Latest news with #BenedictCumberbatch
Metro
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
London's best lidos, ponds and outdoor pools to beat the heatwave
A searing heatwave is sweeping the UK, and all any of us Londoners can think of is where to go to cool off. It's so hot, in fact, that the previous record of 40°C, in July 2022, could be under threat. A health agency has issued an amber heat warning, meaning there's potential for it to be dangerously hot, and the Met Office has warned it's only going to get hotter. In London, we don't have the luxury of a coast. But along with dozens of parks and buzzing beer gardens, we do have plenty of lidos and spots for wild swimming. So, grab your towel, slap on some factor 50, and dive right in. After a £4 million revamp, Tooting Bec Lido is finally open to the public this summer. At 90 metres long, it's the UK's largest freshwater swimming pool, catering to 1,300 Londoners. The lido offers two sessions per day, alongside special swim times to kickstart the season. As well as installing a new pumphouse and UV filtration system to keep the water clean and safe, the surrounding area has also had a glow-up. The changing rooms have been given a sleek, modern update and there's fresh landscaping around the water's edge. According to Wandsworth Council, 130 free tickets for swimming sessions will be available for eligible residents under Wandsworth's Access for All scheme. Otherwise, it's £9.40 for adults and £5.20 for kids. If you want wild swimming without travelling to the countryside, make for Hampstead Heath Ponds. Split between mixed, and men's and women's areas, the ponds have a cult following and come July will be heaving with crowds. Who knows, you might even spot a celebrity. A-listers are known to frequent the Heath, with Harry Styles, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Woody Harrelson all swimming there in recent years. Tickets are £4.80 for adults and £2.90 for concessions for 60 minutes of swimming. Tucked in the corner of Brixton's Brockwell Park, this lido is a real sun trap on a warm day. The 50m Olympic-sized pool sits beside an art deco building, with a cute café where you can refuel after a swim. Lane swims cost £8 for up to 50 minutes, and must be booked in advance. Another South London gem, this Olympic-sized heated pool has a summer sun terrace, coffee bar, and outdoor gym equipment. If you're lucky, you'll see the local parakeets flying above while you backstroke. Adult swimming sessions cost £11.50, with prices starting at £5.50 for concessions. Opened in the 1930s, this unheated outdoor pool is open to the public 365 days a year. Located near Gospel Oak train station, it's ideal for those who don't feel ready to brave the ponds. Swimming sessions start at £4.80 for adults and £2.00 for concessions, with no need to book ahead (but you may need to queue if it's busy). At Green Lanes in Stoke Newington, you can go for an open-water swim or try your hand at kayaking at the West Reservoir. It's not for the faint-hearted – temperatures are low, but it's a great spot to get used to the cold water in a beautiful setting. Once you're done, warm up with a coffee at the waterside cafe. Open water swimming – which is available between 7am and 6pm – costs £13.15. Sessions are 30 minutes. Beckenham Place Park is the largest green space in Lewisham, and although you'll get the feel of wild swimming, lifeguards are on hand to ensure everything is safe, and you can hire kayaks or paddle boards at certain times too. Whichever water-based activity you choose, the lake offers a refreshing escape from the hustle and bustle. One-hour sessions cost £7.40 for non-residents. Lewisham locals pay a little less, at £6.80. Fancy hitting up one of London's most iconic 'open water' swimming locations? Head to Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park. Here you can swim surrounded by nature, before drying off in the Lido Cafe Bar with a fresh lunch and a glass of wine. If you don't want to swim, but fancy checking out the views,waterside tables are available. For a full day at the lido, it's just £7.50. According to the website, Serpentine Lido will reopen for the weekend on May 17, and then fully from 24 May. If you've got kids in tow, Hillingdon Lido is a great shout. The 1930s Grade II-listed, 50m open-air swimming pool oozes art deco charm, and is considered a 'hidden gem.' Not only are there stunning fountains to play around in, but there's also a new, heated shallow splash pool for little ones. It's close to Ruislip Lido, a sandy (man-made) beach with a lake beside it, though swimming is not permitted there. Also ideal for families, there's an ice-cream shop and play areas suited for kids. Worth the journey if you fancy a day in nature. Tickets cost £11 for non-residents. Let's be honest, this is the UK, and we're not always guaranteed good weather. More Trending And if the heavens open this weekend, Finchley Lido Leisure Centre has your back. This indoor complex combines a pool with slides, a wave machine and jets. There's also a cinema and a bowling alley for some post-swim fun. Outside, there is a 25-metre swimming pool open during the summer months. Swimming costs £8.30. MORE: Man 'carrying a gun' at Elm Park Underground station arrested during rush hour MORE: Does drinking alcohol in the sun really get you drunk faster? A doctor shares their verdict MORE: Defenceless' grandad, John Murray, 75, found beaten to death in his Chiswick home
Leader Live
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Doctor Who star and Dame Judi Dench join calls to end arms sales to Israel
The trio are among a number of celebrities who have added their signatories to the letter, published by refugee charity Choose Love last month, and already signed by stars including Dua Lipa and Benedict Cumberbatch. Some 400 people have now signed the letter, with the new signatories including actors Stanley Tucci and Florence Pugh, former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw and musicians Paul Weller and Self Esteem. As well as suspending UK arms sales to Israel, the letter calls on Sir Keir Starmer to 'use all available means' to ensure humanitarian aid gets in to the territory. It also urges the Prime Minister to 'make a commitment to the children of Gaza' that he would broker an 'immediate and permanent ceasefire'. Josie Naughton, CEO of Choose Love, said: 'Since we urged the Government to end its complicity in the horrors of Gaza, more people have added their voice to our call. 'We cannot be silent while children are being killed and families are being starved.' Following publication of the initial letter in May, Choose Love staged a vigil outside Parliament in which a number of signatories read out the names of 15,613 children killed in Gaza. Ministers have already suspended licences for some arms sales to Israel but activists have demanded that the Government goes further, imposing a total ban including on parts for the F-35 jet. But the Government has said halting the export of spare F-35 parts is not possible as the UK is part of a global supply network and cannot control where those parts end up. Last week, the Government also sanctioned two Israeli ministers it accused of 'inciting violence against Palestinian people' and 'encouraging egregious abuses of human rights'. Ms Naughton added: 'The situation is changing by the second, but until the UK Government has halted all arms sales and licences to Israel, ensured that humanitarian aid can reach people starving inside Gaza and stopped the killing, they will not have done enough.' A Government spokesperson said: 'We strongly oppose the expansion of military operations in Gaza and call on the Israeli Government to cease its offensive and immediately allow for unfettered access to humanitarian aid.' 'The denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in Gaza is unacceptable and risks breaching international humanitarian law.' 'Last year, we suspended export licences to Israel for items used in military operations in Gaza and continue to refuse licences for military goods that could be used by Israel in the current conflict.' 'We urge all parties to urgently agree a ceasefire agreement and work towards a permanent and sustainable peace.'
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Doctor Who star and Dame Judi Dench join calls to end arms sales to Israel
The trio are among a number of celebrities who have added their signatories to the letter, published by refugee charity Choose Love last month, and already signed by stars including Dua Lipa and Benedict Cumberbatch. Some 400 people have now signed the letter, with the new signatories including actors Stanley Tucci and Florence Pugh, former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw and musicians Paul Weller and Self Esteem. As well as suspending UK arms sales to Israel, the letter calls on Sir Keir Starmer to 'use all available means' to ensure humanitarian aid gets in to the territory. Dame Judi Dench has signed the letter (Jordan Pettitt/PA) It also urges the Prime Minister to 'make a commitment to the children of Gaza' that he would broker an 'immediate and permanent ceasefire'. Josie Naughton, CEO of Choose Love, said: 'Since we urged the Government to end its complicity in the horrors of Gaza, more people have added their voice to our call. 'We cannot be silent while children are being killed and families are being starved.' Following publication of the initial letter in May, Choose Love staged a vigil outside Parliament in which a number of signatories read out the names of 15,613 children killed in Gaza. Ministers have already suspended licences for some arms sales to Israel but activists have demanded that the Government goes further, imposing a total ban including on parts for the F-35 jet. But the Government has said halting the export of spare F-35 parts is not possible as the UK is part of a global supply network and cannot control where those parts end up. Last week, the Government also sanctioned two Israeli ministers it accused of 'inciting violence against Palestinian people' and 'encouraging egregious abuses of human rights'. Ms Naughton added: 'The situation is changing by the second, but until the UK Government has halted all arms sales and licences to Israel, ensured that humanitarian aid can reach people starving inside Gaza and stopped the killing, they will not have done enough.' A Government spokesperson said: 'We strongly oppose the expansion of military operations in Gaza and call on the Israeli Government to cease its offensive and immediately allow for unfettered access to humanitarian aid.' 'The denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in Gaza is unacceptable and risks breaching international humanitarian law.' 'Last year, we suspended export licences to Israel for items used in military operations in Gaza and continue to refuse licences for military goods that could be used by Israel in the current conflict.' 'We urge all parties to urgently agree a ceasefire agreement and work towards a permanent and sustainable peace.'
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Doctor Who star and Dame Judi Dench join calls to end arms sales to Israel
The trio are among a number of celebrities who have added their signatories to the letter, published by refugee charity Choose Love last month, and already signed by stars including Dua Lipa and Benedict Cumberbatch. Some 400 people have now signed the letter, with the new signatories including actors Stanley Tucci and Florence Pugh, former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw and musicians Paul Weller and Self Esteem. As well as suspending UK arms sales to Israel, the letter calls on Sir Keir Starmer to 'use all available means' to ensure humanitarian aid gets in to the territory. Dame Judi Dench has signed the letter (Jordan Pettitt/PA) It also urges the Prime Minister to 'make a commitment to the children of Gaza' that he would broker an 'immediate and permanent ceasefire'. Josie Naughton, CEO of Choose Love, said: 'Since we urged the Government to end its complicity in the horrors of Gaza, more people have added their voice to our call. 'We cannot be silent while children are being killed and families are being starved.' Following publication of the initial letter in May, Choose Love staged a vigil outside Parliament in which a number of signatories read out the names of 15,613 children killed in Gaza. Ministers have already suspended licences for some arms sales to Israel but activists have demanded that the Government goes further, imposing a total ban including on parts for the F-35 jet. But the Government has said halting the export of spare F-35 parts is not possible as the UK is part of a global supply network and cannot control where those parts end up. Last week, the Government also sanctioned two Israeli ministers it accused of 'inciting violence against Palestinian people' and 'encouraging egregious abuses of human rights'. Ms Naughton added: 'The situation is changing by the second, but until the UK Government has halted all arms sales and licences to Israel, ensured that humanitarian aid can reach people starving inside Gaza and stopped the killing, they will not have done enough.' A Government spokesperson said: 'We strongly oppose the expansion of military operations in Gaza and call on the Israeli Government to cease its offensive and immediately allow for unfettered access to humanitarian aid.' 'The denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in Gaza is unacceptable and risks breaching international humanitarian law.' 'Last year, we suspended export licences to Israel for items used in military operations in Gaza and continue to refuse licences for military goods that could be used by Israel in the current conflict.' 'We urge all parties to urgently agree a ceasefire agreement and work towards a permanent and sustainable peace.'
North Wales Chronicle
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Doctor Who star and Dame Judi Dench join calls to end arms sales to Israel
The trio are among a number of celebrities who have added their signatories to the letter, published by refugee charity Choose Love last month, and already signed by stars including Dua Lipa and Benedict Cumberbatch. Some 400 people have now signed the letter, with the new signatories including actors Stanley Tucci and Florence Pugh, former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw and musicians Paul Weller and Self Esteem. As well as suspending UK arms sales to Israel, the letter calls on Sir Keir Starmer to 'use all available means' to ensure humanitarian aid gets in to the territory. It also urges the Prime Minister to 'make a commitment to the children of Gaza' that he would broker an 'immediate and permanent ceasefire'. Josie Naughton, CEO of Choose Love, said: 'Since we urged the Government to end its complicity in the horrors of Gaza, more people have added their voice to our call. 'We cannot be silent while children are being killed and families are being starved.' Following publication of the initial letter in May, Choose Love staged a vigil outside Parliament in which a number of signatories read out the names of 15,613 children killed in Gaza. Ministers have already suspended licences for some arms sales to Israel but activists have demanded that the Government goes further, imposing a total ban including on parts for the F-35 jet. But the Government has said halting the export of spare F-35 parts is not possible as the UK is part of a global supply network and cannot control where those parts end up. Last week, the Government also sanctioned two Israeli ministers it accused of 'inciting violence against Palestinian people' and 'encouraging egregious abuses of human rights'. Ms Naughton added: 'The situation is changing by the second, but until the UK Government has halted all arms sales and licences to Israel, ensured that humanitarian aid can reach people starving inside Gaza and stopped the killing, they will not have done enough.' A Government spokesperson said: 'We strongly oppose the expansion of military operations in Gaza and call on the Israeli Government to cease its offensive and immediately allow for unfettered access to humanitarian aid.' 'The denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in Gaza is unacceptable and risks breaching international humanitarian law.' 'Last year, we suspended export licences to Israel for items used in military operations in Gaza and continue to refuse licences for military goods that could be used by Israel in the current conflict.' 'We urge all parties to urgently agree a ceasefire agreement and work towards a permanent and sustainable peace.'
