First of all, it’s in Essex not London, and it’s bizarrely a regular filming destination for Hollywood directors – doubling up for everything from Venice to Gotham City.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
From Batman to Indiana Jones and even Paddington Bear, the port town of Tilbury in Essex is a big star of the screenCredit: AlamyIt’s also home to Tilbury Town train station which has been hailed as ‘life-changing’Credit: Google
When Christian Bale was Batman, he spent time filming at the docks while it doubled up as Gotham City, as well as the nearby Coalhouse Fort on the edge of the River Thames.
The Coalhouse Fort was built in the 1860s to protect the Thames – and in the movie was made to look like a prison.
Christian Bale isn’t the only mega star to have spent time in Tilbury, Harrison Ford, Sean Connery and director Steven Spielberg visited the docks to film the third Indiana Jones movie; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
They even used the docks as the background for a boat chase, which they pretended was Venice.
And perhaps the most famous star of them all – Paddington Bear.
Tilbury featured in the first Paddington Bear film, at the beginning of the movie when the bear migrates from Peru and ends up heading into London.
Tilbury Dock is located in Tilbury Town, which features a star-shaped, 16th century fort on the waterfront that was built to defend the river against enemy ships.
Most read in Best of British
It was in nearby West Tilbury that Elizabeth I rallied her army, awaiting the Armada in 1588.
You can now visit Tilbury Fort, as it’s managed by English Heritage, tickets for adults cost £8.60 and tickets for children are £5.
The speedboat chase in Indiana Jones was filmed in Tilbury, not VeniceCredit: UnknownThe star-shaped Tilbury Fort sits on the riversideCredit: Alamy
Meanwhile, the train station in Tilbury Town has been shortlisted as one of the most life-changing stations in the country.
It’s part of the World Cup of Stations Competition where a group of shortlisted stations in Britain battle it out head-to-head in a public vote.
People have shared their own stories about the train stations to celebrate 200 years of British railway.
Tilbury Town has been hailed as a “key point of arrival for people journeying to Britain.
“From emigrants and returning servicemen to post-war migrants seeking fresh opportunities, Tilbury became a symbol of hope and renewal.
“One of its finest moments came in June 1948, when the Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury, bringing hundreds of passengers from the Caribbean.”
SET in the grounds of the Chatsworth Estate is a new hotel with cosy rooms and restaurant.
Not only is there the hotel to explore there’s also the Chatsworth stately home, garden, farmyard and woodland play area – plus, rooms are under £100 per night.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
The new cosy hotel with 25 rooms has opened on the Chatsworth EstateCredit: suppliedGuests can visit the stately home that was used in Pride and Prejudice during their stayCredit: Alamy
It’s on the very edge of the Chatsworth Estate and is described as a place to “relax, reconnect and take advantage of the Peak District”.
The 25 rooms range from Cosy, to Comfortable, Spacious, Bunk and Accessible Rooms – and the rates start from £99 per night.
The cosy rooms come with a double or king size bed, power shower and free Wi-Fi, meanwhile the spacious or bunk rooms are more suited towards families.
As for eating, The Hide serves up food throughout the day at The Hide Grill and Pizzeria from buffet breakfast to a Full English in the morning.
There’s also mains from fish and chips to beef and ale pie, burgers and steak which comes with skin-on fries and house pickles.
On Sundays, you can enjoy a roast at £18pp from Chatsworth Farm beef to rotisserie chicken, lamb and butternut squash wellington – each comes with roast potatoes, veggies and Yorkshire puddings.
In the summer months, the hotel opens up its outdoor pizza oven, BBQ and even has a fire pit for making s’mores.
Most read in Best of British
Guests can enjoy direct access to the estate’s park moorland as well as entry to Chatsworth House, garden, farmyard and adventure playground.
As part of their stay, those staying at The Hide can add exclusive perks including multi-entry tickets to Chatsworth and private tours of the house when it is closed to the public.
There’s an on-site grill and pizzeria at The HideCredit: Photographer: Anna BatchelorThe Hide has various rooms from cosy to comfortableCredit: Anna Batchelor
The hotel is set on the grounds of Chatsworth House, it was built in the 1600s and is well-known for featuring as Pemberley in the 2005 adaptation ofPride and Prejudice.
It’s also appeared on the screen in The Duchess, The Wolfman, Peaky Blinders and Death Comes to Pemberley.
Also on the grounds is Chatsworth’s farmyard where families can meet the animals from pigs to horses, goats and guinea pigs.
There’s also the woodland adventure playground which has ladders, a climbing wall, tower and turrets.
It has a huge woodpecker model for playing on too with a zip wire, swings, and a giant sand play area.
There’s a wooden adventure playground on the estate tooCredit: Chatsworth
The Hide is managed by Chatsworth Escapes who also run award-winning The Cavendish Hotel.
THE first glimpse of a popular UK seaside town’s £20million beachfront transformation has been revealed in brand new footage.
Located in the heart of Devon, the new project is set to redefine a stretch of stunning British coastline.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
A first look at the major transformation has been revealed in new fly-through footageCredit: Torbay CouncilThe revamp is set to cost an eye-watering £20millionCredit: Torbay Council
An incredible new fly-through tour has provided residents with a first look at Paignton’s bright future.
The ambitious new plans include the instalment of vital flood protection and upgrades to public areas.
After being appointed by Torbay Council, the construction firm Knights Brown has revealed that it is preparing for full-scale works to commence in early November.
It aims to protect homes, businesses, and community areas from coastal flooding, while also introducing brand new promenades, seating zones, landscaping and improved lighting.
Phase one will focus on Paignton Green North, with work scheduled for completion before the English Riviera Airshow in May 2026.
The following phase will aim to tackle Paignton Green South.
While a separate single-phase scheme at Preston seafront is due to start at the end of the year.
The £20million project is being funded by the UK government and the Environment Agency as part of broader efforts to strengthen climate resilience.
Construction zones are expected to briefly pause during the 2026 six-week summer holiday period.
Throughout construction residents will also still be able to access both beaches.
Promenades will also stay open but may be narrowed in places.
The green spaces surrounding the work will also remain fully accessible and local businesses will continue to run as usual.
Cllr Chris Lewis, deputy leader and cabinet member for place development and economic growth atTorbay Council, said:“This marks Paignton’s first large-scale transformational project—an initiative that goes far beyond flood defence.
Among the plans is the installation of vital flood protection and revitalised public areasCredit: AlamyTorbay council has said the scheme homes to unlock Paignton’s future as a ‘thriving, vibrant coastal town’Credit: Alamy
“It will deliver a dramatically enhanced seafront experience for all, with modern design and improved public spaces that add lasting value to the area.
“More than protection, this scheme is about unlocking Paignton’s future as a thriving, vibrant coastal town.”
Mike Crook, divisional director at Knights Brown, added: “We’re proud to be working in partnership with Torbay Council on this game-changing project for Paignton and Preston.
“We have vast experience in coastal and marine projects, having worked on schemes across Wales and the UK, including Mumbles in Wales and Associated British Ports in Southampton.
“Our team is excited to contribute to Paignton and Preston’s future—not just through construction, but by being an active and positive presence in the community.
“We look forward to working closely with residents, businesses and local organisations to ensure this project benefits everyone.”
The project is being funded by the UK government and the Environment AgencyCredit: Torbay Council
NESTLED in the Northumberland countryside is a pretty village that dates back to the second century.
It has Roman roots, and looks like it goes back years thanks to its stone buildings and nearby historical ruins.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
Corbridge village in Northumberland has traditional stone cottagesCredit: AlamyThere are plenty of independent shops, cafes and restaurants on the high streetCredit: Alamy
The village of Corbridge is 16 miles out of Newcastle and it caught the attention of The Times last year, all thanks to its high street.
The publication ranked it as number four in its list of seven loveliest high streets in the UK, praising its unique independent shops and cafés.
It said: “If you’re visiting this postcard-pretty Northumberland town to indulge one of these niche interests, the good news is there’s a fantastic high street too.
“Try Baby at the Bank for cute kidswear, sold in a former bank (babyatthebank.co.uk); or there’s RE for furniture (“an eclectic mix of the raRE, REmarkable, REcycled, REscued and REstored”; re-foundobjects.com) and Corbridge Larder, where you can stock up on fine local foods — chutneys, pies, cakes — after taste-testing them in the adjoining café (corbridgelarder.co.uk).
“The Angel of Corbridge, built in 1569, is a lovely pub with rooms, moments from St Andrew’s Church and Market Place — the venue for many of the above events.”
Lots of the shops are independent, and there are lots of beauticians, hairdressers, cafés, restaurants, pubs and delis.
Part of the village’s charm is thanks to its buildings with stone exteriors that give it an old English look.
But Corbridge does itself have a rich historydating back to the Roman period.
Most read in Best of British
On the outskirts of the village is the famous Hadrian’s Wall where visitors can walk on the original surface of its Roman main street.
The museum has artefacts like the Corbridge Hoard, which is a Roman time capsule that was buried in the 2nd century AD.
There are plenty of pubs and restaurants throughout CorbridgeCredit: Alamy
The site of Hadrian’s Wall is managed by English Heritage and is open daily, 10am – 5pm. Tickets for adults start from £12.70 and children from £7.70.
It’s not all about history though, around 4,000 people live in Corbridge where the locals set up and attend regular events.
There’s the Steam Rally which annually takes place in the summertime, where there’s over 700 exhibits of steam engines, vintage cars, and tractors.
There’s also a bar, fairground, live music and food stalls.
It holds A Midsummer’s Evening in Corbridge which has market stalls, street food, live music, dance and late night shopping.
Each year on the first Monday in December, the village hosts Christmas in Corbridge with carol singing, food stalls and late night shopping.
To get to Corbridge, the best link is up to Newcastle then jump on the Tyne Valley Line to the village which takes just under 40 minutes.
Adam and Steph, from Boston, have visited the UK several times and said they love the countryside and walking routes in the Cotswolds, but there is one thing that has left them ‘baffled’
The Cotswolds is one of the places that these American tourists loved visiting(Image: Chris McLoughlin via Getty Images)
American tourists have revealed what puzzles them most about Britain – our obsession with toast.
Adam and Steph, from Boston, Massachusetts, spoke their UK adventure whilst exploring the Cotswolds. When questioned about what caught them off guard during their visit, Steph quipped: “We have been to Britain quite a few times. I have been pondering the toast. Why is there so much toast everywhere?”.
The pair journeyed across the Cotswolds this summer and expressed their adoration for the rural landscape and hiking trails. Chatting in Chipping Campden, Adam remarked: “It is lovely here, and excellent mud! We love the rain!
“For us the walking is great, and the towns are quite beautiful. We both enjoy getting out in the countryside and dodging the sheep poop.”
The Cotswolds have witnessed a tourist surge in recent years, attracting growing numbers of both British and overseas visitors, reports the Express.
However, certain residents in the Cotswolds have bemoaned the rising visitor numbers owing to traffic jams and the proliferation of Airbnbs and holiday homes. Adam acknowledges he grasps locals’ worries, yet maintains that holidaymakers can benefit these areas.
He went on: “Tourism makes it a bit more of a varied economy, we support the shops and the restaurants here. It is a complex topic, but I think tourism plays a role in keeping these communities more vibrant.”
Steph concluded: “One of the reasons we like to walk in the countryside is because we don’t like tourist intense areas.”
Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We’d love to hear from you!
AN outdoor pool is the centrepiece of any self-respecting holiday resort.
Sunshine, sunloungers and kids trying to sink each other’s inflatables.
3
The Love2Stay glamping resort in Shropshire boasts an impressive natural swimming poolCredit: Supplied
But this was no ordinary swimmingpool. This was a NATURAL pool — nestled in the Shropshire countryside.
No nasty chemicals in this water. It’s split into two zones — one side for swimming and the other filled with reeds and water lilies.
The swimming area has clean edges just like a regular pool, but the water is naturally filtered by sunlight and the plantsnext to it.
The normal electric-blue hue and chlorine pong we’ve swam in all our lives is gone.
This is just clear water, like swimming in a mountain stream.
Which was appropriate as we were staying at Love2Stay glamping resort, within sight of the River Severn.
It offers 36 glamping units, including safari lodges, and 120 camping pitches, all set on a gently sloping hillside just outside Shrewsbury.
Its Biotop natural pool is one of only a handful open to the public in the UK.
And there’s also a lake with paddleboarding and kayaking, archery lessons, arts and crafts, gym, assault course and a nature trail.
We stayed in one of the site’s glamping barns. Outside, each has a private hot tub, firepit with starter bag of logs, giant hammock and beanbags.
The Lord of the Rings-style accommodation near one of the UK’s most beautiful towns
Inside there’s a well-equipped open-plan kitchen, double bedroom and upstairs mezzanine for the kids to sleep on.
We were treated to a luxury food hamper on arrival, which comes with breakfast and dinner included.
Victorian fair
And we’re talking proper full English with fresh local ingredients and giant field mushrooms for the veggies.
There’s no shop on site — Sainsbury’s is a five-minute drive away — but the cafe serves hearty breakfasts and wood-fired pizzas in the evening.
You could spend the whole weekend without leaving the park but that would mean missing out on Shrewsbury’s medieval lanes.
We boarded the Sabrina boat, a charming 45-minute cruise that loops the River Severn. With tea, coffee and a wonderful commentary, it’s the best way to see the town’s historic riverside.
3
The historic town of Shrewsbury is worth going to visit, and strolling down medieval lanesCredit:
Bridges swoop overhead as you admire Charles Darwin’s alma mater Shrewsbury School.
While the naturalist is widely seen as Shrewsbury’s most famous son, don’t forget T-Pau’s Carol Decker, who lived above the nearby boathouse.
And the beautiful green spaces surrounding it were transformed by TV gardening legend Percy Thrower.
Just down the road lies the Ironbridge Gorge, which has been transformed into the Valley of Invention and a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Here the Industrial Revolution was forged at the Coalbrookdale furnaces, and the gorge is now home to six museums.
The Iron Bridge, opened in 1781, still stands as a marvel of its time when it became the world’s first bridge made entirely of cast iron.
We took a circular walk up the side of the gorge, which gave us spectacular views of the valley.
Then we headed to Blists Hill Victorian Town. It’s a living film set, a cross between a Western and Great Expectations.
Enormous ironwork and industrial relics from its blast- furnace past sit alongside a lovingly recreated Victorian High Street.
3
The glamping accommodation features a modern open-plan kitchen and living areaCredit:
Staff in period clothing are working as they would have 150 years ago, making candles, baking bread and hammering iron at the blacksmith’s.
If you want your kids to know what life was really like before wifi, you can enrol them in the Victorian school. A stern Miss gives period lessons with a stick and hoop.
There’s a fish-and-chips shop wrapping cod in the village newspaper, and even a traditional Victorian boozer — complete with a sing-song knees-up in the afternoon.
And there’s a full Victorian fairground, with steam-powered rides, coconut shy and swingboats.
If you like your Victoriana with even more Clarkson’s Farm, Acton Scott Heritage Farm has reopened after a five-year break.
In its barns and yards, you can meet the wool-spinners and press Shropshire apples. The schoolroom is now a cafe serving local produce.
Back at Love2Stay, we cranked the firepit to industrial temperatures for marshmallows and mapped out our expeditions into the Shropshire Hills to see the ponies on Long Mynd.
It’s perfect for families who like a touch of luxury when they’re in the great outdoors.
GO: Emstrey, Shropshire
STAYING THERE: Love2Stay at Emstrey, Shrewsbury, has lodges, cabins and camping pitches. Open year round, prices start from £125 per night for a Laurel Lodge, sleeping up to six. See love2stay.co.uk.
OUT & ABOUT: Sabrina Boat Tour, family ticket from £30.50 for two adults and two children.
See sabrinaboat.co.uk. Acton Scott Heritage farm tickets from £16 for adults, £8 for six to 16 years, under six free.
See actonscottheritagefarm.org.uk. Ironbridge Pass gives access to all museums for a year and starts from £38 for an adult or £99 for a family of two adults and up to four children. See ironbridge.org.uk.
Is there a better inkblot test for America right now than reaction to Bad Bunny being the halftime act for Super Bowl LX?
Soon after his name was announced, social media exploded into meritocracy debates as if the National Football League’s decisions are culturally motivated and not commercially. Taylor Swift is the most streamed artist in Spotify history. Bad Bunny is No. 2. For a domestic sports league trying to grow its popularity globally, the rationale seems clear.
And yet because he is a Puerto Rican who sings in Spanish, conservative talking heads must project outrage and offer listeners nonsensical objections.
“It’s so shameful they’ve decided to pick somebody who seems to hate America so much to represent them at the halftime show,” Corey Lewandowski, a longtime confidant of President Trump who currently advises the Department of Homeland Security, told conservative podcast host Benny Johnson. “We should be trying to be inclusive, not exclusive. There are plenty of great bands and entertainment people who could be playing at that show that would be bringing people together and not separating them.”
Suggesting Bad Bunny hates America is an interesting take given Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917. The three-time Grammy winner also has four No. 1 albums on the very American Billboard pop charts and has already performed during halftime at the Super Bowl back in 2020 with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. The Federal Communications Commission received more than 1,300 complaints about the show that year with the vast majority being from parents complaining about the stripper pole and twerking of the women, not Bad Bunny’s alleged hate of America.
I don’t know if Lewandowski and Johnson knew any of that before they started talking, but I get the feeling it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Once Lewandowski suggested ICE was going to be at the Super Bowl — an event that had an average resale ticket price of $8,600 in 2024 — it was clear their conversation wasn’t about solving the immigration problem.
It was clear they didn’t know much about the history of halftime acts either.
In 2006, a Super Bowl held in the heart of Detroit — the birthplace of Motown — rolled out the Rolling Stones, who are from London. In 2010, a Super Bowl in Miami — home of salsa and Afro-Cuban jazz — gave us the Who … who are also from England. In 2002, months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, U2 — a band from Dublin, Ireland — did the show. There is a decades-long precedent for non-Americans to headline the Super Bowl. Though, again, quick geography lesson: Puerto Rico is part of the United States and Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens.
Detractors like Lewandowski and Johnson want to make English being Bad Bunny’s second language an indictment of his patriotism, as if growing up speaking English is a criterion for citizenship. It isn’t and never has been. Perhaps instead of using their platform to stir fear at a time when calm is needed, the two could see next February’s show as an opportunity to grow. Because honestly, it is so counterproductive to allow influential voices to gaslight the country into forgetting the milestones it’s already crossed. “La Bamba” by Los Lobos was sung in Spanish and hit No. 1 nearly 40 years ago. The only English in the K-pop hit “Gangnam Style” is “hey, sexy lady,” and that song made PSY an international sensation.
Instead of making people fear Spanish at the Super Bowl, maybe encourage them to spend this NFL season learning something beyond “gracias.“ Because in this world, there are people who choose to speak in English and there are people who have no other choice. Only one of those scenarios feels like freedom to me.
That was the topic of discussion in the summer of 2008 after then-Sen. Barack Obama said this at a campaign stop in Georgia: “Understand this, instead of worrying about whether immigrants can learn English — they’ll learn English — you need to make sure your child can speak Spanish. You should be thinking about how can your child become bilingual.”
At the time many conservatives — such as Tucker Carlson and Lou Dobbs — used those comments not as a prompt to debate the merits of Obama’s remarks regarding U.S. education but as a weapon to attack him. They accused him of being divisive — when years ago Nelson Mandela said when you talk to someone “in his own language, that goes to his heart.” In fact, Dobbs said “instead of diversity, he’s talking about factionalism.” Nonsense that sounds a lot like the echoes we hear from Lewandowski and Johnson today.
It’s not just a question of if our children should be bilingual; it’s also about being curious about the world we live in. This NFL season has already featured games in Ireland and Brazil. Mexico City is an annual event. The league is in it for the bag. And eventually there will be a team based overseas where Spanish is heard, visiting teams carry passports and Bad Bunny is no stranger.
A FOOTBALL league assistant referee who preyed on teenage girls has been jailed for 13-and-a-half years.
Gareth Viccars, 47, was locked up behind bars for a string of child sexual abuse offences involving three 15-year-old schoolgirls.
Viccars previously pleaded guilty to 16 counts, including sexual communications with a child, meeting with a child following sexual grooming, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and engaging in sexual activity with a child.
The offences spanned three years between November 2021 and October 2024 and involved three girls aged 15, Snaresbrook Crown Court previously heard.
On Thursday, Viccars was jailed for 13 and a half years with a further three and a half years on extended licence at the same court.
Viccars was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.
Addressing the referee, Judge Caroline English said: “You did deliberately target these three young victims and you did so on account of their ages at the material time.
“I am therefore quite satisfied that in all three cases you preyed upon young women that were vulnerable.
Viccars was an assistant referee at the time of offending.
He has worked as an official for League One clashes in the EFL alongside his day job as an estate agent.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the organisation responsible for managing all Premier League and EFL matches across England, said he was suspended “as soon as the allegations came to light”.
Viccars was not considered for appointments after his initial suspension.
The PGMOL has since removed him from the organisation’s list, it is believed.
It is understood the former assistant referee did not officiate during the last season.
Predator Teachers Jailed After Sexually Abusing Vulnerable Students
The judge said that despite Viccars’s guilty pleas and expressions of remorse, there remained a lack of acknowledgment from the defendant that he had “a sexual interest in female children”.
This interest was clear from the contents of messages sent to his victims and a statement from Viccars’s ex-girlfriend, which said he used to ask her to dress up in school uniform.
Viccars, who appeared in the dock wearing a dark green sweatshirt, nodded as the judge read out her sentencing remarks.
The prosecutor Charlotte Newell KC told the court Viccars had met his victims online through the messaging app Snapchat, telling one girl that talking on WhatsApp was “too risky”.
She said Viccars had lied and told one of his victims he was a teacher when they first started communicating and was aware that she was 15 years old.
The court heard he had abused another of his victims over a period of several years – taking her to football matches and told others he was “mentoring” her.
A scrapbook chronicling the two’s “relationship” that was made by the teenager, and given to Viccars, was handed to police and formed part of the evidence against him, the prosecutor said.
In court, Viccars watched the victim read out an impact statement during which she said he had been her “world” and that she had trusted him “completely” for almost three years.
Addressing her abuser, she said he had won her over with “kind words” and “attention” and had isolated her “in plain sight”.
“Now I know what you really wanted was someone young enough to manipulate,” she added.
After the sentencing, the Met Police said they believed there may be other victims of Viccars as he had been “spamming hundreds of girls on Snapchat”.
DCI Ross Morrell, who led the Met’s investigation, said: “He began with a profile of ‘sorry I think I’ve added the wrong person’, and then he would go in to lie, manipulate them, and then go on to abuse them.
“If anyone thinks they’ve been a victim, then please contact 101, reference this appeal.
“You will be entitled to specialist care, specialist advice, and you will be believed.”
1
Gareth Viccars was jailed on Thursday at Snaresbrook Crown Court for a string of child sex offencesCredit: PA
US captain Keegan Bradley put English’s name in the envelope in case of injury to a European player.
When the draw for the singles came out following play on Saturday, English and Hovland were paired in the 12th match.
Hovland’s issue flared up following his Saturday morning foursomes victory alongside Robert MacIntyre against Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley.
Scheduled to play with Matt Fitzpatrick in the afternoon fourballs, Hovland was replaced by Tyrrell Hatton.
Hovland, who said he has “had some issues with a neck injury on and off for the last two months”, had an MRI scan on Saturday evening.
This is the third time the envelope rule has been used since it was introduced in 1979.
In 1991 American Steve Pate was injured in a car crash before the Ryder Cup started, and in 1993 Europe’s Sam Torrance could not play on the Sunday because of an infected toe.
The hoard may have been buried for safekeeping by an exceptionally wealthy church cleric during the time of Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries and Catholic priories.
The couple, who have asked not to be named for fear treasure hunters may descend on their quiet street, notified the authorities of their find in 2020.
Although the hoard was initially declared as treasure, it was later disclaimed and returned to the couple as no museums or institutions were in a position to buy it during the pandemic.
The coins are now set to go under the hammer at David Guest Numismatics’ auction in Switzerland where they will be sold individually.
It’s usually the case with coin hoards that a portion of the proceeds must go to the landowner, but in this case the finders are the landowners.
Aldi’s Record-Breaking Expansion: 35 New Stores Coming This Fall
The couple are said to be “excited” about the sales which will be like a lottery win for them.
Auctioneer David Guest said: “It is a fantastic hoard found by a couple while they were gardening at the end of the garden of their home in Milford-on-Sea.
“They were digging in a flower border and found these circular discs in a clump of clay soil.
“They put them on the decking and washed them off and realised they were gold coins so they carried on digging and found a total of 64 of them in the same spot.
6
A large number of the coins date back to the reign of Henry VIII including this one which was struck between 1513 and 1536Credit: BNPS
6
Others contain the initials of two of Henry’s wives, Catherine of Aragon and James SeymourCredit: BNPS
“After they notified the Portable Antiquities Scheme the coins were examined by the British Museum.
“They organised a further archaeological dig of the site and found six more coins.
“The earliest coins are from the reign of Henry VI in the 1420s and they go right up to 1537 and the reign of Henry VIII.
“They are in a remarkable state of preservation.”
Guest added that it was clearly a hoard assembled over a long period of time and that the coins amounted to £26 which was the equivalent price of a house back then.
“It was a lot of money. I doubt most people in England at the time ever saw a gold coin,” he said.
“The gold coins could have belonged to a merchant of considerable wealth or a church cleric who was very rich.
“Milford-on-Sea would have been part of the estate of Christchurch Priory at the time.
“The dissolution of the monasteries was a very tumultuous time and we know that other hoards were buried at this time to keep money away from the King’s commissioners that sought to take control of lands.”
He said the couple who made the find were in their 50s with two children and added “they were sitting on a gold mine”.
“I don’t think anyone digging in their back garden can imagine what it would be like to find one gold coin from Tudor times let alone a hoard of 70.
“The combined pre-sale estimate is a considerable amount of money and a life changing amount for the vendors.
“I have invited them out for the sale but I don’t know if they are coming yet but they are very excited. We have considerable interest in the sale.
“Hoards always attract interest as people love stories about the thrill of finding buried treasure.
“Combined with the quality of many of the coins and the state of preservation adds to the appeal.”
6
This coin was struck around 1465-1466 during the reign of Edward IVCredit: BNPS
Obviously, both things can’t be true, so which is it?
That depends on which of the polls you choose to believe.
Political junkies, and the news outlets that service their needs, abhor a vacuum. So there’s no lack of soundings that purport to show just where Californians’ heads are at a mere six weeks before election day — which, in truth, is not all that certain.
Newsom’s pollster issued results showing Prop. 50 winning overwhelming approval. A UC Berkeley/L.A. Times survey showed a much closer contest, with support below the vital 50% mark. Others give the measure a solid lead.
Not all polls are created equal.
“It really matters how a poll is done,” said Scott Keeter, a senior survey advisor at the Pew Research Center, one of the country’s top-flight polling organizations. “That’s especially true today, when response rates are so low [and] it’s so difficult to reach people, especially by telephone. You really do have to consider how it’s done, where it comes from, who did it, what their motivation is.”
Longtime readers of this space, if any exist, know how your friendly columnist feels about horse-race polls. Our best advice remains the same it’s always been: Ignore them.
Realizing, however, the sun will keep rising and setting, that tides will ebb and flow, that pollsters and pundits will continue issuing their prognostications to an eager and ardent audience, here are some suggestions for how to assay their output.
The most important thing to remember is that polls are not gospel truth, flawless forecasts or destiny carved in implacable stone. Even the best survey is nothing more than an educated guess at what’s likely to happen.
That said, there are ways to evaluate the quality of surveys and determine which are best consumed with a healthy shaker of salt and which should be dismissed altogether.
Given the opportunity, take a look at the methodology — it’s usually there in the fine print — which includes the number of people surveyed, the duration of the poll and whether interviews were done in more than one language.
Size matters.
“When you’re trying to contact people at random, you’re getting certain segments of the public, rather than the general population,” said Mark DiCamillo, director of the nonpartisan Berkeley IGS Poll and a collaborator with The Times. “So what needs to happen in order for a survey to be representative of the overall population … you need large samples.”
Which are expensive and the reason some polls skimp on the number of people they interview.
The most conscientious pollsters invest considerable time and effort figuring out how to model their voter samples — that is, how to best reflect the eventual composition of the electorate. Once they finish their interviews, they weight the result to see that it includes the proper share of men and women, young and old, and other criteria based on census data.
Then pollsters might adjust those results to match the percentage of each group they believe will turn out for a given election.
The more people a pollster interviews, the greater the likelihood of achieving a representative sample.
That’s why the duration of a survey is also something to consider. The longer a poll is conducted — or out in the field, as they say in the business — the greater the chances of reflecting the eventual turnout.
It’s also important in a polyglot state like California that a poll is not conducted solely in English. To do so risks under-weighting an important part of the electorate; a lack of English fluency shouldn’t be mistaken for a lack of political engagement.
“There’s no requirement that a person be able to speak English in order to vote,” said Keeter, of the Pew Research Center. “And in the case of some populations, particularly immigrant groups, that have been in the United States for a long time, they may be very well-established voters but still not be proficient in English to the level of being comfortable taking a survey.”
It’s also important to know how a poll question is phrased and, in the case of a ballot measure, how it describes the matter voters are being asked to decide. How closely does the survey track the ballot language? Are there any biases introduced into the poll? (“Would you support this measure knowing its proponents abuse small animals and promote gum disease?”)
Something else to watch for: Was the poll conducted by a political party, or for a candidate or group pushing a particular agenda? If so, be very skeptical. They have every reason to issue selective or one-sided findings.
Transparency is key. A good pollster will show his or her work, as they used to say in the classroom. If they won’t, there’s good reason to question their findings, and well you should.
A sensible person wouldn’t put something in their body without being 100% certain of its content. Treat your brain with the same care.
Mark Allen survived a spirited comeback from China’s Zhou Yuelong to win the English Open in a final-frame decider and claim his first ranking title in 19 months.
Northern Ireland’s Allen led Sunday’s final in Brentwood 6-2 and 7-3 before Zhou roared back to win five consecutive frames and lead for the first time.
Former world number one Allen, however, showed his own powers of recovery to win the last two frames and win 9-8 in a final that lasted seven hours over two sessions.
It is Allen’s 12th ranking title and first since the Players Championship in February 2024.
With Sunday’s victory, 39-year-old Allen earned the £100,000 top prize and lifted the Steve Davis Trophy for the first time.
It was a fitting end to the week for the former UK Championship and Masters winner, who also edged out Stuart Bingham, Ding Junhui, Elliot Slessor and Jak Jones in final-frame deciders to reach the final.
“I thought Zhou battled really hard in that second session, he played some good stuff,” said Allen.
“He put me under pressure, I missed a few balls and I was nervous. I missed a few that I shouldn’t have but at 8-7 I suddenly switched on a bit.
“It’s a good trait to have. I don’t want to keep relying on it but I felt as good as any part of the match in those last two frames, but I feel for Zhou, he probably deserved that for the character he showed.”
So Allen plays safe to get the cue ball to baulk and actually hits the jaws of the yellow pocket and just stays aboard!
Zhou Yuelong 8-8 Mark Allen (0-0)
On the stretch, Zhou gets a simple pot all wrong and misses into the right corner pocket.
The cue ball remains around the reds too but not sure if he’s gotten away with it and not left anything on.
Zhou Yuelong 8-8 Mark Allen (0-0)
Safety exchange to start the frame as you might probably expect.
Every shot carefully thought out as an error could spell the end.
Zhou Yuelong 8-8 Mark Allen
An enormous cheers greets both men as they return to the floor.
Zhou Yuelong to break in the decider.
Zhou Yuelong 8-8 Mark Allen
We’re heading to a decider!
Allen sinks the remaining balls after Zhou potted the cue ball and we’re going to have a 17th and final frame to decide our English Open winner.
And that decider will start after midnight, when they kicked things off at 1pm this afternoon. It’s been said so many times this week but that’s a completely absurd situation to expect sports stars to operate at their best in. Genuinely ridiculous.
But never mind. A one-frame shoot-out for £100,000!
Zhou Yuelong 8-7 Mark Allen (59-75)
Allen flukes a snooker when he hits the green this time.
Zhou makes contact with the green too but it sends the cue ball into the pocket after doing so!
Mark Selby made a superb 131 break in the deciding frame of his 5-4 win over Jackson Page to move into the semi-finals of the English Open.
The four-time world champion trailed 2-1 and 3-2 against Welshman Page before levelling the match with a run of 111.
Selby, who is aiming to capture his 25th ranking title, took frame seven only for Page to knock in his fourth half century of the match to ensure it went the distance before the Englishman sealed his success.
China’s Zhou Yuelong awaits Selby in the last four after he battled back from 4-2 down to beat 2023 world champion Luca Brecel 5-4.
Breaks of 94 and 113 enabled Zhou to get back to 4-4 before he edged a tense 52-minute ninth frame after Brecel left him a routine black to the yellow pocket.
Meanwhile, former Crucible finalist Jak Jones completed a 5-2 triumph over Aaron Hill, while Elliot Slessor established a 4-0 lead over Mark Allen, before the Northern Irishman rallied.
England’s Slessor looked on course to complete a 5-0 whitewash but missed a difficult black off its spot as Allen got a frame on the board with a 55.
Another missed black to the same corner pocket cost Slessor the sixth frame in a match that went on late into Friday evening.
Maybe it was the reset for Slessor, who gets to 19 points in this break without much concern.
Elliot Slessor 4-4 Mark Allen
We’re headed for a decider!
And if you’ve been here for the last couple of hours, that absolutely won’t surprise you.
Slessor pots the pink before the pair have a couple of shots at putting the black safe.
That was, until Slessor leaves Allen the straightest pot he could hope for into the yellow pocket which he smashes away.
Only one winner from here but hopefully, for Slessor’s sake, the fact it’s a one-frame shoot-out will reset him. As the last hour and a bit has been pretty desperate to say the least.
Elliot Slessor 4-3 Mark Allen (46-59)
Oooooh, Allen misses the pink for the frame!
A routine pot too and the pink bounces away to safety and he takes a 13-point lead with 13 on the table!
Elliot Slessor 4-3 Mark Allen (46-0)
It WAS the big opportunity and again it goes begging for Elliot Slessor.
It’s actually getting tough to watch now as we tick into Saturday morning.
Mark Allen returns to the table once more.
Elliot Slessor 4-3 Mark Allen (33-0)
The Slessor break continues as he takes his time over each shot knowing this is his opportunity.
World number one Judd Trump slipped to a 4-3 defeat against Elliot Slessor, while Shaun Murphy lost by the same score to Jackson Page in the fifth round of the English Open.
Slessor, ranked 23rd in the world, opened up a 2-0 lead in Thursday’s afternoon session at the Brentwood Centre, helped by a break of 67.
Trump, who is yet to reach a semi-final this season, responded with two half-centuries as he reeled off the next three frames.
However, Slessor compiled a break of 79 to force a decider and booked his quarter-final place against either Mark Allen or Ding Junhui with a run of 64.
Meanwhile, reigning Masters champion Murphy knocked in breaks of 93 and 102 as he fought back from 3-1 down to 3-3 against Page.
While both players had opportunities in the seventh frame, Welshman Page held his nerve to seal victory and will now face Wu Yize or Mark Selby.
China’s Zhou Yuelong also made it into the last eight after breaks of 84 and 71 helped him see off Barry Hawkins 4-2.
AN ancient town that was once the largest behind London is found in the Cotswolds.
Cirencester is often nicknamed the Capital of the Cotswolds, being its largest town.
5
Cirencester is dubbed the Cotswolds’ capitalCredit: Alamy
5
The town was once the largest behind LondonCredit: Alamy
It was founded by the Romans, and was even the second largest town behind London at the time.
Now, it remains a popular market town and a commuter spot, being less than an hour from the capital.
There is the central Cirencester Market Place, with a market every Monday and Friday, as well as seasonal ones on Saturdays.
Don’t expect to find many chain shops in town either, with the majority being independent stores.
Read more on the Cotswolds
Make sure to head to Malt and Anchor, named one of the best fish and chip shops in the UK.
The town even has its own Cirencester Castle, which dates back to the 1107.
The town is is home to its own lido as well, which opened back in 1870.
Cirencester Open Air Pool is open until next week, before closing for the season.
There are two pools, a four-lane adult pool which is always at 26C as well as a kids pool.
Our pool’s serenely beautiful setting is just a few minutes’ walk from the centre of town so come and enjoy the sessions that run from May to September.
I stayed in the new cosy treehouses right in the middle of the Cotswolds which are perfect for an autumn break?
The main pool is 27m long, has 4 lanes and is kept at an inviting 26 degrees. Originally built as a 30 yard pool, a 1 mile swim is 59 lengths.
We also have a children’s pool that’s 0.5m deep.
One of the popular places to stay is the Kings Head Hotel, which was named as the best hotel breakfast in the UK last year.
Along with that, it also has 66 rooms, as well as an underground spa and on-site deli.
5
Now it is a popular commuter townCredit: Alamy
5
It is also home to a popular lidoCredit: Alamy
Three other Cotswolds places to visit
Bourton-on-the-Water Often referred to as the “Venice of the Cotswolds,” this village is famous for its beautiful low bridges over the River Windrush, scenic streets, and attractions like the Cotswold Motoring Museum and Birdland Park and Gardens.
Bibury Described by William Morris as “the most beautiful village in England,” Bibury is renowned for its quaint stone cottages along Arlington Row, the tranquil River Coln, and the picturesque Bibury Trout Farm.
Stow-on-the-Wold This historic market town offers a quintessential Cotswold experience with its charming market square, antique shops, historic inns, and the impressive St. Edward’s Church, famous for its unique door flanked by ancient yew trees.
A TOP Putin crony has warned the Kremlin might seize the “valuables of the British Crown” if the UK supports Ukraine with money from frozen Russian assets.
Ex-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accused “British thieves” of giving Russian money to “neo-Nazis” in a deranged rant on social media.
6
Close Putin ally Medvedev accused Britain of giving Russian money to ‘neo-Nazis’Credit: Reuters
6
The former Russian President also called Foreign Secretary David Lammy an ‘English idiot’Credit: PA
6
Medvedev is a close ally of Russian tyrant Vladimir PutinCredit: AFP
6
It comes after Britain announced a fresh £1 billion support package for Ukraine’s fight against Moscow.
The money for this aid boost was raised using frozen Russian assets, Defence Secretary John Healey revealed.
But in a chilling post on Telegram, Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, threatened revenge from Moscow.
In his bizarre ramblings, he even referred to Foreign Secretary David Lammy as an “English idiot”.
Close Putin ally Medvedev accused Britain of giving Russian money to “neo-Nazis” – in reference to a false Kremlin claim that Ukraine is run by Nazis.
“Consequences? Britain committed an offence,” he posted.
“But given that this money cannot be recovered through legal proceedings for obvious reasons, our country has only one way to return the valuables.
“Return what was seized in kind.”
He further threatened to take hold of additional Ukrainian land “and movable property located on it”.
Medvedev has long been one of Moscow’s most vocal cheerleaders for Russia’s monstrous invasion of Ukraine.
Defiant Defence Sec ‘sends two finger signal’ to ‘weaker than ever’ Putin from Ukraine in midst of Russian missile blitz
The Putin lackey added that the Kremlin would respond to any “illegal seizure” of frozen funds by “confiscating the valuables of the British Crown”.
“There are still enough of them in different places, including those located in Russia,” he said.
The UK and other Western nations have imposed bruising sanctions on Russia since Putin ordered his forces to invade Ukraine.
Medvedev’s comments come as members of the pro-Kyiv “Coalition of the Willing” held talks yesterday over future security guarantees for the war-torn nation.
Around 30 leaders came to Paris or joined via video link to hash out plans for what comes next if a peace deal is reached.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was among those to join the summit remotely.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “The Prime Minister emphasised that the group had an unbreakable pledge to Ukraine, with President Trump’s backing.
“And it was clear they now needed to go even further to apply pressure on Putin to secure a cessation of hostilities.
“The Prime Minister also welcomed announcements from coalition of the willing partners to supply long-range missiles to Ukraine to further bolster the country’s supplies.”
Medvedev’s ramblings are not the only recent threats against Britain from Kremlin mouthpieces.
Another Putin propagandist has threatened to sink the UK with a new high-speed torpedo.
Vladimir Solovyov called for a Poseidon nuclear torpedo to unleash a tidal wave over Britain and drown the entire population.
He said on Russian state television: “I am not calling for anything, about anything, in any way, I am simply stating – the British say their task is to inflict strategic defeat on us.
“Well, let them say it from underwater.”
6
Medvedev is now the deputy chairman of Russia’s security councilCredit: EPA
6
Medvedev has long been one of Moscow’s most vocal cheerleaders for Putin’s monstrous invasion of UkraineCredit: Alamy
