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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
This English word is derived from the infamous history of a mental asylum — take a guess
When we say a scene is 'bedlam', we usually mean it's in utter chaos—loud, disorganised, almost out of control. But few realise that the word has its origins in a very real and very grim chapter of medical history: a medieval mental hospital in London. Here's how a single institution gave English one of its most evocative words for madness. The word 'bedlam' is a corruption of 'Bethlem,' short for Bethlem Royal Hospital, which was founded in 1247 in London as the Priory of St Mary of Bethlehem. Originally a religious institution, it began admitting mentally ill patients by the early 14th century and evolved into Europe's most infamous psychiatric hospital. By the 1600s, Bethlem had gained notoriety for its inhumane conditions, and patients were often chained, left in filth, and subjected to violent or bizarre treatments like bloodletting and purging. As the institution's name filtered into English usage, the pronunciation gradually shifted. The Middle English form Bedlem soon became bedlam, a more phonetically simplified variant that stuck. By the 17th century, the word had taken on a figurative meaning far beyond its geographical origins. It began to refer to any scene of uproar and confusion, directly inspired by the state of the hospital itself, where screaming, moaning, and hysteria reigned. Shockingly, Bethlem became a form of public entertainment. In the 1600s and 1700s, people could pay a small fee (sometimes just a penny) to visit the hospital and gawk at the patients, as if it were a human zoo. Some records suggest that hundreds of thousands of Londoners visited Bedlam annually, often treating the mentally ill as curiosities rather than people. This tragic voyeurism further cemented bedlam in public imagination as a synonym for frenzy, madness, and grotesque chaos. The infamous hospital and its treatment of the patient also inspired a movie by the name of 'Bedlam'. Over time, medical understanding of mental illness evolved, and Bethlem Royal Hospital was reformed. It still exists today as part of the NHS, offering modern psychiatric care under its historical name. The word bedlam serves as a linguistic relic, reminding us how far we've come in mental health care, and how language preserves both progress and prejudice. What we casually use to describe a noisy classroom or chaotic traffic jam was once the name of a real place of suffering, and public mockery.
The Irish Sun
11-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Teen star of Freddie Flintoff's BBC show Field of Dreams Umar Mahmood ‘lost control of his car' before fatal crash
TEENAGER Umar Mahmood, who appeared on Freddie Flintoff's BBC show Field of Dreams, lost control of his car before fatally crashing, an inquest has heard. The 18-year-old was driving an Audi A3 Sport when it Advertisement 4 Umar Mahmood (left) featured on Freddie Flintoff's show Field of Dreams in 2022 Credit: BBC 4 The 18-year-old (right) tragically lost his life after being involved in a high-speed crash which also lead to the death of a passenger, 16, in the same car Credit: BBC 4 Flintoff's show aimed to inspire teenagers - who had never considered playing cricket - to get involved with the sport Credit: PA In addition to Umar losing his life, Adam Bodi, 16, was also fatally injured in the crash while the other passenger - aged 17 at the time - was seriously hurt. Umar had featured on the former England cricketer's show about youth cricket, where the star sought to build a team of 11 teenagers from under-privileged parts of Lancashire. An inquest into the deaths at Preston Coroner's Court was told that the car Umar was driving in had reached speeds of approximately 80mph while in a 30mph zone before it left the road. The inquest heard that the vehicle hit the kerb four times before colliding with two trees and overturning on its side, leading to the tragic deaths of both teenagers. Advertisement Read More on UK News Adam, who had been travelling in the backseat of the car and had not been wearing a seat belt, died in hospital on September 11 while Umar passed away the following day. The 16-year-old's death came just weeks after getting his GCSE results. Coroner Kate Bissett said the teenagers' deaths had been caused by "a terrible misjudgement" and were an "utter tragedy". Umar's former school, Penwortham Priory Academy, described him as "bright, studious and well-loved". Advertisement Most read in The Sun Exclusive The school said at the time of the tragedy: "We are again saddened as a school to hear the news that Umar Mahmood, who was in the same accident as Adam, and who left Priory 2 years ago, has also passed away. "Umar was a bright, studious and well-loved member of our school community. Freddie Flintoff coaching Umar Mahmood in the first series of the BBC documentary Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams "He had a passion for Geography as well as his cricket, playing for Priory's school team and appearing in the BBC One documentary 'Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams'." It added that it was a "privilege" for those at the school to have known Umar - a "young man who was always considerate to those around him and who showed ambition and kindness in all that he did." Advertisement Umar's dad also paid an "I am very sad. His mother is doing OK but we are very sad." Flintoff's show Field of Dreams saw the then 46-year-old return to his hometown of Preston on a mission to prove that anyone can play sport, regardless of their background. Umar was one of a handful of teenagers given the opportunity to feature on the show, which aimed to inspire a new generation of kids to play cricket. Advertisement The show's second series TRAGIC LOSS OF 'FANTASTIC YOUNG MAN' Following the tragic deaths of the teens, tributes were also paid to Adam by the pair's school. It described the 16-year-old as a "fantastic young man" who had a "fantastic sense of humour." They said: "Adam was an amazing pupil, of whom we have nothing but fantastic memories. Advertisement "He was popular, bright, confident and had a fantastic sense of humour alongside being a first-class footballer, who had been part of our football team here at Priory for five years. "We know that the rest of his year group will be equally upset at losing one of their own. "Adam was a fantastic young man, and he, his family and friends are very much in our thoughts and prayers." 4 Umar Mahmood was driving at approximately 80mph in a 30mph zone at the time of the crash, an inquest has heard Credit: Penworth Priory Academy Advertisement
Scottish Sun
11-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Teen star of Freddie Flintoff's BBC show Field of Dreams Umar Mahmood ‘lost control of his car' before fatal crash
The teenager was driving at more than twice the speed limit before the tragic accident, an inquest has heard 'UTTER TRAGEDY' Teen star of Freddie Flintoff's BBC show Field of Dreams Umar Mahmood 'lost control of his car' before fatal crash Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TEENAGER Umar Mahmood, who appeared on Freddie Flintoff's BBC show Field of Dreams, lost control of his car before fatally crashing, an inquest has heard. The 18-year-old was driving an Audi A3 Sport when it left the road and collided with trees on Chain Caul Way in Preston, Lancashire, shortly before 11pm on September 10, 2024. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Umar Mahmood (left) featured on Freddie Flintoff's show Field of Dreams in 2022 Credit: BBC 4 The 18-year-old (right) tragically lost his life after being involved in a high-speed crash which also lead to the death of a passenger, 16, in the same car Credit: BBC 4 Flintoff's show aimed to inspire teenagers - who had never considered playing cricket - to get involved with the sport Credit: PA In addition to Umar losing his life, Adam Bodi, 16, was also fatally injured in the crash while the other passenger - aged 17 at the time - was seriously hurt. Umar had featured on the former England cricketer's show about youth cricket, where the star sought to build a team of 11 teenagers from under-privileged parts of Lancashire. An inquest into the deaths at Preston Coroner's Court was told that the car Umar was driving in had reached speeds of approximately 80mph while in a 30mph zone before it left the road. The inquest heard that the vehicle hit the kerb four times before colliding with two trees and overturning on its side, leading to the tragic deaths of both teenagers. Adam, who had been travelling in the backseat of the car and had not been wearing a seat belt, died in hospital on September 11 while Umar passed away the following day. The 16-year-old's death came just weeks after getting his GCSE results. Coroner Kate Bissett said the teenagers' deaths had been caused by "a terrible misjudgement" and were an "utter tragedy". Umar's former school, Penwortham Priory Academy, described him as "bright, studious and well-loved". The school said at the time of the tragedy: "We are again saddened as a school to hear the news that Umar Mahmood, who was in the same accident as Adam, and who left Priory 2 years ago, has also passed away. "Umar was a bright, studious and well-loved member of our school community. Freddie Flintoff coaching Umar Mahmood in the first series of the BBC documentary Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams "He had a passion for Geography as well as his cricket, playing for Priory's school team and appearing in the BBC One documentary 'Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams'." It added that it was a "privilege" for those at the school to have known Umar - a "young man who was always considerate to those around him and who showed ambition and kindness in all that he did." Umar's dad also paid an emotional tribute to his son, telling MailOnline: "I am heartbroken. He was just a young lad. To lose my young son is terrible. "I am very sad. His mother is doing OK but we are very sad." Flintoff's show Field of Dreams saw the then 46-year-old return to his hometown of Preston on a mission to prove that anyone can play sport, regardless of their background. Umar was one of a handful of teenagers given the opportunity to feature on the show, which aimed to inspire a new generation of kids to play cricket. The show's second series came to an end last year, amid rumours this month of a third set of episodes on the way. TRAGIC LOSS OF 'FANTASTIC YOUNG MAN' Following the tragic deaths of the teens, tributes were also paid to Adam by the pair's school. It described the 16-year-old as a "fantastic young man" who had a "fantastic sense of humour." They said: "Adam was an amazing pupil, of whom we have nothing but fantastic memories. "He was popular, bright, confident and had a fantastic sense of humour alongside being a first-class footballer, who had been part of our football team here at Priory for five years. "We know that the rest of his year group will be equally upset at losing one of their own. "Adam was a fantastic young man, and he, his family and friends are very much in our thoughts and prayers."
Daily Mirror
10-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams star, 18, 'lost control' before fatal crash
An inquest heard that 18-year-old Umar Kamani, who appeared in Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams, died after losing control of his car while speeding at nearly 80mph on a bend A teenager who appeared on Freddie Flintoff 's Field Of Dreams was driving at over 80mph on a 30mph road when he was killed, an inquest has heard. Umar Mahmood, 18, suffered serious injuries when the car he was in, an Audi A3, left the road and collided with trees in Preston on Tuesday, September 10, 2024. He later died in hospital. His death was confirmed by his school's Principal, Mr M Eastham. Another pupil at the school, 16-year-old Adam Bodi, also died in the tragedy. An inquest has now heard that Mahmood's Audi A3 Sport hit a kerb four times before ploughing into two trees and overturning on its side. Bodi, 16, died when he was catapulted into and over the front seat forcing the driver into the dashboard. The teen was not wearing a seatbelt while sitting in the car. Crash data later revealed a different picture as Lancashire Police collision investigator PC Anthony Grey told the court airbag sensors showed the Audi had hit over 80mph just before impact, striking the first tree at 78.9mph. The crash happened on Chain Caul Way in Preston, on a mild S-bend, on the night of September 10, 2024. PC Grey confirmed the car had no mechanical faults. Two passers-by, Andrew Hood and Harry Worthington, were first on the scene and described seeing a 'dark shape' in the road which was the vehicle's engine. Smelling fuel, they tried to pull the teenagers from the wreck, fearing the Audi might explode. Adam died in hospital hours later, while Umar passed away two days after the crash. Coroner Kate Bissett concluded both died from traumatic brain and lung injuries caused by a road traffic collision, calling the loss 'a tragedy that the families will do well to ever recover from". Umar had previously appeared on Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams BBC show. A statement read at the time: "We are again saddened as a school to hear the news Umar, who was in the same accident as Adam, and who left Priory two years ago, has also passed away. Another boy, 17, suffered serious injuries in the crash and is in a stable condition in hospital. "Umar was a bright, studious and well-loved member of our school community. He had a passion for Geography as well as his cricket, playing for Priory's school team and appearing in the BBC One documentary Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams. "It was a privilege for us here at Priory to know Umar. He was a young man who was always considerate to those around him and who showed ambition and kindness in all that he did. "It is of course with great sadness we hear this news. We give our sincere condolences to all of Umar's family and friends on behalf of the school, at what will be a very difficult time. They too, are in our thoughts and prayers today." The school added of Adam: "Adam was an amazing pupil, of whom we have nothing but fantastic memories. He was popular, bright, confident and had a fantastic sense of humour alongside being a first-class footballer, who had been part of our football team here at Priory for five years. "We know that the rest of his year group will be equally upset at losing one of their own. Adam was a fantastic young man, and he, his family and friends are very much in our thoughts and prayers." The car crash comes after Flintoff's own car crash in December 2022 which nearly claimed his life. The star had been driving an open-topped three-wheeled Morgan Super 3 at high speed when it flipped over. He later said of the accident: "Week and a half after my accident. Genuinely should not be here after what happened. "This is going to be a long road back and I have only just started and I am struggling already. I need help. I really am not the best at asking for it. I need to stop crying every two minutes. "I thought I could just shake it off. I wanted to shake it off and say 'here I am, I'm alright'. But it's not been a case of that, it's been a lot harder than I thought. As much as I wanted to go out and do things, I have just not been able to."
South Wales Argus
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
The Priory in Caerleon announces series of summer events
The Grade II-listed venue, which underwent an extensive refurbishment that was completed earlier this year, will introduce a new summer à la carte menu on June 27. The menu will feature seasonal dishes with a focus on cooking over fire. The summer events will begin with 'Smoked & Oaked' on Thursday, July 10. This event, hosted by Adam and Jack from Spanish Wines, will feature a five-course meal cooked over an open flame and a selection of barrel-aged Spanish wines, with a price of £90 per person. The Priory's Bastille Day Champagne Party will take place on Friday, July 18. The event will feature a five-course menu from head chef Ben, free-flowing Champagne Devaux, and live music by the Tomos Lewis and James Bower duo, with a price of £90 per person. The Champagne Devaux Launch Party is scheduled for Friday, August 7, costing £50 per person. This event will showcase the Champagne house's range, paired with canapés on the lawn. The Priory, located on the River Usk in Caerleon, South Wales, is operated by Benito Martinez and his fiancee Sophie. The couple have refocused the venue on fire cooking, fine wine, and provenance. For more details and booking information, visit The Priory's website.
