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We’ve had Japandi, Quiet Luxury, and Cottagecore. Now, interiors are entering their most enchanting era – yes folks, whimsical decor is here. 

The data confirms it: Pinterest searches for ‘whimsical home aesthetic’ up 975 per cent over the past year. 

But what does whimsical mean, really? A joyous antidote to grey and white homes with pillows uniformly hacked on sofas and beds (millennials know), whimsical style is all about embracing the unexpected, eccentric, and above all, having fun with your interiors. Think of it as the sister to dopamine decor. If it makes you smile or take a second look, you’re on the right track. 

Playful, witty style can present itself in lots of ways, from a 70s-inspired mushroom lamp to a rug with clashing colours, or even kids drawings, mounted and framed for the wall like the contemporary artworks they are.

Keen to refresh your space with a touch of whimsy? The good news is that you can do it easily on a small scale. Think putting photos into zany frames, curating coffee tables or bookshelves with curios, or switching cupboard knobs for something quirkier. Even the smallest details can make a huge impact, especially if they’re put against traditional styles or in a neutral setting. 

And it’s not a style mission you have to bankrupt yourself over either. Plenty of affordable homewares stores are spotlighting whimsical wares right now, whether you’re looking to go big or small.

Just look at Dunelm; its latest collab with designer Yinka Ilori is an excellent starting point. To prove it, find our favourite pieces to whimsymaxx your home.

Dunelm Pack of 4 Bistro Slogan Napkins

Slightly salty but perfect for dinner parties, this set of four 100% cotton napkins come with phrases every parent has surely said to their offspring around the table.

Use them to set the table for your next soiree, and reminisce together when your guests discover the details.

The machine washable napkins come in an easy-to-style monochrome colourway, so they’ll stay looking sharper for longer.

Buy Now for £12

Yinka Ilori Bell Touch Dimmable LED Table Lamp

In the designer’s own words, this futuristic-looking lamp, with its transparent base and pop of orange is almost ‘post-modern in its design language’.

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Its function as a light source feels almost secondary to the structural form and remix of vintage hues.

This is a piece that will look as good off as it will when it’s switched on. 

Buy Now for £65

Yinka Ilori Sweet Flows Bath Mat

Another big-hitter from the Dunelm x Yinka Ilori collection at a price that won’t break the bank.

This cotton mat is all about injecting fun to the bathroom with a bold palette and pattern that promises to bring colour and texture into a space that desperately needs both. 

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The high-low tuft makes the everyday ritual of bathing feel like a proper treat, and it’s part of a collection that includes matching towels, so you can go the whole hog if you like.

It’s machine washable too, so ridiculously easy to keep looking, feeling and smelling fresh.

Buy Now for £20

Tinned Sardines Salt & Pepper Shakers

There’s a fine line between novelty and nostalgia, but if your childhood home was one that enjoyed a fish and chip dinner every week, this adorable set of S&P shakers will bring back treasured memories every time. 

Two stoneware sardines are presented in a matching tin-style dish to add personality and decor to your table.

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Dive into seafood, tapas, or your local chippy’s greatest hits in style. 

Going to a housewarming? This will make the perfect gift.

Buy Now for £10

Brooke Bobble Lozenge Oval Full Length Wall Mirror

We’ve noticed a surge of bobbin and bobbles across homewares – and we’re not mad about it.

What’s not to love about these jolly little orbs? Dunelm proves it can deliver the look with elegance in this full length wall mirror made with handsome dark wood in a curved lozenge shape.

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We’ve seen similar at the likes of Soho Home, Westwing and Sklum for more than five times the price, so this is a steal.

Buy Now for £120

Sophie Robinson Wiggle Petal Meadow Zest Easy Fit Pleated Lamp Shade

Lighting often takes a backseat when it comes to zhushing up rooms, but it’s one of the features that can have the most impact. 

Switch over your boring lampshade for Sophie Robinson’s House of Hackney-esque look.

The designer also has a collaboration with Dunelm, and the gorgeous lampshades are high up on our wishlist.

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Patterned with heavy florals and pleated for a luxe effect, you’ll never want to turn on the room’s Big Light more.

It comes in two sizes – 40cm and 50cm – so you can choose the one that fits your room’s proportions best.

Buy Now from £45

I Can Boogie Cushion

Grandmacore collides with whimsical decor in this cushion, which will lift the mood of any room it’s in.

We love the nostalgia of the needlepoint paired with the disco-ready phrase and that delicate scalloped trim.

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If you’re happy to let your soft furnishings do the talking for you, add this cushion to basket, stat.

Buy Now for £25

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MORE: I’m not ready for autumn but Dunelm’s new homeware drop might have changed my mind

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MORE: Dunelm’s new cow print homeware collection is perfect for the western trend

Condé Nast Traveller has revealed the most wishlisted Airbnbs in the UK over the last year.

A spot in Northumberland has made it onto the list and was named the best for “a room with a view”.

Skylark Studio has “panoramic” views of the dunes and beaches of Alnmouth Bay and offers guests a relaxing place to escape from daily life.

You can enjoy sea views from the studio. (Image: Courtesy of the Airbnb Community)

What is Skylark Studio like?

On the Airbnb, the publication said: “Panoramic ocean vistas over the dunes and beaches of Alnmouth Bay take centre stage at this light-filled hilltop studio flat.

“It’s a perfect spot for a couples’ getaway, forming one wing of a self-built timber and stone converted barn.

“Inside uses a thoughtful mix of sustainable materials, selected by the home’s architect owner – expect birch plywood joinery and natural plaster walls with bamboo flooring and cool acoustic ceilings.

“A soapstone log burner and air-source underfloor heating keep the open-plan interior cosy through stormy days, and there’s a cute-as-can-be handcrafted window seat opening onto a front row view of the local birds and sunrises over the sea.”

The studio has been built in a timber and stone converted barn and has been decorated with natural features.

It has an open-plan living and sleeping area with a well-equipped kitchen where you can enjoy a meal while watching the sunset over the coast.

The studio is placed close to the beach and is just a few miles away from both the village of Alnmouth and Warkworth.

If you would rather stay home and enjoy the studio, it is a great spot for reading, birdwatching, and enjoying the views while sitting in the garden area.

What do guests think of Skylark Studio?

Many people have left five-star reviews on the Airbnb website after staying at the Skylark Studio.

One person wrote: “Skylark is such a lovely and peaceful holiday let.

“Geno goes above and beyond always looking to be as helpful and supportive as she can be.”

Another person wrote: “Skylark is truly a little slice of heaven!

“Everything is so well thought out, from the building itself to its final luxury touches.

“Geno is a great host, great communication and thank you again for the bread and milk!

“We didn’t want to leave!

“We look forward to staying in the colder months so we can see the skylark in every season!”

Will you be booking a stay at the Skylark Studio soon? Let us know in the comments.

Early one morning, the woman, who had been subjected to domestic violence by Zack Bowes before he was jailed, woke to find him standing by her bed,  Emily Jenkins, prosecuting, said at York Crown Court.

The previous night, the woman had heard him banging on her front door and had alerted police.

Bowes was also spotted at her place of work. He vaulted a fence when he was spotted and despite a large-scale police search of the area was not caught.

In a personal statement the woman said she is now “living in survival mode”, constantly checking that her doors and windows are secure, fearing what  Bowes may do next and feeling very vulnerable.

Bowes, 29, of no fixed address, was sent back to jail for 32 months. He has several previous convictions for breaking court orders and has offences against other women.

He pleaded guilty to stalking causing serious distress between July 15 and August 6 and breach of the restraining order that bars him from going within 100 metres of the first woman’s home and place of work and from contacting her in any way.

Judge Simon Hickey extended the order until October 2039 and added a condition that Bowes does not refer to the woman in any social media post or get anyone else to refer to her.

Defence barrister Halima Kamran said Bowes had struggled with not being able to speak to his ex-partner following his release from prison and had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Ms Jenkins said Bowes was released from a prison sentence for breaching the restraining order on July 14 and late that day, the woman saw what she believed to be him sitting as a front seat passenger in a car circling her area.

The next day she received a friend request from a similar SnapChat profile to one he had used in the past and on July 18, she was woken by banging on her front door. Her CCTV captured Bowes coming and going from her property more than once.

On July 24, he was at her place at work and on August 5, at 11pm, he was banging on her front door. 

The next morning at 7am she woke to find him at her bedside, having got into her house when her adult son let the dogs out. 

Bowes told her he had been waiting for hours in her back garden, and spent some time at the house trying to persuade her to renew their relationship. He appeared to have been drinking.

She was too frightened to call police, was deeply disturbed and no longer felt safe in her own home.  

Bowes now accepted the relationship was over, the court heard.

It was a royal family affair at the Burghley Horse Trials today as Zara Tindall, Peter Phillips and his wife Harriet Sperling were all out in force. 

Peter, 48, and Harriet, 45, were the picture of wedded bliss as they exchanged smiles and held hands on day two of the annual event in Stamford, Lincolnshire. 

For the occasion, NHS nurse Harriet, who married the King’s nephew this summer, looked stylish in white, wide-leg trousers, a cropped black denim jacket, and a colourful printed blouse.

She finished her look with a pair of green suede ballet flats, a bright blue straw tote as well as a mini white clutch bag.

Meanwhile, Princess Anne‘s son donned a pair of navy trousers, a shirt and a gilet for a relaxed, sporty look.

They were joined by Peter’s sister Zara, an accomplished equestrian who takes part in the trials every year, their father, Captain Mark Phillips, 77, and his girlfriend Florence Standaert, 44.

The Princess Royal’s ex-husband has been rumoured to be dating the Belgian equestrian since 2022, with Florence also accompanying Captain Mark to Peter and Harriet’s ‘intimate’ Cotswolds wedding in June.

Harriet and Peter have spent their summer at an array of high society events – including Royal Ascot, Wimbledon and the Badminton Horse Trials – after tying the knot at All Saints Church in Kemble, Gloucestershire. 

Princess Anne’s daughter Zara cut a casual figure in a pair of slim-fitting jeans, a windbreaker, sneakers and a navy baseball cap 

Captain Mark Phillips, 77, pictured at the event with his girlfriend, Belgian equestrian Florence Standaert

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They arrived today at the Burghley Horse Trials to cheer for Zara, who cut a casual figure in a pair of slim-fit denim jeans, a windbreaker jacket, a navy baseball cap, and white sneakers. 

Her natural beauty shone through as the Olympic silver medallist sat down for an interview at the Burghley Horse Trials. 

It comes after Zara claimed her first major championship title in nearly 20 years after riding to victory at the Hartpury International Horse Trials and British Championships last month. 

Zara, 45, rode 17-year-old Class Affair to victory and took home a £5,000 prize.

An onlooker told HELLO! that Zara was having a ‘whale of a time’ as she competed, even shouting ‘Whee’ as she cleared the jumps.

They said: ‘Zara was in a crazy mood, she seemed super happy, smiling as she jumped over the jumps, even going “Whee”, she was smiling and beaming, kissing the horse.’

Speaking about her achievement, the onlooker added: ‘She’s taken this horse, who is on the downward trend, and taken him to glory in the British Open championships.’

The victory marked Zara’s first major championship title since she helped Britain claim team gold at the European Eventing Championships in 2007.

NHS nurse Harriet, who married the King’s nephew this summer, looked stylish in white, wide-leg trousers, a cropped black denim jacket, and a colourful printed blouse 

The Princess Royal’s ex-husband has been rumoured to be dating the Belgian equestrian since 2022, with Florence also accompanying Captain Mark to Peter and Harriet’s ‘intimate’ Cotswolds wedding in June

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Zara got her game face on for the Trials 

Zara during an interview at the Burghley Horse Trials today 

But despite her triumph, the royal was forced to celebrate without her family, with no relatives spotted cheering her on from the sidelines.

However, several members of her family were out to support Zara today, with Princess Anne expected to attend the event on Sunday in her role as President of World Horse Welfare. 

Zara is a serious international equestrian competitor, having garnered a gold medal at the European Eventing Championships in 2005 in addition to attaining a silver medal at the World Equestrian Games in 2006.

She has previously been crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year and has been nicknamed the Royal Olympian.

It comes after Peter and Harrieta wed in front of a host of royals and socialites at All Saints Church, in Kemble near Cirencester, not far from Princess Anne’s home at Gatcombe Park.

Guests at their nuptials included the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, as well as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, with their respective husbands Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank.

Harriet wore a white Emilia Wickstead gown and the Pragnell family tiara, while her wedding train was held by her three bridesmaids, her daughter Georgina, 14, and Peter’s children, Isla, 14, and Savannah, 15, with former wife Autumn Kelly, who all looked elegant in floral garlands and matching white dresses from the same designer.

The new Mrs Peter Phillips made her official debut as a member of the Royal Family at Royal Ascot shortly after, when she joined her husband in the traditional carriage procession. 

NHS nurse Ms Sperling looked the picture of elegance in a Suzannah London blue silk Biarritz dress and cream Jimmy Choo slingback heels as she took her place beside her new mother-in-law, Princess Anne, in the horse-drawn carriage.

Aside from the wedding ring on her left hand, the biggest hint at Ms Sperling’s recent nuptials came via the sky-blue Anya Hindmarch clutch bag she carried – embroidered with her new initials, HP.

The facility, run by APCOA, has shut tonight for work needed on the concrete structure and link bridge.

It is now exit only and anyone with a vehicle parked in the building is being urged to collect it as soon as possible.

Customers with future bookings are being advised to contact APCOA by using the details on their confirmation email to arrange for a refund.

All cars will need to be removed from the site to allow Network Rail teams to install temporary netting to the underside of the concrete decks of the structure.

That’s because in recent weeks some ceiling material has deteriorated and could become loose. As a precautionary measure the protective netting is being installed. It will take up to three weeks and once complete the car park can reopen.

A road closure is also now in place between Store Street and Travis Street while scaffolding is erected beneath the car park link bridge. This closure will be shorter, estimated at seven days.

Anyone needing car parking as part of their rail journey is being advised to use alternative car parks in the area*.

Margaret Edge, Manchester Piccadilly station manager for Network Rail, said: “We’re sorry to passengers and station users for the short-notice closure of Manchester Piccadilly’s long-stay car park while we carry out these temporary measures to the ceilings inside.

“We appreciate this will be disruptive for people and we will be working as fast as we can to install the netting and getting the car park back into use. I’d urge anyone with pre-booked parking to contact APCOA directly about their booking.”

One of Britain’s most iconic car names of the 1960s and 1970s is making a return to the market – though it’s nothing like the original.

The Jensen Interceptor, which was hand-built at Jensen Motors’ Kelvin Way factory in West Bromwich near Birmingham between 1966 and 1976, is embarking on a long-touted comeback.

The two-door ‘shooting brake’ grand tourer is one of the most recognisable and beloved British motors of its era – and it remains a standout model in what was a chequered period for car making.

But its 21st century reincarnation comes with a serious injection of power.

The Interceptor has been reborn with a lineage-correct V8 engine, though one that’s been extensively modified and supercharged to produce a staggering 960bhp, which is strictly unsuitable for public roads.

Oxfordshire-based Jensen International on Friday unveiled the rear-wheel-drive, track-only Interceptor GTX, describing it as ‘the ultimate analogue driving experience’.

But fear not, street-legal variants will follow.

The Interceptor GTX is neither a continuation model nor a ‘restomod’ based on an original chassis.

Instead, it is an entirely new creation developed from the ground up and destined to be hand-built in Britain in extremely limited numbers.

Jensen International says the hardcore GTX is a ‘statement of intent for what’s to come’.

That future line-up will include a luxurious GT cruiser inspired by the classic Interceptor, alongside a high-performance, road-legal GTR variant designed to bridge the gap between its two sister models.

Each car takes inspiration from the original Interceptor, with the manufacturer claiming their proportions and road presence reflect those of their 1966 predecessor.

In fact, the newly formed British car maker has already revealed how the GT might look once the GTX’s aggressive aerodynamics, flared wheel arches and towering rear wing have been stripped away or softened in favour of a more elegant grand touring design.

Jensen International says the GTX ‘represents the physical proof point of Jensen International’s credibility, engineering capability and supplier network’.

Jensen International says the hardcore GTX is a ‘statement of intent for what’s to come’, which includes this Interceptor GT

The street-legal variant will be more reminsant of the two-door ‘shooting brake’ that is one of the most recognisable and beloved British motors of its era

The original Interceptor was hand-built at Jensen Motors’ Kelvin Way factory in West Bromwich near Birmingham between 1966 and 1976. The new model is crafted in Oxfordshire

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Nearly 1,000bhp from a supercharged Corvette V8

Beneath its expansive bonnet sits a 6.8-litre General Motors V8 sourced from the Chevrolet Corvette that’s been re-engineered by Texas-based specialist Late Model Engines.

And the modifications are extensive.

These include the addition of a 2.65-litre supercharger and a range of forged internal components designed to cope with significantly higher performance levels.

The company says the engine is rated at an output of up to 1,200bhp, though this has been scaled back to a still eye-watering 960bhp.

Power is sent exclusively to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox.

However, the road-going GT and GTR models will offer buyers the choice of a traditional H-pattern manual transmission or a fully automatic gearbox.

Its outrageous adjustable rear wing generates over 350kg of downforce and the full aero package includes a low-slung front splitter, flat underfloor, massive rear diffuser, various air ducts and vents, and a two-plane aerofoil to control airflow. 

Inside, the GTX features a stripped-out cockpit complete with an FIA-approved safety cage, carbon-fibre racing seats, six-point harnesses and an integrated fire-suppression system.

Buyers opting for the GT can expect a considerably more luxurious interior trimmed in premium materials.

Each car takes inspiration from the original Interceptor, the British maker says. It claims the proportions and road presence of the new models reflect those of their 1966 predecessor

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The GTX’s outrageous adjustable rear wing generates over 350kg of downforce

Beneath its expansive bonnet sits a 6.8-litre General Motors V8 sourced from the Chevrolet Corvette that’s been uprated with a supercharger and forged parts. It can produce up to 1,200bhp but has been limited to 960bhp

The original Interceptor’s interior is a classy affair. The new GTX is a stripped-out race car with an FIA-approved safety cage, carbon-fibre racing seats and six-point harnesses

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Not a continuation car

Managing director David Duerden said: ‘We were determined to create something entirely new that carries the spirit of the Jensen Interceptor forward in a modern, authentic manner and, perhaps in the case of our first car, the track-focused GTX, in a way people would not expect.

‘Obviously, the 1966 Jensen Interceptor is a significant inspiration for us. And not just visually, but in terms of what that car represents.

‘From the outset, though, our intention was never to build a continuation car or revisit something that already existed.’

Duerden said the road-going models that follow have been conceived as part of the same development programme as the GTX.

Around 80 per cent of the exterior design, including key body panels and associated tooling, will be shared with the GT and GTR variants.

The GT is intended to be a more luxury-oriented proposition that retains a close connection to the original 1966 Interceptor while remaining firmly focused on the future rather than nostalgia.

The GTX is expected to go into production in 2028 and command a price close to £1million. The high-performance GTR (centre) and luxury GT (left) have an unconfirmed release date

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So, how much will it cost?

Jensen International says the GTX will be priced somewhere between £850,000 and £950,000.

Production is not expected to begin until 2028 and numbers will be strictly limited.

The GT should be significantly more affordable, though the company has yet to provide either a price estimate or a launch date.

Entering The Raw and the Cooked at the Saatchi Gallery in London, you are faced with a single enormous painting that occupies the whole of the opposite wall. The Punishment of Richard Roose (2026) is a magnificently anachronistic project: a museum-scale picture of a fairly obscure episode of English history.

Stiff, stylised, life-sized figures stand against a plain background in this painting by Harry Jones London, curator of the exhibition.

At its centre, a boiling cauldron emitting a toxic cloud of steam is the imminent destination for the unfortunate figure standing beside it with his head and hands trapped in stocks. There are monks, men-at-arms, heraldic banners, sinister dogs – everything needed to get medieval with this punitive spectacle.

But the punishment of who, and when? In 1532, Richard Roose, a cook convicted of poisoning, became the first person in England to be executed by being boiled alive. He was sentenced under a novel poisoning act passed specifically for his case.

The appalling spectacle of the cooked cook – an irreplaceable human consciousness reduced to mere meat – appears to exemplify what the medievalist Umberto Eco called the “barbaric” medieval in every way. Except that this event did not actually happen in the middle ages (500 to 1500). This is a picture of a Tudor-era atrocity that medieval English law would never have permitted.

Although the middle ages of the exhibition’s title sometimes anchors to the historic period, it primarily lays claim to a collection of tropes that have come to be seen as medieval.

For instance, the exhibition’s statement of intent cites the idea of an artisanal medieval age. This is “the physical world of the handmade – that of leatherwork, metalwork, woodwork, painting, ceramics and even baking”. It summons up medieval with a special claim on spirituality via the “human impulse to find meaning and community”.

The exhibition’s modern artistic interpretations raise further notions of the medieval. Jessica Luostarinen’s paintings, Fitting (2024) and Fitting – 2 (2025), combine the chivalric medieval of knightly adventure with the contemporary and futuristic. Here we see images of an androgynous figure being encased in plate armour that could be interpreted as cyborg-like.

Where are they now?

The commonplace medieval sentiment of nostalgia and lament for the transience of worldly things proves remarkably durable, and is explored at length in this exhibition. Many pieces ask “Where ben they bifore us were” (Where are they who lived before us?), in the words of a 13th-century English lyric.

Jakob Rowlinson’s sculpture, The Apogee of Foolishness (2024), includes shoes transformed into grotesque masks. The Prada shoe used to create a death mask sees a medieval moral take modern form. This is a witty reimagining of the memento mori, an object that reminds viewers of the transience of worldly goods and of their own, inevitable mortality.

In metal artist Caitlin Hazell’s Pilgrim Badge Replicas (2024), sharp and detailed initial castings – imitations of the mass-produced badges that medieval pilgrims bought at shrines – deteriorate into indistinct and fragmentary forms. These tiny objects are a meditation on fragility and the passing of time.

But some of the most successful works do not explicitly cite the medieval. Hazell’s Unknown Individual (2024, rebaked 2026) is a life-sized skeleton which, on further inspection, turns out to be made of bread. It is laid out in a vitrine framed by an assortment of pebbles, shells and driftwood – a relic of an imaginary past.

Emmanuel Awuni also arouses the sympathetic frisson triggered by coming face to face with apparent human remains. His work Sankofa (2022) – a word from the Ghanaian Akan language “evoking the idea of reflecting on the past” – is a sculpted head broken open to reveal a golden leaf and a cowrie shell. Despite the implicit violence, its expression is serene. This profoundly emotive object is vulnerable, tender and precious.

As the exhibition thesis says: “There is an undeniable resurgence of the medieval in contemporary art and culture” – and especially in contemporary visual art. Other such artworks have been shown at the National Gallery’s 2023 St Francis of Assisi exhibition, 2025’s Medieval Relics at Green and Stone, and the current Living by the Rule: Contemporary Meets Medieval at the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich.

Academic medievalists have, on the whole, accepted that it is ungracious to complain if creative engagements of the medieval do not quite match our understandings of the period.

Imagination can know things that scholarship misses. Mapping the contours of what people do with the medieval is more productive than policing it. This exhibition shows that the medieval, however it is understood, is still able to act in the present day.

The Raw and the Cooked is on at The Saatchi Gallery in London until September 11

A reader looks back at the best games to ever be released in September, from Driver: San Francisco to GTA 5, and looks forward to this year’s bumper batch of new titles.

Autumn is a time for new beginnings, and this writer has certainly found plenty of meaning as to why September feels fresh and new. For one thing, September begins one day after my birthday, and I live in the UK, where school begins again – but I’ll save you the personal journey through my tumultuous and evolving journey through the education system. September in the realm of video games is very exciting, and here I want to share my favourite games that came out in September and explain why I love those games as much as I do.

One game that immediately springs to mind when I think of September is 2011’s Driver: San Francisco. One of the coolest games to grace any console ever, Driver: San Francisco combined the series’ classic chase movie action with an insane out-of-body and astral projection experience. Playing as a man in a coma, you are John Tanner, and you discover the ability to cause wholesale vehicular mayhem in your mind, from above the San Francisco clouds. And yes, I do think that says enough about how ebullient this game is.

Next on a whistle stop tour of September in games is 2013’s Rayman Legends, perhaps the best platformer in existence, or at least the craziest. If you thought Origins was off the wall, you ain’t seen nothing yet. The variety and the fluidity of the platforming gameplay in Rayman Legends is sublime, and it’s freakishly well made, with colour and whimsy bursting out of every fibre of its existence.

The leviathan that was GTA 5 also landed in September 2013 and I wolfed that one down as urgently as a man on hunger strike, once he sees a delectable steak dinner. GTA 5 was massive and showed us exactly why Rockstar keeps on impressing us with its scale. OK, so the story isn’t on the level of GTA 4, but you can play as three protagonists, and it’s extremely well written, looks amazing, and boasts insane mission variety the series hadn’t seen before. All told it was an extraordinary GTA game.

Marvel’s Spider-Man web-slung his way onto the PlayStation 4 with amazing results. Managing to capture the true essence of Spider-Man and giving us the Spidey title we had waited over a decade and a half for, Spider-Man was one of the almighty trinity of Game of the Year games in 2018, along with God Of War and Red Dead Redemption 2, and it put up a huge fight for supremacy at that.

Mafia: Definitive Edition showed up in 2020, when we were all still contending with the uncertainty of those times, and it turned out to be one of the best remakes ever made. It was a full body remake at that, and it turned Mafia into a gorgeous modern shooter you’d definitely be happy you played.

In 2024, we were all treated to one of the greatest platformers ever made when Astro Bot came along to bring an astronomical level of joy to the souls of PlayStation gamers everywhere. This joy was matched by all the PlayStation icon bots you got the chance to meet and collect, as well as all of those out of this world specialised levels you participated in. Astro Bot was a PlayStation adventure like no other and brought a cheery sunshine to the format, which had been overtaken by too much focus on deep emotional and mature experiences.

September this year looks to feature even more excellence, with Onimusha: Way Of The Sword, The Blood Of Dawnwalker, Marvel’s Wolverine, Silent Hill: Townfall, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, and Control Resonant scheduled for release. September is one heck of a month to get excited about games; there is no other month quite like it for gaming.

By reader James Davie

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot.

Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email.

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A number of criminals have been caged in Scotland after French authorities cracked the highly encrypted EncroChat messaging service in 2020.

Gangsters, drug lords, weapons dealers and county lines runners have been rounded up after their dodgy dealings were exposed on the app.

The Record’s new series will explore Scotland’s biggest encrochat busts – and the individuals behind the deals who believed they were untouchable.

Former Ayr United footballer, Paul Shepherd, was jailed for more than nine years after being exposed as a trusted courier for a major drug gang through the EncroChat hack.

The 48-year-old, was caught with a fist-sized bag of cocaine and a phone loaded with the highly encrypted messaging platform when he was arrested in Leeds in April 2020.

What officers did not know at the time was that French investigators had already infiltrated EncroChat – a service used by criminals around the world who believed their messages could never be traced.

The breakthrough gave police access to thousands of conversations between organised crime figures and would ultimately help bring down the four-man gang Shepherd was working for.

The former professional footballer, who also played for Leeds United, Luton Town and Scarborough, had been trusted to move and store cash and cocaine for gang boss Carl O’Flaherty.

Messages recovered from EncroChat showed O’Flaherty, 38, had instructed Shepherd to deal with the drugs found when he was arrested.

Investigators went on to uncover the full scale of the operation, with the encrypted messages laying bare how O’Flaherty bought cocaine, had it diluted and then sold it on for a substantial profit.

The gang leader would purchase three kilos of high-purity cocaine for £123,000 before using cheap chemicals to increase the quantity and selling four kilos for £150,000.

Dane Marshall, 42, was described as the gang’s “chef”, responsible for cutting the cocaine before it was repackaged for sale.

Clinton Blakey, 38, meanwhile, was a dealer who regularly bought kilogram quantities of cocaine from O’Flaherty before adding further cutting agents and selling it on.

EncroChat messages uncovered conversations between the pair, including photographs of cocaine blocks and discussions about prices.

Blakey was also involved in supplying cannabis, while Marshall used a landscaping business as a front and obtained a £50,000 Government bounce-back loan during the Covid pandemic.

The National Crime Agency (NCA), which investigated the gang, later raided a Leeds property linked to the operation.

Inside they found 13 kilos of amphetamine, large quantities of chemicals used to dilute cocaine and equipment showing that around 12 kilos of cocaine had been repackaged at the address.

O’Flaherty, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, was found to have played a leading role in the operation.

He admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine, producing amphetamine and conspiracy to supply amphetamine and was jailed for 17 years and 10 months.

Shepherd, of Leeds, was found guilty following a trial of producing and conspiracy to supply drugs and money laundering. He was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison.

Marshall admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and acquiring criminal property and was jailed for six years and six months.

Blakey fled to Marbella in Spain before being brought back to face justice. He admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis and was jailed for 12 years.

The case showed the crucial role EncroChat evidence could play in exposing organised crime networks.

NCA operations manager Nigel Coles said the investigation had dismantled a “dangerous criminal organisation” supplying large quantities of cocaine.

He said the trade fuelled “intimidation and exploitation” across the UK.

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Caleb Milligan (William Ash) isn’t a man known for resisting temptation in Emmerdale.

The ruthless businessman is always cooking up some scheme or another in his constant – often not legal – quest for wealth.

His appetites don’t stop with greed either. Caleb’s got a penchant for revenge if anyone gives him a reason – and Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) ripped out his kidney.

That’s why Caleb took great delight in orchestrating an epic revenge against his organ-harvesting enemy by helping Dawn Taylor (Olivia Bromley) to jilt Joe on his wedding day and flee to Spain with her ex Billy Fletcher (Jay Kontzle) .

The revenge worked well. Too well. The dramatic events of Joe’s wedding hell led to a shocking car crash which claimed both the lives of his bride-to-be Dawn and Jimmy King (Nick Miles).

It’s hard to think of anyone as conniving, power-hungry and just plain bad as Caleb Miligan.

Or at least, it was.

Now Emmerdale’s ultimate villain Sadie King (Patsy Kensit) is back in the Dales just in time to bury her ex-husband Jimmy, who she’s been apparently having an affair with this whole time.

Affairs are Sadie’s bread and butter. Let’s not forget she had a rather steamy affair with Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) back in the day, not to mention her passionate dalliance with the king of Dales hard men himself, Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordely).

Patsy Kensit recently spoke to Metro about the experience of reuniting with Jeff after a twenty year absence from our screens, and how Sadie reacts to seeing Cain again.

‘I had quite a daunting day with Jeff Hordley where we shot about eight or nine scenes, and it was all about putting that relationship to bed. There is a lot she reveals about what happened to her after he left her on the runway. There were two ways of playing it, and Jeff is such a brilliant actor – as is everyone on the show.’

‘I’m learning so much every day, as I did years ago. It’s an education. But we decided to play against that and make it a real conversation between two people that had shared some time together, and I think that was the right way to do it. It ties things up.’

However, she also teased a potentially fresh romance… with none other than Caleb himself.

This might come as something as a shock to fans, especially seeing as Caleb is very much not single. He’s married to his co-partner in revenge, Emmerdale’s answer to Lady MacBeth Ruby Fox-Miligan (Beth Cordingly).

But since when does something like a committed relationship stop Sadie from getting what she wants?

That’s something she’s got in common with Caleb, who famously did the dirty on Ruby with Tracy Robinson (Amy Walsh) until his scorned wife exposed it.

But it seems that Sadie’s got big plans for Caleb, according to Patsy Kensit, who seemed to suggest she’d been filming some recent scenes where Sadie got Caleb hot under the collar. And not just Caleb either.

‘Sadie has got her sights set on Caleb. And Ruby, as well.

Curiouser and curiouser…

MORE: Emmerdale’s Nicola Wheeler breaks silence on controversial Jimmy King twist that really upset fans

MORE: Sadie’s sinister motives ‘confirmed’ in Emmerdale as she is caught red-handed by Nicola

MORE: ‘Don’t believe it’: Emmerdale fans not buying what Sadie King is saying about Jimmy