Latest news with #Gromit
Scotsman
02-07-2025
- Scotsman
The perfect canal boat getaway
The Chirk Aqueduct on the Llangollen Canal A short break on the Llangollen Canal manages to be both sedate and exciting, finds Cat Thomson. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... If you are looking for a high-octane adventure, can I suggest a narrow boat holiday? I am not kidding, it might be a pastime beloved of pensioners, but it is not for the faint-hearted as I discovered on a short break with my partner and sister-in-law. I blame the wholesome TV show, Great Canal Journeys, and more recently, Wallace and Gromit's animation Vengeance Most Fowl, which features a slow-motion canal boat chase with Gromit teetering on board a narrowboat dangling over an aqueduct, for luring us in. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad To discover more, we embark on a short voyage aboard Blore, a 67ft narrowboat hired from Drifters Canal Boat Hire run by Anglo Welsh. When we arrive at Trevor Basin near Wrexham Max, who has spent his career at sea before switching to the canals, gives us our instructions. There is a lot to take in, and more that can go wrong. Unfortunately we could not persuade Max to accompany us on our voyage along just a small part of the Llangollen Canal. But thankfully he does help us steer over the impressive Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, designed by Scottish engineering legend Thomas Telford. The narrow cast iron channel is suspended 38m above the river. My advice is don't look down if you don't have a head for heights. Safely on the other side Max cheerfully waves us off, and Graham, my partner, nervously takes the tiller. We are on our own. Thank goodness there are three of us aboard, as I feel divorce would beckon. As we make our way at a snail's pace to the picturesque village of Chirk, walkers on the towpath overtake us. On the way, we navigate several bridges, another aqueduct and two tunnels. Watching the bucolic countryside rolling by is mesmerising. We soon discover boaters are made up of two kinds of folk: those who wave cheerfully to each other and those who remain stony-faced and never crack a smile. There's lots to see, cows cooling down with their heads over the water. On the tow path, a cyclist with an owl nonchalantly perched on his handlebar whizzes past, and a Jack Russell stands guard at the prow of a narrow boat, while on another vessel a chunky Corgi wears his life jacket with pride. As we cautiously approach the entrance to the Whitehouse tunnel, we toot our horn to warn others that we are about to enter. The boat's headlight illuminates the interior, which is narrow and scary. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We are all in good spirits, despite moments of high drama, such as almost hitting other boats and running aground in shallow water. Our six-berther may be spacious, but it means the boat is enormously long and tricky to manoeuvre. Graham describes it like, 'Driving an extra-long pencil through a slalom course.' When we reach Chirk we moor up safely. Even if we wanted we can't go any further as a narrow boat has slipped its mooring and is blocking the way. We met the Australian family earlier who are like us, canal newbies. The boat is safely recaptured with no damage done. At the end of our adrenaline-fuelled first day, we head to the nearby Bridge Inn, on the Wales and English border, for a well-earned drink. Previously the boundary sat in the middle of the historic inn, which meant the enterprising landlord could capitalise on different countries' licensing laws. We fill up with tasty pub grub and retire to our snug cabins for the night. The next morning, after breakfast, we decide to scale back our epic voyage, forgoing a full day of boating. Instead, we make for the nearby National Trust-run Chirk Castle. We enjoy strolling through the award-winning gardens with their perfectly manicured lawns, immaculately clipped yews, and extensive herbaceous borders. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We return to our boat, reinvigorated to face our biggest fear – navigating locks safely. As we approach the first set, there's not a single person in sight. As panic starts to set in, our lock saviour, in the form of Les, a Canal and River Trust maintenance worker, appears out of nowhere. He carefully and patiently explains how to open and close the lock gates, and how to lower or raise the water level using a lock handle or windlass. It is quite physically demanding, pushing, or pulling at the sluice gates, and three terrified individuals have started to pull together and have become a tight crew. Buoyed by this success, we head off to face the next set of locks, completely solo. But once again, fortune is on our side, as this time we recruit a full-time boat resident and some passersby to ensure we don't bungle the whole operation. That evening, when we catch up with our new Australian canal pals, we entertain them with our comedic tales of the misadventures. We make a pact with them to travel back to our starting point in convoy, so we are never alone. As we enjoy a well-earned cold beer at The Narrowboat Inn, the sun sets over the canal, bathing everything in a majestic rosy glow. We all admit that although not the most relaxing holiday ever, we have all thoroughly enjoyed messing about on the canal. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Drifters Waterway Holidays offers over 500 canal boats for hire from 40 bases across England, Scotland and Wales. There are over 3,000 miles of waterways for you to discover, all at your own pace and you don't need to be an expert. Tuition is included as part of Drifters' holiday packages.
STV News
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- STV News
Augmented reality Wallace & Gromit experiences comes to Dynamic Earth
For the first time, national treasures Wallace & Gromit have come to Scotland in an interactive augmented reality experience at Dynamic Earth. The 'All Systems Go!' trail has been made in collaboration with the character creators at the multi-award-winning animation studio Aardman. Cheese-lovers can meet and pose alongside the duo and try on Wallace's Techno Trousers using an app on their phone at the Dynamic Earth galleries in Edinburgh. The augmented reality trail opens on Monday and runs until August 31. Tickets are available on the Dynamic Earth website. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Powys County Times
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Steam train brings Wallace & Gromit sculptures to Bristol for summer arts trail
A steam train loaded with sculptures of Wallace, Gromit, Feathers McGraw and Wallace's invention Norbot has made its way into Bristol to promote a new arts trail. The heritage train was loaded with a dozen unique character sculptures and driven by Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park to mark the start of Gromit Unleashed 3. The sculpture trail is a joint initiative by The Grand Appeal, the Bristol Children's Hospital Charity, and multi-award winning independent studio Aardman. The harbour railway train was greeted by school children before one of the sculptures was lifted onto the harbour's heritage cranes and another sent off to its summer location onboard Bristol's former fire-boat, the Pyronaut. Over the coming days, all 53 sculptures will be delivered to their trail locations, throughout the city of Bristol and beyond ahead of next Monday's launch. Joining Park's two sculpture designs were creations by Sir Paul McCartney, Pixar, Lucasfilm, Richard Curtis, Jorge R Gutierrez and Peter Lord. 'It's amazing to see such imagination and originality from the artists taking part in our trail this summer,' Park said. 'I've had the privilege of watching the work of such talented creators coming together all in support of a great cause – The Grand Appeal. 'I look forward to a summer of Gromiteering around Bristol and beyond this summer.' The Gromit Unleashed 3 trail will run from June 30 to August 31. The trail will be followed by The Greatest Dog Show on Earth exhibition before all the sculptures are auctioned to raise money for The Grand Appeal. Nicola Masters, director of The Grand Appeal, added: 'It's a cracking day to unleash our 2025 sculptures today – setting the wheels in motion for a grand day out the whole city can enjoy. 'Each sculpture has been brought to life through the magic of film, fables, tales and folklore – a dazzling celebration of storytelling (and) imagination. 'A star-studded spectacle that brings glitz, glamour and a touch of movie magic to the trail.' Gromit Unleashed 3 is now the fourth sculpture trail by The Grand Appeal and Aardman Animations. It builds on the success of Gromit Unleashed, Shaun in the City, and Gromit Unleashed 2.
Grazia USA
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Grazia USA
Ayo Edebiri Takes Her Dog 'Gromit' For A Stroll In Jacquemus
Ayo Edebiri is seen on June 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) Ayo Edebiri is certifiably one of the most captivating style icons of young Hollywood, with her effortless yet distinct looks, often pulled from purveyors of playful fashion such as Loewe, Bottega Veneta, and Thom Browne. However, this week she channelled the flashier socialites of the 2000s (think Paris Hilton) as she stepped out in Los Angeles after filming Jimmy Kimmel: Live!— a look that was completed with the addition of an equally iconic furry friend. Edebiri left the set in a bright red, draped Jacquemus minidress with long, loose sleeves and a fitted skirt. She sported a warm brown bob and kept her accessories simple with Jessica McCormack diamond earrings, black pointed-toe pumps, and sunglasses. All to let the real star shine. Accompanying her was the actor's black and white rescue dog, Gromit, who kept the accessories simple himself with a black leash. Ayo Edebiri is seen on June 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) The pooch is no stranger to the limelight, often accompanying Edebiri to her commitments, and even having visited the set of The Bear . The star (in this case, Edebiri) recounted the experience to Vogue . 'I brought him to the set of The Bear , and he joined the camera department,' she reported. 'He tried to run for treasurer of their Local 600 [the International Cinematographers Guild]. It was really scary.' In fact, the Chihuahua mix did his own interview with the outlet back in August 2024, following an appearance in The New York Times , in which it was revealed he is an Aquarius, 'freakishly sentient', and looks great in clothes. In which case, we hope to see more mother-son fashion moments in the future—perhaps even matching looks. Gromit for Vogue / Image: Edebiri is not the first to make dog walking glamorous. While carrying Chihuahuas in handbags Y2K-style may not be with the times, recently, fellow actresses Mikey Madison and Demi Moore have also made chic appearances with their micro furry pals. See below for their versions. Mikey Madison is seen in the Upper West Side on March 28, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by TheStewartofNY/GC Images) Mikey Madison is seen in the Upper East Side on March 29, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by TheStewartofNY/GC Images) Demi Moore and dog, Pilaf arrive at ABC's 'Good Morning America' in Times Square on January 31, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images) Demi Moore and dog, Pilaf are seen on February 04, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) topics: Ayo Edebiri, gromit, The Bear, celebrity pets, celebrity, celebrity fashion, celebrity news, fashion, Fashion news, jimmy kimmel, Mikey Madison, Demi Moore, jacquemus, Pilaf, Trending
Vogue
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Ayo Edebiri Makes the Case for the Ultra Glamorous Dog Walk
Every so often, Ayo Edebiri's Chihuahua mix joins her for one of her events and commitments. The former Dogue cover star, who goes by the mononym Gromit, chose to link up with the actor in their home of L.A. for a glamorous, summery stroll after her appearance. 'I brought him to the set of The Bear, and he joined the camera department,' Edebiri previously—and very seriously—recalled to Vogue. 'He tried to run for treasurer of their Local 600 [the International Cinematographers Guild]. It was really scary.' 'I'm a gay, divorced entertainment lawyer who was turned into a dog by a former client of mine who discovered I was skimming a bit off the top, but I wasn't aware she was a witch,' Gromit also told Vogue. Edebiri finished up filming for an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel: Live and took them both out on a dog walk. Styled as ever by Danielle Goldberg for the evening—and her subsequent stroll—Edebiri opted for a draped red Proenza Schouler dress, paired with black pumps and sunglasses. She wore her long-favored auburn bob in a middle part. Gromit accessorized with a black dog lead.
