Latest news with #TheSundayTimes
Scotsman
6 hours ago
- Scotsman
The best 8 bars in Edinburgh according to The Sunday Times
4 . Port O' Leith The Constitution Street bar also featured in The Sunday Times list, with columnist Pete Brown reporting: 'Even on a quiet afternoon you get the sense that the place is only taking a breather until the partying starts again. Order a pint of ice-cold Heineken if you must, but you probably really want to do shots here. Don't resist" | Google Maps
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Black Sabbath Bassist Recalls Final Gig and 57-Year Friendship with Ozzy Osbourne: ‘I Wasn't Prepared to See How Frail He Was'
'I am so privileged to have spent most of my life with him," Terence 'Geezer' Butler said of his late bandmate and friend While the world mourns the Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath's Terence 'Geezer' Butler is mourning the 'Prince of Laughter' — his friend and bandmate of nearly six decades. Just weeks after the curtains closed on the pioneering rock band's final gig together, frontman Osbourne died at age 76 on July 22. Now, in an essay for The Sunday Times, the bassist, 76, pulled back the curtain on his '57 incredible years of friendship' with Osbourne — from the band's formation to its farewell concert. The Birmingham native, who formed Black Sabbath in 1968 alongside Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward, began the tribute by detailing his and Osbourne's long history with Villa Park. Butler and Osbourne both grew up near the Birmingham soccer stadium. In 2024, the stadium's team, Aston Villa, reunited the rockers for an ad. (Prior to the spot, Butler 'hadn't seen or spoken to Ozzy since Black Sabbath's The End tour in 2017,' he said.) 'So it was quite fitting, for Ozzy and Black Sabbath to end the long journey from our beginning in 1968 to our final show back in Aston at Villa Park, on July 5," he wrote. Still, Butler added, 'I didn't realize then that I would never see Ozzy again after that night.' Rehearsals for the final gig, Butler said, began a month out, with just himself, Iommi and Ward to start — and they were a bit rough at first. 'Then it was time for Ozzy to join us,' he explained. 'I knew he wasn't in good health, but I wasn't prepared to see how frail he was,' the bassist recalled in the essay. 'He was helped into the rehearsal room by two helpers and a nurse and was using a cane — being Ozzy, the cane was black and studded with gold and precious stones.' 'He didn't really say much beyond the usual greetings, and when he sang, he sat in a chair,' Butler continued. 'We ran through the songs, but we could see it was exhausting him after six or seven songs. We had a bit of a chat, but he was really quiet compared with the Ozzy of old.' But 'the strangest part of that show,' the bassist revealed, 'was the end.' 'Normally, we would all hug each other and take a bow to the audience,' Butler said. 'But Ozzy was on his throne and we hadn't thought that out. What do we do? Tony shook his hand, I presented him with a cake, but it was such a strange feeling to end our story like that. I wish I'd had more time backstage with Ozzy, but wishes are redundant now. As Ozzy used to say: 'Wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which comes first.' ' Butler also shared more insight into his relationship with the 'Crazy Train' singer, including their first time meeting, which doubles as the beginning of Black Sabbath's formation. The band, originally called Earth, was 'the most incredible journey of our lives,' the bassist said. And it all began with Osbourne arriving barefoot on his doorstep, and Butler almost immediately declaring, 'Okay, you're in the band.' Along with Iommi, 77, and Ward, 77, the foursome 'became inseparable brothers in arms,' Butler said, 'always looking out for each other.' There 'was always an invisible link between Ozzy, Tony, Bill and me,' he added in the emotional essay. 'We had gone through the best of times and the worst of times; the bond was unbreakable.' 'To me, Ozzy wasn't the Prince of Darkness — if anything, he was the Prince of Laughter. He'd do anything for a laugh, a born entertainer,' Butler wrote of Osbourne. The rock legend's reputation as a 'feral wild man,' he added in the essay, did not detract from the fact that he 'had a heart of pure gold.' 'Most of his infamous antics — the bat saga, biting the head off a dove, pissing on the Alamo, snorting lines of ants, and the rest — came in his solo years, away from the restraints of the Sabbath crew,' Butler said. 'But if you were a friend in need, Ozzy was always there for you.' When Butler's son 'was born with a heart defect,' he offered as an example, 'Ozzy called me every day to see how I was coping, even though we hadn't spoken for a year.' 'Nobody knew he'd be gone from us little more than two weeks after the final show. But I am so grateful we got to play one last time together in front of his beloved fans,' the bassist wrote. 'The love from the fans and all the bands, musicians, singers and solo artists that night was incredible. Everyone had come to pay homage to the Prince.' 'I am so privileged to have spent most of my life with him,' he continued. 'Of course, there are millions of things I will think of that I should have written, but how can I sum up 57 incredible years of friendship in a few paragraphs? God bless, Oz, it has been one hell of a ride! Love you!' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. All three of Osbourne's Black Sabbath bandmates shared heartfelt tributes to the beloved rocker following his death, with Iommi writing, 'It's just such heartbreaking news that I can't really find the words, there won't ever be another like him.' Meanwhile, Ward wrote, in part: 'Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls, no, you're forever in my heart.' Read the original article on People
USA Today
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Black Sabbath bassist reflects on rehearsing with 'frail' Ozzy Osbourne for farewell show
Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler is sharing emotional reflections on the last time he ever saw his bandmate Ozzy Osbourne. In an essay for The Sunday Times published on Sunday, July 27, Butler paid tribute to the rock icon and wrote about performing with him for the last time during Black Sabbath's farewell show on July 5. Weeks after the performance, Osbourne died on July 22 at age 76. "Nobody knew he'd be gone from us little more than two weeks after the final show," Butler wrote. "But I am so grateful we got to play one last time together in front of his beloved fans. The love from the fans and all the bands, musicians, singers and solo artists that night was incredible. Everyone had come to pay homage to the Prince. I am so privileged to have spent most of my life with him." Butler, who founded Black Sabbath with Osbourne in 1968, said rehearsals for the farewell show started about a month prior, and he was taken aback when he saw Osbourne struggling with health issues. Surprise! Johnny Depp joins Alice Cooper for Ozzy Osbourne tribute "I knew he wasn't in good health, but I wasn't prepared to see how frail he was," he wrote. "He was helped into the rehearsal room by two helpers and a nurse and was using a cane — being Ozzy, the cane was black and studded with gold and precious stones. He didn't really say much beyond the usual greetings and when he sang, he sat in a chair." Rock star Ozzy Osbourne dies at 76, weeks after final Black Sabbath show Butler said Osbourne seemed exhausted after they played six or seven songs during rehearsal, and although they "had a bit of a chat," he "was really quiet compared with the Ozzy of old." The musician shared that he wishes he "had more time backstage with Ozzy" at their final show. "I didn't realize then that I would never see Ozzy again after that night," he wrote. Butler also remembered his former bandmate as a "born entertainer" who "had a heart of pure gold." Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi previously paid tribute to Osbourne on Instagram, writing that "there won't ever be another like him." Drummer Bill Ward also wrote in his own tribute, "Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls, no, you're forever in my heart."
ITV News
11 hours ago
- ITV News
Mother of Air India crash victim from Kent ‘heartbroken' after remains wrongly identified
The mother of a British Air India crash victim from Kent has said her family is 'heartbroken' after receiving news the remains of her son were wrongly identified, The Sunday Times reported. Bound for Gatwick Airport, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed into a medical college shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport on June 12, killing 241 people on board. Some 169 Indian passengers and 52 British nationals were killed, making it one of the deadliest plane crashes in terms of the number of British fatalities. Among the British victims were Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, 39, and his husband Jamie, 45, from Ramsgate who had been returning to Britain after celebrating their wedding anniversary in India. Mr Greenlaw-Meek's mother, Amanda Donaghey, told The Sunday Times she flew to India after the crash in order to find her son's remains, providing a DNA sample at Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital to assist the identification process. Following a match on June 20 last year, she returned to the UK with Mr Greenlaw-Meek's coffin. But on July 5, as Mr Greenlaw-Meek and his husband's families prepared to bury the married couple together, police told Ms Donaghey that DNA tests carried out in the UK showed Mr Greenlaw-Meek's remains were not in the coffin. 'We don't know what poor person is in that casket,' she told The Sunday Times. 'I had my doubts but to be told that was heartbreaking. 'This is an appalling thing to have happened,' she added. 'And we would now like the British Government to do everything in its power to find out, and bring Fiongal home.' Fiongal and Jamie ran a wellness business in Ramsgate, and Fiongal has previously made appearances on ITV's This Morning to showcase their wellness brand. It was revealed last week the coffin of another repatriated British victim, 71-year-old Shobhana Patel, contained remains of multiple people, The Sunday Times reported. Mrs Patel was killed alongside her husband Ashok, 74, as they returned to the UK from a Hindu religious trip. Their son Miten Patel told The Sunday Times: 'There may have been a mistake done. 'But for religious reasons we need to make sure my mother is my mother and not somebody else's remains. 'Knowing 100% that it is my mum is very important to us.' Shobhana and Ashok Patel were laid to rest last week, The Sunday Times said. International aviation lawyer James Healey-Pratt, whose firm Keystone Law is representing families of victims of the Air India crash, has told Times Radio the identification issues have raised concerns over the total number of victims whose identities may have been misattributed. 'We know that 12 caskets were repatriated from India to the UK,' he said. 'Of those 12, two had been mishandled, misidentified. 'And so if you extrapolate that sample, you're looking at 40 mishandled remains out of 240. 'So that's a very large number, but we simply don't know. 'And to date, the Indian authorities have not been transparent or helpful about that, which is why there was pressure put on by the families to the FCO and the Prime Minister's office. 'And this was actually mentioned in the meeting at Chequers between Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Modi on Thursday. 'So the families are waiting to hear about what actions are really being done in India to provide some degree of assurance.' It is understood no blame is being put on any UK agency for the blunders, Mr Healy-Pratt previously told the PA news agency. The High Commission of India has been contacted for comment.
Perth Now
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Maya Jama shares summer style secrets
Maya Jama's summer style is inspired by 1990s supermodels. The 30-year-old TV presenter has revealed she likes to feel comfortable when she's not working so she spends the summer months wearing loose-fitting shirts teamed with shorts or jeans. She told The Sunday Times newspaper: "Oversized shirts with shorts or skinny jeans. My inspiration is 1990s off-duty supermodels - they loved a big white shirt with a big belt, boots or kitten heels." Maya has been seen wearing more glamorous outfits during her stint hosting ITV2 reality show Love Island this summer - and she's revealed her onscreen outfits are also 1990s-inspired. She explained: "It's a sexy show so we've always fed into that, but this year we've delved into some vintage designer archives, in particular preloved looks from the 1990s - a few Chanel pieces, some 1994 Versace - to elevate it a bit but keep it fun. Think bright, colourful minidresses." Maya admitted the costumes she wears on TV can be quite uncomfortable but she's prepared to "suffer" for a few hours of work. She added: "When I started, there were so many rules. For my first job at MTV they wanted me to look like a member of Little Mix, but now I get to wear what I want, really. I sacrifice comfort! "On TV I always think you can suffer for a couple of hours in an outfit, whereas day to day I'm all about comfort. I have learnt that small prints and patterns don't look as good on telly - crisscrosses, stripes, they don't translate as well on camera." Maya previously shared her top beauty tip and revealed it doesn't cost a thing - explaining she likes to dip her face in ice cold water first thing in the morning to reduce puffiness and perk up tired skin - but an ice-roller will also do the job. According to The Sunday Times, she said: "I'm a big believer in dunking your face in ice-cold water every morning - it helps reduce puffiness and tiredness and definitely helps your face feel 'snatched' first thing. "You could also use an ice roller as an alternative, but I think doing it quickly and all at once is easiest." Maya went on to share her other advice which includes taking off make-up before bed and using eye masks regularly. She added: "I always try not to wear make-up to bed, and I'd say I'm 99 per cent good at that. "It's really important to look after your eyes and I love an eye mask. I make sure I always have an MIJ mask in my bag so I can pop it on in a cab or use it on a flight to keep my eyes hydrated and refreshed."
