Neighbours at war over Pink Floyd guitarist's garden shed
Gilmour built a green shed after demolishing a summer house and is now seeking retrospective planning permission for the structure.
The Hampstead Hill Gardens Residents' Association claims the shed is 'overbearing', having been constructed against the boundary fence.
The residents' group has urged Camden Council to refuse the retrospective application and demand the shed's removal, arguing it sets a precedent for ignoring planning terms.
Gilmour's application asserts the shed is 'well-designed', 'high-quality', and painted green to minimise its visual impact, claiming it has less overall impact than the previous arrangement.
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Australian actor Rebel Wilson sued by production company behind her own film
The legal drama surrounding The Deb, Rebel Wilson's directorial debut, has made landfall in Australia, with one of the production companies behind the venture filing a lawsuit against Wilson in the New South Wales supreme court this week. UK-based AI Film, represented by Australian legal firm Giles George and high-profile barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC, accused the Pitch Perfect Australian actor of deliberately sabotaging the film's release, alleging threats and defamatory claims had caused the production company financial and reputational damage. The suit also claims the motive behind Wilson's actions was to devalue the production's worth and pressure AI Film and Australian company Dunburn Debutantes Commissioning Company (DDCC – the entity managing the film's rights and named as the second plaintiff in the lawsuit) into selling their stake to Wilson's company Camp Sugar. Originally conceived as a quirky musical comedy celebrating Australian culture, The Deb was co-produced by AI Film and Camp Sugar, with Wilson directing and starring. But the partnership fractured in mid-2024 when Wilson took to Instagram to accuse fellow producers Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron and Vince Holden of alleged embezzlement, sexual misconduct and obstructing the film's release. The allegations, broadcast to Wilson's 11 million followers, were swiftly denied by the producers who began defamation proceedings against Wilson in the Los Angeles superior court last July. In November, the film's lead actor, Charlotte MacInnes, who Wilson claimed was the victim of the alleged sexual misconduct, filed a declaration in the US court stating that Wilson fabricated the claims, describing them as 'completely false and absurd'. The court subsequently threw out Wilson's bid to strike out the defamation suit, not accepting her lawyer's argument that under California's anti-Slapp laws, the accusations she had made against the producers of her The Deb constituted 'protected activity' and were a matter of public interest. That defamation case remains ongoing. After filing its lawsuit in the supreme court's equities division on Thursday, AI Film issued the following statement: 'These proceedings are regrettable but essential to ensure The Deb's timely release. It's a joyous, fun film, and we are sure that audiences are going to love it.' And MacInnes issued a second statement, saying: 'I love this film and I can't wait for it to be released … it would be wonderful if these proceedings can help make that happen.' Wilson's Californian legal team, Freedman Taitelman + Cooley, which is handling the defamation case, did not respond to the Guardian's request for comment. In its lawsuit filed this week, Giles George claims that on 5 January, Wilson's lawyer Bryan Freedman responded to correspondence by AI Film's legal team, saying that 'Wilson is currently in active discussions to outright purchase The Deb (the 'Film') and all associated rights and title'. The Freedman letter also threatened to 'pursue all claims and damages should Al Film or any agents acting on its behalf interfere with that business opportunity'. AI Film is alleging that Wilson's motivation behind her alleged undermining of distribution efforts, including making threats to seek an injunction against the film's release, was personal financial gain. AI Film's lawyers claim that on 6 June 2025, Wilson had a discussion with film distributor Kismet, who was bidding to secure the rights for the theatrical release of The Deb in Australia, during which she said words to the effect that she was supportive of Kismet as the Australian distributor of the film but while there was a legal case involving the film in the US she could not support the film's distribution and would seek an injunction if any attempts to distribute the film were made. Giles George alleges Wilson knew the legal proceedings in the US were not impeding the film's release, and knew the threat of injunction was against her and her company, Camp Sugar's, contractual obligations. But as evidence in Byran Freedman's correspondent to them in January, Wilson was delaying the film's release so that she could pursue the 'business opportunity' of buying all rights to the film outright. AI Film is seeking damages, a formal apology, corrective advertising and a permanent restraint on Wilson and her company making any further disparaging and incorrect claims relating to other companies and individuals involved in the making of The Deb, which have come to been know in legal circles as 'The Wilson Statements'.
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Video game created to help young people's mental health
Game designers in Cornwall are part of a project to create a "serious" video game to help young people deal with adverse childhood experiences. The Ace of Hearts game deals with issues like bereavement, poverty and substance at the University of Falmouth worked with young people to design the game, which is part of a £35m UK-wide programme looking at the mental health of young of the developers said: "The main purpose of the game is to get people to talk about it afterwards." Ace of Hearts is part of a project called ATTUNE which is using varied arts-based methods, including gaming, to explore young people's experiences and understandings of mental health and the impact of negative 14, who attended a youth mental health event at Falmouth University, said: "I play Roblox and Minecraft with my friends and I play Fortnite with my dad."Some people have a negative view of gaming but that's old fashioned - older people haven't grown up with the games that we have - gaming is a really fun way of unwinding."I definitely think gaming can be used to help, especially when you meet new people. It can be easier to talk to them rather than professionals who you have to wait a long time for." Graham Smith is a software designer who works on the games development course at Falmouth said: "The main purpose of the game is to get people to talk about it afterwards."Mental health is a serious topic and anything you can do to help young people who are suffering is worth it."When you're dealing with mental health a lot of things can be triggering for a lot of people, so you have to be cautious and empathetic in how you deal with the topic."Technology is taking over and you have to go with the mediums that young people are using."It's not Call of Duty, we're here to make serious games with serious messages." 'Use every tool' Psychiatrist Prof Kamaldeep Bhui from Oxford University is one of the principal investigators on the ATTUNE said: "Half of mental illnesses have started by the age of 14 and three quarters by the age of 24 so it's vital we use every tool we can and games are something many young people feel safe using."Games can be a cause of harm or addiction for young people, but we also have to understand that it's a space where young people can be playful and a gaming platform is a place where some people don't feel alone." The ATTUNE project is part of the Adolescence, Mental Health and the Developing Mind Programme, funded by UK Research and Innovation and led by the Medical Research Council with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Economic and Social Research programme runs until 2026 and will explore how mental health needs emerge in young people, what makes some more resilient or vulnerable than others, and how early intervention can help positive mental health and wellbeing.
The Guardian
11 hours ago
- The Guardian
Khruangbin, again? I quit Spotify for a month to escape samey algorithms – this is what I learned
If you use music to set or fix your mood, Spotify is a tantalising tool. Feeling sad? Cry to your personalised 'Depress Sesh Mix'. In a romantic crisis? Stew in your own 'Situationship Mix'. As I write this, I'm listening to Spotify's Daylist, a mix that refreshes every few hours based on my own listening habits. Today's vibe is 'funky beats roller skating tuesday early morning mix'. At 120bpm, the algorithm knows I need some energetic house to roll from my bed to my desk. The problem with this listening experience isn't just the creepy AI-driven intimacy of it all, more that the same songs are recycled in a predictable loop. Spotify's algorithm has anaesthetised artists I once enjoyed. Every time I hear the slippery psychedelic bass of Khruangbin slinking into one of my playlists, or flow in seamlessly from another artist's radio, I violently hit skip. A decade ago, Spotify favoured human-curated playlists made by artists, celebrities and music aficionados. But in 2021 the streaming company pivoted towards machine learning, feeding 'nearly half a trillion events' into computer models every day. Now, user data – chiefly our listening history, interactions with Spotify's user interface and the time of day – is packaged into a mixtape for every micro-occasion. Advocates argue this is a chance to democratise music promotion, neatly matching artists with their audiences. Critics suggest this ultra-subjective experience limits musical discovery to the already familiar – and the less it's challenged, the more my music taste narrows. So as a test, I quit Spotify for a month, to bring some soul back into the way I find music. First, I consulted people who had never used streaming services, like my dad, who grew up in 1970s London in the heyday of punk and glam rock. Hunched in a booth in his local record shop, he would listen to a sample and take a punt on what vinyl to buy. Some albums apparently missed the mark, and others, like Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, transported him to a different universe. He insisted I start with my favourite artists and listen to every album front to back, as if reading a story. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Inspired, I bought a $30 record player in an op-shop and hunted for vinyls. Late to the record renaissance, it was slim pickings – Australian pub classics, Christian country or Christmas hits. But when a friend pointed out my new turntable was missing a needle, it became a dusty but decorative addition to my living room. My 20-year-old neighbour had another suggestion: a diamante-encrusted iPod, which she produced in a ziplock bag like a hallowed artefact. Found for $200 on Facebook Marketplace, plugging in wired earplugs and hitting shuffle was a nostalgic throwback. But this romance was short-lived: the iPod was incompatible with my Bluetooth speaker and demanded hours of admin to upload music. The biggest challenge came when driving my old silver Subaru, as I was stranded with only a single CD, a flimsy aux cord and my thoughts. Stuck with silence, I wondered what the new grinding noise was – until I discovered my local community broadcaster, Vox FM 106.9. More than 5 million Australians listen to community radio every week, for 17 hours on average – and now, I can see why. The station prides itself on 'real music' and even has the tagline 'You never know what you like until you try it'. Just what I needed! And it's true, I had forgotten how good it feels to wind down the windows and blast Push the Button by the Sugababes, and then to roll them up again when a classical German song, a mystery even to Shazam, comes on. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion I contacted Justin Moon, who runs a popular underground radio station and record shop in Newcastle. He sources music from record fairs, friends and Bandcamp – distributing interesting sounds as a conduit, or Hermes figure, to lay (or lazy) people like me. Moon is noticing that his customers are searching for a more 'active' listening experience. 'It's not this kind of passive wash-over-you rubbish that you make your two-minute noodles to and forget all about 10 seconds later,' he says. Music – like film, TV, and food – is now served to us effortlessly, instantly. But this has caused the way we consume music to be more siloed. Spending a month hunting for new music myself, rather than relying on an algorithm, made me feel more connected to my parents, friends, radio presenters and even complete strangers. Their recommendations – whether to my taste or not – came with a part of themselves, a memory or a shared interest. After my month's Spotify hiatus, my algorithm hasn't been cleansed. Over the course of writing this piece, my daylist has evolved into 'french indietronica swimming pool tuesday afternoon', whatever that means. There are two Khruangbin songs on there. It's safe to say I would rather play roulette with the radio.
