Latest news with #Neville
Ottawa Citizen
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Ottawa Citizen
Meet the crew who always race to the front of Bluesfest's main stage
Article content Usain Bolt ran the 100-metre sprint in a record time of 9.58 seconds. To get front row seats for the main stage at Bluesfest, you'll only need one minute one second. Article content For decades, a group of hardcore music-lovers have been racing and perfecting their methods to catch one of the best views amongst the crowd. Article content Article content Donald Neville, a public servant with the Department of National Defence, has been going to Bluesfest for roughly 20 years. He started going to the festival on his own, but that changed after he began noticing the same people attending the same shows every year. Article content Article content 'Over the years, different people have joined our group and we've all just kind of morphed to each other,' Neville said. 'It developed friendships.' Article content Article content The core group has about 10 members, with a couple of others flock in and out during the festival. They're always together to catch the main headliner on the RBC Stage, and security guards exchange inside jokes with several of the group's veteran members. Article content The group is always there to catch the biggest names of the festival, such as Lainey Wilson, Shania Twain, Def Leppard and Sean Paul, which means they have to forego seeing other acts to secure their spots in front of the RBC Stage. 'In order to save your spot for the headliner, you have to be there for the first show,' Neville said. 'If you think you're going to show up at 8:30 p.m. and be front row, forget it, it's not going to happen.' Article content Neville arranges to start his work day start earlier so he can leave the office around 3 p.m. and drive straight to the Canadian War Museum to try to catch a parking spot there. Then he'll usually wait inside the museum, alongside other group members, until Bluesfest gates open at 5 p.m. Article content Article content He always aims to be one of the first to get through security. To facilitate entry, he doesn't bring a bag. Article content Some members of the group are already retired and can get right in front of the gates to begin the race to the RBC stage, a distance of about 250 metres. 'There's no real big secret behind it,' Neville said. 'Having a network of friends that (can) be there at one or two in the afternoon to make sure they're right at the front of the gate helps. Article content 'It always kind of works out that we have enough room for our gang right up front.' Article content Jennifer Diotte, 48, and Julie Hanes, 63, met at a Bluesfest concert around 12 years ago and have been close friends ever since. 'It was like, 'I'll meet you there tomorrow,' and it never stopped,' Hanes said. Article content Article content Wednesday evening marked Diotte's first Bluesfest concert this year. In April 2025, she was diagnosed with bone cancer in her spine, and she spent the past month in the hospital while recovering from surgery. She was previously diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Oasis fan spent £700 'on thin air' after waiting years for Noel and Liam Gallagher reunion
Nevile Root, 20, was due to see the two brothers perform at their third night at Heaton Park on Wednesday (July 16) along with his girlfriend An Oasis fan has expressed his disappointment after spending £700 on tickets for their gig that turned out to be 'essentially spent on thin air'. Nevile Root, 20, had planned to watch the Gallagher brothers perform at their third night at Heaton Park with his girlfriend. A devoted follower of the band, Nevile has seen Noel and Liam perform solo numerous times over the years and stated that 'money was no object' when it came to the rare opportunity to see the band reunite after many years. However, his excitement was short-lived when he discovered that the two tickets he had purchased via the re-sale website Twickets had actually been sold to another customer through Ticketmaster's resale option seven months prior, reports the Manchester Evening News. The couple had taken the day off work and were looking forward to travelling from Preston to Manchester for the much-anticipated concert. They received the disappointing news on the morning of the show, leaving them with no choice but to miss the gig and request a refund. Including booking fees, they paid £724. The original ticket seller, based in Australia, had secured two tickets before the band announced additional world tour dates, which include performances in Sydney and Melbourne later this year. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, he said: "Having looked forward to a potential reunion for many years, I was desperate to get hold of two tickets. I've seen Liam and Noel's solo projects several times so was dismayed that I'd missed out on both the presale opportunity and also tickets in the general sale. "I persevered and followed the guidance to use the only 'official' resale site, Twickets. I was made up when I managed to secure two tickets in early January to see them in Heaton Park." Neville added: "For me, this was the one gig where money was no object. But over £700 is a whole month's rent. It's more money than most 20-year-olds can spare on gig tickets, but I didn't want to miss the opportunity. "I emailed back and forth with the seller, a man from Australia, who had bought the Manchester tickets prior to the announcement of the Australian leg of the tour. No alarm bells rang, and he forwarded me all the confirmation emails from the original ticket purchase." Neville talked with the initial ticket seller, who informed him that the Ticketmaster app wouldn't allow the tickets to be transferred until the event was closer, typically between 48 and 24 hours before the show. Neville was stunned on the morning of Wednesday's gig to discover from the seller that his long-awaited tickets, bought via Twickets, were marked 'sold' on Ticketmaster's app, revealing a breach of Twickets' reselling rules. Twickets said: "I am sorry to hear what has happened. If the tickets appear as 'sold' in [the seller's] Ticketmaster account, than that would indicate that they have also listed and sold them on Ticketmaster resale, in contravention of the terms and conditions of our site unfortunately. "We therefore have no alternative but to withdraw the sale and issue you with a full refund, which should show on your card account in the next 2-3 working days." Expressing his disappointment, Neville said: "The most frustrating thing now is just not being able to go. On one hand, I haven't lost out financially but its the fact that there isn't much safeguarding in place and that seller's can do this. "They had already been sold in January but I didn't find out until the day of the show. We are incredibly disappointed after making travel arrangements, booking annual leave and purchasing t-shirts in preparation for today only to be told the morning of the event that we wouldn't be able to go." Neville felt misled by processes that seemed secure: "I feel as though we have been led down the garden path with having instruction to be patient and purchase resale tickets only to then to find these weren't legitimate to begin with. "I've essentially spent over £700 on thin air, and left with no chance of sorting it now because it's all so last minute. Had I have known months ago, I may have had a chance. This wasn't just like buying a ticket for a band who comes round every year, this was a big deal."
Canada News.Net
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Canada News.Net
Real Salt Lake ready to hand Timbers rare home loss
(Photo credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images) Real Salt Lake will try to extend a modest four-match unbeaten streak on Wednesday night when they visit a Portland Timbers side that hasn't lost at home since the season's opening weekend. Salt Lake (7-10-4, 25 points) earned a gutty 1-0 home victory over the Houston Dynamo on Saturday night on the strength of William Agada's first-half goal -- his second of the season -- and some resolute second-half defending. Houston outshot RSL 13-3 after halftime but forced goalkeeper Rafael Cabral into only one save to preserve his fifth clean sheet. And as 11th-place Real Salt Lake try to surge above the Western Conference playoff line, it's a resolute display RSL manager Pablo Mastroeni believes will have to be replicated. 'I think as we head forward toward the end of the season, these performances should build confidence when the game isn't going your way,' said Mastroeni, whose team begins Wednesday two points back of the ninth and final West playoff spot. 'Instead of absolving yourselves of defensive responsibilities, you've got everyone on the field working their tails off to keep the three points. And I think that's a big step for us.' Fifth-place Portland (9-6-6, 33 points) may feel more comfortable. And the Timbers have posted a 6-0-4 home record since their 4-1 loss to Vancouver back on Feb. 23. But Portland manager Phil Neville is growing uneasy after recent results from a group that lost 2024 leading scorer Jonathan Rodriguez to season-ending knee surgery and is currently playing with 2025 scoring leader Antony (leg) still sidelined. It's been worse away from home, where Portland lost 3-0 to Toronto three matches ago and then gave back an early lead against St. Louis City in Sunday's 2-1 loss. Neville suggested his team has been good enough at responding to adversity. 'It's something that we have to keep developing and learning,' Neville said. 'And sometimes through these learning moments, ... you've got to suffer. At this moment in time, these last two away games, we've suffered, we're all angry and we're all frustrated, and we're all challenging ourselves to be better, myself included.' If there's reason for optimism, it's 2025 preseason signing David Da Costa scoring in back-to-back games to bring his season total to four. He also leads Portland with eight assists.
Irish Independent
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Enniscorthy golfer Paul Conroy impresses in PGA America tour event
Paul shot an excellent 17 under and that left him only four shots off the winner. The talented young man plays out of the Enniscorthy club, and his father Neville is a long-time member and supporter. Paul (25) joined the PGA Tour last year and has already played in ten events, making the cut on five occasions.
Daily Mirror
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Death in Paradise detective reprises role and fans will be thrilled
Death in Paradise fans will be thrilled to learn that one detective is returning to his role Death in Paradise enthusiasts are in for a treat as Ralf Little reprises his role as Detective Neville Parker in a repeat episode airing tonight. The episode, titled Steamy Confessions, initially aired in 2021 as the second instalment of season 10 and will be broadcast on BBC One at 9pm tonight. The episode's synopsis teases: "An archaeologist is poisoned during a dig, and with only two suspects and a quick confession, it looks like this is going to be an open-and-shut case. "However, it turns out the archaeologists were not alone - and the team realise they have little to no evidence. "Meanwhile, Neville and Florence realise they might get along better than they originally thought, although the DI's attempts to embrace island life do not find favour with the Commissioner," reports the Express. Neville's return is not the only exciting comeback, as fans will also be thrilled to see Florence Cassell (played by Josephine Jobert) back on screen. Tobi Bakare will also reprise his role as police officer JP Hooper, while Tahj Miles makes his debut as trainee police officer Marlon Pryce in this repeat episode. Since the episode's initial airing, Tobi, Tahj, Ralf, and Josephine have all left the show to pursue other projects. Tobi was the first to bid farewell to the fictional island of Saint Marie in 2021, at the conclusion of series 10. The actor disclosed that he realised his time on the show was coming to an end three years prior to his character's departure from Saint Marie. Speaking to RadioTimes, he recalled a pivotal moment during the shooting of the seventh season in a church. He recounted, "The preacher mentioned seven years in a message. As soon as he mentioned seven years, I don't know what happened. It just clicked. "It was like a moment of realisation. I had three more years left. It was three more years until it would be seven years, but it just hit me so hard. At this time, my wife was in the UK, and I told her that I know when it's going to be time for me to leave the show." Following Ralf and Josephine, who departed the series in season 13 after their characters left for a new life together, Tahj Miles also exited the show at the conclusion of the same series, with his character moving to Jamaica with his sister. Ralf's character's departure made way for the arrival of newcomer Mervin Wilson as the new leading detective, played by Don Gilet. Discussing his departure on BBC Breakfast, Ralf revealed: "You know, this last series was always going to be my last series. I spoke to the BBC and Red Planet, the production company, and we all agreed." Had it been solely up to him, Ralf felt he'd have remained on the show for two decades: "If it was just a heart decision, I would have wanted to do it for 20 more years. But just for the show and for my character, Neville, it just sort of felt like his story was finished and his journey deserved to be completed. "He deserved a happy ending, and it just felt right." Death in Paradise will be broadcast at 9pm tonight on BBC One.
