Latest news with #BBCRadioNorthampton
BBC News
23-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Sir Terry Waite recalls how BBC news was 'tapped on cell wall'
Former Beirut hostage Sir Terry Waite has been recalling how news from the BBC World Service was tapped out in code on a wall for him by a fellow Terry, 86, says the World Service broadcasts from the transmitter station in Daventry, Northamptonshire, gave him hope while he was chained to a wall in darkness day and Terry, who now lives near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, was released in 1991 after 1,763 days in captivity in week sees the centenary of the opening of the station at Daventry. As the Archbishop of Canterbury's special envoy, Sir Terry went to Lebanon in 1987 to try to secure the release of hostages, but ended up in captivity himself. He told BBC Radio Northampton's Annabel Amos that the conditions he was kept in were very basic."I was kept in a dark room, sometimes below ground, sometimes above ground, in a bombed-out building," he said."I slept on the floor, I was in the dark most of the time, I was blindfolded and chained by the hands and feet to a wall for 23 hours and 50 minutes a day.""Looking back, I wonder how I survived it." With no access to books, newspapers, television or radio, Sir Terry was completely isolated from the outside then he discovered there were other hostages in the next cell, and he decided to try to communicate with them without the guards finding said: "I began to tap on the wall: one for A, two for B."It's then you regret your name is Terry Waite because it's a long way down the alphabet!"It took about two years of laboriously tapping out his name before someone responded. The hostages nextdoor turned out to be the British journalist John McCarthy and the Irish writer Brian Keenan, who had heard Sir Terry's tapping but had been unable to respond until one of them was chained next to the wall."They had a small radio," said Sir Terry, "and they were able to get the World Service. "They used to communicate with me by tapping on the wall and telling me the latest news."Just before the end of his captivity, Sir Terry became ill and was given a small first time he turned it on, he heard a broadcast of Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius: "That was the first music I'd heard for years, and I remember how much it brought me some comfort and some harmony into my life." After his release, Sir Terry visited Daventry to thank the BBC team for transmitting the radio programmes that became his said the Daventry station was "fulfilling a valuable function around the world - long may it continue".The centenary of the opening of the Daventry transmitting station takes place on Sunday. The World Service is now broadcast from Woofferton in Shropshire. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Artist selling painting for £10k in Monopoly money
An artist is offering to give away her latest painting in exchange for £10,000 in Monopoly money. Tara Roskell from Broughton, Northamptonshire, described the project as a "slightly bonkers experiment" and a playful way to explore how value is placed on art. She invited people to send in £10,000 of the board game currency along with a "weird, quirky, funny or poetic" note explaining why they wanted the painting. Ms Roskell said: "It's not 'match your sofa art', it's for someone who wants something a little bit different." The painting of a face, created in a graffiti style, was layered with references to money and had a pound sign in the eye. The idea came to Ms Roskell after reading that Monopoly was releasing a cashless version of the game. She told BBC Radio Northampton's Annabel Amos: "My mind went to the money they no longer need. You see these barmy things like someone selling a banana for millions - so why not do a fun play on that? It's almost like fake it till you make it." The artist began painting again after years as a graphic designer. She had stopped until a creative challenge with a friend helped her rediscover her style, moving away from traditional landscapes to more expressive, abstract work. "I love it now - I've sold pieces to America, Finland, and lots through social media," she added. Since bidding opened on 1 July, Ms Roskell said she had already received several colourful bids in Monopoly money. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Artists transform town centre with street art Ninety-foot wall to be 'transformed' by mural Tara Roskell Art
BBC News
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Broughton artist selling painting for £10,000 in Monopoly money
An artist is offering to give away her latest painting in exchange for £10,000 in Monopoly Roskell from Broughton, Northamptonshire, described the project as a "slightly bonkers experiment" and a playful way to explore how value is placed on invited people to send in £10,000 of the board game currency along with a "weird, quirky, funny or poetic" note explaining why they wanted the Roskell said: "It's not 'match your sofa art', it's for someone who wants something a little bit different." The painting of a face, created in a graffiti style, was layered with references to money and had a pound sign in the idea came to Ms Roskell after reading that Monopoly was releasing a cashless version of the game. She told BBC Radio Northampton's Annabel Amos: "My mind went to the money they no longer need. You see these barmy things like someone selling a banana for millions - so why not do a fun play on that? It's almost like fake it till you make it."The artist began painting again after years as a graphic designer. She had stopped until a creative challenge with a friend helped her rediscover her style, moving away from traditional landscapes to more expressive, abstract work."I love it now - I've sold pieces to America, Finland, and lots through social media," she added. Since bidding opened on 1 July, Ms Roskell said she had already received several colourful bids in Monopoly money. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Carnival sets standard for region, say organisers
A carnival marking 20 years since it returned to a town sets the "standard" for the region, one of the organisers has said. Northampton Carnival was a fixture in the town from the 1960s until the late 1990s, when it stopped running. But in 2004 Northampton Carnival & Cultural Arts was formed, bringing back the event in 2005. Myrle Roach, from the group, said the parade on Saturday "starts the carnival season off for the East Midlands". The event opens at the Racecourse Park in Northampton from 12:00 BST until 19:30 with entertainment, food, arts and crafts and charity and information stalls. The parade leaves the park at 14:00, heading down Kettering Road through the town centre, returning to the park via Wellingborough Road. This year's theme is Earth, Wind, Fire and Water and will feature schools, community groups and carnival troupes. Ms Roach told BBC Radio Northampton: "I don't see it in all its glory, but I get it set up and I get it on the road and for me that's really important because if I don't do that all the crowds in town and along the route won't have anything to see." The Northampton Carnival is a member of the East Midlands Caribbean Carnival Arts Network, which includes the Nottingham, Leicester and Derby carnivals, which take place in July and August. "Northampton has come to be the standard of East Midlands carnivals, we set the pace," added Ms Roach. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. 'Smells, sights and sounds of carnival are back' 'Dedicated' vice lord-lieutenant bows out Northampton Carnival EMCCAN
BBC News
03-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Leinster host Northampton in Champions Cup semi-final - listen & text
'We are one of the few teams who can beat Leinster' Leinster v Northampton (17:30 BST) Let's hear from the Englishman now... Speaking to BBC Radio Northampton, Fin Smith said: "We would like to think we are better prepared for this game than we were last year. "In the same breath, Leinster are also a very different side to what they were and it doesn't make the task any easier but I would like to say we won't be overwhelmed by the situation. "Since then a number of our squad have played in big international games in front of big crowds with loads riding on them, so hopefully all that experience will help us. "It's obviously a real challenge and we have to give them respect but we are not going to bow down. We will have a crack and see how we go. It should be a great game and one I'm looking forward to. "We are a side that is capable of beating anyone. We are definitely the underdogs and no-one is giving us a shot but we are one of the few teams that I believe can beat Leinster."
