Hattie, a 12-year-old cocker spaniel, is facing worsening cataracts after being diagnosed with diabetes, leaving the much-loved pet at risk of losing her sight.

Family friend Lisa Davis, from Middlesbrough, has now set up a GoFundMe campaign which has already raised more than £3,500 towards specialist treatment.

Hattie captured the hearts of people across the region after becoming a regular sight in Bridlington, on the Yorkshire coast, surfing on the sea, where she and owner Andrew Bacon holiday twice a year.

The much-loved pet was diagnosed with diabetes, a condition that has now triggered severe eye problems and worsening cataracts.

Hattie, the 12-year-old famous surfing pooch (Image: PROVIDED)

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to cover specialist treatment costs, with donations already reaching £3,570.

Lisa is urging people to donate or share the appeal.

Hattie with Lisa, who set up the fundraiser that has already raised thousands (Image: PROVIDED)

Hattie has already been examined by a specialist veterinary eye consultant and is now on a strict regime of four different eye drops administered throughout the day.

She is due back with the consultant, with further treatment expected to run into thousands of pounds.

Surgery for one eye would cost £5,100, while treating both would total £6,100, with additional aftercare and medication costs on top.

Hattie and her owner Andrew (Image: PROVIDED)

Andrew took early retirement to care for Hattie full-time after her diabetes diagnosis, refusing to leave her alone in case she suffered a dangerous hypoglycaemic episode.

He has also bought her a pram to ensure she can still enjoy daily walks and sunshine despite her failing vision.

Now settled into retirement at “Hattie Hall”, the famous dog has become a fixture around Bridlington, with regular walks along the harbour, Limekiln Lane, Sewerby Cliffs and Pheasant Flush.

Hattie the famous pooch that brought smiles to lots across lockdown from her social media page (Image: PROVIDED)

She is best known for hitting the waves on her surfboard at Wilsthorpe Beach.

Lisa said Hattie was an “amazing helper” during lockdown, supporting Andrew at work when he needed her most.

She said: “She was an amazing helper during lockdown, helping her daddy at work, so now it is our turn to pay back for all her hard work and dedication.”

Hattie, the 12-year-old famous surfing pooch (Image: PROVIDED)

She was named Greater Manchester’s top hero dog of lockdown for helping her dad at work and bringing smiles to people on social media.

A fundraiser update said Hattie’s cataracts have steadily worsened since appearing after her diabetes diagnosis.

Hattie at her dad’s work (Image: PROVIDED)

Andrew and Lisa said they were “totally overwhelmed and humbled” by the generosity shown so far.

The update added: “The specialist treatment is very expensive and we have been totally overwhelmed and humbled by the kindness and generosity of everyone that has donated to the fund which will be an enormous financial help.”

Hattie, the 12-year-old cocker spaniel (Image: PROVIDED)

Hattie with her eye medication (Image: PROVIDED)

Lisa visits Hattie whenever she travels to Bridlington and hopes the appeal will help the dog recognise her friends when Lisa returns next summer.

She said: “It would be amazing if she was able to see and recognise all her friends in Bridlington again during my summer holibobs next year.”

Donations can be made through Hattie’s GoFundMe page.

Prince Harry is claimed to have shown his “true colours” as King Charles continues to battle through a brutal period. It comes as Harry was seen out and about this week

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Prince Harry is alleged to have shown his “true colours” in a moment people are deeming to be very telling. The Duke of Sussex attended the WellChild Awards ceremony in London this week, where a particular moment caught people’s attention.

It has since gone viral, as people seem to think it helps to tell them a lot about Prince Harry‘s “true character”, with dozens commenting on how he appeared to come across. People couldn’t help but remark on the clip as it’s so engaging, and they had a lot of thoughts to share too.

The appearance comes as King Charles navigates a challenging period following Earl Spencer’s bombshell claims about him in his new book. Following the announcement of the book, Kirstie Allsopp has since called out Earl Spencer.

Commenting on recent footage of Harry, one social media user wrote: “This video has brought tears to my eyes! The little girl came on stage to show Prince Harry her sparkly dress, but when she hugged him she just couldn’t let go!

“Harry is such a girl dad! And what a gorgeous video this is. It’s the way she races into Harry’s arms.”

The clip reveals how the moment unfolded. When the young girl embraced Harry, it became clear she was reluctant to release him, and he simply allowed her to maintain the embrace.

He held her tenderly, creating a genuinely moving moment on stage that left numerous viewers utterly captivated.

One person wrote: “It brought me to tears, and it brought him to tears too.”

Another added: “Love this guy. He’s his mother’s son through and through.”

A third remarked: “It touches your heart seeing such a lovely hug from that little girl to Harry. Seeing that gives one a wonderful feeling.”

Meanwhile, a fourth commented: “Children instinctively recognise goodness in people. So much like his mom.”

Another user wrote: “Prince Charming Harry is like Diana. They have the charisma and connection with people.”

One further commenter added: “Babies, even when they get a bit older, are so funny when they do this! I also think it speaks volumes. Kids and dogs have good radar and I think they react just as strongly to the good as they do the bad.”

It was evident that many felt the moment was deeply revealing of Harry’s warm and generous nature, particularly in the time he devoted to the children at the event.

Prince Harry attended the WellChild Awards in London on Monday, September 21. The Duke of Sussex, 42, arrived at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, where he was greeted by WellChild leaders and posed for photos.

Reports indicate that he presented the award for Inspirational Child (aged 4-6) and delivered a speech at the ceremony, which “celebrates the inspirational achievements of seriously ill children and those who care for them.” His wife, Meghan Markle, did not attend.

Age UK York said the residents received phone calls from scammers acting as staff members of the charity who tried to persuade them to hand over sensitive information.

The charity said it never cold calls and “will never expect you to disclose sensitive information simply because someone contacts you unexpectedly by telephone”.

An Age UK York spokesperson said sharing sensitive information with the scammers “could potentially place people in a vulnerable position or put them at risk of fraud or exploitation”.

They urged people to “never do anything you don’t want to do” if they believe they have received one of the calls, adding: “Do not feel pressured to answer questions or remain on the call. If you believe you have received a suspicious call, inform someone you know or report it to the relevant authorities.”

The charity spokesperson said: “We never cold-call. If you are unsure who is calling, end the call and contact Age UK York via 01904 634061 using a trusted telephone number or contact method.”

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They added: “If you’re unsure, then do not provide personal, financial or sensitive information over the phone.”

The Age UK spokesperson also said people can ask its team for a second opinion if they think the call may be a scam.

“We are here to help so please don’t hesitate to contact a member of our York team.”

The flight declared an in-flight emergency and made a sharp U-turn over the North Sea

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An EasyJet aircraft bound for Germany executed an abrupt mid-air reversal and headed back to Manchester after declaring an emergency while flying over the North Sea.

The service, EZY32GY, travelling from Manchester to Hamburg raised alarm on Wednesday evening (September 23) when it declared an emergency mid-flight and changed course near Amsterdam.

Flight Radar data shows the plane departed at 7.15pm – an hour and 15 minutes behind its scheduled take-off time. Roughly 30 minutes into the journey, the aircraft squawked 7700 and reversed direction.

Squawk 7700 is the standard aviation transponder code employed by pilots to indicate a general in-flight emergency, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Real-time aviation monitoring service Squawk posted on X shortly after 8pm: “An AIRBUS A-320 (EZY32GY) is squawking 7700 – declaring an emergency at 34,000 ft near Amsterdam, Netherlands.”

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EasyJet confirmed the aircraft returned to Manchester Airport owing to “a technical issue with the aircraft”.

The carrier stated the plane was greeted by emergency services on touchdown “as a precaution only”. It has issued an apology to passengers for the disruption to their journey.

An EasyJet spokesperson commented: “”Flight EZY2195 from Manchester to Hamburg this evening returned to Manchester due to a technical issue with the aircraft. The aircraft was met by emergency services as a precaution only and customers disembarked normally.

“Due to Hamburg Airport’s curfew restriction the flight was delayed overnight and will continue the journey on 24 September.

“We are very sorry for the inconvenience caused and did everything possible to minimise the impact of the delay. While we always look to secure hotel accommodation, as there was very limited availability, we advised customers they would be reimbursed for booking their own.

“The safety of its passengers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority and easyJet operates its fleet of aircraft in strict compliance with all manufacturers’ guidelines.”

Greater Manchester Police have been approached for further comment.

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In the early days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian armoured columns pushed east along the Zhytomyr highway towards Kyiv. Makariv, a small settlement of about 10,000 people 36 miles west of Kyiv, sat on their route. The town was wrecked in the month of fighting that ensued.

Roughly 40% of the settlement’s infrastructure was destroyed and the bodies of 132 executed civilians were recovered by April 2022. A 2026 account puts the total death toll as high as 238. Yet Makariv was never taken. It held, with Russian forces only taking control of about 10% of its land, and Kyiv held behind it.

“For some reason, Makariv was bypassed in the press,” said local museum curator Vitaly Gedz in a 2026 interview. “They wrote about Makariv twice, ‘it was occupied and then liberated’ … It was only 10% occupied, but it was very badly destroyed.”

On a visit to Makariv the previous year, we visited Gedz’s museum. Among the objects on display there were military maps recovered after Russian forces withdrew. Russian units were found to be carrying Soviet-era sheets, some of which dated back to 1969, with the modern border between Russia and Ukraine often added in pen.

In the early days of the invasion, Ukraine’s national road agency also asked communities to take down road signs to disorientate the advancing Russian columns. For a few weeks in 2022, being hard to read was a defence for Makariv. It is not any longer.

What the record cannot see

Ukraine’s recovery needs currently stand at nearly US$588 billion (£435 billion) – almost three times its GDP for 2025. This total is still moving. Damaged energy assets alone rose by roughly 21% between February 2025 and February 2026, when the fourth and fifth assessments of Ukraine’s reconstruction needs were released.

According to a recent BBC analysis, Kyiv is also now suffering more daily air raid alerts than at any time in the war so far. This bombardment comes weeks after the deputy speaker of the Russian parliament, Pyotr Tolstoy, urged strikes on Ukrainian cities “to demoralise the public”.

Funds for reconstruction across Ukraine must therefore be rationed, and this rationing runs on records with a particular shape. Ukraine’s national recovery and reconstruction is managed using two main online databases. The first of these is the Register of Damaged and Destroyed Property.

This register records which buildings have been harmed, who owns them and what they are worth. An entry is what allows households and businesses to claim compensation, and it will form the basis of any future reparation claim against Russia.

Getting a building on to this list is the responsibility of each individual council. The fourth assessment of Ukraine’s reconstruction needs found that, in December 2024, the register held information about “90+ percent” of damaged apartment blocks in Ukraine but only “nearly 60 percent” of damaged single-family houses.

One survey of a block registers hundreds of dwellings, while a street of houses must be walked gate by gate by staff small councils generally do not have. Like many other small settlements across Ukraine, Makariv is built mainly of houses, the category the register is worst at recording.

The second database is the Digital Reconstruction Ecosystem for Accountable Management. More commonly known as Dream, this is the official platform for the Ukrainian government’s public investment plan. Councils enter their own projects and funders choose from what is there.

The project data local authorities need to provide include descriptions, building designs, budget breakdowns, contracting and payment records and even photos, all of which take time and require money to record. This matters in towns and villages where public servants may not have the resources or experience.

We looked up what Makariv has put into Dream. Its council has registered 70 projects on the portal. Nearly 50% carry no costed amount at all, compared with 24% nationally. An uncosted project cannot be funded, bundled or compared.

This absence has consequences. In July 2025, we held a workshop in Makariv with around 30 residents, including teachers, clerical staff, museum workers and veterans. Interrupted by air alerts, they marked a plan of the settlement spread across two tables.

One woman traced her journey to work, which has grown from 5 miles to 20 miles since the overpass where the Makariv road crosses the Zhytomyr highway was wrecked in 2022. Others pointed out that when a fire breaks out in Makariv or the outlying villages, the fire engine now comes from Byshiv nearly 14 miles away as Makariv’s own station has been destroyed.

None of this argues against digital reconstruction. Ukraine’s systems are among the most transparent anywhere. It is an argument about who does the work of being counted, because a system that asks local authorities to enter themselves will always favour those with staff to spare.

“We definitely did all we could and I can honestly sleep at night knowing there was nothing I physically could have done any different.”

It is 10 years since Nicola Urquhart’s son, Corrie Mckeague, disappeared on 24 September 2016 after a night out in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. For the months and years that followed, she embodied a mother’s love and determination to find the truth: to never give up.

The RAF gunner’s body has never been found but he was officially declared dead in 2022, when an inquest ruled he had died after climbing into a commercial waste bin before it was tipped into a waste lorry.

Nicola is composed and reflective as she recalls when her son went missing. He had just turned 23 and within months would become a dad.

She says her son would be forever in her thoughts, but adds: “I’ve given myself closure; my son is dead.”

She spoke to the BBC after what would have been Corrie’s 33rd birthday and ahead of the 10th anniversary of his disappearance.

She says she last saw her son when she went for a birthday meal with him at Cheers in Bury St Edmunds, adding he was a “social hand grenade” who “really did live every moment at a hundred miles an hour”.

A decade on, she says there is “never an end” to losing somebody but it is about “managing each day”.

A judge has ordered the White House to immediately reinstate press access for three news organisations barred from the building last week by US President Donald Trump.

A District of Columbia court issued a temporary restraining order against the ban, meaning CNN, MS NOW and Politico must have their access restored for 14 days.

The three outlets had launched a legal challenge which called the ban unconstitutional after their reporters had their hard passes for the White House confiscated and were denied access.

The Trump administration sought to defend the move in court, accusing the outlets of publishing false information and threatening national security – an argument the court rejected.

The White House is yet to comment on the ruling, and lawyers acting for the president may choose to take further legal action.

Judge Timothy Kelly ruled CNN, Politico and MS NOW were “likely to succeed” in showing the White House had not exercised “adequate due process” in implementing the ban.

He also cast doubt on the Trump administration’s arguments that the bans were motivated by national security concerns, pointing out the president made no mention of that in his initial announcement.

The ruling continued: “The record lacks factual support for Defendants’ contention that the revocation of Plaintiffs’ hard passes will in fact protect national security or that national security will be endangered if the Court orders their passes reinstated while this litigation proceeds.”

In its defence of the ban, the Trump administration cited a number of articles published by the outlets, including some about construction at the White House, including work on a new ballroom.

The judge said that “in most cases” the stories the White House took issue with were written by journalists who “did not even hold card passes” – and in the remaining cases, the Trump administration did not demonstrate “reason to believe that the reporter’s possession of the hard pass was integral to the stories identified”.

Dapper Brad Pitt put on a loved-up display with his stunning girlfriend Ines de Ramon at a photocall for his new film Heart of the Beast on Wednesday night.

The actor, 62, held hands with the beauty, 33, as he promoted the new movie at the San Sebastian Film Festival and looked smart in a black suit, with his hair in an old Hollywood slicked back style. 

Ines turned heads in a glamorous strappy green lace dress which showed off her incredible figure.

The pair – who began dating in late 2022 – didn’t leave each other’s sides all night as they held hands and posed for snaps together. 

In his new film Heart of the Beast, Brad stars as retired Special Forces officer James Belmont, who is accompanied by his retired combat dog Odin when their plane crashes in the remote Alaskan wilderness. 

The two survive the crash but they’re forced to fight for survival in bitter conditions while hoping to be rescued.

The actor, 62, held hands with the beauty, 33, as he promoted the new movie at the San Sebastian Film Festival

Brad was mobbed by fans when he arrived at the festival last week – just after friends revealed how his marriage to Angelina Jolie sent his life ‘spiraling’. 

A source close to Brad said: ‘He never had a drink problem, he had an Angelina problem. He’s worked hard on himself and he’s now, finally, in a really good place.’

Brad and Angelina, 51, split back in September 2016 following just two years of marriage.

It comes after just last week Brad raved about the night of revelry he enjoyed with his girlfriend Ines at Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s wedding in July.

The pair were among the 1,000-strong guest list at the Madison Square Garden ceremony officiated by Adam Sandler.

When he was asked about the celebrations recently, Brad replied: ‘You mean the wedding of the century?’

He added to Entertainment Tonight: ‘Let me tell you, that was such an amazing night. I think we were there 10 hours, maybe 12. It was so thoughtful and well-planned and really moving and great fun.’

The star, who recently confessed to being ‘off the wagon’ after seven years of sobriety, shared that he briefly lost track of Ines amid the thicket of celebrities as a result of the stringent no-phone policy the newlyweds put in place.

In his new film Heart of the Beast, Brad stars as retired Special Forces officer James Belmont, who is accompanied by his retired combat dog Odin when their plane crashes in Alaska

Heartthrob Brad looked smart in a black suit and had his hair in an old Hollywood slicked back style

The pair – who began dating in late 2022 – didn’t leave each other’s sides all night as they held hands and posed for snaps together

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Ines turned heads in a glamorous strappy green lace dress which showed off her incredible figure

It comes after just last week Brad raved about the night of revelry he enjoyed with his girlfriend Ines at Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding in July

The pair looked loved-up as they posed for snaps together

The pair held hands as they made their way to the red carpet 

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Ines looked stunning in a green lace dress

Brad sweetly put his arms around her as they posed for the cameras

He put on an animated display ahead of signing autographs 

Ines was there to support his at the photocall

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He made a note of how ‘big’ the reception was and acknowledged with a laugh that ‘at one point I lost her in the melee on the dance floor’.

However he insisted the period they spent wedged apart was ‘not long’, insofar as ‘there’s always someone to go: ‘That way. She went that way.”

The pair made their Instagram debut as a couple in a slew of images showing the outfits they wore to Taylor and Travis’s nuptials. 

The pair married at Madison Square Garden but have yet to share any pictures from the event. 

From the damning accusations against King Charles in Earl Spencer’s newly published book about Princess Diana to Harry and Meghan’s return to Britain, the Royal Firm have been living under a fresh cloud of controversy this month.

But true to form last night, William and Kate put the drama aside, stepping out as a united front on the red carpet for the premiere of Digger, starring Tom Cruise.

While the pair may have appeared to be ‘all smiles’ for the cameras, as a body language expert, here are all the subtle signs in the Wales’s behaviour you may have missed and what they reveal about how the couple are handling the fallout from this month’s drama.

On the surface the couple were radiant, with Kate in a stunning purple floor-length gown and William in a dapper velvet smoking jacket.

Kate has always approached public engagements with enthusiasm and grace – but she returned with a different energy in 2024 when she resumed royal duties after taking time away to receive cancer treatment.

Health problems are often known to put life, worries and problems into context as priorities become clear. The way Kate carried herself yesterday made it obvious that she’s found a way to put family rifts aside and place duty above all else. With her head held high, shoulders open and a wide, genuine smile on her face – Kate’s body language was a signal to the world that she’s ready to take it all in her stride.

William clenched his fist during the outing, suggesting his hand placement may reveal that he’s carrying the weight of his family’s troubles

The Prince of Wales could also be seen putting his hand on his stomach, which is potentially a mechanism for self-soothing – albeit most likely used subconsciously

Kate is clearly back, not only as the matriarch and strength of the Royal Firm, but also its star. Indeed, her signals of resilience and stoicism look borrowed from the late Queen, who used the ‘smile and wave’ solution all her life.

Even Kate’s jewellery, a purple amethyst heart necklace which dates back to 1923, provided subtle signalling. Wearing the piece was a way for Kate to tell the world she’s open to family bonds and rebuilding a relationship with the Sussexes. The necklace and its matching earrings were last worn by Queen Camilla for the James Bond Skyfall premiere in 2012, so perhaps wearing it again was an ode to Kate’s unwavering support for the Firm.

The Princess of Wales exudes a strong confidence that William subtly struggles to mirror. A closer look at William’s hand placement as he walks out onto the carpet reveals that behind his best efforts to brandish a proud smile, it’s clear that he’s constantly carrying the weight of his family’s troubles.

For a start, on his descent down the stairs he subtly clenches his fists, a signal for emotional restraint and hidden tension. Then he puts his hand on his stomach – a mechanism for self-soothing, albeit most likely used subconsciously.

Poor William must be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Who could blame him? William is juggling the strain on the monarchy that Earl Spencer’s book has caused, by lambasting the King’s handling of Diana’s death. And there’s the obvious burden of the book bringing up all the grief and sorrow William must feel for his mother, coupled with his ongoing rift with Harry.

Kate appeared to borrow her signals of resilience and stoicism from the late Queen, who used the ‘smile and wave’ solution all her life

The Princess of Wales wore a purple amethyst heart necklace and matching earrings which were last worn by Queen Camilla in 2012, perhaps showing Kate’s support for the Firm

Tom Cruise was seen helping Kate up the stairs as the pair chatted, suggesting their longstanding friendship is stronger than ever

Back in 2022 at the Top Gun: Maverick premiere, Cruise offered Kate his hand to assist her up the stairs – but she subsequently swapped her clutch to her left hand

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Although subtle gestures give away the weight that William obviously carried, his beaming smile and a glowing Kate prove that the Waleses are committed to showing up for the public.

And what of Kate’s interaction with Tom Cruise? Readers may remember that rumours swirled in 2022 after it was alleged that Kate subtly swerved Cruise at the Top Gun: Maverick premiere. In true gentlemanly fashion, Cruise offered Kate his hand to assist her up the stairs in her long black ball gown. Once Cruise let go of her hand, Kate swapped her clutch into her left hand.

The subtle interaction raised questions about royal protocol – was Kate merely putting her clutch back into her left hand to keep it free to shake hands with people? Or was it a deliberate move to ensure that Cruise wouldn’t take her hand again?

Whatever Kate’s motives were in 2022, the interaction played out differently last night. Sharing a cheerful grin alongside the actor, it seems that Kate and Cruise’s longstanding friendship is stronger than ever.

Here, Kate starts with her clutch in her left hand. Cruise reaches to guide her and she places the clutch in her right, showing she’s secure in the fact that Cruise is operating from a place of old-fashioned gallantry.

Cruise reaches his hand out to touch Kate’s elbow in an ‘awareness’ ritual, offering to guide Kate down the stairs – but she is at first holding her clutch in her left hand

Once the Princess of Wales switched the bag to her right hand, she appeared to glance to her side to check out William’s reaction as she held Cruise’s hand

Kate mirrored Cruise last night as he smiled and waved to screaming fans, beaming to show how in awe he is of the moment 

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As the Waleses walk through the door together, William placed one hand on Kate’s back in a loving gesture that also seemed to say ‘you’re mine’

When she takes her flowing skirt in both hands as they descend some steps, Cruise reaches one hand out to touch her elbow in an ‘awareness’ ritual, showing a gentlemanly sense of protection with a very light touch.

Cruise’s wide grin of beaming delight at the crowd shows how in awe he is of the moment and Kate’s permission. It really is a moment of ‘Permission Impossible’ as this would not be a normal body language moment for our leading royals.

Kate even glances to her side to check out William but as he appears busy, she then mirrors Cruise’s excited smile and waves to the screaming fans.

William is possibly flattered to have his wife led in by a superstar, but there is still a small follow-up gesture as they walk through the door together. He places one hand on Kate’s back in a loving gesture that also seems to say: ‘You’re back and you’re mine!’

A small notebook found in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (the national library of France) has turned out to be one of the most important Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart discoveries in decades.

The 44 pages of the notebook document composition lessons that Mozart gave in Paris in 1778 to Marie-Louise-Philippine de Bonnières de Guînes, a highly accomplished young aristocratic harpist. The manuscript was recognised in February 2026 by François-Pierre Goy, a curator in the library’s music department who recognised Mozart’s handwriting in the unattributed notebook. Laurence Decobert, a specialist in Mozart’s manuscripts, agreed with him and Armin Brinzing, director of the Bibliotheca Mozartiana in Salzburg, later authenticated the document.

The notebook lets readers follow Mozart’s teaching from one exercise to the next. It also preserves something that composer-centred histories often miss: the musical work taking place around him, in this case by a young woman.

Marie-Louise was the daughter of Adrien-Louis de Bonnières – a diplomat and talented amateur flautist. Her father commissioned Mozart’s well-known Concerto for Flute and Harp, K299, intending that father and daughter should perform it together.

Between May and July 1778, Mozart taught Marie-Louise composition almost every day. The recently discovered notebook contains exercises and seven short pieces for flute and harp. More significantly, it preserves the work of teacher and pupil on the same pages. Their musical hands are interwoven: Mozart proposes, corrects and develops ideas, while his pupil copies, completes and experiments.

The pages show composition being taught in real time through corrections, copied passages and ideas exchanged between pupil and teacher.

Listening beyond Mozart’s verdict

Mozart was not complimentary about his pupil. In a letter to his father, Leopold, dated May 14 1778, he complained that she had “no ideas”. A later letter was similarly dismissive of her aptitude for composition. Such remarks have helped determine how Marie-Louise has been remembered: as a minor figure in Mozart’s biography and the technically capable but supposedly uninspired daughter of his patron. The manuscript allows us to look beyond that verdict.

Several exercises in the notebook are entirely in Marie-Louise’s hand. Six of the flute-and-harp pieces are complete, although they begin from ideas supplied by Mozart. The seventh remains unfinished, followed by six blank pages – perhaps because her lessons ended when she married on July 26 of the same year.

It is impossible to tell from the notebook just how far Marie-Louise’s talent might have developed. However, it is clear from it that her education was not limited to playing the harp: she was seriously engaged in composition too.

Much of the musical life of women of Marie-Louise’s social class took place in a domestic setting. They learned to play instruments and performed for guests. Some also bought sheet music, commissioned works or hired professional musicians. These gatherings could also matter to professional musicians. A performance in a private home might bring a composer to the attention of a future patron or lead to a new commission.

Marie-Louise’s handwriting is valuable because it records her own part in the lessons. We can follow how she worked through the exercise, rather than relying solely on Mozart’s opinion of her. For many women, the surviving evidence is far scarcer – perhaps a single sheet of music or a mention in a letter.

The salon as a musical institution

This pattern resonates strongly with my own research into 19th-century European musical culture, particularly salons – private gatherings where musicians performed for and socialised with influential patrons, as well as patronage and archival musical networks.

As musicologist Rebecca Cypess argues in Women and Musical Salons in the Enlightenment, salons mediated between the public and private spheres. In her salon, the hostess was free to decide for herself who to invite and what music to play. This gave her real cultural influence at a time when official musical institutions offered women very few opportunities.

This influence depended on privilege. Marie-Louise had access to Mozart’s works thanks to her family’s wealth and status. Nevertheless, the music played in the homes of the elite contributed to the development of general musical culture, even if later historical studies associated it exclusively with the name of this famous composer.

The newly recovered compositions received their first public performance at the BnF on June 21 2026, played by flautist Mathilde Calderini and harpist Nicolas Tulliez. France Musique recorded the performance and later broadcast it.

It is easy to see why a newly identified Mozart manuscript has attracted attention among devotees of the composer. But the notebook also belongs to Marie-Louise. Her hand appears throughout its exercises, preserving a rare record of music-making that usually took place in private and seldom entered written histories.

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