Andrew Rowbotham, who has been the owner of The Crown at Mickleton since 2011, announced last month it will only open on a Sunday from now on.

Yesterday (April 25), marked the pub’s final Saturday service.

A number of specials were served from 12-8pm, including Thai Stir Fried Belly Pork and Roasted Salmon with creamy mash, English asparagus and chive butter sauce.

The dessert specials included warm cookie dough and dulce de leche ice cream.

The pub is now moving to Sunday lunches only.

Andrew previously explained why the decision had been taken.

He said: “Costs are soaring, and you have got major chefs going on mainstream media saying how bad it is. Tom Kerridge has made pleas to the Government and other people to try and turn the ship around.

Andrew Rowbotham and Jo O’Brian at The Crown at Mickleton (Image: STUART BOULTON)

“People learned in the pandemic there was a better life than being stuck in the kitchen. You could go and work in Amazon and get paid by the hour.

“We are in a situation now where we need to continue to be supported and keep the dream alive, and it is really difficult.”

The Crown now only employs four members of staff; at one point Andrew said it employed 25-30 staff members.

The pub made The Northern Echo’s top ten Best Restaurants or Gastropubs competition.

But Andrew spoke of the harsh reality of where the industry currently is.

He said: “Awards are a really special thing, and we should be really positive towards it, but the reality is, the industry is in crisis, and nobody is listening.”

Although today marks the pub’s final Saturday service, The Crown will be taking its food truck on the road to weddings, events and pop-ups.

Next week it will be at The Grey Bull, Stanhope from 5pm until 8pm on Thursday, April 30.

On the Friday it will be at Moonlight Market in Bishop Auckland from 4pm until 9pm where it will serve a street food menu and specials.

The B6276 in Lunedale, Teesdale, was closed around 2.30pm yesterday after emergency services rushed to the scene of a crash between a motorbike and a car, with the ambulance service describing it as a ‘serious’ incident.

But, the road has now reopened, according to the AA, which is currently showing no delays or closures on the route.

The B6276 is reopen after a ‘serious’ crash on Saturday. (Image: AA)

Pictures from Saturday afternoon show uniformed officers at the scene with cones and a road closure sign in place.

(Image: STUART BOULTON)

A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We received a call to 999 at 2.22pm to reports of a serious road traffic collision on the B6276 in Lunedale between a motorcyclist and a car. 

“We sent a clinical team leader, air ambulance, emergency ambulance crew and a community paramedic.”

Durham Police and County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) also attended the crash.

The fire service said they worked at the scene for around an hour.

A County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue spokesperson said: “We sent two fire engines to the incident on the B6276.

“One fire engine remained at the incident for approximately one hour.

“The initial call was at 2.35pm and we can confirm our engines and staff are no longer at the scene.”

An ex-Manchester United star suffered financial ruin despite earning millions in his playing days

Wes Brown is now offering financial guidance to young sports stars following his recovery from bankruptcy.

Becoming a professional at Manchester United guarantees substantial wealth at a young age, but significant risks exist too. Brown experienced both extremes of that reality, reportedly enjoying a lavish lifestyle throughout his 22-year career, only to face serious financial troubles in retirement.

The former defender made 362 senior appearances and earned £50,000 a week – equivalent to £2.6million a year – at his peak. Following his Old Trafford departure in 2011, he had stints at Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers and Indian side Kerala Blasters.

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However, Brown faced significant financial troubles in 2023, following a costly split from his ex-wife Leanne, when he was declared bankrupt by HMRC. It was additionally reported that he suffered losses through property investments.

A source further told the Daily Mail that Brown frittered away a considerable portion of his wealth trying to keep pace with colleagues who were earning significantly more.

The 46-year-old, who won seven Premier League titles and two FA Cups, shared a dressing room with big earners such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs at Old Trafford.

Just over a year after his bankruptcy, Brown revealed he was piecing his life back together. He said: “Luckily, I still work, so that’s good. It’s all been sorted now in the sense that I know what I need to do and everybody is happy with everything.

“So I’m just getting on with it now and carrying on really. It was a tough ride, it’s something that is hard to deal with on your own at times.”

Having retired from the game in 2018, Brown opted against moving into management, instead dedicating himself to coaching, fulfilling ambassadorial responsibilities for United and, most notably, delivering financial literacy training for professional athletes.

The former England international acknowledged that he could have greatly benefited from the sort of guidance he gives to others, back when his own finances were still in good shape. He said: “For me, it was more of a case of not knowing who I could speak to about stuff.

“Sometimes it’s just a feeling of, ‘I’m not sure that was the right thing to do.’ I feel if I could have the time again, I would have more people in the room and I would have taken advice from people. But that wasn’t available at the time.”

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

Everything from fish and chips suppers to gin tastings will be on offer as a series of food and drink experiences return to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) this spring and summer.

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has unveiled a series of mouth-watering food and drink experiences.

The heritage railway, which runs from Pickering to Grosmont and on to Whitby, has unveiled a programme of speciality services designed to combine dining with views across the North York Moors.

Organisers say there is something for everyone to enjoy along one of Britain’s most scenic heritage railways, from comforting dining journeys to lively themed events.

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Among the first events are Fish and Chips Services on April 25 and 29, featuring featuring freshly-prepared fish and chips from award-winning Capplemans of Pickering.

Diners will enjoy a relaxed dining experience from Pickering to Goathland and back, with tea or coffee and an optional home-made cream scone served on the return journey.

Over the early May bank holiday, a Mini Beer Festival will take place at Goathland Station Tearoom from May 2 to 4. Visitors can sample seven ales from local breweries, alongside a guest cider, wines and Prosecco. Running across three days (or until the barrels run dry), visitors can hop on and off the railway whilst soaking up the atmosphere at Goathland.

A Pullman afternoon tea is on the menu this summer.

In June, a range of Pullman and tasting experiences will run on selected dates. These include a North Yorkshire Pullman Afternoon Tea on June 9 and 10, featuring a classic afternoon tea experience in style whilst travelling through the North York Moors. Guests will be welcomed with a drink before indulging in a selection of savoury goodies followed by freshly-baked scones, cakes, and sweet treats on the return journey. Tea, coffee, and handmade speciality chocolates will also be available.

A Gin Tasting Experience is being held on June 23 in partnership with Whitby Distillery and hosted aboard the Great Western Saloon, offering guests the chance to sample a selection of gins paired with light bites.

A Pullman Cream Tea service follows on June 27, offering a savoury course of either local butcher’s pork pie or vegetarian quiche followed by a traditional cream tea with freshly baked scones, jam, and cream..

A Wine Tasting journey through the North York Moors takes place on June 30 which will pair a selection of wines with a charcuterie sharing board. This relaxing experience takes place within the heritage carriage, the Great Western Saloon.

The programme continues into the summer with a Yorkshire Day Ploughman’s service on August 1 and 2, where passengers can enjoy a welcome drink and a hearty Ploughman’s selection during an 18-mile return journey.

The NYMR, an award-winning charitable trust, attracts around 250,000 passengers each year and is one of the North East’s leading visitor attractions.

Full details of events and bookings are available at nymr.co.uk/specials.

Andrew James Peacock, 46, has made such a nuisance of himself to emergency call handlers he is banned from calling 999 except for genuine reasons, York Crown Court heard.

He is also banned from NHS premises except for emergencies or genuine appointments because he has caused problems for medical staff.

Brooke Morrison, prosecuting, described how he made a series of unjustified 999 calls last year, during which he threatened to slit his wrists, start a fight, insulted control room staff and claimed he had been robbed but wouldn’t give any details.

He also sped up and down the aisles of a Lidl in his home town on a mobility scooter, despite being banned from the store, and threatened to kill a security staff who tried to remove him from the building.

Judge Simon Hickey said Peacock, who has 344 previous convictions, wasted taxpayers’ money, and the time and resources of emergency service workers that could be better used on people who did need help.

He deferred sentence for three months to give Peacock the opportunity to take up an offer he says he has of a residential alcohol treatment position and to show he can behave himself.

“I want to see if there is an opportunity to break this incredible list of convictions  – most of the convictions are for identical behaviour,” he said.

The judge told Peacock that if he reoffends before he returns to court on July 24 or if he doesn’t save money to compensate the security officer, he will be jailed for between three to four years including the sentence currently suspended.

Peacock, of Alexander Way, Richmond, pleaded guilty to seven charges of breaching the criminal behaviour order that includes the 999 and NHS bans and also bans him from being drunk in public or having an open can of alcohol in public and one charge of using threatening words or behaviour towards the security officer.  

For all of the offences he was on a suspended prison sentence for other offences.

Defence barrister Anastasis Tasou said: “Every single offence before the court for many, many years has been fuelled by alcohol. He has been ravaged by a 26-year addiction, he has liver disease, heart disease, diabetes.”

Ms Morrison told the court how Peacock had made such a nuisance of himself at a medical practice and at a hotel in Darlington on Christmas Eve, police had had to be called to deal with him, and he had also made a nuisance of himself at Richmond Police Station.

So how do you cope with the Crucible pressure when stuck in the chair?

“The psychology aspect of snooker is enormous,” said Chris Henry, a subconscious brain and performance coach, who has worked with some of the sport’s biggest names including Murphy, Stephen Hendry, Mark Selby, Luca Brecel, Jimmy White, Ali Carter and 2026 debutant Liam Pullen.

“You have to be very mentally strong in snooker, you have to be tough and know how to deal with the situation. It’s not what happens that counts, it’s how you choose to deal with what happens.

“Snooker is a dead-ball sport so you have a long time to think about things, which is not always good. Being sat in the chair, feeling completely helpless is a terrible place to be, especially if you’re not playing well and feel embarrassed.

“It’s better to get out of that environment. Negative things are happening in the subconscious and you have to change to get into a better state.”

He advises “doing some breathing exercises, just to calm down and get into the performance state” in order to change from a negative to a positive state quickly.

Carter provided one of the best examples of quickly going from negative to positive when he found himself 4-0 down to John Higgins at the mid-session interval, gaining just 37 points in four brutal frames.

“I would’ve been quite happy to get in my car and drive home, I was absolutely seething,” said Carter afterwards.

However, after composing himself, Carter won all five of the remaining frames in the session against the four-time champion, although the Scot would eventually prevail 10-7.

Councillors have finalised locations for the signs, with installation expected to follow over the coming weeks.

The project was driven by a desire to move away from standard “Welcome to Bolton” boundary signs in favour of something that better reflects the area’s character.

Both the proposed signs. (Image: Supplied)

Cllr Nadim Muslim said: “We wanted something that felt more personal to Egerton and Bromley Cross.”

“These places have a strong sense of identity, and the signs are about recognising that.”

The designs have been made with support from the Turton Local History Society and have taken a year to make.

At the heart of the signs will be a newly commissioned version of the historic Turton crest, linked to Henry Cheetham and once used by the former Turton District Council.

Cllr Nadim Muslim. (Image: Nadim Muslim)

A Lancashire rose will also feature on the signs, which reflect the lasting connection many residents still feel to the county’s heritage.

The response from residents has so far been mostly positive, with many saying they have wanted signs like these for years.

This doesn’t come without negativity, as some say the councillors are not prioritising other issues.

Cllr Muslim added: “We are being inundated with messages from people who have wanted this for a while. We’re responding to what people want.

The Turton crest. (Image: Supplied)

“There will always be people who disagree. We’ve had potholes filled, bin collections sorted, and tackled speeding on the roads, that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate our heritage.”

Careful consideration has been given to where the signs will be located, with the council ensuring pavements remain clear and accessible.

The Egerton sign is expected to be placed near the junction of Cox Green Road and Blackburn Road, while the Bromley Cross sign will be installed towards Chapeltown Road.

For now, the focus is on marking borough boundaries, with potential additional locations to be explored in the future.

Supporters say the new signs are a simple way to show pride in the communities they call home.

Your latest round up of cases heard between April 20 and April 24

Cases before Northern Ireland’s courts this past week included a custodial sentence handed down to a 23-year-old man charged with rioting in Ballymena last summer.

Elsewhere, a court heard that a man charged with making a series of threatening social media posts against an MLA claimed they were just “political opponents”.

And an intruder who spent hours trying on assorted drag queen costumes in a Belfast venue was jailed for seven months.

Here is your latest round up of cases before the courts between Monday, April 20 and Friday, April 24.

Man, 23, jailed over summer riots in Ballymena

A 23-year-old man charged with rioting in Ballymena last summer has been handed a custodial sentence.

At Antrim Crown Court on Monday, Kurtis Dunlop, 23, was sentenced to 32 months imprisonment, with half to be served in prison and half on licence.

On Monday, June 9 2025 large-scale disorder broke out on the streets of Ballymena, involving a crowd of rioters and lasting for three consecutive nights. Further violence occurred across Northern Ireland including at Larne, Newtownabbey, Portadown and Derry.

Dunlop, was first observed at Bridge Street in Ballymena, throwing a piece of masonry at a police vehicle. Soon after he, along with other rioters launched a sustained attack on officers throwing fireworks, bottles and other items at police lines.

Read more here

NI man told MLA he’d be ‘getting smashed to bits’, court hears

A Co Antrim man charged with making a series of threatening social media posts against an MLA claimed they were just “political opponents”, the High Court heard on Tuesday.

Andrew Moran, 30, allegedly issued menacing Facebook comments which left Democratic Unionist Party representative Trevor Clarke fearing he could be attacked.

Moran, of Grange Lane in Newtownabbey, denies counts of improper use of a public electronic communications network, threatening or abusive behaviour, harassment and intimidation of a witness.

He was released on bail but banned from making any contact with Mr Clarke. The South Antrim MLA received the first messages on March 27 this year after announcing on Facebook that he was holding a constituency surgery in the Mallusk area.

Sent from an account in the name of Andrew Thomas Moran, one of the responses warned: “F*** away back off to Randalstown, or you’ll be getting smashed to bits.”

Prosecutors claimed the defendant also posted: “Should have had your arms and legs broken years ago, how you are still sneaking about is beyond me.”

A further message said to have been directed at the politician stated: “The Orangemen don’t want you.”

Mr Clarke received a number of YouTube links from the same account, the court heard, including footage of one man physically assaulting another.

Read more here

Pastor accused of illegal protest at NI abortion clinic awaits verdict

On Wednesday a judge reserved his verdict in the case of a retired Baptist pastor who is accused of conducting an illegal abortion protest inside the limits of a “safe access zone.”

Having heard the evidence in the case against Clive Johnston last month, counsel for the prosecution and defence supplemented their skeleton arguments before District Judge Peter King at Limavady Magistrates Court, sitting in Coleraine.

Mr Johnston, from the Melmount Road in Sion Mills and who is a former President of the Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland, faces two offences under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act (Northern Ireland) 2023.

The 77-year-old retired pastor is accused of doing an act in a safe access zone at the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, “namely conducted a protest with the intent of, or being reckless as to whether, it had the effect of influencing a protected person whether directly or indirectly, in connection with the protected person attending the premises,” on 7 July last year.

The pensioner is further charged that on the same date he “failed to comply with a direction…to leave a safe access zone.”

Read more here

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Man stabbed after neighbourhood feud “boiled over”, court told

A man was stabbed in the chest after his neighbourhood feud with a father and son “boiled over” into weapons being wielded on a north Belfast street, a court heard on Wednesday.

The victim, aged in his thirties, suffered a partially collapsed lung during the alleged attack carried out in broad daylight at Oldpark Avenue on Monday.

Paul John Burns, 46, faces charges of attempted murder and possessing a knife with intent to commit an indictable offence.

His 65-year-old father, Paul Burns Senior, is accused of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and having an offensive weapon in public, namely a small wooden baton, in connection with the incident.

Both defendants were remanded in custody amid police claims that an ongoing dispute has now developed into an outburst of severe violence.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard they became involved in an altercation with the injured party outside their Oldpark Avenue home shortly before 5pm on April 20.

The man claimed that as he approached his mother’s house two doors away Paul Burns Sr struck him on the elbow with a wooden bat.

Paul Burns Junior then emerged from the defendants’ home holding a kitchen knife and stabbed him in the chest, it was alleged.

A friend of the victim drove him to the Mater Hospital where he subsequently underwent surgery.

Read more here

PSNI officers to stand trial charged with warning Belfast bars of Covid checks

Two PSNI officers are to stand trial charged with warning Belfast bar owners in advance of Covid-19 checks on their premises, a judge ordered on Thursday.

The policemen appeared in court for a preliminary inquiry into allegations of alerting licenses at three pubs in the city’s Shankill area during the coronavirus pandemic.

Neither officer can be named because of interim reporting restrictions imposed to protect their identities.

Both constables face three counts of misconduct in a public office over a period between December 2021 and March 2022.

Licensees of the Royal Bar, the Diamond Jubilee and Bar Berlin were allegedly forewarned about police inspections to establish if the premises were complying with emergency public health regulations in force at the time, according to the charges.

Restrictions had been put in place on the number of people sharing restaurant and pub facilities as part of social distancing efforts to tackle a surge in the number of Covid cases.

Police officers then carried out checks to ensure the rules were being followed.

There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing or criminal activity by the owners of the three pubs.

One of the defendants is further accused of unlawfully obtaining personal data, namely contained on PSNI computer records.

Read more here

Intruder who spent hours trying on drag queen costumes in Belfast venue jailed

An intruder who spent hours trying on assorted drag queen costumes in a Belfast city centre venue was jailed for seven months on Friday.

Gvidas Malinauskas, 42, repeatedly entered a dressing room at the Union Street Bar to dress up in wigs, boots and catsuits.

He caused more than £1,000 damage to performers’ clothing left ripped, stained and smelling of urine, prosecutors said.

Malinauskas, a Lithuanian national of no fixed abode, admitted charges of burglary with intent to steal and criminal damage.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard police were alerted after staff at the venue on Union Street discovered an unknown man in a drag queen dressing room on September 21 last year.

CCTV checks showed Malinauskas entering the bar through an unlocked front door at around 9am that morning.

He went upstairs into the dressing room, remaining in the area until he initially left just after midday.

“He was wearing a white fluffy coat, pink boots and a long wig,” a Public Prosecution Service lawyer said.

About an hour later the defendant was observed back in the same area of the premises.

He was still in the same boots but had changed into a beige catsuit, the court heard.

Read more here

Man who wrapped Nazi flag around his hand before racist attack avoids jail

A man who wrapped a Nazi flag around his hand before punching a man in the face during a racist assault was handed a suspended jail sentence on Friday.

Sentencing Jamie Taylor at Craigavon Magistrates Court, Deputy District Judge Gerard Trainor told the 36-year-old his attack was “racism through and through, naked.”

“Behaviour of this nature is unacceptable in any right-thinking society,” the judge declared and turning to Taylor demanded to know, “have you anything to say?”

“Sorry, Your Worship,” Taylor replied, “sorry to the injured party.”

“I am not convinced that you are,” Judge Trainor told him, adding that “the only question is whether you go to prison today, or the next day when you commit further offences.”

Taylor, from the Tandragee Road in Gilford, had earlier entered guilty pleas to charges of common assault, disorderly behaviour, criminal damage and resisting police, all committed on 27 February this year.

Read more here

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But it’s a strange thing: he hasn’t really made total sense until this moment. As in, he was always a massive rock star who now finally has the massive rock star stages to strut around on. Previously – at least among snooty media – Yungblud was a curio. A highly likeable punk kid, articulate, outspoken about mental health, fearlessly political, funny, good-looking, he was too poppy to please the metallers, too much of a showman for slouching hipsters, and his teen appeal was just not the done thing; heavy forbid rock n roll, a music invented by and for teenagers, should actually have a teenage audience. And yet through sheer force of will, he has built and built his crowd, working hard, building his “family” and just making it happen – this was a guy who couldn’t get booked for festivals, so he simply put on his own; this summer the 3rd Bludfest takes place in Czechia.