Latest news with #HollandPark
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Watch: Cyclists run red lights at roundabout as Khan pledges £6m to protect them
One of London's busiest roundabouts is about to undergo a £6 million revamp over concerns it is 'unsafe and intimidating' for cyclists. Sir Sadiq Khan's Transport for London wants to install a large protective cycle lane at Holland Park under plans to encourage people to 'walk and cycle more and drive less'. TfL says there have been 'a significant number of collisions' in which 59 people, including 14 cyclists and pedestrians, were hurt in the three years up to May 2023. But campaigners claim the changes will cause congestion for motorists, and that cyclists are being prioritised over drivers. Now they say they have proof that more than half of cyclists crossing at the busy junction are jumping red lights. Video footage shows a string of cyclists passing through traffic lights, stopping inside a yellow box area and narrowly avoiding being struck by passing buses. Some can be seen riding across the six-lane interchange in front of oncoming traffic. Campaigners from Save Our Streets (SOS) are now questioning why taxpayers' money is being spent on a project they say penalises drivers to protect cyclists who appear to be wilfully putting themselves in harm's way. Nicholas Bell, a Holland Park resident and cyclist himself, said the scheme was a 'complete waste of money'. He monitored the roundabout to examine the behaviour of cyclists and counted more than 1,000 using the roundabout over four separate days in April, during the morning and evening rush hours. About one in seven pedal bikes and two in five e-bikes entering the roundabout from Uxbridge Road on the roundabout's western arm jumped the lights in their determination to get across as quickly as possible, Mr Bell's analysis found. His weekday counts revealed that more than half of cyclists approaching from Holland Park Avenue, on the roundabout's eastern side, illegally passed through red lights. 'I thought cyclists would be more hesitant at a major junction. I was quite surprised how gung-ho they were,' he said. Danny Lidgate, another campaigner, who runs the 175-year-old butcher's shop Lidgates on Holland Park Avenue, agreed that building more cycle infrastructure when riders already ignore current provision was a waste of time and money. He said he feared TfL's plans would lead to the area around Holland Park and Shepherd's Bush railway station becoming 'jammed up with traffic'. He said: 'All the customers we have coming into our shop, and all the local residents, they all feel the same.' Andrew Boff, the Conservative deputy chairman of the London Assembly, said on a visit to the roundabout with The Telegraph: 'They're going to make life in this area and all around for the residents absolute misery.' Mr Boff said he would tell the mayor of London, whose Vision Zero scheme is driving projects such as the Holland Park roundabout cycle lanes: 'Why don't you pause for breath and actually deliver a scheme that's good for cyclists? 'Focus on where your problem is, and not trying to create year zero at Holland Park roundabout by throwing everything out and then starting again.' Helen Cansick, TfL's head of healthy streets investment planning, said: 'The Holland Park roundabout is an unsafe and intimidating junction for people cycling, and the changes at the roundabout have been carefully designed to tackle road danger while enabling everyone to travel through the area efficiently. 'The results of our consultation showed strong support for the proposed changes. We always take congestion, including impact on bus journey times and air quality, into careful consideration when designing schemes, and we value feedback from local residents and businesses. 'We will continue to engage with the local community as we move forward with these important safety measures. 'Everyone using the roads must obey the law and follow the Highway Code and we continue to work closely with the police to enforce the rules of the road.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Watch: Cyclists run red lights at roundabout as Khan pledges £6m to protect them
Sir Sadiq Khan's Transport for London (TfL) claims it is a death trap for cyclists. That is why one of London's busiest roundabouts is about to undergo a £6 million revamp with a large protective cycle lane to assuage concerns that it is 'unsafe and intimidating'. But a campaign group's footage appear to show cyclists wilfully putting themselves in harm's way, prompting the group to ask why it is drivers who will now be penalised. Save Our Streets (SOS) says it has proof that more than half of cyclists crossing at the busy junction are going through red lights. Video footage shows a string of cyclists passing through traffic lights, stopping inside a yellow box area and narrowly avoiding being struck by passing buses. Some can be seen riding across the six-lane interchange in front of oncoming traffic. Transport for London wants to revamp the Holland Park roundabout under plans to encourage people to 'walk and cycle more and drive less'. TfL says there have been 'a significant number of collisions' in which 59 people, including 14 cyclists and pedestrians, were hurt in the three years up to May 2023. 'Complete waste of money' But Nicholas Bell, a Holland Park resident and cyclist himself, said the scheme was a 'complete waste of money'. He monitored the roundabout to examine the behaviour of cyclists and counted more than 1,000 using the roundabout over four separate days in April, during the morning and evening rush hours. About one in seven pedal bikes and two in five e-bikes entering the roundabout from Uxbridge Road on the roundabout's western arm jumped the lights in their determination to get across as quickly as possible, Mr Bell found. His weekday counts revealed that more than half of cyclists approaching from Holland Park Avenue, on the roundabout's eastern side, illegally passed through red lights. 'I thought cyclists would be more hesitant at a major junction. I was quite surprised how gung-ho they were,' he said. Danny Lidgate, another campaigner, who runs the 175-year-old butcher's shop C Lidgate on Holland Park Avenue, agreed that building more cycle infrastructure when riders already ignore current provision was a waste of time and money. He said he feared TfL's plans would lead to the area around Holland Park and Shepherd's Bush railway station becoming 'jammed up with traffic'. He said: 'All the customers we have coming into our shop, and all the local residents, they all feel the same.' Revamp will be 'misery' for residents Andrew Boff, the Conservative deputy chairman of the London Assembly, said on a visit to the roundabout with The Telegraph: 'They're going to make life in this area and all around for the residents absolute misery.' Mr Boff said he would tell the mayor of London, whose Vision Zero scheme is driving projects such as the Holland Park roundabout cycle lanes: 'Why don't you pause for breath and actually deliver a scheme that's good for cyclists? 'Focus on where your problem is, and not trying to create year zero at Holland Park roundabout by throwing everything out and then starting again.' Helen Cansick, TfL's head of healthy streets investment planning, said: 'The Holland Park roundabout is an unsafe and intimidating junction for people cycling, and the changes at the roundabout have been carefully designed to tackle road danger while enabling everyone to travel through the area efficiently. 'The results of our consultation showed strong support for the proposed changes. We always take congestion, including impact on bus journey times and air quality, into careful consideration when designing schemes, and we value feedback from local residents and businesses. 'We will continue to engage with the local community as we move forward with these important safety measures. 'Everyone using the roads must obey the law and follow the Highway Code and we continue to work closely with the police to enforce the rules of the road.'
The Guardian
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Flying Dutchman review – terrific cast and hurtling momentum in OHP's first ever Wagner
Opera Holland Park opens this year's season with a new production of The Flying Dutchman, directed by Julia Burbach and conducted by Peter Selwyn. The company's first ever Wagner staging, it aims high and doesn't always succeed, though the best of it, both musically and theatrically, is unquestionably impressive. Burbach essentially stages it as a psychological horror story (which it is), making Eleanor Dennis's Senta the central protagonist rather than Paul Carey Jones's charismatic Dutchman, and heightening the opera's sense of the uncanny by blurring the lines between reality and illusion as she dreams of escaping the normative confines of the world around her. Using both auditorium and stage for her setting, Burbach hauls us into Senta's vivid imagination. Holland Park theatre's tarpaulin roof has been extended to form the backdrop for the vertiginous platforms of Naomi Dawson's set, so we seem to be sitting beneath the unfurling sails of some monstrous ship ourselves. Sailors haul ropes through the aisles and doss down on staircases, while ghostly, faceless figures move wraith-like among the audience. Not all of it works. Burbach is strong on Senta's increasing disquiet at the erratic behaviour of Neal Cooper's Erik, whose bristling resentment marks him out as potentially abusive. Yet her relationship with her equally dangerous father Daland (Robert Winslade Anderson), who would gladly sell her to the Dutchman for the latter's wealth, is under-characterised and doesn't hit home as much as it should. During the overture, Burbach confusingly and unnecessarily fills both stage and auditorium with women who may be Senta's predecessors in trying to save the Dutchman's soul. And the ending, deliberately enigmatic as to what redemption might consist of, or indeed whether it is even possible, is anticlimactic after what has gone before. A couple of tweaks to the score are odd – a choral refrain from Senta's ballad transferred to the close of Act I, and Daland's crew and the Norwegian women are missing from the final scene. But there are some terrific performances. Dennis, radiant in tone, is outstanding and entirely convincing as a restless visionary in the grip of forces beyond reason. Carey Jones captures the Dutchman's spiritual and moral anguish with singing of great emotional depth and verbal subtlety. Cooper makes a fiercely intense Erik, less lyrical than some, which works well with Burbach's view of the character. Winslade Anderson, meanwhile, sounds suave, tellingly masking ambition behind glibness. Conducting a reduced orchestration by Tony Burke, Selwyn took time to settle on opening night, though the gathering tensions and hurtling momentum of the final two acts were superbly done. There was fine playing from the City of London Sinfonia, and the Opera Holland Park Chorus, sensational throughout, have done little finer. Until 14 June
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Brooklyn Beckham snubs his parents on London visit to the 'deep upset of his family - David in particular', insiders tell KATIE HIND
There was a time when Brooklyn Beckham was so close to his parents that he would even tag along with them if they took a trip to their local Waitrose. David and Victoria, say friends, took as much pleasure in his company as he did in theirs and the bond with their first-born was described as 'unbreakable'. But after I revealed that Brooklyn had snubbed all five of the events laid on to celebrate his father's 50th birthday two weeks ago, the full extent of the fallout between the 26-year-old influencer and his mother and father can be laid bare. On Monday, Brooklyn and wife Nicola Peltz flew into London from their home in Los Angeles for a joint photoshoot with Italian luxury fashion brand Moncler. Despite the fact it took place less than two miles from the Beckham family home in Holland Park, west London, he didn't even tell them about it. Brooklyn was seen holding a bike while wearing a Moncler coat and, while Nicola was not seen on location, she did reveal on social media that she was taking part. I can also reveal that David learned the couple were in London – 5,000 miles from their US home – only after Nicola posted on Instagram that she was getting ready for the shoot, and shortly before David met the King at the Chelsea Flower Show just half a mile away. A source tells me: 'Brooklyn didn't even bother to let his parents know that he was going to be in London. It's as shocking as it is upsetting for them. David learned the couple were in London – 5,000 miles from their US home – only after Nicola posted on Instagram that she was getting ready for the shoot, and shortly before David met the King at the Chelsea Flower Show just half a mile away 'It came out of the blue when Nicola put an Instagram post up. It is deeply upsetting for the family. All the time Brooklyn is in America, it's a case of out of sight if not out of mind. Then he turns up in London and is just up the road working. 'It must have been difficult for David in particular. He was all geared up to meet the King and then he got that curveball thrown into his day.' The photoshoot was held on Pelham Crescent in South Kensington and on Cadogan Gardens in Chelsea, while David was nearby in the gardens of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. The couple later spent the night in a hotel on Park Lane, giving them time to see David and Victoria before they flew back to California on Tuesday if they had so desired. Those who know the Beckhams say that they have now 'washed their hands' of Nicola, the 30-year-old daughter of US billionaire businessman Nelson Peltz, and blame her for controlling Brooklyn and being behind his no-shows. But they remain heartbroken at losing their treasured son. For their part, Brooklyn and Nicola claim that they don't go to events because Kim Turnbull, the girlfriend of his younger brother Romeo, is there. The feud has been going on since their wedding in April 2022, with sources close to the family claiming Nicola will start an argument to create such an atmosphere that it becomes impossible for Brooklyn to see his parents. But the falling out came to a head on David's birthday when, despite travelling to London, Brooklyn and Nicola didn't attend any of the celebratory events. Brooklyn also missed a 'boys' fishing trip' to the Scottish Highlands with David and his brothers. Family sources tell me it didn't go unnoticed that Romeo's girlfriend Kim was nowhere to be seen when Brooklyn and Nicola were in London. Kim, a former girlfriend of Brooklyn's friend Rocco Ritchie, has been blamed by Nicola for the family rift. 'Kim has been made the scapegoat,' says a friend. 'Yet when it comes to them visiting London and Kim isn't around, they still don't see David and Victoria.' David and Victoria expect to be estranged from Brooklyn for the foreseeable future, I'm told – while the dispute has also affected the wider family, even Brooklyn's grandparents. On Sunday, the influencer failed to wish his grandad Tony, Victoria's father, happy birthday – despite last week posting to mark the anniversary of the death of Nicola's grandmother, Bunny. Brooklyn said on Instagram: 'Can't believe it's been a year without you naunni... We miss you everyday.' A source says: 'Growing up, Brooklyn was so close to his grandparents. He and Tony had such a lovely bond. Nicola has been making comments that the Beckhams do so much for performative reasons but you can't get more performative than putting a post up about your wife's grandmother, yet don't wish your own grandfather a happy birthday. 'It's heartbreaking for them, but it looks like there is no end to this any time soon.'
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Cruz Beckham shares heartwarming snaps with girlfriend Jackie Apostel and sister Harper amid ongoing family feud with brother Brooklyn
Cruz Beckham looked in good spirits as he shared a series of snaps with girlfriend Jackie Apostel and his family and friends. The 20-year-old put on an animated display as he posed alongside Jackie, 29, in a bathroom selfie. Cruz sported a cream jumper and a whirt shirt while Jackie cut a trendy figure in a grey blazer with a white shirt and yellow tie. In another shot, Cruz posed alongside his younger sister Harper, 13, in a large outdoor area with a patio. Harper let her blonde locks fall loose down her shoulders and sported a purple jumper. The aspiring singer also shared a photo of himself in a bathtub as he playfully sipped on a drink while wearing a pair of sunglasses. The post comes amid an ongoing feud with Cruz's older brother Brooklyn, his wife Nicola Peltz, and the rest of the family. David and Victoria are understood to be devastated following a fall-out with their eldest, who lives in the United States with his wife and her wealthy family. Brooklyn was back in London this week to shoot a campaign for the fashion company Moncler but opted to stay in a hotel rather than in the Beckham's family home in Holland Park which was close by. He also didn't meet his father David who was just half a mile away attending the Chelsea Flower Show. Taking to Instagram on Monday, Victoria, 51, appeared to offer an olive branch by sharing a group photo of their four children alongside her father, Tony Adams - who celebrated his birthday over the weekend, with the accompanying message: 'We both love you all so much!' The undated photo also features Victoria's mother Jackie, flanked by Brooklyn and his siblings Romeo, 22, Cruz, 20, and Harper, 13. David is allegedly 'desperate to make amends with his son as he fears history is repeating itself' following his bitter fall out with his father Ted in 2005. In the latest evidence of this, David included Brooklyn in a post about Mother's Day in the U.S. as he dedicated a post to the mother of his children, Victoria. Over the weekend, David reached out to his son on social media as rumours of their family feud continue to bubble. A sweet black and white photo showed Victoria cuddled up with her four kids, soon after welcoming their daughter Harper. Alongside the photo, David wrote: 'Happy Mother's Day to the best mommy. To all our friends in the U.S. Happy Mother's Day.' Meanwhile, Victoria shared a photograph of a beautiful bouquet of flowers she had been sent by Cruz and his girlfriend Jackie Apostel, 29. While David and his dad Ted, 77, now share a close-knit relationship, the father-son duo were once not even on speaking terms. After Ted suffered a near-death health scare in 2007, it sparked the pair to make amends and get back in touch - and they have been close ever since. And now David is reportedly worried 'history is repeating itself' amid his rift with his and Victoria's eldest son Brooklyn. A close friend of David reportedly told The Sun: 'David and the family genuinely fear Brooklyn could be lost to them forever. 'The word "lost", here, is especially poignant as it was the exact sentiment used when David fell out with his dad. 'Ted believed his son would never speak to him again, and he was heartbroken. It was an extremely tense few years, and devastated the whole family.' The Mail's Katie Hind revealed that Brooklyn has ditched his old pals in the UK and has followed Nicola's lead when it comes to mixing in new LA circles. It comes following a slew of lavish celebrations to honour David's 50th birthday, all of which were not attended by his son Brooklyn and his wife. David hosted an early birthday party in Miami in April, as well as a fishing trip with his sons in Scotland, an intimate dinner at his Cotswolds mansion, a trip to France for a vineyard tour and finally a big bash in London to round off the week. The couple's absence at the events is said to have cemented the divide between them, with The Mail revealing that Romeo's girlfriend Kim Turnbull has been made the 'scapegoat' in the feud. A Mail Plus report also revealed Victoria's heartbroken verdict on the row, claiming that she feels 'betrayed' by Brooklyn and thinks Nicola is a viper. Read the full story here. A source said: 'Victoria is fairly open among her close friends about what a viper Nicola is and how she feels betrayed by Brooklyn, so the mask has fully dropped.' The Beckhams have been hit by fears they won't be able to heal their rift with Brooklyn as Victoria has been having 'sleepless nights' over the feud. The fashion designer and her husband David are said to have been left heartbroken at the distance that has grown between them and their eldest son. A source told The Sun: 'This is Victoria's worst nightmare. The thought of any of her children falling out gives her sleepless nights. 'It's been difficult with Brooklyn since he met Nicola, and there's no denying that there was a family fallout over their wedding. 'But Victoria and David have worked hard to get things back on track, so this is a real blow. Brooklyn has reportedly got closer to Nicola's family amid an ongoing rift with his parents (pictured with Nicola's billionaire father Nelson) The Beckham family have been at the centre of a feud that has pitted Brooklyn and his wife Nicola on one side, and the rest of the family on the other (pictured in 2023) Victoria's social media was filled with photographs from various parties held to celebrate David's 50th birthday this month, including a bash at their Cotswolds home. The fun-filled celebrations culminated with a massive party held at London's esteemed Michelin-star restaurant Core on Saturday night. It was claimed Brooklyn and Nicola pulled out of attending the Met Gala with the intention of attending David's birthday party, but were no shows at both events. Brooklyn was reportedly planning to attend, but felt too uncomfortable to come after he felt Nicola was being blamed for the rift with his family. Claims that Brooklyn and Nicola were rebuffed when they asked David and Victoria to celebrate David's birthday privately were also said to be untrue. Sources close to Nicola told TMZ they wanted 'to get together privately' to avoid Romeo's girlfriend Kim as the couple are said to 'have a problem' with her. Following the birthday party snub, it was revealed Brooklyn also declined an invitation by his father to join him and his brothers on a 'boys' fishing trip to celebrate his 50th. The Mail revealed David invited Brooklyn on a short break six months ago when he began planning, yet his son failed to go despite arriving in the UK the day he went with Romeo and Cruz. Brooklyn was a noticeable no-show at the footballer's 50th birthday celebrations earlier this month Sources have suggested that Brooklyn's decision was influenced by his wife. 'Brooklyn was asked to join them ages ago,' one claimed. 'Then he came to London in time but he didn't go. Once again David made the best of things and had a great time with Cruz and Romeo.' David still offered an olive branch to his son as he shared snaps from the trip, as he captioned one of his posts: 'You were missed @brooklynbeckham.' The Mail revealed Romeo's girlfriend Kim is being made the 'scapegoat' in the feud between Brooklyn and David - with Nicola 'at the centre' of the rift. Kim and Brooklyn were undeniably close for a brief period – as photographs of them together in 2016 show - but suggestions that they were ever an item are wide of the mark, according to well-informed sources who spoke to The Mail. In fact, younger brother Cruz, personally shut down the gossip recently when he responded to an Instagram post showing a picture of Romeo and Kim together. In a now-deleted message, one user commented: 'It's appropriate to date your brother's ex too? Cool.' Cruz replied: 'Brooklyn and Kim never dated.' One friend told the Mail's Katie Hind: 'This is nothing to do with Kim and is all about Nicola. As Brooklyn's relationship with his in-laws get stronger, it appears his once un-breakable bond with his parents have become strained (last time Brooklyn and Nicola were pictured with the Beckham clan) 'All David and Victoria want is their son back – and they will be there to welcome him any time.' Family friends claim Brooklyn's wife has a pattern of 'starting an argument' before family events and then preventing her husband from attending. Some believe that friends of Nicola have been behind the briefings about Kim being the cause of Brooklyn's rift with his family, some of which went so far to claim that he had told them he refused to come to any event at which Kim was present. A source close to the family told MailOnline: 'Brooklyn was close to Kim because she was dating Rocco and they all hung out in a tightknit friendship group. But that was years ago. Brooklyn and Kim were close, but there was never any romance. 'It seems Nicola doesn't like Brooklyn spending any time with the Beckhams full stop and is using his previous closeness to Kim and her getting in with the family as a reason to not be around them. 'She denies it, but Nicola has been controlling him since the wedding. The family - including the brothers - have had enough of it. 'This is the narrative that's been put out to other news outlets, that Romeo is dating his brother's ex-girlfriend - and that's really weird, so that's why they wouldn't want to be around the family when she is there. 'But none of this is true. And it's really upset Romeo and his parents because Kim is seemingly being used by Nicola as a reason to start the rift. Romeo is furious at the suggestion that he would bring an ex-girlfriend of Brooklyn into the family when there never was any romance.'
