Latest news with #GreatFireofNorthampton
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Duchess Sophie Just Nailed a Major Trend—But That Skirt Deserves Its Own Moment
When it comes to royal fashion, a few names instantly come to mind. Kate Middleton is, of course, the go-to style icon and the men of the royal family always look sharp in their tailored suits. But let's not forget about Duchess Sophie, the quietly stylish royal who consistently delivers elegant, effortless looks. Her latest appearance? No exception. The Duchess of Edinburgh recently visited Northamptonshire to mark the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of Northampton and the town's rebuilding. During her visit, she met local schoolchildren who created artwork inspired by the fire, celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Blackthorn Good Neighbours Nursery (run by the charity Growing Together Northampton) and stopped by the Northampton Bike Park—a community-driven facility that promotes fitness and inclusivity through mountain biking. And she did all of that in seriously chic style—effortlessly pulling off one of the season's biggest trends: monochrome. Duchess Sophie wore a polished, neutral-toned outfit anchored by a show-stopping pleated skirt. She paired a crisp white cropped jacket from Prada—complete with a pointed collar and gold buttons—with a thick white tee and a beautifully patterned midi skirt. To finish the look, she slipped on the 'Rosalia' ballet pumps in blush pink by Jimmy Choo. Now, let's talk about that skirt. Designed by Gabriela Hearst, the 100 percent wool piece features a multi-pleat design that flares with movement and adds structure with a self-belted waist and buckle. Translation: it's elegant, flattering and just plain gorgeous. Of course, this isn't Duchess Sophie's first fashion win. She recently wowed at an Afternoon Tea event honoring women of distinction, wearing a dreamy powder blue dress by sustainable brand Aspiga. More looks like this, please, Sophie—I'm taking notes. Want all the latest entertainment news sent right to your inbox? Click here. Duchess Sophie Almost Stumbles While Curtsying to King Charles
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Duchess celebrates community spirit on county visit
A county's "unique history and creative energy" have been celebrated during a whistle-stop royal visit. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh began a busy day of engagements at Northampton Bike Park, seeing the positive impact the development has had on the local community since it opened in 2022. The park was given a £250,000 investment from Sport England on behalf of the Places to Ride programme. Chris Holmes, chief executive of Northamptonshire Sport, said: "It was a real honour to welcome Her Royal Highness and to share the story of what has been a truly community-powered project." "This space has been created by and for local people, with the support of national partners to provide a fun, safe and inclusive place for everyone to ride," he said. The duchess met volunteers, local authority representatives and board members from Northamptonshire Sport - and spoke to pupils from Boothville Primary School. Local riders performed a mountain bike skills demonstration and concluded with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque. Nick Barr, head of participation at British Cycling, one of the funders of the bike park, said the long term goal of the facility was to achieve a "healthier, happier nation". "Enabling more young people and riders from diverse backgrounds to access the full breadth of the cycling disciplines is central to our long-term strategy," he said. During the duchess' visit to the county, she also marked the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of Northampton and was presented with fire-themed artwork from local schoolchildren at the town's Market Square. She visited areas of the town centre linked to the fire's history, including All Saints Church. The duchess learned about its role in the town's recovery - and the connection to the annual Oak Apple Day commemorations. "This was a truly special day for West Northamptonshire, shining a spotlight on our county's unique history, creative energy," James Saunders Watson Esq, Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, said. The duchess also met girls from Northampton School rugby team to acknowledge the Women's Rugby World Cup coming to West Northamptonshire this summer. The visit ended at Northampton's historic Guildhall, where the duchess joined community, heritage and voluntary organisations. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Events planned to mark 350 years since Great Fire Cycles donated to Tour of Britain town's bike park Important to mark town's Great Fire - Earl Spencer West Northamptonshire Council


BBC News
18-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Northampton Market's treasures star in new QR code trail
Visitors to a market square can now follow a trail to discover where artefacts dating back to medieval times were codes have been installed at Northampton's newly-refurbished market which link to a map and detailed information about the treasure trove of objects include a decorated leather flask, part of a boot, and an archer's wrist is also evidence of a market hall which historians previously knew nothing about. Northampton Market reopened in October 2024 after a £12m refurbishment Italian-made market stalls were put in place, along with a water feature and a dedicated events space. Work by the Museum of London Archaeology team took place before and during the refurbishment and unearthed a range of objects including: A decorated medieval leather flaskA medieval wrist guard for an archerThe upper part of a medieval bootPart of a medieval decorative leather strapMedieval leather offcuts of udders There was evidence of several structures which had long disappeared including a fine stone building in the centre of the market square which may have been a previous market was also another stone building dating from the first half of the 12th Century and some evidence of the Great Conduit, a stone structure, which may have been built by Edward VI to bring water to Northampton were signs of some of the structures on the west side of the market, which were visible on a map of the town by renowned cartographer John Speed and stood before the Great Fire of Northampton in 1675. Dan Lister, West Northamptonshire Council's cabinet member for local economy, said: "We have quite a collection of fascinating artefacts which are still being studied by experts in a bid to shed even more light on the heritage of our Market Square. "We are intrigued to see if they manage to uncover anything else during the excavations, which are being carried out to bring a new and energised public space to Northampton town centre." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.