Latest news with #Portishead
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
'Builder Mark Killick turned our home into junkyard', jury told
A builder who is accused of defrauding customers in the West Country out of more than £2m left one woman's home looking like a "junkyard", a jury has been Killick, of Shoe Lane in Paulton, Somerset, allegedly charged customers for building materials and labour but failed to complete the work and kept the 56-year-old, also known as Mark Cole and Mark Jenkins, is accused of 46 counts of fraud committed between December 2019 and November Brooks told Bristol Crown Court her mother was hospitalised after falling down a trench Mr Killick had begun to dig but did not finish, instead disappearing and failing to reply to text messages. Ms Brooks said Mr Killick, who introduced himself as Mark Cole, had agreed to extend her driveway and rebuild the listed orangery at her home in Portishead in December was quoted £115k for the project and asked to pay a deposit of £20k upfront."He seemed very clever, had a lot of ideas about what you could do," she told the jury. "He had the gift of the gab, made a lot of sense and sounded plausible." The scaffolding went up immediately but progress was slow and inefficient, she told the court, and Mr Killick blamed the Covid-19 pandemic for the months went on, she said he continued to request further money for traders and materials that never arrived - bringing the total cost to £ allegedly threatened to "halt all the work completely" if she did not pay up."We had what we thought was a contract," Ms Brooks explained. "We had sunk money into this and we needed to get it done. I had to push it forward." 'We're getting desperate' Despite repeated attempts to contact Mr Killick to confirm the schedule of works, she alleges her home was left in a dangerous state of disarray for claims the temporary scaffolding over the orangery was so poorly constructed it "kept lifting up" in the jury was shown text exchanges between the pair as she pleaded for an update, saying: "We're getting desperate, please call us. Are you still alive?"Our beautiful home looks like a junkyard. Our house is worthless until this job is done."Ms Brooks claimed completion dates were "plucked out of the air to fob [her] off". However, defence attorney Robin Shellard suggested she had expanded the project by around 30%, requiring more work than was initially agreed cited an extended driveway and a natural stone wall, but Ms Brooks disputed the claim they had not been included in the original plans."It may not have been to your satisfaction, it may not have been good enough, but a considerable amount of work had been done," Mr Shellard trial continues.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Nurse's 40 years in cancer care a ‘privilege'
A cancer specialist nurse who lost her father to the disease is continuing to support patients after her retirement from the wards. Tricia Timms is a Macmillan call centre nurse based in Portishead, Somerset, who began her career in 1985 at Southmead Hospital and Weston General Hospital. Facing retirement three years ago, she chose to provide reassurance and a listening ear to those feeling "petrified and in shock" following a cancer diagnosis. "There's something special about being with somebody at their darkest hour," she said. "You've made a difference, and that's where the reward is. It's a privilege." Ms Timms' father died from prostate cancer, which had developed to his liver, just six months after she began her job as a prostate cancer nurse. "It was quite early in my career when I got this passion for cancer care," she explained. "I wanted to see if we could stop somebody else having to suffer like that. With any cancer, it's about finding it early and you've got a much better chance." Ms Timms now supports people "across the scope" from initial diagnosis to palliative care, in addition to loved ones affected by the news. "It takes an emotional toll on you, we are humans," she admitted. "We're all qualified and experienced nurses but no matter what, you don't know what you're going to deal with the next day. "They might be tearful, angry, absolutely petrified, they don't know what to do. "It's a lifechanging moment when you walk in there and somebody says 'you've got cancer'." However, Ms Timms said modern medicine has come a long way, and treatments can "work very well and extend people's lifespans". "[Patients] might feel like everything is taking a long time to get sorted, but we can explain it to them, what's going on in the background," she said. "Those scans and biopsies need to be looked at to form a picture before they can come up with a treatment plan. "Give yourself time to get over that shock. Once you know the plan, things are different.' Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Somerset ovarian cancer survival rates 'incredible' 'Learning to walk again after cancer treatment' Hospitals using AI to diagnose prostate cancer Macmillan Cancer Support
BBC News
25-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Nurse's 40 years in cancer care a ‘privilege'
A cancer specialist nurse who lost her father to the disease is continuing to support patients after her retirement from the wards. Tricia Timms is a Macmillan call centre nurse based in Portishead, Somerset, who began her career in 1985 at Southmead Hospital and Weston General retirement three years ago, she chose to provide reassurance and a listening ear to those feeling "petrified and in shock" following a cancer diagnosis. "There's something special about being with somebody at their darkest hour," she said. "You've made a difference, and that's where the reward is. It's a privilege." Ms Timms' father died from prostate cancer, which had developed to his liver, just six months after she began her job as a prostate cancer nurse. "It was quite early in my career when I got this passion for cancer care," she explained."I wanted to see if we could stop somebody else having to suffer like that. With any cancer, it's about finding it early and you've got a much better chance." Ms Timms now supports people "across the scope" from initial diagnosis to palliative care, in addition to loved ones affected by the news."It takes an emotional toll on you, we are humans," she admitted. "We're all qualified and experienced nurses but no matter what, you don't know what you're going to deal with the next day. "They might be tearful, angry, absolutely petrified, they don't know what to do. "It's a lifechanging moment when you walk in there and somebody says 'you've got cancer'." 'Give yourself time' However, Ms Timms said modern medicine has come a long way, and treatments can "work very well and extend people's lifespans". "[Patients] might feel like everything is taking a long time to get sorted, but we can explain it to them, what's going on in the background," she said."Those scans and biopsies need to be looked at to form a picture before they can come up with a treatment plan. "Give yourself time to get over that shock. Once you know the plan, things are different.'
Korea Herald
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Let There Be Light: Vivid Sydney 2025 Kicks Off
SYDNEY, May 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Harbour City has awakened in colour and creativity tonight as Vivid Sydney 2025, Australia's largest event, has officially begun for its 15 th year. Under this year's theme of Dream, a world class curation of Light, Ideas, Music and Food await festivalgoers over 23 nights, until Saturday, 14 June. This year, the festival comprises over 200 events across five unique zones around the city's CBD, all designed to inspire wonder, expand thinking and give each visitor the opportunity to see Sydney in a new light. Making Vivid Sydney more accessible than ever, over 75 per cent of this year's program is free to enjoy, including the entire Vivid Light Walk, Martin Place also makes a welcome return to the festival footprint after a seven-year absence. This year, the world's biggest names in entertainment, food, and pop culture will feature, including, Martha Stewart, Nigella Lawson, Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, plus Portishead's Beth Gibbons. Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said, "Sydney is ready to shine! As we mark 15 years, this world-class event continues to showcase the very best destinations and creative talent our city has to offer. "Vivid Sydney continues to grow in scale and impact, drawing millions of visitors and reinforcing Sydney's position as the premier destination in the Asia Pacific. "With over 75 per cent of the program free to attend and the entire Vivid Light Walk open to everyone, it is one of the most accessible events in the country, and this year's program has something for everyone. "It's a festival that unites communities, supports local businesses and boosts our visitor and night-time economies. We can't wait to see the city light up tonight!" Vivid Sydney 2025 kicked off at Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay for the annual First Light ceremony, featuring performances by NAISDA dancers that honoured Yolngu culture in Arnhem Land. The ceremony culminated at 6pm as Sydney Harbour burst to life with pyrotechnics, projections and installations illuminating the city's world-famous buildings and landmarks followed by First Light Live, a free concert honouring the power and pride of First Nations music.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Let There Be Light: Vivid Sydney 2025 Kicks Off
SYDNEY, May 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Harbour City has awakened in colour and creativity tonight as Vivid Sydney 2025, Australia's largest event, has officially begun for its 15th year. Under this year's theme of Dream, a world class curation of Light, Ideas, Music and Food await festivalgoers over 23 nights, until Saturday, 14 June. This year, the festival comprises over 200 events across five unique zones around the city's CBD, all designed to inspire wonder, expand thinking and give each visitor the opportunity to see Sydney in a new light. Making Vivid Sydney more accessible than ever, over 75 per cent of this year's program is free to enjoy, including the entire Vivid Light Walk, Martin Place also makes a welcome return to the festival footprint after a seven-year absence. This year, the world's biggest names in entertainment, food, and pop culture will feature, including, Martha Stewart, Nigella Lawson, Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, plus Portishead's Beth Gibbons. Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said, "Sydney is ready to shine! As we mark 15 years, this world-class event continues to showcase the very best destinations and creative talent our city has to offer. "Vivid Sydney continues to grow in scale and impact, drawing millions of visitors and reinforcing Sydney's position as the premier destination in the Asia Pacific. "With over 75 per cent of the program free to attend and the entire Vivid Light Walk open to everyone, it is one of the most accessible events in the country, and this year's program has something for everyone."It's a festival that unites communities, supports local businesses and boosts our visitor and night-time economies. We can't wait to see the city light up tonight!" Vivid Sydney 2025 kicked off at Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay for the annual First Light ceremony, featuring performances by NAISDA dancers that honoured Yolngu culture in Arnhem Land. The ceremony culminated at 6pm as Sydney Harbour burst to life with pyrotechnics, projections and installations illuminating the city's world-famous buildings and landmarks followed by First Light Live, a free concert honouring the power and pride of First Nations music. Vivid Sydney runs from Friday 23 May to Saturday 14 June. For more information visit SOURCE Destination NSW Sign in to access your portfolio
