This wasn’t always the case – the village has a vast history with many people connected to it
Driving down the A1 you would quite easily miss the turning for the quiet and tiny village of Diddington, near Huntingdon. Cambridgeshire’s smallest village is an absolute gem despite not really having much there.
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It sits directly next to the busy dual carriageway and covers only 526 hectares. According to the Office for National Statistics, it had a population of just 56 people in 2016. This makes it the very smallest village in Cambridgeshire.
In fact, it’s so small that it doesn’t even appear on TripAdvisor! That’s probably due to the fact that it only has a church and village hall, which doesn’t really account for much tourism.
Despite not having much there now, this tiny village has a vast history in a military sense. During the Second World War, it housed prisoners of war and was used as a transit camp, then it became home to the 49th American Station Hospital, the second largest American hospital in England.
After the war, it became a Polish Resettlement Camp for displaced people and remained home to a large Polish community until the late 1950s. For such a small place, it has a very fascinating and diverse history.
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The village today could also very easily be the set of a period drama, with tiny whitewashed cottages, wooden fences and a countryside lane with no road markings but verges spotted with the white of the first snowdrops in Spring.
So what is actually there today? Well its main attraction is definitely its local church, the parish Church of St Lawrence. This tiny little village church has the original 13th-century font still present.
Just when you thought you’d nailed your supplement routine, we’re here to tell you that you might need to shake things up for spring.
After what feels like the longest winter, the days are finally getting lighter and brighter, and with the change in weather comes the perfect time to kickstart a path to a healthier life. You might already feel like you’re striving to do everything right — racking up your plant points each week, working out consistently, getting your sleep hygiene in place and trying your best to keep a lid on stress, but taking a seasonal approach to wellness can give your efforts an extra boost.
Supplements can play a part in supporting your health, but rather than viewing them as a quick fix, think of streamlining your routine to sync with the seasons. That said, it’s always wise to consult a registered healthcare professional, such as a nutritionist, before introducing new supplements. And remember, supplements should complement (not replace) a balanced diet, since nourishing your body through whole foods should always come first. As winter fades and we welcome spring, certain nutrients may become more important — here’s an overview of what to consider.
The change in seasons naturally brings with it a fluctuations in the microbiome as your diet, environment, and activities change. Longer days often mean more travel, al fresco dining, and shifts in routine, all of which can temporarily disrupt gut balance. A probiotic during these months may help maintain healthy gut flora, support digestion, and keep your immune system strong. It’s always worth choosing formulations that contain multiple well-studied strains, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, to maximise the benefits across your digestive system.
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The noise around collagen has been loud for a while now, and with good reason. This protein (which is the most abundant protein in the body) supports skin elasticity, hydration, and overall firmness. During spring and summer, increased sun exposure and higher temperatures (they don’t have to be that high to cause an effect) can accelerate moisture loss and the breakdown of collagen in the skin. Supplementing with collagen (especially hydrolysed collagen peptides) may help maintain skin hydration, reduce the appearance of fine lines, and support natural repair processes. Combining collagen with vitamin C-rich foods can further enhance collagen synthesis and help protect skin from seasonal environmental stressors. Most collagen supplements contain animal derivatives, however, there are vegan alternatives available, meaning you can easily find an option that works for you.
You don’t have to be an athlete or even a seasoned gym-goer to benefit from including electrolytes in your routine. Crucial for maintaining fluid balance, muscle function, and nerve signalling, these minerals are lost through sweat. Even modest increases in temperature can leave you feeling fatigued, sluggish, or prone to cramps — which is when the benefits of electrolytes shines.
While UK summers aren’t exactly Dubai-esque, the Met Office predicts 2026 will be among the four warmest years on record, with March already experiencing unusually high temperatures. Replenishing electrolytes through hydration on these hotter than usual days with mineral-rich foods, or targeted supplements can help sustain energy levels, support workout performance, and keep your body functioning at its best during the warmer weather. Electrolytes usually come in powder sachets or dissolvable tabs, making them easy to add to water to stay hydrated on the go.
Magnesium is an ‘all rounder’ mineral that supports everything from stress to sleep, so generally speaking, it’s one of those supplements that you could probably do with topping up. Magnesium is utilised by the body to support hundred of day-to-day processes and it’s readily available in foods like dark green leafy veg, nuts, seeds and legumes. Yet even with a balanced diet, many people don’t get enough, especially during periods of stress when the body uses more. Certain medications such as some antibiotics, and acid reflux proton pump inhibitors can lower absorption rates, and even taking GLP-1 medications can also lower levels due to reduced appetite. Magnesium bisglycinate or citrate are two of the highly absorbable forms to choose when it comes to supplementing.
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In the spring and summer months Vitamin C can be obtained from eating well
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The supplements you might no longer need
The nutrients that may be less essential during spring…
We need vitamin D for brain health and bone health, and unlike most other vitamins, which are readily absorbed from our diets, our main source of vitamin D comes from sunlight. From March to September, the sun’s UVB rays are high enough in the sky to penetrate through our skin, so unless you fall into a category of people that might need to supplement all year round (such as people with darker skin, shift workers and the elderly), you are probably ok to ditch the bottle over the spring and summer months.
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In winter, vitamin C supplements are often used as a buffer against colds and infections. By spring, exposure to sunlight, more activity, and fewer circulating viruses reduce that pressure. That’s not to say vitamin C isn’t important, but you’ll be able to obtain it from seasonal fruits and vegetables like strawberries, citrus, spinach, and peppers which the body is generally able to absorb well.
Energy levels often slump in winter, which is why CoQ10, a compound that facilitates cellular energy production is a popular supplement to take during the darker, colder months when fatigue can feel more pronounced. In summer, however, your energy naturally benefits from longer daylight hours, increased physical activity, and given that your body usually produces enough on its own when you’re active and eating well, you might be able to sidestep supplementing with an energy-boosting supplement such as CoQ10 and include lots of CoQ10 foods such as oily fish including salmon and sardines, nuts and seeds, chicken and spinach in your diet.
Ashley Smith, 23, spent 13 years in care from age eight, alongside his twin brother Nathan, for nine of those years.
Mr Smith is one of four siblings and lived with three different foster families during his time in care.
He said: “I would ask more local families to think about fostering and offering a safe and loving home to a child who needs one, and I would especially ask for brothers and sisters to be kept together whenever possible.”
He credits his progress to his final foster carers, Diane and Stuart Kelly from Harrogate.
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Ashley with his final foster parents Diane and Stuart Kelly from Harrogate (Image: North Yorkshire Council)
He added: “They offered a warm and loving home where I felt I belonged.
“Diane and Stuart have done a lot for me emotionally and financially too.
“Truly caring and treating a young person as part of the family makes all the difference.”
Ashley now lives in York and is studying children, young people, and society at university, where he then hopes to become a social worker.
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Cllr Janet Sanderson, executive member for children and families at North Yorkshire Council, said: “We are incredibly proud of Ashley and everything he has achieved.”
Hotel rooms, cabins and apartments are all available for rent and included in the price are the endless lakes, woodlands and meadows to romp in. It would be impossible to get bored here, with paddleboarding, fresh-water wild swimming, cycling, kayaking, zip wire, archery, bushcraft and tennis all on the menu.
Mike Kearney, a National Education Union (NEU) representative, received the award at the NEU’s national conference in Brighton for his solidarity work supporting teachers in Ukraine.
Daniel Kebede, president of the union, said: “Congratulations to Michael for his exemplary international solidarity work.
“Michael’s commitments to Ukraine’s teachers and pupils have been unwavering.”
Mr Kearney is travelling with support from the NEU Ukraine Solidarity Network (Image: York Green Party)
Mr Kearney was honoured for his ongoing efforts to support Ukrainian teachers and students, and is travelling with support from the NEU Ukraine Solidarity Network.
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On April 2, he set off from Brighton in a van delivering aid to Ukraine.
The van included educational materials donated by York schools, along with Easter eggs for children and families.
He will leave the van in Ukraine to assist with ongoing aid delivery.
UK state pension triple lock rise: Everything you need to know
Pensioners across the UK will see significant changes to their state pensions from April, with both payment amounts and retirement ages being affected.
The state pension will increase by 4.8% under the triple lock guarantee, meaning those receiving the full new state pension will see their weekly income rise from £230.25 to £241.30. Those on the basic state pension will see payments increase from £176.45 to £184.90 per week.
Pensions minister Torsten Bell said: “After a lifetime of work and contribution, people deserve a decent retirement.”
Simultaneously, the state pension age is beginning a phased rise from 66 to 67, which will affect new pensioners in monthly increments. People born on or after April 6 1960 may qualify at 66 and one month, gradually increasing to a full state pension age of 67 for those born on or after March 6 1961.
Zoe Alexander from Pensions UK warned: “Because the change happens in monthly steps, a single day’s difference in your birthday can shift your state pension age by weeks or months.” She advised people to check their eligibility dates on gov.uk and plan for any potential financial gaps.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies said the age increase will save around £10 billion annually but warned it could increase poverty rates among affected groups. Those planning early retirement will need to bridge the gap until their state pension begins.
Experts recommend checking pension forecasts annually and using government calculators to avoid retirement planning shocks.
Every year at San Mames, the iconic home of Athletic Club in Bilbao, local fans pause to recognise and celebrate players not from their own club, but those who share a unique value with the Basque outfit – loyalty.
Athletic Club – famous for only fielding players born or raised in the region – introduced the One-Club Award in 2015, honouring those who dedicated their entire professional career to a single team.
“We wanted to create an award that recognised most kids growing up dream of playing for one club,” explains Dan Parry from the La Liga side’s communications department.
“On the other side, we wanted to show despite all the big-money transfers in modern-day football, there are top players all over the world who want to become one-club players.
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“It’s an individual award, but it’s also an award that celebrates the union between the football team, fans and the player.”
Keeping those values in mind, then, this week I’m ranking football’s top 10 one-club men – you can have you say below, too.
The app named ‘Music Videos’ is said to have shown up on some Brits’ devices but many of them have said they never installed it in the first place.
TikToker Free Tech Official recently shared a video investigating the app’s surprise appearance with a few suggestions on why it may have happened.
He claims the app has been automatically installed onto your Fire Stick by Amazon themselves, and the global shopping giant have now confirmed this is true.
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The TikToker claims that it may be the company’s push towards getting their customers to use ad-supported free streaming platforms.
He says Amazon would rather you use a streaming music app where they can gain a revenue rather than you using a different app to stream your tunes from.
Amazon confirmed that pre-installed apps and experiences are an industry standard practice across consumer electronic devices as they help create a better experience for customers.
The app ‘Music Videos’ offers customers quick access to music videos, which represent unique content that isn’t always readily available on traditional music streaming services
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Amazon states that offering free, ad-supported content is one way they make it easier for customers to access content on the Fire TV Stick.
Free Tech Official claims that when some users click on the app it may freeze or doesn’t even launch and while TV Fire Stick users are saying they never downloaded the app in the first place, he points out that annoyingly it cannot be uninstalled.
Free Tech Official said: “A random app is appearing on Fire Stick and Fire TV devices and I’ll be interested to know if you see this app as well.
“On your Fire Stick if you go to the app section on the right hand side, go to the three squares and the plus icon and click on that.
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“It’ll bring up lots of your apps and channels which you’ve got installed.
“And if I go down to the end, you can see one here that says ‘music videos watch free now’.
“Most of the people that are seeing this haven’t actually installed the app and a lot of people are wondering how it got there?
“And there is a reason for this. But first of all, if I click on this app, it takes me straight to the Amazon app store to download it.
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“But it is showing in my app section like I’ve got it installed.
“Other people can open it and it works, some people open it up and it just freezes and doesn’t even launch.
“And this is actually being installed automatically by Amazon.
“So it’s nothing you’ve done or it’s nothing somebody else might have done.
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“Another interesting thing with this as well is you can’t remove it, you can’t uninstall it.
“Now Amazon’s really pushing towards ad supported free streaming and I suppose they’d rather you use something where they gain a revenue rather than you going to different apps and streaming music from there.”
An Amazon spokesperson said: “The Fire TV experience is designed to get customers to what they want to watch—fast.
“With access to over 1.5 million movies and TV episodes, all major streaming apps, and AI-powered search and recommendation features, Fire TV helps customers navigate endless entertainment options and discover content they’ll love across all their apps and subscriptions. Music Videos is another way we’re giving customers access to more free content.”
There is nothing worse than a member of your family or a close friend becoming unwell or being diagnosed with a life-long illness such as kidney disease
Abigail Nicholson Content Editor
06:04, 06 Apr 2026
A woman with kidney disease who desperately needed a doner for a transplant was amazed when doctors found a doner hiding in plain sight.
There is nothing worse than a member of your family or a close friend becoming unwell or being diagnosed with a life-long illness. Although it is gruelling for the person having treatment, it can be awful for their loved ones as they feel helpless.
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That was the same for one husband, who stood by his wife when she went into acute renal failure and was forced onto dialysis.
There is no cure for kidney disease, with the only option of recovery often being a transplant. He wrote about what happened on a Reddit thread which asked married users ‘ what did the “for worse” look like in your marriage?’.
The husband said: “ My wife of thirty years suddenly came down with acute renal failure and was forced onto dialysis.
“Dialysis keeps you alive, and slowly kills you. There’s no cure to kidney disease, but there is a treatment: get yourself a transplant. And get it from a living donor, because cadaver donors have already spent some time being dead and that’s not good for kidneys.
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“Well, guess who was a perfect match. Hello, it’s me! And thank the Lord for that, because I would do anything for that woman, and I consider myself lucky that I could do this for her after all she’s done for me.”
After surgery, the husband said their life took “a turn for the worse” as she didn’t fully recover and her anti-rejection medication was causing her to be “wobbly and in pain”.
He continued: “But she’s not on dialysis, and she’s not going to die, and the kidney I gave her should see her all the way through. We will be able to grow old together, as best we can, and that’s a gift beyond measure.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: when I promised for better or worse, in sickness and in health, I f****** meant what I said.”
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Other Reddit users became emotional when reading the post, with one user saying the husband was a “legend”.
One commenter said: “You’re a legend dude, so much fierce love in this message.”
A second said: “That’s so amazing and beautiful. I have a good friend who donated a live kidney (she also did a liver donation too) one of the most selfless people I’ve ever met. Best wishes for you and your wife to have many years yet cheers.”
A third added: “Holy f*** this is what I love.”
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A fourth said: “Omg this is SO CUTE god bless you you are real husband, I hope I have a husband like you in the future. Your wife is lucky to have you. God bless you both.”
It will replace a pub which closed at the end of February
One of the UK’s most popular restaurant chains is set to open a branch in Cambridgeshire. Hickory’s Smokehouse is set to open the first of its kind in Cambridgeshire and is expected to create around 100 new jobs.
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It will be located in Hampton, Peterborough, replacing a former pub called Mulberry Tree Farm. The pub, which closed on February 28, is currently undergoing a major refurbishment inside and out ahead of opening.
Hickory’s has confirmed its new restaurant is set to open early this summer on Kempley Close in Hampton. The new restaurant will include a mix of seating to suit every visit alongside a chef’s bar, where you can watch the chefs in action.
Outside will feature a secluded garden inspired by Southern outdoor living complete with a covered dining terrace ideal for the summer months. Additionally, a ‘neighbourhood bar’ offering a selection of cocktails, craft beer and their very own ‘Hickory’s Pale Ale’ will be on offer for guests to enjoy.
The bar will also have screens for the sport lovers to relish in with a drink in hand. A special feature for young guests includes a movie room where they can come and go as they please.
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When it comes to the main event (the food), visitors will be able to indulge in their classics including Memphis ribs and 16-hour smoked Texas-style brisket. Their appetisers and desserts include Brisket Popcorn Bites and Frickles as well as their Peach Jam Jar Cheesecake and Table Toasted Campfire Marshmallow.
In their recent blog, it said: “Get ready to enjoy authentic flavours that’ll whisk you away on a journey into the hear of the Southern States.”
The modern-day food scene is no stranger to what you might call fads. Sushi tacos, Dubai chocolate, cronuts, cruffins, brookies: all manner of novelties that would make a time traveller from the 2000s scratch their head and shrug.
The same can perhaps be said of Manchester’s food scene. With the likes of Fat Pats (huge sandwiches weighing approximately the same as a small mammal), Get Baked (Matilda-inspired chocolate cake by the £20 slice) and Gooey (Hong Kong French toast), there’s no shortage of places turning new twists on old favourites into internet virality – and then real-life queues out the door.
Every year it seems like there’s a new trend you have to try – the tiramisu drawer, the £15 sub, hot chocolate served inside a biscuit cup…
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So when a tantalising clip of a concept known as ‘sweet focaccia’ hit my Tiktok page this week, I can’t say I was surprised – but I knew I had to try it.
This newest Frankenstein creation comes from the team at Ferma pizza bakery. This Brewski off-shoot began life as Foldies, on Booth Street in the city centre and a stone’s throw from St Peter’s Square.
They’ve expanded from their folded pizza-style sandwiches to a whole range of pasties, muffins and sausage rolls, plus the full gamut of coffees, juices, crisps and snacks.
There’s also something interesting called a pizza bomb, a bready pocket stuffed with pizza toppings – and all made from pizza dough. That’s not what drew me there, though, but rather their focaccia offering.
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Not just dotted with garlic and rosemary to be used as a sandwich, it’s now a vehicle for all kinds of customisable sweet toppings, from caramel/biscoff to Jammie Dodger, tiramisu and, inevitably, Dubai chocolate.
A quick Google tells me this idea isn’t exactly new, but it’s the first time I’ve ever heard of it. “Sweet focaccia?” I said to my boyfriend doubtfully on the phone on the way to the shop one Tuesday afternoon. “Will that really work?” But I would soon be eating my words.
Extremely hungry by 3pm, I looked over Ferma’s offering, which by then was some-what picked over by the crowd that had their lunch at a reasonable time. There wasn’t loads left, though the margherita pizza bomb sounded tempting – but then my eye fell on the shelf below, on a caprese focaccia sandwich approximately the size of a small book.
With just a few simple ingredients – mozzarella, tomatoes, pesto and rocket – this classic sandwich wasn’t about to set TikTok on fire. But I’m a believer that one of the best ways of judging a pizza place is to order a margherita; in other words, see if a place can get the essentials right.
And boy did Ferma get this one right. For £6.75, I’m served an absolute door-stop of a sandwich, two thick slices of focaccia whose crisp, flakey top gives way to a fluffy, airy interior which perfectly soaks up sweet balsamic vinegar and peppery olive oil.
Inside, there’s more peppery rocket, fresh tomato slices and creamy slabs of mozzarella topped with garlicky pesto. For the heft of the bread and the fresh, delicious simplicity of the filling, I’d be hard pressed to think of a better workday lunch.
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Its sweet counterpart might have you falling asleep at your desk though. At £5.50, I opted for the caramel and biscoff version, and again my eyes widened at the size of the behemoth that awaited me in the box.
Another enormous slab of bread, this one looked positively obscene, positively swimming in biscoff and caramel sauce, topped with snowy mounds of cream and yet more biscoff drizzle and crumbs.
As to whether focaccia dough works in a dessert? I needn’t have worried – rather ask myself why no-one had thought of this sooner.
The soft, chewy dough – made every morning with a touch of cinnamon and caramel that gave it a warming, buttery note – was the perfect vehicle for absorbing all that addictively sweet Biscoff sauce.
Imagine a more cake-y cinnamon roll that actually soaks up the icing and toppings, rather than letting it meekly slide off.
After polishing off about half the portion, I was defeated, and took the other half home. But I’ll definitely be back to Ferma to try more, the next time I’m in town and need a fresh, tasty bite to keep me going.
Or I also might be paying another visit when I need a ridiculously indulgent but delicious treat to drown my sorrows in.
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