Latest news with #SouthDowns
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
One of our finest writers of mystery and detection: The best Classic Crime novels out now - Smallbone Deceased by Michael Gilbert, Silence After Dinner by Clifford Witting, Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie
Smallbone Deceased by Michael Gilbert (British Library £8.99, 272pp) A practicing lawyer who wrote his crime fiction on his daily commute into London, Michael Gilbert was at his peak when Smallbone Deceased was first published in 1950. The plot is tantalisingly bizarre. An eminently respectable firm of solicitors is thrown into disarray when a corpse is found stuffed into a deed box. With the police up against a conspiracy of silence, the challenge of solving the murder is met by the recently qualified Henry Bohun. The insomniac Henry occupies the twilight hours by uncovering financial chicanery. Gilbert stands as one of our finest writers of mystery and detection. For Smallbone Deceased, he is on top form. Silence After Dinner by Clifford Witting (Galileo £10.99, 244pp) An anonymous diarist writing at the time of the communist takeover in China confesses to a brutal murder. The scene then shifts to an English village, where the new rector has a missionary background in the Far East. Among those sharing the Chinese connection is his predecessor's wastrel son and a wandering hell-fire preacher who, knowing too much, ends up in a watery grave. The job of linking a rural outpost on the South Downs with a revolution on the other side of the world falls to the methodical Inspector Bradfield, who has to contend with small-minded bigotry in his hunt for a cold-hearted killer. Joining the growing contingent of rediscovered mystery writers from the 1950s, Clifford Witting weaves an enthralling story. If the love interest stretches credibility, the leading characters are convincingly portrayed. Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie (Harper Fiction £14.99, 256pp) Agatha Christie had a genius for ringing the changes on the traditional mystery formula. In Dumb Witness, reissued in a handsome hardback edition, Hercule Poirot receives a letter from an elderly lady who hints at an attempt on her life. Poirot is intrigued, not so much by the letter itself as by the fact that it was posted two months after the sender had died, apparently from natural causes. The indomitable detective intrudes on a family at war, having discovered that the wealthy spinster had left all her money to her irritatingly fussy companion. Was it the beneficiary of the will who had hurried the process or another of the household who had hoped for unjust deserts? To add to the complications, a boisterous terrier, the dumb witness, may have contributed to the death of his mistress.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Digested week: Mum, Dad, Barry and Herbie the dog, the list of talking dead grows ever longer
late, I've been spending a lot of time talking to the dead. Or, to be more accurate, talking at them. The dead tend not to say much in reply. I haven't been seeing a medium. I find myself starting conversations with my mum. Mostly the ones we never had or never finished. Not just the ones that her Alzheimer's prevented us from having but the ones that were too difficult for us to have when she was not anxious, disturbed or confused. I'm not religious and I don't believe in life after death, but I would like to know that all was well between us. That we had said enough to one another to last an eternity, as her ashes lie next to my dad in a churchyard with breathtaking views of the South Downs. That she is now free of her illness and everything that troubled her. Mum's death has, bizarrely, brought my dad back to life. He has been dead for more than 25 years but I now chat to him regularly. Regretting that he has missed the best of me and my children. Regretting that he could never tell me about his experiences serving in the navy during the second world war. I often asked him while he was alive but he could never speak about it. The death count continues to rise. Today I learned that another good friend had died in his sleep. Barry could be stubborn, self-destructive and infuriating but he was also one of the warmest, most generous, talented and funny men you could meet. On holidays with him, he would without fail wait to the halfway point before declaring we had now 'broken the back of it'. That never failed to crack me up. My kind of guy. Now he really has broken the back of it and I miss him. I will add him to my list of the talking dead. I also regularly chat to Herbie. Less so about the great existential questions and more about how I navigate my life on a daily basis. What to do, when to do it. Just like I used to do when he was alive. I trusted him and he trusted me. And oddly, he's the only one of the dead who ever talks back to me. In dogs I find salvation. It's recess in parliament, so Westminster has been relatively quiet. Just a few low-key announcements from government ministers to keep the news cycle happy but nothing of any great importance. The only politician to attempt to break the silence has been Nigel Farage, who held a press conference today. He still hasn't got the hang of being an MP. He was away on holiday in France last week when parliament was still sitting, so had nothing to say on the trade deal with the EU. Or perhaps he planned it that way. Nige knows better than anyone that most people now reckon that Brexit has been at best a disappointment, so he is keen not to draw any attention to it. Anyway, Farage is back and keen to suck up some airtime. Normally Nige has nothing to say, except telling everyone how well Reform is going while pinning the blame for everything that is wrong with the country on immigrants and wokery. This time, he actually tried to make a speech that wasn't about foreigners but about wider Reform policy. And it could just have been the biggest miscalculation Farage has made in his political career. Here's hoping. Nige thought he was trying to appeal to Labour voters by promising an end to the two-child benefit cap and increasing the threshold for basic-rate income tax to £20,000. What he was really doing was making tax cuts and spending promises that totalled between £50bn and £80bn. And when he was asked by journalists how he was going to pay for this, Nige got predictably tetchy. He would tell us all in a year or so. Once he had worked it out on the back of his fag packet. But it would involve efficiency savings and reversing net 'stupid' zero. As the half-witted Dicky Tice likes to call the climate crisis. This was suicidal economics on a scale that made Liz Truss look almost sane. The emperor had just revealed himself. And he was wearing no clothes. It was probably the most Spursy finish to a season in the club's history. First, victory over Manchester United in Bilbao. A first European trophy in more than 40 years. A first trophy of any description in 17 years. For some fans, that alone is enough for all to be forgiven. Last gasp redemption. A season to remember. The end justifies everything. A final to be remembered and treasured. Even if the match itself was instantly forgettable. Two mediocre teams chasing the ball while having forgotten what to do with it. Just that Spurs were slightly less poor than United on the night. The single goal that decided the final was worthy of the game. A scrappy affair. Uefa credited the goal to Brennan Johnson, even though he didn't seem to get a lace to the ball. The decisive last touch appeared to come off the United defender Luke Shaw for an own goal. The only moment of quality was the remarkable goalline clearance by Spurs' Micky van de Ven. Still, glory is glory, and some fans are still celebrating. Bank the win etc. For others, me included, the enjoyment is tinged with scepticism. The season ended much as it had played out: with yet another home defeat in the Premier League. More a capitulation, than a loss. A 4-1 defeat to a Brighton side that had come to play football. We had come to while away 90 minutes before resuming the Europa League celebrations, at the same time cementing a 17th place finish. One above the relegation zone and four points adrift of 16th. The data showed that Spurs fans had paid more than fans from every other club to watch their side lose last season. There again, it's not the losing I mind. I quite enjoyed our relegation year in 1977. It's been the sense that no one but me was that bothered by our league form. I want my support not to be taken for granted. I want changes. A new manager. Time to say thanks but no thanks to Ange Postecoglou. It turned out the only club he knew how to beat was Manchester United, which he did four times. If only he could have worked out how to beat Ipswich and Leicester. We need new players. Ones with the ability to solve problems mid-game that the manager can't. Above all, I don't want to have to wait another 17 years for another trophy. I might not have that long. You should never overestimate the intelligence of the very rich. In Thailand there is a new fashion among the super-wealthy for acquiring lion cubs as pets. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have occurred to this brain-dead elite that lion cubs grow into adult lions, and that adult lions can't necessarily be trusted around the house. You can't sit them down in front of the TV all day, because before long they have switched channels to David Attenborough documentaries and are watching their relations tearing wildebeest apart in the Maasai Mara. And that kind of thing gives them ideas, and before you know it they are making themselves sandwiches from the remains of humans. So there comes a moment when the pet owners have the stunning revelation that maybe it wasn't a great idea to try to house-train a lion and they want to offload their miserable pets to a zoo. Or to someone even more half-witted than they are. Imagine the thought processes involved. Assuming there are any. We'll draw the line at a pet hippo because that's obviously not going to work – it won't fit in the bath – but a lion will make the perfect addition to family life. It can spend the afternoons in the crabapple tree and help itself to the neighbour's pet rabbit. What happened to thinking of what the animal needs rather than just your own narcissistic desires? We find ourselves petless for the first time in more than 40 years and the house feels empty. I miss Herbie terribly. He should be sitting next to me as I write. As it is, I only have his paw print for company. People ask if we are going to get another dog but it is just too soon to think about that. The queen may have had 10 days of mourning but Herbie deserves at least 10 months. Weirdly, I did have a dream in which a new dog featured. He was brown and white and had Herbie's blessing. Maybe next year. Time to announce the halfwit of the week. Step forward Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary and tireless campaigner to remove Kemi Badenoch as leader of the Tory party and replace her with himself. AKA Pratman. While all of his shadow cabinet colleagues were spending recess doing nothing except firing off the odd press statement to which no one paid any attention, Honest Bob put on his black and grey hooded one-piece to turn himself into a one-man vigilante on the London tube. Along with his very own Robin, who was there to film him, our caped crusader went to Stratford station to confront fare-dodgers and restore law and order to the capital's streets. Despite haranguing a few people, he didn't appear to make any citizen's arrests. Transport for London appeared unimpressed, pointing out that Pratman had broken laws of his own by filming on the tube network. But Honest Bob was undeterred. In next week's instalment, he hopes to tackle the city's crime wave by apprehending shoplifters and anyone caught working in a Turkish barber shop. Perhaps he might like to investigate a cold case rather closer to home. In 2020, a young Conservative housing minister was caught rushing through a planning permission to former pornographer, Richard Desmond, in order to save him a massive large tax bill. Even though the local council and departmental officials had recommended the permission be refused. Dirty Des was so thrilled with the junior minister that he made a donation to the Tory party. However, the planning permission was eventually rescinded after it was deemed to be 'unlawful because of apparent bias'. So who was this housing minister? None other than Pratman himself. Honest Bob. He wants to bang up offenders for dodging a £4.60 fare. But Tory donors are free to escape a £40m tax demand.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Constance Marten's boyfriend is convicted rapist, court told
The partner of wealthy aristocrat Constance Marten was convicted of raping a woman in the United States when he was 14-years-old and received a prison sentence of 40 years, jurors have heard. Marten, 38, and Mark Gordon, 50, are charged with the manslaughter of their baby daughter Victoria, who died in a tent on the South Downs in early 2023. Prosecutor Tom Little KC told jurors at the Old Bailey on Thursday that in 1989, Gordon, then aged 14, held a woman against her will in Florida for more than four hours and raped her while armed with a 'knife and hedge clippers'. Within a month, he entered another property and carried out another offence involving 'aggravated battery', Mr Little said. Jurors were told that, in February 1994, Gordon received a sentence of 40 years' imprisonment, of which he served 22 years. Mr Little told jurors that the first set of offences occurred on April 29 1989 in Florida and consisted of one offence of armed kidnapping, four offences of sexual assault and one offence of armed burglary. Discussing the offences, Mr Little asked Det Sgt Ian Valentine: 'Did he break into the house of a next-door neighbour? Before doing so, did he place a nylon stocking over his face to conceal his identity?' Giving evidence, Det Sgt Valentine replied: 'Yes.' Mr Little also asked the officer: 'Was he armed with a knife and hedge clippers?' Det Sgt Valentine replied: 'Yes.' Mr Little asked the officer: 'Did he demand that the female in the property undress?' Det Sgt Valentine replied: 'Yes.' The prosecutor also asked the officer: 'Did he attempt to vaginally rape her?', 'did he orally rape her and perform other sexual assault offences?' and 'was that female held by him for a period of four-and half-hours against her will in the property?' Det Sgt Valentine replied 'yes' to all the questions. 'Armed with flat-headed shovel' Mr Little said Gordon's second set of offences occurred on May 21 1989 and consisted of armed burglary and aggravated battery at a property occupied by a family while armed with a 'flat-headed shovel'. The prosecutor asked the officer: 'Once inside the property, did he beat a male occupant with a shovel about the head?' Det Sgt Valentine replied: 'Yes.' While cross-examining the police officer, Gordon said the convictions took place 'due to human rights violations', he had not been supervised in police interviews relating to them and that he had challenged the convictions while in custody. Earlier this week, jurors heard that Gordon had pleaded guilty to assaulting two police officers who had been called to a maternity ward in Wales in 2017 after Marten gave birth to one of Victoria's older siblings. Gordon had to be forcibly restrained during the incident and a new father had stepped in to help the two female officers before more police arrived to arrest him. In his evidence last week, Gordon, who is representing himself, made no reference to his troubled past but told jurors: 'Everybody faces challenges in life.' He said his mother was a hard-working nurse who was passionate and empathetic and had instilled compassion in him. Gordon said: 'The idea I was underprivileged was not the case. My mother had two or three houses. She always provided for us. She showed me empathy.' In his earlier evidence, Gordon blamed the police manhunt for setting off a series of 'calamitous' events culminating in Victoria's death. He insisted that he and Marten 'put ourselves out' to ensure the baby's wellbeing and 'no-one could have anticipated' her death. In an emotional outburst in the witness box, Gordon had complained they were treated like 'monsters' and dragged through the mud like 'scum' over what happened and had not had time to grieve for their child. Private investigators group engaged Agreed facts were also read to the jury, which included that Virginie de Selliers, Marten's mother, engaged the private investigators group, London Security Group Limited, to trace her daughter in 2016. Jurors were also told that Marten's father, Napier Marten, approached the same firm and a 'tracing company' called CSM Partners Limited to approach Gordon in 2017. Ms De Selliers also instructed a firm of private investigators called Blackstone Consultancy in 2021 to locate Marten and Gordon. Jurors were also told that on Dec 17 2019, Mrs Justice Judd sitting in the England and Wales High Court Family Division made an order, following an application by Napier Marten, that Marten and Gordon's two children were made wards of the court and their parents prohibited from moving them out of the jurisdiction of the court. The wardship proceedings finished in January 2020, meaning the order was not in force from that date. Details of cash withdrawals from Marten's bank accounts from December 2022 to February 2023 were also revealed to the jury. A high-profile manhunt was launched after the defendants fled their burning car near Bolton, Greater Manchester, and went off-grid in a bid to avoid their fifth child being taken into care, the Old Bailey has heard. The prosecution had alleged Victoria died from hypothermia or was smothered while co-sleeping in a 'flimsy' tent, despite past warnings. Her body was discovered with rubbish inside a shopping bag in a disused shed near Brighton after the defendants were arrested. In her evidence, Marten told jurors that the baby died after she 'blacked out' and fell asleep over her after feeding her. Marten and Gordon, of no fixed address, have denied the gross negligence manslaughter of their daughter and causing or allowing her death between Jan 4 and Feb 27 2023. Jurors have been told the defendants were convicted at an earlier trial of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice. The trial continues.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
The country walk bucket list: All the most beautiful rambles in and around the UK
As spring turns to summer (and the sun hopefully dons his fascinator, if not quite his hat), it's the ideal time to enjoy the great outdoors on a country ramble. There are idyllic walks all around the UK, from blustery coastal trails to steep mountain hikes. With something to suit whatever your fitness level, here's our selection of some of the best. Lake District It's hard to pick just one walk in Cumbria's paragon of loveliness, the Unesco-listed Lake District, which is chocca full of jaw-dropping vistas. For an easy yet highly gratifying afternoon, take a stroll around Derwentwater in Keswick – a much more peaceful, compact lake compared to its better-known neighbour, Windermere. Flat paths lead through ancient woodland and along the shores of the lake on a 16km jaunt that is nicely punctuated by beauty spots to share a picnic or pubs to reward yourself with a pint. If you have time, stop by Lingholm Estate – once Beatrix Potter's holiday home, it now offers luxury self-catering accommodation, a restaurant with walled garden and the chance to walk an alpaca around the grounds … South Downs This range of chalk hills is iconic walking country, offering 1,600sq km of land from Hampshire to East Sussex to explore. It would be a shame to head this far south without seeing the sea: starting at Birling Gap, head along the coast, taking in views of the Seven Sisters clifftops while following the South Downs Way. Finishing at Cuckmere Haven, the 6km walk should take a couple of hours to complete (although extending it to reach the Cuckmere Inn for sustenance is recommended). Capital Ring For those who can't quite make it out of the city, there is a solution. London's Capital Ring Walk offers some picturesque options, all accessible by public transport. This giant, circular 126km trail is split neatly into 15 sections; one of the greenest and longest is Wimbledon to Richmond (section 6). Starting at Wimbledon Park station, it runs through Wimbledon Park, Wimbledon Common and the sublime Richmond Park (look out for the freely roaming deer!) before finishing at Richmond station. The route is 11km and largely flat – it should take two to three hours. Wye Valley The Wye Valley Walk is an epic marked footpath following the River Wye and straddling England and Wales. The 225km-long trail can be tackled in different sections over the course of a week; but if you've not got that, a particularly handsome section starts at Chepstow Castle and finishes up at the haunting ruins of Tintern Abbey. The 10km route includes woodland, a steep climb of the 'Eagle's Nest' and phenomenal river views. Oh, and there's a decent pub at Tintern, The Anchor. The Cotswolds This huge Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers 2,038sq km and stretches across Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, and parts of Wiltshire, Somerset, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The Cotswold Way is a well-known trail to tackle, running more than 160km from Chipping Camden to Bath. Set aside seven to 10 days if planning to take on the whole thing, or alternatively do the circular trail from Chipping Camden at the start of the walk (a 7km romp around shaded woodlands) or the linear 'journey's end' section, starting in Lansdowne and finishing up at the majestic Bath Abbey (10km). Yorkshire Three Peaks This 39km scramble, taking around 12 hours, isn't for the faint hearted – but it is one heck of a challenge. Yorkshire's three highest peaks – Pen y Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough – form part of the Pennines. Starting at Horton in Ribblesdale, the ascent up Pen y Ghent starts gently enough, before becoming increasingly steep and requiring the use of hands towards the end. Pick up the Ribble Way on the way down before joining the Pennine Journey path to the top of Whernside. Descend, join the Dales High Way and zig zag to the top of the final peak, Ingleborough, boasting 360-degree views of the dales. The Highlands There are countless beautiful walks in the Scottish Highlands. The 16km route from Loch Shiel to the dramatic mountain pass of Beinn a'Chaorainn has an extra touch of magic though – it starts at the Gothic church in Glenfinnan before making its way past Glenfinnan Viaduct, best known for playing host to the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films. The rest of the route takes in mountain peaks, rivers, bothies and valleys. Well, variety is the spice of hike… While spring brings warmer weather it also marks the start of the hay fever season. If you're one of the 18 million people affected in the UK, it makes sense to try to help prevent the symptoms of hay fever. A single dose of Pirinase Hayfever Relief For Adults 0.05% Nasal Spray in each nostril once a day could help relieve sneezing, a runny nose, nasal congestion, and itchy and watery eyes. Find out more here, or click here to buy online
Telegraph
6 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Constance Marten's partner ‘assaulted female police officers on maternity ward'
Constance Marten's partner assaulted two female police officers on a maternity ward hours after she had given birth, a court has heard. Marten, 38, and Mark Gordon, 50, are charged with the manslaughter of their baby daughter Victoria who died in a tent on the South Downs in early 2023. On Tuesday, the court heard about a 'strange' incident involving the couple in Wales hours after Marten had given birth to an older sibling six years before. Gordon had pleaded guilty to assaulting Pc Sian Beynon and Det Sgt Delma Jones during the course of their duties in 2017. Giving evidence, Det Sgt Jones said they had gone to the hospital after a baby was born in the morning and medical staff raised concerns over the identity of the parents. She asked the father several times for his name and date of birth before he gave the identity of James Amer, who was born on April 31, 1987. The officer said: 'I asked him to confirm his date of birth and he replied, 'Yeah.' At this time I realised there are only 30 days in April. 'He started rocking backwards and forwards in a chair and acted confused, muttering under his breath several times. 'I explained I wanted to do some checks on him. He then shouted out. 'He then shot up from his seat. He starts pacing backwards and forwards. He was clenching his fists and his behaviour completely changed. 'My colleague Pc Beynon was standing by the door. He walked up to her and pushed her to one side.' Having already assaulted Pc Beynon, the officers tried to restrain him and stop him from making good his 'escape', the court heard. 'Mr Gordon had opened the door. He managed to free himself from our grip. He started running up to where his partner and baby was,' Det Sgt Jones said. Gordon then went back into the corridor and tried to grab her again, causing her to fall to the floor, she told jurors. 'We were telling him to calm down, to comply. Obviously we had concerns over where we were; there were babies and other people around. We were concerned what he was capable of.' Det Sgt Jones said her colleague then deployed her Pava incapacitant spray at least twice. She added: 'He was trying to escape while we were still holding onto him. We were asking him to calm down, stop resisting, but this had no effect whatsoever.' She told jurors that she and her colleague were hit during the struggle before a new father stepped in to help. 'I left that incident being bruised. I had cuts on my hands. I can't say he struck me directly but in his attempt to get away from us, I probably was struck.' The new father came out of a ward and assisted in restraining Gordon before more police arrived to arrest him, the witness said. Det Sgt Jones told jurors the incident lasted about 10 minutes but she remembered the events very well eight years on as they were so unusual. The officer, who has 20 years' experience of policing, said: 'I remember them very well. This is a strange incident that I dealt with.' The court has heard how a high-profile manhunt was launched in January 2023 after the defendants fled their burning car near Bolton, Greater Manchester, and went off grid in a bid to avoid their fifth child being taken into care. The prosecution had alleged Victoria died from hypothermia or was smothered while co-sleeping in a 'flimsy' tent, despite past warnings. Her body was discovered with rubbish inside a shopping bag in a disused shed near Brighton after the defendants were arrested. Marten and Gordon, of no fixed address, have denied the gross negligence manslaughter of their daughter and causing or allowing her death between January 4 and February 27 2023. Jurors have been told the defendants were convicted at an earlier trial of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice. The Old Bailey trial was adjourned until Wednesday.
