The McCommitments have performed at venues across the country, including Airdrie Town Hall and MacArts in Galashiels, where the band has previously sold out shows.

East Kilbride vocalist Mhairi Wilson will join fellow South Lanarkshire resident ‘Big Stevie’ when The McCommitments – The Scottish Saviours of Soul bring their 11-piece show to East Kilbride Village Theatre on Saturday, October 3.

For Mhairi, the performance will be a chance to take to the stage in her home town as part of a band that has been building a strong following across Scotland.

Fronted by South Lanarkshire resident Big Stevie, The McCommitments have performed at venues across the country, including Airdrie Town Hall and MacArts in Galashiels, where the band has previously sold out shows.

The band’s Paisley show is also heading towards a sell-out, while their growing schedule is taking them to an increasing number of venues across Scotland.

Now the 11-piece band is bringing its full live show to East Kilbride Village Theatre, with Mhairi providing a particularly strong local connection.

Big Stevie said: “Having Mhairi in the band makes this show even more special. We’ve played all over Scotland, but bringing the band to East Kilbride and having Mhairi performing in her hometown gives it a real local connection.”

The McCommitments are an 11-piece live band featuring lead and backing vocals, guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and a full horn section.

Their show is a celebration of the music from iconic Alan Parker movie soundtrack The Commitments bringing together songs associated with the film alongside classic soul from artists including Otis Redding and other legendary soul performers.

The set features favourites including Mustang Sally, In the Midnight Hour, Try a Little Tenderness and Land of 1000 Dances, alongside a host of other classic soul songs.

Mhairi said: “It’s always exciting performing somewhere new, but playing in East Kilbride is different because it’s home. I’m really looking forward to bringing the McCommitments show to a local audience and sharing the stage with the rest of the band.”

The East Kilbride appearance comes during a busy year for The McCommitments, as the band continues to build its live reputation and take its full 11-piece production to venues across Scotland.

For Big Stevie, the October performance is an opportunity to bring the band back to the community where he lives.

He said: “We’ve had some brilliant nights around Scotland, and now we get to bring the whole thing home. We’re looking forward to making East Kilbride a special night for the band.”

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EastEnders fans were no doubt breathing a sigh of relief after Darnell Larson (Christopher Colquhoun) turned up at the hospital to introduce himself to Denise Fox (Diane Parish) at the end of the latest episode.

Denise, as viewers know, is battling blood cancer and earlier this week she was placed in a medically induced coma to fight off an infection.

With two rounds of chemo not having had the desired effect on her cancer, doctors recommended a stem cell transplant but finding a donor match proved difficult – that is until Jack (Scott Maslen) and Kim (Tameka Empson) located a long-lost brother in Darnell.

Darnell struggled to get his head around the situation and refused to get tested, with Jack and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) pleading with him to do so.

At the end of tonight’s episode, Darnell showed up at the hospital – just as Denise was woken from her coma. Has he had a change of heart?

Elsewhere, Craig Ingram (Matthew James Bailey) asked Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) out for a drink and, after ordering her a double instead of a single, the pair shared a kiss.

And Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) attempted to recreate a Benidorm-themed holiday to cheer up Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace), who was left devastated for an unknown reason earlier in the week.

if you’re eager to know what happens next then we’ve got you a little preview of Thursday’s (August 27) edition of the BBC One soap

What happens next in EastEnders? New spoilers for Thursday, August 26

The residents of the Square continue to enjoy Alfie’s pool party but chaos erupts when a community officer shuts things down – and threatens Alfie and Kat with a fine!

Kat is horrified and thus Alfie attempts to calm her down but things take a turn when Ria is injured.

Worried about the impact such a thing will have on a potential custody case, Suki Panesar-Unwin (Balvinder Sopal) threatens legal action.

Unable to take any more anguish, Kat storms off. Can Alfie fix this before it escalates further?

Elsewhere, Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy) and Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) are all loved up following their reunion – and they re-affirm their love and future together.

The question is: with Priya worried that Max Branning (Jake Wood) could be the father of her unborn child, will Ravi work out what’s playing on her mind?

There’s not much else known about what happens on Thursday but given it’s the last episode of the week, expect it to a be a good one. Will there be any further developments for Amy and Craig? And how will Darnell and Denise’s introduction go down?

EastEnders airs these scenes Thursday August 27 at 7:30pm on BBC One or stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer

If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you.

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If you have leftover sunscreen, you should check if it will last until next summer before storing it away.

If you do not check, you could end up forgetting when you opened your bottle of sunscreen when you need it again.

Sunscreen can become less effective over time, so it is important that you know how to tell if it has expired.

How to tell if sunscreen has expired

On why sunscreen does not work forever, Dr Conal Perrett, Consultant Dermatologist at The Devonshire Clinic, said: “Sunscreen is designed to provide a specific level of protection against ultraviolet (UV) radiation, but like any skincare product, it does not necessarily remain effective indefinitely.

“Over time, the active ingredients can degrade, particularly if the product has been exposed repeatedly to heat, direct sunlight or large fluctuations in temperature.

“This is why checking the expiry date, or the period-after-opening, is important.

“You want to know that the product you are relying on is still capable of providing the level of protection stated on the bottle.

“Sunscreen is not something where it is worth taking a chance, particularly because you may not be able to tell simply by looking at the product whether its protective properties have deteriorated.”

The NHS has released advice on staying safe in the sun, including how to check if it is out of date.

The NHS website says you should be able to find the expiry date on the sunscreen bottle.

It is marked by an open jar, an M, and a number, which indicates how many months the sunscreen will last once the bottle has been opened.

Dr Perrett also shared some things to look out for to tell if the sunscreen is out of date.

He said a change in the product’s appearance, texture or smell is a good reason to stop using it.

If the sunscreen has separated, become more watery or lumpy, has changed colour, developed a strange smell or is no longer applying evenly, you should throw it away.

He added: “However, it is important not to rely on these signs alone.

“A sunscreen can potentially look perfectly normal while being past its recommended period of use.

“Checking the expiry information and considering how the product has been stored are therefore just as important.”

Will you be checking your sunscreen before putting it away for next year? Let us know in the comments.

The fire took place less than a mile from a crash that killed seven people, with police not ruling out a connection

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A murder investigation has been launched after a child died in a house fire less than a mile from the site of a crash on the A66 which killed seven people.

Two men, aged 23 and 31, were arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in police custody following the fire at an end-of-terrace property in Birchington Avenue, Grangetown, near Middlesbrough, Cleveland Police have confirmed.

In a statement, the force said officers were called to the property at 5:23am on Wednesday and confirmed two people had died, “including one child”.

It said they have yet to be formally identified.

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The force said a 48-year-old woman remains in a critical condition in the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle.

Three other people suffered injuries which are believed to be non life-threatening.

The force would not rule out a link between the blaze and the crash which killed two police officers and five young men.

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The first ever preview of GTA 6 has appeared online, but not from any of the usual sources, and it confirms a number of potentially controversial gameplay elements.

The Netflix Extended Look at GTA 6 is due to take place on Thursday evening, but that won’t be the only source of revelations that day. There’ve been rumours that several influencers were invited to Rockstar North last month and at least one has been bragging that he’ll have a preview, of some kind, as soon as the Netflix show has premiered.

It doesn’t sound like anyone’s actually played the game, so they may just have seen the show ahead of time, but the first preview has appeared today, via British ‘youth culture’ magazine Dazed. That implies other non-gaming focused outlets may also have been given access to the game, although as with everything else GTA-related it’s hard to know for sure what’s going on.

The Dazed article does not include a lot of new information but there are some things that have never been confirmed before, including the ability to control both characters at the same time. Although the most potentially controversial aspect is just how realistic the game is attempting to be.

While much of the fun in previous GTA games has come from exploring the open world and doing whatever you want, including gunning down or running over people with little chance of police interference, that will apparently be different in GTA 6; to the point where even if you we’re just walking around with a gun out everyone will react as they would in real life.

‘For some gamers, there’s a fear that what GTA 6 gains in immersion, it loses in the chaos and anarchy that have been part of the series’ DNA since the outset, but for Rockstar, the goal is to create a world of total immersion, which reacts more realistically than ever to what you choose to make of it,’ reads the Dazed article.

The word ‘grounded’ is used more than once to describe the game, as the article ruminates on the fact that old school GTA rampages may no longer be viable. We’ll have to see how it all works in practice but putting realism before gameplay is always a risky decision and it seems to go against GTA’s traditionally heightened sense of reality – after all, it’s meant to take place in a satire of the real world, not the real world itself.

In terms of playing as both characters, the article isn’t very descriptive but while it says you can just wander off as either Jason or Lucia alone you can also swap between them when they’re together. That presumably works something like a Lego game, where you’re swapping between multiplayer characters, although there’s no suggestion that the game has co-op play.

There’s also confirmation that the game features role-playing systems similar to 2004’s San Andreas, which is interesting because those elements were not universally popular at the time. Nevertheless, in GTA 6 eating too much food, without doing enough exercise, will see both characters gaining weight, while working out sees them building their muscles.

There’s also been separate reports that cars will run out of petrol after a while and will need to be refuelled. Dazed article has a few new images in the article but nothing very different from the ones that have been shown so far.

Oh, and another video from the game has leaked out this evening. It’s presumably from serial leaker ‘Cyberleek’ but this time it contains some story spoilers, so you may want to avoid that one if you want to keep yourself pure for the game’s release on November 19.

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More than 170 enthusiastic participants, families and supporters went along.

The inaugural Cambuslang Schools Bike Fest drew a massive crowd to Clyde Cycle Park.

More than 170 enthusiastic participants, families and supporters went along to the Cambuslang venue on Saturday, August 22

Funded as part of Scottish Cycling’s Summer of Sport 2026 initiative, the free community festival brought local school communities together to celebrate active travel, youth sports and outdoor fun.

The highlight of the afternoon was the highly-competitive Schools Cycle Relay Competition, which featured 72 children from local primaries going wheel-to-wheel on the park circuit. The relay was closely fought by teams mainly from James Aiton Primary, Newton Farm Primary, St Cadoc’s Primary and West Coats Primary.

The fastest times were set by two teams from Newton Farm Primary, who were awarded gold and silver medals. The bronze medals were claimed by the determined riders from West Coats Primary – just edging out the teams from James Aiton and St Cadoc’s. Newton Farm PS were also awarded the first Cambuslang Schools Bike Fest trophy sponsored by Scottish Cycling.

The medals were presented by Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey who said: “It was lovely to attend Clyde Cycle Park’s Schools Bike Fest. I had the pleasure of presenting the medals to the first, second and third -placed teams, but I also want to congratulate everyone who took part.

“The turnout from local children and young people, and their families, was incredible and it was evident just how much everyone enjoyed themselves. A huge well done to the organisers and all the volunteers who made the day such a great success.”

The Bike Fest trophy was presented to the Newton Farm Primary team by Rutherglen MP Michael Shanks who said: “I was delighted to present the Cambuslang Schools Bike Fest trophy after such a hard-fought cycling relay race.

“The Clyde Cycle Park is a hugely positive development in our community and it was fantastic to see so many young people and their families turn out for this first Cambuslang schools event. My thanks to all the team who made this a success and well done to all the young people for their achievements on the day.”

In addition to the high-stakes school trophy race, the Bike Fest offered an opportunity for everyone to cycle the Clyde Cycle Park circuit. Participants also witnessed a demonstration of trials bike riding by Scottish Trials Rider and UCI British Champion, Sara Tait, which encouraged some primary school children to try trials bikes themselves.

The smoothie bike was as popular as ever, with many young people pedalling furiously to create their fruit smoothies.

For children who didn’t bring a bike, Clyde Cycle Park provided local bikes to ensure no child was left on the sidelines.

And family-owned bike retailer, Philip Lang, had a stand at the festival showing off a range of affordable bikes and accessories.

To make sure no one went home empty-handed, every participant in the relay competition was given a goody bag including caramel wafers kindly donated by Tunnock’s and a jazzy bike bell donated by Philip Lang.

The schools which participated in the Bike Fest saw it has a hugely positive development. Catherine Meechan, head teacher at Newton Farm Primary said: “Our pupils had an amazing day at Bike Fest and thoroughly enjoyed all the activities on offer.

“They had been very keen to participate in the schools’ relay competition as they all love riding their bikes to and from school and out in the community, and they are very pleased to have been so successful in the competition.

“It was a great opportunity for them to have fun at a fantastic local resource and meet friends from other schools. Thank you to everyone who organised the event and provided the trophy, medals and goody bags for the competitors.”

And Kathleen Faloon, head teacher at St Cadoc’s Primary agreed, saying: “We are bursting with pride for our Team St Cadoc’s cyclists who took part in the Cambuslang Schools Bike Fest!

“It was wonderful to see them embrace a new sporting challenge with such energy and teamwork. Events like this are fantastic for showing our children the joy of trying something different and discovering new ways to stay active and healthy.”

Kerry McGhee, head teacher of James Aiton Primary said: “James Aiton has been taking part in coaching sessions at Clyde Cycle Park for more than three years, and many of our young people have learnt cycling skills at the Park.

“We were delighted to participate in this first Bike Fest which was a lot of fun for our young people and their families.”

From a parents’ perspective, Mireia Ferrer, chair of West Coats Primary Parent Council, said: “What a brilliant time was had by all cycling out in a sunny afternoon with their friends. A phenomenal event getting the kids involved in sports.

“It was a rewarding experience and it was amazing to see the support across all the schools. We are very thankful for the opportunity, and we hope there will be more to come!”

Organisers hailed the event as a monumental milestone for youth cycling in Cambuslang and Rutherglen, and potentially the wider region.

John Bachtler, Chair of Clyde Cycle Park said: “This was our first Bike Fest for local schools, and we were overwhelmed by the fantastic response with 72 young people taking part in the relay competition.

“We are very grateful to school staff and parents who put together entries during a busy period at the start of a new school year. It was so heartening to see the enthusiasm of the children, their commitment to their team and school, their encouragement and support for each other, and their joy in cycling.

“We hope to make this an annual competition and extend it to other schools and communities.”

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BBC’s Escape to the Country presenter Sonali Shah helped a house-hunting couple discover their dream Devon home, with success

BBC’s Escape to the Country ventured to Devon on Wednesday (26 August) as a couple joined Sonali Shah in their search to purchase their first property together.

Matt, who works as an aerospace engineer, lived in Eastley, Hampshire, while his partner Jamie, employed as a genetic counsellor for the NHS, was situated in the Oxfordshire town of Wantage, and the duo had chosen to move to a tranquil area of Devon.

With a healthy budget of £550,000 at their disposal, the couple was seeking a home with up to four bedrooms, off-street parking, a garage or workshop, and a generous garden.

Escape to the Country host Sonali took Matt and Jamie to view the initial property in Mutterton, on the market for £550,000. A cottage dating from the 19th century, the residence offered three bedrooms, an annexe, and an expansive kitchen.

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The second viewing was a barn conversion in Landscove, priced at £530,000, which offered three bedrooms, substantial garden space, and original features throughout.

Though impressed, Matt confessed he found it difficult to picture the property suiting him and Jamie, particularly given their intentions to begin a family, reports Devon Live.

The third and final property was located in Ipplepen and priced at £530,000. The Georgian residence featured four bedrooms and two reception areas and sat in the village centre.

Sonali confessed she was “obsessed” with the house before Jamie subsequently described it as a “dream home”. As Matt and Jamie toured the charming property, one particular feature left them genuinely impressed — a first-floor laundry room.

Matt remarked, “It’s a clever use of space, actually,” to which Jamie responded, “It is a really smart idea. You’re not having to lug washing baskets up and down the stairs every five minutes. I don’t know why everyone doesn’t do that.”

While Jamie acknowledged the “perfection” of the property’s interior décor, she noted the garden lacked sufficient space for a workshop — something that could prove a dealbreaker. Matt conceded the home failed to satisfy their “practical needs”, yet remained genuinely keen.

Later in the episode, which originally aired in 2024, the couple disclosed the outcome of their search on Escape to the Country.

The pair delightedly revealed they had submitted an offer on the very first property they’d visited, with Matt explaining: “After seeing the second and third one, the first was the best fit for us.”

Their offer was subsequently accepted, and Matt and Jamie successfully completed the purchase of the property in Mutterton.

Escape to the Country is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

Two wildfires which destroyed 19 homes in Stourbridge were started accidentally in fields where agricultural machinery was being used, fire chiefs revealed today.

The huge blazes spread over more than 500 acres in the West Midlands on August 13, destroying a series of properties including family homes worth over £1million.

One firefighter was taken to hospital and a further five suffered minor injuries including smoke inhalation as the blazes rapidly spread to residential buildings.

Some residents had to be evacuated after a further 18 homes were damaged on top of the 19 that were destroyed during what was Britain’s hottest day of the year.

Fire crews were alerted to the first blaze in a field near Racecourse Lane at 1.27pm, then a second began soon after in a field near Quarry Park Road and Worcester Lane.

Local farmers ploughed fields next to houses, which prevented the blazes from spreading to other nearby buildings as firefighters attempted to put them out.

Specialist fire investigators working with police have now established that farming equipment was being used in the areas of both fields immediately before the fires were first reported. They also confirmed the fires were not started deliberately.

West Midlands Fire Service chief fire officer Simon Tuhill said today: ‘Our thoughts remain with everyone affected, whether directly or indirectly, by events on August 13 in Stourbridge and beyond.

An aerial view of the remains of a home on Brunswick Gate in Stourbridge on August 14

Smoke continues to rise from Stourbridge on August 14 after the devastating wildfires

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‘Many people in Stourbridge face having to rebuild homes and lives and, understandably, have questions as part of that process. That’s why we are confirming that both fires were not started deliberately. They were accidental.

‘I know that many are still struggling to comprehend the scale of damage and personal loss. I’m also acutely aware that this information will not bring those back homes, livelihoods or cherished memories.

‘I remain immensely proud of the response from our firefighters, staff and officers, who worked tirelessly in incredibly challenging conditions to protect lives and property.

‘I would also like to thank our colleagues in the police and ambulance services, members of the local farming community who assisted on the day, and the many residents, businesses and community groups who came together to support those affected. The response to this incident showed the very best of Stourbridge and the wider West Midlands.

‘While investigations continue into the full circumstances of what happened, we wanted to share this latest update as soon as possible. I hope it will go some way towards helping people understand what happened on that exceptionally hot and challenging day.’

The neighbouring county of Staffordshire saw a further fire destroy four homes in the Goldenhill area of Stoke-on-Trent.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue service said six firefighters were taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion after battling blazes across the county.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said a total of 54 people were treated by paramedics, including 19 who were admitted to hospital, following the fire outbreaks in the region.

A drone view of burnt-out houses on August 14 following the large grass fire in Stourbridge

Prime Minister Andy Burnham (centre) walks with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker (right) as he talks to Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill (left) during a visit to Stourbridge on August 14

A fire engine stands near a burnt-out house on August 14 following the fire in Stourbridge

In Stourbridge, the Prime Minister said during a visit to the town on August 14 that he had ‘never seen scenes like this in Britain, where you just see a whole house gutted, smouldering’.

Andy Burnham revealed he had called in the military, announced a ban on disposable barbecues and said plans were being drawn up for emergency financial support for fire services battling the spread of wildfires across the country.

In a separate blaze in Birmingham, a man said he watched his childhood home go up in flames in Highters Heath in which his mother had ‘lost absolutely everything’ – including 100 years of family photos.

The West Midlands was subject to an amber warning for extreme heat for much of the day before multiple fires were reported.

Images from blazes across the region show blackened and burnt-out buildings with collapsed roofs, as well as charred areas of grass.

Last week, the National Fire Chiefs Council said 1,132 wildfires have now been recorded across England and Wales in 2026 so far – a record high for the amount between January and this time of year.

Police were called to the blaze on Birchington Avenue at 5.23am on Wednesday, August 26.

Two people sadly died, including one child, with both yet to be formally identified.

Emergency services at the scene of a major residential fire on Birchington Avenue, in Grangetown, Middlesbrough. (Image: North News & Pictures Ltd)

A 48-year-old woman remains in the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in a critical condition.

Three other people suffered injuries which are currently believed to be non-life-threatening.

Two men, aged 23 and 31, have now been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in police custody.

(Image: STUART BOULTON)

Redcar and Cleveland Local Policing Commander, Superintendent Emily Harrison, said: “As we continue to investigate this morning’s tragic incident, we continue to support the families of those who have sadly died as a result.

“Our thoughts remain with those families and with everyone involved.

“Two men, aged 23 and 31, remain in police custody at this time and they are being questioned.

“We continue to work to establish the circumstances of exactly what has happened, but we are keeping an open mind and cannot rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time.

“We will have a high visibility presence in the Grangetown area and encourage anyone who has concerns, or who may have information, to approach our officers or alternatively call us on 101.”

(Image: STUART BOULTON)

Police said enquiries remain ongoing as officers work to establish exactly what happened.

Anyone with information or concerns is asked to contact Cleveland Police on 101, quoting reference number 170941.

Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously online or by calling 0800 555 111.