A range of comments have been made on social media to say the Cottage Inn in Haxby closed last month.

The press phoned the pub at 115 the Village on Friday but received no response.

This follows the Blacksmith Arms in Huntington also closing in recent weeks due to the the retirement of longstanding landlord Don Mattless after 14 years.

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Its operator Stonegate Pub Partners, who also own the Cottage Inn, is also seeking new tenants for the Blacksmith Arms.

The Cottage Inn was built in the 1800s but did not become a pub until 1980.

It gained a good reputation for its food, but in recent months, online reviews appear to have slipped somewhat.

And the pub recently received a one-star rating for food hygiene, from City of York Council, as reported by the Press earlier this year.

Stonegate Group Pub Partners is listing the property, seeking a fixed term tenancy.

The Stonegate website describe the offer as a ‘new deal’, with a guide rent of £1,000 a week and a forecast annual turnover of £627,015.

The company said: “The Cottage is a great opportunity to run a well-established drinking, food, and function venue in Haxby on the outskirts of York.

“The area is very well populated with discerning diners, brand seekers and some older affluent groups.

The Cottage Inn, Haxby (Image: Pic supplied)

“The pub currently benefits from a good level of trade, but there is room to grow food sales still further and we are seeking the right publican who can do this. “

The pubco also commented: “Partnering with Stonegate, the UK’s largest pub company, makes that dream a reality.

“We offer the best of both worlds: self-employment with the unwavering support of a dedicated team, from regional managers to a network of experienced publicans in your region.

“From free BII membership to unlock industry insights, to a diverse portfolio offering the perfect pub for your vision, Stonegate empowers you to maximize endless profit opportunities. Plus, our flexible tenancy agreements ensure you have the control you need to succeed.”

Stonegate currently advertises a range of tenancy opportunities in the York area within its extensive portfolio.

They include Flares York, at 6 Tanner Row; Punchbowl York at 134 Lowther Street; The Beagle Acomb at 169 Foxwood Lane; Red Lion at Upper Poppleton; The Ship Inn at Acaster Malbis, which is ‘new to offer’; The Ship Inn at Strensall, which it says is ‘under offer’; The Oddfellows Arms at Wilberfoss; The Cross Keys Inn at Pocklington; The Bay Horse Hotel at Goldsborough; The Old Royal Oak at Knaresborough, which is ‘under offer’; the Castle Inn at Knaresborough, which has ‘free of tie’ available; the Navigation Inn at Ripon; The Mowbray Arms at Thirsk; and the White Horse at Ripon.

The U.S. military said Sunday that it blew up two boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing a total of five people and leaving one survivor, as the Trump administration pursues its campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America while preparing a naval blockade of Iranian ports.

The attacks on Saturday bring the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 168 since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in early September.

As with most of the military’s statements on the dozens of strikes in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. Videos posted on X showed small boats moving across the water before they each were engulfed in a bright explosion.

U.S. Southern Command stated on X that it notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the search-and-rescue system for the survivor. The Coast Guard confirmed it was coordinating the search and said updates would be provided when available.

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”

Critics have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes as well as their effectiveness, in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the U.S. over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.

The boat strikes have continued in Latin America even as the U.S. military has focused on operations in the Middle East, where the U.S. was engaged in a war with Iran for several weeks.

Trump on Sunday said the U.S. Navy would begin a blockade of ships entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, after U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement. Trump wants to weaken Iran’s key leverage in the war after demanding that it reopen the crucial waterway through which 20% of global oil normally passes. U.S. Central Command said the blockade would involve Iranian ports.

Bethesda has once again failed to send out review copies of Starfield, with the PS5 version coming under fire from fans unhappy with its performance.

As you might have guessed, we were not sent review copies of Starfield on PlayStation 5, when it launched on Tuesday last week. Bethesda – which has never been keen on enabling reviews at the best of times – refused to send out copies of the Xbox and PC versions to certain UK outlets, including Eurogamer and The Guardian, when the game first came out in 2023.

Judging by the lack of reviews on Metacritic at the moment, we weren’t the only ones they left out this time either and, as ever, it’s easy to guess why, especially given Bethesda’s poor track record when it comes to bugs and glitches.

The original versions of Starfield were actually quite good in that respect, with generally decent performance, but fans have found that the PlayStation 5 version is considerably worse, with serious problems with bugs and crashes.

Fans have congregated in a Reddit thread entitled ‘Base PS5 crashing getting out of hand, it’s unplayable’, where the original post from ShogunRaw claims that, ‘I’m getting crashes every two minutes. Tried everything. Delete saves. Tried performance 30 and 60 fps. Delete the game and redownload it. And it’s still happening.’

‘This is not acceptable. They should refund us!’, they add, which seems to be a common sentiment amongst other players.

‘PS5 Pro user. Visuals Mode 60fps. All autosaves off. Tested on vanilla [PlayStation 5] and light LO [sic] nothing of which touches weather, environments or points of interest,’ writes colinrabb.

‘Consistent crashing. Mostly when scanning and exploring. I haven’t even left Kreet yet. When I say crashing it’s more a freeze. It’s not crashing to home screen. The game freezes and forces you to quit game. Hotfix needed ASAP. Incredibly disappointing but sadly totally unsurprising.’

‘Mine crashes straight to dashboard. I’ve turned off all I’ve read to turn off. I’ve started a new save. Don’t it all [sic]. Currently unplayable. Which really sucks,’ says Alpha_Omega_Grave in reply.

The term ‘unplayable’ comes up a lot, with Left_Worldliness6174 claiming that, ‘Playing on PS5 Pro, constant freezing and crashing while building ship. Also, while scanning planets. Since launch had over 20 freezes and crashes. Unplayable.’

‘I must stress, I own multiple PlayStation 4/5 games and have never ever experienced crashes or freezes at all on either of my PlayStation 5 consoles,’ writes Jumpy-Web6641. ‘I agree that this is definitely a bug or optimisation issue. I appreciate this is a big game, but not good practice in my opinion.’

‘I suggest you submit a ticket via Bethesda support,’ they add helpfully.

One reason why the PlayStation 5 version might be faring worse than the originals is that it launched alongside significant new DLC for the game, which combined with the new version may have created a patchwork of unanticipated problems.

The counter to all this is that the PlayStation Store currently has the game on a 4.29/5 score. Although we’ve failed to find any game that has a particularly low score, with even the abominable Code Violet sitting on an above average 2.84.

Whether that means the problems aren’t as widespread as Reddit makes it seem, or PlayStation Store patrons are just naturally generous with their reviews, isn’t clear.

Another point is that The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered suffered from similar complaints and while it wasn’t as bad as Starfield seems to be on PlayStation 5, the game still went on to sell millions, with little acknowledgement from Bethesda that there was ever a problem.

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Solicitor Marcus Johnstone says paedophiles are escaping justice

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Britain’s criminal justice system is “largely broken” and serious offences are not being properly punished, a top solicitor has warned. Marcus Johnstone, a defence lawyer who has represented grooming gang members, that the public would be shocked by the lack of consistency in the courts.

“We actually had a case that came to us a while back where asked to advise a family who wanted to appeal their son’s rape conviction,” the managing director at PCD Solicitors said. “He received a two-year prison sentence and they felt it was too harsh. Most people will be staggered that someone can commit the most serious sexual offence and receive a two-year prison sentence [while you] can get two and a half years for writing a naughty tweet.”

“[But] those problems [are] endemic in the system. I think a lot of the institutions in Britain are broken. It’s sad to say, but I think that the criminal justice system is largely broken. The police force, prison, probation, Social services, child services, schools, it’s all largely broken.

“And it’s very difficult to figure out how you solve these problems when all of them are connected together. Kids are growing up through a broken system, and come out broken. Then we want to punish them when they do something wrong. People need to be punished if they’ve done something wrong, but if you don’t fix the broken system it’s going to carry on forever.”

The sex crimes specialist told the Daily Express that he was concerned that one of the consequences of the broken system had been a skyrocketing caseload of people committing vile acts against the most vulnerable.

“What I’m seeing is month on month an ever-increasing number of predominantly men, committing and wanting to commit crimes against children. Why is that? I don’t know. Has that always been there? Possibly. But before the internet, they didn’t have access [to children]. The [technology] now is making it easier and easier, it’s facilitating the crime.”

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The solicitor conceded there was no simple answer for the police to tackle the tidal wave of offenders operating across national borders.

“You could couble the size of [the police units dealing with this but] they would simply catch double the number of criminals. And then what do you do with them? Well, we haven’t got prison places. [A big problem is that] we don’t send them to prison anyway. [Another idea is to] try to work out some system where you infiltrate the system.

“[But again] I know cases of people who have been buying and selling the most severe child abuse material for 20 years, and yet it’s taken 20 years for them to get caught. And you know what happens? That person gets prosecuted and probably won’t go to prison.”

The North Tyneside spot, popular with swimmers, kayakers and padel boarders, was named in a satirical list of brown flag ‘winners’ last year. The so-called awards by travel site Holiday Park Guru were designed to highlight beaches with bad water quality.

The Environment Agency has advised against swimming at Cullercoats Bay since 2017 and has labelled the bathing water classification as “poor”.

North Tyneside Council said efforts to track down the problem have widened over the past year.

Sam Dand, director of environment, said: “Since 2017, we have worked closely with Northumbrian Water and the Environment Agency to address water quality issues at Cullercoats.

“The partnership has carried out a considerable amount of work on both public and privately-owned land.

“That work has broadened in the last 12 months as Northumbrian Water seeks to pinpoint the source of the contamination.”

Cullercoats entered the so-called ‘top of the plops’ chart for a second time last year.

Mr Dand said: “We are extremely proud of our internationally recognised coastline and beaches, including Cullercoats, which continues to be a popular destination for residents and visitors.

“Cullercoats remains a vibrant and welcoming beach, and we will continue working with our partners until the water quality matches our aspirations.”

In 2017, North Tyneside Council, the Environment Agency and Northumbrian Water carried out a joint investigation into the decline and identified sewage as a major contributing factor.

Northumbrian Water said a later bathing water study recommended diverting contaminated groundwater from a disused council culvert into the combined sewer network, with a new drainage pipe planned for John Street.

IN medieval England, large rural estates were owned or managed by the ‘Lord of the Manor’; the ‘Lord’ was not usually a ‘knight’, with the term ‘Manor’ referring to his estate.

These estates typically contained woodland, pasture, common footpaths, lakes and waterways; they would also include tenant farms and dwellings.

Churches with parishes would also feature, the parish boundaries often being disputed.

To manage these estates local rules and tenant responsibilities were imposed, but a method of checking compliance to these directives was required.

So annually the ‘Lord’ would summon a number of trusted residents of the estate to meet on an appointed day, then under oath of allegiance, they were tasked with inspecting various aspects of his estate.

Typically, waterways were checked for excessive bank overgrowths or objects impeding the flow; woodlands checked for illegal use, the ‘Lord’s’ estate rules maintained and that boundaries of farms and parishes were correctly marked. Reports of the inspections were required the same day, after which the residents were relieved of their duties. The day was concluded with a meal provided by the ‘Lord’ in recognition of their service.

The event became known as the ‘Manor Court Leet’.

Court Leet members gather at Clifton Green. Photo supplied

In the 18th and 19th century the growth of canals, railway systems and towns greatly impacted on estates as they all required land for expansion. The Local Government Act of 1888 and creation of national bodies like the Police (1829), Ordnance Survey (1842 maps defined footpaths and boundaries) and HM Land Registry (1868) all restricted the management of estates by the ‘Lord’.

Common footpaths became ‘rights of way’, rules became bye-laws and a tenant’s responsibilities became included in property deeds. The role and need for the Manor Court Leet became greatly diminished.

Country-wide, the number of courts remaining are few, their role redundant, overtaken by time and regulations.

Meeting of the Clifton Court Leet 2014. Photo supplied

An estate at Clifton is recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086. It is known that the estate was given to the monks of St Mary’s Abbey in about 1088, the estate then included part of Galtres Forest and the hamlet of Rawcliffe.

The estate remained under the control of the monks until the demise of St Mary’s Abbey in 1539. The Manor House of the estate that used to exist at Rawcliffe is now remembered solely by local street names.

In 1606 the estate was acquired by the Robinson family, who owned it for over 300 years. The Robinson family were wealthy York merchants, one member, Sir William Robinson, built the Red House in Duncombe Place and became Lord Mayor in 1700-01.

The Red House on the corner of St Leonard’s Place and Duncombe Place around the 1910s in York. The Red House was home to Sir William Robinson. Photo from Explore York archive

In 1919 the estate was bought by York City Council, which technically became the ‘Lord of the Manor’; the days of Clifton Manor Court Leet was thought to be over.

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But in recent years some residents of Clifton, keen not to allow such an important local event be lost, have continued the act of holding an annual Court Leet.

The Court is convened every November with the Sheriff of York hosting the event, participants are duly sworn in before departing to Clifton and Rawcliffe to conduct inspections just as their fore-fathers would have done.

Rawcliffe Ings

Some of the ancient estate waterways (now becks) can still be seen, state of over-growth and discarded objects in the becks are reported to the Sheriff that evening.

The Clifton Manor Court Leet is concluded with a meal funded by the participants. The reports are not without consequence as they are forwarded by the City of York Council to the relevant authorities for their attention.

The authority of the Court Leet may have gone, but part of York’s ancient local history still survives.

Ivan Martin is the vice-president of the Yorkshire Architectural and York Archaeological Society (YAYAS) and former city, Minster and Mansion House guide. He is also a former Clifton Manor Court Leet bye-law man.

YAYAS developed from its foundation in 1842. It publishes the York Historian and YAYAS Times, with articles and news items about York and its surroundings.

It is active with lectures and excursions and is always happy to welcome new members and suggestions for visits.

Its archives include photographic illustrations that can be used for research or reproduction with copyright acknowledgement.

Visit the website www.yayas.org.uk for more information about the organisation, its publications and how you can support it.

It will arguably be the best bogey of McIlroy’s career.

With a two-shot lead on the 18th tee the job was almost done but McIlroy had a wild swipe and his ball flew to the right and into trees.

Hearts were suddenly racing again.

After what seemed like an eternity, as he tried to usher thousands of spectators away from his intended line of attack to the green, he thrashed his ball out of the pine straw and into a greenside bunker.

It was a key moment. Another poor swing could easily have led to a double bogey and a play-off with Scheffler.

He backed that with a strong shot from the sand to 12 feet and with two putts for the title, took both of them.

The final stroke, from seven inches, was the length that all players dream of to win a major.

There was a huge release of emotion. McIlroy hugged his caddie Harry Diamond, looked to the sky and let out a roar as he raised him arms aloft – his sixth major title cementing his place as one of the sport’s greats.

The app lets shoppers create personalised notifications, including a stock check function, so you can see if the items you want to buy are available before heading to the store.

Plus, Primark has told shoppers that the app also makes its popular click-and-collect service easier to use.

The brand previously rolled out its click and collect service to all 189 UK stores, allowing shoppers to pay for items online and pick them up in stores.

Primark launches app in the UK

Primark first launched its app in Ireland and Italy last summer, but it is now available to download in the UK on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Discussing its new feature, Kari Rodgers, UK Retail Director at Primark, said: “We know our customers expect great value and an effortless shopping experience, wherever they are.

“Our new app puts exactly that in the palm of their hand, from personalised updates on the latest trends to faster, more convenient ways to browse and shop via Click & Collect.

“This is just the next step in bringing everyday value to more UK shoppers in a way that’s simple, seamless and built around their needs.”

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Matt Houston, Chief Customer and Digital Officer at Primark, shared: “Following the successful launch of our app in Ireland and Italy, we’re excited to bring an even smarter, more connected shopping experience to the UK.

“Customers are increasingly turning to digital tools that make shopping easier and more rewarding, and we’re confident that our app will deliver an intuitive, personalised experience that’s been carefully designed to help them get the most out of every Primark visit.”

Will you be using Primark’s new app? Let us know in the comments.

Sir Keir Starmer has refused to join Donald Trump’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil and gas shipping lane, which could drive up petrol costs for Britons

Sir Keir Starmer has declined to participate in Donald Trump’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which could intensify economic hardship for Britons through increased petrol prices.

The president threatened to halt tankers from entering or exiting the crucial oil and gas shipping route, a decision anticipated to push oil prices higher when markets reopen, following rises already triggered by Iran’s control of the strait in response to the US- Israel conflict against it.

The Prime Minister will address cost-of-living concerns with local residents during a visit to Greater Manchester later today.

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Meanwhile, Chancellor Rachel Reeves will head to Washington for International Monetary Fund meetings this week, having cautioned that “the war in Iran will come at a cost to British families and business”.

MPs return to Westminster from the Easter break on Monday with no end to the Middle East crisis in view and the future of a fragile two-week ceasefire hanging in the balance. Trump declared the shipping blockade following the collapse of US-Iranian peace negotiations in Pakistan, with both nations pointing fingers at each other.

The American leader announced on his Truth Social platform that the US military would begin “blockading any and all ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz”. Trump added, without elaborating: “Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade.”

Britain will not be taking part, it is understood. The UK is “urgently working with France and other partners to put together a wide coalition to protect freedom of navigation,” a Government spokesperson confirmed.

According to No 10, Sir Keir and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone and reached agreement on the necessity of assembling a broad coalition of partners to address the issue.

Britain will host further discussions this week aimed at reopening the maritime chokepoint, bringing together a coalition of nations. The third such gathering organised by the UK is expected to explore ways to support a lasting resolution to the conflict, while focusing on ramping up international diplomatic pressure on Iran to reopen the strait, including through the use of sanctions.

It is understood that Sir Keir’s Sunday phone call with Mr Macron took place prior to Mr Trump’s social media post about a blockade.

Trump told Fox News “the UK and a couple of other countries are sending mine sweepers” to the strait, and “it won’t take long to clean it out”.

The Prime Minister had previously confirmed that UK mine hunting systems were already deployed in the region. However, this is believed to refer to minesweeping drones that could be utilised once conditions stabilise, and is considered separate from Mr Trump’s proposed blockade.

US Central Command, which oversees American military operations across the Middle East, announced that its blockade of Iranian ports would commence on Monday. US forces “will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports,” the military confirmed in a statement that appeared to directly contradict Mr Trump’s earlier threat to halt all shipping.

The president attributed the breakdown in talks to Iran’s unwillingness to reopen the waterway and pledge to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi hit out at Washington over its “maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade,” adding: “Enmity begets enmity.”

Follow our live blog for the latest on the Middle East conflict by clicking here.

The popular race, part of the British Cycling Open National Road Series, saw professional riders take on a challenging circuit through Saltburn, Skelton, Guisborough, Charltons, Boosbeck, Lingdale and Brotton.

Crowds gathered early this morning (April 12), to watch the competition take place, with the women’s race setting off at 9am over four laps of the circuit, totalling 68 miles.

East Cleveland Classic competition (Image: Andy Futers)

East Cleveland Classic competition (Image: Andy Futers)

East Cleveland Classic competition (Image: Andy Futers)

Pictures from the event show riders powering through the difficult route with spectators lining the streets.

East Cleveland Classic competition (Image: Andy Futers)

Katie Scott, riding for Paralloy RT, claimed first place in the women’s race with an impressive time of 2:56:49.

East Cleveland Classic competition (Image: Andy Futers)

East Cleveland Classic competition (Image: Andy Futers)

She was followed by Anna Flynn of Handsling Alba Development Road Team in second, and her teammate Beth Morrow secured third place.

Photos show the top three riders beaming as they stood on the podium to receive their awards.

East Cleveland Classic competition (Image: Andy Futers)

East Cleveland Classic competition (Image: Andy Futers)

A road closure was in place as the event passed through the region, which saw brief delays of around 15 minutes as police escorted the cyclists through.

The free event once again proved to be a hit bringing elite-level cycling to the North East.

Carrie Richardson, deputy leader of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council and cabinet member for climate and culture, said: “This is a wonderful sporting event, a chance to see truly elite sportsmen and women.

“It’s also a chance to have fun and show off the beauty of East Cleveland on television to cycling fans across the country and the world.”