Weekend to showcase London's galleries and gardens
'Enjoyment of nature'
London Parks and Gardens interim director Tim Webb said: "Protecting these green areas from harmful development will protect us from the worst impacts of climate change, adding greater value to our lives."He added that last year 93% of visitors said the event "reinforced their enjoyment of nature and appreciation of London's horticultural heritage". Some of the gardens open this year include: Battersea Roof Gardens: One of London's largest residential roof gardens next to Battersea Power StationThe Sanctuary Garden at Freedom from Torture: A silver-medal winner at the Chelsea Flower Show 2024Moat Community Garden, Millbank: Part of the Grade II-listed Millbank Estate near Tate BritainThe Charterhouse Square Garden: Six courtyard gardens within the Tudor walls of the Charterhouse site25 Cannon Street: A mini jewel of a city rooftop space, overlooking St Paul's Cathedral
Of LGW, organisers say the event is the world's largest of its kind and "unique among global gallery events".Open from Friday to Sunday, it aims to showcase London's diverse communities.Founder and director Jeremy Epstein and co-director Sarah Rustin said: "London Gallery Weekend reframes the city's dynamic and continuously evolving gallery community, serving the public, gallery and institutional sectors alike through our expanded programme and partnerships. "LGW's broadening scope of cross-sector initiatives address the challenging climate the sector is faced with, underscoring London's endurance as a locus for contemporary art - for ambitious exhibition making, global contemporary art discourse, and where artists' markets are established and consolidated."
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BBC News
11 minutes ago
- BBC News
Memorial to Roma Holocaust victims unveiled in Newcastle
England's first permanent public memorial dedicated to Roma victims of the Holocaust has been memorial has been erected outside Newcastle City Council's headquarters to remember the victims of the genocide and honour soldiers from the region who helped liberate concentration camps in is estimated up to 500,000 Roma and Sinti people were murdered by the Nazis during World War Two and the memorial was funded by the Tyneside Roma Karchnakova, of the Roma Right Path Project, said her great-grandfather Jan was murdered at Auschwitz and the statue "means a lot" to her family. She said she was "very proud" of the local Roma community for creating the Ion, of the Roma Access Association, said the monument was a "powerful statement that history needs to be remembered, commemorated, and that we need to educate younger generations about the atrocities of the past so that those mistakes won't happen again".The former city councillor led the efforts to establish monument and told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he hoped it would help tackle hate crime and racism experienced by his community. "Prejudice against the Roma community is increasing and we need to do a lot of education and outreach so people can understand how hatred and extremism can lead to devastating our communities and people's lives," he said. Dalibar Ferenc, 18, hoped the memorial would spread awareness of the impact of Nazi persecution on Roma people."I never actually learned much about it, especially at school," he Lenga, associate professor at the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education, praised the city's efforts campaigning for the monument. "I think it will help to challenge anti-Roma discrimination."We need to know these things. We live in such a fragile world where genocide can happen again, is happening again," she said. The memorial was unveiled the day before European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day, which takes place on the ceremony traditional Roma songs were sung and wreathes laid. Council leader Karen Kilgour said there were about 4,000 Roma people in Newcastle and they had "enriched our city for the better".She said: "This monument is a long overdue tribute to the men, women and children whose lives were stolen by hatred and persecution. "It is also a tribute to those from our own region, soldiers from the North East who bore witness to the horrors of the camps and played a vital role in their liberation. "Their bravery and the lessons history learned must never be forgotten."Local political and religious leaders and members of the Roma community were joined at Friday's event by representatives of the Romanian Embassy and the International Holocaust Remembrance embassy delegate Mariam El-Hek said the memorial was a "long overdue act of justice and act of remembrance". Follow BBC Newcastle on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
The Sun
11 minutes ago
- The Sun
I tested best fish and chips in capital of British national dish – winner was succulent and flaky and only cost £10.50
THERE are few things we Brits love more than fish and chips. And Scarborough, home to 93 chippies, knows that more than anywhere else. The seaside resort in North Yorks has more fish and chip shops per head than any other town or city in the country — 85.4 per 100,000 to be precise. 15 So as a self-confessed fan of our national dish, I knew I had to pay it a visit. My mission? To find the best fish and chips in the fish and chip capital of Britain. My method? By trying as many establishments as I could in the town centre in one day. And along the way, I found out just how the chippy makes the meal like nowhere else — and why it's more important than ever to make a point of supporting your local. As it turns out, the dish had made quite the journey to end up in the UK. Sephardic Jews in 15th Century Portugal enjoyed traditional fried fish on the Sabbath. Cooking on the day itself was forbidden, so they would wrap the fish in batter to preserve it. But when they were banished in 1497, many fled to England, bringing the dish with them — and the tradition of eating it on a Friday soon caught on. By the Victorian era, fried fish was firmly established as a working-class staple, being cheap, nutritious and easy to ship across the country thanks to the arrival of the railways. 'Fried fish warehouses' even featured in the Charles Dickens classic Oliver Twist. Britain's £65 Fish & Chips So Big NO ONE Can Finish It Alone But the title of Britain's first fish and chip shop is hotly debated. A southerner may tell you the first one was opened in Bow, East London, by a Jewish immigrant called Joseph Malin in about 1860, while a northerner might claim it was John Lees, who opened a market stall in Mossley, Lancs, around 1863. Wherever that marriage of fried fish and fried chips was first made, it wasn't long before there was a shop on just about every corner. The dish even escaped rationing during World War Two. 'Prices are rocketing' 'It just worked so well, and it's great nutrition,' says Andrew Crook, President of the National Federation of Fish Friers. The numbers don't lie either. According to UK Fisheries, UK fans scoff around 382million meals from chippies every year and spend £1.2billion on fish and chips annually. Even Queen Elizabeth was a devotee — although she didn't eat fish off a newspaper, instead preferring haddock cut into small squares and covered in breadcrumbs. So how did we come to love fish and chips so much? 'It's a comfort thing,' reckons Andrew. 'People go on holiday, and the first meal they have when they get back is fish and chips. 'Everyone has their favourite chippy — you see so many arguments on social media about which one's better than the other. But as long as it sells and people love it, you're doing alright.' But the good old fish and chip shop is under threat. Although there are still more than 10,500 shops left in the country, they now find themselves under pressure just like other small businesses. 15 'Fish prices are rocketing, while staff wages and national insurance contributions have increased,' says Raymond Fusco, a third-generation fish fryer and the owner of Winking Willy's, a fish and chip shop right on the harbourside in Scarborough. He adds: 'Gas price increases were massive too, because of the Ukraine war. All that has to be taken into account.' Reduced cod fishing quotas in recent years have also driven costs upwards. But despite these challenges, Raymond still feels confident about the future. He says: 'The good shops will continue to thrive. You can't imagine a Britain without fish and chips.' Andrew, meanwhile, wants the Government to recognise the problems smaller shops face. He says: 'We've got a great product and people rightly love fish and chips. 'We just need the Government to start engaging with this more closely, because if they don't I fear for many small businesses.' But to really understand fish and chips, I would have to get behind the counter and find out how it is made. Raymond explains the vital parts of the process. The oil will soak in if the batter is too thin — and chips must always be at least double fried. When it comes to the fish, keeping the oil clean is what matters most, and it must be regularly sieved to remove scraps and impurities. 15 'Crispy on outside' It's also why what you get down the chippy is so different to what you get in pubs. Raymond reveals: 'We always say, the busier we are, the better the fish, because you're constantly turning over the oil. 'Pubs don't generally do the same amount of volume.' I was now ready to go back to the customer side of the counter and see what Scarborough had on offer — but what should I be looking for in good fish and chips? Andrew, who also judges the National Fish and Chip awards, says: 'You want to be looking at the batter first. 'I'd always break a fish in half and make sure it's not too gooey underneath. You want a nice thin batter that's crisp, and you want a little bit of lift on it, usually a bit spiky.' Haddock rather than cod is the preferred offering in Scarborough, but a good fish will always be ice white and flakey. And for the chips? Andrew says: 'Crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.' But he added that as it was new potato season, they would likely be on the softer side. For these reviews, I have taken into account flavour and value for money to give each a mark out of ten. Here, I reveal what happened when I put Scarborough — and my arteries — to the test. Winking Willies: £10.50 15 THE batter at this family-run shop certainly delivered a great crunch. The chips also had a good amount of softness on the inside without sacrificing the bite on the outside – no doubt thanks to the fact it is cooked in beef tallow. But it was the fish itself that really stood out, with a succulent flavour and great degree of flakiness. 9/10 Harbourside: £11.20 Like Willy's, this takeaway on the far end of the seafront also keeps things traditional by frying everything in beef dripping. Taste wise, it's worth it, and the chips had a great colour. I was also impressed by the size of the fish – though at £11.20 I wouldn't expect anything less. The fish was slightly greasy, but the batter was crisp. 7/10 The Anchor: £11.30 WITH it featuring on TV's The One Show, I went into The Anchor with high expectations – and it almost met them. The portion size was good, and there was clean separation when I broke away the fish, indicating good batter. But I found the chips to be somewhat undercooked with too much fluff – though having beers on draught almost made up for it. SCORE: 6/10 Bamford's: £10.60 THIS small shop on the front had one of the best coloured chips on offer. The fish also delivered on taste. In its favour, for me, was the fact that the skin was still left on. Though I can appreciate not everyone is a fan of this, I think it adds a nice variety to the flavour, especially when you're tucking into it by the sea. SCORE: 7/10 Tunny Club: £8.95 I WAS impressed by this award-winning takeaway's unique twist on the classic dish – a fish and chip wrap, featuring battered haddock, chips, and tartar sauce all bundled together. It came in at a very reasonable price, and I was pleasantly surprised by the innovation, which made a pleasant change from your usual takeaway tray. 8/10 Fish Pan: £9.85 15 Established in 1960, this old-school seafront take- away unfortunately left me disappointed. I enjoyed the chips, and the batter looked and tasted good, too. However, the fish itself was far too greasy for me to enjoy, and was too tough as well, lacking the flakiness I had been told by the experts to be on the lookout for. SCORE: 5/10 Papa's: £10.18 15 SITTING in a prime position on the seafront, a giant sign announces this as Britain's Best Fish and Chips. Unfortunately, it wasn't on the day I visited. Although the chips were decent, the fish was oily and not as good as many of the others nearby. But at £10.18 for a regular meal, it was one of the better value shops along the front. SCORE: 5/10 Carol's Plaice: £9 15 A FEW streets away from the beach in a more residential area, this small family-owned shop is not chasing the tourist crowd – but it offered plenty of bang for my buck. The chips were generously portioned and the batter was a standout. It's no wonder that Gary from Coronation Street – actor Mikey North – once paid a visit. 8/10 Rennards: £9.15 15 THE offering from this town centre chippy was a decent size for the price, and the fish itself was tasty. The batter wasn't too bad either, though it could have done with crisping up a little bit more. Unfortunately, the chips were the let-down here, as they were pale, undercooked and overall of poor quality. 5/10 Wackers: £10 15 THE understated plain brick frontage of this takeaway just off the main shopping street didn't fill me with buckets of hope. But at a tenner a portion, I couldn't complain. The batter had a good golden colour to it, and the chips tasted great with a lovely crispness on the outside. Top whack! SCORE: 8/10 North Bay Fisheries: £12.50 15 THE large queue snaking out of the door proved why this establishment, situated on the opposite side of town, is one of the highest-rated chippies in Scarborough. The batter and chips all scored top marks, and the fish was tasty too with a more meaty texture. By far the most expensive takeaway I visited but the portion size was very generous. 9/10 Catch 55: £10 JUST one road back from the seafront, this smart establishment offered a regular meal for a reasonable tenner. The batter was some of the best I'd had, and the fish was also tasty. But although the chips were great, they were let down by the fact that there were not as many in my box as other shops had served me.
The Sun
11 minutes ago
- The Sun
The historic English manor that's launched a new Italian-like wine terrace in time for summer
Relaxing among the backdrop of an 18th century manor house, there are frankly few better ways to spend an evening SPA-TACULAR The historic English manor that's launched a new Italian-like wine terrace in time for summer I FEEL like I'm in a quaint Italian town as I sit listening to live guitar while enjoying a glass of wine in a beautiful ivy-walled courtyard. Yet I'm nowhere near Italy. I'm in the heart of Kent, visiting an historic health spa during its landmark 100th anniversary year. Advertisement 3 Champney's Eastwell Manor, near Ashford, Kent, has undergone extensive renovations, including a total spa refresh Credit: PETER KOCIHA/Supplied 3 Along with the standard indoor swimming pool, with sauna, steam rooms and hot tub, there's a newly revamped outdoor pool Credit: Supplied Champneys Eastwell Manor is part of the heritage health spa's empire, founded in 1925 by wellness guru Stanley Lief, who introduced us to the powers of holistic health, nutrition and rest and relaxation. From its quirky beginnings as the nation's first 'health farm', pioneering hydrotherapy in the '50s, to introducing Ayurvedic therapies in the '70s, and launching Britain's first wellness bootcamps in the '90s, the brand has always been ahead of the curve in wellness trends. This year, it is marking the milestone with a year-long 100 Years Young campaign. Think exclusive treatments and great products you won't find elsewhere. Advertisement Eastwell Manor, near Ashford, has undergone extensive renovations, including a total spa refresh, and I marvel at the view via a new summer terrace, while tucking into local Gusbourne Vineyard rosé. The wine is the only UK entry to make the top 50 in the 2025 World's Best Vineyards Awards. A variety of amazing small plates, including a delicious whipped feta and flatbreads, are the perfect accompaniment. Of course, you could go bigger, with pizzas, burgers and sandwiches on offer (the sea pizza being a feast of garlic chili prawns, salmon and pickles). Advertisement Relaxing among the backdrop of an 18th century manor house, there are frankly few better ways to spend an evening. The next day I was transported from Italy to France, with a beautifully laid out picnic on the manor grounds. Go on a virtual tour of the Champneys hotel - the perfect Mother's Day retreat Hopping into one of the hotel Range Rovers, I am assured by the driver that the walk would be far too difficult to do myself. Taking an entire three minutes, I feel slightly put out until I spot the size of the hamper being hauled from the boot with a bucket of champagne. Perhaps my driver was right after all. Advertisement My only company is an errant bee as he leaves me to enjoy a feast of fresh pastries and sandwiches. With more than enough to feed two people, I should have asked him to join me. Back at the spa, there are more centenary celebrations to delight, including two exclusive treatments. My Champneys 100 Years Facial (£105) begins with a meditation, followed by a triple cleanse, exfoliation and anti-ageing cryotherapy globes. Advertisement Back at the spa, there's more centenary celebrations to delight, including two exclusive treatments. For more ingulgence, you could opt for The 100 Years Face & Body Reset (£150) with a massage, wood therapy, and lemon tea to finish. Along with the standard indoor swimming pool, with sauna, steam rooms and hot tub, there's a newly revamped outdoor pool, with cream-covered plush sunloungers and beautiful sunset views. Tucked next door are the Mews Cottages, with my room hidden behind a baby pink door. Inside, a comfy double bed and lounge look out over lush grounds, and I make the most of the roll-top bath and Elemis toiletries. Advertisement Complete with my leftover hamper strawberries. Not bad for a spa that's been doing this for 100 years. They've clearly learned a thing or two about la dolce vita. Advertisement 3 The Sun's Kara Godfrey enjoys the view from Eastwell Manor's new summer terrace Credit: Handout
