For many, the Bayeux tapestry conjures up images of clinker-built ships, prancing horses, the Normans feasting on chicken on the eve of the battle of Hastings, and the arrow in King Harold’s eye that ended centuries of Anglo-Saxon rule.

But for the architectural historian, it is the 33 buildings represented on the Bayeux embroidery that catch the eye. These buildings range from palaces and religious buildings to two-storeyed houses and simple dwellings. They give the beholder some idea of what the 11th-century built environment looked like on either side of the Channel, even though the representations are formulaic, general impressions – as was the normal way to depict buildings in the era.

This suggests that the designer of the tapestry was familiar with the work done in certain monastic scriptoria (writing rooms), each one of which had its own distinct style. The same holds true for many of the design elements, such as birds and animals, shown in the borders of the tapestry that reveal parallels with the Romanesque sculpture of Ely cathedral.

This familiarity with the scriptorium and the stonemason’s yard implies that the Bayeux tapestry’s designs were created by a trained artist and then used by the embroiderers, though what we know about them is pure speculation. Some scholars believe the tapestry may have been created in England by nuns from Barking Abbey in Canterbury as the skilful needlework bears similarities to other works of English embroidery from the 11th century.

Abstraction over naturalism

The sequence of scenes starts with Edward the Confessor sending his brother-in-law Harold on a mission to Normandy. The king is enthroned in a large hall with turrets on the corners. To show the interior, the outer wall has been removed. What is more, to the left of the hall, the exterior of the impressive entrance porch is rotated a quarter-turn for the viewer to be able to see it.

To tell the story and indicate a palatial setting, it sufficed to show a grand entrance and great hall. In much the same way, the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel is shown as a building on top of a rock. Although this typified the monastery’s setting, the vignette can in no way be used for reconstructing the 11th-century abbey. The conventions of the time clearly preferred abstraction over naturalism.

Most buildings on the tapestry, as in reality, were made of timber. Stone architecture was still mainly used for ecclesiastical buildings such as Westminster Abbey, by far the largest building shown on the tapestry. Building started under Edward the Confessor in the grand Norman style and had not yet been completed in the early days of 1066, despite the consecration having taken place on 28 December 1065.

On the tapestry we see Edward’s funeral procession approaching the church from the right. The church has three distinct parts. First there is a section of the nave showing an arcade of five arches with eight windows above (inside) and then the tiled roof (outside).

Next comes a huge tower with square angle turrets and lower stair turrets. To the left is the choir. With its small, high windows, the walls look massive, possibly suggesting stone vaulting. To the left is a freestanding tower. A ladder has been placed from here to the choir roof to enable a workman to position a weathercock on the church, which may relate to the abbey’s consecration in 1065.

In general terms this is what a great church would have appeared like to the public – a stone building with high towers, a two-storeyed elevation and tiled roofs. The difference in scale is evident when one compares the Westminster Abbey image to that of the church of Bosham, where Harold prayed before setting sail to France.

Even though this was an important Anglo-Saxon church, the building’s scale is moderate when compared to Westminster Abbey, which was true of most of the surviving Anglo-Saxon buildings. Of the church at Bosham only the tower remains. This again shows that the building shown on the tapestry is not an architecturally correct image as no tower is depicted.

Although it is sometimes claimed that the formulas used for the buildings were taken from older manuscripts, the castle representations were up to date, and no recourse was taken to existing formulaic images. Stone castles were up-and-coming at the time to consolidate land that had already been conquered.

For the process of war, the motte and bailey castle (a man-made mound with a tower and palisade on top surrounded by a moat) that could be built speedily was preferred. The Roman de Rou by Wace – a 12th-century history of the Normans in verse – even mentions that William the Conqueror’s army brought the wooden parts of such castles with them ready made.

The tapestry shows five motte-and-bailey castles: Dol, Rennes, Dinan and Bayeux in France and Hastings in England. The latter castle is still in the process of being built on the tapestry. A Norman knight holding a banner is giving directions to a group of figures, probably Anglo-Saxon peasants forced to dig the moat and raise the motte.

The buildings on the Bayeux tapestry cannot be used for reconstruction purposes. They look as much like the buildings of the time as the figures of Harold and William the Conqueror are true-to-life portraits of these men.

However, these renderings do give the onlooker an idea of how the 11th-century audience of the tapestry would use elements of existing architecture to picture a great church, a great hall, a motte-and-bailey castle, or even the humble dwelling of an Anglo-Saxon farmer.

The closure of TG Jones is perhaps no surprise.

It seems to have a lot of this and that in it, largely stationery, books and magazines, but then it surprisingly flirted with M&S high quality food.

Finally, it changed its name from WH Smith, a well known and understood brand, and completely confused its customers.

The post office was one of the frustrations of using the shop.

It has self-service machines that seem to baffle most people forcing them to join the long queue of customers trying to be served by a human – but the human assistants kept being distracted by people who were complaining that they had been baffled by the machines.

It was not a happy experience.

While we have great sympathy with so many town centre businesses which are being squeezed by online shopping, high historic rates and car parking charges, there are some businesses which have not helped themselves.

It is exactly seven years ago that the huge Crown Street central post office shut and its counters were shoehorned into the back of WH Smith.

Not having a post office is another reason not to come into the town centre – wouldn’t it be great if a corner for a counter could be found in the worryingly underused covered market?

Still, as one door closes another opens…

There are still six or seven satellite post offices dotted around the town, from Skerne Park to Haughton to Cockerton to Blackwell to Yarm Road to Mowden, based in community stores that try their best to serve their local people.

If we care about such things, we have to go out of our way to use them to ensure they survive rather than sitting at home and complaining while doing our shopping online.

Marc McGregor died after his van collided with a skip loader lorry on the A947 on Thursday, September 10.

A van driver who died in a crash with a skip loader lorry has been pictured for the first time as his devastated family pay tribute to a “loving” dad whose death has left them with “unimaginable emptiness”.

Emergency crews rushed to the A947, Aberdeen to Banff Road at Inverythan near Fyvie, around 1.25pm on Thursday, September 10, after police received a report of a collision involving a white Vauxhall Combo van and a blue Volvo Skip Loader lorry.

Marc McGregor, the 36-year-old van driver, died at the scene. The 33-year-old lorry driver was rushed to hospital to be treated for injuries, which are not known at this time.

Marc’s heartbroken family have paid a touching tribute to him as they thank mourners for the “thoughtful gestures” made in his memory.

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A statement released on their behalf, via Police Scotland. read: “The family of Marc would like to express their heartfelt thanks to everyone for the kindness, love and support shown to them following the tragic loss of their beloved Marc.

“The messages, cards, flowers, calls and thoughtful gestures have meant more than words can express during this incredibly difficult time.

“For Marc, his greatest purpose in life was being a dad. He devoted his heart to being the very best dad he could be to his beloved son, Rhudi, and a loving and devoted step-dad to Ellie and Georgie. They were his world, and the love he had for them was immeasurable. His greatest wish was to see them happy, support them through life and always be there for them.

“Marc was also a loving partner, cherished son, brother, grandson, cousin, nephew and uncle, as well as a treasured friend to so many. He touched the lives of countless people with his love, kindness, humour and the memories he created with those around him. He will be deeply missed in each and every one of these roles.

Nissan will secure the future of its Sunderland factory and thousands of British jobs by building a fourth car at its UK car plant.

The Nissan Kicks Hybrid is a new model for Europe that brings £170million of investment to the Japanese carmaker’s production home in the North East.

The compact crossover, which is already on sale overseas, is the tenth Nissan model to be built at Sunderland in its history, and will be manufactured alongside the Qashqai, Juke, new Leaf EV – and the new electric Juke from next summer.

Kicks is the second model Nissan Europe has confirmed this month, following the announcement of a new small EV reviving the Pixo nameplate from the late noughties. That car is due to be unveiled next week.

While the announcement will be dubbed a major vote in confidence for the UK’s automotive industry, Nissan bosses have caveated that the decision will only be rubberstamped if minsters agree to slash electric car sales targets between now and 2030. 

The announcement comes as Nissan marks 40 years of car manufacturing in the UK as it looks to turn the tide after a difficult period for the company. 

In May, thousands of jobs were put at risk when Nissan combined two production lines at Sunderland following its projected 650billion yen (£4.2billion) net loss for the fiscal year ending March 2026.

It later confirmed it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement with Chery Group to allow the Chinese car giant to utilise unused capacity at the UK plant and assemble its own cars on site.

Massimiliano Messina, chairman for Nissan’s AMIEO (Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania) region, said: ‘This is fantastic news for our European region and demonstrates the agility and speed with which we can bring new models to new markets.

‘Kicks is a compact crossover with the unique e-Power hybrid drivetrain, exciting design and innovative technology.

‘Electrification with choice is what European customers want, and the introduction of Kicks will further demonstrate that Nissan has options for all.’

However, he warned that the move might only go ahead if ministers heeds the motor industry’s calls to water down electric car sales targets via its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.

The Government is currently consulting on relaxing the 80 per cent requirement for all new cars sales to be EVs in 2030. It could be dropped as low as 50 per cent. 

According to The Guardian, Messina said after the statement was released: ‘Of course we’re going to keep discussing with the UK government because large part of this is subject to the ZEV mandate amendment.’

When asked if the decision to build the Kicks in Sunderland and the £170million investment will go ahead if the EV sales targets were not adjusted, Messina said: ‘We try to assess always if this is more likely than unlikely.’

When probed about how likely the electric car targets would be reduced to a 50 per cent share of sales, he added: ‘For me, yes, it’s going to happen.’

On Wednesday morning, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds welcomed the announcement from one of the UK’s biggest car producers.

‘Nissan has been at the heart of British manufacturing for four decades, with Sunderland producing millions of vehicles, supporting thousands of skilled jobs and helping establish the North East as a global automotive powerhouse,’ he said.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, described the announcement as a ‘major boost for Nissan Sunderland, the thousands of highly skilled jobs it supports and the wider local supply chain’. 

He also dubbed it ‘another vote of confidence in UK automotive manufacturing with its world-class workforce, innovation and engineering excellence’.

Hawes said: ‘The UK sector has the fundamental strengths to secure growth. But to unlock that potential, we must continue to strengthen our competitiveness – supporting a healthy market, tackling the high cost of business, especially energy and additional employment costs – and ensuring trade works for manufacturers. 

‘Do this and yet more companies will choose to build the next generation of vehicles here in Britain.’

At 4.3m long, 1.8m wide and 1.6m tall, the Kicks is almost identical in dimensions to the current Juke and the electric version arriving next year

The second-generation car was unveiled in Japan in June. It will produced in Sunderland alongside the Qashqai, Leaf EV, Juke and – from summer 2027 – Juke EV

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Sunderland could get a real kick from this new car

The Kicks was originally launched as a concept car at the Sao Paulo Motor Show in 2014.

It went into production two years later for Latin American markets and, in 2018, was drafted in to replace the Juke in US and Canadian showrooms.

Kicks has also been sold in Nissan’s native Japan since 2020. However, it has not been offered to customers in Europe or the UK until now.

In America, it currently starts from $22,790 (£16,900). 

While Nissan is yet to confirm a starting price in the UK, it will likely be around the same as the current Juke Hybrid, ringing in somewhere around £25,000. 

Since going on sale in 2016, it has become one of Nissan’s most popular global products, recording more than 1.8 million sales across 70 countries in a decade.

The Kicks first went on sale in Latin America in 2016, followed by the US and Canada in 2018. In 2020, it was introduced to its native Japanese market. Nissan has sold more than 1.8m in total

The five-door shrunken-down SUV has five seats and around 450 litres of boot space, making it an ideal option for small families

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The car features a dual digital screen and lots of physical buttons to control the cabin temperature and other main settings. This is likely to be attractive to UK customers

The second-generation car being manufactured in Sunderland will be sold in the UK with the brand’s latest e-Power hybrid drivetrain.

Other markets will be able to get the Kicks with 1.0-litre and 2.0-litre petrol engines. These versions will also be built in Sunderland.

The five-door shrunken-down SUV has five seats and around 450 litres of boot space, making it an ideal option for small families. 

The crossover will be assembled alongside the new Juke EV from summer 2027 and is likely to be offered as its combustion-engined alternative within the same segment.

At 4.3m long, 1.8m wide and 1.6m tall, the Kicks is almost identical in dimensions to the current Juke and the electric version arriving next year.

The announcement is a fresh boost to Nissan Sunderland and should secure the plant’s future despite the Japanese brands’ ongoing financial difficulties

The new model announcement comes as Nissan confirmed it has now surpassed 12 million vehicles produced at the Sunderland factory since it first opened in 1986.

On average, the plant has rolled out a new car every one minute and 45 seconds.

The first model produced at the factory was the Bluebird. The Primera, Micra, Almera, Note, Juke, Qashqai and Leaf have followed over the last four decades, along with production of sister brand Infiniti’s Q30 between 2015 and 2019.

Adam Pennick, vice president of manufacturing at the plant, said: ‘I’m proud to welcome this new model allocation for Sunderland.

‘It’s the perfect way to celebrate our 40th year as a world-class manufacturing site. We look forward to seeing the Kicks e-Power Hybrid roll down the production line alongside our electrified line-up of Qashqai, Juke and Leaf.’ 

The deal was seen as a lifeline for Nissan Sunderland, which is Britain’s biggest car factory, employing 6,000 people and producing 273,322 vehicles last year.

Last year, Nissan announced it would cull seven of its factories worldwide as part of a major cost-saving effort that also slashed 20,000 jobs globally.

Campbell Petrie was convicted at the High Court in Glasgow.

A former copper has been convicted of rape and assault committed while he served as a police officer.

Campbell Petrie appeared at the High Court in Glasgow today where he was found guilty of nine charges, which included two counts of rape as well as indecent assault, assault with intent to rape and assault to injury and danger of life.

The 50-year-old committed the offences between 2006 and 2023 while he was a serving officer.

He was arrested, charged and suspended from duty in December 2023 before retiring from Police Scotland in December 2025.

Petrie has been remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced next month.

Detective Superintendent Adam Brown, Public Protection Unit said: “Violence against women and girls is an absolute priority for Police Scotland and we will relentlessly pursue the perpetrators of these crimes.

“Our thoughts are very much with the victims in this case and I commend their strength in reporting these crimes and bringing Campbell Petrie to justice.

“We understand how difficult it can be to report these kinds of offences, particularly when the perpetrator is a police officer. I want to reassure the public we will identify and investigate these officers whether they are serving or retired, or whether their crimes are committed on duty or, as in this instance, off duty.

“Petrie will now face the consequences of his actions and today’s outcome should serve as an illustration of our determination in those investigations and I hope that this outcome may bring some closure to those affected by this case.”

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A fifth missing woman has been linked to a Pennsylvania ‘house of horrors’ investigation, sparking serial killer concerns.

Nicole Fusaro, who disappeared in 2018 at the age of 27, was allegedly seen being strangled to death in a video shot by deceased adult filmmaker Raymond ‘RC’ Horsch after she vanished.

Police recovered the footage from Horsch’s home in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Olney in June.

Fusaro’s cousin, Jonathan Halloran-Koren, told NBC10 that investigators told the family they believe the woman in the video is her.

However, police have not officially identified Fusaro, and her body has not been recovered.

‘Nicole was a beautiful, kindhearted woman who deserved so much better than what happened to her. She will forever be loved and missed by her family and friends,’ Halloran-Koren told WPVI.

Fusaro is one of at least five missing women who have been connected to Horsch’s home, and police believe at least three of the women are dead, prompting fears of a potential serial killer investigation and concerns there are more victims.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel and the FBI are set to hold a press conference to update the public on the case at 3pm ET on Wednesday.

Police allegedly recovered footage of Fusaro being strangled to death by Raymond ‘RC’ Horsch from his home in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Olney in June

Horsch, who died last year aged 82, was known for publishing horrific snuff films and writing erotic, sadomasochistic books

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The investigation into Horsch began in June 2026, when police pulled over his son, Eugene, 44, near Independence Mall in Philadelphia.

Police became suspicious when a woman in the car with Eugene gave identification for missing 35-year-old Blair Tonzelli, who disappeared in 2023.

Inside the vehicle, cops also found two handguns and over $8,000 in illegal drugs, and Eugene was brought in for questioning.

He allegedly suggested to investigators that Tonzelli would ‘never be seen again,’ leading authorities to carry out several search warrants on the Olney home previously owned by his notorious pornographer father.

In an initial search of the home on June 20, police said they found at least one additional illegal gun, a fake FBI badge, a marijuana growing operation, and five urns containing cremated remains.

In another search on June 25, investigators said they found over 50 hard drives holding over 600,000 images, 70,000 videos and 10,000 writings and drawings.

In August, investigators announced that video evidence collected from a hard drive in Horsch’s home led police to believe two other missing women are deceased.

Those women are Gabrielle Amarando, who disappeared in 2012 at age 22, and Maribel Fresses, who vanished in 2018 at age 27. Neither of their bodies has been found.

The investigation into Horsch began in June 2026, when police pulled over his son, Eugene, 44, and a woman in the car with him gave identification for missing 35-year-old Blair Tonzelli (pictured), who disappeared in 2023

In August, investigators announced that video evidence collected from a hard drive in Horsch’s home led police to believe Gabrielle Amarando (left), who disappeared in 2021 at age 22, and Maribel Fresses (right), who vanished in 2018 at age 27, are deceased

The investigation also prompted police to reexamine the disappearance of Amy McHale, Horsch’s former wife, who also disappeared in June 2016 at age 44

Amarando’s mother, Karen, wrote on Facebook in August that she finally got closure on what happened to her daughter.

‘They have video of her alive that he took; God only knows how he tortured her before he killed her, and then pictures of her dead. God only knows how many other girls he has done this to,’ she wrote.

‘The police have found five urns and other evidence; they have over 700,000 videos, pictures and notes to go through. Unfortunately, my daughter’s body has not been found yet and maybe never will. I am devastated.’

Horsch, who died last year aged 82, was known for publishing horrific snuff films and writing erotic, sadomasochistic books.

The investigation also prompted police to reexamine the disappearance of Amy McHale, Horsch’s former wife, who also disappeared in June 2016 at age 44.

McHale was last seen at the Olney property in 2016 and appeared in Horsch’s films, photographs and music videos.

Horsch had a reputation for creating violent pornography, and he also wrote books featuring serial killers who preyed on women.

NBC10 reported that investigators also found computer parts and a home laboratory with various ‘containers of an unknown oily substance’ in the home.

Investigators reportedly interviewed people who knew Horsch who said that he had often bragged about killing people and melting their bodies with chemicals.

The FBI’s Evidence Recovery Team was then drafted in to process the homemade laboratory, and another search warrant was served on the home on July 22 to excavate the property.

Investigators sent the oily substance to a Chicago laboratory; however, it is not yet clear whether it contains human remains.

Horsch’s son Eugene has not been charged with any crimes in connection with the missing women, and remains in federal custody on charges related to illegal gun possession.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Philadelphia police.

The Daily Mail contacted the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI for comment. 

The 23-year-old man has been charged with over 20 offences after the incidents at South Bank.

The local man was arrested on Tuesday evening (September 15) after adult members of the public intervened during a children’s activity session being held at the venue and held him until police arrived.

Officers had been searching for a suspect in connection with a number of incidents reported across the Greater Eston and Redcar policing areas.

The man was arrested on suspicion of a range of offences, including house burglaries, making threats, vehicle interference, theft from motor vehicles and criminal damage.

Following enquiries, he has now been charged with a total of 21 offences.

Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Barker, of Redcar CID, praised those who stepped in to assist.

She said: “We are grateful to those members of the public who were brave enough to step in and apprehend this man until police arrived.”

The body has been found in the search for three-year-old Noah Woods who vanished after a visit to a village playground.

Several hundred volunteers as well as teams from the police, fire, coastguard and search and rescue had joined the desperate hunt for the toddler, who ran down an alleyway in Brantham, Suffolk on Tuesday afternoon and disappeared.

He told them: “You will have heard the news.

“First and foremost our thoughts are with Noah’s family and all those who knew him.”

He said that the agencies involved in the search, and Noah’s family, “have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of public support, people putting on their boots and helping us with the search and that, ladies and gentlemen, is yourselves”.

The officer’s voice cracked with emotion at times as he addressed the crowd of volunteers.

Superintendent Pearse, from Suffolk Constabulary, said in a statement on Wednesday evening: “Police and fire teams this afternoon sadly recovered the body of a child from Decoy Pond in Brantham.

“Formal identification has yet to take place, but the family of Noah Woods have been informed of this development. The discovery of the body is currently being treated as not suspicious, but unexplained.

“The coroner will be informed of this development.


“Since Noah was reported as missing, officers have carried out multiple inquiries, including the deployment of special search officers and dog units, and received support from various agencies, including helicopters from the National Police Air Service and HM Coastguard.

“Additional assistance on the ground has been provided by HM Coastguard, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service. Suffolk Lowland, Search and Rescue, and over 1,300 members of the public supporting the search.

“First and foremost, our thoughts are with Noah’s family and all those who knew them. Since Noah was reported missing, vast number of our officers and staff have been deployed in numerous functions in the search for Noah, and the support for his family.

“We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of public support and people putting on their boots to help us with the search.

“As a parent myself, I completely understand why people would want to help, and such a response is one that typifies the strong sense of community and the heartwarming nature of Suffolk people that make the county such a special place.

“I’m sure you appreciate that the family now need time, space, and privacy, and I thank you for your understanding of this.”

Charli XCX has made her most daring move yet as the cover girl for Playboy.

The 365 Party Girl poses on the cover with her legs against a headboard, wearing just her black underwear and some high heels, with her head tilted back.

The rest of the shoot sees Charli, 34, in lacy corset lingerie and a sheer nightgown-thong combination that would make even pin-up-inspired Sabrina Carpenter blush.

One snap sees her with her mouth open, holding her face, in an incredibly close-up picture stylised to look like a 90s VHS tape.

‘I feel sexy in underwear, and I feel sexy in a fully tailored suit,’ Charli told the outlet. ‘When I feel sexy, I feel confident. Sex, sexuality, and confidence are all very sacred things to me. If I could feel them on the max, all the time, then I would.’

Charli, who released the song Playboy Bunny earlier this year, said she’s most confident while on stage or with her husband George Daniel, 36.

The couple are ‘casual and relaxed’ about their marriage, an ethos in line with her cool girl persona, she told Kylie Jenner in the interview.

‘It means a lot to us, but also at the same time, it’s like we could completely do without it, and we kind of would be as equally in love if we weren’t married,’ she said.

‘It fits, but it’s not like a high-pressure kind of a word for me.’

Charli’s Playboy debut comes after she declared in June that it was the end of Brat summer with a nearly nude snap, promising ‘something horny’ was on the way.

She then released her seventh studio album, Music, Fashion, Film, on July 24, featuring a different sound and aesthetic to her previous bright green era.

Her ‘horny’ era comes as Playboy has rebranded and promised a more ‘inclusive’ version of the once controversial magazine.

The quarterly print has so far featured Karol G and Cara Delevingne, with Charli marking the third cover girl in this new phase.

Model Cara, 33, wore a black latex corset and nothing else for her cover, with just a strategically placed hand hiding anything too scandalous.

In her interview, she discussed the ‘very heterosexual institution’ that is the bunny brand, having donned some ears and a tail for other snaps.

‘That’s why it felt like a bit of a rebellious thing to do, and to have an incredible female-led creative team—a lot of them being queer—felt really fun and different,’ she said.

Cara, who revealed she now labels herself as a lesbian in May, also shared how she is ‘sex sober’ after years of partying.

‘I used to put a higher value on sex and validation from people. I used to think, “Oh, I’m a pervert. I’m a really horny person”,’ she said.

‘But I think [I was] seeking love and validation through sex’.

Phillip Picardi, who is the new Editor-in-chief, made a distinction between Playboy and porn, saying the 73-year-old brand is about ‘portraying the art of desire’.

He explained: ‘There’s always been a difference between Playboy and porn, especially the kinds of porn that are really prevalent today and that people have access to just by having a Twitter account or a Reddit account… and so I actually found the challenge of bringing back an artfulness and a thoughtfulness to nudity to be super exciting as a creative.’

In this new era, Playmates and cover stars are given full control over how much of their body they want to show and are involved in the creative process.

Charli’s Playboy issue will hit stands on September 29.

Sir Paul McCartney’s ex Heather Mills has shared that 70 Up star Tony Walker was the ‘courageous cabbie’ who helped save her after a horrific road accident in 1993

Sir Paul McCartney’s ex-wife Heather Mills has shared how 70 Up star Tony Walker helped get her help after she was knocked down by a motorcycle in 1993. The accident resulted in an amputation of the star’s leg.

Heather, 58, was walking in Kensington when she was hit by a police motorcycle that was responding to an emergency call. The then model, who would later marry Paul McCartney, suffered from several injuries, including crushed ribs and a punctured lung. The damage to her left leg was so severe that it was amputated six inches below the knee.

In an instagram story, Heather revealed that one of the people who came to her rescue was 70 Up star Tony. She told fans that she was “excited” to see him in the documentary Seven Up’s final edition. She shared a video of her and Tony from last year and said: “Excited to see my friend Tony on TV tomorrow night. Make sure you don’t miss it.

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“We bumped into each other in London last year for the first time since my accident, and he was kind enough to talk me through the full story from his perspective. I can’t believe the same courageous cabbie picked up my leg and put it in an ice bucket. He’s one of my heroes.”

Heather added that the video of the two of them together was shot at the same pub where Tony had gotten a barrel to stick her leg in. The video had appeared on her Instagram in 2025, when it was taken. In it, Tony said meeting Heather again was like “fate”.

“You were there and I was there,” he said. “You didn’t recognise me because I never introduced myself. I said, ‘You don’t remember me, do you?’

“As soon as I said that, your whole demeanour changed and you realised who I was to you. I said ‘Please can I kiss you?’ I came up and kissed you on your cheek and gave you a cuddle of reassurance because I haven’t seen you since the day of your accident.”

Heather explained what happened as she remembered it: “I was walking down the street and this guy yells ‘Heather Mills’ out the taxi and jumped out. He then burst into tears and said ‘Oh my God, I’ve watched your story and I can’t believe you survived.’”

Following her accident, Heather underwent several surgeries to instal a metal plate in her pelvis and make her amputated leg easier to move with. With the money she earned in compensation for the accident and from talking to the press, she set up the Heather Mills Heath Trust, which operated from 2000-2004 to give prosthetic limbs to people who lost them after stepping on land mines.

In 2002, she married Paul McCartney, whom she met in 1999. The two were married for four years and had one child together, born in 2003. The two separated in 2006, after which Heather blamed Paul’s daughter Stella, calling her “jealous”. The divorce proceedings were tense and did not end amicably.

Meanwhile, Tony appeared in Tuesday’s episode of 70 Up, where he spoke about his childhood dream of becoming a jockey. The cab driver said he was told his weight would be an issue. “My governor said, ‘I’ve got faith in you Tony, but you’re going to find it hard’. I asked him why, and he said, ‘Your weight’.

“I said, ‘I’m 8st2 governor, and he said, ‘I know but you’re getting lumpy now, you’re getting bigger’. I thought about my weight, I thought about the ambition, the longevity, and I thought, that’s me blown. I went out again, it broke my heart.”

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