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- We advise you to exercise normal safety precautions in Ghana.
- Pay close attention to your personal security and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.
- You should avoid all political rallies, protests, demonstrations and large public gatherings including football matches, as they may become violent.
- We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution around Bawku in the Upper East region, Tamale municipality, Yendi district and the area around Bimbilla in northern Ghana because of the possibility of outbreaks of violence over disputes within or between local ethnic groups.
- An outbreak of cholera was confirmed in Ghana on 31 July 2014. The majority of cases have been reported in Accra and the Eastern Region, with a significant number of deaths.
- An outbreak of Ebola virus disease has been confirmed in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. There have been no confirmed cases of Ebola in Ghana and local authorities continue to enforce a range of precautionary measures. For more information, see the Ebola outbreak in West Africa travel bulletin.
- Be a smart traveller. Before heading overseas:
- organise comprehensive travel insurance and check what circumstances and activities are not covered by your policy
- register your travel and contact details, so we can contact you in an emergency
- subscribe to this travel advice to receive free email updates each time it's reissued.
Entry and exit
Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Ghana for the most up-to-date information.
Ghana is listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as endemic for yellow fever. Yellow fever is a serious and potentially fatal disease preventable by vaccination. A valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate is required for entry into Ghana.
As the quarantine requirements for yellow fever vaccination differ between countries, we recommend that you check the yellow fever entry requirements for all countries you intend to enter or transit by contacting their foreign missions in Australia. Some airlines may require passengers to present a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate before being allowed to board flights out of the country. For more information about yellow fever, including Australian re-entry requirements, see the Department of Health website.
Make sure your passport has at least six months' validity from your planned date of return to Australia. You should carry copies of a recent passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport while overseas.
Safety and security
Terrorism is a threat throughout the world. You can find more information about this threat in our General advice to Australian travellers .
Civil unrest/Political tension
You should avoid all political rallies, protests, demonstrations and large public gatherings, including football matches, as they may become violent.
Bawku (Upper East region), Tamale municipality, Yendi district and area around Bimbilla in northern Ghana: We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution around Bawku in the Upper East region, the Tamale municipality, Yendi district and the area around Bimbilla in northern Ghana because of the possibility of outbreaks of violence over disputes within or between local ethnic groups.
We advise you to exercise normal safety precautions in Ghana. Pay close attention to your personal security and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.
Conspicuous travellers, particularly women on their own, are the target of opportunistic crimes such as muggings, bag snatching, petty theft and pickpocketing. These crimes are on the increase in Accra and the surrounding area, and are common at markets, tourist attractions and beaches. Armed robberies and other violent crimes, including rape and house invasions have occurred. There have been reports of passengers in taxis being robbed by drivers.
Thefts by individuals posing as airport staff have occurred at Kotoka International Airport in the capital Accra. Legitimate airport staff wear a current identification card which bears their name and photograph. Cards without photographs are not valid.
There have been reports of individuals fraudulently posing as police officers and demanding money from foreigners.
Commercial and internet fraud is prevalent and often originates in West African countries. Victims have been defrauded and those who travel to the originating country have had their lives endangered. Some victims have been killed. Criminals have been known to seek details of 'safe' bank accounts overseas in which to transfer large sums of money (as a donation or for a percentage of the amount involved). They may also provide fake cashier cheques for 'urgent' shipments of large quantities of goods, request sizeable fees for a fake government contract and extort money from individuals they have convinced to travel to Africa for a business opportunity. If you are a victim of a financial scam, we advise you to obtain legal advice and not to travel to Africa to seek restitution as there is a risk of physical assault from the perpetrators. Our information on International Financial Scams provides more detail on these types of scams.
Bogus internet friendship, dating and marriage schemes are operating from some African countries. These scams typically result from connections made through internet dating schemes or chat rooms. Once a virtual friendship develops, the Australian citizen may be asked by their friend or prospective marriage partner to send money to enable travel to Australia. In some cases the relationship is terminated with very little chance that any funds can be recovered. In other cases, foreigners may be lured to Africa to meet their friend or prospective marriage partner and can become victims of crime including kidnapping, assault and robbery.
Money and valuables
Before you travel, organise a variety of ways to access your money overseas, such as credit cards, travellers' cheques, cash, debit cards or cash cards. Consult with your bank to find out which is the most appropriate currency to carry and whether your ATM card will work in Ghana. Australian currency is not an accepted means of foreign exchange in Ghana. It is difficult to find banks and/or businesses in Ghana which accept credit cards other than Visa. Credit card fraud is common in Ghana. You should try to keep your card in sight when making purchases.
Make two photocopies of valuable documents such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers' cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.
While travelling, don't carry too much cash and remember that expensive watches, jewellery and cameras may be tempting targets for thieves.
As a sensible precaution against luggage tampering, including theft, lock your luggage. Information on luggage safety is available from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Your passport is a valuable document that is attractive to criminals who may try to use your identity to commit crimes. It should always be kept in a safe place. You are required by Australian law to report a lost or stolen passport. If your passport is lost or stolen overseas, report it online or contact the nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate as soon as possible.
You are required to pay an additional fee to have a lost or stolen passport replaced. In some cases, the Government may also restrict the length of validity or type of replacement passports.
Local travel
Poorly maintained roads, aggressive driving practices, poorly maintained vehicles, insufficient street lighting, roaming livestock, pedestrians and cyclists pose safety risks, especially when driving at night and outside urban areas. For further advice, see our road travel page.
Police road blocks are common throughout the country and you may be required to show identity documentation, vehicle registration and ownership papers.
For visits to Ghana of up to 12 months, an international driving licence or international driving permit is accepted. After 12 months a Ghanaian licence is required to drive in Ghana. For more information, see the website of the Australian High Commission in Accra, Ghana.
Piracy occurs in the coastal areas of Ghana. See our piracy bulletin for further information. The International Maritime Bureau issues piracy reports on its website.
Airline safety
Please refer to our air travel page for information about aviation safety and security.
When you are in Ghana, be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you. If you are arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you but we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.
Information on what Australian consular officers can and cannot do to help Australians in trouble overseas is available from the Consular Services Charter.
Serious offences, including murder, carry the death sentence.
Penalties for drug offences, including possession, are severe in Ghana and carry mandatory prison sentences.
Homosexual activity is illegal and criminalised as a misdemeanour in Ghana, punishable by imprisonment of up to three years. Same sex marriages are not recognised by law. See our LGBTI travellers page.
Possession of pornographic material is illegal.
Wearing military-style or camouflage clothing is prohibited.
Taking photographs of or near government buildings or other infrastructure, including oilfields, can lead to detention.
Australians residing in Ghana need to register for a National Identification Authority Non-citizen Ghanacard. The Ghanacard is needed for transactions which require an identification check.
Only agents licensed by the Precious Metals and Mining Commission may handle import-export transactions of natural resources such as gold, diamonds and precious metals. Transactions without the Commission's endorsement are illegal and/or fraudulent. Penalties include imprisonment.
Some Australian criminal laws, such as those relating to money laundering, bribery of foreign public officials, terrorism, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, child pornography, and child sex tourism, apply to Australians overseas. Australians who commit these offences while overseas may be prosecuted in Australia.
Australian authorities are committed to combating sexual exploitation of children by Australians overseas. Australians may be prosecuted at home under Australian child sex tourism and child pornography laws. These laws provide severe penalties of up to 25 years imprisonment for Australians who engage in child sexual exploitation while outside of Australia.
Local customs
There are conservative standards of dress and behaviour in Ghana and you should take care not to offend. If in doubt seek local advice.
Gay and lesbian travellers should be aware that homosexual acts are illegal in Ghana. Open displays of affection by same sex couples, especially in rural communities, should be avoided. See our LGBTI travellers page.
Information for dual nationals
While the government of Ghana recognises dual nationality, officials may place restrictions on the ability of Australian officials to provide consular assistance to Australian/Ghanaian dual nationals if they are detained or arrested.
Australian/Ghanaian dual nationals may be liable for civil/military obligations. Before travel, Australian/Ghanaian dual nationals should check with the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Ghana.
Our Dual Nationals brochure provides further information for dual nationals.
We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation, before you depart. Confirm that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away and check what circumstances and activities are not included in your policy. Remember, regardless of how healthy and fit you are, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. The Australian Government will not pay for a traveller's medical expenses overseas or medical evacuation costs.
Water-borne, food-borne, parasitic and other infectious diseases (including HIV/AIDS, cholera, hepatitis, bilharzia and tuberculosis) are prevalent with more serious outbreaks occurring from time to time. We advise you to boil all drinking water or drink bottled water and avoid ice cubes and raw and undercooked food. Seek medical advice if you have a fever or are suffering from diarrhoea.
An outbreak of cholera was confirmed in Ghana on 31 July 2014. The majority of cases have been reported in Accra and the Eastern Region, with a significant number of deaths. For further information about cholera see the World Health Organization website.
An outbreak of Ebola virus disease has been confirmed in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. There have been no confirmed cases of Ebola in Ghana and local authorities continue to enforce a range of precautionary measures. For more information, see the Ebola outbreak in West Africa travel bulletin.
Your doctor or travel clinic is the best source of information about preventive measures, immunisations (including booster doses of childhood vaccinations) and disease outbreaks overseas. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information for travellers and our Health page also provides useful tips for travelling with medicines and staying healthy while overseas.
Although medical facilities in urban areas are better than in rural areas, all facilities are basic and the standard of care available may be below what you would expect in Australia. Up-front payment is usually requested prior to commencing treatment. In the event of a serious illness or accident, medical evacuation to a destination with suitable facilities would be necessary. Medical evacuation costs could exceed $A100,000.
Ghana is listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as endemic for yellow fever. Yellow fever is a potentially fatal viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes, which is preventable by vaccination. We strongly recommend that you are vaccinated against yellow fever before travelling to Ghana. See the Entry and Exit section for important information about vaccination certificate requirements. For more information about yellow fever, see the Department of Health website.
Malaria and other tropical diseases are common in West African countries, including Ghana. We encourage you to consider taking prophylaxis against malaria, and to take measures to avoid insect bites including using insect repellent, wearing long, loose-fitting light-coloured clothing and ensuring your accommodation is mosquito proof.
Where to get help
In Ghana, you can obtain consular assistance from the:
Australian High Commission
2, Second Rangoon Close
(cnr Josef Broz Tito Ave)
Accra, Ghana
Telephone: +233 302 216 400
Facsimile: +233 302 216 410
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: http://www.ghana.highcommission.gov.au
If you are travelling to Ghana, whatever the reason and however long you'll be there, we encourage you to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You can register online or in person at any Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. The information you provide will help us to contact you in an emergency - whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family issue.
In a consular emergency if you are unable to contact the High Commission you can contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 or 1300 555 135 within Australia.
In Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra may be contacted on (02) 6261 3305.
Additional information
Natural disasters, severe weather and climate
The wet season extends from May to October when flooding may occur, particularly in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions of Ghana. Roads can become impassable. Information on natural disasters can be obtained from the Humanitarian Early Warning Service. If a natural disaster occurs, follow the advice of local authorities.


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Great single strand floss
Reviewer: A viewer from FORT COLLINS, CO US
Got all the colors to set up my bench for retirement. I don't know if I'll use all, but I like the ease of use on the single strand. Got them on sale, and so far so good, use like any other floss.
Weave with thise
Reviewer: A viewer from Madison, VA US
Certainly agree with the earlier reviewer. This is the nicest material I have found for smaller woven bodied nymphs. I place each spool in a bobbin holder and use them almost like crochet needles. This material is great for this method.

subset: commoncrawl


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I saw "The Element of Crime" when I was about 17. It was one of the first foreign films that I ever attempted to watch without parental encouragement. The experience was befuddling, boring and by the end, thoroughly captivating. I still don't entirely understand what Lars Von Trier was going for with this watery vision of end times, but I suspect that is probably true for anyone who has seen it. In fact this may be a good way to inform the inexperienced viewer who wants to venture into the Von Trier world.
It's been a long holiday weekend and as such, it's time to play catch up! Due to a faulty alarm clock, I'm sitting in for Eric once again on the news desk!
"Buffy" fans, it's time to arm your keyboards and get ready to hit the message boards. The folks at Vertigo entertainment are getting ready to relaunch "Buffy" once again. The folks at Vertigo are teaming up with the original movie direct Fran and Kaz Kazui to throw together this big screen take. The promise is a relaunch and not a sequel or a prequel. Can the fandom handle a non Whedon buffy with yet another perky blonde stepping into the slayer's shoes?
Sad news for "Castlevania" fans; the Paul W.S. Anderson big screen adaptation is officially dead. No more chances of Simon Belmont and clan on the silver screen. Could this be a sign of the end of video game movies?
Despite reports of raucous boo-ing and general hate for "Antichrist" at the Cannes Film Festival, lead actress Charlotte Gainsbourg was named Best Actress of the festival. It's seldom that horror is given any accolades at such events so kudos to Gainsbourg for drawing the nod despite the widespread distaste for the moving coming out of France.
A Chinese man sat perched on a bridge last week, ready to jump, when another man broke through the police tape and shoved him off. Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.
In an effort to show solidarity to the country's beleaguered seal hunters, Canada's Governor General guts a freshly slaughtered seal and eats its raw heart in front of onlookers.
A 3 year old London toddler was stuck in a 5 day long coma due to meningitis. Assuming all was lost, the child woke on day five singing the complete lyrics to Abba's "Mama Mia". Sure, the kid's fine now, but what are they going to do about all the Hollywood lawyers suing for copyright infringement?
May 26th 1805 - Napoleon Bonapart is crowned King of Italy. For our own Eric, a hero is born!
Bruce Willis to star in "Grimm", a ghost story with one of the longest synopses I've ever seen... which can be found at the link. Directed by Russel Mulcahey, who also helmed 2007's "Resident Evil: Extinction".
Lars Von Trier's controversial film "Antichrist" has been picked up by IFC films. Hot off the controversy it caused at Cannes with its graphic violence, the film will now be coming to US shores as early as this summer. No word on what type of release IFC will give the film, but they are known for non-traditional theatrical/on demand models.
New Platinum Dunes blog on their "Nightmare on Elm St." shooting. Of course they're going to be positive, but word is that Jackie Earle Haley's rendition of Krueger is just as kick-ass as most of us have anticipated. Don't get me wrong, I'm still withholding excitement, but consider my curiosity peaked.
Two seasonal workers at Yellowstone National park fired for pissing in Old Faithful. Not sure what's more intriguing about this, the fact that they didn't think there were security cameras, or that they took the safety of their penises so nonchalantly. That thing goes off while you're dangling your dong over it, and I'm pretty certain it won't be pretty.
Never cheat on a Thai woman, I'm told they're penis biters. At least that's what the internet tells me.
I'm not sure how we've had two "Montauk Monsters" wash up on Long Island shores before someone decided to mention the existence of the nearby "Plum Island Animal Disease Center". Even more perplexing, the couple who found the recent one have kept it on ice, and are having trouble finding someone to take it off their hands. Scientists love ripping shit apart to find out what it is, but no love for my boy?
1956: The Cherokee test of Operation Redwing commences over Bikini Atoll, consisting of a 3.8 megaton nuclear bomb dropped from a B-52 bomber. The bomb is successfully detonated at an altitude of 4,350 feet, but the flight crew missed their assigned target by four miles. Although it is a complete failure from a scientific standpoint, it demonstrates America's ability to deliver hydrogen bombs over long distances.
Remember how the acclaimed Swedish vampire film "Let The Right One In" was just released on DVD? Thanks to some sleuthing over at Icons of Fright, it was discovered that the subtitles have been almost criminally changed from the original English subs on the Swedish DVD. The cumulative result, as the writer puts it, could be construed as a "dumbing down" or "watering down" of the subtlety and strange dark humor of the film. At the link, an exhaustive description of the changes including screen caps to illustrate the point.
Producers speak on both remakes of "The Birds" and "Poltergeist". They seem to have a healthy respect for the originals, so I'll at least give these a shot, even if neither one really needs a reboot.
Here's a naughty still from Lars Von Trier's "Antichrist", which is about to make its debut at Cannes. The psychological horror film stars Willem Dafoe and is about a couple who retreat to a cabin in the woods following the death of their child.
Now this is more like it, if you're interested, here's 20 hi-res stills from "Blood: The Last Vampire". Japanese school girls... that is all.
People in the UK are really pissed about Google Street View ruining their privacy. If anyone's going to spy on them, it's going to be their own government, dammit!
Want some space underwear? Why yes, I do actually.
One strange side effect of the bad economy? increasing amounts of college educated, office working women are getting into the "adult" business. Can't blame them right? Strippers seem to be the only people making money right now.
1874: Illusionist Harry Houdini born.
This week we discuss alchemy, camera technology, a first time guest host joins the show, and we review "As Above, So Below".


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Gorilla Mountain (Animal Story) : A young mountain gorilla and his family are on the run from poachers. The animal thieves stand to make a lot of money by capturing the gorillas - dead or alive. Will the family be able to get away? And will they ever find safety in the forest again? This fascinating account of a young gorilla's life offers a glimpse into the dangers that many animals face in their own backyards.
|Tweens Nonfiction
|Education & Reference
|Tweens Nonfiction


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Officials Investigating Cause Of Clarksville Hay Fire
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Officials in Montgomery County have asked the public's help in investigating a massive hay fire that broke out Saturday evening.
The fire occurred inside a barn on Dunlap Lane in Clarksville. Investigators with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said they are looking into whether or not arson was involved in the incident.
"The fire is under investigation," said Sergeant Steve Heise with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. "We're looking into for information from anyone who may know how the fire started or if anyone had seen any suspicious activity before the fire."
Witnesses on the scene said the barn was fully engulfed in flames and possibly 2,000 hay bales were burning inside of the barn.
A farmer who lives in the area said it's unusual for a fire to ignite naturally during this time of the year.
No one was injured in the blaze, but damages could cost up to $100,000 for the destroyed hay.
Anyone with information has been asked to call CrimeStoppers at 931-645-8477.
- Latest


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Dec 08, 2010 | 12:14 PM
| Sean Davidson
Aluminum scrap flows are showing the first signs of tightening as snow arrived in the Midwest and Northeast, industry sources told AMM.
The resultant increase in scrap prices is expected to occur—across the board—late this week or early next week, traders said.
Ingot makers said their decision to move prices up by 2 cents per pound after primary markets went up would also encourage scrap traders to increase prices.
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Are you stocking more inventory today than 18 months ago?
We actually don't know who his investors are. At the point when we are ready, we will investigate further. There are just so many things to handle and there are a lot of items to be considered with the project."
-- Charles C. Mitchell, Barstow city manager


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LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - A Louisville mother is facing charges after her children were found home alone and covered in dirt, according to a police report.
"I went over and discovered the kids, and they were in the crib bed," said a neighbor who didn't wish to give his name. He said it was "messy" and "smelly" inside the woman's apartment. The police report says the mother, Precious Petty, 27, was nowhere to be found.
Officers said Petty left her two-year-old twins unsupervised on Friday and that "both children had soiled diapers, were covered in dirt, and were wearing dirty clothing." "She's going through a lot right now," said a man who claims he lives with Petty. "It was just a misunderstanding with the kids. She ran to the store and her brother thought she left them here by themselves." Police said in addition to the two-year-old twins, a five-year-old child arrived home from school all with no adults around.
The roommate said Precious Petty had just stepped out for a few minutes and did nothing wrong. "It's not right no matter how you look at it," the man said. "I love the kids. They're not my kids, but I love them like they are mine. It was just a big misunderstanding. She's a good mother. It wasn't really that serious, but you know, you do leave and make a mistake and go to the store and come back. It can be taken out of context." The man said Petty spent a day in jail and has been having a hard time with Friday's developments. "Distraught," was how Petty's roommate described her. "We go to court tomorrow, so hopefully we get everything taken care of and see what the judge says about the whole situation."
The three children were taken to the Home of the Innocence.
Petty faces charges of abandonment of a minor and endangering the welfare of a minor.
Copyright 2013 WAVE News. All rights reserved.
725 S. Floyd Street
Louisville, KY 40203
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By Brian Moylan, Hollywood.com Staff
Immediately after she took her incredibly awkward bow for her Super Bowl halftime show (brought to you by Pepsi, fame, and abnormally excellent genetics), the reviews for Beyoncé were rapturous and the GIFs of every movement she made popped up like chicken pox on an 8-year-old. I'm sorry, but I didn't think it was that great.
RELATED: 47 Reasons The Halftime Show Was Better Than The Game
I'm gonna start off saying that I am a Beyoncé fan, that I have her music on my iPod, and that I have made the ""Single Ladies hand"" on the dance floor in more than one gay bar in more than one city in America (and one in Canada). I think she is an enormously talented and wonderful performer with a great voice, who was not lip syncing at President Obama's inauguration. And her performance at the Super Bowl was good, but it was basically a Beyoncé concert distilled down to 12 minutes. Just like we had to endure commercials for Go Daddy, Two Broke Girls, and (ugh) Scientology, we also had to endure this extended informercial for Beyoncé, something that most of us would gladly buy anyway.
Just look at how the performance began, with a shot of the stage that was monomaniacally shaped like not one but two Beyoncé heads. Then we saw a giant silhouette of her larger-than-life in pink neon posed like the real version of her below. Then she strutted her way across an empty show. It was clear from the start that this was going to be all about Beyoncé. It got even worse as she stood, practically alone, at center stage. That's like having a deliciously prepared Thanksgiving turkey and only eating one drum stick. There is so much more you could do! To make it even worse, when there weren't enough Beyoncés on the stage that were made out of Beyoncés, she had video projections of even more Beyoncés just so you knew that this was, after all, a Beyoncé show. The problem is, we didn't want a Beyoncé show. We wanted an extravaganza. We wanted something that was huge and maximalist and full of surprises. We wanted the biggest 'wows' to not be a guitar shooting sparks, and Kelly Rowland and (non-Oscar nominee) Michelle Williams launching themselves out of the floor. This wasn't about Beyoncé, this was about football. This was about America. This was about the biggest pop cultural event of the year, and she failed to do anything special.
Not only did she not debut any music or even flog a new single (maybe because the new Destiny's Child track is rather subpar), but all of the moves in the show were cribbed from other Beyoncé performances. We saw her dance with video projections of herself at the Billboard Music Awards. We've seen her snap her weave in the air and punch toward the ground in a the ""Single Ladies"" video a million times. We've also seen her ""give the hand"" both in the video and in concerts a million times, and she did it yet again last night on every television set with a half-boozy audience tuning in between bites of nachos. This was nothing original, nothing new and though deftly executed nothing like the extravaganza we were hoping for.
RELATED: The Best of Beyonce: Bey's Top 10 Performances
The ""Destiny's Child reunion"" was the worst. It was bad enough that we barely got to hear more than 30 seconds of each of B's biggest hits, but we only got two short snippets of the girl group's top hits, ""Bootylicious"" and ""Independant Woman, Part 1."" We're still waiting for that sequel. (And where was ""Bills Bills Bills""? Where was ""Say My Name""? Where was ""Survivor""?) While ostensibly equals in a girl group (yeah right), the other two are now officially relegated to back-up dancers serving their queen. Adding insult to short-lived injury, Beyoncé then forced these two to sing back up on one of her songs. They each got a little verse to sing alone, but when they did their mics were turned so low you couldn't even hear them (the same was true when all were singing together). Then we were told to give it up for Kelly and Michelle as they resumed their rightful place somewhere off the stage.
RELATED: Beyonce Heats Up Super Bowl Rehearsal
The pace of the whole package was quite frenetic and didn't flow well, trying to hit as many of the hits as it could without giving us a meaty bite of each to chew on. This wasn't a five course meal, it was a tapas dinner, which always leaves you feeling dissatisfied and hating that you have to share plates with anyone. When trying to go from song to song, there were long pauses so that we could all cheer and applaud, rather than winding it into one seamless performances. Poor Beyoncé didn't even sing that much. That might be due to the whole lip-syncing controversy she just emerged from, and her promise to sing live. I get all that, because she had to do it to save her reputation. Still, she was spending so much energy and breath on the dancing that she couldn't spend as much singing. That's understandable, but when there were casts of thousands at her disposal to do some of the heavy lifting and two women who were barely dancing at all on call who she has been singing with for years, maybe she should have shared some of the burden. (An invitation to get sister Solange up there would have been greatly appreciated as well.)
But no, Beyoncé never shares the burden. It is always all about her, just like last night was, and I think the show suffered for it. Again, this was not her concert. This was not her HBO special documentary. This was not the Grammys or the American Music Awards or the VMAs. This was the Super Bowl, and I expected more. In my opinion, Beyoncé did not deliver the show stopper I know she's capable of. I can't wait to see what Rihanna comes up with next year.
Follow Brian Moylan on Twitter @BrianJMoylan
[Photo Credit: Mark Humphrey/AP Photo]


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The Miami Gardens Police Department will hold services on Wednesday for a K-9 officer killed in the line of duty.
Max, a German Shepherd, died after being mortally injured investigating a burglary call in the city on Sept. 12.
Officials said Max was sent into the home through a window, but a glass panel fell on him and severely cut his ear.
Max was taken to Hollywood Animal Hospital for surgery, but during the procedure, veterinarians said his cardiovascular system failed and they were unable to save him.
Max had been assigned to Officer Chris Bezio since 2009.
The memorial in Max's honor will be held at 10 a.m. at Tropical Park Officers Memorial at 7900 SW 40th St.


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Chessington World of Adventures Resort
|Britain's Wildest Adventure!
|Chessington, Greater London, England
|51°20′55″N 0°19′00″W / 51.34861°N 0.31667°WCoordinates: 51°20′55″N 0°19′00″W / 51.34861°N 0.31667°W
|Merlin Entertainments
|General Manager
|Tim Harrison-Jones
|Previous names
|Chessington Zoo, Chessington World of Adventures & Zoo
|Operating season
|Theme Park
March - November
January - December
|Roller coasters
|Water rides
Chessington World of Adventures Resort (often abbreviated to just 'Chessington' or 'CWoA') is a theme park, zoo and hotel complex that lies 12 miles (19 km) southwest of Central London, England in the Chessington area of the Kingston upon Thames borough. Historically opened as Chessington Zoo in 1931, an amusement park was developed alongside the zoo, opening in 1987.[1] Owned and operated by Merlin Entertainments since 2007.[2]
Chessington Zoo has over 1,000 animals, including Western lowland gorillas, sea lions, and Sumatran tigers. It is split up into several areas: Trail of the Kings, Creepy Caves, Sealion Bay, YooHoo and Friends Children's Zoo, Penguin Cove, and the Wanyama Village & Reserve as well as a Sea Life Centre. The new area Amazu, opened in March 2014, featuring monkeys, birds and capybara. The area has raised walkways that go into some of the enclosures. At the entrance to Amazu there is a monkey walkthrough attraction.
Chessington World of Adventures Park areas include the Market Square, Mystic East, Mexicana, Pirates Cove, Transylvania,[3] and Forbidden Kingdom. Land of the Dragons opened in 2004 for children, and in late 2009 Wild Asia replaced the area known as Beanoland.[2] In 2012 Africa replaced ToyTown, and following this Chessington introduced the new area ZUFARI in 2013.[4] The ZUFARI animal reserve is overlooked by the African-themed Safari Hotel. On 19 March the new Scorpion Express rollercoaster opened in Mexicana as a replacement for the old Runaway Train ride.
- 1 History
- 2 Events
- 3 Rides and attractions
- 4 Chessington Theme Park
- 5 Chessington Zoo
- 6 Resort Hotels
- 7 Future developments
- 8 Incidents
- 9 Green Belt restrictions
- 10 Gallery
- 11 See also
- 12 References
- 13 External links
The mansion at Chessington World of Adventures Resort known today as the Burnt Stub was originally built in 1348, in Chessington, Surrey.[5] In the English Civil War it became a royalist stronghold, and Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentary forces razed it to the ground. The Burnt Stub site was rebuilt as an inn, until the 18th century, when the Vere Barker family rebuilt it in neo-gothic Victorian style.[1]
Founding of zoo[edit]
The resort has it roots in the Chessington Zoo, which opened in 1931; it was started by Reginald Goddard, who had bought the estate to showcase his private collection of animals.[5] In 1946 when Goddard died, the Pearson Publishing Company took over the zoo and managed it until 1978, when The Tussauds Group took control of the park[2] (Tussauds was a subsidiary of the Pearson Group).[1]
Founding of theme park[edit]
In 1984, due to the zoo's declining attendance, Tussauds's Director of Development, Ray Barratt[2] commissioned John Wardley to come up with plans to revitalize the park. John Wardley was one of the main designers at Tussaud's for a number of years, and had a huge influence on the rides being created at both Chessington and its sister parks Thorpe Park and Alton Towers.[6] The decision was made to open a theme park to complement the zoo, and so Chessington World of Adventures was born.[7] On 7 June 1987 Chessington World of Adventures opened to the public. The park was built on a relatively small budget of around £12 million, incase the project failed.
In its first year, the park opened with the roller coaster Runaway Mine Train, the log flume Dragon River, the monorail Safari Skyway, the dark ride The Fifth Dimension, and the Chessington Railroad as the main attractions (all supplied by the German ride manufacturer Heinrich Mack GmbH & Co). The new rides were to operate on a pay-one-price admission basis, and replace the existing pay-as-you-go fairground rides. Other support rides were also opened, and the park opened just five themed areas: Calamity Canyon, Mystic East, Market Square, Toy Town and Circus World.[2] The attractions were all heavily themed with emphasis on atmosphere and effects,[8] making Chessington one of the first true theme parks in Britain.[6]
The 1990 season bought two of Chessington's more popular rides with the opening of Transylvania: Vampire and Professor Burp's Bubbleworks.[9] Both of these rides had significant impact on the park, and are still exceedingly popular today. Opening Transylvania cost around £10 million. By this time Smugglers' Galleon and the Smugglers' Cove area had been created, both opening in 1988.[9]
The 1995 season arrived with the intense Rameses Revenge, the park's first inverting ride. Rameses Revenge was new in the Forbidden Kingdom area;[5] an area which had opened the previous year, bringing the Terror Tomb dark ride in replacement of the Fifth Dimension. Also new for 1995 was SeaStorm in Pirates' Cove, and the Carousel,[9] located next to the explorer gate.[5] In 1999, Chessington opened the hardcore thrill ride Samurai in the Mystic East. 1999 also saw the rename of Calamity Canyon into Mexicana, following the opening of Rattlesnake the year before. 2000 saw Beanoland open on the former site of Circus World, bringing two new rides to the park: Billy's Whizzer and Rodger the Dodger's Dodgems.[9]
Expansion to resort[edit]
On 22 May 2007, The Tussauds Group was taken over by Merlin Entertainments Ltd, which owns other brands such as Sea Life Centres. Besides Chessington, Merlin also purchased Alton Towers, the nearby Thorpe Park, and Madame Tussauds, which made Merlin the second largest entertainment operator in the world, second only to Disney.[10] As Chessington World of Adventures and Thorpe Park are located within 20 miles of each other, Merlin Entertainments has made efforts to market the two parks to different age groups:[5] Thorpe Park caters to teenagers, while Chessington World of Adventures Resort is for families and people of all ages.[8]
In June 2007, the park opened the "Safari Hotel" next to the Chessington Zoo. The hotel is themed to a "safari lodge" and has 150 rooms.[8] In August 2014, a small waterpark style area opened in the hotel named the "Savanna Splash".
In late 2009 the new area Wild Asia replaced the area known as Beanoland in the theme park,[2] and in June 2010 the Wanyama Reserve (now called ZUFARI) opened behind the Safari Hotel, giving a backdrop for its African theme.[8] In 2012 Africa replaced ToyTown,[4] and following this Chessington introduced the new area ZUFARI in 2013.[4]
On 15 March 2014, the Scorpion Express mine train themed roller coaster opened in Mexicana. It is themed around an abandoned mining town, which now guards its mines using a giant scorpion. For the investment, Mexicana was refurbished, and the back half, by Scorpion Express was redone with new theming and new area music. On 28 March, the Amazu Treetop Adventure opened in Chessington Zoo, it consists of Spider Monkeys, Capybara, Military Macaw and other animals. Raised walkways go above and through the enclosures as an alternative to viewing from the ground. The new, separate Monkey Walkthrough has also been added in Amazu.
In mid 2014 the Azteca Hotel opened, as the resort's second form of accommodation. The hotel has 69 rooms, a restaurant and bar. The hotel has an entrance to the theme park and zoo, as well as a direct link to the Amazu Treetop Adventure. The hotel had been under construction for just over a year and has an indoor link to the Safari Hotel via a glass walkway.
In late 2014 the Halloween Hocus Pocus October half-term event was redeveloped to become Howl'O'Ween. The same scare mazes were kept, two new stage shows launched.
As of 2014, Chessington operates five annual continuing events; African Adventures, Annual Pass Holders Preview, Chessington Conservation Fund Evening, Chessington Howl'o'ween, and Festive Zoo Days. The first is African Adventures, in which during February Half-term Chessington Zoo is decorated with African theming.[11] The theme park is also open at this time but only the Africa and Forbidden Kingdom areas are available with some attractions also operating.[12] During the weekend before re-opening, the theme park it open to annual pass holders only for the Annual Pass Holders Preview. Most attractions operate at this time, with some still undergoing maintenance.[12] On an evening in June, Chessington Zoo opens for the Chessington Conservation Fund evening, which involves speeches about the charity work the fund pays for and information on some of the Zoo's endangered species.
During the last two weeks of the theme park season, Chessington hosts a the Chessington Howl'o'ween event, previously known as Halloween Hocus Pocus. The park is decorated for halloween with spiders, skeletons and cobwebs.[13] Some actors also roam the theme park and zoo dressed as witches, vampires and zombies.[14] For the event, a number of extra Halloween attractions open with walkthroughs, scare mazes and stage shows.[12] During the event, rides also operate in the dark.[citation needed] With Festive Zoo Days, during December weekends and school holidays, Chessington Zoo opens with Christmas decorations and a Christmas attraction during daylight hours.[12] Parts of the theme park open for is event, with Bubbleworks and SeaStorm usually operating.[15]
- One Off Events
- Ice Age - In August 2009 Chessington held an event to celebrate the release of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. The park opened a temporary maze outside Beanoland for the event.
- Vampire XXI - In April 2011 Chessington opened a temporary maze in the area outside the Vampire roller coaster to celebrate its 21st birthday. The event was free and ran for two weeks.
- Mystic East Carnival - The Mystic East Carnival was a display of arts from the orient shown in Market Square and Mystic East. The event was held in May for a number of weeks.
- 25th Birthday Celebration - During July 2012, the resort had 25 days of fun to celebrate the theme park's 25th anniversary.
- Octonauts - From May 2013 onwards, an Octonauts meet and greet show was available in Chessington Zoo, outside the Sea Life Centre.
Rides and attractions[edit]
Roller coasters[edit]
|Additional information
|Dragon's Fury
|Steel sit down spinning coaster
|Land of the Dragons
|Maurer Söhne
|Intense spinning rollercoaster, originality sponsored by Skips. 1771 ft long track (540m);[16] Xtended CS 3000 model.[16]
|Steel Wild Mouse
|Maurer Söhne
|Wild mouse (car 2+2) that reaches a speed of 28 mph (45 km) on a 1213 ft long track (370m) and a height of 49 ft (15m).[17] The Rattlesnake underwent a refurbishment for 2013, which included re-painting the track, fixing queue line effects and repainting all theming.[citation needed]
|Scorpion Express
|Steel sit down
|Mack Rides
|Blauer Enzian model.[18] Family rollercoaster themed around an abandoned mining town that has been taken over by mechanical scorpions.[19] A flame tower features.
|Suspended floorless swinging coaster
|Arrow Dynamics / Vekoma
|Original designer was John Wardley, with an upgrade in 2002, with new train design, station touchup, and new queue line. Reaches a speed of 45 mph (73 km) on a 2200 ft long track (670m);[20]
Flat rides[edit]
|Additional information
|Black Buccaneer
|Swinging ship
|Pirates' Cove
|Huss Rides
|Swinging pirate ship that is painted black (hence the name).[21]
|Disk'O Coaster
|Wild Asia
|Riders sit in a motorcycle-like position in outward-facing seats at the edge of the circular ride platform.[22]
|Monkey Swinger
|Wave swinger
|Wild Asia
|A large monkey-themed wave swinger ride with a water element.[24]
|Peeking Heights
|Ferris wheel
|Mystic East
|Fabbri Group
|25 metres (82 ft) tall, has 18 pods, and provides views of the entire park.[25] Passengers under 1.1 metres (3 ft 7 in) must be accompanied by an adult.[26] Was previously at Thorpe Park.[27] Peeking Heights was refurbished for the 2013 season as part of Chessington's £5 million refurbishment plan.
|Rameses Revenge
|Top Spin
|Forbidden Kingdom
|Huss Rides
|Riders usually take in two different cycles of the ride. Top Spin with a water element;[28]
|Sea Storm ride
|Pirates' Cove
|Mack Rides
|A Mack SeaStorm [27] ride. Riders sit in a boat that rises up and down, simulating a sea storm. As the platform spins, the boat also slowly spins on its own axis.
Water/Dark rides[edit]
|Additional information
|Water dark ride
|Mack Rides
|Dark water ride designed by John Wardley[27] that originally opened in 1990 as a "fizzy pop" factory. A ring-shaped boat holds up to four people and travels with varying speed through the ride.[3] It is currently themed around a soap factory, and sponsored by Imperial Leather from 2006 until 2010.[citation needed]
|Dragon Falls
|Log flume
|Mystic East
|Mack Rides
|A John Wardley-designed water ride that features two drops, one into a Dragon's mouth. The ride is heavily themed around the Orient.[29]
|Tomb Blaster
|Dark ride
|Forbidden Kingdom
|Mack Rides
|A dark ride themed around destroying an ancient curse, where Riders shoot laser guns at targets for points, which are displayed on the cart.[30]
Children's rides[edit]
|Additional information
|Canopy Capers
|Tree house
|Land of the Dragons
|Tussauds Studios
|Children's tree house climbing attraction that interlocks with Dragon's Fury[29]
|Market Square
|Classic merry go round style ride.[31]
|Dragon's Playhouse
|Land of the Dragons
|Tussauds Studios
|Soft play area, height limit 1.4m max.
|Flying Jumbos
|Mini Jet Red Baron
|Preston & Barbieri
|A popular spinning children's ride in which riders control how high they go, with elephant-themed cabs.[32]
|Griffin's Galleon
|Rockin' Tug
|Land of the Dragons
|Small spinning pirate ship for children, the thrill ride has a track length of about fifty feet, and 21 feet of height.[33]
|Jungle Bus
|Crazy bus
|Wild Asia
|Small, children's magic carpet.
|Jungle Bouncers
|Mini drop tower
|Mini drop tower for children, originally called Ribena Berry Bouncers.
|Sea Dragons
|Spinning ride
|Land of the Dragons
|Mack Rides
|Small children's boat ride.[29]
|Tiny Truckers
|Convoy ride
|Market Square
|Small driving attraction that usually makes two laps of its course.[31]
|Temple of Mayhem
|Wild Asia
|Merlin Entertainments Studios
|Play area with three floors, guests fire foam balls at one another. Height limit 1.4m max.
|Toadie's Crazy Cars
|Convoy ride
|Driving attraction, themed around Wind in the Willows. All ages, children under 1.1 meters must be accompanied by an adult.[34]
Other attractions[edit]
|Additional information
|Hocus Pocus Hall
|House of mirrors
|Burnt Stub Mansion
|Tussauds Studios
|Hocus Pocus Hall is built in the original manor house at the park, Burnt Stub.[1] Visitors to the walk-in mansion under 1.1 meter must be accompanied by an adult.[31]
|Lorikeet Lagoon
|Bird enclosure
|Wild Asia
|Merlin Entertainments Studios
|Visitors can feed nectar to a flock of lorikeets in a walk-in space.[24]
|Madagascar Live! Prepare to Party
|Musical theater
|A 20-minute live stage show featuring characters from the Madagascar film franchise.[34]
|Safari Skyway
|Market Square
|Mack Rides
|Guided monorail tour around Chessington Zoo. Any guests under 1.1 meter must be accompanied by an adult.[27]
|Tuk Tuk Turmoil
|Bumper cars
|Wild Asia
|Preston & Barbieri
|Family bumper cars themed to resemble tuk-tuks, which are auto rickshaws from Southeast Asia.
Ride into Africa!
|Guided safari
|Merlin Entertainments Studios
|An off-road safari truck tour that takes riders into the plains of Zufari.[24] Increased annual park attendance by 15.4%.
Past rides[edit]
Many of the rides and areas at the park have been either re-themed over the years, while others have moved to other theme parks and been replaced.[27]
- The Fun City Show tent, housing circus/stunt entertainment, was demolished in 1999 to make way for Beanoland to open the next season.[citation needed]
- Beanoland was an area themed around The Beano comic. It opened in 2000 and closed in 2009,[27] featuring Billy's Whizzer, Dennis' Madhouse, Roger the Dodger's Dodgems and Bash Street Bus.[35]
- Runaway Train was a mine train themed powered roller coaster in the Mexicana area. Opened in 1987,[9] and closed at the end of 2012. Replaced by Scorpion Express.[19]
- Action Man Training HQ (also called Action Man Critical Mission) was a large children's adventure playground-type attraction, opened in 1997 and closed in 2005.[9]
- Magic Carpet was located in the Mystic East area, until it closed at the end of the 1998 season.[9] Samurai (see below) was installed in its place.
- Samurai was a Mondial Top Scan installed in 1999 and closed in 2003 in Mystic East,[9] then relocated to sister park Thorpe Park.
- Chessington Zoo Railway (12 in (305 mm) miniature gauge) closed in 1985 before the theme park had been constructed.[36]
- Chessington Railroad (2 ft/610 mm narrow gauge)[37] left at the end of 1996.[9] Although still a popular attraction, the fact that long stretches of the route were on open pathways meant it was considered a safety risk and it was removed.[citation needed]
- Rodeo was a Huss breakdance ride that closed at the end of the 2004 season.[9] It was left standing but not operating (SBNO) until 2007, when most of the ride was removed. The ride's centerpiece has been rethemed and is now located in Transylvania.
- Toytown Roundabout was also removed at the end of 1999. The more traditional carousel,[9] which had been open since 1996 close to the park's north entrance,[citation needed] took its place.[9]
- Clown Coaster, formerly Toy Town Coaster, was a very small children's coaster. It was removed to make way for the new Berry Bouncers ride which took its place in 2001.[9]
- Professor Burp's Bubbleworks was a world-famous dark ride in the Transylvania land opened in 1990 and closed in 2005 and rethemed in 2006. It took riders on a tour of a quirky fizzy pop factory using boats and a water channel.[27]
- The Fifth Dimension was a dark ride that opened in 1987 and closed in 1993,[citation needed] based around the story of a TV repair robot[38] named Zappomatic and his quest to defeat the computer-created monster, the Gorg. Replaced by Terror Tomb.
- Terror Tomb (also called Forbidden Tomb) was a dark ride opened in 1994 and closed in 2001, replaced by Tomb Blaster.[9] It told the story of a tomb robber named Abdab and the various dangers he encountered as he attempted to steal a precious emerald from within the tomb. Many of the original set pieces remain in the Tomb Blaster ride with the exclusion of the Abdab animatronics, some of which can be found within the queue line of Vampire as decoration.
Chessington Theme Park[edit]
Chessington World of Adventures Park opened on the 6th July 1987. Major attractions include: Vampire, Rameses Revenge, Dragon's Fury, KOBRA, ZUFARI: Ride into Africa! and Scorpion Express which opened on 15 March 2014.[2] Shows include Madagascar Live! Prepare to Party and Wild Factor.[8]
As of 2014 the theme park at Chessington World of Adventures Resort is divided into ten themed lands, each with a different theme and setting, specifically with each land designed to resemble a place in the world.[5] The central area of the park, Market Square, resembles an old English market town, whereas Mystic East is themed around the orient, with the water ride Dragon Falls opening there in 1987. Mexicana is inspired by a small town in America's old far-west.[9] Pirates' Cove is a mock of a fishing village in England with blue wooden shops.[21] Transylvania, although the real city is from Romania, is actually themed to look like Bavaria, Germany with ompha music playing in the village area.[20] Forbidden Kingdom is based on Ancient Egypt with hieroglyphics drawn onto its surroundings.[5] Land of the Dragons is the only "fantasy" themed area of the theme park and is a self-contained dragon-themed land with rides mostly for young children.[9]
Among the newer lands is Wild Asia which opened in 2010 as a replacement for Beanoland with an Indian theme.[27] Africa opened in 2012 and is based on Madagascar, while the African reserve ZUFARI opened in 2013.[32]
The park's maximum daily capacity is set to 16,000 guests, and in 2013, the park attracted 1.5 million people, a 15.4% increase on the previous year.
Timeline of Park Areas[edit]
|Market Square
|Mystic East
|Calamity Canyon
|Circus World
|Wild Asia
|Toy Town
|Pirates' Cove
|Forbidden Kingdom
|Land of the Dragons
- Gallery
Market Square[edit]
Market Square is the central area of the park and has the entrance to Safari Skyway, a monorail that opened in 1986 that gives a guided tour of the zoo, lawn and mansion area.[31] The Carousel merry-go-round is located in Market Square, as is the convoy ride Tiny Truckers, where children can drive their own vehicles. Hocus Pocus Hall is a house of mirrors located just out the area in the Burnt Stub Mansion.[9] In the centre of Market Square is a compass, with different areas of the resort on. It includes: theme park lands, some zoo areas, the Sea Life centre and the hotels.
Themed as a Mexican- inspired square and a Far West town in the American's Old West, the Mexicana area was called Calamity Canyon until 1999.[9] Rattlesnake,[39] a steel sit-down Wild Mouse roller coaster, opened in 1998.[17] Scorpion Express is a mine train themed roller coaster that takes riders across the abandoned town of Scorpion Valley, it opened on 19 March 2014, as a headline attraction at the park.
Pirates' Cove[edit]
Pirates' Cove is an area adjacent to Transylvania.[21] Rides include the Black Buccaneer, a swinging pirate ship that is painted black (hence the name) that opened in 1988 with the name Smugglers Galleon.[9] Seastorm is a circular family boat ride that simulates a sea storm,[21] and increases speed if riders stays on a second time.
Mystic East[edit]
Mystic East is an oriental-themed area with a replica of the Kōtoku-in Buddha statue taking center court. The two main rides are the Dragon Falls log flume and Peeking Heights, a Ferris wheel.[26] Dragon Falls is a 510 foot long log flume ride themed around the legend of Dragons.[29] Peeking Heights opened in 2005,[26] and from the top of the wheel the entire park is visible.[25] Mystic East also has the Extreme Games Zone.[26]
The Transylvania area was created in 1990,[9] opening with two major rides designed by John Wardley: the Vampire and Bubbleworks. Vampire is a steel suspended floorless coaster.[20] The original Arrow Dynamics trains were replaced with Vekoma trains in 2002. Bubbleworks is a Mack Rides dark boat ride that opened in 1990 as Professor Burp's Bubbleworks.[20] A ring-shaped boat holds up to four people and travels with varying speed through the ride.[3][40] It was rethemed in 2006.[27]
Forbidden Kingdom[edit]
Themed around Ancient Egypt with an obelisk in the centre. The area was created in 1994, originally with the Terror Tomb dark ride. It has two popular rides; Tomb Blaster and Rameses Revenge. Openeing in 2002 Tomb Blaster[27] is a dark ride shoot out game where riders shoot laser guns at targets. Rameses Revenge is a Top Spin ride with a water element[30] that opened in 1995.[28]
Land of the Dragons[edit]
Land of the Dragons opened in 2004[9] and is a self-contained, dragon-themed land containing rides and attractions for younger children, however, the area also has Dragon's Fury, an intense spinning rollercoaster. There are two play areas for children in the main section: Dragon's Playhouse, a large soft play area, and adjacent to this is Canopy Capers, an outdoor treehouse rope bridge attraction obstacle course and the Dragon's Tale Theater.
There are also child-appropriate rides: Griffin's Galleon is a Kontiki ride. There is Sea Dragons is a spinning boat ride, created by Mack Rides. Sir Walter Squirtalot is a fountain that squirts water.[41] Dragon's Fury is a spinning roller coaster that opened in 2004.[16]
Wild Asia[edit]
Wild Asia, opened in early 2010[27] as a wild jungle, featuring theming such as ancient ruins and tribal statues.[24] The attraction Lorikeet Lagoon opened with the area in 2010 as part of Chessington's plan to add zoo enclosures within the theme park, visitors may feed the lorikeets nectar.[24] The area has a number of thrill rides, including KOBRA, a Zamperla flat ride that opened in 2010,[22] Monkey Swinger a wave swinger with a water element that opened in 2000,[23] Jungle Bus a small Zamperla magic carpet ride themed around tours of the jungle. The area is also home to the Tuk Tuk Turmoil bumper cars, which are themed as Asian rickshaw tuk tuks. The last attraction in the area is Temple of Mayhem, an indoor play area where children can fire foam balls, with a minimum age limit of 4 years.[24]
The Africa area is inspired by the DreamWorks movie Madagascar and has to a number of child-oriented rides and attractions. These include Madagascar Live! Prepare to Party, a live show based on the film that opened in 2012,[4] and two physical rides: Toadie's Crazy Cars, a children's car tour through Mr Toadie's garden, and Jungle Bouncers, a mini drop tower.[9] There is also an Xtra Adventures kiosk located here.[5]
ZUFARI is Chessington's African reserve, and has ZUFARI: Ride into Africa as the key attraction, a safari truck adventure through the planes of Zufari.[32] Flying Jumbos is the other attraction in the area. In 2010 the Wanayama Village & Reserve opened in ZUFARI and gave the pre-existing Wanayama Village attraction to the resort's zoo,[42] with the Zufari planes and Wanyama Reserve being used as a backdrop for the Safari Hotel. ZUFARI's total size is 22 acres and has flamingos, giraffe, ostrich, Nile Lechwe, white rhino, Grevy's Zebra, Scimitar Horned Oryx and sitatungas.[32]
Chessington Zoo[edit]
Chessington Zoo was opened in 1931 by Reginald Goddard. In 1946 when Goddard died, the Pearson Publishing Company took over the zoo and managed it until 1978, when The Tussauds Group took control of the park.[1] A number of animals were moved to other zoos during the construction of the theme park. In 1990 the polar bears left the park, as did the hippos and elephants in 1993. In 1994 the snow leopards were relocated to the lion and tiger area.[9] For a time the attracton was called Animal Land, before returning to Chessington Zoo in 2007.[9] The zoo has only one non-animal related attraction, the Burnt Stub Mansion, an old manor house home to the Hocus Pocus Hall.
The zoo is generally open simultaneously with the theme park, but also remains open for times in the winter when the theme park is closed.[12] Zoo entrance is included with a standard Chessington ticket.
As of 2014 the zoo has over 1,000 animals, a number of which are endangered and no longer found in the wild.[43] Chessington Zoo is split up into different areas and walkthroughs. The rhea, mara, wallabies, meerkats and agouti were previously the Monkey Walk area. Monkey Walk was replaced by Creatures Features which in turn was later replaced by the Wanyama Village in 2010. There is also a Children's Zoo, where children may feed domestic farm animals.[9]
The Safari Skyway, an elevated monorail with an entrance in the Market Square theme park area, takes riders around various animal enclosures at the zoo.[31] In front of Hocus Pocus Hall, there is Wild Wood, an animal presentation area which hosts the Animal Antics show at different times throughout the day.[44] Next to Wild Wood is Penguin Cove with humboldt penguins, while there are also enclosures for river otters and reindeer.[43] Chessington Zoo also has an area called Sealion Bay, which features sea lion presentations several times a day and Creepy Caves, a reptile house.[43]
The Trails of the Kings; a walkthrough attraction home to enclosures for Western Lowland gorillas, two Sumatran tigers, two Asiatic lions, fossa, Carpathian lynx, and binturong.[43] In 2007 the Trail of the Kings section of the Zoo underwent an inspection with the outcome that the gorilla enclosure was too small.[45] A bigger building for the gorillas was completed in 2010.[citation needed] As of 2013, there are 10 gorillas at chessington, as well as two infants born in 2012.[43]
The Wanyama Village & Reserve opened in late May 2010, in an area behind the Safari Hotel and houses animals such as Grévy's zebra, Sitatunga antelope and scimitar horned oryx. It is part of the ZUFARI animal reserve.[9] The area is open to guests staying in the Safari Hotel during the evening.
The AMAZU Treetop Adventure opened in March 2014 on the former site of the Monkey & Bird Garden. The area features adventure trail walkways, play areas and Aztec theming. The area has Spider Monkeys, Saki Monkeys, Red-handed Tamarins, Golden-headed Lion Tamarins, Bolivian Squirrel Monkeys, Geoffroy Marmosets, Capybara, Military Macaws, Ecuadorian Red Lored Amazons, Giant Wood Rail, Agouti and Three-banded Armadillo. The animals in the area can either be viewed on ground or through the Amazu raised walkways, some of which, go through the enclosures.
Chessington Sea Life Centre[edit]
In 2008 Chessington Zoo open Chessington Sea Life Centre on the site of the old children's Zoo, as an attempt to both determine if the park had a positive future and also to attract more multi-day visits.[9] The Sea Life Centre, which is part of a franchise operated by Merlin Entertainments, has a number of exhibits including a Ray Pool and a Touch Pool. The Sea Life Centre is split into four areas: Our Shoreline, The Reef, Amazonia and Azteca which features the signature Ocean Tunnel.
"Our Shoreline" is the oldest area and has sea creatures found on the coast of Britain, featuring Rays, Seahorses and Starfish. The area also has smaller exhibits including Clownfish and Crabs. The Touch Pool is also found here, in the centre of the area. The following area is named "The Reef", which features Clownfish, Cleaner shrimp, Regal tang, Slipper lobster and Upside-down Jellyfish
Next to this area is Amazonia, which opened in 2009.[9] It is a slightly smaller version of the same exhibit that has appeared at other Sea Life Centres.[9] It includes Red-bellied Piranhas, Common octopus, Tetras and other, smaller exhibits.
Azteca opened in 2011,[9] it features a 10 meter Ocean Tunnel, which has sea creatures including: Bonnethead sharks, Lion fish, Starry Pufferfish, Surgeon fish, Angle Fish, Catshark and Epaulette shark. The tunnel existed before the 2011 addition, but was redeveloped for the arrival of new fish. Aside from the Ocean Tunnel, Azteca also has Jellyfish, Seahorse and Northern wolffish.
Resort Hotels[edit]
Chessington currently operate and own two hotels - Azteca Hotel and Safari Hotel. Both are connected via a raised glass walkway.
Safari Hotel[edit]
The Safari Hotel is a 150 room, four star hotel based on a Safari Lodge. It was originally called the Chessington Hotel, but was renamed to Safari Hotel in 2014 due to the opening of the Azteca Hotel to avoid confusion.[46]
The hotel opened in June 2007 and was originally operated by Holiday Inn until it was fully taken over by Chessington in May 2014.[8] The hotel features various African elements with Giraffe sculptures dotted around. When the hotel was integrated as a resort in 2010, the Wanyama Village & Reserve opened with access from the hotel.
Azteca Hotel[edit]
The Azteca Hotel is the newest to the two and opened on the 11th August 2014. The hotel is four star and themed around an ancient aztec temple. The hotel has 69 rooms, spread across three floors, with each floor themed to a different level of the temple. The top floor (named "Tempel Summit") is decorated to give the impression that guests are on top of the temple looks out at the wildlife around.
The hotel is linked to the Amazu area of the zoo, which is also aztec themed.
Future developments[edit]
Merlin Entertainments have put in a £14 million refurbishment plan to improve the infrastructure of the park over two years. The plan has been put into place since March 2013, and has included so far: the addition of Scorpion Express, major refurbishments in Market Square, Transylvania and Mexicana, as well as replacing all of the theming elements with identical clones on Rattlesnake.
As part of the upgrade plan, the Dragon Falls ride in the Mystic East area was to be re-themed for 2014.[19] However, this was later postponed following a fire damage after an incident in December 2013.[47] The ride is scheduled to instead receive the works during winter 2014.
Green Belt restrictions[edit]
Due to the majority of the theme park being located on Green Belt lands the park is subject to several restrictions. Most significant are restrictions in height (no building higher than the tree line), noise (with time restrictions) and traffic management.[citation needed]
Various ride have had to have been built in pits due to these restrictions. It is most noticeable on Black Buccaneer, Rattlesnake and Rameses Revenge. The resort are not allowed to built anything higher than the Peeking Heights Ferris wheel and can not operate The Vampire past 11pm.
- Main gallery: Chessington World of Adventures Resort at WikiCommons
- Theme park and features
Entrance to Dragon's Fury in Land of the Dragons
Forbidden Kingdom theming at entrance to Rameses Revenge
Scorpion Express entrance
- Chessington Zoo
Ostriches in their Wanyama Village enclosure
Sumatran tiger 2010
Sea lion enclosure
Kunekune at petting zoo
See also[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Leisure/tourism Geographies: Practices and Geographical Knowledge By David Crouch, 1999, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-18109-7
- ^ a b c d e f g Chessington World of Adventures. VDM Publishing. 2010. ISBN 9786131137198.
- ^ a b c "Transylvania". ThemeUk.com. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ a b c d "What's New at Chessington World of Adventures". Retrieved 2012-02-03. (Chessington World of Adventures)
- ^ a b c d e f g h Sehlinger, Bob (Apr 22, 2011). "page". The Unofficial Guide to Britain's Best Days Out, Theme Parks and Attractions (John Wiley & Sons).
- ^ a b Wollaston, Steve (May 5, 2013). "Feature: Life has been a rollercoaster for white knuckle ride designer John Wardley". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2013-10-16.
- ^ "John Wardley Interview". Park World. Retrieved 2013-10-16.
- ^ a b c d e f "Official Park History". Chessington World of Adventures. 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-16.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad "History of attractions / timeline: Chessington". Chessington UK. Retrieved 2013-10-16.
- ^ "AECOM Global Attractions Attendance Report 2010". Kris Harris. 29 March 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.[dead link]
- ^ African Adventures
- ^ a b c d e "Opening Times". Chessington World of Adventures. Retrieved 2013-10-16.
- ^ Halloween (Chessington World of Adventures)
- ^ Hocus Pocus 2013 Review (Scare Tour UK)
- ^ "Festive Zoo Days: Plan Your Trip". Chessington World of Adventures. Retrieved 2014-01-12.
- ^ a b c "Dragon's Fury". RCDB. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ a b "Rattlesnake - Chessington World of Adventures (Chessington, Surrey, England)". RCDB. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ "Runaway Train - Chessington World of Adventures (Chessington, Surrey, England)". RCDB. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ a b c "Azteca Hotel and Scorpion Express for Chessington in 2014". Theme UK. 2014. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
- ^ a b c d "Vampire". T-Park. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ a b c d "Pirates' Cove". Chessington World of Adventures. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ a b "Kobra - Chessington World of Adventures". Coaster Force. June 27, 2011. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ a b "Monkey Swinger". Coaster Force. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ a b c d e f "Wild Asia". Chessington World of Adventures. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ a b "Peeking Heights". T-Park. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ a b c d "Mystic East". Chessington World of Adventures. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Chessington History". Theme Park Guide. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ a b "Rameses Revenge Review". T-Park. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ a b c d "Dragon Falls". Chessington World of Adventures. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ a b "Forbidden Kingdom". Chessington World of Adventures. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ a b c d e "Market Square". Chessington World of Adventures. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ a b c d "Zufari". Chessington World of Adventures. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ "Griffin's Galleon". T-Park. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ a b "Africa". Chessington World of Adventures. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ "Beanoland". ThemeUK. Retrieved 2013-10-16.
- ^ Camden Miniature Steam Services
- ^ Chessington Railroad pictures with Chance Rides 2 ft/610 mm gauge C.P. Huntington locomotive
- ^ "Tomb Blaster". Coaster Force. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ "Rattlesnake". Chessington World of Adventures. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ "Vampire". Chessington World of Adventures. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ "Land of the Dragons". Chessington World of Adventures. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ Hilpern, Kate (August 2013). "The 10 Best theme parks". The Independent. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
- ^ a b c d e "Chessington Zoo". Chessington World of Adventures. Retrieved 2013-10-16.
- ^ Chessington: Plan Your Trip
- ^ "News report on gorilla enclosure". BBC News. 2007-04-12. Retrieved 2009-07-17.[dead link]
- ^ "Chessington Azteca Hotel - Opening 2014!". Chessington World of Adventures Resort. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
- ^ "£5 million refurbishment programme at Chessington World of Adventures". Chessington.com. 2013-09-03. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
External links[edit]
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chessington World of Adventures Resort.


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Written by Hult Professor of Corporate and Social Responsibility Prakash Sethi for Carnegie Council. Professor Sethi's The World of Wal-Mart essay was awarded 1st in the Top 10 Council Resources for 2013. Please read the article in full at Carnegiecouncil.org.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is the world's largest retail enterprise, with total revenue of $421.8 billion and a net income of $16.4 billion in 2011. It is also the world's largest employer, with 2.1 million employees worldwide in 2010—not including workers hired by its suppliers. In my view, Wal-Mart provides a prism through which to examine how many multinational companies (MNCs) engage in illegal and unethical behavior. They use their bargaining power and market control to pressure countries to condone environmental degradation and violation of national labor laws.
In the United States, since 2005, Wal-Mart has paid about $1 billion in damages to U.S. employees in six different cases related to unpaid work. Moreover, Wal-Mart opposes any form of collective action, even when employees are not seeking unionization, but simply more respect.
Overseas, the company has been embroiled in a series of scandals, including multiple cases of bribery. In April 2012, The New York Times published a story that uncovered hundreds of suspect payments to Mexican officials, totaling more than $24 million. According to the Times, Wal-Mart received hundreds of internal reports of bribery and fraud every year. In Asia alone, there had been 90 reports of bribery in the previous 18 months. Since the spring of 2011, Wal-Mart has spent over $35 million and hired more than 300 outside lawyers, accountants, and investigators to investigate and deal with bribery issues. Wal-Mart's penalties under Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Securities and Exchange Commission regulatory filings are likely to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, yet this is unlikely to act as a deterrent for the future. Even the worst-case scenario of $1–2 billion in penalties would represent a small fraction of Wal-Mart's earnings.
Worst of all, Wal-Mart—and other MNCs—can be connected to the deaths and injuries of hundreds of people in workplace accidents, most recently in Bangladesh, but also in other countries where low-skill, low-wage manufacturing predominates.
Bangladesh Garment Factory Disasters
Bangladesh is the world's second largest garment exporter after China. Its foreign exchange earnings of $19.1 billion in 2011–2012 represented 13 percent of the country's GDP and 78 percent of annual exports. The country expects to triple its garment exports in the next three years as worker wages increase in China and more production migrates to Bangladesh. Bangladesh has no natural comparative advantage in garment manufacturing, hence it has been unable to create complementary industries and diversify its manufacturing base. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that these low prices are obtained through low wages and unsafe working conditions.
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"Dr. Hill, are we changing my medicine because they gave you a pen?"
Iwas moments away from offering an explanation of drug half-lives when my patient's eyes brightened and she asked the question that jolted me. This 47-year-old psychopharmacology clinic patient at times seemed slow to follow the logic of our treatment plan, but this question about her antianxiety medication came swiftly. My cheeks and forehead were suddenly awash with warmth as I looked down and saw my pen did indeed announce the availability of a popular benzodiazepine in a new formulation. At that moment I felt bought and paid for.
My stance on the influence of drug lunches changed over the course of my psychiatry residency. At the beginning, I thought I could slide a pen into my pocket or grab a few slices of pizza without my behavior being affected. So did most of my colleagues, who eagerly engaged in small talk with drug representatives ("reps") in order to claim another mug or pocket pharmacopoeia. We wondered when the reps who brought the tasty pad thai would be back, joking that we could not recall the company for which they worked. However, some of my fellow residents refused to eat the free drug company lunch right from the start. I scoffed at them, for I thought I could save a few bucks on lunch and still choose medications for my patients in an unbiased manner.
A wealth of research has shown my initial response to the free lunches was typical for many doctors (1, 2). I drew a flexible line between reasonable gifts—pens, simple lunches of sandwiches or pizza—and those gifts I thought too extravagant to accept—dinners at the most expensive restaurants in town. I was amazed at the number of brightly colored invitations to listen to an expert extol the merits of new drugs over dinner at restaurants I could not afford on my resident's salary. While it was difficult to pass up five-star dinners, I was comfortable with my self-imposed standard for the first 3 years of my residency. I did notice, however, that each time events were held at a fancy French restaurant written up in the paper, the lectures seemed especially pertinent to me.
My position on drug companies and their gifts continued to evolve during my fourth year of residency. I recalled the uncomfortable feelings caused by patients like my psychopharmacology clinic attendee, and with a little more free time on my hands in my final year of training, I decided to read about the pharmaceutical industry's influence on medicine. Even gifts of negligible value can alter the behavior of doctors in ways we are not always aware (3). And while peer-reviewed research studies can make a strong impact upon the way we as doctors practice medicine, and drug companies have collaborated with psychiatric investigators on some important studies, implementing a study's findings is a matter of choice. Although listening to descriptions of recent studies while sipping hot coffee brought into the clinic by drug representatives is more convenient than reading journals on your own, one consequence may be that too large a fraction of one's knowledge of new research and its application to practice is heavily filtered and arguably biased.
With my residency training at Brigham and Women's Hospital now completed, I reflect upon the array of topics I have learned, from psychodynamic psychotherapy to opioid detoxification. Few, however, are as complex as the issue of drug company influence on training and practice. As a result of my experiences, my pens are no longer emblazoned with the latest medications, and I bring my lunch from home.
But my eyes still do linger on the pad thai.
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Madison takes second for Mount Ski Gull
Mount Ski Gull's Calvin Madison took second-place honors in the boys' age 10-11 division when the Mount Ski Gull Alpine Team participated in the Northland Junior Race Series (NJRS) event Sunday, Jan. 13, at Giants Ridge in Biwabik.
Madison's time was 1:07.13, slightly under 2 seconds short of the first-place position. Race organizers said 20 racers represented the Mount Ski Gull Alpine Race Team from the Brainerd area.
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ANN ARBOR (WKZO) --University of Michigan officials are reportedly considering new guidelines that would grant in-state tuition to undocumented students and military personnel.
The proposed revisions were posted on Monday and are expected to be part of the Board of Regents' agenda during their gathering on Thursday. If the guidelines are changed, it would be the first revamp of the university's in-state tuition policy since 2005.
The changes would cut costs by two-thirds for undocumented students and would broaden the university's policy for active duty military members and veterans.


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Like many low-income parents, Hamideh Nilchi can't afford to go to the museum. She took her 5-year-old daughter to a free event one evening at Boston Children's Museum, and the experience had them hooked. Melika, her daughter, was so enthralled she wanted to explore every area in the museum.
Since then, they have not been back -- or to any other museums for that matter. Regular admissions costs too much, she says.