Latest news with #CraigWilliams
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Landmark building by renowned Scottish architect sold
When Glasgow City Council put the Martyrs School on the market for sale last year, it had to move to reassure heritage experts concerned over its future in a city struggling with its difficult-to-keep heritage. External features are in view. (Image: Newsquest) The A-listed Martyrs' School, completed in 1898 and named after Church of Scotland Covenanters executed in 1684 at Townhead, is one of the earliest buildings attributed to Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Now, in an exclusive article by Craig Williams, it is revealed the building that last operated as a school in the 1970s and was most recently used as offices, is to be sold to the Bishops' Conference of Scotland and will become a public museum of Scottish Catholic archives, housing artworks and artefacts. The sale is set to be approved by a committee within days. Also building will be sensitively refurbished through a £1.75 million works programme, funded by the Bishops' Conference of Scotland, who will pay £250,000 in the sale. The Bishops' Conference of Scotland also owns St Mungo's Church and retreat on the opposite side of Parson Street. READ MORE: Craig also pointed to the negotiations over the use of another Mackintosh building - the Lighthouse, which was home to The Herald for 112 years - as a location to help climate tech firms grow after a committee gave the green light to the proposal. The council said it was to begin talks with Sustainable Ventures (Scotland) Limited on a long-term. The Lighthouse is one of Mackintosh's most celebrated architectural gems. Stuart Robertson, director of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society, said that "on paper, this sale looks a good fit for Martyrs' School and being used as a public museum'. He also told The Herald: "I am delighted to see that it will be sensitively refurbished through a £1.75 million works programme, funded by the purchaser. It would be good to see more details of this and the planned timescale." Dominic d'Angelo, chair of the Alexander Thomson Society, celebrating another renowned Scottish designer, raised an interesting idea when he wrote in The Herald last month that: 'Maintenance, especially for listed properties, comes at a cost, as the council has identified in recent discussions in Westminster, identifying some 60-plus properties that could benefit if the requirement for repairs to be subject to VAT could be lifted. 'Doing so could enable re-purposing older buildings to address Glasgow's – and other cities' – urgent housing needs and to repopulate the city centre, as well as benefiting organisations such as ours seeking to ensure a positive outcome for buildings by the many talented architects that have contributed so much to Glasgow's urban environment and streetscape.' He also said: 'As a society, we have consistently raised concerns with the council over the church's condition and future, alongside that of other buildings, including planned development next to Grecian Chambers in Sauchiehall Street and current repairs to the Buck's Head Building in Argyle Street.' Maintaining public buildings brings its own set of challenges for councils. So, the new arrangement for the former Martyrs' School building looks like a positive long-term move.
News.com.au
03-06-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Craig Williams prioritises Queensland carnival Group 1s over Melbourne premiership chase
Champion jockey Craig Williams has declared any pursuit of a 10th Melbourne premiership would not be at the expense of current Queensland winter carnival commitments. Williams has key rides in Brisbane on Wednesday and Saturday respectively, with Group 1 bids on Let's Fly (Queensland Oaks), Kimochi (Kingsford Smith Cup) and Party Crasher (Queensland Derby). The 82-time Group 1 winner is likely to ride in Queensland for up to three of the next four Saturdays, with Tatt's Tiara options yet to be locked down. Williams, who has seven mounts at Doomben on Wednesday, including Spicy Martini in the Group 3 Fred Best Classic, a Stradbroke Handicap qualifier, has ridden 55 winners in Melbourne this season. His next opportunity to eat into a 12-win deficit on champion jockey Blake Shinn is King's Birthday Monday at Mornington. 'I've got a mother, I've got a wife (and) I've got a manager, three people that (tell me where to go),' Williams said. 'I'm enjoying what I'm doing, I had a bit of time off with a suspension recently, and I'm happy to ride wherever he (manager) gets me to ride. 'We always look forward to the (Melbourne premiership race) and I guess now we're in a position where it's definitely a realistic goal, but again, my manager tells me where to go.' • Gelagotis camp taking up the fight to MND Shinn, stuck on 67 winners, was poised to claim a second Melbourne premiership in three seasons – third overall – before an injury setback (foot) last week at Cranbourne jumpouts. Williams has eight weeks officially to surpass Shinn but the nine-time champion jockey had only planned to ride through to July 5 – Flemington Finals Race Day – before a short break. The last Melbourne metro meeting for the 2024-25 season is July 30 at Sandown. Williams is slated to return to Ukraine next month on another humanitarian aid mission. Williams and Ukrainian-born wife Larysa the past three years led campaigns to raise more than $2m, primarily for first aid and medical supplies, to support the war against Russia. The 48-year-old conceded the lure of another premiership loomed large, at least for the next month. 'There's no doubt, I've always had a focus point about the championship,' Williams said. 'It's one of those goals every rider strives to go for … obviously it's going to be a consideration when my manager and I work out our schedule for the next period of time. 'I'm really happy where I'm at, at the moment, and I'm loving what I'm doing, so my manager says 'Craig you're going here' then I'm turning up, whatever the weather, I'm happy to be there.' The late Roy Higgins and Bill Duncan won a record 11 Victorian metropolitan premierships apiece, while legendary jockey Damien Oliver retired with 10 titles under the belt. Williams last topped the Melbourne premiership table in 2020.
News.com.au
29-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
South Australian trainer Michael Hickmott says winning Group 1 Queensland Derby with Party Crasher will be career high
South Australian trainer Michael Hickmott says it will be the 'pinnacle of my career' if his high-flying gelding Party Crasher can salute in Saturday's Group 1 Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm. And the planets are aligning for the gelding to notch his fourth victory in just his sixth race this weekend, with champion jockey Craig Williams riding from barrier one. Party Crasher is an $8 chance with bookmakers in the 2400m feature, behind South Australian Derby runner-up Statuario ($6) and the John O'Shea and Tom Charlton-trained King Of Thunder ($7). 'It was fantastic to get Craig booked on the horse. He'd done a fair bit of research and seemed pretty keen to ride the horse,' said Hickmott, the younger brother of two-time Melbourne Cup-winning training Robert. 'I'm very happy with how the horse is. The biggest step is how he travels. 'He's in good order and he's very fit. It looks like he'll run 2400m and if it's a wet track that's no disadvantage either.' Party Crasher travelled from Adelaide to Melbourne by truck and then flew to Brisbane on Tuesday. Asked what it would mean to collect the $600,000 winner's cheque in his first crack at a Group 1, Hickmott was unequivocal in his response. • Queensland Derby tips, runner-by-runner form analysis 'It would certainly be the pinnacle of my career. I've won a South Australian metropolitan premiership (2020-21) but I haven't even had a runner in a Group 1,' he said. 'My business model had always revolved around selling horses to Asia if they've kind of identified anywhere near that grade. 'It was fantastic for the ownership group to elect to run Party Crasher on and not look at offers coming in for the horse. 'They're really excited about this weekend. We've got mums and dads, corporate businessmen in Melbourne to lawyers in Sydney to an accountant in Alice Springs. 'There's a broad group of owners from all around the country.' Hickmott's nephew Josh, with the help of former presenter Jayne Ivil and her partner Brad Taylor, identified Party Crasher as a potential recruit from New Zealand. His uncle was suitably impressed when the horse won an 800m trial on a heavy track at Rotorua last September and once he had negotiated a deal, it didn't take long for the three-year-old to be syndicated. 'He went out to a good group of our current clients and he was syndicated very quickly,' Hickmott said about the son of Ocean Park. 'We've got a good record purchasing horses from New Zealand.' Hickmott said he knew he had a Group 1 contender on his hands when Party Crasher won a Benchmark 66 (2009m) by 1½ lengths on SA Derby Day early this month. 'It's an extremely strong race,' he said about the Queensland Derby, won last year by Warmonger. 'It'd be a big thrill for the ownership group – win, lose or draw – but I suspect if the horse travels well then he will perform really well.'
News.com.au
15-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Star jockey Craig Williams eyes rare Group 1 hat-trick in Doomben 10,000
Craig Williams is eyeing off a famous Doomben 10,000 three-peat as he aims to conquer a new personal frontier in Saturday's $1.5m Group 1. The legendary jockey has an unexpected opportunity to make it a hat-trick of Doomben 10,000 wins after scoring the race on Bella Nipotina and Giga Kick in the last two years. The 82-time Group 1 winner was due to miss Saturday's Doomben 10,000 day due to a riding suspension he incurred in Hong Kong. But, in a sliding doors moment, Williams was able to successfully amend the dates of the suspension when Blake Shinn was himself suspended and sidelined from riding Schwarz in the 10,000. It gives Williams the chance to do something he has never done before. He may have won the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes in Melbourne on seven occasions, but Williams said he has never won the same Group 1 race in three consecutive years. • Wet the key to Wealth in Group 1 Doomben 10,000 'I thought I was going to be on the sidelines this Saturday, but hopefully I am the right person at the right time,' Williams told Racenet. 'Trying to win three Doomben 10,000s in a row is something that I am really excited about. 'I got suspended in Hong Kong but there was a bit of flexibility with the (suspension) dates. 'Blake got suspended and had to choose which weekend and was suspended for and I was Johnny on the spot, I was quite lucky. 'My suspension is actually now starting on Sunday.' BELLA NIPOTINA WINS THE DOOMBEN 10,000! In a cracking finish, she defeats the favourite I Wish I Win right on the line! What a mare she is, and now takes her earnings closer to $10 million ðŸ'� — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 18, 2024 GIGA KICK CLAIMS THE DOOMBEN 10,000. â�¤ï¸�ðŸ¤� @CWilliamsJockey @c_douglasracing — 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) May 13, 2023 • Giga Kick was the $1.65 favourite when Williams rode him to 10,000 glory in 2023 and Bella Nipotina was $7 in betting when she knocked off I Wish I Win last year. Schwarz, the last start Group 1 William Reid Stakes winner, was $7.50 in betting on Thursday morning. The sprinter, who is set to have his last run in the 10,000 before going to stud, was shorter in betting earlier in the week but the prospect of a heavy Doomben track has turned some punters off. Co-trainer John O'Shea has indicated he wouldn't like the prospects of Schwarz on a bottomless track and there is a chance Schwarz wouldn't race if the track is extremely heavy. The Doomben track was in the heavy range on Thursday and more rain is forecast – although trying to second guess the weather in south-east Queensland is a trap. Williams has a busy riding schedule ahead but said he will set up shop in the Sunshine State for the majority of the winter carnival. He is set to be reunited with Kimochi in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup later this month, having steered the Gary Portelli-trained mare to win the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes last spring. Queensland has been a happy hunting ground for Grand Slam-winning jockey Williams in recent years – the Victorian has won four winter carnival Group 1s since 2021. 'Peter Moody says there are two types of Australians,' Williams laughed. 'There are Queenslanders and those who want to be Queenslanders.' Even if Williams claims his third Doomben 10,000, he will still have some work to do to catch the legendary George Moore who won the race five times.
CBC
14-05-2025
- CBC
Conception Harbour accountant facing charges of theft, fraud, say police
Two years after a Brigus, N.L. fish plant sounded the alarm over concerns of skullduggery from a former employee, police have laid charges. An investigation allegedly found fraud to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. On Tuesday, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced criminal charges have been laid against 53-year-old Craig Williams. Williams, the former mayor of Conception Harbour, was arrested on March 12 and is facing one count of fraud over $5,000 and one count of theft over $5,000. It began in April 2023, when Independent Fish Harvesters Ltd. in Brigus contacted the RCMP about concerns of possible internal fraud. "Williams, who was the company's office manager and accountant, was suspected as being involved," said the police statement released on Tuesday. "As part of the investigation, RCMP [General Investigation Section] engaged the Forensic Accounting Management Group (FAMG) and a forensic financial audit was completed. The investigation discovered internal fraud in excess of $125,000." CBC News has asked Williams for comment. The charges have not been proven in court, but Graham Hiscock, the plant's general manager, says he's pleased the situation is progressing. "Quite the relief to know he is finally charged and the public will now know of this character and hope no one else falls in his trap," he told CBC News in an email. It's not the only legal trouble Williams is in. In October, the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador ordered Williams to pay over $113,000 after allegations he fraudulently took funds from Dc Design House Inc. by faking invoices, billing for non-existent office supplies and more. Williams did not file any statement of defence and the claims have not been proven in court. On Oct. 29 a judge granted a default order for Williams to repay the total amount Dc Design alleges he misappropriated. Williams is due back in court on July 2 in Harbour Grace.
