What’s the verdict?

The stunning cliffs that provide an impressive welcome to the crag are a result of the more recent history of the area, from quarrying in the 50s and 60s.

You’ll have most likely driven over the very same limestone, as it was used to make the M6 Preston bypass.

Peregrine falcons nest high on the limestone walls, starting their courtship in spring (Image: Surrey Hills Photography)

Peregrine falcons nest high on the limestone walls, starting their courtship in spring.

Before you’ve even left the car park for the footpaths, you might catch a glimpse of the peregrine falcons that nest high on the limestone walls, starting their courtship in spring and spending the summer feeding their chicks.

These birds are the fastest animals on earth, reaching more than 186 miles per hour when diving for prey, nearly the speed that F1 cars drive.

Steep, rocky paths will get your heart pumping as you head up through the tree line, and the woods contain a wonderfully rich and diverse collection of species, including the rare Lancaster whitebeam which is only found around Morecambe Bay.

Early purple orchids, violets, bluebells, wood-anemone and kidney-vetch all bring colour to the forest floor alongside a range of rich green ferns.

Once you’re out of the tree line, you can see the glorious coastline of Morecambe Bay.

On a super clear day, you’ve even got a chance of seeing all the way to the Isle of Man, though you probably won’t be able to spot any TT racers.

Out of the trees and onto the craggy limestone grassland, you’ll often come across some big shaggy cattle.

They graze the scrub and trample some of the plant life down, making sure that the grass doesn’t get too prolific and the limestone-loving plants such as juniper and St John’s wort get their spot in the sun.

Butterflies are the stars of the show at Warton Crag, which is home to rare species of small pearl-bordered fritillary (Image: Tom Marshall)

Ecologically, butterflies are the stars of the show at Warton Crag.

It’s home to nationally important populations of rare species like the pearl-bordered and small pearl-bordered fritillary, whose caterpillars feed on the violets in the woodlands.

The butterflies can be seen on warm days soaking up the heat from the limestone and flitting around the grasses and wildflowers.

If you are really lucky, you may see two of our native lizards, the snake-like slow worm and common lizard, darting through the grass as they finish basking.

Warton Crag is a beautiful spot, and it’s an excellent place to venture after the cold, wet winter.

Follow the example of the butterflies and reptiles and sit on the limestone, watching the world go by, enjoy a sea of colour in the woods and on the grassland as the earth starts to wake up again, and take a moment to really take in and notice what’s going on.

There’s more than you think, and it’s sure to bring you a sense of wellbeing.

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However effective your vacuum cleaner, there will always be those unfortunate spills and baked-in stains that need closer attention. I run a commercial cleaning business and rely on a homemade paste to remove the most stubborn marks from my carpets (and deploy it after any accidents). It’s inexpensive and you will probably have the ingredients in your cupboards already.

It won’t achieve a deep clean, though. If you’re looking to tackle bigger areas and own – or can hire – a carpet cleaner, I also have some fail-safe advice to ensure a pristine finish.

Spot clean stains with a homemade paste

For small stains, this quick concoction is all you need. Simply mix the following ingredients together slowly until they form a paste:

• Half a cup bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tbsp mild washing up liquid
• 1-2 tbsp of warm water

Avoid brightly coloured washing up liquids, especially if you have lighter-coloured carpets, as the dye may transfer onto the fibres. Before you start, there’s one step that applies to any carpet cleaning; always test your cleaning solution (homemade or otherwise) on a small, hidden area of flooring to check for colour-fastness and compatibility.

Vitamins in pregnancy are usually discussed in terms of a baby’s health at birth. But could the amount of vitamin D taken during pregnancy also influence how a child’s brain works many years later?

A recent Danish study suggests that it might. Children whose mothers received a higher dose of vitamin D during late pregnancy performed slightly better on tests of verbal and visual memory at age ten than children whose mothers received the standard dose.

The findings are intriguing, but they need to be kept in perspective. The differences were small, and the higher dose was not linked to better intelligence, attention, thinking speed, planning or working memory. The researchers also did not examine whether the memory differences affected schoolwork or daily life.

The study followed children whose mothers had taken part in a randomised trial originally designed to determine whether high-dose vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy reduced the risk of persistent wheeze and asthma in offspring. From the 24th week of pregnancy until one week after birth, one group received 2,800 international units (IU), or 70 micrograms, of vitamin D each day. The other received the standard Danish dose of 400 IU, or 10 micrograms.

Of the 623 children in the original trial, 498 returned for cognitive testing at around ten years old. After accounting for factors that might have influenced the results, the researchers found that children in the higher-dose group performed slightly better at recalling words and objects and remembering where visual patterns had appeared.

They also initially appeared better at switching between different rules or ways of solving a problem. However, that result could no longer be distinguished confidently from chance once the researchers accounted for the number of tests they had carried out.

Why the findings need caution

An important strength of the study is that the mothers were randomly assigned to receive either the higher or standard dose. This makes it less likely that differences in income, diet, health or lifestyle explain the results.

However, the original trial was designed to investigate childhood wheeze and asthma. Cognition was analysed later and was not one of the study’s original outcomes.

Researchers call this a “post-hoc secondary analysis”. Testing many possible outcomes increases the chance that some apparent differences will arise by coincidence. The two memory findings survived the researchers’ statistical checks, but the improvements were modest and need to be confirmed in trials designed specifically to study cognitive development.

The number of children who returned for testing also needs to be considered. If those who returned differed from those who did not, the findings may be less representative of the original group.

The children were tested only once, at age ten. The research cannot show when the differences appeared, whether they will continue into adolescence or whether a higher dose earlier in pregnancy would have the same effect.

A child’s vitamin D level after birth is influenced by sunlight, food and supplementation, as well as maternal factors such as breastfeeding, and maternal vitamin D status. The researchers measured blood levels at six months and six years, but two tests cannot show a child’s vitamin D exposure throughout the first decade of life. The study therefore cannot establish precisely when vitamin D might have influenced development. For example, it is unclear whether the effects were caused by vitamin D exposure during pregnancy, after birth, or by vitamin D supplements taken during childhood up to the age of ten.

Most of the mothers did not have low vitamin D levels when the trial began. Only 15% had levels below 20 nanograms per millilitre, although definitions of deficiency vary. The findings tell us more about giving extra vitamin D to women whose levels were already relatively high than about treating a clear deficiency.

The researchers found no convincing evidence that the higher dose worked differently according to the mother’s starting vitamin D level. However, the unplanned analysis, small improvements and study population mean that this study alone is unlikely to justify changing UK guidance.

Around 96% of the children who completed the follow-up were white. This limits how confidently the findings can be applied to more diverse populations or groups at greater risk of low vitamin D.

This is particularly relevant in the UK because people with darker skin generally produce less vitamin D in response to sunlight. Future trials should include participants from a wider range of ethnic backgrounds and more women with low vitamin D levels.

Should pregnant women take a higher dose?

Current NHS guidance recommends that pregnant women take 10 micrograms, equivalent to 400 IU, of vitamin D each day from early October to late March.

People who spend little time outdoors or usually cover most of their skin should take this amount throughout the year. People with black or brown skin should also consider taking vitamin D all year. A doctor may recommend a different dose when blood tests show a deficiency or there is another medical reason.

The dose used in the Danish trial was seven times the routine NHS recommendation, although it remained below the adult upper limit of 100 micrograms a day. That does not show that the higher dose offers extra benefits or suits every pregnancy.

Taking too much vitamin D over time can cause calcium to build up in the body, potentially damaging the kidneys and heart. Pregnant women should not increase their dose in the hope of improving their child’s memory without first speaking to a midwife, GP or another healthcare professional. They should also check whether vitamin D is included in more than one of the supplement they are taking.

The study offers tentative evidence that taking more vitamin D during late pregnancy may have a small effect on verbal and visual memory at age ten. Further trials should make cognition a planned outcome, test children at several ages and include a more diverse group of participants.

Until stronger evidence is available, pregnant women should follow current guidance and seek individual medical advice when deficiency is suspected.

Five fire crews were called to the blaze in Duggleby, near Malton, at about 7.50pm on Saturday (August 8).

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said the fire measured around 150m x 100m and was to a stubble and standing crop field.

The field fire in Duggleby, near Malton, on Saturday night (August 8) (Image: North Yorkshire Weather Updates)

Farm machinery was used to cut fire breaks around the blaze.

Crews used hose reel jets and sprayers to extinguish the fire.

In a statement, the fire service said: “Farm machinery was used to cut fire breaks around the fire and crews used hose reel jets, knapsack sprayers and beaters to extinguish the fire and put a wet line in to prevent re-ignition of the fire.”

Firefighters extinguished the blaze in Bishopthorpe Road at about 4.20am on Sunday (August 9).

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said it understood that the fire was started deliberately and informed police about the incident.

In a statement, the fire service said: “A crew from York responded to a tree that was on fire. 

“Crews extinguished the fire using two knapsack sprayers. 

“Police were informed due to the cause of the fire was believed deliberate.”

Temporary cordons in the Huntley Road area, Banbridge, have now been lifted

Cordons have been lifted after an incident in Co Down sparked a security alert.

Police were contacted on Saturday afternoon, August 8, with a report of a concern for the welfare of an individual in the Huntley Road area of Banbridge.

Officers and Ammunition Technical Officers attended and examined items found while the road was closed, with diversions in place at the Glassestown Road and Ballykeel Road.

On Saturday evening, police released a statement and said nothing suspicious was found and the individual concerned was “receiving appropriate support and treatment at this time”.

A PSNI spokeswoman said: “Police received a report of concern for the welfare of an individual in the area of Huntley Road Banbridge earlier today at approximately 12.30pm, Saturday 8th August.

“Officers together with Ammunition Technical Officers (ATO) examined items found and located nothing suspicious.

“Other unrelated items were removed by police for further examination. The individual concerned is receiving appropriate support and treatment at this time.

“Temporary cordons in the area have now been lifted and we would like to thank members of the public for their patience.”

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Donald Trump appeared taken aback when an interviewer delivered a quick-witted response to the brag that he’s considered ‘one of the greatest Presidents ever.’

The Commander-in-Chief spoke to Punchbowl News and was asked about how he might deal with a Democrat-controlled Congress in 2027. 

Reporter Jake Sherman asked: ‘If Democrats do take over the House, it’s just going to be investigation mania. They’re going to do oversight. They could impeach you again. Do you think they will?’

‘Well, a lot of people are saying I’m one of the greatest presidents ever,’ Trump replied.

‘They’re not saying that though,’ Sherman said with a chuckle, referring to the Democrats. 

‘Yeah, but they know. They see the results,’ Trump responded, before rolling off a list of his accomplishments.

He cited ‘more money being invested in the United States than at any time in history,’ as well as construction of factories, investment in AI and companies leaving countries like Mexico, Canada, Germany, Japan and coming to the US.’

Trump, however, seems unsure whether the coalition that won him an electoral college landslide will come out for the Republican Party without him on the ballot in November.

The Commander-in-Chief spoke to Punchbowl News earlier this week and was asked about how he might deal with a Democrat-controlled Congress in 2027. Pictured: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (pictured right) and Democrat Senator Patty Murray (pictured left)

‘If I don’t run, will those people go out and vote, and that’s the one thing I can’t tell,’ Trump told Punchbowl News in an interview released Friday.

Then the President revealed his greatest open question about the coming elections and conservative voters: ‘Will they vote?’ 

‘A lot of them are very angry at Republicans, to be honest with you … they are not angry with me, but they are angry with Republicans.’

Republicans’ odds of keeping control of both chambers of Congress are glum, at least according to prediction markets. 

As it stands, Republicans have less than a 20 percent chance of maintaining control of the House, per Kalshi data. In the Senate, Republicans’ odds of staying in power are much more favorable at 54 percent.

But the President has a trick up his sleeve to help Republicans – he has a massive political war chest that he can deploy to help his party members campaign against their Democratic opponents.

‘I could spend it on pretty much anything I want,’ Trump noted in the interview, adding, ‘I’m going to help Republicans.’

The President’s political action committee, MAGA Inc., has $400 million in cash on hand, according to the latest Federal Election Commission filings in late June. 

Trump has noted repeatedly his close relationship with House Speaker Mike Johnson, who he has called a ‘fantastic person’ but has wondered if Republicans will show up in the midterm elections

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Trump said that voters are angry with Republicans, but ‘they are not angry with me’

The fate of Trump’s remaining two years in power hinges largely on whether conservatives maintain control of Congress.

Should he lose just one chamber, either the House or the Senate, any legislation the President wants passed would need at least some Democratic support. 

The thing is, Democrats have been outspoken for years about their ardent opposition to the President and his agenda, and it is hard to see them finding common ground to push through bipartisan legislation. 

During the interview with the Congress-focused outlet, the President also spoke about his relationships with Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Republican Leader John Thune, or lack thereof. 

Johnson, Trump said, is a ‘fantastic person.’ The two have worked closely together on the President’s legislation in the House, and the Speaker has largely been able to deliver votes on must-pass bills for the President. 

The same cannot be said of the Senate.

When pressed on whether he would back Thune to lead the Senate Republicans again next year, the President did not offer the leader, whom he has clashed with at times, his support. 

‘I don’t want to get into that,’ Trump answered. 

Though Trump did note that there was no ‘disconnect’ between him and Thune, adding, ‘I think we have a good relationship.’ 

Trump has repeatedly requested that the Senate pass voter ID laws, which were already approved by the House. He sees the legislation as imperative for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections given his claims that elections have been ‘rigged.’ 

Thune has worked to get his Republican conference on board, but the legislation has stalled out, and the Senate Republican Leader has repeatedly told the President he does not have the votes to get it passed. 

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Sometimes the fastest way to feel clean is with an effective body scrub, massaged all over damp skin and rinsed off to reveal smoother, glowing limbs. 

Especially in the summer, when we’re ditching the long trousers and sleeves, and dull skin or dry patches become more visible. 

Not forgetting, of course, it’s an essential step if you’re a self-tanner, as unbuffed skin can cause tanning products to cling to drier areas. 

It’s especially a good time to invest in a manual body scrub when heatwaves hit, as the constant sweating can leave your skin feeling sticky and clammy. Buffing away dead skin cells, suncream, and deodorant can be the quick fix your complexion needs. 

Fortunately, there are loads of body scrubs to shop for, made with finely milled salts, enzyme powders and botanical scents to leave your skin glowing. 

As a beauty journalist who is obsessed with silky smooth skin, I use a body scrub religiously twice a week, so I know exactly what works and what’s not worth your time. 

To help you find the right one for your shower routine, I’ve handpicked the all-time greats, from budget-friendly high street picks to luxurious body treatments that are worth the splurge. 
 
Consider this your warm-weather skin reset, and the start of your smoothest summer yet.

Naturium KP Scrub & Mask

There’s no body product as transformative as this. It’s an abrasive scrub that’s in a thick paste (make sure to give the tube a good squeeze when you’re pouring it into your hand) that’s made to be spread all over, left for a few minutes, then rinsed off.

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Nothing, and I mean nothing, will leave your skin smoother or softer as fast. It’s made with jojoba esters, pumice, and AHA, BHA, and PHA chemical exfoliants, and is fragrance-free.

One use of this and you’ll feel like a totally new person.

Buy Now for £21

Q+A AHA Exfoliator Body Scrub

Affordable beauty brand Q+A has plenty of gems in its line-up, but this gentle body exfoliator is one of my favourites.

It has a delicious coconut, amber, and vanilla scent that smells like a luxurious perfume and has enough abrasiveness to give your limbs a good polish, but isn’t scratchy, harsh, or hard to clean off the sides of your shower.

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The blend of AHAs, lactic acid, glycolic acid, and upcycled corn is formulated in a creamy base that makes spreading it all over your body a simple task, and easy to rinse off in a matter of seconds.

Buy Now for £8

Alpha-H Smoothing AHA Face and Body Scrub

This dual-purpose scrub can be used on your face and body, and is the gentlest of them all.

It contains very fine bamboo stem particles, alongside glycolic acid, caffeine and macadamia seed oil, which lightly slough off dead skin cells without leaving you wincing.

It’s a great everyday one that isn’t overly abrasive and suits my sensitive, eczema-prone skin, too.

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I can’t get enough of the refreshing peppermint scent either.

Rinse off and slather on your favourite body lotion for glowing skin, head to toe.

Buy Now for £31.99

Joonbyrd Violet Haze Body Scrub

If you love a sticky-sweet, gourmand scent in your body care, this is the scrub for you.

Made by consultant dermatologist Dr Alexis Granite, you’re in good hands with this formula.

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The main exfoliant is sugar and chia seeds, in a base of plant-derived butters and oils, so it has a thick, rich, creamy texture that lathers nicely and doesn’t leave you feeling itchy.

It gets bonus points for the creamy, chocolatey, floral fragrance – it’s so good I could eat it. 

Buy Now for £45

Clarins Exfoliating Body Scrub

This has been around for years, but it remains a regular part of my shower routine for its creamy, skin-smoothing texture, fresh scent, and speedy way to exfoliate dead skin cells.

It comes in a convenient tube, so you don’t need to try to open a tub with wet hands or make a mess scooping it out.

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One use is all you’ll need to see a difference in skin texture.

Buy Now for £36

Grown Alchemist Smoothing Body Exfoliant

While this black gel may look alarming, it’s one of the best body scrubs for my sensitive skin, and it doesn’t stain the sides of my shower.

The ‘scrub’ is made from volcanic pumice particles, along with peppermint, bergamot, and kalin clay, which not only buffs skin to a smooth, silk-soft finish but also absorbs excess oil and hydrates skin in need of some TLC.

Buy Now for £27

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Shanghai’s two airports canceled more than 1,300 flights and authorities relocated some 300,000 people in surrounding regions as China prepared for Typhoon Dolphin, after the storm brought heavy rains to northern Taiwan.

The outer bands of the storm on Saturday hit northern Taiwan, including the capital Taipei, bringing rain.

Some Taiwanese airlines also canceled their flights to China on Sunday.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds were estimated at about 162kmph (101mph) as of Sunday morning. It is bringing heavy rains, creating a risk of severe flooding as well as landslides and is expected to hit Zhejiang province and northern parts of neighbouring Fujian province late on Sunday.

That is equal to a Category 2 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, a storm capable of producing extensive damage to homes, trees and infrastructure.

Forecasters in China predicted that areas could see 200-400mm (7.9–15.7in) of rainfall over the next few days.

Authorities are warning of severe landslide risks in Zhejiang.

Shanghai’s Hongqiao and Pudong airports respectively also canceled about 60 per cent of Sunday’s expected flights, according to the Paper, Shanghai’s state media.

On Saturday evening, authorities in Zhejiang evacuated some 390,000 people in the city of Taizhou.

Authorities in Shanghai evacuated some 30,000 plus from riskier areas. Zhejiang authorities also suspended all water-based activities, including ferries and cruises.

Typhoon Dolphin has already swept through Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture, injuring six people and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings.

Before its landfall in China, authorities moved offshore workers to safety, ordered vessels back to port and increased checks at reservoirs, mountain streams, landslide-prone areas, construction sites and tourist locations.

Torrential rai After landfall, Dolphin is forecast to track westward before slowing over central and southwestern China and gradually losing strength, Wang Haiping, chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Centre, told state ⁠broadcaster CCTV.

Shanghai’s Yangshan port cleared ships from ‌its berths and moved more than 500 ​small and medium-sized vessels to shelter ahead of Dolphin, the city’s maritime safety administration said.

That could prolong heavy rain and raise the risk of flooding and landslides, especially in mountainous areas and along smaller rivers.

(Additional reporting from Reuters)