Latest news with #BlenheimPalace
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Win the ultimate family VIP experience at Blenheim Palace & an overnight stay at The Feathers Hotel
This summer, Blenheim Palace are offering one lucky winner the ultimate family prize package, worth an incredible £2,041! Leading attraction and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Blenheim Palace, has teamed up with The Feathers Hotel to give one lucky winner the chance to secure the ultimate prize that showcases all there is to offer at Britain's Greatest Palace this summer. The incredible package—worth over £2000—includes a Palace and Play annual pass for a family of four, granting unlimited access to Blenheim Palace's historic wonders and adventure playgrounds. The winner will also enjoy exclusive VIP experiences with a private guided tour of the palace's magnificent state rooms and private apartments, plus a VIP buggy tour of the spectacular gardens led by one of Blenheim's expert guides. Make unforgettable family memories with tickets for four to both Christmas at Blenheim Palace 2025 and Halloween at Blenheim Palace 2025—two of the most magical events in the calendar. Indulge in an elegant afternoon tea for four within the palace grounds, soaking up the atmosphere of this iconic estate. And to complete your experience, relax with a luxurious overnight stay for two at The Feathers Hotel in Woodstock, including dinner and breakfast at this stylish boutique destination just moments from the palace gates. An ever-changing experience, no two visits to Blenheim Palace are the same. Visitors can expect a rich variety of cultural highlights, a programme of special events and world-class exhibitions all year round. Not to mention once-in-a-lifetime experiences including Rooftop View showcasing a breathtaking new perspective that has never been accessible before as well as the immersive Life Below Stairs exhibition where visitors can step back in time and explore the historically significant original working kitchens. Set in over 2,000 acres of landscaped park and gardens and steeped in 300 years of history, Blenheim Palace is an iconic part of history housing one of the most extensive collections in Europe, the largest collection of living ancient oak trees, as well as the Great Lake and Queen Pool, historical temples, monuments and statues. In the Walled Garden and Adventure Play, an entire area dedicated for families can be explored with curated events, activities and an all-new Pip and Posy themed interactive experience inspired by Magic Light Pictures' hugely popular pre-school series which airs on Sky Kids and Channel 5's Milkshake! making it an unmissable day out. The Feathers, in the heart of historic Woodstock, reopened in October 2024 following a multi-million pound renovation. Located just moments from Blenheim Palace, The Feathers boasts an idyllic location with a selection of independent restaurants, boutiques and bakeries on the hotel's doorstep, while providing the perfect base for those wanting to discover the Cotswolds. The interiors provide a modern take on the Grade II listed building while maintaining the building's captivating charm. Each of the 23 rooms and suites, restaurant, bar and lobby have been reimagined. The Feathers is home to The Nest; an exciting new brasserie led by Head Chef Luke Rawicki where local produce, traditional British fare and unexpected flavour combinations come together under one roof as well as The Aviary Bar; a local hotspot with an impressive wine list and cocktail menu and soon-to-be-launched terrace and pizza oven. To be in with a chance of winning this once-in-a-lifetime family experience, simply fill in the entry form below. If you can't see the form, click here. This competition closes at 11:45pm on the 31st August 2025. One winner will be selected at random—good luck!
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Win the ultimate family VIP experience at Blenheim Palace & an overnight stay at The Feathers Hotel
This summer, Blenheim Palace are offering one lucky winner the ultimate family prize package, worth an incredible £2,041! Leading attraction and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Blenheim Palace, has teamed up with The Feathers Hotel to give one lucky winner the chance to secure the ultimate prize that showcases all there is to offer at Britain's Greatest Palace this summer. The incredible package—worth over £2000—includes a Palace and Play annual pass for a family of four, granting unlimited access to Blenheim Palace's historic wonders and adventure playgrounds. The winner will also enjoy exclusive VIP experiences with a private guided tour of the palace's magnificent state rooms and private apartments, plus a VIP buggy tour of the spectacular gardens led by one of Blenheim's expert guides. Make unforgettable family memories with tickets for four to both Christmas at Blenheim Palace 2025 and Halloween at Blenheim Palace 2025—two of the most magical events in the calendar. Indulge in an elegant afternoon tea for four within the palace grounds, soaking up the atmosphere of this iconic estate. And to complete your experience, relax with a luxurious overnight stay for two at The Feathers Hotel in Woodstock, including dinner and breakfast at this stylish boutique destination just moments from the palace gates. An ever-changing experience, no two visits to Blenheim Palace are the same. Visitors can expect a rich variety of cultural highlights, a programme of special events and world-class exhibitions all year round. Not to mention once-in-a-lifetime experiences including Rooftop View showcasing a breathtaking new perspective that has never been accessible before as well as the immersive Life Below Stairs exhibition where visitors can step back in time and explore the historically significant original working kitchens. Set in over 2,000 acres of landscaped park and gardens and steeped in 300 years of history, Blenheim Palace is an iconic part of history housing one of the most extensive collections in Europe, the largest collection of living ancient oak trees, as well as the Great Lake and Queen Pool, historical temples, monuments and statues. In the Walled Garden and Adventure Play, an entire area dedicated for families can be explored with curated events, activities and an all-new Pip and Posy themed interactive experience inspired by Magic Light Pictures' hugely popular pre-school series which airs on Sky Kids and Channel 5's Milkshake! making it an unmissable day out. The Feathers, in the heart of historic Woodstock, reopened in October 2024 following a multi-million pound renovation. Located just moments from Blenheim Palace, The Feathers boasts an idyllic location with a selection of independent restaurants, boutiques and bakeries on the hotel's doorstep, while providing the perfect base for those wanting to discover the Cotswolds. The interiors provide a modern take on the Grade II listed building while maintaining the building's captivating charm. Each of the 23 rooms and suites, restaurant, bar and lobby have been reimagined. The Feathers is home to The Nest; an exciting new brasserie led by Head Chef Luke Rawicki where local produce, traditional British fare and unexpected flavour combinations come together under one roof as well as The Aviary Bar; a local hotspot with an impressive wine list and cocktail menu and soon-to-be-launched terrace and pizza oven. To be in with a chance of winning this once-in-a-lifetime family experience, simply fill in the entry form below. If you can't see the form, click here. This competition closes at 11:45pm on the 31st August 2025. One winner will be selected at random—good luck!
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blenheim Palace begins £1m project to restore paintings
A £1 million project to restore iconic paintings at Blenheim Palace has begun. The year-long conservation programme at the Woodstock site will focus on the artworks in the great hall and the saloon. Kelly O'Driscoll, head of built heritage at Blenheim Palace, said: "This is a pivotal moment for Blenheim Palace. Work taking place to restore one of the paintings (Image: Blenheim Palace) "The saloon and great hall are not only central to the palace's story but also to the experience of the hundreds of thousands of visitors we welcome each year. "This project will ensure they are protected while opening up new opportunities for learning, research, and public engagement." The conservation scheme will run alongside a separate £12 million roof restoration – the largest project of its kind in the palace's history. The roof, attic timbers, and ceilings have deteriorated due to age, climate change, and water ingress. Work taking place to restore one of the paintings (Image: Blenheim Palace) The artworks which are central to the painting conservation project include the great hall ceiling painting by Sir James Thornhill and Louis Laguerre's paintings of the Battle of Blenheim in the saloon. Lizzie Woolley, director of OPUS Conservation, which is leading the conservation project, said: "We are honoured to be entrusted with this extraordinary project. "The saloon and the great hall are masterpieces of Baroque wall painting, and we look forward to working closely with Blenheim Palace and our academic partners to ensure their best treatment and long-term care." Work taking place to restore one of the paintings (Image: Blenheim Palace) The conservation work will also include detailed analysis and trials, and provide a platform for academic study and hands-on training for the next generation of heritage professionals. It is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The Blenheim Foundation and is supported by experts from the Tate, The Courtauld Institute of Art, and the University of Oxford. Stuart McLeod, director of England – London and South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: "We're proud to support this vital conservation work at Blenheim Palace, which will help protect some of the UK's most significant Baroque artworks for generations to come. Work taking place to restore one of the paintings (Image: Blenheim Palace) "Thanks to National Lottery players, this project will not only restore these historic paintings, but also create inspiring opportunities for visitors to learn, engage, and connect more deeply with our shared heritage." Work has begun this summer, with regular updates and behind-the-scenes insights to be shared with the public throughout the year. Home to the Dukes of Marlborough since 1705, Blenheim Palace is set in more than 2,000 acres of landscaped parkland and is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. The palace has more than 300 years of history and one of the most important and extensive collections in Europe.
Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Times
‘I stole £1.2m in a 40-minute call — then blew it all in Harrods'
Fraud accounts for 41 per cent of all reported crime in the UK and as much as £1.17 billion was stolen by scammers last year, according to the trade body UK Finance. This makes it the most common type of crime — and I am one of the world's leading experts on it. Why? Because I used to be a prolific fraudster and spent more than 25 years stealing money and services worth many millions of pounds. Some of my frauds were theatrically audacious. I once spent seven months living free of charge in five-star hotels in central London, posing as the 13th Duke of Marlborough and demanding that invoices were sent to Blenheim Palace. Other frauds were immensely cruel and damaging, fleecing some of my victims of their life savings and causing them to become seriously unwell. The harm I caused still haunts me. • Fake duke jailed for fooling five star hotels with Fawlty Towers con trick I was in prison three times over 17 years — for a total of eight years, each spell longer than the last. When I was finally released in January 2022, I knew I had to change. I started sharing my insights with law enforcement, banks, the government and, perhaps most importantly, with members of the public. I have just started working with BBC Radio 4 on a podcast called Scam Secrets. One of the most highly damaging types of fraud is an authorised push payment (APP) scam. This involves a fraudster contacting a victim, usually by telephone, pretending to be a bank employee or a police officer, convincing the victim that their money is at risk and instructing them to transfer it out of their account into a 'safe' account. This method can net a vast amount of money very quickly and doesn't leave much evidence. Between 2017 and 2018 the police estimate that I stole as much as £50 million by committing APP fraud. I didn't know or care at the time, but I was leaving a trail of absolute chaos in my wake. Once, during the course of a 40-minute phone call, I stole £1.2 million from a family-run construction company. It caused utter devastation. I took all the money they had, leading to scores of redundancies. My gang targeted small-to-medium-sized family-run construction companies because we figured that they could have several million pounds in the bank but wouldn't have sophisticated accounting procedures. And, unlike a law firm, for example, they would not require multiple signatories to authorise online bank transfers. I would be able to focus all my energy on one person and not have to worry that somebody else might smell a rat. The isolation of a victim is key to a successful fraud. I called the company's switchboard and asked the receptionist to put me through to the accounts manager. The number that the receptionist saw on her phone was the correct number for their bank's fraud department — I had 'spoofed' the phone number using a free app which, unbelievably, is still available to download, despite it having no legitimate use. When the accounts manager (let's call her Sally) answered her extension, I explained that I was calling from the bank's fraud team and that we had noticed an unusual transaction which we needed to verify. I gave my name as somebody who genuinely worked for the bank (I had found his name and job title on LinkedIn) and invited Sally to Google the number she could see on her phone display to satisfy herself that I was genuine. Sally tapped away on her computer and, after a few seconds, sounded reassured. 'Phew, you're genuine,' she said, 'you can never be too sure these days'. I asked Sally whether she had attempted to transfer £45,000 to a Mercedes garage in Dundee (several hundred miles away from their office). Naturally, she replied that such a payment was unauthorised so I reassured her I would block the transaction. Her nervousness gave way to relief as I was able to help her. She thanked me over and over again. • Read more money advice and tips on investing from our experts 'Sally,' I said, 'we need to understand why this suspicious transaction has appeared out of the blue. It is possible you have a virus on your system which is causing this to happen. Have you had any suspicious emails recently, or have you noticed your system running slow or buffering from time to time?' This is an example of the Barnum-Forer effect, a psychological phenomenon whereby people are given scenarios that are supposedly tailored to them, but could equally apply to many other people. We all get junk mail in our inboxes, and whose computer doesn't run slow or buffer? I knew that Sally would say yes and panic that there could indeed be dangerous malware on her system. I then told her that we would need to make some test payments to check whether a virus was interfering with the transactions. If we found a virus we would be able to create a patch to keep the company safe. Sally, by now baffled with technical jargon, asked me how long all of this would take because she needed to pick her children up from school. I reassured her that I would be as quick as possible but the priority had to be keeping our valuable customers safe from fraudsters. • The rise of fraud in the UK What I said next is an example of the cruel and sophisticated social engineering that fraudsters use. 'Sally, I am shortly going to ask you to log into your online banking platform and make a series of test payments. Your account will be in a test environment while we make these dummy transactions, but they will look just like genuine payments. This requires you to trust me. So, if you are in any way worried that I might not genuinely be calling from the bank, we can end this call now and I can arrange an appointment for you to visit the branch with your usual desktop computer so we can carry out the tests in person.' Sally paused. 'OK I'm happy to continue with this and I trust you. I've verified the number you're calling from, I've checked your name online … and you can't possibly be a fraudster because what scammer in his right mind would give me the opportunity to end the call. We're always told that fraudsters will rush us and you haven't done that either. So yeah, let's get these tests done but please hurry up as otherwise I'll have to put the kids in after-school club and that's so bloody expensive.' Over the next 20 minutes I instructed Sally to make transfers to what I told her were 'randomly generated test accounts'. Over and over again, until every single penny had left the company bank account. At the end of the call, I told her we had identified and successfully patched the virus. Everything was back under control and she could go and collect the kids while I restored the balances to their pre-test values. Sally thanked me profusely and we ended the call. When I telephoned Sally that day, she did not stand a chance. She was hopelessly duped by an expert career fraudster, despite carrying out reasonable checks as to my identity. My co-conspirator, an expert money launderer, went to work withdrawing the cash from the accounts that Sally had inadvertently funded and we drove to Harrods and blew the lot. I remember the spree with a deep sense of disgust. In court, Sally said that during those 40 minutes she had transferred more from the company account than she was likely to earn through her entire working life. She told the court that every time her phone rings she panics and feels sick to the pit of her stomach. She finds it hard to trust anybody and has lost all her confidence. I have never forgotten her words. I am ashamed, more than words can possibly express, of the man I used to be and I now use all of my energy to help stop people like that man, running fraud awareness courses and advising banks and governments on how to prevent scams. • Fraudsters stole £260k from Colin before he died. We called them up Given the sophistication and ruthlessness of such gangs, it is entirely right that the banks are now obliged to refund customers under the APP reimbursement scheme, up to a limit of £85,000. The scheme is mandatory for all banks and financial institutions in the UK. They must pay back victims, with the liability shared equally with the sending and receiving banks of fraudulent payments. The scheme has incentivised banks to develop far better transaction monitoring technology — for example, banks can tell how we are holding our phones when we are making payments in case it is at a different angle to usual. They can tell if a transaction is taking longer than normal, or if a phone call is taking place at the same time, which would indicate that the customer was being instructed by a third party to make the payment. But despite this, fraudulent payments continue to be made, and victims continue to report staggering losses. Fraudsters won't give up, they will keep coming up with new ways to get their hands on your money. Perhaps it is time to abandon the faster payment systems altogether and revert to a four-day clearance cycle — banks are at a serious time disadvantage when payments clear within seconds.
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews Fake Or Fortune? on BBC1: Was this £140 market find really a priceless painting by Churchill?
The question divided an empire. When pouring a cuppa, should you put the milk in first, or add it to the tea afterwards? George Orwell, writing in 1946 when tea was strictly rationed to two ounces a week (about enough for 30 teabags), was adamant. 'Pour tea into the cup first . . . One is liable to put in too much milk if one does it the other way round.' But Evelyn Waugh, in a letter nine years later to Nancy Mitford, took the opposite line: 'All nannies and many governesses, when pouring out tea, put the milk in first. (It is said by tea-fanciers to produce a richer mixture.)' Clearly, it's an issue of class. Orwell was the son of a petty official in the Indian civil service, and solidly lower-middle class. Waugh, an inveterate snob and social climber, yearned to be as upper-class as the Mitfords actually were. And what do you suppose Fiona Bruce is - a milk-in-first toff or an add-to-taste commoner? The answer was revealed as she wielded a teapot in the tea-rooms of Blenheim Palace on Fake Or Fortune?, at the beginning of an examination of an unsigned oil painting allegedly by Winston Churchill. Best excuse of the night: Tackling her driving test as the hilarious Mandy (BBC2) returned, Diane Morgan's devious, feckless character begged for leniency from the examiner. 'I'm perimenopausal and I've got ADHD,' she pleaded. That's a free pass for everything. Casually, she poured the tea into a porcelain cup with the milk already in it. Now we know. Sadly, we never did find out for sure about the Churchill. All the signs were that this picture, painted in the gardens of Herstmonceux castle in Sussex, was the real deal - one of Winston's earliest, from 1916, with his wife, Clementine, perched on a wall above a cascade of pink roses. But despite a wealth of corroborating evidence, no expert was willing to risk authenticating it without paperwork. And as the owner, an amateur enthusiast named Barry, had picked it up at an open-air market for £140, it lacked what Fake Or Fortune? fans have learned to call 'provenance'. This was glum news for Barry. A kosher Winston could fetch half a million quid. A questionable one is worth perhaps a fifth of that. Still, a tidy little profit on a punt at an art fayre. As always, the real interest in this show lay in the clues picked out by discerning eyes. Art dealer Philip Mould pointed out how dabs of blue were smeared onto the green mass of a tree in the background, giving the impression of sky shimmering through the leaves - a trick typical of the British Bulldog himself. A note on the back of the canvas also attributed it to Churchill. Handwriting expert Emma Bache compared this inscription to various letters and matched it to the pen of Colonel Claude Lowther, an MP who owned Herstmonceux a century ago. Conclusive, surely. With mealy-mouthed BBC prissiness, Philip pointed out that, 'in recent years, Winston Churchill has become a more divisive figure'. Why's that? Did he pour his tea in before the milk?
