That purpose?

Performing live on stage at the main night of Consett Comedy Festival, in front of hundreds of people. It will be my first ever gig.

The road to get to where we are has been littered with scraps of paper etched with terrible jokes, each floating down in a depressing swoosh towards rock bottom.

But then, rock bottom showed me that the only way was up, and with the help of North East comedy legend Steffen Peddie, I have crafted at least one joke that is sure to get one audience member to at least exhale audibly from their nose.

Steffen Peddie. (Image: STEFFEN PEDDIE)

His best piece of advice was to not take myself too seriously and to “get in front of a mirror and be comfortable talking to yourself.”

I also sent speculative messages to an array of comedians to see if any had any advice for me. Stand-up and YouTuber Max Fosh said: “Being as prepared as possible is the best way forward!”

I have also learned a lot about myself in the process, about the best ways I can memorise a large chunk of text.

Many performers have many different ways of learning to speak on stage. I have two.

I practiced on stage for the first time on Saturday. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

It turns out standing on a rock on the edge of a hill and forcing myself to hurl very much work-in-progress comedy at a housing estate is a good way to get my brain to remember something. So if you see me wandering the streets shouting about ready meals, I’ve probably gone to get some shopping and forgotten the list.

Memorising my set by performing it to a housing estate wasn’t on my bingo card. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

The second? Wandering around the house with the iron or hair straighteners as stand-in mics.

The iron became my stand-in microphone. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

More prep

My latest hurdle came in the form of getting on a stage in front of a handful of comedians in Blyth to perform my set, which felt like I was a finger painter presenting a handprint to Banksy.

Struggling to the microphone, I tripped over my words and stammered through my opening.

“Again.”

So we did it again.

I messed it up again.

It’s a brilliant resilience builder, being forced to make a fool of yourself underneath very bright lights and with a sound system echoing your mistakes to an entire room.

@joshua.nichol Day 24 of learning stand up comedy before my first ever gig at Consett Comedy Festival. PREP PREP PREP argghhh #comedy #standup #consett (and a lovely thanks to @Max Fosh ♬ original sound – Joshua Nichol

But I powered through. I learned how to use my restlessness on stage to my advantage, moving around to try and engage the audience (which, yes, were empty seats at this stage, but theory before practical). I also learned how to try and calm my nerves, although whether I remember this on the night will be another thing.

Stand up comedy is not journalism. I cannot go back and rewrite something to make it sound better when I am on stage.

But it is exhilarating and fun and I am going to put my all into next week.

There will be laughter. Whether it is with me, or at me is another question.

Consett Comedy Festival’s main night is on Saturday, May 2, and the line-up includes Alun Cochrane, Matt Reed, Will Burns, Hannah Margaret… and me.

Get your tickets here: www.universe.com/events/consett-comedy-festival-2026-tickets-RKCMN4.

The King’s US state visit will go ahead as planned in the wake of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day, and acting on advice of Government, we can confirm the State Visit by Their Majesties will proceed as planned.

“The King and Queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case and are looking forward to the visit getting under way tomorrow.”

The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was thrown into chaos on Saturday night after an attempted attack, which saw shots fired, prompting the US President to be swiftly evacuated by Secret Service agents along with other senior members of his administration.

King Charles’ security was reviewed following the attack ahead of his four-day visit with Camilla on Monday.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said after the attack that discussions will be taking place throughout the day with US colleagues to review “what degree the events of Saturday evening may or may not impact on the operational planning for the visit”.

The historic visit, the King’s first visit to the US as monarch, will mark the 250th anniversary of American independence and herald the start of celebrations across the US.

The royal couple, who will begin their visit with a private tea hosted by the president and first lady, will also commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks that brought down New York’s Twin Towers.

More follows…

The crash happened around 11.40am on Saturday (April 25) on the B6255 between Ingleton and Hawes.

It involved two motorbikes travelling northbound from Chapel‑le‑Dale towards Hawes.

The rider of a BMW motorbike, a man in his 60s from Lancashire, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

The rider and passenger of a Honda motorbike were both taken to hospital with serious injuries.

North Yorkshire Police said it is keen to hear from anyone who was driving in the area at the time and may have witnessed the crash or has dash‑cam footage that could assist its investigation.

North Yorkshire Police said: “If you have any information that may assist our investigation, please email mcit@northyorkshire.police.uk or contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting 12260074374.”

The road was closed for some time to allow emergency services and the Major Collision Investigation Team to carry out work at the scene and was reopened at 9.30pm.

James Richards reportedly fled the country following the failed plot

A man who travelled from Liverpool to Scotland to carry out a gangland assassination backed out of the murder plot over concerns about the getaway car, a court this week heard. James Richards, 36, was employed to execute Scottish gangster Ryan Carvil after he was labelled a “grass”.

Gang boss David Nisbet, 35, is said to have wanted Carvil dead as his gang looked to turn the streets of Glasgow into a “warzone”, the High Court in Glasgow heard on Friday, April 24. Nisbet joined forces with fellow criminals Declan McCuish and Anthony Connell, both 35, before Richards was transported from Liverpool to Glasgow.

The group were caught when their messages planning the murder were cracked by police as they gained access to the Encrochat network. In the messages from April 2020, Nisbet suggested three potential hitmen, the Glasgow Times reports, but an agreement was reached with James Richards.

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McCuish was in charge of securing the flat the hitman would use before and after the planned killing by Richards, with Connell said to have messaged his accomplices about a “Scouser wanting to blow him away”, the Liverpool Echo reports.

Richards was collected from Liverpool before being taken to Scotland, but it became apparent the hitman had “cold feet”.

It was heard how Richards shared concerns over the car he would be using to get away from the scene of the murder, with him asking his co-conspirators for a faster car or a motorbike.

After abandoning the plot to kill Carvil, he headed back to Merseyside but was stopped on Monday, April 13, by armed officers.

Richards is now able to be identified by the media after he pleaded guilty to being involved in serious organised crime between April 9 and April 13, 2020.

A warrant is believed to have been out for his arrest following the murder plot before he was later traced to Spain. He was then extradited back to the UK.

John Sullivan KC, defending Richards, is reported to have told the court his client had been in debt to those he bought drugs from. He was said to have realised when arriving in Scotland the murder was not something he was able to do.

Publicly available court documents show Nisbet and McCuish were both convicted of the murder plot against Carvil following a trial in February 2025.

Nisbet was jailed for 13 years and McCuish was locked up for 11 years.

Carvil has since been jailed for more than eight years after police infiltrated a large-scale food delivery-style drug operation in which he was a central figure.

The 32-year-old would travel between his home in Scotland and a property in Dubai, with him partnering with a shisha bar owner Saad Qayyum to flood the streets of Glasgow with drugs.

Gabby Logan was fronting the BBC’s coverage of the London Marathon as Sebastian Sawe broke the world record to win the men’s elite race for the second year running

Gabby Logan faced criticism online for suggesting that Sebastian Sawe should mark his London Marathon victory with fish and chips and a beer. The Kenyan athlete dominated Sunday’s race to secure his second successive triumph at the event, smashing the late Kelvin Kiptum’s marathon world record with a time of 1:59:30.

Logan, who was presenting the BBC’s coverage of the London Marathon, interviewed Sawe following his victory, she questioned the athlete about his plans for refuelling after such a gruelling test of endurance. She said: “What’s the first meal you have when you become the first man to break sub-two hours? Do you go sit down now and have some fish and chips and a beer?”

Sawe didn’t respond to the question, laughing awkwardly while holding the shoe he’d finished the race in with his time inscribed on the side of the sole. Logan then began laughing as she said, “No? Okay.”

READ MORE: Team GB star left covered in blood during London Marathon as foot ‘explodes’READ MORE: Aaron Ramsey smashes London Marathon with incredible time days after retirement

When Sawe eventually replied with: “Thank you, thank you,” Logan added: “Thank you so much. I think I would,” before twisting her face.

While Logan ultimately laughed at her own joke, social media users reacting to the clip didn’t respond well. One commented: “Gabbys laughed at her own s*** joke here,” while another remarked: “First meal? Sports journalist smh, fish and chips & a beer; you must be kidding.”

A third viewer fumed: “What a stupid question. Why on earth would he want to eat such unhealthy deep fried food after running an amazing race like this ordering a disgusting beer,” while a fourth simply remarked: “That was awkward.”

Meanwhile, Sawe was quick to express his gratitude to the spectators lining the route during his post-race interview. He said: “I saw the time and I was so excited.”

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He added: “First of all I want to thank the crowds. They help a lot. They helped a lot. You feel so happy and strong and pushing. What comes for me today is not for me alone but all of us in London.”

Sawe was far from the only athlete to rewrite the record books at the 2026 London Marathon, however. Tigst Assefa also claimed victory for the second consecutive year in the women’s elite race, crossing the finish line in 2:15:41 and trimming nine seconds from her time at last year’s event, which already stood as the women’s London Marathon record.

In the wheelchair races, Switzerland’s Marcel Hug triumphed in the men’s competition for the sixth successive year and the eighth time overall, equalling a record previously set by David Weir. Catherine Debrunner also successfully defended her title in the women’s wheelchair race.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

Carys Davies suffered a decline in her mental health during the menopause

The family of Carys Davies are sharing her story to help other women who may be going through what she did. The 63-year-old, an environmental health officer from Nantgaredig in Carmarthenshire, is remembered by her family as outgoing and social with a silly sense of humour.

The mum-of-three died in May 2025. Her family said she took her own life after suffering a decline in her mental health during the menopause.

Her daughter Alys said: “If you break your leg or have a heart attack there are treatments in place. There are less obvious symptoms with your mental health but it should be treated in the same way because it is an illness.”

Carys lived in Carmarthenshire her whole life and her parents lived there too. Her family remember her warmth, caring nature, and laughter.

“My mum was a very outgoing person, funny, social, very silly sense of humour, always incredibly stylish and I’d say her biggest trait was her care,” said Alys.

“Her passion was being a mum and that’s the thing she cherished the most. She had this great nature of putting others ahead of her and effortlessly being an absolute supermum.”

However, like many women, when Carys began the menopause the anxieties and worries which had previously been manageable became all consuming. She was struggling to sleep, overthinking, and her anxiety became much worse.

“My mum felt isolated with it and even with us, who aren’t suffering with the same anxiety, it’s hard to feel like you aren’t alone sometimes,” Alys added.

“Women can often carry a lot of anxiety and tend to worry and stress about things. She was always known to be a worrier and I think the menopause around that time it’s with a shift of hormonal change, the symptoms worsened and were far more heightened and became unmanageable.”

Alys believes her mum’s symptoms being managed earlier could’ve helped her. She thinks there needs to be more awareness from peri to menopausal age and GPs need to be better informed around the differences between the ageing woman and the ageing man.

She continued: “I think for my mum’s case and many other women it’s two things with women – they either say nothing and carry their weight silently, or they try and express it and we get tarnished with the menopausal women who complain.

“My mum’s death was not something we ever expected, ever worried about, ever feared for the future and it just shows the depths of which mental health can take over and become unmanageable for the normal folk.”

Unfortunately research shows that Carys’ story is not unique. Around one in six women have suicidal thoughts at this stage of life, and suicide rates are highest among women aged 45 to 50.

Alys added: “I see it as my mum being incredibly brave because it’s unimaginable she could do that and would never have wanted to do that. We are a lovely family and it shows the depth that your suffering can take you.

“It’s about brushing off the stigma of both mental health and the menopause, and encouraging people to talk about both those things.”

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Now Carys’ husband has embarked on a huge challenge – running the London Marathon to raise money for The Menopause Charity.

Paul Davies, 69, has always enjoyed running but his daughter Alys admitted he’d never challenged himself in this way before, and said running for her mum was a whole new challenge.

Paul added: “This is not an easy story to tell. But if sharing what happened to Carys helps another woman or another family, then it is the right thing to do. We miss her every day.”

The Menopause Charity raises awareness and provides trusted information and support. The charity wants more people in Wales and across the UK to understand how menopause can affect mental health, and to help women and partners feel more comfortable talking about menopause and supporting one another.

Alys said: “The charity allows women to feel there’s a platform they can symptom check that is evidence-based because they are doing the research to back it up.

“There’s a lot of differing information when it comes to HRT for example so it’s having that one place and platform people can get their information safely.

“This is something I felt reached to many woman and not just my mum.”

Paul has raised over £7,000 for The Menopause Charity so far. You can donate to his JustGiving page here.

A 51-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life

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A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life following a “significant” fire at an LGBT+ nightclub. Thames Valley Police were called at around 2am on Sunday (April 26) after reports that the Pink Punters venue in Milton Keynes had gone up in flames.

A large number of revellers and nearby residents in the Watling Street area were successfully evacuated by staff, police confirmed. Video footage appears to show fire tearing through the upper floor of the building, with flames leaping high above the rooftop.

Police confirmed that the exact cause of the blaze has yet to be determined. Officers and Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue crews remain at the scene, with road closures still in force.

A 51-year-old man from the Buckinghamshire city was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and is currently being held in custody, police said.

Pink Punters has been operating for more than two decades, offering dancefloors, an outdoor bar and karaoke nights, according to the Express. At the height of the blaze, 12 fire crews were on site, the fire service confirmed, reports the Mirror.

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Milton Keynes commander Chief Superintendent Emma Baillie said: “This was a significant fire in which a large number of people had to be evacuated. Thankfully no one was injured and staff at the venue worked quickly and effectively to safely evacuate everyone.”

She added: “At this time it would be too early to comment on any particular motivation for this incident and we would respectfully ask for people not to speculate.”

Anyone with information is urged to get in touch with police by calling 101, quoting reference 43260203265.

Daniel Farke congratulated Chelsea and singled out Robert Sanchez for special praise his Leeds side missed out on a place in this year’s final with a 1-0 defeat at Wembley.

Enzo Fernandez headed Pedro Neto’s cross beyond Lucas Perri to open the scoring in the 23rd minute and the Argentine’s early breakthrough proved decisive, with Leeds coming up short in search of an equaliser in the capital.

Anton Stach and Dominic Calvert-Lewin both squandered golden opportunities to make it all square as Sanchez stood strong after what has been a difficult season for the error-prone Chelsea goalkeeper.

And while Leeds threatened to take the tie to extra-time in the closing stages, the Blues held firm to advance through to the FA Cup final for the 17th time in the competition’s history.

Calum McFarlane, who took over the reins on an interim basis after Liam Rosenior’s sacking at Chelsea, will steer the club into this year’s showpiece against Manchester City on May 16.

The west London giants are aiming to lift the trophy for a ninth time, having last triumphed under Antonio Conte back in 2018.

‘First of all, congratulations to Chelsea for making their way through to the final,’ Leeds head coach Farke told TNT Sports shortly after the final whistle.

‘I think it’s fair to say it was a very tight game. If you have a look at the statistics, we had more expected goals, more shots, more shots on target, more big chances missed.

‘It could go in both directions but it’s also fair to say that we were not at our free-flowing best today, especially in the first half.

‘It’s not that we were played off the park but we made one or two unnecessary mistakes in the build-up, a bit clumsy, and gave more or less the only situation where Chelsea had a chance.’

Farke highlighted Sanchez’s assured display between the sticks for Chelsea, with the Spaniard proving a thorn in Leeds’ side in the second period.

‘We had the first chance to score, a big chance, and it was a good save from their goalkeeper as well,’ the German added.

‘Second half, we tried everything, we changed our base formation and brought more offensive-thinking players in. We went a bit more men-against-men, also from the start were dominant.

‘The goalkeeper again, there were good saves against Anton Stach and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

‘Our set-piece deliveries and crosses were not that precise, like in the last few weeks, and were not that free-flowing in and around the opposition box so we didn’t create enough clear-cut chances. This is what we can criticise.’

According to Farke, Leeds’ players had displayed signs of ‘nervousness’ across the 90 minutes.

‘Perhaps you could feel a bit that the lads were a bit nervous. So much was made out of this game and we were not at our very best today,’ he explained.

‘But yeah, it’s football. In tight games, the team defends a bit more concentrated wins the game and this was today Chelsea and for that, congratulations to them.’

Asked if the occasion had perhaps affected his players, Farke replied: ‘Yes, of course.

‘The players are not used to play always on a Champions League-level. So much of made of it being the first game in four decades.

‘Yes, of course it’s difficult. The commitment was there, the effort was there.

‘We were competitive and also had our chances, but it was perhaps that we were a bit nervous in possession to create more and dominate the game.’

More to follow.

MORE: Who is Calum McFarlane? Chelsea interim manager in charge for the rest of the season

MORE: Chelsea make transfer decision as Premier League club target Nicolas Jackson

MORE: Antoine Semenyo out of Man City squad as Pep Guardiola explains FA Cup selection

Arsenal: van Domselaar, Fox, Williamson, Wubben-Moy, McCabe, Russo, Little, Caldentey, Smith, Blackstenius, Foord. 

Subs: Votikova, Borbe, Codina, Maanum, Pelova, Hinds, Holmberg, Harwood. 

Lyon: Endler, Lawrence, Renard, Engen, Svava, Albert, Horan, Yohannes, Diani, Hegerberg, Brand. 

Subs: Belhadj, Bacha, Junttila-Nelhage, Dumornay, Becho, Katoto, Egurrola, Fathallah, Sombath, Chawinga, Benyahia, Tarciane Karen.

Police and fire were called to Chew Brook Drive, Greenfield just before noon, and the discovery meant a cricket match had to be cancelled nearby.

A large police presence was called (Image: Phil Taylor)

Police say that following an assessment Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit, several items have been safely removed from a house.

They have now been sent away for further analysis.

Some residents were asked to leave their properties after a cordon was put in place, police say, for the safety of the public.

Officers on the scene (Image: PHIL TAYLOR)

As of around 6pm on Sunday evening officers were still on the scene, but people could move freely too and from their homes.

Chief Inspector Ian Partington said: “We would like to thank residents for their patience and co-operation today while we carried out our investigations alongside partners at the EOD and the fire service.”

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said:

“At just before 12pm today (Sunday 26 April) fire crews were called to support Greater Manchester Police on Chew Brook Drive, Greenfield.

“Fire engines from Chadderton, Hollins and Mossley attended, along with specialist officers and technical rescue units. A cordon was established around the premises, and residents within the affected area were advised to remain indoors or were evacuated as a precaution.

“Firefighters are working closely with police, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams and other agencies to ensure public safety. The incident remains ongoing, with emergency services standing by to make the area safe.”

Greenfield Cricket Club said it has to cancel its Women’s 1st XI match today.

It stated: “Due to an ongoing incident on Chew Brook Drive there is currently an 100m exclusion zone in place. Emergency services currently in attendance.

“As such today’s match has been postponed and the police have instructed the public not to attend the cricket ground and park.”

Although is not clear what items were found by the police teams, there have been cases across Greater Manchester where people have discovered have old grenades, leading to large cordons until they can be disposed of safely. Other times controlled explosions have taken place after being found.