title: SS Normandie

text: "Normandie"s maiden voyage was on 29 May 1935. Fifty thousand saw her off at Le Havre on what was hoped would be a record-breaking crossing. She reached New York City after four days, three hours and two minutes, taking away the Blue Riband from the Italian liner . This brought great pride for the French, who had not won the distinction before. Under the command of Captain René Pugnet, "Normandie"s average on the maiden voyage was around and on the eastbound crossing to France, she averaged over , breaking records in both directions.


title: SS Normandie

text: During the maiden voyage, the CGT refused to predict that their ship would win the Blue Riband. However, by the time the ship reached New York, medallions of the Blue Riband victory, made in France, were delivered to passengers and the ship flew a blue pennant. An estimated 100,000 spectators lined New York Harbor for "Normandie"s arrival. All passengers were presented with a medal celebrating the occasion on behalf of the CGT.


title: SS Normandie

text: "Normandie" had a successful year but "Queen Mary", Cunard White Star Line's superliner, entered service in the summer of 1936. Cunard White Star said "Queen Mary" would surpass 80,000 tons. At 79,280 tons, "Normandie" would no longer be the world's largest. The CGT increased "Normandie"s size, mainly through the addition of an enclosed tourist lounge on the aft boat deck. Following these and other alterations, she measured 83,423 gross register tons. Exceeding "Queen Mary" by 2,000 tons, she would soon become the world's largest in terms of overall measured gross registered tonnage and length once again, claiming it off "Queen Mary" who only held it for a short amount of time.


title: SS Normandie

text: On 22 June 1936, a Blackburn Baffin, "S5162" of A Flight, RAF Gosport, flown by Lt Guy Kennedy Horsey on torpedo-dropping practice, buzzed "Normandie" off Ryde Pier and collided with a derrick which was transferring a motor car belonging to Arthur Evans, MP, onto a barge alongside the ship. The aircraft crashed onto "Normandie"s bow. The pilot was taken off by tender, but the wreckage of the aircraft remained on board "Normandie" as she had to sail due to the tide. It was carried to Le Havre. A salvage team from the Royal Air Force later removed the wreckage. Horsey was court-martialled and found guilty on two charges. Evans' car was wrecked in the accident, which was brought up in Parliament.


title: SS Normandie

text: In August 1936, "Queen Mary" captured the Blue Riband, averaging , starting a fierce rivalry. "Normandie" held the size record until the arrival of (83,673 gross register tons) in 1940.


title: SS Normandie

text: During refit, "Normandie" was modified to reduce vibration. Her three-bladed screws were replaced with four-bladed ones, and structural modifications were made to her lower aft section. These modifications reduced vibration at speed. In July 1937 she regained the Blue Riband, but "Queen Mary" took it back next year. After this the captain of "Normandie" sent a message saying, "Bravo to the "Queen Mary" until next time!" This rivalry could have gone on into the 1940s, but was ended by the Second World War.


title: SS Normandie

text: "Normandie" carried distinguished passengers, including the authors Colette and Ernest Hemingway; the wife of French President Albert Lebrun; songwriters Noël Coward and Irving Berlin; and Hollywood celebrities such as Fred Astaire, Marlene Dietrich, Walt Disney, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr, and James Stewart. She also carried the von Trapp family singers of "The Sound of Music" from New York to Southampton in 1938, and from Southampton, the family went to Scandinavia for a tour before returning to the U.S.


title: SS Normandie

text: While "Normandie" rarely was occupied at over 60% of her capacity, her finances were such that she did not require government subsidies every year. She never repaid any of the loans that made her construction possible. The CGT considered a sister ship, SS "Bretagne", which was to be longer and larger. There were two competing designs for this ship one conservative, one radical. The conservative design was essentially "Normandie" with two funnels, possibly larger as well. The radical one was from "Normandie"s designer, Vladimir Yourkevitch, and was super-streamlined with twin, side-by-side funnels just aft of the bridge. The more conservative design won, but the outbreak of the war halted the plan indefinitely.


title: SS Normandie

text: Although "Normandie" was a critical success in her design and decor, ultimately North Atlantic passengers flocked to the more traditional "Queen Mary". Two of the ship's greatest attributes, in reality, turned out to be two of her biggest faults.


title: SS Normandie

text: Part of "Normandie"s problem lay in the fact that the majority of her passenger space was devoted solely to first class, which could carry up to 848 people. Less space and consideration were given to second and tourist class, which numbered only 670 and 454 passengers respectively. As a result, the consensus among North Atlantic passengers was that she was primarily a ship for the rich and famous. In contrast, in "Queen Mary", Cunard White Star had placed just as much emphasis on decor, space, and accommodation in second and tourist class as in first class. Thus "Queen Mary" accommodated American tourists, who had become numerous in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of these passengers could not afford first-class passage yet wanted to travel with much of the same comfort as those experienced in first. As a result, second and tourist class became a major cash source for shipping companies at that time. "Queen Mary" would accommodate these trends and subsequently the liner achieved greater popularity among North Atlantic travellers during the late thirties.


title: SS Normandie

text: Another of the CGT's greatest triumphs also turned out to be one of "Normandie"s greatest flaws: her decor. The ship's slick and modern Art Déco interiors proved to be somewhat intimidating and uncomfortable for her travellers, with some claiming that interiors gave them migraines. It was also here that "Queen Mary" triumphed over her French rival. Although also decorated in an Art Déco style, "Queen Mary" was more restrained in her appointments and was not as radical as "Normandie", and proved ultimately to be more popular with travellers.


title: SS Normandie

text: As a result, "Normandie" at many times throughout her service history carried less than half her full complement of passengers. Her German rivals "Bremen" and "Europa", and Italian rivals "Rex" and also suffered from this problem; despite their innovative designs and luxurious interiors, they made little profit for their respective companies. Contributing to this were international boycotts against Germany and Italy as the European geopolitical situation deteriorated through the 1930s. The Italian liners relied heavily on government subsidies, while the German Lloyd liners never received funding. In comparison, "Normandie" did not require government subsidies in service, with her income covering not only her operating expenses but generating revenue of 158,000,000 francs.


title: SS Normandie

text: In contrast, Cunard White Star's "Britannic III", "Georgic II", and much older "Aquitania", along with the Holland America Line's , were among the few North Atlantic liners to make a profit, carrying the lion's share of passengers in the years preceding the Second World War.


title: SS Normandie

text: The outbreak of the war found "Normandie" in New York Harbor. Looming hostilities in Europe had compelled "Normandie" to seek haven in the U.S. The federal government interned her on 3 September 1939, the same day France declared war on Germany. Soon "Queen Mary", later refitted as a troopship, moored nearby. Then, two weeks later, "Queen Elizabeth" joined "Queen Mary". For five months, the three largest liners in the world were tied up side by side. "Normandie" remained in French hands, with French crewmembers on board, led by Captain Hervé Lehuédé, into the spring of 1940.


title: SS Normandie

text: On 15 May 1940, during the Battle of France, the U.S. Treasury Department detailed about 150 agents of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to go aboard the ship and Manhattan's Pier 88 to defend it against possible sabotage. (At the time, U.S. law mandated the Coast Guard was a part of the Treasury during peacetime.) When the USCG became a part of the United States Navy on 1 November 1941, "Normandie"s USCG detail remained intact, mainly observing while the French crew maintained the vessel's boilers, machinery, and other equipment, including the fire-watch system. On 12 December 1941, five days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the USCG removed Captain Lehuédé and his crew and took possession of "Normandie" under the right of angary, maintaining steam in the boilers and other activities on the idled vessel. However, the elaborate fire-watch system which ensured that any fire would be suppressed before it became a danger was abandoned.


title: SS Normandie

text: On 20 December 1941, the Auxiliary Vessels Board officially recorded President Franklin D. Roosevelt's approval of "Normandie"'s transfer to the U.S. Navy. Plans called for the vessel to be turned into a troopship ("convoy unit loaded transport"). The Navy renamed her USS "Lafayette", in honor of both Marquis de la Fayette, the French general who fought on the Colonies' behalf in the American Revolution, and the alliance with France that made American independence possible. The name was a suggestion of J. P. "Jim" Warburg, advisory assistant to Colonel William J. Donovan, Coordinator of Information, which was passed through multiple channels including Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox; Admiral Harold R. Stark, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO); and Rear Adm. Randall Jacobs, Chief of the Bureau of Navigation. The name "La Fayette" (later universally and unofficially contracted to "Lafayette") was officially approved by the Secretary of the Navy on 31 December 1941, with the vessel classified as a transport, AP-53.


title: SS Normandie

text: Earlier proposals included turning "Lafayette" into an aircraft carrier, but this was dropped in favor of immediate troop transport. The ship remained moored at Pier 88 for the conversion. A contract for her conversion to a troop transport was awarded to Robins Dry Dock and Repair Co., a subsidiary of Todd Shipyards, on 27 December 1941. On that date, Capt. Clayton M. Simmers, the 3rd Naval District Materiel Officer, reported to the Bureau of Ships (BuShips) his estimate that the conversion work could be completed by 31 January 1942, and planning for the work proceeded on that basis.


title: SS Normandie

text: Capt. Robert G. Coman reported as "Lafayette"'s prospective commanding officer on 31 January 1942, overseeing a skeleton engineering force numbering 458 men. The complicated nature and enormous size of the conversion effort prevented Coman's crew from adhering to the original schedule; crew familiarization with the vessel was an issue, and additional crew members were arriving to assist the effort. On 6 February 1942, a request for a two-week delay for the first sailing of "Lafayette", originally scheduled for 14 February, was submitted to the Assistant Chief of Naval Operations. On that day, a schedule extension was granted due to a design plan change: elements of the superstructure were to be removed to improve stability, in work that was expected to take another 60 to 90 days. However, on 7 February, orders came from Washington that the reduction of the top-hamper had been abandoned and "Lafayette" was to sail on 14 February as planned. This abrupt reversal necessitated a frantic resumption of conversion work, and captains Coman and Simmers scheduled 9 February meetings in New York and Washington to lobby for further clarification of conversion plans; ultimately, these meetings would never take place.


title: SS Normandie

text: At 14:30 on 9 February 1942, sparks from a welding torch used by workman Clement Derrick ignited a stack of life vests filled with flammable kapok that had been stored in "Lafayette"s first-class lounge. The flammable varnished woodwork had not yet been removed, and the fire spread rapidly. The ship had a very efficient fire protection system, but it had been disconnected during the conversion and its internal pumping system was deactivated. The New York City Fire Department's hoses, unfortunately, did not fit the ship's French inlets. Before the fire department arrived, approximately 15 minutes after fire broke out, all onboard crew were using manual means in a vain attempt to stop the blaze. A strong northwesterly wind blowing over "Lafayette"s port quarter swept the blaze forward, eventually consuming the three upper decks of the ship within an hour of the start of the conflagration. Capt. Coman, along with Capt. Simmers, arrived about 15:25 to see his huge prospective command in flames.


title: SS Normandie

text: As firefighters on shore and in fire boats poured water on the blaze, "Lafayette" developed a dangerous list to port due to water pumped into the seaward side by fireboats. Vladimir Yourkevitch, the ship's designer, arrived at the scene to offer expertise but was barred by harbor police. Yourkevitch's suggestion was to enter the vessel and open the sea-cocks. This would flood the lower decks and make her settle the few feet to the bottom. With the ship stabilised, water could be pumped into burning areas without the risk of capsizing. The suggestion was rejected by the commander of the 3rd Naval District, Rear Admiral Adolphus Andrews.


title: SS Normandie

text: Between 17:45 and 18:00 on 9 February 1942, authorities considered the fire under control and began winding down operations until 20:00. Water entering "Lafayette" through submerged openings and flowing to the lower decks negated efforts to counter-flood, and her list gradually increased to port. Shortly after midnight, Rear Adm. Andrews ordered "Lafayette" abandoned. The ship continued to list, a process hastened by the 6,000 tons of water that had been sprayed on her. New York fire officials were concerned that the fire could spread to the nearby buildings. "Lafayette" eventually capsized during the mid watch (02:45) on 10 February, nearly crushing a fire boat, and came to rest on her port side at an angle of approximately 80 degrees. Recognising that his incompetence had caused the disaster, Rear Adm. Andrews ordered all pressmen barred from viewing the moment of capsize in an effort to lower the level of publicity.


title: SS Normandie

text: One man died in the tragedy – Frank "Trent" Trentacosta, 36, of Brooklyn, a member of the fire watch. Some 94 USCG and Navy sailors, including some from "Lafayette"'s pre-commissioning crew and men assigned to the receiving ship "Seattle", 38 fire fighters, and 153 civilians were treated for various injuries, burns, smoke inhalation, and exposure.


title: SS Normandie

text: The ruined "Lafayette" after the fire can be seen briefly in the film "Saboteur" (1942). The ship is not identified in the film, but the antagonist smiles when he sees it, suggesting that he was responsible. The film's director, Alfred Hitchcock, later said that "the Navy raised hell" about the implication that their security was so poor. The eastern seaboard of the U.S. was being attacked by German U-boats at the time of the film's release, but information was suppressed by the Navy.


title: SS Normandie

text: Enemy sabotage was widely suspected, but a congressional investigation in the wake of the sinking, chaired by Representative Patrick Henry Drewry (D-Virginia), concluded that the fire was accidental. The investigation found evidence of carelessness, rule violations, lack of coordination between the various parties on board, lack of clear command structure during the fire, and a hasty, poorly-planned conversion effort.


title: SS Normandie

text: Members of organized crime retrospectively claimed that they had sabotaged the vessel. It was alleged that arson had been organized by mobster Anthony Anastasio, who was a power in the local longshoremen's union, to provide leverage for the release of mob boss Charles "Lucky" Luciano from prison. Luciano's end of the bargain would be to ensure that there would be no further "enemy" sabotage in the ports where the mob had strong influence with the unions.


title: SS Normandie

text: In one of the largest and most expensive salvage operations of its kind, estimated at $5 million at the time, the ship was stripped of superstructure and righted on 7 August 1943. She was renamed "Lafayette" and reclassified as an aircraft and transport ferry, APV-4, on 15 September 1943 and placed in drydock the following month. However, extensive damage to her hull, deterioration of her machinery, and the necessity for employing manpower on other more critical war projects prevented resumption of the conversion program, with the cost of restoring her determined to be too great. Her hulk remained in the Navy's custody through the end of the war.


title: SS Normandie

text: "Lafayette" was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 11 October 1945 without having ever sailed under the U.S. flag. President Harry Truman authorized her disposal in an Executive Order on 8 September 1946, and she was sold as scrap on 3 October 1946 to Lipsett, Inc., an American salvage company based in New York City, for US$161,680 (approx. $1,997,000 in 2017 value). After neither the Navy nor French Line offered a plan to salvage her, Yourkevitch, the ship's original designer, proposed to cut the ship down and restore her as a mid-sized liner. This plan also failed to draw backing. She was cut up for scrap beginning in October 1946 at Port Newark, New Jersey, and completely scrapped by 31 December 1948.


title: SS Normandie

text: Designer Marin-Marie gave an innovative line to "Normandie", a silhouette which influenced ocean liners over the decades, including "Queen Mary 2". The ambience of classic transatlantic liners like "Normandie" (and her chief rival, "Queen Mary") was the source of inspiration for Disney Cruise Line's matching vessels, "Disney Magic," "Disney Wonder", "Disney Dream", and "Disney Fantasy".


title: SS Normandie

text: "Normandie" also inspired the architecture and design of the Normandie Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The hotel's roof sign is one of the two signs that adorned the top deck of "Normandie" but were removed from it during an early refitting. It also inspired the nickname 'The Normandie' given to the International Savings Society Apartments in Shanghai, one of the most fashionable residential buildings during the city's pre-revolutionary heyday and home to several stars of China's mid-20th century film industry. "Normandie" name also inspired that of The Normandy apartment building in New York City.


title: SS Normandie

text: Items from "Normandie" were sold at a series of auctions after her demise, and many pieces are considered valuable Art Déco treasures today. The rescued items include the ten large dining-room door medallions and fittings, and some of the individual Jean Dupas glass panels that formed the large murals mounted at the four corners of her Grand Salon. One entire corner is preserved at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The dining room door medallions are now on the exterior doors of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Cathedral in Brooklyn.


title: SS Normandie

text: Also surviving are some examples of the 24,000 pieces of crystal, some from the massive Lalique torchères that adorned her dining salon. Also extant are some of the room's table silverware, chairs, and gold-plated bronze table bases. Custom-designed suite and cabin furniture as well as original artwork and statues that decorated the ship, or were built for use by the CGT aboard "Normandie", also survive today.


title: SS Normandie

text: The eight-foot-high, 1,000-pound bronze figural sculpture of a woman named ""La Normandie"", which was at the top of the grand stairway from the first class smoking room up to the grill room café, was found in a New Jersey scrapyard in 1954 and was purchased for the then-new Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. It was first displayed outside in the parterre gardens near the formal pool and later indoors near the then-Fontainebleau Hilton's spa. In 2001, the hotel sold the statue to Celebrity Cruises, which placed it in the main dining room of their new ship "Celebrity Summit". The cruise ship also had a separate Normandie Restaurant, designed to reflect the interiors of the liner, and containing gold lacquered panels from the Normandie's First Class Smoking Room. The Normandie Restaurant and associated ocean liner decor was removed in 2015. The statue ""La Paix"", which stood in the First Class Dining Room, now stands in the Pinelawn Memorial Park, a cemetery in New York.


title: SS Normandie

text: The three-note chime steam whistle, after salvage, was sent to the Bethlehem Steel factory in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where it was used to announce shift changes. It later resided in the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and was used in their New Year's Eve steam whistle ceremony until 2014. This whistle is now at SUNY Maritime's Fort Schuyler.


title: SS Normandie

text: Pieces from "Normandie" occasionally appear on the BBC television series "Antiques Roadshow" and also on its American counterpart. A public lounge and promenade was created from some of the panels and furniture from "Normandie" in the Hilton Chicago. The dining room "Normandie" on the Carnival Cruise ship "Carnival Pride" was also inspired by the ocean liner, per the ship's designer Joseph Farcus.


title: K. K. Downing

text: Kenneth Keith Downing Jr. (born 27 October 1951) is an English guitarist and a former member of the heavy metal band Judas Priest.


title: K. K. Downing

text: Downing was born in West Bromwich, West Midlands. In the late 1960s, he developed a passion for rock music and the guitar, which led to his being kicked out of his home at age 15 and dropping out of school soon afterwards. He is a mostly self-taught guitarist. He was heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix, whom Downing said he was "very quick to recognize" as the future. He was also influenced by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and Eric Clapton.


title: K. K. Downing

text: Downing started his first band, a pop band called Stagecoach, between the age of 17 and 18 with his second cousin Brian Badhams on bass guitar (now with The Elkie Brooks Band) and drummer Martin Philips. The trio "mainly jammed a few Cream songs and a few 12-bar blues". Downing played guitar with the band after winning a coin toss with Badhams "in his bedroom to see who would play guitar or bass". K. K. Downing attended catering college and worked as trainee chef at the Lyttelton Arms in Hagley.


title: K. K. Downing

text: Downing has an aggressive, rock-influenced guitar style featuring solos and dual leads with fellow Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton.


title: K. K. Downing

text: Downing officially left Judas Priest on 20 April 2011, citing "an on-going breakdown in working relationships between myself, elements of the band and management for some time." He stated that there were at least "21 reasons" why he left, but refused to go into specific detail; however, he did express disappointment in the band's live performance and thought it could've been better. Judas Priest had since continued with Richie Faulkner as his replacement.


title: K. K. Downing

text: Soon after Glenn Tipton announced his Parkinson's disease diagnosis and his self-imposed retirement from touring in February 2018, Downing said that he was "shocked and stunned" that he wasn't approached to rejoin Judas Priest and was "officially and legally still a member of Judas Priest", despite not being present in the band. He felt that he made the right choice to leave when he did and that his time in the band and value in terms of crafting their legacy "was and is unappreciated by more than one member". He said that the decision of not being approached "was not a financial one". Faulkner and Halford spoke in regards to his statement. Bassist Ian Hill explained why he wasn't contacted to rejoin Judas Priest and the potential conflicts that would occur if he was brought back in the band. Downing spoke negatively towards Hill's comments.


title: K. K. Downing

text: Downing explained why he left Judas Priest, expressed his concerns towards his former bandmates, and his feelings about Faulkner. Faulkner spoke in regards to Downing's comments, with former Judas Priest vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens speaking in Downing's defense. In the limelight of Downing's comments, Hill said that Downing and the band have "parted company" musically, explaining that he had not been in contact with him "for the last couple of years because we've been so busy. But I think, musically, we've parted ways, really. Probably the less said, the better."


title: K. K. Downing

text: Halford said that Downing spoke for himself and said that he wanted to retire and wished him well on his future endeavors. Downing recalled the conflicts that occurred in the winter of 2010, and would then reconsider his departure a few months later, which is not mentioned in his autobiography. After speaking to bassist Ian Hill about the change, he received the setlist for the dubbed farewell tour, only to find out that his announcement to retire from the band was made public the next day, prompting him to send in his angry second letter. Downing felt that he never left Judas Priest and was orchestrated for him to not be there.


title: K. K. Downing

text: Downing stated that he never retired from the music industry, detailing about being encouraged to perform on the farewell tour by a friend and being ridiculed by the fans about his announcement. After guitarist Glenn Tipton's dismissal from touring, Downing expected an opening for him to return, but was never notified. He said essentially the band is performing his songs and that if they can call themselves "Priest", he felt the need to be a Priest as well and be able to perform his songs. Downing recalled being frustrated and having a breakdown at the end of 2010, leading him to quit the band. He said that he wasn't ready to perform on the farewell tour due to his issues that occurred during the Metal Masters Tour, saying that the band wasn't tight and felt that they weren't the same band as they were in their prime. He regretted sending in the retirement letter and not believing anything he wrote. He cited the second letter, telling the band to ignore everything written and explaining the reasons why he left, but the band preferred to tell the content of the first letter instead, in which he told the band to ignore what he wrote as misinformation.


title: K. K. Downing

text: When speaking about the difference on working with Tipton in Judas Priest to working with guitarist A.J. Mills in his band KK's Priest, Downing said that he felt that he didn't have his fair share in lead work in Judas Priest as he should have.


title: K. K. Downing

text: Downing's relationship with Judas Priest isn't "overly sweet at the moment. Nothing lasts forever. I started in the late '60s, so certainly guys from that time, we're not going to be around forever. Obviously, we're losing a lot of good friends along the way. It is the way it is." An opportunity existed for him to return to the band, "and that has passed on." He expressed uncertainty if there would ever be another opportunity for him to rejoin, but did not dismiss it in the future.


title: K. K. Downing

text: Downing explained that if he didn't rejoin Judas Priest, "then maybe it's best to just leave it there, really", feeling that there would be a different occupation for him, "Exactly what I don't know, really." Hill said that there were no plans for him to return in the foreseeable future. Downing had an open interest in having a discussion with his former bandmates in taking part in the band's 50th anniversary celebration in 2020, but was not contacted, expressing doubt that he ever would rejoin Judas Priest again.


title: K. K. Downing

text: Downing hoped to make amends with his former bandmates, "But it's proved not to be the case, so, obviously, I have to accept that and just move forward." He clarified his comment from an article published by Blabbermouth, and still held hopes for them to reconcile, "But to date the band have refused me that opportunity." Halford did not dismiss the possibility for Downing to return to Judas Priest in the future. Downing requested for the members to step in and "speak to the press and just make a press release and tell 'em exactly what the deal is", and give "everybody an insight 'cause people wanna know." He once again expressed an open interest in performing with Judas Priest again if given the opportunity, and also perform with them at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony in 2020 if inducted, due to his inclusion in the band's ballot, but was denied the possibility of returning to the band for the 50th-anniversary shows. Downing then made the decision to move forward as a result.


title: K. K. Downing

text: Downing said that he is not interested in rejoining Judas Priest as they became complacent, shifting his newfound attention to his own band KK's Priest.


title: K. K. Downing

text: On 5 November 2022, Downing performed with Judas Priest at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, his first appearance with the band in 11 years.


title: K. K. Downing

text: After not performing on stage since Judas Priest's 30th-anniversary celebration of the 1980 album "British Steel" in 2009, Downing made his live return at the 2019 edition of the Bloodstock Open Air festival where he performed with former Manowar guitarist Ross the Boss as they played the songs "The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)", "Heading Out to the Highway", "Breaking the Law" and "Running Wild". He cited it being "a bit of a whirlwind" and the perfect way to get reintroduced to the stage. He also said that there was very little time for him to rehearse as some of the band members arrived the same day of their scheduled rehearsal, "But we did manage to squeeze an hour or so in the following day." He described the performance as being "a jam, really… And there was quite a bit of improvisation in there. And that's where it is." In a Twitter response from a fan, Richie Faulkner praised Downing's performance upon viewing video footage of him, saying that he "looked and sounded great. Good to see the man up on stage where he belongs again."


title: K. K. Downing

text: Downing, along with former Judas Priest members Tim "Ripper" Owens and Les Binks, former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson and Hostile guitarist A.J. Mills performed a special one-off show in Wolverhampton on 3 November 2019 and played a full set of Judas Priest songs.


title: K. K. Downing

text: In January 2020, Downing signed with Explorer1 Music Group, which would pair him with veteran manager Andy Gould, and announced that he would work on brand-new music. The following month, it was announced that Downing had formed a new band, KK's Priest, with bassist Tony Newton, guitarist A.J. Mills, and former Judas Priest members Tim "Ripper" Owens and Les Binks on vocals and drums, respectively. The band's debut album "Sermons of the Sinner" was originally scheduled to be released on 20 August 2021, but was postponed until 1 October. A music video for the album's lead single, "Hellfire Thunderbolt", was released on 12 May 2021. However, Binks did not appear on the album as a result of a wrist injury and was replaced by Cage drummer Sean Elg. Later, Binks would occasionally perform live with KK's Priest.


title: K. K. Downing

text: When speaking to KNAC in June 2021 about "Sermons of the Sinner", Downing said that he was already at work on material for the next album, which would be more of a collaboration effort than the first album.


title: K. K. Downing

text: Downing made a guest appearance on Violent Storm's 2005 self-titled debut album, performing on the track "War No More".


title: K. K. Downing

text: He appeared on the 2012 tribute album "Who Are You? An All Star Tribute to the Who", which paid tribute to the Who. He performed on the track "Eminence Front", along with vocalist/bassist John Wetton and keyboardist Derek Sherinian.


title: K. K. Downing

text: Downing appeared on former Queensrÿche vocalist Geoff Tate's Queensrÿche-branded 2013 album "Frequency Unknown", performing the guitar solo on "Running Backwards".


title: K. K. Downing

text: In 2018, Downing, along with former Judas Priest members Tim "Ripper" Owens and Les Binks, and Armored Saint bassist Joey Vera were featured in a cover version of the song "Beyond the Realms of Death", fronted by guitarist Paul Crook's band Devilstar, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Judas Priest's 1978 album "Stained Class".


title: K. K. Downing

text: On 18 September 2018, Downing published his autobiography titled "Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest" via Da Capo Press. It was written by Downing himself along with Mark Eglinton. The memoir details everything from "the complex personality conflicts, the business screw-ups, the acrimonious relationship with fellow heavy metal band Iron Maiden, as well as how Judas Priest found itself at the epicenter of a storm of parental outrage that targeted heavy metal in the '80s", according to the book's synopsis. It also tells about Downing's role in Judas Priest, as well as his decision to leave the band in 2011. It was met with mostly positive reviews.


title: K. K. Downing

text: Since its release, Rob Halford said that he has not taken the time to read Downing's autobiography while in production on his own.


title: K. K. Downing

text: Downing's first house was a "tiny semi in Bloxwich". He has lived in Los Angeles and Florida but no longer owns a home in Spain, but his main abode since 1985 remains Astbury Hall in Shropshire. It is in a very secluded area so he can (as stated in a 2007 interview) "really turn up Marshalls really loud". Astbury Hall is also home to "one of England's finest championship golf courses", a course created by Downing himself and where he has held publicised charity events. Sarah Lissimore, his former girlfriend, mounted a legal challenge for half of his Shropshire estate. This was based on his assertion, "I'd bet you'd love to be lady of this Manor, wouldn't you?" The High Court of Justice rejected the notion that this assertion could give rise to proprietary estoppel in favour of Lissimore.


title: K. K. Downing

text: In December 2013, it was announced that Downing would be teaming up with a property development finance provider, and golfer Darren Clarke, to help build luxury residential developments on Downing's Astbury estate.


title: K. K. Downing

text: Downing told the "Shropshire Star": "We have had a fantastic season, things were going really well. We had plans for a hotel that we were doing really well with. Obviously there was a necessity for a funding element.


title: K. K. Downing

text: "The company took out a short-term mezzanine fund in early August to take us through to March. This was essentially to bring in professional architects and a team from London. Everything was in place as far as we were concerned.


title: K. K. Downing

text: "Unfortunately about six weeks into the loan we were served a loan termination notice about technical breaches of the agreement.


title: K. K. Downing

text: "We are at the moment looking to re-finance that loan. We were taken aback that the funder was not more flexible with us as partners.


title: K. K. Downing

text: It was put up for sale for £10 million ($13.5 million). Downing maintained that the development was financially stable and viable as he was set to build a luxury hotel for the Marriott Autograph collection and had hoped to host The Open Championship on the estate's golf course.


title: K. K. Downing

text: Due to the circumstances surrounding his golf resort investment, Downing placed a share of his royalty rights for 136 Judas Priest songs for sale; the catalogue generates nearly £300,000 ($400,000) per year. Joint administrator Alastair Massey called the songs "a unique investment opportunity" from one of the "driving influences" of Judas Priest's success. In July 2018, Round Hill Music acquired the royalty rights to Downing's compositions; the catalogue's asking price was at least £10 million ($13.5 million). Downing later explained about the sellings of his estate, his golf course and his royalty rights of 136 Judas Priest songs, "I'm in the process now of recovering everything else through the legal channels. I made a few rubbish business moves, but I can't complain really because I did okay. Lots of musicians end up with nothing really, but I had an evaluation on the estate worth in excess of £13 million. Quite a few million pounds' worth of music royalties and other assets as well. I'm suing my lawyers for negligence."


title: Skyr

text: Skyr ( ; ) is an Icelandic cultured dairy product originating in Norway. It has the consistency of strained yogurt, but a milder flavor. Skyr can be classified as a fresh sour milk cheese, similar to curd cheese consumed like a yogurt in the Baltic states, the Low Countries, Germany and Russia. It has been a part of Icelandic cuisine for centuries.


title: Skyr

text: Skyr has a slightly sour dairy flavor, with a hint of residual sweetness. It is traditionally served cold, either plain or with cream. Commercial manufacturers of skyr have added flavors such as vanilla, coffee, or fruit.


title: Skyr

text: A staple of Icelandic diet since the Viking age, Skyr is mentioned in a number of medieval Icelandic sources, including Egil's saga and Grettis saga. It has been suggested that skyr was known throughout Scandinavia at the time of the settlement of Iceland, but eventually forgotten outside Iceland.


title: Skyr

text: The word skyr is related to the English word (to cut), referring to how the milk is split into the liquid whey and the thick skyr.


title: Skyr

text: Skyr is a high-protein, low-fat product made from low-fat milk, varying slightly between brands. Unflavored skyr has roughly 13 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, and 0.2 g fat per 100 g.


title: Skyr

text: Skyr is usually mixed with sugar and milk. A traditional Icelandic dish exists which consists of roughly equal amounts of skyr and porridge. Skyr is often mixed with jam or fruit for a dessert, with prepared fish for dinner, or with cereals for breakfast. Contemporary uses include using skyr as a cheesecake topping and as an ingredient in milkshake or fruit smoothies.


title: Skyr

text: Today, skyr is made from skimmed milk which is either pasteurized or heated to at least for 15–20 seconds, and then cooled down to . A small portion of a previous batch of skyr is then added to the warm milk to introduce the essential culture (the active bacterial culture), and with the addition of rennet the milk starts to curdle. It is left to ferment for 5 hours before being cooled to . Then the product is strained through fabric to remove the liquid whey.


title: Skyr

text: Bacteria such as "Streptococcus thermophilus" and "Lactobacillus delbrueckii" subsp. "bulgaricus" play an important role in the fermentation of skyr. They also play a major role in the production of yogurt, but the yeast which is active in the low temperature step ensures that the product becomes a skyr and not a yogurt.


title: Skyr

text: Skyr is commonly consumed in Iceland. Efforts at marketing it outside of Iceland began in 2005 when it was exported to the U.S. and sold at Whole Foods. Licensed production began the next year in Denmark and Scotland. Mjólkursamsalan (the major dairy cooperative in Iceland) and its associates registered "skyr" as a trademark in some countries, but this was later ruled to be invalid, as "skyr" was found to be a generic term like "milk".


title: Skyr

text: The commercial distribution of skyr outside of Iceland increased in the 2010s, with marketing as a low-sugar, no-fat, high-protein product consumed as a snack. In 2012, 80% of exported Icelandic skyr went to Finland and 20% to the U.S. Numerous skyr parlors were opened in Finland in 2019.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of designing, evaluating, and producing packages. Packaging can be described as a coordinated system of preparing goods for transport, warehousing, logistics, sale, and end use. Packaging contains, protects, preserves, transports, informs, and sells. In many countries it is fully integrated into government, business, institutional, industrial, and personal use.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Package labeling (American English) or labelling (British English) is any written, electronic, or graphic communication on the package or on a separate but associated label.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: The first packages used the natural materials available at the time: baskets of reeds, wineskins (bota bags), wooden boxes, pottery vases, ceramic amphorae, wooden barrels, woven bags, etc. Processed materials were used to form packages as they were developed: first glass and bronze vessels. The study of old packages is an essential aspect of archaeology.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: The first usage of paper for packaging was sheets of treated mulberry bark used by the Chinese to wrap foods as early as the first or second century B.C.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: The usage of paper-like material in Europe was when the Romans used low grade and recycled papyrus for the packaging of incense.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: The earliest recorded use of paper for packaging dates back to 1035, when a Persian traveller visiting markets in Cairo, Arab Egypt, noted that vegetables, spices and hardware were wrapped in paper for the customers after they were sold.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: The use of tinplate for packaging dates back to the 18th century. The manufacturing of tinplate was the monopoly of Bohemia for a long time; in 1667 Andrew Yarranton, an English engineer, and Ambrose Crowley brought the method to England where it was improved by ironmasters including Philip Foley. By 1697, John Hanbury had a rolling mill at Pontypool for making "Pontypoole Plates". The method pioneered there of rolling iron plates by means of cylinders enabled more uniform black plates to be produced than was possible with the former practice of hammering.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Tinplate boxes first began to be sold from ports in the Bristol Channel in 1725. The tinplate was shipped from Newport, Monmouthshire. By 1805, 80,000 boxes were made and 50,000 exported. Tobacconists in London began packaging snuff in metal-plated canisters from the 1760s onwards.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: With the discovery of the importance of airtight containers for food preservation by French inventor Nicholas Appert, the tin canning process was patented by British merchant Peter Durand in 1810. After receiving the patent, Durand did not himself follow up with canning food. He sold his patent in 1812 to two other Englishmen, Bryan Donkin and John Hall, who refined the process and product and set up the world's first commercial canning factory on Southwark Park Road, London. By 1813, they were producing the first canned goods for the Royal Navy.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: The progressive improvement in canning stimulated the 1855 invention of the can opener. Robert Yeates, a cutlery and surgical instrument maker of Trafalgar Place West, Hackney Road, Middlesex, UK, devised a claw-ended can opener with a hand-operated tool that haggled its way around the top of metal cans. In 1858, another lever-type opener of a more complex shape was patented in the United States by Ezra Warner of Waterbury, Connecticut.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Set-up boxes were first used in the 16th century and modern folding cartons date back to 1839. The first corrugated box was produced commercially in 1817 in England. Corrugated (also called pleated) paper received a British patent in 1856 and was used as a liner for tall hats. Scottish-born Robert Gair invented the pre-cut paperboard box in 1890—flat pieces manufactured in bulk that folded into boxes. Gair's invention came about as a result of an accident: as a Brooklyn printer and paper-bag maker during the 1870s, he was once printing an order of seed bags, and the metal ruler, commonly used to crease bags, shifted in position and cut them. Gair discovered that by cutting and creasing in one operation he could make prefabricated paperboard boxes.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Commercial paper bags were first manufactured in Bristol, England, in 1844, and the American Francis Wolle patented a machine for automated bag-making in 1852.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Packaging advancements in the early 20th century included Bakelite closures on bottles, transparent cellophane overwraps and panels on cartons. These innovations increased processing efficiency and improved food safety. As additional materials such as aluminum and several types of plastic were developed, they were incorporated into packages to improve performance and functionality.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: In 1952, Michigan State University became the first university in the world to offer a degree in Packaging Engineering.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: In-plant recycling has long been typical for producing packaging materials. Post-consumer recycling of aluminum and paper-based products has been economical for many years: since the 1980s, post-consumer recycling has increased due to curbside recycling, consumer awareness, and regulatory pressure.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Many prominent innovations in the packaging industry were developed first for military use. Some military supplies are packaged in the same commercial packaging used for general industry. Other military packaging must transport materiel, supplies, foods, etc. under severe distribution and storage conditions. Packaging problems encountered in World War II led to Military Standard or "mil spec" regulations being applied to packaging, which was then designated "military specification packaging". As a prominent concept in the military, mil spec packaging officially came into being around 1941, due to operations in Iceland experiencing critical losses, ultimately attributed to bad packaging. In most cases, mil spec packaging solutions (such as barrier materials, field rations, antistatic bags, and various shipping crates) are similar to commercial grade packaging materials, but subject to more stringent performance and quality requirements.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: , the packaging sector accounted for about two percent of the gross national product in developed countries. About half of this market was related to food packaging.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: In 2019 the global food packaging market size was estimated at USD 303.26 billion, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.2% over the forecast period. Growing demand for packaged food by consumers owing to quickening pace of life and changing eating habits is expected to have a major impact on the market.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Packaging may be of several different types. For example, a "transport package" or "distribution package" can be the shipping container used to ship, store, and handle the product or inner packages. Some identify a "consumer package" as one which is directed toward a consumer or household.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Packaging may be described in relation to the type of product being packaged: medical device packaging, bulk chemical packaging, over-the-counter drug packaging, retail food packaging, military materiel packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, etc.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: These broad categories can be somewhat arbitrary. For example, depending on the use, a shrink wrap can be primary packaging when applied directly to the product, secondary packaging when used to combine smaller packages, or tertiary packaging when used to facilitate some types of distribution, such as to affix a number of cartons on a pallet.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Packaging can also have categories based on the package form. For example, "thermoform packaging" and "flexible packaging" describe broad usage areas.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Many types of symbols for package labeling are nationally and internationally standardized. For consumer packaging, symbols exist for product certifications (such as the FCC and TÜV marks), trademarks, proof of purchase, etc. Some requirements and symbols exist to communicate aspects of consumer rights and safety, for example the CE marking or the estimated sign that notes conformance to EU weights and measures accuracy regulations. Examples of environmental and recycling symbols include the recycling symbol, the recycling code (which could be a resin identification code), and the "Green Dot". Food packaging may show food contact material symbols. In the European Union, products of animal origin which are intended to be consumed by humans have to carry standard, oval-shaped EC identification and health marks for food safety and quality insurance reasons.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Bar codes, Universal Product Codes, and RFID labels are common to allow automated information management in logistics and retailing. Country-of-origin labeling is often used. Some products might use QR codes or similar matrix barcodes. Packaging may have visible registration marks and other printing calibration and troubleshooting cues.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: The labelling of medical devices includes many symbols, many of them covered by international standards, foremost ISO 15223-1.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Several aspects of consumer package labeling are subject to regulation. One of the most important is to accurately state the quantity (weight, volume, count) of the package contents. Consumers expect that the label accurately reflects the actual contents. Manufacturers and packagers must have effective quality assurance procedures and accurate equipment; even so, there is inherent variability in all processes.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Regulations attempt to handle both sides of this. In the USA, the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act provides requirements for many types of products. Also, NIST has Handbook 133, Checking the Net Contents of Packaged Goods. This is a procedural guide for compliance testing of net contents and is referenced by several other regulatory agencies.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Other regions and countries have their own regulatory requirements. For example, the UK has its Weights and Measures (Packaged Goods) Regulations as well as several other regulations. In the EEA, products with hazardous formulas need to have a UFI.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Technologies related to shipping containers are identification codes, bar codes, and electronic data interchange (EDI). These three core technologies serve to enable the business functions in the process of shipping containers throughout the distribution channel. Each has an essential function: identification codes either relate product information or serve as keys to other data, bar codes allow for the automated input of identification codes and other data, and EDI moves data between trading partners within the distribution channel.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Elements of these core technologies include UPC and EAN item identification codes, the SCC-14 (UPC shipping container code), the SSCC-18 (Serial Shipping Container Codes), Interleaved 2-of-5 and UCC/EAN-128 (newly designated GS1-128) bar code symbologies, and ANSI ASC X12 and UN/EDIFACT EDI standards.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Small parcel carriers often have their own formats. For example, United Parcel Service has a MaxiCode 2-D code for parcel tracking.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: RFID labels for shipping containers are also increasingly used. A Wal-Mart division, Sam's Club, has also moved in this direction and is putting pressure on its suppliers to comply.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Shipments of hazardous materials or dangerous goods have special information and symbols (labels, placards, etc.) as required by UN, country, and specific carrier requirements. On transport packages, standardized symbols are also used to communicate handling needs. Some are defined in the ASTM D5445 "Standard Practice for Pictorial Markings for Handling of Goods" and ISO 780 "Pictorial marking for handling of goods".


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Package design and development are often thought of as an integral part of the new product development process. Alternatively, the development of a package (or component) can be a separate process but must be linked closely with the product to be packaged.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Package design starts with the identification of all the requirements: structural design, marketing, shelf life, quality assurance, logistics, legal, regulatory, graphic design, end-use, environmental, etc. The design criteria, performance (specified by package testing), completion time targets, resources, and cost constraints need to be established and agreed upon. Package design processes often employ rapid prototyping, computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacturing and document automation.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: An example of how package design is affected by other factors is its relationship to logistics. When the distribution system includes individual shipments by a small parcel carrier, the sorting, handling, and mixed stacking make severe demands on the strength and protective ability of the transport package. If the logistics system consists of uniform palletized unit loads, the structural design of the package can be designed to meet those specific needs, such as vertical stacking for a longer time frame. A package designed for one mode of shipment may not be suited to another.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: With some types of products, the design process involves detailed regulatory requirements for the packaging. For example, any package components that may contact foods are designated food contact materials.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Toxicologists and food scientists need to verify that such packaging materials are allowed by applicable regulations. Packaging engineers need to verify that the completed package will keep the product safe for its intended shelf life with normal usage. Packaging processes, labeling, distribution, and sale need to be validated to assure that they comply with regulations that have the well being of the consumer in mind.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Sometimes the objectives of package development seem contradictory. For example, regulations for an over-the-counter drug might require the package to be tamper-evident and child resistant: These intentionally make the package difficult to open. The intended consumer, however, might be disabled or elderly and unable to readily open the package. Meeting all goals is a challenge.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Package design may take place within a company or with various degrees of external packaging engineering: independent contractors, consultants, vendor evaluations, independent laboratories, contract packagers, total outsourcing, etc. Some sort of formal project planning and project management methodology is required for all but the simplest package design and development programs. An effective quality management system and Verification and Validation protocols are mandatory for some types of packaging and recommended for all.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Package development involves considerations of sustainability, environmental responsibility, and applicable environmental and recycling regulations. It may involve a life cycle assessment


title: Packaging and labeling

text: which considers the material and energy inputs and outputs to the package, the packaged product (contents), the packaging process, the logistics system, waste management, etc. It is necessary to know the relevant regulatory requirements for point of manufacture, sale, and use.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: The traditional “three R’s” of reduce, reuse, and recycle are part of a waste hierarchy which may be considered in product and package development.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Development of sustainable packaging is an area of considerable interest to standards organizations, governments, consumers, packagers, and retailers.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Sustainability is the fastest-growing driver for packaging development, particularly for packaging manufacturers that work with the world's leading brands, as their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) targets often exceed those of the EU Directive.


title: Packaging and labeling

text: Choosing packaging machinery includes an assessment of technical capabilities, labor requirements, worker safety, maintainability, serviceability, reliability, ability to integrate into the packaging line, capital cost, floorspace, flexibility (change-over, materials, multiple products, etc.), energy requirements, quality of outgoing packages, qualifications (for food, pharmaceuticals, etc.), throughput, efficiency, productivity, ergonomics, return on investment, etc.


title: Andy Burnham

text: Andrew Murray Burnham (born 7 January 1970) is a British politician who has served as Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017. He served in Gordon Brown's Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2007 to 2008, Culture Secretary from 2008 to 2009 and Health Secretary from 2009 to 2010. A member of the Labour Party, he served as Shadow Home Secretary from 2015 to 2016 and was Member of Parliament (MP) for Leigh from 2001 to 2017.


title: Andy Burnham

text: Born in the Old Roan area of Aintree, Burnham was educated at St Aelred's Catholic High School in Newton-le-Willows and graduated with a degree in English from Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. He worked as a researcher for Tessa Jowell from 1994 to 1997, then worked for the NHS Confederation in 1997 and as an administrator for the Football Task Force in 1998. He was a special adviser to Culture Secretary Chris Smith from 1998 to 2001. Following the retirement of Lawrence Cunliffe, the Labour MP for Leigh, Burnham was elected to succeed him in 2001.


title: Andy Burnham

text: He served as a Parliamentary Private Secretary from 2003 to 2005. He was promoted by Prime Minister Tony Blair to serve in his Government after the 2005 election as Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department. In 2006, Burnham was reshuffled to become Minister of State for Health. When Gordon Brown became Prime Minister in 2007, Burnham was promoted to the Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, a position he held until 2008, when he became Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. In 2009, he was promoted again to become Secretary of State for Health. In that role, he opposed further privatisation of National Health Service services and launched an independent inquiry into the Stafford Hospital scandal. Following the Labour Party's defeat in the 2010 general election, Burnham was a candidate in the 2010 Labour leadership election, coming fourth out of five candidates. The contest was won by Ed Miliband. Burnham served as Shadow Secretary of State for Health until late 2010, when he was moved by Miliband to become Shadow Secretary of State for Education. He held that role for a year, then returning to the role of Shadow Health Secretary.


title: Andy Burnham

text: Following Ed Miliband's resignation as Labour leader due to the 2015 general election defeat, Burnham launched his campaign to succeed Miliband in the resulting September 2015 leadership election. He finished a distant second behind Jeremy Corbyn, after which he accepted a role in Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Home Secretary. After being selected as Labour's candidate for the new Greater Manchester Mayoralty, Burnham stood down as Shadow Home Secretary in 2016 and an MP at the 2017 general election. Burnham won the 2017 mayoral election, and was re-elected in the delayed election held in May 2021. For his role of securing more money for local Northern communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was dubbed the "King of the North" by the media.


title: Andy Burnham

text: Andrew Murray Burnham was born on 7 January 1970 in Aintree, Lancashire (now part of Liverpool City Region, Merseyside). His father, Kenneth Roy Burnham, was a telephone engineer and his mother, Eileen Mary Burnham, was a receptionist. He was brought up in Culcheth and educated at St Lewis Catholic Primary School and St Aelred's Roman Catholic High School, in Newton le Willows, St Helens. He studied English at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge.


title: Andy Burnham

text: Burnham joined the Labour Party when he was 15. From 1994 until the 1997 general election he was a researcher for Tessa Jowell. He joined the Transport and General Workers' Union in 1995. Following the 1997 election, he was a parliamentary officer for the NHS Confederation from August to December 1997, before taking up the post as an administrator with the Football Task Force for a year.


title: Andy Burnham

text: In 1998, he became a special adviser to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Chris Smith, a position he remained in until he was elected to the House of Commons in 2001.


title: Andy Burnham

text: Following the retirement of Lawrence Cunliffe, Burnham successfully applied to be the parliamentary candidate for Leigh in Greater Manchester, then a safe Labour seat. At the 2001 election he was elected with a majority of 16,362, and gave his maiden speech in the House of Commons on 4 July 2001.


title: Andy Burnham

text: Following his election to Parliament, Burnham was a member of the Health Select Committee from 2001 until 2003, when he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Home Secretary David Blunkett. Following Blunkett's first resignation in 2004, he became PPS to the education secretary Ruth Kelly. Burnham voted for the Iraq War, and consistently voted against holding an inquiry into the war.


title: Andy Burnham

text: Burnham was promoted to serve in the Government following the 2005 election as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, with responsibility for implementing the Identity Cards Act 2006. In the government reshuffle of 5 May 2006, he was moved from the Home Office and promoted to Minister of State for Delivery and Reform at the Department of Health. In Gordon Brown's first cabinet, announced on 28 June 2007, Burnham was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury, a position he held until 2008. During his time at the Treasury, he helped write the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.


title: Andy Burnham

text: In a re-shuffle in January 2008, Burnham was promoted to the position of Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, replacing James Purnell. In June 2008, he apologised to the director of pressure group Liberty, Shami Chakrabarti, after she threatened to sue him for libel for smearing her reputation in an article Burnham had written for Progress magazine.


title: Andy Burnham

text: In late 2008, Burnham announced government plans to tighten controls on internet content in order to "even up" what he described as an imbalance with TV regulations. The announcement was followed by a speech to the music industry's lobbying group, UK Music, in which he announced "a time that calls for partnership between Government and the music business as a whole: one with rewards for both of us; one with rewards for society as a whole. (...) My job – Government's job – is to preserve the value in the system."


title: Andy Burnham

text: In April 2009 after being heckled at the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster Burnham used the next day's cabinet meeting in Downing Street to ask then prime minister Gordon Brown if he could raise the issue of Hillsborough in Parliament, and Brown agreed. The eventual result was the second Hillsborough inquiry. In 2014 when Burnham spoke at the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster he was cheered and applauded by the crowd.


title: Andy Burnham

text: Burnham was again promoted becoming Secretary of State for Health in June 2009. He held the post until the Labour government resigned after the 2010 general election. In July 2009, a month after he became health secretary, Burnham launched an independent inquiry chaired by the QC Robert Francis into unusually high mortality rates at Stafford Hospital. The inquiry found systematic failures at the hospital, and was critical of care provided by the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. A wider public inquiry, also led by Robert Francis, was launched in 2010 by his successor as health secretary, Andrew Lansley. It found serious failings at the hospital but concluded it would be "misleading" to link those failings to a particular number of deaths. After leaving office, reports claimed that Burnham and his predecessor as health secretary, Alan Johnson, had rejected 81 requests for an inquiry sitting in public to examine the high rate of deaths at Stafford hospital. According to "The Daily Telegraph", after initial concerns were raised about links between mortality rates and standards of care in 2005, there were up to 2,800 more deaths than expected across 14 NHS trusts highlighted as having unusually high death rates. These figures for deaths were however discredited. A report, the Keogh Review, following an investigation into the 14 NHS trusts by Bruce Keogh, described the use of such statistical measures as "clinically meaningless and academically reckless".


title: Andy Burnham

text: Burnham became Shadow Secretary of State for Health after May 2010 following the defeat of Gordon Brown's government. Following Brown's resignation as leader of the Labour Party, Burnham declared his intention to stand in the subsequent leadership contest. He launched his leadership campaign in his Leigh constituency on 26 May. Burnham stood on his philosophy of "aspirational socialism", aligning himself with Intern Aware's campaign to end unpaid internships. He made policy commitments including the creation of a national care service and replacing inheritance tax with a land value tax. Burnham finished fourth, eliminated on the second ballot with 10.4% of the vote. The leadership contest was won by Ed Miliband.


title: Andy Burnham

text: In October 2010, Burnham was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Education and election co-ordinator for the Labour Party. As shadow education secretary, Burnham opposed the coalition government's plans for "free schools". He argued for moving the education system back towards a comprehensive system.


title: Andy Burnham

text: A year later, he was appointed to the role of Shadow Secretary of State for Health, which he held until 2015.


title: Andy Burnham

text: In July 2013 "The Daily Telegraph" reported that Burnham's staff had edited his Wikipedia page to remove criticisms of his handling of the Stafford Hospital scandal. Burnham's office claimed they had removed false statements that had been drawn to their attention.


title: Andy Burnham

text: On 13 May 2015, Burnham announced that he would stand to replace Ed Miliband in the 2015 leadership election. He stressed the need to unite the party and country and "rediscover the beating heart of Labour."


title: Andy Burnham

text: He attracted press criticism for claiming £17,000 in expenses to rent a London flat, despite owning another within walking distance of the House of Commons. A spokesperson for Burnham said that renting out the original flat was necessary to "cover his costs" as parliamentary rule changes meant he was no longer able to claim for mortgage interest expenses. Burnham was criticised for jokingly saying that Labour should have a woman leader "when the time is right", with the "New Statesman" saying that he had "tripped over his mouth again". He also said that he would resign from the Shadow Cabinet if Labour supported leaving NATO, something which Jeremy Corbyn had talked about. Burnham was criticised for refusing to talk to "The Sun" newspaper when it emerged he had been interviewed by "The Sun" in his previous run for the Labour leadership, and had been photographed in the back of a cab for the newspaper. Burnham abstained on the government's welfare bill, despite having previously described the legislation as "unsupportable".


title: Andy Burnham

text: Burnham came second to Jeremy Corbyn in the election, with 19% of the vote in the first round, compared to 59% for Corbyn.


title: Andy Burnham

text: In September 2015, Burnham accepted an appointment as shadow home secretary in the first Shadow Cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn and remained in the role after the 2016 reshuffle.


title: Andy Burnham

text: Burnham opposes the Prevent counter-terrorism strategy; appearing in 2016 alongside the anti-Prevent organisation MEND, Burnham said: "The Prevent duty to report extremist behaviour is today's equivalent of internment in Northern Ireland."


title: Andy Burnham

text: On 27 April 2016, the day after the Hillsborough inquest verdict that found the 96 Hillsborough deaths had occurred as a result of unlawful killing, Burnham made a speech to the House of Commons calling for those responsible to be held to account. Condemning South Yorkshire Police, which had instigated a cover-up in the aftermath of the tragedy, he described the force as being "rotten to the core" while suggesting that the cover-up had been "advanced in the committee rooms of this House and in the press rooms of 10 Downing Street". The eleven-minute statement drew applause from MPs, a response that is generally against convention at Westminster.


title: Andy Burnham

text: On 25 April 2017, as his final act in Parliament, he delivered an adjournment debate that lasted over an hour on the Contaminated Blood Scandal. Burnham used the debate to present a raft of evidence stating "this scandal amounts to a criminal cover-up on an industrial scale" and that "these are criminal acts". He said that if the Government did not set up an Investigation into the scandal that he would refer his evidence to the police.


title: Andy Burnham

text: On 5 May 2016, a spokesperson for Burnham confirmed that he had been approached by party officials in Greater Manchester, asking him to consider resigning from the Shadow Cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn in order to run in the upcoming mayoral election in 2017. On 18 May 2016, he confirmed that he was running for Mayor. Burnham was selected as the Labour candidate in August 2016. In September 2016, Burnham said that he would resign as Shadow Home Secretary once a replacement had been found, in order to concentrate on his mayoral bid. He was succeeded by Diane Abbott in October. Burnham said, if elected as Greater Manchester's mayor, he would resign his seat as the member of parliament for Leigh. However, the 2017 general election was declared a fortnight before the mayoral election; Burnham did not stand as a candidate.


title: Andy Burnham

text: Burnham was elected to the new role of mayor of Greater Manchester on 5 May 2017. Upon taking office, he became entitled to the style of Mayor. He received 63% of the vote, winning majorities in all ten of Greater Manchester's boroughs. In his mayoral victory speech he said that "[politics] has been too London-centric for too long … Greater Manchester is going to take control. We are going to change politics and make it work better for people."


title: Andy Burnham

text: In the election of 6 May 2021, Burnham was re-elected as mayor, with 67% of the vote on a turnout of 34.7%.


title: Andy Burnham

text: The issue of homelessness in Greater Manchester was a major focus of Burnham's mayoral campaign. He pledged to donate 15% of his mayoral salary to charities tackling homelessness if elected. After his election he outlined his plan to launch a "homelessness fund", with money going to homeless charities and mental health and rehabilitation services. He pledged to end rough sleeping in Greater Manchester by 2020, however, in November 2019 he admitted he would miss his target.


title: Andy Burnham

text: In 2020, Burnham signed off on a new £10 yearly charge for pensioners who wished to continue to use their TFGM travel passes on the regions trains and trams. The charge is said to help fund a London-style bus system. Pensioners in London get free travel on all public transport in London from the age of 60, while Burnham kept the Manchester system linked to the much later state pension age.


title: Andy Burnham

text: Burnham pledged to bring Manchester's bus network back into public ownership by 2025. The Mayor and Authority's plans were legally challenged by bus operators Stagecoach Group and Rotala, but in March 2022 the Mayor and Authority won the case at the High Court. Media analysts commented that the ruling could pave the way for other city regions in England to regulate bus services that had been privatised since the 1980s. Capped fares of £2 for adult single fares were introduced in September 2022, prior to the bus network becoming regulated.


title: Andy Burnham

text: In March 2020, Burnham called for clearer advice on slowing the spread of Coronavirus, citing his previous experience as health secretary during the 2009 swine flu pandemic. He welcomed the additional measures implemented across Greater Manchester and Lancashire by Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock in July during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the knowledge that (at the time) some areas across North West England had lower infection rates than the rest of the country. On 15 October 2020 Burnham, along with other North West leaders, backed away from government talks to place Greater Manchester in tier 3 – the most restrictive level – of a new three-tier categorisation. He cited the grants system for businesses and 60% furlough scheme for employees as insufficient, saying they would push people into poverty and destitution which would outweigh the impact of the virus if mitigated correctly. Many of the concerns such as the impact on businesses and employees were shared by local Conservative MPs in Greater Manchester and surrounding areas. For his role of securing more money for local Northern communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was dubbed the "King of the North" by the media. However he did not secure as much extra money as he had wanted, being forced to lower his request for £90 million to £65 million.


title: Andy Burnham

text: Burnham has said that he joined the Labour Party at the age of 15 after having been "radicalised" by the UK miners' strike (1984–85). Ideologically, he identifies as a socialist. In his 2010 leadership bid Burnham emphasised his philosophy of "aspirational socialism", which he described as redistributive, collectivist and internationalist. He is a strong opponent of nationalism, which he called as an "ugly brand of politics". Burnham's politics have been described as soft left by a number of media outlets, including the "Financial Times", the "New Statesman", and "LabourList". Iain Martin in "The Times" described Burnham as a "former Blairite" and associated with New Labour.


title: Andy Burnham

text: Burnham supports the use of all-women shortlists for parliamentary candidate selections. He is a supporter of LGBT rights and voted in favour of same-sex marriage in 2013. In an interview in "The Daily Telegraph" in October 2007, Burnham said: "I think it's better when children are in a home where their parents are married" and "it's not wrong that the tax system should recognise commitment and marriage", creating controversy because his views replicated the policies of the Conservative Party.


title: Andy Burnham

text: In his 2015 leadership bid, Burnham pledged to commit Labour to "a policy of progressive renationalisation of the railway system". Burnham also favours a universal graduate tax to replace student tuition fees, and voted against the most recent increase in fees. He has advocated a National Care Service, integrating care services into the National Health Service. Burnham's key economic policies in his leadership bid included a new levy to fund social care, extending the higher minimum wage to all ages (it currently only applies to those over 25), and banning zero-hour contracts. Burnham described the mansion tax proposed by Ed Miliband as "the politics of envy", saying he knew it would lose votes when his mother phoned and told him it represented a return to the 1970s.


title: Andy Burnham

text: Burnham is a strong supporter of devolving power and, in his 2015 leadership campaign, criticised the "Westminster Bubble", the London-centric focus in British politics and perceived detachment from life outside Westminster. However, some opponents and political commentators accused him of being a part of the same bubble that he criticises. He views devolution of powers to Greater Manchester (including an elected mayor) as an opportunity for urban regeneration. He also called for a focus on Northern identity. After he was elected as Mayor of Greater Manchester, he described the new powers for northern cities as "the dawn of a new era". Burnham feels the government does not invest enough money in the North of England, saying: "Almost five years after the government promised us a northern powerhouse, we learn that public spending in the north has fallen while rising in the south. This has got to stop and it is time that the north came to the front of the queue for public investment".


title: Andy Burnham

text: Burnham voted for Keir Starmer, who went on to win, in the 2020 Labour Party leadership election, saying in an interview with "The Guardian" that "Keir is a brilliant man. The fact he was a former DPP, and came to work in my shadow Home Office team with no airs and graces says a lot about Keir Starmer."


title: Andy Burnham

text: Burnham is a supporter of an elected House of Lords and for switching elections to the House of Commons to a form of proportional representation.


title: Andy Burnham

text: Burnham has a brother, Nick, who is the principal of Cardinal Newman College, Preston. Burnham married Marie-France van Heel, who is Dutch, in 2000, having been in a relationship since university. The couple have a son and two daughters. Burnham was brought up as a Roman Catholic. In the 2015 leadership contest he praised Pope Francis, but urged him to promote a progressive stance on gay rights. In a newspaper interview during the contest he stated that he had been repeatedly at odds with the Catholic Church all the time that he had been an MP and that this had resulted in strained personal relationships.


title: Andy Burnham

text: Burnham was the honorary chairman of Leigh Centurions for a short time and is now an honorary vice-president. Burnham was a talented junior cricketer (playing for Lancashire CCC Juniors) and keen footballer, and competed at both sports for his college. He has played for Labour's "Demon Eyes" football team and is a lifelong fan of Premier League football club Everton. In July 2003, Burnham played for Conference club Leigh RMI in a pre-season friendly against Everton. He came on as an 88th minute substitute for Neil Robinson in the 1–1 draw at Hilton Park.


title: Andy Burnham

text: In December 2017 it was announced that Burnham would succeed Dean Andrew as president of the Rugby Football League in July 2018. Burnham was replaced by Tony Adams as president of the league in the summer of 2019.


title: Andy Burnham

text: Burnham was portrayed by Matthew McNulty in "Anne" (2022), an ITV miniseries about the Hillsborough disaster.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: Individual chapters are published on "Monthly Dragon Magazine", followed by a paperback compilation released by Fujimi Shobo's Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. The novels are split between stories focusing on Sousuke's mission as a soldier of Mithril and comedic side stories centered on his life at Jindai High School.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: The series has been adapted into different media; including four anime television series: "Full Metal Panic!" by Gonzo in 2002, "Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu" and "Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid" by Kyoto Animation in 2003 and 2005 respectively. An OVA was also released in 2006; and the newest television series, "Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory" by Xebec, premiered in April 2018. The series also had several different manga series.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: Tokyopop licensed the novels for English-language publication in North America and released parts of the series, while ADV Films licensed and dubbed the first season and the spin-off. The second season was licensed by Kadokawa Pictures USA with ADV Films producing the dub yet again. Mandalay Pictures acquired the film rights to the series in 2009. At Anime USA 2009, Funimation announced that it had acquired the rights to the first and second series of "Full Metal Panic!" and both were re-released and remastered on DVD and Blu-ray in 2010. The series began airing in North America on November 22, 2010, on the Funimation Channel. The "Fumoffu" series made its North American television debut on the Funimation Channel on November 15, 2010.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: A spin-off to the light-novel series called "Full Metal Panic! Another" was serialized between 2011 and 2016. "Another" received a manga adaptation split in two series, the second of which is still being published.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: The series follows Sousuke Sagara, a member of a covert anti-terrorist private military organization known as Mithril, tasked with protecting Kaname Chidori, a spirited Japanese high school girl. He moves to Japan to study at Chidori's school, Jindai High School, with assistance from his comrades Kurz Weber and Melissa Mao. Having never experienced social interactions, Sousuke is seen as a military maniac by his schoolmates as he interprets everyday situations from a combat perspective. He comes to relate with Chidori who realizes that Sousuke is protecting her, but he does not reveal the reasons due to orders as well as the fact that he does not know why Chidori is being targeted by different organizations.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: When starting the series, Shoji Gatoh commented that as the series' theme was "Boy Meets Girl." Gatoh worked in the order to keep that as the focus regardless of the several other conflicts the story presented. Gatoh and Shiki Douji had a close relationship in the making of the novels. Gatoh gave Douji freedom in the design of the characters such as Sagara and Leonardo who were given multiple traits. On the other hand, Gatoh also gave Douji references for "gentlemen" featured in the story.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: In the making of the series Gatoh did not find difficulties in creating a balance between sci-fi and realistic elements since multiple Japanese series like "Tetsujin 28" and "Mazinger Z" already provide the demographic a mixture between those elements. Originally, Douji felt that the characters were too realistic. Believing the teenage demographic would not like them, the author changed them so that were seen as cooler characters. While the duo did not have difficulties with the novels' serious storylines, they still had problems with comedy


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: Chidori and Sousuke's relationship was based on Japanese comedy due to how the two interact. In order to create a more interesting dynamic between the two leads, Gatoh wanted to change the ways Sagara and Chidori interact as he was tired of female characters requiring to be protected in the making for the light novels. As a result, Chidori instead supports Sagara multiple times.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: The light novel series "Full Metal Panic!" is written by Shoji Gatoh and illustrated by Shiki Douji. It was serialised by Fujimi Shobo in its monthly magazine "Gekkan Dragon Magazine" since June 1998 and published under the Fujimi Fantasia Bunko imprint in tankōbon format since September 1998. Gatoh often found delays in writing of the novels, which led to delays to the publication of the series' volumes. The series focuses on Sergeant Sousuke Sagara's arrival to the Jindai High School where he was assigned to protect the student Kaname Chidori while also acting as a student.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: A total of twelve full length volumes have been released from September 18, 1998, to August 20, 2010. In parallel to the twelve volumes, nine standalone light novels of the series (which form the short story collection) have also been published from December 17, 1998, to August 20, 2011. Finally two more volumes titled "Side Arms" focusing on the past of some characters (which form the side story collection) and the birth of Mithril and Amalgam have been published on April 20, 2004, and July 20, 2006. In contrast to the full length volumes, short story collection focuses on the comedy elements from the series. In January 2010, Gatoh wrote another of these stories in celebration of "Gekkan Dragon Magazine"s 300th issue, which has been included in the last short story collection volume. Another series of spin-off novels has been released by Naoto Ōguro with supervision of Shoji Gatoh from August 20, 2011, to February 20, 2016, consisting of thirteen volumes and set years after the original series' ending. The light novels have also been adapted into various manga, as well as three anime television series and an OVA episode for which Gatoh was also part of the staff.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: Tokyopop licensed the "Full Metal Panic!" series for North America release, publishing the first regular light novel on September 11, 2007. The latest released volume is the fourth on February 1, 2011, which is a compilation from the original fourth and fifth full-length volumes from the series. No short story collection volumes nor side story collection ones have been published and the company has shut down its publishing operations in North America on May 31, 2011. In 2015, at Anime Expo and San Diego Comic-Con, Tokyopop announced that it would be relaunching its publishing operations in North America in 2016 and that they will consider light novels, but nothing has been disclosed about Full Metal Panic! novels publication.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: On March 18, 2019, J-Novel Club announced that all the original 12 novels will be translated again and released in English. The series was released as e-books starting that year, with the final volume released in 2021. Hardcover "Collectors Editions," each compiling three novels per volume, were released by J-Novel Club starting in 2020. On July 1, 2022, J-Novel announced that they were translating the short stories.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: The "Full Metal Panic!" light novel series has been adapted to manga on multiple occasions. The first manga series: "Full Metal Panic", was serialized in Monthly Comic Dragon by Retsu Tateo. This manga was collected in nine "tankōbon" volumes published from August 30, 2000, to July 1, 2005. Announced in July 2003, "Full Metal Panic!" became one of the first manga series licensed by ADV Manga. They released all of the volumes between November 10, 2003 and April 11, 2006.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: A parallel series titled which focused more on the comedic elements from the franchise was also written by Retsu Tateo and ran for seven volumes between November 1, 2003, and September 1, 2006.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: Tomohiro Nagai also wrote which is a single "tankōbon" manga published on July 1, 2003, focused more on the action elements from the franchise.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: , written by Shoji Gatoh and illustrated by Hiroshi Ueda, focuses on the missions of Sousuke as a sergeant. The first volume was published on August 1, 2005, and the final volume: the nineteenth, was published on September 20, 2013. The story and events of this manga adaption are based on the fourth "Full Metal Panic!" light novel and onwards.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: The anime series was produced by Gonzo Digimation and originally aired in 2002 after its original air date was canceled because of the September 11 attacks. The series was licensed by ADV Films for North American release in 2003. The first three novels form the basis for the anime. The series was available on the Anime Network on Demand from 2003 to 2004.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: The production of 3 director's cut movies based on the first television series was announced in 2017. The "1st SECTION Boy Meets Girl" premiered on November 25, 2017, at Kadokawa Cinema Shinjuku in Japan,


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: "2nd SECTION One Night Stand" premiered on January 13, 2018, and "3rd SECTION Into the Blue" premiered on January 20, 2018. Home video releases for the films were planned for February 28, 2018, for the 1st film, followed by March 28 for the 2nd film, and April 28 for the 3rd film.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: is a companion series to the anime series "Full Metal Panic!" by Kyoto Animation, and takes place between the first season and "The Second Raid". Markedly different in tone to the first series, "Fumoffu" is based on the more comical short stories Gatou published alongside the main novels, emphasizing the high school romantic comedy aspects of "Full Metal Panic!" with often crude humor and focuses on the romantic tension between Sousuke Sagara and Kaname Chidori. It frequently parodies itself and anime stereotypes. None of the mecha combat or political intrigue, which characterized much of the original "Full Metal Panic!", can be seen in the series. The only reference to the mecha aspect of "Full Metal Panic!" is the Bonta-kun, which is one of the most prominent parodies in the anime. Sousuke uses spare Bonta-kun costumes to make highly effective suits of power armor, but they look like teddy bears wearing army gear and can only say: "Fu" and "Mo" in different combinations.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: is the direct sequel to the original anime series. It was produced by Kyoto Animation and ran for 13 episodes. The series is based on the "Ending Day by Day" novels and takes place three months after the events that occurred in the "Tuatha de Danaan" at the end of the original "Full Metal Panic!" series. Mithril learns of a secret organization that has technology able to counter the ECS (Electronic Conceal System) mode. The organization, known as Amalgam, has access to "Black Technology", which was obtained from the Whispered. Like the other intelligence agencies, Amalgam intends to obtain more. Sousuke's mission to protect Chidori is terminated by Mithril, instead leaving her in the care of an anonymous agent known as "Wraith".


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: There is a one episode OVA that takes place after "Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid". It is a humorous stand-alone story. It focuses on the Captain of the Tuatha De Danaan: Teletha Tessa Testarossa, rather than the two main characters of the series. The OVA is based on short story "Wari to Hima na Sentaichou no Ichi Nichi" ("A comparatively leisurely day of the squadron commander") in short story collection "Dounimo Naranai Gori Muchuu" ("Helpless in the thick of it"). The story is also told in chapters 13 & 14 of "Full Metal Panic Sigma" manga volume 4.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: Home video releases also included an "episode 000" and a 7-part Location Scouting in Hong Kong documentary. Episode 000 includes footage from various parts of the television broadcast episodes, but also includes new scenes. The Location Scouting in Hong Kong documentary includes various locations the television production staff members had gone to as inspiration for creating scenes used in the Hong Kong episodes, featuring appearances from the series producers, and commentaries from them.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: is the fourth TV series in the franchise. Kyoto Animation had not returned to produce the fourth anime adaptation. Instead, it was produced by studio Xebec. It premiered in April 2018. During Anime Expo 2017, the series creator confirmed that "Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory" is a "continuation" that won't contain any "explanation or expository episodes." He stated that the pacing of the story is going to be "full throttle from the get-go" although it would still "follow the original work pretty closely." The series consisted of 12 episodes. The opening song is "Even...if" and the ending song is "Yes", both performed by Tamaru Yamada.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: A live action film adaptation was announced by Mandalay Pictures in April 2009, with Zac Efron rumored to be attached to the project. Efron has since confirmed a meeting took place regarding the project but added that the adaptation was unlikely to happen.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: "Full Metal Panic! Fight! Who Dares Wins", developed by B.B. Studio and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc., was released on May 31, 2018. Specialist Box limited edition includes Invisible Victory behind-the-scenes Blu-ray, a special novel by Shoji Gatoh, drama CD, replica autographed mini script of "Megami no Rainichi: Date Hen," a case for the Blu-ray and CD, and a special Shiki Douji-illustrated box. Early purchases include download code for the 'Armed Slave-Use Special Weapons Three Set' (Boxer 2nd Revision 76mm Shot Cannon (Armor-Piercing Ammunition) Cartridge Extension Model, ASG96-B Revision 57mm Glide Cannon, GRAW-X Single Molecule Cutter (Repulsion Field Prototype Model)).


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: The second DVD volume of "Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid" was given a favorable review by Theron Martin of Anime News Network for pushing the character developments of Sousuke and Kaname as well as dramatic elements beyond comedy and action. Describing the impact of the volume, Martin explains that "[t]he full impact of that [Sousuke and Kaname's relationship] comes out beautifully in episode 7, when Kaname seeks out Sousuke in a moment of fear and, for the first time, Sousuke isn't there for her. It's one of those telling moments that can define an entire series."


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: THEM Anime Reviews has noted that the Arm Slaves, like most real life vehicles, are done so meticulously that fans of mecha series would "scour online catalogues for tech books and sketches." Bureau 42 says that the "mecha[Arm Slave] action in the show is very well done. While I can't compare the action with other more grounded mecha shows like Patlabor, the combat is very well done and easy to follow, and visually interesting." Triforce commented that Arm Slave battles in the Full Metal Panic! series would be able to keep viewer's attention to the show.


title: Full Metal Panic!

text: Negative criticism has surfaced on the role of the Arm Slaves throughout the "Full Metal Panic!" series. For instance, Ender's review states that their mecha roles are confusing that the Arm Slaves are both "08th MS Team soldiers and Dragon Ball Z-type fighters, hurling energy balls at each other and going "Super Saiya-jin." Anime Database rated the "Full Metal Panic!" series 4 out of 5 because of the Arm Slaves battles since they start out from being good to being very unrealistic. GameSpot Union comments on the relationship between the Arm Slaves and the animation done on "Full Metal Panic!", saying both animation and camera views were bad.


title: Island (Huxley novel)

text: Island is a 1962 utopian manifesto and novel by English writer Aldous Huxley, the author's final work before his death in 1963. Although it has a plot, the plot largely serves to further conceptual explorations rather than setting up and resolving conventional narrative tension.


title: Island (Huxley novel)

text: It is the account of Will Farnaby, a cynical journalist who is shipwrecked on the fictional island of Pala. "Island" is Huxley's utopian counterpart to his most famous work, the 1932 dystopian novel "Brave New World". The ideas that would become "Island" can be seen in a foreword he wrote in 1946 to a new edition of "Brave New World":


title: Island (Huxley novel)

text: Englishman William Asquith "Will" Farnaby deliberately wrecks his boat on the shores of the Kingdom of Pala, an island halfway between Sumatra and the Andaman Islands, thus forcing his entry to this otherwise "forbidden island". Farnaby, a journalist, political huckster, and lackey for the oil baron Lord Joseph "Joe" Aldehyde, is tasked with persuading the island's current queen—the Rani—to sell Aldehyde rights to Pala's untapped oil assets. Farnaby awakens on the island with a leg injury, hearing a myna bird screaming "Attention", when a local boy and girl notice him and take him for medical treatment to their grandfather, Dr. Robert MacPhail. Dr. Robert and a young man named Murugan Mailendra carry Farnaby to Robert's house for a surprisingly successful hypnotherapy session led by Susila, Robert's daughter-in-law and the mother of the two children. Susila's husband (Robert's son) recently died in a climbing accident, and Susila is still grappling with the grief.