While the lingering chill in the air might lead you to believe otherwise, British festival season is fast approaching. We’ve whittled things down into a handy guide to the events you won’t want to miss out on this summer.
For the music obsessives looking to spruce up their rotation with some fresh talent, look no further than the UK’s biggest new music festival, The Great Escape, which will be celebrating its 20th birthday in May. It’s set to be one hell of a party.
Speaking of newcomers, State Fayre, the latest event from industry titans Festival Republic, will be hoping to shake things up in August, bringing an impressive mix of rock, country, folk and Americana to the sprawling grounds of Hylands Park in Chelmsford, Essex.
Then there are some killer line-ups from Reading and Leeds, All Points East, Green Man and Isle of Wight, which should be enough to keep you busy while Glastonbury takes its traditional fallow year.
Advertisement
So, dust off your sunhat – and, let’s be realistic, your wellies and anorak, too – because it looks like this summer is set to be a corker…
The Great Escape
Peaches is performing a spotlight shot at Brighton Dome, hosted by The Independent (Press)
Where – Brighton
When – 13-16 May 2026
Twenty years since it first erupted onto the UK festival scene, the Great Escape will be returning to Brighton with a veritable smorgasbord of up-and-coming talent, sourced from every corner of the globe. Discover the hottest newcomers to indie, soul, metal, and everything in between, scattered over 30 intimate venues (all within walking distance) in the seaside town.
Advertisement
Confirmed names range from Canadian powerhouse Peaches to The Kooks, who caught their big break at the festival back in 2006, as well as Irish act Kingfishr, who first played The Great Escape on The Independent’s stage two years ago, now performing a spotlight show at the Brighton Dome. Then there are over 450 other acts to enjoy across the four days, plus keynote conversations with Peaches, Melanie C, Ian Murray MP, and plenty of industry insiders and experts discussing everything from representation to mental health. Evie Wynne
Mighty Hoopla
Crowds soaking up the sun during a performance at Mighty Hoopla festival, 2023 (Sarah Louise Bennett)
Where – Brockwell Park, London
When – 30 and 31 May 2026
In May, London’s Brockwell Park will once again be playing host to the two-day bonanza that is Mighty Hoopla, the most colourful, joyful, camp celebration of everything we love about pop music. Witness sets from Tulisa, Scissor Sisters, JLS, Louise and Alexandra Burke all in one place, along with this year’s it-girl, Lily Allen, delivering a UK festival exclusive performance of her critically adored comeback album, West End Girl. Grab something sequinned, sparkling or spandex and we’ll see you there. EW
Advertisement
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight Festival has branched out in recent years (PA Archive)
Where – Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight
When – 18 – 21 June 2026
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Advertisement
While the festival’s early line-ups earnt it a reputation as the “European equivalent of Woodstock”, it’s fair to say that Isle of Wight has diversified its offering in recent years. Whether you’re singing along to Lewis Capaldi or reminiscing on summers of yore with Calvin Harris and Rita Ora, there really is something for everyone. And with The Cure, Sex Pistols, and Shed Seven all set to make an appearance, there’s plenty to keep the rock fans happy, too. EW
State Fayre
Elvis Costello is headlining the inaugural State Fayre festival this summer (Getty)
Where – Hylands Park, Chelmsford, Essex
When – 26 – 28 June 2026
From the organisers of Reading, Leeds and Latitude, we give you State Fayre, a new event tapping into the UK’s ongoing obsession with country music. Packed with the very best that the country, Americana, rock and folk scenes have to offer, its lineup includes major acts like Elvis Costello and the Imposters, Alanis Morissette, Skunk Anansie, The Coral and Kings of Leon, plus brilliant newcomers such as Stephen Wilson Jr, Muireann Bradley and Kezia Gill. And when you need to re-charge, there’ll be plenty of delicious options thanks to foodie influencer Eating with Tod, who’ll be bringing his BBQ festival Fume to the park, as well. EW
Advertisement
Latitude
Larking around at Latitude (Katie Wiilloughby/Festival Republic/PA) (Local Library)
Where – Henham Park, Suffolk
When – 23 26 July 2026
Latitude’s family-friendly festival returns with a typically excellent mix of music, art, literature and entertainment. Whether you’re in the mood for some chart-topping tunes from Teddy Swims and Tom Grennan, the sweet soul of Billy Ocean or the fiery rock of The Undertones. Want to give those weary feet a rest? Stroll over to the Listening Post, where Salford’s own Dr John Cooper Clarke will be imparting his wisdom with the crowd. Or, for some light relief, join Sarah Pasco, Lenny Henry, and Sue Perkins in the Comedy Arena for an afternoon of guaranteed laughs. EW
Camp Bestival
Advertisement
Family fun at Camp Bestival (Press)
Where – Lulworth Castle, Dorset
When – 30th July – 2 August 2026
In just a matter of months, the staid grandeur of Lulworth Castle will once more be transformed into a kooky wonderland of circus, craft, disco, and plenty besides. In this, its 18th year, Camp Bestival will be taking parents on a trip down memory lane with performances from hip-hop greats Fatboy Slim and De La Soul, while, a few tents over, the kids settle down for a bedtime story with CBeebies. Best. Weekend. Ever. EW
ArcTanGent
Where – Fernhill Farm, Bristol
Advertisement
When – 19 – 22August 2026
ArcTanGent represents a glimmering alternative to the more mainstream festivals out there. This year they’re offering performances from industry disruptors Chelsea Wolfe, Primus, and Perturbator, to name a few. ATG opens the door to an underground world of electronic, synth wave, and industrial, bringing them firmly into the fore. Join them in Bristol this August for an experience you won’t forget in a hurry. EW
Green Man
Wolf Alice are headlining Green Man this summer (Scott Garfitt/Invision/AP)
Where – Bannau Brecheiniog National Park, Wales
When – 20 – 23 August 2026
Advertisement
Nestled amidst the gently rolling hills of Bannau Brecheiniog National Park in Wales, Green Man is back with another mesmerising programme of music, comedy, science, and arts designed to tantalise the senses. Part of a typically eclectic line-up, this year’s headliners include indie aficionados Wilco and modern-day rock band Wolf Alice, whose recent album, In Bloom, saw them nominated for a second Mercury Prize in 2025. Arguably the best part about Green Man, though, is the plethora of other activities on offer, which will see you filling your mornings with yoga and your evenings with toasted marshmallows, high on the magic of the Welsh mountain air. EW
All Points East
Tyler, the Creator will headline All Points East in a UK festival exclusive (Getty)
Where – Victoria Park, London
When – 21 – 30 August 2026
Its cool crowd and impressive line-ups have earned All Points East comparisons to California’s Coachella music festival – albeit smaller and with far fewer influencers. It’s a bit of a stretch given the California event is one of the biggest festivals in the world, but at least here you’re not shelling out $70 for tacos (it’s more like £18). Anyway, by now All Points East is a staple of any festival-lover’s culture calendar.
Advertisement
Descending on Victoria Park this year are soul stars Jorja Smith and Tems, as well as two sets from Tyler, the Creator in what will be the American rapper’s UK exclusive. Headlining with support from PinkPantheress, fresh off her own headliner-in-the-making Coachella set of her own, is none other than Lorde. For the moody alt-rockers out there, both old and new thanks to a recent revival of early Noughties metal, Deftones are back in the UK – it’s been 31 years since their debut album, but hits like “Nosebleed” feel as fresh and immediate as ever. Likewise, nostalgia runs deep for Twenty One Pilots who will be making their APE debut on 30 August. Annabel Nugent
Reading / Leeds
The UK’s answer to Coachella? Sombr will be playing All Points East in August (Getty)
Where – Rivermead Park, Reading / Bramham Park, Leeds
When – 27 30 August 2026
Shrugging off any preconceived stereotypes of a festival overrun by excitable teenagers, Reading and Leeds have announced a line-up that is certainly not to be sniffed at. So, if Gen-Z artists Sombr, Role Model, and Raye aren’t your thing, the subversive sounds of Kneecap, Geese, and Men I Trust just might be. Meanwhile, for those whose tastes lie closer to the club, check out Mall Grab and Hybrid Minds on the brand new Warehouse stage for a party that won’t disappoint. EW
LORD Robertson’s recent Strategic Defence Review recommendations must be acted upon with regards to defence spending and the development of our defence capability.
The obvious ways to fund defence is by reducing current welfare spending where we spend 10.3 per cent of GDP in comparison to 2.3per cent of GDP on defence.
The Government also needs to increase taxation to fund defence spending.
Advertisement
We also need to look at how we can resource recruitment in our reservist and cadet forces which may include conscription. We cannot afford to not deliver quickly on these recommendations.
It’s viewed that Russia will be as powerful as NATO militarily by the end of the decade.
The time to act and deliver is now. The country has been failed for the past 20 years in our defence spending.
Let’s hope this Government changes that – it’s had plenty of warnings what we need to do to improve our nation’s protection.
Advertisement
Failure to do so will lead to potential catastrophic consequences.
We can’t say we haven’t been warned.
John Jones,
Birch Close,
Advertisement
York
—
York’s got talent!
THE talented and well synchronised Northern Lights A Cappella group of Durham University appeared on BBC1 Breakfast TV on Monday morning, April 13 and in the evening on Look North.
Advertisement
They recently won the UK championship in this distinctive style of music with movement, earning them a spot in the world finals (International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella) in New York later this month.
One of the students’ strong points, a speciality of theirs, is choreography. ‘Syncopation’ could be their middle name!
Last year they came third in the world championships against stiff competition from American universities. Fingers crossed (in unison) for this year!
Two of the 16-strong ensemble are Durham students from York; Alex – ‘beatboxer’ and Will – bass.
Advertisement
Google the group and find out more. It’s fun; it’s clever; it’s catchy!
Derek Reed,
Middlethorpe Drive,
York
Advertisement
What do you think?
Feel strongly about an issue? Write us a letter. Please write no more than 250 words and you must provide your full name, address and mobile number. Send your views by email to: letters@thepress.co.uk
Write a comment
Advertisement
Join the debate and leave a comment in our comments section below this article – we may use your comments for a follow up article.
Amman United Youth overcame Pontypool United 30-13 in the WRU U-18s Cup final at the Principality Stadium to spark wonderful celebrations
Wales legend Shane Williams is celebrating one of his greatest Principality Stadium triumphs after guiding Amman United Youth to WRU U18s Cup glory on Friday night.
Advertisement
The former winger is one of the coaches at the side where it all began for him, with his son Carter starting on the wing against Pontypool United. Amman, who only re-started their youth team two years ago, beat Pontypool United 30-13 at the iconic venue.
It was a second heartbreaking final defeat in a row for Pontypool United, who were beaten in the last moments by Llandeilo last year.
Amman United were deserved winners, scoring three tries to one in a ferocious encounter that was a credit to both sides. There were wonderful scenes after the final whistle as the young Amman players celebrated the greatest win of their lives at the Principality in front of family and friends.
Williams had said: “We’ve come through some tough games this season and this Amman team has grown up together. I first met most of these lads when they were eight and I’ve come through with them, and my son Carter, since then.”
Advertisement
Captain Ceian Lewis led from the front, setting the tone with a bruising early hit, while Lewis Appleby and Charlie Gregory impressed in defence for Pontypool United.
A tight first half saw Amman’s Toby Slater and United’s Tom Howard exchange penalties before Wales U18 back rower Cole Lacey crossed for the first try after sustained pressure just before the break. It meant Williams’ side lead 10-6 at half-time with still all to play for.
The second-half could not have started any better for the Amman as James Bentley intercepted a pass on on his own 22 and sprinted 70 metres to score at the other end. This time it was coach Williams’ son, Carter, who added the conversion to put daylight between the teams
Advertisement
Pontypool United refused to go away, though, as co-captain Reuben Malsom barged over from a five metre penalty to cut the deficit to just four points once more.
But Amman found another gear, with Aled Davies racing over following a clinical move from a scrum. Williams converted and put the final nail in the coffin with two penalties.
Scorers:
Pontypool United: Try: Reuben Malson; Con: Tom Howard; Pens: Tom Howard 2.
Advertisement
Amman United: Tries: Cole Lacey, James Bentley, Aled Davies; Cons: Carter Williams 2, Toby Slater 2; Pens: Carter Williams 2,
TEAMS
Pontypool United: Jack McDonagh; Luca Grocott-Mason, Lewis Appleby, Charlie Gregory, Alfie Prosser; Thomas Howard, Daniel Parker; Logan Leonard, Cae Jones (co-captain), Scott Crewe, Ralph Evans, Reuben Malson (co-captain), Rudi Creel, Bailey Stride, Jake Sheppard
Reps: Ieuan Hockaday, George Jones, Max Jacob, Dewi Bainton, Coel Adams, Lewis Jenkins, Charlie Burrows, Danny Hutchinson
Advertisement
Amman United: Cian Evans; Carter Williams, James Bentley, Kennedy Richards (co-captain), Aled Davies; Toby Slater, Iwan Bull; Ceian Lewis (co-captain), Griff Rees, David Thomas, Tom James, Dyfan Llewelyn, Cole Lacey, Jac Cloke, Hefin Davies
Its main focus is to exposure liars and anyone vulnerable to blackmail.
The vetting system is intentionally intrusive. It is believed to cost at least £80,000 per person, and involves cross-checking every detail of the subject’s personal lives.
Those who have been through it know that the key is candour when faced with the searching questions in interviews about the use of porn, your sex life, drug and drinking experiences and habits, affairs, kinks, family contacts, travel history.
Advertisement
Agents for the United Kingdom Security Vetting service will use every possible resource, overt and covert, to scrutinise candidates.
Peter Mandelson walks outside his residence in London on Friday (Reuters)
Open source information on friendships abroad, foreign contacts, financial relationships, associations with known convicted criminals would emerge. So would gaps in financial reporting, unexplained loans and gifts would be highlighted.
“These are all the necessary parts of making sure that whatever is in someone’s background that makes them vulnerable – we know about it – so that they are less likely to be pressed into betraying their country for financial gain or through blackmail,” said a UK-based former civil servant who has gone through the vetting process.
“You can admit to some quite dodgy stuff and still pass, but lying is a red flag fail.”
Mandelson, who was known anyway to have been friends with Jeffrey Epstein prior to the latter’s convictions for sex crimes, was announced as the British ambassador to Washington on 20 December 2025.
Advertisement
He was in post by 25 February the following year, which meant that his clearance was pushed up the queue ahead of others in less exalted positions.
Typically, security sources have explained to The Independent, that involves the urgent interviewing of close friends and associates of Mandelson by officials from the vetting agency.
Handout document issued by the US Department of Justice which shows Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Lord Peter Mandelson with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein (US Department of Justice)
They ask probing and, for ordinary civilians, often highly intrusive questions about candidates. These answers are then used to check the honesty of what the candidate says in their own interviews.
Mandelson would, it should be assumed, have been asked to explain the receipt of several payments from Jeffrey Epstein, as well as payments from the alleged people trafficker to his now husband – after Epstein’s conviction.
Mandelson has said publicly that he cannot recall these payments. It is not clear that such an answer would have satisfied UKSV.
Advertisement
He has further denied an impropriety amid allegations, revealed in the Epstein files published in the US, that allegedly suggest he lobbied the UK government on banking and other financial issues that Epstein had an interest in, and that he forwarded market sensitive government material to Epstein while he was business secretary in 2009.
Mandelsom’s flights at Epstein’s expense, his stays on Epstein’s property, would have, or should have, been known about and explained in DV interviews with the UKSV as they were recorded in flight logs.
Emails between the two men, and these other details, led to Mandelson being fired as ambassador to Washington.
Sir Olly Robbins, who was the civil service head of the foreign office when Mandelson took over, has resigned over his department’s decision to overrule the UKSV and give Mandelson access to the most secret of secrets and most secret relationships that any British official could encounter.
Advertisement
Donald Trump shakes hands with British ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson after making a trade announcement in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 8, 2025 (AFP/Getty)
Mandelson’s day to day job involved being privy to bilateral intelligence of the kind even hidden from the Five Eyes shared system of the Anglosphere involving the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
He would have been present for, or hosted, informal chats with top American intelligence officials and the heads of British intelligence agencies.
Tories have, inevitably, called for the head of the prime minister Sir Keir Starmer. Tom Tugendhat, Conservative MP for Tonbridge is a former security minister and as an officer in military intelligence and as military assistant to the then Chief of the General Staff, general David Richards, he went through the DV process.
“Our government, rightly, spends millions on vetting. It’s not perfect but it’s the only rational response to the very real threat of espionage, corruption and blackmail,” he said on X.
“It’s intrusive and not pleasant, and it takes months; but it’s necessary. Holding a clearance is limiting but losing one is career-ending, as it should be.
Advertisement
“I’ve been vetted and responsible for vetting as a soldier and minister. I’ve never heard of anyone who failed vetting getting a senior position, or any position of sensitivity.
Peter Mandelson, speaks during a welcome reception for British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, at the ambassador’s residence on February 26, 2025 (AFP/Getty)
“Given the essential oversight of the intelligence sharing and commercial relationship between the US and UK, it’s hard to think of a more sensitive position.”
He went on to explain that the kind of waiver that was given Lord Mandelson would, usually, have involved a ministerial sign off.
They are necessarily issued when there is an urgent need to include an unvetted agent into a secret process or include someone in the secret realm when his clearance was in the pipeline.
“It is extraordinary to suggest that our ambassador to the US not only held no ministerial waiver for the temporary absence of his vetting clearance but, worse, had actually been vetted and found to be personally a risk to the security of the UK and appointed anyway,” Tughendat said.
Complex repair works have since been taking place, with railway lines due to close for 12 hours from 11pm tonight (Saturday) to complete them. Passengers are being warned to expect continuing disruption at the station this weekend.
Although most services are running as normal today, several have been cancelled, with further cancellations expected. Avanti West Coast is running only one train per hour between Manchester and London, while Northern is running a revised timetable.
Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter
Network Rail has apologised for the disruption caused by damage to the overhead line, which carries 25,000 volts of electricity to power trains and is a critical part of the infrastructure. Passengers are being urged to check the latest situation for their service before travelling.
Advertisement
Below is a list of services which have been cancelled at Piccadilly so far today, with details currently available up to 10.30am. The list will be updated throughout the day.
Cancelled departures at Manchester Piccadilly on Saturday, April 18:
Nearly two decades after drug addiction sent him to rehab as a teenager, 36-year-old Michael Nalewaja had settled into a quiet life in Alaska where he worked as an electrician.
That all came crashing down days before Thanksgiving 2025, when he and a mutual friend unknowingly took a lethal cocktail of fentanyl and carfentanil they may have mistaken for cocaine.
“I heard the word ‘autopsy’ and I literally just collapsed to the floor,” his mother, Kelley Nalewaja said, recalling the call she received from his wife. “Even if somebody had been there prepared with Narcan — even if somebody had called 911 in time — he was not going to survive.”
Carfentanil, a weapons-grade chemical that authorities say is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times stronger than fentanyl, has seen a drastic resurgence across the U.S., killing hundreds of unsuspecting drug users.
Advertisement
The rise coincides with a recent crackdown by the Chinese government on the sale of precursors used to make fentanyl. Those regulations are likely prompting traffickers in Mexico to use carfentanil to boost the potency of a weakened version of fentanyl, according to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration intelligence bulletins reviewed by The Associated Press.
The surge of a drug so deadly that less than a poppy seed-sized amount can kill a person comes as fentanyl seizures and overall drug overdose deaths continue a multiyear decline.
“You’re talking about not even a grain of salt that could be potentially lethal,” said Frank Tarentino, the DEA’s chief of operations for its northeast region, which stretches from Maine to Virginia. “This presents an extremely frightening proposition for substance abuse dependent people who seek opioids on the street today.”
Carfentanil surge
A decade ago, carfentanil exploded into the North American drug supply, causing hundreds of unsuspecting drug users to overdose, only to see a major dip after China banned it, closing a key regulatory loophole in the U.S.
Advertisement
But the situation has shifted dramatically in recent years.
In 2025, DEA labs identified carfentanil 1,400 times in U.S. drug seizures, compared with 145 in 2023 and only 54 in 2022, according to DEA records viewed by AP.
Traffickers in Mexico may be experimenting with producing carfentanil themselves, authorities say, while others could be procuring it from China-based vendors skirting the country’s regulations by spamming online forums in other countries with ads for the drug.
Complicating matters for the cartels are the extreme dangers associated with manufacturing carfentanil, Tarentino said.
Advertisement
“You can’t just dabble in this,” he said. “This is not some mad scientist on Reddit you’re going to get to go out to a rudimentary laboratory in Mexico to make carfentanil.”
Dip in overdose deaths and fentanyl seizures
U.S. overdose deaths have fallen for more than two years — the longest drop in decades. Experts point to several possible explanations, including the overdose-reversing drug naloxone being more widely available and the expansion of addiction treatment. Some have also tied it to the regulatory changes the U.S. has pressed for in China.
Experts say that even multiple high doses of naloxone might not be enough to reverse an overdose when carfentanil is involved.
Fentanyl seizures, along with several other illicit drugs, have also dipped. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that fentanyl seizures plunged to about 12,000 pounds (5,443 kilograms) in 2025 — less than half the amount seized in 2023.
Advertisement
But even as fentanyl numbers fall, it remains a major focus of the DEA. Just recently, the agency’s proposed budget included a $362 million increase centered on cartel-driven fentanyl trafficking.
“Anyone who takes a pill that is not prescribed to them by their doctor is playing a game of Russian roulette with their life,” said Sara Carter, President Donald Trump’s drug czar. “But if those terrorists think they can continue this chemical warfare without consequences, they are wrong.”
Researched as a chemical weapon
While the prevalence of carfentanil still pales in comparison to fentanyl, experts are nevertheless alarmed by the increase of a substance researched for years as a chemical weapon and deployed by Russian forces on Chechen separatists in 2002.
The DEA’s annual quota for lawfully manufactured carfentanil — veterinarians use it to tranquilize elephants and other large animals — is just 20 grams, an amount that can fit in the palm of your hand.
Advertisement
“It’s like a biological weapon,” said Michael King Jr., founder of the Opioid Awareness Foundation. “If the world thinks we had a problem with fentanyl, that’s minute compared to what we’re going to be dealing with with carfentanil.”
In 2024, overdose deaths involving carfentanil nearly tripled compared to the previous year, with 413 deaths across 42 states and Washington, D.C., according to the most recent data available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Carfentanil definitely has that potential of spreading throughout the United States unless law enforcement really focuses in on carfentanil and they develop intelligence as to how these drug addicts are getting it,” said Mike Vigil, a former chief of international operations at the DEA.
In recent months, the DEA has documented several large seizures of carfentanil. In October, the DEA Los Angeles Field Division found 628,000 pills containing carfentanil, while in September, officials seized more than 50,000 counterfeit M30 pills from a person at a gas station in Washington state that turned out to be a mixture of carfentanil and acetaminophen.
Advertisement
‘All about money’
In some cases, frequent drug users have become tolerant to fentanyl and are seeking out carfentanil, despite the danger, because of the sudden euphoria it promises, explained Rob Tanguay, senior medical lead for addiction services with Recovery Alberta, a health agency in Canada. It appeals to the drug market, he said, because so little of it goes such a long way toward supply.
“The toughest part about all of this,” he said, “is that this is all about money.”
After Michael Nalewaja’s death, his mother decided against a large funeral.
Instead, she organized a town hall in her hometown of El Dorado Hills, California, bringing together local officials along with mothers who had gone through something similar.
Advertisement
As she grieves her son, an adept salesman full of charisma who had recently gotten a national award by the electrical union, she’s pushing for major legislative and judicial changes so others don’t go through what she did because of a drug she said was never meant for humans.
“It’s not an OD; it’s not an overdose,” she said. “It’s a murder weapon.”
___
Associated Press writer Joshua Goodman in Miami contributed.
Previously, the RFU did not have a maternity policy specifically designed for players, with former England prop Vickii Cornborough – the second Red Rose to announce a pregnancy after the update – describing the old policy as “not fit for purpose”.
Cornborough, a Rugby Players’ Association (RPA) representative, helped create the policy through input from the RPA and players themselves.
Following the birth of twins, 74-cap Cornborough announced her retirement from international rugby at the age of 34, saying she did not feel mentally ready to return.
With their babies due this summer, Atkin-Davies and Ward are both aiming to be back playing by the start of next season.
Advertisement
Ward, who played in two World Cup finals with Cornborough, warned her pregnant team-mates that returning will not be straightforward.
“It is amazing to know women have a choice and an option – great if I have played any part in that,” she added.
“There is also pressure, as I hope I have not catfished them into thinking it is easy. Everyone will find out it is not easy.”
Hooker Atkin-Davies has won 74 caps and been a regular since her England debut in 2015.
Advertisement
Having played in the past two World Cup finals, the 31-year-old wants to play at the next World Cup in Australia and have a similar moment to Ward’s 2025 Allianz Stadium celebrations.
“Becoming a mum and having a baby will make me a better person and player,” Atkin-Davies added.
“I know it is going to be really hard, and I am aware of that. I do not just want to come back – I want to come back and be better.
“That is what really drives you as well. It might take time, as your body and mind go through so many changes, but the fire and desire are in me to be at that World Cup in 2029 with a three-year-old.
Advertisement
“Those big moments of running out with my baby at Ashton Gate or Allianz Stadium would be absolutely amazing, but it will be hard.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday extended its pause on sanctions on Russian oil shipments to ease shortages from the Iran war, days after Secretary Scott Bessent ruled out such a move.
The so-called general license means U.S. sanctions will not apply for 30 days on deliveries of Russian oil that has been loaded on tankers as of Friday. It extended a similar 30-day license issued in March for Russian oil that had been loaded by March 11. The extension underscores how the fallout from the Iran war has boosted Moscow’s ability to profit from its energy exports, which had been restrained since the invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Bessent ruled out extending the license. “We will not be renewing the general license on Russian oil, and we will not be renewing the general license on Iranian oil,” he said. The administration did not immediately explain the reversal.
While it did shatter some streaming records, becoming Hulu’s most-watched premiere season of 2026, numerous viewers believed it disappointed devoted fans.
Some went so far as branding it “a monstrosity” and a “horror” in IMDb reviews, describing it as “forced and underwhelming”.
Advertisement
Television schedules and streaming services are presently flooded with reboots of beloved programmes, serving as a flimsy substitute for genuine original content.
Within the span of mere months, two of the most legendary programmes from the Noughties made their comeback in reimagined formats, as the Scrubs reboot premiered before Malcolm in the Middle in February this year.
Devotees of the original Scrubs series were left outraged after it emerged their beloved couple, JD ( Zach Braff ) and Elliot Reid ( Sarah Chalke ), had split up.
Advertisement
While they could have remained in blissful ignorance, for the purposes of drama, their cherished memories were destroyed.
Perhaps one of the most divisive reboot announcements in recent memory is HBO Max’s Harry Potter series, with the casting row making international headlines.
While some Potter fans are enthusiastic about the TV adaptation, for many it embodies the old adage: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
As painful as it is to admit, the axing of Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival was likely for the best.
While it’s disappointing that supporters won’t see Gellar return to Sunnydale leading a fresh generation of slayers, the decision not to air the pilot has probably spared the original series from harm.
Devoted fans can take comfort knowing it will remain amongst the greatest cult classics of all time.
It’s not solely dramas and sitcoms facing a catastrophic fate, as game shows such as Deal or No Deal and Catchphrase have also resurfaced with no substantial alterations from the originals.
Advertisement
Why squander a decent telly slot on a recycled, cheesy game show or sitcom when audiences are hungry for something original? It’s perfectly fine to draw inspiration from the best, but copying is simply lazy.
The potential changes would see five streets becoming one-way to traffic
Darren Calpin, Local Democracy Reporter
09:00, 18 Apr 2026
Plans that will see five roads modified to become one-way streets are being considered by Peterborough City Council.
The council’s Highways & Transport department released a draft order this week stating six changes are proposed to take place within the Millfield area, close to Lincoln Road. They will see five roads converted to accommodate one-way only traffic.
Advertisement
The five roads are:
Cambridge Avenue;
Gladstone Street;
Windmill Street;
Silverwood Road;
Springfield Road.
The roads will be amended to allow only the following directions of travel:
Cambridge Avenue: in an easterly direction between its junction with Gladstone Street and Summerfield Road;
Gladstone Street: in a northerly direction between its junction with Windmill Street and Serjeant Street;
Gladstone Street: in a southerly direction between its junction with Windmill Street and Cambridge Avenue;
Windmill Street: in a westerly direction between traffic calming island outside No.14 and the junction of Gladstone Street;
Silverwood Road: in a northerly direction between its junction with Cambridge Avenue and Springfield Road;
Springfield Road: in a westerly direction between its junction with Silverwood Road and Gladstone Street.
This will prohibit vehicles from entering Windmill Street from Gladstone Street, entering Gladstone Street from Serjeant Street, or entering Springfield Road from Gladstone Street.
A council spokesperson said the aim of the initiative is to improve the overall safe flow of traffic through the area.
They added: “The proposal to introduce a one-way system within Millfield has arisen from discussions between ward councillors and council officers with the aim of reducing conflicting traffic movements at locations that typically result in congestion.”
A consultation period on the proposals will begin on 16 April and run for three weeks. Residents in the area are receiving letters of consultation to ascertain their views. At the end of the consultation period, officers will review the feedback received in conjunction with the ward councillors to determine how best to proceed.
Advertisement
These proposed plans follow on from a £5.8m upgrade along a stretch of nearby Lincoln Road between Windmill Street and Serjeant Street which was completed earlier this year.
One of those improvements saw a northbound one-way system established between Windmill Street and Stone Lane, something many residents and business owners in the area praised.
“We are happy with the finished work and so are many of our customers,” said Cafer Koc, owner of the Cafe Algarve on Lincoln Road. “Business is picking up and the road looks cleaner and nicer than it was previously.”
BT is dishing out free fibre broadband for three months when customers switch from their current provider.
Jake Hackney Senior Consumer Writer
07:45, 18 Apr 2026
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
BT is offering free broadband to new customers who make the switch from rivals such as Sky or Virgin Media. Those who sign up for one of BT’s fibre broadband packages this month will benefit from three months of free service.
The deal applies to BT’s full fibre plans, with download speeds ranging from 50Mbps to 900Mbps, potentially saving customers as much as £131.97. Those selecting the highest speed options will enjoy connections fast enough to download films in seconds and robust enough to support 4K streaming and online gaming at the same time.
Advertisement
Once the initial three-month period ends, standard pricing will apply for the remainder of the 24-month contract. This varies from £31.99 to £43.99 based on the selected package.
BT operates under the One Touch Switch scheme, meaning new customers aren’t required to get in touch with their previous provider to arrange the broadband installation. Switchover dates are typically arranged quickly within a fortnight.
BT additionally includes Norton Security with all its broadband packages to safeguard against viruses and other online dangers. To determine which speeds are accessible in their area, customers should utilise BT’s postcode checker, reports the Daily Record.
Get BT Broadband free for three months
Advertisement
BT is giving new customers free full fibre broadband for three months, with speeds from 50Mbps to 900Mbps.
One drawback is that BT customers will experience a £4 increase to their bills every April. This practice extends to numerous other broadband suppliers, including Virgin and Plusnet, the latter currently enticing customers with a £100 gift card when they register for its 900Mbps package.
Following the 2016 merger between BT and EE, subscribers now have the option to bundle their broadband with various TV packages. By adding an EE TV package to a BT broadband subscription, users gain access to NOW, featuring a variety of Sky channels.
This includes sport and cinema content, alongside Netflix or TNT Sports availability on certain packages. BT has received considerable acclaim from numerous subscribers who have posted positive feedback on Trustpilot.
One customer said: “Amazing service and never had issues.” Another said: “I’ve been with BT for five years and can honestly say they’ve been amazing.
“My bill has never been wrong. My router hasn’t once gone down.”
Some subscribers have taken issue with BT‘s post-sign-up communication, as one review pointed out: “I’ve just had a broadband upgrade and the number of repeated texts, emails, notifications, over and over and over. Was incredibly annoying and frustrating.”
Conversely, other customers have commended the support service, saying: “There was zero wait, which is amazing for any customer service these days. Straight through to the call centre. I got to speak to a knowledgeable person who dealt with my problem with expertise and speed.”
You must be logged in to post a comment Login