Latest news with #BrigitteBardot
Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
John Standing: ‘I danced with Brigitte Bardot in St Tropez'
The actor John Standing, 90, has been in the business for 70 years — he was nominated for an Olivier award in 1979 for Close of Play at the National Theatre and appeared with Michael Caine in the 2023 film The Great Escaper. A baronet, he is also part of an acting dynasty: his maternal grandfather, Guy Standing, was a Hollywood character actor in the 1930s and his mother, Kay Hammond, starred in Blithe Spirit in the West End. Standing lives in central London with his second wife, Sarah (the daughter of the actress Nanette Newman and director Bryan Forbes), whom he married in 1984. He has four children. I'll never forget dancing with Brigitte Bardot in St Tropez in the mid-1960s. I was at a table in a nightclub with my first wife, the late actress Jill Melford, on a summer's evening. And who should be sitting at the adjoining table with friends? The lovely Brigitte, who had shot to fame a few years earlier in the film And God Created Woman. Brigitte suddenly fancied doing the Madison, a dance popular at the time, and invited me to join her. So I had the pleasure of dancing with this pretty young actress. Thankfully Jill was relaxed about it — it was, after all, just the one dance. As a child the war was raging, so my first real trip was being evacuated from London, where I grew up, to Argyll, Scotland, to escape the Doodlebugs raining down on the capital in 1944. We lived on a farm and it was a magical experience. After the conflict ended my brother and I would holiday in the summer at my mother Kay and actor stepfather John Clements's cottage in East Farleigh, Kent, where I spent many happy hours playing cricket on the village green. I got to know New York pretty well when I was appearing with Maggie [Smith] in Private Lives on Broadway in the 1970s. Rex Harrison, an old family friend who looked upon me as a surrogate son, was starring in a Terry Rattigan play down the road so we would meet up every day, wander around Central Park and, after performing, dine out at Elaine's, a famous Upper East Side restaurant patronised by actors and authors, in the evening. Some of my fondest holiday memories are doing what Rex jokingly referred to as 'high comedy swimming' — larking about in his outdoor pool with him and his pals — at the beautiful villa he owned outside Portofino. He much preferred living in sunny Italy to cloudy England. I also had some memorable adventures with my great friend and fellow actor Peter O'Toole, who invited me to stay with him at his home in the breathtakingly beautiful Connemara, Co Galway, in the 1970s. We had a hilarious time, smoked a lot of weed, usually got back to his house around 4am from the local pub, and played snooker until dawn. We would then sleep until lunchtime and have a can of sardines for lunch. Happy days! We subsequently toured Australia together for six weeks in a ghastly play, Dead Eyed Dicks, emptying theatres. On the plus side, we got to play a lot of cricket. In the mid-1980s I was cast opposite Robert Wagner in the US television drama series Lime Street, so my [second] wife Sarah and I moved to Los Angeles where we spent the next seven years. Being in LA was like being on one long holiday and the sun was out every day. I already knew the city reasonably well having been in films like King Rat which was shot there. Every now and then I'd have lunch or dinner at the Beverly Hills Hotel or the Bel-Air, my favourite LA hotel, with a mate of mine, like the actor George Segal. And I saw a lot of LA Dodgers baseball games too. When my family and I returned to the UK in the early 1990s we had a couple of lovely summer holidays in Cornwall. Someone very sweetly lent us a cottage in Fowey, overlooking the bay; I thought it was terribly important that the children learnt how marvellous an English seaside holiday could be, even if the weather sometimes disappointed. I'm also very fond of India, and the state of Rajasthan in particular, which I've visited several times with Sarah over the years. I've usually stayed with my great friend Shatru, a scion of the Deogarh family, and his charming wife Bhavna, who together have transformed their magnificent ancestral home into Dev Shree Deogarh, now one of the finest resort hotels in the country. Going there is a wonderful, life-affirming experience. I don't travel so much these days but I suspect that a visit to Paris could soon be on the cards since my daughter and her husband are threatening to move there. If they do, I'll happily jump on a Eurostar and visit them, and pop into an art galley or two while I'm in Standing's latest film, The Great Escaper, is streaming online. He is a supporter of the Motor Neurone Disease Association ( In our weekly My Hols interview, famous faces — from the worlds of film, sport, politics, and more — share their travel stories from childhood to the present day. Read more My Hols interviews here
Irish Examiner
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Gingham has been reinvented — here are nine new ways to wear it
Bye-bye, picnic tables and pastoral pursuits. Gingham has shed her good girl image and gone off-grid. It's not the first-time, mind you. We've got the 1950s to thank for that. Brigitte Bardot's pink gingham wedding dress comes to mind, as does the print's redux in mod subculture. Iconic or ironic, it's this unexpected tension that makes gingham such a shapeshifter. Quite frankly, I'm here for it. As with any sartorial shakeup, the key is in knowing how to stand out on your own terms. Take River Island's Scandi-inspired frill-collared blouse—a wardrobe workhorse that looks sharp with tailored trousers or playful with a gam-worthy mini and chunky loafers. Your mood, your call. On bare minimum days, look to layering pieces like a gingham jacket or gilet (try Arket or Penneys). Lean into amplified proportions like barrel leg jeans with vintage sneakers or keep it streamlined in head-to-toe black and white. For more colourful iterations, try socially and environmentally sustainable brand, Omnes. When it comes to dresses, consider playing against type. Whether a RIXO tea dress, a strapless seersucker classic or one of Ganni's smocked cowgirl minis, pair yours with fisherman sandals and thank me later. Likewise, consider accessories with intent. Clash an oversized blazer and New Balance kicks with a slicked back bun and a box-ticking hair bow from Oliver Bonas. Remember: it's all about the checks and balances. So yes, gingham is going through her experimental era, which means she's bound to court controversy or, at the very least, a new core. With any luck, we'll have a bit of both. Collared gingham shirt River Island, €46 'Eugenie' gingham statement bow Eugenie statement bow, Oliver Bonas, €26.50 Oliver Bonas, €26.50 'Anais' gingham midi dress 'Anais' midi dress, RIXO, €360 RIXO, €360 Double-breasted gingham blazer Double-breasted-blazer, Arket, €79 Arket, €79 'Elodie' gingham trousers Elodie Trouser in Brown, OMNES, €97.95 OMNES, €97.95 Gingham quilted gilet Gingham quilted gilet, Penneys, €26 Penneys, €26 Gingham seersucker bandeau midi dress Gingham Seersucker Bandeau Midi Summer Dress, Next €54 Next €54 'Peggy' quilted jacket Peggy Quilted Jacket, Omnes, €123.95 Omnes, €123.95 Seersucker check mini smock dress Seersucker Check Mini Smock Dress, Ganni, €345 Ganni, €345 Read More A matter of taste: Nine servings of foodie fashion
Scotsman
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
New era brings glamorous new audience to Athenian Riviera
Taverna 37, showcasing Greek specialties, is the perfect location for a relaxed lunch or romantic waterfront dinner An orange lozenge-like sun dissolved gently into the shimmering Aegean Sea – creating silhouettes of distant islands. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... From the vantage point of a stylish rooftop bar, sundowner in hand, it was the perfect prelude to dinner. 'I just don't think, at this age, I'm meant to live an uncomfortable life, " I thought, borrowing a line from the hit black comedy The White Lotus. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As if to read my mind, an attentive waiter appeared at my side with a tiny stool for my handbag, so that it could be comfy too. Located at the edge of Cape Sounion at the southern tip of Attica, the clifftop Temple of Poseidon is dedicated to the Olympian God of the Sea It was the standard of service and attention to detail we'd come to expect during our short seaside break at the Astir Palace Hotel Athens, operated by Four Seasons. Recognised as a world leader in high-end hospitality, the group has provided the location for all three seasons of the fictional hotel drama – at its flagship properties in Hawaii, Sicily and most recently Thailand. This has led to a surge in bookings worldwide, driven by fans looking to create memorable scenes of their own against an undeniably exotic backdrop. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But the five-star hotel chain was a go-to choice for the discerning traveller long before The White Lotus hit our TV screens, as was the Athenian Riviera where we were based. Sea-view suites and rooms are bright and airy with contemporary marble bathrooms This stretch of coastline was certainly in vogue in the 1950s, when its pristine beaches and upmarket venues attracted global icons such as Brigitte Bardot, Frank Sinatra and Jackie Onassis. Today, the area's legacy of glamour has been revitalised by the emergence of a number of new exclusive resorts, including the Astir Palace Hotel and the recently opened Astir Marina. Positioned on the southernmost tip of the Vouliagmeni peninsula, only a 40-minute drive from the Greek capital, the resort has become a popular hideaway for guests looking to combine a tranquil beach escape with exploration of the city's famous landmarks. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For a hotel of 303 rooms, our entry-level sea-view room felt surprisingly boutique and private; its well furnished balcony hidden from the gaze of neighbouring guests. The Four Seasons Astir Palace Athens has many beautiful vantage points where guests can enjoy the sunset In keeping with the hotel's overall style of "chic minimalism", a neutral colour scheme, contemporary furnishings and a full marble bathroom gave the room a cool, laid-back elegance. The biggest TV I've ever watched was cleverly disguised as a wall-to-wall mirror, adding to the spacious and airy feel. In addition to 200 standards rooms, set across two separate buildings, the 75-acre site has 42 suites and 61 secluded bungalows, many with their own swimming pools or private beach/poolside cabanas. With couples and honeymooners in mind, there's a large adults-only infinity pool, separate from the family-friendly main pool, and three private beaches ideally placed for water sports and boat trips, as well as private sunset dining. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Keen to showcase international cuisine alongside traditional Greek, Italian and Mediterranean menus, the hotel offers eight restaurants, including a Latin American-inspired poolside bar, a traditional waterfront taverna and the Michelin-starred Pelagos (Greek for Ocean) run by chef Luca Piscazzi. The Four Seasons Astir Palace Athens is one of the exclusive new resorts bringing the world's glitterati back to the Athenian Riviera In an area of Europe renowned for its outstanding fresh produce, it was great to see food and drink being prepared and presented with real reverence, from the breakfast buffet to a la carte dining. To allow guests to immerse themselves fully in the country's culinary culture, the hotel offers a 'Market to Table' experience, with a chance to join chefs as they shop for ingredients at Athens' famous Kallithea Market. While some in our party set off in search of ripe tomatoes, aromatic olives and feta cheese for the ultimate Greek salad, we were dispatched to the seafood stalls to wrestle slippery sardines and a long-tenticaled Octopus into the shopping bag. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Back in the Pelagos kitchen, and assisted by the professionals, it was time to create our own authentic dishes for a lunchtime feast, enjoyed family-style around one big table with plenty of local wine. With so much to see on our doorstep, we decided to skip our usual poolside siesta and asked the concierge to arrange an afternoon trip to the Acropolis, allowing time for a pre-dinner game of tennis on our return. I'd been warned by previous visitors that we'd be joining throngs of tourists clamouring to see beyond the scaffolding for a view of the Parthenon, currently undergoing long-term restoration. Guests in one of the terraced suites enjoy pre-dinner drinks as the sun sets over the Saronic Gulf But this was my chance to see the original home of the Elgin Marbles – or Parthenon Statues – now housed, controversially, in the British Museum. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Dominating the Athens skyline from the Acropolis Rock, the temple was built in 447 BC to honour the city's divine patron, the goddess Athena. On a showery day in late spring, the site was much quieter than we'd expected, its mythical aura somehow enhanced by a timely burst of early evening sunshine. The following morning, after a workout in the fitness centre, we were reunited with our guide from Kedros Travel for a half-day group excursion to Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon, an hour away at the southern tip of Attica. A major monument of the Golden Age of Athens, the temple's well-preserved marble columns are dedicated to the powerful God of the Sea, known to wreak vengeance on those who offended him. We viewed the site from a respectful distance, taking in its stunning cliff-top views. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For me, no indulgent getaway would be complete without a visit to the spa, especially one that offers timeless wellness secrets said to be inspired by the teachings of Hippocrates himself. Like everything else about this hotel, my massage was wonderfully luxurious, setting me up nicely for the four-hour return flight to Heathrow. We'd risked the wrath of Poseidon, had a close encounter with an octopus and travelled back in time more than 2000 years – quite an adventure for me and my handbag on our first Four Seasons experience. With another 130 hotels there for us to discover, across five different continents, it's a storyline that could run and run. Rates at the Four Seasons Astir Palace Athens start from £608 per night, including breakfast, for a Nafsika sea-view room.
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Travel + Leisure
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Travel + Leisure
How to Spend a Perfect Long Weekend in the Athenian Riviera—Where to Eat, Shop, and Stay
In the 1960s, the stretch of coastline just south of Athens—beginning at the port of Piraeus and sprawling some 40 miles along the western shore of the Attica Peninsula—was the place to see and be seen. Brigitte Bardot, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Frank Sinatra, and other celebrities vacationed there, camping out at the Astir Palace—the grande dame of Riviera elegance and a fixture in films, fashion shoots, and society pages. In the 1970s, however, once travelers could reach the Greek islands directly by air, the area's fortunes began to fade. From left: A guest room at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club Athens; the property's façade. Ace Hotel & Swim Club Athens But the tides are changing once again. In 2019, the Astir Palace reopened as the Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens , kicking off a renaissance that, in the past two years, has included the arrival of more stylish hotels, restaurants, and beach clubs. Related: How to Plan the Perfect Trip to Athens, Greece, According to Travel Experts Like Rick Steves The suburb of Vouliagmeni, where the Four Seasons sits, saw the opening last year of the Astir Marina, with 50 berths for yachts and mega-yachts. There's also a shopping complex, with boutiques for Greek fashion brands like Zeus & Dione and Karkalis. Oven Manufactory, a bakery and coffee shop in the heart of Glyfada. In the upmarket neighborhood of Glyfada, 10 minutes north of Vouliagmeni, the Ace Hotel & Swim Club Athens has been generating buzz since it opened in the fall. The brand's first European outpost is housed in a Modernist building from the 1970s, which has been given an update by the French design firm Ciguë and has a swim club where guests can stretch out by the pool on retro-striped loungers. Related: This Clifftop Sanctuary Was Just Named the No. 1 Resort in Greece—With Glittering Aegean Sea Views All Around New restaurants are diverging from traditional taverna fare. Among them is Bungalow 7 , where chef Dinos Fotinakis—who made his name at Mykonos's acclaimed Beefbar—has crafted a menu that elegantly blends classic Italian dishes with Asian flavors, such as carbonara with Wagyu bacon and matcha tiramisu. Also worth a stop are Sofi's Eatery, a café and deli that's become a popular brunch spot in Vouliagmeni, and Oven Manufactory, a sceney bakery and coffee shop in the heart of Glyfada. From left: A niçoise salad from Sebastian, the restaurant at Ace Hotel & Swim Club Athens; Sofi's Eatery, a deli and café in Vouliagmeni. From left: Ace Hotel & Swim Club Athens; Thomas Gravanis Sandwiched between these two glamorous neighborhoods is the One&Only Aesthesis , set within 50 acres of forest reserve overlooking the Saronic Gulf. There are 95 bungalows spread across the grounds—some tucked among olive trees and bougainvillea, others right on the water—each with wood paneling, floor-to-ceiling windows, and expansive outdoor spaces with showers and fireplaces. Nearby is 91 Athens Riviera , which was opened last June by Greek hospitality brand Domes. Accommodations take the form of futuristic tents, with canvas strung across domed structures, and include all the trappings you'd expect on a luxury safari, like canopy beds and private plunge pools. A version of this story first appeared in the August 2025 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline "Age of the Aegean ."
Scottish Sun
11-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Luxury £80m Brit superyacht bursts into flames in exclusive hols resort as crew members rescued from raging blaze
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) An £80million British-made superyacht was on fire in Saint-Tropez with rescuers fearing she might sink. The Sea Lady II, which is chartered out for around £70,000 a week over the summer high season, was engulfed with flames in the French Riviera port on Thursday evening. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 A 41-meter luxury yacht was on fire on July 10 evening in the port of Saint-Tropez (Var), according to the Var fire brigade. Credit: AFP 4 The 41-meter superyacht 'Bateau Sea Lady 2' is pictured on fire Credit: BackGrid 4 Two people believed to be crew members aged 24 and 35 were rescued Credit: BackGrid "Smoke was reported soon after 8pm," said a Var department emergency services spokesman. "The yacht's forward hull then burst into flames, and then the fire spread to the lower decks." Two people believed to be crew members aged 24 and 35 were rescued, and both were suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation. There were no other reported injuries. While the worst of the blaze was extinguished by midnight, firefighters reported "difficulties boarding the boat," said the source. He said: "Surrounding yachts were quickly cleared, and we set up anti-pollution barriers. "This is because it was likely that the boat was sinking into the sea." As the drama unfolded in a prime berth opposite the Saint-Tropez tourist office, hundreds of tourists looked on, while filming videos and taking photos. There was no immediate clue as to what caused the fire, but an investigation was immediately launched by the emergency services. There was no sign of the owner, who was not immediately identified by the authorities. Marseille on wildfire 'lockdown' alert & 100 hurt as blazes race into city The 137ft Sea Lady II was originally called D'Angleterre II after being built in the Souter yard in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight. Launched in 1986, and undergoing a full refit last year, she now sails under a Maltese flag. She has a crew of eight, and can accommodate up to 10 passengers in her five cabins, all equipped with their own bathrooms, in five-star luxury. Saint Tropez was first made famous by French actress Brigitte Bardot in the 1950s, and is now regularly filled with multimillionaire showbiz stars. Arson has been blamed for a number of fires along France's Mediterranean coast this summer, during a heatwave. 'Malicious acts' caused power outages in Nice, after an electrical facility was damaged last month, according to Christian Estrosi, the Mayor of the city. There was a similar attack in Cannes, at the end of the town's world famous film festival in May. Wildfires reached nearby Marseille on Tuesday, leading to the airport serving France's second city to be shut down. Train services in the area were also suspended because of fires near the tracks, said a spokesman for SNCF, France's train operator.
