Latest news with #Watford
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Lights, camera, fractions: how Harry Potter TV actors will juggle Hogwarts with real lessons
Harry Potter may have been overjoyed at going to Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, but the children playing Harry, Ron and Hermione in the forthcoming HBO TV series will vanish from their own schools for the rest of their childhoods. Instead the child actors – along with those playing Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley and the other Hogwarts pupils – will get much of their education from tutors at a 'mini-school' to be conjured up at Warner Brothers' Leavesden studio in Watford, north of London, when filming starts later this year. With HBO's chief executive, Casey Bloys, saying the project will run for '10 consecutive years', the child actors now aged between nine and 11 will spend their teens fitting lessons and exam revision around learning lines and sitting in makeup trucks. Jo Austin, of Tayberry Tuition, which has supplied specialist on-set tutors for Netflix and BBC productions, said: 'This Harry Potter series is fairly unique in that it is child-based. The children are the stars and they are going to be on screen all the time. 'I can't imagine many days filming when you haven't got any children on set, so I think they are going to be in there most of the time and working very hard. They will be out of school for a period of six to nine months to film and complete each series.' Nathaniel McCullagh, a co-founder of Simply Learning Tuition, who has worked on both sides of the camera as a tutor and a director, predicted: 'They'll probably have a school at Leavesden that is essentially a series of classrooms with subject tutors, and they'll wheel the children in and out of class just like a mini-school. 'When you start building that level of establishment you'll need management – a head teacher, a director of studies, individual tutors. It's far more complex than a typical on-set tutor who is tasked with looking after a couple of kids for a few hours each day for a month. 'I don't know who is going to get the gig, but it's a wonderful opportunity to look after maybe 30 children for months at a time and maybe longer ... They have got those children for 10 years or thereabouts, and they'll be responsible for their entire education.' Judith Phillips, who worked as a tutor on the original Harry Potter films, has previously told the Guardian that the aim is for children to get at least 15 hours of teaching a week, with tutors on call from 8am. For crowd scenes such as Quidditch matches, up to 400 children could be involved. 'Time is money on the film set, so when you get a knock on the door saying they need your pupil on set, it's not a case of finishing up what you're working on – it's put your pen down and go,' Phillips said. Austin said the child actors she worked with were usually eager to be tutored. 'The students we meet are very hard-working in general, I've yet to meet one who is a precocious brat. There are long, very boring days on film sets. Maybe in Hollywood it might be different, but we've worked with a wide range of child actors and we've never had an issue with any of the students.' McCullagh said chaperones played a vital role in managing children's workload and making sure productions stick to the legal time limits on work, which vary with age. Sign up to The Guide Get our weekly pop culture email, free in your inbox every Friday after newsletter promotion 'The problem with being on a film set is that there's never enough time,' he said. 'It doesn't matter how much money you've got behind the film; things go wrong. The lighting changes, the actors don't quite pull off the performance they need or the director wants something different. So there's always the temptation to say to a child: 'Can you just do another take?' That's when the chaperone has to step in and say: 'No'. 'If children are on set being filmed two hours a day, they'll be in makeup and wardrobe for another two hours,' McCullagh added. 'They'll be transported from wherever they are staying, but as soon as they get in the car or step into makeup, the clock starts ticking. It's an enormous race against time to try and get them in front of the camera and do some acting.' Charles Bonas, the founder of Bonas MacFarlane education consultancy, worked with some of the child actors on the original Harry Potter films. He said that while those playing the major roles had 'basically hit the jackpot', they were still having to give things up – as were those with smaller but still time-consuming parts. 'There's a wide point to make about what is in the best interest of the child,' Bonas said. 'With these kids, like it or not, their academic education is going to take a back seat. And if you said that to almost anyone else they'd ask: 'Is it worth it?' 'There's a lot of childhood they'll miss out on because they are sitting in these studios all day working with adults.'
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
On This Day: Messi and Argentina stars greeted by fans at The Grove
On this day in 2022, the Argentina football team arrived at a hotel in Watford ahead of their match against Italy. Credit: Twitter/X. On this day in 2022, the Argentina football team arrived at a hotel in Watford ahead of their match against Italy. Stars including Lionel Messi were greeted by cheering crowds as they entered The Grove hotel, located in Chandler's Cross, earlier that afternoon on May 31. Advertisement Videos shared on social media captured Paris St Germain forward and record seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi leaving the team coach alongside other squad members. He was seen waving to Argentinian fans who had gathered outside, chanting and singing his name. The luxury five-star hotel is a popular choice for sports teams visiting London, and it also serves as accommodation for Watford's squad before their fixtures at Vicarage Road. Argentina were set to face Italy in the Conmebol-UEFA Cup of Champions, a match that pits the recent winners of the Copa America against the Euro 2020 champions. Advertisement The highly anticipated match was scheduled to kick off at 7.45pm on June 1, with tickets for the event at the 90,000 capacity Wembley Stadium having sold out since the announcement of the match at the end of the previous year. Prior to the game, Argentina were due to train at Watford's London Colney training ground. [From the Watford Observer of May 31, 2022]
Yahoo
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Unity Cup final offers identity and bragging rights to London's diaspora
Where are you from? This simple question can be a minefield for anyone with a hyphenated identity. Depending on who is asking, I could be British, Nigerian or Jamaican. In Britain I'm black. In Nigeria I'm an innit innit boy. In Jamaica I'm foreign. I'm from here but I'm not from here. Each layer of my cultural backdrop explains so much and complicates even more. The Unity Cup validates the experiences of many people like me who are a part of London's diaspora communities. The friendly football tournament brings together Ghana, Nigeria, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago across five days to compete for nothing more than the love of game, the celebration of culture and the chance to earn unassailable bragging rights. Advertisement It's a sequel to the 2004 Unity Cup that hosted Nigeria, Ghana and the Republic of Ireland at the Valley in Charlton. Nigeria won the round-robin competition 21 years ago and they will face Jamaica in the final of this year's single-elimination tournament at Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium after Jamaica beat Trinidad & Tobago 3-2 on Tuesday and Nigeria beat Ghana 2-1 on Wednesday at the same venue. Former Wimbledon, Watford and Brentford striker Marcus Gayle was at the 2004 edition of the Unity Cup as a commentator after ending his international career with Jamaica two years after the Reggae Boyz reached the 1998 World Cup. For Gayle, now an ambassador for Brentford, the competition is as much about bringing people together as it is about the results on the pitch. 'The last time this happened was 21 years ago, so there are many fans that were not even born [then] who can witness this event and I think that's a healthy thing' he says. 'They can see what their nations can produce [while staying] in their local area.' Gayle was born in Hammersmith to a Barbadian mother and Jamaican father. Despite representing England at youth level, he ultimately decided to play for Jamaica at senior level. It was a decision that was not taken lightly. 'I had to go through some politics at the time,' Gayle remarks. Advertisement The 54-year-old's response alludes to debates about English-born players with heritage elsewhere playing for England or for their country of origin. 'It's about what's prestigious' says Gayle, referring to England's chances at a major tournament compared to Jamaica's, and the calibre of players in the respective national setups. 'There also should be a sense of pride in who you are, your identity and what makes you.' Once Gayle joined Jamaica's national setup with fellow English-born players such as Fitzroy Simpson, Deon Burton and Paul Hall, he immediately felt at home. 'It was like my DNA connected to the soil,' he says. We felt integrated. There were stories that we all had [in common], but it was just 4,000 miles apart.' He also found himself learning from the homegrown players. Used to the strict nutritional regimen of the Premier League, Gayle ate small portions of pre-match staples such as porridge and a banana while his teammates piled their plates before games. He would ask them: 'How are you going to eat that and then still run around?' Little did he know that the hot conditions would force him to match his teammates with plates full of hard food. 'I was underfueling myself because of how I was brought up in football,' Gayle says. 'I was burning calories galore so I had to adapt. I had to entwine with the culture, which is beautiful.' For Gayle, the Unity Cup is an opportunity for others to connect with their culture in a similar way. 'I hope it will encourage the younger generations to look at representing their countries with pride and dignity,' he says. Advertisement This sense of pride and dignity has trickled down to the fans who enjoyed a jovial atmosphere at the semi-finals. Jamaica versus Trinidad & Tobago felt more like a carnival than a football game and, if social media is anything to go by, the 'Jollof derby' was just as joyous. Jamaica versus Nigeria is a fitting final as both countries given how much both nations have shaped Britain and its culture, albeit the match represents something of a personal dilemma. Regardless of the score on Saturday, the Unity Cup is fostering a sense of pride among the respective countries and their communities at home and abroad.
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Will Hibs favourite Porteous get Easter Road return? Transfer market guide
Sunderland dealings, Bushiri decision and a thousand other factors make summer window a moveable feast Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It shouldn't be as busy as last summer, when Hibs made just the even dozen signings in a frantic transfer window. The plan for this year, as David Gray prepares for his second season in management, is to add quality over quantity, with a focus on players capable of elevating the group and bringing something different to the squad. Expecting the coming weeks and months to be entirely orderly and ordered would, however, be a rookie error. In a business with so many moving parts, getting business done can feel like trying to nail jelly to a wall. With a nail made of frozen yoghurt and an ice cream hammer. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The same rules apply to fans trying to follow every twist and turn in the market. A no at 10 am on a Friday can be a maybe by lunchtime, a yes later that evening … before it all falls apart in the wee small hours of the following morning. Only for the whole deal to be resurrected when some oligarch owner of a club you've never heard of is forced into a fire sale, creating a domino effect that involves Malky Mackay's phone ringing with a new and interesting possibility. All that said, of course, we can be certain on some elements of Hibernian's priorities in not one but two transfer windows (blame the FIFA Club World Cup for the unnecessary confusion) running from June 1 – 10 and then June 16 – September 1. You don't need eyes on the wall-mounted depth chart behind Gray's desk at East Mains to know where Hibs are in most need. Based on conversations and insight gained over hours spent in and around Hibernian Training Centre, what do you need to know, for starters? Let's take a look. The return of the king? There are reasons why Ryan Porteous returning to Hibs refuses to go away, as a story. Starting with the fact that so many Hibs fans desperately want it to happen. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad No-one at the club has been willing to kill the idea stone dead. That's not just a case of Hibs being unwilling to pour cold water on their supporters' hopes and dreams. The guy is a Scotland international defender. Sure, he wasn't getting game time at Watford, which is why he went to Preston on loan in January. But he's definitely a quality footballer. Taking all emotion out of it, Hibs were interested in a loan deal in January, but Porteous ended up at Preston. If they had a chance of getting the 26-year-old, who has two years on his contract with Watford remaining following his £450,000 move from Easter Road in January of 2023, they'd definitely be on the keen side of eager. Sunderland star's Easter Road love affair ... it's complicated Getting Nectar Triantis back in a Hibs jersey is THE priority this summer, given the 22-year-old Australian's performances in central midfield in his second loan stint at Easter Road. But it's not straightforward. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The established logic holds that Sunderland winning promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs was good for Hibs. Ready to throw themselves into the world's richest league, the thinking goes, they won't risk a raw talent – so would be wise just to farm him out for more experience. That might be just a bit of wishful thinking, to be honest. He'll be in demand. And will have options. Hibs are exploring all options, including a permanent transfer. If it doesn't pan out, well, the midfield isn't exactly undermanned. But every manager would like just one more … especially if it's the right one. Adding firepower to international front pairing A front pairing of new Scotland call-up Kieron Bowie and Socceroos star Martin Boyle, when both are fully fit and firing, will take some beating. There's your dream partnership right there, without adding another body. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad With Elie Youan's fitness still an issue, Dwight Gayle retiring and Mykola Kuharevich back with parent club Swansea, however, Hibs will definitely be chasing a striker. Along with every other team in the planet, right? There's also the matter of who plays in behind the front two, assuming no change of formation. Josh Campbell is first choice at the moment, with Junior Hoilett yet to commit. Maybe another playmaker, then. You know how easy those are to find … Keeping clean sheets and breaking strikers' hearts Jordan Smith established himself as the undisputed No. 1 almost from the moment when he replaced Josef Bursik between the sticks in November. He'll start as first choice keeper. But Bursik is returning to Belgium and Max Boruc has been released, leaving only young Freddie Owens – assuming he signs a new deal – to provide back-up to the experienced former Nottingham Forest goalie. Hibs need someone to provide competition. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Alex Paulsen, winner of not one but two individual A-League awards for Black Knight side Auckland FC, is the obvious answer. It's a deal that makes too much sense not to happen, in many ways. Look at us, applying common sense to football … Hold what you have in Bushiri and Hoilett All of the above is contingent on what happens in continued contract talks with Rocky Bushiri and Junior Hoilett. Sign both of those on for another season, at least, and the need to strengthen isn't quite so pressing. Hibs are building from a position of strength, having proven themselves the third best team in Scotland via the league table. But they'll have to replace some departing contributors – and will definitely need more bodies to cope with European competition, depending on how far they go. There are few certainties over how the window will end for gaffer Gray and sporting director Mackay. But at least we know they're starting with a plan. And an understanding that, in this business, the impossible can move to possible and then probable with just a couple of phone calls.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New left-back deal close but striker remains summer priority
Talks with a new left-back are at an advanced stage – but Watford's priority in the summer transfer market is a striker. Although Caleb Wiley is expected to return to Vicarage Road on a season-long loan from Chelsea during the summer, with Yasser Larouci returning to his parent club at the end of his loan, the Hornets need another left-sided option. They are close to securing exactly that, as the club move quicker and earlier in the market than at any other time under the Pozzo ownership. It's understood to be another sign that the owner is now focussed on Watford, backing up his talk of challenging for the play-offs and promotion by bringing in new players as soon as possible for new head coach Paulo Pezzolano to work with. The owner also said in his recent statement that retaining the players currently at the club was highly important, and with news emerging last week that Wiley and fellow defender James Abankwah would most likely be back next season – the latter expected to join permanently from Udinese – it's clear the Hornets are very keen to retain the squad that ended last season. Obviously that would also mean keeping hold of the likes of Player of the Season Imran Louza, Georgian international Giorgi Chakvetadze, and forward Kwadwo Baah. That will be more severely put to the test when the transfer window opens on June 1 and any potential offers start to come in. , then close temporarily before reopening again. This has been to accommodate the FIFA Club World Cup which starts in America in keeping their best players, though, the club have recognised the need for a new striker and are keen to make a permanent signing in that area of the pitch – though they would also be open to taking a young Premier League player on loan if the right option became available. The problem with the latter is that top-flight clubs generally take large squads with them on pre-season tours, and will only consider loaning out those they view as surplus to requirements once they are back. That can often mean loan signings have to be made at the end of the summer transfer window and the Hornets are keen to get as much of their business done sooner rather than later. Sale of Udinese is progressing Midfielder close to Watford return Mileta Rajovic will return to London Colney this summer after his loan spell with Brondby in Denmark, and young Mali international Mamadou Doumbia did plenty to further his cause in the last few months of last season. However, it is believed that neither is viewed as first-choice, hence the club seeking to find the ideal No.9 for new head coach Paulo Pezzolano. That particular position has, though, become one of the hardest to find for recruitment teams at all levels. Already a number of names have been flying around on social media, including West Ham's Danny Ings, but The Watford Observer understands he is not under consideration at all. Watford were scarred last season with the highly unsuccessful loan move of Bournemouth striker Daniel Jebbison. The Canada international was signed while Rajovic was heading back to Denmark, but Jebbison rarely looked like the answer in attack and his spell at Vicarage Road was cut short at the start of this year. One move understood to be close to completion is the signing of goalkeeper Nathan Baxter, who has been allowed to leave League One side Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer. Final paperwork is being finished off and the deal could be announced early next week.
