3+ week, 6+ day ago (441+ words) A bride-to-be from the Netherlands has told of her "shock" after her boyfriend proposed at a bridge dedicated to Black Sabbath in the band's home city of Birmingham. Sam Bok, 24, and her now-fiance Anton Greve, 23, are both heavy metal super fans, and took a one-day trip to the city while on holiday in London last month. Birmingham is widely considered the home of the genre, but Ms Bok still could not believe it when her partner got down on one knee at the Black Sabbath Bridge. "It sounds like a cliche but it was the happiest day of my life so far," Ms Bok said. Their engagement has even been brought to the attention of Sharon and Kelly Osbourne, who liked their post on Instagram and caused it to go viral. "It really exploded," Ms Bok added. "I didn't expect…...

3+ day, 11+ hour ago (411+ words) The winning design for a planned statue of Nelson Mandela in Glasgow has been announced. Sculptor Alan B Herriot has been selected to create the statue which will stand in the city's Nelson Mandela Place. Glasgow was the first city in the world to award its freedom to Mandela in 1981, at a time when he was still in prison in South Africa. The leader of the country's anti-apartheid struggle later visited Glasgow in 1993 - three years after he was released from jail. The Nelson Mandela Scottish Memorial Foundation (NMSMF) has set a target date for the unveiling of the completed statue of 9 October next year. Herriot was chosen following a competition which led to five artists being shortlisted to produce a maquette, or model, for the statue. He said he felt "honoured and privileged to have have been entrusted with the…...

3+ week, 5+ day ago (541+ words) Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi has joined staff at a Birmingham hospital to help launch a fundraising drive for its cancer centre. The musician, who was diagnosed with lymphoma at Heartlands Hospital, wants to give back to the staff by raffling one of his guitars, as part of a "150,000 appeal to refurbish the cancer treatment centre. He said the guitar, a mahogany Gibson SG, was one he'd had for a while and used at home. "We're putting it up to raise some money for the stuff they need here - I hope it does raise a lot," he said. Iommi played at Ozzy Osbourne's farewell gig this summer. The show saw the original line-up - Osbourne, Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward - play together for the first time in 20 years, at Villa Park, just yards from where all four had grown up in…...

10+ hour, 32+ min ago (625+ words) A man who crafted a replica Viking shield in his garden shed before donating it to a museum on the Isle of Man said the process was a "labour of love". Chris Clayton, who lives in Rotherham and works as an outdoor activity instructor in Nottingham, has a keen interest in Viking history and goes into schools to teach children about the time period. A regular visitor to the island, he took his inspiration for the replica from a shield found in a Viking burial site in Ballateare, in Jurby, in the 1940s. The piece of armour, which had been put on display at the House of Manannan in Peel, was made using historically accurate materials and techniques and took eight weeks to complete. Helping to fuel his interest in the Viking era, Chris said he would visit the museums whilst…...

3+ week, 6+ day ago (232+ words) A blue plaque has been unveiled for "king of clowns" Charlie Cairoli in his adopted hometown of Blackpool. Originally from Italy, he moved to the Lancashire seaside resort upon the outbreak of World War Two in 1939 and lived there until his death in 1980. Cairoli performed at Blackpool Tower Circus and regularly appeared on children's television shows, with his slapstick performances entertaining generations of fans. His son, also called Charlie, unveiled the plaque at Blackpool Tower Circus. Cairoli's ringmaster Norman Barrett, who was also at the unveiling of the plaque, said: "Sometimes I would get the laugh and I went to Charlie one day and said to him: 'I do apologise!' "'For what?'" he said. "Apologise for what? It doesn't matter who gets the laugh as long as we get the laugh!'" A woman has been arrested after the eight-year-old was…...

3+ week, 3+ day ago (217+ words) A University of Leeds landmark which houses 25 lecture theatres has been voted the city's favourite building of the last 60 years. Built in the 1970s, the Roger Stevens Building was given the People's Choice Award as part of the Leeds Architecture Awards 2025. It was chosen by a public vote from a shortlist of 10 nominations, including Bridgewater Place and Victoria Gate, all of which were built in Leeds between 1965 and 2025. Martin Hamilton, from Leeds Civic Trust, said the building had an "elegance and sculptural quality" to it which set it apart from many built at the same time. Described on the university's website as "fusing together 1950s architectural design with a contemporary infrastructure throughout many of the theatres", the building is situated in the heart of the campus. It is named after a British academic, diplomat and civil servant, as well as the vice-chancellor…...

3+ week, 3+ day ago (249+ words) A drone performance inspired by the work of world-renowned Bradford artist David Hockney is set to take place in his home city. More than 600 illuminated drones will recreate some of the 88-year-old painter's most famous works in an aerial display in Saltaire. Painting The Sky will take place on 14 November in Roberts Park, a short distance away from where many of his original works are housed in Salts Mill. The event, forming part of Bradford's UK City of Culture celebrations, is free to attend and starts at 17:30 GMT. Hockney, who was born in the city in 1937, attended both Bradford Grammar School and Bradford School of Art. Throughout his career he "has always embraced using new technology" for his creations, a Bradford 2025 spokesperson said. They said the show would last approximately 10 minutes and asked people to arrive "in plenty of time". SKYMAGIC,…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (602+ words) Some of the first graphic art posters displayed on the London Underground in the 1920s and 1930s have gone on show. The posters were created in distinctive Art Deco style at the peak of the design movement and were put up at Tube stations a century ago to encourage people to travel on the network to explore the city. The artworks typically feature London landmarks and depict aspirational scenes of high living and glamorous pastimes that the era is famed for. London Transport Museum, which is holding the exhibition of the posters, said they had become part of London Transport's world-famous visual identity. The Art Deco: The Golden Age of Poster Design exhibition in the Global Poster Gallery features more than 100 posters that were used on the network during this era. About a third of these have never been displayed in public,…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (31+ words) Artist swaps Duke of Wellington cone for pigeon reading a newspaper. More stories from around Scotland. Just now. Scotland. Glasgow ... Artist swaps Duke of Wellington cone for pigeon reading a newspaper...

3+ week, 23+ min ago (350+ words) A plan has been unveiled to transform a "run-down" pavilion into a community hub. The Richard Moore Sports CIC (community interest company) has taken on a 25-year lease to maintain and develop the sports pitches, bowls green, and pavilion at Blaby Road Park in South Wigston. Scott Moore, managing director of the company, said the pavilion had become "run down after years of neglect" and the pitches at the site were also at a "pretty poor standard". Mr Moore said that ideally investment would allow the company to double the size of the pavilion and add another floor subject to planning permission. Planned improvements also include upgrades to the changing facilities, new accessible toilets and renovated community spaces designed for wider local use. He said: "The building is about 40 years old nearly, there are cracks in the walls, very old…...