Latest news with #TrevorMcDonald
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Family of suspected Fred West victim no closer to knowing her fate 50 years on - despite hopes of a recent discovery
The family of a suspected Fred West victim are no closer to finding out what happened to the schoolgirl nearly 50 years after she disappeared. Mary Bastholm, 15, vanished in 1968 as she was making her way to catch a bus to see her then-boyfriend Tim Merrett. The teen had worked at the Pop-In Cafe, which was later renamed the Clean Plate, where serial killer West was a regular. Hopes had been raised in 2021 of finding Mary's remains when a TV crew filming a documentary - fronted by Trevor McDonald - found some blue material at the cafe in Gloucester. It sparked police to carry out excavation work in the basement, lasting nearly a week and costing at least £55,000. But no trace of her was ever found with Gloucestershire police believing 'evidence' presented to them was detritus from a pipe accidentally drilled through by the show's producers. Speaking after the launch of the Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story on Netflix, one local said: 'The issue of the Clean Plate cafe is an ongoing mystery. 'Trevor McDonald's team did not break any new ground in getting closer to Mary but what happened created more questions than answers. 'How do you backfill a void behind a basement wall, unless there is a tunnel on the other side of it? 'Fred is obviously not around so potentially is someone else managing things on his behalf? 'This leads to further suspicions there are others walking the streets to this day - making sure trail of breadcrumbs is swept up behind them. 'It is a strange one, but obviously everyone's thoughts are with Mary's family. It is so tragic and everyone in the town just hopes they get the answers to what happened to her.' Gloucestershire Police was forced to defend its actions following the dig after no trace of Mary was found. It came as extraordinary details emerged that the documentary crew, with the blessing of her family and the cafe, had drilled into the floor themselves and then put an endoscope camera down the hole. They believed they captured images of blue material matching the coat the girl had been wearing when she went missing and contacted the police. Speaking at the time, then Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden said he thought the pictures was actually wreckage from a pipe they had drilled through that simply appeared blue through the imaging technology. 'When we were called by the production company it was because they had seen an image of what appeared to be blue material. 'When our senior investigating officer and our experts looked at the footage from the endoscope that had been deployed by the TV production company it was clear that there was imagery of something that was blue and it couldn't be identified as to what that was. 'Under excavation we found a pipe that wasn't blue and we believe that the drilling may have gone through that pipe and created some sort of detritus or debris which is what the endoscope picked up. 'When we looked we didn't see anything blue so what we believe is that the imagery has given the impression of something blue.' Speaking at the time, Gloucestershire Police said of the search that it was examining six areas of interest or 'anomalies' in the cellar area. A spokesperson added: 'The anomalies were identified by a team of expert forensic archaeologists and anthropologists ahead of the excavation work, with the experts able to determine that the remaining areas of the cellar had been undisturbed since prior to 1968, when Mary Bastholm disappeared. 'Each area was carefully examined by the forensics team with support from officers from the Constabulary. 'The team worked each day, everything that was dug up was analysed on site and all activity was meticulously logged and photographed. 'Mary's family have been updated and is continuing to receive support from family liaison officers.' In their most recent statement, Mary's family's said: 'We are aware of the ongoing developments around Mary's disappearance and are being kept up to date and supported by Gloucestershire Police Family Liaison Officers. 'At this time please may we ask for privacy so we can grieve for Mary.' The cafe was handed back to its owners once reparation work is completed.
Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
BBC has ducked this for too long — it must stand up to brazen Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker is to my mind an excellent presenter, but let's not pretend there aren't many others who could do his job. The thing about a role such as Lineker's is that it has what is sometimes called 'path dependency': the longer you do it, the more kudos and authority you gain — until you become a significant national figure, whose words carry weight and who the nation (and executives) can come to feel is indispensable. I once chatted to Sir Trevor McDonald — a decent and wise man — about this process when we met at the Oval (he's a huge cricket fan). He was acutely self-aware about his journey, getting a few key breaks as an aspiring journalist, landing the job as the
Times
09-05-2025
- Times
Jon Sopel's wartime travails and keeping his marriage afloat
News organisations take great care before sending correspondents into a war, but this is a relatively new development. When working for the BBC, the journalist Jon Sopel was a young dad of two at the point he was suddenly told he was going to Afghanistan. He tells Travel Diaries that they didn't even give him time to get the advised three rabies jabs, and his route to the country was fatal for others. So, naturally, he had concerns, and it's hard to imagine these being dealt with now as they were then. When he told his boss that he would have to talk to his wife about the trip, Sopel's boss replied: 'Oh mate, you're only on your first marriage.' Sir Trevor McDonald knows Sopel's
The Sun
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Amanda Holden, Roman Kemp & Denise van Outen step out on blue carpet to mark 100 years of McVitie's Chocolate Digestives
AMANDA Holden, Roman Kemp and Denise van Outen were among a host of celebrities who attended a star-studded "blue carpet" event at Piccadilly Circus to celebrate 100 years of the humble McVitie's Chocolate Digestives. They were joined by Jess Wright, Tasha Ghouri, Dani Dyer, Sir Trevor McDonald and Scarlett Moffatt at the launch of an immersive pop-up store designed to be a biscuit-lover's paradise. 4 4 Amanda Holden sparkled as she opened the celebrations with a reading of an "Ode to McVitie's Chocolate Digestives". She said: 'As a lifelong fan of eating and dunking Chocolate Digestives, it's an honour to celebrate the 100th birthday at this this pop-up experience – it's a must-visit for all my fellow choccy digestive fans! 'It's amazing how such a humble biscuit has brought joy to so many over the years. 'I remember when I first introduced them to my children as a little treat. 'Whether they were wrapped in foil for days out – they had to be rationed – or being dipped into a hot chocolate, they are still enjoyed by me and my girls. "And here's a delightful surprise – I just found out I've been eating my biscuit upside down all this time! "Turns out, it's meant to be enjoyed choc side down - who knew?' At the heart of the experience is the Biscuit Bar, where visitors can sample never-before-seen creations made from a range of Digestives including White, Gold, Milk and Dark Chocolate. Curated by Robert Craggs, the Michelin-trained head development chef for the biscuit maker, the menu showcases bold and unexpected flavour combinations. This ranged from the 'Hot Pink', a fusion of White Chocolate Digestives, wasabi, raspberry and white chocolate, to the 'Loaded Gold' featuring hazelnut praline and salted caramel. The best biscuit dunker in Britain has been found The bar also features a personalisation station where fans can build their own dream Chocolate Digestives with a range of toppings. Benazir Barlet-Bartada from McVitie's said: 'This 100th anniversary is not just about a biscuit. 'It's a national celebration of every biscuit break, every conversation, and every cherished moment we've all shared with Chocolate Digestives over the last century.' To commemorate the momentous centenary milestone of the beloved biccie, limited-edition Chocolate Digestives merch, from t-shirts to socks and hats, will also be available to win. Visitors will have the chance to 'spin to win' to get their hands on a prize, ranging from a piece of must-have merch, through to packets of biscuits. There is also a collection of art pieces inspired by – and even made from – the tea-break staple. Highlights include biscuit portraits of British icons, David Bowie, Sir Trevor McDonald and Dame Judi Dench, created by mosaic artist Ed Chapman and crafted from hundreds of mosaic fragments of the biscuit. There's a unique work showing 25 of the greatest moments from the last 100 years, each depicted on individual Chocolate Digestives, brought to life on a biscuit using a delicate airbrushing technique. Benazir Barlet-Bartada added: 'We're thrilled to offer our loyal fans this incredible experience as a way to say thank you for the unwavering support over the last century - here's to the next 100.' The McVitie's Chocolate Digestives Experience is free to attend and open to the public from Friday 2nd May – Monday 5th May from 11AM – 7PM, at 44-48 Regent Street, Picadilly, W1, London.
North Wales Live
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Live
Biscuit-based portraits depicting likes of Sir Trevor McDonald
A series of incredible biscuit-based portraits depicting David Bowie, Sir Trevor McDonald, and Dame Judi Dench have been unveiled to mark the 100th anniversary of McVitie's Chocolate Digestives. The artworks were specially created by award-winning mosaic artist Ed Chapman, who specialises in making extraordinary mosaics from unexpected materials, following a nationwide McVitie's poll to name the top 10 'True Original' British icons. The handcrafted portraits, which took over 180 hours to complete using over 1,000 biscuits, were made using whole and mosaic fragments of McVitie's Digestives - including Milk Gold, White and Dark. McVitie's commissioned a poll of 2,000 adults living in the UK, asking them to name their ultimate 'True Original' British icons - individuals who have shaped and formed British culture in their own unique way, just as McVitie's Chocolate Digestives have, over the past century. David Bowie, Sir Trevor McDonald, and Dame Judi Dench who all featured in the top 10 were selected to be immortalised in biscuit form. The three portraits will go on display at The McVitie's Chocolate Digestives Experience, an immersive pop up set to open in London in celebration of the nation's favourite biscuit's 100th birthday. Top 10 True Original British Icons of the Last 100 years, as voted for by the British public: Queen Elizabeth II Sir David Attenborough David Bowie Diana, Princess of Wales Dame Judi Dench Sir Trevor McDonald Freddie Mercury Stephen Hawking Margaret Thatcher John Lennon The McVitie's Chocolate Digestives Experience will open to the public for free from Friday 2 - Monday 5 May, from 11am – 7pm, and the portraits will sit within a dedicated gallery area of the concept store, alongside a collection of other biscuit-based artwork. The art collection will feature pieces inspired by, and some made from, McVitie's Chocolate Digestives. They may look delicious, but they're strictly for viewing only. Alongside the portraits, visitors can explore an interactive timeline tracing how McVitie's Chocolate Digestives have remained a staple of British culture for a century, while also enjoying exclusive chocolate digestive creations at the Biscuit Bar and getting their hands on limited-edition merch - all set to make this a celebration as iconic as the biscuit itself. Benazir Barlet-Batada, Marketing Director for McVitie's, said: 'As an all-round icon and the True Original of the biscuit world, McVitie's Chocolate Digestives have long been intertwined with British culture and history, making it only fitting to immortalise other British icons in biscuit form as part of our 100th anniversary celebrations. From Bowie's first UK number one hit in 1975, to Dame Judi Dench's Oscar triumph, and Sir Trevor McDonald's historic knighthood in 1999, these biscuits have been there through the decades, witnessing countless legendary moments. The portraits created by Ed are truly remarkable works of art, and the perfect way to play testament to McVitie's rich heritage.' Information on the McVitie's Chocolate Digestives Experience: Dates: Friday 2nd May to Monday 5th May 2025
