Latest news with #DameMaggieSmith
The Sun
6 days ago
- The Sun
We live in UK's ‘new Cotswolds' – we kept our lovely village hidden but now fear posh-welly invasion will kill its charm
IT has picture-postcard streets, scenic views, beautiful walks and has been dubbed the new Cotswolds. But residents in an idyllic hamlet are now terrified their beloved village will turn into a posh tourist magnet. 12 Fittleworth in West Sussex has been named one of 2025's Coolest Neighbourhoods To Move To in a list compiled by The Sunday Times. Visitors say the village is the best-kept secret in Sussex but worried locals want it to remain that way. Two hours from London and 25 miles north of Brighton, it is nestled in the South Downs and has just 1,000 residents. Home to a popular old coaching inn, a gallery, a primary school, two churches and a community-owned shop incorporating a cafe and post office, the sprawling village, close to Pulborough, boasts some excellent walks and views. It also has its fair share of celebrities - musicians Bryan Ferry and Dave Gilmour live up the road, while Mumford and Sons bassist, Ted Dwane, is just outside the village. And the late actors Dame Maggie Smith, Dorothy Tutin and Jimmy Edwards all lived in or close to the village during the 1960s and 70s. But residents now fear their idyllic area could become the next 'Chipping Norton,' a dreaded hive of tourist activity with soaring hotel prices, Airbnb conversions and coach-loads of visitors packing the streets. "I hate Chipping Norton," said one elderly resident, who has lived in Fittleworth for 50 years. "It is packed full of tourist coaches and people taking photos of everything. "Someone I know who used to live there moved out when a bunch of tourists traipsed in through her front door and asked for a cream tea. "When she tried to shoo them out, one of them got his camera out and took a picture of her front room! "Fittleworth has so much more to offer. I've been here for 50 years and it is the sense of living in a community that I really like. "I don't want tourist coaches and the like clogging up our roads and ramping up the price of things in our local shops." Fittleworth Village Stores, which opened just six years ago, recently won best village shop in Britain. Toni Humphrey, manager, said: "The root of the success of our village store lies in what it can provide as a community hub. "It appeals to everyone, young and old, and is a real meeting place. It was set up by the community, with residents buying shares into the business, and it has just taken off. "People come here to catch up with friends and to pass on news. We welcome everyone and it's just a very relaxed place." As well as a cafe, kiddies playground and villages stores, it also provides a post office for the community. The shop has nine permanent members of staff and 30 volunteers - and almost 20 teenagers doing work placement. 12 12 Located next to the primary school, it has become an invaluable asset for parents. Janet Claxton, who volunteers at the Village Stores, said: "The village is really alive. There's always something going on here." Meanwhile, The Swan Inn, a Grade II listed coaching house dating back to 15th century, has recently reopened after a huge refurbishment. Formerly brewery-owned, it closed in the Covid pandemic, but after a huge investment is back in business, offering top-notch country pub food and accommodation. Places like Fittleworth are special. It has a lot of charm. Deborah Wright It's owned by Sussex-born restaurateur, Angus Davies, who has masterminded a transformation that has seen visitors coming from far and wide to stay in one of its 12 rooms. Mr Davies, who has worked at other pubs and restaurants including Chez Bruce, Lorne, and Sorrel, said he wants to offer all the comforts of a country pub with top-quality service and experience. The inn has a long and illustrious pedigree. During the late 19th and early 20th century, the beauty of the South Downs attracted writers, musicians and artists. JMW Turner, Rudyard Kipling, Constable, Emmeline Pankhurst and composer Hubert Parry have all signed the visitors book, while composer Edward Elgar lived in a small cottage above the village from 1917 to 1921, where he wrote his final four major works. "I'm proud of what we've achieved here,' said Mr Davies. "It's been a real labour of love. It has an honesty about it and we are getting a lot of interest." But the Swann now has increasing competition in another sign of the village's rising status. Residents have mixed views on the rise in local Airbnbs. A quick survey by The Sun showed 25 in and around the village with some charging as much as £430 a night. They are becoming a magnet for Londoners in particular escaping the city's chaos at weekends and during school breaks. Upper Fittleworth has been the centre of the village since Saxon times and is home to St Mary's Church, parts of which date back to the 1200s. Vicar, Reverend David Crook, said: "There is a really great atmosphere in the village. It's a friendly place and we get a lot of help around the church. "I've been here six years and love it. People chip in and help with the church flowers and we have a very active congregation." Deborah Wright, a church warden who moved to Fittleworth 10 years ago, said: "Places like Fittleworth are special. It has a lot of charm and has a really active community life." Visitors Sylvia Mason and Steve Jarvis had travelled from Chichester to have a look round the village. "I've driven past loads of times but never thought to stop," said Ms Mason. "I heard about it being a really desirable place to live and so we decided to come and have a look. "It's actually very lovely. I don't know the Cotswolds but Fittleworth is really very pretty and the people who live here are so friendly. What more could you ask for?" Up until 2025 the village was a well-kept secret and locals feel that, despite all the recent clamour, it will remain so. 12 Another long-time resident said: "Let Chipping Norton have the tourists. We're happy as we are.' 12 12 12
The National
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Offbeat fashion ambassadors, from Christopher Walken to Metallica, prove industry is looking beyond age
At age 82, Christopher Walken has lost none of his magnetism. The American actor – by turns enigmatic, droll and inexplicably unsettling – has become the latest face of Saint Laurent. Photographed by Glen Luchford, Walken appears in the brand's menswear campaign wearing a roomy lambskin blouson, hands sunk into trouser pockets, gazing out with an air of practised detachment. It is classic Walken and classic Saint Laurent: moody, lean and loaded with presence. This latest casting by creative director Anthony Vaccarello is less about shock value and more about a kind of refined rebellion. Walken, after all, has spent decades crafting characters that exist outside the norm: the haunted veteran in The Deer Hunter (1978) and the tap-dancing enigma in Fatboy Slim's Weapon of Choice video (2000) are two diverse examples. He is nothing if not unpredictable, a quality that aligns with Saint Laurent's own taste for the off-centre. Vaccarello, whose campaigns have previously featured Michelle Pfeiffer at 66, Charlotte Rampling at 78, and Keanu Reeves and Lenny Kravitz, both well into their 50s at the time, is clearly uninterested in chasing merely youth. Instead, he opts for figures whose faces tell stories: character actors, enduring musicians and artists with personal mythologies, whose wrinkles and reputations become part of the allure. This shift is part of a broader recalibration in casting for the fashion industry. In October 2023, Loewe's campaign starred the late Dame Maggie Smith, then aged 88, seated regally in a vast faux-fur coat. Daniel Craig, ex-James Bond, unshaven in slouchy knitwear, became its menswear muse for autumn/winter 2024. Meanwhile at Balenciaga, former creative director Demna paired 70-year-old arthouse actress Isabelle Huppert with 24-year-old Thai pop star PP Krit Amnuaydechkorn in a clever dialogue across generations. Elsewhere, Prada's eccentric casting history is the stuff of fashion lore: from Gary Oldman, Tim Roth and Willem Dafoe walking its 2012 Villains runway, to Jeff Goldblum and Kyle MacLachlan for autumn/winter 2022. Age aside, in a forward-looking Gen-Z moment, Dolce & Gabbana swapped models for social media royalty Lucky Blue Smith and Cameron Dallas in autumn/winter 2016. The two were dubbed 'new princes' by the brand, in a nod to a new digital world. Even the rougher edges of rock have found their way into campaigns: John Varvatos enlisted Iggy Pop in 2006; and Italian menswear house Brioni, under the fleeting tenure of Justin O'Shea, went full throttle by casting Metallica. For the 50th anniversary of its intrecciato bags, Bottega Veneta wove a tapestry of creative talent, enlisting actresses Lauren Hutton and Julianne Moore, musician Neneh Cherry, and author Zadie Smith into a campaign that felt more like an art installation than an advertisement. These are not mere celebrity endorsements, either; they are character studies. Each campaign speaks to fashion's growing desire to frame itself not simply through beauty, but also through narrative, texture and contradiction. Smith may be an award-winning writer and essayist, but through Bottega's lens, she is also a woman of quiet, intellectual style. Kravitz, now 61, is such an artistic force, he wears leather trousers to the gym. That's not to say that enlisting the young and beautiful no longer works. Gucci recruited A$AP Rocky and Ozark actress Julia Garner to front recent fragrance campaigns, while Prada chose pop-sensation Sabrina Carpenter, infiltrating her music videos with subtle product placement. As the face of Prada Beauty, her videos feature a lipstick and even branded candy. What is increasingly apparent, however, is that influence is no longer linear, but rather fluid and searching for a grounded, yet highbrow authenticity. Walken's debut for a major fashion house, then, feels less like a pivot and more like a perfectly timed entrance. Saint Laurent isn't merely dressing an actor, it's absorbing a mythology, and in Walken's case, a distinctly American yet deliciously peculiar one. Cool, it turns out, has very little to do with age and everything to do with narrative control. And no one controls his own story like Walken.
Telegraph
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Watch: First look at final Downton Abbey film
The place we'll always remember. The family we'll never forget. Everything has led to this. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is only in theaters September 12. Watch the teaser trailer now. — Downton Abbey (@DowntonAbbey) June 2, 2025 The trailer for the new Downton Abbey film has hinted at a poignant final chapter. After six series and two films, a final cinematic release will conclude the story of the Crawley family in September 2025 with Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. A teaser trailer suggests that there will be an emotional end to the Edwardian saga devised by writer Lord Fellowes, which began with the first series on ITV in 2010. Promotional material for the third and final film in the franchise shows Hugh Bonneville's character Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, apparently bidding farewell to Downton. The trailer includes a portrait of Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham, who was played by the late Dame Maggie Smith. Her character was killed off in the 2022 film Downton Abbey: A New Era, two years before Dame Maggie herself died aged 89. Executive producer Gareth Neame said that the film would contain a 'meaningful' tribute to Dame Maggie, and her loss would be reflected in the plot of the finale of the Downton story. In an interview with TV Line in 2024, Neame said: 'The fact that Dame Maggie herself has now passed away since that time has given a real added poignancy to a story that we would have planned anyway.' Few further details of the film's plot have been revealed. The film stars Dominic West as silent film star Guy Dexter, and Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary, who will be shown navigating London high society. The trailer hints at the plot revolving to some degree around a stage show and shows Lady Mary being mobbed by the press and treated like a star. Her former on-screen partner Matthew Goode's character Henry Talbot will not be returning for the final film. The actor said that he felt his character was 'edging towards becoming a bit of a wet lettuce' and suggested it was a 'good thing' he would not return, allowing Lady Mary to find another love interest.
BreakingNews.ie
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Hugh Bonneville appears to kiss estate goodbye in Downton Abbey finale trailer
Hugh Bonneville's Robert, the Earl of Grantham, has appeared to kiss his country estate goodbye in the trailer for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. The movie is promoted as bidding 'farewell' to the Yorkshire-set series about the life of the landed gentry and their servants that began with a TV show before a series of films. Advertisement It sees the return of Bonneville; Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary; Elizabeth McGovern as Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham; Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith; Jim Carter as the butler Charles 'Charlie' Carson; and Joanne Froggatt as Anna Bates. The teaser begins with the family attending an opulent day at the races, and Mr Carson as an announcer saying: 'Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to 1930.' The following clips show London theatrical productions, Dominic West as Guy Dexter and Lady Edith telling Lady Mary that she will be a 'sensation'. The family then return to Downton Abbey, where a painting of Dame Maggie Smith's Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, who died in the 2022 film Downton Abbey: A New Era, is shown along with dances and the staff. Advertisement Last year, Oscar-winning actress Dame Maggie died in September at the age of 89, with Bonneville remembering her at the time as a 'true legend of her generation'. Joanne Froggatt (left), Michelle Dockery (centre) and Dame Maggie Smith starred in Downton Abbey together (Ian West/PA) The trailer shows the words: 'It's almost time to bid farewell' before ending with the family and staff all waiting outside the grand estate, while the Earl presses his finger to his lips and then places them on the wall. Starting as a series in 2010, the programme won a number of awards, including 15 Emmys, with three of them going to Dame Maggie for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series. The series, the final of which aired on TV on Christmas Day in 2015, has also won a special TV Bafta award and earned Dame Maggie a nod. Advertisement Released in 2019, the first film in the trilogy depicted a royal visit to the Crawley family and Downton staff, while the second film, Downton Abbey: A New Era, saw them travel to France after Violet inherited a villa. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will release in cinemas on September 12.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BAFTA TV Awards leaves viewers 'disgusted and outraged' as legendary star is snubbed from In Memoriam tributes - but all isn't as it seems
BAFTA TV Awards left viewers 'disgusted and outraged' after a legendary star was snubbed from In Memoriam tributes on Sunday evening. Actress Dame Maggie Smith, who is best known for roles in the likes of Harry Potter, Downton Abbey and The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie, passed away aged 89 on September 27 2024. During the prestigious television awards, held at the Royal Festival Hall in London on Sunday, a number of much-loved stars were paid tribute to. Michael Moseley, The Bill's Roberta Taylor, Drag Race UK star The Vivienne and American actor Richard Chamberlain were among those who were included. Broadcaster Henry Kelly, Coronation Street 's Timothy West and Brian Murphy were also spoken about. However Maggie wasn't included. Many of those watching at home to take to X, formerly known as Twitter, to point it out and share their upset. One said on the social media platform: '@BAFTA - unless I missed it, Dame Maggie Smith not on your list of those departed in tonight's award show. I'd say she was a lot more worthy of mention than some of those also-rans.' '#BAFTAS no mention of Dame Maggie Smith when remembering those who died in the last year. Shame on BAFTA.' 'Where was Dame Maggie Smith's acknowledgement in roll of honour?' '@BBCOne @BAFTA ….. where was Dame Maggie Smith in the remembrance section? Dame Maggie Smith how on earth could the BBC miss that one shameful.' '@BAFTA why no mention of Dame Maggie Smith in tonight's memoriam section???' Another pointed out: 'Bafta TV Awards Maggie Smith and Joan Plowright, snubbed Maggie Smith and Joan Plowright, even if they are know mostly for film/theatre. 'They did a lot of TV, especially in the early days when they did plays on TV and period dramas especially Shakespeare. 'Maggie Smith was in iconic Downton Abbey. Plowright has a Golden Globe and Emmy for TV!' However it has been highlighted that late Maggie and Joan were paid tribute to at the Bafta Film Awards in Memoriam in February. Back in September, Larkin and Stephens, Maggie's sons from her first marriage, said in their statement: 'It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September. 'An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother. 'We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days. 'We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.' Among the first to pay tribute was her friend Gyles Brandreth, who said: 'The saddest news: the death of Dame Maggie Smith marks the end of a golden era and a quite extraordinary life. 'She was a truly great actress, 'one of the greats' and simply the best company: wise, witty, waspish, wonderful. One of a kind in every way and consequently irreplaceable.' British theatre owner and producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh told the PA news agency: 'It is with enormous sadness that today, British theatre has lost one of its greatest stars - the incomparable Dame Maggie Smith. 'Many of Maggie's finest performances have been on the stages of theatres now in my care - one of the dress circle boxes in the Sondheim Theatre is proudly named after her. 'Over the decades, I have been privileged to see many of her unforgettable performances from her early days in revue, in the late-50s. 'Whatever she was in, every line was electric - she was the master of the zinger. 'I, and everyone at Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, salute a truly great artist. Maggie was a brilliant original who can never be replaced or ever forgotten.' 2025 BAFTA TV AWARD WINNERS AT A GLANCE Drama Series - Blue Lights (BBC One) Limited Drama - Mr Bates vs the Post Office (ITV1) International - Shogun (Disney+) - WINNER Scripted Comedy - Alma's Not Normal (BBC Two) Entertainment - Would I Lie To You? (BBC One) Entertainment Performance - Joe Lycett, Late Night Lycett (Channel 4) Strictly Come Dancing: Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell's Waltz to You'll Never Walk Alone (BBC One) Factual Entertainment - Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour (BBC Two) Factual Series - To Catch a Copper (Channel 4) Specialist Factual - Atomic People (BBC Two) Live Event Coverage - Glastonbury 2024 (BBC Two) News Coverage - BBC Breakfast: Post Office Special (BBC One) Leading Actress - Marisa Abela, Industry (BBC One) Leading Actor - Lennie James, Mr Loverman (BBC One) Supporting Actress - Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer (Netflix) Supporting Actor - Ariyon Bakare, Mr Loverman (BBC One) Female Performance in a Comedy - Ruth Jones, Gavin & Stacey (BBC One) Male Performance in a Comedy - Danny Dyer, Mr Big Stuff (Sky Comedy) Reality - The Jury: Murder Trial (Channel 4) Soap - EastEnders (BBC One) Daytime - Clive Myrie's Caribbean Adventure (BBC Two) - WINNER Current Affairs - State of Rage (Channel 4) Shortform - Quiet Life (BBC Three) Sport - Paris 2024 Olympics (BBC Sport) Children's Non Scripted - FYI Investigates: Disability and Me (Sky Kids) Children's Scripted - CBeebies As You Like It at Shakespeare's Globe (CBeebies)
