Songs and games at Guernesiais language event
Songs and games will feature at an event celebrating Guernsey's officially recognised language, Guernesiais.The Guernsey Language Commission said the event at St Martin's Community Centre on Saturday 8 February gave people the chance to meet others keen to learn the language or improve their fluency.People will be invited to name a donkey from a list of 100 names in the language, join in a session of Maisaön, the Guernesiais equivalent of bingo, and take part in a community song about chip stealing seagulls.Sir Richard Collas, the commission's chairman, said: "We have been delighted by the level of interest in Guernesiais shown both by speakers and non-speakers which we see reflected in increased usage of the language."
'Preservation and revitalisation'
He added: "If you are interested in discovering more or would like to know how you could help support the preservation and revitalisation of this important aspect of our heritage please do join us."Guernesiais, a form of Norman French, was commonly used by islanders from the Norman conquest to the 1800s.Attendees can also meet businesses which use the language regularly, including Design4Living, Guernsey Made, and Jill Vaudin Merchandise which will soon be launching their first bilingual calendar.Folk band La Guaine du Vouest will take to the stage at 14:20 GMT and 15:30 and will lead community singing, including a new song about seagulls at Cobo stealing chips.There will also be a screening of La Laongue Veille a film by Theo Cross and Matt Graysmith.
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Glasgow Times
31-05-2025
- Glasgow Times
Lost Alan Turing papers set to fetch £150K at auction
The incredible archive was found gathering dust in an attic in Bermondsey, London, after its owner moved into a care home and her daughters began clearing out her loft. Among the documents which were nearly destroyed was a personal copy of the mathematical genius' PHD dissertation from 1938-39 and his first published paper from 1935. The papers, known as "offprints", had originally been gifted by Turing's mother, Ethel to her son's friend and fellow mathematician Norman Routledge. They were produced in very small numbers and distributed within academia, making them "incredibly scarce" survivors that rarely ever appear on the market. The documents were nearly destroyed. (Image: SWNS) The collection is now expected to sell for between £100,000-£150,000 when it goes under the hammer at Rare Book Auctions in Lichfield, Staffs, on June 17. Turing was one of the famous codebreakers at Bletchley Park who played a vital role in cracking the Enigma code, which led to Allied victory in World War Two. Despite helping to shorten the war by an estimated four years, on March 31 1952, he was prosecuted for homosexual acts and died from cyanide poisoning on June 7, 1954, aged 41. Shortly before pleading guilty, Turing sent a poignant letter to Norman Routledge, the original owner of the papers being sold. The letter, known as 'Yours in distress', was read by Routledge when he appeared in "The Strange Life and Death of Dr Turing" on the BBC's Horizon in 1992. It has also since been read by Benedict Cumberbatch after it was presented by Routledge to King's College, Cambridge, where it now resides in The Turing Archive. The collection is expected to make £150k. (Image: SWNS) But he kept the collection of Turing's offprints, which were eventually rescued by his nieces and nephews. One of the nieces explained: 'Following his retirement from Eton College, Norman bought and lived in a house in Bermondsey. "When he died in 2013, two of his sisters had the unenviable task of sorting through and emptying the contents. "There were lots of personal papers which one sister carted away and stored in her loft. The papers lay dormant until she moved into a care home almost a decade later. "Her daughters came across the papers and considered shredding everything. "Fortunately, they checked with Norman's nieces and nephews because he'd always been a presence in our lives. The papers were saved by Turing's friend, Norman. (Image: SWNS) Adding: "One cousin felt the Turing and Forster papers might be of interest to collectors. "After taking them home for a closer look, she decided to attend a local valuation day hosted by Hansons Auctioneers, who consigned them for research with their specialist saleroom, Rare Book Auctions. "We were bowled over by the valuations and level of enthusiasm.' The collection includes his PhD dissertation from 1938-39, Systems of Logic Based on Ordinals, which is signed by Turing, having been his personal copy. This document alone has been valued by the auction house at £40,000 to £60,000 as has his 1936-37 paper entitled On Computable Numbers. The paper introduced the world to the idea of a 'universal computing machine', which, despite the model's simplicity, is capable of implementing any computer algorithm, and has been described as the first programming manual of the computer age. The papers have been checked by experts. (Image: SWNS) Jim Spencer, director of Rare Book Auctions, who is more famed for finding Harry Potter first editions, described the collection as "the most important archive I've ever handled.' He said the exchange of offprints had historically been a method of correspondence between scholars and is prized by collectors as representing the first separate edition of an important work. He added: 'Nothing could've prepared me for what I was about to find in that carrier bag. "These seemingly plain papers-perfectly preserved in the muted colours of their unadorned, academic wrappers - represent the foundations of computer science and modern digital computing. "Literature has always been my forte, not mathematics, so the past few months of intensively researching and cataloguing these papers has left me feeling that Alan Turing was superhuman. The collection includes letters. (Image: SWNS) "For me, it's like studying the language of another planet, something composed by an ultra-intelligent civilisation." The collection also includes The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis, which dates from 1952, and is Turing's lesser-known masterpiece of mathematical biology. It has since become a basic model in theoretical biology, describing what have come to be known as 'Turing patterns'. Mr Spencer said: 'As recently as 2023, a study confirmed Turing's mathematical model hypothesis as outlined in The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis. "In this way the papers are still alive. They're still relevant and groundbreaking. 'We even have Turing's first published paper from 1935 – Equivalence of Left and Right Almost Periodicity – which is simply a single sheet of paper. The collection is set to get interest from around the world. (Image: SWNS) "And the provenance couldn't be better. The archive was gifted to Turing's friend and fellow mathematician Norman Arthur Routledge (1928-2013) by Turing's mother Ethel - and we have her handwritten letter explaining this." In the letter, dated May 16, 1956, Ethel Turing says: 'I have to-day sent by registered post 13 of Alan's off-prints...I don't know what people in Cambridge thought of the manner of Alan's death. "I am convinced it was accidental as the experiment of coke under electrolysis – which smelt of cyanide had been going on for weeks – I feel sure he got some of this on his fingers & so on to the apple he customarily ate in bed...I have had some requests to write a biography of Alan...I have masses of material because from the time he was about 6 I spotted a winner – despite many detractors at school – and kept many papers about him.' Mr Spencer added: "This fascinating letter is a golden thread that neatly ties up and seals the authenticity of everything being offered. "The potential value compels us to offer the papers individually. The price is unknown and could run to any amount. Recommended Reading 'Anything with a direct connection to Turing is highly desirable and almost impossible to find. "These papers were owned by his close friend Norman, having been gifted to him by Turing's mother. That's what makes this collection so significant. 'Hardly anything like this appears on the open market, so predicting hammer prices is fortune-telling." Adding: "I suspect interest will be strong in Silicon Valley – where Turing's influence shines brightly – but it would be lovely to see material acquired by institutions who could share things with the public."
Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Zoe Ball's love life as she fronts VE Day concert - including bond with her ex
BBC Radio 2 host Zoe Ball - who has returned to the radio station for a new Saturday afternoon show - will host VE Day 80: A Celebration to Remember for the BBC tonight Presenter Zoe Ball will be back on TV later tonight as the 80th anniversary celebrations for VE Day continue. She will follow in the footsteps of Sophie Raworth who led the BBC' s coverage of the special occasion earlier this week. Zoe, 54, will front VE Day 80: A Celebration to Remember from 8pm until 10.10pm on BBC One this evening. It will showcase a concert from Horse Guards Parade in London and has been described as the "finale" of the celebrations. Her involvement with the special comes after she returned to BBC Radio 2 just days ago to launch her new Saturday afternoon show. Zoe had hosted the station's weekday breakfast show for six years before leaving in December. She had announced her departure weeks prior after an extended absence last summer, which came following the death of her late mother Julia Peckham in April last year. Ahead of her return to TV tonight, there's been renewed interest in Zoe's life off-screen. There's been no update on her dating life, with her thought to be single, but the Mirror has now taken a look back at her previous relationships. Fatboy Slim Zoe had a high-profile relationship with musician Norman Cook, now 61 - better known as Fatboy Slim - after meeting whilst both in Ibiza in 1998. The presenter was out there hosting BBC Radio 1 's breakfast show from the island. She got married to the DJ the following year and their son Woody Cook, now 24, was born in 2000. The couple then briefly split in 2003 after she had an affair. She told the Mirror in 2012: "It was a mix of everything. I wasn't happy." Zoe reflected: "[We] met in Ibiza and lived this crazy, party life and got married within a year. Then we had Woody and suddenly I was all settled down. I thought 'do know each other?' [...] Reality hit me hard when we started a family." She ended up reconciling with Norman though and their youngest child Nelly Cook, now 15, was then born in 2010. Six years later, the couple however announced back in 2016 that they had decided to separate after 18 years together. The exes have remained on good terms over the years. As previously reported, Zoe told Red magazine in 2020: "[Norman] is such a good friend and a good guy. It's not always been easy and it's taken time. He's been through a lot, I've been through a lot, but now we're in a great place as parents together." Zoe and Norman were said to be spending "more time" together last year following the loss of her mother. A source told OK! magazine in September: "Zoe has really struggled these past few months as she copes with the loss of her mum and just lots of changes in her life. And despite them splitting up, Norman is the one person she can still rely on and he has been her rock, as he always is." Speaking to the Mirror recently, their son Woody dismissed any suggestion of a rekindled romance though. Asked how his family are doing, he said: "It's pretty good, for a half-estranged family unit. Not a lot of turmoil at the moment. We are very excited, the four of us. Not that we are actually 'a family'. They are still very much not together. As much as the papers keep trying to insinuate they're back together. Just to clarify that!" Billy Yates Following the end of her long-term relationship with her ex Norman, radio host Zoe began a romance with camera operator Billy Yates in 2017. The pair are said to have been friends for years before their relationship developed. Billy was said to have given Zoe a "new lease on life". Just months into their romance though, it was announced that he had died, aged 40. It was later reported that Billy had taken his own life and Zoe's paid tribute in the years since. Remembering him on Desert Island Discs in 2020, she said: "He had lived with depression for a huge chunk of his life. It's so hard to sit and watch someone you love and care for struggle with mental health." She shared: "Losing him was the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with in my life." Zoe continued: "I think something that's really important to share [is] that there is hope. There is help available, there are ways, we're still learning. For some people, the drugs work. For some people that isn't the case. But I think it's so isolating to be trapped in your mind like that, where you doubt yourself, you doubt everything you've ever known. You doubt your family love you. You doubt that your friends care for you." She added: "I don't want people to remember him for how he died. I want people to remember Billy for how he lived his life. He was so full of love. He would help anyone in need. He was always there for all his friends. He brought so much [into our lives]. He loved to dance and he loved to laugh." Just days ago, she reflected on the loss on the anniversary of his death. Alongside a photo of her late partner, she wrote on Instagram: "8 years forever in our hearts Billface #mateswithyates." She included emojis of a rose, stars and a heart. Michael Reed Zoe is said to have begun dating model Michael Reed towards the end of 2017. A source told the Sun in December that year: "She has had a tough time of it this year so deserves some happiness. It is early days with Michael but Zoe seems quite taken with him." Two years later, there was speculation that they had split up though the couple are now thought to have remained together after then. It was subsequently reported four years later that they had ended their relationship in 2023. A source told the Sun two years ago: "Zoe is gutted." They went on to say: "[They] started spending a lot less time together, went away on separate holidays and drifted apart. Now it seems the relationship has finally run its course." If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@ or visit their site to find your local branch.
Powys County Times
05-05-2025
- Powys County Times
A look back at Llanrhaeadr life in the 2000s in pictures
WELCOME to bygones and a community close up on Llanrhaeadr Ym Mochnant. These pictures were all taken between 2000 and 2010. The border village lies near the foothills of the Berwyn mountains on the river Rhaeadr. At the top end of the valley is the Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall, one of the traditional Seven Wonders of Wales. One mile north of the village is the hill Moel Hen-fache which stands at 1,690ft. The Norman church of St Dogfan is a Grade II* listed building, restored between 1879 and 1882, but with parts dating back to the 13th century. The parish is best known for its former vicar, William Morgan who first translated the whole Bible into Welsh in the 1580s. The village was at one point served by the defunct Tanat Valley Light Railway which served Pentrefelin, Llanrhaiadr Mochnant and Pedairffordd Halt but sadly the line was closed as part of the devastating Beeching cuts of the 1960s. Castle Fine Art, Llanrhaeadr Open Day. Pictured is Steve Page working on one of five Fountains that are being made for Blackburn City Centre. (Image: BCA/CT.) The Tanat Theatre stages a one off performance of Old Time Musical Hall to raise money for the village hall. (Image: BCA/CT.) Eleven-year-old Lauren Edmunds of Llangedwyn won the Matthew Morrison Memorial Award at Llanrhaeadr Primary School for being the most helpful pupil in the school. (Image: BCA/CT.) Tanat Valley Theatre Club of Llanrhaeadr staged a production of Snow White. (Image: BCA/CT.) Lee Williams entered and won football shirts for the school by entering a Walkers Crisps competition for the pupils from Llanrhaeadr YM Primary School.
