Latest news with #LondonBlitz
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Period drama war film will 'rip your heart out' but you only have days to watch it
The period drama now available to stream on BBC iPlayer - but won't be for much longer A film hailed as "very British", offering a unique perspective on the second world war, is set to depart from BBC iPlayer in just a few days. Set against the backdrop of the 1940 London Blitz, a screenwriter named Catrin and an impromptu cast and crew unite to create a film aimed at lifting national spirits and encouraging America to enter the war. Their Finest (2016) follows the journey of young woman, Catrin Cole (Gemma Arterton), who is recruited by the Ministry of Information to pen scripts for propaganda films. Working alongside another screenwriter and an actor, they endeavour to produce a movie that will elevate national morale and persuade America to join the war - all while navigating the tumultuous environment of the London Blitz and the aftermath of the Dunkirk evacuation. Catrin and her team encounter numerous obstacles along the way, including the relentless bombings. She subsequently collaborates with fellow screenwriter Buckley (Sam Claflin) and quirky actor Ambrose Hilliard (Bill Nighy), discovering her voice, exploring the potency of storytelling, and dealing with the intricacies of war. Although fictional, the film draws inspiration from the real-life efforts of the British film industry to bolster the war effort. On the film reviewing platform Rotten Tomatoes - where the film boasts a sparkling 91% fresh score - fans commend this touch of reality as one of the film's most compelling aspects. "Nearly faultless. Great cast, perfectly directed. A perfect combination of the richest subject in history (WW2), great script, a warm romance, tragedy and poignancy," one viewer penned. Their Finest skilfully intertwines narratives of love, self-discovery, loss and sorrow while focusing on the characters' mission. "A delight from start to finish, except for the part where the film rips your heart out," another critic expressed, with another adding: "A very English movie and incredibly well done." The further shared: "Tremendous cast and performances supporting an excellent story and script. Both heart wrenching and uplifting. Add to your watch list." The star-studded cast includes Arterton, Claflin and Nighy, as well as Jeremy Irons, Jack Huston, Helen McCrory, Eddie Marsan and Jake Lacy. Their Finest is currently available to stream on BBC iPlayer, but will be leaving the platform on June 7.
India.com
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- India.com
What is a blackout during war? These rules apply to everything from black colour on vehicle lights to house lights
What is a blackout during war? These rules apply to everything from black colour on vehicle lights to house lights Blackout is a wartime strategy in which artificial light is minimised to make it difficult for enemy aircraft or submarines to find targets. This practice was mainly prevalent in the 20th century during World War II (1939-1945). Blackout rules regulated the lighting of homes, factories, shops and vehicles, including covering windows, turning off street lights, and painting or masking vehicle headlights. Purpose of blackouts The main purpose of the blackout was to make enemy air raids difficult. The lights of cities at night make it easier for enemy pilots to find targets. For example, during the London Blitz of 1940, the German Luftwaffe bombed British cities at night. Dimming the lights complicated navigation and targeting. In coastal areas, the blackout helped protect ships from enemy submarines, which would attack by seeing the ships' silhouettes against the shore lights. Blackout rules For homes and buildings Covering windows and doors: Blackout rules were implemented in Britain before the declaration of war on September 1, 1939. All windows and doors were required to be covered with heavy curtains, cardboard or black paint at night to prevent any light from leaking out. The government ensured the availability of these materials. Street lights: All street lights were turned off or partially painted black so that the light would shine downwards. In London, on 1 October 1914, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner ordered all outdoor lights to be turned off or dimmed. Masks on headlights Only one headlight was allowed, which had to be covered with a mask with three horizontal slits. This limited the light so that only a little light fell on the ground. Rear and side lights: The rear lamp could only have a one-inch diameter hole, visible from 30 yards but not from 300 yards. Side lamps had to be dimmed and the top of the headlight had to be painted black. White Paint: White matte paint was applied to the bumpers and running boards of vehicles to increase visibility from the ground but was not visible from above. Speed Limit: Due to the dangers of driving at night, a speed limit of 32 km per hour has been imposed. Vehicles were to have no interior lights, reversing lamps were prohibited. It was mandatory to remove the keys from the ignition and lock the doors when and monitoring of blackouts Civilian Air Raid Precautions (ARP) wardens were deployed to ensure that blackout rules were followed. These wardens patrolled at night and took action against any building or vehicle with visible light. Violators faced heavy fines or a court appearance. In Britain, a woman was fined £2 for breaking blackout rules and wasting fuel.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Somerset care home residents visit air museum ahead of VE Day
Somerset care home residents have visited an air museum in the county in the lead-up to VE Day. Residents from Frome Nursing Home and Catherine House Care Home travelled by minibus to the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton. The visit was filled with history and reflection as they explored the museum's exhibitions and enjoyed coffee and snacks. They saw the helicopters outside and experienced a simulator's vibrations. The visit sparked many memories for the residents. Peter, who served during the Falklands conflict, engaged in thoughtful conversations with a guide, reflecting on how much had changed since his service. Pat, a former pilot, found the visit particularly emotional. The sight of the aircraft stirred strong feelings and brought back memories of her solo flying days. She shed a few happy tears as she spoke about her experiences. Janet reminisced about living through the London Blitz as a young girl. Another resident, also named Janet, smiled as she spoke about her brother's work on the Concorde engines at Filton. After a picnic lunch, the conversation continued on the journey home - with Peter already keen to plan their next outing. To ensure more future visits, team member Sharon has secured a year-long pass for the residents to return freely throughout the year. The homes are keen to provide their residents with similar experiences that evoke cherished memories and create new ones.
Forbes
24-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
CNBC Goes On Wartime Footing As Financial Markets Churn
TOPSHOT - A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at the opening bell in ... More New York City, on April 7, 2025. Wall Street stocks opened sharply lower Monday, joining a global selloff on worries that a trade war induced by US President Donald Trump's tariffs will spark a global economic slowdown. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images) Is anybody watching the news about the financial markets and their own 401(k)s these days? Anybody not? Between tariffs and trade wars and tweets, it's one of those times when a whole lot of eyes seem to be turned to CNBC and its live market coverage, which led me to get an insider's view from the center of the financial storm with CNBC's President KC Sullivan and their long-time senior economics reporter Steve Liesman. Yes, I'm a CNBC alum, but I'm also a consumer here like everybody else. The history of the news media is filled with heroic efforts of reporters at war fronts – from Edward R. Murrow during World War II's London Blitz to CBS News's Dan Rather and Morley Safer in Vietnam to Tyler Hicks covering Afghanistan for 20 years for the New York Times. No reporters face incoming mortar – at least not physically – in reporting business news, but the stakes for those who consume it can be more personal and immediate than most real war reporting. As Liesman told me, 'When the [expletive deleted] hits the fan, our reporting has an economic impact.' CNBC's unique Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Like any division of any publicly traded company, CNBC's ultimate measuring stick is its bottom line, information not broken out publicly by Comcast (CNBC's owner until the spin-off of NBCUniversal's cable assets). Enough to say it has long been a remarkably profitable operation. And CNBC's numbers under conventional TV metrics are certainly up with the flood of attention to the ups and downs of the new Trump tariff regime: the network's April 2025 numbers with the 'demo' audience (adults 25-54) are better than at any time since the pandemic, ranking among tops in all cable networks during CNBC's 'Business Day,' and its digital numbers are similarly stellar. But even in the absolute best of times for CNBC viewing, it's audience size pales compared to ratings gold like live sports. CNBC is really all about who watches, not simply how many. In my CNBC days we did a lot of proprietary research about the 'quality' of the CNBC audience, and today CNBC prides itself as being the 'top business news TV network for reaching Business Decision Makers, C-Level Executives, Financial Investors, Household Financial Decision Makers, and Ultra Affluents.' Advertisers crave reaching those folks and super-serving that audience in times of fiscal crisis both help define CNBC's brand at the same time it creates operating challenges. Preparing for 'war' Covering real wars is expensive. I recall the story from a former President of NBC News who told me how on the eve of the first Gulf War he had to pitch Jack Welch – GE owned NBC at the time – for an emergency funding increase of $30 million to cover the war. Welch signed off. But luckily for CNBC, its 'war' budget is baked in. As CNBC's Sullivan told me 'CNBC lives for moments like this…we were built for it.' CNBC has constructed over many years an ongoing stable of full-time CNBC talent well-versed in the markets as well as a broad and deep array of outside market experts that it calls on every day, not just when the financial alarm bells sound. If you're a CNBC viewer, you recognize the difference from typical 'newscasts.' Anchors aren't the equivalent of British 'news readers' but are expected to add probing questions to interviews with contributors and guests. Day to day stress of financial market 'war correspondents' Both Sullivan and Liesman described an elevated 'buzz' in the CNBC newsroom at times like this. Liesman described it as 'an exciting, interesting time, but also a tenuous and nervous time' given what is at stake for U.S. consumers and the world economy. Liesman noted that at these times of financial peril, 'a lot of reporters want to tell the great story – [maybe] Liesman described a series of conversations with experts in the arcane world of 'financial plumbing' – the technological mechanics that let you electronically direct deposit your check and then go to an ATM to get cash. Liesman hasn't determined that there is any real crisis with these global financial workings – at least not yet – and noted 'if this stuff gets to air, we're really in trouble.' But you've got to do a lot of homework to even make that determination. CNBC's reporters like Liesman are constantly on the hunt for whatever added information may illuminate market disruptions, including sources rarely on the day to day radar screen like daily fluctuations of the U.S. dollar. But unlike shooting war correspondents, those who cover the financial markets get to go home at the end of the day and sleep in their own beds. In fact, Liesman described a strange dynamic where 'you feel you're not sure you should be relaxing and taking time off – you could be missing things that might be important and there are a hundred things you could have been doing that you didn't get to.' And of course, there's the need to understand and report on any unexpected and game-changing social media post from the White House. That's something Edward R. Murrow never had to worry about. Telling the story to quite different audiences CNBC always appeals to hard-core market watchers, but market turbulence like this draws in waves of more casual or even first-time viewers. As Sullivan pointed out to me: 'We have to be inclusive in the journey of how we tell the story. Not taking away from the seriousness of the situation but in a way that serves all of the audience.' Liesman thoughtfully laid out the challenge of serving audiences with varied levels of expertise of their own: 'You have to play your natural game – none of us are actors and you can't change on the fly to reach different audiences. On the other hand, I think the most important part of my job is to explain complicated stuff to people and that demands time and attention on its own.' As Sullivan points out, the development of digital products such as the new CNBC+ - what else would it be called? - has changed the coverage game as well. CNBC has 'a lot more tools in the tool shed' to serve multiple audience types, being able to dive deeply into specialized market sectors and geographies that might not warrant time on-air. And that of course is the future for all of news media – delivering content across many platforms as audiences get more sophisticated about where, when, and how they want to consume the stories that will shape their lives.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
LIVE REVIEW: Public Service Broadcasting @ New Theatre Oxford: Sky-high electro-rock
LIVING in such strange and uncertain times it often seems there is little cause for cheer. Constantly confronted with the weird, confusing and downright horrible, we could be forgiven for sinking into a despondent slump. We desperately need a shot of positivity – a reminder that there is much to celebrate in the field of human endeavour; reassurance that people are capable of great things – ambition, invention, industry, courage, creativity, resilience and strength of spirit. READ MORE: Public Service Broadcasting's J Willgoose says why he has written new album about an unsung aviation legend Who would have thought that fortifying jolt of optimism could come in the shape of a band? Public Service Broadcasting do precisely that, celebrating uplifting achievements, forgotten stories and inspiring exploits. And they do it to an absorbing soundtrack of exhilarating electronica, driving guitar rock and tender instrumental introspection – studded with samples borrowed from old news reels and recorded archives. By Tim Hughes Since appearing on the radar with the juddering electronica and soaring guitar of breakthrough tune Spitfire, the South London outfit have taken listeners on audio journeys from the dark days of the London Blitz to the avant garde clubs of Berlin. They have introduced us to the heroes of the US-Soviet space race, the hardy miners of our now vanished coal industry, and, now, pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart. The ringmaster for this enlightening circus of invention is musical genius J Willgoose. Smartly turned out in trademark tweed, corduroy and bow tie, J shuns the role of the traditional rock frontman. He stands to the side of the stage and communicates with the audience through a computerised voice simulator. Over the years he has expanded his live outfit from two-piece to a full band – and on their visit to the New Theatre Oxford on March 20, they lay on a powerhouse show. Their new album The Last Flight focuses on the final journey of America's pioneering adventurer Amelia Earhart who, aged just 25, flew higher than any woman before her. The first female to fly solo across the Atlantic and Pacific, she set multiple speed and distance records. And her feats feature front and centre in the show. The stage is lit by a striking set resembling a flight deck – dials showing altitude and airspeed turning into screens displaying archive footage, punchy visuals and, in the case of Earhart's last 1937 flight, maps showing her journey around the world. And to a soaring symphonic soundscape, we are taken to the skies with her. We open with a piece about her plane – Electra – and follow her journey through Towards the Dawn, The South Atlantic, Arabian Flight and Monsoons. It is by turns intimate, epic, exciting and moving. The new tunes flow effortlessly into tunes from their other aerial extravaganza, The Race For Space. Sputnik is slow-building and epic, E.V.A. bubbly and dreamy, and The Other Side sparse and tense. Stylised gems from Berlin-inspired Bright Magic set a change of tone and style. Spitfire, their tribute to the victor of the Battle of Britain, energises the crowd and fits the airborne theme. We also get a taste of coal dust with Progress from the excellent From Every Valley album. But this is really a show with its head in the clouds and the wind in its hair – expansive narrative pieces lit up by shimmering interludes of live vocals and bursts of brass. They finish with a trip back to Mission Control for the punchy anthemic Go! But the best is yet to come with an encore featuring Bright Magic's bouncy People, Let's Dance and the funk-fuelled Gagarin – complete with dancing cosmonauts resplendent in full space suits and helmets. PSB. By Tim HughesThe set was a soaring celebration of aerial and cosmic endeavour, but to the delight of longstanding fans they returned to earth – albeit at its highest point – for final tune, Everest. This musical tribute to Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's conquest of the world's highest peak is epic, rendered euphoric by triumphant trumpet and trombone. It was simply beautiful, a towering orchestral masterpiece inspired by an heroic feat. And, like the rest of the show, for just a while it succeeded in raising our spirits, cheering our souls and making the world a better place.
