Emmerdale’s April Windsor is set for worrying scenes on the ITV soap, as a villain of sorts, Callum, ‘returned from the dead’ in a twist on Wednesday, and April has no idea
There was a dark twist on Emmerdale on Wednesday, as a murdered character was confirmed to be very much alive(Image: ITV)
There was a dark twist on Emmerdale on Wednesday, as a murdered character was confirmed to be very much alive.
It’s bad news for April Windsor to some degree, as she’s been allowed to believe the person is still dead. This will continue too, with her kept in the dark about the character’s true fate.
Last week we saw April left in danger, as drug dealer Ray Walters sent her on a job with a client. When he tried to force her into sleeping with the client to pay off her debt, she was horrified.
When April told Callum, the client, she couldn’t go through with it, he turned on her. Grabbing her and trying to force himself on her, he said there was no escape and he’d “do it anyway” even after her stating she did not want to have sex with him.
Fighting for survival, April ended up slamming him over the head with a vodka bottle in self-defence. Shaken, she escaped and told Ray and Celia Daniels that Callum was dead.
Ray headed to his home to check on Callum and when he returned to the village, he confirmed to a distressed April that he was in fact dead and she’d killed him. Both Celia and Ray taunted April about her being a murderer and said she’d go to prison.
When she declared she needed to report her crime and threatened to expose them, the criminals made it clear that if April spoke out, she and her family would be in danger. So April is now struggling to come to terms with being a killer.
Of course she has no idea, and fans didn’t either until Wednesday, that Callum isn’t dead. He’s injured but he’s absolutely fine, and survived the attack.
So Ray’s claims that he disposed of Callum’s body and that April killed him are a lie, and he and Celia know it. They’re now using it against April to keep her doing as they say, meaning more bad news ahead for April when she has to stay in line, but also if Callum reveals his fate, he could get her in serious trouble.
In a twist at the end of the episode, Callum was with Ray in his car and he talked about his head hurting. Ray told him to stay silent and take some pain relief, making it clear he couldn’t do anything about April.
Viewers were stunned by the twist but many said they “knew it”, having figured out Ray would lie to April to target her. Taking to social media, one fan said: “I knew it, I f***ing knew it.”
Another fan said: “I didn’t think he would be.” A further fan posted: “I KNEW he wasn’t dead!!!!!”
Angels superstar Mike Trout testified Tuesday morning that he knew team employee Eric Kay had a drug problem but that pitcher Tyler Skaggs showed no signs of drug use.
Trout, a three-time American League Most Valuable Player, has played with the Angels his entire 15-year career and is under contract through the 2030 season. He was a teammate of Skaggs from 2014 to 2019, when the left-handed pitcher died in a Texas hotel room July 1, 2019, after snorting a counterfeit oxycodone pill that contained fentanyl, a powerful opioid.
According to trial transcripts, Skaggs lawyer Daniel Dutko asked Trout about his reaction when he learned the next day in a team meeting that Skaggs had died.
“Cried,” Trout answered.
“You loved him like a brother,” the lawyer said as Trout nodded affirmatively. Trout added that he was unaware of any drug use by Skaggs.
Skaggs’ lawyer asked questions to elicit testimony from Trout that would humanize Skaggs, to establish that he was a valued teammate and friend. Trout said he and Skaggs were roommates in 2010 when both were 18 years old and playing for the Angels affiliate in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Trout, the highest-paid Angels employee making more than $37 million a year, attended Skaggs’ wedding in 2018.
Neither Dutko nor Angels attorney Todd Theodora asked Trout why he didn’t inform a team executive or human resources when he suspected Kay’s drug use.
Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in Southlake, Texas, on July 1, 2019, before the Angels were scheduled to start a series against the Texas Rangers. The Tarrant County medical examiner found that in addition to the opioids, Skaggs had a blood-alcohol level of 0.12. The autopsy determined he died from asphyxia after aspirating on his own vomit, and that his death was accidental.
Trout’s testimony followed that of longtime Angels executives Tim Mead and Tom Taylor. Kay reported to Mead nearly his entire 23-year career and worked closely with Taylor, the team’s traveling secretary. Both men testified that they had no idea Kay was addicted to opioids or that Kay supplied Skaggs with drugs.
Skaggs’ widow, Carli Skaggs, and parents Debra Hetman and Darrell Skaggs are seeking $118 million from the Angels for Skaggs’ lost future earnings as well as compensation for pain and anguish, and punitive damages.
The Angels announcement that longtime former big league catcher Kurt Suzuki was hired as manager coincided with Trout’s testimony.
Crank up the Benny Hill theme song and let the belly laughs commence.
As President Trump’s summer of immigration raids turns into a fall of occupation, I need some — and who knew his deportation machine could bring them? To watch videos of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in action failing bigly is like watching “Star Wars” Stormtroopers constantly misfiring or bonking their heads despite the full backing of the emperor himself.
Have you seen the one where two masked agents struggle to subdue a Latino male on a lawn while a small dog barks from behind a fence? And when the agents grab onto his T-shirt, he slips out of it, grabs his discarded hat and darts away like Bugs Bunny humiliating Elmer Fudd?
Or what about the reel where a handcuffed white man, evidently a protester, dressed in all-black walks alongside his captors before spinning off them like Saquon Barkley evading a tackler as he disappears into a crowd — but not before a fellow protester filming the scene offers his comrade an enthusiastic back slap?
You can get your jollies with a Dave Chappelle special, or by catching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth trying out his Gen. Patton impression before another group of stone-faced generals, but it’s better to settle on yuks that matter — chortles that provoke as much hope as humor.
It’s a reminder that martial law-hungry Trump’s would-be empire is not all powerful. And that Americans can still snicker in the face of official wrong — and should.
“Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion,” Kurt Vonnegut supposedly said, adding that he “prefer[ed] to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.”
When you see la migra unable to kick down the front door of a Nicaraguan immigrant at a Fontana apartment just a second after the man shut it in their faces, you just have to giggle at a scenario straight out of the Keystone Kops. And then there’s the viral footage of a food delivery driver on his bike cussing out a phalanx of armed Border Patrol agents in downtown Chicago last month.
“I’m not a U.S. citizen!” the guy yells, daring someone to detain him. Someone finally barks “Get him!” as a bunch of agents feebly give chase; the man pedals away like he’s a Tour de France champion with a peloton hot on his trail. The defeated agents run like they’re wearing concrete boots with skates on them as their quarry makes his escape.
These videos are balm and inspiration for our dark times and they’re even better with a soundtrack — I’ve seen people remix them with jaunty Mexican banda classics such as “La Chona” or “El Sinaloense.” The best ones use “Yakety Sax,” the high-energy romp so many of us Yanks remember as the tune that Benny Hill used when ending his eponymous show with a bunch of people chasing after him after yet another comedic misunderstanding.
Because that’s what all these immigration crackdowns are: sick charades. Armed men grabbing tamale ladies? Tough guys too scared to show their face? Billions of dollars spent on all this? All one can do is laugh at the absurdity of it all to keep from weeping.
Those videos are sadly just a drop in the toxic river of posts showing immigration agents brutalizing migrants and citizens alike that long ago drowned out almost anything else on my social media feeds. That’s why each of those ICE-as-ignoramuses videos is a treasure and why I see so many of my friends share. They bear witness that Trump’s deportation leviathan not only is not invincible, it’s also beatable.
The videos are especially important as a repudiation of one of the Homeland Security Department’s main propaganda planks: use slickly produced clips to glorify la migra as badass avengers with attempts at humor as fundamental to their mission. A recent one consisted of a close-up of one of those vents above your airplane seat that regulates air circulation while the plane’s captain welcomes the viewer to “ICE Air” over the intercom.
“Next time, come to America legally or don’t come at all! Thank you!” the captain announces in a goofy voice.
Cue the “Simpsons” clip of Bart tossing a cake that reads “At Least You Tried” into the garbage.
What Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her writer’s room of revanchists don’t get is that only the worst of the worst ever root for Goliath. That means the joke is on them every time they march through peaceful neighborhoods like “Call of Duty” knockoffs. Scenes like that don’t strike fear in anyone; they just expose the buffoonery behind the bravura. That’s why we need to share anything that captures them flailing around as much as possible.
Humans have laughed at tyrants going back to the days of the ancient Greeks. Yet I’ve also seen some pro-immigrant activists insist now is not the time to laugh, even if it’s at ICE’s expense. To them, Otto Santa Ana says they’re missing out on a valuable tool in the fight for our democracy. He’s a retired UCLA Chicano studies professor who’s working on a book about the history of humor, down to its biology.
“The people who are laughing at ICE are not contrary to the people who are standing on the front lines,” he said. “The mocking allows us to redirect that frustration into something positive. We both laugh at the perpetrator and bond with other people laughing. When it reaches viral levels, we know that our community takes joy in it — and our community needs any joy right now.”
Santa Ana chuckled as I described some of the better videos I’ve seen. He turned me on to more. When I asked whether republishing those clips with ironic songs represented a new front in political humor, he said they reminded him of Martin Luther, the man who sparked the Reformation by calling out the moral and financial rot of the Catholic Church at the time. Part of his strategy was publishing a heretical, hysterical song against the pope based on a German folk tune that ensured people would listen and allow his critiques against the Catholic Church to spread faster and further.
“Today’s videos are just another manifestation that technology can be used to embolden us, to unify us,” Santa Ana said.
“The act shifts the public narrative of ICE from scary and powerful to laughable and weak,” he added. “And the oppressed sense their moral superiority vindicated against an evil.”
He concluded: “The authoritarian feeds on fear and ignorance and when people who can stand up for their rights articulate it humorously, it helps to bring the henchman down.”
You heard the profe, America. Go find the latest ICE Follies, and tell everyone you know!
Former Coronation Street star Sarah Lancashire ‘knew when to stop’ doing Happy Valley despite its major success, according to the show’s creator Sally Wainwright
19:42, 28 Sep 2025Updated 19:42, 28 Sep 2025
Sarah Lancashire ‘knew when to stop’ doing Happy Valley despite its major success, according to the show’s creator (Image: BBC/Lookout Point/Matt Squire)
Sarah Lancashire ‘knew when to stop’ doing Happy Valley despite its major success. The actress, 60, starred as Catherine Cawood in Sally Wainwright’s hit drama over the course of three series that were filmed over a decade, and even helped write its final episode, which pulled in almost 10 million viewers.
Despite the show’s incredible popularity, creator Sally, 62, insisted that a short run had always been agreed upon. She told The Sunday Times: “Sarah’s good at knowing when to stop and when to say no. There were a couple of things in the script that she wanted to question, and it was a good process.”
However, fans of the programme need not be disappointed as seasoned television writer Sally explained that she and Sarah, who won a BAFTA for her portrayal of policewoman Catherine, are already working on a new project together, insisting that they are ‘still friends’ and the character is ‘still there’ in their minds.
As well as Happy Valley, Sally is also the creator of several other hit series such as Last Tango in Halifax and Gentleman Jack. She started out writing episodes of radio soap The Archers before going on to work on Coronation Street, which turned Sarah into a household name when she was cast as barmaid Raquel Wolstenhume, in the late 1990s.
Following the advice of late TV writer Kay Mellor, she went on to create At Home With The Braithwaites, which starred Amanda Redman as a woman who had won the lottery but tried to keep it all a secret from her dysfunctional family. Reflecting on those early days of her career writing episodes of the long-running ITV soap, Sally admitted that she worked with some ‘fabulously clever’ people at the time.
She said: “The Coronation Street storyline meetings were amazing. There were some fabulously clever story-makers. Dialogue comes easily, characters come easily, but story is relentlessly hard. I have to just really bash it out. With Happy Valley, I do pride myself on the last episode being just as good as the first episode.”
The scriptwriter previously admitted that she got ‘bored’ of writing for the soaps because of how all the stories had become so similar, and acknowledged that viewing habits have changed dramatically in recent years as streaming services have become the norm.
“I think one of the reasons I got bored of the soaps (is that) all the stories got a bit samey,” she admitted. Referencing the amount of choice TV viewers now have, Sally added: “There is so much content, it is increasingly easy for people to turn over.”
She explained: “You’ve got to be captivating your audience moment by moment… its seems increasingly important.” Discussing her time on Corrie, Sally revealed that she did not initially have the ‘confidence’ to contribute to storylines at Coronation Street.
Sally said she was ‘in awe’ of everyone who worked in the writer’s room when she joined, which had two women within its 15-writer team at the time. Wainwright recalled that it was a time when writers would go to the pub at lunch which she said would mean the afternoon could be a ‘bloodbath’
She added: “It wasn’t a nasty atmosphere, it was very lively and often fun.” Wainwright revealed that writing is how she can ‘make sense of the wppr;d’. In a discussion with broadcaster Adrian Chiles, she reflected on how she began writing as a child with her sister creating strip cartoons and plays.
“It’s just a childhood habit that has continued,” Sally explained. “I make sense of the world by writing about it. I also love the idea of writing dialogue, creating characters, I love the idea of making people say things, I love the actors and love the whole process of drama.”
San Diegan Charles W. Hostler modestly said that it was his way of “doing what I could” to help elect George Bush and other Republican candidates. Ralph E. Bodine described it as “my little way . . . of getting involved” with last year’s elections.
Few others, however, would use the word “little” to describe Hostler’s and Bodine’s roles in Election ‘88, for they, like four other people who either live in San Diego or have strong ties here, contributed at least $100,000 to the Republican National Committee last year.
Besides Bodine and Hostler, San Diego Chargers owner Alex Spanos and businessmen J. Neal Blue, Michael Dingman and George Gillett Jr. were among 249 top GOP donors listed on the so-called “Team 100” roster released this week by Republican leaders.
The “Team 100” program–targeted at political high-rollers who donated at least $100,000 to the Republican Party at the state or national level–was directed by Texas businessman and Commerce Secretary-designate Robert Mosbacher, who was finance chairman of President Bush’s campaign last fall.
No Direct Contributions, Just ‘Soft Money’
Under federal election laws, those donations could not be spent directly by Bush’s campaign. However, the funds–known as “soft money,” in political jargon–helped to bankroll indirect local and national party efforts to aid Bush and other Republican candidates.
Hostler, a private investor and international business consultant, said he made his $100,000 donation to the party “because I felt it was important that George Bush and Republican candidates receive adequate support.”
“I’ve been a consistent donor of varying amounts over the years, but this is the biggest amount,” said Hostler, a retired Air Force colonel who has lived nearly half his life abroad and is fluent in four languages.
From 1974-76, Hostler worked under James Baker, Bush’s campaign chairman and secretary of state designate, in the Commerce Department as director of the Bureau of International Commerce.
Although Hostler said he has no strong yearning to return to Washington, he added: “I have the highest respect for both George Bush and Jim Baker. If Jim Baker consults me, or, if there would be an offer, I’d be happy to consider it. I guess I’ll take it as it comes.”
In contrast, Bodine, chairman of the board of Sunkist Growers, said he has “absolutely no designs on any job” in the Bush Administration.
‘I Have Enough Jobs Already,’ Says Bodine
“I have enough jobs already,” said Bodine, a 46-year-old Point Loma resident. “I just felt it was imperative to support Republican candidates in order for there to be a continuation of what we’ve seen over the last eight years. This was my little way–or big way–of getting involved.”
The other four $100,000 donors with San Diego links could not be reached for comment. In addition to Chargers owner Spanos, who lives in Stockton, they are:
– J. Neal Blue, chairman and chief executive officer of General Atomics, a La Jolla-based high-technology company. Blue also is chairman of Cordillera Corp., a Denver-based holding company involved in the gas and oil business.
– George Gillett Jr., owner of Gillett Communications, the company that owns KNSD-TV (Channel 39).
– Michael Dingman, the managing director, chairman and chief executive officer of Henley Group, a La Jolla-based multi-industry conglomerate. Dingman, who formerly lived in La Jolla, now lives in Exeter, N.H.
Officials at No 10 and the Foreign Office were aware of supportive emails between Lord Mandelson and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein when the prime minister initially defended the former ambassador on Wednesday, the BBC understands.
Sources stressed Sir Keir was not aware of the contents of the emails when he stood by Lord Mandelson at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.
The BBC understands that a media enquiry outlining details of the messages between the pair was sent to the Foreign Office on Tuesday, and passed on to No 10.
Sir Oliver Robbins, permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office, asked Lord Mandelson about the emails on Tuesday but did not receive a response until the next day.
Backbench Labour MP Olivia Blake called No 10’s reported handling of the situation “really embarrassing”.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday: “Any operation that fails to tell a prime minister when something as substantial as those emails were presented to them clearly has deep failings.”
Blake added: “Whoever is gatekeeping the information to the prime minister needs to stop, and they need to be getting things to him much earlier so that he can get on top of it.”
Asked whether Lord Mandelson should be required to leave the House of Lords, Blake said it was something “we should be considering”.
Lord Mandelson was sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the US shortly before 11:00 on Thursday. Downing Street said the emails contained “new information” that was not known at the time of Lord Mandelson’s appointment.
United States District Court Southern District of New York
A picture understood to have been taken on the Caribbean island of St Barts in 2006
The full emails were published by Bloomberg and the Sun on Wednesday evening.
“I think the world of you and I feel hopeless and furious about what has happened,” Mandelson wrote the day before Epstein reported to prison in 2008 for soliciting sex from a minor.
Mandelson added: “You have to be incredibly resilient, fight for early release… Your friends stay with you and love you.”
In an interview with the Sun on Wednesday, Lord Mandelson said he felt a “tremendous sense of regret” that he had met Epstein, and that he “took at face value the lies that he fed me and many others”.
The BBC earlier reported that Lord Mandelson’s emails were sent from an old account to which he no longer had access. Officials cite this as the reason they had not been seen earlier.
In a statement announcing Lord Mandelson’s dismissal, the Foreign Office said: “The emails show that the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.”
Following his sacking, Mandelson said being the UK’s ambassador to the US had been “the privilege of my life”.
It comes as Sir Keir faces growing pressure over his handling of Lord Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US.
Labour MP Clive Lewis, an outspoken voice on the Labour left, said Sir Keir “doesn’t seem up to the job”, adding that there was a “very, very dangerous atmosphere” among Labour MPs.
Another Labour MP Jo White said the “clock is ticking” for Sir Keir to turn polls around before local elections next May.
Labour MP Emily Thornberry, chair of the foreign affairs committee, has written to the new Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper asking for details on the vetting process for Lord Mandelson’s appointment, and whether security concerns were dismissed.
Thornberry’s letter was first reported by Sky News.
It also emerged that Jeffrey Epstein paid for Lord Mandelson’s travel on two separate occasions in 2003 totalling more than $7,400 (£5,400), according to documents released by the US House of Representatives Oversight Committee.
Earlier this week, US lawmakers released an alleged “birthday book” containing messages sent to Jeffrey Epstein on his 50th birthday in 2003 – including one from Lord Mandelson.
In his letter, which features photos of the pair, Lord Mandelson described Jeffrey Epstein as his “best pal”, and an “intelligent, sharp-witted man”.
A holiday in the UK to the likes of County Durham should be on everyone’s bucket-list, according to this traveller who looked back on her stay in one of its beautiful villages
Tucked away in a tiny village named Mickleton, there’s a real gem that offers spectacular nature trails – and let’s not overlook the extraordinary waterfall close by. Emma Gill, from Manchester Evening News, visited Cobblers Barn with a “multi-generational” party of 10, a beautiful stone-constructed, standalone 16th century barn transformation available via Sykes Holiday Cottages.
“It’s a part of the country we haven’t visited before and, to be honest, knew very little about,” she admitted. “We didn’t really know what to expect.”
Following a two-hour drive, they eventually arrived at their charming and tranquil holiday retreat and what a reception they got. Whether it was the aroma of freshly baked bread, biscuits, cake and milk courtesy of “helpful guide” and owner Karen, or the Blacksmiths Arms village pub, there was plenty that truly raised excitement levels.
At first glance, it appears Mickleton has precious little beyond a collection of stone dwellings, a petrol station, plus a selection of walking and cycling paths. Yet Cobblers Barn is a distinctive property, rich in heritage, that provides classic lodging.
‘The most wonderful sight’(Image: MEN)
From the expansive lounge with ample room for unwinding, the enormous and fully-fitted kitchen/dining area, to the roomy bedrooms. It proved a perfect base, particularly appropriate for families with small children or four-legged companions.
Then there’s the outside space. A private courtyard garden provides the ideal sanctuary for children and pets, complete with barbecue facilities, comfortable seating, and a six-person bubbling hot tub ensuring year-round enjoyment regardless of the conditions.
“But we soon discovered there’s a lot more to this part of the country than we realised,” said Emma. Just a brief journey away lies High Force waterfall, a three-mile trek from Bowlees Visitor Centre, offering a delightful spot for dogs to splash about.
Perfect for furry friends and families with young children(Image: MEN)
Whilst predominantly level terrain, visitors will encounter some stairs, inclines, and a narrow single-file bridge during the route. “The grandparents still managed it,” Emma added.
Upon reaching the cascade itself, everyone stood mesmerised as they watched the River Tees tumble 21 metres into the dramatic chasm beneath. It became immediately apparent why this spectacular location has graced numerous television programmes and films, including Emmerdale and Apple TV’s sci-fi thriller The Gorge.
Following their expedition, they’d certainly earned a pit stop at the High Force Hotel, a quintessential countryside pub offering an array of freshly prepared meals. Sophisticated, magnificent and tranquil were amongst the terms Emma used to describe the establishment, with the roaring fires and abundant rustic appeal clearly capturing their affections.
Emma shared: “We were more than happy with the view we’d had from the other side, but this would probably be the better option for the less able – offering a more gentle and pretty woodland walk leading to the spectacular sight at the base of the falls. At £2.45 a ticket for kids, £3.95 for adults, or £10 for a family of four, it’s not too expensive either.”
Barnard Castle(Image: MEN)
The group had an entire day left to explore and they chose Barnard Castle. “It’s not a full castle – some of the stone from it was taken and used to improve Raby Castle, in nearby Darlington – but it’s impressive nonetheless,” she expressed.
After a stroll around the town including a stop at a chocolate fair, where all enjoyed ice creams and coffees in the garden behind the café. Then it was time to say goodbye, with everyone returning home with a piece of County Durham in their hearts.
Tickets to Barnard Castle are cheaper when purchased online in advance and cost £9 for adults and £5 for children, including donations. English Heritage members go free. Emma and her family were guests at Cobblers Barn, with Sykes Holiday Cottages, which is hosting its Great Summer Sale.
The accordionist commands the stage, his eyes staring off as if in a trance, his fingers trilling out the opening notes of a tune. It’s a long, sinuous riff, one so intoxicating that the audience in front of him can’t help but to two-step across the crowded dance floor.
He and his singing partner unfurl a sad story that seemingly clashes with the rhythms that back it. An undocumented immigrant has arrived in San Antonio from Laredo to marry his girlfriend, Chencha. But the lights on his car aren’t working and he has no driver’s license, so the cops throw him in jail. Upon being released, the song’s protagonist finds a fate worse than deportation: His beloved is now dating the white guy who issues driver’s licenses.
“Those gabachos are abusive,” the singer-accordionist sighs in Spanish in his closing line. “I lost my car, and they took away my Chencha.”
The above scene is from “Chulas Fronteras,” a 1976 documentary about life on the United States-Mexico border and the accordion-driven conjuntos that served as the soundtrack to the region. The song is “Un Mojado Sin Licencia” — “A Wetback Without a License.” The musician is Tex-Mex legend Flaco Jiménez, who died last week at 86.
Born in San Antonio, the son and grandson of accordionists became famous as the face of Tex-Mex music and as a favorite session player whenever rock and country gods needed some borderlands flair. He appeared alongside everyone from the Rolling Stones to Bob Dylan, Buck Owens and Dwight Yoakam on “The Streets of Bakersfield” to Willie Nelson for a rousing version of “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.” With Doug Sahm, Augie Meyers and fellow Tejano chingón Freddy Fender, Jiménez formed the Texas Tornadoes, whose oeuvre blasts at every third-rate barbecue joint from the Texas Hill Country to Southern California.
Jiménez was a titan of American music, something his obits understood. One important thing they missed, however, was his politics.
He unleashed his Hohner accordion not just at concerts but for benefits ranging from student scholarships to the successful campaign of L.A. County Superior Court Judge David B. Finkel to Lawyers’ Committee, a nonprofit formed during the civil rights era to combat structural racism in the American legal system. Jiménez and the Texas Tornadoes performed at Bill Clinton’s 1992 inauguration ball; “Chulas Fronteras,” captured Jiménez as the headliner at a fundraiser for John Treviño Jr., who would go on to become Austin’s first Mexican American council member.
It’s a testament to Jiménez’s heart and humor that the song he performed for it was “Un Mojado Sin Licencia,” which remains one of my favorite film concert appearances, an ideal all Latino musicians should aspire to during this long deportation summer.
The title is impolite but reflected the times: Some undocumented immigrants in the 1970s wore mojado not as a slur but a badge of honor (to this day, that’s what my dad proudly calls himself even though he became a U.S. citizen decades ago). Jiménez’s mastery of the squeezebox, his fingers speeding up and down the rows of button notes for each solo like a reporter on deadline, is as complex and gripping as any Clapton or Prince guitar showcase.
What was most thrilling about Jiménez’s performance, however, was how he refused to lose himself to the pathos of illegal immigration, something too many people understandably do. “Un Mojado Sin Licencia,” which Jiménez originally recorded in 1964, is no dirge but rather a rollicking revolt against American xenophobia.
The cameraman captures his gold teeth gleaming as Jiménez grins throughout his thrilling three minutes. He’s happy because he has to be: the American government can rob Mexicans of a better life, “Un Mojado Sin Licencia” implicitly argues, but it’s truly over when they take away our joy.
“Un Mojado Sin Licencia” is in the same jaunty vein as other Mexican classics about illegal immigration such as Vicente Fernández’s “Los Mandados,” “El Corrido de Los Mojados” by Los Alegres de Terán and “El Muro” by rock en español dinosaurs El Tri. There is no pity for undocumented immigrants in any of those tracks, only pride at their resilience and glee in how la migra can never truly defeat them. In “Los Mandados,” Fernández sings of how la migra beats up an immigrant who summarily sues them; “El Corrido de Los Mojados” plainly asks Americans, “If the mojados were to disappear/Who would you depend on?”
Even more defiant is “El Muro,” which starts as an overwrought metal anthem but reveals that its hero not only came into the United States, he used the titular border wall as a toilet (trust me, it sounds far funnier in the Mexico City lingo of gravelly lead singer Alex Lora). These songs tap into the bottomless well that Mexicans have for gallows humor. And their authors knew what satirists from Charlie Chaplin to Stephen Colbert knew: When life throws tyranny at you, you have to scoff and push back.
There are great somber songs about illegal immigration, from La Santa Cecilia’s haunting bossa nova “El Hielo (ICE)” to Woody Guthrie’s “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos),” which has been recorded by everyone from the Byrds to Dolly Parton to Jiménez when he was a member of Los Super Seven. But the ones people hum are the funny ones, the ones you can polka or waltz or mosh to, the ones that pep you up. In the face of terror, you need to sway and smile to take a break from the weeping and the gnashing of teeth that’s the rest of the day.
I saw “Chulas Fronteras” as a college student fighting anti-immigrant goons in Orange County and immediately loved the film but especially “Un Mojado Sin Licencia.” Too many of my fellow travelers back then felt that to party even for a song was to betray the revolution. Thankfully, that’s not the thinking among pro-immigrant activists these days, who have incorporated music and dancing into their strategy as much as lawsuits and neighborhood patrols.
The sidewalks outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown L.A., where hundreds of immigrants are detained in conditions better suited for a decrepit dog pound, have transformed into a makeshift concert hall that has hosted classical Arabic musicians and Los Jornaleros del Norte, the house band of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. Down the 5 Freeway, the OC Rapid Response Network holds regular fundraisers in bars around downtown Santa Ana featuring everything from rockabilly quartets to female DJs spinning cumbias. While some music festivals have been canceled or postponed for fear of migra raids, others have gone on as planned lest ICE win.
Musicians like Pepe Aguilar, who dropped a treacly cover of Calibre 50’s “Corrido de Juanito” a few weeks ago, are rushing to meet the moment with benefit concerts and pledges to support nonprofits. That’s great, but I urge them to keep “Un Mojado Sin Licencia” on a loop as they’re jotting down lyrics or laying down beats. There’s enough sadness in the fight against la migra. Be like Flaco: Make us laugh. Make us dance. Keep us from slipping into the abyss. Give us hope.
A BELOVED grandmother choked to death after being fed the wrong food in a care home.
Joan Whitworth died at the Oaks Care Home in Northumberland after staff prepared her meal in a way which “did not comply with her diet plan”.
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Joan Whitworth, 88, tragically died after choking on her foodCredit: NCJ Media
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An inquest heard the grandmother was living at the Oaks Care HomeCredit: Google Maps
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The 88-year-old’s meal had not been prepared correctlyCredit: NCJ Media
An inquest heard the 88-year-old had lived with her daughter Gillian but moved into the facility when her dementia progressed.
When eating a meal on March 3, 2023, Joan began to display signs of choking.
But the inquest heard how a care assistant did not intervene and had to ask another staff member for help to deliver back slaps and abdominal thrusts.
And, CPR was not performed due to the “inaccurate understanding of a registered nurse”.
Following the hearing, Northumberland’s senior coroner Andrew Hetheringtonhas written a “prevention of future deaths” report.
The care home and NHS trust have 56 days to respond.
The coroner concluded Joan died “in a care home as a result of choking”.
And in his written report, he outlined a total of six “matters of concern”.
Of these, one was regarding the NHS trust and five were directed to the care home’s operator Hillcare.
The first issue was found with the speech and language team.
Joan’s assessment had not been written down in a formal report, meaning observations of her eating had only been passed on verbally.
The coroner also concluded that a nurse and care assistant at the home “were not in date with their training in Basic Life Support and First Aid at Work”.
The coroner added: “I am concerned that a chef in evidence at the inquest was not aware that breaded fish was not a suitable food stuff in the diet identified for the deceased.
“I am concerned that other residents could be fed inappropriate food stuffs that are not in line with their identified diet plans.”
Bryan Smith, Joan’s son-in-law, told ChronicleLive: “Right from the start, we knew what had happened – that they hadn’t given her the right food.
“We knew she hadn’t been looked after.
“The reason we have pursued this is that we knew what had happened.”
Bryan added how the family had been “shocked and astounded by the quantity and severity of the mistakes” that were highlighted in the inquest.
He told how many families have shared similar “painful and shocking experiences”.
In a statement on behalf of the family read in court, they paid tribute: “Joan was a well loved character in Blyth. She was manager of Robson’s shoe shop and then moved to the Water Board.
“When we used to go shopping with Joan, it would take you an hour to get past the car park – as she knew everyone in Blyth with a tap or a pair of shoes!”
A Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: “All referrals to our speech and language therapy service are robustly triaged using a risk and evidence-based approach to inform the most appropriate care for that individual. This includes information on the referral form and discussion with the patient and / or those who care for them daily to gather the most up-to-date information.
“We cannot comment further on this case due to patient confidentiality, but would like to offer our sincere condolences to Mrs Whitworth’s family and loved ones.”
A spokesperson for The Oaks Care Home said: “We acknowledge the Coroner’s report relating to the death of Joan Whitworth at our home in March 2023. Our thoughts remain with her family and loved ones.
“Following the incident, we carried out a full review and made all necessary changes to our practices and procedures. These have been in place for some time and will be reflected in our formal response to the Coroner’s report. The safety, dignity, and wellbeing of those in our care remain our highest priorities.”
Walking into Butlin’s Bognor Regis, two things were crystal clear. One, I was the only child-free person for miles. And two, it was going to be an epic weekend.
Booze, sex, testosterone — those are the typical expectations from a lads holiday. But what if that’s not what you want anymore? Matt Spraggrett tells us how he fell out of love with the form
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More and more men are ‘secretly dreading’ going away with the boys(Image: Supplied)
Urban dictionary defines a lads holiday as: “When you go on holiday with your ‘lads’ (mates) and you get smashed out of your head and bang about 50,000 girls.”
While there may be (many) men who would jump at the chance to take a no-holds-barred, booze, sex, and testosterone-fuelled trip with the lads, there seems to be a growing section that would really rather just… not.
In fact, new research from First Choice confirms that sentiment. In a recent survey conducted by the travel company involving 2,000 Millennial and Gen-Z men, it was found that 69 per cent of men aged 18-35 secretly dreaded going away with the boys and over half (53 per cent) made excuses to dodge the trip. Furthermore, a staggering 81 per cent of blokes felt the pressure to act “macho” during these out-of-control lads holidays and 66 per cent struggled to keep up with the intense partying mentality.
A few key factors contributed to their apprehension: 39 per cent of the men surveyed felt they were forced to drink more than usual on a boys trip, while 27 per cent were uncomfortable with the overspending that such escapades involve. Another 20 per cent were aware that their partners disapproved of their absence and their participation in said exploits.
Matt Spraggett, 29, is one such lad who isn’t the biggest fan of these lads holidays.
29-year-old Matt Spraggett isn’t the biggest fan of the typical ‘Lads Holiday’(Image: Supplied)
There was one specific moment in Matt’s life when he realised that something had changed(Image: Supplied)
Currently working in London as an advertising manager, Matt grew up in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, and says he had a lower middle class upbringing. His dad worked in the public sector, while his mum was a PA. Both Matt and his brother attended their local state school and sixth form and in his words it was “nothing fancy”.
While Matt doesn’t hate the quintessential boys trip, it definitely makes him “uneasy at times”. He feels it’s “largely down to the pressure to conform to a certain idea of masculinity”, which he finds off-putting.
Matt tells Mirror Travel: “Specifically, I dislike the expectation of constant, and I mean constant, drinking and the need to be ‘on’ all the time with either a loud, jokey persona or someone who is just ready to whatever the rest of the group wants to do, no questions. Sometimes it feels like a competition to see who can be the most outrageous. I’ve been on trips where guys are practically egging each other on to do stupid things, just for the sake of a laugh, regardless of any consequences they might face and after a while it can be exhausting.”
Matt feels that an all-blokes trip comes with the expectation of reverting to “some kind of adolescent version of yourself”. Matt reflects: “You’re supposed to forget about your responsibilities, your growth, and just act like you’re back in your late teens and do what the typical lads trip consists of such as, all day drinking, strip clubs, night clubs and even taking drugs. There’s often an unspoken pressure to be constantly available for partying, and if you want to chill out or do something different, you’re seen as a buzzkill.”
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Now almost 30, Matt can largely pinpoint the juncture of his life when he started disliking the notion of a typical lads holiday.
“I think it was probably around my mid-twenties, maybe 25 or 26, which might seem a little young to not want to just be on ‘lads lads lads’ / ‘oi oi’ type holiday but I think the pandemic had a big impact. I moved away from where I grew up and met a new set of friends in London, plus I was starting to take my career more seriously, and I had been in a relationship for a couple of years by that time so the idea of spending a week getting hammered and acting like an idiot just didn’t appeal to me anymore. Also, with the cost of living increasing and paying my own way with rent and bills, I became more mindful about what money I was spending on holidays,” he said.
Matt remembers being out for the day, celebrating a schoolmate’s birthday and “feeling a little out of sync with everyone else”. He recalls the conversations being “very surface level and nothing that engaging”, which led him to the realisation that something had changed.
“I don’t want that to sound arrogant, that I changed, and they hadn’t, as they had, but they still lived where we grew up and had a certain view and experience of the world, both socially and politically and mine had evolved differently to theirs. After that moment I started to want to spend my time doing things I truly enjoy — not just doing it to retain some favour with the lads.”
One holiday that sticks out in Matt’s mind which further solidified his negative feelings towards out-of-control boys trips was when he went to Thailand in his early 20s. While the vacation “wasn’t a total nightmare”, there were some tense moments that could’ve escalated and derailed the whole trip”
Matt recalls heading out on a pub crawl with the gang, when one bloke from their group wandered off and returned “about 20 minutes later and says he’s got into an argument with the locals” which resulted in “some pushing and shoving which then turned into a bit of a fight”.
The ‘very drunk’ group instantly started panicking thinking about “horror stories of foreigners causing trouble abroad and losing your passport” and subsequently “sprinted about 2km back to our hotel to avoid some angry bar owners our friend had annoyed.” Matt and the lads “moved off to another part of Thailand quickly after that”.
By his own admission, the 29-year-old feels “many guys and lots of drinks” can often lead to “an overall atmosphere of tension which might kick off at any moment”.
For Matt, his ‘ideal lads vacation’ would be “a good mix of culture and party where it’s focusing on shared interests and experiences rather than just getting drunk all day every day”.
He shares: “I’d love to do something active, like exploring the local history, going to a vineyard or seeing the best viewpoint. Something that involves an activity as well as some drinks is much more appealing to me. The vibe would be relaxed, we’d explore the place we are in rather than just going to the main strip. It’s like going to London and only going to Covent Garden, there’s so much more to see! But that’s just me.”
And while he feels that “there’s nothing wrong with having a few drinks”, he’d rather have it not be “the central focus of the trip”.
The perfect trip in his mind?
“It would be about creating good memories and strengthening friendships, not just racking up embarrassing stories of who got the most drunk. They are funny but I don’t want that to be the only thing I remember.”
