The drama before the ‘low-key family meeting’ was quite the media whirlwind.

But since Prince Harry, his wife Meghan and their children Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, met the King and Queen for tea at Highgrove last Friday, all has been silent.

Just as I revealed in these pages three weeks ago, the conditions of the reconciliation were that there were to be no cameras in the room, no briefings and no Instagram posts about jam or anything else.

To these strictures, an apparently humbled Harry agreed ‘in a heartbeat’ and he has been as good as his word.

As a friend of his says: ‘Harry was never going to let the kids down, they were so invested in the trip.

‘They FaceTime with Charles all the time, so they already have a relationship but they were so excited to finally come. It was their first proper chance to meet.’

Meghan, 44, had not visited the UK since the Queen’s funeral in September 2022. The children meanwhile had not been in the UK since the Platinum Jubilee in June that year.

Queen Camilla, described by Harry as ‘dangerous’ and a ‘villain’ who left ‘bodies in the street’ in a television interview to promote Spare just three years ago, sat out his previous (brief) meeting with the King in February 2024. This time, significantly, she was also there.

However, this week People magazine – long understood to be the unofficial Sussex mouthpiece – reported that there was actually ‘a lot of sadness’ over how the week unfolded.

A friend of Harry’s said that he was ‘never going to let the kids down’ as ‘they were so invested in the trip’ to see their grandfather, King Charles

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Meghan was upset not to be able to be by her husband’s side in public and the fact that the chaos over their security arrangements was hashed out in public left her feeling ‘humiliated’.

But in the end the most important objective was achieved and those close to the Prince say that this significant step towards making peace with his father was actually all that mattered.

He was said to feel ‘buoyed’ and ‘energised’ after the meeting and certainly was in high spirits the following day fooling around with water bombs and goat yoga at Maxstoke Castle, Warwickshire, for the Scotty’s Little Soldiers charity, which supports bereaved military children.

But then I can reveal what was at stake was more than simply a grandfather, who has not been in the best of health, spending time with his grandchildren or even healing the wounds caused by Oprah, Spare, Harry & Meghan on Netflix, the court actions against the Home Office and all the rest of it – the Sussexes are seeking to reverse Megxit.

It seems that a return to the UK is being contemplated in some form and that the couple’s holiday home in Portugal will be used as a staging post back to Britain.

I’m told there are two key reasons for this.

A friend of Prince Harry says: ‘There is definitely a feeling in his camp that he has started to feel a bit unwelcome in America.

‘That has been an increasing and significant shift in sentiment, a feeling that the American dream might not be all that it was cracked up to be.

‘I am told that this is coming from Meghan as well as from him. I hear that Meghan is all for rekindling with and reconnecting with Harry’s English side. She is fully behind it.’

Their dwindling star power and the end of their deals with Spotify and Netflix must surely play a part, as must Meghan’s fading popularity among the supporters, like Ted Sarandos of Netflix, who had previously been her cheerleaders.

The source adds: ‘England is where Harry’s heart has always lain. It is no secret that they went to the States to try and seek their fortune, to try to capitalise on his fame and his royalty to some degree.

‘They have had successes. A $100million Netflix deal is not nothing.

‘But that American dream is cooling and she feels an outcast status as well.

‘She feels like she is trying to push fresh thoughts and projects but it is not easy. So maybe enough water has now passed under the bridge here for some form of a return.’

That’s not a permanent or imminent return, but to hear it being mooted still feels like a bombshell.

Another source, who is less sympathetic to the Sussexes, says they suspect a different kind of cooling may lie behind the manoeuvres.

The source said: ‘I don’t think he’s ever wanted to be estranged from his family. I think when he was madly in love with Meghan he could be blind enough to choose her. Now things are different, and the veil is lifting.’

Harry was said to feel ‘buoyed’ and ‘energised’ and was in high spirits after fooling around with goat yoga at Maxstoke Castle, Warwickshire, for the Scotty’s Little Soldiers charity

Travelling to the UK is going to be made easier by the Sussexes’ purchase of a home in Portugal, perhaps allowing Harry and Meghan to be ‘half in and half out’

Prince Harry still sees himself as a ‘working royal’, but there’s a growing acceptance by the Palace that he and Meghan will have to be busy commercially if they are to fund their expensive life, and expensive private security, in Montecito.

The couple want to carry on making money in the US and elsewhere, but to be treated as ‘working royals’ when in the UK.

The situation now is that Harry earns money from sustainable travel company Travalyst and business coaching firm BetterUp, and is trying to make money from the Archewell production company, while Meghan has her lifestyle company As Ever and gets commission from plugging outfits she has worn on an e-commerce platform. But Harry is also undertaking charity work with his patronages on UK soil and being welcomed by the King in his home.

It is a short hop from that reality to Harry and his family staying in a royal palace when he is next in the UK.

And if that protocol is established, which Harry apparently feels sure can happen next time, then he looks as ‘half in and half out’ – precisely what the late Queen barred the couple from doing – as you can imagine.

What we do know is that Harry will be back in September for another charity event.

There is an expectation that there will be another meeting with the King, and that he will accept an offer to stay at Buckingham Palace – in good time, this time.

(On this visit he declared that he had accepted the offer to stay at Buckingham Palace but it then transpired that he had left it too late, and the offer had been withdrawn because it didn’t give staff enough notice.)

Next summer, he will be in Birmingham for all ten days of the Invictus Games and the plan is that Meghan will come with him for the whole thing. ‘If she is in the UK then they will want to bring the children too,’ says the friend.

If it is possible, I’m told he would like the children to see what he does and experience some of the atmosphere of the games, which are very close to his heart. Where might they stay? Highgrove would make perfect sense, geographically.

The view from the Palace side, as told to the Sunday Times, was that the King ‘will never shut the door on the possibility of spending time with his family because despite all the trouble, blood is blood’.

Crucially, this travelling to the UK is going to be made easier by the Sussexes’ purchase of a home in Portugal.

As revealed in October 2024 by Richard Eden in this newspaper, the home on a private estate in Alentejo is near to one owned by Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank.

A source says: ‘They had a house built in Portugal for the kids to be close to their royal side in case they want to participate. It’s in a private part, I’m not sure it’s finished yet. Meghan was having Soho House decorate it.’

Harry’s friend says: ‘The house in Portugal is a foot on the right side of the pond and I believe that they spent time there after being in the UK last week and before it as well. It’s striking distance for them to get to London.

‘Harry has no desire to be Eurotrash, he is very proudly British and English and wants to be in England but Portugal could be a kind of a stepping stone for a couple of years.’

The issue which vexed last week’s visit was security. Harry felt that the provision, unchanged for the past five years, wasn’t good enough.

He wanted RAVEC, the Home Office committee, to reassess the security he and his family were given, and he wanted his own private security to receive intelligence from the security services.

From the Palace side, the King has reportedly said he ‘will never shut the door on the possibility of spending time with his family because despite all the trouble, blood is blood’

What remains unresolved is the schism between Harry and his brother Prince William – but Harry’s friends claim the two men ‘do communicate’

According to briefings from Team Sussex, he believed this was going to happen but then, after announcing that he, Meghan and the children were coming to the UK together it became apparent that the security situation was unchanged. Within 24 hours, his PR team said that an ‘upset’ Prince had to reconsider everything in the light of their safety.

A few days on, a briefing document from his security team which said there were a number of credible terrorist threats to his safety somehow found its way to ITN News, to add to the pressure. Still nothing changed.

Meghan didn’t go to the Invictus ‘One Year To Go’ event, nor was she at his side for any public engagements. It felt like an ugly stalemate.

But she and the children still travelled privately to Highgrove, and are thought to have then gone on to Althorp to be hosted by Harry’s uncle, Earl Spencer, and pay a visit to his mother’s grave on the estate.

A friend says that despite appearances, and without going into operational details, security actually was ‘improved’ this time for the visit.

‘He would have liked full security from the start but that was not on the table. But what was on the table was a considerable upping of what was there previously. For that reason the visit was very much better and everything is in a better place. It is still baby steps, but there is reason to hope going forward.’

The Prince apparently believes his security will continue to improve and after the shocking murder of former MP Ann Widdecombe – that seems to be a fair assumption.

There’s no prospect of any further legal action from him against the Home Office – that legal action which had put his father in such a difficult position because he would not and could not intervene and which Harry lost on appeal last May. Indeed, I am told: ‘There are no more fights to come. That era has closed.’

The colossal defeat against Associated Newspapers, the publishers of the Daily Mail, over wild allegations of bugging and hacking will, according to friends, be the very last time the Prince comes to court. ‘That’s it now, he is putting down his fists,’ says the friend.

The loss was ‘absolutely a no-go area for discussion’ during his visit.

The judgment was handed down on Tuesday last week, as Harry prepared to give a speech.

A friend says: ‘He was deeply disappointed but also somewhat embarrassed. He ended up with significant egg on his face.

‘The “CG” revelations [the release of a host of friendly messages in court between him and Mail on Sunday journalist Charlotte Griffiths] was a very embarrassing moment for him. The follow up piece in the Daily Mail last week [by Charlotte detailing their friendship] was mortifying, too.

‘It was a disaster which didn’t need to happen. He is shutting up about it – silence, silence silence now.’

First, though, he released an intemperate statement attacking the High Court Judge, Justice Nicklin, and saying the judgment was an ‘obvious whitewash’.

According to a well-sourced report in the Sunday Times last weekend, it caused astonishment in Palace circles.

‘There were jaws on the floor with a statement attacking not just a High Court judge but the entire judicial system that acts in the King’s name. There is profound upset constitutionally about that attack,’ a source said.

However, if he chooses to move on and be silent, there can surely only be relief for the Palace.

What remains unresolved is the schism between Harry and his brother Prince William, the heir to his spare.

Friends of Harry claim the two men ‘do communicate’ and say: ‘It would have been the most amazing signal to everybody if William had managed to be at Highgrove.’

That seems the faintest of prospects but Harry must be serious indeed about reconciliation to even talk about aiming for this outcome. As one Sussex source observes: ‘Everyone knows their future is not in his dad’s hands – it’s in his brother’s.’

After a World Cup repeatedly impacted by thunderstorms and with several games delayed due to adverse weather, there could be yet more weather-related disruption at this weekend’s final.

New York and New Jersey officials have issued an air quality health alert as a result of wildfire smoke caused by Canadian wildfires, which is affecting the entire northeast of the US and southern Canada.

Haze has blanketed the area and prompted concerns about residents’ health ahead of Sunday’s final, which is to be held at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The New York Office of Emergency Management said on Thursday that air quality levels in the city had reached “very unhealthy” levels and officials urged residents to avoid being outdoors for more than an hour at a time.

Spain landed in New Jersey on Wednesday night, the day after beating France in their semi-final, and trained outdoors on Thursday, where they appeared unaffected by the weather. Argentina will begin training in New Jersey on Friday.

While conditions have been poor in the latter half of this week they are expected to improve, after rain forecasted for Saturday was expected to further disperse some of the smoke.

The stadium for the final is entirely open-air but the expectation is that by that point the weather will no longer be an issue.

A National Women’s Soccer League match between Gotham FC and Washington Spirit took place on Wednesday night in Queens despite the poor air quality, with players mandated to take two breaks per half as a result.

“I want to be taken seriously as an actor now – I don’t just want to be the Elvis guy anymore”

He may be best known as one of Belfast’s most famous buskers but Jordan Devine (aka Jelvis Pelvis) is now branching out into the world of acting.

Co Tyrone man Jordan has become known far and wide since taking to the streets of Belfast and TikTok with his Elvis tribute act to “The King of Rock and Roll”, having first made a name for himself on The X Factor in 2016.

For the 29-year-old, the alteration into Jelvis Pelvis wasn’t a sudden decision but rather a natural evolution, as his appreciation for Elvis began at a young age.

Busking in Belfast has become Jordan’s stage for showcasing his tribute act, and his presence has been a huge hit with locals and visitors alike. He also moved to Liverpool for several months in recent years where he took to the streets of the Scouse city to showcase his Elvis-inspired act before returning to Belfast.

But now he’s turning his attention to acting and with Northern Ireland already producing hit series like Line of Duty and Blue Lights, Jordan hopes a dream role is just around the corner.

He told Belfast Live: “Acting has given people a different perspective of me. They used to just see me as Elvis and put me in that box, but now they’re seeing me more than that. People are looking at me differently and treating me differently.

“They now know I’m not just capable of doing Elvis on the street, I’m capable of so much more, and it really has helped. I want to be taken seriously as an actor now – I don’t just want to be the Elvis guy anymore.

“It has opened many opportunities for me and helped me get to where I am, but it’s not what I want to do for the rest of my life. I’m studying my screen course with Shelley Lowry so acting is where I want to focus.

“Since I was younger, I’ve always been really into movies and TV shows and it’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a young age. I’ve always imagined myself on the screen and looked up to actors like Liam Neeson or Clint Eastwood.

“I like to watch limited series and dramas on ITV, BBC, and Netflix, so I would love to get a role one day in some sort of a crime drama or thriller movie, some sort of Irish production.”

When asked if he’s hung up his mic as Jelvis Pelvis, Jordan added: “I’ve just separated the two sides of my life and want to separate the Elvis character from my acting and everyday life because I don’t want to get too muddled up. I’m using a wig now and I’m not dyeing my hair anymore for Elvis.”

“I’d love maybe in 10 years to be on some TV show. I’ve put all the work into Elvis for four years, so I’m capable of putting the same amount of work into acting,” the Strabane native added.

“I have a high following online and people are being very encouraging towards my acting. Many people have a lot of belief in me and this is what I want to do. Anyone interested in me for a role can look at my content on my Instagram and TikTok (@jordandevineactor) and contact me there if you think I could be the right person to fit into your project.”

Video: Justin Kernoghan

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Melatonin is best known for helping us sleep. But a new study suggests it might have another surprising use: easing muscle and joint pain.

Produced naturally by the pineal gland in the brain at night, melatonin helps regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle. That’s why this hormone is widely used as a treatment for insomnia and jet lag.

Sleep and pain are closely linked (poor sleep can make pain feel worse, and pain can make sleep harder). But melatonin may also reduce pain directly. Researchers believe it dampens pain signals in the brain and spinal cord, reduces inflammation, calms overactive nerves and protects cells from oxidative stress – the cellular wear and tear caused when harmful molecules build up.

In the new study, researchers combined the results of 23 clinical trials involving over 2,000 participants to identify overall patterns. These trials looked at melatonin for long-term muscle and joint pain as well as pain after surgery.

Overall, melatonin reduced both pain and sleep problems in people with chronic muscle and joint pain. But the improvements were modest. On average, pain scores fell by about nine points on a 100-point scale. That’s within the range reported for some anti-inflammatory drugs in similar studies, although the two treatments haven’t been directly compared.

Melatonin’s effects may also depend on whether people already have sleep problems or other long-term health conditions. Most of the chronic pain studies included people who already had poor sleep to begin with, but none of the trials looked at results separately for people with and without sleep issues. Because of this, it’s unclear whether melatonin works better for people who struggle with sleep or whether the effects are similar for everyone.

The findings were much less convincing for pain after surgery. Melatonin did not make a noticeable difference to pain or sleep. One analysis found a tiny improvement (about 2.5 points on a 100-point pain scale), but this is far below what would matter to patients recovering from surgery.

The benefits in chronic muscle and joint pain are modest. Based on the current evidence, melatonin should be seen as a possible add-on treatment rather than a replacement for established therapies. The evidence suggests melatonin could complement treatments such as physiotherapy, exercise and anti-inflammatory medicines rather than replace them.

What we still don’t know

There is also still a lot we don’t know. The trials in this study used a wide range of doses, from 1mg to 10mg, and the researchers couldn’t determine which dose worked best.

There were hints that longer treatment helped more in chronic pain, but this was based on only a few studies. There is also very little evidence on the effectiveness of higher doses, even though they appear safe in other studies.

Melatonin is widely used and generally considered safe for short-term use, but it can cause side-effects, such as daytime sleepiness, dizziness, headaches and nausea.

People with liver or kidney conditions, or those with autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, should speak with a doctor or pharmacist before taking it.

It is also worth noting that melatonin is regulated very differently around the world. In the US, melatonin is sold as a dietary supplement, meaning people can buy it easily in supermarkets and online without medical advice. But in the UK, melatonin is a prescription-only medicine and is only licensed for short-term sleep problems and jet lag.

For now, the findings suggest melatonin may offer modest relief for some people with chronic muscle and joint pain, particularly if poor sleep is part of the problem. It’s unlikely to replace established treatments, but it could eventually earn a place alongside them. Larger, well-designed trials will be needed before doctors can say with confidence who is most likely to benefit.

Instagram users have taken to X to complain about problems with the app as reports of an outage continue to mount.

One user posted: “is instagram down again what is it so slow. It won’t load any posts.”

Another wrote: “is instagram down or something because no posts are coming up on my feed and when i refresh it, it says ‘welcome to instagram’.”

A third user said: “Is anyone else’s Instagram acting super weird today? Literally nothing is loading on any of my accounts.

“It logged me out of my account and it took me like five minutes to get back in. I got so scared.”

Harrogate-based Armexis has confirmed 90 letters of intent and pre-orders for its armoured vehicles, following recent orders for four armoured vehicles destined for Ukraine worth £17.5 million.

First deliveries are expected next year and include tracked armoured personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles.

Richard Matthews, group CEO of Armexis, said: “The response to Armexis has been extraordinary.

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The UGV (T) 23 Pathfinder Fleet (Image: Pic supplied)

“Receiving letters of intent and pre-orders for 90 platforms is a major validation of the capability we are developing and the urgent requirement that exists for modern armoured vehicles that can be designed, manufactured and supported from the United Kingdom.

“This is not simply about building vehicles.

“It is about restoring and strengthening sovereign land capability, creating skilled British jobs, supporting allies and ensuring that the UK has the industrial capacity to respond when it matters most.”

Armexis manufactures both manned and unmanned defence platforms.

The UGV (T)23 Pioneer (Image: Pic supplied)

Mr Matthews said: “The unmanned market is one of the most exciting and important areas of modern capability, and Armexis has the ambition and technical foundation to play a meaningful role in that space.”

He emphasised the company’s need for further support to achieve its goals.

The ARMEXIS team (Image: Pic supplied)

Mr Matthews said: “We now need the right strategic investment, partners and people around us to help complete this mission.

“We are looking for individuals and organisations who understand the importance of national resilience, who believe in British engineering, and who want to play a meaningful role in strengthening the safety and security of the nation.”

To support its expansion, Armexis aims to build a highly skilled workforce of more than 4,000 direct employees by 2030.

The UGV (T) 23 Pathfinder (Image: The UGV (T) 23 Pathfinder)

The company is actively seeking investment and talent to grow engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing operations—including senior roles such as a finance director and design engineers.

Mr Matthews said: “The strength of Armexis will be built by the people who join us.

“We need hard-working, dedicated and highly capable individuals who believe in what we are doing and understand the seriousness of the mission.

The UGV (T) 23 Apocalypse (Image: Pic supplied)

“This is an opportunity to be part of something nationally important from an early stage.

“We are building a British defence manufacturer with the ambition, urgency and technical capability to support the UK, our allies and those on the front line who depend on reliable, protected mobility.”

The company is also exploring options for a larger manufacturing facility to support expanded production and employment, with discussions already underway involving local authorities.

This “perfect” Belfast-set serial killer thriller has fans “on the edge of our seats”.

A “very binge-worthy” thriller featuring a stellar cast deserves to be crime drama fans’ next binge-watch.

UTV has started airing The Dark in its prime 9pm Sunday and Monday evening slots, exploring the chilling realm of a detective pursuing a serial killer across the Scottish Highlands.

Author GR Halliday’s From the Shadows television adaptation continues this evening, Sunday, July 19, yet there’s another serial killer drama that’s been lauded as the “best thriller ever”.

Situated in the centre of Belfast, this psychological drama explores the intertwining existences of two predators: a detective hunting a serial killer and the family man who covertly preys upon professional women.

Initially broadcast on BBC Two over a decade ago, The Fall is now accessible to stream on Netflix and features two Hollywood legends.

Assuming the role of Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson is The X-Files and Sex Education star Gillian Anderson.

Meanwhile, serial killer Paul Spector is portrayed by none other than Jamie Dornan, renowned for headlining the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise, reports the Express.

And judging by viewers’ responses on IMDb, The Fall represents “TV at its best”.

Describing it as “incredible”, one user commented: “A fantastic thriller. Not seen anything as good as this ever. Addictive and a must-watch!”, a second echoed.

A second agreed: “We were drawn so far into the story line – sat on the edge of our seats – this is the most perfectly executed programme I have seen – EVER!

“The Fall is superb, and is a highly gripping and intense thriller”, a third penned: “The Fall will be rated one of the best crime dramas ever in years to come.”

While another observer noted: “This is the best police drama I’ve seen in years.

“Acting is terrific, characters are complex, and the deliberate pacing is nerve-wracking.”

The Fall is available to watch on Netflix.

Facebook and Instagram are down this morning as thousands of users report issues.

Users are experiencing an error message when trying to log in on the desktop version of Facebook.

The error reads: “Account Temporarily Unavailable. Your account is currently unavailable due to a site issue. We expect this to be resolved shortly. Please try again in a few minutes.”

The website DownDetector also shows a huge spike in reports for Instagram on Sunday morning.

Both platforms are owned by social media giant Meta.

Instagram users are reporting issues with accessing their feed and the platform’s app, whereas Facebook users are reporting problems with the desktop version of the platform.

This is a breaking story. More to follow…

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Tucked away down a quiet lane, Wat Sriratanaram feels wonderfully secluded.

Although it sits just a short distance from the M61, the noise of the outside world barely reaches the monastery.

Instead, visitors are greeted by birdsong, the gentle ripple of water or the soft sound of Buddhist chanting.

Colourful lanterns hang above the pathways, apple and pear trees frame the gardens and small wooden bridges cross a tranquil pond.

Beyond them all, remarkably friendly sheep graze in neighbouring fields while a resident cat quietly wanders between the statues as though it has been welcoming visitors for years.

It is an unexpected pocket of peace – and one that many people know is there but few have ever had the chance to explore.

Head monk Ajahn PK welcomed The Bolton News for a tour of the monastery, sharing its history, traditions and the community that has helped it flourish over the past two decades.

Wat Sriratanaram (Image: Wat)

Established in 2006, Wat Sriratanaram was created after members of the Thai community wanted a permanent Buddhist centre in the North West.

This year marks its 20th anniversary, with the monastery now one of around a dozen Thai Buddhist temples in the UK.

Walking through the grounds with Ajahn PK, it quickly becomes clear that every corner has its own story.

The heart of the monastery is the main prayer hall, where a magnificent 700kg golden Buddha sits above worshippers on an ornately decorated platform.

The inside Buddha (Image: Wat)

Fresh flowers, candles and offerings surround the statue, while monks gather each day for prayer, meditation and chanting, continuing traditions that have been passed down through generations.

Outside, another striking Buddha forms the centrepiece of an open-air prayer area where worshippers pause to reflect.

The outdoor prayer area (Image: Wat)

The statue has its own journey, having originally stood outside an Indian restaurant before being donated to the monastery in 2001.

It is now surrounded by seven smaller Buddha figures, each representing a different day of the week.

In Thai Buddhist tradition, people pay their respects to the Buddha linked to the day they were born, giving every visitor a personal connection to the peaceful space.

Beyond the prayer areas, the monastery’s grounds invite visitors to slow down.

A peaceful pond sits at the heart of the gardens, crossed by small wooden bridges and surrounded by carefully tended planting.

Paths wind through the site before opening onto green spaces where sheep graze quietly, adding to the sense of calm that seems to define the monastery.

The friendly sheep grazing in the gardens (Image: Wat)

It is difficult to imagine that this tranquil setting was once home to a golf club.

Today, the monastery is home to around six resident monks who have made Kearsley their permanent base, dedicating their lives to Buddhist practice while welcoming visitors from across Greater Manchester and beyond.

During the tour, Ajahn PK explained that while the monastery is an important place of worship for the Thai Buddhist community, it has always aimed to be somewhere everyone can enjoy.

“Anyone can join and visit. We are looking for volunteers to help maintain the land.

“Everyone is welcome.”

That welcoming spirit is reflected in the activities held throughout the week.

(Image: Wat)

Free meditation sessions take place every Saturday from 1pm to 3pm and are open to people of all faiths and none.

The monastery also runs a Sunday school for Thai and British children, alongside English language classes for members of both the Thai and wider local community.

The monastery has continued to evolve thanks to the dedication of its congregation.

Inside Wat Sriratanaram (Image: Wat)

Last summer, worshippers raised £40,000 through donations to build a new road through the site, improving access for visitors.

Every improvement, from the landscaped gardens to the meditation spaces, has been made possible through the generosity of volunteers and supporters who have invested both their time and resources into creating somewhere special.

Earlier this summer, the monastery also attracted attention beyond Bolton when 15 monks embarked on a 49-kilometre Walk for Peace from Kearsley to Runcorn, believed to be the first event of its kind in the UK.

The Peace Walk (Image: Wat)

The walk reflected the monastery’s wider mission of promoting peace, mindfulness and community beyond its own grounds.

The next opportunity for visitors to experience the monastery comes on Sunday, July 26, when Wat Sriratanaram will host its annual Buddhist Lent candle procession from 10am.

The event is one of the most important dates in the Buddhist calendar and welcomes visitors wishing to learn more about Buddhist traditions and Thai culture.

Wat Sriratanaram gardens (Image: Wat)

Standing in the gardens as the tour draws to a close, it is the atmosphere that lingers more than anything else.

There is a quiet confidence about the monastery, found in the carefully tended gardens, the peaceful prayer spaces and the sense of community that has grown here over the last 20 years.

Before the tour came to an end, Ajahn PK presented The Bolton News with a number of gifts that reflected the monastery’s message of kindness and mindfulness.

Among them was a bracelet, given with wishes of happiness, good health and good fortune, along with books exploring clarity, calm and Buddhist teachings.

He also shared a copy of his own book, One Day Meditation, a practical guide for people interested in learning more about Dhamma and developing mindfulness in their everyday lives.

The thoughtful gesture summed up the spirit of the monastery itself – one that places as much emphasis on generosity and community as it does on faith.

For many Bolton residents, Wat Sriratanaram is simply a place they have driven past or heard about.

Stepping through its gates, however, reveals something entirely different: a place where faith, culture and community have quietly flourished for two decades, creating one of the borough’s most unique and peaceful spaces.