Oscar’s Lockdown Pizza, which started out of his parents’ kitchen, will close this week

A beloved Cambridge pizza business will close down for good. Fans said they were ‘struggling to come to terms’ with the news that Oscar’s Lockdown Pizza will close at the end of July.

The business, started by pizzaiolo Oscar Peake in his parents’ kitchen during the COVID pandemic. But now Oscar has said the business, which has been serving pizza from local pubs, will close this week as he plans to leave the UK for Greece. The brand has become known for its range of innovative pizzas, especially its vegan and vegetarian options.

The business began while Oscar was struggling to find work during Lockdown and ended up cooking pizzas for his friends, family and neighbours.

“People told their friends, and then eventually we ended up doing 58 pizzas in one night”, he told CambridgeshireLive, “I put flyers in people’s houses around my neighbourhood and created an Instagram page, which got thousands of followers.”

But when his parents left Cambridge for Scotland, Oscar had to move his business and ended up cooking out of the kitchen and one of the city’s best-known pubs. He said: “Luckily, the Blue Moon is an amazing pub with a strong community and great beer.

“That was an amazing feeling, and it was kind of a realisation that an expansion was a possibility. When we first started, it was quite hard, and when we got busy, it was always a bit of a disaster. Eventually, we were able to do more and more pizzas with a lower wait time, and that was really satisfying, and that was the moment I realised maybe I’m good at this and really enjoyed the process of running the business.”

Alongside serving pizza in the Blue Moon, they also began making pizza at the Portland Arms in Chesterton and in London.

Oscar has decided to close Oscar’s Lockdown Pizza after moving to Greece with his girlfriend. He mentioned how it had “been on the cards for a while” and realised how “difficult” the business would be to run from Greece, so he will move the pizza company out there instead.

To celebrate Oscar’s Lockdown Pizza’s last eight weeks in business, the brand will sell a different special pizza each week. It will also offer anyone who has proof of ordering a pizza during lockdown, either a photo or a receipt, two free pizzas as a way to say thank you.

Out of all of the pizzas he has made over the years, Mr Peake had a few favourites. He said: “We had this one pizza called the aubaby, and I was really proud of that name. We had to produce a pizza that was good enough to match the name. It’s called aubaby after aubergine, so we deep-fried aubergine and coated it in this lovely chickpea batter. Then we put it on the pizza with some mozzarella and tomato sauce to make an aubergine parmigiana, and that was one of our favourite pizzas.

“The meat and smoky is our most popular pizza. It’s by far the most ordered pizza, and it’s an original flavour made by hand, which has got hay-smoked ricotta, sweet chilli jam, rocket, and chilli flakes. It’s more popular than the cheese and tomato, and people just absolutely love it. It’s like the Big Mac of Oscars.”

After the announcement was made, the company’s social media page was flooded with comments and people who “couldn’t believe” the news, with Mr Peake having to explain his decision. He continued: “I think people really can’t quite come to terms with it. I think a lot of vegans are actually genuinely concerned we’re closing because we made our own vegan cheese and pepperoni. Every pizza we have has a vegan version available. So Oscar’s is kind of like heaven if you’re vegan.”

When asked what he wanted to say to his loyal customers, Mr Peake said: “I just want to say thank you so much to anyone who bought a pizza, as it allowed me to do my dream job for the last five years. Sorry to let you down. Thank you to anyone who has told their friends about us, who has been essential to our success. I’m very grateful.”

Fans of the brand won’t be without pizza for long, though, as the head chef of Oscar’s Lockdown Pizza, Guillo, will be opening his own pizza business at the Blue Moon pub and will continue making vegan options as well as the “world famous” tarragon and garlic mayo dip. The business will be named Carmen’s after Guillo’s grandma and will incorporate Latin and Spanish flavours into many of the pizzas.

Oscar’s Lockdown Pizza will close on Sunday, July 26, meaning there is still some time to grab one last pizza.

Ulster SFC final: Armagh 2-28 Monaghan 0-25

Armagh’s 18-year wait for an Ulster title is over. They finally got their hands on the Anglo Celt Cup with a nine-point win over Monaghan after extra-time in Clones.

The previous three Ulster finals had gone to extra-time. Two all the way to penalties. Armagh had come away from St Tiernach’s Park empty-handed on all three occasions.

This time, Kieran McGeeney’s men refused to countenance yet another familiar tale of woe on Ulster final day, but they came perilously close.

Haunted by the ghosts of past Ulster finals, they watched a seven-point lead slip away in the final quarter before powering clear with an assured display in extra-time.

After winning their semi-final bout with Down by a record-equaling 28 points a fortnight ago, the burden of expectation was firmly on the shoulders of the Orchard County.

It felt like a heavy weight to carry at different times.

Monaghan landed the first three points of the decider including a cracking two-pointer from Andrew Woods.

They were then forced to absorb a wave of relentless pressure from Armagh, who began to find their range after a sluggish start.

Indeed, Armagh only took the lead for the first time when Jarly Óg Burns registered what would prove to be their only two-pointer of the final after 17 minutes.

Burns added another before back-to-back turnovers led to scores for Conaty.

The 2024 Young Footballer of the Year was unplayable in the first half. He posted five points from play. On this kind of form, he’ll be in the conversation for Footballer of the Year if Armagh enjoy a prolonged summer campaign.

With 27 minutes played, Armagh looked like they were beginning to assert. Step forward Rory Beggan.

A foul on Stephen O’Hanlon, who’d scored himself moments earlier, gave the Scotstown goalkeeper a chance to shoot for a vital two-pointer.

Just like his last-gasp winner against Derry, Beggan turned away as soon as he made contact with the ball. He knew it was over.

A Joe McElroy point ensured Armagh led 0-13 to 0-11 at the break, but they ought to have been further clear as the electric Conaty played a great ball over the top to put Turbitt through on goal.

The Clann Éireann ace kept his shot low and, with Beggan beaten, he watched his shot crash off the base of the post.

He made amends with a converted free in the early stages of the second half and followed it up with another from play. This time Armagh made the better start to the half with Jason Duffy making it three quickfire points for the Orchard.

Oisin McGorman briefly halted Armagh’s momentum before the Farney conceded their first goal.

Dylan Byrne’s pass down the line failed to find a white and blue jersey and Armagh took full advantage,

Darragh McMullen’s pass was almost intercepted by the fingertips of Ryan O’Toole. Tiernan Kelly was in behind to collect and fire past Beggan.

Duffy tagged on another point before McMullen pointed after forcing a smart stop from Beggan to put McGeeney’s men 1-17 to 0-13 ahead.

In much the same manner as their semi-final win over Derry, Monaghan simply wouldn’t accept their fate

The introduction of Jack McCarron sparked a revival in the home side and coincided with a drop in tempo from Armagh.

Monaghan’s hero from the Derry game, he kicked 0-3 in three minutes including a two-pointer that lifted the Farney faithful.

Another two from O’Hanlon levelled the game with seven minutes of normal time to go.

Armagh fans and, perhaps, some players began to fear the worst.

Oisin O’Neill and O’Hanlon traded points as the game ticked towards the inevitability of extra-time.

Mercifully for Armagh, there’d be no penalty shootout in Clones and they took a grip on the game in the first period of extra-time with points from McConville (free), Turbitt and Rory Grugan (free) and a vital goal from Oisin O’Neill.

Slick handpassing from Conaty and Grugan set the Crossmaglen ace through on goal. This time, Armagh wouldn’t be denied.

They made hard work of it. Was it really going to be any other way?

Monaghan will be disappointed with their extra-time performance with O’Hanlon’s sixth point all they had to show for their efforts while defender Darragh McElearney picked up a late red card for an off-the-ball clash with O’Neill.

After being relegated from Division One earlier in the year, Gabriel Bannigan’s men have shown enough in the last few weeks to suggest they are capable of further surprises.

Armagh, with the Ulster Championship monkey off their back, will soon turn their attention to another tilt at All-Ireland honours.

ARMAGH: B Hughes; P McGrane, A McKay, P Burns; G McCabe, T Kelly 1-0, J Óg Burns 0-3 (1tp); J McElroy 0-2, J Duffy 0-2; D McMullen 0-1, C Turbutt 0-5 (0-2fs), T McCormack; C McConville 0-2 (0-2fs), A Murnin 0-2, O Conaty 0-6.

Subs: G Murphy for P Burns (HT), R McQuillan 0-2 for Duffy (55), O O’Neill 1-01 for McConville (58), R Grugan 0-2 (0-1f) for McElroy (65), D Magee for Kelly (71), McConville for Murnin (71), Duffy for McMullen (71), McMullen for McConville (79), B McCambridge for McCormack (87), A Forker for Turbitt (88).

MONAGHAN: R Beggan 0-2 (1tpf); O McGorman 0-2, R O’Toole 0-1, D Byrne; C McCarthy 0-4, K Lavelle, D Ward; M McCarville 0-1, K Gallagher; A Carey 0-1, M Bannigan 0-2 (0-1f), S O’Hanlon 0-6 (1tp); D Garland 0-1, A Woods 0-2 (1tp), B McCaul.

Subs: D McElearney for Ward (HT), J McCarron 0-3 (1tp) for Garland (44), R McAnespie for McGorman (44), S Mooney for McCaul (50), M Maguire for Lavelle (76), R Hanratty for Woods (81), G Mohan for Gallagher (84).

REFEREE: P Neilan (Roscommon)

The village itself has a few local amenities including a shop and a social hub

A charming little village situated around six miles west of Cambridge is the only Cambridgeshire village that saw all of its World War One soldiers safely return home. Toft has a small community with a big history including having more than 20 listed buildings of special architectural or historic interest.

The name ‘Toft’ derives from an old Viking word meaning ‘curtilage’ or ‘homestead’. The quaint village has approximately 600 residents and is ideally located for commuters within four miles of the M11 motorway.

Among the village’s listed buildings is Toft Manor, on Church Road, formerly the Rectory, which was built in 1844 along with several cottages. Toft holds a remarkable history of fortune and bravery as it is one of the rare ‘Thankful Villages’ in England and Wales where all those who served in World War One returned safely.

The term ‘Thankful Village’ was promoted by the writer Arthur Mee in the 1930s; in Enchanted Land. He wrote that a ‘Thankful Village’ was one which had lost no men in the war because all those who left to serve came home again.

The village consists of a few local amenities including a village shop specialising in South African cuisine with a Post Office, a hairdresser, a village hall known as ‘Toft People’s Hall’ and Toft Social Club that acts as a popular meeting point among the community.

Close by, on the outskirts of Comberton and reportedly within Toft Parish Boundaries, there is Comberton Village College which offers education to years seven through to 11.

House prices in Toft had an overall average of £442,468 over the last year, according to Rightmove. The majority of properties sold in Toft during the last year were semi-detached properties, selling for an average price of £340,000. Meanwhile, detached properties sold for an average of £647,405.

Compared to South Cambridgeshire as a whole, it is slightly more pricey. According to the Office for National Statistics, the average house price in South Cambridgeshire was £430,000 in March 2026, similar to the figure for March 2025.

A simple chicken pie is an easy way to solve a weeknight dinner, and there is one that will deliver on flavour, price and size.

Sometimes the easiest weeknight dinner isn’t a takeaway or a quick pasta – it’s the humble pie.

We have been a country of pie enthusiasts for many hundreds of years. From fruit-laden to suet-crusted pies were on the British menu since at least the 13th century.

Chicken pie is a crowd-pleaser, but if done wrong, it can turn your evening sour – as I know now all too well. To ensure you do not suffer a chicken pie disappointment, I have tested all the supermarket chicken pies to help you decide where to put your money.

I looked at steak pies from MandS, Waitrose, Aldi, Sainsbury’s and Tescos to find out which chicken pie delivers best on price and taste.

The winner was clear from the first spoonful – and it will come as a welcome surprise to your wallet. I was looking for crumbly pastry, a good flavour, and value in portion size – all of these pie prices are for two.

Marks and Spencer is somewhat of a UK national treasure, but this comes at a premium. As the most expensive pie by quite some margin, I was expecting the Gastropub Chicken, leek and smoked bacon pie to be the best. It was delicious, but another pie’s performance eclipsed it for a fraction of the price.

Of all the pies, the leek and bacon varieties were definitely more flavourful than the classic chicken pies. This was delicious.

The cooking instructions were accurate, and it was perfectly cooked through. The pastry was flaky, and there was no soggy bottom. The sesame also made for a nice pop of flavour on the crust.

Here’s the game-changer: Aldi’s chicken, bacon and leek pie tastes exactly the same as the MandS pie to me.

As a bonus, its over £3 cheaper.

The Aldi pie has a very similar rich flavour , a good amount of chicken and bacon content, and a strong pastry with sesame seeds on top.

It came out with a perfect golden crust and the first mouthful persuaded me this was a contender for the top spot.

It easily fed two people with a side of veg and would make for an easy, cheap weeknight dinner if you can’t be bothered to slave over an oven for hours.

Waitrose delivered, but it was a very mediocre, yet solid delivery. There was a good amount of chicken, bacon and leek in the filling – but the flavour was not quite there.

The pastry was good, and it cooked well. However, I felt this was just a little bland even though the price was reasonable.

This didn’t burn – it cooked well in the oven, but other than this, it was fairly unremarkable.

This was bad. The filling was easily the worst – it was watery and gelatinous. There was hardly any chicken in it and the pastry burnt despite me following the cooking instructions to a tee.

For £4.00 this is the cheapest pie but it is certainly not worth the pound discount. It tasted of very little, and the bottom was soggy. This pie needs to go back to the drawing board.

This was the only shortcrust pastry pie, and it was a nice change from the typical puff pastry – making it feel more like a substantial, traditional British pie.

Tesco says this feeds three, although it is a very similar size to the portion for two pies above. If you want to go for one of the cheaper pies this is a solid choice.

The flavour was good, the pastry was delicious and well cooked through and there was a decent amount of chicken in the filling. I would buy this again.

It is clear for me who is a winner and a looser. Aldi is in first place. I couldn’t tell it apart from the MandS pie, it was delicious and only £4.99.

Tesco is next in line for both price and taste. This was the second cheapest pie, but delivered on flavour, size, and pastry quality.

MandS followed next. I was surprised as I expected this to perform better due to it being the most expensive – but as it was so similar to the Aldi pie I cannot warrant ranking it in my top two.

Then it was Waitrose – this was a solid pie but nothing to write home about, but was cheaper than MandS and only one penny more than Aldi.

In last place – it is very firmly Sainsbury’s. The flavour was awful, the pastry burnt, and it had hardly any filling. This may be a good case study in getting what you pay for.

More surprisingly still, Waitrose was cheaper than MandS and Tesco and delivered the best pie.If you’re aiming for an affordable national pie week dinner in, I would recommend Aldi’s pie wholeheartedly.

ATLANTA (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice is asking a judge to recuse herself in a fight over Georgia election records, arguing that she attended an event honoring Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who prosecuted President Donald Trump, raising questions about the judge’s ability to be impartial.

A federal judge in 11th Judicial Circuit received a “private reprimand” after a court investigation found that the judge had sex in the courthouse with a high-ranking uniformed police officer within earshot of staff, attended a partisan event and then initially lied to deny the allegations.

The court’s investigation did not publicly identify the judge or the court location within the 11th Circuit’s jurisdiction, which includes Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The Justice Department is relying on media reports that identify U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross in Atlanta as the judge in question.

The Associated Press has not independently confirmed the judge’s identity. A person who answered the phone in Ross’ chambers Friday said the judge was unavailable and referred questions about the allegations to the court’s media office which said, “Judge Ross has no comment right now.” The media office did not immediately respond Saturday to a second email seeking comment about the Justice Department motion seeking Ross’ recusal.

Federal judges are appointed for life but can be subject to disciplinary action, including censure, public or private reprimands and temporary withholding of cases. They can only be removed through impeachment by Congress.

Ross was nominated in January 2014 by then-President Barack Obama, a Democrat, and she was confirmed by the Senate in November of that year. She had previously served as a state court judge in DeKalb County, which includes a small part of the city of Atlanta, since 2011. Prior to taking the bench, she had worked as a state and federal prosecutor, mostly in Atlanta, for more than a decade.

The election records fight

Ross is overseeing the election records case filed by the Justice Department against Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

The Justice Department has sued multiple states seeking statewide voter lists. Raffensperger has said that Georgia law prohibits the release of voters’ confidential personal information unless certain qualifications are met and that the federal government hadn’t met those conditions. He has said that he sent the public part of the voter roll to the Justice Department in December.

Ross has scheduled a hearing in the case for Wednesday, though the Justice Department has asked to delay that hearing because of its request for the judge to recuse herself.

The judicial discipline case

In the disciplinary case against the unnamed federal judge, the Judicial Council of the 11th Circuit chose in a February order to impose a private reprimand that kept the judge’s name secret. The Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability of the Judicial Conference of the United States on May 22 affirmed that order.

An investigation report attached to the order says the judge went to an event hosted by a district attorney’s campaign. The judge acknowledged having gone to the event to visit with former colleagues in the district attorney’s office at a private mixer but said it was held in the same place but was separated from the prosecutor’s victory party. The investigative committee found that the mixer was part of the larger partisan event that was sponsored by the district attorney’s campaign or donors and that the judge should not have attended the event.

Ross previously worked in the Fulton County district attorney’s office and overlapped with Willis there before Willis was district attorney.

The 2020 Georgia election case

Willis began investigating Trump and others for possible interference in the 2020 election in Fulton County soon after becoming district attorney in January 2021. Among the things she looked at was a January 2021 phone call in which Trump urged Raffensperger to help “find” the votes needed to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s win in Georgia in the 2020 presidential election.

Willis in August 2023 obtained an indictment against Trump and 18 others, accusing them of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results. That case was ultimately dismissed in November after an appeals court found an “appearance of impropriety” created by a romantic relationship Willis had with the outside lawyer she had hired to lead the prosecution.

The Justice Department’s arguments

“A judge who attended a party celebrating the election of a Democrat best known for prosecuting a Republican President for alleged election interference cannot then preside over a case concerning that President’s efforts to ensure election integrity,” Justice Department lawyers wrote in their filing Friday.

The Justice Department argued that any “objective reasonable observer” would see Ross’ presence at Willis’ election night party as an endorsement of her election and her actions in office.

“If Judge Ross is indeed the Subject Judge, that conduct gives rise to an appearance of bias, which requires Judge Ross to recuse herself from this election-related case,” the Justice Department filing says.

The Justice Department filing makes passing mention of the allegations of improper sexual activity with a police officer in the judge’s chambers and the subsequent false statements the judge made to deny those allegations, but says “those are not the subject of this Motion.”

Separately, the Atlanta Police Department has said it has opened an investigation to determine whether the “high-ranking law enforcement officer” found to have had sex with a federal judge in the judge’s chambers is a member of their department.

Raheem Sterling has been arrested on suspicion of drug-driving after he allegedly crashed his car into motorway barriers.

The former England winger, who most recently played for Feyenoord in the Dutch Eredivisie, is suspected of crashing his Lamborghini into barriers on the M3 in Hampshire on Thursday morning.

The 31-year-old has been released on bail pending further enquiries.

In a statement, Hampshire Police said: “Just before 9am on Thursday, we received reports that a Lamborghini was in collision with barriers on the M3 southbound, close to the Minley Interchange.

“No other vehicles were involved and no injuries were reported.

“The driver, a 31-year-old man, from Berkshire, has been arrested on suspicion of driving a vehicle whilst unfit through drugs, driving dangerously, possession of a Class C drug and failing to provide a specimen. He has been bailed while our enquiries continue.”

A source close to Sterling confirmed the arrest but told BBC Sport there was “no proof” of drugs in his system.

The source added the player had faced “an extremely tough couple of years” and had been made to “feel worthless” and “forgotten about”.

Sterling joined Feyenoord in February on a deal until the end of the season, having left Chelsea in January, but made just eight appearances in the Netherlands.

He left the Blues by mutual consent after agreeing a settlement package with the Stamford Bridge club over the final 18 months of his contract, worth in excess of £300,000-per-week.

In four years at Chelsea – including a season-long loan at Arsenal – he made just 59 league appearances after signing from Manchester City in 2022.

With City he won four Premier League titles, having started his senior career with Liverpool before moving to Manchester in 2015.

Sterling has 82 England caps, the last of which was won at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Freya Kemp breathed life into England’s preparations for the T20 World Cup as they levelled their series against India with a 26-run victory in Bristol.

After being outclassed in the first T20 on Thursday, England were pedestrian with the bat until Kemp took 24 from the last over to finish 39 not out from 13 balls.

That lifted England to 168-5, a total that had looked well beyond them just two overs earlier, though India were still well placed at 70-1 in the ninth over of their chase.

But Kemp, only just returning to bowling after more than a year of back injury restrictions, came to the fore again by having the classy Smriti Mandhana caught at deep square leg for 32.

Her wicket sparked an impressive fightback from England’s bowlers as they first halted India’s scoring through Charlie Dean and Sophie Ecclestone and then claimed a flurry of wickets.

After India retired out Yastika Bhatia for 33 from 36 balls – the first instance of the tactic being used in a women’s T20 between major nations – Kemp had her replacement Jemimah Rodrigues caught with a slower ball.

Needing 39 from the last two overs, India crumbled to 142-9

Though parts of the batting remain a concern and England also dropped two catches, the win is a significant boost to England as they build towards their opening match of the World Cup at Edgbaston on 12 June.

Rather than facing a dead rubber after another demoralising defeat, they can now clinch the series in a decider in Taunton on Tuesday.

Thomas Reynolds, 21, is believed to have dropped his phone and lost his footing while trying to retrieve it – leading to his tragic death, as tributes pour in from family, friends and football clubs

Tributes have been paid to a Glasgow University student who died after falling from a bridge. Thomas Reynolds is believed to have dropped his phone and lost his footing while attempting to retrieve it.

The 21-year-old’s family said he had been missing on Tuesday, 26 May, before police discovered his body the following morning. His sister Ellen paid tribute to the popular business student on Facebook.

She wrote: “I’m devastated to share that my brother Thomas Reynolds was found dead in Glasgow early this morning.

“He was missing all day yesterday and the police believe that he dropped his phone and tried to retrieve it but fell from the bridge and it was instant.”

“Obviously my family and I are heartbroken but I know he was always very popular and many people will share our sadness and deserve to know.”

Thomas played for Hutchison Vale Community Football Club as a boy and the club paid tribute to the ‘caring lad’ following the news of his death, reports the Daily Record.

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They said: “A lovely, caring, popular lad, Tommy is a prime example to any youngster looking to work hard to develop their game. His journey is all the more incredible given he was a December birthday.

“All at Hutchison Vale FC send heartfelt condolences to his Mum Sandra, Dad Tony, sister Ellen and all of his family and friends.

“Rest easy Tommy, you you were an absolute star and will be sorely missed by all the Hutchie family.”

Glasgow University’s football club, where Tommy played as a right back, paid tribute to a “kind soul and true friend”.

A spokesperson said: “We are devastated to share the news that our right back Tommy Reynolds has passed away. Aged only 21, Tommy was studying Business at the Uni, and was a valued member of the First Team squad.

“Everyone that knew him realised he was a kind soul, a true friend and great teammate.”

Police Scotland has been contacted for a response.

Sleights, in the Esk Valley just a few miles from Whitby, is quietly becoming one of North Yorkshire’s most treasured villages, according to travellers and tourists to the area.

Located between Whitby and Pickering on the edge of the North York Moors, the village has long been appreciated by locals, walkers and holidaymakers, but increasing numbers of tourists are now finding Sleights through social media, word of mouth and countryside drives through the moors.

Sleights (Image: David Peacock/CAMERA CLUB)

Many visitors first stumble across the village while travelling along the A169, where the climb of Blue Bank and sweeping valley views leave a lasting impression on many.

One visitor described the village online as: “The perfect base for exploring the coast and moors. Quiet, friendly and surrounded by beautiful countryside.”

Another added: “It feels Yorkshire, scenic views, great local shops, properly, and everyone says hello.”

The village is home to traditional pubs, tea rooms, a popular butcher, Botham’s bakery, a Spar with a post office and a well-regarded fish and chip restaurant, all of which help give the village its welcoming atmosphere.

Locals often point out that despite its size, “you can get everything you need in Sleights.”

The village’s setting in the Esk Valley also makes it a favourite stopping point for walkers, cyclists and sightseers exploring the North York Moors National Park.

The Esk Valley Walk passes nearby, while the surrounding hills and woodland offer countless walking routes with panoramic views stretching towards Whitby Abbey and the coastline.

Sleights is perhaps best known for Blue Bank, the steep hill at the northern end of the village with its dramatic 1-in-4 gradient and emergency escape lane, which has become something of a talking point for visitors unfamiliar with the route.

Despite its challenging incline, many say the views from the top are among the finest in the area.

Though rooted in history, Sleights has found a new audience in the digital age.

Photos and videos shared on social media regularly showcase the village’s scenic valley setting, steam trains passing through the Esk Valley and sunsets over the surrounding moorland, helping attract new visitors looking for quieter alternatives to better-known tourist hotspots like Whitby and Scarborough.

Many describe Sleights as offering “the best of both worlds”, countryside alongside easy access to the Yorkshire coast.

The village also retains a strong community spirit through events such as the annual Sleights Horticultural & Industrial Society Show, which has been held since 1880 and continues to bring together residents and visitors with displays of produce, crafts, baking, photography and family entertainment.

The village remains a working community, with people gathering outside the bakery, walkers stopping at pubs after long hikes and families enjoying the sports field and playground overlooking the valley.

One tourist wrote online: “It’s the kind of place where you arrive for a quick stop and end up staying all afternoon.”

Another added: “Beautiful scenery, lovely people and a proper Yorkshire village feel.”

And for newcomers, there is one lesson locals are always quick to share, Sleights is pronounced “Slites”, rhyming with “heights.”