The US air force are investigating after an ‘accidental’ fire at the RAF Fairford site the morning after protests

An inquiry has been launched into the blaze that erupted at an RAF base on Sunday morning.

Several fire crews tackled the substantial inferno at a Gloucestershire airbase in the early hours as flames consumed a storage building at the RAF Fairford site.

The fire is thought to have ignited at around 1am and has been described by Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue as ‘accidental’.

RAF Fairford has been utilised by the US Air Force since March, when Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer authorised its use for ‘defensive’ strikes.

Its involvement in the Iran conflict has proved contentious, with a peaceful anti-war demonstration held there on Saturday in opposition, reports Gloucestershire Live.

Approximately 200 people gathered for the protest at the base, marching to the end of its runway.

Protesters carried signs bearing the slogans: “US out of British bases” and “Stop Trump’s deadly wars”.

It is one of just two bases across Europe capable of accommodating all three of America’s long-range bombers.

The US Air Force said: “There were no injuries sustained, the fire has been contained and currently poses no risk to the base populace or local community.

“We are thankful for the support of our local community members and services. The safety of our personnel, families and surrounding communities remains our top priority.

“An investigation has been initiated and is ongoing. More information will be released as it becomes available.” Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service stated on Sunday: “The fire involved a single-storey industrial storage building. It was brought under control safely and there were no casualties.

“Crews remain at the scene this morning as a precaution and to ensure the incident is fully resolved. Fire investigation is ongoing and the early indication suggests the cause of fire was nothing other than accidental.”

Love Cheese has its own shop, speakcheesey and outdoor space that has been dubbed a “gem of a place, particularly if you love cheese” and a “real unmissable treasure” by its customers.

The original speakcheesey is described as “a cosy space that has been carefully designed to be moody, unique and indulgent – the perfect venue for date nights, catch-ups or casual after-work drinks”.

Love Cheese’s website details: “Wine and cheese, food and drinks… just some of the delicious things the speakcheesey has to offer – alongside some great ambiance, friendly staff and festive cheer.

“Whether you’re after a light-bite or something more substantial, we have a range of menus available for your parties.

“We have vegan, veggie and gluten alternatives available for lots of items on the menu… and cheese boards can be built from our selection of cheeses in our fridges.”

As well as cheese and meat boards, Love Cheese serves cheese and wine pairings, cheese toasties, ‘afternoon cheese’ (an afternoon tea with a twist), pizzas and more.

Inside the secret garden at York’s unique cheese cafe

However, when it comes to the secret garden, Love Cheese’s teases: “Tucked away at the back of our shop and speakcheesey is our secret garden that peers on to the top of York Minster and is surrounded by the York walls.

“Our secret garden offers an area of relaxation away from the hustle and bustle of Gillygate and the city centre.

“Relax on your own with a glass of wine and a book or meet friends and family and gossip over one of our cheeseboards.

“The secret garden is equipped with heaters and decorated magically with festoon lights.”

On Tripadvisor, Love Cheese currently boasts an “excellent” 4.8/5 rating based on 258 review.

This loyal visitor shared: “This is an amazing cheese shop with a very wide range of cheeses and then there is the cafe at the back too.

What’s your favourite kind of cheese? (Image: Tripadvisor)

“It has a small and intimate indoor area and a garden with seating too (recommend booking).

“What better than to sit out in the sunshine with wine and cheese.

“The servers are very knowledgeable and will recommend according to your personal taste.

“We have been 3 times and will definitely visit again next time we are in York.”

This customer put: “What a discovery ! Delicious cheese . Exceptional service – the staff were well informed and able to describe both cheese and wine in detail- they shared their passion for the produce.

“We had the 5 cheese and wine pairing and could not recommend this enough.

“Generous portions. Lovely presentation. Variety of cheese was wonderful with local e.g. Yoredale and French e.g. delice de Bourgogne and Spanish e.g. Murcia al Vino (drunken goat).

“The wine complemented perfectly. Don’t miss this treasure!”

Specifically commenting on the ‘afternoon cheese’, one person wrote: “We had an excellent afternoon tea here as a present from our daughter and son-in law.

“There was a great selection of cheeses with oat cakes, bread, olives, chutney and sliced meats.

“This was accompanied by a wonderful bottle of sparkling wine.

“We had a great afternoon and both thought it was a good alternative to the afternoon tea with sandwiches and cakes.”

Another agreed: “Had a lovely Afternoon Cheese experience! Although I’m not a big cheese person myself, I took my ‘cheese mad’ friend and we both had a lovely time, I can now say I have been converted!

“It came with lovely bread, chutney, meats and crackers and filled us up perfectly!

“Would definitely recommend and Ill be visiting again and recommending to others.

“The staff were also lovely and friendly and made the experience one warm and welcoming.”

Have you discovered Love Cheese on Gillygate or Fossgate in York? Let us know in the comments below.

I was excited to receive my box of fresh fruit and veg, but was surprised at their delivery methods

There is something idyllic about being given a box of fresh fruit and veg, no plastic wrapping (unless necessary), the earthy smell, the vibrant colours. And when I signed up for Oddbox, that is exactly what I got.

Oddbox is a food delivery service that aims to cut waste by selling surplus or odd-shaped fruit and veg by the boxful. While their ‘Oddboxes’ are what they are most known for, they also have an online marketplace where you can buy rice and grains, cereals, tins, jars and much more.

The founders, Emilie and Deepak, said their mission to fight food waste started with a single tomato. They said: “Back in 2016, we tasted an ugly-but-delicious tomato in a market in Portugal.

“We realised we only ever saw perfect fruit and veg on the shelves… so we decided to dig deeper into how the food system works.

“The more we learnt, the stranger it seemed. Farmers grow delicious fruit and veg… then it gets rejected for being wonky.

“We fly food halfway around the world… then wonder why it tastes of nothing. We treat recipes like rulebooks… then wonder why we’re wasting food at home.

“None of it made sense to us – so we decided to flip the system on its head.”

So when I spotted a half-price deal on my first Oddbox, I thought I would give it a go.

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Was signing up and ordering easy?

As with most companies now, signing up was super easy. But, you will need to get your head around a few things.

Firstly, what type of box, a fruit and veg, just veg or a “fruit booster”. I went with a fruit and veg box as it offers up to nine varieties of veg and four varieties of fruit in each box.

Then you need to know what size box you want. You can choose extra small (recommended for one person), small (recommended for two), medium (recommended for two to three) and large (recommended for three to four people).

This is going to depend on a number of things: the size of your household, how much time you have to cook fresh that week and how much you are willing to spend.

For my first order, with three adults, a teen and a child in the house, I ordered a large box.

Once you have chosen, you can make some swaps. So if you already have onions in, you can swap them if they are expected to be in the delivery. Or if you hate pears, you can swap them out for bananas.

And then, you can add anything you like from the Oddbox market. I chose to keep it simple, though I was tempted by their giant cous cous.

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How much was it, and do you pay for delivery?

Pricing for a mixed fruit and veg box starts at around £11.99 and goes up to £23.99 for a large, I had a voucher so I paid around £11.99 for my first large box.

You do have to pay a delivery fee of £1.99 on top of this. This meant my first order was £13.98.

One thing that surprised me was that they deliver overnight. So in the small hours of a Wednesday morning, they quietly left a box of fruits and veggies by my door.

While I thought it was odd (see what I did there) at first, there was something nostalgic and wholesome about opening the door to the healthy bundle – I suppose this is very much like when milk deliveries were more prevalent.

What was the quality and variety of the fruit and veg like?

I didn’t make any swaps or look ahead at what I was going to get, so it was exciting unboxing my first order. And I was very surprised by the contents – I even had to Google what one of the vegetables was as I had never heard of a kohlrabi before — my bad, as this fresh-tasting root veggie was superior in our homemade coleslaw.

The quality was amazing, they were all super fresh and looked so appetising.

The contents of my large fruit and veg Oddbox:

• Two kohlrabi
• Eight vine tomatoes
• Pack of chestnut mushrooms
• Eight red onions
• Five huge baking potatoes
• One romaine lettuce
• One cabbage
• Nine leeks
• One broccoli
• One melon
• One coconut
• Six apples (one with cut on it)
• Nine kiwis

Can you use up all the veg?

Seeing all the beautiful, fresh food, knowing I had saved them from being wasted, I felt very pleased with myself, and it spurred me on to use them as best I could.

And I would say we were successful, but you really do have to be thinking of how you can use it in your cupboard and fridge, which is no bad thing, as we should be doing this anyway.

With the box came a leaflet with a recipe for coleslaw using the kohlrabi, red onions and cabbage. My husband made this, and it was far superior to anything I have bought from a shop; it was fresh and peppery without being overly creamy. I was eating it with everything, even simply with a serving of chips

I made a warming veg stew for a filling meal, using up the potatoes and other veg I already had at home. We cut the broccoli into florets and froze it for a future meal, which we have since used and it was perfect.

The leeks went in a deliciously creamy orzo dish, while we had sides of mushrooms and salad for quick, easy meals.

Fruit was used for snacking; my teenager loves a kiwi, so into the packed lunch they went.

When I got a second box, I found myself making minestrone soup, mac and cheese with hidden veggies, and I couldn’t wait for more of that coleslaw.

Unfortunately, we didn’t cut the melon for a while, and it was not at its best when we got to it, but other than that, we used up all the box, no problem.

Verdict – is it worth it?

I love the ethos behind Oddbox, and I enjoyed the random aspect of not knowing what each box will have (although I did make swaps in future boxes).

I loved trying new foods and recipes, and the added benefit of fighting food waste and eating healthy, home-prepared food made it feel like a win-win.

But I think it is expensive. I feel you could get a lot of the fruit and vegetables much cheaper, and I know that is not the issue Oddbox is here to tackle, but for families watching their bank balance, it may not be the right choice.

I have no issue with the easy of ordering, quality of food, or delivery. I did order a few times again, then cut down the box size before stopping.

What is nice if you can take a break, say you know you are going to be busy one week, or you are going on holiday, and then you can jump right back in.

This is a box for people who cook a lot, and I think I will probably order again in the future, perhaps when I have a week when I know I cook every night.

Buckingham Palace has confirmed King Charles’ statement as the King prepares for his historic US state visit

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King Charles is “greatly relieved” that US President Donald Trump, the First Lady and other guests at a media dinner escaped unharmed after an armed man attempted to force his way into the venue, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.

Charles, who is due to begin a four-day state visit to the US on Monday alongside Camilla, is being “kept fully informed of developments” following the shocking incident that brought chaos to the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday night.

Footage captured the moment the president stumbled as he was swiftly ushered from the room by Secret Service agents, who also grabbed vice-president JD Vance by the shoulders and rushed him to safety.

It’s believed the King and Queen have privately contacted the president and his wife, Melania, to express their concern for everyone caught up in the incident, as well as their appreciation for the security personnel who stepped in to prevent further danger, reports the Daily Star.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “His Majesty is being kept fully informed of developments and is greatly relieved to hear that the President, First Lady and all guests have been unharmed.”

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“As you would expect, a number of discussions will be taking place throughout the day to discuss with US colleagues and our respective teams to what degree the events of Saturday evening may or may not impact on the operational planning for the visit.”

The alleged attacker, said to have been armed with a shotgun and handgun, has been named as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, California. One officer who was struck by gunfire but protected by his bulletproof vest was taken to hospital.

It’s understood that the 31 year old was a guest at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the dinner was being held.

He faces charges including assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon, though acting US attorney general Todd Blanche confirmed that further charges are set to follow.

Mr Trump survived an assassination attempt in 2024 when he was shot in the right ear by a gunman during a campaign rally.

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme that talks regarding the King’s security arrangements during his US visit would take place on Sunday.

When pressed on whether security measures would be stepped up beyond what had already been planned, he said: “There’ll be appropriate security in place in relation to the risk.”

The landmark visit, which marks the King’s first trip to the US since ascending to the throne, will honour the 250th anniversary of American independence and launch a series of celebrations throughout the country.

Charles and Camilla will mark the occasion at a “block-party”.

The royal couple, who will begin their trip with a private tea hosted by the president and first lady, will also pay tribute to the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks that brought down New York’s Twin Towers. Mr Jones told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips on Sky News that Sir Keir Starmer had been in touch with the White House: “These are remarkable scenes. The Prime Minister has, this morning, sent a message to the president of the United States in solidarity for the events that took place.

“As you would imagine, with the visit of His Majesty the King this week, our teams are working closely to ensure that security arrangements are put appropriately in place.”

When pressed on any heightened concerns surrounding the King’s safety ahead of the state visit beginning on Monday, Mr Jones said: “As you would imagine, the Government and the Palace take the security of His Majesty very seriously, and there were already extensive discussions taking place, which will continue over the coming days.”

Sir Keir admitted he was “shocked” by the overnight incident. In a post on X, the Prime Minister wrote: “Any attack on democratic institutions or on the freedom of the press must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. It is a huge relief that @POTUS, the First Lady and all those attending are safe.”

The Prime Minister then reached out directly to the US president, extending his best wishes and expressing hope for a swift recovery for the injured officer.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp branded the incident “an attack on democracy”.

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The 1,052 word manifesto, Cole Allen called himself a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and said he was prioritising targets from highest-ranking to lowest.

The suspect who stormed the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and opened fire had previously outlined his plans to target Donald Trump’s administration officials in a manifesto. Cole Allen shared the document with his brother just ten minutes before the events unfolded.

In it, he called himself a “Friendly Federal Assassin” prioritising his targets from highest-ranking to lowest. Allen’s family reportedly flagged the document to local law enforcement in Connecticut after Saturday’s gala in D.C.

The shooting took place just minutes after the dinner got underway as Allen rushed past security. First Lady Melania Trump appeared to be the first to notice that something was wrong as she and the President were entertained by mentalist Oz Pearlman.

Agents then rushed to bundle Trump off the stage, with Melania also rushed to safety and agents seen grabbing JD Vance by the jacket and hauling him off the stage. Allen, 31, is alleged to have shot one police officer who was wearing a bulletproof vest and is now recovering.

Allen was tackled to the ground in a violent scene that resulted in shots being fired, Trump being rushed off the stage, and tripping in the process, and guests ducking for cover. The Mirror reports in Allen’s manifesto, he wrote: “Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed.

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“I’m not the person raped in a detention camp. I’m not the fisherman executed without trial. I’m not the schoolkid blown up, or a child starved, or a teenage girl abused by the many criminals in this administration.

“Turning the other cheek when *someone else* is oppressed is not Christian behaviour; it is complicity in the oppressor’s crimes. In order to minimise casualties, I will also be using buckshot rather than slugs (less penetration through walls).

“I would still go through most everyone here to get to the targets if it were absolutely necessary (on the basis that most people *chose* to attend a speech by a paedophile, rapist, and traitor, and are thus complicit) but I really hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Allen described his targets as being “administration officials (not including [FBI Director Kash] Patel): they are targets, prioritised from highest-ranking to lowest.” Allegedly referring to Trump, Allen wrote: “I am no longer willing to permit a paedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.”

The 1,052 word manifesto was signed off “Cole ‘coldForce’ ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’ Allen”. The manifesto makes repeated references to Trump without naming him directly, and alludes to grievances over a range of actions undertaken by Trump’s administration and recent events, including US strikes on drug smuggling boats in the eastern Pacific according to an official.

Investigators are treating the writings, along with a trail of social media posts and interviews with family members, as some of the clearest evidence yet of the suspect’s possible motives and mindset. Authorities uncovered what an official described as numerous anti-Trump posts on social media linked to Allen.

Speaking on Sunday morning, Trump told Fox News: “He had a lot of hatred in his heart for quite a while, and he just, I don’t know, it was a religious thing. It was strongly anti-Christian. And I don’t know if you’ve gotten it, [the] released manifesto. He’s got some big problems with the rest of his life, but it’s very, very bad, very bad situation.”

It is believed Allen bought the two firearms he carried within the last couple of years. Attorney General Todd Blanche said he was not being ‘co-operative’ with interviewers. Federal agents have interviewed Allen’s sister, who told investigators her brother had legally purchased several weapons from a gun store in California and kept them at their parents’ home in Torrance without their knowledge.

Allen legally bought a .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol in October 2023, and a 12-guage shotgun two years later, according to the official and another member of law enforcement. Allen’s sister described her brother as being prone to making radical statements, according to an official.

A photo posted on LinkedIn shows him in a graduation cap and gown after earning a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills. Allen earned a bachelor’s degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. While there, he was listed as being involved in a Christian student fellowship and a campus group that battled using Nerf guns.

Allen, of Torrance, California, is expected to face criminal charges on Monday.

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Kearns said she was grateful to Dr Blackadder-Weinstein for urging her to go to the hospital.

Sepsis, which can be life-threatening and is difficult to spot, is an emergency reaction to infection where the immune system overcompensates and damages tissues and organs.

“We had to go through like, three, four days of hell in hospital, the two of us, up in Birmingham and, I don’t think we realized how much we went through until now,” Kearns said.

“I’m so thankful for the doctors here at Villa, because if I was at home that day, and I probably would have rung my mum saying, ‘Oh, I feel a bit like flu-ish symptoms’, everyone would just say, ‘Have a sleep’ or whatnot, but Jodie made me go to the hospital.

“I was not wanting to go, because there’s nothing worse than obviously going to a hospital, but they probably saved my life because I had sepsis, and while having that, I wasn’t even thinking about the sepsis. It was: I’ve lost my child – and Liam was probably thinking the same.”

Kearns has visited Villa’s training ground to see her team-mates and work on rebuilding her fitness, but said she is still dealing with the mental trauma.

“I wouldn’t say I’m fully coping,” Kearns said.

“There’s days like today where I feel good, I’ve been in and around the [Aston Villa] girls and stuff, I’ve done my bike, I’ve done my testing, like, ready to get back on to it.

“But yesterday, I was upset all day because I got some news about the things we have to sort and it just comes and goes in waves.”

Kearns recognises that everyone deals with grief differently but stressed the importance of not “suffering in silence”.

She highlighted Tommy’s – the UK’s largest pregnancy and baby loss charity – as an important resource to lean on.

The Poseidon, described as one of the RAF’s primary intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance assets, was operating from Aldergrove for the first time

The island of Ireland is in an “absolutely critical position” amid tensions with Russia, the joint military commander in Northern Ireland has said.

Brigadier Piers Ashfield was speaking as the RAF brought a P-8 Poseidon from Lossiemouth in Scotland to the Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove in Co Antrim last week.

While the aircraft was primarily in Northern Ireland for a joint search and rescue exercise with the Coastguard and RNLI, there was also a military significance to the move.

The Poseidon, described as one of the RAF’s primary intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (Istar) assets, was operating from Aldergrove for the first time.

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Brig Ashfield, commander of 38 Brigade and the senior military officer in Northern Ireland, called the exercise the “physical manifestation” of the updated memorandum of understanding signed by the UK and the Republic of Ireland in March to enhance bilateral defence co-operation.

“The aim of this has really been to test and adjust some of our operating procedures to provide an enhanced level of safety and security for people across the island of Ireland in the maritime domain, particularly focused on this exercise on search and rescue,” he told the Press Association.

“Ireland has always been a prisoner of that geography, and where it operates in the Greenland-Iceland gap, as you’ve seen the various ministerial leaders of the MoD (Ministry of Defence) describing the threat from Russian naval operations in that space that threatens both the critical national infrastructure that not only the UK depends on, but a significant part of Europe and our allies and partners depend on as well.

“It occupies an absolutely critical position covering this really important stretch of water in the North Atlantic.

“It’s the most westerly (base), and I think that provides an advantage not only for the UK operating from here, but also our allies and partners across both Nato and through some of our bilateral arrangements as well.”

Wing Commander Rob McCartney, the commanding officer of the Lossiemouth-based 201 Squadron, described the island of Ireland – with its position in the north Atlantic where the Russian navy regularly deploys – as strategically important to what is going on in the world”.

“The UK signed a memorandum of understanding with Ireland only a couple of months ago, which signals a much closer security relationship than we had before,” he told Press Association.

“While we’re here doing search and rescue, we’re also here to plant a little flag in Aldergrove and say the RAF is here in Aldergrove, we plan to operate here and we plan to operate much closer with our Irish partners

He added: “The North Atlantic has been strategically important for about 100 years, and since the Second World War has become even more strategic.

“The Russian navy regularly deploy in the North Atlantic and, on this side of the Atlantic, it is the island of Ireland that is closest to that battlefield, so while we’re not here today to conduct anti-submarine warfare, we’re not here to track Russians or drop torpedoes, we are here to make the point partially that Ireland, the island of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Aldergrove, this airfield, will be strategically important in the future – of that there is no doubt.

“The RAF is here to get used to operating from here, and who knows where that will take us.

“We in a war of deterrence, what we’re here to do is say to Putin ‘we’re willing and ready to be stronger than you and do things that win this war, and airfields like Aldergrove will be part of that solution’.”

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“Today I think there was more pressure,” Zhao said. “I know Ding didn’t play very well in the last session but the pressure is very big. This year I just don’t want to lose any match so it feels very different.”

Judd Trump, the world No 1, inched closer to booking his place in the quarter-finals after establishing a 9-7 overnight lead in a pulsating contest against Iran’s Hossein Vafaei.

Resuming at 4-4, Trump struggled to get into his stride as his inspired opponent edged 7-6 in front, but Trump responded brilliantly, a century followed by further breaks of 74 and 94 seeing him end their second session with a precious advantage.

Neil Robertson took advantage of a controversial moment in the 14th frame of his clash with Chris Wakelin to move four clear at 10-6 ahead of Monday’s conclusion.

Wakelin was well in the ascendency when he potted a long red, but a foul was called by referee Peggy Li, who noticed him feather the yellow ball in the process.

Wakelin clearly did not agree with the referee’s call but the decision stood after Li called for a replay, and Robertson capitalised to take the frame with a 65 break, before further breaks of 65 and 101 took him to the brink of his first last-eight appearance since 2021.

Dr Todd (Caroline Harker) is upping her campaign of evil against Jacob Sugden (Joe-Warren Plant). 

Whether it’s because she feels threatened by him or just really doesn’t like him, the respected doc seems hellbent on running Jacob’s career into the ground. 

It started with her being overly hard on him, which she sneakily said was down to the fact she knew he was good. Then she looked for any opportunity to undermine him and crush his confidence. Fast forward a few weeks and she has claimed he’s stalking her while he’s been forced to visit HR. 

Evidently, things are not settling down. 

She moved to the village after a bitter divorce and has been trying to turn the locals against Jacob ever since.

Jacob found this incredibly awkward, but now that baby Leyla has arrived, he’s a bit more preoccupied. 

That won’t stop Todd, however.

She has purposefully ingratiated herself in village life with the ladies, making firm friends with Vanessa (Michelle Hardwick) and Manpreet (Rebecca Sarker). They’re in the pub having a girls’ night when Mary suggests a darts match, putting Vanessa and Todd on the same team. 

Todd grabs the opportunity to start flirting with Vanessa. It’s not for romance, it’s for more manipulation purposes. She uses the opportunity to plant negative seeds about Jacob to undermine him even further than she already has.

Todd is determined to paint a terrible picture of the aspiring doctor to prevent him from ever progressing. She also knows a secret about him that no doubt she’ll be using to make his life even worse. 

If Vanessa starts reciprocating the flirting it would mean Todd is here to stay. Will the sinister Doc succeed in ruining Jacob’s life?

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 or stream from 7am on ITVX and YouTube.

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MORE: Emmerdale fans have a wild Dr Todd theory – but stranger things have happened

MORE: Wicked Dr Todd uses baby Leyla against Jacob in unsettling Emmerdale spoiler video

MORE: Ross overwhelmed in Emmerdale as he is pulled into baby Leyla’s life

Neil took on the 23-mile charity walk to raise money for the British Heart Foundation after losing his wife Heather in October last year.

A father who lost his wife after she suffered complications from a heart transplant has completed an “emotional” Kiltwalk in her memory.

Neil Magill, 48, took on the 23-mile charity walk from Glasgow Green to Balloch to raise money for the British Heart Foundation (BHF), after losing his wife Heather in October last year.

She had been in hospital when he told her he was going to do the walk, and the plan had been for her to be waiting at the finish line, cheering him on alongside their 10-year-old son Mason.

But instead he did the walk in memory of the woman he described as his “hero” – and it was made all the more emotional when the route took him close to the church where she is buried.

“It’s been a good day, emotional,” Mr Magill said on Sunday after completing the challenge, which has so far seen him raise more than £2,000.

“Pretty much the whole way we’ve chatted about Heather.

“She is buried in the grounds of Old Kilpatrick Church, and I was mid-conversation with the group when I saw the church so at that point it was a bit emotional.

“I would love to do this annually now in Heather’s memory but as the first one, this felt a bit more significant.”

The couple met in 2011, Heather being from Glasgow and Mr Magill from Belfast.

Heather moved to Northern Ireland to be with him and they married in 2014, and she become pregnant a year later.

However, after giving birth to their son joy turned to concern when she suffered from postpartum cardiomyopathy – a rare form of heart failure that occurs in late pregnancy or soon after giving birth.

“There was no indication of any heart difficulties through Heather’s life and no indication of a problem, and she had a normal pregnancy, with no issues at all,” Mr Magill said.

“But about a week after giving birth, when Heather was back home, she sat up in bed in the middle of the night, and you could hear her heart beating.

“She grabbed my hand and put it to her chest you could really feel it pounding.

“Heather thought she was having some sort of panic attack and put it down to her body reacting to the trauma of childbirth.

“The next day we went to the GP surgery who referred us to the Ulster Hospital, where tests identified that she had heart failure.”

She was in hospital for about two months and so missed the first few weeks of being a new mum at home – but Mr Magill took Mason in to her every day.

After being discharged she went on to lead as normal a life as possible, with annual check-ups and managing her condition with medication.

“Her health was always in the background, but we tried to protect Mason from it,” Mr Magill said.

“He knew mum had to go to hospital from time to time for check-ups and he always knew mum had a heart problem, but we never wanted him to worry, and it didn’t restrict his life.

“Heather lived life to the full and we went away on various holidays each year. I think she tried to cram everything in for fear that something like this could happen.”

In 2025 a routine check at the Golden Jubilee hospital in Glasgow – the city where the family was now living – showed a slight decline in Heather’s kidneys, and she experienced further symptoms during a family holiday to Mexico.

“While on holiday Heather did appear to struggle with her breathing more than normal but we put it down to the heat and humidity in Mexico,” Mr Magill said.

But when she returned home doctors gave the couple the news they feared – that Heather, 49, needed an urgent heart transplant.

She was admitted to hospital in August last year and her transplant took place in September.

Sadly there were multiple complications in the days following the transplant and she died on October 1.

Mr Magill said: “Heather was my number one. She was my hero for how she handled life since the heart failure, she never let this hold her back, she lived life to the full.”

He added: “Although her story didn’t have the ending we all hoped for, it was not due to a lack of dedication from those involved in her care – including the incredible work of the BHF.”

David McColgan, head of BHF Scotland, said: “We are so incredibly grateful to Neil for taking on the Kiltwalk for BHF.

“It’s thanks to the amazing efforts of people like him that we can continue to fund lifesaving research to help us find the breakthroughs, treatments and cures of the future and turn research that once seemed like science fiction into reality.”

Details of how to support the fundraiser can be found on the Team Heather JustGiving page.

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