Denbigh venue cancels winter weddings due to costs
The rising cost of living is a “perfect storm” for the wedding business, says venue owner Bre Carrington-Sykes A wedding venue is cancelling winter ceremonies – because it cannot afford the heating bill. And it is not just households feeling the pinch as the owner of Pentre Mawr Country House, near Denbigh, has revealed. They […]
Coventry University aims to make immersive art more accessible
A new project designed to make immersive arts experiences more accessible for those with learning disabilities has been launched by Coventry University. The scheme, entitled Inclusive Immersive, has received almost £50,000 in funding from Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants. It will see researchers work with Coventry-based Open Theatre, which works closely with young […]
Why Pharrell Williams’ Lego biopic doesn’t reference Blurred Lines
Focus Features Piece By Piece follows the template of a music documentary and adds fantastical elements through its use of Lego-based animation Piece By Piece, the new documentary about musician Pharrell Williams, is unusual in many respects – not least because it is entirely animated with Lego. Critics have welcomed the film’s unique visual style, […]
Naked intruder and a mystery gun attack
Andersonstown News Strabane Chronicle Banbridge Chronicle Coleraine Times Fermanagh Herald Ulster Gazette A woman who woke up to find a stranger splashing about in her bathtub, and a cancer survivor who opened the door to a masked gunman are among the more dramatic tales in this week’s papers. The naked intruder struck at the home […]
‘I built a million-pound company in my mum’s house’
GIANTX Jack Williams said his company, iTero, “almost failed” in the first six months In his late twenties, Jack Williams left a comfortable finance job in London and retreated to his mum’s cottage in west Wales to build an an AI-based start up. That company he started in Cardigan, Ceredigion, has now been sold for […]
John Lewis, Tesco, Amazon go for tear-jerkers, as others find festive fun
John Lewis A woman goes on a trip down memory lane in the John Lewis Christmas advert The festive season is getting under way again, and so too is the battle of the Christmas adverts. John Lewis has become the latest retailer to beam its festive message into UK homes. The advert, released on Thursday, […]
Government faces industry backlash on Brexit plans
Getty Images The government is facing an unprecedented backlash from five key industries over Boris Johnson’s plans for post-Brexit trading arrangements. The aerospace, automotive, chemicals, food and drink and pharmaceutical sectors warn they could pose “serious risk to manufacturing competitiveness”. Collectively, the sectors employ 1.1 million people, contributing £98bn to the UK economy each year. […]
What could Asda and Morrisons move away from self-checkout mean?
Getty Images Some supermarket chains have said they are refocusing on staffed checkouts After years of encouraging shoppers to scan their own groceries, some supermarkets are checking out a move back to traditional tills. Asda said it would put more staff on checkouts, while Morrisons admitted it might have “gone too far” with self-scan. Northern […]
Stargazing singer is beating his own expectations
BBC Stargazing singer Myles Smith has won BBC Introducing Artist of the Year When Myles Smith reflects on his journey – from an 11-year-old kid playing guitar and piano to a charting artist – he feels he’s continuously exceeded his own expectations. This year, the 26-year-old from Luton has had a top five single, played […]
Do firms have purpose beyond profit?
Getty Images Nationalised companies are on the way back, in Scotland and in the rail sector. One of the reasons is that the British model of the firm is so tarnished and unresponsive to the needs of the age. Radical reform is being urged that would force firms to consider responsibilities beyond their shareholders. The […]