title: 1908 Queensland Rugby League season

text:
# 1908 Queensland Rugby League season

The first season of Rugby League in Queensland saw the formation of an association in March 1908, footballers begin training in the new code by early May, and the first in a series of representative matches played on 16 May. Club football began after teams representing Queensland had played, and then only as junior matches.

## Professional Rugby

A catalyst for Rugby League beginning in Australia was a tour by New Zealand footballers, as professionals. In the month of August 1907, meetings of players from most Sydney Rugby Union clubs, "and others interested in the professional movement", formed the NSW Football League. Speakers at a meeting stated the League's aim to liberally cover expenses incurred by players due to injury or travel. From the players in attendance, a team was selected for matches against the New Zealand professionals on 17, 21 and 24 August.

As noted in the newspapers, the expectation was that players involved in these professional matches would be banned from returning to the amateur sport of Rugby Union and, probably from participating in other amateur sport.

In reports and published letters to newspapers, the merits and faults of Rugby Union's governing body, and the aims and play of the new code were discussed. The developments and matches in Sydney were followed in the Brisbane papers. In one short report in the Brisbane *Telegraph*, Dally Messenger was the one player named, amongst several, as switching to the league.

After playing for New South Wales against the New Zealanders, Messenger joined their tour of northern England. The team played matches against Northern Union clubs throughout October, November and December. In January 1908, as the first Australian Rugby League clubs were being formed in Sydney, the New Zealanders played international matches against Wales and England.

## Rugby League arrives in Brisbane

On 11 March speakers at the annual meeting of the South Brisbane Rugby Union Club warned of the approach of professionalism. *The Brisbane Courier* reported, "Mr. D. Carter made more direct and pointed remarks when he stated that efforts were being made to form at least two senior professional teams in Brisbane. The Exhibition ground had been engaged, he said, and matches arranged with New South Wales and New Zealand."

On 27 March a notice in *The Telegraph* stated, "Queensland Rugby Association have engaged the grounds for football practice on Wednesdays, after Monday, 4th May."

On 7 April *The Telegraph* reported on the formation of the Queensland Rugby Association:
"It is claimed that the Queensland Rugby Association has been formed with a view to bettering the existing conditions of footballers in Queensland. Its opponents declare that it is intended to promote professionalism, but the promoters object to the term professional."
The report also listed the "main objects" of the association:

1. To adopt the rules of the Northern Rugby Union of England, as it is contended that their game is the most attractive form of Rugby. 2. To provide for the insurance of players against accident. 3. To bring footballers into line with cricketers, so far as the Commonwealth is concerned, and also with regard to overseas undertakings. 4. To contribute to local charities a percentage of profits.

The inaugural executive committee of the Queensland Rugby Association was: Alf Faulkner (Chairman and Treasurer), Sine Boland (Secretary), J. A. O'Connor, George Watson, John Fihelly, E. L. Buchanan, and Micky J. Dore.

## Season summary

### Representative matches

The inaugural club competition in New South Wales began in Sydney on 21 April and club matches ran in parallel to representative matches through May, June and July. The first lot of representative matches were played against the returning New Zealand team in Newcastle and Sydney.

#### New Zealand

Three Queensland footballers, Doug McLean, Micky Dore and Robert Tubman played for Australia against New Zealand in Sydney on 9 May. Another three Queenslanders were unavailable for selection due to work commitments.

The touring New Zealanders arrived in Brisbane on Friday 15 May, and after a reception at their hotel, went to have a look at venue for their matches. There, "The members of the team trained on the Exhibition ground, and also coached some of the Queensland team in the points of the Northern Rugby Union game."

The first formal Rugby League match in Queensland was played on 16 May between Queensland and New Zealand teams. Queensland had the honour of scoring the first points, through a try in the corner by Arthur O'Brien. New Zealand responded with two quick tries. With a further two tries by the visitors, and all goal kicks unsuccessful, the half-time score was New Zealand 12, Queensland 3. After conceding a try to Doug McLean early in the second half, New Zealand took their score to 34, before a rally by Queensland saw tries to Bill Hardcastle and George Watson. At full-time, New Zealand 34 had defeated Queensland 12.

The following days and weeks saw the New Zealand team undergo an emotional trial due to the passing of one of their leading members, Albert Baskerville. Having "caught a chill" on the ship voyage from Sydney, Baskerville entered hospital on Sunday, "suffering from pneumonia". He died on Wednesday evening, 20 May, aged 25. Baskerville had been one of a small group that organised the tour, acted as its travelling secretary and, when those duties permitted, he played as a wing three-quarter. In the Test match in Sydney on 9 May he had scored a try.

Having beaten a Brisbane team 43 to 10 earlier on the day that their teammate died, the New Zealand All Blacks were weakened by the departure of six players to accompany the body and make funeral arrangements. The remaining members continued on, keeping appointments to which, weeks earlier, Baskerville as secretary may well have consented.

All but one of the Brisbane team had played in the first match, but Queensland were now strengthened by the inclusion of Bundaberg's Bill Heidke and a guest, Dally Messenger.

Messenger opened the scoring prior with a long range penalty goal, prior to a period in which, "the play shifted from one end to the other, with amazing rapidity." New Zealand had a try disallowed but soon after equalised with a goal. A field goal shy of half-time gave the "All Blacks" the lead. Two tries early in the second stanza, one converted, extended that lead to ten points. Breaks by Mickey Dore and Messenger were stopped short of the try-line by New Zealand's scrambling defence, a penalty reducing the deficit to eight. Bill Heidke made a break down the wing and found George Watson in support. Surprisingly, Messenger missed the conversion attempt from in front of the posts, "but he made amends after kicking a penalty goal from what seemed an impossible distance and a very difficult angle." New Zealand, playing one short throughout the match, continued to attack and defend until the final minutes, when, "in the centre Messenger got possession and scored a wonderful try in the corner." His kick went astray, and the match finished as a 12-all draw.

The final game in Queensland was against Australia on the 30th. New Zealand won 24–12. This match was the second in a three match Test series. Four Queenslanders - J. Edward Baird, Micky Dore, Bill Hardcastle and George Watson \- played in the Australian team.

#### New Zealand Māori

The New Zealand Māori team played five matches in and against Queensland. The first three were held at the Exhibition Ground in Brisbane on 27 June, 1 July and 4 July. Queensland lost the first two (16-19 and 5-13) but won the third (6-5).
In the fourth match, played in Toowoomba on 7 July, "A regrettable incident happened past within a few minutes of full time, and the game ended abruptly". After a scuffle between players, a Maori forward struck a Queensland player and he, in turn, was struck by a spectator as some of the crowd entered the field. The referee, Micky Dore, "ordered the offending player off the field, and \[Māori captain\] Asher resenting the action led his men off the field, followed by a "howling" mob of spectators". Holding an 11 to 9 lead, the Queensland players remained on the field until full-time.

Remarkably, the Māori team kept their commitment in Warwick the following day, 8 July, but Queensland won that match, 23 to 14.

#### Inter-state Matches

A Queensland team ventured to Sydney to play three matches, two against New South Wales on successive Saturdays and a mid-week match against a Sydney Metropolitan team. All were played at the Royal Agricultural Ground. With a full strength side, New South Wales won 43-nil on 11 July.

Early in the Wednesday match the visitors equalised at five-all, as "keeping their footing on treacherous ground, the Queenslanders passed beautifully, the ball going from Fihelly to Hardcastle to Thompson, who scored in the corner." At the outset of the second half, "\[Arthur\] O'Brien made a great run down the centre, taking long strides, and fending off four tacklers in turn he scored a splendid try in the corner." This took the score to 12–8. Sydney Metropolitan, "playing with magnificent combination" then ran away with the match to win, 37–8.

The third match was played as a curtain raiser to an Australia versus New Zealand Māori match. Queensland opened the scoring: "A great sprint by the northerners transferred the scene to the home team's territory. Some fine forward play was wound up with a try, secured by Olsen." The second string NSW side, however, won by 12 points to 3.

### Club matches

The teams that appeared in newspaper reports included Milton, North Brisbane (A & B), St, Bridget's and Toombul.

On 4 July, in a curtain-raiser to the third Queensland versus Māori match, two junior teams met. Valley 10 defeated Toombul 8.

The *Brisbane Courier* listed the playing line-ups for a match between North Brisbane (in red and black) and Toombul (wearing red, white and blue) on 18 July and printed the result, Toombul winning by 30 points to 5, the following Monday.

The season concluded on 12 September with a match between Toombul and a Combined Thirteen. Toombul won the match, 37 to nil, and consequently, "were awarded the silver medal and their captain a gold medal, while A. Dutton wing forward of the Toombuls was awarded a gold medal for best individual player."

## Sources

* Digitised newspapers at the National Library of Australia's **Trove** website
    + *Darling Downs Gazette*
    + *The Brisbane Courier*
    + *The Sunday Times* (Sydney)
    + *The Sydney Morning Herald*
    + *The Telegraph* (Brisbane)
    + *Truth* (Brisbane)
* Rugby League Project
* Gary Lester, ed. (1985). *Rugby League Action '85*. Sydney, New South Wales: John Fairfax Marketing. p. 138. ISBN 0-909558-83-3.

## InfoBox

| 1908 Queensland Rugby League season | |
| --- | --- |
| League | Queensland Amateur Rugby League |
| Duration | 16 May to 12 September |
| Junior Awards | |
| Number of teams | 6 |
| Silver Medal | Toombul |
| Gold Medal | A. Dutton |
|


title: William Wells (boxer)

abstract: William Wells known as Billy Wells was a British boxer. He was an Olympian and double ABA champion.

text:
# William Wells (boxer)

**William Wells** (7 September 1936  2008) known as **Billy Wells** was a British boxer. He was an Olympian and double ABA champion.

## Boxing career

In 1965, Wells boxing out of the Wandsworth ABC won the ABA heavyweight title. Despite this success he was surprisingly left out of the England team for the 1965 European Championships. Three years later in 1968 he won his second A.B.A Championship. Wells was now boxing for the Lynn Athletic Club and defeated Coventry's Frank Carpenter in the final at Wembley.

Despite being the oldest boxer (at 32 years of age), at the time of his second title win, he was selected for Great Britain to compete in the men's heavyweight event at the 1968 Summer Olympics, where he lost to eventual silver medalist Jonas Čepulis of the Soviet Union.

## Family

His son Bobby Wells competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics and won a bronze medal in the Super heavyweight division.

## InfoBox

Billy Wells
| Personal information | |
| --- | --- |
| Nationality | British |
| Born | (1936-09-07)7 September 1936<br>London, England |
| Died | 2008 (aged 7172) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Boxing |


title: Wilf K. Backhaus

abstract: Wilfried Karl Backhaus was a role-playing game designer, business professor, and lawyer.

text:
# Wilf K. Backhaus

**Wilfried Karl Backhaus** (7 November 1946 – 14 October 2009) was a role-playing game designer, business professor, and lawyer.

## Career

Wilf K. Backhaus and Edward E. Simbalist designed a role-playing game called *Chevalier*, which they brought to Gen Con IX in 1976 with hopes to sell it to TSR; after witnessing Gary Gygax berate a staff member, Simbalist decided not to approach Gygax about the game. At the convention, they met Scott Bizar of Fantasy Games Unlimited, who was interested in the game and helped to get it published over the next year as *Chivalry & Sorcery*, the first role-playing game from Fantasy Games Unlimited. Published in 1977, *Chivalry & Sorcery* (C&S) was an early competitor to *Dungeons & Dragons*. Backhaus and Simbalist also authored *The Chivalry & Sorcery Sourcebook* (1978), and *Chivalry & Sorcery*, 2nd edition (1984).

Backhaus founded the "Loyal Order of Chivalry & Sorcery" (Locs) and was a baron in the SCA. He was also a published philosopher. Most recently he moderated a panel during a conference at University of Maryland, College Park and was a special guest at the Calgary Games Convention (CalCon).

## Death

On 14 October 2009 Backhaus died following a two-year battle with cancer.

## Publications

### Academic

* 1996 "Hume's Touchstone and the Politics of Meaningful Discourse" Dialogue, XXXV (1996), pages 651-676. Reprinted in Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800 LC 157 page 223
* 1994 "Shaking the Pillars: Quality and Unspoken Bioethical Values in a Pluralistic Society" Quality Culture: Quality for Turbulent Times. Camrose: J. Ross Enterprises Ltd. pages 100-105.
* 1994 "Hume's Fork and Analytic/Trifling Propositions" Journal of Speculative Philosophy, Volume 8, Number 2 (1994), pages 79–96.
* 1993 "Advantageous Falsehood: The Person Moved By Faith Strikes Back" Philosophy & Theology, Volume 7, Number 3. (Spring, 1993) ages, pages 289-310.
* 1992 "La teoria humeana de las propiedades no sensoriales" Cuadernos de Filosofia, (Translated by Professor M. Costa) Volume 23, Number 38 (November 1992) pages 3–18
* 1992 "Hume and the Politics of Reason" Dialogue, XXXI (1992) pages 65–69.
* 1991 "Is Hume a Neutral Monist?" South West Philosophy Review, Volume 7, Number 2, July, 1991, pages 1–15.

* *Chevalier*, co-author, self-published (1976) - an alternate D&D
* *Chivalry & Sorcery* 1st edition, co-author, Fantasy Games Unlimited (1977)
* *Chivalry & Sorcery Sourcebook*, co-author, Fantasy Games Unlimited (1978)
* *Rapier & Dagger*, author, Fantasy Games Unlimited (1979)
* *Middle Sea* (a strategic board game), co-designer, Fantasy Games Unlimited (1979)
* *Archaeron*, author, Archaeron Games Ltd (1980)
* *Mage*, author, Archaeron Games Ltd, (1980)
* *Warrior*, author, Archaeron Games Ltd (1981)
* *Chivalry & Sorcery* 2nd edition, co-author, Fantasy Games Unlimited (1983)
* *Chivalry & Sorcery* 3rd edition, co-author, Highlander Designs (1996)
* *Chivalry & Sorcery Light*, co-author Britannia Game Designs Ltd (1999)
* *Chivalry & Sorcery Red Book*, co-author, GameStuff Inc. (2000) (free download pdf)

## InfoBox

| Wilf K Backhaus | |
| --- | --- |
| Backhaus at CalCon 2009 | |
| Born | (1946-11-07)7 November 1946
Freckenhorst, Germany |
| Died | 14 October 2009(2009-10-14) (aged 62)
Calgary, Alberta |
| Resting place | St. Mary's Cemetery (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) |
| Occupation | Writer, game designer, lawyer, business professor |
| Nationality | GermanCanadian |
| Period | 1972–2009 |
| Genre | Role-playing games, fantasy, wargames |


title: Visa policy of Nigeria

abstract: Visitors to Nigeria require a visa unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.

text:
# Visa policy of Nigeria

Visitors to **Nigeria** require a visa unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.

## Visa policy map

## Visa exemption

Citizens of the following 17 countries can visit Nigeria without a visa:

|  |  |
| --- | --- |

Visa is also not required for former nationals of Nigeria holding a valid foreign passport together with expired Nigerian passport.

Holders of diplomatic or service category passports issued to nationals of Brazil, China, Namibia and South Africa do not require a visa for Nigeria and holders of diplomatic passports issued to nationals of Turkey.
Visa exemption agreement for holders of diplomatic and official passports was signed with Vietnam in October 2019 and it is yet to be ratified. Nationals of China holding passports for public affairs do not require a visa for a maximum stay of 30 days.

## Visa on arrival

|  | Nationals of the African Union member states who are not visa-exempt may obtain a visa on arrival in Nigeria if they hold ordinary passports. |
| --- | --- |

## Electronic Visa (e-Visa)

Holders of a written e-Visa approval issued by Immigration Authority Headquarters in Abuja can obtain a visa on arrival, provided holding a visa application form and e-Visa application payment receipt and holding an invitation letter from Nigerian company accepting immigration responsibilities.

A simplified eVisa process was announced in July 2024.


title: Vesta Williams

abstract: Mary Vesta Williams was an American singer-songwriter, who performed across genres such as soul, funk, R&B, Quiet storm, jazz soul and Urban Contemporary. Originally credited as Vesta Williams, she was simply known as Vesta beginning in the 1990s. She was known for her four–octave vocal range. She once sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the Los Angeles Lakers game opener using all four of those octaves. Although Williams never had any albums certified gold nor any top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, she scored six top 10 hits on the United States Billboard R&B chart from the mid–1980s to the early–1990s that included "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" (1986), "Sweet Sweet Love" (1988), "Special" (1991), and her 1989 single and signature song, "Congratulations".

text:
# Vesta Williams

**Mary Vesta Williams** (December 1, 1957 – September 22, 2011) was an American singer-songwriter, who performed across genres such as soul, funk, R&B, Quiet storm, jazz soul and Urban Contemporary. Originally credited as **Vesta Williams**, she was simply known as **Vesta** beginning in the 1990s. She was known for her four–octave vocal range. She once sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the Los Angeles Lakers game opener using all four of those octaves.

Although Williams never had any albums certified gold nor any top 40 hits on the *Billboard* Hot 100, she scored six top 10 hits on the United States *Billboard* R&B chart from the mid–1980s to the early–1990s that included "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" (1986), "Sweet Sweet Love" (1988), "Special" (1991), and her 1989 single and signature song, "Congratulations".

## Biography

Born in Coshocton, Ohio, United States, Williams' father was a disc jockey. Her family moved from Ohio to Los Angeles in the 1960s. While there, Williams and her three sisters, Margaret, Marte and Marlena, appeared on the television show *Jack and Jill* as "The Williams Sisters".\< Later, she returned to Ohio but decided to go back to Los Angeles in order to launch a solo career. Former Fifth Dimension member Ron Townson put Williams in his band Wild Honey.

Following that stint, Williams found work as a backup singer, working with artists such as Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Sting, Stephanie Mills, Anita Baker and Gordon Lightfoot. Williams sang on the original version of Joe Sample's "The Survivor", and met producer David Crawford while working with his group Klique. After doing session work, she landed a recording contract with A&M Records and her debut album, *Vesta*, was released in 1986. The album featured her first top 10 R&B hit "Once Bitten, Twice Shy", which became her only UK hit and performed modestly on the US R&B charts.

Her 1988 release, *Vesta 4 U*, produced the top 10 R&B hits "Sweet Sweet Love", "4 U", and "Congratulations", with the latter peaking at #55 on the Hot 100 chart and #5 on the R&B chart. "Congratulations" was Vesta's only single to enter the Hot 100 chart. Her only album to appear on the US *Billboard* 200, peaking at No. 131. There were persistent rumors that the song was inspired by the dissolution of her long-time relationship with Bruce Willis and that Demi Moore was directly responsible for ending it. In 1991, Williams released her third album entitled *Special*, with the title track as a single. "Special" became her highest-charting song on the R&B chart at #2, but sales of the album were less than that of *Vesta 4 U*. Her next album, 1993's *Everything-N-More*, produced only a minor R&B hit, "Always".

In 1989, Polygram Records purchased A&M Records. Williams' 1998 album *Relationships* was released under the Polygram name, and it became a modest seller, appearing on the R&B charts. Following the release of *Relationships*, A&M/Polygram did not renew her contract. Williams continued to work as a session singer, landing spots on albums by such artists as Phil Perry, Howard Hewett, and George Duke. Her voice could be heard by radio listeners in jingles for advertisers that included McDonald's, Nike, Baskin-Robbins, Diet Coke, Revlon and Exxon. That same year, she performed the opening theme to the ABC miniseries, *The Women of Brewster Place*.

Williams portrayed a saloon singer in the 1993 film *Posse*, directed by Mario Van Peebles. During this time period she had a R&B minor hit "Always" in 1993. Williams had a recurring role as "Monica", Jackée Harry's best friend, in the television series *Sister, Sister* in the 1998–99 season. Her singing voice is featured in the theme song of UPN's *Malcolm and Eddie*.

In 2000, Polygram released a compilation album, featuring songs from Williams and former A&M artist CeCe Peniston. In 2007, Williams released an album of R&B songs on Shanachie Records entitled *Distant Lover*. Produced by Chris "Big Dog" Davis, *Distant Lover* was a cover album featuring songs originally recorded by Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Sade, and Deniece Williams. Her last recording was the song "Dedicated," released on 7 December 2010 on Stimuli Music.

By 2002, Williams had become a radio personality, and was co-hosting a morning show on KRNB in Dallas/Fort Worth. In recent years, Williams had lost 100 pounds, going from size 26 to size 6. It was at this time that Williams became an advocate for the prevention of childhood obesity and juvenile diabetes.

Her final performance occurred on September 17, 2011, in Portsmouth, Virginia, at the Autumn Jazz Explosion, just five days before her death.

She was scheduled to perform at the 21st annual "DIVAS Simply Singing!" in Los Angeles on October 22, 2011. Shanice performed "Congratulations" during the show as a tribute to Williams. There was also a tribute to the late singer Teena Marie. Williams was taping an episode of TV One's *Unsung* at the time of her death; it aired on January 2, 2012.

## Death

On September 22, 2011, Williams was found dead in a hotel room in El Segundo, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, she was found dead at 6:15 p.m. (PDT), A spokesperson for the coroner's office stated that the autopsy did not say the cause of death. In late December 2011, the family released this statement through singer/producer Norwood Young, reporting her official cause of death: "Following three months of intensive coroner's autopsy and toxicology research, it has been definitively determined that the cause of death for our beloved Vesta was 'natural death' from 'hypertensive heart disease,'" adding: "An enlarged heart can remain undetected for many years."

Vesta Williams was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) on October 4, 2011, following a memorial service at West Angeles Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles, California. Attendees included Wanda Dee, singer Peggi Blu, Freda Payne, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, Kellita Smith, Norwood Young, Michael Collier, Miki Howard, Karel Bouley, Kiki Shepard, Jackée Harry, Luenell, and renowned blues singer Linda Hopkins. A private reception was held following the interment.

She is survived by her mother, daughter, three sisters, a brother, and three grandchildren.

## Discography

### Studio albums

| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | | | | Record Label |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | US
 | US
R&B
 | US
Heat
 | NLD
 | |
| 1986 | *Vesta* |  | 43 |  | 67 | A&M |
| 1988 | *Vesta 4 U* | 131 | 26 |  |  | |
| 1991 | *Special* |  | 15 |  |  | |
| 1993 | *Everything-N-More* |  | 65 |  |  | |
| 1998 | *Relationships* |  | 55 | 26 |  | i.e. music |
| 2007 | *Distant Lover* |  |  |  |  | Shanachie |
| 2013 | *Seven* |  |  |  |  | Bronx Bridge |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Compilation albums

### Singles

| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | | | | | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | US
 | US
R&B
 | US
A. R&B
 | US
Dan
 | IRE
 | NLD
 | NZ
 | UK
 |
| 1986 | "Once Bitten Twice Shy" |  | 8 |  |  | 21 | 20 | 42 | 14 |
| 1987 | "Something About You" |  | 46 |  | 21 |  |  |  |  |
| | "Don't Blow a Good Thing" |  | 17 |  | 5 |  |  |  | 89 |
| | "Suddenly It's Magic" |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 88 |
| | "You Make Me Want To (Love Again)" |  | 90 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 1988 | "Sweet, Sweet Love" |  | 4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 1989 | "4 U" |  | 9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| | "Congratulations" | 55 | 5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| | "How You Feel" |  | 70 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 1990 | "I'll Be Good to You" (with Najee) |  | 9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 1991 | "Special" |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| | "Do Ya" |  | 43 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 1993 | "Always" |  | 44 | 27 |  |  |  |  |  |
| 1998 | "You Still Do It" |  |  | 31 |  |  |  |  |  |
| | "Somebody for Me" |  |  | 9 |  |  |  |  |  |
| 2010 | "Dedicated" |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 2013 | "Better Days" |  |  | 35 |  |  |  |  |  |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Music videos

* "Once Bitten Twice Shy" (1986)
* "Something About You" (1987)
* "Don't Blow a Good Thing" (1987)
* "Sweet Sweet Love" (1988)
* "4 U" (1989)
* "Congratulations" (1989)
* "How You Feel" (1989)
* "Special" (1991)
* "Do Ya" (1991)
* "Always" (1993)
* "Somebody for Me" (1998)
* "Dedicated" (2010)

## InfoBox

| Vesta Williams | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mary Vesta Williams |
| Born | (1957-12-01)December 1, 1957
Coshocton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | September 22, 2011(2011-09-22) (aged 53)
El Segundo, California, U.S. |
| Genres |  |
| Occupations | * Singer–songwriter * actress |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 19852011 |
| Labels |  |


title: Vicky Jenkins

abstract: Victoria Nina "Vicky" Jenkins is a British Paralympic archer from Malvern, Worcestershire. She made her international debut in 2014 at the European Para-Archery Championships in Nottwil, Switzerland. In the 2016 Summer Paralympics, her debut Paralympics, Jenkins won her first Paralympic medal which was bronze.

text:
# Vicky Jenkins

**Victoria Nina "Vicky" Jenkins** (born 14 April 1977) is a British Paralympic archer from Malvern, Worcestershire. She made her international debut in 2014 at the European Para-Archery Championships in Nottwil, Switzerland.

In the 2016 Summer Paralympics, her debut Paralympics, Jenkins won her first Paralympic medal which was bronze.

## InfoBox

Vicky Jenkins
| Personal information | |
| --- | --- |
| Full name | Victoria Nina Jenkins |
| Nationality | British |
| Born | (1977-04-14) 14 April 1977<br>Worcester, Worcestershire, England |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Archery |
| Coached by | Rikki Bingham |
| Medal record      Representing  Great Britain  Paralympic Games  Archery  2016 Rio de Janeiro  Women's individual compound W1  European Para-Archery Championships  2014 Nottwil  Compound W1  2016 Saint-Jean-de-Monts  Compound W1 | |


abstract: Verification-based message-passing algorithms (VB-MPAs) in compressed sensing (CS), a branch of digital signal processing that deals with measuring sparse signals, are some methods to efficiently solve the recovery problem in compressed sensing. One of the main goal in compressed sensing is the recovery process. Generally speaking, recovery process in compressed sensing is a method by which the original signal is estimated using the knowledge of the compressed signal and the measurement matrix. Mathematically, the recovery process in Compressed Sensing is finding the sparsest possible solution of an under-determined system of linear equations. Based on the nature of the measurement matrix one can employ different reconstruction methods. If the measurement matrix is also sparse, one efficient way is to use Message Passing Algorithms for signal recovery. Although there are message passing approaches that deals with dense matrices, the nature of those algorithms are to some extent different from the algorithms working on sparse matrices.

text:
# Verification-based message-passing algorithms in compressed sensing

**Verification-based message-passing algorithms** (**VB-MPAs**) **in compressed sensing** (**CS**), a branch of digital signal processing that deals with measuring sparse signals, are some methods to efficiently solve the recovery problem in compressed sensing. One of the main goal in compressed sensing is the recovery process. Generally speaking, recovery process in compressed sensing is a method by which the original signal is estimated using the knowledge of the compressed signal and the measurement matrix. Mathematically, the recovery process in Compressed Sensing is finding the sparsest possible solution of an under-determined system of linear equations. Based on the nature of the measurement matrix one can employ different reconstruction methods. If the measurement matrix is also sparse, one efficient way is to use Message Passing Algorithms for signal recovery. Although there are message passing approaches that deals with dense matrices, the nature of those algorithms are to some extent different from the algorithms working on sparse matrices.

## Overview

The main problem in recovery process in CS is to find the sparsest possible solution to the following under-determined system of linear equations $Ax=y$ where $A$ is the measurement matrix, $x$ is the original signal to be recovered and $y$ is the compresses known signal. When the matrix $A$ is sparse, one can represent this matrix by a bipartite graph $G=(V\_{l}\cup V\_{r},E)$ for better understanding. $V\_{l}$ is the set of variable nodes in $G$ which represents the set of elements of $x$ and also $V\_{r}$ is the set of check nodes corresponding to the set of elements of $y$. Besides, there is an edge $e=(u,v)$ between $u\in V\_{l}$ and $v\in V\_{r}$ if the corresponding elements in $A$ is non-zero, i.e. $A\_{v,u}\neq 0$. Moreover, the weight of the edge $w(e)=A\_{v,u}$. Here is an example of a binary sparse measurement matrix where the weights of the edges are either zero or one.

$A=\left\[{\begin{array}{c c c c c c c c c c c c}0&0&1&0&0&0&0&0&1&0&1&0\\0&0&0&1&0&1&0&1&0&0&0&0\\1&0&0&0&0&1&0&0&0&0&1&0\\1&1&1&0&0&0&0&0&0&0&0&0\\0&0&0&1&0&0&1&0&0&0&0&1\\0&0&0&0&1&0&1&0&0&0&0&1\\0&0&0&0&0&0&0&1&1&1&0&0\\0&1&0&0&1&0&0&0&0&1&0&0\end{array}\right\]}$

The basic idea behind message passing algorithms in CS is to transmit appropriate messages between variable nodes and check nodes in an iterative manner in order to efficiently find signal $x$. These messages are different for variable nodes and check nodes. However, the basic nature of the messages for all variable node and check nodes are the same in all of the verification based message passing algorithms. The messages $\mu ^{v}(v\_{i}):~V\_{l}\mapsto \mathbb {R} \times \\{0,1\\}$ emanating from variable node $v\_{i}$ contains the value of the check node and an indicator which shows if the variable node is verified or not. Moreover, the messages $\mu ^{c}(c\_{i}):~V\_{r}\mapsto \mathbb {R} \times \mathbb {Z} ^{+}$ emanating from check node $c\_{i}$ contains the value of the check node and the remaining degree of the check node in the graph.

In each iteration, every variable node and check node produce a new message to be transmitted to all of its neighbors based on the messages that they have received from their own neighbors. This local property of the message passing algorithms enables them to be implemented as parallel processing algorithms and makes the time complexity of these algorithm so efficient.

## Message passing rules

The common rule between all verification based message passing algorithms is the fact that once a variable node become verified then this variable node can be removed from the graph and the algorithm can be executed to solve the rest of the graph. Different verification bases message passing algorithms use different combinations of verification rules.

The verification rules are as follows:

* **Zero Check Node (ZCN):** If there is at least one check node with value zero in the neighborhood of a variable node then this variable node should be verified with value zero
* **Degree 1 Check Node: (D1CN):** If there is one or more check nodes with degree 1 in the neighborhood of a variable node, then the variable node should be verified with the value chosen randomly from the value of those degree 1 check nodes.
* **Equal Check Node: (ECN):** If there is a single variable node connected to at least two or more check nodes with the same non-zero value then the value of the variable node should be verified with the common value of those check nodes. Besides, every other variable nodes that are partially connected to these check nodes (not all of them) should be verified with value zero.

The message passing rules given above are the basic and only rules that should be used in any verification based message passing algorithm. It is shown that these simple rules can efficiently recover the original signal provided that certain conditions are satisfied.

## Algorithms

There are four algorithms known as VB-MPA's, namely Genie, LM, XH, and SBB. All of these algorithms use the same strategy for recovery of the original signal; however, they use different combination of the message passing rules to verify variable nodes.

### Genie Algorithm

Genie algorithm is the benchmark in this topic. Firstly, Genie algorithm is assumed to have the knowledge of the support set of the signal, i.e. the set of non-zero elements of the original signal. Using this knowledge, Genie should not care about the zero variable nodes in the graph, and the only task of the Genie algorithm is to recover the values of the non-zero elements of the original signal. Although, Genie does not have any practical aspect, it can be regarded as the benchmark of the problem especially in the sense that this algorithm outperforms other algorithms in this category and one can measure how successful one algorithms is by comparing that to the Genie algorithm.

Since Genie only wants to find the value of the non-zero elements of the signal it is not necessary to employ rules that are responsible for zero valued variable node in this algorithm. Therefore, Genie only uses D1CN as the verification rule.

### LM algorithm

This algorithm unlike the Genie algorithm does not have any knowledge about the support set of signal, and it uses D1CN and ZCN together to solve the recovery process in CS. In fact, ZCN is the rule that attempts to verify the zero valued variable nodes and D1CN is responsible for non-zero valued variable nodes. This usage of this algorithm is when one does not have non-binary matrix. In such cases, employing the third rule violated the locality nature of the algorithms. This issue will be considered in SBB algorithm.

### XH algorithm

This algorithm is the same as LM, but it only uses ECN instead of D1CN for the verification of the non-zero variable nodes. If the non-zero elements of the measurement matrix are binary, then this algorithm cannot be implemented efficiently and the locality of the algorithm will be violated.

### SBB algorithm

The most powerful practical algorithm among all of the verification message passing algorithms is the SBB algorithm that employs all of the verification rules for the recovery of the original signal. In this algorithm, D1CN and ECN are responsible for the verification of the non-zero elements of the signal and ZCN and ECN will verify zero variable nodes.

The pseudo code of the VB-MPAs is as follows. In the following algorithm $\mu \_{i}$ represents the $i^{th}$ component of the messages emanating from variable and check nodes. $VN$ is in fact a variable that keeps the labels of the verified variable nodes. $VN'$ is also used to keep the set of verified variable nodes in the previous iteration. By using these two variables one can see if there is any progress in the number of verified variable nodes in the algorithm, and if there is no progress then the algorithm will terminate.

```
1  **function** VB_MPA(*Measurement Matrix A*, *Compressed Vector y*):
2      $\mu ^{c}(c):=(y(c),d_{c})~~\forall c\in V_{r}$           // Initializations
3      $\mu ^{v}(v):=(0,0)~~\forall v\in V_{l}$                // Initializations
4      $VN:=\emptyset $                                     // Initializations
5      $VN':=\{-1\}$                                       // Initializations
6      **While** **(** $VN'\neq VN$**)**               // Main Loop
7          $VN':=VN$
9          /*============================= Half round 1 of round 1 ============================ */
10         **for** every $c\in V_{r}$
11             $value:=y(c)-\sum _{v\in {\mathcal {N}(c)}{\mu _{2}^{v}(v)\mu _{1}^{v}(v)A(c,v)}}$
12             $degree:=d_{c}-\sum _{v\in {\mathcal {N}(c)}{\mu _{2}^{v}(v)}}$
13             $\mu ^{c}(c):=(value,degree)$
14         **end for**
15         /*============================= Half round 2 of round 1 ============================ */
16         **for** every $v\in V_{r}\setminus VN$
17             **update_rule**(v,Algorithm)
18             **If** a variable node v is verified **then**
19                 add v to VN
20             **end if**
21         **end for**
22         /*============================= Half round 1 of round 2 ============================ */
23         **for** every $c\in V_{r}$
24             $value:=y(c)-\sum _{v\in {\mathcal {N}(c)}{\mu _{2}^{v}(v)\mu _{1}^{v}(v)A(c,v)}}$
25             $degree:=d_{c}-\sum _{v\in {\mathcal {N}(c)}{\mu _{2}^{v}(v)}}$
26             $\mu ^{c}(c):=(value,degree)$
27         **end for**
28         /*============================= Half round 2 of round 2 ============================ */
29         **for** every $v\in V_{l}\setminus VN$
30             **if** $\exists c\in {\mathcal {N}(v):~\mu _{1}^{c}(c)=0}$ **then**
31                 $\mu ^{v}(v):=(0,1)$
32                 add v to VN
33             **end if**
34         **end for**
35     **end while**
36     **return** $\mu _{1}^{v}(v)~~\forall v\in V_{l}$
```

In all of the algorithms the messages emanating from check nodes are the same; however, since the verification rules are different for different algorithms the messages produced by variable nodes will be different in each algorithm. The algorithm given above works for all of the VB-MPA's, and different algorithms use different rules in half round 2 of round 1 and 2. For instance, Genie algorithm uses D1CN rule in Half round 2 of round 1, and in fact the half round 2 of round 2 which uses ZCN rule is useless in Genie algorithm. LM algorithm uses D1CN in Half round 2 of round 1 and XH algorithm uses ECN rule in this stage instead of D1CN. SBB algorithm also uses both D1CN and ECN rule in the second half round of round 1. All of these rules can be efficiently implemented in **update\_rule** function in the second half round of round 1.

## Proof of correctness

Although there is no guarantee that these algorithms succeed in all of the cases but we can guarantee that if some of the variable nodes become verified during these algorithms then the values of those variable nodes are correct almost surely. In order to show that it is enough to show that all of the verification rules work perfectly and without false verification.

### Correctness of ZCN

The algebraic point of view of ZCN rule is that if in a system of linear equations the right hand side of the equation is zero then almost surely all of the unknowns in that equations are zero. This is due to the fact that the original signal is assumed to be sparse, besides, we also should have the assumption that the non-zero elements of the signals are chosen form a continuous distribution. Suppose that there are $d$ variables in that equation, if some of them in $d-1$ elements are non-zero then the other $d^{th}$ variable node value should have exactly the negative value of the summation of those $d-1$ variable nodes. If the non-zero elements of the original signal are chosen from a continuous distribution then the probability of this to occur is zero. Therefore, ZCN rule works perfectly.

### Correctness of D1CN

D1CN says that if a variable node is the only unknown variable in an equation then the value of that variable equals the right hand side of that equation. In fact, an equation with just one unknown variable is a check node with degree one, i.e. a check node with just one unverified variable node in its neighborhood.

### Correctness of ECN

This rule has two parts, the first part deals with non-zero elements of the signal while the second one is responsible for the zero elements of the original signal. For the first part, it says that if we have two or more equations with the same right hand side, and if we only have one single unknown variable $v$ common in all of those equations then the value of this common variable should be the value of the right hand side of those equations. Besides, it says that all other variables in those equations should be zero. Suppose that one of those variables $v'$ is not zero, then the right hand side of the equation which contains both $v,v'$ should be $x(v')+x(v)$ (For simplicity assume that the edge weights are all 1 or zero). Besides, since we know that $v$ is the only unique variable in all of these equations then there should be one equation $c$ in which $v$ exists and $v'$ does not exist. On the other hand, we know that the right hand side of these equations are the same; therefore, the right hand side of equation $c$ should also be $x(v)+x(v')$. If we remove $v'$ from this equation we should have the summation of some unknown variables to be a non-zero value $x(v')$. Since the non-zero elements of $x$ are chosen randomly from a continuous distribution the probability that this summation equals exactly $x(v')$ is zero. Therefore, almost surely the value of $v$ is zero and all other variables in these equations have value zero.

There is just one scenario remained for the second part of the ECN rule as most of it has been covered in the first part. This scenario is the one that we have some equations with the same right hand side but there is two or more variable node common in all of those equations. In this case, we can say nothing about those common variable nodes; however, we can say that all the other variable nodes in those equations are zero. The proof of this claim can be achieved by a change of variable in those equations. Suppose that $v\_{1},v\_{2},...,v\_{q}$ are the common variable nodes in those equations. If we set $v'=v\_{1}+v\_{2}+...+v\_{q}$ then the problem will be changed to the first part where we only have one common variable node in all of those equations. Therefore, with the same reasoning as in the first part we can see that all other variable nodes that are not common in all of those equations can be verified with value zero almost surely.

When the non-zero elements of the measurement matrix are chosen randomly from a continuous distribution, then it can be shown that if one variable node receives equal messages divided by the edge weights from its neighbors then this variable node is the only unique variable connected to all of those check nodes, therefore, the rule can be applied using a local decision approach, and the variable node can verify itself without further knowledge about the other connections of those check nodes. Moreover, the second part of the ECN rule is not necessary to be implemented as the non-zero verified variable node in the ECN rule will be removed from the bipartite graph in the next iteration and ZCN rule will be enough to verify all the zero valued variable nodes remained from those equations with the same right hand side. All in all, when the non-zero elements of the measurement matrix are chosen form a continuous distribution then the SBB and XH algorithm that use ECN rule can be implemented efficiently.

## Run-time analysis

Every minor loop in the main loop of the algorithm can be executed in parallel processors, if we consider each variable and check node as a separate processor. Therefore, every minor loop in the algorithm can be executed in constant time $O(1)$. Moreover, since the algorithm will terminate when there is no progress in verification of the variable nodes then the if in the worst case in each iteration of the main loop there is only one variable node to be verified, then the maximum number of times that the main loop will be executed is $|V\_{l}|$. Therefore, the whole algorithm will be executed in $O(|V\_{l}|)$ time.


title: Verifiable credentials

abstract: Verifiable credentials (VCs) are digital credentials which follow the relevant World Wide Web Consortium open standards. They can represent information found in physical credentials, such as a passport or license, as well as new things that have no physical equivalent, such as ownership of a bank account. They have numerous advantages over physical credentials, most notably that they're digitally signed, which makes them tamper-resistant and instantaneously verifiable. Verifiable credentials can be issued by anyone, about anything, and can be presented to and verified by everyone. The entity that generates the credential is called the Issuer. The credential is then given to the Holder who stores it for later use. The Holder can then prove something about themselves by presenting their credentials to a Verifier.

text:
# Verifiable credentials

**Verifiable credentials** (VCs) are digital credentials which follow the relevant World Wide Web Consortium open standards. They can represent information found in physical credentials, such as a passport or license, as well as new things that have no physical equivalent, such as ownership of a bank account. They have numerous advantages over physical credentials, most notably that they're digitally signed, which makes them tamper-resistant and instantaneously verifiable.

Verifiable credentials can be issued by anyone, about anything, and can be presented to and verified by everyone. The entity that generates the credential is called the *Issuer*. The credential is then given to the *Holder* who stores it for later use. The Holder can then prove something about themselves by presenting their credentials to a *Verifier*.

## Trust model

The holder of a verifiable credential operates in a triangle of trust, mediating between issuer and verifier.

* The issuer trusts the holder
* The holder trusts the verifier
* The verifier trusts the issuer

Any role in the triangle can be played by a person, an institution, or a machine.

Note that because verifiable credentials can be created by anyone, the verifier decides if they trust the issuer.

## Decentralization

The VC model places the holder of a credential at the center of the identity ecosystem, giving individuals control of their identity attributes. The W3C VC model parallels physical credentials: the user holds cards and can present them to anyone at any time without informing or requiring the permission of the card issuer. Such a model is decentralized and gives much more autonomy and privacy to the participants. This contrasts with the federated identity management (FIM) model, as adopted by SAML and OpenID Connect, which place the identity provider (IdP) in the central role as the dispenser of identity attributes and the determiner of which Service Providers (SPs) it will give them to. In the federated model, the IdP knows every SP that the user visits.

## Verifiable Credentials Data Model 1.0

The data model for verifiable credentials is a World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendation, "Verifiable Credentials Data Model 1.0 - Expressing verifiable information on the Web", published 19 November 2019.

### Composition

Verifiable Credentials may be expressed using JSON and is typically composed of:

* Context
* Issuer
* Issue timestamp
* Expiry timestamp
* Type
* Subject
* Subject identity attributes
* Cryptographic proof to ensure the integrity and authenticity of the VC

```
{
	"verifiableCredential": {
		"@context": [
			"https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1",
			"https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/examples/v1"
		],
		"id": "0892f680-6aeb-11eb-9bcf-f10d8993fde7",
		"type": [
			"VerifiableCredential",
			"UniversityDegreeCredential"
		],
		"issuer": {
			"id": "did:example:76e12ec712ebc6f1c221ebfeb1f",
			"name": "Acme University"
		},
		"issuanceDate": "2021-05-11T23:09:06.803Z",
		"credentialSubject": {
			"id": "did:example:ebfeb1f712ebc6f1c276e12ec21",
			"degree": {
				"type": "BachelorDegree",
				"name": "Bachelor of Science"
			}
		},
		"proof": {
			"type": "Ed25519Signature2018",
			"created": "2021-05-17T15:25:26Z",
			"jws": "eyJhbGciOiJFZERTQYjY0Il19..nlcAA",
			"proofPurpose": "assertionMethod",
			"verificationMethod": "https://pathToIssuerPublicKey"
		}
	}
}

```

### Aliases

The VC context, defined using the `@context` JSON property, is a JSON-LD construct that allows user friendly terms to be used for JSON properties. According to the VC data model, the value of many properties must be a URI. Whilst these are globally unambiguous, (important for a global data model), they are not user-friendly. Consequently, the `@context` property allows short-form, user-friendly aliases to be defined for each URI. This makes it much easier, and more user-friendly, to specify VCs. An example is given below.

```
{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1",
    "https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/examples/v1"
  ],
  "id": "http://example.edu/credentials/3732",
  "type": ["VerifiableCredential", "UniversityDegreeCredential"],
  "issuer": "https://example.edu/issuers/14",
  "issuanceDate": "2010-01-01T19:23:24Z",
  "expirationDate": "2020-01-01T19:23:24Z",
  "credentialSubject": {
    "id": "did:example:ebfeb1f712ebc6f1c276e12ec21",
    "degree": {
      "type": "BachelorDegree",
      "name": "Bachelor of Science and Arts"
    }
  },
  "proof": {
  }
}

```

W3C VCs are extensible. Any new property can be added to VCs, as determined by the issuer. Standard properties have been defined specifically as extension points. These include the following:

* terms of use - restrictions placed on the use of the VC by the issuer
* schema - defines VC contents
* evidence - information collected by issuer about the subject and/or attributes before issuing the VC
* status - pointers to where a verifier can discover the status of a VC (e.g., whether it has been revoked).

### Subject

The holder of a VC does not always have to be the subject of the credential. It is expected that most users will hold their own VCs, i.e., the holder and the subject will be the same entity. This need not always be the case. For example, when the VC subject is an infant, and the VC is a birth certificate, the holder may be one or both parents.

### Proofs

No proof mechanism is standardized but the data model is flexible enough to support various existing cryptographic mechanisms, such as digital signatures. Proof mechanisms that are in use include: JSON Web Tokens with JSON Web Signatures, JSON-LD proofs, and zero-knowledge proofs using schemes such as IBM's anonymous credentials.

## Transport

Various protocols are specified for carrying VCs from the issuer/IdP to the holder, and the holder to the verifier. Examples include:

* Aries RFC 0036: Issue Credential Protocol 1.0., and Aries RFC 0037: Present Proof Protocol 1.0
* David W Chadwick, Romain Laborde, Arnaud Oglaza, Remi Venant, Samer Wazan, Manreet Nijjar "Improved Identity Management with Verifiable Credentials and FIDO", IEEE Communications Standards Magazine Vol 3, Issue 4, Dec 2019, Pages 14–20

None of these protocols has become standardized. Many people who are experimenting with VCs use HTTPS to carry VCs between the various parties.

## Criticisms and concerns

The security of verifiable credentials in the context of COVID-19 vaccination and test certificates has been questioned. Verifiable credentials have also been subject to usability concerns.

Some have likened anyone being able to issue a verifiable credential being like a shop clerk deciding if they should accept an out-of-state license as proof of age when purchasing alcohol.


title: Victor J. Nickerson

abstract: Victor J. "Lefty" Nickerson was an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer. He embarked on a career as a professional trainer in 1953, working primarily at racetracks in the Northeastern United States. Late in his career he trained from a base at Santa Anita Park in California. During his career, Lefty Nickerson conditioned Thoroughbreds for owners such as Harbor View Farm, Maxwell Henry Gluck of Elmendorf Farm, Pam & Martin Wygod, and Sam and Dorothy Rubin of Dotsam Stable. For the Rubins, Nickerson trained the great John Henry in 1979–1981, notably winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Sword Dancer Handicap and Brighton Beach Handicap. A mentor to future National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame inductee, Ron McAnally, when the Rubins decided to send the gelding to race in California, Nickerson recommended Ron McAnally. However, on John Henry's trips back to New York to race, Nickerson would be the trainer of record. Of Lefty Nickerson, Ron McAnally said: "Lefty could say one sentence and answer all the things I wondered about all my life. I didn't even have to ask. He just knew what to say all the time. I wanted to learn so badly, and he's such an intelligent guy, and not only as a horseman. I'd never been around anyone like him. He knew so much." Nickerson suffered a stroke in 1997 and retired from racing. He died in his sleep at his home in Smithtown, New York.

text:
# Victor J. Nickerson

**Victor J. "Lefty" Nickerson** (December 25, 1928 – March 26, 2004) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer. He embarked on a career as a professional trainer in 1953, working primarily at racetracks in the Northeastern United States. Late in his career he trained from a base at Santa Anita Park in California.

During his career, Lefty Nickerson conditioned Thoroughbreds for owners such as Harbor View Farm, Maxwell Henry Gluck of Elmendorf Farm, Pam & Martin Wygod, and Sam and Dorothy Rubin of Dotsam Stable.  For the Rubins, Nickerson trained the great John Henry in 1979–1981, notably winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Sword Dancer Handicap and Brighton Beach Handicap. A mentor to future National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame inductee, Ron McAnally, when the Rubins decided to send the gelding to race in California, Nickerson recommended Ron McAnally. However, on John Henry's trips back to New York to race, Nickerson would be the trainer of record.

Of Lefty Nickerson, Ron McAnally said: "Lefty could say one sentence and answer all the things I wondered about all my life. I didn't even have to ask. He just knew what to say all the time. I wanted to learn so badly, and he's such an intelligent guy, and not only as a horseman. I'd never been around anyone like him. He knew so much."

Nickerson suffered a stroke in 1997 and retired from racing. He died in his sleep at his home in Smithtown, New York.

## InfoBox

| Lefty Nickerson | |
| --- | --- |
| Occupation | Trainer |
| Born | December 25, 1928
Boston, Massachusetts,
United States |
| Died | March 26, 2004 (aged 75) |
| Career wins | Not found |
| Major racing wins | |
| Whitney Stakes (1966)
Jerome Handicap (1967)
Bay Shore Stakes (1968)
Discovery Handicap (1970)
Lawrence Realization Stakes (1971)
Firenze Handicap (1972)
Lexington Handicap (1972)
Coaching Club American Oaks (1973)
Derby Trial Stakes (1973)
Test Stakes (1973)
San Luis Rey Handicap (1973)
Gallant Fox Handicap (1973, 1974)
Governor Stakes (1974)
Marlboro Cup (1974)
Secretariat Stakes (1974, 1981)
Alabama Stakes (1975)
Roamer Handicap (1977)
Violet Handicap (1977, 1985)
Brighton Beach Handicap (1980)
Jockey Club Gold Cup (1981)
Sword Dancer Handicap (1981)
Excelsior Handicap (1982)
Super Derby (1982) | |
| Significant horses | |
| Big Spruce, John Henry, Verbatim | |


title: Veronika Gut

abstract: Veronika Gut was a Swiss woman rebel. She was a conservative farmer's wife and a leading political figure of the conservative rebel movement against the French occupation among the peasantry of Nidwalden, who met at her house and under her leadership. Veronika Gut has been the subject of books, a play and gender studies. A street, a foundation, a station have been named after her.

text:
# Veronika Gut

**Veronika Gut** (1757 - 1829) was a Swiss woman rebel. She was a conservative farmer's wife and a leading political figure of the conservative rebel movement against the French occupation among the peasantry of Nidwalden, who met at her house and under her leadership.

Veronika Gut has been the subject of books, a play and gender studies. A street, a foundation, a station have been named after her.

* Franz Joseph Gut: Der Überfall in Nidwalden im Jahr 1798 in seinen Ursachen und Folgen. Stans 1862; Neuauflage Kägiswil 1989.


title: Verticordia pulchella

abstract: Verticordia pulchella is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a much-branched shrub with short, narrow leaves and feathery red or red and yellow flowers with long styles in spring and early summer.

text:
# Verticordia pulchella

***Verticordia pulchella*** is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a much-branched shrub with short, narrow leaves and feathery red or red and yellow flowers with long styles in spring and early summer.

## Description

*Verticordia pulchella* is a shrub with many spreading branches, which grows to a height of 15–40 cm (6–20 in) and 20–60 cm (8–20 in) wide. Its leaves are rough, linear in shape, 2–7 mm (0.08–0.3 in) long and more or less circular in cross-section.

The flowers are arranged in rounded groups on the ends of the branches, each flower on a stalk 7–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long. The floral cup is top-shaped, about 2 mm (0.08 in) long, hairy and rough near the base. The sepals are 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long, spreading, bright red or rarely, white, with many long hairs around the edges. The petals are a deep pink, sometimes yellow or creamy-coloured, 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long, erect, egg-shaped to almost round with short hairs around their edge. The style is 13–15 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long, curved and slightly hairy near the tip. Flowering time is from October to December.

## Taxonomy and naming

*Verticordia pulchella* was first formally described by Alex George in 1991 and the description was published in *Nuytsia*. The specific epithet (*pulchella*) is a Latin word meaning "pretty" or "rather pretty" referring to the appearance of this species.

George placed this species in subgenus *Verticordia*, section *Intricata* along with *V. monadelpha* and *V. mitchelliana*.

## Distribution and habitat

This verticordia grows in sand with loam and sometimes with clay, in heath and shrubland. It occurs in an area near Narrembeen, in the Avon Wheatbelt and Coolgardie biogeographic regions.

## Conservation

*Verticordia pulchella* is classified as "Priority Two" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife, meaning that it is poorly known and from only one or a few locations.

## Use in horticulture

*Verticordia pulchella* has been difficult to propagate from cuttings and to establish in gardens. Some specimens have been grown from seed but have not survived for longer than a few months.

## InfoBox

| *Verticordia pulchella* | |
| --- | --- |
| Conservation status | |
|
Priority Two — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| *Clade*: | Tracheophytes |
| *Clade*: | Angiosperms |
| *Clade*: | Eudicots |
| *Clade*: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | *Verticordia* |
| Subgenus: | *Verticordia* subg. *Verticordia* |
| Section: | *Verticordia* sect. *Intricata* |
| Species: | ***V. pulchella*** |
| Binomial name | |
| ***Verticordia pulchella***
A.S.George | |
|


title: Veterinary oncology

abstract: Veterinary oncology is a subspecialty of veterinary medicine that deals with cancer diagnosis and treatment in animals. Cancer is a major cause of death in pet animals. In one study, 45% of the dogs that reached 10 years of age or older died of cancer. Skin tumors are the most frequently diagnosed type of tumor in domestic animals for two reasons: 1. constant exposure of animal skin to the sun and external environment, 2. skin tumors are easy to see because they are on the outside of the animal.

text:
# Veterinary oncology

**Veterinary oncology** is a subspecialty of veterinary medicine that deals with cancer diagnosis and treatment in animals. Cancer is a major cause of death in pet animals. In one study, 45% of the dogs that reached 10 years of age or older died of cancer.

Skin tumors are the most frequently diagnosed type of tumor in domestic animals for two reasons: 1. constant exposure of animal skin to the sun and external environment, 2. skin tumors are easy to see because they are on the outside of the animal.

## Cancer statistics

### Male dogs

| Type of Cancer | % of Total Cancer |
| --- | --- |
| Connective Tissue | 17 |
| Testis | 16 |
| Skin (Melanoma) | 14 |
| Mouth and Throat | 10 |
| Lymphoma | 10 |
| Bone | 4 |
| Stomach and Intestines | 3 |
| Nasal cavity | 1–2 |

### Female dogs

| Type of Cancer | % of Total Cancer |
| --- | --- |
| Breast | 51 |
| Connective Tissue | 9 |
| Mouth and Throat | 8 |
| Skin (Melanoma) | 6 |
| Lymphoma | 5 |
| Liver and Bile Tracts/ducts | 2 |
| Bone | 2 |

*These statistics, being from the 1960s, may not be an accurate representation of cancer in dogs currently.*

## Human-animal cancer connections

Companion animals such as dogs and cats suffer from many of the same types of cancer as humans. Cancer research with dogs has helped in the design of clinical trials for cancer therapy for humans. In the spirit of the One Health movement (global collaborative research on human and animal health) such human-animal connections in cancer research could benefit both humans and animals with cancer in the future.

Animals with cancer also sometimes function as animal sentinels that provide an early warning of carcinogens and an environmental health hazard to humans.

## Ethical issues

Veterinarians use the HHHHHMM Scale to discuss animal quality of life with pet owners before a euthanasia decision is made for a pet with an incurable disease such as cancer (the letters stand for Hurt Hunger Hydration Hygiene Happiness Mobility and "More good days than bad days").


abstract: Victoria House is a privately owned residential college of Victoria University of Wellington located in the city of Wellington in New Zealand. It is home to 182 undergraduates, typically first year students. Opened in 1907 as the Women Student's Hostel Society, Victoria House is the oldest hall of residence at Victoria University of Wellington, and the second hall of residence for women students in New Zealand.

text:
# Victoria House (Victoria University of Wellington)

**Victoria House** is a privately owned residential college of Victoria University of Wellington located in the city of Wellington in New Zealand. It is home to 182 undergraduates, typically first year students. Opened in 1907 as the Women Student's Hostel Society, Victoria House is the oldest hall of residence at Victoria University of Wellington, and the second hall of residence for women students in New Zealand.

## History

In the early years of the twentieth century Margaret Wallis (the wife of the Bishop Frederic Wallis, Anglican Bishop of Wellington), Jean Gibb (wife of Rev Dr James Gibb, minister of St John's Presbyterian Church) and a group of other like-minded women recognised the need for a hostel for women who had come to Wellington to undertake study at Victoria University of Wellington and the Wellington Teachers' Training College. This group of women formed the Women Student's Hostel Society, and the outcome of their initial efforts was a two-storied wooden building at 282 the Terrace, which accommodated 29 residents. A kitchen, dining and sitting room, and accommodation for the matron - the person who ran the hostel - were included.

Opened in 1907, this building is still part of Victoria House. Almost immediately the building was finished, the Society purchased the cottage next door (280 The Terrace), using it for additional accommodation. This was the first of many acquisitions of adjacent or nearby properties over the next century. In the mid-1950s, the original building was extensively refurbished and extended over the site of the adjacent cottage, providing a few additional rooms, and improved kitchen facilities, dining room and common room.

Then in the early 1970s, a five-storeyed accommodation block – later called Wallis Wing – was built across the back of all the old houses the Society had acquired from 280 to 288 The Terrace. As before, the opportunity was taken to build a new kitchen and dining room to accommodate the greatly increased numbers of residents, and as a consequence the original hostel building was refurbished once again.

Some of the old houses along The Terrace were subsequently removed to enable construction of the modern buildings now known as Pope House (opened in 1993), and the Bennett Houses. Most recently, 9 Maurice Terrace (behind Wallis Wing) was reconstructed as Hutchison House (2013). In 2014 seismic strengthening was undertaken of Wallis Wing and a progressive refurbishment programme for the building was started, the first stage of which was completed in early 2015.

## Notable alumni

* Andrew Little, Minister of Health, former Minister of Justice and former leader of the Labour Party
* Patrick Gower, journalist
* Simon Power, former Minister of Justice (Power was not a resident at the hostel but rather employed as a Deputy Warden)

## InfoBox

| Victoria House | |
| --- | --- |
| Victoria University of Wellington | |
|  | |
| Location | The Terrace, Wellington |
| Coordinates | 41°17′24″S 174°46′16″E / 41.289897°S 174.771177°E / -41.289897; 174.771177 |
| Motto in English | Friendship, Community, Success |
| Established | 1907 |
| Previous names | Women Student's Hostel Society |
| Head | Jason Auva'a |
| Undergraduates | 182 |
| Website | www.vichouse.org |


title: Vicharana

abstract: Vicharana (Trial) is a 1988 Malayalam film written by A. K. Lohithadas and directed by Sibi Malayil. The film stars Mammootty, Sobhana, Nedumudi Venu, Seema, Mukesh, Jagathy Sreekumar and Prathapachandran.

text:
# Vicharana

***Vicharana*** (*Trial*) is a 1988 Malayalam film written by A. K. Lohithadas and directed by Sibi Malayil. The film stars Mammootty, Sobhana, Nedumudi Venu, Seema, Mukesh, Jagathy Sreekumar and Prathapachandran.

## Plot

The story is about the problems faced by a lawyer in his personal, social and professional lives when he undertakes the murder case of a trade union leader in which his brother-in-law is the main accused.

A strike is going on at Govindan Nair's factory headed by union leader Johny and activist Kabeer. They approach Advocate Sethumadhavan, an upright and idealistic young lawyer for advice. Sethumadhavan’ s father was also a party activist and eloped with his mother from Govindan Nair's family. Sethu is sympathetic to the party cause and supports them. He is married to his childhood sweetheart and his uncle Govindan Nair's daughter Anita. Govindan Nair holds a grudge against Sethu for this and his jealous and disapproving of his professional excellence coming from humble beginnings. Govindan Nair and his son Raghu influence the union leader Kuttappan to break the strike. He tries for a compromise with other party members, but Johny does not agree to this as he feels they are nearing victory and the management will agree to their fair demands. Kuttappan and Raghu conspire to bring Johny out of the way to end the strike. One night Kuttappan brings him out of home at the pretext of some meeting and Raghu kills him. When the case comes to court, Govindan Nair and Raghu approaches Sethu to get him defend Raghu at court. Sethu refuses and lets them know that he will be arguing on behalf of the trade union as the prosecution. Govindan Nair and Raghu are enraged and leave.

Kuttappan rapes Johny’ s widow Alice one night after trying to approach her for some days. She ends up being a prostitute to support their baby and her ailing mother. At the initial court hearing, Kuttappan turns hostile witness and sides with Govindan Nair and changes his statement that he is not sure its Raghu himself who committed the crime. Before the second argument session, Govindan Nair and Raghu comes to see Anita and coax her into passing Sethu's argument notes to them to gain some time for Raghu's case. Sethu slaps Anita upon knowing this from her and asks her to leave. At court he is not able to present a convincing argument to prove Raghu guilty and court acquits him. To separate his daughter and Sethu, Govindan Nair gets her to shift to their relatives’ house in Singapore, lying to her that Sethu is not interested to live with her anymore. Kabir and the other party members are furious at Sethu and thinks that he sided with his relatives to let Raghu escape the punishment.

When Sethu goes one night to visit Alice on her son's birthday, Kuttappan conspires to gather the neighborhood people and humiliate Sethu, which results in a police case for him for having engaged in immoral traffic. Govindan Nair uses Kuttappan to file a complaint against Sethu at the Bar association accusing him to have conspired with the defendant party and cheat the case. Adv. Krishnamoorthy who was Govindan Nair's advocate for Raghu's case tries to save Sethu during the sitting, but he takes responsibility for everything, not wanting to drag Anita into the matter. On coming back, he receives the divorce notice from Anita. Kabir and the party members later come and apologize to Sethu with Alice and promises to raise Johny’ s son with care. A tired and defeated Sethu decides to travel for some days with his assistant Ramettan. On the day of their travel, Anita comes to Sethu's house from Singapore to patch up, when Ramettan realized that she had never filed for a divorce, and it was Govindan Nair's foul play to send divorce notice to both the parties posing as the other to split them up. Ramettan takes Anita inside home to meet Sethu , only to find Sethu having committed suicide. The movie ends with Anita breaking down at Sethu's feet.

## Cast

## Soundtrack

* "Oru Poo Viriyunna (Version 1)" - M. G. Sreekumar
* "Oru Poo Viriyunna (Version 2)" - M. G. Sreekumar

## InfoBox

| Vicharana | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Directed by | Sibi Malayil |
| Written by | A. K. Lohithadas |
| Produced by | Ranjini (Tharangini Films) |
| Starring | Mammootty
Sobhana
Nedumudi Venu
Seema
Mukesh |
| Cinematography | S. Kumar |
| Edited by | L. Bhoominathan |
| Music by | Ouseppachan |
| Production
companies | KSFDC, Chithranjali |
| Distributed by | Tharangini Films |
| Release date | * 15 January 1988 (1988-01-15) |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |


title: Vichan Choocherd

abstract: Vichan Choocherd is a Thai sprinter. He competed in the men's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1984 Summer Olympics.

text:
# Vichan Choocherd

**Vichan Choocherd** (born 9 September 1966) is a Thai sprinter. He competed in the men's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1984 Summer Olympics.

## InfoBox

Vichan Choocherd
| Personal information | |
| --- | --- |
| Nationality | Thai |
| Born | (1966-09-09) 9 September 1966 |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Sprinting |
| Event | 4 × 100 metres relay |


title: Vic Reeves Big Night Out

abstract: Vic Reeves Big Night Out is a cult British comedy stage show and later television series which ran on Channel 4 for two series in 1990 and 1991, as well as a New Year special. Its live incarnation marked the beginnings of the collaboration between Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer and started their Reeves and Mortimer comedy double act. The show was later acknowledged as a seminal force in British comedy throughout the 1990s, the influence of which continued long afterward. Arguably the most surreal of the pair's work, Vic Reeves Big Night Out was effectively a parody of the variety shows which dominated the early years of television, but which were, by the early 1990s, falling from grace. Vic, introduced by Patrick Allen as "Britain's Top Light Entertainer and Singer", would sit behind a cluttered desk talking nonsense and introducing the various segments and surreal guests on the show. Vic Reeves Big Night Out is notable as the only occasion in their career in which Vic took the role of sole host, while Bob was consigned to the back stage, appearing every few minutes as either himself or as a strange character. The two received equal billing in the series credits. On 3 October 2007, the first episode was re-broadcast on More4 as part of Channel 4 at 25, a season of classic Channel 4 programmes shown to celebrate the channel's 25th birthday. On 25 October 2009, repeats of Big Night Out began running on TV channel Gold. Both series of the show and the New Year's Special are currently available for viewing on Channel 4's streaming service, All 4.

text:
# Vic Reeves Big Night Out

***Vic Reeves Big Night Out*** is a cult British comedy stage show and later television series which ran on Channel 4 for two series in 1990 and 1991, as well as a New Year special. Its live incarnation marked the beginnings of the collaboration between Vic Reeves (real name Jim Moir) and Bob Mortimer and started their Reeves and Mortimer (also known informally as Vic and Bob) comedy double act.

The show was later acknowledged as a seminal force in British comedy throughout the 1990s, the influence of which continued long afterward.

Arguably the most surreal of the pair's work, *Vic Reeves Big Night Out* was effectively a parody of the variety shows which dominated the early years of television, but which were, by the early 1990s, falling from grace. Vic, introduced by Patrick Allen as "Britain's Top Light Entertainer and Singer", would sit behind a cluttered desk talking nonsense and introducing the various segments and surreal guests on the show. *Vic Reeves Big Night Out* is notable as the only occasion in their career in which Vic took the role of sole host, while Bob was consigned to the back stage, appearing every few minutes as either himself or as a strange character. The two received equal billing in the series credits.

On 3 October 2007, the first episode was re-broadcast on More4 as part of *Channel 4 at 25*, a season of classic Channel 4 programmes shown to celebrate the channel's 25th birthday.

On 25 October 2009, repeats of *Big Night Out* began running on TV channel Gold.

Both series of the show and the New Year's Special are currently available for viewing on Channel 4's streaming service, All 4.

## History

In the mid-1980s, a friend of Jim Moir gave him the job of running a comedy club in London. Not knowing how to book acts, he decided to put on a show of his own, changing his name every night, but eventually sticking with 'Vic Reeves' and calling the show *Vic Reeves' Variety Palladium*. In 1986, he moved the show to the Goldsmiths Tavern (now the New Cross House) in New Cross, and renamed it *Vic Reeves' Big Night Out*.

The first shows were attended by a few friends whom Moir had invited to see his performance, one of whom brought solicitor Bob Mortimer along with him. Mortimer soon became friendly with Moir, and was invited on the stage to talk about his day at work. He soon became a regular fixture in the show and began to write material with Moir. Through word of mouth, the audience quickly grew to a large number of devotees, including Jools Holland, Jonathan Ross, Charlie Higson, and Paul Whitehouse. After the crowd expansion led to a change of venue to the Albany Empire theatre in 1988, backstage man Fred Aylward joined as the regular character Les. Higson and Whitehouse also had bit parts.

The show sparked the interest of Alan Yentob of the BBC, and Michael Grade of Channel 4, and eventually a deal was struck with Channel 4 to put the live show on television. With the help of Jonathan Ross' production company Channel X, a pilot was produced in 1989 (available to watch on YouTube) where the three-hour show was cut down to 25 minutes. The first series began in 1990, and the show ran for two series and one New Year's Eve special, totalling 15 episodes followed by a televised broadcast of their stage show 'Big Night Out Tour'.

## Recurring characters

The series spawned numerous characters.

### Les

Played by Fred Aylward, Les was Vic's bald-headed, dribbling, mute, lab coat-wearing assistant. During each show, Vic would reveal a new fact about Les - most notably, that he cannot help but raise a smile whenever he sees a spirit level and that he has a terrible fear of chives (later revealed not to be a fear of the chives themselves but the soil in which they grow). It would later be revealed that he has an internal wife called Pat, can self-reproduce throughout the summer months, collects stickers from car parks, was formerly the lead singer in the pop group Japan, has a pet jellyfish called Peter and plays the Bontempi organ. Les also had a fixation with mangoes and was later accompanied by a sycophantic little robot called Dylan. He is introduced as Les Dixon in one episode.

### The Man With The Stick

The Man with the Stick is a man (played by Bob Mortimer, except in a few scenes where he appears alongside one of Mortimer's other characters) dressed in a large paper helmet which covers his face. He also wields a long stick, the end of which holds an object obscured by a bag. At the point when the Man with the Stick appears, Vic shouts, "What do we cry when we see the man with the stick?" to which the audience replies, "What's on the end of the stick, Vic?" Vic would ask him if he is going to reveal what he has on the end of his stick; usually the Man With The Stick refuses - but did occasionally reveal it.

The Man with the Stick would come out each week to a fanfare, and then proceed to talk casually with Vic about a number of drawings on his paper helmet. The helmet "graffiti" would act as a pictorial guide to what he'd been investigating during that week such as "A lamppost which has been disconnected to provide electricity for the Farnborough Air Show" and pop group "Spandau Ballet laughing at an orphan who has fallen off his bike". If the item on the end of the stick was revealed, this was usually done at the end of the programme.

Over the course of the second series, it is revealed that The Man with the Stick has sold his children to Vic, and since they are still under contract, he is unable to get them back. Vic uses them as a means to various ends, such as trading them for a car, signing them up to the territorial army and selling their souls to the devil. This gradually plunges the Man with the Stick into a terrible depression. At the end of the final episode, he drunkenly storms the stage brandishing a gun, and shoots Vic, Graham Lister and finally himself (although all three would later return unharmed on the Big Night Out Tour).

The Man with the Stick often mentioned his best friend Terry, who invariably subjected him to some horrible experience or humiliation, much to his blissful unawareness and evident glee. He reappears in *Vic and Bob's Big Night Out*, where his helmet is now covered in silver foil because he is living 40 years in the future and has time-travelled back to visit the present day.

### Graham Lister

Played by Bob in a black curly wig, brown mac and horn-rimmed glasses, Graham Lister is described as an acquaintance and admirer of "doctors, dentists and architects". He is Vic's arch-rival and sour-lipped foil who each week would enter the "Novelty Island" segment of the show with increasingly pathetic acts. He would then share a heated argument with Vic (whom he regularly referred to as "The Fop"). Arguably his most memorable act was "Lard for Laughs" where he dropped lard onto a pile of salt, then pushed a block of lard through a breakfast cereal packet with the face of "pop star" Mickey Rourke on it. Lister would eventually win the contest with the 'act' of presenting a 'Refreshing cool jug of orange juice" but still kept returning to feature on the show. He would eventually become so popular that by the second series sections of the audience would unprompted chant his name whenever he appeared. In the final episode Lister was forced by Vic to admit he is a "talentless, worthless, embittered sex criminal".

### Mr. Dennis

Played by Vic, Mr. Dennis is a jumper-wearing, rather dull but highly strung newsagent and tobacconist, who doesn't stock Curly Wurlys as "they are far too elaborate" but does sell sweet cigarettes and occasionally slips in a real one as a "treat for the children". He is in cahoots with Lister, and they are both the co-founders of a consumer-product safety and hygiene standards group, NIPS (Neighbourhood Inspectorate of Product Standards). Mr. Dennis gets easily riled and at one point goes on a violent rampage around the set, punching Les and knocking Lister out. He is married to an unseen wife with various intestinal problems, is a fan of the sitcom *Fresh Fields* and dabbles in being a music promoter, managing several successful indie pop groups.

### Judge Nutmeg

Played by Bob - wearing Lister's wig inside out - Judge Lionel Nutmeg would preside over "That's Justice", a game which involved a member of the audience being tried for a random and nonsensical crime. The punishment is decided by spinning the hairy Wheel of Justice, whilst singing "spin, spin, spin the wheel of justice, see how fast the bastard turns". Vic would then move the wheel until it landed on the punishment he liked the most, making the wheel a useless means of choosing a punishment. A recurring gag was Nutmeg commenting at the end of the show that Vic was both unfunny and untalented and suggesting he seek alternative employment, much to his distress.

### The Aromatherapists

Dr. Richard Slater and Dr. Richard Slater (Vic and Bob), who "smell to get well" and prescribe different smells in order to cure weird illnesses. Although it is thought that they are not related, both of them wear white jumpsuits, have identical "Titian" hair, speak in the same manner and have the same name.

### Morrissey, The Consumer Monkey

A monkey puppet with the face of Morrissey, with a balloon for a mouth operated by Vic and voiced by Bob. Morrissey the Consumer Monkey would often come on to give advice on shoddy or unsafe consumer goods. Usually these items were manufactured and sold by Reeves & Mortimer Products, and the pair would be forced to make a hasty cover-up. He had a theme song, sung in duet with Vic, which began with Morrissey claiming, "I like watches, I like woods" and Vic countering with, "He likes various consumer goods."

### The Stotts

Played by Vic and Bob, the Stotts are redundant, jittery, bickering brothers from Shildon with black insulation tape moustaches, poorly applied bald-wigs, big silly clown shoes and high-pitched voices. Davey (Vic) wears a kilt. Donald (Bob) is the slightly more sensible one, in a grey leather jacket, but he is prone to "antique incidents". The pair are also frequently startled. They have many talents including presenting talk shows (interviewing each other), game shows (including party games such as "Pass the Fat," "Read the Anthony Trollope Novel" and "Guess What's On Les's Back") and doing magic shows. Usually however, they just give up and leave the set before their spot is supposed to finish.

The Stotts were one of the very few characters from *Vic Reeves Big Night Out* to return in later Reeves & Mortimer series. They appeared in the second series of *The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer* and *Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer* as talk show hosts again, often interviewing celebrities such as Sting and Damon Hill.

### Tinker's Rucksack

A pair of genial, bearded, anorak-wearing ramblers (Vic and Bob) who tell amusing anecdotes and share their knowledge of the world of rambling with the audience, constantly assuring them that "it's not all walking." One (Bob) is clearly having an affair with the other's wife, Mary.

### Greg Mitchell

Greg Mitchell, the "gorgeous sandy-coloured labrador", was a puppet dog with a completely naïve understanding of the world. He would often talk about something he had just done, in a high-pitched and rather fey voice. He would, however, suddenly realise that he hadn't thought it through and drop into a guttural Cockney bellow, shouting "my wife's gonna KILL me!!!" Greg would also reappear in *The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer*.

### The Living Carpets

Played by Vic and Bob wearing masks made of carpet swatches. They would sit in Les's Lunch Club and make increasingly outrageous claims, such as being responsible for "colouring in the black bits on Friesian cows with a special Biro", or "filling in the coloured bits in pilau rice" before accusing each other of being a "lying get", or one exclaiming "I heard that rumour" with the other responding "I know, I started it". While this is going on, Les would serve both of them tea whilst genteel music played in the background. It would later be revealed that they are both the character of Parker from the children's puppet show *Thunderbirds*, who is actually Les' father (his 'mother' is Glaxo Industries).

On the *Vic Reeves Big Night Out* Tour, the Living Carpets were played by two "imposters", but were voiced by Vic and Bob who were stood backstage and would enter the stage at the end of the act of kick the "imposters" off stage.

### The Ponderers

Appearing in series two, Vic and Bob's Swiss counterparts who wear only their underpants, white perms and very large fake chins - complete with the elastic holding them in place. Each week they would be seen on their own parallel *Swiss Night Out* pondering over a specific decision (for instance, whether or not to inject ink into a battenberg cake), whilst thoughtfully rubbing their chins. The use of Swiss as a descriptor continued in other projects for the character Swiss Toni.

### Wavey Davey

A simple, childlike, naïve man who waves at people, things and celebrities, in an increasingly malevolent way. He is later revealed to be Satan. Played by Bob.

### Talc & Turnips

Two men (Vic and Bob) who came on in ridiculous leotards, silly wigs and big false teeth, wielding bits of wood, buckets, hoops with tomatoes attached to them and big placards announcing such things as "Squirrel in bucket of hot trout = racial harmony." The pair would just crash and fall around the place, being ridiculously clumsy and not making it at all clear what "point" they were supposed to be making. By the end of their "performance" the set would be in disarray and Les would have to clean up very quickly. While these characters baffled the audience and even the show's producers, Reeves and Mortimer believe they were the best characters on the show.

### Action! Image! Exchange!

Vic and Bob's performance art group, who perform "The Facelessness of Bureaucracy". They put on Sean Connery or Jimmy Hill masks, one wields either talcum powder or a beehive and the other a pair of swimming trunks or a bra, and enact a little dance to some traditional jazz punctuated by the sound of a breeze, to illustrate "a pensioner being attacked by some police officers", etc.

## Recurring segments

### Novelty Island

"Novelty Island" is a bizarre parody of talent shows like *New Faces*, with Vic acting as host. The so-called Acts Of Tomorrow showcase their various ridiculous talents from the centre of a small paddock, complete with a white picket fence with a gate. Generally, there are three acts, one of which is inevitably Graham Lister, and Vic makes no effort to hide his disgust at Lister's turns. Novelty Island also sees such memorable characters as Mr Wobbly Hand, Judith Grant, the Slitherer, the Hoxton Hockler, Mr Melon in the wind and Wavy Davey.

The Liverpool-based band Novelty Island named themselves after the sketch.

### That's Justice

After a devilish build-up by Vic, Judge Nutmeg wheels on to the stage in a mobile bench, and Vic hauls a random member of the audience on stage to try them for a set of ridiculous trumped-up charges, such as "staring at a fixed point, causing terrible dryness" or "wringing out a flannel in a branch of Thomas Cook, one of the most respected travel agents on the high street!". When the accused is inevitably found guilty, Vic spins the Wheel of Justice - after combing its hair - and the audience sing "Spin, spin, spin the Wheel of Justice, see how fast the bastard turns". An equally ludicrous punishment is then handed down (e.g. "One year being adored by the cast of *Jesus Christ Superstar*"). For one memorable week, Judge Nutmeg changed the format of the show and tried for a more liberal approach; the Wheel of Conciliation, where he tried to solve the marital problems of a 'separated' couple from the audience, who, incidentally, had never met before.

### Reeves and Mortimer Products

Throughout the show Vic and Bob attempt to plug their own brands of inevitably flawed and substandard products. These are often exposed by Morrissey the Consumer Monkey and when they attempt to launch their own line of meat products they are countered by Graham Lister with his 'Lister's Luxury Meats'.

### Closing song

The show always ends with Vic singing the song 'Mr Songwriter' although this is occasionally hijacked by other characters such as Bob or Graham Lister and, at the end of the first season, is performed as a rock and roll number.

## Big Night Out reunion gig

A one-off reunion show of the *Big Night Out* was performed in 2005 at the old Raymond Revuebar, now the Too2Much club, in London. It was filmed by Channel X, although there has been no news of what will happen to this recording. There is no sign that this will lead to a fully-fledged reunion tour though if it is a success then that may change. Vic has mentioned that he would like to do more live work, and that the return of the *Big Night Out* live is not out of the question.

## Home release

The series was released onto VHS by PolyGram Video in 1991, with each tape consisting of three episodes.

A complete series DVD release was released by Channel 4 DVD in 2005, although it doesn't contain the 1990 New Year's Eve Special. Despite the increased BBFC 15 rating (from the original PG rating), the pre-watershed versions are used on this release that remove profanity. The DVD set is infamous by fans for its heavy edits applied to remove the advert break boards, which would break some of the visual gags.

## *Vic and Bob's Big Night Out*

A new BBC version of the series, *Vic and Bob's Big Night Out*, started airing in December 2017, with a pilot episode followed by two series of four episodes each.

* *You Wouldn't Let It Lie: The Story of Big Night Out*

## InfoBox

| *Vic Reeves Big Night Out* | |
| --- | --- |
| DVD cover, released in September 2005.
Left to right: Bob Mortimer, Vic Reeves, Fred Aylward | |
| Genre | Sketch comedy
Surreal humour |
| Created by | Vic Reeves |
| Starring | Vic Reeves
Bob Mortimer
Fred Aylward |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 15 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Channel X |
| Running time | 25 minutes (and one 40 minute special) |
| Original release | |
| Network | Channel 4 |
| Release | 25 May 1990 (1990-05-25)
17 April 1991 (1991-04-17) |
| Related | |
| *Vic and Bob's Big Night Out* (2017–present) | |