Latest news with #birthdayParty
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Director Sam Mendes' all-star birthday party, featuring secret codes, helicopters and a £6million hunting lodge - it's worthy of a new Bond movie
Sam Mendes is no stranger to theatrics and a big budget, having directed James Bond films Skyfall and Spectre. But the Oscar winner's latest project, complete with the codename 'Red Eagle', was not a 007 mission – instead, it was the blueprint for his 60th birthday party. The Mail on Sunday can reveal the setting for Sir Sam's bash this month was a stunning mansion he has bought on the Dorset coast, with panoramic sea views out to the Isle of Wight. He is understood to have invited more than 100 celebrity guests. Those spotted in the area who are thought to have attended include Nicole Kidman, Sarah Jessica Parker and her husband Matthew Broderick, and Dame Emma Thompson. Fleabag 's 'hot priest' Andrew Scott and Gladiator star Paul Mescal were also seen. Getting to the party, however, was no easy feat. Guests received invitations which were said to have contained directions provided by What3Words – a navigation app that generates three-word codes to pinpoint exact locations. One local source told the MoS: 'The invitation had special instructions on it and codenames. 'The guests kept saying 'Red Eagle' – so I guess that was Sam.' The party continued late into the night and attendees were seen leaving in high spirits. However, sources added that codenames had 'all but been abandoned' by the end of the evening. Sir Sam, who has won multiple awards for his directing on stage and screen, including a best director Oscar for American Beauty, has worked with many of the big names in Hollywood over the years. He is married to trumpeter Alison Balsom, having previously been married to Titanic star Kate Winslet until their divorce in 2011. He and Ms Winslet have a son, 21-year-old actor Joe Anders. Sir Sam has a £6 million property in Buckinghamshire, which he renovated last year, submitting plans for a new swimming pool, a greenhouse and upgrades to the garden. Land Registry documents also show that he splashed out £6 million with Ms Balsom on the four-bedroom hunting lodge in Dorset in 2023 – £1 million over the asking price. It is located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and boasts stained-glass windows and direct access to a beach. The house has been used as a filming location for period dramas and once hosted George VI and Sir Winston Churchill. But Sir Sam's birthday bash may have been the property's most glamorous event to date. Ms Kidman, 58, who worked with the director on The Blue Room, a West End play which transferred to Broadway, is said to have arrived by helicopter. It is understood that her ex-husband and fellow Hollywood actor Tom Cruise, 63, was also on the guest list but did not attend. He was seen earlier this summer at David Beckham's 50th birthday celebrations at a London restaurant with his new girlfriend, Cuban actress Ana de Armas, 37. Several A-list guests who did make it to Sir Sam's party stayed in the luxury Pig on the Beach hotel beforehand. It was closed to the public but the restaurant remained open, and diners were said to have been left 'surprised' to see celebrities gathering in the garden. Many of the attendees had previously worked with Sir Sam. In his latest project, a four-part Beatles biopic, Paul Mescal, 29, is starring as Paul McCartney, with Babygirl actor Harris Dickinson, also 29 – who is also said to have stayed at the luxury hotel – taking on the role of John Lennon. The films focus on each of the band members and are due to be released in 2028. Sir Sam has said he is 'honoured to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time', adding that he is 'excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies'. Another guest, Andrew Scott, played high-ranking MI6 official Max Denbigh, also known as 'C', in Spectre, and worked with Sir Sam on First World War epic 1917. Ben Whishaw – who played Q in Skyfall and Spectre – also attended. And Love Actually star Dame Emma has not worked directly with Sir Sam but played a key role in introducing him to his ex-wife. It is not clear whether Ms Winslet, 49, was invited. The couple married spontaneously in the presence of three friends on the Caribbean island of Anguilla in 2003 and they were together for almost a decade. But they separated following tensions while working together on the film Revolutionary Road – ironically, about a marriage which is torn apart. In a statement, the couple said their split was 'entirely amicable and by mutual consent'. Ms Winslet is now on her third marriage, this time to Edward Abel Smith – formerly known as Ned Rocknroll – who is the nephew of Virgin billionaire Sir Richard Branson. Meanwhile, Sir Sam married Ms Balsom, 46, in 2017. They have a daughter, Phoebe, and Ms Balsom has a son from her previous relationship with conductor Edward Gardner. Sir Sam is frequently named among the most powerful people in the British arts scene. He also directed Road To Perdition with Tom Hanks.
CTV News
06-08-2025
- CTV News
‘Please, it's my birthday': Ferrari driver charged in York Region
A man was pulled over by York Regional Police on his way to his birthday party for allegedly driving 130 km/h in a 70 km/h zone. York Regional Police have charged a Ferrari driver who was caught allegedly travelling at nearly two times the speed limit and claimed he was on his way to his own birthday party. In a post on social media, police shared video of the traffic stop after the driver was clocked going 130 km/h in a 70 km/h zone. 'Please, it's my birthday,' the driver is heard saying to the police officer during the stop. 'I'm on my way to my birthday party. I haven't driven the Ferrari in a while.' 'Officer… I'm on my way to my birthday party, please officer, please.' At first, the driver didn't believe he was speeding, but after seeing his recorded speed on the radar, he began to beg the officer for mercy. 'They're going to take my car? Officer, please, please officer, please just give me the ticket, I beg you,' the driver pleaded with the officer, as his vehicle is about to be towed away. In the video, the driver can be heard calling his mother, 'Ma, you have to come pick me up, the police pulled me over.' In the caption of their video, York Regional Police asked, 'Do you think this guy's parents still let him have cake and open presents?' The driver was charged with stunt driving and is facing a 30-day licence suspension. They may be fined by the courts.
CTV News
06-08-2025
- CTV News
‘Please, it's my birthday': Ferrari driver arrested in York Region
A man was pulled over by York Regional Police on his way to his birthday party for allegedly driving 130 km/h in a 70 km/h zone. Loading the player instance is taking more time than usual Loading the player instance is taking more time than usual York Regional Police have charged a Ferrari driver who was caught allegedly travelling at nearly two times the speed limit and claimed he was on his way to his own birthday party. In a post on social media, police shared video of the traffic stop after the driver was clocked going 130 km/h in a 70 km/h zone. 'Please, it's my birthday,' the driver is heard saying to the police officer during the stop. 'I'm on my way to my birthday party. I haven't driven the Ferrari in a while.' 'Officer… I'm on my way to my birthday party, please officer, please.' At first, the driver didn't believe he was speeding, but after seeing his recorded speed on the radar, he began to beg the officer for mercy. 'They're going to take my car? Officer, please, please officer, please just give me the ticket, I beg you,' the driver pleaded with the officer, as his vehicle is about to be towed away. In the video, the driver can be heard calling his mother, 'Ma, you have to come pick me up, the police pulled me over.' In the caption of their video, York Regional Police asked, 'Do you think this guy's parents still let him have cake and open presents?' The driver was charged with stunt driving and is facing a 30-day licence suspension. They may be fined by the courts.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
Fight during birthday party ends with gunfire at Conyers park
The Conyers police department said a birthday party ended in gunfire over the weekend, with two people having to take cover behind a car. The incident happened on Sunday at Academy Springs Park. Police said a man and the mother of his child got into an argument during the party, and it continued to escalate over the person the man brought with him to the birthday party. TRENDING STORIES: Man accused of gunning down Georgia Tech student in targeted shooting has turned himself in Mother, daughter murdered in middle GA Alabama college mourns 3 killed in crash in metro Atlanta That's when officers said an unidentified man opened fire on two of the people as they were trying to leave the party, forcing them to take cover behind a car that ended being hit twice by bullets. Anyone with information in this case is asked to call the Conyers Police Department at 678-625-5590.
The Sun
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Dad slams ‘Karen' who reported him to council for hosting casino party for son's birthday – despite it finishing by 7pm
A DAD was reported to the council as a "neighbour from hell" for hosting a "casino night" for his teen son's birthday - despite it being finished by 7pm. Jamie Obrien set up a roulette wheel, fake money and a speaker system so his son Cain could celebrate his birthday with 11 friends at their home late last month. 5 5 The 58-year-old says he played music from a speaker outside the family's back door from 4.30-6pm at a "loud but reasonable" volume. But last Tuesday, an environmental health worker from Fareham Borough Council, Hampshire, called to explain that a neighbour had complained about the noise. Jamie took to his Facebook community group later that morning to brand the mystery complainant a "Karen" before calling for them to "grow some balls" and "get a life". The full-time carer says there are more than 40 flats or semi-detached homes in his close and the neighbouring street, which includes many "elderly" residents. He insists the "whirlwind little party" was finished by 7pm and that it was "pathetic" to call the council instead of explaining their annoyance in person. However Facebook users had split opinions, with some calling the neighbour "sour" and "pathetic" and others calling Jamie a "neighbour from hell" who should stop believing he's "always right". The dad-of-three is sharing the story to discourage people from sending what he deems "pathetic" noise complaints as families enjoy the summer sun. Jamie, from Fareham, Hampshire, said: "It was quite a whirlwind little party. It was casino-themed and I was the head of the roulette wheel with fake money and card games. "I brought the speaker system down from Cain's bedroom, put it in the utility room that backs onto the back garden and put one of the speakers just outside the back door. "I put the tunes on from 4.30pm and it was loud but it wasn't full blast - it could have gone a lot louder. I thought it was loud but reasonable. "I'm an old-school raver from back in the day. I put one of my rave CDs but within 20 minutes they'd switched to teenager music, which is all grime and drum and bass. "Within an hour the volume of that went right down because they were congregating in groups and having chats more than anything. By 6pm the music had been turned off. "We've lived here for five years now and it's the first time the stereo has been an issue. We had a disco dome in the garden with music pumping from it last year. "If I had a problem with something the only way to address it is head-on and be civil. "It would have looked pathetic but it's even more pathetic that he's had to bring it up [with the council]. "It's annoying but deep down it makes me laugh because I see it as a form of jealousy. "God forbid anyone enjoy themselves and have a good time." Jamie, lives with wife Tammy Obrien, 39, and their three children Cain, Mia, 20, and Kurt, 11. He claims the council worker sided with him on the call and insists people should explain what the issue is if they make a complaint. Jamie said: "I took the call from environmental health and they said the noise complaint had been raised over the volume of our music. "I explained we had the party from 4-7 and it was probably on for an hour tops and she told me 'that's absolutely fine. Even I have a party once in a while. Everyone's entitled to have a party'. Woman locked in bitter neighbour war over pet PIG who lives in garden, eats Sunday roasts & loudly SNORES all day long A COUPLE are locked in a bitter row over their "smelly Michelle and Carl Repper were shocked to receive a complaint from their neighbour over the noise and odour of their six-year-old Juliana pot-bellied pig. The couple adopted Jack six years ago after their friends mistook him for a micro pig, and have raised the boar in their garden ever since. Michelle, 44, says everyone in the neighbourhood loves little Jack and was shocked when one neighbour allegedly shouted through the fence to say the pig was "disgusting". Another local said Jack is making their life in the area "unbearable". The mum-of-three also received a letter from South Holland District Council outlining an odour and nuisance complaint over their much-loved piggy. But Michelle claims Jack is the "cleanest animal" and sleeps quietly for up to six hours a day in the garden - and says all he does is "snore". Michelle, a teaching assistant, said the family would be "devastated" if they were forced to rehome Jack, insisting that they would "put up a fight" if the complaint escalated. The council confirmed they had visited the pig twice and observed no issues however said the owner had "taken steps to reduce the noise levels". "I asked her to tell whoever it is to grow a pair and knock on my door the next time, but she said she can't put it like that. "She said she'd make them aware it was a birthday party and there's no foundation for the complaint. "If you've got a baby that's trying to sleep or you've worked a night shift, be logical, explain yourself and then we can all get on. "I'd apologise if I offended anybody because my music was that bad or that loud but it genuinely wasn't and that's why they haven't knocked on the door. It's just a problem neighbour. "Our house is on an elderly residential plot. There's 44 flats and our house in the close but we've got a really good rapport with all the elderly residents." Jamie says he's not been put off hosting a party at the house in future and would hire a venue if he planned it to run late into the night. His post said: "On Saturday April 26 I had a birthday party for my son and he had a small group of friends attend our home, "Today I received a phone call from environmental health after a noise complaint was made about the music! "Firstly the party was from 4-7pm and as for the music it was probably fairly loud for about an hour tops! "I would just like to reach out to Karen and advise them to grow a pair and come knock my door in future or just to basically get a life of their own instead of hiding behind phones and computers! "This was the first noise complaint in five years of living here as we never really have parties." One commented: "I hope your son had the best party ever. Too many sour people these days!" A second said: "Some people need to get a life. What a pathetic thing to do. Music loud at 7pm wow." A third said: "What sound in the whole world could possibly be more wonderful than children enjoying themselves to music? "Shame on the miserable soul who couldn't appreciate that sound." However one said: "Quite simple. Turn it down and stop being the 'I'm always right' neighbour from hell." Another said: "Isn't it ironic that you are complaining about Karen not knocking on the door and hiding behind phones and computers and then instead of knocking on their door you put up this post." Jamie replied: "Haha you're funny but not in a funny way. 'Neighbour from hell' please, maybe 20 years ago I would have been." Fareham Borough Council said environmental health officers assess noise by taking into account a range of factors such as frequency, time of day/night, background noise levels and volume so it is unlikely they would take any action for one-off parties. 5
