Calls to preserve historic Soho production company sign
Hammer Film Productions was founded in 1934 by William Hinds and James Carreras.While it worked on films in genres such as fantasy and science fiction, it is most closely associated with its long list of horrors including the Count Dracula series and The Mummy (1959).The application, filed by architects kennedytwaddle on behalf of owners Hammer House Investment Limited, largely focuses on changes to the rear of the building.It also proposes to replace the signage and doors to the upper floors "with more simple, discreet versions".Chris Twaddle of kennedytwaddle said the studio always tries to be as true to the original as it can with its refurbishments.
'True to original'
He said: "The wider plans for Hammer House are to refurbish the building in a manner true to the original to create quality new workspaces and potentially a roof terrace with unrivalled 360 degree views of the area."Tim Lord, Chair of the Soho Society said the group is discussing with the applicant whether any proposed changes to the building's façade can either retain the existing sign or replace with a replica of the original."Soho was for many decades the centre of the UK's film industry and we are keen to retain and protect these reminders of that period," he added. "We loved the Hammer House of Horror and we want it to stay."The application is yet to be decided by Westminster City Council. A target date has been set of 9 September.
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BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Calls to preserve historic Soho production company sign
A sign linked to Soho's historic connections with the film industry may be replaced under refurbishment Hammer House sign on Wardour Street harkens back to the building's former use as the home of Hammer Film Productions, now used as mixed-use office known for its horror movies put out from the mid-1950s up to the 1970s, Hammer Film Productions moved into its Soho office in the late 1940s, after which point it was renamed Hammer the current sign dates to the 1990s, the Soho Society is requesting it either be retained under plans to refurbish the building or a "facsimile of the original" be installed in its place. Hammer Film Productions was founded in 1934 by William Hinds and James it worked on films in genres such as fantasy and science fiction, it is most closely associated with its long list of horrors including the Count Dracula series and The Mummy (1959).The application, filed by architects kennedytwaddle on behalf of owners Hammer House Investment Limited, largely focuses on changes to the rear of the also proposes to replace the signage and doors to the upper floors "with more simple, discreet versions".Chris Twaddle of kennedytwaddle said the studio always tries to be as true to the original as it can with its refurbishments. 'True to original' He said: "The wider plans for Hammer House are to refurbish the building in a manner true to the original to create quality new workspaces and potentially a roof terrace with unrivalled 360 degree views of the area."Tim Lord, Chair of the Soho Society said the group is discussing with the applicant whether any proposed changes to the building's façade can either retain the existing sign or replace with a replica of the original."Soho was for many decades the centre of the UK's film industry and we are keen to retain and protect these reminders of that period," he added. "We loved the Hammer House of Horror and we want it to stay."The application is yet to be decided by Westminster City Council. A target date has been set of 9 September.
The National
14-07-2025
- The National
Celtic are spending like a club in the throes of buyer's remorse
Last summer, Scotland's champions came under pressure to smash the piggy bank with a hammer. Criticised for a lack of signings in the January window, chairman Peter Lawwell acknowledged the 'inherent inefficiencies' of hoarding £67.3million in savings. It made more sense to spend the money on players than it did to hand a chunk over to HMRC in corporation tax. To that end the Parkhead board started throwing money at players. They broke their transfer record once to sign Adam Idah from Norwich for a fee close to £9m. They repeated the trick when they took an £11m punt on Belgian midfielder Arne Engels. By the time they'd added American defender Auston Trusty for £5.5m, Brendan Rodgers looked like a man who'd rolled the dice and won a fiscal power struggle with the people who think the club should stick to buying cheap, selling big and stockpiling punts like Gustaf Lagerbielke and Yang Hyun-jun in the hope of peeling away the wrapper one day and finding a Matt O'Riley underneath. How different it all looks now. Despite a respectable tally of 21 goals, Idah is no one's idea of a first-choice starting striker. Given a full pre-season Engels may yet deliver a decent return on the sizeable investment in his services, but has still to scale the heights. If an English club offered Celtic their money back on Trusty, you suspect they'd snap their hand off. If Dermot Desmond has made up his mind that Celtic are simply no good at spending large sums of money then the solution shouldn't be a return to the days of raking around the bargain bin for players of £3million or less. In a market turbo-charged by middle eastern oil money that doesn't buy you much, and it makes more sense to fine-tune the recruitment process until they master the art of spending their Champions League windfalls wisely. It's not as if they're running out of cash. Celtic could feasibly became the first Scottish club to store up bank reserves of £100m in the near future. And, while UEFA's financial sustainability rules will limit spending on player wages, transfer fees and agent fees to 70 per cent of a club's revenue, the champions are in no danger of landing an expensive slap on the wrists from Europe's governing body. They're too cautious for that. Read more from Stephen McGowan: Infantino's latest vanity project is ridiculous – enough is enough Is Dermot Desmond absentee landlord or Celtic mastermind? The spending hasn't dried up completely. They've completed a £20m upgrade of their Barrowfield training centre. The wages committed to Kieran Tierney's return, meanwhile, represent a significant financial commitment for a team in the Scottish Premiership. Throw in the signings of Swedish attacker Benjamin Nygren, Fulham prospect Calum Osman, back-up keeper Ross Doohan and Japanese defender Hoyata Inamura, and they've gone earlier than usual. Rodgers claims there is still plenty going on in the background and perceptions of a window can change quickly. By the end of August they could add another three or four marquee signings and supporters could be cock-a-hoop over with the business done. Given the lack of trust fans have in the board, few are getting their hopes up. Over the years Celtic's fear of missing out on Champions League money has fostered a level of caution which makes that very scenario more likely. Hoarding millions in the bank further risks nudging Rodgers towards the door next summer. The current window is likely to have a bearing on his decision and they're hardly going the extra mile to keep him. Financially secure, he doesn't need the job or the pressure. Family factors and the familiarity of six years in Glasgow will be other considerations and, while he deliberates, Celtic might be reluctant to hand millions and millions of pounds to a manager yet to commit. Ironically, that reluctance to give him the backing he needs to sign the players that he wants makes it more likely that he'll leave. He did it once before. And the longer this situation rumbles on, the more Rodgers' words, soundbites and body language will be studied with forensic intensity for evidence of a clue to his innermost thoughts. When Inamura, a 23-year-old defender from Japan, pitched up before the pre-season friendly against Queen's Park, the manager gave the impression that his input into the signing had been limited. Asked if Inamura would be ready to go straight into the first team Rodgers replied: 'No, he won't be. He's a part of the investment of the club.' While he softened his comments after a promising debut for the Japanese defender against Cork City, the episode felt like a flashback to Marian Shved the Ukrainian winger who came, saw, and left after three appearances. While Tierney and Nygren should improve the team which finished the Scottish Cup final defeat to Aberdeen with Jonny Kenny up front, Greg Taylor in midfield and Yang shanking cross after cross off the pitch, it's hard to say for certain that the starting XI is significantly better. Online, fans are already bickering over the area where the need to strengthen is most great. Some say attack, some say defence. Despite winning a double last season, there's a case for saying they're both right. Two wingers, a central defender, a contingency for the potential departure of Reo Hatate and a proper goal scorer is baked in. Depending on how Inamura shapes up, they could still bring in another left-back with reports in Belgium linking Flavio Nazinho of Cercle Brugge. Do all that for less than the £17m they've raked in for Kuhn and fiscal caution will start to look like a high-risk gamble. In the summer of 2014, Celtic lost a Champions League qualifier to Maribor of Slovenia and 200 angry supporters gathered in the car park. Frustrated by a perceived lack of spending on players, Lawwell was forced to address the frustration by making a commitment. In a question-and-answer session, the current chairman pledged that every penny Celtic earned would be reinvested. 'In terms of investment our policy, our commitment, is that every penny that comes into the club will be reinvested, it will go back into the club,' said the then CEO. 'I do not think we can be clearer than that. There is no pile of cash sitting there that we can look at, watch, feel and touch. It doesn't exist.' Fast-forward 11 years and Celtic's rainy day fund could insulate them from the impact of a tsunami. While cash in the bank dropped to £65.4m at December 31 last year, they've since raked in tens of millions from the Champions League. They've sold their top striker Kyogo Furuhashi to Rennes for £10m, Kuhn to Como, and cashed in a hefty £5m sell-on clause from Jeremie Frimpong's move to Liverpool. That's a lot of money to reinvest in the club. If keeping the manager is the name of the game, they really should get cracking.
NBC News
06-07-2025
- NBC News
How a Colorado restauranteur leaped into action when tariffs hit food prices
Steve Hammer, owner of the Mauka Poke and Twisted Root restaurants in Eagle, Colorado. Benjamin Rasmussen for NBC News For Steve Hammer, owner of Mauka Poke, waiting for the next shoe to drop wasn't an option. July 6, 2025, 6:07 AM EDT By Alicia Victoria Lozano As the U.S market plunged into volatility following President Donald Trump's tariff announcement on Liberation Day, Colorado restaurant owner Steve Hammer panic-ordered 200 pounds of ahi tuna. Mauka Poke, one of his two restaurants in Eagle, Colorado, near the popular resort towns of Beaver Creek and Vail, exclusively serves poke. The other, Twisted Root, offers fish as an alternative to pizza and burgers. 'On Liberation Day, I probably got 10,000 grey hairs,' Hammer said. 'I completely panicked. My kitchen manager wasn't particularly happy with me for jamming up the freezer.' Since early April, the cost of tuna has only increased by a few bucks to about $220 per box, but Hammer said he is still keeping the fridge fully stocked. Benjamin Rasmussen for NBC News At the time, Hammer figured it would be better to order seven 30-pound boxes of tuna for $215 total than run the risk of prices increasing when the tariffs hit Vietnam, where he sources most of his seafood. On Wednesday, Trump said he reached a trade agreement with the southeast Asian country. U.S.-based companies will pay a 20% tariff on Vietnamese goods and a 40% tariff on goods routed through Vietnam from other countries. Vietnam agreed not to charge any tariffs on U.S. goods. According to industry trade group Independent Restaurant Coalition, smaller restaurants and food processors are facing 'enormous pressure' from Trump's tariff war with China in particular. Benjamin Rasmussen for NBC News The restaurant industry has been in financial limbo for much of this year as consumers scale back on dining out and business owners face the impacts of tariffs. In May, Fitch Ratings warned that the restaurant industry was facing 'significant risks' and downgraded its outlook from neutral to deteriorating. According to the industry trade group Independent Restaurant Coalition, smaller restaurants and food processors are facing 'enormous pressure' from Trump's tariff war with China in particular. Some cookware and takeout containers come from China, which leaves small businesses with the difficult question of whether to absorb increasing costs or pass it on to customers and risk losing their business. Hammer is already feeling the crunch. The price of avocados from Mexico, a mainstay at both of Hammer's restaurants, has doubled from about $45 to $50 per box to about $90 to $100, he said. Benjamin Rasmussen for NBC News Since early April, the cost of tuna has only increased by a few bucks to about $220 per box, but Hammer said he is still keeping the fridge fully stocked to delay raising prices as long as possible. Prices for other products, like disposable bowls from China, have already climbed 25%. Since March, the cost has increased from about $25 per box to $35 from his usual supplier, he said. And costs from the 'emergency supplier' Hammer uses when his go-to is not available have shot up from around $45 to $67, he added. Disposable gloves are also getting pricier. At Mauka Poke, where employees go through whole cases per day, prices have increased from $32 in January to $39 for his most recent order. As customers order fewer extras like avocado and guacamole, the cost of some mainstays like ground beef are also rising. Benjamin Rasmussen for NBC News The price of avocados from Mexico, a mainstay at both restaurants, has doubled from about $45 to $50 per box to about $90 to $100, he said. That price has trickled down to customers, costing them now $2 per scoop, up from $1. It's now cheaper to buy the popular topping from local markets than from wholesalers. Many local grocers now limit the number of avocados each customer can purchase, he said, because of high demand. 'Those signs are because of people like me,' Hammer joked, referring to the quantity restrictions. He said customers are beginning to 'tighten their belts' and visit his restaurants less frequently. They're also ordering fewer extras like avocado and guacamole. Even mainstays are becoming more expensive. The price of ground beef has increased due to the rising costs of cow feed, Hammer's suppliers have told him. Looking ahead In an attempt to keep things afloat during these uncertain times, Hammer, whose family owned a pub when he was growing up, has stopped taking a salary from the restaurants. Instead, he relies on his digital marketing business for income. He acquired Twisted Root just six months ago while Joe Biden was president and Mauka Poke about a year and a half ago, he said. The seafood restaurant brings in about $350,000 a year with a 5% profit margin, but Twisted Root has a negative 10% profit margin despite its $450,000 yearly revenue. The staff is larger there and the rent higher, plus Twisted Root offers vegan alternatives that are more expensive than meat and dairy products, Hammer said. He tries to keep the menu prices reasonable for customers, which sometimes means taking on more cost. In an attempt to keep things afloat during these uncertain times, Hammer, whose family owned a pub when he was growing up, has stopped taking a salary from the restaurants. Benjamin Rasmussen for NBC News Closing is not an option for the meantime, Hammer said. He employs 30 seasonal workers between both restaurants and feels 'responsible' for keeping the businesses going. In six months, he will reassess Twisted Root's model and decide whether to revamp the menu or change its concept. Thoughts about the current administration When asked if Trump's trade war is negatively affecting his businesses, Hammer compared the president's approach to bullying. 'I keep hearing through the administration about how we should just suck it up and deal with it and rub some dirt on it and get back in there,' he said. 'It's administration by bullies and I hate it." Alicia Victoria Lozano
