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Date announced for Whitby by-election

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Date announced for Whitby by-election

​A by-election will be held in the Stakesby division in Whitby to elect a new councillor to Whitby Town Council.

​North Yorkshire Council said it had received “sufficient requests for an election” in the Stakesby Ward caused by Anne Brown’s resignation, according to the town clerk.

​The date of the byelection will be Thursday, April 2, and the official Notice of Election, the timetable, and the nomination pack will be available on North Yorkshire Council’s website on Thursday, February 26.

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​However, Whitby Town Council has said it will not cover the cost of polling cards in the byelection.

​Holding the by-election is set to cost £4,000, and councillors were asked to decide whether the authority should also cover the cost of polling cards.

​At a meeting earlier this month, members “considered the costs associated with a potential by-election for Stakesby Ward, including estimated election costs of £4,000 and an additional discretionary cost of £1,800 for the issue of polling cards”.

​Following a discussion on whether the council would meet the polling card costs, a motion was put forward proposing that WTC would not pay for them, and the motion was approved.

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The 16 forgotten PS3 exclusives Sony should re-release for PS5

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The 16 forgotten PS3 exclusives Sony should re-release for PS5
Some of these games are available through cloud streaming but that’s not ideal for those with poor internet connections (Sony/Metro)

With Metal Gear Solid 4 finally leaving the PlayStation 3, GameCentral names the other games that should follow suit and get a proper re-release.

During the recent State of Play, Konami announced the long awaited follow up to its Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1. The second volume includes re-releases of PlayStation Portable game Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, the little-known Game Boy Color spin-off Metal Gear: Ghost Babel and, most importantly, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots.

That last one is significant because Metal Gear Solid 4 only ever released for the PlayStation 3, in 2008, and has otherwise been unavailable ever since. As the finale to the entire Metal Gear Solid saga (at least chronologically), fans have demanded a re-release for years and come August, their patience will be rewarded.

But this has us thinking what other PlayStation 3 exclusives could do with a re-release, especially ones from Sony itself, many of which are already in danger of being forgotten.

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Sony does have a sizable list of PlayStation 3 games available through its PlayStation Plus service, but only via cloud streaming, which isn’t ideal if you don’t have an optimal internet connection. It also doesn’t include all the games below and is only rarely updated.

God Of War: Ascension

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It’s going to be a long time until those God Of War remakes come out and while fans do have Metroidvania prequel Sons Of Sparta to whet their appetites, it’s not exactly a traditional God Of War experience.

A God Of War: Ascension re-release would be a smart follow-up since it’s chronologically the next game after Sons Of Sparta and sets up the original trilogy, with a decently interesting story about Kratos’ attempt to free himself from his bond with god of war Ares, after he was tricked into killing his family.

It’s also just a very solid action game and though its gory violence can be tasteless, it’s one of the best-looking PlayStation 3 games, having launched towards the end of its lifecycle.

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inFamous 1 and 2

Sucker Punch is unlikely to ever go back to inFamous when samurai games Ghost Of Tsushima and Ghost Of Yōtei have been far more financially successful, but it wouldn’t hurt to make the original PlayStation 3 games more readily available, alongside the PlayStation 4 sequels.

There are admittedly better superhero games out there, but the first two inFamous games are still enjoyable to play and double as supervillain power fantasies if you’re tired of goody-two-shoes heroes like Spider-Man.

Protagonist Cole McGrath is too much of a boring grump for our liking, although not necessarily any worse than the unfunny and overly enthusiastic Delsin from inFamous: Second Son.

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Killzone Trilogy

Guerrilla Games is far too busy pumping out new Horizon games (including the new multiplayer spin-off) to ever revisit Killzone. That only makes it more surprising that only PlayStation 4 entry Shadow Fall and the PlayStation Portable spin-off are on PlayStation Plus.

Re-releasing the Killzone Trilogy compilation from 2012 would prevent the original PlayStation 2 game from being left out. That said, it is the weakest of the bunch and one you could probably skip in favour of its two PlayStation 3 sequels.

Killzone 2 is most fan’s favourite and it’s the only one that has something close to a memorable character, in villain Colonel Radec. The one downside is that any re-releases would obviously lack the online multiplayer.

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MotorStorm Apocalypse

If Gran Turismo is like a sophisticated, professional race car driver, who can land sponsorships and cut a winning smile for photo opps, MotorStorm is its grungy cousin, that isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.

For a series that is now all but forgotten there are an awful lot of entries, with MotorStorm Apocalypse being the best of the bunch. We’d take MotorStorm: RC as well, which launched for the PlayStation Vita and is the best Micro Machines game never made.

At the very least, a MotorStorm re-release would be a nice throwback, since developer Evolution Studios is long gone, having joined Codemasters in 2016, who themselves aren’t in a good place nowadays.

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Puppeteer

Even if they weren’t always successful, you could count on Japan Studio to craft some memorable and unique video games, which is why it was so tragic to see Sony gut the studio in 2021.

Of all its PlayStation 3 releases, Puppeteer was one of their best, if only for its phenomenally whimsical puppet show presentation. The combat wasn’t particularly impressive, but it had plenty of interesting gimmicks to make up for it, such as the magic scissors that let you fly as long as you had something to cut through.

It might have fared better if Sony had held it back for the PlayStation 4 (maybe even as a launch title) as it’s arguably the most forgotten, but highest quality, game on this list.

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Ratchet & Clank Future trilogy

Considering its status as one of the main PlayStation franchises – one that has lasted since the days of the PlayStation 2 – it’s surprising Sony hasn’t made more of an effort to make the older Ratchet & Clank games readily available, beyond cloud streaming.

When it comes to the first three games, most fans would probably prefer the original PlayStation 2 versions than their PlayStation 3 remasters, but the Future trilogy of games made specifically for the PlayStation 3 still hold up well and, tonally, would be a hit with newer fans who joined the series with Rift Apart.

Playing Tools Of Destruction, Quest For Booty, and A Crack In Time back-to-back would risk being exhausting, given how similarly they look and play, but they have some amusingly unique weapons and solid platforming. New fans would also appreciate the interconnecting storyline, with some plot threads continued in Rift Apart.

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Siren: Blood Curse

The tonal opposite of the aforementioned Puppeteer, Japan Studio’s Forbidden Siren series has quite the pedigree, having been directed by Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama long before he set up his own studio and released the far inferior Slitterhead.

Unlike that game, the Forbidden Siren series is pure horror through and through. All three entries are of similar quality so, frankly, all of them deserve a second lease at life, and stand to thrive thanks to how popular survival horror games are at the moment.

Since this is a list about PlayStation 3 games, we must highlight Siren: Blood Curse, which is essentially a reimagining of the original game, but with a reworked story structure and gameplay improvements from the second game.

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SOCOM 4 U.S. Navy SEALs

SOCOM always seemed like a good fit for Sony’s live service games obsession, given it was a series of tactical shooters and one of the company’s first attempts at running online multiplayer.

The series saw two entries on PlayStation 3, but if one were to come back, it’d have to be SOCOM 4 U.S. Navy SEALs as the other – SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Confrontation – was a purely online game and Sony’s not going to establish new servers for a nearly 20-year-old title.

Multiplayer was a big part of SOCOM, but SOCOM 4 at least has an enjoyablesingle-player campaign, that should appeal to those nostalgic for the older Call Of Duty campaigns.

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Tokyo Jungle

Although it’s not entirely a first party game, since it was a joint project between Japan Studio and a little-known studio called Crispy’s, Tokyo Jungle is still seen as one of Sony’s cult classics from the PlayStation 3 days.

Its premise is certainly novel, being set in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo devoid of human life. Rather than some grizzled wanderer, you play as a wide variety of different animals – from Pomeranians and chickens to lions and even dinosaurs – and struggle to survive as long as you can.

Tokyo Jungle makes the most of this premise and what it lacks in graphical flair, it makes up for with an entertaining gameplay loop, some interesting survival mechanics, and a tongue-in-cheek tone that keeps it from being too morose.

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White Knight Chronicles 1 and 2

We wouldn’t blame you for not remembering this, but Sony really wanted White Knight Chronicles to take off and pushed it hard as one of the PlayStation 3’s big exclusives. Obviously, that didn’t work, but it was still a competently made action role-player with some neat ideas.

Like Tokyo Jungle, this was another Japan Studio joint project, although the main developer was Level-5, better known nowadays as the studio responsible for Professor Layton and the Yokai Watch series.

White Knight Chronicles 2 also did the Mass Effect thing where you could carry over your character from the first game, along with all your money and equipment, creating a welcome sense of continuity. Not only were there two games but also a PSP spin-off, and yet the franchise never made it out of the PlayStation 3 generation.

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Games Inbox: Could memory shortages destroy the console industry?

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Games Inbox: Could memory shortages destroy the console industry?
Will AI be the end of video game consoles? (Metro)

The Thursday letters page is unsurprised God Of War: Sons Of Sparta was unremarkable, as one reader is enamoured by fan remakes of Pokémon Red/Blue.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Console apocalypse
So, um… all this stuff about memory and electronic components getting bought up by AI companies seems pretty bad, right? Like, really, really, bad? This guy talking about potentially a decade of problems presumably knows what he’s talking about, given his position, and that is going to be a nightmare for gaming. Never mind smartphones and everything else.

Do we even know if Sony and Nintendo are safe? They’re not gigantic companies like Microsoft and electronics is pretty much all they do beyond games. Maybe all three will go third party at the same time! I’m not really sure what companies he’s hinting at that could go under, as I’m not sure who counts as a smaller business, but it’s clearly not good news, no matter what happens.

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There’s so much going wrong with the games industry, and the world in general, at the moment and yet it seems like it could still get much worse and very quickly. In the worse case scenario you’re talking about consoles, and gaming PCs, being impossible to manufacture for several years.

Whether that would last for a whole decade I don’t know but that’s an industry ending problem. I hope you’re all into retro games, because that might be all we have soon!
Oz

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Monkey paw
So I guess one of the big victims of these memory shortage problems is going to be all those PC handheld gaming devices from companies I’ve never heard of. If even Steam Deck has only sold a few million I hate to think what some of these others are pushing. Even the Xbox Ally one, which I have literally not heard mentioned again even once since it came out.

That’s going to affect the rumoured Xbox portable and the PlayStation one too, to the point where they might just cancel them completely, because I imagine they involve a lot of custom chips – even more than if it was just a home console.

I’m sure no one but them knows the full details but this is all very bad news and yet… if you didn’t want there to be a next generation so soon your prayers have been answered. But you know the problem with being careful what you wish for, since now the PlayStation 6 might not arrive until 2036!
Korbie

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Next in line
Like a lot of readers I’m looking forward to hearing abut the third Final Fantasy 7 remake game but I’m also wondering what might get the remake treatment after that is all finished up with. Do they even consider Final Fantasy 7 Remake to be a success is the first big question and I’m not sure what the answer is, other than there’s a good chance it might be ‘not really’.

They definitely seemed to have cooled on the idea of a Final Fantasy 9 remake, as there were rumours like crazy around that for a while. That was only meant to be a lower budget remake too, so that might be an indication they’ve already had it with triple-A remakes.

For me the obvious choices for Final Fantasy are 6 or 10, although personally I’d prefer 12. Final Fantasy 6 would require a completely new game, so I don’t think that will get the treatment. 10 is going to be a big job too, so I’m not honestly sure any of them will get remakes.

I’d love Chrono Trigger, but I think that’s the same problem as Final Fantasy 6, and so I think maybe the most likely is Kingdom Hearts, especially with a new game coming up to promote. Or maybe the answer is none of them. If a big budget Final Fantasy 7 remake only sells okay, what chance does anything else have?
Ochreblue

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Fan suggestion
I agree that this year is Game Freak’s big chance to turn around Pokémon in terms of the quality of the games and the technology behind them. I don’t know how likely it is, but if they don’t try this time I’m not sure they ever will.

Although most people imagine some kind of amazing high-tech open world I prefer the idea of something closer to the HD-2D style, that’s a mix between modern and retro graphics. There have been a lot of fan mock-ups with this idea over the years and while I don’t think any of them are perfect I’d rather go with something like this but keep it more of a top-down view.

Unless Nintendo is going to spend GTA 6 style money on it I don’t think there’s any point making Pokémon 3D. It’s got to be stylised and it’s got to be more like the wonder of the original Game Boy games. We might get that for a future remake but I’m afraid the next mainline game will just be another low-tech, janky knock-off.
Taylor Moon

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You can dig it
Great Reader’s Feature about A Game About Digging a Hole at the weekend. I instinctively knew I would get some form of enjoyment out of it. Digging, collecting ore, selling it, upgrading equipment, and digging deeper? Absolutely all over it for £3.64.

Spaced out on Tramadol for a back issue last night, played for over two hours and it was an almost religious experience. Well not quite, but highly recommended to all other readers, especially for the price.
Whiskeyjack11

Fighting multiverse
RE: Lee Dappa. The closest you’ll get to playing all versions of Street Fighter 2 in one place, as one game, is not on the 30th anniversary collection of Street Fighter 2 but actually on the 35th anniversary collection labelled as Capcom Fighting Collection.

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This release features Hyper Street Fighter 2: The Anniversary Edition. You can choose fighters from all versions of the Street Fighter 2 editions in one package.

Choosing World Warrior Ken from the original will give him extra strength, no super move, and he will be a palette swap of Ryu. Choosing Ken from Street Fighter 2 Turbo: Hyper Fighting will give him his longer range dragon uppercut and air whirlwind kick and still no super move.

Choosing Street Fighter 2 Turbo’s Ken will give him his flaming dragon punch but less damage, and thus more reliant on combos. But he will have his super move to use and the power bar for it at the bottom of the screen. This would apply to all characters across the games so you can have World Warrior E. Honda vs. Street Fighter 2 Turbo’s version of Blanka, for instance.
Nick The Greek

Online ban
I always wondered why companies don’t just lock a game out until the day it’s released, to avoid all these leaks you always get. It’s literally every game but they never seem to care. But surely it could just work like pre-loading, where you have the game but you’re not allowed to start playing it until the right time.

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I guess you could buy the disc and then purposefully keep the console offline, and get around it that way, but who wants that much trouble? And besides, most games don’t seem to work without a day one patch anyway. At the very least a timer would cut the problem down, but the companies don’t even seem to try.
Flint

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What it looks like
I know they say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but God Of War: Sons Of Sparta was an out of the blue shadow drop, it had what looked like terrible graphics, and it immediately looked inferior to about a 100 other Metroidvanias you could get instead. And as a bonus it was by some developer I’d never heard of, who’s biggest game was a Five Nights At Freddy’s spin-off.

I feel you have to be very optimistic given all that, to the point where I could probably sell you some magic beans. It’s not a question of whether it’s rubbish or not but if you want to spend a fair amount of money and a lot of time beating it, and I definitely don’t want to. Talk is cheap but time is not and at the moment I haven’t time for 10/10 blockbusters, let alone deeply average Metroidvanias.

I feel there’s plenty of interesting things an indie dev could’ve done with a low budget God Of War game and a 2D Metroidvania with Young Kratos seems like the absolute least exciting option. You could’ve had a game where you played as one of the Valkyries, you could have had a literal god game where you’re populating Midgar with humans, you could’ve had an archery thing with Arteus, heck you could’ve had a sledding simulator and it still would’ve been more interesting that what we got.

I know it was the safe option, but when the best option was probably not making a spin-off at all there’s no point going for the boring and obvious choice.
Campbell

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Inbox also-rans
So Highguard has outlasted Concord, but by the sound of it it’ll be lucky see the weekend, so it’s really only going to beat it by a matter of days.
Goops

I really hate that Microsoft switched the buttons round on their controller compared to Nintendo’s. Why do so silly a thing and make it so difficult to switch (no pun intended) between the two consoles. I can never remember which is which way round.
Mobert

GC: They were copying Sega, who they were very cosy with in the initial years of the Xbox.

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New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

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Belfast children’s hospital marks Valentine’s Day with ‘love train’ through wards

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Belfast Live

The annual event is designed to show support to patients, families, and the paediatric team

The halls of the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children were filled with appreciation, treats, and gratitude this Valentine’s Day as a “love train” made its way through the wards.

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It was part of the annual ‘Hearts Across the Hospital’ event hosted by charity Little Heroes on February 13. Designed to show patients, families, and the paediatric team the immense support of the local community, the event delivered joy and much-needed recharge moments to those on the front line.

A “love train” made its way through the paediatric wards, bringing smiles to patients and staff alike, as the team handed out toys, teddies, and 500 “prescriptions of appreciation” – special gift bags filled with treats to mark the day.

READ MORE: Meet Marbeth, the cherished school secretary finally bowing out at 81 years oldREAD MORE: Belfast schoolgirl cooks up a place in competition final to find UK’s top young chef

The hospital was buzzing with activity, including a recharge station pop-up hosted by Neighbourhood Cafe, offering a dedicated space for staff and parents to take a breather with a coffee or tea.

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To encourage everyone to share the love, an appreciation station was set up, inviting everyone in the hospital to write personal notes of thanks and encouragement to one another.

Attendees were treated to a mini pancake station from The Waffle Bar and a custom cake bar provided by Bellatorta NI, while singer Karen Maisie Mullan provided a beautiful acoustic backdrop to the day’s celebrations.

Wellness and relaxation were also a priority, with Yumi Ash from Nagomi Wellness providing hand massages and Gerard from Balanced Living offering Reiki sessions, both of whom generously donated their time to support the well-being of parents and staff.

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Aoife Hunter, head of marketing and communications for Little Heroes, said: “We wanted to show the paediatric team, the parents, and the families exactly how much the community stands behind them.

“From the ‘Love Train’ on the wards to the singers and the pancake bar, the energy was incredible. We are so grateful to our partners—from those providing the logistics like Agnew Leasing to those providing the treats like Tayto and Musgrave—for helping us show this appreciation in such a unique and meaningful way.”

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ITV confirms replacement for Grantchester as season 10 comes to an end

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Daily Mirror

The final episode of Grantchester’s tenth season is set to air tonight, with another show set to replace it.

ITV’s ‘Grantchester’ returns to our screens for a seventh series

The tenth season of Grantchester has been delighting ITV viewers over recent weeks, but it’s set to come to an end tonight (Thursday, February 19).

The British crime drama was first broadcast in 2014 and followed Anglican vicar Sidney Chambers (James Norton), who investigated a series of mysterious wrongdoings in his small Cambridgeshire village. Sidney undertook his sleuthing adventures alongside Detective Inspector Geordie Keating (Robson Green).

Geordie has partnered with several vicars over the years, including Reverend Will Davenport (Tom Brittney), and most recently, Alphy Kottaram (Rishi Nair).

Geordie and Alphy embarked on several new investigations when the show returned to ITV for its tenth season last month. As well as solving cases, there have also been some emotional revelations, including Alphy tearfully reading a letter written by his mother when she gave him up for adoption.

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The heartbreaking scenes left viewers in tears, with one person writing on X (formerly Twitter): “What another brilliant, heartbreaking and heartwarming episode of #Grantchester. Top performances from all the cast. I’m absolutely broken.”

Another added: “I’m in absolute bits. Absolutely broke me,” while others have praised the cast’s compelling performances.

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“Once again, Robson Green knocking it out of the park tonight,” one person wrote, with another adding: “Honestly #Grantchester is up there with the best on TV with great performances. I have no idea why @ITV @itvstudios @masterpiecepbs are ending it.”

Grantchester has had viewers gripped every week and will likely leave a gaping hole when the last episode airs at 9pm tonight. Ahead of the final season airing sometime next year, ITV bosses have confirmed what will takeover from Grantchester on Thursday nights.

The first episode of True Crime Presents’ second season, Murder on a Knife’s Edge, is set to begin at 9pm on Thursday, February 26.

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new Everything Gossip website

It will centre around the case of Wayne Coventry, who sought love after 18 years with his childhood sweetheart, but the 37-year-old father-of-three was involved in a toxic relationship, and was sadly murdered in October 2019.

The first series of True Crime Presents aired last year, offering thought provoking and insightful input from victims and witnesses on a series of shocking murders.

The initial ten episodes explored several heartbreaking cases, including the death of EastEnders star Gemma McCluskie and 17-year-old Shafilea Ahmed.

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Fans have praised the show since its release, with one IMDb user writing: “Quite a decent documentary series. Experts and witnesses given an in-depth analysis on five different murders… The stories are all engaging, some you may know quite well, while others may be new to you.”

Murder on a Knife’s Edge: True Crime Presents premieres at 9pm on Thursday, February 26 on ITV1, while Grantchester is available to stream on ITVX

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A628 Woodhead Pass shut due to ‘adverse weather’ as heavy snow expected

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Manchester Evening News

The Met Office has issued a yellow level warning for snow across several parts of the United Kingdom

National Highways has shut a busy road in the Peak District as adverse weather is expected overnight.

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The A628 Woodhead Pass is closed in both directions between the A616 (Flouch) and the A57 (Hollingworth) late on Wednesday, February 18 and into Thursday, February 19. National Highways said the closure is a result if forecasted adverse weather conditions overnight.

The busy route links Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire.

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National Highways has advised road users to use the M60, M62 and M1 as alternative routes.

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“Road users are also advised to allow extra time for their journey. Plan ahead, you may wish to re-route or even delay your journey,” National Highways said.

The Met Office has issued a “yellow” level snow warning for both Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire on Wednesday and into Thursday. Several other areas across the United Kingdom are also under the warning.

Between two to five centimetres of snow could accumulate quite widely above 150 to 200 metres, the forecaster said. Between 10 to 15 centimetres is possible in parts above 250 to 300 metres in mid and southeast Wales, as well as Herefordshire, Shropshire and the southern Pennines.

The Met Office said some small accumulations of snow, typically less than two centimetres, are possible to lower elevations. This is most likely from later Wednesday evening into the early hours of Thursday morning.

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I tried steaks from 7 different supermarkets and the cheapest tasted the best

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Manchester Evening News

I compared sirloin steaks from seven supermarkets and was shocked by the difference in quality, price and flavour.

Steak is a real treat in our household, reserved only for special occasions and celebrations.

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In the run-up to Valentine’s Day, I decided to purchase sirloin steaks from seven supermarkets to see if they all measured up equally.

I bought individual steaks from Asda, Tesco, M&S, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons and I was surprised by the variation in quality, price, size and taste, reports Birmingham Live.

I asked my family to help me sample the steaks and here’s what we discovered.

Tesco

Tesco Sirloin Steak costs £6.50 for 227g, which works out to £28.63 per kilo.

It was 21-day matured British beef, had the Red Tractor logo for certified standards and was described as a ‘tender prime cut matured for extra flavour’.

Per 100g, it contained 21.6g of protein, had a 12-day shelf life and was suitable for freezing.

This appeared to be very red with a good marbling of fat running through it when it was raw in the packet.

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However, once it was cooked, the texture was quite fatty and it was very chewy. We gave it 2 out of 5 stars.

Morrisons

Morrisons Sirloin Steak costs £7 for 227g, which works out to £30.84 per kilo.

Twenty-one day matured British beef, it also had the Red Tractor logo.

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Per 100g, it contained 21.6g of protein, had a 16-day shelf life and was suitable for freezing.

This looked like a big chunky steak in the brown cardboard packaging.

It had the least amount of fat along the length and none of the end. In fact, it appeared somewhat processed compared to the others, as it was a very smooth cut and there wasn’t much visible marbling of fat and very little blood once opened.

Upon cooking, it was chewy and a bit dry, it needed mustard to make it enjoyable. We gave it 2 out of 5 stars.

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Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s Sirloin Steak costs £6.50 for 225g, which works out to £28.89 per kilo.

I couldn’t spot the Red Tractor logo on this one, just the union flag to show it was slaughtered in Great Britain, but it said it was ‘expertly matured for 21 days for tenderness and reared by our trusted farmers. ‘.

It had a 12-day shelf life and was freezable.

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Per 100g, it contained 27.6g of protein, had a 16-day shelf life and was suitable for freezing.

This one appeared to have a large chunk of fat on the end and all along the rim. It meant we had to trim a fair bit off once it was cooked.

However, the steak that remained was succulent, tender and bursting with flavour. We gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

Lidl

Lidl Sirloin Steak costs £5.49 for 195g, which works out to £28.15 per kilo.

Again, 21-day matured British beef, it had the Red Tractor logo.

Per 100g, it contained 23.5g of protein, had a 12-day shelf life and was suitable for freezing.

This was the bloodiest of all the steaks upon opening the plastic packaging.

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To me, it appeared the most appetising when raw but I suppose that depends on how you like your steak. There was a narrow strip of fat running along the length and at the end with excellent marbling throughout.

And it didn’t disappoint. It was packed with flavour and so delicious, it would have been a sin to add mustard.

We gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

Aldi

Aldi’s Ashfields Sirloin Steak costs £5.49 for 195g, which works out to £28.15 per kilo.

It was 21-day matured British beef and had the Red Tractor logo and was said to be reared on ‘trusted British farms to assured welfare standards’.

Per 100g, it contained 23.5g of protein, had a 14-day shelf life and was suitable for freezing.

This was the most vibrant red of all the steaks once the white cardboard packaging was opened.

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It appeared the most succulent too with a modest amount of fat along the length and the end and really excellent marbling throughout.

And it tasted as impressive as it looked – tender, juicy and bursting with flavour. We gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

M&S

MandS Sirloin Steak costs £7.75 for 227g, which works out to £34.14 per kilo.

It was 21-day matured British beef and didn’t have the Red Tractor logo but said ‘MandS is the only national retailer who can trace all our beef back to every farm and animal. Always British’.

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Per 100g, it contained 21.6g of protein, had a 13-day shelf life and was suitable for freezing.

This appeared like a substantial chunky steak in plastic, recyclable packaging.

It had a strip of fat along the top and a portion of fat at the end. Compared to the others, this piece of meat appeared pale and there wasn’t much blood upon opening.

Once cooked, it was tender, not at all sinewy or chewy, but it wasn’t as flavoursome as some of the others. We gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

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Asda

Asda Sirloin Steak costs £6.97 for 227g, although it says it costs £6.64 online, which works out to £29.25 per kilo.

Described as ‘hand selected and matured for 21 days, a flavourful and tender cut’, this was British beef and carried the Red Tractor logo.

Per 100g, it contained 24g of protein, had a 10-day shelf life and was suitable for freezing.

This steak appeared nicely marbled with fat when raw and it was tender and flavoursome once cooked.

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There was however a large chunk of meat that was inedible because it was just fat, which was somewhat disappointing as the rest tasted good. We gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Overall verdict

The steak with the highest protein content was the one from Sainsbury’s, which stated on the label ‘healthy choice, high in protein’ but it wasn’t the tastiest.

The priciest was M&S followed by Morrisons but, again, they weren’t our favourites.

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For us, the best by far were the Aldi and Lidl sirloin steaks – and they were the cheapest per kilo too.

The Lidl one was slightly more flavoursome so that was probably the best overall but we’d definitely purchase either of them again.

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‘Redundant’ water tower set for transformation into new family home

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Cambridgeshire Live

Plans have been approved by Huntingdonshire District Council to turn an old water tower into a four-bedroom home.

A “redundant” water tower on the edge of a Cambridgeshire village is set to be converted into a family home.

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Huntingdonshire District Council has granted planning permission for the Perry Water Tower, in Crow Spinney Lane, Perry, to be turned into a four-bedroom home.

Timothy Matthews, who submitted the application, said he and his wife Lydia Dearden want to turn the old water tower into their new home.

He said: “We are hoping to convert the redundant water tower to become our family home. We are both retired and want to create our new shared family home in Perry.

“The water tower has been redundant for several years and has not been maintained by the previous owner who purchased the property from Anglian Water approximately three years ago.

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“We believe the [proposed] design is of high quality and will enhance the street scene, specifically we have not increased the height and we have not included any windows on the elevations that overlook our three neighbours to ensure their privacy and avoid any light pollution.”

The plans proposed to create four-bedrooms, as well as building a single-storey extension to the back, and the creation of a standalone double garage.

The floorplans submitted to the district council show how rooms are proposed to be created within the old water tower, with main rooms in the centre of each floor, and smaller rooms around the edge.

Two balconies are also proposed to be created on the first floor of the water tower. The plans also show how a spiral staircase and a lift are proposed to be installed.

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A planning officer at the district council who considered the application said the current water tower is a “stark concrete structure”.

They said the materials proposed to be used as part of the conversion would be acceptable and that the “scale, bulk and design of the development would not harm the general character of the area”.

The district council granted planning permission for the work subject to conditions, including that work must start within three years.

For more planning notices in your area visit publicnoticeportal.uk .

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Veterans threaten to sue MoD over LGBT compensation

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Veterans threaten to sue MoD over LGBT compensation

Angela Jackman KC, a partner at Irwin Mitchell, representing the veterans, said: “The Scheme makes no allowance for Dismissed or Discharged Payment to potentially thousands of enlisted personnel who say they were subjected to discrimination and harassment, including disciplinary proceedings, which forced them to resign.

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Safety gear, training, on avalanches key to outings in wilderness

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Shootings at school and home in northeastern British Columbia leave 10 dead, including shooter

An avalanche — a mass of snow moving down a slope — happens most often in the wilderness. Watching for forecasts, bringing the proper gear and getting training to prepare for them can help with outings, according to the National Avalanche Center.

Each winter, about 25 people on average die in avalanches in the United States, the center says, adding, “Some days are dangerous and some days are not.”

Here’s a look at avalanches, how they occur and some tips on how to stay safe:

How do avalanches occur?

It generally takes just two ingredients to create dangerous conditions: A slope of 30 degrees or more and layers upon layers of snow.

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Extra pressure on top of that snowpack from weight, wind, rain, heavy snow or motion can cause some of the layers to shear off and slide downhill.

Sometimes a slide happens in the form of loose snow, called a sluff. Sluffs account for only a small percentage of deaths and property damage from avalanches, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center.

Other avalanches are made up of slabs, which happen when a large layer of snow breaks away. Those account for most fatalities.

Another kind of avalanche occurs when wind creates a cornice of snow that hangs over a ridge or the edge of a steep slope. The overhang can collapse suddenly, catching anyone underneath or on top of it by surprise, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

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What triggers an avalanche?

Movement, rapidly changing weather, wind — any one of these things can set off an avalanche. But experts say 90% of slides that cause an injury or death are triggered by the victim or a companion.

That means people who ski, snowmobile, snowshoe or enjoy other winter backcountry activities should check the avalanche forecast before they head out and make sure they have the right safety gear.

Most ski resorts have avalanche protocols or mitigation systems. Often that means checking snowpack stability. Remote detonations are also used to trigger slides intentionally and remove risky buildup before skiers are allowed on the slopes, said Chris Lundy, an avalanche specialist with the National Avalanche Center.

How can one avoid an avalanche?

Don’t think for a second that you can outrun one. Dry slab avalanches typically reach speeds up to 80 mph (129 kph) within seconds, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center. Wet avalanches usually travel around 20 mph (32 kph).

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By comparison eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt set a record of just under 28 mph (45 kph) in the 100-meter dash in 2009 — and that was on a flat track, not a snow-covered slope. Most people caught in avalanches are on the slope when they occur.

The better plan is to make sure you’re not in a place where one is at risk of occurring. Outdoor enthusiasts can check forecasts at regional avalanche centers or www.avalanche.org.

If you do venture out, it’s a good idea to use the buddy system and be versed in wilderness first aid. Experts say three pieces of gear are essential: an avalanche beacon or transceiver, which sends location signals to others; a shovel to test snowpack or dig out companions; and a thin, folding pole to poke into the snow in search of anyone buried. An avalanche airbag backpack that inflates after the skier pulls the trigger giving the person a chance to stay above or close to the surface during an avalanche.

What were some recent avalanches?

On Jan. 5, an avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada buried a snowmobiler in snow and killed him, authorities said. The snowmobiler was initially reported missing but then was found under the snow several minutes later, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

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In June 2025, a skier died after being caught in an avalanche on Alaska’s Mount McKinley, North America’s tallest peak. The Denali National Park and Preserve said the skier and his climbing partner, a snowboarder, triggered the avalanche high on the 20,310-foot (6,190-meter) peak while descending a slope.

That March, a snowmachiner riding on the backside of a popular winter recreation area about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southeast of Anchorage, triggered an avalanche after riding over a weak layer of snow that was buried under newer snow, according to the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center. He was buried about 10-feet (3-meter) deep in the slide that measured about 500 feet (152 meters) wide.

Earlier that month, three heli-skiers were killed. That accident happened when they were caught in an avalanche near Girdwood, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Anchorage. Heli-skiing is a type of backcountry skiing that involves using a helicopter to access remote areas and slopes of fresh snow.

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TUI launches new route from Manchester to beautiful Spanish city

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Manchester Evening News

TUI will offer city breaks to the Basque Country destination from Manchester Airport this spring, with flights taking under two hours

has introduced a new city break destination to its spring line-up, located in a region of Spain that’s increasingly catching the attention of Brits and boasts a distinctive charm.

For those weary of the Spanish Costas and seeking to avoid the typical crowded tourist locales, Northern Spain is emerging as an alternative for Brits keen to explore a different side of the country. The Basque Country alone witnessed a 40% surge in visitors last year, although this still only equates to 182,000 tourists annually – a mere fraction compared to Southern Spain.

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Bilbao, nestled in the heart of the Basque Country, serves as an excellent introduction to this part of Spain, offering a chance to immerse oneself in the area’s unique beauty and culture.

This spring, TUI will be providing city breaks to Bilbao from four major UK airports: Bristol, London-Gatwick, London-Heathrow, and Manchester. With flights from the UK clocking in at around two hours, it’s perfect for a long weekend or mini break.

In a Lonely Planet article, one travel writer wrote: “When your plane banks toward Bilbao Airport for the final approach, the lush forest passing below looks nothing like the Spain you thought you knew.”

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This region’s climate and landscapes are vastly different from the arid, sun-drenched south, offering milder conditions that provide relief from summer heatwaves. Between March and April, daytime temperatures hover around 17C, whilst throughout summer months they reach approximately 26C, as the south frequently swelters in mid-30s heat.

The area also receives greater rainfall than its southern counterpart, lending the surroundings a vibrant green appearance.

Situated along the Nervión River’s banks, Bilbao’s most beloved area is its historic quarter, known locally as Casco Viejo. Featuring vibrant buildings from medieval periods, an impressive cathedral, and the stunning neoclassical Plaza Nueva, packed with bars and eateries, it makes for an ideal short break location.

By contrast, the Guggenheim Museum, with its distinctive Frank Gehry-designed facade, stands apart from everything else in the city, yet attracts visitors with its extensive contemporary art collection. Even without stepping inside, it’s worthwhile passing by to admire its titanium-covered exterior gleaming in the sunlight.

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Beyond its cultural attractions, Bilbao is renowned for its vibrant culinary scene, and whilst exploring the streets, you’ll discover numerous pintxos bars. A northern variation on tapas, pintxos consist of bite-sized bread portions topped with ingredients ranging from jamón to seafood or cheese, secured together with a cocktail stick.

Another renowned product of Northern Spain is its Rioja wines, which perfectly complement a serving of pintxos. You can indulge in a day trip to nearby vineyards, or simply pop into one of the numerous wine bars for a tasting session.

TUI’s offers feature a 7-night stay at the 4T NYX Hotel Bilbao by Leonardo Hotels on a room only basis from £583 per person. The price is based on two adults sharing a Double or Twin Comfort Room, departing from London Gatwick on 14th April 2026 with hand luggage only.

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Alternatively, you can reserve a seven-night holiday at Hotel Sirimiri on a room-only basis from £451 per person. The price is based on two adults sharing a Double or Twin Standard Room, departing from London Heathrow on 21st April 2026 with hand luggage only.

Prices are subject to availability and may vary. For more information, visit the TUI website or download the official app.

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