Latest news with #Woolston
BBC News
28-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Plans for personal use squash court in Shropshire rejected
Plans for a "personal use" squash court in a Shropshire village have been rejected by council Cadwallader has been told by Shropshire Council that using a unit at Top Farm in Woolston near West Felton would be "unsustainable development".Mr Cadwallader had already seen one application turned down on appeal on the site, and is facing enforcement action by the council to return buildings to agricultural St Oswald's councillor Joyce Barrow had asked that the application be decided by the council's planning committee, and it was supported by Mr Cadwallader's local parish council. Planners, in their latest rejection, said "provision of the squash courts and associated facilities" represented "unsustainable development."They said such developments should be focused in market towns and other key centres, adding that it would also be "incompatible with the farming activities and operations occurring in and around the squash courts."Planners said it also failed to demonstrate a functional link to the existing domestic Cadwallader's planning agent had said that the squash court was for the "personal enjoyment of the applicant" and adequate access and parking was already present on his private driveway associated with his property. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Otago Daily Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
'A coach trying to do the best for my fighters'
Holly Sullivan was one of the first female boxing coaches in New Zealand when she began at Woolston Boxing Club in 2007. Now 38, she's head trainer at the club, runs her own business, and raises her two-year-old son Taimana with partner and fellow coach Trevor Swainson. Sports reporter Sam Coughlan caught up with her. Holly Sullivan didn't set out to break ground in boxing – she simply followed a passion. That passion has led to a number of notable achievements; the first Kiwi woman to earn international coaching qualifications and the only active female international coach in the country. It is also believed Sullivan was the first female head boxing trainer in Canterbury, , earning the role at Woolston in 2009, aged 22. 'I never had any problems. It really helped in such a male-dominated community to just be treated as an equal. It was pretty awesome.' Her first overseas experience came as a development coach for the team that went to the Arafura Games in Darwin in 2019. At that tournament she cornered for Auckland's Siaki Tu, who won super heavyweight gold, as well as current New Zealand U71kg champion Wendell Stanley, also from Auckland. ' To know that you cornered someone that's potentially going to do some really cool things. It's cool, because I got to corner his first international,' she said about Stanley, who is a prospect for the next Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year. In 2022, Sullivan and Swainson coached Woolston's Hamuera Tainui at the IBA Youth World Boxing championships in La Nucia, Spain. Tainui lost in the first round by split decision, but Sullivan said it was the best she'd ever seen him fight. ' It was literally like two punches that made the difference of the whole fight, Hamz (Tainui) won the first round easy. His opponent won the second round and there was literally nothing in the last.' On the way home, a one-day layover in London coincided with Tyson Fury's fight against Derek Chisora at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 'The atmosphere was crazy,' she said. 'For our fighter too, it's like, this is what you can achieve. We could see him looking up at the crowd and all these people were there.' They watched on as Fury won by TKO in the 10th round. Sullivan first stepped into the ring in 2005, aged 18, looking for something to do to keep fit after falling out of love with football – despite playing for Canterbury and trialling for the national team. A talented sportsperson, she also represented Canterbury at tennis. ' I loved soccer, but it got to the point where I dreaded it every day because it felt like it was something I had to go to, and it wasn't a want anymore,' she said. She played social football for a while, until a teammate introduced her to boxing through her husband's gym. What started as a fitness hobby soon became a passion – and a quick end to her football career. 'I literally quit soccer overnight,' she said. After a couple of years of fitness training, Sullivan got a taste for fighting while working as a ring girl – when she was asked if she'd try a kickboxing bout. 'The fight only lasted 40 seconds. The other girl didn't want to be in there. I was really mad – I was like, 'I trained so fricking hard for this damn fight and you don't get back up'.' Sullivan was keen to continue fighting after experiencing the thrill – and having moved into a house two streets over from the Woolston Boxing Club, it was a logical choice. 'They took me in under their wings,' she said. She qualified for the 2007 national championships in her first year at Woolston but lost her first bout. A series of shoulder injuries followed, resulting in three surgeries that sidelined her for long periods. ' I went through three shoulder surgeries, so I was out for a while,' she said. 'In one of my fights, I said to my coach, 'I can't feel my left arm, like it just popped out,' and he was like, 'that's all right, you've got your right arm.' 'You know what, he was absolutely right. And you just carry on.' While recovering, she began coaching – a natural fit since she was already leading warm-ups and helping others in the gym. When then-head trainer Tom Heath stepped down due to work commitments, Sullivan took over. It was at Woolston she met Swainson, and the pair have been together for five years. Their son Taimana was born in 2023. ' We did not see eye to eye for the first, probably, half a decade of knowing each other,' Sullivan said. 'And we can both openly admit that, but then things changed, obviously now we have a child together.' As head trainer, she is technically Swainson's boss, but they keep things professional. ' If you came into Woolston, you wouldn't know. Our focus is the team.' She balances her role at the gym – training three to four days a week – with her full-time job as director of The Mortgage Girls, a company she co-founded with Elyce Peters in 2016. Motherhood added another layer to her already packed life. 'I didn't think it was gonna be (tricky). I'm pretty stubborn. But it's definitely changed how quickly I can get things done in the background,' she said. 'Taimana still comes to boxing once a week. Every Sunday he is at the boxing gym, he's hitting the speed ball, he runs around and watches sparring. He loves being in the environment.' While boxing remains '95% male-dominated,' Sullivan doesn't see herself as a trailblazer. ' That was a question I got asked in my early days, but I've never seen myself as a female in the sport, just a coach trying to do the best for my fighters,' she said. ' I don't feel like I was ever treated any differently, my peers in the boxing world, they treated me like they would any other coach.' Her long-term dream is to coach at high-performance level. ' Having one fighter with you for like a month, it's incredible what you can do with one person.' Still, she loves looking after young trainees, especially those willing to put in the hard yards, regardless of natural ability. ' You can't underestimate anyone that walks through your gym,' Sullivan said. 'Whether they're naturally talented or the one that needs to practice a lot more than the others, you've got to give them all time because that person could be the one that shines at the end of the day. 'Even if they don't learn to love the sport, they could become a better human in or out of the ring because of what they've learned from the sport.'
The Sun
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
We live in UK's ‘boy racer capital' – wannabe Vin Diesels in souped up cars tear up streets in illegal races EVERY night
A TINY UK town has been dubbed Britain's 'boy racer capital' where wannabe Vin Diesels in souped up cars hold late-night races on quiet country roads. The noise from roaring engines is so loud that it's keeping children up at night - and making locals want to move away. 10 10 10 10 Boy racers can be heard constantly revving as late as 2am, performing wheelies and flying past homes around the streets of Southampton. They hold nightly meet-ups involving both motorcycles and cars, and spend hours doing loops of the neighbourhood late at night. Southampton resident, Roger French, has lived in Woolston for over 20 years. But as the disruption from boy racers and their anti-social behaviour has escalated recently, his family has decided to pack up their lives in Southampton and relocate. For Roger, Southampton had always been a quaint little city perfect for raising his son. In the last few years though, noise from the revving of motorcycles and cars zooming through the streets has become constant. Roger said: 'They just run them around, race them into the ground and burn them out in the local woodlands.' 'This road is supposed to be 20 mile an hour and I can guarantee they are doing about 60, if not sometimes faster.' Living on a prime street for the boy racers that is straight, but narrow and reaches the peak of a hill, Roger has seen several accidents occur. Just months ago, a car was flipped upside down after it hit a corner too fast, and another motorcycle that rammed into the side of a van. "When they're going that fast and driving that recklessly, you will have a fatality, and I think that will happen sooner rather than later," Roger said. He linked the issues to the new housing development around Centenary Quay which came in 2022. Roger added: "Before that it was never a problem, we never even noticed crime in Woolston." Located on the same road is Poulten's Garage, a highly regarded vehicle repair service in Southampton, who often get complaints regarding the motor racket. One staff member said: "It's nasty for us, because obviously we work here, they go past and some people think it's us, but we're inside. "They're popping so loud using illegal exhausts, and yes, we have some cars here that are quite sporty but we don't need to do that." 10 10 10 Local resident, Shaun Wyeth, who lives in a completely different area of town is also kept up at night from the noise of the racers. He said: "I can hear they do one hour at a time, they'll stop and then go round and do another hour, it's quite loud. "Police in a car can't catch them, when they're going too fast up those little tiny roads." "Those 20 miles an hour signs need to be bigger," Shaun added, as some can even be spray painted over. But Shaun has almost gotten used to the sound of it every night. Other residents are not so tolerant of the noise. Several petitions have been set up by locals calling for immediate action from police and Southampton City Council to address the "dangerously loud and illegal motorcycle during the quiet hours of the night." One which has now accumulated nearly 200 signatures says: "It's deeply affecting the well-being of our community. "Children are waking up in fear, some even becoming paranoid and anxious. "Vulnerable people, including the elderly and those with mental health conditions, are being pushed to the brink. "The stress and sleep disruption are constant and unbearable." Over 100 sign petition to stop illegal motorbike racing SOUTHAMPTON locals have set up a petition to tackle "illegal" motorcyclists terrorising their streets The petition is calling for action from police and Southampton City Council. It claims that despite multiple reports over the last year, no real action has been taken to mitigate the risks. Sam, starter of the petition, writes: "We demand a solution. "Whether that's regular police patrols, noise cameras, road-calming measures, or community safety intervention – we can't go on like this. "Our community deserves peace. We deserve sleep. We deserve to feel safe in our own homes." Another one primarily focused on the Weston Shore area writes: "Night after night, I find my children being startled awake by the incessant roar of biker engines along Weston Shore in Southampton. "This situation has become unbearable not just for my family, but for countless others who are tormented by the noise pollution created by bikers riding irresponsibly along our streets." Megan Rudkin, who started the petition, wants Southampton City Council to implement greater measures like increased police patrols during nighttime hours, as well as more clear signage indicating noise regulations and potential fines for violations. Chicanes have been installed around the city with speed road signage, but these have actually made the occurrence of incidents even more frequent as drivers disregard them. Southampton City Councillor, Christie Lamber, said: "It was deeply disappointing to hear about the recent issues involving dangerous motor racing in our city, and we are actively working with all our partners to address these issues head-on. "To this end, we have implemented traffic calming measures across the city as part of our broader strategy to combat reckless driving, and we are collaborating closely with the police to identify and take action against individuals responsible for these selfish and senseless driving offences, and we intend to enforce the law to the fullest extent to safeguard our community. "Our Youth Justice Service also works hard to prevent youth crime and antisocial behaviour by providing support, intervention, and rehabilitation for young offenders to help these young offenders make positive choices and reintegrate them into the community." Mike, who has run his burger truck situated on the Weston Shore carpark where the motorbike meets happen, says racing on the roads along the water been going on for over 40 years. But the racers that come nowadays are different. "We used to get 300 bikes down here for a meet on Friday nights, and they were good as gold, never had any trouble with all those bikes together. "This lot, little groups of maybe a dozen, are just trying to impress one another seeing how high they can get their front wheel up. "Little kids and their toys I'm afraid." 10
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why a 'unique' four-year-old boy is taking on a huge challenge for a lifeboat charity
A 'UNIQUE' four-year-old boy is taking on a huge challenge to raise money for a charity that is very special to him. This month, Avery Bristol will be completing 31 miles to fundraise for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). Avery, who lives in Woolston, became interested in the RNLI when he was just three years old after he read about the lifeboat charity while in the library. He then started to watch BBC Two's Saving Lives at Sea, which he 'absolutely loves'. And since, whenever he has visited the seaside, he insists on going to see the RNLI stations where possible. The St Peter's Catholic Primary School pupil can often be spotted in his fancy dress RNLI 'crew uniform', playing and completing his own rescues. His mum Cat said: 'He knows lots of facts about the lifeboats and loves anything he can learn about them. (Image: Supplied) 'He is desperate to join the crew when he's 17 and volunteer for them." Last year, the RNLI was celebrating 200 years, so Avery took on a 200m run to fundraise for them. But this year, he has took on an even bigger challenge for the RNLI, with the aim of raising as much money as possible. To do this, Avery will be completing a mile a day in May, whether that be by walking, skipping, running, cycling, scootering or dancing. Avery, who is described as a uniquely fabulous little boy, initially wanted to raise £125 so he would earn a medal, however he has since upped his target to a whopping £1,000. So far, he has raised £660, despite being less than half way through the challenge. 'We're incredibly proud of him for wanting to fundraise at such a young age for such a good cause,' Cat added. To donate to Avery's fundraiser, visit here. (Image: Supplied)
