Just a few miles west of Darlington, the village of Piercebridge offers a mix of countryside, history and local food that makes it an ideal spot for a leisurely day out.

Sitting on the banks of the River Tees, the village combines scenic riverside views with a rich Roman past and one of the area’s most talked-about farm shops and cafes.

At the heart of the village is Piercebridge Farm Shop and Café, which has earned a loyal following among visitors.

A look at the picturesque scenery in and around Piercebridge. (Image: Tripadvisor)

Tripadvisor reviewers have described it as a “hidden gem”, praising its atmosphere, friendly staff and location.

One visitor called it an “absolute must to visit”, highlighting homemade sausage roll, chicken stew and cakes among the menu favourites.

Another reviewer said the farm shop’s lemon iced ginger cake was “truly amazing”, while praising the range of produce and welcoming service.

The café provides a handy stopping point before or after a walk through the village.

Visitors can pick up coffee and cake, browse locally sourced produce and enjoy views of one of South Durham’s prettiest corners.

What makes Piercebridge particularly appealing is that there is more to discover than simply a place to eat.

The village is steeped in history, having grown around the site of a Roman crossing of the River Tees.

Today, traces of that past remain, giving visitors the chance to combine a relaxing walk with a glimpse into the area’s heritage.

(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

A stroll through the village quickly reveals why it remains a favourite among those who know it.

Stone cottages line quiet streets, the river winds gently past the settlement and there are plenty of spots to pause and take in the view.

For families looking to make a day of it, there is ample opportunity for a gentle riverside wander before returning for lunch or a sweet treat.

In an age when many weekend outings involve crowded retail parks or expensive attractions, Piercebridge offers something refreshingly simple: a chance to slow down.

The applicant has sought permission for a site near the A14

Plans for a huge new “employment park” next to a major Cambridgeshire park have faced backlash, with one person claiming it would be an “unacceptable burden”. Lolworth Developments Limited (LDL) is seeking permission to deliver a huge employment floorspace accommodating a mix of logistics, mid-technology, and research uses for new and existing companies to invest, expand, and occupy.

The employment park would deliver around 240,000 square metres of floor space on land next to Junction 25 of the A14 between Bar Hill and Northstowe. The development, called ‘Cambridge 25’, would provide around 2,900 new jobs and training opportunities near existing and planned future homes.

If approved, a nature park would be created for future employees and visitors. It would deliver more structural landscaping and tree planting, community facilities, better walking and cycling connections, and large HGV areas with parking bays.

Additionally, it would deliver “high-quality” and “sustainable” employment premises for new and existing companies to invest, expand and occupy. The applicant said: “There is a current deficit in the supply of land for future employment uses and a specific shortfall in industrial and logistics floorspace.”

Once in operation, the development activity is predicted to generate around £117.1m in Gross Value Added (GVA) annually, equal to 0.7 per cent of Greater Cambridge’s total GVA in 2031. GVA is the value that producers have added to the goods and services they have bought.

A planning document said: “There is an urgent need for the provision of land which can accommodate high quality I&L premises (industrial and logistics), including those towards the larger size ranges. There is a critical undersupply of land and premises to meet the needs of the I&L sector and this is particularly severe in relation to large units.”

Since its submission in July, the plans have received some backlash. One person objected to the Cambridge 25 development due to its “unacceptable scale and impact on Oakington and the surrounding countryside”.

The objector wrote: “My main concerns are the loss of 103 hectares of greenfield habitat, visual and landscape harm, 24/7 noise and light pollution, and significant flood-risk concerns. I am deeply concerned that up to 350,000 litres of treated effluent per day could be discharged into Oakington Brook, a watercourse that can become very low or dry in summer, creating serious risks to local ecology and residents.

“I’m also concerned about the additional HGV traffic on the ‘local’ A14 bypass road and other small roads, which are unsuitable for such volumes of heavy vehicles. The ‘jug handle’ for travel towards Bar Hill roundabout will cause massive problems, especially as this area will also face increasing pressure from the ongoing development of Northstowe, making the cumulative impact on congestion, road safety and local communities even more concerning.”

They fear the development would “fundamentally urbanise this rural setting and place an unacceptable burden on local infrastructure”.

Bar Hill Parish Council also lodged an objection to the plans. A spokesperson for the council said the development would lead to “significant increases in traffic on the A1307 and B1050 as well as the A14”.

The objection said: “The pathway is used by pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders whose safety will be impacted by the large numbers of HGVs crossing the path into the site. The number of junctions could cause confusion for drivers.

“The increase in vehicles at junction 25 of the A14 may lead to drivers going along the A1307 to use junction 24 of the A14 at Swavesey or go through Dry Drayton to avoid the congestion. The increase in traffic increases the likelihood of any incident on any of the roads near the junction 25 roundabout blocking access to Bar Hill due to the village only having one road in and out.”

The parish council also urged the development to accommodate all HGVs when they arrive and provide suitable welfare facilities for the drivers, including overnight. The spokesperson said: “On road parking of HGVs in local villages including Bar Hill is a regular problem as Swavesey services are unable to cope with the current number of HGVs on the road system.”

The Environment Agency objected to the proposed development as submitted because it “involves the use of a non-mains foul drainage system in circumstances where it may be feasible for the development to be connected to a public sewer but inadequate justification has been provided for the use of a non-mains system”. The public body recommended that the application, as it stands, be refused on this basis.

Another person said the facility could potentially serve thousands of workers. As a result, they raised an objection because it could “create a huge amount of sewage, with possible dire consequences for the local environment, wildlife and residents”.

HECK! has launched new Chicken Cumberland Sausages, aimed at people looking for a high-protein and leaner alternative to pork sausages.

The new Chicken Cumberland Sausages, which will be available nationwide at Morrisons and Tesco stores from mid-September, are made with lean chicken and a blend of bold black pepper, fragrant sage and warming spice notes.

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Weighing 340g and priced at £3.50, the sausages are designed to be a versatile addition to various meals, from mash and sausage sandwiches to stir-fries and tray bakes.

The new product is part of HECK!’s expanding range of lean sausages, burgers, seasoned mince, and sausage rashers.

These products are aimed at people wanting to boost their protein intake without compromising on flavour.

All items in the HECK! chicken range are gluten-free and naturally lower in fat.

Manchester United transfer news as the club attempts to complete some more business before Tuesday’s deadline

Manchester United’s mixed transfer window is coming to an end, with one area in particular still needing attention.

United have made successful additions in midfield, with Carlos Baleba following Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans through the door. Nevertheless, there will be disappointment if United fail to strengthen on the left side of defence.

Another option to Luke Shaw is required, with the long-serving left-back entering the final 12 months of his contract. Lewis Hall is a longstanding target but Newcastle have no intention of selling.

Regarding potential departures, talk surrounding Marcus Rashford’s future persists after he turned down a switch to Fenerbahce. Ahead of United’s opening home fixture of the campaign against Ipswich Town, here’s a summary of the latest transfer developments.

Rashford interest

Despite his reintegration into the first-team setup, Rashford could still move on soon. The latest link involves Arsenal, who need a replacement for Saudi-bound Gabriel Martinelli.

According to the Independent, the Premier League champions are considering whether to table a loan offer for the enigmatic forward. Whether United would approve a third loan spell for Rashford remains uncertain, though they could at least anticipate the Gunners covering the majority of his £325,000 per week wages.

A more pressing target for the Gunners is Atletico Madrid’s unsettled striker, Julian Alvarez, whose desired switch to Barcelona has been blocked.

Returning to Rashford, there has been unexpected speculation that Barcelona haven’t dismissed the possibility of re-signing him, despite declining the option to make his move permanent following last season’s loan. According to TeamTalk, Barca remain in contact with Rashford’s camp.

‘Time’s up for Shaw’

Patrice Evra has urged United to bring in a replacement for Shaw. While holding considerable respect for his fellow left-back, the Frenchman believes the moment has arrived to replace the 30-year-old, whose Old Trafford career has been plagued by injury.

Speaking on his Kick stream, Evra criticised Shaw’s display at Hull last weekend. He said: “What I’m really disappointed about is all the back passes in that game. Luke Shaw, I love you, but it’s going to be a tough season for him.

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“Why? He’s been at the club for years, he’s had a lot of injuries that killed his football career. When I talk with him, he’s still traumatised by [the injuries], he wouldn’t go 100 per cent into every challenge.

“I have to tell the truth. Man United fans want to hear my opinion, and I think [Shaw’s] time has gone. Don’t get me wrong, he might have a great game next game, but I don’t care. If Luke Shaw can give me a 35-game season, then that’s a good season.

“I don’t care if he has 10 good games and three bad ones, if he doesn’t play at least 35 games in a row, Man United fans will go crazy. He’s lucky because he’s English. I love Luke Shaw, but I love Man United even more. That’s why I’m saying they need another left-back.”

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Do you sometimes wish that you had telepathic or other supernormal powers?

Around a hundred years ago, some of the greatest minds in philosophy thought there were people who had such abilities. In fact, they even suggested that perhaps horses and dogs could have them too.

At the turn of the 20th century, many great scientists, psychologists and philosophers became fascinated by the possibility of “psychic phenomena” like telepathy, clairvoyance or ghosts. Many of them, like J.J. Thomson, the 1906 winner of the Nobel prize in physics, performed experiments to test mediums. Others, like the philosopher C.D. Broad, attended seances and thought about the possibility of precognition – the ability to foresee future events.

These weren’t just marginal charlatans. Many of them had an impact on philosophy and science in the 20th century. Many of the concepts philosophers of time still argue over today trace back to C.D. Broad, such as the growing block theory, which says that the past is real, the present is real, but the future does not yet exist.

Most of their focus was on the psychic abilities of humans. However, some of these “psychic researchers” went even further and began wondering about the possibility of telepathy in animals.

The philosopher Friedrich Canning Scott Schiller (1864-1937), who spent most of his career at the University of Oxford, was an active member of the Society for Psychical Research (SPR). He was one of the founders of pragmatism, the philosophical view that the truth of a theory can be judged based on whether it works in practice.

Schiller engaged in heated discussions about the psychic abilities of animals. His article on “psychical research” for the Encyclopedia Britannica has a section about “equine mathematicians” – horses with supposedly paranormal mathematical abilities that they demonstrated by tapping out solutions to equations with their hooves.

In 1914, Schiller wrote an article for the SPR about Rolf, “the thinking dog of Mannheim” (in south-west Germany). Rolf was credited with the ability to tap out answers to mathematical problems with his paw. And, with the help of a spelling code for letters and syllables, Schiller even claimed that the dog managed to produce entire sentences.

On one occasion, Schiller alleged that the dog professed its Catholic faith to a priest.

The case of Rolf (and other “thinking dogs” who suddenly started cropping up elsewhere) caused a dilemma for psychical researchers. Some thought this proved that animals have hidden intellectual powers just like humans. Others, like the Russian scientist Vladimir Bechtereev, suggested that the whole thing can be explained by telepathy.

Bechtereev went on to make major discoveries about memory and brain structure. In his view, the dog’s owner telepathically communicated all the information to him.

Schiller believed that his theory of pragmatism could help settle these disputes. He thought there was no point discussing these things in the abstract. What matters is whether either of the theories can be shown to have practical consequences for how the animal behaves. If Rolf was really so skilled at arithmetic, why does he not use mathematics in everyday life? And if he is a confessed Catholic, why does he not go to church?

Joseph Banks Rhine (1895-1980) and his wife Louisa (1890-1983) are widely considered to be the founders of the controversial field of parapsychology. They published the influential volume Extra-Sensory Perception (1934) and founded the Parapsychology Laboratory at Duke University, which has since been shuttered. Their approach of using a large number of tests with multiple subjects has been closely connected with modern statistics.

In 1929, the Rhines published an article about the horse Lady Wonder. This horse was seemingly able to make predictions, work out answers to mathematical problems, and tell time, all of this by touching lettered and numbered blocks with her nose.

The most famous of these mathematically gifted horses was Clever Hans. Just like Lady Wonder in the US, Hans attracted huge crowds to his native Germany, who were eager to witness his arithmetic abilities. This included psychical researchers curious to see whether Hans had supernormal powers, as well as Carl Stumpf (1848-1936), one of the fathers of modern psychology.

It was Stump’s research assistant Oskar Pfungst who eventually got to the root of Hans’s miraculous powers. Pfungst observed that Hans could only provide the correct answer when his owner, standing nearby, knew the answer to the question asked – and only when Hans could see him.

This led Pfungst to conclude that Hans was simply responding to involuntary signals from his owner, signals that his owner did not even realise he was providing. Pfungst thereby discovered the so-called Clever Hans effect. This describes situations where the bad set up of an experiment causes the experimenter to unintentionally influence the subjects they are studying.

Pfungst’s explanation got rid of the need to appeal to supernormal abilities and partially contributed to the gradual disappearance of psychical research from universities. Like many other psychic phenomena, modern psychology could explain what was going on.

Although it turned out that these horses and dogs had no such mathematical powers, the studies conducted by psychical researchers helped uncover new knowledge. One surprising example is the development of randomisation in experiments.

Randomisation means deciding the order or allocation of things in an experiment by chance, rather than allowing the researcher or participant to choose. It is now a basic part of good experimental design because it helps prevent expectations from influencing the results. Surprisingly, attempts to test telepathy helped drive its development. Researchers realised that if people knew what answer was expected, even tiny unconscious cues could affect the outcome.

The case of Clever Hans and other “telepathic” animals shows just how turbulent this period of time was for modern science and philosophy. The telephone suddenly made it possible to contact someone on the other side of the world, and the X-ray allowed you to see inside the body. So perhaps it’s not that surprising that some of the greatest minds began to investigate telepathy in animals.

Another Bank Holiday ‘land grab’ has left residents devastated after diggers bulldozed a wildlife haven for a suspected traveller site.

Sawbridgeworth, East Hertfordshire was the latest area to be targeted by developers who arrived on Friday morning with huge lorries, fences going up and roads being blocked. 

In videos posted on social media, birds can be heard chirping as work involving heavy machinery is carried out on greenbelt land. It has devastated residents who fear travellers have taken over and destroyed the precious wetland habitat and floodplain.

The council has issued a Temporary Stop Notice which requires builders to halt further work on the site, but residents claim unauthorised work has carried on regardless.

One neighbour, in her 50s who wishes to be anonymous, has lived in the area all her life and told the Daily Mail she feels ‘powerless’ and ‘devastated’.

She said: ‘I believe they are travellers building a traveller site. Some people don’t want them anywhere and I think they should go through all the steps that everyone else has to when it comes to planning and building. 

‘They definitely don’t have permission – the order was ignored and they’ve continued to bring in diggers and all sorts of machines.’ 

The resident added that she and her neighbours are mostly saddened by the destroyed habitats of the protected wildlife, including bats, newts and nesting birds.

Another Bank Holiday ‘land grab’ has left residents devastated after diggers bulldozed a wildlife haven for a suspected travellers site

Left: Last month a muntjac was pictured enjoying the land. Right: The current state of the site 

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She said: ‘The reserve has been around for as long as life and within a day it was destroyed. It’s a total destruction of nature, it’s absolutely disgusting. 

‘There’s a lady who lives right across the road from it and she’s in tears. We’re completely appalled by the destruction; it’s devastating to be so powerless in the situation.

‘It’s the bank holiday and no one has the chance to stop it before it’s too late, so they’ve got four days to destroy habitats’. 

It follows a trend that has seen travellers purchase land, often in leafy parts of the Home Counties, before unauthorised sites are set up.

They fear it could be the latest example of a ‘land grab’ – a trend that has seen travellers swoop in to lay pitches over Bank Holiday weekends, when council offices are closed. 

Planning permission is then sought retrospectively, with travellers often granted the permanent right to stay because there is an ‘unmet need for pitches’. 

One concerned neighbour expressed dismay over the irreversible damage to the wildlife and the inaction from authorities over the long weekend.

She said: ‘Heavy machinery and diggers began bulldozing a beautiful wetland beside our village lock. The area is an important habitat for birds and other wildlife, and it is now being rapidly churned up and covered with large quantities of hardcore.

‘East Herts Council has issued a Temporary Stop Notice. However, despite that notice, machinery and vehicles are continuing to operate on the site and further material is being brought in.

The council has issued a Temporary Stop Notice which requires builders to halt further work on the site, but residents claim unauthorised work has carried on regardless

One resident said that she and her neighbours are mostly saddened by the destroyed habitats of the protected wildlife, including bats, newts and nesting birds

Neighbours have organised a peaceful protest to be held at the lot on Sunday morning to convey their frustration which they hope will remove the workers quicker

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‘The police are currently in attendance, but there appear to be only two officers dealing with the situation. Meanwhile, the destruction is continuing in real time.

‘We are extremely concerned that by the time the relevant authorities are able to take effective action, this precious wetland and its wildlife habitat will have been irreversibly damaged.

‘This is not simply a planning dispute. It is an environmental emergency happening right now, with heavy machinery actively destroying a wildlife habitat.’

Neighbours have organised a peaceful protest to be held at the lot on Sunday morning to convey their frustration which they hope will remove the workers quicker.

Another resident also told the Mail: ‘Many many residents are distraught, dismayed and feel very let down by the laws relating to this kind of destruction of wildlife habitats beside a lovely picturesque lock in a pretty historic small town.’

East Herts council said in a statement on Saturday morning: ‘Council officers have attended the site and we have issued a temporary stop notice, requiring any further unauthorised activity covered by the notice to cease immediately. 

‘Our planning enforcement team will continue to closely monitor the site and investigate the works that have taken place. We will also work with Herts police to monitor the situation. 

‘We will consider what further enforcement action may be necessary and appropriate, and will provide a further update when we are able to do so.’ 

Sheering Mill Lane, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire: Map view of the suspected travellers site

Last week, travellers who held an entire village to ransom for £600,000 in a land grab scam have applied to officially house caravans the site after their ‘blackmail attempt’ backfired

Cllr Angus Parsad-Wyatt, the mayor of Sawbridgeworth said: ‘East Herts issued the temporary stop notice this morning. This has been ignored, so the council is working on an emergency application for an injunction to prevent occupation of the site. 

‘Legal and enforcement officers at the council are gathering the necessary information and hope that a temporary injunction can be issued today.’ 

A police spokesman told the Indie: ‘Hertfordshire Constabulary is aware of a dispute over the use of land in Sheering Mill Lane, Sawbridgeworth. We are liaising with our partners at East Herts District Council.’ 

East Herts council and Hertfordshire Constabulary Police have been contacted by the Daily Mail

It’s the latest ‘bank holiday land grab’ to occur after construction works suddenly got underway on a greenbelt plot of land in Irby, Merseyside.

Three caravans, two diggers, two cars and a van have been seen on the land, which is located just yards from residents’ homes.

No planning application has been submitted for works to be completed on the site, according to the Wirral Council planning portal.

A number of locals believe it is travellers who have bought the land and are conducting the illegal works.

Last week, travellers who held an entire village to ransom for £600,000 in a land grab scam have applied to officially house caravans on the site after their ‘blackmail attempt’ backfired.

The family bought the greenfield site, which is the size of a tennis court, just outside the Buckinghamshire village of Dinton in February – and immediately drove three caravans and a mobile home onto the plot.

In a carefully orchestrated operation, diggers and lorries moved onto a quarter-of-an-acre plot off to lay hardstanding rubble and position caravans in the designated conservation area.

Horrified villagers, who protested against what they call an illegal land grab, say they were approached by two men who said that if they wanted them to leave the area, they could buy back the land for more than £600,000 – forty times the £15,000 they are believed to have paid for it.

Now, after the 800 people living in Dinton refused to bend to the travellers’ demands, the family’s patriarch Jimmy Doran has officially applied to the council to turn it into a permanent residence.

Just two hours from Cambridge, along the Norfolk coast, is one of the world’s best beaches, offering miles of pristine golden sand, backed by rolling dunes and an enchanting forest

One Norfolk beach has frequently been hailed as the best in the world, so I visited to see what it was all about – and I have two words.

In a bid to savour the last of the summer days and make the most of the August bank holiday, a trip to the beach might just be the perfect remedy. There are ample beaches within easy reach of Cambridgeshire, with Norfolk providing some of the most beautiful stretches of coastline, so it couldn’t be easier to spend a day out at the beach.

And it’s no surprise that Holkham is one of the most popular beaches to visit in Norfolk, thanks to its pristine golden-sand shore backed by rolling sand dunes and an enchanting forest. It’s even been globally acknowledged as The Times previously named it as one of the best beaches in the world, noting it’s “wide-open, jaw-dropping, windswept romance of this five-kilometre-long blonde hits you square on.”

And it certainly does that. From the moment I stepped onto the soft golden sand, after walking through the majestic sand dunes, it felt as though I had been transported to the other side of the world. The beach stretches for endless miles, out towards the sea and all the way along to Wells-next-the-Sea beach on the east, and Burnham Overy Staithe Beach to the west, for sensational coastal vistas.

I’ve never seen such a sprawling sand beach that remains beautifully untouched, with its scenes completely mesmerising. As I wandered along the sand, following the footprints of fellow beachgoers, I passed by families paddling in the shallows of the waters, dogs running freely off the leads, and horse riders cantering along the dedicated Bridleway – there’s that much space along the shore!

There’s nothing quite like it, and on certain days, you can see the leftover sand ripples from where the tide crept up, which only adds to its striking landscapes, in addition to the undulating dunes and perfectly imprinted footprints. If I could, I’d visit Holkham every day of the year, purely to soak up the serene setting that’s unlike any other beach; it really is breathtakingly beautiful.

I took my time strolling along the sun-kissed shore, passing dramatic sand dunes before reaching the Burnham Overy Staithe salt marsh and venturing further into its pretty harbour village for a stop off at The Hero pub for a refreshing pint and a bowl of chips. On the way back to Holkham, I found myself in other captivating scenes as I ambled over rolling hills before reaching the ancient woodland, with towering trees and an easy-to-follow footpath that’s adjacent to the stunning shore.

Holkham beach is even loved by members of the Royal Family, with the Prince and Princess of Wales, frequently visiting the unspoilt shore with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, during the school holidays. Holkham beach is perfectly positioned just over 30 minutes from the family’s country home, Anmer Hall, which sits within the Sandringham Estate – the private residency of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, who are also reported to have visited Holkham many times.

The Norfolk beach has also been used as a backdrop for photos for the Wales family, with Princess Kate capturing snaps of her beloved family, marking various occasions and milestones. And it’s easy to see why it’s got the royal stamp of approval and has been named as one of the best beaches in the world, with its unspoilt scenes offering a slice of paradise, less than two hours from Cambridge.

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

The Sunday Telegraph, external says John Healey is mulling a windfall tax on banks and oil companies in the Budget. Treasury officials are said to be looking at ways of plugging a £4.7bn black hole without raising direct taxes on individuals.

The paper suggests banks and oil companies are seen as “low-hanging fruit”. BP is said to have more than doubled its profits between April and June because of higher oil prices driven by the Iran war. In its editorial, the paper warns against the windfall tax move, saying it will harm growth by denting investor confidence.

According to the Mail on Sunday, Russia is poised to target Britain with a cyber attack on a drone or missile factory. A key advisor to President Vladimir Putin, the former deputy foreign minister Andrei Fedorov, tells the paper the highest levels of the Russian government are considering such a strike. A drone factory owned by the British Ukrainian firm, Ukrspecsystems, is said to be a target. Its location, near RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, was made public in April.

The Sunday Times, external reports that Andy Burnham has given what it calls a lucrative pay rise to train drivers on the Avanti West Coast London to Manchester line. The deal with union leaders was said to have been made to avoid strikes on a flagship service, and one of the busiest lines in Europe. The paper suggests industrial action would have proved embarrassing for cabinet ministers travelling to the prime minister’s new political hub, Number 10 North, in Manchester.

According to both the Sunday Telegraph and the Sunday People, new studies suggest statins can reduce the risk of dementia, as well as lowering cholesterol and the risk of heart attacks. The Telegraph reports that the largest study by Denmark’s Copenhagen University Hospital found that the daily pills reduced the chances of dementia by up to 15%. The paper says the research means statins could benefit around six million of almost 10 million people aged 70 and over in the UK who are not currently taking them.

The Sunday Mirror, external reports that Peter Homa, the ex-boss of Nottingham NHS Trust, where a review found that 520 mothers or babies suffered potentially avoidable death or harm, is now CEO of a firm giving maternity training to the health service. Grieving families tell the paper they are “concerned” by the news. Homa was approached for comment.

The Sun on Sunday, external suggests the X Factor could return, seven years after it left our screens. ITV chiefs are said to be “in talks” about revamping the programme for a younger generation. The show’s creator and former head judge Simon Cowell is said to be likely to return in some capacity.

And several papers carry pictures of Sir David Beckham and his wife Victoria watching their son Cruz perform at the Reading Festival with his band the Breakers. “Beckstage at Reading” says the Sunday Mirror, external. “Band it Like Beckham” is the Sunday Times caption.

President Donald Trump on Saturday posted an apparently AI-generated video depicting an army of buff, bequiffed and heavily-armed “Donald Ducks” patrolling the shores of “Lake America.”

Hours later, while he was at his Virginia golf course, the president posted another AI-generated video, this time showing himself knocking over a “Welcome to Lake Ontario” sign and installing a “Welcome to Lake America” one in its place. He then dances to the Village People’s “YMCA.”

The posts followed Trump’s executive order renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America” amid a bitter tariff war with Canada, a longtime U.S. ally and trading partner.

Set to the theme song from Hawaii Five-O, a 34-second clip shows a squadron of Canada geese marching near the Great Lake. The birds have human arms, carry assault rifles and sport the president’s signature blond pouf of hair.

The geese then fire their weapons into the air as fireworks erupt over the skyline of a nearby city — which appears to resemble Toronto.

Earlier this week, Trump announced that the U.S. was giving “serious consideration” to rebranding Lake Ontario, which straddles the U.S.-Canada border. He also posted a TikTok video showing himself using a Sharpie to mark up a map of the lake.

“We’re gonna make a little change; we’re gonna call it something different than Lake Ontario,” the 80-year-old president said in the clip.

Any doubt that the effort was simply trolling evaporated Thursday, when Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to refer to Lake Ontario as “Lake America” in all official documents and records. The move echoed his similar effort last year to rebrand the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”

Although the president can direct how the federal government refers to geographic features, he cannot compel foreign nations, private entities or even U.S. states to follow his lead.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to the missive in a Thursday post on X.

“The name Lake Ontario comes from the Wendat word Ontari’io, which, appropriately, means ‘the lake is beautiful, the lake is big,’” he wrote. “The name is more than 400 years old, predating both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America.”

“We know that America is changing. Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms,” he added. “Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario – then, now and always.”

Relations between the U.S. and Canada have deteriorated since Trump took office, including as a result of his repeated suggestion that Canada should become the “51st state.” Tensions escalated further this week over trade.

On August 22, the U.S. imposed 50 percent tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian exports after last-minute talks between Ottawa and Washington broke down. The Trump administration has accused Canada of discriminating against U.S. businesses.

Carney, who has denied Trump’s accusations, likened the levies to an act of war. He retaliated with tariffs of up to 50 percent on a range of U.S. goods.

The trade war has also spilled into a war of words. This week, Trump singled out Ontario Premier Doug Ford in a Truth Social post, describing him as a blustering “flunky” who needs to “fall in line.”

At a news conference, Ford responded by calling Trump a “dictator,” a “bully” and the “king of bankruptcies.” He also told Trump to “kiss my a**.”

And so with this show, everything is very deliberate and performed with conviction. There is no “oh I need some stronger material there” or “haha I never know how that bit’s going to go”. That’s not to say every part of this show fully lands with the audience, by any means. But it’s the show as it was intended. To see a performer commit to the bit, to the extent she does in particular when playing out a funeral scene (and if you’re trying to guess how, you’re wrong) may be unrivalled at this year’s festival. It pays off with what may be its most brilliant extended joke. No spoilers.