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Village Cakery opened on Fore Bondgate in Bishop Auckland

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Village Cakery opened on Fore Bondgate in Bishop Auckland

Village Cakery, run by couple Andy Hope and Bradley Skeen, launched its new premises on Fore Bondgate, having operated from their home in Cockfield.

The bakery welcomed its first customers on Friday, April 3, marking a major milestone for the couple who first started the business in 2024.

The Village Cakery opened in Bishop Auckland pictured owners Andy Hope & Brad Skeen (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Photos inside the shop show the new bakery ready for customers, with displays set up of the wide range of cakes and baked goods the business has become known for.

Village Cakery began mainly producing celebration cakes, with Andy explaining that opening a physical shop had always been part of the plan. But despite months of preparation, he said the moment still feels surreal.

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Andy said: “It is daunting, but the excitement is just unbelievable.”

The Village Cakery opened in Bishop Auckland pictured owners Andy Hope & Brad Skeen (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The couple, from Bishop Auckland, secured the keys to the Fore Bondgate premises on Sunday, March 1 and have been preparing the shop ever since.

Andy said: “We had always talked about opening a shop, but it was about Christmas time when we decided to do it.

“We viewed a few shops around Bishop because we were both born and bred here, and it is where we want our base to be.

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“We are all about the community, working together to make a better high street.

“We are trying to get the other shops involved in our opening by giving out 20 per cent discount vouchers.”

The Village Cakery opened in Bishop Auckland pictured owners Andy Hope & Brad Skeen (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The bakery was originally started by Andy before his sister joined the venture, with the business initially building its reputation at markets across the region.

After taking a short break, Andy restarted the bakery with Bradley, with the pair deciding to fully commit to growing the business.

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The Village Cakery opened on Fore Bondgate in Bishop Auckland pictured Imogen Watkins (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Andy said: “We just decided to dive right in, do it properly, get the shop, go to markets and just do everything we possibly can.

“It has gone so well. The markets that we’ve had this year have just been phenomenal.”

The Village Cakery opened on Fore Bondgate in Bishop Auckland (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Village Cakery opened on Fore Bondgate in Bishop Auckland (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Village Cakery opened on Fore Bondgate in Bishop Auckland (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Customers visiting the new shop can expect a wide selection of baked goods, with the owners keen to keep introducing new ideas.

Andy added: “We are always trying to do something different. We are going to trade back on TikTok, and we are looking to do home delivery service.

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“Down the line, we’re looking to do bakery classes or demonstrations. The possibilities of what you can do are pretty much endless.”

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Cruz Beckham’s new video has fans convinced he’s throwing shade at Brooklyn again

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Cruz Beckham’s new video has fans convinced he’s throwing shade at Brooklyn again

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Cruz Beckham has appeared to take another dig at his brother Brooklyn in a new cooking video for TikTok.

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The 21-year-old has launched a fledgling music career amid the ongoing estrangement between Brooklyn and his wider family.

However, it appears that Brooklyn’s love of cooking, who often posts video of his creations on social media, has started to rub off on Cruz.

Posting a video on Friday, Cruz cooked his girlfriend Jackie Apostel pancakes for breakfast, just days after Brooklyn’s wife Nicola Peltz said she loves the sweet treat.

Writing on the caption, Cruz said: ‘She wants crepe, she got em’, as he filmed himself making the batter before adding Nutella.

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This comes after Cruz appeared to come for his brother with a ‘passive-aggressive’ cooking video earlier this month.

Cruz Beckham’s new TikTok video could be the latest dig at his brother Brooklyn (Picture: cruzbeckham)
The 21-year-old made the pancakes for his girlfriend Jackie Apostel (Picture: cruzbeckham)

Previously, at the height of rumours of a family feud, musician Cruz responded to a TikTok comment asking: ‘Are you going to stick with this job or going to become a race car driver next or something?’

Throwing some serious shade in former aspiring footballer/model/photographer Brooklyn’s direction, Cruz replied: ‘Wrong brother mate’.

But now, he’s taken things up a notch by creating his own cooking content
‘wanna see the best cooking video ever ?👌 don’t watch this then’, he quipped in his TikTok caption as he shared a montage of clips from making a ‘cheesy potato soup’.

With Dolce Nonna playing in the background, the youngest Beckham boy chopped up his ingredients and combined them to make the dish, serving the soup in a bowl with seasoning.

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Joking that, ‘as gross as it looks, it’s actually decent’, Cruz flashed the camera a thumbs up after the meal was ready to eat.

Naturally, it didn’t take long for people to sense a hidden motive behind his social media content.

‘This is so passive aggressive. I love it!!’, commented @suzanneevans76.

A photo of Cruz and Brooklyn Beckham on a red carpet.
The two brothers appear to have been feuding over social media (Picture: Getty)
20 April 2024...Victoria Beckham's 50th Birthday Party held at Oswald's, Mayfair, London. ..Here: David Beckham,Brooklyn Beckham,Romeo Beckham & Cruz Beckham.. (Photo by Justin Goff Photos/Getty Images)
Brooklyn Beckham said that he has no plans to reconcile with his family (Picture: Justin Goff Photos/Getty Images)

Prior to this, Cruz seemed to express his hopes of patching things up with Brooklyn.

Despite Brooklyn insisting he has no desire to reconcile with his family, having accused his parents of ‘controlling’ him and ‘disrespecting’ wife Nicola Peltz, 31, Cruz still wished him a happy birthday earlier this month.

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Stepping out in Paris, France, with his girlfriend, Jackie Apostel, 30, Cruz was asked by a TMZ videographer: ‘Any well wishes to your brother? It’s his birthday,’ to which he replied, ‘Happy birthday,’ with a smile.

Cruz dipped his head and stayed silent when asked if he’d had any contact with Brooklyn lately, before the reporter probed: ‘Any chance you guys will repair the relationship? Are you hopeful for that?’

‘Hopefully,’ Cruz said back, wishing the journalist a ‘lovely day’ before walking away.

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If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

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Man City vs Liverpool FC: FA Cup prediction, kick-off time, team news, TV, live stream, h2h results, odds today

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Man City vs Liverpool FC: FA Cup prediction, kick-off time, TV, live stream, team news, h2h results, odds

Liverpool, meanwhile, suffered a setback in their quest for a top-four Premier League finish by losing to Brighton last time out, but can still have a special end to the season with this competition and the Champions League.

Date, kick-off time and venue

Man City vs Liverpool is scheduled for a 12.45pm BST kick-off today, Saturday, April 4, 2026.

The match will take place at Etihad Stadium.

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Where to watch Man City vs Liverpool

TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on TNT Sports. Coverage starts at 11.30am BST on TNT Sports 1.

Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the HBO Max app and website.

Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog.

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Man City vs Liverpool team news

Man City are sweating on the fitness of Ruben Dias and John Stones ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final showdown.

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Scottish woman with ‘UK’s biggest boobs’ says she can ‘no longer fit on planes’

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Summer Robert, 28, from Glasgow, claims to have the biggest boobs in the UK and says they are only going to get bigger due to a medical condition. They’ve now grown so much, she says she can no longer fit on planes

While some might desire a larger bust, one woman has confessed that her breasts can pose significant challenges due to the unwanted attention they attract. Summer Robert, 28, has previously admitted she’s proud to possess what she asserts are the “biggest boobs in the UK” but, despite her love for her body, her breasts can present considerable difficulties.

Recently, she disclosed her struggle to fit on aeroplanes for travel as her breasts have grown so large. Although there’s little she can do about it, it’s proven to be an expensive issue for her, as she’s had to shell out thousands of pounds for business class seats simply because they provide her with more space.

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Summer, from Glasgow, has previously discussed the advantages and disadvantages of having large breasts. Earlier this year, she explained why her breasts will never cease growing.

The content creator, who has amassed over 200,000 followers on Instagram, measures a size 30R and her breasts weigh over 25kg. Over the past two years, Summer estimates she has spent more than £20,000 on business class upgrades purely to accommodate her physical requirements.

She elaborated: “The lack of space in economy means I cannot do it. Even something so simple like putting the tray table down to eat my dinner is so difficult. It doesn’t go down all the way.

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“I always end up with the person next to me touching my boobs, and it makes both of us uncomfortable. I need to get business or I won’t be able to eat my dinners on a plane or I’ll be touched by another passenger.”

The former restaurant manager has consistently had large breasts and they are only going to grow bigger. She suffers from a condition called Macromastia, which is the medical term for possessing abnormally large breasts, and it can trigger numerous complications including chronic back, neck and shoulder pain, headaches, bra strap grooving and difficulty performing daily activities.

According to Summer, when it comes to travel, the cost of basic accessibility is “staggering”. And, as she can’t prevent her boobs from growing, it’s a problem that’s not going to disappear.

Her boobs affect her life daily, as finding clothing that fits is challenging and even cleaning the house is a “hard task” due to the weight of her chest. Summer said she also has to tolerate catcalls wherever she goes.

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“Flying has become a huge struggle for me, even little things like getting into the bathroom,” Summer continued. “The door is so tiny, my boobs always push up against it, the tray table won’t fold down because my boobs are too big.

“Trying to get my bag up into the baggage compartment is a struggle because, if someone is sitting on the chair below, I will 100% touch them with my boobs on accident. I can’t fly economy because of all of these reasons and more.

“I think it’s just hurtful having to fork out so much money that could go to better just because airlines refuse to accommodate for people with different bodies.” It required years for Summer to develop self-acceptance and, while she embraces herself more now, she acknowledges there are numerous drawbacks to her situation.

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She has to endure unwanted remarks from people regularly, she struggles to obtain bras that fit properly and she also has to contend with many hidden costs, but there are some advantages too. Summer said: “I love my body and I love my boobs – everything about them.

“They have given me a beautiful and blessed life with my career, and gave me a platform to show girls that all body types are beautiful. I love my body and the cons will never stop that.”

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Southern California wildfire prompts evacuation orders

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Southern California wildfire prompts evacuation orders

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — Crews battled a smoky and fast-growing wildfire Friday in windy Southern California that forced some residents to evacuate and a community college to temporarily close its doors.

The Springs Fire broke out around 11 a.m. Friday and by the evening had grown to about 6.5 square miles (16.8 square kilometers). The cause of the fire east of Moreno Valley in Riverside County is under investigation. It was not immediately known how many households were under evacuation warnings or orders.

With hundreds of people battling the blaze — using helicopters, engines and water tenders — crews started to contain the blaze by Friday night.

The fire was burning in a populated — but not densely so — unincorporated part of Riverside County in a recreational area near the city of Moreno Valley, which has a population of roughly 200,000. The city is 10 miles (16 kilometers) southeast of Riverside and 64 miles (103 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.

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“It’s windy out there,” said Maggie Cline De La Rosa, a public information officer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in Riverside County.

Alex Izaguirre, a spokesperson for the Cal Fire Riverside County, said the wind is “spreading the smoke,” prompting concerned calls from residents in neighboring cities who can see and smell it.

Moreno Valley College’s main campus was shuttered Friday and Saturday due to the fire impacting the air quality.

“All students, faculty, and staff are being directed to leave campus immediately,” the school said in a post on Instagram.

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California U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz said in a social media post that he was closely monitoring the blaze.

“If you are under an evacuation order, please leave immediately,” he said.

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for San Bernardino and Riverside County valleys through Saturday afternoon, with gusts of up to 50 mph (80 kph) expected.

“Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result,” the advisory read.

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Dubai buildings damaged as debris falls from sky after drones intercepted

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Two buildings were damaged by debris from intercepted drones in Dubai, including the Oracle building, with no injuries reported by authorities

Two buildings in Dubai have sustained damage after debris from intercepted drones fell from the sky overhead.

Dubai authorities confirmed the facades of two buildings were struck by fragments from the intercepted drones, including a property occupied by US technology giant Oracle. Officials confirmed no casualties resulted from the incident.

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Dubai Media Office said in a statement: “Authorities confirm that they responded to a minor incident caused by debris from an aerial interception that fell on the facade of the Oracle building in Dubai Internet City.

“No injuries were reported.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has issued threats to strike Oracle alongside 17 other American corporations, claiming they have participated in “terrorist espionage” operations within Iranian territory.

Earlier Iranian drone attacks inflicted damage on three Amazon Web Services facilities located in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

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The incident follows days after massive explosions echoed across Dubai, as Iran launched multiple strikes against the United Arab Emirates amid the continuing Middle East conflict.

Separately, US President Donald Trump declared in his Easter message that ‘evil and wickedness shall not prevail’ following the downing of two American military aircraft.

American officials have reportedly verified that Iran shot down the two US planes, with an urgent search operation now under way to locate a missing serviceman. Speaking directly to the American public in a video posted on Truth Social, Donald Trump declared: “All of us can live every day with hope in God’s promise, knowing that in the end evil and wickedness will not prevail.”

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He went on to say: “Our country is doing so well like never before”.

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Postcode Lottery winners in Stanley and Houghton-le-Spring

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Postcode Lottery winners in Darlington and Bishop Auckland

Postcodes from across the region were picked out this week for £1,000 prizes.

Players in Stanley (DH9 6XN) and Houghton-le-Spring (DH5 8ET) were among the winners.

The People’s Postcode Lottery is a subscription lottery which aims to raise money for charities while also bringing cash prizes to homes across the UK.

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The People’s Postcode Lottery unveils daily prizes for postcodes across the UK, including £30,000 jackpots for every winning ticket in a postcode on weekends, and £1,000 prizes for 20 different postcodes every day.

A minimum of 33 per cent from each ticket goes to charity, and players have raised more than £950 million for over 9,000 charities and good causes since 2005.

The Postcode Lottery winners and prize amounts this week are:

  • DH9 6XN – £1,000 – Stanley
  • DH5 8ET – £1,000 – Houghton-le-Spring
  • TS5 4RE – £1,000 – Middlesbrough
  • SR3 1NL – £1,000 – Sunderland
  • NE11 9BE – £1,000 – Gateshead

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The fighting Northern Irish: Our top 10 boxers of all time

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Belfast Live

A strict north of the border criteria has been applied, ruling out Barry McGuigan, but the list features

We’ve all heard of the Fighting Irish, but here’s a variation on that theme; the Fighting Northern Irish.

Here’s an admittedly personal selection of the 10 best fighters from the region …

10 BRIAN MAGEE

IRELAND’S shortest ever reigning world title holder; his tenure as WBA super-middleweight champion lasted just 29 days, from when, in 1912, he was upgraded from interim title holder on November 9 until he was beaten in three rounds by Mikkel Kessler in Herning in Denmark on December 8.

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Before that, though, the stylish southpaw had won the lesser IBO title and made seven successful defence of it, as well as capturing the British and European belts, winning the latter belt by stopping Mads Larsen in Aarhus on his first trip to Denmark.

9 RYAN BURNETT

AN amateur star who in the space of less than four months in 2010 won a silver medal at the World Youth Championships in Baku and then topped it with gold at the Junior Olympics in Singapore, he made his pro debut in May 2013, and beat Jason Booth to win the British bantamweight title in his 12th fight, in November 2015.

Four more wins followed and then, in June 2017, he dropped Lee Hoskins twice en route to dethroning him as IBF bantamweight champion. Zhanat Zhakiyanov was beaten to add the WBA title to his collection and then the WBA crown was retained against Yonfrez Parejo. Then, against multi-weight champion Nonito Donaire, in Glasgow in November 2018, he suffered a freak back injury and was forced to retire at the end of the fourth round. He did try one more fight six months later but then hung up his gloves on medical advice.

8 JOHNNY CALDWELL

AFTER a reputed amateur record of 234-6 that included an Olympic bronze medal, he turned pro in early 1958 and by the end of the following year his unbeaten record was 14-0. In his first two fights in 1960 (in the space of just two weeks), he beat recent European flyweight champ Young Martin from Spain and then Martin’s successor as continental champion, Risto Luukkonen from Finland.

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He then beat his fellow flyweight bronze medallist at the Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956, Rene Libeer from France and followed this up by knocking out Frankie Jones in three rounds to win the British title. In late May in 1961, in his first fight at bantamweight, he beat Alphonse Halimi to win European recognition as world champion, a win he repeated five months later. At just 23 days past his 23rd birthday for the first Halimi fight, he remains Ireland’s youngest ever world champion.

In mid January 1962, in a fight refereed by former featherweight champ Willie Pep, he was stopped in ten rounds by Eder Jofre in Sao Paulo in a bout for the undisputed world title. Nine months later he was stopped by Freddie Gilroy on a cut eye in nine rounds and was never the same again, although he did win the British and Commonwealth titles from George Bowes but then lost them to Alan Rudkin.

7 FREDDIE GILROY

THE only non world champion in the list, so how did he manage it? Well, for one thing he beat Caldwell in a classic head to head in the Kings Hall in October 1962 in what proved to be the final bout of his near six year pro career.

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Before that, he had won an Olympic bantamweight bronze medal in Melbourne in 1956 and as a professional he won the British, Commonwealth and European titles and beat former world champion Mario D’Agata from Italy before his winning streak was snapped at 23 when, hampered by a dose of influenza, he was outscored by Ignacio Pena from Mexico in Manchester in April 1960.

Six months later he was again outpointed, by Alphonse Halimi in a bout for European recognition as world champion following the retirement of Jose Becerra. Belgian referee Philippe De Backer was probably the only person at the Empire Pool in Wembley who thought the French Algerian had won.

He bounced back with four wins in three months but was then stopped in nine rounds by Pierre Cossemyns – whom he had knocked out in only his ninth pro fight in March 1958 – in a European title bout in Brussels in March 1958. A genuinely charismatic fighter, he retired after his win over Caldwell, departing with a 28-3 record.

6 RINTY MONAGHAN

Probably the most colourful fighter on the list, he was, remarkably, four months short of his 14th birthday when he made his professional debut in April 1932. It took him 55 fights (41-7-7) and almost 14 years to win his first title, capturing the Northern Ireland flyweight crown with a fourth round knockout of Bunty Doran in the Kings Hall in November 1945.

The following year, in June, he forced world champion Jackie Paterson to retire at the end of the seventh round of a non-title bout in the Kings Hall, and 16 months later he outpointed Dado Marino from Hawaii in a fight for the vacant NBA title. That set up a unification return with Paterson and Rinty scored three knockdowns en route to a seventh round knockout.

In April 1949 he retained the title by outpointing Maurice Sandeyron and added the latter’s European title to his collection. Then, after beating Otello Belardinelli from Italy in a non-title bout, he defended against Terry Allen from London in the Kings Hall. He survived a second round count to earn a draw and announced his retirement with a record of 52-9 and eight draws.

5 EAMONN LOUGHRAN

AFTER winning a light-welterweight silver medal at the World Junior Championships in Havana in July 1987, he made his pro debut five months later and five years further on from that he won his first title with a third round knockout of Commonwealth welterweight champ Donovan Boucher from Canada in Doncaster.

Three months later he successfully defended the belt with a sixth round knockout of Michael Benjamin from Guyana in Cardiff and then, in October 1993, he won the vacant WBO welterweight title with a unanimous decision win over Lorenzo Smith from Chicago.

Five successful defences followed, including a clash of heads unduced no=contest against Angel Beltre from the Dominican Republic in the Kings Hall. In mid April 1996, at the Everton Park Sports Centre in Liverpool, his sixth defence turned into a disaster; he was floored three times by Jose Luis Lopez from Mexico … and stopped in just 51 seconds. He never fought again and finished with a record of 26-2 plus one draw and one no-contest.

4 DAVE McAULEY

AFTER making his pro debut in October 1983 (drawing with Tanzania born John Mwaimu in the Ulster Hall), he spent much of the first half of his career as a supporting act to Barry McGuigan but came into his own in October 1986 by journeying to Glasgow to win the vacant British flyweight title with a ninth round knockout of Joe Kelly at the Albany Hotel.

Six months later, he fought WBA champion Fidel Bassa from Colombia in the Kings Hall. The world title shot may have been a bit of a surprise but the fight turned out to be one of the greatest ever at the famous venue, McAuley, dropped in less than a minute after the opening bell, fought back to floor Bassa three times – including twice in the ninth round – and was ahead by three, two and two rounds on the scorecards at the end of the 12th, before being counted out at 1:45 of the next round.

Just under a year later he was outpointed in a return but, after a break of almost a year and a quarter he pulled off a surprise by unanimously outscoring IBF champion Duke McKenzie at the Wembley Arena in London.

He followed that up with five successful defences, including one against Bassa’s compatriot Rodolfo Blanco in which he had to survive four counts. That was at the Kings Hall in September 1990; in June of 1992 he faced Blanco in a return in Bilbao and lost a controversial decision. He never fought again and retired with a record of 18-3 and two draws.

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3 WAYNE McCULLAGH

THE Olympic silver medallist from Barcelona in 1992 – who beat future world champions Arturo Gatti, Tim Austin and Willie Jorrin in the amateur ranks – made his paid debut in Reseda in California in February 1993 and was 10-0 by the end of the year.

The following year he added five more wins, including among his victims former world champions Fabrice Benichou and Victor Rabanales, retaining the North American bantamweight title he’d won against Javier Medina in the latter bout.

After starting 1995 with an inside the distance win over Geronimo Cardoz in Kenner in Louisiana, he travelled to Nagoya in Japan to challenge WBC champion Yasuei Yakushiji in his home town – and came away with a split decision win and the world title. Two successful defences, against Johnny Bredahl in Belfast and Jose Luis Bueno in Dublin, followed before he relinquished the title to move up to super-bantamweight, but his unbeaten record was broken at 20-0 when he lost a split decision to Mexican southpaw Daniel Zaragoza in Boston.

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He would go on to have five more world title chances – against Naseem Hamed, Erik Morales, Scott Harrison and two against Oscar Larios – but lost them all. After his second loss to Larios he was inactive for almost three years before coming back to face Juan Ruiz for the vacant North American featherweight title in George Town in the Cayman Islands. He was forced to retire after six rounds and never fought again. His final record was 27-6, with only his final loss not being against a world title holder.

2 CARL FRAMPTON

THE only Northerner to become a two-weight world champion, he turned pro in June 2009, shortly after winning his second Irish amateur title and by the end of the following year had notched up eight successive wins and won the Celtic super-bantamweight crown with a second round stoppage of Scottish opponent Gavin Reid.

He won the vacant Commonwealth belt with a fourth round stoppage of Mark Quon from Australia in September 2011 and retained it three times within a year, most notably a six round beating of Canada’s former IBF champion Steve Molitar. The European title followed when he stopped Kiko Martinez in the ninth round in February 2013.

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Three fights and 20 months later he had his first world title shot, again against Martinez, who in the interim had won the IBF crown with an upset sixth round beating of previously undefeated Jonathan Romero. This time Frampton won a unanimous and near runaway verdict with two scorecards of 119-108 and one of 118-111.

He retained the crown first against Chris Avolos in Belfast then against Alejandro Gonzalez in El Paso (where he survived two first round counts) in 2015 and the following year, after retaining the IBF title and adding the WBA one by beating Scott Quigg in Manchester in April and then moved up to featherweight and captured the WBA title with a unanimous decision win over Leo Santa Cruz at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn. Those efforts against two previously unbeaten opponents earned him a unique distinction – the first and still only Irishman to win the Ring magazine Fighter of the Year award.

His unbeaten record ended at 23-0 when, in January 2017, when he lost a majority decision to Santa Cruz in Las Vegas and he never regained quite the success thereafter. Despite winning the interim WBO featherweight title, he failed in an attempt to dethrone Josh Warrington as IBF champ in Manchester, he fought just once each in both 2019 and 2020 and retired in April 2021 after being stopped in six rounds in a super-featherweight title challenge to Jamel Herring in Dubai. His final record was 28-3.

1 JIMMY McLARNIN

BORN in Hillsborough, his family briefly moved to Inchicore in Dublin and then to Canada, first to Saskatchewan before eventually settling in Vancouver. There, in his first year as a teenager, he was ‘discovered’ by Charles ‘Pop’ Foster, a former booth fighter from Liverpool.

McLarnin made his pro debut on his 16th birthday, in December 1923, and over the next four and a half years he put together a record of 36-4 and three draws with two of his losses being to future bantamweight champion Bud Taylor.

In mid May of 1928 he was outpointed by Sammy Mandell in a lightweight title challenge at the Polo Grounds in New York; he was six months shy of 21, which makes him Ireland’s youngest ever world title challenger to this day.

“Gee, I’m tired. I fought the gamest man I ever faced. I’m still the champion, but the next lightweight king will be Jimmy McLarnin,” Mandell said of their battle in front of 25,000 fans. Over the next two years McLarnin would twice beat still champion Mandell in non-title bouts in Chicago.

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Mandell’s prophecy about McLarnin proved incorrect – because Baby Face moved up to welterweight and went on a roll, beating contenders such as Stanislaus Loayza, Joe Glick, Ray Miller, Sergeant Sammy Baker, Ruby Goldstein, Young Jack Thompson, Al Singer, Benny Leonard, Billy Petrolle and Sammy Fuller.

Finally, five years and one week after his first world title attempt, he challenged welterweight champion Young Corbett III at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles – and floored Corbett three times en route to stopping him in just 157 seconds.

A year later he was dethroned on a split decision by reigning light- welterweight champion Barney Ross in episode one of a trilogy that would draw an aggregate of 120,000 fans. McLarnin won the second bout but was again deposed as title holder in the third.

Six weeks before he turned 29, he beat reigning lightweight champion Lou Ambers in a non-title bout in a full Madison Square Garden and then promptly announced his retirement with a record of 55-11 and three draws. During his career he fought 23 times against former, current or future world title holders and beat all but one of them, former welterweight and future middleweight champion Lou Brouillard.

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Pop Foster? He adored Jimmy and Jimmy’s wife Lillian, so much so that he bought a house in the same estate as them and when he died in 1976 he left his entire estate – some $260,000 – to Jimmy. Jimmy himself died in October 2004, just seven weeks before his 97th birthday.

NOTE: A strict born north of the Border criteria has been applied here, but if Clones man Barry McGuigan were to be included as an honorary Northerner – he did, after all, have 19 of his 35 professional fights in Ulster – he would occupy the number two slot, not just for his ring achievements but also for his incredible popular appeal. Current world champions Anthony Cacace and Lewis Crocker are unranked as their reigns are only beginning; who knows where they will place at the end of their careers?

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Five ‘boiled from inside out’ as one had ‘organs expelled from body’ in North Sea tragedy

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Five divers and tenders died in one of the most horrific accidents ever recorded when explosive decompression boiled their blood from inside during an oil rig disaster

In one of the most horrific incidents ever documented, five men were effectively boiled alive from within following a split-second mistake 1,000 feet beneath the ocean’s surface.

In 1983, the Byford Dolphin, a semi-submersible oil drilling platform, was operating at various locations across the North Sea.

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The facility had gained a grim reputation for accidents, with the most devastating episode involving ruptured organs, boiling blood, and one man killed by a diving chamber.

A group of four British and Norwegian divers – Edwin Arthur Coward, 35, Roy P. Lucas, 38, Bjørn Giæver Bergersen, 29, and Truls Hellevik, 34 – alongside tenders William Crammond, 32, and Martin Saunders, 30, gathered to carry out a deep-sea diving operation on the rig.

For safe deep-sea work, the divers needed to be contained within a sequence of compression chambers throughout a 28-day stretch.

These highly delicate chambers stop nitrogen building up in the bloodstream, according to Lad Bible.

The pressurised living quarters were accessible via a diving bell, a ring-shaped compartment, which remained sealed off from other sections of the underwater facility.

This technique was referred to as saturation diving – it allowed divers to remain submerged for longer periods while preventing the agonising and frequently deadly accumulation of nitrogen during ascent.

Rising to the water’s surface causes nitrogen and helium to dissolve into divers’ bloodstreams, which can prove fatal.

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That’s precisely why divers within the chambers inhale a carefully calibrated blend of gases – usually helium combined with oxygen, tailored to match the diving depth.

Should divers surface too rapidly, the sudden pressure reduction can spark decompression sickness.

On that fateful 5 November 1983, Bergersen and Hellevik were making their way back to the chamber through the diving bell, with the help of tenders Crammond and Saunders.

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For a secure transfer between chambers, the diving bell required proper sealing to ward off the bends. Yet a catastrophic mechanical failure meant the bell detached moments before Hellevik could secure the chamber door.

The crew chambers inside ought to have maintained pressure at nine atmospheres, but instead dropped to one in mere fractions of a second.

Crammond lost his life after being hit by the wayward dive bell, while the four divers died immediately as nitrogen within their bloodstream transformed into bubbles, essentially causing them to boil internally.

Hellevik was forced through a 60cm aperture, with the extreme pressure causing his internal organs to be ejected from his body.

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Saunders emerged as the only survivor from the horrific incident, suffering collapsed lungs, spinal fractures and a broken neck.

An official investigation determined that human error led to the deaths. The incident remains puzzling as its exact cause stays unclear, yet it highlighted the urgent requirement for improvements in diving safety protocols.

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Exact time Storm Dave set to hit UK today with 80mph winds forecast

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Manchester Evening News

The storm is set to bring strong winds, heavy rain showers and even thick snowfall in some parts of the country

Storm Dave is set to sweep over parts of the UK over the Easter weekend today bringing wind gusts of up to 80mph, heavy rainfall and snow showers.

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The storm is hitting the UK from the west with winds ‘strengthening significantly’ throughout Saturday afternoon (April 4). The Met Office has issued yellow severe weather warnings for wind covering the whole of mainland Scotland, Northern Ireland, parts of northern England and North Wales from 5pm today into Sunday morning.

In Greater Manchester, the start of the storm is bringing heavy rain to some parts of the region this morning with showers forecast up around 11am. Cloudier weather is then expected before the strong winds begin to hit from around 6pm tonight.

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Gusts of up to around 50mph are forecast for the region, with the yellow weather warning for wind remaining in place until 7am tomorrow. The weather on Easter Sunday is expected to be more settled.

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Scotland and parts of the very north of England are set to be hit the worst by Storm Dave with winds of up to 80mph expected in some areas. Parts of northern Scotland will also see heavy snowfall as the storm sweeps over, with a separate weather warning in place for rain and snow from Saturday afternoon.

People have been warned to expect travel disruption on the roads as well as on rail, air and ferry services. Earlier, the RAC predicted it would be the busiest Easter on the roads since 2022.

Met Office deputy chief Forecaster Tom Crabtree said: “Storm Dave will form and rapidly deepen on Saturday as it approaches the UK from the west. By Saturday afternoon winds will strengthen significantly, with gusts of 60-70mph expected at times across parts of Scotland with the potential for gusts of 80-90mph in exposed coastal locations in Scotland.

“Gusts of 50-60mph are likely more widely in northern Britain. As well as strong winds, Storm Dave will also bring heavy snowfall over the hills in northern Scotland where up to 10-20cm of snow could accumulate.

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“Along with the strong winds this will lead to blizzard conditions. Elsewhere there will be heavy spells of rain as the system moves through eastwards across the UK.”

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O’Driscoll reveals truth behind Parling incident and Welsh club get big boost

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Wales Online

The rugby stories making headlines on Saturday, April 4.

These are your headlines on Saturday, April 4.

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O’Driscoll lifts lid on Parling incident

Ireland legend Brian O’Driscoll has given an insider’s take on the main talking point from the last week in rugby.

The former Lions skipper was pitchside at Villa Park for Leicester Tigers’ clash with Gloucester when Geoff Parling and Craig Doyle were involved in an on-air incident which saw the Tigers head coach push the TNT Sports presenter.

Doyle had encouraged fellow presenter Liam McDevitt to make an attempt on goal as a sort of initiation for making his debut on the show – something which incensed Parling and led to him telling Doyle “It’s not f***ing on, get off the pitch, it’s not f***ing on”.

O’Driscoll, who was watching on at Villa Park as it all played out, has now given his version of events.

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“Craig is off doing this big, long monologue at the opening of the show,” he said on the Off The Ball podcast.

“So he’s in the bowels of Villa Park, and showing all of the trophies that have been won over the years, the dressing rooms and whatnot. So he’s coming out onto the pitch, not really knowing what’s going on. The best plans in the world are fantastic, except things happen and materialise.”

He added: “Maybe have a quick go when Craig comes out,” when referencing McDevitt’s attempt on goal.

“The problem was that the rest of the team had started warming up close enough to the posts, so when Craig has his spiel with Liam, and then he kicks the goal – or missed it thankfully, because if he’d gotten it, it would have been closer to the players – Geoff comes over and Craig thinks he’s coming up for a chat, how wrong he was.

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“Anyway, he was unimpressed by it, to say the least. Gives him a shove, and then Craig comes over and asks me my first question.

“I felt for Craig, because, listen, he’s just following procedure and like his line, ‘would you sign him?’, expecting a bit of banter or something back. And instead, he gets told to f-off.”

O’Driscoll said Doyle dealt with the incident like a consummate professional.

“I have to say, what an unreal pro to be able to deal with that,” admired O’Driscoll.

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“Because it didn’t happen to me, and I was like panicking inside, whereas if it had happened to you, and then you had to do a full show for the rest of the day, it would have been brutal.

“I’m not saying it didn’t play on his mind, but I tell you, you would never have known it was. There’s no one like him. There’s really no one like him.”

Farrell backed for England

Anthony Watson reckons Owen Farrell should be picked for the England squad for this summer’s Nations Championship campaign.

Farrell hasn’t played international rugby for his country since 2023 when he took an indefinite break from Test rugby after the World Cup in order to prioritise his and his family’s mental well-being. The fly-half received terrible abuse from his own fans during the tournament, forcing him to take a step back.

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He made a return to the international fold for Lions last summer and Watson believes the 34-year-old still has plenty to offer Steve Borthwick.

“Should he be part of things in South Africa or at least offered the opportunity to be? 100 per cent,” Watson said. “I had the same opinion across the Six Nations, across last autumn as well.

“Fitness aside, I didn’t think there is a playing reason for him to not be in the squad. Historically England have played some of their best games with him at 12 and the 12 position is probably the only one which hasn’t been nailed down by anyone yet.”

He added: “For me, Owen is someone who could slot into that 12 shirt immediately and be unshakeable.

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“He could provide the gel to that backline, become the final nailed-on England backline player. Then, I would argue, they have one of the top-three backlines in the world.”

Wales star returns to boost Cardiff

Wales backrower Alex Mann will make his first Cardiff appearance since the Six Nations as the Welsh club take on Benetton in the EPCR Challenge Cup.

Mann was one of Wales’ better players during the championship and his return is a big boost for the Blue & Blacks who are riddled with injuries.

Cardiff have handed first starts to second-row Evan Rees and centre Elijah Evans for this round-of-16 clash in Treviso.

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Former Ireland international Ed Byrne will also make his first appearance of the season as he starts on the loosehead.

Cardiff lost nine more players to injury on their recent tour of South Africa, with five senior locks on the sidelines and Wales wing Josh Adams struggling with a niggle.

“We took a bit of a battering out in South Africa in terms of injuries but we are here to win games and kick on,” said Cardiff captain Liam Belcher.

“It’s the part of the season when you do get stretched, especially with international boys coming back with battered bodies.

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“And if you had said in June or July that we would be in this position in the league and in the round of 16 in the cup then I would have bitten your hand off.”

Cardiff: I Lloyd; Grady, E Evans, B Thomas, Beetham; Sheedy, Bevan; Byrne, Belcher (capt), Assiratti, E Rees, Thornton, Mann, D Thomas, Lawrence. Replacements: D Hughes, Barratt, Wainwright, de la Rua, E Lloyd, I Davies, Jennings, Winnett.

Ospreys suffer injury blow

Wales’ Six Nations captain Dewi Lake is missing from the Ospreys‘ team to face Ulster on Saturday but Jac Morgan will captain the side.

Lake has played his last game for the club after undergoing shoulder surgery but the Ospreys are boosted by the return of experienced Wales loosehead Gareth Thomas.

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The Ospreys’ hopes of reaching the play-off’s of the United Rugby Championship are hanging by a thread, which makes this round of 16 Challenge Cup tie all the more important.

“We are delighted to have him back,” said Ospreys head coach Mark Jones when asked about Wales star Morgan.

“I am sure Ulster would have been hoping his name was not on the team sheet this weekend because if I was coaching against him I would be hoping for the same thing. That is the respect people have for Jac.

“It is a big challenge to come back after more than four months out and return to operate at a level he has been.

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“That is a sign of class because even the best players sometimes get a while to get warmed up, but Jac has hit the ground running.”

Morgan is joined in the backrow by Morgan Morris and Huw Sutton with Ryan Smith and Rhys Davies in the second-row.

Thomas, Sam Parry and Rhys Henry form a strong scrummaging front-row. Behind the scrum Reuben Morgan-Williams returns to wear the number nine jersey with Dan Edwards at outside-half.

Keiran Williams and Owen Watkin are the centres with Jack Walsh, Daniel Kasende and Luke Morgan in the back-three.

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Ospreys: Walsh; Kasende, Watkin, K Williams, L Morgan; Edwards, R Morgan-Williams; G Thomas, Parry, Henry, R Davies, Smith, Sutton, J Morgan (capt), M Morris. Replacements: Daniel, S Thomas, Botha, Fender, Deaves, Hardy, Boshoff, Hopkins.

Dragons avoid big crisis

The Dragons have avoided a scrum-half injury crisis after Niall Armstrong and Morgan Lloyd were passed fit to face Stade Francais on Sunday.

Filo Tiatia’s side travel to Paris for a round of 16 clash in the Challenge Cup and will be relieved both are fit after Rhodri Williams and Armstrong suffered head injuries against the Lions last weekend.

There was a strong possibility they wouldn’t have a specialist nine but Armstrong has passed his head injury assessment and Lloyd has recovered from a hamstring injury.

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Tiatia has made three changes to the side that lost in Johannesburg last weekend with Tinus de Beer wearing the number 10 shirt which pushes Angus O’Brien to full-back.

Second-row Levi Douglas also comes into the starting XV while David Richards starts on the wing.

“It’s going to be tough because they are a very good side, especially at home, and ran away with a very good win against Clermont,” said Tiatia.

“They are well coached and I like the way that they play with big forwards in the middle and they love trying to get the ball back with the highest turnovers in the Top 14.

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“Stade have threats right across the back line. We have our work cut out but we are looking forward to the challenge.

“There is no point putting the jersey on and going out there without any belief.”

Dragons: O’Brien (co-capt); Richards, Inisi, Owen, Dyer; de Beer, Armstrong; Martinez, Coghlan, Coleman, Douglas, Carter (co-capt), Woodman, Young, Wainwright. Replacements: Dee, W Jones, James, S Davies, Keddie, M Lloyd, Paea, Anderson.

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