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The Star
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Couple asks for children's books as wedding gifts to be donated
This is a love story about a couple who found each other a little later in life, after their kids were grown, after their first marriages ended, after life threw a few unexpected twists their way. But it's also a love story about books. Children's books, specifically. First, the couple. Katy Coffey is a delightful, hilarious, artistic force for good in the world. We first met years ago at a brunch hosted by a mutual friend. Coffey was raising two kids as a single mum. I was raising two kids as a single mum. We bonded immediately and then didn't talk for years, as single mums raising two kids are wont to do. But we stayed connected on social media and I watched her posts and photos over the last couple of years start to include, here and there, a tall, handsome, smiling guy named Brian. One day last summer, I ran into them walking along Michigan Avenue. I got to meet tall, handsome, smiling Brian Werle (he has a last name) in person. They looked like they were in love. (You can tell.) We learned that we now live only a few blocks apart; she had sold her house in the suburbs when her kids, Rosie and Beck, were grown and off doing their own things. In March, Coffey posted a photo on Facebook from the Cook County clerk's office. She and Werle were holding up a marriage license. (Plot twist!) They were married two weeks later, on Coffey's birthday. Her son, Beck, and his childhood friend Stas sang All You Need Is Love to the tune of their own guitars. I scrolled through the posts and savoured the abundant joy because I love happy endings and I believe so strongly in new beginnings and also there's nothing more hopeful than a wedding. We so need hopeful right now. And then I saw photos of children's books. Dozens and dozens of children's books, displayed on a table, their joyful, colourful, playful covers just begging to be cracked open. Now, the other love story. Instead of wedding gifts, Coffey and Werle asked for children's books, which they would donate to a place that would put them in kids' hands and ignite kids' wonder and send kids on adventures that will forever shape who they are and how they go through the world. 'When my kids were growing up, we read obsessively,' Coffey said. 'Every day. Every night.' Rosie, Coffey's daughter, has Harold And The Purple Crayon and Strega Nona tattoos, inspired by a couple of her favourite books from childhood. Coffey has a storage unit filled with boxes and boxes of children's books, waiting (patiently, she's quick to add) to be read to grandchildren. 'Reading was really important in both of our households,' Coffey continued, 'and we really felt like there was some kind of connection there.' Through Rosie, who now works for Start Early, a nonprofit focused on early childhood, Coffey and Werle connected with Educare, a child care centre that serves children aged six weeks to five years in Chicago's South Side Washington Park neighbourhood. They asked Educare for a wish list of children's books, and Educare happily obliged. Next they reached out to Women and Children First, an independent bookstore in Chicago's Andersonville neighbourhood on the North Side, and asked for a list of recommendations. Then Coffey and Werle did a little research and wishing of their own and, combining all three lists, built a registry, of sorts. Only instead of dishes and bedding, it was The Rainbow Fish and The Color Monster and Julian Is A Mermaid and Being You. In their wedding invitation, they included a QR code to purchase books from Women and Children First, which shipped the books straight to Coffey and Werle's condo. Then Coffey and Werle brought a bunch of the books to the wedding venue and displayed them on a table with the guests' place cards. A few days later, they delivered 62 books to Educare. 'It felt really good,' Werle said. I love this little slice of kindness in a world that could use some right now. I love that a whole bunch of kids were just gifted a sense of belonging. I love that gift as a celebration of finding where your own heart belongs. 'What we want and need,' Coffey said, 'is for the next generation to feel loved and celebrated, and to feel proud of their diversity and to feel like they've been seen.' What better way to do all that than with piles and piles of children's books? Talk about a happy, hopeful ending. And beginning. – Tribune News Service
Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
The Beatles head to London's West End - plans 'under wraps for months'
Exclusive: The Beatles' songs will feature in a new stage version of the film hit Yesterday which is being turned into a musical The Beatles ' songs are heading to the West End after film supremos Danny Boyle and Richard Curtis decided to turn box office hit Yesterday into a musical. The duo held an event this week in front of major investors, including Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, as they seek a theatre for the new show. An insider revealed: 'This has been kept under wraps for months but it is a huge opportunity, and the prospect of a Beatles musical is too big to miss. 'It's easy to imagine that it could play for years and years. 'There was a performance this week to show the basics of what the production will be, and all the big players in London's theatre world came along. It's a no-brainer that any theatre will want to host it so there is likely to be a bit of a bidding war to secure it. These are the most famous songs of all time, so it could run and run.' The musical will be a repurposed version of the 2019 film, written by Curtis and directed by Boyle. It starred Himesh Patel as a struggling musician who recovers from being hit by a bus, only to find he is the sole person who has ever heard of The Fab Four. It will mean The Beatles' extraordinary back catalogue will be performed on stage, with tracks including The Long And Winding Road, All You Need Is Love and Hey Jude all included, following in the footsteps of hugely successful theatre productions about similarly timeless megastars including Queen and Michael film also featured Lily James. Speaking previously, Curtis said they would not have been able to make the film without the rights to the Beatles' music. He said: "I don't think so. It's been wonderful watching these 50 years of progress, and the way that their music has still lasted, and the way that when you go see school plays – you know, at the end of it, if it's about the environment, everyone will sing 'Here Comes the Sun' or 'Octopus's Garden' or something. "My kid was in a school play about the Battle of Hastings, and at the end, William the Conqueror held Harold the King of England's hand, and they both sang 'We Can Work It Out'. "I think The Beatles are more embedded in culture than anybody else – even though, personally, I couldn't bear a world without Kate Bush. But I don't think it's the same film." On whether it was tough getting the rights to the songs and if he'd spoken to Paul McCartney or Ringo Starr, Richard explained: "No. We dealt a lot with Sony and with Apple. "I think if they'd have said no, it would have been impossible. If we were doing a film about a serial killer who loves The Beatles, they might have said no, but it clearly is quite a pro-Beatles thing."
Forbes
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Beatles Make ‘Abbey Road' A Bestseller Again
Abbey Road returns to Billboard's Vinyl Albums chart at No. 20, leading a trio of reentries as fans ... More snap up The Beatles' classic once again. From left, Paul McCartney, George Harrison (1943-2001), Ringo Starr and John Lennon (1940-1980) of English rock and pop group The Beatles pose together during a press call to promote their performance of the song 'All You Need Is Love' as part of the 'Our World' worldwide satellite broadcast, at Abbey Road Studios in London, 24th June 1967. The band would perform the song live on a global television link up the next day, 25th June. (Photo by Ivan Keeman/Redferns) The Beatles return to the Billboard charts in the U.S. this week — an event that's not entirely unusual, given the band's continued popularity across the generations. But while it's common to spot the group somewhere on the rankings, every now and then, one of its classic albums stages a comeback that stands out from the usual slow-burning chart presence, typically enjoyed by a compilation filled with hits. That's what's happened this frame, as Abbey Road reemerges as a success once again across multiple rankings. This week, Abbey Road finds space on three different Billboard charts. The beloved release had disappeared from each of these lists not long ago, but now it's back – and even a top 20 win on one tally. The highest placement this week for the title comes on the Vinyl Albums chart, where Abbey Road returns at No. 20, a solid reentry for a project that's been around for decades. Elsewhere, the full-length also finds a spot on the Top Album Sales list at No. 42 and manages a more modest showing on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums list, landing at No. 49 — just one position away from the bottom of that roster. The Beatles' return to the charts is due in large part to a noticeable uptick in purchases of Abbey Road. According to Luminate, the title sold a little more than 2,500 copies in the latest tracking period. That's a 16% increase from the week prior. That may not sound massive, but for a collection that first hit shelves more than half a century ago, it's a meaningful boost. Of all the albums in the Beatles' catalog, Abbey Road is one of the most commercially successful, and certainly among the most beloved. The collection has already topped each of the three charts it appears on this week, and it's remained a steady performer since long before Billboard began tracking vinyl sales as a standalone metric. The title is inching toward a major milestone on the Vinyl Albums chart. Abbey Road has now spent 489 weeks on that tally. If it can remain present for just a few more frames this year – which seems highly likely – it will become one of only a handful of releases in history to hit 500 weeks on the vinyl-exclusive ranking. Abbey Road was originally released in 1969 and stands as one of the final albums the Beatles shared together. The project includes some of the band's most familiar hits, like 'Come Together' and 'Here Comes the Sun,' and its now-iconic cover — featuring the four members crossing the street outside London's Abbey Road Studios — has become one of the most recognizable images in music history.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wiregrass residents join national 'Hands Off' movement; voice frustration towards President Trump's administration
DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — Wiregrass residents protested Saturday in the Circle City. They opposed President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's actions on government downsizing, the economy, human rights, and other issues. 'President Trump is dismantling a lot of the three branches of government and taking unilateral action in eliminating a lot of federal programs,' Protester Jeneve Brooks said. 'That needs to be decided by the three branches.' The protesters participated in a demonstration called 'Hands Off' at the Houston County Courthouse, which was one of more than 1,200 demonstrations to take place across the country on Saturday. Demonstrators voiced anger over the administration's moves to fire thousands of federal workers, close Social Security Administration field offices, effectively shutter entire agencies, deport immigrants, scale back protections for transgender people, and cut funding for health programs. 'It's kind of like a big businessman taking over a corporation,' Protester Lynn Peterson said. 'This is a cooperate takeover that he is doing. He is installing his board of directors, he's changing the policies, and he is stripping out the employees who make a quality country.' Protesters held signs that read 'Hands Off'. They were asking for changes to be made and for everyone's voice to be heard. 'Love, peace, and happiness, and no king,' Protester Michelle Newman said. 'We want everybody to have a voice, and all I hear is the Beatles song, 'All You Need Is Love'. Love one another.' The protesters gathered for several hours on Saturday, and each time a passing car supported their protest, the driver would honk. 'It's really a large group of people, even here in the Wiregrass, what we typically think is Trump country,' Brooks said. 'There are a lot of people who feel strongly that we have to preserve our democracy. ' Some people protested the treatment of veterans by the administration. 'He is killing veterans,' Protester Lisa Lopez said. 'I am literally a dead veteran walking, I have cancer. My research has been cut because of the cuts to the National Institutes of Health, and the veterans crisis line staffing has been cut.' Others asked the Trump administration not to take needed resources from schools. 'We need more resources, we need more support, not less,' Protester Emily Hoekenga said. 'For our kids to have the opportunities they deserve, they need to have a good education, and we need to support that as a state and as a nation.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Charity concert remembers teenager killed in crash
A fundraising concert will be held at a food festival this summer to raise money for a charity set up in memory of a teenager who died with three friends in a car accident. Harvey Owen, 17, from Shrewsbury, was one of the passengers when he died near Garreg, Gwynedd, in 2023. His mother, Crystal Owen, has campaigned for stricter laws for newly qualified drivers and has delivered a petition to Downing Street. Mrs Owen set up the Shine On With Harvey Owen charity, which supports music and arts activities for young people, in memory of her son. Funds from the concert at the Shrewsbury Food Festival on 28 June will go towards the cause. Harvey, along with Hugo Morris, 18, Wilf Fitchett, 17, and Jevon Hirst, 16, all from Shrewsbury, died when their car left a rural road while they were on a camping trip. The car flipped onto its roof in a flooded ditch, leaving the boys trapped. The petition handed to Downing Street was signed by 100,000 people. Proposed measures include a law stopping newly qualified drivers from carrying young passengers unless an adult is with them. In a statement on the festival website, Ms Owen said the event not only celebrated her son's legacy but also sought to raise road safety awareness. She said she hoped the charity would ensure her son's light "continues to shine brightly". She added: "One of Harvey's favourite songs was 'All You Need Is Love' by the Beatles. I hope everyone leaves this event feeling the love and wanting to pass that love on." The food festival's hours will be extended on 28 June, with children's areas and chef and exhibitor areas closing at 18:30 BST and live music from 18:15 until 22:00. Organisers said, as part of the charity's mission, the festival would raise awareness of road safety. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Mum takes driver safety petition to Downing Street 'Charity will help my son's memory live on' Crash that killed four teens avoidable - inquest Shine On Charity Concert Shrewsbury Food Festival
