Showing posts with label BBC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BBC. Show all posts

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Jimmy Savile abuse claims: Charity 'may change name'

Breaking news

Several women have alleged Sir Jimmy sexually assaulted them as teenagers.

The trustees said they "have been contacted by a number of members of the public suggesting that they should change the charity's name, and they are in the process of looking into this."

Earlier Prime Minister David Cameron said the claims were "truly shocking".



Source & Image : BBC

Sandi Toksvig claims she was groped while broadcasting

Sir Jimmy Savile

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Toksvig, 54, said when she told staff, "everybody thought it was amusing".

The comments follow claims by BBC Radio 6 Music DJ Liz Kershaw that she was "routinely groped" during her time at Radio 1 in the 1980s.

The BBC said it was "shocked" by Kershaw's allegation and encouraged "anyone with information on such issues to also speak to the police".

Toksvig's broadcasting career began in the 1980s when she worked largely on ITV and Channel Four.

She told the Andrew Marr Show on BBC One that "things were very different" in the industry then.

"I was once very unpleasantly groped while I was broadcasting by a famous individual who shall remain nameless.

"When I told the staff afterwards what had happened everybody though it was amusing. There was a shrugged shoulder approach to the whole thing. It wasn't something anybody talked about."

Toksvig, who now presents several programmes on BBC Radio 4, said the allegations of inappropriate behaviour at the BBC "did not surprise me at all".

"I had heard those stories when I was working at the BBC," she added.

The BBC's new director general George Entwistle has urged staff to "come forward" and talk to police if they have any information about alleged sexual abuses by the late presenter Sir Jimmy.

Kershaw, who joined Radio 1 around the time Sir Jimmy was leaving, said: "The rumours were there, the jokes were there. It was an open secret."

She described the atmosphere at the time as "intimidating" and said the station had changed out of all recognition since the 1980s.

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Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme she remembered the unnamed presenter fondling her breasts while she was on live radio.

"I couldn't say anything, I couldn't even exclaim because I was broadcasting to the nation," she said.

"When I complained to somebody they were incredulous and said 'Don't you like it? Are you a lesbian?"'

Several women have alleged Sir Jimmy sexually assaulted them as teenagers, sometimes on BBC premises.

In the email to staff, Mr Entwistle added he was "appalled" by the allegations made in an ITV documentary about the former presenter.

Prime Minister David Cameron has said the allegations are "truly shocking".

No complaints were received by the BBC at the time of the alleged abuses.

An earlier statement from the Metropolitan Police confirmed officers had met officials from the BBC who were "fully co-operating with detectives" in the wake of the claims made about Sir Jimmy.

"We do not expect to have a clear picture of exactly how many women may have suffered abuse until next week and want to allow time for victims to reflect on what they may have experienced."



Source & Image : BBC

Glastonbury tickets sell out in record time

Glastonbury Festival 2011

The festival's Twitter feed apologised to the "thousands" who missed out, adding that there had been some problems with getting through "due to the sheer volume of people".

Fans could reserve up to eight tickets - each costing £205 plus booking fee.

Any returned tickets will be put on sale in April 2013.

Thousands of people tried to log onto the ticket website when it opened at 09:00 BST, but many were unable to get onto the page because of the volume of hopeful music fans.

Festival organiser Emily Eavis tweeted: "Sorry to everyone who missed out and for any problems you had with the booking site."

Every ticket purchaser had to have registered on the site before the end of September. Those who managed to secure a ticket paid a £50 deposit immediately, with the remaining money due when the booking site reopens on 2 April 2013.

When tickets sold out at 10:40 BST, Michael and Emily Eavis posted a joint statement on Twitter saying: "We're genuinely humbled by the sheer number of people who would like to come to the festival and we dearly wish we could have you all along.

"Sadly, that just isn't possible, which means a significant number of people have missed out. Demand simply outstripped supply."

Tickets for next June's festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset, which will draw about 135,000 people, cost £10 more than last year.

There was no event this year as the site in Somerset took a break.

As has been traditional in recent years, the headline acts for the 2013 festival were not announced before the tickets went on sale - although Mr Eavis told the BBC earlier this year that they had already been chosen.



Source & Image : BBC

Adele's Bond theme, Skyfall, tops iTunes chart

Skyfall by Adele cover art

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It was number one within 10 hours of being released, overtaking last week's official UK number one Gangnam Style.

The full single was released at 00:07 BST, after a 90 second clip was apparently leaked online this week.

The 23rd Bond film, Skyfall - Daniel Craig's third outing as 007 - is released in UK cinemas on 26 October.

Adele ended months of speculation over her involvement on Monday, when she posted a picture on Twitter, featuring the cover page of the sheet music for the Skyfall theme, bearing her name alongside that of longtime producer and co-writer Paul Epworth.

Epworth told BBC 6 Music that the "dark and moody" theme was intended to echo the narrative of the film.

"The [Bond theme] songs seem to fall into groups, in terms of subject matter," said Epworth. "Some of them have a romanticism to them, and some of them are very much about the narrative of the film.

"We went very much with the narrative of the film. We talk a lot about Bond's relationship to the country... and to MI6.

"There's a little bit of that in the lyrics, and I guess we were trying to find a way to almost make that romantic, you know?

"I think you will need to see the film and see where the song happens in the context of the film.... and it will all make sense."

Skyfall was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, and features a 77-piece orchestra.

Adele broke her silence on the track in an official message on the James Bond website on Monday: "When we recorded the strings, it was one of the proudest moments of my life.

"I'll be back-combing my hair when I'm 60, telling people I was a Bond girl back in the day, I'm sure!"

The singer admitted she was a "little hesitant" about accepting the challenge because of the "instant spotlight and pressure" that came with a Bond song.

But, she said it ended up being a "no-brainer" after she fell in love with the script.

Although it is an entirely original composition, Epworth said they worked hard to give it, "the James Bond feeling", and it was "definitely a conscious thing" to reference Monty Norman's famous four-note motif from the James Bond Theme after the first chorus.

And Monty Norman has given Skyfall his seal of approval, telling the BBC: "I think it's very good, it works for the film very well and I'm honoured that it gives a large nod towards my original."

Norman continued: "In a sense it's a pretty sensible thing to do, if you want to feel the 'James Bond quality' of the music.

"Whatever one thinks of the James Bond Theme, and most people seem to like it, that is the signature tune of the James Bond films so if you use that kind of quality as they've done, that's good."

Norman, who wrote the theme for the first Bond movie, Dr No, 50 years ago, said he thought the Bond franchise had made the right choice in Adele.

"I think Adele's terrific, a truly good singer - one of the best singer's that we've had for many years. She can only go from strength to strength," said Norman.

While Skyfall had topped the UK's iTunes chart within hours of its release, it has some strong competition in the official singles chart this weekend.

It has been a big week for new singles according to Martin Talbot, managing director of the Official Charts Company.

He said several tracks are looking to unseat last week's number one, global YouTube phenomenom Gangnam Style.

"Although it will only have two days' sales to contribute towards its official singles chart position this Sunday, Skyfall is likely to be chasing the tails of Rihanna's Diamonds and One Direction's Live While We're Young, both of them brand new singles," explained Talbot.

"Given her massive popularity, we wouldn't put it past Adele to add to her many chart records by registering the very first James Bond Official Number One Single, whether this Sunday or in future weeks," he added.

Duran Duran's A View To A Kill is still the highest-charting Bond theme. It went to number two in the UK Charts in 1985, and topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.

The band's John Taylor gave the BBC his verdict on Adele's Skyfall.

He wrote: "Pure Bond DNA, an instant classic. Delivers everything I want to hear from a Bond theme."



Source & Image : BBC

Bosnia National Museum shuts amid cash crisis

Protest at closure of Bosnia National Museum, 4 Oct 12

The museum dates back to 1888, when Bosnia-Hercegovina was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Staff have not been paid for about a year. They and hundreds of students protested over the closure on Thursday.

Bosnia's divided ethnic groups have failed to agree on cultural funding since the war ended in 1995.

The National Museum's exhibits include the Sarajevo Haggadah, an illuminated manuscript brought to Bosnia by a Jewish family expelled from Spain during the Inquisition and saved from Hitler's forces during World War II.

For years the museum and six other cultural institutions - guardians of Bosnia's national heritage - have struggled to survive with ad hoc grants from different branches of government.

"Such a complex institution cannot function by improvisations. The authorities must provide the funds for employees' salaries and functioning costs," said National Museum manager Adnan Busuladzic.

He said the museum needed about 60,000 euros a month (£48,000; $78,000) for its regular activities and events.

Bosnia-Hercegovina has no central culture ministry. The country is divided into the Bosniak-Croat Federation and the Bosnian Serb Republic (Republika Srpska).



Source & Image : BBC

'Lost' Blackadder script revealed in new book

ROWAN ATKINSON as Blackaddercus and TONY ROBINSON as Baldrickus in Blackadder: Back and Forth

Blackadder in Bethlehem sees Rowan Atkinson's character as the owner of the inn where Joseph and Mary seek a bed for the night.

The story also features Baldrick, the Three Kings - and a talking turkey.

Written in 1988, the script was given to comedy historian Jem Roberts by writer Richard Curtis.

Roberts describes it as "completely unofficial Blackadder".

Fragments of the unfinished script appear in his book, The History of the Black Adder, which is published later this week.

In the book, Curtis says that he abandoned the idea "for fear it would cause too much offence".

Instead, it was the Dickensian-themed Blackadder's Christmas Carol that went into production, and was broadcast on 23 December 1988.

Blackadder ran for four series between 1983 and 1989, starring Atkinson as Blackadder and Tony Robinson as his dogsbody Baldrick.

There were also some stand-alone stories, the last of which was Blackadder: Back and Forth in 1999.

"When you write a book about a comedy world, there is a dream that you'll be invited into this Ali Baba's cave of unbelievable archive material," Roberts told the BBC. "I always presumed that would never be the case with Blackadder."

But Roberts was amazed when he was handed the previously unseen script while interviewing Curtis at his offices in Notting Hill.

"He printed out a document from his computer and said, 'see what you want to do with this'.

"My jaw dropped when I saw I was holding a lost Blackadder script.

Roberts added: "He wrote on the script that one of the reasons it didn't get used was because it was a strange cross between Fawlty Towers and Life of Brian.

"He didn't think he was going to make it compare to either of them. That's his reason for it never getting any further than it did."

Set on 24 December at the Blackadder Inn in Bethlehem, the opening scene features an exchange in the foyer between Blackadder and Baldrick about getting a turkey for the "most important night in the history of this hotel".

In the next scene, Baldrick is in the kitchen with a turkey which starts to remonstrate with him about being plucked and eaten.

Later, Joseph arrives looking for a room. Blackadder offers him Baldrick's lodgings.

BLACKADDER: How about I offer you this young man's room?

JOSEPH: That sounds excellent.

BLACKADDER: Yes. It's not that excellent - less of a room, more of a manger.

"It wasn't a huge script, there were massive amounts missing," explains Roberts. "It's the rough workings of a comic genius."

The author said he wanted to write the history of Blackadder from the point of view of a "devoted fan", to mark the 30th anniversary of the first pilot episode of The Black Adder.

The book was written with the co-operation of writers Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, producer John Lloyd and the cast and crew.

Roberts's previous book was The Fully Authorised History of 'I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue'.

But what did Roberts think of the talking turkey scene in Curtis's re-discovered script?

"In the Blackadder universe there are ghosts and witches, so there could have been talking turkeys - why not?"

"If they had made Blackadder in Bethlehem, it would have been very off-the-wall."



Source & Image : BBC

Sacha Baron Cohen signs up to Hong Kong Lesbian comedy

Sacha Baron Cohen

The Lesbian - based on the story of Cecil Chao - is set to star Baron Cohen, who will produce the Paramount Picture film through his company Four By Two.

Baron Cohen's latest movie The Dictator made $177m (£109m) worldwide.

He is currently working on a 007 spoof.

According to Variety, the untitled film - also for Paramount - follows a James Bond-like spy who goes on the run with his football hooligan brother.

The Lesbian has yet to announce a writer.

In September, shipping magnate Cecil Chao publicly promised the huge sum of money after reports emerged that his businesswoman daughter, Gigi, had married her long-term girlfriend in France.

Mr Chao rejected the rumours of a civil partnership, and told the BBC his daughter was still single and needed a "good husband".

Same-sex unions are not recognised in Hong Kong, although homosexuality was decriminalised in 1991.

Baron Cohen will next be seen as innkeeper Thenardier alongside Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe in the all-star film adaptation of the long-running West End hit Les Miserables.



Source & Image : BBC

Daniel Craig's James Bond trunks fetch £44,450 at auction

007 trunks

The swimwear and a Bond car were among a number of 007 items sold by Christie's on Friday - half a century on from the first Bond movie, Dr No, in 1962.

An Aston Martin DBS driven by Craig in Quantum Of Solace went for £241,250.

Sale proceeds went to charities, including Unicef UK and Childline.

Some 50 pieces of 007 memorabilia were up for sale at Friday's auction. Most were sold online and 10 star items were bid for at the invitation-only event.

The auction came ahead of the latest Bond film, Skyfall, which opens on 26 October and stars Craig, Dame Judi Dench and Ralph Fiennes.

Money from the sale of the navy and powder blue shorts - size large and made in Italy by La Perla and labelled GrigioPerla - went to the charity, Women for Women.

Introducing the trunks, Dame Judi - who plays the spy's boss M - joked: "All I'm going to tell you is they're unwashed."

Other guests helping to host the auction included former James Bond and goodwill ambassador for Unicef Sir Roger Moore, and comedian David Walliams.

The sale of the 2008 Aston Martin 6 Litre V12 DBS - a two-door coupe driven by Craig in Quantum of Solace - fetched £241,250.

Proceeds would go to the "Roger Moore spray tan foundation," Walliams joked.

Also for sale was a scaled-down model of an Aston Martin DB5, which raised £61,250 for the charity Tickets for Troops.

Lord Marland, chairman of Tickets for Troops, said: "We are absolutely overwhelmed with the amount raised for the charity.

"This is beyond our expectations and helps us to carry on with the fantastic work our team are doing.

"As a charity that relies on individual donations, this money will be invaluable in helping us to deliver more tickets for members of the Armed Forces and their families."

Another highlight of the auction were the complete works of James Bond's creator, Ian Fleming. The books were estimated at up to £15,000, but sold for £91,250 in a tight contest between bidders.

Elsewhere, a navy woollen suit worn by Daniel Craig in Skyfall was very popular. Although expected to raise between £2,000 and £3,000, the suit went for £46,850.

A titanium Omega Seamaster Professional Planet Ocean watch - also worn by Craig in the upcoming film - sold for £157,250.

And the orchestral score for the film's theme song, signed by singer Adele and co-writer Paul Epworth, fetched £13,750.

Less expensive options included a night for two at London's five-star hotel, Claridges, and a chauffeur-driven Aston Martin ride to the premiere of Skyfall and its afterparty.

However, the latter sold for £37,250 - more than 10 times over the expected price.



Source & Image : BBC

Council to sell Henry Moore sculpture

Draped Seated Woman by Henry Moore at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Tower Hamlets Council said it would sell Draped Seated Woman after "unprecedented" budget cuts.

The work has not yet been valued but a Moore sold for £17m earlier this year.

The council said the rising threat of metal theft and vandalism made it too expensive to insure if it was on show.

The sculpture was bought by the former London County Council for £6,000 in 1960.

The bronze sculpture, nicknamed Old Flo, was installed on the Stifford council estate in 1962 but was vandalised and moved to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in 1997.

A council spokesperson said: "With unprecedented cuts to council budgets, the council finds itself in a difficult situation and being forced to make hard decisions.

"As the borough does not have the funds required to insure or maintain the upkeep of the work, releasing these necessary funds will enable the council to support front-line services."

Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman added: "It is with great regret that I take this decision but we are faced with a stark choice in these times of recession."

The sculpture is expected to be auctioned by Christie's in February. No valuation has been made but Tower Hamlets said estimates had ranged from £4m-£17m.

The council is having to make cuts of £100m per year over the next three years.

Richard Calvocoressi, director of the Henry Moore Foundation, said he sympathised with the council's position but added that it would be "very sad" if the sculpture was no longer on public display.

Metal theft has become a major problem in recent years. In 2005, a large Moore work was taken from the foundation in Hertfordshire, while a sundial by the artist was removed from the same location this July.

Last December, a bronze work by Barbara Hepworth was stolen from Dulwich Park in south London.

Tower Hamlets Council had considered moving Draped Seated Woman to private land in Canary Wharf but has instead chosen to "explore options" for a sale.

The auction of council artworks to meet budget shortfalls is normally frowned upon in the art world.

The last significant case was in 2006, when Bury Council was expelled from the Museums Association for selling an LS Lowry painting for £1.4m.

The Museums Association said it could not act in this instance because Draped Seated Woman was an individual piece of public art and not part of a museum collection.



Source & Image : BBC

Strictly's Jordan breaks nose in rehearsal

Denise Van Outen and James Jordan

His wife, Ola - also a professional dancer - accidentally kicked him in the face as they practised a group dance for the show.

Jordan, who was seen by medics after the accident, is partnered with the actress and singer Denise Van Outen.

Ola later tweeted, saying: "I'm so so sorry @The_JamesJordan, I feel so bad!!!!"

Jordan is the third professional dancer to receive an injury during rehearsals for this year's show.

Dancer Artem Chigvintsev was also hurt on Friday when he was hit in the face by fellow professional Flavia Cacace's elbow.

He is believed to have been bruised on the cheek.

Last week, 28-year-old professional dancer Aliona Vilani fractured her ankle while practising a tango routine with veteran TV presenter Johnny Ball.

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She will miss the first live show on Friday night and may be out of the competition for two to four weeks.

In the meantime, Ball will be partnered by Iveta Lukosiute, a veteran of US show So You Think You Can Dance?

James Jordan said he was determined to carry on for the sake of Van Outen, who missed her grandfather's funeral to maintain the couple's strict training schedule.



Source & Image : BBC

No Doubt settle dispute over Band Hero music game

No Doubt

The rock band agreed to feature in Band Hero, but objected to players being allowed to use Gwen Stefani's character to perform songs by other artists.

They accused Activision of breach of contract and fraudulent inducement in documents filed in Los Angeles in 2009.

Activision Publishing Inc. had denied all wrongdoing.

Court papers show a settlement between the two parties was reached on Monday.

Band Hero, a spin-off of Guitar Hero, debuted in November 2009.

In the same month, No Doubt brought the case against gaming giant Activision, claiming the video game turned them "into a virtual karaoke circus act".

At the time, their manager, Jim Guerinot, told Rolling Stone magazine that No Doubt were "mortified" to discover their likenesses could be used to sing songs by other artists.

The band sought unspecified damages and an injunction preventing Activision from distributing the game.

They also wanted the company to recall existing copies of the game.

Activision launched a counter-suit claiming No Doubt's action was "without merit" thanks to "an agreement signed by the band after extensive negotiations with its representatives".

However, earlier this year a judge ruled that No Doubt could argue fraud, violation of publicity rights and breach of contract claims, at a trial scheduled for later this month.

The terms of the out of court settlement, reached earlier this week, have not been revealed.



Source & Image : BBC

Alec Baldwin suggested taking pay cut to save 30 Rock

Alec Baldwin

Baldwin, who plays head of NBC, Jack Donaghy, in the comedy show, revealed on Twitter that he made the offer "in order to have a full [seventh] and [eighth] seasons of 30 Rock". No response was forthcoming.

"I realise times have changed. I am looking forward to some time off."

NBC said in May that the seventh season would be the last for the show.

Bosses at the channel also announced that the number of episodes per season would be cut from 22 to 13.

30 Rock, created by US comedian Tina Fey, follows the daily running of the fictional comedy show TGS With Tracy Jordan.

Cult following

Inspired by Fey's time working as head writer for Saturday Night Live, it has received 90 Emmy nominations resulting in 14 wins, including best comedy series, and two awards for Baldwin.

It also won a Golden Globe for Best Television Series.

Baldwin stars alongside Fey who plays Liz Lemon, the head writer who has to deal with dysfunctional stars and a disastrous love life.

Despite enjoying a cult following ratings have tumbled since the show began six years ago.

Its peak of 7.5 million viewers in the US during 2008 and 2009 fell to 3.5 million last season, overshadowed by the success of Modern Family and Glee.

According to Forbes 2012 Celebrity 100 earnings report, Baldwin earned $15 million (£9.3 million) in the past year while Fey made $11 million (£6.7 million).

30 Rock was dropped from British terrestrial TV following its second series in 2009, after a run of poor viewing figures on Channel Five.

It has since been shown in the UK on Comedy Central.



Source & Image : BBC

Friday, October 5, 2012

Strictly's Jordan breaks nose in rehearsal

Denise Van Outen and James Jordan

His wife, Ola - also a professional dancer - accidentally kicked him in the face as they practised a group dance for the show.

Jordan, who was seen by medics after the accident, is partnered with the actress and singer Denise Van Outen.

Ola later tweeted, saying: "I'm so so sorry @The_JamesJordan, I feel so bad!!!!"

Jordan is the third professional dancer to receive an injury during rehearsals for this year's show.

Dancer Artem Chigvintsev was also hurt on Friday when he was hit in the face by fellow professional Flavia Cacace's elbow.

He is believed to have been bruised on the cheek.

Last week, 28-year-old professional dancer Aliona Vilani fractured her ankle while practising a tango routine with veteran TV presenter Johnny Ball.

She will miss the first live show on Friday night and may be out of the competition for two to four weeks.

Jordan was determined to carry on for the sake of Van Outen, who missed her grandfather's funeral to maintain the couple's strict training schedule.



Source & Image : BBC

Council to sell Henry Moore sculpture

Draped Seated Woman by Henry Moore at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Tower Hamlets Council said it would sell Draped Seated Woman after "unprecedented" budget cuts.

The work has not yet been valued but a Moore sold for £17m earlier this year.

The council said the rising threat of metal theft and vandalism made it too expensive to insure if it was on show.

The sculpture was bought by the former London County Council for £6,000 in 1960.

The bronze sculpture, nicknamed Old Flo, was installed on the Stifford council estate in 1962 but was vandalised and moved to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in 1997.

A council spokesperson said: "With unprecedented cuts to council budgets, the council finds itself in a difficult situation and being forced to make hard decisions.

"As the borough does not have the funds required to insure or maintain the upkeep of the work, releasing these necessary funds will enable the council to support front-line services."

Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman added: "It is with great regret that I take this decision but we are faced with a stark choice in these times of recession."

The sculpture is expected to be auctioned by Christie's in February. No valuation has been made but Tower Hamlets said estimates had ranged from £4m-£17m.

The council is having to make cuts of £100m per year over the next three years.

Richard Calvocoressi, director of the Henry Moore Foundation, said he sympathised with the council's position but added that it would be "very sad" if the sculpture was no longer on public display.

Metal theft has become a major problem in recent years. In 2005, a large Moore work was taken from the foundation in Hertfordshire, while a sundial by the artist was removed from the same location this July.

Last December, a bronze work by Barbara Hepworth was stolen from Dulwich Park in south London.

Tower Hamlets Council had considered moving Draped Seated Woman to private land in Canary Wharf but has instead chosen to "explore options" for a sale.

The auction of council artworks to meet budget shortfalls is normally frowned upon in the art world.

The last significant case was in 2006, when Bury Council was expelled from the Museums Association for selling an LS Lowry painting for £1.4m.

The Museums Association said it could not act in this instance because Draped Seated Woman was an individual piece of public art and not part of a museum collection.



Source & Image : BBC

Grayson Perry's 'Disneyland' home to be built in Essex village

Artist's impression of the Grayson Perry/FAT house in Wrabness, Essex

Grayson Perry's design, which he says aims to "reflect the different aspects" of his home county, has been approved by Tendring District Council.

People opposed to the Wrabness building had called it a "monstrosity" and said it was "more suited to a theme park".

Construction is due to start next year.

The artist, who was born in Chelmsford, designed the building with Fashion Architecture Taste (FAT).

It will feature his artwork and be made available for the public to stay in via Living Architecture, which also oversee the Balancing Barn and Dune House buildings in Suffolk.

Mr Perry, whose vases helped him win the Turner Prize in 2003, said the idea for the two-bedroom house "relates to buildings put up as memorials to loved ones, to follies, to eccentric-home-built structures, to shrines, lighthouses and fairytales".

Wrabness Parish Council was amongst those to object to the plans, saying it would increase traffic and that it did not fit in with the landscape.

Mrs Pauline Marsh lodged an objection with the council saying the house, which will look out over the Stour, was "completely out of keeping with our beautiful estuary, rather like Disneyland".

Mr Perry said the design is sympathetic to the area and "does not look to dominate its surroundings".

"I have a deep fondness for Essex and I am happy to invest a large chunk of my energy and time into a project that I feel will add greatly to the cultural standing of the area," he said.

Tendring District Council said it had previously granted planning permission for a larger building to be built on the plot, but it did not go ahead.

More than 100 comments were submitted to the council, which said the positive reponses "far outweighed" those objecting to the plans.

The house could be completed in 2014.



Source & Image : BBC

Billy Bragg to give John Peel Lecture

Billy Bragg

The lecture was launched last year by inaugural speaker, The Who's Pete Townshend.

Bragg will explore how radio's 'pirates' become mainstream and in what ways broadcasters should reflect that.

The event is named after the late Radio 1 DJ John Peel, who Bragg called "a complete hero to the music industry".

"I'm delighted to be asked to speak at the event in his honour," said Bragg.

Peel, who died in 2004, famously promoted new talent using his Peel Sessions, often giving airtime to unsigned artists.

He was among the first to champion acts from Pink Floyd to the White Stripes, to Bragg himself.

"John Peel gave me my first big break in return for a biryani and he was always hugely supportive of my work," revealed Bragg.

Throughout his 30-year career, inspired by punk, Bragg has often used his music and political songs to offer fans a different perspective on issues of the day.

The John Peel Lecture was launched last year and aims "to discuss and create insight into music and music-related media from the past, present or future".

Bob Shennan, controller of Radio 2 and 6 Music, said digital station 6 Music was its "natural home".

"I'm proud that we can continue John's legacy to inspire conversation about music and that Billy - an icon of British music whose outspoken views are sure to spark debate - will take centre stage for this special occasion," added Shennan.

The Radio Festival takes place in Salford Quays between 12-14 November, featuring speakers such as BBC Radio 1's Ben Cooper, Absolute Radio's Frank Skinner and Adrian Chiles.

The Radio Festival's chair Clive Dickens said: "The lecture is a great way to pay tribute to a man who changed the structure of music radio through innovative programmes, which were delivered with humour and an obvious passion and dedication to music."



Source & Image : BBC

Peter Kay records theatre cameo

Peter Kay

Kay will be heard in Lighthearted Intercourse at the Bolton Octagon.

Maxine Peake, who started her acting career at the theatre, also returned to record lines as Kay's character's wife.

The play is a new version of one written by Bill Naughton. He was most famous for writing Alfie, which later became a film starring Michael Caine.

Lighthearted Intercourse has only been staged once, in Liverpool in 1971. In that production, William Roache, better known as Coronation Street's Ken Barlow, took the lead role as a young married man in 1920s Bolton.

Kay and Peake, who both hail from the town, have recorded parts as a "muckmiser" at the local sewage works and his wife.

Bolton Octagon artistic director David Thacker said: "It's a real pleasure for us to have Maxine and Peter back here at the Octagon.

"Both have a history at the theatre - Maxine's first professional production was at the Octagon and Peter worked in the box office - so it's great that they wanted to return for this project."

Naughton, who died in 1992, described the play as a "high comedy in low places" - but he was never completely happy with the finished product.

His widow Erna has now given Thacker a dozen draft scripts, as well as notes left by Naughton, in order to create a new version.

Thacker said: "Though it retains the title from the Liverpool Playhouse version, Erna Naughton considers the Octagon's Lighthearted Intercourse to be a world premiere."

Naughton's other plays included Spring and Port Wine, which was turned into a film starring James Mason, and The Family Way, which was filmed with John and Hayley Mills.



Source & Image : BBC

Alec Baldwin suggested taking pay cut to save 30 Rock

Alec Baldwin

Baldwin, who plays head of NBC, Jack Donaghy, in the comedy sketch show, revealed on Twitter that he made the offer "in order to have a full [seventh] and [eighth] seasons of 30 Rock". No response was forthcoming.

"I realise times have changed. I am looking forward to some time off."

NBC said in May that the seventh season would be the last for the show.

Bosses at the channel also announced that the number of episodes per season would be cut from 22 to 13.

30 Rock, created by US comedian Tina Fey, follows the daily running of the fictional sketch comedy show TGS With Tracy Jordan.

Cult following

Inspired by Fey's time working as head writer for Saturday Night Live, it has received 90 Emmy nominations resulting in 14 wins, including best comedy series, and two awards for Baldwin.

It also won a Golden Globe for Best Television Series.

Baldwin stars alongside Fey who plays Liz Lemon, the head writer who has to deal with dysfunctional stars and a disastrous love life.

Despite enjoying a cult following ratings have tumbled since the show began six years ago.

Its peak of 7.5 million viewers in the US during 2008 and 2009 fell to 3.5 million last season, overshadowed by the success of Modern Family and Glee.

According to Forbes 2012 Celebrity 100 earnings report, Baldwin earned $15 million (£9.3 million) in the past year while Fey made $11 million (£6.7 million).

30 Rock was dropped from British terrestrial TV following its second series in 2009, after a run of poor viewing figures on Channel Five.

It has since been shown in the UK on Comedy Central.



Source & Image : BBC

Adele's Bond theme, Skyfall, enters charts

Skyfall by Adele cover art

It was number three at the time of writing, behind last week's official UK number one Gangnam Style, and Rihanna.

The full single was released at 00:07 BST, after a 90 second clip was apparently 'leaked' online this week.

The 23rd Bond film, Skyfall - Daniel Craig's third outing as 007 - is released in UK cinemas on 26 October.

Adele ended months of speculation over her Bond involvement on Monday, when she posted a picture on Twitter, featuring the cover page of the sheet music for the Skyfall theme, bearing her name alongside longtime producer and co-writer Paul Epworth's.

Epworth told BBC 6 Music that the theme was intended to echo the narrative of the film.

"The [Bond theme] songs seem to fall into groups, in terms of subject matter," said Epworth. "Some of them have a romanticism to them, and some of them are very much about the narrative of the film.

"We went very much with the narrative of the film. We talk a lot about Bond's relationship to the country... and to MI6.

"There's a little bit of that in the lyrics, and I guess we were trying to find a way to almost make that romantic, you know?"

Skyfall was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, and features a 77-piece orchestra.

Adele broke her silence on the track in an official message on the James Bond website on Monday: "When we recorded the strings, it was one of the proudest moments of my life.

"I'll be back-combing my hair when I'm 60, telling people I was a Bond girl back in the day, I'm sure!"

The singer admitted she was a "little hesitant" about accepting the challenge because of the "instant spotlight and pressure" that came with a Bond song.

But, she said it ended up being a "no-brainer" after she fell in love with the script.

"It was also a lot of fun writing to a brief, something I've never done, which made it exciting," added Adele.

Epworth said they worked hard to give it, "the James Bond feeling", and it was "definitely a conscious thing" to weave The James Bond Theme by Monty Norman into the harmony and some of the chords.

He added: "It's a dark and moody Bond theme. It's definitely not as positive, or up and exciting, as some.

"But I think you will need to see the film and see where the song happens in the context of the film.... and it will all make sense."



Source & Image : BBC

Bosnia National Museum shuts amid cash crisis

Protest at closure of Bosnia National Museum, 4 Oct 12

The museum dates back to 1888, when Bosnia-Hercegovina was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Staff have not been paid for about a year. They and hundreds of students protested over the closure on Thursday.

Bosnia's divided ethnic groups have failed to agree on cultural funding since the war ended in 1995.

The National Museum's exhibits include the Sarajevo Haggadah, an illuminated manuscript brought to Bosnia by a Jewish family expelled from Spain during the Inquisition and saved from Hitler's forces during World War II.

For years the museum and six other cultural institutions - guardians of Bosnia's national heritage - have struggled to survive with ad hoc grants from different branches of government.

"Such a complex institution cannot function by improvisations. The authorities must provide the funds for employees' salaries and functioning costs," said National Museum manager Adnan Busuladzic.

He said the museum needed about 60,000 euros a month (£48,000; $78,000) for its regular activities and events.

Bosnia-Hercegovina has no central culture ministry. The country is divided into the Bosniak-Croat Federation and the Bosnian Serb Republic (Republika Srpska).



Source & Image : BBC