Latest news with #Prospect
Edinburgh Live
14 hours ago
- Health
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh woman 'forced to move out' of home after 'mouse crawls up shoulder'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An Edinburgh woman has detailed how her home was overrun with vermin as mice nested in her bed and climbed over her body. Maggie Wolohan, 46, of Clovenstone Gardens, is pleading with her housing association to move her after she came face-to-face with a rodent in her bedroom. Prospect visited her home and fumigated the public stairwell as well as filled holes with steel wool in the flat. But Maggie believes this has not gone far enough and the mice will return. The issue became so bad she claims she had to move in with her brother on Clovenstone Drive for 12 weeks. She has accused her landlord of not taking her concerns seriously while adding the ordeal has caused her stress. 'I've been plagued with mice,' Maggie said. 'It is about the third or fourth year in a row now. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. 'I had to move out and go and live with my brother and only recently moved back in because of it. They had began to nest in my bed. 'We put traps down but it did not work and contacted Prospect who sent a man out. He was lovely and filled the holes he could see with steel wool but they didn't fumigate my flat. 'Prospect fumigated the stair but the problem is the mice are in the flats. Back in May I was sat in my bed, playing a game on my phone, when a mouse had crawled up from the bed, onto my arm and up my shoulder - I s**t myself. 'That night I moved out. I was at my brother's for 12 weeks and it was really disruptive as I suffer from epilepsy. 'I've had to get rid of my bed and all the stuff underneath it and have not been compensated. All I got was an advance on my Universal Credit and I have to pay that back. 'They will come back because my flat was not fumigated and I've found more holes in my bathroom. I don't feel like Prospect have taken me seriously enough. 'This has really triggered my health and stressed me right out.' Maggie's brother, Duncan Wolohan, 53, of Clovenstone Drive, has also experienced his own problem with vermin. He and his wife claim to have been kept up at night by the sound of scurrying rats behind their bedroom wall. 'We noticed the rats a couple of years ago,' he said. 'We think they have come in through a hole in the back or are coming down from the roof. 'My wife can hear them scurrying up and down but to be honest we have not heard them for a few weeks. She could hear them in the walls in our bedroom at night, it was this scratching noise. 'We complained about the issue and they said they found holes but they are worried they are digging under the ground to get into the block. Other people a couple of blocks down are definitely worse affected. 'I think Prospect have done as much as they can, they can only fill the holes they see. They've also been up in the attic to see what was up there.' Despite Duncan feeling the issue may have been resolved, his wife had other thoughts. She believes the rats may be 'hibernating' and will return when the weather becomes colder. 'At the beginning when we heard them, Prospect seemed uninterested,' she said. 'That was until they got so many calls last year to do something about the rats. . 'Pest control said they were digging underneath the home. I think more traps should be laid as they will come back. I want a proper investigation into what is causing them.' Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox Prospect said they have notified their team about the issues and will reach out to the impacted residents.
Edinburgh Live
3 days ago
- General
- Edinburgh Live
The forgotten Edinburgh scheme where 'proud' locals say they feel 'abandoned'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Proud residents of an Edinburgh scheme have complained of being 'forgotten and abandoned' as their community is left in a state of degradation. Clovenstone locals spoke to Edinburgh Live to express their love for their community, with warm words for their neighbours, but they called on Edinburgh Council to step in and prevent the area becoming tired and worn down. Litter and items strewn across streets, overgrown green areas, a lack of youth spaces and burned out vehicles are all issues plaguing the community, according to residents. Exploring the community, we bumped into a gran and a mother playing with their children at a back green on Clovenstone Park, both of them had spent their entire lives in the local area. Karen Shore, 49, who works as a pupil support officer at a local primary, shared fond memories of growing up in Clovenstone. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. 'I've lived in every part of Clovenstone and I'd never leave,' she said 'It was an amazing place to grow up, everyone looked out for each other. It is a great community. 'But there have been massive changes. I'd say the area used to be well respected because we all knew each other and took pride in the community. But over the years it has gone downhill. 'It is dirtier. There are not many bins around the place and a massive problem with littering. When my kids came home they would have litter in their pockets because they were raised like that. 'Flytipping is everywhere and when someone puts it up on Facebook, you will see a comment 'oh it is Wester Hailes, what do you expect?' It puts the area down. 'People rate it to be poor but it is not until you come to live here that you know what the community is about. No matter where you are you get daft people. 'Areas run by Prospect (housing association) are well looked after but there is a feeling the council do not do enough. People feel let down by them, buildings look really tired and areas are overgrown, it could do with getting tidied up but the council always moan about the budget. 'It makes you feel really down seeing how tired everything looks. If something is nice, and the area looks good, you feel pride. We are a disadvantaged area and we do need a bit of help. During my time working in the youth sector I've seen money cut but there is always cash for the wrong things like trams.' Her daughter Michaela Shore, 26, shared her pride in growing up in Clovenstone but she did not echo her mother's opinion of wanting to remain in the area for the rest of her life. 'I'm looking to buy at the moment but I probably would never buy here,' the Royal Edinburgh Hospital employee said. 'There is nothing for the kids, the parks haven't changed from when I was younger, and some of them have been taken away to stop antisocial behaviour. 'I've nothing against the area but the loss of things for kids to do is noticeable. I'd like to see the area tidied up and more accessible parks, there are a lot of families with disabilities, and there is nothing for kids in wheelchairs.' Anne Davidson, 45, who works as a receptionist and has lived in Clovenstone for the best part of 20 years, also called for more support while praising her neighbours sense of community. The Barn Park Crescent resident pointed out many locals are experiencing poverty while others struggle with mobility - making it difficult to maintain overgrown public greenspaces. 'People are disadvantaged and many have multiple health problems which mean they struggle with gardening and keeping on top of things,' she said while pointing to her own overgrown back green which was littered with fly tipped items. 'I think the council should be giving more support, there are kids in these stairs who could benefit from the spaces. 'We feel forgotten. That is what it is in Edinburgh, if you are not touched by tourism then you are forgotten, and Wester Hailes is not the only place. 'Folk have given up with outside spaces because it has become so bad. I know it is not a good mindset but it is where people are, what is the point? 'You see down Harvesters Way - there is a wee corner of communal ground, and a wee garden bit outside the stairs and it is gorgeous. People are keeping it nice. It goes to show if there is a bit of investment, people will look after their area. 'If the council sorts it, then we will be able to maintain it.' Anne added she moved to the area from Balgreen and enjoyed her time here but added her family have grown tired of the lack of support given to the community. 'My son went to local primary school and never had any bother up here and we have liked it,' she added. 'The place just needs help. It is so run down but I've nothing bad to say about the people. 'There is a real sense of community here. My son went to the local school, went to the community centre where he went camping with them when I was a single mum. It is a community. 'Years ago when my son was small we came out of a shop across the road there and this person came over, drunk, and tried to push us and grab my son, but people who did not even know us rushed over and helped. 'Even if people don't know each other, they will still help. It hurts me when people think it is a bad place, it isn't, there are a lot of good people here. 'I think it is because it looks so bad when driving past, people think it is shabby. It is pretty sad.' Michelle Hamilton, 51, is a hairdresser by trade and moved to the area from Carrick Knowe seven years ago. She told Edinburgh Live she loves the area but there does seem to be a divide in the cleanliness of areas depending on whether Prospect Housing Association or the council look after the space. 'It is really quiet, I love the area,' she said. 'I just sit with my book on my balcony on my days off. 'It is not what I expected it to be before I moved here as there was a perception of Clovenstone. But it is really nice and my neighbours are lovely. 'I would say I'm in a nice bit next to the up and coming area but you do notice the Prospect areas seem better looked after than the council.' Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox Local SNP councillor Neil Gardiner said: "There is a strong community in Clovenstone. With councillor Fiona Glasgow who lives locally, we have been working alongside local people to re-establish the Wester Hailes Community Council. "I'd encourage anyone with ideas for the area to speak to us or come along to the community council, bringing forward suggestions. Council services need to be focused on local needs. "Although in opposition, we want to make local services a focus of the current administration." Edinburgh council were approached for comment.
New York Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Phillies prospect Andrew Painter is learning from Triple-A ‘rollercoaster' post-Tommy John
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — He turned to face the outfield from the mound and adjusted his sleeves, waiting as the batter reached for his gear and placed it on the ground before heading to first base. Andrew Painter had just issued a four-pitch walk, with none of his offerings near the zone. He seemed unruffled. As J.C. Escarra made his way to first, Painter was looking at the defensive alignment behind him and getting ready to do it all over again. More pitches. More chances for redemption. Advertisement Such has been life for Painter, the Philadelphia Phillies' top prospect riding the ups and downs of returning from Tommy John surgery with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season. 'Part of the fun of this year has been, when I've gotten knocked down, it's like — you still have another start,' Painter told The Athletic. '(It's) not confirmed when my next start is, but if I do go Sunday, that's another time against the same lineup. I can't do anything about what happened tonight. That's in the past. But what are the adjustments I need to make and how can I overcome that in my next start?' Painter, against the New York Yankees' Triple-A affiliate Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, went four innings with five hits, five earned runs, four walks and four strikeouts at Coca-Cola Park on Tuesday. He had limited feel for the zone, throwing 90 pitches and 47 for strikes. He struggled to make adjustments. Two years removed from surgery, the right-hander is struggling the most he has, on the greatest stage he's played on. Painter had excelled at each stop before now. He finished his senior year of high school in 2021 with a 0.31 ERA in 45 1/3 innings. He sailed from Low-A Clearwater to High-A Jersey Shore to Double-A Reading in 2022, ending with a combined ERA of 1.56 and 155 strikeouts in 103 2/3 innings. His was on a seemingly straightforward, lightning-fast path to the majors until he was diagnosed with a UCL sprain in March 2023. Then came the operation in July, leading to a shutdown of more than a year. Now, Painter owns a 4.88 ERA across 72 innings pitched with Lehigh Valley this season. He has struck out 71 and walked 29. Struggles have come in waves: giving up six runs then going scoreless, a 100-pitch outing with one run on July 30 before a four-run first inning on Tuesday. It took Andrew Painter 34 pitches to get through the first inning. The fastball location was unideal. 4-0, RailRiders. — Charlotte Varnes (@charlottevarnes) August 5, 2025 'It's been a rollercoaster this year,' Painter said. 'There's times where I feel great, and I can't miss the strike zone. There's other times where I don't know where the ball is going.' Tuesday was one of those nights. The RailRiders loaded up on lefties, playing eight against Painter. They are among his biggest problems; entering Tuesday, lefties batted .311 with an .881 OPS against him. Advertisement The pitches Painter trusts against lefties did not deliver. He could not locate his fastball, which spun arm-side up. The changeup, he thought, wasn't competitive. The curveball was off. Painter had multiple four-pitch walks where his fastball was not near the zone. He threw 11 first-pitch strikes while facing 21 batters, an advantage he could not build on. But, for the most part, he lived in hitter's counts. 'First inning, four (runs) came through,' Painter said. 'Two of them were from walks. At that point, you're just kind of handing it to them. Being in the zone — that's something I usually pride myself on, is the command, and being in the zone early. I just kind of didn't have it tonight.' Command can sometimes take the longest to return after Tommy John surgery. And recovery from the procedure, of course, is not linear. That is reality, one that does not square neatly with the 'July-ish' timeline the Phillies initially set for Painter's MLB debut. When the calendar flipped to July and Painter struggled, the tone changed. 'Will we see him (within a month)?' president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said last Thursday. 'I'm not really sure what's going to happen.' The Phillies knew he would struggle at points. They're impressed with what he's done — throwing 100 pitches, how he's handled adversity. But the club has backed away from its previous timeline for MLB arrival. There are logistics involved. Should Painter debut this season, it would most likely be after Aaron Nola's return to the rotation and Taijuan Walker's to the bullpen. That would mean the Phillies would have to utilize a six-man rotation. Adding a sixth man is not a conversation the Phillies are having now, manager Rob Thomson said Sunday, but one they could have with a long stretch of games without a day off coming up. But Walker, who pitched six scoreless innings against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday, could be a better fit for a sixth spot given Painter's progression. Advertisement Still, Painter's stuff is solid. The fastball averages 95 mph and is strong when located. His curveball has a whiff rate of 28.6 percent. There has been work on his slider, catcher Garrett Stubbs said, because the previous version wasn't the 'wipeout pitch' Painter wanted it to be. But there is still much to learn about pitching. He often comes up to coaches during games, manager Anthony Contreras said, asking questions about what to do and when. One conversation in early June entailed how to pitch with the infield in, depending on whether he wanted a strikeout, lazy pop-up or a ground ball. 'We start talking about like, 'Hey, what pitches and what sequence would get those results?'' Contreras said. 'Things like that — controlling the running game, understanding what the game and the score is telling us. Because when you have a good understanding of what the game is telling you to do, you can slow a lot of things down.' Pitching coach Matt Ellmyer said he and colleague Phil Cundari brainstorm what to talk about with Painter, whether it's a specific fastball location or executing a slider or changeup. 'And he'll beat us to the jump,' Ellmyer said, 'Because he's thinking about it himself. He's thinking with us. He's very curious. I think he's doing a great job, narrowing those blinders when he needs to, but he's also very open to finding out what we can do to get him to the next place that he needs to be to continue to be successful.' Command has been the pitching core's biggest focus since Painter arrived in Allentown, Ellmyer said. Even the conversations have taken a step forward since then, he said, going from Painter 'kind of having an idea of how he wants to attack guys and where he wants to go with it, to really owning that process.' Being competitive has been an emphasis, too, especially when things spiral like they did on Tuesday. There have been flashes of a competitive pitcher on the mound, Painter said. Other times, he said, 'stuff goes downhill, and it goes downhill quick.' Advertisement 'So, just trying to figure out how to make those adjustments and prevent that from happening, and pick up on it earlier,' he said. Painter left the mound after four innings on Tuesday, his teammates high-fiving him as he walked back into the dugout. He was done pitching around 8:15. About two hours later, after the 7-1 Lehigh Valley loss, Painter and his coaches huddled to review the performance. There was a lot to talk about. There will continue to be ups and downs for Painter as the recovery process continues. He is working hard to figure out what's next, what he can do to become better. Each start is an opportunity. 'He's getting wrapped up in the game,' Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham said. (Photo of Painter in May: Olivia Damato / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Euronews
02-08-2025
- General
- Euronews
A bitter rivalry? Two pubs claim to be London's oldest riverside pub
What do you look for when choosing a public house? A wide variety of craft beers and crisp ciders? Decent pub grub? Appropriately pint-stained carpets? Or are you more keen on history? If it's the latter, London pubgoers are in a bit of a pickle. In London's East End, a pub proudly hangs out a sign that reads 'Oldest riverside pub in London.' Across the Thames River, another pub makes the same bold claim. That's right, following the battle for the title of the world's oldest restaurant in Spain now comes the fight for London's oldest riverside pub, with both the Mayflower and the Prospect of Whitby laying claim to the title. Contender Number 1: Mayflower Named after the Pilgrim Mayflower ship, which set sail from the site in 1620 to begin its journey to America, the pub is said to have some of the ship's original timbers incorporated into its structure. Today, pubgoers who can prove direct descent from one of the Mayflower passengers can sign its 'Descendants Book.' Contender Number 2: Prospect of Whitby The Prospect claims it was established in 1520, with its original flagstone surviving an arson attack in 1666 - the same year as the Great Fire of London. The pub was outside of the city limits at that time and was not affected by the conflagration that gutted the medieval city. Justin Billington, assistant manager at the Prospect, said some people date the pub to its full reconstruction in 1774 after the 1666 fire. But he doesn't see it that way, noting that it operated continuously. The day after the fire, the workers rolled out a barrel of beer that had survived the flames and locals showed up with their tankards, drinking vessels, and enjoyed a drink on the spot. The pub boasts a pewter bar – the longest of its kind in Britain - where the infamous 'Hanging Judge Jeffreys' is said to have watched the many hangings that took place at the nearby 'Execution Dock.' The pub was once known as the Devil's Tavern due to its association with thieves and smugglers. A hanging noose outside serves as a reminder of the pub's grisly history. There were several reconstructions in the pub's history, but none withstood the salt water and shifting foundations of the Thames, Billington explained. Not, that is, until 1774 when the retired captain of a merchant ship called 'The Prospect' rebuilt it using the ship. If the pub was actually established in 1774, that would make the Mayflower - established in the 16th century - older. But for all the talk of battle, Billington described the competition between his establishment and The Mayflower as a 'loving rivalry.' 'We compete against each other to be the oldest, and to serve the best food and drink,' he said. So, which pub is the oldest, and how can either one definitively claim the title? Well, for a start, there is no official certification for the oldest pub in London. Guinness World Records said it has not formally awarded the title because of the complexities created by numerous name changes, relocations and reconstructions. 'There are lots of very old pubs that might make a claim to being oldest, but it could be contested because it could be argued they weren't always in 'London,'' stated English historian and author Jacob Field. 'Many pubs have changed name over time, making it hard to claim they are the oldest." The search continues. Pint, anyone?
Boston Globe
01-08-2025
- Boston Globe
Two pubs claim to be London's oldest riverside pub. Which one is right?
The Mayflower is named after the Pilgrim Mayflower ship, which set sail from the site in 1620 to begin its journey to America. Though it only got its name in 1957, it is said to have some of the ship's original timbers incorporated into its structure. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Today, pubgoers who can prove direct descent from one of the Mayflower passengers can sign its 'Descendants Book.' Advertisement Every night, tourists step out of black cabs at the doors of the two pubs, trading the capital's modern skyscrapers for the storied streets of London's East End, lined with quaint terraced houses and red brick warehouses. In both pubs, they enter spaces where old paintings hanging on dark paneled walls and other mementos of their histories seem to leave the contemporary world behind. 'There really is a feeling that you might have stepped back in time and could be drinking beer with sailors or pirates or anybody from any Dickens novels really,' said Emily Godwin, a Londoner who has been to both. She spoke while sipping a pint of lager with friends at the Prospect on a recent summer evening. Advertisement The Prospect boasts a pewter bar — the longest of its kind in Britain — where the infamous 'Hanging Judge Jeffreys' is said to have watched the many hangings that took place at the nearby 'Execution Dock.' Early on, the pub was known as the Devil's Tavern due to its association with thieves and smugglers. A hanging noose outside serves as a reminder of the pub's grisly history. It 'feels like such a pocket of history in London,' Godwin said. 'So much of London's East End feels very new and trendy, and the Prospect feels like it's barely changed.' British pubs have always been at the center of social life, with locals coming together over a pint, even in times of war and economic hardship. But the last five years have been challenging for the industry as pubs contended with the COVID-19 pandemic and rising costs. This year, an estimated 378 venues are set to shutter across England, Wales, and Scotland, according to the British Beer and Pub Association. 'When a pub closes, it puts people out of a job, deprives communities of their heart and soul, and hurts the local economy,' said Emma McClarkin, head of the BBPA. Pubs across the country have been forced to find new ways to attract customers. History is a big draw for pubgoers, with a trip to a traditional British pub coming in high on tourists' London bucket lists, raising the stakes of the Prospect and the Mayflower's competition. Advertisement The Prospect claims it was established in 1520, with its original flagstone surviving an arson attack in 1666 — the same year as the Great Fire of London. The pub was outside of the city limits at that time and was not affected by the conflagration that gutted the medieval city. Justin Billington, assistant manager at the Prospect, said some people date the pub to its full reconstruction in 1774 after the 1666 fire. But he doesn't see it that way, noting that it operated continuously. The day after the fire, the workers rolled out a barrel of beer that had survived the flames, and locals showed up with their tankards, drinking vessels, and enjoyed a drink on the spot. There were several reconstructions in the pub's subsequent history, but none withstood the salt water and shifting foundations of the Thames, Billington explained. Not, that is, until 1774 when the retired captain of a merchant ship called 'The Prospect' rebuilt it using the ship. 'This rebuild held and continues to hold on for dear life,' he said. If the pub was actually established in 1774, that would make the Mayflower — established in the 16th century — older. But there are no hard feelings between the pubs as Billington described their competition as a 'loving rivalry.' 'We compete against each other to be the oldest, and to serve the best food and drink,' he said. But the question remains: How can either pub definitively claim the title? Unlike the title of the 'Oldest pub in England,' held by the Porch House in southern England, which is said to date to the 10th century, there is no official certification for the oldest pub in London. Advertisement Guinness World Records said it has not formally awarded the title because of the complexities created by numerous name changes, relocations, and reconstructions. 'There are lots of very old pubs that might make a claim to being oldest, but it could be contested because it could be argued they weren't always in 'London,'' English historian and author Jacob Field said. 'Many pubs have changed name over time, making it hard to claim they are the oldest.'
