Latest news with #Gooding
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Historic south Essex landmark gets facelift thanks to passionate volunteers
WORK to upgrade a much-loved and historic Rayleigh landmark has been completed thanks to fresh funding and the efforts of passionate volunteers. Rayleigh Mount, the site of a medieval motte and bailey castle close to Rayleigh Windmill, is owned by the National Trust and in recent months has seen extensive upgrades to improve accessibility for visitors. On Saturday, stakeholders and funders will gather at the mount for a celebration of the community effort to rejuvenate the 11th century site. We're now on WhatsApp! Join our new channel at to get all the latest breaking news and exclusive stories delivered straight to your phone. Celebratory - Julie Gooding has been involved in the upgrade project (Image: Julie Gooding) 'I am honoured to have been invited to attend the event as a valued member of the National Trust Local Committee, joining fellow supporters, volunteers, and residents in recognising the collective effort that has brought renewed vitality to Rayleigh Mount,' said Julie Gooding, Non-Aligned councillor for Hawkwell West. 'This celebration is not just about a site—it's about a shared commitment to heritage, sustainability, and community. 'Whether you contributed your time at a task day, shared your vision for the future, or simply supported from afar, this is your achievement too.' Education - New displays provide historical information around the 11th century site (Image: Julie Gooding)Since February, residents have been gathering for volunteer task days at Rayleigh Mount, at which much of the now completed works were carried out. The action has been made possible by a UK Shared Prosperity Fund grant from Rochford District Council. 'The recent funding has already made a visible impact at Rayleigh Mount,' said Mrs Gooding. 'Footpath accessibility has been significantly improved, with new handrails installed on the steps leading up to the castle site, making the site safer and more accessible to visitors who may have some access disabilities. Improved - New accessible footpaths have been installed at the mount (Image: Julie Gooding) 'In addition, new signage and information boards now help guide and educate visitors about the site's rich history and ecological significance, enhancing the overall visitor experience.' The castle at Rayleigh Mount is one of 48 mentioned in the Domesday Book, and the only one in Essex. A spokesperson for the National Trust has described the project as 'an ambitious initiative focused on improving access, enhancing environmental sustainability, and fostering nature-based solutions within our local communities.'
New York Post
20-05-2025
- New York Post
‘Recidivist No. 1' exposes Alvin Bragg's failed revolving-door justice
Most of us would agree that even criminals deserve a second chance. But what about 134 chances? Apparently, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin 'Set 'Em Free' Bragg is all-in on such a revolving-door approach to justice. Or maybe Bragg just hasn't found a criminal he believes is worth prosecuting at all. So it was not surprising, though nonetheless disturbing, to discover in The Post that the infamously woke prosecutor has allowed career criminal Harold Gooding to continue to wreak havoc as he pillages and plunders the businesses of our city, despite racking up an astonishing record of 134 arrests. The fact that Bragg was warned about Gooding three years ago — when the serial thief's face was plastered on the front page of The Post as 'Recidivist No. 1,' topping the New York Police Department's worst-of-the-worst repeat-offenders list — makes the DA's gross negligence even more outrageous. Gooding's case is emblematic of the failures of Bragg's radical 'decarceration' policies, which are harming New Yorkers, forcing businesses to close and destroying our quality of life. While Bragg claims his office is 'addressing the root causes of crime' by giving career criminals get-out-of-jail-free diversion programs, he's really just perverting the criminal justice system. Bragg has invited more crime in New York City by essentially 'lowering the transactional cost of crime,' a term coined by Manhattan Institute fellow Rafael Mangual. Criminals have no fear of being caught in Manhattan, because even if they're arrested, they face little or no consequences. To paraphrase one NYPD officer, 'The juice is always worth the squeeze.' Gooding is far from the only repeat offender to roam scot-free under Bragg's watch. He's just the latest. On Day 1, Bragg proudly announced he wouldn't be prosecuting a slew of low-level offenses, like theft or fare evasion. It's no coincidence turnstile jumping, shoplifting and organized retail theft have been rampant ever since. As a result, hundreds of businesses across Manhattan have locked their goods behind Plexiglas, while dozens of others have shuttered completely. Bragg's record as the borough's top prosecutor has been even more abysmal: Since he took office, convictions by the Manhattan DA have plummeted, from 68% to 51% for felonies and from 51% to 29% for misdemeanors. Meanwhile, dismissals and downgrades (dropping charges from felonies to misdemeanors) have skyrocketed. According to the latest stats, in 2023 an astounding 62% of all cases brought to Bragg's office were dismissed altogether, while more than half of felony cases were downgraded to misdemeanors. That seems to be exactly what happened in Gooding's most recent prosecution. In June 2024, he was charged with grand larceny in the fourth degree, among other charges, for shoplifting nearly a dozen times. Fourth-degree grand larceny is a class 'E' felony punishable by up to four years in prison, yet Bragg let Gooding plead to misdemeanor petit larceny and serve less than eight months in Rikers. New York, like many other states, has 'three strike' laws that increase penalties for so-called persistent offenders who are convicted of certain felony offenses up to three times. Similar state laws address repeat drunk-driving offenders, but there are no such laws for those who persistently commit misdemeanors. That's what makes prosecutors driven by radical ideology so dangerous: Rather than enforcing the law, they choose which laws to enforce. There is absolutely no plausible reason a lifelong lawbreaker with 134 previous arrests should receive a sweetheart misdemeanor deal, except that Alvin Bragg simply does not believe in holding certain criminals accountable. District attorneys are not social workers. District attorneys are not activists; they are not reformers. The first and foremost duty of a district attorney, as conferred by the Consolidated Laws of the State of New York, is to 'prosecute all crimes and offenses cognizable by the courts of the county for which he shall have been elected.' And in that duty, Alvin Bragg has utterly failed the people of New York City. Joann Ariola is the minority leader of the New York City Council. Maud Maron is a former public defender and the Republican candidate for Manhattan District Attorney.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tom Cruise's Unexpected 'Jerry Maguire' Reunion at Cannes
Tom Cruise has been busy at the Cannes Film Festival promoting Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, but the red carpet premiere had an unexpected Jerry Maguire reunion. Cruise received a 1996 Oscar nomination for the role of a slick sports agent who gets fired after writing a company-wide memo that goes against everything in his industry. Jerry had to rebuild his life and his roster of talent, banking on one client, Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.) to make it happen. Almost 30 years later, the two actors found themselves in the same place at the same time. The men wrapped their arms around each other and shared wide smiles for the photographers. They were also spotted animatedly speaking with each other while shaking hands. Cruise and Gooding's acting history started in 1992 when they worked on A Few Good Men, but their careers haven't crossed paths as of late. Gooding won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Jerry Maguire, but he's been mired in sexual assault claims over the last few years. He settled a lawsuit in 2020 with a woman who accused him of rape and pleaded guilty to a sexual harassment charge in a sexual assault case in 2022. Gooding is in Cannes to mount his comeback tour with two films, Quantum Supremacy and A Line of Fire, per Page Six. Gooding told Extra in August 2024 that he was taking "accountability" for his actions. 'When people interpret what's going on with you or what you're being exposed to, you have to make sure that you know your intention,' Gooding explained. 'You have to be accountable for your own actions, and I have been. I have been. People have spoken positive and negative, but I can't control that.'
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Downfall of the noughties' most notorious love rat: What happened to model James Gooding who BLAMED girlfriend Kylie for his stint in rehab - after he cheated and called her 'self-obsessed and friendless'
Kylie Minogue called him her 'delightful scruff from Essex' and with few male models ever becoming household names, the fame afforded by dating one of the world's biggest popstars should have been a dream come true for James Gooding. However, the model turned-photographer, now 50, admitted to cheating on the singer during their on-off relationship, and later branded her a 'self-obsessed, virtually friendless control freak' in a scathing tell-all interview. 'I fear she's going to end up a lonely spinster with only a cat for company,' he said of the singer, now 56, who he also accused of 'ruining' his life, while also holding her responsible for a drinks and drugs bender at the end of their three-year relationship that resulted in a stint in rehab. But while Gooding, who was once Britain's highest-paid male model, had harsh words for Kylie, his own dalliances were equally unflattering in their verdicts on his character. Martine McCutcheon said he was 'cheap and disgusting,' while another ex, singer Victoria Harrison, called him a 'pathetic loser'. Slightly more forgiving was a female admirer who admitted: 'You don't know whether to slap him or snog him'. These seemed like prophetic words when Sadie Frost, who dated the model after Kylie, was cautioned for assaulting him in October 2012. Meanwhile a male friend described him as an 'incorrigible, accomplished, world-class flirt' and 'the 'Shoreditch Travolta'. James first met Kylie backstage at the Brit Awards in March 2000 and in 2002, they announced their relationship was over. But it limped on in an on-and-off fashion for another year before coming to a dramatic halt at the same ceremony in 2003, when they had colossal bust-up in front of shocked party-goers after Kylie's raunchy duet with Justin Timberlake. Gooding accused her of flirting live on stage during a duet in which the former NSync singer touched Kylie's backside. Minogue and Timberlake had followed their duet with dinner at the Montpelliano restaurant in Knightsbridge before going to the after-show party thrown by her label, EMI, at the Sanderson hotel. Gooding turned up hoping for a reconciliation with the Australian singer. Minogue's management had told doormen not to let him into the VIP area, but he sneaked in through a side entrance and found her at a table with sister Dannii as well as Timberlake and Janet Jackson. He accused her of making a mockery out of him in front of millions of Brits viewers and confronted her over her reported dates with Jamiroquai singer Jay Kay. Earlier in the evening, after watching the Brits from the audience at Earls Court, Gooding said with apparent sarcasm: 'Yeah, I really enjoyed it tonight. My favourite part of the whole evening was Justin and Kylie's duet.' Asked how he felt when Timberlake fondled Minogue's behind, he said: 'That really made the performance for me - it was the best bit.' He later admitted that after seeing Justin put his hands on Kylie's bottom during the dance routine, he had taken a cocktail of tranquillisers, cocaine and whiskey. He said: 'I took a potentially lethal dose of 15 Temazepam tablets, half a bottle of Jack Daniel's and cocaine.' Despite claiming she had ruined his life, the model boasted he had cheated on her with model Sophie Dahl after flying out to see her in New York. He had also been unfaithful with Davinia Taylor, former star of Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks. 'I've been lucky enough to have made love with many beautiful women but Kylie was a really special relationship. After making love with Sophie I was racked with guilt - so much so that I flew straight back to London,' he said. Despite his own behaviour, he claimed that the relationship had driven him to drink and drugs. 'Bit by bit, the pressure of the relationship had stripped away layers and left me an emotional wreck, and I turned to alcohol and drugs for comfort. Kylie's wrecked my life,' he said. His resentment over his split with the star was clearly evident in everything he said, including: 'This was the woman who nearly pushed me over the edge. None of her public saw that side of her and even I was stunned by the full force of her selfishness. 'Her obsession with success completely did my head in.' After their split and the scene at the Brits he held a vigil outside Kylie's Chelsea house before going on a drugs bender, and ending up spending 10 days in rehab at Farm Place Clinic in Surrey. 'Rehab was a scary and positive experience,' he said previously, 'If everyone just stopped and looked at themselves, the world would be a better place.' In a 2003 interview with The Telegraph, he denied being addict but said that the stint had been valuable. He admitted: 'It was good, it was scary, it was a real eye-opener for me. 'My head was a bit messed up. And my father was a heavy alcoholic, so I thought there was definitely a part of me that could go down that road.' Following his split from Kylie, James moved on with another high profile name - Sadie Frost. The pair dated from 2012 to 2013, and had a bump in the road where Sadie was cautioned for assaulting the model in October 2012. Sources said Sadie was convinced that James was still in love with ex Kylie and their separation was a 'sore' subject for Sadie at the time. Friends said Sadie believed Kylie was the love of her ex's life. 'She just knows – you can always tell with something like that,' - a pal told The Telegraph. Now a photographer, producer and director, James has put his love rat ways behind him. His LinkedIn profile reads: 'I excel in leading creative initiatives, managing strategic partnerships, and driving global teams, with notable skills in content production, team leadership, and revenue growth.' As well as an impressive CV of directing and producing, he also volunteered at Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services for two years between 2017 and 2019. It's a far cry from the person who once, speaking of Kylie, said: 'I fear she's going to end up a lonely spinster with only a cat for company.' In a 2012 interview with The Standard, speaking of his public split with the star, with he admitted: 'I was in a situation I had no control over. It was a very difficult time. I'm glad it's over. 'I wanted to draw a line under it and move on. That part of my life is over. I want to distance myself from it.'
BBC News
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
BBC Hereford & Worcester presenter completes Comic Relief challenge
A local radio presenter has completed a challenge to get to work using only modes of transport associated with the Gooding, who presents the breakfast show at BBC Hereford & Worcester, took on the Retro Ride to Work challenge to raise money for this year's Red Nose Day, in aid of Comic Relief - which began in covered the eight miles between her home and the office on vehicles including a Raleigh Chopper, a space hopper, and an electric milk float."Life doesn't get much better," said Ms Gooding after the challenge. "I've seen a lot of people smile today." Ms Gooding arrived at BBC Hereford & Worcester shortly after 12:00 GMT, about five hours after setting off from Malvern. She began by riding a BMX Burner - a bicycle she rode as a child - and said she had plenty of support from the start."People have been tooting their horns, waving and wishing me well," she said. From there, she switched to a skipping rope, a car from the Malvern-based Morgan Motor Company, a space hopper, a scooter and a milk float. After she dropped the float back off at Bennetts Farms in Worcester, Ms Gooding drove a go-kart, rode a skateboard, and walked part of the way in moon boots. When she finally arrived at the radio station atop a Raleigh Chopper, she was greeted by a team of cheerleaders from the University of Gooding said that while some modes of transport were tougher to get grips with than others, she had had "the best time".And she said it was a pleasure to celebrate the 1980s while raising money for a worthy cause. "I turned 13 in 1985, the year that Comic Relief launched, and it was just such a great decade", she said."Thank you for pledging to say that you're going to donate to Comic Relief - because that's what it's all about." Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
