Omar Majed, of Washwood Heath, Birmingham, was remanded in custody and will appear before magistrates in Birmingham on May 4, West Midlands Police said.

Kay’s show was halted after a “suspicious bag” was reported but West Midlands Police later said “nothing suspicious was found” during searches.

In an update on Saturday evening, the force said: “An evacuation of the arena was ordered yesterday evening after a report of a suspicious bag being left in the area.

“Following searches, nothing suspicious was found and we are grateful to everyone for their co-operation and understanding.

“As always our priority is the safety of the public.”

Witnesses previously said two members of staff came onto the stage about 45 minutes into the performance, whispered into Kay’s ear, and then escorted him off.

Steve Aspinall, who was at the gig with his wife, told the Press Association: “Two guys came on, one with a mic and headphones, one guy whispered to Peter Kay and then he and Peter Kay shot off down the side.”

He said the audience was told to look for security guards and listen out for any announcements.

“To be honest, I thought it was part of the show at first,” said Mr Aspinall, who lives in Bideford, Devon.

“It was a strange atmosphere, eerie, just confused really (about) what was happening.

“But it was alright and everyone was calm and left quite quickly with no panic.”

In a statement on X, Utilita Arena Birmingham said the Peter Kay event on Saturday evening would go ahead as planned, adding: “West Midlands Police are satisfied with the security measures in place.”

The statement added: “We would like to thank the attendees of yesterday’s Peter Kay event for their cooperation, which ensured a swift and safe evacuation.

“Ticket holders for yesterday’s Peter Kay performance will be contacted with the next steps from their original point of purchase.

“At Utilita Arena Birmingham, the safety and security of our customers and colleagues is always our first priority.

“Our security measures include several overt and covert security measures, so whilst you may not see all operational security activity, you should be assured that it is ongoing.

“Our Evolv security system uses advanced sensors and AI technology to screen everyone and their bags as they enter the arena, helping security teams identify potential threats quickly and accurately, supported by additional bag searches as required.”

But they needed a squadron of police, armed with batons, to charge a way through the striking miners who had congregated in Priestgate to enable the delivery vans to leave, and they needed an army of drivers to speed the copies across the countryside, from Berwick to Hull, from Filey to Appleby, often avoiding deadly obstacles.

An Echo van’s broken windscreen after it was stoned in south Durham (Image: Chris Lloyd)

“In County Durham and Northumberland, in some of the pit towns and villages, aggressive spirits stopped newsagents from handling newspapers, stole and burnt their supplies and invented all sorts of devices to blockade The Northern Echo vans,” revealed the paper on May 17. “Sandbags, carts, wire ropes, railway sleepers, broken glass, sticks and stones were pressed into service.”

“Typical Durham miners reading the latest strike news in The Northern Echo” (Image: Chris Lloyd)

The ugliest scenes were in Priestgate, where rumours alleged that the paper was being produced by blacklegs: non-union members imported to keep the presses running.

With the printers on strike, the Echo becomes increasingly rudimentary as it tells the latest news of the General Strike (Image: Chris Lloyd)

“These statements are absolutely without foundation,” said the paper’s front page editorial on May 8 after several tense, intimidatory nights, involving police charges in the street outside.

But, in 12 tumultuous days, from May 3 to May 15, the Priestgate presses printed two million papers. “All classes of people, Liberal, Conservative, Socialist, Communist are clamouring for it every morning,” the editorial claimed.

In those days, of course, there was no wireless, TV or internet. Just newspapers.

As well as providing its readers with vital information in 1926, the Echo left us with a window through which we can peer back 100 years to what went on during the Great Strike…

May 4, 1926 (Image: Chris Lloyd)

How did it all pan out?

Tuesday, May 4

“THE greatest strike in world history starts”. The Echo sees it as “a national disaster” with everybody losing. It doesn’t take sides, and prints a picture of railwaymen shutting down their trains at Bank Top station, and, under the headline of “Englishmen, with the good old English smile”, it says: “There was nothing grim or sinister in the faces of these LNER drivers and firemen…”

The nation has been divided into 10 districts, each headed by a civil commissioner charged with making sure everyone has got food and law and order prevails. Sir Kingsley Wood, the health secretary, takes charge of the North East district, based in Newcastle.

The Conservative government has taken over the Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies (OMS) and is appealing for local volunteers to join. In Darlington, it is headed by Captain EH Pease, based at Feethams Hall, and 126 volunteers join in the first day.

The vicar of Shildon addresses a crowd of Bishop Auckland men as the strike begins (Image: Chris Lloyd)

A very human depiction of the men involved in the Great Strike in the Echo on May 4, 1926 – they are not the monsters they were being portrayed as elsewhere (Image: Chris Lloyd)

Wednesday, May 5

“NATION in grip of octopus strike”, says the Echo as “trains, buses, trams, ships and factories at standstill”. Mounted police had had to restore order in Newcastle and thousands have joined the OMS – however, it desperately needs volunteers who know how to run a railway system.

In villages, says the paper, Echo vans had been “hailed with great excitement, and the paper gave the news of the start of the great strike to the anxious inhabitants”.

The women’s section of the Labour Party marches through Cockfield. (Image: Chris Lloyd)

A one-legged volunteer takes charge of the milk depot at Newcastle station (Image: Chris Lloyd)

Thursday, May 6

A ONE-LEGGED war veteran is pictured volunteering at Newcastle station, as 30,000 shipyard workers and steelmen on Teesside join the strike. Wilson’s Forge in Bishop Auckland also closes, and in Sunderland, buses carrying workers are stoned and cars are smashed in Chester-le-Street.

In Darlington, there are nasty scenes in Leadyard as the 11.15am bus forces its way, with all its windows broken, through crowds to begin its journey to Stockton.

With all trains stopped, the price of milk in Darlington has dropped by ½d-a-pint because all the milk produced by cows for miles around has been trapped in the town.

The chilling front page picture from the Echo of May 5, 1926: police guard Downing Street (Image: Chris Lloyd)

Friday, May 7

THE front page is typewritten, as the strike tightens. In West Hartlepool, lorries have been chained across railway lines.

An amazing picture, how we wish we still had the original, of police guarding a horsedrawn food convoy as it leaves a depot in Darlington (Image: Chris Lloyd)

Saturday, May 8

MIDDLESBROUGH has been uneasy for days, and a man has been found guilty of affray by damaging a bus. Under the emergency powers adopted by the government, he is rapidly sentenced to one month’s hard labour.

A volunteer signalman helps get the railway running again at Darlington (Image: Chris Lloyd)

Monday, May 10

IN Newcastle on Saturday night, 10,000 had gathered in the Grainger Street area. Police had broken the crowd up, arresting 24 people and, said the Echo, “a few heads were broken in the charge”.

There were more disturbances in Middlesbrough, but in Darlington a march of 8,000 people, augmented by busloads of miners from colliery districts, had marched peacefully from St Paul’s Church to South Park, headed by Arthur Shepherd, the town’s first Labour MP.

More than 18,000 volunteers have joined the OMS and transport systems are beginning to come back to life.

The Bishop of Durham has written a front page article which begins: “Who can it possible gain by the continuance of the General Strike?” A few hours after writing the article, he collapsed mid service and had to be carried home.

Tuesday, May 11

“THOUSANDS on trail back to work,” says the Echo, as the strike begins to disintegrate. Its front page also records that an express train, the Flying Scotsman, has been derailed near Newcastle by strikers removing a rail – the most notorious incident of the strike.

A bus, driven by a non-union man, has also been attacked in Coundon.

The most serious incident in south Durham happened at Ferryhill (Image: Chris Lloyd)

Wednesday, May 12

AT the Dean and Chapter Colliery at Ferryhill, 400 had gathered to stop the skeleton staff at the pit from going down. When police arrived, the crowd charged them using “ugly instruments in the form of lead piping and iron bars”. “Someone in the crowd,” said the Echo, “fired four revolver shots.”

Seventeen men aged between 16 and 63 are arrested and sentenced toone or two weeks in prison. “Less than half are miners,” said the Echo, pointedly, and Supt Foster denies “the police clouted the men and rendered many unconscious. Only four of the prisoners had wounds that were bleeding”.

Every LNER branchline has at least a few trains running on it.

Men in Priestgate on May 12, 1926, learn from the Echo’s windows that the Great Strike has been called off (Image: Chris Lloyd)

Men in Priestgate on May 12, 1926, learn from the Echo’s windows that the Great Strike has been called off (Image: Chris Lloyd)

Housewives rejoice as they learn from The Northern Echo that the Great Strike is over (Image: Chris Lloyd)

Thursday, May 13

IT is all over. “Unconditional calling off of the great strike”, is the Echo’s main headline, and its editorial is headed: “Return to reason”.

The paper prints King George V’s address to the nation: “Let us forget whatever elements of bitterness the events of the past few days have created, only remembering how steady and how orderly the country has remained, though severely tested, and forthwith address ourselves to the task of bringing into being a peace which will be lasting, because, forgetting the past, it looks only to the future with the hopefulness of a united people.”

The team wot won it: the Civil Commissioner’s administrators who took over the running of the North East during the Great Strike (Image: Chris Lloyd)

But the front page also has a headline: “LNER take strong line of action – no room on staff for many of the strikers”.

The divisions caused by the General Strike will, like those caused by the 1984 Miners’ Strike, tear into communities for years to come.

Julian Norton has been a firm favourite on Channel 5’s The Yorkshire Vet since it first began in 2015

The Yorkshire Vet star has faced hardship off-screen.

Julian Norton has been a familiar face on the Channel 5 hit documentary series since it launched back in 2015.

The show quickly became a hit among fans, who tune in to see Julian, his co-star Peter Wright and others, caring for animals across North Yorkshire.

However, both Peter and Julian no longer work at Skeldale, having left three years ago. In 2021, the pair bid farewell to Skeldale Veterinary Centre in Thirsk following numerous years of committed service, reports the Express.

Peter had devoted an impressive 40 years to Skeldale, commencing his journey under the mentorship of Alf Wright, the renowned writer of ‘All Creatures Great And Small’, before determining it was time to pursue a fresh venture.

Audiences have remained intrigued about Peter Wright’s motivations for departing Skeldale. Peter candidly explained his exit from Skeldale, identifying Medivet’s acquisition as the catalyst for his choice.

Having progressed from junior vet to partner at the distinguished Yorkshire surgery, Peter believed the corporate shift in strategy stopped him from undertaking the work he genuinely cherished.

“I was there from being the new boy and then I gradually became (a) partner,” he told Express. “I then became senior partner. I ran the practice for almost 20 years, and I have lots of happy memories of working there.

“But, at the same time, I am what is called a mixed practitioner. In other words, I deal with all creatures, all shapes and sizes.”

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“From cows and horses down to hamsters. And to take the farm side away from me, you know, it had to stop because it wasn’t economically viable anymore and I couldn’t do that work anymore. But I had to continue what I loved and that is being a mixed practised vet.”

Meanwhile, Julian has previously spoken about his difficulties discussing mental health pressures.

He outlined the challenges of veterinary work to the BBC, saying: “Veterinary work can be quite lonely too. You visit solitary farmers with their animals, 30 minutes of driving in between, not much chance to chat.

“Fewer people are employed in farming now and if you don’t get the chance to discuss the issues things get bottled up.”

You can catch up on The Yorkshire Vet on Channel 5

When Virgin Island caused a ruckus last summer, it was called ‘exploitative’, a ‘public health danger’, and ‘a new low for Channel 4’.

For 26-year-old virgin Marianne, though, she saw hope. ‘When I watched it, I said, “Oh my god, this is something that could really help,”’ she tells Metro. 

Six months later, Marianne found herself on that Croatian island, being dragged out of the barriers that kept her deprived of sex and intimacy her whole life by world-leading sexologists Celeste Hirschman and Dr Danielle Harel, whose unconventional methods have proven to be controversial enough for the Ofcom complaints.

Every day presents a new challenge for the virgins: a new, daunting workshop where they confront their greatest fears when it comes to the most basic level of erotica and desire. 

From having their genitals fondled to experiencing arousal in an environment that feels safe for them, to re-enacting the Kama Sutra, the participants are thrown straight into the deep end, but with a specialist to hold their hand along the way.

It’s a surprisingly heartwarming watch, and the methods, controversial or not, clearly work if you ask any of their patients.

Holly Stark, who appeared on season one, is pregnant 11 months after her series aired, and Marianne insists she’s a completely reformed woman after a month of throwing herself into the experiment. If anything, she feels sorry for anyone who isn’t able to experience the level of sexual therapy she did.

‘It was amazing, you really activate a different part of your brain,’ she says.
‘You just realise how long you’ve gone without actually listening to your body, and getting the true curiosity of “What actually works for me? What do I really like? What am I really noticing about the other person?”

‘It makes me sad thinking that a lot of people won’t get to experience this. I think for youngsters, it would build trust between genders, trust between communication. Obviously, it needs to be in a very safe environment.’

One of the most glaring takeaways from watching Virgin Island is the totally inaccurate misconceptions around virginity. Virginity comes in all bodies, all characters, a vast spectrum of life experiences. There is no prototype of an adult virgin.

Before going to the island, Marianne guarded herself from men. Growing up in South Africa, she was only one of three mixed-race pupils in her school, which had a long-lasting impact on her relationship with sex. ‘Obviously, there’s racism everywhere, but the racism in South Africa is very in your face. No one wanted to date mixed-race people; it was not a thing.

‘I wasn’t black enough, I wasn’t white enough, I didn’t know who I was. I knew from a young age I had opportunities to sleep with people, but I had a gut feeling, “This is going to negatively impact me. With my ADHD, I tend to get addicted to random patterns and things and experiences I really carry within me. I knew that if I did this, it wasn’t time, I wouldn’t enjoy it, it wouldn’t be true to myself, and I would just do it for validation, so I just shut everything down.’

Marianne eventually moved to London to study, with a bright-eyed hope that everything would be different when she arrived in the UK, that she would be entering an entirely new world. ‘I just found the same thing,’ she says. ‘People just wanted me as a token.’

When she met her Virgin Island cast mates, she was instantly confronted with a similar isolation she faced growing up. Marianne is the only person of colour in the entire cast. She was quickly assured that production had done their due diligence; other people of colour had initially been cast but dropped out at the last minute.

‘I suddenly felt like I was being surveyed,’ she says. ‘I suddenly got back to my childhood. People are so curious about how a mixed-race person would look that I felt stressed, “I’m now on an island with this feeling,” so I knew I needed to cry it out, which I did, and I breathed. I know if I needed to call my twin, I could, so I had a little sulk and assessed, “Do I feel supported by these people? Yes.” Then I ran with that feeling.’

Thankfully, she stayed – not only for herself, but for her twin sister too. 

Marianne’s journey will no doubt resonate with so many viewers, but no one more so than her sister, who has lived through the same traumas and subsequently built the same barriers protecting her virginity. Since leaving the island, Marianne’s newfound wisdom hasn’t only changed her life, opening her eyes to a world of trust, but it’s starting to transform her twin’s too.

‘My twin has the same… things,’ Marianne shares. ‘She also found that me on the show has helped her. 

‘We’re very close, we talk about sex, and she knows 99% of everything about me. She was like, “You have to tell me everything, take all the tight notes, list all the things from the workshop that will help me.” That’s helped her with the shame aspect and wanting to embody her sexuality because she’s had a tough time too, and obviously we’ve had a similar upbringing.’

As for her own life, Marianne’s completely transformed. After years of exploring many therapies for various things, particularly surrounding ADHD, her stay on Virgin Island is the one that has revolutionised her relationship with sex and dating. It’s been six months since filming, and the difference is remarkable.

‘I’ve been on a couple dates, often it’s been really nice, and I’ve felt way less anxiety, and I haven’t shut down. It’s been such a great peace of mind,’ she says.

‘I’m proud of going with my gut instinct. A younger Marianne wouldn’t go with her gut, so I’m proud of myself for pushing through. I had a voice, and I didn’t listen to that voice, so now I liken to that voice – I make it my mission.’

Virgin Island airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 9pm on Channel 4 and is available to stream online.

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If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

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Shaun Murphy has brought a new weapon with him to this World Snooker Championship and it is working very nicely, having reached the final for a fifth time.

The Magician has been brilliant in Sheffield so far, narrowly beating Fan Zhengyi, hammering Xiao Guodong, ousting tournament favourite Zhao Xintong and edging the legend John Higgins.

He is bidding for a second world title 21 years after his first, but Mark Allen stands in his way in the final, with the Northern Irishman looking to win his first World Championship crown.

Allen will have to contend with Murphy’s innovative break-off, which is proving to be a tremendous addition to his arsenal.

The Magician started using an unusual break at the recent Tour Championship, hitting the third red in the pack, rather than the usual break which catches the last red.

He has been reliably leaving the white near the baulk cushion, spreading the reds open, but without leaving a shot to nothing.

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The next edition will look back on what has been a great World Championship yet again, so there’s no better time to sign up.

Master tactician Higgins was very impressed with the move, saying: ‘He was just on me all the time and his break-off was just too tough for me to deal with throughout the whole match.’

Asked if players will be copying Murphy, the Scot said: ‘He’ll need to tell us his secret.’

The Magician has revealed how he and coach, former world champion, Peter Ebdon, came up with the unusual break.

They did not invent it, but brought it back to the fore after a long time out of fashion.

‘We both were just in the snooker room at the house a few weeks ago before the Tour Champs and we said, let’s go and do a few hours. I said as we went in, I’m convinced there’s a better shot than the one we’ve been playing for 100 years,’ said Murphy.

‘It’s a hundred years of professional snooker this year and the break-off hasn’t changed.

‘You always leave the standard shot to nothing or you drag one up over the middle. I said to Peter, I’m convinced there’s a better shot in there.

‘I’m not sure my shot is better and it’s certainly not new, Steve Davis was doing that throughout the 80s. The most famous frame of all, the ’85 [World Championship] last frame, that’s how he broke off. I haven’t created anything new.

‘It’s a bit embarrassing when you go in-off or hit the blue or whatever. But it certainly poses a few problems. Since I’ve been doing it I’ve lost one frame from the break-off. So that’s a massive improvement.’

Neil Robertson hasn’t even faced the Murphy break-off, but he has been watching it and likes what he has seen.

‘I think Shaun’s really onto something there with the break-off because it stops all the negative exchange at the start of a frame,’ said the Australian after defeat to John Higgins in the quarter-finals.

‘And you never leave a long red on where it’s a shot to nothing. So that’s something I’m actually excited to work on because I think Shaun’s onto something new for the first time in 40 years of breaking-off differently.’

1997 world champion said on the BBC of the Magician’s new trick: ‘It’s such an aggressive break, but he’s used it to wonderful advantage throughout this championship.

‘John Higgins came to the table, lots of open reds, he played a safety shot, left Shaun a pot and sat in his chair for the rest of the frame. It’s such a wonderful advantage.’

MORE: Wu Yize’s incredible rags to riches journey to World Snooker Championship final

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If you’re constantly exhausted, even when you’ve had a great night’s sleep, then you might be low on iron. 

According to statistics, iron deficiency affects around one third of UK women so supplementing the mineral in your diet can be a great way of boosting your levels.

‘Many young women become iron deficient due to blood loss during periods, dietary choices and busy lifestyles,’ says Kate Cook, nutritionist and founder of The Nutrition Coach. 

‘Fatigue that is not relieved by sleep, dizziness, paleness or hair thinning can all be signs. Iron is crucial for energy and overall wellbeing and if you feel better after taking a supplement, it is usually a sign deficiency was the cause,’ she adds. 

There are many different forms of iron supplements out there, from liquids to tablets, so finding one that works for you and slots into your everyday life is important. 

It’s also worth knowing that your body absorbs iron a lot better when you take it with vitamin C, so something as simple as a glass of orange juice alongside your supplement can help it work harder and get your levels back on track faster. 

If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve rounded up a list of the best iron supplements to try now. Just scroll down and take a look…

The 7 Best Iron Supplements:

Spatone Apple Daily Iron Shots + Vitamin C (28 Sachets)

Spatone’s Apple Daily Iron Shots + Vitamin C are a simple and delicious way of topping up your iron levels without upsetting your stomach.

Made with naturally iron-rich water sourced from the Trefriw Wells Spa in Snowdonia, each sachet is paired with vitamin C to help your body absorb the iron more effectively.

Buy Now for £17.85

Vitabiotics Feroglobin Liquid Plus

Designed to restore iron levels, Feroglobin Liquid Plus from Vitabiotics is an easy-to-take liquid that helps support energy when you’re feeling tired or run down.

Using iron and folate to help reduce fatigue and support normal energy release throughout the day, it also contains added vitamin D, Siberian Ginseng and other nutrients that help support overall health.

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Buy Now for £8.85

BlueIron Liquid Iron

If you’re looking to up your iron intake, BlueIron Liquid Iron is a tasty way to help support normal iron levels and reduce tiredness and fatigue.

Each spoonful provides 100% of your recommended daily iron intake to support normal energy release and immune function.

It also contains Nordic blueberry concentrate for flavour and is suitable for vegans and use during pregnancy.

Buy Now for £16

Floradix Iron and Vitamin Tablets (84 Tablets)

If you’re more of a tablet person, Floradix Iron and Vitamin Tablets are a great way to support your iron levels.

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They contain organic iron alongside B vitamins, vitamin C and niacin to support normal energy production and they’re gentle enough for everyday use as well as suitable for before and during pregnancy, breastfeeding mums, children, teens, older adults, and vegans.

Buy Now for £14

BetterYou Iron 10 Daily Oral Spray 25ml

BetterYou Iron 10 Daily Oral Spray is a high-strength iron spray that helps to reduce tiredness and fatigue.

Instead of a tablet, you just spray it into your mouth where it’s absorbed quickly through the inner cheek, making it gentle on the stomach.

Each daily dose gives you 10mg of highly absorbable iron in just 4 sprays with a natural sugar-free pomegranate flavour and no added sugar.

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Buy Now for £10.80

Holland & Barrett Gentle Iron 20mg (90 Capsules)

If you’re looking for an iron supplement that’s gentle on the stomach try Holland & Barrett’s Gentle Iron 20mg Capsules which use iron bisglycinate, a form that’s easier to digest, along with vitamin C to help improve absorption.

Each capsule provides 20mg of iron to help support energy levels and reduce tiredness and fatigue, while also supporting normal immune and cognitive function.

Buy Now for £9.59

New Leaf Iron Gummies 14mg (60 Gummies)

Gummies are a delicious way of taking supplements and New Leaf Iron Gummies provide a simple daily iron boost with a 14mg high-strength dose per gummy, helping support energy levels and reduce tiredness and fatigue.

Each pack contains 60 gummies for a 1-month supply, and they are vegan and gluten-free.

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Buy Now for £19.95

We can feel our energy levels climbing already.

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Our two England fans fly out of Heathrow on Monday, 15 June with return flights to JFK in New York costing just over £500 each – which is good value.

With the Three Lions’ final group game taking place in New Jersey, it is the most cost-effective way to travel to the US and back, with the first stop being Dallas.

After landing in the States, they pick up a flight to Dallas the same night – this costs £283 per person.

Four nights at the Hampton Inn & Suites Dallas Market Center cost £624 (£156 a night) for a twin.

Double rooms, which are more available in all cities, come in cheaper at the Hilton Dallas Medical District at £560 (£140 a night).

Both properties have breakfast included, meaning Dallas – which also has free shuttle buses from stations to the stadium in Arlington – is an affordable start to the trip.

The England supporters fly to Boston on Friday, 19 June with the fare £378 each.

Boston is at the other end of the scale as one of the more expensive host cities for accommodation.

Our couple stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites Boston Crosstown Center, costing £1,650 (£330 a night), including breakfast, for five nights.

The cheapest twin-bed option in the city itself is £2,041 (£408 a night) without breakfast at the Courtyard Boston Downtown/North Station.

It is possible to book a hotel near the airport £500 cheaper but with five days in the city, it may not be worth the saving.

With England’s third game being in New Jersey, there is no need to take a flight. The supporters can hop on the Amtrak train to New York on Wednesday, 24 June with tickets £42 each.

Unlike in Boston, there are still lots of hotel options in New York with a five-night stay before the flight home on 29 June.

A double at the Truss Hotel Times Square costs £1,184 (£237 a night) while a twin at the AMTD Idea Tribeca Hotel is £1,275 (£255 a night).

This time, however, you will need to head out for breakfast.

But the last two games come with a sting – train tickets to the stadiums cost £59 per person from Boston and £114 from New York.

Just to get to the States and travel around, the estimated costs for two friends are £6,273 and for a couple £5,855.

And what of the family? It is going to cost £9,008 to get to the States, get around and put your heads down.

Costs are helped by some hotels offering free stays for children.

In Dallas, the Comfort Inn Dallas Medical-Market Center costs £627 (£156 a night).

The same Hampton Inn is used in Boston with a higher cost of £1,763 (£353 a night).

Over in New York, the Holiday Inn in Times Square costs £1,589 (£318 a night).

Great Barugh – a few miles north-west of Malton on the road to Kirkbymoorside and about 25 miles north of York – is home to a handful of streets and a scattering of farms.

Small as it is, it has been on the map for centuries: it appears in the Domesday Book and has links to both Roman Britain and the great age of coaching roads.

Roland Coates, landlord of the Golden Lion in 1978, promoting a ‘Guess the number of seeds in a pomegranate’ competition to raise funds for a senior citizens Christmas party. Photo: Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)

Today it’s the kind of place most people flash through on the way to the A170, without realising the layers of history in the surrounding fields.

Yet for all its quiet, one thing continues to trip visitors up: how on earth do you pronounce it?

Recommended reads:

Pronounce it right – how to say name of North Yorkshire village famous for food

Why locals still smile at this York street name the Victorians cleaned up

So how do you say Great Barugh?

At first glance, “Barugh” looks like it should rhyme with “Bar-oo” or “Barg”, and many first‑timers have a go at something like “Bar-uff”, “Bar-oo” or even “Bar-rogue”.

Locals, however, tend to settle on something simpler: “Great BAR-uh” or “Great BAR-uff” – or ‘BAR-f’ to the untrained ear – with the “gh” effectively disappearing and the final vowel almost swallowed.

As with many Yorkshire place‑names, there is room for variation from family to family as records over the centuries show several forms of the name – often closer to “Barug” or “Baruch” – all pointing back to an older word – ‘berg’ – for a hill or mound.

A van negotiating the flooded road near Great Barugh after a water main burst in January 1983. Photo: Newsquest

What is Great Barugh known for?

Great Barugh’s story stretches back at least to Domesday, when it and nearby Little Barugh were recorded as small but valuable farming settlements on the higher ground above the River Derwent.

Their position gave good views across the valley and relatively dry land compared with the wetter low ground towards Malton and the river.

Mike and Sarnia Stanyon, left, with Bill and Sue Monkman, in July 1989, after taking over the Golden Lion. Photo: Newsquest

Long before that, the Romans were here. Archaeologists have found evidence of a Roman villa and a camp in the area, and a Roman road is believed to have passed close by, linking Malton’s fort with sites on the Moors.

In the centuries that followed, agriculture shaped Great Barugh. Fields were enclosed and farmsteads expanded. Unlike some villages that have become commuter hubs, Great Barugh has retained its farming feel through the patterns of fields and lanes.

Chief among the village buildings is its 17th-century coaching-style pub, The Golden Lion, that dates back to 1632. Low‑beamed and traditional, it stands close to the main road and has long provided a stopping‑off point between Malton and the western fringe of the Moors. For many visitors it was their only direct contact with the place: a Sunday lunch or an evening pint, coupled with that sense of being “out in the country”.

A field opposite the pub is classed as an ancient monument with some grounds for belief that it was a Roman cemetery or settlement.

In 1998, The Golden Lion, Great Barugh, raised £500 for St Catherine’s Hospice in Scarborough. Pictured, L-R, Landlord Martin Hawkins, St Catherine’s Fundraiser Jackie Hutchinson and Landlady Jane Hawkins.

Written records show it belonged to the Swales family from the 1840s to the 1870s, with a John Skelton, who was also a butcher, taking over as landlord from 1890 to 1900. His ancestors included Mrs Martha Skelton who, according to 1903 records, applied for an hour’s extension of opening times one day a year for the benefit of the village club feast which involved a march to the church and back to the inn, with band and banners, for speeches, toasts and a meal provided by Martha.

In more recent times, the pub was well placed for custom from nearby villages and racing stables, with Press archives from the 1980s and 1990s showing that it was also a base for clubs such as The Derwent Beagles and Ryedale Hare Coursing Club.

A Victorian parish church, built in the 19th century, adds to the village skyline.

All of this sits at a crossroads of routes: minor roads that lead towards Kirkbymoorside, Pickering and Malton, and lanes that thread out into Ryedale’s farms.

In recent years even the peloton has found its way here, with world‑class riders passing through the village that once hosted Roman traffic – stage one of the 2017 Tour de Yorkshire came through Malton and then out via Amotherby to Great Barugh, before swinging towards the Dalby/Pickering section.

Why you might visit Great Barugh?

People tend to know – or stumble across – Great Barugh for a few reasons.

Some come for the drive itself. The road out of Malton towards Kirkbymoorside runs through lovely countryside, with Great Barugh as one of the natural places to break a journey.

Others arrive for the walking and cycling. From Great Barugh you can fan out on footpaths and minor roads towards the Derwent, up towards the Moors or across to villages nearer Malton.

There is also the historical draw for anyone interested in Roman Yorkshire; for those who enjoy old pubs and village churches, it offers a stop on a slow tour of Ryedale. And for near-locals, it is simply one of those names that pops up on weather forecasts and road‑closure notices, prompting the occasional “How do you say that again?”

Small it may be, but Great Barugh’s name, layered landscape and unhurried crossroads give it a quiet appeal – however you choose to pronounce it.