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Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Much-loved Bishop Auckland ice cream business and Victorian prams in new Kynren show
A fire engine, Victorian prams and a much-loved County Durham family ice cream business will be remembered at Kynren this year. Rossi's ice cream parlour, a replica fire engine and genuine Victorian prams will take centre stage at the revamped outdoor show in Bishop Auckland, which returns with its latest spectacular next month. The Rossi family, long-time volunteers at Kynren, have been honoured this season for their contribution. An ice cream cart will bear the Rossi family name, paying homage to Mark Rossi's grandfather who started an ice cream business in Bishop Auckland in the 1920s. Rossi's in 1981 as its demolition for road-widening became inevitable. This picture shows Bob Corkin, of Shildon, an "amateur photographer who takes pictures of buildings before they are demolished", according to the caption (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO) Mr Rossi said: "It's such a pleasure to be a part of the Kynren family – alongside my actual family. "I have countless sketch books, drawings and designs of many of the show's props and seeing them come to life on stage is always amazing. "I think we'll all be a bit emotional to see the Rossi name on stage as our very own ice cream cart is wheeled out this summer." For 60 years, Rossi's was a favoured meeting place on Newgate Street for those who enjoyed coffee, ice cream and canoodling. In the early 1980s, the café was demolished to enable South Church Road to be widened, and the business moved to the Market Place, where it continued until 1998. The Rossi family outside their ice cream parlour in the former Waterloo Hotel in the 1920s (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO) The blockbuster Kynren production is set to return to the Bishop Auckland venue for its tenth anniversary on Saturday, July 19, featuring a reimagined scene from Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Parade. The new section will boast 311 props and costumes, 186 characters, and 18 horses, alongside the fire engine and prams. These props have been sourced from across the country, including Spennymoor, and will transport audiences back to Victorian London as nannies push the prams along the stage. A toddler tries out the Victoria pram (Image: North News & Pictures Ltd) Anna Warnecke, CEO at Kynren, said: "This new scene is more complex than anything we've done before, but that's what keeps everyone excited and engaged – our cast loves a challenge. "And whilst the London setting will be instantly recognisable, we couldn't resist including parts of our local history and local people in the performance who have such a huge impact on what Kynren is." The fire engine has been digitally rendered using one originally built in 1890 and found in County Durham's Beamish Living Museum. Ms Warnecke added: "The new prop is modelled off the real fire engine named 'Nelson' which was dedicated to Bishop Auckland's GP as a retirement gift in recognition of his service to the area and now lives at Beamish. "We're delighted to feature this part of Bishop Auckland's history in Kynren and it was wonderful to work with Beamish Living Museum on this project, shining a light on this fascinating piece of local heritage." Read more: Plans to create 'event space' on site of former Darlington manor Residents at Darlington house site says situation is "massive joke" 10 years on School's summer music spectacular raises funds for arts and African hospital The 3,000 props which feature throughout the show help to tell the country's 2,000-year-old tale. The 2025 season kicks off on Saturday, July 19 and runs until Saturday, September 13, offering audiences a journey through 2,000 years of British history, myth, and legend. For more information and to book tickets, visit


Telegraph
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
The French navy is full of ships named after men who beat us. Don't rename HMS Agincourt
'Vive notre ami l'ennemi', wrote a patriotic French songwriter sarcastically in the 1820s, after peace had returned and multitudes of British tourists again flocked to Paris. No need to ask who the friendly enemy was. For more than two centuries we have been peaceful neighbours and indeed allies in three major and a few minor wars. We have had two 'ententes cordiales' – one was clearly not enough – and now have a th century visitor to London got annoyed after his cab drove him from Waterloo Station via Waterloo Bridge and Waterloo Square to the Waterloo Hotel: he gave the cabby a good thrashing. Perhaps someone in Whitehall received a verbal thrashing from our French friends when they discovered that the latest Astute Class submarine was to be named HMS Agincourt , adding insult to the injury of the Aukus pact which so upset M Macron. Or could it be that the French didn't care what we called the submarine, and that the person in Whitehall was simply The French are not so meek. After all, their navy's glorious traditions are based above all on its battles against perfidious Albion. At least six of its major warships today bear the names of men who fought against us, and sometimes fought dirty. The frigate Surcouf is named after Robert Surcouf, a highly successful slave trader (whoops!) and privateer who made a fortune attacking British merchantmen. The submarine Duguay-Trouin honours René Trouin, Sieur du Gué, another privateer and occasional slave trader who preyed successfully on English and Scottish merchantmen and captured several Royal Navy warships, for which he was ennobled and rose to be an admiral. The submarine Suffren honours Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez, bailli de Suffren (the French navy, with its notably aristocratic tradition, has many heroes with splendid names). He fought the British to a standstill in the Indian Ocean. The frigate La Fayette is named after the famous Marie-Joseph Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette, who helped the Americans rebel in 1776. The submarine Tourville commemorates Anne-Hilarion de Costentin, Comte de Tourville, who inflicted a serious defeat at Beachy Head in 1690, when he captured or sank seven ships. The destroyer Forbin recalls Claude, comte de Forbin-Gardanne, who sank or captured many British ships, and also helped Bonny Prince Charlie to invade in 1745. The frigate Chevalier Paul honours Jean-Paul de Saumeur, whose many exploits include sinking a British ship that had failed to salute the French flag (nearly all the crew drowned). Until it retired recently, the submarine Casabianca commemorated Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca, a French Revolution politician and later naval officer under Napoleon, killed by Nelson's fleet at the Battle of the Nile when his ship blew up. His young son, who also died, was the hero of the poem that begins 'The boy stood on the burning deck …' Given the pride shown by 'la Royale' in its glorious history of bashing the Brits and being bashed in return, I would be surprised if it had been upset by our calling a submarine Agincourt . After all, we already have
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The French navy is full of ships named after men who beat us. Don't rename HMS Agincourt
'Vive notre ami l'ennemi', wrote a patriotic French songwriter sarcastically in the 1820s, after peace had returned and multitudes of British tourists again flocked to Paris. No need to ask who the friendly enemy was. For more than two centuries we have been peaceful neighbours and indeed allies in three major and a few minor wars. We have had two 'ententes cordiales' – one was clearly not enough – and now have a close defence relationship. Yet there has always remained a certain sensitivity on both sides of the Channel. One highly-strung 19th century visitor to London got annoyed after his cab drove him from Waterloo Station via Waterloo Bridge and Waterloo Square to the Waterloo Hotel: he gave the cabby a good thrashing. Perhaps someone in Whitehall received a verbal thrashing from our French friends when they discovered that the latest Astute Class submarine was to be named HMS Agincourt, adding insult to the injury of the Aukus pact which so upset M Macron. Or could it be that the French didn't care what we called the submarine, and that the person in Whitehall was simply showing a reflex desire to apologise? The French are not so meek. After all, their navy's glorious traditions are based above all on its battles against perfidious Albion. At least six of its major warships today bear the names of men who fought against us, and sometimes fought dirty. The frigate Surcouf is named after Robert Surcouf, a highly successful slave trader (whoops!) and privateer who made a fortune attacking British merchantmen. The submarine Duguay-Trouin honours René Trouin, Sieur du Gué, another privateer and occasional slave trader who preyed successfully on English and Scottish merchantmen and captured several Royal Navy warships, for which he was ennobled and rose to be an admiral. The submarine Suffren honours Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez, bailli de Suffren (the French navy, with its notably aristocratic tradition, has many heroes with splendid names). He fought the British to a standstill in the Indian Ocean. The frigate La Fayette is named after the famous Marie-Joseph Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette, who helped the Americans rebel in 1776. The submarine Tourville commemorates Anne-Hilarion de Costentin, Comte de Tourville, who inflicted a serious defeat at Beachy Head in 1690, when he captured or sank seven ships. The destroyer Forbin recalls Claude, comte de Forbin-Gardanne, who sank or captured many British ships, and also helped Bonny Prince Charlie to invade in 1745. The frigate Chevalier Paul honours Jean-Paul de Saumeur, whose many exploits include sinking a British ship that had failed to salute the French flag (nearly all the crew drowned). Until it retired recently, the submarine Casabianca commemorated Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca, a French Revolution politician and later naval officer under Napoleon, killed by Nelson's fleet at the Battle of the Nile when his ship blew up. His young son, who also died, was the hero of the poem that begins 'The boy stood on the burning deck …' Given the pride shown by 'la Royale' in its glorious history of bashing the Brits and being bashed in return, I would be surprised if it had been upset by our calling a submarine Agincourt. After all, we already have HMS Iron Duke. 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.