when will the sydney light rail be completed

The relationship between the New South Wales Government and Acciona Infrastructure â€“ the construction company delivering the line - has deteriorated. A media report from December 2016 claimed a dispute had arisen between the parties over costs incurred from modifications to the line's design.[33] Acciona commenced legal action against the government in April 2018. The company is seeking additional payments totalling $1.2 billion.[35] Later in the month ALTRAC told the government it was working towards a completion date of March 2020.[36]

CBD and South East Light Rail

The CBD and South East Light Rail is a future Australian light rail line in Sydney, New South Wales, running from Circular Quay at the northern end of the central business district to the south-eastern suburbs of Randwick and Kingsford. The line will be part of Sydney's light rail network. Major construction commenced in October 2015. The project is being managed by the New South Wales Government's transport authority, Transport for NSW. Construction, operation and maintenance of the line is contracted to the ALTRAC Light Rail consortium.

Since the light rail network's original line opened in 1997, a line through the Sydney central business district had been suggested numerous times but failed to achieve State Government support. This changed in February 2010 when the Keneally Government announced a new line from Haymarket to Circular Quay via Barangaroo.[1] The final route was not decided, with the three options being to send the line north via George Street, Sussex Street or a loop using both.[2]

When the O'Farrell Government took office in March 2011, it committed to building a line through the CBD to Barangaroo, with a preferred route along George Street.[3][4][5] It also committed to conducting feasibility studies into the construction of lines from the City to Sydney University and the City to the University of New South Wales.[4][6] On 8 December 2011, the government announced shortlisted potential routes for these extensions.[5] In 2012, Transport for NSW decided the routes to Sydney University and Barangaroo via The Rocks provided fewer customer benefits and were considered a lower priority. A route from Circular Quay to the University of New South Wales via Central station was seen as the best option.[7]

On 13 December 2012, the government announced a commitment to build a $1.6 billion line from Circular Quay down George Street to Central station, then across to Moore Park and down Anzac Parade with branches to Kingsford and Randwick.[8] Construction was expected to begin in 2014 and to take five to six years.[8][9]

The line services areas that were previously served by Sydney's former tram network. Some of the new route follows tram lines of the former network.

The route is mostly on-street but includes an off-street section through Moore Park. The only major engineering works on the line are a new bridge over the Eastern Distributor and a tunnel under Moore Park and Anzac Parade. There will be between 8 and 10 new traffic light controlled intersections created along the route.

Several changes to the design were announced in December 2014. The major changes involve revising platform lengths at all stops to support an increase in the length of the trams from 45m to 67m, redesigning several stops, switching technologies for the delivery of the wire-free section and the removal of a proposed stop at World Square. It was also announced that the projected cost had increased from $1.6 billion to $2.2 billion. The government claimed the increase was due to the design modifications, but a 2016 report produced by the Audit Office of New South Wales found that the increase was largely due to Transport for NSW underestimating the cost of the project.[10][11][12]

A pedestrian zone will be established along approximately 40% of George Street, between Bathurst and Hunter Streets.[8][13][14]

The section between Bathurst Street and Circular Quay will be wire-free.[15] This was originally to have been achieved by equipping the trams with batteries and providing recharging facilities at stops. This was changed to the proprietary ground-level power supply technology of the tram supplier, Alstom.

The line is designed to handle special events in the Moore Park precinct and at Royal Randwick Racecourse. Events at Moore Park were initially planned to be served using two coupled trams 90 metres (300 ft) long, with double length platforms at the Central Station and Moore Park stops.[13][16] Following the decision to increase the length of the trams to 67 metres (220 ft), the plans to operate coupled trams were abandoned.

A depot for the trams will be built at the north-western corner of Royal Randwick Racecourse, providing stabling facilities and allowing light maintenance. Heavy maintenance will be conducted at the former Rozelle railway yard at Lilyfield, with access to the facility provided via the Inner West Light Rail.[13]

The line is being built as a public-private partnership, with the contract covering detailed design, major construction, operation and maintenance of the line as well as the provision of rolling stock. A contract for early construction works was awarded to Laing O'Rourke in July 2014.[17]

In February 2014, three consortia were short listed for the main contract - covering the construction and operation of the line:[18][19]

The iLinQ consortium withdrew after Balfour Beatty pulled out of the group. Balfour Beatty was reportedly concerned about cost overruns for the project and falling profitability of the company as a whole.[20]

On 23 October 2014, Connecting Sydney was announced as the preferred bidder. The contract was finalised in December 2014, when it was also announced that the consortium had been renamed ALTRAC Light Rail, and that the opening date had been brought forward to early 2019.[21] The contract also included the operation and maintenance of the Inner West Light Rail from mid-2015.[22][23][24]

Major construction commenced on 23 October 2015, beginning in the section of George Street between King and Market Streets. To minimise disruption along the length of the corridor, works are being staggered across 31 construction zones. The first section of track in the CBD was laid in December 2016, by which time a total of 410 metres of track had already been laid across the project.[25] This increased to around 5 kilometres of track by May 2017.[26] By October 2017, track laying had been completed in seven of the 31 zones along the alignment.[27]

Testing commenced on a short section of the line along Alison Road in February 2018.[28]

Construction has suffered from significant delays. Major construction of the project was due to conclude in April 2018, though finishing works were to continue for some time after.[29][30]

Delays at two zones in the CBD were announced in August 2016. Originally meant to be completed before Christmas 2016, construction work at these zones was to continue for several months longer than originally anticipated.[31] The zones were eventually opened around a year after the planned completion date.[32] Further delays to the project arose during 2016.[33]

By the beginning of 2018 the whole project was significantly behind schedule. In March 2018 - one month before major works were originally due to be completed - the Transport Minister declined to put a date on when he expected construction of the line to be finished, but noted the government was "an unhappy customer" of the ALTRAC consortium.[34]

Separate to the light rail budget, Randwick City Council has earmarked $68 million to partially mitigate the impacts of the light rail. Projects include replacing some of the car parking spaces that will be lost, especially in Kingsford, works to improve traffic flow in the district and public domain works.[37]

The City of Sydney will provide $220 million towards the light rail project. This will include money for public domain works on George Street and surrounding laneways.[38] The centrepiece of these works is a large arch structure located outside the Sydney Town Hall. Cloud Arch will act as a gateway to the pedestrian section of George Street, with trams passing underneath it.[39]

There have been criticism of the project from some parties:

The CBD and South East Light Rail requires significant changes to the bus networks of the Sydney Central Business District and the Eastern Suburbs. Prior to construction of the light rail, bus routes using George Street were permanently removed from the street. The network will be further redesigned when the light rail opens in 2020. Some bus routes from the Eastern Suburbs will be removed from the CBD, with many of the routes integrated with the light rail interchanges at Randwick and Kingsford. Some passengers will be required to change from bus to light rail to complete their journey.

To accommodate construction of the light rail on George Street, new bus timetables were introduced on 4 October 2015. Buses were diverted from George Street on to other streets in the CBD, including Elizabeth, Castlereagh, Park, Druitt, Clarence and York Streets.[29] Some routes had their terminus changed to such places as Railway Square, Queen Victoria Building and King Street Wharf. A small number of routes were either combined so that they run through the CBD without terminating, removed from the CBD entirely or completely discontinued.[44][45][46][47][48]

Some bus routes which were diverted from George Street to other streets during the construction, will terminate at Railway Square with their passengers to join the Light Rail while others will be rerouted permanently to the streets to which they were diverted.[49]

The project will see twenty bus routes withdrawn or curtailed between Kingsford/Randwick and Railway Square/Circular Quay. A number of bus routes using Anzac Parade will unload city bound passengers at the Nine Ways interchange to board the light rail, then continue along Anzac Parade to the University of New South Wales to unload passengers before terminating in Todman Avenue, Kensington. Some bus routes currently operating to the city via Randwick will become feeder services that drop off city bound passengers at the light rail terminus. The project's Environmental Impact Statement (released in 2013) proposed the following changes for the Eastern Suburbs bus routes:[49]

As a member of the ALTRAC Light Rail consortium, Transdev will operate the line until 2034.[50] Services on the Randwick branch are proposed to be numbered L2 and services on the Kingsford branch are proposed to be numbered L3.[51]

The service will be operated by 60 five-section Alstom Citadis X05 trams operating in coupled pairs.[52][53] The first was completed in May 2017, arriving at the Randwick depot on 28 July 2017.[54][55][56]

The line will commence outside Circular Quay station heading west on Alfred Street, before proceeding south down George Street, then east via Rawson Place and Eddy Avenue, and south via Chalmers Street to Central station. It will then continue east via Devonshire Street over the Eastern Distributor and under Moore Park and Anzac Parade via a tunnel before heading south via the former bus right of way. At the intersection of Anzac Parade and Alison Road the line will split into two branches, one continuing down Anzac Parade to terminate outside the South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club at Kingsford, and the second to Randwick via Alison Road, Wansey Road and High Street.[8]

The line includes the following stations:

The Circular Quay stop will serve the locality of Circular Quay at the northern end of the Central Business District. The stop will be on Alfred St between Pitt and Loftus Streets. The area has an established role as a transport interchange and is already served by buses, trains and ferries. The stop will comprise one island platform and one side platform.[57]
The transport facilities in the Circular Quay precinct

The Bridge Street stop will be located on George Street, near the intersections with Bridge Street and Grosvenor Street. The stop was known as Grosvenor Street during development. The design includes an island platform. The design originally included two side platforms but was switched to an island platform to retain the existing dedicated left-hand turning lane from George Street into Grosvenor Street.[58]

The Wynyard stop serves the locality of Wynyard. The stop will be located at the northern end of the George Street pedestrian zone, adjacent to the entrance to Wynyard railway station. The design includes two side platforms.[59]

The QVB stop will be located on George Street south of Market Street and adjacent to the Queen Victoria Building, a shopping centre from which the stop takes its name. The design includes two side platforms.[60]

The Town Hall stop will be located at the southern end of the George Street pedestrian zone, adjacent to St Andrew's Cathedral. It is named after Town Hall railway station and the Sydney Town Hall.[61] The stop will consist of two side platforms.[62]

The Chinatown stop will be located on George Street, north of Campbell Street. It is named after Sydney's Chinatown precinct. The Capitol Square stop on the Dulwich Hill Line is nearby. The design was to include two side platforms, but was changed to an island platform in the project's Submissions Report. The location was also moved 15 metres north.[63]

The Haymarket stop, known as Rawson Place during development, will serve as an interchange for buses entering the city via Broadway. The design includes two side platforms for trams and an adjacent platform for buses, which would allow some bus - tram cross-platform transfers.[64]

The Central stop will be located on Chalmers Street, serving the eastern side of the Central railway station precinct. The stop will also be known as Central Chalmers Street to distinguish it from the existing stop on the Dulwich Hill Line, which is located some distance away.[61] The new stop will consist of one side platform and one island platform.[65]

The stop was originally proposed to consist of three double length (90 metre) platforms, with one of the platforms to only be used during special events - the roadway being open to general traffic at other times.[66] This third platform was removed in the project's Submissions Report, with a crossover to the north of the stop provided instead. The Report also proposed diverting most general traffic via Randle Street and converting the section of Chalmers Street opposite the station into a pedestrian/traffic shared zone.[67] As a result of the December 2014 decision to increase the length of the trams, plans to run double length trams during special events at Moore Park were abandoned. Consequently, the Modifications Report reduced the platform length from 90 metres to 75 metres.[10][68] The third platform was reinstated in an urban design plan released in 2017. This report also proposed closing Chalmers Street to through traffic.[65]
Map of Central station

The Surry Hills stop will be located on Devonshire Street, adjacent to Ward Park in Surry Hills. The design originally featured an island platform but was changed to side platforms in the project's Submissions Report.[63] Groundwork for a second Surry Hills stop at Wimbo Park for a potential future station if required will be completed in the initial construction phase.

The Moore Park stop serves the Moore Park precinct. In regular service the stop serves Sydney Boys High School, Sydney Girls High School and The Entertainment Quarter. The stop is also designed to handle major events at the Sydney Football Stadium and Sydney Cricket Ground, with grade separated access to the platform. At-grade access to the stop will be provided for regular use and for disabled passengers during major events.[69] The design features a 75-metre island platform.

The stop's design experienced a number of modifications. Initially, an overhead concourse was proposed for access to the stop during special events with at-grade access at other times. School students would have used the existing footpath and pedestrian crossing of Anzac Parade.[70]

In the project's Submissions Report, the stop was moved 250 metres south and a pedestrian bridge over Anzac Parade and the light rail tracks was included in the design, replacing an existing at-grade crossing of the road and an associated set of traffic lights. The bridge was to be connected to the concourse.[71] In December 2014, the overhead concourse was removed, with underground access for major events provided at both ends of the platform. At-grade access will be used by disabled passengers during major events and by all passengers at other times. The bridge will now be a separate structure. As a result of the decision to increase the length of the trams, plans to run double length trams during major events were abandoned. Consequently, the platform length was reduced from 90 metres to 75 metres.[10][72]

Community submissions responding to the changes in the Modifications Report raised concerns about the safety of a large number of school students crossing the tracks during peak schools hours. In response, Transport for NSW stated that it will consider opening the subways during these hours.[73] A condition of approval for the changes proposed in the Modifications Report requires the preparation of "a safety case demonstrating, to the satisfaction of the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator, that schoolchildren can safely access the Moore Park stop during peak school start and finish times".[74]

Royal Randwick, known as Royal Randwick Racecourse during development, will be located on existing park land adjacent to Centennial Park on Alison Road, opposite the racecourse. This requires the construction of a new retaining wall approximately 200 metres long and three metres high together with increasing the height of an existing 1,100 metre long levee by up to 300 millimetres and the removal of approximately 50 established trees.[75][76]

The design features an island platform. The proposed location was switched from the south side to the north side of Alison Road in December 2014. This is intended to reduce impacts on the racecourse, improve bus access during major events and provide better access to the nearby Centennial Park and Randwick TAFE.[10] This change includes the removal of right turn access from Alison Road into Darley Road.

Wansey Road will be located on Alison Road, adjacent to the intersection with Wansey Road. The design features an island platform and was originally to be located on Wansey Road itself, but was moved to Alison Road in the project's Submissions Report.[63]

The UNSW High Street stop serves the north-eastern part of the University of New South Wales campus. It was to have been located at the southern end of Wansey Road, adjacent to High Street, but was moved onto High Street itself as part of the project's Submissions Report.[63] As part of the changes to the Randwick stop, the design was changed from an island platform to two side platforms.[77]

Randwick Junction, known as Randwick during development, will be located the eastern end of High Street in Randwick. The design features an island platform. The site is proposed to be a major interchange between buses and light rail. Bus stops are proposed for Belmore Road, Avoca Street and Clara Street.[78]

The original design featured two side platforms located in High Cross Park adjacent to Belmore Road.[79] This location attracted criticism from community members due to loss of trees and parkland.[80][81] The stop was redesigned in the project's Submissions Report to reduce the loss of green space in the park, however a campaign to move the stop continued.[63][81] Randwick City Council requested the stop be moved to High Street, outside the Prince of Wales Hospital and Transport for NSW ultimately agreed to do this.[81] A location within High Cross Park was considered to provide the best interchanges between trams and buses.[82]

ES Marks, known as Carlton Street during development, will be located on Anzac Parade south of the intersection with Carlton Street. The stop will serve a residential area. It is named after the nearby ES Marks Athletics Field.[61] The design features an island platform.[83]

Kensington, named Todman Avenue during development, will be located on Anzac Parade north of the intersection with Todman Avenue. The stop serves a residential area and a shopping strip on Anzac Parade in the suburb of Kensington. The design features an island platform.[84]

UNSW Anzac Parade serves the western part of the University of New South Wales campus and the National Institute of Dramatic Art. The design includes an island platform in the centre of Anzac Parade, north of the University Mall.

The stop was to be located on the eastern side of Anzac Parade and include one island platform and one side platform - though only two tracks. In the project's Submissions Report, the side platform was removed and the stop was moved to the centre of Anzac Parade.[63][85]

The Kingsford stop, known during development as Strachan Street, will be located on Anzac Parade to the south of the intersection of Strachan Street and Middle Street in Kingsford. The stop serves a residential area and a shopping strip on Anzac Parade. The design features an island platform.[86]

Nine Ways, known as Kingsford during development, will be located on the southern side of the Nine Ways intersection in Kingsford. The design features two island platforms with the light rail using the two outer platforms and buses using the two inner platforms, providing cross-platform transfers. Terminating facilities for trams are located south of the stop.[87]

Transport for NSW is investigating an extension along the southern Anzac Parade corridor. Three potential options are being examined; a 1.9 kilometre extension to Maroubra Junction, a 5.1 kilometre extension to Malabar and a 8.2 kilometre extension to La Perouse.[88][89] An extension to Maroubra Junction has the support of Randwick City Council.[90]


zone in crystal maze thats bedecked with candles

The Crystal Maze is a British game show devised by Jacques Antoine, in which a team of contestants take on a range of challenges set within a labyrinth of the same name consisting of four time zones, winning a "time crystal" (golf ball-sized Swarovski glass crystals) for each one they successfully complete. Reaching the centerpiece of the Maze, "The Crystal Dome", the team work together collecting a certain amount of gold tokens to win a prize, with the allotted time inside the Dome being determined by the number of crystals they obtained in the previous zones.

The Crystal Maze

Broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, The Crystal Maze was originally aired over six series and five Christmas specials between 15 February 1990 and 10 August 1995; the first four series and three specials were hosted by Richard O'Brien, with the remaining two series and specials hosted by Edward Tudor-Pole. In October 2016, Stephen Merchant hosted a one-off celebrity edition of the show for Stand Up to Cancer, before Channel 4 announced the return of the show a month later, to be hosted by Richard Ayoade and featuring a revamped format. The revived series began broadcasting a series of celebrity specials, starting on 23 June 2017,[2] before taking a break between 14â€“23 July, due to the broadcaster airing live coverage of the World Para Athletics Championships;[3] it resumed on 25 August 2017.[4]

In March 2016, The Crystal Maze Live Experience opened, allowing the public to buy tickets and compete in a replica of the game show's zones and challenges.[5][6]

Upon seeing the French version of Fort Boyard, producers at Chatsworth Television decided to devise a British version and began work on making a concept. According to Richard O'Brien, who was selected to be the host for this project, the original outlined concept was "kind of like Dungeons and Dragons", with the host acting as the "Dungeon master". A pilot of the British version was filmed with O'Brien as host, yet it soon became apparent that the fort used by Fort Boyard would be unavailable for filming due to its ongoing refurbishments between 1988â€“89. As Channel 4 had commissioned the production company for a full series, producer Malcolm Heyworth contacted Fort Boyard's creator, Jacques Antoine, about developing an alternative format, with a proposal that it used themed zones as a means of keeping the show visually fresh. The concept of The Crystal Maze was developed in just "two days", creating a show which although similar to Fort Boyard, was substantially different in presentation and style.[7]

Each team that competed on The Crystal Maze have to undertake a series of challenges (referred to as games) within four different themed "zones" within the Maze, each consisting of six game rooms, referred to as "cells". Teams begin at a pre-determined zone, and first must complete a simple challenge together to enter the Maze, whereupon they compete in a series of games in each zone, amassing as many time crystals as they can before completing their last zone and travelling to the large "Crystal Dome" at the centre of the maze to meet their final challenge. For each game, a member of the team is nominated by the team's leader, who can volunteer themselves if they wish. Upon entering a game's cell, the goal of the puzzle is usually determined by a clear written message or by cryptic clues. The rest of the team watches their teammate's progress either through a cell's windows or via monitors, and may give advice to the contestant unless advised against doing so. The host will serve reminders of the time limit and of any special rules, and generally will not give hints unless the contestant is struggling badly.

Each game falls under one of four categories:

A principal risk is that of being locked within a game's cell. If a contestant is locked in, they are unable to take any further part in proceedings unless they are released by their team. A locked-in contestant may be absent for the remainder of the episode, and thus increase the difficulty for the team completing the final challenge. If the team's captain is locked in, the vice-captain takes over. A locked-in contestant may be released at any time by the team's leader in exchange for a time crystal.

There are two ways a lock-in can occur in The Crystal Maze:

Several games were derived from familiar, commercially available children's or fairground games, including steady hand testers, mazes, and sliding puzzles; games in some zones sometimes appeared in other zones with some cosmetic changes and some variations to previous incarnations, with some game designs tending to become more elaborate in later series.[14] A small number of games differed from the traditional style of those that were featured; while they fell under one of the four categories available, they did not comply to the traditional style for the games on the show:

Once the team arrives at the Dome, they are told about how much time that they have to complete the final challenge, based on the number of crystals they have brought with them. At this point, the team enter the Dome, and upon the challenge beginning, they must collect as many gold (foil) tokens as they can and deposit them into a container along a wall of the Dome, while avoiding any silver tokens mixed in with them; these are blown about by fans beneath the floor of the Dome. Once time is up, the fans are switched off and no more tokens can be deposited into the container; a slot is opened during the challenge, which closes up when the time is up. Once the team is outside the dome, they, along with any members who were not present for the final challenge, are given the tally of their efforts by the host. If the team can accumulate a total of 100 gold tokens or more, after deduction of any silvers they collected, the team wins the grand prize that they chose for themselves before partaking in the show. All contestants who participate in the show win a commemorative crystal saying "I Cracked the Crystal Maze", which acts as a consolation prize if a team fails to secure the required number of gold tokens.[18]

During the run of the original series between 1990 and 1995, teams consisted of three men and three women, each aged between 16 and 40, who were put together by the production team and did not know each other before appearing on the show[19] From their pre-determined starting zone, teams either traveled clockwise or counter-clockwise around the maze, engaging in at least three games in each zone, sometimes being given the opportunity to play a fourth game in a zone during their trip around the maze. Between the first and fourth series, the total number of games that could be played varied between 14 and 16 per episode, but for the fifth and sixth series, the number of games played was reduced to standard of 13. Throughout the run, 3D maps of varying sophistication were used to highlight where the host and team were.Up until the end of the third series, each contestant on the team could win a prize for themselves that they chose before taking on the Maze if the team succeeded at collecting 100 or more gold tokens, but from the fourth series, this format was changed to the team choosing a prize that they shared together if they won the final challenge. During the first series, a runner-up prize could also be chosen by each member of a team, which they won if the final tally of tokens was between 50-99, but this format was dropped by the start of the second series.

During the Christmas specials, the teams consisted of similar setup, with each aged between 8 and 16,[citation needed] and selected by the production team. While the format was similar to the adult version, there were notable differences, such as easier games with fewer chances of a lock-in, more lenient time limits and additional clues from the host. The prize would always be awarded at the end, irrespective of achievement.

For the Stand Up to Cancer special in 2016, the format was slightly changed. The team, which consisted of celebrities, was reduced to five members, and because the show did not take place on the original set, fewer games were played. However, the one-off special stuck to the format of the captain choosing the type of game and nominating a member of their team to play it. The brain-teaser game was featured but operated slightly differently, in that there was no time limit, and the nominated contestant had to get two out of three correct to get the crystal. The show was not filmed on the set used in the original run, which was dismantled in 1999. The show featured a revamped map which retained the same layout, as well as indicating the team's position. The Futuristic zone was renamed Future zone.

For the final challenge at the Dome, the team were given an extra crystal, and were charged as normal with collecting as many gold tokens as they could. More than 200 gold tokens were acquired (net), securing the maximum cash prize of Â£25,000 for charity.

A year after the one-off edition Channel 4 revived the show. It returned the original setup of zones, used the same map design from the Stand Up to Cancer special, included a brand new collection of games and a newly designed taller set, it also revamped the format:[20]

A series of celebrity episodes were initially broadcast. Like the one-off edition in 2016, the contestants taking part were given an extra crystal upon reaching the Dome to add to those that they had brought, and would earn cash for Stand Up to Cancer depending on how many gold tokens they got, after deduction of silver - £5,000 for less than 50 gold tokens, £10,000 for 50 to 99 tokens, and £20,000 for 100 or more tokens.

Throughout its history, The Crystal Maze has been presented by a series of hosts. Each takes on the role of the Maze's custodian, responsible for guiding each team around the various zones, keeping them updated on their progress, leading each nominated team member to the respective games, acting as the timekeeper on all games and the final challenge at the Dome, and taking safe custody of each crystal won by the team. During each game, while the team is focused on watching and helping their nominated member tackle it, the host will sometimes conduct a short monologue to camera, sometimes being more disparaging about a contestant's attempt at a game in 'private', and occasionally interacting with props left around the maze, talking about them and even giving fictional'side stories' about them, the zones and the 'other inhabitants' of the Maze. In addition to the host, the show employed a series of performers who took on the role of other characters, some supporting, while others were merely a part of a game's puzzle.

Richard O'Brien was the show's first host, hosting it during the original run between the first and fourth series. During his tenure, he often wore a long fur coat, paired with a brightly colored shirt, skinny-fit trousers and long, sleek leather boots,[21] and brought to the show a unique style of presenting, displaying an "infectious... enthusiasm and manic energy" to his role. He was always broadly welcoming and encouraging to teams, being congratulatory on their successes, but on occasion would show visible frustration with a contestant for a particularly sub-standard attempt at a game, and, at the start of the second series, would encourage them to use their allotted time effectively. Once or twice in an episode, O'Brien would produce a harmonica from his pocket during a game, and played one short and repetitive tune which he called "excitement music". On a number of occasions, he would 'find' other musical instruments in the maze, which were used to showcase his talents, even occasionally breaking into song.

According to the production team, the short monologue to camera scenes originated when O'Brien began joking with the cameramen during filming of an episode. When the production team reviewed the footage and realized what it could bring to the show they "asked him to do it all the time", to which O'Brien felt that looking straight at the camera, "unknowingly added a complicity between me and the audience at home".[22] However, he also "often appeared detached from proceedings, bordering on deadpan",[23] sometimes making subtle jokes related to the show itself and its production, while his comments were comic "light-hearted quips at contestants". According to h2g2, "his improvised jokes and little wisecracks on the contestants' stupidity were enough to keep the Maze going. He hammed it up marvelously and introduced a certain amount of campness into the show."[21]

Portrayed by Sandra Caron, both "Mumsey" and "Auntie Sabrina" were genial fortune tellers, and were supporting characters during O'Brien's tenure, hosting their own recurring mental game in the Medieval Zone that involved brain teaser questions; Caron portrayed Mumsey for the first, second and fourth series of the original run, and Sabrina for just the third series, who was described by O'Brien as taking over while his Mumsey was away. Both characters were portrayed as friendly to the contestants, with Mumsey sometimes being motherly with O'Brien, who occasionally asked how she was doing after a game was over, and often talked about her affair she was having with a man called "Ralph" to both the contestants and audience during the first and second series, showing disapproval of her next affair with man called "Dwayne" during the fourth series. Originally, Caron played a character called "Madam Sandra", with Mumsey being an unseen, separate character that O'Brien talked about when travelling through the maze, but a decision made halfway into the first series saw the two characters merged.

In an interview in 2013, O'Brien confirmed that he had been responsible for inventing Mumsey, helping to build up her image after the first series and make her a regular feature on the show throughout his time as the Maze's host. O'Brien felt that the character of Mumsey he helped to create "just added silliness and intrigue" to the show.[24]

After the fourth series had been broadcast, both O'Brien and Caron decided to depart from the show, with the former announcing his decision. Both chose to make a short cameo appearance as part of a pre-credits sequence for the 1993 Christmas special, in which O'Brien declared that he and "Mumsey" were leaving for a new life in America.[25] While O'Brien remarked that hosting the show had been "a lot of fun", [26] in a BBC interview he did in 1998, he stated that he "never imagined I'd go down that particular byway" and it was only a "diversionary kind of sideline", explaining that after four years as host he was thinking, "If I stay here much longer I'm not going to be able to do anything else", suggesting that the film work he was in that year would not have come his way if he had remained on the show.[27] O'Brien has said that he "didn’t want to get to the point where they said goodbye before I did. The show went on for 2 or 3 more years and it began to dip, and my credibility goes down doesn’t it? So I left."[28] "I did four movies shortly after that and I don't think I would have been allowed to have done them if I’d stayed as a game show host, so it was the right decision for me anyway."[22]

In a subsequent article for The Independent newspaper, O'Brien wrote that he had been frustrated with Channel 4's attitude towards the show and towards him as its host. Despite The Crystal Maze being Channel 4's top-ranked programme, O'Brien claimed that "they never waved the flag for the show or tried to woo me as a Channel 4 person in the same crazy manner as they wooed Jonathan Ross" despite the ratings for Ross's show at the time being much lower than The Crystal Maze's. O'Brien felt that "Channel 4 people... should have taken me on board as a viable Channel 4 personality. And when... I'd had enough of Crystal Maze they should have asked if there was anything else they could have found me."[29]

While O'Brien and Mumsey made a cameo appearance for the one-off edition of The Crystal Maze in 2016, the former acting as the Maze's computer system, Caron was unable to portray her character, leading to actress and comedian Maureen Lipman filling in for the role instead.[30]

Ed Tudor-Pole, from the punk band Tenpole Tudor, was the show's second host, being introduced during the 1993 Christmas special, and hosting the original run for its last two series. During his tenure, he wore an elaborate waistcoat and tunic, off-white sleeves and trousers, and long black boots, in a similar style to his predecessor, with his look having been described as "Georgian". While his style of hosting had the similar energetic style to O'Brien's, it was less detached, with Tudor-Pole being more sympathetic towards contestants, and often talking up the 'time travel' elements of the show, with the inclusion of nonsense words, such as "trignification" to describe the "process" of travelling between time zones, while often referring to unseen companions in the maze, such as his horse "Bert" in Medieval Zone, and "Starbuck" the cat, who lives in Ocean Zone. According to h2g2, "pale and looking a little emaciated, Ed Tudor-Pole gave The Crystal Maze a dark and intimidating feeling".[21]

Following the show's cancellation, Tudor-Pole was less keen to talk about his time on The Crystal Maze in interviews. Responding to questions about the show during a 2009 interview for DemonFM, he commented: "You've got to bear in mind I did it for five weeks about twelve years ago," and revealed that he only ever watched one and a half episodes of the completed show, "so I'm not an expert on it". Shortly afterwards he tersely moved the topic of conversation back to his music career with the comment, "Frankly I wasn't sent to this world to present game shows."[31]

Stephen Merchant was the third host, appearing in a one-off edition for Stand Up to Cancer in 2016. His style of presentation involved quirky jokes about real-life events and a cheerful demeanor with the contestants.[32][33]

Richard Ayoade is the show's fourth host, who was chosen to present the programme by Channel 4 after they decided to revive The Crystal Maze in November 2016; their decision to hire him for the revival was announced in January 2017, after Merchant declined to take on the role following the 2016 special.[34][33][35] In each episode, he is dressed in a smart suit, wearing his trademark glasses and carrying "The Hand" - an effigy of a hand on the end of a stick. His style of presenting is described as being "a more cerebral and intense version" of his The IT Crowd character, Maurice Moss,[36] using acronyms such as "ALIS" (Automatic Lock-In Situation), while making quips and giving running commentary to both the audience and the contestants throughout each episode, with some of his jokes being at the expense of those playing. Whenever he leads contestants to a game cell, he instructs them to take hold of "The Hand", which he uses to interact with them at close distance; the show's executive producer says this was to create distance between Ayoade's character and the contestants.[citation needed]

The following lists the characters that appear or have appeared on the show:

Each episode has a budget of Â£125,000 and is filmed over a period of two days at the show's studio. During the first day of shooting, the team, followed by multiple cameras, tackle all the games and discover their fate in the crystal dome in the style of a "live" shoot. The following day then focuses on acquiring close-up shots of gameplay with a single camera, requiring team members to return to games they had already won or lost, along with redoing the last challenge in the dome to get footage of them grabbing for tokens. An entire series requires about five weeks to be filmed, with three episodes produced per week.[22] Each series of the show featured its own portfolio of games: 37 different game designs in series 1, and between 41 and 49 games in each subsequent series.[40][41]

Every episode, with the exception of the 2016 special, is filmed on a very large custom built set. The set, designed by James Dillon for both the original run and the revived series, is divided into five parts - four of which are named as zones, set in different periods of time and space, which house the games that contestants take on, while the final part, called the Crystal Dome, houses the final challenge that the team tackle together towards the end of the episode.[40][42] The theme of each zone is not only reflected via its time period, but also in the time-keeping devices, the design of the games, and how the host and team entered and moves between the zones:

For the first series, the show was filmed at Shepperton Studios, within a stage set measuring 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) and containing a water tank on-site. After the first series, the production team decided to expand the maze, relocating the set to an adapted aircraft hangar, Hangar 6, operated by Aces High Studios at North Weald Airfield in Essex. After the show ended in 1995, when Channel 4's contract with producers Chatsworth TV expired, the set was eventually dismantled. When the broadcaster decided to make a one-off edition of the show for Stand Up for Cancer in 2016, the episode was filmed at The Crystal Maze live immersive experience in London, as it was no longer possible to use the original set. When Channel 4 made the decision to revive the show for a full series in November 2016, James Dillon was asked to design a new set at a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) warehouse at The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol.[46] Dillon went back to his original plans and sketches but took the opportunity to build and expand on several of his original ideas and concepts. The most drastic change is that the Crystal Dome is actually located in a separate part of the studio; originally its proximity to the Aztec zone caused a problem with sand contaminating the Dome area.[40]

The theme tune for The Crystal Maze was composed by Zack Laurence and is entitled "Force Field". It was used through all six original series, with an updated version being used for the new series. The original track is 1 minute and 5 seconds long; however it was shortened for the opening and ending titles. Likewise, the new re-recorded version of the theme lasts for 33 seconds. The "Underscore" remix of the theme tune played during the show itself was also composed by Laurence.[47]

At its most popular, viewing figures regularly scored over 4 million, peaking at 5.9 million in 1992 when the show was nominated for its first BAFTA award. Three other BAFTA nominations followed in subsequent years with a Royal Television Society award nomination in 1995. [48][49][50] Although not originally envisioned as a children’s show over 40% of the shows viewers were under 16, a surprise to the crew and O'Brien, who adapted his performance accordingly, forcing himself to think more like a child.[26][51] Contemporary commentary has often suggested that this aspect of O'Brien's performance was the show's biggest attraction. Praising his zaney style and describing him as “a fearless adventurer with a wink and a smile and a verbal knife in the back of those poor saps [contestants]... His style and wit was sardonic, yet never exclusionary, and pointed, yet never bitter.” [52] In 2012 The Guardian's TV & Radio Blog listed O'Brien as one of the six "most loved" game show hosts, describing him as "an unconventional choice for an unconventional series... [who] looked more like a dandy gazelle than a game show host".[53] [54] [55] The same commentary has also suggested Tudor-Pole had an almost impossible task in living up to O'Brien's popularity.[21][55] The Guardian claimed "It was no surprise that the show went downhill after [O’Brien’s] exit."[53]

The show has had a lasting impact and influence on British television, becoming what has been described as a cult classic due to repeats,[40] the makers of the children's TV show Jungle Run openly acknowledge The Crystal Maze as an influence, particularly the final host, Michael Underwood, who was the team captain in the first Christmas special.[56] The perceived stupidity of the contestants was the target of various British comedy shows and spoofs, a trend which continued well into the mid 2000s.[57][58]

In June 2015, the interactive theatre production company Little Lion Entertainment announced that a "live immersive experience" of The Crystal Maze would be taking place in late 2015,[59] funded successfully through an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign.[60][61] Situated on White Lion Street in central London, the new Maze admits members of the public, who can buy tickets and play the show for themselves.[62] Four teams, each guided by their own host, enter the maze at once, one in each zone, and rotate around the four zones simultaneously before competing against each other in The Crystal Dome.[63] Some game rooms have a camera feed for spectators,[60] The group found a venue for the Maze in the King's Cross area in late 2015, and it opened for contestants on 15 March 2016.[63] It was later revealed in November 2016 that there would be another live experience in Manchester at the Granada Studios,[64] which opened to the public in April 2017. This version of the experience is around twice as large as the London version; the zones are split in two parts, and the teams move through the maze one after the other, such that each half-zone always has one team in it. Like the London Maze, teams compete for the high score in the Crystal Dome, by collecting as many gold credits as possible, but unlike in London, the teams never meet one another.

The Cyberdrome Crystal Maze was an attraction usually found in larger bowling alleys and video arcades in the UK. It allowed fans an opportunity to "play" the Crystal Maze for themselves in a computerised format. There were a few differences from the show itself, e.g. there is no player choice of game category, and there is no locking in (instead, failing to quit a game would immediately cost the team a crystal). Five of the first six locations were in Britain, while the sixth was in Japan. All of the Cyberdrome Crystal Mazes have since closed. The locations of the Cyberdromes were Sandcastle Water Park (Blackpool), Oakwood Theme Park (Pembrokeshire), Southampton Megabowl, Coventry Megabowl and next to Magnet Leisure Centre in Maidenhead, (Berkshire). The last one, at Canaston Bowl, Pembrokeshire, ceased operations in June 2010.[65]

A computer game based on The Crystal Maze was developed by Digital Jellyfish Design and released in 1993 by Sherston Software for RISC OS on the Acorn Archimedes and the PC. A game for mobiles was released in 2008, and later for iOS in 2010. Developed by Dynamo Games, it contains some of the games from the 1993 version.

Chatsworth Television licensed a number of popular SWP gambling machines based on the TV series. In 2009, Cool Games created a 3D video version for the UK SWP market. Remaining true to the original show, using touch screen technology, the game achieved widespread coverage in the UK and remains one of the most popular SWP games launched.

In 1991 MB Games released a board game loosely based upon the show. The concept of the game differed significantly from the show with players competing against each other as opposed to the co-operative style of the TV show.[66]

In 1994, a video cassette, The Best of The Crystal Maze was released by Wienerworld Presentation. The video included three episodes: the 1992 and 1993 Christmas specials, and an episode from Series 4. It also featured the clip of O'Brien and Mumsey leaving the maze.


how did the lost voice guy lose his voice

Ridley was originally from Consett, County Durham.[2] At the age of six months he was diagnosed with a neurological form of cerebral palsy, brought about by a brain infection that left him in a coma for two months,[5] which affected his movement and rendered him unable to speak.[3][6] His disability in early life made it difficult to communicate with people, until the age of eight when he received his first communication device,[5] while his education at a school for disabled children was aided by supportive teachers.[5] Between 1999 â€“ 2002, he studied journalism and online journalism at the University of Central Lancashire,[7] achieving an undergraduate degree in the former, and a Masters Degree in the latter. In 2006, he worked as a journalist with the BBC and local newspapers,[8] before taking on the role of online content manager for the city of Sunderland in 2007.[9]

Lee Ridley (comedian)

Lee Ridley (born 31 December 1980) is an English stand-up comedian. Disabled since early life, and unable to speak, he is the first standup comedian in Britain to use a communication aid in his routines, performing them under the stage name of Lost Voice Guy.[3] He rose to prominence in June 2018 after winning the 12th series of Britain's Got Talent.[4]

Ridley began performing comedy in 2012,[10] having grown up with a love for it, including standup performances.[5] His decision to perform standup himself came in the aftermath of a gig conducted by Ross Noble, in which Ridley encountered the comedian and challenged him on the quality of Noble's impersonation of Stephen Hawking,[6] claiming he could do a far better impersonation of the renowned physicist. To formulate his routines, Ridley purchased an iPad voice synthesizer app called Speak It!, which he pre-programmed with sentences based on material he created.[11][12] Following his first show, Ridley adapted his routine by selecting material that had received favourable audience reaction, and adopting a style of improvisation in which he occasionally created new material onstage through his synthesizer in real-time.[6] His first successful show was at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2013,[11] although he was forced to cut this short after he developed pneumonia.[13]

In 2014, Ridley  won the BBC Radio New Comedy Awards,[14] and by 2015, he began to pursue a professional comedy career,[15] performing a new show entitled Disability for Dunces, as part of the Edinburgh Fringe that year. The following year, he performed a sequel of the show, entitled "Volume 2", and in 2017, launched a new show entitled Inspiration Porn, which made fun of "inspirational" videos and memes about disability.[16] After winning the award, he was contacted by The Sequal Trust, who asked him to come on board as a patron of their communication disability charity, a title he still holds today.

In 2018, Ridley took a starring role on Radio 4 sitcom Ability, which he co-wrote with Sony-nominated writer and comedian Katherine Jakeways.[16] His role involved him playing as the disabled 'Matt', who moves out from his parents' home to share with his best friend from school, who refreshingly treats him as an equal but is not the influence Matt's concerned parents are looking for.[17][18] In June 2018, Ridley won the 12th series of Britain's Got Talent after successfully making it through the audition stages, and winning the show by the public vote.[19][4][20]


who sang just to be close to you

"Just to Be Close to You" is a song by American R&B/funk band, Commodores, in 1976. Released from their album, Hot on the Tracks, it would become one of their biggest hits, spending two weeks at the top of the Hot Soul Singles chart and becoming their second Billboard Hot 100 top ten, peaking at number seven.[1] The song was written and sung by Lionel Richie.

Just to Be Close to You

3:14 (single edit)


who played m in all the james bond movies

M is a fictional character in Ian Fleming's James Bond books and films; the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service—also known as MI6—and Bond's superior. Fleming based the character on a number of people he knew who commanded sections of British intelligence. M has appeared in the novels by Fleming and seven continuation authors, as well as in twenty-four films. In the Eon Productions series of films, M has been portrayed by four actors: Bernard Lee, Robert Brown, Judi Dench and Ralph Fiennes, the incumbent; in the two independent productions, M was played by John Huston, David Niven and Edward Fox.

M (James Bond)

Fleming based much of M's character on Rear Admiral John Godfrey, who was Fleming's superior at the Naval Intelligence Division during the Second World War. After Fleming's death, Godfrey complained "He turned me into that unsavoury character, M."[1]

Other possible inspirations include Lieutenant Colonel Sir Claude Dansey, the deputy head of MI6 and head of the wartime Z network, who achieved different interpretations of his character from those who knew him: Malcolm Muggeridge thought him "the only professional in MI6",[2] while Hugh Trevor-Roper considered Dansey to be "an utter shit, corrupt, incompetent, but with a certain low cunning".[2] A further inspiration for M was Maxwell Knight, the head of MI5, who signed his memos as "M" and whom Fleming knew well.[1] The tradition of the head of MI6 signing their name with a single letter came from Mansfield Smith-Cumming, who would sign his initial "C" with green ink.[3]

Another possibility for the model of M was William Melville, an Irishman who became the head of the Secret Service Bureau, the forerunner to both MI5 and MI6: Melville was referred to within government circles as M.[4] Melville recruited Sidney Reilly into government service and foiled an assassination plot against Queen Victoria on her 1887 Golden Jubilee.[5] Fleming's biographer John Pearson also hypothesised that Fleming's characterisation of M reflects memories of his mother:

John Pearson, The Life of Ian Fleming[6]

Fleming's third Bond novel, Moonraker, establishes M's initials as "M**** M*******"[7] and his first name is subsequently revealed to be Miles.  In the final novel of the series, The Man with the Golden Gun, M's full identity is revealed as Vice Admiral Sir Miles Messervy KCMG, CB, DSO, OBE;[8] Messervy had been appointed to head of MI6 after his predecessor had been assassinated at his desk.[9]

A naval theme runs throughout Fleming's description of M and his surroundings, and his character was described by journalist and Bond scholar Ben Macintyre as "every inch the naval martinet".[8] Macintyre also notes that in his study of Fleming's work, Kingsley Amis outlined the way Fleming had described M's voice, being: angry (three times); brutal, cold (seven times); curt, dry (five times); gruff (seven times); stern, testy (five times).[10]

Over the course of twelve novels and two collections of short stories, Fleming provided a number of details relating to M's background and character.  In On Her Majesty's Secret Service it is revealed that M's pay as head of the Secret Service is £6,500 a year, (£124,910 in 2018 pounds[11]) £1,500 of which comes from retired naval pay.[12] Although his pay is good for the 1950s and 1960s, it is never explained how M received or can afford his membership at Blades, an upscale private club for gentlemen he frequents in London to gamble and dine. Blades has a restricted membership of only 200 gentlemen and all must be able to show £100,000 (£1,921,689 in 2018 pounds[11]) in cash or gilt-edged securities.[13] Kingsley Amis noted in his study, The James Bond Dossier, that on M's salary his membership of the club would have been puzzling.[12] As a personal favour to M, the staff at Blades keeps a supply of cheap red wine from Algeria on hand but does not include it on the wine list. M refers to it as "Infuriator" and tends only to drink it in moderate quantities unless he is in a very bad mood.[14]

The academic Paul Stock argues that M's office is a metonym for England and a stable point from which Bond departs on a mission, whilst he sees M as being an iconic representative of England and Englishness.[15]

In the first post-Fleming book, Colonel Sun, M is kidnapped from Quarterdeck, his home, and Bond goes to great lengths to rescue him.[16] The later continuation books, written by John Gardner, retain Sir Miles Messervy as M, who protects Bond from the new, less aggressive climate in the Secret Service, saying that at some point Britain will need "a blunt instrument".[17] In Gardner's final novel, COLD, M is kidnapped and rescued by Bond and finishes the book by retiring from MI6.[18] Continuation Bond author Raymond Benson's 1998 novel The Facts of Death continued Messervy's retirement, where he still resides in Quarterdeck.[19] The book also introduces a new M, Barbara Mawdsley.[20]

M was played by Bernard Lee from the first Bond film, Dr. No, until Moonraker (1979).[21]  In Dr. No, M refers to his record of reducing the number of operative casualties since taking the job, implying someone else held the job recently before him. The film also saw M refer to himself as head of MI7; Lee had originally said MI6, but was overdubbed with the name MI7 prior to the film's release. Earlier in the film, the department had been referred to as MI6 by a radio operator.[22]

A number of Bond scholars have noted that Lee's interpretation of the character was in line with the original literary representation; Cork and Stutz observed that Lee was "very close to Fleming's version of the character",[23] while Rubin commented on the serious, efficient, no-nonsense authority figure.[24] Smith and Lavington, meanwhile, remarked that Lee was "the very incarnation of Fleming's crusty admiral."[25]

Lee died of cancer in January 1981, four months into the filming of For Your Eyes Only and before any of his scenes could be filmed.[26] Out of respect, no new actor was hired to assume the role and, instead, the script was re-written so that the character is said to be on leave, with his lines given to either his Chief of Staff Bill Tanner or the Minister of Defence, Sir Frederick Gray.[27] Later films referred to Lee's tenure as head of the service, with a painting of him as M in MI6's Scottish headquarters during the 1999 instalment The World Is Not Enough.[23]

After Lee's death in 1981, the producers hired actor Robert Brown to play M in Octopussy. Brown had previously played Admiral Hargreaves, Flag Officer Submarines, in the 1977 film, The Spy Who Loved Me.  Bond scholars Steven Jay Rubin, John Cork, and Collin Stutz all consider Admiral Hargreaves would have been appointed to the role of M, rather than Brown playing a different character as M.[29][30]

Pfeiffer and Worrall considered that whilst Brown looks perfect, the role had been softened from that of Lee;[31] they also considered him "far too avuncular",[32] although in Licence to Kill they remarked that he came across as being very effective as he removed Bond's double-0 licence.[33] Continuation author Raymond Benson agrees, noting that the M role was "once again underwritten, and Brown is not allowed the opportunity to explore and reveal his character traits";[34] Benson also considered the character to be "too nice".[35]

After the long period between Licence to Kill and GoldenEye, the producers brought in Dame Judi Dench to take over as the new M replacing Robert Brown. The character is based on Stella Rimington, the real-life head of MI5 between 1992 and 1996.[36][37] For GoldenEye, Dench's M is cold, blunt and initially dislikes Bond, whom she calls a "sexist, misogynist dinosaur, a relic of the Cold War."[38] Tanner, her Chief of Staff, refers to her during the film as "the Evil Queen of Numbers", given her reputation at that stage for relying on statistics and analysis rather than impulse and initiative.[39]

Following Pierce Brosnan's departure from the role, Dench continued playing M for the 2006 film Casino Royale, which rebooted the series with Daniel Craig playing Bond. In this new continuity, M has worked for MI6 for some time, at one point muttering, "Christ, I miss the Cold War".[40] According to Skyfall, M was previously in charge of MI6's operations in Hong Kong during the 1990s. Her ability to run MI6 has been questioned several times; in Casino Royale, she is the subject of a review when Bond is caught shooting an unarmed prisoner and blowing up a foreign embassy on camera; in Quantum of Solace, the Foreign Secretary orders her to personally withdraw Bond from the field in Bolivia and to stop any investigations into Dominic Greene's eco-terrorist organisation; and in Skyfall, she is the subject of a public inquiry when MI6 loses a computer hard drive containing the identities of undercover agents around the world.[41] Skyfall marks Dench's seventh and final appearance as M, where she is targeted by former MI6 agent Raoul Silva, whom she turned over to the Chinese in order to save six other agents. She is shot and killed in the film, making her the only M to die in the Eon Bond films. Dench's M makes a cameo appearance in Spectre in a video will, giving Bond a final order to hunt down and terminate someone, which ultimately leads him to the film's titular criminal organisation.

There have also been brief references to M's family:[42] in GoldenEye, she responds to Tanner calling her the "Evil Queen of Numbers" by telling him that when she wants to hear sarcasm she will listen to her children.[43] Quantum of Solace director Marc Forster suggested that Dench's casting gave the character maternal overtones in her relationship with Bond,[44] overtones made overt in Skyfall, in which Silva repeatedly refers to her as "Mother" and "Mommy".[45] In Skyfall she is revealed to be a widow.

Dench also appeared in six James Bond video games:

After the death of Judi Dench's M at the end of Skyfall, she is succeeded by Gareth Mallory, played by Ralph Fiennes. Mallory had been the Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee prior to heading up MI6, and is a former lieutenant colonel in the British Army.[51] He served in Northern Ireland with the "Hereford Regiment" (assumed by many commentators to mean the Special Air Service) during the Troubles, where he had been held hostage by the Irish Republican Army for three months.[52] In Spectre, the 00 Section of MI6 is briefly dismantled in addition to Mallory being demoted. He assists Bond in the field when it is revealed that the Nine Eyes initiative is part of Spectre's plan for world domination.

The 1967 satire Casino Royale featured not one but two Ms. The first is played by John Huston, who also co-directed.[53]  In this film, M's real name is McTarry and he is accidentally killed when, in order to get Bond out of retirement, he orders the military to fire mortars at Bond's mansion when the retired spy refuses to return to duty. The first quarter of the film features Bond's subsequent visit to McTarry Castle in Scotland, on a quest to return the only piece of M's remains recovered after the attack—his bright red toupée.[54] Subsequently, Bond—played by David Niven—becomes the new M[55] and proceeds to order that all MI6 agents, male and female, be renamed "James Bond 007" in order to confuse the enemy.[56]

In 1983's Never Say Never Again, Edward Fox played M as a bureaucrat, contemptuous of Bondâ€”far removed from the relationship shared between Bernard Lee's M and Sean Connery's Bond;[57] the academic Jeremy Black notes that the contempt felt for the 00 section by Fox's M was reciprocated by Connery's Bond.[38] Fox's M is also younger than any of the previous incarnations.[58] The media historian James Chapman notes that whilst M considers Bond to be an out-dated relic, the Foreign Secretary orders the 00 section to be re-activated.[59]

M appeared in every James Bond comic book released from 1962 to 1995. With the relaunch of the series in 2015 by Dynamite Entertainment, M is once again Bond's superior. In a notable departure from both the original novels and the movies, M is black instead of white,[60] and his identity is revealed to be none other than Miles Messervy when he was referred to by his first name in Hammerhead.[61] M is scheduled to have his own one-shot comic book in which his backstory is explored while dealing with his past that comes back to haunt him, delivered by creators Declan Shalvey and P.J. Holden.[62]

Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen comic series establishes that the 1898-era League (led by Mina Harker) was directed by Campion Bond (James Bond's grandfather), who served under a master called M. This M was later revealed to be none other than James Moriarty in disguise, using the League to win a gang war against Fu Manchu. After the death of Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes's older brother Mycroft Holmes assumed the role of M.[63] In the sequel volume The Black Dossier, set during a moribund and dystopian 1950s post-war Britain, the head of the British secret service, M, is Harry Lime, from Graham Greene's The Third Man.[64] In the final volume of Century, spanning from 1910 to 2009, the M of 2009 is an elderly Emma Peel from The Avengers.[65] In the 2003 film adaptation of the series, M is once again Moriarty, and played by Richard Roxburgh.[66]


when was the first airline meal served during a flight

The first airline meals were served by Handley Page Transport, an airline company founded in 1919, to serve the Londonâ€“Paris route in October of that year.[2] Passengers could choose from a selection of sandwiches and fruit.[3]

Airline meal

An airline meal, airline food, plane food or in-flight meal is a meal served to passengers on board a commercial airliner. These meals are prepared by specialist airline catering services and normally served to passengers using an airline service trolley.

These meals vary widely in quality and quantity across different airline companies and classes of travel. They range from a simple snack or beverage in short-haul economy class to a seven-course gourmet meal in a first class long-haul flight. When ticket prices were regulated in the American domestic market, food was the primary means airlines differentiated themselves.[1]

The type of food varies depending upon the airline company and class of travel. Meals may be served on one tray or in multiple courses with no tray and with a tablecloth, metal cutlery, and glassware (generally in first and business classes). Often the food is reflective of the culture of the country the airline is based in.

The airline dinner typically includes meat (most commonly chicken or beef), fish, or pasta; a salad or vegetable; a small bread roll; and a dessert. Condiments (typically salt, pepper, and sugar) are supplied in small sachets or shakers.

Caterers usually produce alternative meals for passengers with restrictive diets. These must usually be ordered in advance, sometimes when buying the ticket. Some of the more common examples include:

For several Islamic airlines (e.g. EgyptAir, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Garuda Indonesia, Batik Air, Malindo Air, Gulf Air, Iran Air, Mahan Air, Iran Aseman Airlines, Oman Air, Yemenia, Kuwait Airways, Iraqi Airways, Qatar Airways, Saudia, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, Libyan Airlines, Afriqiyah Airways, Tunisair, Air Algérie and Turkish Airlines), in accordance with Islamic customs, all classes and dishes on the plane are served a Muslim meal with Halal certification – without pork and alcohol. While Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar are still providing bottles of wine to non-Muslim passengers, the cabin crew does not deliver alcoholic beverages lest to violate Islamic customs, unless those non-Muslim passengers request it. Because Iran and Saudi Arabia apply strict Sharia regulations, those countries' airlines do not deliver pork or alcoholic beverages, and all airlines flying to or from Iran or Saudi Arabia are prohibited from serving either.[citation needed] However, Garuda Indonesia is still serving alcoholic beverages (whiskey, beer, champagne and wine) to non-Muslim passengers.

In the case the Israeli airlines El Al, Arkia and Israir, all meals served are kosher-certified by Rabbis. Even destinations outside Israel, sky chefs must be supervised by rabbis to make kosher meals and load their planes.[citation needed]

Before the September 11 attacks in 2001, first class passengers were often provided with full sets of metal cutlery. Afterward, common household items were evaluated more closely for their potential use as weapons on aircraft, and both first class and coach class passengers were restricted to plastic utensils. Some airlines switched from metal to all-plastic or plastic-handled cutlery during the SARS outbreak in 2003, since the SARS virus transfers from person to person easily, and plastic cutlery can be thrown away after use. Many airlines later switched back to metal cutlery. However, Singapore Airlines continue to use metal utensils even in economy class as of 2017.

In May 2010, concerns were raised in Australia and New Zealand over their respective flag carriers, Qantas and Air New Zealand, reusing their plastic cutlery for international flights between 10 and 30 times before replacement. Both airlines cited cost saving, international quarantine, and environmental as the reasons for the choice. Both have also said that the plastic cutlery is commercially washed and sterilized before reuse.[4][5][6] Reusing plastic tablewares though is a regular practice among many airliners and food caterers.

For cleanliness, most meals come with a napkin and a moist towelette. First and business class passengers are often provided with hot towels.

During morning flights a cooked breakfast or smaller continental-style may be served. On long haul flights (and short/medium haul flights within Asia) breakfast normally includes an entrée of pancakes or eggs, traditional fried breakfast foods such as sausages and grilled tomatoes, and often muffins or pastries, fruits and breakfast cereal on the side. On shorter flights a continental-style breakfast, generally including a miniature box of breakfast cereal, fruits and either a muffin, pastry, or bagel. Coffee and tea are offered as well, and sometimes hot chocolate.

Food on board a flight is usually free on full-service Asian airlines and on almost all long-distance flights, while they might cost extra on low-cost airlines or European full-service airline flights. Quality may also fluctuate due to shifts in the economics of the airline industry.

On long-haul international flights in first class and business class, most Asian and European airlines serve gourmet meals, while legacy carriers based in the US tend to serve multicourse meals including a cocktail snack, appetizer, soup, salad, entrée (chicken, beef, fish, or pasta), cheeses with fruit, and ice cream. Some long-haul flights in first and business class offer such delicacies as caviar, champagne, and sorbet (intermezzo).

The cost and availability of meals on US airlines has changed considerably in recent years, as financial pressures have forced some airlines to either begin charging for meals, or abandon them altogether in favor of small snacks, as in the case of Southwest Airlines. Eliminating free pretzels saved Northwest $2 million annually.[citation needed] Nowadays, the main US legacy carriers (American, Delta and United) have discontinued full meal service in economy class on short-haul US domestic and North American flights, while retaining it on most intercontinental routes;[7][8][9] and at least one European carrier, Icelandair, follows this policy on intercontinental runs as well.[10]

As of 2016, all 4 major U.S. legacy airlines now offer free snacks on board in economy class. United Airlines re-introduced free snacks in February 2016.[11] Starting in April 2016, American Airlines will fully restore free snacks on all domestic flights in economy class.[12] Free meals will also be available on certain domestic routes.[13] Delta and Southwest have already been offering free snacks for years.[14]

Hawaiian Airlines is the only remaining major US airline that offers complimentary inâ€“flight meals on its domestic flights.

Air China has reported that each domestic flight's meal requires RMB50 (US$7.30) while international flights require RMB70 (US$10).[15] However, this figure varies from airline to airline, as some have reported costs to be as low as US$3.50.[16] Air China is also minimizing costs by loading only 95% of all meals to reduce leftovers and storing non-perishable foods for emergencies.

In 1958 Pan Am and several European airlines entered into a legal dispute over whether certain airline food sandwiches counted as a "meal".[17]

Meals must generally be prepared on the ground before takeoff. Guillaume de Syon, a history professor at Albright College who wrote about the history of airline meals,[18] said that the higher altitudes alter the taste of the food and the function of the taste buds (although that's not case on Dreamliner or A350); according to de Syon the food may taste "dry and flavorless" as a result of the pressurization and passengers, feeling thirsty due to pressurization, many drink alcohol when they ought to drink water.[19] Tests have shown that the perception of saltiness and sweetness drops 30% at high altitudes. The low humidity in airline cabins also dries out the nose which decreases olfactory sensors which are essential for tasting flavor in dishes.[20]

Food safety is paramount in the airline catering industry. A case of mass food poisoning amongst the passengers on an airliner could have disastrous consequences. For example, on February 20, 1992, shrimp tainted with cholera was served on Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight 386. An elderly passenger died and other passengers fell ill. For this reason catering firms and airlines have worked together to provide a set of industry guidelines specific to the needs of airline catering. The World Food Safety Guidelines for Airline Catering is offered free of charge by the International Flight Service Association.[21]


if events a and b are mutually exclusive are they also collectively exhaustive

One example of an event that is both collectively exhaustive and mutually exclusive is tossing a coin. The outcome must be either heads or tails, or p (heads or tails) = 1, so the outcomes are collectively exhaustive. When heads occurs, tails can't occur, or p (heads and tails) = 0, so the outcomes are also mutually exclusive.

Collectively exhaustive events

In probability theory and logic, a set of events is jointly or collectively exhaustive if at least one of the events must occur. For example, when rolling a six-sided die, the outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are collectively exhaustive, because they encompass the entire range of possible outcomes.

Another way to describe collectively exhaustive events, is that their union must cover all the events within the entire sample space. For example, events A and B are said to be collectively exhaustive if

where S is the sample space.

Compare this to the concept of a set of mutually exclusive events. In such a set no more than one event can occur at a given time. (In some forms of mutual exclusion only one event can ever occur.) The set of all possible die rolls is both collectively exhaustive and mutually exclusive. The outcomes 1 and 6 are mutually exclusive but not collectively exhaustive. The outcomes "even" (2,4 or 6) and "not-6" (1,2,3,4, or 5) are collectively exhaustive but not mutually exclusive. In some forms of mutual exclusion only one event can ever occur, whether collectively exhaustive or not. For example, tossing a particular biscuit for a group of several dogs cannot be repeated, no matter which dog snaps it up.

The term "exhaustive" has been used in the literature since at least 1914. Here are a few examples:

The following appears as a footnote on page 23 of Couturat 1914:

In Stephen Kleene's discussion of cardinal numbers in Kleene 1952, he uses "mutually exclusive" together with "exhaustive":


where does the royal family live in denmark

The Danish Royal Family traditionally occupy different royal residences during different seasons of the year. In summer, Queen Margarethe and Prince Henrik reside at Marselisborg Palace or Graasten Palace. In the winter, they reside at Amalienborg, whereas their residence during spring and autumn is Fredensborg Palace. Sometimes members of the royal couple spend time on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog, especially when on official visits overseas and on summer cruises in Danish waters.

List of Danish royal residences

The Danish Royal Family inhabit a range of residences around Denmark. Historically all the residences of the royal family were privately owned. With the introduction of the new Constitution in 1849, some of the residences were claimed as property of the "Kingdom of Denmark". Some of the palaces are still privately owned by the Queen or other members of the Royal Family. The Agency for Palaces and Cultural Properties (the Danish equivalent of the Historic Royal Palaces Agency) is responsible for the management and upkeep of some of the royal palaces and gardens.[1][2]

Amalienborg Palace is the winter home of the monarch, and is located in Copenhagen, Denmark. It consists of four identical classicizing palace faÃ§ades with rococo interiors around an octagonal courtyard; in the centre of the square is a monumental equestrian statue of Amalienborg's founder, King Frederik V.

Amalienborg was originally built for four noble families; however, when Christiansborg Palace burnt down on 26 February 1794, the royal family bought the palaces and moved in. Over the years various kings and their families have resided in the four different palaces.[3][4] Currently, the Queen herself resides in Christian IX's Palace and the Crown Prince in Frederik VIII's Palace. Christian VIII's Palace has apartments for other members of the royal family, whereas Christian VII's Palace is used for official events and to accommodate guests.

Historically, Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, was the main residence of the Danish kings. But after the fire of the first Christiansborg Palace in 1794, the royal family moved their residence to Amalienborg. However, even though the royal family does not reside in the palace, parts of Christiansborg has continued to be used by the monarch for official purposes and state ceremonies. It is the site of public audiences, meetings of the Council of State, state dinners, receptions and other ceremonies. Also, the Royal Stables which provide the ceremonial transport by horse-drawn carriage for the royal family, is located here. The royal parts of the palace are open to the public when they are not in use for official purposes.[5][6]

Fredensborg Palace is a palace located on the eastern shore of Lake Esrum (Danish, Esrum Sø) in Fredensborg on the island of Zealand (Sjælland) in Denmark.  It is the Danish Royal Family’s spring and autumn residence, and is often the site of important state visits and events in the Royal Family.  It is the most used of the Royal Family’s residences.[7][8]

Marselisborg Palace is the summer residence of the royal family in Aarhus. Historically, the Palace was the property of the Marselis dynasty, its namesake. Marselisborg became a royal residence when Crown Prince Christian (later Christian X) and his consort Princess Alexandrine were given the Palace as a wedding present by the people of Denmark. As such the palace is the property of the Kingdom of Denmark, and will remain in possession of all future monarchs of Denmark. The royal couple used it as their summer residence. The building was rebuilt by the Danish architect Hack Kampmann. The present Queen Margrethe II was given the palace by her father, King Frederick IX of Denmark in 1967.[9]

Gråsten Palace is the second summer residence of the Danish royal family. It is located in Gråsten in the Jutland region of southern Denmark.  The main house has a modern, all-white facade, with Venetian doors opening onto sweeping, manicured lawns and gravel walkways. The grounds include a huge stables court.[10][11]

The Eremitage Hunting Lodge (Danish: Eremitageslottet or Eremitagen) is located in Dyrehaven north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built by architect Lauritz de Thurah in Baroque style from 1734 to 1736 for Christian VI of Denmark in order to host banquets during royal hunts in Dyrehaven.

Never intended for residence, the Eremitage was built as a setting for hosting royal banquets during hunts in Dyrehaven, which surrounds the building. It originally featured a hoisting apparatus able to raise the table from the basement to the dining room, allowing the king and his guests to dine without any waiters present, or "en ermitage" (in solitude), hence the name of the castle.[12] The apparatus was removed in the late 18th century as it was causing endless mechanical problems,[13] and no signs of it remain.[14] The previous building on the site, the Hubertus Chalet, had a similar apparatus and was nicknamed Heremitagen for the same reason.[15]

Sorgenfri Palace is a royal residence of the Danish monarch located in the Lyngby-Taarbæk municipality in Greater Copenhagen.
Originally a country seat, Sorgenfri Palace was built for the Danish nobleman Count Carl Ahlefeldt in 1706. The palace first became a royal residence in 1730 after coming into the possession of the Danish Royal Family.

Sorgenfri was the preferred summer residence of King Christian X and his wife Queen Alexandrine. Both of Alexandrine's children Frederik and his brother, Knud, were born there. Both Knud and his wife Caroline-Mathilde lived at Sorgenfri Palace until their respective deaths in 1976 and 1995.

Today the palace is closed to the public but the palace gardens are accessible when the monarch is not in residence. Countess Anne-Dorte, the widow of Count Christian of Rosenborg (a younger son of Prince Knud), presently resides in a wing of the palace.[16][17]

ChÃ¢teau de Cayx is a residence of the Danish Royal Family located in the wine district of Cahors in southern France.[18]

The château was first fortified during the fourteenth century. Since then it has been rebuilt and renovated several times. The Lefrancs built the extensive wine cellars under the château.

The phylloxera infestation devastated the vineyards during the late nineteenth century, and the owners emigrated to Indo-China. They did not return to Europe until 1955. In 1965 the family's heir, Henri Marie Jean AndrÃ© de Laborde de Monpezat, married Princess Margrethe, then heiress presumptive to the Danish throne, becoming Prince Consort of Denmark after she succeeded to Denmark's throne.

The royal couple purchased the chÃ¢teau and the estate in 1974. Since then they have renovated it extensively. According to the official website of the Danish monarchy, the residence has become a "relaxed setting for reunions of the entire Danish Royal Family and their French relatives".[19] It has been the setting for holiday photocalls for the Danish Royal Family, including for Prince Henrik's 80th birthday.[20]

The residence is not open to the public. A guided tour of the gardens is available during the summer. The chÃ¢teau still produces wine.[21]