We are redeveloping Eastwood Leisure Complex, located at 20 Eastwood Street, Ballarat Central into a new community hub The project will see existing Eastwood buildings – other than the basketball stadium – demolished and replaced with a contemporary accessible facility featuring flexible meeting spaces a medium sized conference and community events space three multipurpose activity rooms and associated kitchen facilities Eastwood is one of Ballarat’s most frequently used community facilities and has been a meeting place for Ballarat and the region for eight decades Up to100 groups use Eastwood each year and more than 1,000 participants visit each week Eastwood has had several upgrades and expansions and has been used for different community purposes It has now reached the end of its useful life: its facilities are outdated and no longer fit for purpose The redevelopment was identified as a high priority in the City of Ballarat Community Infrastructure Plan 2022-2037. The Eastwood Leisure Complex Redevelopment will deliver a multipurpose community hub; a high quality accessible and fit for purpose facility to foster community participation and meet the needs of the growing Ballarat community The facility will provide contemporary training meeting and activity rooms creating spaces for education arts and culture and social connection and support programs It will also provide increased opportunities for socialising and lifelong learning to support the educational physical and emotional health and wellbeing of the community The new complex will be fully accessible for all users and will support social connections for community members A community survey was undertaken in 2023 to understand current visitation and usage of Eastwood Leisure Complex and to identify priorities and ideas for the facility in the future More than 250 people participated in community engagement activities which helped shaped the detailed design of the facility An engagement summary can be found on the City of Ballarat MySay page City of Ballarat: $9.01 million commitmentFederal Government: $8.53 million via the Growing Regions Program Development of concept plan with key stakeholders  Eastwood Leisure Complex Redevelopment Community Survey and drop-in sessions  Final community consultation report released Federal Government announces $8.53 million contribution 5320 5500 Services and Requests info@ballarat.vic.gov.au City of Ballarat © | Privacy Statement | Website Terms and Conditions The City of Ballarat acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land we live and work on the Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung People and recognises their continuing connection to the land and waterways prese​nt and emerging and extend this to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People he never lost sight of the medium that gave him the opportunities to flex his chops Most of Spielberg's later television career consisted of executive producer credits but there were some shows that he had an active hand in developing with one that made a considerable splash in the mid '80s "Amazing Stories" was Spielberg's foray into the world of anthology television, as each episode spanned the genre-scope of fantasy, science fiction and horror. Invoking the series will undoubtedly trigger the whimsical John Williams theme song that should come as no surprise for those who tuned in The Emmy award-winning series recruited all manner of filmmaking greats to do an episode of their own including Martin Scorsese One name among the directorial roster that came as a surprise was none other than Clint Eastwood Eastwood and Spielberg are two names you wouldn't typically expect to see together in a creative manner the pair collaborated for the first and last time on an episode of "Amazing Stories" that sees the former reconcile with his sweeter side Between his filmmaker duties on "Pale Rider" and "Heartbreak Ridge," Eastwood directed the "Amazing Stories" episode entitled "Vanessa in the Garden," which Spielberg wrote an early 20th century painter who can produce artistic magic with the stroke of his paintbrush few were quite as beautiful as the ones featuring his wife Vanessa (Sondra Locke) A year after Byron and Vanessa consummated their marriage with a honeymoon in Paris Byron is given great news by his friend/agent Teddy (Beau Bridges) that he's booked an exhibition solely for his work on account of a lightning bolt that spooks the horse attached to their carriage sending them down a hill and killing Vanessa in the process Byron falls into the kind of deep depression that leads him to burn his paintings He finds the one he painted of Vanessa in their garden and tries to lay waste to it he discovers that she's been removed from the painting and is standing outside in the garden As Byron starts seeing her visage around the house it reinvigorates his passion for painting again "Vanessa in the Garden" sees Eastwood and Spielberg embracing the romantic nature of ghost stories Byron not only gets back to doing what he loves most but is able to further commune with his wife by exclusively painting the couple doing things together an actress Eastwood met on the set of "Tightrope" — whom he was also having an affair with Eastwood would only deviate from his directorial duties two more times with the final episode of Scorsese's PBS documentary series "The Blues," and Diana Krall's 1999 music video "Why Should I Care" for the release of his film "True Crime." It's surprising Eastwood didn't direct more television considering the quick turnaround schedule he maintains on his film set correlates with the quick production of television. CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInCHARLOTTESVILLE (WVIR) - As Central Virginia wine grows and national interest rises some of the women behind the bottle are questioning equity within the industry For proof of a gender gap in the wine business, Eastwood Farm and Winery owner Athena Eastwood says just look at the numbers “How is it 2025 and there’s still only 17% of women who are winemakers?” Eastwood said When Eastwood shifted her focus from environmental commodities law to open a winery she thought gender disparities in the work force were a thing of her past she realized her women-led winery was a near anomaly in the industry “It’s pretty consistent throughout the country but it’s also pretty consistent throughout other industries,” Eastwood said Eastwood wanted to help close the gender gap in the wine industry, and she found a group of like-minded women. Virginia Women in Wine has set to work seeking answers about the gender gap and making change “Part of the mission of Virginia Women in Wine is to fund projects that are going to create meaningful conversation around the issues and help to advance women in wine and also to help advance Virginia wine,” Eastwood said The group recently published a report detailing the issues it sees and suggesting a path forward “A lot of it is because there’s a lot of this subconscious bias,” Eastwood said “And I think with more opportunity it’s not going to be as big of an issue.” Eastwood believes women are less likely to get their foot in the winemaking door “A lot of the issues we face are in spite of well-meaning people,” Eastwood said Eastwood believes everyone wants the same thing “We’re building a wine region,” Eastwood said “And the more prominent that the other wineries are the more people that are gonna come visit us.” Men in the wine industry have taken notice. Lovingston Winery owner Wes Roberts wants to welcome them with open arms just as creative and just as excited about wine as everybody else,” Roberts said He’s not the only one feeling positive about the trend “I’ve been in this industry for about 28 years now and watching the influx of talent coming from all directions is wonderful,” said Jake Bushing Winemaker Jonathan Wheeler at Trump Winery says he’s seen it too “There are more and more every single year and we’re gonna see changes as we go,” Wheeler said Eastwood believes rising tides lift all boats; more women leading vineyards is a win for everyone “It’s so important to get women into these roles ”then for those women to help bring other women along." Do you have a story idea? Send us your news tip here Simply put, Clint Eastwood is an icon and a larger-than-life character because of his work on the big screen Eastwood has enjoyed an extremely successful career as a director but he's also delivered some of the most memorable and legendary film roles casual Eastwood character that caters to just about any film fan Frank's tense interactions with Jones' William "Hawk" Hawkins It's not top-of-mind among Eastwood fans' favorites but worth a watch to see that he can still command the screen with other stars in tow The movie is a smart comedy that also packs the right amount of drama and lends some likability to both co-stars As we'll see, Eastwood is actually a more successful director than an actor when it comes to accolades and awards. With White Hunter Black Heart, the screen adaptation of the 1953 book of the same name by  Peter Viertel. Eastwood casts himself in the lead role, based on legendary director John Huston and the making of his 1951 movie The African Queen one of the few at the time to be shot on location outside the United States Wilson is there for work but also plans a hunting safari the audience gets a pseudo-personal view of the kind of person he thought Huston to be Based on the true story of Earl Sharp and one of the best recent movies Eastwood starred in and directed. The Mule doesn't tend to make many of these "Best of Eastwood" lists a proud Korean War veteran that has struggled to be a good family man takes on the role of a drug mule transporting cocaine in the Midwest for a cartel in the wake of his business going bankrupt and losing his home Eastwood makes Stone a compassionate figure and relatively easy to root for More from Eastwood and Don Siegel. Reviews for this American-Mexican Western were generally positive, though it's a bit tamer in comparison to his others films of the genre. However, Eastwood's Hogan is one of his most iconic Western characters A stoic hero who gets a run for his money from Shirley MacLaine's Sara a sex worker who poses as a nun while on the run The chemistry between Eastwood and MacLaine makes the picture and shows that even the rugged and manly actor can share the limelight and remain notably successful We go back to 1971 for Eastwood's directorial debut. And he cast himself in the lead role as a popular California disc jockey pursuing a romantic relationship with a fan (Jessica Walter) only to learn that she's obsessed with him to the point that his life is in danger Walter is the undisputed star of the film (earning a Golden Globe nomination) but Eastwood is no slouch in playing the victim of his psychological thriller that showed the star's versatility on screen and behind the scenes Eastwood produced and directed this rather touching comedy-drama, which also stars his real-life son Kyle (playing Red's nephew Whit in the film) Red is a sickly musician who finally gets his chance to play at the famed Grand Ole Opry before his imminent death is the adventure in getting there for Red and Whit which considering their real-life relationship but Eastwood shines in a role that tends to be forgotten amid his acting arsenal With a box-office gross of $41 million, Pale Rider remains the highest-grossing Western film of the 1980s Eastwood again directs a picture that he also serves as its leading man a representation of Death when he's seen wearing a cleric's collar he serves helpful purposes in warding off a gang of thugs from terrorizing a mining town It was good to see Eastwood return to his Western roots We mentioned Eastwood's ability to shine in a comedy setting. Another sterling example is  Every Which Way but Loose and its sequel, Any Which Way You Can they are among the highest-selling Eastwood movies and the sequel took home nearly $71 million Philo Beddoe is a free-wheeling truck driver who moonlights as a bare-knuckle boxer and travels around with a pet orangutan named Clyde the character was a questionable shift for Eastwood and well outside the box if anybody could pull something like this off Eastwood's next classic to come out in 1968 was Coogan's Bluff, which is notable for being his first collaboration with aforementioned director Don Siegel An Arizona deputy sheriff heads to New York City to extradite an escaped murderer even if his surroundings might seem foreign The character was also a glimpse of what was to come for Eastwood those Western film heroes who truly made him famous and branch out to different roles that showed his range as an actor The first on this list to highlight the Western film genre that initially made him famous as a lead actor (more on that soon). In fact, High Plains Drifter was the first Western that Eastwood both directed and starred in Building on his work with famed Spaghetti Western director Sergio Leone and the aforementioned Don Siegel Eastwood doesn't necessarily veer from the formula that worked for him as an actor in these types of films during the 1960s there's an edgier feel to "The Stranger," who becomes a hired gun to protect an Old West Mining town The film proved Eastwood was still the top gun in the Western genre In the mid-1980s, Eastwood introduced himself — as an actor and director — to a new generation of fans as the grizzled "Gunny" Highway in this popular military drama that's still a basic cable staple Eastwood's Highway is a gung-ho jarhead fretting his approaching mandatory retirement from the United States Marine Corps to any junior high or high schooler of the time he was one of the coolest characters on the big screen war-hero patriotic who spits out raunchy one-liners and quips at the drop of a hat It's a shame this is not traditionally one of Eastwood's most celebrated roles This just might be Eastwood's most grueling picture to complete. Then again, there were plenty of stunt doubles to help with this World War II-era picture. Eastwood teams with Richard Burton as members of an Allied paratrooper squad that raids a Nazi fortress. Eastwood taking on the Nazis; what's not to love Where Eagles Dare has long been considered among the classics and Eastwood's performance showed he could excel in more than just Westerns Perhaps the only thing better than the acting is the cinematography Based on the massively popular novel, The Bridges of Madison County  brought together two of Hollywood's elite: Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep Audiences should not have been surprised that Eastwood could pull off a romantic role as the charming National Geographic photographer who has a multi-day affair with the small-town Italian war bride (Streep) only Streep earned an Academy Award nomination for her performance We're entering the icons portions of this list. Another of Eastwood's early directing gigs, Josey Wales remains one of the most popular and celebrated Western characters in the history of modern cinema highlighting a Missouri farmer during the Civil War who turned into a vigilante gunfighter after Union fighters murdered his family When it comes to film outlaws — guys that never seem to die — Josey is actually easy to root on we tend to enjoy living vicariously through our big-screen heroes — good or bad It's been noted by critics and entertainment writers that Unforgiven was the moment that elevated Eastwood to a legend worthy of Academy Award attention This Western drama sees Eastwood's William Munny return to his outlaw ways to pull one more job amid his life as a law-abiding citizen Munny's self-confliction makes for one entertaining character to watch and should be equally praised alongside Eastwood's lauded direction Earning his first Oscar nominations Best Director and Best Actor while Unforgiven took home the award for Best Picture Playing an infamous real-life character can be challenging for any actor, but Eastwood pulled it off without a hitch. In his fifth and final film with director Don Siegel, Eastwood is simply captivating as Frank Morris the ringleader of the legendary 1962 prison break from Alcatraz Trying to capture the authenticity of the real-life Morris Eastwood was so good in the role that he's almost more associated with the prison break than the actual guys who pulled it off Several professional critics and movie historians consider this one of the great prison films of all time The .44 Magnum. The lines: "Go ahead, make my day" or "You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do you, punk?" Need we say more about the ruthless San Francisco police inspector Harry Callahan, aka "Dirty Harry," after the name of the first movie in a five-film series featuring the character Harry likes to push boundaries when pursuing the bad guys especially if incompetent police or government bureaucracy gets in the way But Harry's status as an icon goes behind the big screen; it's a part of pop culture and American escapism even bigger than the man who portrayed him A Chicago native, Jeff Mezydlo has professionally written about sports, entertainment and pop culture for parts of four decades. He was an integral member of award-winning sports sections at The Times of Northwest Indiana (Munster, Ind. ) and Champaign (Ill Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free! The page you requested could not be found There could be an error in the URL you entered into your browser why not take a look at some of the other great sections on the Express website: If it’s still a mystery don’t hesitate to contact us here order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive Daily Express uses notifications to keep you updated We may receive a commission on purchases made from links The rest of the world immediately ran to imitate that film's success a young and upcoming actor name Burt Reynolds was following a similar career arc to Eastwood He had small parts in mainstream Hollywood movies and played one of the lead characters on a TV series called "Riverboat." He would have loved the acclaim of a stylized Italian Western under his belt and even got advice to that effect from Eastwood himself Eastwood advised Reynolds to look up a Western director named Sergio The resulting film was "Navajo Joe," a violent picture about a Navajo man (Reynolds) fighting off a wicked criminal named Duncan (Aldo Sanbrell) and his army of goons in order to protect a small village and get revenge for his village being slaughtered. Navajo Joe wants a dollar a head for every bandit he kills. Yes, the not-at-all Navajo actor Reynolds played a Navajo character. This kind of white-actors-as-nonwhite-characters casting was sadly common in the world of Westerns.  Despite Reynolds' opinion, some Spaghetti Western enthusiasts still speak highly of the violence and grit in "Navajo Joe." It also boasts an excellent score from Ennio Morricone, the composer behind Leone's Westerns. And all this because Reynolds mixed up his Sergios.  If you're seeing an American film about the American military the chances are good that it won't be an antiwar polemic American productions that feature soldiers and military equipment and/or explore the inner workings of the U.S armed services typically have to cooperate with the Pentagon in order to get a movie made often provide a film production with uniforms under the stipulation that the military be allowed to give its approval of the script It's easy to find hit films that vaunt the military. "Captain Marvel," for instance, came hand-in-hand with Air Force recruitment videos and even some films that claim to be about pacifism — see: "Hacksaw Ridge" — end up glorifying violence anyway some films — like Terrence Malick's "A Hidden Life" or Edward Berger's "All Quiet on the Western Front" — are pointedly against the very notion of war and don't make the soldiers' experiences look too rosy When soldiers themselves go to see these movies they are likely unconcerned with the political viewpoints of the filmmakers or the collaboration a studio might have made with the Pentagon They're probably going to enjoy films that look at soldiers as people and seek out movies that accurately capture both the negative and positive aspects of their gigs as government-sponsored weapons handlers Case in point: Clint Eastwood's 1986 film "Heartbreak Ridge," a riff on "Twelve O'Clock High," wherein a retired Marine is called back into action to whip an unruly platoon into shape. The military hated "Heartbreak Ridge." According to an article in the Los Angeles Times In "Heartbreak Ridge," Eastwood plays Tom Highway (as in "my way or the Highway") a former Marine who is seen as having aged out of the modern military he is called back into the service and given the sure-to-fail gig of training an utterly hopeless reconnaissance platoon The platoon fell into ill behavior because their previous commander was indifferent to their success The soldiers (Mario Van Peebles among them) are indeed whipped into shape and Highway leads a campaign to rescue captured Americans held captive by Cubans The Los Angeles Times article also pointed out that the ordinary They pointed out that cussing among soldiers (obviously) was even more common in real life than in the movie and that "old-fashioned" stereotypes like Tom Highway were 100% realistic The Marines were even asked if they would have chosen a different actor to portray a tough-as-nails Marine Corps drill instructor The higher-ups in the Corps that objected to "Heartbreak Ridge" were clearly trying to wrangle the military's public image They objected because "Heartbreak Ridge" actually faced in the direction of realism There were some unrealistic elements that the active-duty Marines observed It seems that the undisciplined platoon was cartoonishly out-of-character for a Marines platoon They also said that even callow Marines leaders weren't as sniveling as the ones depicted in Eastwood's film Eastwood called out the Marine Corps in the L.A noting that canceling a YMCA benefit was uncouth merely because they objected to certain elements of his film it was pro-military at the end of the day and depicted soldiers operating at their best "It's a shame that a charity has to lose money because of somebody who's got a bee under his rear end somewhere [...] With all these earth-shattering things going on back there [the Iran arms crisis] you wouldn't think they would spend energy on something like this It's interesting to note how much had changed since World War II In the 1949 John Wayne film "Sands of Iwo Jima," Wayne is seen slamming a rifle butt into the face of an inferior officer That sort of thing would have him drummed out of the military in real life but the consultants on that film found it to be fine the Italian director confessed that he "really wanted" another actor for the now iconic role A man clad in a dusty poncho and wide-brimmed hat swaggers through an empty street in a harsh desert town "Get three coffins ready," he instructs a coffin-maker before confronting the men who have been mocking him This is one of the moments that defined the brooding gunslinger played by Clint Eastwood in A Fistful of Dollars (1964) In a 1977 interview with BBC reporter Iain Johnstone Eastwood appears in a very different setting the actor bears only a faint resemblance to the stern hardened protagonist of Sergio Leone's Western he was "not particularly" interested in joining the low-budget European film as at the time he was starring in the hit television series Rawhide and I felt that maybe a European approach would give the Western new flavour." We kind of fudged our way along – Clint EastwoodAs perfect as many would consider Eastwood's casting Leone initially had James Coburn (The Great Escape The Magnificent Seven) in mind for the part but he was too expensive," the Italian director told the BBC costing around $15,000 ($152,000 or £116,000 in 2024) compared to Coburn at about $25,000 ($254,000 or £193,000 in 2024) "I didn't see any character in Rawhide "What struck me most about Clint was his indolent way of moving It seemed to me Clint closely resembled a cat." Blockbuster epics that had reigned during the Golden Age of Hollywood began to wane in popularity in the 1960s who by that time was well-known for directing low-budget Italian flicks The result was A Fistful of Dollars (first released in Italy as Per un pugno di dollari), which was unlike its predecessors in the genre. Based on Akira Kurosawa's samurai tale Yojimbo the film centred on Eastwood's morally grey "Joe" who instigates a gang war in the Mexican town of San Miguel to make money Fistful brought together a cast and crew from across the US and several European countries the film was: "an Italian-German-Spanish co-production of a remake of a Japanese film in the plains of Spain" "I knew 'arrivederci' and 'buongiorno' and [Leone] knew 'goodbye' and 'hello' and that was it," Eastwood told the BBC "Then he learned a little English and I learned a little Italian – and between a little Spanish – and we kind of just fudged our way along." WATCH: 'I knew 'arrivederci' and 'buongiorno' and he knew 'goodbye' and 'hello''.The actors would say their lines in their native tongues which would then be dubbed into Italian and English for the film's respective audiences The script consisted of an "Italian concept of what a Western slang would be," Eastwood said When A Fistful of Dollars reached screens in the US in 1967, reviews there were similarly disapproving. "Just about every Western cliche... is in this egregiously synthetic but engrossingly morbid, violent film," wrote Bosley Crowther in the New York Times The film's US debut was delayed for a few years because American distributors were afraid of being sued by Kurosawa who had filed a suit against Leone for copying Yojimbo The release of Leone's inaugural Western sparked the rise of Western all'Italiana which colloquially became known as "Spaghetti Westerns" The word "spaghetti" smacked of critics' initial condescension towards this international production Similar types of Westerns took on similar monikers such as "Paella Westerns" in Spain and "Ramen Westerns" in Japan "It took a while for Leone to influence American filmmaking because at least initially critics disparaged his films and those of his colleague Sergio Corbucci," says Dr Mary Ann McDonald Carolan professor and director of Italian Studies at Fairfield University "The Spaghetti Western was considered a low-budget ridiculously exaggerated version of the 'real' Western." In History is a series which uses the BBC's unique audio and video archive to explore historical events that still resonate today. Subscribe to the accompanying weekly newsletter. Spaghetti Westerns focused on anti-heroes and thrived on moral ambiguity Eastwood's Joe incites a conflict between two rival gangs of smugglers with the purpose of stealing their gold; it's only when innocent people are hurt that he steps in to neutralise the gangs Spaghetti Westerns also featured much more gratuitous violence typical American Westerns glorified westward expansion and idealised the Wild West whereas spaghetti westerns parodied and subverted that view By highlighting the violence on which this expansion was predicated these films were also broader critiques of a turbulent decade of global politics especially in the midst of the controversial Vietnam War A Fistful of Dollars transformed Eastwood from a television actor to a silver-screen giant. He went on to star in Fistful's sequels, For A Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, forming the Dollars trilogy "Just as Jimi Hendrix went to England to become famous the three Westerns Eastwood did for Leone launched his illustrious career," says David Irving film-maker and associate professor at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts • Julie Andrews on being 'teased' for Mary Poppins • Hitchcock reveals the secret to his masterpieces • How a blacklisted Hollywood writer won two Oscars where A Fistful of Dollars was shown on the closing night securing its transformation from derided "faux-Western" to genuine classic For more Culture stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. Why we're still talking about Maud WagnerHow America's first professional female tattooist broke through into an art form historically dominated by men. The insulting 'Vinegar Valentine' of Victorian EnglandValentine’s Day is thought to celebrate romance but rude cards soured the holiday for its recipients. Richard III: The 'accidental' photo of a long-lost kingWhy a famous photograph of King Richard III's skeleton was a happy 'accident'. The WW2 experiment to make pigeon-guided missilesAn unexpected WW2 experiment by behaviourist B F Skinner proved that pigeons could be used for missile guidance. America's last Revolutionaries: Rare photos of US patriotsHow a dwindling group of veterans from the American War of Independence were featured in early photographic form. Idris Elba on moment he learned about Mandela's deathThe actor recalls being at the Mandela film premiere when he heard the anti-apartheid politician had died. Mary Mallon: 'The most dangerous woman in America'How Mary Mallon, an Irish cook for New York's elite, became known as the 'most dangerous woman in America'. World War One relics live on in the fields of EuropeThe battlegrounds of World War One are still giving up their revealing evidence of bitter fighting. The picture that tells a lesser-known chapter of US historyHow a 1892 photo from Rougeville, Michigan, became the most iconic image of the bison massacre in America. The history of swing states in the USThe US Presidential elections did not always depend on just these seven states. Why tonnes of mummified cats ended up in EnglandIn 1890 an estimated cargo of 180,000 ancient felines, weighing 19.5 tonnes, were auctioned off in Liverpool. Inside the ancient royal tomb found by accidentThe Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak was accidentally discovered by Bulgarian soldiers digging up shelters in 1944. Varna Necropolis: World's oldest gold treasureThe Varna treasure is considered the world's oldest human processed gold, dating back 6,500 years. The giant 350-year-old model of St Paul's CathedralHiding in a London cathedral is an intricate wooden mock-up of Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece. Uncovering the sunken relics of an ancient cityBettany Hughes goes underwater in search of ancient archaeological finds in historic Sozopol, Bulgaria. Texas fever: The lesser-known history of the US borderIn 1911, a fence was constructed on the US-Mexico border. But its purpose was not to stop humans. Century-old Olympics footage brought back to lifeA look through footage from the Paris 1924 Olympics gives viewers a chance to reflect on how much has changed. The rare medieval street about to reveal its secretsOne of Europe's oldest residential streets hides in the heart of the English countryside. Tutankhamun: The first ever view inside the tombOne month after the famous discovery, photographer Harry Burton recreated the first view of Tutankhamun's tomb. Listen to the oldest known recording of a human voiceThomas Edison wasn't the first person to record sound. It was a Frenchman who invented sound recording in 1857. In 1956, Commander "Buster" Crabb disappeared during a visit to the UK by Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev. In 2006, a BBC reporter read the files that detailed his secret mission. The find could shed light on how Indians lived 1,000 years ago - but is without a museum because of red tape. Grip strength is associated with a range of health outcomes, from type 2 diabetes to depression. Here’s how to check yours. They flew missions behind enemy lines, dropping agents and supplies, says a historian. Stuart Green and Roger Churchill met during the 80th anniversary of the escape from Stalag Luft III. From his early days on the TV show Rawhide to his legendary roles as ‘The Man With No Name’ in Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy and Harry Callahan in five Dirty Harry films Eastwood always portrayed characters with an unrivalled American sense of the macho It means his position as one of Hollywood’s tough guys is set in stone When Eastwood was asked on the red carpet by the American Film Institute what his favourite films are in what they call the Golden Age of movies and a lot of the early films – John Ford’s How Green Was My Valley and John Huston’s The Treasure of the Sierra Madre – all of those would fit in there.” let’s take a closer look at Eastwood’s favourite films How Green Was My Valley is a 1941 drama directed by John Ford based on Richard Llewellyn’s 1939 novel of the same name The film focuses on a tirelessly working Welsh family called the Morgans and is told from the perspective of their youngest child The Morgans lived in the South Welsh Valleys in the Victorian era and Ford’s film tells of how the transition from the coalfields way of life affected them all It famously beat Citizen Kane to the Academy Award for ‘Best Picture’ Eastwood is well known for his work in the western genre so it’s unsurprising to find one of its classic films amongst his list of favourites Wellman’s The Ox-Bow Incident was released in 1943 and starred Henry Fonda Wellman’s film tells of two cowboys who arrive in a town upon the news arriving that a local rancher has been killed and had all his cows stolen in the process The two cowboys form a posse with the townspeople to try and find the rancher’s killers determined to bring justice to their wrongdoing Humphrey Bogart and Time Holt play two men down and out of their luck who join up with an old prospector (played by Huston’s father) to try and strike gold in Mexico The film was one of the first Hollywood features to shoot on location outside of the United States Follow Hollywood Outbreak on Mastodon many movies throughout his incredible career which has been going strong for more than seven decades He’s best known for his westerns and action movies he’s also lent his talents to genres as diverse as romance Of all the films he’s got his fingerprints on only one overlooked effort popped into his head when asked which film he’d recommend fans watch if they missed it the first time around The early 2000s were transformative for Eastwood, particularly his directing career. After a couple of middling efforts—Space Cowboys in 2000 and Blood Work in 2002—the seasoned helmer made two of his most acclaimed and successful movies. With 2003’s Mystic River and 2004’s Million Dollar Baby Eastwood levelled up and gave the world two handsomely made prestige pictures that were beloved by audiences and critics alike Eastwood was rewarded with ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Director’ nominations for Mystic River the first time the Academy had been interested in his work since 1992’s classic western Unforgiven he was back on that Oscar stage a year later with Million Dollar Baby Eastwood was in the strongest position he’d enjoyed in decades and he decided to embrace ambition for his next project – two war movies filmed back to back exploring the wildly differing perspectives of both sides of a conflict Eastwood ultimately released Flags of Our Fathers on October 20th, 2006, and Letters from Iwo Jima on December 20th. The first film was America’s side of the historic Battle of Iwo Jima while the second told the tale from the viewpoint of Japanese soldiers Eastwood didn’t alter Letters from Iwo Jima in any way to make it more palatable to a US audience The film featured no recognisable US stars in the cast with the most famous actor being Ken Watanabe who Americans would have only known from The Last Samurai and Batman Begins The film was almost entirely in the Japanese language Eastwood had a sneaking suspicion that this choice might torpedo the box office chances of Letters from Iwo Jima in the US He wanted his unique two-film experiment to be as authentic as possible and he wouldn’t be swayed from this opinion both movies underperformed at the box office with Flags of Our Fathers making less than its budget and receiving so-so reviews However, Letters from Iwo Jima performed much better, primarily because its budget was a fraction of Flags of Our Fathers. It only made $3million more than Flags, but Eastwood was validated by the critical response which praised him for making such an authentically Japanese film the film appeared on multiple ‘Best of the Year’ lists and was extremely beloved in Japan whose critics praised Eastwood for avoiding the usual stereotypes that come with Japanese characters in Hollywood despite the film’s success in these metrics Eastwood couldn’t help being rankled that it only made $13m in the US He knew that meant a comparatively small portion of Americans had seen the movie it did sensationally,” Eastwood told GQ in 2011 just for the understanding of how war affects other societies There is a constant heroism in being sent someplace and told you’re never coming back which is how the Japanese soldier was sent to war You couldn’t sell that to too many Americans.” “I had no delusions that the film was going to be any more successful than it was,” the seasoned filmmaker confessed he lamented the changing tastes of cinema audiences – almost a decade before the likes of Martin Scorsese would follow suit – by grumbling “I would just love audiences to embrace more things than just comics.” We bring brands to life and partner with leading owners of Intellectual Property content to create unforgettable visitor experiences indoor attractions including brands such as SEA LIFE and Madame Tussauds a world leader in branded entertainment destinations today announces the appointment of Fiona Eastwood as Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect This follows her initial appointment to the role on an interim basis She will be responsible for leading the implementation of the business’s transformational strategy and to ensure it is well placed to grow at scale and deliver a sustainable Merlin brings world-famous entertainment brands to life across its diverse portfolio of resort theme parks city-centre gateway attractions and LEGOLAND® Resorts in over 20 countries It works with partners including the LEGO® Group and Ferrari to create destinations where guests can immerse themselves in a wide array of brand-driven worlds Eastwood’s appointment has been made following a robust search process by Merlin’s Board with consideration of external and internal candidates She has nearly a decade of experience at the business including most recently as Chief Operating Officer with responsibility for Gateway Attractions She joined the business in 2015 as Global Marketing Director for Gateway Attractions responsible for driving strategy and marketing across an expanding portfolio of brands Eastwood worked as Managing Director of Consumer Products at BBC Studios leading the successful turnaround of the division through organisational restructuring digital transformation and international growth Eastwood’s appointment comes as Merlin prepares for landmark new openings later this year including the first standalone Peppa Pig Theme Park next month This will be followed in the summer when the first LEGOLAND Resort in China In addition to her responsibilities at Merlin Eastwood plays a leading role in the wider sector: both as a non-executive director of UKHospitality and as a member of the UK Government’s Visitor Economy Advisory Council The 40th film directed by the 94-year-old is only being shown in 50 cinemas in the US Why is Warners burying a movie by one of its most decorated stars a courtroom thriller which sees family man Nicholas Hoult serving on the jury for a hit-and-run case in which he is uniquely placed to acquit the defendant Eastwood fans in the UK will have no problem seeing Juror#2 where it’s enjoying a wide release in more than 300 cinemas nationwide Starting small then rolling out nationwide is a common strategy for movies being positioned as awards contenders. Yet this is not the case for Juror#2, which will not expand its screen number – and does not even feature on Warner Bros’s For Your Consideration website, its portal for Oscar hopefuls. Warners has said it will not report box office takings for the film – an almost unprecedented move for a theatrical release – and that the film is likely to move to streaming before the month is out At the film’s premiere at the AFI festival last week leaving it to Hoult and co-star Toni Collette to trot up the red carpet and spearhead an audience shout-out to the director: “We love you His absence led many to the conclusion the nonagenarian was ailing his health worsened by the sudden death in July of his partner Yet a post on his official X account from 15 October shows the film-maker grinning in a leather jacket and reviewing scripts in his Malpaso [o]ffices” The Guardian has contacted Warners and representatives of Eastwood for comment been profitable both commercially and critically for Warner Bros actress and supporting actor at the Oscars In 2014, Warners released Eastwood’s highest-grossing film to date: American Sniper which made back just half of its $33m budget Yet the film was released at a time when many cinemas in the US remained closed and audiences – especially among an older demographic – were hesitant about venturing out to them A simultaneous streaming release on HBO Max made the decision for wavering punters yet easier Free newsletterTake a front seat at the cinema with our weekly email filled with all the latest news and all the movie action that matters A Wall Street Journal interview with Zaslav published the following spring reports that the CEO was scathing to Warners executives over their rationale for greenlighting Cry Macho: they felt “indebted” to Eastwood because of his long relationship with the studio Zaslav allegedly responded by saying they didn’t “owe anyone favours” before quoting Jerry Maguire: “It’s not show friends L-r: Eduardo Minett Natalia Traven and Clint Eastwood in a scene from Cry Macho Photograph: Claire Folger/APCertainly the circumstances of the release of Juror #2 indicate a frostiness between Warners’ head and one of their prize ponies who may be being put out to pasture prematurely Zaslav is also under pressure from the unexpected flop last month of Joker: Folie à Deux, which cost $200m (plus substantial marketing spend), opened splashily at the Venice film festival, but failed to connect with either critics or audiences – unlike its multi-Oscar-winning billion-dollar predecessor. The contrasting success of Oppenheimer will also still be stinging: Christopher Nolan called time on his long relationship with the studio in 2021 over their new day-in-date simultaneous streaming strategy, meaning his new film was released instead by Universal Pictures – for whom it made $975m. Meanwhile, Eastwood is back at work considering his next project as director while also working as producer on a new version of his 1977 film The Gauntlet, starring Tom Cruise and Scarlett Johansson. The 94-year-old has been denied the opportunity for further Oscars glory with Juror #2. Yet few would bet against him one day making a return to the podium. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom home at 2/163 North Road appealed to downsizers from Eastwood and surrounds. The property had a $1.38 million guide and a $1.43 million reserve. It was one of 980 scheduled auctions in Sydney on Saturday. By evening, Domain Group recorded a preliminary auction clearance rate of 62 per cent from 887 reported results across the week, while 181 auctions were withdrawn. Withdrawn auctions are counted as unsold properties when calculating the clearance rate. Stone Real Estate North Ryde’s James Sarzano said he was blown away by the result, putting it down to the lack of quality villas in the suburb. “We got a three-bedroom price for a two-bedroom villa, it was insane. I was quite shocked at that price,” he said. Eastwood’s median house price rose 3.8 per cent to $2,470,900 in the year to September on Domain data. Sarzano said the villa price was a fantastic result amid what he described as a patchy market. Servo mogul shrugs off liquidation, aims to sell record-setting $10.5m home The Sydney suburb where nobody is behind on their mortgage Buy a house in a capital city on a $700k budget “Good quality properties are always going to sell, but others struggle, whether it’s down to the price point or greater competition,” he said. “For example, there is an oversaturation of duplexes in Ryde and Eastwood that sellers have to compete with.” The vendors inherited the property from their mother and decided it was the right time to sell. It last sold for $570,000 in 2007, records show. In Botany, a one-bedroom, two-bathroom warehouse conversion passed in at auction for $2.2 million. 2 Baths4 ParkingView listing Four of the six bidders were active at the auction of 8 Daphne Street that was guided at $1.8 million. The buyers, who came from Woollahra, Rose Bay, Surry Hills and Botany, intended to use the property as storage or transform it into their dream home. The auction started at $1.85 million, rising in varying increments, before passing in at $2.2 million. The agent declined to reveal the reserve. City Residential Property’s Kristian Nelson-Marshall said he expects the property to sell in coming days. The vendor used the property as an investment. It last sold for $1,141,000 in 2013, records show. 1 Bath− .css-12a1b0h{position:absolute;width:1px;height:1px;margin:-1px;padding:0;-webkit-clip:rect(1px,1px,1px,1px);clip:rect(1px,1px,1px,1px);border:0;overflow:hidden;-webkit-clip-path:inset(100%);clip-path:inset(100%);-webkit-clip-path:none;display:none;}ParkingView listing A semi-detached house in Leichhardt sold at auction to a first home buyer couple from Ryde for $1.6 million, some $100,000 below its reserve. The couple, who plan to renovate, outbid a developer from Leichhardt for the two-bedroom, one-bathroom house at 43 Allen Street, which had a guide of $1.6 million and a reserve set at $1.7 million. The auction started at $1.5 million and rose in $20,000 increments, with two of three registered parties active. When bidding paused at $1.56 million, negotiations began and the reserve was adjusted to $1.6 million to meet the market – the vendor, living abroad, had no intention to return. The property was rented for $675 a week in August 2020, records show. It was one of 980 scheduled auctions in Sydney on Saturday. Montano Group’s James Montano reported buyer fatigue in the lead-up to Christmas, but deals were still getting done between motivated vendors and buyers. Montano expected fresh buyer energy in January and February, but predicted buyer fatigue would continue until interest rates came down. “The longer it takes for these rates to come down, I think there’s going to be the same sentiment in the market in the first two quarters of 2025,” he said. Co-agent John Cannizzaro agreed that there was buyer fatigue and said buyers were hesitant to secure properties, despite attending auctions. 2 Baths2 ParkingView listing In Oatlands, a villa at 14/6A Ingleby Street sold under the hammer for $1,102,000 to a first home buyer, from a rental apartment in Eastwood. Four registered bidders pursued the three-bedroom, two-bathroom house with a $900,000 price guide. Its reserve was set at $970,000. The successful buyer outbid another first home buyer from Epping and two downsizers, from Oatlands and Northmead. A crowd of 40 watched the auction, which opened at $900,000. Ray White Baulkham Hills’ Brandon Hay said the bidding was not as fast-paced as at auctions three months ago, but progressed quickly in $20,000 increments. “Buyers still have money and are happy to spend it,” Hay said. “But they’re a bit more reluctant on properties they are looking to purchase. “The market will stay consistent, even if there’s a rate cut, as there will be more stock on the market when they do come down, adding to buyer choice.” The vendor had moved into a nursing home, with her son selling the property on her behalf. The home last sold for $257,500 in 1998, records show. The information on this website is intended to be of a general nature only and doesn't consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. where we are privileged to live and operate This hidden spot serves them up all year roundThe CWA Tea Rooms offer sweet and simple pleasures such as raisin toast a glass of milk or cordial – and of course – those famous scones Remove items from your saved list to add more. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. 2 / 8Two scones with jam and cream cost just $3.50.Louise Kennerley3 / 8Raisin toast is a perennial favourite.Louise Kennerley4 / 8The tea rooms offer a tranquil spot to take a break. Louise Kennerley5 / 8All are welcome for a cuppa and connection.Louise Kennerley6 / 8 Louise Kennerley7 / 8A glass of milk costs $1, or a glass of cordial 50¢.Louise Kennerley8 / 8Locals come in for a catch-up.Louise KennerleyPrevious SlideNext SlideCafe$$$$ Like the annual and popular Country Women’s Association Tea Rooms at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, visiting the CWA’s scone-fuelled equivalent at its Eastwood-Epping branch brings simple joys. Housed in the Eastwood Women’s Rest Centre, the CWA’s only tearooms in Sydney is a place of charity, resourcefulness and hardworking volunteers. Two scones with jam and cream cost just $3.50.Louise KennerleyAdvertisementIt is also a place where a person can have a Devonshire tea – two scones with a pot of tea or coffee and dishes of jam and cream – for $6. Although, on Thursday, that might be $6.50 because date scones are also available, and their price is 50¢ more. You can have a glass of milk for $1 or a glass of cordial for 50¢. You can have two scones with jam and cream for $3.50. Two takeaway scones are $2 (date $2.50). In this hurly-burly world, there may be nothing more civil, reassuring or uplifting than eating a CWA scone in a CWA tearoom. At the Eastwood-Epping branch’s rooms, tables are decorated with flowers and triangular paper napkins in holders. There are shelves and cabinets stocked with member-made jams, pickles, handmade clothing, knitwear, accessories and crafts. There are shelves of donated secondhand books and garlands of crocheted flags. Most are for sale. Along with the food and drinks, they raise money to support women and their families in country areas, as well as local charities and hospitals. Scones are made in the rest centre’s kitchen by CWA members each morning. All are welcome for a cuppa and connection.Louise KennerleyThey are unfalteringly light and soft, easily opened without a knife before spreading with member-made jams. Today’s picks – plum, apricot or strawberry – are all perfectly set, generously fruity and entirely at home on a scone. Add a teaspoonful of whipped cream on top and revel in its goodness. Each order, whether scones only, a Devonshire tea or simply a pot of tea or coffee with a cup and saucer and a jug of milk, is served on a tray. Plates are embossed with the CWA logo. The menu, which lists various organisations the CWA’s fundraising and events support and work with, also offers raisin toast and biscuits. All these things are prepared and served by volunteers. Cheery, efficient and aproned, they not only give their time for a cause, they are also people with whom you can have a long chat about anything. Raisin toast is a perennial favourite.Louise KennerleyMargery East, the president of the CWA Eastwood-Epping branch, says the branch was set up in 1926 when the surrounding area was mainly dairies, orchards and small farms. “I’ve worked here for 10 to 15 years,” she says. “It’s somewhere where you can provide a support place for people in the community. A lot of people living on their own love to come in and have a tea or coffee, have a bit of a chat. There’s a lot of people who also come to Eastwood and drop in before or after medical appointments or their shopping.” There are also baby changing facilities and, in the air-conditioning, respite from warm climes. Many people also come to buy jams, chutney and pickles. Today, there is only one jar of grapefruit jam after a weekend stall for the Granny Smith Festival cleared stock. Photo: Louise Kennerley“Some of us will have to set to and start making more jam again,” East says. “We all have our particular jam varieties. “We’ve also got a number of what I call crafty ladies who really keep us well supplied with handmade hats and aprons and lovely bags. There’s knitted teapot covers, children’s knitwear and there’s somebody who makes little dolls’ dresses too.” The CWA tearooms are also a lesson in living productively and within our means. East says any scones not sold (a rare occurrence) are wrapped for the freezer. A sign on the preserves shelf asks for the return of the jars and decorative fabric tops for reuse. Time stands still here. Conversations are had without a sense of rush. The scones are very, very good. Address: Women’s Rest Centre on Hillview Road, Eastwood (behind Eastwood Library) Vibe: Traditional tearooms run by Country Women’s Association volunteers in a light-filled building stocked with jams, pickles and handmade clothing, knitwear, accessories and craft This laid-back inner west spot is like a vine-clad European backyardShared meals and outdoor dining give customers a taste of Portugal at Lunas in Petersham. This seafood hot pot is some of the best value in the city right nowOur tip: split a steamboat between a group of four at the new-look Spice Temple. This seafood-led restaurant puts the glamour (and a hat) into hotel diningTilda brings hustle and bustle to a born-again hotel in Sydney’s CBD, with a grand seafood tower, market-priced lobster and mud crab. news and the hottest openings served to your inbox Remove items from your saved list to add more Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time when Paul Sheather arrived as principal of Balgowlah Boys High the school was struggling to push enrolments above 380 students the local paper published a league table of HSC results of all northern beaches schools I believe everything else will come along.” Cubby Evans and Kingston Ssekiranda at Balgowlah High the all-boys state school has experienced a remarkable turnaround now famed for its HSC English results which put it among the top schools in the state “I believe boys learn slightly differently from girls We set novels we know they will enjoy and teach writing in a highly structured way opening them up to more sophisticated language,” he says Students take a 20-minute class each day on grammar while English teacher-turned-deputy principal Benjamin Seldon developed a program on effective sentence construction that runs across faculties “Boys’ organisation skills develop slower than girls’ and that has to happen in discipline too,” says Sheather A new research paper on boys’ education in Australia shows boys were twice as likely as girls to be at the bottom of the class in writing and reading and more likely to fall behind in the leap from primary to high school The report by Catholic Schools NSW states that while gender gaps for literacy widened over time a “noticeable increase occurred between years 5 and 7” indicating primary to high school as the key stage when “boys as a group were most outpaced by girls” Despite the scale of the problem, the underperformance of boys has not been given appropriate policy attention, the paper argues, with the last parliamentary review into boys education, Boys: Getting it Right “All school kids deserve the attention and resources needed to achieve their full potential but a particular priority must go to those struggling academically the proverbial ‘lower tail’ of performance,” the report said Balgowlah Boys High principal Paul Sheather with HSC students in 2023 The school is consistently among the top-performing.Credit: Nick Moir “Boys are twice as likely as girls to score in the lowest performance bands in the literacy domains where boys traditionally outperform girls on average the lowest performers are equally likely to be boys,” it states It also notes that “Australia’s highly disruptive classrooms by world standards are more likely to disadvantage boys’ learning” which has doubled its HSC success rate – or marks above 90 – in the past decade principal Silvana Rossetti says the boys’ school focuses on building a sense of belonging at school and we have former students come who are still really connected to the school and are such good role models.” Principal Silvana Rosetti with students at Marist College Eastwood which has doubled its HSC success rate over 10 years and keeping high engagement through middle years 9 and 10 it’s vital they don’t fly under the radar and fall behind We use teaching techniques where all students need to actively participate in class,” Rossetti says At all-boys Patrician Brothers College Fairfield the school uses an early intervention program in year 7 to identify students at risk of falling behind and reading comprehension is key to success in all areas,” principal Peter Wade says highly active learning in class and encouraging boys to find their voice are some of the strategies which has led to far more engaged students and academic growth.” Sheather believes there needs to be a broader national discussion about how to teach boys “We knew quickly after I started at Balgowlah in 2009 that self-directed wasn’t working and that it was particularly challenging for boys with disabilities or lower abilities We went to the other end of the spectrum with explicit teaching which makes classroom management easier too,” he says We set texts like Lord of the Flies and Romeo and Juliet The report also notes the gap in reading enjoyment between year 4 boys and girls is wider in Australia than in other countries It also points to the importance of raising girls’ participation in STEM as an “important goal in its own right but it need not come at the expense of equivalent efforts to help boys struggling in literacy” The number of male teachers in Australian schools is at a record low declining to 28.1 per cent from 33 per cent in 2001 While Sheather believes there are certain advantages of single-sex schools the teaching methods can be applied to co-ed and single-sex schools and “children can flourish” in either environment Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter We were last on the list,\\u201D he recalls and once there\\u2019s that academic uplift I believe everything else will come along.\\u201D \\u201CI believe boys learn slightly differently from girls opening them up to more sophisticated language,\\u201D he says \\u201CBoys\\u2019 organisation skills develop slower than girls\\u2019 and that has to happen in discipline too,\\u201D says Sheather a \\u201Cnoticeable increase occurred between years 5 and 7\\u201D indicating primary to high school as the key stage when \\u201Cboys as a group were most outpaced by girls\\u201D the underperformance of boys has not been given appropriate policy attention with the last parliamentary review into boys education \\u201CAll school kids deserve the attention and resources needed to achieve their full potential the proverbial \\u2018lower tail\\u2019 of performance,\\u201D the report said \\u201CBoys are twice as likely as girls to score in the lowest performance bands in the literacy domains the lowest performers are equally likely to be boys,\\u201D it states It also notes that \\u201CAustralia\\u2019s highly disruptive classrooms by world standards are more likely to disadvantage boys\\u2019 learning\\u201D which has doubled its HSC success rate \\u2013 or marks above 90 \\u2013 in the past decade principal Silvana Rossetti says the boys\\u2019 school focuses on building a sense of belonging at school and we have former students come who are still really connected to the school and are such good role models.\\u201D it\\u2019s vital they don\\u2019t fly under the radar and fall behind We use teaching techniques where all students need to actively participate in class,\\u201D Rossetti says \\u201CKids these days are not avid readers and reading comprehension is key to success in all areas,\\u201D principal Peter Wade says highly active learning in class and encouraging boys to find their voice are some of the strategies which has led to far more engaged students and academic growth.\\u201D \\u201CWe knew quickly after I started at Balgowlah in 2009 that self-directed wasn\\u2019t working and that it was particularly challenging for boys with disabilities or lower abilities which makes classroom management easier too,\\u201D he says \\u201CBoys generally aren\\u2019t wide readers It also points to the importance of raising girls\\u2019 participation in STEM as an \\u201Cimportant goal in its own right but it need not come at the expense of equivalent efforts to help boys struggling in literacy\\u201D and \\u201Cchildren can flourish\\u201D in either environment Start the day with a summary of the day\\u2019s most important and interesting stories The 41-year-old says it is right time for someone new to take the role as he backs MP Claire Hanna The leader of the Social Democratic and Labour party (SDLP), the once dominant party of Irish nationalism in Northern Ireland has announced he is stepping down after nine years in the job told a news conference in his native Derry that the time was right for someone else to take on the role and named his fellow party MP Claire Hanna as his preferred successor Eastwood said he would continue to be an active MP and to build the case for a new Ireland believes the partition of Ireland is coming to an end and is campaigning for a “shared home place for all our people” “Now is a big moment for a change for a new Ireland,” Eastwood said “And I want to make a contribution to that.” He is the party’s sixth leader and the fifth since the signing of the Good Friday agreement in 1998 His resignation comes just eight weeks after he saw his Westminster majority reduced from about 17,000 to just over 4,000 For decades the SDLP, which was co-founded by the Nobel peace prize laureate John Hume, was seen as the moderate left-of-centre voice of Irish nationalism in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. But in 2001, three years after the Good Friday agreement, it started to lose ground to Sinn Féin which is now by far the dominant voice of nationalism. Although Eastwood was widely praised for his own articulate media performances, the SDLP lost four seats in the 2022 Stormont assembly election, meaning it had to go into opposition because it did not have the numbers to take part in the mandatory coalition. Last year the party lost 20 seats in local elections. It now has 39. Acknowledging the SDLP’s declining electoral fortunes, Eastwood told the news conference that “this is a difficult context for the middle ground”. Read morePossible successors to Eastwood include Hanna and Matthew O’Toole Hanna recently said she so opposed Eastwood’s plan in 2019 to enter a partnership with Fianna Fáil south of the border that she considered resigning and forming a new party O’Toole previously worked as a civil servant in the Treasury and was a Downing Street spokesperson a former SDLP councillor and nationalist commentator in the Irish News said in a recent column that it was time for the party to “find a role commensurate with its size and accept it’s a small party with patchy ageing bourgeois support in niche areas across the north with no USP (unique selling point).” Coincidentally, the Ulster Unionist party (UUP), the dominant unionist party at the time of the Good Friday agreement, is also looking for a new leader after Doug Beattie announced he was stepping down The UUP has also seen its fortunes fade; in its case the Democratic Unionist party (DUP) It is expected that the new leader of the UUP will be Mike Nesbitt a former television news presenter and current health minister in Northern Ireland He previously led the party between 2012 and 2017 when the UUP and the SDLP were overshadowed by the DUP and Sinn Féin This is probably not the page you’re looking for in “Juror #2.”Photograph by Claire Folger / Courtesy Warner Bros.Save this storySave this storySave this storySave this storyIt’s commonplace to acknowledge Clint Eastwood as one of the most distinctive and original political filmmakers “Juror #2,” is that the politics it brings to life is essentially It’s a brisk and engaging courtroom-centered (but not courtroom-bound) thriller to which Eastwood (The movie runs nearly two hours but it reaches the end with a stunning rapidity.) Eastwood only gently tweaks the story’s conventional surfaces yet he infuses it with a bundle of ideas and ideals that turn it both bitterly ironic and ferociously critical is called to jury duty at an inconvenient time: his wife is in the last trimester of a high-risk pregnancy and he is soon impanelled on the jury for a high-profile murder trial The victim is a young woman named Kendall Carter (Francesca Eastwood) and the accused is a young man named James Sythe (Gabriel Basso) who is charged with killing her after the two had a heated dispute in a bar is running for district attorney (her slogan is “Faith for the People”) and she’s not alone in believing that a conviction would greatly boost her chances of election In “Juror #2” (written by Jonathan Abrams) as in the jury-room classic “12 Angry Men,” the protagonist is a lone skeptic though his fellow-jurors think it’s an open-and-shut case (and incidentally reveal what a reckless notion that is) distinguishes that doubter not solely on the basis of a rational examination of the evidence but on the basis of personal knowledge Justin comes to realize that he has a connection to the central incident He must then decide where the balance of principle and interest lies: in the effort to exonerate an innocent man or to hide his own troubles and what he contemplates revealing risks her trust just as they’re about to become parents his probing questions in the jury room lead other jurors to doubt—and even to legally dubious actions that prove even more illuminating than the legalistic ones of the trial itself The entanglements of the crisscrossing plots gradually tighten: Justin’s effort to clear James while also saving his good name and his marriage; Faith’s self-interested drive to convict; the police department’s pride in quickly solving the case; and other jurors’ conflicts as they increasingly question their own motives and assumptions Eastwood deepens the implications of this story for the systems that it involves—and for the larger institutions that they sustain and the overarching principles that they represent He pointedly refers to the system of trial by jury and the flaws that inhere in it and he does so by means of a virtual Greek chorus of law-centered discourse: the conversations of Faith and her adversary a public defender named Eric Resnick (Chris Messina) Is it ethical for them to meet after court in a bar and discuss the case another juror breaks the law in fealty to what they deem a higher principle And if Faith should win her election on the basis of a conviction that eventually proves flawed what does that say about her legitimacy in office and about the electoral system itself There’s a droll and telling moment in which Faith, who’s beginning to have some doubts about her case, consults a law text and lands on a passage citing Aristotle to the effect that “law is reason free from passion.” “Juror #2”—even more than “Legally Blonde,” which featured the same line more prominently—offers a view of law that depends greatly on passion a disinterested passion in pursuit of truth (In their reminiscences of law-school days Faith and Eric find themselves again pondering a professor’s dictum that law is “truth in action.”) Eastwood’s story runs on the bedrock of the unimpeachable confident that there is a definite truth to be discovered about an event such as the killing of Kendall and that only malevolence or incompetence could prevent its discovery Eastwood delivers a quietly confident yet piquantly original form the opposing arguments of the prosecution and the defense are intercut instead of being shown sequentially and their references to events give rise to flashbacks that far from offering two conflicting visions of the way things were depict the situation as it occurred—but in fragments reflecting points of view (Even flashbacks to individual characters’ memories of the events are similarly faithful; Eastwood’s view of conscience is severe.) The truth is there but its concealment arises from what makes testimony imprecise and evidence incomplete—namely the failure to account for the personalities and self-interest of its observers for the subjectivity that stands in the way of objective fact in which electoral ballyhoo doesn’t taint the administration of justice “Juror #2” suggests an American conflict not between political visions but between those who politicize and those who don’t It’s as modestly comprehensive—and as ingenuous—a vision as Coppola’s grandiose dream of the great debate of civic renewal through talking endlessly about politics with no plans to expand the release wider domestically—and considering not publicly reporting the movie’s box-office results Although the company’s insult to Eastwood is, to my eyes, unmistakable (and he didn’t show up for the film’s première, on Sunday), I also see it as an unintended revelation of another, higher, and unimpeachable truth. Many of his best films—such as “Bird,” “White Hunter Black Heart,” and “A Perfect World”—have been flops at the U.S Now that “Juror #2” is getting as scantly released as an art-house film instead of being a popular filmmaker whom critics acknowledged as an artist even despite himself His mass-market popularity can now be recognized for what it is: a happy accident that has made the mighty scope of his career possible but is inessential to its place in the history of cinema A long-ago crime, suddenly remembered A limousine driver watches her passengers transform The day Muhammad Ali punched me What is it like to be keenly intelligent but deeply alienated from simple emotions? Temple Grandin knows The harsh realm of “gentle parenting.”  Retirement the Margaritaville way Fiction by F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Thank You for the Light.”  Sign up for our daily newsletter to receive the best stories from The New Yorker. Veteran Australian TV producer Robin Eastwood died earlier this week aged 62 The beloved industry veteran had over 30 years of experience in show business and produced a host of popular TV shows, including SBS' Who Do You Think You Are? and Every Family Has A Secret. Production company Artemis Media announced the news on social media on Tuesday. 'We're devastated at the passing of Robin Eastwood, a much loved and admired member of the Artemis Media family,' they wrote in a statement. 'Robin has been a force in our industry. We've had the privilege of working with her over the last 20 years on many series': Desperately Seeking Sheila, Who Do You Think You Are?, Monash and Me, and Every Family has a Secret.' They praised Robin's incredible work ethic and her incredible mentoring of those starting in the industry.  'As a Line Producer and Production Manager, Robin set the standard, bringing professionalism and compassion into her work. Her teams felt looked after and supported, and she generously shared her knowledge through her mentoring.  'Robin was a loyal friend to many and we will all miss her dearly. Our thoughts are with her much loved family.'  Western Australia's Screenwest also paid tribute to Eastwood, writing: 'We are saddened to learn about the passing of Robin. We extend our condolences to Robin's family, friends and colleagues.' Meanwhile, many of her former colleagues took to social media with their own tributes. 'This is very upsetting. I always found her wonderful to work with,' wrote WDYTYA composer Ash Greig. Cinematographer Ian Batt added: 'Such sad news. She was instrumental to the success of so many projects I was involved with.' After completing her studies at Monash University in Melbourne in the early 80s, Eastwood began working in Japan and represented the Australian Tourism Commission in Tokyo for a two-year period.  Eastwood later started her media career in Australia in 1987, when she provided media coordination services for Japanese productions filmed Down Under. Major terror attack 'was just HOURS away' before it was foiled by the special forces and police:... Victim of acid attack 'plotted by his ex-partner who teamed up with a gang' dies in hospital six... We are trapped in unsellable newbuild homes after a £52m dual carriageway was built on our... Horror as $4.5M influencer-laden yacht SINKS off Miami... after glam women made a rookie maritime... How Meghan's biggest cheerleader brokered Harry's disastrous BBC interview - three months after... Woman dead and three others including a child injured after car ploughed into pedestrians: Man, 49,... Pub is forced to pay family £75,000 after wrongly accusing them of 'dine and dash' over £150... Woman who was missing for more than 60 years is found 'alive and well' decades after vanishing... American tourist suffers horrific fate while attempting to capture selfie at Rome's Colosseum 'It's a rather giant f*** you.' Royal insider's furious reaction to Meghan's Instagram salvo as... Revealed: The reason behind Fred & Rose West kids' bitter family rift as siblings have 'nothing to... The towns being ruined by day-tripper invasions. Selfie-loving tourists cause traffic hell and the... Hamas hostage, 23, 'raped by personal trainer influencer in her own home after being released' Where 'soft-touch' Britain's asylum seekers are REALLY coming from M&S cyber attack could take 'months' to fully recover from as 'paranoid' staff resort to sleeping in... Husband of British mother, 65, who was knifed to death in French village says her affair is a... Industry in mourning as beloved Australian TV icon dies aged 62Commenting on this article has endedNewest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}} Merlin considered external and internal candidates for the CEO role Merlin Entertainments has announced Fiona Eastwood as its new chief executive officer after 10 years with the company Eastwood was confirmed as interim CEO of Merlin in late November, when it was revealed that former CEO Scott O’Neil would be stepping down after two years Eastwood is responsible for implementing the business’ transformational strategy and ensuring it’s well placed to grow at scale She is overseeing Merlin’s portfolio of resort theme parks city-centre attractions and Legoland resorts in more than 20 countries “It’s an honour to be chosen to lead Merlin with remarkable global reach and impact,” Eastwood said in a statement “Over the past decade, I have seen firsthand what the business is capable of. My task, as CEO, is to lead Merlin to new heights operational excellence and guest experience.” Eastwood’s appointment has been made after a search process carried out by Merlin’s board with both external and internal candidates considered for the role She has nearly 10 years’ experience at Merlin, most recently serving as chief operating officer with responsibility for attractions like Madame Tussauds and Sea Life aquariums “I am grateful to the board for their support – and look forward to continuing to work with an exceptional management team and our colleagues worldwide to implement the business’s transformational strategy,” Eastwood said we will drive growth at scale and help Merlin reach its full potential.” Roland Hernandez, chair of Merlin, said: “Fiona has a deep understanding of the business the strategies required for sustainable growth and the vision to spearhead our ongoing transformation “As Merlin’s former chief operating officer she recognises the significant role each location plays in our ongoing success and she will be instrumental in bringing our global attractions together into one united business.” Eastwood’s appointment comes as Merlin prepares for major launches this year, including a new Peppa Pig theme park in Texas and the first Legoland Resort in China Get the latest attractions industry
 news direct to your inbox Blooloop is taking climate action and is now B Corp Certified In Slate’s annual Movie Club, film critic Dana Stevens emails with fellow critics—for 2024, Bilge Ebiri, K. Austin Collins, Alison Willmore, and Odie Henderson—about the year in cinema. Read the first entry here Thrilled that this conversation has wound its way around to endings because that gives me a chance to write about the riotous one belonging to my favorite film of the year Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World that ending involves not a discrete finale so much as an entire final act that unfolds via a locked-off shot and two long takes with a short time jump in the middle Radu Jude’s dark comedy involves a lot of driving: Its main character played by the fantastically foulmouthed Ilinca Manolache is a PA for a Bucharest production company that is running her ragged traveling all over town in search of the right subject for a workplace safety video played by Dorina Lazar and also named Angela and for a long time she appears only via clips from a sentimental state-sanctioned 1981 movie called Angela Goes On When Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World does finally opt to stay put it’s to depict the shooting of the video Angela’s been working herself to exhaustion helping to set up and the result is a brilliant convergence of everything that’s come before not to mention so bitterly funny that I’m grinning just thinking about it The whole production is a way for the multinational company that commissioned it to shift blame off itself and onto its workers a man permanently injured by a devastating accident on the job is made to keep revising his account to avoid any implication that the former employer he’s currently suing is responsible the icy Austrian executive who flew out to oversee the mess is back in her hotel room hungover and then there’s the irrepressible Angela in the corner taking the opportunity to shoot one of her signature TikToks in character as a swaggering I first saw Do Not Expect Too Much back in March and nothing I’ve seen in the months since has come close to it in my mind—it’s miraculous in the way it marries the profane and the profound serving up a blistering depiction of what the kids online might call life under late capitalism then offering a reminder that life has always been an exhausting grind for the average worker whether it’s under a dictatorship or as part of the exploited far reaches of the European Union with its caustic outlook and its arid sense of humor is distinctively Romanian in a way that filled me with a vague sort of envy—when’s the last time an American filmmaker produced something anywhere near as sharp I would definitely not attempt to show Do Not Expect Too Much to my parents for whom the prospect of a 160-plus-minute subtitled satire would not exactly be tempting but one I think would go over great as an attempted group viewing over the holidays though Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s god-tier performance as a woman funneling her pain outward might be a little too good a conversation piece for a family gathering I didn’t see Eastwood’s legal drama as having faith in the justice system—it struck me as the opposite a film about the near-impossibility of having our institutions depend on those upholding them to act against their own personal interests whether that means jurors taking longer away from family to responsibly deliberate or a district attorney opting to overturn a conviction that clinched her election to that office The moment when Nicholas Hoult’s character defends himself as being a good person who doesn’t deserve punishment despite having possibly killed someone and helped put the blame on someone else struck me as almost disorientingly profound a perfect scene for a moment in which whatever moral grounding we have as a country seems to be based not on actions but on vibes And even if the vibes have gotten awfully grim out there it has nevertheless been lovely having this chance to convene and talk movies once again with all of you I find myself craving more writing from critics as the media landscape grows more fractured than ever and it’s challenging even for those of us who do this professionally to keep track of everything coming out much less feel as if we come close to seeing enough to have a handle on the year Sometimes I think about how this job could easily be boiled down into an act of curation a battle against the prevailing algorithmic forces trying to shape everyone’s viewing habits with the help of inertia I don’t love the idea of criticism with the disagreements and conflicts sheared away The debates are how we distinguish art from mere content to be consumed As Manolache’s character puts it in Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World after chatting with Uwe Boll (appearing as himself) about that time he fought critics of his work in a boxing ring: “That is the history of cinema”—a pleasure to participate in some small part of it with y’all Read all of the entries in Slate’s 2024 Movie Club. A private club in eastern Melbourne has made giant strides in women’s engagement – largely by running clinics dinners and on course sessions to help women feel comfortable on the course earlier in their golfing journey Eastwood Golf Club’s female membership was sitting at 80 golfers at the end of 2022 – just nine percent of the broader club membership But that number has effectively doubled to 157 members thanks to the strategic work of new Director of Golf Alex Pitty in harness with Head PGA Professional Brian Fitzgerald and Golf Service Leader Rounds of golf by women hit 3471 in the first six months of 2024 which exceeds the figure for the whole of 2022 as an indication of how the club has changed its direction Pitty said that when he arrived at the club 18 months ago he was surprised to learn that Eastwood had not enjoyed the spike in playing numbers that most private clubs experienced after the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic The women’s space was one that needed attention Pitty had a teaching history and felt comfortable working in the area He restarted their Get Into Golf clinics on Saturdays for women six-month introductory membership for women costing $300 with no joining fee When longtime pro Fitzgerald came on board after a period without a full-time Head Teaching Professional the women’s clinics grew hugely across the week with more and more women joining as members and getting out on the golf course “To me it was an obvious opportunity to try to kick things into gear,” said Pitty but it was always going to improve quite rapidly Eastwood has also picked up the Australian Golf Foundation’s Junior Girls Scholarships for the past two years A key factor will be the rate of conversion from the new introductory memberships to full memberships Initial targets were for at least a 10 percent conversion rate; now the club is aiming to push towards 25 percent Pitty says the club’s attitude has been key to the strategy with an emphasis on breaking down traditional barriers to participation in the sport are cautious when they get on the golf course that they’re going to get in the way,” he said “They feel like they need to have so many lessons and so many sessions before they get on course With the way Brian has our clinic’s and on course sessions structured two months into their golf journey and they’re comfortable going on the course “There’s no obligation to play competitively no obligation to follow the rules when playing socially “The overwhelming commentary within the membership has been ‘it’s nice to see so many new women out on the course’.” Information about joining Eastwood golf tips and access to partner promotions Join our newsletterGet weekly updates on news today I’m asking for your best Clint Eastwood impression by repeating these words aloud: “A man’s gotta know his limitations.” If Eastwood was doing his portrayal of “Dirty Harry,” today “Everyone’s gotta know their limitations.” it’s advice I neglected 15 years ago when I was deployed to an undisclosed location far out onto the sand dunes It was a blisteringly hot afternoon when I decided to take a stroll toward our perimeter defenses in hopes of making a morale visit with our Security Forces personnel I found a group of cops anxiously unpacking ammunition boxes I must have looked a little hurt because their lieutenant appeased me with an explanation so we need to load ammunition magazines for our M-16s.” you’ll need all the help you can get,” I said “Agreed,” said an airman offering me a stool and a short tutorial on handling ammunition I was soon multitasking — loading magazines and facilitating the chat session I’d come for I was a happy chappy talking with folks about food I heard someone loudly clearing their throat I turned around to see an orange-vested officer standing on our perimeter just what the hell do you think you’re doing?” he demanded “I mean with your hands!” he said pointing to the magazine I was loading Note: This is the moment where I disclose my previously undisclosed location — on the dunes of Malabar “You KNOW chaplains are non-combatants and forbidden by the Geneva Convention to have anything to do with weapons — most especially during an inspection.″ I can tell you that a superior addressing a chaplain by rank is like hearing your mom using your middle name Chaplains who violate this rule in a real deployment are subject to court martial I knew the rule applied to guns but hadn’t given thought to magazines Obviously I’d lost sight of my limitations I had to abide by certain rules of engagement that limited my religious freedoms nor could I bring parochial prayers to mandatory formations Some of my pastor colleagues balked at such restrictions I was rewarded the high honor of being present with servicemembers as they walked into harm’s way These limitations aren’t much different for many of you who carry your faith into workplaces An executive can’t thump her employees with biblical proclamations A foreman can’t limit his hiring to those from his faith preference These rules of engagement are about respect these limitations needn’t keep you from becoming a light in your field Keeping the rules of engagement should mean that your light shines ever brighter as it shows your esteem for co-workers I ran afoul of one other limitation that day The Florida heat index shot up so high that 10 people dropped from heat exhaustion All together now — “A person’s gotta know their limitations!” This column was excerpted from my book “Tell it to the Chaplain.” Sign up to receive this weekly column in your email box at https://thechaplain.net/newsletter/ or send me your email address to comment@thechaplain.net All of Norris’s books can be ordered on Amazon. Autographed copies can be obtained on his website www.thechaplain.net or by sending a check for $20 for each book to 10566 Combie Rd