Matthew Steeples reports that Jeremy Corbyn’s attempt to enthuse a child in Harlow didn’t go down well; children and politicians should never mix
Yesterday, Jeremy Corbyn headed to Harlow, Essex. He gave a speech to an assembled audience – including a woman with an upside down Labour poster – and then picked up a child and tried to charm it.
After I noted on Twitter that “the poor kid’ll be scarred for life #Awkward”, the child’s mother, Chloe Pullara, responded: “That’ll be my baby. It was an honour to meet @jeremycorbyn”.
In a video also shared by Ms Pullara, Corbyn is seen asking the child: “Are ya’ alright then?” It hid behind its coat and did not look in the slightest amused.
Chloe Pullara, a lady whose Twitter handle features the caption “proud to be the 48%”, plainly ignores the fact that Jeremy Corbyn’s party is backing Brexit as, in another tweet, she then added:
“So I just got to meet our future PM @jeremycorbyn. The most wonderful man who made time for each and every one of us”.
Actor Michael Caine claims to be “a socialist” in spite of having been involved in a tax avoidance scheme and previously leaving Britain to avoid the top rate of tax in the 1970s
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is a man who flip-flops like no other and whose political views are best described as “chaotic”. Though a man known for fleeing Britain for America to avoid high taxes in the 1970s and a man named as an investor in a tax avoidance scheme named Liberty in 2014, the pro-Brexit actor has this week called himself a “socialist” and went as far to say: “I wouldn’t live in a country that didn’t pay income tax”.
“I’m a socialist, basically. I want as much money as possible for poor people, to help whoever’s in trouble. I wouldn’t live in a country that didn’t pay income tax”.
“What you have to do is keep emotion out of it. You can’t say: ‘We hate these rich people, we’re going to tax them to smithereens’. You’ve got to have them stay in your country and pay the tax”.
A public supporter of Margaret Thatcher, David Cameron and even Tony Blair, Sir Michael was forced to pay a significant sum to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs after being exposed as part of the Liberty scheme and also made a fool of himself in another regard. The actor also told The Universe:
“In order to do something good, I don’t just do work which is no good. I don’t do commercials’.
In 2013, he was paid a six-figure sum to film a commercial for Sky television. How conveniently the man forgets.
The co-owner of the right-wing Westmonster website terms his ethnicity “milk bottle white” and claims there are “tons of burkas” on the streets of East London. Naturally a fan of Marine Le Pen and Donald Trump and of the belief that England is the land of “soft justice”, Michael Heaver loathes what he describes as the “pathetic” Hope Not Hate campaign and claims Nigel Farage is responsible for the rise in the usage of the usage of “political elite” and “establishment” as descriptions. He previously worked as UKIP’s head of online engagement and was once mocked as “another useful idiot” and a “remarkably unpleasant child”.
A 20-question interview with self-made businessman and star of ‘My Fat Gypsy Fortune’ Alfie Best
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?
For a man to know where he is going, he must remember where he is from.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
Life is a light, it is your job to make it shine brighter.
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2017?
Internet trolls who are brave behind keyboards.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
Time.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
More time.
Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank”. What’s your view on the state of the financial system?
If you treat the bank as a bank, they will treat you as a customer but if you treat the banks as a partner within your business and build your relationship with the management of the bank, they will consider you as a partner and offer much more insight and help which it is own way, is free to you as a business.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
“We have a problem”; one man’s problem is another man’s opportunity.
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
I do believe charity begins at home but I also believe giving is not as good as teaching. If you give a man a fish, he will feed his family for a night, show the man how to fish and he will feed his family for a lifetime.
We’re actually setting up own charity – Wyldecrest Parks Charity – which hopefully we’ll be able to help vulnerable people in need.
The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?
Connection is unbelievable and the forward bounds it has given us a society is unprecedented but we have to remember not to become disconnected from society.
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
I would fill the carriage with my family and friends and invite Tracy Chapman and the musical artist Rodriguez; I would look for them to enjoy the ride and party whilst it lasted.
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
Pie, mash and liquor at the White House with the President to try and get a reprieve whilst eating my last meal.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
6:30am with a nice cup of lemon tea.
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
A cup of tea.
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
I enjoy my son’s parties because the charisma he brings to the room is like a ray of sunshine on the beach.
Who is the most positive person you know?
Me.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
Chocolate.
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
If I were to have a tattoo, it would state ‘BEST’ across my back because it would mean the best is behind me and there is even better to come.
If you were a car, what marque would you be?
A black Lamborghini.
Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
After becoming a millionaire at 20, I nearly went bust and slept in my car for 3 months.
What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?
A backward clock – it confuses everyone!
Alfie Best is a successful entrepreneur driven by tenacity. With humble origins, born and raised in a Romany Gypsy family, this self-made man started his professional path totally from scratch. Alongside Wyldecrest Parks, Alfie Best also owns other very successful businesses within the hospitality and leisure, events, trading and finance industries including Vinyl Bar, Kyoto Furniture, Axiom Uno and Wylde Event Management.
Low House, Eskrigge, Gressingham, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA2 8LXFancy a game of chess?Or a dip in the hot tub?
Dating to the late 17th century and originally a farmhouse and barn, this 4,490 square foot Grade II listed property stands in 1.5 acres of gardens, 2.5 acres of woodland and 4 acres of paddocks. It has 4 reception rooms, 2 kitchens, 6 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms and comes with a number of follies, a hot tub and a giant chessboard.
Reduced in price from £1.79 million ($2.24 million, €2.11 million or درهم7.78 million) to £1.69 million ($2.12 million, €1.99 million or درهم8.24 million), Low House is just seven miles from Lancaster.
A 20-question interview with Paris based fashion designer Martin Raffa
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?
The search beauty and harmony. From an early age, I understood the importance of both in my entourage.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
“Beauty is interior”.
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2017?
The mediatic terrorism of the Kardashian family.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
Palm trees and tropical rainforest vegetation.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
For God to grant me an obedient heart.
Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank”. What’s your view on the state of the financial system?
I don’t understand much about finance, but I think the worst thing of all is that there is a lack of help to help small entrepreneurs since they are the true wealth creators.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
“It’s impossible to achieve”.
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
Personally, I work with friends to create an association protect animals. I especially like protecting dogs.
The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?
Being connected is great, but do not be connected for too long.
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
I would invite Andy Warhol so we could have great pictures, Truman Capote to enjoy great conversations, Marvin Gaye for the music, Ferran Adrià to have great meals and my French bulldog, Batman.
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
Soy risotto with oysters and black truffles at Le Sur Mesure by Thierry Marx at the Mandarin Oriental in Paris.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
It depends on the city. In Paris, it would be 6pm with my team at the office at the end of a long, productive day.
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
A martini, always.
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
I enjoy my own pool parties the best.
Who is the most positive person you know?
Milagros Schmoll, my muse. She is an Argentinian artist and international model.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
To stay in bed in the morning playing with my dog Batman when I have a thousand things to do.
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
A very fine line on my arm that could only be read with a magnifying glass. It would say: “The beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” (Oscar Wilde).
If you were a car, what marque would you be?
A black Aston Martin DB4 Zagato.
Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
When I was young, I spent three years in the navy. I was honoured as a submariner.
What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?
Books about the photographer Steichen, a candle by Cire Trudon, lithospheres from Bernardaud and a big bottle of Sycomore by Chanel.
Martin Raffa was born in Argentina of Italian origin. He was the first Argentinian designer to present a collection during the haute couture shows in Paris. He now works for private clients around the world. Contact him at [email protected]
Federal-style New York townhouse for sale for £3.982 million; the West Village was previously the Home of the Sons and Daughters of Israel
A 2,212 square foot townhouse dating to 1833 on sale in New York comes with quite a history. Built in the Federal-style by a cartman named John C. Blauvelt, the property subsequently became the Home of the Sons and Daughters of Israel – a “home for aged male and female Hebrews” – in 1913 and was then converted to two residences in 1951.
232 West 10th Street, West Village, Manhattan, New York, NY 10014, United States of America
Reduced in price from £4.772 million ($5.975 million, €5.630 million or درهم21.946 million) to £3.982 million ($4.986 million, €4.698 million or درهم18.313 million), 232 West 10th Street in West Village, Manhattan currently remains as two units and comprises of 3 reception rooms, 2 kitchens, 2 offices, 2 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. It could, however, easily be reconfigured back into a family home and comes with both a terrace and garden.
The house is offered by the Farah team at Compass Realty and is described as “a renovator’s dream”.
Picturesque watermill used in ‘The Witchfinder General’ and ‘Dad’s Army’ for sale
Witches and water don’t have an affinity – with dunking being a common form of punishment for suspects in the 16th and 17th centuries – and at The Watermill on the River Black Bourn at Ixworth in Suffolk, just such activity occurred in the 1968 film The Witchfinder General.
The Watermill, which is now for sale for £1 million ($1.3 million, €1.2 million or درهم4.6 milllion) through Savills, was also a location in the popular BBC series Dad’s Army and of this property, which until recently was used as a holiday rental, the corporation’s Martha Kearney once remarked: “I can’t think of a more enchanted summer evening than sitting outside the Mill, gazing across the water lilies on the pond to the beautiful island beyond”.
The Watermill prior to renovation
A working mill from 1800 until 1946, the 5,848 square foot, three floor building comes with detailed restrictions about how it could be altered given it is Grade II* listed but currently provides 3 reception rooms, 5 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
Previously rented from £1,450 to £3,000 per week depending on season, The Watermill is situated on a three acre plot that includes a picturesque lily-covered mill pond with island and mill race. An outbuilding has lapsed planning permission for conversion into ancillary accommodation whilst the former mill itself retains much of its original machinery.
A 20-question interview with contemporary artist Alexander Newley
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?
Eros, anger, anxiety, love – in perfect and contradictory admixture.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
When fate raises its sword to make you tremble, go forth into it and you will find bliss.
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2017?
Who’s that? Cancer/Steve Bannon – basically the same thing…
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
No missing – still on target.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
I have no material wealth. Health and creativity is ALL, although I’d like some new drapes in the kitchen.
Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank”. What’s your view on the state of the financial system?
The dollar rocketed when Trump came in. Need we say more?
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
“The UK” delivered in a peppy, north London accent and “Your call is very important to us, please stay on the line…”
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
I couldn’t agree more. Everything is a spiral: work from the centre out. I have just raised a fair bit for the St. Martin-in-the-Fields homeless charity through the auction of my paintings.
The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?
A necessary evil. Can you imagine life before? The carousel goes faster and faster and we have to find a way to stay on it. That said, the counter-revolution: silence, mindfulness, not giving a fig is pretty good, too.
Portraits of Dominick Dunne (1925 – 2009) and Sir Nigel Hawthorne CBE (1929 – 2001) by Alexander Newley
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
Shakespeare (of course), Oscar (of course), Churchill (large brandy in hand), Chaplin (tearing tickets), my father (Anthony Newley), Sheela (my love), Ava (my daughter), Freud x2 (grandfather and grandson) and the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders (for perfect Surrealism).
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
A tuna melt with ketchup, on the undercliff in Lyme Regis, watching the sun sink on a balmy summer’s eve.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
10:45am (if it be a mixture of German dessert wine and seltzer).
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
Tea please, milk, no sugar (although I want the sugar).
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
I rarely enjoy them because I don’t go to enough, and you have to invest in the social whirl before it pays back. I’m still working on that—but I did have a pretty good time at Hugh Hefner’s once.
Who is the most positive person you know?
Myself, although periodically encumbered by massive humbug.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
The occasional bout of self-love.
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
A minotaur rampart on a bed of roses.
If you were a car, what marque would you be?
A prototype Isotta Fraschini. Only two were made and one crashed at very high speed.
Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
I can identify almost anyone from the back; the habit of a portraitist.
What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?
Two vases of anemonies, one tall one short.
Alexander Newley is a contemporary artist. His subjects have numbered Steven Berkoff, Christopher Reeve, Oliver Stone, Gore Vidal and Billy Wilder and his work features in the permanent collections of the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC and at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Insensitive showoffs wreak havoc in Parliament Square with their gaudy supercars; they claimed to be honouring the dead and injured of the Westminster attack but simply caused annoyance
Though five people died and around fifty others were injured as a result of Khalid Masood smashing his rented 4×4 into them on Westminster Bridge on 22nd March, a group of insensitive showoffs decided it would be appropriate to cause gridlock with their gaudy supercars in Parliament Square on Sunday.
“Following recent attacks in Westminster which cost the lives of innocent civilians as well as PC Keith Palmer, we felt it was only right to pay our condolences and show our love by standing united to oppose the atrocious acts of violence”.
“We felt that being British Muslims with a platform, we wanted to speak up against such acts and bring people of all race and religion together as a symbol of peace, love and unity”.
The police felt quite differently about their presence and told these ridiculous vulgarians to swiftly to move on.
