Kent

French Champagne makers are producing English sparkling wine "through gritted teeth" as the Kent countryside continues to rival northern French vineyards. Champagne house Taittinger has started making fizz in Kent , known as the "Garden of England", after it was identified as having the perfect conditions for grape-growing thanks to its chalk soils, climate and topography. And now it has emerged that LVMH – the company behind world-leading champagne brands Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Veuve Clicquot, Krug, Ruinart and Mercier – is also looking to buy up an English vineyard. Hannah Heerema, who, with her husband Eric, owns the Nyetimber estate in West Sussex , famed for its English sparkling wine, revealed: "For years, the French have been so scathing about English wine – and now Taittinger have planted, Pommerey have done a joint venture and LVMH are looking. "The tide is changing, I think, and the French are concerned that, with temperatures rising in the north of …

[Read more...] about Santé! Another Champagne giant uncorks plans to buy an English vineyard

Tragic doesn’t even begin to describe it. Relations between France and Britain, Europe’s two greatest nations, the country of my birth and the country of my home, are at a multi-generational low. The situation is far worse than almost anybody realises, a heart-breaking state of affairs which will make it even harder to successfully renegotiate the Northern Irish protocol. The anger, resentment and sense of betrayal on the British side is greater even than when General de Gaulle (rightly) vetoed our applications to join the European Community in 1963 and 1967. No recent event even remotely compares: not the row with Jacques Chirac over Iraq, not the lethal use by Argentina of French Exocet missiles during the Falklands War and certainly not the endless spats over beef, BSE, fish or European treaties over the years. One needs to go back some seven decades to recall a worse time. The present moment is obviously nothing like the horror that was the necessary destruction by Britain of …

[Read more...] about Anti-British, anti-Brexit Macron has turned France into a hostile state

Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas surprised many seasoned Court watchers when he asked the first question of the 2021/2022 term earlier this month. Thomas, now the Court's longest-serving member, has developed a reputation for reticence and often does not speak during the rapid-fire questioning period of oral arguments. However, the conservative dove right into questioning counsel in a case dealing with a ground water dispute between Mississippi and Tennessee in what some viewed as a sign of the shifting balance of power on the court. The nation's highest court now has a 6-3 conservative majority and Chief Justice John Roberts' influence has declined as a result. A swing vote, Roberts was previously the decisive factor in close votes and famously sided with the liberals in some key cases but now that there are five other conservative justices, the chief justice appears increasingly sidelined . Thomas may now feel more comfortable in his position as the …

[Read more...] about Clarence Thomas has big shoes to fill to become SCOTUS leading conservative

Did you hear that the new Superman is bisexual? Or that the new James Bond might be black? And if this news excites you, you should probably stay away from the new Dave Chapelle special: He says things you may not like. Pop culture is being infected with an unappealing wokeness that activist creators think will either excite the masses or, perhaps, keep them from turning into a mob. Small groups of vocal activists are forcing artists to create their work through an equity lens. But those artists should choose entertainment and appeal over critical race theory and propaganda. There is no general clamoring for wokeness shoehorned into every aspect of entertainment. No one asked for Superman to be a member of the LGBTQ community. Audiences aren't demanding a black James Bond. No serious stand-up fans were concerned that Chapelle might offend them with jokes and commentary, because they would know it is part of his routine. Yet, we're being told that a new generation of consumers now …

[Read more...] about When equity comes for Superman, Bond and Chappelle, no one wins | Opinion

Boris Johnson says he will be going to the pub 'in a few days' Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info The Prime Minister will address the nation from Downing Street's new £2.6million briefing room at 5pm this evening. His press conference comes as people in England are now allowed to meet in groups of six outdoors and organised sport returns. Related articles EU chiefs fail to secure new Covid-19 vaccine supply deal EU threats of Covid vaccine export ban branded ‘dangerous’ Lockdown restrictions have been eased today in part two of the first step of the roadmap back to normality, after earlier this month all children returned to the …

[Read more...] about Boris Johnson press conference: PM to address nation with urgent warning as EU cases erupt

The Larkins reboot with Bradley Walsh begins on ITV Sign up for FREE now for the biggest moments from morning TV SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info The Larkins is the latest adaptation of The Darling Buds of May and it has been airing on ITV on weekends. The new TV series stars The Chase host Bradley Walsh as patriarch Pop Larkin, with Joanna Scanlan playing wife Ma. Daughter Primrose is played by Lydia Page in the latest adaptation, but who played the original Primrose and where is the actress now? Related articles Our Yorkshire Farm star Amanda Owen shares Ravenseat pregnancy news Billy Connolly opens up on 'heartbreak' over condition What happened to the original Primrose? The Darling Buds …

[Read more...] about The Larkins cast: What happened to the original Primrose from Darling Buds of May?

Queen uses walking stick during event in Cardiff Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top Royal stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info The monarch, 95, will be joined by Prince Charles, Prince William, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Prince Michael of Kent at the event. Among the guests will be Prime Minister Boris Johnson and attendees from the summit. Related articles Prince Harry announces new eco project Prince William reveals what Prince Louis loves to do in rare update It comes ahead of the Queen and other members of the Royal Family attending Cop26 in Glasgow a few weeks. The Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall will also attend …

[Read more...] about Queen picks William, Charles, the Gloucesters and Prince Michael to join her at key event

Queen uses walking stick during event in Cardiff Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top Royal stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Her Majesty, 95, was spotted using a walking stick twice this week. An insider made it clear this move had been taken "for comfort" rather than for any medical issue. Related articles Queen advised to give up favourite drink amid health concerns William shares insight into difference between George and Charlotte Take a look at Amazon's best selling books in Royal Historical Biographies Amazon's best selling books in Royal Historical Biographies Learn all about the secretive personal lives and history of the Royal Family as you've never …

[Read more...] about Queen ‘should be used sparingly’ – expert weighs in after monarch seen with walking stick

‘Why? Why? Why do we have it? Why do we need it?’ Christopher Biggins moaned during today’s Good Morning Britain . I could hardly stop my eyes rolling when I heard him utter the words. Biggins was referring to the news that DC Comics is about to welcome a new LGBT superhero in Jonathan Kent. Jonathan, the son of original Superman Clark Kent and Lois Lane, will embark on a same-sex romance with friend Jay Nakamura . Speaking to presenters Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley, Biggins claimed the introduction is ‘pandering to the woke system’, as if bisexuality is in itself ‘woke’. How Biggins was even given such a platform in the first place astounds me. Anyone familiar with his track-record won’t be too surprised to hear he has an issue with the man of steel’s son’s sexuality. In 2016, he was kicked off Celebrity Big Brother for suggesting that Aids is a ‘bisexual disease’ and that bisexuals are ‘the worst type’. However, ask him for his version of events …

[Read more...] about Christopher Biggins’ appearance on GMB proves biphobia is not only rife, it’s acceptable for morning television