Latest news with #HemelHempstead
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Nobody cares about women's football? Try telling the Boxpark crowd
Molly Clarke from Hemel Hempstead simply could not watch. As England and Spain's women exchanged penalty kicks at the conclusion of a European Championship final shot through with nerve-shredding tension, she had her back to the giant screen at Wembley's Boxpark, relying on the noise around her to signal what had happened. 'I just can't look,' she explained. 'They put you through it don't they?' She was right there. These Lionesses simply do not know how to do things the easy way. Mainlining jeopardy, they seem to require their backs pinned to the wall to respond. But my how they responded in Basel to retain their European crown. For the third game on the bounce they needed extra time to prevail, for the second time in this tournament they won a penalty shoot-out. And when Chloe Kelly – who else – stroked home the winning penalty, Molly was up and dancing with her friends in Wembley, as fireworks shot skywards from the stage. Moments later, as Leah Williamson lifted the trophy, she was in tears, overwhelmed by the collective delight. Because this was delight all right. More than 1,500 people had packed into a barn of a place alongside Wembley Stadium, dancing themselves into a sweating frenzy. From mid-afternoon, there were groups of young women, festooned in the cross of St George, taking pouting selfies in front of the main steps of Wembley Stadium. Alongside them the official merchandise sales area for the Oasis residency had been built, less a stall more a hypermarket. And there was a merger of the two events inside the Box Park, where many were wearing bucket hats, bought for the occasion. When an England team played in the first women's World Cup in Mexico in 1971, nobody back home knew they were in action. After all, if there was a man as well as a dog on the touchline for their matches in those days, they had a bumper crowd. How things have changed 45 years on. England's women are now at the centre of national pride. It was packed in the Box Park, and the crowd was overwhelmingly female. Not to suggest there was no male presence: there were a few boyfriends accompanying their other halves, dads of all ages with their daughters, a chap in an England women's shirt with his name on the back and number: Grandad 70. Taeja Hoskins had come down from Birmingham, she said, 'for the atmosphere'. Her friend May Barnett had come from Shepherd's Bush, with her father Ben in tow. 'I wouldn't say I was dragged here, not at all,' he insisted. 'I'd be watching at home on my own otherwise.' Round the edges of barn, the food outlets were providing constant refreshment. There was Cheesy Naan Melts, for instance, Ipanema Barbecue and the exotically named Yorkshire Burritos. And the bars were churning out the drinks. Before kick-off, even as the atmosphere gradually built from school disco to full on roar, the excitement was tempered with realism. This was the World Cup winners against the European champions, a rerun of the Arsenal-Barcelona Champions League final: the world's best once again in contention. Nobody was expecting an easy ride. Besides, as the game began it soon became evident the world champions would be no pushover. The surge of excitement that greeted Alessia Russo's and Lauren Hemp's early chances, were rare. There was a gathering fear as the Spanish women, their skill and composure as evident as their male counterparts, took control. 'No, no, no' boomed out one woman as another Spanish careful, considered advance was built. And when an Arsenal forward opened the scoring, nobody was surprised. Unfortunately Mariona Caldentey was wearing the red shirt of Spain. A thick pall of gloom descended as her smart finish hit the back of the England net. Silence hung. Heads were in hands everywhere. Except in the bar in the centre of the building, where morale reinforcing cocktails continued to be mixed. 'The wrong Arsenal player scored,' said Taeja at half time. 'But we'll be all right, you watch.' With this England team, optimism is always a valid response. And when the Lionesses equalised, my, how they enjoyed that goal at the Boxpark. Everyone was on their feet bouncing the moment Kelly strolled down the wing and set up a perfect cross for Russo's expertly guided header. There were no plumes of beer as became the trademark during the men's World Cup in 2018. Everyone was too busy jumping up and down to chuck their drink around. For sure, as the game progressed, as Spain's players kept hold of the ball, things grew tense. Tackles were cheered like goals, the goalkeeper Hannah Hampton punching away a cross was roared on, a hefty clearance greeted with a squeal of relief that must have worried dogs as far away as Harrow. Someone with a hooter started choreographing the chanting. 'Parp parp parp parp parp England' was the soundtrack to extra time, as if the players could hear the encouragement. And then came the penalties. Well what else do we expect? It's always a marathon for the Lionesses and their supporters. But these wonderful women prevailed. And as the young devotees danced in triumph, they were probably already planning to name their first daughter Chloe, after the penalty queen, or Hannah, after the goalkeeper who saved two Spanish spot kicks. Or maybe Sarina, after Wiegman, the astonishing manager of this team, who has now won three Euros in succession. Any of them would be the best of role models. Because these are proper national heroes.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Huge outdoor chain with over 300 locations to shut shopping centre branch in DAYS
A major outdoor retailer with over 300 branches is set to close one of its stores. The Trespass branch in Watford will shut its doors on October 31 - with an 'everything must go' sale now underway. 2 The outdoor clothing and equipment shop is located on the upper mall level of Harlequin Watford shopping centre. According to the Watford Observer, Trespass may relocate elsewhere in town, though this has not been confirmed. For now, the store remains open during its usual hours - Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm and Sundays from 11am to 6pm. Nearby branches can be found in Harrow, Hemel Hempstead and Hatfield. Another business is expected to take over the unit once the Trespass store shuts. The chain sells sportswear and outdoor gear, including skiwear, waterproof jackets, fleeces, festival accessories, walking boots and camping equipment. This closure comes as part of a broader trend for the retailer. In July 2023, Trespass announced it would shut six outlets. The stores were located in Derby, Harrogate, Canterbury, Solihul, Workington and Chesterfield. In 2024, it announced plans to shut 12 more Trespass stores, including sites in Coventry, Norwich, and Middlesbrough. The Middlesbrough store - which had opened only two years earlier - closed in early 2025. However, the Norwich branch later reopened at a new location in Castle Quarter. In May, Trespass pulled down the shutters on its Aylesbury store in Buckinghamshire. Meanwhile, popular homeware chain Lakeland is also preparing to shut one of its high street stores. The Lakeland store on Broad Street in Reading will shut on August 8, the store confirmed to The Sun. Signs in the window announce the closure and an 'everything must go' sale. Based in Windermere in the Lake District, Lakeland operates 58 stores across the UK and employs around 1,000 staff. The retailer is known for selling a range of homeware and kitchen products, including spatulas, food containers and baking suppliers. Why are retailers closing shops? EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre's decline. In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping. Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed. The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing. Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns. Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead. In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko to name a few. What's increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online. They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. 2
BBC News
23-07-2025
- BBC News
Grantham couple get back 1962 love letters found in canal
Love letters written in 1962 that a woman found in a canal have been reunited with their rightful owners - a couple married for 60 years.A total of 32 handwritten letters, tied together with blue ribbon, had been postmarked in Nottingham and addressed to the then Janet Millington in Hemel Hempstead, May, a woman recovered the letters while magnet fishing near the Fort shopping park in Birmingham and posted pictures on social following an appeal on BBC Midlands Today, the letters - which had been stolen in a burglary - are now back with the couple 80 miles away, Arthur and Janet Sims in Grantham in Lincolnshire. Mr Sims, known as Arch, said: "An old friend phoned us up. We [were] on holiday in Norfolk, and she says, 'You've just been on the telly.'" His wife said: "We were broken into and I didn't realise they were missing."I said to Arch, 'The letters are gone,' and he said, 'No, you've hid 'em somewhere; they're somewhere else.'"Lincolnshire Police said they believed they had been stolen during a series of burglaries in the county on one day, 28 Elmore, the woman who found the letters while magnet fishing with her son, brought them home to Elmore, 52, stated the envelopes were all opened, but many were too damaged to salvage. They were addressed to the future Janet Sims at Glen View Road in Hemel Hempstead, while Mr Sims, who signed the letters Arch, gave his address as Rupert Street in the Meadows area of that road is now part of an industrial the letters have been returned, Mrs Sims' engagement ring is still investigating burglaries had reached out to the BBC, hoping that locating where the letters were dumped would help identify those stolen from three Lincolnshire homes included engagement rings, pocket watches, solitaire diamond rings, gold chains and a mobile force appealed to anyone with information about the stolen items, particularly in the Erdington area, to get in touch. The couple, who married in 1965, said they wanted to thank the woman who rescued their love story, and in a video call Mrs Sims stated: "Shirley, you're a wonderful lady, you really are."Ms Elmore replied: "You're more than welcome, sweetheart. I thought it was a wad of money." Mr Sims then stated: "It's had the same value as money." Mrs Sims, who said the letters had been "in my cupboard for 60 years in the knicker drawer", stated the couple had been "married 60 years, mostly happy".Her husband then joked: "I remember a Wednesday when you weren't." The police investigation continues into who may have been responsible for taking the letters. Ms Elmore has said they revealed how the sender was feeling, his fondness for Janet and how much he was missing by the BBC how he felt about the fact people had read his letters, Mr Sims replied: "It is what it is."He added: "I'm still who I am. I still feel the same. It's just that I... can't visualise them, as floaters in a canal." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
F1 fan, 85, gets VIP treatment after viral Tiktok video
An 85-year-old F1 fan was thrilled to receive a unique VIP experience after going viral on the clip, viewed more than four million times, David Wallduck was visibly emotional as his daughter Lucy surprised him with tickets to the British Grand Prix at the moment, he received messages of support from every F1 team and an invitation to visit the Alpine Wallduck, from Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire, said: "Getting to go in the Alpine pit lane and paddock was a great experience - watching close up the wheel changes and seeing the cars and drivers getting ready to race." As a huge fan of racer Lando Norris, Mr Wallduck was also delighted to watch the McLaren driver's first home victory at the British Grand 85-year-old has never missed following a single F1 competition since it started when he was 10 in that, this trip was his first time watching the sport in the daughter told presenter Babs Michel on BBC Radio Northampton: "It really was an amazing weekend, and it was just everybody who made it such an unforgettable experience for dad."He doesn't know if he'll ever get to go to the F1 again, and he's just lived the best day there yesterday." Mr Wallduck expressed disbelief when he was told the video of him learning about the surprise went viral. He asked: "Why would people want to watch me?"His daughter recalled that while at Silverstone, "quite a few people" recognised him and asked for selfies."It's just such a lovely community, the F1 community," she said. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Torquay United face Enfield Town in season opener
Having finished second on goal difference in National League South last season Torquay were beaten in the play-off semi-finals by Boreham Wood [Rex Features] Torquay United will begin the new National League South campaign with a home game against Enfield Town. The fixture on Saturday 9 August is a repeat of the opening day game from 12 months ago when the Gulls were 2-1 winners at Plainmoor. Advertisement Torquay's first away match comes a week later when they travel to Maidstone United, who finished seventh in the division last season. Nearest neighbours Weston-super-Mare provide the opposition on Boxing Day at Plainmoor with the Gulls heading to Bath City four days later in their other festive fixture. Torquay's final home game is their penultimate fixture of the season on 18 April 2026 when they host Hemel Hempstead Town before ending the campaign at Tonbridge Angels a week later. Related internet links
