The move marks a collaboration between holiday apartments company, Wheelwrights York and York Conservation Trust.

The partnership will see repair work completed at 83–87 Micklegate, whilst the neighbouring 69–71 Micklegate will be under a new lease by Wheelwrights York and redecorated ahead of reopening to guests last month (March), ensuring the heritage properties remain actively used.

The striking Grade II listed Tudor building at 83-87 Micklegate, dating back to the 14th century, is currently looked after by York Conservation Trust and is undergoing maintenance work.

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The buildings are receiving repairs to the roof, timber, drainage, windows and external doors, ensuring the building remains safe and protected for the future.

The buildings have a long and interesting history, being used as a butchers, drapers, saddle makers, grocers and brick makers, with these businesses operating on the ground floor and living quarters above.

Once repair work is completed this spring, 87 Micklegate, managed by Wheelwrights York, will reopen as a holiday apartment within the listed building.

The neighbouring 69–71 Micklegate is also a Grade II listed building, but having fallen into disrepair by the late 20th century, York Conservation Trust embarked on a huge six-year restoration project in 2014 costing more than £1 million to bring the beautiful building back to life.

The building has a complex and interesting history, with the timber frame dating back to the medieval period, the masonry mostly Georgian, and even Roman structures were discovered in the basement, making it a building with deep historic roots. The restoration transformed the building into three apartments, and shop and business spaces below.

With their office already based on the ground floor, and having previously managed the apartments in an agency capacity, Wheelwrights York took over the lease and management of 69-71 Micklegate from March.

Wheelwrights owners Jerry and Jools Rebbeck in Micklegate (Image: Pic supplied)

This includes the three holiday apartments and Trinity Cottage in the yard outside. As major works concluded on the building when it was restored, the apartments will receive minor works in redecorating and furnishing, preparing them for guests and bringing the building back into regular use.

Jerry Rebbeck, Managing Director of Wheelwrights York said: “These Micklegate buildings are an important part of York’s history, and we’re proud to be working alongside York Conservation Trust to make sure they are well protected, cared for, and actively used for many more years to come.”

“We’ve been located in the ground floor commercial space at 69–71 Micklegate for six years, so taking on the full lease of the building feels like a natural next step. This will allow us to invest in the apartments and cottage, and create characterful stays right in the heart of the city.”

“Micklegate is one of York’s most iconic streets, and as York locals, we’re excited to help these buildings continue their story and get started on this next chapter of our business alongside York Conservation Trust.”

Guy Bowyer, Chief Executive from York Conservation Trust, said: “Our quirky property layouts lend themselves ideally to Holiday lets. They’re great to stay in for a short time but hard to live in and they support our core charitable objective of promoting the enjoyment of our historic buildings. 

“Whilst we look after the structural integrity of both 69-71 and 87 Micklegate Wheelwrights York ensure the properties are welcoming and ready to be enjoyed by the people of York and the city’s visitors.”

“The new lease of 69-71 Micklegate marks an important milestone for the building’s future, allowing the Wheelwrights team to continue their good work managing the properties while investing in their long-term use.”

The likes of Top Gun, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Legally Blonde and Silence of the Lambs will be at Vue in Livingston.

Vue Cinema in Livingston is bringing a roster of much-loved film favourites back to the big screen this spring as part of a special anniversary season celebrating some of Hollywood’s most iconic titles.

Returning to the big screen is 80s classic, Top Gun. Catch Tom Cruise as a daring young student pilot who learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom.

Showing from May 15, fans can also enjoy a re-release of the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, for a limited run.

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A trio of classic female-led comedies will also be returning as part of the season, beginning with everyone’s favourite diarist in Bridget Jones’s Diary – starring Renée Zellweger in the titular role – which returns for its 25th anniversary from April 17.

Also celebrating 25 years since its initial release is the ultimate sorority-queen-turned-lawyer caper Legally Blonde starring Reese Witherspoon (returning May 22) and an epic ensemble cast (including Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy and Rose Byrne) in Bridesmaids, returning 15 years after its initial release from June 5.

The iconic thriller The Silence of the Lambs – featuring Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster in career-defining, Oscar-winning roles – returns from April 24.

Other highlights include the anniversary releases of the riotous comedy The Birdcage, the cult fantasy adventure Highlander, and the feel-good family favourite Space Jam.

READ MORE: Free children’s event at Dobbies’ Livingston store

Andrew Dykes, General Manager of Vue Livingston, said: “At Vue, we know there’s nothing quite like experiencing a great film on the big screen.

“This anniversary season gives audiences the chance to revisit some of their all-time favourites the way they were meant to be seen, on the big screen, while also introducing these iconic titles to a new generation of film fans.”

For more information and to book, visit myvue.com

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According to figures from Greater Manchester Police there were 1,497 shopliftings across the borough over 2025-26, a 33.4 per cent drop on the year before.

The findings were presented to Bolton Council earlier this week by district commander Chief Superintendent Helen Critchley along with a raft of other findings.

She said: “That is really pleasing to me considering that we have really strong outcome rates for shoplifting.”

“We work really hard with the retail community; we have really good engagement.

The meeting was heard at Bolton Town Hall (Image: Phil Taylor)

“So, for me it’s not an issue of under reporting, this is businesses letting us know when they need something and because of the proactive action that we’re taking against repeat shoplifters a real world decrease, in that kind of activity against our retail premises.”

Chief Supt Critchley had been addressing a meeting of the council’s corporate and external issues scrutiny committee about policing in Bolton.

He figures showed that the force had received a total of 96,103 calls over the last year, 15,021 of them classed as “grade one”.

These are 999 emergency calls that need police to be on the scene within 15 minutes.

On shoplifting, Cllr John Walsh, of Astley Bridge, asked if an issue reported by the Metropolitan Police in London that shopkeepers had often failed to provide CCTV was replicated nationally.

Chief Supt Critchley said that she could not comment on the Met Police but that GMP had worked well with retailers across the district and had not encountered this problem.

She said the force had invested in an online link that allowed shopkeepers to share CCTV footage of potential shoplifters with them.

Chief Supt Critchley: “In Greater Manchester we have worked very hard with the retail community to make it as easy as possible to share footage.”

She added: “Obtaining CCTV footage is not a huge challenge in our response to shoplifting at all.

“We find that that works really well with the businesses and that gets really good engagement so that’s not a challenge that we see.”

Rachel Reeves has announced an expansion of plans to reduce electricity bills for thousands of UK manufacturing firms, as she continues high-level talks in Washington focused on the economic fallout from the Iran conflict.

Ms Reeves, who is in Washington for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) spring meetings, stated the plan would help UK businesses compete and create jobs despite the uncertain economic backdrop.

During her trip, she intensified her criticism of US-Israeli military actions in Iran, saying war was a “mistake” and had not made the world a safer place.

Her comments came as she was due to meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who has referred to the impact of the war as “short-term volatility for long-term gain,” which he said would prevent Tehran developing a nuclear weapon.

Ms Reeves also cautioned against “knee-jerk responses” to the cost-of-living crisis triggered by the war in a joint statement with international counterparts at the IMF.

In a bid to help businesses hit by rising costs, the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS), a plan announced last summer to cut electricity bills by up to 25 per cent for more than 7,000 UK businesses, will now be expanded to cover 10,000 firms.

From 2027, BICS will cut costs by up to £40 per megawatt-hour by exempting businesses from certain extra charges that currently support green energy and back-up power supply systems.

An additional one-off payment in 2027 will be given to an extra 3,000 businesses, including companies in the automotive, aerospace, steel and pharmaceuticals sectors.

The Government said it will also cover the support firms would have received if the BICS had been in place from this month.

The scheme is expected to be worth up to £600 million per year from next April.

Ms Reeves said: “This Government has the right plan for the economy: backing British industry, cutting electricity costs and building a stronger, more resilient future.

“Today’s announcement will cut energy bills for over 10,000 manufacturers, helping businesses to compete, win and create good jobs across the country, and to deliver our modern industrial strategy.”

Business Secretary Peter Kyle said: “We are a Government of action, and when global instability puts businesses under pressure we’ll always do what’s needed to support them and ensure Britain’s resilience.

“By extending the reach of BICS by 40%, we’re acting decisively to tackle the number one issue that businesses face head-on.”

Household energy bills are forecast to increase this year because of the conflict pushing up global oil and gas prices, while motorists are already feeling the impact of higher costs at the pump.

Ms Reeves has signalled that any energy bill help this year will be targeted at the poorest households, rather than a universal bailout of the type offered by Liz Truss when she was prime minister after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The White House has said talks are ongoing about holding fresh face-to-face negotiations between the US and Iran and that Washington had not yet formally requested an extension of the ceasefire due to expire next Tuesday.

Zhao Xintong (1) vs Liam Highfield

Ding Junhui (16) vs Dave Gilbert

Xiao Guodong (9) vs Zhou Yuelong

Shaun Murphy (8) vs Fan Zhengyi

John Higgins (5) vs Ali Carter

Ronnie O’Sullivan (12) vs He Guoqiang

Chris Wakelin (13) vs Liam Pullen

Neil Robertson (4) vs Pang Junxu

Kyren Wilson (3) vs Stan Moody

Mark Allen (14) vs Zhang Anda

Barry Hawkins (11) vs Matthew Stevens

Mark Williams (6) vs Antoni Kowalski

Mark Selby (7) vs Jak Jones

Wu Yize (10) vs Lei Peifan

Si Jiahui (15) vs Hossein Vafaei

Judd Trump (2) vs Gary Wilson

French diplomats in London have reportedly carried out a ‘crisis management’ operation where they have practised how they would react to a terror attack as tensions rise globally amid the Middle East crisis

France has reportedly carried out a “crisis” exercise as it prepares for a terror strike on London.

With tensions soaring around the world following the US-Israel strikes on Iran and the retaliatory drone attacks in the Middle East, there are fears that the violence could spread to other regions.

French diplomats in London are understood to have carried out a “crisis management” operation where they have practised how they would react to a major incident.

The number of national security cases involving activity by hostile states including Iran has increased 50% in six months, the head of UK counter-terrorism policing said last month.

And the French plan is reportedly aimed to cover all types of crises including a terror attack on the UK capital where diplomats at France’s Embassy in Knightsbridge could be flown back to France under the direction of the Centre de Crise et Soutien (CDCS – Crisis and Support Centre) based in Paris.

There is already close co-operation between France and the UK over security measures where police can be seconded to protect ministries the other country.

As preparation for a “crisis” plans are understood to have also been put in place where French consular staff would support citizens in trouble which could include the emergency issuing of passports and repatriation flights, reports the Standard.

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Fans said they ‘can’t wait’ after the BBC shared first look images from Ludwig series two

Ludwig fans were excited as the BBC released a first glimpse of its forthcoming series.

The detective comedy, fronted by David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin, proved a resounding success when it debuted in 2024, with audiences hailing it as “perfect” and calling it “the best show on TV”. The show is due to return for a second series this year, with reports suggesting a third run may already be in the works, reports the Mirror.

Posting images from the new episodes on Instagram, the broadcaster teased: “Ready for Ludwig Series 2? Here’s your first look at David Mitchell, Anna Maxwell Martin and the crew. Mark Bonnar and Sian Clifford are among the new faces joining the cast for the second series, coming to #iPlayer.”

In the opening series, Mitchell portrayed reclusive puzzle creator John Taylor, who assumes the identity of his twin brother James – a accomplished detective chief inspector in Cambridge – following James’s sudden disappearance. John infiltrates the police station to investigate his brother’s whereabouts, only to find himself entangled in a succession of other cases.

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According to an official synopsis, the second series follows John in his new role as Crime Scene Consultant, collaborating with DCI Russell Carter (Dipo Ola) on “impossible” crimes for the Cambridge Police Authority.

With James still unaccounted for, John – now an official member of staff – is prohibited from using police resources to search for his brother or uncover the nature of his investigations.

“Of course, John won’t stop and neither will Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin), John’s sister-in-law and wife of his missing brother James – a puzzle needs solving and a husband and father needs bringing home,” the synopsis continued. “One masquerade may have ended, but a new one has just begun.”

Fans of the programme were delighted by the announcement, with one proclaiming on Instagram: “Hells yes.”

“Amazing news,” enthused another, while a third posted: “Loved the first series. So good. Can’t wait to see what the new series will bring.”

“Fantastic show so glad it’s back,” wrote another, as one follower commented: “Dreamy teamy.”

“Someone else remarked: “Oh so so so SO good.” “Can’t wait for this,” added another fan.”

Several viewers also noted the “impressive” cast, which features new additions Mark Bonnar as newspaper editor Gareth Fisher, and Sian Clifford as local MP Joanne Kemper.

“The STAR POWER of it all,” exclaimed one, while another chimed in: “Cannot wait for this!! Great line up.”

Ludwig will air later this year on BBC iPlayer and BBC One.

SO schools are now dropping frying of any type from their dinner menus and introducing healthier options in the hope for healthier children and less obesity.

Growing up in the 1950s our diet was more bland and very much reliant on seasonal vegetables and fruits.

The access to exotic foods (to us then) from all around the world was rare but now common.

When growing up, curries, Chinese fare, pizzas, kebabs, spaghetti bolognese, burritos and the like were alien to us.

The vegetables were own grown – fork to plate in 30 minutes.

The meat and bread came from the local butcher and baker.

I thoroughly enjoyed the school meals – in particular the puddings: jam roll-poly, chocolate, and spotted dick puddings were beautiful.

But with no TV or mobile phones, we played outside, went cycling and swimming, digging and maintained the garden and walked everywhere.

We were active and healthy.

Now with ready meals, mobile phones, computers, being run around in vehicles, and the inactivity for most children it is no wonder kids are obese.

D M Deamer,

Penleys Grove Street,

Monkgate,

York

—

Tories to blame for run down armed services

TJ Ryder is very critical of Prime Minster Starmer for the problems of a ship in the Royal Navy sent to Cyprus (Letters, April 14).

The ship’s departure was delayed by three weeks by problems on board, and needed further attention on reaching Cyprus.

It is not Starmer who should be blamed for this.

After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the Western powers reduced spending on defence, taking advantage of the peace dividend.

In the past 20 years or so, the British armed forces have been hollowed out to save money. Both Labour and Conservative governments have been guilty of this. But I blame the Conservatives more because they have been in power for most of this time.

By tradition, the Conservatives are stronger on defence than Labour. But not recent Conservative administrations.

I believe that Starmer is aware of the problem, but has yet to persuade his MPs to spend more money on defence, and less on social care.

And the ship? Ships are large and complex, and need large and complex facilities for their maintenance. Perhaps TJ Ryder would be willing to pay higher taxes to this end.

David Martin,

Rosedale Avenue,

Acomb,

York

—

Time to re-nationalise the Royal Mail

IN a recent letter to The Press Mr Rickaby quite understandably commented about the rising cost/slower delivery time of our mail.

In the next paragraph of that letter he once again complained stridently about our “ultra-left socialist” government and seemed to imply that it is the fault of the Government that the price of stamps is so high.

I ask him to consider that however appallingly terrible things have become in the USA, the US Postal Service is just that – a government-run service.

This is surprising in a country many of whose citizens equate “socialism” with “communism”, but nevertheless the cost of postage is far less than that charged by our privatised Royal Mail.

It is way past time the Royal Mail was re-nationalised. Sending letters and greetings cards should not have become a luxury to be enjoyed only by the well-off.

M Hardy,

Heworth,

York

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The driver was speeding by 31mph, which caused the train to ‘lurch sideways’, investigators found

Passengers on a Great Northern train fell from their seats after a train driver sped through Cambridge Junction. The London King’s Cross to Ely train travelled at 56mph through a junction with a speed restriction of 25mph on December 11, 2025.

The incident happened at 10.39am when the 10.12am Great Northern service travelled at too high a speed across Cambridge Junction, north of Hitchin station in Hertfordshire, according to the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB).

The excessive speed caused the train to “lurch sideways” with “several passengers falling from their seats onto the floor”, according to RAIB. No injuries or damage were reported.

RAIB concluded that this incident occurred because the newly-qualified driver who had been approved to drive unaccompanied 11 days earlier, expected the train to go via the higher speed route over the flyover towards Cambridge. The RAIB said the information provided by the signalling system did not change that expectation.

A spokesperson for Great Northern said: “Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our services and passengers, and we welcome the findings published by the RAIB. While there were no injuries as a result of this incident, we take it extremely seriously.

“We are working closely with RAIB, Network Rail and the Office of Rail and Road to fully understand the learnings and to ensure any appropriate actions are identified and implemented.”

The spokesperson continued: “We will continue to review our own processes, including driver training and route risk management, and we will play an active role in the wider industry work already under way to reduce the risk of over speeding at complex junctions.”