4 h. ago Minister: Significant progress made to clear rubbish from Birmingham’s streets

The Conservatives pressed communities minister Jim McMahon to ‘rule out the humiliation of service personnel ever having to collect refuse’.

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6 h. ago Royal tour paintings from Charles’s personal collection to go on display

Charles began the tradition of commissioning a tour artist in 1985 when John Ward joined an official trip to Italy at his expense.

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12 h. ago Royal exhibition to recount 40 years of Charles on tour in 70 artworks

Visitors to Buckingham Palace will be able to see works by official tour artists who accompanied visits to 96 countriesForty years ago the then Prince of Wales invited, at his own expense, the artist John Ward to join an official visit to Italy as an official tour artist, with the brief to draw or paint whatever inspired him.Since then, 42 artists to have undertaken this role, collectively visiting 95 countries during 69 tours, with their work now going on display at Buckingham Palace. Continue reading...

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1 week ago King's tour artist is first to create paintings digitally as he draws 'whatever inspires them' to make unique record of global royal travels

Rather than look to Italian greats such as Leonardo da Vinci or Titian for inspiration this week, the monarch decided to commission something with a more modern bent.

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2 w. ago Princess Eugenie's sons get tour of King Charles' royal helicopter as it lands in London

Princess Eugenie's sons get tour of King Charles' royal helicopter as it lands in London  Daily Express

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2 w. ago Princess Eugenie's sons get VIP tour of King Charles' royal helicopter as he touches down in London – exclusive

Princess Eugenie's sons get VIP tour of King Charles' royal helicopter as he touches down in London – exclusive  hellomagazine.com

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2 w. ago Various: Chet Baker Re:imagined review – new reworkings by R&B, pop, soul and jazz artists

(Blue Note)There are hits and misses as 15 performers including Dodie, Mxmtoon and Ezra Collective’s Ife Ogunjobi give their personal take on Baker’s unique soundPossessing a whisper-soft voice and sweetly melodic trumpet tone, Chet Baker (1929-1988) had a sound that is often imitated yet almost impossible to master. For the latest edition of Blue Note’s Re:imagined series, in which the jazz label invites artists to produce cover versions of its back catalogue, 15 R&B, pop, soul and jazz artists have been given the unenviable task of interpreting Baker’s repertoire – with often surprising results.The trumpeter-vocalist’s supple take on jazz standards is well reflected in singer Dodie’s delicate version of Old Devil Moon as she emphasises the original’s swaying Latin percussion. British singer-songwriter Matt Maltese’s My Funny Valentine adds a beautifully elegiac guitar line to the well-worn melody. Other approaches work less well, with US singer Mxmtoon’s clean vocal tone overp...

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