It is one of those North Yorkshire place names that looks deceptively simple on paper but provokes a surprising amount of hesitation.

And in a county that gave the world Slaithwaite (“sla-wit”) and Rievaulx (“ree-vo”), nothing should be taken at face value.

So how do you say it?

The correct local pronunciation is KRAY-thorne – rhyming the first syllable with “tray” and keeping the second syllable crisp and short.

The common mistake visitors make is either to say KRATH-orn (stressing the short “a” sound, as in “catastrophe”) or to overly anglicise it as CRAY-torn.

Neither sounds right to local ears.

The soft “KRAY” opening, as if rhyming with “day” or “say”, is the key.

Why is it spelled that way?

Like many North Yorkshire place names, Crathorne has roots that stretch back to the Old English and Norse settlers who shaped this landscape over a thousand years ago.

The “thorne” ending is common across the north of England and typically refers to a thorn tree or thorny scrubland – a landmark significant enough for early settlers to name their community after.

The “Cra” prefix is thought to relate to a personal name or descriptive term from the same era, though the exact origin remains a matter of local debate among those who enjoy such things.

What is clear is that the spelling drifted over centuries while the spoken form stayed relatively stable – a pattern you find across Yorkshire, where the written name and the spoken name can feel like entirely different words.

A village worth knowing by name

Crathorne itself is a small, quietly beautiful village of around 170 people sitting on the banks of the River Leven, a few miles south of Yarm in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire.

It is dominated in reputation, if not in scale, by Crathorne Hall – a grand Edwardian country house built between 1903 and 1906 for James Lionel Dugdale, which now operates as a luxury hotel.

The Crathorne family itself had owned a manor on the site for centuries before that, with the estate passing through various hands since the 19th century.

The village sits on an estate that has been in the same family since 1844, making it one of the more intact examples of a traditional North Yorkshire village estate, where the feel of continuity runs through everything from the stone buildings to the way people look after the land.

The Yorkshire pronunciation rule

If Crathorne catches you out, it is worth remembering the broader lesson Yorkshire place names teach: when in doubt, the locals have almost always shortened it, softened it, or done something to it that the spelling does not prepare you for.

Masham is “Mass-am”.

Staithes is pronounced “Steers” by those who live there.

Against that backdrop, Crathorne’s “KRAY-thorne” is practically straightforward.

The rule of thumb is simple: if a North Yorkshire place name looks like it should be easy to pronounce, assume it isn’t.

If it looks impossible, it is probably two syllables and very easy once someone tells you.

The housing estate opened more than 10 years ago

Residents on a ‘forgotten’ Peterborough housing estate have received an assurance from the council that plans to improve their development will be delivered later this month.

At a Full Council meeting held on Wednesday, July 1, Leader of Peterborough City Council, Dr Shabina Qayyum, directly addressed residents of the Roman Fields estate who have long campaigned for more facilities.

Cllr Qayyum began by apologising to the residents and campaigners, some of whom attended the meeting in person: “I’m really sorry that you and the residents have had to face this predicament. The current lack of facilities on the Roman Fields development is not acceptable.”

Since it opened more than ten years ago, the Roman Fields estate – also known as Manor Drive – has had no shops, park benches or playing fields. A recently-launched local campaign group called ‘Forgotten Fields’ has been drawing attention to the fact the estate’s facilities currently include one playground, one post box and two bus stops.

Teachers from the estate’s school have voiced concerns that the lack of available outdoor recreation areas may hinder attempts to help keep children on the estate fit and healthy. Cllr Qayyum described the situation as a “complex issue” which has arisen from a “combination of historical planning issues that have stemmed from the 1990s.”

She said: “The developer hasn’t been able to meet the trigger-point of 750 dwellings by which they are obliged to hand over a piece of land south of the school which was envisaged as community land.”

Cllr Qayyum also explained that, until recently, the developer has used other land proposed for community use to the south of Arkwright Drive as a development compound: “There is a need to remediate that before play facilities can be installed,” she said.

The Council Leader added: “We are working proactively to resolve the issue. By the end of July, we will be meeting with stakeholders… to decide what is needed in those development areas.”

These stakeholders, Cllr Qayyum noted, will include residents, ward councillors and the local MP. She added: “By the end of July, we should be forthcoming with a plan as to how we are going to implement those much needed facilities.”

Taking his opportunity to quiz the leader, Roman Fields resident Dr Tim Rogers asked: “Could you confirm please that you are ring-fencing £587,000 – plus all interest it has accrued since it was paid over to the council – for the specific purpose of building a community centre and two new play areas for Manor Drive/Roman Fields residents?”

Cllr Qayyum replied: “That money is in the bank; it’s there to be spent. Whether it’s spent on a community centre or play areas will depend very much on the meetings that will be held with various stakeholders.”

Dr Rogers followed up by asking Dr Qayyum if she would be willing to provide a “cast-iron guarantee” that those funds would be spent before August 2027, as that is the deadline by which those monies, along with all accrued interest, can be returned to the developer.

“We can absolutely guarantee that we are going to be delivering on those projects,” Cllr Qayyum said, adding: “depending on those conversations with stakeholders.”

Mexico squad: Raul Rangel, Carlos Acevedo, Guillermo Ochoa, Israel Reyes, Jesús Gallardo, Jorge Sánchez, César Montes, Johan Vásquez, Mateo Chávez, Erik Lira, Luis Romo, Obed Vargas, Brian Gutiérrez, Orbelín Pineda, Edson Álvarez, Gilberto Mora, César Huerta, Álvaro Fidalgo, Luis Chávez, Roberto Alvarado, Alexis Vega, Julián Quiñones, Santiago Gimenez, Guillermo Martínez, Armando González, Raúl Jiménez

Guy Spencer Smith, a Northumberland Freemason and ultramarathon runner, has completed a 400-mile ‘Temple Run 2026’ from Newcastle to London in support of Festival 2031 and the Masonic Charitable Foundation.

Setting out from Newcastle on 1 June, he crossed the line at Freemasons’ Hall in London on June 10.

Mr Smith said: “Running long distance strips everything back.

“You can’t hide behind titles or labels.

“It becomes very simple.

“You start, and you commit to reaching the end.”

Guy Spencer Smith at the 300 mile mark of his challenge (Image: UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND)

The Masonic Charitable Foundation provides financial support to people in need, including help with education, daily living costs and medical expenses.

Mr Smith, a plumbing and heating engineer from Newcastle, is a seasoned ultramarathon runner who has dedicated more than a decade to taking on extreme challenges for charity.

In 2024, he completed a 205-mile run linking every Masonic Temple in Northumberland, raising £24,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society.

He credited his wife, Terï, for her encouragement.

Mr Smith said: “Without her, I honestly don’t think I’d have completed it.

“She’s shared every mile of this journey in her own way.”

Reflecting on the 10-day challenge, which took him through nine Masonic provinces, Mr Smith said: “This has been an enormous test, but it’s been worth every step.”

In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

By CAITLIN LENG

Published: 20:28 BST, 5 July 2026 | Updated: 22:25 BST, 5 July 2026

A woman has died following a ‘skydiving incident’ at an airfield in Nottinghamshire. 

Emergency services were called to Langar Airfield in Nottingham at 12.13pm on Sunday, where a 22-year-old woman was found in a nearby field. 

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The woman, who has not yet been named, was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Nottinghamshire Police has confirmed there are no other injuries. 

The force said the woman’s family has been informed of her death and specially trained officers are on duty to offer support. A file will also now be prepared for the Coroner. 

A field across the road from the airfield is understood to be at the centre of the investigation. 

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Several crime scene investigation cars, including two vans, were spotted near the airfield on a path off Harby Road on Sunday afternoon.

Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, who also attended the scene, said it was called to an incident at Langar Airfield at 12.30pm to ‘assist police’. 

A 22-year-old woman has died following a ‘skydiving incident’ in Nottinghamshire

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Emergency services were called to Langar Airfield in Nottingham at 12.13pm on Sunday

Several crime scene investigation cars, including two vans, were spotted near the airfield

Detective Inspector Rachel Mayfield, of Nottinghamshire Police, described the woman’s death as a ‘tragic incident’.

She said: ‘This was a tragic incident, and we are working with partners to understand what happened.

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‘As our investigations continue at the scene, our thoughts are with the woman’s family and everyone else who has been affected by this incident.’

Langar Airfield is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) station near the village of Langar in Nottingham first opened in 1942. 

Today, its control tower building is home to Skydive Langar – a civilian skydiving centre. 

Nottinghamshire Police has asked anyone with additional information about what happened to call 101 quoting incident 306 of 5 July 2026. 

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Skydive Langar has been contacted for comment. 

In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

NEW YORK (AP) — A Delta Air Lines flight and a high-flying firework reportedly came into contact in the sky above Chicago as the city celebrated the Fourth of July holiday.

The pilot of Delta flight 1076 notified air traffic controllers just before landing at Chicago Midway International Airport on Saturday night that a firework hit the commercial airliner during its descent. In an audio recording published online by LiveATC.net, the pilot described feeling “a big bang” on the plane.

According to the recording, the incident occured when the plane was flying at an altitide of 200 to 250 feet. The pilot said the crew hoped the bang “was just a mortar that went off,” referencing the tube that helps launch aerial fireworks.

Both the Federal Aviation Administration and Delta said the plane, which had taken off from Atlanta carrying 52 passengers and six crew members, landed safely just after 8:30 p.m. local time.

The incident didn’t result in any onboard injuries, and Atlanta-based Delta said Sunday that mechanics who inspected the Airbus A319 did not find any damage.

The FAA said it would investigate the incident.

It’s unclear if fireworks struck other airplanes on Saturday. In the LiveATC.net audio, an air traffic controller was heard saying there had been “multiple reports” of such encounters and that Chicago city officials were aware.

The FAA did not immediately respond to questions about whether it was aware of additional firework-related incidents impacting Saturday flights. The Associated Press also reached out to the city government and the Chicago Police Department for further information.