Latest news with #LisaAllen
BBC News
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'Collecting accordions became my dad's obsession'
Known to many throughout Europe as "the accordion man" – Ken Hopkins from County Down dedicated decades of his life to collecting and restoring the the time of his death last year, he had amassed what is thought to be one of the largest private collections of accordions in the collection contains everything from early 19th century flutinas, up to the digital models of about 750 of them are going under the hammer at a Belfast auction house priced from £10 up to a potential £5, of the more unusual items in the collection include an accordion coffee table and television, and an instrument rumoured to have been used to smuggle cash out of Colombia. Family home was 'like an accordion museum' Ken Hopkins' daughter Lisa Allen said the instruments had become an "obsession" for her father."He was a musician himself, an incredible accordionist, and he was well renowned throughout the accordion world, playing in bands for decades," she said."He started purchasing accordions, going to shows and auctions and it just escalated."He absolutely loved accordions and it became an obsession." Mr Hopkins fell in love with the accordion at a young age, and met his first wife when her father gave him instrument shaped his life. Ms Allen said there were accordions lining every room of her father's Comber took five truck loads to move them from the property to Ross's Auction House in Belfast."The house was just absolutely packed with them, five bedrooms upstairs with no room for anything else other than accordions," she said."You would arrive and there would be a coachload of people parading up and down just looking at the collection so it was like an accordion museum." 'I can't play a note' Despite growing up around accordions, neither Lisa nor her siblings inherited her father's musical capabilities and after realising they did not have the space to house the collection, the decision was taken to sell it. "It's bittersweet to see it go but I haven't a note in my head," Ms Allen said."I've had all the piano lessons, singing lessons, guitar lessons and we've had some amazing musicians at the house, bands in the living room, but I can't play a note."Music has really been a part of our lives, every birthday, every Christmas, every celebration but they need to be played."They should be played and it'll be lovely to think they'll be at somebody else's birthday, playing Happy Birthday and bring more joy."As they say, the music will go on." Angus Clarke, managing director of Ross's Auctions, said sorting through the instruments had been a "mammoth task from start to finish"."It's very unusual to have a collection of this size," he said."We believe it to be the largest private collection of accordions in the world so it's not every day you get something through the door just like this."The sheer volume of accordions themselves – picking them up, the storage facilities for them has been a bit of a handling."Also we've had to educate ourselves a lot on accordions, it's been a great challenge."We've had people from all around the world getting in touch, it's amazing how many of them know about the auction. "In particular people in eastern Europe - they have a deep-rooted musical traditional with accordions."It's a bit of an unknown but early indications suggest the auction might realise upwards of £250,000." Ms Allen said her dad would have loved the attention his collection was getting."He would love all this. He was really a showman and he enjoyed entertaining people so he would love to see how people are reacting to the collection."We've had people from Italy, America, just all over the world getting in touch. "Everyone knows dad and the collection and there are a lot of people who just want one of his accordions – nothing in particular just a piece of the Ken Hopkins collection which is nice."They've been telling us stories about him, and about some of the accordions and it's been lovely to know he was so well thought of."The rarity of Mr Hopkins' collection saw him targeted by robberies at his home a decade apart he lost accordions worth several hundred thousands of 2012, 12 of the stolen rare instruments where recovered on wasteland in County Meath in the Republic of at the time, Mr Hopkins told the BBC the thefts were something "you got used to".The Ken Hopkins Accordion Collection auction ends on August 6
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Shakespeare North seeks naming partner for funding
Shakespeare North Playhouse says it is looking for a naming rights partner in what is believed to be the first deal of its kind for a regional theatre in the UK. The venue, a replica Shakespearean theatre that opened in Prescot, Merseyside, in 2022, said it wanted a deal similar to those for many sport grounds to "support the theatre's ambitions over the next decade". It said the partnership could "exceed £300,000 annually" against a "challenging" financial backdrop, after an 18% fall in core funding nationally. The theatre's chief executive Lisa Allen told BBC Radio Merseyside there was no risk of the theatre closing down "but I would say that we are very reliant on Knowsley Council". "I would like us to be less so - so we should find alternative funding streams," she added. Ms Allen said that in her 30-year career in the arts, Knowsley Council had "been the most supportive council I have ever worked with". "It would be nice to not have to rely on them for as much support because Knowsley is the second-most deprived area in the country." Prominent actors such as Sue Johnston, Ricky Tomlinson and Stephen Graham have appeared at the theatre, which cost £38m to build and has hosted more than 300,000 visitors - 10% of whom had never visited a theatre before, the venue has said. The venue received £10.5m during its development from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, with mayor Steve Rotheram recently saying: "In a short space of time, it's made an incredible impact on the local community and it's my hope that it will continue to inspire, educate, and bring people together for generations to come." Ms Allen said they hoped to confirm a naming partner in 2026 in what theatre publication The Stage called "a significant shift in arts funding". Prescot is believed to have been the site of the only purpose-built Elizabethan theatre outside London, which is thought to have existed in the 1590s. The original theatre hosted performances of works by William Shakespeare and was made possible by the Earl of Derby, who lived at Knowsley Hall. Knowsley Council leader Graham Morgan said he wanted residents to benefit from "access to culture and the arts". He called the potential naming rights deal a "really innovative project and something that in time we think could also help to support the future of other regional theatres too – which can only be a good thing". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. Struggling English museums get rescue funds Big drop in plays staged by theatres over past decade Shakespeare theatre given architectural award Shakespeare North Playhouse
BBC News
30-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Shakespeare North seeks naming partner for funding
Shakespeare North Playhouse says it is looking for a naming rights partner in what is believed to be the first deal of its kind for a regional theatre in the venue, a replica Shakespearean theatre that opened in Prescot, Merseyside, in 2022, said it wanted a deal similar to those for many sport grounds to "support the theatre's ambitions over the next decade". It said the partnership could "exceed £300,000 annually" against a "challenging" financial backdrop, after an 18% fall in core funding theatre's chief executive Lisa Allen told BBC Radio Merseyside there was no risk of the theatre closing down "but I would say that we are very reliant on Knowsley Council". "I would like us to be less so - so we should find alternative funding streams," she Allen said that in her 30-year career in the arts, Knowsley Council had "been the most supportive council I have ever worked with"."It would be nice to not have to rely on them for as much support because Knowsley is the second-most deprived area in the country."Prominent actors such as Sue Johnston, Ricky Tomlinson and Stephen Graham have appeared at the theatre, which cost £38m to build and has hosted more than 300,000 visitors - 10% of whom had never visited a theatre before, the venue has said. The venue received £10.5m during its development from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, with mayor Steve Rotheram recently saying: "In a short space of time, it's made an incredible impact on the local community and it's my hope that it will continue to inspire, educate, and bring people together for generations to come."Ms Allen said they hoped to confirm a naming partner in 2026 in what theatre publication The Stage called "a significant shift in arts funding".Prescot is believed to have been the site of the only purpose-built Elizabethan theatre outside London, which is thought to have existed in the original theatre hosted performances of works by William Shakespeare and was made possible by the Earl of Derby, who lived at Knowsley Council leader Graham Morgan said he wanted residents to benefit from "access to culture and the arts".He called the potential naming rights deal a "really innovative project and something that in time we think could also help to support the future of other regional theatres too – which can only be a good thing". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Debra Alfarone to Anchor Gray's New Afternoon Newscast
Gray stations are adding an afternoon newscast called Local News Live. The one-hour newscast will air on 37 of Gray Media's local television stations starting today. The show is anchored by Debra Alfarone with live coverage from reporters across Gray's 113 markets. This expansion means Local News Live | LNL now airs Monday through Friday in a total of 46 television markets and reaches more than 19 million households according to Nielsen. "Local News Live is uniquely positioned to deliver the stories the nation is talking about through a distinctly local lens," said General Manager of Gray's Washington Operations Lisa Allen. "We are excited to increase our footprint and deliver impactful news and information to millions more viewers." In addition to live reports from local news teams, the program focuses on the local impact of national and international stories. Gray's Washington DC Bureau team contributes daily, including White House press briefing updates from White House Correspondent and Senior National Editor Jon Decker. Senior National Correspondent Peter Zampa reports live from New York City covering relevant topics including Wall Street and the United Nations.
