Latest news with #Oskar
Scotsman
5 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Edinburgh LGBT+ friendly shop, cafe and art space Kafe Kweer announces its closure
The owners of Edinburgh LGBT+ friendly shop, cafe and art space Kafe Kweer have announces its closure. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, 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... The Viewforth venue opened in 2020 just as the earth-shattering Covid pandemic hit the world, forcing businesses to close their door and people to stay at home. Owners of the Gilmore Place cafe at St Peter's Buildings, Oskar and Zak, made the announcement on social media, with Kafe Kweer set to close on September 1 when the current lease ends. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad They said: 'Our lease ends on 1st September, and with this we have made the tough decision to shut our doors after five incredible years on that date. We do this entirely on our own terms, recognising a coinciding shift in our personal lives, creative goals, rising costs, and beyond. 'Kafe Kweer started as a manic project at the height of lockdown, after we saw a Facebook post advertising a small shop looking for new management. Everything was so uncertain at this time that we decided to just GO for it, with zero expectations and lots of risk. 'We thought we'd be lucky to last a year. And here we are exactly five years later, despite Covid, Brexit, cost of living crises, and being located in a quiet part of town.' Kafe Kweer in Edinburgh's Viewforth area will close for good on September 1. | Google Maps Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The pair vowed to carry on providing a safe space for LGBT+ people to enjoy themselves. They said: 'Despite closing our physical space, we aim to keep using our platform and network to host some of our social events in other spaces, helping queer people find connection amidst this hostile world, and spreading the news about other local queer events/resources. 'The ethos and mission of what Kafe Kweer is about is more than one single shop could ever do, and we plan on continuing to be a hub for Edinburgh's queer community in one way or the other! 'We close our doors in September with our heads held high and our hearts very full with the love you've given us over the years. We know this'll be sad news for many, and it's a sad decision for us, but we believe in doing what we've always done: adapting and evolving.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Adding: 'We'd ask that you all come see us this August for our last month open. We'll be selling a lot of our stock at bargain prices , hosting Fringe shows every afternoon, and probably crying a lot. This is only the beginning. Queer joy forever.' Customers were quick to send their love and thanks to the cafe owners on social media in response to the closure announcement. Polly Edwards said: 'You have done spectacularly, incredibly well and been such a massive life-changing force for good for so many folks here, me included. Five years!! That's amazing! Hold those heads even higher cause you're a bunch of heroes in my book.' Cooper King added: 'We love you so much!! This space was one of the first in the community I came to after moving to this country, and gave me essential room to meet the queer community and grow as my own person. thank you for hosting us for poetry evenings, Lavender Menace meetings, and social gatherings. So sad to hear about your closing but I'm thankful to have had the time with Kafe Kweer!' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And, Fin Buchan said: 'So sad to see you guys closing. I've visited quite a lot of times over the years and remember coming in with my partner at the time just after you opened back in 2020. 'I would only have been 17 then, and seeing a space like this changed everything for me. It made me realise community was still out there. Thank you for all you've done for everyone who's come through your doors.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Edinburgh's first 'queer cafe' announces closure as owners say 'this is only the beginning'
Edinburgh's first "queer cafe" has announced that they will be closing their doors for good this September. Kafe Kweer opened back in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but with their lease set to end on Monday, September 1, they have made the decision to close for good after five years of service. Sharing the news on social media, owners Oskar and Zak wrote: "Our lease ends on 1st September, and with this we have made the tough decision to shut our doors after 5 incredible years on that date. We do this entirely on our own terms, recognising a coinciding shift in our personal lives, creative goals, rising costs, and beyond. READ MORE: Edinburgh St James Quarter worker claims 'things weren't being maintained' READ MORE: Edinburgh bingo hall imposes strict new rules as manager left 'absolutely disgusted' "Kafe Kweer started as a manic project at the height of lockdown, after we saw a Facebook post advertising a small shop looking for new management. "Everything was so uncertain at this time that we decided to just GO for it, with zero expectations and lots of risk. We thought we'd be lucky to last a year. And here we are exactly five years later, despite COVID, Brexit, cost of living crises, and being located in a quiet part of town." But this isn't the end of Kafe Kweer, while they won't have the cafe anymore, the pair want to continue to host their social events and help queer people find community here in Edinburgh. They continued: "Despite closing our physical space, we aim to keep using our platform and network to host some of our social events in other spaces, helping queer people find connection amidst this hostile world, and spreading the news about other local queer events/resources. The ethos and mission of what KK is about is more than one single shop could ever do, and we plan on continuing to be a hub for Edinburgh's queer community in one way or the other! "We close our doors in September with our heads held high and our hearts very full with the love you've given us over the years. We know this'll be sad news for many, and it's a sad decision for us, but we believe in doing what we've always done: adapting and evolving. "We'd ask that you all come see us this August for our last month open. We'll be selling a lot of our stock at bargain prices , hosting Fringe shows every afternoon, and probably crying a lot. "This is only the beginning. Queer joy forever." Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
Newsweek
12-06-2025
- Newsweek
Owner Takes Dog on Vacation, Then Makes Heartwarming Realization
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A dog owner's first vacation with her furry companion, Oskar, turned into a heartwarming revelation as she saw him enjoying himself on holiday. In a viral TikTok video, the creator shared a clip of Oskar, a poodle, tail wagging and enjoying himself on a pool chair. She confessed that she is "never leaving him home again," inspiring others to bring their pets on their next getaways. Since the video was posted, it has received over 270,000 views. "POV [point of view]: You take your dog on vacation for the first time and realize you're never leaving him home again," the owner captioned the video. "Take this as your sign to bring your dog on your next vacation." File photo: A woman reads a book in a hammock with her dog. File photo: A woman reads a book in a hammock with her dog. Solovyova/Getty Images The video resonated with viewers, many of whom expressed a desire to have a travel experience of their own with their pets. "I really want to do this!" one user wrote. "How did you make sure the place you were staying is secure for him / was it a dog friendly Airbnb?" The owner, from Germany, responded with practical advice: "We looked for dog-friendly Airbnbs and asked the owner in advance whether the property is fenced. Best decision." Another commenter shared an anecdote of their own pet's distress when left behind: "I've stopped going abroad, as the one time I left my dog she was absolutely distraught when I came back," they wrote. "She was yelping, and I was crying. I now go to … a rented cottage and we both absolutely love it. She loves the beach." "Taking your CHILD on vacation, as everyone should," one commenter summed up. Tips for Traveling Safely With Pets For those inspired to set off on pet-friendly adventures, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) offered some comprehensive advice for ensuring a safe and happy trip in a press release. The society emphasized proper preparation for road trips, advising owners to acclimate their pets to the road with a series of short drives first. It is also crucial to keep them up to date with their vaccinations for interstate travel. Identification is also key: "Identify your pet with a tag attached to the collar or harness, and a permanent form of identification like a microchip," the release read. The ASPCA cautioned against complacency: "Don't: Assume your pet will never run from you. Unrestrained pets in unfamiliar circumstances can become frightened or startled and may panic and run into traffic or away from you." With these tips in mind, pet owners inspired by poodle Oskar's vacation can participate in the growing trend of integrating their furry friends into travel plans. Newsweek reached out to @ for comment via TikTok.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Vibrant' Metrolink mural provides ‘much-improved gateway' to town
A new piece of public art is brightening up the approach to a tram stop. 'On Our Way' was produced by artists Tracey Cartledge and Oskar and co-created with members of the nearby Creative Living Centre (CLC), who help people recover from mental illness. CLC members took part in artist-led workshops with Tracey to create individual mosaic pieces that are incorporated into the design and some of them painted elements of the mural with Oskar. CLC said the result is a 'dynamic and inclusive artwork that reflects the spirit of the community and provides an improved gateway to the tram stop and Prestwich'. READ MORE: LIVE Air ambulance lands in Piccadilly Gardens after knife attack - latest updates READ MORE: They were wrongly chased for money by the DWP and now they're dead Tracey said 'It has been a real pleasure to be part of this project. 'Collaborating with Oskar to plan, design and execute the installation was a new, interesting and very positive experience for both of us. 'I enjoyed facilitating the afternoon mosaic session at the wonderful Creative Living Centre. 'The staff were absolutely brilliant and the participants were completely engaged and very capably produced a set of beautiful mosaic details to enhance the mural.' The project was also supported by Prestwich Arts Festival, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Keolis Amey Metrolink (KAM). Jane Thomson, chair of Prestwich Arts Festival said: 'This is the fourth mural that Prestwich Arts Festival have brought to the town to contribute to its placemaking. 'We're especially delighted that this latest work includes contributions from local people thanks to the team and members of CLC. 'It is a great showcase of the value of arts to wellbeing and mental health.' Ian Davies, TfGM's network director Metrolink, said: 'This new mural at Prestwich tram stop is very much in the spirit of the Bee Network, with its strong focus on community and inclusion. 'We're proud to have teamed up to deliver this vibrant and much-improved gateway to the stop. 'Our public transport network should be attractive, safe and welcoming to everyone – and what better way to achieve that than involving local people in a project that benefits both themselves and their community.' This year's Prestwich Arts Festival will run September 26-28.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Contributor: The culture of shhh — what my Nazi legacy taught me about silence
Oskar Jakob, 94, is a Jewish Holocaust survivor who once assembled V-1 flying bombs in a subterranean concentration camp, and I'm the granddaughter of the engineer who developed those secret Nazi super weapons. Despite or perhaps because of our respective histories, we've worked to become friends. And while I've known Oskar for a few years, it's only recently, as neo-Nazis flew swastika flags in Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, that I felt the need to use my own ancestry to fight this brand of hate. The white supremacist demonstrations in Ohio weren't one-offs. Last fall, another black-clad group, their faces covered, did the same just three miles from Oskar's St. Louis home. 'America for the White Man,' declared the banner they hung from an overpass on Interstate 64. Oskar's son snapped a picture as he drove by and sent it to me along with three angry-face emojis. These incidents made me angry too, but also profoundly uncomfortable. What is the proper response when thugs perpetuate the hateful rhetoric of a political party to which your grandfather once belonged? And what could be more uncomfortable than the weight of the history between Oskar and me? Read more: Contributor: Putin's diaspora will echo 1939's, but going in the opposite direction In 1945, after 40 of Oskar Jakob's family members died at Auschwitz, the SS imprisoned him at the Mittelbau-Dora camp in Nordhausen, Germany. Deep in the tunnels of this former gypsum mine, 14-year-old Oskar was forced to rivet sheet metal used to make Vergeltungswaffe Einz: Vengeance Weapon #1. This was the world's first cruise missile and my grandfather Robert Lusser headed the Luftwaffe project to create it. I met Oskar eight decades later when I flew to St. Louis to interview him for a podcast I host about my German history. I'd been wanting to speak with a survivor for years, but it wasn't easy to connect because each Holocaust group I asked for help declined. Putting a relative of the Nazi engineer who created weapons of mass destruction in touch with a slave laborer who assembled them in conditions so horrific that 20,000 prisoners died was a nonstarter. But finally, I found Oskar, and on a warm spring afternoon, I found myself sitting in his neat dining room, listening to him tell of a night when guards caught a group of prisoners resting. 'They hung 70 people simultaneously, and we were forced to march by the dead bodies and everybody had to punch them with their fist,' he said. I stared out at the bright, Midwestern afternoon, longing to feel the sun on my face. Read more: After 80 years, not many Auschwitz survivors are left. One man makes telling the stories his mission 'I feel very much like I want to tell you that I'm so sorry,' I said instead, not exactly sure on whose behalf I was apologizing. My own? My family's? All of humanity? 'I appreciate that,' Oskar said, his face folded neatly, like an old map. 'Up 'til today I have never heard from a German that they are sorry for what I went through.' Technically, I'm not German. My grandfather immigrated to the United States in 1948, recruited to build bombs for America. I had ignored my controversial German legacy for most of my life. After all, no one really wants to ask the question: Was Grandpa an ideological Nazi? Our family lore emphasized the genius engineer theme and disregarded the fact that Robert Lusser joined the Nazi party in 1937 to advance his career. Read more: Auschwitz was liberated 80 years ago. The spotlight is on survivors as their numbers dwindle A decade later, the Office of Strategic Services, precursor to the CIA, cleared my grandfather of any crimes, in part because it benefited America's Cold War cause to have him on our weapons team. Investigators categorized him as Mitläufer — a 'fellow traveler' — someone who benefited from Hitler's regime while not actively participating in its atrocities. My grandfather stood silent in the face of evil because that was the beneficial, easier choice. Just as many Germans ignored the rise of National Socialism in the 1920s and '30s, too many Americans are ignoring what's happening here a century later. "Antisemitic incidents in the U.S. rose 140% from 2022 to 2023,' Oren Segal of the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism told me. 'We documented over 10,000 incidents between the Oct. 7th, 2023, attack on Israel and its anniversary in 2024.' Read more: Contributor: As a Holocaust survivor, the most important thing I can do is share my story After wrestling with generational guilt, which feels like a curse handed down through time, and questioning my responsibility as an American personally connected to Nazi history, I made a decision. When swastika flags fly in America and white supremacists shout 'Heil Hitler!' and racial slurs, when a presidential surrogate offers a Nazi-style salute and makes common cause with Germany's neo-Nazi-adjacent political party, the AfD, I will not be a fellow traveler. Or a bystander. My first social media post using my family history as a cautionary tale was viewed almost 2 million times and drew thousands of comments, some full of hate and ridicule. It makes me anxious to put myself in the public eye, but it's no underground death camp, without sunlight, escape or hope. When Oskar and I spoke last May at the Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum in St. Louis, it was standing room only. 'Suzanne Rico is a descendant of a Nazi engineer,' said the master of ceremonies. Oskar nodded his white-haired head as 300 people waited to hear what I had to say. I said that history's most terrifying ghosts are coming back to life. If you don't believe me, look closely at photos taken on an Ohio street or a Missouri interstate. Pay attention to the covered faces of cowards trying to intimidate through fear. And then ask yourself: What uncomfortable legacy might we leave our children and grandchildren if we stay silent this time around? Suzanne Rico is an award-winning television and print journalist. She hosts the podcast "The Man Who Calculated Death." @suzannerico on all platforms If it's in the news right now, the L.A. Times' Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
