Jenjie

Tributes are pouring in for the late John Inman, most famous for the BBC comedy Are You Being Served? who has died aged 71. Inman, who passed away in a London hospital, made his name in the 1970s show as Mr Humphries, and coined the catchphrase "I'm free!" His former co-star Wendy Richard said he was "the funniest and most inventive actor" she had ever worked with. The Preston-born actor had been suffering from a hepatitis A infection. The infection, usually caused by eating contaminated food, forced him to cancel the opening of a pantomime in London in December 2004. "He will always be remembered for making us laugh," said Richard. "He will be greatly missed not just by his friends, who loved him dearly, but also by his legion of fans on both sides of the Atlantic," she added. The former EastEnders actress visited him on Tuesday and said she had found it "upsetting" to see him look so "frail". 'Tremendous admiration' Nicholas Smith, who played store manager Mr Rumbold in Are You Being Served? said: "I always had tremendous admiration for him. He had a wonderful precision of movement and his comedy timing was impeccable." Another co-star, Trevor Bannister, who played Mr Lucas in the series, told BBC News 24: "The 'I'm free!' was something put in because that is what people in those stores really said. "We didn't realise it would become a running catchphrase." Veteran actress and co-star Mollie Sugden, who played Mrs Slocombe, told the BBC: "It's a very sad day. As far as I'm concerned, it's the end of an era." In recent years Inman became a pantomime regular, most often taking the role of the dame. Fellow panto dame Danny La Rue had been close friends with him for more than 40 years. 'Confidant comedian' "He was such a fantastic and inventive actor," he said. "He is utterly irreplaceable. The world has lost a star and I have lost a dear friend." In the last four series, Mr Humphries was given an assistant, Mr Spooner, played by Mike Berry. "I felt like going home at the end of the day and ironing my face, he made me laugh so much! As funny as he was in front of the camera, he was funnier off. "And he was a confident comedian, which made him generous. He would help you in delivering a line to get the most out of it, he liked to work in a good team." Inman's manager Phil Dale said: "John was known and loved throughout the world. He was one of the best and finest pantomime dames working to capacity audiences throughout Britain. "John was known for his comedy plays and farces which were enjoyed from London's West End throughout the country and as far as Australia, Canada and the USA." 'Charming and funny' Actress Rula Lenska, who worked with Inman on TV and in pantomime, paid tribute to his comic style. "It was suggestive but never in your face or aggressive. It had an innocent quality that you rarely find today," she said. "He was a joy to work with and even after an exhausting day in pantomime he would have time for the fans who crowded round the stage door." The BBC's head of comedy, Jon Plowman, said: "He was one of our great comedy actors who was responsible for one of the best loved TV sitcom characters of the last 40 years." Inman devoted a lot of his raising money for the Variety Club, which helps disabled and disadvantaged children. The charity's chief barker, DJ Russ Kane remembers him as being "charming, always polite and always funny". Inman's long-term partner, Ron Lynch, is said to be "devastated" at his death. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6431787.stm

A pilot and his eight-year-old daughter were killed when their small plane crashed into his in-laws' house in the US state of Indiana, authorities said. Eric Johnson, 47, and his daughter Emily died. A woman was in the house at the time, but she was not injured. The incident occurred mid-morning near a southern Indiana airport. The plane had been rented from the facility. The cause was not immediately clear but police said a preliminary investigation showed it was "an intentional act". The plane had just taken off. Eyewitnesses said it appeared to be trying to land when it veered 90 degrees and went out of sight, local media reported. According to The Times-Mail newspaper, the plane struck the one-storey home of Vivian Pace in the town of Bedford, who said she was in her living room when the plane hit. "Everything fell off the walls," she told the newspaper. She said she tried to call 911, but her telephone line had been damaged. "Something was wrong with [the plane] because it made a horrible noise," she said. The cause of the crash will not be known until the National Transportation Safety Board has completed its investigation, which could take up to a year, a police spokesman said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6421727.stm

not having a good couple of weeks are they?

Tens of thousands of people have thronged to Ghana's Independence Square in the capital, Accra, to celebrate 50 years of independence from Britain. President John Kufuor has lit the independence flame to the cheering of the crowds decked in national colours. More than 20 heads of state are attending the events, alongside popular figures including the footballer Pele. Ghana was the first sub-Saharan country to break with colonialists, prompting many others to cut their ties. Ghanaian authorities have spent $20m (£10.4m; 15.2m euros) on the commemorations, which are due to continue for the next 12 months. The celebrations kicked off at midnight when, in the centre of Accra, there was a re-enactment of the day in 1957 when the British flag was lowered and the Ghanaian flag raised. Revellers The BBC's Will Ross in Accra says Ghanaians are clearly enthusiastic about marking this 50th year of independence. He says some revellers are wearing nothing but underwear and have painted themselves top to toe in the colours of Ghana - red, gold and green. President Kufuor has inspected a massive guard of honour and hundreds and hundreds of school children all parading around the square, he says. Many in the crowd - who are waving miniature Ghanaian flags - have been there all night. "We've been here since 0100," Nii Armah, who is at the celebrations with his eight-year-old son, told AFP news agency. "My wife is angry because we didn't sleep at home. She said it would be shown on TV but I wanted to see with my own eyes." Some Ghanaians, including Abusi, have returned home from abroad especially for the anniversary. "Everybody is happy, there is a big sense of unity, ecstasy, enthusiasm, national sense of pride," he told the BBC. "People are really, really happy, full reconciliation across the party lines. Everybody is just welcoming the 50th anniversary." Pride On 5 March 1957, Britain formally transferred power to independence leader Kwame Nkrumah. The Duke of Kent is the British representative at events to remember the occasion, which triggered a chain reaction as other African nations moved towards independence. African leaders, including South Africa's Thabo Mbeki, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Olusegun Obasanjo from Nigeria, are attending the ceremonies. Singer Stevie Wonder is expected to perform a version of his track Happy Birthday dedicated to Ghana. In the capital and beyond, the country's Black Star flag is fluttering from electricity poles, car windows and palm trees. On the streets of the city, many are celebrating. "When you look at how our friends have suffered, by God's grace we are here, we have reason to be proud," Nora Kattah told Reuters. Dissent Our correspondent says many of the years following independence were like a rollercoaster, with coups and economic meltdown, but recent stability has offered hope The country is often cited as an example of stability, steady growth, and low inflation, with increases in its output of major exports including cocoa and gold. But others have questioned the wisdom of holding lavish celebrations while many in the country remain without basic services. President Jerry Rawlings, who ruled for almost two decades, has criticised the events and is boycotting them. In a statement, he said he would not share a stage with "the same people who have taken every opportunity to denigrate us". "Politically our leaders have failed us," Accra resident Emmanuel Danso said. "Only politicians or people who know people live well in this country," he added. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6421421.stm

Bailiffs impounded alcohol worth £60,000 from a Tesco store after the retailer failed to pay damages to a man in a row over contaminated fuel. The supermarket had failed to pay damages to David Bond, from Swindon, who filled his van with diesel which was contaminated with water in 2003. Tesco faced having the goods sold off at auction after ignoring a High Court order to pay Mr Bond £2,690. A Tesco spokesman said the company would now pay the money. Mr Bond, a 59-year-old shop fitter, filled his Mercedes Sprinter van with 61 litres of diesel from his local Tesco Extra store in November 2003. Repair bill He was forced to pay a £3,400 repair bill immediately as he needed his vehicle for work. Although the retailer later admitted liability, Tesco said it was only prepared to pay 25% of the cost of the repairs. He rejected their offer and sued Tesco for the full cost of the bill. The long-running battle ended in a court hearing in December, where Tesco - who had defended the claim - offered no evidence. A county court judgment was made against the firm and it was ordered to pay Mr Bond £2,690 by 12 December 2006. But nearly three months after the ruling, Tesco has failed to pay damages to Mr Bond. An enforcement officer seized wine, spirits and beer - worth £60,000 - from the St Oswalds Road store in Gloucester on 1 March. The goods have been effectively "impounded" in the shop and the drink could be sold off "in a matter of days" if the money still has not been paid. Mr Bond's solicitor Barry Bennington, said: "Despite admitting liability, despite the court judgment and despite the fact that High Court Enforcement Officers have now seized £60,000 of goods, Tesco has yet to pay David Bond a penny of the £2,690 still owed to him." A Tesco spokesman confirmed a writ had been served, but stressed no alcohol had been taken from the store. "A cheque for the full amount is now on its way to Mr Bond. We sincerely apologise to him for the delay, which was the result of an administrative oversight," he said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/6423923.stm

A burglar used his head to smash through a plate glass door at a school before stealing a £2,500 television. CCTV footage shows the ram-raider running head-first through the glass before returning with the 42-inch plasma screen. Staff at Walbottle Technology College in Newcastle say the thief, who appeared uninjured, was lucky not to kill himself. Police hunting the man are appealing for information. College head Mike Booth said the intruder was lucky the shards of glass had fallen to the floor after fragmenting. He said: "The glass could have cut his throat. "If it had been toughened glass he could have broken his neck and if it had been older glass it would have cracked and become jagged and he could have severed an artery. "He was lucky, but it would have been his own fault if he had been hurt." Pc Gary White, of Northumbria Police, said he had never heard of a burglar using this technique to enter a building. "Usually people throw things through or break a window and climb through. "It's just a weird incident and I can't understand why he has done this." The Hitachi television had been hanging from a wall in the reception of the college. The break-in occurred at the end of February. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/6424883.stm

Students at a UK university are working on the Wikipedia online encyclopedia as part of their degree course. Postgraduates at the University of East Anglia are being assessed as they edit existing Wikipedia articles and research and write their own pieces. Wikipedia uses a collaborative form of editing and authorship for its reference material. Politics lecturer, Nicola Pratt, says using Wikipedia can develop students' research skills. The Wikipedia website has divided academics - with a United States university recently banning its history students from using it, because of fears that they would reproduce material without checking its accuracy. And on Tuesday, one of Wikipedia's US editors was revealed to have faked his academic background. Critical thinking But Dr Nicola Pratt, lecturer in comparative politics and international relations at UEA, believes the encyclopedia can be seen as a useful study tool, rather than a bar to original and accurate work. She says the use of Wikipedia can develop students' critical thinking, research and writing skills. Dr Pratt, who teaches on the Middle East for students taking a Masters in international relations and development, has built her course around Wikipedia. Students have to edit eight articles on the online encyclopedia and then write their own article for the site. The Wikipedia-based Middle East course counts for an eighth of the students' MA assessment. "They're assessed on their ability to improve the quality and balance of the article and they demonstrate they have done that through additional reading around the topic for that week. "I can see why people are sceptical of Wikipedia because it hasn't gone through a peer review process. "But with Wikipedia you have a peer review process that's going on every day - that may not involve academics but other people who have differing areas of knowledge." Motivation Dr Pratt also believes uses Wikipedia can boost postgraduates' confidence, by making their work available to others. "I also thought this would be a good way of motivating people to produce writing that they will have some pride in, if they know other people are going to read it, rather than just me." Student Trina Worden, who is completing her MA in international relations and development on a part-time basis, says the scheme keeps study alive and active. "You can follow the progress of your input as changes and additions are often subject to critical review by other 'Wikipedians'. "You are also making a useful contribution to public knowledge by either improving content or accuracy and your IT skills are improved. "I think Wikipedia itself is a good reference point for further research. I don't believe I would cite it in my work but would rather use it to access the original source." Evaluation When this year's pilot scheme is completed, Dr Pratt will assess its success and hopes to be able to widen the scheme to undergraduate teaching as well. "The project will enable me to test the benefits and identify the limitations of Wikipedia and Wiki technology as tools for improving the evaluative, research and writing skills necessary at postgraduate level," she says. "New technology opens up new ways of assessing students and we have to explore those." Wikipedia is a multi-lingual web-based free encyclopedia which is written and edited by contributors from around the world. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6422877.stm

Internet site Wikipedia has been hit by controversy after the disclosure that a prominent editor had assumed a false identity complete with fake PhD. The editor, known as Essjay, had described himself as a professor of religion at a private university. But he was in fact Ryan Jordan, 24, a college student from Kentucky who used texts such as Catholicism for Dummies to help him work. He has retired from the site and his authority to edit has been cancelled. Wikipedia is a collaborative encyclopaedia open to all, written by volunteers from around the world. 'Trust and tolerance' Under the name Essjay, Mr Jordan edited articles and also had the authority to arbitrate disputes between authors and remove site vandalism. In his user profile, he said he taught both undergraduate and graduate theology, and in an interview with the New Yorker in July 2006, was described as a "tenured professor of religion". His real identity came to light last week when the magazine added an editorial note to the piece highlighting the deception. "At the time of publication, neither we nor Wikipedia knew Essjay's real name," the note said. Essjay told them he hid his identity because "he feared personal retribution from those he had ruled against online", the newspaper's note said. Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales, writing on the site on 3 March, said that Mr Jordan was apologetic, but that Wikipedia was "based on twin pillars of trust and tolerance". "Despite my personal forgiveness, I hope that he will accept my resignation request, because forgiveness or not, these positions are not appropriate for him now," he wrote. And in a post the next day, Mr Jordan announced his retirement from the site. "I hope others will refocus the energy they have spent the past few days in defending and denouncing me to make something here at Wikipedia better," he said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6423659.stm

Little Britain stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams are to appear in an episode of Neighbours. The duo appear as Lou and Andy in the episode which has already been filmed in Australia. Their cameo roles will be screened in Australia in three months' time, but UK viewers will have to wait until it is broadcast on BBC One later in the year. The official Neighbours website said their visit to the soap was "relatively kerfuffle free". "The cast and crew were delighted to welcome Matt, David and the documentary team that are recording their experience on tour Down Under," it said. Famous faces The scene features Andy and Lou in the Scarlet Bar with Neighbours favourites Steph and Toadie, played by Carla Bonner and Ryan Moloney. No further details have been revealed. Lucas and Walliams are the latest famous faces to make an appearance on Neighbours. Last year Australian cricket legend Shane Warne popped up on Ramsay Street, while Australian Idol host Andrew G also turned up unexpectedly in the fictional suburb of Erinsborough. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6420257.stm

its not all been cars with oxygen sensors though. unless some people are trying to pull a fast one

Take That fans have snapped up all 370,000 tickets for the pop band's latest UK tour in just three hours. Hundreds of people queued outside venues to secure their places, while the Ticketmaster website crashed when the seats went on sale at 0900 GMT. But some fans are angry that tickets have appeared on eBay, with prices already reaching thousands of pounds. The tour promoter said it "strongly recommended" against buying tickets on eBay as they may not be genuine. Bidding for one pair of seats, in the front block of London's O2 Arena, has already reached £9,400, but the auction began on Thursday evening - before tickets even went on sale. "Not one single person bought a ticket before 0900 this morning," a spokeswoman for tour promoters SJM Concerts said. There was no pre-sale. The tour was set up with the intention of letting as many fans as possible see the concert. "Unfortunately, we can't legislate for people selling on tickets on eBay". The sell-out 29-date tour is another accolade for the former boy band, who reformed last year following an ITV documentary marking the 10th anniversary of their demise. Their comeback hit Patience reached number one at the end of last year and recently won a Brit award for best British single. Their album, Beautiful World, also topped the charts. Celebrate "We're in Tokyo at the moment so it's really surreal to hear the news from the UK," Mark Owen said. "We are all totally overwhelmed, and also a bit nervous. We're trying to celebrate but we're all a bit jet lagged." Bandmate Jason Orange added: "We'll be looking to make this the best tour we can and look forward to seeing everyone in November." The tour starts in Birmingham on 15 November and also includes eight dates at London's O2 Arena, formerly the Millennium Dome. It finishes with 11 nights at Manchester's MEN Arena just before Christmas. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6412759.stm I've got tickets, i've got tickets!!!! :D My Xmas pressie for 2007 from my luvvvvverrrrly Ian

The police are often "not interested, too busy or don't know what to do" when illegal immigrants are reported, says the largest UK traffic warden provider. National Car Parks said it reported the illegal migrants who attempted to get jobs with it, but most "walked away". "Limited resources" for immigration officers also seemed to contribute to a lack of action, the firm told MPs. The Home Office said it was working with employers to make sure they were aware of the law. MPs heard that ID checks were not robust enough nor enforced well and there are lots of "forged documents". Many employers recognised the need for checks but become disenchanted due to "a general lack of joined-up thinking from enforcement agencies", the company said in a submission to MPs reviewing the proposed Borders Bill. 'Mistake' The firm, the biggest provider of parking attendants for local councils, employs around 3,000 foreign nationals. It said the bill - which makes identity cards mandatory for foreign nationals - ought to require all employees to have their biometric identity documents checked. Guidelines requiring employers to carry out a "reasonable" check were insufficient, it said, as potential employees would have to consent to it. "Therefore the checking system does little to address the very real issue of the underclass of workers in the population, those with forged documents who present to less than scrupulous employers." NCP executive Gordon McLardy told the MPs: "If you put biometric [checks] in, it should be mandatory, or we would be failing in our duties." He added that in 2005 the company had identified 100 non-EU national applying for jobs at NCP who would have been illegal workers. "Clearly we've a system which lends itself to illegal workers, the checks aren't robust enough, we don't enforce it well and clearly there's a market for false documentation." False documents He added that the number of forged ID documents meant it was sometimes easier not to employ a non-EU national, just in case they turned out to be an illegal worker. He also called for better information sharing between employers and different enforcement agencies, as well greater awareness among police of immigration issues. "There isn't a central database which collects this information - what you find is that illegal immigrants will go to a certain area of a city where they'll congregate because they can get forged documentation," he said. Gareth Crossman, policy director of human rights group Liberty, told the committee that biometric ID cards would not have a "significant effect" on the numbers of illegal workers in the UK. 'Scrupulous employers' "If the problem is in illegal working, and there are employers that do not care about the status of their employees, biometric ID will make no difference," he said. "It might make a difference for scrupulous employers who are being hoodwinked. But I don't think that's a significant problem," he added. The government says the Borders Bill's introduction of ID cards for non-EU nationals will help to tackle illegal immigration and illegal working, and cut down on forgeries. The Home Office said in a statement that the Immigration and Nationality Directorate carried out 3,000 enforcement operations in 2005. Shadow home secretary David Davis said Mr McLardy's comments had reinforced the Conservatives' argument for a "dedicated UK border police force" to secure borders and find and remove illegal immigrants and workers. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6407341.stm

Two incendiary devices have been found at an Oxford University college. Bomb disposal experts cordoned off an annex at Templeton College, Kennington, on Monday morning after concerns were raised by a member of staff. The devices were found in a search which had been prompted by claims on an animal rights website that the college had been targeted. Officers specialising in the activities of animal liberation groups were dealing with the incident. A Thames Valley Police spokeswoman stressed this was one line of inquiry, and that she could not confirm the nature of the devices. Bomb disposal experts were called in and the immediate area was evacuated as a precaution. Police said there was not thought to be any immediate danger to members of the public. The devices were found after an "anonymous communiqué" was posted on Saturday on a website which gives details of animal liberation groups' activities. The posting claimed an arson attack had been carried out some days earlier on the college's offices. It read: "This latest action is part of an on-going fight against the University of Oxford and its continued reign of terror over the unseen victims inside its animal labs." A University spokeswoman said: "Obviously we have been very vigilant in recent months, on the look-out for activity of this kind and especially after the recent letter-bombings. "The university has its own security services who alerted the college when they discovered the posting on the website. "We have increased security in recent times but obviously staff and students need access to university buildings and nobody would like us to make them into a fortress." She said that those using Oxford University premises had all been made aware for the need for increased vigilance. Iain Simpson from Pro Test - an Oxford-based group campaigning in favour of continued animal testing - told the BBC that the incident had failed to rattle his colleagues. "These incidents are much less common than they were," he said. "More and more scientists are coming out, speaking about the work they do, explaining how their use of mice and rats models does help to come up with some cures for some hideous diseases." Located in Egrove Park, Templeton is a graduate college specialising in teaching and research on business management. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/6397919.stm

I would have if I had been around to do so. the thing that intrigues me is that they maitain that the contaminated depot only supplies petrol stations in the SE. If that's the case, are all the people in the N of England who reported problems lying? or is there a big cover-up going on?

liked that letter alot!

i'm sat staring at an orange wall wondering what i'm doing here

you may well look like that! even more depressing is the number of pubs on the pub crawl route that have shut down!! the Coach & horses shut its doors after 298 years on 31st July 2006. The Commercial will no longer be the Port stop. and so many of them have changed their names its ridiculous

at the rate you lot spam? I give it til after Easter :P

I went to Chester University, which only had University College status when I went there so my degree is from Liverpool university. and this is the pub which doomed me to spending the rest of my life with Ian!!

me! i bought the rights to it this morning. all posting on the board will be suspended at 2999999 until I log in and claim the post!! :laugh3: therefore there's no point spamming to claim the prize, and we can revert to normal service :P

interesting article. question: how are you defining illegal aliens? is it one set group of illegal aliens? or are we lumping them together as one? reason I ask is because there are quite a few illegal british people living in america, but the way the conversation is reading suggests that the assumption has been made that they are from a certain ethnic group

the Welsh started off so well though. they looked really strong in the first half hour or so, and then it slowly unravelled.

science of sleep - 8/10 took a while to get my head round, but it was really clever, really well filmed, funny, and sad. similar mind-bending concept to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind. I think its one of those films where you'll get a new experience every time you watch.

i'm sure i posted on this thread, but my reply appears to have been eaten by arnie :angry:

not even working full time. the ones who don't work can be equally lax about what their kids are upto