American Bruce Cameron Williams was given the brooch on a visit to Inverness in 1983.

A US resident was delighted when a Highland Games expert helped to solve the mystery of his 181-year-old family heirloom.

Bruce Cameron Williams, 77, was gifted the silver plaid brooch by a distant relative while he was on a visit to Inverness back in 1983.

The front is engraved with thistles, the initials “D.C.H.F.S.” and the date “1845”, while the other side has the words “To Jas. McPherson” and “for Pibrochs.”

Pibroch means music played on the bagpipes and the relative told Mr Williams, who plays the pipes, she was happy to pass it on to him to keep it in the family and in the hands of a piper.

Mr Williams has displayed the brooch for more than four decades but has spent many years trying to solve the mystery of what the initials stand for.

The enigma was finally solved when he recently got in touch with the Royal Scottish Highland Games Association (RSHGA).

Alasdair MacDonald at the association was quickly able to tell him that the initials stand for the awarding body Dunkeld Caledonian Highland Friendly Society.

An association spokesman said: “Alasdair was also able to point to a press article from the Perthshire Advertiser of July 10 1845 which reported that at the meeting of that society, a ‘handsome silver brooch’ was presented for ‘Pibroch to J. McPherson, Fonab’.

“In a twist to the tale, it was also reported that he was judged to be the ‘best attired Highlander’ and awarded ‘a silver-mounted Snuff-Mull’.

Further research revealed Jas McPherson was one of the pipers to Lord Glenlyon of Blair Atholl.

Mr Williams, who lives in New York state, said: “I have displayed the silver Pibroch prize brooch for over 40 years, always wondering what the initials were trying to tell me.

“I wrote to everyone I could think of for information, and in later years Googled again and again, but was never successful.

“Then one recent day, I located online the Royal Scottish Highland Games Association, sent an email requesting help, and in less than 24 hours had the most remarkable response from one of their members, Alasdair MacDonald.”

Mr Williams said he had been convinced the brooch must have been a prize awarded at a Highland Games as it was clearly not regimental, and said he is “thrilled” to finally know its origins.

He added: “I have always treasured this brooch because of what it is, and the way it was given to me from the most distant of Inverness relatives on that exceedingly moving Remembrance Day Sunday along the banks of the River Ness.

“Now, over 40 years later, I am enjoying it all the more thanks to the helpful people at the Royal Scottish Highland Games Association, and in particular to their scholarly, professional and friendly expert, Alasdair MacDonald.

“To say that I am grateful is inadequate: I am thrilled with the information, and overwhelmed by the responsiveness of Mr MacDonald and the RSHGA.”

Mr Williams is interested in eventually returning the brooch to Scotland and hopes an appropriate place can be found where it could be displayed.

Mr MacDonald said he was happy to help identify the brooch’s inscription.

“As soon as I saw it, within a minute I had the results because I knew what it stood for,” he said.

“I’ve got the history of 1,616 different Highland Games so anybody who wants to know the history of Highland Games, I can spit it out instantly because I’ve got all the history.”

Iain Watt, director of the Royal Scottish Highland Games Association, said: “It’s nice to be able to help people out with these queries which reach back to another time – times change but the Highland Games carry on.”

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Adam Bradbury and Kaymn Glasgow hoped to live the high life with gold chains, holidays, hotel stays and buying vehicles, York Crown Court heard.

Today both are starting years in jail.

Zarreen Alam-Cheetham, prosecuting, said the pair took over the home of a vulnerable drug user in Selby in late 2022 and used it as their base to sell crack cocaine and heroin.

They messaged each other about making thousands of pounds of money and recruiting staff for their trade in poor-quality drugs.

But police, concerned about the drug addict, went to his home in early 2023 to check on his welfare and caught the pair there with drugs worth up to £860 on the streets of Selby.

They also found £630 in cash and drug-dealing paraphernalia.

The Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, said messages on their mobile phones showed the pair had gone to Selby “to make a killing and get out.”

Dealers like them got their money from burglars, robbers and thieves.

“You are the source of a vast amount of hideous crime,” he told them.

Bradbury, 27, of School Street, Dewsbury, and Kaymn Glasgow, 27, of Crowtrees Crescent, Brighouses, both pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin, being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and having criminal cash.

Glasgow, who pleaded guilty shortly before he was due to be tried and whom the court heard was sentenced in Carlisle last year for drug dealing in Cumbria following his Selby crimes, was jailed for four years and nine months.

County lines drug dealer Adam Bradbury (Image: North Yorkshire Police)

Bradbury, who pleaded guilty at an earlier stage, was jailed for three and a half years.

His barrister Andrew Semple said he had sold drugs out of greed.

He had had a difficult background and had used alcohol and drugs from an early age.

The death of a friend had led to his drug habit spiralling out of control and him running up drug debts.

Bradbury was immature and the pair had used a “lot of hyperbole and gangster talk” in their messages to each other.

County lines drug dealer Kaymn Glasgow (Image: North Yorkshire Police)

Glasgow claimed in the witness box that he had been manipulated into dealing by violent drug dealers to whom he owed money.

But the judge didn’t believe him, saying he contradicted himself in evidence.

He had also been boxing since he was 12 and knew how to look after himself.

For Glasgow, Imran Khan said he had struggled with finding a direction in life after dropping out of university and been mixing with the wrong people when he committed the crimes.

Since his arrest, he had changed his life and was now trying to show others it was possible for people with a bad past to reform themselves.

Breandán Mac Cionnaith, from the Garvaghy Road Residents’ Coalition, said he has received ‘commitments’ that the Drumcree parade will not take place tonight

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Senior leaders are set to meet on Monday morning for talks on the Drumcree parade, with protesters told they had secured a ‘victory’ after a stand-off in Portadown.

Breandán Mac Cionnaith, from the Garvaghy Road Residents’ Coalition, has told protesters he will meet Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant and Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher on Monday morning, September 28 for talks on the Drumcree parade.

He said the community had secured a “victory” as he said he had received “commitments” that the parade would not be proceeding down the Garvaghy Road overnight.

Mr Mac Cionnaith asked for 20 to 30 volunteers to remain on the road to ensure those commitments were not broken. The rest of the protesters have now dispersed with traffic flowing once again.

“I still have a job for some of you,” he said. “We’ll need some people out on the street tonight, because although we’ve got commitments about nobody coming down this road tonight, we’ve seen those commitments broke in the past.”

On his planned meetings on Monday, he said: “That process starts tomorrow when we go in and meet the chief constable and we’ll meet the secretary of state.

“We’re not going in to do deals with them, or to take half measures with them.

“We said the other day, and we said yesterday, and the day before – we’re not going back, we’re not turning the clock back. We’re putting the clock forward.”

On Sunday evening, the Portadown District Lodge left Drumcree Church before being stopped by police and returning to the church hall. The Orange Order parade was set to go ahead at 8am on Sunday morning after an “unprecedented” late-night sitting of the High Court in Belfast just a few hours earlier.

The Drumcree parade, which was associated with violent clashes during the Troubles, has been banned since 1998.

Stormont First Minister and Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O’Neill said the Garvaghy Road community had won a “victory”.

“This community do not want this, they do not want this march,” she told reporters before leaving the area shortly after midnight on Monday morning.

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“And tonight, I believe, is another victory for this community in standing steadfast for the right to live free from sectarian harassment and intimidation.”

Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher appealed to “those with influence to encourage people to comply with the law” as he his officers would detect any offences throughout the day.

He added: “It is incumbent on us all to come together at times like this to do all we can to preserve a peaceful Northern Ireland.”

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has appealed for “calm on all sides” over the Orange Order parade, saying there have been “big gains made in Northern Ireland, and we don’t want to see things go backwards”.

Cutacre Country Park in Over Hulton has transformed land on a former open cast coal mine, creating diverse meadows and grazing areas with longhorn cattle as well as redigging ponds and planting trees and hedges.

The popular park has been mentioned in a report which states nature needs to be ‘right next to where people live’

Research has revealed many people lack parks, woodlands or wetlands within a 15-minute walk from home, even though time in nature boosts health and wellbeing and natural spaces help tackle extreme weather, climate change and wildlife loss.

The Wildlife Trusts have urged the Government to improve people’s access to nature as a priority, while a coalition of groups led by the Horticultural Trades Association and the Gardens Trust have called for trees, plants, gardens and parks to be recognised as “essential infrastructure” with long-term investment.

On the ground, Cutacre, along with others sites across the country from Greater Manchester to London are showing what can be done to boost access to valuable, wildlife-rich, green spaces close to people’s homes and communities.

Thanks to the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, meadows have been boosted by plug plants of local wild species grown with Cheshire Wildlife Trust, including dyer’s greenweed – a species that has been reintroduced to Greater Manchester after becoming functionally extinct in the area.

The site has threatened grey partridges, lapwings, skylarks, grasshopper warblers and willow tits and there are reedy, wetland areas which in the winter are “stuffed full of snipe”.

The reserve is also home to reed buntings, weasels and kestrels, and butterflies flitting through the meadows in summer.

Much of the landscape is being managed as lowland meadow for a “biodiversity net gain” scheme, selling credits to support wildlife restoration to developers needing to meet requirements to increase nature overall as part of their developments.

However, the point of reserves such as Cutacre is being close to local people, says the trust’s nature reserves senior officer Stephen Cartwright.

The site is edged by a housing estate, with more new houses going up nearby.

There is an industrial site with warehouses, and a scrapyard next door, but although it is very urban, “you can get a sense of being out of it when you’re here”, Mr Cartwright said.

A view of Cutacre Nature Reserve in Greater Manchester. (Image: Emily Beament/PA Wire)

And he said: “If you’re a child growing up in a school over there, the majority of them won’t travel to nature reserves, we need to bring reserves to them, we need the places right next to where people live, that are scrappy bits of land.”

“If you want nature there, it needs to be behind the industrial estate and the houses,” he said.

Undated handout photo issued by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust of a gatekeeper butterfly at Cutacre Nature Reserve in Greater Manchester. (Image: Alan Wright/Lancashire Wildlife Trust/PA Wire)

Lancashire Wildlife Trust’s Alan Wright added: “We want to engage people in nature and the best way to do it is do things next to where they live. This is a perfect example.”

The community is closely involved in the site, including schoolchildren, local residents who come out to check on the cattle every day and around 90 volunteers of all ages and walks of life.

A Defra spokesperson said: “This Government is focused on the things that matter most to the British public, including restoring nature so that we have pride in local communities and access to green spaces.

“We are increasing access to nature and the countryside, delivering nine new National River Walks, including the Mersey Way and coastal path, both of which pass through urban areas.”

The town became a popular seaside resort in the Victorian era

With summer very much behind us, there may only be a few mild, sunny days left before winter hits. But for those autumn beach trips when the weather may be a little bit unpredictable, there is a seaside town in Norfolk that has plenty of indoor and outdoor activities.

Found on the North Norfolk coast, Cromer is around two hours on the train from Cambridge. It first became a seaside resort in the 19th century and was visited by affluent Victorian families, including King Edward VII who was known to play golf there.

Today, golf is still very much still part of the town, with the Links Country Park Hotel being the go-to destination. The hotel, which is set in 40 acres of country park, has a 9-hole golf course, a gym, tennis court and indoor swimming pool.

If you’re into a bit of history, you might want to pay a visit to the Cromer Museum, reports the Mirror. Inside a row of late 19th century Victorian fisherman’s cottages, the museum showcases displays about the town’s lifeboatmen over the years, the rise of tourism and the impact of wartime on the town.

If the weather is on your side, then you might like to take in a bit of the local landscape by having a stroll along the cliffs, with some reaching heights of up to 70 metres and rich in fossils. There are also several award-winning beaches in the area including West Runton and Cromer. Here, water sports enthusiasts can hire surf boards or SUPs for some aquatic fun.

If you want something a bit more relaxing, then the promenade is lined with beautifully sculpted gardens and borders, as well as charming Victorian buildings.

One of the town’s main attractions is its Victorian pier, a survivor of both the unpredictable British weather, including a storm surge in 2013, and a World War II government attempt to demolish it for fear of enemy use as a landing strip. At the end of its 151-metre stretch, is a lifeboat station and the Cromer Pier Pavillion Theatre, which is the ‘only end of pier show’ of its kind globally.

Live variety acts entertain crowds for three months during the summer, while touring acts perform throughout the year. Cromer town comes alive with its Carnival Week in August, featuring the crowning of a Carnival Queen and a vibrant street parade.

For those wanting some retail therapy, there’s a weekly market and lots of independent shops offering a range of souvenirs. Just south of the town, the Amazona zoo, themed after South America, is a great family attraction with animals such as jaguars and pumas.

Recent visitors to Cromer have taken to Tripadvisor to share their experiences. One visitor enthused: “Cromer is a beautiful seaside town, lovely pier with a couple of nice cafes serving lovely food, beautiful views out to sea, and the town has some very nice shops.”

Another said: “Beautiful beach, sandy and pebbly with lots of treasures to be found, such as sea glass and hag stones. Incredible sunsets too!”

A third shared: “Norfolk Cromer Beach is simply stunning – clean, well-maintained, and popular with visitors of all ages. There are convenient ramps at both ends of the beach, and red and yellow flags mark safe swimming areas, monitored by attentive lifeguards.” Another summed it up saying: “You can find great sandy beaches, museums, plenty of attractions and go walking along the Norfolk Coast Path, Cromer is a great place to visit, any time of the year.”

Emergency services were called to the Blackrod Bypass earlier today

Three people were cut from vehicles by firefighters after a horror crash in Bolton.

The emergency services were called to the Blackrod Bypass earlier today (September 27) to reports of a two car collision. Paramedics treated the trio and they were then transferred to hospital for further treatment.

The road currently remains closed to traffic in both directions.

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A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “At around 4:20pm this afternoon (Sunday, 27th September), firefighters were called to reports of a crash on Blackrod Bypass in Blackrod, Bolton.

“Two fire engines from Horwich and Hindley fire stations, along with the Enhanced Rescue from Leigh fire station, quickly arrived at the scene which involved a collision between two cars.

“Firefighters extricated three casualties who were trapped inside the vehicles. All casualties were treated by colleagues from the North West Ambulance Service and conveyed to hospital. Greater Manchester Police closed the road in both directions while crews worked to clear the roadway and make the area safe.

“Crews were in attendance for approximately 90 minutes.”

The area in the south side of Glasgow has been named one of the most hip neighbourhoods in the world by Time Out, and it’s not hard to see its appeal.

What’s better than your area being named as one of the coolest in the world?

The one immediately beside you receiving that identical recognition, two years later.

Time Out knows what’s trendy, and their yearly ranking of the planet’s most hip neighbourhoods included a location extremely close to where I live in the top five. Govanhill on Glasgow’s south side is multicultural, lively and offers countless things to do – naturally featuring numerous spots to eat and drink.

During a bright afternoon this week, I picked up a coffee at one of its coolest cafes to see how much it would cost me, and whether it lived up to expectations.

Govanhill is famous for being amongst Scotland’s most diverse communities, and strolling through its streets, that influence is immediately apparent. Coffee shops, bakeries, takeaways and gift shops from every corner of the globe can be discovered here, and you could genuinely spend hours wandering around while shopping, eating and drinking to your heart’s desire.

Victoria Road is probably what you’d describe as Govanhill’s main street. Regardless of when you visit, it’s bustling with folk wandering about clutching coffees, walking dogs, meeting friends or making their way towards the very green Queen’s Park at the street’s far end.

Whether you fancy a flat white from a Transylvanian coffee shop – complete with the most extra Halloween decorations outside – or some authentic Turkish Börek from Pistachio, Govanhill truly offers everything. Choosing a favourite is no easy feat, but if pressed, Zennor would have to take the top spot – which is exactly where I found myself headed on this gloriously bright day.

Zennor launched on the corner of Langside Road and Dixon Avenue last year, establishing its second Glasgow location. Quite frankly, I cannot picture my weekends without it anymore.

I’m not the first to sing its praises, and I won’t be the last. The moment you step inside, you’re welcomed by soft Scandi-inspired light wood and stainless steel furnishings, paper lanterns, and the irresistible scent of freshly ground coffee.

Zennor’s seasonal specials are undoubtedly where they truly shine, though nothing on the board caught my eye on this particular visit, so I opted for a mocha. And no trip here is complete without indulging in one of their delicious sweet treats – their dark chocolate and sea salt cookie being utter bliss.

With oat milk, my coffee came to £4.60. That doesn’t even feel steep these days, particularly when the quality is this outstanding.

It was my first mocha from here, as I’m ordinarily a flat white lover, but I fancied something a little indulgent and it absolutely delivered. Three words? Worth every penny.

The staff deserve a mention too – warm, knowledgeable and genuinely passionate about their craft, which always makes for a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Directly opposite Zennor sits my personal favourite pub in Govanhill, the Rose Reilly.

Named after the iconic footballer, this welcoming pub boasts a fantastic range of drinks and plenty of outdoor seating for when the Scottish weather decides to cooperate.

Should you find yourself in need of something more filling, Pakistani Street Food comes highly recommended for a samosa, Bar Vini for a generously sized plate of pasta, and Errol’s Hot Pizza for precisely what it says on the tin.

Naturally, like any neighbourhood across the globe, Govanhill has its share of challenges. There are numerous differing views on how the area has transformed in recent years, with gentrification proving to be a particularly contentious issue amongst residents.

But it’s undeniably the rich blend of people and cultures that makes it such a vibrant and compelling destination to explore.

On Tuesday a strengthening southerly wind will bring a much warmer day.

Temperatures in the high teens are forecast in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and between 20 to 26 C for England and Wales.

However rain will move into Northern Ireland during the afternoon and then trek slowly eastwards throughout the evening and night. It may become persistent and occasionally heavy, with strong winds and gales for exposed coasts and hills.

Further east, drier and brighter conditions may remain before the rain arrives on Wednesday – it could possibly linger overnight.

Behind the rain it is back to sunny spells and scattered showers, and still windy in the west on Wednesday.

By Thursday, we are expecting high pressure to build, so it should be calmer and drier, and by Friday the north-west becomes the focus for any showers.

Of course the caveat is that forecast details may change, so you can stay up-to-date with the short term forecast for your area here.

Goathland, around nine miles from Whitby in the North York Moors National Park, has become one of the county’s most recognisable villages after appearing on television and the big screen.

For almost two decades, it doubled as the fictional village of Aidensfield in ITV’s hugely popular Heartbeat, while its historic railway station later appeared as Hogsmeade Station in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

But Goathland’s history as a visitor destination stretches back much further than either production.

Goathland (Image: Keith Rowland/CAMERA CLUB)

The village is surrounded by open moorland and is characterised by traditional stone buildings, shops and pubs, with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway running through the valley below.

Its appearance made it a natural choice for Heartbeat, which first aired in 1992 and was set in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield during the 1960s.

Goathland provided many of the programme’s familiar outdoor locations during its 18-series run.

Although Heartbeat came to an end in 2010, its connection with Goathland remains a major part of the village’s identity.

Visitors can still recognise locations from the programme, while reminders of Aidensfield remain around the village.

Visit North Yorkshire says Goathland became even more popular with visitors after appearing as Aidensfield in the television series.

Its television fame was followed by another screen appearance which introduced the village to a new generation.

Goathland railway station was used as Hogsmeade Station in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, released in 2001.

In the film, Hogsmeade is the station used by pupils travelling to and from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Away from the cameras, Goathland remains a working station on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

The heritage railway runs for 24 miles between Pickering and Whitby, taking passengers through the North York Moors and stopping at Goathland along the way.

Goathland station retains much of its traditional appearance and includes a tea room in the former goods shed as well as a shop.

Its period character, combined with its Harry Potter connection, has helped make it one of the railway’s best-known stations.

Goathland (Image: Keith Rowland/CAMERA CLUB)

However, visitors were travelling to Goathland long before Heartbeat or Harry Potter arrived.

One of the area’s best-known natural landmarks is Mallyan Spout, a waterfall hidden in a wooded valley close to the village.

Water falls around 70ft over the rock face, with a walking route descending through woodland to reach it.

Visit North Yorkshire says Mallyan Spout was already attracting visitors to Goathland during the 19th century.

The arrival of the railway also helped establish the village as a destination for people wanting to explore the surrounding moors.

Today, Goathland remains a popular starting point for walks through the North York Moors.

One route follows the course of the former railway towards Grosmont, while walkers can also head through the small settlement of Beck Hole.

The combination of railway and walking routes means visitors can arrive in Goathland by heritage train before exploring the village and surrounding countryside on foot.

There are also cafés, traditional pubs and shops in the village, while its position puts it within relatively easy reach of Whitby and other parts of the North York Moors.

Goathland’s television and film appearances have undoubtedly changed the way many visitors see the village.

By WILL HALLOWELL, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 01:36 BST, 28 September 2026 | Updated: 02:58 BST, 28 September 2026