Latest news with #TheArchers
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Corrie's Fiona star Sara Poyzer is married to cobbles icon with huge link to Kevin Webster
She's Coronation Street's new bad girl Fiona Morley, but off-screen actress Sara Poyzer is married to a former cobbles star with a previous link to the Websters She's recently popped up on the cobbles as dodgy car dealer Fiona Morley – but off-screen actress Sara Poyzer is married to a former Coronation Street star in real life. Fans saw the 54-year-old appear as a newcomer in the long-running ITV soap in recent weeks. Her first scenes were with Debbie Webster's ex Ronnie Bailey, a former 'business associate', and perhaps one-time boyfriend, who she asked to sell stolen cars for her. When Ronnie refused, Fiona ended up going into business with Carl Webster – Kevin Webster's little brother. He even tried to use Kevin's garage as a place to carry out dodgy MOTs. Coronation Street fans are flawed by Sue Nicholls real age after Audrey's birthday celebrations Soap spoilers next week: Corrie couple's brutal split and Emmerdale Joe's sick plan revealed Though viewers know that Carl is in serious money trouble, it's unclear if Fiona's character will be a long-running fixture. She was last seen stealing a car from Kevin's garage! Here's what we know about Sara's previous link to Corrie and who her famous husband is. Sara – who has starred in West End show Mamma Mia and as Leonie Schnell in Radio 4 drama The Archers – is married to 56-year-old Yorkshire actor Richard Standing. It's not known when the pair started dating, but they tied the knot in 2010. In the Nineties Richard starred in period hotel drama The Grand, before going on to land roles in The Bill, Casualty, Doctors and Silent Witness. But 26 years ago, Richard also had a stint in Coronation Street, playing market trader Danny Hargreaves. Danny was on the soap from 1999 to 2001. He was engaged to Kevin Webster's ex Sally and the pair ran a hardware shop together. They almost walked down the aisle, but everything was ruined when Sally dropped a bombshell on their wedding day - that she'd had a one-night stand with ex-husband Kevin a year earlier. This led to Danny leaving the soap and Sally buying his share of their shop. She has since moved on and is now married to cabbie Tim Metcalfe. And Corrie isn't Sara's first soap appearance either. Hardcore fans might remember her for short stints in BBC soaps EastEnders and Casualty. In 2013, Sara appeared in the Casualty episode What a Wonderful Life, as character Lynne Shields. She's starred in EastEnders twice. Once in a guest role as character Penny in 2002, and more recently as DS Sally Grant in 2013. During the 4 November episode that year, Sara's character interviewed Alice Branning (Jasmyn Banks) about the murder of Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd), as she charged her with the murder. Elsewhere, Sara has been in Doctors, Cast Offs, Paradise Reclaimed, Dangerville, Dangerfield, Playing the Field, Peak Practice, Crossroads and The Pilot of Ordinary People. In 2019, she also starred in Doctor Who: The Legacy of Time.
The Herald Scotland
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Attention, budding writers: Ian Rankin has bad news for you
Popular Edinburgh scribbler Ian Rankin declares: 'I'm writing a book. It doesn't get any easier with practice.' (Hmmm. So it's NOT like learning to juggle bean bags or riding a penny-farthing, muses the Diary…) Fire down below The Diary is a great supporter of Glasgow's night life, in much the same way as we have always fancied traipsing after that Virgil bloke for a jaunt through Dante's inferno. We recently reported that a chap was spotted outside Central Station, shorn of both dignity and trousers, as he lay in a drunken slump, cradled by the comforting bosom of the gutter. 'That's nothing,' says reader Diana Kerr. 'I was in the town centre one evening and spotted a young lady wearing an actual flak jacket, with the words PRESS emblazoned across the front.' Possibly a quirky fashion accessary, or perhaps a way of surviving a night of robust revelries, Diana admits she wasn't entirely sure. 'I've always suspected Glasgow city centre is a war zone,' she says, 'maybe this is confirming evidence…' Nicola Munro says: 'I assumed this door led to a maternity ward, though apparently not.' (Image: Contributed) Noises off And if you think the nightlife is bad, wait until we tell you about Glasgow's day life. It certainly ain't day-lightful, that's for sure. Dean Tasker was in a café on West Nile Street trying to enjoy a splash of coffee and a side-order of tranquillity. The coffee was on tap. Unfortunately the joint was all out of tranquillity, because some chap at another table was hunched over a muffin, chomping and schlomping and burping with every bite. This went on for an unendurable five minutes, until another patron of the café leaned over and hissed to the indecorous fellow: 'Eating a muffin's not like The Archers. It isn't a radio play, y'know.' Silence ensued… and tranquillity sashayed through the door. A singular notion Now that this column has got to grips with words such as "a", "the", and "hingmy", we're eager to expand our vocabulary up to the point where we can almost form whole sentences. David Donaldson is on a similar quest, and recently stumbled upon the word for people with a single name… mononymous. 'This being the case,' muses David, 'are people with exceptionally silly names moronymous?' Loopy lingo More language games. Mark Taylor says: 'Who ever came up with the spelling of receipt was an idiopt.' Tree-mendously indolent 'My mother-in-law called me lazy when she visited yesterday,' says reader Charles Penn. 'On the plus side, she took down the Christmas tree.'
Business News Wales
12-06-2025
- General
- Business News Wales
Open Farm Sunday 2025 Sees Surge in Host Farms
Open Farm Sunday, the nation's flagship annual event celebrating British farming, has seen a surge in host farms taking part this year, with 270 events taking place across Wales, England and Scotland – a 20% increase on last year. Managed by LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) since it began in 2006, the day welcomed an estimated 200,000 visitors, helping them to develop deeper connections with the land, food, and the farmers who produce it. Open Farm Sunday manager Annabel Shackleton emphasised how these results illustrate the power of the farming community to engage, educate, and inspire the public in a powerful way while driving real changes in attitudes. 'Open Farm Sunday not only celebrates the UK's farming heritage, it also develops greater connections between people and where their food comes from,' said Annabel. 'Hundreds of events across the UK have showcased how farmers are working in harmony with nature and encouraged open discussions that address vital issues, including climate change, sustainability, food security, and youth engagement with agriculture.' New research from LEAF reveals a strong appetite among young people to learn more about the sector with 46% of Gen Z say they would consider a career in farming. While only one in five currently see farming as essential to tackling climate change, this highlights an opportunity to bridge the knowledge gap and align farming's role with the values Gen Z cares about most, LEAF said. Widespread broadcast and print coverage were secured including an Open Farm Sunday main storyline on BBC Radio 4's The Archers programme, TV coverage on BBC Breakfast and regional channels, and a series of radio interviews syndicated to over 100 stations, reaching an audience of tens of millions.
Time Out
04-06-2025
- Health
- Time Out
Town isn't about the chaos of the city, but super seasonality, regenerative farming, and letting the produce speak for itself
It's wild that nobody before has ever thought to name a restaurant 'Town'. Think of the endless possibilities of 'Town'! It's the place everybody wants to go; the place where so many thrilling things happen; the place where, if you can make it there, you are highly likely to make it anywhere. This new, shimmering incarnation of 'Town' can be found on the fringes of Covent Garden, far enough away from the frantic piazza so as not to be heaving with tourists and/or street performers. It's a truly grand room, a Ballardian boudoir in shiny, wipe-clean burgundy, with an open kitchen framed by a massive, oval-shaped and lime green opening. The retro-futurism thing is further dished up via the soundtrack; Dorothy Ashby's 'Afro-Harping' slinks groovily in the background, and there're a vinyl copy of Lou Donaldson's 1968 sax odyssey 'Alligator Boogaloo' perched on a record player (which nevertheless remains switched off for the duration of our visit). Such a space-age aesthetic is perhaps at odds with Town's menu, which has more in common with the rustic likes of surrealist late-1990s cookery show River Cottage than it does Barbarella. You see, Town isn't about the chaos of the city, but super seasonality, regenerative farming, and letting the produce speak for itself. It is, essentially, a plotline from The Archers. In practice, this means that the food is deeply considered, but pretty low intervention - it's less about cooking, and more about arranging lovely things on a plate. That's not to say Town avoids all contemporary trends. The snack of 2025, the gilda, comes with a nubbin of soused mackerel and a folded shiso leaf, while the snack of 2024, fried sage leaves, comes heavy on the batter and drizzled in honey. The snack of 2023 - a pastel-shaded pickle plate - is accessorised with a simple dollop of salted yogurt. My starter of wine-cured beef is just as fuss-free, with a scattering of candied walnuts and a few dots of creamy cheese, while Welsh lobster is no doubt cooked incredibly, but is relatively pared-back when it comes to presentation, layered with creamy sheets of lardo and dolloped with a XO sauce so brawny that it practically throbs. A side salad of tomato, nespoles (a kind of a fancy apricot) and elderflower is perhaps where Town's vision is clearest - a carnival of colour, furiously fresh flavour and powerful sense of pride at nature's perfect bounty. The vibe Brutalism, but make it glam - a swanky space with pricey dishes. The food Ingredient-led fare with a focus on British-grown produce and sustainability practices. The drink Lots of wine and a deft cocktail menu as devised by award-winning bar Satan's Whiskers. Our 'Dill Boy' martini was small but strong and handsome aka the Tom Hardy of drinks.
Daily Mirror
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Inside Coronation Street newcomer's acting past including stint on rival soap
Coronation Street fans have been introduced to newcomer Fiona Morley, but it's not her first time on a soap set – here's where viewers may have seen actress Sara Poyzer before There's another new arrival in Weatherfield, as Coronation Street fans have been introduced to Fiona Morley. Despite being a newcomer on the cobbles, fans may have seen actress Sara Poyzer before. In tonight's episode, fans see her interact with her ex Ronnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan) following his split from fiancé Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney). It was previously reported that the character would be seen revealing her 'dodgy dealings' to Ronnie, and will offer him a business proposition; to sell stolen cars for a vast sum of money. It's not just Ronnie Fiona will be involved with, however, as Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard) wants in on her corrupt car business, as he reveals he will start selling the cars through his brother Kevin Webster's (Michael Le Vell) garage. On-screen, it seems like Sara's character Fiona will become busy by being involved in some dodgy dealings. Off-screen, the actress has been busy on the West End, and various other TV shows. ABBA fans will know the star for her ten year stint as Donna Sheridan on the West End stage in Mamma Mia. Radio listeners will also know her as being a staple in BBC Radio 4 soap opera The Archers in the role of Leonie Schnell. Hardcore soap fans, however, may remember Sara for her short stints in BBC soaps EastEnders and Casualty. In 2013, Sara appeared in the Casualty episode What a Wonderful Life, as Lynne Shields. She's also starred in EastEnders twice. Once in a guest role as character Penny in 2002, and more recently as DS Sally Grant in 2013. During the 4 November episode that year, Sara's character interviewed Alice Branning (Jasmyn Banks) about the murder of Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd), as she charged her with the murder. Elsewhere, Sara has starred in Doctors, Cast Offs, Paradise Reclaimed, Dangerville, Dangerfield, Playing the Field, Peak Practice, Crossroads and The Pilot of Ordinary People. In 2019, she also starred in Doctor Who: The Legacy of Time. Back to the cobbles and spoilers for next week hint at trouble. Next week, Carl will be seen continuing his dodgy dealings with Fiona, while their meeting leaves Abi Franklin clearly jealous despite her being married to Carl's brother Kevin Webster. How will it all play out?
