Latest news with #Christmas
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Jazwell Brown's victim talks to BBC about 'traumatising' attack
Bradley Latter's fiancé Teohna Grant was murdered, along with another woman, in a brutal attack by drug-fuelled Jazwell Brown on Christmas Day in Milton Keynes. Mr Latter has spoken with the BBC about the "traumatising" events of that day and the effect it has had on his life. It was early evening in a block of flats when Bradley Latter saw Jazwell Brown walking down the hall with a baseball bat in his did not think anything of it as his neighbour would regularly walk into their home in Santa Cruz Avenue, Bletchley, in Milton Keynes. But then he heard a scream from his fiancée Teohna Grant and was pushed back into the living room as Brown began to stab him repeatedly with a knife. It was a brutal attack in which his partner died, along with their neighbour Joanne Pearson. Recalling the events of that evening the 30-year-old said that "it felt like an eternity but it couldn't have been longer than a second before I realised what was happening"."I did not know I was being stabbed at the time. I could just feel a pressure and a sort of cold feeling up towards my shoulder."He said his "objective was Teohna" as he did not know where she was and he hoped she had got out of their flat. "I just wanted to keep him [Brown] there as long as possible so she could get away."Ms Grant managed to crawl to the balcony of their flat and attempted to get help, but was attacked again by Brown. The 24-year-old died at the scene, having been repeated stabbed. Brown, who had been smoking crack cocaine, was given a life sentence with a minimum of 39 years for the murders of his partner Joanne Pearson, 38, and Ms Grant on December 25, 2024. The 49-year-old also admitted attempting to murder his son, Jake Brown, 18, and Mr Latter. During the attack Mr Latter said he kept asking, "Why are you doing this? What have I done?"Brown was staring directly at him but there was no expression – "Just a blank stare."Mr Latter told the BBC how he remembered feeling weaker due to the blood loss. "I did the only thing I could think at the time and I fell to the floor and played dead," he added. He then noticed Brown walking out and he ran to the door and through the keyhole he saw his neighbour, Ms Pearson, face Latter picked his phone up he was surprised it unlocked as it was covered in blood but he managed to call 999. After making his way downstairs "one officer came running in and that image haunts me. She saw me and froze".He told the BBC he had suffered 20 stab wounds to the neck during the onslaught but it is the emotional consequences that he is still struggling to deal with. "It is the nightmares which are the worst – replaying the events over and over again... and I do not think they are going to stop," he said. He added that still living in the flat where his partner was murdered "is just traumatising by itself, especially being alone most days"."Nothing I can do can bring Teohna back but I have to live for her," Mr Latter said. Mr Latter is now calling for police need to be given powers to deal with knife crime more robustly, along with additional funding for more rehabilitation centres. "People need to understand it is not cool [to carry a knife], it is not protection. "It is just not worth someone's life. Police are there for a reason whether people like it or not."Mr Latter said he loved to work but now he feels "useless" and that his "entire independence has been taken away".He added: "The moment I lay down and become depressed, in a way he [Brown] has won." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
National Geographic
an hour ago
- National Geographic
What it's like to celebrate midsummer in Sweden
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). As my Swedish army bike rattles down the last hill, I place a hand on the basket to secure my Midsummer contributions: two king-size sausage rolls and a green bean and orange salad. The wide-open fields of southern Sweden's fertile Söderslätt plain, yellow with rapeseed flowers, stretch out to my right, while to my left, the Baltic Sea has just slipped out of sight, having been there for most of my 20-minute ride from the station. When I turn into the gravel drive, Malin and Christian's century-old brick villa, Källbacken, meaning 'hill with a spring', is already clattering with preparations. Malin and her seven-year-old daughter Edith have been out picking the flowers and greenery that will decorate the midsommarstång, or maypole, which they've laid out neatly on a table. I place my sausage rolls alongside and am immediately marshalled into scrubbing potatoes. For Malin and Christian, new potatoes, dug up only days before from the patch at the bottom of their garden, are central to the feast. 'Unlike Easter and Christmas, you don't normally have hot food at Midsummer: it's about potatoes, and herring,' Malin says. The preparations began months ago. 'We actually start preparing for Midsummer in February," she explains, describing the family's annual trip to buy early-maturing Swift potatoes, which then stand, packed in egg cartons, in the barn for three months before being planted in early May. It feels a fitting ritual ahead of this festival, which originated back when Sweden was an agrarian society. Midsummer celebrations not only marked the longest day of the year but welcomed in a new season of fertility. Many Swedes still head to the countryside to celebrate. Although this is my tenth Midsummer in Sweden, the celebrations I've been to have been low-key affairs eschewing tradition: a barbecue, games, but no maypole. Malin and Christian, however, go all in. As well as the potatoes, the couple provide home-grown chives, pickled herring, Christian's home-brewed IPA, and a bottle or two of snaps or akvavit, the Swedish spirit used for toasts and to accompany singing. This celebration is unusual, though, for the lack of heavy drinking – because there are many babies and small children present. Midsummer, more than Christmas or New Year's Eve, is when Swedes really let loose, taking full advantage of daylight that lasts until close to midnight, and singing and dancing until sunrise. Midsummer is when Swedes let loose, taking advantage of daylight that lasts until close to midnight, singing and dancing until sunrise. Photograph by Getty, Fredrik Nyman In previous years, Malin made her own pickled herring, but this year there are five varieties supplied by Abba (the fish-canning giant, rather than the sequin-clad Seventies four-piece), and she's also made gubbröra, meaning 'old bloke's mix'. It's a salty spread combining chopped, soused and spiced sprats, hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise and dill. As I'm scrubbing potatoes, more people start to arrive and, as with every Midsummer I've ever been to, it's a mix of Swedes and internationals, the language bouncing between English and Swedish. By the time I come outside, the table is crammed with dishes. Magnus, a childhood friend of Christian's, has brought a silltårta, a traditional cake made of herring and creme fraiche thickened with gelatine and served on a butter and breadcrumb base. Someone else has brought the obligatory västerbottenpaj, a quiche flavoured with a pungent hard cheese from the far north, and there's another quiche with salmon and spinach. Then there are two enormous sourdough loaves, with dark, decorated crusts and some fröknäcke, a heavily seeded crispbread. The only classic dish missing is gravlax – salmon cured with salt, sugar and dill. Once the potatoes are fully cleaned, Malin throws a handful of dill into the pan and begins the boiling. Swedes take potatoes seriously. All will own a potato-tester, a metal spike the thickness of a needle, with a blunt end and a plastic handle, which is pushed into potatoes to judge their firmness. My wife, I tell Malin as we chitchat, is adamant that you must leave part of the spuds poking above the water, cook them at no more than a simmer, and steam them dry in a pan afterwards. But Malin has no time for such fussiness. 'I know people who, after half the boiling time, pour out some of the water and add new water, and things like that,' she says. 'But I just boil them – not for too long, since they're new potatoes – but I don't understand why it should be so difficult.' Once done, the potatoes are placed in a bowl outside to be served with butter and chopped dill and chives, and sliced hard-boiled eggs laid alongside. A Swedish Midsummer meal is often formal, with places neatly laid on a long table outside, folded napkins and garnished dishes. But this year, thanks to all the young guests, it's a come-and-go affair, with guests sitting down with different neighbours every time they refill their plates. The conversation touches on the shortage of another Midsummer essential: strawberries, which a bad harvest has pushed above 80 kronor (£6) a litre, if you can get hold of any at all. I pile three sorts of herring onto some crispbread, its saltiness setting off the sweet-and-sour bite of the pickle, and also indulge in some gubbröra, enjoying the cinnamon, allspice and sandalwood spicing of the sprats. The potatoes are firm, sweet and a little nutty, the perfect partner to the stronger flavours of the other dishes. I also take some västerbottenpaj, which is so rich with Västerbotten cheese — somewhere between a mature cheddar and a parmesan in strength — that I have to stop at a single helping. The silltårta, an old-fashioned addition even to this very traditional celebration, has a jelly-ish consistency that doesn't quite appeal to me, but goes down well with the other guests. After the meal is over, I join the children and some of the adults walking it off in the surrounding fields and picking flowers for the midsommarkransar, Midsummer crowns made of birch twigs woven together. When we return, we get to work erecting the maypole, about three metres tall, with a crossbar. While it's commonly believed to be a pagan fertility symbol, representing male genitalia, experts insist each year in Swedish newspapers that there's no evidence to back it up – but looking at it, I find it hard to see what else it might be. Soon, adults and children alike are holding hands, circling around the pole, pretending alternately to be a musician playing a violin, someone washing clothes, and, in the most raucous of the dances, jumping like a frog. The celebrations segue into a house party, and then, later in the evening, a barbecue. Christian pulls a pile of waste wood from the barn and lights a fire, which we sit around as the mothers and daughters go out once again to pick flowers. 'You have to jump seven fences and pick one flower in each field, and you're not allowed to speak to one another. You have to be quiet the whole time,' Malin explains of this last ritual. 'And then you have this small bouquet; you put it underneath your pillow and you're supposed to dream about who you're going to marry.' This is one part of the celebrations I can't partake in, but as I bed down on a mattress upstairs, I feel satisfied that I've truly welcomed the summer. Midsummer feasts to visit While most Swedes will celebrate Midsummer in friends' country or island homes, there are organised celebrations for visitors. In 2025, Midsummer falls on 21 June. Tällberg, Dalarna Dalarna county is renowned for traditional Midsummers, with folk costumes, folk music and dancing. Åkerblads Hotel, in Tällberg on Lake Siljan, serves a traditional Midsummer smörgåsbord, with herring, new potatoes and västerbottenpaj, after which you can go into town and take part in the celebrations. Alternatively, at Våmhus Gammelgård, an old farm maintained by Sweden's main conservation organisation, you'll be served kolbulle, a thick pancake with diced, salted or smoked pork. Ringsjön, Skåne Bosjökloster, a country house and former nunnery on the shores of Lake Ringsjön in Skåne, Sweden's southernmost county, puts on a lavish Midsummer spread. Expect all the classics, plus specialities containing ingredients foraged in nearby forests, and plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. Once the buffet's over, join the dancing around a maypole erected on lawns leading down to the lakeshore – one of the most popular celebrations in Skåne. Småland Getnö Gård, a resort on Lake Åsnan in Småland, offers a traditional Midsummer buffet – served, untraditionally, after the maypole dances – including a strawberry cake prepared to a recipe handed down by the owner's grandmother. Most visitors stay over in the campsite or cabins. Fjäderholm In Stockholm, the archipelago is the place to celebrate, and Fjäderholm is the closest island, 30 minutes by ferry from the centre. Rökeriet Fjärderholmarna, a smokery, serves a traditional Midsummer buffet, with all the essentials and more. There's also live music and dancing around the maypole on the island. Väderö Storö The Väderöarnasor 'weather islands', a 35-minute ferry ride from Fjällbacka on the west coast, are the most far-flung islands off the Bohuslan coast. Väderöarnas Värdshus restaurant on Väderö Storö, the biggest island, lays on a Midsummer buffet, picking guests up from nearby Hamburgsund. Published in Issue 26 (winter 2024) of Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK). To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
Sunday World
2 hours ago
- Sunday World
Teenager who stabbed Liverpool girl Ava White (12) named as he turns 18
Harry Gilbertson was 14 when he fatally wounded Ava in Liverpool city centre Harry Gilbertson was 14 when he carried out the attack on the schoolgirl on November 25 2021. The following year, he was convicted of her murder after a trial and, at 15, he was sentenced to a minimum of 13 years for her murder. Reporting restrictions preventing Gilbertson from being identified were kept in place until he turned 18, despite representations from the media, which were supported by Ava's family. Ava's mother Leeann White, 42, said: 'I wanted the whole world to know who he was. I think Liverpool had the right to know who he was as well.' She said since the trial, she had been told very little about Gilbertson, but had learnt he had done his GCSEs. Speaking through tears, she said: 'It should have been Ava sitting her GCSEs, not him.' On Ava's 15th birthday, in January 2024, Ms White's nephew was sent a photograph from a seemingly fake Snapchat profile which appeared to show Gilbertson posing for the camera with his arms crossed alongside another male whose face had been covered on the photo with a logo and who had his middle finger up. Ms White reported the photo and was told Gilbertson had been using an iPad for educational purposes and there was a glitch in the system allowing him to use the internet, but was also told the photo had been taken while he was on a visit. She said she was told he had been 'read the riot act' but had no formal punishment. She said: 'He didn't get any privileges taken off him. He just got a telling off basically.' She said she felt 'really angry' when she saw the picture. 'I can never have a photograph with my child now so why does he have the right? He lost his rights when he murdered my child,' she said Ava White (12), who died after she was stabbed following the Christmas lights switch-on in Liverpool city centre. Picture: PA Ms White, who has set up a foundation in Ava's name that provides bleed control kits to premises, said she had mixed emotions about Gilbertson being named. 'I try not to think about him if I'm being honest, because if I do, I'm just taking a million steps back,' she said. 'So I just try to focus on Ava and doing stuff for her legacy is more important to me than thinking about him.' When making the decision to keep reporting restrictions in place, trial judge Mrs Justice Yip said there were concerns for Gilbertson's younger siblings, one of whom had not been told their brother was on trial for murder. File photo of Ava White, who died after she was stabbed following an argument in Liverpool city centre, with her mother Leanne and sister Mia. Merseyside Police/PA Wire Ms White said: 'Yet I had to sit my little nephews and nieces down and tell them about Ava, but they could hide everything for him. I feel like they've done everything they can to protect him and his family.' She said she felt her own family had 'nowhere near' the same protection. Ava had been in the city centre with friends on the night the Christmas lights were being switched on. The group became involved in an argument with Gilbertson and his friends, who had been filming Snapchat videos of them. Gilbertson was carrying a knife and struck Ava once to the neck, causing her fatal injury, before fleeing the scene, discarding the weapon and getting rid of his coat. He was seen on CCTV in a shop later that night taking a selfie and buying butter, which he said was for crumpets. Ms White added: 'I think he's got understanding (of what he's done), he's quite a clever child. 'He's got understanding, he's just got no remorse. 'It really doesn't feel like justice. He still gets to live and breathe. My Ava doesn't. His mum can see him getting married, having a baby. I'm never going to have that with Ava.' Leeann White looks on her mobile phone at a picture on the social media app Snapchat - which appears to show the teenager who killed her daughter Ava posing for the camera with his arms crossed alongside another male - as she is interviewed by the PA news agency at Everton Valley, Liverpool, Merseyside. Peter Byrne/PA Wire Since Ava's death, Ms White, along with Ava's older sister Mia and her aunt June White, have worked through the Ava White Foundation to provide hundreds of bleed control kits in the hope they can prevent other families from going through what they experienced. At least six lives have been saved thanks to the kits provided by the Ava White Foundation, Ms White said. The packs, which include gauze, trauma dressings and tourniquets, are delivered to schools, pubs and businesses and training is given on how to use them. When a 14-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy were stabbed in Kirkby, Merseyside, in April, a bleed control kit donated in Ava's name to a nearby pub was used to help treat the children, who were both taken to hospital but survived. Ms White said: 'I think every establishment should have one. The way knife crime is, it's not going down, it's getting worse. Everyone needs to be aware of this training, it's so easy.' She said hearing of other children killed through knife crime made her 'sad for the child but more so for the mum and what she's got to go through now'. Ava White Since Ava's death she no longer has 'good days' but has 'OK days and really bad days', she said. She added: 'What keeps me going is I'm keeping Ava's name out there and that's more important to me, to keep Ava's name out there so she's not forgotten.'
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Inside the messy love lives of Gavin & Stacey cast..from groping claim to star's affair & James Corden's pass at singer
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IT'S the TV series that proves that love conquers all - even culture clashes, long distance and in the case of Smithy and Nessa, the awkward fact that he's marrying someone else. But while our favourite Gavin and Stacey characters got their happily ever after in last year's Christmas special, we're afraid the same can't be said for their real-life alter egos. 20 Ruth Jones, Mat Horne, Joanna Page and James Corden found fame and fortune in Gavin and Stacey Credit: Baby Cow 20 The sitcom was a hit, but its stars haven't been quite so lucky in love Credit: PA 20 Ruth Jones announced this week that she'd split from her husband, David Peet Credit: Rex Just take actress Ruth Jones, who - as well as starring as Nessa - co-created the beloved series with James Corden. Yesterday, the 58 year old revealed that she'd 'amicably' split 18 months ago from her husband of 26 years, David Peet, 71, and said they were now 'legally separated'. She added in a statement, 'We remain good friends. Since our separation, Ruth is living in London and David is living in Canada, where he is in a new relationship'. It's since been revealed he's dating education assistant Jayne Charity Cook, 46, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the Gavin and Stacey star. As friendly as it may be, the break-up has still come as a shock to many - not least given the fact that Ruth and David were together for almost three decades. Yet their relationship wasn't without its drama early doors. The pair first met in the 1990s while filming the pilot episode of a BBC comedy; but while she was single, he was married with three children. She later admitted there was some 'overlap' between her beginning her relationship with David, and him ending his marriage. They married in 1999, and Ruth became a step-mum to his three kids. She's since spoken about her guilt over the way things started, reflecting, 'Affairs cause a lot of pain; they're not something one aspires to do. You don't aspire to cause pain to people in their life." As for the rest of the Gavin and Stacey gang, nobody's had it quite so tidy in the love department. In fact, for most of them, it's been downright messy. So, what's occurring when it comes to their respective romantic foibles behind the scenes? Watch the sweet moment Ruth Jones reunites with Neil the Baby after Gavin and Stacey finale James Corden 20 He previously dated Sheridan Smith, who played his sister on the show Credit: Getty 20 He married his wife, Julia Carey, in 2012 Credit: Getty 20 James flirted with Lily in an awkward exchange Credit: Rex Features Before meeting his wife, Julia Carey, James, 46, had a tumultuous relationship with his co-star, Sheridan Smith. The pair dated - on and off - for two years, before finally calling it quits in 2008. In the meantime, during one of their off-spells, James famously tried it on with Lily Allen, after flirting with her on her BBC chat show. Reports from the time suggested they did in fact go on several dates, but Lily shut down the rumours quickly, revealing, 'No, I wasn't horny for James Corden…he came on to me in front of a studio audience. 'If I'd have shut him down, I would have been labelled cold or up myself or snobbish.' James admitted he had been trying to hook up with the star, explaining: "I made it my aim to make Lily mine. I guess we were friends but, for my part, I definitely wanted more than that." His efforts may not have made the singer Smile, but James had better luck with Julia, who he met after finally ending things for good with Sheridan. They got together in 2009 and married three years later, with James revealing on Good Morning Britain, 'I absolutely knew minute one that I couldn't do any better than this. 'When I met Jules, I was like it's a miracle every day. She must just look at me and think, 'What did I do? This was a huge mistake.' Despite his concerns, it seems the feeling's mutual. The couple, who share three children together - Max, 14, Carey, 10, and Charlotte, seven - are still going strong, and relocated the family back to the UK in 2023 after eight years in Los Angeles. A marriage that survives Hollywood? As Smithy would say, sounds like they're two peas in a bag. Mat Horne 20 Mat Horne was previously engaged to Evelyn Hoskins 20 After they split, he met and fell in love with Celina Bassili Credit: Getty Mat's alter-ego Gavin may have married Stacey in the finale of season one, but the actor didn't make it down the aisle with his first fiancée, Casualty star Evelyn Hoskins. The pair announced their engagement in October 2018, but the happy news was short lived as - months later - he was spotted kissing Norwegian set designer Celina Bassili. But Evelyn's loss was Celina's gain - the latter married Mat in 2021 in an intimate ceremony in Oslo, Norway, and they're still going strong. As for previous rumours that he once dated Kylie Minogue, the actor's jokingly rubbished the very thought of it. The 46-year-old previously told The Sun, 'If I'd shagged Kylie everyone would know about it. I would have a T-shirt and a tattoo telling them. 'The idea of people camping outside my mum's house last year to ask her if i'm seeing Kylie is ridiculous. Of course nothing happened…she's Kylie!' Joanna Page 20 Joanna's been with husband James Thornton since 1999 (pictured here in 2012) Credit: Getty 20 They hit a rough patch during Covid, but have since come back stronger Credit: Getty As Stacey, Joanna's always been a hopeless romantic. And, for the most part, her personal life has followed suit. She met fellow actor James Thornton on the set of David Copperfield in 1999 and they married four years later. They now share four children - Eva, 12, Kit, 10, Noah, eight, and Boe, three - and live happily in Henley-on-Thames. However, she did admit things hit the skids during COVID, when the couple found themselves struggling for the first time ever. 'We spent the whole of the first lockdown arguing and threatening to divorce each other,' she's previously said. 'Then we went through a month of literally not saying a single word to each other.' They've since come back fighting - and Joanna's spoken about spending more time together one-on-one. Speaking to Natalie Cassidy on the On The Telly podcast last year, she said she'd be taking James away for his 50th birthday. She said: 'I thought stuff it, I'm going to take me and him away for a couple of days because we've never really been away for a good few days, just the pair of us." Sounds lush to us. Alison Steadman 20 Alison was previously married to director Mike Leigh (pictured here in 1993) Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd 20 She's since been loved up long-term with actor Michael Elwyn Credit: Rex The actress, 78, who played Gavin's iconic mum Pam, was previously married to legendary director Mike Leigh. The pair met at East 15 Acting School in 1967, and got married in 1973, before welcoming two sons together - Toby, now 46, and Leo, now 43. During their marriage, Alison often appeared in Mike's films, including Abigail's Party, Nuts in May and Life is Sweet. They split in 1995 and divorced in 2001, but always remained close - and are now dedicated grandparents to Freddy, seven, and Milo, one. What's more, Alison got her second stab at happily ever after when she met Welsh actor Michael Elwyn. The pair have now been together for 27 years and enjoy a cosy life in north London, which includes a mutual love of bird watching. In 2022, she paid tribute to her long-term partner, saying, "I really appreciate how wonderful it is to enjoy doing things with someone at this stage of life, knowing we'll be together until one of us flies away up to heaven." Larry Lamb 20 Larry pictured with his third ex-wife, Linda Martin, and their son George Lamb Credit: Getty 20 He's since found love with Marie Victorine Credit: Brian Roberts - The Sun As Mick, Larry played the patient and down-to-earth antidote to his wife Pam's theatrics. But in real life, Larry's love life reads a little more dramatically. He married his first wife Anita Wisbey when he was just 21, and had one daughter with her - Vanessa, who was born in 1969. Sadly, he only met her once, when she was seven months old, as Vanessa was subsequently adopted by her mother's new husband. Larry has since expressed his sadness and longing to connect with Vanessa, stating that he thinks about his 'long-lost daughter' often and wondering if she ever had children herself. As for his romantic life, he didn't let divorce slow him down. His second short-lived marriage was to an American nurse named Jacquie Parris. Then, following a brief fling with Lady Colin Campbell, he married his third wife, Irish singer Linda Martin, in 1979. The pair had one son together - TV presenter George Lamb, now 45 - before splitting in 1996. And since then, it seems Larry's had a different attitude when it comes to marriage, deciding that three was enough after all. In the mid-1990s, he entered into a long-term relationship with actress Clare Burt, with whom he shares two daughters - Eloise, now 27, and Eva-Mathilde, now 22. They then split in 2016, and Larry's since been happily coupled up with artist Marie Victorine. Marie was there to greet Larry when he left the I'm A Celeb jungle soon after he split from Clare, and the pair now share a happy life - splitting their time between London and Marie's native France. Despite the fact that she's the great granddaughter of Les Misérables writer Victor Hugo, it seems there's nothing miserable about Larry and Marie's long-term love. Rob Brydon 20 Rob and his second wife Clare Holland (pictured in 2015) Credit: Getty 20 The actor was hilarious as Uncle Bryn Credit: Handout Rob, 60, won rave reviews for his turn as the hilariously eccentric Uncle Bryn in Gavin and Stacey. In real life, he hasn't always had such glowing praise. The actor was married to his first wife Martina Fitchie for nine years, welcoming three children together - Katie, 30, Harry, 28, and Amy, 25. But the pair split in 2001, leaving Rob 'traumatised'. He's since said it took him 16 years to be able to open up about his heartbreak, not even including it in his 2011 autobiography Small Man In A Book. Happily, he recovered from the turmoil and found love again with second wife Clare Holland, who he married in 2006. The couple have two sons - Tom, 17, and George, 14 - and live in south-west London. To quote Uncle Bryn: 'It was complicated, Stacey. Very, very complicated.' Sheridan Smith 20 Sheridan gave birth to her and Jamie Horn's son Billy in 2020 Credit: Getty 20 She later rekindled things - briefly - with ex boyfriend Alex Lawler Credit: Instagram It's no secret that Sheridan, 43, has had a long and tumultuous dating history. After splitting from co-star James Corden - who played her brother on Gavin and Stacey - Sheridan briefly dated Scottish actor Ross McCall, and celebrity stylist Graham Nation, who tragically died earlier this year. She then went on to date Hollyoaks actor Greg Wood in 2015 - and, in a regrettable move, got her right rib tattooed with the words 'Gregory's Girl'. He returned the favour, with the tattoo 'My Sheri Amour'. Unfortunately, their tattoos outlived their fling, which ended later that year. Sheridan then went on to date insurance broken Jamie Horn, after meeting on Tinder. They later got engaged, and she gave birth to their son Billy in May 2020. Meanwhile, amid their relationship, Sheridan was rocked by reports she'd 'put her hands all over' her hairdresser Shelley Cloud during a boozy session at her home in 2018. 20 In 2018, hairdresser Shelley Cloud alleged that Sheridan had groped her 20 She briefly dated boxer Dave 'Rocky' Ryan but things fizzled out Credit: instagram Shelley alleged that Sheridan had boasted, 'I swing both ways you know' and had also complained about having to pay for her own £10,000 engagement ring. The actress never responded to the allegations, and she and Jamie remained committed for a while - before splitting in 2021. Later that year, Sheridan revealed she'd rekindled things with actor Alex Lawler - who she'd previously dated 20 years prior. The pair seemed to delighted to be back in each other's lives, with Sheridan telling fans, 'Life works in mysterious ways', before calling things off again in 2022. She then went on to date former boxer Dave 'Rocky' Ryan, but - by early 2024 - things had 'fizzled out'. As for her current dating life, the actress is keeping her cards close to her chest. But, safe to say, events so far have been distinctly untidy.
Daily Express
3 hours ago
- General
- Daily Express
Argus Residence: Celebrating the memories of a former Eurasian ‘enclave' in George Town
Published on: Friday, June 20, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jun 20, 2025 By: Opalyn Mok, Malay Mail Text Size: The Argus Residence by GTHH is now open for booking. — Picture by Opalyn Mok GEORGE TOWN: Every evening along a short narrow lane, just behind the Assumption Church in George Town, shrieks of laughter would fill the air as children ran and played. It was a time before there were many cars on the roads and that narrow lane was a playground for the children living in the row of five terraced houses. Advertisement 'It was like a dead end because the road leads to a narrow back lane so cars didn't come in,' said Stan De Souza. The 86-year-old was one of the children who used to run and play along Argus Lane back when Eurasian families lived in that row of houses. That was between the 1930s to the early 2010s, a period of over 70 years. The five terrace houses, built in 1928 and owned by the Church of the Assumption, were rented to the Eurasian families. Advertisement 'We were like one big family where everyone knew everyone who lived there,' De Souza said. Among those who lived there were the De Souza, Scully, Newman and Cutter families. De Souza, who lived in the first house of the row, said his parents lived there from the 1940s. 'We went through World War II here, watched the bombs drop, hid in our homes,' he said. He remembered going to school at the nearby St Xavier's Institution before it was bombed during the war. 'After that, school was in a small attap house next to Convent Light Street,' he said. He reminisced about going back to study in a newly built St Xavier's Institution when he was in Form Four. 'I came back in January this year, wondering what happened to my childhood home when I met the George Town Heritage Hotels (GTHH) people who were restoring the buildings,' he said. GTHH has leased the row of houses from the church and restoration started last year. Today, Argus Residence is an extension of Seven Terraces Hotel — also a part of GTHH — and they are connected by a back lane. Each of the houses is named after each Eurasian family who lived there; Dragone, Cutter, Newman, Scully and De Souza. According to De Souza, Dragone was his mother's maiden name. 'My mother was Sybil Dragone and she was a teacher at Convent Light Street,' he said. 'I hope to book a weekend in this house one day and bring my siblings and our families to relive our memories growing up here,' he said. The last of the Eurasian residents living there was Ann Cutter who died a few years ago. Her niece, Corinne Cutter, who used to live in one of the houses too, remembered the strong sense of community among those who lived there. 'We used to gather outside and sing Christmas songs during Christmas,' she said. GTHH unveiled the Argus Residence yesterday and invited some of the former residents to visit the newly restored buildings GTHH founder Chris Ong said the residences are decorated in an eclectic Edwardian mid-century style; a mix of modern furnishings and Ong's unique creations. 'We are honoured that the church approached us to restore these buildings,' he said. He said GTHH hoped to also collect stories from the Eurasian community who used to live in these houses. 'We want to honour the memories of those who lived here and tell their stories too,' he said.
