There are plenty of great places to live in Cambridgeshire aside from Cambridge, but The Sunday Times has named the city among the best places to live in Britain

Thanks to its great links to London, plenty of green spaces, and historic buildings, many people have been moving to Cambridge to enjoy a slightly calmer city lifestyle. Recently, the Sunday Times revealed its best places to live in Britain for 2026 with Cambridge making it onto the list.

The judges visited a huge range of locations and assessed them on different factors, from access to schools and transport to broadband speeds and amenities. They also looked at access to high-quality green spaces and the performance of the high street.

The Sunday Times said: “Cambridge has top-class schools and is also the UK’s cycling capital, with about a third of trips in the town made by bike. The city has strong cultural foundations, a lively coffee scene and an excellent selection of interesting places to eat and drink.”

However, Cambridgeshire has plenty of other places that people flock to in order to escape city life. There are many small towns and villages with great pubs and beautiful walks that you might think are better to live in than Cambridge.

If you do not agree with Cambridge being named one of the best places to live and think somewhere else in Cambridgeshire deserves that title, you can nominate them using our survey below. If the survey does not appear for you, you can open it in a new tab here.

The two families who have been impacted the most by Celia Daniels’ (Jaye Griffiths) reign over the Emmerdale village are Marlon Dingle’s (Mark Charnock) and Paddy Kirk’s (Dominic Brunt).

Marlon’s daughter April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) was manipulated into selling drugs for Celia and Ray Walters (Joe Absolom) for the majority of 2025.

She believed she had a debt to clear, and therefore was forced to accept jobs from Celia and Ray which included dealing, but also sex work.

April eventually confessed everything to Marlon and Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry). They tried their best to protect their children from the evil duo, but they went into the situation completely unaware of the lengths Celia and Ray would go to in order to ensure their operation didn’t fall apart.

A couple of doors down, Paddy was busy trying to find his dad Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards).

Amid this, and the fact that he was totally unaware of what his best mate was going through, Paddy had no idea Dylan Penders (Fred Kettle) was working for Ray and Celia as well.

The fact Bear had fallen victim to Ray and Celia’s horror wasn’t revealed to Paddy until the start of 2026. Dylan explained everything to him, ultimately leading to the moment Bear returned from the farm and killed Ray.

Both Paddy and Marlon have worked incredibly hard to keep their loved ones safe and now, with Celia and Ray both dead, the spotlight is on them as the two pals attempt to process what they’ve been through.

At the start of the week, focus is on Paddy, who is dealing with the fact there’s a very real chance he’s going to go to prison for perverting the course of justice.

After a difficult situation at the vets, Paddy returns to his place of work and finds the bolt gun. He cannot help but recall the last time he was previously in an incredibly low place, which saw him take the bolt gun with the intention of ending his life.

Fortunately, Paddy suffers panic and runs out. He heads to Smithy Cottage and frantically bangs on the front door. When Marlon answers, he quickly pulls Paddy in for a hug.

‘Marlon knows the body language is terrible’, star Mark Charnock said.

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‘He looks like a ghost of the person Marlon’s seen earlier, so he knows immediately that something is deeply amiss.’

As Paddy spirals about the upcoming court case, Marlon tries to help his friend and suddenly, he has an idea.

The duo head up the road and arrive outside Celia’s farmhouse with sledgehammers. Marlon and Paddy’s aim is to smash the place to bits, while unleashing their inner demons.

Although this is done primarily so Paddy can feel better, Mark has revealed that his character begins to bring all of his trauma to the surface as well.

‘There’s a moment in it when Marlon goes to another place’, he said.

‘Everything that he’s been through with April, all the trauma, everything that he’s he felt unable to do during April’s suffering and his family’s suffering, everything that he felt that he should have done at the time and didn’t, comes out in in this smashing up their kitchen table, which he sees as the sort of hub of their lives, where they would have had conversations about whose lives they were going to ruin next.

‘And he just loses control completely, and Paddy has to talk him down.’

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Wildlife charity Wildwood Trust in Kent said it was “deeply saddened” at the decision to euthanise all five wolves after three were seriously injured, causing the pack’s dynamics to break down.

A wildlife charity has revealed it had “with no choice” but to euthanise its pack of wolves.

The Wildwood Trust in Kent said staff were “deeply saddened at the difficult decision” they were compelled to take after three of the five wolves sustained serious injuries. The charity explained the injuries led to a breakdown in the pack’s dynamics, creating growing concerns for the animals’ safety and quality of life, reports the Mirror.

Paul Whitfield, Director General of the Wildwood Trust, described it as an incredibly challenging period for everyone at the organisation. “Our keepers care hugely about these animals and did everything they could to find a way forward,” he said.

“Wolves are highly social animals that live within complex family structures, and when those dynamics break down, conflict and rejection can increase. In this case, it led to ongoing welfare concerns and an unacceptable risk of serious injury.

“Euthanasia is never taken lightly, but in responsible animal care it can sometimes be the most humane option when welfare can no longer be maintained.”

“This decision was an absolute last resort, with the animals’ welfare as our priority. It’s incredibly difficult, but it was ultimately the right thing to do to prevent further suffering.”

The Wildwood Trust, which runs a woodland discovery park in Herne, near Canterbury, enlisted experienced keepers and veterinary professionals in an attempt to stabilise the group, but it became apparent they could no longer coexist. Experienced keepers and veterinary professionals monitored the situation and made regular assessments of the wolves – but they found that the animals’ quality of life significantly deteriorated and could not be improved to an acceptable level.

The heartbreaking decision was taken to put the wolves to sleep, an action deemed to be in their best interests. A spokesperson added: “The Trust would like to thank visitors and supporters for their understanding at what is a very difficult time.”

Wildwood Trust woodland discovery park is home to numerous species of native and historically native British animals. Spanning 40 acres of woodland in Kent, the animals are housed in spacious, natural enclosures.

The collection includes bears, wolves, bison, elk, badgers, arctic foxes, wild boar, deer, lynx, wildcat, owls, storks, and snakes, according to the Wildwood Trust website.

At this point, it would probably be quicker to list the celebrities who haven’t worn the designer’s distinctive, vintage-inspired coats and jackets than the seemingly endless names who have. Taylor Swift, Charli xcx, Gigi Hadid, Dua Lipa, Sienna Miller, Emily Ratajkowski, Selena Gomez — many of the most famous, and famously stylish, women in the world have fallen under the nostalgic yet utterly modern spell cast by Charlotte Simone Beecham and her eponymous brand.

Haxby Bakehouse and Delicatessen, in Haxby and Clifton Moor, has been recognised for the second year in a row by the independent guide, which named it in the 50 Best Bakeries in Britain this month.

The guide is a go-to for trusted recommendations and celebrates independent bakeries that rival the country’s best restaurants.

It seeks to rank the nation’s best venues using public feedback and anonymous expert inspectors stationed across the UK.

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The bakery described the recognition as a “huge honour”.

Owner Phil Clayton said: “There are so many great bakeries in the Good Food Guide’s 50 that inspire me.

“It’s a huge honour to be listed with them and also great to see so many listed from the north and Scotland – places that sometimes get overlooked.”

The business, owned by Phil and his wife Tina, has been serving customers since 2008.

Phil is behind the baking, which the bakery’s website insists is done the traditional way, using slow fermentation and no artificial flour improvers, preservatives or emulsifiers to make its award-winning artisan bread, sourdoughs and pastries.

In 2025, the Good Food Guide said of him: “Phil Clayton, a largely self-taught baker, credits his flavoursome loaves with the flour grown and milled in small batches by Yorkshire Organic Millers – you can taste the splendid results by purchasing his crusty sourdough classics and slow-fermented yeast breads.

“The Haxby shop, where it all began, has a counter stacked with pastries, tarts, cooked meats and store-cupboard ingredients as well as the venerated ‘pain au levain’.”

Originally aiming to sell the bread at a local farmers’ market, Phil and Tina struck gold after finding a site in Ryedale Court, Haxby – a former health food shop equipped with working ovens.

In the 18 years that followed, the bakery has gone from strength to strength, expanding in 2020 to its unit in Clifton Moor – which allows Phil more space for baking to meet rising demand.

The time, effort and expertise used to make each individual loaf has also been noticed by the likes of Michelin-star chef Tommy Banks, The Guardian and The Press, which named the company a finalist in the 2025 Best Bakery in York awards.

Phil said: “We’re very lucky to have such great teams at the bakery unit in Clifton Moor and at the deli in Haxby.”

“It’s always nice when it’s not something we had to enter – just that what we do has been appreciated.”

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Today, Iran has rejected the US peace plan as “excessive”.

The US plan, which has not been made public, reportedly includes Iran dismantling its nuclear facilities in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. In response Iran has released its own conditions for ending the war through state television. Adam is joined by Chief North America Correspondent Gary O’Donoghue.

And the Former Google executive Matt Brittin has been confirmed as the BBC’s new director general. The ex-president of Google’s Europe, Middle East and Africa operations will replace Tim Davie, who said he was resigning in November following a storm over how Panorama edited a speech by US President Donald Trump. Adam is joined by Katie Razzall, BBC Culture Editor.

Apply for tickets to Castfest here https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/castfest-2026

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say “Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

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Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Shiler Mahmoudi The social producers were Jem Westgate, Beth Pritchard and Sophie Millward. The technical producer was James Piper. The assistant editor was Jack Maclaren. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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Nigel Farage is set to officially launch Reform UK’s local election campaign, promising “a breath of fresh air in English councils up and down the UK”.

The party leader will formally kick off the campaign for the May 7 polls at an event in Sunderland on Thursday following a series of rallies across the country in recent weeks.

He is expected to highlight achievements in local authorities already under Reform’s control, asserting that voters are “already seeing a difference on the ground”.

Ahead of the rally, Mr Farage said Reform was “delivering a total culture shift in local government, sweeping away the establishment consensus and finally putting residents first”.

He added: “Where the old parties have failed and left behind a trail of ruined councils in their wake, Reform will deliver a breath of fresh air in English councils up and down the UK.”

Central to his pitch will be Reform’s claim to have identified £700 million in savings across its 12 councils, which Mr Farage claimed had been delivered “without touching frontline services”.

In November last year, Reform said its councils had saved £331 million.

Reform continues to lead in the polls and is expected to do well in May, adding to the 677 councillors it won in last year’s local elections.

But its claims to have achieved significant savings have been disputed by opposition councillors, while Labour has pointed to care homes and adult education services closing in Reform-run Derbyshire.

Labour has also criticised Reform for increasing council tax despite promising to cut the levy before last year’s local elections.

Reform now says council tax rises in authorities where it has majority control have averaged less than those run by Labour, the Conservatives or the Lib Dems, while describing below-inflation increases in some councils as a “real-terms tax cut”.

But this does not include Worcestershire, where Reform runs a minority administration and increased council tax this year by 9 per cent.

Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said: “Reform’s promises fall apart the moment they take power.

“They said they would cut taxes and waste, but in council after council they’re hiking council tax and slashing services.”

The Royal Navy will start seizing Russia’s shadow fleet vessels when they slip through UK waters, the prime minister has announced.

Sir Keir Starmer said the UK would join northern European allies in intercepting the tankers as part of a drive to ‘go after’ the sanction-breaking ships fuelling Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.

He said: ‘Putin is rubbing his hands at the war in the Middle East because he thinks higher oil prices will let him line his pockets.

‘That’s why we’re going after his shadow fleet even harder, not just keeping Britain safe but starving Putin’s war machine of the dirty profits that fund his barbaric campaign in Ukraine.

‘He and his cronies should be in no doubt, we will always defend our sovereignty and stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.’

Moscow’s shadow fleet is reported to be made up of more than a thousand ageing tankers.

They illicitly ship oil and other goods out of Russia by flying the flags of other countries, with the aim of evading sanctions imposed by the West since the conflict began.

The Prime Minister has given approval for the UK to start seizing shadow fleet vessels as he travels to Helsinki, Finland, for a summit with national leaders from the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).

The JEF, a military coalition of 10 northern European countries led by the UK, aims to defend against Russian incursions.

It also includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

British forces have already been involved in tracking shadow fleet vessels for several years and have supported operations by other countries to seize the ships.

In January, the UK assisted in the seizure of the oil tanker Marinera by the US.

Previously known as the Bella-1, the Russian-flagged vessel was captured by American forces aided by RAF aircraft and the British supply ship RFA Tideforce in the Atlantic.

Later that same month, Royal Navy patrol boat HMS Dagger helped the French seize another sanctioned ship, the Grinch, in the western Mediterranean, shadowing the vessel through the Strait of Gibraltar.

Last week, the French intercepted the Deyna oil tanker in the Mediterranean, supported by the UK.

Libyan authorities have meanwhile towed a suspected shadow fleet oil tanker found drifting in the Mediterranean which was believed to have been hit in a drone strike.

The tanker, carrying liquefied natural gas, was towed to avoid a spill in the Mediterranean.

At the JEF summit, the Prime Minister and other leaders are expected to discuss shared security in the so-called High North and the war in Ukraine.

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I used to think roasting radishes was just a fad, to add a bit of colour to a meal. But these are lovely, their heat subdued, flavoured with vinegar, lemon and honey.

They’re delicious served with baked salmon – ideally something that’s not too assertive, so other fish dishes work well (very good with bream or red mullet) – or as part of a range of spring vegetables dishes (with asparagus, goat’s cheese and spinach tart, say).

Willow Burn Hospice, based in Lanchester, County Durham, developed the book with support from North-East housebuilder Amethyst Homes, which helped fund the project through a charity golf day.

The book features the story of Will O’Burn, the hospice’s rabbit mascot, and is designed to gently introduce children to conversations about loss and remembrance in a way that feels safe and approachable.

Rachel Quince, deputy chief executive and head of fundraising and marketing at Willow Burn Hospice, said: “We are thrilled that with help from some very special supporters, including Amethyst Homes, that we can bring this story and fantastic resource to fruition.

“Storytelling and characters like Will O’Burn can help young people navigate loss by opening the door to meaningful conversations without pressure, fear or overwhelm.”

The book, titled Will O’Burn and the Friends Who Remember, is a collaboration between author Victoria Downes and illustrator Helen Turner, and is set for publication in June 2026.

It was funded through contributions from Amethyst Homes, Conside Masonic Lodge, Durham Freemasons, Rotary Club of Consett, Wolsingham School and Willow Burn Hospice.

Funding was raised through Amethyst Homes and the Dysart Group’s annual charity golf day, which forms part of a series of activities that have raised more than £5,000 for the hospice to date.

Other fundraising activities have included the 180-mile Coast to Castle cycling challenge from Tynemouth to Edinburgh and a mortgage matching scheme with the Mortgage Advice Bureau, which also directed donations to the hospice.

Richard Bass, managing director at Amethyst Homes, said the project reflects the company’s commitment to supporting the community.

Mr Bass said: “As a local business, we are keen to support vital charities in our area.

“Willow Burn is central to the community, and we are pleased our fundraising is helping young people navigate the complex emotions of grief.”

Established in 2013, Amethyst Homes has built more than 600 properties across the North-East and is currently developing sites in Consett, East Sleekburn, Guide Post and Newcastle.

The company supports a range of charities and community initiatives across the region.