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Al Arabiya
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Arabiya
Book review: Madeline potter's 'the roma' blends memoir and research to look at a marginalized group
The Roma: A Traveling History is a fascinating look at a marginalized and misunderstood group of people who have encountered hostility for centuries. Written by Madeline Potter, a scholar of 19th-century Gothic literature, the new book recounts how members of the group long have been maligned, enslaved, deported, and murdered. Potter, who grew up Romani in post-Communist Romania, weaves together bits of memoir with her archival research into what is described as the first contemporary history of the Romani people. Instead of being raised in an intricately carved horse-drawn vardo that traveled from camp to camp, Potter passed her childhood settled in a towering Soviet-style high-rise, a more typical upbringing as the Romani people increasingly leave life on the road to become settled. In her book, Potter carries us from England, where she currently lives, to Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria, Germany, France, Spain, the US West Coast, and finally to Sweden. Potter tells of how King Henry VIII passed the Egyptians Act in 1530, calling for the Gypsy people to be expelled from England due to their alleged crimes, including robberies, palmistry, and deceit. Believed to have migrated from northern India to Europe some 1,500 years ago and with a language rooted in Sanskrit, the Roma at one time were thought to have originated in Egypt. In Spain, they have been known as Gitanos. During Spain's 1749 Gran Redada de Gitanos–Great Gypsy Roundup–some 10,000 Roma were detained, and families were separated, with the men sent to work in shipyards and the women and children to factories. In Nazi Germany, the Reich Office for Combating the Gypsy Menace set the scene for the Roma and related Sinti people to be rounded up and sent to concentration camps alongside Jews, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and other minorities. As many as 500,000 Roma and Sinti are estimated to have been murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during that period. Despite the continued discrimination, the Roma have made important cultural contributions, Potter writes. Potter mentions Carmen Amaya, a Spanish Romani who was known in the mid-20th century as the world's best flamenco dancer. Composer Franz Liszt was so enamored of Hungarian Roma traditions that he absorbed them into his 19th-century work. 'There is much sadness in our history and much pain,' Potter writes. 'But importantly, it's not pain that beats at the heart of our story. On each step of my journey, I encountered the wondrous stories of those who have decisively resisted their marginalization, who have refused to be silent, and whose stories continue to inspire the Roma today.'
Business News Wales
11-07-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Monmouthshire Celebrates Official Opening of Flagship All-Through School
Morgan Sindall Construction's King Henry VIII 3-19 School at Old Hereford Rd, NP7 6EP, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales on 16 April 2025. Photo: Adam Davies ©2025 Adam Davies Photography, All Rights Reserved. Monmouthshire County Council has officially opened the new King Henry VIII three-19 School in Abergavenny. The event, attended by Welsh Government's Cabinet Secretary for Education Lynne Neagle, Monmouthshire County Council Leader Cllr Mary Ann Brocklesby, MCC Cabinet Member for Education Cllr Laura Wright, and a host of dignitaries, staff, and pupils, celebrated the completion of the first operationally net-zero carbon all-through school in Wales. The £70 million project, jointly funded by the Welsh Government and Monmouthshire County Council under the Sustainable Communities for Learning programme and constructed by Morgan Sindall, represents a bold investment in the future of education in the region, the council said. Monmouthshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Laura Wright, said: 'This building is more than bricks and mortar. It's a beacon for a modern education system in Wales, designed to inspire, to nurture, and to empower our young people.' Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle said: 'I was delighted to visit King Henry VIII School for the official opening and witness this remarkable investment that was made possible through our Sustainable Communities for Learning programme. As our first operationally net-zero carbon all-through school, not only will our learners benefit from high quality facilities, but they will also benefit from learning in a sustainable school environment. What has been achieved here is truly inspiring for our learners.' The ceremony featured performances from pupils across all ages, showcasing the school's through school strategy. Guests enjoyed performances from the cast of the school's production of Les Misérables, a dance performance by pupils in Years 1 and 2, as well as performances from the Primary Phase and All-Age Choirs. Adding to the celebration, Monmouthshire County Council was recently named 'Client of the Year' at the Constructing Excellence in Wales Awards, held at Celtic Manor. The award recognises the council's exemplary leadership and collaborative approach throughout the King Henry VIII project. Judges praised the council's unwavering focus on quality, sustainability, and community impact, noting that the project sets a benchmark for public sector delivery. As winners of the Welsh award, the council will now represent Wales at the UK-wide Constructing Excellence National Awards later this year. Monmouthshire County Council's Leader, Cllr Mary Ann Brocklesby, noted: 'It's an honour to be named as 'Client of the Year'. As a council, we wanted to ensure that this project not only delivered a building for the next few years, but one that will shape education within the town and county for generations to come. The award highlights our dedication to achieving this, and we look forward to representing Wales at the UK National awards.' Phase two of the project, which includes the completion of the playing fields and the energy centre, is scheduled for completion by April 2026.
Telegraph
28-06-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Hampton Court to inspire next generation of gardeners with ‘kaleidoscope of colour'
Hampton Court Palace is aiming to inspire the next generation of gardeners with a 'kaleidoscope of colour'' in its sustainable garden redesign. The Great Fountain Garden, in the heart of what was formerly King Henry VIII 's court, will undergo a replanting in line with modern standards, Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) has revealed. The independent charity, which cares for six historic royal palaces including Kensington Palace and The Tower of London, aims to create biodiverse and climate-resistant grounds at Hampton Court. The project will be led by Ann-Marie Powell, an award-winning garden expert, who said the new design would form 'a kaleidoscopic border that is dynamic and ever-changing'. It will introduce 32 planting beds and borders across 1.5 acres of the grounds and feature nearly 300 species of plants. Examples of the new plants being introduced, specially selected for their climate resilience, include iris, geranium, agapanthus and verbena. It is expected that a colour spectrum ranging from violet to gold will 'intensify' in brightness as the planting reaches the edge of the River Thames. Ms Powell, who has more than three decades of experience in garden design and has won multiple awards, said: 'We're not just planting for visual impact - we're planting for pollinators, for changing weather, for longevity. 'This isn't just about making something beautiful. It's about creating a living, breathing landscape that connects people to the natural world, evokes the history beneath their feet, and inspires new ways of thinking about gardens today. 'It's our hope that everyone who walks through this space will find something that speaks to them, whether it's a plant they recognise, a bee at work, or just a moment of wonder.' Her remarks - and vision - are in keeping with King Charles 's lifelong climate and sustainability championing, as well as his passion for horticulture. Ms Powell said 'every plant has a purpose and a place' in the Great Fountain Garden, which was first laid out between 1689 and 1696 by King William III and Queen Mary II. The grounds were later simplified under Queen Anne and transformed by Queen Victoria, who introduced herbaceous borders and 'bold' annual bedding. While each iteration reflected the tastes of the time, Ms Powell said that the redesign needs to also reflect mounting biodiversity loss and adapting temperatures because of climate change. 'This space has been shaped by centuries of royal vision, from formal Anglo-Dutch elegance to exuberant Victorian colour,' she explained. 'And now we're adding a new layer, one that speaks to the future as much as the past.' As part of the new plans, set to begin planting in the autumn, HRP aims to establish a horticultural milestone by establishing an official national collection of echinacea purpurea across the Hampton Court Palace grounds, featuring over 60 varieties which can reach up to 1.5 metres tall. Alex Wigley, head of Parks and Gardens at HRP said: 'This garden honours centuries of royal horticulture while setting a bold new benchmark for sustainability. 'We're building it from the ground up - protecting soil, locking in carbon, and planting for resilience. With low-water requiring species and smarter layouts, it's designed not just to endure, but to thrive - supporting biodiversity, inspiring visitors, and helping us reach our goal of being nature-positive and carbon net zero by 2050.'
Wall Street Journal
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Church of England, Disestablish Thyself
The Church of England has always been a hybrid entity. Since its establishment by King Henry VIII in 1534, the church has adroitly juggled piety with politics to conserve its role as Britain's moral center. Yet last week Parliament passed two policies so rebarbative to the Christian principle of human dignity—the decriminalization of self-administered abortion at any time, for any reason, and the legalization of assisted suicide for the terminally ill—that even this adaptable church will struggle to reconcile them with its mission. Christian doctrine prizes the dignity of all and the duty to care for the vulnerable. Early Christians were noted for rescuing unwanted babies, routinely abandoned in Roman times. Through European history the establishment of hospitals and houses for poor relief was associated with the Christian faith.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Harvard's Laurence Tribe Draws Brutal Parallel Between Trump And A Ruthless Royal Tyrant
Harvard constitutional law professor emeritus Laurence Tribe delivered a damning assessment of Donald Trump's recent attacks on his university, likening the president's actions to those of a historical, brutal monarch. In an interview with CNN's Kate Bolduan, Tribe was asked how far he believes the Trump administration has gone 'beyond the bounds of the law' with his bids to ban international students from the university, freeze its grants and redirect its federal funds. 'I compare it to King Henry VIII, King Edward II,' Tribe said. 'Not even King George III, against whom we fought a revolution, had this kind of power, because he needed Parliament. Trump thinks he doesn't even need Congress.' Tribe reminded viewers that it's 'Congress that has the power of the purse' and that Trump 'can't just move billions of bucks from one place to another all by himself.' He also warned of the wider fallout of Trump's targeting of Harvard. 'He's hurting the country,' Tribe said. 'It's not Harvard's interest in these wonderful foreign students that's all at stake. They come here, they meet others, they discover things. Some of them end up winning Nobel prizes. They are performing a great public service. It's a private university but it's providing a public education.' Watch here: Trump 'Clearly' Wants To Avoid 1 Thing With Elon Musk, Says Maggie Haberman Kayleigh McEnany Makes Chilling Demand For '60 Minutes' Reporter Over Anti-Trump Speech Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello Unleashes Anti-Trump Fury With Flip Of His Guitar
