The villages are within walking distance of one another

People living in two neighbouring Cambridgeshire villages say they “wouldn’t want to live anywhere else” and that living there feels like “being on holiday”. Melbourn and Meldreth are both in the south of Cambridgeshire and are roughly a four minute drive from each other, or around 20-minutes on foot.

Melbourn is the larger of the two, and is home to more than 4,600 people, whilst Meldreth has around 2,000 residents. In Melbourn, there are a variety of amenities including shops, two pubs, barbershops, and even a stunning wedding venue. Meldreth has a train station which is ideal for commuters, a shop, and a village pub called The British Queen.

As part of our Exploring Cambridgeshire series, we visited both villages and spoke to people about what it is like to live here.

Vicky Deville, 73, has lived in Melbourn for 40 years. She said that the village is “a nice place” and she “wouldn’t want to live anywhere else”. She added: “We have got all the amenities we need. There is lots and lots of groups going on for all ages.”

Vicky feels “very lucky” to live here, especially because she enjoys visiting the Melbourn Hub, which has a café with an integrated library, and hosts lots of local events. She added: “There is lots of things that go on in there. There’s all sorts of advice you can get in there and help from people.”

Hannah Trinder, a manager at one of Melbourn’s local pubs, The Dolphin, grew up in a nearby town, but later moved to Melbourn. She said: “It is nice because despite this being a village, you still have that town feel. Plus, what is really nice about living here is that the locals are all really friendly and fun.”

She said that she has made friends with a lot of locals, and that “there is such a community in this village – everyone just wants to help each other”.

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Melbourn Greenway, one of 12 Greater Cambridge greenways being constructed in South Cambridgeshire, aims to provide better and safer walking and cycling routes into the city of Cambridge.

Hannah said that this is something she would definitely use because she enjoys a long walk, especially because of “the very nice countryside” that surrounds the village. Hannah sees the neighbouring village, Meldreth, as a similar style village with “nice little houses and cottages”.

A couple, Nicole and Edward, who moved from London to Meldreth, chose the “perfect village” so that they were still able to commute into London. Edward, 49, said: “It has got a pub, corner shop, post office, and butchers.” Nicole, who is 37, said that after living in London, coming to Meldreth feels like “being on holiday”.

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The couple love that it is a “lived in village, so it has a sense of community” and the locals “are very friendly”. The couple say Melbourn is useful for its amenities such as the dentist but they consider each village to “have two different personalities”.

David Eldred, 84, said that he has lived in Melbourn for “the longest period of living anywhere” in his life. He added: “I’ve moved 28 times in my life because I was in the army, and now I live by myself so it is a place I should always stay.”

David lives down a remote lane, surrounded by the countryside and he enjoys walking through the fields. He said the Melbourn Greenway “would be ideal” and help to connect the surrounding areas. David moved to Melbourn because of its close proximity to Cambridge, so the village was an “ideal” solution for him.

A lady, who only gave her name as Mirka, has lived in Melbourn for around 10 years. She said that she enjoys the park to walk her dog. She said “a lot of people [from Meldreth] come here” and “my children went to Meldreth Primary School”.

The UK’s second-largest fuel retailer also dismissed claims that forecourts are “profiteering” from recent price increases.

Petrol and diesel costs have climbed sharply since the end of February, after the war between Iran and US-Israeli forces disrupted oil production and supply from the region.

Average unleaded prices have jumped by more than 14p a litre over that period, reaching 147.19p, according to RAC figures published earlier this week.

Allan Leighton, executive chairman of Asda, said the retailer has seen bumper demand from drivers amid price volatility.

The boss stressed that the issue has only affected “the odd pump” at a small number of its petrol forecourts.

He said: “Our fuel volumes are up quite significantly and clearly demand has been outstripping supply.

“Supply is tight and we are all trying hard on that.

“The issue is a temporary one, and some could see issues when we are waiting for delivery, and we can expect to see that continue.

“The spikiness at the moment makes this tricky for us, as spikes can lead to temporary shortages. These are temporary and are addressed very quickly.”

The boss also rejected claims that fuel retailers have boosted their profits through recent price increases.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the Government would step in if retailers try “to rip off customers” through price gouging.

In response, Mr Leighton said “no, we are not” when asked if the business was profiteering.

He said: “Our (profit) margin will be down as a result. It is very clear this is not the case.

“People ask where the money is going and the Government are getting a lot of money of the back of this.”

Why is the Iran war driving up fuel prices?

The war is disrupting both oil supply and its routes, and markets are adding a “risk premium” on top.

Analysis from the RAC and others suggests UK motorists have already paid hundreds of millions extra at the pumps since the Iran conflict intensified, with average petrol and diesel prices climbing sharply in March.

Have you noticed that fuel is more expensive? Let us know in the comments

“And we know that lots of people actually can be in work, and we want to give them the support to make work feasible. The evidence is now very clear. We’re publishing new evidence on this, that those who’ve had this additional help are significantly more likely to be in work, be in a job, and stay in work for an extended period. And we want to give people the chance of fulfilling their ambitions.”

On Saturday, March 7, an unoccupied Nissan car was shot at while it was parked outside a house in Starkey Crescent, at around 9.25pm.

The house and driveway were cordoned off under guard and a heavy police presence remained in the area.

Two days later, police were seen searching the area of a path running parallel to Fifth Avenue from Melrosegate to Tang Hall Lane with sniffer dogs.

Police were combing the area of an active travel path behind Fifth Avenue on consecutive days from March 9 (Image: Kevin Glenton)

Police said no one was harmed in the shooting and it was an isolated incident with no threat to the wider community.

On March 11, three people were arrested in connection with the shooting – a 34‑year‑old man on suspicion of possession of a firearm and criminal damage, a 32‑year‑old man on suspicion of possession of a firearm, and a 29‑year‑old woman on suspicion of assisting an offender.

The following day, the outstanding suspect, a 23-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm without a certificate and criminal damage.

North Yorkshire Police released an update this afternoon (March 27) saying all four people arrested remain on bail and that its enquiries are ongoing.

Police were combing the area of an active travel path behind Fifth Avenue on consecutive days from March 9 (Image: Kevin Glenton)

A force spokesperson said: “We are continuing to appeal for people in the Tang Hall area of York to come forward, particularly those on Starkey Crescent, Rockingham Avenue, Fifth Avenue, and Melrosegate.

“Do you recall any suspicious people or activity between 8.45pm and 9.45pm on Saturday, March 7?

“Please also get in touch with any relevant information, CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage.

“This includes residents we have already spoken to during our extensive house-to-house enquiries, but who may now have new information or remembered something not previously mentioned to officers.”

Anyone wishing to come forward with information should quote reference number 12260041722.

Hundreds gathered at St Paul’s Church, in Holgate Road, shortly after 10.15am on Friday (March 27) for to remember Paul Bradley,

Moving tributes to Mr Bradley, who lost his battle with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), aged just 35, were led by Rev Matthew Woodcock.

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They included a beautiful poem from Paul’s family, a Bible passage read out by his step-daughters that had been read at Paul and his wife Emma’s wedding, and another reading from his family about the life he led and the legacy he leaves behind.

Mourners listened to Paul’s favourite music and heard stories from his full and vibrant life – captured in photos on screen.

Paul and Emma pushed forward their wedding in 2023, marrying at St Paul’s with a service led by Rev Woodcock (Image: Supplied)

Speaking during the service, Rev Woodcock said: “I know that this is not going to be easy for any of us.

“To lose such a treasured, life-giving person at such a young age is devastating, and it’s confusing and it’s traumatic.

“I know that the weight of grief has been so hard to bear for many of you.

“And my hope and my prayer is that this time together will be a healing time, a time to celebrate and give thanks for the man that Paul was, the joy that he brought and the generosity of spirit and the legacy he leaves behind.”

Emma and Paul with their family (Image: Submitted)

Paul had received his devastating diagnosis of MND in 2023.

He died on Thursday (March 5), leaving behind Emma, their son and his two step-daughters.

Over the years, Paul and Emma – who were married at St Paul’s by Rev Woodcock in December 2023 – raised thousands of pounds for the MND Association.

Their generosity touched many and was noted by Sir Kevin Sinfield, the former Leeds Rhinos teammate of Rob Burrow CBE who himself has raised over £11 million for the cause – who wrote to Emma after Paul’s death.

Jack (left) set up a fundraiser to help Emma and their family after they were left in a “difficult” financial situation (Image: Supplied)

As The Press reported, a fundraiser was set up for Emma and the family by Paul’s friend, Jack Pullen, after they were left in a difficult financial situation following his death.

It comes after Jack said Emma had to give up her job to become Paul’s primary carer following her husband’s diagnosis.

Things were made harder owing to Paul being unable to get life insurance due to his complex medical history.

‘Paul’s death is tragedy enough’

The funeral heard how Paul had received a kidney and a liver transplant at the age of seven, before a further two kidney transplants.

At the time, Jack said: “On top of grief, Emma and the family are left with a mortgage, bills, no transport and no income, adding: “Not everyone is lucky enough to have extra money to put aside just in case.

“It’s not a case of being responsible. It can be financially impossible.

“Like most people, Paul wanted nothing more than his family to feel safe, secure and loved,” Jack said.

Speaking to mourners, Rev Woodcock said: “Paul’s death is tragedy enough.

“We all need to make sure that the family have time to grieve without worrying about money because of an injustice.”

A minute silence was held for Paul at 11am.

Rev Woodcock said that the number eleven had been an important one to the 35-year-old, who had been born on November 11.

Songs played included some of Paul’s favourites: Sullivan by Beluga Lagoon, Elegy by Leif Vollebekk and Santiago by Einaudi – a song that was played on his wedding day.

You can contribute to the GoFundMe set up to provide his family with financial support by visiting www.gofundme.com/f/the-bradley-family-jmpmj?.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A pro-Iranian hacking group claimed Friday to have hacked an account of FBI Director Kash Patel and posted online what appear to be years-old photographs of him, along with a work resume and other personal documents dating back more than a decade.

“Kash Patel, the current head of the FBI, who once saw his name displayed with pride on the agency’s headquarters, will now find his name among the list of successfully hacked victims,” said a message posted Friday from the group Handala.

The message was accompanied by a collection of photographs of Patel, including ones of him standing beside an antique sports car and another with a cigar in his mouth. The group also said that it was making available for download emails and other documents from Patel’s account. Many of the records appeared to relate to his personal travels and business from more than 10 years ago

“The FBI is aware of malicious actors targeting Director Patel’s personal email information, and we have taken all necessary steps to mitigate potential risks associated with this activity,” the FBI said in a statement. “The information in question is historical in nature and involves no government information.”

The FBI statement did not identify the hackers believed responsible for the breach, but it noted that the Trump administration is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of members of the Handala hacking group — an entity it said “has frequently targeted U.S. government officials.”

It was not clear when the hack claimed by Handala might have occurred. News reports from December 2024, before Patel was confirmed as director, said that Patel had been informed by FBI that he had been targeted as part of an Iranian hack.

Handala is a pro-Iranian, pro-Palestinian hacking group that earlier this month claimed credit for disrupting systems at Stryker, a Michigan-based medical technology company. Handala said the attack was in retaliation for suspected U.S. strikes that killed Iranian schoolchildren. They’re a prominent example of the proxy groups that carry out cyber attacks on behalf of Iran.

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Associated Press writer David Klepper in Washington contributed to this report.

Some things simply can’t be beat

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A classic period drama, one that popularised the genre globally, is still regarded as one of the finest to ever grace our screens. Period drama enthusiasts will be familiar with the show in question — Upstairs, Downstairs.

Upstairs, Downstairs laid the groundwork for Downton Abbey with a story that will be familiar with fans who have only seen the modern sensation. As the definitive period dramas of their era, the parallels between Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey are self-evident.

Both shows portray the personal struggles of an aristocratic family and their servants against a backdrop of social and political upheaval on an overlapping timeline.

Like Downton Abbey, it spans three decades, covering both World Wars and the roaring 20s through to the Great Depression. The classic show chronicled the turbulent lives of the aristocratic Bellamy family and their servants in the early 1900s.

They diverge in numerous ways, however, and one is immediately apparent.

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The seventies programme is less high-end, a quality that can taken as nostalgic or a dealbreaker. Upstairs, Downstairs premiered in 1971 and ran for five years, predating Downton Abbey by a good 50 years.

In fairness, Downton’s setting is inherently more luxurious. The Bellamy family inhabit a London townhouse, a far cry from the Crawley family’s lavish country estate that was a character in its own right.

And while Downton’s visuals proved a triumph, a frequent criticism from audiences is that the programme descended into melodrama. In contrast, Upstairs, Downstairs has been likened to a stage play for its more understated visuals and plotlines.

Fans of both period dramas shared their preferences. One viewer sparked a debate on Reddit, asking: “If you have seen both shows, which show do you think is better?”

“Upstairs Downstairs without question,” replied one viewer decisively. Another agreed: “I like Downton Abbey better, but Upstairs, Downstairs is the better show.

“I have tried watching the Upstairs/Downstairs remake multiple times and I always end stopping after about two episodes,” commented a third. “It just doesn’t grab me like Downton.”

Upstairs, Downstairs is available to watch on ITVX.

One Pakistani national was arrested as an overstayer during the operation, and one Indian national was arrested for breach of immigration bail, while the mopeds and electric scooters were seized for allegedly being stolen, with others said to have been used in the theft of other vehicles.