Latest news with #AnneJames
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'Overwhelming' donations help save flower bench
A volunteer group has been "overwhelmed" by donations to help save its flower bench after it was damaged by a falling tree branch. The "well-used" bench next to a bus stop in Washington Village, near Sunderland, was "obliterated" last week when a heavy section of a storm-damaged tree crashed on to it. It had been built five years ago and is maintained by the Washington Village in Bloom group. Volunteer Anne James, 58, set up a fundraiser which more than doubled its £300 repair target in three days. She said: "It's very gratifying that we have got that many people willing to support us, and appreciate what we do because we're out in all weathers and all year round." Mrs James, who said she is not particularly tech-savvy, said: "I was a little bit overwhelmed because I've never done anything fundraising before." She created the appeal because, after she posted a picture of the damage, people on social media were asking how they could help. The fundraiser "snowballed" and reached £650 before she closed it. The bench, which also featured a bug house hotel, was constructed by Alan Kerry from the group. It is thought the tree that fell on it had been weakened by previous storms. "It pretty much obliterated the seat," Mrs James said. "The council came out the next morning and cleared the tree but obviously what was left of the seat was sticks really." Mr Kerry had since been able to repair the seat, re-using the damaged wood. It cost about £100 in paint, bolts and filler, so the rest of the money will be used on more flowers for the village plus tools and uniforms, Mrs James said. The group won the Royal Horticultural Society's Britain in Bloom best village gold award in October. Mrs James said people had been "so generous" to donate. "It's a very leafy village so there's always leaves to pick up and bulbs to plant. "It's nice to know that people do actually appreciate what we're doing." Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. More on this story Floral success 'helped my cancer recovery' 'Hours picking soggy leaves' leads village to gold Related internet links Washington Village in Bloom
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Washington in Bloom donations restore destroyed flower bench
A volunteer group has been "overwhelmed" by donations to help save its flower bench after it was damaged by a falling tree "well-used" bench next to a bus stop in Washington Village, near Sunderland, was "obliterated" last week when a heavy section of a storm-damaged tree crashed on to had been built five years ago and is maintained by the Washington Village in Bloom Anne James, 58, set up a fundraiser which more than doubled its £300 repair target in three days. She said: "It's very gratifying that we have got that many people willing to support us, and appreciate what we do because we're out in all weathers and all year round." Mrs James, who said she is not particularly tech-savvy, said: "I was a little bit overwhelmed because I've never done anything fundraising before."She created the appeal because, after she posted a picture of the damage, people on social media were asking how they could fundraiser "snowballed" and reached £650 before she closed it. The bench, which also featured a bug house hotel, was constructed by Alan Kerry from the is thought the tree that fell on it had been weakened by previous storms."It pretty much obliterated the seat," Mrs James said."The council came out the next morning and cleared the tree but obviously what was left of the seat was sticks really."Mr Kerry had since been able to repair the seat, re-using the damaged cost about £100 in paint, bolts and filler, so the rest of the money will be used on more flowers for the village plus tools and uniforms, Mrs James said. The group won the Royal Horticultural Society's Britain in Bloom best village gold award in James said people had been "so generous" to donate."It's a very leafy village so there's always leaves to pick up and bulbs to plant."It's nice to know that people do actually appreciate what we're doing." Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
The Star
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Theatre is stealing the spotlight this month in the Klang Valley
This month, the Klang Valley's theatre scene is buzzing – with a major Taiwanese production, a classic revival of Jit Murad's work, and an intimate dance-theatre piece unfolding in a small community hall on the outskirts of Selangor. Here are a few shows to look out for. In 'TaTaTa', Audrey Chua (left) and Anne James bring to life two generations, shaped by director Lai Wen Xin's personal story of her relationship with her grandmother. Photo: Low Pey Sien Venue: Dewan Serbaguna Seri Kembangan, Selangor Here's a show, presented by the Kongsi Petak collective, that takes you straight to the heart of a small town community. Part performance, part memory capsule, TaTaTa transforms the rustic Dewan Serbaguna Seri Kembangan into a stage where memories and generations meet. Marking Lai Wen Xin's directorial debut and performed by Anne James and Audrey Chua, this interdisciplinary piece weaves together theatre, dance, and multimedia to explore the emotional distance between the elderly and the young. The result is a tender, thought-provoking work that invites audiences to reflect on what it truly means to grow older. SALAM STAGE: A LIVE STORYTELLING EVENT Venue: PJ Live Arts, Jaya One, Petaling Jaya This free admission event, presented by Initiate and Freedom Film Fest, hands the mic – and the theatre stage – to stories that matter. "Salam Stage" is a live storytelling event (in English and Bahasa Malaysia) that foregrounds raw, personal accounts of courage, resilience, and hope, shared by Malaysians confronting the realities of rising extremism and a narrowing civic space. These aren't just performances – they're lived experiences, told in the spirit of resistance and healing. It's a timely call to gather, to listen deeply, and to imagine new, collective paths toward a more just and inclusive society. You'll want to book your seats fast – spaces are limited. In 'Dracula: A Comedy Of Terrors', Joe Wyatt directs and also sinks his teeth into the role of Dracula himself. Photo: Limelight Theatre 'DRACULA: A COMEDY OF TERRORS' Venue: DPAC, Petaling Jaya If you're after a good laugh and a fun night out, this might be your ticket. Dracula: A Comedy Of Terrors flips Bram Stoker's iconic vampire tale into a whirlwind of slapstick, puns, and unapologetic theatrical mayhem. The show is presented by Limelight Theatre, one of Kuala Lumpur's newest theatre companies, with a focus on farce and comedic storytelling. Expect lightning-fast role swaps, mistaken identities, and a gothic setting that gleefully unravels into chaos. With a razor-sharp script, the show channels the spirit of The 39 Steps and Young Frankenstein — a riotous treat for audiences of all ages. All eyes are on the international premiere of Apostate at KLPac – its first show outside Taiwan. The 2023 production won the Grand Prize at the 22nd Taishin Arts Award and the Jury Prize at the 35th Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan. A collaboration between Approaching Theatre and Gang-a Tsui Theater, Apostate weaves a Song Dynasty envoy's story with a modern prisoner's dilemma, exploring loyalty to family and State. Performed in Mandarin, with some Quanzhou dialect and English surtitles, the 12-actor show blends traditional Nanguan opera – Unesco-listed since 2009 – with contemporary soundscapes and multimedia design. It also marks the homecoming of Taiwan-based Malaysian director Koh Choon Eiow, an Asian Cultural Council grantee. The JitFest2025 celebration continues this month with 'Visits', directed by Ida Nerina and starring (from left) Sofia Jane, Nabila Huda and Nadia Aqilah. Photo: DramaLab Venue: Nero Event Space, PJPAC, Petaling Jaya Directed by Ida Nerina and starring Sofia Jane, Nadia Aqilah, and Nabila Huda, this new production breathes fresh life into one of the late theatre legend Jit Murad's most poignant works. Visits, which premiered in 2002, is a sharply observed, darkly funny play that brings together three women at a high-end mental health retreat. A patient, her sister-in-law, and an enigmatic nurse cross paths in a surreal space where memory, identity, and power slowly unravel. This upcoming Visits show at PJPAC is part of JitFest 2025, organised by DramaLab. A timely revival that strikes a perfect balance between humour and heartbreak, delivering its message with stunning clarity. 'WILL YOU BE MY WITNESS?' Venue: Black Box, DPAC, Petaling Jaya Arts collective lowercase laboratories returns with Will You Be My Witness?, a theatrical dance performance, produced and directed by Low Yee Choy, that explores our deep human desire to be seen. Beginning with everyday rituals like brushing teeth and scrolling through phones, the piece soon spirals into a world of hypervisibility, digital overload, and emotional fragmentation. Inspired by the question, 'If a tree falls in a forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?', the performance uses striking visuals and physical storytelling to explore themes of identity, conformity, and the quiet craving for validation. Venue: Auditorium MBSA, Shah Alam Here's a chance to catch emerging talent in Bahasa Malaysia theatre. Rubiah, a musical, presents the staging of a drama work, written by Samoza, and directed and adapted by Dr Aminah Rhapor. A collaborative effort with JKKN Selangor, Persona Mantera, and MBSA. The play tells the story of Rubiah, a pure-hearted young woman raised with love and religious guidance. She is torn between her childhood friend Alang and a proposal from Daeng, a wealthy nobleman of high status. Amid slander and worldly temptations, Rubiah searches for a love blessed by God.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Whipsnade Zoo lion to be renovated with tonnes of chalk
A hillside lion that is seen as a regional landmark is due to be restored using 1,100 tonnes of animal near Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire is thought to be the largest hill figure in zoo said maintaining the lion was an "enormous" job because of weed growth, but that new chalk would make the task Anne James, who helped remove weeds, described the project as "fantastic". Ms James, 74, regularly takes a rake to the steep slope to remove unwanted plants, and was volunteering there on mother saw construction of the lion in the early 1930s and her children "loved it".After two years of volunteering to clean up the lion she said "everybody is saying how wonderful it is to see it again". In 2023, the former Mayor of Dacorum Gbola Adeleke said he was concerned the figure was not being maintained properly and he offered to buy zoo said it was not for team leader Ben Mawhood said maintaining the lion was an "enormous" said the work "got a lot harder" in the 1980s when the area was declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which meant pesticides could not be used and weeding must be done by hand. Volunteer David Jones, 75, said the lion was an "iconic part" of his life and a year ago the lion looked "green" because of the number of said the lion should look "brilliant" once the work was chalk was last added in 2018 and the zoo said it wanted the lion to look "spectacular" for next year's 200th anniversary of the Zoological Society of London, the charity that runs the zoo. The 147m-long (483ft) structure was designed by RB Brook-Greaves and was covered in World War Two to prevent it from assisting German pilots with new chalk is due to be laid this summer. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
