Latest news with #ChrisHopkins
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Water supplies return to island as pipe fixed
A faulty pipe which cut off water supplies on parts of Bryher in the Isles of Scilly has been repaired. South West Water (SWW) said its engineers had worked through the night to fix the issue and it hoped to have supplies back to normal by lunchtime on Thursday. People on the island have told the BBC water supplies had returned for some properties who were experiencing issues, but some were still without water. SWW, which set up a bottled water station on the island's quayside, said disruption would be experienced by some while the system returned to normal and it was sorry for any inconvenience caused. A SWW spokesperson said: "We would like to thank the community on Bryher for their patience and understanding whilst we carried out repairs to a faulty pipe. "We have been working through the night and hope to get water supplies back to normal by lunchtime today, although there may be some disruption while the system is recharging." People living on the island said it was a relief to have supplies back on. Chris Hopkins from Fraggle Rock Bar and Cafe said tourists were due to arrive on Bryher from St Mary on Thursday, so it was "good timing". He added there had been some confusion in the island about what was going on and said the communication from SWW had not been great. "I think they should have taken charge of the situation," Mr Hopkins added. A SWW spokesperson said the company was sorry for communications not reaching customers quickly enough. "We are now talking to them to make sure they are fully informed," they added. More news stories for Cornwall Listen to the latest news for Cornwall Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ More on this story Island told to conserve water amid pipework fault South West Water boss Susan Davy to retire Enforcement action of £24m for water firm failures Related internet links South West Water
BBC News
5 days ago
- BBC News
Bryher supplies return as South West Water fixes faulty pipe
A faulty pipe which cut off water supplies on parts of Bryher in the Isles of Scilly has been West Water (SWW) said its engineers had worked through the night to fix the issue and it hoped to have supplies back to normal by lunchtime on on the island have told the BBC water supplies had returned for some properties who were experiencing issues, but some were still without which set up a bottled water station on the island's quayside, said disruption would be experienced by some while the system returned to normal and it was sorry for any inconvenience caused. A SWW spokesperson said: "We would like to thank the community on Bryher for their patience and understanding whilst we carried out repairs to a faulty pipe."We have been working through the night and hope to get water supplies back to normal by lunchtime today, although there may be some disruption while the system is recharging." People living on the island said it was a relief to have supplies back Hopkins from Fraggle Rock Bar and Cafe said tourists were due to arrive on Bryher from St Mary on Thursday, so it was "good timing".He added there had been some confusion in the island about what was going on and said the communication from SWW had not been great."I think they should have taken charge of the situation," Mr Hopkins added.A SWW spokesperson said the company was sorry for communications not reaching customers quickly enough."We are now talking to them to make sure they are fully informed," they added.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Island told to conserve water amid pipework fault
Residents and tourists on the island of Bryher in the Isles of Scilly have been urged by South West Water (SWW) to conserve water while engineers work to fix a pipework leak. The utilities firm said residents and tourists still had a water supply - but repairs to a fault near the water treatment works, identified on Tuesday evening, were ongoing. It added: "Whilst we complete the repair work, we have asked residents and visitors to be mindful of their water usage." Olivia Callan, who has lived on Bryher her whole life and runs a cafe there, said the issue had impacted the drinks they were serving but said "communication had been good" around the issue. SWW water has also set up a bottled water station on the quayside, which the utilities firm said was a precaution to "minimise water usage from within the network". It is thought about 80 people live on Bryher full time but the population grows over the summer, with visitors staying at the island's hotel, campsite and holiday cottages. Chris Hopkins from Fraggle Rock Bar and Cafe said holidaymakers in their three self-catering units had been asked not to shower until the fault is fixed. "It's very inconvenient but I've been in the islands for over 40 years and it's just an incident," he said. "It's one of the parts of living here - once in a while things go wrong and you have to get through. "Most people who come on holiday to Scilly understand the trials and tribulations of island life." He added that if the leak was not fixed by Thursday he would be "slightly miffed". "We're hoping it will be fixed but if not hopefully it'll be fixed the next day." More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon Olivia Callan, who was born on the island and runs Olivia's Kitchen, which has remained open, said the shortage had impacted how they were running the business. She said tea and Americano were off the menu, adding: "We are asking people to be mindful and have posters up about being mindful of water usage." She said milky coffees, canned drinks, alcohol and food were still being served, but customers were asked to use hand sanitiser in the bathrooms. "I didn't have a shower this morning, but we can still drink a glass of water. "Every year if there's hot weather there's a water shortage." She said ideally more would be put in place to supply water in these situations but added that would be expensive and "not part of the lifestyle on Scilly". South West Water (SWW) had sent over "lots of water" she added. On its website, SWW said it was proposing to build a new water treatment facility on each inhabited island on the Isles of Scilly. It was also "assessing options" to treat both borehole water and seawater, to provie a "continuous, reliable supply of clean water for the longer term". "We're at an early stage of concept development and are in discussions with the Duchy of Cornwall to identify suitable locations for each treatment facility." It said "several" properties had their own private separate water supply, but there would be opportunities for those to be connected to the network. Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ More on this story South West Water boss Susan Davy to retire Related internet links South West Water
The Guardian
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Così Fan Tutte review – country house remix offers fresh farce, fun and energy
Atop its elegant Leicestershire hill, the operatic foundations of the Nevill Holt festival feel more secure right now than those of the beleaguered state funded companies down in the cities. The stable courtyard at Nevill Holt was converted into a comfortable 400-seat opera house seven years ago, and now this year's festival also offers the first fruits of a tie-up with Leeds-based Opera North, who will take a new production south for the coming five years. This summer's Così Fan Tutte offers alternating casts under the assured and energised conducting of Chris Hopkins. But it is not in every respect a wholly new production. Cecilia Stinton's direction and George Leigh's designs provide a specially created version of Mozart's opera for the Nevill Holt residency. Yet there remain traces, notably in the costumes, of the Tim Albery production that did sterling work for Opera North from 2009. Perhaps it is best to think of this as a country house remix of Albery's Cosi. Another survival is that this version is in English. This brings terrific immediacy, even for those who can follow Lorenzo Da Ponte's punning Italian original. The programme gives no single writer the credit, but it is a witty and succinct translation that adds to the overall fun and pace. 'One man is as good as another; and they are all good for nothing,' sings Dorabella, as she and her sister Fiordiligi debate how to deal with their respective suitors. Stinton places the cynical philosopher Don Alfonso at the centre of things. This Alfonso is not simply trying to prove his misogynistic point about women's affections. He is trying to prove it inside an opera-within-an-opera version of Così that he is himself writing and directing. Confused? It sometimes gets that way. But it is a device that offers plenty of opportunities for stage farce, as well as adding fresh layers of transgressive ambiguity to an opera that is already full of them. Vocally, all six principals make a mark. Seán Boylan's stylish Guglielmo and Egor Zhuravskii's ardently sung Ferrando are a well-matched pair of officers turned increasingly troubled pawns in Alfonso's game. Among the women, Ella Taylor's Fiordiligi is particularly fine in her two formidable arias and for her ability to command expressive softness as well as strength. Heather Lowe's Dorabella is bright voiced and engagingly acted. Claire Lees knows all the ropes as Despina and has little difficulty stealing the show when she needs to do so. It helps most of all, though, that William Dazeley is such a well acted and sung Alfonso. Mozart may have denied Alfonso the chance to shine in an aria of his own, but he is very much the puppet-master. Or at least in this version he is until the final moments, when his traumatised charges finally revolt against his loveless philosophy and chase him from the stage. Nevill Holt festival continues until 22 June
9 News
05-06-2025
- Business
- 9 News
Aussies are spending way more on booze than they were last year
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Households might be holding back on their spending, but there's one thing Australians have been happy to splash out on recently: booze. New ABS data released this morning showed spending growth was essentially flat in April, rising by just 0.1 per cent for the month, it fell 1.2 when only goods were considered. That came on the back of fresh GDP figures yesterday , which showed the proportion of income Australians are saving has risen to 5.2 per cent – up from less than 4 per cent late last year. Australians are spending more on beer each month than they were this time last year. (Chris Hopkins) But while households are clearly still keeping their belts tight after years of high inflation and interest rate rises, they've been happy to spend more on alcohol recently. A survey by comparison site Canstar Blue found Australians are spending $77 on wine every month, on average, an increase of 17 per cent from the same time last year, when the figure was sitting at $66. The jump in beer spending has been even steeper: up 30 per cent, going from $76 to $99. That's well in excess of inflation, as the average price of beer rose a far more modest 4.5 per cent in the 12 months to March. Spending on wine is also up, although not by as much. (Louie Douvis/AFR) "The Easter holidays helped pick up spending slightly for the month of April, but these latest figures show households chose to spend more on experiences than on discretionary items, like clothing and footwear," Canstar Blue spokesperson Eden Radford said. "Despite spending on alcoholic beverages and tobacco falling for the month, Canstar Blue research shows average monthly spending specifically on wine and beer has increased over the last year, with survey data showing $99 for beer and $77 for wine. "If this month's figures are anything to go by, households will continue to keep a close eye on their budgets, with many likely holding out for big sale seasons or tax returns, before making any big purchases." Yesterday's relatively weak GDP figures have fuelled expectations that the Reserve Bank will reduce interest rates again when it next meets in July, with the market now pricing in an 86 per cent chance of a cut, up from 81 per cent on Tuesday. Consumer national Australia money Cost of Living finance alcohol CONTACT US
