Latest news with #Courtauld
Times
6 days ago
- Health
- Times
Up all night with ravers, nuns and shiftworkers
Arifa Akbar is scared of the dark. Her British-Pakistani parents told her horrifying tales of creatures that appeared at night, stories 'of djinns capable of immense violence, of daayans with feet on backwards, disembowelling their victims with their bare hands'. She sleeps with a curtain open to let the light of the street lamps stream through the window and travels with a plug-in nightlight. As the Guardian's chief theatre critic Akbar often has to work late into the night. In Wolf Moon, her lyrical examination of the world between dusk and dawn, she acknowledges the ridiculousness of her night-time anxieties. 'But if there really is nothing to fear, why do I feel so viscerally afraid as the dark levitates towards me, everything and nothing thrumming inside it?' The book is part reporting, part memoir. Akbar writes about her father, who was a security guard, first on the railways and then at the Courtauld gallery in London, working night shifts in both jobs. Akbar observed how his work seemed to change him, 'his skin growing sallower by the day as if he were jaundiced, his thinking confused. He was always on the brink of an unarticulated panic.' He now lives in a care home and has dementia, a health risk linked to nocturnal working. At night he can be distressed — a phenomenon called sundowning when those with dementia begin to hallucinate as the day darkens. 'There are times when he holds on to my hand tightly as if he fears being sucked under by quicksand, and tells me the sky is spinning.' There are about nine million night shift workers in Britain. As well as causing dementia, working at night can cause cardiovascular disease, obesity and depression. The work is also more likely to be low-paid and insecure. Akbar speaks to some of these late-night workers. At a care home in Hertfordshire the carers describe how after their night shift they take their children to school, then pick them up later with barely time to sleep during the day. At New Spitalfields Market in Leyton, east London, she watches hundreds of HGVs queue at midnight to unload fruit and vegetables — 'a lush, vegetative oasis within the city'. She spends the night at the Convent of Poor Clares in Ellesmere, Shropshire, rising with the nuns at midnight to sing matins and again for lauds at 6:30am. • 12 exceptional memoirs from the past 30 years to read next However, some people come alive at night. Akbar goes to Berghain, an LGBT nightclub in Berlin, and dances with a Brazilian trans woman who has been attending for 13 years and an Austrian postman who often stays in the club from Saturday through to Monday. Akbar feels transfigured in the club's darkness. 'I am no longer a responsible homeowner, journalist and carer of elderly parents,' she writes. 'I am no more or less than my silver-black dress and gold eyelashes.' She meets the poet and playwright Debris Stevenson who has been a raver for decades. 'You're less self-conscious in the dark, more embodied and there's a wildness to dancing outside,' Stevenson says. Yet at raves she has been catcalled and filmed without permission and has had to intervene in dangerous situations. She says the sight of men forcing kisses on unconscious women is commonplace. In Lahore, where Akbar spent some of her childhood, she watches a late-night comedy show. After the performance some of the female dancers sell sex to the audience members. An elderly sex worker describes how the work has become more dangerous as stricter laws force them to travel to meet clients in unknown locations. While djinns and daayans may be imagined, the threat of violence at night is real. Sarah Everard's twilight abduction, rape and murder sparked a wave of protests about the risk of walking the streets at night as a woman. But it was hardly a new danger. Akbar attends one of the popular Jack the Ripper tours that trace the murder spots of east London. I went on one of these tours once and a man in my group commented on which of the murdered women was the most attractive. These threats aren't just abstract to Akbar. Her sister Fauzia, whose death was the subject of her first book, Consumed, struggled as a teenager with compulsive eating. She would bribe Akbar and her brother to go to a supermarket at night to buy her food. In her twenties she fell into a depression and became homeless. • Read more book reviews and interviews — and see what's top of the Sunday Times Bestsellers List At her hungriest Fauzia would go through bins on the streets. After her death by undiagnosed tuberculosis Akbar's family agonised over how she had contracted the disease. They wondered if it happened in this dark and desperate time of her life. What might otherwise feel like a random collection of vignettes is threaded together by Akbar's grief for her sister and her anxiety for her father. Wolf Moon is a celebration of the exuberance of night-time and a moving portrait of the dangers of the dark. Wolf Moon: A Woman's Journey into the Night by Arifa Akbar (Sceptre £16.99 pp256). To order a copy go to Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
Times
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Lord Browne: ‘We are now approaching a very dangerous moment'
L ord Browne of Madingley is a modern-day renaissance man as happy discussing the arts as the sciences, an engineer by training and a collector and author, he is chairman of the Courtauld as well as the Francis Crick Institute. If you tell him he is a polymath he recoils at the idea, saying he can no longer recite reams of poetry but his house on Cheyne Walk overlooking the Thames is filled with extraordinary ceramics, sculptures and paintings. He was also the chief executive of BP for more than a decade when it was at the height of its power and the sixth-largest company in the world until 'the Sun King' was forced to quit when he was outed as gay in 2007 just before his 60th birthday. So, he wrote a book called The Glass Closet: Why Coming Out is Good Business because 'I didn't want anyone else to go through what I went through.''
Telegraph
07-03-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Is this the real face of Lady Jane Grey?
English Heritage claims to have found 'compelling' evidence to support the theory that a mystery portrait is of Lady Jane Grey. The identity of the woman dressed in black and white has been the subject of debate for many years. If proved to be Lady Jane, who ruled England for nine days in July 1553, it could be the only known depiction painted in her lifetime. Lady Jane was deposed by her cousin, Mary I, and was aged 16 or 17 at the time of her death. The most famous image of her is Paul Delaroche's 19th century painting which shows her blindfolded before the executioner's block. Hidden features Research conducted by English Heritage, the Courtauld Institute of Art and Ian Tyers, a leading dendrochronologist, has uncovered previously hidden features in the mysterious portrait. Using infrared imaging, the Courtauld found that the sitter's costume was significantly altered after the portrait was first completed. Where now it is subdued, in the past the dress was embellished, with the imagery suggesting more decorative sleeves and a more elaborate head-dress. The white scarf across her shoulders is believed to be a later addition. 'One line of thought is that these changes were a concerted effort to immortalise Jane as a Protestant martyr after her death with a less ostentatious image,' said Peter Moore, curator at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire, where the portrait is on display. The dendrochronology analysis – or tree ring dating – of the painted oak panels dates them to between 1539 and 1571. A merchant's mark, found on the back, is identical to a mark visible on a portrait of Lady Jane's predecessor, Edward VI, suggesting that the wood came from a merchant who supplied royal portrait artists. Iconoclastic attack Experts also confirmed work undertaken by past scholars which showed that the eyes of the portrait had been deliberately scratched out at some point during its lifetime, the sign of an iconoclastic attack. A posthumous image of Lady Jane in the National Portrait Gallery was damaged in the same way. Rachel Turnbull, senior collections conservator for English Heritage, said: 'While we can't confirm that this is definitely Lady Jane Grey, our results certainly make a compelling argument.' The portrait was acquired in 1701 by Anthony Grey, 11th Earl of Kent, and remained for 300 years at Wrest Park, his family home. When the estate was sold in 1917, the work passed into a private collection. It re-emerged for a 2007 exhibition and scholars debated its provenance, with one historian arguing that the portrait depicted Mary Neville Fiennes, Lady Dacre, a contemporary of Lady Jane. The painting has since returned to Wrest Park on loan. Lady Jane continues to fascinate, Helena Bonham Carter played her in 1986 and she was portrayed last year by Emily Bader in a historical fantasy series, My Lady Jane, based on a young adult novel series by Cynthia Hand. Philippa Gregory, the historical novelist, wrote about Lady Jane in her book The Last Tudor and was given the chance to view the portrait in the English Heritage conservation studio. She said: 'Certainly, the features are similar to those of her portrait at the National Portrait Gallery.' She added that if the portrait is indeed of Lady Jane, it is 'a powerful challenge to the traditional representation of her as a blindfolded victim'.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Our community deserves beauty': one man's mission to green a UK tree desert
Billy Dasein was born on Rutland Street, Grimsby, in the front room of the house where he still lives. His father was a fitter, and his mother a housewife who also worked in the Tickler's jam factory. He left school at 16 and wound up working at Courtauld's synthetic textiles factory. Rows of terrace houses, constructed for workers in the booming fish industry, are set out in a grid structure by the docks. Life was similar on all these streets: doors left unlocked, kids out playing. Everyone knew everyone. Yet, fishing dried up in the 1970s and Dasein says people's lives have been in decline ever since. East Marsh – the Grimsby suburb where Rutland Street lies – is one of the UK's 'tree deserts', with less than 3% tree coverage. Farnham, in 'leafy' Surrey – home to some of the UK's wealthiest neighbourhoods – has 45%. 'When I was about five I wanted trees on Rutland Street,' says Dasein. 'It was always bloody grey and bleak, there was a harshness to it.' Low tree cover is linked with other forms of deprivation. East Marsh is the 25th most deprived ward out of the 32,844 in England, according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation. More than two-thirds of people on the street live with at least one form of deprivation, related to either employment, education, health or overcrowding. Neighbourhoods with the most trees have 330% less air pollution and are 4C cooler during a heatwave than neighbourhoods where tree canopy is the lowest Woodland Trust research Dasein realised things had transformed on Rutland Street when he came back to look after his dad in 2013 having left Grimsby 15 years earlier, putting himself through university and earning a PhD. The place had 'drastically changed,' he says: people were dealing drugs in the street and everyone he knew had 'buggered off'. In the early 2000s, the council sold off the housing stock. Absentee landlords are now 'tearing the guts out of our community,' he says. There are more than 300 empty homes in East Marsh, half of which have been empty for at least two years, according to council data. Dasein decided to create a community-benefit society called East Marsh United (Emu). High on its list were the trees. 'They slow traffic, are associated with lower crime rates, increase desirability of an area, and foster community flourishing,' he says. 'Trees are just better for our streets and communities.' Over the past two years, he has worked with local people and charities to plant 30 trees in the local park, 96 trees in local schools, and thousands of saplings in woodland and hedgerows. 'No one else is going to do it,' he says, 'so we might as well crack on.' *** In the morning, a cold sea fog comes barrelling in off the North Sea. On Rutland Street some houses are boarded up and cracked paving slabs are strewn around. 'It's very Dickensian in a lot of these houses,' Dasein says. Terry Evans, who lives on Rutland Street, says many of the houses here are at the mercy of bitter cold in winter and brutal heat in summer. Evans used to live in a house 'with every inch covered in black mould' that made his daughter sick. Once, he says, his wife leant on a wall and her hand went through it. During hot summers, the houses heat up in the sun. 'You can put your hand on our windowsill on the inside and it will burn your hand it's that hot. A bit of shade would be good.' Evans says having trees on the street would be 'absolutely brilliant', and could slow the cars down, making the street safer. 'It's going to look better to the people coming into the road – you walk down it and it's dull at the moment, there is nothing to give it any colour, which is a massive shame'. Trees are a crucial part of urban wellbeing. People living in areas with fewer trees have a higher risk of health problems from poor air quality, according to Tree Equity research from the Woodland Trust. On average, richer neighbourhoods have more than double the tree cover per person than poorer ones. Neighbourhoods with the most trees have 330% less air pollution and are 4C cooler during a heatwave than neighbourhoods where tree canopy is the lowest, according to the Woodland Trust research. Modelling by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health found doubling tree cover could cut heat-related deaths in European cities by nearly 40%. *** The government has listed East Marsh as a priority area for planting more trees owing to low tree cover, but some people have said trees would not last in the neighbourhood. In February 2023, Emu organised a planting day to get 36 trees into Grant Thorold Park at the end of Rutland Street, including maples, sweet chestnut and elm. Hundreds of volunteers turned up. 'Every single tree is still here,' says Dasein. 'Someone cycled past us, and said why are you bothering, they'll be ripped out tomorrow,' remembers Tom Noble from Create Streets, who is working with Emu. 'The community proved they could do it in the park and that has won a lot of trust.' Since then they have planted trees in seven schools and 4,500 young saplings in hedgerows with the help of schoolchildren. Related: 'Walking' forest of 1,000 trees transforms Dutch city 'The difference is incredible when you're around trees,' says Carolyn Doyley, who is a community outreach leader at Emu and works with schools. 'Some kids were naming trees. They know we need more trees and they understand the symbiotic relationship. In hot weather they're vital – you can feel the tension in the air as the heat rises.' Yet, planting trees is surprisingly expensive. The government's Urban Tree Challenge Fund provides up to £270 a tree, but the rest must be found from other sources. Planting in a park costs about £400 a tree, but planting in the street costs significantly more, as it means digging up concrete: 30 trees on Rutland Street would cost about £120,000 in total, says Noble. They still need to find about £100,000 to make this happen. In the next year or so, however, Dasein hopes to finally get the 30 trees he wanted on his street. 'For me, if this happens and we see a sweep of trees down here, I will simply think: we've really done something,' he says. 'Our community deserves beauty – arts, culture, the best that civilisation offers – and most of all, nature.' Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow the biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield in the Guardian app for more nature coverage
The Guardian
20-02-2025
- General
- The Guardian
‘Our community deserves beauty': one man's mission to green a UK tree desert
Billy Dasein was born on Rutland Street, Grimsby, in the front room of the house where he still lives. His father was a fitter, and his mother a housewife who also worked in the Tickler's jam factory. He left school at 16 and wound up working at Courtauld's synthetic textiles factory. Rows of terrace houses, constructed for workers in the booming fish industry, are set out in a grid structure by the docks. Life was similar on all these streets: doors left unlocked, kids out playing. Everyone knew everyone. Yet, fishing dried up in the 1970s and Dasein says people's lives have been in decline ever since. East Marsh – the Grimsby suburb where Rutland Street lies – is one of the UK's 'tree deserts', with less than 3% tree coverage. Farnham, in 'leafy' Surrey – home to some of the UK's wealthiest neighbourhoods – has 45%. 'When I was about five I wanted trees on Rutland Street,' says Dasein. 'It was always bloody grey and bleak, there was a harshness to it.' Low tree cover is linked with other forms of deprivation. East Marsh is the 25th most deprived ward out of the 32,844 in England, according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation. More than two-thirds of people on the street live with at least one form of deprivation, related to either employment, education, health or overcrowding. Dasein realised things had transformed on Rutland Street when he came back to look after his dad in 2013 having left Grimsby 15 years earlier, putting himself through university and earning a PhD. The place had 'drastically changed,' he says: people were dealing drugs in the street and everyone he knew had 'buggered off'. In the early 2000s, the council sold off the housing stock. Absentee landlords are now 'tearing the guts out of our community,' he says. There are more than 300 empty homes in East Marsh, half of which have been empty for at least two years, according to council data. Dasein decided to create a community-benefit society called East Marsh United (Emu). High on its list were the trees. 'They slow traffic, are associated with lower crime rates, increase desirability of an area, and foster community flourishing,' he says. 'Trees are just better for our streets and communities.' Over the past two years, he has worked with local people and charities to plant 30 trees in the local park, 96 trees in local schools, and thousands of saplings in woodland and hedgerows. 'No one else is going to do it,' he says, 'so we might as well crack on.' In the morning, a cold sea fog comes barrelling in off the North Sea. On Rutland Street some houses are boarded up and cracked paving slabs are strewn around. 'It's very Dickensian in a lot of these houses,' Dasein says. Terry Evans, who lives on Rutland Street, says many of the houses here are at the mercy of bitter cold in winter and brutal heat in summer. Evans used to live in a house 'with every inch covered in black mould' that made his daughter sick. Once, he says, his wife leant on a wall and her hand went through it. During hot summers, the houses heat up in the sun. 'You can put your hand on our windowsill on the inside and it will burn your hand it's that hot. A bit of shade would be good.' Evans says having trees on the street would be 'absolutely brilliant', and could slow the cars down, making the street safer. 'It's going to look better to the people coming into the road – you walk down it and it's dull at the moment, there is nothing to give it any colour, which is a massive shame'. Trees are a crucial part of urban wellbeing. People living in areas with fewer trees have a higher risk of health problems from poor air quality, according to Tree Equity research from the Woodland Trust. On average, richer neighbourhoods have more than double the tree cover per person than poorer ones. Neighbourhoods with the most trees have 330% less air pollution and are 4C cooler during a heatwave than neighbourhoods where tree canopy is the lowest, according to the Woodland Trust research. Modelling by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health found doubling tree cover could cut heat-related deaths in European cities by nearly 40%. The government has listed East Marsh as a priority area for planting more trees owing to low tree cover, but some people have said trees would not last in the neighbourhood. In February 2023, Emu organised a planting day to get 36 trees into Grant Thorold Park at the end of Rutland Street, including maples, sweet chestnut and elm. Hundreds of volunteers turned up. 'Every single tree is still here,' says Dasein. 'Someone cycled past us, and said why are you bothering, they'll be ripped out tomorrow,' remembers Tom Noble from Create Streets, who is working with Emu. 'The community proved they could do it in the park and that has won a lot of trust.' Since then they have planted trees in seven schools and 4,500 young saplings in hedgerows with the help of schoolchildren. 'The difference is incredible when you're around trees,' says Carolyn Doyley, who is a community outreach leader at Emu and works with schools. 'Some kids were naming trees. They know we need more trees and they understand the symbiotic relationship. In hot weather they're vital – you can feel the tension in the air as the heat rises.' Yet, planting trees is surprisingly expensive. The government's Urban Tree Challenge Fund provides up to £270 a tree, but the rest must be found from other sources. Planting in a park costs about £400 a tree, but planting in the street costs significantly more, as it means digging up concrete: 30 trees on Rutland Street would cost about £120,000 in total, says Noble. They still need to find about £100,000 to make this happen. In the next year or so, however, Dasein hopes to finally get the 30 trees he wanted on his street. 'For me, if this happens and we see a sweep of trees down here, I will simply think: we've really done something,' he says. 'Our community deserves beauty – arts, culture, the best that civilisation offers – and most of all, nature.' Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow the biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield in the Guardian app for more nature coverage
