Latest news with #Francesca
News18
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Clint Eastwood's Daughter Francesca Shares Pregnancy News In Mother's Maternity Dress
Last Updated: Francesca Eastwood, daughter of Clint Eastwood, is expecting her second child. She shared the news on Instagram, wearing her mother's dress. Francesca Eastwood is pregnant. The 31-year-old daughter of Clint Eastwood, 94, and Frances Fisher, 72, took to Instagram to reveal that she is expecting her second child. She shared some photographs of herself wearing the white dress her mother wore to an awards ceremony when she was pregnant with Francesca and wrote, 'Wearing the same dress my mom wore [when] pregnant with me." Francesca already has son Titan, six, with Alexander Wraith and her son appears in one of the photographs with her. She did not reveal the identity of her unborn baby's father but she and Wraith attended an event together days before the pregnancy announcement. The pregnancy news comes months after Francesca was arrested for domestic violence after a fight with Wraith. The pair were driving around Beverly Hills in October when they got into a 'verbal argument" before she allegedly got physical, law enforcement explained to TMZ. Sources told the outlet that Alexander,45, 'called the cops and police advised him to drive to the Safety Zone" and after police noticed that he had signs of 'visible injuries", she was arrested for felony domestic violence. TMZ also reported that Alexander 'refused medical aid" and online records revealed that the former reality star posted $50,000 bail and was released from custody. However, the following month, friends insisted the couple were in a good place. A source told 'They are a couple, they never broke up, and are working through whatever issues they have – they are very much a normal couple with ups and downs. They have been talking a lot and are fine. They have a close community around them that they can lean on. And they are very much in love." First Published:
Powys County Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Powys gymnast takes a break from A levels to represent Wales
A POWYS gymnast achieved her dream of representing Wales this month. Francesca Humphreys has attended Maldwyn Dragons Gymnastics Club since she was two years old and 16 years later she is a Welsh international. The 18 year old was selected to represent Wales at the British Grades Finals in Stoke-On-Trent. A club spokesperson said: "Francesca has been a dedicated member of the club and an inspiration to all involved, not only as a gymnast but as a qualified coach. "This will be her last competition with the club before heading off to University in September. "We want to wish her a huge congratulations, not only for making it to the British, but doing it all in the middle of her A-Levels. A great role model for the club and gymnastics as a whole."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Car ploughs into crowd during Liverpool title parade
A man has been detained after a vehicle drove into pedestrians during Liverpool's parade to celebrate winning the Premier League. A Merseyside police said: 'We are currently dealing with reports of a road traffic collision in Liverpool city centre. 'We were contacted at just after 6pm today, Monday 26 May, following reports a car had been in collision with a number of pedestrians on Water Street. 'The car stopped at the scene and a male has been detained. 'Emergency services are currently on the scene. We will issue more updates as we have them.' This blog is now closed, please follow this link for further updates. Chelsea Yuen, who was out celebrating Liverpool's title win when the incident took place, has just spoken to Sky News. She had been walking up Water Street with her friend and their partner when they had a near miss with the car itself. 'We were literally like sardines walking up the street, and then we heard beeping and screaming and when we looked up, there was a black, people carrier, driving straight towards us,' she said. 'Me and my friend Francesca jumped out the way and pulled her little girl out the way.' Yuen said she could see the windows of the car smashed in, and people were chasing after it. Amid the chaos and confusion, she told Sky News she didn't know what was happening, and the three of them tried to get away as quickly as possible. When leaving, she said she saw people begging with police to intervene. She said: 'I'm just in shock. Like we can't stop shaking.' Witness Natasha Rinaldi, who was watching the parade from her friend's living room, told Sky News: 'It was so loud. People sounded desperate. 'And then we looked out the window and we saw the car (had) run over people. 'Then people started rushing to go after the driver and they tried to break the car. The police did everything to block and to push people away. 'We could just hear screams and screams. We were very confused. 'Some of my friends were down there and the car was so near them. It was a horrible scene, nobody was expecting it.' She said 'people had stopped the car' and were knocking on the window 'and trying to speak to the driver'. 'People were very angry and shocked, and then the police intervened. And then we heard the ambulances coming.' Police confirmed that they had arrested a 53-year-old British man. The force said: 'We would ask people not to speculate on the circumstances surrounding tonight's incident on Water Street in Liverpool city centre. 'We can confirm the man arrested is a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area. 'Extensive enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision.' Horrifying footage shared by eyewitnesses shows what appears to be a black Ford Galaxy ploughing through packed crowds in the Dale Street and Water Street area of Liverpool city centre, reports Tom Morgan. It is unclear how many exactly are hit by the vehicle, but there is at least one body in front of the front wheel as it eventually comes to a halt, with onlookers screaming in horror. Further videos show Liverpool fans rush to help potential victims while others start kicking out at the car involved. Emergency services appear to have quickly arrested the driver. Harry Rashid, 48, from Solihull, was at the parade with his wife and two young daughters when he witnessed the collision. He said: 'It happened about 10 feet away from us. We were just in a crowd and we had no control over where we would be, because it was a very narrow street. 'The vehicle came to our right. It emerged from just right next to an ambulance, which was parked up. This grey people carrier just pulled up from the right and just rammed into all the people at the side of us. He added: 'It was extremely fast. Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car. Mr Rashid described how crowds began trying to smash the car windows: 'Then he stalled for a few seconds, probably about 10 seconds. Then the crowd that was a bit further back started rushing at him trying to smash his windows. 'But then he put his foot down again and just ploughed through the rest of them, he just kept going. 'It was horrible. And you could hear the bumps as he was going over the people. 'Then my daughter started screaming and there were people on the ground. 'It looked clearly deliberate. Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, said: 'The scenes in Liverpool are appalling - my thoughts are with all those injured or affected. 'I want to thank the police and emergency services for their swift and ongoing response to this shocking incident. 'I'm being kept updated on developments and ask that we give the police the space they need to investigate.' Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, is being updated on the situation in Liverpool. There has been no official comment yet from Government ministers or spokesmen. The Prime Minister is being kept updated about events in Liverpool after a car collided with pedestrians in the city centre. Mo Adass, owner of Bespoke Signature tailor on Water Street, told The Telegraph: 'I hope everyone is safe. The car has been stopped. 17 people as far as I know have been injured and are getting looked after. The Liverpool FC was all over the city. It has been so busy, you can't imagine how busy it is. I am looking from my CCTV outside the shop.' A North West Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'NWAS is supporting an incident in Liverpool city centre, following reports of a road traffic collision. 'We are currently assessing the situation and working with other members of the emergency services. Our priority is to ensure people receive the medical help they need as quickly as possible. 'Updates will be published on this page and Mersey Police as we know more.' We have just received the following statement from Merseyside Police: A police spokesperson said: 'We are currently dealing with reports of a road traffic collision in Liverpool city centre. 'We were contacted at just after 6pm today, Monday 26 May, following reports a car had been in collision with a number of pedestrians on Water Street. 'The car stopped at the scene and a male has been detained. 'Emergency services are currently on the scene. We will issue more updates as we have them.' But the party will not stop as the players, coaches and fans will continue to celebrate this title victory for a while to come. 'Yesterday and today have been unbelievable. To see all our fans out today has been incredible. It takes a lot to get to this point and I do not think I will be able to take this all in, there is too much going on. I am so thankful for all the support through the year and to have a moment like this is incredible. We are a good group of lads and we love each other. We have a good time in each other's company. We will never forget days like this. 'Next season I want to take another step forward. The goal at this club is to always win trophies so next season we want to add to that. We want to win the Champions League and win the Premier League again. Hopefully we can do that and make next season another special season. In every huddle Virgil [van Dijk] says enjoy the moment. That is massive and you have to enjoy it. Days like this you cannot not enjoy this. This is unbelievable.' 'We have done it. It is unbelievable and hard to believe we are here, that we have achieved this. It is so hard and we have worked so hard for so many years. It is so difficult to win this title but we were able to win it this season. To have the opportunity to celebrate it in front of our fans is fantastic, amazing. We have had four weeks of celebration! I am really happy and I want to enjoy this moment as much as we can. We know how in football things can change quickly. Tomorrow we go for a new challenge but we celebrate now. 'We [the senior players] have built a really special bond and connections and it feels even more special to win titles with these kinds of connections. This makes everything special; the connection with the players but also with the fans and the city. That makes everything much more special. We celebrate now!' John W. Henry must be absorbing these extraordinary scenes and thinking to himself... 'Hmm... do we need an even bigger stadium?' Liverpool fans do love the song and, for the people stood on The Strand, this is obviously their first time belting it out whereas for the players and DJ Calvin Harris they have sung it at least three times and they have enjoyed it every single time. I am waiting for Dua Lipa to pop out at some point. The likes of Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Andrew Robertson have experienced similar scenes to his down The Strand before in 2019 and 2022 but for the likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai this is their first experience of a Liverpool bus parade. The scenes are incredible as they pass the Liver Building. Captain van Dijk holds aloft the Premier League trophy as You'll Never Walk Alone is played. The fans are going bananas as the Liver Building comes into vision for the bus. A red flare is set off from the top of the Liver Building and The Strand is a sea of red. To be honest it has been a sea of red everywhere in Liverpool. Liverpool is red. So many people have been gathered down the home stretch of the route for hours and hours and they are just moments away from the bus coming past them. It has been pouring down but they do not care one little bit. DJ Calvin Harris continue to pump out the tunes. The players are going nuts on the top of the bos and the fans are going crazy celebrating their heroes as they go past. Bill Shankly once said after a bus parade (following an FA Cup loss in 1971 to Arsenal): 'I've drummed it into our players time and again that they are privileged to play for you. If they didn't believe me, they believe me now.' Arne Slot's interview on the team bus made it sound like - despite all his experiences and success this year - it has fully sunk in what it means managing his club. 'It is beyond what you can dream of,' said Slot. 'You cannot imagine what you see over here. I have won things before, and it is so beautiful, but this cannot compare to anything. It is (like a spiritual experience). You look into their eyes and it says it all. There are so many people.' There's a cruise ship docked near the Liverpool bus' final destination. Not sure whether to envy or sympathise with any passengers who've popped out for a quick stroll. 'This is by far the number one day, this is beyond what you can expect, what you can dream of maybe. This is unbelievable. I won a few things before and they were beautiful but this you cannot compare with anything. Young, old, every age is here. You look the fans in the eyes and you see it all. 'You can hardly imagine that there are still more citizens of Liverpool still to come. All through the route there are so many people. This is beyond my dreams.' The bus is heading down Leeds Street and will soon be turning onto The Strand, ready to head past the Liver Building and the Albert Dock. The rain is coming down hard, as it has been for most of the afternoon, but The Strand has been packed for hours and they have waited hours to see their heroes, and they are not far off seeing them. 'Today is unbelievable, to celebrate such a trophy with the fans and being on the bus with the lads is incredible. We deserve it, my teammates were incredible this year. This is an amazing achievement and we truly deserve to celebrate with the fans today. The parade for winning the European Championship was really good but today the city is crazy, it is madness out there. It is unbelievable. 'I have to thank the fans for my song because I did not play too much this season but to get this love back from the fans is amazing. The song actually has a good tune. I am so proud of the team and from the moment I arrived they made me feel part of the team, supported me even during the tough times this season. I am one of the boys.' 'We are trying to take it all in. It is amazing with all the fans coming out. There are so many people already it is mental. It is a dream to be on the bus to be honest. Everyone on the team is really close with each other. You see we are a close unit and the best thing is we can enjoy this together and that is how it should be. 'It has been a long season and we have put a lot of effort in. If you get the reward you have to celebrate it well. It is nice to be able to do that. We are not finished yet.' 'I feel amazing. It has been incredible. The fans have come out in their numbers and the support has been unbelievable. We always try and take the time to interact with the fans, especially the younger ones. It will last with them for a lifetime. It is not about us today, it is about the whole city and the whole club. You cannot really describe how it feels. In the moment you have to see it to feel how you feel. 'We have worked so hard for this this season, everyone including the fans, the people at the training ground, the people who work at Anfield. It is all of us together, not just the players. We are all as one and times likes this when everyone gets involved, these memories last you a lifetime. The Uruguayan has been linked with a move away this summer, potentially to Saudi Arabia, so this could well be his final outing as a Liverpool player. The Colombian scored 13 goals and assisted seven in the Premier League this season, playing an important role in Liverpool's title success. It was just over a year ago that Arne Slot was announced as Jurgen Klopp's successor and 12 months on he is celebrating being a Premier League champion at the end of his debut season. Liverpool assistant coach John Heitinga: 'This is amazing. The happiness is unbelievable. The smiles on the faces of the fans are incredible. You see how many people are on the streets. It is incredible. The togetherness is great. You have to fight for each other and the players fight for each other.' Liverpool assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff: 'We already saw it in the stadium when we beat Tottenham to seal the title. The nicest thing about winning the big prizes is seeing the smiles on the faces of the fans. Our job is to make the people happy, to make them go home happy. If you have good football and get good results you get this, what you see now. This is unbelievable that we can do this together as a coaching staff.' The first dispatch from the bus courtesy of Liverpool's club media. 'It's unbelievable. The best city in the world,' said Curtis Jones, soon to be the only Scouser in the team. 'It is my second (title), but this feels more special. The city is red.' FSG Chief Executive Michael Edwards is on the team bus. He was just caught on camera looking at his phone. Hopefully he has a signal. He won't want to get off in four hours with ten missed calls from Bayer Leverkusen or Florian Wirtz's parents. This picture was taken yesterday at Anfield: He was pretty emotional after Liverpool's final game of the season yesterday and in tears on the pitch as the trophy was paraded around Anfield. This today is really his final goodbye as he will be joining up with England shortly for the upcoming international break and is then expected to join Real Madrid on a free transfer. That move has not been confirmed yet but is expected to happen. Real Madrid are involved in the upcoming Club World Cup and may look to explore bringing him ahead of that with a mini transfer window opening on June 1. It has reached The Rocket Flyover but still plenty of the route ahead. Here are some of the areas ahead of the bus: West Derby Road Islington Leeds Street The Strand Finish: Blundell Street The song by Dua Lipa and Calvin Harris, who is on the bus during the parade, has become one of Liverpool's signature anthems in recent years and Harris is currently blasting it out. The players and fans are loving it. The first rendition of modern club anthem 'One Kiss' as the bus reaches the Childwall Fiveways junction. Who would have thought Dua Lipa would become the new Gerry Marsden? She needs to remix a version of 'Ferry Cross the Mersey' next. A fan with a Tesco supermarket trolley full of replica Premier League medals has decided to stop along the route. Maybe he is hoping the bus will stop and the team will recreate yesterday's presentation. Parade etiquette demands that some of the squad players emerge from the shadows and prove themselves the biggest ravers on the planet. The early stages suggest Kostas Tsimikas and Wataru Endo would have blended in perfectly at Liverpool's Cream Nightclub in its heyday. It is still potentially four hours until the bus parade reaches its final stages but the area near the docks is packed to the rafters. The weather is not the best in Liverpool today but the fans do not care one bit. Alex Raisbeck (1900-01, 1905-06)Donald MacKinlay (1921-22, 1922-23)Willie Fagan (1946-47)Ron Yeats (1963-64, 1965-66)Tommy Smith (1972-73)Emlyn Hughes (1975-76, 1976-77, 1978-79)Phil Thompson (1979-80)Graeme Souness (1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84)Alan Hansen (1985-86, 1987-88, 1989-90)Jordan Henderson (2019-20)Virgil van Dijk (2024-25) Arne Slot has gone early with the beer, taking a swig before the bus reaches the official starting point. Given he is going to be on that bus for four hours, one hopes for his sake there is a portable toilet on there! 29 goals- golden boot winner18 assists- playmaker of the yearPremier League player of the seasonFootball Writers' Association footballer of the yearFirst player to win the Premier League's Golden Boot, Golden Playmaker and Player of the Season awards in a single campaignNow has the joint-highest number of Golden Boot wins (four) along with former Arsenal forward Theirry HenryJoint-level for the most combined goals and assists in a single Premier League season alongside Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer Liverpool chairman Tom Werner, who will be part of the parade with other FSG representatives, has paid tribute to Arne Slot for joining the Anfield greats in his first season. 'It's extraordinary. We obviously had high hopes for this season but he has been an extraordinary coach,' said Werner. 'I think there have been three coaches who have won the Premier League in their first season and Arne is one of them. He is just an extraordinary leader. Great compliment to Arne, he's authentic, he's not trying to be anyone else. The team was an extraordinarily good team but he brought the best out of them.' Werner has also vowed further investment to build on title number 20. 'We go again. It never gets old, winning. We owe it to all of our supporters to bring back a team even better next season,' he said. Chief Inspector Chris Barnes, who is the silver commander for the parade, said: 'We want everyone who attends today's victory parade to have a safe and enjoyable time. Nobody should have to suffer an injury as a result of the reckless actions of another individual. We know that people want to enjoy the party atmosphere in the city but it is important that we think of everyone's safety and wellbeing. 'The parade will have its own professionally organised special effects, including confetti canons and fireworks, which will be adding to the fantastic atmosphere in a safe and controlled manner and my urge would be to people to leave it to the professionals.' Liverpool City Council estimated at least 500,000 on the streets. They may have been too conservative. The M62 motorway is jammed, and so are the trains into Lime Street Station. Supporters are travelling from afar to be here, and unlike previous parades when many fans were still stranded in Istanbul, Madrid or Paris after the Champions League final, no-one is missing this one. By Arne Slot's admission, Liverpool did not blow away opponents with goal blitzes, so whenever results were in the balance, Salah tended to be the difference. Virgil van Dijk was just as good, and Alexis Mac Allister's sublime performances underrated, but the strikers always get the glory. DJ Calvin Harris was on board in 2022 when Liverpool celebrated winning the League Cup and FA Cup. Today he will be on board again. The parade will begin at Allerton Maze and travel northbound on Queens Drive, continuing through the the city. Here are some of the parts of the city the bus will venture through: Mill Bank West Derby Road Islington Leeds Street The Strand Finish: Blundell Street The parade starts in just under an hour but the streets of Liverpool are already packed. A police officer was one of 17 people injured by flares during wild fan celebrations in the hours before Liverpool's final-game Premier League title party. Merseyside Police cited concerns around pyro-related injuries as the force warned against further 'reckless actions' during the club's victory parade on Monday. In a warning that supporters using flares or drones face potential arrest, the force said 'there were reports of 17 people, including one police officer, being injured as a result of flares ahead of the final LFC game at Anfield'. Hundreds of thousands of supporters are expected to line the city's streets when the parade takes place However, club bosses had already warned last week that celebrations when the Reds clinched their 20th league title last month resulted in 50 reports of burns suffered by those outside Anfield Stadium – including an injury to a three-year-old child. Liverpool have joined forces with police, Liverpool City Council and Alder Hey Children's Hospital – where several youngsters were treated last month for burns to their hands, face and scalp from flares – to ask fans to protect children from pyrotechnics and celebrate safely. Merseyside Police then delivered a further warning on Monday. 'A quantity of pyros were seized from Arkles Lane and a summons has been issued for the owner,' the force said. 'We also seized four drones that were being flown over Anfield in breach of a temporary air restriction in place over the ground.' This is the moment Liverpool fans have been waiting for. Having missed out on the opportunity to celebrate winning the Premier League in 2020 due to Covid restrictions during the pandemic, the fans now have their chance to properly celebrate winning their 20th league title through the streets of Liverpool. In reality, the fans have been celebrating for a month already having wrapped up the title courtesy of a thumping 5-1 of Tottenham at Anfield at the end of April with four games to spare. After yesterday's 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace on the final day of the season, captain Virgil van Dijk was handed the Premier League trophy by Liverpool great and former captain Alan Hansen, who was the last Liverpool captain to lift the league title in front of fans at Anfield, and lifted it aloft in front of a packed-out Anfield. When Liverpool won the league in 2020, then-captain Jordan Henderson lifted the trophy at a nearly-empty Anfield, with only family, close friends and media permitted to attend during the pandemic. It is just over a year ago that Liverpool said goodbye to Jurgen Klopp after nearly nine years under the German. 12 months later Liverpool are celebrating winning the Premier League in Arne Slot's debut season. The route is 10 miles in length, which could take between three and five hours as the parade will wind around the streets of Liverpool. The parade will begin at Allerton Maze and travel north on Queens Drive before heading along Mill Bank, West Derby Road, Islington, Leeds Street and The Strand before finishing on Blundell Street. In recent years Liverpool have had trophy parades along the same rout to celebrate winning the Champions League and the domestic cup double. In 2019, nearly a million people descended on the city centre after Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-0 in Madrid in the Champions League final, which was the first trophy won under Slot's predecessor Klopp. Three years later in 2022, Liverpool paraded the League Cup and FA Cup, with a similar number of Liverpool fans congregating to have a party. DJ Calvin Harris was on board the Liverpool bus back on 2022 so might we see him again this afternoon providing the tunes. The parade is set to begin at 2.30pm. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. 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Telegraph
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Why I jumped out of an aeroplane with a Duchess and public school headmaster
I blame the wine. I was sharing a bottle on a beautiful summer's day last year with my old friend, Francesca (Chica), Duchess of Norfolk, when she suggested we do a charity sky dive. The rosé was chilled, the food delicious and May 2025 seemed a long way off. So I agreed. The speed at which the plan came about was amazing. Chica had walked her dog only that morning with a neighbour, Linda Woodhouse, who had suggested the whole mad scheme. Come lunchtime the three of us had committed to jump. As the months to take off ebbed away, I was mostly quite blithe about the prospect. Every so often, however, the absurd, daunting reality of it poked its nose into my thoughts. Chica confessed she was scared not of the jump but the landing and the prospect that she'd 'break both ankles'. But having just become patron to The Sussex Snowdrop Trust, which supports children with life-threatening illnesses, the potential to fundraise overcame her reticence. Neither athletes nor dare devils, we are three women of the same certain 60-ish age. And there are easier ways to raise cash, so why skydive? Two of our husbands thought we were mad, but I call it the 'if not now, then when?' spirit. As my old Fleet Street boss used to say: 'Do it darling, you're a long time dead.' We were not entirely strangers to the skies. Chica had recently been up in a Spitfire – an imaginative Christmas present from her husband. Linda had already skydived, in a cool pink flying suit for a breast cancer charity, and I had swooped around above Lake Annecy, in France, a few years before, knuckles rather white, harnessed to a flimsy Para-Pente frame and parachute. Then there is the fact that two of us, now healthy, have had cancer and appreciate the power of publicising and fundraising for charity – and this charity is truly terrific. The Snowdrop Trust sends nurses to care for very sick and terminally ill children in their own homes, and teaches parents how to treat their children too. It also offers financial assistance to parents who care for their child. The testimonies of families involved are, inevitably, very moving. So the nature of the cause, combined with the fact that we are too old to worry about making fools of ourselves but too young to give in yet to the sedate pursuits of retirement, proved irresistible. We booked a pub near the airfield in Old Sarum, Salisbury, the night before the jump, where we, including husbands, all had dinner together. Preparations were non-existent. I had a totally irrelevant pedicure, Chica decided if she could jump out of an aircraft she could add to an already exhilarating couple of days by entering her horse in an event the same weekend, and Linda had, coincidentally, just finished a three-day fast. Neither Chica nor I had quite the right gear though. In my case this was not unexpected: I'm still remembered for scaling a mountain in China in the late Eighties wearing kitten heels. My unworn tracksuit bottoms were unearthed, along with pristine white trainers, but as we wore enormous Ghostbuster -style jumpsuits over all of it our efforts were largely irrelevant. Thankfully, the day of the jump itself was glorious: sunny, clear and the wind 15 knots. During our induction we met the group of four we'd be jumping with. This turned out to be the headmaster of Charterhouse School, with two teenage pupils who had suggested a skydive for The Fountain Centre, a charity which supports cancer patients. As their fourth team member, a housemistress at the school, said: 'Once the girls had asked him, it was pretty much impossible for him to say no.' Briefing was well-organised and tightly managed. There's not much time to think about chickening out. You are weighed, given a jumpsuit and a harness, practice some of the jump positions and moved onto the airfield. You only meet your tandem jumper then. Mine was George, a cheery South African who had done 12,000 skydives. We were packed into the plane, sitting between each other's legs. Sitting on the floor at the door of the plane before pushing out at 10,000ft is, as Chica put it, 'insane'. It's an utterly counterintuitive moment as your brain says: 'This is so wrong'. But by then it's too late, and with a leaping heart you fall gasping into the freezing, rushing air for the freefall at 125mph, strapped to a man you have met only minutes before. Then the parachute opens and there is almost instant silence. I saw Salisbury Cathedral gleaming in the distant sunlight and kept wittering on about how beautiful it all was. I think it must have been worse for Chica, waiting and watching as we pushed off into oblivion. 'I saw Linda being plucked from the plane just in front of me and reality hit,' she says. Shuffling to the edge with Hink, her Dutch instructor, she shouted 'Holy moly. Let's get this done' only to be told: 'Not yet!' Finally she was bundled out. 'The first five seconds were utterly horrendous, a sensory overload, disorientation and a roar of the air,' she says. 'Then I started to enjoy the freefall. When the parachute opened, joyous peace.' Apart, she confesses now, from a great deal of swearing. Linda too contrasted the 'terrifying' freefall to the 'surreal stillness and calm' of the descent once the parachute opened. We all landed bottoms down – laughing, then staggering about. There was a huddle of husbands and dogs at the side of the airfield looking touchingly relieved at our safe return. Chica asked the headmaster how he felt: 'I'm still processing it,' he said thoughtfully, as we three capered about, giggling, high-fiving and hugging in a mixture of pride and relief. And although I'm glad it's over, I would do it again in a heartbeat. Chica, though, is of a different mind: 'Would I do it again? Absolutely not.' She is thinking about abseiling though. When I told Maureen, my 95-year-old mother-in-law, that I was jumping from a plane at 10,000 feet, she said she wished she could come with us. The power of a charity challenge is compelling, whatever a woman's age. It's amazing what can come out of a dog walk with a friend.
Hospitality Net
20-05-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Cushman & Wakefield Bolsters UK Hospitality Capital Markets Team With New Hire
Francesca joins us as a Senior Consultant in the UK Hospitality Capital Markets team. Formerly with CBRE, she brings valuable experience across Advisory and Capital Markets in both London and Asia. Her strong expertise in financial analysis and real estate advisory is a great addition to the team, following the recent arrivals of Andrew Horder and Anastasia Cooper to support our expanding Hospitality Capital Markets division. We're pleased to be growing our team to support our valued clients, with a strong pipeline of exciting mandates and increasing investor appetite in hospitality assets. Francesca is a highly skilled hotel professional, and we're delighted to welcome her as we continue to expand our Hospitality and broader Specialist Markets offering. Ed Fitch, Head of Hospitality UK&I at Cushman & Wakefield UK hospitality investment volumes hit a five-year high in 2024 on the back of a surge of private equity-led portfolio transactions. The outlook is also promising, with deal-making momentum expected to carry through into 2025. Contributing factors include an anticipated influx of high-quality assets hitting the market, declining interest rates acting as a catalyst, and enhanced clarity in property pricing — further reinforcing the market's robust investment trajectory. View source
