Sorry, but there's nothing as tasty as fried bacon
Elon Musk's recent absence from Trump world (Whatever happened to Elon Musk? Tech boss drifts to margins of Trump world, 25 May) provides us with the latest example of the proverb: 'If you are invited to dine with hyenas, beware; you are likely to end up as the last course.'Christopher HouseHertford
In the interview with Alan Alda ('My mother didn't try to stab my father until I was six': Alan Alda on childhood, marriage and 60 years of stardom, G2, 26 May), his wife, Arlene, is reported as saying that the secret of a long marriage is 'a short memory'. When the author Olivia Harrison was asked the secret of a long marriage, she replied: 'You don't get divorced.'Margaret CoupeBuxton, Derbyshire
Tim Gossling (Letters, 23 May) suggests painting an errant tortoise's postcode on its back so it can be returned home. My grandfather, a policeman, painted 'Police' on the back of his tortoise so it was delivered to the nearest police station when it wandered.Peter AffordTeignmouth, Devon
Paul Copas (Letters, 26 May) regrets Lucy Mangan's failure to use the semicolon in her Digested week column. She more than makes up for that in her review of the Jane Austen documentary (26 May): five semicolons in one sentence.Keith HollowsHyde, Cheshire
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Over 100 homes could be built at Devon former holiday park
More than 100 new homes could be built on the site of a former holiday park in south have been submitted to Torbay Council for the demolition of lodges and the construction of 110 homes at Sladnor Park, Maidencombe, in in 1800, the former folly was a holiday complex from the 1970s until it closed in 1988, and has since been subject to a number of planning applicants Pegasus Group said the site had the opportunity to "create one of the best places to live" in the district that had "historical significance". Most of the buildings on the site have been demolished over the years including the main house after a fire in 1994, says the Local Democracy Reporting has been the subject of a number of planning applications since then, with proposals including a golf course and fishing planning permission was previously given for a retirement 2021, a proposal for a retirement community was refused because of its landscape impact, inadequate drainage and lack of affordable housing. Pegasus said it wanted to create a "landscape-dominated new place to live, work and play"."Sladnor Park will be a highly desirable place to live for the 21st Century and beyond. "The proposals respect the local character but also move the community towards a more sustainable future, through a significant increase in housing choice." It added: "The aim is to achieve a development with a strong identity and distinct sense of place, whilst at the same time integrating with the existing community."Several groups have opposed developing the area, including the Maidencombe Residents' group's website notes: "Sladnor is located in a unique and highly environmentally sensitive area, it is rich in historic character and the home of numerous rare and protected wildlife species."
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Duran Duran guitarist on his 'emotional' Exeter homecoming gig
As Duran Duran prepare to take the stage at Powderham Castle in Devon, lead guitarist Dom Brown is experiencing more than just pre-show excitement, he is coming home."I lived here from the age of four to 12," Brown says, standing in Bull Meadow Park, Exeter, a place still vivid in his memory."This hill, we used to sledge down it when it snowed and I had a den in those bushes over based in London, Brown's return to Exeter has stirred a wave of nostalgia. "We'd sneak into a derelict building by the cemetery. It was just kids messing about, but those memories are strong." Earlier in the day, he visited his childhood home."I wasn't expecting to go back inside," he said. "But walking through that door, it hit me."The pine floorboards were exactly as I remembered, the layout hadn't changed."My old bedroom still faced the garden, of course, everything seemed bigger when I was a kid, but it was all there. It was emotional."Exeter was where his love of music was born. He recalls a pivotal moment at school, thanks to an unconventional PE teacher."Mr Newell, he was an ex-hippie, I think, used to play music before class."One day he put on Pink Floyd's Welcome to the Machine. I remember lying on the mat, listening, and just being completely transfixed."That was it, that was the moment I knew I had to do something with music."Brown also spent hours in a local record shop, Pitts, where he would queue up to sit in the listening booths."It was like a padded white cell," he laughs."You'd go in, pick a song, and just sit there, soaking it in until someone kicked you out. Those experiences were foundational." Brown's early influences were steeped in classic rock: Pink Floyd, Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Queen, and, later, blues legends like Stevie Ray Vaughan. His parents' record collection, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, also left a forward to 21 years ago, and Brown found himself stepping into the world of Duran Duran. Brown became Duran Duran's guitarist after filling in for Andy Taylor in 2004, initially as a temporary replacement and then as a full-time touring member in 2006."It was a whirlwind," he said. "I got a call on a Wednesday from their tour manager, asking if I could play with them that Friday."I met John and Roger Taylor that night, jammed with them in a studio. They were testing me playing riffs, seeing if I could keep up."John Taylor handed him a stack of CDs, nine or 10 albums' worth of material, with about 20 songs marked up."I stayed up most of the night learning them," Brown recalled."The next day, I was back in the studio with John and Roger, running through everything. Nick and Simon were in Europe doing promo, so there weren't even any vocals."Then I met them in Tunbridge Wells, we ran through the set once and then we did the show. It was an absolute whirlwind." Since then, Brown has become a core part of the band's sound, recording on several albums, co-writing songs, and touring the world."There've been so many highlights," he said. "Playing Madison Square Garden, the Hollywood Bowl, the Concert for Diana in 2007 and Live 8 in 2005."But the standout for me was headlining BST Hyde Park in 2022, 75,000 people in my now home town. That was unforgettable."And now, another special moment awaits."Playing Powderham Castle, here in Exeter, where it all began, it's going to be emotional," he said."I'm trying not to put too much pressure on it, but I know there'll be a special energy in the air. I can already feel it." Despite his global career, Brown still feels a deep connection to Exeter."These were my formative years," he says. "At that age, a year feels like a lifetime. So spending eight years here, it's a major part of who I am."When he's not touring with Duran Duran, Brown keeps busy in London, where he runs his own studio and performs with his covers band, Uncovered: The Electric Rock Experience."We play the music I grew up with, Zeppelin, Hendrix, Bowie. It's a joy."As the lights go up tonight at Powderham Castle later, Brown will not just be playing another show.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Honiton concert goer had 'appalling' experience for £800
A woman has described a partial refund offered by organisers of a Robbie Williams concert as unacceptable, after an "appalling" Beard from Honiton in Devon bought three premium tickets worth more than £800 from Ticketmaster for the concert at the Royal Crescent in Bath on 13 June. She said she and two companions were denied entry due to "health and safety concerns" and could only see the top of a screen and not the stage, which she believed was "not an £800 experience".Event organiser Senbla said it was "truly sorry" and offered to refund her the difference between standard and premium tickets as a gesture of goodwill - Ms Beard said this was not "acceptable". Ms Beard purchased the tickets last November as a Christmas present for her friend and daughter. She said: "I bought three golden circle tickets... for myself and two friends who have been an incredible support to me since my husband died last June. "One of them is a massive Robbie Williams fan and her and her daughter have gone out of their way to provide me with so much friendship and support this last year."On top of paying £801 for three tickets, she also had additional costs on transport and arranging care for their animals. She said she could not see Robbie Williams or the stage due to a huge fence blocking the view. "You can't expect somebody to spend hundreds of pounds for an experience and then not deliver on that experience due to poor organisation," she said. Upon returning home after the concert she complained to both Ticketmaster and Senbla. Ms Beard said she was "not rolling over" because she was not alone and claimed at least 100 other people were to the offer of the partial refund, she said: "I don't think that's acceptable as we missed so much of the concert due to being held by the fence."She added: "I am only interested in as a minimum, full refund of £801 and ideally would go for expenses that we incurred because of our trip to Bath."Ticketmaster said in a statement it was not involved with event operations and all complaints and refunds would be issued by the organisers. 'Minor issues' Senbla said it was "truly sorry that Ms Beard wasn't able to enjoy her evening."It said there were "minor issues" due to "most of the audience choosing to enter from the stage left entrance and despite security teams actively managing flow and directing people to the other entrance, many crowd members did not follow directions and remained in the congested area, slowing down entry from that side"."After thorough investigations, nobody was prevented from entering and there was more than enough space as evidenced by police reports and third-party medics on site," the company added.
