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John Healey – from York to defence secretary as he resigns

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John Healey - from York to defence secretary as he resigns

For Mr Healey, who resigned as defence secretary on Thursday (June 11), it was sport that would consume his years at Lady Lumley’s School in Pickering, then St Peter’s School in York for sixth form.

“I didn’t try hard enough in my work; I coasted, but I played every sport I could,” he told PoliticsHome in 2020, recalling his school days.

He said rugby, cricket and football were his favourite sports, but he did “anything that was going”.

Wakefield-born Mr Healey, who now lives in Rotherham, is the son of Aidan Healey OBE, a former deputy chief physical education officer of HM Prison Service.

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He grew up in rural North Yorkshire, telling PoliticsHome he would “ride motorbikes and mopeds on the roads in the Yorkshire Moors with no crash helmets” and had learned to drive a tractor in fields aged 12.

Mr Healey, during a visit to Lady Lumley’s School in 2004, said: “I have really fond memories of my time in Ryedale.”

After leaving York, Mr Healey, now 66, studied social and political science at Christ’s College in Cambridge, receiving a BA in 1982.

He worked as a journalist and the deputy editor of the House, an internal magazine of Westminster, for a year in 1983.

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He became a full-time disability rights campaigner in 1984 and was later campaigns director at the Trades Union Congress.

Road to government

It was in 1992 that Mr Healey first attempted to enter politics, standing an unsuccessful candidacy for Ryedale at the general election.

Mr Healey was elected as MP for Wentworth in 1997, going on to serve as a junior minister under Tony Blair and as local government minister then housing secretary under Gordon Brown.

Then economic secretary to the treasury John Healey chats to Katherine Turner, left, Ben Slater, Rhys Carlyle and Ben McCauley from Archbishop of York Junior School, Bishopthorpe, about the school website they worked on in the early 2000s (Image: Newsquest)

He was appointed as the shadow health secretary under Ed Miliband in 2010 but stood down from the role the following year and returned to the backbenches.

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He returned to the shadow cabinet as housing secretary under Jeremy Corbyn from 2016 to 2020, then became shadow defence secretary.

He was appointed defence secretary by Sir Keir Starmer after Labour came to power in 2024.

He resigned from the role on Thursday, accusing Sir Keir of failing to properly fund the Defence Investment Plan (Dip).

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Crash reported this weekend on Tonge Moor Road, Bolton

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Crash reported this weekend on Tonge Moor Road, Bolton

This crash reportedly happened on Tonge Moor Road at around 5,30pm on the afternoon of Saturday June 13, with emergency services called to the scene.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing at least two cars appeared to have been damaged in the incident, with police officers, firefighters and paramedics all called to Tonge Moor Road.

An eyewitness said: “It seemed like a crash, two cars were badly damaged and they seemed to be cutting someone out of one of the cars.”

Police were on the scene (Image: Public)

She added: “It happened near Happy House on Tonge Moor Road.”

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Images from the scene show a large emergency services presence, with uniformed officers on the streets and vehicles parked around the area.

At least two cars are believed to have been involved (Image: Public)

Tonge Moor Road is one of the major routes through the north east of the town, with the incident believed to have happened between the junctions with Saddle Street and Lichfield Street.

Greater Manchester Police have been approached for comment.

Anyone with any further information or concerns about the incident on Tonge Moor Road or about road safety in their areas can call police on 101.

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Members of the public have been advised to always call 999 in the event of an emergency as soon as it is safe to do so.

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How to actually pronounce County Durham village Coxhoe

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How to actually pronounce County Durham village Coxhoe

Coxhoe, a former mining village about five miles south of Durham City, sits just off the A177 near Junction 61 of the A1(M).

It also has a literary claim to fame.

Coxhoe Hall, now demolished, was the birthplace of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who was born there in 1806 and went on to become one of the most celebrated poets of the Victorian era

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For all that, plenty of people still stumble over the name.

How do you pronounce it?

Visitors arriving from outside County Durham tend to pronounce it as it looks on the sign: Cox-hoe. Locals wince.

To anyone who has grown up here, it has always been Coxer, rhyming with “boxer”, and that is how you will hear it on Front Street, in the workingmen’s clubs and on the touchline on a Sunday morning.

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What’s in a name?

The explanation lies in the village’s history and the way Durham speech has evolved. Coxhoe Village Hall’s history of the area notes that the “hoe” element comes from Old English, meaning a heel or promontory of land, a raised piece of ground.

Over centuries of use in local dialect, that longer ending has been worn down in everyday speech until the “hoe” is little more than an “er” sound at the back of the throat.

Old spellings of the place name back this up. Records show versions such as Cokeshoui in 1235, Coksouw in 1344, Coksow in 1553 and Coxsey as late as 1794.

Each reflects how people were actually saying the name at the time, and none of them suggest anyone was ever carefully pronouncing the “hoe” on the end.

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The first part of the name is thought to come from a personal name, probably the person who originally held the land, which makes Coxhoe essentially “Cox’s promontory”.

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The Welsh housing estate that’s still empty two years after it was built

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Wales Online

The developer says she has had to turn away at least 37 families because of a planning condition

A housing development stands virtually deserted despite construction being finished and the properties being marketed for two years. The homes are situated in the small village of Brynteg – near the popular seaside town of Benllech in Anglesey.

They are marketed as “turnkey” properties that come furnished and move-in ready. However, at Parc Delfryn, located adjacent to Storws Wen golf club, just two of the 16 developed homes have found buyers.

The developer attributes this to a planning condition imposed when approval was granted in 2007. This requirement specified that the three-bedroom houses could only be utilised as holiday properties. Make sure you never miss Wales’ biggest updates by getting our daily newsletter.

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This restriction had not hindered sales during an earlier 20-property development that was finished in 2022. That initial phase by the same developer was snapped up remarkably quickly, reports North Wales Live.

However, the landscape has shifted in recent years with mounting concerns about insufficient local housing.

This has resulted in limitations being placed on holiday homes, with second properties subject to a council tax premium (presently 100% on Anglesey) unless they qualify as holiday lets that are rented out for a minimum of 182 days annually.

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This has dampened demand for second homes on the island. While the measures have been applauded by many, it has proved detrimental for the developer of Parc Delfryn.

With merely two of the 16 homes sold – the developer wishes to pursue a different approach. They are calling on Anglesey council to remove the planning restriction and permit the properties to be marketed as residential dwellings.

A planning agent says the applicant and owner Collette Cartwright has indicated she would be willing to accept conditions limiting sales to individuals with ties to the island.

The properties are currently on the market at £250,000 following several price reductions.

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Agent Simon James, from PLanD, said: “A phase one scheme, also built out by the applicant, comprised 20 holiday homes under a separate planning permission, and was commenced in February 2020.

“This was completed by Easter 2022, the dwellings were marketed and were sold very quickly, however, this took place prior to the tax changes brought into place by the Welsh Government to deter the growth in holiday and second homes in favour of primary residential uses, and which, in line with their objectives, have dramatically affected the local property market.”

He added: “To date, the applicant, notwithstanding the extensive efforts expended in seeking to sell the dwellings over two years, has only sold two properties.

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“This in particular has occurred at a time when there is both clear government policy pressure to discourage the creation of holiday homes, in preference to full residential dwellings, and demonstrably, a good level of demand for family homes, itself increased by declining delivery of family homes and a likely rise in demand as both interest rates fall and recently announced significant economic investment in the area.

“There are therefore 14, fully completed, modern family homes ready to be occupied, but which, because of the particular occupancy restriction imposed, are unattractive in the market for the consented, restricted use, even though the price has been reduced quite substantially over time.

“At the same time, in the view of the marketing agents, the dwellings would have been very attractive in the general housing market as family dwellings.

“The applicant has turned away at least 37 families who enquired about the potential purchase of the properties as full time family homes, i.e, these were not general searches, but specific enquiries made of the properties.”

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Estate agents Dafydd Hardy and Beresford Adams were asked to compile a report on the marketing history of the site.

It concluded: “We have, we believe, demonstrated that a comprehensive, wide-ranging and sustained marketing campaign has been carried out with a very engaged client/owner who has responded to the marketing advice we have given.

“This has yielded very little positive results, and this indicates that the market for second/holiday homes, at the very least in Brynteg, is simply not there at this time.

“The question therefore is, is it right to leave valuable housing stock lying idle when it can be put to a positive and sustainable use, and meet the acknowledged need of local families seeking attractive and long-term family housing.”

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The application is currently under review by planning officials at Anglesey Council.

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Netherlands vs Japan: World Cup 2026 prediction, kick-off time, team news, TV, live stream, h2h results, odds today

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Netherlands vs Japan: World Cup 2026 prediction, kick-off time, team news, TV, live stream, h2h results, odds today

Ronald Koeman’s Oranje come into the tournament with a strong squad but in not entirely convincing form. A brace of warm-up friendlies saw them beaten by Algeria and only edge past Uzbekistan.

Their form is in stark contrast to expectations. Fans back home will fully expect a deep run after reaching the final in 2010 and finishing third in 2014.

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Midsomer Murders actor pays tribute to co-star after replacing beloved detective

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Cambridgeshire Live

Bridgerton actor James Bradwell has opened up about taking on the iconic role of Sgt Gavin Troy in the Midsomer Murders stage play alongside Daniel Casey

Bridgerton star James Bradwell has shared his experience of portraying Sgt Gavin Troy in the stage production of Midsomer Murders.

The actor, known for his portrayal of Lord Basilio in Bridgerton, is appearing alongside Daniel Casey, who originally played Sgt Troy in the ITV series with John Nettles but has since taken on the lead detective role of DCI Tom Barnaby in the theatrical version.

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Last year, the duo assumed the principal roles in a stage adaptation of Caroline Graham’s The Killings at Badger’s Drift, which served as the pilot for the ITV programme.

In a recent interview, the actor discussed his experience working with Daniel and whether he experienced any “pressure” in taking on the character of Sgt Troy.

Speaking to Jadar, James shared, “I felt that pressure when I was cast, and I was able to reach out to Dan. Dan has been so generous, and so lovely with his time for me, and being really intent on having our own dynamic that feels like our own detective buddy feeling, in the same way that he had such a longstanding rapport with John Nettles.

“But he was very clear from day one. He said he’s in the same boat since he’s stepping into John Nettles’ shoes, and those are big shoes to fill. And so that pressure was eased because we were both sort of went through that experience together.”

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As the present tour draws to a close, it has been announced that Daniel will reprise his role as DCI Tom Barnaby in 2027, though it remains unclear whether James will accompany him in the extended tour.

This second tour will present the same narrative but with a fresh ensemble of performers, reports the Express.

The synopsis reveals: “Emily Simpson is found dead in the picturesque village of Badger’s Drift, her friend Lucy Bellringer refuses to accept it was an accident.

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“DCI Tom Barnaby and Sergeant Gavin, Troy are called in to investigate, uncovering a world of hidden passions, long-buried secrets and deadly rivalries.”

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The Killings at Badger’s Drift served as the original pilot episode for Midsomer Murders in 1997 and was the opening instalment of the book series by Caroline Graham.

The tour is scheduled to commence in Birmingham on 23 April and conclude in Newcastle on 31 July 2027.

“Since returning to the world of Midsomer last October, it has been such a delight to see the incredible reaction of people around the UK and Ireland to our theatre version of The Killings at Badger’s Drift and, most importantly for me, getting my dear friend John Nettles’ seal of approval after he saw it in Truro,” Daniel shared in a recent interview with the Radio Times.

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“So it is wonderful that, after such a successful first tour, we will be touring to even more venues in 2027. Thank you to all those people who have shown such love for the play, and I can’t wait to bring it to a whole new audience in some wonderful new venues in 2027.”

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Germany vs Curacao LIVE: Musiala scores fourth goal as Germans running rampant over World Cup debutants

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Germany vs Curacao LIVE: Musiala scores fourth goal as Germans running rampant over World Cup debutants

Room called into action again

49 mins: Germany 4-1 Curucao

Germany looking for a fifth after an electric restart. Nmecha tries to overpower Room at the near post, but the Curucao goalkeeper was equal to the effort.

Jack Tanner14 June 2026 19:15

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GOAL! Musiala makes it 4-1

47 mins: Germany 4-1 Curucao

70 seconds into the second half, and we have the fifth goal of this game! Jamal Musiala is released into the box with the ball, and a tight angle he squeezes home Germany’s fourth.

Jack Tanner14 June 2026 19:11

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Action resumes in Houston

46 mins: Germany 3-1 Curucao

We’re back underway in Texas, Germany getting us restarted. Will we see another four goals in the second half?

Jack Tanner14 June 2026 19:08

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WATCH: Havertz slots home to bolster Germany’s winning margin

Jack Tanner14 June 2026 19:07

WATCH: Schlotterbeck’s headed effort that restored Germany’s lead

Jack Tanner14 June 2026 19:07

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WATCH: Curacao’s first World Cup goal

Jack Tanner14 June 2026 19:05

Unsurprising stats from first half

Aside from a brief dip in performance that allowed Curacao to score, Germany have been in control of this one. As such, it is no surprise that they’ve already had 16 shots on goal.

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Curacao have dropped into a low-block as soon as Germany come forward, so it is no surprise that they have made 15 clearances and seven blocks in defence of their goal.

Germany have managed to breach that low block on a few occasions – explaining why they’ve had 36 touches in their opponents’ box compared to Curacao’s four.

(Reuters)

Jack Tanner14 June 2026 19:05

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WATCH: Nmecha’s opener captured by ref cam

Jack Tanner14 June 2026 19:00

HT Germany take control against Curacao

Three goals scored in the first half and Germany have control of this Group E fixture.

(Getty)
(Reuters)
(Getty)

Jack Tanner14 June 2026 18:59

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Half time whistle sounds in Houston

Half-time: Germany 3 – 1 Curacao

Not completely convincing from Germany, but the favourites have punished the majority of Curacao’s mistakes. Curacao have been gritty and determined, but it will take a few lapses at the back for Germany to concede again.

Jack Tanner14 June 2026 18:54

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Netherlands vs Japan LIVE: World Cup 2026 match stream, latest team news, lineups, TV, prediction

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Netherlands vs Japan LIVE: World Cup 2026 match stream, latest team news, lineups, TV, prediction

Netherlands squad: Mark Flekken, Robin Roefs, Bart Verbruggen, Nathan Ake, Sven Botman, Denzel Dumfries, Jorrel Hato, Lutsharel Geertruida, Micky van de Ven, Virgil van Dijk, Jan Paul van Hecke, Mats Wieffer, Frenkie de Jong, Marten de Roon, Ryan Gravenberch, Justin Kluivert, Teun Koopmeiners, Tijjani Reijnders, Guus Til, Quinten Timber, Brian Brobbey, Memphis Depay, Cody Gakpo, Noa Lang, Donyell Malen, Crysencio Summerville, Wout Weghorst

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Why people love Graze on the Green in Rosedale Abbey, North Yorkshire

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Why people love Graze on the Green in Rosedale Abbey, North Yorkshire

Graze on the Green, located in Rosedale Abbey near Pickering, currently holds a 4.8-star rating on TripAdvisor.

The café and tearoom sit in the heart of the village, surrounded by the scenery of Rosedale and the North York Moors National Park.

Despite Rosedale Abbey being a small and peaceful village, Graze on the Green has become a popular stop for walkers, cyclists and visitors exploring one of the area’s most scenic valleys.

The café describes itself as serving locally sourced homemade food, with breakfasts, lunches, brunches, drinks and a cake counter that changes daily.

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Graze on the Green, located in Rosedale Abbey near Pickering (Image: TRIPADVISOR)

Visitors regularly highlight the cakes as one of the main reasons to visit.

One reviewer described it as a “fantastic tea room”, praising the “gorgeous homemade cakes”, “lovely coffee” and “proper pot of tea with extra hot water”.

Another visitor said they returned the next day after breakfast and took home a Bakewell tart, calling it “the best I have ever had”.

The café’s breakfasts are also frequently mentioned in reviews.

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One customer said the full English and vegetarian breakfast was so good they came back again the following day, while another described the breakfast as “awesome”.

Others praise the café’s sandwiches, lunches and generous portions.

A visitor who booked an outdoor table said they were greeted with a “lovely warm welcome” before enjoying cheese and chutney sandwiches served with salad and chips, adding: “I’d recommend this place 100 per cent.”

Another reviewer said the café offered “top class food, cakes and service”, adding that the cake selection remained a highlight with scones, egg custard tart, Bakewell-style bakes, cheesecakes and blondies among the options mentioned.

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Graze on the Green has also built up a strong following among walkers exploring the Rosedale area.

One visitor who stopped while hiking described it as a “cosy café” with great coffee, cakes and friendly staff, adding that they would definitely return.

Another praised the atmosphere, saying the building felt peaceful, with plenty of room between tables and a wide choice of food.

Graze on the Green is also noted for offering gluten-free options and accepting card payments, making it a convenient stop for visitors spending the day in the village.

Rosedale Abbey itself is a popular base for walks, with trails leading through a landscape shaped by medieval history, ironstone mining and sweeping moorland views.

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Many visitors combine a stop at the café with walks around the village green, the remains of Rosedale’s former priory or routes towards the old railway and mining remains above the valley.

With hundreds of positive reviews and repeated praise for its cakes, breakfasts and friendly atmosphere, Graze on the Green has become one of Rosedale Abbey’s best-loved places to eat.

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what are they and can you really get rid of them?

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what are they and can you really get rid of them?

Hip dips are having a moment. The perfectly normal indentations that sit below your hips on the outer thigh have become the latest body feature to be scrutinised, fixed and agonised over on social media. But what are they? Can you actually get rid of them? And should you even try?

Formally known as the trochanteric depression, hip dips exist in both men and women and are simply the visible result of the space between two bones – part of the pelvis called the iliac crest and a bony bulge on the upper thigh bone called the greater trochanter. How pronounced they look depends on your bone structure, muscle size and how much fat sits in the area. In other words, they are largely the result of genetics.

Research suggests that some people feel hip dips disrupt the natural contours of the body, though what counts as an attractive figure varies widely from person to person.

The exercises most commonly recommended to reduce hip dips target the gluteus medius, the medium-sized buttock muscle that sits directly over the depression. These include side-lying hip abduction, the side-lying hip clam, standing hip abduction with or without resistance, and weight-bearing exercises such as squats, lunges, step exercises and supine bridges.

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Supine bridge exercise.

Because the gluteus medius comprises three groups of fibres, a mix of exercises is likely to work better than sticking to one. But here is the catch: as you build muscle and reduce fat in that area, the underlying bones and muscles can actually become more prominent, making the dip more visible, not less. A layer of connective tissue called the fascia keeps the muscles separate and ensures some depression will always remain where they meet the bone.

There is also a longer-term risk worth knowing about. Overloading the gluteus medius through repetitive exercise is a leading cause of microtrauma to the muscle and its tendons, which can trigger a condition called greater trochanteric pain syndrome. It affects the same area as hip dips, is up to four times more common in women than men, and will affect up to a quarter of the population at some point in their lives.

Symptoms include hip, thigh and buttock pain and tenderness. The body’s repair process involves replacing damaged tendon tissue with a weaker form of collagen, gradually reducing the strength and integrity of the tendons over time.

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Cosmetic procedures

For those wanting faster or more dramatic results, cosmetic procedures are an option, though none come without drawbacks. Surgical fat transfer involves taking fat from elsewhere on the body – the thighs or breasts, for example – and injecting it into the hip dip area.

The risks include bruising, infection, fat loss, tissue death and, in rare cases, fat embolism.

A newer and less invasive option is hyaluronic acid injections, which draw water into the tissue and temporarily increase its volume. Because the injections are given in an area with only small blood vessels, the risks are lower. However, the results are not permanent, since the body breaks hyaluronic acid down over time, meaning repeat treatments are needed.

Although hip dips appear in both sexes, it is almost exclusively women who seek to change them, reflecting broader differences in how men and women are socialised to think about the shape of their bodies.

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The honest answer is that short of surgery, hip dips cannot be eliminated. They are a feature of your skeleton, and no amount of gym work will move your bones. Exercise can change the shape of the surrounding muscles to some degree, but may do little to the depression itself and carries its own risks if taken too far. For most people, the most straightforward option remains the least fashionable one: leaving them alone.

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What happened during week three of the Jeffrey Donaldson trial

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Belfast Live

The case involving the former DUP Leader has now entered its third week at Newry Crown Court

The trial of Jeffrey Donaldson has now entered its third week where the court heard from the former DUP leader.

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Sir Jeffrey Donaldson faces 18 historical sexual offences, including one count of rape, alongside allegations of indecent assault and gross indecency. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges which involve two alleged victims and span a 23-year period between 1985 and 2008.

His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson was declared medically unfit to stand a standard criminal trial and will instead undergo a “trial of the facts”.

She is facing a trial of the facts on mental health grounds.

Day 10, June 8

The court heard evidence regarding the police interview that took place following Donaldson’s arrest in March, 2024. He was interviewed for four and a half hours, with three hours of this being played to the jury.

The court has previously heard about an allegation that Donaldson had “perched” over the top of Complainant A when she was a child, using a light to look at her “private parts”.

In his police interview, Donaldson raised the incident, telling detectives he believed he had “startled” the girl.

He said: “It obviously frightened her. She thought that I was shining a light at her.”

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“You know, I didn’t have a light. You know, I wasn’t doing anything untoward.”

He added: “She clearly still has a concern about that.” He said “at no stage” had Complainant A ever claimed “I touched her or did anything inappropriate on that occasion”.

Donaldson also said he had “good times and difficult times” in his marriage to Eleanor Donaldson, blaming his work as a politician for this as it was “all-consuming”.

when the circumstances of an allegation of rape were put to the ex-MP by a detective, he responded: “I’m sorry, but I can’t get my head around this notion.”

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Donaldson accepted he had apologised to one of the alleged victims at a meeting, but stated that this was because she had felt “uncomfortable”.

He also said he did “not accept the picture that is being painted” during the interviews. When asked if he had put his hands down the pants of Complainant B, he responded “No”.

The detective said: “Has anything remotely like that ever happened before with her?” Donaldson said: “No.”

When the rape allegation was put to him, he responded: “That did not happen. The answer to that is absolutely no.”

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He added: “I’m sorry but I can’t get my head around this notion.

READ MORE HERE: Donaldson told police he ‘can’t get head round’ allegations of sexual abuse

Day 11, June 9

The court heard the police interview that Eleanor Donaldson gave following her arrest in March 2024. She told police she was met with a “blank wall” when she repeatedly asked him about an incident where he had been alone in a room with an alleged victim of sexual abuse.

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Eleanor Donaldson, 60, from Dublinhill Road, Dromore, Co Down, denies several charges of aiding and abetting her husband’s alleged offending.

She is facing a trial of the facts and is not participating in the proceedings. Donaldson sat in the dock at the back of the court while the recordings were played.

In her first interview with police, Eleanor Donaldson was asked if she was guilty of the offences for which she had been arrested. She replied no.

She then told police about an incident where she had gone to find her husband and he was in a room with Complainant B, who was a teenager at the time.

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Eleanor Donaldson said: “I just sort of remember just looking at him and saying what are you doing.”

She said when she asked her husband about it, he said it “was nothing” and that he was “just talking”.

She added: “In the years that came after that I never had any cause for concern ever, I never felt that apart from thinking that that was strange and what was that about and I asked Jeffrey about it and he just dismissed it.

“I never had any other feeling that anything was wrong.”

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She said: “I asked Jeffrey many times but he had never given me a reason for why he was there or what he was doing.

“I asked him many times and it never came to anything and he never gave me any answers.”

When asked by the detective, if she had a “clear view” of what had happened, she said: “I could just see that there were both standing there, but that was it.”

The detective asked her if she believed “something more” had been going on.

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She said: “Yes, because I was uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable.”

She added: “Every time I did ask I was met with a blank wall, it was not coming out.

READ MORE HERE: Eleanor Donaldson hit ‘blank wall’ asking husband about alleged victim

Day 12, Jun 10,

No court sessions took place in the presence of the jury.

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Day 13, June 11

Jeffrey Donaldson was called as a witness in the trial at Newry Crown Court shortly after 10.30am on Thursday.

Wearing a blue suit and red tie, he was sworn in after entering the witness box and confirmed his identity. He told the jury about his career in politics before being asked about the allegations.

Mr Vaughan asked him if he accepted any of the allegations made by Complainant B, the older of the two alleged victims.

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Donaldson said: “No.”

The barrister asked the same question about allegations made by Complainant A, and Donaldson again said “no”.

The court has previously heard evidence about a letter Donaldson wrote to Complainant A in June 2020, where he had told of his “regret” over the “hurt, pain and distress I have caused”.

Mr Vaughan asked him if the letter referred to incidents of abuse. Donaldson said “Absolutely not.”

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He added: “This is not the reason why this letter was written.”

The barrister turned to the allegations made by Complainant B, who claims she was raped by Donaldson. Donaldson told the court: “It just didn’t happen, I am absolutely crystal clear about that.”

“It is not something I would ever have done, it is just simply not true.”

Asked about another incident where A had claimed he had nodded after she had confronted him about alleged abuse, he said it “did not happen”.

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Donaldson told the court of the moment he and his wife had been arrested by police over the allegations in 2024.

He said they had been at home sleeping when police called at six in the morning.

He said: “It was totally unexpected, we just had no idea.”

He added: “It was just a complete shock, we had no idea this was coming.”

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Asked by the barrister if he had thought about the allegations subsequently, he said: “Every waking moment.”

Donaldson added: “My head was in a spin, I was thinking ‘what is this about?’

“You do your best to answer questions.”

Donaldson also told the trial that his work as an MP had been “all-encompassing” and his wife had been “devastated” when he had had an affair in 2008.

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He said he confessed the affair to Eleanor Donaldson and had “regretted it”.

He said there was another occasion during the Covid-19 pandemic when a bugging device had been placed in his car after his wife had discovered he was exchanging “flirtatious” texts with a woman.

Day 14, June 12

Donaldson claimed in the Friday session that a letter he wrote to his alleged victim did not refer to allegations of sexual abuse but instead he was apologising for other behaviour.

Prosecution barrister Rosemary Walsh KC cross-examined the ex Lagan Valley MP at his historical sexual offences trial at Newry Crown Court.

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In the afternoon session Ms Walsh turned to a letter Donaldson wrote to Complainant A in June 2020 in which he expressed “regret” for the “hurt, pain and distress” he had caused.

Donaldson has said the letter did not refer to allegations of sexual abuse but instead he was apologising for other behaviour.

Ms Walsh referred to the phrase “lift a sinner out of the deep pit of sin” within the letter.

She asked: “Are you a deceitful person Mr Donaldson.”

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He said: “Not by nature.”

He added: “At its heart Christianity starts from the starting point we are all sinful in nature.

“That is what I was referring to.”

She said: “But we are not all in a deep pit of sin.”

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He said: “I am simply explaining to you the basis on which I wrote these words.”

She read another part of the letter which stated: “I know how deep the wounds are caused by my sinful and selfish actions.”

She suggested part of the letter is “about sexually abusing a child”.

He said: “That is not the case.”

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Ms Walsh said: “That is what the deep wounds are.”

He said: “That is not the case.”

Donaldson added: “I was not writing to seek forgiveness for sexual abuse.”

READ MORE HERE: Donaldson trial told letter of ‘regret’ not referring to sex abuse claims

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The trial continues today.

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