The soft play has been a popular destination for children’s parties for the last few decades

A soft play that’s been popular for children’s parties for three decades is closing. Activity World in Peterborough has been a popular destination for birthday parties for years.

However, the soft play is set to close in March 2027 after 30 years. In a social media post, an Activity World spokesperson said: “You may have seen the announcement in the local press that the site is to close next year.

“Whilst the business has always remained profitable, the increased costs we are facing together with the Government legislation has made it very difficult to continue, so we have decided to call it a day.”

The soft play will stay open in order for people to “enjoy the facilities a few more times”. The spokesperson added: “We accept after 30 years the site could be viewed as tired, but we have tried hard to maintain a clean environment, which is difficult when you have thousands of children through your door each year.

“We have always tried to be very price competitive, so we remain around 30 per cent cheaper than our rivals, so if you would like to come along at some time we would love to see you.”

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Saturday Night Live UK targeted Ed Sheeran this weekend for his ‘fence-sitting’ on recent events.

The Shape of You singer, 35, has come under fire for his lukewarm response to rapper Macklemore being cut from his Loop tour.

The American rap artist, 43, was removed from Sheeran’s tour after opening at a New Jersey concert in early September.

‘A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so that I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very, very dear to my heart: Free Palestine,’ he’d said, addressing the crowd.

After dedicating a song to pro-Palestinian protesters, he later went on to describe the ongoing situation as a ‘genocide,’ leading to criticism from pop star Pink, among other parties.

In the ensuing controversy, Sheeran has been criticised for his own cautious stance, failing to back up Macklemore after promoter Messina Touring Group cut him from the line-up.

With the furore still raging on – including a radio boycott and other acts (including Sheeran’s own backing band) now pulling out in solidarity with Macklemore – SNL has weighed in.

‘This week, the Israel/Palestine conflict just got serious,’ began segment presenter Ania Magliano.

‘Will Sheeran have to cancel the tour?’ she asked. ‘There’s a very real risk that he won’t.’

‘Genuinely though, this crisis is the worst thing that has happened to Ed Sheeran fans since their head injury.’

Magliano went on to explain how Macklemore had reportedly been dropped at the behest of billionaire stadium owner Robert Kraft, referencing a recent interview in which he said he’d dedicated most of his life to ‘building bridges.’

‘It’s going to break your heart when you find out who’s bombing those,’ she finished.

Co-host Paddy Young then picked up the ball to joke about how Jeffrey Epstein had ‘himself killed’ rather than be associated with Kraft’s 2019 solicitation case.

‘To his credit, Sheeran – seen here looking at both sides of the issue – has been a long-standing supporter of Ukraine,’ Young continued, taking a potshot at the singer’s lazy eye.

‘Say what you will about Ed, but he’s always been a passionate advocate of causes that are allowed,’ he finished.

The episode also featured an appearance from Sheeran himself – played by Annabel Marlow in its cold open.

‘I was just outside sitting on the fence,’ said Marlow’s Sheeran as he addressed King Charles III and an AI version of the late Princess Diana.

‘Thing is, Your Majesty, I don’t like to take sides. I don’t want to alienate any of my fans, humans or robots. A lot of my tickets are bought by scalping bots. You know, sometimes, when it comes to conflicts, the bravest thing you can do is to say nothing at all.’

As the episode aired, viewers took to X to register their shock at the brutal double beat-down.

This included DannyDeraney, who described it as ‘incredible,’ and StellarAvenger, who hailed the UK spin-off as ‘the cooler SNL.’

‘Sad that nothing in the US would dare to be this cutting,’ remarked jazzcupboard, while UpStartRadio called it ‘spicy, like the original SNL used to be.’

‘Holy s**t they got the assignment right with Ed Sheeran,’ said Loopluwu.

‘They’ve absolutely nailed it,’ wrote jake17watson, while BeckyTheStan credited the show for having ‘dragged Ed Sheeran so hard.’

‘That both sides joke was f*****g brutal along with ed sheeran fans having head injuries,’ remarked iamlokiodinson.

That same night, Sheeran himself took to the stage in Philadelphia, where he issued a tearful response to all that had happened.

‘I really didn’t know whether I’d be even getting on stage again, whether I even wanted to be an artist at all,’he said as he addressed the crowd.

‘In these situations, you really find out who your friends are, and it’s been a weird week. I just feel like it happened very quickly.’

He continued: ‘What happened in Israel and at the Nova music festival on October 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain.

‘What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, children’s lives.

‘And the systemic injustice we are seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked,’ he said, adding how ‘deeply worried’ he was that venues would start to ‘pre-approve’ artists and their content.

Two days before her Christian grandmother’s assisted dying procedure in Ontario, Canada, Brigitte Kranendonk sat her down to make sure she knew exactly what was going to happen.

‘I used very frank terms. I said: “Do you know that you’re going to die on Friday?”’

The 83-year-old was in visible disbelief and began crying for 45 minutes. ‘I’ve made a mistake,’ Brigitte Stegemann, known affectionately to her family as ‘GG’ or ‘Oma’, wailed.

‘She was bawling. Inconsolable,’ Kranendonk, a real estate agent who shares the same first name with her late grandmother, tells the Daily Mail.

In a cognitive test, designed to ascertain whether she was sound of mind enough to consent to Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), Stegemann ‘got every question wrong’, believing her two living siblings to be dead, according to Kranendonk.

Yet 48 hours after she wept uncontrollably at the notion of MAiD, Stegemann is said to have died with her hands clasped in prayer, covered in her own blood due to a botched first attempt at connecting the IV, administered by a nurse allegedly not wearing gloves.

Kranendonk is currently in the process of desperately appealing to the Chief Coroner’s Office in Ontario, as well as the Patient Ombudsman and Belleville Police, in a bid to ascertain whether what happened the morning of July 10 at The Pearl care home in Cannifton was legal.

Bereaved and distraught, she claims MAiD practitioners took advantage of her grandmother’s vulnerability to perform the procedure, which she alleges was carried out without express consent.

‘She was a vulnerable human being, and they saw an opportunity,’ Kranendonk says, her rage and sadness visible.

She suspects the MAiD practitioners were inappropriately ideologically motivated, and believes the chain of events leading up to the procedure should be investigated. 

It is understood that the practitioners and care home, who have not commented publicly, maintain that Stegemann had legally consented to proceed.

‘No one had ever done MAiD at this residential home before: this was their very first MAiD procedure. So I don’t know if they just dropped the ball, because they didn’t know what they were doing.’

The moment of Stegemann’s death was anything but peaceful, as she had once wished.

Recalling those nightmarish minutes, a traumatised Kranendonk speaks in the present tense, as if the procedure was still happening in slow motion. 

‘There was a phenomenal amount of blood,’ she says, describing the way that the nurse failed to find the correct vein in the right arm to insert the IV, before switching to the left – but only after having ‘poked her about three or four times with the needle’.

‘It is all over my Oma’s arm, it is all over her nightie, soaking through her pillow, all over the sheets, there is so much blood. 

‘And throughout all this time, mind you, the nurse is not wearing gloves.’

Another episode that still haunts Kranendonk is from February: she says she had to convince her grandmother to accept a medical port, a small device placed under the skin to provide a direct way for medicine to reach a vein.

After it was fitted, the 83-year-old repeatedly ripped it off, screaming: ‘I don’t want the death shot!’

Prior to Stegemann’s death that summer, Kranendonk had been her caregiver for 12 years, and her medical power of attorney for the past six.

A year and a half before her death, the family made the decision to house Stegemann in The Pearl as her physical and cognitive health began to deteriorate.

In February, she was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer. But doctors were not certain about whether the diagnosis meant she had six months to live, or as much time as two years.

For the past decade, Kranendonk had been carefully monitoring what her grandmother ate to keep her healthy, including limiting her sugar intake.

Following the cancer diagnosis, she changed tact and allowed her to eat whatever she craved, deciding she just wanted her grandmother to feel as ‘joyful’ as possible in her final stage of life.

She spoke to Stegemann about all options, and even brought up MAiD, explaining what the procedure would entail. She remembers her grandmother saying clearly: ‘No, I don’t want that.’

Kranendonk says her religiosity, and the notion of displeasing God, was a large factor in why her German-born grandmother instinctively opposed assisted dying.

Then came June, when Kranendonk and her husband went on a 10-day road trip.

In the past, every time she was away, she received frequent phone calls from the residential home regarding her grandmother’s health.

Everything seemed normal. She picked up numerous phone calls, and the doctors didn’t discuss a dramatic decline in Stegemann’s health – only that she had fallen over and would need a wheelchair.

But towards the end of the trip, on July 3, Kranendonk received a different kind of call. It was from the home, saying they were going to book a MAiD assessment for her grandmother.

Her health had apparently seriously deteriorated. 

The news hit like a ton of bricks.

Back in Cannifton, Kranendonk anxiously questioned a nurse at the residential home about who had initiated the MAiD conversation.

‘The nurse became very abrasive, very defensive,’ Kranendonk recalls. ‘She was like, “Well, I’m just trying to advocate for her. I’m just trying to do what’s right for her.”‘

Prior to Stegemann’s death that summer, Kranendonk had been her caregiver for the preceding 12 years and her medical power of attorney for the past six

Soon after Kranendonk returned from her trip away, she discovered her grandmother had actually already had her first MAiD consultation.

‘No one called me,’ she says, explaining how she feels she was isolated from the whole process from the beginning.

While her grandmother was certainly sick, Kranendonk found it difficult to believe that she had rapidly declined in health during her trip away, and privately questioned whether what the nurses told her was true.

‘I noticed that she had lost weight when I saw her after returning, but she had slowly been losing weight for a while. 

‘Regarding her rapid decline, I am not a doctor, but when I came back she was still eating, walking to the bathroom, very talkative and full of jokes.

‘She never complained about pain in front of me, except when her stomach was being relentlessly pressed.’

Kranendonk maintains that Stegemann did not at any point make a formal MAiD application herself. 

But every time she tried to question whether MAiD was the right pathway for her grandmother, she feels she was made to feel crazy or burdensome by the medical professionals at the home.

‘I truly believe that one nurse really saw us as an obstacle,’ she says. ‘We were getting in the way of her doing MAiD on my grandmother. I think she really, truly believes that MAiD is the best for people, and shame on me for trying to stop that.’

Kranendonk made sure she was in the room for the second MAiD assessment, and it was there where she noticed the doctor speak in ‘really loose terms, never using the words death or dying’.

‘She explains MAiD to my grandmother by saying: “We’re going to give you medicine, you’re going to feel at peace. And I just want you to know that you won’t have a bowel movement.”’

‘She’s saying it in these strange terms, that aren’t literal,’ Kranendonk says, adding: ‘My Oma’s just kind of nodding. Her first language is not English, she is 83-years-old and severely hearing-impaired.’

Kranendonk looked at the doctor, and said: ‘She doesn’t understand what you’re saying.’

That’s when the doctor allegedly turned to the grandmother, and offered: ‘We’re going to make sure you won’t have any more pain.’

During the cognitive assessment, which she also sat in on, Kranendonk claims that the questions were curiously designed, in that the doctor couldn’t immediately verify the answers.

As opposed to questions such as who the prime minister was, or that day’s date, the grandmother was asked personal questions, like how many siblings she had.

‘But none of that is in her records. They would not know if the information was correct, or not,’ Kranendonk says.

Even so, Stegemann got the answers wrong. 

She said she had no siblings, despite having 13.

The doctor asked how many were still alive, and Stegemann answered, saying none.

But two are still alive, and the grandmother had seen one only a month and a half before.

‘So we’re going through this assessment. None of the answers could be proven, unless I was there. 

‘There was nothing concrete. They’re supposed to be doing a cognitive assessment, and yet they picked questions that they can’t verify,’ Kranendonk says.

According to government guidelines, a patient must be sound of mind and have a ‘grievous and irremediable medical condition’ to be eligible for MAiD in Canada. 

Eventually, much to her discomfort, Kranendonk was asked to leave the room by the doctor, who continued the test.

Waiting outside anxiously, Kranendonk was sure her grandmother would fail.

But four minutes after the cognitive test was complete, the doctor announced that Stegemann was ‘deemed fit for MAiD, and we’re going to proceed’. 

Later on the same day, Stegemann confused the names of her daughter and her granddaughter. 

In February, Stegemann was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer

‘I was astonished that she was given the okay,’ Kranendonk says, following the assessment on Tuesday, July 7.

The doctor assured her that her grandmother would still be able to ‘deny’ MAiD on the day of the procedure, which was scheduled for Friday at 11am.

Then began an impossible balance. Kranendonk was determined to try and ascertain whether Stegemann had actually consented to MAiD – but she didn’t want to cause undue stress for the 83-year-old.

Most of all, she just wanted to enjoy whatever time she had left with her beloved Oma, who she grew up living with as a child. 

Every summer and long weekend throughout her upbringing was spent with her grandparents – and the thought of losing Stegemann was heartbreaking.

‘Like, I’m already on limited time with her. So there’s this balance, of wanting to get her to understand, and also still wanting to protect her – to not make her upset.’

On Wednesday, Kranendonk woke up after barely sleeping and prepared to visit her grandmother.

But before she had a chance to enter the home, she got a call from the nurse, who said they planned to fast-track her grandmother’s death to Thursday – simply because the doctor had an early opening.

‘I was like: “I’m not talking about this right now, I’m on my way to visit my Oma.”‘

The nurse replied: ‘Oh, well, I already spoke to your Oma, and she agreed.’

But Thursday wouldn’t have allowed enough time for Stegemann’s pastor to arrive, or her son – depriving her of her dying wishes to be surrounded by her loved ones and prayer.

Kranendonk said Thursday wasn’t an option, so Friday was kept as the death date.

She felt cornered. She was trying to protect her grandmother, but says the nurses were making her feel like an obstacle, standing in everyone’s way.

The stress became overwhelming, and she felt like she had no control.

That day, she says she marched up to residential home’s manager, to complain about how everything had been handled – how the process felt sped up, and lacked transparency. 

She demanded to see the MAiD paperwork, and to find out who was filling it in.

The manager said everything had already been filled out the day prior, and her grandmother had signed it.

To this day, Kranendonk has not seen the paperwork allegedly signed by her grandmother, agreeing to the procedure – all of which was completed without any family members present.

‘I don’t know who the witness was. I don’t know how they explained the paperwork to her. I don’t know what they said to her. I have no idea,’ Kranendonk says, now horrified by what she views as lapses in proper MAiD procedure.

‘I’m sorry. How can we make this better for you?’ the manager asked Kranendonk.

In a fit of rage and disbelief, she replied: ‘You guys have taken this whole MAiD thing and have just rammed it down our throats.’

Following the altercation with the manager, Kranendonk confronted her grandmother and explained what would be happening on Friday in vivid terms.

The conversation caused her to breakdown in tears and admit that she had made a mistake. ‘I just kept saying there’s no mistake, there’s no mistake. You don’t have to do this. 

‘The doctors are coming on Friday, and you just say no,’ Kranendonk recalls pleading.

But it got to a point where Kranendonk didn’t want to ‘keep fighting MAID, and lose sight of who I’m fighting for’.

Her grandmother was unwell, and confused, so she made the decision to just try and experience all the precious quality time she could have with Stegemann – while she still had a chance.

And crucially, she trusted the nurses to not take advantage of the ailing woman. 

‘My Oma wasn’t the only vulnerable one in that situation – I was. I was vulnerable in the loss and love of my grandmother, being her care provider, and I was vulnerable in trusting that they were making the right decisions.

‘It all felt so sped up and in slow motion at the same time,’ Kranendonk says.

On Thursday, the pair danced together to traditional German Polka music and ate ice-cream in her room.

‘We had the best day,’ Kranendonk recalls, tearfully. ‘I felt great leaving on Thursday.’

But she went home utterly confused. On the one hand, she was elated she had such a fantastic day with her grandmother.

But on the other hand, she couldn’t bear the possibility of what might happen the next day.

‘I was so split. Part of me was like, maybe it’s not going to happen. And then there was this underlying feeling of, oh God, what if it does?’

Since her grandmother’s death, many people have asked Kranendonk why she didn’t try harder to stop the lethal injection from taking place.

In hindsight, she felt like she was in an unworkable situation. She at once wanted the best for her grandmother and wanted to respect her autonomy, but was terribly concerned that she had never once heard her say, outload and clearly: ‘I want MAiD.’

‘All I saw was her not understanding the process,’ Kranendonk recalls.

On the day before Stegemann’s assisted death, she danced with her granddaughter to traditional German Polka music and the pair ate ice-cream

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When Friday, July 10 arrived, everything felt rushed again. The family took Stegemann out into the residential home’s garden to share strawberry ice-cream – her favourite – and the pastor arrived, who started a round of prayers.

‘She’s very confused at this point,’  Kranendonk remembers.

At 9.30am – after 10 minutes of being outside – the MAiD nurse asked for the family to return indoors, despite the fact that they were told the doctor would not arrive until 11am.

The nurse said that she needed time to get the IV started, and Kranendonk remembers telling her forcefully that they were not finished having time together as a family.

‘Well, how long do you need?’ she claims the nurse said, rather dismissively, in response. 

Once back inside the home, the nurse started the IV, Kranendonk alleges. According to Kranendonk, the doctor hadn’t even arrived, and her grandmother was not asked if she gave consent for the procedure to begin.

The nurse struggled to insert the IV into Stegemann’s right arm, and ended up piercing her repeatedly with the needle before attempting her left arm.

Kranendonk remembers in graphic detail the copious amount of blood, which made the whole procedure feel strangely unprofessional.

‘She’s asking us to hand her things, to flush out the needle. So we’re now a part of this. She’s asking us to grab things for her, and to hold things for her.

‘This nurse is not wearing gloves. There’s blood all over her hands, there’s blood all over the place,’ she says, horrified by the memory.

The doctor then entered the room and told Stegemann she was there to give her ‘medicine’, and asked if that was okay with her.

‘My Oma is not moving. She doesn’t open her eyes. She doesn’t nod. She doesn’t say anything, and the doctor just said: “Okay, well, I’m going to proceed.”‘

Within 10 minutes, Stegemann was pronounced dead. Due to how unresponsive she was, Kranendonk doesn’t know if her grandmother died shortly before the MAiD, because of the MAiD, or whether she was just in deep prayer.

She says that no heartbeat was taken, before or after the procedure.

‘What was concerning, though, is that that morning, I was crying. My grandmother looked at me and said, “If you don’t stop crying, I’m not going to sleep tonight.” She said that to me on Friday morning.’

It was only in the aftermath of Stegemann’s death that Kranendonk – overwhelmed with grief – began to believe that something went awfully wrong.

She has subsequently learnt that nurses are strictly prohibited from pressuring a patient to pursue MAiD, and that all the correct paperwork for MAiD to take place must be submitted before a death date can be determined.

Stegemann’s paperwork was completed after her death, her granddaughter claims.

‘She did not consent the morning of the procedure,’ Kranendonk says, steadfast in her conclusion that her grandmother was euthanised against her will.

She has consistently asked The Pearl to hand over her grandmother’s medical records, but all of her requests have been refused, she says. 

She regrets not applying for a legal injunction to prevent the MAiD from occurring, but she also didn’t realise she had the right to ask for one at the time.

‘I was flying blind,’ she says. And crucially, her grandmother still needed medical attention in those final weeks. 

‘We live in Canada, where medical care is not always easy to get. She still needed medical care. I could not just scoop her up and bring her home,’ she says. 

She trusted the government, and the medical establishment, not to take advantage of her grandmother. In the months since July, that trust has completely shattered. 

She says she has ‘settled a lot into prayer’, and is sharing her story as a way to give more education to care providers who may find themselves in similar scenarios. 

A spokesman for Belleville Police told the Daily Mail: ‘This incident is currently open and under investigation with our Criminal Investigations Division. We are unable to provide any additional information at this time.’

Canada has one of the highest rates of euthanasia in the world, with MAiD accounting for 4.7 per cent of the deaths in 2023. 

The Daily Mail contacted The Pearl for comment.  

My girlfriend, fully dressed and ready to go out, turns away from her full-length mirror and asks me the eternally dreaded question: ‘How do I look?’

She is a rare beauty who is preternaturally fashionable, clairvoyantly attuned to trends, immaculately stylish and a keen September shopper. And yet today she has elected to wear an outfit that seems, to my male gaze at least, baffling in both its proportion and colourway.

Mannish, barrel-legged jeans that stop mid-calf with four-inch turn-ups; heavy, black, block-heeled, crepe-soled, glam-rockish zippered boots; a fluffy, oversized sleeveless angora jumper in a care-home teal tone, over a white, pie-crust collar blouse – very Lady Diana – with its long cotton shirt tails untucked and inexplicably flapping around beneath the jumper’s hem. Lastly, a trench coat so knowingly oversized that it’s on the roomy side for me – and I’m eight inches taller and seven stone heavier than she is.

Her overall look? A combination of 1970s Jackie magazine style pages, Alison Steadman’s Candice Marie character from Mike Leigh’s Nuts In May, and Julia from Motherland. All of those images, I will soon learn, are now being regarded as positive style references.

Wisely, having learned the hard way, I elect to offer nothing negative when she asks me that inevitable question. But my inner voice (which is equal parts bitchy RuPaul and an increasingly incredulous Victor Meldrew) is saying, ‘Yes, Lady Di was a beautiful woman, but she was never really stylish. She was square and Sloaney and those frilly collars made her look like an old lady even when she was in her 20s.’ Also, baggy, high-waisted, barrel-legged jeans make all women’s bums look huge, the turn-ups shorten even the longest of legs (and my girlfriend’s are long and slim), and that sleeveless jumper looks like something a children’s TV presenter might wear.

Feathers – à la Sesame Street’ s Big Bird and Rod Hull’s Emu – have flown back into fashion 

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I am aware that women’s fashion is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside a deliberately anti-chic, tonally jarring, continually goalpost-moving, body-hostile, man-repellent enigma of silhouettes, shapes and stylings that seem specifically designed to not just repulse the opposite sex but also keep us confused.

My two daughters, who are 32 and 27, are cut from the same cloth, turning up for our lunch dates in knowingly fugly vintage sports apparel, and dark, floaty nu-gothic getups. I have now been schooled to term these ensembles as ‘elevated athleisure’ and ‘dark academia’. Both are bang on trend for autumn/winter 26. And my girlfriend’s wonky white blouse? A ‘shirt with a twist’ no less, as seen in new collections by Dior, Armani and Erdem.

This fall (us chaps still call it ‘autumn’), the catwalk of confusion continues – on the rails, in lookbooks and in the wardrobes of spouses and daughters (who might even be borrowing Dad’s tuxedos, neckties and extra-large sweaters to stay in fashion).

Because masculine silhouettes are still with us, only this season they are oversized to comical dimensions, with one brand (Lacoste) hoping that a skinny, size-eight woman might like a classic trench coat cut to suit a man of James Corden’s build.

This AW26 iteration of loose and oversized – mannish suiting that is sloppy on the shoulder (Bottega Veneta, Givenchy, etc) with a voluminous trouser line that puddles around (now invisible) shoes – is termed ‘invertebrate’ tailoring. It also comes with a very, very long sleeve.

I’m a style-conscious (but fashion-clueless) man who has been brought up to admire classic Savile Row tailoring and is easily offended by the grim cheapness of thumb-scraping sleeves on mass-produced suits. To me, a long coat sleeve that engulfs the shirt cuff and hides the hands altogether looks messy and horror-movie sinister. Ditto long sweater sleeves, extended bomber jackets and blazer sleeves. Also, why would any woman want to dress up in clothes that make her look like a kid dressing up in her grandad’s old whistle (as in whistle and flute – rhyming slang for suit) for a school play? And, yes, I think I have just answered that question.

Lady Di-style pie-crust collars are also in trend, but can be ageing on a woman, writes Simon  

This season has seen clothes oversized to comical dimensions, with one brand (Lacoste) showcasing a classic women’s trench coat – to suit a man of James Corden’s build 

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‘Wonky white blouses’ are creeping onto the catwalk, with British luxury fashion house Erdem exhibiting the garment at a 2026 runway show

An oversized mannish suiting that is sloppy on the shoulder and puddles around (now invisible) shoes – is now termed ‘invertebrate’ tailoring. Designer label Bottega Veneta seen at Milan Fashion week, 2026

Twelve-year-old-girl-raiding-fat-grandpa’s-wardrobe being the desired look on the creator’s moodboard, probably.

There has also been a resurgence of colour-blocking, the style for wearing blocks (separate garments) of contrasting or clashing primary colours in the same ensemble – this can be seen in the new collections by Chanel, Hermès and Prada. However, while Dame Prue Leith will be thrilled, crimson and scarlet should be a red flag for everyone else.

Primary tones, when worn by the older generation particularly, are thought to be part of a (slightly desperate) ‘peacocking’ process that kicks in when somebody stops getting noticed. The attraction reduction is compensated for via yellow spectacle rims, canary-coloured waistcoats and pink socks. The appraisers on Antiques Road Trip are big on this.

But the wrong colour combo – say, the red skirt and white shirt seen in Prada’s new collection – can easily make a girl look like she is wearing a Man Utd away kit, a Hi-de-Hi! holiday camp uniform or a 1980s air stewardess’s livery. So copy the look at your purple-and-pink peril.

Even more scary, certainly for a boy who grew up in the dour colours of the 1970s, beige, brown, mustard yellow, teal and turquoise have also made a return to the racks. Magnolia has been recast as ‘buttery beige’ (but still looks like margarine to me) while feathers – à la Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Rod Hull’s Emu – have flown back into fashion as seen in pieces by Alberta Ferretti and Christian Siriano.

Designers are loving the avian aesthetic; plumage has a delicate, fragilising, millinery effect on a woman. The body becomes a brittle, vulnerable artwork of diaphanous keratin and fluff. It is also a material that says, ‘Don’t touch me, I might break.’ Along with, ‘Can I borrow your coat while we walk to the car because I am freezing!’

Playing with the female form or abusing clothing’s conventional proportions for no other purpose than to put off the opposite sex is also back in the shape of dresses and separates with a flapper-girl style, low-slung or dropped waist. Why?

This autumn, Chanel is suggesting an outfit that incorporates a sleeveless V-neck jumper not dissimilar to my girlfriend’s Nuts In May woolly, with a skirt that has a waist hovering somewhere around the thighs. How the skirt’s leather belt stays in place is anyone’s guess. Even on a professional model, this produces a sort of dachshund effect with an extra-long torso and freakishly short limbs. I mean… who would want to wear that?

Before she leaves for her meeting (still in her barrel jeans and Lady Di collar), I show my girlfriend the offending Chanel catwalk image, hoping to experience a significant fashion moment of shared incredulity and bemusement with her. Instead, she takes a mental note, returns to her wardrobe and pulls out a new September purchase; yep – a buttery beige dress with a significantly dropped waist.

As for me? This AW26, and as with all previous falls, I will mostly be wearing a look of utter bewilderment and confusion. Predominantly in a 1970s colour-blocking palette.

The Fortune Inn on Durham Road has reopened as Summer Place Chinese Buffet & Bar after securing a five-star food hygiene rating.

The Spennymoor restaurant announced its launch on social media, telling customers: “The wait is finally over.”

In a post, the business said: “We’re incredibly excited to announce that Summer Place Chinese Buffet & Bar is opening today.

“Come and join us for a delicious selection of Chinese favourites, chef’s specialities, noodle boxes, set dinners and more.

“Whether you’re joining us for a family meal, a catch-up with friends or simply fancy some delicious Chinese food, we can’t wait to welcome you through our doors.”

The Fortune Inn in Spennymoor has reopened under the name Summer Places Chinese Buffet & Bar. (Image: GOOGLE)

The reopening follows criticism over the restaurant’s damning one star food hygiene rating in February.

The earlier inspection found rodent droppings, chicken being thawed unsafely and mouldy fridge seals among a series of hygiene failings.

After a reinspection under new management, the revamped restaurant received a new five-star rating.

The new owners have given the venue a fresh identity.

Kyle V Food reviewed the revamped Summer Places (formerly Fortune Inn) in Spennymoor. (Image: Kyle V Food / FACEBOOK)

The relaunch has already attracted attention online, including from local food reviewer Kyle V Food, who praised the restaurant’s turnaround.

In a video review, he said: “A little while ago, this place got a bad rap, didn’t it? Low hygiene rating – but now it’s got a five-star.”

After ordering beef in black bean sauce, honey chilli chicken, chicken curry, chow mein and salt-and-pepper chicken, Kyle delivered his verdict on his first meal from the Chinese takeaway since reopening.

Kyle said: “That is how you do it.”

“Fortune Inn, Spennymoor. Newly opened, with obviously a five-star hygiene rating now. Get down, give it a try.”

The business is now rebranding from the Fortune Inn to Summer Place Chinese Buffet & Bar following the revamp, describing itself as “your new Chinese favourite in Spennymoor” as it looks to make a new name for itself.

Speaking to BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest football odds, McGeady said: “Celtic have to make a statement in this game, because question marks are already being raised about the club, the board, the team, and recruitment after the disappointment of exiting the Champions League.

By SARAH GORDON

Published: 10:44 BST, 20 September 2026 | Updated: 11:55 BST, 20 September 2026

It’s where spaghetti Westerns were filmed and John Lennon wrote Strawberry Fields Forever. Today, sun-drenched Almeria makes for a perfect autumn break.

Tucked in Spain’s south-east between Europe’s only desert and the Med is a coastal city with a star-studded past.

In the 1950s and 1960s this was the ‘Costa del Hollywood’, with many a spaghetti Western shot in the adjoining Tabernas Desert starring the likes of Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef.

The ‘scene’ even inspired a Beatle. John Lennon arrived in 1966, accompanied by his wife Cynthia, to film the black comedy How I Won The War, fresh from a sell-out US tour.

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Back then, as Cynthia later recalled, General Franco’s Almeria was a deeply traditional city where donkey carts plied the streets and widows wore black.

Now, though, Almeria is transformed. The city centre, a tangle of handsome pastel-hued buildings, has become a hub of art and creativity – and the autumn is a great time to go as temperatures hover around 20C (68F). So it’s warm enough for alfresco lunches and cool enough to explore the 1,000-year-old Alcazaba fortress.

Almeria blends a sense of modernity with a real authentic Andalusian charm

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In the 1950s and 1960s, the so-called ‘Costa del Hollywood’ was the backdrop for How I Won The War, in which John Lennon (left) appeared

A sculpture of John Lennon in Almeria which pays tribute to his time here in the 1960s

One of the big cultural draws is the new Art Museum of Almeria, which showcases works by contemporary Almerian artists, while the recently opened MuReC is dedicated to the contemporary realism movement.

For a splash of history, step back into the 11th century at the Barrio Andalusi archaeological site. 

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The nearby, oh-so-sleek Aire Hotel and Ancient Baths, where I’m staying, is a hushed, low-lit haven, with flickering candles; an ideal base. The building’s vault has been converted into Roman-style baths, while the rooftop features a plunge pool and solarium.

Yet for all Almeria’s new gloss, there’s plenty of authentic Andalusian charm. Join locals at the Central Market, where fresh seafood sizzles on grills. Take a seat by an old wine barrel and enjoy a decent drop with a slice of jamon at one of the alluring tiled tapas bars.

It’s all so Spanish, until you stumble upon a bronze statue of Lennon guitar in hand in Plaza de las Flores.

It was during his stay here that Lennon cut his hair short and began wearing those metal-rimmed granny glasses (initially for his acting role as Private Gripweed) but he loved them so much, he kept them.

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A Tabernas Desert mini Hollywood film set demonstrates the cultural feel of Almeria. Right: Fresh seafood abounds, with fried fish a delicacy

The Aire Hotel and Ancient Baths hotel features Roman-style baths

Lennon, who turned 26 in Almeria and whose rental villa is now a popular film museum, was joined for a while by Ringo Starr and his first wife Maureen. 

And, on a night out, they were all to be dazzled by a performance of local flamenco guitarist Pepe Richoly.

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That rich thread of flamenco continues, especially in the old fishermen’s quarter, La Pescaderia. Here, I catch a show at La Canastera, an intimate bar where two young local musicians pluck guitars and lament with a mournfulness beyond their years. 

Beatlemania may be long gone in this corner of Spain, but the music goes on.

TRAVEL FACTS

One-way tickets from Bristol, Liverpool and London from £16.99 (easyjet.com); doubles at Aire Hotel & Ancient Baths from £103 (airehotelalmeria.com).

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Three sisters who drowned at Brighton Beach earlier this year had just days before visited the lake where their mother also drowned 10 years prior.

The bodies of Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, were found in the water on May 13.

Their mother,Janice Adetoro, drowned earlier near the home where the family was living in Birmingham in 2016.

It is still unclear how the siblings ended up in the water.

Their cousin, Natalie Walters-Daniel, 33, said the trio had travelled to Birmingham on a visit with a ‘deeper meaning’ two days before they died.

She told the Sunday Times that her cousins – who were 20, 16, and 15 when Janice died – never got her death.

‘To lose their mum at the ages that they were, it was the crucial stages of growing up and becoming young women,’ she said.

‘The years where a mother’s presence and guidance and reassurance and love should be, they didn’t receive that.

‘And for them to come to Birmingham, to take that moment that they did within the lake and also to see their mother, I think that there is definitely a connection there.’

Janice was last seen by one of her daughters, with whom she lived, before she went missing.

She suffered from stress-related mental health issues but did not take medication with her when she disappeared in December 2009.

Her brother, Lincoln, said at the time: ‘The girls are so upset and can’t stop thinking about you and for their sake we need you to make contact.’

Her body was found three months after she vanished.

An inquest recorded that prior to her death she had attended a police station with ‘paranoid delusions’.

Her daughters later moved back to London, where neighbours described them as private and unsociable.

Sussex Police have concluded their investigation, finding no evidence of third-party involvement.

Natalie said the family is ‘not going to get the full answers to this’, but she hoped an inquest into her cousins’ deaths next month may give them some more information.

The women’s dad, Joseph, previously said that ‘no words can truly describe the pain of losing three daughters’.

In a tribute published by the BBC, he said: ‘You were more than my daughters: you were my joy, my strength and the beautiful light that filled my life with love.’

‘There are moments when it feels unbearable, but I hold tightly to the memories we shared, the love we knew and the bond that nothing can ever take away.’

A GoFundMe page set up by their uncle in the days after their deaths has raised more than £45,000 to go towards the cost of the women’s funerals.

The page, set up by their uncle Adesoji Adetoro, reads: ‘As a family, we are still struggling to come to terms with what has happened. The girls had so much life ahead of them, and their loss has left a pain and emptiness in our hearts that words cannot describe.

‘No parent should ever have to bury their child, let alone all three.

‘While trying to process this unimaginable tragedy, my brother is now also faced with the heartbreaking task of arranging three funerals. As a family, we simply want to give the girls the loving and dignified farewell they deserve.

‘We are humbly asking for any support you may be able to offer towards the funeral expenses. Any contribution, no matter how small, will help ease the burden on the family during this incredibly difficult time.’

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Former England winger Andros Townsend has taken to social media to joke about the incident in which he was run over by a pitch roller during a warm-up for his Thai League club PT Prachuap.

Ex-Premier League winger Andros Townsend has responded to being run over by a pitch roller during his warm-up for a Thai League game. On Saturday evening, clips of the incident emerged on social media.

Townsend plays for Thai side PT Prachuap, who were preparing for their away fixture against Pattani. During the warm-up for the game, a pitch roller seemingly went rogue, with a member of the ground staff losing control, crashing it into Townsend on the pitch.

The 35-year-old briefly had his leg stuck under the vehicle. But he miraculously escaped without any injuries and was able to come off the bench late in the second half in his side’s 3-0 win.

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Townsend has now taken to social media to poke fun at what happened. Resharing an earlier post of his on his Instagram story, which read: “WTF is Stoke away” with clips of him enjoying life in Thailand, he added: “Turns out Stoke away wasn’t so bad after all (laughing emoji) swipe to see why.”

The following slide shows footage of him being flattened by the roller. He has also shared other posts making light of the episode, including being dubbed “the king of memes in Thai League history. ” He added: “Trust me” with four laughing emojis.

Townsend signed for PT Prachuap last month on a contract running until next summer. He made his bow in the 1-0 defeat to Rayong FC earlier this month and has since featured twice more for the club, including as a late substitute against Pattani.

The winger spent the previous campaign with Thai outfit Kanchanaburi, where he clocked up 30 appearances, netting three goals and laying on six assists. He has also had a stint in Turkey with Antalyaspor.

Shedding light on his decision to head to Thailand in an interview with TalkSPORT, he said: “Towards the back end of last season, I was playing in Turkey, and I hadn’t been paid a few months’ salary.

“The club said to me ‘you can take your salary – but you’re never going to play for the club again’ so I took the salary.

“I hadn’t played since March, got a bit frustrated, so in the summer I said to Marlon [my agent] I don’t care where I go, just take me somewhere nice, interesting and tropical.

“He came back with one or two options in Europe but for some reason my gut was just really interested about the option in Thailand.”

During his time in England, Townsend turned out for a string of clubs on both loan and permanent arrangements. Roy Hodgson handed him his international bow in 2013, and he went on to earn a further 12 caps, with his final outing for the Three Lions coming in a 2-2 friendly against Spain in November 2016.

Over the summer, he took on punditry and co-commentary duties for ITV during the World Cup in North America, giving his Instagram followers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the experience through daily video diaries.

By CIARA FARMER, ASSISTANT SHOWBUSINESS EDITOR and BETHAN EDWARDS, SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER

Published: 11:31 BST, 20 September 2026 | Updated: 11:39 BST, 20 September 2026

Kelsey Parker has welcomed a baby girl with her partner Will Lindsay as she shared the happy news on Instagram on Sunday. 

The 35-year-old revealed she has given birth four years after her husband Tom Parker passed away from a brain tumour aged 33. 

Alongside the picture of the newborn’s arm, Kelsey revealed she and partner Will have called their baby girl River. 

She wrote: ‘Welcome to the world, River. Our little bit of hope’.

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Kelsey is already mother to Aurelia, six, and son Bodhi, four, with The Wanted star Tom, while she and Will lost their son Phoenix, who was stillborn at 39 weeks in June 2025.

Kelsey has been candid about finding love following her husband’s passing, after she first started dating tree surgeon Will in September 2024. 

Kelsey Parker has welcomed a baby girl with her partner Will Lindsay as she shared the happy news on Instagram on Sunday

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She wrote: ‘Welcome to the world, River. Our little bit of hope’

The birth comes a year after Kelsey and Will lost their son Phoenix, who was stillborn at 39 weeks in June 2025

She revealed at the time that Tom’s parents ‘fully supported’ her, saying: ‘I’ve got such an amazing village and even with Tom’s parents Noreen and Nigel, they have supported me with whatever I’ve decided to do and they understand how hard it is.’

Kelsey announced her pregnancy in May, saying that Tom and Phoenix had sent her a ‘rainbow baby’ – a term used for a healthy baby born after a family has experienced a previous pregnancy loss, stillbirth, or infant death. 

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Despite her new love, she explained that Tom very much lives on in their home, going on: ‘For us at home, Tom is so alive in our house and we speak to him everyday…

‘For my children, they are still babies and they are still processing it everyday so these conversations are never going to go away and we are still dealing with the conversation.’

Kelsey spoke of how meeting Will helped her recover from her loneliness, saying: ‘It’s about finding happiness and with friends and family there is only so much they can do and it’s lovely to have someone to offload to…

She is already mother to Aurelia, six, and son Bodhi, four, with The Wanted star Tom; pictured together in 2023

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‘I was lonely and I’m 34 now, I was so lonely and just wanted someone and now I’ve met someone.’

On grieving, she said: ‘What I’ve learnt is there is no wrong or right way to grieve and we all talk about when is it the right time to move on and I just don’t think there is a right time…

‘I never thought at the age of 32 with two young children that I would have been widowed.’

She spoke about how her children helped her with Phoenix’s death, saying: ‘My kids are my everything, they have got me through the darkest of times…

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‘I can’t believe I’m back here three and a half years later dealing with such a loss and a devastation, but me and Will have the kids and they have to have normality, they have to go to school… 

‘I did do the school run and for me, I think you have to rip the plaster off at some point, and if I’d left it until after the summer holidays and I came back and saw the parents, people don’t know what to say…

‘We are so awful about talking about grief, loss and death and us as a family, we’re not. So, I did get up and do the school run, and I faced everyone.’