Latest news with #JohnPye
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
'Work progressing' on Eden Project Morecambe, report says
Eden Project Morecambe is "still a viable scheme" and work is progressing on the design details, Lancaster city councillors have been told in a new next consultation on the project, which will be built on the site of the former leisure complex, will be held at Morecambe Football Club on 9 Pye, formerly the head of estates for the Royal Horticultural Society in the north, who will lead the scheme after being appointed in March, is expected to Project Morecambe is expected to open in 2028. The update comes as Lancaster City Council's budget and performance panel is due to assesses a range of big projects including Eden at a meeting on 4 Project Morecambe will be built on the promenade where Bubbles leisure complex used to be sited. Detailed design stage An update report for councillors said work was currently in the detailed design stage and added: "Work has been progressing on the new design-to-cost programme. "Modelling shows the project is still viable."Bosses have also appointed an external design team, headed by WSP consultants and architects firm Grimshaw. WSP has previously supported Eden Project Morecambe with planning, highways and environmental led the design of the original Eden Project in Cornwall and has worked with Eden Project Morecambe in earlier phases of the development, the Local Democracy Reporting Service Project Morecambe involves a partnership between Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council and Lancaster as a "global garden", it will feature three large shell-shaped pavilions overlooking Morecambe Bay. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Paralympic chief challenges Brisbane 2032 organizers to top the success of Sydney 2000
Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee, comments in Brisbane, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, while meeting with organizers of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games. (AP Photo/John Pye) BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — There was no better day to urge the people of Brisbane to do better than the benchmarks Sydney set for the Paralympics. International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons' visit to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic host city Wednesday coincided with the start of the annual rugby league grudge match that is the State of Origin series, whether planned or otherwise. Advertisement 'Without doubt, the year 2000 was a gamechanger and provided the foundations from which we could advance the Paralympic Games and wider Paralympic movement,' Parsons told a gathering at Brisbane riverside restaurant, hyping Sydney's overwhelming success in staging the Olympics and Paralympics almost 25 years ago. 'After the tremendous success of Barcelona 1992, and the troublesome experiences of Atlanta 1996, the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games got the Paralympic movement back on track with a sensational showcase of sport.' Challenge laid Sydney is the capital of New South Wales state. Brisbane, capital of Queensland state, has another seven years to prepare to improve on that Games legacy. Advertisement The sporting rivalry between the neighboring eastern Australian states is intense, with the three-match Origin series highlighting the Queensland desire to upstage big sister Sydney. Brisbane was awarded the 2032 Games in 2021 but it took more than 1,340 days before a new state government finalized the venue plans that center around new main stadium and aquatics venue built in a downtown parkland precinct. What Sydney did to raise the profile of athletes, ticket sales and broadcast audiences for the Paralympics, Brisbane organizers aim to do in terms of setting new benchmarks for accessibility in the design of venues, buildings and transport. 'You've got to get to a point as a global look at accessibility, in other words people with disabilities, as being standard in the design. As First Nations, and including their culture, as standard in what we do. Environment, and certification of buildings and treating the environment well, as standard," Andrew Liveris, president of the Brisbane 2032 organizing committee, said. 'We're not there (yet), but we can set that standard. We will be, as an Olympic and Paralympic Games, the standard bearer." Advertisement With the start of venue construction and the finalizing of the sports program not expected until late next year, Liveris said there's time to ensure the end results are accounted for in the planning. Paralympics ticket sales debuted at Sydney Sydney was the first Paralympics to sell tickets — 1.2 million were sold and Australia topped the medal standings. It launched a new era for the Games. There were 2.5 million tickets sold for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, where 4,400 para athletes competed and 168 national Paralympic Committees sent teams. 'In terms of ticket sales, the Paralympic Games are now the world's third biggest sport event with only the Olympic Games and men's FIFA World Cup selling more,' Parsons said, adding that Paralympic-related internet searches 'broke the 1 billion barrier.' Advertisement 'The main driver for the increasing global appeal of the Paralympic Games is the constantly improving quality of sport, level and depth of competition, and the performances of Para athletes,' Parsons said. 'Progress in the last 25 years has been emphatic.' Parsons said from his past visits and his knowledge of planning already that Brisbane is 'starting from a position of strength definitely in terms of accessibility." 'But you can always improve," he added. 'We cannot be satisfied until we have 100% of everything accessible, and I'm absolutely sure that this is the objective here.' ___ AP Olympics at
BBC News
20-03-2025
- BBC News
New images of how Eden Project Morecambe could look
New images of how parts of the Eden Project Morecambe could look like have been as a "global garden", the attraction will feature three large shell-shaped pavilions overlooking Morecambe release of artist's impressions of the seaside attraction comes as it was announced John Pye would be project director for the development with a new external design team also Eden Project Morecambe is expected to open in 2028. Mr Pye will be based in Morecambe and drive the project on the former site of the Bubbles leisure complex to completion, the Eden Project has said he would oversee construction, horticulture, and visitor experience while aligning with the Eden Project's vision of public benefit and previously acted as head of estates north at the Royal Horticultural Society, as well as director of capital projects at Blackpool and The Fylde College and the acting head of project delivery of estate management at Lancaster University. Andy Jasper, chief executive of the Eden Project, said it was "an exciting time" for the Morecambe scheme as it moved into the delivery integrated design team has also been appointed headed up by WSP and architects Grimshaw. "We believe their wealth of expertise will be invaluable in ensuring that Eden Project Morecambe becomes the best destination that it possibly can be," Mr Jasper said. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
Telegraph
10-03-2025
- Telegraph
How to buy stolen luxury items from the police – from a Rolex to a Chanel handbag
There are surely few 21 st -century pastimes more addictive than online shopping, but browsing for seized goods that have been confiscated by police from criminals does tend to bring with it an extra frisson. Right now, on the Luxury Designer Room on the John Pye Auctions website, for example, I can see I have just eight hours left to bid on an 18-carat white-gold diamond necklace, which has a current asking price of £5,350. Or there's the one alongside it – a rose-gold diamond pavé design, for which someone has just offered £5,500. This might seem a lot of money for little jewellery but, as the auction house would tell you, such figures are far below the recommended retail price (RRP). You get a bargain and you get an intriguing backstory. Win-win. It's not all eye-wateringly expensive, though. There are cheaper items, including some competitively priced watches, various coin collections and a pair of swimming trunks from Fendi whose price is sadly not yet listed because this particular auction has yet to start. On the high street, you can find a similar pair for £646. It won't sell for that much on here, though, and so the compulsion to keep refreshing the page proves difficult to resist. Of course it does: summer is looming and with it the dreams of holidays in the sun. Patek Philippe Nautilus Automatic Watch, £65,200, John Pye Auctions Patek Philippe Nautilus 5980/1R Automatic Watch, £66,000, John Pye Auctions Ill-gotten gains Police auctions are big business. They may not be advertised particularly well, but they hide in plain sight, taking place each and every week online, organised either by individual police forces or specialist sites like John Pye Auctions. Items collected have either been stolen and unclaimed by their original owners or, as is the case at John Pye, detained by police following an arrest. Cartier 18-carat Rose Gold Diamond-Paved 'Love' Ring, £1,750, John Pye Auctions 'The items sold in our auctions are seized under proceeds of crime orders,' says Paul Hird, who heads up the luxury department at John Pye. Hird explains that criminals tend to have a lot of cash to burn. adding: ' They can't put money in the bank or into property, so they have to spend it. Many of them will have dozens of pairs of trainers, the majority of which they will only wear once. They'll buy £500 Balenciaga T-shirts or Rolexes – anything that'll make them look good.' When a criminal is arrested, their assets are seized and anything they might have purchased from the proceeds of their crimes – ill-gotten gains – are permanently removed. Once these have been cleared for sale, they are appraised and valued, then authorised to be sold at auction. Demand is perennially high; John Pye, for example, has one million registered bidders. Interested parties attend by 'appointment', via either a phone call or email, and purchased items are then sent by post. Louis Vuitton x NBA Bandouliere Keepall 55 Bag, £1,800, John Pye Auctions Esoteric purchases and unlikely paraphernalia The draw for online shoppers is not merely the fact that these second-hand items have barely been worn or used, nor for any illicit, Guy Ritchie -adjacent thrill that might arise from owning an incarcerated gangster's Burberry coat, but that they sell for a fraction of their RRP. As Hird says: 'Who can really afford to spend £500 on a single T-shirt or, for that matter, £600 on those Fendi swimming trunks that you will likely wear for a couple of weeks on holiday? We'd only be able to value items like that for about £100.' This, he points out, will likely guarantee a quick sale. 'We have a lot of young people coming to buy the latest fashions, who'd be unable to afford it otherwise.' Chanel Quilted Double Flap Lambskin Handbag, £3,700, John Pye Auctions But criminals don't just splurge on fancy trainers and swimwear. Some pursue more esoteric objects. So, for every 18-carat gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date watch procured (one of which recently sold on the Sussex Police's eBay page for £38,000), they may also purchase an antique iron cannonball or a life-sized 19 th -century statue made by Louis Gasne (which Sussex Police recently sold for £797). Meanwhile, an average John Pye auction features a veritable smorgasbord of desirable items alongside all sorts of unlikely paraphernalia. Right now, the site is selling a collection of 1,000 vinyl records, many of them Japanese exports of British acts like Miles Kane and Kasabian, as well as a Samurai warrior outfit and a bonsai tree. 'It's always exciting opening the packages we get from the police every week,' says Gillian Graham, John Pye's luxury auction manager. 'We had some rifles once, but that was highly unusual and had to be handled with specialist security. Handbags are far more likely.' Rolex Day-Date 40 Automatic Watch, £28,000, John Pye Auctions Indeed, the site's team recently took possession of perhaps its most unusual delivery yet: an expansive art collection. When asked where it came from, and under what circumstances, Graham shakes her head. 'We don't know the provenance,' she says. 'And we very rarely do, to be honest.' (Staff are also required to sign NDAs.) 'But it was quite the collection and featured artists like Stanley Whitney and Andy Warhol.' A specialist art valuer was brought in and the collection was stored in a secure guarded vault while the auction team sought a prospective buyer from its database of art enthusiasts. 'We have all sorts of collectors registered with us,' says Graham. They duly found an interested party, who wishes to remain anonymous. As for its likely price tag, Graham shakes her head again. She cannot say. Follow the money A significant amount of money is being raised here, not just from the art and the watches, but from the blouses, cufflinks, high-heeled shoes, sundry MacBooks and occasional bass guitar. So, what happens to the proceeds? 'We send it back to the police,' Graham explains. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Automatic Watch, £30,200, John Pye Auctions According to its website, the money raised is distributed by the Police Property Act Fund to help 'reinforce our core priorities in keeping communities safe, and identifying and protecting vulnerable people'. Individual donations have included £10,000 to rape-crisis charities, while £91,000 was distributed to food banks and mental-health support services during the Covid pandemic. In the last financial year alone, Sussex Police's eBay platform raised more than £176,000 from its weekly auctions. Crime, it seems, really does pay – just not always in the way criminals might expect. Richard Mille RM010 Automatic Watch, £37,100, John Pye Auctions Indeed, if curious shoppers continue to flock to sites to bag a bargain, these auctions will ultimately serve a higher purpose. 'It's all about stopping criminal activity – and being seen to do so,' says Hird. Such visibility is important, he suggests, 'because people can be critical of the police [and] the justice system. [These auctions] show that the police are doing their job: taking criminals off the street and seizing items from them. It hurts the criminal, having everything taken from them. It's demoralising; it sends a message and hopefully acts as a deterrent.' Meanwhile, those Fendi swimming trunks have just gone live. The current price is £80. A bargain, surely? Some might even call it a steal.
