Latest news with #VictoriaStreet
Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Vandals attack shops on street that inspired Harry Potter's Diagon Alley
Vandals have targeted an historic Edinburgh street believed to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter series. At least ten shops in Victoria Street were spray painted with graffiti over the weekend. The winding cobbled street is lined with the colourful storefronts of many independent shops and is said to be one of the most photographed in Scotland. At least ten shops in Victoria Street were damaged by vandals ANDREW MCRAE Andrew McRae, a shop owner, said the city was being 'wrecked with impunity' and called for more action to be taken. Among the three businesses he owns on the street is Museum Context, which sells Harry Potter merchandise. • Tourist tax could pay for removing graffiti in Edinburgh He told the BBC: 'I've been doing business in the Old Town for a number of years and I've never seen anything on this kind of scale before with one street being so badly targeted and damaged. Andrew McRae said action needed to be taken to protect the city from vandals 'Victoria Street is one of the most picturesque and beautiful streets in the city if not Scotland and a great deal of time and effort is spent by the independent business owners to keep it in that condition. 'So to come in to work and see this trail of destruction — I was very shocked and it was very demoralising. It seems to me there are no consequences or there is no sense that people will be held accountable for what they are doing.' • Spread of graffiti 'threatens Edinburgh's heritage status' The City of Edinburgh council's transport and environment convener, Stephen Jenkinson, said: 'First and foremost, defacing any building with graffiti is a criminal offence and I'd encourage anyone with any information on the culprits to contact the police. 'This type of mindless behaviour damages the local environment for everyone, whether they be residents or visitors, and wastes time and money on removing it. Daniel Radcliffe and Robbie Coltrane in Diagon Alley in a scene from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Victoria Street has been cited as an inspiration for the alley 'We've invested in a dedicated graffiti team who will be happy to offer advice to private owners on how best to deal with it and, if requested, to remove it — on a cost recovery basis.' Police Scotland said it was investigating the vandalism.
BBC News
7 days ago
- BBC News
Most photographed street 'wrecked' by vandals, say shopkeepers
Shopkeepers on Scotland's most photographed street say it has been "wrecked" after vandals covered stonework and shop fronts in owner said he was shocked at the "unprecedented scale" of the damage after at least 10 shops on Victoria Street in Edinburgh's Old Town had graffiti tags sprayed on their windows, stone walls and doors at the street's colourful buildings, cobblestone pavement, and curved layout make it a popular setting for tourists and influencers to Scotland said inquiries were ongoing into the incident at the street often cited as an inspiration for the fictional Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter series. Harry Potter author JK Rowling lived in Edinburgh when she was writing the popular street, which links George IV bridge and the Grassmarket, is claimed as the inspiration for the alley where wizards bought their magical McRae, who owns three shops in Victoria Street including Museum Context, which sells officially licensed Harry Potter products, said he was shocked at the "unprecedented scale" of the vandalism over the weekend. "I've been doing business in the Old Town for a number of years and I've never seen anything on this kind of scale before with one street being so badly targeted and damaged," he said."Victoria Street is one of the most picturesque and beautiful streets in the city if not Scotland and a great deal of time and effort is spent by the independent business owners to keep it in that condition."So to come in to work and see this trail of destruction - I was very shocked and it was very demoralising."Mr McRae added: "It seems to me there are no consequences or there is no sense that people will be held accountable for what they are doing."He said something needed to be done as visitors and locals "shouldn't have to see the city wrecked with such impunity". John Bowman, owner of the Cuttea Sark in Victoria Street, said he had never seen vandalism on this scale in the 28 years he had been running his business in the street."I was annoyed like everyone else would be when I saw the graffiti," the 76-year-old said."I've had to buy paint to cover it up as it won't clean off."It's not good for tourism. The authorities should do something about it but they won't." Tom Kerry, who works in both Walker Slater clothing shops in the street, said it was "absolutely mindless vandalism"."It's ugly and looks like someone is trying to mark their territory," he said."We're a nice shop, we've been here since 1989 and a family-run business, so I didn't expect to come into work and see this. "We're a nice street and like to keep things looking good." Part of the graffiti attack at the weekend saw the 900-year-old St Giles' Cathedral targeted as well as other monuments and stone buildings in the Old Town - which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Golden, development and outreach manager of the heritage watchdog Cockburn Association, told BBC Scotland it was a delicate and difficult task to remove graffiti from historic Golden said it can require specialist equipment and knowledge to remove it properly without damaging the building itself."It should also be removed quickly to try to avoid irreparable damage to these historic buildings," she said. Stephen Jenkinson, City of Edinburgh Council's environment convener, said: "First and foremost, defacing any building with graffiti is a criminal offence and I'd encourage anyone with any information on the culprits to contact the police."This type of mindless behaviour damages the local environment for everyone, whether they be residents or visitors, and wastes time and money on removing it."We've invested in a dedicated graffiti team who will be happy to offer advice to private owners on how best to deal with it and, if requested, to remove it (on a cost recovery basis)."Police Scotland confirmed it had received a report of the vandalism on Victoria Street and inquiries were ongoing.
Independent Singapore
21-06-2025
- Independent Singapore
41-year-old cyclist gets injured and loses consciousness after running red light and crashing into car at Bugis
Photo: SGRV FB SINGAPORE: A 41-year-old male cyclist was taken to the hospital after a serious collision with a car in Bugis early Thursday morning (19 June), after he seemed to run a red light. The accident occurred at around 6:30am along Victoria Street, in the direction of Kallang Road. According to footage shared on Facebook by SG Road Vigilante, the cyclist appeared to be riding on the sidewalk and allegedly ignored the red light signal at the pedestrian crossing. The video shows the cyclist entering the road against the red light before being struck by an oncoming car. The impact flung both the cyclist and his bicycle into the air before they landed heavily on the ground. The incident drew concern online, with many commenting on the dangers of disregarding traffic rules. The Singapore Police Force confirmed that they were alerted to the accident shortly after it happened. In response to media queries, the police stated that the cyclist lost consciousness following the collision. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that the injured man was conveyed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for treatment. The 44-year-old male driver of the car is assisting police with their investigations. Investigations are ongoing.
RNZ News
07-06-2025
- RNZ News
Man falls three storeys from Auckland CBD car park, survives
The Victoria Street car park in central Auckland. Photo: Google Maps A witness says he can still hear the sound of a man hitting the pavement on Friday night after he fell from a car park building in central Auckland. Police say a person sustained moderate injuries from a fall in the Victoria Street car park. A witness, Ian, said he and his girlfriend had just left a restaurant and were heading home when they saw a man dangling from a rail in the carpark, three storeys above. Ian went to get help and was about 50 metres away when the accident happened. "And he started falling, slipped down the rail, straight onto the concrete, foot first, bang - and the bang, oh boy, that was - so we rushed over. People were kind of confused because they hadn't realised that he's actually fallen down." Ian said it looked like the man had snapped both his legs, but he otherwise seemed to be okay. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
CNA
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Miguel Covarrubias: A Mexican Artist's Fascination with the Pacific
CNA938 Rewind In 'Culture Club', Melanie Oliveiro finds out more about the ongoing exhibition, 'Miguel Covarrubias: A Mexican Artist's Fascination with the Pacific', held at the National Library Building at Victoria Street. It features the works of the late Mexican artist & ethnographer Miguel Covarrubias whose visits to Bali during the early 1930s ignited his fascination with the histories and cultures of the Pacific. His Excellency Agustín García-López Loaeza, Ambassador of Mexico to Singapore and Chung Sang Hong, Deputy Director, National Library (Exhibitions) will talk about the themes and messages behind some of the 23 paintings and photographs, and what Covarrubias' signature style was like.
