Gavin & Stacey cast bid farewell to Barry as filming in town ends

Published

2 months ago

September 19, 2024

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The cast of Gavin & Stacey have bid farewell to Barry as filming in the town ends.

The comedy, which originally aired between 2007 and 2010 before a Christmas Special in 2019, will return for a final episode this Christmas.

It follows the love story of Essex boy Gavin Shipman (Matthew Horne) and Stacey West (Joanna Page) who lives in the South Wales town where most of the filming take place.

In a clip shared on social media, series co-creator Ruth Jones greeted fans who had gathered to watch filming on Trinity Street and said they had been “so patient”.

“You haven’t seen anything because we’ve been indoors, which shows that you are true committed fans of the show,” she said.

“And we hope that you won’t be disappointed on Christmas Day when all will be revealed.”

Jones added that it was the cast’s “farewell to Barry and to Trinity Street”.

“You won’t be seeing us here anymore, but we’ve had a wonderful 17 years. It’s been fantastic,” she added.

James Corden, who co-writes the comedy with Jones, told onlookers: “Thank you very much for everything, we’ll see you soon”.

They were joined by cast members Page, Rob Brydon, Melanie Walters and Robert Wilford.

The show’s other stars include Horne, Alison Steadman and Larry Lamb.

2019’s Christmas episode ended with a proposal cliffhanger, as viewers were left guessing the response.

Around 18 million people tuned in to watch the episode.

UK

‘Renegade’ UK could be spared from Donald Trump’s tariffs, US governor says

Published

9 hours ago

November 9, 2024

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'Renegade' UK could be spared from Donald Trump's tariffs, US governor says

The UK could be spared the impact of Donald Trump’s proposed trade tariff increases on foreign imports, a US governor has told Sky News.

In the aftermath of the Republican candidate’s decisive election win over Kamala Harris this week, attention is turning to what the former president will do on his return to the White House.

Mr Trump has said he wants to raise tariffs – taxes on imported products – on goods from around the world by 10%, rising to 60% on goods from China, as part of his plan to protect US industries.

But there are fears in foreign capitals about what this could do to their economies. Goldman Sachs has downgraded its forecast for the UK’s economic growth next year from 1.6% to 1.4%, while EU officials are anticipating a reduction in exports to the US of €150bn (£125bn).

However, New Jersey governor Phil Murphy – a Democrat – says he believes Mr Trump may consider not including the UK in the tariff plans.

Speaking on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, the governor said he cannot speak for the president-elect but he has a “good relationship” with him.

His gut feeling is that Mr Trump will not impose tariffs on goods from allies like the UK. “But if I’m China, I’m fastening my seatbelt right now,” he said.

Mr Murphy said that Mr Trump may look favourably at the UK after its departure from the European Union.

The president-elect is considering offering the UK a special deal that would exempt British exports from billions of pounds of tariffs, according to The Telegraph.

“Donald Trump (has) some sympathy with the renegade who has courage,” Mr Murphy continued. “I think there’s some of that. I think that’s a card that can be played. We’ll see.”

Asked about whether UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer can build a rapport with the incoming president, Mr Murphy said: “I’ve been able to find common ground with President Trump, and I’m a proud progressive, although I’m a cold-blooded capitalist, which is probably the part of me that President Trump resonates with.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said she is “confident” trade flows with the United States will continue despite the tariff proposal.

Will Brexit help UK in Trump trade talks?

Jon Craig

Chief political correspondent

@joncraig

Could Brexit help Sir Keir Starmer and the UK government in trade negotiations with President Trump – who calls himself “tariff man” – and the US?

The suggestion – ironic, given the PM’s hostility to Brexit and his pledge for a “reset” with the EU – has been made by a Trump ally and confidant, albeit a leading Democrat.

The claim comes from Phil Murphy, governor of New Jersey, in an interview for Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on Sky News.

Murphy says he has a good relationship with Trump, who has a palatial home he calls the Summer White House, a 500-acre estate and a golf club at Bedminster, New Jersey, just 45 minutes from Trump Tower in New York.

He says his “gut feeling” is that Trump has sympathy with the UK for having the courage to pull out of the EU, “this big bureaucratic blob” and “that’s a card that can be played” by the UK in trade talks.

Really? As Trevor politely pointed out, that might benefit the UK if the prime minister was Nigel Farage rather than Sir Keir.

Mr Farage, however, speaking at a Reform UK regional conference in Exeter, described Trump as a “pro-British American president” who’d give the UK “potentially huge opportunities”.

But there’s one problem, according to the Reform UK leader. Favours from Trump will only come, he claims, “if we can overcome the difficulties that the whole of the cabinet have been rude about him”.

You can watch the full interview with Governor Phil Murphy as well as other guests on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips from 8.30am.

UK

Manchester bus crash: Seventeen taken to hospital after collision on Rochdale Road

Published

9 hours ago

November 9, 2024

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Manchester bus crash: Seventeen taken to hospital after collision on Rochdale Road

Seventeen people have been taken to hospital after a crash involving two double-decker buses in Manchester.

It happened near the junction of Rochdale Road and Livesey Street, on the edge of the city centre, at 8.34am.

Nine ambulances, an air ambulance, two response vehicles and an advanced paramedic were sent to the scene.

North West Ambulance Service said 17 injured people were taken to hospitals around Manchester but no one was seriously hurt.

Pictures show the front of one bus badly mangled and the glass smashed.

A witness told the Manchester Evening News the two buses collided, with one going through a metal fence.

The paper said passengers climbed out of the wreckage but one person had to be rescued from the upper deck by fire crews.

Stephen Rhodes, Transport for Greater Manchester’s bus director, wished injured passengers a “speedy recovery” and said it involved two Bee Network buses.

Rochdale Road has now reopened but officials said there could be lingering delays.

UK

Wrexham player James McClean refuses to stand with teammates for Remembrance silence

Published

9 hours ago

November 9, 2024

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Wrexham player James McClean refuses to stand with teammates for Remembrance silence

Wrexham FC player James McClean stood away from his teammates as they observed a minute’s silence ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

The 35-year-old, originally from Derry, Northern Ireland, has refused to take part in Remembrance commemorations ever since he moved to England to play for Sunderland in 2011.

It is a tradition for footballers to wear shirts or armbands emblazoned with Remembrance poppies for games throughout Remembrance weekend.

On Saturday at Wrexham’s League One home game against Mansfield Town at the Racecourse Ground, both teams stood for a minute’s silence before kick-off – but McClean stood deliberately separate.

Previously, McClean has said he refuses to observe traditions due to the British Army’s role in The Troubles.

He grew up on Derry’s Creggan estate, where six of the people killed on Bloody Sunday in 1972, were from.

The midfielder says he would wear the poppy if it was solely intended to remember servicemen and women who died in the world wars – as this includes Irish people. The British Legion asks people to remember British personnel lost in all conflicts for Remembrance.

McClean has received both condemnation and praise for his stance over the years.

Fined by ex-club for balaclava tweet

In 2020, he was fined by his former club Stoke City after he posted a picture of himself wearing a balaclava alongside two children, to whom he claimed he was giving a “history lesson”.

The post, which he later deleted, was captioned: “Today’s School lesson – History.”

He was fined two weeks’ wages by the club, which condemned the picture as “inappropriate”.

He later said: “I never wanted to cause any offence but I now realise that I did so and for that I apologise unreservedly. I have spoken to the club and will be deleting my Instagram account.”