Latest news with #Patchett
Otago Daily Times
21-04-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Navy blue spectacle
The officers and crew of HMS Dunedin had another busy day yesterday. The principal feature of the day, so far as the general public was concerned, was a route march by a section of the ship's company through the city. At 9.30am 120 men, bearing arms and headed by the cruiser's band, marched from the Rattray Street wharf, along Cumberland and Lower High streets, Stuart, George, Hanover, King, and Frederick streets, thence through George and Princes streets to the Oval. The spectacle presented was an imposing one, and large crowds viewed the march from every street corner and the sidewalks. On arrival at the Oval, shortly after 10am, the men engaged in company drill for about 20 minutes. These evolutions were watched by a large number of spectators and were favourably commented upon. The men returned to the ship by way of Princes and Rattray streets, followed by a large crowd, the march selections played by the band and the blue uniforms of the sailors acting like a magnet. More attending kindy For 35 years the work of the Free Kindergarten Association has been carried on in Dunedin, and it is gratifying to state that interest in the work is spreading and the attendance of children in the schools is increasing. Comparatively few of the children in Dunedin have so far been able to benefit by this wonderful training. It is very much desired to open new kindergartens in different localities as soon as the necessary funds are in sight. The roll numbers in all the kindergartens are increasing, Caversham, Kaikorai, and St Kilda having "waiting" lists. Stitches in time The Dunedin Hospital Guild's total number of garments made during the year was 243. For the children's ward, 40 garments were sent, and comprise the following: 18 pairs of bath slippers, four dressing gowns and 18 dressing jackets. The garments sent to the matron of the James Powell Rest Home for use of the inmates consisted of: 32 vests, eight pairs of knickers, 70 night dresses, 11 pairs of bloomers, six pairs of slippers, six face cloths and some wool. All proceeds to charity A gracious act was performed by Miss Alfaretta Hallam, the eminent psychologist, at the conclusion of her address in the Art Gallery Hall last evening. She announced that she usually took up a collection to assist in defraying expenses, but she had been in the building the day before when the caretaker of the hall, Mr Edward Patchett, had dropped dead. It had come to her knowledge that his widow was ill and in straitened circumstances, and she had decided to hand the entire proceeds of the collection to Mrs Patchett. The audience responded liberally and accorded Miss Hallam a round of applause for her praiseworthy act. The sum of £10 8s was collected and will be duly handed to Mrs Patchett. Winter trains cut back "A very careful check has been kept on the passenger traffic for some time past on the express trains in the south," said Hon J.G. Coates (Minister of Railways), "as it was my intention to retain the daily express service between Invercargill and Christchurch throughout the year if there were any indication that the volume of traffic would reasonably justify the service. Unfortunately, however, the passenger traffic immediately preceding Easter was well within the scope of last winter's service, and there appears to be no alternative but to agree to the reduction of express services to the usual winter timetable." — ODT , 28.5.25 ( Compiled by Peter Dowden )
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cheerleading group joyous after winning bid to compete at Florida World Championships
A Bradford cheerleading club are jumping for joy after booking their place at the World Championships next year. Relentless Cheer and Dance, formerly known as the Luvabulls, attended Ice Cooler 2025, an event hosted by Incredibly Cool Events in Stoke-on-Trent a fortnight ago. There, they shone with a number of eye-catching performances and scores, and the club's senior team (15+) were one of four groups (bids) to confirm their place at next year's World Championships. It will take place in Orlando, Florida, April 2026, and Relentless will be hoping to put on a show once again. Reflecting on the club's achievement, head coach Ciara Patchett, who formed the club just three years ago, told the T&A: 'It's always been on my agenda to get to a world stage, but we've only been running as a club since 2022. 'You want to aspire to these types of things; however, you never expect it to come so soon. 'I think it's a credit to everyone at the club, whether it's the coaches or all the kids who show up on a weekly basis.' Patchett added: 'Since setting up, our students have always had it in their heads - that it is possible to reach something of this magnitude – but they've absolutely gone for it this time and fully deserve it. 'It's a great thing for my younger athletes to look up to because they can now be inspired and see exactly what is possible if they continue to work hard.' The Florida-bound senior team (Image: Submitted)Giving her thoughts on why she feels the club has progressed to world level so quickly, Patchett admitted: 'Every year we've just got bigger and we're up to over one hundred students now. 'We've upped the amount of training we do, which has naturally attracted more students, and our aspirations have continued to grow as a club. 'The students and coaches have continued to feed into that.' Patchett added: 'Winning the bid to get to the World Championships really made me sit back and reflect on what we've achieved in three years. 'It feels like a lifetime, but three years is not a long time at all, so what we have managed to achieve in that period is nothing short of remarkable.' As head coach Patchett works extremely hard to balance work-life as well as coaching at Relentless, and although it can be physically challenging, she admitted that it's something she needs in her life. 'It's hard work and extremely tiring because I'm a full-time teacher as well, so training comes after a day at work,' Patchett admitted. 'I think that shows just how much passion and love I still have for cheerleading and coaching because it is long, and I don't get to see my family lots of the time. 'Realistically, I do it because I love it, and this moment makes it all worthwhile. 'In the cheerleading world, this is one of the top competitions you can quality for, so it's a dream come true.' A joyous Ciara Patchett - head coach at Relentless (Image: Submitted) When established in 2022, Relentless were then known as Luvabulls, but the club decided on a name change two years ago. Giving the reasons behind it, Patchett said: 'Luvabulls was originally setup through the Bradford Bulls Foundation, so I changed the name so that people knew we were two separate things. 'The reason I changed it to Relentless is because I preach to my students regularly that it's important to never give up, no matter how challenging something can get. 'Life can be hard and there will always be things that get in the way, but it's how you battle through those challenges. 'So, I thought Relentless was a fitting name for what we're trying to achieve.' If you are interested in attending Relentless' cheerleading sessions, you can find out more by emailing: Relentlesscheeranddance@ or by heading to the Relentless Cheer & Dance Facebook page. The club welcomes students from ages 2-18+. Furthermore, Relentless are currently self-funding their trip to Orlando, so if any businesses are interested in sponsoring the club to help with their USA trip, you can contact them by emailing: Relentlesscheeranddance@ or by heading to the Relentless Cheer & Dance Facebook page.
BBC News
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'In my novels, there is more kindness than you might see in other books': Author Ann Patchett on writing amid chaos
In the latest episode of Influential, US writer Ann Patchett shares how seeing kindness around her influences the way she approaches her characters. The world needs "life-changing books", Ann Patchett once wrote in an essay in The New York Times. She wasn't referring to her own works, yet admirers of the best-selling US author would argue that this is exactly what she has achieved, with acclaimed novels including Bel Canto, and the Pulitzer Prize-shortlisted The Dutch House, along with her award-winning 2005 memoir, Truth and Beauty: A Friendship. Patchett, who cites John Updike and Roxane Gay as influences on her deep body of work, brushes off praise. Reflecting on her books, she says that it took her years to finally feel like she was a successful writer, even when The New York Times included the prize-winning 2001 novel Bel Canto in its best books of the 21st Century list. "I just didn't think you could make art and be successful," she tells the BBC's Katty Kay. They sat down at Parnassus Books, the bookshop Patchett she opened in 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee, a city which is also the setting for her 1992 novel The Patron Saint of Liars and her 2013 memoir-fiction hybrid, This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage. "[It] never occurred to me." Some may see an author opening a bookshop as self-serving, but Patchett explains that she approached it like a civic duty. She didn't want to live in a city without one, and after she saw her local bookshops shutting, she co-founded her own. "It wasn't that I wanted to open a bookstore – I really fell into it backwards," she says. "It's been a wonderful thing. It's been a huge joy." Patchett rose to prominence in the world of fiction, crafting stories that brought together unexpected situations, and even more unexpected characters. Take, for instance, the home for unwed mothers in The Patron Saint of Liars or the depths of the Amazon rainforest in 2011's State of Wonder. She describes the scenarios in her books as "people in confinement", even though the stories span everything from events on a meditation retreat to hostage situations – and her own memoirs. "The setting is the fun," she says of that commonality, though she's quick to point out that there's always something deeper going on. Readers have been transported to Alpine peaks, the jungles of South America, the cities of Los Angeles and Chicago – but Patchett points out that within those far-flung places, it's first and foremost the characters that she hopes fans connect with. "The setting is the frosting, but it is always the relationships." More like this: • Misty Copeland is 'not scared' to face a career beyond dance • Ina Garten on her internet appeal: 'Young people don't have mom in the kitchen' • Entrepreneur Jane Wurwand on why 'high-touch will overshadow high-tech' in business Patchett has said before she doesn't watch television and that she has resisted the siren song of social media. "I am very interested in protecting my brain and not just being constantly interrupted," she tells Kay. She uses a flip phone, she doesn't remember her number and she avoids both smartphones and social media. "I've never texted. That seems like a really bad idea. I don't want people to be able to get me all the time." She may not participate, but she is aware of the digital world – and it does make its way into her work. When Kay asks her how she captures readers' attention when they all have feeds to scroll, Patchett doesn't see this as an issue. "There are always going to be people who want to read," she says. "There isn't one truth about the way people are, how they get their entertainment, how they get their education." Reflecting on the characters in her books, Patchett explains that she is more drawn to kindness than anything else. When she looks at everything happening around her, she doesn't just see chaos and doom. "In my novels, there probably is more kindness than you might see in other books, but not more kindness than you might see in your daily life," she says. When Commonwealth, her seventh novel, was published in 2016, she spoke to fellow writer Zadie Smith, who offered an insight that Patchett had never considered. "'Autobiographical fiction isn't what has happened to us. It's what we're afraid of happening. It's what we fixate on and think about and worry about,'" Patchett recalls Smith saying. "In that moment, I thought, what am I afraid of? Who am I afraid of being? What do I think about all the time?" Addressing those questions head-on has allowed Patchett to craft characters that have resonated with readers. She says that her fans bring her first-edition hardcover copies of Bel Canto at festivals (she's quick to remind everyone that every hardcover of Bel Canto is a first edition), and tell her that she's managed to create something very special with every book. As ever, she downplays such praise. "I do it because I love to do it, I don't feel any pressure," she says. "If I never wrote a book again, the world would keep going just fine." Influential with Katty Kay airs on Fridays at 21:30 ET on the BBC News channel. -- For more Culture stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Oak Ridge literacy speaker, activists push back on book bans at state Capitol
Dozens of local students and literary activists — including author Ann Patchett and actor David Arquette — gathered at the Capitol on Tuesday for the inaugural Literary Day on the Hill, an event aimed at combating the rise in book bans across Tennessee. The event, organized by Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, comes as the lawmaker introduced his "Freedom to Read" bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Sarah Kyle, D-Memphis. Jones announced the proposal standing before a crowd of students from schools such as Hume Fogg and Martin Luther King. Jr. Magnet high schools in Nashville and Fisk University. The bill seeks to prohibit libraries — including public and public school libraries — from 'banning, removing, or otherwise restricting access to a book or other material based solely on its viewpoint or the messages ideas, or opinions it conveys, except as otherwise authorized.' 'This is a response to the books bans,' Jones said. 'The freedom to read is an American value — it is something we should defend with everything we have.' Jones called the rising number of book bans an 'absurdity.' 'Tennessee is leading the way in all the wrong ways, especially when it comes to books being removed from our shelves,' he said. 'This bill gives us something to fight for, something proactive." The event also featured Patchett, owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville and Arquette, the actor and community advocate. Patchett spoke in Oak Ridge in 2017 as the featured literacy luncheon speaker, an annual event sponsored by Altrusa International of Oak Ridge and the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club. This year's Lunch for Literacy event is March 18 at Oak Ridge High School. The speaker is Silas House, a bestselling author and Kentucky poet laureate. Proceeds provide grants for literacy projects for schools and organizations in Anderson and Roane counties. Caroline Randall Williams, writer-in-residence at Vanderbilt University, was also a scheduled speaker on Tuesday. 'If you read, you can go anywhere in the world,' Patchett said. 'Reading is primarily a compassionate act. … If you are cut off from literature, you are just cut off from a huge part of what is available to you in the world.' Later, Patchett said 'of all the things that there are to protect children from,' books were 'not one of them.' Nearly 1,400 books, consisting of 1,155 unique titles, were either fully removed from school libraries or heavily age-restricted between December 2023 and January 2025, according to a Tennessean analysis. Between 2021 and July 2023, only about 300 books faced similar challenges across the state. Now, in less than half that time, at least 1,389 books were removed or heavily age-restricted statewide over the past year. More: 'Not enough kids in these meetings': Students weigh in as 1,100 books banned in Tennessee Sitting among the throngs of kids and dressed in her 'I support public schools' shirt was Sandy Lewis, a retired teacher who is working locally to stop book removals. 'I am concerned with what is happening with books in this state,' she said. 'It seems like they're being chipped away at.' Lewis, who formerly taught in Memphis public schools for 34 years, noted particular concern with the many books up for potential removal in Rutherford County Schools. More: Rutherford schools book banning upsets free speech advocates: 'We are banished' Rutherford County has been under fire for recent book removals, after pulling 160 books from school shelves in the county in November. So far, 51 of those books have been permanently banned. The USA TODAY Network - Tennessee's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Have a story to tell? Reach Angele Latham by email at alatham@ by phone at 931-623-9485, or follow her on Twitter at @angele_latham. The Oak Ridger's News Editor Donna Smith contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee books: Ann Patchett, others push against bans
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ann Patchett, literary activists push back on book bans at Literary Day on the Hill
Dozens of local students and literary activists — including author Ann Patchett and actor David Arquette — gathered at the Capitol on Tuesday for the inaugural Literary Day on the Hill, an event aimed at combating the rise in book bans across Tennessee. The event, organized by Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, comes as the lawmaker introduced his "Freedom to Read" bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Sarah Kyle, D-Memphis. Jones announced the proposal standing before a crowd of students from schools such as Hume Fogg and Martin Luther King. Jr. Magnet high schools in Nashville and Fisk University. The bill seeks to prohibit libraries — including public and public school libraries — from 'banning, removing, or otherwise restricting access to a book or other material based solely on its viewpoint or the messages ideas, or opinions it conveys, except as otherwise authorized.' 'This is a response to the books bans,' Jones said. 'The freedom to read is an American value — it is something we should defend with everything we have.' Jones called the rising number of book bans an 'absurdity.' 'Tennessee is leading the way in all the wrong ways, especially when it comes to books being removed from our shelves,' he said. 'This bill gives us something to fight for, something proactive." The event also featured Patchett, owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville and Arquette, the actor and community advocate. Caroline Randall Williams, writer-in-residence at Vanderbilt University, was also a scheduled speaker. 'If you read, you can go anywhere in the world,' Patchett said. 'Reading is primarily a compassionate act. … If you are cut off from literature, you are just cut off from a huge part of what is available to you in the world.' Later, Patchett said 'of all the things that there are to protect children from,' books were 'not one of them.' Nearly 1,400 books, consisting of 1,155 unique titles, were either fully removed from school libraries or heavily age-restricted between December 2023 and January 2025, according to a Tennessean analysis. Between 2021 and July 2023, only about 300 books faced similar challenges across the state. Now, in less than half that time, at least 1,389 books were removed or heavily age-restricted statewide over the past year. More: 'Not enough kids in these meetings': Students weigh in as 1,100 books banned in Tennessee Sitting among the throngs of kids and dressed in her 'I support public schools' shirt was Sandy Lewis, a retired teacher who is working locally to stop book removals. 'I am concerned with what is happening with books in this state,' she said. 'It seems like they're being chipped away at.' Lewis, who formerly taught in Memphis public schools for 34 years, noted particular concern with the many books up for potential removal in Rutherford County Schools. More: Rutherford schools book banning upsets free speech advocates: 'We are banished' Rutherford County has been under fire for recent book removals, after pulling 160 books from school shelves in the county in November. So far, 51 of those books have been permanently banned. The USA TODAY Network - Tennessee's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Have a story to tell? Reach Angele Latham by email at alatham@ by phone at 931-623-9485, or follow her on Twitter at @angele_latham This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee books: Ann Patchett, others push against bans
