In December 2024, when I was 49, a seven-tonne van changed my life. 

I was walking across a pedestrian crossing when a vehicle hit me at 30mph.

It was around 3pm – just as I was leaving a pub I’d nipped into for a Christmas pint. 

The catastrophic impact knocked me unconscious straight away. 

I later learned that when an air ambulance arrived I was intubated – when a tube is inserted into your windpipe to keep your airway open – at the scene. 

l was then put in a medically induced coma and taken to the critical care unit at Preston Royal Hospital, sixty miles from my home. 

There it was confirmed that my lungs had collapsed, I needed a chest drain, I had severe head trauma, a brain bleed, extensive facial fractures and multiple broken bones. 

Doctors were preparing to declare me dead.

At 5pm, my wife was informed by the police about the accident – since I had only popped out for half an hour, and left my phone at home, my friends and family didn’t know about the accident.

I was at the hospital from December 20 until January 14, and for 12 of these days, I was in a coma and totally oblivious to everything. 

Even now, I have no real recollection of the accident.

When I woke up, I struggled to distinguish reality for a while and experienced a period of coma-related delusion. It felt like I was in a dream state – I struggled to perceive what had happened to me and how bad it was.

As I began getting visitors, people pointed out I didn’t look great – but it was my beard that was most notably different. 

My wife noticed my face had only a few millimetres of growth after almost a month in hospital, which confused both of us – I’d always had a thick beard.

A few days later a male nurse came to prepare me for facial reconstruction surgery five weeks after the accident and commented that at least I’d already shaved. I hadn’t shaved at all – but my face looked smooth as if it was.

Noticing my confusion, he suggested I get my testosterone checked, something I’d never considered. He explained that the impact to my head might have affected my pituitary gland, disrupting my hormones. 

He was right to point it out – and as I healed, the problems went far beyond facial hair. 

During my recovery from the accident, I noticed my libido had vanished. While I was healing, I had accepted that I wasn’t going to have a sex life for a while.

But, I did notice that I didn’t feel turned on or sexual in any way – sex simply never came to mind. 

I was open about this feeling with my wife, and she was very supportive, but it did marry up with the suggestion of low testosterone, so I spoke to my GP, who advised me to wait a few months to see if the symptoms settled.

Feeling desperate for answers, I began researching testosterone boosters on my own and tried various nutritional supplements such as vitamins and minerals, but nothing made a difference.

By March last year, sex wasn’t even a thought, and my mood had deteriorated so badly that I didn’t want to carry on. I felt overwhelmed and confused by what was happening to me – everything I had lived for before had disappeared. 

Even my existence felt pointless.

My recovery was slow and steady from the physical injuries, however, in September I was diagnosed with and treated for PTSD. 

When I went back to my GP, sharing that my low testosterone symptoms had not settled, he suggested I have a blood test – but warned treatment could take time. 

So, I lost patience and longing for help, I went online again and looked at some testosterone replacement treatment (TRT) providers for a blood test.

The more I searched, the more I kept coming across Voy, a provider that seemed to have genuine people raving about their service sharing that it was a simple process, with great support.

I ordered the test and sent off my sample in April 2025. The results came back four days later on the app, showing that my testosterone levels were very low. 

Normal testosterone levels are between 10 and 30 nmol/l, and my levels were 5.147 nmol/l. 

The app advised me to have a full blood test to move forward with treatment, and so I booked for a phlebotomist nurse to come to my house and take my test. I received the results four days later which revealed my hormone levels were even lower than suggested, and so I started taking TRT.

I self administer five small injections per week, three of which are Testosterone Cypionate and two are HCG to keep my fertility and testicular size.

Disillusioned with my attempts to get more treatment through the NHS, I continued with Voy, who guided me through the process. The support team were quick to respond to my questions, and the consultation with the doctor was informative, guiding me through everything.

Since TRT is a lifelong commitment for me, having proper support is crucial.

Lacking testosterone affects mood, strength, confidence, and your sense of identity. Within three months of treatment, I went from severe low moods and weight gain to losing six per cent body fat.

Within six months, I noticed differences. My confidence returned alongside my libido. The apathy that had swallowed me after the accident began to lift.

A man is building a model of a Cambridgeshire village out of Lego to help visitors find their way around during the village’s famous flower festival. Paul Earnshaw decided to combine his love of Lego and daffodils to create a map of the village of Thriplow for the thousands of visitors who will be travelling to the area for the Daffodil Weekend.

Mr Earnshaw said: “Once I started putting bricks onto bricks, the thing just grew by proxy and it has become a huge map of Thriplow. I’m now getting other people within the village to build little models of their houses and the key buildings to add to the map.”

The Daffodil Weekend started in 1969 when the village needed to raise money to repair the roof of its church. The weekend event has grown over the years and now welcomes people from across the country to enjoy the 500,000 daffodils planted in the village.

In preparation for this year’s event in March, Mr Earnshaw started creating the map in October. He first built the base to match the levels and contours of the village.

He added: “From there, we’ve mapped out all of the roads, the paths, and water courses so they’re all in the right place and to scale so people can use the map to navigate the village. To bring it alive, we have been putting little Lego daffodils on and that gave it a lovely 3D feel. To really bring it to life, we need to put the key buildings on there like the village hall.”

The event draws in around 12,000 people, making the map useful for those who don’t know their way through the village. The map acts as a guide for what will be on offer throughout the weekend, including sheep marking out where the lambs will be and a donkey for the donkey paddock.

The model villages goes into great detail. Mr Earnshaw said he was “particularly pleased with the little dog poo bins”. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done to the map before the Daffodil Weekend starts.

Mr Earnshaw said: “The actual model is probably using about 47,000 bricks at the moment so it’s a lot of Lego. We’re starting to run short of it in the village. If anyone has got any sloped roof tiles, we could really use some of those. The other thing we really need are the little Lego trees. There’s a lot of trees in Thriplow and we’ve only got a few on the model.”

The Daffodil Weekend is described as a “huge event for the village” with everyone having to “pull together” to make it a success each year. Mr Earnshaw continued: “It’s what makes Thriplow such a wonderful place to live because we all know each other. The village gets a massive tidy up ahead of the event.

“The only problem with it is it’s that time of year now where we’re gathering the volunteers. So as I walk around Thriplow, no one will make eye contact with me because they know they’re going to get a job given to them.”

The village is planning to place the Lego model next to the Daffodil Rapid Response Unit caravan. This year’s Daffodil Weekend is taking place on Saturday, March 21, and Sunday, March 22.

You can only attend the event if you buy a ticket, which costs £12 for adults and £6 for children aged between five and 16. Tickets should only be bought through the official Daffodil Weekend website.

Thriplow is only a 19-minute drive from Cambridge via the B1368. A parking space for the event costs £1 and can be bought with your ticket.

It will see a net revenue budget of just over £408m taken forward for the 2026-27 financial year

A heated debate over council tax increases has been held by members of Bridgend County Borough Council ahead of the approval of their annual budget.

The budget for the 2026-27 financial year was given the go-ahead by members at a full council meeting following lengthy discussions.

It will now see a net revenue budget of just over £408m taken forward in the coming year along with a council tax increase of 4.7%.

It came after the Bridgend County Independents Group put an alternative budget forward with a proposal to use more than £700,000 of unallocated funding to reduce the proposed council tax increase from 4.7% to 4%.

This funding came after a better than expected settlement from the Welsh Government which meant Bridgend County Borough Council’s budget was increased by 4.6%.

The leader of the borough’s largest opposition group, Cllr Amanda Williams, said they had tabled the “simple, practical amendment” that would put more money in resident’s pockets and lessen pressure on household finances.

However Cllr Hywel Williams, cabinet member for finance and resources, said the funding worth £736,000 wasn’t unallocated but had been set aside for pressure in future years – though some felt this needed to be made clearer during scrutiny.

Addressing the chamber the council’s leader Cllr John Spanswick specified the sum would be set aside for local schools and would be used to make sure there weren’t any cuts to the school budget in the 2027-28 financial year – in a move that was recommended by officers.

The proposed amendment was later rejected after a vote of 33 councillors to 16 before a second vote on the final budget was approved by 28 councillors to 18.

This £408m sum will now see around £167m given to the education, early years, and young people directorate, £127m to social services, and £38m for services provided by the communities team.

A council tax increase of 4.7% was also included which is the equivalent of an extra £1.73 a week for people in a Band D property.

The proposal was brought to council after a public consultation which received in excess of 1,200 responses and showed that schools and education were the highest priority for people in the borough along with maintaining local roads and pavements.

Speaking on the plans the deputy leader Cllr Jane Gebbie said with £32m worth of savings needed over the next four years the strategy prioritised stability and sustainability and prepared for uncertainty in future settlements.

It was approved alongside a capital strategy which has around £121m available for the 2026-27 financial year, though this also faced scrutiny from Cllr Martin Williams who questioned how much of it would be delivered on time.

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The Foreign Office has warned against all travel to Israel and Palestine

A number of airlines have cancelled flights to the Middle East after the US launched military action overnight against Iran.

The Foreign Office, meanwhile, updated its travel advice on Saturday to warn against all travel to Israel and Palestine.

In a statement on its website, the Foreign Office said: “Due to the threat posed by escalation in the region, we recommend against all travel to Israel and Palestine. On 28 February 2026, the US and Israel commenced joint military action in Iran, Israeli airspace has now closed.”

British nationals in the region are being urged to take ‘sensible precautions’, including following advice from regional authorities, staying away from military facilities and ensuring travel documents are up to date.

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Airspace over Iran and Iraq was empty on Saturday morning, maps by flight-tracking service Flightradar24 showed, with a number of airlines saying they were monitoring the situation.

Air France has reportedly cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv in Israel and Beirut in Lebanon for Saturday. Only one flight to Tel Aviv had been scheduled for Saturday.

Indigo airlines said it was monitoring regional updates, news agency Reuters reported.

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German airline Lufthansa suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv in Israel, Beirut in Lebanon, and Oman until March 7 and flights to and from Dubai on Saturday and Sunday. They also said they would not add Israeli, Lebanese, Jordanian, Iraqi and Iranian airspace until March 7.

Virgin Atlantic, meanwhile, said it would temporarily avoid Iraqi airspace, resulting in some pre-planned rerouting of its flights and cancelled its VS400 service from London Heathrow to Dubai on Saturday.

Wizz Air halted flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman with immediate effect until March 7.

The Foreign Office has also updated travel advice for UK nationals in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait to warn people to ‘immediately shelter in place’.

The advice on the FCDO website said: “Remain indoors in a secure location, avoid all travel and follow instructions from the local authorities.”

It is understood the UK was not involved in the US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Sir Keir Starmer will chair a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee on Saturday morning.

The Wellbeing team provide personalised assessments and tailored support plans (Image: Stuart Boulton)

Middleton Grove offers far more than just a place to live. Residents can enjoy an active village lifestyle with access to a wide range of facilities, including The Orangery Bistro, library, art studio, hairdresser and personal therapies. A varied programme of activities, social events and weekly outings encourages connection and engagement, helping residents maintain an active and fulfilling lifestyle.

The on-site Health & Wellbeing Centre further supports residents’ wellbeing, offering a swimming pool, jacuzzi and gym. A dedicated Health and Wellbeing team provides personalised assessments and creates tailored support plans, ensuring residents receive the right level of assistance while remaining as independent as possible.

Restaurant-quality food is served in Middleton Grove’s Conservatory dining room (Image: Tracy Kidd)

Each apartment has been thoughtfully designed to combine comfort and accessibility. All feature a living room, bedroom, fully accessible bathroom and a well-equipped kitchen, giving residents the freedom to prepare their own meals if they wish. Some apartments also benefit from balconies or patios overlooking the estate’s landscaped gardens. Apartments include a telephone, smart TV, Wi-Fi and residents are able to personalise their home with their own furniture and belongings.

Residents can choose the level of support that suits them, from housekeeping and laundry services to personal care if required. Dining is flexible, with residents able to cook in their own apartment or enjoy restaurant-quality meals in Middleton Grove’s Conservatory dining room.

A well-equipped kitchen is included. (Image: Tracy Kidd)

The community atmosphere in Middleton Grove has been widely praised by residents and their families. One resident said: “The wonderful surroundings and variations of supported living have the best impact on my experience here at Middleton Hall.”

A family member added: “Everyone who works here is so friendly and kind, they can’t do enough for you. I decided to make the move and haven’t regretted it.”

Another family member commented: “My mother visited Middleton Grove for a short stay to help her decide whether she would like to move there permanently. She loved it so much, she decided she didn’t want to return home.”

The newly refurbished apartments have been thoughtfully designed (Image: Tracy Kidd)

To find out more about the Middleton Grove apartments at Middleton Hall Retirement Village, visit mhrv.co.uk or call the friendly team on 01325 332207.

Middleton Hall Retirement Village, Middleton St George, Darlington, County Durham, DL2 1HA.

Officers were called to Deansgate in Bolton town centre yesterday evening, Friday, February 27, to reports of an assault.

Multiple police vehicles were seen on the street at around 7pm, near to a number of drinking establishments.

A Greater Manchester spokesperson said that on arrival, officers arrested a “woman in her 20s” on suspicion of assault and assaulting a police officer.

The spokesperson added that she remains in custody for questioning.

Eyewitnesses told The Bolton News that they saw a woman “hitting someone” and “being aggressive”.

The ghost of a former head gardener has also reportedly been seen working in the gardens

A posh hotel in a picturesque Cambridgeshire village is said to be haunted by a former queen. Many sites across Cambridgeshire are bound to be haunted given how old they are – if ghosts exist, of course.

The Haycock Manor Hotel, dating back to the 16th century, is set in the beautiful village of Wansford, near Peterborough. It’s considered one of England’s most haunted coaching inns.

One notable name said to haunt its hall is Mary Queen of Scots, nicknamed ‘Bloody Mary’, as she executed a lot of Protestants. Mary stayed at the Haycock on the way to her execution at the nearby Fotheringhay Castle. Many people have said they have seen her at the hotel, as well as other establishments that she stayed in before her death.

When people have ‘seen’ her, she appears tall and regal, and in Tudor dress. She is also seen carrying a rosary. Also, those who see her have reported feeling sadness and a drop in temperature. People have also said they have heard whispered Scottish prayers from her.

Other figures believed to haunt the hotel include a man named Richard Braithwaite, who has been seen in 17th century clothing. He appears in the older parts of the hotel. In the walled garden, an old man with a gardening trug, believed to be former head gardener, has been seen.

As well as being visited by Mary Queen of Scots, the hotel has been visited by many notable names in its past. It was seen as a desirable location as it was a convenient stop between London and Stamford in Lincolnshire. Another queen who visited the hotel was Queen Elizabeth I.

Over its history, the hotel has changed hands a number of times. Its first innkeeper was noted to be William Hodgson, who died in 1706. It then changed ownership several times before it went over to the Percival family. This family owned it for around 100 years until 1898.

Throughout the 19th century it was run as a successful farm, before it became a private home in 1928. It was changed back into an inn after dairy farmer Charles Allday purchased it. It has been refurbished, mixing the traditional and modern, and is a popular wedding destination.

Donald Trump’s decision to launch “major combat operations” in Iran is the biggest gamble by any American president since George Bush invaded Iraq more than two decades ago.

The US commander in chief – who came to power as an arch opponent of the US’s so-called “forever wars” – has set out ambitious and extensive goals for his attack against the Islamic Republic, saying he plans to prevent this “wicked, radical dictatorship” from threatening the United States.

But he is not in complete control of events.

Mr Trump is gambling that overwhelming US military firepower from the air – rather than boots on the ground – will be enough to destroy the Iranian regime but Tehran – while its military has been degraded by previous US and Israeli strikes – is showing no sign of rolling over.

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It retains the ability to inflict significant harm against Israel as well as US forces in the region – and is already fighting back.

The scale of that retaliation and how much the US and Israel can withstand the counterattacks will be a fundamental indicator to track.

Mr Trump has prepared his country for the potential for American service men and women to be killed, saying in his video address “we may have casualties. That happens in war”.

He has calculated that any pain the US side suffers is worthwhile to end the threat posed by Iran.

And he spelt out these objectives – a move that could come back to haunt him if they are not achieved.

Chief among these war goals is a vow to prevent Iran from ever having nuclear weapons. But the US president has also pledged to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities and to “annihilate” its navy.

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‘Americans have sent F22s to Israel which is a very capable aircraft’ he explains.

He issued an ultimatum to all members of the Iranian armed forces and security services from the Republican Guard to the police, telling them to lay down their weapons “or face certain death”.

There is no indication that the Iranian security forces are about to betray the regime.

The fact that Iran is now retaliating by launching missiles against Israel is a clear sign that Tehran has not been cowed by Mr Trump’s opening salvo and is ready to fight.

Even if the regime is toppled, the next moment of peril is what comes next.

The US president made clear that he wants the Iranian people to step up and “take over your government”.

But, again, he does not have the ability to control what that would look like and whether what comes next is better than what he seeks to destroy.

The history of wars in the Middle East shows that no plan by either side survives first contact with the enemy.

A TikTok user claims he looks so much like Justin Bieber that he ‘can’t go anywhere’, with hundreds of people commenting on his striking resemblance to the popstar.

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A man claims his striking resemblance to Justin Bieber means he ‘can’t go anywhere’ without being noticed. It feels like only yesterday that the Canadian singer burst onto the scene from obscurity in the late 2000s.

Since then, Bieber has firmly established himself as one of the most recognisable and influential figures in pop music, whilst also becoming both a husband and a father.

Bieber and his wife Hailey tied the knot in a private ceremony in New York in 2018, before welcoming their first child, Jack Blues Bieber, on August 23, 2024.

Whilst Bieber’s face is amongst the most familiar on the planet, this has proved something of an inconvenience for one man, who insists his likeness to the pop sensation means he ‘can’t go anywhere’ without being stopped.

Jack, who posts on TikTok under the username @jacktiktok__, receives hundreds of comments on his videos from followers remarking on his similarity to the star.

One person said: “You’re the first person I’ve seen on this app that actually looks like him.”

A second said: “You should dress like him, go out and make people think you are really him.”

A third commented: “[shocked face emojis] The resemblance!”.

A fourth said: “That’s actually crazyyy bro you look like Justin Bieber.”

Justin Bieber, who celebrates his 32nd birthday today, was most recently spotted at the Grammys, where he took to the stage for the first time in four years, performing ‘Yukon’ clad only in a pair of shorts, as a beaming Hailey watched on proudly. Among the other acts to take to the stage were Please Please Please singer Sabrina Carpenter, Bruno Mars and ROSE, as well as Lady Gaga.

During his appearance on the red carpet, he seized the moment to make a political statement in response to the controversial shootings involving ICE in the US, sporting a small pin on his black suit bearing the words “ICE OUT”.