https://www.derrynow.com/section/1245/advertise-with-us All the latest breaking local news from Derry and County Derry Keep up to date with the latest sports news Read all the latest crime & court news in Derry and County Derry Read all the latest Irish news and updates from around Ireland Catch up on all the latest business news in Derry and County Derry Find whats happening in and around Derry and County Derry Enjoy our award winning photos and picture galleries taken in Derry and County Derry Read about the latest properties available in Derry and County Derry Enjoy our latest and up to date motoring review and news in Derry and County Derry Derry and County Derry Met Eireann Weather Forecast Recent death notices and obituaries from Derry and County Derry Latest environmental and climate change news in County Derry Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter Support our mission and join our community now you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism Former SDLP leader Colum Eastwood is set to appear in court charged with taking part in an unnotified parade The Foyle MP is expected before a district judge in Derry on Tuesday to face a charge connected with a pro-Gaza rally that took place in Derry last February READ NEXT: Derry IPSC to stage protest outside Derry courthouse over court appearances The event was held at the War Memorial in the Diamond area of the city centre Under Northern Ireland’s legislation governing parades and processions the organisers of such events must apply in advance to the Parades Commission adjudication body for permission Mr Eastwood is one of several people due in court charged in relation to the event on February 14 last year The SDLP declined to comment ahead of Tuesday’s court appearance The Derry branch of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign has organised a protest outside Derry Magistrates’ Court ahead of proceedings on Tuesday morning " + $(".testo_articolo").html().replace(//g please subscribe and support local journalism Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles To continue reading this article for FREE,please kindly register and/or log in Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news Derry BT redundancy payments capped at one year Derry - Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign The role offers an attractive package for the right candidate Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie The Foyle MP will appear at Derry Magistrates Court on Tuesday accused of taking part in an unnotified parade A number of other people face similar charges relating to last February’s pro-Palestine protest part of a series held across Ireland and Britain Mr Eastwood spoke at the event and highlighted the numbers children killed in Gaza by Israel Defense Forces’ air and missile strikes “Nobody should be able to stand or watch what’s going on in Gaza right now and not think the only answer to that has to be to stop the violence immediately,” he told the crowd Mr Eastwood, who stepped down as SDLP leader in October last year, previously faced similar charges after he walked with families of those killed and injured on Bloody Sunday to Bishop Street courthouse in January last year. The PPS decided not to pursue the case, stating it was not in the public interest to charge the Foyle MP and others. “It was considered that the conduct of the reported individuals did amount to participation in a public procession and that their procession had not been subject to the legal notification required,” a PPS spokesperson said at the time. Mr Eastwood said PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher apologised to him over the investigation. Facebook pageTwitter feedRSS feed@2025 The Irish News Ltd 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 Foyle MP and former SDLP leader Colum Eastwood is due in court on Tuesday accused of taking part in an unnotified parade The charge relates to a pro-Palestine protest that took place in Derry in February last year Several other people are also due to appear in court on the same charge Receive today's headlines directly to your inbox every morning and evening Please check your inbox to verify your details 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 Alliance Lagan Valley MP Sorcha Eastwood has tabled a parliamentary motion condemning recent statements by Kneecap that incite violence against elected representatives and imply support for proscribed terrorist organisations Ms Eastwood has said: "Art is a powerful tool for protest and raising awareness of injustice especially in standing with oppressed people like the Palestinians we must draw the line at language that incites violence While freedom of political expression is vital we’ve seen the tragic consequences of words escalating into real harm - two MPs have been murdered in the past decade "Political debate can and should be robust but it must never descend into threats of violence or dehumanisation passionate debate can be carried out without resorting to harmful rhetoric we have rightly been raising the alarm about the dangerous normalisation of violence online and we know all too well that this doesn’t stay online and we must all ensure our disagreements don’t incite further harm." Headquarters: 7 Farmley RoadNewtownabbey, BT36 7TYTel: 028 9032 4274 Email: [email protected] Published and promoted by Alliance HQ Declared Donations Website Information Privacy Latest News News Archive Safeguarding Children Policy Safeguarding Adults Policy Join Us Membership Renewal Donate Volunteer Register to Vote Leadership Our MLAs Our MP Our Councillors Work For Us Our History Our Vision Our Policies Political Broadcasts Contact Us Built with Nationbuilder | Made by Tectonica If Season 1 of Fielder’s genre-defying series The Rehearsal was centered mostly on staging elaborate simulations to help people rehearse potentially anxiety-inducing moments of their lives Season 2 has seen him transfer his comedic prowess to the area of aviation safety how his signature Fielder Method could be employed to reduce the number of flight-related accidents it may come as no surprise that 10 minutes into the third episode “Pilot’s Code,” he sets his crooked sights on Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger famed aviation hero and the subject of Clint Eastwood’s 2016 film landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River after it was hit by bird strike saving the lives of all 155 people onboard Eastwood dramatized this “forced water landing” in the aforementioned film casting Tom Hanks as Sully in a piece of competency porn that also ranks as one of the guiltiest pleasures in the filmmaker’s oeuvre it somehow pales in comparison with Fielder’s latest episode which simultaneously serves as a deconstruction of the type of movie Eastwood made and a superior biopic about Sullenberger Fielder finds his way to Sully through his first officer Jeff Skiles (played by Aaron Eckhart in the Eastwood film) Fielder’s main hypothesis regarding aviation safety has been that a copilot’s discomfort with their superior can lead to a lack of assertiveness in the event of any incompetency on the part of the captain Fielder argues that the lack of such discomfort on Flight 1549—underscored by cockpit audio of Sully asking Skiles whether he had any ideas—contributed to an environment where the pilots were better suited to competently handling a catastrophe Skiles felt justified in putting out the flaps during the plane’s fateful descent creating drag to slow it down for a smoother and safer landing This gets Fielder thinking: “If other captains could have the instincts of Sully “it’s possible the entire aviation issue I’ve been obsessed with would vanish overnight.” Cut to Fielder shaving his head and body and strapping on a diaper in an attempt to transform himself into Baby Sully The goal is simple: live as Sully from cradle to grave to understand how his “entire life led [him] safely to that river.”  “If even just the tiniest bit of Sully could become a part of me,” Fielder deadpans What follows is a typically deranged series of tableaux as far as Fielder is concerned A giant Bread and Puppet Theater–esque replica of Sully’s mother wanders into a re-creation of a baby’s bedroom breastfeeds him with a geyser of milk that nearly asphyxiates him (“Fuck,” Fielder utters after the deluge ends.) This is all par for the course in terms of the comedy we expect from Fielder he’s lacing the laughs with a fascinating interrogation of our desire to reduce entire lives down to a series of defining experiences and traumas the core stated aim of not only Sully’s memoir Fielder has his fun with these types of biopic tropes dramatizing Sully’s father giving him his first toy plane and showing Sully respond to his wife’s insistence that life is not a checklist by stating “I’m just trying to be efficient.” And the scene in which a bewigged Fielder plays a teenage Sully courting his high school crush Carol calls to mind the sun-drenched “cornpone” early sequences of a movie like Hacksaw Ridge where Andrew Garfield put on a cloying “aw-shucks” accent while lit with golden sunlight and accompanied by a sweeping score Episode 2 Precap: The Height of Absurdist Comedy this is the type of bullshit he left out of his film Barring a few flashbacks to formative flights Sully is a man made by a moment rather than a man whose life has led to this moment But while that separates the movie from the rote formulas of conventional biopics it also leaves the film without any perspective on the interiority of its subject Fielder isn’t just dramatizing Sully’s life but “living it.” While exploring a flight young Sully took with Carol Fielder attempts to understand how he compartmentalized his sexual desires and the safety of the flight by “basically masturbating” in the plane while trying to fly it but the genuine investigation Fielder is teasing belies a curiosity about what made Sully the right man for the job while Eastwood seemed interested only in reminding everyone that he was His film is essentially a re-creation of the “Miracle on the Hudson” with a tacked-on third act entirely devoted to underlining just how competent Sully was on that fateful day Maybe the Fielder Method should be employed for every biopic. Maybe Bob Dylan wouldn’t have been such a “complete unknown” had Timothée Chalamet masturbated while trying to compose “Like a Rolling Stone.” Maybe Austin Butler should’ve had his Baby Elvis diapers changed by a giant puppet to really convey what makes a mind so suspicious. Maybe all we need to understand the Miracle on the Hudson is 23 seconds of Evanescence. ArchiveWe’ve been around since Brady was a QB 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.” Up to 150 BT workers at the organisation's city centre building are facing redundancy The jobs are expected to be lost in September The BT workers were informed of the redundancies on a call on Wednesday morning Ninety job losses on one floor alone have been announced Council expresses concern at BT job losses in Derry The BT jobs currently located in its Derry office will be relocated to India and Belfast A BT Group spokesperson said the company is going through an “ambitious modernisation programme and consolidating buildings within its estate” The spokesperson said: “BT is going through an ambitious modernisation programme and consolidating buildings within its estate from more than 300 to closer to 30 “We are considering closing our office in Derry and we are consulting with colleagues and their unions on our proposals people will be given the opportunity to relocate to other roles at our Riverside Tower office in Belfast which benefited from a multi-million pound refurbishment in 2023 and which is home to around 2,000 people “Benefiting from a state-of-the-art workplace there are also greater career opportunities within a larger location for colleagues There’s no impact to customers from these proposals.” “BT Group remains committed to Northern Ireland building full fibre broadband further and faster than anyone else We’ve already reached nearly 90 per cent of homes and businesses with Openreach’s full fibre broadband network and with extensive 5G and 4G mobile coverage from EE Northern Ireland is the most digitally connected region in the UK.”'real blow' Foyle MP Colum Eastwood said that the proposed loss of around 140 jobs at BT in Derry is devastating for the city The former SDLP leader said: “This is devastating news for BT workers their families and the broader local economy in Derry At a time when we need to be investing more in jobs and opportunities in our city the proposed loss of these jobs will have a serious impact “I am in touch with senior leaders at BT about these plans and am relaying the outrage in Derry that staff and the whole community will be feeling “Relocating these roles to India and Belfast is a mistake it makes regional economic imbalances worse and it’s a direct transfer of opportunity from our city to other places that do not need it “I will be raising this mater directly with Ministers in London and Belfast Both have indicated their commitment to addressing the opportunity gap and it’s time that they put their money where their mouth is.” SDLP Economy Spokesperson Sinéad McLaughlin MLA said: “The announcement of BT’s Derry office closure is a real blow for our city and the workers who have built their lives there My thoughts are with those now facing deep uncertainty and urgent action is needed to ensure they receive full support and financial assistance “This move is part of a wider pattern of centralising jobs in Belfast while communities like Derry are left behind This is a result of political choices that have failed our region for too long “We need a joined-up strategy for regional economic growth that delivers good jobs and fair investment across all of Northern Ireland not just within the Belfast commuter belt.” Sinn Féin MLA Pádraig Delargy has described the proposed closure of BT's office in Derry as ‘hugely concerning’ for the local community Mr Delargy said he is requesting a meeting with BT Group to discuss the plans and ensure the company is doing all it can to support the workers impacted “It’s extremely concerning that BT is planning to move jobs out of Derry to Belfast and overseas,” the Foyle MLA said "I want to extend my full solidarity to the workers affected by this decision “At a time when the north west is growing as an exciting place to live BT’s announcement flies in the face of the economic consensus which is to create regional balance it is a hugely concerning announcement for workers and their families.” Aontú representative Emmet Doyle said: "This is a huge blow to the workers and we must use every lever available to protect these jobs in Derry and ensure they stay here in perpetuity.” After all, having been a star since the 1960s and a director for almost as long, there can’t be much left in Hollywood that he hasn’t encountered at least once. A legend and an icon, Eastwood is also famed for his economic professionalism which has seen him turn the art of filmmaking into a well-oiled machine and he sure as shit never goes over the allotted production schedule and very rarely will Eastwood shoot more than one or two takes of any given scene before moving on to the next He’s collaborated with a cavalcade of high-profile actors spanning multiple generations but only once has he ever argued with an actor Working on an Eastwood set is like stepping into a moving train: you either keep up or get left behind and nobody’s hanging around waiting for someone to find their motivation Eastwood runs the show with the kind of quiet authority that doesn’t leave much room for second guesses know better than to test that rhythm.But in 1993 Fresh off The Bodyguard and riding a wave of megastar confidence he was used to the world moving at his pace he ran headfirst into a different reality – one where the clock wasn’t bending for anyone and kept the whole thing rolling like nothing happened Since making his feature-length debut on 1971’s Play Misty for Me the face of the Dollars trilogy has gone on to helm another 39 films Jack Green was the cinematographer on 14 of Eastwood’s pictures between Heartbreak Ridge and Space Cowboys so he knows what it takes to survive and thrive on one of his sets As he revealed to Esquire Green never saw or heard Eastwood raise his voice when Kevin Costner was getting a touch too big for his boots on crime thriller A Perfect World Releasing in 1993, it came at the peak of Costner’s popularity and was his first credit since The Bodyguard tensions arose when the two-time Academy Award winner was summoned from his trailer to shoot a scene only to inform Eastwood that he needed to wait because he wasn’t ready the filmmaker instructed the crew to “find his extra and put a shirt on him,” going ahead and capturing the stand-in walking through a field When Costner emerged and declared that he was now prepared for a hard day’s work Being an A-lister and a draw in his own right Costner had a heated exchange with Eastwood for having the temerity to replace him with an extra telling his tantrum-throwing leading man that “I get paid to burn film” and it’s not as if the icon doesn’t have a reputation for making hay in every moment the sun is shining or bowing to the whims of temperamental actors and there was never a chance Costner was going to end up winning their argument and have the sequence filmed again when it was already in the can The findings of a Police Ombudsman report into the Kingsmills massacre once again underlines the need for a fully comprehensive process for dealing with the past The report found the police investigation following the January 1976 killings failed to arrest and interview 11 men identified by intelligence with the failures described as taking place against ‘wholly insufficient’ resources Ten workmen were shot dead by the IRA in the attack with only Alan Black surviving the shooting The only Catholic among the group was identified and told to leave the scene before the killing began “The Kingsmills massacre was one of the most nakedly sectarian acts of the entire Troubles in a time period filled with such incidents,” said Lagan Valley MP Ms Eastwood “The families of those killed have long campaigned for justice for their loved ones and particular praise goes to Alan Black for his unbelievable strength and pursuit of the truth in the nearly 50 years since the murders He has also rightly hit out at the length of time it has taken to produce this report “Clearly he and the families feel let down as they come to terms with the findings of today’s report This further reinforces the need for a fully comprehensive and victim-centred process for dealing with the past survivors and their loved ones can receive the truth and justice they deserve.” Headquarters: 7 Farmley RoadNewtownabbey, BT36 7TYTel: 028 9032 4274 Email: [email protected] Published and promoted by Alliance HQ The new Ofcom regulations have been designed to help keep children safe online and will require social media and other internet platforms to block children's access to harmful content starting in July or they will face significant fines.Ms Eastwood said: "Today’s announcement may be a step forward The Government has repeatedly failed to act with the urgency needed to protect children online and children are paying the price.“Ofcom’s rules are welcome in principle but their long-overdue implementation highlights how slow and reactive the Government has been decisive action to hold tech giants accountable more reviews and voluntary features.“It’s concerning to hear the Technology Secretary citing TikTok’s ‘bedtime’ feature as something to watch and emulate The Government should be setting the standard Parents are expected to set firm boundaries because it’s in their children’s best interest parents are powerless as online platforms profit from the addictive nature of children’s use That’s why Government action is essential.“It’s high time the Government took real responsibility starting by raising the digital age of consent Headquarters: 7 Farmley RoadNewtownabbey, BT36 7TYTel: 028 9032 4274 Email: [email protected] Published and promoted by Alliance HQ His journey commenced with the television series Rawhide propelling him into a parallel standing with the gunslinging outlaw archetype Eastwood’s portrayal in Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy as ‘The Man With No Name’ solidified his place in the genre it was his position in Rawhide which gave Eastwood his first shot at the western genre During that escapade he channelled the icons of golden age cinema I think you take from everybody,” he explained in a 1992 interview I try to think how so-and-so did it in that 1936 film Or you remember seeing some effect as a kid and try to get the same effect watching Howard Hawks or John Ford or Alfred Hitchcock or Billy Wilder you watched their work and it was amazing how they created certain excitement in their films.” we had a lot of old-time directors who had stopped doing movies—people like Stuart Heisler and Laszlo Benedek I had also done three weeks on a movie with William Wellman and watched everything he did—how he approached things I found out what he liked actors to do and what he didn’t like.” However John Wayne was never high on the list of inspirational figures for Eastwood Although Eastwood has explored various genres throughout his career it’s the western genre that remains his defining association When it comes to his six-decade-long career one prevailing agreement is that Eastwood has managed to leave no one untouched His mere presence as an actor requires nothing more than a vacant gaze and sporadic expressions to establish his commanding aura he has consistently revisited and explored similar storylines often displaying an awareness of his own legendary status The spirit of the West flows through Eastwood’s veins evident in his consistent admiration for western films he has openly discussed his favourite movies within this genre Westerns have traditionally embraced a robust male-centric narrative often clinging to an antiquated notion of masculinity and rugged bravado takes a different path by delving into the generational divide between varying concepts of manliness skilfully depicted through the dynamic between an ageing rigid cattle driver and his youthful apprentice Hawks holds a special place in Eastwood’s admiration with the director being one of the triumvirates that significantly influenced his artistic trajectory Eastwood commends Hawks for his versatile range seamlessly transitioning from works like Red River to His Girl Friday with contrasting rhythms and perspectives At the forefront of Red River stands John Wayne even though his viewpoints often differed from Eastwood’s their western interpretations diverged widely Wayne epitomised American virtues as the honourable protagonist while Eastwood portrayed morally complex antiheroes with a European flair The two men operated in the same field but with two very different viewpoints on the world which would cause the two men to enter a cold feud that rarely boiled over but seemingly simmered as they worked on the dusty planes of Hollywood “John Wayne once wrote me a letter saying he didn’t like High Plains Drifter,” Easwtood revealed, which he didn’t think was “really about the people who pioneered the West.” Having been such an integral part of the western’s enduring popularity, Wayne wasn’t thrilled with the direction in which it was heading as his own career began winding down leaving Eastwood as just one of many emerging superstars he didn’t care for This ideological disparity ultimately prevented the realisation of their on-screen confrontation in The Hostiles. The script, penned by Larry Cohen, proposed a showdown between these two giants, but it was swiftly dismissed by Wayne himself. Beyond Red River, Eastwood also cites two other films he particularly enjoys It features Eastwood in the lead role as a Missouri farmer whose family is brutally killed by Union soldiers during the American Civil War an ageing former outlaw who reluctantly accepts one last assignment years after retiring from his criminal past to lead a life as a farmer Eastwood 3rd v Rayleigh 5th – T Rippon Mid Essex League Division Ten – Belfairs Park – Report Eastwood 3rd won the toss and elected to bat Sangeet Prasad returned bowling figures of 8-3-12-4, and James Offer 6-1-25-3 as Rayleigh 5th recorded a six-wicket victory over Eastwood 3rd at Belfairs Park in a low-scoring Division Ten encounter. Billy Gibbons top-scored for the home side, reaching 25 before becoming one of two victims for Andy James. Rayleigh reached their target with some to spare. Elliott Davies scored 24, and Dave Turner 22. Alec Hume, Phil Short, James Drabble and Gibbons, in vain with the Eastwood wickets. Eastwood 3rd: D Joslin, E Davies, R Palmer, A Creasey, M Tanveer, J Mitchell, B Gibbons, R Jackson, A Hume, P Short, J Drabble Rayleigh 5th: D Turner, S McDonagh, X Davies, J Offer, M Smith, P Hammond, S Prasad, Y Prasad, A James, T Allen About Latest Posts Brian Jeeves Email: sport@yellowad.co.uk Latest posts by Brian Jeeves (see all) Essex sunk by stunning Somerset fightback Tel: 07765530245 Email: sales@yellowad.co.uk Yellow Advertiser68 Crowhill,Godmanchester,Huntingdon,PE29 9NR Tel: 07765530245 Email: mickferris@yellowad.co.uk The beloved annual Christmas event is returning to bring festive cheer to Eastwood Join us for a magical evening to kick off the festive season from Eastwood Square and along Nottingham Road Enjoy the enchanting atmosphere with Victorian carol singers amazing street performances with the return of the magnificent Spark Drummers and the fun filled fairground rides Don’t forget to join the nativity trail through the town Join in with carol singing led by the Eastwood & District Churches Together to share the Christmas joy Enjoy a high energy live music performance on the stage by the fabulous Pesky Alligators from Nottingham At 7:00pm the Mayor of Broxtowe and the Eastwood Town Mayor will lead the Christmas Lights Switch On ceremony by the beautifully decorated Christmas tree at Eastwood Square The evening will conclude with a dazzling finale firework display at 8:00pm best viewed from Nottingham Road near Eastwood Library Stay tuned for more updates on the Broxtowe Borough Council Facebook page and www.broxtowe.gov.uk/events This festive celebration is organised by Broxtowe Borough Council in conjunction with the Eastwood Christmas Lights Steering Group and in association with the Eastwood Town Council Don't miss out on this magical evening of Christmas fun Please note that Nottingham Road will closed from 6:00pm-9:00pm Upper part of Victoria Street and the Scargill Walk Car Park will be closed from 4:00pm-9:00pm and the Alexandra Street Car Park will be closed from 6:00am – 11:00pm All residents affected by closures will receive letters to notify them that their road is affected by the closure Taking place at Eastwood Community Football Club attendees can expect a range of family-friendly activities These events aren’t just about getting helpful advice they’re about creating connections and building a stronger community Whether you’re looking for ways to improve your physical health or simply spend quality time with your family Eastwood Together has something for everyone Health and Wellbeing Manager at Nottingham Forest Community Trust ‘At the heart of Nottingham Forest Community Trust’s mission is a commitment to promoting both physical and mental wellbeing Eastwood Together is an opportunity for local families to access fun activities and practical advice to support their overall health and lifestyle.’ Leader of Broxtowe Borough Council and Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Asset Management ‘Nottingham Forest Community Trust do some amazing work in communities across the County and so it’s a pleasure to welcome them to Eastwood This is a great opportunity for local families to engage with others in the Eastwood community while also accessing some incredibly helpful resources The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is UK Government funded and Broxtowe Borough Council has been allocated a total of £2,584,477 over a three-year period 2022-25 Activity funded in 2024/5 includes local business including a set of community grant-funded projects Before Sofia Coppola’s 2017 remake came Eastwood’s portrayal of a Union soldier taken in by an all-girls school On paper, Don Siegel’s 1971 southern gothic melodrama The Beguiled appears the perfect candidate for a remake: a critical and commercial failure in its own time, its infamous reputation helped it linger in the margins of popular consciousness. Sofia Coppola would have thought as much when she directed her own take on Thomas P Cullinan’s source novel in 2017 While Coppola’s version is full of distinct beauty Siegel’s original stands alone in its unyielding thorniness That may have seemed like a career misstep for star Clint Eastwood upon its initial release but it now stands clearly as one of the most potent subversions of the masculine archetype he helped popularise. Read moreEastwood plays John McBurney, an unscrupulous corporal fighting for the Union during the waning days of the American civil war McBurney is found drenched in his own blood by 12-year-old Amy out picking mushrooms despite the many potential dangers She takes the wounded McBurney to the seminary where she boards his presence both as an enemy soldier and a man throws the ecosystem of the Confederate-sympathising smooth-talking his way into the good graces of formidable headmistress Martha Farnsworth (Geraldine Page) naive schoolteacher Edwina (Elizabeth Hartman) and Hallie (Mae Mercer) the enslaved woman forced to do much of the physical labour around the school Being boarded up inside the school’s music room with a grave injury to his leg does little to dissuade McBurney from imprinting his sexual presence upon both boarders and faculty any which way he can – through charm Candlelight and shadow muslin and white lace … The Beguiled plays like ‘a demented inverse of Picnic at Hanging Rock’ Photograph: Universal/Kobal/ShutterstockIt’s a setup that has only grown queasier over time Eastwood commits to the lurid and the artful in equal measure; his McBurney is both brutish charm and self-serving facetiousness The bolder McBurney’s lies and manipulations the more relaxed and convincing he becomes right up until the mask slips off to reveal raging entitlement underneath Page too takes southern stereotypes and finds countless flecks of subtlety as the headmistress But the most stinging member of the ensemble is Mercer whose portrayal of Hallie heightens the power dynamics at play within the school McBurney is an anti-slavery Unionist; the camaraderie he initially offers Hallie missing from her interactions with the other women is ripped away when she doesn’t comply with his demands Her character is excised in Coppola’s remake robbing the material of a terrifyingly frank demonstration of the collision between power Siegel posits that men have good reason to fear: they are more than deserving of retribution Photograph: The Malpaso Company/AllstarTo capture these ever-shifting alliances as lithe and pliant as the branches of the willow trees encircling the school white lace and straw hats set amid a forbidding natural landscape – plays like a demented inverse of Picnic At Hanging Rock Siegel was no stranger to crafting films that condemned the things they seemed to embody His earlier sci-fi classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers was a political Rorschach test of the McCarthy era – the titular body snatchers construed either as communists or their McCarthyist pursuers While on one hand The Beguiled seems to channel a genuine chauvinistic fear of the consequences of second-wave feminism’s sexual revolution Siegel posits that men have good reason to fear: they are more than deserving of retribution The Beguiled is available to stream on Binge in Australia and available to rent in the UK and US. For more recommendations of what to stream in Australia, click here ‘Ghostbusters’ star reflected on past career decisions in a new radio interview I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Bill Murray has opened up about one of the biggest regrets of his career Speaking on The Howard Stern Show, Murray recalled his remorse after turning down the chance to work with screen icon Clint Eastwood in the 1980s. “A long time ago I was watching the Clint Eastwood movies of the day, like Thunderbolt and Lightfoot or whatever the movies he was making then, and I thought: ‘His sidekick gets killed, and he avenges, but the sidekick gets like a great part, a great death scene,'” he explained. “I was like, ‘I got to call this guy!’ So I called him out of the blue, and he said, ‘Would you ever want to do another service comedy?’ Because I just made [the military comedy] Stripes and he had this great idea for an enormous Navy thing,” Murray continued. “ “And when he said, ‘Would you ever want to do another service comedy,’ like jeez, ‘Would I become like Abbott and Costello?’ I had to do like military movies? And I said, ‘Well, God, I guess maybe I shouldn’t.'” According to Murray, this reticence to do another comedy film set in the armed-forces would soon seem like a mistake. The film in question is believed to be Heartbreak Ridge (1986), a dark wartime comedy directed by and starring Eastwood. “But it’s one of the few regrets I have is that I didn’t do it,” Murray added. “Because it was a big-scale thing, and I would have gotten a great – I don’t know if I’d have gotten a great death scene, it was more of a comedy that one – but it was great. He had access to World War II boats and he could have like made a flotilla and stuff, and there was some cool stuff in it.” He revealed that he did apologise to Eastwood after realising the error of his decision. “When I see him, I’m like: ‘I’m sorry, I wish I’d done that Clint, I’m really sorry,’” Murray recalled. “[But] he’s certainly well over it. He’s a very resilient fella.” Eastwood recently released his 40th directorial effort, the courtroom thriller Juror No 2; the Hollywood legend is now 94 years old. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Sorcha Eastwood MP recently welcomed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to Lagan Valley for a significant constituency visit This marked the first time Minister Anderson engaged directly with a diverse range of groups in the area Minister Anderson met with representatives from community Sonas Co-op and President of the Lisburn Chamber of Commerce was also in attendance.Ms Eastwood said: "This visit was a vital opportunity to showcase the resilience and dedication of our local groups in Lagan Valley I’m delighted that Minister Anderson came to hear first-hand about the issues affecting our community and the solutions being driven by local organisations Strong collaboration between Westminster and Northern Ireland is essential to ensure that the voices of communities like ours are heard and acted upon.“The discussions focused on the challenges and opportunities facing Lagan Valley the need for sustained investment in public services and the importance of supporting grassroots initiatives that strengthen the local economy and social fabric.“This meeting underlined the importance of open dialogue between decision-makers and those on the ground working to make a difference and was an opportunity for Minister Anderson and I to reaffirm our commitment to addressing the unique challenges in Lagan Valley and ensuring that support is delivered where it is most needed.” Headquarters: 7 Farmley RoadNewtownabbey, BT36 7TYTel: 028 9032 4274 Email: [email protected] Published and promoted by Alliance HQ It’s not particularly easy to see how Eastwood, a man famed for little dialogue and a lot of tempered facial expressions, could sit easily next to the charismatic and chatty Murray, but if you squint like the ‘Man With No Name‘ there could have possibly been a fantastic comedic duo With Eastwood as the straight man and Murray as the foil there was certainly some potential for gold I was watching the Clint Eastwood movies of the day like ‘Thunderbolt and Lightfoot,’ or whatever the hell those movies he was making back then ‘His sidekick gets killed and he avenges [them] but the sidekick gets a great part The chance to work alongside one of the greats was an alluring prospect especially if it meant he also gained himself a heroic death scene “So I called him out of the blue and he said ‘Would you ever want to do another service comedy?’” Murray explained the chance to go back into that same schtick didn’t prove too alluring Murray expounded: “Because I just made Stripes And he had this great idea for an enormous Navy thing ‘would you ever want to do another service comedy?’ like ‘Would I become like [comedy duo] Abbott and Costello?’ I had to do military movies While Murray didn’t confirm which movie Eastwood was talking about it seems likely it was his 1986 release Heartbreak Ridge which Eastwood directed and starred in as a Marine tasked with whipping a slovenly platoon into shape It’s the kind of vehicle one might expect Murray to have excelled in but the risk of being typecast seemed too great to the actor “It’s one of the few regrets I have is that I didn’t do it who rarely wastes much time lamenting the missed opportunities of his career “I don’t know if I’d have gotten a great death scene He had access to World War II boats and he could have like made a flotilla and stuff It would seem that the chance to work with Eastwood still plagues his thoughts Words:  Bea Mitchell 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 More from this author Blooloop is taking climate action and is now B Corp Certified speed and the best experience on this site Follow Hollywood Outbreak on Mastodon Given how the western genre’s history is teeming with racially prejudiced depictions of Native Americans and other problematic sociopolitical symbolisms this evolution wasn’t just welcome but imperative for its continued existence in the modern media landscape Some historians trace the origin of the genre back to the 1890s, but it’s the incredibly influential The Great Train Robbery that one can single out as the film that set the ball rolling Drawing a direct line from Edwin S Porter’s 1903 short to Taylor Sheridan and John Linson’s neo-western television series Yellowstone is a bold endeavour even if it only serves to show how the fundamental frameworks of the western have changed because that’s exactly what the showrunners had in mind when they were planning the core concepts of the series Starring Kevin Costner in a tense drama that follows a ranch-owning family and their conflicts Yellowstone is a self-aware reflection on the western’s history adapting extremely well to the nuanced conversations that only enrich the contemporary media landscape During a conversation with Variety Sheridan took it upon himself to paint a picture of the various influences that have shaped Yellowstone such as the works of Cormac McCarthy and Toni Morrison are evident in the complex narrative that the show tackles the cinematic predecessors that Sheridan cites are also fascinating He said: “I was very influenced by writers like Cormac McCarthy who wrote about the time around the Civil War There’s a lot of westerns about it… And in terms of the movies that influenced me it was watching Unforgiven when I was in my late teens or very early 20s where you’re looking at the western genre through a whole new lens that had never been explored before.” It’s Unforgiven in particular that is the best example of an influence that towers over everything Yellowstone has to say Clint Eastwood’s 1992 revisionist western changed the understanding of the flawed and frail moral frameworks that were trying their best to uphold the dying genre resulting in its revival in a different form According to Sheridan, who told The Atlantic Eastwood completely “upended” the binary moral framework of the traditional western by letting “the sheriff be a bully and the hero be this drunken He “shattered the myth of the American western… So when I stepped into that world Unforgiven wasn’t just interesting because it played with these philosophical mores of the western genre but also because Eastwood employed a distinct visual language that invited a new generation of audiences to explore what the American western still had to offer on a grander scale due to the liberty it has with its episodic Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. IndependentLightDark{"modes":[{"id":"light","name":"Light","value":"#ffffff"},{"id":"dark","name":"Dark","value":"#000000"}]}Menu{"children":"Menu"}Thank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in Bill Murray has opened up about his career regrets 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 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 customized to your favorite sports and teams is renowned for its historical significance as it was once the wages office for the local collieries where the father of the famed writer D.H has been a symbol of local heritage and cultural pride so was a natural site of interest for Raleigh whose past is also entwined with the local area The Council had two primary objectives: to restore Durban House to its former glory and to create a functional business space Raleigh's move to the premises achieves both goals marking just the first stage of a longer-term plan between the Council and Raleigh Work started on turning Durban House into a Community Hub began in 2021 but a bid for Levelling Up Funding was unsuccessful The challenges this created have now been solved by the agreement with Raleigh – a genuine win-win through UKSPF has identified new locations for community activities Some community projects connected to the Hub will continue to work on the grounds of Durban House and the surrounding area Raleigh is committed to supporting community activities outside of working hours wherever possible and Raleigh is proud to contribute to the community by preserving this historic site The successful execution of this project was made possible by local businesses underscoring Raleigh's dedication to supporting local talent “We are pleased to remain in Eastwood and deeply appreciate the ongoing support and collaboration from Broxtowe Council in facilitating this move Raleigh's rich heritage is deeply intertwined with the Borough making it essential for us to stay connected to our local roots Durban House represents an exciting next step in our long-term strategy offering a space that not only honours our storied past but also aligns with our vision for future growth as we continue to invest in our ambitious plans for the bicycle business.” “I’m delighted to welcome Raleigh to Durban House in Eastwood It’s vital that we support our local businesses and particularly strategically important businesses like Raleigh We’ve been working on this partnership for a number of months to secure Raleigh with a new home As soon as we heard the news that they needed to relocate their head offices we wanted to ensure we worked with the team to support them through this change It’s also been really important that we ensure that we can keep these jobs in the local area and help support our local economy” “The project was made possible by support from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and used a new local enterprise - Wilborne Painting & Decorating Limited to complete the renovation In addition to this exciting move, Raleigh recently celebrated the successful launch of the iconic Chopper bike in two retro colours, rekindling nostalgia and receiving an enthusiastic response from cycling enthusiasts. For more information visit Raleigh's website (Opens in a new window) It seems that ever since they worked out how pictures could move on screens Clint Eastwood has been following shortly behind with captivating performances Equally pioneering in their field is Roberta Flack Flack has been a definitive voice in R&B There are many artists who excel in a specific genre but artists who are able to create a whole new movement within an established sound belong to an incredibly exclusive club having taken classic songs and applied her own spin in turn creating a new subgenre of music called Quiet Storm Roberta Flack sadly passed away recently at the age of 88 A statement filed by her representatives said “We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning “She died peacefully surrounded by her family She was also a proud educator.” While the news of her passing is sad and one of her classic songs that will remain timeless resulted from an unlikely collaboration with Clint Eastwood It’s not often that we see the careers of pioneering artists overlap but Eastwood and Flack did work together briefly on the film Play Misty For Me Eastwood’s use of her song ‘First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ gave a lot of exposure to the track and to Flack The song became so popular that it not only propelled Flack to fame but also saw her win a Grammy for the track in 1973 Despite Eastwood’s use of the song being a huge turning point for Flack she was initially hesitant to use it at the risk of it contrasting too much with the theme of the movie Play Misty For Me was a psychological thriller that was violent and left audiences at the edge of their seats wouldn’t fit with the overall tone of the track “I thought it was too slow,” said Roberta Flack when discussing her reservations about using the song He was right – and I was pleasantly surprised.” His longevity in the film industry is no accident as he has excellent vision and confidence in his ideas which means that movies like Play Misty for Me come to fruition and collaborations like his with Flack come together Including additional footage as bonus features or releasing extended director’s cuts has become increasingly common but it’s never something the legend has concerned himself with Not that anyone expected him to, though. Ever since he first wielded the megaphone on 1971’s Play Misty for Me, Eastwood has been as no-frills as it gets. He’ll rarely shoot more than two takes, and if anyone asks him for another there’s a distinct possibility he’ll tell them in no uncertain terms that they should have gotten the hang of it by the end of the second As cinema has continued to evolve in the six decades since Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy turned him into a star If he thinks his character has too much dialogue safe in the knowledge he can say more with one look than he could in five pages of screenwriting If he’s given a budget and a schedule to produce and direct a picture, then he’ll bring it in on time and without spending a penny more than necessary, which is the bare minimum. It’s an approach that exists somewhere between efficiency and ruthlessness and there’s one sequence from his magnum opus that audiences have never Having avoided the Academy Awards for almost 20 years Eastwood finally got his moment in the sun when Unforgiven won four Oscars including ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Director’ His farewell to the genre that made him a household name ends with a coda that stops short of spelling out what befell William Munny when he returned from his vengeance-fuelled quest to get rid of Gene Hackman’s ‘Little Bill’ Munny returned home to reunite with his children The scene was cast onto the cutting room floor and nobody’s ever seen or heard from it since David Webb Peoples remains one of the few who’ve laid eyes upon the sequence the director deleted from history “I don’t know what’s happened to it,” he admitted “I don’t know if it’s something Clint would want to re-release or put on a reel or something it’s done.” It’s been over 30 years since Unforgiven was released and if Eastwood hasn’t shown any inclination to unveil any of the deleted scenes That said, it’s a fitting fate, seeing as he’s never been particularly sentimental towards his own work, no matter what it is Despite qualifying on pole position in the hands of Eastwood’s team-mate Tom van Rompuy in Qatar last year TF Sport left the 2024 curtain-raising contest with just a single point courtesy of a tenth-place finish for the sister Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R on the car’s FIA WEC debut there would be no silverware until the end of the campaign when the two American machines placed second and third after vying for victory in Bahrain – but this season both cars were solidly on the leading pace during the traditional two-day ‘Prologue’ group test around Lusail International Circuit last week ending up fourth and eighth on the combined timesheets after completing more than 600 laps between them – equivalent to just over 2,000 miles – as they traded purple sectors with Vista AF Corse’s Ferrari 296 LMGT3 and the Lexus RC F LMGT3 run by Akkodis ASP Team “Everyone seems pretty happy,” acknowledged series newcomer Jonny Edgar the quickest of the Corvette sextet at just 0.167s adrift of the outright benchmark “It’s enjoyable being with TF Sport again but I’m also getting used to working with some of the new people “Ben [Keating] and Dani [Juncadella] I’ve gotten to know more over the last few days It’s mine and Ben’s first time here so it took us both a little bit to get used to the track but I feel we were both very comfortable by the end the car was nice to drive and the days went smoothly We tried a few things but if we had to race as we are now we would be in a pretty good position.” factory driver Eastwood was just over two tenths-of-a-second further in arrears in the car he is continuing to share with 2024 stablemates van Rompuy and Rui Andrade The Irishman is in bullish mood as the opening round approaches apace later this week (26-28 February) “There is close to no comparison to where we were a year ago,” Eastwood asserted and the #33 – at least on paper – is the strongest driver line-up on the grid the team is way more well-versed with the Corvette and with the steps forward we have taken with the Z06 GT3.R since this time last year we seem to be in a pretty good spot.” Armed with lessons learned from 2024 and buoyed by a GTD class triumph and GTD Pro runner-up result for the ‘Vette in last month’s 24 Hours of Daytona all sights are now set on sustaining that recent success in the ten-hour Qatar 1812km which will begin at 14:00 local time (12:00 CET) on Friday “Daytona was a very positive kick-off for the Z06 GT3.R in 2025,” reflected Corvette Racing Programme Manager “It validated the work of our engineers during the off-season to give our customers a Corvette that is now both quick and reliable All of this makes us extremely excited for Qatar “TF Sport has assembled another stellar line-up and there is a lot of familiarity within the team Both groups bring tremendous momentum and learnings from the Rolex 24 and last year’s double podium finish in Bahrain The goal is to continue carrying that forward to bigger and better things in 2025.” A jury in Bristol has concluded that the self-inflicted death of a vulnerable woman in prison was contributed to by neglect by the prison Kay had mental ill health and was diagnosed  with autism ADHD and complex post-traumatic stress disorder Her autism meant that she was sensorily sensitive She had a history of self-harm and suicide attempts Kay had never been to prison before but was remanded to Eastwood Park Prison on 15 June 2022 Professionals immediately wrote to Eastwood Park to express their concern about her risk of suicide and to warn staff about how difficult Kay would find an environment which was unfamiliar her psychologist and her solicitors all warned them and the prison did move reasonably quickly to have Kay assessed by a specialist neurodiversity practitioner who was working a day a week at the understaffed prison at the time This person has since left and has not been replaced Throughout her time in prison Kay self-harmed by headbanging She was only able to have two short phone calls to her family Kay had self-harmed again and made her second ligature in 24 hours She again explained how much she was struggling with the noise and she was seen lying on her bed with her hands over her ears Kay was told that she was not going to be returning to the induction wing where she had felt more supported and which she found less noisy they had still not resolved the issues with the phone and she was also still struggling with her medication She had gone to hide under a table in a quieter communal room Staff shortages meant that officers on the wing that day did not know her but did not take further steps which would have shown them that they were overwhelming her and driving her response to them six of them restrained her forcibly for 13 minutes Kay was headbanging and told staff that she did not want to breathe and that there was plenty left in her cell to harm herself with Once left in her cell Kay was seen ripping up clothes by at least two officers and a nurse but she was left alone without increasing her level of observations Staff did not consider putting her under constant supervision and pending a formal suicide/self-harm review When officers looked through the cell door window on over the next half an hour Kay was behind a screen and they got no response By the time the review came to be carried out Kay never regained consciousness and died in hospital three days later After listening to often harrowing evidence over the course of four weeks the jury concluded on 17 October 2024 that Kay’s death was contributed to by neglect: there were gross failings in Kay’s basic care at a time when she was less able to look after herself Such a conclusion is reserved for the most serious failings and is a damning indictment of the prison The jury found that the prison had adequate information about Kay from day one but throughout her time at Eastwood Park she was inadequately supported; that staff shortages were no excuse for failing to provide a duty of care to her; and that the prison failed to follow processes for vulnerable prisoners such as Kay that could have resulted in a different outcome They were particularly critical about the underwear and phone calls saying that it was “incomprehensible” that these “basic human needs” were not met as well as about the use of force on 4 July 2022 and the failure to keep Kay safe thereafter HM Senior Coroner Maria Voisin will send PFD reports to the prison service Eastwood Park prison and the healthcare provider at the prison Such reports are sent when an inquest gives rise to concerns that future deaths will occur and the coroner considers that action should be taken to reduce the risk of death Kay’s best friend and the person described throughout the prison documents as Kay’s sister said: “No woman who presents like Kay should be in prison Those who sent her there need to know what they are sending her to The fact that a care plan with support actions was never produced is heartbreaking she needed one after the restraint on 4 July either before that happened or immediately afterwards solicitor for Kay’s family added: “No woman in Kay’s position should be sent to prison in the first place; this is starkly demonstrated by the evidence heard in Kay’s inquest and the jury’s conclusion of neglect The family is grateful for the attention which the coroner and jury has given to this case over the last four weeks This is not the only case arising from Eastwood Park at around the same time and it is not the only case where there are clusters of death in a particular prison Prisons need to be reminded that when it is used properly the ACCT process in place to manage the risk of suicide and self-harm works This case shows too that much more work is needed on neurodiversity in the prison estate The combination of those two things – ACCT process failures and a significantly neurodiverse woman – proved quickly fatal The tragedy of Kay’s death is that it was avoidable Two more vulnerable prisoners at Eastwood Park died self-inflicted deaths within six months of Kay There must now be swift action to address the coroner’s concerns that similar future deaths will occur at Eastwood Park or at other prisons if things do not change as our prison system is fundamentally not fit for purpose especially for vulnerable women on remand or serving short sentences who are ripped away from their support systems The family call on the government to act urgently to follow through with their proposals to review the sentencing and imprisonment of women said: “The difference between what prisons represent in the public imagination and how they exist in reality The evidence from this inquest lays bare the cruel and dark reality of prisons as harmful Kay should never have been sent to prison in the first place The fact that so many processes exist to keep vulnerable prisoners safe and yet they continue to fail demonstrates that the prison project is beyond reform We must urgently divert the billions spent on a failed prison estate into tackling the root causes of crime and redirect resources to holistic Only then will we see an end to the deaths of women in prison.” For further information and to note your interest, please contact Ceri Lloyd-Hughes of Deighton Pierce Glynn Solicitors, solicitor for the family: clhughes@dpglaw.co.uk The family is represented by Ceri Lloyd-Hughes of Deighton Pierce Glynn Solicitors and Nick Armstrong KC of Matrix Chambers. They are supported by INQUEST Senior Caseworker Jodie Anderson Other Interested Persons represented are HMP Eastwood Park a custodial manager and an officer at the prison Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust A photo of Kay for media use is available here The Guardian report is here Our phone lines are open between 09:30 and 17:30 Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood has condemned comments from the Prime Minister confirming that online safety rules are under review as part of ongoing trade negotiations with the United States Headquarters: 7 Farmley RoadNewtownabbey, BT36 7TYTel: 028 9032 4274 Email: [email protected] Published and promoted by Alliance HQ The Italian film-maker overcame the language barrier with his actors by using mime as revealed in previously unseen photographs They made their names with A Fistful of Dollars, the first in a series of spaghetti westerns that became classics of 20th-century cinema But the Italian director Sergio Leone had such a poor grasp of English that he would repeatedly rely on the words “watch me” before miming whatever he wanted from his leading man Now previously unpublished photographs show him doing just that Sergio Leone rehearsing the scene in which Eastwood as Joe snatches Sheriff John Baxter’s gun from his holster on the set of Fistful of Dollars: ‘Watch me Clint.’ Photograph: Christopher Frayling ArchiveSir Christopher Frayling has been given access to hundreds of images in archives that had belonged to Leone and his set photographer Angelo Novi Frayling said that when A Fistful of Dollars was made in 1964 the words “watch me” were “the extent of Leone’s English” adding: “He’d mime what he wanted and then start filming.” A Fistful of Dollars was a box-office hit that led to two sequels, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, in which composer Ennio Morricone recreated the wild west of Leone’s imagination with a soundscape of haunting whistles and cracking whips Leone mimes the action in characteristic style Photograph: Reporters Associati & ArchiviEastwood was a minor television actor when he was cast as the “Man with No Name” laconic gunslinger in a poncho – a role that catapulted him to international stardom Leone, whose own father had made silent movies in Italy became a master of mime in making up for his lack of English He once said: “My films are basically silent films… The dialogue just adds some weight.” the arrival scene at a mission hospital – and one of Leone miming that where he’s obviously a bit confused about what’s going on around him scratching his head and looking very frustrated because they couldn’t understand each other.” Photographs from A Fistful of Dollars show Leone in a poncho It brings together interviews that Leone gave to selected film journalists over the years before his death in 1989 at the age of just 60 as well as essays that he had written on his cinematic influences Most have never before appeared in English Sergio Leone had a difficult relationship with actor Rod Steiger on the set of A Fistful of Dynamite Photograph: Angelo Novi/Cineteca di BolognaThere are also images from the set of A Fistful of Dynamite Frayling said that the two men disliked one another: “There are a couple of priceless photos of the two of them glaring at each other which was all ‘motivation’ and internalised acting Leone directs Robert De Niro on the set of Grand Central Station, a sound stage at Cinecittà. Photograph: Angelo Novi/Cineteca di Bologna“Through an interpreter, Steiger was constantly asking: ‘What’s my motivation?’ At one point, he asked Leone: ‘Do you know whether I loved my mother or not?’ And Leone said: ‘It’s a bloody story, Rod.’” Read moreOther previously unseen images include Robert De Niro’s makeup tests for the gangster epic Once Upon a Time in America Frayling said: “It’s set in the early 1930s and in the 1960s So it took a very long time to get his makeup so that he looked incredibly old is of De Niro standing with his own father Leone brought in De Niro’s actual father to give him an idea of what De Niro might look like when he gets older.” Sergio Leone By Himself is published by Reel Art Press RRP £39.95. For further information and full list of stockists visit reelartpress.com This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media 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 A UK Government review into the operation of the Windsor Framework must meet international obligations while highlighting economic opportunities available from it The Lagan Valley MP was speaking after Lord Murphy was appointed to review the Framework following the Assembly’s vote in December on its continued application.“I welcome the appointment of Lord Murphy to this role and look forward to engaging with him during the process,” said Ms Eastwood.“The Windsor Framework is an imperfect solution to a problem created by the Conservative Party and the DUP but it is the best one we have in the circumstances mitigating some of the worst aspects of Brexit It is related to trade and not the constitutional circumstances of Northern Ireland.“It is therefore absolutely vital this review is carried out in a completely impartial and strictly factual manner away from political views or constitutional opinions The very political and economic stability of Northern Ireland rests upon that.“I trust the Government’s review will meet the UK’s international obligations and showcase the significant opportunities dual market access can provide for everyone in Northern Ireland.” Headquarters: 7 Farmley RoadNewtownabbey, BT36 7TYTel: 028 9032 4274 Email: [email protected] Published and promoted by Alliance HQ Get to know Clint Eastwood’s eight kids: Laurie offering a worthy alternative to John Wayne as one of Hollywood’s biggest western stars Having established a tough outlaw image in the formative TV series Rawhide and transforming it into a global phenomenon throughout Sergio Leone’s legendary Dollars Trilogy the squinting gunslinger consolidated his status by portraying the iconic anti-hero cop Harry Callahan in the Dirty Harry franchise Over his six decades bathing in the Hollywood limelight Eastwood expanded his skillset to become a leading producer and director earning four Academy Awards and four Golden Globes for his duties behind the camera Eastwood is still active today in his tenth decade on the planet and released his most recent film Clint Eastwood’s career is a masterclass in evolution transforming from a rugged everyman into one of Hollywood’s most respected auteurs embodying the silent charisma of an outsider before transitioning into a prolific director with an unflinching eye for human complexity balancing gritty realism with poignant introspection often probing themes of morality and redemption Eastwood’s journey reflects an artist unafraid to challenge convention pushing boundaries both in front of and behind the camera His enduring legacy lies in his ability to resonate across generations Such a standing doesn’t;t always sit well with everyone on set There is no doubt that Eastwood is an admirable Hollywood legend some of the personality traits that buoyed him to the top of his game – tenacity obstinacy and apathy – have occasionally left a poor impression Eastwood is a man of traditional and broadly conservative values he has been called out for discriminatory content and commentary as well as his habitual glorification of the US military It might feel strange to challenge the notion of one of America’s greatest cinematic heroes being an all-around beloved figure of Hollywood But to think that one can spend an entire lifetime in the limelight without gaining at least a few detractors is to live in a fantasy world we remember five famous faces from Hollywood who have taken issue with the iconic nonagenarian When Eastwood emerged as Hollywood’s new gunslinger in the late 1950s and early-60s, he had nothing but admiration for John Wayne Eastwood revolutionised the immensely popular western genre Wayne wasn’t a fan of Eastwood and his nuanced approach to cowboy acting The tension began during Eastwood’s rise to prominence in spaghetti westerns like The Good Wayne became increasingly irritated as critics compared the two stars with each other While Wayne always played the hero who saves the day and sweeps the leading lady into his arms Eastwood challenged this style with his own more rugged lonesome cowboy demeanour The feud between the two actors erupted following the release of Eastwood’s 1973 movie High Plains Drifter The movie was by far his darkest Western to date Eastwood sent Wayne a letter asking his idol if he’d like to collaborate on a new project Wayne allegedly replied with an angry letter denouncing High Plains Drifter for its gratuitous violence and revisionist portrayal of the wild west Spike Lee the highly revered director of Do the Right Thing has taken issue with Eastwood’s discriminatory material The dispute between the pair can be traced back to 2006 when Eastwood released his double bill of WW-II movies Letters from Iwo Jima and Flags of Our Fathers these movies would seem touchingly unbiased given that one tells the story of the Pacific conflicts from the US perspective and the other from that of the Japanese Lee noticed a severe lack of diversity in Eastwood’s casting for US Army soldiers He claimed that Eastwood didn’t accurately represent the proportion of Black soldiers who fought during the war you’ve missed the one Black person that was in it,” Lee complained in an interview on Sirius XM at the time “There were Black marines!” Eastwood allegedly replied to Lee’s complaints by telling him he could “shut his face” he sounds like an angry old man right there.” Following the release of the Bradley Cooper-starring biographical war drama American Sniper Much of this vitriol came courtesy of Eastwood’s fellow filmmaker who has famously condemned the USA’s military activity and gun laws in his filmography which includes Bowling for Columbine and Where to Invade Next At around the time American Sniper hit the big screen Moore tweeted: “My uncle killed a sniper in WW2 Moore felt that Eastwood’s movie inappropriately glorified snipers and the US’s overseas military activity During a lunchtime event at the CinemaCon expo in Las Vegas Eastwood allegedly said: “Everyone kept saying I was going to kill Michael Moore but that’s not true.”While the audience laughed “I think once years ago somebody asked me what would I do if a guy like him came to my house with a whole film crew and started filming away like he did with Charlton Heston,” Eastwood continued Charlton Heston was ill at the time with Alzheimer’s But I thought if somebody was on your property later took to Facebook to verify the rumours “[Eastwood said] he would ‘kill’ me if I ever came to his house with my camera for an interview,” Moore wrote Adding: “I was a bit stunned to hear Eastwood But I instantly decided he was just trying to be funny.” Leonardo DiCaprio is among several actors who have announced that they will never work with Eastwood again. The pair worked together on Eastwood’s 2011 direction, J. Edgar The movie wasn’t a glowing success with the critics and perhaps reflected the dissonant atmosphere within the crew One thing we can be sure of is that DiCaprio and Eastwood didn’t see eye to eye but the frost truly descended when DiCaprio requested a retake for one of the scenes Eastwood instead announced the day as a wrap and walked off set DiCaprio’s co-star Armie Hammer also claimed that Eastwood’s “one take” style was particularly difficult to get on board with Hammer thought he was rehearsing since his script was still in hand Eastwood apparently had the camera rolling and deemed it a first take assuring Hammer that he would edit the script out of the shot The beloved actor Tom Hanks worked alongside Clint Eastwood for the first time on his 2016 direction The movie was a glowing success both critically and commercially Hanks became rather frustrated with the director’s brazen obstinacy While on the interview trail promoting the Oscar-nominated movie Hanks comically revealed the downside of working with Eastwood “You certainly don’t want one of those Eastwood looks.” Adding: “He treats his actors like horses because when he did the 60s series Rawhide the director would shout ‘Action!’ and all the horses bolted ‘That’s enough of that.’ It’s intimidating as hell!” Home / News & Sport / Eastwood urges Economy Minister to intervene as BT signals intention to leave Derry Foyle MP Colum Eastwood is seeking clarity on the level of Executive subvention provided to the BT Group over recent years after it emerged this week the company plans to close its Derry office with the transfer of 140 jobs to Belfast and India Mr Eastwood says patterns of investment from Invest NI have seen millions of pounds of taxpayer money given to the BT Group to diversify their Belfast base while shedding hundreds of jobs in offices across the North He’s now asking Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald to intervene with BT bosses in the context of the significant investment her Department has made in the company Eastwood calls on Economy Minister to intervene with BT Group  Colum Eastwood MP has sought clarity on the level of Executive subvention provided to the BT Group over recent years following the announcement of proposals to close the company’s Derry office with the loss of 140 jobs which will be transferred to Belfast and India Mr Eastwood said that patterns of investment from the Executive’s jobs agency Invest NI have seen millions of pounds of taxpayer money given to the BT Group to diversify their Belfast base while shedding hundreds of jobs in offices across the North Derry’s MP has written to the Economy Minister to seek her intervention with BT bosses in the context of the significant investment her Department has made in the company “This week’s announcement that the BT Group plans to close its Derry office and transfer 140 jobs to Belfast and India will have a significant impact on people “The decision is made harder to stomach by the fact that the BT Group has enjoyed significant investment from the Executive through Invest NI over the last decade largely to help the company expand its operations in Belfast is “Invest NI provided £9m for the BT Ireland Innovation Centre in Belfast in 2017 and a further £240,000 to help the company establish a legal hub in the city in 2020 The 2019 BT Group modernisation programme has subsequently recommended the closure of the Enniskillen site with a loss of 307 staff in 2023 and now the closure of the Derry site with the loss of 140 roles some of which will be transferred to Belfast “It appears that Invest NI’s funding decisions have incentivised a process of consolidating BT’s business in Northern Ireland to Belfast which has precipitated the loss of vital jobs in communities like Derry “Given the substantial public investment in the company I have written to the Economy Minister seeking her direct intervention with senior leadership at BT to put a stop to the flight of jobs from places like Derry Regional economic balance has to be a priority for the Executive and decisions like this are where the rubber meets the road Ministers have to step up and step in to support workers and the economy in Derry.” enquiries@highlandradio.comTelephone: (+353) 07491 25000Text: (+353) 086 60 25000Fax: (+353) 07491 25344 Designed by Manna  | Developed by Purposemakers thriving in the industry from the 1960s all the way up to the contemporary 21st century Eastwood’s position as one of the formative actors in the proliferation of what we know to be Hollywood today is as carved into the rock of the cinematic landscape as to join the aforementioned stars as part of a western Mount Rushmore The century saw Eastwood take on a variety of roles that would help him become one of the most famous faces in the world. Throughout that time, he has collaborated with some of the greatest filmmakers of all time, including Sergio Leone Considering his passion for the western genre you might think that Eastwood’s all-time favourite actor would be such aforementioned stars as Wayne his idol wasn’t known for his cowboy forays The dustier side of the dirt trail was certainly important to Eastwood and his career Speaking in an interview with Patrick McGilligan which features in the 1999 book Clint Eastwood: Interviews Eastwood revealed that his favourite actor was the star of White Heat because they thought I resembled Gary Cooper kind of a backward kid –- quite a few years ago” While a resemblance to a legend might be enough to encourage Eastwood to fall at the feet of Cooper the truth is that James Cagney had something entirely different Eastwood started: “But Cagney … I always liked Cagney’s style and energy” they weren’t afraid to do things that were outrageous A lot of good actors get wrapped up in images” dancer and film director known for his energetic on-screen personality Cagney is best known for his work alongside Humphrey Bogart and Pat O’Brien in 1938’s Angels with Dirty Faces The success of the movie would lead to the actor’s very first Oscar nomination for ‘Best Leading Actor’ with the star taking home the statuette four years later for his role in Yankee Doodle Dandy with Joan Leslie and Walter Huston whilst Eastwood is known for his multiple roles in front of the camera receiving praise for countless films throughout the 20th century he is better known for his directorial work Winning an Academy Award for ‘Best Director’ for his work on the 2004 film Million Dollar Baby Eastwood has since helmed such favourites as Letters from Iwo Jima Juror #2 is thought to be his final movie and has been routinely praised for a host of impressive performances The film tells the story of a murder trial in which one juror seeks to protect the defendant after realising he has deeper ties to the case the film is sure to be a mighty swansong for Eastwood Headquarters: 7 Farmley RoadNewtownabbey, BT36 7TYTel: 028 9032 4274 Email: [email protected] Published and promoted by Alliance HQ