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Coronation Street star Amy Robbins has revealed that, for decades, she felt pressure to be “something that she’s not” in order to achieve success as a woman in the industry

Amy Robbins has revealed that she felt pressure to be “something that she’s not” in order to achieve success as a woman in the industry.

The actress, 55 The actress, 55, began her TV career in the late 1990s with small roles in Casualty and Where The Heart is before going on to an eight-year stint as Dr Jill Weatherill in The Royal. She then went on to enjoy two star turns as Mrs Johnstone the West End hit Blood Brothers before going on to land recurring roles in EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks.

However, the actress admits it wasn’t until she was cast as Christina Boyd in Coronation Street in 2023 that she really felt the pressure was off.

In an exclusive chat with The Mirror, she said: “I feel like I couldn’t [be myself]. As woman—I’m sure not everybody would say the same thing, but for me, you’re always trying to be something slightly that you’re not in order for people to approve of you and give you a job.

“So you always think you need to be slimmer, or you need to be posher, or you need to be younger, or you need to be lighter, or you need to be anything just not quite what you are.

“So to get to Corrie, I feel like Corrie sort of embraces womanhood and all of its flaws and celebrates it. And I find that a really incredible feeling. First time in my life, I’m playing a character where I believe that Christina cares about what she looks like, but I don’t watch myself and go, ‘Oh, look at me.’ It’s like, yeah, she’s colourful, and she’s a bit nutty, and great! Brilliant.”

As Christina, Amy, who is from a showbiz dynasty as the sister of Spitting Image star Kate Robbins and the aunt of Emily Atack, is currently at the heart of a tough storyline where she has just discovered that the daughter she gave away as a baby has been murdered.

But in finding some light in her role, Amy is thrilled that her character has struck up a relationship with undertaker George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley) and really hopes that the couple go the distance as a couple.

Asked if she would like to see George and Christina become the next Jack and Vera Duckworth, she said: “Oh, absolutely! I really hope so! I would love that. Tony [Maudsley] and I talk all the time about our fantasy wedding for them.

“Where would it be? Would it be in the Rovers? All the funny situations you could have—they could end up getting married in a crematorium or something weird!

“I think they’re in it for the long haul, those two, yeah. And it’s helped by the fact that Tony and I have known each other for so many years; it feels very comfortable.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X.

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EXCLUSIVE: Coronation Street stars Lucy Fallon and Tina O’Brien appear to have ruled out a big Christmas theory linked to their characters Bethany and Sarah Platt.

Two Coronation Street stars appear to have ruled themselves out of being in this year’s Christmas Day episode.

With that, it could rule out a major twist fans had predicted just weeks ago. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror recently, cast members Lucy Fallon and Tina O’Brien shared very little about the festive period on Corrie.

But while their answers were brief, they could have been rather telling. Fans have been predicting that Christmas Day will see the moment Lucy’s pregnant character Bethany Platt finds her big secret rumbled.

She’d hiding the fact that she slept with her mum’s partner Kit Green, and is now pregnant. Fans thought Kit’s on/off partner and Bethany’s mother Sarah Platt, played by Tina, would find out the betrayal on Christmas Day.

But the actresses have now told the Mirror that they actually will not appear in this year’s Christmas episodes. While they did laugh as they spoke so it could be a big bluff, they appeared to be in the dark about what’s on the cards this year.

Admitting they didn’t know anything, they claimed they won’t be in the episodes, which seems to rule out Christmas Day being the moment Sarah finds out Bethany’s baby secret and that Kit has slept with her daughter. Asked if they could tease Christmas on Corrie, Lucy told us: “I don’t know actually.”

Tina added: “I don’t know, we’re a bit out of the loop at the moment.” Lucy then said: “We’re clearly not involved, it’s not us. I don’t think we’re in it.”

Tina replied: “Yeah, we’re not in it.” The pair then laughed, so could they be teasing, or are Bethany and Sarah really not part of the episodes?

It comes after a recent episode of the podcast On The Sofa, hosted by Corrie stars Jack P Shepherd and Ben Price, saw the pair tell co-host Colson Smith about Christmas on the show. Fans listening claimed that in the episode, the pair teased it would be a classic Christmas.

They added details included the Bistro being shut on the day, while Christmas would be spent there for some characters. They didn’t give away who, but implied it was of significance.

With a ticking time bomb waiting to explode, with Bethany’s baby secret, fans had wondered if this is the moment the truth comes out. One fan suggested they had seen a behind-the-scenes recently from filming that suggested Ryan Connor was involved.

Fans know that Ryan’s love interest Bethany is pregnant with Kit’s baby. Posting online, one fan theorised: “Last Monday, Jack (David) & Ben (Nick) revealed to Colson (aka Craig) on their podcast that they filmed Christmas Day and it’s the classic ‘Christmas in the Bistro, Nick closes it and then it’s who’s there’

“So I bet that’s when Sarah & Ryan find out about Bethany & Kit’s one night stand & Kit being the dad of Bethany’s baby.” A fan then replied: “Yep sounds on the money that theory.” A third fan commented: “I feel based on recent interview and drama potential of the ticking time bomb of Bethany pregnancy that Bethany will continue the pregnancy.

“I can see the big paternity reveal happening at either Christmas or after baby is born at a Christening at big public revelation like at Lily christening it was discovered David was behind Nick car ‘accident’.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok, Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.

Coronation Street fans believe Carla Connor will sell her factory Underworld to a returning character on the ITV soap, amid Idris Nazir’s plan to get his hands on it

Fans of Coronation Street think they know who the new Underworld factory owner will be.

Amid hints Carla Connor-Swain will sell up, Idris Nazir is doing his best to get his hands on the business. He’s been sabotaging Carla, trying to get her to sell up.

From damaging the factory to meddling, he’s up to his nasty tricks again and Carla has no idea. Some viewers are predicting Carla will end up selling, or maybe someone will give her money so she can remain in control.

Viewers are starting to suspect it could be a former character who heads back to the show and gives Carla the money. Some think Carla’s ex Peter Barlow is heading back to Weatherfield, while other predictions include Carla’s sister Kate Connor and close friend Michelle Connor.

One fan posted online: “I hope Peter comes back to save the factory.” Another said: “Peter? He’s meant to be coming back?” as a third added: “PETER 1000%”

A separate theory read: “Omg please bring Kate back to help her half sister if that doesn’t happen then I will cry.” Another fan agreed: “I think it’s Kate Connor but I do hope it would be Lisa but don’t think so.”

This was backed by a comment that said: “Kate is coming back,” while a fan added: “Probably Kate.” As for Michelle, a fan said: “Michelle Connor COMING BACK????”

Owen Armstrong’s confirmed return also left fans wondering if Owen might step in to help. A fan said: “Owen is meant to be coming back, it could be him.”

Another agreed: “Izzy’s dad,” as one said: “Or is it Izzy’s dad because he is coming back?” Other fans thought it might be someone currently on the show, including Roy Cropper, or Betsy or Lisa.

A fan said: “I think Roy could help Carla sort it out,” as another said: “Roy and Betsy.” A further post read: “I would love for it to be Betsy or Lisa that way the factory would legit be a family kind of company.”

Meanwhile one fan suggested Brody would feel guilty for helping Idris. They said: “I have a feeling Brody is gonna feel extremely guilty and help Sally with the money to open it up again.”

But other fans are hoping it will be no one who saves the day, and that Carla will be able to keep her business. A fan wrote: “Underworld is Carla, Carla is Underworld….. she can’t loose the factory in her 20th year. Someone/something will come up for her. There’s so many memories held there, especially a little blonde who was in the area.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok, Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.

Wall Street’s major market averages rebounded higher for the most part on Wednesday as strong results and upbeat guidance from CoreWeave lifted sentiment across the technology sector.

The blue-chip Dow (DJI) was last -0.2%, the benchmark S&P 500 (

As we sit in Gerald Cyrus’ upstairs office, we snack greedily from a box of sugar-free oatmeal raisin cookies, our favorite treat when printing at the house that holds the bulk of his sprawling archive and taut darkroom in North Philadelphia. For the last two years I’ve been visiting this house, poring over box after massive box of shimmering silver gelatin prints, learning printing techniques, and editing Gerald’s debut monograph, “Uptown Odyssey,” published in October by TBW Books.

I first met Gerald at the end of 2024, after coming across a Cafe Royal booklet of some of his photographs at the Photographers’ Gallery in London. I posted about the pleasure I took in the work — the inky, jazzy perfection of these bombastic photographs — and Gerald and I struck up a conversation. He told me that he was based in Philadelphia and I was surprised because at the time I was living there too. He invited me around for a studio visit and from there an unexpected friendship blossomed.

In the photography world today — especially as it pertains to the photo book — there is a stunning lack of representation for Black photographers. Honestly, if you browse the shelves of any art book store today you would think that Black people only existed as subject matter, never as storytellers. This kind of excision, this near total erasure of the Black voice, can turn one toward madness, certainly toward bitterness. Gerald, miraculously, is a total delight. He’s funny, charming, excitable and curious and his love of this medium remains largely unblemished.

Gioncarlo Valentine, “Sifting through the archive,” Philadelphia, 2024.

Whether it be his joyful photographs of families in Ghana and Brazil, his pictures of sleepy passengers on his cross-country trips on the Greyhound bus, his images of his extended family down in New Orleans, or his remarkably tender portraits of his hometown of L.A. in the 1980s, Gerald’s archive is a lush, captivating look at life wherever he finds it, rendered with curiosity, patience and care.

After our printing and our munching, I was excited to sit down for a conversation with him about Los Angeles, mentorship, cultural preservation and to think on what it means to champion the work of one’s elders and help steward it to a new, eager generation.

Gioncarlo Valentine: What was your photographic community like coming up in L.A.?

Gerald Cyrus: I was very fortunate in that I was able to discover a group of photographers based out of Leimert Park at a gallery called the Black Gallery. It was started by Roland Charles, Calvin Hicks, Donald Bernard and Gil Garner, and also the photographer Willie Middlebrook was an important person who I met there. They gave me the opportunity to exhibit for the very first time and gave me a chance to meet working photographers. I got to learn various techniques and I got to assist Roland Charles on a few of his commercial shoots and learn a little bit about lighting, so it was an extremely important place for me to develop my instincts about photography and to decide what I wanted to do, and to have other African American photographers show me that it could be done.

GV: Your photographs in L.A. feel much more spacious than the ones you would go on to make in New York. How did you start to develop your photographic sensibilities there?

GC: This is where I developed my initial instincts and ideas about the medium. L.A. is a place that’s very spread out. It’s very much dominated by the car. I found myself drawn to a type of photography where proximity was important, and so it’s difficult to create those kinds of images in L.A., particularly on the street. In terms of photographing jazz, there were jazz clubs in L.A. that I would go to, so I was definitely able to explore that part of my interest. But as far as photographing on the street, [those images] are marked by a certain distance from people or solitary figures in a vast landscape, that sort of thing. Moving to New York gave me the opportunity to figure out how to photograph within close proximity to people.

Gerald Cyrus, “Horace Tapscott and Bassist,” Los Angeles, 1992.

GV: Was the impulse to create the work you made in New York during the 1990s a conscious act of cultural preservation? I’m wondering if you were drawn to these spaces because this was your area of interest, or if you had a sense that change was coming?

GC: I had no idea the culture was going to change so fast or almost disappear. It was more about exploring something that interested me, and trying to do it in a way that could exploit my artistic sensibilities. Looking at these things, whether it be jazz, Black culture, street culture or just the history of Harlem, I wanted to explore them and to see if I could do it in my own way.

GV: OK, so you didn’t start off making work with the intention of thinking through cultural preservation, but that is a huge aspect to your work.

GC: I think that’s a byproduct of photography, that things that you photograph at some point are no longer going to be there. Looking at those images now, I can see things in L.A. that aren’t the same. Things in Harlem that are not the same. I don’t think any of those bars and lounges in Harlem that I photographed in are still around. Things you see in advertisements, the way people dress, fashion, all those things are changing. And so, even if it’s not your intent to document a changing culture, it ends up being that way. If you’re out there in the streets photographing life as it happens, that’s going to be part of it.

Gerald Cyrus, “We Can Get Along,” Los Angeles, 1992.

GV: Mentorship is something that I’ve written about before. It’s a hot topic for many of us, and it’s so loaded and tricky. When I first started, I was desperate for mentorship — you know, somebody who got there before you did that could guide and advise. They see that you have the talent and hunger and they’re receptive to your ask for support.

I think I told you the story of a photojournalist that I met when I first got to New York, and he was very kind. He invited me into his home and gave me such great advice. After we met, I sent him an email, and I was like, “Hey, would you consider being my mentor?” I wrote a thorough list of what I believed mentorship entailed. I didn’t want somebody to be like, “Yeah, I’ll mentor you,” and it’s just them telling me how to do things in their way. I was interested in mentorship as stewardship. Mentorship as critique, yes, but also as education and support. I wrote this really lovely email, and he received it and never responded. But when I started shooting cover stories for the New York Times, he would send me random emails congratulating me. It was odd and painful, and years later it became evident that he felt some guilt around that.

While hunting for mentorship, I became friends with folks like Ming Smith, Renee Cox and Eric Johnson. But those relationships weren’t mentorship. They were friendships or some kind of imbalanced peership. It was mostly me, eagerly listening to the stories of people who’ve had really fascinating careers and lives. I never did find the thing that I was seeking.

Do you feel you have adequate mentorship?

GC: As I mentioned before, very early on I was able to connect with Black Gallery, and I definitely consider those individuals to be mentors. They helped me to exhibit my work and get a little experience as an assistant. There would be monthly gatherings, in the late ’80s, and they would have slideshows, and you’d get to meet so many other photographers. That was absolutely a space where I felt that I was getting some mentorship. As well as with one of my early teachers, Sheila Pinkel, who’s a fabulous artist. I took a course from her at UCLA, and she was the first person to tell me where to buy a Roy DeCarava book. I mentioned to her that I was interested in his work. I had seen a documentary film about him, and she told me to go to Hennessey + Ingalls in Santa Monica to buy his book. And even when the course ended, I continued to go by to show her my work. So she absolutely was a mentor.

Then, when I moved to New York, I found it to be much more difficult.

GV: Why do you think that mentorship was such a struggle in New York?

GC: I think New York is just a much more competitive place and people are very wary of having ideas stolen from them. Also, I think people are more pressed for time. Maybe they just don’t have the time to give. I would get the names of photographers and call them up and I would rarely get a returned phone call. Later on, I would meet these photographers and become friends with them — you know, when I was more on their level. But when I was starting out and trying to get some advice or someone to show me the ropes, I couldn’t find that in New York.

GV: As you’ve aged, how has your relationship to mentorship changed and maybe your understanding of what mentorship is?

GC: Well, now people ask me to be a mentor. Sometimes it’s surprising because I feel like I’m still kind of struggling to find my way. So the fact that other people are asking me for advice …

GV: But don’t you think that that’s a lot of what the problem was when you were looking for mentorship? That the elders thought the exact same way?

GC: Possibly, but I mean, I always respond to people.

GV: [Laughs.] OK, so that’s an issue of bedside manner.

GC: I might not have much, but I’m willing to talk to you. If you have any questions, I’m willing to answer. I do try to be helpful, as much as I can.

Gioncarlo Valentine, “Gerald laughing in his studio,” Philadelphia, 2025.

Gerald Cyrus, “Gioncarlo,” Los Angeles, June 6, 2026.

GV: Why would you feel like you wouldn’t be the person for those folks seeking your guidance?

GC: Because, I mean, I’m not widely published or widely exhibited. I’m surprised sometimes when people actually know my work. [Laughs.] Like, where did you see it?

GV: What does that feel like to you? That rationale that you just presented? I find it very heartbreaking, albeit familiar. That’s one of the strongest tools of white supremacy. It will disenfranchise you to the extremes, no matter how brilliant you are, and you’ll be so dispossessed that you actually lose sight of your own significance, your own talent and impact. Meanwhile, when we, your audience, see your work we are completely knocked over by it.

GC: Well, that takes me back to the ’80s when I learned about DeCarava and I bought his “Friends of Photography” monograph. I learned that he had this other widely acclaimed book from the ’50s called “The Sweet Flypaper of Life” [co-authored with Langston Hughes]. And I thought, “Oh man, this guy is fantastic!” And I would mention him to white photographers, and they had no idea who he was. So it kind of goes back to that, you can be a person who achieves this level of accomplishment and still be unknown, which was shocking to me.

GV: This brings me back to a question I’m always thinking through, but that feels top of mind for me these days: What does it mean to be successful? How do you define success as an artist beyond visibility, beyond being known? It can’t just be about being known because each one of our areas of art is niche. Broadway is niche. Theater is niche. Writing, photography, painting, ultimately these things are all niche spaces. We think this photographer or that photographer is big s—, but they are rarely household names if your household is not filled with like-minded artists. I think about this all the time with Ta-Nehisi Coates because, to me, he’s such a hero. But ask a random person on the streets about Ta-Nehisi Coates, baby, they don’t know who the f— that man is.

[Laughs.]

GC: You have to define it for yourself in terms of setting goals for yourself, and then try to achieve those goals. In terms of having a close group of colleagues who you respect that you can show your work to and get strong feedback. But in order to make it as an artist, you have to have some strong self-determination to keep going, which can be difficult.

GV: How have you kept going?

GC: I’m hardheaded, so I was gonna do it one way or the other, even it was just me looking at my own work. But, again, having colleagues that I could go to, and they say, “Yeah, your work is strong. Keep going!” It’s important to have those people that can really push you.

GV: There are many similarities in our work, both in the kinds of subjects that we’re drawn to, and our preference for black-and-white images. What do you think accounts for that, a.k.a. are you my dad?

Gerald Cyrus, “Mom,” Los Angeles, 1991.

Gioncarlo Valentine, “A picture of Gerald as a little boy,” Los Angeles, 2026.

Gioncarlo Valentine, “Gerald’s mother,” Los Angeles, 2026.

GC: You know, I think there’s like a lineage, right? When you’re looking at the work of African American photographers throughout history, I think most of it passes through black-and-white imagery. So most of that medium, most of that legacy is going to be in black and white, and in terms of the subject matter, I don’t know. Maybe there’s something in our work that shows a reverence for the culture that maybe you don’t see in everyday media. A certain deepness and insight into the culture. I also think we’re both very attuned to gestures and how it reflects cultural attitudes.

GV: Do you ever think about your photographic family tree? Who’s up in there? Who’s your photo papa?

GC: [Laughs.] It’s probably DeCarava. Definitely. I really didn’t know anything about serious photography, or consider that I would be someone interested in serious photography, until I saw a documentary film on him, and that sent me down this road. And other people like Josef Koudelka and Danny Lyon. Lee Friedlander in the sense of how the camera sees things, not so much in terms of his humanistic sensibility. Andre Kertész was an early influence. Henri Cartier-Bresson and Beuford Smith. Street photographers like Helen Levitt, a lot of Magnum and Kamoinge photographers.

GV: When somebody picks up your book, “Uptown Odyssey,” what do you want them to walk away with?

GC: I want them to have a little journey through a time period and a place, and get a sense, a feeling, and maybe get a heightened awareness of what those streets were like, what that subway was like, what these nightclubs and bars were like, and come away feeling like they were nourished in some way by looking at the photographs.

Gioncarlo Valentine, “Gerald and me next to the Meteor Man suit,” Los Angeles, 2026.

Gioncarlo Valentine is an award–winning photographer and writer from Baltimore, whose work focuses on Black life and legacy.

It’s only a kilometre long, but you can spend hours here.

Living in London, it can be easy to feel like just another face in the crowd. The city’s relentless energy has a habit of sweeping people along on an unstoppable wave of commitments and social engagements.

Yet there are a handful of corners quietly resisting the city’s never-ending march of development — and I’m fortunate enough to live just a short walk from one of them.

Stoke Newington Church Street stretches just a kilometre, but it is absolutely bursting with independent businesses. In fact, independent retailers account for a remarkable 90% of the shops lining this road, so while walking it from one end to the other takes no more than 10 minutes, you’ll almost certainly find yourself strolling at a far more leisurely pace.

Abney Park Cemetery

The street is framed at both ends by two of London’s most breathtaking green spaces. You can begin your walk, as I frequently do, at Abney Park Cemetery, which sprawls across the eastern end of the street near Stoke Newington High Street.

This is one of London’s celebrated ‘Magnificent Seven’ garden cemeteries — and it truly lives up to that billing. First opened in 1840, it covers an impressive 31 acres.

Today, well-trodden paths weave through the gloriously untamed grounds, where headstones tilt at unlikely angles and towering trees cast dappled light across ivy-clad mausoleums. It holds the distinction of being the UK’s first entirely non-denominational garden cemetery, with a grand chapel at its heart, welcoming mourners of every faith.

It’s a brilliant starting point for a stroll, and when I wandered through the striking white gates yesterday afternoon, the paths were already bustling with young mothers pushing prams and dog walkers giving their pets a breath of fresh air.

Take whichever route takes your fancy, but when you’re ready to head towards the high street, turn left and make your way out.

You’ll notice a distinct absence of traffic — that’s down to a low traffic initiative introduced by the council, which restricts most cars from the road, making it a pleasure to walk along. There’s also no underground station nearby, which is precisely what gives Stoke Newington Church Street its wonderfully quiet, village-like feel compared to the neighbouring areas of Dalston and Finsbury Park.

Homeware shops and pubs

On the right-hand side of the street you’ll find PREP Cookshop — quite possibly my favourite shop on the strip.

This wonderful spot opened in 2015 and stocks all manner of items, from homewares to top-quality baking and cooking equipment, alongside ceramics crafted by local artists.

When I popped in yesterday, I had a chat with Christiana, who has been working at PREP for just over a year and has lived in Stoke Newington for 12 years. She told me her favourite thing about the area was its sense of community.

She said: “It’s all familiar faces – like a village for everyone. There’s a good amount of hustle and bustle, but it’s still cosy and cute and people remember you.”

I asked whether she’d ever consider leaving Stoke Newington, and she laughed. “Only against my will!”

Leaving PREP behind, I continued my stroll up towards the second of the area’s stunning green spaces — Clissold Park. Though between the two, there’s plenty worth stopping for along the way.

If you’re a Guinness fan, The Auld Shillelagh is an absolute must. This classic Irish pub is widely regarded as serving the finest pint in London.

It’s actually where I had my very first Guinness. Be sure to arrive early, as this narrow boozer fills up quickly on evenings and weekends.

If it’s a little too soon for a pint, then seek out one of Stoke Newington Church Street’s best-kept secrets. Tucked just off the main road, you’ll discover Retro Hub.

From the pavement outside, you’ll spot mirrors and paintings lining the street — a perfect spot for a selfie.

Inside, narrow passageways wind their way through towering stacks of vintage furniture. Think mid-century dressers, a vintage Street Fighter arcade machine, and every conceivable variety of tables, desks and chairs.

If you can walk out empty-handed, you’ve got far more willpower than me.

From there, make your way along to Search and Rescue. Regularly namechecked in lifestyle guides and lists of the capital’s trendiest boutiques, this stylish shop stocks a carefully curated selection of vintage furniture, fragrances, ceramics, stationery, jewellery and much more.

Whether you’re hunting for the perfect gift or simply treating yourself, Search and Rescue won’t disappoint. Manager Lauren told me the shop has been a fixture on the street for over a decade.

Having lived in the area for six years, she echoed Christiana’s sentiments, saying her favourite aspect is the strong sense of community.

She said: “All of the independent [shops] all have quite a nice community. We all help each other out, and there’s lots of events held. We’re all looking forward to whatever new things are going to open in the future.”

Bakeries and parks

I managed to resist splashing my wages in Search and Rescue, and carried on my wander along the street to yet another beloved institution — Spence Bakery.

This independent bakery has been a cornerstone of the community since 2002. Although it was fairly quiet when I popped in on Thursday afternoon, don’t be fooled. At weekends, there’s a queue out the door for their freshly baked pastries, breads and coffees.

Inside, Ellen stepped away from the coffee machine to have a chat about what keeps customers coming back.

“Our best sellers are the seasonal things, but lemon drizzle is always popular. For pastries, it’s got to be the pain au chocolat.”

Ellen herself has a soft spot for their cinnamon danish — and when it comes to the high street, she named Search and Rescue as her favourite neighbouring shop, particularly their candles. Though with so much on offer, picking just one is no easy task.

Ellen said: “I just love all the independent shops.”

Once you’ve visited Spence Bakery, you’re just a short stroll away from the other park that borders Stoke Newington Church Street.

Clissold Park is a stunning, beautifully maintained historic green space spanning 54 acres, criss-crossed by bridges over the man-made aqueduct that meanders throughout.

Yet the undisputed highlight for me is the park’s resident herd of fallow deer. Housed within a dedicated enclosure and completely free to visit, they’re at their liveliest at dusk and dawn.

On my visit, the buck was shadowing the females, bellowing loudly in a bid to win their affections — though they appeared thoroughly unimpressed.

Come autumn, the park is simply breathtaking. Tree-lined paths blaze with golden hues, while vast open lawns provide the ideal setting for a kickabout, a dog walk, or simply settling down to watch the world go by.

My favourite pub

After a leisurely lap of the park, taking in the deer enclosure and Clissold House, I made my way back to Stoke Newington Church Street for a well-earned pint before heading home.

Just a stone’s throw from the park sits The Mary Wollstonecraft, an independent freehouse that took over from Ryan’s Bar in July 2026. From the street, it cuts an understated figure — a compact green frontage adorned with charming hanging baskets — but step inside its snug, dimly lit interior and discover what’s tucked away out the back.

The pub’s interior is a wonderful tribute to female writers — naturally, its namesake Mary Wollstonecraft, the legendary writer, philosopher and Stoke Newington local, takes centre stage, but a striking installation of tiles also pays homage to other celebrated women writers, ranging from Sappho in Ancient Greece all the way through to Sally Rooney.

Don’t come here expecting a pint of Guinness; instead, you’ll find 10 cask hand pumps and 12 rotating keg lines dedicated exclusively to smaller British breweries and classic German imports. I opted for a cider and made my way outside to the vast beer garden stretching out behind the pub.

Covered, heated and bursting with lush greenery, it’s furnished with wrought iron patio seating topped with plump, comfortable cushions. The beer garden truly feels like a hidden retreat from the bustling high street.

It’s so tranquil you could easily imagine you were sitting in a mate’s back garden rather than a pub. The gentle trickle of a water fountain was the only sound accompanying me as I savoured my pint and considered just how fortunate I am to have this gem on my doorstep.

Emmerdale, EastEnders and Coronation Street spoilers see big moments for all three soaps next week, as villains return, bombshells are dropped and new questions are asked

There’s some huge moments ahead on the soaps according to new Emmerdale, Coronation Street and EastEnders spoilers.

EastEnders welcomes back a familiar face, a past villain, and what they have to say will shock some residents. It’s set to be an unmissable week on the show as secrets are revealed, and big twists occur.

On Emmerdale, two returns are teased before one is sadly ruled out. As for the other, a villain’s confirmed comeback finally begins, and it could leave one family at war.

On Coronation Street, there’s a special episode on the way centred around Debbie Webster, as her health continues to deteriorate after her dementia diagnosis. But it seems more than one discovery will be made.

EastEnders

Linda is shocked to discover Lee has spent the night on Sean‘s floor after getting drunk. Linda turns to Elaine and Sharon for support but she’s rocked by what she uncovers when she answers a phone call on Lee’s mobile.

Linda heads off to seek the truth, needing answers and it’s Janine she chooses to confront. Soon she makes a bombshell discovery from Janine but what has Janine told her?

As Linda refuses to believe what she’s been told, she heads back to the Square and has a heart-to-heart with Max. But Linda is not done and she plans to see Janine once more, while Max makes a decision he might regret.

Later, Linda knows something and she has to tell Lee, Nancy and Johnny what she’s been told. It leads to the trio disappearing and Linda and Max are desperately searching for them.

Linda finds Nancy and they soon reflect on things, but shortly after Nancy’s waters break. Meanwhile, Lee shares his concerns with Linda about becoming a dad, and Nancy’s rushed to hospital, but what have they found out? And what does Janine tell them?

Coronation Street

There’s a special episode next week that focuses on Debbie Webster, as her friends rally round her amid her dementia battle. But soon, accusations fly and emotions run high with secrets to be revealed.

The episode focuses on Debbie‘s Angels Abby, Bernie, Christina, Sally and Glenda, who are helping Debbie surprise her son Carl for his birthday. But what’s meant to be a fun experience soon turns into chaos. As tensions between the women rise and confrontations take place, history and trauma rise to the surface.

As the group struggles to keep things going for Debbie, characters confide in one another and decisions are made about futures. As the evening comes to an end, the women unite to move forward whilst some of them are keeping some life-altering choices private, so what will be revealed?

Emmerdale

Tom King is finally back on Emmerdale next week. Meanwhile there’s another return teased for Samson Dingle, but things come to a halt when it’s revealed Tom has been beaten up in prison.

He’s in a critical condition in hospital and soon Belle finds out that Cain organised the attack and that Samson was the one who carried it out. Things get tense as Sam realises what Cain has done.

As the family come to blows, Samson reveals to his family that his new charges mean he could have a longer stretch in prison. As Belle feels paranoid about how Tom will react to this, Kammy tries to calm her down.

Soon Sam and Cain are clashing again but at breaking point, Belle makes a decision. As she calls out her brothers Cain and Sam she announce her she will talk to Tom at the hospital.

Tom is being held there while he recovers. Belle decides to visit him alone, but will she go in and will Tom have his say?

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Saturday threw out President Trump’s multibillion-dollar lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch over an article reporting on his ties to disgraced late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami ruled that the president did not prove the defendants made defamatory statements with actual malice. Gayles dismissed the suit with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled and the dismissal is permanent and incontrovertible.

The ruling said the lawsuit was “grasping at straws” as it attempted to “manufacture” flaws in the Journal’s investigative reporting.

The lawsuit was over an article the Journal published last year describing a sexually suggestive letter that the paper said bore Trump’s name and was included in a 2003 album compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday.

The letter was reportedly collected by jailed British socialite and Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell as part of a birthday album for Epstein years before he was first arrested in 2006 and subsequently had a reported falling-out with Trump.

The letter bearing Trump’s name includes text framed by the outline of what appears to be a hand-drawn nude woman and ends with, “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,” according to the newspaper.

Trump denied writing it and called the story “false, malicious, and defamatory.”

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Miami, accused the paper and its reporters of having “knowingly and recklessly” published “numerous false, defamatory, and disparaging statements,” which, it alleged, caused “overwhelming financial and reputational harm” to the president.

Collins writes for the Associated Press.

San Francisco artist Barry McGee, 60, walked through Jeffrey Deitch’s Santa Monica Boulevard gallery on a recent Wednesday, while a small army of friends went about their business — some moving objects, others equipped with power tools. A few stood near a closet-size replica of a 99 Cents Only store, an homage to the weeklong art takeover McGee staged at the shuttered Wilshire Boulevard retailer in February.

Gallery visitors were careful not to step on the sprawling assemblage of photographs, drawings and artifacts scattered across the floor. Many were destined for the large installation McGee’s friends helped to assemble for “Another Round,” his recently opened exhibition, which runs through Jan. 30.

Like “99 CENT,” McGee’s aim is for the Deitch show to serve as a gathering place. A makeshift storefront houses an “anarchist bookstore” with activities organized by Matthew James-Wilson, who operates the Heavy Manners lending library and gallery in Echo Park. Events planned during the show’s three-month run include French beading and papier-mâché workshops, clothed figure drawing, and “music shows.”

Adjacent to the bookstore, the untitled work bends and bulges on a plywood structure. It serves as a portal into McGee’s artistic life: Framed messages, photographs of friends, colorful, textile-inspired imagery and his father’s sketches of cars on napkins are grouped together in a bold display.

An untitled installation piece by Barry McGee at Jeffrey Deitch gallery. McGee is showing at the gallery for the first time in 20 years.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

A related installation is in the collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and has also been shown at the Oakland Museum of California. “It feels like something entirely new this time and definitely unplanned,” McGee said of the work taking shape at the Deitch show.

The exhibition is billed as McGee’s first gallery exhibit with Deitch in more than 20 years, although the artist and dealer have collaborated on projects since the 1990s. McGee came up in San Francisco’s graffiti scene in the 1980s, developing a visual language under the moniker Twist that included faces, liquor bottles and stylized screws. Deitch traces McGee’s primary influences to the city’s punk, skate, surf and graffiti cultures, as well as its hand-painted signs. McGee has exhibited at the Hammer Museum, Fondazione Prada and the 2001 Venice Biennale.

When asked whether he was bringing street art inside for the Deitch show, McGee pushed back. “That’s not my goal at all,” he said.

McGee long ago achieved cult status and comes from a tradition of graffiti that he sees as separate from work made for a gallery. When he began tagging in the 1980s, he said, it wasn’t to create something for the market: “There’s no product at the end.” McGee’s connections across the graffiti scene and the gallery world attract artists and audiences alike for exuberant gatherings, sometimes with complications, as when he transformed the vacant 99 Cents Only Store into a pop-up resembling an indoor flea market during L.A.’s Art Week.

The tagger-turned-blue-chip artist Barry McGee reopened a former 99 Cents Only on Wilshire Boulevard for a one-week art fair event.

(Mariella Rudi)

McGee and Bay Area artist Tom Franco worked with Deitch and the Hole, a gallery that has since closed its Los Angeles location, to stage the exhibition. McGee’s devoted following came out in force: Deitch estimated that about 25,000 people visited. “L.A. really showed up for that,” McGee said.

The event also drew complaints. Several neighboring businesses and apartment buildings were tagged, though McGee said the graffiti was cleaned up. In July, L.A. Taco found that several participating artists had not been paid for work sold during the exhibition. Kathy Grayson, who runs the Hole in New York, wrote in an email that all artists and vendors have since been paid. “It was a gigantic undertaking,” she wrote of staging the exhibit, adding that she had stepped in to help McGee realize his “dream-come-true project.”

Barry McGee is a celebrated street artist who is equally comfortable in a blue-chip world. He brings both sensibilities to bear in his new show, “Another Round,” at Jeffrey Deitch.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

While McGee has no plans to revive the concept, he has created a miniature replica of the 99 Cents Only Store at the gallery, complete with the store’s iconic blue-and-white floor. “The element of surprise is always the best thing,” he said.

Throughout the gallery, McGee’s paintings, drawings and found objects are displayed alongside work by what he estimates will be “around 200” like-minded artists, including C.R. Stecyk III, Chito K.K. and Chris Lux, who mounted two stained-glass works beneath the gallery’s skylights.

“When we do a show with Barry, we get the whole community,” Deitch said. “That’s one of the great things about it.”

Although the exhibition bears his name, McGee is wary of being the center of attention. “In this day and age, a solo anything seems ridiculous,” he said. “The ego of the artist is a tricky thing.” He prefers to bring together different generations and sensibilities: “Some young people, some older people, things that you wouldn’t imagine being next to each other.”

A surfboard installation by Barry McGee is part of his show, “Another Round,” at Jeffrey Deitch gallery on Santa Monica Blvd.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

McGee’s own work is also in dialogue with itself: Geometric patterns, inspired in part by Islamic tile designs, share the canvas with his trademark male faces with drooping, melancholic eyes.

Deitch describes McGee as possessing “a unique kind of charisma.” Though shy, “he’s very accessible and reaches people.”

Franco agrees. He had wanted to meet McGee long before they encountered each other in a San Francisco thrift store last year, and he admires his support for less established artists.

“He nurtures young people,” Franco said. “It’s amazing to see. Somebody at his level, you can easily forget how famous he is, or how accomplished he is, because he’ll hug every single person who comes through the door.”

McGee sees the relationship as reciprocal. “They’re mentoring me also. It’s really mutual,” he said. “Their visual language is so rich.”

Working into the evenings after mornings spent surfing with his crew, McGee is allowing the exhibition to take shape as it goes. His connection to surfing is visible in the gallery, where surfboards are stacked like a wooden fan.

He contrasts his freedom to improvise at Deitch with museums’ lengthy planning schedules: “Their shows are seven years out, sometimes. So there’s no room for spontaneity.”

A week before the Deitch show opened, he was still anticipating what it might become. “I still don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said.

A MAJOR London road and tourist destination will be permanently pedestrianised.

Camden High Street will be fully pedestrianised following a year-and-a-half trial.

The high street is a well-known tourist destination in the capital, being home to the historic Camden Market – which around 250,000 people visit every week.

Camden High Street has been temporarily pedestrianised since last May from outside the tube station up to The Elephant’s Head pub.

Eventually, the pedestrianisation could be extended up to Camden Lock Bridge.

Following a consultation, 57 per cent of respondents said that they wanted the street to be pedestrianised permanently.

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Councillor James Slater said: “Camden Town is an important shopping and transport hub for local residents as well as being an internationally recognised destination that draws people in from across London, the rest of the UK, and the world.

“After 18 months, we asked this summer whether you wanted to see the pedestrianisation become permanent.

“Based on our consultation and the positive outcomes we have seen, we have made the decision to make it permanent.”

He added: “Better bus journeys around Camden Town are very important to us – that’s why we will be introducing a trial bus lane on Kentish Town Road with the aim of speeding up northbound bus journeys.

“We will also be introducing additional new community safety patrols as part of a £1 million investment in Community Safety Officer patrols around Camden’s town centres.

“We also heard that many of you are open to the idea of the pedestrianisation being extended over Camden Lock Bridge towards the junction with Chalk Farm Road.

“We will therefore be developing and testing a design for a potential extension over the next few months, and we will publish further information next spring to seek your views on it.”

It comes after the UK’s busiest street – Oxford Street – was pedestrianised yesterday.

The pedestrianised section stretches over half a mile.

Future plans will see more trees added to the street, as well as seating areas and two public squares.

THE dreary Coronation Street cobbles were left behind on Tuesday as soap star Ryan Prescott prepared for a new role in a Hollywood film.

The actor, best known for playing Ryan Connor in the long-running ITV show, has won a part in director Rocky Rodriguez Jr.’s forthcoming comedy drama, Waif.

Currently filming on location in London, Ryan, 37, shared a selfie with established co-stars Jason Flemyng and Dexter Fletcher during a break between scenes.

Sharing the photos with Instagram followers, he wrote: “We are rollllliiiing, first week in to the WAIF shoot and loving it, thank you all for the amazing energy on set!” [sic]

The Mancunian actor will play ‘a drifting art collector living life on his own terms amid the skateparks, guitar shops and art openings of east London.’

Actress Helen Foster has been cast as Prescott’s romantic interest in the new film, writer-director Rodriguez Jr.’s third feature.

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Commenting on the post, one enthusiastic follower wrote: “Love this!!!!!!”

A second added: “Love it .. smash it Ryan. Can’t wait to see it.”

While a third shared: “Top drawer actor my favourite on the cobbles at the moment.”

Ryan broke into acting with a short-lived role as Flynn Buchanan on ITV soap Emmerdale before winning a prominent role on Coronation Street in 2018.

Drafted in to play the returning Ryan Connor, a role previously played by Ben Thompson, and later, Sol Heras, the actor has tackled a series of turbulent storylines on the hit soap – among them a bitter feud with gangster Ronald Truman.

In 2023, Ryan was central to a harrowing new storyline that saw his character bear the brunt of a vicious acid attack.

Connor was left with horrific burns to his face and neck after protecting intended target Daisy Midgely from the attack, orchestrated by crazed stalker Justin Rutherford.

Discussing the storyline on This Morning shortly after the episode aired, Ryan said Coronation Street would be focusing on his character’s slow recovery long into the future.

“That’s one thing we wanted to include was to have some longevity within the parameters of soap, which obviously moves very quickly,” he confirmed.

“We wanted to have some kind of longevity in the aftermath.

“Acid attack survivors go through hundreds of operations, multiple skin grafts and quite often a lifetime of post-traumatic stress disorder.

“We want to show the different stages of his recovery.”

London, United Kingdom – “It’s magical,” says biology teacher Muneera Alfadhel from under her umbrella.

In fact, it is a characteristically rainy, grey day in London, but the weather is doing nothing to dampen her mood. She is among the first to walk down the middle of the iconic Oxford Street following its pedestrianisation.

For generations, shoppers have bustled along Oxford Street next to bikes, cars, black cabs and red double-decker buses. But on Monday, from Great Portland Street to Orchard Street, the road is now a pedestrian-only zone.

On Monday morning, by force of habit, most pedestrians are still sticking to the pavement. Mark Arbouine, a forensic scientist out for a stroll, is one of the few breaking ranks: “I saw there was no traffic today, so I thought, why not walk in the middle of the street and take advantage of it? I just think it’s great for the environment, great for shopping. It’s just so much easier to move around the street.”

This tiny strip of real estate is big business: about 1 percent of the UK’s annual gross domestic product (GDP) is generated along this 1km (0.6 miles) stretch of street. But despite its outsized importance, Oxford Street has in recent decades been hit by lower consumer spending, as well as falling rents and footfall, which is now just 57 percent of what it was in 2006, according to New West End Company, a retail trade body.

The Greater London Authority, also known as City Hall, believes pedestrianisation could, therefore, offer a lifeline.

City Hall analysis suggests the partial pedestrianisation of Oxford Street could generate more than $109m per year and support an additional 700 jobs. Following a weekend trial in October 2025, two-thirds of businesses in the area said they had higher or similar sales figures during the pedestrianisation.

This is the first step in a multi-phase regeneration project to add two public squares, 50 trees and hundreds of public seating.

Barbara Stoll, a leading campaigner on the benefits of greener, more walkable cities, was smiling as she observed the street. The air already feels cleaner, she noted.

“It’s amazing coming here this morning. Walking down the street, it was already so uplifting that the noise is considerably lower,” she said. “People are excited. I saw people coming up from the tube and looking around. Seeing that, it’s almost like children when it’s Christmas Day.

“So I think it’s absolutely wonderful, and so needed for London.”

Residents ‘haven’t really been listened to’

On Saturday, ahead of the change, not all shoppers were convinced. A French tourist said he would avoid Oxford Street altogether if buses and cabs were no longer allowed through.

“People with disabilities who cannot walk a lot – that would be really helpful if the buses move on and they don’t discontinue [them],” a shopper told Al Jazeera.

“It would be good. Sometimes you’re tired; sometimes it’s raining.”

The pedestrianisation of Oxford Street has been years in the making, and not without controversy.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan first tried it in 2017, following a manifesto pledge. But the plan fell apart in 2018, when Westminster Council – the local government authority responsible for Oxford Street at the time – withdrew its backing, saying residents did not support it.

Following a public consultation, Khan created the Oxford Street Development Corporation, taking responsibility for the street away from local officials and transferring it to the Greater London Authority and Transport for London.

With this second, successful attempt at pedestrianisation, doubts from local authorities have not gone away.

Residents are not being listened to, said Councillor Tim Barnes, the deputy leader and cabinet member for growth and planning for the City of Westminster.

“There has been a communication process with residents, but it’s been pretty much one way. Mostly, they are being told what’s going to happen to them and how it’s going to happen; what the format of the process is going to be in future. But realistically, those who know the street best haven’t really been listened to.”

He believes the economic benefits are overstated and do not consider the impact of displacing bus routes from a major road to the surrounding, smaller streets. That fear is shared by resident Nerma Cridge, who said London’s West End will become “completely unliveable, too crowded and too noisy at night”.

“We think all of this should be done in a much more productive relationship with communities,” she told Al Jazeera over the phone.

‘People just take back the space’

Concerns over the change will fade once residents see the real-world results in the coming months, Stoll believes.

“Examples from across Europe and the world, where such projects have already happened, prove that this only makes life better overall for local residents,” she said.

“Retail gets a boost. More people linger, more people come to the street, more people spend money in the shops, and even local shop vacancies reduce. The local air pollution significantly reduces, and as activity increases, people just take back the space.”

The Oxford Street Development Corporation will be testing and reviewing the results of the pedestrianisation in the coming months, and reviewing its findings early next year. Transitioning the rest of Oxford Street into a permanent, traffic-free public space is expected to go ahead by the end of next year.

Ahead of mayoral elections in 2028, the pedestrianisation could be one of the last major initiatives that Sadiq Khan signs off. A landmark project that will also become his legacy.

Coronation Street fans are concerned that little Dorin, the son of Tyrone Dobbs, may have been hurt by someone else after he claimed he was punched by his friend Aled

Fans of Coronation Street fear Dorin is covering for whoever really hurt him.

The little boy had a bruise on his arm, leaving his dad Tyrone Dobbs and stepmother Fiz Dobbs concerned. Dorin claimed that fellow youngster Aled, the young nephew of Fiz, had punched him.

He claimed that Aled hurt him and that was what caused the bruise. Dorin’s grandfather Ross Wilkes was furious, and told his son Tyrone he needed to go round to Aled’s parents house and confront them.

Amid the drama between the family and Ross’ keenness for violence, one theory suggested Dorin might be covering for someone. Some fans questioned if Aled really hurt Dorin, or if someone else did in a sickening twist.

Given Ross’ misogynistic beliefs and comments, and him telling son Tyrone to “man up”, he’s been pushing for Tyrone and Dorin to take up boxing. Ross clearly believes his son is weak, so some fans wondered if Ross may have hurt Dorin to set up Aled, in order to get Tyrone to take action.

A fan said: “Did Ross hurt Dorin and tell him to say Aled done it? I wouldn’t put it past him, that man is a piece of work.” Another fan agreed: “If anyone’s gonna get Dorin harmed it’s Rancid Ross.”

A third fan said: “Not going to end well here with Ross and Tyrone in Corrie storyline come up.” A fourth added: “Ross is a conniving and nasty bully, wake up snd smell the coffee Tyrone.”

Another fan posted: “Tyrone is slowly becoming Ross, because of his manipulation.” A final commented read: “Ross is a nasty piece of work and isn’t a good influence for Tyrone.”

It comes as fans feared that Ross could turn violent against Tyrone. A fan posted: “He hates Tyrone’s son so trying to hurt him,” so could a random revenge plot be at play? The other theory read: “Ross going to beat up Tyrone?”

Fans also think a character, not currently on the show, will return to take Ross down, either Tyrone’s missing mother, Ross’ ex, Cassie Plummer [Claire Sweeney], or Cassie’s mother Evelyn [Dame Maureen Lipman ]. A fan posted: “Cassie will come back and save the day.”

Another fan posted: “Bring Evelyn back to get rid of him!!” as a third agreed: “I agree, Evelyn won’t stand for his nonsense.” So will someone see through Ross’ behaviour, and could it lead to him finally being put in his place?

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

CYCLISTS have been seen brazenly ignoring Sadiq Khan’s ‘pedestrian-only’ zone on Oxford Street just hours after the ban came into force.

As of today a one-kilometre stretch of the world-famous London street is now free from cars and buses prior to being fully pedestrianised.

The entire section between Selfridges near the Marble Arch end and Great Portland Street (including Oxford Circus) is the first to be impacted – with the festive period just around the corner.

Transport for London (TFL) has confirmed that e-bikes, pedal bikes, and e-scooters will no longer be allowed to go through the area but instead will be funnelled to surrounding routes.

However, cyclists were filmed whizzing through the green bollards installed just last night and designed to stop traffic.

A team of security guards was seen trying to wave down commuters, delivery drivers and e-bike renters and get them to dismount.

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One member of the public said it was “absolutely pandemonium” last night as buses kept coming up to the new obstructive bollards.

The road will be closed to all traffic between 7am and midnight every day of the week.

Exceptions have been made for deliveries, which can be made from midnight to 7am, and for emergency vehicles – which retain access at all times. 

But many Londoners have bemoaned the fact that the surrounding area will be gridlocked due to the changes.

As the busy festive period gets underway, others have voiced their concerns over how shoppers will carry their hauls in the lead up to Christmas.

One local councillor described the plan as a “disaster for local people” – and accused London Mayor Sadiq Khan of pushing it through to meet an “arbitrary deadline”.

Cllr Tim Barnes, Westminster City Council Deputy Leader, said: “We’re extremely disappointed that MHCLG have ignored legitimate concerns about the impact this scheme will have on central London.

“London deserves a world class shopping district but I’m worried we’re heading for an unmanaged mess.”

He added: “It’s going to be very difficult for people with accessibility issues to get to the street. There is no step free access from Oxford Circus Tube.”

It comes after it was revealed that Christmas shoppers heading down Britain’s busiest high street will now be scanned with facial recognition.

The technology is expected to be installed in December, just in time for the busy festive shopping period.

Today’s pedestrianisation of this stretch of road has repeatedly been described as the “first phase” – but it has faced criticism.

Sean Lane, 43, a cabbie for ten years driving down Oxford Street, said he was particularly concerned about disabled passengers and parents with prams.

He told The Times: “It’s gonna create gridlock. I just can’t understand it. You can see how wide the pavements are.

“There’s more than enough room for everybody. Even if you made it one lane, a one-way road, at least we can come along.”

Paul Fisher, a Conservative Westminster councillor, fears for the postcard view of the high street during the Christmas period but also on a year-round basis.

He said: “Why do people go to Oxford Street? They don’t just go to shop, they go for the experience, for the iconic buses and taxis.

“Many tourists shop on Oxford Street because of the iconic view you get … that vision will be lost forever.”

Traffic can still flow north and south along Regent Street at the Oxford Circus junction.

Pedestrians can cross at the junction and the plan is for traffic signals to be re-phased for the changes.

Traffic can also cross the pedestrianised zone on these four other routes: Duke Street (northbound), Davies Street/Stratford Place (both directions for local access), Vere Street/New Bond Street (southbound only) and Holles Street (northbound only).

Private cars have been barred for years but now all motorised traffic, including buses and black cabs, as well as bicycles, will be kept away.

London Mayor Khan has hailed the move as “a truly momentous occasion for the capital“.

The pedestrianisation of Oxford Street has been tried for years but remains controversial.

And although the traffic may have been stopped, the initial works scheme is not expected to be completed until spring next year.

The closure is part of a £150m phased plan to revive the area with “mini parks” and more than 50 trees, benches, lighting and public art.

It is hoped the plans will encourage bars and restaurants to move in alongside the shops to create a feel similar to the Rue de Rivoli in Paris or La Rambla in Barcelona.

Coronation Street’s Debbie Webster and Ronnie Bailey faced a split on Friday night, as the pair clashed amid Debbie deteriorating following her dementia diagnosis on the soap

Fans of Coronation Street were left fearing for a popular couple after Friday’s episode of the ITV soap. Debbie Webster’s out-of-character behaviour continued, and it put pressure on her relationship with her husband Ronnie Bailey. Debbie has dementia, and recently she’s deteriorated hugely.

She’s starting to struggle with recognising people she knows well, and has even called Ronnie the wrong name. Making mistakes at work has also added to the strain, and she has moments where she forgets things have happened.

Ronnie shared his concerns this week about being intimate with his wife, in case she forgot who he was. Things worsened on Friday after drama with a bride and groom at the hotel.

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Events led to Debbie and Ronnie rowing at home, and Ronnie admitted she wasn’t the woman he had fallen in love with. Struggling to care for Debbie and to deal with her condition, Ronnie claimed Debbie was close to throwing herself at another man.

Calling her “so random”, he admitted he didn’t know what she was going to do next. It’s then that he left Debbie heartbroken by his comment about her not being the woman he loved, and she kicked him out of the house.

As Ronnie left, a broken Debbie burst into tears, reeling that her marriage might be in crisis. But will Ronnie’s comment lead to Debbie ending things? Will Ronnie struggle to be with Debbie going forward, and could this lead to a devastating split for them?

Fans were heartbroken by the scenes, with one writing: “I truly feel for both Debbie and Ronnie. Of course you want your partner to desire you, but when you become someone’s caretaker that kinda gets pushed to the back burner.”

Another said: “Debbie breaking my heart in today’s episode. Sue is incredible.” A third viewer posted: “Wish they’d give Debbie some good times. Life’s tough enough for her and Ronnie. Give her a break writers.”

A final fan said: “I think it’s only just begun and the heartbreak to come will be deserving of an award from all involved and especially Sue Devaney.” It comes following the show announcing that former character Owen Armstrong is returning after a decade away.

Actor Ian Puleston-Davies is reprising his role, and there’s set to be trouble for Gary Windass. Owen decides to move back to the Cobbles to live with his daughter Izzy Armstrong, amid trouble with Owen’s young grandson Jake.

His scenes won’t air until January 2027, but actor Ian is back filming very soon. After nearly 11 years, Owen returns to the Street, and it’s said he is far from impressed by Gary’s behaviour of late.

Blaming Gary for Izzy and Jake’s own drama, it’s been teased Owen’s comeback could spell trouble for Gary’s business at the builders yard. Commenting on his return after his exit in 2015, Ian said: “I can’t wait to pick up where I left off ten years ago! It’s brilliant to be back and to get stuck into a cracking storyline. Owen’s back and he’s still angry!”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Even as recently as a decade ago, Las Vegas hotel concierges and plenty of locals would have described the gap between the Strip and Fremont Street as something of a dead zone. This was a ragged corridor of old warehouses and auto shops, with more boarded-up storefronts than open doors.

“You couldn’t park your car and not worry,” remembers artist Gem Jaxx, who moved to Vegas in 2006 from Monterey County, Calif. “You couldn’t even walk the streets.”

Yet the idea of an arts district had been taking shape since the early ’90s, when the city identified an 18-block area south of downtown as ripe for creative development. Loosely framed by Hoover Avenue to the north and Colorado Avenue to the south, with Commerce Street and Fourth Street marking its west and east edges, this region became known as the 18b Arts District. First Friday, launched by a small group of artists and gallery owners in 2002, started pulling crowds into the neighborhood. Sometimes tens of thousands at a time, if only once a month.

The regular influx of visitors (combined with cheap rents and plenty of retail space) drew a wave of interesting tenants: antique dealers, secondhand clothing boutiques, microbreweries, cocktail bars. As the mix of businesses grew, 18b began to matter less as a set of boundaries and more as an identity.

“Very quickly it changed,” says Josh Kellman, president of the Arts District board. “Businesses here were saying, ‘Hey, I want to be in 18b.’ No one wants to feel like they’re outside the neighborhood.”

Today, the Las Vegas Arts District is a low-key alternative to the Strip for dining, drinks, art, shopping and beyond. Centered on Main Street, but with plenty to explore on neighboring Commerce Street and Casino Center Boulevard, it’s easy to spend an afternoon browsing vintage shops and gallery spaces, catch live music or a stage show, grab dinner, coffee and craft beer — and still have money left for tomorrow.

But the neighborhood is at a crossroads. After a tragic shooting happened earlier this month during First Friday, the monthly arts festival is now on hold as organizers and city officials consider how to move forward. Meanwhile, a proposed Business Improvement District intended to fund additional safety measures and neighborhood services has stirred debate over how to improve the area while preserving the independent spirit that made it a destination in the first place.

As questions swirl, fans of the Arts District hope it holds on to what makes it such a distinctive place. At a time when Las Vegas can feel increasingly engineered around sky-high bottle service, celebrity-chef tasting menus and cocktails edging toward $30, the neighborhood remains one of the places locals actually hang out and where tourists can experience Sin City beyond the slot machines. Here are 11 worthwhile stops on a visit to the creative hub.

Coronation Street’s Sarah Platt received a verdict in her murder trial in Monday night’s episode and fans were certainly divided by the trial outcome.

Coronation Street’s Sarah Platt was found not guilty of murder in Monday night’s episode of the ITV soap.

The legendary character, who has been played by Tina O’Brien since 1999, had spent time in prison awaiting trial after hitting evil Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) over the head with a metal pole. She has claimed that it was all in self-defence.

Sarah was sent back to her cell to wait, and the jury reached a verdict remarkably quickly – something which did not fill the Platts with hope. To everyone’s great surprise, Sarah was found not guilty and her family cheered as she learned she was free to go.

Sarah rushed to hug her daughter Bethany (Lucy Fallon), and David was straight on the phone to mum Gail, who now lives in France, to tell her the good news. Soon enough, Bethany was back at home reunited with her young son Harry and ex-boyfriend DC Kit Green who had taken on caregiver duties whilst she was inside.

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She proclaimed: ” I feel like I’m the luckiest person in the world to be back with you all again,” unaware that daughter Bethany recently had a fling with the man who was almost her stepdad and is now pregnant. Later on, Bethany was seen preparing to call an abortion clinic.

Whilst on their own, Sarah decided to have a heart-to-heart with Kit, who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, and asked him for a chance to reunite. He said things were “different” now but insisted it wasn’t about his illness.

He told her: “Things are different now. We can’t. It’s about not being what I want. Just because you’re out, nothing’s changed. Stop it. Too much has happened,” and announced that he would be moving in with his long-lost mum Bernie Winter.

Taken aback by his sudden rejection, and unaware of what is really causing it, Sarah broke down in tears on the sofa.

During her time on the soap, Sarah was famously central to a teenage pregnancy storyline in 2000, was then kidnapped by an internet predator before her stepdad turned out to be a serial killer. She initially left the soap in 2007 but following her return in 2015, Sarah has helped cover up the death of her abusive ex-partner Callum Logan and then had to deal with her uncle Stephen Reid, who also turned out to be a serial killer.

Sarah’s not guilty verdict certainly caused divide amongst fans, with one fan writing on Reddit: “Anyone else disappointed by the verdict?

“Murder probably not but I don’t think Sarah deserves to get off scot free, end of the day Theo never actually touched her, we all know he probably would have, but it’s hard to defend a self defence claim when you haven’t been touched, especially when she tried to hide it, let someone else get charged etc. very least should be involuntary manslaughter and perverting the course of justice. Real world she’s never getting off with nothing.”

Another said: “I’m not disappointed Sarah got off. She’s one of my all time favorite characters,” and a third wrote: “Did anybody except anything else? She’s one of the main cast members. They weren’t going to find her guilty anyway. She has plot armour.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X.

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