Two-time Olympic champion, 31, found dead after horror accident
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Times
25 minutes ago
- Times
Martin Shaw: ‘My remote cottage? You need a 4×4 to get to it'
I live near Norwich in a very rural area. My house was built in 1611. It's a standard East Anglian farmhouse cottage with a high, pitched roof. It's not big — three bedrooms with an attic room — but it's the perfect size for me. The house is surrounded by farmland and it's pretty isolated. I have about four acres, which include a lot of trees and a meadow. It's flat land, as you'd expect — windy, and awful for the internet and the phone line — but I wouldn't live anywhere else. I've been here for about ten years. Before moving here I had a very similar, slightly smaller cottage of about the same age nearby. How did you come to settle in Norfolk? About 20 years ago I did a TV series for Anglia Television called The Chief. At that time I was living in Stoke Newington in northeast London. I rented a simple cottage here, with somebody else's furniture and cutlery in it, like an old holiday home. I'd never been happier. So when The Chief finished after four years I sold the place in London and moved up here. Unfortunately I moved too early to catch the property boom. Have you changed the decor much since moving in? I've not done an enormous amount of renovation or redecorating — just a touch here and there to make the place feel and look more in keeping with what it is. I felt this was better than trying to make the place more modern, which is what one of the previous owners did, with absolutely hideous results. For instance, and this I found absolutely gobsmacking, they took out the original leaded mullion windows and replaced them with modern windows. Correcting that was one of the first things I did. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Erdington, Birmingham, which could not possibly be more different from where I live now. It was an early 20th-century council house — one of the first in the country — and had gas rather than electric lighting. The place was a little crowded, being home to my parents, Jo and Frank, my brother Jem and I, and my maternal grandparents. My grandfather was a gunsmith, and he had a shed in the back garden where he brought work home. The place was off limits, but I managed to steal the odd peek when the chance arose. Do you have a second home? I've had my getaway in southwest Scotland for 40 years. I'd always found city life oppressive, although I didn't realise this until I got out into the country and took a deep breath. So it remained an ambition to have somewhere in the country until I found this very remote small stone cottage. It's perched on a steep hill, and you need a 4×4 with exceptional ground clearance to get to it. But it's worth it. On a clear day I can look out of the window and see the Isle of Man. Why did you choose acting? When you start, you don't know what's coming. For me it was a process of osmosis. At school the only things I was really good at were English and drama. Naturally you gravitate toward what you do well. When I left school I worked in an office for a couple of years while doing semi-professional street theatre, before turning professional. I've been in more or less continuous employment for sixty years. • What was it like being in The Professionals? Before The Professionals I'd had three or four major successes in the West End, at the National Theatre, the Royal Court and on television. When the role of Doyle came along, I took it without thinking where it might lead. After the end of the first series I asked if I could be released, and quite rightly they held me to my contract. This meant four and a half years of misery, because the independent production company was not nice to work for, and the loss of privacy was horribly uncomfortable. All the kudos I'd built over ten years vanished for a spell as I became identified with that kind of role. How do you relax? I go on walks, and I like to fly old aeroplanes. I've had a pilot's licence for about 30 years, and enjoy spending time with my friends in the flying community. I don't have a routine because I'm never out of work for long enough to need to figure out what to do to fill my time. If I have a bit of time, I'll go up to Scotland. As lovely as this old house and the surroundings are, after a couple of months I want to get back to work because I enjoy digging into a new character, researching, and creating a role. Do you have a treasured belonging? I've been interested in aeroplanes since I was a young boy. Back then there were still a lot of planes flying over Erdington that had been involved in the war. It was a marvel to watch them. That fascination never waned. Now I have a Piper L-4 Grasshopper, which is what the US air force used as an artillery spotter during the Second World War. I've had it for 15 years. I feel privileged to own something that is a part of history.
North Wales Chronicle
43 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Blaenau Ffestiniog roads to close for gas pipe works
The Square, New Road, and the rear access road to numbers 26-32 The Square will be affected. The Square will be shut from a point by number one to the junction with Wynne Road. New Road will be closed from its junction with The Square up to its junction with the Rear Access Road to 26-32 The Square. Gwynedd Council has announced a temporary traffic order for the roads, which will block through traffic in both directions. The closure is set to last for about 18 days, ensuring the safety of the public during the upgrade works. An alternative route has been set up. Drivers can head south on Dorvil Road, then turn left at The Square junction. From there, they can travel on this road and Wynne Road in a south-easterly direction. Atthe Wynne Avenue junction, drivers should turn left to travel north-east up to the closure. The route is reversed for vehicles travelling in the opposite direction. Residents will still have access during the works. The order will be in place for up to a month, although the work is expected to be completed in just over two weeks. For any further information regarding the closure, people can contact the applicant, Mark Morris, on 07980 892 567. For any further information about the order itself, people can contact the Transportation and Countryside Service on 01286 679437. For more notices affecting YOUR area, visit our Public Notice Portal
Rhyl Journal
44 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Second World War veteran honoured in Rhuddlan on VJ Day
The tribute took place during Rhuddlan's VJ Day-themed Picnic in the Park on Saturday, August 2, held in honour of Victory over Japan Day. The event was attended by Vale of Clwyd MS Gareth Davies and county councillor Ann Davies, who both met Basil Pierce, a Second World War veteran who served in the Pacific. Mr Pierce will turn 100 next month and has lived in Rhyl, Denbigh, and now Rhuddlan. Mr Davies said: "We were deeply honoured to participate in the early VJ Day commemorations, paying tribute to the enduring sacrifices of our service members, whose commitment to our freedoms and nation will never be forgotten. "The privilege of speaking with Basil, a WWII veteran and centenarian, was a poignant reminder of the dwindling number of those who served. "It's important to remember the remarkable service of British troops in the Pacific theatre, whose courage and contributions remain an unforgettable part of our history." The Picnic in the Park, now in its second year, was organised by Rhuddlan Town Council and featured 1940s-themed entertainment, volunteer fair stalls, and community activities. The event aimed to honour the 365,000 British servicemen who served in the Pacific and contributed to the end of the war. Ms Davies said: "It was a pleasure to honour Basil at this VJ celebration. "Basil is an inspiration to many of us. "Despite being modest about the significance of what he and his fellow veterans did for our country, I think he enjoyed the afternoon. "We must never forget."
