Latest news with #MattThompson
Western Telegraph
08-05-2025
- Business
- Western Telegraph
Average UK house price increased by nearly £900 in April
Halifax recorded a 0.3% month-on-month price rise in April, following a 0.5% monthly fall in March. The annual house price growth rate ticked up to 3.2% in April, from 2.9% in March, Halifax said. The average property price in April was £297,781, up from £296,899 in March. Amanda Bryden, head of mortgages, Halifax, said: 'UK house prices rose by 0.3% in March, an increase of just under £900. This didn't lead to a significant increase in property prices Amanda Bryden, Halifax 'We know the stamp duty changes prompted a surge in transactions in the early part of this year, as buyers rushed to beat the tax-rise deadline. 'However, this didn't lead to a significant increase in property prices, with the last six months characterised by a stability in prices rarely seen since the pandemic.' Halifax's figures are in contrast to Nationwide Building Society's latest house price index, released last week. Nationwide reported that house price growth had softened, with prices dipping by 0.6% month on month in April and price growth also slowing on an annual basis, at 3.4% in April, down from 3.9% in March. Stamp duty 'nil rate' bands have become less generous from April, with some buyers facing higher costs for moving home. Stamp duty applies in England and Northern Ireland. Ms Bryden said 'modest price growth' is expected this year, adding: 'Overall, the market continues to show resilience, despite a subdued economic environment and risks from geopolitical developments.' Looking across the UK, Halifax recorded strong house price growth in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, with a more subdued picture in south-west England and London. Nathan Emerson, chief executive of property professionals' body Propertymark, said of the Halifax figures: 'This is a sign of sustained confidence in the UK's housing market following a recent stamp duty surge in home buying, and it should give those sellers hoping to take advantage of the traditionally busier spring and summer months motivation to move up the housing ladder.' Iain McKenzie, chief executive of the Guild of Property Professionals, said: 'We're seeing mortgage rates continue their welcome descent, with sub-4% deals now reappearing, which is a clear boost for buyer affordability and confidence.' Jonathan Handford, managing director at estate agent group Fine & Country, said: 'The rebound in prices suggests the market may be finding its footing after a turbulent few months.' Sellers remained motivated Matt Thompson, Chestertons Matt Thompson, head of sales at London-based estate agent Chestertons, said: 'In April, some house hunters paused their search amid the Easter holidays, but sellers remained motivated which resulted in an uplift in the number of properties put up for sale.' Tom Bill, head of UK residential research at Knight Frank, said: 'Demand has increased as more mortgage rates drop below 4%, which will underpin prices while the momentum is maintained. 'Tariff turbulence has helped push interest rate expectations lower but buyers could be put off if it gets too bumpy.' Jason Tebb, president of OnTheMarket, said: 'With property prices remaining relatively steady, this suggests that affordability is having an impact on the amount buyers are willing and/or able to pay.' Babek Ismayil, founder and chief executive at homebuying platform OneDome, said: 'This increase masks ongoing affordability pressures and the longer-term hangover from the stamp duty changes in April.' Tomer Aboody, director of specialist lender MT Finance, said: 'The end of the stamp duty holiday in March saw a big push in transactions completing by the end of the month so that buyers could avoid the tax increase. 'We are now seeing the fallout, with transactions and mortgage approvals falling, although prices are holding steady.' Here are average house prices and the annual increase, according to Halifax. The regional annual change figures are based on the most recent three months of approved mortgage transaction data: East Midlands, £245,884, 3.0% Eastern England, £335,619, 2.0% London, £543,346, 1.3% North East, £175,207, 2.1% North West, £240,975, 4.1% Northern Ireland, £208,220, 8.1% Scotland, £214,011, 4.6% South East, £391,830, 2.0% South West, £304,451, 0.9% Wales, £229,079, 4.7% West Midlands, £261,098, 3.3% Yorkshire and the Humber, £214,844, 3.8%
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Memphis Zoo says attendance dropped after 2022 crimes, leading to deficits
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Zoo is asking city and county governments for $3 million in operational support, saying attendance has seen a 'tremendous drop' due to visitors' perception of safety in the city after some high-profile crimes. Zoo officials shared attendance and revenue numbers with Memphis City Council members Tuesday, showing more than 1 million visitors to the zoo in 2019, and again in 2022 after attendance rebounded following the COVID pandemic closure. But those numbers dipped by close to 20% beginning in 2023, leading to operating deficits the past two years. 'We saw a tremendous decrease in our attendance,' said Matt Thompson, president and CEO of the Memphis Zoo. 'If people aren't coming through our gate, then we aren't making revenue.' State commits $20M for Memphis Zoo expansion Thompson told council members the decline was directly related to the kidnapping and killing of Eliza Fletcher and the mass shooting carried out by Ezekiel Kelly. Both crimes struck in the Midtown area in late 2022, and Thompson said they scared away visitors who have never come back. 'We were told directly by our members that people were nervous to come back into the city,' Thompson said. 'We've seen some people leave the city, we've seen that kind of thing. Our numbers have been very, very slow to come back.' The revenue decline is creating a need for an additional $3 million, Thompson said, and the zoo is asking both the city and county for $1.5 million each. The zoo plans to use that money for deferred maintenance. The city's management fee for the zoo is currently $1.2 million, the same as it was in 1989, Thompson said. Still, there were many positive notes in the zoo's presentation. The Memphis Zoo is the top attraction in West Tennessee and was rated the No. 2 zoo in the country, with 52% of visitors coming from outside the region, creating an economic impact of $89.4 million. SCSO says mom who drove into pond in Cordova was not drugged The Memphis Zoo is undertaking a $250 million campus plan that will add an Africa exhibit featuring elephants, and an Oceans to Forests exhibit with both aquarium and rain forest habitats over the next three years. Council members were supportive of the zoo's efforts and offerings, though they asked for more details on the zoo's finances. 'Our zoo is one of the best zoos in the world, and it's one of the treasures of our city, so it's budget season, we'll get through this, and you have my support,' Councilman Philip Spinosa said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BBC News
31-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Hunt is on for Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings' bell as it reopens
A search has been launched to find the bell that has been missing from the so-called "grandparent of skyscrapers" for nearly 40 Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings prepares to re-open under English Heritage's (EH) tenure on Tuesday, the charity is asking one question - where is its bell?It is believed to be about 24in (0.6m) tall and cast with the year "1791" on it. The charity believes it went missing in the late 1980s or early 1990s, when the building was derelict."Whilst it is possible that the bell could have been melted down, it is more likely that someone took it as a souvenir," said Matt Thompson, EH curatorial director. "[It would have been when] this imposing, historic building which – at the time – looked close to ruin."As Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings begins its new incarnation as an English Heritage site, it feels like the right time to appeal for information on the bell's whereabouts so that we can restore it to its rightful place."The bell would ring out to mark the start and end of each working day at the Flaxmill and later, the maltings, EH said. It was the world's first multi-storey, iron-frame building, and its design paved the way for modern high-rise buildings. It opened in 1797 as a purpose-built flaxmill, operating for a century under steam power to spin flax into linen thread. From 1897, the site was used as a maltings and served as a temporary army training unit and barracks during World War Two, before closing in 1987. 'Catalyst for labour reform' The buildings were left to fall into dereliction, before EH bought the site in 2005, restoring it in partnership with Shropshire Council and the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings."The social change brought about by this very flaxmill and the factory system in general is equally as important to British history," said Mr Thompson."The associated urban migration, long, hard working hours and exploitation of children were catalysts for labour reform movements and legislation to improve conditions, including the 1833 Factory Act for which the government received testimony from former workers at Shrewsbury Flaxmill."It would be a fitting end to the incredible story of Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings if we could find the bell and restore it to its rightful place." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Guardian
31-03-2025
- General
- The Guardian
For whom the bell tolls: hunt for missing piece of Shrewsbury's industrial history
For almost 200 years, the bell tolled to mark the start and end of the working day at one of the UK's most remarkable industrial sites – but it vanished when the buildings became derelict in the late 1980s or early 90s. As English Heritage prepares to welcome visitors to the Flaxmill Maltings building in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, a hunt for the missing bell has been launched. Matt Thompson, the curatorial director of English Heritage, accepted it was possible the bell had been melted down and was lost forever. But he said: 'It is more likely that someone took it as a souvenir which, at the time, looked close to ruin. Maybe it's sitting in someone's garden or in a shed.' The bell and the building have long and important histories. Known as the grandparent of the skyscraper, the building was the world's first multistorey, iron-frame building, with the design paving the way for modern high-rise buildings. Thompson said: 'Without Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, today's cities would look very different.' The site opened in 1797 as a flax mill and then, from 1897 to 1987, was used as a maltings. It also served as a temporary army training unit and barracks during the second world war. A third of the 800 workers at the flax mill were under 16 and some as young as nine. Shrewsbury itself was too small to provide that number, so children were brought in from as far afield as London and Hull, mostly from the workhouses. Often orphans, the children were given housing, food and clothes but not paid wages. The missing bell would have called the children in from the apprentice house nearby. Days were long and conditions often brutal, with testimony from some former child labourers at the mill leading to the 1833 Factory Act, which restricted the hours that children could work each day. Thompson said: 'The urban migration, long, hard working hours and exploitation of children were catalysts for labour reform movements and legislation. It would be a fitting end to the story of Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings if we could find the bell and restore it to its rightful place, providing today's visitors with an audible connection to the site's history and past generations of workers.' Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Originally operated by a pull rope, the bell changed to an electric chiming mechanism after the second world war, but was lost at some point in the 1980s or 1990s when the building was left derelict after the closure of the business in 1987. Believed to be around 60cm (24in) high, the bell is cast with the year '1797' on it. The bellcote has been restored but remains, for the moment, empty. Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings opens on Tuesday as English Heritage's first new paid-for site in 21 years.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New pediatric emergency safe room at UnityPoint Health – St. Luke's in Sioux City
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — A hospital in Sioux City unveiled a new room for pediatric patients. UnityPoint Health – St. Luke's unveiled the new pediatric emergency safe room last Friday, thanks to money raised by the Siouxland Miracle Riders. The riders raised money for St. Luke's Children's Miracle Network during their 9th Annual Miracle Ride in the summer of 2024. The new room is a part of four modern 'safe' rooms for patients in mental health crises or severe distress. Hospital officials said a pediatric safe room is a space designed to give a calm, secure environment for children who are dealing with severe distress or mental health crises. Siouxland Sports Academy receives state tourism award The room at UnityPoint Health – St. Luke's is expected to help lower anxiety and agitation by reducing stimuli and ensuring safety. 'This room is more than just walls. It provides a calming, secure space for children in crisis, helping them feel safe, supported and cared for during their healing process,' said Matt Thompson, a member of the Siouxland Miracle Riders. 'This incredible journey not only showcased the riders' dedication and endurance but also their unwavering commitment to helping children in need. As always, the Siouxland Miracle Riders proved that with determination and heart, they could achieve anything,' said Kari Winklepleck, president of the St. Luke's Foundation. The Siouxland Miracle Riders said they are looking forward to their 10th anniversary ride this summer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
