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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The partial solar eclipse takes place tomorrow

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

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

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

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

Durkan Homes will be providing some refreshments for attendees.

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

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

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

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Like the Carabao Cup first round, the second round is regionalised. This means those representing the capital – Brentford, Fulham, Charlton, Leyton Orient, Millwall, West Ham and AFC Wimbledon – will avoid long trips up north for a midweek fixture later this month and therefore, the possibility of at least one London derby is significantly high.

Jon Hamm is expecting his first child with his wife Anna Osceola, who debuted her baby bump while the couple were at the beach.

The couple, who met on the final season of Mad Men, were spotted enjoying the sun and surf in the Hamptons last week.

The 38-year-old actress wore a green bikini as she showed off her growing baby bump, while her husband Hamm, 55, went shirtless after a dip in the sea.

The couple tied the knot in 2023, in a lavish wedding ceremony at the location where the couple’s characters first met in the hit Madison Avenue advertising drama, and where the show infamously wrapped up its seven-season run.

In that final 2015 episode, Hamm’s character Don Draper visits a spiritual retreat and – depending on your read of the last scene – either experienced a moment of personal enlightenment or thought up the 1971 ‘Hilltop’ advert for Coca-Cola.

His character briefly shared a scene with Osceola’s, who was a receptionist at the retreat in question. 

The couple wed in an outdoor ceremony at Anderson Canyon in Big Sur, with attendees reportedly including Billy Crudup, Tina Fey and Paul Rudd.

Hamm and Osceola made their red carpet debut together at an Oscars afterparty in 2022, seven years after meeting while filming that finale episode and two years after being romantically linked.

Hamm had previously indicated he might not want children while in a long-term relationship with actor and screenwriter Jennifer Westfeldt. The former couple co-starred in several productions, including the 2011 film Friends with Kids.

Hamm told The Guardian in 2008: ‘I don’t necessarily want kids. A lot of our friends are having children and I don’t know if it’s for me. 

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

Hamm and Westfeldt were together from 1997 to 2015 and never married. 

Speaking to the New York Post in 2008, Hamm said of their relationship: ‘We may not have a piece of paper that says we’re husband and wife, but after 10 years, Jennifer is more than just a girlfriend. What we have is much deeper and we both know that.

‘To me, people get married when they’re ready to have kids, which I’m not ruling out.’

Metro contacted Jon Hamm’s representatives for comment on this story.

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Good Morning Britain regular and comedian Adil Ray has offered an update on the future of his ITV quiz show Lingo

A Good Morning Britain star has shared some exciting news away from the ITV breakfast show.

Adil Ray, who regularly hosts the programme in rotation with Ed Balls and Richard Madeley, has confirmed that his hit quiz series Lingo is returning for a sixth series.

The Birmingham-born actor, comedian and presenter logged into his official Instagram account over the weekend to share that the production team are on the lookout for more contestants to try their luck.

Lingo is played between teams of two contestants, tasked with solving mystery words. The team in control is given the first letter of each mystery word and receives five attempts to guess and spell the word.

After each guess, the team is told whether their guess contains letters that are in the mystery word and whether or not they are in the correct position. The two members of the team alternate taking each guess.

If the team fails to identify the word within five guesses, fails to make a guess within the 10-second time limit of each line on the grid, gives a misspelt or otherwise invalid word, each word is checked to ensure that it appears inside an unnamed dictionary approved for use by ITV, control is passed to the opposing team and one of the correct letters is revealed.

Adil penned alongside the advert he posted on his Instagram grid: “Do you fancy being in the next series of Lingo? The team are looking for contestants! See you in September!!”

Unsurprisingly, his exciting announcement left his fans rushing to share a message in the comment section with one follower, writing: “I want to apply but I have nobody to apply with.” Another added: “Hurray glad Lingo is coming i have missed it xx”

The advert reads: “ITV’s hit quiz show isback and we wan you! Got a way with words? Love a bit of friendly competition? You could win thousands of pounds!

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“Team up with your partner, sibling, best friend, flatmate, parent or even grandparent! We’re looking for fun, lively duos who are thinking and up for a challenge.” It then goes on to share how willing participants can apply to appear on the show,

In August 2018, Adil temporarily replaced Piers Morgan as a co-host on GMB and since February 2019, he has become a guest presenter appearing during the February, April and Summer Holidays.

He’s best known as the creator, co-writer and star of the long-running BBC One scripted comedy series Citizen Khan and playing the role of Sadiq Nawaz in the Channel 4 drama series Ackley Bridge.

Adil also had major parts in Channel 5 drama series The Inheritance, ITV period drama series Beecham House, and appeared in feature films Blithe Sprit, Arthur’s Whisky, and Picture This.

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV and ITVX from 6am and episodes of Lingo are available to watch on ITVX now

The free-to-attend Supercar Day will take place at The Motorist, New Lennerton Lane, Sherburn in Elmet, on Saturday, August 15.

Visitors can expect to see a range of luxury cars such as Ferraris, Lamborghinis, McLarens, Porsches, Aston Martins and Audi R8s.

Performance cars at a previous event at The Motorist. (Image: Newsquest)

The day is a must-attend fixture in the calendar for petrolheads and will give people the chance to get up close with the cars, hear the distinct sound of V10s and V12s, take photographs and speak to the owners.

The Motorist hosts a variety of crowd-pulling events throughout the year including car and bike meets.

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Arvelo, a luxury driving travel specialist, will also be attending this weekend’s event.

As well as the vehicles on show, people will also be able to enjoy The Motorist’s facilities such as the Drivers Lounge, which offers speciality coffee, breakfast and lunch.

Gates for the event will open at 9am, and people are recommended to arrive early.

Dogs are welcome at the event.

A spokesperson for the venue said: “Whether you’re arriving in a supercar or simply coming to admire them, Supercar Day is the perfect way to spend a Saturday morning.

“Supercar Day is free to attend, with no booking required. Gates open from 9am, so arrive early, enjoy the atmosphere and experience one of Yorkshire’s best supercar events.

“If you own a supercar or represent a supercar club, we’d love to have you join us for another unforgettable Supercar Day at The Motorist.”

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday will sign an executive order calling for revamped childhood vaccine recommendations that promote his long-held belief that certain shots should be spaced out into separate medical visits, according to a White House fact sheet.

The order will recommend separating the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three different shots administered in separate visits, and direct the nation’s health department to improve vaccine research, says the fact sheet, first reported by The Daily Caller. Separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines for children are not currently available in the U.S.

Public health experts have raised concerns that spacing out shots as Trump suggests can lead to an increased risk that children become infected with a vaccine-preventable disease before returning for another visit. Even as the order calls for revised vaccine recommendations, states, not the federal government, have the authority to require vaccinations for schoolchildren.

Ahead of Monday’s announcement, Trump’s administration had largely pivoted away from talking about vaccine policy in favor of less polarizing topics like healthy eating and efforts to lower drug prices ahead of November’s elections. Polls show most Americans still support school vaccine requirements, though Republicans are less likely than Democrats to see them as important.

Still, Trump has been fixated on connecting autism to vaccines. He has recently ramped up pressure on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to identify the cause of autism, something Kennedy had pledged to do with new research unveiled last year. Trump publicly prodded the health secretary for an update on autism research in a Cabinet meeting last month.

“How are you doing on the autism research?” Trump asked.

“We will have an answer for you,” Kennedy said.

Scientific consensus and decades of studies have firmly concluded there is no link between childhood vaccines and autism. Childhood vaccines — and how and when to give them in combination — go through rigorous studies, and safety tracking continues for years as the shots are used.

The news comes as school years are starting around the country and the nation contends with a measles outbreak that experts say could result in the U.S. losing its measles elimination status.

During the robbery, the man told the victim ‘it’s the knife or the bag’

A man threatened to “throw acid” in officers’ faces following a robbery at a Cambridgeshire pub. Donald Chatten, 20, was in the Lord Protector, in Mayfield Road, Huntingdon, at about 5.15pm on January 13 when he stole the contents of the victim’s ‘side bag’.

The victim, who knew Chatten from school, repeatedly asked for it back. However, without warning, Chatten pulled out a pocketknife with a serrated blade and held it close to the victim’s face, reportedly saying, “it’s the knife or the bag” and “do you want to feel the blade?”.

The victim told Chatten to keep the bag and the victim’s partner informed the pub landlady who told him to leave as he was barred from the premises. The 20-year-old, of Coronation Avenue, Warboys, near Huntingdon, left the pub and drove off in a Ford Fiesta before he was arrested by armed officers in Coldhams North.

Upon arrest, Chatten became abusive and made threats towards officers, including that he would “throw acid in their faces and shoot them with a shotgun”, Cambridgeshire Police confirmed.

On Friday, August 7, Chatten, was sentenced to 20 months in a young offenders institution, having pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place at Peterborough Crown Court.

DC Neil Patrick, who investigated, said: “This was a totally unprovoked robbery by Chatten which was terrifying for the victim, having a knife held against his face.”