Historic eatery in capital’s theatreland given to heritage charity after changing hands only three times in 228 years When Thomas Rule served his first oyster to diners on Maiden Lane in London’s Covent Garden, “mad” George III was on the throne of England, John Adams was US president and William Pitt the Younger had just come up with a wheeze called income tax to pay for the Napoleonic wars. More than two centuries later, Rules , the restaurant Thomas founded in what became the capital’s theatreland, has outlasted nine British monarchs and 45 prime ministers – but has changed hands only three times. The interior of its four-storey home, stuffed with historic playbills and vintage caricatures and gilded antlers, is little changed from the 19th century, nor has the tone of its determinedly meaty menu – think rabbit rillettes, shin of veal and roast guinea fowl. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/FCvcMb6 via IFTTT
Pike, sentenced to death over 1995 murder, had been granted stay of execution earlier on Wednesday The US supreme court is allowing Tennessee’s first execution of a woman in 200 years to go forward, vacating a last-minute stay issued by a lower court earlier in the day. Christa Pike, who was convicted of murder 30 years ago, was initially scheduled to die by lethal injection on Wednesday morning until her execution was halted hours earlier by a federal appeals court. In a 2-1 ruling, that court said the delay was necessary to assess whether Pike’s allegations of childhood sexual abuse were fully considered at her sentencing. The state governor and the supreme court had earlier refused calls for clemency. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/GqUpP4Z via IFTTT