New Times,
New Thinking.

  1. Culture
  2. Life
7 February 2024

This England: Get into the groove

This column – which, though named after a line in Shakespeare’s “Richard II”, refers to the whole of Britain – has run in the NS since 1934.

By New Statesman

Music lovers can now be immortalised by having their ashes baked into vinyl records, thanks to a new service available from Gedling Crematorium.

The bespoke discs feature recordings and images of a loved one, and each contain a small amount of their ashes. The memorial can include a personal message or soundtrack, or the sound of silence – aside from the unmistakable pops and crackles of a vinyl record.
Gedling Eye (Terry Hanstock)

Cold sweat

A runner training to do the London marathon with a 4st fridge on his back was stopped by police – as they thought he had stolen it.

Daniel Fairbrother, 34, from Hertfordshire, explained he is hoping to raise £10,000 for Diabetes UK in support of his best friend, Sam. Officers joked: “You do know if you order from Currys they will deliver it for you?”
Metro (Kate McIntosh)

Minimising the commute

A retired architect has spent five years building a precise model of his beloved local Brighton railway station.

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how Progressive Media Investments may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

Malcolm Thomas, 67, recreated every pillar, platform and even passengers for the nearly 10ft-long replica. He used historical plans and reference images to construct the station buildings and canopy out of rigid plastic, wood and aluminium. Malcolm said: “I used to travel in and out of the station quite a bit and had a love for its structure.”
Sunday Mirror (Amanda Welles)

[See also: This England: In the bag]

Content from our partners
The Circular Economy: Green growth, jobs and resilience
Water security: is it a government priority?
Defend, deter, protect: the critical capabilities we rely on

Topics in this article : , ,

This article appears in the 07 Feb 2024 issue of the New Statesman, Who runs Labour?