Birmingham hopes to become England’s first 20mph city as the ‘anti-motorist’ council moves to lower the speed limit on hundreds of roads. 

The Liberal Democrat, Green and independent-led city council wants to stop cars ‘dominating’ the streets and is instead encouraging residents to walk and cycle.

However critics have said the local authority is ‘determined to make it harder’ for people to get around the city, with Reform UK arguing the proposals are ‘anti-motorist’. 

Birmingham was once known as Britain’s ‘motor city’ owing to its vast car production and pioneering road designs. 

But the city council is now pushing for all routes below A-roads to be slapped with 20mph speed limits. 

The local authority has mapped out how Birmingham’s transport system will be ‘transformed’ by 2031 to ‘meet the challenges of the next decade’. 

The Birmingham Transport Plan details how ‘walking, cycling and active travel will become the first choice for most people making short journeys in their local neighbourhoods’ as ‘cars will no longer dominate street life around homes and schools’. 

In the next five years, the city council hopes introduce a 20mph limit as ‘standard on all local roads’. 

The local authority is pushing for all routes below A-roads to be slapped with 20mph limits

The plan states: ‘Ending the dominance of cars on streets in residential neighbourhoods, around schools and in local centres will increase active travel, improve air quality and reconnect communities. 

‘It will also provide important support for the wider regeneration of local centres stimulating economic growth and employment opportunities. 

‘Transport plays an important role in connecting new residential neighbourhoods and local centres, providing sustainable and active forms of travel.’

According to the city council’s proposals, this means ‘introducing 20mph as the default speed limit for all residential streets and local centres in Birmingham, while retaining a 30mph speed limit on strategic and distributor roads’. 

As part of the transformation, city centre access will be limited to private cars in favour of a network of pedestrian streets and cycling and public transport routes. 

The plans come despite the Department for Transport saying in June that 20mph restrictions ‘should only be used where they are appropriate and supported by evidence’.

Reform UK councillor and leader of the city council’s opposition, Jex Parkin, told The Telegraph: ‘This is another anti-motorist policy from a council that seems determined to make getting around Birmingham harder.

‘People already have enough congestion, restrictions and disruption to deal with without another blanket measure being imposed on them.’

Mr Parkin also told BirminghamLive: ‘People are fed up with being made to feel that driving around their own city is a problem.

‘Birmingham’s roads are already difficult enough to navigate without the council putting yet another obstacle in people’s way.’ 

‘This is an anti-motorist policy and Reform will oppose it. Keep 20mph where there is a genuine safety need – but scrap the idea that it should become the default across Birmingham.’ 

Birmingham was once known as Britain’s ‘motor city’ owing to its vast car production and pioneering road designs

It comes after RAC data last month revealed that the number of drivers caught speeding in 20mph zones had tripled in two years. 

In 2023, 37,219 drivers had broken 20mph speed limits across the country. But last year this figure rose to 125,133. That’s a 235 per cent increase. 

A spokesman for Birmingham City Council told the Daily Mail: ‘By introducing 20mph limits in residential neighbourhoods and local centres, we are able to put people – rather than cars – first.

‘In 2014 the council adopted a policy that on most adopted roads in Birmingham, the speed limit should be 20mph introduced through “sign only” areas. 

‘This would equate to something like 90 per cent of the city’s roads by length – with 20mph limit covering residential streets, local centres, near to school entrances, local attractions, health centres and hospitals, and public transport interchanges.

‘Pilot schemes for Birmingham city centre plus areas to the east and south were planned, eventually covering about a third of the city. 

‘However, due to the relatively high cost of area-based schemes, 20mph rollout has been done on a more targeted basis, in response to local road safety concerns or near to schools.

‘Evidence from around the world on slower speed limits is very clear: it reduces collisions, saves lives, and reduces injuries – so our message is simple, Slower is Safer. 

‘Slower speeds are less intimidating towards those who walk or cycle, activities that we need to encourage more of if we are to reduce the number of harmful emissions and traffic levels in the city.’

The NHS has launched what it describes as its largest-ever MenB catch-up vaccination campaign, targeting young people most at risk of contracting the potentially deadly infection.

Health officials say the disease can spread through close contact and is a particular concern for students living with large groups of people for the first time.

Dr Yasmin Khan, Regional medical director for the NHS North East and Yorkshire, said starting university often means meeting large numbers of new people and spending more time in shared settings.

Dr Khan warned that while MenB is uncommon, it can have devastating consequences, including hearing loss, brain damage, amputations and, in some cases, death.

(Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)

Early uptake of the vaccine has been strong across the region.

NHS figures show 13,107 first doses were administrated across North East and Yorkshire during the first 11 days of the programme, including 4,456 doses within the North East and North Cumbria area.

The vaccine is available to people born between September 1, 2007, and August 31, 2008, as well as eligible students born on or after July 21, 2001, who are starting university or certain residential further education colleges for the first time this autumn.

Two doses, given at least 28 days apart, are needed for full protection.

The NHS says thousands of appointments have already been booked through participating pharmacies nationwide, with young people encouraged to make the vaccine part of their preparations alongside arranging accommodation, finances and travel before the start of term.

Those eligible can book through the NHS National Booking Service or contact participating pharmacies directly.

Cardiff City manager Brian Barry-Murphy hopes the club are “very” busy in the transfer market over the next few days as the Bluebirds look to strengthen their squad before next Tuesday’s deadline.

Barry-Murphy was speaking after Cardiff’s 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Norwich City on Tuesday night, with the club having only added Jack Moylan as a new senior signing so far this summer.

The Cardiff boss had previously said he expected another arrival to be in place for the Norwich game, but that did not happen.

Asked how busy he expected Cardiff to be over the coming days, Barry-Murphy, crossing his fingers, replied: “Hopefully, very.”

When asked whether he remained confident that the target he had expected to arrive before Norwich could still complete a move.

“I hope so,” he said.

Barry-Murphy was also asked whether he expected to have a signing in place by Thursday.

“I would certainly hope so,” he said, again with fingers crossed. “I was pretty sure we’d have somebody in today, so hopefully that’ll be the case by Thursday.”

Barry-Murphy, who said delays were centred around the club being very particular in who they want, was also pressed on owner Vincent Tan’s involvement in Cardiff’s transfer activity and whether there was sufficient financial headroom to make further additions.

The manager said Tan is contacted when necessary, rather than being involved in every day-to-day discussion.

“I think the club works in a way that, when we need something, we go to him, but I wouldn’t be ringing him every single day looking for things,” Barry-Murphy said.

“I think he wouldn’t be long telling me where to go.

“We’re very grateful for all the support we’ve had, but we’ve spent so little, I think we’re very confident we can bring players in.”

With the transfer deadline approaching, Barry-Murphy’s message is clear: Cardiff are expecting movement, with King potentially heading out on loan and the manager hopeful of welcoming another new face by Thursday.

The manager’s comments come with Cardiff facing significant defensive problems, while the club are also expected to continue strengthening elsewhere in the squad before the transfer window closes.

The Bluebirds’ injury list has left Barry-Murphy with limited options, with 15-year-old Noah Anyadike making his senior debut against Norwich before being forced off with cramp.

The club are also without Will Fish and Dylan Lawlor for the longer term, while Callum Chambers remains unavailable and Gabriel Osho is only expected to return to training later this week.

One player who could leave Cardiff on loan before the deadline is midfielder Eli King.

The 23-year-old featured for the under-21s on Tuesday as he continues his comeback from a serious injury, rather than being included in the first-team squad for the Carabao Cup tie.

Barry-Murphy explained that King needed minutes to continue his progress and would not have benefited from sitting on the bench.

“Just because he would have been unlikely to get the minutes he needs to progress,” Barry-Murphy said.

“He’s obviously coming back from a very serious injury, so we want to make sure he doesn’t miss out on any game time and sit on the bench for no reason.”

Asked whether King could remain with Cardiff or whether a loan move was more likely, Barry-Murphy was clear.

“No, I think the intention is for him to go on loan,” he said. “He’s just assessing his options as he tries to complete a full game since his injury.”

Prince Harry and Meghan’s exile from the UK has lasted for 77 months – a long and eventful period during which his grandmother the Queen died, his father the King was diagnosed with cancer and their daughter Lili was born.

Their return, though, is moving at a cracking pace. The family is currently packing up in Montecito and they are due to arrive in the UK imminently. ‘H arrives this weekend,’ said a friend yesterday.

That’s rapid indeed. News only broke last Wednesday night, with King Charles apparently informed only three days before that, on Sunday, that a return was planned.

Since that point, the world has been agog over the move. Where will they live? Will they be at Sandringham for Christmas? What school will the children attend? Are they really settling close to Jeremy Clarkson in the Cotswolds? And has Meghan been tempted over the pond by the offer of an acting role in Guy Ritchie‘s hit series The Gentlemen?

The answers to many of those questions are now becoming clear – and some of them are startling. They offer a compelling insight into the Sussex direction of travel, which has taken the world by surprise.

I wrote in July that Harry was contemplating a return to the UK and that there were hopes they could ‘unpick’ Megxit. There was much scepticism about my report but it has now come to pass, more quickly than anyone thought.

I’m told that the only real motivation for the relocation is Prince Harry’s fervent desire to give their children Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, a gold-star education, and for him that means it simply has to be in a UK school.

He and Meghan, say friends, have been kicking this idea around ‘for years’ but became very serious about it last year, to the point of obtaining prospectuses and speaking to headteachers.

‘Meghan has been aware of Harry’s views and discussing with him how they will bring the children up for years. It is not sudden,’ says a friend.

The friend adds that the King was told ‘long before the weekend’ that sending the children to school in the UK was what they hoped to do, and the King also understood that Harry felt Archie was far too young to start boarding, so it would mean a family return to the UK.

His school will indeed be in, or close to, the Cotswolds, and the Sussexes are looking for a country house nearby with a budget of around £8million.

The intention, according to Harry, is to be here for at least the next decade.

A friend says: ‘The way he sees it is that he will be here for the next 12 to 15 years, minimum. He sees himself as a full-time father and he will be here for them spending every Saturday watching Archie play rugby. That is the agenda.

‘He and Meghan are the best and most committed parents. They are the people who tell their kids: ‘no tablets [screens] at the dining table’.

‘There is no hankering after a royal status or royal engagements, it is not about that. He specifically doesn’t want to do that. This is about Harry wanting what is best for them and he wants them to be raised British, in Britain, and go to a public school. That is what the move is about.’

Archie will start as a day boarder – a pupil who stays longer than the normal school day but goes home to sleep – in year three at a leading private prep school in September and his sister Lilibet will join the pre prep, or infants’ school, of the same establishment.

Archie will start as a day boarder – a pupil who stays longer than the normal school day but goes home to sleep – in year one at a leading private prep school in September

Harry’s friend says: ‘The King has been well aware of what Harry wanted for some time and on their visit in July he knows that they were looking around schools. William has also been aware for about six months. There is no question of anyone being ‘blindsided”.

When he appeared on former rugby player and Traitors star Joe Marler’s podcast last month, Harry did indeed describe himself – partly joking – as a ‘full-time dad’.

The plan now is that he will indeed be the key at-home parent, while Meghan travels back and forth to their home in Montecito, California.

Her As Ever business is based in California, and sells the Californian lifestyle – rosé wine, flower sprinkles and jams. Their production company, Archewell, has offices in Los Angeles and staff there who are developing a number of film and TV dramas.

Former actress Meghan is noted for her drive and ambition for both ventures, while Harry has often appeared at sea in his post-royal life. It has been reported that one of his ideas for a podcast involved tasting hot chocolate in different countries.

In 2023, Bloomberg said he pitched a podcast concept to Spotify centred on childhood trauma, in which he wanted to interview controversial public figures such as Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Meta supremo Mark Zuckerberg to explore how their early formative experiences shaped them into what he described as ‘sociopaths’.

You get the sense that him stepping away will not be a loss.

So Meghan will be left to try to earn money and keep their media dreams alive in America (they still have a ‘first look’ deal for their projects with Netflix) while Harry returns to Britain, living probably not far from Highgrove where he was raised, and continues with the British-based patronages and charity work which he has undertaken throughout the Megxit period.

Lilibet will join the pre prep, or infants’ school, of the same establishment that Archie attends

It seems likely that he will add in some new charities, in the areas of veterans and mental health.

Meghan will ‘come and go’ and is apparently already plotting out which weeks she will need to be here, and when she will be in California.

The plan is for Christmas to be in Montecito – so no awkwardness for the Royal Family gathering at Sandringham – and for lots of time during the school holidays to be spent as a family in California where Meghan’s mother Doria lives.

Harry and Meghan also have a number of ‘Cali friends’, notably the Argentine polo player Nacho Figueras and his wife Delfina, plus the make-up mogul Victoria Jackson.

There will also be breaks as a family at the holiday house they bought in Portugal a couple of years ago, close to Harry’s cousin Eugenie’s home.

‘Meghan will need to spend quite a bit of time in the US,’ says a friend. ‘She can’t just dial in, she will need to be there.’

Perhaps this explains the confusing briefings by the Sussex communications teams over the past week. At first it was briefed to People magazine that they were going to spend an ‘extended period’ in the UK so that the children could go to school here.

Then the Sunday Times was told: ‘It’ll be an extended period of time. It could be six months, it could be a year, it could be more. I don’t think even they know yet. They might suddenly go, “Why don’t we try Canada for a while? Why don’t we try Australia?”

A friend said the King was told ‘long before the weekend’ that sending their children to school in the UK was what Harry and Meghan hoped to do

But that made no sense – not in the context of relocating with young children to put them in a new school. Clearly someone on the team was keen to play up the idea of the Sussexes as an ‘international couple’, rather than paint them into a corner by suggesting they were moving lock, stock and barrel to the UK and staying here.

The reality seems to be that the move is long term, but that it will involve school terms in the UK and holidays in the US for Harry and the children, and more time than that in the US for Meghan.

Naturally, the prospect of geographical separation between the couple, who were married in 2018, is not a narrative which Team Sussex want to promote. Indeed, the idea of it has set a hare racing about the state of their marriage.

Celebrity journalist and gossip columnist Rob Shuter reported on Friday that their marriage is in serious trouble – and moving back to the UK is their ‘last attempt to save it’.

Shuter wrote: ‘I’m told Meghan did not want to return and remains deeply uncomfortable with the idea. Harry, however, is miserable in California and increasingly unhappy with the life they have built in Montecito. That unhappiness is now putting enormous strain on their marriage.

‘They are not in a good place. Harry is deeply unhappy, and Meghan knows she cannot keep asking him to live a life that is making him miserable.’

My source agrees. ‘Meghan is not doing this because she wants to,’ they say. ‘She is doing it because she believes she has to. She does not want to lose Harry, and she knows something has to change.’

Journalist Tom Sykes at the Daily Beast has been telling a similar story. He said in his Substack: ‘The Times’ source describes them as an “international couple”. I suspect it may turn out to be more of an international person, and that the international person is Meghan.

The plan now is that Harry will be the key at-home parent, while Meghan travels back and forth to their home in Montecito, California

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‘We know Harry wants to come home. He has made it very clear how much he misses England, right down to that telling “currently I may live in the United States” in his Remembrance Day essay [a heartfelt tribute to the military and “the things that make us British” published in November last year]. He has no old friends in California to speak of apart from David Langdown, who is his head of security.

‘It is no surprise he is miserable. It is no surprise he is excited about coming home.’

A friend of the couple tells me it’s wrong to think these plans point to strains in the union, however. He says: ‘The marriage is not in bad shape, far from it, and this plan has been agreed by them both. They both feel it’s the best thing for the children and they both want to do this. You will see how happy they look when they are here. It’s very possible to have the kids at school in the UK and Meghan still working on her business in California.’

Harry for his part has previously described marrying Meghan as one of the best decisions of his life and has dismissed rumours about the state of their marriage, expressing pity for the ‘trolls’ who spread such stories.

In the short term they will stay with friends or family in the area where they are house-hunting. Harry is apparently being supported by his late mother’s family, the Spencers.

He’s happy to embrace the ‘Spencer side’ and feels this comes across as less alarming to those enemies he has made in the UK, who well remember the accusations of racism towards his own family and the nation, and his sour insistence that he was owed an apology for the way he and Meghan had been treated.

‘He feels that it sends the message that he’s not a threat,’ says the friend. ‘He doesn’t want to threaten anyone. He hopes to carry on reconciling with his family. It may take time, but he was very buoyed up by the time he spent with the King and Camilla over the summer, and the whole family are really excited about coming to live here.’

As for his security and who pays for it – those questions are still to be answered. It might even end up saving Harry money as he does complain that simply living in California costs him $2million (£1.47million) a year in security. But, cautions the friend: ‘Setting up a new household in the UK will definitely take lots of money. You couldn’t do it if you were on your uppers.’

As to Meghan and her role in The Gentlemen – which was apparently being discussed but was then withdrawn – the friend says: ‘It would be nice if it happened but that’s not the motivation for the move. The move is not about Meghan returning to acting, and makes no sense if that’s what it was. You wouldn’t relocate a family for an acting job which wasn’t yet contractual and was only going to last for a few weeks in any case. This is about settling the kids in a British school, and raising them here in Harry’s native culture.’

Celebrity tributes have poured in for country music icon Dolly Parton following her death age 80.

The legendary country singer’s passing was confirmed Tuesday in an Instagram video posted by her nephew Bryan Seaver, prompting an outpouring of love from America’s A-list. 

Jamie Lee Curtis, Oprah, Sarah Jessica Parker and Pedro Pascal were among the first big names to post. 

Khloe Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Reba McEntire, Zoe Saldana and Hugh Jackman also took to social media to express their shock and sadness over Parton’s death. 

The music icon also counted admirers outside of Hollywood, with politicians and media heavyweights also sharing their condolences. 

Curtis shared a photo to Instagram that showed herself cuddled up with Parton. She captioned: ‘They say don’t meet your heroes. Her bravery to know that she was more than they thought she was and that she needed to break away and move on into new work and new possibilities led her to write I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU, as her way of thanking and loving, but moving on. She is a great example for us all.’

Paris Hilton paid tribute to Parton, describing her as an ‘icon’ and ‘inspiration’

The Jolene singer had many A-list admirers, some of whom she had gone on to forge close friendships with

Oprah shared a snap of she and Parton together on set of the country legend’s variety show Dolly which aired in an 197.

The media mogul posted a sweet caption which read: ‘One of my fondest memories with @dollyparton: Having a hoot and a holler while wearing Bob Mackie gowns on her show Dolly.

‘This girl from the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee dreamed a life and then lived a life bigger than she could have ever imagined, giving so generously to others in ways we saw and ways we didn’t.

‘No one like her. She brought the light, and we are all better because she was here.

‘God bless you, Dolly—you earned your wings [wings emoji]’

Hilton also shared a snap of herself alongside Parton with a sweet caption which read: ‘Heartbroken to hear about Queen @dollyparton’s passing [crying and heartbroken emojis] She was a true icon and such an inspiration to me.

‘Her talent, heart and kindess touched so many lives, and she truly felt left this world better than she found it [tears welling up in eyes while smiling and sparkle emojis] Sending all my love to her family, friends, and everyone who loved her. Rest in peace, Dolly [white heart and dove emojis]’

Lauren Sanchez, who is the wife of Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, also took to Instagram to share a snap of herself posing up with the music legend.

Oprah shared a sweet tribute as they posed up in Bob Mackie gowns

Fellow country star Reba McEntire shared this sweet tribute

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Lauren Sanchez, who is the wife of Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, also took to Instagram to share a snap of herself posing up with the music legend

Iconic fashion designer Bob Mackie shared a sweet post of Parton in one of his creations 

Reese Witherspoon shared an extremely heartfelt tribute 

Kelly Clarkson posted a poignant message

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Heidi Klum shared a clip of she and Dolly on an episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno back in 2001

Eminem shared a sweet personal letter sent to him from Parton

Sarah Jessica Parker posted a poignant message shortly after Parton’s passing was made public by her family

Fellow legend Barbra Streisand also shared a tribute 

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Sally Field shared a snap of the cast of Steel Magnolias including Parton, Julia Roberts, and Shirley MacLaine

She captioned the image on Instagram: ‘Dolly is gone and my heart is so broken. I grew up on her music. I knew every song by heart. I still do. She was there for the best days of my life and the worst ones, and she never even knew it. That’s what she did for millions of us.

Then I got to know her, and somehow she was more than the legend. She gave our Courage and Civility award its meaning, not the other way around. She said she’d always tried to put her money where her heart is.

The Fight Club actress continued: ‘Her heart was with kids. It always was. Free books in the mail to children who had none, month after month, for thirty years, because her dad never learned to read. The songs will keep playing. We all know the words. Thank you, Dolly. I will always love you.’

Parker, meanwhile, revealed she had never met Parton but had always admired her from afar.

The Sex and the City actress took to social media writing: ‘I never met @dollyparton but my gosh, did I love her. I don’t think any of us had to know her to love her. One of the greatest this country ever produced. Legend. For real. Forever.’

Pascal similarly took to Instagram sharing an old black and white photo of the Jolene singer, writing: ‘One of one. We must make more.’

Elsewhere, an emotional Kardashian posted a tribute to her Instagram Stories, writing: ‘My sweet Dolly. You are with your hubby who I know you missed immensely. ‘

The reality star was referring to Parton’s longtime husband Carl Thomas Dean, to whom she was married for almost 59 years. Dean died in March 2025. 

Kardashian added: ‘I know that you are with your creator. God has you wrapped in His Arms. God bless you forever and always. Thank you for everything’. 

Hilton also weighed in on Instagram Stories, saying she was heartbroken by the death of her ‘idol’ and ‘inspiration’.  

Goldiw Hawn shared this wonderful post

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Fellow country star Kacey Musgraves expressed her sadness on X

Carrie Underwood gushed over the fallen legend

Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger also honored the fellow music legend

Pedro Pascal similarly shared an old black and white image of the country icon

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Elsewhere, an emotional Kardashian posted a tribute to her Instagram Stories, writing: ‘My sweet Dolly. You are with your hubby who I know you missed immensely’

Brooke Shields shared this sweet post

Maren Morris shared a video that showed her with Parton backstage at a concert

The Instagram account of the late Leslie Jordan shared this post 

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Zoe Saldana, Jack White, and Rachel Zegler were all among those who also paid tribute to the legend

Parton pictured on stage at the Blockchain Creative Labs’ Dollyverse Event at SXSW in Austin, Texas in March 2022 

Meanwhile, Maren Morris – who has been inspired by Parton’s long career in country music – also took to social media sharing a video of her with the star. 

‘There will never be another. @dollyparton was who we could all agree on and she was such a light,’ the My Church singer stated.  

The legendary country singer’s death was confirmed Tuesday in an Instagram video posted by her nephew Bryan Seaver, who also acted as her head of security.

She died Tuesday morning after being admitted Friday to Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center with autoimmune and kidney problems, according to TMZ.

Parton’s loved ones began racing to Nashville upon hearing news of her hospitalization, but not all were able to reach her while she was alive.

‘This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,’ Seaver said.

He hailed his aunt for having ‘lived in the light’ and said she was now ‘in the arms of Jesus’ and the company of her late husband Carl Dean, as well as her parents and ‘countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens.’ 

Parton, who is often referred to as the Queen of Country, enjoyed an illustrious music career that spanned an incredible six decades and was arguably best known for her hits Jolene and 9 to 5. 

Legendary country music star Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80

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Her passing came after months of health woes that saw her pull out of a string of public appearances, fueling fan fears for her wellbeing. 

Seaver fondly recalled joining Parton on tour when he was a child in the 1980s, sharing that she ‘opened doors not just for me but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible.’ 

He characterized her as ‘a farmer, just like her daddy. He farmed the soil. She farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.’

Family insiders indicated that a private service for close friends and relations will be held in Nashville within the next few days.

One Great British Sewing Bee contestant was eliminated during music week on the BBC show.

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It looks as though fans of The Great British Sewing Bee are less than impressed with the outcome this week.

During Tuesday’s instalment of the BBC show, the remaining contestants were fighting for a place in the upcoming quarter-final.

However, before they inch closer at a chance of becoming this year’s winner, they had to take part in music week as they were given three tasks to complete by Patrick Grant and Esme Young.

One of them saw the sewers recreate Madonna’s legendary cone bra while another saw the group split into two teams of three, collaborating to fashion outfits suitable for pop stars using bedroom furniture.

Finally, their made-to-measure challenge demanded they craft an ensemble inspired by the disco pop music movement of the 1970s.

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Contestant Anna seemed to impress the judges most with her look, a silver number with unique trousers which Esme confessed she wanted, reports the Mirror.

Sadly, it meant one person had to leave and host Sophie Willian shared it was Adele who would be making an exit from the programme.

As the group rushed to hug her, she could be seen dabbing her eyes while saying her goodbyes.

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Speaking to the camera, the contestant confessed she had had ‘so much fun’ and praised the people she had met on the programme.

She heartwarmingly admitted she’d ‘remember it for the rest of my life’.

Adele called it a ‘dream’ to meet the judges as Patrick explained to viewers the contestant could go out feeling ‘proud’ of herself.

However, he highlighted that she had a ‘mountain to climb’, following her performances in the previous challenges. He told viewers that it was an ‘impossible task’ for her to turn around.

It wasn’t long before people commented on the exit as many were unimpressed that Adele’s time in the competition had come to an end.

One person said: “Shame Adele had to leave! I liked her.” Another wrote: “I’m sorry but it feels so anti music week to send her home this week with that name….”

Someone else said they were ‘sad’ to see Adele leave as another shared it was ‘very unlucky’ her time had come to an end.

The Great British Sewing Bee is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Justice Department attorneys argued that if President Donald Trump’s name does not appear somewhere on the Kennedy Center, then the money from donors for renovations would shrivel up and the “decrepit, dilapidated” cultural center may be “required to be taken down.”

That came from a court filing late Monday on the long-running saga over whether the president’s name can be added to the cultural institution and venue meant to honor John F. Kennedy after his assassination. The original attempt to add “Donald J. Trump” on the building’s facade was halted by the court in May following a lawsuit from Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center.

The center’s Trump-aligned board of trustees then voted again this month to get the president’s name back on the cultural institution in a different way: by appending “Renovated and Restored By President Donald J. Trump” under the title on the building’s facade. Another phrase, “Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund” would be a possible addition, as well as renaming the plaza in front of the Kennedy Center to honor the president.

In response, Beatty again asked the federal court to block those stylings, arguing that they were “clear violations of the Kennedy Center statute” that barred the board from making the center into a memorial to anyone else. A federal judge will hear arguments on that request on Thursday.

Justice Department attorneys replied in Monday’s filing with a grim picture of the state of the Kennedy Center: “a financially insolvent facility, housed in a decrepit, dilapidated, crumbling building” that “continues to race toward physical and financial ruin.”

Renovations were required, they argued, but “an order blocking the Board from appropriately recognizing President Trump will cause donors to flee, financial contributions to dry up, and structural rehabilitation to stop. There will simply not be the expertise or funding necessary to rebuild and renovate this decimated structure.”

If allowed to deteriorate further, they continued, the Kennedy Center “will be required to be taken down, with a determination to follow on what to build on the site.”

It’s not the first time the board of trustees has used the argument that fundraising could be impeded without Trump’s name on the building. A panel of judges in July said that the claim came without the support of “ specific facts or evidence.”

The Kennedy Center has fallen on harder times since Trump got more involved, with several artists canceling performances and attendance dropping.

This is one of several attempts by the presidential administration to put Trump’s stamp on the U.S. capital, including a plan for a 250-foot (76-meter) triumphal arch, and, as Trump called it, a “military complex slash ballroom ” at the White House.

Singalong nostalgia, psychological horror and prehistoric adventure are all on the programme as outdoor cinema returns to York Museum Gardens.

Picturehouse Outdoor Cinema is bringing the open-air programme to the gardens off Museum Street, featuring crowd-pleaser Grease, a special horror night built around The Shining, and Steven Spielberg’s dinosaur blockbuster Jurassic Park.

Screenings begin at 6.30pm, although films will start after sunset which is expected to be between about 8.30pm and 9pm, giving audiences time to arrive, choose a spot and enjoy food and drink before the feature begins.

The September line-up is:

Grease, Thursday, September 11, 6.30pm

The Shining, Friday, September 12, 6.30pm

Jurassic Park, Saturday, September 13, 6.30pm

The screening of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining will include an introduction from the team behind Evolution of Horror, described as the UK’s biggest horror and film-history podcast.

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All tickets bought directly through Picturehouse include a £7 voucher to spend on food and drink at the event. The credit is issued on entry and must be used in full on the date of the booked screening, with no cash alternative or change available.

What visitors need to know

A bar and cinema-snack stall will be serving alcoholic and soft drinks, snacks including popcorn, nachos and hot dogs. The events are cashless, with card or contactless payment required.

Visitors can bring blankets, cushions and small camping-style picnic chairs, while a limited number of deckchairs will be available on a first come, first served basis. A limited number of blankets and ponchos will also be available for purchase.

No alcohol may be brought into the licensed events from outside. Picturehouse will operate a Challenge 25 policy for alcohol sales.

Dogs are welcome provided they are kept on a lead and under adult control. The cinema’s dog-friendly screening policy will apply.

There is step-free access to the venue, although visitors are advised that the gardens include slopes and banks. Accessible toilets will be available.

Weather warning

As the screenings take place in the open air, heavy rain, high winds or thunderstorms could lead to cancellation or an event being stopped early if conditions become unsafe.

Customers will be contacted if a screening is cancelled, with a full refund offered where an event is called off before or during the film.

From humble beginnings, the singer has become a global superstar, with her music crossing genres and her talents extending to the big screen.

Parton’s musical journey began in Knoxville, Tennessee, thanks to her uncle Bill Owens, who recognised her potential and became her first manager.

Parton’s debut single, “Puppy Love,” co-written with her uncle, was released on Goldband Records in 1959, though it did not achieve commercial success.

The start of Dolly Parton’s success

Her big break came at age 13 when she performed at the Grand Ole Opry, introduced by Johnny Cash.

This performance marked the beginning of a long-standing relationship with the Opry.

In 2019, the TV special “Dolly Parton: 50 Years at the Opry” — though it had actually been 60 years — aired on NBC, honouring her first performance at the famed Opry House.

The early ’60s saw Parton and Owens signing with Tree Publishing and Mercury Records, but the partnership was short-lived as their songs failed to make the charts.

However, Parton was undeterred, and her perseverance paid off when she finally found success on the Billboard country charts in 1967 with two singles for Monument Records: “Dumb Blonde” and “Something Fishy.”

Her first full-length album, “Hello, I’m Dolly,” was released the same year.

The release of Jolene 

Parton’s career took a significant turn when she teamed up with Porter Wagoner in 1967.

The duo released several successful tracks, and Parton also began to make a name for herself as a solo artist.

Her song “Jolene,” released in 1973, became one of her most well-known hits, topping the country charts and marking her crossover potential into popular music.

Following this, Parton released a series of successful singles, including “I Will Always Love You,” “Love is like a Butterfly,” and “The Bargain Store,” all of which reached No. 1 on the country charts.

In 1977, Parton’s album “Here You Come Again” went on to achieve platinum status in 1978, marking a shift in the singer’s sound and career trajectory.

The album won her a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

Dolly Parton’s film debut

Parton made her silver screen debut in 1980 with the comedy “9 to 5,” contributing the hit song of the same name to the film’s soundtrack.

The song topped the Billboard Hot 100, marking the pinnacle of Parton’s career.

The 1980s saw Parton continuing to secure her place in the music industry, with a string of successful collaborations and hit singles.

Her performance in the 1982 film “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” helped popularise “I Will Always Love You,” which was later famously covered by Whitney Houston in the 1992 film “The Bodyguard.”

Parton’s foray into bluegrass music in the late ’90s further showcased her versatility, with her first bluegrass album, “The Grass Is Blue,” winning a Grammy in 2000 for Best Bluegrass Album.

She followed this up with “Little Sparrow,” a bluegrass and folk album that won a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

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Throughout her career, Parton has continually reinvented herself, crossing musical genres and expanding into acting.

Her impact on the music industry was undeniable, with her songs leaving a lasting legacy.

What is your favourite Dolly Parton song? Let us know in the comments. 

Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, shared a video message on Dolly’s official Instagram account, announcing the news this evening (August 25).

He announced the death of his Aunt Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, saying: “This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality.

“As her head of security, for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment, but haven’t truly felt it until now.

“It is an honour, an honour that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness.”

He added that Dolly “lived in the light”.

Dolly Parton’s last Instagram post shares touching memory

Before the video announcing Dolly’s passing, the icon shared a video marking the 43rd anniversary of Islands In The Stream.

The video shows Dolly singing alongside the late Kenny Rogers on stage as they perform the classic hit.

Much of Dolly’s Instagram page featured moments from across her celebrated, record-breaking career.

Earlier this month, Dolly missed the opening night of a new attraction at her Tennessee theme park after experiencing dizziness and dehydration, with doctors advising her against travel.

In the aftermath of the cancelled appearance, she told People: “I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl.”

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She said she put her own health to the side while caring for her husband Carl before his death last year.

Dolly was married to Carl Thomas Dean for almost 60 years until his death in March 2025, aged 82.

What’s your favourite Dolly Parton song? Let us know in the comments.