New director hopes to invest in future of theatre in Bretton
The Cresset is owned by the YMCA Trinity Group and is home to performance spaces as well as a library, day care centre, shops, church and pub. It is self funding and year end profits are put back into the work of the charity."It's not just a theatre, its a community hub, a place that is open from 07:00 to 23:00... with conference facilities, weddings and a really busy youth programme on stage and in the community with the YMCA."Ms Chantal added: "One of the things I want to do is bring in more original music as well as the really great fun tribute acts we are well-known for and bring in different music here like jazz, country [and] western, opera or local orchestras."We want the community to be a part of this venue in the way it was originally conceived to be the community hub of Bretton."
It was devised in the 1970s by Sir Harold Haywood and was officially opened in 1978 by HM The Queen with Prince Philip.Ms Chantal joined the theatre and events complex this year after a report was commissioned by the Cresset Board in partnership with Peterborough City Council. It said its recommendations would be implemented over the next five years.She wanted to hear suggestions of what the wider community wanted to see at the site and hoped to bring in more ideas and bigger audiences. Ms Chantal added: "Some of our staff have been here 40 years, they come and they stay because they love it and they care about The Cresset and you can feel that."You can feel it in the way that they behave and treat the audience as guests to their home, it's a very different vibe to the theatres I've worked in for the last 40 years."
Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
23 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Moment hammer-wielding robbers try to raid posh Chelsea pawnbrokers beloved by celebrities - only to be foiled by smokescreen
A pair of hammer-wielding robbers tried to raid a posh pawnbrokers in London - only to be thwarted by a smokescreen. Dramatic footage shows the thieves, who were both masked by their motorcycle helmets, enter Chelsea's Prestige Pawnbrokers - beloved by celebrities including Janet Jackson. The robbers appear to have smashed a large window to enter the shop, only to be foiled by a thick plume of smoke and startled by a blaring alarm system. A woman filming from a window above shouts 'they're robbing' as the two enter the store, only to stumble back out again as the smoke thickens. They then jump on their motorcycle, which was parked just outside, and flee the scene seemingly empty handed. Three men then appear to investigate and try to stop the alarm and intense smoke system. The shop, also called Posh Pawn, is famous for its luxury items and has seen famous faces visit - including Janet Jackson. The American singer, 55, was seen leaving Prestige Pawnbrokers in 2022 and is said to have become something of a regular there. Janet was seen leaving clutching a blue jewellery box under a sign which read 'Posh Pawn' and got into a Range Rover parked outside - and apparently it wasn't her first visit. A source told the Daily Mail at the time: 'She is a big fan of the shop and the staff look forward to welcoming her. She is always very chatty. 'She's been in five or six times and loves looking around. She is a valued client.' An onlooker in the store said: 'Janet was in Prestige Pawnbrokers for quite some time, she was looking at the jewellery for a while and seemed quite interested in a Hermes bag. 'She was clutching a blue jewellery box, but it wasn't clear what it contained. She seemed to be very friendly and was chatting away with the staff asking questions about various items on display.' Prestige Pawnbrokers also had its own Channel 4 hit documentary series, which uncovered the world of high-end pawnbroking.
Daily Mail
23 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Jeremy Clarkson's 'weird' rule that caused controversy at his Farmer's Dog pub is finally solved
The 'weird' rule at 's Farmer's Dog pub that saw staff repeatedly let down punters has finally been solved after months of backlash. The former Top Gear presenter opened a country pub alongside his Oxfordshire farm Diddly Squat, last year and announced he would only be using products and ingredients that were 100 percent British. It left commonplace items including Coca Cola, coffee and even ketchup firmly off the menu at the Cotswolds pub. Although many were supportive of the rule, so many punters would ask for ketchup to accompany their meals that staff resorted to putting up signs informing customers it was not available. But now the problem has finally been solved, thanks to Isle of Wight firm Condimaniac. The company decided to take on the challenge and has now successfully created an all-British ketchup, made from Isle of Wight tomato passata, apple cider vinegar from Hanmpshire, Essex salt and British sugar and onions. The firm has been documenting its progress on the product online, and said it was especially difficult to develop as no UK firm produces tomato puree. After successfully launching the condiment, co-founder of the company Kier Kemp said: 'Making a 100 per cent British ketchup after Jeremy Clarkson alerted us to the fact there wasn't one was very hard. When the former Top Gear presenter first opened the doors to his watering hole he was on a mission to only sell 100 percent British-grown products 'We had to put on our big boy pants.' In a blog post describing the process of making the ketchup, he admitted it was a 'massive faff' and said staff had 'had to go to great lengths to get the right consistency and flavour.' Co-founders Mr Kemp and Jennifer Dreier delivered an initial batch to the Farmer's Dog in June for staff to sample. Just before they met with manager, Annie, customers flocked to try the sauce, with one stating it was 'amazing'. 'I am not having Heinz again that is for sure,' another said. Another staff member at the Farmers Puppy, a 'small but mighty version of the pub in a tent', gave them kudos for their product. Condimaniac initially made 1,700 bottles of the product, with many destined to be sold at the pub's butcher and bottle shop and at Clarkson's farm. The product, costing £7.95, has already sold out on the firm's website. Reflecting on how impressed he was with the pub, Mr Kemp said: 'It is not just a gimmick for them they do really live and breathe this 100 percent British thing.' He later dubbed them the 'best wholesale clients I have ever dealt with', adding: 'Everyone I have met is super lovely.' 'I am glad that I can report they are actually nice people. It is not always like that.' A source close to Clarkson's pub told the Sun: 'Jeremy and the team support the British food and farming industry. 'So he made no apologies for not selling ketchup, no matter how many times staff had to let customers down. 'But the pub's always said that if a British company could do it with all-British ingredients, it would get on the menu.
The Independent
24 minutes ago
- The Independent
Why Jack Draper stunningly left Nike for new brand before US Open
Jack Draper 's rise to the top of men's tennis has seen him sport the iconic, clean look of Nike since his days as a junior up until his Wimbledon bow and historic Indian Wells Open victory. But all of that has changed last month when his Nike deal expired and not only did he switch brands, but Draper took the decision to enter the unknown as the face of Vuori's venture into tennis. Draper has been a trend-setter and has found his career entwined with fashion, notably through his deal with Burberry and a recent campaign alongside model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, while Vogue's global editor Anna Wintour is a fan. Enter Vuori and the latest opportunity for a tennis player to pursue one of the non-traditional brands of the sport, with the apparel brand based in California identifying the world No 5 as the face of their new tennis line. 'You're used to seeing yourself a certain way, and now other people are seeing you differently, too,' Draper said, with the launch off to a fine start in the controversial US Open mixed doubles and a place in the final four on Wednesday. 'That sort of makes them curious: 'What's this brand?'' Draper unveiled his new look at the US Open in the mixed doubles on Tuesday, partnering up with Jessica Pegula, and the No 1 seeds, due to their combined singles rankings, swept into the semi-finals, with victories over Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu first, then Daniil Medvedev and Mirra Andreeva in the quarter-finals. Draper will even have his own signature line in a deal that Joe Kudla, Vuori's founder and chief executive, has described as a 'fairy-tale dream.' From an athleisure brand to leading apparel for one of the best athletes in the world, Vuori appealed to Draper due to their 'creativity'. Draper explained: 'I think there's a real creative element to what they do. And I've always been someone who likes to have my own style, who likes to be my own person. It is quite an essential part of an athlete's journey, because it's our kit.' While Nike still retain some of the best players in the world, including Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka, Draper's move is in line with players pushing for greater commercial flexibility and he could also pursue campaigns that are more closely aligned with his own personal brand and style, which have become so distinctive in recent years. The deal was helped by Draper's brother, Ben, who was familiar with the brand, who will offer the 23-year-old full access to designers and developers to shape his look for years to come. 'I think a lot of people, especially in the U.K. market, they don't hear a lot about them,' Draper added. 'That's the thing with Vuori. It's something different that people haven't seen before.' Draper is the latest in a trend of players leaving the swoosh, with Taylor Fritz partnering up with BOSS and Frances Tiafoe linking up with Lululemon. The landscape has changed over the last decade in tennis, with more brands breaking into the industry, including Roger Federer and his venture with On, who sponsor Ben Shelton and Iga Swiatek, following a $50m investment for a three percent equity stake in the company in 2019.
