John Parry decided he didn’t want to sit around and do nothing and has now become a social media sensation

When John Parry fell off a ladder in 2024 and was taken to hospital for treatment for a variety of serious injuries that included a skull fracture, brain bleeds, a broken back and a painful list of other injuries it was a pivotal point in his life.

Most people would be traumatised by the accident and the injuries but worse was to come for this 78-year-old grandad from Pontypool because, while being treated in hospital, it was found he had bladder cancer that has also spread to his right kidney.

But John’s reaction to this horrendous period in his life is surprising – he didn’t want to sit around and feel distraught, he decided to walk 450 miles across the country, joined by stars and strangers, to raise money for four charities and this decision has led to John becoming a viral social media sensation.

On TikTok, Instagram and Facebook John’s got an impressive number of followers that his grandchildren would be proud of, on his account called Welsh Grandad. John, originally from Pontypool but now living near Clacton-on-Sea, says: “I’ve got nine grandchildren, six great grandchildren, and all their friends, everybody calls me Welsh Grandad, they don’t know me as anything else.”

Now lots of people across the social media world also know him as Welsh Grandad. John explains: “One day I was taking one of them to football practice and had two hours in the car waiting.

“I’ve been trying to talk to people about cancer for a while, how you react, when you hear those three words, ‘you’ve got cancer’. Until you’re told that, you don’t know how you’re going to react. You don’t know how you feel.

“So I put the phone on the steering wheel, said ‘Hi, I’m Welsh grandad and I’ve got cancer’, chatted a bit and didn’t think about it much. Then boom, the response was so good and so I did another one and it’s built from there really.”

But talking about it online wasn’t enough for John, he felt compelled to try and do something more. He says: “I wondered what I could do, I can’t cure cancer or help like that, I’m not a doctor, but I can walk, I can put one foot in front of the other.”

So a seed of an idea was planted and quickly grew into ‘Grandad’s Great Walk’ – a fundraising walk for four charities, Cancer Research UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, and Farleigh Hospice, Essex, and St David’s Hospice, Newport, aiming to raise £75,000. Currently, at the time of writing the total is £54,318,03 – see what it is now here.

The 460 mile walk began on June 1, 2026 in Lowestoft and is due to end on Tuesday, August 11 at St David’s Head, Pembrokeshire, and John chose to walk along the Via Beata route, a pilgrimage pathway from east to west as he thought it would be “a bit different from the normal routes”.

Website British Pilgrimage Trust says: “The name ‘Via Beata’ means ‘way of blessing’ and this fully mapped route goes through some of the most beautiful places in the country. One of the reasons this walk is special is because every 10 miles of the route there is a hand carved artwork with a story from the Bible.”

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It also seemed the perfect route because John wanted a journey that not only hasn’t been travelled that often and wanted to finish in his native Wales.

John started his training in January, just a short walk that grew every day, and where his mantra was born, ‘one day at a time, one step at a time’ and that is how he treats every day of this gruelling and epic walk.

John says he has been inspired by the beautiful countryside he is walking through, that being surrounded by nature feels special but, of course, there have been challenges on the journey too.

John says: “I did get a large blister on the ball of one of my feet but it only hurt 50% of the time! And I don’t really go to bed, more like collapse into it!”

But John says the biggest challenge has been farmers and landowners in England not maintaining public rights of way along the route, so some are blocked and impassable and some are in too rough a state to continue.

He says: “It has been hard at times because you can’t train for walking through the fields where you’ve got long grass, three foot high, and you’ve got ploughed fields and ditches, and you don’t know where you’re stepping, and you’ve got hedges where you can’t get through, and you’ve got to turn around and walk back to find a different route.

“When the route ahead is full of brambles and nettles, you know, eight feet, 10 feet high, you can’t get through it. You’ve got to go all the way back and try the next field along and that adds mileage and time.”

The weather, although a bonus not getting soaked by rain, has been an aspect of the project to navigate with thought, with John’s rucksack packed daily with food, snacks and a sizeable amount of water and electrolytes.

But this Welsh grandad is not on his own. He says: “My family are supporting me, all of them, from my grandchildren, to my daughter, to my son-in-law; all of them. We find a campsite that is fairly central to each week of walking and they pick me up at the end of that day’s journey, take me to the tent and then drop me off at the same point the next day.” John says he sleeps on a comfortable blow-up bed in a wooden pod.

Although it has gone smoothly so far using his planned route, map and compass, John said one day he did get totally lost. He explains: “I wasn’t concentrating and literally took the wrong road and I was rescued by a lovely lady on a bike.

“She asked me if I was lost, I was, and then asked if she could walk with me and push her bike along when she found out what I was doing. I said, ‘of course you can!’. She asked if she could walk with me another day and has even driven for an hour and a half just to walk with me.”

John says that this is the one aspect of the walk that has surprised him and makes him rather emotional too – the level of support he has received online after every end of the day social media post, the amount of donations made, but also the number of people who have wanted to join him for a section of the walk – the vast majority of which have been strangers.

He says: “I’ve walked on my own and I’ve walked with some amazing people. I got a message from Lauren Oakley from Strictly Come Dancing asking if she could walk with me on the Worcester Cathedral section, and she did, she joined me for nine and a half miles.

“But she said if I walk with you then at the end you have to dance with me, so we found a pub with a public garden and had a waltz. She was delightful, absolutely delightful.” On Lauren’s TikTok account she is also keen to praise John, telling her followers it was ‘My favourite day this summer!’.

John has been joined by families with children who are on holiday or live on the route and one supporter who travelled up from Brighton to join him for part of the walk. He says, rather in awe of it all, “The support I’ve been getting is phenomenal!”

But through the most challenging moments John has kept going thinking about people living with cancer and has kept them close to his heart, in every video saying he is thinking about everyone touched by the disease and carrying them with him.

He says: “I keep thinking about those people and they’re walking with me, all those are walking with me. I never stop thinking about them and I just keep going, just put one foot in front of the other. I have never, ever, not once thought about giving up or wishing I hadn’t started it. And what keeps me going is all those people who’ve got cancer, who are worse off than me.”

John’s family, friends and supporters are obviously proud of him, but if you tell John the whole of Wales is proud of him too, it brings a tear to his eye. He might have lived in England for many years but the love of the homeland has never left him and he is now looking forward to finishing the walk in Wales.

The night before a walk so epic is about to begin most people might feel nervous, not be able to sleep or celebrate the landmark day with a ‘last meal’ but John just treated it as any other day.

He says: “I’m not one to get over-excited, I was happy we had all the planning in place and then I just got up and got going. When I cross the finish line I’ll probably just go, ‘oh hello, can I have a drink please?!’, I’ll have a cup of coffee and a sit down!”

But John says as the final days of the epic walk appear on the horizon he has two main, over-arching thoughts about what comes next. He says: “I’ll walk back along the whole route if some kind, rich person will donate £100,000 to each of the four charities, do you think there is a millionaire out there who could do that?”

If no rich donors come forward the Welsh grandad is not going to stop looking for ways to raise more money, even though he says he knows there’ll be a list of gardening chores from his wife to do when he comes home.

He says: “I don’t know why I got this feeling deep inside me that this is not the end. Maybe I’m being silly now, but I think I might have been given this so I do more to help people.”

See John’s progress via his TikTok or Instagram accounts called Welsh Grandad and see his donation page here.

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MEXICO CITY (AP) — The United States announced on Wednesday that it had suspended all government operations in the Mexican state of Michoacan because of a “threat to U.S. interests,” including a halt to the inspections of avocados required for their export.

While the U.S. Embassy did not specify the nature of the threat in its security alert, Michoacan Gov. Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla said on social media that the temporary halt to inspections was intended to safeguard workers following recent arrests linked to extortion. The inspections are necessary for avocados to be shipped to the United States and their suspension could disrupt exports.

The western state of Michoacan is the leading exporter of avocados to the U.S. and has a high level of organized crime activity with at least four cartels — designated as terrorist organizations by the Trump administration — operating in the region. Besides trafficking drugs, cartels also make money through extortion, including of the avocado industry.

Michoacan State Security Secretary Antonio Cruz told The Associated Press that one of the arrests mentioned by the governor was of “El Poncho,” the alias of Alfonso Fernández Magallón, leader of a local cartel operating in the avocado-growing region around Los Reyes.

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson welcomed the arrest, which came over the weekend. The U.S. government had offered a $5 million reward for Fernández Magallón’s arrest.

Cruz said his department was unaware of any direct incidents involving the avocado inspectors. Nevertheless, 300 security personnel were deployed to the Los Reyes area as a preventive measure.

The governor said the priority was to “ensure the security conditions necessary for these operations to resume normally,” as has happened in the past.

Mexico supplies approximately 80% of U.S. avocado imports – a product known in the region as “green gold.” Its cultivation generates around 200,000 jobs in Michoacán alone.

In 2025, Mexico sold $3.65 billion worth of avocados to the United States, and in the first four months of this year, those exports rose by 35% compared to the same period in the previous year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture sends inspectors in Mexico to monitor plantations and packing houses to ensure that exported produce is free of pests. Threats and violence against the inspectors have caused the U.S. to suspend inspections in the past.

Meet the remarkable blind horse tipped to become a dressage champion after learning an extraordinary form of equine ‘braille’.

Milo, a 15-year-old Appaloosa, has stunned judges and spectators by returning to the show ring despite losing sight in both eyes.

The 16-hand gelding relies on a unique combination of touch, hearing and rider cues to navigate his surroundings after being struck down by a devastating eye condition.

Owner Megan Share, 28, says Milo uses the feel of the ground beneath his hooves to build a picture of the world around him.

Since returning to competitions last year, Milo has won two horse showing events but now has his sights set on returning to the elite dressage ring – competing against sighted horses.

Megan, who runs Debdale Riding School in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, said: ‘He interprets my pressure on him but he also uses his own pressure of his hooves on the ground surface for his spatial awareness.

‘He’s using his hearing and feel of touch with his feet to feel along the ground, it is like a braille technique.’

Megan has owned Milo since he was just three years old and spent years competing with him before tragedy struck.

After suffering from uveitis, a severe eye condition, he lost sight in both eyes at age 13 despite two surgeries

He navigates using an extraordinary combination of elevated hearing, rider cues, and spatial awareness developed by feeling ground pressure beneath his hooves (a technique likened to reading Braille)

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The horse went blind at the age of 13 after suffering from uveitis, a serious eye disease that eventually took the sight in both eyes.

Despite two operations on his left eye, vets were unable to save his vision. 

Against all odds, Milo returned to competition last year and even claimed first place at the Royal Windsor Show for the eighth year running.

Now Megan believes he is ready to take the next step into dressage, often described as ‘ballet on horseback’ because of its precise and controlled movements.

If successful, Milo will become the first blind horse ever to compete in a dressage event.

Megan said: ‘Now he’s won most of the shows he’s competed in this year. We’ve done the Appaloosa Breed Show and he’s already won that.

To help Milo compete at such a high standard, Megan has developed a unique communication system built on trust, voice commands and physical signals.

She said: ‘When we’re walking in areas when I’m not riding him we tell him up or down for steps and then slow down.

Megan acts as Milo’s ‘eyes,’ employing precise voice commands (‘up,’ ‘down,’ ‘slow down’), firm rein and leg aids, and core/seat movements to guide him continuously

Since returning to the ring, he has maintained a dominant streak, including winning at the Appaloosa Breed Show and claiming first place at the Royal Windsor Horse Show for the eighth consecutive year

He is set to compete in upcoming summer shows as he works toward qualifying for prestigious events like the Horse of the Year Show and the London International Show

‘We talk to him like he’s a human. We click at him to go a little bit more assertive, he listens more than he ever did. 

‘Everyone is astounded, when we do go out, people are shocked that this could even happen.

‘There can’t be any other blind horses competing at this level in the world. I’m extremely proud of him.’

Milo is due to compete at an Appaloosa show and the Denbigh and Flint Show in August before taking on qualifiers for the Horse of the Year Show and the London International Show.

Deep Purple singer-musician Glenn Hughes said Tuesday he is retiring from touring as he prepares to undergo heart surgery.

The 74-year-old musical artist ‘has made the difficult decision to step back from live performances for the foreseeable future,’ a statement on his Facebook page read.

The Cannock, England native said that he has ‘had some health issues’ over the ‘past year’ which he is focusing on, moving forward.

‘The results from numerous MRIs, CT scans, and an echocardiogram have alerted my medical team, that I need another open-heart surgery,’ Hughes said. ‘I really have no option and no choice as health is my number one priority.’

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer said he is ‘grateful to have been chosen with a life full with the gift of music,’ adding, ‘Thank you for walking beside me.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Hughes for further comment on the story.

Hughes in his early years had been influenced by a variety of musical styles and genres, ranging from the Beatles to the hard rock stemming out of England and the Motown style popular in the U.S., according to Blabbermouth.

He gained prominence with the group Trapeze in the 1970s before his 1973 addition to Deep Purple, which also featured David Coverdale joining the band.

The group achieved success with the new lineup with a trio of album releases including 1974’s Burn, 1974’s Stormbringer and 1975’s Come Taste the Band, prior to that incarnation splitting up in 1976.

Hughes and his colleagues in Deep Purple had been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. 

Hughes’ latest show came this past May 30 at St. Charles, Illinois’ Arcada Theatre with the band The Dead Daises, playing as The Purple Daises, including a mix of songs from Deep Purple, the outlet reported. 

Hughes in January 2026 cited health issues in canceling a spring tour in the U.S. titled The Chosen Years, the outlet reported, which would have featured tracks from his work in Deep Purple, Trapeze, Hughes/Thrall, Iommi/Hughes and Black Country Communion.

Søren Andersen had been slated to play guitar while Ash Sheehan was the scheduled drummer for the tour, in which Hughes was lead vocalist and bassist.

Hughes had a busy 2025, as in September, he released a solo album titled Chosen, which included accompanying videos for the titular track in addition to the songs Voice In My Head and Into The Fade, according to the outlet.

L-R: Glenn Hughes, Ian Paice, David Coverdale (at back), Ritchie Blackmore and the late Jon Lord pictured on 1974 US tour 

Hughes pictured in concert in Milan, Italy in 2017 

He spent the majority of the fall season touring locales in Europe and South America, spanning from a September 2 concert in Zoetermeer, Netherlands to the concluding show in Bogota, Colombia on November 29.  

Hughes in 1977 released his initial solo record Play Me Out, which would be the first of a dozen studio albums he would release in ensuing years.

He collaborated with guitar player Pat Thrall for the band Hughes/Thrall, which was the name of the group’s 1982 album.

Other notable names Hughes has worked with in multiple capacities – singing, writing or playing bass – include Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, Gary Moore and John Norum; the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Dave Navarro, Chad Smith and John Frusciante; and famed guitarists Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, the outlet reported.

He and Iommi had worked again on the 2025 single Rocket from Robbie Williams.

The pub, on Stokesley Road, Marton, Middlesbrough, has been closed since July 27 for a revamp.

The renovation work is expected to be completed this month and the aim is to reopen the pub by August 22.

The pub will continue to offer live music, sports events, and in-pub darts.

Greene King, who own the pub, said: “The upgrades are intended to enhance both the interior and exterior of the pub, introducing modern-day comforts for patrons to enjoy.”

The Rudds Arms will also introduce a new function space available for private hire.

The pub is popular with punters and has previously received glowing reviews.

One said: “Had a lovely meal here today.

“We use this pub regularly and the reason being the atmosphere and the team who work there.

“They are fab.

“They are all so friendly and accommodating.

“Well done team Rudd’s.”

The pub is recruiting for both full and part-time positions in the kitchen and bar.

The Rudds Arms has urged customers to browse menus and book ahead for the reopening via the Greene King app.

A police cordon is currently in place in Gorton following the crash

Emergency services have been rushed to Gorton following reports of a car crashing into a house.

Greater Manchester Police have cordoned off Hyde Road in Gorton after the car hit the house at approximately 9:36pm tonight (August 5).

Motorists are being asked to avoid the area where possible due to a number of road closures in place around the area.

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In a statement issued tonight (August 5), GMP said enquiries are ongoing as they try to establish the full circumstances around the collision.

A spokesperson for GMP said: “We are currently responding to reports of a collision involving a car and a house on Hyde Road, Manchester, that occurred at approximately 9:36pm tonight (5 August).

“Emergency services are at the scene and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.

“Road closures are in place so please avoid the area where possible.”

A day out at the beach is the ideal retreat during the summer, and there’s one unspoilt shore with stretches of soft, golden sand and colourful beach huts not far from Cambridge

There’s one pristine beach near Cambridge that I highly recommend visiting – and it’s not Holkham.

Cambridge is home to the scenic River Cam, lined with houseboats, rowers, and picturesque walking routes, along with the sprawling Jesus Green and Parker’s Piece parks. Not to mention the majestic medieval architecture that lines the university city, with King’s College Chapel and the Mathematical Bridge among the most notable landmarks.

Yet despite its picture-postcard setting and city offerings, we sometimes crave a trip to the beach, especially in the summer. Luckily for us, Cambridge is well-positioned and within easy reach of the beautiful Norfolk coastline, with many of its beaches less than two hours away.

One beautiful beach nestled along the Norfolk shore, which is by far my favourite, is Wells-next-the-Sea. The golden, soft-sand beach stretches for miles, and is lined with more than 200 stilted, pastel-coloured beach huts that only add to its unspoilt seaside charm.

Its sweeping beach means it rarely feels overcrowded, with ample space for kids to run around, build sandcastles, kick a ball around, or fly a kite. There’s the opportunity to dip toes into the shallow, although brisk waters, but it’s a must on any visit, and is a haven for strolls along the sand shore, which I love best.

Strikingly, Wells-next-the-Sea is also backed by pine forests, which not only enhance its scenic setting but also offer a welcoming retreat in the shade during those balmy summers. Parts of the beach are also dog-friendly, and I’ll often walk from Wells-next-the-Sea all the way down to its neighbour, Holkham Beach.

Along this route, I’ll often wander along the golden shore, passing the rolling sand dunes at Holkham, before turning around to walk through stretches of the majestic pine forest, which is hard to believe is adjacent to the sandy beach. Back at Wells-next-the-Sea, it’s easy to simply sit and admire the pristine coastline that lies less than a two-hour drive from Cambridge.

While it might just be the most scenic spot for a beach picnic, the Wells Beach Café, located at the end of Beach Road, offers everything from bacon or sausage baps, pasties, pizzas, cake, coffee and, of course, ice cream. And during those colder months, it’s a welcoming sanctuary, where you can warm up with a hot chocolate and grab a puppuccino for the pooch.

After exploring the beach, that’s if you can tear yourself away, the town of Wells-next-the-Sea is equally as inviting. The small seaside town has a population of just over 2,000 residents, and is known for its bustling quayside.

The harbourside is where you’ll spot kids crabbing off the jetty, fishermen bringing in their catch of the day, and visitors sitting under the sun while sharing a dish of fish and chips. There are a few independent shops to explore in the town, along with a selection of eateries, and you really won’t have to go far to find a decent chippy or ice cream shop.

Elsewhere, there are coffeehouses such as GROUND and Nelson’s coffee shop, the tearoom, No. 57, and Arthur Howell Bakery. If you’d rather extend your stay in the seaside destination, there are plenty of holiday homes available to book, including cosy cottages, or there’s the option to book a trendy stay at the four-star The Crown Hotel or The Globe Inn.

However long you decide to stay in Wells-next-the-Sea, you certainly won’t be disappointed, with its pristine beach enough to warrant a visit.

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

Neighbours said they spotted the teen going door-to-door with a large knife on Monday night before police were called at around 10pm

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A teenager who terrorized a neighbourhood while going door-to-door dressed in a creepy clown outfit has been accused of murdering a pensioner.

A 15-year-old boy was taken into custody by police after John Wesley Allen Sr, 76, was stabbed several times in the US state of Illinois. Police were called to a residential neighbourhood in East St. Louis at around 10pm on Monday (August 3), following reports of a body lying at the roadside. The body was later identified as the pensioner, with a coroner later ruling the man had died from multiple stab wounds. A 15-year-old boy was arrested by the Illinois State Police on Tuesday in connection with the elderly man’s death. It has since been revealed the teenager had been spotted in the neighbourhood earlier on Monday, traumatising locals by whispering creepy threats through people’s front doors while dressed as a spooky clown. Ring doorbell footage that has since been posted to social media – which carries a timestamp of around about 9pm, or, about an hour before police were called to the scene – shows a person dressed as a clown approach a home in East St. Louis.

The menacing clown can be seen sauntering up to the front door before leaving the audio message: “I’ve been looking for you.” In other doorbell camera footage obtained by NBC affiliate KSDK, a man can be seen looking into the camera and saying, “I have a gift for you.” Neighbours told the TV station they saw the teen going door-to-door with a large knife on Monday night. Corrine Spry revealed she was sitting on her back porch with her family when she first spotted the clown roaming the neighbourhood, twirling a knife. She watched him roam the area for about 45 minutes before police arrived.

“He was up to no good,” she said. “We’re pretty positive he circled back around in these woods because you could hear the sticks breaking.” Lee Palmer told local news broadcaster First Alert 4 that his mother was at the home alone when the menacing clown appeared on her front porch. The person lingered on the property for several minutes and even went behind the house, Palmer added. “I couldn’t believe it. He was dressed in the clown outfit. That was kind of spooky for her.”

He stated that he feared for his mother’s safety and worried that the masked stranger may have been armed. “He’s going to kill everybody in the house,” Palmer said, explaining his thought process at the time. “Why out of all the houses, why come to this house?” Palmer added: “He was not in the right state of mind to walk on somebody’s porch like that. It’s just unimaginable.” Illinois State Police now say they have arrested a 15-year-old suspect who they believe to have been seen on surveillance video wearing a clown costume.

They have not released details about what led to the killing or what brought the teen to the neighbourhood. Police said in a statement: “Video footage of the suspect dressed in a clown costume has been circulating and ISP is currently working to collect all relevant video.” Investigators have urged anyone with information or more CCTV or other surveillance footage of the clown-clad suspect to contact them.

The popular venue located on Hospital Road is hosting special family-friendly pool party sessions featuring exciting inflatables for children to enjoy in its indoor swimming pool.

Each event, scheduled for August 12 and 26, will feature two one-hour sessions running from 12pm to 1pm and 1pm to 2pm, and promise to provide a fun-filled afternoon of swimming and entertainment during the summer holidays.

Tickets cost £5 per person and children must be accompanied by an adult throughout the event.

Families are encouraged to book early as spaces are limited.