Headlines: 'Weston Pier boycott' and 'Motion closure'
Here's our daily pick of stories from across local websites in the West of England, and interesting content from social media.
Our pick of local website stories
There are calls to boycott Weston-super-Mare's Grand Pier after it was announced that right-wing commentator Katie Hopkins will be performing there as part of a stand-up comedy tour.A newly-qualified teenage driver was sentenced to two years' detention after killing three friends and seriously injuring two children and an adult in a "catastrophic" head on crash.Finally, there was some good news for Swindon's conservationists after Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and a group of councillors discovered a population of rare Great Crested Newts in the town.
Our top three from yesterday
What to watch on social media
Bristol's popular nightclub, Motion, updated its followers with the sad news that it will be closing its doors at its Avon Street site for the last time in July. Bosses have promised that this is "not the end", and that they will go out with a bang.An animal rescue charity posted on Facebook about a "horrific" incident they had to deal with. They were called after a member of the public found a dead pregnant cat's body in a bin bag in Hanham, near Bristol.And the Swindon Advertiser shared the wonderful moment an 11-year-old girl heard again for the first time after undergoing life-changing surgery.
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Daily Mail
10-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Karen's Diner where staff are intentionally rude to customers to close its last UK restaurant after chain battled drug scandal
The final UK Karen's Diner restaurant where staff are intentionally rude to customers will close its doors at the end of this month. London 's Islington location will shut following two years of trading after bosses decided against renewing the franchise's lease. The restaurant, which has welcomed numerous famous faces, including Kate Garraway, Denise Van Outen, and Coleen Rooney, is known for its staff being rude to customers, with some clips going viral of staff going 'too far'. One grandmother was left mortified last year after her waitress called her a 'silly b****' - while a father visiting an Australian branch of the restaurant was called a 'peado' in front of his 14-year-old daughter. Karen's Diner, inspired by the internet trend of calling someone who always complains or gets angry at hospitality staff a 'Karen', said the upcoming closure resulted from 'the additional burden' of increased fixed costs, The Caterer reported. The news comes after the restaurant's parent company, Viral Ventures UK, went into liquidation in September last year. At the time, Viral Ventures UK reportedly owed over £400,000 to creditors, according to its accounts recorded to Companies House via Restaurant News Online. The pending closure follows numerous Karen's Diner controversies, including when far-right commentator Katie Hopkins hosted a guest appearance at the chain's Prestwich branch last March, which led to anti-racist protests outside the restaurant. That same month, Karen's Diner in Brighton Marina closed its doors after high traces of drugs were found on the premises. The diner chain ceased trading at the franchise after a high reading of cocaine was found on a baby changing table following a police investigation. In addition to the significant traces of drugs found, including MDMA, heroin, and ketamine, Sussex Police also discovered that the restaurant had broken licensing and safety rules. Police investigated the branch after a customer filed a complaint regarding a joke made about a child, according to The Argus. The force later requested that Brighton and Hove City Council review the licence amid safeguarding concerns. The branch opted to cease trading one day before a formal hearing in front of a panel of three councillors was set to take place. Police entered the premises during a licensing check on 2 February, 2024, and found traces of cocaine, heroin, MDMA, and ketamine in the toilets, on the kitchen pass, reception area, and on a customer table. Sergeant Vince Lam was present during the investigation and told The Argus: 'There are some very high readings and most alarmingly a (very high reading) for cocaine on the baby-changing table. 'During changing, the baby's fingers could contact the surface where drugs have been consumed and (they could) then place their fingers in their mouth causing possible harm.' High readings indicate that a surface has come into contact with 'bulk amounts' of a drug. Low readings suggest cross-contamination, background contamination or greatly degraded historic contamination. In addition to the high readings located on the baby's changing table, police found low readings of cocaine at the reception desk, bar card machine, a customer table and in the men's toilets. Low readings for heroin were found on the kitchen serving counter and the ladies toilet hand dryer. A medium reading for heroin was found in the ladies restroom bin alongside a medium reading for ecstasy. The ladies restroom also had a low reading for ketamine. In addition to the high presence of drugs found at the location, the force also discovered that the franchise was breaching its licence. At the time of the investigation, staff were unable to find the CCTV hard drive. Police travelled back to the Brighton Marina the following day, only to find that the system had been removed. The force then spoke to the premise's licence holder the next day, but he was also unaware of the hard drive's location. The designated premise's supervisor, who is responsible for alcohol sales at the restaurant, was also flagged in the report for not being present at the restaurant often enough. A representative from Karen's Diner told MailOnline at the time: 'Having investigated and studied the findings of Brighton and Hove Licensing Unit, we have decided to terminate our Franchise agreement with the Brighton operators. 'As from Monday the 4th of March, Karen's Diner will no longer trade on The Marina. 'Our restaurants are intended to offer outrageously funny experiences, and never to cause offence. 'Clearly the restaurant has operated outside of our guidelines and this is unacceptable. 'We take this opportunity of thanking the thousands of people that have been brave enough to visit and we share their disappointment as we announce this closure.' Karen's Diner launched in Sydney, Australia, in 2021 before opening branches in the UK. The chain's website described it as 'an interactive diner and an absurdly fun experience' - you get waited upon by rude waiters and forced to play a variety of 'stupid games.' Now, Karen's Diner is reportedly diverting attention away from brick-and-mortar restaurants and towards pop-up events.
Metro
04-06-2025
- Metro
Kylie Minogue was my first CD - seeing her perform was not what I expected
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video As per her 2007 hit: 'Wow, wow, wow, wow.' Kylie Minogue is not consigned to the past, even if it is nearing four decades since her breakout 80s track, The Loco-Motion. Alongside – oddly – Elvis Presley, Kylie's 2001 album Fever, with Love At First Sight, In Your Eyes and Can't Get You Out Of My Head, was my first CD. Experiencing her live over 20 years on was an experience I will never forget, and one I was not expecting. I thought seeing Kylie would simply be a warm, familiar burst of sunny nostalgia all these years on, but she was everything and more, with outfit changes galore, whiplash dance moves, and a voice that never, ever falters. In 2025, the 57-year-old is past, present and future. She is a chart-topping discography of pop, disco and even country-inspired bangers dating back to before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Right now, Kylie is the only solo female artist to have performed over 21 times at the O2, as she explained last night, while clutching her chest, shaking her head and wiping away tears. But Kylie is also the future. She's spearheading the LGBT+ music scene, with album Tension, from which her global mega-hit Padam, Padam was born. It was clear last night that she's a modern day icon as much as an 80s, 90s, or 00s one, with dramatic cries of 'Mother!' audible from youngsters in the crowd. Cultural relevance partied alongside nostalgia, with fans desperately waving signs to signify it was their 50th and 80th Kylie show, demonstrating just how multifaceted her influence is. This unusual melting pot of fans made for one hell of an atmosphere. Come Into My World cut through beaty pop hits like Get Outta My Way with a 90s trance-like romance, while Better the Devil You Know united 20,000 strangers into one huge hug of a party, everyone safe in Kylie's experienced arms. At no point did Kylie stumble, misstep, or sing a dud note. She was spectacular and heartfelt from start to finish. Kylie has so much love for fans that she sang three mini-songs acapella at their request – Hand on Your Heart, Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi and Midnight Ride. More Trending A highlight was Dancing, her 2018 track which veers mysteriously into country and got the audience swaying and toe-tapping in unison. When Kylie stripped things back for an acoustic version of Say Something, with all the fuss of lights, synthy beats and dancers gone, like a true professional megastar, she shone. After a sultry, dimly-lit and powerful turn in Slow, the last three songs of the show were unbridled euphoria. All The Lovers was a floaty, enchanting pop explosion and the highlight of the evening, before Padam Padam saw Mother enter the room. I looked around the O2 during the closing song of the evening, Love at First Sight, and all I saw was pits-in-the-air jubilation. That's the feeling Kylie gave me when I was six, and one she's still conjuring over 20 years later. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
BBC News
19-05-2025
- BBC News
Headlines: New mayor channels Paw Patrol and horse rescued
Here's our daily pick of stories from across local websites in the West of England, and interesting content from social media. Our pick of local website stories A mum in the Forest of Dean whose son has a rare form of epilepsy – causing him to once have 63 seizures in an hour – is fundraising to help a Dravet Syndrome charity, according to Gloucestershire Live.A horse abandoned which was rescued from the M32 on Friday is now being looked after by new owners, as reported by Bristol the Swindon Advertiser is reporting the town's new mayor will be channelling the Mayor Goodway from Paw Patrol. Our top three from yesterday What to watch on social media Woodwell Meadows has been declared a Local Nature Reserve, according to South Gloucestershire Salisbury, people are commenting on a underpass that connects St Paul's Road and Middleton Road, which seems to flood even if it has not in Somerset, a film crew was spotted in the water in Weston-super-Mare. It is said they were filming for a Channel 4 series airing in the autumn.
