St Ives residents have been sharing memories and concerns as shops disappear from the high street, with blame falling on traffic schemes, big chains, and rising business rates

Advertisement

Readers of CambridgeshireLive have been responding to news about the disappearance of shops from the high street with a mix of nostalgia, warnings, and blame. Some have pointed fingers at large chains and escalating costs, while others reminisced about former markets and pubs that once gave St Ives its bustling atmosphere.

Locals have expressed their ‘disappointment’ over the ‘disappearance’ of some shops from their Cambridgeshire town’s high street. Over time, numerous stores have vanished from town and city high streets, leaving customers disheartened when their favourite brands depart.

This sentiment is shared by some residents in St Ives. Jackie Smith described St Ives as a “very safe” and ‘lovely’ town, but noted that more shops and cafés are vacating the high street.

She observed: “The bigger cafés are taking over from the smaller people. We used to have one café down the road that has gone now.

“There’s a big Caffe Nero, but also a Costa opposite. Younger people can afford to go somewhere like Costa now. You couldn’t do that in my day!”

Derek Green expressed his ‘disappointment’ that more shops are leaving the high street. He added: “That’s the only thing disappointing about St Ives. We used to have a lot more independents, like cafés and shops, but the bigger brands are taking over.”

His sentiments were echoed by another long-standing resident, who asked to remain anonymous. They lamented that the “high street is not what it used to be”.

Commenter Dcjo had this to say: “Large, foreign-owned chains have an advantage over local, independent shops, because they buy in quantity and have power to squeeze suppliers. Instead of staying local, the profits are removed from the country so the incomes of those at the top are not taxed. These outfits are also skilled at dodging corporate taxes on those profits as well. It’s a lose-lose for Britain.”

While MickJones2 comments: “I used to love St Ives, I worked there many many years ago at atcost:concrete [sic] buildings. And I used to go to the Manchester Arms for a liquid lunch, way before health and safety got ridiculous. I also used to spend many a night at a pub called the floods, and they had good music there, and other pubs in the area used to be lovely towns in those days, and the bank holiday, a massive market was there. It’s such a shame that I haven’t been there for years and years, but if it’s anything like March, there isn’t anything in my opinion worth visiting now. And I am born and bred and like St. Ives, it was a thriving town with everything, and now, nowt worth visiting.”

Whynot3 says: “I used to go to the Bank Holiday markets there rather than the ones at Bourn airfield. A nice walk around the market, then a good meal at the Golden Lion.”

Over on our Facebook page, Julian L comments: “Recently, the Ivo Lounge and Nero opened, and we have lost Black Robin and Rockerbillys!”

The Hunts Roast writes: “2026 rent. 2004 footfall. 1998 business rates. And we’re shocked the shops vanish. Same story up and down the country.”

Andrew Jackson says: “Seems to be the way of the world at the moment, the decline of the high Street with the Internet and the superstores selling everything on the outskirts of towns. Successive governments have promised to axe business rates. It does amuse me, though, that they keep on about the cost of living crisis, yet wherever you go, the big coffee chains like Costa’s are always full of people paying extortionate prices for a substandard latte. If I have a latte, I do try to use an independent coffee shop; the quality is so much better. Even Greggs, where you can get a drink and something to eat for the price of a latte in Costa’s.”

Using the comments section below, tell us how the High Street can be saved.

A North Belfast woman was informed she was expecting a baby as she emerged from a coma after going into cardiac arrest when she was spiked whilst celebrating her 18th birthday.

Laura Taggart, 20, was out marking her 18th birthday with friends and was walking down Shankill Road when she suddenly began having seizures and was rushed to the Mater Hospital. The teenager suffered cardiac arrest after arriving, with her heart stopping for 16 minutes before she could be stabilised and placed in a coma.

One week later, Laura regained consciousness in intensive care unaware of what had occurred and was soon given more life-altering news as doctors had discovered she was pregnant. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.

Laura said she was extremely fortunate not to suffer any lasting brain damage, although she did face some complications during her pregnancy. At 25 weeks her waters broke and doctors told her that her baby would likely not survive, however she did not actually give birth until nine weeks later.

Her daughter Lucia was born at 34 weeks via an emergency caesarean section and weighed just 4lbs 11 ounces and was placed in the neonatal intensive care unit for a month. Then when things began to settle for the pair, Laura experienced further health issues, reports Belfast Live.

Laura shared: “It was so hard watching Lucia when she was in the NICU as there were times they had to take air out of her lungs with a needle that looked so huge compared to her tiny body. But the staff there were incredible and eventually she was able to make it home.

“Just as we were starting to get settled in together I suffered a severe chest infection that led me to have a bad asthma attack and I had to be rushed into theatre and have a central line placed in my neck.

“It went from me visiting Lucia in the NICU to her visiting me in the ICU. After being in the Royal Intensive Care Unit I was told that I had to be put asleep to give my lungs more time to heal and that due to my previous cardiac arrest there was a chance that I may not make it.

“I said goodbye to Lucia and my mum as I thought I would never see them again but thankfully the doctors were able to clear the infection out of my lungs.

“After a few weeks in hospital I was able to leave and Lucia and I have been able to start our lives in our first home together.

“I am just so thankful to everyone who was able to help Lucia and I throughout all of this, particularly my mum who looked after Lucia whilst I was in hospital and the charity TinyLife supported me and my daughter through one of the most overwhelming periods of my life.

“Having a premature baby whilst dealing with my own health issues was incredibly frightening and their reassurance, understanding and support helped me cope and feel less alone during such a difficult time.”

She further stated: “I want people to understand drink spiking is not funny or a joke it can change lives forever it nearly cost me and my baby our lives. Thankfully we were very lucky and are still here.”

Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.

However, in the aftermath of his strike, the Brazilian appeared outraged, suggesting to referee Francois Letexier that he had been racially abused by Gianluca Prestianni, the Benfica winger, who had seemed to utter something to the forward with his shirt covering his mouth.

When asked about the talks in an interview with Fox News, US Vice-President JD Vance said: “In some ways, it went well; they agreed to meet afterwards. But in other ways, it was very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through.”

Mark Coleman died three days after he was hit by an Audi A4 while he was riding his scooter on Riverside Park Road, in Middlesbrough, on November, 23, 2023.

Mustafaa Hussain was jailed for four years and ten months for causing his death by dangerous driving when he appeared at Teesside Crown Court.

The 27-year-old, of Finchlay Court, Middlesbrough, was also banned from driving for seven years and five months.

Mark Coleman (Image: Cleveland Police)

Following the court case, Mr Coleman’s family paid tribute to the much-loved grandad.

His family said: “The loss of Marky — a partner, father, son, brother, grandad and uncle — has completely shattered our family.

“No words can express the depth of our grief or the daily pain we live with. Our home feels empty without him, and the longing for him to walk back through the door never fades.

“Marky had a heart of gold. He was always smiling, always helping others, and he brought love, laughter and protection into all our lives. Losing him has left a hole that can never be filled.

“What makes this even harder is knowing that Marky’s life was taken because of the careless and impatient actions of another driver. In just one moment, their decisions destroyed our world and took away the man who meant everything to us.

“His partner has lost the person she was supposed to grow old with, the one she imagined sharing every milestone, every joy and every struggle with.

“His daughters have lost the dad they adored, their source of comfort, guidance and unconditional love.

“His parents have lost their son, a loss no parent should ever endure. Our entire family has been broken beyond repair.

“Marky will live on in our hearts forever. We will carry him with us every single day, but our lives will never be the same again.”

Mustafaa Hussain (Image: Cleveland Police)

Read more:

The court heard how Hussain overtook a vehicle but failed to make sure that the road was clear, hitting Mr Coleman head on, and leaving him with fatal injuries.

Detective Constable Aileen Ward, of the serious collision investigation Unit, said: “This incident was entirely avoidable. An ill‑judged and impatient decision in that moment resulted in the loss of Mark Coleman’s life.

“This serves as a powerful reminder to all road users: a single, impatient choice on the road can lead to catastrophic and irreversible consequences, changing the lives of everyone involved.”

Brits in 33 areas across the UK have been warned to prepare some emergency items in case they face disruption from snow which is forecast to hit the UK on Wednesday night and over Thursday

Two Met Office weather warnings for snow are due to come into effect tomorrow, covering a wide swathe of the UK with Brits warned to prepare a set of emergency items.

The first of the two warnings, issued at 10am on Tuesday (February 17) covers an area including all of Wales as well as Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and a large part of the West Midland.

This yellow warning for snow comes into effect at 4pm on Wednesday (February 18) and covers a period of 14 hours until 6am on Thursday (February 19).

Residents are warned that over this period people in the affected areas can expect disruption with travel delays and stranded vehicles and passengers. Delayed or cancelled rail and air travel is also a possibility.

Some rural areas could also be cut off as up to 15cm of snow is forecast to fall in some parts with the chance of power cuts hitting some residents too.

The Met Office said: “2-5 cm of snow could accumulate quite widely above 150-200 metres, with perhaps as much as 10-15 cm above 250-300 metres in mid and southeast Wales, as well as Herefordshire and Shropshire.

“Some small accumulations of snow, typically less than 2 cm, are possible to lower elevations, especially from later Wednesday evening into the early hours of Thursday morning.

“Strong east to northeasterly winds will accompany the wet weather, which could exacerbate impacts in places.”

Meanwhile a second warning, covering Northern Ireland was announced at 7:45pm on Tuesday (February 17) with the danger of rain and snow forecast to last from 4am on Wednesday (February 18) through to 8pm that evening.

Outbreaks of rain, hill snow and strong winds may bring some disruption to travel during Wednesday, the Met Office has warned, with roads and railways likely to be affected along with disruption to power supplies.

“Snowy, wintry weather can cause delays and make driving conditions dangerous, so to keep yourself and others safe: plan your route, checking for delays and road closures, amending your travel plans if necessary; if driving, leave more time to prepare and check your car before setting off; make sure you have essentials packed in your car in the event of any delays,” the Met Office warning said.

Drivers were recommended to collect warm clothing, food, water, a blanket, a torch, ice scraper/de-icer, a warning triangle, high visibility vest and an in-car phone charger in case of disruption caused by snowy conditions.

The forecaster added: “People cope better when they have prepared in advance for the risk of power cuts or being cut off from services and amenities due to the snow. It’s easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items.”

Meanwhile a third yellow warning for rain covers south west England and the whole of the south coast, from 6am on Wednesday to 8am on Thursday.

The areas covered by the first warning, for snow, from 4pm on Wednesday to 6am on Thursday are:

London & South East England

South West England

Wales

• Blaenau Gwent
• Bridgend
• Caerphilly
• Carmarthenshire
• Ceredigion
• Conwy
• Denbighshire
• Gwynedd
• Merthyr Tydfil
• Monmouthshire
• Neath Port Talbot
• Newport
• Pembrokeshire
• Powys
• Rhondda Cynon Taf
• Swansea
• Torfaen
• Wrexham

West Midlands

• Herefordshire
• Shropshire
• Staffordshire
• Telford and Wrekin
• Warwickshire
• West Midlands Conurbation
• Worcestershire

The areas covered by the second warning, for snow and rain, from 4am on Wednesday to 8pm are:

Northern Ireland

• County Antrim
• County Armagh
• County Down
• County Fermanagh
• County Londonderry
• County Tyrone

Often, it is simplicity of Iranian stews like this that make them so very good: the few ingredients all leave their impression rather than getting lost in a more complex festival of flavours. All you have to do is take time to do the few things well – don’t rush the onion, don’t cook the rhubarb too long: let the gently sour pomegranate molasses and rhubarb sing. By all means, eat this with rice or flatbreads instead of cauliflower if you prefer. And if there’s any left over, it makes a fine breakfast, on toast.

Recipe from Sour by Mark Diacono (Quadrille, £25). Order your copy from books.telegraph.co.uk

Real Madrid’s Champions League clash with Benfica descended into chaos at the start of the second half following a heated verbal exchange involving an irate Vinicius Junior and Gianluca Prestianni.

Vinicius Junior brought tonight’s play-off first leg to life with a piece of individual brilliance to open the scoring five minutes after the restart at Lisbon’s Estadio da Luz.

The Brazilian celebrated the wonder strike by dancing directly in front of Benfica’s home fans behind the goal – a reaction which immediately drew the ire of Jose Mourinho’s players.

Referee Francois Letexier showed Vinicius Junior a yellow card for his part in antagonising Benfica’s supporters by the corner flag, many of whom responded by throwing missiles at the 25-year-old forward.

There was a delay of more than nine minutes as both sets of players clashed on the pitch.

However, what at first seemed innocuous soon turned sinister, with Vinicius Junior issuing a complaint to the officials about something Benfica winger Prestianni had allegedly said in the middle of the melee.

Replays of the incident showed Prestianni raising his shirt over his mouth during the fracas, but it was unclear what – if anything – the Argentina international had said to draw such an apoplectic reaction from Vinicius Junior.

There were whistles in the crowd as Prestianni appeared to profess his innocence, with former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg saying on Amazon Prime’s live commentary: ‘What’s gone on is there have been words said between the players.

‘Vinicius Junior is not happy with what’s been said. He’s informed the referee of what’s been said and the referee is now following the protocol of a racial comment that has been made.

‘He will now make sure that this has been reported.’

More to follow.

MORE: Man Utd tipped to sign ‘terrific’ Chelsea star and £52m Real Madrid wonderkid

MORE: Alan Pardew names team that could thwart Arsenal’s quadruple hopes after Wigan victory

MORE: Man Utd urged to hire Champions League manager to catch Arsenal and Man City

Addi Smith was found dead in a hotel room along with her mum Tawnia McGeehan, who was embroiled in a bitter custody dispute with her ex-husband at the time of their deaths

A stepmother issued a desperate plea for help before a young cheerleader was killed by her mum as she prepared for a competition.

McKennly Smith raised the alarm online after Addi Smith vanished, posting a missing persons poster on Facebook. She added: “My daughter Addi and her mom [are] missing please share post and call or text with any information thank you.”

The poster showed Addi Smith and her mum Tawnia McGeehan, 38, as they smiled into the camera. It listed their last known location as being the New York-New York Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, they had been due to attend a cheerleading competition but failed to turn up.

READ MORE: Tragedy as mum shoots daughter and then herself at Las Vegas hotelREAD MORE: Pawtucket shooting: Dad ‘shoots wife and three kids’ at ice hockey arena

Concerned members of the cheerleading team alerted police after the mum and daughter failed to appear for the cheer competition. Police visited a room in the Rio Hotel & Casino at about 10:45am that day, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Police said in a press release: “Patrol officers along with security personnel for the property attempted to contact the two. Officers knocked on the door and called into the room several times but did not get a response. Based on the details at the time, there was no belief that either was in danger and officers cleared.”

Family members continued to urge police and hotel officials to check the room after they got no response from Addi or her mum. Once hotel security entered the room, they found them both dead with gunshot wounds.

McGeehan was engaged in a bitter custody dispute with her ex-husband- and left behind an apparent suicide note, police said. Addi was a cheerleader for Xtreme Cheer, who later shared a tribute following her death.

“No words do the situation justice. She was so beyond loved, and she will always be a part of the UXC family,” it said.

People who follow Utah Xtreme Cheer, based in Salt Lake City, offered their thoughts to the family, who were said to be suffering “unimaginable” pain. A GoFundMe campaign has been organised to help the family during the difficult time.

“This heart-breaking event has left the family in deep shock and grief, struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of Addi in such a way,” it said. “In the midst of this tragedy, we are reaching out to the community to help Brad and his family navigate the difficult days ahead.”

As of Tuesday evening, about $28,362 (£20,915) has been raised out of a $45,000 (£32,850) total.

For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.

Iran is not being subtle. 

In exercises in one of the world’s most strategic waterways, it left little doubt of its capabilities with missile strikes on dummy targets and simulated tanker seizures.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wasn’t mincing his words either.

“A warship is a dangerous device,” he said. “But more dangerous than that is a weapon that can send that warship deep under the sea.”

A fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran’s exercises have closed it, albeit temporarily, giving a clear sense of what could be to come if the US strikes Iran.

Just a few hundred miles east, a formidable array of US military forces is also amassing.

Read more: Iran and US agree ‘guiding principles’ after talks

The USS Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group has been conducting exercises of its own. The kind you only carry out if you are preparing for offensive action.

A stretch of water the world relies on for 20% of its oil is becoming cluttered with rival navies, both drilling for war. What could possibly go wrong?

So, what are the chances of diplomacy averting the chances of conflict?

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, emerged from talks sounding hopeful. He’s optimistic that the basis for future negotiations has been laid, but warned that an agreement could still be a long way off.

A seasoned diplomat and veteran of negotiations with the West, he cannot afford to look obstructive. The Iranians will want to play for time.

US President Donald Trump has said failure to do a deal could lead to strikes on Iran.

Read more:
Family forced to ‘pay for bullet that killed their son’
Thousands protest against Iran regime as talks held nearby

But the Iranians say a deal on the terms that Trump is currently proposing would be tantamount to surrender. Giving up its nuclear enrichment completely is a red line. Trump says it’s a prerequisite.

Squaring that, and many other circles, will be fiendishly difficult.

Without progress, the region is undoubtedly moving closer to war.