Latest news with #BlueMurder
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Daily Record
The tiny hidden gem Scottish island with 'stunning' seafood restaurant
From scenic walks to an award-winning eatery, the isle has it all. There are many Scottish islands you read about frequently, whether it be Skye or Mull. However, the country is actually home to hundreds of islands that rarely get talked about. Out of Scotland's many islands, there are lots that are uninhabited and hard to reach. However, there are also plenty of others that can be easily travelled to for a day out. One Scottish island that is definitely worth venturing to is Canna. The island is the most western of the Small Isles archipelago, situated in the Inner Hebrides. With a population of around less than 20 people, Canna is a perfect destination for those looking to get away from the noise and chaos of modern living. It may not have exciting tourist attractions, but when it comes to stunning scenery Canna can't be beaten. Thanks to its unique position, views out over the surrounding islands can be enjoyed all across Canna. Visitors will be able to see Rum—the biggest of the Small Isles—to the southeast and Skye to the northeast, while South Uist lies to the west. When it comes to beauty spots on Canna, one of the standouts is Compass Hill. Arguably the best place on the island for views, the hill is named after the high concentration of metal ore in the ground that is said to make compasses malfunction. While on Canna, it is also definitely worth venturing to A'Chill and Celtic Cross. The former was once the primary settlement on the island, but today little remains other than an intricately carved cross that dates all the way back to the 7th or 8th century. If you start feeling peckish, then you should make a beeline for Café Canna, which is an award-winning café, restaurant, and bar. Its food is mostly sourced from the local area, with dishes including freshly landed whole Canna lobster and full crust Canna beef with 'Blue Murder' cheese and Skye Black ale pie. Café Canna has earned very positive reviews from past visitors. The restaurant currently has an average rating of 4.8 out of five on Google based on 182 reviews. One customer shared: "Stunning view, great food and friendly and efficient service. Had an early meal so got the sun on the table on the shore. "Think my OH is posting a similar review! Great food for vegetarians too. I'm not a vegetarian but chose vegetarian tonight." "We look forward to our next Canna stopover." Despite its small size, Canna actually features more than one place to spend the night. If you aren't ready for your adventure on the island to come to an end, fear not. The Tighard Guest House is located in a scenic position atop a hill, with panoramic views over the surrounding bay. It features three guest rooms to pick from, with each one being named after a local landmark. The guesthouse itself is an Edwardian home dating back to the early 20th century that retains a number of original features. Converted into a guest house in 2006, it also includes a picturesque front garden and a woodland. Visitors can also stay at the Canna Campsite, which offers camping pods, caravans, cabins, and more. There are also fire pits for campfires or cooking, as well as picnic tables where guests can sit outside and soak in the views. According to the National Trust for Scotland, Canna can be reached all throughout the year. Ferries regularly depart from the port of Mallaig in Morar. More information about the things you can get up to around the island can be found on the Isle of Canna website.
Wales Online
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Beyond Paradise season 3 episode 5 cast as Jonathan Creek star joins penultimate episode
Beyond Paradise season 3 episode 5 cast as Jonathan Creek star joins penultimate episode Beyond Paradise's penultimate episode sees a mythical figure cause a scare. Beyond Paradise is back with episode 5 of season 3 Beyond Paradise is back on BBC One and episode five sees the harvest come to an end and a couple follow their long-held tradition of hanging a corn doll. However, things take a dark turn when the doll mysteriously falls and a figure dressed as the mythical Cornman strikes. From then on, the couple become targets of strange happenings. Meanwhile, DI Humphrey Goodman (played by Kris Marshall) and Martha Lloyd (Sally Bretton) witness their foster daughter Rosie (Bella Rei Blue Stevenson) start school. Elsewhere, Anne (Barbara Flynn) takes a bold step to embrace life after her health scare. The rest of the main cast will also return including Zahra Ahmadi as Esther Williams and Dylan Llewellyn as Kelby Hartford. Article continues below Felicity Montagu is back as Margo Martins with Melina Sinadinou as Zoe Williams and Jamie Bamber as Archie Hughes. Here is all you need to know about who makes up the guest cast for episode five. Kevin McNally and Caroline Quentin star in Beyond Paradise Lotty Robson - Caroline Quentin Caroline Quentin is a 64-year-old actress and TV presenter known for her roles in Men Behaving Badly and Jonathan Creek. She went on to play Kate Salinger in Kiss Me Kate and DCI Janine Lewis in Blue Murder. The star met Sam Farmer in 1998 on the set of Men Behaving Badly, where he was a runner, and they have two children together. Her daughter Rose is also an actress. George Ellis - Kevin R McNally Kevin R McNally is a 68-year-old English actor and writer known for his roles in I, Claudius and Pirates of the Caribbean. McNally played Joshamee Gibbs in the films and is one of only three actors who appear in all five films. The father-of-three met actress Phyllis Logan in 1994, and they married in 2011. Michaela Robson - Rebecca Lee Rebecca has previously trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Her TV credits include Babs and Sparks, and she has voiced commercials for Calm and The Body Shop. Amy Morgan and Rebecca Lee join the cast Stella Ellis- Amy Morgan Amy Morgan has starred in the murder mystery series Death Valley, as well as We Live in Time and Playing Nice. She was most recently seen on stage in Dear Octopus at the National Theatre. She has also recently been seen in Welsh series The Steeltown Murders and The Cleaners. Rhys Tomlinson - Oliver Hembrough Oliver Hembrough is an actor from Bristol whose most recent credits include The Crow Girl and War of the Worlds. He also played John in The White Princess and Robinson in Around the World in 80 Days. Skydive instructor - Ankur Sengupta Ankur Sengupta starred in the TV miniseries Special Owl, with his other credits including Until I Kill You and The Pact. Ankur Sengupta joins the series Article continues below Beyond Paradise airs on BBC One on Fridays at 8pm
The Guardian
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
John Sykes obituary
The guitarist and songwriter John Sykes, who has died of cancer aged 65, was best known for his work with the erstwhile Deep Purple vocalist David Coverdale's band Whitesnake, with whom he made his stage debut in Dublin on 17 February 1984. Sykes added guitar parts for a new version of the band's album Slide It In (1984), aimed specifically at an American audience; the album sold 6m copies worldwide. He was then integral to the band's next album, 1987 (called simply Whitesnake in the US), on which he co-wrote virtually all the songs with Coverdale, and also worked with the sound engineer Bob Rock to create the specific guitar sound he wanted. It worked, and 1987 eventually sold 25m copies. Boosted by heavy MTV airplay of the single Still of the Night, it reached No 2 on the US album chart, Whitesnake's best US chart showing, and No 8 in the UK. With his tumbling blond hair and boyband good looks, Sykes was perfectly suited to what became known as 'hair metal'. However, commercial success was not accompanied by harmonious personal relationships, and the Coverdale-Sykes combination did not last. Indeed, by the time the album was released, all the band members had been replaced by new signings. Coverdale later commented that 'John was and is an incredible talent. Our musical chemistry was great, but it didn't work personally … We were unable to connect as people.' Sykes made little secret of his bitterness at being sacked, but he then formed the trio Blue Murder, with the bass player Tony Franklin and the drummer Carmine Appice. They released a self-titled debut album in April 1989, and toured Japan and the US. The album would sell half a million copies, but both the band and their record label, Geffen, were disappointed that it had underperformed. A disgruntled Sykes said: 'In hindsight, I would have done better with a different label.' Personnel problems also plagued Blue Murder. By the time they made a second album, Nothin' But Trouble (1993), Franklin and Appice had been replaced by Marco Mendoza and Tommy O'Steen, though Appice and Franklin played on the disc as hired session men. Despite some good reviews, the album sold poorly, Sykes again blaming the record label for failing to promote it. Blue Murder's final release was the live album Screaming Blue Murder: Dedicated to Phil Lynott (1994). In 1994 Sykes finally parted company with Geffen, and released a string of solo albums on the Mercury Japan label – Out of My Tree (1995), Loveland (1997), 20th Century (1997) and Nuclear Cowboy (2004). His final album release was Bad Boy Live! (2004), on the Victor label. John was born in Reading, and spent several years living in Ibiza where his father and uncle owned a discotheque. While there, he began learning guitar, at first playing on a nylon-stringed acoustic instrument. He began to turn professional in the late 1970s, after he had moved to Blackpool and was asked to join Streetfighter, a Rolling Stones tribute band. Sykes's playing could be heard on Streetfighter's song She's No Angel, which featured on the album New Electric Warriors (1980), a compilation of tracks representing the so-called new wave of British heavy metal. He then joined Tygers of Pan Tang, a metal band formed in Whitley Bay, and stayed with them while they recorded the albums Spellbound and Crazy Nights (both 1981). He quit to audition for Ozzy Osbourne's band, whose guitarist Randy Rhoads had been killed in a plane crash. It did not work out, and Sykes was then recruited by John Sloman (formerly the vocalist with Lone Star) for his group Badlands, alongside Neil Murray on bass and the drummer John Munro. However, before the group had fully found its feet Sykes formed a new musical alliance with Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy. He collaborated with Lynott to record the solo single Please Don't Leave Me, which Sykes was contractually obliged to record for MCA under his previous contract with Tygers of Pan Tang. Thin Lizzy's Darren Wharton and Brian Downey also played on the track, and their chemistry worked well enough for Sykes to be offered a full-time job as Lizzy's guitarist, pairing up with Scott Gorham. Sykes featured on the band's album Thunder and Lightning (1983), which reached No 4 on the UK chart and delivered the Top 30 single Cold Sweat, co-written by Sykes. Dates on their subsequent tour were recorded for the live album Life, and Downey and Sykes also joined Lynott for his solo tour under the name the Three Musketeers. But Thin Lizzy's days were numbered, and the group disbanded after a final show at Nuremburg's Monsters of Rock festival on 4 September that year. There was some discussion of Sykes joining Grand Slam, a new band formed by Lynott, but instead he accepted an offer to join Whitesnake. Lynott died in 1986, but from 1994 to 2009 Sykes played live with a reformed Thin Lizzy, performing music from their back catalogue. In his later years Sykes became somewhat reclusive, with rumours circulating of planned album releases that did not materialise. In January 2021, he released the single Dawning of a Brand New Day, his first new song in more than two decades, with Out Alive following that April. In 2024, Appice said: 'Nobody knows what he's doing. I don't think he's in the business, he doesn't like the way the business runs. He doesn't answer emails or texts.' Sykes married Jennifer Brooks in 1989. They divorced in 1999. He is survived by his sons, James, John Jr and Sean. John James Sykes, guitarist and songwriter, born 29 July 1959; death announced 20 January 2025
