Only a handful of players have represented both Manchester United and Liverpool, with even fewer of those playing during the Premier League era

There aren’t many players who have turned out for both Manchester United and Liverpool. However, one man who did spend time with the fierce rivals – who meet this weekend – is Michael Owen.

England international striker Owen began his career at Liverpool and would later win the Premier League with United. However, the Merseyside club still mean more to him.

The 46-year-old’s decision to move to Old Trafford didn’t exactly endear him to supporters of his boyhood club. Nevertheless, he still has plenty of admirers at Anfield after more than a century of Premier League goals for the team.

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That’s not to say there weren’t some eye-catching moments for Owen in a United shirt. He scored in the 2010 League Cup final when Sir Alex Ferguson’s side beat Aston Villa at Wembley and also grabbed a memorable hat-trick against Wolfsburg in the Champions League.

“Well, I’m absolutely fine at both. I’m respected at Man United; the derby winner, Champions League hat-trick, goal in a cup final,” Owen told the Daily Mail in 2021. “It’s not like I’m one of their own, we know that, but there’s mutual respect and good memories.

“But when I go through the doors at Liverpool, it’s in my heart. I hated going back as a player. It felt like I was punching my brother. Being booed, I felt sick. My parents were shot to bits.

“It rarely happens now, the odd voice might shout, ‘You Manc’, but I can put it in a box. It doesn’t stop me thinking I would love to have the legacy of Carra (Jamie Carragher) or Stevie (Steven Gerrard).

“They won the Champions League the season I left. I wanted my mates to win, absolutely, but part of me was gutted, “God, that could have been me”. I have to accept that. It was my decision to leave.”

Owen played several games against United during his Liverpool spell. He scored in a 1-1 draw when he was still a teenager and also bagged a brace in a 3-1 Anfield win in 2001.

That 2001/02 season ended with Liverpool pipping United to second place in the league, though both were behind Arsenal. It’s a similar story this year, with neither side in title contention, though Michael Carrick’s men are on track to finish above their rivals.

Just three points separate the two sides going into Sunday’s clash. That means a win for Arne Slot’s reigning champions will be enough for them to leapfrog their rivals and move into third.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

The BBC joined Canada’s military rangers on the final leg of a 5,200km (3,200 miles) Arctic patrol, where they shared the survival skills needed to endure freezing temperatures, navigate remote tundra and camp in conditions as cold as -60C (-76F).

But how did the journalists on the trail, Nadine Yousif and Eloise Alanna, get the story to begin with?

Video by Eloise Alanna

Watch the report about surviving in the Arctic here

Read the story about the Canadian Rangers here

The large volume has been bought at auction by the Friends of the Durham Light Infantry who this week presented it to The Story, the county’s new history centre in Durham City.

A ledger bought by DLI Friends is handed over to The Story, Durham Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

But discovering the full story of the ledger and its names is only just beginning. “We haven’t researched the men yet – it will keep us going for the rest of our lives,” said Sid Patterson, the Friend who did the bidding at auction, “but a lot of them won’t survive.”

A ledger bought by DLI Friends is handed over to The Story, Durham Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

The story began on June 15, 1915, when Zeppelin L10  flew over the North East coast at Blyth in Northumberland at around 11.25pm, and headed south. Zeppelins were a new enemy weapon, first being seen over East Anglia in January 1915 and this was one of the first raids on the North East.

A First World War Zeppelin (Image: Televisual)

The North East, though, was vulnerable with its major industries, vital for the war effort, lined along rivers leading to the sea, and Kapitänleutnant Klaus Hirsch was targeting those along the Tyne.

He dropped his first bombs at about 11.40pm on Wallsend, damaging an engineering works. Then he hit Hebburn Colliery, before approaching the Jarrow shipyards.

A warning of the aerial raid had not reached the yards and, in the black night, all their lights were still burning. Hirsch could hardly believe his luck.

A ledger bought by DLI Friends is handed over to The Story, Durham Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

Palmer’s shipyard bore the brunt of his attack. Seven high explosive and five incendiary bombs hit the Engine Construction Department, killing 17 and injuring 72, starting fires and doing considerable damage.

L10 then followed the river east, hitting a chemical works and killing a policeman before dropping its final four bombs on South Shields. It eluded a couple of British planes by climbing too high for them and it passed out over the sea at 11.52pm.

As well as causing death and devastation to the civilian population, the airship looks to have acted as a recruiting sergeant for the British army.

A poster explaining the Derby Scheme in December 1915. A few months later, conscription had to be introduced (Image: Chris Lloyd)

Men were desperately needed. In the summer of 1915, the Earl of Derby was appointed as Director General of Recruiting, and his “Derby Scheme” started in November, whereby “tactful and influential” canvassers visited eligible men, aged 18 to 41, at home in a bid to persuade them to make a public declaration of whether they would enlist immediately or as soon as they were called.

If they agreed to make the declaration, they had to do so within 48 hours by attending a recruiting office and “attesting” – signing up to serve for the duration of the war. Men who attested were given a grey armband with a red crown on it, a bonus of 2s 6d, and then returned to their workplace until they were called up.

It looks like a recruiting office was set up in Palmer’s shipyard, presumably to capitalise on the feelings engendered by the Zeppelin raid, and the ledger lists all those who signed up between December 8 and 12 – more than 900 names spread across 23 pages.

The ledger bought by the Friends of the DLI (Image: unknown)

It gives their ages (nearly all are between 30 and 40), their addresses in the streets of Jarrow and their religions. Some have their chest sizes and the colour of their eyes recorded. All of their occupations are there – on one page alone there is a driller,  an anglesmith, a painter, a ship rivetter, a shipwright, an ironmoulderer, an engineering toolmaker, a caulker, a greaser, a joiner, a fitter, a rigger, four holderups, three labourers, two blastfurnanceman and two electric cranedrivers. These are all jobs from a shipyard (what would the holderups do?), although scattered among them on the same page are a butcher, a barman and a tripe preparer.

“It’s personally interesting for me because I was born near there – these lads lived just across the road from me in Jarrow and Hebburn,” says Sid Patterson. “Some joined the Northumberland Fusiliers on the other side of the river, others went into the Royal Navy but most of them go into the DLI.”

A ledger bought by DLI Friends is handed over to county archivist Carolyn Ball. Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

Their call-ups started coming through in January 1916, so the fear must be that the men listed on that page – from 5ft 3¾in tall electric cranedriver John Bell to 5ft 8½in barman John McDermott – were destined for the Battle of the Somme.

County archivist Carolyn Ball, who accepted the ledger on behalf of The Story, said: “We have a fantastic archive here but this is the only recruiting ledger that we know has survived locally because they were all supposed to be destroyed after the war, so that makes it very important.”

A ledger bought by DLI Friends is handed over to The Story, Durham Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

How it survived is another part of its mysterious story, but it did, and it was spotted by a builder’s merchant in a car boot sale in Essex.

The ledger’s current owner, a builder’s merchant from Maldon in Essex, said he discovered it lying on the ground at a car boot sale.

“When I saw the word ‘military’ on the cover, I knew it was something special,” he said, and he quickly handed over the £20 asking price.

A ledger bought by DLI Friends is handed over to The Story, Durham Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

From there, it wended its way to Hansons Auctioneers in Derby, where militaria expert Matt Crowson said: “There’s no doubt the Zeppelin raid would have brought home the seriousness of the war to the brave Jarrow workers, many of whom would have wanted retribution.

“Books like this are extremely rare, as records were supposed to have been destroyed after the war. How it came to light hundreds of miles away, we may never know.”

With auction fees, the Friends paid £1,300 for the volume.

“We wanted to save it and keep it in the county because otherwise it might never have been seen again,” said Sid, “and we wanted to make sure these men were not forgotten.”

• The ledger has been digitised and can be seen on the Friends’ website at dlifriends.com. On the last Thursday of every month, the Friends hold a drop-in session at The Story in Durham from 10am to 2pm where they help members of the public who would like to research a family member who once served with the Durham Light Infantry. All are welcome

A First World War Zeppelin (Image: Televisual)

• Zeppelin L10 dropped 2.5 tons of bombs on Tyneside that June night, and although Zeppelin attacks continued for another year with airships probing further and further inland, L10 didn’t prosper. On September 3, 1915, it was on patrol over the North Sea when it was struck by lightning and it crashed into the water. All 19 crew were killed.

The early May Bank Holiday 2026 is tomorrow, and UK retailer opening hours may vary

This weekend marks the early May Bank Holiday, so retailers across the UK may change their opening hours. Fortunately, the majority of shops remain open on the Bank Holiday itself, though many are running on slightly reduced schedules.

This applies to supermarkets as well. Shoppers are encouraged to check their nearest branch for precise opening times, as hours may vary by store and location.

Home Bargains

To find your nearest store’s opening times, make use of Home Bargains’ Store Locator. The retailer stated: “It’s got a full list of opening times for your local store, their facilities and contact details.”

Nevertheless, it appears the majority of its branches will be open on Monday, operating shorter hours from 8am to 6pm.

Weekend opening times remain unchanged: stores are open from 8am to 8pm on Saturday and 10:30am to 4:30pm on Sunday.

B&M

B&M branches are open on Bank Holiday Monday, generally running on standard or marginally reduced hours.

While most stores are open, customers are advised to consult the B&M store finder for their specific branch’s hours.

A number of stores listed on B&M’s store finder indicate they will be operating during normal trading hours.

Next

Next also provides a store locator on its website, allowing customers to verify their local store’s opening hours.

Numerous locations are open on Monday with normal trading hours, though this may vary by branch and store type.

Customers are also welcome to browse only for the first 30 minutes on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

B&Q

B&Q outlets across the UK typically maintain standard opening times, usually 7am to 8pm throughout the early May Bank Holiday.

While most branches will be trading, it is strongly advised to verify your nearest store’s specific opening hours via the B&Q Store Finder tool.

Official figures show rod catches of salmon slumped to just 28,020 – the lowest since records began in 1952.

Scotland’s wild salmon numbers have sunk to a record low amid renewed claims commercial fish farms are a major factor driving a “catastrophic decline”.

Official figures show rod catches of salmon slumped to just 28,020 – the lowest since records began in 1952.

According to data released by the Chief Statistician the figure is 68 per cent below the previous five-year average.

Conservationists and Government bodies have warned of salmon’s potential extinction in many Scottish rivers within the next two decades.

Catches have decreased from a high of 111,405 in 2010, with the 2025 reports “consistent with a general pattern of decline in numbers of wild salmon”.

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Abigail Penny, executive director of Animal Equality UK, said: “The Scottish salmon farming industry’s response to criticism is as predictable as it is hollow – deflect, deny, delay.

“The facts, however, speak for themselves – last year alone the industry recorded 47 major non-compliance breaches, a 40 per cent increase in the use of carcinogenic formaldehyde, over 1200 sea lice breaches and 12million farm mortalities.

“A Scottish Government advisory committee has already raised serious concerns about the lack of progress from both industry and regulators, yet expansion continues unchecked while farmed and wild animals pay the price – animals, the environment and local communities cannot withstand this relentless pressure indefinitely.”

Nick Underdown, Scotland director for campaigners WildFish, says reversing the spiralling decline in salmon and sea trout populations will only begin once the “core controllable pressures are properly addressed”.

He said: “Salmon farming is acknowledged as a major cause of this catastrophic decline through genetic dilution and transmission of sea lice parasites to wild populations.”

Campaigners say open-net salmon farming is a major factor in the decline of wild Atlantic salmon.

They argue that Scotland’s 215 fish farms – many along the west coast – pollute surrounding waters through waste, chemical use and sea lice outbreaks that can spread.

Despite anglers releasing 98 per cent of salmon and 92 per cent of sea trout, campaigners say the damage is happening before fish reach the rod.

The figures show fish reported as of “farmed origin” – meaning they likely escaped from farmed fish pens – represented 1.6 per cent of the total catch.

Ariane Burgess, Scottish Greens’ candidate for the Highlands and Islands, said the country’s land, rivers and coasts were Scotland’s “greatest inheritance”.

A spokesperson for industry trade body Salmon Scotland said: “We share concerns about the long-term decline in wild salmon but it is wrong to suggest salmon farming is driving it.”

This week, a Pluto retrograde begins which makes you reconsider the notion of power in your life — who has it over you, who you wield it over, and whether some of that is due to transform.

We all live inside pecking orders and hierarchies at all levels, from societal down to siblings and work colleagues and even within the family home. Are there any you wish to challenge? Or escape? Or change yourself, inside out?

This is a week to reassess what shifting power dynamics are affecting your life and future prospects, and address any that aren’t working for you, one way or another…

Let the tarot cards advise you where you should focus.

Aries

March 21 to April 20

Tarot card for Aries for this week: Ace of Coins

Meaning: The Ace of Coins describes a power dynamic that is either operating at work or in your family home, has been emerging for the past year, and feels like a positive change. You’ve noticed it. Maybe a parent-child bond has changed, or you’ve been getting along better with a boss or colleague.

This shift has been positive and you can now reflect on it and see the parts that made it happen. Deconstruct the process of the shift, look at what’s different for each person, think about how you affected it. Because maybe you can take this lesson and use it elsewhere or share it with others. You are sitting on a valuable insight.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aries

Taurus

April 21 to May 21

Tarot card for Taurus for this week: The Lovers

Meaning: The Lovers describes a power dynamic that is based on attraction and blows hot and cold, which drives you mad! This is either a romantic or friendship connection, it’s always on or off, never consistent which you really wish it could be.

Is it worth the hassle? Are the ‘hot’ moments hot or long enough to justify the cooling-off periods? You can make your own mind up, Taurus. You can take back control here, and maybe you should. Give them the gift of your absence!

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Taurus

Gemini

May 22 to June 21

Tarot card for Gemini for this week: Two of Coins

Meaning: Your typical reaction to any attempt to control or wield power over you is to totally bamboozle and befuddle that person, so they back right off or at least have their influence totally diluted by the million and one other things and alliances you activate and disappear into.

Dilution by volume of activity and alliance is a key Gemini tactic, and it works because you can juggle many, many balls simultaneously, it’s kind of a super power. But don’t get lost in that maze! Don’t let the sheer volume of things you’re involved with start to loosen and befuddle your own grasp of what matters, really truly. Be busy but also focused, find that right balance.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Gemini

Cancer

June 22 to July 23

Tarot card for Cancer for this week: Ace of Swords

Meaning: Truth is an interesting theme in your life. You are cautious of truth because you know its sharp edges and how much it can hurt folk (because you yourself have been greatly hurt by truths being spoken to your face that you weren’t willing to look in the eye).

You would always rather gloss over to deflect from something painful, hoping it will fade or sort itself out. You don’t confront folk easily. You know the risks of honesty, more than most. All of that said, this caution can tip over into delusion and denial at times, keeping you imprisoned in a false palace of comfort.

This week, escape! Speak a truth out loud that you have not said. Release the power that truth has over you. Be free of having to keep on pretending. Just say it how it is – you know it, deep down.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Cancer

Leo

July 24 to August 23

Tarot card for Leo for this week: Temperance

Meaning: You are, as ever given your regal Leo boss nature, embroiled in some kind of power struggle or changing dynamic that is a live issue, not yet resolved, not sure who will ‘win’. Things are going to settle down to a new normal this week. So, yes, take the deal on the table, come to a compromise, settle the feud, learn to live with each other in the same eco system.

It’s true that rivals often end up best friends because you compliment each other, you are equals, you know the value of each other. Temperance has good energy, clarity and certainty. It’s time to ground yourself in how things are and stop fighting. You have come to the right conclusion and place.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Leo

Virgo

August 24 to September 23

Tarot card for Virgo for this week: Strength

Meaning: You are so much stronger than you realise, and that other folk imagine. You possess a quiet, resolved kind of force, certain in your ‘rightness’ and therefore committed to the outcome you think is best. An unstoppable force when activated. And you are activated.

Virgo, fight the fight, stand up for yourself, do battle here. You can win. Strength is a card that shows up during a challenge to say ‘you can do this’ and, in fact, it will make you feel good, and raise your self esteem as it’s proof of how powerful you truly are. Rise to this challenge and feel fantastic.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Virgo

Libra

September 24 to October 23

Tarot card for Libra for this week: Seven of Cups

Meaning: You have been doing battle in your own head again, living within a stormy conflict created entirely through projection, assumption and over-analysis: the dark triad of magical thinking! Enough. Come back down to Earth.

Accept and acknowledge the warring opinions or factions within your mind, and lay them down on paper, research them, talk them through, and come to a conclusion that you can do something about and move on from this spiral. You can be your own worst enemy, Libra – lord knows everyone else loves you! Stop this pointless power struggle internally, take external action and be done.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Libra

Scorpio

October 24 to November 22

Tarot card for Scorpio for this week: The Chariot

Meaning: The power dynamic or struggle affecting your realm this week is regarding either your very life’s purpose and direction or something literally related to place, movement, journeys or travel. The Chariot covers both options – maybe the two are interlinked, like what you decide to do with your career impacts where it’s best to live.

Life purposes don’t have to be epic, long-lasting or impressive to anyone else. They can last a season, get you through something, match exactly what’s right on your plate at the moment anyway.

Think about this. Be clear in your mind what your purpose is currently, what truly matters and requires the lion’s share of your energy and resources… and then figure everything else out around it. As long as this guides your decision-making, you won’t go far wrong.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Scorpio

Sagittarius

November 23 to December 21

Tarot card for Sagittarius for this week: Six of Wands

Meaning: I think of you as like a rising tide lifting all the boats around you. And that is how your interpersonal power dynamics work best too – being the catalyst, inspirer and motivator for everyone around you and helping them by helping yourself at the same time. When you win, those around you win too. Maybe it’s because you’re ruled by Jupiter, the god of luck and good fortune! Fate always seems to deal you a good hand.

The Six of Wands shows that you will help others best when you’re winning too, so play to win right now. Good fortune is coming, be generous with it, share it, and invite others on your wild ride, collaborate and co-operate. A shared success story lies ahead.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Sagittarius

Capricorn

December 22 to January 21

Tarot card for Capricorn for this week: Eight of Coins

Meaning: You know how you overcome any power struggle or conflict, Cap? You outwork them. That’s right. You just plain old dig in and do more, last longer, work harder, perform better. And no one can beat a committed Capricorn, it just can’t be done. So this is how you overcome any and all foes and feuds… locate the prize and then plough your furrow towards it relentlessly and determinedly.

I promise that a breakthrough will unfold than gets you nearer faster than you thought, and the reward comes into view. You always end up earning the respect of everyone who comes up against you – this will be no different. Crack on!

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Capricorn

Aquarius

January 22 to February 19

Tarot card for Aquarius for this week: The Hermit

Meaning: The Hermit is a reminder that, all said and done, you are the zodiac’s true solo flyer. You are resolutely independent and self-reliant. So what other people do doesn’t really matter. They can try to influence or compete with you… but it kind of rolls off your back, you just carry on doing what you were going to do anyway, and eventually the give up and fall back.

Keep on with this strategy this week, Aquarius, because it works. The Hermit says ‘you do you’ and life will form and reshape around your trajectory and energy. Know yourself and know your opportunity and do what has to be done to serve both.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aquarius

Pisces

February 20 to March 20

Tarot card for Pisces for this week: Two of Cups

Meaning: You are examining the interpersonal dynamics of your close/st relationship, typically a romantic one, but could be best friend or sibling even. And it’s about give and take, mutual respect and support, equality. The scales are not even, the to and fro is not to’ing and fro’ing fairly. What are you going to do about it?

First step is to gather your feelings and facts. Is this an objective assessment? Second step is to step back. Get distance and let your perspective recalibrate. Give them the gift of your absence, and let them think on it. Then see what happens. Be ready to speak the truth if confronted. Don’t fall back into old grooves. This is an important reboot, force it through. You deserve better.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Pisces

Kerry King has been reading, teaching and creating tarot for 30 years. Join her magical, exclusive Tarot Club for forecasts, predictions, lessons and readings straight to your inbox. Enjoy one month free for all Metro readers (no lock-in or commitment) over on Patreon.

Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.

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The young boy is in a critical condition following a devastating collision near Belfast last weekend

Mourners gathered at the funeral of a teenager killed in a tragic road crash have been asked to keep Christopher Faulkner in their prayers as he continues to fight for his life in hospital.

Young Christopher was critically injured in a road traffic collision in Co Antrim last weekend.

The collision occurred on the Belfast Road on Sunday morning and involved a black Volkswagen Golf and a silver Volkswagen Passat.

READ MORE: Callum Hutchinson funeral: Tipperary teen killed in Antrim crash laid to restREAD MORE: Belfast man expresses ‘complete and utter regret’ after death of teen in crash

Callum Hutchinson, 16, from Co Tipperary, was a passenger in the Passat and lost his life in the collision. Christopher was rushed to hospital, where his condition continues to be described as “critical”.

Callum’s funeral was held in Borrisokane on Saturday, with mourners gathering at SS Peter and Paul’s church to bid farewell to the tragic teen.

In his homily, Pparish priest fr Tom O’Hallonan told Callum’s family that “our hearts go out to all you today”. “What I heard from the whole community here in Borrisokane is the feeling of being so sorry for all of you,” he said.

“The feeling of being brokenhearted for you all and I know you are deeply appreciative of this outpouring of love and sympathy.”

Father O’Hallonan also asked mourners gathered to keep young Christopher in their prayers as the 10-year-old boy remains in a critical condition in hospital, the Irish Mirror reports.

“We are very conscious too that an occupant of the car with him when he died was Christopher, who’s very ill, so we have him in our prayers as well today,” he said.

“I know you are deeply worried about Christopher who was seriously injured last Sunday and we keep him in our prayers.”

Christopher is a cousin of tragic Limerick mother-of-one, Scarlett Faulkner, who died in Cork University Hospital earlier this month after a horrific assault in Co. Tipperary in March. Scarlett’s brother Jason Faulkner died just days after her funeral.

Relatives and close friends belonging to young Christopher continue to rally around the family and offer up prayers so that he makes a full recovery.

Christopher’s distraught older brother, John Faulkner, took to social media this week to share an image of himself with Christopher and a seven word message.

“My world you are my baby brother,” exclaimed John.

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On Wednesday, a man from Belfast was remanded in custody after appearing in court charged in connection with the road traffic collision that resulted in the death of Callum Hutchinson and left Christopher in a critical condition in hospital.

Appearing in the dock of Limavady Magistrates Court, sitting in Coleraine, Tiernan McCann, 29, confirmed he understood the eight charges against him on Wednesday.

McCann, from Flax Street in Belfast, is charged with causing the death of Callum Hutchinson by driving dangerously and carelessly on the Belfast Road at Nutts Corner on April 26 this year. The 29-year-old is also charged with causing grievous bodily injury to an 11-year-old boy, also by dangerous and careless driving.

He is further charged with driving while unfit through drink or drugs, driving at excess speed, using his mobile phone while driving and having an incorrect form of registration mark, alleged to have been committed on the same date.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

The multi-millionaire has admitted giving a ‘small amount’ to Reform shortly after Nigel Farage appointed him Scottish party leader.

Malcolm Offord is facing demands to “come clean” over his mystery donation to Reform and whether it bought him the party leadership in Scotland.

It comes after the multi-millionaire admitted giving a “small amount” shortly after Nigel Farage appointed him to the position which will guarantee a Scottish Parliament seat.

We can also reveal accounts for Offord’s former private equity company Badenoch & Co show it only had three or four staff despite his claims on a TV debate to have employed “hundreds of thousands of people” during his business career.

Lord Offord, who was previously a major Tory donor before being handed a seat in the Lords, boasted last week how his business success had allowed him to buy “six houses, five cars and six boats”.

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Scottish Liberal Democrat campaign chair Wendy Chamberlain said: “It looks like Lord Offord has bought himself six houses, five cars and six boats and the leadership of one political party.

“He should come clean about how much money he has given Nigel Farage and what he was promised for his money.”

It comes as Reform UK chief Farage is embroiled in his own donation scandal after failing to disclose a £5million bung from Thailand-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. Offord was at the centre of a cronyism row in Boris Johnson’s government in 2022 when he was made a Conservative peer and given a role as a junior minister.

He had given more than £150,000 to the Tories in political donations.

In December, Offord was unveiled by Farage at a Reform rally in Falkirk as the party’s latest recruit, with the Greenock-born businessman declaring he was renouncing his peerage.

He told the Sunday Mail at the time he had not donated to Reform and refused to say if he would in future.

The following month, he was appointed by Farage as the party’s leader in Scotland, ahead of the Holyrood election.

With Reform challenging Scottish Labour for second place in the polls and Offord top of the list of Reform candidates in the West Scotland region, he is near-certain to become an MSP on May 7.#

The Sunday Mail has approached Offord directly, and Reform, with detailed questions about his donation and an interview offer.

These questions included:

● How much have you donated to Reform and when did you donate it?

● Do you intend to donate more?

● When did you first agree with the party that a donation would be made?

● Was this a deal you made with Farage when you joined Reform and became its Scots leader?

●How do you respond to claims you may have bought your way into Reform and a guaranteed seat in the Scottish Parliament as a party leader?

● Do you think there is too much opportunity for the rich to gain political influence in the UK?

Offord and Reform have failed to respond, leaving voters in the dark five days before going to the polls about how much the millionaire has given his own party.

In last week’s STV debate, Offord launched into strident defence of his personal wealth, telling viewers: “I went to London 40 years ago with £2000 in debt and full of ambition. I worked hard, and I was successful. Today, I own six houses, five cars and six boats. In a 40-year business career, I’ve employed hundreds of thousands of people and paid £45million in tax.”

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The 61-year-old started his career in corporate finance in the 1980s and spent 16 years as a partner at private equity investment firm Charterhouse Capital Partners, leaving in 2013. He then founded his own company, Edinburgh-based Badenoch & Co.

But the firm’s filing history shows that in 2020 and 2021 – Offord’s two final years before leaving to enter politics – he employed three and four people respectively.

Chamberlain added: “Lord Offord claimed to have employed hundreds of thousands but his investment firm didn’t employ anything like that.

“Is he slyly including every firm he ever took a stake in? Or is this a complete fib?”

Private equity firms are notorious for taking stakes in companies using high levels of debt before ruthlessly cost cutting and then selling them on. They often target businesses they feel they can make a quick profit on via restructuring and lay-offs.

A 2024 analysis found one in five private equity-owned companies go bankrupt within 10 years of acquisition.

Offord has also been challenged –including by John Swinney – to release his tax returns after his claim of paying £45million. Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “Lord Offord has gone awfully quiet after a lot of big talk earlier this week

“If Lord Offord can find the time to brag about his fleet of yachts he can find the time to answer some basic questions about his claims.

“The truth is this out of touch Tory tribute act cannot deliver the change Scotland needs – they can only help the SNP. Don’t let Lord Offord buy your vote.”

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BRIDGERTON fever will return to York as the fourth annual York Georgian Festival takes over the city this summer.

Once again, the city will fill with the sights and sounds of 18th-century life this August – and fans of the hit TV drama Bridgerton will get the opportunity to step into the world of the gorgeous Georgians for five days.

Hosted by the historic York Mansion House, the five-day festival programme ranges from free displays of dancing and military drills in St Helen’s Square to the splendour of the annual York Georgian Ball at the Grand Assembly Rooms, and includes talks, tours, performances and workshops at a variety of venues.

The festival will run from Thursday August 6 to Monday August 10.

Richard Pollitt, manager and curator of York Mansion House, said: “We’re looking forward to another fabulous festival, with a busy programme lined up exploring the fascinating history of this era. We’d like to thank all our partner attractions for supporting the festival once again.

York Georgian Festival. Photo: Gareth Buddo

“The popularity of the Georgian and Regency period shows no sign of slowing down with people finding so much joy in recreating the fashions and social occasions of the time, and we aim to bring some of that joy to the streets of York.”

The festival’s promenade will return on Saturday August 8, starting from Clifford’s Tower and making its way through the city to York Mansion House, led by His Majesty’s 33rd Regiment of Foot. Anyone interested in dressing up and joining is invited to book a free place.

The Regiment will be demonstrating their drills on the afternoons of Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 August in St Helen’s Square along with displays of Georgian dancing by the Galliard Folk Dancers.

This year’s ball, on Saturday August 8 will be a Masquerade Ball, traditionally an extravagant occasion when guests would wear elaborate fancy dress and masks to disguise their true identities.

Live music will be provided by Eboracum Baroque with guidance from dance mistress Lottie from Dance the Past, all with the support of ASK Italian and York Gin.

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Anyone wanting to prepare for the ball can take dancing lessons at The Guildhall on Friday August 7 and there will be free fan language workshops at York Mansion House, where you can learn how to send secret messages across the dance floor!

Talks and tours include the return of Horrible Histories author Terry Deary who will explore Murder in the Georgian Theatre, on Thursday August 6, self-led and bookable festival tours of the Bar Convent, curators’ talks on fashion and dress at Fairfax House and York Castle Museum, and an examination of how women were treated by the Georgian justice system at Barley Hall on Friday August 7.

Visitors can enjoy a multitude of events at the York Georgian Festival Image: Gareth Buddo

One of York’s most famous Georgian visitors, Anne Lister, will be the subject of a new play No Priest But Love hosted by Holy Trinity Church, Goodramgate, and Merchant Taylors’ Hall Sunday August 9.

The last day of the festival, Monday August 10, will see a series of talks including the launch by York St John students of a new edition of correspondence exchanged between writers Ignatius Sancho, one of the first Black Britons known to have voted in a parliamentary election, and Yorkshire-based Laurence Sterne, author of Tristram Shandy.

Find full listings and booking details at: www.yorkgeorgianfestival.co.uk

“IS any of it real,” ask Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman in The Psychic, the latest spook-fest from the writer-director duo behind Ghost Stories (CAPS CORRECT). In their twisted new thriller, popular TV psychic Sheila Gold loses a high-profile court case that brands her a charlatan, costing her not only her reputation but also a fortune in legal fees.

When a wealthy couple ask Sheila to conduct a séance to attempt to make contact with their late child, she senses an opportunity to bleed them for money. What follows makes her question everything she has ever believed, leading her on a journey into the darkest corners of her life. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Cutting-edge music and art collaboration of the week: York Late Music presents Late Music Ensemble: Picture This!, Unitarian Chapel, St Saviourgate York, tonight, 7.30pm

INSPIRED by the relationship between visual art and music,Picture This!explores how composers have responded to artworks across time, fromModest Mussorgskyto the present day.

Today’s audience is invited on a promenade through an imagined exhibition, where works by Vincent van Gogh,Wassily Kandinsky,Bridget RileyandJohn Martin, alongside sculpture byAlexander Calder, are reflected in a musical programme featuring a new arrangement of Pictures At An Exhibition,Igor Stravinsky’s miniature tribute toPablo Picasso, songs byDon van Vliet(Captain Beefheart) and David Byrne, plus new works. Nick Williams gives a pre-concert talk at 6.45pm. Tickets: latemusic.org or on the door.

Comedy gig of the week: Tom Davis in Spudgun, Grand Opera House, York, tonight

Feeling his collar: Tom Davis in Spudgun, full of freshly cooked observations on life’s hot topics

CROYDON comedy turn, actor and podcaster Tom Davis is back on the road, firing out his freshly cooked observations on life’s hot topics. Co-host of the Wolf And Owlpodcast with Romesh Ranganathan, star of BAFTA and Royal Television Society award-winning comedy seriesMurder In Successvilleand BBC One comedyKing Gary, he also has his own Sky and NOW TV special,Underdog. “Get ready,” he says. “This one is fully loaded.” Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Bluegrass gig of the week: Hank, Pattie & The Current, Selby Town Hall, tonight, 7.30pm

HARD-HITTING bluegrass pickers who moonlight as symphonic classical musicians, Hank, Pattie & The Current approach their string band much as they would a string quartet. The Raleigh, North Carolina four-piece are led by Hank Smith’s banjo and Pattie Hopkins Kinlaw’s fiddle in an innovative twist on traditional bluegrass flavoured with classical, Motown, jazz and pop. Box office: 01757 708449 or selbytownhall.co.uk.

Vintage performance of the week: Steve Cassidy Band, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, Sunday, 7.30pm

Steve Cassidy: Leading his band through rock and country numbers at the JoRo

THE Steve Cassidy Band return to their favourite home-city venue with guests in tow for a night of rock and country music chosen to appeal to all age groups. Steve, a three-time winner on New Faces, recorded with John Barry as a teenager and performed on shows with legends of the music industry. His line-up features John Lewis, guitar, George Hall, keyboards, Mick Hull, bass, guitar and ukulele, and Brian Thomson, percussion. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Folk gig of the week: Katherine Priddy, Pocklington Arts Centre, Sunday, 8pm

AFTER writing and recording two songs with Poet Laureate Simon Armitage and appearing on Later…With Jools Holland, Birmingham folk singer-songwriter Katherine Priddy released her third album, These Frightening Machines, in March on Cooking Vinyl.

Priddy’s new compositions explore what it means to keep going when things fall apart, to hold on to connections in a world that sometimes divides and to figure out where we fit into the machines and systems we find ourselves confronting. Northallerton singer-songwriter George Boomsmasupports. Box office: pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Exit stage left: Ellen Kent, The Farewell Tour, Madama Butterfly, May 3, 7.30pm, and Carmen, May 4, 7.30pm, both at Grand Opera House, York

OPERA impresario and director Ellen Kent is on the road with her farewell tour, presented by Senbla, featuring Opera International Kyiv, from Ukraine, in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and Bizet’s Carmen.

Sung in Italian with English surtitles (CORRECT), Madama Butterfly’s heart-breaking story of the beautiful young Japanese girl who falls in love with an American naval lieutenant will be led by sopranos Elena Deeand Viktoria Melnyk, mezzo-soprano Yelyzaveta Bielousand tenors Oleksii Srebnytskyiand Hovhannes Andreasyan. Sung in French with English surtitles, Carmen promises passion, sexual jealousy, death and unforgettable arias, performed by Dee, Melynk and Mariia Davydova. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Mystery thriller of the week: Neon Crypt in The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, May 5 to 9, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

JOIN York company Neon Crypt for side-splitting stupidity, hot dog disguises and absolute terror in Jamie McKeller’s staging of Peepolykus co-artistic director John Nicholson’s incredibly high-brow adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s mystery The Hound Of The Baskervilles.

Laura Castle’s Dr John Watson, left, and Laura McKeller’s Sherlock Holmes in Neon Crypt’s The Hound Of The Baskervilles

Sherlock Holmes (Laura McKeller) and Dr Watson (Laura Castle) must unravel the mysterious death of Sir Charles Baskerville, found dead on his estate with a look of terror still etched on his face and the paw prints of a gigantic hound beside his body. Look out for Michael Cornell popping up as Sir Henry and Sir Charles Baskerville and Yokel 2. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Tribute gig of the week: K-Pop All Stars, Grand Opera House, York, May 6, 7pm

RIDE the global K-pop wave with K-Pop All Stars’ explosive live celebration of the music, artists and Korean culture that is taking over the pop world. Feel the power of stadium-sized anthems, razor-sharp choreography and a cast that delivers every beat with precision and passion, performing hits by Blackpink, NewJeans, Katseye, BTS, Itzy, Stray Kids, Twice, Jung Kook and more. Cue light sticks glowing in the crowd. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

The poster artwork for K-Pop All Stars, bound for Grand Opera House, York

Recommended but sold out already: Dervish, National Centre for Early Music, Walmgate, York, May 6, 7.30pm

LEGENDARY Irish traditional folk music band Dervish, recipients of a BBC lifetime achievement award in 2019, have recorded and performed all over the world, playing at festivals from Rio to Glastonbury. Fronted by singer Cathy Jordan. the line-up of fiery fiddle, flute, bouzouki, mandola, bodhran and accordion delivers vibrant sets of tunes and compelling songs. Box office for returns only: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.