Local people & celebrities

Celebrity Interviews

Princess Anne reflects on her happiest times as she reaches her 70th birthday

Wed, 10:21

Princess Anne at Paisley Uni (c) Paisley Scotland, Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

The Princess Royal, Her Majesty Princess Anne, reaches a personal landmark on 15 August when she will celebrate her 70th birthday. As the nation applauds her non-stop working for others, the Princess reflects on some of the happiest times of her life – at Windsor | Words: Bernard Bale

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Reading’s Ricky Gervais on his lockdown life and reaction to After Life season two

Tue, 16:02

Ricky Gervais at the Bloomsbury Theatre (c) Raph_PH, Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Originally from Reading, funnyman Ricky Gervais talks about the overwhelming reaction to After Life season two, plus what life has been like for him in lockdown

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Geraldine James - the Maidenhead born actor on starring in Downton Abbey

Monday, July 20, 2020 Bernard Bale

Geraldine James as Queen Mary in the Downton Abbey film

When Geraldine James told her family she wanted to become an actress, it was not exactly greeted with delight. But her career has taken her on a fantastic journey from Berkshire to becoming Queen of England – well, at least in Downton Abbey!

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George Clooney on his life in Berkshire

Tuesday, June 23, 2020 Bernard Bale

George and Amal Clooney. Photo Credit: Faye Sadou/AdMedia/Newscom / Alamy Stock Photo

George and Amal Clooney have often put their money where their concerns are and recently they donated nearly a million pounds to various global organisations fighting the coronavirus, including the NHS. We are proud to call them neighbours.

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Sir Kenneth Branagh - the Berkshire boy who became a knight

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Kenneth Branagh (C) Rich Gold/Alamy Stock Photo

Death On The Nile will be in our cinemas in October with Sir Kenneth Branagh directing and taking the lead role of Hercule Poirot, but the sun, sand and heat of Egypt is just the latest milestone in his life.

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Local People

Vicki Psarias - keeping the postive changes you made during lockdown

Thursday, July 23, 2020 Vicki Psarias

Meet our columnist, author and social media sensation Windsor-based ‘Honest Mum’ Vicki Psarias

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Toni Kent on the truth about camping

Tuesday, July 21, 2020 Toni Kent

Our new columnist, Toni Kent, is an author and stand-up comedian who lives in West Berkshire with her husband, two children and two dogs. Here she shares her observations on family life

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Aik Saath - the community group in Slough that challenges prejudice

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Aik Saath began in response to gang violence between young people from Asian backgrounds in Slough. The charity has been educating young people to challenge prejudice and has recently won an award for their contribution to the community. We spoke to Leader Rob Deeks...

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Discover the historic blue plaques in Berkshire

Tuesday, July 14, 2020 Bernard Bale

Memorial plaque Richard Dimbleby journalist 1913-1965 Boulter's Lock, Maidenhead Berkshire (c) Noel Yates / Alamy Stock Photo

It would be nice to have a window giving us a direct view into history and perhaps our sepia photographs and old film footage give us some kind of an insight into the past. But there is something else that inspires closer inspection – the blue plaque.

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Berkshire’s creative pool - the secret messages of local illustrators’ art

Friday, July 10, 2020 Holly Louise Eells

We meet some of the leading illustrators in the county who have created powerful, inspirational art to communicate a story, message or idea to their audience.

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