Latest news with #Pattison
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Pretty French village is selling homes for just one euro but there's a catch
Buyers have the chance to snap up an idyllic and picturesque French home nestled in a small town for just €1 - but the houses come with some pretty strict conditions While the thought of snapping up a beautiful French home for just €1 sounds like a dream - there's one huge catch. It's the kind of deal anyone would snap up in a heartbeat - especially as the costs of housing is through the roof, and it's in an attempt to boost the popularity of the dwindling town. But these homes in Ambert, located in the southeast of France have some conditions to them. Buyers are expected to invest significantly in renovations and meet strict requirements if they want the keys - and there is a significant amount that needs doing. Firstly, the cheap homes are only available to first-time buyers, as second-time buyers are prohibited from taking part in the scheme. The buyers also have to commit to staying in the home full-time for at least three years too. According to The Local, those who purchase a €1 house in Ambert must commit to living in the property full-time for at least three years once it's been made habitable. If they fail to do so, they risk financial penalties, including the repayment of any government grants given for refurbishment works. One huge downside is that the houses need some serious work. From the roof to the wiring, and everything in between, the two homes on offer require a fair but of renovating. Due to the extensive TLC needed, potential buyers may even be asked to provide a written plan outlining the extent of the work and how long it will take to complete. Ambert has become the latest community to adopt the tactic in trying to boost it's population and stop it from dying out - as it clings on to the 6,500 population. It comes after a UK home was put up for auction with a starting price of just £1, but also came with considerable work needed for potential buyers. Promoted by estate agents Pattinson on TikTok, the pair of modest-size flats in Newcastle-upon-Tyne appear to have been ransacked inside, with the previous occupants' belongings left behind in a somewhat sorry state. Beginning at front of the building, Pattison's clip shows an overgrown hedge concealing the majority of the building. The living room contains piles of broken furniture and rubbish – with no carpet visible whatsoever thanks to the mess. A framed picture of Jesus sits on the floor of the room, which has also been littered with vinyl records, CDs and board game boxes. The video, which has been viewed more than 1,000 times saw a handful of people respond to its caption of, "Would you buy this property for £1?" – all of whom said they would. However, while the starting price at auction may be low, the house is likely to sell for more.
Los Angeles Times
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Seal Beach host of ‘Best of California' gets local Emmy nod for WWII episode
Ever since Pat Pattison decided to create for himself a 'second-act career' as an actor and on-air personality at the tender age of 55, things have been taking off. The Seal Beach resident, who spent three decades in merchandising and marketing for toy companies and as vice president of Creative Services at Disney, appeared in a handful of roles before putting on his producer's hat in 2021. That's when he began filming segments for 'Pat Pattison's Best of California,' a series of adventures on a whirlwind road trip captured in 30-minute segments about the state's hidden gems, historical spaces and their human caretakers. Since the endeavor began, Pattison has filmed more than 30 episodes alongside daughter Liza, who works as a producer behind the scenes and occasionally appears on camera. The show airs locally on Sunday mornings at 7:30 a.m. on MeTV station KAZA-TV Los Angeles. The pair have filmed Southern California's haunted hotels, mansions and theme parks, taken viewers into the Petersen Museum's automobile vault and tested the veracity of the claim that the state's best steaks are served up in the city of Nipomo. Oftentimes, the hosts take tips from viewers or announce their travel plans ahead of time and let people weigh in on obscure or must-see stops along the way. But an episode that premiered last Veterans Day, on the region's many ties and contributions to World War II, has been accepted as a nomination for special recognition — an Emmy Award. Pattison nominated the episode for consideration by the Los Angeles chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, in the Culture/History category and got official word last month that he'd been picked as a contender. 'I was sitting in my car in Seal Beach when ['Best of California'] former Executive Producer Shirley Neal texted me, 'Congrats on the Emmy nod,'' Pattison recalled Tuesday. 'That was my first clue.' One thing that sets 'Our World War II: California, Part 1' apart from other installments of the show is that Pattison shares hosting duties with a special guest visitor. Chris Cangilla is a Chicago-area videographer/producer and co-host (with brother Ken Cangilla) of the podcast 'Our WWII Dad,' which allows the children of veterans to share the histories and highlights of their father's service. The two men met through a mutual friend and instantly hit it off, Pattison being the son of a retired Army captain who fought in Okinawa and Cangill, whose father, despite being of Italian descent, was attached to the Army 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate), a unit composed of Norwegian-speaking Scandinavian Americans. While recording a podcast on the topic, Pattison and Cangilla began discussing Southern California's rich World War II history — from blimp hangars in Tustin that housed dirigibles for use by the Navy at the El Toro Marine Corps base to the Queen Mary's transporting troops across seas to the little known fact that the only land attack on the continental U.S. by the Japanese happened in Goleta. 'Pat said, 'You know what, Chris? You need to come out here to Southern California,' Cangilla recalled in a call Wednesday. 'I didn't know anything about these areas. Southern California has such an interesting World War II history that not many people know about.' During a trip last August, Cangilla got an up-close look at the one remaining blimp hangar and filmed a segment with Pattison on Goleta's former Ellwood Oil Field where, on the night of Feb. 23, 1942, a Japanese submarine shelled 25 5-inch rounds, destroying an oil derrick and pumphouse while President Franklin Roosevelt was delivering one of his famed fireside chats. 'This was just months after Pearl Harbor, so everyone was on high alert, and everyone assumed the Japanese were going to come,' Pattison said. In the episode, the pair order a meal at the city's Timbers Roadhouse, where scorched beams from the attack have been incorporated into the restaurant's building, before moving on to the Commemorative Air Force SoCal Wing's aviation museum in Camarillo. Awaiting them there was uniform historian Jack Luder, who inspects the many insignias, patches and decorations on the uniforms worn by Cangilla and Pattison's fathers to learn more details about their military service. 'He looked at my dad's uniform and told me things I'd never heard about my father,' Pattison said, recalling how he learned his father had participated in an amphibious assault. 'It was like discovering the Rosetta Stone.' The co-hosts were so enthusiastic about their subject that they filmed enough for a second episode, which aired Feb. 23. It includes an interview with the daughter of Bob Clampett, a Warner Bros. animator who created Porky Pig and penned patriotic Bugs Bunny clips during World War II, and a trip to Lake Norconian, a former luxury resort once transformed into a Naval hospital after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Although a local Emmy Award would not be Cangilla's first — he's won two Chicago-area awards for previous production work — the podcaster acknowledged a win would be a fitting way to memorialize a rewarding collaboration and a personal learning experience. 'I can't thank Pat enough for connecting me with California's history. It just really worked out and was really cool that we were able to put that together,' he said. 'Winning this Emmy would mean a great deal, because of the connection we share with our World War II dads and honoring them. I'm hopeful — we'll see what happens.' The Local Los Angeles Emmy Awards ceremony, presented by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, takes place July 26. For more on Pattison's road trips, visit To watch 'Our WWII Dads,' visit
Hans India
18-06-2025
- Science
- Hans India
AI app helps visitors identify donkeys at Isle of Wight Sanctuary
Visitors to the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary can now identify their favourite adopted donkeys using an AI-powered mobile app developed by researchers at the University of Southampton. The app, named Ask ELVIS (Equine Long-range Visual Identification System), allows users to point their phone camera at a donkey, and through facial recognition and machine learning, the app identifies the animal and displays its name and profile. Currently in development, the app has a 50% identification accuracy—akin to a coin toss—but project lead Dr Xiaohao Cai is confident it will be significantly improved and ready for public use by the end of the year. "We're working to bridge the gap between experimental and real-world accuracy," said Dr Cai. The project began after sanctuary staff noticed that name collars were causing discomfort and safety risks for the donkeys. In 2023, the collars were removed. "There had been accidents and near misses, so we got rid of them," explained Gordon Pattison, volunteer and trustee at the sanctuary. "But the public still needs a way to identify their adopted donkeys." Thousands of visitors have adopted donkeys through the sanctuary's fundraising initiative, and many want to reconnect with their chosen animals during visits. The app pays tribute to a beloved donkey named Elvis, who passed away in 2024. "When the app launches, it greets users with Elvis the donkey, as if you're asking him, 'Who's that donkey over there?'" said Mr Pattison. In the future, the team hopes to extend the technology to detect early signs of illness in donkeys—an area where AI could offer significant help. "Donkeys are stoic, and don't show obvious signs of illness. AI might help us pick up the subtle clues sooner," added Mr Pattison. He emphasized the broader lesson: 'AI isn't just for big corporations. With the right idea, anyone can harness it to solve meaningful problems.'
Evening Standard
12-06-2025
- Health
- Evening Standard
Vicky Pattison details ‘terrifying' PMDD episode: ‘Every month I lose myself – this was one of the worst'
Pattison, who rose to fame on Geordie Shore, has become an outspoken advocate for PMDD awareness. The condition, often misdiagnosed or dismissed, affects around one in 20 women according to NHS estimates — though many experts and campaigners believe the true figure could be much higher due to underreporting and lack of awareness.
The Herald Scotland
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Can former Rangers boss revive Scottish firm Sterling?
Around this time last year, the Tillicoultry-based company was looking forward to what it hoped would be a brighter future following a difficult spell. After implementing 50 redundancies and closing stores in 2023 in response to a 'historic lack of action taken to address the cost base', the company's then chief executive, John Pattison, spoke boldly of awakening a 'sleeping giant' in an interview with The Herald in May 2024. 'I think Sterling has phenomenal potential to realise,' Mr Pattison declared at the time. 'It has been a solid business across five decades now but, given the foundations we have, the next decade could be really exciting [with] very interesting opportunities coming to us. 'With a new strategy in place, [there is] an opportunity for us to really grow into something quite special, something that both the family who own the business, the team, and indeed Scotland can be proud of.' As far as one is able to detect in interview situations, it was clear Mr Pattison – a veteran of the furniture industry – held a good deal of confidence in the potential of Sterling. But in business there are always events that are beyond the control of company chiefs, and so it seems to have proved for Sterling. Despite the hopes expressed by Mr Pattison, 2024 proved to be a tumultuous year for both Sterling and the wider retail sector. As consumer confidence was laid low by high interest rates and painful inflation, putting pressure on retail sales across the board, the company itself faced rising operational costs. The latest accounts for Sterling, which The Herald covered exclusively this week, highlighted 'legacy decisions and over-investment in anticipation of growth that did not materialise', as the company slumped to a loss of nearly £4 million for the year ended August 31, 2024. Read more: Mr Pattison left the company in November, and a new leadership team has been installed, led by chief executive Stewart Robertson and chairman Bernard Dunn. The new team quickly took action to further address costs at the retailer, with an unspecified number of redundancies – largely in operational roles – announced in February. This move came ahead of significant cost rises in April, when the increases in employer national insurance contributions and national living wage, announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the Autumn Budget, took effect. In an interview with The Herald this week, Mr Robertson, a former managing director of Rangers Football Club, gave a sober assessment of the difficult trading environment Sterling and the wider retail industry faced during the period covered by the accounts, and continue to encounter, as the outlook for the UK economy remains bleak. Mr Robertson, also a former secretary of Motherwell Football Club, signalled that the changes made since his arrival – his appointment as chief executive is now permanent after he initially joined on an interim basis – have solidified Sterling's foundations and put the company in a position to return to growth. Further investment is planned, including an overhaul of the company's flagship store where the launch of a new leather gallery later this summer will form part of plans to bring the 'magic dust' back to its Tillicoultry home. Mr Robertson also suggested that Sterling, which was founded by George Knowles in 1975 when he converted an old mill in Tillicoultry into a furniture showroom, could open further stores, and perhaps return to cities such as Inverness that it had previously exited. But he emphasised that the strategy would be anchored on 'careful growth'. Reflecting on the actions that he and Mr Dunn, a former head of insurance broker TL Dallas in Scotland, have taken since joining the company, Mr Robertson said: 'It has been a case of really looking at what the business has needed, and we have re-set the cost base [to] make sure we have got really strong foundations to take the business forward in a sustainable way, but also in a way that is going to grow the business as well. There are still opportunities there for us [but] it needs to be considered growth, it needs to be careful growth.' He added: 'There are areas where we are not located but maybe were in the past. Take Inverness, as an example, that is an area we would certainly look at going back into if a good site became available at the right cost. A number of the economics would need to stack up, but certainly there is a desire to do that and to look at continuing to grow the organisation, but doing it at the right time in the right places with the right level of investment.' That Mr Robertson sees an opportunity to grow one of Scotland's most venerable retailers is surely to be welcomed by those with the interests of the Scottish economy at heart, and not least because of the 440 people the company employs across its 10 stores and other operations. Read more: There are likely to be generations of Scots who wish Sterling well. Some of a certain vintage will fondly recall the long-running television adverts for the retailer voiced by sports presenter Dougie Donnelly in the 1980s (featuring the famous catchline 'Sterling, Tillicoultry, near Stirling'). Others will recall the days, as Mr Robertson noted, when people would go to visit the Tillicoultry store for a 'day out'. But powerful though nostalgia is, fond memories will not be enough to ensure success, as Mr Robertson will know only too well. At a time of subdued economic growth and continuing concern over the cost of living, and with competition tough on the high street, plotting Sterling's return to growth will not be easy. But at least Mr Robertson can go about his business without the glare and constant scrutiny that characterised his time at Rangers.
