IT was a time like no other, when York’s normally bustling streets were eerily quiet and we were told to ‘stay at home’.

But for one York photographer, the Covid pandemic lockdowns, inspired her in a new creative project,

York photographer Nikki Bowling has produced a new book that records the city in a unique collection of black and white images taken during the pandemic.

Simply titled York in Lockdown, the new publication includes stunning images of empty streets showing many of the iconic attractions and streetscapes in the city like never before.

Low Petergate during York’s lockdown period – photo by Nikki Bowling

Coffee table landscape in style, it is atmospheric, with many historical notes along with Nikki’s personal recollections of the period when everyone was told to stay at home.

Nikki said: “It started as something to do when nothing else was possible when I took my camera on my daily permitted exercise walks around the city.

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“I love York and love photography so decided to share the images with the world through this book as it shows, uniquely, the deserted city streets as the complete opposite of the usual hustle and bustle.”

The book will launch at Bedern Hall on Wednesday, June3, 2026.

Members of the public will be invited from 5pm when Nikki will be signing copies of the book and discussing what inspired her to create the images.

Nikki with her new book recording York in lockdown

Nikki said: “The book is dedicated to my late grandmother Marion Purdy who died age 102 in 2023, and who had a wicked sense of humour, positivity, kindness and a hopeful and philosophical outlook on life.

“I was lucky to be able to spend so much time with her during lockdown.” adds Nikki.

Copies of the book will be on sale at the launch and orders for individual images will also be available.

Newgate Market

Nikki began her photography career after studying photography and design at Harrogate College for four years.

She set up her business straight from college in 2001 and has, in the intervening 25 years, provided photographic services for weddings, social occasions, commercial photography for a variety of businesses and organisations including various press and magazine publications, local estate agents and holiday lets, capturing properties for sale or rent.

Nikki lives in York with her daughter Mia.

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Photo highlights as Paris Saint-Germain triumph over Arsenal in the Champions League soccer final in Budapest. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

The TV judge told the farmers choir they were in with a chance of winning the whole competition after their performance on Saturday night

Simon Cowell has tipped Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone Farmers Choir to win the Britain’s Got Talent final tonight after another stunning performance. The judges gave the choir a standing ovation as they performed an original song in a bid to win the show.

The 34-strong choir, which includes 10 Welsh farmers, sang their own song for the first time on the show in a moment which the judges called a “huge risk” but which Cowell said fully paid off.

“That was absolutely on the money,” he told the farmers on stage, many of whom were in tears. “This is the best act we’ve seen so far tonight, and I think with that you’ve got a chance of winning the entire competition.”

Amanda Holden said the harmonising was incredible and she told the group she had been overcome by emotion during their performance in Saturday night’s final. “I’m enormously proud of all of you,” she added.

Alisha Dixon agreed with Cowell and said she felt they were “in with a real shot” of winning and getting the opportunity to perform at the Royal Variety Show.

The farmers from Wales include pregnant Rosie Jones, a professional singer turned farmer’s wife living in Dolanog, Welshpool, and NFU Cymru group secretary Aled Owen Griffiths from Machynlleth, who was recently appointed chairman of the 2027 National Eisteddfod.

Also among the Welsh members of the choir are fourth-generation Llanelli farmer Eirion William Davies, Cambrian Mountains farmer Aled Wyn Davies, Meidrim farm manager Owain Fisher, Pendine farmer Joe Shewry, Hugh Thomas from Moylegrove, and Presteigne farmer Will Rogers.

The choir was put together by Clarkson who initially formed the group to help with an advertising campaign for his Cotswolds-based brewing firm.

The TV farmer has used his platform and Amazon Prime series Clarkson’s Farm to highlight mental health in farming and was on his feet applauding the choir from the audience.

Talking to Ant and Dec about the decision to sing an original song, one member of the group said: “When we first heard that song we were all in bits. I think the lyrics mean so much to the farmers, it is literally like coming home when we sing that song, it’s so precious to us.”

It was a gathering of support for what organisers said was North Yorkshire’s largest LGBT+ celebration involving up to 20,000 people against a backdrop of rainbows and colour that filled the historic streets.

The Pride parade set off from St Sampson’s Square at 12pm and followed a route through the city centre to Knavesmire where there is a festival taking place throughout the afternoon and into the early evening.

The parade route was met by waving crowds along Bishopthorpe Road as a festival got underway in Knavesmire (Image: Kevin Glenton)

The streets began to fill around 11am and the pavements were packed with bystanders cheering, taking photos and waving flags passed to them by those taking part.

A red sightseeing bus led the procession across Ouse Bridge, followed on foot by members of the community, and joined by the mayor of York and North Yorkshire David Skaith.

Parliament Street was decked out in rainbows ahead of the start of York Pride 2026 (Image: Kevin Glenton)

Francesco and Sam – who have been married for seven years – made it over in time for the start from Gilberdyke in East Yorkshire.

Sam said: “We’re really looking forward to it, it’s our first time.

“We’d like to give a shout out to the organisers of York Pride and the committee and to say that the protest element is very important at the same time.

“We just want to live our lives – love is love”

“We’re going to follow the route all the way to Knavesmire, we’re looking forward to seeing the drag acts.

“York Pride is a great chance for people to come and shine their light, or step into the light.”

Francesco said: “It’s especially important to be involved, in this political climate.”

Francesco and Sam from Gilberdyke, were at their first York Pride (Image: Kevin Glenton)

York Pride chair and managing director Greg Stephenson was in Parliament Street ahead of the 12pm start and said: “I’ve just come from the festival site and seeing it all come together, that’s where the magic happens.

“York is generally a very accepting city but there isn’t a lot of LGBT+ spaces, so having Pride as a focal point every year is so important.

“It’s important we keep going and more importantly, we keep it a free event, something we really want to do for the city and for our community.

“The parade will be amazing and there’s a Jane McDonald tribute act that I cannot wait to see when I get to Knavesmire.”

York Pride chair and managing director Greg Stephenson with mum Mandy at the Parliament Street start (Image: Kevin Glenton)

Mayor of York and North Yorkshire David Skaith said: “York Pride is always a fantastic celebration of the city and the community.

“It is a very welcoming, inclusive place to showcase Pride like this and to show off the city in this light.

“Too often we’re taught to divide and hate one another but actually, this is a celebration of that inclusivity, bringing people and communities together.”

These notorious women carved out fearsome reputations at the heart of Scotland’s criminal underworld

They ruled housing schemes, crime families and multimillion-pound rackets with fear, greed and ruthless control.

From heroin empires in Stirling to luxury escort operations in Edinburgh, Scotland has produced a roll call of notorious female criminals whose influence stretched far beyond the shadows they operated in.

Some presented themselves as respectable businesswomen or community figures. Others stood shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the country’s most feared gangsters.

These are the women who became known as Scotland’s criminal queens.

Big Mags: The heroin queen who ruled Raploch from her “throne”

Margaret “Big Mags” Haney cast a long shadow over Stirling’s troubled Raploch estate for decades.

Publicly, she attempted to reinvent herself as a community campaigner and anti-paedophile activist, appearing on daytime television and presenting herself as a fearless protector of local families.

Behind closed doors, however, police and locals said she was the ruthless matriarch of a heroin empire that spread misery across Stirling.

Full story: Matriarch Big Mags Haney who ruled Stirling’s heroin underworld

The scam matriarch who helped fleece pensioners out of £1.3m

Shameem Ali Mohammed became the figurehead of a Glasgow-based family fraud gang that conned vulnerable pensioners across the UK out of more than £1.3 million.

Operating from the south side of Glasgow and using a local newsagent as a front, the gang cold-called elderly victims pretending to be bank security staff investigating fraud on their accounts.

Victims were manipulated into transferring life savings directly into accounts controlled by the family.

Full story: Glasgow matriarch headed fraudster family that preyed on pensioners

Madam Moneybags: The brothel boss behind Scotland’s sex-for-sale empire

Margaret Paterson built one of Scotland’s biggest escort operations while hiding behind the polished image of a respectable businesswoman.

The Edinburgh-born brothel boss, who operated under the name “Trish”, ran AaBella Escorts alongside former partner Robert Munro.

What started as an escort agency evolved into a sprawling sex-for-sale empire covering Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Full story: The downfall of brothel boss Madam Moneybags

The Jeweller: The gangster’s wife linked to Glasgow’s Ice Cream Wars

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Margaret “The Jeweller” McGraw was far more than just the wife of notorious Glasgow crime boss Tam McGraw.

For decades, insiders claimed she was the brains behind much of the couple’s criminal fortune — a sharp, calculating operator who helped oversee the laundering of dirty money through pubs, taxi firms and front companies.

The couple rose through the ranks of Glasgow’s underworld during the violent Ice Cream Wars of the 1980s, when rival families used ice cream vans as fronts for drugs and stolen goods.

Full story: Margaret McGraw’s key role in the Ice Cream wars

Scotland’s last woman hanged: The horrifying “go-cart murder”

Susan Newell became one of the most infamous women in Scottish criminal history after the brutal murder of 13-year-old paperboy John Johnstone in 1923.

The Coatbridge mother invited the schoolboy into her home before violently attacking him. Evidence later revealed the teenager had been beaten so severely that parts of his skull were crushed and his windpipe burst.

In one of the most disturbing details of the case, Newell forced her young daughter Janet to help dispose of the body.

Full story: ‘Go-cart killer’ Susan Newell forced young daughter to help dispose of boy’s body

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A slip road has been closed

Emergency crews are at the scene of an incident on the M11 this lunchtime (May 30). An air ambulance has landed at the scene alongside police on the border of Cambridgeshire and Essex at the junction 9 slip road at Saffron Walden.

The incident is impacting traffic heading southbound on the M11. As a result of the incident, which was first reported at around 11am this morning, an entry slip road has been closed. There is queueing traffic on the southbound part of the road as a result.

National Highways says: “The M11 in Cambridgeshire is closed northbound near Great Chesterford between J9 and J9A due to a collision. Emergency services are on scene dealing. There are currently delays of 10 minutes on the approach.”

Cambridgeshire Constabulary and East of England Ambulance Service have been contacted in relation to this incident. Drivers should avoid the area where possible.

The Hollywood duo will front a new Disney+ documentary series following the Australian SailGP team, known as the BONDS Flying Roos, across a global racing season of the high-speed, global sailing competition.

Last year, Jackman and Reynolds purchased the team, which is led on the water by its chief executive and Olympic gold medallist Tom Slingsby.

The docuseries will take viewers behind the scenes of the sport and showcase catamarans racing at speeds of up to 100km/h on close-to-shore courses around the world.

In a joint statement, Jackman and Reynolds said: “This is our first collaboration since Deadpool & Wolverine and we once again anticipate action, comedy, heart but with a lot more water.

“And (fingers crossed) pirates. We hope there’s pirates in SailGP.”

Eric Schrier, president, direct-to-consumer international originals, strategic programming, and emerging media, said: “Following Ryan, Hugh and the SailGP’s BONDS Flying Roos Australian team’s journey gives us a remarkable inside view of this thrilling sport and what it takes to compete at the highest level.

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring this story to Disney+ audiences around the world.”

The yet-to-be-titled series will be produced by Maximum Effort and Eureka Productions, in partnership with SailGP and the BONDS Flying Roos.

It will stream on Disney+ internationally and on both Disney+ and Hulu in the US.

Rob McElhenney, co-owner of Wrexham AFC alongside Reynolds and star of Welcome to Wrexham, will also serve as an executive producer on the series.

Hugh Jackman on Ryan Reynolds

Hugh Jackman begged the Academy not to “validate” Ryan Reynolds, after learning the Deadpool actor had been shortlisted for the best original song Oscar.

The Australian actor and singer said having Reynolds receive a nomination in the category would “make the next year of my life insufferable”.

It comes after the song Good Afternoon from recent festive film Spirited, starring Reynolds, Will Ferrell and Octavia Spencer, was announced as part of the Academy shortlists last month.