Holidaymakers will need to know all the entry requirements ahead of their trip to avoid disappointment and potentially being refused entry into the country.

Children aged 17 or younger travelling to Portugal alone or with someone who is not their parent or legal guardian will need a letter of authorisation in order to travel there.

The letter must contain key details in order to be accepted.

What does the letter to enter Portugal need to include?

Authorities in Portugal have asked that a few things be included in the letter, such as a signature from the child’s parent or legal guardian and the date it was signed.

The signature must be certified by a notary or solicitor and the notary or solicitor’s signature must be legalised by the Legislation Office.

The letter must be issued alongside a copy of the child’s parent’s or guardian’s passport.

Are you going to Portugal this year? (Image: Getty)

It must include:

• full name, date of birth and passport number of the child
• the dates the child plans to arrive and depart the country
• why they are visiting
• the address where the child will be staying
• the name and passport number of the adult in Portugal who is responsible for them while in Portugal
• the full name, date of birth, passport number and contact details of the parent or guardian

What happens if you don’t have a letter of authorisation?

The UK government website has made it clear that if a child is taken to Portugal without a letter of authorisation, their entry will be delayed and could be refused.

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It adds: “Teenagers aged 17 and under who travel alone, or with friends of the same age, and who are not being met on arrival by a parent or guardian, may be refused entry if they do not have a letter of authorisation.”

If a child is a resident of Portugal and aged 17 or under, they “must carry a properly certified letter of authorisation if travelling without their parent or legal guardian.”

Did you know these rules were in place for travelling to Portugal? Tell us in the comments below.

Labour has been accused of setting a ‘bonfire of patient safety’ with a new Health Bill that rips up key safeguards and removes protections for whistleblowers.

Ministers have made a ‘catastrophic misjudgement’ that risks another scandal on the scale of Mid Staffs unless Andy Burnham intervenes to stop the changes, the Liberal Democrats warn.

The Bill will remove the duty for the NHS to cooperate with the Care Quality Commission, will remove automatic ‘safe space’ protections for whistleblowers and result in the closure of local Healthwatch organisations, which provide independent advocacy for patients and uncover failings.

The Liberal Democrats have tabled amendments to the Health Bill that would cancel these changes and are urging the new Burnham administration to adopt them.

They have vowed to robustly fight the Government in the House of Lords, where Labour does not have a majority.

It comes after figures revealed the NHS in England recorded 403 ‘never events’ in 2025/26 – serious, largely preventable patient safety incidents that should not occur if appropriate safeguards are in place.

Many patient protections currently at risk, including Healthwatch and key whistleblower safeguards, were established following the major NHS hospital scandals in Mid Staffordshire, Morecambe Bay, and Basildon and Thurrock that took place during Andy Burnham’s tenure as Health Secretary and before that a Minister of Health.

Wes Streeting, the then health secretary, announced in June last year that hundreds of NHS quangos employing 7,000 staff would be axed or merged under plans to cut wasteful spending and bureaucracy.

It was championed as a way to simplify regulation and reduce the ‘overwhelming’ number of recommendations they issue.

Oversight by the healthcare regulator, the CQC, is under threat as the changes would remove the NHS’ ‘duty to cooperate’.

The CQC has warned this will restrict its access to safety-critical information, such as patient safety incident reports.

NHS whistleblowers could lose key legal protections under the planned Bill.

Currently, staff who raise safety concerns with the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) are guaranteed anonymity.

But HSSIB is losing its independence, meaning cases will move to the Care Quality Commission, which offers no such guarantee.

The shift comes as the National Guardian’s Office, which oversees whistleblowing support, is closed down and its role passed to NHS England, which has been accused of downplaying internal reports on poor care.

Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Helen Morgan said: ‘Decades of tragic NHS scandals – from Mid Staffs to Morecambe Bay to Shrewsbury and Telford – prove our health service needs accountability at the heart of its DNA.

Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Helen Morgan (pictured) described the bill as a catastrophic step backwards.

‘Yet Labour’s Health Bill guts hard-won safety measures and lets the NHS mark its own homework.

‘This is a catastrophic step backwards.

‘Many of the protections and organisations being abolished or neutered came in following the scandals that erupted during Andy Burnham’s tenure as Health Secretary.

‘He promised lasting change and to listen, but is now overseeing the greatest backward step in patient safety in a generation.

‘Andy Burnham must urgently put an end to this, and fix the Health Bill so that modernising the NHS doesn’t come at the expense of accountability, transparency or patient safety.’

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the NHS Modernisation Bill ‘explicitly preserves safe space provisions’ and ‘staff will continue to be protected’ but critics have questioned how this will be possible in the way proposed.

The spokesperson added: ‘The reforms we are introducing will give patients a stronger, clearer voice at the heart of health and social care.

‘By bringing the voice of patients closer to the people making decisions, we will ensure a more direct impact on services.’

Seemingly harmless clips of AI fruits and vegetables are spreading across the internet – but pose a serious threat to children.

AI videos of fruits and vegetables committing gory acts of violence are spreading extremist agendas on TikTok and have ‘radicalising potential’ for young people, researchers have warned.

It’s a far cry from the viral clips earlier this year which showed a soap-opera style storyline of strawberries and bananas dealing with paternity drama. Yep, that really happened.

These new, very disturbing clips are circumventing the social media platform’s moderation policies that prohibit extreme violent material, the Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET) said.

Masked by a seemingly cute aesthetic, some videos carry messages from extremist organisations such as the Islamic State, extreme right groups, and feature ‘nihilistic violence extremism’, the report said.

The violent content is part of a rise of artificial intelligence-generated clips of anthropomorphic foods that play out melodramatic romance, betrayal and scandal plots.

Experts from GNET said: ‘Violence-based AI slops reinforce a fascination with violence for violence’s sake, thereby allowing the so-called online ‘ode to violence’ to progressively gain ground among young people within the digital space.

‘More concerning, however, is the escalation from absurdist AI-generated drama into explicitly graphic content.’

The radicalising potential of these videos isn’t just in the ideology, GNET warned – but the normalisation of cruelty.

‘The transition from harmless surreal humour to graphic AI gore reflects a broader dynamic of online radicalisation: the gradual erosion of emotional boundaries through constant exposure to increasingly violent and dehumanising imagery,’ they added.

Animated foods use guns and axes to kill their enemies in some videos, while other videos are linked to specific criminal groups.

One disturbing example seen by Metro shows a potato holding a knife as a carrot is tied to a tree. The potato then took the weapon and slit the carrot open as blood poured out of it.

Another features a ‘Carrot Khalifah’ telling his army ‘the Carrot State will rise again’, which experts said evokes an infamous slogan used by IS.

Two IS posts included hashtags often used by the terrorist group’s supporters to disseminate propaganda.

The report also highlighted an account that shares violent fruit and vegetable AI content and also references neo-Nazi terrorist organisation Atomwaffen Division, as well as the nihilistic violence subculture No Lives Matter.

Comments on the content include statements of extreme right-wing ideology, researchers said, with the message ‘potato supremacy’ referring to white supremacy.

The team raised fears that users may ‘stumble’ on the terror material and approach membership in the online ecosystems.

The authors called on TikTok to develop ‘countermeasures’ to effectively limit such AI-generated content.

Metro has contacted TikTok for comment.

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Twin motors, all‑wheel drive and a big battery make for appealing performance, while the lack of a rear window adds to distinctive touch for those who like to be a little different.

A motor on each axle delivers around 400 kW – roughly 536–544 hp – and 686 Nm of torque. Official figures put 0–60mph at 3.7 seconds, with a limited top speed of 124 mph, and the car feels every bit as quick as that suggests.

Press the accelerator and the response is instant, with no delay for gear changes and no sense of strain, with the Polestar firing itself down the road with the kind of shove you’d normally associate with much more overt performance machinery.

The Polestar 4

All of this is backed up by a 100 kWh battery pack, around 94 kWh usable. Official WLTP range for the Long Range Dual Motor sits at roughly 367 miles, and I found real‑world numbers in the 300‑mile bracket when I wasn’t making an attempt to save battery.

That’s more than enough for a typical week of commuting plus a longer trip, and the car is consistent, especially if you adapt a more relaxed driving style and make use of its configurable regenerative braking.

When you do need to plug in, the Polestar 4 keeps up the momentum. DC fast charging peaks at 200 kW, with a 10–80% top‑up quoted at about half an hour. Home AC charging tops out at 11 kW on a typical wallbox, and a standard heat pump helps limit the efficiency penalty of heating the cabin in winter.

The Polestar 4

The chassis has clearly been tuned to match the powertrain. Long Range Dual Motor cars get firmer, adaptive dampers and more focused tyres than the rear‑drive model, yet this remains a comfortable car first and foremost. Steering is clean and predictable, the front end bites keenly and the body stays impressively flat in faster corners for something that weighs well over two tonnes. You can use a surprising amount of the available performance on a typical UK back road without the car feeling fidgety.

Grip and stability are particular strengths. With drive going to all four wheels and the electronics constantly juggling torque, the Polestar 4 finds traction in conditions where you might expect wheelspin, especially on damp roads. Indeed, it feels planted and secure even when driven hard, with its aero‑friendly body and long wheelbase helping high‑speed stability.

There’s very little drama to go with this pace, and that will suit many buyers. There’s no fake engine noise booming through the speakers, and Polestar hasn’t tried to turn every drive mode into a character act. Instead, the defining impression is near‑silence: wind and road noise are well suppressed, and the car’s strong responses play out against a calm, almost eerie background.

The Polestar 4

The Polestar 4 has no rear window at all; instead, a high‑mounted HD camera on the trailing edge of the roof sends a wide‑angle live image to a slim screen where you’d normally find the rear‑view mirror. That gives a bright, unobstructed view with more coverage than a conventional mirror, and if you want to look at rear‑seat passengers rather than traffic, you can toggle the display back to a standard reflective mirror.

The rest of the package supports that dynamic brief. The driving position is car‑like and comfortable, the seats are supportive, and there’s plenty of adjustment to get the wheel and pedals where you want them. Google‑based infotainment, spread across a digital instrument panel and a large central touchscreen, keeps key information about power use, range and drive settings easy to access. Over‑the‑air updates allow Polestar to refine throttle mapping, regeneration and other behaviours as it gathers more data, which is exactly what you want in an EV where software is as critical as hardware.

Polestar 4 Long Range Dual Motor

POWERTRAIN: Dual permanent‑magnet synchronous motors, all‑wheel drive

SYSTEM POWER: 536–544 hp (400 kW)

TORQUE: 686 Nm / 506 lb ft

0-60MPH: 3.7 seconds

OFFICIAL WLTP RANGE: 367 miles

PRICE: £73,750 as tested

The applicant said there are ‘no plans, or intention by the owners’ for migrants or asylum seekers to be housed at the site

Plans for a ‘flexible’ HMO and hotel for up to 48 people have been submitted for three adjacent buildings in Leigh town centre.

The application for buildings on Railway Road seeks approval to convert the properties into a mixed hotel and HMO building with 39 bedrooms with a capacity for 48 people.

The applicant, Oldham based Spencer Reid Ltd, said the ‘mixed use’ element of the application would allow hotel stays for tourists and business visitors ‘in the usual manner’.

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A design and access statement in support of the plans said: “Permission is sought for all rooms to be approved for hotel use and HMO use.

“The initial intention is for approximately half of the rooms to be for hotel use and half for HMO Use, allocating an entire floor level for a particular use.

“The flexibility of all rooms being approved for both uses allows for the building to respond and adapt to market demands.

“This planning application type follows a template of other successful planning approvals the developer has secured elsewhere in the country.”

The statement addressed potential concerns about whether migrants or asylum seekers would occupy the HMO and hotel.

It said: “Nationally, some hotel and HMO properties are being used to house migrant or asylum applicants.

“This has recently become the focus of some public concern.

“There are no plans, proposals, or intention by the owners for such occupation at this site.”

The application said that contained within the application were three current properties.

44-46 Railway Road has already been converted into self contained studio apartments.

48-50 Railway Road is a former electrical shop that has stood vacant for sometime and 52 Railway road is in use as an existing HMO.

The statement added: “It is proposed to combine the three properties to create a large HMO with flexible hotel use.

“The location is ideal for this use, with Railway Road being a busy and vibrant town centre site.”

The plans seek to improve the front of the building, which is described as ‘unsightly, due to the various properties being altered at different times’.

The plans do not contain any dedicated parking spaces for occupants.

The design and access statement said: “Historically the property has been without off-street parking.

“These arrangements are considered acceptable for the proposed development.

“Indeed, the site lies at a sustainable location within the centre of Leigh and with access to public transport.

“Moreover, on-street parking is available nearby and there are public cark parks within walking distance.”

Leigh MP Jo Platt said she intends to submit a formal objection to the proposal.

She said: “While I support the regeneration of vacant buildings and mixed-use development in principle, I do not believe a 39-bedroom HMO with a stated maximum occupancy of 48 people represents the most appropriate form of development for this site.

“In my view, a scheme centred on self-contained accommodation would better meet local housing needs and support a balanced and sustainable community.”

Planners in Wigan will deliberate on the plans in the coming weeks.

The wreck of HMS Tiger, a Royal Navy warship sunk off the Isle of Wight 118 years ago, has been discovered by divers – and the Government is changing the law to protect it

The wreck of a Royal Navy warship that sank off the Isle of Wight 118 years ago has been uncovered by a team of divers.

HMS Tiger was sliced in two after she crossed into the path of the 10,000-ton cruiser HMS Berwick in 1908. Fewer than half of the 400-tonne destroyer’s 57-strong crew survived as she went down.

The vessel had been considered lost at sea until today – when the discovery was announced by the ProjectXplore dive group. The find comes as the Government moves to overhaul legislation to bolster protections for shipwrecks through the Armed Forces Bill.

The graves of thousands of sailors and marines at sea will receive automatic legal protection through expanded powers.

Under the Armed Forces Bill, potentially thousands of shipwrecks, such as HMS Tiger, will be safeguarded from the moment they are located by a ‘protected place’ designation.

This will make it a criminal offence to disturb or remove items from military wreck sites without permission, while still permitting divers to visit freely, provided they abide by the principle of ‘look but don’t touch’.

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Minister for the Armed Forces Louise Sandher-Jones MP said: “As well as protecting UK national security, Defence has a role to play in preserving our maritime heritage and the memory of those who gave their lives serving their country.

“These protections go further to ensure that these vulnerable and nationally significant monuments are protected from day one of discovery, giving lost sailors the dignity and respect they deserve.

“This Armed Forces Bill is wide-ranging in the measures it proposes – from protecting our rich cultural heritage, to transforming the lives of military families by upgrading and improving the Defence housing estate.”

While dozens of military shipwrecks have been shielded from unlawful activity since the mid-1980s under the Protection of Military Remains Act, only vessels lost within the last 200 years are currently eligible for protection.

Extending the Act to cover wrecks more than 200 years old would mean that military vessels dating as far back as the Armada, including those of former enemies, would qualify for protection. The same would apply to merchant ships sunk while carrying out military service under Admiralty orders.

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The proposed legislation has been warmly received by ProjectXplore, the team of divers and historians who uncovered the shattered wreck of HMS Tiger.

The team, who also located the wreck of cruiser HMS Nottingham in the North Sea last year, spent five years scouring the archives to piece together all the relevant data to help identify the wreck’s precise location.

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Leo Fielding and Dan McMullen, co-organisers of ProjectXplore said: “It has been the privilege of a lifetime to research, discover and document the wreck of HMS Tiger. We sincerely hope that our work will ensure that HMS Tiger, her story and the memory of those connected with her endure for future generations.

“ProjectXplore welcomes the proposed amendments in the Armed Forces Bill. We believe they represent a constructive step forward in protecting the United Kingdom’s maritime heritage and ensuring that wreck sites of historical and archaeological significance are appropriately safeguarded.”

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Royal Navy Deputy Fleet Wreck Officer Lieutenant Commander Jen Smith said: “Protecting military wrecks helps to ensure they are preserved for future generations. This is beneficial for our rich maritime heritage and the diving community who keep the stories of our lost shipwrecks alive.

“Divers are still able to visit these sites and witness history first-hand, which is key to ensuring that these ships and their crews are not forgotten.

“All we ask of divers is this – enjoy looking, learning and paying your respects at these incredible sites, but do so in a manner that does not disturb them.”

A 17-year-old boy who forced 117 girls to self-harm, perform sex acts and carve his alias on their bodies has today been jailed.

Justin Swaddle, now 20, led a campaign of violence in a Com group, an online community that shares extreme graphic material and manipulate victims to commit violent and sexual child abuse.

Members of these disturbing online groups mainly consist of teenage boys vying for attention and notoriety rather than sexual desire.

The more extreme the crimes and abuse committed, the more status a young person operating in these forums will achieve.

Swaddle’s devices were found to contain alarming images of victims self-harming and carving his aliases into their skin, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA).

The man from Meanwood, Leeds, was just 17 when he groomed young girls on Snapchat, Discord and Telegram under the usernames ‘Epstein’, ‘Rugen’ and ‘Moscow‘.

Danielle Pownall, Operations Manager at the NCA said: ‘Justin Swaddle targeted young and vulnerable victims all over the world to abuse and scare them into carrying out shocking self-harm and sexual activity, purely to gain popularity with his peers online.’

Swaddle was jailed for two years after a police investigation revealed he had communicated with 117 female victims aged 13 to 17.

Eight of his victims lived in the UK. 

Ms Pownall continued: ‘He gained the trust of his victims, before collecting private information about them so he could threaten to share their intimate images or report them to their school or parents to incite further content.’

One of Swaddle’s victims said the two met on the social media platform Discord in November 2022 before they moved to Snapchat.

The conversation quickly became sexual and escalated to discussions about self-harm.

Swaddle requested that the victim send nude images of herself to him and carve his username on her body, according to the NCA.

He also obtained her name, home address and school details and shared recordings of calls where sexual activity had taken place with a chat group.

Swaddle then threatened to use the girl’s personal details if she did not send more explicit videos and images with him.

Other chat logs from the messenger app Telegram showed he had attempted to make a child sexually abuse another child and record it for him.

Again he threatened to share indecent images he had already obtained if his depraved request was not completed. 

His devices contained indecent images of children in category C and category A, the most severe level.

Detectives estimated the images on Swaddle’s devices showed children aged between three and 17.

Some images indicated Swaddle had directed or encouraged the children to commit sexual or harmful acts.

He was first arrested by West Yorkshire Police in October 2023 for offences including the possession, making and distribution of indecent images.

His devices were seized and online presence probed.

The NCA began their investigation in January 2024 and uncovered hundreds of conversations involving young women, all of which were sexual.

Investigators worked with law enforcement partners in the USA, Canada, Australia, Norway and New Zealand to speak to and safeguard victims.

Ms Pownall said: ‘While the number of people involved in Com groups are relatively small, the impact it has on victims is high and long-lasting, as Swaddle’s offending shows.

‘We are extremely grateful for the assistance of West Yorkshire Police, our international partners and specialist prosecutors at the CPS in bringing a dangerous offender to justice.’

Reports relating to the so-called ‘Com networks’ increased six times in the UK between 2022 and 2024, involving thousands of users and victims.

Ms Pownall added: ‘The NCA is coordinating the response to Com groups in the UK, working with a range of law enforcement, health and safeguarding partners to better understand pathways into offending and identify opportunities for prevention and intervention.’

According to the NCA, Swaddle admitted two counts of inciting a girl 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity without penetration; inciting a girl 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity with penetration; and blackmail.

He also pleaded guilty to making an indecent photograph of a child in categories A, B and C, as well as possessing an extreme pornographic image and possessing a prohibited image of a child.

Jon Hamm is set to become a first-time father at 55 as his wife, Anna Osceola, is pregnant.

The 38-year-old actress proudly showed off her baby bump in a bikini in the Hamptons with the Mad Men star last week, according to exclusive pictures obtained by the Daily Mail.

Osceola, who appears to be in her second trimester, glowed in a green two-piece as she took a quick dip at the beach.

A shirtless Hamm, who wed Osceola in 2023 after previously declaring he lacked the ‘marriage chip,’ looked giddy as he doted on his pregnant wife during a break in his hectic schedule.

In June, the couple vacationed at a luxurious resort in Ischia, Italy. 

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Hamm for comment.

The Mad Men star, 55, with his 38-year-old wife at the beach in New York   

The couple’s baby joy comes as a surprise turnaround for the actor, who previously openly said he didn’t ‘necessarily want kids’ while he was still with long-term partner Jennifer Westfeldt. Above, the exes in 2015, the year they split after 18 years together

The couple’s baby joy comes as a surprise turnaround for the actor, who previously openly said he didn’t ‘necessarily want kids.’

Hamm told The Guardian in 2008 while he was still with long-term partner Jennifer Westfeldt: ‘I don’t necessarily want kids. A lot of our friends are having children and I don’t know if it’s for me. 

‘I haven’t come down hardcore on either side of the argument. I think when people come from a stable family having children becomes a celebration and I’m not sure it would be that way for me.’

The actor was previously in a relationship with Westfeldt that began in 1997 and lasted nearly two decades before they separated in 2015.

Hamm first met Osceola in 2015 when she appeared in one episode of the popular AMC show as a receptionist. Just months later, Hamm and Westfeldt announced they had ended their longtime relationship.

Osceola, who appears to be in her second trimester, glowed in a green two-piece as she took a quick dip

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Father-to-be Don Draper star Hamm showed off his buff frame on the sand in New York

Osceola looked glowing as she displayed her bump in the Hamptons 

The soon-to-be parents enjoyed a relaxed day ahead of their firstborn’s arrival

Osceola looked incredible as she relaxed at the beach  

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The couple were enjoying a weekend of leisure before the birth 

Hamm met Osceola in 2015 when she appeared in one episode of the popular AMC show as a receptionist 

At the time, a source told the outlet that Hamm’s ‘party-heavy lifestyle’ had become too much for Westfeldt. Additionally, it was claimed Westfeldt wanted him ‘to grow up’ but ‘he never wanted to.’  

The Baby Driver actor was subsequently spotted with Osceola in 2017, and they were confirmed to have been dating in 2020.

Hamm and Osceola made their red carpet debut in 2022, and they also appeared alongside one another in the crime comedy feature Confess, Fletch.

The happy couple was confirmed to have become engaged in February 2023, and a source opened up to Us Weekly about the new step in their relationship.

Hamm previously discussed his romance during an interview on The Howard Stern Show, where he expressed that his relationship with Osceola made him reevaluate his love life up to that point.

The show Mad Men changed Hamm’s life in many ways. Not only did it propel him into the spotlight and help launch a major career for the actor, but it also brought his future wife into his life.

In 2010, while Hamm was still dating Westfeldt, he first revealed that neither he nor his girlfriend had any interest in tying the knot.

‘I don’t have the marriage chip, and neither of us have the greatest examples of marriages in our families,’ he told Parade.

Hamm previously admitted that he had no interest in ever walking down the aisle, but in a 2022 interview with Sirius XM, he revealed that everything had changed once Osceola came into his life.

He credited her with inspiring him to get therapy for the trauma he endured as a child following the death of his mother – which ultimately gave him a newfound drive to become a family man.

‘[I’m in] another place in my life where I feel very settled and comfortable. I’m in a relationship right now and it’s comfortable,’ he said.

The star added that he recently became focused on improving his mental health and substance abuse issues through therapy – after spending years struggling with the trauma he faced as a child, after losing his mother to colon cancer at age ten.

 He said getting professional help ‘opened up the possibility of things like being married and having kids.’

Hamm previously revealed that he hoped his marriage would lead to children. He said in 2024, ‘It’s been great. And I hope it turns into kids. It’s not lost on me that I’m 53. I will be the old dad’

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‘I’ve been really thinking about all that stuff, that’s made the relationship that I’m in now even more meaningful and opened up the possibility of things like being married, having kids, defining a new version of happiness, life, wellness,’ he continued at the time. 

‘It sounds hokey and whatever, but it’s real and for one of a better word, it’s what I’m working for. What else is there other than that?’

In a June 2024 interview, Hamm revealed he hoped his marriage would produce children.

He said, ‘It’s been great. And I hope it turns into kids. It’s not lost on me that I’m 53. I will be the old dad, but so it goes. It could be a good thing. We’ll see.’

‘Here, Then, And Now Tours’ offers small-group walking tours for people who want to understand the city in more depth.

As someone who is a born-and-bred Mancunian, I am always keen to delve into the city’s history and hopefully learn something new about the place the Romans once called ‘Mamucium’.

And my chosen tour recently could not have been more apt – treading the cobbled streets of the historic Castlefield area where those centurions once walked and lived.

These relatively new tours aimed at unearthing the glorious history of Manchester are led by local architect Ric Frankland, who brings along a bespoke digital screen that supplements the tour with images of old pictures and maps of how the areas you pass once looked.

It really does bring the tour to life, knowing Romans walked in the same steps or Victorians waited by the same first passenger railway station on Liverpool Road that you are standing by.

Starting at the new Campfield Market, once the old Air and Space Museum building, Ric takes us through the history of the old Roman fort – including a hidden last remaining piece of that building.

Then we saunter to the canal basin past the replicated Roman remains, where once boats would bring in goods and supplies – not just for the old mills but also the Duke of Bridgewater.

As you would expect, architecture is also a key feature with several notable old (and newer) buildings along the route of the two-hour tour.

It all ends near that old railway station – something else Manchester gave the world – and more old images of what commuters may have experienced back in the early 1800s.

You know a tour captures your interest when two hours fly by so quickly, as mine did.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in their history – be them Mancunian, Lancastrian or from further afield.

A chance to get those valuable steps in and learn something along the way.

Manchester may be a growing metropolis, but there are still lots of historic buildings hidden among the skyscrapers.

To understand that changing shape, architect Ric is the perfect guide to offer easy-to-understand explanations of the city’s place in history.

And if you don’t fancy the Castlefield tour first, Ric also offers a variety of others from ‘Medieval Manchester’ to ‘Granadaland’, covering the city’s television heritage.

Tours cost £20 per person and to book or find out more and available dates, visit the website at https://www.here-then-now.tours/

The partial solar eclipse takes place tomorrow

The UK is set to experience a partial solar eclipse this week, which will see the country immersed into a dramatic moment of daytime darkness. The eclipse will happen on Wednesday, August 12 and will be the greatest eclipse since 1999.

Between 6.17pm and 8.06pm on Wednesday evening, over 90% of the sun will be concealed by the moon. When viewing the eclipse, it is advised to never look at the sun directly. Certified solar eclipse glasses are recommended when looking up at it.

One event in Cambridge is inviting astronomy enthusiasts and stargazers to enjoy the rare solar eclipse together. The eclipse watch is based on the lawn outside Lumo at Eddington, a new apartment and housing development.

The event will have a camera obscura tent where you can observe a projection of the sun on the inner canvas, some other observing equipment and Lumo housing will be handing out eclipse glasses.

Durkan Homes will be providing some refreshments for attendees.

Later that evening, after being dazzled by the exceptional sight, stargazers are invited to lie on the cricket pitch in search for meteors during the peak of the Perseids Meteor Shower, according to Eddington Astronomy & Nature Events.

Explaining the meteor watch, Eddington Astronomy & Nature Events said: “Bring something to lie on, a warm jumper, snacks and drinks. We’ll bring a telescope to view the Andromeda galaxy as well.”

The event is free and open for all ages and animals to enjoy. The eclipse watch will take place between 6pm and 8pm, followed by the meteor watch from 10pm until 11pm.