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The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
I'm grew up in one of the UK's most ‘boring' towns – it's anything but with Netflix filming and beautiful castles
WHEN I was growing up in Grantham, it wasn't uncommon to hear the word 'boring' thrown around - and not just because I was a sullen teenager, In fact, the south-west Lincolnshire town where I whiled away my childhood had been branded dull on a number of occasions. 8 I grew up in Grantham and it's anything but boring 8 The town is known for being the home of Margaret Thatcher - when it was first named a dull town by Radio 1 Credit: Alamy It was dubbed the 'most boring town in Britain' in a 1980 Radio One survey, when its most famous former resident, Margaret Thatcher, was prime minister. It still makes me chuckle that when That the town is still shorthand for 'monotony' is an unfortunate fact raised again by a new Daily Telegraph round-up that has made headlines in the past few weeks. Grantham sits amongst Read more on UK towns However, now in my 30s, I can't help but disagree that, from things to do to sites to see, my hometown isn't so uninteresting after all. If you're into history , then Grantham has centuries of it - with sites arguably as impressive as nearby Stamford or There's the blue plaque to spy on the side of a shop on the town's North Parade where Thatcher was born in 1925 - which also happens to be a chiropractic clinic and natural therapy centre, called Living Health , if you fancy a massage too. There's likewise the Angel and Royal hotel - aged 821 years - which is believed to be one of the oldest hotels in the world, and has hosted no fewer than seven kings and queens. Most read in News Travel Even if you don't stay in one of its 31 bedrooms, you still pop in to the The Kings Room restaurant, as well as The Angel Bar - which serves cocktails and tapas. Just outside town, in the village of Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, is the National Trust property Woolsthorpe Manor - the former home of Sir Isaac Newton. Grantham - underrated town of the Midlands It was from a tree at the premises that he famously saw the apple drop, leading to the discovery of Grantham has certainly had its brush with celebrity over the years, and usually as a filming location for iconic films and Netflix series. grand National Trust property on the edge of town - and a must-see in its own right - was famously enlisted for the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring More recently, the 17th-century mansion was used for the Bridgerton spin-off Queen Charlotte - in which it doubles up as the interior for Kew Palace and the exterior for Buckingham House. Another fancy residence close by that is well worth a visit, Belvoir Castle was used to film The Da Vinci Code - with Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou and Ian McKellen spotted on set. 8 Belton House is a popular filming location Credit: Alamy 8 Bridgerton spin-off Queen Charlotte was filmed there Credit: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX 8 The BBC's Pride & Prejudice also used the grounds as filming location As well as A-list royalty, plenty of real royalty have also passed through - including King Charles, who stayed over at Belton House during his training at RAF Cranwell in 1971. Currently, the most famous local residents are arguably Rebekah Vardy and her husband, If you like a good catch-up over a cappuccino, things have come a long way since I was a kid when the best place for a caffeine hit in town was Costa. Westgate Bakery is just off the Market Place, which hosts a market every Saturday selling all manner of lovely local produce, from honey to veg. The 14th-century Grantham House, yet another National Trust property, is currently the talk of the town since opening a new cafe within its five acres of walled gardens in April. Other local favourites for a cuppa include Kitchen and Coffee and the café at Belton Garden Centre. 8 Belvoir Castle was used to film The Da Vinci Code Credit: Alamy 8 The Angel and Royal is one of the UK's oldest hotels Credit: Alamy The aforementioned Belvoir Castle's Retail Village is also great spot to spend an afternoon, and you can also pick up some nice bits from the farm shop too. Fancy something stronger? The Blue Pig, a 16th-century watering hole, is perfect for a pint, while The Tap & Tonic is unrivalled for cocktails. If you're after a way to blow off some steam - and perhaps have little ones in tow - then Grantham actually has plenty of things to do. The Grantham Meres Leisure Centre boasts a semi-Olympic-sized swimming pool, along with three leisure pools and its very own big windy slide. Feeling competitive? Grantham Bowl has 12 lanes and an American-style diner for refreshments, while you can go go-karting at Ancaster Leisure which has one of the biggest tracks in the region. In fact, for kids, you also can't go wrong with a trip to Belton House's adventure playground, which is the National Trust's largest in the country. For adults who fancy a bit of relaxation, then the country hotel Belton Woods is home to a popular spa and golf course. When I was growing up the cinema had just two screens and was a bit tired - however the shiny new five-screen Savoy Cinema multiplex was built on the same site and opened in 2019. One of my favourite free activities? A rural hike up to Belmont Tower - just a ten-minute drive outside town - from which you can see for miles on a clear day. So with the historic hotels, famous castles and new attractions - Grantham is anything but boring. 8 It definitely isn't a boring town - I can vouch for that Credit: Getty
The Sun
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Huge award-winning producer reveals she's battling cancer after years of ‘debilitating pain' as she shares hospital snap
AN award-winning DJ has announced a devastating cancer diagnosis after three years of living with "debilitating pain". Catherine Marks took to Instagram today to share her news with fans, posting a picture of herself in a hospital bed. 1 She wrote: "This isn't an easy one to share, but after speaking with so many other women, and the doctors along this journey, I've realised how important it is to talk openly; especially about the things we're often taught to endure in silence." Catherine said she dismissed her initial back pain as a herniated disc or part of the ageing process. But she sensed there was more to it and further tests revealed she had a fibroid the size of "my uterus". She continued: "What followed were 18 exhausting months: intense pain, excessive blood loss, tests, operations, transfusions and just enough energy to get through work…barely anything else. "Eventually, last December, doctors found early stage cancer and as a result I recently underwent a full abdominal hysterectomy. Recovery will be slow but steady, and I'm deeply grateful to the brilliant oncology and gynae team at Queen Charlotte and all the incredible NHS nurses and doctors who have taken care of me. "This journey has taught me something vital: trust your instincts. As women, we often downplay our pain or dismiss our needs. But listening to your body and advocating for yourself can be life-saving." Catherine said she's been reflecting on what could have been and is now looking at healing and rebuilding her life. She signed off: "I look forward to returning with energy, creativity, and a deeper understanding of what matters most. "What comes next feels precious." The well-wishes came from friends and followers with Clara Amfo writing: "Salute for trusting yourself above everything, sending so much love x." Nadine Coyle shared: "Sending so much love to you!!!" A fan said: "Oh my god. Sorry you have been going through this in silence. Love you Catherine. take time to heal so we can get back to being our best bogans." Catherine's music career began under the tutelage of Grammy-winning producer Flood and they worked together on PJ Harvey and Editors records in the early noughties. She's since gone on to be a highly decorated 2016 MPG Awards as Breakthrough Producer of The Year.[6] In 2018, Marks won MPG Producer of the Year.[7] In 2020, Marks won Producer of the Year at the Heavy Music Awards.[8] In 2023, Marks won Producer of the Year at the A&R Awards
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bridgerton Season 4 Is All About ‘Forbidden Love', Teases Showrunner
At a Bridgerton fan event in London last week – moderated by Queen Charlotte star Golda Rosheuvel – audiences were treated to more than a few tantalising details about the upcoming fourth season of the hit Netflix show. Season four is set to follow the second-eldest Bridgerton son Benedict (played by Luke Thompson), and will introduce brand new characters and locations, whilst also holding up for closer inspection the familiar faces we've come to know and love from the series. Showrunner Jess Brownell highlighted that at the end of season three, Benedict feels that he is missing something in his life. His brothers, Anthony and Colin (played by Wicked star Jonathan Bailey and Luke Newton, respectively) are now both married, and will appear with their new families at the start of this season. '[In this season] Colin is a wife guy', joked Jess. 'He and Penelope are both pretty happy'. Breakout star Nicola Coughlan will also reprise her role of Penelope Bridgerton alongside Simone Ashley as Kate Bridgerton. Plus, fans will get a glimpse at both couple's babies! But what of Benedict Bridgerton? Well, as fans of the Julia Quinn novels will know, this series introduces a brand new love interest for the bachelor in the shape of Sophie Baek, played by Yerin Ha. Speaking about joining the hugely popular series, Yerin told fans that her audition landed late in the casting process. 'My agent told me I needed to send in a tape within 24 hours', she recounted. 'A few days later I got a callback, and then a couple days later I was on a Zoom with Luke – and the next thing I know I'm on a plane to London'. Sophie will arrive in tow with the household of Lady Araminta Gao, played by Harry Potter star Katie Leung. She's basically Cinderella – an Earl's daughter who is forced to work for Araminta and her two daughters Rosamund and Posy, following the death of her father. 'Rosamund and Araminta are some of the biggest villains in the Bridgerton books', Jess shared. '[In the show] they are still villains… but it was really important to us to humanise those characters and understand why they are making decisions that we might not agree with.' But, of course, the main focus of season four will be Benedict's love story with Sophie, who comes into his life inadvertently at Lady Violet Bridgerton's masquerade ball, confirmed to take place throughout episode one of the season. 'In every season we try to look at different tropes within the romantic genre, and this year it's all about forbidden love… that class clash [between Benedict and Sophie] gives us a very serious obstacle and the stakes could not be higher', Jess affirmed. While Violet Bridgerton's masquerade ball will be a ceremony of pomp and refinement (inspired by William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, according to Jess), we'll also travel out of The Ton to the countryside and to Benedict's cottage. 'Can I say cottage?' Jess told adoring fans via livestream and in a press conference when talking about specific scenes from season four. 'And maybe within striking distance of that cottage there's a lake [and] it's entirely possible that Benedict might want to go for a swim', referring to the famous book scene in which Sophie spies Benedict swimming naked. Jess also highlighted that some changes will be made to the series from the book, including to Benedict's character who she described as 'more delicate and thoughtful' in his interactions with Sophie. Additionally, Bridgerton season four will see Golda Rosheuvel reprise her role of Queen Charlotte, whose relationship with confidante Lady Agatha Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) will be a big focus of this series. The Queen must further contend with the fact that Lady Whistledown has now been unmasked, and so she must find a way to co-exist with Penelope Bridgerton whose anonymous gossip papers fuelled much of the drama in the past three seasons. Jess also confirmed that season four would dig into the lives of the servants of The Ton, providing an unprecedented insight into characters from past seasons who have often faded into the background – like Mrs. Wilson, the Bridgertons' housekeeper, and Footman John. Echoing those sentiments, Yerin confirmed that because of the 'upstairs, downstairs influence this season, it's gonna bring kind of a fresh energy to the show'. Unfortunately, one thing that did not come up is Bridgerton season four's official release date. Given that production is still ongoing, it's likely the series will drop in 2026, possibly around Valentine's Day. However, there's a glimmer of hope it may receive another Christmas-time transmission date this year! There's Good News And Bad News For Bridgerton Fans Waiting For Season 4 Bridgerton's Adjoa Andoh Says 'Nothing's Changed' When It Comes To This 1 Issue Facing Black Actors Bridgerton Fave Makes Bold Claim About Their Future On The Show
