‘Oh no, the ceremony!’

I jumped naked out of the tiny single bed I was squashed into with a naked man named Rory*, and ran to the bathroom.

In the distance, I could hear the faint sounds of people gathering.

‘The wedding!’ I ran back in the room and yelled at Rory who was in a frozen state of confusion and shock, before grabbing my dress and leaping back into the bathroom.

This isn’t the beginning of a Hugh Grant rom com, it was how I attended my friend’s wedding in a villa in Lake Como, Italy: late, after having shagged the best man’s brother who I had just met days before.

It was absurd and embarrassing, and I haven’t lived it down since.

When I got to Italy on a flight with four other friends, the last thing I was thinking was to get laid. I had just my friend Sharon* on my mind – her wedding meant her rules. Luckily, she was one organised bride, so I didn’t have to do much to help.

While I was a good friend, I didn’t quite make the cut for bridesmaid, which I was quite happy about, after seeing them run around with clipboards for the next three days.

Sharon had decided on a destination wedding – Lake Como was all the rage at the time and was full of beautiful villas to marry in. She chose a large estate with enough rooms to house the 40 people attending the wedding, over four days.

The ceremony would be on day two, leaving us one extra day for recovery. We were, after all a chaotic bunch, having all met at the local pub over 10 years prior.

And it was a glorious wedding that culminated in lots of hilarious stories.

One being my dalliance with the best man’s brother Rory.

When I first placed eyes on him, I thought he was cute. Beyond that, I didn’t think much – as I said, I hadn’t even considered getting with anyone, I just wanted to have fun with my friends.

But he evidently thought I was cute too, because the night we all arrived, drinking by the pool, he came and sat next to me, asking me what felt like hundreds of questions about my life.

He wanted to know what I did for a living, how old I was, if I had any pets, what I thought of dogs. Big dogs. He told me he had two big dogs.

I looked over at Sharon by question 12, and she smiled back winking.

I guess that was it – I was going to have to sleep with him.

That night, we were the last ones standing and shared a kiss by the silent pool, giggling. One thing led to another, and after all the wine we managed to down, we ended up having sex by the pool. 

It was quick and dangerous. While people had gone to bed, the villa was still awake, with bedroom lights on and voices echoing across the lawns.

I said goodnight after and went to bed in a room I was sharing with a friend at the time. As I crept in she turned on the light demanding to know all details of what had happened.

‘You had sex didn’t you?’, she said, smiling at me.

‘Yes!’ I fell to the bed laughing. It was the start of my holiday romance, and I was excited.

The next day, we set up for the ceremony – the bridesmaids were like headless chickens, frowning at everything they saw, losing clipboards and taking one too many ciggie breaks to calm down.

I had woken up late with a hangover and was very little help.

So while they did that, I slipped away with Rory and we went for a cute walk. To his room. And had sex. This was the full extent of our relationship, and while I wanted to do more – go on romantic dates and get to know him – we had limited time.

But we had obviously fallen asleep because I was awoken to the sound of music and people gathering on the villa terrace.

It hit me – the ceremony was starting, and we were still in bed.

After jumping out of bed and telling Rory to get his clothes on, I walked very quickly from his room to mine.

I had an estimated five minutes to get ready, and I was nowhere near presentable.

I threw on the new dress I had bought for the wedding and the heels that I feared were too big. Brushed my hair, applied as much makeup as possible and ran out of my room – after taking off and holding my massive heels.

As I ran to the ceremony, Sharon had already walked down the aisle. I couldn’t believe I missed it. Looking behind me, I see Rory struggling with his bowtie, half running, half skipping to the front seats. 

He stands up quickly, does up his fly and sits back down as people around him giggle.

I grab a seat in the back and lock eyes with Sharon. After attempting to mime a ‘sorry’, she bursts out laughing and winks at me.

Luckily, she didn’t care, but obviously everyone knew why I was late.

I looked over at the friend next to me: ‘how obvious was it?’ I asked.

‘You might as well have been having sex with him at the altar’, he whispered back at me.

Nervously giggling, I melted into my seat and enjoyed the rest of the ceremony. Everything else went smoothly and Rory and I continued our holiday romance – this time, we didn’t hide it.

When the wedding was over, Rory and I said goodbye, promising to chat when we got back – me to London, him to Edinburgh. 

But we never did. It didn’t matter, he’s still in my life. Every time I’m late to something, my friends always quip: ‘Having sex with Rory were you?’

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing izzie.price@metro.co.uk. 

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The story of marriage’s declining fortunes has been gathering momentum for a while now. Divorce is commonplace, romcoms keep disappointing, and according to the 2021 census, the majority of adults in the UK are choosing, for the first time since records began, not to get married at all.

Having rejected an institution that has been a bastion of privilege for some, and a source of inequality and injustice for others, lots of people are experimenting with alternatives to the norms and expectations of matrimony, monogamy and family.

The real question, then, isn’t why so many people aren’t marrying – although there has a been a lot of hand-wringing over the fallout from women’s financial independence and changing practices around cohabitation and child rearing.

But it’s more interesting to consider why lots of other people – including liberal, secular, queer and divorced people – are still choosing to get married. What explains this ongoing attachment to the world’s oldest framework for union?

Puzzling over this while researching my book On Marriage, I asked a bunch of spouses what had motivated them to tie their knots. Bizarrely for such a consequential decision, most appeared genuinely flummoxed by my question, offering me hunches rather than answers. Erm, security? Children? Taxes? Stability? Peer pressure? Love?

Those who had long maintained a critical stance towards an institution they viewed as intrinsically patriarchal, yet had still wound up inside it, tended to offer me excuses. They did it for their parents, work, visas, kids, money, convenience. Who doesn’t want an excuse for a big party?

Marriage turned out to be a weird topic of conversation. On the one hand, it was a theme so hackneyed as to provoke eyerolls and yawns. On the other, its mere mention appeared to be triggering.

While everybody implied they knew what they thought about it, most sounded like they hadn’t really thought about it. Many who had committed themselves to marriage appeared to have wandered into their married lives more or less absent-mindedly.

Perhaps there’s no other way. Marriage, after all, is an extraordinary proposal: a commitment, made before witnesses, to stick with somebody until death. Who fully comprehends such an act in advance?

It’s especially strange in a predominantly secular society. Until the late 20th century, marriage in the UK was mostly undertaken to fulfil a sacred covenant, receive God’s blessing, and reflect a divine relationship.

But in 1992, civil ceremonies overtook religious ones. Today in the UK, six in ten people aged 16 to 34 identify with no religion, according to the latest British Social Attitudes survey. Yet religion doesn’t seem to have been entirely withdrawn from the institution either.

I was once granted a licence in the US state of Massachusetts to become a “one-day solemniser”. I temporarily had the power to officiate at the wedding of two people, neither of whom wanted a religious ceremony. “Solemnising” – meaning to perform or celebrate an official ceremony – seemed a suitably neutral word.

However, the ceremony did not feel altogether unreligious – perhaps because marriage is a place where modern secular culture has quietly absorbed many of the dreams and values we associate with religion.

Cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker wrote in The Denial of Death that without God, many seek meaning, salvation and sanctuary in romance. So you might say we can see this in the language around marriage. Oaths become “vows”, faith becomes “fidelity”, eternity becomes “forever”. The afterlife becomes the “happy ever after”.

Indeed, facing the perilous future that lies before us today, it’s little wonder if people cling to an institution promising love, commitment and salvation for the long term – even if they’ve no particular interest in what marriage meant to their grandparents.

This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something, The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

Ghosts in Sweden? It sounds strange to place the supernatural in a country of health-conscious, pragmatic engineers. But even though Swedes readily accept modernity, their popular culture hints at something else.

From the outside, Sweden appears to be a secular nation. The country has an exceptionally high number of non-believers, who engage in and identify with cultural rather than spiritual religious expressions. They will happily decorate a Christmas tree and prepare a traditional Christmas Eve dinner, for example, but may stop short of going to a church service.

This is connected to the perception of Sweden (often promoted by Swedes themselves) as modern, advanced, and rational. Yet in reality, various forms of spirituality – including a belief in ghosts – are common. As much as 41% of the population admits to believing in some paranormal activities. Ghost stories intersect with folk beliefs, modernity and mass media in a way that remains visible across Swedish society.

Research suggests that institutionalised religion has mostly been replaced by secularisation in western countries, including Sweden. But at the same time, technological advances seem to increase interest in folk beliefs.

We think we know Sweden – a peaceful nation grounded in social democracy, natural beauty, IKEA and Abba. But in 2026, is this still the real Sweden? The Conversation UK has teamed up with its Swedish partner universities for a series of articles examining why this small nation remains so fascinating.

Over the period of industrialisation of the 19th century, there was a corresponding rise in spiritualism, mediums and seances – complete with moving tables and flickering candles.

Novel machinery and this new, rational approach to the world actually appears to have made life harder for people to comprehend. In other words, the industrial revolution, with all its scientific breakthroughs, did not suddenly explain what it meant to be human. And 150 years later, ghost stories still apparently help many Swedes cope with life.

Sweden modernises

From the 19th century onwards, as Swedes grew accustomed to affluence and admiration from abroad (for their industry, economic growth, social security and equality), a stereotype developed. Ethnologist Åke Daun wrote that Swedes were characterised by “cleanliness, quietness, industriousness and modernity”.

And it’s true that Swedes like to think of themselves that way. They like to follow science-backed trends around exercising and diet, for example. And they see themselves as secular – superstition has been replaced by sound scientific advice.

But something twitched under the surface and ghosts re-entered the national psyche. Finnish folklorist Lauri Honko made an interesting observation that ghosts are in fact an empirical phenomenon. You hear something, feel a cold spot, see a shadow.

This empirical evidence may have given Swedes the reassurance they needed to embrace documentaries about the paranormal. This genre shows troublesome ghosts being challenged by mediums, and modern-day ghost stories are told through TV that familiarise viewers with the idea of the supernatural. Viewers see how to deal with these phenomena in a regular Swedish home.

Swedish paranormal documentary Det Okända (The Unknown) is one such example. When I first moved to Sweden in 2009 I found the show by accident and was surprised that it was not a Ghostbusters-type show. Mediums translated strange noises, headaches and scared children into logical patterns and rational explanations.

The ghosts did not seem to have any strong agendas. Rather, they tuned into the fears and worries of the property owners. People seemed to question whether their homes – their sacred spaces – could become unsafe by something they could not control. The show was a hit – running for 29 seasons and 318 episodes.

Of course, popular culture is an important barometer of public mood, and TV documentaries about the paranormal are a global phenomenon. But ghost shows on Swedish TV introduce everyday citizens to a troubling spirit, and a range of professional mediums to deal with them. Courses are offered in communicating with the undead.

Ghost stories carry meanings. They can be entertainment, but they also show that the folk beliefs that were supposed to have disappeared have found new ways of living on.

Mystical meetings offer the possibility of finding something that’s missing. They also promise an element of control over the human fears that modernity did not rationalise. Swedes do not question modernity or science, but supplement them with their engineer-like version of the paranormal. Swedish ghosts seem to represent all the uncontrollable in the everyday.

Together, Ian and Derek provide an important link between Cowburn’s past and present, helping to preserve the local knowledge, personal service and family values built over generations.

A family connection spanning generations

Cowburn Funeral Service was founded by John Cowburn in 1905. A joiner and builder by trade, John made coffins in his workshop alongside window frames, staircases and doors. Handwritten records show that he arranged his first funeral in November that year.

Albert Worthington joined Cowburn as an apprentice joiner in 1922. He showed a natural aptitude for funeral directing and went on to become John’s business partner, taking control of the business following John’s retirement.

Albert’s son John later joined the business after leaving school in 1955. Together with his wife Lois, he continued the family’s commitment to serving the people of Westhoughton.

That commitment remains at the heart of Cowburn Funeral Service today. For Ian and Derek, its history is more than a name above the door—it represents a longstanding responsibility to treat local families with kindness, dignity and respect.

Personal funerals shaped around each family

(Image: Cowburn Funeral Services)

Cowburn combines its proud heritage with the choices and flexibility families expect from a modern funeral service.

Its telephone is answered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with Cowburn’s caring and experienced team available to provide support and guidance whenever it is needed.

The team has extensive knowledge of the churches, cemeteries and crematoria in Westhoughton and the surrounding areas. This local experience helps Cowburn provide a professional yet sensitive service shaped around each family.

Cowburn can help arrange burials, cremations, attended funerals and simple unattended services. Families can also receive guidance about personal touches, including music, readings, flowers, funeral vehicles and orders of service.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach. The team takes the time to listen, understand what matters and help each family arrange a fitting and personal farewell.

Planning ahead, your way

Cowburn Funeral Service also offers The Independent Way, a bespoke pre-paid funeral plan provided by Golden Charter.

The Independent Way allows each person to create a plan around their own choices, selecting the funeral director’s services they would like to include.

Personal preferences, such as music, readings and other meaningful details, can also be recorded within the plan. The Cowburn team will explain the available options, what is included and any other costs that may need to be considered.

The cost of the funeral director’s services selected and included in the plan is fixed at today’s prices. An allowance may also be included towards third-party costs, such as crematorium, burial or officiant’s fees. These costs may not be fully covered, and an additional payment could be required when the funeral takes place.

A range of payment options is available, subject to eligibility. There is no pressure or obligation—just clear information, thoughtful guidance and time to consider the choices.

Appointments can take place at Cowburn Funeral Service on King Street or, if preferred, a member of the team can visit someone in the comfort of their own home.

Tributes and lasting ways to remember

Families looking for a personal way to remember someone can also visit Cowburn’s online Tribute & Remembrance Shop.

The shop offers urns for cremated remains, keepsake urns, ashes jewellery and urns for much-loved pets. Families can explore the collection privately and in their own time, helping them find a meaningful way to keep the memory of someone special close.

The collection can be viewed through Cowburn’s online Tribute & Remembrance Shop.

Anyone who would like to meet Ian, Derek and the Cowburn team, look around the funeral home or simply ask a question is always welcome to call in.

Cowburn Funeral Service, 1 King Street, Westhoughton, Bolton BL5 3AX

www.cowburnfunerals.co.uk

The nephew of two British 9/11 victims told the Mirror how he was just 15 when they died and said they were ‘still loved’ – 67 British people died on September 11

On the 25th anniversary of 9/11 a group of loved ones, officials and activists gathered for a poignant ceremony to remember all the victims who died, including the 67 British citizens.

The intimate gathering was held next to a memorial sculpture made from steel that fell from the World Trade Center on September 11, which now stands at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Friday’s event, hosted by the UK charity Since 9/11, heard heartbreaking stories from 25 years ago but also called on the importance of keeping the 2001 tragedy in our memories.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham, in a video address, told the ceremony that: “We will never forget these terrible events, but we refuse to be defined by them.”

The PM emphasised the strength of the bond between the UK and US 25 years on, saying: “Time may pass, but I know the grief is still felt just as deeply today. On this anniversary, we must remember that hatred and fear did not have the last word on 9/11.”

Those touched closely by the tragedy of 9/11 were also present at the solemn anniversary ceremony, including Liam McKenna who lost his uncle and aunt.

Liam’s uncle Michael Egan, 51, had moved from Hull to the US eight years before the attack and worked at the professional services firm Aon. Michael’s sister Christine Egan, 55, had been a nurse in Canada and was visiting her brother in New York at the time.

The two Britons were on the 103rd floor and both sadly died during the attack. Liam, speaking to the Mirror, shared how he heard the heartbreaking news as a teenager and said: “I remember I was 15 years old and I had heard the news story on the radio and I heard about planes hitting a tower somewhere in America, and it all seemed very distant to me.

“I remember going down to where my parents were, and they had it on the news there and I remember distinctly my mum saying to me, ‘your uncle Mike works in that tower’. And very quickly it changed from being this distant news story to being this personal family tragedy.”

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Despite living across the pond, Liam said his aunt and uncle used to visit and stayed close with the family. He said: “They always had time for the family, always had time for me as a young boy and my little brother.” Liam remembered Christine and Michael saying “I just really distinctly remember how kind they were.” He added: “They are still well loved.”

Christian Fisher was 13 years old when he survived the 7/7 Tavistock Square bombing, which was near his school. He told the Mirror that on 9/11 he was with his American friend at London Zoo whose dad was at the World Trade Center when the attack happened.

He said: “We didn’t know what was happening in terms of 9/11 but I remember him being very anxious, frightened and being completely powerless to do anything about the situation.” Christian shared that the dad survived the attack but also that he and his childhood pal are still friends 25 years on.

Christian told the Mirror: “One thing I have learnt from over the years, not just from my attack and meeting some survivors of 7/7, but survivors of many attacks including 9/11 is that grief is certainly not an exclusive emotion to have, it is a universal thing.

“There are many ways people can bond although I think shared experiences, surviving a terrorist attack, witnessing being bereaved is such a powerful way to really be understood by someone else.” Fisher helped to set up the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism.

The former National Lead of counter terror policing, Neil Basu QPM, told the Mirror the world was “more dangerous” and argued that intelligence would always be put above politics.

Mr Basu said: “The world is probably more dangerous than it’s ever been, not less dangerous. That is the sobering thing here today.” He added that “America will always be our closest intelligence partner”, adding: “In terms of our operating capability together, we will always put that over and above national interest politics.”

In his speech Mr Basu said: “Our fight is to recognise our common humanity and to teach every child what that phenomenal MP Jo Cox taught us all, that we have far more in common than that which divides us, may she rest in peace. If we fail to listen to her, Bin Laden has won.”

The 56-year-old described his mother as a ‘stubborn old woman’ in a call with ambulance staff

A man has been jailed for manslaughter after leaving his elderly mother on the floor for two weeks after a fall.

Stewart Irwin was given six and a half years in jail after failing to get help for his mother Veronica whom he lived with in Rydal Street, Carlisle.

The 56-year-old was found guilty of the offence following a trial at Carlisle Crown Court and sentenced on Friday (11 September).

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The trial heard Irwin’s mother died on July 28, 2023. That day, he had called the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) to say that his mother had fallen in the wet room and refused to get up.

Mr Irwin went on to explain his mother had been on the floor for two weeks and had been refusing food and help, describing her as “one of those stubborn old women”. However, he had decided to finally call for an ambulance as her skin had turned blue.

He also went on to say during the call “I could have killed her myself” before adding: “Ah, I don’t want to say that.”

Four paramedics attended the address and, on arrival, initially thought his mother was already dead due to the state of neglect she was in, including severe pressure sores and the presence of an insect infestation.

When Irwin was asked by paramedics why he had waited so long to call he told them she would not let him call for help.

When police arrived, Irwin told them his mother always told him not to call anyone, telling officers: “I said you want an ambulance and she said no, no, no.” His mother was taken to hospital but died that evening.

Following a post-mortem examination, the cause of death was found to be hypothermia and neglected pressure ulcers.

Irwin was interviewed by police twice following his mother’s death. Both times he refused to answer questions, giving “no comment” responses.

Outside court, Detective Constable Emma Armstrong from Cumbria Police, said: “Veronica Irwin died in truly horrendous conditions because her son – who presented himself as her carer – refused to get help for her.

“Irwin had countless chances to ask for help as his mother lay on the floor but waited until it was too late to act,” she added. “The fact that experienced paramedics initially suspected Veronica had already passed away when they arrived demonstrates the terrible condition she was allowed to descend into before Irwin finally acted.”

Last Friday’s defeat to champions Larne was a third in five League games for Declan Devine’s side and they’ll be keen to regain winning ways against Bangor at The Oval on Saturday

Marcus Kane says Glentoran must pull together and get their season moving again when they welcome Bangor to the BetMcLean Oval on Saturday (3pm).

Friday night’s defeat away to reigning champions Larne was a third in five league games for the Glens during a stop-start opening to the new Irish Premiership campaign.

The result left Declan Devine’s side eighth in the table, five points ahead of Saturday’s opponents. Kane remains confident that Glentoran can turn their form around but admits they must begin by eliminating the costly mistakes.

“Of course we can turn things around,” said Kane.

“First and foremost, we’ve got to stop giving away poor goals. We’re conceding really poor goals at the minute and that’s obviously disappointing.

“It’s not about any one individual. It’s something we have to address as a team because, as a unit, we’re giving away goals that we shouldn’t be.

“Against Larne last week, we were very disappointed with the manner of the goals we conceded.

“They have a lot of attacking players who can hurt you, so if someone fires one in from 25 yards, there’s not much you can do about it. But we came away disappointed because we felt we gifted them the goals.

“We need to get that right first and foremost and hopefully get a few players back over the next couple of weeks. Then we can start picking up results and moving in the right direction.

“It’s been tough. We have a squad capable of coping with injuries and it gives other players an opportunity, but when you’re missing that many key players at the same time, it’s always going to make things difficult.

“We’re hopefully not too far away from getting Pat Hoban back. Zeno Rossi, Greg Sloggett and Jarlath O’Rourke are all big players for us as well, while Jack Malone has been carrying a little niggle. The sooner we can get them back, the better.”

He added: “We can’t afford to feel sorry for ourselves. We have another game against Bangor coming up and it’s imperative that we turn this run around.

“It won’t be easy. Bangor have shown in their last two games that they’re up for the fight, and they’ll come to The Oval looking to build on getting off the mark against Ballymena United last week.

“We have to roll our sleeves up, produce the performance we know we’re capable of and hopefully get back to winning ways.”

Despite the frustration of dropping nine points from their opening five league games, Kane insists there is no panic within the squad.

“No one likes losing games and I can assure you that we’re all hurting because we don’t want to be in this position, but there’s certainly no panic,” he said.

“We know it hasn’t been good enough and that it needs to change, but the only way we can change it is by picking up results.

“We’re all working hard to turn this around and we know that every one of us can do a little bit more to help achieve that.

“There is a real belief within the squad and coaching staff that we can do that again. We just need to string a few results together.

“You don’t get handed anything in this game. The Irish League is so competitive that anyone can beat anyone on their day.

“Consistency has to be the key word for us now. Picking up points regularly has to be the objective.

“It has been a challenging start, given the games we’ve had and the key players who have been missing, but we won’t use any of that as an excuse.

“The responsibility rests with us as players. We know what we need to do and I can assure the supporters that we’ll be doing everything we can to turn this around.

“It’s vital that we pull together, get ourselves back on track and kick-start our season.”

Elsewhere, Carrick Rangers host Cliftonville at Taylors Avenue while Crusaders are at home to Limavady.

Portadown welcome League champions Larne to Shamrock Park with Dungannon facing Linfield at Stangmore Park in the evening kick-off (6pm).

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The school has continued to be monitored after its previous inspection

Ofsted has issued an update after a follow up visit to a school rated inadequate. The watchdog carried out its latest monitoring visit at Riverside Meadows Academy in St Neots, and outlined some improvements and some concerns which reamin.

The school, which is on Almond Road and part of Horizons Education Trust, has continued to be monitored by Ofsted after it was rated ‘inadequate’ and ‘requires improvement’ in June 2025. During the monitoring visit in June this year, inspectors recognised that the school had now fully established the new curriculum pathways for pupils however, this was not due to be started until September. Therefore, it was deemed too soon to assess the impact of this work.

The report outlines that the school has “not ensured that the curriculum sets out how pupils’ existing knowledge helps them secure new learning” which means teaching does not link new knowledge to what pupils already know.

The report adds: “Consequently, pupils find it difficult to secure new knowledge and do not learn as well as they should. The school and trust must ensure that the curriculum clearly sets out how prior learning links to new knowledge.”

During the inspection, inspectors identified that the school had not ensured its staff had the needed subject and pedagogical knowledge to teach the curriculum as intended. The education watchdog added: “As a result, teaching does not provide pupils with clear explanations of new information, adaptations that help them engage or suitable activities they need to secure learning.”

According to Ofsted, some strategies to support pupils who struggle to regularly attend school “often lack the focus to directly address individual pupils’ needs and barriers”, meaning some pupils “do not feel adequately supported to return to school”.

The monitoring visit also revealed that staff do not understand why changes are implemented which has led to marked provision differences between the two school sites. However, in terms of leadership and governance, inspectors noticed trustees and leaders continue to move the school forward “on its journey of improvement”.

The trust keeps a close eye on standards and holds leaders to account for their work, Ofsted confirmed. The report stated: “Leaders have had a positive impact in a short period of time on the areas of improvement identified at the last inspection. They have done this despite some recent unforeseen challenges.”

Since the last inspection, the school has moved to having one executive head teacher who oversees both sites. Each site now has a head of school and an assistant head teacher.

Executive Headteacher at Riverside Meadows Academy Kate Lovegrove, said she is “pleased” that the watchdog recognised the school’s “significant progress” in a short period of time. She added: “The report highlights the strength of our leadership, the commitment of our staff and the positive improvements in attendance, behaviour and pupil engagement across both sites.

“We recognise that there is still important work to do, but we are excited about the year ahead and confident that the improvements already in place, alongside our new curriculum, will make an even greater difference for our pupils.”

Riverside Meadows caters for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. The school has a capacity of 120, but 119 pupils were on roll at the time of the inspection.

Adam Dabin, CEO, Horizons Educations Trust, said: “We are delighted with the continued progress being made at Riverside Meadows Academy, which has once again been recognised by Ofsted. The commitment and determination of our staff, leaders and trustees is making a real difference for our pupils, and it is particularly encouraging to see improvements in attendance, behaviour and engagement.

“We are proud of the journey we are on and look forward to building on this strong foundation as we work towards making Riverside Meadows Academy a leading SEMH provision in Cambridgeshire.”

Her mum spotted some signs but thought she was ‘being dramatic’

Starting school is a huge milestone for all children – but for one family, their little girl’s first weeks at school came with a devastating discovery. Nina Hinds started in reception at primary school in Peterborough a year ago – but within just a few weeks her mum Sam started to notice some worrying changes.

The family started to worry, but they could have never imagined that just a few tests later Nina would be diagnosed with cancer. Her mum even thought she was ‘being dramatic’ when she took her to see the doctor.

The signs began when Sam noticed large bruises on Nina’s legs, arms and forehead, which she initially thought were normal childhood knocks and bumps. Then, when Nina got an ear infection, she became unusually more tired and pale. Nina’s teacher also raised concerns that she was falling asleep in class,

Sam said: “She just didn’t seem as full of life as she usually is – I couldn’t work out what was wrong with her. I was searching her symptoms and leukaemia kept coming up. But I thought, ‘this doesn’t happen to us, this is what happens to other people’. I thought maybe I was being an overprotective parent and a bit dramatic about it all.”

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After Sam took Nina to the GP blood tests confirmed she had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), which is cancer of the white blood cells. Sam said: “You’d think when you get told your child has cancer you would just burst into tears. But it was such a shock I didn’t cry at all. Daniel (Nina’s dad) was the opposite, he fell to the floor.”

Nina was referred to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and began her treatment on her fifth birthday – October 20, 2025. She underwent eight months of intense treatment and now has maintenance chemotherapy treatment until December 2027.

Despite the struggles of her treatment, Sam said Nina never lost her humour. She said: “It was meant to be her birthday party that weekend and she was sad we had to cancel it. The nurses sang happy birthday to her and she replied: ‘Do I look happy?’”

Although her treatment meant she faced restrictions with school, Nina showed remarkable resilience. Sam said: “She’s a really confident little girl and she’s just got on with it. She’s made friends at school and in hospital and will happily talk to people about her leukaemia.

“Now we just want Nina to complete her treatment with as few complications as possible and go on to live her life like any other child. No relapse, no more chemo.”

Nina is taking part in the AllTogether-1 trial, supported by Cancer Research UK. This investigates how to improve survival for young patients with ALL and reduce the risk of long-term side effects.

Sam thought it was “really important” for Nina to take part. She added: “We felt that if we were able to help children in the future by doing these trials, it was very important, because if other children in the past hadn’t taken part in trials, then Nina wouldn’t be on such a good treatment plan.”

Jose Ramos, Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the East of England said the charity is “grateful” to Nina’s family for sharing her experience. Jose added: “Cancer is different in children and young people – from the types of cancers that affect this age group, to the long-term effects of treatment. So, it needs a different and dedicated approach.

“Thanks to our supporters, we’re driving discoveries, developing new drugs and transforming clinical trials to help accelerate a new generation of more effective and less toxic treatments.

“That’s why we’re urging people across Cambridgeshire to get behind our scientists’ efforts to ensure more children and young people like Nina live longer, better lives free from the fear of cancer.”

‘We feel so upset that anyone would think or feel that we are discriminatory’

A pub landlady has apologised following a backlash to her social media comment about a “special bus”.

Debbie Jones, who runs Penarth’s St Fagans Castle pub with her husband Huw, denied making fun of disabled people but told us she was sorry for not wording her comment “correctly”.

The row began after Mrs Jones, using the pub’s Facebook page, posted a photograph of graffiti in its toilets. She also shared a CCTV image of the man she suspected of being responsible for scrawling the tag on the wall.

Mrs Jones wrote: “CCTV always catches them out. They must think we are all thick or blind. Maybe it’s a local colouring competition for people with limited abilities that came in on a yellow-coloured special bus if you know what I mean.”

This remark has sparked hundreds of Facebook comments in the last few days, many of which accuse Mrs Jones of being insensitive to disabled people. One woman wrote: “Would rather be around people with limited abilities than people with views like you.”

Mrs Jones then posted a statement addressing the controversy. “I made a comment about the man that did some graffiti here in the pub,” she wrote from the pub’s Facebook account. “It was about his immaturity and being on a yellow bus.

“Now for some reason people think this has to do with a disability. Everyone that knows us knows that this would never lie within our values.”

This failed to calm the situation as some people accused the pub of failing to take accountability. “You literally wrote ‘people with limited abilities’,” commented one woman. “Take ownership of your comment and apologise properly, not deflect it.”

One customer, Sylvie John, told WalesOnline she was a regular at St Fagans Castle but that she would not return, adding: “I believe language of this nature is demeaning to disabled people and contributes to the stigma and discrimination they can face.”

When we called the pub Mrs Jones denied making any reference to disabled people. We then asked what she had meant by the words “special bus” if not a bus for those with special needs.

She said she would reply by email and shortly afterwards sent us this statement: “We feel so upset that anyone would think or feel that we are discriminatory. However I can see why my comment has been taken that way.

“I should have made sure that it was worded correctly and taken my time to understand how it came across. I send my deepest apologies to anyone that has been offended.

“Unfortunately the original post was about a man that had drawn graffiti on our bathroom wall and during the comments on that thread I wrote about his immaturity to do such a thing as it is childish behaviour… I mentioned him and a yellow bus and what I should have taken the time to write was ‘school bus’ not yellow bus.

“So I totally see how this could have offended people. It was a wrong comment to make and as soon as I realised that I submitted an apology on the pub social media, not that this takes away the comment, but an apology was needed from myself.

“Thankfully we have a lot of loyal customers that know the ‘real’ us and know how much we support the community and various local charities in the three years we have been here.”

She pointed to the pub’s fundraising for Reel Minds. The community organisation, based in Pontypridd, helps people improve their mental health through fishing.

One of those to complain on Facebook explained she had been so upset because some families experience supposed “harmless jokes” about disability on a daily basis and “until you’ve lived it you will never understand”.

Another woman offered a different perspective, writing: “At the end of the day it was an unfortunate comment and should never [have] been made… but the people who know you, like you said, know that you would never intentionally insult a special needs person. The way you are with my SEN [special educational needs] son proves that.

“He can’t wait to see you. Not sure he’s bothered about seeing anyone else to be honest.”

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