Not the picture-perfect version. The real version.

The one where life gets busy. Where conversations get shorter. Where you’re both trying to keep everything going, and connection slowly takes a back seat.

I’ve felt this myself. When you’re juggling work, family, and responsibilities, it’s easy to slip into routine. You’re talking, but not really connecting. You’re there, but your mind is somewhere else.

And over time, that creates distance. Not because you don’t care, but because you’re stretched.

Then comes the guilt. Feeling like you’re not showing up properly. Not giving enough. Not being present.

But here’s something I always come back to. Connection doesn’t need hours.

It needs intention. So instead of trying to fix everything, start small.

The State Shift (NLP Tool)

Before you walk into your home or into a moment with someone important, pause. Take a breath. Drop your shoulders. Think of one thing you genuinely appreciate about that person. Hold that feeling for a few seconds, then walk in with that energy.

That small shift changes everything.

Kirsty Redford (Image: Kirsty Redford)

Now add mindfulness. When you’re with someone, put your phone down and really listen. Notice their tone, their expressions, their presence. Stay in that moment fully, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

Also check in with yourself:

Have I been present today? Have I actually listened? Have I shown how I feel? And then check in with them, too.

Because sometimes all someone needs is to feel seen. Relationships don’t break from one big moment.

They drift from lots of small ones. So bring it back, one moment at a time.

See you next week!

Kirsty Redford is the founder of Firewalk Events, based in the North West. She specialises in mindset, empowerment and wellbeing experiences, helping individuals, charities and businesses build confidence, resilience and connection through powerful, interactive events.

Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) is still trying to adjust to life back in the Emmerdale village after his stint on remand.

His time inside has taken its toll, particularly as he spent a chunk of his final days in there in solitary confinement.

A tough day in court also weakened the fragile former wrestler, after Simo’s appearance in the stand triggered Bear’s PTSD and saw him spiral at the worst possible time.

Bear then had to take the stand himself and nearly crumbled as he told his side of the story.

He’s now a free man once again, but despite being home and with his loved ones, he’s no less fragile.

He is, however, determined to get back to normal life and with Mandy (Lisa Riley) having lost the salon after her customers deserted her for her association with Bear and Paddy, the two team up to get back into the work force.

They both manage to secure themselves jobs at the depot, meaning both now have to deal with Jai Sharma (Chris Bisson) as a boss. Jai introduces a ‘Productivity Chart’ to keep an eye on his workers and it does the job of spurring them on. As it becomes a competition, Bear easily wins.

Having spent some time as a slave, he knows how to work hard.

Just as Bear is getting settled, Jai has some strong words for him and Bear’s anxiety shoots through the roof at being disciplined – the exchange triggers a traumatic flashback for Bear and places him right back on that farm.

As the trauma swirls inside him, he snaps at both Mandy and Kerry (Laura Norton). Jai responds in kind, raising his voice, causing a broken Bear to flinch as if at the hands of Ray (Joe Absolom).

Bear is in a bad way and Mandy and Kerry explain to Jai he needs to back off and show Bear some compassion.

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But will he take their advice, or will he drive Bear right back into the ground?

MORE: Emmerdale confirms verdict in Bear trial as dark story ends with major twist

MORE: Ray and Celia laid bare in Emmerdale but it may be far too late for Bear

MORE: Emmerdale legend reels as character ‘returns from the dead’ amid murder story

The platform flashes on the screen at Euston station, but you’ve no need to join the stampede to get on the train: you’ve reserved your seat.

But when you make it to your coach, someone is already sitting in the very spot you should be enjoying. Then, they refuse to move.

This unbecoming behaviour isn’t new, but now Metro has given it a name: ‘T-bagging’.

Get your mind out the gutter – it’s an abbreviated term for ‘ticket baggers’ – who are rife on cross country trains, and opt to sit in a reserved seat, sometimes even despite other seating options being available to them.

And we aren’t the only ones who have a problem with them either.

One train traveller, Lydia Wilson, took to TikTok to share her frustration with these inconsiderate passengers, in a video that hit nearly 400,000 views.

“Now I’m settled in Scotland, I don’t feel I have to run and hide from anyone. I live here openly and have no fears of attempts on my life.”

Johnny Adair was the former leader of the Ulster Defence Association’s (UDA) notorious C company who fled for his life to Ayrshire. The Record have taken a look at his life and ties to Scotland.

The 62-year-old, infamously dubbed ‘Mad Dog’, was the ruthless leader of the Ulster Defence Association’s notorious C Company before a savage loyalist feud forced him to flee for his life. Alongside his family and closest allies from Belfast’s Shankill Road, Adair eventually washed up in Troon, Ayrshire.

The youngest of seven, Adair clawed his way to the top of the UDA in the early 1990s. In 1993, he narrowly escaped death in an IRA assassination attempt that left nine people dead in a fish and chip shop.

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Two years later, in September 1995, Adair was jailed for 16 years at the Maze Prison for directing terrorism. While on home leave in April 1999, he was grazed by a bullet to the head while attending a UB40 concert with his wife Gina in Belfast.

Released under the Good Friday Agreement later that year, Adair’s return to freedom sparked fresh bloodshed, becoming embroiled in a bloody feud with former comrades and other loyalist factions. This would result in Adair being expelled from the UDA in September 2002.

After being jailed again in January 2003, his loyalist network was blamed for the murders of UDA divisional leader John Gregg and member Robert Carson, who were gunned down after returning from a Rangers match in Glasgow. Fearing revenge, Adair’s family fled to Scotland and later Bolton.

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When Adair walked free again in 2005, he joined them down south but after attacking his wife Gina following a night in the pub, he relocated to Troon just 10 months later.

In his autobiography Mad Dog, he claimed: “Now I’m settled in Scotland, I don’t feel I have to run and hide from anyone. I live here openly and have no fears of attempts on my life.”

In 2013, a plot to assassinate Adair and his right-hand man Sam McCrory was foiled by police. Three men were later jailed for the conspiracy to blast McCrory in the head with a sawn-off shotgun in a lane near his Ayr home – and then assassinate Adair.

Adair would continue to live on Ayrshire’s coast and would be a pall bearer at McCrory’s funeral in August 2022 in Ayr, who had lived in the town for around 25 years.

Adair’s son, Jonathan Adair Jr, died aged just 32, in September 2016, one day after being released from prison. Known as “Mad Pup”, he died from an accidental overdose of “heroin intoxication”.

A devastated Adair later said: “I want people to realise that this is what this drug does to you. My son was a fit, good looking, healthy big boy who went to the gym, but that horrible drug got its grip and that’s what it did to him. He no longer had any control over it and sadly that was the end of my son.

“So I am not ashamed to say what killed him. Why should I hide away the drug that killed my son, because me saying lets people know, if it kills Johnny Adair’s son it can kill me. If I was hiding that I would be a cheat, if one person listens to me it’s worth it.”

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Voters in Wales will soon go to the polls to elect members of an expanded Senedd (Welsh parliament) under a new proportional voting system. As the campaign has developed, public service broadcasters have sought not only to report events but to educate, inform and engage audiences with an unfamiliar electoral process.

Our analysis suggests they are increasingly doing so through digital platforms. We analysed all election news content produced online and on social media by major broadcasters between April 8 and April 24, including BBC Wales, ITV Wales, S4C, Channel 4 and Sky News.

The findings point to a move towards formats designed for audiences who are more likely to encounter news online than through traditional television.

This matters because people increasingly come across political content passively, through algorithmically curated feeds rather than actively seeking it out. In that environment, the type of content produced – and how it’s presented – can play a decisive role in shaping public understanding of the election.

One prominent feature of digital coverage has been the use of explainers. These aim to demystify the election by breaking down how the Senedd works, how the voting system has changed and which policy areas are devolved to Wales or reserved to Westminster.

Many of these explainers adopt a more informal and accessible tone than their broadcast equivalents. They’re designed to cut through in fast-moving social media feeds where political information competes for attention.

A significant proportion focus on policy. Of the 19 explainers identified in our analysis, seven centred on specific issues, most commonly immigration. This reflects persistent public confusion about where responsibility lies.

À lire aussi :
Voters in Wales face Senedd election amid confusion over who holds power over what

Our recent survey found that nearly a third of people in Wales did not know immigration is controlled by the UK government. Against that backdrop, broadcasters have often made this distinction explicit. In 82% of online and social media items mentioning immigration, journalists clearly stated that responsibility lies with Westminster.

Broadcasters have also used explainers to clarify changes to the electoral system. This includes the move to a closed-list proportional system. Public awareness of this change remains low, however. Only 7% of respondents in our survey correctly identified the system, while 58% said they did not know.

Meet the leaders

Alongside explainers, broadcasters have used digital formats to introduce audiences to the leaders of Wales’s six main political parties. This has reinforced the campaign’s increasingly presidential tone, with party leaders dominating media appearances.

In a devolved context, this is not always straightforward, given the presence of both UK-wide and Welsh political figures. But digital formats have provided new ways to foreground Welsh leaders.

Short, one-to-one interviews have become an important feature. Formats such as the BBC’s Quickfire Questions and ITV’s Chippy Chats mix light-touch prompts – like “What song have you got on repeat?” – with more substantive questions about policy priorities.

These formats inject personality into political coverage. Leaders are presented not only as decision-makers but as people with interests and personalities. This is particularly significant given relatively low public awareness of Welsh political figures.

Our recent survey found that fewer than half of respondents could identify the leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth, despite the fact he could become the next first minister.

At the same time, the informal tone has not entirely displaced scrutiny. In ITV’s Chippy Chats for example, the Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds was challenged on her voting record in the Senedd. It’s a reminder that accountability can still be built into more conversational formats.

Informing voters in a digital campaign

Taken together, these approaches suggest broadcasters are using digital platforms in distinct and complementary ways. Explainers aim to address gaps in public knowledge. One-to-one interviews make political leaders more visible and relatable.

This reflects a broader transformation in how election coverage is produced and consumed. As more people encounter political information online, public service broadcasters play an increasingly important role in countering misinformation and improving understanding of politics and public affairs.

The challenge is now to strike the right balance. Broadcasters must produce content that engages audiences. But they shouldn’t lose sight of the need to inform them and to scrutinise the claims made by political parties.

Medicina, based in Blackrod, is a healthcare company specialising in enteral feeding devices, respiratory products, and urology.

It donated medical supplies to Bolton charity Lagan’s Foundation for training purposes.

Carren Bell, founder and CEO of Lagan’s Foundation, said: “We are so grateful to Medicina for their generous donation.

“It means our funds can be spent on supporting the parents of children with heart conditions and complex health needs.”

The donation includes nasogastric feeding tubes of various sizes, gastrostomy kits, and enteral syringes of various sizes, to be used for training purposes only.

Lagan’s Foundation is based at Futura Park, Middlebrook.

The practical supplies will help carers develop key competencies and make a huge difference as buying equipment for the training can be costly.

Mark Evans, UK Sales & Marketing Director, said: “Medicina is proud to supply medical equipment to help train the incredible team at Lagan’s Foundation, supporting life-changing care for families who need it most.”

Founded nearly 30 years ago, it is a UK-based healthcare company specialising in enteral feeding devices, respiratory products, and urology care.

If approved, the plans will aim to create a car sales area with a new portable cabin and boundary fence on land just north of St Bartholomew Street, off Nelson Street in Great Lever.

This will include a space to display vehicles up for sale.

A statement from Bolton Council’s highways department said: “According to the submitted information, the land in question will be accessed from the existing access point onto Nelson Street that serves the established industrial site at that location.

“The red edge of the application would need to cover up to the access onto Nelson Street so that the use can benefit legitimately from an access to the public highway.

The plans have been put before Bolton Council (Image: QAM Architecture)

“Service vehicle access at this location is established and the level of additional traffic from the proposed use will be marginal and should be accommodated with minimal detriment/severity to road safety, amenity, and the operational capacity of the surrounding highways.

“The internal layout of the site appears workable from an accessibility/manoeuvrability and servicing perspective.

“On this basis, no reasonable objections on highway grounds to what is being proposed under this application.”

The plans were received by the council on Monday, April 20, this year and validated on Wednesday, April 29.

A noise impact assessment by QAM Architecture said: “Local authority guidance notes that baseline noise should be measured or reasonably estimated to understand existing exposure levels and contextualise new noise sources.

“Given the low-intensity nature of the proposed use, baseline levels are expected to be moderate, dominated by existing commercial activity.”

It added: “The proposed car-sales use will generate minimal noise, significantly below levels associated with industrial or mechanical uses.

“The development is fully acceptable in noise terms and complies with local and national planning guidance.

“There are no noise-related reasons to refuse the application.”

The statement said that noise levels for car sales businesses would tend to be lower than garages, MOT centres or other similar businesses.

Bolton Council will aim to decide whether to approve the plan by Wednesday, June 24, this year.

A British expat made a huge life decision and uprooted her life from the UK for a fresh start in Australia, yet there were a few things that caught her by suprise

After making a mammoth move to Australia, a British expat has revealed the five things that no one tells you.

Cat Scully, 31, was searching for a better work-life balance and outdoor lifestyle, so she made the brave decision to uproot her life from Newcastle and move to Australia in 2021. After initially exploring Western Australia, Cat settled on Perth, thanks to its slower pace and diverse landscapes of white-sand beaches, rolling hills, and urban city life.

It’s been five years since the mega move, and Cat has settled into her new life and is even an official Australian after her citizenship was approved. She’s settled down with her husband, and the pair spend evenings at the beach and weekends exploring the surrounding areas.

READ MORE: ‘I’ve visited more than 80 countries – there’s one surprising seat plane passengers should avoid’READ MORE: Ryanair, EasyJet, Jet2 and Wizz Air update on summer flights

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Yet moving to the other side of the world and uphauling her lifestyle hasn’t always been easy, with the project manager revealing what caught her off guard after taking the leap across the globe. Speaking to 1st Move International, the removals specialists to Australia, Cat said that anyone who makes the move will become a morning person, something she has adapted to.

“Most of my social plans are now built around early mornings, meeting for a walk, a beach dip or breakfast at 7:30 or 8 am. Everyone’s keen to get out and start their day early, generally before it gets too hot,” she said.

And when it comes to coffee for those early starts, there’s an extensive collection to choose from, which naturally turns expats into a renowned coffee snob without realising. “Even your standard coffee shop does an amazing coffee, and for a fraction of what you’d pay in the UK. You very quickly stop settling for anything less,” Cat revealed.

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Thanks to Australia’s warm climate, there’s an abundance of avocados available, something Cat applauds as part of her new Australian life. “Avocados are everywhere here! It’s often 2 for $5 (£2.65) and they’re huge and really good quality. Even other groceries feel different; some things are more expensive, but avocados are definitely cheaper than in the UK and feature on loads of breakfast menus,” the 31-year-old said.

While the UK is dreary and dark during the winter months, Cat said that those who make the move will make the most of evenings and weekends. She said: “After work, it’s so normal to head straight to the beach for sunset, go for an alfresco dinner, run along the river, or even just jump in the car on a Friday and head into the bush for a weekend trip. You really make the most of your time in a different way.”

And it appears Cat has already forgotten what life was like back in the UK. “I can barely remember what it was like when it got dark at 4 pm in winter, or that really fast-paced UK lifestyle. Life just feels more outdoors, more stretched out, and a lot more balanced here,” she revealed.

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Since making the move, Cat documents her life in Australia on her YouTube channel, sharing the realities of living on the other side of the world, alongside weekend adventures to places like Fremantle and Melbourne.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com