Grace Kelly’s will soon be taking over the Number One Bar and Coffee House on Skinnergate following a major refurbishment. 

The venue, set in the former Lloyds Bank, is set to feature daily live music and will open until late on weekends. 

The Grade II listed building will continue to operate as Number One until September 1, before its new owners relaunch the bar as Grace Kelly’s later in the year. 

New owners the D&J Pub Group said: “Grace Kelly’s Irish Bar is scheduled to open in late September to early October and will bring with it all the atmosphere of bars like the Dubliner and the very popular Katie O’Briens”.

Number One Bar in Darlington (Image: CHRISTIE AND CO)

Number One first opened on Skinnergate in 2016 following the full refurbishment of the former bank, which had stood empty for years.

The bar was touted as bringing a “slice of London” to Darlington with a city-style interior at the time. In recent months the bar has only opened on Fridays and Saturdays until late. 

The building was put up for sale last October with a price tag of £699,000 when previous owners David and Paul Pearson announced they were moving on. 

The Pearson brothers, who also own fitness chain One Gym, said the decision was due to other business interests at the time.

David said: “We made the decision to market the freehold and the bar business because we have other business interests that are taking up much of our time, particularly OneGym, as well as other commercial property in the town.

Number One Bar in Darlington (Image: CHRISTIE AND CO)

“We sincerely appreciate our customers and hope that Number One has enhanced their nights out over the last nine years, and hope to see them again throughout the coming months.”

Number One Bar & Coffee House was sold at an undisclosed sum earlier this year, and it was revealed that the bar had been snapped up just last month.

At the time, its new owners teased a “few exciting changes” and said an “amazing announcement” was on the way. 

Agent Christie and Co said the five-storey building has approximately 597 square meters of trading space across the ground floor and basement, catering for around 200 covers.

Number One in Darlington (Image: STUART BOULTON / THE NORTHERN ECHO)

It added that the building benefits from planning permission for the conversion of the upper floors into seven residential apartments. 

Marslie McGregor, senior business agent for pubs and restaurants at Christie and Co, said: “Number One Bar & Coffee House offered a unique opportunity to acquire a substantial freehold property in the centre of Darlington with considerable potential.

“The combination of an established hospitality operation and planning consent for residential conversion attracted interest from a variety of buyers, including investors and developers. 

“We are pleased to have completed the sale and look forward to seeing the new owners bring their exciting plans for the venue to life.”

Virgin’s plans to run rail services between London and Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam have moved closer after it was granted track access by the UK regulator.

The company has been given approval to run up to 20 daily return services through the Channel Tunnel by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), with the agreement running from 1 October 2030 to 31 December 2040.

The ORR said, external it was “a significant step forward” in introducing competition on the route, where Eurostar has held a monopoly on passenger services since the tunnel opened in 1994.

However, the regulator said Virgin still had to secure rolling stock for the services and get safety approval from UK and EU authorities.

The approval from the ORR only covers the track from London St Pancras to the Channel Tunnel at Dover and the regulator said Virgin still needed to secure access to rail networks in mainland Europe.

The ORR’s deputy director of access and international, Martin Jones, said: “This is an important next step in bringing competition and growth to the market for international rail services.

“While there is still more work to do, we are supporting Virgin and the wider industry to grow international services.”

The ORR said increasing competition on the route would provide “significant benefits” for passengers.

As well as Virgin, Italy’s FS Italiane Group is also looking to run services through the Channel Tunnel using its subsidiary Trenitalia France.

A Virgin Group spokesperson said: “Our plans for a new London-Europe rail service from 2030 are moving at pace.

“We welcome the ORR’s pre-approval of our track access agreement and the opportunity to bring competition and Virgin’s award-winning customer experience to the Channel Tunnel.”

Virgin is planning to buy 12 high-speed trains from Alstom to operate on the route.

Responding to the ORR’s statement, Eurostar said it confirmed “the huge potential for growth in international rail and the ambition across the industry to bring more passengers to Europe by train”.

“Eurostar will play a full part in that growth, and our focus remains on delivering our own ambitious plans, investing in our fleet and carrying 30 million passengers a year,” it said.

Last year, Virgin’s plans to launch international services received a boost after the ORR approved its application to share a key rail depot with Eurostar.

Temple Mills railway storehouse in east London is the only depot in the UK able to accommodate the larger trains used in continental Europe and which is already linked to the cross-Channel line.

Wessex Water has become the latest water company to announce a hosepipe ban – its first in 50 years.

The firm, which supplies 1.4 million customers across Bath, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire, last put a ban in place during the infamous hot summer of 1976.

The ban begins at one minute past midnight on Tuesday 18 August.

More than 27 million people across England are already under hosepipe bans.

It comes after the UK roasted in five heatwaves over the summer, with a potential sixth on the way before autumn arrives.

On Thursday, the hottest day of the year was recorded at London’s Kew Gardens, with temperatures reaching a sizzling 38.1C.

“After 50 years without a hosepipe ban in the Wessex Water region – the first since the famous drought of 1976 – this isn’t a decision we’ve made lightly and we’re sorry for the inconvenience it will cause,” Wessex Water chief executive Ruth Jefferson said.

“We know so many of our customers have already been taking steps to save water and we’re incredibly grateful for their support so far this summer. It makes such a difference.

“But the prolonged and extreme dry weather has meant demand across our region has consistently remained at more than 400 million litres per day, 30 per cent above average for this time of year and the equivalent of almost half a million hosepipes running for a full hour every day.

“While we’re not running out of water for essential use, our challenge has been moving water through the network quickly enough to meet these record levels of demand.

“This also has an impact on our underground storage reservoirs, which normally replenish with treated water quickly.”

Wessex Water said that it is contacting larger business customers who are high water users to encourage them to avoid non-essential use.

It is also encouraging households to make small and simple changes during the ongoing dry spell to ensure water supplies and the environment are protected.

Those include letting the lawn go brown, using watering cans to water plants, keeping showers short and not washing the car.

A yellow heat health alert has been extended until 9am on Tuesday for the South East, South West, and London.

Rain is expected in the south this week, with showers becoming more widespread on Thursday.

“I can’t promise rain for all of us through the week ahead, but in the south at least, it’s looking like the most changeable week we’ve seen here – well at least since the end of June,” Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said.

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Rain has finally returned to Britain for the first time in weeks after a record-breaking summer of heatwaves and drought. 

Parts of Kent, Essex and Sussex saw light or patchy rain overnight, having all been officially declared in drought on July 29. 

Showers and potential thunderstorms are set to bring cooler conditions to Britain, with fresher weather predicted to arrive by the middle of the week. 

It follows months of prolonged dry spells, dangerously low water levels and soaring temperatures – reaching 38C in parts of Britain. 

Five reservoirs are recording exceptionally low volumes, government sources warned, while seven are more notably low, out of the 31 across England and Wales. 

The southwest has seen the lowest levels in its seven reservoirs, and is running at less than two-thirds of capacity. 

Experts have warned the return of rainfall may not be enough to reverse the drought conditions affecting much of the country, with weeks of above average rainfall required to make any significant changes. 

Rainfall totals for July ranged from 26 per cent of the typical average for northwest England to as little as 1 per cent in the southeast. Parts of West Sussex, the Isle of Wight and areas in Hampshire did not see a single day of rain for 59 days. 

Ministers have been told to prepare for a widespread ban on water use at private swimming pools and car washes amid talks on how to cope with the drought. 

The dry spell has brought severe wildfires that have devastated parts of Britain, including an inferno in Stourbridge, West Midlands last Thursday, which left 37 houses either destroyed or damaged. 

Approximately 36 wildfires burned over the weekend, 11 of which were declared major incidents. 

Residents in Kent took to social media to celebrate the light rain shower overnight, following weeks of drought 

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Met Office meteorologists have announced that a shifting jet stream will allow low pressure to dominate, bringing cooler and wetter weather by mid-week. 

Some light rain is expected later today, mostly across northern areas of the UK, although the exact distribution of rainfall is still uncertain. This will turn heavier and move more into the south of England on Tuesday and Wednesday, in areas that have been badly impacted by drought. 

Residents in locations such as Kent took to social media overnight and this morning to celebrate the light rain shower, branding its arrival a ‘breakthrough’. 

While any showers are welcome, the Met Office warned it will take weeks of above average rainfall to make any notable changes to the drought. 

However, it will come as a huge relief to emergency services, who have been battling wildfires over the last few weeks. 

The fire severity index is set to be brought down to low or moderate, according to forecasts. 

It comes after the government sent out an emergency wildfire alert to millions of people’s phones in England and Wales on Friday. 

The siren sounded out on mobile phones across the country at 7pm, warning people against lighting anything that could spark a wildfire, including barbecues, campfires and fireworks. 

The emergency alert warned that even small flames could ‘rapidly develop into a major wildfire’. 

The temperature peaked at 30.6C in southern England on Saturday, making it the 40th day somewhere in the UK reached over 30C this year.

It is unlikely the temperatures will peak this high again for the rest of summer, which meteorologically ends on August 31. 

An aerial view of a scorched football pitch at Upton Court Park, Slough, Berkshire, on Sunday 

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Residents in other parts of the country also took to social media to celebrate the arrival of rain

A home is seen completely gutted after a wildfire in Stourbridge on Thursday, with no roof or windows 

A photo taken from a distance further captures the devastation caused by the fire in Stourbridge 

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Temperatures will still be above average across England and Wales on Monday and Tuesday, with highs of 20 to 26C. 

They will then drop during the rest of the week, as a northerly airflow starts to have an impact. 

Throughout the summer, Britain has experienced consistently above-average temperatures for the time of year. 

The string of heatwaves and lack of rainfall this summer has resulted in rapidly declining reservoir stocks and growing surface water shortages, leading to hosepipe bans and severe impacts on agriculture, wildlife and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said it has been ‘inundated’ with 999 calls since the government’s emergency alert and urged people to help ‘keep our lines available for those who need urgent assistance’. 

West Midlands Fire Service declared a major incident on Thursday as a wildfire spread across more than 500 acres and destroyed 19 homes. 

This message was echoed by South Wales Fire and Rescue service who said on Saturday evening it had already received 736 calls compared to an average of about 300, and urged people only to call 999 if there was a new emergency to report.

The region has been affected by wildfires, leading to the deployment of about 200 military personnel – from the Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, supported by the 22 Engineer Regiment – to provide support.

According to the Ministry of Defence, its main task was to provide logistical support, such as water distribution, and help free firefighters and specialist responders to focus on frontline firefighting.

Deputy chief fire officer Adam Openshaw said he was ‘incredibly proud’ of everyone involved in the response to the major incident, and thanked fire crews from across the UK who had come to assist them.

He added: ‘We know this is a challenging and worrying time for many people. I would like to thank our communities for their continued support throughout this time.

‘Please be assured that we remain committed to protecting our communities and keeping the people of South Wales safe.’

Agony aunt Coleen Nolan advises a reader who wants to propose to his girlfriend of three years but says she needs to ‘grow up’ a bit and stop sulking over minor things

Dear Coleen

I’ve been with my girlfriend for three years and have been thinking of proposing. We’re both 29 and we’ve had a few conversations about it. I would have done it sooner, but I keep waiting for her to grow up a bit and appreciate how fortunate she is because, at the moment, her attitude stinks.

She literally has everything going for her – a good family, stunning looks, a fun job and loads of friends, plus me – but nothing is ever good enough. This past weekend is a good example. We were staying in a hotel for a few days and offered a free upgrade to a rooftop suite, as there were a couple of functions going on.

Anyone else would have been made up with a suite of rooms that included a rooftop deck with a private hot tub, but not her. Apparently, the bathroom was too small, so she sulked the whole time.

Her glass is always half empty and it’s draining. Sometimes she acts really spoilt and it’s not attractive. She’s an only child and used to her parents pandering to her every whim. But can I change her way of seeing things.

Coleen says

I don’t think you can change people – they have to do that for themselves – but you can try to help her see things differently and appreciate the life she has. Maybe your more mature and optimistic outlook will rub off on her.

My most important bit of advice is: if you’re feeling all these things, then don’t get engaged! Propose when you are sure and the timing feels right.

Weddings are stressful enough and there’s a lot of potential for emotions to run high, so it’s really important that you’re on the same page. I’m not suggesting you should end the relationship, but take some time because you’re both still young and the opportunity is there to share more experiences and grow together.

You don’t need an engagement ring or a wedding right now. Also, sometimes people need to hear the truth, so if she’s acting like a petulant child, call it out. I’m sure she’d tell you if something you did annoyed or upset her. It’s supposed to be an equal partnership and you have to be able to communicate honestly.

But one thing’s certain, if you’re having these thoughts now, a wedding certificate isn’t going to make them magically disappear. Before you go into marriage, it’s so important to confront any issues or doubts, so you can walk down that aisle feeling truly happy.

Coleen’s words of wisdom

If you’re struggling to move on from something painful, remember that you don’t have to be defined by that experience. What’s important is how you emerge from it – you can choose who you become.

Police arrested a 52-year-old woman

A woman was arrested after a shop had its windows smashed. Cambridgeshire Police were called to reports of criminal damage at One Stop in Hargate Way, Hampton, Peterborough just after 10am on Saturday (August 15).

Some of the shop’s windows had been smashed, with boards currently in place to cover some of the damaged windows. Police arrested a 52-year-old woman.

A police spokesperson said: “We were called at 10.12am on Saturday (15 August) to reports of criminal damage at a shop in Hargate Way, officers attended and arrested Etiene Da Silva, 52, of Beaumont Way.

“She has since been charged with two counts of criminal damage and two counts of assault. She has been bailed to appear at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on 18 September.”

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‘With e-bike use increasing, the situation needs to be tightly controlled’

Police seizures of ‘menace’ e-bikes have increased in Greater Manchester amid new calls for a change in the law, data shows.

Confiscations nationally have surged by 83 per cent in a year. Across the city region, Greater Manchester Police said 78 e-bikes were seized in 2024-2025, with the figure for the latest 12 month period standing at 86.

Some 7,049 of the machines were confiscated across the UK in the 12 months to May 19, according to the new data. That’s compared with 3,858 during the previous year.

Campaigners, meanwhile, have called for changes in the law as they warned of the dangers posed by illegal e-bikes.

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One Labour MP has proposed a ban on sales of illegal e-bikes and conversion kits, saying they should be defined as an ‘unsafe product’ which cannot be sold by online retailers.

Warning how e-bikes can put other motorists and pedestrians at risk of injury, Carlisle MP Julie Minns said they do not have an MOT, they are not licensed or insured and cannot be traced as they do not have registration plates.

She said: “Something needs to be done about this and I think the way to do it is to designate an illegal e-bike because you have a definition of what a legal one is – the motor that will cut out at 15-and-a-half miles an hour – and as long as it does that, that’s a perfectly legal e-bike … which are a brilliant way of getting people cycling.

“The illegal ones, however, are a problem and we need to do something about them. And the way to do it is to say, if it’s not legal, it’s an unsafe product.

“I think an illegal e-bike is an unsafe product and I think the Government should designate illegal e-bikes so that the ones that don’t meet the definition and the kits that create them that don’t meet the definition of a legal e-bike, designate those an unsafe product and say to retailers you can no longer sell them.”

Earlier this year the Department for Business and Trade sought views on product safety reforms, including considering tougher rules on e-bike batteries and conversion kits, to crack down on illegal modifications. The department is expected to publish its response to the consultation next month.

It comes after the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking (APPGCW) last year warned of a “crisis hiding in plain sight” as it published a report which found the rise of illegal and unsafe e-bikes was putting lives at risk.

Catherine Woodhead, chief executive of charity Living Streets, said the increasing use of electric two-wheelers ‘must not come at the expense of people walking’.

She told the Press Association, which published the latest data: “No e-bikes should be used on our pavements, and ones that go over the maximum power and speeds should be off our streets altogether. With e-bike use increasing, the situation needs to be tightly controlled. On-street enforcement is part of that.”

The Government said it has changed the law to strengthen police powers for e-bike seizures.

The figures, however, prompted police, politicians and charities to call for new laws to clamp down on the dangerous vehicles which have caused deaths and serious injuries in some cases.

Sergeant Stuart Ford, who leads the cycle team at City of London Police, described illegal e-bikes as ‘a menace’.

Under UK law, legal e-bikes are known as electrically assisted pedal cycles (EAPCs) and must meet certain safety regulations such as their electric motor having a maximum power output of 250 watts and cutting out when a speed of 15.5mph is reached. Many illegal e-bikes confiscated by police have been modified to travel much faster, with some exceeding 70mph. Non-compliant machines are effectively electric mopeds or motorbikes, which must be registered, taxed and insured.

While major retailers sell thousands of legal e-bikes every year, many illegal machines are bought on the internet. Kits which add an electronic motor to a conventional bike are available online for under £300.

As well as being used for crime, illegal e-bikes are also often used for legitimate journeys such as food deliveries and commuting.

A Government spokeswoman said: “Illegal e-bikes that can reach dangerous speeds have no place on our roads and pavements, and the rise in seizures shows the scale of the problem police are dealing with. That’s why we have strengthened police powers, changing the law so that officers no longer need to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles where they are used anti-socially.”

These tougher powers came into force on June 29 under the Crime and Policing Act 2026.

PC Martin and PC Mann, from Greater Manchester Police’s Farnworth Neighbourhood Team, noticed a suspicious red Honda motorcycle while on patrol yesterday.

After carrying out checks, officers confirmed that the motorcycle had been reported stolen.

The vehicle was seized by police and has since been reunited with its owner.

Bolton Police shared details of the recovery and encouraged residents to report suspicious activity in their neighbourhoods.

Anyone who sees suspicious activity can contact Greater Manchester Police by calling 101 or reporting it through the force’s usual channels.

In an emergency, always call 999.