Earlier on Monday, thousands of City fans lined the streets of Manchester to bid a final farewell to the departing Guardiola.

This season’s successful men’s, women’s and academy teams were driven on buses to Etihad Stadium, where they were greeted by a waiting crowd, before the entourage made its way to Co-Op Live for the ‘after party’.

All three teams celebrated their trophy victories on stage, with City women’s striker Khadija Shaw making the shock announcement that she has signed a new four-year contract to remain at the club.

Guardiola’s three children, as well as former captain Fernandinho, ex-sporting director Txiki Begiristain and goalkeeper Ederson – who left last summer – helped bring out all 20 trophies won under Guardiola.

Surprise appearances by current Bayern Munich boss Kompany and midfielder Jack Grealish, who spent a season-long loan spell at Everton, were loudly cheered by those in attendance.

Guardiola said goodbye for the final time in an interview with Oasis star Noel Gallagher.

“First of all, thank you so much for coming tonight to say bye,” said Guardiola.

“I feel tonight that really shows the connection this club has. [City chairman] Khaldoon Al Mubarak and all the people and all the City fans that were connected from the first minute.

“Thank you so much, I don’t have enough gratitude. Always, for the rest of my life, I will have you in my heart.”

Tributes were also paid to captain Bernardo Silva and defender John Stones, who will also be leaving the club this summer upon the expiry of their contracts.

Striker Erling Haaland said on stage: “It has been a pleasure to play with Bernardo and John – and of course Pep.

“We won a lot of trophies and I was happy to play with Bernardo and John because they are amazing footballers but even better people deep down.

“It has been an amazing journey, but we need to keep pushing and fighting even without them.”

Conde Nast Traveller shared the list, saying: “From traditional fishing villages to faded Victorian resorts to RSPB reserves, deserted coves and teetering cliffs, the charm of the coastal north can be found in the allure of the bracing walks, excellent seafood and prices that make Brighton seem positively larcenous in comparison.

“From Northumberland to Cumbria, these are the seaside towns and villages worth knowing now.”

Morecambe has been highlighted as one of the best seaside towns in the north of England by CN Traveller.

It’s around an hour and 10 minutes away from Bolton by car.

Morecambe offers the perfect coastal escape

The travel publisher shared: “Morecambe has staged one of the north’s quietest comebacks.

“Its sweeping bay, all shifting sands and improbable light with views of the Lakeland fells beyond, is the real draw, particularly at sunset when the sky seems to double in scale.

“The long promenade is made for ambling, punctuated by Eric Morecambe’s statue and a growing number of independent cafés like The Bow Window, which serves up fantastic pan-fried kippers with butter during the daytime.

“There’s a gentle, slightly nostalgic feel to the place, but it’s no longer stuck in the past.

5 perfect spots for a summer staycation

“One of the most pleasing strolls in any northern seaside town is along Morecambe’s Stone Jetty.

“Formerly a railway and shipping terminal, it’s now a walking route speckled with sculptures of gannets, razorbills, cormorants and even a Mythical Auk; rendered from marble and looking suitably haughty on its own stone plinth.”

Recommended reading:

Things to do and places to visit in Morecambe

Visit Lancashire has shared some recommendations for things to do while you’re in Morecambe:

• Go to the beach – fly kites, build sandcastles, and have a picnic
• Walk along the Promenade with an ice cream
• Visit the Eric Morecambe statue
• Check out The Tern Project
• Visit the Midland Hotel for a bite to eat and to see the art in the foyer
• Children can enjoy playing at Happy Mount Park
• Enjoy a show at The Platform theatre
• Shop along the Promenade or at Central Drive Retail Park

Other places in the list include Seahouses in Northumberland, St Bees in Cumbria, and Saltburn-by-the-Sea in Teesside.

What’s your favourite thing about Morecambe? Let us know in the comments below.

The Tuesday letters page has a hopeful theory on the new Kingdom Come game, as a reader is worried what Epic isn’t saying about Unreal Engine 6.

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

New Horizons
Nice Reader’s Feature at the weekend, about Forza Horizon 6, that I pretty much all agreed with. I’d say the problem with Xbox is that not only did they not nurture the franchises they had but they didn’t create enough new ones. It was obvious for years that Halo was fighting a losing battle against Call Of Duty, and Gears Of War hasn’t been something anyone cares about since the third one.

That’s not unusual, nothing stays popular forever, but Forza Horizon’s success seemed to come by accident and had very little to do with Xbox who has instead spent all their time with weird little indie type games and stuff with not much mass appeal.

What they needed was an army of Forza Horizon type games: a mainstream idea done really well and with no equivalent on PlayStation. It all seems a bit late now but, like the reader says, maybe Fable with be good too. But for me Forza Horizon 6 is definitely game of the year so far and I’ll be interested to see if it stays that way.
Carlton

Dam it
That Unreal Engine 6 reveal was indeed very weird. All those amazing tech demos going back decades and the one for the next gen engine is Rocket League with slightly better grass. If that’s not a sign of things to come, in terms of the new consoles not having graphics that are much better, I don’t know what it is.

I am very grateful there didn’t seem to be any sign of AI nonsense but I’m secretly worried that the reason it was so low-key is because they’re not talking about all that yet. We’ll see, but I have this nasty feeling the AI floodgates are going to open soon and at the moment nobody wants to be the one that goes first. Microsoft will be the first, I’m willing to bet, but at the moment not even they’re brave enough to put their head above the trench.
Campbell

Sleeping giant
I have a hard time imagining Take-Two will release as many games as they say, but I hope it’s true because they seem like they could be a much bigger deal than they are. I know with Rockstar you don’t need to do anything else, but they easily could put out many more games than they do.

Three new IP in the next few years? And all those sequels and remakes? We’ll see but with nothing on the schedules at the moment I’m not that hopeful, especially as I seem to remember them saying this before and nothing happened but more NBA and wrestling games.
Corton

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Tortoise and the hare
I’m kind of surprised that Red Dead Redemption 2 has sold as well as it has. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s an amazing game and well deserves its place as the third best-selling game of all time. And surely any game by Rockstar is likely to do very well.

However, Red Dead Redemption 2 is not easily accessible given its length and the fact the violence and adult themes are likely to exclude younger players. It’s also a game that requires a certain level of dedication. I, myself, found it to be a bit of a slog at first and for a long while wasn’t convinced.

It’s only after really committed to it that I was able to appreciate what the game had to offer. Personally, I think the game is a masterpiece but from some of the online chatter opinion seems divided so it’s slightly crazy to see how well it’s sold and how it continues to sell.
matc7884

GC: The secret to its success is that it’s consistently sold well over time, even if it’s never been a chart topper to the same degree as GTA. It’s also been dirt cheap for the last several years.

Adult humour
Been playing Lego Batman over the weekend, with the boy, and it’s a riot. I don’t think he got a lot of the jokes, but he likes playing with his dad and smashing things to pick up Lego studs.

I think the success of these games is not just down to the co-op and the cute graphics but the fact that there’s a lot there for adults as well. Not only has my boy not seen any Batman film that isn’t a cartoon he definitely hasn’t seen American Psycho, but I got that visual gag and had a good old chuckle about it.

So well done on the game and I hope it doesn’t take too long for the next one (Harry Potter related, I would guess).
Loader

Sequel deliverance
There’s no way that new Kingdom Come game is Deliverance 3. You can tell just by the way they’re talking about it, let alone the fact that they can’t make two big games at the same time, between that and Lord of the Rings.

I am very interested to see what the game is though. Not just because I liked the previous games, but it’ll be interesting to see if they can make a good, and different, game but in a short period of time. Presumably it’ll be using the Deliverance 2 game map and probably a lot of other stuff from the game, and that really feels like something games should be doing a lot more in general.

This whole generation we’ve seen nothing but talk about how games take too long to make now, and I haven’t seen even the slightest attempt to try and fix this from any publisher. They just seem to be ignoring it and being happy with putting out far less games than they used to (well, they’re probably not exactly happy about it, but they’re not upset enough to do anything about it).

Maybe I’m expecting too much from Warhorse but if they can show that using an existing game to make another similar but different one works that could be a trend. So you basically make one game per franchise per generation and then lots of spin-offs from that.

Zelda: Majora’s Mask was basically that, so if the idea’s been around that long I’m not really sure what’s taking so long.
Kiff

Silent pessimism
Good luck to Bloober Team in making the Switch a haven for horror games but I can’t see it happening. The Switch does have horror games but I don’t get the impression many people buy them on Switch, it’s just not the sort of thing you get the console for.

But then again, I’ve never seen Bloober Team do anything good that isn’t Silent Hill related, so while I’m looking forward to their remake of the first game I’d need a lot more convincing about anything else they did, Switch or otherwise.
Bloodye

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Long version
Good tidings. I haven’t showered in two days in this sweltering heat, a potential biohazard in the making? But in less grim news, I’ve just completed my second playthrough of Resident Evil Requiem and what a triumph it was. I can’t stop thinking about it. Requiem is quite comfortably the best original entry in the series since the seminal Resident Evil 4 on the GameCube for me.

Rhodes Hospice is such a memorable location, I’d even go as far as predicting that gamers will look back on it down the years as an iconic setting in the series, alongside the Spencer Mansion, Racoon City Police Department, and Valdelabos (the Spanish village) and Salazer Castle from Resident Evil 4.

And I just love how idiosyncratic and reinvigorated the resident zombies are this time around. Capcom should be applauded for the fact that they’ve injected their classical infected with a renewed blood.

I can almost overlook the lack of traditional puzzles in the game due to the strategic puzzle-like element that permeates the hospice – in the way you can manipulate the zombies by observing their quasi-human routines and interacting with the environments to divert them from their mindlessly repetitive, and frankly tragic, behavioural patterns.

Weaponising the zombie patient with the splitting headache, for instance, to cause havoc on the other walking dead never loses its comical lustre. I read in the in-game lore that one of the singing zombies with the sonic attack shrieks was diagnosed with ‘main character syndrome’, and was in direct competition with the other performer of rather beautifully haunting singing, which made me laugh. Such a lovely worldbuilding detail that encapsulates the refreshingly campy and endearing personality of Resident Evil Requiem.

As for the Girl, she/it’s a genuinely ghastly and frighteningly adversary, and even more terrifyingly unpredictable in the Insane difficulty mode. Chunks, also known as the grotesque Michelin Man, inspires both awe and pity at how it miraculously writhes through the constrictive corridors of the care centre. Blister eads particularly fill me with dread, their agility and aggression is so ferocious they make the Crimson Heads from the original Resident Evil remake seem rather tame by comparison!

Whilst Leon’s secluded campaign doesn’t quite reach the lofty heights of Grace’s opening portion of the game, I vehemently disagree with some of the sentiments out there that Leon’s parts dilute the overall quality of the package.

I thought My Kennedy’s section was exquisitely engineered for the most part and very entertaining throughout. With some tense and very interesting tactical moments in the level design that were up there with Resident Evil 4 for inspired game design for me. And considering how fantastic the shooting mechanics were I never once felt fatigue from dispatching the zombies in the bombed out and depleted Raccoon city ruins.

I will concede, however, that had Leon’s parts adhered throughout the campaign to the incredible short burst, explosive catharsis of his supporting roles in the first half of the game, then Resident Evil Requiem would’ve easily been in the running for the best Resident Evil game for me.

But I must reiterate that I still admired the more open-ended design in Raccoon City and how audacious and pretty ambitious it was in the grand scheme of things, probably because I’m such a big fan of the critically under-appreciated The Evil Within 2. The high octane action set pieces and the return to the famous police station were also just… chef’s kiss.

I also don’t quite understand the complaints regarding the bosses, for me they were just fine, not amazing, other than an excellent close quarter fight towards the end, but certainly fun and roughly similar in quality with the bosses in Resident Evil 2 and 3 remake, Resident Evil 7, and Resident Evil Village.

The only exception to the standard really was Resident Evil 4, which I felt had some of the best boss design in gaming period – the Del Lago lake monster, El Gigante, Chief Mendez, Ramon Salazar, Verdugo, Jack Krauser, etc. – and the remake certainly reinforced that position.

So all in all, I was utterly enthralled by Resident Evil Requiem, and I can’t wait to see what the major DLC has in store for us. Also, PlayStation VR2 compatibility please!
GG

Inbox also-rans
Liked your review of R-Type Dimensions 3 but I though there was a R-Type Final 3? I never got around to getting it, but I’m sure I saw it listed.
Bonzo

GC: R-Type Final 3 Evolved is not really a sequel but a remastered PlayStation 5 version of R-Type Final 2, with some new levels. R-Type Final 2.5 would’ve been a more accurate name.

Is it true they’ve renamed Fairgame$ to Br€ak In? That would be hilarious.
Tom

GC: Sony registered the name Break In but it’s not clear what for, so it might be the new name for Fairgame$. Adding the euro symbol was just an online joke.

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Ruud, a two-time runner-up at Roland Garros, said: “As we know, there’s a bit of a heatwave at the moment and that can sometimes cause problems.

“It felt like it was a bit of a kind of heatstroke feeling. I experienced something similar some years ago when I played in Washington DC and I had to retire in the third set because I had that – that’s the only time I had that same feeling as I had today in the fourth set where I felt at times really dizzy, really tired and walking around like a zombie almost.

“Luckily, I was 2-1 up still and allowed myself to kind of lower the intensity a bit to get my pulse and body temperature down as much as possible in the fourth to see if there was any chance to finish in the fifth and have some extra energy. Luckily, that ended up working.”

Asked if he felt it was a mental victory or physical victory, the 27-year-old said: “It feels like a mental win.

“At times in the fourth [set] I was thinking ‘I have to book the flight home tomorrow and I’ll be watching from home on the sofa the next two weeks’. Luckily, that’s not the case.

“Physically, also, I’m proud because I never really gave in. I didn’t give up.”

The hall was once rented out by royalty to stay in while studying at the University of Cambridge

A historic hall in Cambridgeshire known for its peaceful grounds could be worth visiting with your family this summer. Madingley Hall and Gardens has a storied history and is open to the public, who can walk around its old corridors and gardens.

The hall was built in 1543 after John Hynde acquired the Shire Manor of Madingley. He built the hall to feature the south wing containing domestic buildings, a kitchen, and a garderobe. The east wing had a few rooms for sleeping and two large halls.

In 1861, the hall was rented out by Queen Victoria for her son, Edward, Prince of Wales, to stay in while he studied at Cambridge University. However, his stay was fairly short, as he returned home after the death of Prince Albert.

The hall, along with the surrounding park and farmland, was sold to Cambridge University in 1948 for £50,000. Today, the hall is open to the public to take a look around with tours available. It is also a popular venue for celebrations and corporate events.

If you are lucky with the weather, you could also spend some time in the extensive gardens with winding gravel paths. In 1756, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown was commissioned to design the garden with lawns and meadows.

The formal terraces and Croquet Lawn were added by Colonel Walter Harding between 1908 and 1914 with many of the trees he planted still a part of the estate’s tree collection to this day. In 1927, Ambrose Harding added the Yew Topiary Gardens.

After looking around the hall and gardens, you might want to treat yourself to an afternoon tea. This can be enjoyed in one of the hall rooms, at the terrace bar, or overlooking the gardens in the summer. The afternoon tea comes with finger sandwiches, fresh scones, and a range of sweet treats such as mini Victoria sponge cakes and macaroons.

A traditional afternoon tea costs £21.50 per person or £30 if you want a glass of sparkling wine with your meal. The afternoon teas are available on the last Sunday of each month and need to be booked in advance.

You could also visit the café where you can enjoy a coffee and a slice of homemade cake or a more substantial meal like a steak and ale pie or classic fish and chips. The terrace bar is also open for you to have a beer or glass of wine during your trip.

Madingley Hall and Gardens is around a 22-minute drive away from Cambridge via the A603. There is a car park on site that is free for visitors to use.

It was far from a convincing performance against Thistle, hardly surprising given what was at stake, and the relief from fans and players alike was obvious after the game.

“We wanted to make sure the players were remembered as legends at this club after winning the League Cup,” McLeish said.

“We didn’t want that black mark against our name.

“First half was nervy, cagey and full of mistakes. It wasn’t really tactical, just us controlling our emotions. We did that better in the second half.”

McLeish won three of his nine league matches after Robinson left, but he was unable to keep St Mirren out of the play-off spot as Kilmarnock shone after the split.

A change of approach initially yielded an upturn in performances, but results started to slide and a run of four defeats without scoring cost them.

The 36-year-old stand-in boss was unable to completely solve the goalscoring issues that plagued their season.

Key defender Alex Gogic says McLeish could do more with greater time, though, and would be happy for him to stay on.

“Yeah, of course, whatever the club chooses,” Gogic said.

“If he has a pre-season, it will probably be better than what it is. If the club decide to go his way, we’ll all be behind that.”

Former Dundee United and Partick Thistle boss Ian McCall says McLeish has done his chances no harm by steering St Mirren to safety.

“I don’t think he had any chance of getting the job if St Mirren were relegated,” McCall said.

“What he has done is conducted himself really well and given himself a real chance of the job.

“The power-that-be here took a real chance appointing a young lad like that. But he has come through it really well. He has talked really well.

“He came through one dodgy moment when Kilmarnock won here 3-0. But he’s come back from that really strongly.

“It didn’t just plummet when Craig McLeish took over. It was a bad run of results when Stephen Robinson was there after the cup final which brought this on. He certainly has a chance.”

In the summer of 2024, driver Brian Kelly picked up Tam Hewitt for what would prove to be a fateful trip across Glasgow.

A Scots taxi driver has thanked one of his passengers for saving his life after a chance encounter led to a discovery that he had prostate cancer. Driver Brian Kelly picked up Prostate Cancer UK volunteer Tam Hewitt in the summer of 2024 – for what would prove to be a fateful trip across Glasgow.

The now 76-year-old spoke to him about the risks of prostate cancer and the importance of getting checked. Brian later became concerned about his own health and went to see a GP, recalling his passenger’s advice to seek a PSA blood test which can detect prostate cancer.

Despite not feeling any symptoms, Brian felt compelled by the conversation in the taxi and asked his doctor to carry this out. The PSA results led to further tests which ultimately revealed two sites of prostate cancer, one of which was aggressive.

The taxi driver, 66, would go on to receive brachytherapy treatment in June 2025, just after his youngest daughter’s graduation. The early intervention meant the cancer was dealt with at stage two, before it could progress further.

He was back at work within a week and is still feeling fit. Brian, who is from East Ayrshire, credits Tam for his life-changing decision to seek the test, but it was not until another chance encounter in December 2025 that he got the chance to properly thank him.

In a complete coincidence, Brian’s cab was called to the Prostate Cancer UK volunteer’s house, where the pair were reunited. Speaking to the Press Association, Brian said: “I knew the address, I knew where Tam lived. Again, he had material that we wanted to take with him, we were putting it into the back of the car.

“Once we had done that, I then broke the news to him. I just shook his hand and said ‘by the way, I just want to thank you for saving my life’.”

As they spoke further, Brian discovered that Tam had also undergone brachytherapy to treat prostate cancer some 20 years ago. He said: “Anyone who gets into my car who’s over a certain age, I have the conversation with them. I just throw out, ‘You’re of a certain age, have you had this PSA blood test?’”

Tam regularly gives talks to raise awareness about prostate cancer, often organising pop-up stalls in hospitals and other venues. The 76-year-old, from Glasgow, said: “Although it’s not the first time someone has thanked me for having the conversation that has led them choosing to get a PSA test and an early diagnosis I was completely taken aback when Brian asked to shake my hand.

“If his treatment and journey works as well as mine he will be delighted. I have been raising awareness for over 20 years and currently average over 50 awareness stands per year before the talks and presentations.”

He added: “Results like this make it all worthwhile and I’m sure all our volunteers will feel exactly the same.” Joseph Woollcott, Prostate Cancer UK’s head of health policy, said: “Brian and Tam’s story is wonderful, and it shows the power of men talking and looking out for each other.

“I’m so grateful to all our incredibly dedicated volunteers like Tam, who have lifesaving conversations all the time. One in eight men will get prostate cancer, and your risk doubles if you’re Black, so most of us will know someone living with or after the disease.

“It’s curable if found early, but it’s also a complex disease that leaves many feeling confused about the right path to take. Men need people like Tam in their corner, and at Prostate Cancer UK we are here to help men at every step of their journey from diagnosis to treatment and with what comes next.”

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He remains missing, along with teenager Columba McVeigh, former monk Joe Lynskey and soldier Robert Nairac.

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A search to set to get under way later for one of the final four members of the Disappeared who remains missing.

Seamus Maguire, 29, from Aghagallon near Lurgan, is thought to have been killed and secretly buried by republican paramilitaries in 1976.

His name was added to those being searched for by the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains (ICLVR) in 2022.

READ MORE: Funeral takes place of Jean McConville’s son, JimREAD MORE: James Nesbitt shares emotional dedication to The Disappeared on The Late Late Show

He remains missing, along with Co Tyrone teenager Columba McVeigh, former monk Joe Lynskey and soldier Robert Nairac.

The ICLVR said the search in Derryclone, Co Armagh, starting on Tuesday will be the first for Mr Maguire.

It is also the first search for one of the Disappeared in Northern Ireland since the remains of Peter Wilson were recovered from the beach at Waterfoot, Cushendall, in 2010.

ICLVR lead investigator Eamonn Henry said it had not been immediately clear whether Mr Maguire was a missing person case or the victim of an abduction, murder and secret burial by a paramilitary group.

“The criteria for a case to be accepted by the Commission are that the death and secret burial was as a result of paramilitary activity and was carried out before the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement on 10 April 1998,” he said.

“On the basis of information received from the PSNI, Seamus Maguire became one of the Disappeared in 2022.”

He said while they believe Republican paramilitaries were involved, it is not clear which wing of the IRA was responsible.

Mr Henry said Mr Maguire is thought to have been disappeared in 1976.

“It was initially thought that Seamus disappeared sometime around 1973-1974 but it was also subsequently suggested that after spending time in Manchester he may have returned to Northern Ireland and was then killed and secretly buried in the Aghagallon/Derryclone area in 1976 aged 29,” he said.

“Whatever the issues around specific dates, we are now satisfied that there is sufficient credible information to commence a search in the Derryclone area.

“The search area is around two acres in size and while unlike Bragan Bog where we searched for the remains of Columba McVeigh, regrettably without success, farmland is more stable each search site throws up its own challenges.”

He said the search will continue until they find what they are looking for or are satisfied that Mr Maguire is not there, adding: “I’m not going to put a specific timeframe on the search”.

Mr Henry also urged anyone with information about Mr Maguire’s disappearance to come forward.

“There may be an assumption that because a search is underway the Commission has all the information we need,” he said.

“That is not necessarily the case.

“If there is anyone who has any information on this case please get it to us.

“All information is treated in the strictest confidence and our sole purpose is to return the remains of a loved one to their family for a Christian burial.”

In a statement, Mr Maguire’s family described him as a “much loved eldest brother”.

“He has been missing now for over 50 years,” the family said.

“We hope that the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains can now recover Seamus’s body so that he can be buried in St Patrick’s graveyard in Aghagallon with our parents May and Patrick.

“Our mum looked for Seamus right up until the day that she died.

“We appeal for privacy at this time. Our thanks to the ICLVR and all those involved in the search process.”

Northern Ireland Secretary of State Hilary Benn said: “My thoughts are first and foremost with the Maguire family, who have endured so many years of anguish since the abduction and disappearance of Seamus.

“I am deeply grateful to the commission for their unceasing efforts to find the Disappeared and for their painstaking efforts to help ease these families’ long-suffering.

“As well as the Maguire family, the families of Columba McVeigh, Joseph Lynskey and Robert Nairac still await the return of their loved ones’ remains.

“I urge anyone with information – no matter how insignificant they think it may be – to come forward and speak to the commission. All information will be treated in the strictest confidence.”

Anyone with information on the case of Mr Maguire or the other three outstanding Disappeared cases, Joe Lynskey, Columba McVeigh, Robert Nairac, should contact the ICLVR on +353 1 602 8655 or Secretary@iclvr.ie or ICLVR PO Box 10827 Dublin, Ireland.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Plans to build up to 138 homes have sparked strong reactions online, with residents raising concerns over traffic, local services and village identity

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CambridgeshireLive readers have been voicing their opinions on the proposed development of up to 138 new homes in Hardwick, mirroring concerns raised in formal objections. Numerous comments centre on traffic congestion, the village’s character, and whether local infrastructure can accommodate the growth. Others contend the area requires additional housing and improved transport options.

Proposals to construct up to 138 homes in Hardwick have provoked opposition from residents living close to the potential development site. Local people have expressed worries that the new housing would inflict “irreversible harm” to the village and its sense of community.

The homes are planned for land south of St Neots Road in Hardwick. Of the 138 dwellings, 40 percent are earmarked to be provided as affordable housing. The scheme also includes plans for a new site entrance, internal access roads, parking facilities, drainage systems, and public open space.

Developer Pigeon stated its proposals would seek to establish an “inclusive community through the provision of a variety of tenures and dwelling types to suit all stages of life” and a “sustainable movement strategy where walking and cycling opportunities are integrated into the heart of the development”.

One reader, Calumen Nomen writes: “This is ribbon development and needs stamping on.”

Rhodabike adds: “The usual drivel from developers. Please explain how tarmacking over a field will create ‘biodiversity enhancement? And how will this development compensates for the increased pressure on schools, GPs, transport infrastructure and other services?”

Freddly says: “So we give the next generation a housing shortage, because today’s young adults consider driving a pastime, and are too important to use public transport.”

Nocyclinganywhere replies: “Driving is not a pastime, as you say, it’s a necessity for many to earn a living. Does the public transport go past everyone’s home at the exact time they need to travel to work?”

While over on our Facebook page, Paige D comments: “Hardwick/Caldecott and Cambourn will soon be linked up. With Madingley, it becomes another section of Cambridge. Think of all the small towns around London 200 yrs ago, now just one city.”

Lisa-Marie G states: “Affordable housing DOES NOT EXIST!”

Elaine L writes: “Ramsey too. Hundreds of houses are about to go on sale. No school spaces, doctors’ spaces, nor dentists.”

Thalia M says: “Poor Hardwick, surely enough, new houses there now.”

Neville Cope adds: “All the other nice Cambridgeshire villages are being ruined by new, overpriced housing developments and no new amenities, so why not?”

Do you believe that there is room and a need for 138 new houses? Comment below or HERE to have your say.

Construction work has started at the White House for the UFC ring to celebrate President Donald Trump’s birthday.

In an event dubbed UFC Freedom 250, six bouts are expected to be held on the White House South Lawn on June 14. The fight is being marketed as one of the many events to commemorate America’s 250th birthday, but it also falls on Trump’s 80th birthday.

“This will be the greatest show on Earth,” Trump said from the Oval Office earlier this month as the UFC fighters set to participate in the bouts stood behind him.

Trump also showed off a nighttime rendering of what the fight will look like during the press briefing. The photo appears to show a UFC Octagon floor with red, white and blue lights around it. The Octagon was placed in front of the White House, and a massive light rig is arched on either side of the presidential residence.

Photos taken outside the White House Saturday and Monday appear to show construction crews starting to assemble the lighting rig in anticipation of the fight.

Two massive yellow cranes were seen towering over the South Lawn as pieces of the rig lay on the ground below, one photo taken Saturday appears to show.

Progress on the lighting rig can be seen in a collection of photos taken Monday. In one, cranes can be seen carrying a section of the rig as it arches in front of the White House.

Another photo appears to show two sections of the rig being connected, using the cranes.

Monday afternoon, Trump was seen examining a White House pillar and talking to his staff, according to a video shared on X by NewsNation White House Correspondent Kellie Meyer.

“President Trump just spent a few moments when he returned to the White House residents [sic] to look at one of the White House pillars and asking questions to his staff, directing them to take photos of it and touching the white pillar himself. Unclear why,” Meyer wrote in the post.

The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment.

UFC Freedom 250’s main event will be between lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and interim champion Justin Gaethje.

Topuria thanked Trump, who is friends with UFC president Dana White, for the “opportunity to build the biggest event in sports history” while at the White House earlier this month.

Gaethje, who shared his gratitude for Trump supporting UFC before it was mainstream, told the president at the Oval Office, “It’s truly an honor. It’s awesome. It’s your birthday. Awesome. It’s Flag Day. Wonderful to represent this country.”

Trump said that there would be 4,000 seats on the South Lawn for the fight, and there would be a screening of it “in the park right across the street,” seemingly referring to Lafayette Park. He said the park will have “anywhere from 75,000 to 100,000 people,” adding that it was free to attend.

While the UFC is paying for the event, sponsorship packages that include ringside tickets to the fight have been selling for $1 million or more, a Republican lobbyist familiar with the matter told NBC News in an article published earlier this month.