Connect with us
DAPA Banner

NewsBeat

Daily horoscope February 28, 2026: Predictions for your star sign

Published

on

Daily horoscope February 28, 2026: Predictions for your star sign
What’s in store for you today? (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

Mercury blends with Venus today, offering a welcome break from a tense start to the planet in retrograde. Romance will flow easily through the day ahead.

Aries, Taurus and Gemini, allow yourself to soften today. Whether around others, or towards your own inner goals, letting your guard down will serve you well.

Focus on watering connections today. Whether it’s a new bond or a long-term commitment, go that extra mile today.

Ahead, you’ll find all star signs’ horoscopes for today: Saturday February 28, 2026.

Advertisement

Like checking your horoscope every morning? You can now sign up to our free daily newsletter to get a personalised reading for your star sign delivered straight to your inbox.

To download your free Unique Personal Horoscope based on your time, date and place of birth, visit patrickarundell.com/free-birth-chart/.

Aries

March 21 to April 20

Your sharp edges soften into graceful charm, and you might surprise yourself with how sweetly you’re speaking. Your inner romantic, artist and empath are invited to the conversation, making this a perfect time to express love, beauty or emotions with a soft touch. Say what you feel, not just what you think. Your heart has something wise to share, and others are ready to listen.

Advertisement

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aries

Today’s celestial guidance for Aries

Taurus

April 21 to May 21

Your words can flow like honey, and your presence feels like a warm hug in a cold world. Today’s special blend lights up your social and dream zones, making it a good time to connect with friends, revisit big goals or express your creativity. Conversations flow easily and whether you’re inspiring a group chat or doodling your next big idea, use warmth and imagination.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Taurus

Today’s planetary forecast for Taurus

Gemini

May 22 to June 21

As Mercury merges with Venus, this celestial duet lights up your career and public image, helping you charm bosses, clients or anyone within range. You’ll blend logic with feeling, making your ideas not just smart, but poignant. It’s a golden moment to share, present or upgrade your professional presence. Just don’t over promise anything in the haze of inspiration.

Advertisement

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Gemini

How the stars aligned for Gemini today

Cancer

June 22 to July 23

Head and heart are swimming in the same gentle sea and it’s truly special. This means your zone of travel, wisdom and big thinking is activated, making it the perfect time to express your beliefs. Whether you’re planning a trip, writing something heartfelt or having a deep conversation, your words can heal. Share your story, send that message or dream out loud.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Cancer

Celestial energies for Cancer today

Leo

July 24 to August 23

Today’s celestial line-up stirs your intimacy zone, making emotional healing or soul-level bonding feel natural and irresistible. You’re almost telepathic too. It’s a good time to mend fences, share secrets or write something that peels back the layers. Finances and shared resources may also benefit from a wise approach. Let your guard down and prepare to be enchanted.

Advertisement

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Leo

Your daily zodiac insight for Leo

Virgo

August 24 to September 23

Your relationships get wrapped in a soft, sparkly glow. Communication with partners, whether romantic, platonic or professional, takes on a tender, sensitive tone. You’re usually the master of details, but now it’s all about reading between the lines and speaking from the heart. This is a beautiful time to heal rifts or write love notes. Logic takes a back seat and it’s enjoying the ride.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Virgo

Cosmic messages for Cosmic messages for Virgo today

Libra

September 24 to October 23

Your daily life is touched by charisma and even mundane moments shimmer. Work, wellness and routines feel softer, sweeter and more inspired. You’ll blend instinct with intention, making it a great time to beautify your workspace or approach health with gentleness over force. If it feels good and does good, you’re on the right path. Even your to-do list deserves a little pampering.

Advertisement

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Libra

Your daily stellar guidance for Libra

Scorpio

October 24 to November 22

As Mercury ties with Venus, it lights up your romance, fun and artistic expression zone, making it the perfect time to flirt and create. Your creative side is humming a love song and the universe is listening. Your words have charm and mystery, and your sixth sense is on fire. Lovers and creative muses may bring unexpected delight. Today pleasure is a powerful form of alchemy.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Scorpio

Star alignments for Scorpio today

Sagittarius

November 23 to December 21

Sentimental conversations, artistic redecorating urges or a sudden craving for comfort food and connection may sweep in. You’re thinking and feeling your way through memories and meanings. This is a lovely time to write openly, heal old emotional patterns or make peace with your past. Get friendly with creativity, kindness and those you call family, chosen or otherwise.

Advertisement

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Sagittarius

Today’s astral messages for Sagittarius

Capricorn

December 22 to January 20

Today’s charming blend lights up your communication zone, turning everyday chats into meaningful moments. Whether you’re writing, speaking or sending a text, your message reaches others in the best way. It’s a great time to express affection, share a lovely idea or soften your stance. Today, diplomacy isn’t weakness, it may be your most eloquent power move.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Capricorn

Your zodiac forecast for Capricorn today

Aquarius

January 21 to February 19

Money, values, self-worth and your relationship with them get a gentle upgrade. This isn’t about spreadsheets, it’s about soul-aligned abundance. You’re thinking about what really matters and how to speak, spend and save with wisdom. This is a lovely time to make peace with your finances, gift yourself something beautiful or share kind words that feel like healing currency.

Advertisement

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aquarius

Daily cosmic update for Aquarius

Pisces

February 20 to March 20

You are the universe’s favourite muse right now, radiating charm, creativity and sweetness. Your words sparkle with warmth, your presence feels like poetry and people are drawn to your special qualities. As Mercury blends with Venus, this is the moment to speak your truth, share your vision or bathe in the beauty of being you. Your natural grace makes everything feel delightful.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Pisces

Your cosmic energy update for Pisces

Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.

Head here for this week’s tarot horoscope reading, and see what the cards have in store for you!

Advertisement

Check out the tarot horoscope reading for the month of February here.

Prefer us to the others? Then tell Google!

As a loyal Metro reader, we want to make sure you never miss our stories when searching for your news. Whether it is the latest politics news explained, live football coverage or a showbiz scoop.

Click here and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.

Our journalists work hard to deliver the most important stories from around the world
Advertisement

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

NewsBeat

Car ploughs into JD Gym in Bury as two injured and driver arrested

Published

on

Car ploughs into JD Gym in Bury as two injured and driver arrested

The incident happened at JD Gyms on George Street, with police, fire crews and paramedics all attending the scene.

What happened

According to Greater Manchester Police, officers were called at around 4.45pm following reports that a car had driven through the wall of the gym.

A spokesman for GMP said: “Officers responded to an incident at 4.45pm today at JD Gym on George Street, Bury, with the assistance of NWAS and the Greater Manchester Fire Service.

“It was reported that a car had driven through the wall of JD Gym, resulting in structural damage of the building.

Advertisement

“In the incident a man in his 60s has been struck by the car whilst inside the gym and has sustained non-life changing injuries.

“A woman in her 40s has been arrested on suspicion of causing injury by dangerous driving, she remains in hospital at this time.

“If you have any information, please contact officers on 101 or LiveChat quoting log 2424 of 14/04/2026.”

The vehicle appears to have driven directly through the brick wall.The vehicle appears to have driven directly through the brick wall. (Image: Phil Taylor)

Emergency response

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service confirmed crews were called just before 5pm.

Advertisement

A spokesperson said: “Just before 5pm on Tuesday (April 14), fire crews were called to reports of a road traffic collision on George Street, Bury.

“Two fire engines from Bury and Whitefield stations, as well as the technical rescue unit from Ashton, were quickly mobilised to the incident, which involved a car colliding with a commercial building.

“Firefighters extricated a woman from the car, while another man inside the building was also injured in the collision.

“They were treated at the scene by paramedics and then taken to hospital by North West Ambulance Service.

Advertisement

“Firefighters helped make the area safe before handing the scene over to Greater Manchester Police.

“Our crews were in attendance for about an hour and a half.”

Police in the areaBury town centre was brought to a halt this evening (Image: Phil Taylor)

Inside the scene

Footage shared online showed the aftermath inside the gym, with debris scattered across the floor and part of the vehicle visible through the damaged wall.

Gymgoers were escorted out of the building, while emergency services surrounded the scene. An air ambulance was also seen circling overhead.

Advertisement

The vehicle appears to have driven directly through the brick wall, leaving its rear protruding from the building beneath the gym’s signage.

Crime scene investigators were later seen examining the car, which remained embedded in the wall.

Injuries and arrests

A man in his 60s who was inside the gym was struck by the vehicle and suffered injuries described as non-life changing.

The driver, a woman in her 40s, has been arrested on suspicion of causing injury by dangerous driving and remains in hospital.

Advertisement

Police on sceneCSI on scene (Image: Phil Taylor)

Road closures and travel disruption

Road closures were put in place around the busy junction following the crash, causing disruption in the area.

A spokesman for Bury Council said: “Emergency services are currently dealing with an incident at Rochdale Road in Bury town centre.

“Rochdale Road, at its junction with Derby Way, and Clarke Street at its junction with Angouleme Way, are closed in both directions with diversions in place.”

Motorists were warned to expect delays throughout the evening.

Advertisement

Recovery teams are en route as the response continues.

Police on sceneMotorists were redirected (Image: Phil Taylor)

Gym statement

In a statement, the gym said: “Earlier today an incident occurred at JD Gyms involving a vehicle making contact with the exterior of the building, which resulted in damage to part of the gym.

“As a precaution and in the interest of everyone’s safety, the gym will remain closed until further notice.

“Our team are on it straight away and building surveyors are due to attend in the morning.

Advertisement

“We will know more following their visit and will update here.

“If you are a member, you have automatically been granted multi-site access.

“Your JD Gyms app will now scan you in at a neighbouring JD Gyms location of your choice.

“We will be back open ASAP. Thank you for your patience.”

Advertisement

We will continue to bring you updates as this breaking incident unfolds.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Government survives confidence vote as opposition TDs blast protests response

Published

on

Government survives confidence vote as opposition TDs blast protests response

Holly Cairns, the leader of the Social Democrats, said her party did not support blockades, but said: “People have watched while you’ve wasted countless billions, failed to deliver critical public services, housing and infrastructure, all while giving sermons about the importance of fiscal prudence – that is the backdrop to these protests.”

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona LIVE: Champions League latest score, match stream, goal updates and fan reaction

Published

on

Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid: Prediction, kick-off time, TV, live stream, team news, h2h results, odds

Diego Simeone masterminded the unlikeliest of victories last week, although his side were aided by a sending off for Pau Cubarsi, who was dismissed for a pull on Simeone’s son Giuliano, who was deemed to have been clean through on goal. Now, it means that Hansi Flick will be without one of his first-choice central defenders this evening, and instead he will likely have to plump for Ronald Araujo or shift Eric Garcia, the former Man City man, back into his natural berth having been playing in midfield.

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Would you save more lives or more years of life? A global study reveals how people really think

Published

on

Would you save more lives or more years of life? A global study reveals how people really think

Imagine a stark choice. You can save one person who is likely to live another 30 years. Or you can save several people who may each live another ten years.

Should we prioritise saving more lives – or more years of life? This kind of trade-off sits at the heart of how health systems make decisions.

Yet do people actually agree with that principle? A new international study – based on what people told us during the COVID pandemic – suggests the answer is more complicated than this simple trade-off suggests.

Across many countries, decisions about healthcare spending are guided by a concept known as the quality-adjusted life year, or Qaly. In simple terms, this approach aims to maximise the total number of years of healthy life generated by a healthcare system.

Advertisement

That often means prioritising treatments that deliver more life-years overall. Saving someone with more years ahead of them is typically seen as creating more value than saving someone with fewer remaining years. In practice, this can mean prioritising younger patients over older ones.

This kind of reasoning is used by Nice in the UK – and other healthchare advisory agencies, globally – to decide which medicines should be funded. But it rests on an implicit ethical assumption: that maximising total life-years is the right goal.

Our research asked a simple question: do ordinary people actually agree?

To find out, we conducted a large survey experiment with more than 14,000 people across 12 countries, including the UK, US, China, Brazil and Uganda.

Advertisement

Participants were asked to imagine a life-saving vaccine that could only be given to one group. They had to choose between vaccinating a 55-year-old person (with about 30 years left to live) or one or more 75-year-olds (with about ten years left each).

The scenarios were framed around COVID, but the underlying question was broader: how should we trade off saving lives versus saving life-years?

By varying the number of older people, we could estimate how many lives participants were willing to “trade” to save one younger person.

The results reveal a clear pattern – and one not entirely consistent with the Qaly-based values that underpin many healthcare funding decisions.

Advertisement

People don’t think in purely mathematical terms

Most people did favour saving the younger person. Around two-thirds of respondents chose to vaccinate the 55-year-old rather than a single 75-year-old.

However, when forced to make tougher trade-offs, people did not behave as if they were trying to maximise life-years. If they were, they would have been willing to sacrifice about three 75-year-olds to save one 55-year-old (since 30 years versus ten years is a 3:1 ratio). In practice, they were willing to trade fewer.

On average, across countries, people were willing to trade about two and a half older lives to save one younger life. In other words, public preferences sit somewhere between treating all lives as equal, and strictly maximising total life-years. They don’t fully align with either.

Advertisement

How many 75-year-olds people would trade to save one 55-year-old, by country. A value of three (dotted line) reflects strict life-year maximisation. Most countries fall below this, suggesting people are less willing to trade lives than this benchmark implies. Adapted from Parra-Mujica, F., Roope, L.S.J., Violato, M., Duch, R.M. and Clarke, P.M.

The story becomes even more interesting when we look beyond age. In some versions of the experiment, we also varied whether the hypothetical people were working. This turned out to matter a lot. When both people had the same employment status, one 55-year-old was considered roughly equivalent to just over two 75-year-olds.

Yet when the younger person was working and the older person was not, the trade-off shifted dramatically – people were willing to sacrifice more than three older lives to save the younger worker. And when the situation was reversed – the older person working and the younger not – many respondents preferred saving the older person.

This suggests that people are not just thinking about life expectancy. They are also considering broader social factors, such as contribution, perceived need or fairness.

Advertisement

A gap between policy and public values

These findings raise an uncomfortable question. If health systems are designed to maximise life-years, but the public values something more nuanced, is there a mismatch between policy and societal preferences?

Our results suggest there is. People do care about life expectancy – younger lives are generally prioritised. However, they also place weight on fairness, context and social roles. Their preferences are more nuanced than the strict “maximise life-years” rule embedded in many healthcare decision frameworks.

This doesn’t mean that healthcare decisions should simply follow public opinion. These are complex ethical choices, and expert judgment remains essential.

Nevertheless, ignoring public values entirely may also be problematic. Policies that feel intuitively unfair can undermine trust, which is essential for the sustainability of policies and institutions.

Advertisement

Rather than abandon existing approaches like Qalys, one option may be to complement them. Decision-makers could more clearly include the public’s views by using things like discussion groups, citizen panels or other methods that balance efficiency with fairness.

Another possibility is to recognise that there is no single correct answer. Different societies may reasonably draw the line in different places – and even within countries, views vary by age, politics and experience.

Our study shows that people do not see these decisions in simple mathematical terms. When faced with real trade-offs, they weigh lives, years and social context together. Ultimately, that may be a more realistic reflection of the ethical complexity at the heart of healthcare.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

The best Thai restaurants in Cambridgeshire as voted by readers

Published

on

Cambridgeshire Live

If you are looking for a spot for some great Thai food, you might want to try out these three restaurants recommended by locals.

In recent years, Thai food has become an incredibly popular cuisine globally with restaurants popping up across the UK to enjoy. Thai food is a well-loved cuisine thanks to its often reasonable price, large portions, and mix of vibrant flavours.

Advertisement

Cambridgeshire is also known for having a few standout Thai restaurants that can often be found in the most unlikely of places. From traditional British pubs serving Thai dishes to a cosy village restaurant where you can dine in domes, you should be able to find a good Thai spot in the county easily.

If you are new to Thai food or have just moved to the area and are looking for recommendations, these three food spots might be a good place to start. You can find the Thai restaurants that topped our poll below.

3. Sala Thong

Location: 35 Newnham Rd, Cambridge CB3 9EY

Found close to the River Cam in the suburb of Newnham, Sala Thong promises to offer customers “a place where you can relax and enjoy yourself in comfort”. The restaurant has been owned and managed by Aranya for over 15 years and has become a popular spot for Cambridge residents.

Advertisement

The menu is packed with dishes that “have been passed down through the generations” and hopes to show people “how good Thai food can really be”. Sala Thong has plenty of choices in terms of its starters with a sharing platter on offer if you want to try a few different dishes and offers soups, noodles, and rice options for mains.

2. Bamboo Sky

Location: 29 High St, Bourn, Cambridge CB23 2SQ

Bamboo Sky offers a slightly different dining experience thanks to its heated domes covered in fairy lights you can find in its garden. The Thai spot could be a good choice for a special occasion but if you just want to go for its food, you can also sit inside the brightly-coloured restaurant.

In the day, the restaurant serves lighter dishes such as small plates and dim sum as well as its signature specials and more filling options for the evening. Bamboo Sky even serves a Sunday roast where you can try its roast Thai honey red pork with all of the trimmings.

Advertisement

1. The Wrestlers

Location: 337 Newmarket Rd, Cambridge CB5 8JE

It might come as no surprise to those living in Cambridge that the Wrestlers topped our poll. The Wrestlers might look like a very traditional English pub from the outside but the inside holds a menu of popular Thai dishes that are loved by pubgoers.

The pub is known for its large portions and affordable price making it a good spot for those wanting to hang out with friends and enjoy some good food. If you are unable to make it into Cambridge but are desperate to try out the food, Pattaya Kitchen at the Shed in Lode is owned by the same family behind the Wrestlers.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Aldi shoppers angry as supermarket removes free-from range

Published

on

Aldi shoppers angry as supermarket removes free-from range

Aldi originally introduced their dedicated Free From section as a trial in January 2025 and it was reported to have been stocked in 300 of around 1,000 UK stores.

However the supermarket has now confirmed that the trial has ended as shoppers found their favourite products reduced or gone entirely from shops.

Gluten-free shoppers and coeliacs, those with an autoimmune condition that means they cannot eat gluten, lashed out at the brand online.


The History of Aldi


Some said they were “devastated” at the news while one even suggested it should be “compulsory” for supermarkets to sell gluten-free products.

Advertisement

However, the budget giant claim they are “committed” to ensuring customers with dietary requirements will still be able to buy what they need and that they engage with key allergy charities.

An Aldi spokesperson said: “Last year we introduced dedicated Free From sections in selected stores as a trial.

“Whilst this trial has now come to an end, we are still committed to ensuring customers can get everything they need at Aldi and shoppers can still find products suited to speciality diets on our shelves.

“We continue to engage with key allergy charities to ensure that we’re supportive of speciality diets wherever we can.”

Advertisement

Gluten-free shoppers and coeliacs - those with an autoimmune condition that means they cannot eat gluten - lashed out at the brand onlineGluten-free shoppers and coeliacs – those with an autoimmune condition that means they cannot eat gluten – lashed out at the brand online (Image: Kennedy News and Media)

Commenters have taken to TikTok to share their concerns with some branding the end of the trial as ‘absolutely absurd’.

One said: “This is messed up. Some people need this to live. They can’t do that I swear.”

A second complained: “Nooo it was the only bread I had liked and could stomach.”

A third added: “Absolutely absurd, that really sucks if they’re getting rid of it.”

Advertisement

A fourth agreed and said: “This is a disgrace! It’s so limited in most stores for basics like pasta, bread etc without taking away options.”

However, one said: “It is a shame, but as a business they probably weren’t making any profit.

“I don’t think they gave it long enough though because hardly any of my gluten-free friends knew Aldi had gluten-free food.”

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Will Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth departure speed up the managerial merry-go-round?

Published

on

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola smiles as he watches a match

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Old Trafford cohorts must decide whether to give Michael Carrick the manager’s job on a permanent basis or look elsewhere.

Carrick has guided United into the Champions League qualification places impressively, but suffered the first home loss of his time in charge against Leeds United on Monday.

Ratcliffe recently praised Carrick’s work since he succeeded Ruben Amorim, another victim of January’s managerial cull, but when pressed on the possibility of him taking full-time control said: “Not going there.”

The World Cup may yet play a part in some clubs’ thinking.

Advertisement

If the highly rated Julian Nagelsmann, currently Germany coach, comes on the market after the World Cup, would United be tempted?

It appears Thomas Tuchel, who has previously held talks with United, is out of the running after extending his contract to be England head coach – but good results at a World Cup can make things change.

Liam Rosenior was a graduate from Chelsea‘s multi-club ownership model when he left Strasbourg to replace Maresca.

The 41-year-old may well be one for the future, but he increasingly looks like someone being asked to take their driving test at the wheel of a Ferrari.

Advertisement

Rosenior drew widespread scorn when he said Chelsea‘s players performed a pre-match huddle before the game against Newcastle United, farcically surrounding referee Paul Tierney in the process, to “respect the ball”.

Chelsea went on to lose the game and matters have not improved since, exiting the Champions League to holders Paris St-Germain as well going down 3-0 in subsequent Premier League games to Everton and Manchester City.

The Stamford Bridge hierarchy has placed its faith in Rosenior, but with discontent among supporters increasing, along with poor results and performances, he must hope the club hold their nerve and keep faith in him.

On Tyneside, Eddie Howe has been under increasing scrutiny despite leading Newcastle United to their first domestic trophy in 70 years – and their first silverware of any kind in 56 years – last season when they beat Liverpool to win the Carabao Cup.

Advertisement

He also took Newcastle back into the Champions League, but this season has turned sour and Howe is another manager whose fate may hinge on what happens in the rest of the campaign.

It is clear the £125m sale of striker Alexander Isak to Liverpool had huge knock-on effects, not least because the £69m signing of Germany striker Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart and the £55m paid to Brentford for Yoane Wissa has, so far, been money badly spent.

The sign of a panic-stricken summer, overshadowed by the Isak saga, can be seen in the fact Newcastle‘s first offer for Wissa, before eventually paying £55m, was just £25m.

Howe has suffered criticism from fans who previously worshipped him as the Magpies went out 8-3 on aggregate to Barcelona in the Champions League and then lost a home league derby to Sunderland, giving the Black Cats a double over their fierce rivals.

Advertisement

It has meant talk about Howe’s future is a live conversation, despite his superb work.

Howe is always well attuned to the feelings of supporters, insisting he would never outstay his welcome, and Newcastle are currently 14th in the Premier League.

Chief executive David Hopkinson hardly threw a bucket of cold water on the speculation with an interview in March when he said Newcastle “were not looking to make a change at the moment”.

Howe still has the club’s support – and he will also have a key part to play when decisions are made at the end of this season.

Advertisement

But whatever happens in Newcastle, it looks set to be a frantic summer in the managerial market.

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Five Paddington books to read with your child, and why the bear on the page is different and worth meeting

Published

on

Five Paddington books to read with your child, and why the bear on the page is different and worth meeting

For many children, Paddington is now primarily the star of three movies and a hit west end musical. However, that is not where the bear in a red hat whose adventures involve high-speed chases and marmalade-based slapstick began.

In writing our book on the bear, we have found that the Paddington British writer Michael Bond created in 1958 is a rather different creature from that which we now know. Film Paddington is a slapstick innocent abroad, propelled by plot and peril. Book Paddington is slower, odder, funnier: a small figure of polite chaos who wreaks havoc not because the world is against him, but because he takes it entirely at its word. He is, in the gentlest possible way, a satirist.

Paddington is incredibly popular with children and adults alike. Paddington in Peru broke UK box office records last autumn, the West End musical at the Savoy Theatre triumphed at the Olivier awards this week and is already booking into 2027, and a fourth film is in development. So if you or your children are eager for more we would highly recommend you try Bond’s books.

The books are also ideally structured for reading aloud. Each chapter works as a self-contained episode – around ten to 25 minutes, just right for bedtime – and the comedy builds through repetition and familiarity. Children who already love Paddington from the screen will find a quieter version of him on the page. And the pleasure of reading these together is that parent and child will both be laughing, just not always at the same things.

Advertisement

Here are five places to start.


Harpercollins Childrens Books

This is where Paddington arrives at the station with his label and his suitcase and his jar of marmalade, and the Browns (somewhat impulsively and definitely against Mr Brown’s better judgement) take him home. What follows is a series of gentle domestic catastrophes: a bath that floods the bathroom, a trip on the Underground that goes spectacularly wrong, an attempt at painting that produces an accidental masterpiece.

Start here because it establishes how Paddington works. He is never naughty. He is meticulous, earnest, and operating from a logic that is entirely reasonable if you happen to be a bear from Peru who has only recently encountered escalators. The chapter “A Visit to the Theatre”, in which Paddington cannot distinguish between drama and reality and nearly causes a riot from the stalls, is Bond at his best: a small bear taking the world seriously and the world not quite knowing what to do about it.

Book cover

Harpercollins Childrens Books

Paddington attempts DIY, enters a painting competition, and tries to help with the laundry. His intentions are commendable and the results are catastrophic.

What makes this book especially good for shared reading is its rhythm. Bond writes set-pieces with the timing of a comedian: slow build, moment of realisation, glorious mess. Children adore the predictability: they can see the disaster coming before Paddington can, and that anticipatory pleasure is one of the great rewards of series fiction.

Advertisement
Paddington Goes to Town (1968) cover

Harpercollins Childrens Books

Several chapters here are quietly brilliant. Paddington serves as a wedding usher and interprets the role as requiring him to keep everyone silent. He is mistaken for a waiter at a society dinner and ends up serving the guests something he believes to be baked Alaska but which turns out to be baked elastic.

For parents, the pleasure is in Bond’s comedy of social embarrassment. Paddington moves through the adult world with total sincerity, and the comedy arises from the gap between his good manners and the chaos he leaves behind.

Book cover

Harpercollins Childrens Books

The Browns take Paddington on holiday to France. His encounters with French food, French customs, and French plumbing are some of the funniest passages Bond ever wrote.

This is a good choice if your child is about to go on a family holiday. It captures the comedy of being somewhere unfamiliar and trying very hard to get things right, which is Paddington’s permanent condition. He is always a visitor, always slightly out of place, and always managing to belong anyway.

Paddington Abroad also addresses some of the questions parents might have begun to ask themselves about Paddington’s paperwork – the Browns’ encounter with border control is both comic and discomfiting. Bond was inspired to create the character partly by the sight of wartime evacuee children arriving at London stations with labels round their necks. That quiet thread of displacement runs through the books without ever becoming too heavy. For children who have felt like the odd one out, there is real comfort in it – adults may see more.

Book cover

Harpercollins Childrens Books

Published when Bond was 88, this is unlike the others. Written as letters from Paddington to Aunt Lucy in Peru, it retells many of his adventures in his own voice: warm, slightly bewildered, full of small asides. The letter format means each entry is short and self-contained, and Paddington’s voice is a pleasure to read aloud.

It is also, in the quietest way, a book about what it means to make a home somewhere new, to miss where you came from, and to feel grateful for the people who took you in. Younger children will enjoy the stories. Older children, and their parents, may catch something else underneath: a gentleness about love and distance and belonging that is never sentimental but always keenly felt.

Advertisement

The films have given a new generation the hat and the marmalade and the hard stare. The books will give them something more: the bear himself, in all his polite, disruptive, irreplaceable glory. Our main advice is: start anywhere. But start together.

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 from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Concerns raised over huge North Yorkshire solar scheme

Published

on

Concerns raised over huge North Yorkshire solar scheme

Members of the Rooftops Not Countryside campaign group say it is “deeply concerning” that the majority of people living and working near the proposed 500MW Light Valley Solar Scheme are in the dark over the project.

Island Green Power UK Ltd has submitted a development consent order application for a network of seven solar farms on 1,020 hectares of land between the villages of Escrick, Monk Fryston, Hambleton, Chapel Haddlesey and South Milford, between York and Selby.

Louise Billingham, spokesperson for the campaign group, said the group met with community groups, residents and businesses in areas which would be directly affected by the scheme earlier this month.

Advertisement

She added: “What we found was deeply concerning. The overwhelming majority of people we spoke to had no knowledge whatsoever of the proposals, even where their homes or livelihoods sit on the doorstep of the planned development.

“Among those we met were a family whose home borders site four, who have received no correspondence about the plans and whose house does not appear on the Light Valley Solar documents.

“They had no knowledge of the plans until we showed them.”

Members of the group say they have taken to going door-to-door to inform residents due to the lack of awareness.

Advertisement

Mrs Billingham added: “Birkin Fisheries, a local business, had no idea the site extended to the boundary of their property.

“It is a well-known wildlife hotspot, and the owner was heartbroken thinking of the impact in the area.

“An allotment owner from South Milford, who had vaguely heard mention of the plans and assumed it was ‘just a field of panels’.

“When shown the plans, she thought it was a joke. The sheer size and scale left her speechless.”

Advertisement

Members of the group say the lack of awareness has been “sad but not surprising”.

“Actual plans of the seven sites are not readily available,” said Mrs Billingham.

“You can search through over 200 documents on the Planning Inspectorate website to find them, but you won’t see any physical plans in the community where residents can actually look at them to see the true scale and size, and the areas impacted. The plans are effectively inaccessible to residents.

“This isn’t local democracy or working with the community; it is inflicting 2,500 acres of industrial infrastructure on a community largely unaware, and certainly not included.”

Advertisement

Due to the size of the proposed development, the scheme has been declared a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, meaning planning permission will be decided by the Planning Inspectorate, rather than North Yorkshire Council.

If granted approval, Light Valley would be larger than the biggest solar scheme currently operational — Cleave Hill in Kent.

The developer says the scheme would provide enough power for 115,000 homes a year.

Anyone wanting to comment on the plans has until April 30 to register with the Planning Inspectorate.

Advertisement

To register, visit https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN0110012

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Arrests made as police find 663 cannabis plants in Radcliffe

Published

on

Arrests made as police find 663 cannabis plants in Radcliffe

At around 8am this morning, Tuesday, April 14, officers from the Radcliffe Neighbourhood Policing Team attended an address on Bridgefield Street, following an investigation into drug supply within the local area.

Upon entering the property, officers found six rooms featuring cannabis plants at various stages of their growth cycle, in addition to lighting equipment, fans, pipes, and other drug-growing paraphernalia.

In total, 663 cannabis plants were seized by officers.

Advertisement

The electricity was discovered to have been illegally bypassed, and work is ongoing to ensure it is safely disconnected.

Four men aged between 33 and 55 have been arrested on suspicion of producing a Class B drug and abstracting electricity, and they remain in custody for questioning.

The work comes as part of Greater Manchester Police’s (GMP) wider work in tackling drug supply, which sees everything from proactive patrols to preventative action.

Chief Inspector Michael Barton, from GMP’s Bury district, said: “This was a great result for the local neighbourhood team, who secured four arrests and seized hundreds of plants.

Advertisement

“Drug dealing is not something that is a victimless crime. The violence between gangs and exploitation of vulnerable people is something that we unfortunately see across Greater Manchester – and is something we are constantly working to tackle.

“If you have any information about criminality within your area, please do get in touch with your local team, or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously.”

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025