The North York Moors and Whitby Day Tour from York has built a strong reputation online, earning a 4.9-star rating from 382 reviews on TripAdvisor, with 97 per cent of travellers recommending the experience.

The full-day tour, which typically lasts around eight hours, offers visitors the chance to leave the city behind and explore the North York Moors National Park, alongside stops at destinations including Byland Abbey, Helmsley, Goathland and Whitby.

North York Moors and Whitby Day Tour from York (Image: TRIPADVISOR)

For many, the appeal lies in the mix of scenery, history and screen connections.

Goathland is a particular highlight, having been used as Hogsmeade station in the Harry Potter films, while the wider route takes in landscapes familiar to viewers of TV dramas filmed across North Yorkshire.

However, reviews suggest the experience goes far beyond its film links.

Visitors repeatedly highlight the “quality of the guides, with knowledgeable commentary and local insight”, seen as a key part of the tour’s success.

One traveller described it as “a wonderful day with a wonderful guide”, praising the small-group format and regular stops to take in “absolutely beautiful landscapes and charming small towns”.

Another said the trip remained “lively and enjoyable” despite poor weather, thanks to a guide who was “informative and personable”.

Several reviewers singled out individual guides for particular praise.

One wrote that their guide was “absolutely brilliant, incredibly knowledgeable and such a talent at engagingly sharing stories”, while another described theirs as a “fountain of knowledge” with a clear passion for Yorkshire.

North York Moors and Whitby Day Tour from York (Image: TRIPADVISOR)

The scenery itself is a major draw, with travellers frequently pointing to the moorland views as a highlight of the day.

One reviewer said a stop on the moors was “simply breathtaking”, while others described the journey through the national park as “a pleasure in itself”.

Whitby remains one of the most popular stops on the tour, with visitors typically given around two hours to explore the coastal town.

Famous for its abbey ruins, harbour and fish and chip shops, the town continues to attract strong praise from those taking part in the trip.

One visitor described Whitby as “a real gem”, while another said the tour provided the “perfect side trip” for those staying in York.

The tour’s structure is also seen as a key strength, with travellers highlighting the balance between guided commentary and free time to explore.

Many reviews also mention the comfort of the transport and the benefits of travelling in a smaller group, which allows for more frequent stops and a more personal experience.

Of the 382 reviews, 359 are rated “excellent” and just a handful fall below average, underlining the consistency of the experience.

The tour is operated by Mountain Goat Tours, which itself holds a strong reputation among travellers, with many reviews also praising the company’s “organisation, professionalism and value for money”.

With North Yorkshire continuing to attract visitors seeking countryside, heritage and filming locations, tours such as this are becoming an increasingly popular way to explore the region.

As one reviewer summed it up: “A grand day out.”

Former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Jorginho Frello has hit out at singer Chappell Roan after the footballer’s step-daughter – Jude Law’s child – was left ‘shaking’

Chappell Roan has come under fire from former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Jorginho Frello after his 11-year-old step-daughter was left in tears after an encounter with the singer. The Brazilian footballer, who now plays for Flamengo, shared a statement about the “sad situation”. It involved his wife, The Voice star Cat Cavelli – aka Catherine Harding – and her and Jude Law’s daughter, Ada.

The family were staying in the same hotel as Roan – real name Kayleigh Rose Amstutz – during Lollapalooza in Brazil, with huge fan Ada excited to see her idol there. But things took a turn for the worse when the youngster walked past the artist’s table.

Posting on Instagram, Jorginho explained what happened.: “I went through a very upsetting situation with my family earlier today. My wife (@catcavelli) is in São Paulo for @lollapaloozabr. This morning, my daughter woke up incredibly excited, she even made a sign because she was so happy to see an artist she really admires, or used to admire. @chappellroan.

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“By coincidence, they’re staying at the same hotel as this artist. During breakfast, the artist walked past their table. My daughter, like any child, recognised her, got excited, and just wanted to make sure it was really her.

“And the worst part is she didn’t even approach her. She simply walked past the singer’s table, looked to confirm it was her, smiled, and went back to sit with her mum. She didn’t say anything, didn’t ask for anything.

“What happened next was completely disproportionate. A large security guard came over to their table while they were still having breakfast and began speaking in an extremely aggressive manner to both my wife and my daughter, saying that she shouldn’t allow my daughter to ‘disrespect’ or ‘harass’ other people.

“Honestly, I don’t know at what point simply walking past a table and looking to see if someone is there can be considered harassment.

“He even said he would file a complaint against them with the hotel, while my 11-year-old daughter was sitting there in tears. My daughter was extremely shaken and cried a lot.

“I’ve lived with football, public exposure, and well-known people for many years, and I understand very well what respect and boundaries are. What happened there was not that. It was just a child admiring someone.

“It’s sad to see this kind of treatment coming from those who should understand the importance of fans. At the end of the day, they are the ones who build all of this.

“I sincerely hope this serves as a moment of reflection. No one should have to go through this, especially not a child. @chappellroan WITHOUT YOUR FANS, YOU WOULD BE NOTHING. AND TO THE FANS, SHE DOES NOT DESERVE YOUR AFFECTION.”

The Mirror has reached out to Chappell Roan’s reps for comment on the incident.

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Hawaii is currently suffering its worst flooding in more than 20 years, with people in the hardest-hit areas being urged to “LEAVE NOW” by officials.

One of the largest dams on the Oahu island is at “risk of imminent failure”, warned the island’s emergency team on social media.

“We’ve got a little over 4,000 people directly within the dam evacuation area,” said Molly Pierce, a spokesperson for the Oahu Department of Emergency Management, according to Sky’s partner newsroom NBC.

“It could fail,” Ms Pierce said of the 120-year-old Wahiawa dam.

The team also warned the only remaining access road out of the nearby town of Waialua is at “high risk of failure”.

“Residents in the Waialua area are strongly urged to LEAVE NOW. The remaining access road out of Waialua is at high risk of failure if rainfall continues,” posted the Emergency Management team on X on Saturday afternoon UK time.

More than 5,500 people north of Honolulu are under evacuation orders because of the historic weather.

The situation was made worse by a storm last week, which had already left the ground saturated and susceptible to flooding.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green said the cost of the storm could reach $1bn (around £750m), with airports, schools, roads, homes and a hospital all damaged.

“This is going to have a very serious consequence for us as a state,” Mr Green said.

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With the exception of emergency workers, Hawaii’s state employees have been sent home to “allow families to focus on getting to safety”, he told reporters.

“With catastrophic flash flooding already impacting parts of Oahu, including evacuation orders on the North Shore and the potential for dam-related impacts, we are taking this situation extremely seriously.”

Oahu’s North Shore is famous for its big-wave surfing but the area was submerged in vast stretches of muddy floodwater, as the floods lifted homes and cars.

On social media, local residents were organising clean-up parties and rescue attempts, with one man filming as he tried to rescue a neighbour’s cat from the muddy waters.

“Mahalo for your service to the community,” replied one Instagram user.

All ten boroughs will benefit from £18m national drive to restore ailing parks

Greater Manchester is set to benefit from a national £18m drive to improve or build new playgrounds in deprived communities.

The fund was first announced in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ budget in November – but tonight the 66 areas around the country which will get a share of the cash has been revealed.

Among them are all ten boroughs of Greater Manchester: Salford, Tameside, Bolton, Oldham, Trafford, Rochdale, Manchester, Stockport, Wigan and Bury.

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The cash is ‘to buy new or upgrade playgrounds across the country’, according to an update from Communities Secretary Steve Reed. Areas with the ‘highest income deprivation affecting children and the poorest access to play’ have been chosen, according to the government.

A further £301m is being invested to revive struggling high streets as part of the government’s ‘pride in place’ strategy, it has also been announced. The details of where this money is to be spent is yet to be announced.

Communities Secretary Steve Reed said: “People have watched their communities decline for too long, with little say over how they’re run. This government is determined to change that – giving communities the tools, the funding and the power they need to rebuild.

“From new playgrounds to reimagined high streets, we’re putting power back in people’s hands. People across the country will see and feel the difference this investment makes, restoring pride in local areas.”

Funding for playgrounds will flow straight to local areas, with no requirements to bid or compete against other places, according to the government. Councils receiving funding ‘will also be encouraged to consider buying British materials’.

Here’s how Swansea’s players rated during the defeat to Coventry City

Swansea City slipped to a 3-0 defeat at home to Coventry City on Saturday.

Goals from Brandon Thomas-Asante, Matt Grimes and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto were enough to seal a fairly comfortable victory for the visitors.

Here’s how Swansea’s players rated on the night.

Lawrence Vigouroux 6

Can’t really be blamed for the goals and produced a couple of good saves.

Ethan Galbraith 5

Didn’t really influence the game at right-back or in midfield. Subbed.

Ben Cabango 5

Can have not complaints about the penalty. A difficult day for the skipper.

Cameron Burgess 6

Given a torrid time by Coventry’s front line but stood up reasonably well with several decent contributions.

Josh Tymon 6

Hit the post in the first half. Worked hard down the right, but just couldn’t quite have the influence he would have liked. Subbed.

Goncalo Franco 5

Unlucky not to score in the first half. Competed fairly well, but struggled to really influence the game. Subbed.

Jay Fulton 5

Did quite well early on. Played in some decent passes and mopped up well, but influence faded in face of that first-half onslaught. Subbed

Ronald 5

Made a couple of tackles, but was otherwise a pretty forgettable performance.

Melker Widell 6 – STAR MAN

Denied by the post in the first half. Worked so hard, but just couldn’t find a way through. Denied late on.

Eom Jisung 6

Had a couple of lively moments, including a lovely cross for Franco’s chance. But a slightly frustrating outing on the whole. Subbed.

Zan Vipotnik 5

Anonymous for the most part. Missed a sitter at the end too.

Subs:

Joel Ward (on for Eom 46) – Nothing to really take issue with. A decent cameo – 6

Marko Stamenic (on for Galbraith 67) – Put in a couple of heavy challenges that did at least add some steel in midfield – 6

Malick Yalcouye (on for Fulton 67) – Industrious but largely understated off the bench – 6

Liam Cullen (on for Franco 67) – As above – 6

Ishe Samuels-Smith (on for Tymon 76) – Couple of decent tackles – 6

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Mum-of-five Stacey shared a video montage of her son from over the years

Stacey Solomon has left her fans feeling emotional with a tribute to her eldest child on his 18th birthday.

Prior to meeting her husband Joe Swash, X Factor singer Stacey had sons Zachary and Leighton from a previous relationship. She and Joe went on to have three children, Rex, six, Rose, four, Belle, three.

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Taking to Instagram on Saturday (March 21), Stacey posted a video montage of Zachary from over the years. Throughout the video he could be seen looking after his younger siblings.

She captioned the post: “I blinked & my baby boy turned 18. Zachary, growing up with you has been the biggest privilege of my life. Looking through our memories, every video I have of you shows just how special you are.

“The kindest man with the biggest heart. The world is so lucky to have an human like you in it. Happy birthday darling boy.

“To the moon & stars and back again. sorry that I’ve spent the whole morning crying. I’ll pull myself together eventually.”

Returning to her account later in the day, Stacey proceeded to share a number of pictures of her and Zachary from his birthday. Stacey stunned in white sleeveless jumpsuit, while Zachary sported a casual black t-shirt and shorts.

“Today is all about you Zachary. 18 wonderful years of you. We are SO lucky. Now let’s go OUT out @zachsolomon08,” she wrote.

The comments sections of Stacey’s posts saw her famous friends and fans rushing to explain why they got emotional by her kind words and wish Zachary a happy birthdAY.

Celebs Go Dating’s Nadia Essex said: “He really does have kind eyes. What a joy. You must be so proud.” Beauty expert Caroline Hirons added: “Happy Birthday Zachy!”

@squashedpickle wrote: “Happy birthday Zac! You’ve both watch each other grow.” @little_house_life posted: “Aw beautiful video Stacey. Happy 18th Birthday to Zach.”

@woodenyoulove1 commented: “Such a beautiful montage of your Zachary. Happy birthday young man.” @marie_buckingham stated: “Beautiful video, happy birthday, what an amazing loving lad.”

Meanwhile, in a week where Stacey had to address their relationship on This Morning, Joe shared a post of his own in honour of Zachary.

“Happy 18th birthday, Zachary! Watching you grow into such a kind and caring young man has been something really special. Wishing you nothing but success and happiness in the years ahead, this is just the start of something great,” he said.

The former hotel is in a ‘poor structural condition’

A mix of flats and houses could be built on site of a former Cambridgeshire hotel. Woodgate Developments Ltd has proposed to build 14 homes on site of the former Station Hotel in Station Road, March.

It also proposes to demolish the former hotel. Of the 14 homes proposed includes four one-bedded flats and 10 two-bedded flats. It also proposes cycle storage and parking.

The developers said it would deliver “much-needed housing” to the area and be the “regeneration of a prominent site”. The applicants added: “The redevelopment of the site will remove a redundant and deteriorating building and replace it with a well‑designed residential scheme that makes efficient use of a brownfield site in a highly accessible location.

“The proposal will contribute positively to the vitality of the area by introducing new residents who will support nearby services, facilities and public transport.” The developers propose to demolish the former hotel building as it is in a “poor structural condition and no longer suitable for reuse”.

If approved, the demolition will take place in a “controlled manner” and in line with health and safety regulations. In its conclusion, the developers added: “The proposed redevelopment of the former Station Hotel represents sustainable development.

“It makes efficient use of previously developed land, delivers high‑quality housing in a highly accessible location, and responds positively to its physical, social and environmental context.” The plans have attracted some objections, including from March Town Council.

The council said it has “ongoing concerns” about drainage at the site, and it was “very disappointed” the developers were “seeking not to deliver any affordable housing or make essential S106 contributions”.

It added: “Further, it is disappointing to see another building of historical value being destroyed.” A resident in Stevens Way, March, also objected to the plans.

They described the percentage of the site being developed as “excessive”, and the proposed height of the building would “dwarf” neighbouring buildings. They added: “The proposal would be completely out of character in its setting.”