Latest news with #TheArchers
The Herald Scotland
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Attention, budding writers: Ian Rankin has bad news for you
Popular Edinburgh scribbler Ian Rankin declares: 'I'm writing a book. It doesn't get any easier with practice.' (Hmmm. So it's NOT like learning to juggle bean bags or riding a penny-farthing, muses the Diary…) Fire down below The Diary is a great supporter of Glasgow's night life, in much the same way as we have always fancied traipsing after that Virgil bloke for a jaunt through Dante's inferno. We recently reported that a chap was spotted outside Central Station, shorn of both dignity and trousers, as he lay in a drunken slump, cradled by the comforting bosom of the gutter. 'That's nothing,' says reader Diana Kerr. 'I was in the town centre one evening and spotted a young lady wearing an actual flak jacket, with the words PRESS emblazoned across the front.' Possibly a quirky fashion accessary, or perhaps a way of surviving a night of robust revelries, Diana admits she wasn't entirely sure. 'I've always suspected Glasgow city centre is a war zone,' she says, 'maybe this is confirming evidence…' Nicola Munro says: 'I assumed this door led to a maternity ward, though apparently not.' (Image: Contributed) Noises off And if you think the nightlife is bad, wait until we tell you about Glasgow's day life. It certainly ain't day-lightful, that's for sure. Dean Tasker was in a café on West Nile Street trying to enjoy a splash of coffee and a side-order of tranquillity. The coffee was on tap. Unfortunately the joint was all out of tranquillity, because some chap at another table was hunched over a muffin, chomping and schlomping and burping with every bite. This went on for an unendurable five minutes, until another patron of the café leaned over and hissed to the indecorous fellow: 'Eating a muffin's not like The Archers. It isn't a radio play, y'know.' Silence ensued… and tranquillity sashayed through the door. A singular notion Now that this column has got to grips with words such as "a", "the", and "hingmy", we're eager to expand our vocabulary up to the point where we can almost form whole sentences. David Donaldson is on a similar quest, and recently stumbled upon the word for people with a single name… mononymous. 'This being the case,' muses David, 'are people with exceptionally silly names moronymous?' Loopy lingo More language games. Mark Taylor says: 'Who ever came up with the spelling of receipt was an idiopt.' Tree-mendously indolent 'My mother-in-law called me lazy when she visited yesterday,' says reader Charles Penn. 'On the plus side, she took down the Christmas tree.'
Business News Wales
12-06-2025
- General
- Business News Wales
Open Farm Sunday 2025 Sees Surge in Host Farms
Open Farm Sunday, the nation's flagship annual event celebrating British farming, has seen a surge in host farms taking part this year, with 270 events taking place across Wales, England and Scotland – a 20% increase on last year. Managed by LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) since it began in 2006, the day welcomed an estimated 200,000 visitors, helping them to develop deeper connections with the land, food, and the farmers who produce it. Open Farm Sunday manager Annabel Shackleton emphasised how these results illustrate the power of the farming community to engage, educate, and inspire the public in a powerful way while driving real changes in attitudes. 'Open Farm Sunday not only celebrates the UK's farming heritage, it also develops greater connections between people and where their food comes from,' said Annabel. 'Hundreds of events across the UK have showcased how farmers are working in harmony with nature and encouraged open discussions that address vital issues, including climate change, sustainability, food security, and youth engagement with agriculture.' New research from LEAF reveals a strong appetite among young people to learn more about the sector with 46% of Gen Z say they would consider a career in farming. While only one in five currently see farming as essential to tackling climate change, this highlights an opportunity to bridge the knowledge gap and align farming's role with the values Gen Z cares about most, LEAF said. Widespread broadcast and print coverage were secured including an Open Farm Sunday main storyline on BBC Radio 4's The Archers programme, TV coverage on BBC Breakfast and regional channels, and a series of radio interviews syndicated to over 100 stations, reaching an audience of tens of millions.
Time Out
04-06-2025
- Health
- Time Out
Town isn't about the chaos of the city, but super seasonality, regenerative farming, and letting the produce speak for itself
It's wild that nobody before has ever thought to name a restaurant 'Town'. Think of the endless possibilities of 'Town'! It's the place everybody wants to go; the place where so many thrilling things happen; the place where, if you can make it there, you are highly likely to make it anywhere. This new, shimmering incarnation of 'Town' can be found on the fringes of Covent Garden, far enough away from the frantic piazza so as not to be heaving with tourists and/or street performers. It's a truly grand room, a Ballardian boudoir in shiny, wipe-clean burgundy, with an open kitchen framed by a massive, oval-shaped and lime green opening. The retro-futurism thing is further dished up via the soundtrack; Dorothy Ashby's 'Afro-Harping' slinks groovily in the background, and there're a vinyl copy of Lou Donaldson's 1968 sax odyssey 'Alligator Boogaloo' perched on a record player (which nevertheless remains switched off for the duration of our visit). Such a space-age aesthetic is perhaps at odds with Town's menu, which has more in common with the rustic likes of surrealist late-1990s cookery show River Cottage than it does Barbarella. You see, Town isn't about the chaos of the city, but super seasonality, regenerative farming, and letting the produce speak for itself. It is, essentially, a plotline from The Archers. In practice, this means that the food is deeply considered, but pretty low intervention - it's less about cooking, and more about arranging lovely things on a plate. That's not to say Town avoids all contemporary trends. The snack of 2025, the gilda, comes with a nubbin of soused mackerel and a folded shiso leaf, while the snack of 2024, fried sage leaves, comes heavy on the batter and drizzled in honey. The snack of 2023 - a pastel-shaded pickle plate - is accessorised with a simple dollop of salted yogurt. My starter of wine-cured beef is just as fuss-free, with a scattering of candied walnuts and a few dots of creamy cheese, while Welsh lobster is no doubt cooked incredibly, but is relatively pared-back when it comes to presentation, layered with creamy sheets of lardo and dolloped with a XO sauce so brawny that it practically throbs. A side salad of tomato, nespoles (a kind of a fancy apricot) and elderflower is perhaps where Town's vision is clearest - a carnival of colour, furiously fresh flavour and powerful sense of pride at nature's perfect bounty. The vibe Brutalism, but make it glam - a swanky space with pricey dishes. The food Ingredient-led fare with a focus on British-grown produce and sustainability practices. The drink Lots of wine and a deft cocktail menu as devised by award-winning bar Satan's Whiskers. Our 'Dill Boy' martini was small but strong and handsome aka the Tom Hardy of drinks.
Daily Mirror
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Inside Coronation Street newcomer's acting past including stint on rival soap
Coronation Street fans have been introduced to newcomer Fiona Morley, but it's not her first time on a soap set – here's where viewers may have seen actress Sara Poyzer before There's another new arrival in Weatherfield, as Coronation Street fans have been introduced to Fiona Morley. Despite being a newcomer on the cobbles, fans may have seen actress Sara Poyzer before. In tonight's episode, fans see her interact with her ex Ronnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan) following his split from fiancé Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney). It was previously reported that the character would be seen revealing her 'dodgy dealings' to Ronnie, and will offer him a business proposition; to sell stolen cars for a vast sum of money. It's not just Ronnie Fiona will be involved with, however, as Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard) wants in on her corrupt car business, as he reveals he will start selling the cars through his brother Kevin Webster's (Michael Le Vell) garage. On-screen, it seems like Sara's character Fiona will become busy by being involved in some dodgy dealings. Off-screen, the actress has been busy on the West End, and various other TV shows. ABBA fans will know the star for her ten year stint as Donna Sheridan on the West End stage in Mamma Mia. Radio listeners will also know her as being a staple in BBC Radio 4 soap opera The Archers in the role of Leonie Schnell. Hardcore soap fans, however, may remember Sara for her short stints in BBC soaps EastEnders and Casualty. In 2013, Sara appeared in the Casualty episode What a Wonderful Life, as Lynne Shields. She's also starred in EastEnders twice. Once in a guest role as character Penny in 2002, and more recently as DS Sally Grant in 2013. During the 4 November episode that year, Sara's character interviewed Alice Branning (Jasmyn Banks) about the murder of Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd), as she charged her with the murder. Elsewhere, Sara has starred in Doctors, Cast Offs, Paradise Reclaimed, Dangerville, Dangerfield, Playing the Field, Peak Practice, Crossroads and The Pilot of Ordinary People. In 2019, she also starred in Doctor Who: The Legacy of Time. Back to the cobbles and spoilers for next week hint at trouble. Next week, Carl will be seen continuing his dodgy dealings with Fiona, while their meeting leaves Abi Franklin clearly jealous despite her being married to Carl's brother Kevin Webster. How will it all play out?
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Britain's diplomats have a new challenge: hiding their globes from Trump
Cartography news. The Government has ruled on what to call the Gulf of Mexico. And Donald Trump – who has renamed it the Gulf of America – won't be happy. Foreign Office minister Martin Wrigley told MPs that the Government 'will continue to follow the guidance of the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names who advise His Majesty's Government on the policies and procedures for the representation of geographical names for places and features outside of the UK'. And the committee has ruled that 'this body of water is Gulf of Mexico'. Better hide the globes when the President comes over for his state visit. Life on The Archers can be cut-throat, says Charles Collingwood, who is marking 50 years playing the ageing lothario Brian Aldridge on the Radio 4 soap. He recalls getting into a BBC lift with Jack Holloway, who played Ralph Bellamy moments after Holloway was told that his character was being written out of the programme in 1980. 'When we got to the third floor where the bar was, he [Holloway] shot off to drown his sorrows,' Collingwood says. 'I went to join The Archers cast and said, 'I've just got in the lift with Jack Holloway – he says he's been written out of the programme?' They said, 'Yes, you've bought his farm!'' The pressures of financing an equestrian career has become unsustainable for Rory Bremner and his daughter Lila, 21, an accomplished showjumper. 'It's the sheer cost of it all,' the TV impressionist told me at the Chelsea Flower Show. 'There is sponsorship but it is a very competitive world. To sustain it, I compare it to highwayman Dick Turpin – he had a phrase: 'your money or your life?' The horses get more and more expensive. You need hundreds of thousands. So she's gone to London to do a personal assistant's course and have some fun London days, like I did as a young man.' And why not? Gordon Brown told how British prime ministers traditionally give presents to incoming US presidents at the John Smith Memorial Lecture this week. 'David Cameron gave Barack Obama a table tennis table. Rishi Sunak gave Joe Biden a Barbour jacket. Theresa May gave Donald Trump a hamper from Chequers. Boris Johnson gave some poetry,' Brown said. 'Keir Starmer has had to give gifts to the two presidents. He gave a gift to Joe Biden of an Arsenal jersey with 46 on it to denote the 46th president of the United States. I don't know if Joe Biden knew too much about Arsenal. And of course, he has already given a gift and sent it to Washington, to Donald Trump: It's Peter Mandelson.' Perhaps Gordon misses Peter? The European Commission helpfully distributed photos of Sir Keir Starmer unveiling the Brexit Reset deal on Monday alongside European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Council of Europe president Antonio Costa. The only problem was that while the other leaders were correctly captioned, the PM was described as 'Rodney Starmer'. Rodney is of course the PM's middle name. But could there be an Only Fools and Horses fan working for the Eurocrats? As Delboy said: 'This time next year, we'll be millionaires!' Jonathan Aitken, 82, ex-Conservative minister and now a prison chaplain, has started a new political supper club called the Beaverbrook Forum to re-create the parties thrown by his uncle, Lord Beaverbrook, who owned the Daily Express and served in Churchill's wartime government. Political veterans Lord Gummer and Diane Abbott, as well as Robert Jenrick's wife Michal, dined on champagne and shepherd's pie as Aitken recalled how 'Bollinger Bolsheviks' such as Nye Bevan used to love Beaverbrook's parties. The future Labour leader Michael Foot was apparently so spoiled by Beaverbrook that he was allowed to stay for free in a house in Beaverbrook's garden. Sir Keir's Starmer's freebies from Lord Alli look like small beer. RIP the much-missed Patrick O'Flynn, 59, the former Ukip MEP, as well as Daily Telegraph and GB News commentator, who died this week. One of his most memorable policies as Ukip's economic spokesman was for a tax on luxury goods like designer shoes, and handbags to win over former Labour voters. O'Flynn's so-called 'WAG tax' was unveiled at Ukip's conference in September 2014 and axed by leader Nigel Farage two days later, after an outcry. Farage declared: 'It was a discussion point yesterday, it isn't going to happen.' Perhaps with Farage's Reform leading the polls, the WAG tax's time will come again? Peterborough, published every Friday at 7pm, is edited by Christopher Hope. You can reach him at peterborough@ Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
