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Newport is a constituent market town in Telford and Wrekin in Shropshire, England. It lies  north of Telford,  west of Stafford, and is near the Shropshire-Staffordshire border. The 2001 census recorded 10,814 people living in the town's parish, which rose to 11,387 by the 2011 census.

Toponym
The Normans planned a new town called Novus Burgus roughly on the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Plesc. The first market charter was granted by Henry I, and over time the name changed from Novus Burgus, to Nova Porta, to Newborough and finally to Newport in about 1220.

Location
The site was chosen partly because of its location near the Via Devana (Roman Road, which ran from Colchester to Chester), and partly because of the number of fisheries (which are mentioned in the Domesday Survey). The River Meese, which flows from Aqualate Mere, lies to the north of the town.

Newport sits on a sandstone ridge on the eastern border of the Welsh Marches and west of the Aqualate Mere, the largest natural lake in the English Midlands. The area around it at the end of the last ice age was part of Lake Lapworth. Formed from melting glaciers, it covered a vast area of north Shropshire. There is evidence of pre-historic fishing in the area as two ancient log boats were uncovered  from Newport. One has been preserved and is kept at Harper Adams University at Edgmond.

The villages of Church Aston, Chetwynd and Longford are adjoined to the south of Newport, though they remain in separate parishes. The village of Edgmond is located just to the west, separated by Cheney Hill, Chetwynd Park and the currently truncated Shrewsbury and Newport Canal.

Like many rural market towns, Newport was influenced by industry; it served the needs of the mining area to the east of Shropshire and was also affected by mass-produced industrial goods that replaced traditional crafts.

Newport's inland location can lead to very cold winters. It holds the record for the lowest temperature recorded in England,  on 11 January 1982. This was cold enough to freeze diesel fuel in vehicles.

History

Newport was located in the historic kingdom of Mercia, near where Wreocensæte was once situated. Humans inhabited the surrounding area long before the creation of the town. Once established, Newport became a market town in the centre of the rural farming area between Stafford and Shrewsbury.

Saxon period
In Saxon times, there were two settlements in the area. The first, Eastun, has been identified as Church Aston, and the second was Plaesc which is now Newport. In AD 963, Plaesc was described as having a High Street, a stone quarry, and a religious community. The name Plaesc means a shallow pool. Few signs of the Saxon settlement exist today, apart from the High Street,  the Quarry, which could be either the Quarry on Stafford Road, or the Hole Meadow on Wellington Road. This has not been definitely confirmed.

Norman period
At the time of the Norman Conquest, the land where Newport sits formed part of the manor of Edgmond, which William I gave as a gift along with the county of Shropshire to Roger, Earl of Shrewsbury. Henry I founded the borough, first called Newborough, after the manor came into his hands from Robert de Belesme.

Newport was omitted from the Domesday Book of 1086, but this is not uncommon. Other towns omitted include London, Tamworth, Oswestry and Ludlow, all boroughs since Saxon times.

The Normans planned the new town around the older one during the reign of Henry I. The wide main street was designed for its market, and the narrow burgage plots running at right angles to it are typical of Norman architecture and planning, though today only Newport Guildhall and Smallwood Lodge are clear signs of Tudor buildings, due to the 1665 fire which destroyed most of the High Street.

Medieval Newport flourished with trade in leather, wool and fish. Novoportans possessed the right to provide fish for the Royal table. The many half-timbered buildings surviving from the late medieval and Tudor periods confirm Newport's success, leading to the first market charter which was granted by Henry I.

The town is mentioned once by John Leland in a list of castles, though now no visible remains of the castle exist; however, the most probable location for it would have been the traditional site of a manor house at Upper Bar, where there is a fragment of a square, broad moat, or on the higher ground along the Forton road, where the Castle House school stands. As regards the moat, nearly square, forming by measurement an area of 60 square yards, two sides have been filled with rubbish. Nothing is known about the occupants of the moated site. It could have pre-dated the town or, perhaps more likely, could have been the manor house of the Audleys, who were granted the manor in 1227. By 1421, the manor house was in ruins.

One of the main reasons for Newport's early wealth was the surrounding fisheries and the chief service of the burgesses, being that of taking fish to the Royal court wherever it might be. This custom was continued after Henry III had granted the borough, with the manor of Edgmond, to Henry de Audley; Henry's son James granted in the middle of the 13th century that the burgesses need not take the fish anywhere except within the county of Shropshire.

The burgesses received certain privileges from Henry I; Henry II, in an undated charter, granted them all the liberties, rights and customs that they had enjoyed in the time of Henry I, including a guild merchant, which is mentioned in the quo warranto rolls as one of the privileges claimed by the burgesses. Confirmation charters were granted by Edward I in 1287 and Edward II in 1311, while the town was incorporated in 1551 by Edward VI, whose charter was confirmed by James I in 1604. The governing body consisted of a Lord High Steward, deputy steward, two water-bailiffs and 28 burgesses, but the corporation was abolished by the Municipal Corporation Act of 1883, and a Local Board was formed, which, under the Local Government Act 1894, gave place to an urban district council.

Regency period
In 1665, many buildings were damaged in the Great Fire of Newport, and only a few of the medieval structures remain. However, there remain many fine Regency and Georgian frontages built on the site of the former Norman plots. This allows the main streets of Newport to be wider and less cluttered than those of the other towns of its age.

Edwardian period

By the 19th century, Newport was surrounded by large estates that came right to the verge of the town, determining size and development. The vivary and open fields at Norbroom had gone making the town dependent on its rural hinterland. The few fields that remained were for hay or cattle, forming a small green belt. These estates exerted a powerful influence on the town, something obvious in the deference shown and respect paid to these landed families until at least the First World War.

Beginning in the southwest of the town was the largest estate, the Lilleshall estate of the Duke of Sutherland. This dates from the dissolution of the monasteries, the lands of Lilleshall Abbey being purchased in 1539 by James Leveson of Wolverhampton.

The next estate is that in the south-east of Woodcote Hall, a smaller one belonging to the Cotes family.

On the west between Lilleshall and the town was the Longford Estate of the Talbots, Earls of Shrewsbury, sold in 1789 to Ralph Leake of Wellington who had made his fortune in the East India Company.

North of the town is the Chetwynd Park estate of the Pigotts, bought in 1803 by Thomas Borrow of north Derbyshire who changed his surname to Burton Borough.

The Aqualate Estate to the east lies mostly in Staffordshire.

20th century
The town was fortunate to avoid civilian casualties during the Second World War when on Christmas Eve 1944, a V-1 flying bomb launched from a Heinkel bomber and aimed at Manchester landed in a field east of Newport, about 300 yards from the Newport to Gnosall road. This bomb is now on display at Royal Air Force Museum Cosford.

The passenger service on the railway line between Stafford and Wellington was withdrawn in 1964 as a result of the Beeching Axe, and the line closed completely in 1967. The track was lifted soon afterwards, and the Newport end was subsequently redeveloped for housing.

In the 1960s to early 1970s, when the population of Newport was nearer 3000, over a third of the local workforce was employed at Serck Audco Valves, Greenwood Moore, Kwiz Feather Flights etc.  All of this industry and large-scale employment has since gone - mostly during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

On 23 November 1981, an F1/T2 tornado which formed over the nearby civil parish of Chetwynd later moved over Newport, causing some damage in the town.

At Harper Adams University College just outside Newport in Edgmond, on 11 January 1982 the English lowest temperature weather record was broken (and is kept to this day): .

Modern-day Newport
Newport is now predominantly a commuter town, with people travelling to Telford, Shrewsbury, Stafford, Wolverhampton and beyond for employment.

Previously, very little redevelopment happened in Newport from the 1960s—attention going instead to nearby towns including Wellington and Oakengates, which make up the new town of Telford—until the Telford and Wrekin Council borough towns incentive was brought about in 2007. The town received major investments over the following years, including a major redevelopment of the canal and surrounding area, the lower bar of the High Street area, planned housing, bars and restaurants set to line the canal. New sporting facilities, including a climbing wall in the Springfield's area of the town, were provided.

In the spring of 2010, the first stage of the town's £1.5million regeneration began, with the £250,000 and £300,000 redevelopment of Victoria Park behind the now-defunct The Royal Victoria Hotel. The next stage of the regeneration, which was mainly focused on the High Street area of the town and Central square, involved re-surfacing the High-Street pavements and changing the design of the High Street around the Puleston Cross, removing the cobblestones and replacing them with paving and the traced outline of the 1850s market hall.

In July 2011, Telford and Wrekin Council unveiled plans for green land off the A518 bypass. The proposals included hundreds of new homes, a new supermarket, a business park and improvements to Burton Borough School.

House prices in the town are the highest in the TF postcode area (including the towns of Telford and Market Drayton) and among the highest in the county.

The town is currently attempting to acquire Transition Towns and Fairtrade Town statuses.

Facilities and places of interest

The High Street
The main street in Newport follows the Norman design. This resulted in the distinctive long wide High Street, split into three parts, upper bar, lower bar and St Mary's street, with the centre of the high street being the 19th-century Newport Town and Market Hall completed in March 1860, with an Italianate frontage. This replaced an earlier building that was demolished due to fire.

Burgage plots ran along either side, and the church rising up in the middle, with the High Street with St Mary's Street splitting off and re-joining the high street around the island on which are sited the St Nicholas Church and the Puleston Cross (an ancient memorial cross usually known locally but inaccurately as the Butter Cross).

After the fire of Newport in 1665 the old Norman buildings were replaced with grander Georgian architecture, which hid the work yards behind. The Georgian shops remain, but the work yards have now been developed into housing and the Boughey Gardens tennis courts, next to the literary institute.

Newport has retained shops on High Street, Stafford Street and St Mary's Street, with St Mary's Street having cobblestones and the majority of shops being small boutiques. St Mary's is also the site of various markets and fairs which tie in with Newport's indoor market.

The town also has businesses such as Costa Coffee, Boots, Card Factory, Subway, Greggs, Coral, Bet365, the town's former Woolworths store was developed into a B&M Bargains.

On the Newport by-pass near to the Aqualate Mere the A518 road there is a small out-of-town industrial estate known as Mere Park, featuring a garden centre, hotel and restaurant.  There are also various other small-scale industrial estates that lie around the Newport by-pass and Springfield estate.

Other areas
The oldest man-made landmark in the town is the Puleston Cross which is a butter cross positioned near the Church of St Nicholas. This is a 13th-century cross denoting a marketplace. The cross was set up in memory of Sir Roger de Pyvelesdon (i.e. 'de Puleston') who died in 1272, in Shropshire. This is confirmed in a deed signed by his son Sir Roger de Puleston in 1285, which refers to the cross set up for the soul of Roger de Pyvelesdon who died in 1272.

Towards the top end of the town is the Combat Stress centre, built in 1908 as the infirmary for the Newport Workhouse; it was subsequently developed as accommodation for elderly ladies until its closure in 1995. The home was purchased in 1996 and refurbished.

The town sits near the Aqualate Mere, which is the largest natural lake in the English Midlands.

Religious sites

The first recorded religious community was documented in Saxon script from 963 AD. This was the church of St Mary Magdalene, built in the time of Archbishop Dunstan.

Newport lies in the Church of England Diocese of Lichfield and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury and as a Norman-planned new town, religion played a strong part in the design of the town, with the centre of the town being dominated by St Nicholas Church, originally built in the reign of Henry I and restored in 1886 and 1890.

The second church in the town is the St Peter and Paul Catholic church in Newport Salters Lane, built 1857 and the oldest Catholic church in Shropshire, designed by Augustus Pugin.

The ruins of Lilleshall Abbey are  from the town centre. They include a Norman west door and part of the front, considerable remains of the church besides, and traces of domestic buildings. The abbey was founded in 1145, under charter from King Stephen, by Richard de Baumes or Belmeis, dean of St Alkmund, Shrewsbury, for Augustinian canons, who were brought from Dorchester Abbey, Oxfordshire.

A smaller church for the Baptist community sits at the back of The Royal Victoria Hotel in water lane, called Newport Baptist church, which was built in the 1960s.

The town has had a wide range of religious sites over time and this is shown in the number of churches in the town, the Independent Chapel, Beaumaris Lane, Newport, built 1803 on the site of a church dating from 1765, converted into cottages in 1832 when they finished work on the new church, the Newport Independent (Congregational) Chapel, Wellington Road, built in 1831, subsequently becoming part of the United Reformed Church. It merged with the Methodist Chapel in Avenue Road in 2001 to become Trinity Church, a joint Methodist/United Reformed Church. A major renovation was undertaken in 2010.

Due to the growth and decline of religions over time some previous churches have since been used for other uses or been demolished altogether, most of these are in the Upper Bar area of the town, around the Granville road and Wellington road area.

Near to the Trinity church is the Newport Primitive Methodist Chapel, built 1877, closed 1920 which replaced the one built in Stafford Road, built 1830. This is still there as a house next door to the New Inn.

Two more former churches are the Newport Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Upper Bar, built 1829, which was turned into a shop and theatre in 1876 and the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Avenue Road which was built in 1876 and closed in 2001 on merging with the Wellington Road URC Chapel; it subsequently became a gym but has since been converted into a house.

Newport General Cemetery was opened for burials on 2 March 1859 with its first interment taking place on 5 March 1859 when it is noted that some 1,000 people witnessed the burial. The cemetery contains a chapel built at the same time and is bounded at the public roadside by fine wrought iron railings and gates. The cemetery was originally laid out with four oval lawns around a cross-shaped set of roads with the chapel centrally placed. Also buried in the cemetery are eleven British Army soldiers of World War I and a soldier and airman of World War II, who are commemorated by a row of Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstones.

Economy

Newport is the main hub for the farming community along the Shropshire/Staffordshire border and as a local business centre. The Football Association, Medical and Exercise Science Department is based at Lilleshall Hall on the outskirts of the town.

A large section of Newport's economy is based around education, two selective state schools and a large comprehensive drawing students from far beyond the town, as well as a university on the edge of the town along with a regional food academy.

Retail plays a major part of the economy of the town, with the majority of shops being located in and around the High street, with larger out-of-town stores located on the Audley Avenue and Springfield trading estates in the south of the town and to the east of the town the Mere park complex.

Culture

Events and venues

Cosy Hall is used for the Newport music festival.

The Newport Guildhall is a medieval timber-framed building which dates back to around 1400.

Town events

The town hosts many events throughout the year, but six main events bring people to Newport. Newport Show is hosted yearly at Chetwynd Deer Park and is the major annual event in the town, first held in Victoria Park in 1890 and now attracting 13,000 visitors each year. The show is now held at Chetwynd Deer Park between Edgmond and Newport.

In the centre of town itself the main events are the Newport Carnival and the Newport Old Tyme Market. The biggest event in the town is the biennial Newport Nocturne Bike Race.

Britain in Bloom
In 2009 Newport became the first town in the country to win six gold awards in a row in the  Britain in Bloom contest. The 2010 competition, wherein it won more points than any town in the United Kingdom  gave Newport its seventh consecutive gold medal.

Media
The town is covered by a local community radio station called NOVA FM, which broadcasts from the high street on 97.5FM, and by regional stations Signal 107.7, (formerly Telford FM), Free Radio, (formerly Beacon Radio), and BBC Radio Shropshire.

The Newport and Market Drayton Advertiser, is the town's weekly newspaper, in publication since 1854, has premises located on St Mary's Street. The town is also covered by the county-wide Shropshire Star and The Shropshire Magazine. All are published by Shropshire Newspapers Ltd.  Nova Magazine, first published in 1994 as Nova News, is a free monthly magazine distributed to Newport, Church Aston, Edgmond, Tibberton, Hinstock, Forton, Sutton, Norbury, Gnosall, Outwoods, Moreton, Sheriffhales, Muxton and Lilleshall.

In the media
Christmas Guisers' Play from Newport, Shropshire [1883] is about the town. Newport was the first town in Shropshire to be on Dickinson's Real Deal. A television documentary called The Spy Who Stole My Life showed the town as the backdrop of the Robert Hendy-Freegard story, who conned students from the town was shown by Channel Five on 7 September 2005. In Australia, this was called The spy Who Conned Me.

Education

Newport has a full range of educational establishments, from primary schools to a university. The selective schools in the town are Newport Girls' High School and Haberdashers' Adams (previously known as Adams' Grammar School). Harper Adams University is located in the nearby village of Edgmond, and Keele University operates teaching rooms in the doctor's surgery for trainee student doctors. For Further Education students, the closest colleges to the town are Telford College of Arts and Technology and Stafford College, with Buses running from the town to both colleges and to Shrewsbury College of Arts & Technology. Just outside the town is Edgmond Hall, used by Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council for outdoor activities for school students.

Transport
The town has been a well-used crossing point even before the creation of the settlement and sits on a historical crossing of the Via Devana.

The town became prominent as a coaching town on the Mail coach route between London, North Wales and Ireland as well being on a historic junction on the road from London to Chester and the East Midlands. This meant that the town grew around the different roads that cross the town. At the centre of the town is a large island with the church of St. Nicholas at one end and Central Square nightclub at the other, the High Street on one side and St Mary's Street on the other side. The two streets come together at one end in front of the nightclub at the junction with the A518 from Stafford which runs through the town on an east–west route from Stafford to Telford. They come together at the other end by the truncated Shrewsbury and Newport Canal beyond which is the junction with the A519 road from Eccleshall and Stoke-on-Trent. At the southern end of the High Street is another junction where the A519 road leaves on its way to Telford.

Before the road network, the canal was the main link to the town. It is not currently connected to the national network, but there are plans to restore it to a fully working canal by the Shrewsbury and Newport Canals Trust. linking into the national canal network at Norbury Junction to the east of the A41 which now borders the town to the east on a north–south by-pass route opened in early 1985 to ease the congestion on the High Street.

The town sits around  from the M54, and  from the M6 Motorways.

Buses

The town is served by buses between Stafford and Telford and a service from Shrewsbury. Arriva Midlands is the main service provider for the town with additional shoppers services operated by Wrekin Rider, the bus operating arm of Telford and Wrekin District Council.

Rail
The former Stafford to Shrewsbury Line once ran through the town, but due to cuts Newport (Salop) railway station was closed in September 1964 and has now been dismantled. The line has been restored to Hortonwood, and it is possible that the next phase could be to reconnect the town to the railway network. This has been given a boost by the town council, who are currently in talks with Stafford Borough Council to discuss the link to Stafford. The line is in the top 36 'Lines that should reopen' listing published by the Campaign for Better Transport, and with the Telford International Freight Park in Donnington, Telford needing better connections to the east coast and Scotland, this could mean a line going past the town and on towards Gnosall and Stafford.

Cycling
Newport is on National Route 55 and Regional Route 75 of the Sustrans National Cycle Network. Cycle maps for these routes are available from the Newport Visitor Information centre, located in the Pop Up Shop on Wellington Road. The cycleway to Stafford runs on the former railway line and will be completed by the end of 2014.

Walking
The town sits on the Way for the Millennium walkway which is  long, and heads toward Stafford, passing through several villages on the way.

Sport and clubs

Newport Town FC play in the West Midlands (Regional) League (Division Two) and have a reserve side ("Edgmond Rangers") who play in the Mercian Regional Football League (Division Two). Newport Town were the league champions of the Shropshire County Premier Football League for the 2011–12 season, earning them promotion. Since promotion in 2012, the senior team now plays its home games at Harper Adams University College in Edgmond and the reserve team also play in Edgmond. Previously they played their home games at Shuker Field, a  field close to the Burton Borough School in Newport itself.

The Newport Crown Green Bowls club plays in the Premier Division of Shropshire after promotion from the Mid Shropshire division one as well as many other division and leagues.

Newport (Salop) Rugby Union Football Club is the highest-ranked rugby club in Shropshire, and the main club in the town  Newport Cricket Club plays in the Shropshire Premier Cricket League Premier Division.

On 2009, the £200,000 Newport Sk8 park was formally opened by Princess Anne. The skatepark is the largest in Shropshire and the largest W/ramp in Britain.

265(Chetwynd) Air Training Corps are also based just outside of Newport, on the Chetwynd Deer Park.

Lilleshall Sports Centre

Lilleshall Hall - formerly the country retreat and hunting lodge for the Duke of Sutherland, situated just  from the centre of Newport and is now home to Lilleshall National Sports Centre.

Notable residents

Early times

 Robert Puleston, (born in Newport) – brother-in-law and supporter of Owain Glyndŵr, against King Henry IV
 Richard Barnfield (1574 in Norbury, Staffordshire – 1620) – English poet, obscure though close relationship with William Shakespeare, brought up in Edgmond nearby.
 William Adams, (1585 in Newport – 1661) – London Haberdasher founded Haberdashers' Adams in 1656
 Thomas Brown (1662 in Newport or Shifnal – 1704) – satirist

1750–1900

 John Meeson Parsons (1798 in Newport – 1870) – art collector and director of the Shropshire Union Railway
 William Ick (1800 in Newport – 1844) English botanist and geologist
 James Brown (1812–1881) – Roman Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury from 1851 to 1881, lived Salter's Hall, near Newport
 Arabella Elizabeth Roupell (1817 in Newport – 1914) – English flower painter
 James Hain Friswell (1825 in Newport – 1878) – English essayist and novelist
Thomas Collins (1841 – 1934 in Newport) – played first-class cricket for Cambridge University from 1861 and 1863 and was headmaster of Newport Grammar School from 1871 to in 1903
 Charles Cecil Cotes (1846 Woodcote Hall – 1898) – British landowner and Liberal politician
 Colonel the Rt. Hon. William Slaney Kenyon-Slaney (1847–1908) – sportsman, soldier and MP for Newport 1886 to 1908
 Percy John Heawood (1861 in Newport – 1955) – British mathematician
 James Edward Quibell, (1867 in Newport – 1935) – Egyptologist
 Frederick Phillips Raynham (1893–1954) – office worker at Harper Adams College and pilot from the early days of aviation

From 1900

 Sir Peter James Bottomley (born 1944 in Newport) – British Conservative MP for Worthing West since 1997
 Ozzy Osbourne (born 1948) - Heavy metal rock singer, owned a bar in St Mary's Street in the late 1970s, run by his then wife Thelma, before selling it two years later. After a closure in 2013 it was revived under name of Ozzy's Sports Bar in his honour.
 Jeremy Corbyn, (born 1949) – Labour MP for Islington North since 1983, Leader of the Labour Party from 2015 to 2020. Lived as child in Pave Lane and attended Castle House School and Haberdashers' Adams
 Peter Butler (born 1951 in Newport) – British Conservative MP for North East Milton Keynes from 1992 to 1997
 M. J. Bassett (born c. 1965 in Newport) – is an English screenwriter and film director of Solomon Kane
 Robert Hendy-Freegard, (born 1971) – barman in Newport, conman, impostor who masqueraded as an MI5 agent
 Craig Phillips, (born 1971) – winner of Big Brother 2000 lived in Newport
 Stuart Meeson (born 1972 in Newport) – physicist in Electrical Impedance Tomography, went to school in Newport
 James Sutton (born 1983) – is an English actor, best known for playing John Paul McQueen in Hollyoaks. Lived in Newport

Sport
 Herbert Denis Edleston Elliott (1887 in Newport – 1973) – English cricketer, played for Essex County Cricket Club
 Reuben (Ben) Jones (1932 in Newport – 1990) – an Olympic equestrian, competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics
 Paul Bracewell, (born 1962) – footballer for England, Newcastle United and Sunderland
 Adam Proudlock, (born 1981) – youth team coach for Newport Town, played for Wolves, Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest
 David Pallett (born 1990) – English darts player for Professional Darts Corporation lives in Newport
 Callum Burton (born 1996 in Newport) – English football goalkeeper for Shrewsbury Town F.C.
 Ben Rowlings (born 1996) – British Paralympic athlete who competes in the T34 classification, lives in Newport

Surrounding villages and hamlets

The town is surrounded by many different small villages, ranging from the larger settlements of Edgmond and Lilleshall to smaller hamlets all of which are joined to the town or separated only by a small distance.  Most of these settlements are seen as parts of the town's catchment zone.  Due to Newport's proximity to the county border, a number include Newport in their postal address, despite being situated in Staffordshire.

The following villages and settlements can be found near Newport:

 Church Aston
 Chetwynd
 Longford
 Edgmond
 Moreton, Staffordshire
 Meretown
 Adeney
 Stockton, Shropshire
 Pave Lane
 Bromstead Heath (Staffordshire)
 Great Chatwell (Staffordshire)
 Forton, (Staffordshire)
 Coley (Staffordshire)
 Outwoods (Staffordshire)
 Wilbrighton (Staffordshire)
 Tibberton

Closest cities, towns and villages

See also
Listed buildings in Newport, Shropshire
Shropshire Star Newport Nocturne
Shrewsbury and Newport Canal
Newport Show
Newport (Shropshire) (UK Parliament constituency)

References

Bibliography

External links

 Newport Town Council
 Newport Shropshire online information portal

Market towns in Shropshire
Civil parishes in Shropshire
Telford and Wrekin
Tourist attractions in Shropshire
Populated places established in the 12th century
Towns in Shropshire

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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text:
– japoński gracz go.

W 1933 r., wraz z Seigenem Go, Minoru Kitani opracował i spopularyzował nowy system fuseki – shinfuseki, będący jedną z podwalin nowoczesnego go.

Gra Minoru Kitani z Shūsai'em Hon'inbō, rozegrana w 1938 r., została opisana w powieści pt.: Meijin - mistrz go autorstwa noblisty Yasunariego Kawabaty.

Japońscy gracze w go
Ludzie urodzeni w Kobe
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text:
Buffett Laments Lack of Good Investments Even As Berkshire Hathaway Reports Record Income In 2021
by Bibhu Pattnaik, Benzinga Staff Writer
February 26, 2022 3:10 PM | 2 min read
Berkshire Hathaway net income rose 11% to $39.65 billion from $35.84 billion, thanks to large gains from stocks such as Apple.
In 2021, operating income rose 25% to $27.46 billion, topping the previous record $24.78 billion set in 2018.
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE: BRK-A) on Saturday announced its fourth-quarter earnings.
What Happened: Berkshire's quarterly operating income rose 45% to $7.29 billion, or approximately $4,931 per Class A share, from $5.02 billion a year earlier.
Net income rose 11% to $39.65 billion from $35.84 billion, with both totals reflecting large gains from stocks such as Apple Inc. AAPL which alone represents 46% of the $350.7 billion of stocks that Berkshire owns.
In 2021, operating income rose 25% to $27.46 billion, topping the previous record $24.78 billion set in 2018, while net income more than doubled to $89.8 billion.
The company's share price rose 30% in 2021, topping the 29% gain of the Standard & Poor's 500 including dividends, and ending two years of significant underperformance relative to that index.
Berkshire has signaled renewed confidence in its stock, repurchasing $6.9 billion in the quarter, and boosting total buybacks in 2021 to a record $27 billion.
In his annual shareholder letter, Buffett said that Berkshire has repurchased another $1.2 billion of stock in 2022.
Buffet's Commentary: Buffet called out a spike in deceptive adjustments to corporate earnings. He also complained about a lack of stock-market bargains, touted four of Berkshire's key businesses, underlined his company's scale and tax contributions, and eulogized the chief of one of Berkshire's subsidiaries.
Buffett has said that he will stick to his knitting, bemoaning the lack of good investment opportunities for Berkshire Hathaway as it sits on a massive pile of cash even after repurchasing a huge amount of its stock.
He has said that Berkshire's emphasis on investing in strong businesses and stocks benefits investors with a similar long-term focus.
"People who are comfortable with their investments will, on average, achieve better results than those who are motivated by ever-changing headlines, chatter, and promises," Buffett wrote.
Photo: Fortune Live Media on flickr
Posted In: Berkshire Hathaway IncQ4Warren BuffettEarningsNewsSector ETFsTop StoriesMarketsETFs

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This gem of a theater opened in 1937 but like most urban theaters, came on hard times in the 1970s. It closed on April 29, 1977, fell into disuse and began to deteriorate from lack of care.
In 2005, a 501(c)3 organization called the Capitol Theater Foundation purchased the building with the intention of restoring the theater and reopening it. The marquee was taken down and restored, renovations were made to the interior including new seats and replicating the original entrance doors. The theater reopened on June 1, 2012 and is available for rent.


From programming to who Delray's Arts Garage employs, the focus is on diversity.
With jam sessions, open mic night and main stage performances, the nonprofit performing arts venue is looking to attract a diverse range of people when it comes to age, race, income level and interests by offering an array of programs.
President and CEO Marjorie Waldo said the goal is to connect the community to the world through arts and to do it broadly.
She said the concept of diversity begins with her staff. Employees range in age from young professionals to seniors. They have different cultural backgrounds and can offer different perspectives in planning programming and exhibits at the cultural arts venue.
To show that the Arts Garages has something for everyone, she said she started forming relationships and partnerships with different community groups. That way she could find out what people wanted to see the Arts Garage do.


Phew, what a day. Last night it started pouring like crazy. I went to bed fairly early, since I had to get up today at 6 AM for work, and I was praying that it wouldn't be raining. I woke up to the sound of rain, and hoping that it still wasn't time to get up yet, looked at my phone to see the time. I was happy to see 4:54, since that meant I still had an hour to sleep, and the rain could maybe stop by then. When I finally did get up, the rain had stopped and I was very happy. I still bundled up though, in my big jacket and my rain boots, and brought my umbrella along, too. I realized that I had dressed in bleak colors today (navy blues and grays), but figured it went along well with what I thought would be a dreary day.
When I got off work, the sun had started to peek through the clouds, so I decided to bike back home to change. It was nice to come home to Christiney Weeny in my living room. She spent the night last night again since it was storming and I didn't feel like venturing out into the storm to take her home lol. Spent the rest of the morning at home with Shea and Christine before going to my first class. I changed, washed some dishes, and ate the rest of my raw broccoli. I really like raw broccoli. Yum.
When I came out to my bike after my class, I noticed the way the two other bikes had parked along side of me and it made me think of three friends, with the friend in the middle putting his/her arms on his/her friends' shoulders. Haha, yeah I'm weird. And tired.
Today has been a long day, and it's still not over yet. Bible study girls should be here any minute. That'll be nice. But once that's done, it'll be straight to bed for me so that I can get up again at 6 AM tomorrow for some more work. I like waking up early though because I feel so accomplished. I'm just glad I don't have to do it everyday, haha.
haha that picture is soooo funny!


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As the Martian Dust Storm Subsides, There's Still No Word From Opportunity
Artist's impression of the Opportunity Rover, part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program. NASA/JPL-Caltech
Martian dust storms are a pretty common occurrence, and generally happen whenever the southern hemisphere is experiencing summer. Though they can begin quite suddenly, these storms typically stay contained to a local area and last only about a few weeks. However, on occasion, Martian dust storms can grow to become global phenomena, covering the entire planet.
One such storm began back in May, starting in the Arabia Terra region and then spreading to become a planet-wide dust storm within a matter of weeks. This storm caused the skies over the Perseverance Valley, where the Opportunity rover is stationed, to become darkened, forcing the rover into hibernation mode. And while no word has been heard from the rover, NASA recently indicated that the dust storm will dissipate in a matter of weeks.
The update was posted by NASA's Mars Exploration Program, which oversees operations for the Opportunity and Curiosity rovers, as well as NASA's three Mars orbiters (Mars Odyssey, MRO, and MAVEN) and the Insight lander (which will land on Mars in 109 days). According to NASA, the storm is beginning to end, though it may be weeks or months before the skies are clear enough for Opportunity to exit its hibernation mode.
This global map of Mars shows a growing dust storm as of June 6, 2018. The map was produced by the Mars Color Imager (MARCI) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. The blue dot indicates the approximate location of Opportunity. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
As noted, dust storms occur on Mars when the southern hemisphere experiences summer, which coincides with the planet being closer to the Sun in its elliptical orbit. Due to increased temperatures, dust particles are lifted higher into the atmosphere, creating more wind. The resulting wind kicks up yet more dust, creating a feedback loop that NASA scientists are still trying to understand.
Since the southern polar region is pointed towards the Sun in the summer, carbon dioxide frozen in the polar cap evaporates. This has the effect of thickening the atmosphere and increasing the surface pressure, which enhances the process by helping suspend dust particles in the air. In some cases, the dust clouds can reach up to 60 km (40 mi) or more in elevation.
Planet-wide dust storms are a relatively rare occurrence on Mars, taking place every three to four Martian years (the equivalent of approximately 6 to 8 Earth years). Such storms have been viewed many times in the past by missions like Mariner 9 (1971), Viking I (1971) and the Mars Global Surveyor (2001). In 2007, a similar storm took place that darkened the skies over where Opportunity was stationed – which led to two weeks of minimal operations and no communications.
While smaller and less intense the storm that took place back in 2007, the current storm intensified to the point where it led to a level of atmospheric opacity that is much worse than the 2007 storm. In effect, the amount of dust in the atmosphere created a state of perpetual night over the rover's location in Perseverance Valley, which forced the rover's science team to suspend operations.
Simulated views of a darkening Martian sky blotting out the Sun from NASA's Opportunity rover's point of view, with the right side simulating Opportunity's view in the global dust storm as of June 2018. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/TAMU
This is due to the fact that Opportunity – unlike the Curiosity rover, which runs on nuclear-powered battery – relies on solar panels to keep its batteries charged. But beyond suspending operations, the prolonged dust storm also means that the rover might not be to keep its energy-intensive survival heaters running – which protect its batteries from the extreme cold of Mars' atmosphere.
Luckily, NASA scientists who have been observing the global event indicated that, as of last Monday (July 23rd), more dust was falling out of the planet's thin air than was being raised into it. This means that the global weather event has reached its decay phase, where dust-raising events either become confined to smaller areas or stop altogether.
Using its Mars Color Imager (MARCI) and Mars Climate Sounder (MCS), NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) also noted surface features were beginning to reappear and that temperatures in the middle atmosphere were no longer rising – which indicates less solar heating by dust. The Curiosity rover also noted a decline in dust above its position in the Gale Crater on the other side of the planet.
This is certainly good new for the Opportunity rover, though scientists expect that it will still be a few weeks or months before its solar panels can draw power again and communications can be reestablished. The last time communications took place with the rover was on June 10th, but if there's one thing the Opportunity rover is known for, it's endurance!
When the rover first landed on Mars on January 25th, 2004, its mission was only expected to last ninety Martian days (sols), which is the equivalent of about 92.5 Earth days. However, as of the writing of this article, the rover has endured for 14 years and 195 days, effectively exceeding its operational lifespan 55 times over. So if any rover can survive this enduring dust storm, its Opportunity!
In the meantime, multiple NASA missions are actively monitoring the storm in support of Opportunity and to learn more about the mechanics of Martian storms. By learning more about what causes these storms, and how smaller ones can merge to form global events, future robotic missions, crewed missions and (quite possibly) Martian colonists will be better prepared to deal with them.
Further Reading: NASA
Matt Williams is the Curator of Universe Today's Guide to Space. He is also a freelance writer, a science fiction author and a Taekwon-Do instructor. He lives with his family on Vancouver Island in beautiful British Columbia.
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A beautifully designed monograph surveying the works of the highly acclaimed contemporary photographer. Kenna's photographs captivate viewers through their silent drama and magnetism: rather than being accurate descriptions of a place, the photographer seems interested in capturing the invisible lines which enclose space, and in so doing arousing a viewer's imagination and reverie. This catalog showcases 290 black-and-white photographs: 200 trace the artist's career, from early 1970s images shot in England, to the photographs of the following three decades, which result from travels and commissions in every continent throughout the world; 35 record Venice's everlasting appeal; 20 reflect one of Kenna's most important jobs, that of recording the Nazi concentration and extermination camps.


text:
Joe Warrington
ContactData+CodeDeepGreenPublicationsResearchTeaching
Quick links: Dual dynamic programming – Polynomial optimization – Mobility systems – Power systems
Duality in dynamic programming theory
Collaborators: Paul Beuchat, Ben Flamm, Annika Eichler, Marc Hohmann, John Lygeros
Dynamic programming problems become exponentially more expensive to solve as the dimension of the state and action spaces grow. In continuous spaces, most existing methods rely either on discretization of the spaces or on approximating the value function as a linear combination of pre-selected basis functions.
This work has focused on solving nonlinear optimal control problems by finding novel applications of the long-established generalized Benders decomposition. This theory allows information learnt from a single simulation to be generalized to the rest of the state space. The result is a value function approximation expressed as a pointwise maximum – an approach commonly encountered in so-called dual dynamic programming, and typically applied in complex hydro power planning problems.
Relevant publications
Learning continuous Q-functions using generalized Benders cuts, European Control Conference in Naples, Italy, June 2019. Available on arXiv.
Generalized Dual Dynamic Programming for Infinite Horizon Problems on Continuous State and Action Spaces, IEEE Transations on Automatic Control, 2019. Available on arXiv. Publisher link
Point-wise maximum approach to approximate dynamic programming, CDC, 2017. Publisher link
Polynomial/moment optimization for energy systems
Collaborators: Marc Hohmann, John Lygeros
Many energy systems, such as electrical power grids and district heating networks, can be modelled as systems subject to polynomial constraints. For example, a transmission line's voltages and currents are related by quadratic equality constraints, and a water pipe's energy transfer is governed by the product of the mass flow rate and the temperature drop.
Decision problems involving polynomial constraints are generally very difficult to solve, and only recently has the theory of polynomial optimization, particularly the so-called moment/sum-of-squares (MSOS) hierarchy, been applied to energy systems. This theory allows a polynomial decision problem to be converted into a convex optimization problem in a larger number of variables, rendering it tractable. Many exciting problems can be cast in the MSOS framework.
This work, driven by Marc Hohmann's PhD research, has (i) developed MSOS-based approaches to creating high-fidelity linearized models of power systems, which explicitly account for uncertainty of the operating conditions of the network; and (ii) derived optimal operating policies for district heating networks.
Optimal linearizations of power systems with uncertain supply and demand, IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 2019. Available on arXiv. Publisher link
A two-stage polynomial approach to stochastic optimization of district heating networks Sustainable Energy, Grids and Networks (SEGAN), 2019. Available on arXiv. Publisher link
Real-time control of smart mobility systems
Collaborators: Dominik Ruchti, Julius Pfrommer, Georg Schildbach, Claudio Ruch
A new generation of shared mobility systems, including bicycles, cars, and scooters, offers flexible, low-cost transport options to consumers in urban areas. However, they must be managed actively using paid personnel to overcome imbalances between supply and demand. By shifting shared vehicles from overcrowded locations to areas where they are in short supply, known as "rebalancing," the operator can maximize the number of customers able to make use of the service. The same principle applies in the emerging area of autonomous mobility systems, where a fleet of self-driving cars positions itself around a city in order to serve ride-hailing customers.
This work has devised new algorithms for making these rebalancing decisions in real time, given an estimate of the current state of the system and an uncertain forecast of future demand. We studied the design of user incentives to make "system friendly" journeys, by paying a user travelling from location A to B to instead end the journey at some other nearby flocation C. The aggregate effect of these incentives was shown to be competitive with conventional staff-based rebalancing, particularly at weekends in a large city like London.
More recently, we have used two-stage stochastic approximation to deal with a fully stochastic model of customer actions, and derived a real-time computable policy based on approximating the value of adding or subtracting shared vehicles in different locations at different times. This so-called approximate value function was then used to determine near-optimal rebalancing actions on the part of staff.
Two-stage stochastic approximation for dynamic rebalancing of shared mobility systems, to appear in Transportation Research Part C in 2019. Available on arXiv.
Dynamic vehicle redistribution and online price incentives in shared mobility systems, IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 2014. Publisher link
Real-time power system optimization under uncertainty
Collaborators: Tyler Summers, Daniel Drew, Paul Goulart, Manfred Morari
Electrical power systems are operated in the face of high-dimensional uncertainty arising from fluctuating wind and solar power infeeds, in addition to demand. Modern numerical weather forecasts generate gigabytes of data every few hours, which should in principle help predict the range of renewable power to be accommodated. However, feeding this large quantity of forecast data through to power system operations is challenging.
This work has devised new algorithms for capturing ranges and correlations in raw "ensemble" weather forecast data, in which multiple equally plausible scenarios are generated from a probabilistic weather model. The forecast atmospheric behaviour is condensed into low-dimensional modes, which then form a parameterization of the way conventional generators should react to the weather as it unfolds. The effect is a generalization of the well-known Automatic Generator Control signal into a superposition of several regional signals.
Earlier work from my PhD defined the concept of a multistage reserve policy, which is a multi-hour look-ahead plan governing each generator's response to shortfalls or excesses of energy on the system. The approach is particularly beneficial when controlling batteries and hydro power facilities, as the capture and release of energy is planned in a more rigorous manner against forecasts.
Low-dimensional space- and time-coupled power system control policies driven by high-dimensional ensemble weather forecasts, IEEE Control Systems Letters, 2018. Publisher link
Policy-based reserves for power systems, IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 2013. Publisher link
Stochastic optimal power flow based on conditional value at risk and distributional robustness, International Journal of Electrical Power and Energy Systems, 2015. Publisher link
warrington@control.ee.ethz.ch
Automatic Control Lab, ETH Zurich, ETL K 28, Physikstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland


Unbeknownst to our hero, the wicked count Carlo was looking down at him from the gallery of the grain silo.
The stainless steel claw that replaced Carlo's hand held tightly a rope attached to a huge metal anvil that swung silently sixty-five feet above the granary floor, poised to plummet to the ground and turn our hero into Steak Tatare. Just a few more feet... just a few more feet and he would be directly under the anvil.
"Heh, heh, heh!" whispered Carlo to himself.
Inch by inch our hero drew closer to his nemesis. And then he was there, directly under the massive vicious anvil!
Count Carlo relished the moment for a few nanoseconds, and then very gently he released the rope from his claw. Freed from its restraints, the anvil fell like a stone, like an eager racehorse loosed from the starting gate.
In the time it takes to say 'Sidney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre', Count Carlo and Baklava grabbed the rope. The anvil was suddenly checked in its downward plummet. But it wasn't going to give up without a struggle. It hoisted the two men right up to the pulley that was set into the granary roof and there they swung like a couple of trussed chickens. The anvil came to an abrupt stop about three inches above the head of our hero.
Our hero could have sworn that he heard something. He looked around him. Nothing out of the ordinary here. He sighed his diffident sigh and sauntered out of the granary into the morning sunlight, unaware that he had come within a few inches of his life.
There's something very unusual about the story of Balak. If the Torah had not revealed the episode of Bilam trying to curse the Jewish People, we would never have known about it. All the other events that the Torah writes concerning the Jewish People could also be known from tradition, but not this week's parsha. When this week's parsha was taking place, the Jewish People were way out of earshot. You could only see them somewhere in the distance. From the top of a hill; across a field; in the wilderness. But we never see them close up. They're like extras in their own movie. Had it not been for the Torah, we would never know what a narrow escape we had. The Jewish People walk through this week's parsha blissfully unaware of the machinations of Balak and Bilam.
At the end of sixth century, the Byzantine Empire completely destroyed the Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel. Unbeknownst to the Jews of Babylon, the Byzantines then poised themselves to also make Babylon 'Judenrein'. Before they could implement their plans, however, the Moslem revolt toppled them from power.
Jews played a prominent role in the overthrow of Czarist Russia and in the subsequent Soviet government. Secretly, however, in 1953 Josef Stalin tried unsuccessfully to destroy the Jews in what became known as "The Doctors' Plot." According to one theory, if the "Doctors' Plot" had carried on and reached its climax there would have been a mass expulsion of Soviet Jewry. But these plans died along with Stalin on March 6, 1953.
Once, a Russian prince asked Rabbi Itzaleh of Volozhin why non-Jews will be expected to praise G-d for His kindness to Israel. Rabbi Itzaleh replied "The princes of the nations constantly plot our annihilation, but our merciful G-d foils your plans. You keep your plots so secret that we Jews don't even realize in how many ways you have tried to harm us and in how many ways G-d has saved us. Only you, the nations of the non-Jewish world, truly see the extent of G-d's kindness to us, and therefore only you can praise Him adequately.


In the World, I am one of the 7.6 billion people on Earth today at May 06, 2017. But, who am I? Today, i'm finding myself looking at the Mirror with the Third eye, The Wisdom'. The third eyes research and test the hypothesis based on the Scientific, Behavioral (Personal and Social Implications) and Knowledge (Rational).
This assimilation of 'I', made a family, society, then, countries. Who is reading it? Who has gone to Job, school, met someone or plan, apply something. of course, the answer is me. But who am I? The answer is my body or my mind. Body is the follower of Mind. This non-physical, mystical mind operates body. My identity, existence and operates from the Respiration. No Respiration, there's no 'I'.
Scientifically, Air (oxygen) comes in to give you life (Generator) and enliven all your body cells. Oxygen operates bodily function (Operator) and Oxygen burns through the chemical oxidation reaction (Destroyer). So, this Respiration is GOD, god. Without respiration, there's no 'I' or 'Me', here i bridge the religious true sense of God and science at the rational level in this educated society. Oxygen nourishes neurons and excite it, without oxygen neurons die.
Behaviorally, This incoming cold air from outside and outgoing warm air is the balance of temperature, this balance keeps the mind and body in condition. Unbalance of temperature, and unbalanced lungs pumping movement is the sign of the body that you are unbalanced due to Stress. Oxygen helps to people with dementia, memory retrieving process, helps from fatal driving accidents. Sleeping person breathes less oxygen and angry person consumes more oxygen. Observing oxygen helps awareness of mind to make proper decision. Oxygen helps in mindfulness, either u r boss, leader or employee.
Knowledge, This is the reason why the Buddha, Siddhartha, observed and aware of this respiration (in-coming and out-coming), led to achieve the enlightenment state of mind. Abhidhamma (the highest analysis of everything) appeared after enlightenment.
Conclusion: When trouble or feeling lazy, just experience by taking deep breathing a bit fast and deep. Experience it.


Anderson .Paak "I Miss That Whip"
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BLACK FILE 200th O.A. Memorial Freestyle A from BLACK FILE on Vimeo.
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今後のrev.311での動きや、WD Soundでの動きも楽しみです!!big up, Lil mercy, & benzeezy!
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D-Tools SIX 2013 Revision 2 (R2) Available Now!
Everyone at D-Tools is very excited for our latest release: SIX 2013 Revision 2 (R2). This release not only prepares you for our upcoming Mobile Quote iPad® app, it has many great new features and improvements on existing features. We have listened to your feedback and we responded.
Active Report upgraded from version 3 to version 7.
QuickBooks SDK upgraded from a version 5 to version 12. We are able to transfer and sync the Manufacturer Part Number now. Also purchase orders transfer correctly in QuickBooks Canada now.


text:
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Born 6 January 1946 Syd Barrett was a typically British, and idiosyncratic, rock star in his relatively short but influential time as a musician, composer, and singer-songwriter. Like many in the band he co-founded, Pink Floyd, he was from Cambridge. In their psychedelic 1960s days Barrett was driving creative force, helping to define their early sound. He named the band, wrote many of the lyrics, played guitar, and sung lead vocals.
Barrett recorded four singles with them along with their inaugural album Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Barrett left Pink Floyd in the spring of 1968, eight months after the album's release, but not before recording material which contributed to their 2nd studio album, A Saucerful of Secrets. After leaving Pink Floyd Barrett embarked on a solo career, releasing the single "Octopus" in 1969, which became the first single from his debut album The Madcap Laughs (1970). He followed this album with his 2nd and last solo album Barrett, released a month after The Madcap Laughs in February 1970.
Eight years later in 1978 Barrett left London and the music industry and returned to Cambridge after battling mental illness. Apart from a few intermittent trips to London, Barrett remained a recluse most of his life, and died at his home in Cambridge on 7 July 2006, aged 60 years old. Barrett's influence can been felt in his inventive guitar techniques, experimental methods like distortion, feedback, and dissonance. Along with his quirky, playful lyrics and English-accented, eccentric vocal delivery.
Not only can his legacy be felt in his musical influence, but also in the musical tributes Pink Floyd paid to him too. Noticeably in their 1975 album Wish You Were Here, with the the song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" being a direct homage to his distinctive style and talent.
www.sydbarrett.com
Syd Barret photographed by Mick Rock at his flat in Earls Court, London in 1969.
Taken by Mick Rock during the album cover shoot for Syd Barrett's debut solo album 'The Madcap Laughs'.
Taken in Syd Barrett's flat in Earls Court, London during the photo shoot for his debut album 'The Madcap Laughs'
Syd Barrett 'in decision' captured by Mick Rock in London in 1969 , a year after he left Pink Floyd
Iconic Mick photograph of Syd Barrett posing outside his London flat on a Pontiac Parisienne in 1969
Syd Barrett and 'Iggy the Eskimo' sitting on the pavement outside Syd's flat in Earls Court in 1969
Mick Rock photograph of Syd Barrett tuning his guitar in his flat in Earl's Court flat in 1969
One of Pink Floyd's earliest photo shoots taken in June 1967 using the lighting they used in their gigs
The original Pink Floyd line-up on their first ever photo shoot in Kennington Park, London
Syd Barrett with Pink Floyd at the International 'Love In' Festival at Alexandra Palace in Summer 1967
Syd Barrett on an early photo shoot in London, not long before recording Pink Floyd's debut album
Pink Floyd at the mixing desk whilst recording their debut album 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn' in Abbey Road Studios
1967 Syd Barrett performs during an early photo session prior to the release of Pink Floyd's debut album
Syd Barrett captured on one of Pink Floyd's earliest photoshoots in June 1967
Syd Barrett captured in a candid moment at Abbey Road Studios whilst rehearsing for the recording of 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn'
For their first photo shoot, Colin Prime took the band down to Ruskin park. All the guys were in high spirits at the time
Pink Floyd onstage at the Roundhouse, London in July 1967 less than a year after they performed at its opening party.
This was Pink Floyd's first official photo shoot. Although a photographer by trade, Colin Prime's other love was music
Taken on the band's first photo shoot in Ruskin Park, London in April 1967
Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters & Richard Wright on their first ever photo shoot in Ruskin Park, London
John Prime backstage at The Station Inn, Nashville before performing with Jimmy Rooney's Irregulars in 2019.
Contact sheet of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers photographed at Hyde Park, London in 1991
The USA has given us many of the world's greatest music artists - we celebrate the best of the best


According to a report by Bloomberg, the appeals court ruled that Judge Posner "wrongly threw out the case."
Judge Posner had issued a critical rebuke of Apple's entire business model centered around innovation, recommending that Apple license its technology to Motorola instead of seeking an injunction which said would be "catastrophic" and harmful to consumers.
Forcing Motorola to adopt inferior, non-Apple technology, as opposed to paying a royalty, would not benefit consumers, Posner said. Apple doesn't want to be forced to license its patented technologies to Google for use in Android.
The appeals court decision opens the potential for Apple and Motorola to resume their lawsuits, which cover largely the same ground involved in the two Apple vs. Samsung cases, one of which is still being argued in court.
Another potential impact of the new appeals court ruling on Apple's current litigation is that it sided with Google's Motorola in arguing that, for the Apple Data Detectors patent, the analysis done to create links must involve a server process separate from the client.
This claim construction could allow not only Motorola to sidestep Apple's patent, but could also benefit Samsung, which also wants to argue that it technically doesn't infringe upon Apple's patent because of a specific interpretation of the word "server."
In the Apple vs Samsung case, the presiding Judge Lucy Koh arrived at a different decision. Following the 90 page decision handed down by the appeals court, Apple and Samsung are working to develop arguments to the court about how to proceed.
In tweets by CNET reporter Shara Tibken, Judge Koh reportedly said the issue could "potentially blow up what we've already done with this jury for a month," but the jurist was also cited as saying, "Just because a district court judge has construed a claim one way doesn't mean I have to adopt that."
Tibken also reported that "Apple and Samsung now working out plan for Monday for new testimony related to '647 patent."
Well boohooo. Too bad for them.
Users of phones from Apple's competitors can't use the same tech, what a scandal!
Posner is the equivalent of a judicial troll.
Apple will push this to the Supreme Court if necessary...and they should.
I would hope so, that would actually force the U.S to retructure it's patent system and actually decide how and when software should be patentable. Maybe even get more funding for those poor souls at the patent office.
C'mon, do these jurists really understand any of this. I've watched judges fall asleep on their hand as counsel talked stuff as simple as 'client', 'server'. Data detectors? No chance ! Some of these adjudicators need a PhD in quantum physics to really 'get it'.
It's time to appoint specialist judges for these types of cases and indeed change the law to allow professional jury panels who will save both time money and truly bring a just and fair outcome to these types of causes.
Why would it "force the U.S. to restructure it's patent system"? The Supreme Court's job is to judge whether laws are constitutional. This case has nothing to do with that.
There have been numerous calls for a special "patent court" filled with industry and patent professionals. There is some merit to the idea, however regular cases of law are supposed to be judged by juries composed of "normal" people. It is a problem, either way.
Doesn't seem like an issue SCOTUS would find worthy of hearing IMO.
It amazes me how the US court system is attempting to punish Apple for being unique.
More national spot light, maybe bring the issue to the forfront of congress. Might even get a patent system that is more inline with that of the EU.
Just how the aeoro case vs the broadcasters is getting more focus on the issues within or antiquated copyright laws maybe a supreme Court case would do the same for our dark aged patent laws.
Good thing the ruling was overturned. I can't see how the gov can force one company to license it's non SEP patents.
Apple is not being punished. All these cases are a result of our patent system not being able to handle software and when it should and shouldn't patentable. Apple took advantage of a rubber stamp, over streched pattent office, they are not the only ones they just do it better than most. View this as a correction or discussion about what exactly should a patent entail? How long should be viable? Does software deserve to share the same proctection that pharmaceutical drugs receive under our patent system? Is copyright the right way to proctect software instead of patents? All huge questions.
I am an IT savvy lawyer who also is a CPA (forgive the brag) who is the key witness in an IT case with $100M in prospect damages. Our lawyer in the case holds postgraduate qualifications in electrical engineering. He is worth his weight in gold as he cuts through all the bulls**t.
"Normal' just does not cut it in these types of cases any more. More importantly, justice is just not done, nor even seen to be done in these cases. Time to wise up as community and fix it.
As far as I understand things, the EU does not really have a unified approach to patent validity and enforcement. I've seen numerous instances of Apple's patents receiving different rulings in, for example, Germany versus England.
It is an issue SCOTUS would find worthy in my opinion. It is scandalous how many companies in the Android camp have chosen to steal instead of spending millions to billions on their own technologies. Then when sued for theft, they choose to sue to defend themselves. If Android is so uniquely innovative then that camp does not need anything from Apple.
If you are involved in an ongoing case as a witness, aren't you violating the law by discussing any element of that case here?
What ? Another bush lawyer on the forum. Why did I bother?
What do you mean by "bush lawyer"?


text:
THE WEEK IN TV-LAND: Saying Good bye to Dexter & Breaking Bad (review)
Well I wanted to wait for the series finale of Breaking Bad before posting my finale reviews for 2 of my fav shows on TV. If like me, you have this bittersweet feeling that despite how much as you looked forward to the final episodes… it oddly comes with that feeling of dejection because you know the epic tales of your favorite characters has come to an end. With that being said, I will give my take on my summer favs: Showtime's Dexter & AMC's Breaking Bad.
Sorry for the late update/post, I won't lie… I was playing Candy Crush…
(SOME SPOILERS BELOW… so don't shit yourself and spam me because I gave you the disclaimer)
Showtime's Dexter
If anything, it took me a bit of time to process this ending. The episode started off with its usual (if not a tad expected) cliffhangers and drama. Although I will admit with the change in writers and lead/pivotal characters getting fired (Julie Benz), I will admit it took a bizarre if not drastic change in plots. Now being that this particular show is based from a series of books, it is best to keep in mind that adaptations tend to take their own unexpected turns. So when factoring in all those outside influences, I can honestly say that I am glad they were able to pull off at least a half decent season this year. Although it wasn't series ending caliber, it was still decent! Honestly I found myself falling in love with the cute kid who played Harrison. Anyway, there are lots of fans who already saw the ending with Dexter looking like a lost lumberjack! I cried when Deb was in the hospital. Heck the look in her eyes when she told Dexter to go was just like Hannah's because they both knew the inevitable. That was a bit more emotion I wanted to have for a serial killer, even my favorite serial killer…lol! I also would've like to seen another shot of Dexter's dad before it cut to black! But to be frank, while I agree that while it could've been better, I still gave it a pass for pulling the plug while it was still bearable to tune in every Sunday! I mean honestly were you guys really expecting a fairy tale ending for a serial killer, regardless of how adored he was?
MY VOTE:
IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH
AMC's Breaking Bad
Ok, the story line of Walter White, the show's main character and protagonist turned anti-hero was one hell of a crazy ride. I mean at times we wanted to love or cheer Heisenberg on or downright loathe and scream at him. Either way, the show started and went out with a bang. The cliffhanger from last summer's first half of the final season had me literally falling out of my seat… you know when Hank takes a shit in more ways than 1 and figures out about Walt?! I mean you had to have know at some point in the story it would be those 2 but I won't lie, I had my heart set out on them really working the Jesse vs. Walt thing! Either way, I had no complaints here with how the writers closed it out, leaving no loose strings or plot holes. I mean I hate that because if you are ending something, I don't want to have that feeling like "what the fuck" will become of the characters like a normal cliffhanger season finale. I mean Walt tied up loose ends with a "I don't give a fuck because I know I did it my way" kind of feel (yeah hashtag that shit…lol). Although, I was more than happy to know that he left no enemies out to dry! I just wish he would've gotten the chance to get all of his stolen money back! All the while I watched this and felt nothing less than admiration for the actors/actresses in this show.
Looking forward I will have to come to grips with the fact that I will no longer see Dexter get dressed in the morning in such a sexy, sadistic way. I also will no longer have the privilege of watching the dad from Malcolm in the Middle cook/sell meth! All in All, I am really going to miss both of these shows! Ups and Downs… I was a fan until the end. No complaints on either front because it's better to have a show end on a high note than to fade out without a memory!
GOOD BYE DEX & GANG
GOOD BYE WALT & FRIENDS
Until next time kiddies… stay tuned!
Follow the Drunken Insomniac Writer on Instagram: Insomniac_Writer
AMC, breaking bad, cable tv, cooking meth, debra morgan, dexter, drugs, drunken insomniac, favorite, good bye, it's over, jesse pinkman, meth, miami metro, rants and raves, serial killer, series finale, Showtime, spoilers, the end, TV, walter white


It's easy to strip out a Phillips screw, especially if you belong to the "more torque is better" club. Rather than mangle the screw head and then have to drill it out, try these tricks. Rather than mangle the screw head and then have to drill it out, try these tricks.... The screw may be tight, so be sure the wrench fits properly to avoid stripping the hex on the screw. Pump the vacuum pump slowly, watching the fluid coming through the tube. When all the air bubbles are gone and you see clean fluid coming out, close the screw securely.
28/01/2016 · How to drill longer screws into wood without damaging the screw head. Support See Jane Drill by shopping on Amazon through our link: http://www.amazon.com/?tag=sejadr-20... Probably the most important factor in removing screws without stripping the heads is the tool used. It's crucial to use the correct screwdriver size to fit the screw, whether slotted, phillips head or pozidrive.
11/09/2015 · Warning: The topics covered on this site include activities in which there exists the potential for serious injury or death. ContractorTalk.com DOES NOT guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information contained on this site. how to add a user in mac Consumer Reports explains the proper technique to avoid stripping a screw with a cordless drill.
The clutch makes a drill more versatile and easier to use by regulating how much power the drill can apply. Here's how to use your clutch settings to your best advantage to get the power you need when drilling holes, and to prevent over-driving or stripping screw heads when driving screws.
Give the end of the screw driver a good whack with a hammer. This should be enough to either break through the paint, or put a dent into the screw head.
However, there is a solution to prevent stripping. A metal insert can be installed from the beginning that would allow the self-tapping screw to be regularly fastened and unfastened. These metal inserts also work to help minimize stress and expand as the fastener is screwed in.
14/07/2010 · I work on a lot of older Corvettes. I use solid copper wire to take up the gap in stripped holes in the fiberglass. The copper is soft enough for the threads of a screw to cut into and take hold.


Miss picky eater herself, if she just licks it and knocks it out of your hand? Then it's a NO. But with Freshpet turkey bacon Kacee smelled it and grabbed it out of my hand. Hey look she likes it, Kacee never likes anything. So happy she likes her morning treat.


text:
Media & Satellite | Guatemala | Pay TV
Guatemala: Piracy in pay TV market generates annual losses of more than US$51 million
Pay TV market share in Guatemala is led by Tigo, with a 25% share after the purchase of Cable DX in mid-2018.
According to the Unidad de Control y Supervisión de Cable (UNCOSU, an entity under the scope of the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing) (Cable Control and Supervision Unit), there are about 450 pay television companies registered with the regulator, but an estimated of 500 firms operate in rural areas, informally. Considering the fees that are not paid to the programmers and the taxes that the State does not perceive due to illegality, the losses for the industry are around US$51 million per year.
Guatemala · Pay TV18/06/2019
Brasil · Satellites19/04/2018
Brazilian satellite operation also remains in the hands of Justice
Objections to the contract signed between the state company Telebras and the US company Via Sat, for the commercial exploitation of the SGDC-1 satellite will be decided in courts. Because of the conflict, the Minister of Communications, Gilberto Kassab, sees his aspirations to govern the state of Sao Paulo move away.
Globales · Satellites05/04/2018
Orbital ATK wants to have a complete fleet of satellite maintenance vehicles
The manufacturer is currently developing EMV1 and EMV2, which were contracted by Intelsat to make improvements in orbit to the Intelsat 9 series and other devices. The next step is to add robotic tools to add precision to tasks in space, ranging from refueling to component replacement.
Launchers diversify and adapt their rockets to accompany the "fever" for low orbit
The small satellites for LEO orbiting market demands more launching opportunities, lower costs and new sites from which to launch the rockets. The industry responds with artifacts in different variants and sizes, and shared-trip missions to place more satellites in orbit.
Lincoln Oliveira: "Satellite sector lives the biggest transformation in 30 years"
List all analysis
Trinidad y Tobago · Internet & OTT · Operators 15/07/2019
Annual CANTO conference to begin this Sunday
Brasil · Regulation 15/07/2019
Several House committees to analyze again Restrictive Service Law
Regional · Operators 15/07/2019
Entel to sell 2,000 antennas in Chile and Peru in an operation that would exceed US$500 million
Regional · Economy 15/07/2019
AgTech wants to leave "early adopters" stage
Liberty Latin America plans to expand its operations nationwide and to generate 600 direct jobs
List all news


Gibson's Tosted Turkey Jerky Dog Treats | All Things Woof Meow, Too Inc.
Our natural, grain-free, USA turkey dog treats are made from high quality, human grade ingredients, and a unique solar powered toasting process that seals in the flavor. Packed in our artful, USA made bags, these soft jerky treats are ready for your dog to enjoy!
Gibson's dog treats are artfully crafted in small batches with high quality ingredients. We use both solar energy and natural wood smoking to help produce our treats. Whether gently toasted or freeze dried, we go the extra mile to provide a safe treat you can feel confident feeding your dog.


text:
var httprequest = require('request');
var usedTokens = [];

// Exports

exports.handleError = handleError;
exports.tokenIsExpired = tokenIsExpired;
exports.decryptedTokenInfo = decryptedTokenInfo;
exports.resetPassword = resetPassword;
exports.tokenWasUsed = tokenWasUsed;
exports.addUsedToken = addUsedToken;
exports.usernameAndPasswordFromRequest = usernameAndPasswordFromRequest;

// Errors

function handleError(response, err) {
  if (err) {
    console.error(err, err.stack);
  }
  response.send(500);
}

// Authentication

function base64Decode(s) {
  return new Buffer(s, 'base64').toString('utf8');
}

function usernameAndPasswordFromRequest(request) {

  var rawHeader = request.headers.authorization;
  return usernameAndPasswordFromHeader(rawHeader);
}

function usernameAndPasswordFromHeader(header) {

  if (!header || header.length < 1) {
    return null;
  }

  var token = header.split(/\s+/).pop();
  var decodedString = base64Decode(token);
  var components = decodedString.split(':');

  var username = components[0];
  username = username.toLowerCase();
  return {
    username: username,
    password: components[1]
  };
}

// Tokens

function tokenWasUsed(token) {

  return usedTokens.indexOf(token) >= 0;
}

function addUsedToken(token) {

  usedTokens.push(token);
}

function tokenIsExpired(tokenInfo) {

  var now = new Date();
  if (tokenInfo.expirationDate < new Date()) {
    return true;
  }

  // Sanity check. If the date expires 2 or more hours in the future,
  // then it's bogus and we pretend it's expired.

  var futureDate = new Date();
  futureDate.setUTCHours(now.getUTCHours() + 2);
  if (tokenInfo.expirationDate > futureDate) {
    return true;
  }

  return false;
}

function decryptedTokenInfo(resetPasswordToken) {

  // Some base64 characters have been replaced with URL-friendly alternates.

  resetPasswordToken = resetPasswordToken.replace(/\*/g, '\/');
  resetPasswordToken = resetPasswordToken.replace(/\./g, '+');
  resetPasswordToken = resetPasswordToken.replace(/-/g, '=');

  var plainText = decryptText(resetPasswordToken, process.env.RESET_TOKEN_ENCRYPTION_KEY);
  if (!plainText) {
    return null;
  }

  var components = plainText.split(':');
  if (!components || components.length != 3) {
    return null;
  }

  var salt = components[1];
  if (salt !== process.env.RESET_TOKEN_SALT) {
    return null;
  }

  var tokenInfo = {};

  tokenInfo.username = components[2];

  var expirationDateValue = parseInt(components[0]); // 10-digit timestamp
  tokenInfo.expirationDate = new Date(expirationDateValue * 1000);

  return tokenInfo;
}

function decryptText(s, key) {

  var crypto = require('crypto');
  var decipher = crypto.createDecipher('aes256', key);
  var output = decipher.update(s, 'base64', 'binary');
  output += decipher.final('binary');

  output = new Buffer(output, 'binary').toString('utf-8');

  return output;
}

// API Call

function resetPassword(username, password, resetPasswordToken, callback) {

  var url = process.env.RESET_TOKEN_CHANGE_PASSWORD_URL;
  var secretKey = process.env.RESET_TOKEN_KEY;
  var vesperAPIKeyHeader = process.env.VESPER_API_KEY_HEADER;
  var vesperAPIKey = process.env.VESPER_API_KEY;

  var options = {
    uri: url,
    method: 'POST',
    json: {
      username: username,
      password: password,
      resetPasswordToken: resetPasswordToken
    },
    headers: {
      resettokenkey: secretKey
    }
  };
  options.headers[vesperAPIKeyHeader] = vesperAPIKey;

  httprequest(options, function(err, response, body) {

    if (err) {
      callback(err, null);
      return;
    }

    callback(null, response.statusCode);
  });
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Nikos Stathopoulos: An Editorial Board Abroad Will Guarantee the Independence of NOVA TV
The Managing Partner of BC Partners speaking to "Capital"
Nikos Stathopoulos is Managing Partner in the BC Partners fund, which is a majority shareholder in United Group, the company that acquired BTC in Bulgaria and the media group around NOVA TV. The London-based fund BC Partners manages assets worth more than 23 billion EUR in Europe and the US.
- In less than a year, amidst the COVID crisis, United Group, in which BC Partners is a major shareholder, acquired Bulgaria's largest telecom and Bulgaria's largest media company. Why did Bulgaria seem to you like a suitable place for investments?
- For a combination of reasons. I usually like to say that we invest in companies, not in countries. However, when you invest somewhere, you cannot ignore the situation in the country. Bulgaria is proving to be one of the most stable economies in Europe currently, as well as one of the fastest growing. Bulgaria's GDP grew by about 3-4% before the COVID crisis, which was one of the highest values. At the same time, other indicators - such as unemployment, is also around 5%, which is again one of the lowest values in Europe. The level of corporate taxes in Bulgaria is about 10%, which is the lowest value in Europe. The debt-to-GDP ratio is also one of the lowest. So, from a macroeconomic point of view, Bulgaria actually seems to be on standing on a very good basis...
Besides the economy, it is very important for us that in Bulgaria, we have found many smart and well-educated people, especially in the IT sector, where there are many competent experts. We have been really impressed by the abilities of these people and United Group is planning to use Bulgaria as a regional hub in terms of the technological side of our business.
For us, the investment here was a very good opportunity to expand our activities in an EU country, which, among other things, has a very stable outlook...
- Do you think that telecoms are immune to the crisis?
- Telecoms have always been a very sustainable sector. Part of the reason for this is in their business model, which is largely based on subscriptions. In such a situation, it is very difficult to give up your phone or, for example, in the case of the media, to give up your paid services. This means that it is difficult to have serious unpredictability in this sector. No one will terminate their subscription to Netflix now because we are locked up at home and one of the few things we can do is watch TV. Telecoms also generate a lot of cash, which from the investor's point of view also helps a lot. These are the reasons why we invest in this sector not only in Bulgaria but also around the world.
- Besides telecoms, you also invest a lot in the media. What is the relationship between the two sectors?
- We believe there is a very serious relationship between telecoms and the media. And not only in the case of VIVACOM and NOVA, but everywhere. If you look at what is happening globally nowadays, there is a very clear trend of convergence between telecoms and the media. This is very well seen in the US with AT&T and Time Warner or Comcast and NBC, or Comcast and Sky. Many operators believe that there are synergies between telecoms and the media.
We have the feeling that individually these businesses will not be as successful as if they were together. Some people see telecoms only as a means of distribution, only as a "pipe". Some people see the media only as content. We believe we should have both sides. United Group has actually proven to be a company that is both at the same time. In this situation, you have the best of both worlds - the possibilities for distribution of telecoms and the production of content by the media. I think that in order to be a really successful telecom operator, you have to have a media part and that means producing content, especially local content, which you have the opportunity to distribute in many directions.
- How do you think this synergy will change television? What do you think about the predictions that TV may disappear in, say, five years?
- I don't think television will disappear. I think it will remain a very attractive medium. I think content delivery will be done in many other ways, including digitally. But it will be difficult for television to cease to exist, because watching a big screen is an experience for people, which is very different from watching on a laptop, tablet or mobile phone. However, the television industry will have to adapt seriously - it will not cease to exist, but will evolve. We are already seeing this trend in linear and on demand television. However, there are also types of content that happen in real time and need to be broadcast in real time. Sports for example. They are types of content that cannot be viewed over time. If I watch a football match two hours after it was broadcast, I will already know the result and probably also know at what minute the goal was scored. This will significantly reduce the excitement.
- What are your plans for United Group? How will the business develop over the next three years and do you have plans for expansion in Bulgaria or in the region?
- The history of United Group shows that it is a strong consolidator in the region of Southeast Europe. Twenty years ago, the group acquired nearly 100 companies, most of them small, and managed to integrate them into the business. Following the acquisition of United Group [by BC Partners], the company bought four more companies, two in Bulgaria, one in Croatia and one in Greece. We will continue to consolidate the market. Our vision is to grow geographically, although I'm not sure if there are more places to cover geographically in the region. But we will do more consolidations in specific markets. We will look to acquire assets in markets where we already have a presence, including Bulgaria.
- What is the exit strategy of BC Partners from United Group?
- The strategy for United Group would most likely be an IPO on the European stock market. Which means that United Group will always be a strategic investor in every country where it operates and for every company it owns. I believe that the ultimate owner will most likely be the public market and will include institutional as well as individual investors who will want to have a presence in leading media and telecom companies in the region. This is the way we approach each acquisition. No matter who the next potential owner of United Group is, the company will always be the strategic shareholder in the companies it owns. For example, United Group will be the owner of VIVACOM and NOVA, regardless of who will be the ultimate owner of the group.
- United Group concentrates an unprecedented number of media assets in Bulgaria, which raises concerns. What guarantees can you give for the fact that the journalists in them will be able to work freely and independently, so that the public interest is protected?
- On other markets, both in Europe and abroad, where we have media, we have proven that we adhere to the highest corporate standards. This applies to both United Group and BC Partners as a major shareholder in the Group. Our investors are among the best, largest and most respected institutions in the world and they expect us to operate to the highest standards. United Group and its media unit, United Media, are actually doing it - working to the highest standards of independent journalism. Bulgaria is not the only country where we have media. United Media and news outlets operate with full autonomy, and the company has an editorial policy that protects independent journalism.
This is a very important topic so that journalism can continue to maintain freedom of speech and independence. United Media has an editorial board based in Luxembourg, which monitors all media, checks whether journalists are investigating properly and impartially. For us, this is the best way to preserve the independence of journalists.
We have an independent editorial board based outside the countries where we operate, in an independent country such as Luxembourg, with independent board members who do not work in any of our media assets. These people keep independent and impartial journalism in each of the countries where we operate.
- What kind of people are part of this council?
These are international, very experienced media professionals who have worked in other media in the UK or for example RTL in Germany.
- One of your acquisitions in Bulgaria, which attracted attention, was the deal for the newspapers, previously owned by Delyan Peevski. Why did you acquire them, given that from a business point of view, there is no logic in this?
Many people believe that the print media business is shrinking, and this is the case in most European markets. The truth is that we see newspapers as an opportunity for local content, including in the case of the Telegraph. "Telegraph" was the missing part of the puzzle to own a 360-degree media business in Bulgaria, and besides, it is clear to everyone that this is a very strong brand. Owning newspapers allows us to offer a full package of media services in Bulgaria. The print media will not remain on paper forever. Our strategy is to expand Telegraf's business in a digital environment and to strengthen our digital portfolio in Bulgaria. We believe that newspapers still have a place on the media scene and we hope to be able to prove it in Bulgaria as well.
- When the deal was announced in a press release from United Group, its headline was that United Group has "agreed" to buy the newspapers. Whose proposal did you agree to?
- It is written in an absolutely figurative way. That was part of the deal. As I said, this was the missing part to have a full media package in Bulgaria. Our goal is to import as many advanced technologies as possible and to have our own content to distribute. Newspapers are one of the channels to make this happen, along with digital channels, television and telecoms. But figuratively speaking, no one made us do anything.
- What is the price of the newspapers?
I can't say. Because it was not separate, but an amalgam of things in which we invest.
- How is the deal for football-related "Inter" going?
I can't disclose many details. But in this case, there is not so much interest specifically in "Inter", but in general in sports. In our BC Partners fund, we look at sports as another area in which we talk about distributing unique content. Which, if you distribute it through different channels, you can monetize further. In short, we are still negotiating for Inter, but I cannot predict how everything will end.
In an interview for news outlet capital.bg, BC Partners Managing Partner Nikos Stathopoulos discussed United Group's acquisition of Bulgaria's largest telecom and media company. Stathopoulos stated that a close relationship between telecoms and media companies like Vivacom and Nova is a global notion, and provided several examples such as the case with Comcast and Sky. Furthermore, he revealed that BC Partners would most likely announce an initial public offering as means to exit United Group, and mentioned that the latter will remain majority shareholder of Vivacom and Nova. In addition, Stathopoulos stated that United Group aims to acquire more companies in Bulgaria and other countries in the coming years. He also commented on concerns about media freedom, stating that both United Group and BC Partners follow high corporate standards strictly regarding independent journalism. Stathopoulos concluded the interview by mentioning that BC Partners is looking for opportunities to expand into sports.
Brussels approves Bulgaria's 3.1 mln euro scheme to back Covid-hit tour operators
Bulgaria overachieves 2020 renewable energy target
PM Kiril Petkov from Skopje: From now on goodneighbourhood will be measured by actual steps