Latest news with #EdChapman
New Statesman
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
This England: With a couple of kookies…
A portrait of David Bowie took the artist Ed Chapman 180 hours to make – out of biscuits. The mosaicist created images of the 'Heroes' singer for McVitie's, which is celebrating 100 years of the Chocolate Digestive. He used more than 1,000 of the treats to fashion the faces of icons including Trevor McDonald and Judi Dench out of whole biscuits, fragments and crumbs. His works go on show 2-5 May at McVitie's Chocolate Digestives Experience in Regent Street, London. Wales Online (Amanda Welles) Suite oblivion A sofa dumped in a Gloucestershire village has become an unexpected tourist attraction – with fans taking photos and giving Tripadvisor reviews. The two-seater was abandoned on waste ground in Lydbrook, but photographer Alex Elton-Wall saw potential in the forlorn furniture – and has since taken the portraits of more than 150 locals. 'It's taken on a life of its own,' Alex said, but he expects the fly-tipped seat will soon be disposed of properly. 'All good things come to an end,' he said. Metro (Daragh Brady) Forced to eat crow The owner of a cockerel that awoke neighbours early has been ordered to pay nearly £4,000. Harold Brown let the bird make 'unacceptable levels of noise' disturbing their sleep 'from as early as 5am each day,' said New Forest District Council. Mr Brown's bid to quash a conviction for non-compliance was dismissed at Southampton Crown Court. BBC (Michael Meadowcroft) Each entry that appears in the New Statesman receives a £5 book token. Send your entries to comp@ [See also: This England: One previous owner] Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Related
Daily Mirror
06-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Little-known European town dubbed 'world's most beautiful' with crystal-clear waters
Ed Chapman, a leading travel YouTuber, was obsessed with one particular Swiss lakeside paradise years before he finally got to visit - and he says it's just like a "posh Benidorm" A YouTube star who dreamed of visiting one of the most beautiful places in the world was stunned when he showed up. Before becoming a top travel YouTuber, Ed Chapman had an obsession with one particular place. After years of dreaming about it, Ed has now achieved his goal of visiting the idyllic lakeside haven of Brunnen. But terrible weather put something of a damper on his dream. Perched on the edge of Lake Lucerne in the heart of Switzerland, Brunnen has earned the title of "the most beautiful town in the world" from several visitors. Ed had always wanted to gaze into the lake's clear turquoise waters, but there was a little problem. Upon arrival, the usually charming town was hidden under less-than-ideal weather conditions, with relentless rain somewhat spoiling the view. But Ed didn't let this dampen his spirits, donning a raincoat and pressing on. "I just hope the sun comes out, because then it will prove my point about how beautiful this place is and perhaps my dream of coming here might be realised," he said. The enchanting spot has lured notable figures such as Queen Victoria and Winston Churchill, who spent his honeymoon beside Lake Lucerne, as well as famed painter JMW Turner, who captured the majestic mountains in several watercolours. Even with the weather not on his side, Ed stayed hopeful, remarking: "Maybe it's the most beautiful place in the world ... we haven't exactly had the sun yet, but I think tomorrow we might." On the last day of his trip, Ed's patience was rewarded with a break in the weather. As the sun emerged, he exclaimed: "It's a new dawn it's a new day... we've got the sun! "We haven't quite got a clear view yet across the water. It's still a little bit cloudy but at least the sun's out hopefully it'll continue to clear up as the morning goes on. "We've got a few more hours here before we have to check out but I'm getting optimistic that we might get some you know some some clear skies." Despite the lingering clouds, Ed was captivated by the stunning mountain scenery and the lake's vibrant turquoise waters. "That is incredibly turquoise," he marvelled. "It's crazy how clear the waters are. I just love a mountain, I love a lake." He noted the snow-dusted mountain peaks, remarking: "It doesn't get much better than that." Ed even suggested the location could be one of the most beautiful places on earth. His holiday concluded with a contented moment on his hotel balcony, drink in hand: "This is what it's all about," he laughed. "Sat on a balcony having a citrus drink looking at the view. It's like a posh Benidorm."
Asharq Al-Awsat
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Biscuit Portraits of Famous British People
London-based artist Ed Chapman has created biscuit portraits of famous British people to mark the 100th anniversary of the McVitie's digestive biscuit range. The mosaic artist said he had some 'trepidation' when McVitie's called and asked him to make some famous portraits out of biscuits. 'I wondered if the portraits could be done with biscuits, I thought surely they're going to be crumbling all over the place,' Chapman said, according to BBC. 'I immediately went out and bought some biscuits to try them out and tested out how it might work - eventually I found my way with them,' he said. Asked how it was possible to make such vivid portraits out of digestives, he said: 'I initially thought they were all quite similar, but actually there's a white chocolate, gold chocolate, dark chocolate and of course the milk chocolate, and if you flip them over, there's the biscuit side which is plain, so there's a few grades of color and tones there - it's a palette.' He added, 'When I started this, I didn't think about the warm weather. Thankfully I've got a north facing studio, but I kept them in the fridge as they were easier to cut. Chapman explained the current warm spell is a bit of a worry, but said: 'I've protected them with several layers of varnish so, I'm not saying they're indestructible, but they should certainly last - they wouldn't last in the direct sun though.' The artist said it took about 180 hours to make the three portraits and he used 'thousands' of biscuits, which were supplied by McVitie's. Chapman said the work had already been getting good feedback and attention online. The mosaic artist has also done campaigns for other companies, including Keep Britain Tidy. The pictures will be displayed on The Strand from 2 to 5 May.
