Latest news with #RagTrade


Edinburgh Live
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Sheila Hancock shares three secrets behind living past 90
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 Acting legend Dame Sheila Hancock has revealed her three secrets to living so long, after the beloved actor recently celebrated her 92nd birthday. Having appeared in some of the nation's favourite TV shows and films down the years, her first foray into acting came on stage in the 1950s, with her going on to be cast in a number of West End shows in her early years in the industry. As the years passed, her stock continued to rise with her soon swapping the stage for various roles in front of the camera both in cinema and TV. Her debut came in the much-loved Rag Trade that aired on the BBC in the early 1960s. (Image:for The Ivy West Street) And before long, she soon started to earn a flurry of other high-profile roles down the years on shows including Doctor Who, EastEnders and The Catherine Tate Show. One of her latest performances came in ITV's Unforgotten, starring as Eileen. More recently, she has been seen in a slew of TV shows alongside her close friend Gyles Brandreth as they joined forces in Great Canal Journeys on Channel 4. (Image:) Now, during a recent appearance on Katherine Ryan's What's My Age podcast, the actor opened up on how she has managed to remain in such good health at the age of 92, saying that having a positive "mental attitude" and being "curious" have stood her in good stead over the years. Meanwhile, she shared how her career has enabled her to always keep on top of her fitness, before adding that trips to dance classes and the gym have also managed to keep her in-check physically. (Image: Getty Images) While adding that "sensible" eating provides another potential key to her longevity, she admitted that she has allowed herself the occasional treat down the years, saying: "Well, not always, but I've mainly eaten sensibly, except of course one eats after the show and all the silly things." And, she said that she can see how her healthy lifestyle compares to some of those around her of a similar age, saying: "But I know that I am better than most of my contemporaries in terms of health." (Image: PA) She added: "I mean, I haven't had any replacements or anything like that. But then I think I've got quite a high pain threshold. I'm quite good with pain." She also spoke of how she has decided to brave it out when it comes to a recent hip pain she has been suffering from, whereas saying she believes that others her age might be inclined to seek a hip replacement.


BBC News
14-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Val Dancer aiming for Midlands Grand National win
After all the drama of a sold-out final day at Cheltenham, Uttoxeter takes centre stage on Saturday for the 52nd running of the Midlands Grand Midlands-trained horses are well fancied among the 17 favourite looks like being Knockanore, trained by Ryan Potter at Ross-on-Wye on the Herefordshire/Wales expected to run well along the 4m 2f course is another Herefordshire horse, Tanganyika, trained by Venetia former Grand National winning trainer Lucinda Russell sends Apple Away down from Val Dancer, trained by Mel Rowley at Morville, will be looking to add to his memorable Welsh Grand National success in the fog at Chepstow in late gelding also ran well in the Grand National Trial at Haydock Park in Midlands' top trainer Dan Skelton - still clear in this year's trainers championship - sends Galia Des Liteaux, ridden by younger brother Harry. The Midlands Grand National, first run in 1969, has its place in English horse racing history as the second-longest race in the British calendar, after the Grand National at has produced two former Cheltenham Gold Cup winners - The Thinker in 1986 and Synchronised in 2010 - and a former Grand National winner in Rag Trade, who triumphed 50 years attendance will not approach Cheltenham levels but an expected 10,000 crowd will create the usual electric atmosphere at the small Staffordshire track."We're looking at having around 10,000 here," executive director Brian Barrass told BBC Sport."That would be around 500 up on 2024 and 1,500 up on 2023."We're expecting the Grandstand and Premier area to sell out on the day. But we have capacity in the Centre Course."