London ticket grumbles seen as price of success - The Guardian
Watch out London Collections: Men, here come the Women - fashion.telegraph.co.uk
The British Fashion Council has announced plans to promote London designers' womenswear collections with a special showcase in June.
BY Olivia Bergin | 21 May 2012
A model backstage at Matthew Williamson spring/summer 2012 Photo: SEAN CUNNINGHAM
The gap between February and September's London Fashion Week is a large one, so the British Fashion Council have today announced that they are filling the void with a new event, London Collections: Women.
Hot off the heels of the inaugural London Collections: Men - a three-day showcase of the capital's brightest menswear brands and new talents from June 15-17 - Women will promote the growing number of brands and designers selling mainline or Resort collections during this period.
READ: What to expect from London Collections: Men
"Many designers showing at London Fashion Week have now introduced pre-collections, some for the very first time this season," explains Caroline Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion Council.
"There are great showrooms here in London and we want to encourage as many as orders as possible to be written here."
READ: Prince Charles to host London Collections: Men reception
Designers who have been in business for at least three years will be eligible to apply to show under the umbrella. Their applications will be reviewed by an advisory panel comprised of leading opinion formers, press and retail representatives. Established names such as Matthew Williamson, Mulberry, Alice Temperley and Issa have already signed up. June 18 is slated as the official launch date, but designers have flexibility over the duration of their showroom openings.
London 2012 - Ennis denied PB by hurdle gaffe - Yahoo! Eurosport
British heptathlon star Jessica Ennis was denied a personal best in the 100 metres hurdles - and victory over the Olympic champion - after blundering event organisers in Manchester forgot to place all the required barriers.
Ennis, who is one of the top heptathletes in the world but also an accomplished hurdler, stormed to victory at the Great CityGames in Manchester on Sunday with a career-best time of 12.75 seconds, knocking 0.04s off her previous fastest set last year.
Not only was it her best time, but she had beaten Olympic champion Dawn Harper of the United States in the process.
But officials had only laid out nine of the 10 hurdles, meaning her time was rendered invalid.
"I am so annoyed," said Ennis, who is one of the favourites to win heptathlon Olympic gold in London this summer. "I still had a good competitive race, but I've just not got the result I wanted.
"It’s a massive, massive mess-up. I can’t believe it."
Organisers Nova International admitted to the error, promising a full investigation.
"There has been a technical error and there were nine sets of hurdles out on the course instead of 10," a spokesman for Nova said.
"We'll conduct a thorough investigation and find out what happened and why and by whom.
"It's a very unfortunate mistake, we're very unhappy about it."
Dwain Chambers, who was recently cleared to compete in the Olympics after the British Olympic Association's lifetime ban for convicted dopers was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, was also taking part in his first race in Europe since the decision went in his favour.
Chambers received a warm welcome from the fans before finishing second in a showpiece 150 metres in 15.27 seconds.
The Great CityGames is a special, free event featuring some of the world’s top athletes competing on a specially constructed street track.
It is affiliated with the Great Manchester Run 10,000m race. Haile Gebrselassie won the men’s race, with Linet Masai triumphing for the women.
London 2012: Coldplay to headline Paralympic ceremony - BBC News
Best-selling British band Coldplay are to headline the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
They will take to the stage at the Olympic Stadium on 9 September for the ceremony, titled Festival of Flame.
Frontman Chris Martin called it "a great honour" and said the band were "very happy to be involved".
They will be among more than 2,000 performers at the event. The remaining tickets for the 11-day Paralympic Games went on general sale on Monday.
Martin added: "It will be one of the biggest nights of our lives and we're very excited to try to create a performance for the last night of the games that will close London 2012 in style."
The London 2012 Paralympics run from 29 August and will follow the Olympic Games, which take place from 27 July to 12 August.
The closing ceremonies are being co-ordinated by artistic director Kim Gavin, who has worked on Take That tours and staged the Concert For Diana in 2007.
"Our show will be a celebration of the UK as a centre for festivals, which is a fitting finale to the amazing festival of sport that is the London 2012 Games," he said.
London 2012 chairman Lord Coe said he was "delighted" that Coldplay had signed up to help them celebrate the "spectacular" event.
"The athletes involved in the Paralympic Games are incredible sportsmen and women and I urge everyone to take this chance to be there and to form memories that will last a lifetime," he said.
London Broncos coach Rob Powell understands review decision - BBC News
London Broncos head coach Rob Powell says he understands the club's decision to hold a performance review.
The Twickenham Stoop outfit's board announced the mid-season review last week after picking up just two wins in the Super League so far this year.
Powell told BBC London 94.9: "There's been a decision to look at what we are doing and they are well within their right to do that.
"It's a performance-based industry and we haven't been performing."
He added: "They want to look at who we've got and who's doing what roles. They are right to want to challenge us and make sure we are getting it right.
"How it unfolds is not for me to answer but we're more than happy about it."
The Broncos have the third-worst defensive record in the Super League but following their performance in the 14-12 defeat to Hull FC on Sunday, Powell believes his side are close to turning the corner.
"I think we defended really strongly and if we can build on that, take it forward and do it on a consistent basis, we'll be okay and get through this tough period," he added.
"It's pretty pointless if we only do it once. I'd like to think this is a benchmark that we can achieve more often.
"We've got a very hard-working group of players and staff who want to make amends and make things right.
"There's a lot of effort that goes on behind the scenes in many different departments."
London’s Swiss Church looks to uncertain future - swissinfo
by Andrew Littlejohn in London, swissinfo.ch
London’s Swiss Church community has celebrated its 250th anniversary with the necessary pomp and circumstance, but its concerns are firmly in the future, with the perspective of less funding from home more than likely.
Dignitaries from London and representatives from the Commission of Swiss Churches Abroad mingled with scores of expats this weekend to mark the occasion.
Swiss Ambassador to Britain Anton Thalmann opened the celebratory weekend early Saturday evening with a fundraising reception for the Swiss Church and called the anniversary a “truly historic milestone”.
The original place of worship for expatriates was founded by French-speaking Swiss Protestants in 1762. The current building in Covent Garden was first opened in 1855 and has been their spiritual home of Swiss Protestants in London ever since.
It was designed by George Vulliamy, who was of Swiss descent, and it was largely financed by contributions from the Swiss community, the canton of Zurich and churches in Bern.
More than 50 pastors – French and German - have preached to the Swiss community in London since records began in 1762.
Thalmann went on to describe the close ties the two establishments have shared and how in those early years the church was the main protector of the Swiss abroad.
“For more than forty years, before the consular representation was established in London in 1817, it was the church that acted as Swiss consul,” he told guests. “The pastor kept a registration record of the community and issued passports.”
Oldest parish outside Switzerland
Gottfried Locher, president of the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches, put into perspective just how old the church is.
“We are here celebrating the oldest parish outside of Switzerland,” he said. “There are many cantonal churches in Switzerland that are not as old.”
The Swiss church has survived many challenges in the past. Locher, who was also minister of London’s Swiss Church in the 1990s, praised what he called “this small, but stout” community for bringing people together.
“The two sides of the ‘Röstigraben’, this famous divider between the two parts of Switzerland, have been well and truly alive here for a long time,” he told his audience.
“Many of you will know it was only in the mid-1950s that the two communities actually merged. And when I arrived in 1994, there was still a sense of a divide.”
Changing perspectives
Sunday’s church service was equally celebratory, but as a large part of the 250-member congregation was in attendance, the tone focused more on what was needed for the church to move forward in its current state.
Locher spelled out some of the challenges ahead. He began by making clear there had always been financial constraints on Swiss churches abroad and that it was likely that even less money would be available in the coming years.
“Numbers are down. The average age is up. We need to change our perspectives.”
Locher was not even sure if young people were the future of the church.
“People here have to adapt to reality, as it is,” he said. “There is no point in denying this reality, which as I see it, shows an uncertainty, as to whether younger people will join this community.”
Throughout the two-day event there were constant reminders that a church costs money and if London’s Swiss Church was important to the expatriate community, they would need to ensure that support on all levels.
Challenges ahead
Nathalie Duermueller, who has been the minister of the Swiss Church for the past four years, understands the challenge ahead and she and her team are constantly facing up to the future with creative and realistic plans.
“We often get requests from other local churches to hire our premises. Ventures like this help bring in much-needed revenue,” she said. “We also have artists and musicians who want to exhibit and perform in our premises. Our visual arts programme is starting to get a good reputation among the arts scene in London.”
Duermueller believes these new incentives may also lead to an increase in the size of the congregation.
“This is a Swiss meeting place, but of course it is also a church,” she explained. “If we attract different types of people here through our cultural programmes, these people may connect with the church. We should always remain an open venue that welcomes everybody.”
Andrew Littlejohn in London, swissinfo.ch
Biker babe Audrina Patridge steals the stage at London BMX competition in leather and jeans - mailonsunday.co.uk
By Ann Pride
|
The Hills star Audrina Patridge is enjoying love and life in the fast lane.
The 27-year-old dutifully watched from the sidelines as her BMX biker boyfriend Corey Bohan competed in the Red Bull Empire of Dirt BMX competition today in London.
The brunette bombshell nearly stole the stage as she arrived wearing an adorable grey leather jacket and skin tight black jeans that hugged her figure to perfection.
Biker babe: Audrina Patridge took in the competition on Saturday at a BMX competition in London
She paired the ensemble with high heeled tan boots and sunglasses.
Audrina jetted off to the UK to watch Corey and 35 other riders take part in the slope style contest.
The event took place in front of the Alexandra Palace and Audrina couldn't wait for the competition to get underway.
Dutiful: The reality star jetted off to London to watch her boyfriend compete
Riding high: Audrina's beau Corey Bohan showed off some of his moves
She tweeted: 'At the redbull empire of dirt event in London... Ready to watch.'
The former Dancing With The Stars contestant also got a chance to take in the some of the sights after arriving in London.
On Friday she took to Twitter writing: 'Fun day in London today!!... Big Ben.'
Audrina jetted off to Europe after celebrating her 27th birthday in Cabo San Lucas.
Perplexed: Audrina appeared a little confused by some of the competition
Following her romantic break in the Mexican hotspot, the stunning star headed to Las Vegas where she attended a Wet Republic pool party thrown in her honour.
Despite a host of guests on hand to help Audrina celebrate her special day, she yet again only had eyes for her beau as they splashed around poolside.
Audrina was seen sipping on drinks and it seems the next day the star was feeling the effects of partying hard.
London 2012: Olympic Flame Relay Reaches Exeter On Third Day - huffingtonpost.co.uk
Some of Britain's top sport stars will carry the Olympic Flame as the London 2012 torch relay enters its third day today.
Ashes winning cricketer Marcus Trescothick and Olympic gold medal winning triple jumper Jonathan Edwards are among more than 100 torchbearers who will get to hold the famous torch.
Communities stretching from Exeter, via the north Devon coast, to Taunton in Somerset will see dozens of unsung and hardworking individuals get their moment in the spotlight.
The torchbearers range in age from children from Minehead School to 91-year-old Arthur Gilbert.
Gilbert will be one of the oldest of the 8,000 torchbearers who will carry the Olympic Flame on the way to the July 27 opening ceremony.
The nonagenarian, from Burnham on Sea, will carry the flame through Minehead.
His nomination says he received an MBE in 2008 to recognise 35 years of charity work.
Gilbert ran his first triathlon aged 68 and completed his most recent race in June last year in 2hrs 45min 43sec.
"Arthur lost his son and his wife to cancer recently looking after both of them at home and still keeping his training going," his nominator says.
"He is a shining example to all the young people who use the local sports facilities and has a large following of supporters."
There is also dedicated milkman James Winter, 40, from Chard, who will carry the torch in Minehead.
His nominator says: "The community he delivers the milk in rely on him to be there in all weathers.
"Even in the deepest snow he manages to deliver extra milk and make sure the elderly people on his round are ok and have enough suppliers.
"He goes out of his way to call on people to check they are ok on a weekly basis."
Winter has also completed the London marathon three times for charity.
Organisers will be hoping for a repeat of the packed out scenes that were part of the first two days of the relay when excited people lined the streets of Cornwall and Devon to catch a glimpse of the torch.
Yesterday began at the Plymouth Life Centre with the torch in the hands of 18-year-old Jordan Anderton.
Inspirational former Royal Marine Mark Ormrod, who lost an arm and two legs in a bomb blast in Afghanistan, was a torchbearer in Plymouth.
The relay travelled from Plymouth the Devon south coast of Totnes, Paignton and Torquay before finishing in Exeter for an evening celebration.
More than 8,500 people filled Exeter Cathedral Gardens to watch a live show of music and dance.
The convoy travelling with the flame is made up of 14 core vehicles, including a pilot car, torchbearer drop-off and pick-up shuttles. There are also sponsors, media and security vehicles plus a command car.
The lead convoy provides some entertainment for the crowds. The torchbearer follows about five to seven minutes later.
A crew of approximately 350 people are set to be working on each day of the 70-day relay.
The relay also relies on the work of staff from London 2012, the Metropolitan Police Torch Security Team, the sponsors plus the host police forces and town halls.
She can come and watch me do stunts on my bike whenever she likes :-)
- paul, wallasey, 21/5/2012 12:59
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