Latest news with #Cromer
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Jarrolds boss assures staff that Cromer store is not closing
Staff at a long-established department store outlet have been assured that another shop closure is not being is closing the book department of its four-floor store in Norwich, citing the struggle to compete with national and online Cromer store primarily sells books, however Tim Shattock, the firm's managing director for trading, insisted the coastal shop was "not at risk".It follows the closure of its shop in Wymondham last September - and a move to cut the hours of around 70 staff earlier this year. Speaking to BBC Radio Norfolk, Mr Shattock said: "I think it comes down to how you work with scale. "We obviously have a large store with large operating costs in Norwich and we also have a multi-department offer."If you're dedicated to books and you're operating either as a large bookseller - as a Waterstones where you've got scale to combat some of the price and availability - or if that's actually the main area of focus, like some of the excellent independent book shops."That's where Cromer exists for us. It leads with books and has a very good book business. It has a very good customer base, with not huge amounts of competition, like Norwich." 'Difficult decision' The book department of the Norwich store is set to close at the end of August after a sale of existing Shattock did not confirm if any staff would be made redundant but said: "With any business change we have to prioritise any colleagues affected and I know the team at Jarrolds are working with them to manage that."Jarrolds appears to be in a healthy position financially, according to its most recent annual accounts to the end of January dipped very slightly to £31.8m but a £6m profit represented a 19.1% gross profit margin. The average number of employees also fell very slightly to 398 from 419 the previous the firm's long history as a publisher and a book seller, Mr Shattock admitted the department had faced challenges since the rise of online retailers at the turn of the millennium."We're very proud of our history as a bookseller in Norwich and books as a whole in the company, we're also very thankful to our loyal customers who have been on the journey with us," he said."So I understand that this decision is a difficult one and tricky for some customers to understand."In the department store we operate in a number of different categories and whilst we're seeing some really good growth in some and some really strong demand, this [books] has been a challenging market for us for a number of years."We've managed to nurture the department over the last two decades and managed that decline, it's got to the point where we need to think about the future and make a difficult decision on our portfolio."Mr Shattock said growth could be found in innovative areas, such as the food hall and beauty retreat rooms."We're seeing that innovation in other categories that we're finding very difficult to replicate in books," he said. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Guardian
09-06-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Minding our language on the use of Americanisms
The continual expansion of the English language is inevitable and welcome. But while Elisabeth Ribbans is right that 'it would be a mistake to regard language as a fortress', it is not unreasonable to lament the effect of some invasive species whose proliferation is so rapid that native alternatives face possible extinction (How the use of a word in the Guardian has gotten some readers upset, 4 June). 'Gotten' may be an innocuous, if inelegant, English word making a return journey from the US, but some other US variants are more problematic. For example, the phrase 'Can I get …?' is suffocating more polite ways of making a request, such as 'May I/can I have …?' or simply 'I'd like …'. It is also annoyingly inaccurate, since in most cases the person asking has no intention of helping themselves and wouldn't be allowed to, even if they wanted to. But wholesale adoption not only leads to neglect of alternatives, it can also produce banality. So when both a sandwich and a sunset might today be described as 'awesome', it is reasonable to imagine that even as eclectic a wordsmith as Shakespeare might consider modern English borrowings as diminishing the language through having gotten McGilchristCromer, Norfolk Thank you, Elisabeth Ribbans, for your article on the cosmopolitan and evolving use of words in the English language. I am always stung by the snobbery I encounter among my British peers regarding American words or spellings. Criticism of American accents more so. My country of origin provokes pride and shame in increasingly equal measure, but to be cowed because of my voice, both written and spoken, leaves a foul taste. Once we've gotten past this distasteful persnicketiness, we can actually appreciate the meaning of the words being used, not just their Amy FultonOxton, Scottish Borders I grew up in the old West Riding, only a few miles from the county border with Lancashire. In the early 1950s, we regularly used the word 'gotten'. It was frowned on by teachers and others addicted to standard English. I believe the use of the word was common in other districts of Yorkshire. It is an English and not an American word, which has sadly passed out of use. Language evolves!Roderick WilsonAmpleforth, North Yorkshire When I worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, US, in the 1980s, my friendly editor had more appreciation of British irony than spelling. She once wrote on a draft paper: 'Richard. Please pick one spelling of 'practice' and stick to it.'Richard LammingShaldon, Devon Am I alone in finding 'shined' for 'shone' less than illuminating? Incidentally, like, who introduced 'like' like?Bill WintripDorchester, Dorset So not an ill-gotten 'gotten' then. Now where do we stand on 'snuck'?Tony RimmerLytham St Anne's, Lancashire Never mind 'faucet' and 'gotten' (Letters, 29 May), I've been racking my brain: in what play did Shakespeare use 'worser'? (Colon used free gratis.)Iain FentonLancaster Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
North Norfolk coast named one of UK's best-kept secrets
The north Norfolk coastline has been named one of the UK's most underrated spots to visit in 2025. Compiled by the BBC Good Food Guide, the list says that the stretch of coastline from The Wash in the west to Sea Palling in the east is the country's best-kept secret for nature lovers. The area is rich in conservation sites, nature reserves and expansive sandy beaches, making it the top spot for those looking to enjoy the outdoors. The marshes at Cley are a top spot for birdwatching (Image: Mike Johnson/iwitness) The article reads: "The open marshland and expansive beaches of Cley and Salthouse Marshes make it one of the county's most popular birdwatching sites." READ MORE: North Norfolk village named among England's best seaside spots Readers are then directed to Cromer "for the must-try local speciality, Cromer crab" and for some fish and chips at the award-winning No. 1 Cromer. Meadowsweet in Holt is recommended as a spot for some food (Image: Alice Surridge) Other recommendations from BBC Good Food include a meal at the Michelin-starred Morston Hall and Meadowsweet in Holt. Holt Sunday Market is a must, where visitors are encouraged to try wine from Cobble Hill Wine and Sri Lankan dishes from Amma's Kitchen. Fife in Scotland and Lewes in East Sussex also made the list.
Boston Globe
17-05-2025
- Climate
- Boston Globe
At least 21 are dead after severe weather in Kentucky, Missouri
Advertisement 'We could hear and feel the vibration of the tornado coming through,' said Cromer, 46. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up His home is intact, though a piece of the roof got ripped off and windows were broken. A house two doors down is destroyed, along with others in the Sunshine Hills neighborhood, he said. 'It's one of those things that you see on the news in other areas, and you feel bad for people — then, when it happens, it's just surreal," he said, describing a landscape of destruction. 'It makes you be thankful to be alive, really.' Rescuers were 'on the ground all night looking for possible survivors,' and the search was continuing into the morning, Sheriff's Office spokesperson Deputy Gilbert Acciardo. An emergency shelter was set up at a local high school and donations of food and other necessities were arriving. Advertisement The National Weather Service hadn't yet confirmed that a tornado struck, but meteorologist Philomon Geertson said it was likely. It ripped across the largely rural area and extended to the London Corbin Airport shortly before midnight. 'Lives have been changed forever here tonight. This is a time we come together, and we pray for this community,' London Mayor Randall Weddle told WKYT-TV. 'I have never personally witnessed what I've witnessed here tonight.' It's the latest severe weather to cause deaths and widespread damage in Kentucky. Two months ago, at least 24 people died in a round of storms that swelled creeks and covered roads with water. Hundreds had to be rescued, and most of the deaths were caused by vehicles getting stuck in high water. A storm in late 2021 spawned tornadoes that killed 81 people and leveled portions of towns in western Kentucky. The following summer, historic floodwaters inundated parts of eastern Kentucky, leaving dozens more dead. Missouri pounded by storms, with deaths confirmed in St. Louis The storms were part of a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, left several hundred thousand customers without power in the Great Lakes region and brought a punishing heat wave to Texas. St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer confirmed five deaths in her city and said more than 5,000 homes were affected. 'This is truly, truly devastating,' Spencer said. An overnight curfew was imposed Friday in the neighborhoods with the most damage. The total number of people injured was not immediately known, but hospitals in the area reported receiving dozens of patients, with some in serious condition. Advertisement National Weather Service radar indicated a likely tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the St. Louis area. The apparent tornado touched down in the area of Forest Park, home to the St. Louis Zoo and the site of the 1904 World's Fair and Olympic Games the same year. At Centennial Christian Church, City of St. Louis Fire Department Battalion Chief William Pollihan told The Associated Press that three people had to be rescued after part of the church crumbled. One of those people died. Stacy Clark said his mother-in-law, Patricia Penelton, died in the church. He described her as a very active church volunteer who had many roles, including being part of the choir. John Randle, a 19-year-old University of Missouri-St. Louis student, said he and his girlfriend were at the St. Louis Art Museum during the storm and were hustled into the basement with about 150 other people. 'You could see the doors flying open, tree branches flying by and people running,' he said. 'A lot of people were caught outside.' Christy Childs, a Saint Louis Zoo spokesperson, said in a text that the zoo would remain closed Saturday because of downed trees and other damage. Childs said all animals were safe and that there were no reports of significant injuries to staff, guests or animals. A tornado struck in Scott County, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) south of St. Louis, killing two people, injuring several others and destroying multiple homes, Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media. Forecasters say severe weather could batter southern Plains The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center said on its website Saturday that severe thunderstorms, large hail and 'a couple of tornadoes' were expected across the southern Plains, with especially high risk in north Texas. Advertisement Contributing were Associated Press writers Haya Panjwani in Washington, D.C., Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri, Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, Julie Walker in New York and Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man seriously injured after assault in town
A man has been seriously injured after an assault in a seaside town. The victim, in his 40s, was involved in an altercation with another man on Church Street in Cromer at about 23:45 BST on Saturday. Norfolk Police said the injured man was taken by air ambulance to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. A man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and is currently being questioned. Officers said part of Church Street had been closed off and the closure was "likely to be place for some time while police investigate the circumstances around the incident". They have appealed for any witnesses to get in touch. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Norfolk Police
