Leah Williamson's Newport Pagnell mural updated after Euros win
In May, part of the mural was whitewashed by an unidentified painter who claimed they had attempted to "tidy it up".It was later restored after locals raised £1,000 to have it repainted.On Monday, Williamson joined the England women's football team for a reception at Downing Street, hosted by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.
MurWalls has been hired to paint murals of other lionesses such as Alessia Russo, Lauren James, Mary Earps, Millie Bright, and Chloe Kelly.They also installed a large portrait of Elton John on the side of his beloved Vicarage Road in Watford.Talking about the portrait in Newport Pagnell, Mr Meana said: "Everybody's just shown it love, everybody's really appreciated it. "Just talking to the local people, you hear how much it means to them and how much she means to them, and it's just a beautiful thing to be a part of."
Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
9 minutes ago
- BBC News
Sam Mendes helps open Chichester Festival Theatre creative venue
Chichester Festival Theatre has launched a new venue, with support from Hollywood director Sam West Sussex theatre officially opened the Nest on Thursday, after a fundraising campaign raised £1.8m in a Thursdays to Saturdays, it will host acoustic and comedy gigs, along with new theatre, in what the Festival Theatre describes as "a more intimate, informal vibe".Mendez, who was the appeal's patron, began his career in Chichester. He said: "Nurturing the next generation of artists is vital to ensure that theatre in the UK maintains its international reputation for excellence."I am delighted to support Chichester Festival Theatre – a place dear to my heart – as they embark on creating this exciting new space. I cannot wait to see the work that is incubated in the Nest." The first event to be staged will be a gig by the stand ups Lou Sanders and Cecily Festival Theatre said all tickets will be under £20, with a full list of upcoming events available on its website.
BBC News
9 minutes ago
- BBC News
Coventry City owner explores building new 40,000-seater stadium
The owner of Coventry City has been exploring the possibility of building a new 40,000-seater stadium for the club, the BBC has King, owner and executive chairman of the football club, has written directly to Julie Nugent, the chief executive of Coventry City Council, to ask about constructing a new stadium at the Butts Park Arena, current home of Coventry Rugby the plans have been described as "unfeasible" by Jon Sharp, the chairman of the rugby club, due to the size and position of the site, just outside the city a groundshare at Butts Park appears to be off the table, discussions around an alternative home for the Sky Blues once again raises questions about the club's long-term future at the Coventry Building Society Arena. The stadium is owned by the Frasers Group, where former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is the majority club's agreement to play there is due to expire at the end of the 2027-28 new English Football League (EFL) rules introduced for this season, Championship clubs will be fined £10,000 if they do not have at least a 10-year stadium agreement by 19 fine would double for each consecutive season without a deal and the EFL would ultimately be able to expel the club from the league if they did not have an agreement covering a whole season. Asked about the possibility of Coventry City developing a 40,000-seater stadium on the rugby club's land, Mr Sharp told the BBC: "Yes, it has been suggested."The problem Doug King has is that he owns the football club but he doesn't own the stadium. He is having discussions with Mike Ashley and I think he wants to have an alternative up his sleeve."He did mention it to me and I said it wasn't going to be feasible. That really is it as far as I'm concerned. We did not know he had spoken to the council."We support the Sky Blues, they are our fellow Coventry club. But we don't think it's feasible unfortunately and it's not in our gift anyway, it would be in the gift of the council." Any move away from the Coventry Building Society would also need the approval of the government's new Independent Football Regulator following recently introduced legislation, which would also require fans to be consulted over any council was consulted for informal advice as the relevant planning authority for the local authority is understood to have responded negatively to the approach about Butts Park Arena, which was made in June. One senior councillor, who did not want to be named, told the BBC: "This is not a discussion the city needs to have again."The idea of the football club moving to the Butts Park Arena had been pushed by Coventry City's previous owners Sisu back in 2016. It was part of the long-running stadium dispute which saw the club fall out with the two previous owners of the stadium, Arena Coventry Ltd (a joint venture between a charity and the local council) and Wasps. Both disputes ultimately led to the club leaving the stadium to play home matches, first in Northampton in 2013-14 and then Birmingham in 2019-21. Responding to the BBC's request for comment, a spokesman for the council said: "Organisations regularly approach us for confidential planning advice, though this doesn't mean they'll submit an application."With regards to Coventry City Football Club, the council, like every Sky Blues fan, wants to see the club secure its long-term future in the city."Doug King told the BBC he did not want to comment on the latest development. In April, he told BBC CWR it would be "madness" for the football club to leave the Coventry Building Society Arena at the time, he said he hoped that one day the club and ground will be under single said: "It was built for the football club, it should never have been moved away". The stadium was acquired by the Frasers group in November 2022 after former owners, rugby club Wasps, went into King launched a late court bid to try and thwart Mike Ashley's attempt to buy the stadium shortly after confirming he was taking over Coventry City - also in November 2022 - but was ultimately have been approached for comment about whether a long-term deal for the club at the Coventry Building Society Arena is possible. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
9 minutes ago
- BBC News
Arsenal's young talent stealing the show on tour
It has been a busy summer for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, with six new signings - including striker Viktor Gyokeres - brought in to boost their Premier League title it is one of the two 15-year-old academy players on their pre-season tour of Asia who has captured the Dowman and Marli Salmon are the two youngest players in the attacking midfielder Dowman has shown in friendlies against AC Milan and Newcastle exactly why there is so much excitement about his first trained with the first team when he was 14, Dowman was part of the senior squad that travelled to Dubai in January for their winter training was even talk around that time about the England youth international getting a call-up to the side following an injury crisis, with key forwards Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus all sidelined at various times through replaced England international Saka in both pre-season friendlies. While he showed moments of skill in the AC Milan match, it was the performance against Newcastle that showed why he has been tipped for a Premier League debut this season.A delightful dribble into the area, which ended with Dowman being fouled by Joelinton for a penalty that handed Arsenal a 3-2 victory, was one of the standout moments of the game."It is special," said Arteta when asked about the youngster's display against Newcastle."Obviously what he's done today against this team in the time that he had on the pitch is something certainly not common to witness for a 15-year-old. "We are extremely happy to have him. I think, again, the environment that he's around in, his family, the people at the club and around the academy as well, super helpful, because they put him into this position so early in his journey - having a real chance and a real presence when he plays for the first time." 'Keep the right mindset and let them shine' Having joined Real Madrid at 16 after being courted by many of Europe's elite clubs, Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard says he will be "able to share my experience" with Dowman and England Under-16 international defender Salmon."I think the whole squad is really good in this way to help the young players," said the Norwegian, 26. "I think myself, I just try to share my experience, guide them in the right direction, help them to keep the right mindset, because you can see that the quality is obviously there."Just trying to help them to have the right mindset and to help them feel good in the team and to kind of let them shine and do their thing."They've been amazing on this tour and you can also see the quality. It'll be exciting to see in the future."Dowman represented the England Under-17s in the Euros in the summer and became the competition's youngest scorer when he netted in the win over the Czech Arsenal he is playing three years above his age group. He scored 19 goals and provided five assists in 23 games last season, with 17 of those attacking returns coming in the last seven matches of the under-18 Premier League South season (14 goals, three assists).Arsenal's England midfielder Declan Rice has called him an "unreal talent" and Dowman will be hoping to live up to the hype and follow Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, both 18, into the first team after coming through the club's academy.
