Latest news with #Wollaston
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Wollaston thanks team-mates for victory
Ally Wollaston celebrates victory at the Tour of Britain in Glasgow. PHOTO: SWPIX New Zealand cycling star Ally Wollaston has sprinted her way to overall victory on the final day to win the Tour of Britain. The Suez FDJ professional went into the last stage of the UCI World Tour race around the streets of Glasgow trailing emerging British star Cat Ferguson, from Movistar, by 3sec. Wollaston revelled in the circuit racing, picking up the time bonuses in winning all three of the intermediate sprints in Glasgow then securing the overall honours with a desperate final sprint for third on the stage. It gave the Kiwi rider the vital last four bonus points to secure the overall victory on general classification. "I'm a little bit overwhelmed," Wollaston said. 'I knew it was a lot to pull off today, winning three sprints and having to still get seconds in the final. I knew the race really had to go my way today. 'I'm so, so immensely grateful for my team-mates for making it pan out that way. I really couldn't have done that on my own out there. 'If you looked at every sprint that I did well in today, I was never isolated. I had a team-mate going into the last corner every single time and it made a world of difference. 'This means the world to me. It's my first World Tour victory in GC. 'Often a lot of the times on the track, I race best in omniums when I'm not leading from the front, and I think I found it super-motivating today not having to defend the win. I find it a lot easier on the mind chasing rather than defending." Wollaston has won two world titles on the track as well as silver and bronze medals at the Paris Olympic Games. While the New Zealand star won a World Tour race in Australia in February, this was her first World Tour GC win in a stage race. "It came down to the last sprint, and there was a moment of doubt halfway through that last lap where I thought 'I just cannot do this today', and my team-mates really helped me pull it together and pulled me to the front for the final.'' The final stage was held on an 8.4km city-centre circuit in Glasgow. — APL
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Car swoop probed as police issue picture of man officers want to identify
A car swoop is being probed as police issue a picture of a man officers want to identify. Items were stolen from a vehicle on Gilbanks Road, in Wollaston, Stourbridge. West Midlands Police has issued a picture of a man it wants to trace. READ MORE: Tributes to The Cube victim after 'utterly tragic' death fall READ MORE: The Cube Birmingham tragedy as man falls to his death from luxury city centre complex READ MORE: Major Birmingham loose bull update after 'escape from abattoir' theory READ MORE: Watch M5 trucker roll cigarette with no hands on wheel as police go undercover in HGV No arrests have been made and inquiries are ongoing. An appeal for information was made today Sunday, June 8. In a statement, police said: "We want to speak to this man after items were stolen from a car in Stourbridge. "It happened in Gilbanks Road, Wollaston, at around 5am, on April 22. Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp , click the link to join "We appreciate this isn't the clearest image but we're hoping to receive information to assist our enquiries. "You can contact us by calling 101 and quote 20/216583/25."
ABC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
The rise, fall and potential rise again of countercultural brand Dr Martens
When the Allied victory was announced in 1945, Germans took the streets in droves. Soldiers and civilians alike took to shops, museums and government buildings to loot, searching for Nazi memorabilia, money and food in the wake of their country's defeat. One man, Dr Klaus Maerten, declined to participate. Instead, he walked into a shoemaker and asked to buy some leather. For 60 years Dr Maerten's creation became a countercultural symbol. But in 2025, its latest financial forecast shows it could become victim of the very market forces its wearers aimed to subvert. Dr Klaus Maerten was a 25-year-old army doctor for Nazi Germany when he came up with the idea of an air-cushioned sole shoe to help him recover from a skiing injury. He used parts of a car tyre to cushion the inside of his army boots, and went on to sell his shoes primarily to German housewives over 40 to wear while gardening. By 1959, the business of Dr Martens was booming and an English family took notice. The Griggs family, who were established in the footwear business and locals of Wollaston in the English Midlands — came across the "air-cushioned soles" in a German magazine. They bought an exclusive licence to the shoe, made their own tweaks — including the distinctive yellow stitching — and aimed their new product at factory workers and miners for £2. But one young musician would later change their trajectory forever. Pete Townshend was a guitarist for a band named the Who when he walked into the Griggs family's West Midlands store. He bought a pair of 1460 boots, and later wore them on stage in 1967 as a symbol of his own working class pride. According to the brand, the boots exploded in popularity from there. The punk subculture was emerging and they adopted the boots as an "anti-fashion" statement, as did Elton John, the Clash and the Sex Pistols. However the boots' popularity also crossed over with many of the early British skinhead groups. Skinhead groups were also known to adhere to racist, homophobic and fascist ideologies, whereas the punk subculture was synonymous with movements advocating anarchism, anti-fascism, and communism. "Without any warning or intent, Dr Martens were suddenly picked up by early multicultural, ska-loving skinheads — who proudly championed British working class style," the brand said. The alarm bells for Dr Martens started sounding as early as 2020. Over the years it adapted to market pressure by moving some of its manufacturing to China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand — countries that would keenly feel the sting of the COVID-19 pandemic. The brand issued its first profit warning in November 2022, although then-chief executive Kenny Wilson said he was confident the lead up to Christmas could help resolve their woes. "Going into the winter season, we see people buying more of our iconic boots," he said. But it was soon clear the brand was in for protracted pain. By November 2023, the company had issued its fourth profit warning as pre-tax profits fell by 55 per cent. Mr Wilson again put the falling figure down to market forces outside the brand's control, including the rising cost of living. "Virtually all of the big footwear and apparel brands have had difficult numbers," Mr Wilson said. A year later, Kenny Wilson was gone. He was replaced with Ije Nwokorie, who spent the next two years attempting to claw back some of the business's tumbling share price. In last year's financial report, Mr Nwokorie said he was steadily turning things around. "We have made good progress against our objective of turning around our USA performance," he said. "We continue to actively manage our costs and are on track to meet our inventory reduction target for [the 2025 financial year]. "The team and I are squarely focused on returning the business to sustainable and profitable growth." Six months later, Dr Martens shares fell to an all-time low. The US tariff announcement tanked the business's shares, which had begun to plateau following better sales in America and the Asia Pacific. On Friday, the company revealed the extent President Donald Trump's trade war, the cost of living, the prevalence of fast fashion brands and even the threat of climate change had impacted the brand. Its reported revenue for the 2024/25 financial year was £787.6 million ($1.64 billion), down from £877.1 million the year before. The report said while the £89.5 million loss was felt, it was actually in keeping with what the company had forecasted the year prior. The report said the drop was expected to happen due to "a challenging macroeconomic and consumer backdrop in several of our core markets". Despite anticipation profits would likely suffer in the US due to Mr Trump's tariffs against many countries in Asia, US sales increased. "While the USA is an important market for us, we are a truly global brand that is sold in more than 60 countries around the world," the report said. "We do however recognise that there is continued macroeconomic uncertainty and the full outcome of tariffs is still unknown, and we will monitor this closely through the year and take action as appropriate." The brand said it was also able to save about £25 million in costs, which would go toward a better result next year. As a result, it said it would not be increasing prices on its products. The report said while it was anticipating its first return to profit in years, the brand had to be cautious about predicting the next 12 months. "I am laser-focused on day-to-day execution, managing costs and maintaining our operational discipline while we navigate the current macroeconomic uncertainties," Mr Nwokorie said. "This, combined with the enduring demand for our products, the robustness of our operations, the strength of our cashflow generation and balance sheet and the expertise of our people, gives me confidence that we will deliver the sustainable, profitable growth that this brand is capable of."
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Wollaston-based Dr Martens profits slump by more than 90%
The maker of an iconic brand of footwear have seen its profits fall by more than 90% in the last Martens, based in Wollaston, Northamptonshire, posted pre-tax profits for the year to March of £ figure for the previous year was £93mThe company said UK revenues had been hit by "a challenging market". The Dr Martens design originated in Germany in the 1940s and production started in the UK in 1959, when the Northamptonshire-based Griggs Group bought the patent familiar yellow-stitched boots, made at the factory in Cobbs Lane, Wollaston, have been bought by famous names from the Sex Pistols to the Dalai company has been in the doldrums in recent years, with declining revenues exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis. Underlying profits in the year to March, which do not include anything exceptional or non-recurring, have dropped from £97.2m to £ group said sales to consumers in the US started to grow in the second half of the year and had continued to increase, but UK revenues had remained lower since the year-end "due to a challenging market". Despite this, Dr Martens said it expected underlying profits to rise "significantly" over the financial year ahead, with analysts expecting a jump to between £54m and £ flagged uncertainty over the impact of higher tariffs, including those imposed by the USA, but said it was holding off from price hikes for the the remainder of group added: "We do recognise that there is continued macroeconomic uncertainty and the full outcome of tariffs is still unknown, and we will monitor this closely through the year and take action as appropriate." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Grow Along Live: The Secret to Great Veggies? It Starts with Your Soil
The Secret to Great Veggies? It Starts with Your Soil Last week we kicked off Grow Along Live, our Summer gardening initiative where we invited you to grow your own veg patch in less than two months. And we're already hearing from green-fingered viewers across the country!Jason from Salford shared how his spinach and rocket are already starting to shoot up, and Sarah in Wollaston is seeing signs of growth too. Keep those updates coming – we love seeing your progress! This Week's Focus: Soil Care & Fertiliser It might be early days for our crops, but now's the perfect time to give our soil a bit of TLC. As Mark explains, healthy plants begin with healthy soil."It's easy to focus on what's growing above the surface, but everything starts beneath our feet. Soil isn't just dirt – it's a living ecosystem, packed with nutrients, microbes and organisms working together to feed your plants."Understanding Soil pH – and Why It MattersSoil pH measures how acidic or alkaline your soil is, and different plants thrive in different conditions. Here's a quick guide:Below pH 6: Acidic – can lead to nutrient 6 to 7: Ideal – slightly acidic is best for most pH 7: Alkaline – can reduce nutrient to Test Your Soil's pH at HomeYou can easily test your soil with a pH meter – many basic kits cost under £10 online. Just push the probe into your soil and get an instant kit? No problem! Try this DIY method:You'll need:Two soil samples (about a cup each, taken 6 inches deep)White vinegarBaking sodaDistilled or deionised waterTest for Alkalinity:Mix half a cup of soil with water to make a half a cup of = alkaline for Acidity:Mix a second soil sample with half a cup of baking = acidic soil."A strong reaction suggests your soil is very acidic or very alkaline," Mark says. "Slight fizzing is totally normal." Improving Your Soil's pH If your soil needs adjusting, here's what you can do:Too acidic? Add garden lime (ground limestone). Mix it thoroughly into the top 20cm of alkaline? Use garden sulphur to lower the pH. IMPORTANT: These products can be harmful if ingested. Always follow packaging instructions and take proper safety precautions. Make Your Own Fertiliser with Nettles This week, Mark also showed us how to turn pesky stinging nettles into a powerful plant feed."Nettles are packed with nutrients, especially nitrogen, which plants love. It's essentially plants feeding plants!"DIY Nettle Fertiliser Recipe:Forage nettles (wear gloves!)Chop them up to help them break to a bucket and cover with and leave for 2–3 weeks to ferment (warning: it will smell!)Strain and dilute – mix 1 part nettle liquid to 10 parts organic fertiliser will give your plants a nutrient-rich boost throughout the growing season. Send Us Your Grow Along Photos! We're loving all your updates – keep them coming via email or WhatsApp, and don't forget to leave your name so we can give you a shout-out on the show.
