An Isle of Wight festival is swapping big-name headliners for beach cleans, wildlife walks and community-led events that celebrate the island’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status
As rising costs put pressure on the summer festival circuit, one island is testing a different model: no single main stage, no huge ticket price and no big-name headliners, but more than 100 community-led events spread across beaches, libraries, woodlands, nature reserves, arts centres and village spaces.
The Isle of Wight Biosphere Festival returns from 27 June to 5 July, with a nine-day programme celebrating the island’s status as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Now in its third year, the festival is built around grassroots participation, with local groups, artists, wildlife organisations, heritage sites, climate projects, allotments, libraries and community spaces putting on their own events under one island-wide banner.
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“At the beginning, the main goal was to celebrate and raise awareness of the fact that we’d been awarded Biosphere Reserve status by UNESCO,” said festival producer Martha Henson. “It’s such a special accolade, we are one of only seven in the UK, but many people here didn’t know we had it or what it meant.”
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That status recognises the relationship between people, wildlife and landscape, as well as efforts to live more sustainably. But Henson said the festival soon became about more than the designation itself.
“One of the greatest strengths we have on the island is the community whose work led to us getting that status, whether in conservation, sustainable businesses, the creative arts, education or any number of other related areas,” she said. “It’s really grown into a celebration and showcase of that too.”
The result is closer to a living map of local action than a conventional festival. This year’s programme includes guided walks, beach cleans, storytelling, ocean yoga, art installations, wildlife talks, film screenings, craft workshops, dance, family bike rides and nature-based learning, with most events free or low-cost.
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Visitors listening to a talk at the island’s garlic farm
Visitors can learn about marine conservation over tapas, explore historic landscapes at Brading Roman Villa, take part in wild fermentation workshops, try ocean flow yoga by the sea, or attend a UV night walk looking at the world through the eyes of insects.
Its organisers hope the model can offer a more accessible alternative to commercial festivals, especially for people who want something smaller, slower and more rooted in place.
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“It’s definitely a different vibe from a music festival,” said Henson. “It’s great for people who are more about learning and being inspired, but also who prefer smaller scale events where a big festival can be overwhelming.”
The model is not easy to fund. The festival was run entirely by volunteers in its first two years, supported by around £5,000 in small grants and sponsorship. This year, a National Lottery Community Fund grant of just under £20,000 has allowed organisers to hire two coordinators and several short-term project roles, though much of the work still depends on volunteer effort.
Visitors at the farm on the island’s open day
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“We want to make it as accessible as possible, which relies on ticket prices being low,” said Henson. “If we asked for money from our community in order to run it, it would start to feel like it was taking something away rather than celebrating and giving back.”
For an island still often associated with seaside holidays and buckets and spades, the Biosphere Festival shows another side of the Isle of Wight: one shaped by community action, nature recovery, creativity and local knowledge.
Henson hopes people leave with a sense of what becomes possible when local projects are joined together. “It’s as much about the exchange of ideas,” she said. “People with similar interests meet and we have seen all sorts of collaborations arise as a result. One person last year said it was ‘nourishment for the soul’, and it feels really good to hear that.”
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Images: Biosphere Festival Network
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The thief also urinated in the police van on the way to custody
A pyjama thief threatened shop staff with a crutch and later exposed himself to a police officer. Nicholas Masson, 32, was caught stealing pyjamas at Sainsbury’s supermarket, in Chequers Shopping Centre in Huntingdon, at about 10.40am on December 10, 2024.
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He absconded but was followed outside by staff. The 32-year-old threatened them with a crutch before throwing the pyjamas at them.
Officers arrived and arrested Masson who urinated in the police van on the way to custody. After being released on bail, a drunken Masson exposed himself to a police officer in Regent Street, Cambridge, on December 19, 2024 and was arrested again.
Further investigations found Masson had been shouting, swearing, and following a woman at the Co-op, in Hills Road, earlier that day.
Masson, of no fixed address, was jailed for 13 months on Friday, June 5, at Peterborough Crown Court. He had pleaded guilty to two counts of using threatening/abusive/insulting words/behaviour to cause harassment/alarm/distress, exposure, theft, criminal damage, possession of an offensive weapon, and common assault of an emergency worker.
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Sergeant James Woore, who investigated, said: “Masson was incredibly aggressive and abusive to staff, officers and people who were just going about their everyday business in Huntingdon that day.
“And rather than use his arrest as a ‘wake-up’ call, he exposed himself to one of my colleagues while intoxicated in Cambridge.”
The 4.8-star rated Dunelm Slumber Marl Shaggy Rug is currently half price, with sizes starting from just £24.50
Rahaf Ali and Sarah Tulloch Senior Affiliates Writer
09:28, 09 Jun 2026
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Updating your interior décor offers an enjoyable opportunity to breathe new life into your home, and one of the easiest methods to inject vibrant colour into your living area is by adding a fashionable new rug.
A sought-after choice from Dunelm is the Slumber Marl Shaggy Rug, currently available at half price. This shaggy rug comes in grey and natural shades, versatile colours that complement most interior schemes. Available in six different dimensions, the Slumber Marl Shaggy Rug is priced between £24.50 and £329.
Dunelm’s website describes the Slumber Marl Shaggy Rug as: “Scrumptiously soft, the Slumber Marl Shaggy Rug is a real treat for your feet! Made from a supersoft high pile, this rug will add a touch of cosiness to any living space.
“The hints of mottled colours throughout add style and depth to this semi-plain rug, making it an easy to style winner for any future home décor changes.”
For those seeking an alternative shaggy option, the Habitat Noodle Plain Shaggy Rug is offered in four colour choices, with prices spanning from £35 to £95.
The Slumber Marl Shaggy Rug has received an impressive 4.8 out of 5 stars from 91 customers. One delighted buyer commented: “Superior quality, excellent value, feels so luxurious and warm, can’t recommend enough.”
A second reviewer noted: “It has a nice thick pile and looks really good quality. I like the different shades of light, medium and dark grey in it which make it look different depending on which way the pile is lying. I’m very pleased with my purchase and would definitely recommend to others.”
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A third customer remarked: “It was a long search and we covered a lot of ground but in the end our Slumber Marl Shaggy Rug from Dunelm ticked all the boxes for size, colour and quality.”
However, one purchaser observed: “Cosy. Nice feel on the feet, warm texture. One drawback is the finish at the ends. One end of each rug is not well finished. Could result in fraying later.”
Shoppers have given the Slumber Marl Shaggy Rug glowing feedback, with another stating: “Lovely rug, nice colour to it, makes the house feel more of a home.”
A school in Manchester is said to be “on lockdown” amid reports of a serious incident.
Images show a large emergency services presence outside the Co-op Academy on Plant Hill Road, Blackley, and according to parents, the school is currently on lockdown.
A helicopter has also been seen overhead and police, along with ambulances, have been pictured outside the school gates, as well as within the school grounds.
Pete Wicks says that he was distinctly underwhelmed when he was invited to Buckingham Palace last week as part of his work with The Dogs’ Trust
Former TOWIE star Pete Wicks says he was was less than impressed when he visited Buckingham Palace recently. Chatting to pal Sam Thompson on their Staying Relevant podcast, he compared the 320-year-old landmark to a branch of Nando’s.
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He explained that after spending the day filming at the Dogs’ Trust, a charity is an ambassador for, he had changed into his suit and tie “in a kennel” before rushing across town on the “hottest day of the year” to attend the royal event. But when Pete was welcomed into the 775-room palace, he found himself confined to public areas that he found distinctly underwhelming.
Using the Palace loo, in particular, was a disappointment for Pete. He explained: “When you go to the toilets, there’s f*****g urinals. It’s like a f*****g nightclub p****r.” He said that he really only saw the public areas of the Palace, which weren’t as grand as he expected.
“It’s just a public urinal,” he complained, “it’s no different than Nando’s. I can’t get that excited about it.“
Pete rejected Sam’s suggestion that he might have pocketed a spoon or some other small item as a memento of his visit, and added that for him, the event was what mattered and the venue was almost completely irrelevant. He dismissed the Palace’ historic significance, saying: “It doesn’t interest me that much, it’s just a big house.”
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Sam was a little more impressed during his own brush with royalty, but admits that he “lied to the Queen” out of sheer panic. After being introduced to Queen Camilla at a red-carpet event he wanted to engage her in conversation but was so nervous he couldn’t think of anything to say.
After briefly trying to interest the Queen in the topic of air purifiers, he then wasn’t sure what to say next. “I thought if I pay her a compliment, she’s going to hang around a little bit and …like… linger,” he confessed. So as she was wearing a purple dress, Sam blurted out that purple was his favourite colour.
Admitting that he had to fight the temptation to grab Camilla by the arm, he added: “I wanted to pay her a compliment, but she was already moving off.”
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Sam explained that he felt pressure to say something interesting. He continued: “She just had a lovely conversation with Fleur East on my right, and I was like, ‘Oh, they’ve had a great chat’. I wanted to have some sort of nice moment with her. So, I was like, “Okay, I’ve got to do something.” And I just started talking about air purifiers – I can’t remember why.”
As an opening gambit, Sam had relied on that great British topic – talking about the weather. He commented on how it was a little hot and sticky, then followed that up by telling Camilla that he had recently bought an Air purifier from Amazon.
The former Made in Chelsea star recalled: “She went ‘Oh, nice, nice,’ and then walked off. I thought ‘I can’t leave it there. At least tell her that she looks great’.”
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To make matters worse, Sam then realised that he was reaching out to hold her back: “I managed to stop myself a good 10 centimetres short. I just sort of reikied her from the side. She did like me, I think,” he concluded.
A major search operation has been launched overnight after reports of two people in distress off the coast of a beach in Carmarthenshire.
Police have joined with the coastguard following reports late on Monday of two people in distress at Cefn Sidan beach. There are concerns that the two involved have encountered difficulty or harm at the location.
A police spokesperson said: “Dyfed-Powys Police is working with the coastguard following reports of two individuals, possibly in distress, near the coastline at Cefn Sidan beach at Pembrey, Burry Port.
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“A call was received at around 9.50pm on Monday 8 June reporting two individuals dressed in dark clothing and waving a torch near the water’s edge. It is unclear whether the two individuals have encountered difficulty or harm at the location.
“A multi-agency search is underway, but they have not yet been located.
“If you have any information that could help – or if you were at the Cefn Sidan beach this evening – officers would like to hear from you”
After being ghosted by her husband of five months, Katie has now spoken out about his disappearance after his claim that he was kidnapped, when in reality he was put behind bars on allegations of fraud.
Speaking to The Sun, Katie said: ‘He is coming out, I can’t wait to see him, can’t wait to have our chats, and he should be out next week, but knowing that, knowing what prisons are like even in England, you never know.’
But she added: ‘I’ve made it clear to Lee, I will never give him money, I’ll never give a man money, I’ve done it all my life, I’ve always been the breadwinner. My divorces, I’m the one that always has to give. I said to Lee I’ll never do it.’
Katie has insisted she’s not giving her husband a penny (Picture: Getty)
Katie initially believed Lee had been kidnapped (Picture: Instagram)
‘I’ve never thought Lee’s ghosted me, because I know how close we are,’ she declared.
‘Never thought it, and we’ve always had conversations because we both like watching crime and stuff like that.
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‘You always think of scenarios, we would never do anything like that to it, or we, our relationship isn’t like that, we’re proper like this.
‘And so it was a worry when the kidnap team then came on because they can only say from their intelligence,’ she added.
Initially, officials told Katie that she must pay £6.5k for the authorities to release Lee.
Everything Lee Andrews has been accused of since marrying Katie Price
Misleading claims of being a multi-millionaire business owner
When Katie named Lee as her new partner, he was selling himself as the CEO of Aura Group Future Urban Travel 2027 and an ‘investor in SpaceX Hybrid Fitness’.
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His profile, which had 111k followers, was littered with photos of the entrepreneur in the gym and enjoying the high life in Dubai – also appearing to rub shoulders with Elon Musk and Kim Kardashian.
However, it was all later exposed as a farce – with no information about his company on its website, and his snaps with celebrities appearing to also be AI-generated.
This was due to the fact that he’d allegedly served time in Dubai’s Al Awir central prison for suspected fraud, for allegedly taking out a £200,000 mortgage in his ex-girlfriend’s name without her knowledge.
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The UAW bans people facing criminal investigations from leaving the country, however Lee denied he was unable to return to the UK and said there must be some ‘wrong details’.
However, Katie later confirmed he was subjected to a ban, but didn’t clarify why.
His ex Alana, then shared a post on Instagram calling him the ‘Tinder Swindler’ and claimed multiple women had contacted her saying he’d tried to scam them out of money too.
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‘Ghosting’ his wife
After Lee failed to return to the UK last week, Katie revealed she had concerns he’d been kidnapped and then reported him as a missing person.
However, it was then reported that Lee had actually ‘ghosted’ his wife and was ‘squatting in a slightly run-down villa’ in Dubai and using a burner phone.
The Sun claimed he was ‘frantically planning a route out of this ginormous hole he appears to have buried himself in’.
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She had to attend the Good Morning Britain interview alone (Picture: ITV)
However, she was then informed of a third case awaiting a court date, allegedly relating to property.
Katie added that she now ‘needs some time to think’ about her relationship with Lee.
‘I still cannot end things with Lee until I’ve spoken to him, but that was a lot.’
‘I cannot just walk away from my marriage without seeing him again. He is, surely, entitled to his say?’
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Police officers were called to reports of violence
08:11, 09 Jun 2026Updated 08:18, 09 Jun 2026
A man has been taken to hospital after a stabbing in Peterborough on Monday, June 8. Cambridgeshire Police officers were called with reports of violence in Windmill Street in Millfield just before 11am.
Emergency services attended and found a man with stab wounds, who was taken to hospital for treatment. Police said they believe his injuries were serious but not life-threatening.
Cambridgeshire Police said it believed the attack was an isolated incident and investigations are ongoing. The force has asked anyone with information to get in touch quoting incident 142 of June 8.
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A spokesperson for the force said: “We were called just before 11am today (8 June) with reports of violence in Windmill Street, Millfield, Peterborough. Emergency services attended and found a man with stab wounds.
“He was taken to hospital for treatment – his injuries are thought to be serious but not life threatening. We believe this to be an isolated incident and investigations are ongoing.”
Maine’s Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday marks a pivotal moment for Graham Platner, whose campaign is grappling with a significant credibility crisis.
Despite facing no serious opposition for his party’s nomination, the veteran and oyster farmer is under national scrutiny as he attempts to rebuild his public image. His performance is crucial for the Democratic Party’s broader ambition to reclaim the Senate majority this fall.
The controversy surrounding Platner intensified just last week with revelations that he had engaged in sexually explicit messages with multiple women while married. These disclosures were compounded by a New York Times report detailing new allegations about his behavior during previous relationships.
Graham Platner speaks to voters at a town hall at the Elks Lodge 188 on June 7, 2026 in Portland, Maine (Getty)
While Platner’s nomination is virtually assured – his most formidable opponent, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, suspended her campaign in April – she technically remains on the ballot. Some advocates are now encouraging voters to cast protest ballots for Mills as a statement against Platner.
All eyes will be on Platner’s public remarks Tuesday night. Both supporters and detractors will be closely observing how he addresses the escalating questions about his past and whether he can successfully redirect the campaign’s focus toward Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins.
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This primary also serves as a critical test for the Democratic Party’s evolving standards in the era of Trump.
Neither Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins nor Democratic challenger Graham Platner faces serious opposition for their party’s nomination (Reuters)
The party’s current response to Platner stands in stark contrast to its stance during the height of the #MeToo movement, when Democrats emphasized holding their candidates to a higher ethical standard, particularly concerning sexual misconduct allegations against Trump.
Despite the allegations, Platner continues to receive support from prominent national figures. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an early backer, reiterated his endorsement on Saturday, a day after Rep. Ro Khanna appeared alongside Platner at a campaign event. This continued backing underscores a notable shift in Democratic political dynamics.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., reflected on the situation, telling ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, “I think President Trump set a new standard.” Following Tuesday’s primary, Democratic leaders are expected to face a fresh round of difficult questions about their own ethical standards.
Alexander Avendaño Varela plunged into the water and nobody tried to help him.
A young partygoer has tragically drowned in a reservoir after being allegedly forced over the edge of a boat following a scuffle.
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Alexander Avendaño Varela, 22, boarded a party boat at the Peñol-Guatapé Reservoir in Guatapé, Colombia on May 24, but what should have been a fun trip sadly ended in disaster. Disturbing footage shows an altercation taking place on board, for reasons that remain unclear, among a large group of young revellers, reports the Mirror.
The group were pushing and shouting and at one point, Alexander appeared to be cornered at the edge of the deck and missing his trousers and trainers. A scuffle broke out between him and other partygoers but seconds later, the visibly frightened young man went over the railing and plunged into the water.
Struggling to swim he thrashed his arms around before sinking beneath the surf moments later. Nobody jumped in to try and rescue Alexander, and the boat continued on its route.
A large search operation was scrambled, involving at least 14 divers. But, deep water and poor visibility hampered efforts, and Alexander’s body was recovered several days later.
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Since the clip emerged on social media, authorities have been working to determine whether anyone could face criminal charges over the incident. In the footage people could be heard warning that Alexander, originally from Medellín, did not know how to swim, while others shouted: “Drown him!”
None of those on board appeared to be wearing life jackets, despite mandatory safety requirements on tourist boats due to a history of drowning incidents in the area.
The Peñol-Guatapé Reservoir, which covers more than 2262 hectares and reaches depths of up to 45m (148ft), is one of Colombia’s best-known tourist destinations. Around 50 people are believed to have drowned in the reservoir over the past decade, and swimming is banned.
Investigators continue to gather testimonies from those who attended the party.
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