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Arab News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
For fans of film and TV, England offers countless nostalgia-stirring sites
JEDDAH: England is a place where cinematic fiction and reality often blur — its charming neighborhoods and historic landmarks have served as the backdrop to some of the world's most beloved films. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ In May, Arab News joined a press trip organized by VisitBritain in partnership with Virgin Atlantic, celebrating the launch of the airline's new Riyadh to London route. Having arrived well-rested, following a luxurious experience in Virgin's Upper Class cabin, we checked into London's The May Fair Hotel, just off Piccadilly — a surprisingly tranquil central base for the adventure ahead. Our trip was a deep dive into the UK's cinematic soul, featuring a bespoke tour of London in classic Mini Coopers, driven by enthusiastic local guides. Our first stop was the famous blue door at 280 Westbourne Park Road — from the 1999 rom-com 'Notting Hill,' starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts — where a replica, painted to match the film's version, has been installed — perfect for a nostalgic photo op. Just around the corner is Alice's, the whimsical antique shop featured in 2014's 'Paddington.' With its vintage charm, Alice's felt straight out of a storybook. Portobello Road, where the shop is located, is a cinematic destination all on its own, brimming with colorful buildings, lively market stalls, and timeless London charm. Next was the distinguished Huntsman at 11 Savile Row, a prestigious bespoke tailor that inspired the secret service headquarters in 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' (2014), and which draws in fashion lovers and film fans alike. At Borough Market, one of London's oldest food markets, we visited the flat above The Globe Tavern, famous as the heroine's home in 2001's 'Bridget Jones's Diary,' outside of which the street fight between Mark Darcy and Daniel Cleaver was filmed. No culture-themed visit to London is complete without a West End musical, and we attended 'The Devil Wears Prada' at the Dominion Theatre. With soaring vocals, sharp choreography, and impeccable fashion details, the performance successfully captured the wit and flair of the beloved 2006 film on which it is based. On our third day, we journeyed to the serene city of Oxford, passing through the storybook English countryside — rolling hills, stone cottages, and emerald fields. Before exploring the city, we checked into Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, founded by celebrated chef Raymond Blanc. This luxurious manor blends rustic elegance with culinary excellence and is surrounded by lavender-scented gardens, orchards, and organic vegetable patches — a whimsical escape into an English fairytale. Afternoon tea was served in the charming cottages scattered across the estate, which offer each guest their own intimate space overlooking the gardens. Every detail was immaculate: from the handpicked fruit platter to delicate chocolate and mandarin cakes, and airy macarons made with sustainable, organic ingredients harvested on-site. It was a moment of calm indulgence — a countryside retreat that felt both restorative and magical. In Oxford, the charismatic Jim Palmer led us on a walking tour of its most famous corners. The city — particularly its prestigious university — has appeared in dozens of productions, but none as magical as the 'Harry Potter' series. At Christ Church College, we stood in the Great Hall that inspired Hogwarts' dining room, and climbed the grand staircase featured in 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.' The Divinity School nearby doubled as Hogwarts' infirmary and classrooms in several of the films. We also visited New College, where fans of 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' will recognize the ancient tree beneath which Draco Malfoy is turned into a ferret by Professor Moody. Oxford's cinematic résumé stretches far beyond wizards, though. Its colleges, libraries, and cobblestone streets have appeared in 'The Theory of Everything,' 'The Golden Compass,' 'Shadowlands,' 'Brideshead Revisited,' and even the 'X-Men' franchise. Fans of TV detective dramas will also recognize it from 'Inspector Morse,' 'Lewis,' and 'Endeavour.' After our tour, we were whisked off to the luxury shopping destination Bicester Village. At The Apartment, an exclusive lounge space, we were pampered with gourmet treats and a concierge service that made high-end shopping feel both effortless and elegant. Our trip concluded in style back at Heathrow Airport, where we enjoyed the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse — an oasis of calm featuring sleeping zones, yoga areas, private showers, and premium dining. From Oxford's collegiate quietude to the sparkle of London's West End, and from iconic film locations to moments of personal luxury, this trip offered more than sightseeing; it was a cinematic immersion that brought some of our favorite stories to life.
Buzz Feed
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
27 Of The Nicest Celebrities According To Pilots
Recently, I came across a pilot's forum and a thread on it asking about the nicest celebrities pilots have flown. Some of these make a ton of sense (looking at you, Julie Andrews), but some were a delightful surprise. "Anthony Hopkins. Flew him back from LA. A delight and absolute gentleman." — olster "Gordon Ramsay, recently. Utterly lovely and charming, 'Please call me Gordon.' Just wanted a bottle of water and slept for the entire flight." — galanjal "Celine Dion, when I was flying private. Completely lovely – even offered to take us to dinner, but we had to return to base." — toratoratora "Anne Bancroft and Mel Brooks. He was hilarious, but she was really quiet, almost shy!" — Extrolleydolly "The only one that really impressed me and should impress every pilot here was Sen. John Glenn. He came up after a very rough flight. We were the last plane into KCLT as the others started going around after us. He shook both of our hands, and he was flying coach." — skyhighfallguy "Forest Whitaker. Super nice guy! He signed my passenger manifest." — nick_m_007 "Robert De Niro. Very pleasant, funny, and friendly. He was wearing a wig as a disguise." — HEMS driver "Tom Cruise. Splendid fellow. Asked politely if he might come to the flight deck before departure, whereupon he asked some questions and we chatted about his new P51. Obviously, he stayed on with Cameron Diaz for some photos. Salzburg to Seville for the filming of Knight and Day." — blue up "Denzel Washington. Very friendly and chatty. We had a good chin wag in the galley." — Tray Surfer "Amy Winehouse. Met her a couple of times. The last time she got off, and was lovely (obviously had been at the cooking sherry), and wanted to know how my day was, and what I was doing after work." — EKA380LHR "Prince William, a few years ago. Absolutely delightful, very down-to-earth." — bunnygirl "Sade. Lovely, charming woman. Had time to chat with the crew and gave tickets to all of us on the flight, including backstage passes, plus meet and greet photos. She even invited the flight deck (us) to her concert and made sure her assistants looked after our tickets." — NG_Kaptain "Michael Caine. Such a LOVELY man! Flew him to Venice for the film festival, and he came into the galley and had a chat with us and was just so lovely." — jumpseatR4 "Julie Andrews. Wonderful, warm, and friendly." — vctenderness "Zac Efron. Engaging, personable, and signed an autograph. Those eyes do glimmer so much more in real life. True gentleman!" — mjo84 "Gerard Butler. Had the pleasure of meeting him on a Virgin Atlantic flight to LAX last month. What a nice man. He was very friendly and chatty. A real pleasure to talk with." — Lucky747 "Grace Jones. I met her in the Senator Lounge at FRA. She asked me if I knew how to use the massage chairs, as I was just about to get on one. I didn't realize who she was until I heard the lady with her address her as 'Grace', then the penny dropped. I offered her the first use of the massager, and she declined. She is charm personified, very dignified and quiet. She must have been in her mid-fifties then; she looked about 40." — Capetonian "Eric Clapton. A legend and a hell of a nice guy. He gave the entire crew comps for them and their family to his concert." — joeflyguy "Kelly Rowland. Was lovely. She slept for a lot of the flight as she had flown in from LAX, and we were taking her on to her final destination, but she happily posed for pictures with the crew. Very down-to-earth and stunningly beautiful." — glider12000 "Tina Turner. LHR–LAX in first class. She sat on the floor for several hours playing with a baby also traveling in first class. Charming and entirely without airs and graces." — Flightwatch "Olivia Newton-John. I have taken her between LAX–SYD a couple of times. So pleasant, friendly, and polite." — Grove "Michael Douglas. A true 'A' lister. Absolutely charming, shook everybody's hand, and thanked us after the flight." — bunkrest "Sean Connery. Top bloke. Sat in the cockpit for nearly the whole flight and chatted about anything from politics to football. Really nice." — Abusing_the_sky "Kate Hudson. Quiet, initiated conversation, showed a genuine interest in our lives, and felt more like a good friend than a passenger. She was even joking/teasing me about a very attractive bloke behind the curtain in economy." — ozangel "Jack Johnson was onboard one of my short sectors between Sydney and the Gold Coast. He was a very pleasant guy, smooth voice, beautiful tanned skin, and also had his wife/girlfriend with him as well as his cute little son." — TeamJQboy "I met Ricky Martin in our training centre. He was there to do some filming in a flight simulator for a TV show. He was lovely, posed for photos, and was very chatty. Shame I got really nervous and could not think of a single thing to say to him." — ezpz Finally, "Robin Williams. The most down-to-earth, sweetest guy. No entourage for him, boards quietly and low-profiles it. Very funny and will laugh at your own jokes." — Dea Certe
CNBC
7 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
Richard Branson: People have told me I'd fail on many occasions—how I know when to trust myself anyway
Richard Branson says the biggest reason he's a billionaire today is because he trusts his instincts — and he's not discouraged when people tell him a new venture is "crazy" or doomed to fail. Instead, Branson takes those doubts to heart: He listens to his advisors so as to consider every possible pitfall of a new venture. Once those issues are identified, Branson says he takes the necessary precautions to "protect the downside" before forging ahead. That mindset has helped the British founder push past the objections of naysayers, particularly when he strongly believes that one of his seemingly "crazy" ventures can bring something new to a market that's ripe for disruption, Branson, 74, wrote in a LinkedIn post on April 28. "Since we launched, there have been many occasions where people told me we'd fail. But we've stuck by our belief that if you can create something better than everybody else, then you at least have a chance of succeeding," Branson wrote. Branson's risky decision to launch Virgin Atlantic in 1984 is a prime example of the billionaire's philosophy, he wrote in the LinkedIn post. "People thought we were crazy to launch an airline," wrote Branson. "I went against everyone's advice. Friends, experts, the press, the pundits — and on paper, they were right." Branson "had no idea how the aviation world worked" at the time, having previously only worked in the music industry since founding Virgin Records more than a decade earlier, he wrote. But he was convinced that he could improve upon the flying experience offered by most traditional airlines, mostly because it was so "subpar," he noted. It was a huge challenge — one that Branson acknowledged "was very risky" due to the fact that he was taking on much larger, established rivals in a highly competitive industry, he told CNBC Make It in April 2024. Branson took those risks seriously. Rather than dismiss anyone who disagrees with him, Branson advocates for surrounding himself with intelligent people and then spending "as much time as possible listening" to alternative points of view, he wrote on LinkedIn in February 2015. Branson prioritized "protecting the downside" by starting out small and negotiating an escape hatch in case he was wrong. In the case of Virgin Atlantic, that meant starting the company by leasing just a single 747 aircraft from Boeing: "In case my instinct was wrong, I negotiated the right to hand [Virgin's first plane] back to Boeing at the end of the first year," Branson said. "The most the airline was actually going to cost — apart from my reputation, which is obviously very important — was roughly a year's profits at Virgin Records." Fortunately for Branson, his instincts ultimately paid off: Virgin Atlantic is still in business after more than four decades. It has overcome ups and downs, even emerging from bankruptcy proceedings in 2021. More recently, the business posted record annual revenue of nearly $4.5 billion in 2024 that returned the company to profitability, the company announced in March. "Virgin Atlantic is proof that you don't need to stay in your lane," Branson wrote. Without that mindset, Branson never would have launched Virgin Atlantic, much less continued branching out into new industries like telecommunications, hospitality, and even spaceflight. "There's many things that we've done that we wouldn't have done if we'd listened to accountants," Branson told CNBC Make It. Not every decision has been a success. He launched some short-lived brands, like Virgin Cola and Virgin Clothing, that never panned out. Even Branson's spaceflight play, Virgin Galactic, has suffered "significant losses since inception," including losing $346 million in 2024, the company said in its annual report in February. In the case of Virgin Galactic, Branson mitigated the risk to Virgin Group by selling the bulk of its stake in the public space tourism company to investors. Ultimately, though, Branson's overall track record speaks for itself. He boasts a net worth that Forbes currently estimates at $2.8 billion. At the same time, Branson still refuses to think of himself purely as a businessman. "[I'm] somebody that loves to create things that I can be proud of," he told CNBC Make It.
The Independent
09-06-2025
- The Independent
Bored of Barcelona? Book this little-known Middle Eastern city break instead
When it comes to planning a cultural city break, European capitals like Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Rome have historically been hot favourites. But the desire to explore somewhere a bit different has led an increasing number of travellers heading to more exotic destinations like Marrakech, Reykjavik and Dubai. The latest unusual urban space to gain attention is Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh. Located in the very heart of the Arabian Peninsula, the nation is shedding its controversial image and moving on from the headlines and questionable practices of yesteryear as it opens up to the world for the first time in its long history. It's all part of the Saudi 2030 vision: an ambitious project aiming to redefine the oil-rich nation. It's clearly paying dividends with the kingdom already home to some of the world's biggest sports stars, including Cristiano Ronaldo who joined local team Al-Nassr in 2023. Once known primarily as a business hub, Riyadh has embraced a cultural and architectural renaissance – and with new daily six-hour flights direct from London, it's a worthy contender for a short mid-haul break. Virgin Atlantic touched down last week with founder Sir Richard Branson onboard to launch the service. 'Saudi is one of the most extraordinary countries I've ever visited,' he told fellow travellers. 'A lot has changed there in the last few years and it's heading in the right direction. People who choose to visit will experience the warmest welcome and a place that may well surprise them.' He has a point. Despite a very murky reputation over its human rights record in years gone by, Saudi is embracing change and attitudes are relaxing. Local women are now permitted to drive and may cast their vote in elections while Western women no longer have to cover their heads (although conservative attire is recommended, with elbows and knees expected to be kept from view). Home to a rapidly growing population, expected to reach around nine million by 2030 (the average age in Saudi is just 29 years old), Riyadh is a vast metropolis in the middle of a dusty sandpit. Located in the centre of the nation and now a bustling hub of ruler-straight boulevards and futuristic skyscrapers, it grew from modest beginnings and took shape from the endless desert that surrounds it in every direction. Back in the mid 17th century, Riyadh was little more than a small village after caravans crossing the Arabian deserts settled along a valley where water and fertile grounds were available for farming. Despite rapid modernisation, fuelled by oil wealth, the kingdom's historic roots are very much celebrated and can experienced by those who visit today. One of the best places to get a taste of it – literally – is Najd Village ( a beautiful restaurant that not only serves up delicious local dishes in a traditional setting but also reveals a glimpse of authentic Najd life. Diners sit on the floor on cosy rugs and cushions and feast on tasty stews, deep-fried cheese sambosa parcels and large family-style portions of lamb served with fragrant kabsa rice. Adventurous diners can even try camel meat. The whole experience is finished off with a cup of traditional Saudi coffee infused with cardamom and a sweet date. Another place to get a glimpse of local culture is Diriyah, a town on the outskirts of the city to the northwest that is said to be the birthplace of Saudi Arabia. The historic district of At-Turaif – famed for its mudbrick citadel that was once the heart of the first ever Saudi state in in the mid-1700s – has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while the nearby Bujairi Terrace is a complex of restaurants and boutiques including fashion and interior stores from local Saudi designers. From old mud houses to gleaming high-rises, the downtown district of Riyadh offers a completely different perspective. Al Olaya, the city's central business district, is the best place to see Saudi in the 21st century and the most dramatic vantage point is from up high. From a height of 300-metres at the top of the Kingdom Tower, the whole city is laid bare like a toytown from the Sky Bridge viewing platform ( Back on ground level and miles outside the city centre, where the millions of bright lights give way to a few dozen flickering lanterns, the Dunes and Dates desert camp ( combines stargazing, camel rides, sandboarding on the dunes and a delicious Arabic feast. When it comes to bedding down, there's no shortage of options, with Saudi experiencing a boom in new hotels. One of the most charming and noteworthy is Bab Samhan (£400 per night; in Diriyah, which honours Najdi design. Whilst built in the traditional mudbrick style, there's nothing basic about this place. From shady courtyards and bedrooms boasting beautiful geometrical patterns, the property is an exceptional example of Saudi warmth and hospitality, proving once again that it's truly a place on the up.
Daily Mail
08-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Flight attendant reveals why they are legally required to travel with two flashlights at all times
A flight attendant has revealed why crew are legally required to travel with two flashlights at all times. Skye Taylor, who worked for Virgin Atlantic for 16 years, shared the three items bosses wouldn't let her fly without. Speaking to What's The Jam, the staffer said: 'Number one is obviously [a] passport. Even though some people think we don't need that, we do. She continued to explain: 'A torch [is a must-have]. We need to carry two torches, and we do have torches on the aircraft as well in case of an emergency. 'But we have to carry a personal torch as well. 'And the other thing is a [resuscitation] face mask in case anybody goes into cardiac arrest, which, sadly, I've had to use three times in my career.' The crew need a flashlight with a red lens to protect night vision during emergency situations, and a white lens flashlight for basic duties, such as cleaning or carrying out an inspection of the aircraft. While they're vital to her being allowed operate the flight, Skye also revealed the other items she packs in her bag. Other practical accessories include a purse which contains currencies from countries all over the world and her adapters and charges She said how crew always carry a water bottle with them, owing to the fact they're 'constantly dehydrated'. Other practical accessories include a purse which contains currencies from countries all over the world and her adapters and charges. Skye added: 'But the most important thing we carry is our hot water bottle; every crew member has one. 'It can get quite chilly up there, depending on the aircraft.'
