The 1960s pop star, whose manager suggested the name after seeing it outside a house in Scotland, topped the charts and outsold Sam Cooke’s original in the UK.

Tributes have been paid to pop star Craig Douglas who has died at the age of 85. Best known for his chart-topping cover of Only Sixteen, Craig died peacefully at his home on the Isle of Wight following a short illness.

Born Terence Perkins in Newport, Isle of Wight in 1941, he was first employed as a milkman before becoming a professional singer – earning him the nickname the ‘Singing Milkman’. After meeting his manager Bunny Lewis, he took on the moniker Craig Douglas which Bunny suggested after he saw the name outside a house in Scotland.

Craig first shot to fame in the late 1950s when he began his singing career. In 1959, he was voted as the Best New Singer by NME, reports the Mirror.

He built his career recording cover versions of singles which had become hits in the United States and his version of Only Sixteen – recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios in Liverpool – reached number one in the charts and outsold Sam Cooke’s original version in the UK.

In 1961, he put forward his original song The Girl Next Door to be the UK’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest but was beaten in the national selection process – A Song for Europe – by The Allisons’ Are You Sure?

Craig recorded his final chart hit Town Crier in 1963 which peaked at number 36 in the UK.

He also topped the bill for the Beatles at their first big show and appeared in 1962 film It’s Trad, Dad!

After his chart-topping success, Craig began a decades long career performing on cruise ships and night clubs across the UK until 2010. With his retirement looming, he attended the Amersham Rock ‘n’ Roll Club that year at an event in his honour, with a number of celebrities attending including Jet Harris, while others such as John Leyton and Mike Berry took part.

Craig didn’t have any children or a wife, and previously said that was his one regret.

“Well, I didn’t get married to start with, which was a shame,” he told The Beat magazine in 2024. “I would have liked to have had a couple of children, but if I had, I’d miss them like mad while I was away.”

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WASHINGTON (AP) — In the earliest days of this election cycle, the U.S. wasn’t at war with Iran.

The East Wing of the White House was still standing and the Kennedy Center wasn’t threatened with demolition. Artificial intelligence data centers weren’t bipartisan shorthand for the tech sector’s excess. Democratic socialists were largely confined to the outer edges of political discourse. Lake Ontario’s name wasn’t in question.

Since President Donald Trump entered politics more than a decade ago, he’s had a knack for dominating the national conversation so thoroughly that it can be hard to keep up. But as the final midterm of his presidency rapidly approaches, the landscape is proving especially volatile, with Trump often stirring the tumult.

“Some of these things are out of our control,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, told reporters last week when pressed on whether the frenzy will hurt his party’s election prospects.

Even the map itself has been in flux, with Texas, California and Florida among the states that have redrawn congressional districts. Missouri’s Republican attorney general is appealing a court ruling last week that blocked a Trump-backed map there.

The twists could keep coming. The economic fallout from Trump’s tariffs on Canada may intensify as the election nears. His effort to limit mail ballots could add uncertainty to the voting process just as such ballots are being distributed in states like North Carolina, home to a critical U.S. Senate race.

The president is sitting on more than $400 million that could shape the election’s trajectory. And Trump’s gilded remake of Washington stands in contrast to the economic anxiety many Americans are expressing. The wealth he has amassed in office has little modern presidential precedent, with Trump taking in $1.2 billion from his crypto businesses last year, according to a federal filing released this summer.

That’s threatening a bipartisan effort in the Senate to advance legislation to strengthen cryptocurrency regulation as soon as next week. Democrats are insisting the measure include a more robust ethics provision.

“We’ve watched this president enrich himself,” said Sen. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland, a key Democratic vote on the bill who said she wouldn’t support it without tougher language.

“No. 1, President Trump,” Ari Fleischer, the White House press secretary under Republican President George W. Bush, said when asked to rank the top issues this year.

Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington, the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said: “People are feeling the pain from Trump.”

She expects voters will elevate candidates who “want to stand up for the American people, the pain that’s been inflicted by this administration and Republicans in Congress.”

Midterm elections are historically challenging for a president’s party as restive voters seek change. Democrats flipped 40 House seats during Trump’s last midterm in 2018 and 31 seats during the final race of Bush’s term in 2006. Republicans, meanwhile, gained 63 seats in 2010 under Democratic President Barack Obama but flipped fewer than 10 seats in 2022 under President Joe Biden.

Shifting dozens of seats this year could be challenging because partisan redistricting has reduced the number of genuinely competitive races. Still, just a third of U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling the presidency, according to a July poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That’s down slightly from 37% in June and well below the 42% who approved of his work when he took office.

Majorities also disapprove of his handling of the economy and immigration, issues that were central to Trump’s election in 2024.

Democrats focus on winning in Washington and beyond

Democrats are confident they can win the handful of seats they need to regain control of the House. There may be a path to flipping the Senate if they can hold on in states like Georgia, Michigan and New Hampshire while winning Republican-held seats in places like Maine, Texas, Iowa or Ohio.

But the party is also aiming to regain ground outside of Washington. Democrats are devoting resources, in particular, to the governors’ races in Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, and Nevada, all currently held by Republicans.

“I’m excited about the map and I am bullish that we are going to pick up several seats,” said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a potential 2028 presidential contender who has led the effort to win governors’ races this year as chair of the Democratic Governors Association.

Democrats are especially enthusiastic about Iowa, which hasn’t elected a Democratic governor in 20 years. Their governors association has spent $5 million to back Rob Sand, who has gained national attention for his campaign to connect with rural voters who have abandoned Democrats in recent elections.

But even in a seemingly favorable year, Democrats face challenges. Beshear acknowledged that Arizona, where incumbent Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is facing Republican challenger Andy Biggs, will be a “tough race.”

The Republican candidate for governor in Minnesota, Lisa Demuth, suggested she would tap into the anti-incumbent mood that has coursed through both parties to target her Democratic rival, Amy Klobuchar, who has spent nearly 20 years in the Senate after working in local politics.

“She is a 30-year politician,” Demuth said of Klobuchar.

After democratic socialists won a string of primaries this summer, Republicans are eager to tie anyone in the party to the far left flank. Most of the candidates aligned with democratic socialists are in reliably Democratic seats.

Still, Fleischer said Democrats snatched “defeat out of the jaws of victory” by elevating such contenders in a handful of congressional primaries.

Democrats have dispatched democratic socialist candidates in governors’ races. But Beshear, who has carved out a centrist lane before his potential presidential bid, rejected Republican efforts to label the broader party.

“The only person that I see engaged in socialism is Donald J. Trump, who is taking equity in private companies for the United States government,” he said. “That’s the definition of socialism.”

Voting issues hang over the race

Hanging over many of these states is concern that the federal government under Trump will seek to influence elections, perhaps one of the biggest variables ahead and a prospect that some Republicans are warning against.

Gov. Mark Gordon of Wyoming, a Republican, said recently that the behavior of Justice Department officials who monitored poll workers and observed voters was “a bit aggressive” and “irregular.”

“I feel very strongly about the federal government coming in and taking our guns,” he said at a meeting to confirm election results in August. “I don’t like that. I don’t like the federal government coming in and taking our votes, either.”

Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, who supports a strict proof-of-citizenship voting bill that is stalled in the Senate, told The Associated Press in July that “I don’t think that we should federalize the elections at all.”

“I believe that is a state issue,” he said. “The states should control their own elections.”

Given the concerns, some Democrats, particularly in states that could be crucial to the next White House campaign, are framing their races in larger terms.

“2028 starts right now,” said Aaron Ford, the attorney general in Nevada running for governor. “People across the nation need to understand that Nevada is a swing state, it needs a governor who is going to stand up for the electoral process.”

Seven years on from the mysterious death of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, conspiracy theories surrounding the circumstances of his death continue to swirl.

The official ruling is that the convicted paedophile died by suicide after hanging himself in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York. 

Yet many remain convinced that he was murdered, with a series of unexplained circumstances continuing to fuel questions over what really happened.

Now, a harrowing new documentary exploring Epstein’s crimes, his inner circle and the aftermath of his death has revisited some of those unanswered questions, with several key figures offering details that they say cast doubt on the official account.

The new ABC documentary, which premiered on HBO Max on September 3, sees award-winning reporter Grace Tobin examine theories surrounding his demise.

Among those interviewed is David Schoen, Epstein’s lawyer at the time of his death.

Schoen spoke to Epstein nine days before he died, following an alleged earlier suicide attempt that Epstein denied.

‘He denied that he had tried to commit suicide. The story that he told about what had happened was that the cellmate had forced him to put a rope around his neck and pulled it just to see the reaction Epstein would have. 

Among those interviewed is David Schoen, Epstein’s lawyer at the time of his death

‘But he told the correctional officers that he couldn’t remember what had happened because he was afraid if he got that guy in trouble that he would have trouble himself,‘ Schoen said.

Schoen said Epstein had been unhappy in jail but remained determined to fight the sex trafficking case against him.

‘The fact that he wanted to fight this case until the day before he died says to me that it’s unlikely he committed suicide.’

Epstein was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges when he was found dead in his prison cell, with his death quickly becoming mired in mystery and speculation.

The two guards responsible for monitoring him, who had been assigned to his cell following the earlier alleged suicide attempt, reportedly fell asleep and failed to check on him for around three hours. At the same time, cameras outside his cell malfunctioned.

In 2023, the US Department of Justice concluded that there had been ‘job performance failures’ by prison officials, but maintained that Epstein had died by suicide.

Even so, questions over the official account have persisted, with some arguing that Epstein’s knowledge of his powerful connections could have given others a motive to silence him.

Another key figure interviewed in the documentary is Michael Baden, the forensic pathologist who examined Epstein’s body after his death.

Baden said he had been asked to attend the autopsy the following day.

‘The history was that he was found having committed suicide by hanging in his jail cell. There was a little odd situation there because the ligature furrow around the neck was horizontal.

‘In a suicidal hanging, the ligature mark is usually up the high part of the neck and goes upwards.

‘And then the moment of surprise. There were three fractures, two of the thyroid cartilage, which is the Adam’s apple. And one of the hyoid bone. In 50 years of doing this, I’ve never seen that.

‘That’s [a] much more common crushing injury in homicidal strangulation. So I think at that point there was concern as to whether it was suicide as thought or not.’

Schoen explained that the medical examiner of New York City who conducted the autopsy said that it was inconclusive – she couldn’t say for certain that it was suicide.

‘But then her boss three or four days later changed it to suicide,’ Baden added.

Even Epstein’s brother, Mark, has publicly said he believes the financier was killed.

‘I believe he was murdered. And if they do a real investigation and they talk to the right people, they could figure out what actually took place,’ he told Tobin.

In the film, political scientist Joe Uscinski, who has studied conspiracy theories for 15 years, said he polled Americans about Epstein’s death and found that the belief he may not have died by suicide was a common opinion. 

‘Half the country thought it was a conspiracy that he was killed by people who were trying to cover up their involvement with him.’

‘And you don’t normally get conspiracy theories getting half the country to buy in,’ he said.

Joe Uscinski, who has studied conspiracy theories for 15 years, said he polled Americans about Epstein’s death and found the belief he may not have died by suicide was common

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Lisa Phillips, an Epstein survivor, speaks during a news conference with lawmakers on the Epstein Files Transparency Act

Even some of Epstein’s victims believe he did not kill himself, including Lisa Phillips, a model who met the disgraced financier on his island while she was in the area for a photoshoot.

‘I believe he always thought he was going to get out of it,’ she said.

Phillips met Epstein in the year 2000, when he quickly took an interest in her modelling career, as well as her aspirations and dreams.

The night they met, he sexually abused her for the first time under the guise of getting a massage from her, she recounted in the documentary.

After she returned home, Phillips said Epstein called her and arranged a meeting with a Ford modelling agent, before beginning to send her to auditions.

‘I was abused by him again and through his connections, or he would send me on auditions. But back then I wasn’t aware that I was trafficked.

‘Auditions are castings by Epstein. So it’s like, oh my friend is casting a really big film right now.

‘And you’re sent somewhere where all of a sudden you’re propositioned for sex and the people around you are enforcing it. Just thought it was the business.’

Another survivor, Ashley Rubright, also shared her story in the film. She was only 15 when she met Epstein.

‘I was working at a BBQ restaurant and one of my coworkers asked me one day in the restaurant if I would like to give a man a massage for $200. I thought about it for a second and said sure.’

She recounts how she went to Epstein’s Palm Beach home and was shocked when she walked into the bathroom only to find the financier naked.

‘He just kind of laid on the table and then he told me how to massage him,’ she said, ‘Then he flipped over and that’s [when] things got really more way more inappropriate there. 

‘He asked me to to take off my bra and to pull up my skirt and he was touching himself the whole time.

‘I was just trying not to look and he would grab me, grab my behind and I was just trying to not be there, you know, at that time.’

After he finished, his assistant came in and took Rubright back downstairs, she said.

Although she was shocked, she said she tried to rationalise it, thinking it must have been a ‘fluke’.

She went back to his home once more, where she said the situation escalated further.

‘I just remember Jeffrey bringing over a basket [of sex toys] and asking me to pick one and asking me if I knew how to use it.’

‘He had me sit on the bathroom floor, and he sat on the edge of the massage table.’

She said she remembers what happened, but the film shows her become visibly emotional and stop herself from saying anything more. 

Ashley Rubright shared her story in the film. She was only 15 when she met Epstein

Epstein ultimately served 13 months of an 18-month sentence, quickly returning to high society, hanging out with people such as Bill Gates and Prince Andrew (pictured)

Republican lawmakers including Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene joined forces with Democrats in a push to release the Epstein files

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 Her life turned dark after her time with Epstein, she then added. 

‘I was angry and I I didn’t care who got the brunt of it at all. I stopped cheerleading, I stopped dance. I kind of went from, like, trying to do good to just not caring.’

Phillips and Rubright are two of more than 1,000 women who are said to have been sexually abused by Epstein, although the full extent of his alleged abuse remains unknown as more survivors continue to come forward. 

The film also delves into Epstein’s first criminal case, exploring how Palm Beach police began investigating him after the stepmother of a ninth-grader at Royal Palm Beach High School reported in March 2005 that a wealthy man had molested her daughter.

Police subsequently discovered that a number of victims had been recruited at Royal Palm Beach High School.

Spencer Kuvin, who represented three of Epstein’s victims at the time, recalled in the film how aggressive Epstein’s ‘dream team’ of lawyers had been.

‘It is widely reported that Jeffrey Epstein and his legal team has some of the victims followed by blacked out SUVS, you know, showing up at their houses.’

‘They were also investigating the lead investigator, Joe [Recary], and I asked to meet him.

‘So he picked a Starbucks in downtown West Palm Beach. And when I sat down and I started talking to him, his head was on a swivel. And he kept looking around. And I said, what are you doing?

‘I’ll never forget. He looks at me and he says, you have no idea what they’re doing to me.’

Kuvin said they had been digging through Recary’s personal trash. ‘He said to me, I’ve never seen this kind of an operation before.’

Despite the extensive investigation by Palm Beach police, the case ultimately ended in a controversial plea deal that saw Epstein face what critics described as a remarkably lenient sentence following intense lobbying by his lawyers.

‘The charges that they ended up bringing were solicitation for prostitution of a minor. It’s basically calling these victims prostitutes.’

Epstein ultimately served 13 months of an 18-month sentence, quickly returning to high society, mingling with people such as Bill Gates and Prince Andrew.

In the years leading up to his second arrest and death, Epstein abused hundreds, allegedly trafficking victims to more powerful men. Survivors are still seeking answers and justice. 

Republican lawmakers including Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene joined forces with Democrats in a push to release the Epstein files, putting them at odds with President Donald Trump.

Speaking to fellow survivors and supporters on Capitol Hill, Phillips is filmed saying the issue is one ‘America is finally united on’.

Although the Department of Justice has published around 3.5million pages of Epstein-related files, lawmakers say almost half of the records remain unreleased.

Federal estimates suggest that between 2.5million and 3million documents related to the Epstein investigation are still being withheld by the DOJ.

By TARA ANSON-WALSH, FOOTBALL REPORTER

Updated: 12:52 BST, 6 September 2026

The First Minister said he “can’t put a specific figure” on many public sector roles will be chopped as the SNP Government struggles to plug a £5 billion financial blackhole.

John Swinney has failed to say how many jobs will go as a result of his plan to slash the number of health boards across Scotland.

The First Minister last week unveiled his ambition to centralise public services – which could see councils forced to merge to save cash – as the SNP Government struggles to plug a £5 billion blackhole in its finances by 2030.

Swinney told MSPs that Scotland’s 14 regional NHS boards would be reduced to just two covering the mainland – a plan trade unions described as a “slash and burn” approach to reforming the health service.

The SNP leader was asked four times during an interview with BBC Scotland today if he could say how roles many would be cut as a result of the proposals.

Swinney said: “I can’t put a specific figure on that today. I simply wouldn’t be giving a comprehensive answer if that was case.

“What we’ve got to work our way through is a programme of reform to make sure we put people right at the very centre of the delivery of public services.

“That will apply on all of the public service we take forward. We’ll ensure that Scotland is rewired and public services are reimagined.”

Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour acting leader, said: “It’s hard to tell whether John Swinney is being evasive or simply has no idea what he is going to do, but either way it’s not good enough.

“People’s jobs are on the line and our public services could be plunged into chaos – Scotland deserves to know what lies ahead.

“SNP chaos has done enough damage to our services and our finances already. The SNP must come clean about what it is planning, how many jobs are at risk and what it will mean for our public services.”

Swinney has also signalled his intention to rip up how social care is currently delivered across the country.

The SNP Government previously scrapped plans to launch a so-called National Care Service in the face of a backlash from councils and unions.

Swinney insisted: “On health and social care, we have to have greater process of integration to make sure the service is seamless, that works in the interests of individuals, and that we can deliver the care that individuals require in their communities.

“And that’s an open question for us to discuss with not just local authorities, but with trade unions and third sector partners to make sure we use this moment of reform to deliver the best outcomes for the people of Scotland.”

Put to him that he wanted to see the number of councils to reduce to save money, Swinney responded: “I do, and I want local authorities at a more regional level in Scotland.

“We’re already having discussions with a number of local authorities who can see the advantages of such an approach. And I want to work with them to take forward such a model.

The FM claimed the new “strategic regional authorities” would have “more powers and more responsibilities and greater scope to boost the economy”.

Spennymoor Post Office has relocated to Cheapside in the former Lloyds Bank building.

The move was made possible thanks to support from the All Together for Spennymoor Board, which is administered by Durham County Council.

Alan Boddy, chief executive of Livin and chair of the board, said: “Maintaining key services within our town centre is essential in supporting both residents and local businesses.

“The board’s contribution demonstrates the importance of partnership working in delivering positive outcomes for Spennymoor and ensuring that important community assets continue to thrive.”

The new post office is intended to provide a modern, accessible environment for customers and staff while supporting increased footfall in the town centre.

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Cllr Karen Allison, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration and high street, said: “The Post Office plays a crucial role in the daily lives of residents, businesses and community organisations across Spennymoor.

“By supporting this relocation, we are helping to secure this essential service for the future, while contributing to the wider regeneration of the town centre.

“This investment reflects our commitment to creating a vibrant, accessible and sustainable town centre that works for everyone.”

The project will contribute to ongoing regeneration plans, including proposals for a new public car park on the former Spennymoor Library site and adjoining private land.

Oscar-winner Dame Judi Dench will be taking the stage across England from Tuesday, October 20 for a collection of evenings titled Judi Dench: Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It? after her memoir, which is scheduled to be published by Penguin Books in the UK on October 22. 

Dame Judi will join her writing partner Brendan O’Hea on stage for a conversation which looks set to unveil details of her life hitherto unrevealed.

An afternoon “homecoming” is scheduled in York – the actor was raised in Heworth and attended The Mount School – on Sunday, November 8.

The Festival Theatre in Chichester was recently announced as a venue – where general tickets have yet to go on sale in an otherwise completely sold-out winter tour, according to Fane Productions.

The events promise to be a personal and humorous journey through her seven-decade career, with stories from her roles as M in James Bond, and Queen Victoria.

Each ticket in the top four price bands for Dame Judi Dench’s performance in West Sussex will include a hardback copy of her memoir Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?

The full list of venues hosting Dame Judi Dench: Is it Too Late to Make a Run for It? are:

Richmond Theatre, Richmond, London – October 20

Festival Theatre, Chichester – October 28

Theatre Royal, York – November 8

Theatre Royal, Nottingham – November 14

Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury – November 17

Theatre Royal Haymarket, London – November 29

Carrick insists Manchester United can still compete for the biggest trophies in the game, despite a summer transfer window that suggested they no longer have the financial muscle to compete with their traditional rivals. United were the 10th biggest spenders in the Premier League this summer, with an outlay of £163million on Karl Darlow, Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and teenager winger Tynan Thompson.

That pales in comparison to Manchester City’s £472million spending spree, while Chelsea splashed out £351million and Tottenham £334million. All of United’s traditional ‘big six’ rivals outspent them, as did newly-promoted clubs Hull City and Ipswich Town.

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Ollie Watkins’ wife Ellie toasted to ‘new beginnings’ with her close friends at her leaving party as she shared snaps on Instagram on Saturday.

Her twin sister Sofia Alderson threw the WAG a wholesome dinner ahead of her move to Saudi Arabia with her husband Ollie.  

The couple, both 30, are relocating to Riyadh with their two young children after the footballer’s £51million transfer from Aston Villa to Al-Hilal. 

Ellie returned to the UK for a few days to finalise moving arrangements and was surprised with a leaving do.

The mother-of-two enjoyed a candle-lit dinner made by a private chef with her girlfriends, before tucking into a cake.

Earlier in the day, Ellie revealed that ‘things are coming together’ after previously breaking down in tears over the move.

Her twin sister Sofia Alderson (second left) threw the WAG a wholesome dinner ahead of her move to Saudi Arabia with her husband Ollie 

The mother-of-two enjoyed a candle-lit dinner made by a private chef with her girlfriends, before tucking into a cake

Sharing a snap of herself in the car, Ellie penned: ‘I am alive just busy getting organised for our new life in Riyadh. Feeling excited now things are starting to come together.’

The WAG then treated herself to a spot of pampering as she also shared a snap of herself getting a pedicure, quipping: ‘First things first.’

However, the big move was not without its teething problems as Ellie later admitted that her children Amara, five, and Marley, three, didn’t get to start their new school as originally planned. 

Alongside a clip of her son zooming down a slide, Ellie shared: ‘And solo parenting. Kids didn’t start school this week as originally planned so trying to keep them entertained and everything else that needs to be done is a juggle.’

Despite the setback, Ellie looked content earlier this week as she shared sweet family snaps from their first few days in Saudi. 

Ellie looked effortlessly chic in an off-white ensemble and matching Hermes Birkin bag as she smiled with Ollie at Al Hilal Saudi Club. 

Sharing a series of images from Ollie’s welcoming to Al-Hilal, she added the caption: ‘Next chapter,’ under which she was met with support from pals including her fellow WAGs. 

Last week, Ellie admitted her ‘heart is hurting’ as she spoke about the bittersweet move in an emotional TikTok video.

She said: ‘Okay, well that wasn’t on my bingo card for 2026. We are in Riyadh, we arrived in Saudi last night and I think I’m still in shock to be honest like how life can change so quickly but that is the joys of football…

‘I’ve always actually said how lucky I think we are because we’ve been at Villa for six years which in football terms is actually quite a long time…

‘We’ve had our children there, we’ve had quite big life events so it feels bittersweet to me. I loved my life there, I settled so well and made the most amazing friends…

The couple, both 30, have relocated to Riyadh with their two young children after the footballer’s £51million transfer from Aston Villa to Al-Hilal 

Earlier in the day, Ellie revealed that ‘things are coming together’ after previously breaking down in tears over the move 

Tearing up, she added: ‘So I am feeling quite emotional about leaving that behind. But I am excited for a change of scenery, I think it’s going to be amazing for the kids and I think they are going to have the best time ever… 

‘Once we are settled and we know what we are doing, it will all be good. Getting on with our new life in Saudi so exciting times…

‘I’m also feeling a little nervous but I remember feeling like that when we moved to Birmingham so hopefully you can follow my journey in Saudi.’

In an additional Instagram post, Ellie posted photos to document her favourite memories at Aston Villa.

She penned: ‘Anyone that knows me knows how emotional I am, my heart is hurting as we end the most amazing 6 years at Villa.

‘We had our beautiful babies here, made friends for life and have a built a life here that I will always be so grateful for…

‘Watching Ollie’s career progress here has been so special. I’ve watched some of the highest highs and been there through all of the lows too. I couldn’t be prouder of how much he’s achieved but most importantly the person he has remained through it all…

‘I’m so grateful for the amazing people we’ve met along the way and the friendships we’ll take with us. It’s the end of our most amazing chapter. Now it’s time for a new adventure.’

But the ‘diggers’ of the Friends of Castleshaw Roman Fort would not have it any other way.

Led by lead archaeologist Norman Redhead, the team of volunteers spend their summer weekends excavating the expansive site, which continues to reveal secrets year after year.

We went to visit the team in their penultimate weekend of summer digs to find out the progress they’ve made this season and why it means so much to the volunteers dedicating their time and effort to preserve it.

‘Piecing together the jigsaw’

Like last year, the 2026 excavations have focused on the “annexe”, an area of the site Mr Redhead said they had no idea existed five years ago.

So far, they have found evidence of food production and what they think could be an ancient “motorway services”, as well as a “spaghetti junction” of post-holes, which are helping Mr Redhead and the team slowly understand the layout and uses of the ancient complex.

This year, the dig focused on the annex of the site again. (Image: The Oldham Times)

Mr Redhead said: “Our whole purpose this year was to try to define these timber buildings, get some corners and create plans. Because it is so complex, I do not think we will achieve that this year, so we will have to come back.”

In one area, Mr Redhead said one volunteer had identified a possible drain for a Roman toilet, still identifiable by the “whiff” of it. In another, they’ve found postholes supporting a raised floor of a granary.

Outside of the dig season, Mr Redhead has also had the opportunity to excavate the garden of a neighbouring house, as well as dig a couple of trenches even further back on United Utilities land.

The archaeologist said: “The annex enclosure is much bigger than we originally thought. We are piecing together all these little bits of the jigsaw.”

An important part of the whole project is the community of volunteers.

Mr Redhead said they’ve had 18 people, both professionals and amateurs, helping to excavate the site and the group overall now has around 90 members, which he added is “pretty good for a society like this these days”.

The 2026 dig season at Castleshaw Roman Fort (Image: The Oldham Times)

Visitors are always welcomed at the site. This year, around 300 people have come to see the excavations.

Some people make special trips to see the forts, while others just stumble across it while on an afternoon walk.

Regardless, they are all treated to a dedicated tour of the trenches by Norman’s wife Jayne Redhead, who has also been digging at Castleshaw for decades.

‘Amazing to be a part of’

This is how some of the group’s volunteers came to be members.

Stephen Reynolds, 58, travels from the other side of Greater Manchester, near Wigan and Salford, to help excavate at Castleshaw.

Mr Reynolds has been digging with the group for the past two years, after first coming across the site while out walking with his wife.

He said: “I just love it. Whatever the weather, coming up here and digging is great. There are lots of people, everyone is really nice, and it is like a little social thing. You learn a lot as well.”

Stephen Reynolds has been volunteering for two years after stumbling across the dig on a walk two years ago. (Image: The Oldham Times)

As someone without a background in archaeology, Mr Reynolds said it was “daunting” at first, but Mr Redhead and the more experienced volunteers were always on hand to help.

He added: “Sometimes it is muddy and horrible, but there is the excitement of knowing I am working in a layer where another person was working in AD 70.

“I am occupying the same space as that soldier. My body is in the same space that he was, and it is quite weird.

“I am digging out beam slots and moving fill, and that fill is material those soldiers would have shifted.

“While I am doing it, I think: who were they? Where did they come from? Most of them would have been auxiliaries, from somewhere in eastern Europe. What was the weather like when they were doing it? Was it a nice sunny day, or was it raining or snowing? It is quite bleak up here.

“Those are the sort of things I think about while I am working.”

In a neighbouring trench, Luke Entwistle and his son Benjamin, from Lees, had found some bits of charcoal and were busy trying to find an “elusive” wall and post-hole.

Father an son Luke and Benjamin Entwistle (Image: The Oldham Times)

He said that they “hadn’t had much luck” so far, but were still hopeful they’ll find something before the end of the season.

Mr Entwistle, who works for Action Together Oldham and runs a volunteer counselling service, last took part in the dig ten years ago, but decided to return now that his son is studying history in college.

He said: “Being part of this is a big thing because we are able to touch things that people have not touched for nearly 2,000 years. It is quite amazing for us to be part of that.

“History is something I am passionate about. Benjamin is passionate about it too, and my younger son is as well.

“Hopefully, in another five or six years, he will be old enough to join us and take part in a dig too.”

Tim Jeffrey, 65, travels from Sheffield to help with the excavations and when I commented on the distance, he replied: “But it is good archaeology. It is worth the extra trek.”

When we stopped to chat, he had just uncovered what he suspected was a piece of lead and was eager to show Mr Redhead his find.

Volunteer Tim Jeffrey and what he believed could have been a piece of lead found in his trench. (Image: The Oldham Times)

His first experience of Castleshaw was in 2014, when the group held a community dig, and “has been coming back ever since”.

He is so passionate about archaeology that he retrained after retiring and has been working on commercial digs for the past couple of years.

Mr Jeffrey said: “I had always been coming here as a hobby, though, and I am still here — and will be for the foreseeable future.”

Similarly, volunteer Andrew Church had also decided to complete a one-year diploma in archaeology, despite not previously having a formal background in the field.

He said: “I think I started in 2019. I have been here most years since then, apart from during Covid.

“It is a very interesting site, and every time we come here we discover a bit more about it. We are gradually piecing it together from all the trenches we have been digging over the seasons.”

Mr Church was working on an “enigmatic” trench together with volunteer Ian Rowley, who described himself as more of an “armchair archaeologist”.

Andrew Church and Ian Rowley working on their ‘enigmatic’ trench. (Image: The Oldham Times)

He explained that while there weren’t many “small finds”, like bits of pottery, their focus was on following the patterns of the holes.

Mr Rowley said: “This is more about structures. We found a slot over there, so we are trying to see how far it continues. That is why we dug here. This feature was unexpected, so finding out what it is will be on next year’s agenda.

“There is always something more to find out.”

The volunteer working on the deepest trench of the excavation was 21-year-old Harrison Duddle, from “down the valley”, who is studying a masters in Roman and Classical Archaeology at Durham University.

He had his first taste of archaeology at Castleshaw a decade ago when he was just 11 years old.

Mr Duddle said: “I always liked history. My mum saw they were digging up here and sent me up.

“I was always going to do something historical, but archaeology has an immense amount of practical work and tells us details about the past that you simply cannot get through history alone.”

Through his studies, he has had the opportunity to work on some “phenomenal” sites, such as a Commonwealth-era mansion from the 1650s.

Archaeology student Harrison Duddle (Image: The Oldham Times)

He also recently went on a “once in a lifetime” trip to Egypt and while he didn’t get to dig in the end, he did get to visit the museums and learn about conservation.

When I asked if that would be his dream location to work, Mr Duddle said: “No, I am not going anywhere. I am staying here — this is my home.

“There are too many questions in the North West that need to be answered. There has been research, but much more is needed, particularly on the rural landscape.

“People think Roman archaeology is stodgy, settled and finished, that people have been there and done that, but that’s not the case.”

‘We have a duty to let people know’

There is definitely more work to be done at Castleshaw and Mr Redhead already has plans for the next season and beyond.

Next year, there will be a dedicated project to investigate the preserved timbers they found during the 2025 season and they will continue trying to figure out what’s going on with all the postholes.

Mr Redhead said: “There is so much going on here.”

Elsewhere, they will also be starting to think about publishing their findings, both academically and for laymen like you and me. They also want to install a new information board at the annex, just like the ones near the fort.

A walker stops to read about the Castleshaw Roman Forts. (Image: The Oldham Times)

He added: “We have a duty to let people know what we have found.

“There are two sides to that: meeting academic requirements for a specialist audience, including lectures, and producing popular publications and visitor information boards.

“It is all going well and it really has been a great summer again.”

More information about the Friends of Castleshaw Roman Forts can be found on the group’s social media pages.

If you want to see some of the finds up close, they also have an exhibition at Saddleworth Museum.