Youngsters are invited to dive into a morning of creativity and imagination at a special “Under The Sea” arts and crafts class taking place in Westhoughton this summer.

The fun-filled session will give children the chance to create their own colourful underwater-themed artwork, inspired by magical ocean creatures, vibrant coral reefs, shimmering bubbles, and fascinating sea life.

Designed to encourage creativity and self-expression, the class is suitable for all abilities, with no previous art experience needed.

Children can enjoy exploring different materials and techniques while creating a unique masterpiece to take home.

The Under The Sea workshop will be held at The Hub, Westhoughton, on Wednesday, 22 July, from 10am to 11.30am.

Organisers say the session will provide a relaxed and enjoyable environment where children can make new friends, have fun, and let their imaginations run wild beneath the waves.

Places are limited and early booking is encouraged, with ticket prices at just £10 per person.

Richard Bacon has laid bare the ‘deep sense of shame’ over his Blue Peter cocaine scandal which saw him sacked from the iconic presenting job back in 1998. 

In an interview on podcast How To Fail, Richard, 50, recalled being ‘betrayed’ by his best friend who he claims sold the story that led to his sacking. 

Richard told Elizabeth Day: ‘Well, the biggest shame about it is, some time later, I don’t know how much time later, my mum told me it was the only time that she’d heard my dad cry, ever.

‘He’s just from that generation that doesn’t. His own dad came out of World War 2 and didn’t show emotion. 

‘The News Of The World comes out on a Sunday and this is now the Monday morning. [Dad’s] got to go to court where he works, [as a criminal defence lawyer] and he went into the shower to cry. 

The drug scandal made Richard the first presenter to be fired from Blue Peter in the show’s then 40-year history – Pictured L-R Konnie Huq, Richard Bacon, Katy Hill and Stuart Miles in 1998 

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Richard said: ‘The biggest shame about it is, some time later, I don’t know how much time later, my mum told me it was the only time that she’d heard my dad cry, ever.

‘He turned on the shower, so that [mum] wouldn’t hear him cry. He didn’t want her to know. She didn’t tell me at the time. She left it quite a while to be honest. 

‘Even to this day, she said It’s the only time I’ve ever heard him cry. So when she told me that story, I felt a deep sense of shame.’

The drug scandal made Richard the first presenter to be fired from Blue Peter in the show’s then 40-year history. 

He knew it was his best friend who had sold the story.  

‘I’d worked with him at Radio Nottingham,’ he said. And what happened was, well, what happened was I took some cocaine.’

Richard said that while he didn’t take the drug regularly, he had taken it before. 

He added: ‘You would see other people get caught up in that and they would always say, “I didn’t do that… it was my first time” and I would be like really, the first time you did it happened to be the time you got caught?

‘The first time I took it was in a nightclub called Browns in Covent Garden with that guy that you alluded to whose name I am not going to use.

‘We were best mates and he got a wrap of it and I took the whole wrap at once. I didn’t really understand it and I threw up, but I had taken it a handful of times before that. 

‘I think he was jealous of me. So I did 20 months on Blue Peter, pretty much the same amount of time that Keir Starmer was Prime Minister.

Richard famously fell seriously ill with a mystery lung infection in July 2018 and was put into a medically-induced coma, with doctors telling Bacon and his family they ‘expected him to die’

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Richard has been married to wife Rebecca for more than a decade – they tied the knot back in 2008 and have two children together 

‘We went out and obviously I shouldn’t have done that. Blue Peter was such a big opportunity and I loved the job and I still really respect it as a programme… It was an incredible job to have at age 21, 22.’

Richard revealed his agent called him when he was out with his dad and he just said, ‘It’s News Of The World, cocaine and lots of it. Those were the exact words.’

He recalled going round to the home of Oliver McFarlane, the then editor of Blue Peter and explained what had happened. 

Then Lorraine Heggessey, the Head of Children’s BBC said she would have to let Richard go.  

He said: ‘Then I had to hand in my badge. It’s like leaving the LAPD. You have to hand in your badge, your Blue Peter badge. I could no longer get in free to the Motor Museum at Bewley.’

Richard confirmed that he did in fact get his Blue Peter badge back 20 years later when he was invited to the show’s 60th anniversary. 

He said: ‘Peter Purvis, in front of all the other Blue Peter presenters, off camera,  pinned one on me in front of them. And he said, all is forgiven. And all the other Blue Peter presenters applauded.’

In 2018, Richard was left ‘quite close to death’ for two days after suffering a mystery lung infection after he was taken ill on a transatlantic flight on July 5. 

He told Elizabeth about the harrowing ordeal of being placed in a medically-induced coma after a sudden respiratory collapse and being told by doctors he was not expected to survive. 

When he arrived at the hospital, the consultant Vic, who saved his life, looked at his chest X-ray and explained that they would need to put him into a coma in 20 minutes time. 

So he emailed Nick Jones, the founder of Soho House Festival, where he wa due to attend and asked if he might be able to give his ticket to someone else so it wouldn’t go to waste. 

He also told his friend Ewan he would not be able to make their dinner arrangement. 

Two or three months later, Richard ran into his consultant when he was back at the hospital making a documentary and he simply said: ‘We expected you to die.’

Richard explained: ‘I went to blood oxygen 58. If you go below 60, you die or get brain damage. And I’m not dead.

’40 people worked on me and I hallucinated and became convinced the nurses were trying to murder me. So when I made my complaint, I f***ing meant it.’ 

Richard admitted to an ongoing problem with alcohol addiction, saying he has ‘been to AA many times. 

He said: ‘I still daydream a lot about stopping drinking. It’s a very hard one because I like it so much, but it’s caused me a lot of problems in my life.” 

‘I’m certainly saying I’m an addict. And what I learned about ADHD is a lot of people with it will use alcohol or stimulants to sort of make up for the fact, even though you don’t know it at the time, that the blood flow is moving too slowly here. So there’s a correlation between all of that, I think.’

Richard went on to become the founder of the production company Yes Yes Media, hosted BBC Radio 5 Live and also hosts the podcast Why Are You More Successful Than Me? 

He is happily married to Capital Radio’s marketing manager Rebecca since 2008 and they have two children, Arthur and Ivy.

Monkton’s village status has been re-designated and changed to a ‘town’ following a population growth that’s taken it above the 1000-resident threshold.

The reclassification of the village of Monkton to town status has been branded “a piece of nonsense.”

Monkton’s village status has been re-designated and changed to a ‘town’ following a population growth that’s taken it above the 1000-resident threshold.

The announcement by the Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP) follows research involving the latest version of Understanding Scottish Places (USP) – a unique platform which offers insight into the social and economic dynamics of towns across Scotland.

Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP) is the national body for Scotland’s town centres and provides policy expertise, advice and best practice guidance to support a wide range of projects across Scotland.

And USP provides data on population, housing, employment, business activity and public services, while also enabling towns to benchmark themselves against similar places.

Scotland’s Towns Partnership worked in collaboration with the University of Stirling, supported by the Scottish Government, to significantly expand the USP dataset.

And, according to the data, Monkton has “evolved significantly” from its historical roots in spinning and corn milling, while its proximity to Prestwick Airport has “shaped its modern identity” with development “centred around industries supporting aircraft maintenance.”

However, one Monkton resident, Harry Middleditch, says the reclassification of the village to a town is a joke.

He said: “Monkton hasn’t changed in 40 years that I’ve been here. We don’t have a doctors, we don’t have a dentist, we’ve not got a pub, we’ve got nothing!

“And it’s taken us seven years just to get a chemist and it’s only been open for a year and a bit. Monkton is a simple dormitory for other places like Glasgow. South Ayrshire Council have done nothing for us.”

Mr Middleditch argues that infrastructure – such as he previously mentioned – would come as ‘standard’ if Monkton really were a town.

He said: “If we were a town, why do we not have the amenities of a town? We don’t even have a pub because the Brewers Fayre is shut.

“Apart from four shops we don’t have anything.”

Joining Monkton in reclassified town status is Lamlash, on the Isle of Arran.

Lamlash serves as a summer ferry link to Argyll. Now situated within a marine protected area and with a population size larger than Brodick, it continues to support both residents and visitors alike.

Kimberley Guthrie, STP’s Chief Officer, said: “The comparison tool is one of the most exciting elements of USP, allowing towns to immediately compare themselves with similar places. That means these places can learn from each other – potentially demonstrating the art of the possible when it comes to regeneration.

“USP supports organisations of all kinds to understand how places across Scotland are similar, emphasising shared characteristics and opportunities to build knowledge on their local context.

“The data often highlights unseen or unrecognised challenges and opportunities which can inform planning, management and policy decisions.”

Across Scotland, there has been a net gain of 29 towns since the first iteration of USP was compiled- 508 places with a population of more than 1,000, compared to 479 in 2014.

The data for USP has the most recent census results as its foundation, but pulls in facts from a variety of other sources to broaden the analysis available.

Statistics are compared with those based on the 2011 census and other research which created the previous version of the website.

Anne Findlay, a Research Fellow at the University of Stirling, led analysis of the data.

She said: “The statistics show that towns are developing in new and interesting ways, but USP also helps people understand how towns relate to each other. That’s important.”

But Harry Middleditch hit back at the news, saying: “To call Monkton a town is a piece of nonsense and you can quote me on that. South Ayrshire Council has taken a village and destroyed the village. If they want to build houses here then what’s happening with the infrastructure? We need more shops and facilities for the people.”

South Ayrshire Council has been approached for a response.

To view all of the data, go to www.usp.scot and follow the search functions.

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An interception can last less than a second. A defender reads a pass, steps into its path and reaches the ball before its intended recipient. Yet that brief movement requires the brain to judge speed, distance and direction while the body accelerates, changes course and maintains balance.

Interceptions show how closely thought and movement are connected, and how mental and physical fatigue can disrupt that connection. As players tire, they must still decide whether to move and continually adjust their speed. A fraction too late, and both the player and their defence can be left exposed.

At the start of the 2026 World Cup semi-final week, France defender Dayot Upamecano led the tournament with 12 interceptions. His tally shows how often an elite defender must make these rapid judgments during a major tournament.

Interceptions also featured prominently in Cape Verde’s first World Cup campaign. The tournament debutants recorded 15 in their Group H opener as they held Euro 2024 winners Spain to a 0-0 draw. They averaged roughly 13 interceptions per match across four games, advancing from their group before losing 3-2 after extra time to defending champions Argentina in the round of 32.

Those figures do not prove that interceptions caused Cape Verde’s success. A high total can also show that a team spent long periods defending. But cutting out passes helped them disrupt opponents who had more of the ball and create chances to counterattack before those opponents could reorganise.

Player fatigue

To understand how fatigue can affect this work, it helps to examine what an interception demands from the brain and body.

A player must predict where the ball will travel and whether they can reach it first. Research on anticipation in sport suggests that skilled athletes combine their knowledge of the situation with visual information from an opponent’s movement. A defender may use the passer’s posture and approach to the ball to anticipate the direction of the pass.

Once the ball is played, its speed becomes critical. In an experimental study of well-trained amateur footballers, players were less likely to attempt an interception as passes became faster, and their chances of success also fell.

Distance influences the decision too. A study of senior male futsal players found that the defender’s initial distance from the ball helped determine whether an interception was possible. Yet players kept changing their speed in relation to the ball’s path until the action ended. An interception is therefore an unfolding process rather than a single decision.

Experience improves these judgments without making them infallible. A football-specific study comparing expert and less-expert athletes found that participants initially overestimated their ability to complete an interception task. Their estimates became more accurate with practice, suggesting that players can recalibrate their judgments when given direct information about what their bodies can do.

That calibration may become harder as fatigue develops. Mental fatigue is the tiredness and reduced alertness that can follow sustained concentration. In a study of 20 professional male footballers, completing a demanding 30-minute mental task impaired passing decisions during a subsequent training match.

Another study of well-trained male players found that mental fatigue reduced the speed and accuracy of football-specific decisions.

These studies examined passing and general football decisions rather than interceptions, so they cannot show that mental fatigue directly causes missed interceptions. But interceptions draw on many of the same processes: selecting visual information, judging speed and distance, predicting what will happen and choosing an action under time pressure.

Physical fatigue adds another difficulty because a pass that was reachable earlier in a match may no longer be reachable at the same speed. Research involving 24 trained male players found that acute physical fatigue reduced how far and how intensely they moved. It also changed some aspects of their positioning and team play.

A related study found that players with stronger decision-making skills maintained their positioning and effectiveness under acute physical fatigue, partly by moving at a slower pace. Those with weaker decision-making skills maintained more of their physical output but became less effective in their positioning and defensive play.

This suggests that better decision-makers may adapt their movement as their physical capacity changes. A tired defender must estimate where the ball is going while responding to what their body can still do without abandoning a useful position.

Deception and disguise

Opponents can make that judgment harder by manipulating the information available. Research on deception in competitive sport describes how athletes disguise their intentions. A passer might shape towards one teammate before sending the ball elsewhere. By the time the true direction becomes clear, the defender may already have shifted their weight towards the wrong passing lane.

Waiting can provide better information, but it gives the ball more time to travel. Moving early increases the chance of arriving first, but also makes the defender more vulnerable to disguise.

The findings have implications for training, workload management and recovery. Research on designing realistic practice argues that training should preserve the important information and actions found in competition. Interception drills should therefore include moving opponents, varied pass speeds, realistic starting distances and deception.

Coaches must also consider the condition in which players make these decisions. Fatigue can reduce their physical capacity and, in some circumstances, affect the decision itself. Monitoring how far and how intensely players run may therefore overlook changes in their ability to make rapid judgments.

The aim is not simply to produce more interceptions. Effective defenders learn which opportunities are reachable and continue adjusting as the pass unfolds. They must also adapt their decisions as fatigue changes what their bodies can achieve. By the time Upamecano reaches the ball, the visible action is only the final part of a demanding calculation made under pressure.

Kenya’s High Court has dismissed a bid by a Rastafarian group seeking to legalise the use of cannabis for religious purposes.

The Rastafarian community had argued that the ban on smoking cannabis infringed on their rights to freedom of religion and belief guaranteed under the constitution.

In a landmark judgement, Justice Bahati Mwamuye said the community had failed to prove drug laws violated their constitutional rights, but acknowledged the need for a broader national debate on cannabis.

There has been a continued push to legalise cannabis in Kenya, with advocates arguing that its regulated cultivation and trade could create jobs, boost tax revenue and support industrial and medicinal uses.

Under Kenya’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, possession of cannabis remains a criminal offence.

A person convicted of possessing cannabis solely for personal use is liable to up to five years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to $800 (£600).

Cultivating cannabis carries a penalty of a fine of $1,900 or three times the market value of the plants, whichever is greater, and/or up to 20 years in jail.

More severe penalties apply to trafficking and other drug-related offences.

In their petition, the Rastafari Society of Kenya had argued that cannabis was a sacred sacrament in their faith and sought permission for followers to grow, possess and use it privately during worship without fear of arrest.

It maintained it was not asking for the wholesale legalisation of cannabis, but a limited exemption for religious purposes in private homes and designated places of worship.

In their submission, the Rastafarians argued that smoking cannabis was part of their religious doctrine which must be respected and upheld.

But the state opposed their plea, arguing that creating a religious exemption would undermine the enforcement of Kenya’s anti-drug laws and could create loopholes for illegal cannabis trafficking.

Justice Mwamuye also found that the evidence presented on the centrality of cannabis to the Rastafari faith was inconsistent and insufficient to establish that its use was an essential element of the religion.

He upheld the constitutionality of the drug laws prohibiting the cultivation, possession and use of cannabis, dealing a major blow to the Rastafarians’ six-year legal battle.

The judge noted that any exemption permitting the use of cannabis for religious purposes would require a sound constitutional and legal foundation.

“We ought to have frank conversations on cannabis and which directions we should take,” Justice Mwamuye said.

“This is not a question for the Rastafarian community only. It is a national question that cuts across the entire spectrum of our society,” he added.

The judgment comes seven years after another High Court ruling recognised Rastafarianism as a protected religion in Kenya, finding that a school’s decision to expel a student over her dreadlocks violated her constitutional rights.

Harper Beckham looked every inch her mother’s daughter as she watched Spain‘s World Cup semi-final win over France on Tuesday night.

Victoria Beckham‘s youngest, who turned 15 last week, nailed her mother’s iconic Posh Spice pout as she watched Spain win 2-0 at the Dallas Stadium in Texas.

Harper wore a Spain football jacket while standing next to her brothers, Romeo, 23, and Cruz, 21, and Cruz’s girlfriend Jackie Apostel, 30.

Over his career, her dad David has played in both Spain and France, with stints at Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, but the Beckham family’s loyalty lay with Spain on Tuesday night. 

Wearing her Spain jacket from her brother Romeo’s retro-inspired sportswear brand Intra, Harper failed to raise a smile, thereby looking the spitting image of her mum.  

Earlier this week, David defended his wife Victoria, insisting she was ‘celebrating on the inside’ after her subdued reaction to England’s nail-biting World Cup quarter-final clash went viral.

Harper wore a Spain football jacket, as she showed off her best Posh Spice pout 

The Beckham family were among the stars watching the Three Lions match against Norway in Miami on Saturday night.

Whilst former England captain David and his kids went suitably wild when Jude Bellingham scored an epic goal in the first-half stoppage time, a pouting Victoria, 52, remained seated.

Photos of a cheering David leaping up from his seat whilst his wife, who famously rarely smiles, stayed seated have turned the Spice Girl into an instant meme, prompting David to jokingly defend his wife.

The football legend commented on stand-up comedian Jenny Johnson’s summary of the match, after she wrote: ‘There’s nothing like cheering your heart out for England from home, then they cut to Victoria and we see that classic Posh Spice smile! It’s so infectious!’

‘I used to think I got animated while watching sports, but Victoria blows my enthusiasm out of the water! Each time I see her I shout, “SPICE UP YOUR LIFE!!!!” because her energy is electric!!!’

Commenting with a string of crying laughing emojis, David wrote: ‘She was celebrating inside I promise her reactions were slightly slower than mine.’

Victoria did warm up to the infectious energy inside Miami Stadium as she was later seen getting into the spirit by clapping along as England won the match 2-1.

The fashion designer and singer has famously said that she wasn’t a fan of football when she met David at a Manchester United match in 1997.

Victoria Beckham’s daughter, who turned 15 last week, nailed her mother’s iconic Posh Spice pout as the family watched Spain win 2-0 at the Dallas Stadium in Texas

The teenager pouted and posed with her brother Romeo whilst sporting one of his designs from his retro sportswear brand

Harper wore a Spain football jacket, while standing next to her brothers, Romeo, 23, and Cruz, 21 and his girlfriend Jackie Apostel, 30

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Wearing her Spain jacket from her brother Romeo’s retro-inspired sportswear brand Intra, Harper failed to raise a smile, thereby looking the spitting image of her mum

She took her seat beside Cruz’s girlfriend Jackie in the family’s VIP box 

Harper chatted to her big brothers as the game unfolded 

Her dad David has played in both Spain and France over his career but the Beckham family’s loyalty lay with Spain on Tuesday

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Harper looked a lot more cheerful as she greeted actor Timothee Chalamet and his dad Marc in the VIP seats in Dallas 

Ever the doting wife, Victoria ensured she attended every game she could, but confessed she didn’t enjoy the sport because she didn’t feel ‘wanted’ when she was pitch side.

However, in recent years Victoria has had a change of heart after David retired and set up his own club Inter Miami.

Victoria told the Financial Times in 2024: ‘I never enjoyed watching football. I never felt necessarily wanted [at the matches]. I’m not saying this as in, poor me, but it was never the fun that it is now.

‘Now, when we’re in Miami, I feel wanted. I’m friends with the families of the players.’

Victoria has now joined David at two World Cup games and will no doubt be in the crowd at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday to watch the semi final showdown between England and Argentina for the remaining spot in the final.

By REBECCA DAVISON, DEPUTY HEAD OF SHOWBIZ

Published: 09:52 BST, 15 July 2026 | Updated: 10:14 BST, 15 July 2026

Kasabian’s Serge Pizzorno has spoken about when lead singer Tom Meighan left the band following his assault conviction, admitting they’ve never spoken since. 

Tom left the band in July 2020, the day before he pleaded guilty to assaulting his now wife Vikki Ager at their home, the April before.

Serge, 45, was urged by his bandmates to ‘step up’ into the role of lead singer but he says that time was ‘dark, horrendous, you can’t even imagine how tough it was.’

He admits that the band could have ended once and for all.

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Serge and Tom, also 45, were once the best of friends and he told The Telegraph when asked if he misses him: ‘I miss the old Tom.’ 

He confirmed that they are no longer in touch and that the last time they spoke was ‘when it happened.’ 

Kasabian’s Serge Pizzorno has detailed the ‘dark and horrendous time’ lead singer Tom Meighan left the band following his assault conviction and says they’ve never spoken again 

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Serge said: ‘We were left with no choice but to ask Tom to leave the band. There is absolutely no way we can condone his assault conviction.

Tom pleaded guilty to assault and the band released two statements. One came the day before the case reached Leicester magistrates’ court. 

They stated Tom was stepping down by ‘mutual consent’ due to unspecified ‘personal issues.’

Tom was told to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and complete five days of rehabilitation. 

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After the case, the band released another to say they had made a joint decision to stop working with Tom as soon as they found out about the charges.  

Serge and Tom, also 45, (pictured) were once the best of friends and Serge said: ‘I miss the old Tom’. They have not spoken since his assault conviction against his now wife Vikki

Tom and Vikki married at Harbourgh Registry Office, Leicester, a year after his conviction, saying: ‘Tom has worked so hard on himself, his health, family unit and his relationship with Vikki over the past year’

Tom continues to have a career as a solo artist and he previously said of the band’s split to The Times: ‘We were together a long, long time, we were a family, we grew up together. That’s what’s so… hurtful.’ 

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In his latest interview, Serge was asked if he would have handled things differently and while he seems pained by what happened, he doesn’t appear to say so. 

‘The thing is with this,’ he said. ‘It’s too deep to go into the little ins and outs… It’s happened. It’s done.’  

Tom issued a public apology after his conviction back in 2020, in which he said: ‘I am very sorry and deeply regret my recent behaviour.

‘In no way am I trying to condone my actions or make excuses. I am completely to blame and accept all responsibility.’

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He went on to marry Vikki – one year after the wine-fuelled assault.

In a statement, the couple said: ‘We are pleased to share the news that on Tuesday the 13th July 2021, Tom Meighan and Vikki Ager were married at Market Harborough Registry Office, Leicester.

‘It was an intimate affair, in accordance with the latest Covid-19 guidelines, with the couple becoming husband and wife surrounded by their children, family and a few close friends. 

‘Tom has worked so hard on himself, his health, family unit and his relationship with Vikki over the past year.

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‘They are very much in love and looking forward to sharing the rest of their lives together.’

Kasabian will headline Boardmasters Festival on August 9 and Leeds Festival on August 27, Act III is released on September 4, via Sony.