Sometimes, a trend is born from the most practical of sources: convenience. The penchant for doubling up bags seen outside fashion shows from London to New York, Paris and Milan, and on the catwalk at Fendi, is a case in point. One of the best examples of this was a London Fashion Week attendee pairing a cherry red calfskin Chloe clutch with a larger, slouchier tote in large-scale leopard print. Did she do it because the duo looked chic, or simply because she had more to carry than the clutch allowed? Who cares. The point is, why carry one fab bag when you could carry two?

As we move beyond the weekend, the weather looks set to give us a reminder that we are still in early spring – with high pressure expected to decline and chilly conditions due to make a return.

After a largely dry Monday, a band of rain is likely to sweep southeastwards during Tuesday.

Behind it, the winds will turn northerly bringing a surge of cold air, with temperatures expected to fall below the seasonal average in many locations.

While there will be some sunshine there will also be showers – which could even turn wintry over hills in the north of the UK.

You can always keep up to date with the changing spring weather prospects where you are by having a look at the BBC Weather website and app.

Erica Dixon, 26, from Lartington near Barnard Castle, hopes to become the fastest and youngest female runner with a learning disability (II1) to complete a marathon.

She said: “Running London has always been an ambition of mine, having previously completed the Manchester Marathon twice.

“Sport plays such a huge part in my life and I run, swim, play, and compete in as many Special Olympics GB competitions as I can around the country.”

Ms Dixon, a member of Special Olympics Teesdale, is one of 10 athletes representing Special Olympics GB at this year’s marathon.

The team is raising funds for the movement’s National Summer Games, where Ms Dixon hopes to compete in swimming, golf, and athletics.

She said: “Having been part of Special Olympics GB for more than 10 years, it’s fantastic to join other athletes and be part of the first ever team to run London.

“Hopefully our achievements will inspire other people with learning disabilities to get involved in sport and join a local club.”

Special Olympics GB uses the power of sport to change the lives of children and adults with a learning disability.

This year marks the organisation’s first National Summer Games since the pandemic, featuring eight single-sport competitions and a seven-sport, five-day event in Birmingham at the end of August.

Ms Dixon has been preparing for the London Marathon with other competitive events, including the Olympics Park Series 10K and the Middlesborough Half Marathon.

She will run the marathon with support runner Rhys Foster.

Both are members of Teesdale Athletics Club.

The team is also raising funds to help Special Olympics GB deliver its National Summer Games, which will give up to 1,700 children and adults with intellectual disabilities the chance to compete on a national stage.

David Raya has revealed that he was ‘very close’ to joining Bayern Munich instead of Arsenal.

Arsenal signed Raya on a season-long loan from Brentford in August 2023 and then made the deal permanent the following year for £27 million.

The Spanish goalkeeper has been a pivotal figure in Mikel Arteta’s side this season as they remain in contention to win four trophies, starting with the Carabao Cup this Sunday.

When asked about his decision to join Arsenal, Raya revealed in an interview with Sky Sports that a move to Bayern was also an option.

‘Just obviously the coach, the philosophy that when they came for me, the project that was there, the club was rising,’ Raya said.

‘I just wanted to make a big step in my career coming from Brentford and I think Arsenal was the best team to do it.

‘Obviously it was raising such a young squad as well and I think it was the best choice I’ve made to come to this club.

‘I was very close to go to another club but obviously everything happened with Arsenal because it was right in between and everything. I was very, very close to going to another club but luckily it didn’t happen and Arsenal in the end made the bid and I came here.’

Declan Rice and Thierry Henry praise David Raya

Declan Rice: ‘He deserves every bit of credit he’s getting. I wish people could come in every day and see how he trains. Because the intensity he trains at and the level that he trains at there’s no reason why he’s not doing what he’s doing on the pitch it’s incredible to see him every day. The effort he makes with the lads, he’s turned into a real leader for us and when you’ve got a keeper like that it gives everyone confidence and yes, he’s incredible.’

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Thierry Henry: ‘This guy should be in contention to be player of the season because of what he does for Arsenal every single time. It’s very difficult sometimes to see what a goalkeeper does because he cannot always make you win the game. He can make you hope that you’re not losing it by making saves, but he does that two to three times every single game. It’s just outstanding.’

Asked to name the club, Raya replied: ‘It was Bayern Munich.’

Raya was also asked to name the toughest player he comes up against in training with Arsenal.

‘I would say probably Gabriel Jesus because he’s so technical, he can do anything inside the box,’ Raya replied.

‘It’s so, so tricky to go one versus one with him. He’s a flair player, he’s Brazilian, he has so much technique.’

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Justin Timberlake struggled to perform field sobriety tests requiring him to walk a straight line and stand on one leg after he was pulled over in New York’s Hamptons in 2024 by police officers who suspected him of driving drunk, according to video footage released Friday.

The pop star tells officers at one point, “these are like really hard tests.”

The footage, which runs roughly eight hours, includes Timberlake’s initial stop after Sag Harbor police said he ran a stop sign in the village center, veered out of his lane and got out of his BMW smelling of alcohol that June.

The NSYNC singer-turned-solo artist and actor tells officers he had consumed one martini and had been following friends home in the former whaling village, which is among the affluent beach towns of the Hamptons, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of New York City.

When an officer asks why he is in town, Timberlake says, “I’m on a world tour.”

“Doing what?” the officer asks.

“Hard to explain,” Timberlake says.

After stammering a bit, he says “World tour. I’m Justin Timberlake.”

The officer eventually responds: “You are Justin Timberlake? Do you have a license with you?”

Timberlake, who ultimately pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, is asked by officers to walk heel-to-toe in a straight line on the road and lift one leg. At times he seems flustered listening to the instructions. He apologizes to officers and tells them his heart is racing.

“I’m a little nervous,” Timberlake says at one point.

In the back seat of the police car, he asks: “Why are you arresting me?”

Back at the police station, Timberlake is informed he will be held overnight, to which he says, “I’m going to be here all night? You guys are wild, man.”

He asks the officer to keep the light on in the cell as they lock the door.

The release by Sag Harbor Police comes after the village and Timberlake’s lawyers agreed to disclose a redacted version of the footage. The Associated Press was among several media outlets that filed a records request seeking the release of the video.

Timberlake’s lawyers had sued to block the release of the video, arguing it would “devastate” Timberlake’s privacy by revealing “intimate, highly personal, and sensitive details.” They also said it would cause “severe and irreparable harm” to his reputation by subjecting him to “public ridicule and harassment.”

But in a joint filing with the village Friday, Timberlake’s lawyers acknowledged the video “does not constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy under” the state’s public information law and agreed to its release.

Timberlake’s lawyers and representatives didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment Friday.

Sag Harbor officials, in a statement provided by the village’s lawyer, Vincent Toomey, said they are pleased the matter was resolved and they were able to comply with state public records law.

“From the beginning of this matter, after Mr. Timberlake’s arrest, the Village has attempted to comply with the mandates of the Freedom of Information Law,” the statement reads. “As would be true in any case involving records or video footage from our Police Department, such material is reviewed and redacted to address public and officer safety concerns as well as personal privacy considerations.”

Timberlake pleaded guilty to impaired driving in September 2024.

The Tennessee native agreed to give a public safety announcement against the perils of drunken driving as part of the plea deal that knocked down his initial misdemeanor charge to a noncriminal traffic violation.

He was also sentenced to a $500 fine, 25 hours of community service and a 90-day suspension of his license.

___

Hill reported from Albany.

___

Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo.

The stunning Maltese island of Gozo boasts dramatic cliffs, crystal-clear waters, and 300 days of sunshine a year

When jetting off to a European destination during the winter months, travellers can’t predict too much about the kind of weather they’ll encounter.

Recently, Holly Clarke from the Liverpool Echo took a gamble with the weather and set off on a trip to Malta. Not only did she luck out in terms of climate, but the Mediterranean archipelago turned out to be an absolute gem.

From wandering the streets of the silent city of Mdina to soaking up the buzz and activity of the capital city, Valletta, there truly is something for everyone. This includes vibrant nightlife in St Julian’s, the crystal-clear waters of the Blue Lagoon, and enough churches on the island for every day of the year.

Holly left Manchester Airport at 7am and was strolling around the stunning Balluta Bay by 12pm. Flights are also readily available from John Lennon Airport and various other airports across the UK.

The Republic of Malta comprises three islands: Malta, Gozo and Comino. Whilst Malta has the largest population of the three at around 574,000, Gozo has just 39,287 residents, with only two inhabitants on the island of Comino.

Before she knew it, Holly was embarking on a ferry journey to the island of Gozo, which is in the process of developing a new £2million airport set to significantly reduce travel times from Malta. For now, the ferry service is direct and costs around 5 Euros for a return ticket.

Within a mere 20 minutes, she found herself on the stunning, less-visited island. The 26-square-mile expanse is renowned for its rugged landscape and breathtaking scenery, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. It offers everything from delectable seafood, awe-inspiring views, to crystal-clear waters perfect for swimming.

Gozo is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise with its dramatic cliffs and deep valleys. Another perk of the island is that it enjoys 300 days of sunshine – a fact that clinched the deal for Holly!

Many tourists opt to spend a night or two on the island, but Holly knew she only had a day, so there was no time to waste. Her chosen mode of transport was a tuk-tuk, provided by Yippee Malta, which she thoroughly enjoyed.

Holly was chauffeured around by Joe, a lifelong resident of the island. As she sat in the back of the tuk-tuk, Holly admired the beautiful hills, which reminded her of the striking landscapes back in the UK. The key difference was the clear blue sky and bright yellow sun piercing through the clouds, a sight she hadn’t seen for several months back in England.

First on the agenda was a visit to a bay called Mgarr ix Xini for a climbing and abseiling experience, facilitated by Gozo Adventures. It offered the perfect opportunity to tap into a more adventurous spirit whilst taking in the breathtaking views of the valley.

Having never climbed before, it’s fair to say Holly’s legs were shaking slightly as she looked up at the peak of the valley she was supposed to be scaling. However, after watching Cornil from Gozo Adventures’ comprehensive demonstration, Holly gave it her all and felt fantastic afterwards. Having worked up an appetite, it was time for Holly’s favourite part of any trip: the food. She hopped into a vehicle and headed to a marina restaurant, Il-Kartell. The seafood eatery was the perfect spot for lunch, located on the waterfront, offering views of the shimmering Mediterranean waters.

The restaurant prides itself on being “casual dining by the sea”, so she chose the Linguini Al Kartell and she wasn’t disappointed. It will go down as one of the most memorable pasta dishes she has ever savoured.

It’s clear from just a few short hours on the island that life there is unhurried. Back home, it’s easy to find yourself grabbing a sandwich during your commute to work, or sometimes forgetting to grab anything at all.

In Malta and Gozo, both locals and tourists typically spend an hour or two relishing lunch. Starting with bread and olive oil, moving onto a pasta dish, and finishing with a double espresso, it was refreshing to take the time to slow down and appreciate the world a little more.

However, there was no room for a mid-afternoon slump as there was so much to discover before the ferry ride back to Malta. Next on the itinerary were the Qbajjar Salt Pans.

The northern coastline is characterised by a grid of rock-cut saltpans that are 350-years-old. They are fascinating to see and are also rich in history, part of the centuries-old Gozitan tradition of sea-salt production that has been passed down through many generations. On the eastern side of the island lies Għar tal-Mixta. Situated high above Ramla Bay, the cave offered the most breathtaking panoramic views of the bay and the coastline.

The cave can be reached via a brief 15-minute walk from Ramla Bay beach, and it’s certainly a must-see on a visit to Gozo if you’re able to make the trip. Holly entered the cave through a narrow gap in the rocks, then descended a few steps to one of the most spectacular views she has ever seen.

It was quite busy with other visitors, even for this time of year, so she patiently waited her turn to snap a photo overlooking the bay.

A visit to Gozo wouldn’t be complete without experiencing the iconic Citadel. Perched on a steep hill, the Citadel is a fortified city that dominates the Gozian skyline, visible from across the island.

Located in Victoria, also known as Rabat, the capital of Gozo, the Citadel stands as one of the island’s most recognisable landmarks. The Citadel was once a thriving city before being transformed into a castle during the Middle Ages. Many of the ancient houses and palaces here have been renovated into museums and shops, making it a favourite destination for tourists.

Entry is free, and you could spend hours delving into its intriguing history and exploring its main attractions. We marvelled at the Cathedral of the Assumption, built entirely from local limestone. A simple walk around the Citadel offers panoramic views of the entire island of Gozo. For just 5 Euros, you can also explore the museums and historical sites on offer. Sadly, it was time to catch the ferry back to Malta, otherwise she could have easily spent several more hours here.

Had Holly stayed overnight, watching the sunset at the Citadel or taking an early morning dip in the crystal-clear waters would have been the perfect conclusion to the trip.

Book it

For more information, visit visitmalta.com/en.

Holly stayed at the Malta Marriot Resort & Spa, with room rates starting from £147.

Ryanair operates flights from Manchester Airport to Malta starting at £42, and from Liverpool John Lennon starting at £32.

KM Malta Airlines offers flights from Heathrow to Malta starting at £111 and from Gatwick commencing at £86.

Journalist and author Will Hayward writes about the driving force behind his new book

I have covered Wales as a journalist for 10 years.

I moved here just under two decades ago and never left. I fell in love with Wales. It was the place I never realised I was looking for. It’s now my home and my whole adult life has been here.

Am I Welsh yet? I am not sure. As Plaid Cymru’s first MP Gwynfor Evans said: “Anyone can be Welsh, you just have to be willing to accept the consequences.”

Covering the politics of a nation as a journalist, I think I came to understand it in a way I wouldn’t have been able to do in another profession.

Once I started looking at issues in Wales and asking questions, I was incredibly surprised by one thing.

I wasn’t surprised at the challenges Wales faces, in our hospitals, our schools, our economy or our creaking transport system.

What really shocked me was how many people seemed to accept this was an acceptable status quo.

Time and again as a political reporter I have covered ways in which Wales has been screwed over.

It blew my mind how many people in Cymru didn’t know about how they were being shafted.

I also couldn’t get over how few people in a nation which is being repeatedly punched in the face even bothered to vote in the Senedd elections.

So I decided to write a book. It is called Who Cares About Wales? Why the Welsh Need to Get Angry.

I spent a year speaking to hundreds of people all across Wales to understand the real reasons why Cymru is relentlessly at the bottom of so many metrics.

I delved into the details of how Wales is actually funded, who actually speaks for us and why we are poor.

I couldn’t believe what I found. People in Wales shouldn’t be angry – they need to be apoplectic.

Not because of slights from 500 years ago, but because we have the worst housing, health service, educational outcomes and levels of poverty in the UK.

We need to be incandescent that the very system in which we operate is geared up so we can’t help but fail.

In so many ways we are treated worse than Scotland. We have been given responsibility without the tools to meaningfully improve our lives.

We need to be furious that we are in a system which scorns and dismisses us when it bothers to notice us at all.

And we need to reserve a special level of rage for those people elected to be our voice who are barely raising a peep at these injustices.

Within the book I look at a dozen different areas where Wales is being screwed both in Westminster and Cardiff Bay. I will break some of these down for you now.

Where the money comes from

There is not enough space here to fully outline the true scale of how Wales’ is given a raw deal when it comes to funding but let me give you an idea of how we compare to Scotland.

Perhaps the biggest illustration of how the current system sets Wales up to fail is around the ability to carry over money.

Anyone who runs a department in government or a business knows that feeling at the end of the financial year.

You were allocated X amount of money for your budget and you have a bit left with just a few weeks left in the financial year.

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This means you need to spend it fast because anything left will be taken back and you are likely to end up with a lower budget next year.

This leads to a mad rush to get money out of the door.

You pay suppliers in advance for work they might do, you buy a load of new furniture for the office or hurry through a marketing campaign. As you can imagine, this doesn’t exactly lead to value for money.

In a Welsh Government context this is a real problem.

After all, if it is important to get all your money out of the door then you are not rewarded for making good decisions.

For example, during the pandemic, the Welsh Government spent a fraction of what the UK Government did on contact tracing.

In Wales, we used councils, whereas the UK Government used large companies like Serco. In this case, doesn’t it make sense for the Welsh Government to be able to carry forward that cash for a future year?

Yes it does. That is why Wales has a thing called the Wales reserve.

Think of it as a savings account where the Welsh Government can stick money it doesn’t spend from its annual budget for next year.

Seems like a good idea, huh? Well it would be, except it is built in a way which treats Wales like a naughty teenager.

The first thing is the Welsh reserve is limited. The total the Welsh Government can have in the reserve is £350m. While that might sound like a lot, it really isn’t in a government context.

The government’s budget is £26bn. This means the Welsh reserve is just 1.35% of its budget. And that £350m isn’t per year, that is the total it can carry.

This means that if the Welsh Government reserve is full, then any money which isn’t spent is just taken back by the Treasury in Westminster.

What makes this system even worse is the UK Treasury has imposed limits on how much of its own reserves Wales can even use!

Each year the Welsh Government can only draw down (aka spend) £125m for resource spending (day-to-day administration costs) and £50m for capital spending (stuff like building a new road).

These are tiny amounts when you are talking about a whole country, £50m will barely get you anything when it comes to infrastructure.

So of that £350m, Wales can only access £175m a year.

Let’s compare Wales to Scotland when it comes to carrying over money.

Scotland has a reserve limit of £700m, double that of Wales. Now you might argue this makes sense given Scotland’s budget is more than double Wales’.

However, in Scotland there are no limits on how much it can draw down (they abolished this for Scotland in 2023) and the total increases annually with inflation.

There is simply no justification for Wales being treated differently to Scotland. The UK Government isn’t able to get away with treating Scotland like Wales because the Scottish wouldn’t stand for it.

It is the same when it comes to borrowing. While Wales is now allowed to borrow up to £1bn for capital purposes (big long-term investments on buildings and infrastructure), we also have an annual cap of £150m.

That means the Welsh Government is only allowed to borrow the equivalent of 0.58% of its budget every year.

This is severely limiting when it comes to being able to make the investments Wales so desperately needs. We have less borrowing powers than a council.

This is even more outrageous when you compare this with Scotland’s deal.

The Scottish Government can borrow up to £3bn cumulatively for capital investment, with an annual limit of £450m. But the worst part is Scotland’s limits change with inflation whereas Cymru’s are fixed for 10 years. So, Scotland not only has a better deal, it is getting cumulatively better every year.

Are you beginning to see why Wales needs to get angry yet?

Let me give you one more example when it comes to how we are funded.

One of the biggest areas Wales is getting short-changed is in research and development (R&D) spending.

In the east/south-east of England and London, there was £1,406 of R&D spending per person. This is 42% above the national average which is £987.

At the other end of the spectrum, the figure for Wales is just £534, 46% below the national average.

So why is this important? Well it matters because R&D funding is what drives wealth, well-paid jobs and industrial development.

This underlines the fallacy of devolving income tax, because Wales doesn’t have control over these things which could meaningfully increase that tax base through policy decisions.

If you look at the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and where it is allocating its money, it is pretty stark.

This department funds UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) which is the UK’s national funding agency which invests in science and research across the United Kingdom.

Wales receives less than half the per-person UKRI funding of the lowest English regions, and roughly one-quarter of London’s level

Wales must get its fair share of the money which actually creates prosperity.

The current system gives Wales better public services than it would be able to support economically because it is poor.

But it doesn’t stop Wales being poor and doesn’t give it the ability to make itself better. This is key.

When it comes to Wales, the current system is basically subsidising the status quo.

We don’t receive a population share of the spending areas which could actually make a difference.

A fair share of these areas must be guaranteed, not subject to the whims of ministers in London.

Poverty and young people

If you want to see the challenges Wales faces, go and stand on Fitzhamon Embankment in Cardiff city centre. It is on the west bank of the River Taff.

As you would expect for a street in the middle of a capital city, it is always busy.

It is right on the Taff Trail path, leading south to Cardiff Bay and going north, it would eventually take you all the way through the South Wales Valleys and the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park before finishing in Brecon.

There are commuters on their way to work, coming in on foot or exiting Cardiff Central station. At weekends, Riverside Farmers Market is held there.

What I have always found fascinating about this street is how different things are when you look east and west.

When you look east across the river, you are struck by the huge investment that has poured into Cardiff over the last 25 years.

The view is impressive. The Principality Stadium, an internationally-respected venue. The new HMRC tax office. The new BBC Wales building. Cardiff University’s School of Journalism. The new Cardiff bus station.

Once upon a time, you would have seen the iconic Brains Brewery, but now there is a lone chimney in the heart of a development of two high-rise buildings with more than 700 apartments.

There is an inescapable feeling of wealth and health. The data backs this up.

The smallest unit of geographic statistical measurement we have in Wales is called the Lower Super Output Area (LSOA).

As of the summer of 2025, there were 1,909 LSOAs in Wales and each one contained about 3,000 people or 1,200 households.

Of those areas, the part of the Welsh capital I have just described is top when it comes to employment and income. It is second in terms of health.

When you are looking at almost 2,000 areas, being top is quite impressive.

But if you turn your head 180° to look west, you can see the Riverside area of Cardiff.

This is the total opposite. It ranks 1,903 out of 1,909 for housing, 1,804 for employment, 1,804 for income and 1,852 for health.

If you are a bloke in Riverside, you have the lowest life expectancy of any ward in Cardiff.

Perhaps the most shocking statistic is that every time you see a child, the chances are they are growing up in poverty, because Riverside has a 55% child poverty rate.

These two places are right next to each other, separated only by a sewage-filled river (I also look at the environment in the book).

This should hammer home to you that mere proximity to wealth does not stop people being poor.

In 21st Century Britain, wealth does not trickle down. Like rain in the desert, it has evaporated long before it hits the floor.

One in five people in Wales live in poverty. That is 700,000 people in our country of just over 3m.

Of this total, there are 400,000 working-age adults, 200,000 children and 100,000 pensioners.

What blows my mind in Wales is that of all of the age groups, kids have consistently had the highest poverty rates, followed by working-age adults with children, while pensioners, along with working-age adults without children, have the lowest.

We currently have a situation in Wales where 40% of our children aged up to four years old live in poverty, yet successive Welsh Governments have relentlessly patted themselves on the back for the Well-being of Future Generations Act.

It’s like me asking you to praise me for creating a health and safety plan while my house is on fire.

The evidence that growing up in poverty negatively impacts children is overwhelming.

Children who grow up in poverty are more likely to face long-term disadvantages in education (early cognitive delays and lower qualifications), health (poorer physical and mental health into adulthood) and income (reduced lifetime earnings and higher financial insecurity).

This all contributes to every other issue in Welsh society.

You can’t fix schools, hospitals and productivity when 40% of your kids are spending their first years on this planet in poverty.

But you also can’t fix poverty when you have poorly performing schools, hospitals and lower productivity.

It’s an abominable chicken and egg situation (we talk about farming in the book too) which will take immense political courage and long-term vision to fix.

This brings me to my last point…

This only changes if we make it

When I say people don’t care, I am not just talking about politicians and government officials. I mean many of us, right here in Wales, don’t seem to really care we are being condemned to being perpetually poor and languishing in stagnation.

There is this acceptance that: “Of course Wales is poor. We always have been.”

Charities and non-governmental organisations are terrified to bite the hand which starves them.

Many labour under the illusion that because they have stuck the word ‘Cymru’ after their name, they are doing their bit.

However, I really believe this is on all of us in Wales. Change will only happen if we get angry and demand it. But anger needs to be directed in the right direction.

If you live in Cymru, you have every right to be furious with the current situation. But misplaced fury will do more harm than good. It is not the migrant in the boat who has caused Wales’ current plight, it is the politician in a suit.

Last weekend, I went to the amazing Wales v Italy Six Nations game. Before the match starts, Welsh men and women are visibly moved to tears as they belt out Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau inside the Millennium Stadium.

To be Welsh is in the very soul of these people here.

Go abroad and you will always know when you meet a Welsh person, because they will have told you within 45 seconds.

But fewer than half of the people in Wales even vote in our elections. If we want this thing called Wales to work, we need to do more.

The greatest block to making Wales prosperous isn’t our substandard politicians, it is the apathy of our people and how disengaged they are from the nation they love.

The thing I most took away from my years working as a journalist and writing this book was this: the only way Wales will improve is if the people of Wales make it happen. No-one is coming to help us. We have to help ourselves. Right now, we are collectively failing.

On May 20, 2025, I was watching First Minister’s Questions inside the Senedd.

It was being broadcast on the BBC website. At one point there were just 10 people watching it. 10.

In the last Senedd election in 2021, most people who were eligible to vote in Wales didn’t even bother. It was just a 46% turnout. In Scotland it was 17 percentage points higher.

We are totally disengaged from this country we proclaim to love.

Yes, Wales and the Welsh nation has been screwed over from pretty much the moment it was conceived, but right now, in 2026, we are as much to blame as anyone for our plight. Culpable through our own apathy.

Who cares about Wales? Just us. Luckily, that’s all Wales needs. But to make ‘caring’ mean anything, we need to truly understand what our problems are and then use our anger to force the changes that are needed.

The pair exchanged service games without a single break point in the entire contest, and in the end it came down to the almost inevitable two tie-breaks.

If there is any moment that Draper may choose to dwell on for improvement, it would be in those decisive moments, but even then chances were scarce.

“I think I could have done a few things better, but it was pretty tough,” he said.

“I didn’t have many chances, especially on his serve. I didn’t get broken in the match. That was kind of my job, right?”

The two sets were almost carbon copies of each other, with both players holding serve until Opelka pounced in the tie-break. In the second, he carved out a 6-0 lead and then sealed the victory with what else but an ace.

Draper said before the tournament that his body was still adjusting to the demands of what he wanted to do, as he continues his return to fitness from an arm injury, but the contest against Opelka was not a physical one.

At Indian Wells, Draper strung together an impressive run to the quarter-finals, including a win over Novak Djokovic that he only had the time to reflect on the plane to Miami. After the loss to Opelka, he may dwell on it before wheels up.

St Brides Spa Hotel has been picked by The Times and Sunday Times as one of the top 50 hotels in the UK

It’s one of Wales’ best coastal hotel with sweeping views of Carmarthen Bay, a luxurious clifftop spa, cosy, classy rooms and a cracking restaurant.

St Bride’s Hotel and Spa in Saundersfoot has also recently been named as one of the UK’s 50 best places to stay in the UK in The Times and The Sunday Times Best Places to Stay 2026 list.

It absolutely deserves its spot on the list – as well as its title of ‘Best in Wales’ for 2026 at the AA Hospitality Awards, too.

The annual list, compiled by travel experts from the two newspapers, highlights standout hotels across Britain based on style, service, food and location.

This January I was lucky enough to stay at St Bride’s and experience why it’s such a wonderful hotel and location.

Cosy rooms, comfortable bar area, great restaurant all come together here to make a fine night’s escape from the everyday but it has to be its phenomenal spa area that should top the USP rating for St Bride’s Hotel, which overlooks the gorgeous Saundersfoot village and sandy beach – that stretches out in front of you whether you are sat eating your breakfast or mulling over life itself in the warm hydrotherapy pool.

I’ve long been a visitor to this corner of Pembrokeshire and if it’s summer, I’d usually opt for a an airbnb or cosy cottage, staying away from so called ‘luxury’ escapes – one, because they are too expensive and two, just because when I’m in Pembrokeshire I want it to feel like I’m in Pembrokeshire. I feared a luxury hotel would detract from this… make you feel like you were at a cut and paste accommodation.

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But dunk me in an ice bath and tell me I’m wrong, because in this moment there was nothing better than a escaping to the long-established Saundersfoot gem and for the record, you could definitely tell you were in Pembrokeshire good and proper.

Now run by the Celtic Collection, that owns Celtic Manor, Ty Milford amongst others. St Bride’s has been revamped with a new-look spa and its 34 bedrooms have had a makeover, not to mention it’s got the Cliff Restaurant on site, too. It being a special occasion, as well as a much-needed escape to some downtime, my group had booked a dinner, bed and breakfast package with spa access too.

Almost as soon as we checked in we were headed to the spa (I’d take your own flipflops unless you want soggy slip-ons). We’d not booked any treatments, we just wanted to sit, float and steam ourselves into oblivion with the odd excitable conversation about The Traitors and encouraging other groups to use the exhilarating cold water bucket at the side of the outside sauna. ( They did and loved it).

The spa itself is recently redone in the past year and is stunning. I may not have been to every single coastal spa in the UK, but I’ll say this felt so calm and lux, we just were in our element. There’s two saunas, one indoor, one out, steam rooms, salt steam room, the hydrotherapy pool. outdoor jacuzzi and the Himalayan salt and infrared therapy room.

To be honest I’m not a fan of steam rooms and the salt room was slightly underwhelming – but that’s because all I was hankering after was lazing in the infinity hydrotherapy pool which was warm and, unlike a hot tub, had plenty of room as well as a powerful, neck massaging tap.

The outdoor sauna was wonderful – sweeping views of Carmarthenshire Bay via floor to ceiling windows and while remaining warm and imbibing that comforting scent of heated wood. Yes, we did douse ourselves in cold water but that’s only because we could get straight back in the hydrotherapy pool, which also allowed you to take in those views.

For those wanting a a break from being in the pool or sauna, the relaxation room has heated beds and refreshing drinks. For the latest restaurant news and reviews, sign up to our food and drink newsletter here

I honestly can’t effuse enough about how lovely it was spending a couple of hours switching off with one of the best views in Wales in front of you.

I thought my day couldn’t get any better but after rinsing the room of its coffee-making facilities we headed down for dinner. It might be a me-problem, in that I always expect mediocrity at a hotel restaurant, maybe it’s growing up in the ’80s and ’90s – but thankfully I’m quite often proved wrong.

The package we had included a three-course dinner at the AA Rosette awarded The Cliff. I started off with seaweed cured salmon, beetroot confit egg yolk, popped wheat and dill lemon gel, followed by fillet of beef with lobster beignet, charred octopus,onion velouté and Cheddar crackling.

Other options included a pressing of ham knuckle, egg and mustard soufflé, pickled cucumber, frisée lettuce and roasted duck breast with rich faggot, fondant potato,soused blackberries and liquorice sauce.

My starter of salmon was good. Substantial slivers of the fish which had bite of salt to it thanks to the seaweed and I felt the soft, flavoursome egg added an extra oomph to a delicate starter, as did the tart dill lemon gel. But the beef fillet was incredible.

A hunk of medium-rare cooked beef, the kind you always think looks small, but in reality is enough. It was toped with a bit of charred octopus and a lobster beignet – which is a small, deep-fried dough. Altogether a powerful set of flavours, but each one was done with care and delicacy none overwhelmed the other and created a delightful combo. The beef cut like butter and had a real depth of flavourm, each meaty mouthful keeping up with the next, the octopus brought an added lighter flavour and texture to the mix, while the beignet was just lush. slight crispness, not doughy at all in the middle – so dangerously beautiful. No wonder it was modest in size as if I ate more of them (which I definitely would) I’d be cooked. Game over.

The onion velouté provided a warm, thick sauce to pull all the items together. On the side we ordered amazing chorizo crumb and Gran Levante cheese fries, tenderstem broccoli,tomato pesto, almonds and charred cabbage, dill, lime yoghurt and crispy onions.

I smashed the hell out of those sides. The fries were like crack. Moreish, salty with a chew of a the bits of chorizo and the cheese was crumby too, which sounds weird but it works. The two veggies were paired with ingredients that just elevated boring, green veg to something I could polish off in a flash. The slight disappointment was that the sides were extra when, if you pay for a three course meal package you’d hope your mains would come with vegetable sides as standard.

By this point I didn’t even need a dessert, but it was coming anyway so I opted for the classic sticky toffee pudding, something that everyone could enjoy a spoonful of – and did. It was a lighter, more airy sponge than what you’d normally expect from a STP but this did not make it less enjoyable, the flavour however was a cut above, it had a really smart cinnamon flavour, which was dominant but not overdone. So not too sweet, but a really warming, pleasing taste that made the salted caramel sauce seem even better. A belter of a dessert – even if I didn’t need it.

If after your dinner you want to relax and grab another drink the bar area is big and comfortable and the ideal place to hang out. Rooms-wise, I feel the Celtic Collection have really done a lovely job with what was already there – St Bride’s has been around for years – as the standard bedrooms are quite modest in size. But they are decorated beautifully, with a stylish nod to the seaside location. Beds are gorgeously comfy, but if you suffer with neck trouble, I recommend requesting a firmer pillow if they have it.

As a whole package, for what we wanted to achieve on our stay, ie. nothing but pure relaxation, St Brides Spa Hotel is a no-brainer. It’s comfy, chilled and at the centre of one the the best places in the world.