Placeholder Content Image

Does British tourism really need the royal family?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ross-bennett-cook-1301368">Ross Bennett-Cook</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-westminster-916">University of Westminster</a></em></p> <p>Love them or loathe them, the royal family are up there with red telephone boxes and scones when it comes to images of Britishness. Souvenir shops are full of their faces, newspapers across the world discuss them, and <a href="https://www.euronews.com/culture/2022/09/13/netflixs-the-crown-skyrockets-in-popularity-following-the-queens-death">television dramas</a> based on their lives have never been more popular.</p> <p>Whenever people are critical of the royal family, the oft-repeated retort is “but think of the tourism!”. This has been particularly common rhetoric recently, as <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/royal-family/who-paid-for-coronation-b2334669.html">many people question</a> how a country facing mass strikes and a crippling cost of living crisis can afford the estimated <a href="https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/explained/how-much-king-charles-iii-coronation-cost-who-pays-for-it/">£100 million</a> cost of King Charles III’s coronation.</p> <p>In a recent <a href="https://yougov.co.uk/topics/arts/survey-results/daily/2023/04/18/25178/3">YouGov poll</a>, 51% did not believe the coronation should be paid for by taxpayers. For young people, this figure was even higher, at 62%. But supporters will often use <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/charles-iii-ap-coronation-buckingham-palace-elizabeth-ii-b2326220.html">tourism</a> as justification for lavish expenses.</p> <p>The royal family does bring tourism to the UK. The economic consultancy Centre for Economics and Business Research <a href="https://cebr.com/reports/uk-economy-raises-a-glass-to-337-million-coronation-boost-from-tourism-and-pub-activity/">estimated</a> that the coronation weekend would lead to a £337 million boost from tourism and pub spending.</p> <p>But if the royal family were to disappear, would the UK’s tourism industry suddenly implode?</p> <p>2011 research by <a href="https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20140722183820/http://www.visitbritain.org/mediaroom/archive/2011/vbrwwedding.aspx">Visit Britain</a> found that around 60% of tourists to the UK are likely to visit places associated with the royal family. While there is no more recent specifically royal data, in 2022 Visit Britain found that history and heritage was the biggest <a href="https://www.visitbritain.org/MIDAS-research-project">pull factor to tourists</a>.</p> <p>And while the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1468797606071477">international perception</a> of Britain is certainly intertwined with the royal family, this does not tell us whether a reigning royal family is necessary for tourism. After all, the history surrounding the monarchy and places associated with them would still be here even if the royal family was not. Ottoman palaces of Istanbul remain <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/most-visited-castles-palaces/index.html">wildly popular</a> attractions 100 years since the collapse of the caliphate, as are the royal châteaus of France or imperial palaces of China.</p> <p>Lack of royalty does not seem to have affected these countries’ appeal, each of which attract <a href="https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/epdf/10.18111/wtobarometereng.2020.18.1.7">more tourists</a> annually than the UK.</p> <h2>A special relationship</h2> <p>The USA is the UK’s <a href="https://www.visitbritain.org/inbound-tourism-trends-old">largest tourist market</a>, and <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/05/05/coronation-american-tourists-britain-boom-royal-family-usa/">American tourists</a> do seem to be very fond of things associated with British royalty.</p> <p>But this may change with the new monarch. In a <a href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/entertainment/articles-reports/2021/02/17/british-royals-popular-america-poll">poll taken in February 2021</a>, before the death of Queen Elizabeth II, a whopping 68% of Americans viewed her favourably. The same poll found only 34% had a favourable opinion of Charles – but this has changed in his favour following his accession to the throne, according to a <a href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/international/articles-reports/2023/05/05/americans-think-british-royal-family-charles">poll taken before the coronation</a> which gave him a 50% approval rating in the US. That said, 62% of people in the US said they did not care about the coronation very much or at all.</p> <p>Outside America, the UK’s next largest tourist groups have significantly less interest in the royal family. The holiday firm <a href="https://www.traveldailymedia.com/study-reveals-importance-of-royal-family-to-uk-tourism-industry/">Travelzoo</a> found in 2016 that just 19% of German, 15% of French and only 10% of Spanish travellers want to come to the UK because of the British monarchy.</p> <h2>Where do tourists go?</h2> <p>Typically, when commentators discuss the royal contributions to tourism, they talk about significant events such as weddings, jubilees, coronations and funerals. Even though these events attract huge crowds, they happen rarely and are unrepresentative of the tourism industry as a whole. Research <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13548166211004361">has found</a> that royal weddings massively improve a country’s image and brand awareness, but are not comparable to major mega events such as the Fifa World Cup, the Super Bowl or the Olympics.</p> <p>Even though royal places are popular, they are far from our most popular attractions. Of Britain’s <a href="https://www.visitbritain.org/annual-survey-visits-visitor-attractions-latest-results">ten most visited</a> free and paid-for attractions in 2021, none were royal attractions. The <a href="https://www.visitbritain.org/sites/default/files/vb-corporate/top_20_listings.pdf">highest ranking</a> royal attraction was the Tower of London, making only 17th on the list.</p> <p>Typically, Chester Zoo attracts more visitors than Windsor Castle or Buckingham Palace, although these statistics do not differentiate between domestic and international tourists. In the most recent <a href="https://www.windsor.gov.uk/dbimgs/Windsor%202017%20Visitor%20Survey%20final%20report%2028_11_17.pdf">Windsor visitor survey</a>, the majority of its tourists came from overseas.</p> <p>Anti-monarchy group <a href="https://www.republic.org.uk/tourism">Republic</a> has disputed the widely cited figure that the monarchy generates £500 million in tourism income for the UK annually – which itself would be only a small fraction of Britain’s £127 billion tourism economy.</p> <p>The group also questions why royalty <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hL9yDOK48A">barely feature</a> on British tourism campaigns or advertisements, if they are so vital to the tourism economy.</p> <p>It is impossible to deny that royalty adds to the UK’s appeal as a tourist destination – the history and associated heritage is famous worldwide. However, what is questionable is whether a reigning monarchy is necessary for this attractiveness to continue.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205158/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ross-bennett-cook-1301368"><em>Ross Bennett-Cook</em></a><em>, Visiting Lecturer, School of Architecture + Cities, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-westminster-916">University of Westminster</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-british-tourism-really-need-the-royal-family-205158">original article</a>.</em></p>

International Travel

Placeholder Content Image

“Devastated”: Britain's Got Talent star dies at 52

<p dir="ltr"><em>Britain’s Got Talent</em> star Paula Moulton has died at 52-years-old.</p> <p dir="ltr">Paula, who was part of the wheelchair dance act Strictly Wheels, became a fan favourite when she appeared as a contestant on the hit show in 2012 with her dance partner Gary Lyness.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her death was announced on the <em>Strictly Wheels</em> Facebook account on Thursday. “We are devastated to announce the sudden passing of our co-founder Paula,” the post began.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this extremely sad time. Paula's legacy will always live in our memories from her utter joy of dance.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Although the cause of death has not yet been confirmed, Paula had been struggling with the effects of her battle with the MRSA superbug, which she contracted in 1995 after suffering from pneumonia.</p> <p dir="ltr">The infection left her with nerve damage which impacted her pelvis, lower spine, hips and femurs.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite this Paula didn’t let it crush her spirit, and alongside her partner Gary, she has achieved a lot over her lifetime.</p> <p dir="ltr">In 2016 the pair launched the charity <em>Strictly Wheels</em>, as part of their mission to raise the profile of wheelchair dancing and promote “Ability not Disability”.</p> <p dir="ltr">In 2018, they ranked eighth in the world in Latin Wheelchair Dance after competing in the World Para Dance competition at IPC Level.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fans have taken to the comment section to share their condolences.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My heart is broken! My deepest condolences to family and friends! She will be missed,” wrote one fan.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Paula Moulton was a wonderful dancer from Great Britain, who will be missed dearly ♡ she was warm and always welcomed newcomers with open arms. This is a huge shock to everyone involved with paradancesport all around the world. Our deepest condolences to her friends and family.❤️” wrote another.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m shocked and saddened to hear this - love and condolences to all, and rest in peace, Paula x” commented a third.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Britain’s Got Talent burned by 334 complaints after "insensitive" stunt

<p><strong>Warning: This article contains content that some readers may find disturbing.</strong></p> <p><em>Britain’s Got Talent</em> is in hot water with its 16th season after the second episode drew in a staggering 334 complaints - a total of 400 across both episodes, Ofcom reported. </p> <p>The stunt that caused the ire, dubbed “insensitive” and “unacceptable” by the public, saw a professional stuntman named Thomas Vu cover himself in a fire-retardant gel, before he was set alight and left to solve a Rubik’s Cube.</p> <p>In the wake of the stunt, hosts Ant and Dec were quick to issue a warning to viewers, telling them “do not try this at home, ever.” </p> <p>And when the clip was uploaded to the official <em>BGT</em> Twitter account, the text ‘do not try this at home’ is splashed across the video. </p> <p>However, distressed viewers still took to the comments section to share their distaste, with one writing that it was “absolutely ridiculous and irresponsible [and] should never have been allowed to be televised especially on a family programme!!”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Stuntman Thomas Vu solved the Rubik's cube in the most UNEXPECTED way: <a href="https://t.co/nSEWOokCSb">https://t.co/nSEWOokCSb</a></p> <p>Do not try this at home!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BGT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BGT</a> <a href="https://t.co/awPLBTmaEf">pic.twitter.com/awPLBTmaEf</a></p> <p>— BGT (@BGT) <a href="https://twitter.com/BGT/status/1649110690987376642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>“BGT totally ill-considered showing a guy setting himself on fire whilst solving a Rubik’s Cube,” tweeted another. “No thought to the fact that impressionable children watch the show.”</p> <p>“Don’t get me wrong,” one began, “people do crazy stuff and it’s their choice and that’s fine by me but maybe that last act should have been well after the 9pm watershed?? Not sure that kind of playing with fire thing is suitable for young kids who probably stay up to watch <em>BGT.</em>”</p> <p>“Like what has <em>BGT</em> come to when we set people on fire for entertainment,” someone else said on the matter. </p> <p>And as yet another user put it, “sorry but showing a man setting himself on fire on a ‘family’ show is not acceptable. Even with the mention ‘do not try this at home’.”</p> <p>Concern for children continued from there, with one tweeting “The Rubik’s Cube fire stunt on <em>BGT</em> was totally inappropriate. Did you not think about burn victims and how seeing this would affect them?”</p> <p>Meanwhile, others simply found the stunt to be insensitive, with one even referencing the 1965 Bradford City disaster when they wrote “I just find this insensitive to anyone that has been through any trauma caused by fire.”</p> <p>Criticism for the episode was so intense, coupled with the volume of complaints flowing in, that the show was forced to issue a statement, telling viewers “<em>Britain’s Got Talent </em>showcases a mix of variety acts to engage audiences. </p> <p>“In this case, it was made very clear on screen that this act should not be tried at home and the programme was subject to strict compliance rules."</p> <p><em>Images: Britain’s Got Talent / ITV</em></p>

Body

Placeholder Content Image

Nigella Lawson speaks on her father’s death for the first time

<p>Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson has shared an update with her social media followers, thanking them for their support following her father’s death. </p> <p>The news of his passing was covered by the BBC and <em>The Guardian </em>on April 4, naming the former conservative chancellor as “one of the most consequential of all post-war UK chancellors”. </p> <p>Nigel Lawson was 91 years old when he passed, with a political career of almost five decades to his name. He served under Margaret Thatcher during the 1980s, holding a number of different roles, before retiring to the backbench in 1992. He went on to sit in the House of Lords until his retirement, just three short months before his passing. </p> <p>Nigel is survived by six children, and it was the 63-year-old Nigella who took to Twitter to express her gratitude to her 2.7 million followers for the love and support being directed to their family in their time of grief, as well as assuring them that while she needed some time, she would return to them. </p> <p>“Thank you for all your kind messages,” she wrote. “And I’ll be back on here properly tomorrow.” </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you for all your kind messages. And I’ll be back on here properly tomorrow</p> <p>— Nigella Lawson (@Nigella_Lawson) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nigella_Lawson/status/1643303805151240209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>“Thinking of you, dearest girl. Your father was always kind and a consummate gentleman whenever I came across him as a journalist,” journalist Pádraig Belton wrote in response, before sharing a brief insight into his experiences with the late Nigel. </p> <p>“Been thinking of you, and Dominic and your kids today. Your dad was an interesting man,” editor Fiammetta Rocco said. “Scary, but very smart.”</p> <p>“Be well. Know that you are loved. Holding you and your family in prayer during this time of loss,” a reverend offered. </p> <p>“Don't rush yourself - give yourself enough time to process it all. Wrap yourself in the good memories &amp; cosset yourself however you choose about the not so good,” one kind supporter advised. “Take care of yourself first - we can all wait.”</p> <p>Nigella wasn’t the only notable figure to note Nigel’s death on social media, with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sharing his condolences with his own 1.9 million followers.</p> <p>"One of the first things I did as Chancellor was hang a picture of Nigel Lawson above my desk," he said.</p> <p>"He was a transformational Chancellor and an inspiration to me and many others. My thoughts are with his family and friends at this time."</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">One of the first things I did as Chancellor was hang a picture of Nigel Lawson above my desk.</p> <p>He was a transformational Chancellor and an inspiration to me and many others.</p> <p>My thoughts are with his family and friends at this time. <a href="https://t.co/SPwcnoUFnQ">pic.twitter.com/SPwcnoUFnQ</a></p> <p>— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) <a href="https://twitter.com/RishiSunak/status/1642988449258160128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>And Britain’s former prime minister Boris Johnson also had something to offer, writing that Nigel “was a fearless and original flame of free market Conservatism. He was a tax-cutter and simplifier who helped transform the economic landscape and helped millions of British people achieve their dreams … He was a prophet of Brexit and a lover of continental Europe. He was a giant. </p> <p>“My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

"Prima donna in pigtails": how Julie Andrews the child star embodied the hopes of post-war Britain

<p>In June, the American Film Institute presented its 48th Life Achievement Award, the highest honour in American cinema, to the beloved stage-and-screen star <a href="https://www.afi.com/laa/julie-andrews/">Julie Andrews</a>. </p> <p>On conferring the award, the AFI praised Andrews as “a legendary actress” who “has enchanted and delighted audiences around the world with her uplifting and inspiring body of work”.</p> <p>As anyone who has seen <em>Mary Poppins</em> (1964) or <em>The Sound of Music</em> (1965) can attest, “uplift” is central to the <a href="https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2002/female-glamour-and-star-power/andrews/">Julie Andrews screen persona</a>. </p> <p>It is a sweetness-and-light image that is easy to lampoon. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZtTQSbl-nw/?hl=en">Andrews herself</a> is alleged to have quipped “sometimes I’m so sweet even I can’t stand it”. But it’s an element of feel-good edification that fuels much of the star’s iconic appeal.</p> <p>The idea of Julie Andrews as a figure of uplift has a long history. </p> <p>Decades before she attained global film stardom in Hollywood, Andrews enjoyed an early career as <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19392397.2022.2109303">a child performer</a>. </p> <p>Billed as “Britain’s youngest singing star”, she performed widely on the postwar concert and variety circuit with forays into radio, gramophone recording and even early television. </p> <p>Possessing a precociously mature soprano voice, Andrews was widely promoted in the era as a <a href="https://paralleljulieverse.tumblr.com/post/63601790519/julies-status-as-a-juvenile-prodigy-possessed">child prodigy</a>. A 1945 BBC talent report filed when the young singer was just nine years old enthused over “this wonderful child discovery” whose “breath control, diction, and range is quite extraordinary for so young a child”.</p> <h2>‘Infant prodigy of trills’</h2> <p>Andrews made her professional West End debut in 1947 where she dazzled audiences with a coloratura performance of the <em>Polonaise from Mignon</em>. Newspapers were ablaze with stories about the “12-year-old singing prodigy with the phenomenal voice”.</p> <p>Reports claimed the pint-sized singer had a vocal range of over four octaves, a fully formed adult larynx and an upper <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistle_register">whistle register</a> so high dogs would be beckoned whenever she sang. </p> <p>On the back of such stories, Andrews was given a slew of lionising monikers: “prima donna in pigtails”, “infant prodigy of trills”, “the miracle voice” and “Britain’s juvenile coloratura”.</p> <p>While much of it was PR hype, the representation of Andrews as an extraordinary musical prodigy resonated deeply with postwar British audiences. The devastation of the war cast <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK436946/">a long shadow</a>, and there was a keen sense a collective social rejuvenation was needed to reestablish national wellbeing. </p> <p>The figure of the child was pivotal to the rhetoric of postwar British reconstruction. From political calls for <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0363199020945746">expanded child welfare</a> to the era’s booming <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/30036327">family-oriented consumerism</a>, images of children saturated the cultural landscape, serving as a lightning rod for both <a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/growing-up-in-the-second-world-war">social anxieties and hopes</a>.</p> <p>In her status as “Britain’s youngest singing star”, Andrews chimed with these postwar discourses of child-oriented renewal. </p> <p>A popular myth even traced her prodigious talent to the very heart of the Blitz. Like a scene from a morale-boosting melodrama, the story claimed the young Andrews was huddled one night with family and friends in a Beckenham air raid shelter. In the middle of a communal singalong, a powerful voice suddenly materialised out of her tiny frame, astonishing all into silent delight.</p> <h2>‘Our Julie’</h2> <p>One of the most pointed alignments of Andrews’ juvenile stardom with a discourse of postwar British nationalism came with her appearance at the <a href="https://www.royalvarietycharity.org/royal-variety-performance/archive/detail/1948-london-palladium-">1948 Royal Command Variety Performance</a>. </p> <p>Appearing just two weeks after her 13th birthday, Andrews was the youngest artist ever to participate in the annual event. It generated considerable media coverage and yet another grand nickname: “command singer in pigtails”. </p> <p>Andrews performed a solo set at the event, and was also charged with leading the national anthem at the close.</p> <p>Ideals of restorative nationalism shaped Andrews’ child stardom in other ways. </p> <p>Much of her early repertoire was markedly British, drawn from the English classical canon and rounded out by traditional folk songs. </p> <p>Press reports emphasised, for all her remarkable talent, “our Julie” was still a typical English girl thoroughly unspoiled by fame. In accompanying images she would appear in idyllic scenarios of classic English childhood: playing with dolls, riding her bicycle, doing her homework.</p> <p>Elsewhere, commentary was rife with speculations about Andrews’ prospects as “the next <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelina_Patti">Adelina Patti</a>” or “future <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_Pons">Lily Pons</a>”. The mix of nostalgia and hope helped make the young Andrews a reassuring figure in the anxious landscape of postwar Britain. </p> <h2>All grown up</h2> <p>Little prodigies can’t remain little forever. There lies the troubled rub for many child stars, doomed by biology to lose their principal claim to fame. </p> <p>In Andrews’ case, she was able to make the successful transition to adult stardom – and even greater fame – by moving country and professional register into the American stage and screen musical. </p> <p>Still, the themes of therapeutic uplift that defined her early child stardom would follow Julie Andrews as she graduated to become the world’s favourite singing nanny.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/prima-donna-in-pigtails-how-julie-andrews-the-child-star-embodied-the-hopes-of-post-war-britain-188363" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Music

Placeholder Content Image

How whiteness was invented and fashioned in Britain’s colonial age of expansion

<p>Fashion <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Force-of-Fashion-in-Politics-and-Society-Global-Perspectives-from-Early/Lemire/p/book/9781138274228">is political — today as in the past</a>. As Britain’s Empire dramatically expanded, people of all ranks lived with clothing and everyday objects in startlingly different ways than generations before. </p> <p>The years between 1660 and 1820 saw the expansion of the British empire and commercial capitalism. The <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/ca/cotton-9781845202996">social politics of Britain’s cotton trade</a> mirrored profound global transformations bound up with technological and industrial revolutions, social modernization, colonialism and slavery. </p> <p>As history educators and researchers Abdul Mohamud and Robin Whitburn note, the British “<a href="https://www.bl.uk/restoration-18th-century-literature/articles/britains-involvement-with-new-world-slavery-and-the-transatlantic-slave-trade">monarchy started the large-scale involvement of the English in the slave trade</a>” after 1660.</p> <p>Vast <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-British-Cotton-Trade-1660-1815-Vol-2/Lemire/p/book/9781138757943">profits poured in from areas of plantation slavery</a>, particularly from the Caribbean. The mass enslavement of Africans was at the heart of this brutal system, with laws and policing enforcing Black subjugation <a href="https://schoolshistory.org.uk/topics/british-empire/economic-consequences-of-empire/slave-resistance/">in the face of repeated resistance from enslaved</a> people.</p> <p>Western fashion reflected the racialized politics that infused this period. Indian cottons and European linens <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/global-trade-and-the-transformation-of-consumer-cultures/A7517EB8FB5003114662BA428501AB79">were now traded in ever-rising volumes</a>, feeding the vogue for lighter and potentially whiter textiles, ever more in demand. </p> <p>My scholarship explores dimensions of whiteness through material histories — how whiteness was fashioned in labour structures, routines, esthetics and everyday practices.</p> <h2>Whiteness on many scales</h2> <p>Enslaved men and women were never given white clothes, unless as part of livery (servants’ uniforms, which were sometimes very luxurious). Wearing white textiles became a marker of status in urban centres, in colonizing nations and in colonies. Textile whiteness was a transient state demanding constant renewal, shaping ecologies of style. The resulting Black/white dichotomy hardened as profits from enslavement soared, with a striking impact on culture.</p> <p>Whiteness in clothing, decor and fashion was amplified, becoming a marker of status. Elaborate washing techniques were used to achieve material goals. </p> <p>British sociologist Vron Ware emphasizes “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822381044-009">the importance of thinking about whiteness on many different scales</a>,” including “as an interconnected global system, having different inflections and implications depending on where and when it has been produced.” Accordingly, fabrics, laundry and fashion were entangled in imperial aims. </p> <h2>Pristine whiteness in garments</h2> <p>Laundering was codified in household manuals from the late 1660s, a chore overseen by housewives and housekeepers. Women with fewer options sweated over washtubs, engaged in ubiquitous labour with the aim of pristine whiteness. </p> <p>In colonial and plantation regions, where lightweight fabrics were key, Black enslaved women were tasked with this never-ending drudgery. Only a few profited personally from their fashioning skills.</p> <p>This workforce was vast. Yet few museums have invited visitors to consider the processes of soaking, bleaching, washing, blueing, starching and ironing required by historic garments. </p> <p>A recent exhibit at <a href="https://agnes.queensu.ca/connect/about-agnes/#about-agnes">Agnes Etherington Art Centre</a> at Queen’s University <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bDY3oy0tbA">curated by Jason Cyrus, a researcher who analyzes fashion and textile history</a>, examined <a href="https://agnes.queensu.ca/digital-agnes/video/black-bodies-white-gold-unpacking-slavery-and-north-american-cotton-production">slavery and North American cotton production</a>.</p> <h2>Laundry labour of enslaved women</h2> <p>The skilled labour of enslaved women was a core component of every plantation and an essential colonial urban trade, given the resident population and many thousands of seafarers and sojourners arriving annually in the Caribbean — all wanting clothes refreshed. </p> <p>Ports throughout the Atlantic were stocked with wash tubs and women labouring over them. Orderly material whiteness was the aim. Mary Prince recorded her thoughts about a demanding mistress in Antigua, who gave the enslaved Prince weekly “<a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5149/9781469633299_prince">two bundles of clothes, as much as a boy could help me lift; but I could give no satisfaction</a>.”</p> <p>Prince only earned money laundering for ships’ captains during her “owners’” absence. Within port cities, including the Caribbean and imperial centres, this trade allowed some enslaved women mobility and sometimes self-emancipation. But fashioning whiteness was a fraught process, with many historical threads.</p> <h2>Colour scrubbed from recovered statues</h2> <p>From the 1750s, European fashion and artistic style was increasingly inspired by perceptions of the classical past. Countless portraits were painted of wealthy people as Greek gods, the classical past becoming, as cultural theorist Stuart Hall observed, a “myth reservoir.” These became sources <a href="https://doi.org/10.1515/9781478021223-023">for imagining Europe’s origins</a> and destiny.</p> <p>European scholars and the educated public viewed this cultural lineage as white. <a href="https://www.rom.on.ca/en/exhibitions-galleries/exhibitions/kore-670">Remnants of polychrome colouring was scrubbed</a> from recovered <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-vibrant-long-overlooked-colors-of-classical-sculptures-180980321/">Greek sculptures</a>.</p> <p>This supposed heritage of a white classical past defined <a href="https://mymodernmet.com/what-is-neoclassicism/">what became known as neoclassical</a> styles further expanding the craze for light, white gowns, a political fashion needing endless care. </p> <p>In this era, “the term classical was not neutral,” as art historian Charmaine Nelson explains, “<a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/42631206">but a racialized term</a> …” Nelson states that the category “classical” also defined the marginalization of Blackness as its antithesis.</p> <p>Today, some scholars are wrestling <a href="https://www.famsf.org/about/publications/gods-color-polychromy-ancient-world">with the legacy of racism built into classical studies</a>.</p> <h2>Racialized masquerade</h2> <p>Neoclassical gowns reflected this zeitgeist, as ladies disported themselves as Greek goddesses. Ladies’ magazines urged readers to play-act as deities. Simple socializing en vogue would not suffice. Fashion required a wider stage. </p> <p>Masquerade balls became the venue where whiteness and empire aligned, as goddesses robed in white mingled with guests in blackface or regalia appropriated from colonized peoples. </p> <p>Masquerades became staple occasions, revels led by royals, nobles and those enriched through trade and slave labour.</p> <h2>Race hierarchies enforced</h2> <p>Seemingly banal routines (and stylish affairs) reveal cultural facets of empire where race hierarchies were reinforced. In this era, everyday dress and celebratory fashions demanded relentless attention. </p> <p>These routines were enmeshed with empire and race, whether in the colonial Caribbean or a London grand masquerade. </p> <p>The proliferation of white linens and cottons were purposefully employed to enforce hierarchies. The rise of white clothing and neoclassical style can be better understood by addressing mass enslavement as an economic, political and cultural force shaping styles, determining vogues and promoting the fashions of whiteness.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-whiteness-was-invented-and-fashioned-in-britains-colonial-age-of-expansion-175027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

Placeholder Content Image

Queen Elizabeth passed away peacefully at 96

<p dir="ltr">Queen Elizabeth II has passed away peacefully at the age of 96. </p> <p dir="ltr">The monarch was under medical supervision due to her deteriorating health but unfortunately died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8 at 8.30 pm local time (3.30 am AEDT).</p> <p dir="ltr">“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” The Royal Family tweeted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The public was notified of her death through the traditional form of a formal message placed on an easel on the railings outside the Palace.</p> <p dir="ltr">Charles soon after ascended the throne following his mother’s death and released a statement speaking about her long reign. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.</p> <p>The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. <a href="https://t.co/VfxpXro22W">pic.twitter.com/VfxpXro22W</a></p> <p>— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1567928275913121792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” His Majesty said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.</p> <p dir="ltr">“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.“</p> <p dir="ltr">Following the devastating news, crowds broke into a solemn rendition of “God Save The Queen”, while flags outside the Palace were lowered to half mast.</p> <p dir="ltr">It is understood that Queen Elizabeth’s body will be taken from Balmoral to Edinburgh on Friday morning UK time, before beginning the journey south to London.</p> <p dir="ltr">There will also be a 10 day mourning period where the Queen’s coffin will lie in state at Westminster Abbey for the public to pay their respects for 23-hours a day.</p> <p dir="ltr">Following the 10 days of mourning, the Queen will be given a full state funeral, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury. </p> <p dir="ltr">During this time 10 pallbearers will practice carrying her coffin as members of the royal family are buried in lead-lined coffins.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: The Royal Family/Twitter</em></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

Prince Charles' "impromptu" visits cause speculation over the Queen’s health

<p>While Queen Elizabeth II is currently on her annual summer break staying in the Scottish Highlands, concerns have been raised over her health due to regular unscheduled visits from her son.</p> <p>Typically her Majesty would be joined by family in Balmoral, but the frequency of Prince Charles unscheduled drop-ins has become cause for concern.</p> <p>According to multiple British media outlets, the Prince of Wales’ visits to the Queen have been “impromptu”.</p> <p>The Queen remains absent from her regular Sunday church services near Balmoral and will be staying at the estate to appoint Britain’s new Prime Minister instead of trekking to London or Windsor for the audience. Ongoing mobility issues are believed to be the reason behind the decision, as the trip would otherwise be 1600 kilometres return.</p> <p>To assist with comfort, the Queen is set to meet Britain’s outgoing and incoming prime ministers in her Scottish home on September 6 where she will accept Boris Johnson’s resignation and either appoint Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak as the new PM.</p> <p>This is the first time in year 70-year-reign that she will be conducting such a ceremony at Balmoral. It is believed she personally rejected Prince Charles or Prince William, both Counsellors of State to perform the formality on her behalf.</p> <p>Following her arrival in Balmoral, she cancelled her traditional public welcome to the estate - opting to hold the ceremony privately. She has not been seen in the public eye since the end of June where she attended a few events at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.</p> <p>Her Majesty is said to be "carefully considering" whether she feels well enough to attend the Braemer Games, located only 15 kilometres from Balmoral, this coming weekend.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

Britain’s Channel 4 announce satirical Prince Andrew musical

<p dir="ltr">Britain’s Channel 4 network has announced they will be producing a satirical musical with Prince Andrew at the centre. </p> <p dir="ltr">The UK broadcaster said the 60 minute musical satire will detail the fall of the disgraced royal and his disastrous 2019 interview discussing his ties with late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>BBC Newsnight</em> interview, widely regarded as a public relations catastrophe for the Duke of York, will be "re-imagined” as part of the program, but with a sarcastic twist. </p> <p dir="ltr">Comedian Kieran Hodgson will lead a cast of comics in <em>Prince Andrew: The Musical</em>, a program described as a "satirical send-up of the life and times" of the duke set to a musical score.</p> <p dir="ltr">The show will be part of a 40th anniversary season of shows called <em>Truth or Dare</em> for Channel 4, which launched in 1982.</p> <p dir="ltr">It has not yet been announced exactly when it will air.</p> <p dir="ltr">At the time of the interview, critics tore into Prince Andrew for his lack of empathy for the abused victims of Epstein, who killed himself in prison in August 2019.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ever since the interview, the Duke of York has remained embroiled in controversy surrounding his potential involvement with Epstein. </p> <p dir="ltr">As a result, he was stripped of his military titles and his use of "his royal highness" in early 2022. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Music

Placeholder Content Image

"The most famous address in Britain" hits the market

<p dir="ltr">Royal fans could live a stone's throw away from “the most famous address in Britain”, as long as they have £2.5 million ($AU 4.36 or $NZ 4.84 million) to spend.</p> <p dir="ltr">An apartment in the building Princess Diana lived in while she was dating Prince Charles has hit the market with a multi-million-dollar price tag, situated in one of the most desired parts of London.</p> <p dir="ltr">The three-bedroom apartment, <a href="https://search.savills.com/com/en/property-detail/gbecrsecs220018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed</a> through UK agency Savills, comes with a reception room, a formal dining room, and a separate kitchen and breakfast room, as well as an additional room that could become a fourth bedroom and a communal garden.</p> <p dir="ltr">Currently, the apartment’s interior boasts a regal theme of pastel colours, plush carpet, drapes, lattice windows, and timber accents.</p> <p dir="ltr">The late Duchess of Wales was regularly photographed entering and leaving the apartment building, which is ideally situated between Chelsea, South Kensington and Earl’s Court.</p> <p dir="ltr">Diana lived in the three-bedroom Edwardian flat with three close friends from 1979 until 1981, the year she married Prince Charles.</p> <p dir="ltr">Last year, her apartment was awarded an English Heritage blue plate, which was unveiled by one of her former housemates, Virginia Clarke.</p> <p dir="ltr">Diana’s biographer, Andrew Morton, referred to the apartment - her first since moving out of her parent’s home - as “the most famous address in Britain”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d929c72c-7fff-2d90-2738-368d80d24630"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Savills Realty</em></p>

Real Estate

Placeholder Content Image

All aboard Ed Sheeran's unusual new holiday home!

<p dir="ltr">Ed Sheeran is the proud new owner of a $1.13 million antique train carriage.</p> <p dir="ltr">The British singer and his wife have splurged on the Victorian-era carriage located on a block in Romney Marsh Kent which overlooks the English Channel.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 31 year-old hitmaker and Cherry Seaborn, aged 30, have added the two-bedder to their impressive real estate portfolio.</p> <p dir="ltr">The carriage looks humble and is very small. The mattress abuts the front and back walls of one of the bedrooms - but it has been fitted with plenty of mod cons, and looks to be the couple's new beach house.</p> <p dir="ltr">Floors have underheating and it has been extended at the front and the rear. Sliding doors open onto pavers and windswept grass.</p> <p dir="ltr">The living room and kitchen, and bedrooms at the rear, are modern extensions to the original structure. In the antique carriage is a wood-burning fire and it has been kept true to its rustic roots throughout this middle section.</p> <p dir="ltr">The contemporary living area is open plan and the kitchen is new, L-shaped and small, and overlooks a windswept garden that backs onto the Channel.</p> <p dir="ltr">Even with all the modern day comforts and conveniences, this home is far less flashy than Sheeran’s main family address. He and his wife bought the carriage last year but the sale has only just come to light.</p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><em>Images: Domain </em></p>

Real Estate

Placeholder Content Image

What it really meant to be punk in Britain

<p>There is a current surge of interest in punk. The <a href="https://www.nme.com/news/music/sex-pistols-god-save-the-queen-becomes-top-selling-single-in-uk-for-platinum-jubilee-3239877">Sex Pistols’ God Save the Queen </a>topped the UK singles charts during the Platinum Jubilee. This was 45 years to the day after it controversially didn’t when originally released at the time of the Silver Jubilee. </p> <p>Famed director Danny Boyle has also turned his hand to dramatising the life of the band in his series <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KhxwG0eCiE">Pistol</a>, which traces the evolution of the Sex Pistols and the UK punk rock movement that grew out of London in the 1970s. The series, based on the autobiography of Pistols guitarist Steve Jones, has been the subject of controversy, including <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/aug/23/sex-pistols-win-legal-fight-against-johnny-rotten-songs-pistol-tv-series">legal battles</a> with former Sex Pistols’ frontman John Lydon who tried to prevent the use of their music. The lead singer <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sex-pistol-johnny-rotten-how-i-became-my-wifes-carer-0dbxpxgxt">dubbed the show</a>: “the most disrespectful shit I ever had to endure”.</p> <p>Almost all genres in popular music have subcultural connotations, signifying style in clothes and moral values. But arguably no other genre has stronger subcultural currency than punk. Musician and lead singer of the band Talking Heads, <a href="https://quotedark.com/quote/punk-was-defined-by-an-attitude-rather-than-a-mus__david-byrne">David Byrne said</a> that “punk was defined by an attitude rather than a musical style”. So what did it mean to be punk?</p> <h2>Rejection of the musical establishment and political authority</h2> <p>Unlike “prog” and “glam” rock before it, punk was anti-establishment, anti-mainstream and anti-commercial. It came to be in the early to mid-1970s when music had become less accessible, and to the next generation of audience, less relatable. This happened to coincide with a period of <a href="https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/1662">economic decline and growing social unrest</a>. It was a time when the youth of the day felt like their future was fairly bleak. </p> <p>Breaking through the high-brow attitude and elitism was central to the punk attitude. The names of early British punk bands, such as the Clash, the Stranglers and the Damned, served as statements of both belligerence and provocation. </p> <p>The Damned’s <a href="https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-10-best-punk-rock-singles-by-the-undertones-michael-bradley">New Rose</a> was considered to be one of the first UK punk records, released in October 1976. The track was comprised of aggressive energetic drumming (played by the curiously named Rat Scabies), raw distorted, riffing rhythm guitar (switching on occasions to lead parts), underpinned by the bass guitarist attacking the root notes of the guitar chords. Chord sequences were simple and sometimes jarring by way of less obvious progressions. Vocals were sitting somewhere between being sung, spoken and shouted.</p> <p>Thematically, punk lyrics were often antagonistic, challenging society’s “norms”. Songs like Anarchy in the UK (1976) by the Sex Pistols, gave voice to a young generation that felt <a href="https://consequence.net/2021/08/best-punk-songs-list/11/">disenfranchised by its own country</a>. </p> <p>Punk was never limiting and was not subject to gender bias in the way preceding types of rock music were. Many females were active contributors and participants, of particular note were <a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/80501-Siouxsie-The-Banshees?page=1">Susan Ballion aka Siouxsie Sioux</a>, who fronted the iconic punk group Siouxsie and the Banshees, and style icon <a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/pamela-rooke-jordan-has-died">Pamela Rooke aka Jordan</a> (the Queen of Punk). </p> <p>It is worth noting that across the Atlantic there was also a burgeoning punk scene that preceded the UK punk movement. New York’s CBGB club, opened by Hilly Kristal in 1973, provided a place for the scene to crystallise. The Ramones, Televisionm The Voidoids, Blondie, the Patti Smith Group and Talking Heads all played early gigs there, going on to achieve prominence.</p> <h2>What punk meant to the ‘original’ punks?</h2> <p>Music journalist John Robb, who was also a vocalist in the punk rock band <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldblade">Goldblade</a> and bassist and vocalist in the post-punk band <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Membranes">the Membranes</a> opined, "It is impossible to define punk. It is subjective and means something different to everyone… [it is] exciting, confusing, exhilarating, an unpinned grenade, intellectual but not academic, revolutionary. It tore a hole in the fabric of pop culture and we all got through."</p> <p>Punk was multifaceted and was many things to many people. Something that was felt, enabling, empowering, contradictory, manifesting through individual and collective expression, but perhaps to understand what it was in the beginning, you had to be there.</p> <p>The musician Peter Hook’s origin story is firmly rooted in punk, in particular a <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4f0B5rf6z2wYQpm5WNqsqP7/they-swear-they-were-there-sex-pistols-at-the-lesser-free-trade-hall">Sex Pistols concert</a> at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester in June 1976. It was reported to have been attended by around only 40 people, but many of them went on to become culturally important figures in British music. It was this event that inspired Hook the next day to buy a bass guitar and hatch a plan to form a band. He would become a founding member of Joy Division, which became New Order after the death of singer Ian Curtis.</p> <p>For dance music pioneer and co-founder of 808 State, Graham Massey, one of his first bands was the punk group Danny and the Dressmakers. <a href="https://youtu.be/GjB2VG8zejo">He has described</a>how he was denied access to music education at school:</p> <p>“With the spirit of rebellion, I entered music around the time of punk where no musical ability was required. There was a great spirit of just jumping in and making a noise.”</p> <p>The fact that musical training and virtuosity were not required meant that punk was not confined to musical elites and deep-pocketed institutions as it had largely been in the past. Massey also talked about “the creative thrill” of “reinvention” in the wake of the dismantling of the musical establishment.</p> <p>The DIY spirit was very much part of the movement. Punks created fanzines, bands created their own labels and people made their own clothes as a form of cultural expression. Manchester band, The Buzzcocks and their manager Richard Boon created New Hormones, the first independent punk rock label in the UK. They were also responsible for organising the Sex Pistols’ Manchester gig attended by Hook, and others.</p> <p>From the late 1970s, punk lost its initial cultural impetus and fragmented (as is always the case with musical and cultural waves), into such styles as anarcho-punk, street-punk and gothic-punk. These movements subsequently gave rise to further new movements (including the new wave). However, the very term “punk” lives on used to describe nonconformity and subversion.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-it-really-meant-to-be-punk-in-britain-185729" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Music

Placeholder Content Image

Refurbished Big Ben unveiled after five-year renovation

<p dir="ltr">What is most likely the world’s most famous clocktower is now visible after five years hidden behind scaffolding during a renovation, and it’s an amazing sight.</p> <p dir="ltr">Renovations on the tower started five years ago, when it was announced it would be undergoing a £79.7 million reconstruction. The reconstruction included taking apart more than 1000 pieces of the clock face and removing them via a lift shaft in order to clean and repair them; that includes wheels, pinions, bell-hammers and bearings of the clock face.</p> <p dir="ltr">In addition, the clock hands have been restored to their original blue after having previously been painted black to try and mask the dirt from pollution. Most noticeably, the exterior has been repainted a bright and glistening gold, and the overall effect is outstanding.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Maybe it’s been worth the wait? <a href="https://t.co/a1EpBcuMcb">pic.twitter.com/a1EpBcuMcb</a></p> — David Belle (@davidbelle_) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidbelle_/status/1481013484993368069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2022</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The Cumbria Clock Company has overseen the refurbishment, working tirelessly in their workshop to clean and repair all of the necessary components. This renovation was the first time the clock mechanism had been removed from its home in the Elizabeth Tower (the structure’s actual name, ‘Big Ben’ is just the bell inside).</p> <p dir="ltr">Cumbria Clock Company director and co-founder Keith Scobie-Youngs wrote on the Parliament website, “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to work on the best-known clock in the world. We transplanted the heart of the UK up to Cumbria. We were able to assemble the time side, the heartbeat, and put that on test in our workshop, so for two years, we had that heartbeat ticking away in our test room, which was incredibly satisfying.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It became part of the family and its departure has been like a child leaving home. The beauty of a clock like this is that you as a clockmaker become part of its history and want to leave it in a better place than you found it, so the next clockmaker can appreciate it. We were privileged to become part of the story of Big Ben; everyone at the company feels that attachment to the story.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Work on the tower is not yet finished, however, and is expected to wrap up by British summer, a year later than planned, during the pandemic. While the tower was undergoing its renovation, Ben’s famous bongs only rang out on a select few special occasions, such as New Years and Armistice Day.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

Placeholder Content Image

A supermarket in Britain has removed use-by dates in favour of the 'sniff test'

<p><em>Image: Getty </em></p> <p>Grocery chain ‘Morrisons’ is being slammed after announcing a decision to scrap “use-by” dates on milk, instead asking customers to use a “sniff test” to determine if the milk has gone bad.</p> <p>The supermarket will switch to using “best before” dates on 90% of its home brand milk packaging from the end of January, <em>The Sun</em> reports.</p> <p>The date will remain the same but Morrisons is asking customers to not automatically assume the milk is off, but instead sniff to see whether it has expired first.</p> <p>Best before dates indicate that a product will have a better quality if consumed before that day, but use by means food might not be safe to eat after that point and runs the risk of making the customer sick.</p> <p>Morrisons said the move is intended to reduce food wastage, as millions of litres of milk are thrown away each year.</p> <p>It is estimated that 48 million litres of milk are wasted due to customers following “use-by” labels.</p> <p>Research shows milk is often fine to be used days after the use-by date the supermarket said. So yes, customers are being encouraged to smell their milk to check if it has actually gone bad before throwing it away.</p> <p>A sour aroma or curdled consistency are both signs milk has been spoiled.</p> <p>Shoppers took to Twitter to complain about the decision, with many asking how they can smell the milk while in store.</p> <p>However, Morrisons said that won’t be necessary because it won’t sell milk that is near the best before date.</p> <p>One customer said: “So, Morrisons – can we open the bottle in order to sniff it before purchase? Or do we have to go home, sniff it, then bring it back if it’s off?”</p> <p>Another added: “I can open the milk whilst still in Morrisons to check then I guess?”</p> <p>Others pointed out that one of the main symptoms of Covid is losing your sense of smell.</p> <p>“Generations before us have always used the sniff test – and I believe we can too” According to Ian Goode, senior milk buyer at Morrisons.</p>

Food & Wine

Placeholder Content Image

Meet the youngest person to run a solo lap of Britain

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Elise Downing never thought she was a gifted runner. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She tried running a marathon, dressed as a crayon, but gave up before finishing and was found crying on the side of the road. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She wasn’t phased by her previous marathon failures, as six weeks later, she set out on a marathon of epic proportions, leaving from London’s National Maritime Museum with a tent on her back and a map that she couldn’t read to run around the coast of Britain. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She became the first woman and the youngest person to run a lap of Great Britain by herself, having completed the 5,000-mile journey back to Greenwich in 301 days.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Along the journey, she crashed with over 200 strangers for a night and suffered several injuries on the way.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She was often slowed down by chaffing from her running tights and her backpack rubbing on her shoulders. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After finishing the impressive feat, Elise recalled her travels in her book titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coasting: Running Around The Coast of Britain – Life, Love And (Very) Loose Plans.</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In her book she explains that the clockwise route around the UK was never an issue, saying “I just keep the sea to my left, surely.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She also explained that the hole in her back was caused by friction from her sports bra clasp wearing a big hole in a T-shirt she didn’t want to change because she had become “weirdly superstitious” about taking it off.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s probably one of the most ridiculous ideas I had,’ she writes. ‘I can’t explain myself.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Elise’s 40 mile-per-day jogs were often interrupted by ferocious storms and decided to name them as old friends. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She wrote in her book, “Your own mortality suddenly feels very apparent in those moments. I had to take an alternative inland route quite a few times to avoid literally being blown out to sea.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the trials and tribulations, Elise witnessed the kindness of people firsthand. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She wrote, “I realised how fundamentally good most humans are. It was a huge privilege to be welcomed into so many people’s homes, and I feel really lucky to have had the chance to meet so many different, amazing people.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Running the coast of Britain was technically a solo challenge, but I really don’t think I would have made it to the end if it wasn’t for all the help I received.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: Instagram @elisecdowning</span></em></p>

Travel Trouble

Placeholder Content Image

Team GB rocked by doping controversy at Tokyo 2020 Olympics

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Great Britain's men’s track team is in danger of having their silver medal being stripped, after one of its athletes tested positive for banned substances. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Britain's Olympic 4x100m relay silver medallist Chijindu 'CJ' Ujah has been provisionally suspended for allegedly breaching strict anti-doping rules at the games.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) reported that athlete had returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) from a test carried during the Olympics in Japan. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The substances detected were Ostarine and S-23, which are both classified by the World Anti-doping Organisation, as they have similar effects to steroids. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The substances have been banned from the Olympics for some time, as they help build muscle and enhance overall sporting performance. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">CJ responded to the news of the doping scandal with a cryptic Instagram post that said, “Stay focused… Because truth is madder than fiction.” </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">CJ is allowed to request independent analysis of the sample to prove his innocence and keep his Olympic title. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If he is found guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs, it could be devastating for his fellow members of the relay team. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake will also be at risk of being stripped if the positive is confirmed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The news comes after three other track and field athletes were suspended during the Games for suspected doping. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moroccan-born Bahraini 1,500m runner Sadik Mikhou, Georgian shot putter Benik Abramyan and Kenyan sprinter Mark Otieno Odhiambo were listed for using performance-enhancing drugs, and remain under investigation by the AIU. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Legal

Placeholder Content Image

Morning show host mistakenly announces Queen's death

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in element-type-p"> <p>UK TV presenter Alastair Campbell made an accidental slip up on live TV that left fans surprised.</p> <p>Campbell accidentally mentioned that Queen Elizabeth had died during a<span> </span><em>Good Morning Britain</em><span> </span>interview about grief.</p> <p>"We've talked a lot about Prince Philip after the death of the Queen…," Campbell said at the start of the segment before quickly realising what he said.</p> <p>"Can I just say, Susanna, I think I may have accidentally announced the death of the Queen. I meant Prince Philip," he clarified.</p> <p>Campbell is filling in after the abrupt departure of Piers Morgan on the breakfast show.</p> <p>He quickly apologised when the camera came back onto him and his co-host Susanna Reid was reassuring him viewers knew it was a slip up.</p> <p>"People knew exactly what you meant," she said.</p> <p>The slip up quickly made it onto Twitter, where viewers were posting about it.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/GMB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GMB</a> .<a href="https://twitter.com/campbellclaret?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@campbellclaret</a> accidentally announces death of the queen! (He did apologise) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrincePhilip?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PrincePhilip</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/queen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#queen</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gmb?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#gmb</a> 😉 Queen calls up GMB to confirm she is still very much alive! 👸 <a href="https://t.co/XXmCbdoHBQ">pic.twitter.com/XXmCbdoHBQ</a></p> — Janet Willicott FRSPH FBII ACIEH MEHBEA MBESA BHRC (@janetwillicott) <a href="https://twitter.com/janetwillicott/status/1392382272427397121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>"According to Alistair Campbell the Queen died," one person tweeted with shocked face emojis.</p> <p>"Did he say Death of the Queen then??" another asked.</p> <p>Campell seems to be taking it in stride, joking that the slip up had gone international with the following tweet.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Oh God. The exhaustion gaffe has gone global. THE QUEEN IS ALIVE!!! <a href="https://t.co/2bgd0ZamXQ">https://t.co/2bgd0ZamXQ</a></p> — ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) <a href="https://twitter.com/campbellclaret/status/1392599941852323842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>"Oh god, the exhaustion gaffe has gone global. THE QUEEN IS ALIVE!!!" he joked.</p> </div> </div> </div>

TV

Placeholder Content Image

Revealed: Piers Morgan names the royal who backed him

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in">Controversial former British morning show host Piers Morgan has revealed which royal family member supported him during his most recent attacks against Meghan Markle.<br /><br />Morgan, 55, revealed that Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, sent a text message of support after he was forced to resign from his position as co-host of Good Morning Britain on ITV.</div> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840701/royal-queen-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b1e79997ad69468aa1a0307e7c9a9fe1" /><br /><br />His comments following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's television interview with Oprah Winfrey were what forced him into resigning.</div> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"><br />Morgan wrote in his column for the Mail on Sunday that several royal family members contacted him after he left the show, including the Duchess.</div> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"></div> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in">"Not all Royal duchesses were as thrilled as Meghan 'Pinocchio' Markle to see me leave GMB," he wrote.<br /><br />"People have said how much they miss your morning joy and humour."<br /><br />He said Ferguson texted for him to "Get back out there!"<br /><br />He went on to joke that he and Ferguson could start their own show called “Morgy and Fergie in the Morning”.<br /><br />He repeated the claim on US TV show Extra: "I've had some messages communicated to me on behalf of several members of the royal family.<br /><br />"I'm not going to go into who it was but [it was] gratitude that somebody was standing up."<br /><br />Piers Morgan slammed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.<br /><br />He targeted their claim that a senior royal had made racist comments about the colour of Archie's skin before his birth.<br /> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNnbzm5h5Eb/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNnbzm5h5Eb/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Percy von Schwabing (@percyvonschwabing)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <br />Morgan has since demanded the couple name that senior royal.<br /><br />He also said he was doubtful that Meghan was telling the truth when she said employees at The Firm refused to provide her with mental health support when she was pregnant with Archie.<br /><br />Morgan told Fox Nation he wanted to know who the alleged racist royal was.<br /><br />"As a British taxpayer, who helps pay for the royal family, I would like to know, actually, if there is a real racist inside the palace," he said.<br /><br />The controversial critic ended up storming off the set of GMB during a discussion about the Oprah interview.<br /><br />While he quickly resigned from his position on the program, he remains adamant that Harry and Meghan should name the senior royal they have accused of racism.</div> </div> </div> <div class="post-action-bar-component-wrapper"> <div class="post-actions-component"> <div class="post-context"></div> <div class="upper-row"></div> </div> </div>

News

Placeholder Content Image

Piers Morgan quits after Oprah rant

<p>British TV presenter Piers Morgan has quickly left his job on the ITV show<span> </span><em>Good Morning Britain</em><span> </span>after an on-air rant about the Meghan and Harry interview with Oprah.</p> <p>“Following discussions with ITV, Piers Morgan has decided now is the time to leave<span> </span><em>Good Morning Britain</em>,” the network said in a curt statement today.</p> <p>“ITV has accepted this decision and has nothing further to add.”</p> <p>He received immediate backlash for his claims about Meghan Markle, after saying that he didn't believe her struggle with suicidal thoughts.</p> <p>ITV's chief executive later revealed that she did believe Markle and said that Kevin Lygo, ITV's top programmer for media and entertainment had spoken with Morgan in recent days.</p> <p>She said Mr Lygo was “speaking to him on a regular basis and has done so the last couple of days”, according to<span> </span><em>The Hollywood Reporter</em>.</p> <p>Asked whether Morgan would lose his ITV job over the issue, Ms McCall said: “We are dealing with that as we speak.”</p> <p>She said that “the most important thing with mental health that ITV does and is totally committed to, is that we support, we get people to speak up, we listen, we say everyone has to listen and everyone has to believe because that’s how you get people to speak up. So we are very committed to that.”</p> <p>Morgan stormed off live on air after a co-star condemned his treatment of Meghan and Harry.</p> <p>Alex Beresford accused Morgan of "trashing" Meghan because she "cut him off".</p> <p>Beresford then challenged Morgan's claim about the glowing press coverage of the royal couple until after their wedding.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Piers Morgan just walked off the Good Morning Britain set (!!!) after co-presenter Alex Beresford defended Harry and Meghan and condemned Piers' treatment of them in yesterday's programming <a href="https://t.co/mH75J8ND4O">pic.twitter.com/mH75J8ND4O</a></p> — Chris Rickett (@chrisrickett) <a href="https://twitter.com/chrisrickett/status/1369177870191460353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>“I watched the program yesterday and yes they had some great press around the wedding, but what press is going to trash someone’s special day?” Beresford said.</p> <p>“There was bad press around the engagement, before the engagement and everything that has followed since has been incredibly damaging — quite clearly, to Meghan’s mental health and also to Harry — and I hear Piers say that William has gone through the same thing, but do you know what, siblings experience tragedy in their life and one will be absolutely fine and brush it off and the other will not be able to deal with it so strongly.</p> <p>“And that’s clearly what has happened with Harry in this situation. He walked behind his mother’s coffin at a tender, tender age in front of the globe. That is going to shape a young boy for the rest of his life. So I think that we need to all take a step back.”</p> <p>Speaking directly to Morgan, Beresford said he “understands” that Morgan doesn’t like Meghan, telling him “you’ve made it so clear a number of times on this program, a number of times”.</p> <p>“And I understand that you’ve got a personal relationship with Meghan Markle, or had one and she cut you off. She’s entitled to cut you off if she wants to,” he added.</p> <p>“Has she said anything about you since she cut you off? I don’t think she has, yet you continue to trash her.”</p> <p>Morgan got up and left his chair, saying he was “done with this” before storming out of the studio. Beresford said that was “pathetic” as Morgan strode out, adding: “Sorry, can’t do this.”</p> <p>“This is absolutely diabolical behaviour, I’m sorry but Piers spouts off on a regular basis and we all have to sit there and listen. 6.30 to 7 yesterday was incredibly hard to watch,” Beresford said.</p>

TV