South Hams leisure centres set to get solar panel upgrades
The upgrade would reduce energy bills, helping to make each of the centres more financially sustainable, the council said. It estimated the project would cut about 90 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.
Julian Brazil, lead member for community services, operations and leisure at the council, said: "The environmental benefits from installing the panels are huge."The installation of the panels will also lower the effects of rising costs for all three centres, which are a threat to many facilities like ours. "The panels should help to keep membership and entry prices as low as possible for users."
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Rhyl Journal
9 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
It's great to be here, I love standing on the soil of Scotland, Trump says
Ian Murray told the PA news agency what the US President's first words were after disembarking from Air Force One in Prestwick. The UK Government minister was the first person to greet the president in Scotland as he begins his visit to the country. Speaking after meeting the American leader, Mr Murray told PA: 'The president came off the flight, and I said, 'Mr president, welcome to Scotland – the home country of your dear mother', and he said, 'It's great to be here, I always love standing on the soil of Scotland'. 'I said, 'I hope you're looking forward to a bit of downtime with some golf this weekend', and he said, 'Yes'. And I said, 'Well, we've whipped up a bit of a wind for you to make it a bit more competitive', and he went, 'I'm looking forward to it'.' Mr Murray said Mr Trump was given a warm reception as he got off his presidential plane. Hundreds gathered on the Mound overlooking Prestwick Airport for the president's arrival. A Trump flag was flown while a few spectators wore 'Make America Great Again' hats, although many of those attending were locals and aviation enthusiasts, including some who had travelled from England. Mr Murray said: 'Spotters hills, as it's called, where all the plane spotters come to Prestwick, was absolutely full. 'You could see that from the tarmac and as Air Force One came in, people were snapping away on their photographs. 'To see all that happening is quite a spectacle in itself. 'It's really good to have that kind of focus on Scotland.' Mr Trump will meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during his trip to discuss the UK-US trade deal as Britain hopes to be spared from the president's tariff regime. The Scottish Secretary said: 'Really, the purpose of this weekend, the purpose of greeting the president off the plane, the purpose of the Prime Minister's relationship with the president is to build that close relationship, to make sure that that old alliance is nurtured, and to do that for the benefit of the national interest, which is about jobs and growth here in the UK, and particularly Scotland.' Mr Trump will meet Scottish First Minister John Swinney during his trip as he opens a new golf course in Aberdeenshire. Before flying to Prestwick, Mr Trump said in Washington that he was 'looking forward' to meeting Mr Swinney, describing him as a 'good man' – the same phrase he used for the Prime Minister after landing in Scotland. Asked about the president's relationship with the UK, Mr Murray said: 'The Prime Minister has taken a very pragmatic approach to the relationship with the president of the United States, because it's in our national interest to do so, whether it be on defence, security, trade, cultural, historic ties. 'It's a historic alliance, and that alliance has to be nurtured and continue through to the future, because it's quite clear that our relationship with United States is good for jobs and growth here in Scotland and across the UK. 'The Prime Minister knows that, and knows that working very closely with the US is in our national interest.' Asked about protests, which are expected across the country, Mr Murray said people had a right to demonstrate, adding: 'Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom to protest is a key cornerstone of both countries, America and the UK, and the right to be able to protest if they so wish to so.'
South Wales Guardian
9 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
It's great to be here, I love standing on the soil of Scotland, Trump says
Ian Murray told the PA news agency what the US President's first words were after disembarking from Air Force One in Prestwick. The UK Government minister was the first person to greet the president in Scotland as he begins his visit to the country. Speaking after meeting the American leader, Mr Murray told PA: 'The president came off the flight, and I said, 'Mr president, welcome to Scotland – the home country of your dear mother', and he said, 'It's great to be here, I always love standing on the soil of Scotland'. 'I said, 'I hope you're looking forward to a bit of downtime with some golf this weekend', and he said, 'Yes'. And I said, 'Well, we've whipped up a bit of a wind for you to make it a bit more competitive', and he went, 'I'm looking forward to it'.' Mr Murray said Mr Trump was given a warm reception as he got off his presidential plane. Hundreds gathered on the Mound overlooking Prestwick Airport for the president's arrival. A Trump flag was flown while a few spectators wore 'Make America Great Again' hats, although many of those attending were locals and aviation enthusiasts, including some who had travelled from England. Mr Murray said: 'Spotters hills, as it's called, where all the plane spotters come to Prestwick, was absolutely full. 'You could see that from the tarmac and as Air Force One came in, people were snapping away on their photographs. 'To see all that happening is quite a spectacle in itself. 'It's really good to have that kind of focus on Scotland.' Mr Trump will meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during his trip to discuss the UK-US trade deal as Britain hopes to be spared from the president's tariff regime. The Scottish Secretary said: 'Really, the purpose of this weekend, the purpose of greeting the president off the plane, the purpose of the Prime Minister's relationship with the president is to build that close relationship, to make sure that that old alliance is nurtured, and to do that for the benefit of the national interest, which is about jobs and growth here in the UK, and particularly Scotland.' Mr Trump will meet Scottish First Minister John Swinney during his trip as he opens a new golf course in Aberdeenshire. Before flying to Prestwick, Mr Trump said in Washington that he was 'looking forward' to meeting Mr Swinney, describing him as a 'good man' – the same phrase he used for the Prime Minister after landing in Scotland. Asked about the president's relationship with the UK, Mr Murray said: 'The Prime Minister has taken a very pragmatic approach to the relationship with the president of the United States, because it's in our national interest to do so, whether it be on defence, security, trade, cultural, historic ties. 'It's a historic alliance, and that alliance has to be nurtured and continue through to the future, because it's quite clear that our relationship with United States is good for jobs and growth here in Scotland and across the UK. 'The Prime Minister knows that, and knows that working very closely with the US is in our national interest.' Asked about protests, which are expected across the country, Mr Murray said people had a right to demonstrate, adding: 'Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom to protest is a key cornerstone of both countries, America and the UK, and the right to be able to protest if they so wish to so.'
BBC News
10 minutes ago
- BBC News
Matcha: World's thirst for the tea swallows global supplies
Matcha mania is sweeping the world. The bright green Japanese tea can be found in everything from Starbucks' lattes in the UK to Krispy Kreme doughnuts in global matcha craze is being driven by social media, with influencers sharing brewing tips, reviews and recipes. The "Matcha Tok" hashtag has clocked up tens of millions of growing popularity is also linked to Japan's post-pandemic tourism boom, with the country's weak currency making it an attractive destination as well as boosting demand for Japanese the midst of the hype, demand for the powder is soaring. US-based tea importer Lauren Purvis tells the BBC her customers are seeing what was once a month's supply of matcha running out in days."Some cafes are even asking for a kilo a day. They're desperate to keep up," says Ms Purvis, who runs Mizuba Tea that surging demand, combined with smaller tea crops due to heatwaves and US tariffs on Japan, is also pushing up matcha prices. Traditionally, Matcha - which is sought for its health benefits, caffeine and flavour - is the product of a centuries-old and highly-specialised is made from green tea leaves called tencha, which are kept under shade for weeks while they're still growing. This step is crucial for developing the tea's signature "umami" flavour - a savoury taste that complements its natural leaves are harvested, dried and ground into powder using stone mills, which can produce just 40g (1.4oz) of matcha an in recent months growers have struggled, as record-breaking heatwaves have hit the Kyoto region, where about a quarter of Japan's tencha comes from, hot weather has led to poor harvests even as demand country also faces a shortage of farmers as its population ages and not enough younger people go into the in Uji, a city in Kyoto famous for matcha, often see their shelves emptied by tourists as soon as their doors a result, many retailers have set limits on how much customers can Camellia Tea Ceremony allows customers to purchase only one tin of matcha each as visitor numbers doubled over the last year, says director Atsuko master Rie Takeda says she also has to closely monitor her stocks of matcha, as orders that would previously arrive in just days can now take more than a works for Chazen, a tea ceremony chain based in Tokyo, which hosts traditional rituals serving matcha to guests. Shortages mean tea prices at Chazen's outlets have risen by around 30% this year."[The demand] is good," Ms Takeda said through a translator. "It's a gateway for more people to know about Japanese culture."It has also attracted more production nearly tripled between 2010 and 2023, according to Japan's agricultural also says green tea exports, including matcha, also rose 25% last year to 36.4bn yen (£180m; $250m). Savour, not hoard The matcha craze has sparked a movement to promote more mindful call out people they see as hoarding matcha or profiteering from its popularity. Others urge tea drinkers to be careful about how much they use, and to savour matcha in its purest form rather than as an ingredient in "a bit sad" to see high-grade matcha used in cooking - where its delicate flavour is often lost - or stockpiled for resale, said Ms Mori."Matcha is the highest grade of tea and it's so special to us. So there's a bit of a contradiction when I hear stories about how it's resold or used in food." The Global Japanese Tea Association is encouraging people to use lower-grade matcha from later harvests, which is more abundant and better-suited for matcha often loses its delicate flavour when used in drinks like lattes, it adds."Promoting awareness of these distinctions helps ensure Japanese tea is enjoyed with respect, while supporting the craft and tradition behind it," the association also says matcha prices are likely to rise further due to tariffs the US is imposing on Tuesday, Washington and Tokyo announced a trade deal that will mean a 15% import tax on Japanese products going into the distributors like Ms Purvis are bracing for the impact. The Oregon-based entrepreneur says orders surged by more than 70% in early July ahead of a deadline for the two countries to reach a trade agreement."As Japanese tea is not grown in the US, there is no American industry under threat that tariffs need to protect," she said. "We hope there will be a realisation that specialty tea should be exempt."Even as soaring demand and limited supplies push up prices, there is some light on the least one matcha cafe chain thinks prices could ease in the future - although not for a while."Low quality matcha is selling for a high price, and we think that this will no longer be a viable business," Masahiro Nagata, co-founder of the Matcha Tokyo, told the BBC."There is a boom at the moment and demand is growing rapidly, but we think that will calm down a bit in two to three years."
