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‘Escapism is down there’: The men finding solace and community in the dark of disused Cornish mines

‘Escapism is down there’: The men finding solace and community in the dark of disused Cornish mines

A new documentary, The Lost Boys of Carbis Bay, follows a band of explorers into their underground world The surf was up off the north coast of Cornwall but a hardy band of adventurers turned their backs on the temptations of the sunny beaches and headed inland to burrow into the darkness. Over the next few hours members of the Carbis Bay Crew explored the shafts and tunnels of an old mine, laughing, joking and making sure each other was OK as they clambered down precipitous ladders and squeezed through tight gaps. Continue reading...

Remembering Mama Africa: struggle of fearless singer Miriam Makeba told in daring dance drama

Remembering Mama Africa: struggle of fearless singer Miriam Makeba told in daring dance drama

Mimi’s Shebeen, choreographed by Alesandra Seutin, charts South African legend’s exile and ascendancy with ‘beautiful songs, strong messages and moments that hit’ “You speak about Miriam Makeba in South Africa and it’s like speaking about a queen,” says Alesandra Seutin. The legendary singer Makeba was known as Mama Africa, and the Empress of African Song; but she also hung out in Greenwich Village with Miles Davis and Duke Ellington. She was a teenager sent out to work to support her family in Johannesburg who later became a diplomat for Ghana, then Guinea’s official delegate to the UN. An outspoken anti-apartheid activist, she was the wife of a Black Panther. And her rich life and legacy are the inspiration for choreographer Seutin’s latest work, Mimi’s Shebeen, about to get its UK premiere. Mimi’s Shebeen blends dance, live music and spoken word in a piece of theatre that’s no straightforward biodrama but draws on Makeba’s history, particularly her story of exile: after moving to New York in 1959 Makeba was barred from South Africa for 30 years because of her anti-apartheid stance. She was later banned from the US after marrying the Black Panther activist Stokely Carmichael. The show comes across like a ritual of remembrance, a deconstructed funeral – part eulogy, part celebration, part provocation – with the fabulous South African singer Tutu Puoane at the centre bringing Makeba’s songs to vibrant life. Continue reading...

More rice, bigger chairs and reinforced toilets: sumo wrestling comes to London | Andy Bull

More rice, bigger chairs and reinforced toilets: sumo wrestling comes to London | Andy Bull

Royal Albert Hall to host Grand Sumo Tournament marking only the second time a full competition is held overseas They play Major League Baseball at the Olympic Stadium, Tottenham’s ground is a second home for the National Football League, the National Basketball Association is staging a game at the 02 Arena next year, and South Africa just beat New Zealand in a rugby Test at Twickenham, but it’s been a long time since London has hosted anything on the scale of the Grand Sumo Tournament taking place at the Royal Albert Hall this week. Forty wrestlers have flown over from Japan to compete in it. That’s around six tons of elite athlete to be fed, watered, transported and supported. “We’ve actually had to source and buy new chairs which can take up to 200kg in weight,” says Matthew Todd, the Royal Albert Hall’s harassed director of programming. “Our usual standard is only 100kg.” They’ve also had to reinforce the toilets. “It’s the ones that are screwed into the wall which are the most challenging,” Todd explains, wearily. Continue reading...

‘She died because of the flood’: Filipinos rise up as outrage over corruption scandal grows

‘She died because of the flood’: Filipinos rise up as outrage over corruption scandal grows

Allegations related to flood control projects have sparked widespread anger and protests in the Philippines Philippine health worker Christina Padora waded through July’s waist-high flood water to check on vaccines and vital medications stored in the village clinic, something she had regularly done during previous typhoons. But this time she didn’t make it. Taking hold of a metal pole that she failed to see was connected to a live wire, the 49-year-old was fatally electrocuted in the water. Continue reading...

A quiet bite in: Charlie Bigham launches £29.95 ready meals for home diners

A quiet bite in: Charlie Bigham launches £29.95 ready meals for home diners

Supermarket supplier says new pricier range is still cheaper than bill for a night out at a restaurant British consumers are looking to treat themselves with an alternative to dining out despite a squeeze on household finances, according to the food entrepreneur Charlie Bigham who is launching luxurious ready meals costing up to £29.95. The supermarket supplier is selling a new five-option range, which includes a venison bourguignon made with wild-caught venison from the Scottish Highlands, in an attempt to snare consumers saving on the cost of a night out. Continue reading...