legendary

AN ICONIC British pop band has been forced to scrap an upcoming performance amid one member’s battle with a mystery illness.

The Year 3000 hitmakers were due to take to the stage in Bradford for the Radio 1 Anthems show in the Yorkshire city.

Yet even though the gig isn’t until next month, Busted have revealed they’ve pulled out already.

It comes amid founding member James Bourne‘s ongoing, but as yet not disclosed, medical battles which have left the guitarist “really f**king sick.”

On a message posted to Busted’s official Instagram page, the band wrote: “We are sorry to say that we will no longer be performing at Radio 1’s Anthems Live in Bradford on November 15.

“James’ health is our priority and having discussed as a band we agree it wouldn’t feel right to do this without him.

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“We love Radio 1 and thank them very much for their understanding.”

They added: “We look forward to being back performing as a full band when the time is right.”

SHOW GOES ON

Just days before the arena run of tours was due to begin, James announced that he had been forced to pull out due to a health issue.

None of the boys wanted to let fans down and so they decided to push ahead with a replacement on guitar.

At the time, bassist Matt told the Birmingham crowd: “You may have noticed our best friend is not here tonight.

“James Bourne is really f***ing sick and we love him and we miss him.

“This is the first show we’ve ever played without him and it’s really weird but we’re going to do the best we can.

“This happened really fast, y’know, health is wealth.”

He explained how they asked James whether or not they should continue and he told them: “You should totally do it”.

They then introduced a familiar face to the stage.

Matt said: “You might recognise this little guy from the Year 3000 video. This is James’s brother Chris Bourne.”

Chris then appeared from the wings and was greeted by cheers.

During another show, Matt choked back tears on-stage as fan concern grew.

JAMES’ SAD STATEMENT

In a message to fans, James admitted he “wasn’t in good enough health” to perform on tour, in a series of gigs where the band had scheduled to teamed up with McFly.

The current run of live shows will wrap at the Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham on November 8.

In his statement, James cited health problems and said he “hoped to come back further down the line”.

He wrote: “The VS tour kicks off tomorrow night in Birmingham and as excited as I’ve been all year for this tour to begin, I’m really sorry to say that over the last 8 days it has become clear that I am not in good enough health to play these shows,”

Although he didn’t disclose what the health issue is, James said: “There’s a lot of information I still don’t have about my condition but my bandmates, management and I are unanimous in deciding that I should focus on medical stuff for now.

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“I really hope I can be in a position to come back further down the line.

“It’s still going to be an amazing show and I will miss being there!”

Two iconic stars of the ITV soap Coronation Street have shared what their future with the soap is looking like after fans feared they would be leaving the show

Coronation Street legends William Roache and Barbara Knox have opened up about their future on the show, after accepting an award for their long service to television and amid fans’ fears that they are due to leave the show.

William, 93, and Barbara, 92, were awarded with the Outstanding Contribution to Television Award at the Variety Awards on Sunday (19 October).

Following the award, the pair both insisted they would not be leaving the show anytime soon, despite their combined 118 years on the show.

Coronation Street aired it’s first episode, starring William, in 1960. Four years later, Barbara appeared in an episode, and by 1972, she was back in a continuous role. When asked if they had plans to retire, both said they weren’t thinking about that as an option.

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In fact, it was the work that kept them feeling young. The nonagenarians were asked what they do to feel young and Barbara responded: “Well honestly, I think we’ve had the opportunity to work, that’s the greatest thing.

“I don’t want to and I know Bill doesn’t want to retire, because stimulus from your brain gets you up. So we’re fortunate to have been able to do that.”

They were also asked what their advice would be for actors starting their careers and William joked that “the first 65 years” were the hard part. “When young actors come to me, I say the first 65 years is the tough bit, the rest is easy.”

Before he acted, William was a captain in the British Army. He started acting on a stage in Nottingham and went on to appear in various films and TV shows before landing Ken Barlow in Corrie. As he was in the first episode, he is the longest-serving castmate on the show. In fact, he is the longest-serving actor to play a continuous role on a show ever and, as such, has a Guinness World Record.

Meanwhile, Barbara is best known for playing Rita Tanner on the show. She is the second longest-serving Corrie member, after William.

Ant and Dec also picked up an award for Outstanding Contribution to Television, while Vernon Kay was given a prize for the Outstanding Contribution to Radio. Jamie Wilson got the same for Musical Theatre, and Olly Murs was recognised for his contribution to music.

ITV, who air Corrie, were celebrated as well. They were given the award for Outstanding Contribution to British Broadcasting. The network celebrated 70 years in the business this year.

Over 70 years, ITV has become a core part of British television. They are one of the leading networks in the country, with iconic shows such as Corrie, Emmerdale, Love Island and Britain’s Got Talent under their belt.

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A SONG by Pulp was wrongly subtitled with lines from Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple in a BBC blunder.

Phrases such as “Morning, Miss Marple. How’s the leg?” accompanied Jarvis Cocker.

Hard-of-hearing viewers were baffled as the frontman belted out Spike Island at the Mercury Prize awards ceremony on Thursday night.

Subtitles as he prowled the stage included, “Oooh then… Then the secretary girl came up with Heather Babcock”.

He also appeared to sing, “Dr Haydock, I would be very distressed if I thought you believed”, as well as “On and on she went” and “Honestly, she did go on so!”

Jarvis, 62, later posted snaps online, and wrote: “It appears our performance was accompanied by…… the subtitles to an episode of Miss Marple!”

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The singer, quizzed by police when he wiggled his bum at Michael Jackson at the 1996 Brit Awards, wrote: “Whodunnit?”

He added: “I suspect the butler….”

Fans lapped it up, with some saying they could be real Pulp lyrics.

Another joked, in the style of 1995 classic Common People: “Miss Marple from St Mary Mead she had a thirst for sleuthing.”

Christie’s 1980 movie The Mirror Crack’d, with Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple, was shown earlier on BBC4.

Pulp were up for the award with new album More — but Sam Fender won for People Watching.

People will be bale to easily access picturesque views of Scotland easier from the Midlands as the popular Caledonian Sleeper Train has announced a brand new route

A popular sleeper train has announced a brand new route – offering the chance for more people to experience the journey to Scotland.

The Caledonian Sleeper has announced a band new route, making it the biggest timetable change in 30 years as it will now link Scotland with Birmingham.

According to the operators, Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William train services will travel to and from London via Birmingham, and have also assured the new stop won’t affect journey lengths or departure times either.

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The Scottish government took over the Caledonian Sleeper in 2023 after its previous operator Serco had its contract ended seven years early and it came at the time when the government was looking to increase the number of people using the service.

According to BBC, Caledonian Sleeper’s interim managing director Graham Kelly said research suggested there was demand for Birmingham to be added to the route and it was hoped the change would help contribute to tourism in the north of Scotland and the West Midlands.

He told BBC Scotland News: “We are continuing to run our service in its existing and current format. It is about adding in Birmingham as that additional opportunity. So in terms of the length of the trains and the resourcing on board, it will all continue to remain.”

The new service will depart from Birmingham International on 15 January 2026 and will run six days a week, with no services departing stations on a Saturday night. The Lowland service that goes to Glasgow and Edinburgh is unaffected by the change.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “This iconic service means people from across the West Midlands will soon be able to travel comfortably and sustainably to discover the stunning beauty of northern Scotland. But this also means our Scottish friends can come and explore the wonderful West Midlands. That’s a win-win for our tourism and hospitality businesses on both sides of the border.”

It comes after one of the most picturesque train lines in Britain is to get a new service for the first time in ten years. The West Coast Main Line will be blocked while Network Rail replaces the rail bridge over M6 near Penrith, which has led Avanti West Coast to divert its Class 805 Evero fleet onto the Settle to Carlisle line.

The stretch of railway, which is renowned for its beautiful scenery, will be used as a diversionary route when the West Coast Main Line is blocked between Preston and Carlisle for two weeks in the new year.

To keep customers moving on trains across the North West and into Scotland, Avanti West Coast is planning to run a shuttle service broadly every two hours between Preston and Carlisle non-stop via the Settle to Carlisle route.

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SEATTLE — It was one last batter. One last strikeout. One last ovation for a future Hall of Famer.

And it ended, fittingly, on a helplessly empty swing.

In the top of the sixth inning on Sunday afternoon, in the final regular-season outing of his illustrious 18-year career, Clayton Kershaw snapped off a trademark slider that ducked below the zone. Eugenio Suárez waved at it for a strikeout like so many countless others before him.

With that, Kershaw had his seventh strikeout of the day and the 3,052nd of his career. He had completed 5 ⅓ scoreless innings, lowering his career ERA to 2.53 — the best among any starting pitcher with 1,000 career innings in the live ball era (since 1920).

In the dugout, manager Dave Roberts motioned to fellow veteran Freddie Freeman, sending the first baseman out to the mound to remove Kershaw from his last career start.

When he got there, the two exchanged an embrace, Kershaw hugged the rest of his infield teammates, and then he acknowledged a cheering T-Mobile Park crowd as he walked back to the dugout.

He donned his cap, waved his arm and disappeared down the stairs — for perhaps the very last time.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw embraces his teammates as he gets lifted from Sunday’s game against the Seattle Mariners.

(John Froschauer / Associated Press)

If Kershaw is to take the mound again before retirement this winter, the Dodgers will have to advance through the first round of the playoffs.

Ahead of his scoreless 5 ⅓ inning start in the Dodgers’ 6-1 win against the Seattle Mariners in Sunday’s regular-season finale, Roberts said Kershaw would not be on the team’s roster for next week’s best-of-three wild card series against the Cincinnati Reds.

The decision isn’t shocking. Kershaw was not going to feature in the starting rotation for the series. And though he could have been an option in the bullpen, the Dodgers already have an abundance of left-handed relievers.

Thus, the Dodgers (who finished the season 93-69) will have to reach at least the National League Division Series for Kershaw to pitch in a major league game again. Roberts noted that, if the team does advance, Kershaw could be an option in any capacity.

“You just don’t know how things are gonna play out,” Roberts said. “I can see him starting a game. I can see him coming in for a short burst. I can see him in long relief. I can see him in a lot of ways. I don’t think anyone can predict how that’s gonna play out. We gotta get through the wild card series, and see who’s standing after that.”

If this is the end of the line for Kershaw, he is going out on his own terms.

After being limited by injuries for much of the past three seasons — including missing all of last year’s World Series run with toe and knee injuries that ultimately required offseason surgery — the 37-year-old decided to return to the Dodgers this season for one last crack at a championship chase.

He wound up turning in one of his most impactful performances.

Though Kershaw’s 11-2 record and 3.36 ERA are no career highs, his ability to consistently produce over 23 outings this season (including a ninth-inning appearance as a reliever last week) proved to be invaluable for the Dodgers. He was a steady veteran presence early in the year, when the team was battling a wave of rotation injuries. He was a losing-skid stopper on multiple occasions over the second half, when the team nearly squandered a division lead that once was nine games.

“I don’t think we’d have won the division,” Roberts said, when asked where the team would have been without Kershaw this season.

“He delivered 10 times over for us.”

Roberts acknowledged that Kershaw exceeded all of his expectations for the aging pitcher this season. He relished watching the all-time Dodgers icon write one last memorable chapter to his legendary, record-setting MLB career.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and catcher Ben Rortvedt, center left, walk to the dugout after working the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners.

(John Froschauer / Associated Press)

“He doesn’t want handouts, he doesn’t want freebies, he doesn’t want to be a token,” Roberts said. “He was a big part of what we accomplished this year.”

And, if the Dodgers can get through this week’s wild-card series, he still might be at some point in the playoffs as well.

Ohtani sets career, club HR mark

A year after breaking the Dodgers’ single-season home run record with a career-high 54 long balls last season, Shohei Ohtani reset the high mark once again Sunday.

After two-run home runs from Hyeseong Kim and Freeman early in the game, Ohtani extended the Dodgers’ lead with a solo blast to center field in the seventh. It was his 55th homer of the year, leaving him one shy of Kyle Schwarber for most in the NL.

For many, Omara Portuondo is best known for her participation in the Buena Vista Social Club; but the nonagenarian has lived many lives before and after the formation of the internationally recognized Cuban group. The new PBS documentary, “Omara: Cuba’s Legendary Diva,” looks to reexamine and capture the beauty and the chaos of these other many lives.

Directed by Hugo Perez, the feature — which premieres Sept. 26 on your local PBS channel — tells Portuondo’s personal history not only through the lens of her Afro-Cuban heritage but also through the prism of a woman confronting the realities of Cuba’s longstanding political strife.

“It immediately occurred to me that I was being given a once-in-a-lifetime chance to work with a great artist in the twilight of their career — imagine taking a time machine and going back in time to work with Ella Fitzgerald or Billie Holiday in their later years,” Perez said in a press release.

“When we began, Omara was in her late eighties, and still touring extensively around the world. Yet despite the fact that she was still selling out venues across the globe, she was confronting ageism from promoters and journalists who only wanted to write about her ‘final tour.’ I felt that there was an opportunity not just to create a portrait of an iconic artist but to document how she responded to age bias with verve and panache and not just a little sauciness. Never count a Cuban woman down and out.”

Born into a mixed-race family in Havana on Oct. 29, 1930, at a time when such relationships were considered taboo, Portuondo began gracing the stage at age 17 by joining the dance group of the famed Tropicana Club. As a member of Cuarteto d’Aida in the 1950s, she sang alongside Nat King Cole and toured the U.S. while also recording albums. From the late 1960s through the 1980s, Portuondo found continued success as a solo act and even ventured into the world of film and television.

Ever involved in the political events of the moment, she never shied away from performing songs dedicated to revolutionaries like Che Guevara. In 1974, the singer recorded an album dedicated to the U.S.-ousted Chilean socialist president Salvador Allende.

In the mid-1990s, Portuondo began traveling the world with the renowned Cuban musical ensemble, the Buena Vista Social Club. The band’s fame skyrocketed in 1999 after German filmmaker Wim Wenders made a documentary about the musicians titled “Buena Vista Social Club” that received numerous awards and was nominated for an Academy Award. At the heart of the film were moments when Portuondo’s talents jumped off the screen and worldwide audiences could see the power and history behind her artistry.

The story of the Buena Vista Social Club was turned into an eponymous musical in 2023, with Portuondo featured as one of the main characters. After the musical hit Broadway in 2025, Natalie Venetia Belcon — who portrayed Portuondo as part of the show’s original Broadway cast — won the Tony for featured actress in a musical at this year’s awards.

While, for many, Portuondo’s impact and star power emanates from all things Buena Vista Social Club, the new documentary spotlights how Portuondo has not slowed down her hustle at her advanced age as she continues touring worldwide. Included in the movie are interviews with musicians from across the globe, like Diego el Cigala, Roberto Fonseca and Arturo O’Farrill.

The film also captures some of Portuondo’s more recent performances, which reveal new depths of the singer’s soulfulness and power.

“I also wanted to make a film that would show her in performance today, spotlighting songs that would help carry us through the story of her life,” the movie’s director said. “When she sings about love, Omara plumbs the depths of heartbreak, and I could not imagine telling her story without seeing her singing these great songs.”

Even now, Clayton Kershaw.

After all these years, Clayton Kershaw.

When the Dodgers are reeling and roiling and losing their grip on a long hot summer, who is the one player who can stop the fall and calm the nerves and, oh yeah, kick some San Diego Padre butt?

Still, still, still, Clayton Kershaw.

He’s 37 with a battered 18-season body and a fastball the speed of a Zamboni and yet there he was Friday night, carrying an entire worried Dodger nation on his weary shoulders into the opener of a three-game series against the cocky rivals who had just stolen first place.

Final score: Dodgers 3, Padres 2

Final line: Six innings, two hits, one run.

Final verdict: He’s still All That.

“We had the right guy on the mound tonight, I think we all know that,” said manager Dave Roberts, smiling for what seemed like the first time in a week. “What he did for us tonight, not only just the compete, but the stuff … getting us through six innings was huge, setting us up for the rest of the series … Clayton set the tone … big, big outing by him.”

It was a blast from the past, only it’s been happening in the present, Kershaw behaving like the staff’s second-best starter, improving his record to 7-2 while lowering his ERA to 3.01 and, as crazy as this once sounded, making an early case for inclusion in the postseason rotation.

“It was a good night,” Kershaw said.

Understated as usual. For all this game meant, it was a great night.

Since July 4 the Dodgers had been worse than even the Colorado Rockies, with a 12-21 record while losing 10 games in the standings to the Padres in a span of 40 days, surrendering first place just two days ago, and set to play the Padres six times in the next two weeks.

They desperately needed somebody to stop the bleeding. And before the game, Roberts claimed that Kershaw was “the perfect guy” to do it.

Perfect prediction. Almost perfect performance.

There was Kershaw, spinning and steering and surfing the ball past the Padre bats with apparent ease, his only mistake a hanging curve that Ramón Laureano hit 400 feet.

There was Kershaw, deftly making plays from the mound, demonstrably pleading for every close strike call, proudly stalking from the mound into a dugout filled with hugs and high-fives.

And there was Kershaw, after his maligned bullpen danced through danger and barely survived, admitting that maybe this game meant a little more.

“When you play everyday, things can spiral pretty quick,” he said. “So maybe just coming home, having an off day to reset, and playing good games … it just takes one to get going. Hopefully this was it tonight for us.”

Before the game, Roberts acknowledged that the Dodgers just play harder, and with more urgency, when Kershaw is pitching.

“He had a way of elevating people’s focus and play,” Roberts said.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw turns to walk back to the dugout after the Dodgers completed a double play against the Padres in the sixth inning Friday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Sure enough, a team that had seemingly forgotten to do the little things did every little thing, from great defensive plays at the corners from Alex Freeland and Freddie Freeman to the eighth-inning sweeper from Blake Treinen that fooled Manny Machado into stranding two runners with a popout.

This is a team that devoutly follows Kershaw … when they’re not sitting back and admiring him.

“He’s built for these big moments,” said Teoscar Hernández, whose seventh inning homer eventually proved to be the difference. “He is a legend.”

Kershaw was at his best when the Dodgers’ best was needed, and in doing so he brought sanity back to the National League West and old-fashioned hardball back to a series that had become cheap and unseemly.

In these two teams’ seven previous meetings this season, the Padres Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit three times, Shohei Ohtani was hit twice, and Roberts and Padres manager Mike Shildt engaged in a brief shoving and shouting match.

The stage was set for more bad blood, but Kershaw, who entered with a career 23-11 record and 2.19 ERA against the Padres, quickly put an end to that. He retired the Padres on a three-up-three-down first inning and efficiently dominated them from there.

“It’s a game in August, obviously, it’s not that huge a deal,” Kershaw said. “But the way we were going, it felt like a big game for us and, thankful that we got a win.”

The only possible controversy emerged when Kershaw was removed from the game after just 76 pitches, surprising fans who didn’t have time to give him the proper standing ovation while leaving the game in the shaky hands of the bullpen.

Get used to it. The Dodgers are smartly going to protect the midseason Kershaw in hopes of maximizing the October Kershaw.

“I just think we’ve got to take care of him,” Roberts said. “For Clayton to give us six strong innings of one-run baseball, he did his job, there was no reason to push him more.”

Before the game, Roberts was asked if his struggling team held a players-only meeting. He said that, no, the transparent results of the next week would be the equivalent of any meeting.

“I don’t like to be embarrassed, I don’t think our players do, so this series I’m expecting high intensity and high performance,” Roberts said. “I think in itself, the schedule over the next week, will suffice in lieu of a meeting.”

In an opener that pulled the two teams into a first-place tie, the early results were clear.

High intensity? Check.

High performance? Check.

Clayton Kershaw? Still.

Drumnadrochit is a small village in the Scottish Highlands that is famous for being the home of the Loch Ness Monster, but it has so much more to offer than that.

Many tourists heading to Scotland aren’t chasing sunshine. They flock to these shores seeking breathtaking scenery and fascinating heritage – with some grub and tipples on the side.

There’s a tiny Highland village that manages to deliver on virtually every front for holidaymakers – yet most Scots likely couldn’t even tell you what it’s called. Drumnadrochit has earned fame as the supposed dwelling place of the Loch Ness Monster, but there’s more to it than that – it’s also home to one of the globe’s most celebrated and recognisable fortresses, provided you’re an Outlander fan.

The village itself houses barely 1,100 residents, though numbers balloon each year as monster seekers arrive hoping to spot the legendary beast, reports Scottish Daily Express.

Visit Scotland’s website hails Drumnadrochit as amongst the finest spots for discovering the Highlands. It states: “The village is surrounded by the glens, Glen Urquhart and Glenmoriston, as well as the Great Glen that reaches across from Inverness in the east to Fort William in the west.

“The area is rich in things to see and do with activities ranging from exploring Urquhart Castle, a classic romantic ruin jutting out into the loch, horse riding, cycling, cruising the length of Loch Ness and fishing trips.

“Loch Ness, the largest and most famous loch in the Great Glen, is a top UK holiday spot that draws crowds each year hoping to spot Nessie, the legendary Loch Ness monster.

“The Nessie replica might be as close as you get to the real deal, but you can also delve into the eerie history of monster hunting facts and folklore at the centre.

“Nessieland lets you watch a documentary about monster sightings over the years, and explore the Nessie caves to uncover the legends and mysteries. The attraction also boasts an adventure playground and offers cruises on Loch Ness.”

Urquhart Castle, with its stunning views and rich Highland heritage, has been the backdrop to some of Scotland’s most dramatic historical events.

It saw intense military action from the 1200s until 1692 when Edward I of England – known as the “Hammer of the Scots” – seized the castle in 1296. The fortress was later retaken by the Scots and once again fell into English hands.

Urquhart Castle has a 4.3 out of five rating on TripAdvisor with one visitor posting: “I came to Loch Ness for Urquhart Castle. The place transcends words, and inspires paintings. It’s so gothic and romantic, I loved the fact that it overlooks the deepest part of the loch and called out to Nessie from the beach next to the castle. The best views up close is definitely to be had on castle grounds.”

Another said: “The magnificent Urquhart Castle is on the shore of Loch Ness and a beautiful and short drive from Inverness. We left Inverness around 9am and had a very pleasant drive to Urquart Castle stopping once at a popular viewing point to see the Loch Ness.”

A third added: “The Urquart Castle was a great experience! We spend around an hour and a half there and we were lucky enough to get great sunny weather so we weren’t too cold and got great photos!

“We really appreciated that we didn’t need to go on an organized tour and we could just go through at our own pace and read all the information. The castle isn’t very big so you can really see everything they have there pretty quickly and see the amazing views. Our experience was probably made better our lucky weather but we would go back again for a peaceful walk.”

AN iconic 70s actress has been spotted looking completely unrecognisable, 47 years after playing a celebrated role that has stood the test of time.

The star, 74, was pictured in New York yesterday running errands while dressed in a pink polo shirt and white shorts, which could be considered an ode to her legendary character.

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She got her big break in Hollywood back in 1978 in a musical romantic comedy film which ended up becoming the highest grossing musical film at the time.

Four years later, she reprised her role for the stand-alone sequel and was the only character to return from the first film.

That’s right, it’s Grease icon Didi Conn! She played Frenchy Facciano as part of the Pink Ladies in the movie and it’s sequel.

The film’s soundtrack album ended 1978 as the second-best-selling album  of the year in the United States, only behind 1977 movie Saturday Night Fever.

It was nominated for several accolades including a nomination for Best Original Song at the Oscars and five nominations at the Golden Globe Awards.

Not only that, but in 2020, Grease was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

Didi previously spoke exclusively to The Sun about her experience of shooting the film and shared some behind the scenes insights.

In one memorable scene of the movie, there’s a dance contest where the cast go wild, dancing the Hand Jive and doing some rather dirty dancing.

While it looked like it would have been fun to film, Didi revealed it was anything but fun.

She expressed: “That actually took a whole week of shooting. And what was really tough about it was that it was the height of summer – my birthday was that week, and the cake they got for me totally melted.

“We were in a real high school in downtown Los Angeles, with no air conditioning, and we had to keep the windows closed because right next door was a pork plant, so you can imagine the smell!”

But it was Summer Nights, the opening number of Grease, that Didi remembered most fondly.

She explained: “I think that’s where we all bonded, and it was so much fun to sing that song and jump all around the table.

“We’d been rehearsing it for weeks beforehand, so the energy was so high when we performed it for real.”

Grease stars remembered

IT has been over 45 years since the release of hit musical film Grease, which began its decades-long tenure of dazzling fans in 1978.

Sadly, including Susan Buckner, five of the much-loved cast have passed away.

On August 8, 2022 it was announced that Olivia Newton-John had passed away aged 73, following a 30 year battle with breast cancer.

After falling ill with pneumonia, Jeff Conaway – Danny’s best pal Kenickie in the movie – sadly passed away in 2011.

The same year, Annette Charles, who played Cha Cha, lost her battle with cancer.

In 1993, Dennis C. Stewart, who played rebel Leo, was diagnosed with HIV and passed away from AIDS in 1994.

After Grease, Didi went on to star in comedy film Almost Summer, fantasy adventure film Thomas and the Magic Railroad and biographical film Frida, based on the life of Frida Kahlo.

In 2019, she flew across the pond to make her debut on British tv screens on the eleventh series of Dancing on Ice.

She was partnered with professional Łukasz Różycki and at the age of 67, was the oldest person to ever compete on the show.

However, she was eliminated in the fourth week after the judges decided to save Saara Aalto and Hamish Gaman after following the skate-off.

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These two picturesque villages in France could be straight out of a Disney animation. But, despite their distinct charm and proximity to a popular tourist spot, they remain relatively under the radar.

Two picture-perfect cities rumoured to be inspiration for Disney settings have been revealed – but they won’t stay under-the-radar for long. If you’re keen to avoid overcrowded tourist hotspots, a trip to one of these picturesque destinations should be the next stop on your travel itinerary.

French River cruise operator European Waterways has revealed two lesser-known destinations that supposedly inspired Disney animation. Located 20 minutes from the tourist hotspot Colmar, both Eguisheim and Riquewihr are worth exploring.

Located in the wine-making region of Alsace, both destinations are members of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – or The Most Beautiful Villages in France. Formed in 1982, Les Plus Beaux Villages de France is an independent body that promotes must-visit rural locations. As of 2024, it numbers 176 member villages. This comes after a warning to Brit tourists planning all-inclusive holidays to Spain.

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Maryanne Sparkes, French Rivercruise expert at European Waterways, explains their distinct charm. “Eguisheim’s secret lies in its unique layout — concentric circles of narrow lanes surround a central château, each lined with meticulously preserved half-timbered houses.

“This design, dating back to the 13th century, is rare in Europe and creates a magical village atmosphere, amplified by vibrant window boxes bursting with blooms in spring and summer,” she explains.

The village also institutes regulations to ensure the preservation of its distinct layout. According to Maryanne: “Local laws strictly protect the village’s architectural heritage, meaning no building facade can be changed without official permission.

“This careful preservation maintains Eguisheim’s medieval character, which helped it win the title of “France’s favourite village” in 2013.” Similar to Eguisheim, Riquewihr is “frozen in time” to preserve its atmosphere and architecture.

Maryanne explains: “A slightly different, but equally beautiful Riquewihr is a medieval fortress frozen in time by local experts. Only five kilometres from Eguisheim, Riquewihr charms visitors with its intact defensive walls, cobbled alleys, and medieval watchtowers.”

She says that Riquewihr’s houses — some dating as far back as the 16th century — are notable for their traditional painted wooden facades decorated with geometric patterns and floral motifs. Walking through its narrow streets feels like “entering a living museum” and is particularly magical during Christmas time when fairy lights adorn the walls.

Maryanne says that despite Riquewihr and Eguisheim’s proximity to the popular destination of Colmar, both towns remain “delightfully undervisited”.

“They provide the perfect alternative for travellers wanting fairytale charm without the crowds, plus easy access to world-class Alsace wines and local gastronomy,” she says.

Colmar has achieved notoriety on social media for its pastel-hued traditional homes and picture-perfect canals. With its relatively small population of 67,000, Colmar maintains a “country town” vibe, drawing visitors into its quaint atmosphere amplified by centuries of dedicated preservation.

Disney fans might even mistake Colmar for Belle’s hometown from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. The area’s distinctive architecture, including timber-clad homes, supposedly served as the direct inspiration for the movie’s fictional setting in Alsace.

Connie Francis, the angelic-voiced singer who was one of the biggest recording stars of the late 1950s and early 1960s, has died. She was 87.

Her friend and publicist, Ron Roberts, announced the singer’s death Thursday, according to the Associated Press.

A month prior to her death, Francis was hospitalized for “extreme pain” following a fracture in her pelvic area. The singer, who shared details about her health with fans on social media, used a wheelchair in her later years and said she lived with a “troublesome painful hip.”

Francis emerged when rock ’n’ roll first captivated America. Her earliest hits — a dreamy arrangement of the old standard “Who’s Sorry Now?,” the cheerfully silly “Stupid Cupid” and the galloping “Lipstick on Your Collar” — fit neatly into the emerging genre’s lighter side. Although she targeted teen listeners with such songs as the spring break anthem “Where the Boys Are,” Francis ultimately gravitated toward the middle of the road, singing softly lit, tasteful pop for adult audiences.

Francis’ commercial peak roughly spanned from Elvis Presley’s induction into the U.S. Army to the Beatles first setting foot on American soil. Over that five-year period, Francis was one of the biggest stars in music, earning three No. 1 hits: “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own” and “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You.” As her singles offered familiar adolescent fare, her albums were constructed for specific demographics. During the early ’60s, she cut records dedicated to “Italian Favorites,” “Rock ’n’ Roll Million Sellers,” “Country & Western,” “Fun Songs for Children,” “Jewish Favorites” and “Spanish and Latin American Favorites,” even recording versions of her hits in Italian, German, Spanish and Japanese.

This adaptability became a considerable asset once her pop hits dried up in the mid-’60s. Francis continued to be a popular concert attraction through the 1960s, her live success sustaining her as she eased into adult contemporary fare. A number of personal tragedies stalled her career in the 1970s, but by the ’90s, her life stabilized enough for her to return to the stage, playing venues in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and elsewhere until her retirement in the 2010s.

Connie Francis circa 1960.

(Archive Photos/Getty Images)

Connie Francis was born Concetta Maria Franconero on Dec. 12, 1938, in Newark, N.J. When she was 3, her father bought her an accordion and she spent her childhood learning Italian folk songs. By age 10, her parents enrolled her in local talent contests. When her father attempted to book her on the New York-based television show “Startime,” producer George Scheck only agreed because Francis played the accordion and he was “up to here in singers.” Francis remained a fixture on “Startime” through her early teens — Scheck served as her manager during these formative years — during which time she also appeared on Arthur Grodfrey’s “Talent Scouts.” Godfrey stumbled over her Italian name, suggesting she shorten it to something “easy and Irish,” thereby giving birth to her stage name.

Scheck managed to secure Francis a record contract with MGM in 1955. As she received work dubbing her singing voice for film actresses — she subbed for Tuesday Weld in 1956’s “Rock, Rock, Rock” and Freda Holloway in 1957’s “Jamboree” — MGM steadily attempted to move her from pop to rock. Nothing clicked until Francis recorded “Who’s Sorry Now?” as a favor to her father, giving the 1923 tune a romantic sway.

“Who’s Sorry Now?” caught the ear of Dick Clark, who regularly played the record on his “American Bandstand,” which had just expanded into the national market. Clark’s endorsement helped break “Who’s Sorry Now?” and sent it into the Billboard Top 10. MGM attempted to replicate its success by having Francis spruce up old chestnuts, but to no avail. The singer didn’t have another hit until she cut “Stupid Cupid,” a song co-written by Neil Sedaka and Howie Greenfield, a pair of young songwriters at the Brill Building who were navigating the distance separating Broadway-bound pop and rock ’n’ roll.

“Stupid Cupid” was the first of many hits she’d have with the songwriters, including the slinky ‘Fallin’” and the ballad “Frankie.” She later said, “Neil and Howie never failed to come up with a hit for me. It was a great marriage. We thought the same way.” Sedaka and Greenfield weren’t the only Brill Building songwriters to command Francis’ attention: She developed a romance with a pre-fame Bobby Darin, who was chased away by her father.

Over the next few years, Francis recorded both standards and new songs from Sedaka and Greenfield, along with material from other emerging songwriters, such as George Goehring and Edna Lewis, who wrote the lively “Lipstick on Your Collar.” Within less than two years, her popularity was such that MGM released five different Connie Francis LPs for Christmas 1959: a set of holiday tunes, a greatest-hits record, an LP dedicated to country, one dedicated to rock ’n’ roll and a set of Italian music, performed partially in the original language.

Connie Francis and Neil Sedaka in 2007.

(George Napolitano / FilmMagic / Getty Images)

With her popularity at an apex, Connie Francis made her cinematic debut in the 1960 teen comedy “Where the Boys Are,” which also featured a Sedaka and Greenfield song as its theme. Francis appeared in three quasi-sequels culminating in 1965’s “When the Boys Meet the Girls,” but she never felt entirely comfortable onscreen, preferring live performance. “Vacation” became her last Top 10 single in 1962 — the same year she published the book “For Every Young Heart: Connie Francis Talks to Teenagers.” Too young to be an oldies act, Francis spent the remainder of the 1960s chasing a few trends — in 1968, she released “Connie & Clyde — Hit Songs of the ’30s,” a rushed attempt to cash in on the popularity of Arthur Penn’s controversial hit film “Bonnie and Clyde” — while busying herself on a showbiz circuit that encompassed Vegas, television variety shows and singing for troops in Vietnam.

A comeback attempt in the early 1970s was swiftly derailed by tragedy. After appearing at Long Island’s Westbury Music Fair on Nov. 8, 1974, she was sexually assaulted in her Howard Johnson’s hotel room; the culprit was never caught. Francis sued the hotel chain; she’d later win a $2.5-million settlement that helped reshape security practices in the hospitality industry. As she was recovering from her assault, she underwent a nasal surgery that went astray, leading her to lose her voice for years; it took three subsequent surgeries before she regained her ability to sing. Francis spent much of the remainder of the ’70s battling severe depression, but once her voice returned, recordings happened on occasion, including a disco version of “Where the Boys Are” in 1978.

Connie Francis.

(ullstein bild via Getty Images)

Francis returned to the public eye in the early 1980s, first as a victims rights activist, then as a live performer. Her comeback was marred by further tragedy — the murder of her brother George, a lawyer who became a government witness after pleading guilty to bank fraud; the police indicated the killing was related to organized crime.

Francis continued to work in the wake of his death, playing shows and writing her 1984 autobiography, “Who’s Sorry Now?,” but she continued to be plagued with personal problems. She told the Village Voice’s Michael Musto, “In the ’80s I was involuntarily committed to mental institutions 17 times in nine years in five different states. I was misdiagnosed as bipolar, ADD, ADHD, and a few other letters the scientific community had never heard of.” After receiving a diagnosis for post-traumatic stress disorder, Francis returned to live performances in the 1990s; one of her shows was documented on “The Return Concert Live at Trump’s Castle,” a 1996 album that was her last major-label release. When asked by the Las Vegas Sun in 2004 if life was still a struggle, she responded, “Not for the past 12 years.”

Francis regularly played casinos and theaters in the 2000s as she developed a biopic of her life with Gloria Estefan, who planned to play the former teen idol. The film never materialized. In 2010, Francis became the national spokesperson for Mental Health America’s trauma campaign. By the end of the 2010s, she retired to Parkland, Fla., and published her second memoir, “Among My Souvenirs: The Real Story, Vol. 1,” in 2017.

Connie Francis married four times. Her first marriage, to Dick Kanellis in 1964, ended after three months; her second, to Izzy Marion, lasted from 1971 to 1972. She adopted a child with her third husband, Joseph Garzilli, to whom she was wed from 1973 to 1978. Her fourth marriage, to Bob Parkinson, ended in 1986 after one year.

When four top film studio musicians formed the Hollywood String Quartet in the late 1930s, its name was presumed an oxymoron. Exalted string quartet devotees belittled film soundtracks, while studio heads had a reputation for shunning classical music longhairs.

The musicians spent two intense years in rehearsal before disbanding when war broke out, and the quartet was brought back together in 1947 by two of its founders, Felix Slatkin (concertmaster of 20th ^{Century Fox Studio Orchestra) and his wife, Eleanor Aller (principal cellist of the Warner Bros. Studio Orchestra). Oxymoron or not, Hollywood produced the first notable American string quartet.}

Throughout the 1950s, the ensemble made a series of revelatory LPs for Capitol Records performing the late Beethoven string quartets and much else, while also joining Frank Sinatra in his torchy classic, “Close to You.” Everything that the Hollywood String Quartet touched was distinctive; every recording remains a classic.

The legacy of the Hollywood String Quartet is a celebration of Hollywood genre-busting and also of string quartet making. Today, the outstanding Lyris Quartet is one of many outstanding string quartets who can be heard in the latest blockbusters. Another is the New Hollywood String Quartet, which is devoting its annual four-day summer festival to honoring its inspiration as it celebrates its 25th ^anniversary.

The quartet’s festival began Thursday night and runs through Sunday in San Marino at the Huntington’s Rothenberg Hall. The repertory is taken from the earlier group’s old recordings. And the concerts are introduced by Slatkin and Aller’s oldest son, who as a young boy fell asleep to his parents and their colleagues rehearsing in his living room after dinner.

Conductor Leonard Slatkin speaks at the New Hollywood String Quartet concert at the Huntington.

(New Hollywood String Quartet)

The celebrated conductor Leonard Slatkin credits his vociferous musical appetite to his parents, who, he said Thursday, enjoyed the great scores written in this golden age of movie music and also championed new classical music as well as the masterpieces of the past. L.A. had no opera company in those days, and Slatkin said his parents likened film scores to modern opera scores.

Just about everyone has heard his parents in one film or another. Take “Jaws,” which is celebrating its 50th ^{anniversary. That’s Aller’s cello evoking John Williams’ shark-scary earworm.}

You’ve no doubt heard New Hollywood violinists Tereza Stanislav and Rafael Rishik, violist Robert Brophy and cellist Andrew Shulman on some movie. IMDb counts Brophy alone as participating on 522 soundtracks. You might also have heard one or more of the musicians in the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Opera Orchestra or Los Angeles Philharmonic.

The New Hollywood String Quartet, from left: Rafael Rishik, Andrew Shulman, Tereza Stanislav and Robert Brophy.

(Sam Muller)

The New Hollywood’s programming may not encompass the original quartet’s range, but it is nonetheless a mixed selection of pieces that have somewhat fallen by the wayside, such as Borodin’s Second String Quartet. The original quartet’s performances and swashbuckling recording of the Borodin surely caught the attention of L.A. director Edwin Lester. In 1953 Lester created and premiered the musical “Kismet,” which adapts parts of the Borodin quartet, for Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, before it went on to be a hit on Broadway.

Times have changed and the New Hollywood brings a more robust tone and more overt interaction to its effusive interpretation compared with the silken and playful Slatkin and crew, who were all Russian-trained players. Hugo Wolf’s short “Italian Serenade,” which opened the program, was here lush and Italianate, while on an early 1950s disc it dances more lightly.

The big work was César Franck’s Piano Quintet. Slatkin noted that the recording, released in 1955, didn’t sell well, probably thanks to the album cover’s saturnine painting of a composer that few would recognize. Slatkin also noted that his parents weren’t enamored of their performance, but then again, he explained that they were temperamentally ever ready to find fault.

That recording, which features his uncle, Victor Aller, a graceful pianist, is slow and commanding. Jean-Yves Thibaudet was the right guest in every way for the big-boned performance at the Huntington. He is a French pianist with a flair for German music, well suited for the Belgian French composer’s Wagner-inspired score.

Thibaudet is also a longtime L.A. resident and an especially versatile performer who happens to be featured on the new soundtrack recording of Dario Marianelli’s “Pride & Prejudice,” which tops Billboard’s classical and classical crossover charts. He and Slatkin also go back decades, having performed together and become such good friends that the conductor turned pages for him in the Franck.

Seeing the 80-year-old Slatkin onstage evoked a remarkable sense of history, reminiscent of the roots to L.A.’s musical openness that his parents represented. On my drive home Thursday, I couldn’t resist following the route Albert Einstein would have taken after practicing his violin when he lived a 12-minute bike ride away during his Caltech years — the time Slatkin’s parents were making music history at the studios. Like them, Einstein played with the L.A. Philharmonic (although invited once not because he was a good violinist but because he was Einstein).

The New Hollywood and Thibaudet made no effort to relive the past in Franck’s quintet. Instead, in their opulence and expressive explosiveness, they showed Hollywood how to produce a remake that’s magnificent.

In the meantime, Leonard Slatkin, who is a former music director of the L.A. Phil at the Hollywood Bowl, returns later this month to the venue where his parents met in 1935 at a Hollywood Bowl Symphony competition. He will conduct a July 24 program that includes a recent work by the next generation of Slatkins. His son, Daniel, is a film and television composer.

BBC and ITV sports presenting icon Steve Ryder gave his last broadcast on Sunday as he presented the British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park for ITV4

Sports presenter Steve Ryder has announced his retirement from broadcasting after an impressive 48-year career. The 75-year-old covered major sporting fixtures for both the BBC and ITV over the course of his time on the air.

On Sunday, the star was broadcasting from the British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park in Cheshire when he revealed he would be hanging up his microphone. He was covering the event for ITV4 when he announced the news of his departure from the screen.

A montage of clips was then shared showing drivers including Lando Norris, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Jenson Button and David Coulthard all bidding farewell to the broadcaster. Over the years, he has hosted Sportsnight and Sports Personality of the Year, as well as the BBC’s coverage of every Olympic Games between 1988 and 2004.

He departed the BBC in 2005 and joined ITV where he presented coverage of Formula One, as well as the football and rugby World Cups. His final appearance proved to be a muted exit, but he has previously explained why he decided the time had come to quit.

He told the Daily Mail: “The biggest emotion as you get into the last two minutes of something like that is, ‘For God’s sake, don’t c**k it up.’

“Because you’d be thinking about that for the next 20 years. I’ve probably outstayed my welcome. I’ve been hugely lucky with the places that the career has taken me. But it’s close to 50 years now, so the cracks are showing.”

Steve famously used to present Match of the Day and was left miffed when he was replaced by Gary Lineker as the main host – admitting he had cut the former footballer out of his life.

The beef began when Gary said in 2015 that he though the R&A as ‘pompous’ and accused them of feeling like ‘superior beings’. This, in turn, provoked a furious reaction from Steve.

He told the Golf Paper: “I hold Gary Lineker in the highest regard as a football presenter, but his reflections on his experiences as a golf presenter need a huge reality check. For four years, the R&A and most other observers knew that Gary was the wrong man in the wrong job. Hazel Irvine has just delivered once again at the Open presentation skills of the highest quality. Not many people can do that and Gary certainly came up short.

“Roger Mosey, the head of sport, knew Gary was a golf fanatic and was further encouraged by Gary apparently volunteering for the Masters vacancy within a few minutes of my exit from Television Centre.

“But if Mosey thought long and hard before offering Gary the golf job, it’s even more baffling. Match of the Day is scripted and rehearsed. Golf presentation, especially at Augusta, is seat of the pants, unpredictable and demanding.”

Away from sport, Steve also won praise for being open about a battle against prostate cancer after he was diagnosed with the disease in October 2023.

He underwent emergency surgery which stopped the cancer from spreading. He previously told BBC Breakfast: “They took one look and said, ‘We’re going to operate in two weeks’.

“No messing around. We did Brands Hatch for ITV on the Sunday and I had the operation on the Thursday. So it slotted into the schedule quite nicely!”

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Legendary racehorse trainer Peter Easterby has died at the age of 95.

Easterby, based in Malton, North Yorkshire, saddled equine greats Sea Pigeon, Night Nurse and Little Owl to big-race victories.

He was champion jumps trainer three times, won the Champion Hurdle on five occasions and the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice.

The figurehead of a renowned racing family, he was the first British trainer to have more than 1,000 winners on both the flat and over the jumps.

Easterby, whose brother Mick is also a successful trainer, retired in 1996 when he handed his training licence to son Tim.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of my father Peter Easterby,” said Tim.

“He passed away peacefully in his own home with his family by his side. A true gentleman, legendary racehorse trainer, passionate farmer, lover of country sports and an incredibly proud father and grandfather.”

While Sea Pigeon won both the Champion Hurdle and Chester Cup twice, Easterby said the biggest cheer he heard was was when the horse won the Ebor Handicap on the flat at York in 1979.

“The announcer got ‘Sea’ out and you couldn’t hear the other word ‘Pigeon” because there was such a roar, so that was very exciting,” he recalled.

Night Nurse was another two-time champion hurdler, who was narrowly denied a Cheltenham Gold Cup triumph in 1981, by stablemate Little Owl.

Easterby had also won the Gold Cup two years earlier with Alverton, who was then sent off favourite for the Grand National but died after a fall at Becher’s Brook.

He held a training licence for 46 years and won his first Champion Hurdle with Saucy Kit in 1967.

LEGENDARY football journeyman Jefferson Louis has retired at the age of 46 after playing over 900 times for 42 clubs.

The iconic striker had been slogging it out on the field since 1996 with Risborough Rangers.

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Louis’ travels saw him play for an incredible 42 sides, including Oxford United, Bristol Rovers and Wrexham.

He was most recently playing Thame United in the Southern League Division One Central.

But after 903 career appearances, and more than FIFTY transfers, Louis has finally retired.

However, fans will be pleased to hear that he hasn’t quit football for good.

That’s because he has immediately taken an assistant coaching role at Slough Town, who compete in England’s sixth tier in the National League South.

Louis made five appearances there as a player in 2023.

During that time, he also worked as a performance coach for teammates.

And manager Scott Davies believes Louis has the right skills to become a hit in the dugout.

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He declared: “Football these days for me is more about mentality than ability. 

“Every player at the level has ability which has allowed them to get to this point, but it’s so important that we, as a management team can tap into their psychological side too.

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“Throughout the season, individuals will need one-to-one chats when things aren’t going as well as they may have hoped.

“And I strongly believe that with myself, Yella and now Jefferson joining the group, we’ve got all bases covered with the wealth of experience we have that we can now give back to the players.”

Slough fans reacted with delight at the news.

One said “Class this, great gaffer to learn off.”

Another declared: “Superb appointment, welcome back.”

One noted: “Absolutely love this, welcome Louis.”

Another added: “So much experience and knowledge at this level.”

Brighton Beach has been a firm favourite with Brits looking for classic sea, sun and sand, thanks to its bustling pier, long promenade and easy access to restaurants, bars and shops

The UK is brimming with stunning beaches that could give the Caribbean a run for its money, but one seaside gem stands out not only for its natural beauty but also for its wealth of attractions and cultural offerings, making it an ideal spot for Brits planning a staycation.

Brighton Beach has long been a favourite among Brits seeking the classic combination of sea, sun and sand, thanks to its lively pier, extensive promenade, ample beach space and the convenience of having restaurants, bars and shops just a stone’s throw away.

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The city itself boasts a plethora of must-visit spots including the magnificent Royal Pavilion, the Lanes where you’ll discover unique boutiques and bars, and family-friendly locations like SEA Life Brighton.

The beach is popular with both locals and tourists, lined with cafes, fish and chip shops and ice cream parlours. Plus, you can hire loungers to bask in the sunshine or take a dip in the swim-friendly waters.

It’s so picturesque that it’s been bestowed with a ‘Golden Beach Award’ by the folks at BeachAtlas, although it’s worth mentioning that the main beach is pebbled, not sandy.

The team’s rankings are based not just on a beach’s beauty but a number of factors including the local community, lifestyle offerings and cultural significance.

The team shared: “Brighton Beach, a picturesque five-kilometre stretch along England’s southern coast, offers breathtaking views of the English Channel and is a cultural symbol of the UK.

Nestled on Brighton’s lively seafront, this beach is a famed retreat for Londoners in search of a seaside break. Furthermore, Brighton is renowned for its inclusive and diverse community, notably housing one of the largest LGBT communities in the UK.

Frequently dubbed as the “gay capital” of the country, Brighton’s rich LGBT history dates back to the early 19th century, contributing to the city’s reputation as a welcoming and progressive seaside resort.”

On Tripadvisor, some visitors have cautioned that due to the beach’s popularity, it can become quite packed on sunny days, and seaweed can be a problem in the waters during spring.

However, generally, holidaymakers have been left awestruck by the iconic coastal spot. One satisfied holidaymaker wrote: “Lovely walk along the beach. There are pebbles and stones, no sand. Nice and clean. Some shops along the actual seafront too which is nice. One of my favourite UK beaches.”

Another person commented: “It’s a lovely walk along the beach and the board walk. However, the fantastic Victorian benches, shelters and the mid level walk all look very run down and decrepit – which is a shame.

“It’s fun to walk to black rock and the marina and then walk back on the top road and admire the magnificent houses. You can do all of this with a dog but please note the pier does not allow dogs..”

WETHERSPOONS is bringing back a legendary item at all 809 locations next month – but you will have to be quick.

The bargain boozer has revealed that The Brunch Burger is going to be back on menus.

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The American-style burger is making a return on Father’s Day weekend, which takes place from Friday June 13 to Sunday June 15.

The burger returned two years ago after a ten-year hiatus and it was a fan favourite at the time with punters calling it “legendary”.

This is the third year in a row that Spoons is bringing the much loved meal back.

It’s made up of a three ounce beef patty, American-style cheese, maple-cured bacon,  free-range fried egg and is topped with a hash brown.

The meal is £9.99, including a soft drink and chips or £11.52 if you want to add an alcoholic beverage.

Last year, the meal cost £7.73 with a soft drink and £9.26, if you added booze.

It is likely that prices will vary from pub to pub, so check in with your local to see how much you will be charged.

It is also worth noting that airport, train station, service station and NEC Birmingham pubs are excluded from the Father’s Day offer.

To find your nearest Wetherspoons head over to the website and use its handy locator tool.

It comes as the chain has shaken up its menu in recent weeks, with a number of popular menu items axed.

Two weeks ago, the budget pub chain stopped serving steaks, mixed grills and gammon.

The dishes have long been Wetherspoon staples, but have reportedly become too expensive to keep serving.

In an email sent to staff, Wetherspoons chief John Huston confirmed that the meats were being ditched “after much debate”, as part of a planned menu change.

But it’s not all bad news as the chain has welcomed a number of new menu items including three new beef burgers.

You can check out the new menu change here.

What else is happening at Wetherspoons?

Late last week, Spoons closed a beloved pub in Coventry.

The Spon Gate in Coventry was a favourite among locals and closed for good on May 25.

Two other Spoons still serve the city with The Flying Standard and The Early of Mercia remaining in operation.

The Spon Gate was a favourite among locals though and was called the “best” city centre pub.

Elsehwere, Spoons also launched a £2.99 breakfast deal in February, with customers able to get a breakfast muffin or small breakfast with soft or hot drink.

There are also veggie options available, which is served between 8am and midday.

LEGENDARY British actor Tim Curry was seen on a rare outing in Los Angeles today, 13 years after suffering a major stroke.

The 79-year-old was spotted leaving Gelson’s supermarket wearing a red sweater, matching trainers, and black trousers.

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Also sporting dark sunglasses and clutching a paper bag, Tim was pushed in a wheelchair by his carer.

Tim’s 2012 stroke left him partially paralysed on one side of his body and affected his speech.

The health crisis forced him to step away from acting and public life for several years.

A celebrated actor, Tim is known for his charismatic performances in film, television, and theatre.

He became a cult icon playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

His other notable roles include Wadsworth the butler in the cult classic Clue and Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the 1990 adaptation of Stephen King’s It.

The stroke had a severe impact on Tim’s mobility, leaving him reliant on a wheelchair and carers for support with everyday tasks.

Since 2012, Tim has undergone extensive physical therapy and rehabilitation to regain as much movement and speech as possible.

He has kept a low profile in recent years, rarely seen in public and not active in major acting projects.

However, Tim has made some notable appearances and engaged with fans through interviews and virtual events.

In 2015, almost three years after his stroke, he made a rare public appearance at the Actors Fund Tony Awards Viewing Party in Los Angeles.

There, he received a lifetime achievement award and spoke openly about his recovery, highlighting how maintaining his sense of humor was vital to coping with his health challenges.

More recently, since 2023, Tim has participated in virtual video chats with fans through conventions like GalaxyCon.

He has also shared occasional video messages on social media, providing insight into his life post-stroke and answering fan questions about his recovery and career.

In addition to these appearances, Tim marked a notable return to acting in 2024 with a role in the horror film Stream – his first feature film role in 14 years.

The film was released in select theaters in August 2024.

He has also remained active in voice acting, lending his talents to animated series and projects, further demonstrating his enduring passion for performance.

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