Latest news with #Scunthorpe
BBC News
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Auction for The Jungle Book drawings found in Hastings junk shop
Illustrations of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book characters commissioned 122 years ago are going up for Potters will start taking bids on the 16-illustration collection at its Messingham saleroom, near Scunthorpe, on artwork's current owner found the watercolours in a Hastings junk shop half a century ago, according to the auction Publishers commissioned the folio in 1903 and published the illustrations alongside the stories five years later, Potters said. "Just 500 of the folios were produced and that was for both Britain and America," said saleroom director Kat added that many of the folios - drawn by illustrators Maurice and Edward Detmold - have since been broken up so pages could be framed individually, meaning "surviving complete folios are incredibly rare". This copy of the folio bears the bookplate of Bristol businessman Sir George White, who pioneered the city's aerospace industry and electric tram current owner is not confirming the sum they originally paid for the collection in Hastings, according to amount was large enough to "make her walk away from the emporium" and return later when she "worked out how she could raise the cash", Ms Lister the auction house added the expected sale price of between £2,000 and £4,000 was "rather more'" than the 1970s price.
Sky News
2 days ago
- Business
- Sky News
Chinese group Jingye hires lawyers to recover British Steel cash
The Chinese owner of British Steel has hired a leading City law firm to explore the recovery of hundreds of millions of pounds it invested in the Scunthorpe-based company before the government seized control of its operations in April. Sky News has learnt that Jingye Group has appointed Linklaters - which advised it on its purchase of British Steel in 2020 - to evaluate legal options for recouping part of its outlay. It was unclear on Tuesday which potential routes Jingye was exploring with Linklaters, or whether a formal legal challenge to the government was under consideration. British Steel's balance sheet bears debts worth close to £1bn, most of which is said to be owed to Jingye in the form of inter-company loans. The Financial Times reported last month that ministers were exploring the controversial use of new legislation to wipe out those debts in order to smooth a path to the sale of the business. The government and Jingye had been at loggerheads for weeks over the future of the Scunthorpe plant's blast furnaces. Since Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, moved to commandeer control of the UK's second-biggest steel producer, the government has sourced additional supplies of raw materials to ensure the furnaces' continued operations. Jingye had been preparing to close them - with the loss of thousands of jobs - after seeking £1bn in state aid to facilitate the site's transition to greener steelmaking. Mr Reynolds has indicated that Jingye's shares in British Steel - which has not yet been formally nationalised - are worthless, and that the government does not intend to offer to pay to acquire them. A Jingye spokesperson said: "Jingye can confirm that Linklaters has been appointed; they were the original advisers on the acquisition in 2020." A spokesman for the Department for Business and Trade said: "We acted quickly to ensure the continued operations of the blast furnaces but recognise that securing British Steel's long-term future requires private sector investment. "We are working closely with Jingye and a range of third parties on options for the future, and we will continue work on determining the best long-term sustainable future for the site."
The Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Liz Truss features in bizarre promotional video to help bare-knuckle fight convict launch new whiskey
Liz Truss was the guest of honour at the launch event for a whiskey brand founded by a bare-knuckle fighter months after he was released from prison. The former prime minister appeared in a video alongside Douglas Joyce, known as Dougie, who was jailed for causing grievous bodily harm after he assaulted a 78-year-old man inside a pub on Thomas Street, Manchester. In the video, the boxer says his catchphrase, 'just remember Dougie Joyce loves ya', after handing Ms Truss a bottle of his Joyce's Irish Whiskey. 'Liz Truss loves ya,' the former prime minister added. It is understood Ms Truss was not paid to attend the event at Scunthorpe United's stadium, and her spokesman added: 'Liz attended the Scunthorpe event to support the people working to regenerate the town and Scunthorpe FC. I thought the government believed in the rehabilitation of offenders." But a source told The Sun that for Ms Truss, plotting a political comeback, 'this is a serious lapse'. Joyce was jailed in 2023 for causing grievous bodily harm after he attacked a 78-year-old man in a pub, punching him multiple times and eventually knocking him to the ground. He followed the victim into the back of a pub and began shouting and pointing at him, before punching him in the face three times and knocking him off his seat and into the seats next to him, leaving him bleeding. Detective Constable Natalie Hollows of Greater Manchester Police described Joyce as an 'aggressive and violent' man. He 'intended to intimidate and inflict pain on a vulnerable 78-year-old man by carrying out this horrendous assault,' she added. At the time of the attack, Joyce was wearing a large pyramid-style gold ring, leading to a significant injury. He had previously gained notoriety appearing in The Joyce Family Documentary on Amazon which 'explored the world of the travelling community with exclusive access to the joyce family'. Joyce said Ms Truss had been a 'tremendous support' for his business, adding: 'Having her there truly meant a lot and added a distinguished touch to the occasion. I am grateful for her support and the insights she shared, which will undoubtedly inspire us all as we look to 2026 and beyond.' Ms Truss's tenure in Downing Street lasted just 49 days after her disastrous mini-budget triggered market turmoil and saw the pound tank to a 37-year low against the dollar. Ms Truss and her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announced the biggest raft of tax cuts for half a century in the September 2022 statement, but were quickly forced to climb down over their plan to scrap the top rate of income tax for the highest earners. She has since admitted her plan to cut the 45p top rate of tax may have gone too far but insisted it was not fair to blame subsequent interest rate rises on her mini-budget. A spokesman for Joyce declined to comment when approached by The Sun, which first revealed the video. .
The Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Liz Truss helps notorious bare-knuckle fighter launch new whiskey in bizarre promo video
Liz Truss shares a drink with a notorious bare-knuckle fighter to launch his new whiskey brand in a bizarre new promotional video. The former Prime Minister can be seen grinning alongside Dougie Joyce, a boxer who served time in prison for a 'horrendous' attack on a 78-year-old man in a pub. Addressing his followers, the boxer says his catchphrase, 'just remember Dougie Joyce loves ya', before Ms Truss echoes: 'Liz Truss loves you'. The ex-Conservative leader appeared at the event at Scunthorpe FC in May with the boxer just months after he was freed from jail. A representative for Ms Truss told The Sun: 'She attended the event to support the people working to regenerate the town and Scunthorpe FC.'
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Liz Truss promotes whiskey launched by fighter once jailed for punching pensioner
Liz Truss has promoted a new Irish whiskey launched by a bare-knuckle fighter who was once jailed for punching a pensioner. The former prime minister attended the launch event for Joyce's Irish Whiskey, a brand from 36-year-old Dougie Joyce, last month and was pictured sitting next to him. She also appeared in a video with the fighter, which he shared on social media, where he handed her a bottle and said his catchphrase: 'Just remember, Dougie Joyce loves ya.' Ms Truss took the product from him and said 'Liz Truss loves you'. A source close to the former prime minister said she was not paid to attend the event at Scunthorpe United's stadium. Mr Joyce, a Traveller, was handed a 19-month jail sentence for grievous bodily harm in 2023 after he repeatedly punched a 78-year-old man in the face in a pub brawl. He was wearing a 'large gold pyramid-style ring' that caused the pensioner 'significant injury', according to Greater Manchester Police at the time. Detective Constable Natalie Hollows described him afterwards as 'an aggressive and violent man who intended to intimidate and inflict pain on a vulnerable 78 year-old man'. The fighter turned businessman was later given a 13-month sentence for violent disorder following a fight at a wake involving a rival Traveller family. A spokesman for Ms Truss said she attended the event in Scunthorpe 'to support the people working to regenerate the town and Scunthorpe FC', adding: 'I thought the Government believed in the rehabilitation of offenders.' Mr Joyce once claimed that he would be the 'next Tyson Fury', a former professional boxer also from the Traveller community, and turned down a role on the reality television programme My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. He shared photographs of the launch event on Instagram, and wrote: 'Her presence was a tremendous support, and she took the time to speak about the future of business and the steps we can take moving forward. 'Having her there truly meant a lot and added a distinguished touch to the occasion. I am grateful for her support and the insights she shared, which will undoubtedly inspire us all as we look ahead to 2026 and beyond.' A source told The Sun, which first reported the appearance, that the former prime minister 'either doesn't understand the implications or doesn't care. Either way, this is a serious lapse'. Ms Truss came under fire last February after attending the Conservative political action conference in America, when she was interviewed by Steve Bannon. She asked Donald Trump's one-time chief White House strategist whether 'once you've sorted out America, you can come over to Britain and sort us out'.
