Latest news with #JamesMason
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Safety concerns raised about dark and slippery steps
Safety concerns have been raised about some dark and slippery steps in Bolton. Gorses Steps in Darcy Lever has been a distinctive fixture of the area for decades. The cobbled stone steps were even immortalised in film, featuring in the 1970 James Mason flick Spring and Port Wine. But a resident who has lived in the area for most of her life has raised safety concerns about the darkness and the slippiness of the stairs. How the steps look during a rainy day (Image: Public) Gail Jones, 57, has known Gorses Steps since she was a child, and says they used to get more light. But after trees being planted and more trees self-seeding, she says the area can feel dark and dangerous. Gail said: "They have just been neglected, it is awful because they have always been really nice. "They put drainage in but it still floods right down the steps. And because there are trees over it, even in summer it doesn't dry for days. Gail (Image: Public) "As you're going down the steps, to the right hand side it was absolutely gorgeous, it was just a field with lovely grass. "I've got pictures of it from Spring 1970 on those steps, it was so clear, you used to be able to see right down to the bottom." Read more: Steps at top-o'th'-Gorses at side of Leverhulme Park Read more: In the footsteps of screen stars Read more: The not-so-hidden gem of a walk which takes in Bolton's industrial past and nature The steps in 1973 (Image: Newsquest) She added: "But now you have the trees, and you can't use the handrail because all the sap makes it sticky. "Nobody comes and bothers with them, the big tree at the top is nearly touching the floor. "I live at the top of the steps and the massive trees at the top block the light. "We used to have people working in the parks, but there is no maintenance." Gail thinks that some of the trees should be felled to allow for more light. In the snow (Image: Public) She said: "They should cut them in the middle to let the light through. In daylight hours it is dark and people are scared to use them." In response, a council spokesperson said: 'We are aware of the issues relating to the steps that lead into Leverhulme Park, especially those caused by the mature trees. 'Staff regularly check the area and take actions to ensure the steps are as accessible and safe as possible. 'While the trees may cause issues at times, we would only remove them if absolutely necessary, as they benefit the environment, are a haven for wildlife and are enjoyed by most visitors to the park.'
BBC News
07-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Work to improve Canvey Island flood defences is completed
A £75m project to reinforce flood defences on an island has been completed after three years of work.A 3km (1.9 mile) stretch of revetment on Canvey Island in Essex has been renewed with new Environment Agency (EA) said the refreshed flood defences would protect 6,000 homes and businesses until at least operations manager James Mason said the defences would "easily be able to cope" if there was ever a repeat of the 1953 North Sea storm that killed 59 people on the island. "That said, if in a massive event they were to be over-topped... there are good emergency plans in place to ensure that we would do a safe evacuation of the island," he added. The revetment refers to the man-made material of asphalt placed on the slope leading from the shore, up to the sea of the previous revetment dated back to the steps to the beach and project information boards were installed, and a pathway between Thorney Bay and Chapman Sands was EA is improving flood defences along the Thames Estuary as part of the government's Thames Estuary 2100 plan. Mr Mason continued: "We've overlaid those older revetments, especially where they've blown and they've become void, and we've overlain it with this open stone asphalt which is a much more gradual slope which means that the wave energy is dissipated a lot more effectively which then reduces the likelihood of erosion."We've been using this method for decades, especially around the Essex coastline."So we know it's effective, we know it works well and we know that it's easy to maintain going forward." Former Conservative Canvey Island town councillor and Castle Point borough councillor, Ray Howard MBE, survived the flood in 1953 at age 10."We lost everything, my father had no insurance at all," he recalled."I knew what it was to be poor."He became part of a local flood defence committee for 43 years, and attended a ceremony celebrating the reinforced revetment on Friday."The wonderful job they've done, it's amazing," he said."It just pleases me to think that this scheme - that I voted for - has been a great success, and seeing my lovely officer today, I was able to thank every one of them." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Perth Now
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Sam Niell was 'bullied' into James Bond audition
Sam Neill was "bullied" into auditioning for James Bond. The 77-year-old actor has claimed he has only ever auditioned for three roles in his life, one of which saw him secure the part of Harry Beecham in period drama My Brilliant Career, but he also lost out to Timothy Dalton in playing the suave spy in the late 1980s and to Richard Gere in the iconic Pretty Woman, but he thinks the right people were ultimately cast. He told the Sunday Times Culture magazine: "I'd just finished the film Sleeping Dogs (1977) in New Zealand, when I got an audition to star in My Brilliant Career, which really put me on my way. "I think I've done three auditions in my life, and the other two I failed. I was bullied into auditioning for James Bond by my bully agent [in 1986], and failed that. "The other — and I quite wanted to do this one, unlike Bond — was for Pretty Woman. They said someone else was better on both occasions, and they were right, of course." Sam was born in Northern Ireland but raised in New Zealand and growing up, he never imagined he would be able to pursue a career as an actor. He said: "I never imagined for a moment that I would be an actor, coming from a small, obscure town in the furthest away place. There was no moment. I'm surprised to this day." The Jurassic Park star credits late acting legend James Mason for changing his life. He said: "I grew up loving British actors and British films — everything from Alec Guinness to John Mills and Alastair Sim. But the first one I really admired was James Mason, particularly after watching 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, an absolute cracker. "He had such tremendous charisma and became a mentor to me. When I was in my late twenties and working in Australia, he and his wife sent me an air ticket and said, 'Come and stay with us in Switzerland because we like what you do and think you should have a career abroad.' He changed my life."
New York Times
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Captain Nemo Is Indian? ‘Nautilus' Helps Correct the Record.
In the 1870 novel '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,' by Jules Verne, the submarine commander Captain Nemo is an often sullen recluse consumed by rage against the imperialist nation that murdered his wife and children. (That would be Britain.) In the 1954 Disney adaptation, in what is arguably his best-known screen representation, Nemo is still sullen, but the object of his outrage is much less clear. Brought to life by the British actor James Mason, this Nemo plays melancholy tunes on his pipe organ, his anger now directed at a 'hated nation' of capitalists and warmongers that seems a lot like Britain, yet goes conspicuously unnamed. There have been dozens of screen adaptations of the adventure classic over the years, from feature films to TV series to radio plays. Despite their differences — and there have been many — a fairly uniform picture of Captain Nemo has emerged: brooding, relatively sedentary (to be fair, this is a guy who spends a good chunk of his time 'under the sea'), 50s-ish, taciturn and almost always white. The hero of the AMC series 'Nautilus,' which premieres on Sunday, is not that Nemo. He is young, for one, his story beginning with the maiden voyage of the Nautilus, decades before he has had a chance to become jaded and sour. He is also an action hero, battling with swords and cannons and rifles, going mano a mano with a giant squid and riding atop a mammoth harpooned whale swimming at full speed. 'I spent most of that day soaking wet on top of this mechanical whale,' said Shazad Latif, who plays Nemo. 'They had to ferry my makeup artist over to me on this little paddle board for redos and touch-ups.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Times
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Sam Neill: I was bullied into auditioning for James Bond, and failed
I grew up loving British actors and British films — everything from Alec Guinness to John Mills and Alastair Sim. But the first one I really admired was James Mason, particularly after watching 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, an absolute cracker. He had such tremendous charisma and became a mentor to me. When I was in my late twenties and working in Australia, he and his wife sent me an air ticket and said: 'Come and stay with us in Switzerland because we like what you do and think you should have a career abroad.' He changed my life. Dunedin, where I grew up in New Zealand, may have had fewer than 100,000 people, but we had seven proper cinemas. On Saturday mornings our parents would dump us at one for the Chums Club: I'm sure they were pleased to get rid of us for an hour or two. We would watch serials — the one I remember clearly was Roy Rogers, who had a great steed called Trigger. It was a riot of uncontrolled kids, creating an unbelievable noise. Not a calm experience. I think I'm the Prince Andrew of cinema crying. I don't remember ever crying at a movie. Perhaps I've had the odd sniffle, but if I have, then I'm not going to admit it. I never imagined for a moment that I would be an actor, coming from a small, obscure town in the furthest away place. There was no moment. I'm surprised to this day. I'd just finished the film Sleeping Dogs (1977) in New Zealand, when I got an audition to star in My Brilliant Career, which really put me on my way. I think I've done three auditions in my life, and the other two I failed. I was bullied into auditioning for James Bond by my bully agent [in 1986], and failed that. The other — and I quite wanted to do this one, unlike Bond — was for Pretty Woman. They said someone else was better on both occasions, and they were right, of course. I was a bit of a mod growing up, with button-down shirts and narrow trousers. I was quite smart, really. Soon, I deteriorated and eventually corroded into hippie gear with flared trousers and things that you wouldn't be seen dead in these days. I was very conscious about what I wore as a teenager because there were these wonderful, exotic creatures who we found immensely attractive. The least we could do is look presentable. It was either The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle by Beatrix Potter or Winnie-the-Pooh by AA Milne. Many years later, oddly enough, I was making a very strange horror science fiction film in London called Event Horizon, and we were renting AA Milne's house. It was strange going from the stark space horror to the comfort of little bears at night. I spent most of my childhood at boarding school, but when I was at home my older brother would read to me in the mornings. It fired my imagination. • The 60 best Netflix series to watch this month The first records I bought were 45s. It took me a long time to buy an album — I'd have to save up money during the holidays. The first was the great jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell's Midnight Blue, one of the greatest albums ever made. It's curiously adult, given that I was probably 13 at the time. The local venue when I was growing up was Dunedin Town Hall, which held the distinction of being the only place which didn't sell out when the Beatles visited in 1964. That gives you an idea of how conservative it was. The first act I saw there was Bobby Rydell and Del Shannon. It wasn't the greatest concert I've ever been to, but thankfully I've been to many good ones since. I can't recall the first, but the most famous was Barack Obama. It was a few years ago, and he'd been out of power for a few years. I was invited to be an interlocutor when he was on tour. The only thing not on the table for discussion was Trump. He was very warm, and I'm glad we have a photo together. • Read more TV reviews, guides about what to watch and interviews I'm not famous. I'm in Melbourne for a few weeks, and occasionally someone stops me, but I'm never chased by autograph hunters. I'm just an everyday, reasonably useful actor who has been serving his time productively. But the offer to star in Jurassic Park was a red-letter day. Anything Spielberg touched was gold, yet I had no idea what a cultural phenomenon it would become. I'm now associated with dinosaurs, and the older I get, the more I look like one myself. And now we've got a new one with Scarlett Johansson, and I'm looking forward to seeing that. I actually played her father many years ago, in The Horse Whisperer directed by Robert Redford. So it feels like I've passed it down the family. I don't think you ever really make it. But I do remember a great moment of satisfaction when I turned the key and unlocked the front door of the first house I built. I didn't feel like I'd made it, just that I'd made something. Untamed is on Netflix from Jul 17 What are your formative cultural experiences? Let us know in the comments below Love TV? Discover the best shows on Netflix, the best Prime Video TV shows, the best Disney+ shows , the best Apple TV+ shows, the best shows on BBC iPlayer , the best shows on Sky and Now, the best shows on ITVX, the best shows on Channel 4 streaming, the best shows on Paramount+ and our favourite hidden gem TV shows. Don't forget to check our comprehensive TV guide for the latest listings
