Officers, alongside Bolton Council’s security team, attended Hall i’ th’ Wood Museum after an alarm was triggered at the Grade I-listed property.

Residents living nearby reported seeing a group of youths in the area before the incident. Several locals claimed the hall, which dates back to the 16th century, has been targeted by vandals on previous occasions.

Police attend Hall i’th’ Wood (Image: PHIL TAYLOR)

It is believed those involved gained access to the site before a fire extinguisher was thrown, causing damage to a number of the building’s historic stone mullion windows.

Police and council security staff remained at the property while assessments of the damage were carried out and the building secured.

Hall i’ th’ Wood Museum is currently the subject of a multi-million pound bid to bring it back in use.

The Grade 1 listed site, which has been operating as a museum under the management of Bolton Council since 1900, was forced to close its doors to the public in 2021 due to severe structural issues. These problems include timber decay, damp, rot, and damage caused by vandalism.

Police attend Hall i’th’ Wood (Image: PHIL TAYLOR)

This Tudor timber-framed hall dates back to the early 1500s, and is renowned as the location where Samuel Compton invented the spinning mule, a crucial development in the Industrial Revolution.

Historic England states: “As one of only 48 Grade I listed buildings in Greater Manchester, Hall i’th’ Wood represents a rare and valuable example of Tudor architecture.”

Police attend Hall i’th’ Wood (Image: PHIL TAYLOR)

Hall i’th’ Wood occupies a monumental place in Bolton’s identity ­— not only as a rare example of Tudor architecture, but as the birthplace for the cotton-weaving technology which would make Bolton a boomtown.

Today – aside from signifying the iconic house, its surrounding neighbourhood, and even a train station – the name conjures memories of school trips familiar to anyone who attended primary school in Bolton.

Expedia research has revealed that November could be the best month to travel for those who aren’t tied to school holiday dates as prices drop in plenty of spots where it’s still warm and sunny

There’s good news for intrepid explorers who are already counting down the days until cardigan season; it turns out that November could be one of the best months for travelling this year.

Expedia has revealed its Autumn Travel Outlook report, and found that there are plenty of opportunities for bargain breaks this autumn, especially if you’re looking abroad.

Granted, November tends to be one of the cheapest months given it has no school holiday dates and is close to Christmas meaning most people are already saving for the festive season, but for those who can be flexible on travel, there are plenty of perks to travelling towards the end of the year.

Commenting on the data, Melanie Fish, Travel Expert and Spokesperson for Expedia, said: “International stays on Expedia are, on average, 10% cheaper in November than in summer, making it the sweet spot for savvy travellers looking to unlock the best deals.”

Where to go on holiday in November?

Expedia’s research found that hotel rates fall by around 7% during the autumn, and the biggest savings can be found in the likes of the Algarve or Greek Islands. It’s worth noting that these resorts will generally be quieter than the summer, with some restaurants and hotels closing up for the winter in the smaller hubs.

Other affordable destinations included Benidorm, Alicante and Istanbul, while Luxembourg emerged as the fastest-growing autumn destination, followed by Sarandë in Albania, Budva in Montenegro and Ljubljana in Slovenia.

For those who prefer a staycation, Stirling was the top trending destination, followed by Harrogate, Durham, Norwich and the Cotswolds.

Where is hot and sunny in November?

Europe

There are still plenty of destinations across Europe where it’s balmy weather; not necessarily hot enough to take a dip in the sea, but still pleasant enough to enjoy the beaches, eat outside, and avoid the dreaded British cold snaps. For example the Canaries continue to enjoy temperatures of up to 24C, while Cyprus has averages of around 22C.

For the Greek Islands, stick to larger destinations like Crete were most of the hotels and resorts are open for longer – if you want to explore the lesser-known islands, hold off until summer as these often close up shop for the winter because of the lack of tourists.

Meanwhile Malta has heaps of sunshine and temperatures around 21C in November, ideal for exploring the markets, wandering through the streets of Valletta, taking a boat trip to see the Blue Grotto or exploring the island of Gozo.

Long-haul

November kicks off some of the best months to visit the Caribbean, whether that’s on a cruise or if you’re booking a week all-inclusive in the likes of Barbados or St Lucia.

If you’re thinking of finally ticking Australia off the list, stick to hotspots in the south including Sydney, Melbourne, Perth where you’ll find sunnier weather (it’s the start of the rainy season in the northern parts of Australia).

For somewhere that doesn’t require too long of a flight but gets better sunshine than European hotspots, consider Morocco; Marrakech can still have average temperatures of 23C so it’s not too hot to explore the iconic markets, but still warm enough to enjoy the outdoors.

Best dates to travel in November

The Expedia research found that November has some of autumn’s best dates for travelling if you want cheap and quiet days.

Abroad

• 27th – cheapest days to fly
• 18th & 24th – quietest days to fly
• 4th and 18th – cheapest days for a hotel stay
• 18th and 24th – quietest days for a hotel stay

Staycations

• 18th & 25th – quietest days to fly in the UK
• 9th & 29th – cheapest days to fly in the UK
• 8th & 22nd – cheapest days for a hotel stay
• 10th and 30th – quietest days for hotel stays

On the flip side, try to avoid the 11th, 18th and 19th November which had some of the most expensive days to fly both internationally and domestically. Meanwhile, November 1 was also tipped as the most expensive day for a hotel stay in the UK, so swerve it if you can for your next staycation!

Have you got a holiday story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

Rise & Serve, a Hospitality Junior Board initiative delivered in partnership with The Wenlock Arms in Wheldrake and York Jobcentre, will welcome a new group of young people this September for a fully funded 12-week programme

The initiative gives those taking part the opportunity to design, plan and run their own hospitality event, working alongside industry professionals and gaining hands-on experience in everything from menu creation and marketing to customer service and event delivery.

The programme is open to all young people, particularly those who may not currently be in education, employment or training, are neurodivergent, or are unsure of their next steps.

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The return of Rise & Serve follows a successful pilot in York earlier this year, which saw participants grow in confidence and progress into paid work experience and employment opportunities.

Many of the young people went into permanent hospitality roles, including at Rudding Park in Harrogate, Hotel Indigo in York, Swinton Estate in Masham and Grantley Hall in Ripon

Philip Bolson – Founder of the Hospitality Junior Board, said: “I’m delighted that we’ll be delivering two further Rise & Serve cohorts between September and March next year.

“The pilot we ran earlier this year in York was a real success, with powerful results. We saw a genuine shift in the confidence of the young people who took part, with several completing paid work experience and others progressing into employment within hospitality.

The claimant count figures for July (Image: Pic supplied)

Adam Atkinson, owner of The Wenlock Arms, said: “We are incredibly proud to be hosting the next chapter of Rise & Serve. Having mentored the first cohort, we saw first-hand the difference it made to the young people involved. The impact this initiative has on young people in our community is immeasurable and we hope to support it for many years to come.”

Wendy Mangan, DWP Recruitment & Partnership Manager, said: “Programmes like Rise & Serve demonstrate the difference that strong local partnerships can make. By bringing employers and young people together in a supportive, real-world environment, participants can build confidence, develop practical skills and take positive steps towards employment. The success of the first cohort shows what can be achieved when we create these opportunities.

The programme runs one day a week over 12 weeks at The Wenlock Arms in Wheldrake, with lunch and travel support available. Places are limited.

The initiative comes amid mixed results with the latest claimant count figures in the area.

For July, York has a claimant count of 2525, an increase of five on a year ago. The Over 50s made up 530 of this, a decrease of 20 or 4per cent on July 2025.

In Ryedale, the total claimant count increased 45 or 8 per cent to 610 compared with a year ago. The over 50s made up 185 of this, an increase of 15 or 9 per cent.

In Selby, the total was 1145, a decrease of 40 or three per cent. The over 50s made up 295 of this, a decrease of 45 or 13 per cent compared to July 2025.

*Anyone interested in finding out more about Rise and Service contact gemma@workingourway.co.uk or see their work coach at York Jobcentre.

By CHRISTOPHER STEVENS, TV CRITIC

Published: 00:07 BST, 19 August 2026 | Updated: 03:03 BST, 19 August 2026

As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our
articles.

Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local
services.

These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience – the local
community.

It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need
as much support as possible during these challenging times.

The vehicle is designed to draw new buyers into the brand: people who might admire Lexus’s reputation for quality but previously viewed it as a marque reserved for larger, more expensive executive cars.

As the smallest Lexus yet, it does that by blending compact crossover practicality with an upmarket cabin and a very contemporary hybrid powertrain.

It is not a conventional mini-SUV in the mould of some of its more anonymous rivals.

The Lexus LBX (Image: Lexus)

At 4.19 metres long, the LBX is compact enough for tight town centre car parks, yet its low, wide stance gives it a more planted and purposeful appearance.

I rather like the way the old Lexus spindle grille has been reworked into what the company calls its ‘Resolute Look’, helping the LBX establish a fresher identity without losing the family connection.

The result is a car that, in my eyes, looks more premium than its footprint suggests.

There are neatly sculpted body panels, pronounced wheelarches and a broad front end, but Lexus has avoided making the LBX overly aggressive.

It is smart rather than shouty, with enough visual interest to stand apart from the crowded compact-crossover market.

The Lexus LBX (Image: Lexus)

That feeling continues inside, where the cabin has to be among the best in class, if not the best, in my opinion.

Lexus has long been capable of producing cabins that feel a cut above the mainstream, and the LBX brings much of that attention to material quality and finish into a smaller package.

The dashboard wraps around the front occupants, while the driver-focused layout follows Lexus’s ‘tazuna’ principle: key information and controls are placed to require minimal movement of the driver’s hands and eyes.

The effect is a cockpit that feels considered rather than cluttered.

There is a light, open ambience up front and good outward visibility, both of which matter in a car likely to spend much of its time negotiating urban traffic.

I found the physical climate controls to be very user-friendly. The Takumi model adds acoustic front side windows and a crisp-sounding Mark Levinson audio system.

The sound system (Image: Lexus)

Lexus also offers different ‘Atmosphere’ themes, allowing buyers to choose colour, trim and finish combinations to better suit their own tastes instead of simply climbing a predictable ladder of equipment grades.

It is perhaps not a car to buy for carrying a family of adults over long distances, however.

Rear-seat space is acceptable rather than generous, which is an inevitable compromise of the LBX’s compact dimensions.

Still, front-wheel-drive versions offer a useful 402-litre boot, while folding the rear seats expands capacity to 994 litres.

All-wheel-drive models sacrifice some luggage capacity, with 317 litres behind the rear seats.

Under the bonnet is a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder self-charging hybrid system.

It combines petrol and electric power without the need to plug in, recovering energy under braking and using the electric motor to support the engine in day-to-day driving.

The Lexus LBX (Image: Lexus)

Total system output is 136hp, so it is not intended to be a hot hatch in crossover clothing, but it does feel responsive enough around town and on faster A-roads.

The key benefit is efficiency.

Front-wheel-drive versions officially return 61.4–62.7mpg on the WLTP combined cycle, with CO2 emissions from 102g/km. In real-world driving conditions, I found it to be very frugal.

Those figures make the LBX a potentially attractive alternative to diesel for drivers who cover mixed urban and motorway miles, especially those without the ability or inclination to charge a plug-in hybrid or EV.

The engine (Image: Lexus)

Behind the wheel, it was clear to me that Lexus has paid particular attention to the way the LBX drives.

The GA-B platform has been strengthened and revised with a longer wheelbase and wider track, while suspension, steering and braking have been tuned to deliver the brand’s ‘Lexus Driving Signature’ of control, comfort and confidence.

It is a lofty ambition in this class, but the aim is clear: the LBX should feel less like a compromised entry-level model and more like a properly engineered premium car in miniature.

A new nickel-metal hydride battery is designed to be smaller, lighter and more responsive than the unit it replaces, helping the hybrid system react more promptly at lower speeds.

I found that the car’s electric assistance makes pulling away and moving through stop-start traffic smooth and quiet, while the combustion engine takes over more naturally as speeds rise.

That refined character is central to the LBX’s appeal.

Lexus has worked to reduce road noise and vibration, a worthwhile focus in a compact crossover where poor sound insulation could quickly undermine the feeling of quality.

The intention is that, even at this lower price point, the LBX retains the calmness and thoughtful hospitality associated with the larger Lexus range.

It may not be the most spacious compact SUV on sale, nor is it the quickest.

But that misses the point.

The LBX offers a distinctive alternative for buyers who want manageable dimensions, low-effort hybrid motoring and an interior that feels genuinely special.

It is a compact crossover that brings Lexus’s premium values into a more accessible part of the market — and does so without appearing to be a cut-price Lexus.

The lowdown

Price: £36,210 for Premium Plus Design; up to £39,460 for Takumi Design
Engine: 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol-electric self-charging hybrid
Powertrain: Front-wheel drive or AWD-i all-wheel drive; e-CVT automatic
Power: 136hp combined system output
Engine power: 91hp
Electric motor: 94hp / 185Nm
Battery: 1.0kWh nickel-metal hydride
0–62mph: 9.2 seconds (FWD); 9.6 seconds (AWD)
Top speed: 106mph
Fuel economy: 61.4–62.7mpg (FWD); 58.8mpg (AWD)
CO2 emissions: 102–108g/km (FWD); 110–113g/km (AWD)
Transmission: e-CVT automatic
Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles, with Lexus Relax cover available up to 10 years/100,000 miles subject to annual servicing at a Lexus centre.

The three sisters left with catastrophic injuries after a crash on an Irish motorway that killed five teenage boys ‘who boasted about joyriding days before smash’ have today been pictured.

Niamh and Alma Kinsella, who are in their 30s, are fighting for their lives in hospital after a gang of joyriders, who were driving the wrong way down the motorway, smashed into them. 

Sister Ella Hendricken, who is in her 20s, was also seriously injured in the crash – as well as her seven-year-old nephew. 

Niamh and Alma are understood to have been in the front of the vehicle while the child and Ella were in the back of the car when the collision happened shortly before 3am on Sunday. 

The three sisters and a seven-year-old boy were on their way to Dublin Airport ahead of a family wedding in Britain. 

Ella is understood to have been working as a social worker in Carlow while Niamh is understood to be a PE teacher at a local school. 

Locals have described the family as ‘lovely’ and ‘quiet’.  

The boys who died after their stolen BMW smashed into a Hyundai on Sunday had been ‘terrorising’ several communities with break-ins and car robberies over the previous fortnight.

Kamil Pustkowski was one of five teenagers to die in the collision

Three sisters and a seven-year-old boy had been travelling to Dublin Airport ahead of a family wedding in the UK when they were seriously injured in a head-on collision with a BMW

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All five of the teenage boys – reportedly aged between 15 and 17 – travelling in the BMW died and were identified as Kamil Pustkowski, Joe Carthy, Jeremy O’Brien, Alex McCarthy and Jack Kennedy. 

They died in the two-car collision on the M9, in County Kildare, on Sunday morning. 

Father Tom Little, from a parish in Carlow, said today that the family of those who suffered injuries are ‘bereft with sadness’. 

He told the Irish Times: ‘It is a terrible, sad event. It’s very hard to comprehend what’s happened. Everybody is hoping that those that are injured will make a full recovery.’   

The group of joyriders were suspected of multiple car thefts and burglaries, as well as other serious anti-social activities across the Kildare and Carlow regions for at least the past two weeks. 

They often posted videos of themselves being chased by gardaí. One video shared before their deaths filmed the rearview mirror of a car and was captioned with the words, ‘wrong way.’ 

In a clip posted on TikTok, Kamil Pustkowski can be seen playing loud music and shouting as he films the reflection in his wing mirror, which shows the flashing blue lights of a police car chasing after him.

Alex McCarthy was one of the five boys who died in the collision in County Kildare on Sunday morning

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Joe Carthy also died in the crash on the M9 motorway

Jeremy O’Brien was one of five teenagers to lose his life in the collision 

Jack Kennedy was the fifth teenage boy to lose his life in the crash yesterday 

Kamil Pustkowski is heard saying ‘that’s a sick video boys’ as he attempts to escape the pursuing Garda. The video is captioned: ‘They got rammed get up. Cupra smoked,’ which is slang for ‘escaped’.

In a separate post, the teenager can be seen shakily filming his dashboard as the speedometer increases.

And in other footage, Kamil Pustkowski films out the view from the rear windscreen of a car as police again give chase with flashing blue lights. The video is captioned: ‘No panic zone here.’

Meanwhile, in other social media activity reviewed by the Daily Mail, one of the other boys, Jack Kennedy, has posted images of himself smoking marijuana and wearing balaclavas.

It comes after the Irish justice minister Jim O’Callaghan warned on Monday that criminals driving the wrong way down motorways will ‘end up in jail or in the grave’.

Mr O’Callaghan also said he was seriously considering new legislation to create a specific offence for those who drive the wrong way down a motorway and promised that pursuit training for gardaí will begin this year.

The Daily Mail has since confirmed the teenagers previously shared pictures of the tools they used to steal the vehicles. The high-powered BMW they were driving on the night of the horror smash had been stolen earlier that night and was spotted in several areas near Kildare before the crash.

The scene on the M9 northbound at Junction 3 in Co Kildare

Gardaí are confident the same group of young men had carried out a burglary in the area just hours before they died.

Garda investigators are also probing whether they were part of a number of attempted car robberies in the same region over the course of the night.

All five of the dead teenagers were wearing masks when gardaí came upon the grisly crash scene.

Friends of the teenagers posted pictures of the young men wearing balaclavas and driving cars at dangerous speeds.

One video posted in tribute to Kamil Pustkowski showed a man carrying out dangerous manoeuvres in a vehicle with the comment, ‘this one’s for you, Kamil’.

In another social media post, someone published a picture of a balaclava with the caption: ‘Your bally (sic) you gave me the other day. My heart’s in bits. Please, man. Don’t do this to us, Joe.’

Security sources told how the five youngsters were part of a growing group of teenagers who have been trying to ‘one up’ each other by posting more and more dangerous videos on social media.

‘These young guys have been terrorising communities for weeks if not longer,’ a source told the Daily Mail. ‘They go out and target cars they believe don’t have immobilisers and then go out joyriding.

‘Most of the time they were wearing masks or balaclavas but at times they’d show their faces. They did not care if they were caught as they knew they were underage and that there was little the courts system could do with them.’

The source added: ‘I want to be clear here. These lads were not the only ones who have done things of this nature.

‘It’s becoming a growing social media trend and it’s been a nightmare for gardaí to police because they are often ordered to stand down from pursuits because of the danger that chasing these guys could put the public in.

‘It’s a no-win situation for Gardaí here and now you have four innocent people who have been injured because of this recklessness.’

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The South Korean and U.S. militaries have agreed to shorten their drills at the U.S.’s request, South Korean officials said Wednesday, days after President Donald Trump ordered cuts to the exercises.

The allies’ summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises began Monday morning for an 11-day run, just after Trump ordered his Pentagon chief to “substantially reduce” them. Trump cited what he said was a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s refusal to join the U.S. war against Iran.

South Korea’s military said in a statement the ongoing drills with the U.S. would end Friday, not Aug. 27 as initially planned. It said the allies also agreed to downsize some joint field training exercises.

Many experts say Trump’s move threatens to hurt combined U.S.-South Korean readiness and eventually weaken their decades-long alliance.

Ulchi Freedom Shield is largely a computer-simulated command post exercise meant to hone the allies’ ability to deal with potential regional security threats like North Korean aggression. The two countries usually hold field training exercises during the command post exercise period.

The drills and a similar springtime exercise are a central pillar of the U.S. -South Korea alliance, which dates to the 1950-53 Korean War. But it’s also a long-running source of tensions with North Korea, which has denounced the exercises as a rehearsal for war and responded with provocative missile tests.

North Korea hasn’t responded to Trump’s overture. But earlier Wednesday, its state news agency, KCNA, published commentary slamming the U.S.-South Korean military drills as “frantic” and “extremely dangerous” and vowing to completely frustrate its rivals’ hostilities.

Experts said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, now emboldened by his advancing nuclear program and expanding military cooperation, won’t likely embrace Trump’s overture anytime soon unless he’s promised bigger concessions. In response to Trump’s previous outreach, Kim suggested last year that he can return to talks only after the U.S. drops its demand of a North Korean denuclearization as a precondition for diplomacy.

Trump and Kim met three times from 2018-2019 but their high-stakes diplomacy eventually fell apart over wrangling over a North Korean demand for extensive sanctions relief in return for limited denuclearization steps.

Firefighters are at the scene in Glasgow city centre

An ‘explosion’ has been reported in Glasgow city centre after a van went up in flames near the M8 late on Tuesday evening.

Reports suggest a van ‘exploded twice’ and ‘caught fire’ while parked on a street in the Cowcaddens area of the city. It is said to be underneath the ‘M8 construction zone’.

Images from the scene show a vehicle on fire, with a crowd of onlookers watching as a thick plume of smoke rises.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has told the Record it was first called to reports of a van vehicle fire on Phoenix Road at 11:23pm on Tuesday evening (August 18). Shortly before 1am, a spokesperson confirmed three fire appliances were in attendance at the incident.

The service has not issued any warnings to avoid the area to the public, they added. Phoenix Road is directly underneath the M8’s Woodside Viaduct.

The motorway viaduct is currently closed to allow roadworks to take place and strengthen the structure.

Traffic Scotland, the organisation which runs the country’s motorways, confirmed the M8 was ‘restricted’ this evening from Junction 16 (Craighall) to Junction 18 (Charing Cross).

A statement said: “The M8 is currently restricted in both directions between Junction 16 and Junction 18 due to essential bridge repair works. Expect delays.”

This is a breaking story, with more to follow.

Newly sworn-in Attorney General Todd Blanche is opening a path for millions of Americans — including people with felony convictions — to seek restoration of their federal gun rights.

On Tuesday, Blanche finalized a rule and launched a new process allowing certain people barred from firearm ownership to apply for relief from that prohibition.

“The Second Amendment is not a second-class right, and the federal government should not permanently deprive Americans of a constitutional right without regard to whether they pose a danger to public safety,” Blanche said in a statement.

“This rule establishes a rigorous, commonsense process that protects the public while giving deserving Americans a real path to restoration,” he added.

Under the Gun Control Act, several categories of people are prohibited from transporting, receiving or possessing firearms, according to the ATF. They include people convicted of crimes punishable by more than a year in prison, fugitives from justice, unlawful users of controlled substances, undocumented immigrants and people dishonorably discharged from the military.

U.S. Pardon Attorney Edward Martin said roughly 30 million Americans have lost their gun rights.

The Justice Department’s new process will allow eligible individuals to apply for restoration, though approval will not be automatic.

“Each applicant must establish to the Attorney General’s satisfaction that the circumstances giving rise to the prohibition, together with the applicant’s record, reputation, and subsequent conduct, demonstrate that the applicant is not likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety and that granting relief would not be contrary to the public interest,” the press release states.

Some groups will “remain presumptively ineligible for relief,” including undocumented immigrants, violent felons and registered sex offenders. Relief granted through the federal process also would not supersede state-level firearm restrictions.

The final rule takes effect in 30 days, when applicants will be able to submit applications online. The Justice Department estimates that about 330,000 people could apply during the program’s first year.

Blanche, Trump’s former personal attorney, previously served as deputy attorney general and acting attorney general. The Senate confirmed him as attorney general earlier this month in a 50-49 vote.

He was sworn in on August 10.