High Coniscliffe, four miles outside of Darlington along the A67, may appear at first glance to be like any other village.

But behind its limestone cottages and village green lies a history stretching back to Anglo-Saxon power struggles and Roman-era remains.

Online travel forums and local walking groups frequently reference the village as a “hidden stretch of the Tees” and “a peaceful base with a lot of history”.

The River Tees near to High Coniscliffe (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

The Teesdale Way passes along the riverbank below the village, and it is this stretch that appears most often in reviews from visitors and on walking forums like AllTrails.

One walker posting in a North East hiking group described the approach as “one of the prettiest sections of the Tees before Piercebridge”, while another said the village makes “a perfect halfway pause between Darlington and the Roman fort”.

Cyclists travelling the A67 also mention the village green and church as a striking roadside scene, with one rider noting that “the view across the green towards the church tower is worth slowing down for”.

St Edwin’s Church, positioned on the south side of the road above the river, remains the architectural focal point.

The Spotted Dog in High Coniscliffe (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Parts of the limestone building date back to around 1170, with a Norman arched doorway, Gothic arch and later medieval tower and spire.

Heritage visitors frequently reference the church’s layered design and elevated setting.

“It feels older than it looks,” one visitor wrote on TripAdvisor.

“The Norman doorway alone is worth the stop.”

High Coniscliffe’s history includes episodes that would not look out of place in a historical drama.

The River Tees (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Records suggest that in 761 AD, Oswin, a Bernician nobleman, was killed here amid Northumbrian power struggles.

Later, in 778 AD, a high sheriff named Elduf is said to have died in the village.

In the late 16th century, two Catholic priests from the parish, Richard Thirkeld and Christopher Bayles, were executed for treason due to their faith.

The Spotted Dog in High Coniscliffe (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

High Coniscliffe has long centred around its green and the junction at Ulnaby Lane.

The Duke of Wellington pub, which closed in 2010 and was later converted into housing, was once known for displaying a portrait of Napoleon on its sign between 1975 and 1988.

The Spotted Dog pub remains a landmark in the village’s story, its name linked to an 18th-century racing foxhound.

Finds in and around High Coniscliffe suggest settlement activity stretching back even further.

Bronze Age tools, Roman pottery fragments thought to be linked to nearby Piercebridge Roman Fort, and Anglo-Saxon carvings incorporated into the church all add to the historic links of High Coniscliffe.

Recent online comments describe it as “peaceful and unspoilt”, “a lovely stop on the Teesdale Way”, and “full of atmosphere if you know the history”.

For Darlington residents, it offers a short escape into the countryside within minutes of town.

The hosts, meanwhile, are too in decent form having tasted defeat just once in their last seven games across all competitions, though an even bigger test awaits this evening. Follow Hull vs Chelsea LIVE below with Standard Sport’s dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis from Dom Smith at the MKM Stadium!

A Colorado cemetery is forcing a family to remove an “inappropriate” headstone bearing images of upraised middle fingers.

The headstone has been in Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs for five years, marking the final resting place of brothers Timothy and Ryan Geschke. The sisters of the interred, Heidi and Holly Geschke, were recently informed that the headstone designer was told to cover up images of raised middle fingers on the gravestone with black tape.

“This is a symbol of love and Geschke blood through and through,” Holly Geschke told KOAA.

Now, the cemetery’s manager is telling the family that the headstone must be removed.

According to the cemetery’s rules, headstones cannot be profane or offensive to the general public. “No words or images may be engraved on a memorial that would be considered profane or offensive to the general public,” the cemetery’s current rules state.

Holly Geschke told The Independent that she was not asked to sign a contract when the tombstone was erected and was not told by anyone at that time that the design violated any of the cemetery’s rules.

She said the only instructions her family was given at the time were that the middle finger engravings could not be facing a nearby street.

When KOAA reporters asked the cemetery’s manager, Cheryl Godbout, how many complaints she’d received, she said the number of complaints was “irrelevant, because once I was made aware of it, then I had to do something.”

“It would not have been right of me to know about it, knowing it violates our rules and to ignore our rules,” she said.

The Geschke sisters do not agree that the images are offensive enough to warrant removal.

“This was created with so much love and respect and loyalty to our brothers,” Holly Geschke told KOAA. “This is speaking to the character of not who they were, but who we are as a family.”

The manager said the family does not need to remove the headstone themselves and that the cemetery will store the marker for the family.

The sisters told KOAA that they don’t plan on removing or remaking the headstone to bring it into compliance with the cemetery’s rules.

“They’re in a resting place and now here we are being asked to disturb their resting place,” Holly Greschke said. “It’s mind-boggling,”

She said her family plans to fight the removal order, and if necessary, move her brothers out of the cemetery entirely.

“These are my brothers, I’m not going to let this go,” she told The Independent. “Whether this ends in our favor or not we’re not backing down on this. We’re making noise for the boys.”

Tudor has been out of work since being sacked by Juventus in October 2025 and is set for his first spell in England, after previously taking charge of clubs in Italy, France, Turkey, Croatia and Greece.

He is tasked, first and foremost, with easing Tottenham‘s relegation fears, after a 2-1 loss to Newcastle in Thomas Frank’s final match on Tuesday left them five points above the bottom three.

Having earned a reputation as a no-nonsense defender during a playing career in which he won 55 caps for Croatia and made more than 150 appearances for Italian giants Juventus, there is one certain non-negotiable for Tudor as a manager.

“He asks his players to run a lot. In a previous interview he said ‘If you don’t run, you don’t play’,” says L’Equipe journalist Pierre-Etienne Minonzio.

“In his one season in Marseille it was always the same way of playing – 3-5-2 – and it was great to watch.

“It was not easy because Marseille’s best player was Dimitri Payet, a very gifted player but not well-known for running, and he didn’t play.

“It was a joke in L’Equipe – if Igor Tudor had Lionel Messi in his squad, Messi would not play!”

Tudor’s sole season in France saw Marseille finish third behind Paris St-Germain and Lens, despite surpassing the club’s points total from the previous campaign when they finished second.

“He did pretty well in Ligue 1. What I liked is that he doesn’t try to be liked. He is very direct, says what he thinks and doesn’t try to be attractive. There is no seduction,” says Minonzio.

“It is the same with the players. He keeps his distance and his obsession is to make training intense with a lot of running so they can be physically fit for the game.”

Belfast City Council voted through measures which will involve searching for locations for a new open-air concert venue

A plan for two new GAA pitches and a soccer pitch at Boucher Road Playing Fields will go ahead, after Belfast Council voted through measures which will involve searching for locations for a new large-scale open venue.

At a special meeting of the full Belfast City Council at City Hall on Friday, February 13, a Green Party proposal was passed, supported by Sinn Féin, the SDLP and People Before Profit, with the DUP, Alliance, the UUP and TUV in opposition. The recorded vote showed 32 elected members in favour, to 24 in opposition.

The successful Green Party amendment states: “This council is committed to bring forward a new Pitches Strategy in March 2026 to address the current significant gaps in pitch provision across Belfast, improve existing facilities and increase use of other pitches through better partnership working with other organisations in the city.

READ MORE: Sinn Féin and SDLP clash with council officials over controversial GAA pitch

READ MORE: Local opposition grows against Botanic GAA pitch plan that will uproot community gardens

“In light of particular challenges around the provision of GAA pitches, this council will agree to the provision of new GAA pitches within this Pitches Strategy as a priority. This will include the use of Boucher Road Playing Fields with Belfast City Council installing two GAA pitches, an intermediate soccer pitch and small sided games pitches at this facility.”

It adds: “The council acknowledges the potential conflict with the site’s existing use as the largest venue for major concerts and events in Belfast, and recognises the importance of ensuring to maintain a site that is capable of hosting on a similar or greater scale going forward, with appropriate supporting facilities and infrastructure.

“We commit to working with the large-scale events sector, statutory partners and local stakeholders to identify and assess suitable alternative sites around the city, or the potential for managing both within the Boucher Road Playing Fields site.”

A report is to be brought back exploring options within two months. The proposal adds: “The council will also prioritise proposed soccer pitches that may be eligible for external funding plans processes, as and when application periods open.”

This large-scale events element of the proposal will include consideration of locations such as Ormeau Park, the Titanic Slipways, and the former Sirocco Works site, without “limiting the scope” to these options.

The decision means Belfast is likely to lose its current largest outdoor concert venue at Boucher Playing Fields, which has a capacity of 40,000. Known for hosting massive concerts and festivals like Belfast Vital, the Fields have hosted A listers such as Bruce Springsteen, Ed Sheeran, Liam Gallagher, The Killers, Sam Fender, and Eminem.

This has not come without controversy, and locals have been airing their grievances for years about the disruption created by the big live events. The Fields have hosted large gigs since 2010, and while a huge source of income to the city economy, are an ongoing source of upset to neighbours.

Every summer South Belfast councillors have warned of disruption and logistical challenges for residents during the summer season of big concerts. In 2024 the council set up a “Social Value Fund” to be allocated to those local communities beside Boucher Road Playing Fields who felt adverse effects from large concerts.

In June 2022 Boucher Fields were confirmed to remain a venue for music gigs and other events, when its entertainment licence was renewed, despite complaints and objections from local residents. Two months later Belfast council announced extra residential security to protect residents around the Playing Fields gigs after people were left “traumatised” in their homes after an Ed Sheeran concert.

Sinn Féin Councillor Ciaran Beattie said at the meeting: “If you see the commentary from residents (close to Boucher Road Playing Fields), they feel like prisoners in their own homes. Anyone who speaks to residents that live around there, they don’t like it.”

He added: “There is a massive problem that this site causes, and the communities around it feel it. So it is not only about addressing the sporting issues, it is about addressing the community issues, the people who are feeling the negative effect of this.

“It is okay to live five or ten miles away from this and think it is a great idea, but go and speak to the residents. Go and knock on a couple of doors and you will see what their opinions are.”

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One resident said the market town is a “nice place to raise a family”

Locals have praised a quiet market town which has “plenty to do for all ages”, with some describing it as the ‘best’ place to live in Cambridgeshire. While it shares its name with a popular Cornish town, there is also a St Ives in Cambridgeshire.

St Ives dates back to 500 AD and is now home to more than 17,000 people. It was once seen as a significant trading hub, being so close to the River Great Ouse.

As part of our Exploring Cambridgeshire series, we spoke to locals about what they think of St Ives. Eileen Newton said she “loves” living in St Ives, calling it the “best place ever to live”.

She added: “There is plenty going on for all ages. The transport is great, such as the busway which is really good. The GP services are also amazing – I have no complaints. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”

Amelia Phillips, who has lived in St Ives since 2021, said it is a “nice place to raise a family”. She added: “It just has a really lovely community feel to it. I have lots of friends here.

“It’s got lots of nature nearby like the river. All the restaurants and cafes in town are really nice. We love going to the River Terrace for brunch.”

Amelia also praised the town’s history and transport. She said: “The Norris Museum is great. We go to Cambridge on the guided busway which is really helpful.”

St Ives market, which runs every Monday and Friday, is also popular with locals. Market trader Sara Jarlett, who has run a pick and mix stall for four years, said the “people are the best”.

She added: “You get a lot of regular customers a lot of the time. You get people who haven’t seen these sweets for years and they will start coming regularly. The people are all very friendly. We tend to get a lot of the older generation come here as they like to reminisce.”

St Ives is also known for its beauty, with its iconic bridge and riverside walks. A long-term resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said St Ives is “one of the most gorgeous places in Cambridgeshire”.

She added: “It has history everywhere like the museum, and it has beauty spots like the river. We have a thriving market that runs several days a week. I have no complaints about it.”

Several of the people we spoke to praised the town for what it offers to people from childhood to old age, including Jackie Smith. She said: “It’s lovely. It caters for all ages. The market is nice, and so is the museum and shops.

“It’s a very safe town, full of polite people. The restaurants and cafes are very good. The staff are very nice and they all offer a lot of fresh food.”

Derek Green also agreed that St Ives is “full of polite people”. He added: “You could easily walk down the street and someone will say hello to you. It’s always been like that and I think it will always be like that.”

Another resident, who wished to not be named, said he had “nothing bad to say about” St Ives. He said: “We have some lovely buildings and history right in front of us. There is a lot to do for all ages. If you are older we have stuff to do, but if you are a family with young children, there is stuff for them to do as well.”

A new study has ignited the debate over whether every pregnant woman should take low-dose aspirin.

For years, it has been recommended for women at high risk of pre-eclampsia. This dangerous condition can cause high blood pressure and organ damage. The argument for giving it to all pregnant women is straightforward: current screening isn’t perfect, and pre-eclampsia can be hard to predict.

Aspirin is cheap, widely available and generally safe, which makes it tempting to give it to everyone. But medicine rarely works well as a one-size-fits-all solution. The reality is that we still lack tools to identify early in pregnancy when placentas might struggle to support a baby.

Aspirin works by making platelets, the tiny blood cells that form clots, less likely to stick together. In pre-eclampsia, the placenta can trigger inflammation and overactive platelets, reducing blood flow to the baby. By reducing the stickiness of platelets, aspirin helps maintain healthy blood flow between the mother and the baby.

If aspirin is so effective, why not give it to everyone? In heart medicine, healthy older adults were once routinely advised to take daily low-dose aspirin, but several studies have showed that long-term bleeding risks outweigh the benefits and guidance has recently changed. Pregnancy is a much shorter window with treatment lasting only a few months, so the risk of serious bleeding in an otherwise healthy young woman is very low, and the consequences of pre-eclampsia can be severe.

Even so, aspirin doesn’t work the same way for everyone. Standard doses may be too low for women with a higher body mass index or increased blood volume. Absorption can be unpredictable, especially with enteric-coated tablets (which protect the stomach lining) or changes in digestion during pregnancy. And if tablets aren’t taken consistently, the drug can’t do its job.

Right now, doctors decide who should take aspirin mostly based on a woman’s medical history and known risk factors. This simple approach works, but it can miss some women who go on to develop pre-eclampsia, while others are treated just to be safe.

More advanced testing – combining a woman’s medical history with blood pressure checks, blood tests that show how well the placenta is working, and ultrasound scans – can spot more cases. The downside is that these tests need specialist training, extra equipment, and more time, which aren’t always available in everyday care.

The future: better biomarkers

My research looks at platelets and the tiny particles they release, called extracellular vesicles. These microscopic signals reflect how the placenta and maternal environment are interacting, and could identify problems months before symptoms appear. One day, such tests could guide personalised treatment, helping doctors know who really needs aspirin and who may not.

For now, if your doctor has prescribed aspirin in pregnancy, it’s important to continue taking it. It is a safe, effective and evidence-based treatment for women at higher risk of pre-eclampsia. But as science progresses, there’s real potential to move from broad guidelines to personalised care, giving every mother and baby the best chance of a healthy pregnancy.

This article was commissioned in conjunction with Prototypes for Humanity, a global initiative that showcases and accelerates academic innovation to solve social and environmental challenges. The Conversation is the media partner of Prototypes for Humanity 2025.

The passengers were taken off the LS896 from Antalya, in Turkey by police officers.

Unruly passengers have been banned for life after being booted off a Jet2 flight back to the UK.

The travellers have now been told they will not be able to use the airline again after their ‘appalling behaviour’ on board flight LS896 from Antalya, in Turkey, on Thursday.

The flight to Manchester turned violent as cops had to step in. Video footage of the incident appears to show several other passengers caught up in the melee, reports the Mirror.

One clip appears to show three men standing in the aisle of the plane, with one reaching out to grab a passenger’s phone, before attempting to grab the face of the man in front.

Manchester Evening News reports the passenger at the centre of the melee appears to be pushed back, before another man attempts to diffuse the situation. But another passenger, standing further back, starts to point towards someone else.

That man then appears to push the first man involved in the disorder, before reaching out to grab him. Then, a passenger can be seen in a headlock from another man on board, while a member of cabin crew can be seen moving the first man involved towards the back of the plane.

Other passengers can be seen watching proceedings, while several shouts and screams can be heard. A police officer can later be seen removing one passenger from the ground, with another heard chanting: “Time to go, time to go.”

Police stormed the flight after it was forced to divert to Brussels, with the Jet2 plane finally making its way to Manchester late last night.

A spokesperson for Jet2 confirmed the passengers have been banned. They said: “Flight LS896 from Antalya to Manchester diverted to Brussels yesterday, due to the appalling behaviour of two disruptive passengers. They were both offloaded by police in Brussels and the flight continued to Manchester.

“We can confirm that the two disruptive passengers will be banned from flying with us for life, and we will also vigorously pursue them to recover the costs that we incurred as a result of this diversion.

“As a family friendly airline, we take a zero-tolerance approach to disruptive passenger behaviour, and we are very sorry that other customers and our colleagues onboard had to experience this too.”

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Heraskevych’s appeal to Cas asked for his ban to be overturned, to be able to wear the helmet and to complete the two skeleton runs he missed out on on Thursday under the supervision of Cas.

He said his disqualification was “disproportionate” and claimed other athletes had been able to express their grief during competition at the Games.

For example, American figure skater Maxim Naumov held up a photograph of his parents, who were killed last year in a plane crash in Washington DC, as he waited for his score to come in earlier this week.

But the IOC say Heraskevych has contravened the ‘athlete expression’ guidelines, external, which were drawn up in 2023 and are part of Olympic law, which state “focus at the Olympic Games must remain on athletes’ performances”.

The law states: “It is a fundamental principle that sport at the Olympic Games is neutral and must be separate from political, religious and any other type of interference.”

On Thursday, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said that if the committee allowed athletes to wear kit commemorating those killed in war, it would open the Games up to exploitation.

But Heraskevych has accused the Milan-Cortina Games of acting as “Russian propaganda” while Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky, said, external the IOC are “playing into the hands of the Russian aggressor”.

Heraskevych, who was his nation’s flag bearer in the opening ceremony, has received support from his compatriots at the Games with Alpine skier Dmytro Shepiuk displayed a note reading “Ukrainian heroes with us” after competing while the Ukrainian mixed relay luge team took the knee and held their helmets aloft in a display of solidarity.