It could see the creation of assembly and manufacturing facilities for the offshore wind industry

Plans for a “transformative programme” of works to redevelop the port of Port Talbot have taken a step forward after an early stage application to the local council.

The project known as the ‘Future Port Talbot’ programme will look to construct new marine and land-side infrastructure at the south Wales port in order to facilitate the creation of huge floating offshore wind-farms in the Celtic Sea.

The work could eventually see the creation of assembly and manufacturing facilities for the offshore wind industry along with a new quay wall, land-side material and equipment storage if taken forward. Stay in the know by making sure you’re receiving our daily newsletter.

It comes after The UK Government announced a £64m investment into the port of Port Talbot in March of 2026 to enable Associated British Ports, (ABP) to complete the essential design and engineering work needed.

Additionally, in 2025 the Crown Estate struck a leasing agreement with developers to build three floating offshore wind-farms in the Celtic Sea, one in English waters, one in Welsh waters and a third straddling both.

As a result it is hoped that the port could support thousands of new jobs once completed, potentially unlocking over £500m of investment for the town and wider area.

The latest submission to Neath Port Talbot Council was revealed as part of officers delegated decisions made between March 13 and May 14, 2026.

It confirmed the intention of ABP to submit a Harbour Revision Order for the works in Port Talbot.

A scoping direction also confirmed the full plans would need to include an environmental impact assessment as well as an application for a Marine Licence from Natural Resources Wales.

A section of the Associated British Ports website which discusses the Future Port Talbot Programme said: “Port Talbot has been at the forefront of industrial change before, and ABP’s vision is to lead that change again.

“Port Talbot has a natural sheltered deep-water harbour and large land that can be developed.

“It is close to floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea and has strong export potential.

“The port sits within communities with a rich industrial heritage and a strong base of relevant skills and experience.

“These plans support growth in Wales and the UK and can help drive wider economic regeneration across South Wales.”

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The 37-year-old was arrested at Bitterley CofE Primary School, and has been released on bail

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A woman was arrested at a school nursery at the weekend, accused of administering a “noxious substance”.

Police officers were summoned to the nursery at Bitterley CofE Primary School, near Ludlow, Shropshire on Saturday.

West Mercia Police said a 37-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of administering a noxious substance and has since been released on bail, reports the Mirror.

No serious injuries were reported, the force has said.

A West Mercia Police spokesman said: “A number of enquiries have been carried out, and a 37-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of administering a noxious substance.

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“She has been released on bail as the investigation continues.

“We are also working closely with the school, Shropshire Council’s safeguarding team, Diocese of Hereford MAT and the Integrated Care Board to ensure that all appropriate safeguarding measures are being followed.

“Thankfully no serious injuries have been reported.

“Understandably, people will have questions about what has happened, but we would ask people to avoid speculating while we carry out our investigation.”

Anthony Head might be known for his role on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but 30 million people tuned in for the final Nescafé Gold Blend advert

Long before Anthony Head became an international star courtesy of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, he was already a big hit in the UK – thanks to the long-running Gold Blend adverts.

During the 80s, when TV could be a bit patchy to say the least, sometimes the ads were actually better than the programmes. And Nescafé discovered they were onto a winner in 1987 when they cast dashing 29-year-old Anthony alongside the impossibly glamorous Sharon Maughan, who was married to Trevor Eve and three years his senior.

Their simmering will-they-won’t-they saga – always over a cup of coffee, even though they behaved like a couple who’d been drinking something far stronger – had tens of millions of viewers gripped.

And the pair of them managed to keep it up for a staggering six years by which time the nation was looking forward to the next instalment in the same way we looked forward to Dallas, Dynasty or Moonlighting. We were hooked.

It explains why, when the final ads ran in 1993, they were watched by a staggering 30 million people. Nescafé did pretty well out of it too, with sales of “sophisticated” Gold Blend, the instant coffee for posh people (if there is such a thing), rising by 50%.

Each 45-second advert, developed by McCann Erickson, would last about six months before the next one came along. It wasn’t until the 12th that the pair – called Tony and Sharon just like the actors – actually professed their love for one another.

The storyline kicked off with them as neighbours and her going round to borrow some coffee because she was having a dinner party and had run out. Viewers did not miss Tony’s raised eyebrow of appreciation as he invited her in.

Soon she was popping back to tell him that he’d “saved her life” with his Gold Blend, and then came the many false starts which kept stringing us along for years.

At one point he found another man in her flat – and didn’t realise it was her brother. He hoped she’d go and meet him in New York, even telling her which hotel he was in, but she didn’t go, but then he found her Concorde tickets and wondered why she’d stood him up. She turned up one night and kissed him in the doorway but was gutted to find an old flame was already there, stealing her thunder.

Then there was the discovery that he didn’t like opera, while she didn’t like jazz. And she “loathed” modern art – which was his actual job. But they did still both like the coffee. Which eventually led to her ringing him in the middle of the night to declare: “I want to see you. Now.” Surely this was it?

Not quite. The next time he had to literally extract her from a restaurant where she was dining with a suave Italian, before telling her he loved her. Phew! We got there in the end.

It’s fair to say it was the particular chemistry between Sharon and Tony that made the couple so enticing – because twice afterwards the coffee bigwigs tried to replicate their success, and twice they failed. Louise Hunt and Mark Aiken ran for a bit before petering out in 1997 and the next pair, Simon Bendix and Neil Roberts lasted for just one solitary ad.

The magic had gone. It showed that the ad was of its moment and would probably never work again. But back then it was just what we wanted – a handsome, alpha male and a confident woman with swishy hair and earrings big enough to make Pat Butcher wince. Mad Men, eat your heart out.

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The trousers have a few different items you can pair them with.

If you are tired of having to buy new clothes for each season, you might want to start creating your own capsule wardrobe. Tesco’s clothing brand, F&F, has plenty of pieces that are timeless and can be paired with a range of items.

The clothing brand has just released the F&F Pinstripe Super Wide Leg Co-ord Trousers in Ecru that can be bought with a few matching pieces. You can pair the trousers with either the matching blazer or waistcoat for a “standout look”.

The trousers have “double pleated accents” and a wide leg silhouette for a “bold finish” plus side pockets for a “functional touch”. The trousers are currently being sold for £25 with the waistcoat going for £19.50 and the blazer costs £35.

The matching set was posted in a video to the Tesco Instagram page, which currently has 892K followers. The post was captioned: “All eyes on us, just as it should be. #StyleItOut #FandFClothing.”

Fans of the F&F clothing brand have already started to share their opinions on the summery items via social media. One commenter said: “Woah! How gorgeous.”

If you want to pick up any of the items from the co-ord, you can go to the Tesco website to browse all of its clothes. You can also go in person to a Tesco store with a clothing department.

If these options are not for you, Boden has some other pieces that could be styled with anything in your wardrobe. There is this Elodie Jersey Maxi Dress that you can pick up in black or chestnut or this Strappy Linen Jumpsuit, which is easy to throw on for a hot day.

New Look also has plenty of pieces in stock for the summer. There are these Brown Cotton Broderie Wide Leg Trousers that you can pair with the Dark Brown Cotton Broderie Embroidered Scalloped Hem Cami Top or these Light Blue Denim Drawstring Wide Leg Trousers that reviews say are “very comfy and light for summer”.

In first practice, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso rescued what could have been a high-speed crash at the harbour front chicane.

The rear flicked sideways as he went over the crest at the start of the braking point, and as he corrected, the car fishtailed, sending the front towards the barriers.

Although the incident broke the car’s front-wing endplate, Alonso kept it largely under control and out of the barriers as it slid wildly up the kerb on the outside of the circuit.

Aston Martin had a difficult time in the second session, Alonso ending up 20th fastest and team-mate Lance Stroll slowest of all, and 0.880secs off the Spanish veteran.

Alonso said: “It’s a little bit of everything. We are not happy with the front axle, losing a lot of front grip in the middle of the corners and we have this chronic understeer we cannot solve.

“Upshifts, downshifts, harvesting level into the corner in Monaco is crucial to be precise and confident into the corners and at the moment it is way too inconsistent the way the car downshifts and the speed you approach the corners. It is not easy to drive. We are not at the level yet.”

The 44-year-old also came up with the latest in a series of eye-catching lines to describe his unhappiness with the new cars introduced by this year’s rules, with their nominal 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power.

“This is the worst generation of cars I drove in Monaco,” he said. “The way you charge the engine with the braking and lifting off creates a lot of inconsistency into the engine braking, sometimes you have less, sometimes you have push, sometimes not.

“If the battery is full, you don’t recharge so you don’t have engine braking. It’s like pushing. It’s just the rules. Hybrid cars should not be racing. Simple as that.”

Damian Vayro was due to attend Peterlee Magistrates’ Court for a Sexual Risk Order (SRO) hearing when security guards spotted him tucking away a paper receipt on Wednesday (June 3).

The 18-year-old’s behaviour resulted in police officers finding a Sim card holder and the receipt for a new mobile phone and he was arrested and held in custody overnight.

Joanne Bullock, prosecuting, said: “He has removed items from his pockets and a security officer noticed he was acting suspiciously.

“He was folding up a receipt for a new mobile phone and a new Sim card holder were also placed in the security tray and it was established that he was in breach of his interim sexual risk order.

“A mobile phone was then found at his home address which was identical to the one he had the receipt for.”

Ms Bullock said all of the offences took place between May 21 and June 3 this year.

Vayro, of Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland, pleaded guilty to four breaches of his interim SRO when he failed to register a new mobile phone, deleted messages on social media, accessed Facebook messenger, Instagram and Snapchat.

Lucy Redshaw, mitigating, said there was no evidence of any sexual contact recovered from the device but her client accepted he had breached the terms of the order.

She added: “He is someone who has a complex background. He is 18 and is someone with his own vulnerabilities.

“He has a low IQ and potential learning difficulties.”

William Unsworth, the chairman of the magistrates’ bench, adjourned the case until June 26 to allow time for a full pre-sentence report to be compiled on the teenager.

He was released on conditional bail until his next court appearance.

In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

The series first aired on ITV in 2019, and fans of the cancelled period drama are still calling for a second season, with some viewers describing it as one of the best series they have ever watched

Devotees of Downton Abbey are being encouraged to watch a period drama praised as “the best ever”.

Beecham House debuted in 2019, crafted by Gurinder Chadha, the director behind Bend It Like Beckham.

Situated in Delhi during 1795, amidst the Mughal era, the series chronicles the Beecham family’s experiences in their recently acquired residence.

Led by John Beecham (portrayed by Tom Bateman), a former East India Company soldier, the household relocates to the imposing estate in pursuit of a new beginning.

The synopsis continues: “John Beecham, a former soldier in the East India Company, is determined to leave the past behind him and start a new life,” reports the Mirror.

“When he arrives at the grand house the staff are shocked to discover that their secretive new master has arrived with a baby of mixed parentage.

“John is determined to reunite his family in Delhi and keep the identity of his child secret-but at what cost?”

The ITV production featured Tom alongside Lesley Nicol, Leo Suter, Good Morning Britain’s Adil Ray and Bridgerton star Bessie Carter.

Audiences were captivated upon the programme’s initial broadcast, and continue recommending it to enthusiasts of Downton Abbey and The Other Bennet Sister across social platforms.

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One person called it “superb”, while another said: “Stunning cinematography, beautiful and touching show”. They went on: “It’s very addictive, touching story and shots are so beautiful that you are just lost in it and feel every bit of the story. Waiting for season 2.”

Another said: “This production is incredible and it is so far being true to historical events. This is British TV or any TV at its best.”

Yet another begged for a second season, adding: “Having pretty much given up on finding anything worth watching on a TV screen, I discovered Beecham House. It was mesmerizing!”

Another fan wrote: “I love it!!! It cannot end like this. We need more. Pleeeeese!!!!!” (sic)

One fan called Beecham House a “phenomenal series” they binged “in one sitting”, as another called it “outstanding”.

Someone else said: “One of the best series I’ve ever watched,” adding: “This series is so underrated it really does deserve some appreciation.”

One fan added in their review: “Stunningly rich”, while another said: “I was dazzled. Can’t believe it ends like this.”

Despite fans begging for a second season, Beecham House was cancelled before another instalment, thought creator Gurinder later spoke about the possibility of it being revived.

She told Express.co.uk : “I think it’s one of those shows that had a massive following on catch up and some of our figures are incredibly high.

“Also, it had a large Asian audience which is hard to measure because there’s no way of measuring the Asian audience.”

She went on: “I think on the Sunday night it went out, it went out at the same time as Love Island. So it was unfortunate. In a way, that’s the reality.

“TV is these days to be much more about reality shows and sporting events and drama has had to you have to look at catch up audiences in figures. I think we kinda of bore the brunt of that.”

She added: “Also, I think for ITV, there’s this feeling that people in Britain are a bit tired of period dramas. Period dramas haven’t been faring as high as they used to.”

Beecham House is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.

The historic Edwardian garden at Newby Hall, Ripon, was opened by broadcaster Gyles Brandreth on Thursday, June 4.

Restoration of the 2,800sqm garden was led by Lucinda Compton and head gardener Lawrence Wright.

Work started on the garden in 2019, but the implications of Covid slowed its progress.

The refurbished rock garden at Newby Hall in Ripon (Image: Stuart Boulton)

Head gardener Lawrence said: “It’s amazing. When I joined in 2021, it was maybe a third of the way done, and it was still early days in terms of visitor engagement with the rock garden.

“We never closed the rock garden off, so visitors have seen the progress over the last seven years.

Head gardener, Lawrence Wright, speaks at the opening of the refurbished rock garden at Newby Hall in Ripon (Image: Stuart Boulton)

“It has gone from essentially being an enchanted fairy woodland over rocks that were overgrown and had their own charm, to something that is horticulturally interesting and has a different feel.

“It is much more engaging; there is a better range of plants, and it’s more horticulturally focused.”

Aiming to recapture the original drama and romance of the rock garden, while conserving it for future generations, hundreds of tonnes of soil have been excavated and replaced, with tonnes of gravel applied as mulch.

The refurbished rock garden at Newby Hall in Ripon (Image: Stuart Boulton)

More than 10,000 plants, bulbs, trees and shrubs have been planted, and the waterfall and aqueduct bridge restored.

Lawrence added: “We are proud of the whole garden, but it is great we’ve now got this piece that is a fantastic addition to the garden.

“It is a completely different style to the rest of the garden, so as a team, it’s a great thing to have had the chance to work on.”

The refurbished rock garden at Newby Hall in Ripon (Image: Stuart Boulton)

And he also said Gyles Brandreth was a “really nice chap”.

“He was really engaged with the garden when he was here,” Lawrence said.

“He wanted to know what we’d done and how we’d done it. He absolutely loved the rock garden, and it was fantastic he wanted to join us.

“He hit the nail on the head when he was saying that it was an enchanted place in his speech before the ribbon cutting.”