Jumat, 03 Juli 2020

Prince William enjoys pint of cider at his local as pubs across England prepare to reopen - Sky News

Prince William has enjoyed a pint at his local pub and asked the landlords if they are worried about people "getting a bit out of hand", as bars and restaurants prepare to reopen for the first time in three months.

The Duke of Cambridge visited the Rose and Crown in the Norfolk village of Snettisham to show his support for Britain's hospitality industry on the eve of customers returning.

After sanitising his hands with gel near the bar, he asked the pub's landlords: "Can I have a pint of cider please? I'm a cider man," and ordered a £4.15 pint of Aspall Suffolk Draught Cyder and a plate of chips.

EMBARGOED TO 2230 BST FRIDAY JULY 3 The Duke of Cambridge receives an Aspalls cider at The Rose and Crown pub in Snettisham, Norfolk.
Image: The Duke of Cambridge joined some of the pub's staff in the beer garden
EMBARGOED TO 2230 BST FRIDAY JULY 3 The Duke of Cambridge takes a sip of an Aspalls cider at The Rose and Crown pub in Snettisham, Norfolk.
Image: William ordered a £4.15 pint of Aspall Suffolk Draught Cyder

William took a seat in the pub's garden with some of their staff and when his drink and food arrived he joked: "I don't know where I pay, I'll do that before I leave, I promise."

The royal and his family have previously visited the 600-year-old pub, hotel and restaurant, which is a few miles from their home of Anmer Hall.

Pubs in England will be allowed to open from 6am on Saturday as bars and restaurants open their doors after the government announced a further easing of lockdown measures.

Downing Street said the restriction is being relaxed at that time in the event "anybody would attempt to try to open at midnight" on Friday.

More from Prince William

But concerns have been raised about pubs and bars reopening on what has been dubbed "Super Saturday", rather than a weekday, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson has already appealed to drinkers to show restraint.

William quizzed the landlords about their expectations for the weekend when they welcome customers on Saturday.

EMBARGOED TO 2230 BST FRIDAY JULY 3 The Duke of Cambridge uses hand sanitiser as he enters The Rose and Crown pub in Snettisham, Norfolk.
Image: William sanitised his hands with gel near the bar
EMBARGOED TO 2230 BST FRIDAY JULY 3 The Duke of Cambridge orders an Aspalls cider at The Rose and Crown pub in Snettisham, Norfolk.
Image: The duke and his family have previously visited the 600-year-old pub

"It could end up with everyone at the pub, because people just want a change of scene, being at home for so long," he said.

"Are you worried about people getting a bit out of hand this weekend? I guess it's more of a problem with the larger pub chains."

Landlord Anthony Goodrich admitted: "We are a bit concerned but we are ready for it."

He told the duke that it was part of the business to be prepared for rowdy behaviour.

EMBARGOED TO 2230 BST FRIDAY JULY 3 The Duke of Cambridge talks to the landlords and workers at The Rose and Crown pub in Snettisham, Norfolk.
Image: William appeared in good spirits after his pint
EMBARGOED TO 2230 BST FRIDAY JULY 3 The Duke of Cambridge talks to the landlords and workers at The Rose and Crown pub in Snettisham, Norfolk.
Image: The duke spoke to the pub's staff about their concerns ahead of 'Super Saturday'

"The only real worry is if we have 100 people in the garden and it rains," Mr Goodrich said. "But we'll have to deal with that."

William replied: "I am sure people will want to get out and explore locally. I don't think they'll want to go far afield."

Anthony and Jeannette Goodrich have owned the pub for 25 years and had to close their premises and furlough more than 25 full-time employees, who are bolstered by another 10 or 15 temporary weekend workers, when the outbreak struck.

They were able to reopen partially a couple of weeks ago and start selling takeaway drinks.

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Some parts of the pub will remain closed on health and safety advice including a popular children's play area set up like a galleon.

William revealed said his own children love the pub's play area.

"The children have been in there a few times," he said, staring at the ropes preventing anyone entering. "They will see that as a challenge."

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2020-07-03 23:42:24Z
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National Theatre axes 400 casual jobs as venues around the UK are wrapped in messages of hope - Daily Mail

National Theatre axes 400 casual jobs as venues around the UK are wrapped in messages of hope as they remain closed during the coronavirus crisis

  • Theatres look a long way from reopening due to the coronavirus pandemic
  • The National Theatre has informed 400 casual staff they will not be kept on
  • It will pay its 250 front of house staff and 150 backstage workers until August
  • The NT was wrapped in tape on Friday for the 'Miss Live Theatre' campaign
  • Other theatre venues in Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast will be covered this weekend

The National Theatre today confirmed that 400 casual workers will lose their jobs as the theatre industry continues to feel the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The NT revealed it will pay 250 front of house and 150 backstage staff members until the end of August but they will not be kept on afterwards. 

The news comes just days after the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester announced it had made 65 per cent of its permanent redundant in a bid to safeguard the theatre's future. 

The National Theatre (pictured) in London announced it has made 400 casual staff redundant as the theatre industry continues to feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

The National Theatre (pictured) in London announced it has made 400 casual staff redundant as the theatre industry continues to feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

The NT joins the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester (pictured) in making staff redundant, with the London theatre company axing 250 front of house staff and 150 backstage workers

The NT joins the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester (pictured) in making staff redundant, with the London theatre company axing 250 front of house staff and 150 backstage workers

A National Theatre spokesperson said: 'We have committed to paying our casual staff until the end of August, but very sadly due to the changes in the government Job Retention Scheme we simply cannot afford to offer financial support beyond that point.'

As many lockdown restrictions are set to be lifted in England on Saturday, including the reopening of pubs and cinemas, it remains unlikely that theatres will be allowed to reopen in the near future, despite Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden's five-step roadmap to reopen theatres last week.

Mr Dowden's strategy was described as too vague and needing more investment and the National Theatre have since stated that the decision to make staff redundant  was 'inevitable'. 

The casual workers were informed of the decision by the NT in an email on Friday, while the company added it is just midway through its redundancy process.

NT chief executives Lisa Burger and Rufus Norris admitted that redundancies will continue unless they receive more support from the Government. 

Jasmin Mandi-Ghomi, a playwright who works as an usher at the National Theatre, tweeted: 'The National Theatre have let all FOH staff go. I now have no job whatsoever. Not a single source of income. God I loved that job so much. How can the arts have been let down this badly by the government?'

One playwright and National Theatre usher claimed the theatre industry has been 'let down by the Government' as other businesses, including cinemas and pubs, are set to reopen on Saturday

One playwright and National Theatre usher claimed the theatre industry has been 'let down by the Government' as other businesses, including cinemas and pubs, are set to reopen on Saturday

She also told The Guardian: 'They [the NT] don't know when they're going to reopen and they have three auditoriums, without knowing when people are going to be back in or how they're going to keep people safe.

'It just needs to survive at this point. I understand why they've done it, but it is still hard.'

Former Artistic Director of the National Theatre, Sir Nicholas Hynter, told BBC Newsnight on Friday night that the country is reaching the 'critical point' for the survival of theatres.

He said: 'I have heard that this something that Oliver Dowden and Rishi Sunak are taking seriously. 

'But unless there is a substantial and unprecedented rescue package as part of the July Statement next week, we are really looking at waves of insolvencies, waves of redundancies. We are looking at the whole ecosystem breaking down.'

Sir Nicholas also called for the Government to start investing money in the future, instead of paying money towards closing venues such as theatres down. 

He added: 'It will cost countless millions in redundancy payments. It would be money spent on closing things down, when it could be money spent on investing in the future.'

'Great institutions, small institutions are simply going to go to the wall. That will cost a fortune in monetary capital as well as, of course, in human capital.

'Why would you not want to preserve British culture? There are rescue packages that have been established all over Europe. Italy, for instance, has announced five billion euros for culture and tourism.'

The National Theatre was wrapped in tape on Friday as part of the 'Miss Live Theatre campaign' to give messages of support to the theatre industry.

The idea was created by Scene Change, a collective of British Theatre Designers and several other theatres will be covered in the tape over the weekend. 

The NT was covered in tape on Friday as part of the 'Missing Live Theatre' campaign giving messages of support to theatre companies across the UK

The NT was covered in tape on Friday as part of the 'Missing Live Theatre' campaign giving messages of support to theatre companies across the UK

The campaign was set up by the group 'Scene Change' and it will be taking place in major theatres in Edinburgh, Manchester, Cardiff and Belfast across the weekend

The campaign was set up by the group 'Scene Change' and it will be taking place in major theatres in Edinburgh, Manchester, Cardiff and Belfast across the weekend 

The Royal Exchange Theatre will also take part in the scheme on Friday, along with the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, Lyric Belfast and Cardiff's Sherman Theatre.

Several of London's West End theatres are also set to be wrapped on Saturday.

Scene Change said: 'As businesses begin to reopen, the doors of theatres remain firmly shut whilst we navigate a way back to live performance. 

 'This is a moment of reset in our industry and we believe the design community can be an essential part of the transformation that will see theatre buildings being reopened and the ways in which theatre can be re-imagined.

'As shapers of theatrical space through the use of people and place, our work is pivotal in connecting an entire ecosystem within the theatre industry. 

'We are ideally positioned to be at the heart of any discussions about how theatre operates in the future.'

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2020-07-03 22:54:15Z
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Richard Kay: Meghan's latest court documents show a royally petulant sense of grievance - Daily Mail

Snipes at minor royals, ludicrous claims her wedding netted £1bn - but, says RICHARD KAY, what really comes shining through from Meghan’s latest court documents is a royally petulant sense of grievance

So now we know that the Duchess of Sussex’s wedding generated £1billion in tourist revenue, far outweighing the cost of policing it.

We also know she felt ‘unprotected’ by the Royal Family while pregnant with baby Archie, and is unhappy that other family members are allowed to undertake ‘paid work’, naming her husband’s first cousins Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and, bizarrely, Prince Michael of Kent, a marginal figure in the House of Windsor.

These are the most astounding, headline-grabbing assertions Meghan makes in new papers filed in her High Court privacy battle. 

More details about Meghan Markle (left)'s relationship with the Royal Family in new papers filed in the Duchess of Sussex's High Court privacy battle

More details about Meghan Markle (left)'s relationship with the Royal Family in new papers filed in the Duchess of Sussex's High Court privacy battle

The details are part of Meghan’s legal case against The Mail on Sunday, which she is suing for publishing extracts from a handwritten letter she sent to her father, Thomas Markle (left)

The details are part of Meghan’s legal case against The Mail on Sunday, which she is suing for publishing extracts from a handwritten letter she sent to her father, Thomas Markle (left)

But leaving the breathtaking chutzpah to one side, the claims reveal an extraordinary degree of resentment towards the Royal Family and the institution that serves it — and which she signed up to when she married Prince Harry at Windsor Castle two years ago.

At times it seems the Duchess is blind to reality with a list of complaints that read like those of a sullen child who cannot understand why people call her names. 

Nothing illustrates this more than her boastful responses to the cost of her wedding claiming, bizarrely, that it was ‘not publicly funded but, rather, personally financed by HRH the Prince of Wales.’ 

The document maintains: ‘Any public costs incurred for the wedding were solely for security and crowd control.’

The minor matter of the security bill, estimated but never confirmed, at £30 million and paid for by taxpayers, was dwarfed, in her submission, by ‘the tourism revenue of over one billion pounds sterling . . . which went directly into the public purse.’

Not a shred of evidence is presented to back up this outlandish claim.

Eyebrows are being raised over claims that Meghan and Harry's wedding, believed to cost £30million for the taxpayer, generated £1billion in tourist revenue

Moreover, however much Charles paid, it is plainly ridiculous to suggest that the prince picked up the bill for the wedding.

What shines through in these documents is the duchess’s sense of grievance, as they give the most telling insight into her resentment towards the royals and those who work for them.

It is a sense of grievance that can only have been heightened yesterday when she and Harry bowed to the inevitable and formally wound up their Sussex Royal charity after having been told by the Queen and senior family members earlier this year that they could not use the word ‘royal’ in their ongoing work and branding after stepping down from official duties.

One passage in the court papers refers to the question of whether she herself was a ‘working royal’, which she chooses to illustrate by pointing to the ‘paid work’ undertaken by Beatrice, Eugenie and Prince Michael. 

But unlike Meghan, who before she and Harry went into their self-imposed exile from royal duty was a working member of the family, neither of Prince Andrew’s daughters carry out official engagements.

Beatrice, 31, works in finance and Eugenie, 30, is a director at a London art gallery. As for poor old Prince Michael, although he has occasionally represented the Queen on state occasions abroad, he receives no allowances for them as other members of the Royal Family do. He has, as he himself says, ‘the Queen’s permission to earn (my) own living’.

Meghan has also been making some snipes at minor royals, including Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie (both pictured)

Meghan has also been making some snipes at minor royals, including Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie (both pictured)

So to drag these peripheral figures into this legal fight, seems not just perverse but grotesque bad manners.

Judging by the reaction on social media to the duchess’s latest salvo, however, some people are supportive of her claim that she felt like an outsider.

The submissions are part of Meghan’s legal case against the Daily Mail’s sister paper, The Mail on Sunday, which she is suing for publishing extracts from a handwritten letter she sent to her father, Thomas Markle, three months after he was unable to walk her down the aisle following a heart attack.

Part of the new papers reveal how she felt unprotected by royal advisers over what she perceived was a stream of negative stories about her. 

A key element refers to the issue of five close friends who spoke anonymously to U.S. celebrity magazine People because of their fears about her mental welfare. 

She said she knew nothing about their interview and only found out about it on the day the magazine was published.

According to her legal team, the five friends only agreed to speak to protect her because she felt ‘prohibited from defending herself’. 

In doing so, they spell out the duchess’s frustrations with the Palace’s approach to the media as well as correcting what they claim are inaccurate reports about the Sussexes’ lives.

The submissions say the institution’s policy of ‘no comment’ to media articles was deployed ‘without any discussion with or approval by the claimant (the duchess)’. Many within royal circles are despairing at this interpretation of how the royals handle such sensitive matters.

There is bitter experience here. In 1992 when Andrew Morton’s book about the Princess of Wales’s unhappy marriage appeared, it was trashed by courtiers only for them to backtrack when it was revealed Diana had collaborated with the author and encouraged her friends to speak to him, too.

Ever since, royal staff have been wary about engaging with known friends of family members.

Meghan’s complaints that it was ‘mandated’ by the Kensington Palace communications team that all friends and family should say ‘no comment’ when approached by any media outlet ‘left everyone feeling silenced’ is reminiscent of Diana and the Duchess of York blaming ‘the grey men’ among courtiers for all their woes. Meghan seems to have absorbed little of this royal history.

Yesterday it emerged that Meghan was unhappy about the Palace’s failure to stem the tide of stories that emerged about her deteriorating relationship with her staff.

Meghan (left) is also understood to be unhappy about the way the Royal Family reacted to claims that she was not getting along with her staff

Meghan (left) is also understood to be unhappy about the way the Royal Family reacted to claims that she was not getting along with her staff

One theme that particularly upset her concerned the resignation of personal assistant Melissa Toubati, who quit six months after the royal wedding in 2018. News of Ms Toubati’s departure included reports that she had been reduced to tears by Meghan’s demands.

But the Palace communications team reportedly found it hard to deny the reports because they were largely true. 

The Duchess also wanted something done about the stream of highly-critical comments from her half-sister Samantha, who among other things labelled Meghan ‘a shallow social climber’. 

Kensington Palace policy was not to engage with another family member voicing her opinions.

‘There might have been more sympathy for the Duchess had she tried to include the family from her father’s first marriage from the earliest days, perhaps even extending an invitation or two to the wedding,’ one royal adviser tells me. ‘Instead, they were ruthlessly excluded.’

Eyebrows have also been raised by the suggestions that Meghan has endured ‘hundreds of thousands of inaccurate articles about her’. 

It has prompted officials to wearily say that the Duchess fails to understand the difference between those stories said to be untrue and negative critical ones.

Meghan has been showing an extraordinary degree of resentment towards the Royal Family, an institution she signed up to two years ago when she married Harry

Meghan has been showing an extraordinary degree of resentment towards the Royal Family, an institution she signed up to two years ago when she married Harry

‘Putting to one side the preposterous numbers quoted, there is a huge distinction. Is she really saying that the Palace should respond every time something was said somewhere that she disliked or disagreed with,’ says a former lady in waiting. 

‘As an actress how did she react to an unkind review? It is petty and unrealistic.’

She now opens up the very real possibility of her one-time staff being called as witnesses for the High Court case.

Sources close to Meghan insist that her criticisms do not relate to individual members of the Royal Family but the ‘institutional processes’ that, say friends, ‘let her down’.

This will be of scant comfort to the Queen and Prince Charles, who embraced Meghan. 

‘They have every reason to feel let down as more and more details of this case are made public,’ says a figure close to the Queen. ‘The welcome they gave her was unmatched.’

Then there is one other troubling matter: the publication next month of Finding Freedom, a biography of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex that promises to tell the ‘epic and true’ story of the couple and the reason behind their flight from Britain to the U.S.

It has been suggested that it will make uncomfortable reading inside the Palace, and there are rumours that it may contain an element of score-settling. 

But if the publicity brouhaha around the book and the authors’ claims of ‘unique access’ are true, might it not also demonstrate why working for the Duchess was so very difficult?

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2020-07-03 22:05:31Z
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EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Meghan and Harry roll out movie plans - Daily Mail

EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Action! Meghan and Harry roll out movie plans as they trademark Archewell, for ‘television shows’ and ‘motion picture films’

Meghan Markle cut short her acting career when she married Prince Harry, but the Suits star clearly never abandoned her showbiz dreams.

I can reveal that the Duchess of Sussex, who is currently living with Harry in a £15 million Los Angeles mansion owned by entertainment tycoon Tyler Perry, has spelt out her plans to return to the screen.

This week, Harry and Meghan applied to trademark the name of their planned foundation, Archewell, for ‘television shows’ and ‘motion picture films’.

Meghan Markle (pictured) who cut short her successful acting career to marry Prince Harry has announced plans to return to the screen

Meghan Markle (pictured) who cut short her successful acting career to marry Prince Harry has announced plans to return to the screen

The couple have listed a vast range of potential ventures in their application to the Intellectual Property Office in London, from ‘digital entertainment content’ to ‘providing a website featuring information in the field of physical fitness’ and a site ‘featuring information in the field of nutrition, general health and mental health’.

A source close to the Sussexes tells me: ‘Archewell is going to be huge. Harry and Meghan will use it to support lots of causes that they feel passionately about. 

It will be a global organisation with international ambitions.’

The name Archewell originates from the Greek word arche, meaning sources of action, which inspired the name of their 14-month-old son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.

The couple had set up a similar ‘not-for-profit’ organisation, Sussex Royal, but were banned from using the word ‘royal’ when they quit official duties in January. 

Harry and Meghan (both pictured) applied to trademark the name of their planned foundation, Archewell, for ¿television shows¿ and ¿motion picture films¿

Harry and Meghan (both pictured) applied to trademark the name of their planned foundation, Archewell, for ‘television shows’ and ‘motion picture films’

They declared that they planned to become ‘financially independent’ of the Royal Family.

Let’s hope they haven’t made any mistakes in their paperwork. 

When they filed documents to trademark the name in America last month, officials said the plans were ‘too vague’ and sent them back.

In a further blunder, the application form to the United States Patent and Trademark Office had not even been signed.

The Sussexes have delayed Archewell’s launch until at least next year, as they focus their efforts on the Black Lives Matter movement and fighting coronavirus. 

They said: ‘We look forward to launching Archewell when the time is right.’

Guinness is good for Hollywood star Bette Midler, whose actress daughter, Sophie von Haselberg, has just married the brewing dynasty’s Harry Guinness.

‘It was a pandemic wedding — very small,’ reveals Midler. 

Sophie von Haselberg, the daughter of Hollywood star Bette Midler (pictured main) has just married the brewing dynasty¿s Harry Guinness

Sophie von Haselberg, the daughter of Hollywood star Bette Midler (pictured main) has just married the brewing dynasty’s Harry Guinness

‘Her fiance hadn’t had a haircut in three months, so she looked online on how to cut hair.’

Sophie says of the New York ceremony: ‘I could not recommend getting married in Covid enough, because it means you don’t have to invite anybody you don’t want to invite.’

New romance blossoms for Edo's ex Dara 

Princess Beatrice succeeded glamorous architect Dara Huang in the affections of property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, but now Dara has found a new man of her own.

I can disclose that Dara, 37, who was engaged to Edo until the year he began courting the Queen’s granddaughter, has fallen for a London-based financier, Filippos Kodellas de la Morena, 37.

An investment fund manager, he’s the son of a Greek diplomat and a well-connected Spanish mother. 

Architect Dara Huang (pictured) has found a new romance London-based financier Filippos Kodellas de la Morena following an engagement to property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, who is now married to Princess Beatrice

Architect Dara Huang (pictured) has found a new romance London-based financier Filippos Kodellas de la Morena following an engagement to property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, who is now married to Princess Beatrice

‘Dara is very happy,’ a source reveals. ‘She met Filippos through mutual friends. He’s just as handsome and successful as Edo.’

Miss Huang has a three-year-old son, Christopher, with Edo. The lad was due to become the youngest-ever best man at a royal wedding. 

But Edo and Bea’s nuptials in May were put on hold because of the coronavirus restrictions.

Filippos should be able to keep Dara in fancy frillies: he’s a director of expensive lingerie firm La Perla.

Crumbs... Racy Lady Lola's triple birthday celebrations 

It’s ‘Super Saturday’, but spirited socialite Lady Lola Bute couldn’t wait to begin the revelling.

Socialite Lady Lola Bute (pictured by the pool of her family home) celebrated her 21st birthday this week

Socialite Lady Lola Bute (pictured by the pool of her family home) celebrated her 21st birthday this week 

The daughter of the Marquess of Bute enjoyed three birthday celebrations which included a party with her friends (pictured)

The daughter of the Marquess of Bute enjoyed three birthday celebrations which included a party with her friends (pictured)

The daughter of the Marquess of Bute — former racing driver Johnny Dumfries — hosted not one, not two, but three celebrations to mark her 21st birthday.

At the first, she tucked into Victoria sponge with her family by the pool, right. 

At the second, she enjoyed a floral cake, and at the third party for friends, she was treated to a pink three-tiered creation.

The Queen counts £1.5million Balmoral bill 

The Queen is known for her frugality, whether storing corn flakes in Tupperware containers, turning on just one bar of her electric fire, or patrolling Buckingham Palace to switch lights off.

But I can disclose that she may be about to take what could be called the ‘£1.5 million holiday’ — if, as is now expected, she heads to Balmoral later this summer.

Usually, the 50,000-acre estate would have been open to the public since April — and would be welcoming visitors until the end of July, with Her Majesty arriving shortly thereafter.

In that time, about 70,000 tourists would visit, generating approximately half the private estate’s £3 million annual running costs.

But the coronavirus pandemic has put paid to that. 

And if Her Majesty, who pays for the estate’s upkeep out of her own pocket, arrives in August, there will be no chance of recouping some income with a ‘late opening’.

Thank goodness for the Tupperware. 

Dawn's highway to hell 

What would the vicar of Dibley say? 

Dawn French has admitted to being caught speeding twice in her Range Rover on the same stretch of road driving between London and her Cornwall home.

The comedienne was hit with a double fine in the same section of roadworks because the offence crossed two counties and each police force sent her a ticket. 

Dawn French (pictured) has admitted to being caught speeding twice in her Range Rover on the same stretch of road driving between London and her Cornwall home

Dawn French (pictured) has admitted to being caught speeding twice in her Range Rover on the same stretch of road driving between London and her Cornwall home

‘I have had to do a driver safety course,’ Dawn says.

‘With roadworks, with nobody working in them, I drove at 55mph in a 50mph zone and I went over the border between Somerset and Devon and I was done in both counties. 

That’s not fair, is it?’

Thursdays’ ‘clap for carers’ are over, but publicist and novelist Simon Astaire is still applauding the NHS in private. 

This week, staff at St Mary’s Hospital in London saved the life of his wife, art gallery owner Pilar Ordovas, after she had their first baby at the age of 46. 

‘She started to haemorrhage, losing more than 14 pints of blood,’ Astaire tells me. ‘But she is safe now and we have been so moved by the outpouring of love.’

Astaire, 58, whose former girlfriends include Ulrika Jonsson, had a son with model Saffron Aldridge in 1993.

When he married Pilar, a legend of the high-end art world, in 2018, Sting was best man. They’ve called their baby girl Paloma.

The smart set's talking about... Magic man Max's wedding 

When socialite John Rendall bought a lion from Harrods pet department in the Swinging Sixties and called it Christian, the big cat became a regular sight in Chelsea as it was taken for walks along King’s Road.

Now, John’s son, Maximillian, is planning a spectacle of his own.

He’s a magician who has just got engaged — and he plans to conjure up some tricks at his wedding. 

Magician Maximillian Rendall (pictured) has just got engaged to fiancee Tallulla Barrow and he plans to conjure up some tricks at his wedding.

Magician Maximillian Rendall (pictured) has just got engaged to fiancee Tallulla Barrow and he plans to conjure up some tricks at his wedding.

His fiancee is Talulla Barrow a private equity whizz, and he tells me: ‘We’re actually meeting with a consultant, who is going to help us discuss what sort of magic we can do as a bride and groom together throughout the ceremony.’

Max adds: ‘We moved in together last year and lockdown could have been quite a divider, but it has brought us closer together.’

Talulla says of the wedding: ‘We’re going to get a couple of tricks in there — it’s going to be a wild one.’

Christian the lion won’t be there, though. He was sent to Kenya to be re-introduced to the wild.

(Very) modern manners 

Elegance in the era of coronavirus is a daunting challenge, so the Queen’s glove-makers are happy to give us a hand.

Cornelia James is to launch a range of anti-viral ladies’ gloves designed ‘to appeal to the stylish, safety-conscious woman’.

The company, which has been making gloves by royal appointment since 1978, is launching them next week at £90 a pair.

The washable cotton gloves are treated with an antiviral compound which has been shown to reduce the presence of coronavirus on fabric by 99.9 per cent.

Its founder’s daughter, Genevieve James, tells me: ‘Our new gloves, which are designed for everyday use, will allow women to wear stylish hand wear and, crucially, stop the spread of coronavirus.’ 

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2020-07-03 21:26:44Z
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National Theatre axes 400 casual jobs as venues around the UK are wrapped in messages of hope - Daily Mail

National Theatre axes 400 casual jobs as venues around the UK are wrapped in messages of hope as they remain closed during the coronavirus crisis

  • Theatres look a long way from reopening due to the coronavirus pandemic
  • The National Theatre has informed 400 casual staff they will not be kept on
  • It will pay its 250 front of house staff and 150 backstage workers until August
  • The NT was wrapped in tape on Friday for the 'Miss Live Theatre' campaign
  • Other theatre venues in Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast will be covered this weekend

The National Theatre today confirmed that 400 casual workers will lose their jobs as the theatre industry continues to feel the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The NT revealed it will pay 250 front of house and 150 backstage staff members until the end of August but they will not be kept on afterwards. 

The news comes just days after the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester announced it had made 65 per cent of its permanent redundant in a bid to safeguard the theatre's future. 

The National Theatre (pictured) in London announced it has made 400 casual staff redundant as the theatre industry continues to feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

The National Theatre (pictured) in London announced it has made 400 casual staff redundant as the theatre industry continues to feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

The NT joins the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester (pictured) in making staff redundant, with the London theatre company axing 250 front of house staff and 150 backstage workers

The NT joins the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester (pictured) in making staff redundant, with the London theatre company axing 250 front of house staff and 150 backstage workers

A National Theatre spokesperson said: 'We have committed to paying our casual staff until the end of August, but very sadly due to the changes in the government Job Retention Scheme we simply cannot afford to offer financial support beyond that point.'

As many lockdown restrictions are set to be lifted in England on Saturday, including the reopening of pubs and cinemas, it remains unlikely that theatres will be allowed to reopen in the near future, despite Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden's five-step roadmap to reopen theatres last week.

Mr Dowden's strategy was described as too vague and needing more investment and the National Theatre have since stated that the decision to make staff redundant  was 'inevitable'. 

The casual workers were informed of the decision by the NT in an email on Friday, while the company added it is just midway through its redundancy process.

NT chief executives Lisa Burger and Rufus Norris admitted that redundancies will continue unless they receive more support from the Government. 

Jasmin Mandi-Ghomi, a playwright who works as an usher at the National Theatre, tweeted: 'The National Theatre have let all FOH staff go. I now have no job whatsoever. Not a single source of income. God I loved that job so much. How can the arts have been let down this badly by the government?'

One playwright and National Theatre usher claimed the theatre industry has been 'let down by the Government' as other businesses, including cinemas and pubs, are set to reopen on Saturday

One playwright and National Theatre usher claimed the theatre industry has been 'let down by the Government' as other businesses, including cinemas and pubs, are set to reopen on Saturday

She also told The Guardian: 'They [the NT] don't know when they're going to reopen and they have three auditoriums, without knowing when people are going to be back in or how they're going to keep people safe.

'It just needs to survive at this point. I understand why they've done it, but it is still hard.'

The National Theatre was wrapped in tape on Friday as part of the 'Miss Live Theatre campaign' to give messages of support to the theatre industry.

The idea was created by Scene Change, a collective of British Theatre Designers and several other theatres will be covered in the tape over the weekend. 

The NT was covered in tape on Friday as part of the 'Missing Live Theatre' campaign giving messages of support to theatre companies across the UK

The NT was covered in tape on Friday as part of the 'Missing Live Theatre' campaign giving messages of support to theatre companies across the UK

The campaign was set up by the group 'Scene Change' and it will be taking place in major theatres in Edinburgh, Manchester, Cardiff and Belfast across the weekend

The campaign was set up by the group 'Scene Change' and it will be taking place in major theatres in Edinburgh, Manchester, Cardiff and Belfast across the weekend 

The Royal Exchange Theatre will also take part in the scheme on Friday, along with the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, Lyric Belfast and Cardiff's Sherman Theatre.

Several of London's West End theatres are also set to be wrapped on Saturday.

Scene Change said: 'As businesses begin to reopen, the doors of theatres remain firmly shut whilst we navigate a way back to live performance. 

 'This is a moment of reset in our industry and we believe the design community can be an essential part of the transformation that will see theatre buildings being reopened and the ways in which theatre can be re-imagined.

'As shapers of theatrical space through the use of people and place, our work is pivotal in connecting an entire ecosystem within the theatre industry. 

'We are ideally positioned to be at the heart of any discussions about how theatre operates in the future.'

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2020-07-03 21:00:42Z
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Boris Johnson threatens more local lockdowns if the public do not behave on Super Saturday - The Sun

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  1. Boris Johnson threatens more local lockdowns if the public do not behave on Super Saturday  The Sun
  2. Boris Johnson says recreational cricket can resume from 11 July  BBC News
  3. Boris Johnson urges UK to 'enjoy summer safely' ahead of pubs reopening  The Telegraph
  4. Boris Johnson’s Trump-style press briefing was so pointless that it might as well have been a shrug  The Independent
  5. I love pubs so much I recreated mine in VR – but I'm staying home on 4 July  The Guardian
  6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2020-07-03 18:37:46Z
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