14 May 2025

This England: With a couple of kookies…

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

By New Statesman

Illustration by Marta Signori

A portrait of David Bowie took the artist Ed Chapman 180 hours to make – out of biscuits. The mosaicist created images of the “Heroes” singer for McVitie’s, which is celebrating 100 years of the Chocolate Digestive. He used more than 1,000 of the treats to fashion the faces of icons including Trevor McDonald and Judi Dench out of whole biscuits, fragments and crumbs. His works go on show 2-5 May at McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives Experience in Regent Street, London.
Wales Online (Amanda Welles)

Suite oblivion

A sofa dumped in a Gloucestershire village has become an unexpected tourist attraction – with fans taking photos and giving Tripadvisor reviews. The two-seater was abandoned on waste ground in Lydbrook, but photographer Alex Elton-Wall saw potential in the forlorn furniture – and has since taken the portraits of more than 150 locals. “It’s taken on a life of its own,” Alex said, but he expects the fly-tipped seat will soon be disposed of properly. “All good things come to an end,” he said.
Metro (Daragh Brady)

Forced to eat crow

The owner of a cockerel that awoke neighbours early has been ordered to pay nearly £4,000. Harold Brown let the bird make “unacceptable levels of noise” disturbing their sleep “from as early as 5am each day,” said New Forest District Council. Mr Brown’s bid to quash a conviction for non-compliance was dismissed at Southampton Crown Court.
BBC (Michael Meadowcroft)

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