“Some days you’re grand, and then out of nowhere it hits like a thunderbolt”

A young man is taking on a mammoth challenge next week to raise money for a men’s mental health charity. Michael Quinn sadly lost his father, Seamus Quinn, only six months ago.

Seamus was a teacher in Loreto Secondary School, Letterkenny and his death caused an outpouring of grief across Derry and Donegal. Michael spoke to Belfast Live about the journey he has faced in the last six months, navigating his own grief.

The Derry man said: “To be honest, I was in the pits of grief from October to January after my daddy’s death. I was struggling to leave the house and couldn’t face the gym because it was too much time alone in my own head.

“Thankfully, I started getting out for short runs with a few friends, which helped me get moving again. After the Belfast Marathon 2025 didn’t go to plan and I collapsed near the finish, I felt like I had unfinished business.

“With encouragement from my friends, Luke and Euan, I decided to sign up again and commit to it properly from the start. Running hasn’t fixed anything – and it never will – but it’s given me a release when I needed it most.”

Michael has decided to run the marathon to raise funds for Men’s Action Network, a local charity supporting men’s mental health.

He said: “I’m raising money for Men’s Action Network (MAN). It’s a valuable charity in Derry that supports men in the community through a wide range of services.

“My daddy used MAN’s services in the past and later went on to support them himself as a trained counsellor.

“MAN plays a crucial role in supporting men across all walks of life. They’re constantly battling to secure funding to keep their programmes and counselling services going.

“A lot of people rely on what they offer. The focus is on mental health and preventing suicide – helping ensure other families don’t have to go through the kind of pain that ours has.”

The loss of Michael’s father shattered the family and wider community to it’s core. Six months on, those feelings of grief and loss are still incredibly raw.

Michael told Belfast Live: “It has been brutal, to be honest. I don’t think people always understand everything that comes after a traumatic loss. Some days you’re grand, and then out of nowhere it hits like a thunderbolt. One of the hardest parts is that life keeps moving on for everyone else, while you feel a bit stuck in the middle of it.

“My father’s death came completely out of the blue, and it’s still very hard to understand. His sudden death has highlighted how quickly situations can escalate and how important it is that people are supported and treated with care and understanding. Charities like Men’s Action Network provide that support when people need it most.

“For anyone facing a similar situation, lean on each other as much as you can and keep talking. Take things easy and be patient with yourself.

Advertisement

“The pain doesn’t fully go away, but over time it can become more manageable. Try to find some sort of release outside the house – whether that’s running, walking, or anything that gives you a bit of space from your thoughts.

“Don’t be afraid to reach out for support, whether that’s through your GP or charities like MAN.”

When Michael previously participated the Belfast marathon, his dad and other family members were there to support him.

For Michael this year, knowing that he will be running carrying the memories of his father makes this race even more important.

He said: “Physically I feel okay. I’m probably not in the best shape I’ve ever been, but the goal this year is simply to get it done.

“I think it’ll be just as much an emotional challenge as a physical one. Last year my whole family, including my Daddy, came to support me and I gave them a bit of a scare when I collapsed near the finish. I remember them coming into the Royal Victoria Hospital and they were very worried, but I had come around by then.

“This year will be tough in a different way – my daddy not being there. It still feels surreal not having him here, especially around moments like this.”

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

Against the backdrop of the Abbey and famous clifftops, streets will be filled with black-clad revellers as the biannual event returns next weekend.

Recommended reading:

The event kickstarts on the evening of Thursday (April 30) at the Royal Hotel for a pre-festival gig with DJ Jason, starting at 7.30pm.

A scheduled list of events have been released for the May weekend (Image: Supplied)

The following day will include a Bazaar and Alternative Markets at Whitby Leisure Centre, which will run from 10am till 5pm on Friday and Saturday and 10am till 4pm on Sunday.

Meet and greets, an art exhibit and a mini moshers craft club will be held at The Royal Hotel, West Cliff on Friday, along with a glam rock and metal gig from 7.30pm till 1am.

Saturday will include a horror quiz followed by four live bands at the Revenant Lounge at the Royal Hotel and an intimate spoken word performance at Eighteen 91.

Visitors of all sub genres are expected (Image: Supplied)

Visitors can enjoy the Kooky Bingo at the Royal Hotel, along with the Bazaar and extra live music on the final day.

The annual event has been entertaining lovers of gothic and alternative culture since 1994, when founder Jo Hampshire placed an ad in NME calling for a meet-up of like-minded people.

A small group of pen pals quickly became 200 for the first Whitby Goth Weekend and has since evolved into a bi-annual rendezvous coveted by thousands of traditional goths, Victorian goths SteamPunks and cyber goths to name just a few.

For more information about this year’s event, please visit here.

Mikel Arteta has called Arsenal’s game against Newcastle United the start of a “new season” after a fortnight in which their nine-point lead over Manchester City evaporated.

The two title contenders are both locked on 70 points and the same goal difference, with City top courtesy of scoring three more goals.

Arsenal surrendered control of the race by losing at the Etihad last Sunday. While City’s victory made them bookmakers’ favourites to win the title, there were perhaps reasons for optimism.

The presence of Eberechi Eze, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz in the same line-up helped Arsenal produce possibly their best performance of 2026, and they were the width of a post away from getting a result.

Bukayo Saka and Riccardo Calafiori returning to the squad today strengthens them further, and fixtures against Newcastle, Fulham, West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace look like a favourable run-in.

Much depends on whether they can mentally recover from butchering so many opportunities to put Manchester City to bed throughout the season, notably in January when Pep Guardiola’s team was floundering.

They look to have caught Newcastle at a good time, with Eddie Howe’s team losing four of their past six league games. There is widespread uncertainty about the future of Howe and some key players, as well as the intentions of their Saudi owners amid ongoing instability in the Gulf.

“We’ve lost a little bit of confidence, I think that was clear against Bournemouth on Saturday. With the recent results we’ve had and just the way things have fallen against us, players aren’t playing to their maximum level. You can see that,” said Howe.

“We’ve got some ‌very, very good players in ⁠the squad that are underperforming and you can’t put a figure on how confidence can damage the individuals.

“My job this week has been to support the players, to help the players, hopefully deliver some good work for them, then try and help them ⁠figure out how we can get back – individually and collectively – to our best levels.”

One of the players who could move on is Anthony Gordon, but he missed today’s game owing to injury. Newcastle should have Bruno Guimarães back in their engine room, but Joelinton is suspended.

Arsenal won the return fixture at St James’ Park in dramatic circumstances, with late Mikel Merino and Gabriel headers pulling what could be a pivotal win out of the fire.

Full team news on the way shortly.

The village has two pubs, a bakery, and a few takeaways

Found to the north-east of Huntingdon, Warboys is a little village with a strange name that dates back to the Saxon era. The name was first referenced in a Saxon charter of 974 and could be from the Old Norse vardi and buski, which means beacon with bushes.

The village has grown over the centuries with it having a population of 168 to 240 people in 1086 and is now home to around 4,323 people. It is understandable that many people would want to move to the village with house prices being more affordable than most areas in Cambridgeshire.

According to Rightmove, the average house price in Warboys was £314,050 over the last year. Detached properties in the area cost an average of £460,133 with semi-detached homes selling for around £261,538.

The village, while being surrounded by countryside, has a few of its own amenities so you do not need to leave Warboys when you need to pick up a midweek loaf of bread. The village has both a One Stop and a SPAR for those little bits that you might have forgotten to get when doing the big shop.

Whether you want to enjoy lunch or a sweet treat at the bakery, or just need to pop in for some fresh bread, the Windmill Bakery has a range of homemade sweet and savoury goods to choose from. The bakery also does custom celebration cakes with plenty of flavours and decorations available.

The village also has a few takeaways including Oceans Fish Bar where you can get traditional fish and chips. Warboys is home to two pubs including the White Hart, which is currently temporarily closed, and dates back to the 17th century.

The historic pub was almost lost in the 1990s because of a fire. In 1996, an electrical fault caused the roof to catch fire, which ended up destroying the top floor of the building, but it was rebuilt and opened again in 1997.

The other pub is the Royal Oak, which serves a range of drinks from real ales and wines to spirits and non-alcoholic options. Throughout the winter, the pub has a log burner found in its “cosy” bar area as well as a fully enclosed beer garden that is a “sun trap” in the summer.

Warboys is also close to a few family-friendly attractions such as Johnsons Zoo, which has plenty of activities to keep children occupied. If you need to travel out of Cambridgeshire, the village is only around a 20-minute drive away from Huntingdon train station.

Roy Hodgson is refusing to rule out a return to management ahead of what will be his final week as Bristol City interim and potentially the last one of a 50-year career.

The 78-year-old saw his Robins team beaten 2-1 at Birmingham, with first-half goals from Phil Neumann and Jhon Solis giving the hosts a lead they would never lose.

An 82nd-minute penalty from Tomi Horvat gave the Robins late hope but as he looks ahead to next Saturday’s curtain call against Stoke City, the former England boss is not making any promises.

He said: “I’ve got to be very careful what I say now, I’ve made a bit of a fool of myself two or three times already, there’s only so many gold watches you can get.

“Who knows? I’ve never been putting my CV out to clubs anyway. I’ve not had an agent ringing around trying to find me a job.

“I’ve just been fortunate, I suppose, that one or two jobs have found me, that I felt I’m able to do – and have broken a retirement promise to my wife and come back and taken them.

“I refuse really anymore to say ‘right, this was great, I shall never even contemplate being in football in another role again’. That would be a mistake because I might.

“Some nice little national team might come and say ‘come and join us for a little bit, work every now and again’, I might enjoy that.

“I didn’t expect this one, it was a real surprise when this came out but it was a pleasant surprise, it happens, and one that I’m glad that I took the opportunity.”

Hodgson has lost none of his competitive edge and even disputed the veracity of Birmingham’s second goal.

Blues took the lead when Neumann volleyed home Demarai Gray’s eighth-minute free-kick and doubled their advantage after Sam Morsy conceded possession under pressure from Solis.

The Columbian volleyed the loose ball as Radek Vitek scrambled back but referee Robert Jones awarded the goal and Hodgson said: “For some reason the referee’s watch buzzed.

“I’d like to have been there alongside him when it buzzed, because it didn’t look anywhere near over the line from where I was sitting, but there you go.”

PA

Hello and welcome to our live blog for the first of this season’s FA Cup semi-finals as Manchester City take on Southampton at a sun-soaked Wembley Stadium.

It’s the business end of the season, and Pep Guardiola’s sky blue machine is purring. Man City head into this contest on a five-game winning run, where they’ve collected two victories over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final and the Premier League, while also beating Liverpool, Chelsea and Burnley.

Having already ticked the Carabao Cup off their list, Man City are charging towards a domestic treble. They’re now top of the Premier League and are the overwhelming favourites to win the FA Cup as they’re expected to bulldoze Southampton here at Wembley, and whoever gets to the final out of Chelsea and Leeds United.

Despite all Guardiola’s glittering success at Man City, this season’s FA Cup is an opportunity for redemption after losing the competition’s last two finals against Manchester United and Crystal Palace in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

Southampton stand in Man City’s way, and they’re in phenomenal form. Tonda Eckert’s men are on a stunning 20-match unbeaten streak, dating back to January when they lost 2-1 against Hull City. This run has catapulted Southampton into the play-offs as they sit fifth in the Championship.

FA Cup victories over top-flight duo Fulham and Arsenal have also been standout moments for the club in 2026, and they enter this fixture with confidence, knowing they’re perfectly capable of causing an upset.

While promotion to the Premier League is probably Southampton’s ultimate aim, an unlikely FA Cup triumph would put this current group of players in the history books and etch them into the club’s folklore.

This game is an all-conquering force against a team with absolutely nothing to lose. For Man City, trips to Wembley are a regular occurrence and happen each season, while for Southampton, they will dream of an extraordinary upset.

Kick-off is at 17:15, with team news on the way shortly.

Truancy rates have been going down, but have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels

The school with the worst attendance rate in Cambridgeshire has been named. Newly released data from the Department of Education shows the rate of truancy, or unauthorised absences from school, in every state-funded secondary school in the country.

Pupils at state-funded secondaries in Cambridgeshire missed the equivalent of around one in 42 days through unauthorised absences in the 2024/25 academic year, equalling a rate of 2.4% lost “school sessions”. This rate was well below the national average of 3.2% which was also down from 3.5% in 2023/24 and 3.4% in 2022/23.

However, truancy rates both nationally and in Cambridgeshire have never recovered to their pre-pandemic numbers where only 1.8% of sessions were lost nationally to unauthorised absences. The rates of truancy were also far higher at certain schools compared to others.

City of Peterborough Academy had the highest rate in Cambridgeshire, with around one in every 15 school sessions last year (6.5%) lost due to unauthorised absences. That saw the school ranked 233rd in the whole of England.

A spokesperson for the Academy said: “We are committed to supporting strong attendance for all our pupils, recognising the clear link between regular attendance and positive educational outcomes. Since the 2024/25 academic year, the Academy has taken positive steps to strengthen attendance, including drawing on best practice and effective strategies from across the Trust.

“Our focus remains on ensuring that every pupil is supported to attend regularly, access the full benefits of their education and be well-prepared for life beyond the school gates.”

Thomas Deacon Academy in Peterborough had the county’s next highest rate of unauthorised absences at 4.8%. That was followed by St Peter’s School in Cambridgeshire at 4.3%, and Neale-Wade Academy at 4.1%

You can check to see how your child’s school is performing with our interactive list below.

The schools with the 10 worst rates in Cambridgeshire are as follows:

National rank. School: Unauthorised absence rate

233. City of Peterborough Academy, Peterborough: 6.5%

657. Thomas Deacon Academy, Peterborough: 4.8%

838. St Peter’s School, Cambridgeshire: 4.3%

953. Neale-Wade Academy, Cambridgeshire: 4.1%

980. North Cambridge Academy, Cambridgeshire: 4.0%

981. Queen Katharine Academy, Peterborough: 4.0%

1293. Longsands Academy, Cambridgeshire: 3.5%

1343. Thomas Clarkson Academy, Cambridgeshire: 3.4%

1403. Cambridge Academy for Science and Technology, Cambridgeshire: 3.3%

1636. Cromwell Community College, Cambridgeshire: 3.0%

Truancy has shown to have potentially detrimental consequences to children’s development and academic attainment.

Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, argued that the government needs to take more responsibility for unauthorised absences. “Schools are working very hard to reduce absences and improve attendance because every day counts in terms of good outcomes and life chances,” he said.

“Absence is driven by a range of complex factors… and what we need is more support from the government to deal with some of these issues. This includes things like better access to mental health support for children who are experiencing severe school anxiety, and more attendance officers who can work with families to get children back into education.”

Di’Iasio also cited parents taking their children on holiday during term time, often in an attempt to avoid the surge pricing that typically occurs during term breaks, as a major contributor to the attendance rats. “We would like to see the government engage with the travel industry to limit the massive price hikes which take place in school holiday periods and clearly drive this behaviour,” he said.

Amber O’Brien, 33, died after an incident on Broadmoss Drive in Blackley, North Manchester last week on Sunday April 19.

A murder investigation was launched in the wake of Ms O’Brien’s death and her family have now released a tribute describing her as a “devoted daughter and sister”.

A statement from Ms O’Brien’s family said: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Amber. Her passing has left us devastated, and she will be fondly remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing her.

Amber O’Brien (Image: GMP)

“Amber was known for her warm smile and her natural ability to lift others up. She had a truly kind heart and made everyone around her feel valued and appreciated.

“She was a devoted daughter and sister, and a beautiful soul whose bright spirit brought joy, laughter, and comfort wherever she went.

“Our hearts are broken. Amber’s memory will live on with us forever.”

Earlier this week, Greater Manchester Police announced that Stephan Garner, 31 of Somerton Court, Blackley was charged with Ms O’Brien’s murder.

He remains remanded in custody ahead of a further court appearance.

We want to know which pub offers the best beer garden

Warmer temperatures and lighter evenings mean many of us will be enjoying a pint or two at a pub. There’s nothing quite like sitting back and enjoying the spring and summer sunshine in a beer garden.

Perhaps your ideal drinking spot has a beautiful view of the River Cam – or maybe you prioritise room for children to play in a play area. Your perfect seat might be under the shade of a tree or next to a heater, ready for when the temperature drops off in the evening.

Cambridgeshire has many amazing and special pubs to shout about – but only one can be named the best. Wherever your best beer garden can be found, CambridgeshireLive wants to know about it.

Vote for your favourite Cambridgeshire beer garden below. If the interactive below doesn’t work, click here to place your vote.

Donald Trump is set to make his inaugural appearance as president at Saturday’s annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, an event poised to cast a stark public light on his administration’s often-strained relationship with the media.

His presence at the gathering, hosted by the very journalists who cover his administration, will be under intense scrutiny. Historically, presidents attending this dinner have used the platform to champion free speech and the First Amendment, often interspersing their remarks with good-natured jabs at individual reporters.

Notably, the Republican president bypassed the event throughout his first term and the initial year of his second. His previous appearances include a guest appearance in 2011, where he was the subject of jokes by then-President Barack Obama, and another as a private citizen in 2015.

Past dinners have also featured comedians who poke at presidents. This year, the group opted to hire mentalist Oz Pearlman as the featured entertainment.

Trump’s planned appearance is rekindling a longer-running debate about the dinner and events like it — in particular, whether it is poor form for journalists to be seen socializing with the people they cover. The New York Times, for example, stopped attending the dinner more than a decade ago for that reason.

“What was once (a fairly long time ago) a well-intended night of fundraising and camaraderie among professional adversaries is now simply a bad look,” wrote Kelly McBride, ethics expert at the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank.

A contentious relationship

Between berating individual reporters, fighting organizations like the Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press in court and restricting press access to the Pentagon, the administration’s animus toward journalists has been a fixture of Trump’s second term.

On the eve of the dinner, nearly 500 retired journalists signed a petition calling on the association “to forcefully demonstrate opposition to President Trump’s efforts to trample freedom of the press.”

“The White House Correspondents’ dinner reinforces the importance of the First Amendment in our democracy,” said the WHCA president, Weijia Jiang, a CBS News reporter. “As we mark America’s 250th birthday, our choice to gather as journalists, newsmakers and the president in the same room is a reminder of what a free press means to this country and why it must endure. Not for the media or the president, but for the people who depend on it.”

Many reporters who attend, however, consider it a valuable opportunity to get story ideas and establish personal connections with those in government, one that may pay dividends with returned telephone calls in the future.

Some news organizations invite sources as guests

Journalists often invite sources as guests at the dinner. It will be noticed on Saturday whether administration officials who have also expressed hostility to the press will attend, and with whom they will be sitting.

The AP has invited Taylor Budowich, a former White House deputy chief of staff who left last fall for the private sector. The invitation is notable because Budowich, in his role crafting White House communications policy, was a named defendant last year when the AP sued the administration after it reduced its access to the president because the news outlet did not follow Trump’s lead in renaming the Gulf of Mexico.

“We maintain professional relationships with people across the political spectrum because we are nonpartisan by design — focused on reporting the facts in the public’s interest,” AP spokesman Patrick Maks said.

The White House correspondents will also hand out awards for exemplary reporting. That includes some stories that displeased Trump, such as one from the Journal about a birthday message Trump once sent to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The story led to a presidential lawsuit.