Metro is at Liverpool Street station, where things appears to be calm before storm ahead of rush hour.

TfL staff, who declined to give their names, said the first strike day has not been ‘too bad’ with crowds.

‘It’s a little bit busier, but not too bad. But the peak is still to come,’ they said.

Ashley, 34, who was waiting for her cousin at the station’s Elizabeth line entrance, had travelled from Durham for the launch of an LGBTQ+ magazine and to see a comedian.

She only heard about the strike on her way in on the train.

She said: ‘I was a little bit stressed about it, but it has been completely fine, absolutely no disruption.

‘I took the Tube from King’s Cross to Moorgate and walked from there in the rain. We are staying in Hackney but haven’t planned yet how we will travel there.

‘I’m travelling again on Thursday so will see how it is.’

The 2026 event will see the historic cycle of medieval plays performed across the city centre, blending centuries-old tradition with a contemporary festival celebrating art, community and storytelling.

The York Mystery Plays, a sequence of 48 plays charting Christian history from creation to the Last Judgment, date back more than 600 years and remain one of the world’s best-known surviving cycle play traditions.

This year’s performances will take place on Sunday, June 28 and Sunday, July 5, with additional evening events on June 30 and July 1.

Many famous actors have taken part in the plays over the years, including York-born actress Judi Dench, as well as actors Joseph O’Connor, Christopher Timothy, Simon Ward, Victor Banerjee and Robson Green.

The young Judi Dench, in the role of the Virgin Mary, watches over the baby Jesus in the 1957 Mystery Plays Image: Newsquest

True to their medieval roots, the plays will be staged on moving pageant wagons as they travel through central locations including Refectory Gardens, Deangate, King’s Square and St Sampson’s Square, before concluding in Dean’s Park.

Audiences will be able to watch much of the action for free at the first three locations, while tickets will be available for the performances in Dean’s Park.

Organisers say the 2026 programme will be “more than a theatrical event”, forming the centrepiece of a wider festival beginning on June 22.

Festival highlights will include an exhibition at the Bar Convent exploring the role of women in the Mystery Plays, a city-wide art and poetry programme, a sound and memory exhibition, guided walks and a series of talks, films and audio experiences.

Schools and community groups from across York will also play a key role in the celebrations.

York Mystery Plays in Shambles Market. Photo by Catherine Jane of Press Camera Club

New for 2026 will be Twilight Lantern Shows in Shambles Market on June 30 and July 1, transforming the space into an immersive evening experience using light, sound and performance.

Artistic director Alan Heaven said the plays continue to resonate with modern audiences.

“The York Mystery Plays are among the great works of medieval drama – epic, funny, moving and visually extraordinary,” he said.

“They tell stories that have connected communities for centuries, and performing them in the streets of York creates a truly unique experience.”

Preparation for the event will formally begin on Sunday, June 7 with the traditional Presentation of the Billets.

Flashback to 2014 and The Presentation of the Billets in York.

The ceremony, which dates back to medieval times, sees representatives of York’s guilds and companies symbolically instructed to stage the plays.

Roger Lee, chair of York Festival Trust, said the event remains at the heart of the city’s identity.

“The York Mystery Plays are part of the city’s soul,” he said.

“In 2026, we are bringing them back in a way that feels both ancient and entirely new – a journey through story, place and shared experience.

“This is York at its most imaginative and most alive.”

The modern revival of the wagon plays began in 1998 and has grown into one of the region’s largest volunteer-led arts events, involving hundreds of performers and community participants.

Full details of timings, locations and festival events are now available, with organisers urging early booking for ticketed performances.

Find out more at: www.yorkmysteryplays.co.uk

His body was found a week after authorities called off the search, when he had been missing for an entire month – but he was only supposed to be gone for three days

Grant Gardner was an experienced hiker and he was looking forward to his three-day solo adventure, walking and climbing through the Bighorn National Forest.

But what started out as a stunning hike for the married father-of-two ended in a living nightmare for his family when he vanished without trace.

Grant had set off on his three-day hike on July 20, 2025, in Wyoming with the hopes of reaching the peak in Bighorn National Forest. He aimed to take on the hike in the northern part of the state, where he would reach an elevation of over 13,000 feet.

The day he set off was the last time anyone spoke to the 38-year-old and when he didn’t return three-days later it would be more than a month until anyone knew what had happened.

The authorities had to stop their search as his “most optimistic survival odds have run out”, and it wasn’t until a month after his disappearance his body was uncovered.

The last anyone had ever heard from Gardner was when he texted his loving wife around 7pm on July 29. His text told her that he had reached the summit and that the climb had been ‘more taxing than he had expected’ and that he was feeling ‘fatigued’.

Three days later, after not hearing from him since, the sheriff’s office was notified Gardner had not yet returned home, and it was then that the search operation began.

It was no small feat, as the search pulled resources from six counties, including both the Wyoming Army National Guard and the U.S. Forest Service, as well as dog trackers, drones and even private pilots, all searching the area in the hopes of finding Mr Gardner.

Sheriff Ken Blackburn of Big Horn County released a statement on August 5 that explained why the summit Gardner had taken on was “concerning”. This was “due to the lack of visible trails through cliffs, timberline, boulder fields, and other hazards that had to be navigated after dark before reaching clear trails and safe terrain.”

20 days later, and their search was still unsuccessful, forcing the authorities to make the “heartbreaking and difficult decision” to call off the search. The choice was not made lightly, and done so in consultation with his family members, who were still holding onto hope.

The sheriff said on August 20: “In consultation with family members, I have made the heartbreaking and difficult decision to suspend active search and rescue operations for Mr Gardner. Our teams have exhausted all resources and personnel over the last 20 days.

“With weather conditions and other factors updated in our search models, we have to face the reality that the most optimistic survival odds have run out.”

Six days later, members of the professional climbing team from North Carolina descended upon the mountain and saw a backpack hidden beneath a ledge.

The following day, on August 27, Gardner’s body was recovered and transferred to the Big Horn County Coroner’s Office, where his death was investigated.

It was believed that the experienced hiker had “succumbed to a tragic accident” on his solo journey to the summit. While finding his body didn’t serve the outcome they had all hoped for, it certainly provided some peace and closure for his family and his wife, who was left with his parting words.

The artwork, by County Durham artist John Cutting, will be displayed during Bishop Middleham’s first Flower and Craft Festival, taking place at the Grade I listed St Michael’s Church, which dates back to the 12th century.

The festival will run from June 12 to 14 and will also feature three additional works by Mr Cutting.

Rev Rachel Wilson, curate at St Michael’s, said: “This festival brings together nearly a thousand years of history with contemporary creativity.

Acclaimed local artist John Cutting joins Chelsea Gold Medal winning florist Val Guest, pictured, to transform historic 12th-century St Michael’s Church in Bishop Middleham (Image: Supplied)

“From John Cutting’s newly commissioned sculpture to the floral displays and community exhibits, it is a celebration of the remarkable talent we have in Bishop Middleham and beyond.

“We hope visitors will discover something unexpected and inspiring.”

Mr Cutting is known for transforming salvaged metal, wood, and stone into contemporary sculptures.

Acclaimed local artist John Cutting joins Chelsea Gold Medal winning florist Val Guest, pictured, to transform historic 12th-century St Michael’s Church in Bishop Middleham (Image: Supplied)

His work has been exhibited across the UK and is held in both public and private collections.

More than 20 floral displays will be featured at the festival, coordinated by Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winner Val Guest, whose recent work includes installations at Westminster Abbey.

The event will also showcase photography, painting, sewing, handicrafts, and poetry created by villagers, schools, and community groups.

Refreshments will be available throughout the weekend.

The festival will open on Friday, June 12 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, with admission priced at £5, including cheese and nibbles.

It will continue on Saturday, June 13 from 10.30am to 3.30pm with £1 entry, and conclude on Sunday, June 14 from 2pm to 4pm, also for £1.

A service of Songs of Praise will take place at 4pm on the final day.

Some people believe the loyalty card encouraged more people into their business, while others feel it didn’t make a difference

Shop and restaurant staff have shared mixed reviews over a loyalty card, introduced by a council to encourage more people to shop local. Throughout April and May, Huntingdonshire District Council launched the ‘Shop, Drink and Dine’ card, with the aim to boost footfall in St Ives.

The town-wide scheme involved independent shops, restaurants and places to drink. Shop owners and staff have shared mixed reviews over the loyalty card, with some saying it was a positive thing, while others feel it didn’t make a difference.

Victoria Giles, owner of Adorn, said it was a “really good idea”. “It’s all helping each other out,” said Victoria.

She added: “It was only £5. It was enticing to customers and to get people into shops.” Victoria saw more customers come into her shop.

She said: “I had a few customers come in and stamped a few cards. It was only ever going to be a good thing at the end of the day. I think anything active to get people into a shop and shop local is good.”

Cyril Bray, manager at The Tellers Table also thought the loyalty card was a positive thing for the town. He said: “It’s supporting local businesses.

“It encourages people as well to come and see us. There are lots of local people that come in and are happy we are here, the card was just an extra encouragement for them. We had a few people come in. I think it was word of mouth after that. Anything to encourage people to use local businesses is always a plus.”

Other businesses found the card didn’t do as well as they thought. A worker at Townrow, who wished to remain anonymous, said it “didn’t make off as good as we thought”.

She added: “We only had a few customers. I thought it was going to be good, as you only needed to spend £5. But we only stamped a few people.”

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Luke Carton, bar manager at The Taproom, had “mixed” feelings towards the card. He said: “We did one before [set up by the Oliver Cromwell pub] and that did really well. This one was more broad which made it more difficult. Our regulars kept using it so that worked well, but it was too broad.”

Sharon, who wished for her surname to not be included, works at Cadge. She said the men’s clothes shop got a “few people in”, but believes the card was better catered for local places to eat. Sharon added: “I think the problem was getting it out there. We didn’t have too many, but I hope it did well for others. I think it did better for eating places as there is a lot in St Ives.”

Finally Amy Seymour-Shove, who works at The Whisky Cafe, found it positive to encourage more people to shop and eat locally. She said: “It felt like it got people to think of more shops. It encouraged a few people in, but not as many as we thought. I feel it could have been done better, but I don’t think a lot of people really knew about it.”

Executive Councillor for Economy, Regeneration and Housing, Councillor Brett Mickelburgh said: “The St Ives Shop and Dine Local loyalty card pilot was launched with UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) funding to increase footfall and support businesses in the town centre.

“The scheme was developed following a two-month engagement period with local businesses and was open to businesses that reside in the town centre. More than 400 loyalty cards were used during the campaign, with 75 completed entries submitted, representing a minimum of £3,750 spent with participating businesses. The scheme was promoted extensively through a dedicated webpage, social media, stakeholder networks, digital advertising and in-store marketing materials provided to participating businesses.”

The pair, who got engaged in March 2021, married in a “secret” ceremony at their local registry office before holding a larger white wedding just two days later.

Bailey, known for her role as Caz Hammond in Coronation Street, shared the news on Instagram on June 2.

The actress posted photos of the newlywed couple outside the registry office, reflecting on their understated first ceremony.

Coronation Street star marries pop star

She said: “It was more special than I ever imagined it could be.

“It felt so intimate, as we were so focused on each other and no one else.

“We got the giggles, we both shed a tear and we were brimming with emotions.”

Only Bailey’s sister and her spouse were present as witnesses.

Following the ceremony, the couple went to a “beautiful restaurant” to talk about their main wedding plans.

Bailey said: “And how incredibly lucky we are to feel so much love for each other after so many years together.

“We also laughed about the fact that we could actually have a conversation without being interrupted every 7 seconds by our kids! It felt all the more special because we don’t get any date nights together at the moment!”

Bailey and Everest, a member of the vocal group The Overtones, share two children, Ilaria and Noemie.

She explained that while their main wedding venue was fully licensed, they chose to do the legal part separately.

Bailey said: “I didn’t want an ‘Officiant’ that we didn’t know conducting our wedding and tapping his watch every three seconds and not being patient with our two year old!”

“2 year olds are a law unto themselves and I really wanted to create a relaxed and chill environment, to cater for any ‘surprises’ she might throw our way – Which worked perfectly. And did come in handy!”

The couple asked a long-time friend and celebrant of 27 years to conduct their main ceremony, making the day feel more personal.

Bailey said she had worried that marrying at the registry office first might “take something away” from their bigger celebration.

She said: “What it did do, was give us an extra reason to celebrate.

“An opportunity to make more of this incredible occasion that can often be over too quickly.

“And it also meant we had a bit of a practice.

“We weren’t prepared for how special this intimate setting would feel.”

She also shared that she wore the same shoes for both ceremonies.

A separate post showed images from their “big white wedding,” where Bailey revealed she had tried on 37 dresses before finding the right one.

She said: “Literally one of the best days of our lives! But there’s been so much going on… out there and in here.

“Been so busy x

“Still playing ‘newlyweds’ over here.

“We’re so happy to finally be married!”