Latest news with #Karin
Metro
31-05-2025
- General
- Metro
London station where ‘fights broke out over lift' to close this weekend
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A station in London which has been plagued with escalator problems is now set to close for nearly a year. The escalator at Cutty Sark DLR station in Greenwich, south east London, has been broken since October last year and had issues prior to then, leaving passengers faced with either battling for a spot in one lift or walking up the 121-step staircase. The situation has got so heated that there have even been fights when the escalators were broken as people queued for the single customer lift, residents said. It is one of London's busiest DLR stations, with more than 7.6 million entries and exits in 2023, TfL figures show. Footage filmed by a resident on March 4 and shared with Metro shows a woman trying to push her way in past the queue while a member of staff intervenes. Another customer then shoves her back. However, Metro understands no fights have been officially reported. Karin Tearle, a photographer from Greenwich and a campaigner with the Escalate Now group, said that the problem 'jeopardises the reputation of the Royal Borough.' Passengers told Metro the escalator issue started almost ten years ago. This predates the time when TfL took over the station management in 2021. Cutty Sark station will close from Saturday, May 31, and remain shut until next spring so that new and more energy-efficient escalators can be installed for £4,000,000 of repairs, TfL confirmed last week. Karin said: 'Fights have broken out on those lifts. Other people have broken up a fight and I've seen one. The poor members of staff are also affected – it's not their fault this has happened.' She said the stairs can be 'really crowded and that can be dangerous.' As a photographer, she often has to carry heavy camera equipment and faces the choice of either lugging it up the stairs or waiting 'a long time' for the crowded lift. 'Some people will push to the front and leave wheelchair users out,' she said. Rachael Oakley, who travels through the DLR station with her disabled and elderly mum, said the station is 'unusable' for them because of the issues. They have waited '20 minutes for the lift' as facing the stairs is not an option for her mum, who also struggles with anxiety, Rachael told Metro. She said the station was not 'well thought through' from the beginning when it was built for the millennium. 'I've seen fights at the lift. The steps are unsafe to use. A wheelchair user or a young mother with a pram cannot go through the steps,' she said, adding that she is glad that the repairs will be carried out. Ben Grellier, TfL's head of operations for the DLR, said the transport authority knows the escalators 'have been causing disruption and frustration' for passengers. However, it is 'not possible' not fix the issue while the station stays open, he said. More Trending 'We apologise for any further disruption the station closure may cause, but it is not possible to replace these escalators with the station in operation,' he said. 'Once installed, the new state-of-the-art escalators will provide customers with reliable and easier access to DLR services at the station.' Matthew Pennycook, the MP for Greenwich and Woolwich, said on X: 'I appreciate fully that it will entail a period of disruption and will impact people's lives, but it is very welcome that TfL are doing what is necessary to permanently resolve the problem of broken escalators at Cutty Sark DLR Station.' This story was originally published April 10th, 2025. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Could London be the next city to introduce a tourist tax? MORE: Man unleashes smoke grenades and sledgehammer in raid on Mayfair hotel MORE: Heaven nightclub bouncer cleared of rape charge
IOL News
27-05-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Karin Harmse: A beacon of hope now in need of support
Karin with her husband Anton and their baby girl Image: Supplied For decades, Karin Harmse, 64, has stood as a beacon of strength and compassion for children fighting cancer, rare diseases, and life-threatening conditions. As the founder of the non-profit organisation Arms of Mercy, she has given tirelessly — offering not only financial support to families in crisis, but also comfort, encouragement, and hope in the darkest of times. But now, the tables have turned. Karin is facing serious health challenges of her own, and the woman who has helped so many now finds herself in urgent need of help. 'She pours her heart and soul into Arms of Mercy,' said her husband, Anton Harmse. 'Day after day, she witnesses the pain and suffering of families in crisis and never hesitates to be a source of comfort, hope, and unwavering strength. Her compassion knows no bounds.' Karin has been diagnosed with a malformed gallbladder, which specialists say cannot be surgically removed due to risks from prior operations. She has also recently developed severe anaemia, with critically low iron levels requiring urgent iron infusion treatments. Further tests are needed to determine whether internal bleeding is the cause — tests which have already been postponed twice due to financial constraints. 'We know this cannot wait much longer,' said Anton. 'Untreated anaemia can become life-threatening.' Her health struggles didn't stop there. Over the past three years, Karin's vision has deteriorated significantly. She has already lost sight in one eye due to irreversible retinal damage. The vision in her remaining eye is now under threat. Two years ago, she was scheduled for cataract removal and a specialised lens implant to preserve her sight — but the costs proved too great. 'She is in the hands of trusted specialists,' said Anton, 'but time is slipping away.' Despite these challenges, Karin continues to run a small home-based business while caring for a foster child. 'As the sole provider, I do my best,' Anton said, 'but I can no longer carry this alone. It is incredibly difficult for me to say this, but we need help.' The Harmse family is now appealing for R25,000 to cover Karin's urgent medical costs, including diagnostic tests, treatments, and surgery to save her vision. 'My wife has given so much of herself to others,' said Anton. 'Now, I am asking from the depths of my heart for compassion in return. Please consider standing by her in this moment. Your support would mean the world to us and could be life-changing for her.' Anyone wanting to help Karin can visit the back-a-buddy page [email protected] Weekend Argus
Forbes
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
At Garden Creek Ranch ‘Lagom' Is A Swedish Mindset That Influences Their Wine – From Vine To Table
Justin and Karin Wärnelius-Miller in the vineyard. Garden Creek Ranch As with many other international experssions, the translation of Sweden's lagom isn't so definitive in English. Yet, Karin Wärnelius-Miller, proprietor of Garden Creek Ranch in Sonoma's Alexander Valley, gives it her best shot. 'Lagom is a Swedish way of thinking that applies to really enjoying life, taking your time and presence,' says Wärnelius-Miller. At the same time, it's more than being in the moment, it's harmony, it's symbiotic relationships, it's the simple things, she adds: 'It's a complete and utter description of us as winemakers and how we would describe our wines.' Born in Linköping, Sweden, Wärnelius-Miller and her husband, Justin, have been producing their own label at Garden Creek Ranch since 2001 — the same year they married. The 100-acre estate was originally planted to Cabernet Sauvignon vines in 1969 by Justin's father, and is where the now husband-wife duo met and fell in love. Their first two decades at the helm of Garden Creek Ranch, the couple focused on two wines — Tesserae, an estate proprietary red wine assemblage with a Cabernet Sauvignon focus and a 100 percent Chardonnay, clonal selection blend. Last year, they debuted a new Pinot Noir under a separate label, Wärnelius-Miller, marking their production beyond the Alexander Valley. Tesserae Estate Red Wine Garden Creek Ranch 'The sophistication that happens with patience is exquisite,' says Karin, connecting back to lagom's sentiment of 'taking your time.' She mentions this as the couple acquired the steep-sloped plot of Pinot Noir in 2013. 'It's a difficult and expensive site to farm… Most people would walk away from it or use the fruit for sparkling programs,' she shared, but Karin and Justin committed to the land and its redevelopment according to their lagom ethos. The result was one worth waiting for, according to Karin, who describes a Pinot Noir with lush, round tannins but also a refined and delicate texture that's quintessential to the variety. This makes the third wine in their portfolio as versatile for culinary pairings as their first two wines. 'Our wines are crafted for food pairing and adaptable with many different cuisines and dishes; this is achieved through careful craftsmanship, knowledge and following the mantra of producing a low intervention wine,' says Karin, acknowledging that even though 'low intervention' has become a buzz word within the industry, they've been producing wines according to its true definition as a reflection of place, land, soils and hands of the winegrower for decades. The best way to experience this through their wine is to experiment with your pairings, of which Karin shares some inspiration from the Swedish kitchen, below. WärneliusMiller Pinot Noir and Grilled Lamb Skewers with Rosemary Glaze The natural flavors of lamb highlights the wine's texture and weight as it brings out the bright acidity but also muscular tannins imparted by the high elevation and soils of the vineyard. 'This pairing reminds me of the long days of summer, yet can be cooked and delicious in the colder months,' says Karin. 'It is one you sit with and enjoy slowly.' Garden Creek Tesserae and Kalops Garden Creek Tesserae is Justin and Karin's estate red wine that's aged for eight years prior to release. This allows for a tremendous integration of aromatics, flavors and texture to become one and balanced. The perfect pairing for this is Kalops, a slowly-cooked Swedish beef stew, cooked with spices, including bay leaves, whole peppercorns, allspice, onions and carrots. 'The wine's tannins and phenolics pair beautifully with the weight of the beef,' advises Karin. Garden Creek Chardonnay and Toast Skagen This is a pairing that they say, 'simply solves your problems,' says Karin. It's simple and versatile for any time of year combining cooked prawns with dill, caviar and Meyer lemon atop a hearty toast. The fresh starter pairs expertly with the bright aromatics of the Chardonnay and the lively acidity prepares the mouth for another bite after every sip.
Khaleej Times
02-04-2025
- General
- Khaleej Times
'Image whisperers' bring vision to the blind at Red Cross museum
"They are our eyes," said Karin happily after releasing the arm of one of the specialised "image whisperers" guiding her and other blind people around Geneva's Red Cross museum. The museum has been offering its new image prompter service to the visually impaired since late last year. Karin, who did not want to give her last name, was one of four blind visitors to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum on the last Sunday in March. The middle-aged woman, who was blinded by illness in her teens, said she was thrilled with her appointed whisperer, Alice Baronnet. "It was great!" she said after the visit. "Just a wonderful experience, a wonderful encounter." Baronnet, a spokeswoman for the museum who was among nearly 30 art specialists, guides and artists who last October underwent the necessary training to become an image prompter, was also happy with the experience. "It's very important for us to be as inclusive as possible," she told AFP. During the visit, each pair moved around at will. Entering a darkened room with black walls, Waltraud Quiblier, a retired teacher who gradually lost her vision, listened intently to her whisperer, Cecile Crassier Mokdad. Holding Quiblier's arm, the professional guide described the scene. "There's a large sculpture depicting the founder of the Red Cross, Henry Dunant, sitting at his desk on an inclined plane," she said. "The sculpture is all white. It's quite realistic." A little further along, she invited Quiblier to reach out and feel a giant off-white foot towering three metres in the air, describing the images scrolling on the floor below, depicting the horrors of war. "You have to say what you see, to leave room for interpretation," Crassier Mokdad explained. Around a dozen cultural institutions in Switzerland currently benefit from the image prompter service established by the Red Cross museum. 'Better understanding' Art historian Marie-Fabienne Aymon was taking on the image whisperer role for only the second time. "Aside from the human connection, it is the relationship between words and the visible that interests me," she told AFP. She said she enjoyed mulling "how to best translate what I see to someone who can't see, through words". Aymon did not hide her emotions as she guided Nicolas Frachet through a room filled with objects made by prisoners of war out of the few rudimentary materials at their disposal, and given as gifts to visiting delegates from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "These are very beautiful, very moving things," she whispered to him. She highlighted in particular "a very colourful motorcycle made in Indonesia in 2007 with whatever was at hand: old coloured cigarette packs", and "a snake made of beads, assembled by Turkish prisoners of war in 1919". 'Deeper' Frachet, who is blind but has a slight perception of light, said his experience with Aymon was richer than previous experiences with volunteer guides in various settings. "She provides a deeper description. She is more specialised," he said. Olivier Mamini, who toured the museum's temporary exhibit on the links between sound and humanitarian action, was also thrilled with his experience. "If it hadn't been for the whisperers, I don't think I would have come," he confided. "I do a lot of sports," but "thanks to the whisperers, I'm going to visit more museums". DEI Antoine Possa, head of the museum's cultural participation programme, said the image whisperers were an important part of the institution's mission to enable diversity, equity and inclusion. Such concepts have been under attack since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. Speaking in his personal capacity, Possa decried that a number of companies and institutions had given into pressure to weed out DEI policies and practices. "I hope that the large companies that have decided to eliminate their inclusion policies" will make an "about-face", he told AFP. "That's not how we move the world forward."
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Image whisperers' bring vision to the blind at Red Cross museum
"They are our eyes," said Karin happily after releasing the arm of one of the specialised "image whisperers" guiding her and other blind people around Geneva's Red Cross museum. The museum has been offering its new image prompter service to the visually impaired since late last year. Karin, who did not want to give her last name, was one of four blind visitors to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum on the last Sunday in March. The middle-aged woman, who was blinded by illness in her teens, said she was thrilled with her appointed whisperer, Alice Baronnet. "It was great!" she said after the visit. "Just a wonderful experience, a wonderful encounter." Baronnet, a spokeswoman for the museum who was among nearly 30 art specialists, guides and artists who last October underwent the necessary training to become an image prompter, was also happy with the experience. "It's very important for us to be as inclusive as possible," she told AFP. During the visit, each pair moved around at will. Entering a darkened room with black walls, Waltraud Quiblier, a retired teacher who gradually lost her vision, listened intently to her whisperer, Cecile Crassier Mokdad. Holding Quiblier's arm, the professional guide described the scene. "There's a large sculpture depicting the founder of the Red Cross, Henry Dunant, sitting at his desk on an inclined plane," she said. "The sculpture is all white. It's quite realistic." A little further along, she invited Quiblier to reach out and feel a giant off-white foot towering three metres in the air, describing the images scrolling on the floor below, depicting the horrors of war. "You have to say what you see, to leave room for interpretation," Crassier Mokdad explained. Around a dozen cultural institutions in Switzerland currently benefit from the image prompter service established by the Red Cross museum. - 'Better understanding' - Art historian Marie-Fabienne Aymon was taking on the image whisperer role for only the second time. "Aside from the human connection, it is the relationship between words and the visible that interests me," she told AFP. She said she enjoyed mulling "how to best translate what I see to someone who can't see, through words". Aymon did not hide her emotions as she guided Nicolas Frachet through a room filled with objects made by prisoners of war out of the few rudimentary materials at their disposal, and given as gifts to visiting delegates from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "These are very beautiful, very moving things," she whispered to him. She highlighted in particular "a very colourful motorcycle made in Indonesia in 2007 with whatever was at hand: old coloured cigarette packs", and "a snake made of beads, assembled by Turkish prisoners of war in 1919". - 'Deeper' - Frachet, who is blind but has a slight perception of light, said his experience with Aymon was richer than previous experiences with volunteer guides in various settings. "She provides a deeper description. She is more specialised," he said. Olivier Mamini, who toured the museum's temporary exhibit on the links between sound and humanitarian action, was also thrilled with his experience. "If it hadn't been for the whisperers, I don't think I would have come," he confided. "I do a lot of sports," but "thanks to the whisperers, I'm going to visit more museums". - DEI - Antoine Possa, head of the museum's cultural participation programme, said the image whisperers were an important part of the institution's mission to enable diversity, equity and inclusion. Such concepts have been under attack since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. Possa decried that a number of companies and institutions had given into pressure to weed out DEI policies and practices. "I hope that the large companies that have decided to eliminate their inclusion policies" will make an "about-face", he told AFP. "That's not how we move the world forward." apo/nl/ach/rjm
