Michelin chef’s fish restaurant has had its chips
Wealthy residents of an exclusive part of West London were celebrating after
their protests closed a fish-and-chip restaurant.
People in Chelsea Green complained about chemical smells from extractors at
Tom’s Place, run by the chef Tom Aikens. Aikens, who won two Michelin stars
by the age of 26, opened the restaurant in February as a pastiche of a
traditional fish-and-chip shop, serving only ethically sourced fish and
English wines.
However, faced with fierce opposition from affluent neighbours including Sir
Michael Jenkins, former president of Boeing UK, and the designer Laura
Benjamin, as well as an investigation by environmental health officers, the
38-year-old chef has shut up shop after just six months. The row centred on
big extractor fans only feet from a block of mansion house apartments.
People said that chemicals used to remove the smell of fish made them feel
ill.
A spokesman for Aikens, who also runs the Tom’s Kitchen brasserie just down
the road, said that “difficulties with residents and planners” had forced
the closure.
Air show takes off on a wing and a prayer
Team Guinot Wingwalkers, right, stun the crowds at the Bournemouth Air
Festival, which began yesterday and is due to run until tomorrow. The RAF
Red Arrows will fly three times and there will also be a Battle of Britain
memorial flight that will include a Lancaster, Spitfire and a Hurricane. The
event is free to spectators.
The Red Arrows flypast will feature a vintage Folland Gnat plane, first used
by the team in 1963. The Gnat will fly alongside nine modern British
Aerospace Hawk jets to mark the 90th anniversary of the RAF.
Bluetongue virus found in cattle from Germany
A new outbreak of bluetongue, a midge-borne virus, was confirmed yesterday in
eight cattle imported from Germany to a farm near Tiverton, South Devon
(Valerie Elliott writes).
Government vets discovered the disease during routine testing. The Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that the cattle had originated
from an area of Germany where the infection is rife.
The farmer who bought the cattle is seeking an independent test. He believes
that the imported cattle were clear of disease and only picked up disease
antibodies from his own herd, which has been vaccinated against the virus.
Checks were made before the cattle were sent to Britain.
The first outbreaks of the disease this summer were found this week in rams
imported from central France and supplied to a farm near Lewes, East Sussex,
and to another near Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.
Alick Simmons, the deputy chief veterinary officer, said: “These cases
emphasise the need for farmers to be aware of the risks from importing
animals within restricted zones.” Bluetongue does not harm humans.
First wave for resort’s plan to lure surfers
The first section of Europe’s only artificial surf reef was laid on the seabed
250 yards off the South Coast yesterday. The square section, covering almost
27,000sq ft, is made from a geotextile. It was lowered under the water in a
concertina form and left to unfold naturally.
The remaining four stages of the £2.6 million project will be installed over
the next two months. Once complete it will create 13ft waves in the calm
seas off Boscombe, near Bournemouth, transforming the resort into a surfers’
paradise and attracting 10,000 surfers a year.
‘Give boys cervical cancer jabs’
A programme starting next month to vaccinate girls against a virus that causes
cervical cancer should include boys, Paul Yeo, a lecturer in microbiology at
Durham University, said. “I would question why boys are not included in this
vaccination programme as it is, after all, a sexually transmitted disease,”
he said.
The Government risked leaving a “pool of infected individuals” who could
spread the virus to women later in life. Girls aged 12 and 13 are to be
vaccinated, with a catchup campaign for girls aged up to 18 starting in the
autumn of 2009.
Free sports training for children
Thousands of children in England are to receive free training in sports of
their choice in a £36 million initiative announced by Andy Burnham, the
Culture Secretary, yesterday. They will each be entitled to a ten-week
“taster session” in one of a range of niche sports including snowboarding,
kayaking and dodgeball, as well as more traditional ones such as cycling and
sailing. The funding for 4,000 projects is part of a £100 million scheme
announced last year as the Government strives to give children aged 5 to 16
the chance to do five hours of sport a week by 2011.
Medieval monasteries’ canals found
Miles of medieval canals that were used by monks, probably to carry stone to
build monasteries, have been discovered in the Lincolnshire fens. About 56
miles of waterways, now silted up and hidden in the fen landscape, were
found using aerial photographs, the Royal Geographical Society’s annual
conference was told. Martin Redding, an archaeologist, said the canals
showed that “breathtaking engineering projects” were being undertaken in the
fens 800 to 1,000 years ago. Rising sea levels and the dissolution of the
monasteries probably put an end to their use.
Prison inmates stand by their beds
An inmate refused to go to court because he feared losing his bed in his cell.
Stefan Kennerk, 34, had been due to appear at Exeter Magistrates’ Court to
face burglary charges. Gareth Owens, his lawyer, told the bench: “He refuses
to come out of his cell at the prison. If he leaves his cell he might lose
his bed by the window.” Mr Kennerk is on remand at the crowded Exeter
prison. The magistrates adjourned the case until next week. A court official
said: “There have been a number of incidents where prisoners have refused to
leave their cells.”
Man in court over ‘threat to kill Brown’
Ishaq Kanmi, 22, who allegedly threatened on a website to “eliminate” Tony
Blair and Gordon Brown, was remanded in custody by City of Westminster
magistrates. He is also accused of being a member of al-Qaeda.
Mr Kanmi is also accused of spreading terrorist literature, along with Abbas
Iqbal, 23. The pair were remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on
October 1. Mr Iqbal’s brother Ilyas, 21, also from Blackburn, is accused of
possessing terrorist material. He denied all charges and was remanded in
custody to appear for committal.
Gorbals boys strut their stuff again
An iconic picture by one of Glasgow’s most famous photographers has been
recreated as a permanent piece of street art. Oscar Marzaroli’s black and
white photo of three boys from the Gorbals slums playing in their mothers’
high-heeled shoes has been turned into a sculpture by Liz Peden. Modelled by
local boys Joe Ridge, 11, above, and Lee Barton and Nicky Giblin, both 12,
the bronze and chrome figures, titled Gorbals Boys, were officially
unveiled yesterday by Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s Deputy First Minister.
Peden, 52, said: “I’ve already seen lots of people smile when they pass the
new sculptures.”
BBC comedy chief killed in crash
A leading figure in television comedy was killed in a road accident. Geoffrey
Perkins, 55, a former BBC head of comedy, was hit by a lorry on Marylebone
High Street. Police said the driver stopped, then drove off but was later
traced. A witness said that Mr Perkins may have fainted and fallen into the
lorry’s path.
Mountain death fall
A 38-year-old woman has died in hospital after falling 200ft on a Cumbria
mountainside with her husband and their six-year-old daughter. The family,
from Peterborough, were airlifted to hospital from Sharp Edge. The injuries
of the father and girl are not thought to be life-threatening.
Black mark for Balls
Almost one in 20 national curriculum test papers taken by 14-year-olds has
still not been marked, Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, has admitted. David
Laws, his Lib Dem shadow, said: “Nobody could possibly have thought that
schools will be going back in the new school year with a huge number of
papers still unmarked.”
Police chief to stay
A chief constable who said that he was to retire has changed his mind. Richard
Brunstrom, the head of North Wales Police, told a local newspaper that the
person who announced his retirement was “mistaken”. Last month the
53-year-old told BBC Radio Wales that he intended to retire when his
contract expired next Christmas.
Last female veteran
Gladys Powers, believed to have been the last female veteran of the First
World War, has died at the age of 109 in British Columbia. She was born in
Lewisham, South London, and emigrated to Canada at the end of the war. Mrs
Powers’ death leaves only three British-born veterans of the war:
112-year-old Henry Allingham, Britain’s oldest man; Harry Patch, 110; and
William Stone, 107.
Porn cleric jailed
A clergyman who downloaded pornographic videos and pictures of young girls was
jailed for 12 months. The Rev Adrian Fereday, 50, who served parishes in
Rotherham, South Yorkshire, had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to 16
charges. Judge Simon Lawler, QC, said Fereday, who is married, had given a
great deal to his community but now “Your family, professional and pastoral
lives lie in ruins”.
Blast pair in court
A fireworks factory owner and his son appeared at Lewes Crown Court charged
with the manslaughter of two firefighters who died after a blast at the
site. Martin Winter, 50, and Nathan Winter, 23, from Shortgate, East Sussex,
had their case adjourned until October 2. Alpha Fireworks Ltd also faces two
counts of contravening health and safety legislation. The Winters’
unconditional bail was extended.
Fox stole chicken
Magistrates in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, erupted in laughter when they
found themselves fining a fox for stealing a chicken. James Fox, 22,
admitted concealing the rare Polish Shamron chicken under his sweatshirt. He
was fined £50. The chicken was none the worse for its ordeal.
EuroMillions result
The winning numbers in last night’s EuroMillions draw were: 2, 20, 25, 37, 39;
Lucky Star 5, 8.
