Latest news with #1969
BBC News
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
John Lennon and Yoko Ono holiday hotel set for demolition
A hotel where John Lennon and Yoko Ono spent a holiday as newly-weds when The Beatles were top of the charts with their final number one before splitting up is in danger of being Beatles star and his wife stayed at the Georgian Grade II listed Corbett Arms in the seaside town of Tywyn, Gwynedd, in the summer of 1969 during a turbulent time in the band's historyLennon and Ono were pictured by 13-year-old Alan Finlay, who also washed the superstar's car, while sat in the hotel's garden. The hotel has been shut for a decade, and after attempts to find the owner, the local council has applied for the 19th Century hotel to be knocked down as parts have already collapsed. The run-down Corbett Arms, which dates back to the early 1800s, is now a far cry from being the landmark hotel which attracted stars like Lennon and Beatles were on a break during the recording of what would become Abbey Road - which includes songs like Come Together, Something and Here Comes The Sun - when Lennon visited north was just months after his marriage to Ono in March 1969 and the singer wanted to show his new wife special places that meant a lot to him. They arrived on the north-west Wales coast as The Beatles song about them, The Ballad of John and Yoko, was number one - the 17th time they had topped the UK singles visit to Tywyn was also between the recording of Lennon's first solo single Give Peace a Chance, which the pair recorded three weeks earlier in their second week-long anti-war bed-in in Montreal, and its Corbett Hotel's odd-job boy Alan Finlay, then 13, greeted the superstars as they arrived."Dad would tell us about this real fancy car pulling outside the hotel and John Lennon got out," remembered daughter Gaby, 26."He was a huge music fan and was like 'oh my god', he couldn't believe it. "John Lennon then asked dad to clean his car. So he did with pride and couldn't believe it when John Lennon paid him, he said he'd have done it for free! But John paid dad quite a lot of money!"According to local folklore they had been turned away from another hotel, the Trefeddian Hotel in nearby Aberdyfi, before spending the night in grandmother Jean also worked at the four-storey hotel and said the couple, accompanied by Lennon's six-year-old son Julian and Ono's five-year-old daughter Kyoko Cox, did not have a booking."They asked to book out the whole top two floors for privacy," added Gaby."After dad washed the car, he saw them as a family sitting out in the garden and asked them for a picture and they agreed." Welsh rugby fan Alan went on to have three children, worked in the Royal Air Force and later as a mortgage advisor and taxi driver, and was a grandfather when he died aged 69 in 2022."That was dad's claim to fame, he loved telling people about that story," said Gaby. After a brief pit stop in Wales, Lennon and Ono went on to his home-town of Liverpool and on holiday in Scotland in his white British Leyland Austin Maxi car."This was downtime for them in a very busy time and it was an attempt to be discreet," said Mark Lewisohn, a historian, biographer and well-respected authority on the Beatles."But everywhere they went, they were recognised because nobody on the planet looked like John Lennon and Yoko Ono."Yoko was John's new partner and she wasn't British so he wanted to show her places important and special to him." "He had a life-long affinity to Wales after going there as a child and John Lennon's mother's family had a Welsh connection," Mr Lewisohn said. "He told the South Wales Argus in 1965 that 'Wales seemed full of green grass, beautiful mountains and such friendly people' so he always had a feeling for Wales."Following his UK road trip, Lennon returned to the studio with bandmates Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in the July of 1969 to finish off Abbey Road in what proved to be their last recording then quit what is widely-regarded as the UK's most famous and successful band in the September, days before Abbey Road's release. "At no point when the picture in Tywyn was taken was John thinking The Beatles were going to break up," added Mr Lewisohn."But he wasn't adverse to it because what he thought about The Beatles and what we thought about The Beatles were two different things."Lennon and Ono's visit to north Wales was just days before Prince Charles' investiture as the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle in the north of the couple sent a postcard of the 20-year-old prince to Starr and his family to the Apple offices in London, containing the simple message: "Hello".That postcard, bearing the postmark of Tywyn and dated 23 June 1969, was included in drummer's 2004 book Postcards From The Boys. From hello, it could be goodbye to the Corbett Arms for good unless help is found to save the once grand building that was described by locals as the "gateway into the town".It could be demolished within months because it is dilapidated and unsafe, with parts of it having already Corbett Arms is considered one of the UK's most endangered buildings, according to conservation charity SAVE Britain's Heritage. Campaigners, including Catherine Evans who remembers Lennon's visit to her home-town, want this important part of Tywyn's history to be saved. "The history is unbelievable, going back to the 1800s, and it's a shame it got to this state and pulled down when it could have been saved," added Ms Evans, whose parents both worked at the Corbett local authority has issued 11 notices to force repair works by the owner but emergency demolition now seems likely in order to protect public safety. Scaffolding has been put up to secure the building with an application in place for listed building consent to carry out the demolition work."We understand the significance of this historic building and concerns of the local community," said Gareth Jones, of Cyngor Gwynedd."However, the condition of the building has deteriorated to a point where immediate action is now required to protect public health and safety. Sadly there is no other option."
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Supreme Court imposes ₹7,000 cost on lawyer who sought probe into protocol lapse
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday imposed ₹7,000 cost on a lawyer who filed a petition seeking a probe against the three civil servants who violated protocol during Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai's recent visit to Maharashtra, observing that the petitioner was unnecessarily bringing the office of CJI into controversy. A bench of CJI Gavai and justice AG Masih said the petition was an effort to gain cheap publicity. 'We are of the considered view that the present PIL is a publicity interest litigation to gain cheap publicity. We highly deprecate such practice. We request everybody not to make a mountain out of a molehill,' the bench said, dismissing the petition. During his first visit to the state as CJI for a felicitation event organised by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa (BCMG) on May 18, the CJI disapproved of the absence of the chief secretary, the director general of police and the Mumbai Police commissioner, who were not there to receive him at the airport in violation of the laid-down protocol. CJI Gavai said he did not want to pinpoint such 'small' issues but was raising it to generate awareness. After the CJI's remarks in Mumbai became public, all three top officials were present at the next event attended by the CJI. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court issued a statement underlining that all concerned had expressed regrets, the matter had been 'blown out of proportion' and requested that the matter be given a 'quietus'. A petition filed by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi that sought a probe against the three officials under the All India Service (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969 for alleged misconduct came up before a bench led by CJI Gavai on Friday. 'You are unnecessarily bringing the office of CJI into controversy,' the bench told Tripathi as it imposed costs of ₹7,000, considering the lawyer's seven years standing at the bar. 'We have made it clear that CJI was not concerned about the treatment given to him as an individual, but he was concerned about the dignity of the office of CJI being the head of one of the wings of democracy,' the bench said. The court stressed that the three officers tendered their apology at the first opportunity, rectified their error and subsequently accompanied CJI Gavai to the airport. 'Not only this, all the other concerned also tendered apology, even publicly,' the bench said.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Rare 1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler Rescued After 40 Years in Basement
⚡️ Read the full article on Motorious A rare 1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler, forgotten in a basement for over 40 years, has been fully restored to its original condition after being rescued in 2021. The highly collectible Dan Gurney Special edition is now turning heads once again thanks to a meticulous rotisserie restoration. Originally purchased new in 1969, the car was driven sparingly before being parked in 1980 and subsequently forgotten. Its remarkable story came to light in a recent episode on Lou Costabile's YouTube channel, where car restorer Everett Rutledge and current owner Steve Breedlove detailed the car's decades-long disappearance and stunning revival. Breedlove acquired the vehicle after locating it in the basement of a private residence, where it had remained undisturbed since the Carter administration. The Cyclone's confinement may have preserved its integrity: the car was discovered in extremely low-mileage condition, retaining its original 5.8-liter (351 cubic-inch) Windsor V8 engine. Only 1,025 Cyclone Spoilers were produced in 1969, and just 131 of them were Dan Gurney Special editions, named for the American racing legend. Even fewer—only 114—came equipped with the same interior/exterior color combination and factory AM radio, making this example one of the rarest surviving Cyclone Spoilers. Following a comprehensive frame-off restoration, the Mercury was returned to its original showroom appearance, complete with factory-correct details and paintwork. From its signature red-white-blue livery to its preserved drivetrain, the Cyclone now stands as a rolling tribute to late-1960s NASCAR-inspired muscle. 'It's an incredible piece of Ford performance history,' said Rutledge, who helped oversee the restoration. 'To find one this original and this rare—especially with such low mileage—is almost unheard of.' The story of this Cyclone's resurrection is not just about preserving a rare car, but about honoring the legacy of American muscle and the enthusiasts who bring it back to life.
Geek Girl Authority
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES Spoiler Review
Major spoilers ahead for Final Destination: Bloodlines. You've been warned. * * If you're looking for horror flicks that encapsulate the early 2000s look and vibe, you need look no further than the Final Destination franchise. The five flicks (2000-2011) managed to combine horror and comedy into its own little subgenre. And even though they all share the same story structure, each flick kept us on edge to find out how Death would get its revenge on survivors of tragedy. But does Final Destination: Bloodlines have what it takes to draw an audience in 2025? Read on to find out. RELATED: Sinners Spoiler Review Final Destination: Bloodlines begins in 1969, where a cute young couple named Paul (Max Lloyd-Jones) and Iris (Brec Bassinger) drive to their date destination, a brand-new restaurant called The Skyview. Paul blindfolds Iris so she's surprised by the reveal – but as she looks up at the huge, Space Needle-looking tower, she gets anxious. They see a bratty kid (Noah Bromley) trying to steal coins out of the fountain. And in the elevator ride to the top, the same kid jumps up and down on the floor, making Iris even more nervous. When they get to the top, Paul and Iris marvel at the swanky restaurant, but Paul's reservation gets bumped. They decide to stay and have a drink. Brec Bassinger in Final Destination: Bloodlines Now here we go with the Rube Goldberg mechanics: one of the waiters opens a wine bottle, sending the cork flying up into the chandelier, loosening one of the crystals. The crystal falls and hits the glass floor, creating a crack. Meanwhile, Iris feels nauseous and heads for the bathroom. One of the singers (Natasha Burnett), who's looking after her kid (Jayden Oniah), sees her and asks how far along she is. Iris is surprised that she was able to tell and confides that she hasn't yet told Paul. The singer reassures Iris that she'll be alright, and she shouldn't be afraid to tell Paul the good news. RELATED: Drop Spoiler Review Paul finds Iris and takes her outside to the observation deck, where he proposes. Iris butts in and blurts out that she's pregnant, and Paul couldn't be happier. Everyone out there with them applauds as he gives her the engagement ring. Then Iris sees that same bratty, coin-stealing kid throwing pennies off the tower. A security guard yells at him, but as soon as he walks away, the kid tosses the penny anyway. The penny gets sucked into the ventilation system, causing it to clog a fan and start releasing gas into the restaurant. Paul and Iris hit the crowded dance floor, where the band starts a rousing version of 'Shout.' Everyone stomps on the cracking floor, which then shatters, sending people falling to their deaths – including poor Paul. Then a flambé flame ignites the gas in the air, setting several guests on fire. Everyone rushes for the stairs, but they collapse before Iris can get there. Then, everyone dashes for the elevator, and it plummets. The outside supports break, the whole restaurant tilting, sending people slamming into the windows. Then the infamous penny reappears and lands on the precariously hanging piano. The infinitesimal weight of the penny causes the anchor on the piano to snap, sending it flying into more people – happily, including the bratty, coin-stealing kid. Brec Bassinger in Final Destination: Bloodlines Iris sees the singer's kid and tries to rescue him. The rest of the restaurant gives way, sending Iris and the kid out the window. She gets caught on some rebar – more specifically, she gets caught by her engagement ring, which was tight on her finger. But their combined weight pulls the skin off her finger (eww), and she and the kid both fall to their heinous deaths. Cut to present day, where a college kid named Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) wakes up screaming, having dreamed the whole thing. She's in the middle of class and is mortified by the teacher and everyone else laughing at her. Then after class, her teacher delivers bad news: her grades are in the toilet, so they're putting her on academic probation. RELATED: The Woman in The Yard Spoiler Review Later, in her dorm room, Stef wakes up screaming again, which also wakes up her roommate. Stef confides that the recurring dream/vision is keeping her from sleeping, hence the bad grades. Her polite but annoyed roommate says she needs to take some time off to resolve whatever issue she's having. So we cut to Stef driving to her Dad, Marty's (Tinpo Lee) house, who's surprised to see her. So is her younger brother Charlie (Teo Briones). Stef asks Marty about Iris, who, as it turns out, is her and Charlie's grandmother. But Marty doesn't want to talk about it, seeing as Iris' insanity is the reason he and Stef's mother Darlene (Rya Kihlstedt) divorced. Charlie wants to go to their cousins' place to hang out, so Stef drives him. All the cousins, Erik (Richard Harmon), Bobby (Owen Patrick Joyner) and Julia (Anna Lore), are also surprised to see her, as are her uncle Howard (Alex Zahara) and Aunt Brenda (April Telek). Stef has a reputation for distancing herself from the family, so she has to deal with their obvious resentment. Katilyn Santa Juana in Final Destination: Bloodlines Stef tries to get information from Howard, but he, too, doesn't want to talk about Iris. All he'll say is that surviving the Skyview accident made Iris severely paranoid and pretty much insane, which made growing up hell for him and Darlene. After he walks out, Stef begs Brenda for help, and she clues Stef into a box of old letters in a cabinet. She gets an address off one of the letters and drives out to Iris' house, which to her shock, is a scary-looking, DIY fortress. Stef announces herself over the speaker on the gate and granddaughter finally meets Grandma (Gabrielle Rose), but she's not at all like a typical grandmother. She explains to Stef that at the time, she trusted her instincts and managed to evacuate the restaurant before the collapse. But after that, she found that people who had been at the Skyview and survived started dying. RELATED: Novocaine Spoiler Review Iris says she became consumed with preventing Death from claiming her and her kids. The fortress has kept her safe for 20 years – but now she's got terminal cancer. She shows Stef a notebook filled with writings, news articles and a flow chart about other similar situations (e.g., Flight 180), and info on all the survivors who became eventual victims. Weirded out, Stef tries to leave. Iris begs her to stay, afraid to step outside the house. But knowing that Stef's in danger, Iris bravely walks outside to give Stef the notebook. And as soon as she does, Death sends a fire extinguisher flying into a broken weathervane, which launches right through Iris' head, and does the signature Final Destination blood splatter all over Stef's face. Ick. At Iris's funeral, everyone's surprised when Darlene shows up. Stef and Charlie aren't happy to see her, as they believe she abandoned them. Uncle Howard and Aunt Brenda invite her to a memorial barbecue at their house. Teo Briones, Tinpo Lee, Kaitlyn Santa Juana, April Telek, Alex Zahara, Richard Harmon, Anna Lore, Owen Joyner in Final Destination: Bloodlines Howard raises a toast to Iris at the barbecue, telling everyone how they need to enjoy the time they have with family. But of course, Death has other ideas, laying several traps to the tune of 'The Piña Colada Song' – a faulty grill venting gas, a rake underneath the trampoline, a shard of glass hidden inside a glass of ice. Meanwhile, back at her Dad's, Stef goes through Iris's notes. Then she gets the feeling something's wrong and rushes over to Howard and Brenda's. Even though Darlene spotted the rake under the trampoline, it rips, sending Bobby falling through it. Then when Erik lights the grill, it nearly explodes in his face. The shard of glass ends up stuck in the grass, where Howard steps on it. He falls, and the rake then falls into the lawnmower – and poor Howard gets mowed. RELATED: Movie Review: Death of A Unicorn After his funeral, Stef gathers the family to discuss Iris' theories. Stef realizes that because Iris survived – and wasn't meant to – that her children and grandchildren weren't meant to be born. So Death's coming for all of them (except Brenda and Henry, who aren't blood relations). But of course, nobody wants to believe such a whacked-out idea, and they all dismiss Stef. That night, as Erik closes up at the tattoo/piercing shop he works at – and while mourning by giving himself a 'Dad' tattoo (and listening to 'All by Myself'), he falls victim to a heinous series of events. He almost gets pulled into the ceiling fan by his nose piercing (yikes), and then a fire started by spilled alcohol rages through the shop. But miraculously, he survives. The next day, Stef tries to convince Erik that he's still in danger, as evidenced by the truck that rushes by and nearly hits him. But he's still not buying it, and neither is Julia, who angrily dismisses Stef again before heading out on a jog. But then, through another series of events, Julia falls into a garbage can that gets picked up by the passing dump truck. Teo Briones, Kaitlyn Santa Juana in Final Destination: Bloodlines While Erik and Charlie try to alert the driver, Stef climbs up onto the truck and tries to grab Julia. But Death has its way and crushes her with the compactor ( really gross). What's left of the family finally believes Stef and they try to figure out who's next on Death's list. Stef finds someone named 'JB' in Iris' notes, and Darlene remembers that he works at a local morgue. Everyone piles into Darlene's RV (which she's been living out of for years), including Erik and Bobby. As they drive, Stef notices that Darlene has photos of her and Charlie, and Darlene says she keeps them close. When they get to the morgue, they meet William John Bludworth (the late, legendary Tony Todd), aka 'JB.' Turns out, he's the son of the singer at the Skyview, and remained friends with Iris. JB knows about Iris' death and isn't surprised to see Stef. RELATED: Movie Review: The Uninvited About to retire, JB clues them in on how to beat Death. You can either kill someone to get the years that person has left, or you can technically 'die' and then be revived. Like Iris, he's survived this long, but now cancer has the final word. He tells them to enjoy life while they have it and wishes them good luck. Then he takes his box of belongings and exits. Aww. We love you, Tony. Erik and Bobby split off from the group to take matters into their own hands. Bobby's next on the list since Death missed Erik. They ever-so-briefly consider killing a baby. But then Erik comes up with the idea that they can cheat Death by having Bobby 'die' from anaphylaxis from his peanut allergy. Then, Erik says he'll resuscitate him, and he'll be okay. Bobby reluctantly agrees, deciding that if he's gonna go, he's gonna die by peanut butter cups. Tony Todd in Final Destination: Bloodlines They duck into an MRI room and unknowingly start it up. It slowly ratchets up to its most powerful setting as Bobby eats the peanut butter cup. By the time anaphylaxis sets in, the MRI's pulling in every metal thing on the entire floor. Erik gets sucked in by all of his piercings (eww) and then gets crushed. Bobby manages to get his EpiPen and stab himself, but then a nurse walks in the door, and a metal coil from a vending machine (where they got the peanut butter cups from) flies right into Bobby's head and kills him. Yow. After that horrifying disaster, Darlene decides she'll go to Iris's fortress and stay there. As long as she survives, Stef and Charlie should be safe. They decide to go with her and stay together. They drive the RV through the gate, but then another series of events causes an explosion, which sends the RV crashing on its side into a pond. RELATED: Movie Review: The Surfer Now underwater, Stef can't get free of the seatbelt. And meanwhile, Charlie's stuck under some debris. Darlene decides to free Charlie first, but as soon as she does, a lamppost falls on her and kills her. Charlie races to rescue Stef, but she's already drowned. Cut to black for a moment – then Stef awakens, resuscitated by Charlie. The chain's broken, and Death's finally defeated. Cut to sometime later. Stef's about to head back to school, and Charlie's headed off to prom. They go to Charlie's date's house, who is dressed remarkably like Iris. Stef sees a car drive over some train tracks – an old car that looks just like Iris and Paul's. Meanwhile, a penny that some lady dropped gets stuck in the track. Kaitlyn Santa Juana in Final Destination: Bloodlines Stef and Charlie talk to one of the guys there for the prom, and he says that even though it's miraculous that she survived, Stef didn't really die. She was just unconscious. Uh-oh. The oncoming train derails and crashes into the neighborhood. Stef and Charlie run from it, nearly escaping – until a ton of logs fly off the train and crush them. Yep. Classic Final Destination. *** I only recently, within the last few years, got into the Final Destination flicks. I didn't watch them before because I figured they were going to be cheesy and goofy – and they are. But after I watched the original and then the sequel, I was hooked. It's hard to describe, but any fan of Final Destination knows that it's its own subgenre, equal parts disgusting, silly and hilarious. It has such a unique story structure – one that definitely isn't art-house, high-brow cinema. It's just fun. And to write a Final Destination flick means being a stickler for tiny details, so it takes its own sort of talent to pull it off. RELATED: Mickey 17 Spoiler Review It's been 14 years since the last flick in the series, and technology has changed so much in that time that trying to reinvigorate the franchise for a new generation is a risky venture. It's entirely possible that Final Destination was so unique to its time that to remake it would just mean turning it into something it was never designed to be. Directors and cast with Tony Todd in Final Destination: Bloodlines Thankfully, the directors and writers of Final Destination: Bloodlines are clearly huge fans of the series. They put a slightly different spin on it by making the doomed heroes descendants of the survivors rather than the survivors themselves. And by taking the initial catastrophe way back in time, they gave the old Final Destination structure a new look and feel without changing it so much that it's unrecognizable. I must also give props to the directors for giving Tony Todd that terrific scene. Tony's been the face and voice of Final Destination since the beginning, so I'm glad that they made sure to include him. It was also incredibly cool that they let Tony improv his final lines of dialogue, so that he could speak to the fans directly and say his goodbyes before his death. So many times, attempts to remake older flicks – or to restart dead franchises – end up delivering nothing but mediocrity. Thankfully, Final Destination: Bloodlines didn't fall into that trap. It's revitalized, reinvigorated and just as gory and darkly, tragically funny as ever. Final Destination: Bloodlines is a gift for horror fans, and I can't wait to see what new disaster they come up with next. Directed by: Zack Lipovsky, Adam Stein Written by: Guy Busick, Lori Evans Taylor, Jon Watts (story) Release date: May 18, 2025 Rating: R Run time: 1hr, 50min Distributor: New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. Pictures THUNDERBOLTS* Spoiler Review
ABC News
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Call The Midwife: Series 13 Episode 1
Skip to main content Period Drama British Relationships It's 1969. More babies than ever are being born in hospital and pressure on maternity beds is high. But Poplar is coping well due to the popularity of home births under the auspices of the Sisters. New series starts Sunday 10 May at 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV. Jenny Agutter, Judy Parfitt, Helen George, Laura Main, Stephen McGann, Cliff Parisi, Linda Bassett, Annabelle Apsion, Daniel Laurie, Georgie Glen, Zephryn Taitte, Rebecca Gethings
