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Daily Record
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Ayrshire hotel offers local food and flavours with new restaurant
The Azalea, by Glenapp Castle, opened last month as the five-star hotel added another string to its bow. An Ayrshire hotel is offering up local food and flavours after opening up a new restaurant. The Azalea by Glenapp Castle, near Ballantrae, welcomed its first customers in May this year after the Victorian glasshouse and bothy were transformed. Dating back to 1832, the historic buildings have been carefully redesigned to create a kitchen, toilet block and intimate dining areas as the castle's owners look to welcome more locals to their venue. Acquired by Paul and Poppy Szkiler in 2015, the new restaurant marks the latest development in their tenure at the helm of the popular tourist destination and wedding venue. Ayrshire Live was invited to The Azalea to meet the team behind the scenes and try the new restaurant. On arrival, the sole car park adjoins the 1870s castle and is a short walk from the walled garden which predates it and hosts The Azalea. It may be slightly younger but the castle is no less historic after it hosted Winston Churchill and Dwight D. Eisenhower as the pair planned the D Day landings in 1944. Paul, accompanied by hotel manager Jill, provided a tour of the groups and the gardens as they highlighted what they hoped guests would take from an evening or an afternoon dining at The Azalea. It is a stunning setting with beautifully tended grounds and picturesque scenes around every corner. Upon entering the walled garden, you are presented with the fruits and vegetables that will one day become dinner. Part of the ethos of executive chef Peter Howarth and his team is sustainability and approximately 80 per cent of the menu's herbs have gone from seed to service within the gardens. A refreshing mocktail of the day was presented upon entry, hand-crafted by Jennifer who takes inspiration from the different ingredients grown and hand-picked in the gardens. The historic nature of the glasshouse has not been lost with grape vines that have grown there for over 100 years have been retained in the setting and the old coal-fired heating system have been lovingly restored to ensure it stays warm in the winter. Starters included baked west coast lobster freshly caught from the Firth of Clyde near Ballantrae, Glenapp's garden pea risotto and the splendid grilled fillet of west coast mackerel, spiced aubergine, chilli and garlic oil - who knew aubergine could taste so nice? The menu does change regularly to ensure the chefs can take advantage of what is currently in season. Mains included roast rump of Scottish lamb, Roscoff onion and fennel Tarte Tatin and the perfectly cooked Summerisle four per cent beer-battered west coast cod - the crispy and flavoursome batter is a result of the mixture being left to mature for a couple of days before it meets the freshly-caught cod. For dessert, champagne and rhubarb trifle, chocolate marquise - made with bespoke Glenapp 69 per cent Valrhona chocolate - or the delightful Scottish strawberry pavlova - a perfect seasonal dish with juicy fresh strawberries taken straight from the gardens. It's not just dinner that Glenapp Castle hopes to sell you, its an experience as diners are encouraged to come for lunch, dinner or afternoon tea before - or after - exploring the grounds and all Glenapp has to offer.
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Funeral celebrates life of one of the last survivors of D-Day
The funeral of one of the last survivors of the assault on the D-Day beaches in 1944 has been held at Wiltshire Newton. from the village of Aldbourne, was 20 years old on D-Day when he was part of a tank crew sent to attack a German blockhouse. His amphibious Sherman Tank was among the first to land on Gold Beach on 6 as "feisty, driven, a little bit mischievous", he was involved in the D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations, and even had a French school named after Graeme Green, the regimental secretary for the Royal Dragoon Guards, described Mr Newton as a "great guy" who always had a "little glint in his eye". He added that Mr Newton was "driven to commemorate his fallen comrades".At the funeral earlier at North Wiltshire Crematorium, near Royal Wootton Bassett, a message was played from the Cecil Newton Primary School in Normandy. Mr Newton was a trooper in the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards and a loader in an amphibious Sherman Tank crew."I was never nervous. I was too young to be nervous. I hadn't got the imagination," he said in a BBC interview about D-day. Along with his crew, he was in action for just a few moments."It was just off the landing craft into the water, an engagement with the blockhouse and then we sank," he said. Later in the war, in November 1944, he was severely wounded with a leg injury and was shot three times when his tank came under attack in a German described himself as "exceptionally lucky to survive" the later those he knew who died in the war was Mr Newton's brother Frederic - shot dead by two Germans who raised their hands to surrender, but then opened June 2024, Mr Newton travelled back to France to take part in the D-Day 80th anniversary also visited a French school named after him and some of the places his comrades fell in battle.
Fox News
6 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Reporter's Notebook: Recalling an American WWII hero who helped fight off Nazi forces during Normandy invasion
The 81st anniversary of the famous U.S.-led D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, was recently commemorated. Less well-known are the battles during the days and weeks that followed in Normandy, which helped secure the massive beachhead, so the allies could go on and defeat Nazi Germany in World II. One of those clashes was at a bridge over a small river near the town of Sainte-Mère-Église. Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division landed near there early on the morning of June 6, 1944. They had to hold the position against Germans threatening American forces who came ashore at Utah beach, one of the main landing sites. One of those was Iowa-born 31-year-old U.S. Army Staff Sgt. William Owens. For three days, as his unit was cut down in combat from 45 to just 12 men, he bravely helped fight off the Germans. He fired from three different machine gun positions, threw hand grenades, commanded bazooka teams and moved from foxhole to foxhole, coordinating action. The actions of him and his men eventually knocked out four German tanks, killed 275 German soldiers and stopped the Nazis dead in their tracks. It was hailed by historians as a key battle of the Normandy invasion. On a recent day alongside the river in the now green and peaceful countryside, after years of research and lobbying at the Pentagon and in Congress, Owens was recognized for his valor in a ceremony during which his honors were upgraded to Distinguished Service Cross, the second most important medal the Army can bestow. Chris Donahue, the commanding general of the U.S. Army in Europe and Africa, told Fox News Owens' actions were "incredibly important. What Owens did is the exact model that all of us try to live up to." Owens died at the age of 54 in 1967. His youngest daughter, British-raised Susan Marrow, said, "I don't have words to describe how full my heart is and how much it means to me." His great-grandson, Harris Morales, was also proud to be there, saying, "without a doubt," Owens was a brave guy. As for the new recognition of Owens, he added, "It means everything, and I still don't believe it. It's still not real for me yet." This comes at a time the world remains in turmoil from Ukraine to the Mideast and beyond. While 81 years seems like a long time ago, the heroism and inventiveness displayed by Owens then is still seen as relevant today. "It is important," Morales said. "I don't think 81 years or any time is too long." Speaking from a military standpoint, Gen. Donahue noted, "We're in the middle of a transformation, and we're going to continue to do that so we live up to what they have done." As for lessons learned then, Owens' daughter had a simple answer, saying, "Do unto others as you would have them do onto you." Sometimes, as in the case of Staff Sgt. William Owens, the dangerous behavior of "others" means acting with the greatest and sometimes brutal gallantry.
Rhyl Journal
6 days ago
- General
- Rhyl Journal
Former Rhyl printer recalls 1945 VE Day street party
This was in Holland Park Drive in Rhyl. George Owen was just aged five at the time. The photo was taken by Bernard Bestwick who lived on the corner of Donald Avenue and ran a Chromium Silver Plating business on Vale Road. He also had an amusement arcade called Joyland in Queen Street near the Victory Club. George, who was born in Rhyl and worked as a printer at the old Journal Offices in Russell Road, said: "I was five years old and I am shown circled alongside my sister Diana who was two years old. My mum Margaret Owen was standing behind us and my late elder brother Gordon is shown on the left. At that time we lived nearby at 53 Rhuddlan Road. My sister and I are still in good health. George is shown circled alongside his sister Diana who was two-years-old and his mum Margaret Owen (Image: Bernard Bestwick / Shared by George Owen) "Sadly Bernard Bestwick's son was killed in action during the D Day landings. His details are on the Rhyl War Memorial. "Rank, Name and Service Number: Corporal Bestwick, Bernard Francis 4201568; Service: Royal Hussars Royal Armoured Corps (H.Q. Sqn. 13th/18th) Died: June 10 1944, Age: 28. "He was the husband of Dorothy Bestwick shown at the front of the photo sitting on the left with a child on her knee. "The lady on the extreme right, beneath the flag, was Queenie Westbury who, with her husband Percy Westbury, ran the Gem Grocery Stores (now a house) on Rhuddlan Road, where we were all registered with our ration books [George still has his]. George Owen (Image: Submitted by George Owen) "The area in the photo behind Holland Park Drive was all fields but is now all built up." George made mention that in the VE Day street party photo it is mainly women and children in attendance. "I assume they [the men] had either not returned from the forces, were at work or were celebrating in the pub," he said. "I mentioned that during the war my family lived at 53 Rhuddlan Road. One memory I have is of me playing in the front garden and men arrived and took away our metal iron gate. "I ran into the house but dad said it was for the war effort as they were short of material make bombs. "Ironically, it was revealed much later that this was just morale-boosting as the metal was dumped the sea later because it was not suitable." George now lives in Clapham, London, with his partner Angela. He said: 'I visit Rhyl fairly regularly to see family and friends and though the old place has its problems, like anywhere else, I still get a fix from a bracing walk on the prom and a pint in the Swan." George is hoping that Journal readers will be able to identify other people in pictured in the photo.
Wall Street Journal
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
‘Roaring: Art, Fashion, and the Automobile in France, 1918-1939' Review: An Exhibition in Forward Motion
St. Louis During World War I, a horror that mired men in trenches, the only things that zipped were biplanes and the new tanks. The American George S. Patton was a tank commander in that war and learned its lessons. In 1944, by then a lieutenant general, he addressed the men of the Third Army before D-Day: 'I don't want any messages saying 'I'm holding my position.' We're not holding a goddamned thing. We're advancing constantly.' The advance guard! The avant-garde! The lean and free-wheeling approach to life and art that marked the interwar years—that's the subject of a spectacular exhibition at the Saint Louis Art Museum, 'Roaring: Art, Fashion, and the Automobile in France, 1918-1939,' which features 12 exceptional historic cars among more than 160 period objects.
