Latest news with #Ariadne
Evening Standard
08-05-2025
- Evening Standard
The National Gallery rehang review: 'London is blessed to have it'
And besides the rehanging of the pictures, there's been an architectural reordering. The first thing that strikes you as you enter the Sainsbury Wing is the sheer space. The floor above the atrium, previously taken up by the restaurant, has been opened up with clear glazing and the effect is of light and space. When it's empty, it's cavernous, but most of the time it'll be filled with school tours and tourists; they won't feel cramped now. And, don't worry, the important things have been attended to: shops and places to eat. In the entrance there's a chi-chi coffee bar and a shop where children can buy felt arty toys and adults can get a tote bag with Titian's Bacchus and Ariadne on it. On the floor above, there's Locatelli's restaurant for classy pasta and another shop with art books and arty presents.
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Property firm run by Kirstie Allsopp's husband faces backlash over plans to bring back lightwell at Victorian pub over upskirting fears
Kirstie Allsopp 's husband's plans to reintroduce a historic Victorian lightwell at his north London pub have been slammed by locals who say it could be used for upskirting. One resident likened the idea to 'a voyeur's deluxe box seat', saying that 'if the goal was to create a wholly inappropriate and wildly tone-deaf feature, then mission accomplished.' And they added: 'Surely, we've evolved beyond designing our streets like the set of a Victorian peep show. 'If this is heritage, then perhaps we should also bring back gas lamps and cholera.' Property development company Wentworth Anderson - run by Location, Location, Location star Allsopp's husband Ben Andersen - is redeveloping the pub on Latimer Road in north London. Previously known as Ariadne's Nectar Bar, it was bought by the company in 2023 and renovation work is ongoing. But it seems not everyone is happy with every part of the Victorian building's restoration. Last year the project fell foul of neighbours when a huge sign appeared on the side of the building with 'Allsopp's' written on it. The owners were criticised, with some saying they were imposing Kirstie's name on the area. It later transpired that her great great grandfather owned a beer brand which is now being revived by her cousin Jamie and is expected to be sold in the pub. And now, plans to bring back a lightwell - which traditionally gave light to cellars - have also been slammed. One local wrote a huge long letter decrying the idea as 'baffling and frankly retrograde' while others said it was planning by stealth as it made them worry that by introducing light it would pave the way for conversion of the basement into flats. Documents submitted to local planning authority the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) show that Wentworth Andersen want to reinstate the original lightwell which once lay on the pavement outside the Victorian boozer. They would use conservation grade black grilles painted in black gloss. Two other similar lightwells are still in existence at the pub - one of which has been glazed over. Speaking of the fact the lightwell could be used by perverts, one local let rip, saying: 'Community spaces are precious, and their return is usually cause for celebration. 'However, any enthusiasm I felt has been thoroughly eclipsed by the baffling and frankly retrograde decision to reintroduce a design feature that belongs firmly in the past - if not in the bin. 'Not only am I a woman who enjoys strolling through her neighbourhood without fearing a low-angle photo shoot, I'm also a mother to a young daughter. 'And now I find myself wondering whether this grille is intended as some sort of open-air museum piece on how not to design public infrastructure. 'Given that upskirting has been a criminal offence since the Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019, one might assume the days of designing public spaces that actively enable it were behind us. 'Yet here we are, with a planning proposal that seems to forget the last decade ever happened. 'What's next - a request to reinstall the pillory outside the tube station for 'character'? 'Should I be grateful the application doesn't include a ladder and subscription viewing service? 'In short: I would rather not have to explain to my daughter why, in her own neighbourhood, she must avoid a certain patch of pavement lest she inadvertently become the star of someone's grainy underground film. 'Will we be installing signs advising women to tread lightly? Or perhaps issuing skirts with built-in blackout panels for passers-by? 'The proposed lightwell is to be installed directly next to the entrance of a commercial pub, because clearly, nothing says 'welcome in for a pint' like an open viewing grid underfoot. 'The fact it was concreted over more than two decades ago speaks volumes. 'Someone, somewhere, clearly saw it for what it was: a liability, not a legacy. 'It's as though the entire idea was lifted straight from a time capsule-and not in a charming way. 'I support the reopening of the pub wholeheartedly - but this lightwell is an absurd inclusion. 'It is unsafe, outdated, and frankly inappropriate for a borough that claims to value public safety, especially for women and girls.' Following complaints earlier this year about building materials being left on the pavement, others said they worried the pub owners were trying to usher basement flats in through the back door. 'This lightwell application might seem minor, even quaint-on the surface. But let's not be naïve,' one said. 'It's the opening move in a much larger game. The building at 274 Latimer Road has already lost its upper floors to residential flats. 'Now, conveniently, the developer wants to reinstate a pavement vault lightwell providing light, air, and access to the basement. It's a textbook setup for conversion. 'This is development by stealth and it's precisely the kind of piecemeal planning strategy that the courts have already warned against.' Another said: 'So, the developer wants to reinstate a pavement vault lightwell that hasn't been in use for over 50 years - yet the pub itself has remained closed for the last five, and the upper floors have already been carved up into residential flats!! 'This is not lawful development; it's a transparent attempt to sidestep proper planning scrutiny. 'Reopening a public house serves the community. Reopening a lightwell serves the developer. 'This isn't about restoring what's there - it's about paving the way for further piecemeal development.' And another fumed: 'For nearly two years now, the site has languished in a state of perpetual renovation, with precious little sign of progress - let alone completion. 'And yet, behind this protracted facade of activity, a rather more insidious agenda appears to be unfolding. 'This latest application, which proposes the insertion of a lightwell and ventilation infrastructure, is transparently the next calculated step towards full-scale residential redevelopment.' It comes as locals said they were fed up of noisy building work at the venue, which lies not far from the burnt out shell of Grenfell Tower. One blasted how 'intrusive drilling goes on all day', adding: 'No-one here knows what's going on. 'Are they opening a pub? Are they not? They've been on site for about two years. 'We'd all like to know what's happening.' It comes as Wentworth Andersen's latest application relating to the refurbishment of the pub was withdrawn recently - a day before the council was due to decide it. They wanted to replace the cellar cooling and kitchen extract systems and alter a rear flue. It is not known whether they will put another application in at a later date. Allsopp, 53, and Andersen have been a couple for more than two decades and they have two teenage sons. The lightwell application will be decided shortly.
NZ Herald
28-04-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
‘Upskirting' fears over Kirstie Allsopp's husband's pub plans
The company bought the pub, then called Ariadne's Nectar Bar, in 2023, with renovation work currently ongoing. Last year, neighbours were left infuriated after a huge sign reading 'Allsopp's' appeared on the side of the building, with some claiming the owners were imposing the TV presenter's name on the area. But it later transpired Allsopp's great-great-grandfather owned a beer brand of the same name, which is now being revived by her cousin Jamie and is expected to be sold at the pub. Now, documents submitted to local planning authority, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, show that Wentworth Andersen hopes to reinstate the original lightwell that once lay on the pavement outside the Victorian pub. To do so, they would use conservation-grade black grilles painted in black gloss. Two similar lightwells still exist in the pub, one of which has been paved over, but the plan to reintroduce another has angered neighbours. In an 800-word letter of objection, one resident said the feature was 'baffling and frankly retrograde'. 'Community spaces are precious, and their return is usually cause for celebration,' she said. 'However, any enthusiasm I felt has been thoroughly eclipsed by the baffling and frankly retrograde decision to reintroduce a design feature that belongs firmly in the past – if not in the bin.' She said that, as the mother of a young daughter, she wanted to be able to stroll 'through her neighbourhood without fearing a low-angle photo shoot'. 'And now I find myself wondering whether this grille is intended as some sort of open-air museum piece on how not to design public infrastructure.' She added that as upskirting has been a criminal offence since 2019, she thought 'designing public spaces that actively enable it were behind us' and the plan 'seems to forget the last decade ever happened'. 'What's next – a request to reinstall the pillory outside the tube station for 'character'? Should I be grateful the application doesn't include a ladder and subscription viewing service? 'In short: I would rather not have to explain to my daughter why, in her own neighbourhood, she must avoid a certain patch of pavement lest she inadvertently become the star of someone's grainy underground film.' She asked if the council would be 'installing signs advising women to tread lightly ' and that 'nothing says 'welcome in for a pint' like an open viewing grid underfoot'. 'The fact it was concreted over more than two decades ago speaks volumes. Someone, somewhere, clearly saw it for what it was: a liability, not a legacy.' She added: 'Add a few drinks, a gathering crowd, and a conveniently placed grille with a view, and suddenly we're no longer talking about a quaint restoration, but a voyeur's deluxe box seat.' 'This is development by stealth' Following complaints earlier this year about building materials being left on the pavement, others said they worried the pub owners were attempting to usher basement flats in through the back door. 'This lightwell application might seem minor, even quaint, on the surface. But let's not be naïve,' one said. 'It's the opening move in a much larger is development by stealth, and it's precisely the kind of piecemeal planning strategy that the courts have already warned against.' Another said the developer wanted to reinstall a lightwell that had not been used for decades, when the pub had not been open for several years and the upper floors had already been 'carved up' into flats. 'This is not lawful development; it's a transparent attempt to sidestep proper planning scrutiny,' they said. 'Reopening a public house serves the community. Reopening a lightwell serves the developer.' Others complained that for nearly two years the site had 'languished in a state of perpetual renovation, with precious little sign of progress – let alone completion'. 'And yet, behind this protracted facade of activity, a rather more insidious agenda appears to be unfolding,' one resident said. The row comes as Wentworth Andersen recently withdrew its latest application relating to the refurbishment of the pub, a day before the council was due to make a decision about it. The company wanted to replace the cellar cooling and kitchen extract systems, and alter a rear flue. It is not known whether it will submit another application at a later date. Allsopp, 53, and Andersen have been a couple for more than two decades and they have two teenage sons.
Ya Biladi
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
From Morocco to Belgium, Hassan Bousetta revisits history and politics
Estimated read time: 6' Your book begins with the ancient history of Morocco and Belgium, then moves through time up to the present day. How did you go about documenting this journey? Initially, the book grew out of various influences, notably my academic work on Moroccan immigration, which I began exactly 30 years ago, in 1994, and which led to a doctoral thesis tracing Moroccan migration in its contemporary context. Later, I also became actively involved in social and political life and contributed to several initiatives around the memory of immigration, notably in 2004, when I chaired the «Immigration Memorial Space» project commemorating the signing of labor agreements. In 2024, I took part in the 60th anniversary commemorations, with new perspectives. While the 2004 event allowed us to revisit Belgium's post-war social history, the 2024 commemoration took us even further back, prompting a return to the roots of Moroccan society to explore the interactions between Belgium and Morocco throughout history. That's where the idea for this book came from. By following the thread of Ariadne, we ventured even further back and realized that what we thought were recent ties — that labor migration had sparked relations between Belgium and Morocco — was actually a misconception. In reality, the two societies belong to a broader geographical space, an Atlantic corridor where people have been circulating since time immemorial. I begin the book by recalling the recent discoveries made by Professor Ben-Ncer from the National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage Sciences (INSAP) and Professor Hublin from the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, who documented the existence of the oldest Homo sapiens in Morocco, dating back 300,000 years. These Homo sapiens spread across the planet and became the humans we are today. This shows that contacts between peoples have always existed. My work does not claim to be that of a historian, but rather an attempt to offer a comprehensive account of history — presenting it as a foundation for memory and illustrating how memory has been selective. Some aspects have been preserved; others forgotten. In Europe, we often say that our ancestors were the Gauls, but rarely acknowledge that our ancestors were also African, that we have a primordial identity as African Homo sapiens who traveled and evolved. For me, putting these historical elements into perspective — elements that memory sometimes embraces and sometimes rejects — was essential. We have evidence of Numidians and Amazigh kingdoms serving in Roman armies to defend the borders of the Roman Empire in what is now Belgium and Germany. Circulation within these regions and contacts between peoples have been timeless, yet they were never truly incorporated into collective memory. The aim of this 260-page book is to show that Belgium has a history beyond its own borders — and so does Morocco. We could undertake the same exercise for Morocco and France, or France and Spain, or even France and the United States. History is full of interactions: first through encounters between scholars and artists, then through trade. Commercial relations between the two shores have probably been the most structurally significant over time, followed by episodes of military confrontation. It's worth noting that Belgium and Morocco have never faced each other in direct conflict — Belgium is a relatively young country — but they were sometimes co-belligerents in events like the Spanish Crusades. Later came the human migrations of the 20th century. You also explore the issue of independence and the pre-colonial period. Was this a disruption in relations between the two shores, as suggested by your book's title, especially given France's occupation of Algeria? This book attempts to combine a long historical perspective with a shorter, more immediate one. I devote a long first chapter to prehistory, tracing developments up to 1830 — a pivotal year in both countries' histories, as Belgium was founded that same year. Before that, Belgium existed in various forms: as the Austrian Netherlands, Spanish Netherlands, or under French and Burgundian rule. The 19th century marked a period of significant acceleration. Morocco, with its older Sharifian Empire, found itself coveted by European powers, striving to maintain its sovereignty. France's occupation of Algeria posed a major challenge not only to Morocco but also to Tunisia. A key chapter in the book highlights how, starting in 1838, Belgium began establishing diplomatic relations with Morocco. Belgian interest in Morocco grew steadily, particularly under Leopold II, who would later become internationally known as the man who colonized the Congo — initially on a personal basis, then on behalf of the Belgian state. The Belgian Congo officially became his possession in 1885, following the Berlin Conference, which organized the division of Africa's territories. However, Leopold II was not yet King of Belgium at the time — he was Duke of Brabant and Crown Prince — and had already begun visiting Morocco. In 1862, he made his first trip there, 25 years before the Berlin Conference, and continued to visit regularly in an effort to launch a project. His ambition was to establish a trading post and secure a Belgian foothold, as he had attempted in Egypt and elsewhere, but he was ultimately unsuccessful. Interestingly, while Leopold II became infamous for colonizing the Congo — without ever having set foot there — he spent a large part of his life trying, and failing, to establish a Belgian presence in Morocco. It's important to remember this, as collective memory has all but erased it from public debate. This exploration of Moroccan-Belgian histories shows how Belgian diplomacy was active in Morocco throughout the 19th century, up until the fate of the Cherifian kingdom gradually shifted toward French and Spanish colonization. Key moments included the Algeciras Conference and the so-called Entente Cordiale between the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium, which granted Britain preeminence over Egypt and France over Morocco. By the time the 1830–1912 Treaty of Fez was signed, establishing the French Protectorate, Belgium's stance toward Morocco had evolved. Previously, Belgium had relied, depending on circumstances, on the support of Germany, Great Britain, or France. Its diplomatic strength lay in its status as a relatively non-threatening country to Europe's major powers, allowing it to navigate and compromise effectively with its various partners. Belgian diplomats soon took up positions in Tangier's International Zone, as well as Casablanca, Rabat, Agadir, and other cities. When France assumed control of Morocco, Belgian industrialists and diplomats aligned themselves with the development efforts organized by the Protectorate. Belgium abandoned its ambitions for an independent role and joined France's initiatives, notably contributing to the discovery of coal mines in Jerada and mineral deposits in the Rif, Oriental, and Touissit regions. Belgian entrepreneurs also drove large-scale projects in agriculture and the sugar industry. At the time, however, the great hope was oil — a hope that ultimately went unfulfilled. While iron, copper, and coal were discovered, oil remained elusive. In this book, we attempt to shed light on this period (1912–1956) through testimonials from that era, before transitioning to the story of an independent Morocco. As you approach the period of Independence, you highlight more recent historical themes from a political perspective. You also introduce contemporary figures from civil society, institutions, bi-national public figures, and diverse cultural voices. Does this reflect a shift in Belgian-Moroccan relations, moving away from the colonialist views of the past? Absolutely. The context of Moroccan migration to Belgium led to a profound change in perspective, especially after the 1964 labor agreement that organized the arrival of Moroccan workers. When we read the history of Belgian-Moroccan relations through documents produced in Belgium, we often encounter a dominant-dominated narrative, a colonial lens. One particularly revealing book is by Edmond Picard, recounting a Belgian mission to meet Sultan Hassan I in Meknes. It stands as one of the most emblematic works of the Western — and specifically Belgian — view of Morocco at the time: a view that was often disparaging and condescending. I also reference Edward Said, to illustrate how the West constructed a fantasized Orient, marked by distance and feelings of superiority. Relations in the 20th century began a slow and ongoing rebalancing — a process that continues today and to which this book seeks to contribute, offering a more serene and equitable understanding between the two shores. In the final chapter, we clearly see a new dynamic: new challenges, a professionalization of exchanges, growing expertise on both sides, a maturation of projects, greater technical sophistication, and increased volumes of investment. This progress was only possible because of earlier battles fought by trade unionists, activists, and organizations that pushed for changes in nationality laws, anti-discrimination legislation, workers' rights, and so on, as detailed in Chapter 4. Thanks to these efforts, new generations have been able to go even further with their projects. Given the scale of Moroccan immigration to Belgium, however, economic ties between the two countries are still far weaker than they should be. Perhaps that will be the story of a Chapter 6 — to be written in 20 years' time.
Euronews
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Theseus, Ariadne and a minotaur join the Mount Olympus podcast party
ADVERTISEMENT If you've ever wished your Greek myths came with a touch of Tony-winning sparkle, you're in luck. The Onassis Foundation's smash-hit podcast Live from Mount Olympus is back for its sixth season on 22 April 2025 — and this time, it's diving into the epic tale of Theseus and Ariadne. The award-winning audio drama, which just bagged a Gold Signal Award for Best Road Trip Podcast, continues to spin ancient stories into binge-worthy gold. With narrator André De Shields – yes, that André De Shields from Hadestown – back as the slick, silver-tongued Hermes, this new season promises all the drama, heartbreak, monsters and mystery of Greek myth. The sixth season recounts the the epic tale of Theseus and Ariadne. Illustration: Jason Adam Katzenstein / Courtesy of the Onassis Foundation "Theseus and Ariadne is a powerful myth reflecting the challenges teenagers face as they transition into adulthood. It explores how life's journey, filled with encounters of good and evil, shapes one's identity,' says executive producer Karen Brooks Hopkins. 'It's a story full of drama, mystery, and intrigue — a highly theatrical tale.' Live from Mount Olympus has also made the leap into classrooms. Through a partnership with education platform inquirED, the show now has its own curriculum, reaching more than 1,600 schools across the US since last autumn. 'We view [Greek myths] as evergreen – living, relevant, urgent stories that ask more questions than they answer and are new every time they are told,' says Onassis Foundation artistic director Afroditi Panagiotakou. 'Our Live from Mount Olympus podcast tells them for today, in a contemporary idiom, exploring issues that matter to audiences of all ages.' From the table reading of Season Six. Photo: Zachary Schulman The production is a who's who of theatre royalty. Alongside De Shields, the series boasts a dream team that includes Rachel Chavkin (also of Hadestown fame) and director-producers Zhailon Levingston and Keenan Tyler Oliphant. Julie Burstein (creator of the Peabody Award-winning Studio 360) is the showrunner, with playwright Nathan Yungerberg bringing the scripts to life. The podcast is also known for its top-tier cameos: we're talking Anna Kendrick, John Turturro, Isabella Rossellini in previous series. With over 1.6 million downloads, fans across 170 countries, Live from Mount Olympus is proving that myths never go out of style — absolutely epic, you could say. Season Six of Live From Mount Olympus launches 22 April 2025.
