Latest news with #SonyaDuncan
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Norfolk airshow to welcome rare US plane for 'once in a lifetime' spectacle
Norfolk airshow to welcome rare US plane for 'once in a lifetime' spectacle Tickets are selling quickly for the biggest Old Buckenham Airshow to date (Image: Sonya Duncan) The final line-up for a hit Norfolk airshow has been revealed and ticketholders are in for a huge event featuring Red Arrows, Spitfires and a "very rare" US plane. The Old Buckenham Airshow is set to be bigger than ever before, with a record-breaking timetable and more planes making their airshow debut. With around 20 acts due to make an appearance on July 26 and 27, tickets are selling at a record pace. The VE80 Spitfire Formation will fly on both days of the Old Buckenham Airshow (Image: Denise Bradley) In a historic one-off, the Commemorative Air Force has embarked on a 12,000-mile tour with its Douglas R4D-6S, the "very rare" Navy version of the legendary Douglas DC3. ADVERTISEMENT 'Ready 4 Duty' is the last of her kind still flying and the Old Buckenham Airshow will be her last UK stop before heading back across the Atlantic. Matt Wilkins, Old Buckenham Airshow organiser, said: "This historic tour organised by the CAF with help from the IWM is a once-in-a-lifetime initiative. READ MORE: New ticket release date announced for hit experience after technical hitch The BBMF Lancaster will take flight for the event (Image: Denise Bradley) "It's no mean feat to cross the Atlantic in any aircraft which isn't an airliner - much less one in its ninth decade." The plane will fly on both days of the event, with the flight on July 27 the last chance to see it in the skies above the UK. Also flying on both days of the event are the Red Arrows, the B-17 Flying Fortress Sally B, the VE80 Spitfire Formation and the Stampe Display Team, among many more. ADVERTISEMENT READ MORE: Red Arrows pictured over Norfolk coast on way to VE Day anniversary flypast Crowds flock to the Old Buckenham Airshow (Image: Denise Bradley)The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) Lancaster will fly on July 26, in what is believed to be only the second time two four-engined bombers have been here since the Second World War. The full list can be found on the Old Buckenham Airshow website. Nominations remain open for this year's community hero, which awards someone who goes out of their way to help others with a special day at the event. Nominations should be submitted by June 30, 2025 by filling in this form
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
OPINION: Common sense is needed ahead of Orwell Bridge works
Earlier this week, it was confirmed that the Orwell Bridge faced seven weeks of repairs, which would result in a partial closure of this critical piece of infrastructure for the majority of the summer. The repairs to an ageing Orwell Bridge are necessary, and the proposals represent the least worst option available. Nonetheless, they will cause huge disruption for residents and businesses in and around Ipswich, and I know how frustrated and worried people are. We need a common-sense approach as we face this disruption. That is why I urged Suffolk County Council to implement short-term mitigations to avoid the very worst excesses of this summer chaos, by postponing all non-emergency roadworks whilst the Bridge is partially closed. This includes their proposed schemes on Nacton Road, Woodbridge Road and the Hospital to Waterfront Route. It is my hope and expectation that my requests will be accepted. I have also had a positive meeting with Cadent regarding their work on Woodbridge Road. However, while the repairs to the Orwell Bridge may be unavoidable, the likely impacts will be amplified by a lack of an adequate alternative route. In fact, barely a week goes by when the Orwell Bridge, the wider A14 and the road networks in and around don't grind to a halt. The Orwell Bridge is set to undergo repairs (Image: Sonya Duncan) All this is the result of years of indecision, and the blame for this damaging situation lies squarely at the feet of those who have repeatedly advocated for a 'do nothing' approach and blocked the delivery of the only real option on the table. People in positions of leadership, but showing none. Five years ago, the Conservative-run Suffolk County Council, with whom this decision-making power lies, stopped all work on a Northern Bypass while failing to produce a credible alternative. So, yet again this summer, Ipswich and the surrounding area will be asked to shoulder the burden for the Conservative failure. Local residents will have the school run, the commute to work, and the trip into town disrupted because the Suffolk Conservatives have decided to kick this into the long grass. Local businesses lose at least £1 million every day the Bridge is closed, yet this is the price the Suffolk Conservatives are happy for us to pay. Thousands of jobs and billions of pounds will be at risk unless the infrastructure connecting the Port of Felixstowe is upgraded, but the Suffolk Conservatives are happy to gamble with the future of our local economy. People's day-to-day lives and livelihoods are thrown into chaos. Event after event was disrupted, all because of the negligence and disinterest shown by the Suffolk Conservatives towards our county town over many years. Ipswich, Felixstowe, and, indeed, Suffolk as a whole, have continued to suffer as a result of short-term political expediency being put ahead of the long-term interests of our town and our county. It is time to choose. We can drastically reduce congestion in and around Ipswich, improve the lives of local residents and give certainty and stability to local businesses. We can protect jobs and investment, not just at the Port of Felixstowe, but right across our local economy. We can modernise our road network, prepare for life after the Orwell Bridge, and show the vision and ambition we need to set our direction for the coming decades. Or will the same 'do nothing' approach prevail? Will Ipswich and the surrounding area keep grinding to a halt over and over again? Will the Port of Felixstowe continue to be left without the infrastructure it needs, meaning businesses will relocate, jobs will be lost, and our local economy will be kneecapped? Will the Orwell Bridge hurtle towards retirement, with no plan for what comes next? The choice is clear: it is bypass or bust. I have made my choice. It is time the Suffolk Conservatives made theirs.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pub has a 'real buzz' after helping set Guinness World Record
There is a "real buzz" at a pub in Martlesham as it has helped set a Guinness World Record. The Douglas Bader, in The Square in Martlesham Heath, has joined Heineken and 113 other pubs and breweries across the UK to set the a world record for the most people pulling a pint at exactly the same time. It was called the 'Big Pour' and took place on Monday, April 7. In just 10 seconds, the world-record attempt saw 114 pubs across the country pour pints of Heineken 0.0 and regular Heineken - simultaneously and in perfect sync. Harriet Coomber runs the Douglas Bader pub (Image: Sonya Duncan) Harriet Coomber, the landlady at the Douglas Bader, said: "I'm so proud to have been a part of this huge achievement for Heineken and excited to share the news with our lovely community here. "It's amazing to say I hold a World Record - it's brought a real buzz to the pub. I'm very excited to get our official plaque to display. " Harriet Coomber, the landlady, during 'The Big Pour' (Image: The Douglas Bader pub) This was made possible through online video technology, as 114 pub managers from Scotland to Surrey joined the Martlesham pub on a mass video call to pull their pints together in real time. It was all done under the eyes of an official Guinness World Records adjudicator. The 'Big Pour' was done to celebrate the installation of Heineken 0.0's 1,000th tap. Heineken said this is a milestone in making alcohol-free beer more accessible and offering choice for customer preferences. Harriet Coomber was delighted to be a world record holder (Image: The Douglas Bader pub) Lawson Mountstevens, managing director of Star Pubs at Heineken UK, said: 'Part of the ritual of going to the pub is watching your pint being freshly poured from the tap- the tilt of the glass, the smooth cascade, and mouth watering anticipation of the first sip. The Douglas Bader pub in Martlesham (Image: The Douglas Bader Pub) "This draught experience is central to pub culture, and for non- alcoholic beer to become truly mainstream, it needs to be part of that experience. It needs to be poured from the tap like any other pint, not just another option in the fridge. "That's why we're committed to getting 0.0 on draught in pubs everywhere, because everyone deserves a proper pint, with or without alcohol.'
