THE resort town of San Sebastián on the Bay of Biscay is known for its beautiful beaches, and is making plans to keep it that way.
San Sebastián’s city council has announced that it wants to put new rules in place to conserve its famous coast.
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San Sebastián has three very popular beaches and the new rules are to keep them cleanCredit: AlamyDuring the summer, the pretty beaches of San Sebastián can get very busyCredit: Alamy
The first rule is a smoking ban across all its beaches, something that is becoming more common in Spain.
If it goes ahead, San Sebastián will become the second town in the Basque region to fully ban smoking on its beaches after Zarautz.
Beaches in San Sebastián could also have new rules when it comes to pets.
During the summer, dogs will only be allowed to walk on the beaches from 9pm until midnight.
Previously, locals were able to walk their dogs on public beaches between September 1 and May 30 at any time of the day.
Thanks to a growing number of noise complaints, loudspeakers could be joining the ban list too.
The city is inviting its locals to share their thoughts on the new rules from October 20, with the aim of the new rules being fully implemented by June 2026.
San Sebastián has three main beaches, La Concha, Ondarreta, and Zurriola and last year, Which? named San Sebastián Spain‘s ‘best coastal town’.
It was rated on factors like the quality of the beach and seafront, safety, food and drink, accommodation, and value for money.
An overall score was calculated based on satisfaction and the likeliness to recommend each destination, with places ranked out of 100.
La Concha Bay is popular with locals and tourists thanks to its soft sand and mountain viewsCredit: Alamy
San Sebastián claimed first place with an overall score of 88 per cent out of 100. Factors like its beach, attractiveness and food and drink scene were awarded five stars.
The town’s most famous beach is La Concha, a shell-shaped bay very close to the city’s Old Town, while Ondarreta is generally much quieter with calm waters.
Zurriola on the other hand is known for having stronger waves – which makes it a popular spot for watersports.
“As I enjoy views from the open-air bar on San Sebastian’sMonte Urgull hill, I can see the wild Bay of Biscay on one wise, and on the other, a panoramic view of the city and its shell-shaped beach.
“If you want to get out and about, there is so much to keep you entertained in San Sebastian, from surfing on Zurriola beach to enjoying the viewpoints at Monte Urgull and Monte Igueldo.
“A charming funicular railway comes in handy if you don’t fancy hiking up the latter. But the best activity is devouring yet more food in the Old Town, savouring the city’s famous “pintxos” scene.
“Pronounced “pinchos”, and most easily described as the Basque version of tapas, these elaborate, bite-sized treats are around €2.50 a pop and found in every bar.
“And regardless of how full you get, no visit to the Old Town is complete without stopping by La Viña, the restaurant where the now-viral Basque burnt cheesecake originated.”
Felix Baumgartner’s fatal paragliding crash was preceded by large boom as it spun to the ground, according to witnesses.
Beachgoers knew something was wrong when they heard a loud boom ring out as a paraglider spun out of control, before killing its only occupant, extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner, when it crashed next to a swimming pool near the Adriatic Sea.
A 30-year-old mother watched the deadly descent unfold Thursday afternoon from nearby with her two young children, who were entranced by the constant traffic of paragliders above the beach town of Porto Sant’Elipido in central Italy’s Marche region.
“Everything was normal, then it started to spin like a top,’’ Mirella Ivanov said on Friday. “It went down and we heard a roar. In fact, I turned around because I thought it crashed on the rocks. Then I saw two lifeguards running, people who were running toward” the crash site.
When she saw people trying to revive the occupant, she hustled her two children away.
The city’s mayor confirmed the death of 56-year-old Baumgartner, who was renowned as the first skydiver to fall faster than the speed of sound. The cause of the paragliding accident was under investigation. Police did not return calls asking for comment.
“It is a destiny that is very hard to comprehend for a man who has broken all kinds of records, who has been an icon of flight, and who travelled through space,” Mayor Massimiliano Ciarpella told The Associated Press.
Ciarpella said that Baumgartner had been in the area on vacation, and that investigators believed he may have fallen ill during the fatal flight.
Baumgartner’s social media feed features videos of him in recent days flying on a motorised paraglider – known as paramotoring – above seaside towns, and taking off from a nearby airfield surrounded by cornfields.
Workers stand near the swimming pool of the ‘Le Mimose’ resort, where skydiver Felix Baumgartner’s paraglider crashed, killing him and injuring a hotel employee on the ground, in Porto Sant’Elpidio, Italy [Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters]
The Clube de Sole Le Mimose beachside resort where the crash occurred said in a statement that an employee who was “slightly injured” in the accident was in good condition. No guests were injured, and the pool has been reopened.
In 2012, Baumgartner, known as “Fearless Felix,” became the first human to break the sound barrier with only his body. He wore a pressurised suit and jumped from a capsule hoisted more than 24 miles (39 kilometres) above Earth by a giant helium balloon over New Mexico.
The Austrian, who was part of the Red Bull Stratos team, topped out at 843.6 mph (1,357.6km/h) – the equivalent of 1.25 times the speed of sound – during a nine-minute descent. At one point, he went into a potentially dangerous flat spin while still supersonic, spinning for 13 seconds, his crew later said.
In 2012, millions watched YouTube’s livestream as Baumgartner coolly flashed a thumbs-up when he came out of the capsule high above Earth and then activated his parachute as he neared the ground, lifting his arms in victory after he landed.
Baumgartner’s altitude record stood for two years until Google executive Alan Eustace set new marks for the highest free-fall jump and greatest free-fall distance.
Baumgartner, a former Austrian military parachutist, made thousands of jumps from planes, bridges, skyscrapers and famed landmarks, including the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil.
In 2003, he flew across the English Channel in a carbon fibre wing after being dropped from a plane.
In recent years, he performed with The Flying Bulls, an aviation team owned and operated by Red Bull, as a helicopter stunt pilot in shows across Europe.
Red Bull paid Baumgartner tribute in a post Friday, calling him “precise, demanding and critical. With others, but above all toward yourself.”
The statement underlined the research and courage with which Baumgartner confronted “the greatest challenges.”
“No detail was too small, no risk too great, because you were capable of calculating it,’’ Red Bull said.
A Benidorm actress has share some exciting news about a potential new series of the much-loved ITV comedy
Benidorm star teases ‘laugh out loud’ new series after boss confirms ITV comeback talks(Image: ITV)
A much-loved Benidorm star has given fans a glimmer of hope about the return of the cult ITV comedy series.
Launching in 2007, the show captivated audiences as it charted the hilarious escapades of Brits basking in the sunshine at the Solana Resort. Over its glittering run, Benidorm scooped up numerous accolades including BAFTAs and NTAs, securing its status as a viewer’s delight.
Despite an all-star cast featuring Sheridan Smith, Siobhan Finneran, and Johnny Vegas, the show came to an untimely end after 11 years in 2018, much to devotees’ dismay.
Whispers of a revival have been circulating, spurred on by hints from the cast and even creator Derren Litten himself, reports OK!.
Fans have been begging for a return(Image: ITV/ Tiger Aspect)
Sherrie Hewson, renowned for her portrayal of Joyce Temple-Savage, dropped a bombshell during her ‘An Evening With Sherrie Hewson’ on Sunday (July 6) in Barnsley. She revealed: “I do know ITV have got new scripts and they love them and think they are wonderful.”
Yet, she tempered expectations by stating: “The problem with Benidorm is that it’s probably one of the most expensive shows ever because it’s in Spain, we have a Spanish crew, we have a British crew, so it costs a fortune to make.”
The show’s star has teased ‘laugh out loud’ scripts(Image: ITV)
Still, she remains optimistic, adding: “But it’s on twice a day every day and those ratings are still as high as they ever were, so I think it will [return].”
Fans loyal to Benidorm may just see their beloved characters gracing the screens once again thanks to ITV’s apparent adoration for the new material presented to them.
Sherrie hinted at good news: “And I think they [ITV bosses] love the scripts anyway and Derren said he laughed out loud when he wrote them so I don’t think there’s any question, it’s just when.”
Benidorm was axed in 2018(Image: shared content unit)
In other news, Benidorm creator Derren Litten had fans buzzing in April when he announced that he is in negotiations with ITV about a potential revival of the fan-favourite show.
During a Facebook Live session reported by The Sun, Derren divulged some tantalising details: “Have I been talking to ITV in the last few months? Yes I have.”
He continued, giving fans a glimmer of hope: “Have ITV commissioned a special or a series at the moment? No. Might they in the next few weeks [or] couple of months? Yeah they might. They might.”
Derren concluded, aiming to uplift fans with anticipation: “So I hope that gives you [the fans] some hope, and I hope that gives you some idea of where we are,” indicating that the beloved sitcom may soon return to the small screen.
The two New York teams dropped by Dodger Stadium a couple of weeks ago, first the Yankees and then the Mets, and broadcasters for each team made sure to complain about how loud it was.
“The Dodger Stadium center field speakers are in full assault mode,” Yankees radio voice Dave Sims tweeted.
On the ESPN Sunday night broadcast from Dodger Stadium that week, Karl Ravech introduced an in-game interview with the Dodgers’ Tommy Edman this way: “He’s in center field now, being blasted by, I think, arguably the loudest speaker system I have ever heard in my life.”
Notwithstanding the audacity of New Yorkers whining about someone else’s volume, the broadcasters did lend their distinguished voices to a long-running debate among Dodgers fans: Is it loud at Dodger Stadium, or is it too loud?
“It’s just all part of an entertainment show,” Mookie Betts said. “There is no ‘too loud.’”
Organists Helen Dell and Nancy Bea Hefley soothed generations of fans, but the traditional soundtrack to a Dodgers game has gone the way of $10 parking and outfield walls free of advertisements. The fan experience now includes a finely choreographed production at virtually every moment except when the ball is in play, and that includes recorded music, cranked up.
“We don’t make it louder just to make it louder,” said Lon Rosen, the Dodgers’ executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “It’s all part of what fits in the presentation.”
And the players, the ones whose performance determines whether the Dodgers win or lose, love the presentation.
“I think it’s great,” Clayton Kershaw said. “Even on the road, I’d rather have that than quiet. St. Louis was just really quiet. It almost felt like golf at times.
“The louder, the more fun, the better. The Dodgers have the best sound system out there. So why not use it?”
Said former Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen: “When I used to come out to ‘California Love,’ that thing used to bang. The bass they have, you can feel that thing shake in your chest.”
Just how loud is it at the ballpark?
To find out, I downloaded a decibel meter and visited Southern California’s three major league ballparks during an eight-day span this month. At Dodger Stadium, I walked around the ballpark, and up and down to different levels, but the readings were relatively consistent no matter where someone might be sitting.
Bottom line: It’s pleasant at Angel Stadium, lively at Petco Park, booming at Dodger Stadium.
Caveat: Even with all other things equal, it always will be louder at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers sell 50,000 tickets to a game more often than not; no other major league ballpark even holds 50,000.
At 60 and 30 minutes before game time, as fans settled into the ballpark, Angel Stadium and Petco Park registered in the 65-75 dB range, roughly the sound of a normal conversation on the low end and household appliances on the high end.
The introduction of the home team lineup registered in the 80-85 dB range at Angel Stadium, 85-90 dB at Petco Park, and 90-95 dB at Dodger Stadium, roughly the sound of a noisy restaurant at the low end and power tools on the high end.
The high-end levels would be hazardous if sustained throughout the evening, but sounds ebb and flow as the game does. (Decibel levels are measured logarithmically, so an increase of 10 dB means sound is heard 10 times louder and an increase of 20 dB means sound is heard 100 times louder.)
The highest levels at any stadium occur not when a voice pleads “Get loud!” or “Everybody clap your hands!” but organically, as the result of a big moment in the game.
My decibel meter hit 100 dB twice during my three test games: immediately after the Angels’ Travis d’Arnaud homered in Anaheim, and as the Dodgers’ Will Smith slid safely into home plate with the tying run at Dodger Stadium, as the opposing catcher tagged him but dropped the ball.
What distinguishes the Dodger Stadium experience is the hour or so before the game starts. The Angels offer music, spotlight fans on the video board, and “invite you to enjoy the hospitality of Angel Stadium.” The Dodgers impose a relentlessly loud pregame show, with hype guys and hype girls, pounding away well above the 65-75 dB levels in Anaheim and San Diego, with dB readings into the 80s.
A Dodger Stadium screen encourages fans to be loud during Monday’s game against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers’ pregame show attempts to force anticipation upon the audience, as if that is somehow necessary. It’s not. You’re about to see Shohei Ohtani!
There is always something happening before the game in the center field plaza: a band, product giveaways, Instagram-worthy photo opportunities, the live pregame broadcast for SportsNet LA. You can get hyped there, if you like. Or you can enjoy a conversation with your friends in your seats, instead of getting a headache before the game even starts.
Tyler Anderson, who pitches for the Angels now and used to pitch for the Dodgers, said he finds no fault in the traditional way of presenting the game, or in the Dodgers’ way.
“It’s like you’re trying to turn that venue into one of the best bars in town, where you just go to the bar and listen to loud music and people are having a good time,” Anderson said. “I think that’s the atmosphere they’re trying to create. It’s a fun atmosphere for the fans too.
The center field plaza area at Dodger Stadium is always a lively spot for fans before a game.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“And then some places are more family-based. They’d rather have kids and older families, and young kids and grandkids coming to games. They probably have less of a party atmosphere and less of a bar kind of atmosphere.
“There is no right or wrong way.”
In his ESPN in-game interview, Edman called the Dodgers’ sound system both “absolutely absurd” and “great.”
I asked Edman about that seeming contradiction.
“That was one of the things that stuck out to me my first time playing here, just how loud the speakers are,” he said. “You can’t hear yourself think.”
He got used to it, and to how he need not be distracted because the sound shuts off “once the play actually starts.” He likes it now.
“It makes it more fun,” he said. “It’s like a big league game.”
The Dodgers’ game presentation is creative and compelling. And, instead of eliminating the beloved organ, the Dodgers include talented organist Dieter Ruehle as part of the show. Really, just tone down the pregame hour, and we’re good.
Rosen shrugged off the notion that the Dodgers should tone down anything. If fans did not enjoy the production, he wondered, why would they keep packing Dodger Stadium?
“It’s really not any louder than any other of the more popular stadiums,” Rosen said.
He might be onto something. Veteran baseball columnist Bob Klapisch reported that, during last month’s Yankees-Mets series at Yankee Stadium, “the decibel levels at the stadium routinely reached the mid-90s.”
That, Mr. Yankee Announcer, would be “full assault mode.”
A PICTURESQUE town in Devon is home to one of the UK’s most beautiful beaches – complete without arcades and rides.
The Victorian town of Sidmouth in east Devon has a 200million-year-old coastline, being the gateway to the Jurassic Coast.
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The Victorian town of Sidmouth in east Devon has a pretty beach and even has no arcadesCredit: Alamy
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The town and beach are part of the Jurassic CoastCredit: Alamy
What’s more is that the town is also loved by celebs including Jeremy Vine and Stephen Fry.
Fry stayed nearby the town when starring in the TV adaptation of Jeeves and Wooster.
As for Jeremy Vine, the radio presenter got married nearby and spends summers returning to the town.
In fact, when he set his first whodunnit novel called Murder on Line, in the town, he included a scene where a wave sweeps a radio station manager and her just-sacked DJ into the water together.
Vine noted in The Guardian: “What I love most about Sidmouth is that it feels like a town going places.
“It’s chintzy in places, drab in others, but it feels real.
“And real by the sea is a different kind of beauty.”
But celebrity visitors also extended to literary legends and royalty.
Jane Austen – famous for her novels Pride and Prejudice and Northanger Abbey – spent the summer of 1801 in Sidmouth.
The town had become a popular spot among high society due to its spa waters, mild climate and calming atmosphere.
Trendy English seaside town has rooftop bar that ‘feels like the Med’
During the summer Austen was in Sidmouth, she had a fling with a young man – however, it had a tragic end.
Her suitor caught typhus and died, ending the fleeting relationship.
Austen isn’t the only writer to have spent some time in the town – JRR Tolkien, the creator of Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit also holidayed at the seaside resort.
Tolkien used to stay at Kennaway House, which is rumoured to be the location where he wrote the first parts of Lord of the Rings.
And in the town itself, one of the pubs is believed to have inspired Aragon’s introduction.
Later, in April 1908, Beatrix Potter was also in Sidmouth.
On family holidays, the popular children’s writer would stay at the Hylton – where there is now even a plaque commemorating her stays.
Potter used to talk of the views, her local walks in the area and also the atmosphere – which helped her to complete the Tale of Little Pig Robinson.
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Celebrities including Jeremy Vine and royalty such as Queen Victoria have visited the townCredit: Alamy
As for royalty, Queen Victoria (who at the time of visiting was Princess Alexandrina) also frequented the town.
In 1819, she stayed at Woolbrook Cottage – now known as the Royal Glen Hotel.
However, the holiday was not particularly happy as her father became ill and died.
For things to do in Sidmouth, there is plenty of choice, with the beach undoubtedly being the main attraction.
This year Sidmouth Town Beach was awarded a Blue Flag for the sixth year in a row – recognising the pebble beach as being under excellent management including beach safety and water quality.
Being amongst the cleanest beaches in the UK, it is a great spot to go for a dip when the sun is shining before heading into the town and grabbing an ice cream.
My own experience of Sidmouth
GROWING up, I always associated Sidmouth with ‘that place that had donkeys’.
This is due to Sidmouth being home to the free-to-visit Donkey Sanctuary that has over 100 donkeys that they have improved the lives of.
It’s a great spot for children and learning about animal welfare.
Away from the sanctuary, I also visited the beach on occasions growing up.
Sidmouth is pretty, but I often think people also forget how impressive it is with the dramatic cliffs dating back 200million years.
They are part of the Jurassic Coast – which is made of vibrant reed sandstone cliffs from the Triassic period.
They are a wonder to see and within the area, there are many places to go and things to do where families can learn more about the Jurassic Coast.
But if you aren’t done with exploring, you could always head over to Hill View along the coastal walk, which boast amazing views across the sea.
One particularly special thing about Sidmouth though, is that it doesn’t have any amusement arcades, loud sports bars or dodgy street food vendors.
Instead, the places that these would usually be have been filled with galleries and antiques shops, independent retailers and tearooms.
To get to the quaint town, from London it takes around four hours to drive.
Alternatively, also from London, you could hop on a train to Honiton, taking around two-and-a-half hours before catching a bus from Honiton to Sidmouth.
