David Smith of Copmanthorpe began his career at Sam Smith’s Brewery at Tadcaster after studying Chemistry at University.

The 71-year-old recalled: “One afternoon, I went to see the careers tutor and he asked me what I do in my spare time. I replied if I am not wring essays, I would be in the student union bar. He said brewing would be a good career and that was a bit of a lightbulb moment.”

David returned to York, where he grew up, and started writing to breweries in the area “begging for a job.”

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Fortunately, his letter arrived at the Tadcaster-based brewery the same day as a brewer resigned to move overseas.

He was interviewed the following week and started work the week after, on June 21 1976.

David Smith and son Rob Smith, who also works at the consultancy. (Image: Claire Wood Photography)

Sam Smith’s Old Brewery in Tadcaster is Yorkshire’s oldest brewery, established in 1758.

David believes it is “arguably still the best brewery in Yorkshire” and he doubts he could not have had a better grounding in brewing anywhere else.

David told the Press: “When I started brewing in what was very much a Victorian Brewhouse on one side of the Tower brewery, and in a slightly more modern lager plant next door.

David Smith (Image: Pic supplied)

“A few years later, we gained an even newer all singing, all dancing, all-purpose plant. Whilst Sam’s was very traditional in many ways, it was well ahead of its time in many others – producing for example low alcohol beers and organic beers all those years ago.

“You name it we had a go at it, which was a great way to learn all aspects of brewing many different beers styles with a variety of equipment. This was something that has continued to serve me well throughout my brewing career.”

After seven years of round-the-clock shift brewing, the now 71-year-old moved over to Quality Assurance to learn the microbiological side of keeping beer in good order and infection free.

David said: “It is still something I very much believe is the key to brewery survival in these difficult times, quality and consistency has to come first and this belief has stood me in good stead for the following 38 years and the many breweries I have worked with.”

In 1988, he left Sam Smith’s Brewery and set up DA Smith Brewing Services & Consultancy providing help and technical assistance to the ever-increasing number of new independent breweries.

At the time, the UK had around 80 breweries, with him helping out at 3-4 of them. By the time of the pandemic, their numbers had boomed to almost 3,000 before falling back since.

David Smith and son Rob Smith, who also works at the consultancy. (Image: Pic supplied)

David says such numbers were not sustainable was not sustainable as they opened up far too quickly. and though breweries are still closing, he believes the numbers will level out and confidence in the sector will eventually return.

He said: “Selling beer is the hard part. That’s always been the case. Our job is to make sure the beer is the best possible. You cannot sell a bad pint.”

Over the decades, David has worked with well over 250 breweries around the UK plus a few overseas, including a current project in Ibiza fitting a small brewery into a bar.

David Smith enjoying the fruits of his labour (Image: Claire Wood Photography)

His work has also taken him across Europe, including projects in Italy and France.

David continued: “We look after a solid core of breweries around the UK with whom we work closely, providing technical back-up and regular QA surveys, helping maintain quality and consistency year on year.

“More locally I have worked in the past with breweries such as York Brewery, Ainsty Ales, Treboom, all sadly now missing from the York beer scene, and many breweries still producing excellent beers such as Brew York and Yorkshire Heart and a bit further afield such as Brass Castle, Hambleton and Wold Top to name but a few and all regulars on the York beer scene.”

David Smith says you cannot sell bad beer. (Image: Claire Wood Photography)

As yet, David has no plans to retire, saying he is fortunate to have made a career in an industry that is great to work in.

He added: “I also work with wonderful brewers – many of whom have become good friends over the years, all dedicated to making great beer. So why think of retiring when brewing still offers so much and I’m fit enough to enjoy it, and the odd pint or two! Cheers!”

Is this your idea of a dream career? But whose beer do you think is best? Tell us what you think and why in the comments below.

The money expert says millions of customers are paying more than they need to because they automatically renew services such as broadband, mobile phone contracts, insurance policies and breakdown cover without negotiating.

Speaking on his podcast, Lewis said consumers should not be afraid to challenge renewal prices and ask for a better deal. “Don’t just accept your renewal,” he said. “Especially in the right industries, you can save a shedload.”

One listener to his Martin Lewis Podcast told him they had cut costs by £550 a year, while others reported securing discounts of up to 50% simply by threatening to leave.

Martin Lewis’s golden rule

Lewis said customers should never automatically accept a renewal quote.

He explained: “We do not have a right to a cheaper price, but they do not have a right to our custom.”

His advice is straightforward: before renewing, check what rival firms are charging and use those prices as leverage.

If your provider refuses to budge, you can simply switch elsewhere.

The companies most likely to offer discounts

Martin Lewis revealed research showing some firms are particularly willing to negotiate with existing customers.

Among the companies where customers reported the highest success rates when haggling were:

• RAC
• AA
• Virgin Media
• Admiral
• Hastings Direct
• TalkTalk
• Sky Mobile
• Sky TV
• LV=

According to Lewis, more than nine in ten RAC customers who attempted to haggle reported success.

The secret department that can unlock bigger discounts

One of Lewis’s biggest tips is to ask to cancel rather than simply asking for a discount.

That’s because many companies have specialist retention teams whose job is to stop customers leaving.

Lewis explained that what customers know as the “disconnections department” is often known internally as the “retentions department”.

These teams frequently have greater authority to offer discounts and incentives than frontline customer service staff.

Why being nice could save you more money

While many people dread these conversations, Lewis says politeness can pay.

Rather than becoming frustrated or confrontational, he recommends being friendly and respectful.

According to Lewis, some call centre workers have limited discount allowances and may be more inclined to help customers who are pleasant to deal with.

He told listeners: “Always be polite and charming, never rude.”

Martin Lewis’s top haggling tips

The money-saving expert recommends:

1. Check competitor prices first

Know exactly what rivals are offering before making the call.

2. Have a reason prepared

Explain why you’re considering leaving.

This could be because:

• You’ve found a cheaper deal elsewhere
• The bill no longer fits your budget
• You need to reduce household spending

Having figures to hand can help – what’s the price elsewhere, how much do you need to reduce your spending by etc.

3. Ask for cancellation

If you’re not getting anywhere, ask to speak to the team that handles cancellations.

4. Be willing to leave

The strongest negotiating position comes when you’re genuinely prepared to switch providers.

5. Stay calm and friendly

Aggression rarely works.

Lewis says charm and patience often produce far better results.

One mobile phone trick that could trigger a discount

Lewis also highlighted a shortcut for mobile phone customers.

If you’re out of contract and considering switching, requesting your PAC code can sometimes trigger a retention offer from your provider.

The PAC code allows you to keep your existing phone number when moving networks.

Some firms respond by offering discounts or improved deals to persuade customers to stay.

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Why haggling matters more than ever

With household budgets still under pressure, Lewis believes consumers should treat negotiating bills as one of the easiest ways to reduce monthly outgoings.

Whether it’s broadband, TV packages, insurance or breakdown cover, a short conversation could result in meaningful savings.

And as Lewis points out, companies are often far more willing to negotiate than many customers realise.

Have you successfully haggled your bills down? Tell us your best deal in the comments below.

In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

Reeves emphasised the importance of the next leader sticking to her fiscal rules, which include ensuring day-to-day spending is funded through tax revenue by the end of the Parliament and reducing debt as a proportion of GDP.

Burnham has previously committed to keeping the current government borrowing and spending rules in place.

“The last government lost control of the public finances,” Reeves said.

“It sent inflation through the roof and interest rates through the roof. So control of the public finances has a real impact on families today.”

While Reeves said she had improved the flexibility in the government’s budget by increasing its financial headroom, she added the public must be left in no doubt about the party’s commitment to fiscal discipline.

“Because if you lose control of the public finances, it is ordinary working people and businesses who pay the price with higher inflation, higher taxes and indeed higher interest rates,” she added.

The chancellor was absent from the crowd outside 10 Downing Street on Monday as Sir Keir announced he would be stepping down as prime minister, but was present for a group selfie with Burnham following his swearing-in at Westminster later the same day.

Reeves said no one could doubt her commitment to Sir Keir, but when pressed on her absence from his speech she would not be drawn on why she had not been present.

“I don’t think anyone can doubt my commitment to the prime minister. I’ve been by his side for six years now as shadow chancellor and then as chancellor of the exchequer,” Reeves said.

Reflecting on her time as chancellor so far, Reeves acknowledged there were things she could have done better but said she was “really proud” of her record which included increasing the national living wage and national minimum wage, and seeing the economy grow and inflation flatten out.

“I know that whoever is prime minister and chancellor in the future will inherit a stronger economy than the one I inherited two years ago,” she said.

From the Durham dales to the coast, people took to the chance to soak up the warmth.

It comes as Wednesday was confirmed as the UK’s hottest June day on record, with a provisional temperature of 35.7C breaking the previous record from the summer of 1976, a rare red warning in place from the Met Office for extreme heat in parts of the UK.

Provisional temperatures reached 35.7C in Charlwood, Surrey, and 35.8C at Wiggonholt, West Sussex.

Back in the North East, as dawn broke, the day began with a fiery sunrise over Seaham, the low orange sun climbing above the North Sea and casting long shadows across the famous Tommy statue.

Sunny day in Hartlepool. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Sunny day in Hartlepool. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Sunny day in Hartlepool. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Sunny day in Hartlepool. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Sunny day in Hartlepool. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Sunny day in Hartlepool. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

(Image: North News)

(Image: Shaun Howey/Northern Echo Camera Club)

Sunny day in Hartlepool. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Sunny day in Hartlepool. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Sunny day in Hartlepool. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Sunny day in Hartlepool. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Sunny day in Hartlepool. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Sunny day in Hartlepool. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Sunny day in Hartlepool. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Sunny day in Hartlepool. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Sunny day in Hartlepool. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

(Image: Pete Swan/Northern Echo Camera Club)

By mid‑morning, forecasters were reporting temperatures of up to 27C across County Durham.

At the coast, the water was busy with swimmers, paddleboarders, and toddlers with buckets and spades. Others sat back, determined to make the most of every second of sun.

Meanwhile, Northumbrian Water urged people not to swim in reservoirs over hidden dangers beneath the surface and cold‑water shock.

Pet owners were told to treat the hottest part of the day as a “lockdown” for dogs, keeping them indoors, off scorching pavements and swapping long walks for shade, water and quiet games at home.

One problem is that Old Blue Eyes was in this period, and continued to be, a grade-A shit – selfish, temperamental, violent, compulsively unfaithful – so it’s kinda hard to sympathise with or root for him. Attempts to play up his opposition to segregation and his own experiences of anti-Italian racism sound like special pleading, and there are naked bits of exposition to sanitise his personality. “I’ve seen you pay hospital bills for total strangers!” blurts his press agent George. “Damn perforated eardrum!” says Frank himself, explaining his lack of war service. Yada yada yada.

Donald Trump has given his first public reaction to the prospect of the former Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham becoming prime minister.

Campaigning during the Makerfield by-election, Burnham said the UK needed to avoid what he called the “polarised, poisonous politics” of the US.

Asked his view of the current frontrunner to replace Sir Keir Starmer, Trump described him as “the mayor of a town” and said he had heard Burnham was “extremely liberal”.

Two independent Australian MPs have banded together to launch a new centrist political party which they say is a response to an increasingly divisive landscape.

The Community Strong Australia party – launched in Canberra on Thursday – will offer “unity over division and reason over rage”, will have no leader and will allow members to vote freely, rather than along party lines.

Its two members – Sydney MPs Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender – are from a group of independent MPs known as “teals” who share socially liberal values and want greater climate action.

The party will offer an “alternate political force” to the current two-party system in Australia, the pair said.

Australia’s political landscape had traditionally been dominated by the two major parties – the centre-left Labor and the Liberal-Nationals Coalition, which leans conservative.

Labor won a landslide victory at last year’s federal election, securing a second term in power, while the Coalition suffered its worst defeat ever, followed by months of in-fighting.

In recent months, right-wing party One Nation – led by Pauline Hanson – has seen a surge in support, including one poll that found she was the preferred prime minister.

Asked if the recent rise in support for One Nation and its anti-immigration rhetoric had spurred their decision to form a new party, Steggall and Spender said they had been guided by what their voters were telling them.

“We absolutely hear those grievances,” Spender said. “People are frustrated and tired of the status quo,” she said, adding that “if I wasn’t in politics, I wouldn’t know who to vote for”.

Spender, who won her seat in 2022, said the party wants to “hear from communities beyond our own that want a voice that genuinely reflects them”.

Steggall, a former barrister and Winter Olympian, has been a federal MP since 2019, after she unseated the former prime minister Tony Abbott in an electorate that had been held by the Liberal Party for more than a century.

“We don’t want the in-fighting, we don’t want the blame game. We want solutions that will make a difference to us,” Steggall said.

The new party “offers unity over division and reason over rage,” she said, and was an “invitation” to voters “to come and build the kind of Australia we want”.

Key issues for the party will be housing affordability and cost of living pressures as well as climate change, childcare, education and healthcare.

The pair also told local media that Climate 200, a political organisation that has helped fund independents that have won several Liberal seats in recent elections, was not involved with the new party.

New electoral funding laws allow political parties a much bigger budget for campaigning, which some independents have said will disadvantage them.

Several other independents have ruled out joining, with another two “teal” independents considering their options.

The party has lodged an application with the Australian Electoral Commission with registration expected to be finalised in October.