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Copenhagen at Chichester Festival Theatre - review

Copenhagen at the Minerva Theatre is an exhilarating look back at a mysterious meeting during WW2 that may have altered the outcome of the war.




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Women In Power at Nuffield Southampton - review

Women In Power at the Nuffield Southampton Theatres’ city venue is a new version of Aristophanes' Assemblywomen. It sticks pretty closely to the original story in which women take over the government from the weak and incompetent men.




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Tom Burke excels in Don Carlos at Nuffield Theatre

Schiller’s 1787 play about about love, freedom and a revolt against totalitarianism is given a powerful, engrossing production by Tom Burke of Strike fame




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Beauty And The Beast - Theatre Royal Winchester - review

Theatre Royal Winchester’s Beauty And The Beast manages to tell the romantic tale while still being a traditional panto.




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Popular Southampton Singer dies at age of 87

Brian Batchelor, once described by the Daily Echo as ‘the most versatile singer in the South’, has died at the age of 87.




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Assassins at The Watermill Newbury - review

Like its subject matter,  Stephen Sondheim’s musical Assassins is hit and miss but the production hits the bullseye.




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Comedy & Commentary- political cartoons at Mottisfont

The ability of political cartoonists to point out the absurdity of the news with a beautiful line and a pithy comment never ceases to amaze and they’ve been doing it for over 200 years as Comedy & Commentary at Mottisfont Abbey shows.




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Battle of wills over school run parking

News this week that fed-up residents in a Southampton street are threatening to blockade their own thoroughfare on the grounds that they have problems with poorly-parked vehicles, would seem to be a case of nose cutting to spite faces.




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Family tragedy shouldn’t have been used in debate

THERE’S no doubt that the Prime Minister spoke from the heart when he addressed the Tory conference in Birmingham this week, speaking of the NHS.




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Statement spits in the faces of attack victims’ families

The BBC has defended its policy of using the term Islamic State when referring to the blood-soaked terrorists that claimed the lives of 30 Britons in Tunisia and tens of thousands of people in the Middle East.




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Banging drum of democracy will not help Greece situation

It is interesting that the Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, summons the very real fact his nation invented democracy to bolster his government’s argument for a favourable solution to the debt crisis wracking its citizens.




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English elegance at Chewton Glen

Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies at Chewton Glen are something of a speciality.




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Marry at the Great hall, Winchester

It has hosted royal weddings, banquets, Parliament and even courts of law in its 750-year history as well as being home to the greatest symbol of all medieval mythology, the world-famous Round Table of King Arthur.




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Create your own period drama at Chawton House

There are few who aren’t familiar with the classic works of Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Persuasion, the list goes on.




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Pure magic at Stansted Park

Moving to the east of the county, Stansted Park is an authentic Edwardian ‘upstairs-downstairs’ house overlooking the coast from the South Downs, on the Hampshire/Sussex border.




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Your wish is our command at Oakley Hall

Oakley Hall offers a spectacular backdrop to the most memorable day of your life.




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Exclusively yours at Cain Manor

Cain Manor is an exquisite Elizabethan oak-framed manor house near Farnham. It is set in 30 acres of landscaped grounds and woodland with wonderful views over Surrey’s Golden Valley. The whole venue has been discerningly renovated and furnished in a tasteful, contemporary style.




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A City greater than its parts

There were five of us queuing in the rain - two druggies, one old Brigadier, an HCC worker and Winchester Bloke - What did we all want - apart from an umbrella?










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Thursday's Briefing: BART anticipates huge budget deficit next year; San Leandro Police release body-camera video of fatal shooting at Walmart



News you don't want to miss for April 23:

1. BART learned on Thursday that $250 million in recent federal relief funds will allow it to balance its budget for this fiscal year, with $78 million remaining, BART Board Director Rebecca Saltzman said.…







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Thursday's Briefing: Fired Oakland officers reinstated after Police Commission violated Brown Act; Covid-19 ICU cases down in the Bay Area



News you don't want to miss for April 30:

1. The five fired Oakland police officers involved in the shooting of Joshua Pawlik in 2018 were reinstated after it was found the Oakland Police Commission violated the Brown Act, the state law for transparency in public meetings, KPIX reports.…




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Concord Dunkin' Worker Inspires Nationwide DIY Donut Kits


An employee at a Dunkin' (formerly Dunkin' Donuts) restaurant in Concord has inspired the company's brand-new DIY Dunkin' Donut Kits.

Norma Valkenaar asked the restaurant's franchisee, Matt Cobo, whether she could bring home some donuts, frosting, and sprinkles so that her young nephews could experiment with customizing their own treats.…



  • Blogs/Food & Drink

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DATA SECURITY POCKET AND GARMENT

A data security pocket and garment is disclosed for better positioning and protecting data and information contained in a card or device for housing such information from its theft or misappropriation when it is placed in the pocket portion of the invention. The pocket portion of the invention is specially positioned on and secured to a portion of the garment or clothing surface near or adjacent to the arm-pit area with which it is used in combination, with its own design, to provide a more protective pocket environment for placement and transportation of a card, chip or other data/information carrying or storing device or means. The pocket and the garment in combination make up four layers from which the pocket is constructed, secured and positioned. These layers include the top pocket layer (12); the top security layer (14) and the bottom security layer (16), each fabricated from security anti-RFID material; and the garment, clothing or base layer (18). These layers are connected one to the other so that the pocket portion has a first accessible opening (40) and a second accessible opening (42) when secured in proper position on the garment (18). Further provided is the trim security flap cover (22), also fabricated from security anti-RFID material, and the upper cover enclosure (20), each of which is secured above the pocket portion on the garment layer (18), and which pivot and close over the top pocket layer (12). Coupling is provided for both the upper cover enclosure (20) and the top pocket layer (12); and the trim security flap cover (22) and the top pocket layer (12). In another aspect of the invention an auxiliary security area (39) is provided on the top pocket layer (12) adjacent or near the coupling for the trim security flap (22).




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Hat with Absorbent Attachment

A preferred embodiment of the present invention contemplates a baseball cap-type hat having a head covering portion as well as a forward facing bill. A sweat or liquid absorbing element preferably a terry cloth towel is removably attached to the bill or permanently affixed using hook and pile fastening means. In a preferred embodiment, the hook and pile fastening means half attached to the bill includes an opening to provide a storage compartment in which a key, coin, or other small object may be stored. If desired, the towel may be permanently stitched to the underside of the bill of the cap. In a further alternative, the towel may be made of a hyper-evaporative material.




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Garment Having Integrated Sweat-Eliminating Front Section or Sections

Provided is a shirt garment,—a short-sleeved, or long-sleeved, waist-length, hip-length, or tunic-length—shirt, which is made of material that is a relatively non-absorbent or hydrophobic substance able to wick perspiration off of the wearer's body, and which also contains an integrated section on the front of the shirt, and at the bottom one-third, to bottom one-half of the front of the shirt, but which may extend beyond this region, which is made of a relatively absorbent or hydrophilic substance, which, when grasped by the wearer, and lifted upward by the wearer and towards the wearer's face, is capable of wiping off the sweat from the wearer's face, eyes, eyebrows, and forehead, thereby absorbing sweat from this area, all the while the wearer continues to engage in his or her physical activity. In a second scenario, and using these same principles, the absorbent layer is detachable, and while detached, is used by the wearer to wipe sweat away from the wearer's face, brow and neck. It is then re-attached all the while the wearer continues to pursue the physical activity.




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Umbrella Weather Pack

The disclosed herein is a personal rain protection device that serves as an umbrella combined and connected with a vest. The umbrella and vest combination can function in all types of rainstorms. The vest aspect is located at the torso of a wearer and extends from the users shoulders. The vest element also includes relatively light weights at the tail end of the vest to protect against succumbing to powerful wind gusts. The present invention, including the umbrella, is not handheld, but rather it is worn along with the vest to which the umbrella is attached to.




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CLOTHING ARTICLES ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR AQUATIC ACTIVITIES

Clothing articles (e.g., aquatic “board” shorts) are generally comprised of at least one unitary woven fabric panel having multiple seamlessly adjacent different fabric weave sections. These seamlessly adjacent different fabric weave sections may be selected from plain fabric weaves, twill fabric weaves and/or Dobby fabric weaves. Aquatic activity shorts are provided which include a one piece rear fabric panel providing a seamless back rise.




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BATTING GLOVE WITH INTERNAL SLIP LAYER

A batting glove or sports glove includes a glove base configured to accommodate a users hand. In some embodiments, the glove base has an opening in a palmar region of the glove. Multiple palmar layers are attached to the glove base and positioned over the opening. In some embodiments, the palmar layers include a first layer of material positioned between a second layer of material and a third layer of material. The first layer of material has a lower coefficient of friction than one or both of the second and third layers of material such that the layers may slide relative to one another.




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COLOR-CODED ACCESSORIES INDICATING A MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS OF A PATIENT AND ENHANCING PATIENT SAFETY

The present invention provides color-coded accessories such as wristbands, bibs, and other patient wearables, color-coded pillows and pillow cases, and a universal chart wherein the color code is associated with a specific medical diagnosis. These accessories alert healthcare providers to the medical diagnosis of the patient and enhance patient safety by reducing medical errors during administration of treatments and medicines to the patients. These accessories also provide protection to healthcare providers assisting them to identify diagnostic categories and alerting them to take proper precautions with patients, for example those with infectious diseases, thereby decreasing or preventing transmission of infectious diseases.




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PROTECTIVE HELMETS FOR DISASTER SITUATIONS

In one embodiment, a protective helmet for disaster situation includes a rigid outer shell and an electronic system integrated into the helmet that includes an electronic location system configured to transmit electromagnetic signals that can be used to locate the wearer of the helmet.




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Bullet-blocking hat as a mobile protection device

A mobile protection device for shielding parts of a person's body from bullets and other attack objects, comprising a normal hat, having a top and a sidewall, and at least one bullet-blocking plate, shaped to fit inside the hat and attachable to the top. Preferably the device further comprises a blast-resistant layer, lining the inner surface of the top of the hat and its sidewall, and a reinforcing layer, attached to the inner surface of the sidewall and designed to absorb momentum of a hitting bullet. Generally there is a plurality of plates, pivotally joined to form a shield while the plates are coplanar and foldable to be reversibly attachable to the top, the shield being reversibly attachable to a brim of the hat.




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EMERGENCY ANTI-HYPOTHERMIA SYSTEM AND HIGHLY PORTABLE, INFLATABLE EMERGENCY VEST THEREFOR

An emergency anti-hypothermia system has a thermally insulating vest that is sufficiently portable to be carried for emergency use in a pocket, purse, backpack, compartment of a vehicle, ski pole or other location, with the vest providing thermal insulation by being made with thermally insulating air impervious material that also provides for its inflation. A multiplicity of interconnected inflated chambers situated about the vest, provides thermal insulation by anti-conduction, anti-radiation and anti-convection in a highly portable system. An outer surface having radar reflective properties further improves visibility of the vest.




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BATHROBE INCLUDING TOWEL

An apparatus includes a bathrobe having a vertically-extending placket extending along a front section of the bathrobe, and the vertically-extending placket is configured to allow the bathrobe to be put on or removed by a user. An elongated towel assembly is fixedly coupled to the bathrobe. The elongated towel assembly vertically hangs from and extends along any one of (A) a left-side vertically extending portion, (B) a right-side vertically extending portion, and (C) the left-side vertically extending portion and the right-side vertically extending portion of the bathrobe in such a way that the vertically-extending placket is available for usage by the user.




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Rapidly removable gloves and related methods

Disclosed is a modified set of gloves, system, and method of glove removal and retention that is particularly well suited for, but not limited to, tactical situations (i.e. fast-roping) and action sports environments. In one embodiment, the glove(s) feature at least one catch between at least two fingers of the glove(s). Preferably, the catch defines a mechanism for rapidly removing and retaining the glove(s). Further disclosed is a system for removing the glove(s) featuring a garment with an attached anchor, such as a carabineer or a hook. In a preferred embodiment, the anchor is positioned in the sternum area of the vest and glove wearer. Operably, a user moves the gloved hand(s) down and over the anchor to place the catch on the anchor so that the continued movement of the user's hands rapidly removes and stores the glove(s) via the anchor.




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Mask coupling apparatus

A mask coupling apparatus coupled to an outer surface of a helmet and couplings of a mask including an adjusting mechanism comprising a single elastic strap coupled to the mask at both ends via the couplings, where the ends of the elastic strap are free to adjust the length of the mask coupling apparatus.




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Hand Protection and Means for Stabilizing Food for Preparation

A device to aid in the stabilization and preparation of food while protecting the user's fingers.




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BATTING PAD FOR ADJUSTING LOCATION OF BAT IN BATTER'S HAND

A batting pad comprising a body made from a cushioning material and having a ring portion adapted to fit over a batter's thumb and an appendage to cushion the palm area between a batter's thumb and index finger. The appendage has a thickness T at its thickest point located between the first end and the distant end, and the thickness T of the appendage is selected to optimize an angle of a bat in the batter's hand relative to a line parallel to the batter's forearm, the angle being determined by the thickness T of the appendage displacing the bat toward the tip of the batter's index finger and causing the bat to contact the palm of the batter's hand near the batter's little finger.




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THERMALLY INSULATED PERSONAL ARTICLE AND SLEEPING BAG LINERS

An article having an inner article layer and an outer article layer to be worn by a mammal comprising a thermally insulating layer of a reflective metalized polymeric insulation material having moisture vapour transference properties adjacent to at least one of the inner and outer article layers. An apparatus and method for producing a reflective metalized polymeric thermally insulating assembly having moisture vapour transference properties suitable for use in the article is also provided. The insulation material provides enhanced thermal retention.




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Martin Lewis: Flight delays, cancellations and how to put in a claim

Summer’s now over, and sadly there’s little you can do to repair a holiday ruined by flight delay or cancellation (eg from a strike like Ryanair’s) but many are entitled to up to £550 per person compensation. In fact this applies even for delays as far back as 2012.




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Martin Lewis: 8 ways to beat April’s bill shocks

This April, whether we're in, out or, most likely, just shaken all about, one thing is certain... it’s the time of annual public service price rises. While you can't prevent the rises, there are often other ways to cut these bills. I want to show how you can steal a March (sorry) on April's hikes.




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Electrorheological Fluid Structure Having Strain Relief Element and Method of Fabrication

An article may include a first polymeric material layer having a surface. A first conductive trace may form at least a portion of the first layer surface. The article may further include a second polymeric material layer. The second layer may have a first surface, a portion of the second layer first surface being bonded to a portion of the first layer surface. The second layer may have a portion of a channel defined therein, the channel at least partially coinciding with a portion of the first conductive trace. The article may also include a first patch interposed between the first layer surface and the second layer first surface. The first patch may span the channel and cover a portion of the first conductive trace.




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Electrorheological Fluid Structure with Attached Conductor and Method of Fabrication

A polymeric housing may have a channel defined therein. A first conductive trace may at least partially coincide with the channel. A first wire may have a first conductor surrounded by a first insulating jacket. The first conductor may be in electrical communication with the first conductive trace. A jacket bonding region of the first jacket may be welded to a housing bonding region of the housing. The jacket bonding region and the housing bonding region may be formed from a common type of polymer.