title: Anton Du Beke

text: Du Beke has presented the BBC cookery show "Step Up to the Plate". He served as a captain and from series 2 the host on the UK version of "Hole in the Wall", which premiered on 20 September 2008 on BBC One. On 24 December 2009, he appeared in "Victoria Wood's Midlife Christmas", in a sketch called "Beyond The Marigolds", where he spoofed his "Strictly Come Dancing" role by being paired with fictional soap star "Bo Beaumont" (played by Julie Walters). Beaumont quit the show when unable to master Du Beke's warm up steps.


title: Anton Du Beke

text: On Christmas Day 2019, Du Beke surprised Craig Revel Horwood as a guest in the Christmas Midnight Gameshow in "Michael McIntyre's Big Christmas Show".


title: Anton Du Beke

text: Du Beke has released a book called "Anton's Dance Class" which was serialised in the "Mail on Sunday". Du Beke also wrote A-Z on Ballroom Dancing, "B is for Ballroom".


title: Anton Du Beke

text: Du Beke has now released four novels which have all been set around the Buckingham Hotel and characters Raymond and Nancy.


title: Anton Du Beke

text: In September 2022, Du Beke and Erin Boag announced they were to appear at "Dancing With The Stars Weekends" 2023.


title: Pearl V Puri

text: Pearl V Puri (born 10 July 1989) is an Indian actor. Puri is best known for playing Mahir Sehgal/Mihir Sippi in "Naagin 3" and Raghbir Malhotra in "Bepanah Pyaar".


title: Pearl V Puri

text: Pearl V Puri was born on 10 July 1989 in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, into a Punjabi Hindu Khatri family to Vipin Puri and Pummy Puri. He has an elder sister Reet Vohra aka Quety Puri. Puri started his schooling at Maharishi Vidya Mandir Public School, Chhindwara. After a few years his family moved to Agra, Uttar Pradesh where he was enrolled at Raghendra Swarup Public School.


title: Pearl V Puri

text: Puri was inspired to be an actor after his ex girlfriend was a fan of Shah Rukh Khan. His father wanted him to join their family business but his mother supported his decision of becoming an actor. He began his career as a model and appeared in several commercials for various brands like Maruti Ritz, Fair One Cream, Pizza Hut.


title: Pearl V Puri

text: Pearl V Puri was arrested on 4 June 2021 for an alleged molestation case of a minor girl the set of his tv serial in 2019 and was granted bail after being in Jail over 10 days on 15 June 2021.


title: Pearl V Puri

text: Puri made his acting debut on television with a supporting role as Ajay Tiwari in the love-triangle "Dil Ki Nazar Se Khoobsurat" on Sony TV produced by Shashi Sumeet Productions in 2013.


title: Pearl V Puri

text: In 2015, he had his first leading role in Saurabh Tewari Films' musical romantic drama "Phir Bhi Na Maane...Badtameez Dil" on Star Plus opposite Asmita Sood as Abeer Malhotra, a successful charming rockstar. Although the show ran for just 5 months, he gained recognition for his role as Abeer that earned him a Best Fresh New Face (Male) nomination at Indian Telly Awards. The show initially ended on 19 September, however the show came back on Hotstar and ran until 18 November.


title: Pearl V Puri

text: In January 2016, Puri signed Swastik Pictures' television show "Meri Saasu Maa" on Zee TV; he was cast as Satyendra Sharma opposite Hiba Nawab. In May 2016, he joined the cast of Yash A Patnaik's fantasy TV series "Naagarjuna – Ek Yoddha" on Life OK as the simple and innocent Arjun Shastri, a garage worker opposite Pooja Banerjee. The series ended in January 2017.


title: Pearl V Puri

text: In 2018, he found his biggest break with the third season of Ekta Kapoor's successful supernatural franchise "Naagin". His portrayal of Mahir Sehgal/Mihir Sippi and chemistry with co-actress Surbhi Jyoti gained a lot of attention, making him a household name. He won the Best Actor Male (Critics) category at Gold Awards and received nominations for Best Actor Male (Popular) and Best Onscreen Jodi (Popular) at Indian Telly Awards. The show achieved high TRPs and ended in May 2019 after 103 episodes, becoming the longest season of the franchise.


title: Pearl V Puri

text: In 2019, Puri made his discography debut with "Peerh Meri" co-starring Anita Hassanandani. He participated in "Khatra Khatra Khatra" and the fifth season of "Kitchen Champion", both of which aired on Colors TV. He also appeared in the fourth season of "Box Cricket League".


title: Pearl V Puri

text: In June 2019, Puri collaborated with Kapoor again for the romantic mystery thriller "Bepanah Pyaar" on Colors TV starring as the depressed and alcoholic Raghbir Malhotra alongside Aparna Dixit and Ishita Dutta. The show went off air in February 2020.


title: Pearl V Puri

text: In 2020, he featured in the music videos "Teri Aankhon Mein" and "Teri Aankhon Mein Dance Cover". In September 2020, he started shooting for the second season of Zee TV supernatural show "Brahmarakshas", his third consecutive collaboration with Kapoor, playing the main lead Angad Mehra opposite Nikki Sharma. The series premiered in November 2020, but went off air within five months in April 2021 due to low TRPs.


title: Wilmslow

text: Wilmslow ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England, south of Manchester city centre. The population was 24,497 at the 2011 Census.


title: Wilmslow

text: Much about the local Iron Age history of Wilmslow was uncovered with the discovery of Lindow Man, in Lindow Moss. Preserved in the peat bogs for 2,000 years, Lindow Man is one of the most important Iron Age finds in the country. Despite a campaign to keep Lindow Man in the area, he was transferred to the British Museum and is a central feature of the Iron Age exhibition. Lindow Man returned to Manchester Museum in April 2008 for a year-long exhibition.


title: Wilmslow

text: An IRA bomb exploded near the railway station in March 1997, damaging signalling equipment. The original IRA message was confusing and led to the evacuation of the Wilmslow Police Station to the local leisure centre not far from the explosion. Nobody was hurt.


title: Wilmslow

text: In the general election of the same year, the parliamentary constituency of Tatton, in which Wilmslow falls, made headlines as part of the "sleaze" accusations levelled against the then Conservative Government. Tatton MP, Neil Hamilton, was accused of accepting cash for tabling Parliamentary questions, and subsequently defeated in the election by independent candidate Martin Bell. Bell was supported in his door to door canvassing for votes by David Soul and served a single term as MP.


title: Wilmslow

text: Wilmslow was one of the eight ancient parishes of the Macclesfield Hundred of Cheshire. It was subdivided into the townships of Bollinfee, Chorley, Fulshaw and Pownall Fee. Under the Poor Law Amendment Act 1866 the townships became civil parishes in their own right. Wilmslow was recreated as a civil parish on 30 September 1894 when Pownall Fee and Fulshaw were abolished. Wilmslow gained most of Bollinfee, most of Fulshaw and part of Pownall Fee; the rest of Fulshaw became part of the much reduced Bollinfee civil parish, in Alderley Edge Urban District, while the other of Pownall Fee were used to create the new Styal civil parish. The Wilmslow Urban District Council came into being in 1895 consisting only of the newly formed civil parish of Wilmslow. On 21 June 1951 it was granted its own Coat of Arms. On 1 April 1974 Wilmslow became part of Macclesfield Borough and on 1 April 2009 it became part of the Cheshire East unitary authority.


title: Wilmslow

text: On 1 April 1936, Wilmslow lost to Alderley Edge. However it gained from Chorley and on the abolition of Bollinfee, Handforth and Styal civil parishes it gained 1,080 and respectively.


title: Wilmslow

text: Wilmslow along with other towns such as Whitworth, Poynton and Alderley Edge successfully objected to being part of the metropolitan county Greater Manchester when it was formed in 1974 although the town does form part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area.


title: Wilmslow

text: According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 the wards of Wilmslow North and Wilmslow South have a combined population of 25,498, of which 13,400 (52.5%) are females and 12,098 (47.5%) are males. In addition, 5197 (20.4%) are aged 16 and under while 4780 (18.8%) are aged 65 and over.


title: Wilmslow

text: Ethnic white groups (British, Irish, other) account for 95.9% of the population, with ethnic minority groups accounting for 4.1% of the population.


title: Wilmslow

text: There are three Church of England churches in Wilmslow, St. Bartholomew's, St Anne's and St John's. St Bartholomew's is a 16th-century building, which was modified in the 19th century. It has a turreted bell tower. The first rector of the church was a Thomas Dale, who is buried beneath a headstone presumably engraved by him outside the entrance to the church.


title: Wilmslow

text: Wilmslow Methodist Church occupies a modern building close to the town centre, replacing an 1886 building which itself replaced the original 1798 church, built 7 years after John Wesley's death.


title: Wilmslow

text: The Sacred Heart & St Teresa's Church is the Roman Catholic church and dates from the late 19th century.


title: Wilmslow

text: Dean Row Chapel, east of the town centre, is a Grade II* listed building built around the end of the 17th century. Initially Presbyterian, it is now a Unitarian chapel.


title: Wilmslow

text: Situated in the North of England, 11 miles (18 km) from Manchester city centre and 7 miles (11 km) from Macclesfield, Wilmslow town centre is focused upon Bank Square, Grove Street and Water Lane. Although Bank Square has traditionally provided the location for many of the town's banks, the name in fact originates from the bank, or slope, leading down to the Carrs and up towards the railway station. The River Bollin flows through The Carrs Park and once provided the power source for nearby Quarry Bank Mill, now a National Trust site, and enjoyment for the local population.


title: Wilmslow

text: For purposes of the Office for National Statistics, Wilmslow forms part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area.


title: Wilmslow

text: The town is part of the Golden Triangle together with Alderley Edge and Prestbury. It grew in popularity in the Victorian era as a desirable area for wealthy North West (most generally Manchester) merchants to move out to once the railways arrived and connected the towns.


title: Wilmslow

text: The town is a key location for Royal London, the mutual financial services company. The Information Commissioner's Office, one of the government's executive agencies, is also based in Wilmslow.


title: Wilmslow

text: The UK headquarters of Waters Corporation, an American manufacturer of analytical laboratory instruments, is located on Altrincham Road in Wilmslow, at the site of Huntingdon Life Sciences' Stamford Lodge facility, which was demolished in 2012.


title: Wilmslow

text: Wilmslow and its close surroundings are served by several car showrooms of notable marques. These include Aston Martin, Porsche, Ferrari, Jaguar, Maserati, Land Rover, Bentley, McLaren, Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini. The town's Aston Martin dealership sells the highest number of Aston Martins in the UK; a high demand stimulated largely by the high level of affluence in the town.


title: Wilmslow

text: Wilmslow held its first Scarecrow Festival in July 2010 with 85 local businesses taking part and 93 different scarecrows. The week-long festival is organised by the Rotary Club of Wilmslow Dean and the members of the Wilmslow Business Group.


title: Wilmslow

text: The Wilmslow Festive 10k, organised by Run North West, takes place at the end of November each year. The run starts in Wilmslow town centre with 2479 finishers in 2017. The Wilmslow Half Marathon is an annual half marathon road running race, established in 1984 and usually run in March.


title: Wilmslow

text: Wilmslow railway station is situated where the electrified line from Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly divides. One line continues to Manchester via Handforth, Cheadle Hulme and Stockport, the other continues to Manchester Piccadilly via Styal, Manchester Airport and Heald Green. The latter route is commonly known as the Styal Line. There are frequent services to Manchester, Alderley Edge, Crewe and Manchester Airport, plus a frequent service operated by Transport for Wales to Milford Haven, via Shrewsbury and Cardiff. In addition, there is an infrequent daily service to Bournemouth via Birmingham, operated by CrossCountry. There is also a regular hourly service direct to London Euston, operated by Avanti West Coast.


title: Wilmslow

text: There are no longer any bus services towards the airport, Stockport or Manchester or any Sunday or Bank Holiday bus services.


title: Wilmslow

text: The A34 Manchester to Newcastle-under-Lyme and Winchester road now bypasses the town centre to the east. Manchester Airport lies just four miles (6 km) along the A538 to the north west, but Wilmslow lies away from the approach and departure routes and therefore does not suffer from aircraft noise as Hale Barns and Heald Green do.


title: Wilmslow

text: The A34 bypass is the main road network that serves the town of Wilmslow. This was extended beyond neighbouring Alderley Edge in Winter 2010–11. The A34 Bypass joins the A555 at Handforth Dean and this road has recently been extended to Manchester Airport.


title: Wally Amos

text: Wallace "Wally" Amos, Jr. (born July 1, 1936) is an American television personality, entrepreneur, and author from Tallahassee, Florida. He is the founder of the Famous Amos chocolate-chip cookie, the Cookie Kahuna, and Aunt Della's Cookies gourmet cookie brands, and he was the host of the adult reading program, "Learn to Read".


title: Wally Amos

text: He was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida, until he was 12 years old. When his parents divorced, he moved to New York City with his aunt, where he enrolled at the Food Trades Vocational High School. He showed his interest in cooking at a young age. It was from his aunt Della Bryant, who would bake cookies for him, that Amos later developed his chocolate chip cookie recipe. Amos improved on his aunt Della's recipe, which was already uncommon because it included several ingredients not generally associated with chocolate chip cookies.


title: Wally Amos

text: Shortly before graduation, Amos dropped out of high school to join the United States Air Force. He served at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, Hawaii from 1954 until 1957. He earned his high school equivalency diploma before being honorably discharged from the military.


title: Wally Amos

text: Returning to New York City, Amos went to college to become a secretary, and after graduating, took a mailroom clerk job with the William Morris Agency. Eventually, he became the agency's first African American talent agent. He signed Simon & Garfunkel and headed the agency's rock 'n' roll department. Amos attracted clients by sending them chocolate chip cookies along with an invitation to visit him. He represented musicians such as Diana Ross & the Supremes, Sam Cooke, and Marvin Gaye.


title: Wally Amos

text: In 1975, a friend suggested to Amos that he set up a store to sell his cookies, and in March of that year, the first Famous Amos cookie store opened in Los Angeles, California. He started the business with the help of a $25,000 loan from Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy. The company began to expand, and eventually, Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies could be found on supermarket shelves across the United States. He became such a known figure culturally that he appeared as himself in the "Taxi" episode "Latka's Cookies", in 1981. Thanks in part to the success of his cookie company, he was hired to deliver speeches. He has written 10 books, many of which have a self-help theme, including "The Cookie Never Crumbles" and "The Power in You".


title: Wally Amos

text: In 1979, Amos' long-time friend and publicist John Rosica introduced him to Literacy Volunteers of America. Amos has advocated literacy and helped thousands of adults learn to read. In 1987, he also hosted a television series designed to teach others how to read, entitled "Learn to Read", produced by Kentucky Educational Television and WXYZ-TV.


title: Wally Amos

text: Due to financial troubles, Amos was forced to sell the Famous Amos Company, and because the name "Famous Amos" was trademarked by his former company, he had to use The Uncle Noname's Cookie Company as his new company's name. A Famous Amos distributor at the time, Lou Avignone, heard Amos on a local radio talk show and, inspired by Amos' story of his early business success with Famous Amos and his spirit, contacted Amos with the idea for starting a new business. In 1994, the two became partners and subsequently launched Uncle Noname Gourmet Muffins. The company focused on fat-free, nutritious muffins at that time. Uncle Noname became Uncle Wally's Muffin Company in 1999. The muffins are sold in more than 3,500 stores nationwide.


title: Wally Amos

text: In 2014, an article in "Fortune" magazine lauded "The cookie comeback of 'Famous' Wally Amos" as Amos bought back his handmade cookies under a new name The Cookie Kahuna. These cookies were marketed in a store in Hawaii, where Amos was based. They come in the flavors original chocolate chip, chocolate chip with pecans and butterscotch with macadamia nuts.


title: Wally Amos

text: In 2020, Content Media Group released a documentary on the life of Wally Amos, "The Great Cookie Comeback: reBaking Wally Amos". The film was directed by Jeff MacIntyre.


title: Wally Amos

text: On July 1, 1979, Amos married Christine (Harris) Amos, who later helped him design the early merchandise and packaging for Famous Amos cookies. Wally Amos has 4 children: Michael Amos, Gregory Amos, Sarah Amos, and musician Shawn Amos.


title: Wally Amos

text: Amos had lived in Hawaii from 1977 until 2018. Amos currently resides in Columbia, South Carolina, where he is working on Aunt Della's Cookies.


title: Verisimilitude

text: In philosophy, verisimilitude (or truthlikeness) is the notion that some propositions are closer to being true than other propositions. The problem of verisimilitude is the problem of articulating what it takes for one false theory to be closer to the truth than another false theory.


title: Verisimilitude

text: This problem was central to the philosophy of Karl Popper, largely because Popper was among the first to affirm that truth is the aim of scientific inquiry while acknowledging that most of the greatest scientific theories in the history of science are, strictly speaking, false. If this long string of purportedly false theories is to constitute progress with respect to the goal of truth, then it must be at least possible for one false theory to be closer to the truth than others.


title: Verisimilitude

text: Popper assumed that scientists are interested in highly informative theories, in part for methodological reasons—the more informative a theory, the easier it is to test, and the greater its predictive power. However, informative power itself is rather easy to propose, and gaining content by sacrificing truths is unwanted. So Popper proposed that closeness to the truth is a function of two factors: truth and content. The more truths that a theory entails (other things being equal) the closer it is to the truth.


title: Verisimilitude

text: Intuitively at least, it seems that Newton's theory of motion entails a good many more truths than does e.g. Aristotle's theory, despite that both are known to have flaws. Even two true theories can have differing degrees of verisimilitude, depending on how much true information they deliver. For example, the claim "it will rain next Thursday", if true, seems closer to the truth than the true yet logically weaker claim "it will either rain or be sunny next Thursday".


title: Verisimilitude

text: Popper's formal definition of verisimilitude was challenged since 1974 by Pavel Tichý, John Henry Harris, and David Miller, who argued that Popper's definition has an unintended consequence: that no false theory can be closer to the truth than another. Popper himself stated: "I accepted the criticism of my definition within minutes of its presentation, wondering why I had not seen the mistake before." This result gave rise to a search for an account of verisimilitude that did not deem progress towards the truth an impossibility.


title: Verisimilitude

text: Some of the new theories (e.g. those proposed by David Miller and by Theo Kuipers) build on Popper's approach, guided by the notion that truthlikeness is a function of a truth factor and a content factor. Others (e.g. those advanced by in collaboration with , by Mortensen, and by Ken Gemes) are also inspired by Popper's approach but locate what they believe to be the error of Popper's proposal in his overly generous notion of content, or consequence, proposing instead that the consequences that contribute to closeness to truth must be, in a technical sense, "relevant". A different approach (already proposed by Tichý and and developed especially by Ilkka Niiniluoto and Graham Oddie) takes the "likeness" in truthlikeness literally, holding that a proposition's likeness to the truth is a function of the overall likeness to the actual world of the possible worlds in which the proposition would be true. An attempt to use the notion of point-free metric space is proposed by Giangiacomo Gerla. There is currently a debate about whether or to what extent these different approaches to the concept are compatible.


title: Verisimilitude

text: Another problem in Popper's theory of verisimilitude is the connection between truthlikeness as the goal of scientific progress, on the one hand, and methodology, on the other hand, as the ways in which we can to some extent ensure that scientific research actually approaches this goal. Popper conceived of his definition as a justification of his own preferred methodology: falsificationism, in the following sense: suppose theory A is closer to the truth than theory B according to Popper's qualitative definition of verisimilitude; in this case, we will (or should, if that definition had been logically sound) have that all true consequences of B (i.e.: all predicted consequences of theory B's mathematical and physical predictions subject to a particular set of initial conditions) are consequences of [theory] A (['s] similarly predicted consequences – i.e., informally, B ≤ A), and that all false consequences of A are consequences of B (in that those set of events deemed impossible by theory A are a subset of those events deemed impossible B, subject to the same initial data conditions for both – i.e., informally, ¬B ≥ ¬A, so that ¬A ≤ ¬B); this means that, if A and B are so related, then it should be the case that all "known" false empirical consequences of A also follow from B, and all "known" true empirical consequences of B do follow from A. So, if A were closer to the truth than B, then A should be better corroborated than B by any possible amount of empirical evidence. Lastly, this easy theorem allows interpretation of the fact that A is actually better corroborated than B as a "corroboration of the hypothesis" (or 'meta-hypothesis') that A is more verisimilar than B.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: Abingdon-on-Thames ( ), commonly known as Abingdon, is a historic market town and civil parish in the ceremonial county of Oxfordshire, England, on the River Thames. Historically the county town of Berkshire, since 1974 Abingdon has been administered by the Vale of White Horse district within Oxfordshire. The area was occupied from the early to middle Iron Age and the remains of a late Iron Age and Roman defensive enclosure lies below the town centre. Abingdon Abbey was founded around 676, giving its name to the emerging town. In the 13th and 14th centuries, Abingdon was an agricultural centre with an extensive trade in wool, alongside weaving and the manufacture of clothing. Charters for the holding of markets and fairs were granted by various monarchs, from Edward I to George II.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: The town survived the dissolution of the abbey in 1538, and by the 18th and 19th centuries, with the building of Abingdon Lock in 1790, and Wilts & Berks Canal in 1810, was a key link between major industrial centres such as Bristol, London, Birmingham and the Black Country. In 1856 the Abingdon Railway opened, linking the town with the Great Western Railway at . The Wilts & Berks Canal was abandoned in 1906 but a voluntary trust is now working to restore and re-open it. Abingdon railway station was closed to passengers in September 1963. The line remained open for goods until 1984, including serving the MG car factory, which operated from 1929 to October 1980.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: Abingdon's brewery, Morland, whose most famous ale, Old Speckled Hen, was named after an early MG car, was taken over and closed down by Greene King Brewery in 1999, with production moving to Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. The site of the brewery has been redeveloped into housing. The rock band Radiohead formed in 1985 when its members were studying at Abingdon School, a day and boarding independent secondary school. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 33,130. This is 2,504 more than in the 2001 Census total of 30,626, and represents just over 8% growth in the population.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: A Neolithic stone hand axe was found at Abingdon. Petrological analysis in 1940 identified the stone as epidotised tuff from Stake Pass in the Lake District, to the north. Stone axes from the same source have been found at Sutton Courtenay, Alvescot, Kencot and Minster Lovell. Abingdon has been occupied from the early to middle Iron Age and the remains of a late Iron Age defensive enclosure (or oppidum) lies below the town centre. The oppidum was in use throughout the Roman occupation. A Neolithic causewayed enclosure was found in Abingdon in 1926, dating to the 36th or 37th century BC.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: Abingdon Abbey was founded in Saxon times, possibly around 676, but its early history is confused by numerous legends, invented to raise its status and explain the place name. The name seems to mean 'Hill of a man named Æbba, or a woman named Æbbe', possibly the saint to whom St Ebbe's Church in Oxford was dedicated (Æbbe of Coldingham or a different Æbbe of Oxford). However, Abingdon stands in a valley and not on a hill. It is thought that the name was first given to a place on Boars Hill above Chilswell, and the name was transferred to its present site when the Abbey was moved. In 1084, William the Conqueror celebrated Easter at the Abbey and it is possible that his son Henry I received some schooling at the abbey.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: In the 13th and 14th centuries, Abingdon was a flourishing agricultural centre with an extensive trade in wool and a famous weaving and clothing manufacturing industry. The abbot seems to have held a market from very early times and charters for the holding of markets and fairs were granted by various sovereigns, from Edward I to George II. In 1337 there was a famous riot in protest at the Abbot's control of this market in which several of the monks were killed. After the abbey's dissolution in 1538, the town sank into decay and, in 1556, upon receiving a representation of its pitiable condition, Mary I granted a charter establishing a mayor, two bailiffs, twelve chief burgesses and sixteen secondary burgesses, the mayor to be clerk of the market, coroner and a JP. The present Christ's Hospital originally belonged to the Guild of the Holy Cross, on the dissolution of which Edward VI founded the almshouses instead, under its present name.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: The council was empowered to elect one burgess to parliament and this right continued until the Redistribution of Seats Act of 1885. A town clerk and other officers were appointed and the town boundaries were described in great detail. Later charters, from Elizabeth I, James I, James II, George II and George III, made no considerable change. James II changed the style of the corporation to that of a mayor, twelve aldermen and twelve burgesses. Abingdon became the county town of Berkshire sometime after receiving its Royal Charter in 1556. Assize courts were held in Abingdon from 1570, but in the 17th century it was vying with Reading for county town status. The county hall and court house were built between 1678 and 1682, to assert this status. The building, now the Abingdon County Hall Museum, was reputedly designed by Christopher Kempster, who worked with Sir Christopher Wren.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: In 1790 Abingdon Lock was built, replacing navigation to the town via the Swift Ditch. In 1810, the Wilts & Berks Canal opened, linking Abingdon with Semington on the Kennet and Avon Canal. Abingdon became a key link between major industrial centres such as Bristol, London, Birmingham and the Black Country. In 1856 the Abingdon Railway opened, linking the town with the Great Western Railway at . However, Abingdon's failure to engage fully with the railway revolution, accepting only a branch line, sidelined the town in favour of Reading which became the County Town in 1869.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: The Wilts & Berks Canal was abandoned in 1906 but a voluntary trust is now working to restore and re-open it. Abingdon railway station was closed to passengers in September 1963. The line remained open for goods until 1984, including serving the MG car factory, which opened in 1929 and closed in October 1980 as part of a British Leyland rationalisation plan. The nearest railway station is , away. Much of the original Abingdon branch line is now a cyclepath, whilst the land on which the station stood has been extensively redeveloped, and is now the site of a large Waitrose store and surrounded by a large number of new flats and houses.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: The corporation was reformed, under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 but was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972. In 1974, under local government reorganisation, Abingdon became part of Oxfordshire and the seat of the new Vale of White Horse District Council, with Abingdon becoming a civil parish with a town council. Since the 1980s, Abingdon has played host to a number of information communication companies, with many based in the town's respective business and science parks. With this, and the result of Abingdon's proximity to academic and scientific institutions in Oxford, the town has seen an influx of young professionals taking residence in the town's many residential areas such as Peachcroft.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: The town was sometimes historically called "Abingdon-on-Thames", but the official name of the borough (as given in statutes from the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 to the Local Government Act 1972 and all intervening Ordnance Survey maps) was simply "Abingdon". Local councillors voted in November 2011 to change the official name of the town to "Abingdon-on-Thames", and the change took effect on 23 February 2012.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: Sport and recreation facilities include the White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre, Tilsley Park and the Southern Town Park. Abingdon had four cinemas but all have closed. The last was the Regal, which closed in 1989. It stood derelict for 24 years until it was demolished in 2003 and replaced by housing development, Regal Close. The Unicorn theatre was built in an area called The Checkers Hall in the ruins of the Abbey buildings and shows plays and films on an irregular basis. In addition, a new cinema, called the Abbey Cinema has been built in one of the Town Council buildings and operates in conjunction with the Regal in Evesham.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: The local newspapers are "The Oxford Times", "Oxford Mail" and "Abingdon Herald". The "Oxfordshire Guardian", a free newspaper, was based in Abingdon for many years and was founded as the "South Oxfordshire Courier" until its closure in 2018. Local radio and television stations are shared with Oxford, although ITV retains a news gathering centre in nearby Milton Park (formerly having a broadcasting studio in the town) for ITV Meridian. Historically the ITV franchise was ITV Central. Local analogue radio is provided by BBC Radio Oxford, Jack FM, Jack 3 and Heart South (historically 'Fox FM' and later 'Heart Thames Valley'), while the town is also covered by the Oxfordshire DAB multiplex. There was a Six TV local TV channel until 2009 and the town's further education college was the home to That's TV studios for Oxfordshire until it relocated to Oxford Science Park.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: The Tesco Extra store west of the town is the largest supermarket in Abingdon and has historically been one of the most profitable Tesco stores in the country. Nearby is the Fairacres Retail Park, thought to be the first retail park in the UK and recently redeveloped, which includes Argos, Subway, B & M, Dreams and Pets at Home stores. It originally had two long established Abingdon retailers—Vineys Home Furnishings (now part of the Lee Longlands chain but retains its name) and Mays Carpets (now part of the Carpetright chain and has re-branded accordingly). In the town centre, many independent stores, estate agents and charity shops make up the Bury Street shopping centre as major high street names have chosen to go to other towns. However, a recent renovation has attracted stores such as New Look, Peacocks and WHSmith to open branches.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: The town centre of Abingdon was renovated in 2012 as part of the council's redevelopment plan, with the 1970s shopping precinct converted to look more modern. The roads around the area have been changed: notably the one-way system around the centre has been partially changed to two-way. While this has slightly reduced traffic within the historic town centre, congestion has greatly increased elsewhere. Local businesses have also complained that the increased traffic has driven shoppers away. Redevelopment of the Old Gaol site, most recently a leisure centre, began in 2010. The first stage was demolishing the 1970s additions and swimming pool extension. The Gaol has been converted into luxury flats, shops and restaurants, with access to the riverside.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: Abingdon has two non-League football teams: Abingdon United F.C., who compete in the and play at The Armadillo Energy Stadium, and Abingdon Town F.C., who play at Culham Road. Abingdon Golf Club/North Berks Golf Club (now defunct) was first mentioned in 1876. The club disappeared at the time of the Second World War The Oxford Saints American Football Club play their games in Abingdon at Tilsley Park and are one of the longest-running American Football clubs in the UK, founded in 1983. Abingdon is home to Abingdon Rowing Club, with members from 13 to 80 years old. It has had many successes at local and national races, and also holds its own head race in April, one of the main events in the Abingdon Calendar. Its boathouse is on Wilsham Road. Abingdon Amblers changed its name to Abingdon Athletics Club. They train at Tilsley Park and take part in county cross-country leagues.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: Abingdon RUFC was formed at the Queens Hotel on 27 February 1931. During the 1930s the club was based at the Queens Hotel and games were played on the Council owned recreation ground at Caldecott Road. Immediately after the Second World War the club moved to outside the RAF camp (now Dalton Barracks) which offered on-site changing facilities and later a pitch inside the camp. At the start of the Suez Crisis in 1956 play temporarily returned to the Caldecott Road site because of security risks. This period saw the formation of the ill-fated Abingdon Sports Club; an amalgamation of the town's rugby, cricket and hockey clubs and the bid to establish a sporting centre at Hales Meadow. In a short time the ground was developed and a pavilion erected but the organisation was plagued with financial difficulties and very soon dissolved with hockey disbanding and Abingdon Rugby remaining at the site as tenants to the cricket club. In the mid-1980s a determined effort was made to acquire grounds and a clubhouse dedicated to rugby.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: The current base at the town's Southern Sports Park was opened by former Abingdon MP John Patten in 1989. Abingdon has had members representing the county, progressing to first-class level and on to international status in the Six Nations Tournament. The Abingdon Sevens traditionally opens the Home Counties' playing season and has attracted sides from throughout the country and beyond. Initiated in 1956 as a one-off tournament to celebrate the town's 400th anniversary of receiving a Royal Charter, it proved so successful that the competition has been held on an annual basis ever since. Several years ago it was decided to introduce the youngsters of Abingdon to Club Rugby. The Youth Section has 200 playing members from the ages of 6 to 18. In 2013–14 Abingdon RFC's President, Paul Murphy MBE, was also the President of the RFU. Since 2016, Oxford Rugby League have played in Abingdon at Abingdon School's Tilsley Park.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: The Pavlova and Gloria leather works were major employers but both are now closed. Alfred Booth and Company of Liverpool traded with the Pavlova Leather Syndicate from 1860, bought a share in it in 1917–18 and took it over in 1921. In May 1947 at the annual British Industries Fair in Birmingham, Pavlova advertised doe skins, chamois, lambskins and goatskins, much of it as suede, for uses including shoes, gloves and belts. In 1958 Pavlova's site covered , employed neary 200 people and included a staff sports field. At that time its factory still processed imported skins of sheep, lamb and goat, mainly to make suede. Garner Group took over the Booth Group in 1979 and became Garner Booth. Pittards plc took over Garner Booth in 1987 and became Pittard Garner. It closed the Pavlova works in 1993.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: Abingdon was originally home to the Morland Brewery, whose most famous ale was Old Speckled Hen, named after an early MG car. Greene King Brewery bought Morland for £182 million in 1999, closed the brewery and moved production to Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. The site of the brewery has been redeveloped into housing. The Maltings was demolished and is now a mixed residential area and council offices. In 2010, a craft brewery, Loose Cannon, reinstated brewing in the town at the Drayton Road Industrial Estate and sells its beers locally, including on draught at some local pubs. Abingdon is near several major scientific employers: the UKAEA at Culham (including the Joint European Torus (JET) fusion research project), Harwell Laboratory, the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and the new Diamond Light Source synchrotron, which is the largest UK-funded scientific facility to be built for over 40 years. Many inhabitants work in Oxford or commute by rail to London, from nearby Didcot. The Army now occupies Dalton Barracks, which, prior to 1993, was the Royal Air Force station RAF Abingdon.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: Abingdon has a business park which has offices for several local, national and international companies including, until recently, Vodafone (acquired as part of its takeover of Mannesmann in 2000) and Northern Rock bank. The Science Park includes the global headquarters of Sophos, an anti-virus company. RM, an educational computing supplier, commonly refer to themselves as being Abingdon-based, which is technically true—even though their HQ is actually in nearby Milton Park, Milton, they have an Abingdon post code (as does the rest of Milton Park). Penlon Ltd, a medical equipment company, have their premises on the outskirts of Abingdon (their previous site, near the former railway station, has been redeveloped as residential housing). Another major employer is the British head office of the German appliance company Miele.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: Industrially, Abingdon was best known for the MG car factory, which opened in 1929. 1,155,032 cars were made at the plant over the next 51 years until British Leyland closed it on 24 October 1980. Subsequent cars sold under the MG brand have since been produced either at Longbridge in Birmingham or at SAIC's factories in China. The company was founded in 1924 and moved its business alongside the Pavlova Leather Factory in 1929. By the outbreak of the Second World War, MG was established as one of the most popular brands of sports car in Britain. After the war, the MG factory continued to churn out increasing volumes of popular sports car which were available at competitive prices but the factory closed in October 1980 on the demise of the ageing but still popular MG MGB range, and was demolished within months. The headquarters of the MG Car Club, founded in 1930, is at 11 & 12 Cemetery Road, next to the old factory offices. A police station was built in its place, which was later extended with the addition of more cells, as Oxford's police station could not be extended further.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: Abingdon is south of Oxford, south-east of Witney and north of Newbury in the flat valley of the Thames on its west (right) bank, where the small river Ock flows in from the Vale of White Horse. It is on the A415 between Witney and Dorchester, adjacent to the A34 trunk road, linking it with the M4 and M40 motorways. The B4017 and A4183 also link the town, both being part of the old A34 and often heavily congested. Local bus services to Oxford and the surrounding areas are run by the Oxford Bus Company, its sister company Thames Travel and smaller independent companies.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: Abingdon no longer has a rail service. However, in recent years, urban expansion has brought Radley railway station close to town's northeastern limits. The small, primarily stopping-service, railway stations at and Radley are both just over from the town centre. Abingdon's eastern ring-road and newest suburbs are connected by footpath and cycleway from Radley.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: Culham station was called "Abingdon Road" when it first opened in 1844, being the nearest station to the town at that time. It was renamed "Culham" when the Abingdon Railway branch line to Abingdon railway station was opened in 1856. That branch line initially connected to the main line at Abingdon Junction, before being extended to Radley station when that opened in 1873. The branch line from Radley to Abingdon closed to passengers in 1963. The nearest major stations with taxi ranks are () and (). All are managed by Great Western Railway. Frequent express buses operate between the local railway stations and Abingdon, run by Oxford Bus Company and its sister company Thames Travel.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: The town is also represented on Oxfordshire County Council. The incumbent Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon is Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat). Abingdon is represented on the Vale of White Horse district council, as well as having its own town council. Control of the town council has passed between the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives in recent years. After the 2019 local elections, political composition of the council is:


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: Of the Benedictine Abingdon Abbey there remains a Perpendicular gateway and ruins of the mainly Early English prior's house, the guest house and other fragments. Other remains from the former abbey include the Unicorn Theatre and Long Gallery, which are still used for plays and functions including an annual craft fair. St. Nicolas' Church, parts of which were built in 1180, is near the museum. Abingdon Bridge over the Thames, near St Helen's Church, was built in 1416 and was widened or altered in 1790, 1828, 1927 and 1929. Abbey Gateway between the Abingdon County Hall Museum and the Guildhall remains a point of local importance.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: Abingdon has the remains of a motte-and-bailey castle, which can be found to the north of the town centre surrounded by trees within a housing estate. Originally built of wood or stone, it was a fortification on a raised earthwork called a motte surrounded by a protective ditch. There is a Second World War FW3/28A pillbox by the River Ock near Marcham Road. A gaol, built by prisoners of the Napoleonic Wars in 1811, is on the south edge of town next to the Thames. In the 1970s the gaol was converted into a leisure centre. In 2011 the site was developed into residential and commercial premises. According to local legend, prior to its conversion in the 1970s, the gaol was haunted by the ghost of an eight-year-old boy who, after being convicted for arson in the mid-19th century, became the youngest person in the UK to be executed by hanging.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: The Roysse Room was the site of Abingdon School (then 'Roysse's School') from 1563 until it moved to its current site after an indenture by John Roysse, who had been born and educated in Abingdon before he moved to London. The room is now part of the civic offices. St. Helen's Church dates from around 1100 and is the second-widest church in England, having five aisles and being wider than it is long. The tower of St Helen's Church has a modern ring of ten bells, cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 2005 and hung in a new frame with new fittings by White's of Appleton in 2006. Abingdon's county hall by the main market square, built in 1677–1680 reputedly by Christopher Kempster, stands on columns, leaving the ground floor open for a market and other functions. It was once hailed by Nikolaus Pevsner with the comment "Of the free-standing town halls of England with open ground floors this is the grandest". It now houses the Abingdon County Hall Museum and is run by Historic England.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: Bun-throwing is an Abingdon tradition that began with the 1761 Coronation of King George III. This long-standing tradition of the town has local dignitaries throwing buns (5,000 buns in 2018) from the roof of the Abingdon County Hall Museum into crowds assembled in the market square below on specific days of celebration (such as royal marriages, coronations and jubilees). The museum has a collection of the buns, dried and varnished, dating back to bun-throwings of the 19th century. To date there have been 35 bun-throwing events. Since 2000, there have been bun-throwing ceremonies to commemorate the Millennium, the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2002, the 450th anniversary of the town's being granted a royal charter in 2006, the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011, the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2012, the centenary of the end of the World War I in November 2018 and the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2022.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: The centre of town and the whole of Ock Street (half a mile) are closed every October for two days for the Ock Street Michaelmas Fair, once a hiring fair but now maybe Britain's longest and narrowest funfair. The much smaller Runaway Fair, the following Monday, was traditionally for workers who were unsatisfied with their employment after the first week. Abingdon has a very old and still active Morris dancing tradition, passed on since before the folk dance and song revivals in the 19th century. Every year a Mayor of Ock Street is elected by the inhabitants of Ock Street; he then parades through the town preceded by the famous Horns of Ock Street, a symbol of Abingdon's Morris Dance troupe.


title: Abingdon-on-Thames

text: The Friends of Abingdon's Unicorn Theatre, housed in the old Abbey buildings, is the site of first productions of many stage adaptations of Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" novels, by Stephen Briggs. Old Speckled Hen ale was originally brewed by Morland's of Abingdon to commemorate the MG factory in the town. It continues to be brewed by Greene King along with several complementary beers. The rock band Radiohead formed at Abingdon School in 1985.


title: South China

text: South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not native speakers of Standard Chinese. Cantonese is the most common language in the region while the Guangxi region contains the largest concentration of China's ethnic minorities, each with their own language.


title: Virtual band

text: In entertainment, a virtual band (also called a virtual idol, virtual singer, virtual group, cartoon group, cartoon idol, cartoon singer or cartoon band) is a band or music group whose members are not depicted as corporeal musicians, but animated characters or virtual avatars. The music is recorded (and, in the case of concerts, performed) by real musicians and producers, while any media related to the virtual band, including albums, video clips and the visual component of stage performances, feature the animated line-up; in many cases the virtual band members have been credited as the writers and performers of the songs. Live performances can become rather complex, requiring perfect synchronization between the visual and audio components of the show.


title: Virtual band

text: The term "virtual band" was popularized with Gorillaz in 2000. However, the concept of the virtual band was first demonstrated by Alvin and the Chipmunks in 1958, when their creator, Ross Bagdasarian, accelerated recordings of his own voice to achieve the "chipmunk voice". There have since been numerous virtual bands that have recorded material. Computer animation, traditional animation, and vocal mixing and manipulation are common features.


title: Virtual band

text: The term "virtual idol" originates from Japan, where it dates back to the 1980s and has roots in anime and Japanese idol culture. Popular virtual idols include the Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku and the virtual YouTuber Kizuna AI.


title: Virtual band

text: The term is sometimes confused for music groups who collaborate using the Internet, who do not require members to be in the same physical place for their work.


title: Virtual band

text: The members of virtual groups are depicted as animated characters, with their own personality, voice, history, and playing style. For example, Alvin, the leader of the Chipmunks, is mischievous, and Skeleton Staff's Guitarist Stanton is a party-going underachiever. Furthermore, Freen in Green's bassist Sparky is sluggish, while Murdoc of Gorillaz is a middle-aged satanic bass player. Another example is Hatsune Miku who does not have a definite personality; her personality changes in each song based on interactions from the users of Vocaloid.


title: Virtual band

text: The style of animation used for depicting the characters varies. Some groups, like The Archies, Gorillaz, Dethklok, The Banana Splits, Prozzäk, One-T, Dvar and Alvin and the Chipmunks are hand-drawn characters, and much of their media uses traditional animation and cartooning techniques. Others, such as Hatsune Miku, Crazy Frog, Genki Rockets, Gummibär, Pinocchio, The Bots, Studio Killers, and more recently, Beatcats, K/DA, and Hololive are computer-generated.


title: Virtual band

text: Some people consider puppetry as a form of animation; this consideration means groups like Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem or 31 Minutes can be considered virtual bands.


title: Virtual band

text: The recording of the music is done by the human musicians and artists, whom the virtual artists are depicted to emulate. In some cases, the singing is done by machines or synthesizer applications, like the Hatsune Miku vocaloid. This is done using the normal in-studio recording process; see Sound recording for a detailed explanation.


title: Virtual band

text: In some instances, most notably The Chipmunks, manipulation of voices may be employed, either to achieve a desired vocal effect, or to make it dissimilar to the voice of the actual singer. The manipulation is done by either modifying the playback speed of the vocal track or by putting it through a synthesizer (Vocoding).


title: Virtual band

text: Writing and production credits may be assigned to either the virtual band characters, or the human writers and artists involved.


title: Virtual band

text: Virtual bands often perform through virtual concerts, where their likenesses are represented digitally on stage. One of two methods can be employed for live performances. The first involves animating the entire set, with little or no allowance for audience interaction, then "performing" it as is. The major pitfall with this method is the lack of audience interaction, which can be vital during concerts. This is best suited to short performances, where audience response can be predicted.


title: Virtual band

text: The second, and more complex, method differs from the first in that allowance is made for a variety of responses and interaction. This means having a wide range of animated sequences ready to play, with matching spoken lines, in response to different reactions.


title: Virtual band

text: In both cases, extensive rehearsal is required to synchronize spoken lines and instrumentation with animated action. This can be eliminated by using pre-recorded music and speech; however, doing so also weakens the actual "live" experience.


title: Virtual band

text: While the term had not been coined at the time, Alvin and the Chipmunks were the first virtual band to receive widespread fame. Centered on Alvin, his two brothers Simon and Theodore, and their manager/father Dave Seville, their voices were created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr., who accelerated the recording of his voice to create the distinctive sound; the process earned him two Grammys in 1959 for engineering.


title: Virtual band

text: The success of the Chipmunks spurred on another group, the Nutty Squirrels, to join the ranks. A scat-singing version of Bagdasarian's creation, they made the American Top 40 with their song "Uh-Oh". Their success, however, was short-lived.


title: Virtual band

text: In 1968, The Banana Splits premiered on NBC but failed to chart the top 40. A year later in 1969, from rival CBS, The Archies were the first virtual band to appear in worldwide pop charts.


title: Virtual band

text: During this time, other television programs, such as "Josie and the Pussycats" and "The Muppet Show", began to include bands as part of the format (in the case of "Josie and the Pussycats", the eponymous band was the show's focus). Some of the groups that appeared on these shows released mainstream recordings. Some bands, however, would "break up" after the end of the show's run.


title: Virtual band

text: After "The Archies", produced by Filmation, became a huge pop hit, Hanna-Barbera started releasing several cartoon TV shows with the adventures of rock bands, such as "Josie and the Pussycats", "The Cattanooga Cats", "The Impossibles", "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids", "Jabberjaw", and others.


title: Virtual band

text: During the 1980s, Hasbro released "Jem", an animated TV series featuring two enemy bands with a music video in each episode.


title: Virtual band

text: Virtual bands still appear in television: the Chipmunks appeared in their own television show for much of the 1990s, and the Adult Swim show "Metalocalypse" features the virtual melodic death metal band Dethklok.


title: Virtual band

text: Virtual idols originate from Japan, with roots in anime and Japanese idol culture, and dating back to the 1980s, starting with the "Macross" mecha anime franchise (adapted into the "Robotech" franchise in North America). The first virtual idol was Lynn Minmay, a fictional singer who is one of the main characters in the anime television series "Super Dimension Fortress Macross" (1982) and the animated film adaptation "" (1984). Voiced by Mari Iijima, Lynn Minmay became the first fictional idol singer to garner major real-world success. The theme song "Do You Remember Love?" (from the film "Macross: Do You Remember Love?") reached number seven on the Oricon music charts in Japan, and the song has since been covered numerous times over the next several decades.


title: Virtual band

text: The Japanese cyberpunk anime "Megazone 23" (1985) took the virtual idol concept further with EVE, who is depicted as a computer-based artificial intelligence (AI) who takes the form of a virtual idol within a proto-"Matrix"-like virtual reality. "Megazone 23" was a success in Japan partly due to the appeal of EVE, and it was later adapted into "" (1986) in North America. A similar concept later appeared in "Macross Plus" (1994) with the virtual idol Sharon Apple, a computer program who takes the form of an intergalactic pop star. The same year, the fictional Japanese rock band Fire Bomber from "Macross 7" (1994) became a commercial success, spawning multiple CDs released in Japan.


title: Virtual band

text: The Japanese talent agency Horipro created the first real-life AI virtual idol, Kyoko Date, in 1995. Her creation was inspired by the success of the "Macross" franchise and dating sim games such as "Tokimeki Memorial" (1994), along with advances in computer graphics. Her initial announcement drew headlines, both in Japan and internationally, before she debuted as a CGI idol in 1996. However, she failed to gain commercial success, largely due to technical limitations leading to issues such as unnatural movement (an issue known as the uncanny valley). Despite her failure, she provided the template for later virtual idols who gained commercial success in the early 21st century, such as the Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku and the virtual YouTuber Kizuna AI.


title: Virtual band

text: In 2007, Crypton Future Media and Yamaha launched Vocaloid 2, with the voice bank of Hatsune Miku. In 2009, Hatsune Miku had her first concert. Other Vocaloids include Meiko, Kaito, Kagamine Rin and Len, and Megurine Luka.


title: Virtual band

text: Virtual bands can also originate from video games, as proven by the 2015 Wii U game "Splatoon", which features songs credited to various virtual bands, the most notable being a pop duo called the Squid Sisters, who have performed several real world concerts as holograms. The game's 2017 Nintendo Switch sequel, "Splatoon 2", introduces more virtual bands, most notably Off the Hook, a duo similar to the Squid Sisters. The two duos have performed together as holograms, and has had a special guest, K.K. Slider from the Animal Crossing series, to celebrate the release of Animal Crossing New Horizons. Prior to it, Nintendo had already made a virtual band composed of characters from Pikmin called Strawberry Flower, to promote the games. Their first single, Ai no Uta, was a massive success in Japan, reaching #2 on the Weekly Oricon Top 200 Singles chart. In 2020, Sega and Sanrio teamed up to make their first collaboration virtual band, Beatcats.


title: Virtual band

text: Britain's Gorillaz was formed by Blur's Damon Albarn and "Tank Girl"s Jamie Hewlett in 1998 and produced by Deltron 3030's Dan the Automator. The group brought virtual bands to the musical fore again, with their scoring numerous Top 20 positions around the world. The band has since released seven studio albums in addition to two B-sides albums and two EPs.


title: Virtual band

text: One-T was a similar French virtual band concept created by Eddy Gronfier and Thomas Pieds that centred around a fictional animated hip-hop group. It saw brief success in the early 2000s with the hit singles "Music Is the One-T ODC" and "The Magic Key" but since then only showed little activity.


title: Virtual band

text: Dethklok is an animated heavy metal band that originates from the Adult Swim animated television series "Metalocalypse". They have released three albums so far.


title: Virtual band

text: Dvar was an anonymous darkwave virtual band from Russia that existed from 1995 to 2012. Consisted of three virtual unnamed characters


title: Virtual band

text: Elite Tauren Chieftain is a virtual hard-rock band of five members in World of Warcraft Universe composed of Blizzard Entertainment employees in 2003 (Samwise Didier, Chris Sigaty, Dave Berggren, Mike Morhaime, and Alan Dabiri).


title: Virtual band

text: Pentakill is a virtual heavy metal band consisting of six themed versions of League of Legends characters revealed in 2014.


title: Virtual band

text: Pentakill was followed by K/DA, a virtual K-pop girl group consisting of four themed versions of characters, which unveiled at the 2018 League of Legends World Championship with an augmented reality-based live performance of their first song, "Pop/Stars". After a two-year hiatus, the virtual group released a second single, "The Baddest". The group appeared on stage at the 2020 League of Legends World Championship to promote an EP "All Out" which was released in November 2020.


title: Virtual band

text: In 2019, Riot created a virtual hip hop group called True Damage, featuring the champions Ekko, Akali, Qiyana, Senna, and Yasuo. The vocalists performed a live version of their debut song, "Giants", during the opening ceremony of the 2019 League of Legends World Championship, alongside holographic versions of their characters.


title: Danse macabre (Saint-Saëns)

text: Danse macabre, Op. 40, is a tone poem for orchestra, written in 1874 by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. It premiered 24 January 1875. It is in the key of G minor. It started out in 1872 as an art song for voice and piano with a French text by the poet Henri Cazalis, based on the play Danza macàbra by Camillo Antona-Traversi. In 1874, the composer expanded and reworked the piece into a tone poem, replacing the vocal line with a solo violin part.


title: Danse macabre (Saint-Saëns)

text: According to legend, Death appears at midnight every year on Halloween. Death calls forth the dead from their graves to dance for him while he plays his fiddle (here represented by a solo violin). His skeletons dance for him until the rooster crows at dawn, when they must return to their graves until the next year.


title: Danse macabre (Saint-Saëns)

text: The piece opens with a harp playing a single note, D, twelve times (the twelve strokes of midnight) which is accompanied by soft chords from the string section. The solo violin enters playing the tritone, which was known as the "diabolus in musica" ("the Devil in music") during the Medieval and Baroque eras, consisting of an A and an E—in an example of scordatura tuning, the violinist's E string has actually been tuned down to an E to create the dissonant tritone.


title: Danse macabre (Saint-Saëns)

text: The first theme is heard on a solo flute, followed by the second theme, a descending scale on the solo violin which is accompanied by soft chords from the string section. The first and second themes, or fragments of them, are then heard throughout the various sections of the orchestra. The piece becomes more energetic and at its midpoint, right after a contrapuntal section based on the second theme, there is a direct quote played by the woodwinds of "Dies irae", a Gregorian chant from the Requiem that is melodically related to the work's second theme. The "Dies irae" is presented unusually in a major key. After this section the piece returns to the first and second themes and climaxes with the full orchestra playing very strong dynamics. Then there is an abrupt break in the texture and the coda represents the dawn breaking (a cockerel's crow, played by the oboe) and the skeletons returning to their graves.


title: Danse macabre (Saint-Saëns)

text: The piece makes particular use of the xylophone to imitate the sounds of rattling bones. Saint-Saëns uses a similar motif in the "Fossils" movement of "The Carnival of the Animals".


title: Danse macabre (Saint-Saëns)

text: The progression and melody of the minor waltz are similar to the jibes (e.g. "their sweethearts all are dead") of the Sailors' Chorus in "Helmsman/Steersman, Leave Your Watch," which begins the third act of Wagner's earlier opera, "The Flying Dutchman".


title: Danse macabre (Saint-Saëns)

text: "Danse macabre" is scored for an obbligato violin and an orchestra consisting of one piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets in B, two bassoons; four horns in G and D, two trumpets in D, three trombones, one tuba; a percussion section that includes timpani, xylophone, bass drum, cymbals and triangle; one harp and strings.


title: Danse macabre (Saint-Saëns)

text: When "Danse macabre" was first performed on January 24, 1875 it was not well received and caused widespread feelings of anxiety. The 21st century scholar, Roger Nichols, mentions adverse reaction to "the deformed "Dies irae" plainsong", the "horrible screeching from solo violin", the use of a xylophone, and "the hypnotic repetitions", in which Nichols hears a pre-echo of Ravel's "Boléro.


title: Danse macabre (Saint-Saëns)

text: Today, it is considered one of Saint-Saëns' masterpieces, widely regarded and reproduced in both high and popular culture.


title: Danse macabre (Saint-Saëns)

text: Shortly after the premiere, the piece was transcribed into a piano solo arrangement by Franz Liszt (S.555), a good friend of Saint-Saëns. Next to countless other piano solo transcriptions, Ernest Guiraud wrote a version for piano four hands and Saint-Saëns himself wrote a version for two pianos, and in 1877 also a version for violin and piano. In 1942, Vladimir Horowitz made extensive changes to the Liszt transcription. This version is played most often today.


title: Danse macabre (Saint-Saëns)

text: There is an arrangement for Pierrot ensemble (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano) by Tim Mulleman, and an organ transcription by Edwin Lemare.


title: Heather Peace

text: Heather Mary Peace (born 16 June 1975) is an English actress, musician and LGBT rights activist from Bradford, England. She is best known for her hit role as Nikki Boston in the BBC One school-based drama series "Waterloo Road" from 2012 to 2014. Her other credits include Sally 'Gracie' Fields in ITV's long-running series "London's Burning", Fiona Murray in Kay Mellor's drama series "The Chase", Sam Murray in the BBC Scotland drama series "Lip Service" and as Eve Unwin in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders.


title: Heather Peace

text: Heather Peace was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire. She has been playing piano since she was six years old, and guitar since her teens. Peace decided to be an actress at an early age and credits her parents for the encouragement they gave her to achieve that goal. She went to "St Joseph's Primary School" in Little Horton, Bradford, and St Joseph's Catholic College in Manningham, Bradford. Her mother was a long-serving cantor at St Joseph's Catholic Church (which is next to the primary school) and also did readings. Peace was also a cantor at St Joseph's Catholic Church which is where her love of music and singing started. Peace and her mother are no longer Catholics, due to the Catholic church's stance on LGBT relationships.


title: Heather Peace

text: Peace's break into television came when she joined the ITV soap opera "Emmerdale", playing the character Anne Cullen for seven episodes between January and June 1997.


title: Heather Peace

text: Her first professional stage role was in the 1997 Harrogate Theatre production of "My Fair Lady", playing Eliza Doolittle. She subsequently has played Miranda in Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and the same character in the actor-musician spoof "Return to the Forbidden Planet".


title: Heather Peace

text: After leaving "Emmerdale", Peace took parts in "The Bill" and "Dangerfield", before being cast as Firefighter Sally "Gracie" Fields in the ITV series "London's Burning" from 1998 until the programme's cancellation in 2002. During this time, Peace made a TV movie called "Thunder Road", in which she played Sonia.


title: Heather Peace

text: Between 2003 and 2005, Peace played minor roles in television series including "Casualty" and "Where the Heart Is".


title: Heather Peace

text: Peace played Special Air Service Trooper Becca Gallagher on the ITV action series "Ultimate Force" alongside Ross Kemp. Becca was part of the 3rd and 4th series, aired between 2005 and 2008. Peace has given credit to the writers for making Becca 'one of the lads', rather than an overly emotional character and said she had 'so much fun' playing the hero in the show. Ross Kemp has argued the show is made far more interesting by including a female role and believes Peace was the perfect choice for the part ("she is absolutely superb").


title: Heather Peace

text: During 2006 and 2007, Peace starred in Kay Mellor's TV series "The Chase" as single mum Fiona Jones. Quite a different character to the action girls often played by Peace, Fiona is portrayed as a left out family member whose resentment and betrayals lead into unexpected sinister behaviour.


title: Heather Peace

text: She then appeared in television series including "Coronation Street", "Heartbeat" and "Holby City". In 2008, Peace appeared as the secretly abusing wife in the "Private Sins" episode of "Blue Murder".


title: Heather Peace

text: She also starred in the film "31 North 62 East" where Peace plays again part of a Special Air Service unit. Peace is Captain Jill Mandelson, who will seek help in her twin Kimberly (also played by Peace) to unfold the political corruption that lead to the death of the rest of her unit.


title: Heather Peace

text: In 2010, Peace was cast as Detective Sergeant Sam Murray in the BBC Three TV series "Lip Service". Peace argued that being the only openly lesbian cast member influenced the attention she received regarding the show. The series revolves around the loves and lives of group of aged-30-something lesbians in Glasgow, Scotland. The show reached cult status within the first few episodes, with Peace's character Sam, and the actor herself, becoming also the object of a cult following ("Team Sam" movement among fans of the show). Filming of the second series finished in July 2011 with a transmission date of spring 2012. Since the end of the second and final season fans of the drama called for a third season to be made but Peace said in an interview with Cult Box where she said she would 'definitely' return as the character.


title: Heather Peace

text: In 2011, Peace was cast as Head of English, Nikki Boston, before being appointed Deputy Headteacher in 2013 for the BBC One school-based drama series, "Waterloo Road". Following a tour of her debut album, she returned to the series for the second part of Series 8. She also featured in Series 9, which screened on BBC One in September 2013. She took another break from "Waterloo Road" at the end of Series 9 Spring Term but has hinted that she may return in Series 11.


title: Heather Peace

text: In 2014, Peace took part in ITV's three-part drama Prey as Abi Farrow, wife of main character Detective Constable Marcus Farrow (played by BAFTA nominee John Simm). The drama was directed by BAFTA winner Nick Murphy.


title: Heather Peace

text: In 2016, she appeared in the BBC TV series "The Coroner" Episode 2.3: "Those in Peril" as Chrissy Woodward. In 2019, she appeared in Series 22 of "Silent Witness" as DI Murphy. Peace later played Alex Dawson in the BBC One medical drama, "Holby City".


title: Heather Peace

text: In 2019 she hosted a two part chat and music show called "Heather Peace at the Bedford" on the brand new digital TV channel Diva Box Office, which is the first lesbian digital TV channel in Europe. Guests interviewed on the show include Saara Aalto, Sinitta, Desiree Akhavan, and Alicya Eyo, with Saara Aalto performing her song ""Dance Like Nobody's Watching"" and "Lots Holloway (formerly known as Charlie Rundle from MK1)" performing her song ""Naked"".


title: Heather Peace

text: In 2021, it was announced that Peace would be joining the cast of BBC soap opera "EastEnders" as Eve Unwin, the wife of Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner).


title: Heather Peace

text: In a 2000 episode of "London's Burning", Peace's character sang a version of the Bette Midler classic "The Rose". Subsequently, released by BMG, it reached no. 58 in the UK charts. She decided to put her music career on hold to concentrate on acting but in 2011 she reignited her love of music with her first sell out UK tour and release of an acoustic album of covers and some original songs.


title: Heather Peace

text: She recorded her full debut jazz album "Fairytales" with producer Nigel Wright. Following release on 21 May 2012, it achieved number 43 in the UK Albums Chart and number 9 in the independent albums chart, supported by a UK tour. Heather's "Fairytales" UK tour culminated with a concert in London, where Peace shared a duet with Alison Moyet.


title: Heather Peace

text: In 2013, she released a new single, a Jack Guy remix of "Fight For" available on iTunes, and a special edition of her debut album "Fairytales". She has toured Australia twice, where she has taken part in the Sydney Mardi Gras performing on stage as well as hosting the event for the SBS TV.


title: Heather Peace

text: On 9 June 2014, the single "We Can Change", and her second studio album "The Thin Line" were officially released. Peace launched the new single with Europe's first rainbow crossing, in Brighton.


title: Heather Peace

text: All the songs in "The Thin Line" (as well as her previous studio album, "Fairytales") are written by Peace. Some of the tracks, however, are the result of a joined work with other songwriters. Such is the case of the single "We Can Change", written by Peace and Shelly Poole, or the song "Lily" (freely available to download from her official website), a co-write by Peace and her guitarist Michael Clancy.


title: Heather Peace

text: Peace worked in this new album with producer James Lewis, both having a "duty of care" on it. Her focus on her music (she took a break from acting), as well as the extensive work on the album, that did not finish until they both (musician and producer) were perfectly satisfied with it, concluded in "The Thin Line", an album she is incredibly proud of.


title: Heather Peace

text: Following the release of the album, Peace performed in a number of festivals over the summer. "The Thin Line" tour, during which Peace and her band performed the songs from the new album, took place in October 2014. An acoustic tour followed in March / April and September / October 2015.


title: Heather Peace

text: Peace announced her plans for a new EP, as well as a European and a full band UK Tour in Spring 2016.


title: Heather Peace

text: In February 2016, Peace launched a PledgeMusic project for the release of her new EP, Come Home. The support of her fans led to raising 75% of the funds in 24 hours, reaching the project target in under a week. The Come Home EP was released on 8 April 2016.


title: Heather Peace

text: For her new EP, Peace chose to work again with her producer from The Thin Line, James Lewis, and has said James brings out the best in her. Peace described Come Home as a love story, from meeting to breaking up, in 20 minutes.


title: Heather Peace

text: Peace came out as a lesbian to her mother when she was 19 years old, shortly after she broke up with her first girlfriend. Peace and longtime partner Ellie Dickinson entered into a civil partnership in 2013, and subsequently converted it to marriage in 2014. They have three daughters together: Annie Mary, born to Dickinson in April 2015, and twins Jessie and Lola, born to Peace in June 2017.


title: Heather Peace

text: Peace is a prominent supporter of LGBT equality causes. She is a patron of Manchester Pride and has recorded a video for Stonewall's "It Gets Better" campaign. She is involved in a number of related charities, including Diversity Role Models and The Albert Kennedy Trust.


title: Heather Peace

text: Peace has hosted and curated her own "Heather Peace Presents" stage in several editions of Manchester Pride. In July 2016 Diva announced Peace as its new columnist. Peace said it was an honour for her to be part of a magazine that was relevant to her coming out.


title: Heather Peace

text: In 2010, she was number 40 on the "Independent on Sunday"s Pink List, and number 10 in 2011. She was also voted number 18 on US website afterellen.com's 2011 Hot 100 list. She is also the only woman to have appeared twice on the cover of Diva Magazine in the space of six months.


title: Anthology 1

text: Anthology 1 is a compilation album by the Beatles, released on 20 November 1995 by Apple Records as part of "The Beatles Anthology" series. It features rarities, outtakes and live performances from the period 1958–64, including songs with original bass player Stuart Sutcliffe and drummer Pete Best. It is the first in a trilogy of albums with "Anthology 2" and "Anthology 3", all of which tie in with the televised special "The Beatles Anthology". It contains "Free as a Bird", the first new Beatles song in 25 years, which was released as a single two weeks after "Anthology 1".


title: Anthology 1

text: The album topped the "Billboard" 200 album chart and was certified 8× Platinum by the RIAA. It reached number 2 on the UK albums chart.


title: Anthology 1

text: The "Anthology" albums were remastered and made available digitally on the iTunes Store on 14 June 2011, individually and as part of the "Anthology Box Set".


title: Anthology 1

text: The album includes material from the Beatles' days as the Quarrymen, through the Decca audition to sessions for the album "Beatles for Sale". It is of historical interest as the only official release of performances with Best and Sutcliffe in the band - Sutcliffe, the band's original bass player during 1960, and sporadically during the group's second Hamburg season, appears on the disc-one tracks "Hallelujah, I Love Her So", "You'll Be Mine" and "Cayenne"; while Best, who was the official drummer from just prior to the group's first departure for Hamburg in August 1960 until 15 August 1962 when he was replaced by Ringo Starr, is on Disc One, tracks 10–12, 15–19 and 21–22.


title: Anthology 1

text: Disc One, tracks 10–12, were recorded at a session in Hamburg where the Beatles served as the back-up band to the English rock and roll musician Tony Sheridan. Some songs from this session were released on the 1962 album "My Bonnie", credited to Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers. The song "My Bonnie" would be their introductory single in England, featuring Sheridan on lead vocal and guitar. Tracks 21–22 are the only surviving recordings of the Beatles' first EMI session. Track 22 is the original recording of "Love Me Do", which would be re-recorded by the group four months later for their first single. Track 24 features EMI session drummer Andy White, in place of Ringo.


title: Anthology 1

text: Disc Two contains performances from comedy duo Morecambe and Wise's popular television programme, "Two of a Kind", as well as the opening song from their famed performance on "The Ed Sullivan Show", which introduced the band to most of the US in 1964.


title: Anthology 1

text: The flash-point for the album came with the song "Free as a Bird" – the three remaining Beatles Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr re-working a John Lennon demo recording given to McCartney by Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono. Produced by Harrison's Traveling Wilburys bandmate Jeff Lynne, the three added additional music and lyrics, instrumentation and backing vocals, with McCartney and Harrison both taking a turn at a lead vocal.


title: Anthology 1

text: The live BBC Radio recording of "Lend Me Your Comb" was held back from "Live at the BBC" for inclusion on this album, but it was later also included on "On Air – Live at the BBC Volume 2".


title: Anthology 1

text: The cover of "Anthology 1" is the first third of the "Anthology" collage made by Klaus Voormann and Alfons Kiefer. Various photographs and album covers are torn and collected together. Pete Best's face was torn away from the "Savage Young Beatles" record jacket in the centre of the album cover, revealing the face of his successor, Ringo Starr, below. The bottom leftmost photograph on the "Anthology 1" cover does feature an unobscured Best.


title: Anthology 1

text: The missing portion of the photo was subsequently used on the cover of Best's 2008 album "Haymans Green," an act described by one fan as "Pete Best's revenge".


title: Anthology 1

text: The album was a large success throughout the world. It was the first Beatles album to enter the "Billboard" 200 album chart at number one. It sold 855,473 copies in its first week, the 27th largest one-week sales in the Soundscan history, succeeding "Fresh Horses" by Garth Brooks. In its second week, "Anthology 1" sold 453,000 copies and maintained the top spot. This was repeated the following week, with 435,000 copies sold. In its fourth week, the same quantity was sold, but the album fell to number two, behind Mariah Carey's "Daydream". In the following week, the album fell to number three but with 601,000 sales. "Anthology 1" was certified 3× Platinum by the RIAA after six weeks in the US market. In all, the album spent 29 weeks on the "Billboard" 200, reaching cumulative sales of 3,639,000 sales as of April 2001. In the UK, reaction was similar, but the album peaked at number two, behind Robson & Jerome's eponymous album. In Australia, the album spent two weeks at number one in December 1995.


title: Tim Michels

text: Timothy James Michels (born August 7, 1962) is an American businessman who co-owns and co-manages Michels Corporation, a family-owned and operated construction company.


title: Tim Michels

text: A member of the Republican Party, Michels was the party's unsuccessful nominee in the 2004 United States Senate election in Wisconsin and the 2022 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.


title: Tim Michels

text: Born in Lomira, Wisconsin, Michels graduated from Lomira High School in 1980. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from St. Norbert College in 1984, an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1997, and an MPA from the Illinois Institute of Technology the same year.


title: Tim Michels

text: Michels served in the United States Army as an infantry officer for one year, earning the rank of major. He is a member of the American Legion and VFW.


title: Tim Michels

text: Michels opposes abortion and supports the state’s law banning abortion except in cases of the life of the mother. When asked about abortion pills, Michels said that if elected, "they'll be illegal in Wisconsin." On contraception, Michels told the "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel", “I am against abortion, I am not against contraception.” In September 2022, Michels said that he would support a state level abortion ban that included exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.


title: Tim Michels

text: Michels has proposed universal school choice, an expansion of the state's private school voucher program. Tony Evers vetoed a similar proposal that would have eliminated income caps for the voucher program. Michels has also been critical of the teaching of transgender topics in public K-12 schools and supports a greater emphasis on traditional educational topics.


title: Tim Michels

text: In his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign, Michels said he believed that marriage should be between a man and woman. In his 2022 gubernatorial campaign Michels said that his personal position had not changed.


title: Tim Michels

text: In 1998, Michels made a bid for the state Senate, and received 30 percent of the vote in the Republican primary, losing to incumbent senator Scott L. Fitzgerald.


title: Tim Michels

text: In 2004, Michels defeated automobile dealer Russ Darrow Jr., state Senator Robert Welch, and attorney Robert Lorge in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate.


title: Tim Michels

text: Michels and his Democratic Party opponent, incumbent U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, sparred on such topics as Feingold's opposition to the Patriot Act, taxes, health care, and Feingold's opposition to the George W. Bush administration policies. The military veteran Michels strongly supported the Iraq War. Feingold pointed out Michel's political inexperience. Michels lost the general election to Russ Feingold, 55% to 44%.


title: Tim Michels

text: In 2005, Princeton University conducted a study. They found that a quick look at a candidate’s photograph — a one-second exposure — created an initial impression that often lasted through the more deliberative process that helps a voter decide. The researchers showed study participants photos of Tim Michels and Russ Feingold, and were able to predict the outcome of the election based solely on facial appearances.


title: Tim Michels

text: On April 22, 2022, Michels filed paperwork with the Wisconsin Elections Commission to begin his candidacy for governor of Wisconsin.


title: Tim Michels

text: On July 11, 2022, Michels received the endorsement of former Governor Tommy Thompson, the state's longest-serving governor. Michels had also been endorsed by former President Donald Trump.


title: Tim Michels

text: After announcing his campaign for Wisconsin governor, it was reported that Michels had spent the previous decade living part-time in Manhattan and Connecticut while maintaining primary residency in Wisconsin. During the campaign, his remarks on election integrity received criticism, and he said "Republicans will never lose another election in Wisconsin after I'm elected governor."


title: Tim Michels

text: On November 8, 2022, Michels and his running mate Roger Roth lost the general election to Democrats Tony Evers and Sara Rodriguez.


title: Tim Michels

text: Michels and his wife Barbara have three children. In addition to their residence in Wisconsin, Michels and his wife have also lived in Manhattan and Connecticut part-time since 2013. In 2020, Michels and his wife purchased a mansion in Greenwich for $17 million.


title: Tim Michels

text: In March 2022, Tim and Barbara Michels donated $15 million for rare cancers research to the Medical College of Wisconsin. The gift was the largest ever to the MCW Cancer Center. The couple previously donated $3 million to the Weill Cornell Pediatric Brain and Spine Center, establishing the Michels Family Professorship endowment in Pediatric Neurological Surgery.


title: Yui Horie

text: She is one of a handful of Japanese idol voice actors that rose to prominence in the 2000s, whose popularity today has been attributed to their solid experience and long-term interaction with their fan base, as opposed to the contemporary norms of youth and beauty in the entertainment industry. As a result of her ongoing success, she has performed solo at large music venues, such as the Nippon Budokan in 2009 and the Yoyogi National Gymnasium's First Stadium in 2015, each with capacities of approximately 14,000 and 13,000, respectively. Her official fanclub is the "Black Cat Alliance".


title: Yui Horie

text: Some of her notable roles in anime include Naru Narusegawa in "Love Hina", Izayoi Riko/Cure Magical's speaking voice in "Witchy PreCure!", Multi in "To Heart", Tohru Honda in "Fruits Basket", Ai in "Dōbutsu no Mori", Ayu Tsukimiya in "Kanon", Yuki Cross in "Vampire Knight", Hanyuu in "Higurashi When They Cry", Miss Monochrome in "Miss Monochrome", Minori Kushieda in "Toradora!", Tsubasa Hanekawa in "Monogatari", Chie Satonaka in "Persona 4", Kōko Kaga in "Golden Time", Carla in "Fairy Tail" and Wiz in "KonoSuba".


title: Yui Horie

text: Born in Tokyo, Horie spent much of her younger years as a latchkey kid. As an only child (at that time) she would spend most of her time alone, playing outside of her residence after school until 7pm, when her parents would return from work. In junior high school, she joined the volleyball club but did not enjoy it much. Horie refers to her time at junior high and high school as her 'dark era'. Early childhood interests included watching the anime series "Dirty Pair". She was fascinated by the main premise as a detective. She would act out scenes from memory with a school friend and also record herself with a cassette player.


title: Yui Horie

text: In 1995, during the first year of college, Horie auditioned at the Japan Voice Acting Institute for a scholarship, the voice training school for Arts Vision. She can be quoted as saying "I went for an audition instead of hunting for a job, hahaha...". Horie graduated after 4 years of training. During this time she entered the SME Voice Actor Audition in 1996, winning the Namco Prize, (with Ayako Kawasumi winning the Special Award). On August 28, 1996, Horie and 21 other voice students (including Yukari Tamura) were unveiled at Nippon Cultural Broadcasting Inc.'s ""SOMETHING DREAMS '96"" at the Tokyo International Exhibition Centre as the "Dorikan Club", a group of aspiring voice actresses.


title: Yui Horie

text: Whilst still training and under the representation of Arts Vision, Horie was able to make her voice actor debut in the 1997 Sega Saturn game, "Voice Fantasia: Ushinawareta Voice Power". Her first leading role was in the 1998 anime Kurogane Communication, of which she sang the theme songs, ""My best friend"" and ""Dear Mama"". These two songs were released as Horie's first single under the Pony Canyon music label. In 1999, with the increasing number of eroge and visual novels being adapted to anime, Horie was able to win a major role as Multi, a robotic girl, in the romantic anime "To Heart".


title: Yui Horie

text: The following year, Horie succeeded in auditioning for the lead female role of the TV anime adaptation of the "shōnen" manga comedy "Love Hina", as Naru Narusegawa. Love Hina was a huge hit, with sales of over one million DVDs. The high popularity at the time lead to Lycos Japan using the anime to advertise its search engine and other services, with narration from Horie. This was to be her first CM. The ascending popularity of "Love Hina" spawned a lucrative franchise of OVAs, Drama CDs and games, of which Horie reprised the star role.


title: Yui Horie

text: In regard to their rising fame, Horie worked with Yukari Tamura and form the group . This group had two debuts in 2000, on April 30 at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium and May 13 at Nagoya's Nadia Park Complex. The first of these was called ""Yamato Nadeshiko Debut Kinen First Live ~suddenly 1000 seconds live in Yoyogi~"", which happened during the ""Dorikan Club Fifth Anniversary Event"". Together they would release two singles, in 2000 and ""Merry Merrily"" in 2001, the latter being used as an insert song in the Love Hina Christmas Special. This collaboration ended with a seven date concert tour during June 2003, including stops at Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo.


title: Yui Horie

text: 2000 also saw Horie publish her first photobook, , and the release of her debut album, Mizutamari ni Utsuru Sekai, through the Starchild label which featured two songs from Love Hina.


title: Yui Horie

text: In 2001, Starchild established her official fan club called , where member benefits included fan events, priority seating in concerts, bimonthly newsletters, and access to exclusive merchandise. The first meeting, which was named ""Black Cat Rally Vol.1 - Akasaka BLITZ"" was on July 21, where they held a rally and a quiz show.


title: Yui Horie

text: Early in 2002, Horie's first solo concert tour kicked off on January 26 at the Club Diamond Hall in Nagoya, a 1000 capacity venue. ""堀江由衣 First Live Tour"", lasted a total of 6 nights, travelling to Tokyo and ending on February 11 in Osaka at the Matsushita IMP Hall. In 2002, she voiced Ayu Tsukimiya in the anime adaptation of "Kanon", an adult visual novel that she had also voiced in 1999. Horie released her first collection of music videos on July 29. The 27 minute VHS tape was called "Yui Horie CLIPS 0 〜since '00〜'01〜", featuring interviews, making-ofs and notably the music video for ""Love Destiny"" the theme song of the 2001 anime adaptation of Sister Princess.


title: Yui Horie

text: The same year, Horie started her weekly radio show, , which was first broadcast on October 6, and can currently be heard on the station (AM 1134 kHz) at 22:00 – 22:30 every Sunday. Her signature catchphrase is ""Angel Beam in your Heart!"" and frequently features anison guests such as angela, Nana Mizuki and Megumi Hayashibara. As of the end of 2016, the show has run in excess of 740 episodes.


title: Yui Horie

text: In 2003, Horie established herself as a popular singer when her third album ""Sky"" peaked at 10th in the Oricon charts.


title: Yui Horie

text: In October 2005, she founded Aice, a J-Pop group consisting of four other voice actors, to help launch their careers. Their debut single was ""Get Back"", released March 13, 2006. Aice was disbanded on September 20, 2007, at their farewell concert ""Final Aice5 Party LAST Aice5"" at the Yokohama Arena. During this time, they released six singles and one album. Their album ""Love Aice"" was released on February 26, 2007, remaining in the Oricon charts for four weeks with a highest rank of eight. Aice has since been revived, announced on July 17, 2015, with the intention to release a new single on September 30 and have their comeback concert on November 22.


title: Yui Horie

text: Horie has collaborated with a few other artists. In 2004, she released ""Scramble"" together with Unscandal. This ska inspired song was used as an opening theme song for the romantic comedy anime School Rumble . And in 2006, she formed the goth band "Kurobara Hozonkai" (lit. "Black Rose Preservation Society"), with Horie taking the stage name of YUIEL. This band released the album ""A Votre Sante!!"" in 2008 and has been relatively inactive since.


title: Yui Horie

text: Horie was affiliated with Arts Vision. However, she eventually left the agency in mid-2007 during an unrelated scandal in the agency's top management and became a freelance voice actress. Today, she's affiliated with VIMS, a division of I'm Enterprise. She has published seven independent musical albums. Nearly all of them incorporate at least one track from an anime she has worked with. She currently releases music under the Starchild label (a subdivision of King Records).


title: Yui Horie

text: In late 2012, Horie created and voiced the 3D animated character Miss Monochrome. Her first appearance was in "The Adventure Over Yui Horie III ~Secret Mission Tour~" concert, acting as the antagonist who wanted to turn the world black and white. The character has since had a self-titled anime series, with the premier season televised on . The opening theme song, "Poker Face", was released as a musical single. Other notable appearances include the iOS game Girlfriend Beta, a self-titled manga series and cameos in other anime.


title: Guimarães

text: Its historic town centre has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, in recognition for being an "exceptionally well-preserved and authentic example of the evolution of a medieval settlement into a modern town" in Europe.


title: Guimarães

text: Guimarães is also a part of the Ave Subregion (one of the most industrialised subregions in the country), as well as the historical Minho Province. The city has a population of 152,309 inhabitants according to the most recent data of 2019 in an area of . The current Mayor is Domingos Bragança, of the Socialist Party. Guimarães, along with Maribor, Slovenia, was the European Capital of Culture in 2012.


title: Guimarães

text: The city was settled in the 9th century, at which time it was called "Vimaranes". This denomination might have had its origin in the warrior Vímara Peres, who chose this area as the main government seat for the County of Portugal which he conquered for the Kingdom of Galicia. Guimarães has a significant historical importance due to the role it played in the foundation of Portugal. The city is often referred to as the "birthplace of Portugal" or "the cradle city" ("Cidade Berço" in Portuguese) because it is widely believed that Portugal's first King, Afonso Henriques, was born there, and also due to the fact that the Battle of São Mamede – which is considered the seminal event for the foundation of the Kingdom of Portugal – was fought in the vicinity of the city.


title: Guimarães

text: The History of Guimarães is associated with the foundation and identity of the Portuguese nationality. Guimarães, as well as other settlements, precedes the foundation of Portugal and because of its role in the foundation of the country it is known as the "cradle of the Portuguese nationality". In 1128, major political and military events that would lead to the independence and the birth of a new nation took place in Guimarães. For this reason, in one of the old towers of the city's old wall it is written "Aqui nasceu Portugal" (Portugal was born here).


title: Guimarães

text: According to archeological findings in Citânia (Castro) of Briteiros and Sabroso and Penha's archeologic site, the area in which Guimarães is located has had permanent settlements since the late Chalcolithic period.


title: Guimarães

text: There is also evidence of Roman occupation, and a stone dedicated to the Roman emperor Trajan found in Caldas das Taipas suggests that this was already a spa town in Roman times.


title: Guimarães

text: Following the Reconquista policy promoted by the Kingdom of Galicia in the 9th century, the medieval foundations of the actual city have roots in the 10th century. At this point, the Countess Mumadona Dias, erected a monastery in her property of "Vimaranes", which originated the fixation of people in the area known as "vila baixa" (downtown). At the same time, she ordered the construction of a castle on the hill area which became known as "vila alta" (uptown), to defend the settlement. To connect these to other areas, the Rua de Santa Maria was built.


title: Guimarães

text: The monastery became the "Real Colegiada" (Royal Collegiate church) and throughout time acquired importance due to the privileges and donations given to it by nobles and kings and it became a famous pilgrimage site.


title: Guimarães

text: Henry, Count of Portugal approved the first national foral possibly in 1096 (but not confirmed). The foral proves the growing importance of the village of Guimarães at that time, which was chosen as the capital of the County of Portugal.


title: Guimarães

text: During the reign of king Denis, as the town was expanding, it was partially surrounded by a defensive wall. Meanwhile, mendicant orders settled in Guimarães and helped to mold the shape of the emerging city. Later, during the reign of John I, the wall was torn down and the two parts of the city (uptown and downtown) were finally united and the city began to expand outside its old walls.