Latest news with #ByTheQuayside
BBC News
27-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'Omaze house raffles are helping our Blakeney businesses'
Business owners in a small town where luxury homes have been won as raffle prizes say they have benefited from the publicity generated by the has held two prize draws featuring multi-million-pound mansions in Blakeney, Norfolk, both heavily promoted on television and online.A family that runs a local fish stall says the competition has "brought in more people" - and the director of a holiday homes letting company says the advertisements "show people the beauty of the area". In 2023, former paratrooper Daren Bell won a £4.5m home and the winner of a second property, valued at £6m, is still waiting to receive the keys due to unresolved planning breaches. Omaze, a for-profit company, partners competitions with charities and celebrity endorsements using a sweepstake system, offering large value homes as in 2012 in the US, it provides at least 17% of the money raised through its prize draws to charities. Mr Bell won the Blakeney through a £10 Omaze prize draw in 2023, and now lives there with his family. His home is just a short walk from the harbour, where the family-run fish stall, By The Quayside, has been part of the community for the past 17 Darby, 21, who works at the stall, has described Blakeney as a "hidden gem". She said the Omaze competition had "definitely brought in so many more people around the area". Tallulah first saw the advertising for the house raffle on TV and said she was thrilled to recognise her own town."It's quite amazing, because you only ever think of those competitions happening in places like Cornwall, Devon or London," she said. At least two members of her family bought tickets for the draw, which she described as a rare opportunity to win a home they "would never dream of being able to own".James Player, 41, the director of The Blakeney Cottage Company, said he was "very lucky to live here".His firm rents out holiday homes along the coast. He said the house raffles had been "marketed widely", showcasing "the beauty of the area". He added: "You have these beautiful drone shots over the salt marsh and things like that, which people are gonna really like and really draw people in."It is a little nudge, a little reminder of how nice it is and encourage them to come back."He said the competitions succeeded in "getting people living in houses"."One of the things that we hate around here is just houses sitting empty for months and months at a time," he added. The winner of the recent £6m home competition was still waiting to receive the keys because unresolved planning breaches had held up the transfer. Vicky Curtis-Cresswell said she felt "pure joy" after winning the property in Blakeney, Norfolk, in the Omaze and Comic Relief Omaze mansion looks across to Blakeney Point, a National Nature Reserve, where seals breed in winter and birds such as terns nest in spring. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Glasgow Times
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Scottish folk band perform pop-up gig in Glasgow subway
On Easter Monday, April 21, Tide Lines brought live music to the subway, popping up at stations across the map, including Partick and Buchanan Street. They performed stripped-back songs from their upcoming album, "Glasgow Love Story," which is set for release on April 25. Read more: 'Subway sessions': Live music performances to be held at stations across Glasgow Despite the wet weather, crowds gathered to sing along, with a large group assembling outside Skye Candles. The pop-up gigs were all designed to help build momentum for their biggest headline show yet – The Reeling at Rouken Glen Park. A large group amassed outside Skye Candles (Image: Supplied) Now in its second year, The Reeling is a summer celebration of traditional music and has become a key part of the Scottish music calendar. Tide Lines will headline on Friday, June 6, joined by fellow Scottish favourites Siobhan Miller Band, Beinn Lee, and Gnoss. It's another major moment in a milestone year for the band, who's upcoming release marks their fourth studio album. "Glasgow Love Story," features singles including By The Quayside, Leaving Town, and the nostalgic Better Days have already captured fans' hearts. The album aims to blend driving indie-folk and evocative storytelling. Robert Robertson, frontman of Tide Lines, said: "It was amazing to see so many people come out to watch us – even in the rain. "We never take that kind of support for granted. "There was such a buzz in the stations, especially with everyone singing along. "We can't wait to do it all again at The Reeling in June. "Our new album, Glasgow Love Story, is out this Friday. Read more: Iconic supermarket sweep returns - here's how you can enter "It's full of songs written for this city – about its people, its streets, the memories we've made here. "So getting to play them right in the heart of Glasgow, where they belong, felt really special." After their headline performance at The Reeling, the band will hit the road for a packed summer of festival appearances, including Belladrum, HebCelt, and a free show at Aberdeen's Quayside Concerts. They will then be embarking on a headline UK tour this autumn.
