Latest news with #GuyMartin
The Guardian
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
TV tonight: gripping heist thriller The Gold returns as the hunt for the Brink's-Mat bullion heats up
9pm, BBC OneThe Bafta-nominated 80s crime drama based on the wild true story of the Brink's-Mat robbery returns. The police hunt for the other half of the stolen £26m gold bullion is the longest and most expensive investigation in the Met's history. This second series is inspired by theories of what happened to it, starting in Tenerife, where John Palmer (Tom Cullen) has started a timeshare business. The top cast is back, including Stephen Campbell Moore and Hugh Bonneville, and look out for Jack Lowden in a later episode. Hollie Richardson 7.30pm, BBC FourA fittingly opulent concert to mark the 150th birthday of the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts classical greats including music from Carmen and La Traviata, featuring the big-name voices of bass-baritone Bryn Terfel and soprano Sonya Yoncheva. HR 8.20pm, BBC One Kiell Smith-Bynoe guest stars as an unbearable groom who is using his wedding day as a 'digital marketing super event' (guests are from LinkedIn, not Lincoln). When his best man's body is found outside the church, real detective Janie (Gwyneth Keyworth) once again calls on TV detective John (Timothy Spall) for help. HR 9pm, Channel 4Grimsby's tea-loving speed demon wraps up his latest travelogue by heading south to the Mekong delta. There, he cheerfully mucks in selling mangoes from a floating stall and irrigating rice on a sustainable farm. This being Guy Martin, he also sniffs out a race, joining a 50-strong squad of Buddhist rowers on a dragon boat. Graeme Virtue 9pm, BBC ThreeThe penultimate episode of the Dannii Minogue-hosted dating show is when emotions hit their peak. In the wake of the Daisy Duke party the night before, and with the final Kiss-Off looming, there are big decisions to be made. Plus, the bubble of the Italian masseria is broken by the arrival of the contestants' loved ones. Jack Seale 10pm, Channel 4A pivotal episode in the hard-hitting dystopian drama's final season, as loyalties shift and characters face the show's central dilemma: keep working to defeat totalitarianism, or preserve whatever personal happiness you can salvage? June and Nick have choices to make about their future, but big secrets are about to spill. JS Ocean With David Attenborough (Keith Scholey, Toby Nowlan, Colin Butfield, 2025), 8pm, National Geographic/Disney+ As David Attenborough passes his 99th birthday, here's another landmark documentary to add to his collection – and one that's more polemical than usual. His lucid message here is 'If we save the sea we save our world', as he talks us through what humanity has done to the Earth's oceans and how we can protect them. Awe and anger intermingle – there are glorious images of aquatic life, such as the remote submarine seamounts that are 'pitstops' for migrating fish or the kelp forests in coastal waters that capture carbon. But it's the underwater footage of indiscriminate dredging by trawlers that has the most emotional impact – a picture of devastation that's also a call to arms. Simon Wardell Julius Caesar (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1953), 2pm, BBC Two There aren't many Shakespeare plays with more quotable lines than his Roman power play, from 'It was Greek to me' to 'Let slip the dogs of war'. And in Joseph L Mankiewicz's slick take it's Marlon Brando as Mark Antony who gets the best: his 'I came to bury Caesar not to praise him' speech is a masterclass in rhetorical rabble-rousing. And Brando has to raise his game, what with seasoned stage stars James Mason (Brutus), Louis Calhern (Caesar) and, particularly, John Gielgud (Cassius) immersing us eloquently in portents and plots, murder and mayhem. SW Men's International T20 Cricket: England v West Indies, 2pm, Channel 5 The second match from Bristol. Men's International Football: FA Nations League Final, 7.30pm, ITV1 Portugal take on Spain at Allianz Arena, Munich.
Wales Online
07-06-2025
- Automotive
- Wales Online
18 tractors fall foul of 20mph regime in North Wales and especially in one area
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info North Wales motorists faced a speeding fine blitz in April when almost 6,000 were pinged on 20mph roads Among those caught out may well have been some drivers accustomed to more sedate speeds. While the lower speed limit in built-up areas has been deeply unpopular in many circles, figures suggest it is having its intended impact. In 2024, police forces in Wales reported a total of 2,913 road collisions – the lowest annual figure ever recorded apart from 2020 during the Covid pandemic. Yet it's not just your average motorist who needs to keep a careful eye on speedometers. Even farm tractors have been caught out since Spring 2024 when enforcement was ramped up in North Wales. Freedom of Information requests from Select Car Leasing revealed that, in the the past year, 18 tractors drivers in the region were clocked breaking 20mph limits. They were dealt with by either a warning letter, speed awareness course, Fixed Penalty Notice of £100 and three points, or by further prosecution. Reaching the highest speed was a New Holland tractor doing 32mph in a 20mph zone on the A548 in Flintshire in June 2024. In the same county, a Massey Ferguson tractor hit 31mph in a 20mph section of the A5104 last October. In comparison, the fastest car driver clocked in Wales so far was travelling at 89mph. They were pinged on a 20mph road in North Wales in January 2025. The North Wales Live Whatsapp community for top stories and breaking news is live now - here's how to sign up Overall, recorded illegal tractor speeds in the region ranged from 26mph to 32mph. According to North Wales Police figures, the main tractor speeding blackspots were in Flintshire, on the A5119 near Flint (six pings) and the A548 Oakenholt road (four). On UK roads, most farm tractors are permitted to travel only at speeds of up to 25mph (40km/h) on public roads - though some wider tractors have lower limits still. Some tractors built to a higher spec and with improved suspension and road tyres are allowed to travel at up to 40mph. Modified tractors can go much faster: in 2019 Guy Martin set a world record when driving the JCB Fastrac Two at 135.191mph at Elvington Airfield, York. Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing, said: 'Speed limits apply to all vehicles on the road, not just cars. With more agricultural tractors on UK roads during the summer months, particularly during harvest season, it's important farm workers keep a close eye on their speedometers. 'Larger farm tractors can weigh 7 tonnes, they're often pulling heavy trailers, and they're stopping distances will be longer than for a traditional car. It's paramount that those in charge of tractors abide by the speed limit in order to keep all road users safe.' The company also made FOI requests to Dyfed-Powys Police and Gwent Police but specific breakdowns were not readily accessible. However South Wales Police confirmed tractor drivers had broke 20mph speed limits in its area too. Here, two Notices of Intended Prosecution were issued to tractor drivers for 20mph offences in 2024. One was clocked at 26mph, the other at 27mph. Another tractor was even collared at 36mph earlier this year – though this was in a 30mph zone. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Find out what's happening on the roads near you
North Wales Live
07-06-2025
- Automotive
- North Wales Live
18 tractors fall foul of 20mph regime in North Wales and especially in one area
North Wales motorists faced a speeding fine blitz in April when almost 6,000 were pinged on 20mph roads Among those caught out may well have been some drivers accustomed to more sedate speeds. While the lower speed limit in built-up areas has been deeply unpopular in many circles, figures suggest it is having its intended impact. In 2024, police forces in Wales reported a total of 2,913 road collisions – the lowest annual figure ever recorded apart from 2020 during the Covid pandemic. Yet it's not just your average motorist who needs to keep a careful eye on speedometers. Even farm tractors have been caught out since Spring 2024 when enforcement was ramped up in North Wales. Freedom of Information requests from Select Car Leasing revealed that, in the the past year, 18 tractors drivers in the region were clocked breaking 20mph limits. They were dealt with by either a warning letter, speed awareness course, Fixed Penalty Notice of £100 and three points, or by further prosecution. Reaching the highest speed was a New Holland tractor doing 32mph in a 20mph zone on the A548 in Flintshire in June 2024. In the same county, a Massey Ferguson tractor hit 31mph in a 20mph section of the A5104 last October. In comparison, the fastest car driver clocked in Wales so far was travelling at 89mph. They were pinged on a 20mph road in North Wales in January 2025. Overall, recorded illegal tractor speeds in the region ranged from 26mph to 32mph. According to North Wales Police figures, the main tractor speeding blackspots were in Flintshire, on the A5119 near Flint (six pings) and the A548 Oakenholt road (four). On UK roads, most farm tractors are permitted to travel only at speeds of up to 25mph (40km/h) on public roads - though some wider tractors have lower limits still. Some tractors built to a higher spec and with improved suspension and road tyres are allowed to travel at up to 40mph. Modified tractors can go much faster: in 2019 Guy Martin set a world record when driving the JCB Fastrac Two at 135.191mph at Elvington Airfield, York. Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing, said: 'Speed limits apply to all vehicles on the road, not just cars. With more agricultural tractors on UK roads during the summer months, particularly during harvest season, it's important farm workers keep a close eye on their speedometers. 'Larger farm tractors can weigh 7 tonnes, they're often pulling heavy trailers, and they're stopping distances will be longer than for a traditional car. It's paramount that those in charge of tractors abide by the speed limit in order to keep all road users safe.' The company also made FOI requests to Dyfed-Powys Police and Gwent Police but specific breakdowns were not readily accessible. However South Wales Police confirmed tractor drivers had broke 20mph speed limits in its area too. Here, two Notices of Intended Prosecution were issued to tractor drivers for 20mph offences in 2024. One was clocked at 26mph, the other at 27mph. Another tractor was even collared at 36mph earlier this year – though this was in a 30mph zone.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
How A Shop In The UK Beat The Nürburgring's Van Lap Record In A Diesel Volkswagen
None of Jalopnik's full-time staffers have kids, and yet, we're still about as pro-van as a transportation site gets. I mean, what can I say? They're just so darn practical. Maybe you don't put much stock in Nurburgring lap times, but van lap times? Now that's some Very Important News. For the last several years, the record to beat was Guy Martin's time of 9:28 in a 700-horsepower Ford Transit Super Van. Now, that record has been beaten, too, and Road & Track recently talked with Dan Silvester, the guy who recently lapped the 'Ring in 8:27. In a diesel Volkswagen van. As you can imagine, Silvester's Volkswagen Caddy is a far cry from the stock Ford Transit that Sabine Schmitz set a time of 10:12 on "Top Gear" back in 2005. Still, it isn't quite as powerful as you might assume. There's no electric powertrain yanked out of a wrecked Tesla or supercharged V8. Instead, it's just a 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel engine that makes 356 hp and 470 pound-feet of torque. The modifications required to turn it into a Nürburgring record-holder came from Darkside Developments, a British tuning shop that specializes in diesels. As Road & Track put it: At a glance, the Volkswagen Caddy is a utilitarian work van, but Darkside Developments's expertise turned the part-VW Touran, part-VW Golf machine into a proper track car. Upgrades range from a Wavetrac limited-slip differential up front and KW Clubsport suspension all around to a 4Motion AWD conversion kit from an Audi, Porsche Cayenne brakes, and the requisite bits of interior racing kit. In other words, it's a shell of its former self, much like the Ford Transit that Martin took into battle back in 2021. Read more: These Supercars Lose Value So Quickly, They're Almost A Steal According to Silvester, part of the reason you don't see more extensive aero mods on the outside of the van has less to do with keeping it anonymous and more to do with achieving a higher top speed. As he told Road & Track: I don't know if it's just the shape of the van itself because it had plenty of power, and, if you put that power plant in a Golf, it'll probably do 160 mph. But the van just really didn't want to go much more. I think we got up to 140 mph on the back straight. We had no aero on the van at all either. We didn't put any splitter or a spoiler on it because we thought we wanted to use all the power we've got without causing too much drag, and we didn't want to ruin the profile of the van and keep it looking like a van. Despite not being able to hit the top speed they may have liked, they still smashed Guy Martin's time by a full minute. That said, it doesn't technically count as a new official lap record because it was set on a public track day, and the lap time wasn't officially confirmed. They may have used a VBox system to time the lap, so there's no reason to believe Silvester didn't lap the 'Ring as quickly as he claims, but still. You have to jump through all the necessary hoops if your want your Nurburgring van lap record to be officially official. It's also a fascinating interview, so be sure to head over to Road & Track to read the whole thing. Or just give them a click so Hearst knows you want to see more van content. Because, in a world full of SUVs, the car world deserves more van content. If you want more details on the build, you can also take a look at that here. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Telegraph
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Our Guy in Vietnam, review: Martin is wasted on this feather-light tourist stuff
There is no one else like Guy Martin on British television. And there is no one else who can do what he does. So, to be blunt, why have Channel 4 sent him to undertake a job that Sue Perkins could do? Our Guy in Vietnam (Channel 4), a two-part series to mark 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War, is not the usual Guy Martin gig – a daredevil challenge or an engineering geek's adventure – it is a bog-standard travelogue. 'We're in full tourist mode here,' says Martin. Yep. 'We don't normally do tourist things.' You do now, Guy. 'Yeah, Vietnam,' says Martin at the top of the programme, as if the audience had just shouted 'Vietnam?' at seeing the programme title. He's here, he says, because he's keen to get to the bottom of this 'Communism job' and we are treated to some GCSE-level potted history about Ho Chi Minh, the French occupation and central planning. The programme leans gently into Martin's strengths – vehicles, engineering, war history – and, as you witness him trying to pull a wheelie on a motorbike and sidecar, create some homemade napalm, zip down the Ho Chi Minh trail on a dirt bike, and detonate an unexploded cluster bomb, it feels like you are watching someone on a stag-do itinerary put together by a blokey amateur-history enthusiast. Even his patter is war-buffs-down-the-pub: 'It's not a point of debate. Vietnam won the war. Simple.' Yet there was nothing here that Sue Perkins wouldn't do – tai chi down the park, hawking at a floating market, riding an overladen moped – and even the segments that should hold some weight, such as speaking to a man who was born with deformities because of Agent Orange, are gossamer-thin and over in the blink of an eye. Some moments are just plain daft. 'Bus travel is quite a common form of travel in Vietnam,' says Martin. The voice-over teems with inane generalisations about the country ('The Vietnamese admire wealth') and some moments plumb depths of meaninglessness that even Inside the Factory and Gregg Wallace would fear. An electronic-vehicle factory site is, we're told, 'twice the size of Monaco'. We're not told how big Monaco is (about half the size of Central Park, since you ask). It is arguably Martin's first misstep since he roared onto our screens in a cloud of exhaust fumes many years ago, and if the programme has merit, it's simply in spending time with him. There is something undeniably charming about watching a mechanic from Grimsby pottering about Hanoi, calling everyone 'duck' or 'big man', but Martin is wasted on this feather-light tourist stuff. Occasionally, we get a glimpse of his unique appeal, such as when he notices that the thousands of lights in a gaudy temple are 'filament not LED' and frets about the cost, or when he visits Hanoi's famous Train Street and brings a tape measure so he can find out the track gauge. Martin has an idiosyncratic view of the world; Our Guy in Vietnam had everyone else's.
