Wedding season will cost the average Brit £800
Summer is upon us and while we are all trying to scrape together the pennies for a getaway we may be overlooking the biggest expense of the season: Weddings. Research has revealed the average adult will fork out almost £800 this wedding season, attending three ceremonies at £266 a pop. Grandparents will end up with the largest bill, spending around £430 on accommodation, gifts, drinks and travel, while the best man will end up with a £313 dent in his...
Last horse-drawn theatre company in the UK under threat
The only remaining travelling horse-drawn theatre troupe in the UK may stop touring after losing crucial Arts Council funding. Sabotage Theatre tour original plays to isolated and rural communities in Kent and Sussex, walking up to 14 miles a day, living outside and cooking with fires. The stage and set are pulled in a cart by two Piebald Cobs. There are several in the US, Canada and Europe, but Sabotage is the only horse-drawn theatre troupe left in the United...
Keyboard Politics: How party political websites changed the general election
The online presence of political parties and candidates has never played a bigger part in the quest for power. From Donald Trump to Jeremy Corbyn, the digital world has helped turn outsiders into leaders. Political party websites are a tool used to attract, engage with and mobilise support, and the recent General Election in the UK was no exception. The growing importance of political websites In a study titled The role of a political party website: Lessons learnt from the...
Brits spend 18 months of their lives mulling over what to eat
Brits will spend 18 months of their lives mulling over what to eat, a study has found. A poll of 2,000 adults found the nation’s love of food means an average of around 35 minutes every day is spent thinking about, choosing, or discussing what to eat. That amounts to around four hours a week or the equivalent of almost nine days over the average year. On top of that, the average adult will also spend 46 minutes a month...
In pictures: Residents told to stay put as council removes cladding
Frightened residents living in a 16-floor tower block say they do not feel safe after part of its cladding failed fire safety checks. Tenants have been told it is safe to stay in their flats while the council removes the cladding from Hanover Tower in Sheffield which contains 125 flats. The removal comes as Jane Dunn, Sheffield City Council's Cabinet Member for Housing, admitted today that the cladding at Hanover Tower was not solid aluminium - as previously understood. Independent fire...
Gigantic “corpse flower” blooms for first time in 13 years
A rare flower that stinks of ROTTING FLESH has bloomed at a prestigious university garden. The Titan Arum - also known as the corpse flower - at Cambridge University's Botanic Garden burst into life on Monday night. Hundreds of people gathered for the occurrence which was happening for the first time in 13 years. The flower emits a rancid stench to attract pollinators and is more pungent at night when it heats up to about 40C. Prof Beverley Glover, director...
Cellist makes emotional return to stage to raise money for epilepsy
When cellist Anna Frazer played her first concerto with a full orchestra, it was an emotional moment for both her and her family. Anna is principal cello at London's Adoramus Orchestra but 16 years ago she made the difficult decision to give up her career as a full- time professional musician when her then six-year-old son William was diagnosed with epilepsy. But when the Radcliffe Orchestra, made up of medics from hospitals in the Oxford area, invited Anna to be...
Theatre Review: HIR, Bush Theatre
When the weather reaches over 30 degrees, all plays should have to incorporate an air conditioning unit into their set by law. Fortunately, HIR has come prepared, and sitting in the auditorium of the Bush Theatre is a sweet, blessed relief after the persistent heat wave raging outside. In the middle of the auditorium is a kitchen, with the audience sitting along each of the two long sides. Both edges of the stage are littered with laundry. Chairs are stacked...
History proves a US-backed regime change in Iran won’t work
The 1953 coup d’état was a failure. How could any politician believe this time would be any different? By Daniel Khalili-Tari Sixty-four years on from the calamitous Operation Ajax backed by the US and Britain why are some US politicians hinting for another regime change in Persia? Why after plunging Iran into a state of complete despair are some Republicans so keen to further abridge Iran? And why is President Trump so eager to use the violent actions of some Iranians...