Latest news with #Flamborough
The Sun
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Grand Designs eyesore next door is ‘glorified GREENHOUSE' left to rot
A CONTROVERSIAL Grand Designs project that left neighbours living under scaffolding for five years has still never been lived in. The dramatic glass-fronted clifftop mansion in Flamborough, East Yorkshire, has been dubbed a "glorified greenhouse" by fed-up locals. 5 The £550,000 property was built by millionaire shopping centre tycoon Zahid Iqbal, 61, and his wife Ferzana, 57, and was hailed "breathtaking" by Kevin McCloud when it aired on the Channel 4 show last year. What began as a 10-month project in 2019 to transform a derelict coastguard's tower into a sleek, modern retreat with sweeping views of the North Sea has dragged on for half a decade. The glass-walled home near Flamborough Head has been plagued by planning disputes, delays, and a catalogue of construction blunders—from ill-fitting glass panels to missed emails about vital bird-proofing. For much of that time, neighbouring cottages were overshadowed by towering scaffolding. Now, nearly a year after the Grand Designs episode aired, the property remains unoccupied, and speculation is growing locally that the house may soon be up for sale. One of the most affected neighbours, 83-year-old Vic Crosthwaite, shares a party wall with the ultra-modern structure and became a sympathetic figure for viewers after his home was dwarfed by the build. 'We understood they would be moving in—but there's been no sign of them,' he said. 'I've seen them once, going for a coffee, and that was it. There's talk they'll sell it, but it's just sat empty.' Mr Crosthwaite added that the building still feels unfinished and that promised privacy measures, such as tinted windows overlooking his patio and bedroom, were never put in place. 'You can practically see into my bedroom from their staircase,' he said. Iconic Grand Designs 'perfect' house which couple spent 20 years 'painstakingly' renovating hits market for £1.5million The Iqbals, who purchased the site at auction for £175,000, reportedly invested around £375,000 into the build. The project was nearly derailed when a planning officer halted work, citing that the original coastguard structure—apart from one wall—had been entirely demolished, contrary to the approved conversion plans. A revised application was later granted, allowing the family to continue. However, bad weather, the pandemic, and the departure of their son Yusuf—who had been leading the project—further slowed progress. Guy Raynor-Edwards, 63, said: 'It's just sat there. No one comes or goes. It feels like it was built just to show off.' Another neighbour, 80-year-old Lee Dell, didn't hold back: 'It's a glorified greenhouse. Absolute rubbish. "There are doors on the upper floors with no balconies—someone could walk out and fall straight onto the golf course. "Somebody ought to knock it down.' Concerns also remain about whether the property complies with building regulations. Neighbours have pointed out potential safety issues, including external doors with no balconies and a staircase missing a balustrade. A resident who gave her name only as Jen added: 'It's architecturally impressive, sure, but completely in the wrong place. "If it were ten miles down the road with no neighbours, it might have worked. But not here, not in a historic village.' Mr Iqbal previously defended the build, describing it as 'a place for the family' and 'the first Grand Designs that's a second home.' Speaking last year, he told the Yorkshire Post: 'It's not about the building—it's about the views. I wanted to build something that creates discussion.' Visitors to the area still stop to peer at the house made famous by TV. Nigel and Sue Lenton, holidaying from Somerset, admired the design but expressed disappointment that it remains unused. 'It's such a shame no one's living in it,' said Sue, 76. 'Given how much it must have cost, it just feels like a bit of a white elephant.' 5 5 5 5
CBC
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
From Hamilton to Edmonton: Ice from NHL players' hometowns used to resurface rink for Stanley Cup final
When Darnell Nurse of the Edmonton Oilers takes to the ice in Rogers Arena Wednesday, a little part of his hometown of Hamilton will be underfoot. Rogers picked six Canadians on the team — including captain Connor McDavid and forward Evander Kane — and collected ice from rinks where they grew up. Then they transported the ice to Edmonton and used it to resurface the NHL ice ahead of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final. It's the first time the company has done it — and a neat way to give "home-ice advantage" to the Oilers, says Ryan Kinsella, rep director for the league that plays at the Hamilton arena where Nurse's piece of ice comes from. On Saturday in Hamilton's Flamborough region, Rogers scraped the ice at Harry Howell Twin-Pad Arena to honour Nurse. The 30-year-old defender started playing at Bill Friday Lawfield Arena on the Hamilton Mountain when he was four years old, but that arena is closed for the summer, Rogers Communications spokesperson Victoria Ahearn said in an email. Nurse is the brother of professional women's basketball player Kia Nurse and cousin to professional hockey player Sarah Nurse, who's also from Hamilton. "I think [this] gives a real good feel to the minor hockey players … knowing some of their ice that they play on a regular basis is going to be part of the Stanley Cup," Kinsella told CBC Hamilton. Flamborough Hockey plays games at Harry Howell. Kinsella, who was born in nearby Waterdown, played for the Flamborough Sabres and now has three boys who play hockey in the community. Harry Howell is one of the city's busiest rinks, he said, hosting hockey teams, coaches and a skating club. The ice rink initiative will hopefully help inspire kids to reach for their goals, Kinsella added. "Little initiatives like this help to keep those dreams alive." Ice transported by thermos Rogers worked with the rinks to scrape ice into sealed thermoses. Those were transported to Edmonton where, on Monday, they were poured into the ice making tank of the Rogers Place Zamboni, Ahearn said. Other rinks Rogers took ice from are: The Magna Centre in Newmarket, Ont., where McDavid played for the York-Simcoe Express AAA organization from about age 10 to 15. The Rink in Winnipeg, where Calvin Pickard practices during the off-season. North Shore Winter Club in Vancouver, where Kane started playing minor hockey at 14. Burnaby Winter Club in Burnaby, B.C., where Ryan Nugent-Hopkins played minor hockey from 2006 to 2008. Confederation Leisure Centre in Edmonton, which is affiliated with the hockey program Stuart Skinner played with while in high school. "Hockey's biggest stage should reflect where the game truly begins — in hometown hockey rinks across Canada," Terrie Tweddle, chief brand and communications officer for Rogers said in a statement. He said the initiative, called This Is Our Ice, is about celebrating "collective pride in Canada's game as the Oilers play to bring home the Stanley Cup." Other Hamilton-area players are competing for the cup, too The Oilers are having a rematch with the Florida Panthers, the defending Stanley Cup champions who beat them 2-1 in Game 7 of the final last year. Then, there were four players in the final with connections to the Hamilton-area: Nurse and Adam Henrique of the Oilers and Carter Verhaeghe and Brandon Montour with the Panthers. Verhaege brought the Stanley Cup home to Hamilton's Waterdown area in August. In July, Montour — who now plays for the Seattle Kraken — brought it home to Six Nations. Henrique is from Brantford, Ont. WATCH | How the Oilers playoff run helps newcomers find community: How the Oilers playoff run helps newcomers find community 5 days ago Duration 1:55 Within a week of landing in Edmonton, a group of young newcomers is getting introduced to the Oilers and Rogers Place. As CBC's Travis McEwan reports, some advocates say the playoff run creates a great opportunity to find community. When asked if he'd rather see Nurse or Verhaeghe bring the cup to Hamilton this year, Kinsella laughed. "It's a bit of a torn situation," he said. Kinsella has met Nurse's dad, and worked with some of the same coaches as him, but said he also appreciates Verhaege. Ultimately, Kinsella said, his middle child is a huge McDavid and Oilers fan, so Kinsella will be rooting for them. "Hopefully we can see a Canadian team bring it home."
BBC News
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Flamborough villagers to 'go potty' for third annual festival
Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Darth Vader could feature in a village festival which encourages residents to "go potty". The Flamborough Flowerpot Festival involves making models using plant pots and displaying them on a trail around the event is returning for its third year throughout June. Chair Julie Sanders said "The idea of the event is to promote community spirit and village pride whilst having fun and going potty in public." In previous years, the festival has included full-size plant pot versions of Elvis, King Charles and Queen Sanders said after the Covid-19 lockdown she wanted to do something for the community to get people out of their said when she asked villagers "does anybody want to go potty with me", the reaction was "fabulous" with lots of people joining in."Anybody could get involved who lives in the village - old, young, any ability, it doesn't matter. "We just wanted people to become engaged, go potty, have a bit of fun, meet up in our free workshops, meet other people and make models," she said. Ms Sanders has formed a group called Team Potty which put on a workshop to help provide materials and advice to new year, the group raised funds by selling trail maps, which they used to buy materials and also donated £1,500 to the Brownies and the same amount to a local Sanders added: "It's a good fundraiser, but that's not the main reason we do it. "We just do it because we want people to have a laugh, make people smile and get people out visiting Flamborough." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
