You finish a lecture, a meeting, a conversation with someone you care about. And what do you do? You reach for your phone. You stick in your earbuds. You fire up a podcast, a playlist or whatever algorithmic feed is currently consuming your life.

It feels productive. It feels like filling empty time.

But here’s what may be happening: you have interrupted your brain mid-sentence.

When you learn something new, whether it is a colleague’s name or the material covered in a morning lecture, your brain does not simply file it away neatly. The memory is fragile at first, more like wet cement than carved stone. In the minutes and hours following new learning, the brain works to strengthen what it has taken in. This is known as memory consolidation, the process through which newly formed memories become more stable.

Research suggests that quiet rest can help this process. Two recent meta-analyses, drawing on dozens of studies, found that people generally retained more information when learning was followed by several minutes of quiet rest rather than an absorbing task. One of the reviews found that the effect varied considerably between groups and was weaker in healthy younger adults. However, the overall advantage has been detected as long as seven days after learning.

One leading explanation is that quiet rest gives the brain fewer competing demands and more opportunity to reactivate a new experience, like an internal highlight reel reinforcing what has just been learned. Researchers have found that increased coordination between the hippocampus and areas of the cortex during post-learning rest is associated with better later memory.

The precise source of interference remains uncertain. One experiment found that engaging in a task after learning was more detrimental than resting, but that the task’s attentional demands did not explain the difference.

Sleep isn’t the whole story

Decades of research have established that sleep supports memory consolidation. But some researchers argue that sleep may form part of a broader process rather than acting as an entirely unique memory state.

The opportunistic consolidation hypothesis proposes that the brain takes advantage of periods with little new information or interference to stabilise what it has recently learned. These periods can include overnight sleep, shorter bouts of sleep and quiet wakeful rest.

In one experiment, participants completed memory tasks and then spent 30 minutes sleeping, resting with their eyes closed or performing a distracting task. Sleep and quiet rest produced similar memory benefits over this short interval, while both were more beneficial than the distracting task.

The twist: doing nothing is harder than it sounds

Achieving genuine quiet rest can be difficult. The memory-consolidation window may be disrupted by internal mental activity as well as external stimulation.

In one series of experiments, participants who spent the rest period recalling past experiences or imagining future events retained less of the newly learned material than those who rested without being prompted to think autobiographically. Participants who reported the most vivid thoughts also tended to show greater disruption.

Resting on the sofa, then, may work best when the mind settles too.

A recent study of adults without clinical anxiety adds a further complication. Moderate anxiety during quiet rest was associated with poorer memory consolidation, while lower and higher anxiety levels left new memories relatively intact. The study found only a modest overall advantage for rest and no significant difference in its main measure of recognition sensitivity, so the anxiety finding needs further investigation.

Even so, it raises the possibility that ordinary background worry can interfere with consolidation by pulling the brain into a vigilant state when it would otherwise be processing what it has just learned.

Exam pressure and a full inbox may therefore make effective rest harder to achieve.

A note of caution

This is not settled science. Translating laboratory findings into classrooms, offices and other everyday settings is difficult, and individual studies have sometimes failed to reproduce the expected benefit. The size of the effect also varies with age, the type of memory being tested and the characteristics of the participants.

A recent classroom study involving children aged ten to 12 found better word retention after ten minutes of quiet rest, although the benefit appeared only when the rest condition came first. Earlier research involving 13- and 14-year-olds found that rest supported memory over seven days, but the benefit was concentrated among children whose initial recall was lower.

We still do not know how reliably this can be applied in a school, during workplace training or in a care home. Nor do we know why some people benefit more than others.

What this means for real life

Quiet rest does not appear to require complete silence, closed eyes or a particular body position. A 2025 meta-analysis found that these factors did not significantly alter the average effect, although the evidence cannot yet tell us what the ideal real-world routine would look like.

For now, the practical implication is modest: after learning something you want to remember, consider leaving a brief gap before introducing more information.

It might mean waiting a few minutes after a lecture before reaching for your phone. It could mean travelling home after an important conversation without immediately putting on a podcast. It might involve spending the space between two tasks looking out of a window.

These are the moments we increasingly fill with new input. If the emerging evidence is right, leaving some of them empty may give the brain a better chance to hold on to what just happened.

Mootop Dairy, run by members of the Fitton family, is a small, 41-cow dairy farm located just off Wingates in North Westhoughton.

Usually, customers can’t get up close to the cows, as access to the farm proper is barred by metal gates.

But for two days, which got underway today, Mootop is fully open, meaning anyone can come in to get a peek behind the curtain.

“We wanted to do an open day as soon as we opened,” said farmer Robert Fitton, “but business was so good we didn’t need to.

James Egerton (Image: Chris Egerton)

“So we’ve decided to do it now in honour of James.”

James Egerton is a seven-year-old Westhoughton boy who loves football, playing outside, and milkshakes.

But on New Year’s Eve 2025, James was diagnosed with Metastatic Neuroblastoma, a form of brain cancer.

“Our world fell apart as a family,” said Chris Egerton, James’s father.

James Egerton (Image: Chris Egerton)

“We took him straight to Manchester Children’s Hospital where he started chemotherapy, but there were complications that led to a bleed on his brain.”

Chemotherapy is a notoriously taxing process, leaving patients tired, weak, and bedridden.

As a method of strengthening James back up after the difficult treatment, Chris would bring him milkshakes every morning.

“He’s happy because he gets a milkshake,” said Chris, “but it’s also good nutrition for him.”

(Image: Dan Dougherty)

One day, about six weeks ago, Chris went to Mootop Dairy with his parents for a visit, which is when the Fitton family first met him.

It was this meeting that convinced Robert and the rest of the Fitton family to do something good for the Egertons.

“It was one of those moments where I really realised how lucky we were as a family that we’ve never had to go through anything like that,” said Robert.

“I went back and hugged my kids that night.”

With the idea of doing an open day still in his head, Robert then had the idea of combining the two, and hosting the open day in honour of James and his family.

(Image: Dan Dougherty)

He contacted Chris and asked him who he’d like them to donate the money to, and Chris suggested the Manchester Children’s Hospital, who’ve been so good to the Egerton family over the last nine months.

“When Robert called us to let us know what they were doing, we thought it was unbelievable.

“This is a man who just met us once at the farm, and we started chatting.

“It’s very overwhelming – for him to do this for us without us asking him or anything is just fantastic. They didn’t have to do anything.”

For every litre of milk sold over the course of the weekend, 50p will be donated to Manchester Children’s Hospital.

(Image: Dan Dougherty)

There is also a raffle game involving guessing the number of balloons in a tractor, proceeds from which will also go to the hospital.

The open day gives customers the chance to tour the farm, meet the team, the cows, and the other animals.

There are also calves and lambs present for families to see.

Baby cows, only a few days old (Image: Dan Dougherty)

Of course, it’s also an excellent excuse to enjoy more of their delicious milk.

The open day will continue into Sunday (September 13) at Mootop Farm, located just off Wingates Lane.

Nick Miles, who played Jimmy King for 22 years, and Nicola Wheeler, his on-screen wife, Nicola King, spoke about filming Jimmy’s send-off.

The stars opened up on his death and the impact on his departure in interviews following Emmerdale’s National Television Awards win in the Continuing Drama category.

Emmerdale stars reflect on emotional exit of Jimmy King after 22 years

Speaking to Radio Times after the award win, Mr Miles said: “Not to talk about myself, but the clip they showed was my last ever Emmerdale, and so it’s just a lovely, lovely way to end my 22-year Emmerdale story.

“So I feel on top of the world right now.”

Jimmy died following a car crash after losing control of his vehicle and crashing straight into the wedding marquee for Joe Tate and Dawn Fletcher.

Mr Miles continued: “We cried.

“We cried a lot,” with Ms Wheeler agreeing.

She then said: “I’ll tell you what it was like to film.

“It’s a bit like in [the NTAs Winners Room].

“It was in 30-degree heat, but it was beautiful.

“The art team had done a fantastic job with the marquee, and it did look gorgeous, didn’t it?

“It was very technical with the dream sequence, and the other bits in the car were hot, sweaty, and smelt of cheese.”

Mr Miles continued: “They packed a real picnic because Jimmy was planning a picnic, so there was a picnic in the car, and the cheese just started to pack up its bags and start to walk out.

“Yeah, and it stank like it became a smellier version a bit.

“I’d gone nose blind, but Nicola was nearly sick when she threw the car window for the first time.”

The actors also reflected on their long working relationship and the 17-year marriage between their characters.

Ms Wheeler said: “We’ve been together 17 years in the show.

“We’ve known each other for Nick’s whole 22 years in the show because I was in it a little bit before him, so we were good friends beforehand, but our characters never really interacted until we got together in the back of a van, and that was it.

“That’s history.”

Ms Wheeler also teased that Mr Miles’ exit will be felt in coming Emmerdale episodes.

She said: “I think poor Nicola is going to be mourning the loss of Jimmy for a considerable amount of time.

“I know that there are rumours of romance and things like that, but I don’t think that’s on the cards yet.

“I think there’ll be friendships before romance.”

Emmerdale stars reveal new project together

In other Emmerdale news, two former stars have unveiled a new project after years of collaboration off-screen.

Matthew Wolfenden and Roxy Shahidi, who played David Metcalfe and Leyla Cavanagh on the long-running ITV soap,

Wolfenden, 46, left Emmerdale in 2023 after 17 years on the show, while Shahidi, 43, departed in February 2025 after playing Leyla on and off for 16 years.

Now, the duo has revealed they have spent the past nine years working together as writing partners.

The pair shared the news on Instagram, posting behind-the-scenes photos and a screenshot of their page on United Agents’ website.

Writing over the image, they said: “We’ve never shared the fact that for the last nine years we’ve been writing partners – it’s truly brought us so much joy.”

Their latest project is an original comedy drama, currently in development.

In a video clip, they teased a look at the pilot script, titled Washed Up.

The script opens with the Bruce Springsteen song Glory Days playing over the opening scene, which is set in 1999 at The Big Breakfast House.

The pair wrote on Instagram over the clip: “We’re loving working and laughing together and we’re so excited to be in development with our original comedy drama.”

They captioned the announcement: “Find people you can dream with, create with and, most importantly, laugh with.

“Then somehow work doesn’t feel quite so much like work.”

The comedy-drama isn’t their first venture outside Emmerdale.

Earlier in 2024, they launched a podcast called Celebrity Side Hustles, where they interview actors and TV personalities about their passion projects and businesses beyond acting.

What is your favourite TV soap to watch? Let us know in the comments.

A picturesque town near Cambridge has a thriving high street packed with independent shops, coffee houses and eateries – and it’s even earned itself national recognition

A beautiful market town just an hour from Cambridge, with cobbled lanes and honey-coloured townhouses, officially has the UK’s best independent high street. It’s well worth venturing to if you haven’t already, and there’s one specific area that shouldn’t be missed.

Nestled on the corner of Lincolnshire, an hour’s drive or train journey from Cambridge, and just 25 minutes from Peterborough, is the idyllic town of Stamford. Its stone-paved streets are flanked by grand honey-stone Georgian architecture that houses independent shops, trendy pubs and cosy coffee houses, with its enchanting scenes even drawing in film productions.

It’s easy to spend time exploring the compact town, with its timeless charm and pedestrian-friendly high street at its centre. But St Mary’s Street is what really stands out in Stamford, as it’s been crowned the UK’s best high street for independent shops and small businesses by American Express Shop Small.

St Mary’s Street was hailed for “delivering a unique experience for shoppers”, with its plethora of shops a treasure trove for locals and visitors. Some of its notable independent shops include Marcia May Shoes and the joyful toy store, Marcia May Mini, along with the pet shop, Ruff and Tumble, the sprawling Sinclairs for homeware, Murano Silver for jewellery, and the delightful gift store, You.

Also found along St Mary’s Street is the welcoming tapas bar JK’s Lounge Stamford for evening gatherings, the relaxed coffee shop Brew & Play, and the traditional yet charming café, Stamford Country Lounge, perfect for a cosy catch-up with friends or as a shopping retreat. While St Mary’s Street has been nationally recognised, it’s not the only spot in Stamford that contributes to its thriving independent scene.

There are plenty of other pretty streets brimming with delightful gems, from soy wax candles and ceramic vases to vintage furnishings and thoughtful gifts. The homeware boutique Nook is a particular favourite amongst locals and tourists, as is St Martin’s Antiques Centre, which stocks exquisite vintage pieces you’d struggle to find elsewhere.

While browsing its thriving high street, it’s hard not to wander into one of its beloved brunch spots, such as Fika on the main high street or the snug Scandimania Coffee House. The Cornish Bakery is another tempting spot, with an assortment of savoury and sweet treats, alongside the stylish Freckleface Coffee Co. on Red Lion Street, renowned for its golden croissants and pastel de nata.

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Its coffeehouses and cafés are just the start of Stamford’s culinary offerings, with the charming town packed with places to eat. Paten & Co., with its green facade, serves a sumptuous beef brisket as part of its Sunday lunch offering, complete with all the trimmings, while Tobie Norris goes one step further, inviting diners to share a whole chicken between two.

Alternatively, the King’s Head is celebrated for its mouth-watering burgers, including its gravy-dipping burger and burger crumpet for something a little different. The traditional pub, tucked away behind one of Stamford’s churches, also boasts an impressive selection of ales and beers, where you’ll easily feel like a local.

The Slanted Door is another firm favourite, serving small plates ideal for alfresco dining on the terrace during the warmer months, as well as a more refined experience in its elegant restaurant. Orbis Stamford is equally deserving of attention, with tapas dishes showcasing “flavours around the world”, while the Turkish restaurant Zada tempts diners with lamb koftas and charcoal-grilled chicken.

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Just a short walk from the town centre is Stamford’s most distinguished landmark, Burghley House. Celebrated as “one of the grandest houses of the 16th century”, the magnificent stately home welcomes visitors to explore its lavish interiors, meander through its stunning gardens, or simply enjoy the sweeping grounds free of charge.

Throughout the year, it hosts various events, including a food market, a classic Ibiza concert, horse trails, and a Christmas market. In addition, the grand Burghley House has become a highly sought-after location for film and television productions. Some of its credits include Pride & Prejudice, The Da Vinci Code, The Flash, the 2025 film Frankenstein, the hugely popular Netflix series The Crown, and an appearance on Top Gear.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

First, she took her status as No1, and then Elena Rybakina dethroned Aryna Sabalenka as reigning US Open champion, dissecting the two-time winner in New York 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to win her third Grand Slam title.

For Rybakina, victory adds lustre to the top spot, earned with a quarter-final win that felt incongruous. The Kazakh knew it, and stressed that she could not celebrate this mammoth achievement yet, not with the tournament ongoing. Now, she has put herself just one major away from the full set after wins in Melbourne and Wimbledon. She has also become the third woman this century to win both of the hard-court Slams in a single season.

The second was Sabalenka. She had hoped to make history herself, as the third woman in the Open era to ‘three-peat’, and become the undisputed Queen of New York. Instead, she stuttered, unable to consistently channel the ruthlessness which has defined her run over these two weeks, and was left in tears as she vowed to ‘do better’ next year.

Throughout the tournament, Sabalenka has stressed the importance of maintaining focus: tuning out the noise around concerns over her form, or whether she might hold on to her ranking, and channelling everything into her performance. But yesterday, she appeared to step onto court bubbling over, frustrated with the deficiencies in her performance even in the earliest stages of the match.

Sabalenka looked unsettled as the pair exchanged opening holds, the opposite of Rybakina’s picture of calm on the other side of the net. Rybakina normally makes the sport look effortless, but this was thrown into sharper relief by the quick unravelling of Sabalenka.

With every unforced error – 15 to Rybakina’s five – there seemed to be an expression, hands thrown up, head tipped back, frantic miming to her box, but rather than offer a release, Sabalenka only wound herself tighter. After the double fault that handed her opponent the first-set break, she was given a warning for smacking a ball away, but hitting was similarly frustrated in-play as Sabalenka looked for desperate winners she couldn’t make.

Aryna Sabalenka crashed her racquet into the court as the final set slipped away from her

Much has been made of the potency of Rybakina’s serve, but the Kazakh carried off the opener well below her lethal best, making only 27 per cent of her first serves. When she pulled them off, Sabalenka was flummoxed. But even when she didn’t, there was an accuracy to her second that continued to cause problems for her opponent.

Rybakina, by contrast, had the very measure of Sabalenka’s serve, and was capable of dragging out the Belarusian’s service games and bullying her into defence under-fire. The 27-year-old peppered her with four break points before the fifth finally told for 3-2.

Sabalenka stepped back onto court visibly more settled. There were fewer errors, and fewer admonishments. But there was no drop in Rybakina’s level, as she continued to play her game, and play it well. She chased Sabalenka to 5-4, and pulled off an enormous hold in the 10th game to deny her rival her first break point.

Rybakina wasn’t to hold on for long, however. The two rivals’ meetings often spill into three sets, and Sabalenka’s improved accuracy – and mood – swung the second set.

This was the fuel Rybakina needed to act more decisively in the third, and immediately, she was all over Sabalenka’s serve, looking for cracks in her game. The pair met at deuce three times before the 28-year-old could see out her opening hold, while Rybakina skipped through hers, hungry for the next attempt to break her opponent.

She would not have to wait long, with Sabalenka again the picture of fury as she crashed her racquet into the floor, sent spinning by a string of Rybakina’s forehand winners. Instead of a second code violation warning, the punishment instead was the break Rybakina snatched.

In the seventh game, 2-4 down, Rybakina reached break point again, with the gift of a double fault from across the net. Sabalenka bent down to her knees, tipped her head to her racquet, as if praying for composure. Instead, more faults, more errors, broken again. Sabalenka’s last effort was to give the court another thrashing with her racquet. She all but walked off as Rybakina sent down her championship-winning ace.

But the new champion will not have needed grace from her opponent. She has her trophy instead.

A doctor has explained the science behind the numbers

People planning an intense “Winter Arc” fitness reset may not need to complete 10,000 steps every day to achieve significant health benefits. Major research suggests that around 7,000 daily steps could be a more achievable target, with benefits beginning well below that level.

Compared with completing 2,000 steps, reaching 7,000 was associated with a 47 per cent lower risk of death from any cause and a 25 per cent lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The findings could reassure people who abandon their fitness trackers in frustration after repeatedly failing to reach the familiar five-figure goal, a doctor said.

Dr Asiya Maula, private GP at The Health Suite, said: “10,000 steps has become embedded in our idea of what an active day should look like, but it is not a magic threshold separating success from failure. For someone currently completing 2,000 or 3,000 steps, aiming immediately for 10,000 may feel overwhelming. A smaller increase that can be repeated consistently is likely to be far more useful than an ambitious target that lasts for three days.”

Why 7,000 steps could be enough

The systematic review and meta-analysis, published in The Lancet Public Health, examined 57 studies from 35 cohorts across more than ten countries. Researchers found that 7,000 steps, compared with 2,000, was associated with lower risks of dementia, depressive symptoms, type 2 diabetes, falls and death from cardiovascular disease and cancer.

However, the findings were observational, meaning they demonstrate associations and cannot prove that the additional steps directly caused every reduction.

Dr Maula explained: “The message is not that everybody must hit exactly 7,000 or that taking this number of steps guarantees protection from illness. It is that meaningful benefits appear well before 10,000. More activity may provide further advantages, so people already comfortably exceeding 7,000 do not need to reduce their movement.”

Step counters also miss activities such as swimming, cycling and some strength exercises, meaning a lower daily total does not necessarily indicate an inactive lifestyle.

Build your Winter Arc gradually

Dr Maula recommended checking your normal step count for several days before setting a target, rather than choosing an arbitrary number from social media. Someone averaging 3,000 steps could initially add 500 to 1,000 by taking a short walk after lunch, getting off public transport one stop earlier or walking during a phone call.

She said: “Break the total into manageable sections. Three 10-minute walks may feel much easier than finding time for one long session, but they still interrupt prolonged sitting and contribute to the daily total. Walking slightly faster for short stretches can also raise the intensity without requiring somebody to run or complete a formal workout.”

Adults should still include muscle-strengthening activity and aim for the recommended weekly amount of moderate or vigorous exercise rather than relying exclusively on a step counter.

Dr Maula added: “A successful Winter Arc should leave you with habits that survive beyond Christmas. If 7,000 is currently unrealistic, begin lower and build gradually.

“The most valuable target is not the most impressive number on your screen. It is the one that encourages you to move more regularly without pain, exhaustion or guilt.”

Heidi Klum surprised her son Henry with a flashy, red Ferrari F430 to mark his 21st birthday on Saturday.

The supermodel, 53, shared an Instagram video of the moment she presented the special gift to him and captured his surprised reaction.

In the clip, Klum was standing outside alongside the car, which costs upwards of six figures and averages around $200,000.

Henry’s stepfather Tom Kaulitz led Henry outside toward the surprise awaiting him. 

‘I can’t believe it is that time. You’ve been waiting for so many years,’ Klum says to Henry in the video.

‘Oh my God! Jesus Christ. I don’t even know what to say,’ Henry could be heard saying after the luxury car was revealed to him.

The supermodel, 53, shared an Instagram video of the moment she presented the special gift to him and captured his surprised reaction. Henry walked out of their house and gasped when he saw the convertible on their driveway

Kaulitz was also heard in the birthday surprise video, explaining that he held up his end of the bargain after he and Henry made a video game bet many years earlier.

He said he purchased the Ferrari at a car show ‘last year’ and had been hiding the big purchase in their garage ‘the whole time’ leading up to Henry’s birthday. 

Klum noted how her husband ‘kept his promise’ to Henry. ‘Literally, it’s what? Seven years ago when you guys said that?’ 

Klum then shared a follow-up post and revealed the gift was related to when Henry was a teenager and made a bet with his stepfather Kaulitz. 

‘It’s happening on Christmas, and if I lose Mario Kart, then I can’t play video games for three months, and I have to do a painting of me driving,’ Henry said in the clip. ‘But if I win, then Tom has to give me a Ferrari when I’m 21.’ 

In addition to Henry, the television host is the mother of four children.

Her eldest child is 22-year-old daughter Leni, whose biological father is Flavio Briatore and she is the adopted daughter of Seal.

Klum also shares Johan, 19, and Lou, 16, with her ex-husband Seal.

In the clip, she was standing outside with the car, which costs upwards of six figures and averages around $200K

Kaulitz was also heard in the birthday surprise video, explaining that he held up his end of the bargain after he and Henry made video game bet many years earlier. He said he purchased the Ferrari at a car show ‘last year’ had been hiding the big purchase in their garage ‘the whole time’ leading up to Henry’s birthday

On the same day, Klum also shared an adorable throwback photo of her four children when they were young children. 

In the black-and-white snapshot, her children were wearing birthday hats and smiling at each other during a special moment. 

Klum wrote in her caption alongside the adorable picture of her kids and a slew of red heart emojis: ‘Henry WOW. Time flies. We love you sooooooo much. Happy 21 Birthday.’ 

She also shared Instagram Story posts, including a clip of Henry enjoying his ‘first legal drink.’ 

Henry appeared to be celebrating with his close family over dinner after his birthday surprise. 

Klum also reposted a clip from daughter Leni, who captured Henry blowing out the candles on his birthday cake. 

Klum celebrating her son’s 21st birthday comes shortly after the mother-son duo enjoyed a family getaway in St. Barts in early August. 

She also shared Instagram Story posts, including a clip of Henry enjoying his ‘first legal drink.’ Henry appeared to be celebrating with his close family over dinner after his birthday surprise

Klum also reposted a clip from daughter Leni, who captured Henry blowing out the candles on his birthday cake

In addition to Henry, the television host is the mother of four children. Her eldest child is 22-year-old daughter Leni, whose biological father is Flavio Briatore and she is the adopted daughter of Seal. Klum also shares Johan, 19, and Lou, 16, with her ex-husband Seal; pictured in April 2011

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Klum celebrating her son’s 21st birthday comes shortly after the mother-son duo enjoyed a family getaway in St. Barts in early August. The supermodel and her husband Kaulitz were celebrating their seventh wedding anniversary at the time and were joined by their eldest children, Leni and Henry; seen in May

The supermodel and her husband Kaulitz were celebrating their seventh wedding anniversary at the time and were joined by their eldest children, Leni and Henry. 

She is often joined by her kids, including Henry, on red carpets, and the mother-son duo opened up about their close bond at the American Music Awards in May 2025. 

He praised his parents for being an ‘inspiration’ to him.

‘Anything that I do, [my parents are] always so supportive,’ he told Daily Mail last year as his mom chimed in to share that she is proud of her son as well as ‘all of my kids.’ 

While speaking with People last year, Henry shared how his parents have inspired him to embrace his personal style. 

‘When I was growing up, I was always evolving with my style and just figuring out my own look or just how I feel in different clothing, but that evolved over time. 

‘So they were just telling me like, “Whatever makes you feel good, whatever can make you feel powerful, make you feel like whoever you want to feel,”‘ he recalled. 

Starfish 48a, between Haughton and Great Burdon, on the eastern edge of Darlington, photographed by Northern Perspectives (Image: Northern Perspectives)

In the field around the bunker was an arrangement of steel tanks, pipes, troughs and grids which made various fuels – oil, paraffin or creosote – pour, trickle or spray onto a source of ignition at timed intervals.

The Second World War bombing decoy control shelter near Great Burdon in 2003 (Image: Unknown)

The plan was that when the German bombers came over the east coast, the Starfish – they were properly called Special Fire, or SF, sites – would be set off so that from the air, all the effects looked like a town on fire.

Presuming this to be the work of the pathfinders, the bombers would drop their loads onto the fire, thus saving the real town from a pounding.

This site was ready by August 1, 1941.

Darlington was protected by a second Starfish site at Eryholme.

There were 237 Starfish across the country which attracted 730 bombing raids.

The Second World War bombing decoy control shelter near Great Burdon in 2003 (Image: Unknown)

However, there is no evidence that either Darlington or Eryholme were ever deliberately ignited – although Eryholme did go up when it was struck by lightning.

Most Starfish were decommissioned in 1943 and farmers quickly reclaimed their land.

However, at least some of 48a survived the plough and, listed in 2003, is visible from the air, as this picture by our regular contributor, Northern Perspectives, shows.

Northern Perspectives is a Durham-based cameraman who uses the latest drone-based technology to shed new light on our beautiful, and historic, landscapes. To see more of his amazing work, including his aerial videos, search “Northern Perspectives” on Facebook.

Irish President Catherine Connolly said she “conveyed the strong view of the Irish people that the normalisation of war and genocide can never be accepted” in a meeting with Donald Trump.

In a statement following the meeting at Áras an Uachtaráin, Ms Connolly said: “As president of Ireland, I am very conscious that Ireland and the United States of America are bound by strong ties. This is a deep connection, built over centuries, which allows us to speak openly to one another.

“We are in a world facing the existential threat posed by war and climate change, both of which are inextricably interlinked.

“I conveyed the strong view of the Irish people that the normalisation of war and genocide can never be accepted.

“As a country which has suffered famine, colonisation and the violence of the Troubles, but also the importance of the long and challenging road to peace, I emphasised the unique insight which Irish people can bring to the resolution of conflict.

“I highlighted to President Trump the strong commitment which the Irish people have to international relations, to the importance of the United Nations, including the pride which Irish people feel in Ireland’s contribution to UN peacekeeping since 1958, and to the obligations contained within article 29 of our constitution towards the peaceful resolution of international disputes.

“I assured President Trump that the Irish people would strongly support all those who have the strength to build a shared peace in all those parts of the world currently suffering from such horrific war and violence.”

To mark the courtesy call, Ms Connolly gifted Mr Trump a St Brigid’s Cross, a copy of the book Navigatio Sancti Brendani – The Voyage of St Brendan and the collected poems of Michael Longley, including his sonnet Ceasefire.

This comforting butternut squash soup gets its rich texture without cream. The dairy-free recipe needs just three simple ingredients and is perfect for the cooler autumn months.

The evenings are becoming longer, daylight hours are decreasing, and the mercury is falling – all indicators that autumn has arrived. I adore everything about this season – the fresh atmosphere, pumpkin-scented candles, warm knitwear, and hearty meals.

It’s the time for casseroles, broths, and pastries, with root crops and squash becoming the stars of the show.

Butternut squash ranks among my top choices, and when pureed into a soup, it makes a scrumptious, satisfying evening meal, especially when served with crusty, buttered bread.

While there are numerous butternut squash recipes available, I found an easy variation that lets the squash’s sweet flavour be the hero.

Following some investigation, I discovered an easy, three-ingredient butternut squash broth that’s both dairy-free and plant-based.

Even though it’s dairy-free, the broth becomes wonderfully velvety thanks to coconut milk, a 75p supermarket essential.

It provides richness while avoiding excessive additional fat or energy. There’s a touch of coconut present in the flavour profile, though it remains understated.

If you dislike coconut, maybe try experimenting with an alternative creamy ingredient such as heavy cream.

The broth is straightforward to prepare. Oven-cooking the squash takes the most time but caramelises its sugars, creating a deep, flavourful foundation.

Butternut squash soup recipe

Ingredients

• One medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
• Two cups of vegetable broth
• Half a cup of full-fat canned coconut milk (the recipe suggests full-fat, but I used low-fat and it worked just as well)

Cupboard staples: One tbsp olive oil (for roasting), salt, and black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Toss the cubed squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then spread on a baking sheet. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and tender at the edges.

2. Transfer the roasted squash to a pot over medium heat. Add two cups of broth and simmer gently for five minutes so the flavours meld.

3. Remove from the heat, add coconut milk (or heavy cream), and blend until smooth using an immersion or countertop blender.

4. Adjust the consistency with extra broth or water as needed, and season with more salt and pepper to taste.

For extra flavour, try adding half a teaspoon of ground ginger, nutmeg, or a pinch of chilli flakes.

If butternut squash is not to your liking, you might consider Spare Time reporter Nicola Roy’s curried lentil soup instead.

Nicola said the soup is “without a doubt one of the best flavours, and it’s so easy to make too”.

The dish generally requires very few ingredients, which are chopped and left to simmer before being puréed and served.

Incorporating curry paste into the recipe introduces a vibrant burst of flavour and spices, making the soup particularly comforting during the colder months. Find the recipe here.