Many runners describe the first ten to 15 minutes of a run as the hardest of all. Breathing can feel laboured, the legs can feel heavy and a pace that would normally seem manageable may suddenly feel surprisingly difficult.

It might be easy to assume the reason your run feels so difficult at the start is because you’re not fit enough. But in reality, this sensation is actually caused by a normal feature of human physiology – and one that affects almost everyone, from someone attempting their first 5K to elite endurance athletes.

One way I often explain this phenomenon to athletes and students is that when you begin running, an argument starts between your muscles and your cardiorespiratory system. While there’s nothing we can do to stop this quarrel from happening, there are many things we can do to help the body find a resolution more quickly in the future.

The moment you start running, your working muscles demand a rapid supply of energy almost instantly. Yet the system responsible for producing that energy from oxygen cannot respond quite as quickly.

To meet this increased demand, your heart rate rises, breathing becomes deeper and faster and blood flow is redirected towards the working muscles. These adjustments allow more oxygen to be transported from the lungs to the muscles, where it’s used to support aerobic energy production. While these changes occur remarkably quickly in the body when we start exercising, they’re not instantaneous.

This transition is known as oxygen uptake (VO₂) kinetics. This refers to how rapidly the body can increase oxygen consumption when we begin exercising.

The transition unfolds in three phases. During the first phase, the body focuses on increasing blood flow and oxygen, while in the second phase the muscles begin activating aerobic energy production. By the third phase, oxygen delivery and demand become largely matched – and the body reaches what’s known as a physiological “steady state”.

In simple terms, this means your body has moved from being surprised by the demand of running to being fully organised around it.

But before we can reach this steady state, the muscles still need energy. To bridge the gap during this transition, the body temporarily relies on energy stored within the muscle.

This results in those sensations most runners immediately recognise. Breathing may feel disproportionately difficult, the legs can feel heavy or sluggish and perceived effort may seem unusually high compared with the pace you’re doing.

Around ten to 15 minutes into a run, many runners report that something suddenly changes. The pace feels smoother. Breathing becomes more controlled. The run begins to settle into a rhythm. This is the point at which your body has largely resolved its internal argument.

Your body has increased its oxygen delivery, aerobic energy production is contributing more fully and the cardiovascular system is better matched to the workload being performed. Muscle temperature has also risen, which improves muscle function and movement efficiency.

Reducing the effect

Although this response is common, the speed at which the body adjusts varies between people. Studies suggest that trained endurance athletes can increase oxygen uptake around 40-60% more rapidly than amateur athletes.

This is due to their years of endurance training, which has produced a variety of adaptations within their cells, muscles and cardiovascular systems that allow them to settle into exercise more quickly.

So while the transition period cannot be eliminated entirely, there are several ways to make it less noticeable.

A gradual warm-up is perhaps the most effective strategy. Easy jogging, brisk walking or progressive increases in pace can raise muscle temperature, increase blood flow and begin activating the aerobic system before the main run starts. Research shows that warm-up exercises can accelerate the VO₂ kinetic response during subsequent exercise – a phenomenon often referred to as “priming”.

If you don’t have time to warm-up, starting slightly slower than your intended pace can also help. Easing into a run allows the body to adjust, making it a much more comfortable experience.

Regular endurance training appears to help too. This sort of training might involve performing a mixture of easy runs, tempo runs and interval sessions of varying durations and intensities. Together, these different types of training help improve the body’s ability to deliver and use oxygen, allowing it to adapt more quickly when exercise begins.

There’s also a psychological component. Experienced runners understand that the starting minutes of a run may feel uncomfortable and don’t interpret this as a sign they’re having a bad run. Instead, they trust the process and allow their body time to settle into its rhythm.

As both an ex-international runner, exercise physiologist and coach, perhaps the most important message is that the sensations you feel at the start of a run are rarely a sign something is wrong. More often, it’s evidence that the body is doing exactly what it’s designed to do: adjusting to the demands of exercise before settling into a more sustainable rhythm.

At its heart are former social worker Grace Ellis (Siân Brooke), sheltered newcomer Tommy Foster (Nathan Braniff) and Annie Conlon (Katherine Devlin), who began the series as rookie officers. Since then, their loyalties have been tested, while the Blackthorn family has expanded to include seemingly abrasive Shane Bradley (Frank Blake). The murder of veteran officer Gerry Cliff (Richard Dormer) in series one has also continued to cast a long shadow.

Now, as series four arrives, billed as “their toughest shift yet”, Grace is increasingly disillusioned, while Tommy’s personal and professional lives threaten to unravel. Shane, meanwhile, is discovering just how much his Blackthorn family means to him.

Gerry’s murder trial also hangs over the station, while Richard Dormer makes a much-anticipated return as the drama revisits events that promise to reveal new truths.

Here, Siân Brooke, Nathan Braniff and Frank Blake share how life on the front line has transformed their characters and hint at what’s in store this series.

WHERE DO WE FIND YOUR CHARACTER AT THE BEGINNING OF SERIES FOUR, AND HOW HAS THE ROLE CHANGED THEM?

SIAN: Grace feels she’s found her calling in child protection, which has driven her to take her detective exams, but because of bigger factors at play she realises progression isn’t going to happen. She is also stepping between frontline policing and this world of dark shadows when working alongside Colly [the intelligence officer, played by Michael Smiley]. I have always seen Grace as able to maintain this optimism, but she becomes extremely disillusioned in this series.

NATHAN: For Tommy, it’s very much picking up where he left off with [fellow constable] Aisling [Dearbháile McKinney]. The pressure of the job has really taken its toll on their relationship and they’re trying to work through their problems. He came into the role totally green and sheltered and was thrown into this crazy environment, so he has had to grow up quickly. There is so much pressure, he’s at his wits end personally and professionally.

FRANK: Shane’s accident [when he was stabbed] at the end of series three put a lot into perspective. It was up in the air whether he’d return, but he has realised who he values and who values him, which is the guys around him and the people he gets to take care of on the streets of Belfast. I’ve loved exploring the softer, more humorous side of Shane. I think he’s got a good heart; maybe he was just a bit misguided when he arrived.

WHY DO VIEWERS CARE SO MUCH ABOUT THESE CHARACTERS?

SIAN : They’re depicted as real people with real lives. There’s that gallows humour when you’re dealing with extreme situations. As for Grace and Stevie [Martin McCann], people became invested because it was a slow burner. They’re two people in their mid-40s who’ve had their fair share of love lost, but they’re essentially good people. Their banter is a bit like a tennis match.

FRANK: First and foremost, it’s about the characters rather than one big plot. Through them we get to explore Belfast and see a more genuine, human version of the city rather than being tied up in the same stories we saw in the media for years.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT GERRY’S RETURN?

SIAN: It feels like it’s come full circle. Sadly, my storyline and Richard’s didn’t cross, but at the read-through it was nostalgic having him back in the room where it all began four years ago. Some big truths will be uncovered this series.

NATHAN: Every time we did a panel with the writers, someone would ask, “Why did you kill off Gerry?” I feel like they were almost left with no choice but to bring him back in some sense! I think people are going to freak out when they see the episode.

WHY DOES BELFAST REMAIN SO IMPORTANT TO BLUE LIGHTS ?

SIAN: They’ve written a cop show about Belfast, but it encompasses every aspect of this brilliant place and its history, all the ingredients that make it what it is today, and they dissect it in a very human form.

FRANK : Declan and Adam have written things that, before the show has even come out, have been mirrored in the news. But what makes it special is the characters and the genuine, human version of Belfast we see through them.

WHAT HAVE YOU PERSONALLY TAKEN AWAY FROM FILMING BLUE LIGHTS ?

NATHAN: A greater understanding of police work. It’s a tricky job. You’ve got this added element of danger with all the politics that goes on with Northern Ireland, and no matter how hard you try, it’s probably a job that it’s going to be hard to do perfectly all the time.

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FRANK: My big takeaway from playing Shane is how much difference you can make to someone’s day by giving them 10 or 15 minutes of your time. You don’t know if you could change someone’s life simply by asking how they are, checking in or humanising someone who may not be treated like a person in their community.

SIAN: I’ve been doing this [acting] for 23 years and when you make something, you’ve got no control over whether people jump on board. The show has given me the most wonderful gift of a place, friends and people. I miss Belfast when I’m not there. I feel very blessed that it’s become such a great part of my life.

Blue Lights returns on Tuesday 29 September, with all six episodes on BBC iPlayer that morning and episode one on BBC One at 9pm

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here

Did you know we are at the halfway point of the year? No, not THAT year; this one is the astrological one that begins each March.

Aries, Taurus and Gemini, this pivotal day will have an intensified impact on you. It’s time to become thoughtful and self-reflective.

Western Tropical astrology is based on the seasons, and as you ready yourself for the next six months, take this turning point as a clean slate.

Ahead, you’ll find all star signs’ horoscopes for today: Tuesday September 22 2026.

Like checking your horoscope every morning? You can now sign up to our free daily newsletter to get a personalised reading for your star sign delivered straight to your inbox.

To order your unique personal horoscope based on your time, date and place of birth, visit patrickarundell.com.

Aries

March 21 to April 20

This mid-year point is partiuclarly potent for you, Aries. Today it as impprtant to look back as it is to look forward, and use your past experiences and mistakes to inform your approach to the coming months. You should consider how things have unfolded thus far. Expect your connections to others will come sharply into focus now.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aries

Taurus

April 21 to May 21

The Sun and Mars axis has been providing a huge boost of drive for you over the last ten days, and has likely made you productive, especially in creative areas. Equally, you may have found yourself more active or social too. However, a switch in focus will see you turn your attention to practicalities in the last ten days of the month. Time to turn on DIY mode?

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Taurus

Gemini

May 22 to June 21

Where you live, how and who with has been quite the theme of late, but you can feel a stirring today to connect up with people you’ve not seen and to re-ignite the social whirl. This can see you quickly move from thoughtful quiet time to full-out merriment, quicker than you might imagine, but you’ll go through this gear change with consummate ease.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Gemini

Cancer

June 22 to July 23

They say that the heart is where our home is, and this might seem particularly apt for Cancer people. Actually, it is much more nuanced than that: what you like is to feel at ease wherever you are, and you can pick up on atmospheres more than most. Recently has been an active, chatty time, but now you might find yourself drawn more to your abode after all.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Cancer

Leo

July 24 to August 23

You might have found yourself of late, Leo, tapping into old skills and talents, finding ways to use them in the here and now, in a fresher way. If you have been decluttering too, you may have surprised yourself with some of the finds you have had, and with the extra money they have brought in. Now, the vibe changes, and things get speedier and more exciting too.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Leo

Virgo

August 24 to September 23

The Sun is inching towards the exit of your sign. Still, recently, energised by the drive and passion of Mars, and a fabulous New Moon, you have likely been putting lots of different key plans in place, or reinvigorating the ongoing interests that you have. Over the next month, these can start to take shape in a more tangible and lasting way for you, Virgo.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Virgo

Libra

September 24 to October 23

You have been doing some deep thinking of late, maybe even some deep research, and there has been meaning to it. Astrology and life are like this. Nothing is quite as linear as it seems; there are all sorts of stops, starts, and adjustments. What this time has done is help you forge a plan, and that plan is set to take off energetically from here on.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Libra

Scorpio

October 24 to November 22

Chances are it has been a very busy time for you of late, Scorpio. Even if your preference is for home or family-based strands, you have likely been travelling or collaborating with others. Expect a subtle shift soon. It might not show up right away, but you can start to find that staying with what is familiar and restful is, after all, more attractive.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Scorpio

Sagittarius

November 23 to December 21

It’s not always what we know as much as who we know, and that can be particularly true when it comes to work. A previous contact could show up now, and there can be a reason for this. Whether this is a social or professional meetup, it can be good to reconnect, share the news, and get the inside track. A more social phase may be just what you need.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Sagittarius

Capricorn

December 22 to January 21

Your sign is said to be linked to responsibility and an appreciation of what is well established and traditional. This may be true in some ways, but since April this year, you have been prompted to update your outlook and try newer approaches. If you have flexed into this, over the next week a surprising yet exciting new worldly possibility could open up.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Capricorn

Aquarius

January 22 to February 19

There are so many different ways we can travel these days, and if you have the opportunity to break out now, you might find a change of scene is just the tonic. Whether this is a day trip, a weekend away, or somewhere more exotic, they can all stir the senses. Courses could also call out to you. Any way you can expand your knowledge will attract you.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aquarius

Pisces

February 20 to March 20

A lighter, brighter vibe has shown up, and you’ve likely enjoyed some bright and bubbly connections with friends. If working on a business idea has led you to collaborate, this could have given you an additional opportunity to increase income if a previous revenue stream has wound down. Now you can discover just how much potential there really is.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Pisces

Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.

Head here for this week’s tarot horoscope reading, and see what the cards have in store for you!

Check out the tarot horoscope reading for the month of September here.

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MORE: Daily horoscope September 21, 2026: Today’s predictions for your star sign

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William Budge attacked his wife Sandra with a car in Edinburgh two years ago after she ended their marriage.

A domestic abuser who tried to kill his estranged wife by mowing her down with his car twice has died in prison. William Budge, 63, was described as a “barbaric individual” after carrying out the horrific attack on his wife Sandra in April 2024.

Budge admitted to assaulting his spouse to her severe injury, permanent disfigurement, danger of life and attempted murder at the High Court in Edinburgh in January 2025. He was jailed for seven years and four months following his guilty pleas but an successful appeal from the Crown saw his sentence extended to 10 years and 10 months.

The Scottish Prison Service confirmed that Budge, who had been locked up at HMP Glenochil, died on Tuesday, September 15.

Evil Budge also admitted to subjecting his victim to a campaign of abuse. Budge, formerly of Silverknowes Gardens, Edinburgh, launched one final attack on his wife as he attempted to kill her three weeks after she had ended their 33-year marriage.

He parked his car outside Sandra’s Edinburgh home before making attempts to speak to her when she returned to the property. He grabbed hold of her and attempted to force her into his car as well as trying to take her mobile phone.

During the altercation, a relative of the victim arrived and began shouting at Budge who said: “She’s f—ing embarrassed me.”

Budge got back into his car and drove onto the grass verge, straight at the victim, lifting her onto the bonnet before she fell onto the ground. The wheels of the car went over the victim as Budge drove back onto the road.

The victim was lying motionless on the grass when Budge turned his car around and drove back over his former wife again. The relative who was attempting to help had to jump out of the way to avoid being struck.

Women and children could be heard screaming as Sandra lay motionless on the ground and the whole horrific ordeal was captured on camera.

Budge drove off before police and paramedics attended. The unconscious victim was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where she was found to have suffered damage to her lungs and liver, internal bleeding, rib and ankle fractures and other injuries.

His car was later found parked unattended in a car park at Asda in Dunfermline. The following day, police in Glasgow were alerted to a man in the River Clyde who was identified as being Budge after he was rescued.

Budge’s former wife suffered numerous serious injuries which were described as ‘life-threatening’.

In July 2025, an appeal from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service was successful and Budge’s original sentence was extended. Prosecutors argued the sentence was unduly lenient and judges agreed, sentencing him to 10 years and 10 months behind bars.

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Roger “Rog” Shaul passed away on September 4, aged 77.

A much-loved husband, dad, grandpa, friend and publican who, during his years behind the bar at The Three Tuns in West Lutton, the Dawnay Arms, West Heslerton and The Coach & Horses in Rillington, became a familiar and much-loved character to many people across the local area.

Born on May May 1949 in Wyberton, in South Lincolnshire, Rog the first son of Cyril and Helena and came from a very modest rural background where life in those early years could be tough.

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He remained in Lincolnshire until his late 30s, spending much of his adult life around Caistor and Market Rasen, where he became well known.

However it was then that Rog met Helen, and fell in love with her at first sight.

His step-daughter Katherine, said: “Rog knew she was the woman he wanted to spend his life with and told her that if he could spend his life with her, he would be happy forever.

“It was quite a declaration, but Rog was never really a man for doing things by halves.And he meant it.”

Helen had three children — Richard, the eldest, followed by myself and Angela — and Rog stepped wholeheartedly into family life.

Katherine said: “Although technically he was our stepfather, that word has never really described what he became to them. Rog was Dad.

“I remember being about seven and thinking Rog was like a giant — a big, strong, bearded man who was jolly, fun and larger than life.And that big, strong Rog became their protector.”

He worked hard to provide for his family, including many years as an HGV driver, notably with S.A. Bell, while weekends were about family.

In the early 2000s, Rog finally followed what his family believe had always been something of a calling and became a pub landlord.

From 2002 to 2014, Rog was at the helm of The Three Tuns, the Dawnay Arms and The Coach & Horses.

Katherine said: “It was a role that seemed made for him. For Rog, running a pub wasn’t simply about standing behind a bar and serving drinks.

“A good pub was the heart of a community, and being a landlord brought together so many of the things he loved most — people, conversation, friendship, sport, quizzes, laughter and, of course, the occasional lively debate.

“He was intelligent, interested in the world and naturally curious. He could hold a conversation with almost anyone and genuinely enjoyed people.

Katherine said for all the fun and larger-than-life stories, the most important thing about Rog was the way he loved his family.

“Rog had strong, traditional values. He believed in working hard, trying your best, treating people with decency and respect and standing by the people you loved.

“Those values had a profound influence on Richard, Angela and myself, but he didn’t simply tell us how we should live, he showed us

“That support continued for all three children throughout their lives — through relationships, marriages, divorce, children, careers, businesses, successes and difficult times.

“When things went wrong, he didn’t keep score. He didn’t judge. Even when one of them had made a mistake, his love and support remained the same.”

Katherine said that as the years passed, the family Rog had joined in 1988 grew again.

“He became a much-loved grandpa. “First came Richard’s children, James and William, followed by Katherine’s children, John and Jane, and later Angela’s children, Sebastian and Lucian.Rog took enormous pride in watching the next generation of his family grow.

And through all of those chapters, there was Helen.Together they built that life.

Nearly four decades filled with children and grandchildren, pubs and dogs, holidays and adventures, friends, laughter, hard work, difficult times and wonderful ones.

Katherine said Rog had a life well lived.

“He became a husband, a dad, a grandpa and a publican whose personality left its mark on the communities he served.

Together, we remember a man they we were incredibly proud to call our Rog, and we all feel extraordinarily lucky to have been loved by him.

“And perhaps the final words should belong to Rog himself, ‘I’m not here for a long time, I’m here for a good time’. He certainly made it a good one.”

A celebration of Rog’s life will be held at the Coach & Horses in Rillington on Tuesday, September 22, at 3pm.

Prince Harry has revealed the ‘most British thing’ he, Meghan and their children have been doing since moving back to Britain from California. 

The Duke of Sussex, 42, also said his children are now happily eating Marmite on crumpets, despite previously ‘dissing’ him for keeping the divisive spread in the house.

Speaking to HELLO! at last night’s WellChild Awards in London, Harry was asked what the most British thing he had done with his family since returning to the UK.

‘Gone for a walk. Lots of walks. Isn’t that the most British thing?’ he joked.

But he soon revealed that the family’s embrace of British life had gone beyond country walks – and into the breakfast room.

‘OK yes Marmite on crumpets – please tell me that is a British thing because it has always been in my life and now the kids are eating Marmite on crumpets which is a big moment for me.’

Asked whether Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, approved of the distinctive spread, Harry replied: ‘They do, they do very much.’

He added: ‘They used to dis me for having Marmite in the house but now we are in the UK that is kind of water under the bridge.’

Harry revealed the children had been less impressed by another British breakfast staple when he previously tried to introduce it to the family.

‘I already tried beans on toast,’ he said.

The Duke of Sussex gets a hug from Margot Jones-Billington’s sister Adeleigh during the WellChild Awards 2026

Harry poses with Gaby Roslin (left) and the winners during the annual Awards at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London

Asked how that went, the Duke replied: ‘That was in California. That was years ago. It didn’t go down very well at all.’

The light-hearted revelation came as Harry opened up about life with his young family at the WellChild Awards and appeared to become quite emotional. 

At one point, he became more reflective as he discussed how becoming a father has changed the way he experiences the charity’s annual event, which celebrates seriously ill children and the families caring for them.

‘Once you become a parent it does change everything,’ Harry said.

‘It is not the fact that all the years I wasn’t a parent that meeting the kids didn’t matter as much but you suddenly realise how grateful you are to have kids that are not sick.’

Harry also spoke about a particularly relatable moment at the breakfast table earlier that day, revealing that Archie and Lilibet had been suffering from the ‘Monday blues’ ahead of school.

‘Breakfast this morning they had Monday blues,’ he said, comparing it to the ‘Sunday night blues’ he experienced before being sent away to boarding school.

But the Duke said he managed to turn the mood around by explaining what he would be doing at the WellChild ceremony later that evening.

‘You know what you are just being a little bit tricky so I am going to tell you what I am doing tonight and they were genuinely fascinated and interested and had all sorts of questions.’

The Duke of Sussex receives a gift of a mug and tea towel for his new house by the winner of the Inspirational Nurse, Rachel Shanahan (right) and her husband Paul (centre)

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Harry meets with winner of the Inspirational Child 4-6, Margot Jones-Billington during the WellChild Awards 2026

The Duke meets with winner of the Inspirational Child aged 7-11, Will Messer

Duke of Sussex is shown a book of when the winner of the Inspirational Young Person 12-14

Harry said he and Meghan want to use their work to help their children understand more about the lives of others, adding that now ‘no longer being 5000 miles away should make it easier to be more available to support the charities that need us and that we really enjoy working with’.

His comments come after Harry and Meghan returned to Britain with Archie and Lilibet from their California home in August, with the children beginning school in the UK.

The Sussexes have spent recent weeks settling into their new life in Britain, with Harry making a series of charity appearances while Meghan has remained focused on the children.

The Duke’s return has also allowed him to spend more time with WellChild, a cause he has supported for 18 years.

He attended the charity’s 2026 awards at the Royal Lancaster Hotel on Monday night, where he met winners and their families before presenting the Inspirational Child award to six-year-old Margot Jones-Billington.

Harry also gave a speech during the ceremony, saying the awards were an opportunity to celebrate children and young people living with complex medical needs as well as the families supporting them.

The event marks the latest chapter in Harry’s long association with the charity, which says he has attended the awards on 16 occasions.

And after years of being thousands of miles away, his comments suggest he is relishing the chance to become more closely involved once again.

By WILL HALLOWELL, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 01:28 BST, 22 September 2026 | Updated: 01:51 BST, 22 September 2026

After more than 24,000 pictures from around the world were submitted into the renowned competition, the Bird Photographer of the Year winners have been revealed. 

And it was a British snapper who claimed the £3,000 prize money this year with an extraordinary submission from under water. 

Henley Spiers was named grand prizewinner after capturing a gannet mid-dive as it plunges into Scottish waters in search of prey at speeds of up to 86km/h (53mph). 

Mr Spiers said of his image, named Sunball Rocket, and competition victory: ‘The handsome northern gannets lead a dualistic existence.

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‘In the nest, their newborn is carefully nurtured, and a couple’s bond is reinforced by pointing sharp beaks to the sky as they tenderly stroke their white necks together. 

‘In flight, hunting mode takes over, and piercing yellow eyes, fringed with blue circles, scour the sea for prey.

‘When fish are spotted, the gannets fly into the wind and stretch out their wings as brakes, precisely adjusting their position in relation to their quarry. 

‘Moments later, with wings tucked in tightly, the gannet shape-shifts into a pointed torpedo, diving into the water at speeds of up to 86km/h.’  

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A photographer was snorkeling in the magnificent Port Charcot bay in Antarctica when a raft ofgentoo penguins suddenly showed up, en route to fish and feed on krill

The Great Bear Rainforest on the west coast of Canada, as its name suggests, is a wetplace, and on this particular day, it had been raining nonstop. A snapper was walking on a Zodiac when he spotted this magnificent juvenile baldeagle with its wings spread open

The winning entry by British photographer Henley Spiers. He named the image Sunball Rocket as the photo shows a northern gannet bursting through the sun as it pierces down through the water in Scotland (Awards: Overall Winner and Birds In The Environment)

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A male greater sage-grouse during its courtship display. As the sunwas rising over the shadowed sagebrush hill behind him, itilluminated the bird’s tail feathers such that they appeared to radiate light. (Award: Best Portrait)

Camouflaged against bark and shadow, a fledgling tawny frogmouth stretches its wings in what looks like covering its other siblings from water drops from the rain in an Australian forest (Award: Bird Behaviour)

A short-eared owl courses over the salt marshes of BritishColumbia’s Fraser River Delta (Award: Birds In Flight)

An ostrich makes its way towards the dry lake bed of Amboseli. In black and white, the stark landscape emphasizes the bird’s solitary journey across the dust and heat. (Award: Black and White)

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On a blazing summer day, a common swift slices through the air, captured in an in-camera multiple exposure reflected in the glossy roof of a blue car (Award: Creative Perspectives)

A seagull lands on a wall depicting a cartoon seagull wearing a balaclava and carrying an open wallet with its feet. The seagull imitates the movement of the cartoon (Award: Urban Birds)

A great blue heron (with a bobber and fishing line around his beak) landed right next to the photographer and was so close the snapper could only get a head shot (Award: Conservation)

On a small island in Norway, a teenager observed Red-Necked Phalaropes foraging for food. One bird they found a pair of Great Horned Owls nesting in a park next to their house (Award: 15-17 Years and Young Bird Photographer of the Year) 

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A bird flies up from the water to catch prey. It is caught mid-flight by the photographer (Award: 12-14 Years)

A Great Cormorant, with its ’emerald-green eyes’ as the photographer pointed out, is pictured in London (Award: 11 And Under)

A majestic golden eagle drifts in dark silhouette across the face of the moon, itsoutstretched wings cutting a powerful shape through silver light

This picture was taken on Deception Island, near the Antarctic Peninsula

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A male Western Parotia dances in the dark rainforest of West Papua 

Silver award for the Sunset Puffin snapped on Skomer Island

When Olivia Besters began caring for the patch of soil beneath the chestnut tree outside her home in Freiburg, Germany, more than 35 years ago, biodiversity was not on her mind.

“It was the optics,” she told me. The ground was compacted and littered with trash and dog “legacies”. Besters simply wanted the space directly outside her front door to look nicer. “Everything else came much later,” she said. “Thirty-five years ago, no one talked about climate change or insect decline.”

Over time, one tree bed expanded into 36 across Besters’ neighbourhood of Herdern. So deep is her commitment to her tree beds that her children gifted her a bike trailer to cart around her watering system, her phone is filled with stunning pictures of the flowers growing in her tree beds, and she has been nominated for city-wide engagement awards.

As towns and cities grow, biodiversity is being squeezed into ever smaller spaces while people experience a progressive loss of everyday contact with nature. Street tree beds – and the practice of caring for them – offer cities a way to counter urban biodiversity loss while enriching people’s connection with nature in their neighbourhoods.

Our research shows that citizen stewardship of street tree beds can boost species richness and diversity in urban areas.

For years, officials in Freiburg, a city known for being green and eco-conscious, had noticed residents informally planting and caring for the small patches of soil around street trees. In 2004, the city formalised this activity through its tree sponsorship programme, or Baumpatenschaftsprogramm, creating a way to organise and support something residents, like Besters, were already doing.

Biodiversity was built into the concept, but has become much more prominent over time. In 2010, the city joined forces with the Ecostation, an environmental education centre in Freiburg to launch Freiburg blüht auf (Freiburg in bloom). This initiative connected tree bed stewards directly with ecologists, providing stewards with seeds, plants and advice on turning street tree beds into small habitats for native plants and insects. The result, according to the city, are “small flowering islands” that can help the soil retain moisture and provide habitats and food for insects.

Until our research was published, however, there was little data to show what these tiny spaces were actually contributing to urban biodiversity.

In our first study, we surveyed plants growing in 200 street tree beds, comparing 100 beds actively stewarded by residents with 100 similar beds that were not stewarded. Over three months, we recorded 474 plant species growing across these beds. We found that stewarded beds supported around 1.6 times as many plant species as the non-stewarded beds. Although stewarded beds contained more non-native plants than non-stewarded beds, they also supported more native plant species and more varied plant communities.

Through surveys and interviews with more than 100 stewards in Freiburg, participants told us they were very conscious of this ecological role. Planting tree beds can “really promote biodiversity” in what might otherwise be a “concrete district”, said Shari, a 62-year-old steward who has been caring for one tree bed for six years.

Participants frequently described tending their tree beds as relaxing, restorative, absorbing and meaningful. For Besters, it’s “pure relaxation” that feels “good for my soul”. Hank (a 39-year-old steward who has cared for one tree bed for about three years) reports: “I’m so focused … when I do something in the [tree bed] … I forget the world.”

Care and connection

Caring for tree beds also helps stewards connect with neighbours and the wider community, while encouraging others to take up stewardship themselves. One steward described receiving “a lot of positive recognition from people I don’t know”, while another said an “insane number of people” stop to chat while she is gardening her tree bed.

Once she transformed a neglected tree bed into a clearly cared-for space, Besters noticed that people began treating it differently: dog excrement and litter declined. Visible signs of care signal that a place is valued, which can prompt more respectful behaviour from others.

In one of our early studies, we found that 73% of stewards reported first learning about street tree bed stewardship from a neighbour or by seeing someone actively gardening a tree bed. This reinforced previous studies that suggest visible gardening practices can cluster spatially as nearby residents observe and replicate one another’s actions.

In Freiburg, more than 500 residents now participate in the tree sponsorship programme, caring for approximately 700 tree beds. Around 3% of the city’s 22,000 street trees are stewarded. Enhancing even a portion of the remaining beds could expand habitat for plants and insects and, when strategically located, create ecological stepping stones that reduce isolation and support species movement between larger green spaces.

The social potential of these tree beds may scale in a similar way: stewardship can make these small public spaces meaningful relatively quickly, creating chances for people to connect with nature, develop a stronger sense of place and interact with both neighbours and strangers. And because these acts of care are highly visible, they can inspire others to participate, creating more stewardship, more habitat and more opportunities for nature and social connection.

The Tuesday letters page looks forward to an annoucement about Final Fantasy 17, as one reader fears too much of a good thing with Silent Hill.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Fantasy No. XVII
With Final Fantasy 7 Revelation out next year it doesn’t seem like we have any clues as to what comes next. There’s been some hints of more Final Fantasy 7 games, but I assume they must be years and years away. But what about Final Fantasy 17?

It’s only been two years since Final Fantasy 16 but it feels like a lot longer, I think because nobody really liked that one and the Final Fantasy 7 remakes have gone down a lot better, or at least that’s how it seems to me.

Personally, my hope is that Square Enix go back to the Japanese style strangeness of the series, rather than the Game of Thrones knock-off that 17 was going for. I think there was a rumour that they were thinking of moving back to turn-based combat and I think that’d be a great idea.

It’d be nice if there was a reveal date to look forward to but hopefully we’ll see something about it next year at least. I really liked the Final Fantasy 7 games and I’d like to see them take what they learned from them and make a brand new game.
Lockmaon

The legend of Navi
I think the general mood around the Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake is positive, which means it’ll probably sell well enough to see Majora’s Mask get the same treatment. But what I wonder is if they’d ever do a sequel to those two games. As far as I know there’s never been an explanation for where Navi went at the end of the game and Link doesn’t find her in Majora’s Mask.

Maybe it’s discussed in some manga or something, but I would very much welcome a new game in the style of Ocarina Of Time, which was about Link and Navi reuniting. I feel it would be a good excuse to go back to the old style of game, which they’re not going to do again for a mainline sequel, and it would tie up a plot point that’s always bugged me.

The fact that she left and Majora’s Mask is all about finding her seems like they had very specific plans for her and a possible third game, but I’ve never heard anything about that. Or am I missing something obvious?
Korbie

GC: As far as we know there’s no explanation for where she went.

Silent Hill: Luxembourg
Nice review of Silent Hill: Townfall and I’m glad to see it’s decent. But I don’t really see how they’re going to keep this going for one game every year. Setting it in a different country each time is all very well but when the gameplay is always the same it’s not going to make much difference.

Silent Hill f impressed me because the story and characters were so unique but that doesn’t seem to be true of Townfall, which is more of a generic Silent Hill story. There’s nothing wrong with that right now but there is going to be if there’s another next year and another after that.

And I hear they’re trying to get a new movie done too, after the success of Resident Evil. That’ll be the fourth one? Or is it fifth? You really can have too much of a good thing you know.
Benson

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Constant trolling
I also admire the people constantly trolling Sony over their no discs policy, on YouTube and Twitter and everything. I check in on the YouTube channel every now and then, to see if they’re still at it, and they always are. I do feel sorry when it’s an obscure indie game but at the end of the day it’s Sony’s fault and they deserve to get all the flak they can.

I can just imagine their plan involved them assuming people would get tired of complaining within a couple of months but that hasn’t happened. That hasn’t changed their approach though and I think they only ever had one plan: wait them out.

I was curious to see what the comments would be like on the GTA 6 trailer but for some reason they only have Trailer 2, which came out before the all-digital annoucement. The only other video they have is for the GTA 6 controllers which are, you guessed it, filled with comments about whether you can buy them digitally… Good on those people.
BilBlipper

Status quo
Anyone thinking Marvel’s Wolverine would flop was never being serious. He’s a popular character, the graphics are good, and it’s a Sony first party game. Doing slightly worse than Ghost Of Yōtei is as bad as it was ever going to get and even then I would imagine it still makes its money back.

However, you can be sure that Sony has seen all the complaints and discontent and… will probably do nothing about it. I mean what should they do? Maybe they’ll tell Insomniac to make the skill tree a bit bigger next time or add a few more combos, but that’s all.

The things that upset gamers do not upset ordinary people and there’s a lot more of them than us. Now if it had flopped, that would have been different, but when it’s only a small dent in their profits it’s much easier to just carry on as they were.
Ishi

Technical support
One of the best things about this site is the Underbox. It’s one of the few comment sections left on the internet where reasonable and logical discussion can be found. There’s a dedicated community down there, with some people being there for years and conversing daily with each other.

So it’s a shame that it’s littered with technical problems that have persisted a long time now. I know this isn’t your department, but it really has become an issue.

The first issue is the logging out problem. It is constantly logging you out on mobile. And it’s an absolute chore to log back in sometimes. This has been an issue for well over a year now.

The second is the terrible moderation of the comments. I and many others have left comments that are in no way against the terms of service. Very long comments and then they’re rejected for unknown reasons.

And the final one is the downvotes by anonymous users. You can always tell it’s an anonymous user because they have a colour or fruit in their name and never comment. They really should only allow users to vote on comments.

I’ve been visiting and commenting on this site for close to a decade, probably more if I really looked. So thank you for news, the articles I’ve been reading. Thanks for all the joy their bringing.
QWERTY

GC: Thanks for this, we’re having someone look into it now. As you can imagine though, it’s not something under our direct control and we can’t act unless we get a complaint.

Spreading the cost
There’s something very odd about any company advertising a video game as being 5p a day, but I guess it makes sense when they’re £70 in total. I’m surprised we haven’t heard about it before because it seems to be something O2 has been doing for a while.

I can’t see it really taking off because it’s so drawn out but maybe if you paid in quarters that would be easier to swallow. But even then £17.50 is more than most indie games. That really brings it home just how expensive full price games are now. Are they four or five times better than an indie game? Not usually, I would say.
Winston

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As seen in-game
Your story about a patent to introduce advertising into gameplay was disturbing. Talk about sacrilege. I detest all adverts. Not to sound like a moany old person but the ads that we had in the seventies and eighties were much better than the ones that are around now.

Works of art in places, and often quite quotable and funny. If the dancing woman from the Shake n’ Vac advert (put the freshness back) interrupted a video game race or sniper battle that I was engaged in I might not even mind so much. But if those meerkats suddenly popped up…

If people are really feeling the pinch and the only way that they can continue gaming is to choose a cheap advert riddled tier, fair enough. In the streaming services that I subscribe to I always choose a more expensive ad free service. I would do the same if adverts invaded gaming.

What’s wrong with having real ads on billboards and signage within games? Whenever I’ve encountered adverts presented that way in the past I haven’t really minded. If I recall correctly some of the Need For Speed games had billboards that advertised real products/brands didn’t they?
Michael Veal

GC: That sort of thing has been tried before, particularly in the late Xbox 360 era, but it never seems to have caught on.

Inbox also-rans
My goodness the GTA 6 characters are a grumpy lot. We’ve all seen countless pictures of them over the last year or two and I’ve not seen a single smile!
Arteta26Legend

Been playing Star Fox Adventures on Nintendo Switch Online and it is amazing how well those graphics still hold up. Pity the game is still rubbish though. It’s like Zelda with every ounce of charm and interactivity squeezed out of it.
Focus

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The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

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MORE: Games Inbox: Will GTA 6 have a co-op mode?

MORE: Games Inbox: Will Zelda: Ocarina Of Time review better than GTA 6?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is the new Resident Evil the best video game movie ever?

The Prime Minister has said the UK will provide “defensive air-to-air refuelling” support for Saudi Arabia against Houthis

Andy Burnham has agreed to provide British military support for Saudi Arabia in its struggle against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The Prime Minister said British planes will provide “defensive” air-to-air refuelling for Saudi jets.

He said he made the decision after discussions with Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband.

Click here for the latest on Greater Manchester’s politics in our newsletter

The discussions came amid fears that the deepening Middle East crisis will add to cost pressures facing British households, he added.