Latest news with #Putney
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Celebrity chef Jason Atherton is banned from driving after being caught speeding in his £150,000 Aston Martin after sexism row and loss of Michelin star
Celebrity chef Jason Atherton has been banned from driving after being caught speeding in his £150,000 Aston Martin. The restaurateur, who has been embroiled in a sexism row and also recently lost his Michelin star at his flagship eatery, was clocked driving the luxury SUV at 26mph in a 20mph zone in Putney, west London on August 23, 2024. Atherton, 53, who was executive chef at Gordon Ramsay 's Michelin-starred Maze until 2010 before kickstarting his TV career, has racked up 12 points thanks to three separate speeding offences. He was handed a six-month driving ban and ordered to pay more than £1,000 in fines and costs at Lavender Hill Magistrates' Court in Clapham on Thursday. 'The defendant currently has nine points on his licence for three speeding matters,' said Sarah Hill, prosecuting. 'The dates of the offences are September 10 2022, February 25 2024 and March 12 2024.' Ruth Harris, representing Atherton, said the previous offences 'related to three matters in which he had received the mandatory minimum three points for driving within 10mph of the limit'. She added: 'At least two of them, possibly the third, were just over 20mph in a 20mph zone. 'He's the only driver in his household, he shares a home with his wife and three children - he works six days a week. 'His morning routine where he cooks breakfast with his family and then takes the children to school is the only quality time - intense quality time - he can have with his family. 'He works late, often too late to get the tube home, and always too late to comfortably take the tube home. On his precious day off he is the only one who drives.' Ms Harris said the circumstances constituted 'hardship' but did not 'cross the bar into exceptional hardship'. Atherton was ordered to pay a total of £1,042, comprising of a £666 fine, £266 surcharge and £110 towards costs, having admitted exceeding the speed limit. It is the latest blow for the star after he got caught up in a row prompted by his claim that he 'doesn't really' see sexism in professional kitchens. Furious female chefs who say they have experienced rampant sexism in the male-dominated industry hit back at the Michelin-starred restaurateur's comments in February - with one telling FEMAIL the extreme measures she has taken in her career to avoid unwanted attention from her male peers. Mursal Saiq, who chef and founder of Cue Point Afghan BBQ based in Jujus Bar and Stage in east London, said she has deliberately worn 'frumpy' clothes while pitching business ideas to men, for fear of leering eyes and in a bid to be taken seriously as a chef. Her comments come as 70 female chefs, including Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown and 'queen of potatoes' Poppy O'Toole hit back at 53-year-old Atherton's inflammatory comments. It comes after Atherton's opulent City Social located in City of London lost its coveted Michelin star in February The chef pictured in 2021. He also got caught up in a sexism row earlier this year which was prompted by his claim that he 'doesn't really' see sexism in professional kitchens The Sheffield-born restaurant owner, who has since claimed his comments were 'taken out of context', told The Times he felt that there was 'too much focus' on the issue of sexism within professional kitchens. In a post on Instagram the following day, Atherton said he does not condone sexism and insisted many of the senior positions in his restaurant empire are held by women. Nonetheless the interview has left some women in the industry 'fuming', sparking a #MeToo-style movement as they signed an open letter to Atherton. Abe, previous contestant on Great British Menu, chef at The Pem and author of A Woman's Place is in the Kitchen, signed the letter, published in the Telegraph, in which they said Atherton's comments had 'outraged' them. Discussing Atherton's remarks, Abe told the publication: 'It's insulting and painful. It's so hard to speak out because there are so many powerful male chefs that you daren't speak against. But now, luckily, there are 70 women in this WhatsApp group... This feels like our #MeToo movement, in some way.' The letter further clarified the groups experiences, with a section reading: 'Sexism has been and remains a pervasive issue in our industry, shaping the culture of our kitchens in ways that diminish the potential and contributions of countless talented women'. The letter was also signed by Dara Klein of Tiella, celebrity chef and Saturday Kitchen regular Anna Haugh, and Romy Gill. Sharing a snippet of the letter on her Instagram account, Abe said: 'Let's work for a fairer future, a diverse workplace is a happy workplace.' Her Instagram post also featured a screenshot from a WhatsApp chat in which Abe said she was 'fuming' and Klein sarcastically said of Atherton's comments: 'Wow, not inflammatory or biased at all.' Responding to the row, Cue Point chef and founder Mursal Saiq, told Femail that misogyny in the industry is so rife that she's self-financed her business to avoid the distressing work environments that men can create. Saiq said: 'As a female chef and female founder, my biggest... struggles are pitching, and just trying to do the same things that men are doing, [with] the same exact model, same investors, and same restaurateurs. 'When you're a woman, and when you're a single woman, it seems to also mean that there's an extra caveat that "you should sleep with me and then I will give you what you want". 'It's becoming way too much, it's becoming a constant, and it's one of the reasons I've been self-financed for so long... it's those old school mentalities that have not left or changed, people just pretend they have, but they really haven't.' To avoid unwanted attention in pitching meetings, Saiq would alter her appearance by wearing 'frumpy clothes' and 'not putting make up on just so I could get my pitch meeting through'. She added: 'Then, what some people would do, they would pretend to be interested, or even if they are interested, they would make you come to multiple meetings to just see you and... potentially be a creep. So, you're just totally messed around.' The chef concluded: 'As a founder in my own kitchen, I feel comfortable, but I do not feel comfortable in the larger industry at all.' The open letter also raised concerns about awards bodies, claiming that the winners and categories do not fairly represent female talent. Responding to the backlash, Atherton released a lengthy statement to his Instagram account to 'put the record straight'. He wrote: 'I do not condone sexism in the industry or anywhere. A high per cent of our staff are women. Some of our most senior positions are held by women. 'My family is all women except for me - my wife and three young growing daughters, so sexism couldn't be further from my worldview.' He added that he had been caught 'off guard' by the sexism question, and that his response had been 'taken out of context'. Atherton continued: 'I didn't feel it was my place to answer that question myself and tried to move onto another topic, by simply saying I hadn't witnessed any sexism, however those few comments have been taken out of context and used in the headline. 'And regarding my quote on moving on from the past, that was about negativity in the industry, not sexism. 'I do generally believe our industry has moved on a lot in the last decade. I simply meant we are all working hard to make it a much better place. Of course nothing is perfect in life.' When asked whether women still experience sexism in kitchens today, he had replied: 'No, not really. I've not seen it. Any industry has its ups and downs. I think there's way too much focus on our industry because of that. 'In the past, the hours have been long. It's been brutal, but that's behind us. But that [sexism] was also in journalism, it was also in fashion. It wasn't just our industry. It was society in general. 'I think there's too much focus on the negative side of our industry, rather than what is great like the fact that you can be any gender now in our industry and flourish.' Earlier in February, Atherton's opulent City Social located in City of London lost its coveted Michelin star. The Sheffield-born celebrity chef secured the accolade for the upmarket dining spot, which boasts panoramic skyline views of the city, within six months of its opening in 2014. However, it was revealed that City Social is no longer in possession of the star in the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2025. The guide recognises some of the best restaurants in the world by awarding up to three of its prestigious stars - and can make or break reputations. It's the second blow for the chef who also shut his Pollen Street Social restaurant last year after a 14-year run. At the time of its closure, Atherton said: 'The London dining scene is fast-paced, and diners are looking for something a little different,' according to The Caterer. Atherton was also accused of 'bullying' young chefs in a BBC2 cookery show, The Chefs' Brigade, in 2019. The chef admitted to being incandescent with rage during filming after his young team served food late and plated dishes badly in a Norwegian cookery challenge. Viewers watching the second episode of the programme, which aimed to unearth hidden talent working in the UK food industry, branded Atherton a 'bullying b******' and said it was hard to believe such shouting in the kitchen was still acceptable.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Letter: Mike Berry obituary
Those of us in a back room at the Half Moon in Putney, west London, were lucky enough to see the singer, songwriter and sometime actor Mike Berry only a few weeks before his death. He was in good voice, still played a mean rhythm guitar, and did two wonderful sets of songs interspersed with entertaining chat, stories and reminiscences. He was also a thoroughly nice guy and clearly still enjoyed playing and entertaining people.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
London trips & greasy spoons 'refresh' Draper
French Open 2025Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland GarrosCoverage: Live radio commentary on BBC 5 Sports Extra, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app One of the most vital lessons Jack Draper is learning as an elite player is the ability to mentally recharge in the middle of a busy British number one will be seeded fifth when the French Open begins on Sunday, having emerged as a force at the top of the men's has been a steep rise for the 23-year-old Englishman, who returns to Paris looking to prove a point after losing in the first round last increased success can bring more fatigue - something Draper has regularly highlighted the dangers spent a few days back in London, Draper says he feels "refreshed" going into Roland Garros."If I go home and have a complete day off, I'll be normal and do things like go to my local cafe, a greasy spoon in Putney," he told BBC Sport."It's not an athlete's breakfast, it's the normal stuff - beans, sausages, hash browns, all of that tackle. "I'll maybe go into London, be with friends and be around my family who I never see. "Tennis, especially if you're doing well in these tournaments, is very full on." Draper followed up September's US Open semi-final run by clinching the biggest title of his career at Indian Wells in March to crack the world's top recently, he has demonstrated his improved clay-court game, reaching the Madrid final at the start of the then had a short turnaround before another Masters tournament in Rome - but he went on to reach the quarter-finals, further underlining his sharp development on ultimately lost to French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz, having faded in the decisive acknowledged his level was "in and out" in Rome after spending an intense May challenging for two of the biggest titles outside of the four majors."I'm at the stage where I'm trying to adapt to being 'on' all the time - which is what I want to do," Draper said."But it doesn't come easy. You need to learn to deal with that and be the best you can."I've always been someone who's quite wired - [I'm] someone who wants to achieve things all the time. "I want to keep on moving forwards. I have to be progressing, otherwise I'm struggling." Draper headed to Paris earlier this week and spent an hour practising with Alcaraz on Court Philippe Chatrier on he faces a potentially tough route through the draw, opening against 68th-ranked Mattia Bellucci - a left-handed Italian who Draper first played when they were aged 12 - with a host of bigger names lurking down the number one Jannik Sinner is the standout name as a potential quarter-final opponent, although Draper could have to find a way past Joao Fonseca, Hubert Hurkacz, Jakub Mensik or Alex de Minaur before then."I never really look through the draw," Draper added."I look at my first-round opponent and I'm aware that all these guys deserve to be here. "It's a difficult sport and there are a lot of people who are hungry to beat me now. "But I feel really confident I am able to go deeper in these tournaments and that's the next step for me - to have consistently good runs at Grand Slams."
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Two pedestrians injured in possible DUI crash
PUTNEY, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – A New Hampshire man was taken into custody after he struck two pedestrians in his vehicle, possibly under the influence Thursday afternoon. Officers received calls about the incident on main street at roughly 11:08 a.m. Investigators say that the vehicle, driven by 23-year-old Jason Ball, of Alstead, NH went off the road and hit two people walking across a sidewalk. One person sustained minor injuries, but the other is in critical condition. Police believed that Ball might be under the influence of drugs, operating the vehicle negligently. He was taken into custody, lodged on $25,000 bail and is set to appear in court May 9. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
06-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Badenoch ‘confident' of leading Tories into next election despite drubbing
Kemi Badenoch insisted she was 'confident' she would lead the Conservatives into the next general election following the party's drubbing last week. On a visit to a school in Putney, south-west London, on Tuesday, Mrs Badenoch dismissed reports that some Tory MPs were considering an attempt to depose her, saying there is 'always' talk of 'leadership challenges'. Asked whether she was confident she would remain leader until the next election, she said: 'Yes, I am confident, but what I really want to do is make sure that I'm delivering for the people of this country.' She conceded that her party needed to change 'as quickly as possible', telling broadcasters: 'We have some time but we don't have much time.' Her visit followed a round of local elections in which the Conservatives lost more than 600 councillors along with control of all 15 local authorities the party held going into Thursday's poll. Many of the Conservatives' losses came at the hands of Reform UK, which won more than 600 council seats and took control of 10 local authorities. But in parts of the country, the Tories found themselves squeezed by the Liberal Democrats, who made gains in counties such as Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Shropshire. Mrs Badenoch has previously said the Conservatives would 'come out fighting' to try to regain public support, but also that they would not rush policy proposals. On Tuesday, she also ruled out resurrecting Rishi Sunak's proposal to reintroduce national service, following reports on the ConservativeHome website that some MPs had suggested the move. She told reporters: 'What we said is that we want to hear all the ideas people have about what a policy platform for the Conservatives could look like, that is actually going to rewire and rebuild the state. 'We do want to see more young people participating in civic life but I never agreed with the policy on national service. I can say that now that government is over. 'It came in at a very late period, people didn't understand what it was about, many people thought it was compulsory national service, I think it was a review. 'That's the kind of thing I'm stopping now. We're not just rushing out, saying things without the rest of the party understanding what problem it's solving or where the ideas come from.'
