Clown outfits, trapeze artists and yes, that giant walking elephant meant for a classic 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ night out from Take That, as our Dianne Bourne discovered on the first night in Southampton. Roll on Manchester…

“Today this could be the Greatest Day of our lives,” so sings Gary Barlow to open The Circus Live, Take That’s record-breaking tour rebooted and most definitely besuited after 17 years for its 2026 stadium return. And as some 40,000 fans sing those words along with Gary, Howard Donald and Mark Owen at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton under the clearest of blue skies it certainly felt like the Greatest Day.

The giant cloud balloon is back bobbing up at the start of the show, as are the 40-strong cast of bouncing acrobats, fire-eaters, stilt-walkers and clowns who release a spectacular balloon riot out across the audience to herald the arrival of the Manchester pop idols.

It’s impossible to adequately describe the magic of this show, it’s one that really needs to be seen to believed. Goosebumps from the opening piano chord to the final streamers and confetti bursts shooting out across the crowd.

As Gary said ahead of this show about the performers on stage “this is the best of the best” and he’s right. This is more than just a Take That show – it’s a full on Circus spectacular, a feast for the eyes as much as the ears as Mark, Howard and Gary wrap their biggest hits around the theatrical set pieces worthy of their own Big Top (which aptly shrouds the stage at the start of the night).

When they announced plans last year to take the Circus Live tour back out on the road, fans could barely believe their luck. For those who saw it first time around it made perfect sense – it’s perhaps the band’s most perfect live extravaganza – blending their pop anthems with Las Vegas style showmanship. For those kicking themselves that they missed out back then? Well it’s been the perfect chance to see what they’ve been missing all this time.

If anything the razzle dazzle is even more ramped up for this big return, and anyone who has bagged tickets for the 16 upcoming UK and Ireland shows over the next two months can rest assured they will well and truly be getting their money’s worth with this humdinger of a show. And after all, everybody loves a circus show, as Gary memorably sings in his twinkly-lighted, goosebumps performance of The Circus as a tightrope walker tiptoes across the skyline.

The greasepaint and clown outfits are also back, albeit pimped up with a plethora of sequins, for the up tempo romp through the pop band’s 90s hits – complete with the camp dance moves to the delight of the crowd. The unicycles too return as Howard and Mark show off their athleticism, while Gary is happy to play it for laughs instead on his own little bike.

The trio also sound in better voice than ever.

And what of this show’s most famous moment? When the band emerge on top of a 30ft elephant to be chauffeur driven, pachiderm-style, to the main stage while singing fan anthem The Garden? If anything it’s more mesmerising (and tear-inducing) than the first time around.

There’s no comedown from that – instead we hurtle headlong into the big top as if fired from a cannonball into a glitzy, showgirl-dancing, acrobat-bouncing, tightrope-walking extravaganza for Shine.

These pop stars have a true talent of connecting with their audience, breathlessly taking us from tearjerkers to crowd pleasers in the blink of an eye.

It’s everything you could possibly want from a Take That show – well, bar bringing out departed members Jason Orange and Robbie Williams of course.

Fans had been pondering how the show would work in Jason’s absence, as he had been such a major part of the last Circus Live tour. In particular, his one solo number, Wooden Boat. Would it remain on the setlist? Well, no.

How Did It Come To This is the other omission, the other major song that Jason sings lead vocals on from The Circus album.

In their place is Take That’s newest song, You’re a Superstar, an ode to the fans who have stuck with them through thick and thin, through five then four then three.

There’s also the surprise addition of Babe, allowing Mark to head centre stage for a lovely rendition of the tender 90s classic, while Gary gets to tinkle out a couple of extra treats on the piano too.

As if Take That on stage for two hours were not enough of a treat, we get to hear pop princess Belinda Carlisle in fine voice (and barefoot dancing) to open proceedings with her pop anthems. It was then up to The Script to show off their own stadium-filler form, supporting Take That here fresh from announcing their own big arena tour later this year.

Fans may remember they also supported on the Circus last time around and they did it again here in some style – blasting out with Superheroes and getting the entire stadium in an arm swing along.

Frontman Danny O’Donoghue even urged one fan to ring up their ex – for him to then serenade poor “Alfie” with break-up anthem Nothing.

He also revealed that he went to meet Take That fans who were camping out the night before and even jumped in one tent to the delight of one fan.

I’ve no doubt fans will be camping out at every single one of these shows ahead.

I was there for the Circus tour in its first incarnation and was wowed back then. But I don’t remember it being this good, feeling this good.

The greatest show on earth they say, or so says the giant (and I do mean giant) ringmaster that emerges for the fire festooned finale of Relight My Fire and who would argue with that?

Fireworks end it all because, of course they do. Take That have thrown everything at this show and we have four homecoming nights in Manchester at the Etihad Stadium to look forward to in June and July. It’s really not one to be missed.

Setlist St Mary’s Stadium Southampton May 29, 2026:

Greatest Day

Hello

Could it Be Magic

Pray

A Million Love Songs

Back For Good

The Garden

Shine

Up All Night

Babe

You’re a Superstar

Love Ain’t Here Anymore

Nobody Else

The Circus

What is Love

Do What U Like/Promises/It Only Takes a Minute/Take That and Party

Said it All

Never Forget

Patience

Relight My Fire

ENCORE:

Hold up A Light

Rule The World

Police received multiple reports about the incident at Four Winds roundabout

Police arrested a suspected drunk driver after receiving multiple reports of a car “trying to drift” around a roundabout in South Belfast.

Police received multiple reports from members of the public about a vehicle driving dangerously around the Four Winds roundabout. Officers attended the scene and later located the vehicle in a car park in the Ballygowan area.

A man entered the car but was stopped by police from driving away and arrested for a number of offences including; driving with excess alcohol, dangerous driving, taking and driving away, driving with no insurance and no licence.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Yesterday Police received reports from numerous concerned members of the public, regarding a vehicle being dangerously driven in the Belfast area and trying to drift around the Four Winds Roundabout.

“Road Policing Interceptors from Sprucefield and Road Policing Unit Officers from Mahon Road were tasked to attend.

“Interceptors located the vehicle parked in a car park in the Ballygowan area a short time later, significant damage was noted on the vehicle.

“A male was observed getting into the vehicle and attempting to drive it, before being stopped using pre-emptive tactics in order to prevent the likelihood of a pursuit and unnecessary risk to the public.

“The male driver was subsequently arrested for Driving with Excess Alcohol, Dangerous Driving, Taking and Driving Away, Driving with No Insurance and No Licence and other offences.

“The vehicle was seized.

“Interceptors appreciated the assistance from our colleagues in Roads Policing Unit Officers, PSNI Dog Section, Dundonald NPT, Ards LPT and the Probationer Support Unit in assisting with the stop and arrest of this individual.

“Thanks go out to those members of the public who reported this individual.”

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

The tax rules and allowances differ depending on your situation

HMRC has spoken out to clarify how a particular tax applies to pensioners. The update comes ahead of a hike in the rates people have to pay which is just around the corner.

A member of the public contacted the tax authority over social media asking for help about how the regulations work. They asked: “Can you confirm that a pensioner does not have to pay tax on the first £1,000 of interest earned on savings.”

Under the personal savings allowance, those on the basic rate of income tax can earn up to £1,000 in savings interest each tax year without incurring any tax liability. This allowance is halved for higher rate taxpayers, dropping to £500, while those on the additional rate receive no allowance whatsoever and must pay tax on all interest earnings they accrue.

This differs entirely from money held in cash ISAs, where all interest earned is completely exempt from tax. Similarly, stocks and shares held within an ISA wrapper are not subject to any tax on investment growth.

How the tax rules work

Responding to the query, HMRC made plain how the rules work. The group said: “Pensioners have the same rules as everyone else. So if they are a basic rate taxpayer only, then yes they have a £1,000 tax-free allowance.”

The rate applied to any taxable interest mirrors your income tax band, meaning basic rate taxpayers are charged 20 per cent, higher rate taxpayers face a 40 per cent levy, and those on the additional rate are liable for 45 per cent. However, it’s important to note that significant changes are on the horizon here.

From April 2027, the rate levied on interest earnings will rise by two percentage points. This means basic rate taxpayers will see their rate climb to 22 per cent.

Higher rate taxpayers will face an increase to 42 per cent, while those on the additional rate will be required to pay 47 per cent. Other changes taking effect from April 2027 could also push up the tax burden on your savings.

Tax allowance reduced

The ISA allowance is being reduced. At present, savers can put £20,000 into ISAs and divide this between cash ISAs and stocks and shares ISAs as they wish.

Under the new regulations, however, only £12,000 of the allowance can be allocated at your discretion. The remaining £8,000 must be directed towards stocks and shares ISAs.

Nevertheless, many older savers will be exempt from these new regulations. Those aged 65 and above will keep the existing £20,000 allowance.

So what are this year’s hot tickets? “We’re really excited to have people like Michelle Obama with her brother, Craig Robinson, and Sir Tim Berners-Lee appearing, as they are legends in their respective worlds,” explains Arnander. “Then there’s Brian Eno, who is amazing; a musician, a visionary around AI and someone deeply engaged with climate change. Sharon Horgan, who’s brilliant as an actor and a screenwriter, but as a business owner, she’ll also be able to talk about the broadcast industry, which is currently going through hard times.”

You’ve had a spring clean and decluttered your wardrobe, and now you’re wondering what to do with the pile of unwanted clothes in the corner.

With the growth of online secondhand sales channels such as eBay and Vinted, the alternatives to putting old clothes in the bin have grown. But are these a green option?

Globally, most discarded clothing is landfilled or incinerated. But most unwanted clothing in Europe is suitable for reuse – many people get rid of clothing because it’s gone out of fashion or it doesn’t fit, not because it’s worn out.

Is reselling a sustainable choice?

So what about selling on your unwanted clothes on Vinted or eBay? Extending the useful life of clothing reduces its environmental impact, such as water and chemical usage, carbon emissions and textile waste, as well as the resource consumption and waste involved in producing new goods.

But don’t forget online selling requires shipping individual items to individual households, which entails carbon emissions from the delivery process. Companies use a mix of on-foot deliveries, e-bikes and a range of vehicles.

Some parcel operators are innovating to reduce emissions. For instance, Royal Mail has 7,000 electric vans and a fleet of e-bikes, while DPD has also invested heavily in electric vehicles. In 2025, Royal Mail claimed to have the lowest average CO₂ emissions per parcel in the UK market (165g).

It is also worth using cardboard or paper wrapping for your Vinted parcel, as plastic packaging isn’t easily recyclable. Even if it can be reused a few times, it ends up being incinerated, landfilled or littering. Incineration generates carbon emissions while landfill and littering lead to microplastic pollution.

Secondhand sales represent a small share of the overall global clothing market (10% in 2025), but this is predicted to grow twice as fast as the broader clothes market up to 2030.

Increasing secondhand shopping could reduce the need to produce new garments, counteracting the environmental impacts of production and end-of-life textile waste. But reselling or donating unwanted clothing doesn’t address the root cause of fashion’s environmental impact, which is overproduction and overconsumption.

Indeed, some evidence from the US suggests that using secondhand sales platforms may inadvertently drive, rather than mitigate, increased consumption and shorter garment retention, especially in younger consumers.

How does it compare to charity donations?

Donating to a charity shop could be an environmental bonus, as you probably won’t need to use packaging to get your item there. Lower levels of transport are also likely to be needed (possibly you will walk to your local shop).

However, some charities struggle to sell high volumes of fast fashion and low-resale-value textiles. The remainder are passed on to textile recyclers, who may send items for sale into global second-hand markets or recycling.

So what about just putting your unwanted gear in a recycling bank? The UK textile sorting sector manages approximately 469,000 tonnes of textile waste annually, with the majority (421,000 tonnes) exported for reuse or recycling, while 34,000 tonnes is kept in the UK for recycling. On top of that, around 727,000 tonnes of used textiles are incinerated or put in landfill.

This scale of reuse is still more efficient than individual online sales, as items are packed into bales weighing between 55kg and 200kg, which may contain up to 600 garments. These are shipped in containers to international markets.

À lire aussi :
Expecting charity shops to recycle your unwanted clothes is creating a rubbish pile – here’s how to help to avoid that

But the mounting avalanche of unwanted clothing exceeds the capacity of the many originating countries to sort and process. This means collected items are frequently exported for sorting, processing, and resale – sometimes taking long and circuitous routes, only to be resold in the country they were originally collected from.

There’s a lot to think about, but there are steps you can take even before you make the initial purchase to make your clothes shopping more sustainable.

It’s worth considering that most modern clothing is made from material blends such as polyester/cotton or cotton/elastane, which are difficult to recycle. Recent research confirms the increase in blended fabrics is likely to increase the costs and complexity of recycling. Therefore, it’s unlikely that your unwanted clothes made from those fabrics will be recycled into new clothing.

Additionally, the proportion of these textiles (predominantly fast fashion) going into UK household residual waste is increasing. They produce high levels of greenhouse gases during incineration.

Here are some easy steps you can take to be a more sustainable clothes shopper.

Five ways to go greener

1) Items for resale should be in good, clean condition – a good test is whether you would be happy to buy it yourself.

2) If donating to charity, try to share items between different charities if possible.

3) Keep it local – organise a clothes swap or pass items on to neighbours, friends, family or local community groups.

4) Keep clothes in a good state of repair to support longer product lifetimes. If you cannot do the repair yourself, ask a friend or family member, or use a repair cafe.

5) Reuse packaging to reduce plastic. Include clear photos, measurements and descriptions with your advert to ensure the buyer can make an informed decision about whether or not to purchase, and avoid returns.

A man organised a weekend trip to Cambridge, but was horrified when he realised which hotel he had booked – as he soon learned he had made a huge mistkae

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There’s one mistake you should never make when visiting Cambridge. The city has lots to offer tourists, from visiting the Cambridge University Botanic Gardens, the market square, and the Fitzwilliam Museum, to taking in the gorgeous architecture and views on any number of walks.

Anyone wanting to visit Cambridge for the weekend will likely need to book into one of the many great options for hotels in the city. But one man on social media has confessed that he made a terrible mistake when he tried to visit Cambridge for the weekend – as his choice of hotel was an absolute disaster.

Christopher Golds shared a WhatsApp message exchange on X earlier this week, where he said he was going to be staying in Cambridge for the weekend. But the anonymous person he was texting soon pointed out he’d made a huge error with his booking that meant he’d have a miserable time in the city.

Instead of booking to stay in a hotel in Cambridge, England, he’d somehow managed to book a weekend stay at a Travelodge in Cambridge, Ontario, in Canada.

The text message exchange opened with the anonymous person stating: “CANADA??!! You’re going to Ontario, Canada, just for a weekend?! Canada is NOT an ‘overnight destination’.”

Confused, Christopher replied: “What? No. When?”

The responder, who seemingly had access to Christopher’s calendar, then said: “You’ve got a confirmed reservation in a hotel in Ontario Canada – it’s appearing in the digital calendar for 10/11 June.”

Christopher told the other person that they must be mistaken because he was planning a trip to Cambridge, and not Canada.

However, they then sent him another message with the details of the hotel, which clearly stated he had booked a hotel in a different Cambridge entirely. He then replied: “Oh. My god.”

In his post on X, Christopher clarified this wasn’t a new story, and had actually happened to him three years ago, as he captioned the image: “Three years ago today since I booked a hotel in the wrong country.”

Commenters on the post were sympathetic to Christopher’s mistake. Many said they had made similar errors before, while Canadians said they have this problem often because so many of their cities are also the names of big cities in other parts of the world – not just the UK.

One person said: “That’s pretty funny. Not as bad as when people actually land in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, under the mistaken belief that they got a great price on tickets to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia!”

Another added: “I don’t have a screenshot, but seven years ago I booked a 7am flight instead of 7pm. Got ready and went to the airport only to be told that the flight had landed at its destination.”

While a Canadian native shared: “Welcome to Canada. We’ve got London, Paris, Berlin (now is Kitchener), Dublin, Brussels, Athens and even more, all in Ontario.”

A second Canadian posted: “You’d be disappointed with our Cambridge, Christopher. And our London. And our Windsor. And our Hamilton. And our Paris.”

You know the Pixies. Black Francis’ surreal, shrieked lyrics about Old Testament Christianity, UFOs, good, evil, death and incest. The loud-quiet-loud dynamic of their sometimes punk, sometimes hardcore, sometimes even surf rock sound. Across 29 songs, it’s all here tonight. This, the first of two shows at the Royal Albert Hall, is to celebrate 40 years since their genesis in 1986 – before their split in 1993.

The event last happened almost two years ago and will not be seen again until December 31, 2028

Stargazers who look up to the skies this weekend may enjoy a rare treat with a special lunar event which last happened almost two years ago. May 2026 will have two full moons appearing in the same calendar month.

The second full moon, which is known as a blue moon, will rise on Saturday night giving stargazers an extra chance to enjoy one of the year’s most impressive sights. And while it is usually not blue but often just the same colour as a normal moon, there are times when it does change colour.

The event is rare as most months will only have one full moon, with the last blue moon being in August 2024. Astronomy expert Alan Jones from 365 Astronomy explains why this blue moon is unusual, when to see it in the UK, and how to get the best view.

When to see May’s blue moon

Alan explained: “The blue moon reaches peak illumination on Sunday, the 31st, although the best time for stargazers will be on the evening of Saturday, May 30th, when the moon rises shortly after sunset and stays visible throughout the night. It will sit relatively low in the southern sky, so choosing a location with clear views of the eastern and southern horizon, away from tall buildings and trees, will provide the best experience.”

Why this blue moon is special

“A blue moon is the second full moon within a single calendar month, something that happens only every two to three years. Despite the name, the moon will not actually appear blue, ” said the expert.

“This year’s event is also a micromoon, meaning the moon is near the furthest point in its orbit from Earth. It may appear slightly smaller and dimmer than usual, although the difference is subtle.”

Why the moon can appear orange or red

Alan said: “As the moon rises or sets near the horizon, it can take on orange, amber or reddish tones because Earth’s atmosphere scatters shorter blue wavelengths of light. The well-known ‘moon illusion’ can also make the moon appear larger when it is low in the sky, even though its actual size does not change.”

Is the blue moon worth observing?

“Full moons are excellent targets for casual observers, families and beginner astronomers,” said Alan. “A blue moon also carries a sense of rarity reflected in the phrase ‘once in a blue moon’. While not exceptionally rare astronomically, these events still capture people’s imagination and encourage more of us to look up at the night sky.”

Tips for viewing and photographing the moon

“Binoculars are a great way to enhance the view, revealing darker maria and brighter crater regions on the lunar surface,” said the expert. “Smartphones can also capture impressive images when mounted on a tripod and used with manual exposure settings.

“For dramatic moonrise photos, include buildings, trees or landscape features in the foreground to help show the moon’s scale against the horizon. For closer lunar photography, a telescope with an aperture of around 80mm or more will provide crisp detail. Smart telescopes such as the Dwarf 3, Seestar S30 or S50, eVscope 2 and Vespera II are also excellent beginner-friendly options for capturing detailed lunar images.”

When is a blue moon blue

According to the Royal Museums Greenwich there are times that a blue moon actually does appear blue. It said: “Blue moons aren’t blue! Blue moons remain the same colour as any other full moon except in two rare cases:

• During a lunar eclipse, the moon can turn blood red, lit only by the light bent around the Earth by its atmosphere onto the face of the moon. As lunar eclipses occur only during full moons, and blue moons are one type of full moon, it’s very rare that a blue moon will be red!
• In very rare circumstances, the moon can appear blue, but in this case the colour would be caused by viewing the moon through a haze of dust particles in our atmosphere, perhaps from a recent volcanic eruption. From space, however, the moon will look just as grey as it always has!

Police called at 1.17am yesterday (Thursday) to reports that a woman had been sexually assaulted at a house in Northallerton

An enquiry was launched which resulted in a 26-year-old man from County Durham being arrested.

He was detained during a high-profile search of the area by a significant number of officers yesterday evening and he currently remains in custody.

A man in his 40s and a man in his 20s were also arrested in connection with the investigation yesterday morning.

They have now been released with no further action following full enquiries and eliminated from the investigation.

The victim is being offered specialist support following the incident.

Inspector Rory Sadler, of Hambleton Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This has been a hugely distressing incident for the victim and has caused alarm in the wider community.

“It’s been a fast-moving investigation and there will continue to be a visible police presence in the area to reassure concerned residents.

“I’d like to provide some clarity about rumours circulating in the community. A white British man from the Durham area has been arrested in connection with this incident. I’m aware there is some speculation about links to a separate burglary in the Hambleton area. However, I can confirm police are treating these incidents as unrelated.

“I’d also stress that the incident in Northallerton is isolated and we are not looking for anyone else as part of our investigation.”

Rachel Pyrah’s mobile home hit a kerb, swerved across the path of a Volkswagen T-Roc coming the other way and overturned, said Matthew Moore-Taylor, prosecuting.  

Inside the Volkswagen car were the baby, a teenager who was also seriously injured, and their parents. They were on their way to a glamping holiday near Ripon on May 31, 2024.  

York Crown Court heard Pyrah was on a two-week travelling holiday in the vehicle which was then her home to help her cope with her grief after the recent death of her mother.

“What happened was not just an accident, it was a single moment that has forever changed our lives,” the father of the baby said. He also described it as a “tragedy”.

The family’s “happy, hopeful baby just beginning to explore the world around her” had become a child with severe disabilities including communication problems that prevented her playing and interacting with other children and affected her development, he said.

Mr Moore-Taylor said the baby was critically ill in Leeds General Infirmary for some days after the crash.

The teenager, who had been studying for her A-levels at the time, suffered broken ribs, and a scarred forehead that she said reminded her of the crash every time she looked at it.

She had forced herself to go to college before her injuries healed because her education was so important to her.

She said she was grateful to be alive and “it was heartbreaking” to know what the baby had gone through.

Recorder Paul Reid said the results of the collision had been “catastrophic”.  

It happened on the B6265 between Glasshouses and Risplith above Nidderdale on Friday, May 31, 2024, which had been a sunny day.

The judge said the road had grassy verges and two vehicles could pass with care. The mobile home and Volkswagen were doing between 40mph and 50mph.

At the place where the crash happened there was a raised kerb on the mobile home’s side of the road. Pyrah had moved to the left to ensure the two vehicles passed safely but had clipped the kerb and her vehicle had gone into the path of the family’s vehicle.

It was a “momentary” action which had had “catastrophic” consequences.   

The judge said he had to follow national sentencing guidelines which suggested he should pass a community order.

Pyrah, of High Street, Claythorpe, Lincolnshire, pleaded guilty to two charges of causing serious injury by careless driving. She was given a 12-month community order with 60 hours’ unpaid work and banned from driving for 12 months.

A probation report said she was “utterly remorseful” for her actions and had accepted full responsibility.

Defence barrister Hayley Brickel handed in references which she said described Pyrah as a “careful and courteous driver,  safe, considerate, competent and courteous.”