The Balder Viaduct on the Tees Valley Railway, by Northern Perspectives (Image: Northern Perspectives)

It is a view that Hannah Hauxwell would probably recognise although it is one some Victorian dalespeople doubted the 21st Century would see. In 1879, such a strong rumour circulated that a collapse of part of the parapet meant the whole structure was unsafe that the North Eastern Railway requested the Teesdale Mercury to publish an “unqualified contradiction” on September 3, saying that it was “as strong as when first built”.

From the Teesdale Mercury of September 3, 1879 (Image: Chris Lloyd)

It was first built in time for the opening of the eight mile long Tees Valley Railway on May 12, 1868.

It was one of two £5,000 viaducts on the line – the other, over the Lune, suffered a partial collapse in August 1867 when four men were injured – designed by Alexander Nimmo and Thomas MacNay. They were not big-name engineers but they had worked under Sir Thomas Bouch on the remarkable constructions at Deepdale and Belah on the Stainmore line.

It spans the River Balder, which is an Old Norse name, perhaps from a Viking settler called Baldr who shared his name with a Norse god.

SEE LAST WEEK’S NORTHERN PERSPECTIVES’ VIEW HERE

On the railway’s opening day, the Darlington & Stockton Times said the Balder was crossed by “a graceful viaduct of nine arches of 30ft span, the structure being 100ft in height”.

And so it is today. The viaduct survived the scare of the late 1870s. It survived the closure of the line in the 1960s. It survived talk of demolition in the 1980s due to maintenance costs and it is now one of the highlights of the Tees Railway Path, rising up above the trees but still giving views of the rippling river down below.

Northern Perspectives is a weekly contributor to Memories. He is a Durham-based photographer who uses the latest drone technology to shed new light on our beautiful and historic landscapes, and the stories they contain. To see more of his amazing work, including his aerial videos, search “Northern Perspectives” on Facebook.

By MATT STRUDWICK, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

Published: 12:15 BST, 6 September 2026 | Updated: 18:10 BST, 6 September 2026

A three-month-old girl has died while camping with her family in a woodland area, police have said.

The baby went into cardiac arrest on land off Strawberry Lane, near the village of Great Wyrley in Staffordshire at around 8.45am yesterday and was pronounced dead by paramedics a short time after.

Police are in the early stages of an investigation into the ‘unexplained’ death but have said it was an ‘isolated incident’. 

Detective Inspector Katie Gregory said: ‘While the investigation remains at an early stage, this is an isolated incident and we understand that the child’s family was camping in the area.

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‘The death is being treated as unexplained at this time.’

Officers yesterday cordoned off a fishing lake in the Wyrley and Essington Branch Canal Local Nature Reserve and remained there today. 

A tent was set up in a wooded area near a pond off Strawberry Lane, near the village of Great Wyrley in Staffordshire

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Staffordshire Police said the baby girl’s death was being treated as unexplained and officers remain at the scene (officers are pictured here yesterday on September 5)

Officers and an air ambulance attended the scene following reports that a child had entered cardiac arrest at around 8.45am on Saturday

One witness said she directed paramedics towards the area around the fishing lake.

Drone images from the scene show at least four tents and camping chairs positioned next to each other, close to fishing platforms. 

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Robert Duncan, district councillor for Cheslyn Hay, said: ‘I know how deeply upsetting news like this is for our community. 

‘It’s important that we allow the emergency services the space they need to complete their work with dignity and care.

‘As soon as the full and confirmed details are formally shared with me, I will provide a further update to residents. 

‘Until then, please avoid speculation and allow the family and responders the privacy and respect they deserve.’

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At least 25 people – mostly schoolchildren and teenagers – have died after a bus plunged into a ravine on one of Cape Verde’s islands. 

The bus veered off a road on Fogo – one of Cape Verde’s islands in the Atlantic Ocean – late on Saturday and fell around 30m into a steep ravine.

Several injured passengers were taken to a hospital on the island and seven bodies were buried immediately due to their condition, local media reported.

Many of those on board were primary and secondary school students, according to national news agency Inforpress.

The outing was a private trip arranged by the driver, who was among those killed, the agency added.

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Cape Verde’s president, Jose Maria Pereira Neves, called the incident “a great catastrophe” in a statement on his Facebook page.

Authorities have yet to establish the cause, with the president and other officials expected to visit the island on Sunday.

Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany’s hard-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, said her party had a clear mandate to govern as exit polls on Sunday showed them on course to win a ‘historic’ victory in a key regional election. 

The AfD took at least 44 percent of the vote in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, according to exit polls by two public broadcasters.

Weidel said the AfD would talk to all parties. The AfD has faced a policy of so-called Brandmauer – which translates as ‘firewall’ – until now, meaning other mainstream German parties have refused to cooperate with or go into coalition with them.  

The party was far ahead of the centre-Right CDU of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which stood at 18.5 percent.

However, it was too early to say whether the hard-Right party will have enough votes for an absolute majority which would allow it to govern a state alone for the first time, public broadcasters ARD and ZDF said. 

‘We have made history today,’ said a jubilant Ulrich Siegmund, the 35-year-old lead candidate for AfD in Saxony-Anhalt state.

Recently dubbed ‘Germany’s most dangerous man’ by a news magazine, the hard-Right leader mocked the publication by handing out signed copies to his fans.

In recent months, Siegmund has been mobbed by adoring supporters at ‘family picnics’ and campaign events across the small state.

But his vow to deport irregular migrants ‘from minute one’ has terrified many foreign-born residents.

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency considers the AfD chapter he represents as ‘Right-wing extremist’ with links to ethno-nationalist groups and think-tanks.

Siegmund was present at a 2023 secret meeting near Berlin where extreme right-wing activists discussed a radical ‘remigration’ plan to expel millions of people with a migration background.

At the time, the revelation cost Siegmund a committee chairmanship in the state parliament – but he has since dismissed the meeting as a ‘Kaffee Klatsch’ or casual social gathering.

German voters headed to the polls today for a crucial regional election in the ex-communist east where the hard-Right, anti-immigration and Moscow-friendly AfD is on course for a landmark win. 

The Alternative for Germany, polling at over 40 percent for months in Saxony-Anhalt, even has its sights on winning its first-ever state government, although this is far from assured.

Polls opened at 8am local time (6am GMT) and some 1.7 million voters have until 6pm (4pm GMT) to cast their ballots, with first projections expected shortly after.

The small state is now ruled by the centre-Right CDU of Chancellor Friedrich Merz in coalition with two smaller parties, and its state premier Sven Schulze hopes to build again a multi-party coalition to cling to power.

All other major parties have so far maintained a ‘firewall’ of non-cooperation with the AfD, whose Saxony-Anhalt branch is categorised as ‘Right-wing extremist’ by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency.

The AfD’s top candidate Ulrich Siegmund – a telegenic 35-year-old who is feted like a rock star at campaign events and has a large social media following – has confidently predicted gaining an absolute majority.

‘It was the others who erected the firewalls,’ he told Bild daily. ‘If no one wants to work with us, then we’ll just have to do it alone.’

Such a scenario would shake Germany, a country that has long been at pains to atone for its dark history in World War II and the Holocaust and which has so far kept extremist parties in check.

Polls opened at 8am local time (6am GMT) and some 1.7 million voters have until 6pm pm (4pm GMT) to cast their ballots, with first projections expected shortly after (Pictured: People casting their votes in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, in Tangermuende, Germany)

Ulrich Siegmund and his wife arrive at the polling station in Tangermuende on a scooter

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A strong AfD win would also heap pressure on Merz, who has vowed to reboot a stagnant economy and restrict irregular immigration, but has seen his party beaten by the AfD in national surveys too.

‘If the AfD wins in Saxony-Anhalt, Merz’s critics will become even more vocal, and calls for better leadership will become impossible to ignore,’ said political scientist Wolfgang Schroeder of Kassel University.

However, Schroeder also said he does not expect Merz to be ousted, given the current absence of a strong rival candidate: ‘As far as I can see, there is no alternative chancellor.’

Siegmund has vowed to topple a ‘domino’ on Sunday and lead a political revolution from the small state of 2.1 million people that propels the anti-establishment party to national victory in 2029.

The AfD’s key campaign promises include a ‘remigration and deportation offensive’, a ban on LGBTQ pride rainbow flags at public schools, and an end to new wind farms.

The party has also tapped into a sense of nostalgia for communist East Germany and lingering resentment about an enduring wealth gap with the West decades after the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall.

The prospect of an AfD state government – while eagerly awaited by many voters – has sparked alarm among mainstream parties and minority groups.

One voter at the polls in Magdeburg brought their pet dog who waited patiently at its owner cast their vote

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The small state is now ruled by the centre-Right CDU of Chancellor Friedrich Merz (pictured) in coalition with two smaller parties

AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund of the hard-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party, speaks to supporters during the final campaign rally on the eve of state elections

Germans attend a rally at the Democracy Festival in Magdeburg on September 5, 2026, in a protest against an expected increase of votes for the hard-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party

Thousands of the AfD’s opponents joined a ‘festival of democracy’ rally in Magdeburg on the eve of the vote.

The German Economic Institute warned the AfD’s immigration policy would be ‘ruinous’ for the state, whose population is already ageing, shrinking and highly reliant on foreign-born workers.

Others have voiced fears an AfD-run state security apparatus could leak sensitive information to Russia.

The Kremlin ‘makes no secret of the fact that the AfD is the most important instrument for destabilising Germany for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin,’ Thuringia state interior minister Georg Maier told the Handelsblatt daily.

The latest poll, released Thursday by public broadcaster ZDF, gave the AfD a commanding lead of 41 percent.

The CDU got 23 percent, the centre-left SPD 8.5 percent and the Greens six percent, while two smaller parties failed to cross the five-percent hurdle to reenter parliament.

A similar result may allow a scenario where the CDU and others form a minority government with ad hoc support from the hard-Left Die Linke party, which polled at 11.5 percent.

In the final stretch of campaigning, a social media video stoked fears about mail vote fraud, with claims of manipulation at an elderly care home that were denied by state authorities.

Germany’s parliamentary speaker Julia Kloeckner dismissed AfD speculation of voter manipulation, speaking to news weekly Der Spiegel.

‘Questioning elections without concrete evidence appears to have one goal,’ she said, ‘to sow distrust in our rules and to accept the results only if the outcome suits’.

That meant that when Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari had scrappy sessions, Gasly was there to pick up the pole. It would not have been a surprise had he qualified on the front two rows, though. 

It was a disappointment for George Russell, who missed out by just 0.06sec. Still, it could have been better but it could have been worse. Starting on the front row is no bad thing here and it is expected that Mercedes will have a faster race car (and possibly the fastest) than Alpine. With Antonelli starting at the back because of an engine penalty, it gives Russell the chance to eat into Antonelli’s title lead. 

What would be a satisfying amount today? Well, if Russell wins and Antonelli fights his way back to fourth, say, that is a 13-point gap, meaning Russell would be 46 points adrift heading into Madrid next week. Still, let’s not forget that Russell will have to take one of these engine penalties soon, too…

When it comes to supermarket rivalries, there’s none quite so interesting (and fierce) as the one raging between Aldi and Lidl. 

The German budget retailers go head-to-head each month in a bid to be crowned the UK’s cheapest supermarket, and more often than not it’s Aldi that’s victorious.

But in their latest battle, it’s looking like it might be Lidl that’ll come out on top.

The big brands are both keen to open a new store in one of the UK’s poshest towns, and a verdict as to which one will be able to do so is imminent.

Aldi and Lidl have both submitted planning applications to build new stores in Holt in Norfolk, with Lidl wanting to open off Nightjar Road and Aldi off Old Station Way.

The market town, which is the epitome of a ‘chocolate box town’, is made up of quaint flint and red brick buildings, cute cobbled courtyards, and independent businesses, art galleries and boutiques.

It’s also home to Gresham’s Private School, which has had some notable alumni over the years, including Olivia Coleman, Sir James Dyson, and W.H. Auden.

For those unfamiliar with the area, Holt previously came in 7th place in The Telegraph’s ranking of Britain’s 15 poshest towns.

As such, some locals don’t think the budget brands are suitable for their ‘beautiful Georgian’ town; but others welcome the idea, as the current grocery options aren’t the most affordable.

There’s a Budgens store at Kerridge Way, a Morrisons Daily inside a BP petrol station, and a food hall inside Bakers & Larners, the town’s very own luxury independent department store.

Taking to Facebook, Hayden Cunningham said: ‘We desperately need an Aldi; not only is it going to be a cheaper alternative to Budgens, but it will bring a lot more job opportunities to a lot of us out here. Besides that, I can’t see why anybody would say no to this; if you don’t wanna shop at Aldi then just don’t. Simple as.’

Similarly, Shane Webster commented: ‘As much as I would love to afford to do my weekly shop in Bakers & Larners, reality has to kick in, so yes please Aldi we welcome you.’

As Alan Raymond Palmer shared: ‘A new supermarket is vital.’

Nicola Smith wasn’t so keen though, sharing: ‘Just a lot of tat in Aldi and Lidl. Would be lovely to get a decent supermarket.’

And Mandy Mops asked: ‘Why oh why do we need two budget supermarkets in this beautiful Georgian town and so close to each other?’

To answer Mandy’s question, Holt doesn’t need two supermarkets. In fact, North Norfolk District Council has been warned that allowing both to open could have ‘significantly adverse’ consequences for the town.

As reported by the Eastern Daily Press (EDP), independent retail consultants at Nexus told the council the town centre ‘cannot survive’ both stores opening. They said trade at Budgens could fall by as much as 30 per cent, with the wider town centre ‘facing a hit of up to 22.6 per cent’.

It was decided that one store would not cause such harm to Holt, and it’s therefore been recommended that only one of the planning applications be approved.

But which one will they pick?

Aldi’s site is said to be the better of the two in planning terms, as the land at Old Station Way is closer to the town centre, and has been identified as suitable for a food store in the Holt Neighbourhood Plan.

Lidl’s plot, on the other hand, is further out on the edge of town and was never intended for retail use.

Despite this, it isn’t looking good for Aldi, as part of their planning proposal includes access to the busy A148 bypass, which has been deemed ‘unacceptable in the interests of road safety’ by Norfolk County Council’s highways department.

As such, planners have recommended Lidl be given the green light at a North Norfolk District Council development committee meeting set to take place on Thursday, September 10.

And Lidl is confident they’ll be the right choice.

Andrew Hodgkinson, regional head of property at Lidl GB, recently told the EDP: ‘Holt residents have been clear that they want a Lidl store in the town and we are ready to deliver one.

‘With capacity for only one discounter in Holt, Lidl is the only realistic and deliverable option, and we are ready to get spades in the ground should planning permission be granted on Thursday.’

However, Lidl shouldn’t celebrate just yet, as committee members don’t have to follow the recommendations from planners, so Aldi could still get the votes.

And Aldi has been actively encouraging the people of Holt to show support and let the council know how much they want the retailer to open there, with an online form.

So, the war wages on and we’ll have to wait and see what happens next…

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk

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Police were first alerted to reports that a Vauxhall Mokka had collided with a lamp post and fence on Bruce Road in Glenrothes at around 7.45am on Sunday.

A man has been arrested and is in hospital after officers were forced to use spike strips following a police chase in Fife.

Cops were first alerted to reports that a Vauxhall Mokka had collided with a lamp post and fence on Bruce Road in Glenrothes at around 7.45am on Sunday, September 6. As officers approached, the vehicle made off, sparking a dramatic pursuit throughout the town.

Footage shared with the Record showed police throwing down spike strips outside the Lidl store on Leslie Road as the car was eventually brought to a halt. Cops could then be seen grabbing the driver and pulling him out of the vehicle before he was arrested.

The man was also taken to hospital, where he currently remains. His condition is not yet known.

Dozens of police could be seen in attendance and the black Vauxhall Mokka was spotted with a large dent at the front as it was later recovered. Detectives say their enquires into establishing the full circumstances of the incident remain ongoing.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 7.45am on Sunday, September 6, 2206, a Vauxhall Mokka collided with a lamp post and fence on Bruce Road, Glenrothes.

“As officers approached, the vehicle made off and a pursuit took place until the car was brought to a stop by officers in Leslie Road and the driver, a 45-year-old man, was arrested. The 45-year-old was taken to hospital where he remains. Enquiries are ongoing.”