Latest news with #PaulColeman
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The Power of Parker, season 2 review: come for the broad humour, stay for the killer 1990s soundtrack
If you're aged 65 or over, our survey says, you are watching more television than any other age group in the country. Extrapolating further from this (admittedly fictional) survey, it's a fair bet that nostalgia for past times will bullseye those remote controls. Which makes The Power of Parker (BBC One) a canny bit of demographic-baiting comedy. Sian Gibson and Paul Coleman's tale of Stockport sisters eventually doing it for themselves should really be called I Heart the (Early) '90s, it's so awash with loving period detail. Walkmans, answerphones, curly fries and more play key supporting roles as dithering heroines Kath and Diane stumble their way to a self-awareness that amounts to realising Martin Parker, the man to whom they have mystifyingly devoted their lives is, to put it politely, a… waste of space. We've moved on 'two years or so' from the first series, which climaxed with Parker's electrical store going up in an inferno, taking Martin along with it. Except, of course, he survived and, thanks to some hula-hooping exposition involving insurance fraud and a Chinese takeaway, we pick up the threads with long-suffering Diane (Rosie Cavaliero) running the rebuilt store but now under the thumb of Sandy Cooper, another sexist dinosaur (Steve Pemberton) because that's how all men were in the '90s. The comedy is still broad, slapped on in the old school style, which substitutes endless asides and one-liners for actual conversation, and does at times feel contrived. Yet somewhere around the middle of this run I began to be won over. The mood switches from a Phoenix Nights pastiche to a curious spin on Shallow Grave, Danny Boyle's hit 1994 debut movie in which… well, let's just say things take a dark turn, we are in spoiler land. The mood-switch opens the door to a very funny sequence in which Sian Gibson's perky Kath, opening up to a cop chum, floats the idea of Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis and Pat Butcher (aka EastEnders legend Pam St Clement) starring in the same movie thriller. How did that never get made? But it wasn't the increasingly black comedy which made my critical claws retract: it was the killer soundtrack. I now have a self-made Spotify Power of Parker playlist stuffed full of brilliant 1990s classics – shout out to Julian Cope's World Shut Your Mouth and Crucified by Army of Lovers – that add a subtlety to the story it quite possibly doesn't merit. The weak link is Conleth Hill's off-kilter portrayal of oily Martin Parker. Hill feels miscast. While he's adept at giving us a dose of Martin's toxic masculinity, he's much less convincing when laying on the silver fox charm that supposedly has women falling under his spell. So much so that – 11 episodes in, counting series one – when the two sisters finally have a lightbulb moment and chorus, 'How the hell did we both fall for that?' I'll admit it prompted a celebratory exclamation of, 'Finally!' from yours truly. Which surprised me. I didn't know I cared.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paul Coleman shines in Andy Parker Trophy at Oake Manor Golf Club
Golfers delivered some impressive performances in a series of competitions at Oake Manor Golf Club. Paul Coleman was victorious in the Andy Parker Trophy on Saturday, May 3 finishing three strokes clear of his nearest rivals with an outstanding nett score of 64. The 14-handicapper produced a "standout performance" to beat a strong field of competitors. David Wheeler and James Macey shared second place, both finishing on 67. A group of players closely followed, with Dave Hill and Simon Hartstone both carding 70. Six players tied on 71, further highlighting the competitive nature of the event. The club expressed gratitude to all participants and greenkeepers for contributing to a "great day of golf." They gave a special mention to Paul Coleman for his "well-deserved win" in the Andy Parker Trophy. The following day, Zachary Smith won the 'Star Wars' Stableford Competition on Sunday, May 4, with a score of 41 points. Kevin Gratton came second with 39 points and Finley Pike finished third with 36 points. In the ladies' Stableford competition for the Silver Street Motors Trophy, Jill Loader won with 39 points. Ros Shepherd was a close second with 38 points, while Kathy Salway rounded out the top three with 33 points. The Bank Holiday Monday Stableford Competition on May 5 was equally well supported. Phil Saunders was the overall winner in division two with a score of 42 points, finishing six points clear of second-placed Barry Roberts. Richard Clist came third, also with 36 points. In division one, Jack Jones was victorious with 36 points, Philip Porter came second with 35 points, and Adam Cornish was third, also with 35 points. On Tuesday, May 6, Amanda Mather won division one of the ladies' Stableford competition with 38 points. Charlotte Bolton came second, and Alison Harman was third, both with 36 points. Pat Snelling took the division two title with a score of 41 points. Julie Cross was second with 34 points, and Pepita Verge was third with 33 points. The midweek Stableford competition on Wednesday, May 7 saw Robin Trott winning division one with 39 points. Ian Blackwell came second with 38 points, and Jack Jones was third, also with 38 points. Keiran Thomas won division two with a score of 43 points, the top score of the day. Gareth Topps came second with 41 points, and Chris Warcup was third with 36 points.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Radical Study Proposes a Single Cause to Explain Alzheimer's Disease
A new model of Alzheimer's disease has been proposed, which could speed up efforts to understand and cure the complex condition – while bringing all manifestations of the condition under one unifying theory. Researchers from Arizona State University suggest that stress granules – protein and RNA clumps that form around cells in stressful conditions due to genetic and environmental risk factors – are the primary culprit behind the disease. In their new study, the team reviewed data from multiple health databases and past papers – particularly a 2022 study on Alzheimer's progression – to identify widespread changes in gene expression that come with it. We know Alzheimer's makes these wholesale changes early on, effectively rewiring biological pathways to increase cell stress, block neuron communications, and cause protein abnormalities, such as amyloid-beta clumps. What's less clear is what's behind this disastrous shift in gene behavior – and whether this could also explain Alzheimer's. These stress granules are believed to protect cells while homeostasis is restored, but in Alzheimer's, the indications are that they persist and disrupt other processes – including, significantly, nucleocytoplasmic transport. That's where crucial molecules are moved between the nucleus of the cell and its surrounding cytoplasm. "Our proposal, focusing on the breakdown of communication between the nucleus and cytoplasm leading to massive disruptions in gene expression, offers a plausible framework to comprehensively understand the mechanisms driving this complex disease," says neuroscientist Paul Coleman. "Studying these early manifestations of Alzheimer's could pave the way for innovative approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, addressing the disease at its roots." The hypothesis puts forward the idea that stress granules disrupt the cell transport system, which then modifies gene expression, and then that in turn causes all the symptoms of Alzheimer's – including neuroinflammation and tau protein tangles. In other words, all the different facets of Alzheimer's disease could come from the same source. While there's no firm proof yet that this is what's happening, the researchers have demonstrated that it plausibly fits the current evidence. And because this cell stress happens before any Alzheimer's symptoms, it gives scientists an opportunity to try and block the disease at its earliest stages. It's possible that most symptoms could be prevented at the source. A variety of factors, from air pollution to genetic mutations, could be triggering these stress granules to linger longer – and future studies will be able to look in more detail at how they're formed and how they cause damage. "Our paper contributes to the ongoing debate about when Alzheimer's truly begins – an evolving concept shaped by advances in technology and research," says Coleman. "The key questions are when it can first be detected and when intervention should begin, both of which have profound implications for society and future medical approaches." The research has been published in Alzheimer's and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association. Can a Supplement Really Help You Control Your Pesky Eye Floaters? Revealed: Women Face Much Higher Risk of Long COVID, But Why? Several Psychiatric Disorders Share The Same Root Cause, Study Reveals
