A EUROPEAN destination that is great for city breaks will soon be getting a sparkling new train station.
Gothenburg is Sweden‘s second city and sometimes nicknamed ‘Little London’ due to the influx of British and Scottish immigrants in the 1800s.
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Gothenburg in Sweden is set to get a new train stationCredit: Reiulf Ramstad ArchitectsThe station is part of a larger project which will see a new underground tunnel builtCredit: Reiulf Ramstad ArchitectsThe station is set to be completed by 2027Credit: Reiulf Ramstad Architects
And it will soon be getting a new railway station building, called Gothenburg Grand Central.
Gothenburg Central Station is part of a larger project, called West Link – which is a major infrastructure development that will involve a new underground railway tunnel.
In total, the West Link Project will gain three new underground stations – Gothenburg Grand Central, Haga and Korsvagen.
As for the development of the £86million Gothenburg Grand Central specifically, the current central station will be converted from a terminus station to a transit station with underground areas.
In total, the building will sprawl across 15,000sqm – making it the largest of the three new stations – and feature a modern but still classical, design.
It will also have an entrance to a new city district known as Centralstaden, which will be a hub with new offices, shops and potentially, homes.
A lot of the project is focused on sustainability, with the building’s frame and joists made mostly from wood.
The roof of the station will then provide habitats for insects and birds, with a number of shrubs and flowers planted and insect hotels and birdhouses also placed on the roof.
Construction is due to start with Gothenburg Grand Central, opening in December 2026 with the upper floors opening later in early 2027.
The West Link is then set to be completed by 2030, and aims to double the capacity of the railway in the city.
Stellan Haraldsson, regional manager for Peab – the firm that has been commissioned to build Gothenburg’s new station building, said: “The new station building will be used by passengers and visitors from the West Link and all of western Sweden.
“As a local community builder in Gothenburg we’re proud to continue to contribute to the development of the region.”
The decision to redevelop the station comes after the city expects economic and population growth.
Gothenburg is already home to Sweden‘s biggest port, with many manufacturers also based in the city such as Volvo and AstraZeneca.
The up-and-coming city break destination is full of amazing sites to explore, including Liseberg – Scandinavia’s largest amusement park and the 2023 winner of the Park World Excellence Awards.
In the Haga district, there are many charming streets to explore as this area forms the old part of the city.
In total, the building will sprawl across 15,000sqmCredit: Reiulf Ramstad ArchitectsAnd it will feature a living roof with different shrubs and flowersCredit: Reiulf Ramstad Architects
Whilst in the area, make sure to visit Cafe Husaren, which sells giant cinnamon rolls called Hagabullen and started making them back in the 1980s.
It is also in Haga where visitors will find the Gothenburg Museum of Art, which is home to a wide variety of art.
A great spot for families is the Universeum Science Centre, which is Sweden’s National Science Centre and is home to a real rainforest, with an aquarium hall.
Flights to Gothenburg from London cost around £30 return for either November or December.
Or you could fly from Manchester for around £35 return.
In other rail news, the iconic Orient Express train is set to return after 16 years with original 1920s carriages and double beds.
Plus, the UK’s ‘most scenic train line’ with waterfalls, rolling hillsides and spectacular views finally reopens after £1.4m revamp.
The West Link is then set to be completed by 2030Credit: Reiulf Ramstad ArchitectsCity of Gothenburg is just under two hours from the UK and return flights cost as little as £30Credit: Getty
A BRAND new visitor attraction is coming to a UK city – and it is opening tomorrow.
Zip World – a UK outdoor adventure giant – is opening its first ever city-centre site in Wales.
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The new Zip World Cardiff attraction will have three experiencesCredit: Huw EvansThese include a zip line, abseiling and rooftop walkCredit: Huw EvansTickets cost from £25 per personCredit: Huw Evans
The new destination will be located on top of the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
The attraction will open tomorrow and will have three experiences.
The first experience is a Stadium Walk, where visitors can step across the rooftop of the Principality Stadium and gain panoramic views of the city.
At Stadium Drop, visitors can abseil down the side of the stadium.
Finally, at Stadium Flyer, visitors can head on a zip line across a 60 metre high canopy.
Unlike other Zip World attractions, the Cardiff site will sell tickets to each experience individually – so visitors can chose one experience, two or all three.
Tickets will start from £25 per person.
The opening of Zip World Cardiff at Principality Stadium will be Zip World’s second city-centric location, following the opening of Helix and ArcelorMittal Orbit 360 in London last year.
The attraction is opening in partnership with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU).
The attraction was previously branded under the name Scale and was operated by Wire & Sky.
Zip World will now be the new operator of the Principality Stadium roof top attraction after securing a deal with the WRU.
Andrew Hudson, CEO of Zip World, commented: “Bringing Zip World to Cardiff is a proud moment for us.
“It’s our first stadium location and our first city-centre location in Wales.
“It’s chance to bring something new to the capital, in a place that means a lot to our team and to the wider Welsh public.
“Taking on the rooftop operations at Principality Stadium marks the start of an exciting new chapter – one where Zip World will act as a strategic partner to help shape the stadium’s next phase.
“This is just the beginning.
Visitors can book the experiences individuallyCredit: Huw Evans
“Our team is working hard behind the scenes, and we can’t wait to introduce even more adventures to the stadium and bring a bit of Zip World magic to Cardiff – watch this space!”
Sean Taylor, founder and president of Zip World added: “As a lifelong rugby fan, I’ve got fond memories of watching Wales play as a young lad.
“The atmosphere was electric and the Andy Haden dive in 1978 is something I’ll never forget.
“To now be taking on the rooftop adventures at Principality Stadium marks a significant step forward for Zip World.”
Zip World also recently announced a new adventure attraction in one of the UK’s best loved beauty spots – with a huge underground zip wire.
ONE travel writer headed to Zip World in Llechwedd to see what it is like…
Zip World Llechwedd in North Wales is a bit different from your average theme park – and not just because of its location.
This vast cavern is twice the size of St Paul’s Cathedral and although there are no rollercoasters, it’s still crammed with exciting activities from an 18-hole underground crazy golf course and an adventure course that relies on wires, rope bridges and tightropes to a mega zipline above the quarry.
There’s even a deep mining tour that uncovers an underground lake at 500ft below which relies on a cable railway to get back to the surface.
My boys were most excited for Bounce Below, though – a sprawling and cavernous trampoline park which features nets set at different levels for adventurers young and old to explore.
You need to arrive about half an hour before your time slot to get checked in, but that gives you plenty of time to discover the site on the surface before you venture inside the mountain.
The boys had an absolute blast underground, exploring all the different levels of nets and the twisty slides that connect them.
The lights and music all added to the atmosphere and before we knew it, our hour was up and we were heading back along the tunnels to the mine entrance.
If you prefer to stay above ground, other Zip World sites in Wales, Cumbria , Manchester and London offer attractions like a toboggan ride downhill through the forest, high ropes courses and even a turn on the world’s longest and tallest tunnel slide overlooking the 2012 Olympic Park.
PAULTONS Park has finally revealed the opening date for its much anticipated Viking Valgard land.
Valgard: Realm of the Vikings will be a “fully immersive Viking world bursting with all new adventures, epic discovery, and legendary rides”.
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Paultons new themed land will open on May 16, 2026Credit: Paultons
And the new £12million development is set to open on May 16, 2026.
Visitors will be able to head on Drakon – Paultons’ most thrilling rollercoaster yet with two inversions and a “beyond-vertical drop”.
There will also be Raven, which is the park’s Gerstlauer Bobsled ride reimagined and Vild Swing, which swings 12 metres high and is a first of its kind in the UK.
According to Paultons’ website, the land will be suitable for parents, older children and teenagers, with the new rides not for the faint-hearted.
James Mancey, deputy managing director at Paultons Park, previously said: “We’ve opened two brand-new rides in the last two years and with the build of Valgard firmly underway, we’re excited to open a further three, bigger-and-better-than-ever-before rides, between now and summer 2027.
“Valgard promises an immersive, atmospheric, and action-packed experience for families and has been specifically designed to grow with our fans.
“The introduction of inversions and a vertical lift hill on Drakon certainly up the adrenaline levels at Paultons Park, but staying true to our roots, we haven’t forgotten about the little ones and there is something for all of the family in our new Viking village.”
Once Valgard: Realm of the Vikings opens, the theme park will boast over 80 rides and attractions across six themed worlds.
In March of this year, the park also submitted plans to build a new holiday village with a resort offering.
It would be located next to Valgard: Realm of the Vikings and would feature between 85 and 95 lodges, parking and its own entrance.
In May, the park then also released a 26-second trailer on YouTube for 2027.
The video doesn’t show much other than a wave washing over a giant ‘2027’ sign standing on a rock, but many fans have speculated that the park will be getting a new water ride.
One person commented: “It’s gonna be the long rumoured water coaster.”
Another said: “Judging by the clue being water, I think that the new investment for 2027 will be a Mack Rides Water Coaster.”
THE Sun’s travel editor Caroline McGuire recently visited the theme park, and here is what she thought…
Last week, a friend from the school gates and I decided to ignore the alert from the Met Office about high-speed gusts and still visit Paultons Park in the New Forest.
And it turned out to be an excellent decision, because the longest we queued for a ride was about four minutes.
And it was two minutes for popular rides Al’s Auto Academy and the Farmyard Flyer rollercoaster.
That fact alone makes this my favourite theme park in Europe.
Because it doesn’t matter how good the rides are if you’re waiting up to an hour for each one.
On the kids’ favourite rides, such as the Velociraptor and Cat-O-Pillar coasters, we were able to fit in about three rounds in 15 minutes.
Paultons is the perfect starter park for toddlers, and I first took my son there when he was two, lured by its famous Peppa Pig World.
He is in year 2 now, so has grown out of Peppa and moved on to the entry-level coasters, of which they have several.
So despite the yellow weather warnings, we spent the entire weekend outside, grinning from ear to ear.
GUINNESS fans will soon be able to ‘split the G’ at a new brewery in London.
The opening date for The Guinness Open Gate Brewery has finally been announced as December 11, with visitors able to enjoy exclusive brews, different dining options and event spaces.
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Guinness will be opening its new brewery in Covent Garden on December 11Credit: GUINNESSThe new space will span across 5,00sqmCredit: GuinnessInside, visitors will be able to go on a tour of the brewery as well as visit two restaurantsCredit: Guinness
Located in London‘s Covent Garden, the venue spans more than 5,000sqm and is located on the site of the historic Old Brewer’s Yard.
Inside will be a world-leading microbrewing facility with limited edition brews and seasonal specials.
There will also be non-stout varieties and low-alcohol options as well as Premium Lager, Session IPA, Pale Ale and Porter.
There will be two restaurants – Gilroy’s Loft and Porter’s Table – in addition to casual courtyard dining, with pies available from chef Calum Franklin.
At Gilroy’s Loft – which is named after John Gilroy who created some of Guinness‘ top campaigns – there will be a horseshoe bar centrepiece, with dishes including freshly shucked, native oysters.
The restaurant will be located on the rooftop, with skyline views across the capital.
Alternatively, at The Porter’s Table – which pays tribute to the porters of Covent Garden – guests will get to enjoy a sharing menu.
On the ground-level courtyard space there will be the main bar, with outdoor seating and it will also be the space used for pop-up events, concerts and cultural occasions.
As a part of the tour experience, visitors will be able to “step into the pint” in a 360-degree immersive experience that tells the story of Guinness’s heritage within Covent Garden.
On the guided tour, visitors will also get the chance to see the brand’s working brewery.
Then there is the opportunity to enjoy an exclusive tasting session curated by the Master Brewer.
Fans can pour their own pint as well at the 232 Bar.
Fans will even be able to grab exclusive merch to do with the dark stout brand.
There will be two shops – Guinness Good Things and The Store.
Guinness Good Things will be located on Covent Garden’s Neal Street and sell a range of exclusive collaborations across fashion, art, and lifestyle.
Then The Store will be accessed via the brewery building, which will be home to Guinness merchandise, apparel and fan favourites.
For mega fans, there is the opportunity to visit an exclusive private dining room.
There will also be an events space, which the brewery plans to use for music and cultural events beginning in 2026Credit: GuinnessThe venue will also have a number of limited edition and seasonal poursCredit: Guinness
Then at The Guinness Vaults located on Langley Street, visitors can head underground to an event space, which will host community and consumer events from 2026 – think music performances and entertainment.
The first release of tickets will take place in November, and this will also include restaurant reservations.
Deb Caldow, Guinness GB marketing director, said: “The Guinness Open Gate Brewery London has been years in the making, and we’re thrilled that the moment has almost arrived.
“We can’t wait to welcome Londoners and visitors from around the UK and the world.
“We consider this Guinness’ home in the UK, hosted in the country’s dynamic capital city.
“It will be a place to celebrate heritage, embrace innovation, and invite visitors to discover new flavours, experiences, and stories.”
AI is driving the stock market to record highs, dominating countless debates about the value of human labor, and radically rewiring the way schools approach education. It’s also causing a stir in the art world, with media artist Refik Anadol poised to open Dataland, the world’s first museum of AI arts, inside the Frank Gehry-designed Grand L.A. complex in downtown Los Angeles next spring.
A first-look at the Infinity Room gallery at Dataland.
(Dataland)
The 25,000-square-foot museum was originally scheduled to open this year, but Anadol announced Thursday that the opening has been pushed back to spring 2026. Anadol also unveiled a sneak peak at the Infinity Room, one of the museum’s five discrete galleries. The immersive room features Anadol’s distinct swirling colors and images and will be infused with AI-generated scents, creating a multisensory experience powered by its very own AI model, called the Large Nature Model.
The Infinity Room design dates back to 2014 when Anadol created his first immersive data sculpture at UCLA. He described it as an exploration into the future of the Light and Space movement. It was essentially a 12-by-12-foot cube, with mirrored walls, ceiling and floors. Projectors emitted pulses of black-and-white imagery that used data as a pigment. To date, the Infinity Room has toured 35 cities and been viewed by more than 10 million people.
Another look at the Infinity Room, which has been viewed by 10 million people on tour.
(Dataland)
“The work emerged from my exploration of the idea that information can become a narrative material capable of transforming architectural space into a living canvas. The question driving me was simple but profound: What happens if there is no corner, no floor, no ceiling, no gravity?” Anadol wrote about his concept for the Infinity Room in a blog post on his website. “At DATALAND, Infinity Room enters a new era. This iteration embodies the technical and conceptual leaps our studio has made over the past decade. Where the original used generative algorithms, this new incarnation incorporates our decade-long research into what I call “machine hallucinations” — the dreamlike, surreal realities an AI can generate from vast datasets.”
The Infinity Room is meant to be a multisensory experience.
(Dataland)
In an interview last year, Anadol said “ethical AI” is essential to his practice. Unlike most large AI models, Anadol secured permission to use all of his sourced material, and said all of the studio’s AI research was performed on Google servers in Oregon that use only renewable energy.
Heidi introduced the promised review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) in parliament today in order to accelerate their plans.
She explained that since 2018, new environmental and climate obligations mean an updated ANPS is necessary to permit a decision to be taken on expansion planning applications.
The new 3,500 metre runway will be in the northwest of the airport, and will eventually welcome up to 276,000 new flights a year.
This takes the annual flights from 480,000 to 756,000, with as many as 30 new flight routes a day.
The government’s ambition is to see flights take off from a new runway by 2035.
The government will seek formal advice from the Climate Change Committee on any relevant amendments proposed to the ANPS to ensure consistency with their net zero commitments.
Heidi said: “When we say this government is one that backs the builders, not blockers we mean it.
“Today is a critical building block which will advance plans for the delivery of a third runway at Heathrow, meaning people can start to experience the full benefits sooner.
“As our only hub airport, Heathrow is critical to the UK’s economy, connecting millions of people every year and exporting British businesses across the globe.
“Enabling Heathrow expansion will drive economic growth and create jobs across the country, delivering on our Plan for Change.”
The government explained that expansion at Heathrow must be financed entirely by the private sector and bring no cost to taxpayers.
It must also meet rigorous and effective cost controls to deliver the significant infrastructure project as quickly as possible.
New runways backed for two UK airports
Rachel Reeves has supported plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport and also backed the full-time use of a second runway at Gatwick Airport.
Plans to introduce an additional runway at Heathrow Airport have been debated for decades.
Back in June 2018, the UK Parliament voted in favour of introducing a third runway at the airport.
The Court of Appeal ruled the government’s approval unlawful in 2020 because it did not meet the country’s commitments to climate change under the Paris Agreement.
Later that year, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling, allowing the project to continue.
Reeves’ support is part of a wider plan to boost the country’s economic growth by increasing airport capacity in the southeast of England.
The Chancellor is also set to support the full-time use of a second runway at Gatwick Airport.
At present, Gatwick uses its second runway to taxi aircraft and in emergency situations.
Plans to bring the second runway into full-time use were submitted in 2023, with transport secretary Heidi Alexander due to make a decision on the plans.
This new step will take the plans even closer to completion.
Financing will come from promoters who submit formal expansion schemes and will include covering any related costs to improvements to transport to and from the airport.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: “After decades of false starts, we are backing the builders to get Heathrow’s third runway built.
“Creating thousands of jobs, boosting growth across the UK, and making Britain the world’s best connected place to do business.
“This government is getting Britain building to kickstart growth and deliver an economy that works for, and rewards, working people.”
Given the importance of Heathrow to trade and the economy, the government will also assess whether expansion at the airport should be designated as critical national priority infrastructure, meaning that it must meet enhanced security and resilience requirements.
If I were closer to retirement, it would be a different story.
In September, the Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark interest rate for the first time this year. And there’s a good chance we’ll see at least one more rate cut before 2025 comes to a close.
In light of this, you may be inclined to put some of your money into a CD before rates fall further. And if you’re near or in retirement, I’d say that’s probably a good idea.
Image source: Getty Images.
But I’m not planning to open any CDs this year despite rates still being around 4%. Although that’s a good return given the risk profile, it’s not right for me because of where I am in my retirement savings journey.
The problem with CDs
At first, putting money into a CD might seem like a no-brainer. You can lock in a virtually risk-free return on your money in the ballpark of 4%, which might seem like a great deal if you’re someone who dreads stock market volatility.
The problem with CDs, though, is that they probably won’t pay you enough in the long run to outpace inflation. And you need your retirement savings to beat inflation so that by the time your career wraps up, you’ll have a large enough nest egg to live comfortably.
Imagine you’re able to get a 4% return on a $10,000 CD over the next 30 years (it’s unlikely since rates are still near a high, but this is just to illustrate a point). At the end of that savings window, you’d potentially be sitting on a little more than $32,400.
Meanwhile, let’s say you were to invest $10,000 in a portfolio of stocks or an S&P 500index fund. There’s a good chance you’d score an 8% yearly return, since that’s a bit below the stock market’s average. In that case, after 30 years, you’d be looking at a little more than $100,600. That’s more than three times the total CDs would give you in this example.
And yes, this is just one example. The point, however, is that if you’re in the process of building wealth for retirement, CDs are generally not a good bet.
It makes sense to put money into CDs when you’re saving for a near-term goal and can’t risk losing money in the stock market. For example, if you’re aiming to buy a home in early 2027, go ahead and put your current down payment savings into a 12-month CD. It wouldn’t be safe to put that money into the stock market since you’ll be needing it pretty soon.
However, if you’re retiring in 20 or 30 years, then it doesn’t make sense to put your money into CDs. And it’s for this reason that I’m not opening CDs right now, either.
I’m not close to retirement age, so I still need my money to grow at a decent pace. To put it another way, a 4% return is not one I’d be happy about in my investment portfolio, which is why I’m sticking to my strategy of loading up on stocks and various ETFs.
CDs are great for near and current retirees
While it doesn’t make sense for me to put money into CDs right now, I have different advice if you’re someone who’s on the cusp of retirement or already retired. In that case, I’d say it could make sense to lock in a CD before rates fall.
It’s a smart idea for people who are close to or in retirement to have one to two years’ worth of living expenses in cash. That way, if the stock market slumps and the value of your investments drops, you won’t have to sell assets at a loss to get access to the money you need to pay your bills.
I would never recommend having all of your cash in CDs, but it’s not a bad idea to start a CD ladder. This means opening a series of CDs that come due at regular intervals — for example, every three to four months, or whatever cadence works best for you. That way, you can earn a guaranteed return on some of your money while also ensuring that it’s available to you at regular intervals.
All told, CDs have their purpose. But they’re not a good choice for me right now. And if you’re years away from retirement, they may not be right for you, either.
UNIVERSAL has revealed further plans for yet another theme park which is due to open next year.
Set to open in Texas, America, Universal Kid’s Resort will be solely focused on children’s attractions.
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Universal reveals plans for major new theme park opening next year just for kids – with SpongeBob world & a Minions landCredit: Universal Destinations & ExperiencesIt will feature seven lands in total, including SpongeBob world and a Minions landCredit: Universal Destinations & ExperiencesAttractions include a water ride in the Minions land and a number of rollercoastersCredit: Universal Destinations & Experiences
The park will feature seven lands in total, all based on popular children’s shows and stories.
The lands will include Shrek’s Swamp, Puss in Boots Del Mar, Minions vs Minions: Bello Bay Club, Jurassic World Adventure Camp, TrollsFest, SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom and Isle of Curiosity.
Visitors will enter through the Isle of Curiosity where they will be able to meet Gabby from Gabby’s Dollhouse and enjoy a dance party together.
Then in Shrek’s world, which Universal describes as a “waterlogged paradise”, guests will be able to meet Shrek and Fiona, as well as grab a photo at the onion carriage.
The land will have two interactive play areas as well – Shrek’s Swamp Rompin’ Stomp and Shrek’s Swamp Splash & Smash.
For kids who prefer Puss in Boots, they can meet the character themselves as well as Mama Luna and Perrito from Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
The land will also have a series of carnival-themed games and concept arts suggest there will be a swing carousel.
One of the main attractions in the Minions land, where Yellow Minions battle Purple ones, will be a water ride that snakes around the world.
Onlookers can participate in the fun too, by using water pistols to spray those on the ride.
Aspiring paleontologists will get the opportunity to see a newly hatched baby dinosaur in the Jurassic World Adventure Camp as well as climb up Lookout Towers in a play area.
Concept art also reveals a rollercoaster and drop tower ride.
In the Trolls land, visitors can once again meet characters such as Poppy and Branch and experience two play areas – Poppy’s Playland and Trolls Critter Crawl.
In addition, some of the concept art shows that the land may also have a rollercoaster, hot air balloon-themed ride and a netted climbing area.
Across the park, there will be multiple sensory gardens with different touch, sound and colour attractions as well.
In the Jurassic World Camp Adventure, kids can climb lookout towers and meet a baby dinosaurCredit: Universal Destinations & ExperiencesThere will also be several play areas across the park and sensory gardensCredit: Universal Destinations & Experiences
For families looking to stay close-by, the theme park will have a colourfully-themed 300-room hotel.
Molly Murphy, president of Universal Creative said: “Universal Kids Resort embodies the spirit of igniting thrill that drives everything we create — designed to bring our youngest guests and families together through play, creativity, and beloved characters and stories.”
Brian Robinson, executive vice president and chief creative officer at Universal Creative said: “We envisioned this park through the unbridled creativity of kids where infinite imagination, curiosity and free-spirited play were core to our design philosophies.
“It produced a park that’s pure joy and an absolute celebration of what it is to be a kid.”
What we know so far about Universal’s UK theme park
HERE’S what we know so far about Universal’s theme park set to open in Bedfordshire, UK.
The park is currently expected to open in 2031
The attraction will be divided into four main land areas: Core Zone, Lake Zone, East Gateway Zone, West Gateway Zone
The park will include indoor and outdoor rides, attractions, games, and pools
There are plans for entertainment venues such as theatres, cinemas, music/dance venues and cultural spaces
The maximum height for a structure like a rollercoaster is 115 metres, which would make it the tallest rollercoaster in Europe, surpassing the current 112m record holder
The site may also contain media and film production facilities
The attraction is due to be open each day between 9am and 9pm
A ONE-of-a-kind ice rink will open next month at one of London’s most popular rooftop bars.
Anyone seeking Christmas fun will be able to ice skate at the highest rooftop bar in Peckham, and it has 360-degree views of the London skyline.
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London’s highest ice rink will open in Peckham next monthCredit: ICE at Bussey Rooftop BarThe Bussey Rooftop Bar is bustling in the summer and will transform for winterCredit: Instagram
On top of the Bussey Building in Peckham is a huge rooftop bar – and it is set to be turned into an ice rink for the winter season.
From November 17 until January 1, the Bussey Rooftop Bar area will be transformed into an ice rink with a bar.
On Facebook it said: “Tickets are LIVE for London’s freshest rooftop ice rink! Skate under the stars, then head to our Après Skate Bar for spiked hot chocs, winter spritzes, mulled magic and DJs every Fri & Sat bringing all the feels“.
The Bussey Rooftop Bar will become the Après Skate Bar and transform into a winter lodge – think twinkly lights, outdoor heaters and blankets.
Also on the rooftop, you’ll be able to buy bar snacks and grab stone-baked pizzas.
Tickets for the ice rink are on sale now and cost £14 for adults, £10 per person for family tickets, and £9 for children.
Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor, loves the rooftop bar, she said: “One of my favourite places to go isPeckham, because of its famous rooftop. I’ve spent many a sunny day at the Bussey building, a rooftop on top of a car park.
“It serves amazing pizzas and beers and has fantastic music playing as well. When the sun goes down, make sure to grab afilmat Peckhamplex with £5.99 tickets all day, or Four Quarters, a retro arcade bar.“
The Bussey Building is an old factory around the corner from Peckham Rye that hosts club nights, yoga classes and artists’ spaces.
It’s home toRooftop Film Club, an open-air cinema that shows classic, cult, and new release films during the summertime.
Skaters will be able to enjoy sunset views from the rooftopCredit: AlamyThere will be plenty of food and Christmassy drinks tooCredit: Instagram
The Peckham bar has been included in guides for “Best Outdoor Bars in London” and “Best Rooftop Bars in London.
Some of the regulars are excited to try out the new space, one wrote on Instagram under the skating announcement: “Can’t wait!”
Another added: “Just when I thought bussey couldn’t get better”.
Hi, everyone, welcome back to Lakers newsletter. This is Thuc Nhi Nguyen, The Times’ Lakers beat writer. Thank you for your warm welcome into this space (and your food recommendations). We’re now halfway through the preseason, and let me tell you: I can’t wait until we get real basketball back again.
All things Lakers, all the time.
We are at least one step closer to seeing what this Lakers team really looks like as Luka Doncic is expected to make his preseason debut against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. He is expected to play in two of the final three preseason games and, with a back-to-back coming, it’s most likely that Doncic will finish his preseason play on Friday at Crypto.com Arena against the Sacramento Kings instead of in Las Vegas against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, on Wednesday.
Doncic’s return can help answer some questions about the Lakers, but there is still plenty to address with one week until the season opener.
The LeBron James decision
If you didn’t hear, LeBron James was at the center of a major announcement last week.
No, it’s not that the Lakers star and my dad share an affinity for Hennessy.
It’s that James will be sidelined for three to four weeks as he manages sciatica in his right side. The timeline announced by the team last Thursday means James will miss the regular season opener on Oct. 21 against the Golden State Warriors. As he enters Year 23, James still has room for more firsts: This will be the first time in his NBA career that he doesn’t play in a season opener.
While coach JJ Redick has tried to downplay preseason decisions about the starting lineup, he admitted Monday that James’ prolonged absence “complicates things a little bit.” With every group, Redick said, it’s about finding balance: ensuring there’s enough shooting, facilitating and defense to go around while also managing each player’s own temperament.
“We have a week to figure that out,” Redick said Monday, “and I think it will reveal itself to us.”
The Lakers’ next decision
Marcus Smart
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
So who will be up for the role?
Marcus Smart, who figured to be a potential starting candidate even when James was healthy, will make his preseason debut on Tuesday. He was battling Achilles tendinopathy to begin the preseason.
Smart returned to practice last week, working up to being a full participant during practices Thursday and Saturday, and impressed Redick with the classic Marcus Smart hustle and defense. Even while sidelined, Smart was lauded for his communication and leadership style.
Smart was already considered as a potential starting option over returner Rui Hachimura because the Lakers were looking for a stronger defender at the point of attack. They may have rediscovered another option in Jarred Vanderbilt.
Finally healthy from a lingering foot injury, Vanderbilt has earned rave reviews for his defensive resurgence during training camp. The 6-foot-8 forward has 13 rebounds, four steals and one block in three preseason games. He even turned heads with tweaked shooting mechanics to potentially increase his influence as a potential three-and-D option.
But Vanderbilt is one for 10 from three-point range in three preseason games.
The offensive load during James’ absence will likely fall more toward Hachimura or free agent addition Jake LaRavia.
Second-year guard Dalton Knecht could provide a scoring punch off the bench, especially after Redick said Knecht was the team’s best offensive player in training camp. Knecht, who struggled during summer league because he over-trained during the offseason, was outscoring his teammates by 42 points during live practice periods by Sunday. Redick rewarded him with a starting spot in the home preseason game against the Warriors and he responded with 16 points on four-of-nine shooting from the field and was six of eight from the free throw line.
But the 24-year-old who was briefly traded last year to return only when the deal fell through needs to earn his playing time by showing other skills.
“His ceiling is going to be based on his improvement this season as a defender,” Redick said.
Austin Reaves has already carried the heaviest workload of the preseason, especially as Doncic and James were out. Reaves delivered with 41 points in 44 minutes in two games, but knows any single Herculean effort won’t be enough to replace James long-term.
“It’s a next-man-up mentality,” Reaves said, echoing a similar message from Doncic. “Nobody is going to fill what he does with one person. I can’t go be LeBron. I wish I could. But I think you got to do it as a collective group. And that’s what we’ll do.”
Favorite thing I ate this week
Clockwise from top left: Shrimp shumai, fried shrimp ball, baked BBQ pork bun, steam pork bun and shrimp noodle rolls.
(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers got a valuable week at home, but I stayed on the road for a friend’s wedding in Brooklyn. To me, there’s no better way to celebrate than with dim sum.
We schlepped from Brooklyn to Manhattan’s Golden Unicorn, where I was too impatient to take a picture of everything, but the first wave included baked BBQ pork buns, steamed pork buns, shrimp noodle rolls, shrimp shumai and fried shrimp balls.
My dim sum staples are har gow and the classic pork and shrimp shumai, but my favorite dish this time was mango pudding (unfortunately not pictured). Loaded with chunks of fresh mango, it was the perfect sweet treat before I spent the next few hours in food coma mode.
Madonna’s “MDNA.” Bruce Springsteen’s “The Rising.” Mariah Carey’s “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.”
According to the Recording Industry Assn. of America, none of these albums — each the 12th studio LP by its respective maker — has sold 4 million copies in the United States in the decade or more since it was released.
Yet that’s what Taylor Swift just did in a single week with her 12th album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” which Billboard reported Monday had moved 4.002 million copies in the seven days between Oct. 3 and 9.
That figure, which combines sales and streaming numbers, represents the biggest opening week for an album in modern history, breaking the record set by Adele 10 years ago when her “25” moved 3.482 million units in its first week.
Swift marked the achievement on Instagram on Monday with a note to her 281 million followers.
“I’ll never forget how excited I was in 2006 when my first album sold 40,000 copies in its first week,” she wrote. “I was 16 and couldn’t even fathom that that many people would care enough about my music to invest their time and energy into it. Since then I’ve tried to meet and thank as many people as I could who have given me the chance to chase this insane dream. Here we are all these years later and a hundred times that many people showed up for me this week.
“I have 4 million thank you’s I want to send to the fans,” she added, “and 4 million reasons to feel even more proud of this album than I already was.”
The speed with which Swift hit the 4-million mark is undeniably impressive. Morgan Wallen’s “I’m the Problem,” the biggest album of 2025 so far, has sold and streamed the equivalent of 4.2 million copies, according to the trade journal Hits. But “I’m the Problem” has been out since mid-May; “Showgirl” will almost certainly have surpassed Wallen’s LP by the end of this week (if it hasn’t already).
What’s more remarkable is where “Showgirl’s” blockbuster success comes in the arc of Swift’s career.
Madonna and Springsteen were both in their early 50s when they released their 12th LPs; Carey was 40 when “Imperfect Angel” came out. Swift, in contrast, is only 35 — one advantage of starting out professionally as a teenager.
Still, Swift has been a star for nearly two decades, a point at which many pop musicians have shifted the focus of their work to touring even as they continue to make new records generally ignored by all but their most devoted fans. In 2024, according to Pollstar, Madonna’s and Springsteen’s latest road shows — each drawn from a catalog packed with hit songs — were among the year’s 10 highest-grossing tours.
And indeed Swift has been amply rewarded on the road: At No. 1 on Pollstar’s list was her Eras tour, which sold more than $2 billion in tickets across 149 dates on five continents.
Yet unlike virtually every other veteran act in music, Swift’s recording business is growing along with her live business.
“Everything that’s happening here is historic and unprecedented,” said Hits’ editor in chief, Lenny Beer. “Maybe if the Beatles had stayed together, we’d have seen something like it.”
Also worth considering: Nobody seems to think “The Life of a Showgirl” is Swift’s best album. Reviews have been mixed, and even some fans have expressed disappointment with the record on social media — a once-unthinkable development among the fiercely loyal Swifties.
So how did the singer pull off such a feat?
First, a little math: Of “Showgirl’s” 4 million units, approximately 3.5 million were sales of either digital or physical versions of the album (including CDs, cassettes and vinyl LPs); the remaining half-million came from streams of the album’s songs on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, which the data firm Luminate counts toward what it calls streaming equivalent albums.
“Showgirl’s” 12 songs racked up 681 million streams in all, Billboard said — the fourth-biggest streaming week of all time, behind Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” and Drake’s “Scorpion” and “Certified Lover Boy.” But the album’s sales number is the largest ever recorded since Luminate started tracking sales electronically in 1991.
Among Swift’s strategies to get to that number was selling more than three dozen editions of the album, each with its own artwork and bonus material designed to lure collectors. On vinyl alone, “Showgirl” came out in eight so-called variants, which helped drive the album’s first-week vinyl sales to a modern record of 1.3 million copies.
Offering something for sale doesn’t necessarily mean anyone will buy it, of course. Yet Swift was positioning “The Life of a Showgirl” as a juggernaut from the moment she announced it. Appearing with her fiancé, the NFL player Travis Kelce, on his “New Heights” podcast in August, the singer described the album as a return to the hit-making ways of albums like “Red” and “1989” after the relatively experimental “Folklore” and “Tortured Poets Department.”
To make “Showgirl,” she reteamed with the Swedish producers Max Martin and Shellback, with whom she’d collaborated on some of her biggest singles, including “Blank Space,” “Bad Blood” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” On “New Heights” she and Kelce talked about the new album as a “180” from the moody confessions of “Tortured Poets,” whetting appetites for the kind of crisply hooky Taylor Swift songs that blanketed Top 40 radio in the mid-2010s.
Promised the football star: “12 bangers.”
Fans visit an activation for Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” at the Westfield Century City mall on Oct. 4.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Once “Showgirl” was out, Swift jumped into the promotional fray with more gusto than she’d summoned in years, sitting for numerous radio interviews and putting in appearances on Graham Norton’s, Jimmy Fallon’s and Seth Meyers’ late-night shows; the weekend after the album’s release, a glorified sizzle reel called “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl” played in AMC movie theaters across the country.
On Monday, Swift kept the conversation going with the announcement that two Eras-related projects are headed to Disney+ in December: a six-part behind-the-scenes docuseries and a concert film of the tour’s finale in Vancouver.
“One of the hardest parts of ensuring you have a record-setting first week is making sure that everyone who could possibly be interested in your album knows about it,” said Bill Werde, director of the Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries at Syracuse University. “I’m not sure anyone has ever covered that need the way Taylor did with this album cycle.”
Yet “The Life of a Showgirl” has not been greeted as enthusiastically as some of Swift’s earlier work.
Pitchfork said “her music’s never been less compelling,” while The Guardian called the album “dull razzle-dazzle from a star who seems frazzled.” Fans on TikTok have complained that Swift’s lyrics — which take up her romance with Kelce, the burdens of fame and an apparent beef with Charli XCX — are unusually shallow; some have even formulated a kind of tradwife critique of “Showgirl” in which Swift is seen as upholding regressive ideas about marriage and domesticity.
The album has also attracted criticism from people who say Swift’s songs recycle familiar elements from other pop tunes without giving credit: the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” in “Wood,” for instance, and the Jonas Brothers’ “Cool” in the LP’s closing title track.
“When every song is a derivative of another song, that’s an issue,” said one hit songwriter who asked not to be named in order to speak freely. “That one song is the Jonas Brothers song — the exact same melody. And here’s how lazy that is: It’s the same key and the same tempo.”
In Werde’s view, Swift’s place atop the pop hierarchy makes such carping inevitable. “Anytime an artist gets this big, there’s going to be backlash,” he said — a take with which Swift would likely agree.
“I welcome the chaos,” she said in an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “The rule of show business is: If it’s the first week of my album release and you are saying either my name or my album title, you’re helping.”
Even so, the polarized reaction to “Showgirl” — Swift’s 15th album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — raises questions about the breadth of Swift’s popularity as compared to its depth. Should the album’s gargantuan numbers be taken as a sign that she appeals to a wide spectrum of pop music lovers or to a committed group of hardcore Swifties willing to spend untold amounts of money to demonstrate their loyalty?
“Showgirl’s” second-week stats should provide the beginnings of an answer, given that they won’t be shaped by one-time sales of all those limited-edition variants.
Then again, another unprecedented chart achievement from the album’s first week is already shedding some light on the matter: “The Fate of Ophelia,” the album’s lead single, is the first song ever to debut inside the top 10 of Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart — an indication of the heavy Top 40 radio play it’s getting along with the millions of daily streams that have kept it atop Spotify’s U.S. Top 50 tally since the song came out.
That’s one banger certified, with more perhaps to come.
Lakers star LeBron James will miss the first regular-season game as he continues to deal with a sciatica issue, the team announced Thursday afternoon. James will be reevaluated in three to four weeks.
The 40-year-old is entering an unprecedented 23rd NBA season. He had yet to practice with his teammates during training camp and he did not play in the Lakers’ first two preseason games.
Before the team’s announcement, coach JJ Redick told reporters at practice Thursday that “he’s on his own timeline.”
Added Redick, “You’ve got to play the cards you’re dealt. That’s a shame, but that’s just the reality. … No one has got any time with LeBron [James] hasn’t been on the court with the team, but that’s just the reality.”
While fellow star Luka Doncic has slowly been ramping up his conditioning following a busy summer that included playing for Slovenia in the EuroBasket tournament, Redick said he hopes that Doncic will play in at least one preseason game.
The Lakers have four more preseason games, the next on Sunday against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena.
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who feels as cantankerous as Jackson Lamb by the end of the workweek.
The fifth season of “Slow Horses” premiered this week. And everyone’s favorite team of disgraced British spies are back to connect the dots of a new mysterious threat. Once an underrated gem, the spy thriller’s move into the awards spotlight has brought more attention to the critical darling. But in following the very British model of releasing six-episode seasons, the entertaining ride can feel fleeting — luckily, two more seasons are already in the works. Will Smith, the show’s head writer, who is stepping down after this current season, stopped by Guest Spot to talk about the sleeper hit.
Also in this week’s Screen Gab, our streaming recommendations include an Italian-set action-drama about a fixer at a luxury resort and a beloved baking competition series that always serves up a refreshing dose of wholesome goodness and showstopping sweet treats.
P.S.: Last week’s newsletter incorrectly stated that new episodes of ABC’s “High Potential” air on Wednesdays. They air on Tuesdays, and are available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ the next day. Don’t tell Morgan or she’ll add us to the murder board!
ICYMI
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Tim Curry, center, as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in 1975’s “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
How Beyond Fest became L.A.’s best film festival: An event that started off as a bluff has outgrown its genre roots to become a legitimate destination for rabid film fans, boasting rarities and prestige titles alike.
Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times
Jordan Alexandra as Genny and Jesse Williams as Daniel De Luca in a scene from “Hotel Costeria.”
(Virginia Bettoja / Prime)
“Hotel Costiera” (Prime Video)
A charming Jesse Williams, the “Grey’s Anatomy” alum, plays Daniel De Luca, a sort of action concierge at a high-end boutique hotel on the Amalfi Coast in this easygoing mix of “The White Lotus” and a midcentury Continental adventure show, like “The Saint” or “The Protectors.” A long-arc plot involving the missing daughter (Amanda Campana) of Daniel’s hotelier boss (Tommaso Ragno) runs alongside episodic stories — the search for a missing guest, sourcing a flight-worthy coffin, stealing an important bracelet from a local crime figure — mixing mysteries with human interest and a lot of local color. (Williams speaks Italian with persuasive fluency.) Assisting Daniel in his investigations is a team of classic types — a beautiful yet brainy woman (Jordan Alexandra); a comical aristocrat (Sam Haygarth), like Bertie Wooster by way of Mr. Bean; and a rotund restaurateur Bigné (Antonio Gerardi), at whose trattoria they all hang out, plotting whatever needs to be plotted. It’s saying nothing against the rest of this pleasantly diverting series that these scenes are the heart of the show, and, yes, I would like a cappuccino, grazie. — Robert Lloyd
Paul Hollywood, left, Alison Hammond, Prue Leith and Noah Fielding in a promotional still from “The Great British Baking Show.”
(Mark Bourdillon / Channel 5 / Netflix)
“Great British Baking Show,” Collection 13 (Netflix)
September means the arrival of fall and another season of the best baking show on TV. Over the years, the series has stuck to a simple yet effective recipe of beautiful bakes, friendly competition and soothing voiceovers (thanks to Noel Fielding). This season’s contestants are just as talented and endearing as previous ones, but now that we’re three episodes in — and past the dreaded Bread Week — we’re down to nine bakers. Among them are Nataliia, a Ukrainian immigrant living in East Yorkshire; Iain, a short king and self-proclaimed “yeastie boy” from Belfast; and Jasmine, an ever-smiling 23-year-old medical student. In this week’s back-to-school-themed episode, the bakers’ challenges include making flapjacks (in the U.K., they’re like a granola bar) and school cake (a sponge with icing and sprinkles). They sound simple, but no recipe is what it seems on this show. And those low-stakes surprises and competition are precisely what makes “Baking Show” a balm for the soul right now. — Maira Garcia
Guest spot
A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching
Rosalind Eleazar, left, Christopher Chung, Saskia Reeves, Aimee-Ffion Edwards and Jack Lowden in “Slow Horses.”
(Jack English / Apple TV+)
Do you ever look at your boss and feel both deep gratitude and disappointment because they’re not Jackson Lamb? There’s at least a new season of “Slow Horses” to vicariously experience the walking HR nightmare and his joyously rumpled, smelly and messy leadership style, as expertly portrayed by Gary Oldman. Based on Mick Herron’s “Slough House” novels, the espionage thriller/workplace dramedy centers on a misfit crew of MI5 outcasts — led by Lamb — who’ve blown their careers and now find themselves banished to Slough House, a dumping ground where the agency hopes they’ll be forgotten. The Apple TV+ series returned this week with its eponymous group of spies investigating a series of coordinated terror attacks that have struck London. A new episode will be released every Wednesday until the season finale on Oct. 29. In his last season as head writer, Will Smith stopped by Guest Spot to discuss his creative collaboration with Oldman, his pick for most the competent agent and the best show he’s seen in years. — Yvonne Villarreal
This once–sleeper hit has become such a force with critics and fans. Knowing Season 5 would be your last as head writer, did it feel any different writing this first episode? What was the most important decision you made in this season opener?
You just always want to make it the best it can be and you don’t want to repeat. You need to give the audience enough of what drew them to the show in the first place without making them think, “I’ve seen this,” and you need to give them enough that’s new without them going, “This isn’t the show any more.” The same goes for the cast, by the way; they have to feel their characters are moving on but in an organic way, that you’re acknowledging what went before and building on it. Luckily, that’s Mick’s approach with the books too. And it really helps having the same crew and returning director Saul Metzstein (from Season 3) — Saul and the camera team know what’s gone before and are continually finding new ways to shoot in our existing locations. A really obvious example of how we try to move things on but keep it all connected is Slough House itself. I know it’s a cliche, but it really is a character in the series; to me, it’s an embodiment of Lamb, it reflects so much about him, but it’s never the same. We establish it in Season 1, in Season 2 it’s a discomforting sweatbox, in Season 3 it’s full of boxes of files, which completely changes how people move around it. In Season 4 it’s shot to pieces, and in Season 5 we see the cheap repairs have been started and left. So I hope we’ve hit that same sweet spot with this series, that it gives you exactly what you want and then some things you didn’t know you wanted but feel totally in keeping with the show.
The episode opens with both a mass shooting and a fatal sniper shot in London. While it’s a sequence in the books and was written months ago, it could feel all too timely and provoking depending on the news cycle in which it’s being viewed. How do you decide what to show, how much is enough, what will engage and what will overwhelm?
This weighed quite heavily on us as we sadly knew that some horrific event could happen around the launch of the show that could affect how it was viewed. We actually had a version that cut out after he first opened fire, but felt that that didn’t go far enough. So we went and filmed a pickup where we stayed with the shooter and see his victims fall in the distance. We didn’t want the horror to be overwhelming, although being with him and his blank detachment in this version is disturbingly chilling. And then we took it as far as the assassin himself being killed out of nowhere. Which is a shock and a twist — what the hell is going on? The audience are confused in a good way. I hope by now they trust that all will be explained.
How involved is Gary in terms of script and character development? Can you give an example of a detail or moment over the run of the series that he advocated for or against that proved valuable to the story?
Gary is an incredibly generous and deferential collaborator. As I’ve said before, he’s not just one of the greatest actors of his generation, he’s also a hugely talented writer and director, and he’s completely respectful of myself and Saul Metzstein and the other directors. I think it helps that we’re very in tune creatively. Gary and I both have a love and respect for the source material, so he knows I’m not going to junk the book — we’re going to work on it and bring a version of it to life. The other brilliant thing about Gary is that he’s not intimidated by the fact that Lamb’s arc is all in the backstory. He absorbs and plays that, even if he doesn’t know the specifics. You just get the sense that Lamb has been through some bad stuff. Lamb is a cautionary tale, a smoking ruin; he’s not going to change now. The changes come to our perspective when we learn a little bit more about him and what he’s been through. The moment he was most involved in I can’t talk about in detail because it’s a spoiler. But it came from an idea his wife, Gisele, had. Gary and I then discussed the best version of it in story terms, and then we shot it twice as Saul had an even better idea as to how to make it land. We put an awful lot of thought into it, and actually it’s the one area where we do depart from the book (with Mick’s blessing). I’m very excited about it and what it can lead to in future series that I’m looking forward to watching as a fan.
If you were running the spies, who would you say is the most competent agent? And what have you learned about how to walk the line between keeping the “misfits and losers” bit believable but also allowing the Slow Horses to actually triumph in the end?
After Lamb, Catherine is the smartest agent in the building, although River is the most effective field agent. Catherine is not trained as a spy but has been around them most of her adult life. She’s incredibly bright and perceptive but lacks confidence. She’s often the person putting the pieces together but never gets the credit. I think Lamb wants her around for that reason, as well as the twisted mix of protecting her and goading her and having her as a living reminder of his own fallibility — they were both betrayed by Charles Partner (Catherine’s boss, Lamb’s friend and mentor) and Lamb had to execute him. I’m not saying Lamb was sunshine and light before that, I think he’s always been a hard-living cynic, but that really did break something in him. And yes, it’s a delicate balance maintaining the premise of the show — these people are useless yet every season they save the day but are still not allowed out of exile. I think the compromise and unfairness is what makes it believable. Although at some point I feel they either have to redeem themselves or accept that it’s fruitless and move on. But again, usually Mick will kill them off before they reach that crossroads.
In “Clown Town,” Herron’s latest installment in the book series, he references the language of the show. There’s a line — “It’s like explaining Denmark to a cat”— that feels like a direct reference to the Season 1 line, “It’s like explaining Norway to a dog.” As a writer, what’s it like to see the way he has acknowledged and tipped his hat to the show?
One of the things I’m proudest of is how much Mick and his readers love the show. Sometimes I think a line is Mick’s and it turns out to be mine or vice versa, and Mick has the same confusion. He’s also read out the opening scene of Season 4 at events and said he didn’t write it, but he would have done [it] if he’d thought of it. Knowing I’m in tune with him and his characters and stories has been absolutely wonderful because I started this and finish it as a huge fan of his work.
What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?
“Lost Boys and Fairies” by Daf James on the BBC [available to stream on Britbox] is the best show I’ve seen in years. It’s about a gay couple going through the adoption process and is charming, tragic, playful, sad and uplifting. It’s so deftly written by Daf and wonderfully directed by James Kent and stars one of my favorite actors, Sion Daniel Young, whom “Slow Horses fans” will know as Douglas from Season 3.
What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the movie or TV show you go back to again and again?
I will always watch Michael Mann’s “Heat” [Prime Video] whenever I chance upon it, and watch it by choice at least one a year. It’s perfect. But for true comfort, I return again and again to the Hal Roach-era comedies of Laurel and Hardy, which have brought me unlimited joy throughout my life.
Ahead of the first live show, Strictly Come Dancing have released first look pictures from tomorrow night’s epic opening routine that sees the judges dancing through the decades
Bangor-born Broadhead was in Wrexham’s academy as a boy before he started his professional career with Everton.
He joined Ipswich permanently in 2023 and was part of the Tractor Boys team that last season played in the Premier League, something he hopes to emulate with Wrexham.
Wrexham’s Hollywood owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have spoken of their ambition to reach English football’s top-flight.
“That’s the main reason I came and hopefully we can do that to get this club to the Premier League,” Broadhead added.
“That’s the aim of the owners. So I see the vision and hopefully we can get there.
“You see the players coming in. You’re bringing in quality players from the Championship and it just shows you where the owners want to be.
“That’s the project, what we’re going on.”
Broadhead was one of 13 players to join Wrexham during the summer along with Wales team-mates Danny Ward and Kieffer Moore.
Moore scored Wales’ winner in the 1-0 win in the World Cup qualifier in Kazakhstan earlier this month, a game Broadhead missed due to his calf injury.
It was a week Crescenta Valley football coach Hudson Gossard will never forget.
It began with him having to switch from defensive coordinator to offensive coordinator after coaching changes. Then his wife had to undergo surgery. Then he had to take care of final preparations for Crescenta Valley to open its new stadium on Sept. 5.
“It was an unbelievable atmosphere,” Gossard said. “High school kids dream of playing on their own high school campus. It was something awesome, something special.”
Gossard was almost in tears after what happened before the game against South Pasadena. He said before every game he receives a kiss from his wife, Codi. She was driven from the hospital and surprised him with a kiss.
“She’s a saint,” he said.
Gossard went to the press box to call the plays just like his father, Dennis, who passed in June after some 50 years being involved with Crescenta Valley football.
Crescenta Valley ended up winning the game 42-21. The emotions and memories won’t be forgotten.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].
Sept. 11 (UPI) — The trial is underway for a man accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump on his golf course in West Palm Beach, Fla., during the 2024 presidential campaign.
Ryan Routh, who is defending himself in the case, was interrupted by Judge Aileen Cannon minutes into Routh’s opening remarks when he began veering off topic Thursday.
Cannon excused the jury, then chided Routh, directing him to keep his comments relevant to the case. Routh apologized but continued on a tangent, discussing the “history” of human existence.
Canon then told Routh his opening remarks were over.
In court, Secret Service agent Robert Fercano identified Routh as the man hiding behind a shrub-covered fence near the sixth hole of the lush golf course, aiming an AK-style assault weapon at Trump. Fercano was the first government witness to take the stand in the trial.
Prosecuting attorney John Shipley Jr. said during his testimony that Routh “decided to take the choice away from the American people.”
Routh was found with a handwritten note stating his intention to assassinate Trump. Eyewitness accounts, cellphone data and security footage prove the case against Routh beyond a reasonable doubt, Shipley said.
Fercano said he noticed the muzzle of a gun protruding from the shrubbery and called out to Routh, then proceeded to call for law enforcement backup. “Hey, sir!” Fercano said he yelled.
The court then played audio of Fercano discharging his weapon in Routh’s direction and radioing colleagues. “Shots fired! Shots fired! Shots fired!” Fercano yelled. The agent testified that he believed he came within five feet of Routh.
Fercano testified that the barrel of the assault rifle was pointed directly at his face and that he feared Trump’s life was in danger. He said he initially did not think Routh was a threat until he saw the gun muzzle.
During the trial, Fercano presented a Russian-designed SKS semiautomatic weapon officials believe Routh obtained illegally and used in the assassination attempt.
Routh, a 59-year old construction worker, does not have any formal legal training.
England suffered a 14-run defeat by South Africa in a farcical rain-affected opening T20 at Cardiff.
A delayed start meant the match was reduced to nine overs per side, and the Proteas blitzed 97-5 in 7.5 overs before another rain disruption.
England’s target was revised to 69 in five overs and with little choice but to attack from the outset, they reached 43-5 needing 26 from five balls.
From there, the recalled Sam Curran whacked a six to offer the hosts a glimmer of hope, but the tourists eventually closed out a comfortable win as England finished on 54-5 with two wickets apiece for Corbin Bosch and Marco Jansen.
Jos Buttler had kept England alive with 25 from 11, including three sixes, but they were left to rue top-order wickets as Phil Salt was caught at fine leg from the first ball of the chase, Jacob Bethell chipped to cover for seven and captain Harry Brook made a chaotic four-ball duck.
Earlier, Jofra Archer was replaced by Luke Wood in a late change, and the seamer removed Ryan Rickelton in the first over before captain Aiden Markram led the charge with 28 from 14 balls.
Dewald Brevis, who became the SA20’s most expensive player in Tuesday’s auction, made an entertaining 23 from 10 balls before he fell to the recalled Curran’s first ball while Donovan Ferreira finished unbeaten with 25 from 11.
The three-match series continues at Old Trafford on Friday, where rain is also forecast.
England captain Harry Brook described the rain-reduced T20 between England and South Africa in Cardiff as a “shambles of a night”.
A delayed start until 20:50 BST saw the match reduced to nine overs a side and the tourists reached 97-5 after 7.5 overs before another downpour, which gave England a revised target of 69 from five.
The hosts fell short on 54-5 to go 1-0 down in the three-match series, though Brook felt there was nothing to glean from the contest.
“They got nine overs, we got five overs. You can’t take much from it,” said Brook.
“It was a bit of a shambles. It was a long, long day but I don’t think we need to make any excuses up.
“We probably didn’t execute as well as we should have done with bat and ball but it’s hard when you only bat for five overs.”
The original playing conditions stated there would be a 2.4 over powerplay and that four bowlers could bowl a maximum of two overs each and one bowler could bowl one, which curiously did not change once England’s target was adjusted.
Earlier, England made a late change to their team to remove Jofra Archer from the XI considering the conditions, and he was replaced by Luke Wood who took 2-22.
“It would have been stupid to play him with the amount of cricket we’ve got coming up,” Brook added.
“If he’d have gone out and done what Adam Hose did in The Hundred and broken his leg or whatever, that would have been a shambles.”
Archer has been reintroduced to international cricket this summer with his first Test in four years and the hope that he will be fit for the winter’s Ashes in Australia.
Brook would not be drawn on whether the game should have gone ahead, adding that it was simply “up to the umpires”.
The series continues at Old Trafford on Friday, where there is also a mixed forecast.
