Latest news with #Frances
7NEWS
3 days ago
- 7NEWS
Accused murderer Robert John Crawford breaches bail over staging wife's lawnmower death
Robert John Crawford, who allegedly staged a fatal lawnmower accident to cover up his wife's murder, has been arrested for breaching his bail. Police confirmed they arrested and charged Crawford, 47, on June 14. The former Air Force pilot was granted bail earlier this year under strict conditions — including a $250,000 surety, a nightly curfew confining him to his Upper Lockyer home, and daily check-ins with police. It's understood the alleged breach involves the curfew. The former Air Force pilot is facing charges of murder and misconduct with a corpse over the death of his wife, Frances Crawford, at the couple's rural Queensland property in July 2023. Frances, 49, was found unresponsive at the bottom of a retaining wall just before 3.40am on July 30. At the time, Crawford claimed she had rolled a ride-on mower and called triple-0 saying: 'I don't know, I just found her ... I had to pull [the mower] off.' Police allege the scene was manipulated to appear accidental. Frances was wearing UGG boots, suffered trauma to the neck and head, and had Crawford's DNA under her fingernails. Prosecutors say the evidence 'favoured strangulation.' Crawford has maintained his innocence, claiming Frances went outside late that night to move the mower away from the sprinklers. He is due to reappear in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on August 14.
Tom's Guide
5 days ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Amazon is selling 'game changing' $29 sleep mask for just $23 and it has 73,000+ 5-star ratings
Looking for something to help you sleep on planes, through light mornings and during daytime naps this summer? Look no further than this memory foam mask. You can now save 21% on this MZOO sleep mask at Amazon, cutting the price from $28.99 to $22.99. Of course, sleeping on one of the year's best mattresses for all sleepers and budgets is a sure-fire way to sleep well this summer. But if you need a helping hand to block out bright light, a top-rated sleep mask like the MZOO is the way to go. If there's one thing you'll always find in my hand luggage it's a comfortable, blackout sleep mask to help me snooze through any flight. While the SOMO Fitness Sleep Mask is my current favorite luxury option, I've been shopping this month's Amazon sleep sales for more affordable options. Here's why the MZOO comes out on top... MZOO sleep mask: was $28.99 now $22.99 at AmazonThe MZOO sleep mask is an Amazon best seller sporting over 73,500 perfect reviews from customers who give it the "night shifter seal of approval", and say it provides 100% darkness while the pressure it puts on the eyes is "just perfect". "Finally, a comfortable mask," another writes. With a generous 21% off in Amazon's limited time deal, you can save $6 on this sleep mask to see you through your summer flights with more $$$ to spend on snacks onboard. It'll be delivered for free and you're entitled to 30 day returns. Aura Smart Sleep Mask: now $229 at AuraWith built-in ultra-thin speakers, the Aura Smart Sleep Mask gives your sleep routine a tech upgrade helping you drift off to calming sleep sounds in noisy environments. It is app-controlled and you can pick your lullaby from a library of natural soundscapes and sleep mediations. Unfortunately, there's no discount on this high-tech mask at the moment, but you do get extras such as a 30-night trial and a one-year warranty. Find out what our tester, Frances, thought of the mask here.
Style Blueprint
10-06-2025
- General
- Style Blueprint
Blame Reese Witherspoon? How Boy Names Go Girl (and Never Come Back)
Share with your friends! Pinterest LinkedIn Email Flipboard Reddit I've always been fascinated by names. Maybe it's because my name is one that has been passed down for hundreds of years on my mom's side of my family, and I love that. It connects me to the past in a tangible and emotional way. While thinking through the history of names, I've often wondered what happened to names more prevalent for men in my parents' generation that have all but disappeared, at least for men. Frances, Meredith, Stacey, and Ashley were all once exclusively male names! These names, which most of us now associate with our girlfriends, sisters, and daughters, once belonged solely to the boys' club. It's not just a random coincidence, either — it's part of a documented cultural pattern that's been happening for centuries. Here's the kicker: This gender shift almost always goes in one direction. A traditionally male name starts appearing on birth certificates for baby girls, thus beginning a slow migration. This name eventually becomes so 'feminized' that parents stop using it for boys altogether. Sociologists call this 'gender contamination' (harsh term, I know), suggesting that once a name gets feminine associations, parents of boys dismiss it. Beverly, Evelyn, Kelly, Leslie, Lindsay, Shannon, Whitney … all originally boy names! Take Ashley — a common female name for the past few decades. This name started as an Old English surname meaning 'ash tree clearing' and stayed firmly in the men's department until the 1960s. Remember Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind? It's classic male Ashley. Fast-forward to the 1980s, and Ashley was topping the charts for girls while virtually disappearing for boys. And Frances — originally from Latin for 'Frenchman' (ironic, right?). The feminine spelling gradually overtook the masculine, with boys more likely to go by Frank these days. Meredith meant 'great lord' in Welsh, while Stacey comes from Greek roots meaning 'resurrection.' The list goes on: Beverly, Evelyn, Kelly, Leslie, Lindsay, Shannon, Whitney — all originally boy names! This trend really took off in the 20th century as traditional gender roles started shifting. What's telling to me is how rarely names move in the opposite direction. In fact, I can't find one name that has gone from primarily being a 'female' name to a 'male' name. When's the last time you met a baby boy named Elizabeth or Charlotte? This one-way street reflects something deeper about how we value gender in our society — once something becomes associated with femininity, it often loses status in the eyes of many. Many may eye-roll at this: 'There goes another woman talking about how society is set up to diminish women. Blah, blah, blah.' But it's hard to argue this societal take on names. The name Reese is shifting in real time … Pin My middle daughter is named Reese. It's a family surname, and like I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I love connecting family names to past generations. I did not realize how trendy this name was becoming when we named her in 2001. But, when considering the name, I definitely had the thought, Reese Witherspoon has this name, and she's female. We aren't the first to do this.' But now I see the name Reese is predominantly given to girls. The overall name migration I'm talking about is happening here in real time. Reese was originally a Welsh surname (from 'Rhys' meaning 'enthusiasm'). It was given almost exclusively to boys until the 1990s. And yes, that famous 'Reese' seems to be the catalyst that changed everything. As Reese Witherspoon's star rose in Hollywood, so did the name's popularity for baby girls. The statistics tell the story dramatically: In 2000, about 650 baby boys in America were named Reese while fewer than 100 baby girls received the name. By 2010, the tables had turned, with approximately 850 girls to 550 boys. Fast-forward to 2023, and the ratio stands at nearly 5:1 in favor of girls (about 1,400 girls to 300 boys annually). In 2023, 'Reese' was the 168th most popular name for girls but had fallen to 811th for boys. And, this shift has happened over just two decades compared to the centuries-long migrations of names like Frances. The traditional Welsh spelling 'Rhys,' meanwhile, remains predominantly male, showing how even spelling variants can resist the feminization tide. Next time you're debating baby names (or just playing the name game over brunch with friends), remember that today's firmly feminine name might have been yesterday's decidedly masculine moniker. And who knows what changes the future might bring? ********** Enjoy a fun 'me moment' in your inbox each day – sign up for StyleBlueprint emails! About the Author Liza Graves As CEO of StyleBlueprint, Liza also regularly writes for SB. Most of her writing is now found in the recipe archives as cooking is her stress relief!
Edinburgh Live
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh sisters speak of trauma as car 'on wrong side of road' smashes into them
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Sisters who were involved in a hit-and-run have said they 'can't believe' they walked away from the collision. Frances Kelly and her sister Terry Miller left Edinburgh for a night away at a spa on Thursday, May 29. Only 10 minutes into their journey, on the A6094 between Rosewell and Howage, their red Renault Captur was hit by a white Ford Transit flat bed van that was 'on the wrong side of the road' at around 11am. While waiting for emergency services to arrive, the van driver 'made off from the scene'. Frances, 69, admitted she still feels 'traumatised and fragile' after being hospitalised along with Terry. Speaking to Edinburgh Live, she added: "We were coming from Bonnyrigg, towards Roswell, and I was driving towards the right bend, it was a blind bend. "I couldn't see what was round the corner, and I went down in gear and reduced by speed. As I was approaching the curve, I could see a truck on my side of the road. "I looked to the left and saw there was a gap where there was an entrance to a field, so I veered in and saw there was a crash barrier. So I had to start moving back to the main road again. "I just hoped I had enough space. The guy was facing me in the driver's seat, and I just thought 'right, how bad is this going to be? This is it'." Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox The collision saw the truck scrape the drivers safe, with the airbags then released. Frances said she couldn't see anything, but could smell burning. She continued: "I called out to Terry. I tried to open my door but couldn't. I tried to take my seat belt off, but couldn't get it off. I just had to calm myself down. "When I got out, my sister and I just hugged each other for ages. We were just so lucky and we're so grateful, we couldn't believe it." Frances and Terry were hospitalised with minor injuries. Recalling the incident, Terry, 69, added: "Frances said the road was bendy, so she was going to take it really easy. "Thankfully we managed to pull in a bit before the collision, otherwise it would've been head on. Frances was really just couldn't believe it." After the collision, the sisters said the truck driver claimed he was phoning the police. Frances, not believing him, phoned them herself. A couple who were driving past then stopped and let the sisters sit in their car, while they waited for emergency services to arrive. Terry added: "When the couple took us into their car, the woman - who was a doctor - went to see how the guy was. She came back and said he'd bolted. "I think he ran over the fields, because he couldn't drive his van. Glass was coming out my ears, and it was in my bra - absolutely everywhere. It was quite traumatic, but it could've been so much worse." Frances continued: "I got this feeling that he was going to take off, because he was walking away. I took some pictures and I got a picture of him beside his van actually walking away. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. "There was a lady and her husband and they pulled their car in, and she let us sit in the back of her car until the ambulance and then the police came. Then we were taken in the ambulance and taken to the hospital. "He couldn't drive his van away because it was so damaged. The wheel was all turned down and the bolts were all off it. Otherwise, I think that guy would have just driven away, just kept going. "I feel really traumatised and fragile. I do know that we are just so, so lucky and so grateful." A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 11.15am on Thursday, 29 May, 2025, we received a report of a crash involved two vehicles on the A6094 Rosewell to Howage road. "One of the drivers made off from the scene and enquiries are ongoing to trace him." Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 101, quoting incident 1162 of May 29.
The Advertiser
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Musetti survives disqualification row to reach semis
Italy's Lorenzo Musetti reached his first semi-final at the French Open, and second at a grand slam, by beating Frances Tiafoe 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-2. The 23-year-old will face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz for a place in Sunday's final after the Spaniard beat Tommy Paul 6-0 6-1 6-4. The No.8 seed was lucky not to be disqualified after kicking a ball at a line judge, however. In the second set against Tiafoe, Musetti kicked the ball in frustration and it hit the female line judge, standing about three metres away, in the chest. Tiafoe looked stunned at the other end of the court and gestured towards the umpire, who eventually gave Musetti a code violation. There were echoes of Novak Djokovic being defaulted at the 2020 US Open after accidentally hitting a female line judge with a ball. Later, Tiafoe said: "I mean, obviously he did that and nothing happened. I think that's comical, but it is what it is. "Nothing happened, so there's nothing really to talk about. Obviously it's not consistent, so it is what it is." Musetti did not let the incident affect him as he moved to victory in four sets. He is now 13-4 in his French Open career, and three of those losses came against an opponent ranked No.1 — Novak Djokovic twice, Alcaraz once. The only way he'll need to deal with the top-ranked man again in Paris is if it's his pal Jannik Sinner standing across the net on Sunday with the trophy in the offing. Musetti is one of the rare top players using the single-handed backhand, a vintage shot often praised by tennis connoisseurs. "We are Italian, we are elegant," he joked afterwards. Musetti will meet Alcaraz, who steamrollered American No.12 seed Paul for the loss of five games in another one-sided night match. Paul's right thigh was heavily strapped and he was unable to produce his best tennis. "I'm sorry you wanted to watch more tennis. I had to do my work," Alcaraz told the Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd. With agencies Italy's Lorenzo Musetti reached his first semi-final at the French Open, and second at a grand slam, by beating Frances Tiafoe 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-2. The 23-year-old will face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz for a place in Sunday's final after the Spaniard beat Tommy Paul 6-0 6-1 6-4. The No.8 seed was lucky not to be disqualified after kicking a ball at a line judge, however. In the second set against Tiafoe, Musetti kicked the ball in frustration and it hit the female line judge, standing about three metres away, in the chest. Tiafoe looked stunned at the other end of the court and gestured towards the umpire, who eventually gave Musetti a code violation. There were echoes of Novak Djokovic being defaulted at the 2020 US Open after accidentally hitting a female line judge with a ball. Later, Tiafoe said: "I mean, obviously he did that and nothing happened. I think that's comical, but it is what it is. "Nothing happened, so there's nothing really to talk about. Obviously it's not consistent, so it is what it is." Musetti did not let the incident affect him as he moved to victory in four sets. He is now 13-4 in his French Open career, and three of those losses came against an opponent ranked No.1 — Novak Djokovic twice, Alcaraz once. The only way he'll need to deal with the top-ranked man again in Paris is if it's his pal Jannik Sinner standing across the net on Sunday with the trophy in the offing. Musetti is one of the rare top players using the single-handed backhand, a vintage shot often praised by tennis connoisseurs. "We are Italian, we are elegant," he joked afterwards. Musetti will meet Alcaraz, who steamrollered American No.12 seed Paul for the loss of five games in another one-sided night match. Paul's right thigh was heavily strapped and he was unable to produce his best tennis. "I'm sorry you wanted to watch more tennis. I had to do my work," Alcaraz told the Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd. With agencies Italy's Lorenzo Musetti reached his first semi-final at the French Open, and second at a grand slam, by beating Frances Tiafoe 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-2. The 23-year-old will face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz for a place in Sunday's final after the Spaniard beat Tommy Paul 6-0 6-1 6-4. The No.8 seed was lucky not to be disqualified after kicking a ball at a line judge, however. In the second set against Tiafoe, Musetti kicked the ball in frustration and it hit the female line judge, standing about three metres away, in the chest. Tiafoe looked stunned at the other end of the court and gestured towards the umpire, who eventually gave Musetti a code violation. There were echoes of Novak Djokovic being defaulted at the 2020 US Open after accidentally hitting a female line judge with a ball. Later, Tiafoe said: "I mean, obviously he did that and nothing happened. I think that's comical, but it is what it is. "Nothing happened, so there's nothing really to talk about. Obviously it's not consistent, so it is what it is." Musetti did not let the incident affect him as he moved to victory in four sets. He is now 13-4 in his French Open career, and three of those losses came against an opponent ranked No.1 — Novak Djokovic twice, Alcaraz once. The only way he'll need to deal with the top-ranked man again in Paris is if it's his pal Jannik Sinner standing across the net on Sunday with the trophy in the offing. Musetti is one of the rare top players using the single-handed backhand, a vintage shot often praised by tennis connoisseurs. "We are Italian, we are elegant," he joked afterwards. Musetti will meet Alcaraz, who steamrollered American No.12 seed Paul for the loss of five games in another one-sided night match. Paul's right thigh was heavily strapped and he was unable to produce his best tennis. "I'm sorry you wanted to watch more tennis. I had to do my work," Alcaraz told the Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd. With agencies Italy's Lorenzo Musetti reached his first semi-final at the French Open, and second at a grand slam, by beating Frances Tiafoe 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-2. The 23-year-old will face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz for a place in Sunday's final after the Spaniard beat Tommy Paul 6-0 6-1 6-4. The No.8 seed was lucky not to be disqualified after kicking a ball at a line judge, however. In the second set against Tiafoe, Musetti kicked the ball in frustration and it hit the female line judge, standing about three metres away, in the chest. Tiafoe looked stunned at the other end of the court and gestured towards the umpire, who eventually gave Musetti a code violation. There were echoes of Novak Djokovic being defaulted at the 2020 US Open after accidentally hitting a female line judge with a ball. Later, Tiafoe said: "I mean, obviously he did that and nothing happened. I think that's comical, but it is what it is. "Nothing happened, so there's nothing really to talk about. Obviously it's not consistent, so it is what it is." Musetti did not let the incident affect him as he moved to victory in four sets. He is now 13-4 in his French Open career, and three of those losses came against an opponent ranked No.1 — Novak Djokovic twice, Alcaraz once. The only way he'll need to deal with the top-ranked man again in Paris is if it's his pal Jannik Sinner standing across the net on Sunday with the trophy in the offing. Musetti is one of the rare top players using the single-handed backhand, a vintage shot often praised by tennis connoisseurs. "We are Italian, we are elegant," he joked afterwards. Musetti will meet Alcaraz, who steamrollered American No.12 seed Paul for the loss of five games in another one-sided night match. Paul's right thigh was heavily strapped and he was unable to produce his best tennis. "I'm sorry you wanted to watch more tennis. I had to do my work," Alcaraz told the Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd. With agencies
