban would cause unnecessary hardship to individuals and businesses.


title: Royal Mail

text: In August 2012, Royal Mail again attempted to prohibit the carriage of all firearms, air rifles and air pistols from 30 November 2012. It cited Section 14(1) of the 1998 Firearms (Amendment) Act, which requires carriers of firearms to "take reasonable precautions" for their safe custody and argued that to comply would involve disproportionate cost. A Royal Mail public consultation document on the changes said: "We expect the impact on customers to be minimal".


title: Royal Mail

text: The proposals provoked a large negative response, following a campaign led by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, backed by numerous shooting-related websites and organisations. A total of 1,458 people gave their views in emails and letters sent to Royal Mail. An online petition opposing the proposals was signed by 2,236 people, 1,742 of whom added comments. In the face of such opposition, Royal Mail dropped the proposals in December 2012.


title: Royal Mail

text: Royal Mail's "Door to door" service provides delivery of leaflets, brochures, catalogues and other print materials to groups of domestic and business addresses selected by postcode. Such deliveries are made by the mail carrier together as part of the daily round. Companies using the "Door to door" service include Virgin Media, BT, Sky, Talk Talk, Farmfoods, Domino's Pizza, Direct Line and Morrisons. In 2005, the service delivered 3.3 billion items.


title: Royal Mail

text: The "Door to door" service does not use the UK Mailing Preference Service; instead, Royal Mail operates its own opt-out database. Warnings about missing government communications given by Royal Mail to customers opting out of their service have been criticised by customers and consumer groups. Clarification given by the company in June 2015 explained that election communications and unaddressed government mail would be delivered to customers even if they had opted out.


title: Royal Mail

text: As of 2019, Royal Mail employed around 162,000 permanent postal workers, of which 143,000 were UK based roles, and 90,000 were postmen and women. An additional 18,000 casual workers were employed during November and December to assist with the additional Christmas post.


title: Royal Mail

text: In 2011, Royal Mail established an in-house agency, Angard Staffing Solutions, to recruit temporary workers. Royal Mail was accused of trying to circumvent the Agency Workers Regulations, but denied this, saying they only wanted to reduce recruitment costs. In January 2012 it was reported that Angard had failed to pay a number of workers for several weeks.


title: Royal Mail

text: Royal Mail's industrial disputes include a seven-week strike in 1971 after a dispute over pay and another strike in 1988 due to bonuses being paid to new staff recruited in London and the South East.


title: Royal Mail

text: Royal Mail suffered national wildcat strikes over pay and conditions in 2003. In Autumn 2007, disputes over modernisation began to escalate into industrial action. In mid October the CWU and Royal Mail agreed a resolution to the dispute.


title: Royal Mail

text: In December 2008, workers at mail centres affected by proposals to rationalise the number of mail centres (particularly in north west England) again voted for strike action, potentially affecting Christmas deliveries. The action was postponed less than 24 hours before staff were due to walk out.


title: Royal Mail

text: Localised strikes took place across the UK from June 2009 and grew in frequency throughout the summer. In September 2009 the CWU opened a national ballot for industrial action over Royal Mail's failure to reach a national agreement covering protection of jobs, pay, terms and conditions and the cessation of managerial executive action. The ballot was passed in October, causing a number of two- and three-day strikes.


title: Royal Mail

text: In August 2022 Royal Mail staff who were members of the Communication Workers Union announced 4 days of Royal Mail group strike action would take place in response to a pay dispute coupled with rising cost of living.


title: Royal Mail

text: Penny Post Credit Union Limited is a savings and loans co-operative established by a joint project with the CWU in 1996, as Royal Mail Wolverhampton and District Employees Credit Union, it became Royal Mail (West) Credit Union in 2000, before adopting the present name in 2001. Based at the North West Midlands Mail Centre, it is a member of the Association of British Credit Unions Limited.


title: Royal Mail

text: The credit union is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the PRA. Ultimately, like the banks and building societies, members' savings are protected against business failure by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.


title: Royal Mail

text: "The position of Chairman was established in 1969, after enactment of the Post Office Act 1969. Prior to this, the Chairman's duties were performed by the Postmaster General of the United Kingdom."


title: Royal Mail

text: The Royal Mail is regulated by Ofcom, while consumer interests are represented by the Citizens Advice Bureau. The relationship between the two bodies' predecessors (Postcomm and Postwatch) was not always good, and in 2005, Postwatch took Postcomm to judicial review over its decision regarding rebates to late-paying customers.


title: Royal Mail

text: Royal Mail has, in some quarters, a poor reputation for losing mail despite its claims that more than 99.93% of mail arrives safely and in 2006 was fined £11.7 million due to the amount of mail lost, stolen or damaged. In the first three months of 2011, around 120,000 letters were lost.


title: Royal Mail

text: In July 2012 Ofcom consulted on a scheme proposed by Royal Mail to alter its delivery obligations to allow larger postal items to be left with neighbours rather than returning them to a Royal Mail office to await collection. The scheme was presented as offering consumers greater choice for receiving mail when not at home, that is if Royal Mail deliver items as per their stated contractual obligations and was said to follow Royal Mail research from a 'delivery to neighbour' trial across six areas of the UK that showed widespread consumer satisfaction. In a statement dated 27 September 2012, Ofcom announced it would approve the scheme after noting that more goods were being purchased over the internet and that Royal Mail's competitors were permitted to leave undelivered items with neighbours. People who do not wish to have parcels left with neighbours, or to receive those of others, can opt out by displaying a free opt-out sticker near their letterbox. Royal Mail remains liable for undeliverable items until they are received by the addressee or returned to sender.


title: Royal Mail

text: Ofcom suggested in October 2012 that the first and second class post systems could be replaced by a single class. The new class would be set at a higher price than the current second class, but would be delivered in a shorter time-frame.


title: Royal Mail

text: Royal Mail was fined £50 million by Ofcom in 2018 for breach of European Union competition law. Ofcom found that Royal Mail had abused its dominant position in 2014 in the delivery of letters.


title: Royal Mail

text: The targets are delivering 93% of First Class post the next working day, and delivering 98.5% of Second Class post within three working days.


title: Royal Mail

text: Royal Mail operates a network of 37 mail centres (as of 2019). Each mail centre serves a large geographically defined area of the UK and together they form the backbone network of the mail distribution operation. Mail is collected and brought to one of the mail centres. Mail is exchanged between the mail centres and then forwarded to one of 1,356 delivery offices, from where the final delivery is made or a P739 card is left.


title: Royal Mail

text: As part of the sorting process, mail is collected from pillar boxes, Post Office branches and businesses, and brought to the regional mail centre. The process is divided into two parts. The 'outward' sorting identifies mail for delivery in the mail centre geographic area, which is retained, and mail intended for other mail centres, which is dispatched. The 'inward' sorting forwards mail received from other centres to the relevant delivery offices within the mail centre area.


title: Royal Mail

text: Integrated mail processing (IMP) is the method that Royal Mail uses to sort the mail (in bulk) before delivery and has been implementing the technology since 1999. The system works by automated optical character recognition of postcodes. Integrated mail processors scan the front and back of an envelope and translate addresses into machine-readable code. Letters are given a fluorescent orange barcode that represents the address. The barcode follows the RM4SCC pattern. Per mail item there are over 250 types of information that are collected from mail class to indicia type. Some scanning and detection features have been removed as they have been superseded by newer technology. This is known as the IMP Extension of Life (EoL) program.


title: Royal Mail

text: Royal Mail operates 66 intelligent letter sorting machines (ILSMs) in the UK, which were installed in the mid-1980s and early 1990s to improve the speed and efficiency of sorting and delivering mail. These process more than 36,000 items per hour and were part of their ongoing modernisation programme that commenced in the early 1980s.


title: Royal Mail

text: Royal Mail operates an international-mail sorting centre, in Langley, Berkshire close to Heathrow Airport, called the Heathrow Worldwide Distribution Centre, which handles all international airmail arriving into and leaving the United Kingdom, plus some container- and road-transported mail.


title: Royal Mail

text: Mail Centres in the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey are streamlined into the Royal Mail's domestic network.


title: Royal Mail

text: The number of mail centres has been declining as part of the Mail Centre Rationalisation Programme. In 2008, there were 69 mail centres and in 2010 there were 64. It was anticipated that around half of these could be closed by 2016. Oldham and Stockport along with Oxford and Reading mail centres all closed in 2009 and Bolton, Crewe, Liverpool, Northampton, Coventry and Milton Keynes were closed in 2010. Farnborough, Watford and Stevenage were closed in 2011. Hemel Hempstead, Southend, Worcester were closed in 2012. Dartford, Tonbridge, Maidstone and Canterbury were closed in 2012 but replaced by a new mail centre in Rochester. The East London and South London mail centres were closed during summer 2012.


title: Royal Mail

text: In 2013 and 2014, a further eight mail centres were planned to be closed. The old mail centres in Northampton, Coventry and Milton Keynes were replaced with the new South Midlands mail centre in Northampton covering Warwickshire, Coventry, Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes. The South Midlands Mail Centre is the largest in the UK.


title: Royal Mail

text: As of 2020 there are 7 Regional Distribution Centres (RDCs) across the country.They are responsible for handling large pre-sorted mailings from business customers.


title: Royal Mail

text: Royal Mail is famous for its custom load-carrying bicycles (with the rack and basket built into the frame), made by Pashley Cycles since 1971. Since 2000, old delivery bicycles have been shipped to Africa by the charity Re~Cycle; over 8,000 had been donated by 2004. In 2009, Royal Mail announced it was beginning to phase out bicycle deliveries, to be replaced with more push-trolleys and vans. A spokesman said that they would continue to use bicycles on some rural routes, and that there was no plan to phase out bicycles completely.


title: Royal Mail

text: In addition to running a large number of road vehicles, Royal Mail uses trains, a ship and some aircraft, with an air hub at East Midlands Airport. Dedicated night mail flights are operated by Titan Airways for Royal Mail between East Midlands Airport and Bournemouth Airport and between Exeter International Airport and London Stansted Airport. One Boeing 737-3Y0 was flown in full Royal Mail livery. In June 2013, Royal Mail confirmed it would extend Titan Airways' contract to operate night flights from Stansted Airport, from January 2014 to January 2017, introducing new routes to Edinburgh and Belfast using three Boeing 737s. The new contract called for the replacement of the British Aerospace 146-200QC (Quick Change) aircraft in favour of a standard Boeing 737 fleet, and the type was withdrawn by Titan Airways in November 2013.


title: Royal Mail

text: In 2021 Royal Mail announced plans to trial using a drone between the UK mainland and St Mary's airport, Scilly Isles. The twin-engine vehicle is manufactured in the UK by the Windracers Limited and is capable of carrying 100 kg of mail, which is the same weight as a typical delivery round. It is able to fly in poor weather conditions, including fog, and will be out of sight of any operator during the 70-mile journey. Vertical take-off and landing drones will take parcels between the islands in the archipelago. Royal Mail delivered its first parcel using a drone in December 2020 when a package was sent to a remote lighthouse on Scotland's Isle of Mull.


title: Royal Mail

text: The RMS "St. Helena" was a cargo and passenger ship that served the British overseas territory of Saint Helena. It sailed between Cape Town, Saint Helena and Ascension Island. It was one of only two Royal Mail Ships in service, alongside the Queen Mary 2, although it did not belong to Royal Mail Group.


title: Royal Mail

text: Royal Mail operated the London Post Office Railway, a network of driverless trains running on a private underground track, from 1927 until it closed it in 2003.


title: Royal Mail

text: British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies have their own independent postal systems. (See List of postal entities.) Though served by independent operators, the three Crown Dependencies use British postcodes in co-operation with Royal Mail; each dependency has its own postal area. The same prices are charged by the four operators for delivery throughout their collective area, though delivery times vary, and UK mail to the Channel Islands must clear customs.


title: Brandeis University

text: Brandeis University is a private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts. Founded in 1948 as a non-sectarian, coeducational institution sponsored by the Jewish community, Brandeis was established on the site of the former Middlesex University. The university is named after Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.


title: Brandeis University

text: In 2018, it had a total enrollment of 5,800 students on its suburban campus spanning . The institution offers more than 43 majors and 46 minors and two-thirds of undergraduate classes have 20 students or fewer. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and is a member of Association of American Universities and the Boston Consortium, which allows students to cross-register to attend courses at other institutions including Boston College, Boston University and Tufts University.


title: Brandeis University

text: The university has a strong liberal arts focus and attracts a geographically and economically diverse student body, with 72% of its non-international undergraduates being from out of state, 50% of full-time undergraduates receiving need-based financial aid and 13.5% being recipients of the federal Pell Grant. 34% of students identify as Jewish. It has the eighth-largest proportion of international students of any university in the United States. Alumni and affiliates of the university include former first lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt, Nobel Prize laureate Roderick MacKinnon and Fields Medalist Edward Witten, as well as foreign heads of state, congressmen, governors, diplomats, and recipients of the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Academy Award, Emmy Award, and MacArthur Fellowship. Brandeis University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.


title: Brandeis University

text: Middlesex University was a medical school located in Waltham, Massachusetts, that was at the time the only medical school in Massachusetts that did not impose a quota on Jews. The founder, John Hall Smith, died in 1944. Smith's will stipulated that the school should go to any group willing to use it to establish a non-sectarian university. Within two years, Middlesex University was on the brink of financial collapse. The school had not been able to secure accreditation by the American Medical Association, which Smith partially attributed to institutional antisemitism in the American Medical Association, and, as a result, Massachusetts had all but shut it down.


title: Brandeis University

text: Smith's son, C. Ruggles Smith, was desperate for a way to save something of Middlesex University. He learned of a New York committee headed by Israel Goldstein that was seeking a campus to establish a Jewish-sponsored secular university. Smith approached Goldstein with a proposal to give the Middlesex campus and charter to Goldstein's committee, in the hope that his committee might "possess the apparent ability to reestablish the School of Medicine on an approved basis." While Goldstein was concerned about being saddled with a failing medical school, he was excited about the opportunity to secure a "campus not far from New York, the premier Jewish community in the world, and only from Boston, one of the important Jewish population centers." Goldstein agreed to accept Smith's offer, proceeding to recruit George Alpert, a Boston lawyer with fundraising experience as national vice president of the United Jewish Appeal.


title: Brandeis University

text: Alpert had worked his way through Boston University School of Law and co-founded the firm of Alpert and Alpert. Alpert's firm had a long association with the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, of which he was to become president from 1956 to 1961. He is best known today as the father of Richard Alpert (Baba Ram Dass). He was influential in Boston's Jewish community. His Judaism "tended to be social rather than spiritual." He was involved in assisting children displaced from Germany. Alpert was to be chairman of Brandeis from 1946 to 1954, and a trustee from 1946 until his death. By February 5, 1946, Goldstein had recruited Albert Einstein, whose involvement drew national attention to the nascent university. Einstein believed the university would attract the best young people in all fields, satisfying a real need.


title: Brandeis University

text: In March 1946, Goldstein said the foundation had raised $10 million that it would use to open the school by the following year. The foundation purchased Middlesex University's land and buildings for two million dollars. The charter of this operation was transferred to the foundation along with the campus. The founding organization was announced in August and named The Albert Einstein Foundation for Higher Learning, Inc. The new school would be a Jewish-sponsored secular university open to students and faculty of all races and religions.


title: Brandeis University

text: The trustees offered to name the university after Einstein in the summer of 1946, but Einstein declined, and on July 16, 1946, the board decided the university would be named after Louis Brandeis. Einstein objected to what he thought was excessively expansive promotion, and to Goldstein's sounding out Abram L. Sachar as a possible president without consulting Einstein. Einstein took great offense at Goldstein's having invited Cardinal Francis Spellman to participate in a fundraising event. Einstein also became alarmed by press announcements that exaggerated the school's success at fundraising.


title: Brandeis University

text: Einstein threatened to sever ties with the foundation on September 2, 1946. Believing the venture could not succeed without Einstein, Goldstein quickly agreed to resign himself, and Einstein recanted. Einstein's near-departure was publicly denied. Goldstein said that, despite his resignation, he would continue to solicit donations for the foundation. On November 1, 1946, the foundation announced that the new university would be named Brandeis University, after Louis D. Brandeis, justice of the United States Supreme Court. By the end of 1946, the foundation said it had raised over five hundred thousand dollars, and two months later it said it had doubled that amount.