title: Toowoomba

text: The Toowoomba branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at 263 Margaret Street and the Toowoomba City Business Women's branch meets at 161 Margaret Street.


title: Toowoomba

text: There are 6 Rotary clubs operating within Toowoomba. All are active within the community raising funds annually in excess of $200,000. The Rotary Cub of Toowoomba meets at Burke and Wills Hotel, 554 Ruthven Street.


title: Toowoomba

text: Toowoomba is serviced by three commercial national network stations and two national non-commercial network stations. These are Seven Queensland, SCA 10 (Network 10), WIN Television (Nine Network), ABC Television and Special Broadcasting Service. Each broadcasts television services in digital format, with analogue transmissions having been deactivated on 6 December 2011.


title: Toowoomba

text: Of the three commercial networks, Seven Queensland and WIN Television both air 30-minute local news bulletins at 6pm each weeknight, produced from newsrooms in the city but broadcast from studios in Maroochydore and Wollongong respectively. Southern Cross Nine aired a regional Queensland edition of "Nine News" from Brisbane, featuring local opt-outs for Toowoomba and the Darling Downs from August 2017 to February 2019.


title: Toowoomba

text: Brisbane metropolitan commercial channels BTQ-7 (Seven Network), QTQ-9 (Nine Network) and TVQ-10 (Network Ten) broadcasting from transmission towers at Mount Coot-tha can also be received in some parts of Toowoomba.


title: Toowoomba

text: There is a suburban bus service operated by Bus Queensland Toowoomba throughout the city. This is a TransLink service. Stonestreets Coaches operate many school services in the city.


title: Toowoomba

text: There are frequent inter-city bus services between Toowoomba and Brisbane, and other centres operated by Greyhound Australia and Murrays. Toowoomba was the headquarters for McCafferty's Coaches that operated a national long-distance coach network until its sale to Greyhound Australia in 2004.


title: Toowoomba

text: Toowoomba station has a twice-weekly rail service from Brisbane to Charleville and return on Queensland Rail's "The Westlander". Toowoomba is criss-crossed by several railway lines that are used for freight, and idle railway stations can be found in the suburbs (including Ballard, Drayton, Harlaxton and Harristown), dating to when these localities were separate centres.


title: Toowoomba

text: Toowoomba is served by Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport, which is serviced by QantasLink and Regional Express Airlines, with flights to Sydney and destinations west of the city, but there is potential for services to Mackay and overseas.


title: Toowoomba

text: Toowoomba City Aerodrome is located in Toowoomba's outer suburb of Wilsonton (). The city's former airport is now primarily used by the Royal Flying Doctor Service, LifeFlight and the Darling Downs Aero Club.


title: Toowoomba

text: Toowoomba is serviced by four hospitals: Toowoomba Base Hospital, which is a public hospital and one of the largest hospitals in regional Australia, this will soon be replaced via a redevelopment at the Baillie Henderson Hospital site; a specialist psychiatric hospital called Baillie Henderson Hospital; and two private hospitals: St. Andrew's Toowoomba Hospital and St. Vincents Hospital. There is also the Toowoomba Hospice which is a community-based private healthcare facility which provides palliative care to the terminally ill.


title: Toowoomba

text: Toowoomba's third water storage Cressbrook Dam was completed in 1983 and supplied water to Toowoomba in 1988. It has a full capacity of about bringing total capacity of the three dams, Cooby, Perseverance, and Cressbrook, to . The city also has underground supplies in fractured basalt of the rock unit known as the Main Range Volcanics. Toowoomba also sits above the eastern edge of the Great Artesian Basin and to the west underground water is available beneath unconsolidated alluvium.


title: Toowoomba

text: Rainfall during the period from 1998 to 2005 was 30% below the long term average, consistent with a prolonged drought; with this trend continuing through to the spring of 2007. In mid-2005, the water situation for the city was becoming critical with water supply levels below 30%. Environmental flows from Cressbrook Dam into Cressbrook Creek were allowed to cease as Toowoomba approached level five water restrictions. During March 2006 the surface water storage in the dams fell below 25% of full capacity, falling further to 12.8% on 10 March 2008 and reaching an all-time low of 7.7% in December 2009.


title: Toowoomba

text: The former Toowoomba Mayor Di Thorley proposed a controversial potable reuse project under the Toowoomba Water Futures plan which would result in water reclaimed from the Wetalla Sewage Treatment Plant being returned to Cooby Dam to provide 25% of the potable water supply for Toowoomba. Other water supply options include importing water from Oakey Creek Groundwater Management Area (average TDS 1660 mg/L), importing water from Condamine Groundwater Management Area (average TDS 740 mg/L), and water from coal seam gas production (TDS 1200–4300 mg/L).


title: Toowoomba

text: On 29 July 2006, Toowoomba City Council conducted a poll of Toowoomba residents on the proposal to use this multi-barrier filtration system for filtering sewage for drinking purposes. The poll question was: "Do you support the addition of purified recycled water to Toowoomba's water supply via Cooby Dam as proposed by Water Futures – Toowoomba?" 38% of voters supported the proposal and 62% opposed. This meant that despite dams reaching critical levels, the city rejected the use of recycled water in a plebiscite. Since the public rejection in 2006 of adding recycled sewage to the drinking water supply, water conservation measures have included harvesting stormwater for use in public parks and adding filtered groundwater to the town water supply. The city was under level 5 water restrictions as of 26 September 2006. This prohibits residents from using town water on their lawns, gardens or cars, and residents are strongly urged to cut down on water consumption.


title: Toowoomba

text: In 2007, the Toowoomba City Council commenced a bore drilling program to augment the dwindling dam supplies and constructed several subartesian bores across the city and one artesian bore at Wetalla in the city's north. Many of the subartesian bores provided potable water with a reliable yield and have been developed into production however the artesian bore's water quality was very poor, prohibiting development as a potable source. This was an expensive setback for the city as the cost was over A$2 million for drilling to over . In January 2008, yield testing had been stalled due to the unavailability of appropriate pumping equipment. The Toowoomba Regional Council began supplementing the city's water supply with bore water from the Great Artesian Basin in September 2009. Groundwater has become a significant contributor to the city's water supply needs and now constitutes one third of the total volume of water treated for reticulated supply ( per week).


title: Toowoomba

text: The state government has built a $187 million pipeline from Wivenhoe Dam to Toowoomba. Water pumping along the pipeline to Cressbrook Dam began in January 2010.


title: Toowoomba

text: Toowoomba has sister city relations with three international cities: Wanganui, New Zealand; Takatsuki, Japan; and Paju, South Korea.


title: Toowoomba

text: The 2016 Australian census recorded the following statistics for religious affiliation in Toowoomba: Roman Catholic 23.2%; Anglican 19.0%; Uniting Church 5.9%; Lutheran 4.0%; Presbyterian 3.7%; Other Christian 4.6%; Pentecostal 1.8%; Baptist 1.5%; Islam 1.0%; Church of Christ 0.9%.


title: Toowoomba

text: Toowoomba Wesleyan Methodist Church is at 267 North Street, Wilsonton Heights (). It is part of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia.


title: Toowoomba

text: Toowoomba Chinese Wesleyan Methodist Church is at 21 Kookaburra Court, Glenvale (). It is part of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia.


title: Toowoomba

text: Harrison (2006) has noted the appeal of Toowoomba as 'fertile ground' for fundamentalist Christian movements, particularly those with a religio-political outlook. This was exemplified by the Logos Foundation under the leadership of Howard Carter in the 1980s.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: Zorro (also known as Disney's Zorro) is an American action-adventure western series produced by Walt Disney Productions and starring Guy Williams. Based on the Zorro character created by Johnston McCulley in his 1919 novella, the series premiered on October 10, 1957, on ABC. The final network broadcast was July 2, 1959. Seventy-eight episodes were produced, and four hour-long specials were aired on the Walt Disney anthology series between October 30, 1960, and April 2, 1961.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: The series is set in Los Angeles of 1820, when it was still part of Spanish California and before Mexican independence. Zorro aids Hispanic settlers and indigenous peoples oppressed by the rulers. A remastering, in which color was added, was released in 1992.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: For most of its run, "Zorro"'s episodes were part of continuing story arcs, each about thirteen episodes long. It had a structure similar to a serial. The first of these chronicles the emergence of Zorro / Diego to California in 1820, and his battle with the greedy and cruel local Comandante, Captain Enrique Sánchez Monastario. After Monastario's final defeat, in the second storyline, Zorro must uncover and counter Magistrado Carlos Galindo, who is part of a conspiracy to take over rule of California. The third story arc concerns the leader of that conspiracy, José Sebastián de Varga, a shadowy figure known as "The Eagle". It is revealed that Varga intends to make a huge profit by turning California over to another country, implied to be the Russian Empire, which had its own interests on the West Coast, especially present-day Alaska. Season one concludes with Varga's death.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: Season two opens with Diego in Monterey, the colonial capital of Alta California. The authorities are worried that privately collected money to bring a supply ship to California is repeatedly diverted to a gang of bandits. Diego stays to investigate, both as a civilian, and as the masked Zorro. He becomes interested in Ana Maria Verdugo, a daughter of the man organizing the effort. Once Zorro defeats the thieves, he enters into a rivalry with his old friend Ricardo del Amo, a practical joker who is also interested in Ana Maria. Ana Maria is in love with Zorro. While in Monterey, Zorro and Sergeant Demetrio López García also get involved in a dispute between the people and a repressive Lieutenant Governor. Diego/Zorro is on the verge of giving up his mask to marry Ana Maria, but Don Alejandro talks him out of it. Zorro (and Diego) says goodbye to Ana Maria and returns to Los Angeles, where he gets involved in a series of shorter adventures.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: In one three-episode story arc, guest-starring Annette Funicello, Zorro must solve the mystery of Anita Cabrillo's father, a man who does not seem to exist. Other storylines late in the series involve Diego's ne'er-do-well uncle (played by Cesar Romero), a plot against the governor of California, an encounter with an American "mountain man" (Jeff York, reprising a role from "The Saga of Andy Burnett"), and outwitting a greedy emissary from Spain.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: The main exterior sets (the governor’s fortress, the inner courtyard, Don Diego’s hacienda, etc.) were built in the Disney backlot in Burbank, California. Some scenes were shot at the Disney Ranch and at Mission San Luis Rey near Oceanside, where an archway was added to an existing structure.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: The show was very popular, especially with children. Its theme song (written by Norman Foster and George Bruns and first recorded by the Mellomen) was a hit recording for The Chordettes, peaking at #17 on the Hit Parade. Children inspired by the series produced "Z" graffiti on school desks and walls across the United States.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: Despite good ratings (#30 in Season 1 with a 26.6 rating), the series ended after two seasons due to a financial dispute between Disney and the network over ownership of "Zorro", "Mickey Mouse Club", and the Disney anthology television series (at the time titled "Disneyland"). During the legal battle, Disney produced four new hour-long "Zorro" adventures of the franchise, aired on the anthology series: "Zorro: El Bandido" (October 30, 1960); "Zorro: Adios El Cuchillo" (November 6, 1960); "Zorro: The Postponed Wedding" (January 1, 1961); and "Zorro: Auld Acquaintance" (April 2, 1961). Guy Williams was kept on full salary during this period. But by the time Disney and ABC resolved their differences, Walt Disney decided that public interest in the character had flagged. Disney continued to pay $3,500 per year until 1967 to retain the television rights.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: Reruns of the series aired on The Disney Channel starting the day the channel launched on April 18, 1983. These continued until September 9, 2002.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: The 1957–1959 episodes were colorized in 1992. For a time they appeared in that format on The Disney Channel and elsewhere, often alternating with the original black-and-white versions. The series aired for ten years.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: Several compilations from the series were issued on VHS over the years, but are now out of print. It released on video in 1985, and 1993. They are as follows:


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: Two volumes from season one of "Zorro" were released on DVD in the United States in 2006, representing the entire Monastario storyline and the beginning of Magistrado Galindo storyline. Three more volumes soon followed, completing the season, which was then reissued as a boxed set entitled "Zorro, the Complete First Season". All of the DVDs were only available from the Disney Movie Club. Each volume contains the 1992 colorized version of about eight episodes. No special features are included.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: The Disney Movie Club released the second season in a boxed set, also consisting of five volumes and also colorized.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released the entire series on DVD in Region 1 on November 3, 2009, under their "" banner featuring several bonus features. however like many other Disney releases it was available for a limited time, before entering moratorium and put back in the Disney Vault along with the other "Walt Disney Treasures" DVD sets.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: Disney+ released the series on October 5th, 2022. It does have the movie "The Sign of Zorro" made from some of its episodes on November 12th.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: Guy Williams was introduced to the Disney audience as Zorro in a segment of the Disney anthology television series, "The Fourth Anniversary Show". During this episode, which starred the Mouseketeers and featured upcoming shows, Moochie (Kevin Corcoran) repeatedly asks Walt Disney, "What about Zorro?" Finally, Zorro appears, but not in the same shot with the Mouseketeers. Zorro explains who he is, and coyly answers the question of whether he is "real".


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: Williams and other key cast members also made a number of live appearances at Disneyland in 1958. Some of their shows involved Zorro and Monastario battling each other on the rooftops of Frontierland.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: Robert L. Crawford Jr., brother of Mouseketeer Johnny Crawford, prior to being cast on NBC's "Laramie" in the role of Andy Sherman, appeared on "Zorro" in the role of Pogo Bastinado in the episodes "The Well of Death" and "The Cross of the Andes" in May 1958.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: George J. Lewis, who portrayed Diego's father Don Alejandro, had previously appeared in the 1944 serial "Zorro's Black Whip" as Vic Gordon, an ally of the Black Whip.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: In 1983 a comedy follow-up, "Zorro and Son", aired on CBS. The series was shot in color on many of the same studio lots where the original was filmed. Featuring none of the original cast (Gene Sheldon and Henry Calvin had passed away by then, while Guy Williams walked out after a script dispute), the show performed poorly in the ratings.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: Comics based on the "Zorro" character had already appeared before the Disney TV series. But when the Disney TV show became popular new comics were published under the banner "Walt Disney Presents: Zorro" and the artwork reflected the way the characters looked in the TV version. The "Disney: Zorro" comics were drawn by Alex Toth. In the Netherlands Hans G. Kresse also drew a comic strip version based on this particular TV series.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: In this film, edited from eight episodes of Disney's hit TV series, Don Diego returns home to find his town under the heel of a cruel dictator, Capitan Monastario. Diego dons the mask of Zorro to fight the evil commandant's tyranny, and, with the help of his mute servant Bernardo, free the pueblo from his oppression.


title: Zorro (1957 TV series)

text: Compiled from six episodes of the original Disney Zorro series, this film has El Zorro, "The Fox", battling Jose Sebastian Varga, "The Eagle", a corrupt dictator set on taking control of all of Spanish California.


title: Kenny Lattimore

text: Lattimore first developed his interest for music in the high school band program at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland. He often acknowledges Dr. Barbara Baker for setting him on his current path. Lattimore spoke at the 2005 Eleanor Roosevelt High School Graduation. He is an alumnus of Howard University in Washington, D.C.


title: Kenny Lattimore

text: A stint as session vocalist for R&B group Maniquin led to an official place in the group as lead singer. D'Extra Wiley of the 1990s R&B group II D Extreme was also a member of Maniquin, briefly before signing to MCA Records. The group released a lone self-titled album for Epic Records in 1989. Its lead single "I Wanna Ride" was an answer to the hit single "Mercedes Boy" by Pebbles in both sound and lyric. Both artists' singles were produced and co-written by Charlie Wilson of Gap Band fame. Lattimore soon left Maniquin to pursue a solo career, and the group subsequently disbanded.


title: Kenny Lattimore

text: Lattimore signed with Columbia Records in late 1994 and released his own debut album "Kenny Lattimore" in 1996. That set included a pair of Top 20 hits: "Never Too Busy" and the Grammy-nominated "For You", written by high school friend Kenny Lerum. The album earned Lattimore a win for Best New Artist at the NAACP Image Awards in 1996, and eventually achieved Gold sales status.


title: Kenny Lattimore

text: He followed up his debut with "From the Soul of Man", another critically acclaimed set of classically styled soul music in 1998, yielding the hits "Days Like This" and "If I Lose My Woman" along with a standout cover of The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".


title: Kenny Lattimore

text: After a short hiatus, the singer re-emerged on Arista Records when then-president Clive Davis signed him to a new contract. He eventually released a more contemporary R&B album, 2001's "Weekend" under L.A. Reid's regime, as Davis was only allowed to take a small defined number of artists to his next venture, J Records. The title track and first single was anchored by a sample of Blondie's "Rapture" and became a radio favorite on both sides of the Atlantic. Davis may have had a different vision for his career, but he ended up recording three albums for Arista Records as Reid also had a vision that included a modern-day version of a classic soul duo with his new bride, the Gold-level artist Chante Moore whom he recorded two duet albums that were both critically and commercially acclaimed. In keeping with the "lover man" image that came to the fore with the hits that launched his career, Lattimore is known for his dramatic stage shows, vocal agility and romantic ambiance. "The New York Times" called him as a "modern soul man" on stage. The singer has long established in interviews his personal mission to show the "strong, but sensitive and caring side of Black men."


title: Kenny Lattimore

text: In 2003, Lattimore and his then-wife Chante Moore released a duet album entitled "Things That Lovers Do" consisting of classic soul songs from the 1970s and 1980s plus two new original songs. The standout singles were the smooth and contemporary "Loveable (From Your Head to Your Toes)" and a cover of René & Angela's "You Don't Have To Cry". Lattimore and Moore continued promoting the album with a successful touring stage show.


title: Kenny Lattimore

text: Following "Things That Lovers Do", Lattimore released another collaborative album with Moore. The duo released their second collaborative album entitled "Uncovered/Covered" (2006). The album peaked at number-ten on the "Billboard" R&B Charts and number-two on the "Billboard" Gospel charts. The duo's cover version of "You're All I Need to Get By" served as the theme song for the BET reality series "The Family Crews".


title: Kenny Lattimore

text: In 2008, Lattimore released a cover album with Verve Records entitled "Timeless" on September 9, 2008. The lead single "You Are My Starship" was originally performed by Norman Connor featuring Michael Henderson. Lattimore was also featured on the uptempo dance song "Another Love" by Brian Culbertson.


title: Kenny Lattimore

text: Lattimore began his own record company SincereSoul Records in 2012. He released his album "Back 2 Cool" on January 22, 2013. The album's first single "Find a Way" produced by Ivan "Orthodox" Barias & Carvin "Ransum" Higgins hit radio on Valentine's Day 2012. The second single "Back 2 Cool" featured Kelly Price.


title: Kenny Lattimore

text: In January 2002, Lattimore married singer Chanté Moore in Jamaica. On April 10, 2003, Moore gave birth to their son Kenny Lattimore Jr. In July 2011, the couple announced that they had divorced.


title: Kenny Lattimore

text: On March 8, 2020, Lattimore married American judge Faith Jenkins. They are expecting their first child together.


title: AC power plugs and sockets: British and related types

text: Plugs and sockets for electrical appliances not hardwired to mains electricity originated in the United Kingdom in the 1870s and were initially two-pin designs. These were usually sold as a mating pair, but gradually de facto and then official standards arose to enable the interchange of compatible devices. British standards have proliferated throughout large parts of the former British Empire.


text: BS 546, "Two-pole and earthing-pin plugs, socket-outlets and socket-outlet adaptors for AC (50–60 Hz) circuits up to 250 V" is a British Standard for three-pin AC power plugs and sockets. Originally published in April 1934, it was updated by a 1950 edition which is still current, with eight amendments up to 1999. BS 546 is also the precursor of current Indian and South African plug standards. The 5 A version has been designated as "Type D" and the 15 A as "Type M" in the IEC 60083 plugs and sockets standard. BS 546 plugs and sockets are still permitted in the UK, provided the socket has shutters.


text: In the United Kingdom and in Ireland this system is usually referred to by its pin shape and is simply known as "round pin plugs" or "round pin sockets". It is often associated with obsolete wiring installations or where it is found in modern wiring, it is confined to special use cases, particularly for switch controlled lamps and stage lighting.


text: BS 1363, "13 A plugs socket-outlets adaptors and connection units" is a British Standard which specifies the most common type of single-phase AC power plugs and sockets that are used in the United Kingdom. Distinctive characteristics of the system are shutters on the neutral and (see below) socket holes, and a fuse in the plug. It has been adopted in many former British colonies and protectorates. BS 1363 was introduced in 1947 as one of the new standards for electrical wiring in the United Kingdom used for post-war reconstruction. The plug and socket replaced the BS 546 plug and socket, which are still found in old installations or in special applications. BS 1363 plugs have been designated as "Type G" in the IEC 60083 plugs and sockets standard.


text: In the United Kingdom and in Ireland, this system is usually referred to simply as a "13 amp plug" or a "13 amp socket".


text: The International Electrotechnical Commission publishes IEC 60050, the International Electrotechnical Vocabulary.


text: Generally the plug is the movable connector attached to an electrically operated device's mains cable, and the socket is fixed on equipment or a building structure and connected to an energised electrical circuit. The plug has protruding pins (referred to as "male") that fit into matching apertures (called "female") in the sockets. A plug is defined in IEC 60050 as an "accessory having pins designed to engage with the contacts of a socket-outlet, also incorporating means for the electrical connection and mechanical retention of flexible cables or cords". A plug therefore does not contain components which modify the electrical output from the electrical input (except where a switch or fuse is provided as a means of disconnecting the output from input). There is an erroneous tendency to refer to power conversion devices with incorporated plug pins as plugs, but IEC 60050 refers to these as 'direct plug-in equipment' defined as "equipment in which the mains plug forms an integral part of the equipment enclosure so that the equipment is supported by the mains socket-outlet". In this article, the term 'plug' is used in the sense defined by IEC 60050. Sockets are designed to prevent exposure of bare energised contacts.


text: To reduce the risk of users accidentally touching energized conductors and thereby experiencing electric shock, plug and socket systems often incorporate safety features in addition to the recessed contacts of the energized socket. These include plugs with insulated sleeves, sockets with blocking shutters, and sockets designed to accept only compatible plugs inserted in the correct orientation.


text: The term "plug" is in general and technical use in all forms of English, common alternatives being "power plug", "electric plug", and "plug top". The normal technical term for an AC power socket is "socket-outlet", but in non-technical common use a number of other terms are used. The general term is "socket", but there are numerous common alternatives, including "power point", "plug socket", "wall socket", and "wall plug". Modern British sockets for domestic use are normally manufactured as single or double units with an integral face plate and are designed to fit standard mounting boxes.


text: Electrical sockets for single phase domestic, commercial and light industrial purposes generally provide three electrical connections to the supply conductors. These are termed "neutral", "line" and "earth". Both neutral and line carry current and are defined as "live parts". Neutral is usually at or very near to earth potential, being earthed either at the substation or at the service entrance (neutral-to-earth bonding is not permitted in the distribution board/consumer unit). Line (commonly, but technically incorrectly, called "live") carries the full supply voltage relative to the neutral. The "protective earth" connection allows the exposed metal parts of the appliance to be connected to earth, providing protection to the user should those exposed parts inadvertently come into contact with any live parts within the appliance. Historically, two-pin sockets without earth were used in Britain, but their use is now restricted to sockets specifically designated for shavers and toothbrushes.


text: An adaptor (in the context of plugs and sockets) is defined in IEC 60050 as "a portable accessory constructed as an integral unit incorporating both a plug portion and one or more socket-outlet portions". (There is an alternative spelling, 'adapter', but adaptor is the form usually used in standards and official documents.)


text: There are certain characteristics common to British mains plugs and sockets intended for domestic use. The brass pins appear relatively solid and large compared to others. British Standards for plugs (with the exception of BS 4573) have always specified side entry flex (entry in other types is usually parallel to the axes of the pins). Since 1934, the contacts of a socket have been specified in terms of the pins of the plug, rather than by specifying the contact dimensions. The pins of both round pin and rectangular pin plugs are arranged in a triangular fashion, the earth pin being the larger and longer pin at the apex. Earthed sockets are designed to be incompatible with two-pin plugs. Both BS 546 and BS 1363 sockets, when viewed from the front with the earth uppermost, have the line aperture at the lower right.


text: A Statutory Instrument, the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1987, was introduced to specifically regulate plugs and sockets in the United Kingdom. This was revised by the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994. The guidance notes to the 1994 regulations state:


text: The regulations include a requirement that all plug types must be tested and certified by a nominated approval body (normally BSI, ASTA-Intertek or NEMKO). They also require that all mains appliances for domestic use in the UK be supplied with approved BS 1363 plugs, but there is an exception for plugs fitted to shavers and toothbrushes which are normally a UK shaver plug (BS 4573) but may also be a Europlug (BS EN 50075). The regulations also contain a provision for the approval of non-BS 1363 conforming plugs when "the plugs are constructed using an alternative method of construction which provides an equivalent level of safety in respect of any risk of death or personal injury to plugs which conform to BS 1363 and is such that plugs of that type may reasonably be expected to be safe in use". Certifying bodies have used this provision by developing their own standards for novel devices, thus allowing the introduction of innovative developments; an example is the plastic ISOD (insulated shutter opening device) which was originally approved against either an ASTA Standard or the BSI PAS 003 before becoming incorporated into BS 1363-1:1995.


text: There is no European Union regulation of domestic mains plugs and sockets; the Low Voltage Directive specifically excludes domestic plugs and sockets. As such, no relevant retained EU law applies. EU countries each have their own regulations and national standards and CE marking is neither applicable nor permitted on plugs and sockets. Despite this CE marking is sometimes fraudulently used, especially on universal sockets.


text: When electricity was first introduced into houses, it was primarily used for lighting. As electricity became a common method of operating labour-saving appliances, a safe means of connection to the electric system other than using a light socket was needed. According to British author John Mellanby the first plug and socket in England was introduced by T. T. Smith in 1883, and there were two-pin designs by 1885, one of which appears in the (British) General Electric Company catalogue of 1889. Gustav Binswanger, a German Jewish immigrant who founded the General Electric Company, obtained a patent (GB189516898) in 1895 for a plug and socket using a concentric (co-axial) contact system.


text: The earthed consumer plug has several claimants to its invention. A 1911 book dealing with the electrical products of "A. P. Lundberg & Sons" of London describes the "Tripin" earthed plug available in 2.5 A and 5 A models. The pin configuration of the "Tripin" appears virtually identical to modern BS 546 plugs. In her 1914 book "Electric cooking, heating, cleaning, etc" Maud Lucas Lancaster mentions an earthed iron-clad plug and socket by the English firm of A. Reyrolle & Company. The 1911 General Electric Company (GEC) Catalogue included several earthed sockets intended for industrial use.


text: The earliest domestic plug and socket is believed to be that patented by T. T. Smith in 1883. This was shortly followed by patents from W. B. Sayers and G. Hookham; these early designs had rectangular plugs with contact plates on either side. In 1885, two-pin plug designs appeared and in 1889 there were two-pin plugs and sockets in the GEC catalogue. The 1893 GEC Catalogue included three sizes of what was described as "Double plug Sockets" with capacities described not in amps, but as "1 to 5 lights", "5 to 10 lights" and "10 to 20 lights". These were clearly recognisable as two-pin plugs and sockets, but with no indication as to pin size or spacing, they were sold as pairs. The same catalogue included lampholder plugs for both BC and ES lampholders (capacity unspecified), and also a type of two-pole concentric plug and socket (similar to a very large version of the concentric connectors used for laptop PC power connections) in the "1 to 5 lights" and "5 to 10 lights" capacities. Crompton and Company introduced the first two-pin socket with protective shutters in 1893, and the Edison & Swan Company was also manufacturing two-pin plug and sockets in the 1890s.


text: By the time the 1911 GEC Catalogue was published two-pin plugs and sockets were being offered with specifications in amps, but still with no indication as to pin size or spacing. The "Midget Gauge" was rated at 3 A, the "Standard Gauge" rated at 5 A, and the "Union Gauge" rated at 10 A. Also offered were two-way and three-way "T pieces" or multi-way adaptors for the 3 A and 5 A plugs, two-way only for the 10 A. Versions of the concentric plug and socket were now offered rated at 5 A and 10 A. At the same time Lundberg were offering the 2.5 A "Dot", 5 A "Universal", and 15 A "Magnum", and Tucker were offering a range of 5 A, 10 A and 20 A plugs and sockets.


text: BS 73 "Wall plugs and sockets (five ampere two-pin without earthing connection)" was first published in 1915, and revised in 1919 with the addition of 15 A and 30 A sizes. By the 1927 revision of BS 73 four sizes of two-pin plugs and sockets were standardized: 2 A, 5 A, 15 A and 30 A. This was later superseded by BS 372:1930 part 1 "Two-pin Side-entry Wall Plugs And Sockets for Domestic Purposes". Following the introduction of BS 4573 in 1970 there were no longer any UK domestic uses for two-pin sockets except for shavers, so BS 372 was renamed "Two-pin Side-entry Wall Plugs And Sockets For Special Circuits" and subsequently withdrawn.


text: BS 4573 "British Standard Specification for two-pin reversible plugs and shaver socket-outlets" defines a plug for use with electric shavers. The pin dimensions are the same as those of the 5 A plug specified in the obsolete BS 372:1930 part 1 (as shown in the table above). Unlike the original, the plug has insulated sleeves on the pins. Electric toothbrushes in the UK are normally supplied with the same plug. The sockets for this plug are rated at (and limited to) 200 mA. BS 4573 has no explicit specification for the plug rating, but Sheet GB6 of IEC 60083 states that a rating of 0.2 A applies to all BS 4573 accessories.


text: The BS 4573 socket is for use in rooms other than bathrooms. When installed in wet areas (e.g. bathrooms), for safety reasons it is normally found incorporated into a shaver supply unit which includes an isolation transformer and meets various mechanical and electrical characteristics specified by the BS EN 61558-2-5 safety standard to protect against shock in wet areas. Shaver supply units also typically accept a variety of 230 V two-pin plug types including BS 4573, Europlug Type C, and Australian two-pin plugs. The isolation transformer often includes a 115 V output that supplies a two-pin US Type A socket. Shaver supply units must also be current-limited; BS EN 61558-2-5 specifies a minimum rating of 20 VA and maximum of 50 VA. BS 4573 and BS EN 61558-2-5 both require sockets to be marked with the shaver symbol defined in the IEC Standard 60417-5225; the words "shavers only" are also often used but not required.


text: In the early 20th century, A. P. Lundberg & Sons of London manufactured the "Tripin" earthed plug available in 2.5 A and 5 A models. The "Tripin" is described in a 1911 book dealing with the electrical products of A. P. Lundberg & Sons and its pin configuration appears virtually identical to modern BS 546 plugs.


text: The first British standard for domestic three-pin plugs was BS 317 "Hand-Shield and Side Entry Pattern Three-Pin Wall Plugs and Sockets (Two Pin and Earth Type)" published in 1928. This was superseded in 1930 by BS 372 "Side-Entry Wall Plugs and Sockets for Domestic Purposes" Part II which states that there are only minor alterations from BS 317. In 1934, BS 372 Part II was in turn superseded by the first edition of BS 546 "Two-Pole and Earthing-Pin Plugs and Socket Outlets". BS 546:1934 clause 2 specifies interchangeability with BS 372 Part II which includes the same four plug and socket sizes. (BS 372 Part I was a standard for two-pin non-earthed plugs which were never included in BS 546 and which were incompatible due to different pin spacings.)


text: Also in 1934 the 10th Edition of the IEE's "Regulations for the Electrical Equipment of Buildings" introduced the requirement for all sockets to have an earth contact.


text: Prior to BS 546, British Standards for domestic plugs and sockets included dimensional specifications for the socket contact tubes. In BS 546 there are no dimensions for socket contacts, instead they are required to make good contact with the specified plug pins.


text: Before the introduction of BS 317, GH Scholes (Wylex) introduced (in 1926) an alternative three-pin plug in three sizes, 5 A, 10 A and 15 A with a round earth pin and rectangular live and neutral pins. A fused 13 A version of this continued to be available after the introduction of BS 1363, illustrating that BS 546 was not used exclusively at any time.


text: Although still permitted by the UK wiring regulations, BS 546 sockets are no longer used for general purposes. Some of the varieties remain in use in other countries and in specialist applications such as stage lighting.


text: When BS 546 was in common use domestically in the UK the standard did not require sockets to be shuttered, although many were. The current revision of the standard allows optional shutters similar to those of BS 1363. Current UK wiring regulations require socket outlets installed in homes to be shuttered.


text: There are four ratings of plug and socket in BS 546, (2 A, 5 A, 15 A and 30 A). Each has the same general appearance but they are different physical sizes to prevent interchangeability, they use pin spacing which is also different from the two pin plugs specified in BS 372, so earthed plugs will not fit into unearthed sockets, and vice versa. Plugs fitted with BS 546 fuses have been optional since the original BS 546:1934 with maximum fuse ratings of 2 A in the 2 A plug, and 5 A in the 5 A, 15 A and 30 A plugs. In practice most BS 546 plugs are unfused with fused versions being unusual and expensive.


text: The 15 ampere (A) sockets were generally given a dedicated 15 A circuit. Multiple 5 A sockets might be on a 15 A circuit, or each on a dedicated 5 A circuit. Lighting circuits fused at 5 A were generally used to feed the 2 A sockets. Adaptors were available from 15 A down to 5 A and from 5 A down to 2 A so in practice it was possible for an appliance with the smallest size of flex to be protected only by a 15 A fuse. This is a similar level of protection to that seen for portable appliances in other countries, but less than the protection offered by the BS 1363 fused plug.


text: The larger top pin is the earth connection, the left hand pin is neutral and the right hand pin is line when looking at a socket or at the rear of a plug.


text: This plug was used to connect low power appliances (and to adaptors from the larger socket types). It is sometimes still used to connect lamps to a lighting circuit.


text: This plug corresponds to Type D in the IEC table. In the UK it was used for moderate sized appliances, either on its own 5 A circuit or on a multi socket 15 A circuit, and also on many adaptors (both multi socket 5 A adaptors and adaptors that also had 15 A pins). This 5 A plug, along with its 2 A cousin, is sometimes used in the UK for centrally switched domestic lighting circuits, in order to distinguish them from normal power circuits; this is quite common in hotel rooms. This plug was also once used in theatrical installations for the same reasons as the 15 A model below.


text: This plug corresponds to Type M in the IEC table. It is the largest in domestic use and is commonly used in the UK for indoor dimmable theatre and architectural lighting installations.


text: The 30 A plug is the largest of the family. This was used for high power industrial equipment up to 7.2 kW, such as industrial kitchen appliances, or dimmer racks for stage lighting. Plugs and sockets were usually of an industrial waterproof design with a screw locking ring on the plug to hold it in the socket against waterproof seals, and sockets often had a screw cap chained to them to be used when no plug was inserted to keep them waterproof. Use of the BS 546 30 A plugs and sockets diminished through the 1970s as they were replaced with BS 4343 (which later became IEC 60309) industrial combo plugs and sockets.


text: BS 546:1950 (current version confirmed October 2012) specifies pin dimensions only in decimal fractions of an inch, as shown below. The metric values are conversions provided here for convenience. Note, the original lengths of the line and neutral pins on the 15 and 5 amp versions were slightly longer at and respectively.


text: BS 1363 is a British Standard which specifies the common single-phase AC power plugs and sockets that are used in the United Kingdom. Distinctive characteristics of the system are shutters on the and neutral socket holes, and a fuse in the plug. It has been adopted in many former British overseas territories. BS 1363 was introduced in 1947 as one of the new standards for electrical wiring in the United Kingdom used for post-war reconstruction. This plug corresponds to Type G in the IEC table. BS 1363 replaced the BS 546 plug and socket (which are still found in old installations or in special applications such as remotely switched lighting). Other exceptions to the use of BS 1363 plugs and sockets include equipment requiring more than 13 A, low-power portable equipment (such as shavers and toothbrushes) and mains-operated clocks.


text: In 1941 Lord Reith, then the minister of Works and Planning, established committees to investigate problems likely to affect the post-war rebuilding of Britain. One of these, the Electrical Installations Committee, was charged with the study of all aspects of electrical installations in buildings. Amongst its members was Dame Caroline Haslett, President of the Women's Engineering Society, Director of the Electrical Association for Women and an expert on safety in the home. Convened in 1942, the committee reported in 1944, producing one of a set of Post War Building Studies that guided reconstruction.


text: The plug and socket-outlet system defined in BS 1363 is a result of one of the report's recommendations. Britain had previously used a combination of 2 A, 5 A, and 15 A round pin sockets. In an appendix to the main report (July 1944), the committee proposed that a completely new socket-outlet and fused plug should be adopted as the "all-purpose" domestic standard. The main report listed eight points to consider in deciding the design of the new standard. The first of these was stated as, "To ensure the safety of young children it is of considerable importance that the contacts of the socket-outlet should be protected by shutters or other like means, or by the inherent design of the socket-outlet." Others included flush-fitting, no need for a switch, requirements for terminals, bottom entry for the cable, and contact design. The appendix added five further "points of technical detail" including requirements that plugs could not be inserted incorrectly, should be easy to withdraw, and should include a fuse.


text: This requirement for a new system of plugs and sockets led to the publishing in 1947 of "British Standard 1363:1947 Fused-Plugs and Shuttered Socket-Outlets".


text: One of the other recommendations in the report was the introduction of the ring circuit system (often informally called a "ring main"). In this arrangement a cable connected to a fuse, or circuit breaker, in the distribution board was wired in sequence to a number of sockets before being terminated back at the distribution board, thus forming a ring final circuit. In the ring circuit, each socket-outlet was supplied with current by conductors on both sides of the 'loop.' This contrasts with the radial system (which is also used in the UK, often in the same installation) wherein a single cable runs out radially, like a spoke, from the distribution board to serve a number of sockets. Since the fuse or circuit breaker for a ring circuit has to be rated for the maximum current the ring could carry (30 A or 32 A for a breaker), additional protection is required at each socket-plug connection. Theoretically, such protection could have been designated either within the socket or within the plug. However, to ensure that this protection has a rating matched to the appliance flexible cord fitted to the plug, a fuse rated between 1 A and 13 A is incorporated into each plug. Wired connections may also be connected to the ring, and these are also required to include a suitably rated fuse. The ring circuit in the UK requires the use of BS 1363 plugs and sockets, but the BS 1363 system is not limited to use with ring circuits.


text: BS 1363 is periodically revised and with supplements and amendments issued between major revisions. BS 1363:1984 and earlier versions dealt only with 13 A plugs and sockets. From 1989 onwards the standard was rearranged into five parts as follows:


text: May 1950: BS 1363:1947 Amendment 3, title changed to "Specification for two-pole and earthing-pin fused-plugs and shuttered socket-outlets for A.C. circuits up to 250 Volts (not intended for use on D.C. circuits)".


text: January 1957: BS 1363:1947 Amendment 5, added clause permitting operation of shutters by simultaneous insertion of two or more pins (in addition to original method using only earth pin).


text: 1957: Complementary standard published, BS 2814:1957 "Two-pole and earthing-pin flush-mounted 13-Amp switch socket-outlets for A.C. circuits up to 250 Volts". A separate standard specifying a switched version of the BS 1363 socket-outlet for use with BS 1363 plugs.


text: September 1967: BS 1363:1967 "Specification for 13A plugs, switched and unswitched socket-outlets and boxes" published. This standard superseded both BS 1363:1947 and BS 2814:1957. Only 3 A and 13 A fuses are specified. Resilient Plugs are included.


text: August 1984: BS 1363:1984 "Specification for 13 A fused plugs switched and unswitched socket-outlets" published. This standard superseded BS 1363:1967. Changes include the introduction of sleeved pins on Line and Neutral, metric dimensions replacing inches, specifications added for non-rewirable plugs and portable socket-outlets. The standard was aligned, where possible, with the proposed IEC standard for domestic plugs and socket-outlets.


text: February 1989: BS 1363-3:1989 "13 A plugs socket-outlets and adaptors - Part 3: Specification for adaptors" published. This new standard covers adaptors for use with BS 1363 socket-outlets and includes conversion adaptors (those which accept plugs of a different type), multiway adaptors (those which accept more than one plug, which may or may not be of a different type) and shaver adaptors. All adaptors (except for those accepting not more than two BS 1363 plugs) require to be fused. All sockets, including those to other standards, must be shuttered.


text: 1994: A Product Approval Specification, PAS 003:1994, "Non-Rewirable 13 A Plugs with Plastic Socket Shutter Opening Pins" published. PAS 003 allowed for the design and approval of plugs without earthing intended for class II applications only. This was superseded by BS 1363-1:1995 but the PAS was not withdrawn until 23 July 2013.


text: February 1995: BS 1363-1:1995 "13 A plugs socket-outlets adaptors and connection units - Part 1: Specification for rewirable and non-rewirable 13 A fused plugs" published. This standard, together with BS 1363-2:1995, supersedes BS 1363:1984. The provisions of PAS 003 are incorporated, but the plastic pin is redesignated as an "ISOD".


text: September 1995: BS 1363-2:1995 "13 A plugs socket-outlets adaptors and connection units - Part 2: Specification for 13 A switched and unswitched socket-outlets" published.


text: September 1995: BS 1363-3:1995 "13 A plugs socket-outlets adaptors and connection units - Part 3: Specification for adaptors" published. Supersedes BS 1363-3:1989


text: November 1995: BS 1363-4:1995 "13 A plugs socket-outlets adaptors and connection units - Part 4: Specification for 13 A fused connection units switched and unswitched" published. A new standard.


text: August 2008: BS 1363-5:2008 "13 A plugs socket-outlets adaptors and connection units - Part 5: Specification for 13 A fused conversion plugs" published. A new standard.


text: May 2012: BS 1363-1:1995 +A4:2012 (Title unchanged) published. This amended standard allows switches to be incorporated into plugs, and introduced new overload tests amongst others. BS 1363-1:1995 remained current until 31 May 2015.


text: May 2012: BS 1363-2:1995 +A4:2012 (Title unchanged) published. This amended standard adds a requirement that it shall not be possible to operate a shutter by the insertion of a two-pin Europlug, and introduced new temperature rise tests amongst others. BS 1363-2:1995 remained current until 31 May 2015.


text: May 2012: BS 1363-4:1995 +A4:2012 (Title unchanged) published. Minor changes to BS 1363-4:1995 which remained current until 31 May 2015.


text: November 2012: BS 1363-3:1995 +A4:2012 (Title unchanged) published. This amended standard adds a requirement that it shall not be possible to operate a shutter by the insertion of a two-pin Europlug, and added specifications for switched adaptors amongst others. BS 1363-3:1995 will remain current until 31 December 2015.


text: August 2016: BS 1363-1:2016 (Title unchanged) published. Added requirements for incorporated electronic components and for electric vehicle charging. BS 1363-1:1995 +A4:2012 remained current until 31 August 2019.


text: August 2016: BS 1363-2:2016 (Title unchanged) published. Added requirements for incorporated electronic components and for electric vehicle charging. BS 1363-2:1995 +A4:2012 remained current until 31 August 2019.


text: August 2016: BS 1363-3:2016 (Title unchanged) published. Added requirements for incorporated electronic components. BS 1363-3:1995 +A4:2012 remained current until 31 August 2019.


text: August 2016: BS 1363-4:2016 (Title unchanged) published. Minor changes only. BS 1363-4:1995 +A4:2012 remained current until 31 August 2019.


text: August 2016: BS 1363-5:2016 (Title unchanged) published. Minor changes only. BS 1363-5:2008 remained current until 31 August 2019.


text: February 2018: BS 1363-1:2016 +A1:2018 (Title unchanged) published. BS 1363‑1:2016 is withdrawn and BS 1363‑1:1995+A4:2012 remained current until 31 August 2019.


text: A BS 1363 plug has two horizontal, rectangular pins for and neutral, and above these pins, a larger, vertical pin for an earth connection. Both "line" and "neutral" carry current and are defined as "live parts". The earth pin also serves to operate the basic shutter mechanism used in many sockets. Correct polarity is established by the position of the earth pin relative to the other two pins, ensuring that the pin is connected to the correct terminal in the socket-outlet. Moulded plugs for unearthed, double-insulated appliances may instead have a non-conductive plastic pin (an Insulated Shutter Opening Device or ISOD) the same size and shape as an earth pin, to open the shutters. When looking at the plug pins with the earth uppermost the lower left pin is line, and the lower right is neutral.


text: UK consumer protection legislation requires that most domestic electrical goods sold must be provided with fitted plugs to BS 1363-1. These are usually, but not necessarily, non-rewirable. Rewirable plugs for hand-wiring with a screwdriver are commonly available and must be provided with instructions.


text: BS 1363-1 specifies the dimensions of plug pins and their disposition with respect to each other in precise, absolute terms. The and neutral pins have a rectangular cross section 6.4 mm by 4.0 mm, 17.7 mm long and with centres 22.2 mm apart. The protective-earth pin is a rectangular cross section 8.0 mm by 4.0 mm, 22.3 mm long and with a centre line 22.2 mm from the line/neutral pin centre line. The dimensions were originally specified in decimal inches with asymmetric tolerances and redefined as minimum and maximum metric dimensions in BS 1363:1984.


text: Dimensions are chosen to provide safe clearance to live parts. The distance from any part of the and neutral pins to the periphery of the plug base must be not less than 9.5 mm. This ensures that nothing can be inserted alongside a pin when the plug is in use and helps keep fingers away from the pins. The longer earth pin ensures that the earth path is connected before the live pins, and that it remains connected until after the live pins are disconnected. The earth pin is too large to be inserted into the or neutral sockets by mistake.


text: Initially, BS 1363 did not require the and neutral pins to have insulating sleeves. Plugs made to the recent revisions of the standard have insulated sleeves to prevent finger contact with pins, and also to stop metal objects (for example, fallen window blind slats) from becoming live if lodged between the wall and a partly pulled out plug. The length of the sleeves prevents any live contacts from being exposed while the plug is being inserted or removed. An early method of sleeving the pins involving spring-loaded sleeves is described in the 1967 British Patent GB1067870. The method actually adopted is described in the 1972 British Patent GB1292991. Plugs with such pins were available in the 1970s; a Southern Electricity/RoSPA safety pamphlet from 1978 encourages their use. Sleeved pins became required by the standard in 1984.


text: There are two common misconceptions about the purpose of the fuse in a BS 1363 plug: one is that it protects the appliance connected to the plug, and the other is that it protects against overloading. In fact the fuse is there to protect the flexible cord between the plug and the appliance under fault conditions (typical British ring circuits can deliver more current than appliance flexible power cords can handle).


text: BS 1363 plugs are required to carry a cartridge fuse, which must conform to BS 1362. "Post-War Building Studies No. 11, Electrical Installations" included the recommendation that "Provision should be made in the plug for the accommodation of a cartridge type of fuse for 13 amps., and alternatively, for 3 amps. Fuses of these ratings should be interchangeable and be readily identified." The original BS 1363:1947 specified fuse ratings of 3 A, 7 A and 13 A. The current version of the fuse standard, BS 1362:1973, allows any fuse rating up to 13 A, with 3 A (coloured red) and 13 A (coloured brown) as the preferred (but not mandated) values when used in a plug. All other ratings are to be coloured black. Most common in consumer retail outlets are fuses rated 3, 5 and 13 A; Professional suppliers also commonly stock fused rated 1, 2, 7, and 10 A.


text: Fuses are mechanically interchangeable; it is up to the end-user or appliance manufacturer to install the appropriate rating fuse. It has long been a common practice, although not a good one, for the maximum capacity 13A fuse to be supplied and used by default. More appropriate lower-capacity fuses are now supplied with some plugs instead.


text: BS 1362 specifies sand-filled ceramic-bodied cylindrical fuses, with dimensions of in length, with two metallic end caps of diameter and roughly long. The standard specifies breaking time versus current characteristics only for 3 A or 13 A fuses.


text: The plug sides are shaped to improve grip and make it easier to remove the plug from a socket-outlet. The plug is polarised, so that the fuse is in the side of the supply. The flexible cord always enters the plug from the bottom, discouraging removal by tugging on the cable, which can damage the cable. Rewireable plugs must be designed so that they can be wired in a manner which prevents strain to the earth connection before the line and neutral connection in the event of failure of the cord anchorage.


text: BS 1363 plugs and sockets are rated for use at a maximum of 250 V ac and 13 A, with the exception of non-rewirable plugs which have a current rating according to the type of cable connected to them and the fuse fitted. The rating must be marked on the plug, and in the case of non-rewirable plugs the marking must be the value of the fuse fitted by the plug manufacturer in accordance with table 2 of the standard. Typical ratings for non-rewirable plugs are 3 A, 5 A, 10 A and 13 A.


text: Plugs which do not meet BS 1363 often find their way into the UK. Some of these are legal in the country they are manufactured in, but do not meet BS 1363 – these can be brought into the UK by unsuspecting travellers, or people purchasing electrical goods online. They can also be purchased through many UK electrical component distributors. There are also counterfeit plugs which appear to meet the standards (and are marked as such) but do not in fact comply. Legislation was introduced, with the last revision in 1994, to require plugs sold to meet the technical standard. Counterfeit products are regularly seized when found, to enforce the safety standards and to protect the approval marks and trademarks of imitated manufacturers. The pressure group PlugSafe reported in March 2014 that since August 2011 "thousands" of listings of products including illegal plugs had been removed from the UK sections of the websites eBay and Amazon Marketplace. The UK Electrical Safety Council expressed shock at the magnitude of the problem and published a video showing a plug exploding due to a counterfeit BS 1362 fuse. The Institution of Engineering and Technology also published information on the extent of the problem with on-line retailers, many advertising replacement cord sets, mobile device chargers, and travel adaptors fraudulently marked BS 1363, and mentioning the same sites.


text: BS 1363 sockets are commonly supplied with integral switches as a convenience, but switches are optional and did not form part of BS 1363 until 1967.


text: Sockets are required to mate correctly with BS 1363 plugs (as opposed to the dimensions of the socket contacts being specified). This is checked by means of the use of various gauges which are specified in the standard; these gauges ensure that the socket contacts are correctly positioned and make effective and secure contact with the plug pins. There is no provision for establishing the interchangeability with any other device having plug pins incorporated, but which is not covered by BS 1363 (for example a charger or socket cover), unless that device conforms precisely to the plug pin dimensions specified. The insertion of non-compliant plugs may damage sockets. The important socket dimensions which the standard does specify are: A minimum insertion of 9.6 mm from the face of the socket-outlet to the first point of contact with a live part, a minimum distance of 9.5 mm from the line and neutral apertures to the periphery of the socket face, and not to exceed dimensions for the apertures of 7.2 mm × 4.8 mm (line and neutral) and 8.8 mm × 4.8 mm (earth).


text: When looking at the front of the socket with the earth aperture uppermost (as normally mounted) the lower left aperture is for the neutral contact, and the lower right is for the line contact.


text: BS 1363 sockets must have shutters on the and neutral contacts to prevent the insertion of a foreign object into the socket. Many sockets use the original method of shutters opened by the earth pin (or plastic ISOD), longer than the other pins and hence opening the shutters before the other pins engage, alone. Alternatively, shutters may be opened by simultaneous insertion of and neutral pins. Some later designs require all three pins to be inserted simultaneously. The use of automatic shutters for protection dates back to at least 1927. Other countries, for example the USA, are gradually requiring their sockets to be protected by shutters.


text: There is a specific requirement in the standard to ensure that Europlugs and other two-pin plugs may not be used with BS 1363 sockets "It shall not be possible to operate a shutter by inserting a 2-pin plug into a 3-pin socket-outlet." However, many extension sockets will allow a plug to be inserted upside down, i.e. only the earth pin, defeating the shutter mechanism. This method is sometimes used to allow a Europlug (with two small round pins and no earth pin) to be forced into the open and neutral ports. The UK Electrical Safety Council has drawn attention to the fire risk associated with forcing Europlugs into BS 1363 sockets.


text: In countries using un-shuttered socket-outlets, socket covers are sometimes sold to prevent children inserting objects into otherwise unprotected sockets. Such covers are also sometimes sold in the UK, but the shutters of the socket-outlet make these unnecessary. There has been publicity about the dangers of poor quality covers, most of which open the shutters when plugged in, but some of which then break apart on removal in a way that leaves the shutters open and the contact holes exposed, or some with poorly formed pins that can strain the contact springs and damage the socket. A 2012 article in the Institution of Engineering and Technology journal "Wiring Matters" concludes that "Socket protectors are not regulated for safety, therefore, using a non-standard system to protect a long established safe system is not sensible." In 2016 the use of socket covers was banned in premises controlled by the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom. BEAMA (British Electrotechnical and Allied Manufacturers Association) published the following statement in June 2017: "BEAMA strongly advises against the use of socket-outlet 'protective' covers."


text: Plug adaptors permit two or more plugs to share one socket-outlet, or allow the use of a plug of different type. There are several common types, including double- and triple-socket blocks, shaver adaptors, and multi-socket strips. Adaptors which allow the use of non-BS 1363 plugs, or more than two BS 1363 plugs, must be fused. Appliances are designed not to draw more power than their plug is rated for; the use of such adaptors, and also multi-socketed extension leads, makes it possible for several appliances to be connected through a single outlet, with the potential to cause dangerous overloads.


text: The purpose of these adaptors is to accept the two-pin plugs of shavers, they are required to be marked as such. Shaver adaptors must have a 1 A BS 646 fuse. They must accept UK shaver plugs complying with BS 4573 and also Europlugs and American two-pin plugs.


text: Switched and unswitched fused connection units, without sockets, use BS 1362 fuses for connection of permanently wired appliances to a socket-outlet circuit. They are also used in other situations where a fuse or switch (or both) is required, such as when feeding lighting off a socket-outlet circuit, to protect spurs off a ring circuit with more than one socket-outlet, and sometimes to switch feeds to otherwise concealed sockets for kitchen appliances.


text: A conversion plug is a special type of plug suitable for the connection of non-BS 1363 type plugs (to a recognized standard) to BS 1363 sockets. An example would be Class 2 appliances from mainland Europe which are fitted with moulded europlugs. Similar converters are available for a variety of other plug types. Unlike a temporary travel adaptor, conversion plugs, when closed, resemble normal plugs, although larger and squarer. The non-BS 1363 plug is inserted into the contacts, and the hinged body of the conversion plug is closed and fixed shut to grip the plug. There must be an accessible fuse. Conversion plugs may be non-reusable (permanently closed) or reusable, in which case it must be impossible to open the conversion plug without using a tool.


text: The Plugs and Sockets, etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 permit domestic appliances fitted with non-BS 1363 plugs to be supplied in the UK with conversion plugs fitted, but not with conversion plugs supplied for fitting by the consumer.


text: Due to the size of the BS 1363 plug, attempts have been made to develop a compatible folding plug. As of July 2014 two folding plugs have been certified under specially developed ASTA standards. SlimPlug which complies with ASTA AS153 and ThinPlug which complies with ASTA AS158. SlimPlug is available only as part of a complete power lead terminating in an IEC 60320 C7 unpolarized (figure-of-eight) connector. In 2009 the ThinPlug received a "Red Dot" award for product design. The first product, also a power lead terminating in an IEC 60320 C7 unpolarized (figure-of-eight) connector became available in 2011.


text: Several manufacturers have made deliberately incompatible variants for use where connection with standard plugs is not acceptable. Common uses include filtered supplies for computer equipment and cleaners' supplies in public buildings and areas (to prevent visitors plugging in unauthorised equipment). Examples are one design made by MK which has a T-shaped earth pin, and the Walsall Gauge 13 A plug, which has each pin rotated 90°, the latter being in use on parts of the London Underground for 110 V AC supply, and also in some British Rail offices for filtered computer supplies.


text: BS 8546 applies to travel adaptors having at least one plug or socket-outlet portion compatible with BS 1363 plugs and socket-outlets. It was first published in April 2016 to provide a standard for travel adaptors suitable for the connection of a non-BS 1363 plug, or to a non-BS 1363 socket-outlet. It provides for an overall rating of 250 V AC, minimum current rating of 5 A, and a maximum of 13 A. Adaptors with BS 1363 plug pins must incorporate a BS 1362 fuse. BS 8546 travel adaptors may also include USB charging ports.


text: Fused plugs and sockets of various proprietary and non-interchangeable types are found in older public buildings in the UK, where they are used to feed AC electric wall clocks. They are smaller than conventional sockets, commonly being made to fit BESA junction boxes, and are often of very low profile. Early types were available fused in both poles; later types fused in the line only and provided an earth pin. Most are equipped with a retaining screw or clip to prevent accidental disconnection. The prevalence of battery-powered quartz-controlled wall clocks has meant that this connector is rarely seen in new installations for clock use. However, it has found use where a low profile fused connector is required and is still available. A relatively common example of such a use is to supply power to an illuminated mirror that has limited clearance from the wall.


text: Prior to the first British Standard for earthed plugs, George H. Scholes of Manchester introduced plugs with a hollow round earth pin between rectangular current-carrying pins in 1926 under the Wylex brand name. The Wylex plugs were initially made in three ratings, 5 A, 10 A and 15 A and were unpolarized (the current-carrying pins were on the same centre line as the earth pin). In 1933 an asymmetric polarized version was introduced, with line pin slightly offset from the centre line. In 1934 the dual plug system was introduced with the socket rated at 15 A and three sizes of plug, fused 2 A and 5 A plugs and a 15 A plug. The 15 A "dual plug" incorporated a socket with narrower apertures than a standard Wylex 15 A socket, that accepted only the narrow rectangular pins of the lower-rated plugs. The introduction of a 13 A fused plug, rated as 3 kW, enabled Scholes to propose their system as a possible solution for the new standard competing with the Dorman & Smith round pin solution, but it was not selected and the completely new BS 1363 design prevailed. Wylex sockets were used in council housing and public sector buildings and, for a short time, in private housing. They were particularly popular in the Manchester area, although they were installed throughout England, mainly in schools, university accommodation, and government laboratories. In some London schools built in the 1960s they were used as low-voltage AC sockets, typically 12 V, 5 A from a transformer serving one or more laboratories, for microscope lamps etc. Wylex plugs and sockets continued to be manufactured for several years after BS 1363 sockets became standard and were commonly used by banks and in computer rooms during the 1960s and 1970s for uninterruptible power supplies or "clean" filtered mains supplies.


text: Made by Dorman & Smith (using patents applied for in 1943) the plugs and sockets were rated at 13 A and were one of the competing types for use on ring final circuits. They were never popular in private houses but were widely deployed in prefabricated houses, council housing and LCC schools. The BBC also used them. Some local authorities continued to use them in new installations until the late 1950s. Many D&S sockets were still in use until the early 1980s, although the difficulty in obtaining plugs for them after around 1970 often forced their users to replace them with BS 1363 sockets. The D&S plug suffered from a serious design fault: the line pin was a fuse which screwed into the plug body and tended to come unscrewed on its own in use. A fuse that worked loose could end up protruding from the socket, electrically live and posing a shock hazard, when the plug was removed.


text: Indian standard IS 1293:2005 "Plugs and Socket-Outlets of Rated Voltage up to and including 250 Volts and Rated Current up to and including 16 Amperes" includes versions of the 5 A and 15 A BS 546 connectors, but they are rated at 6 A and 16 A respectively. Some 6 A 3 pin sockets also have two extra holes above the line and neutral holes to allow a 5 A 2-pin plug to be connected.


text: SS 472:1999 "15 A plugs and switched socket-outlets for domestic and similar purposes". Also used in Riau Islands, Indonesia.


text: The South African standard SANS 164 "Plug and socket-outlet systems for household and similar purposes for use in South Africa" defines a number of derivatives of BS 546. A household plug and socket is defined in SANS 164-1, and is essentially a modernised version of the BS 546 15 A (the essential differences are that pins can be hollowed to reduce the amount of metal used, the dimensions are metricated, and it is rated 16 A). SANS 164-3 defines a 6 A plug and socket based on the BS 546 5 A. The South African Wiring Code now defines the plug and socket system defined in SANS 164-2 (IEC 60906-1) as the preferred standard, and it is expected that SANS 164-1 and SANS 164-3 devices will be phased out by around 2035.


text: SANS 164-4 defines three variants of the 16 A plug and socket intended for specialist (known as "dedicated") applications. The variants use a flattened earth pin, each at a different specified rotational position. This arrangement ensures that the dedicated plugs can all plug into an ordinary ("non-dedicated") socket, but that the various dedicated plug and socket combinations are not interchangeable (nor can a non-dedicated plug be inserted into a dedicated socket).


text: The dedicated versions have specific colours assigned to them, depending on the rotational position of the flattened portion. These are black (−53°), red (0°), and blue (+53°). The red (0°) version is by far the most common, and is widely used on computer and telecommunication equipment (although this is not required in the standard). In this application the "dedicated" socket refers to one that is not connected to a residual current circuit breaker, which is otherwise mandated for all normal power sockets.


text: The IEC "World Plugs" lists Type D as being used in the following locations: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Botswana, Chad, DR Congo, Dominica, French Guiana, Ghana, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Macau, Madagascar, Maldives, Martinique, Monaco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.


text: This plug is often used for air conditioners and washing machines. The IEC "World Plugs" lists Type M as being used in the following locations: Bhutan, Botswana, Eswatini, India, Israel, Lesotho, Macau, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka.


text: Irish Standard 401:1997 "Safety requirements for rewirable and non-rewirable 13 A fused plugs for normal and rough use having insulating sleeves on live and neutral pins" is the equivalent of BS 1363 in Ireland. The use of this standard is enforced by consumer protection legislation which requires that most domestic electrical goods sold in Ireland be fitted with an I.S. 401 plug.


text: SS 145-1:2010 "Specification for 13 A plugs and socket-outlets - Part 1 : Rewirable and non-rewirable 13 A fused plugs"


text: SS 145-2:2010 "Specification for 13 A plugs and socket-outlets - Part 2 : 13 A switched and unswitched socket-outlets"


text: The IEC "World Plugs" lists Type G as being used in the following locations: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Bhutan, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Cyprus, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, Iraq, Ireland, Isle of Man, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.


title: Chris Ryan

text: Colin Armstrong (born 1961), usually known by the pseudonym and pen-name of Chris Ryan, is an author, television presenter, security consultant and former Special Air Service sergeant.


title: Chris Ryan

text: After the publication of fellow patrol member Andy McNab's "Bravo Two Zero" in 1993, Ryan published his own account of his experiences during the Bravo Two Zero mission in 1995, entitled "The One That Got Away". While this has led to a very successful career in writing, both his and McNab's accounts of the Bravo Two Zero mission have been heavily criticised by their fellow patrol members and questioned by other SAS members about their authenticity.


title: Chris Ryan

text: Since retiring from the British Army Ryan has published several fiction and non-fiction books, including "Strike Back", which was subsequently adapted into a television series for Sky 1, and co-created the ITV action series "Ultimate Force". He has also presented or appeared in numerous television documentaries connected to the military or law enforcement.


title: Chris Ryan

text: Ryan was born in Rowlands Gill in County Durham. After attending Hookergate School, he enrolled in the British Army at the age of 16. Ryan's cousin was a member of the reservist 23 SAS Regiment and invited Ryan to come up and ""see what it's like to be in the army"". Ryan did this nearly every weekend, almost passing selection several times, but he was too young to continue and do 'test week'. When he was old enough, he passed selection into 23 SAS. Shortly after that he began selection for the regular 22 SAS Regiment and joined 'B' Squadron as a medic. Needing a parent regiment, Ryan and a soldier who had joined 22 SAS from the Royal Navy, spent eight weeks with the Parachute Regiment before returning to 'B' Squadron. He spent the next seven years carrying out both covert and overt operations with the SAS around the world. One such example was the training of Khmer Rouge members to fight against the Vietnamese in Southeast Asia during the 1980s.


title: Chris Ryan

text: Journalist John Pilger wrote in October 2009, "Incredibly, the Thatcher government had continued to support the defunct Pol Pot regime in the United Nations and even sent the SAS to train his exiled troops in camps in Thailand and Malaysia. Last March, the former SAS soldier Chris Ryan, now a best-selling author, lamented in a newspaper interview “when John Pilger, the foreign correspondent, discovered we were training the Khmer Rouge in the Far east [we] were sent home and I had to return the £10,000 we’d been given for food and accommodation”."


title: Chris Ryan

text: During the Gulf War, Ryan was a team member of the ill-fated eight-man SAS patrol, with the call sign Bravo Two Zero. The patrol was sent into Iraq to "gather intelligence... find a good LUP (lying up position) and set up an OP" on the main supply route (MSR) between Baghdad and North-Western Iraq, and eventually take out the Scud TELs. However they were compromised and forced to head towards Syria on foot.


title: Chris Ryan

text: Ryan made SAS history with the "longest escape and evasion by an SAS trooper or any other soldier", covering more than SAS trooper Jack Sillito had in the Sahara Desert in 1942. Ryan completed a tab from an observation point on the Iraqi MSR between Baghdad and North-Western Iraq to the Syrian Border.


title: Chris Ryan

text: During his escape, Ryan suffered injuries from drinking water contaminated with nuclear waste. Besides suffering severe muscle atrophy, he lost a potentially fatal and did not return to operational duties. Instead, he selected and trained potential recruits, before being honourably discharged from the SAS in 1994.


title: Chris Ryan

text: On 29 June 1991 Ryan was awarded the Military Medal "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the Gulf in 1991" although the award was not gazetted until 15 December 1998 together with the equally belated announcement of Andy McNab's Distinguished Conduct Medal.


title: Chris Ryan

text: Ryan was also a member of an SAS team sent to protect the British Embassy in Kinshasa, Zaire. The team were to ensure that all British diplomatic staff were safely evacuated from the country before the First Congo War. The operation was meant to last only three days, but eventually took one month.


title: Chris Ryan

text: Since leaving the SAS, Ryan wrote "The One That Got Away", which covers the account from his patrol report of the Bravo Two Zero mission. Both his and McNab's accounts have been heavily criticised by former territorial SAS member and explorer Michael Asher, who attempted to retrace the patrol's footsteps for TV and claimed to have debunked both accounts with the help of the then-SAS regimental sergeant major Peter Ratcliffe a very good friend of Ashers.


title: Chris Ryan

text: Ryan, now a best-selling author, has written more than 70 books, both fiction and non-fiction. Many of his works are well known, such as fictional works like "Strike Back (2007)", which was adapted into the TV show, and "Firefight (September 2008)". He also writes fictional books for teenage readers, including the Alpha Force Series and "Code Red", and has written a romantic novel, "The Fisherman's Daughter", under the pseudonym Molly Jackson.


title: Chris Ryan

text: In addition to his writing Ryan has contributed to several television series and video games. In 2002 Ryan co-created and appeared in ITV's action series, "Ultimate Force", playing the role of Blue Troop leader Staff Sergeant Johnny Bell in the first series as well as acting as the military adviser for the video game , helping to make the game more accurate to real-life military operations, tactics, weapons and equipment.


title: Chris Ryan

text: Ryan was the star of BBC One's "Hunting Chris Ryan" in 2003 which later aired on the Military Channel as 'Special Forces Manhunt'. In 2004 Ryan produced several programmes titled "Terror Alert: Could You Survive", in each programme he demonstrated how to survive disasters including, flooding, nuclear terrorist attack, mass blackouts, and plane hijackings. In 2005, Ryan presented a Sky One show called "How Not to Die", detailing how to survive various life-threatening situations, including violent burglary, mugging, and violent attacks. In 2007 Ryan trained and managed a six-man team to represent Team GB at Sure for Men's Extreme Pamplona Chase in Spain during the Running of the Bulls and also appeared in an episode of the Derren Brown series, "Mind Control with Derren Brown", where he booby-trapped a course for Brown to follow whilst blindfolded. Ryan presented the television series "Elite World Cops", also broadcast as "Armed and Dangerous", which aired on Bravo in 2008. In the show, Ryan spends time with various law enforcement agencies around the world, giving him an insight to the war on terrorism and drug trade but from a law enforcement perspective.


title: Chris Ryan

text: Ryan has a daughter. His experiences in Iraq caused him to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. Following his consumption of radioactive water during his Bravo Two Zero escape, he was warned not to have any children in the future.


title: Black (singer)

text: Colin Vearncombe (26 May 1962 – 26 January 2016), known by his stage name Black, was an English singer-songwriter. He emerged from the punk rock music scene and achieved mainstream pop success in the late 1980s, most notably with the 1986 single "Wonderful Life", which was an international hit the next year.


title: Black (singer)

text: William Ruhlmann of AllMusic described Vearncombe as a "smoky-voiced singer/songwriter, whose sophisticated jazz-pop songs and dramatic vocal delivery place him somewhere between Bryan Ferry and Morrissey". Michael Hann of "The Guardian" described his voice as a "slightly frayed baritone".


title: Black (singer)

text: Vearncombe was born in Liverpool and attended Prescot Grammar School. He then enrolled on an art foundation course at Liverpool Polytechnic. He first aspired to become a musician after seeing Elvis Presley in "Jailhouse Rock".


title: Black (singer)

text: Black's first release was the single "Human Features" on Rox Records from Birkenhead in 1981. At this time the band also included Dane Goulding (formerly of Blazetroopers) on bass and Greg Leyland (another school friend) on drums, with Vearncombe calling himself Black as he did not think his own surname would be remembered. The single was followed by another independent release, "More than the Sun", in 1982. It was then that Vearncombe formed a friendship with Dave "Dix" Dickie of the Last Chant, and the two became musical collaborators and signed for WEA Records.


title: Black (singer)

text: In 1982, Black played with the Thompson Twins on their 'Quick Step and Side Kick' tour and also supported Wah! on a UK tour. Black signed with WEA in 1984, and the next single was "Hey Presto", which got Vearncombe noticed outside the UK: the video for the song featured on the satellite channel Music Box, and the single was also released in Australia. The second WEA single was a re-recording of "More than the Sun". After this, Black was dropped from the record label, and Vearncombe and Dix went their separate ways.


title: Black (singer)

text: In 1985, Vearncombe wrote the minor key song "Wonderful Life". It was released independently through Ugly Man Records, and got Black noticed by A&M Records, who signed Vearncombe and launched his international career. Vearncombe said:


title: Black (singer)

text: By the end of 1985 I had been in a couple of car crashes, my mother had a serious illness, I had been dropped by a record company, my first marriage went belly-up and I was homeless. Then I sat down and wrote this song called 'Wonderful Life'. I was being sarcastic.


title: Black (singer)

text: The song reached number eight in the UK Singles Chart. "Wonderful Life" was later covered by singers including Kim Wilde and Tony Hadley. A version by Katie Melua was included on the BBC Radio 2's "Sounds of the 80s" compilation album, and was released as a single in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Children's Hospital Charity. But its widespread popularity came from its use on several advertising commercials for brands that included Standard Life, Cadbury's chocolate and Fleury Michon. In 2015, Melua sang a version in an advertisement for Premier Inn. Vearncombe suffered from the feeling of being a one-hit wonder:


title: Black (singer)

text: Once you have had a hit, it's hard to write another song without having that in the back of your mind. For a long time, I would find myself hearing, 'I like it but it's not Wonderful Life'.


title: Black (singer)

text: At first, the single "Everything's Coming Up Roses" flopped, but the follow-up, "Sweetest Smile" became a UK top-10 hit. The third single, a re-release of "Wonderful Life", was a massive hit worldwide. The album of the same name, released in 1987, had similar success, reaping commercial and critical acclaim.


title: Black (singer)

text: Black sold over two million records worldwide with "Comedy" (1988) and "Black" (1991). Disillusioned with having to deal with a big record company, Vearncombe founded the independent label Nero Schwarz (which is the word "black" in Italian and in German, respectively), and released one album "Are We Having Fun Yet?" (1993).


title: Black (singer)

text: In 1991, Vearncombe co-founded the Tomato design collective, a worldwide group of directors, designers, artists, writers, producers and composers. He served as a director until 1995.


title: Black (singer)

text: After a prolonged hiatus, Vearncombe returned in 1999 to release a string of recordings under his own name. Vearncombe returned to the name 'Black' to release the album "Between Two Churches" in November 2005. On this album, he included a song mocking the success of his hit "Wonderful Life", where he poignantly re-asked the question, ‘Are you having a wonderful life?’


title: Black (singer)

text: In 2009, he released two albums: "The Given" was issued on 4 July as a free download under Vearncombe's name; "Water on Stone" was released on 17 November as the first Black studio album in four years. In September 2011, the album "Any Colour You Like" was released through Black's website.


title: Black (singer)

text: In April 2014, Vearncombe started a pledge fund (via the dedicated music crowd-funding site PledgeMusic) for a new album, co-written with long-time friend and musical collaborator Calum MacColl. This was the first time he had participated in a crowd-funded project. The project significantly exceeded its funding goals, and he regularly expressed his surprise and gratefulness through video updates on the PledgeMusic site. His experience with the process also contributed to the name of the album, "Blind Faith", was released on 13 April 2015. Several months later, he recorded a Catalan version of "Wonderful Life" as a fundraiser for the Catalan telethon "La Marató de TV3". Vearncombe sang a Catalan translation of the original lyrics.


title: Black (singer)

text: On 10 January 2016, Vearncombe was involved in a car accident, near Cork Airport in Ireland, and placed in a medically induced coma after sustaining serious head injuries. He never regained consciousness and died from his injuries at the intensive care unit of Cork University Hospital on 26 January 2016, at the age of 53. Vearncombe left a widow, Swedish opera singer and former One 2 Many singer Camilla Griehsel, and three children. His remains were cremated on 4 February 2016.


title: Rachel Shelley

text: Rachel Shelley (born 25 August 1969) is an English actress and model. She is best known for playing Helena Peabody in the Showtime series "The L Word" and Elizabeth Russell in the Oscar-nominated Bollywood epic "Lagaan".


title: Rachel Shelley

text: Rachel Irene Shelley was born on 25 August 1969 in Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom, and was brought up primarily in London. She is the youngest of four children, she has an older sister and two older brothers. Shelley spent three years in Malta as a child before attending school in Huntingdon. After graduating from the University of Sheffield with a B.A. Hons in English and Drama in 1992, she joined a local theatre company in Edinburgh and set up a community theatre company in Sheffield before moving to London to further her acting career.


title: Rachel Shelley

text: Shelley is perhaps best known for playing Helena Peabody in the Showtime series "The L Word". Other parts include Elizabeth Russell in the Oscar-nominated Hindi film "Lagaan" in 2001, and the beauty whose tragic loss drives Charles Castle mad in the 1997 film "Photographing Fairies". In 2012 and early 2013, she played the recurring role of Yvonne Rippon, a police superintendent who had a relationship with established character Nick Jordan, in popular BBC medical drama "Casualty". Shelley left the series on 19 January 2013.


title: Rachel Shelley

text: Shelley lives in Notting Hill, London with her partner since 1995, Matthew Parkhill, who is a TV writer, director and producer. They have a daughter named Eden, born 8 September 2009.


title: YOOX Net-a-Porter Group

text: YOOX Net-a-Porter Group S.p.A. is an Italian online fashion retailer created on 5 October 2015 after the merger between Yoox Group and Net-a-porter Group (NAP).


title: YOOX Net-a-Porter Group

text: Yoox was originally founded by Federico Marchetti in Milan in 2000, and Net-a-Porter was founded by Natalie Massenet in London in 2000. Beginning in 2003, Richemont invested in NAP. In 2015, Yoox purchased NAP shares from Richemont and merged with Net-a-Porter to establish the Yoox-Net-a-Porter Group. In May 2018, Richemont acquired the YNAP Group by purchasing 95% of the company's available shares. The combined company has become a global e-commerce player that serves more than 180 countries.


title: YOOX Net-a-Porter Group

text: The name YOOX was created by Costas Constantinou and is composed of the male (Y) and female (X) chromosome letters linked by OO, the infinity symbol ∞ or "the ‘zero’ from the binary code, the fundamental language of the digital age". YOOX's concept is to buy up overstocked or unsold items from previous seasons in "a direct relationship" from renowned fashion houses "including Dolce & Gabbana, Diesel, Gucci, Armani and Cavalli" as well as "manufacturers and authorized dealers" and sell them online at discounted outlet prices. This is to enable "luxury brands to off-load last year's merchandise without undermining their brands or cannibalizing sales at their existing stores". Vintage designer clothing (Chanel, Dior, Gucci etc.) is collected with the help of fashion editor Polly Allen Mellen and sold at special occasions. Some fashion designers have created capsule collections exclusively for yoox.com, such as Hussein Chalayan (menswear) or Alexandre Herchcovitch.


title: YOOX Net-a-Porter Group

text: In 2006, YOOX Group launched its first online flagship store for Marni.com. Since then, the company has worked with individuals in the fashion and luxury industry in the development of their e-tail strategies, launching websites for brands such as Armani and Marni. In 2007 Yoox began building its own warehouses, as previously goods had shipped directly from the design houses, rather than from Yoox itself. Yoox also began selling additional items beyond fashion, including artwork from artists like Damien Hirst, Mark Quinn and Peter Blake. In 2008, Yoox launched its full-price online menswear retail store The Corner featuring established designer brands and a selection of niche fashion labels from Italy and elsewhere. September 2009 saw the launch of womenswear at The Corner.


title: YOOX Net-a-Porter Group

text: Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet is an American-born former fashion journalist with "Women's Wear Daily" and "Tatler". She developed the concept of a magazine in website format where users could 'click' to buy while trying to source product online for a fashion shoot. Having raised the £1.2m (approx $2m) start-up costs with the assistance of her then-husband and co-founder Mark Quinn-Newall, they launched the company from the Massanet's flat in Chelsea, London.


title: YOOX Net-a-Porter Group

text: In the early days, the operation was so low-key that the company's black delivery boxes were stacked up in the bathtub. Initially, designers and investors were reluctant to support Net-a-Porter because it lacked a physical retail outlet. Massenet recalled the credibility gap in a 2013 interview in "The Observer": "They'd listen and they'd nod and then afterwards they'd say, 'Just tell me one more thing: where is your store?'" However, in 2001, Roland Mouret was persuaded to sell his collection via the website. By 2004, the same year in which it won best fashion shop at the British Fashion Awards, the company was profitable.


title: YOOX Net-a-Porter Group

text: In 2010, Massenet sold a majority stake in Net-a-Porter to Swiss luxury goods holding company Richemont for an estimated £50m. She remains an investor and executive chairwoman. At the time it was bought by Richemont in 2010, Net-a-Porter was valued at $533 million. The Outnet, a site focusing on previous seasons' designs at discount prices, was launched in 2009; in 2011, a menswear site, Mr Porter, was established under the stewardship of Toby Bateman who then said: "The original concept around the Mr Porter customer was that he was the man in the Net-A-Porter girl's life." Bateman left Mr Porter in 2019 and was replaced by Fiona Firth as managing director.


title: YOOX Net-a-Porter Group

text: In 2013 beauty was launched under the leadership of David Olsen. In August 2014, The Outnet launched a partnership with Victoria Beckham to sell items of her clothing to raise funds for the nonprofit organization mothers2mothers to educate women about HIV/AIDS in Africa.


title: YOOX Net-a-Porter Group

text: The business continues to grow and in 2013 it retailed products from more than 350 designers, attracted more than two million monthly visitors to the site and an average spend of £500 (around $850). Brands it retails include Stella McCartney, Yves Saint Laurent and Diane von Furstenberg. Labels such as Alexander Wang, Yves Saint Laurent and RM by Roland Mouret have created capsule collections specifically for the site. Writing in "The Observer" in 2010, Eva Wiseman noted that being stocked by Net-a-Porter is becoming important to designers as it: "not only guarantees new customers but its [Net-a-Porter's] credibility gives a fashion brand value".


title: YOOX Net-a-Porter Group

text: As of September 2013, Net-a-Porter employed 2,600 people in the UK, US, and Hong Kong, with further offices in Shanghai and fulfillment centres on the outskirts of three cities. In early 2014, Net-a-Porter launched a print magazine called "Porter", with an associated app and digital version of the magazine. Some 400,000 copies will be distributed six times a year in 60 countries. Playing off of its name, Net-a-Porter recently added a sportswear section to their website called Net-a-Sporter. The sportswear section of the website was launched in July 2014. When speaking of the addition of Net-a-Sporter to the e-tailer's online roster, the company's President Alison Loehnis said "We spotted a gap in the market for being a one-stop shop for workout wear where fashion meets function and where performance and style are equally valued." In August 2014, Massenet revealed that she originally wanted to call the website "What's New, Pussycat?"


title: YOOX Net-a-Porter Group

text: The combined revenues of the two companies prior to the merger was about $1.4 billion and their websites received a combined 24 million unique visitors annually. The deal was announced in March 2015, and went into effect in September. The combined network reached about 180 countries. The parent company of Net-A-Porter, Richemont, received 50% of the total available shares; however, their voting rights were capped at 25%, giving Yoox the ability to run the company. Yoox founder Federico Marchetti became the group's CEO and Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet left the company after the merger was completed.


title: YOOX Net-a-Porter Group

text: There are seven "logistic centres" in Italy, the UK, the US, China, Hong Kong, and Japan. International warehouses, that serve as hubs, exist in New Jersey and Tokyo. Yoox also maintains 20 studios to make pictures of the merchandise with 50 photographers in the UK and the US.


title: YOOX Net-a-Porter Group

text: Backed by venture capital firm Balderton Capital, Yoox was founded as a privately held company and achieved total revenues of £18m by 2009. By the end of 2011 it had reached £29m; in 2015, it reported sales of £41m, "a 68% increase from 2009". 75% of Yoox is owned by private equity with Capital Kiwi (Italy), 360 Capital Partner (Net Partners, Italy) and Balderton Capital (then the European offshoot of Benchmark Capital - now independent), Co-founder Federico Marchetti owned 9% and 16% were owned by senior managers. Yoox went public at the Milan Stock Exchange in December 2009.