historic

The new route gives Brits the chance to visit two Christmas markets this historic city which run from November to January and boast free entry, featuring classic winter scenes of chalets, Christmas trees, and an open-air ice rink

Ryanair has announced a brand new route in time for cheap getaways this winter and this Christmas.

The budget airline has revealed its new winter 2026 route from Manchester to Warsaw Modlin in Poland. Ryanair bosses shared yesterday (October 27) how the first of the Manchester-Warsaw Modlin flights took of this week.

Ryanair says it will operate six weekly flights on this “exciting new winter 2026 route, providing UK customers with even more choice at Europe’s lowest fares”. Ryanair’s full winter 2026 schedule is available to book now via the Ryanair app and website in time for cheap winter and Christmas breaks.

The new route gives Brits the chance to enjoy Warsaw’s two Christmas markets, including the huge Jarmark Warszawski at Plac Defilad, by the Palace of Culture and Science, and the traditional, historic market in the Old Town along the city walls.

Both markets run from November to January and boast free entry, featuring classic winter scenes of chalets, Christmas trees, and an open-air ice rink.

The first flight comes after Ryanair unveiled its newly expanded winter schedule last month, with 22 new routes from UK airports with Birmingham, Edinburgh, Liverpool, and London airports benefiting the most. Ryanair also announced that it was adding nineteenth-based aircraft at Manchester Airport this winter, helping it to run one extra route from the North West hub.

Ryanair is increasing its flight frequencies on another 26 routes from Manchester, including holiday hotspots like Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and Madrid, as well as city break destinations like Barcelona, Belfast, Venice, Porto, Prague and Krakow.

Eye-catching flights among the list included the new winter sunshine route from Birmingham to Marrakech, which regularly enjoys mild winter temperatures. The bulk of the other routes are to northern and western European destinations where more festive pleasures are on the itinerary.

The new route announcement followed the boss of Ryanair warning that air fares would “no doubt” rise next year for summer holidaymakers amid the surging price of oil and the Iran war.

Earlier this month, oil prices rose above 100 dollars a barrel for the first time since July after the latest round of strikes in the conflict.

Ryanair’s Director of Communications, Jade Kirwan, said: “ It was great to see the first flight of our new winter 2026 route from Manchester to Warsaw Modlin take off this week, bringing the first of many happy Ryanair passengers on their winter 2026 getaways.

“Our Manchester to Warsaw Modlin route will operate six times per week, offering our UK customers even more choice at the lowest fares in Europe. Ryanair’s full winter 2026 schedule is available to book now on the Ryanair app/website.”

Jake Jarman becomes the first British male gymnast to win two individual medals in the World Gymnastics Championships, after winning silver in a thrilling men’s vault final in Rotterdam.

WATCH MORE: Gymnastics World Championships BBC iPlayer

Available to UK users only.

A HISTORIC town will host a festive wonderland with real reindeers for just one day.

The UK’s largest single-day Christmas market is returning with more than 120 stalls this December.

The Beverley Festival of Christmas will return on Sunday, December 13, bringing thousands of visitors to the East Yorkshire town for one of the country’s biggest festive events.

Shoppers will be able to browse more than 120 stalls selling everything from handmade gifts and Christmas decorations to jewellery, homeware and locally produced food.

The market will spread across Beverley’s historic Saturday Market, Wednesday Market and North Bar, with independent traders offering plenty of inspiration for anyone still searching for Christmas presents.

The day will kick off with a spectacular parade at 10am, setting off from Wednesday Market and travelling along Toll Gavel towards Saturday Market.

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Santa Claus will lead the procession alongside his reindeer, with live music, comedy acts, Steampunks, majorettes and Bernese mountain dogs also expected to take part.

After the parade, Father Christmas and his reindeer will remain in Saturday Market until mid-afternoon, giving families the chance to see them up close and take photographs.

Visitors can also expect traditional Victorian fairground rides, face painting, birds of prey displays and ice sculptures throughout the day.

Brass bands, carol singers and dancers will provide a festive soundtrack as shoppers explore the town centre.

The festival will be running from 10am until 4pm and the entry is free.

The event was first established in 1995 by local shop owner John Bird, who brought Beverley’s traders together to create a special day of Christmas shopping.

It has since grown into one of East Yorkshire’s best-known festive traditions, with 2026 marking its 30th year.

OUR new Spotlight On column gives you the lowdown on what to see, do and enjoy in your favourite holiday hotspots.

This week we are discovering the delights of Scotland‘s Isle of Arran with recommendations from Graham Omand, manager at the Lagg Distillery.

MUST SEE/DO

Graham says: “I have to mention a visit to Lagg Distillery, a place I’ve been calling home for the past six years. Not only is it a modern architectural masterpiece, it is the home of Lagg Single Malt.

“Along with multiple tours and tastings options, there’s also a shop full of bespoke items and gifts, and a cafe with views that stretch from Ailsa Craig to Northern Ireland.

“There’s no better place to fall in love with peated whisky and learn about the local rich distilling history.”

HIDDEN GEM

“It is impossible to visit the island without admiring its picturesque coastal villages,” says Graham.

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“Enjoy a drink in Corrie while looking at seals or sunbathing on the beach.

“Or grab a bite to eat in Lamlash while staring at the majestic Holy Isle at sunset. Or go for a wander around Lochranza Castle spotting otters playing on the rocks and deer roaming the hills. Magical.”

BEST VIEW

Graham says: “Arran is a walker’s paradise. You could choose the classic Goatfell, the highest mountain we have on the island, or other famous walks like the one to King’s Cave, to Machrie Moor standing stones, the many Glens and more.

“Expect breathtaking panoramic views, wildlife encounters and unforgettable memories.”

RATED RESTAURANT

“There are so many restaurants, pop-up cafes, food vans and more that offer modern and classic dishes with local produce such as venison or seafood,” says Graham.

“The Mara Fish Bar & Deli in Corrie does amazing seafood platters with fantastic views to enjoy.

“There is also the Blackwater Bakehouse & The Bread Shed for fresh bread and croissants.

“The Corrie Hotel is also great for lunch and dinner. And don’t miss the chance for a scoop at Arran Ice Cream.”

BEST BAR

Of course, Graham recommends the Lagg Distillery for a tipple or two with tours and tastings from 10.30am to 4.30pm, Tuesdays to Sundays.

Also worth a visit is the Douglas Hotel, which Graham says has some of the best views of Goatfell mountain. 

HOTEL PICK

Tucked away on the west coast of the island, the Kinloch Hotel has 22 rooms as well as self-catering apartments, many with stunning sea views.

The family owned property promises a peaceful retreat.

The restaurant offers hearty local cuisine including a seafood platter with local fish, Highland venison sausages as well as island treats such as Arran Dairies ice cream and Wooleys oat cakes.

After a day exploring, go for a relaxing dip in the indoor pool or enjoy a sauna. Rooms cost £135, based on two sharing. See kinloch-arran.com.

WASHINGTON — U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes on Monday ordered a 24-hour halt to tree-cutting at the East Potomac Golf Course, a historic D.C. golf course that has been part of President Donald Trump’s plans to remake the city.

Reyes issued the order following a tense three-hour hearing in which she blistered the government for having deceived her with its actions over the holiday weekend.

Reyes said the 24-hour temporary order could be extended to 14 days if necessary. It was limited to one day while the government tries to find a key Trump administration official to discuss why a massive tree-cutting at the park needed to occur over the holiday weekend, with little notification to plaintiffs in a lawsuit trying to halt renovation plans or the judge.

It’s the latest example of the erosion of trust between the government and the independent judiciary, as the Trump administration tries to steamroll scrutiny of its actions, from the White House ballroom to immigration enforcement.

The hearing started with a blistering 15-minute statement from Reyes, who has declined repeated motions from the plaintiffs to halt work by the administration out of concern that its strategy has seemed to be move ahead on projects despite court actions.

“I am thoroughly unamused right now,” Reyes said. “I do not know how I could have made it any plainer that I did not want what was to happen, to happen.” The judge added: “I have given the government every single benefit of the doubt that it would not do precisely what it has done.”

She told the government’s lawyers sharply: “I wanted you all to be better than you have been.”

The emergency hearing on a holiday expanded as the judge ordered the government to get various participants in the decision-making process into the hearing remotely.

Reyes plans to hold another hearing Tuesday and wants to hear from Greg Wischer, deputy chief of staff at the Interior Department. Wischer pushed for the work to be done urgently, according to testimony from Frank Lands, deputy director of operations for the National Park Service.

Fields writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Matthew Daly contributed to this report.

To understand the dedication and determination of football players from unbeaten Cleveland High, let’s review the commitment of backup quarterback Julio Avalos. He was so excited after guiding the Cavaliers to a 14-9 win over City Section power Birmingham that he spent all night watching film.

Asked what time he finally decided to go to sleep, Avalos said, “4 a.m.”

The entire offensive line eats together at lunch in the cafeteria.

“You see people hiding their food,” one lineman quipped.

They also get together on Thursdays for pasta night, where one player acknowledged eating “six to eight” chocolate chip cookies to close out a night of shared love for carbohydrates.

Then there’s the 34-year-old coach Mario Guzman. It’s been decades since a young coach armed with a teaching credential has pulled off the kind of breakthrough season in the City Section that Cleveland is enjoying, at a time when the City has lost such historic coaching figures as Robert Garrett, Angelo Gasca, Lorenzo Hernandez, Paul Knox and Mike Walsh.

Think back to 1992 when Troy Starr of Taft was 30 years old and took his team to the City 3-A final after a winless 1991 season.

If Cleveland (7-0) wins out and captures the West Valley League title, the Cavaliers likely will receive the No. 2 seeding behind defending champion Carson in the City Section Open Division playoffs. Cleveland never plays in the Open Division.

“I told him, ‘Good luck, baby,’” Birmingham coach Jim Rose said of his message to Guzman.

“They have 30 seniors. That’s a huge help,” Rose said. “He’s got his guys believing in what they do as a program. Their identity is to pound the ball on offense. The first two series, we gave up touchdowns. One thing about Cleveland is they always get athletes, but they put it together this season. He’s got enough big guys and enough speed to get it going.”

Cleveland also went on the road to beat another City power, Crenshaw, 24-18. Each win came with Avalos at quarterback, replacing the injured Domenik Fuentes. Avalos normally plays receiver, but he had to fill in last season when Fuentes got hurt before returning for the playoffs.

Cleveland’s offensive line has been a strength, including, from left, right tackle Carlos Gomez, right guard Carter Fitzgerald, center Pedro Castaneda, center Adam Garbisch, left guard Jovanni Orellana and left tackle Josue Fonseca.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times )

Guzman was caught by surprise last season when he didn’t prepare for losing Fuentes, so all summer, he vowed to never again to be without a fully ready backup quarterback. Fuentes returned on Friday night to pass for 208 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-20 win over El Camino Real.

Cleveland has multiple running backs, led by Moyosoreoluwa Odebunmi. The defense features middle linebacker Joseph Hurtado, who Rose said is impressive as a tackler.

Guzman is a third-year coach who was an assistant under former coach Peter Gunny. Guzman graduated from Grant and served as an assistant there for several years while going to Valley College, Cal State Northridge and National University to gain a teaching credential. His wife, Elizabeth, helps out with her cooking skills during preseason practices. She’s a prekindergarten teacher for ages 4 and 5, which means she has lots of patience.

“She was fired up,” Guzman said about the Birmingham game. “She wanted a headset.”

TK Drayton, who’s been in Cleveland’s program for four years, said of Guzman, “He loves us outside of sports. He checks on you. You want to go the extra mile for him.”

Discipline has been big for Guzman, whether that means players show up to weight training wearing all black or making sure they never walk when heading to the practice field.

Guzman also has integrity. He’s the last adult to leave Cleveland after games. Sometimes it takes until nearly midnight for the final player to be picked up by a parent. Guzman waits with him. Yes, it would be easy for Guzman to give the player a ride home, but that’s against LAUSD rules for teachers and coaches.

“All you can do is watch,” Guzman said.

The players have placed their trust in Guzman, as have parents. He’s delivering.

A HUGE UK train station is set to close for even more days – and it hits right by Christmas.

Huddersfield Station has only just reopened after a 16-day closure, which is part of a £70million upgrade.

The works date back to 2023, as the station is hoping to become fully electric by 2023.

And it has since been announced that it will close for another six days from this weekend, followed by more than a month in January 2027.

Transpennine Route Upgrade confirmed the following weekends would see the station closed in 2026:

• October 10
• October 11
• November 14
• November 15
• December 13
• December 20

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The December closures will affect the two Sundays before Christmas, so travellers are being warned to plan ahead.

This will then follow a huge 38-day closure from Christmas Eve (December 24, 2026) to January 31, 2027.

Liam O’Shaughnessy, TRU programme delivery lead for Northern, said: “The work that has been completed over the last 16 days in the Huddersfield area is another crucial step towards delivering the benefits that the Transpennine Route Upgrade will bring for customers across the north.

“We have worked closely with our industry partners to keep customers on the move, and these works have continued, and we would like to thank customers and local communities for their patience and cooperation, whilst these improvement works have been taking place.”

Upgrades include two new track lines through Huddersfield, restoration of the station’s roof and platforms, as well as upgrades at Deighton Station, and nearby road upgrades.

The station dates back to 1850, and named one of the most beautiful by Lonely Planet.

Now, it welcomes 3.1million passengers a year with routes across Yorkshire.

The station was even famously home to a cat, Felix.

Previously having a Sunday Times bestselling biography, he passed away in 2023.

Few pubs boast a more idyllic setting. As I emerge from the woods after a 15-mile hike, The Bridges, on the banks of the Onny River, in the rolling south Shropshire hills, glistens in the late afternoon sun. Inside it’s all wooden beams, with light streaming through stained glass and huge bunches of homegrown flowers adding splashes of colour. There’s time for a pint before general manager Sam Thompson shows me to my room in the recently converted stables.

I’m here exploring part of the 185-mile (297km) Shropshire Way, on a two-day Heart of the Hills hike – one of the county tourist board’s new Rail-Ready Short Breaks. Designed for people who don’t have time to tackle the whole route, the itineraries focus on loops that are easy to access by train, with illustrated PDF downloads, GPX files, accommodation suggestions and highlights of what to do along the way. My route will take me from Shrewsbury to Bishop’s Castle via Ratlinghope – about 27 miles, perfect for a weekend.

Shrewsbury itself is worth lingering in – the historic market town is crammed with independent shops and restaurants (I loved Csons for its creative small plates) and impressive Tudor architecture. But I’m most intrigued to learn that beavers have been reintroduced here by the council and the Shropshire Wildlife Trust. The first kit in the county in 400 years was born late last year and the Trust’s Tom Freeland shows me around the site, the Old River Bed nature reserve, just two miles north of the town centre. A boardwalk crossing wetlands allows an up-close view of the rewilding project. Although we don’t spy the elusive creatures (we see heron and plenty of moorhen), there’s still lots to learn. “It’s been a great success in inspiring the community to find out more about our local wildlife,” says Tom. Nature talks and guided tours of the beaver enclosure are in the pipeline, too.

Back at my base, the 16th-century Lion + Pheasant townhouse hotel, I dine on pan-roasted trout in the beamed restaurant (there’s a popular wine and tapas bar on site too) and the next morning set off to walk the first leg to Ratlinghope. Crossing the River Severn, the city soon peters out and quiet country lanes lead to Lyth Hill Country Park where expansive views open up across Shropshire.

It’s a steady climb to Wilderley Hill, past fields of rape, bright patches of yellow in a sea of green, and I stop under an oak tree to picnic. There’s no one around, just the songs of wren and chaffinch filling the air. The landscape changes on the approach to Ratlinghope as the route traces a brook, crosses wooden bridges and winds through pretty woodland. Just off the path lies the 12th-century St Margaret’s Church, the burial place of 19th-century farmer Richard Munslow, the last known “sin-eater”, whose job it was to eat bread and drink ale over corpses to absorb their sins.

I enjoy a drink instead in the pretty beer garden at The Bridges. The seven immaculate, minimalist rooms are round an adjacent courtyard – and guests have access to a lounge above the pub, too. The food in the bar includes Guinness rarebit and duck terrine, while the light-filled restaurant focuses on organic fare from the owners’ regenerative farm on the Linley Estate and the Welsh Marches. I feast on huge radishes with anchoïade, and hake with fennel, capers and crispy polenta. Breakfast the next morning – homemade granola and poached rhubarb – is equally delicious. It’s such a lively, friendly place I’m tempted to move nearby for the pub alone. They’ll even drive locals home if they’ve had one too many, Sam tells me.

Blue skies and gentle sunshine greet me for day two of the hike, a 12-mile yomp across rugged moorland and pastures to Bishop’s Castle. The pub lies on the edge of the Long Mynd, a heath and moorland plateau, but I’m heading north to the Stiperstones, a national nature reserve with a wild, dramatic ridge of quartzite rock formations that pierce the ground. I climb higher, passing Devil’s Chair tor, watching skylarks and buzzards soar overhead.

It’s a beautiful walk. After several hours, a magnificent avenue of Linley Beeches line the descent into Bishop’s Castle, a pretty town of half-timbered houses. Bank House B&B, a Georgian renovation with an oak-panelled drawing room and five antique-filled rooms, is my home for the night. I pop into the Poetry Pharmacy where prescriptions are poems chosen to spark specific emotions, to be “taken” when required (I leave with a bottle of Joy). Although little remains of the medieval castle that once stood here and gives the town its name, the grand Castle Hotel, with its pretty gardens and welcoming restaurant, is worth a visit.

With more time, I could, of course, carry on and add another loop of the trail. But the train back home beckons – Craven Arms station is a short bus or taxi ride away – and I leave feeling pleased to have dipped my toe into a small segment of the Shropshire Way. As far as rambling weekends go, it’s ticked all the right boxes, and whetted my appetite to discover more.

The trip was provided by Visit Shropshire and train travel from London to Shropshire was by Visit England. The Bridges has rooms from £120 a night. The Lion + Pheasant has rooms from £140 a night. Bank House B&B has rooms from £110 a night. Luggage transfer was provided by Silver Sherpa and costs from £30 a day for 1-3 bags

Many favour a circular walk, but you can give a linear one new shape with the addition of a novel form of transport. My wife Helen, our friend Tom Cox and I take the water taxi – a rigid inflatable boat (Rib) – from West Bay on Dorset’s coast to Lyme Regis, with a plan to walk back to our starting point.

The rain stops as the boat leaves the harbour, the views open along Chesil Beach to low-lying Portland to the east, and west to Lyme Regis; on the far horizon, we can see Start Point on the Devon coast. Our skipper, Nick, is highly knowledgable and takes time to stop and point out the history of the shoreline and the treacherous waters of Lyme Bay. The seabed is studded with wrecks – fishing boats and smugglers’ ships, but some are from the two world wars.

On New Year’s Day 1915, the battleship HMS Formidable was torpedoed by a German submarine. Of its crew of 750, no more than 200 survived. In the second world war, the Dorset coast was a huge mustering station for the allied forces in preparation for D-day. During Exercise Tiger, a large-scale rehearsal for the Normandy landings, hundreds of American service personnel were killed in an attack by German boats later known as the Battle of Lyme Bay – the wreck sites are now designated war graves.

At Lyme Regis, we disembark on to the Cobb, the harbour wall that snakes unsteadily into the bay and was made famous by Jane Austen, who had Louisa jump from it in Persuasion, and by John Fowles, who lived in Lyme. The movie adaptation of his novel The French Lieutenant’s Woman starred Meryl Streep as Sarah Woodruff. Its famous trailer begins with the actor sweeping across the Cobb, the hood of her cloak covering her face. For the filming, many buildings in the town were given a 19th-century facade. For a film that plays with time, it seems appropriate that the town’s bookshop kept its temporary fascia for many years.

Our walk back to West Bay is 10 miles long and begins not along the coast but by heading inland. The west Dorset coast is friable – the cliffs keep falling on to the beaches, and the path to Charmouth takes a diversion through a golf course. It wasn’t always like this: once there was a coastal road, Long Entry, between the two settlements. In 1725, Henry Fielding, then aged 17, attempted to abduct his cousin Sarah, with whom he was infatuated, from Lyme. The future novelist made his escape along Long Entry before being stopped by her guardian.

Our walk back to the coast is interrupted by a sculpture on the path. The shape of a woman, angular and determined, a hammer in her outstretched right hand, the other holding above her head the skeleton of a prehistoric animal. There’s another recent sculpture of the same subject, Mary Anning, in Lyme Regis, recording her importance to palaeontology and to the town, but this upland creature, made by Greta Berlin, is wilder, perfectly suited to its woodland setting. The representation of the fossil held aloft is Anning’s discovery: Ichthyosaurus anningae. One cannot walk this section of Dorset’s coast without being aware of its ancient past and the fragile geology close to the surface. Our boat trip began on crumbly sandstone, which gave way to fossil-rich clay as we travelled west.

Charmouth is a pretty village with no harbour; its shallow waters make it popular with those learning to swim or paddleboard. This next section of the South West Coast Path, to West Bay, coincides with the Monarch’s Way, the route that Charles II took to flee to mainland Europe after the civil war. Our day is more peaceful but the path is steep. We’re grateful for Tom’s company – his latest novel, Everything Will Swallow You, is infused with the history and landscape of the Dorset coast and his knowledge enlivens our walk, as do the pasties he brings, baked by his wife, Ellie.

We pass the remains of St Gabriel’s Church, which fell into disuse in the 18th century, although smugglers found within its walls useful shelter for their contraband. Soon we’re on Golden Cap, the highest point on the south coast – 191 metres (627ft) above sea level, with extraordinary views over Lyme Bay. At Seatown, we stop at the Anchor Inn for refreshments, meeting friends who have opted for a shorter walk. From Thorncombe Beacon, we descend to Eype Mouth – in Old English Eype is “Steep Place”; the church in this secluded village was chosen by PJ Harvey to record Let England Shake, a Mercury prize-winning album rich with the echoes of war.

There are further reminders of the coast’s fragility on the final stretch to West Bay – one sign references a cliff fall in 2020, and the path is frequently redirected to safer routes. West Bay, a small stone town, was once the harbour from where Bridport exported its rope and was originally called Bridport Harbour, but had its name changed by the railway company hoping to attract tourists. The railway is long gone – its station now hosts a restaurant in railway carriages – but West Bay, with its stalls for chips and views back towards Lyme, is a fitting place to end, a town out of time.

OS Explorer 116 (Lyme Regis & Bridport) covers the entire walk from Lyme Regis to West Bay. The Lyme Bay Water Taxi operates during the summer months; there is a year-round bus service between West Bay and Lyme Regis. Jon Woolcott is the author of Real Dorset and The Tattooed Hills, Journeys to Chalk Figures