Latest news with #Nikos
7NEWS
7 days ago
- General
- 7NEWS
New winter fire safety warning as Sydney couple faces rebuild after blaze destroys home
A mother who dragged her husband to safety from a devastating blaze — which has sparked new warnings over fire safety — is a 'brave' woman who 'won't ever back down,' according to their son. Maria Charalambous, 68, was taking a shower early Friday morning when a fire broke out in the bedroom where her husband Nick, 82, was sleeping. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Bonnyrigg bungalow destroyed by fire. 'I pulled his legs. I said, 'Come on, wake up, wake up, there is a fire,'' Maria recalled. Authorities say the situation could have turned into an 'absolute tragedy' if Maria had not been awake at the time, as the fire spread rapidly throughout the home. Their son, Nikos, said he was in shock but not surprised by his mother's heroic actions at the Bonnyrigg Heights property in Sydney, where the couple has lived for more than 30 years. 'She's a small lady, but she's so brave,' he told 'She's tough. She won't ever back down. I'm really proud of her.' The blaze is believed to have been caused by an electric heater plugged into a wall outlet. Nick had left the heater running overnight to keep their dogs warm. Four of the couple's beloved dogs managed to escape, but tragically, three were lost in the fire. No smoke alarm sounded, as it had been turned off. Flames completely destroyed the family home, along with irreplaceable memories — including photographs, videos, and other treasured possessions. 'Everything was just gone in a second,' Nikos said. 'My parents are going back to the house every day, trying to salvage what they can. They're trying to keep busy. There's no set plan at the moment.' In another heartbreaking blow, the couple had recently cancelled their home insurance as a cost-saving measure. Nikos hopes his parents' ordeal serves as a warning to others. 'When you hear stories like this, you never think it will happen to you — but it can,' he said. He also condemned the 'disgusting' online trolls who have targeted his family in the wake of the tragedy. Fortunately, his parents are not on social media and have been shielded from most of the negativity. 'It's so sad that my parents are in this position,' he said. 'They've just lost their home — something they've worked their whole lives for. The cruel comments are not needed. We wouldn't wish this on anyone.' Nikos has since launched a GoFundMe campaign to help his parents get back on their feet. Winter warning Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry said there has been a rise in dangerous fires as winter sets in — prompting renewed warnings. He stressed the importance of keeping electric heaters at least one metre away from flammable objects and recommended switching them off overnight. 'The first line of defence in an emergency is a smoke alarm that is less than 10 years old,' Dewberry told He added that in nearly half of house fire emergencies, smoke alarms are either non-compliant or not installed correctly. 'Know the risks. Don't overload power boards, test electric blankets, be careful with heat packs, and don't leave food unattended on stovetops,' he said. NSW authorities have also issued a separate warning about the dangers of hot foods and liquids, particularly for children. In 2024, more than 400 children required specialised medical care for scalds caused by accidental spills. An additional 48 children suffered contact burns from hot surfaces like stoves, cooktops, and barbecues. 'It's crucial to remember that hot food and drinks, which may feel safe for an adult, can cause serious burns to a child,' said Torey Lawrence, head of burns at The Children's Hospital at Westmead. 'Children's skin is much thinner than adults', and even a small amount of hot liquid can result in deep, severe burns. 'Burns injuries can cause both life-long injuries and scarring. These can have a lasting impact on a child's physical, social, emotional and mental wellbeing.' What to do if someone is burned
Mint
20-05-2025
- Mint
The best wine and cocktail bars in Paris
Trips to Paris have always been short and with a full schedule. However, I had two days to myself in the city in February and there was much to explore. After taking in the touristy experiences—a walk along the Champs Elysees, visiting the Notre Dame Cathedral and spending time at the beautiful garden Jardin des Tuileries—I focused on high quality eating and drinking destinations. In previous visits, I've always had a wine hat on, but this time the thriving cocktail bar scene took me by surprise. When it comes to wine, it's everywhere—boutique stores, wine bars, serious places that take wine and food pairing to their highest level, and multiple tasting events and wine dinners everyday. The events, easy to find online through a simple search or via Instagram are at all levels from easy-going to expensive. Paris also has easy access by train or car to the most sought-after wine regions in the world — Champagne, Bordeaux , Burgundy, Alsace to name a few. Hop, skip and jump your way to the very heart of wine excellence on a day or overnight trip. Paris truly is a perfect base for wine adventure at the highest level. Champagne flows like water in Paris; it is drunk very often, not relegated to special occasions and consumed whether it's the start of an evening, or during the entire course of the evening through dinner. Bookmark these wine spots My favourite way to enjoy Paris when it comes to wine is to keep it simple: take a bottle of wine with some cheese, sit on the banks of the river Seine and enjoy your drink while watching the cruise boats go by. I was tipped by a friend to go to a wine bar called Ambassade de Bourgogne. The wine bar and bottle shop is the holy grail for those who love Burgundy with literally everything on offer that comes out of the region. It's a great place to get your Burgundy fix while browsing through their wine list which is 36 pages long. Planche at The Hoxton hotel is the one place to visit for natural, biodynamic and organic wines like Domaine L'Herbier, Domaine De Clos and Chateau Doyac. These will thrill wine nerds. For natural wines, ciders and craft beers you must go to Liquiderie, a cool wine bar. At Galerie Vivienne is Le Comptoir des Caves Legrand , which has a great selection of French wines Domaine Trapet, Marsannay, Domaine Bott, First Flight Viognier to name a few. Comme Chai Toi is a fine, delicious small restaurant that serves up great French food in a fuzzy warm space with some delicious wines made mostly by small producers. If that's not enough, you get a beautiful view of Notre Dame through its large windows. A toast to cocktails I would recommend The Cambridge Public House, a cool Persian pub that's relaxed and has a strong focus on sustainability with cocktails like Silent Sky, Midnight Driver and Golden Child. Please meet Hyacinthe, the co-founder and Nikos and Xenia, their brilliant mixologists. Another cool bar in the same area is Little Red Door where they take the concept of farm-to-cocktail glass seriously using seasonal produce like vegetables, fruits and flowers sourced from farmers. Try their drinks named Lou Mandrin, Squash Squash or Volupte. If walking around is your thing, with a cocktail here and a glass of wine there, on the left bank of the Seine is the neighbourhood of Saint-Germain-des-Prés with a wide selection of bars, cafés and restaurants. It's a bit touristy but fun nevertheless. Finally, a place that's still on my must-visit list is the Plénitude at the Cheval Blanc hotel. It's a fine dining restaurant with three Michelin Stars, and the hotel in which it's located is named after the prestigious vintage wine Cheval Blanc. The hotel is owned by the LVMH group and promises a lavish gastronomic experience.
Telegraph
20-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
William Sitwell reviews Krokodilos, Kensington: ‘We refused to be defeated by the goat'
Unquestionably this was goat. Goat in all its goatiness. By which I mean it ponged. It reeked. It was musty, earthy and truly goaty. It had everything except the bell. 'It's a wild goat. From the mountains of Greece, from the shepherd,' explained Nikos, our expressive and brilliant waiter ('You can call me Niko, but when you refer to me it's Nikos'). Which shepherd and which mountain I forget, though I could imagine eating such a thing in a rustic Greek bap, up on a barren, dusty hill, the sun beating down, the fragrance of wild thyme around us, the stinky nose and high game flavour in tune with the environment. But on Kensington Church Street, west London? We asked for a gutsy red to help tone it down. Along came two glasses of something from Crete. That, with some sweet gravy, made it more metrosexually acceptable. Yet I salute the place for being so brave and authentic in serving such a thing. But then, it is called Krokodilos and one doesn't argue with a scary, sharp-toothed reptile. The goat came as the centrepiece of a satisfying spread served in a well-designed room of pale woods and brickwork, surrounded by shelves stuffed with bottles and ornaments, here and there dripping with greenery. There is comfy upright seating, soft lighting and a large, heavy marble-topped bar at one end. Nikos enthused passionately about the menu – we were, apparently, in for some Greek masterpieces, a combination of authenticity and creativity. We started with 'taramas cream', which could be the name of a Jilly Cooper character. It came as a ripple of roe with a confit egg yolk, which we mixed in to give an orange tint and a touch of richness to the smoky roe. We had it with a 'village bread' which, Nikos explained, was 'potato bread' – and with whole chunks of potato baked into the dough, it sure as hell was. It was a little heavy and I reckon the tarama would be better served by something lighter with more crunch. Next up was a Greek salad, just like the dakos ones of Crete, with those grey-looking large and crunchy croutons. The tomatoes were fabulously steeped in oil and perfectly room-temperature, and on top there was a big, delicious wedge of feta. Then came rabbit livers, a dozen rich pink beauties in oil and herbs. These were the best livers I've had in a while; something that enhanced my love and admiration for the cooked bunny. A dish of octopus was not as good as the one at Kima, that Marylebone marvel, this version being drenched in too much cream, chopped tomatoes and other stuff. The goat followed, served with a large bowl of trahanas. This, Nikos explained, was a kind of Greek porridge, or a soup of cracked wheat and fermented dairy. It was perked up with thyme and a Greek hard cheese called graviera. It helped to further tame, or maybe swamp, the goat, which was a good thing. And we refused to be defeated by the meat, attacking it with that wine and sauce and porridge. So this was hearty stuff: all bold flavours and no-punch-pulling bravura. And it came with a bill to match, due to Nikos's skill in wine-upselling, which moved a generous spread of refined taramasalata, good Cretan salad, rabbit livers, octopus, porridge and goat up to the £300 mark (OK, we shared three starters and, technically, three mains). That included a Cretan white that lacked the smoothness of a great assyrtiko (£75 a bottle), the feisty but plonky red, which was £27 each for two medium glasses, and no pud. Still, a big hand to Nikos for selling then bearing those gifts with such panache.
