Alma Laing, 71, was visiting the Namco Funscape in Gateshead with her husband Rob, 73, and 21-month-old grandson Edward in February when a chip became lodged in her throat.

She said she was unable to talk, cough or breathe as she began to choke.

The chip had come from her grandson’s meal, and she bit into it while tidying up after him.

Mrs Laing said: “He’d had a burger and chips and as I stood up to put the rubbish in the bin I bit the end off one of the fries that he’d left.

“It immediately got stuck and I signalled to my husband that I was struggling to breathe or talk.”

Staff member Ian Syrett quickly realised what was happening and performed the Heimlich manoeuvre, and was able to clear the blockage, allowing Mrs Laing to breathe again.

She said: “I don’t even remember what was happening after that, I was passing out.

“I had never been so frightened and Edward was screaming his head off.

“I was so grateful, I can’t thank him enough.”

Mr Syrett stayed with the family and checked on Mrs Laing twice afterwards to make sure she was all right.

He is due to receive an award for his life-saving actions and has been praised by his colleagues.

A spokesman for Namco said: “Ian’s decisive response under pressure reflects the very best of Bandai Namco’s commitment to guest safety and care, even in the most challenging and unexpected moments.

“Stories like this remind us that behind every great guest experience are dedicated people ready to step forward when it matters most.”

Franck Queudrue spent nine years in English football, featuring for Middlesbrough, Fulham, Birmingham and Colchester, but it was months prior to leaving boyhood club Lens in 2001 that he produced one of the most iconic own goals of all time.

In a Ligue 1 match against Bastia, the left-back attempted a volleyed clearance 30 yards out from his own goal.

Queudrue connected with the ball superbly, but in completely the wrong direction to loop it high into the air and over his own goalkeeper.

For a defender who only scored only 28 league goals in his entire career, it is probably a contender for one of his best-ever strikes, albeit into the wrong net.

He is expected to appear before court next month

Police have charged a 40-year-old man following reports of a male with a machete close to Belfast City Centre.

Officers were called to the scene at Peter’s Hill, close to the Shankill Road on Thursday afternoon.

The man has been charged with a number of offences, including possessing a blade in a public place and a “simple drunk” charge.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Police investigating a report of a man with a machete in the Peter’s Hill area of north Belfast yesterday afternoon, Thursday 9th April, have charged a man to court.

“The man, aged 40, has been charged with possessing an article with a blade or point in a public place, and simple drunk.

“He is expected to appear before Belfast Magistrates Court on May 8th, 2026.

“As is usual procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.”

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“At previous events linked to this group we have seen coordinated attempts to disrupt police activity, including obstructing officers and, at times, verbal or physical abuse. Our officers are trained to deal with these situations proportionately and effectively, and we are confident we have the plans and resources in place to respond appropriately, including making arrests where necessary.”

The event is is returning to the town’s George Allan Park on May 2.

Strathaven Beer Festival is returning to the town’s George Allan Park on May 2.

And some more vendors that will be appearing have been announced.

Beer – Five Kingdoms, Dookit, Outlandish, Simple Things Fermentation, Sulwath, Tempest, Two Towns Down, Up Front, Williams Bros and Winton Brewery.

Cider – Ayrshire Riviera Cider

Cocktails – Angels Dare Cocktails, Dispensary Bar, Little Margarita Truck, EspressoKart and Netherfield Whisky

Food – Babu Kitchen, Joanna’s Chippy, Smokin’ Delights, Miandough’s Pizza, Three Sisters Bake, Claire’s Cakes, and Nether Lethame Farm ice cream

There’ll be some crafters as well and the house bar will be selling G&Ts and fizz!

Meanwhile, Scottish singing sensation Connor Fyfe will again rock the festival stage this summer.

The 19-year-old had the main stage rocking last year with a foot-stomping set that kept spirits up as the weather tried to dampen them.

A home gig for Connor, he packed out the large tent at George Allan Park and had hundreds of revellers chanting along to perfectly performed cover versions.

And the event will again be a perfect opportunity for him to showcase his new music.

Covers band Underdog are also returning, with the event again headlined by DJ, Let’s Get Eclectic, who can regularly be heard holding Glasgow pub audiences captive.

As well as unveiling the live music line-up for the event, organisers have announced some of the breweries pouring on the day, with beer lovers in for a treat.

That includes Strathaven’s very own, Up Front Brewing, who will be joined by a host of other top beer makers, such as Dookit, Outlandish, Simple Things Fermentation and Two Towns Down.

For non-beer lovers, Angels Dare Cocktails, The Dispensary Bar and Netherfield Whisky will be on hand to quench thirsts.

The fun-filled community event will have plenty for all the family, including specialist kids entertainment.

Go to the festival’s Facebook and Instagram page for more.

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READ MORE: Janice stepped into a Slimming World group at 23st

Gold Dancer had to be put down after suffering a broken back when winning the Mildmay Novices’ Chase on day two of the Grand National Meeting at Aintree.

The horse dragged his back legs through the final fence when leading Regent’s Stroll and was ridden out to win by four lengths under Paul Townend for trainer Willie Mullins.

Gold Dancer was immediately pulled up after crossing the finish line, with Townend dismounting and screens erected for veterinary experts to assess and treat the horse but the seven-year-old was put down.

Owners Gigginstown said: “He’s been put down. He broke his back. It’s terribly sad for the horse.

“What could Paul Townend do? He felt fine, it was just when he pulled up that something was wrong.”

Emma Slawinski, chief executive at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “Year after year we see horses dying at Aintree for people’s entertainment and a cheap bet. Sadly, Gold Dancer is the latest victim of this heartless spectacle, which flies in the face of animal welfare.

“The public and businesses should boycott the Aintree Festival, refuse to bet on the racing, and stop watching the ITV coverage and advertising which glosses over the animal cruelty.

“The government needs to act as the British Horseracing Authority and Jockey Club is prioritising gambling profits over the lives of the horses.”

Two horses, Willy De Houelle and Celebre D’Allen, died at last year’s Aintree Festival.

Gold Dancer has tragically lost his life after suffering a catastrophic injury while winning the William Hill Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree. The seven year old had produced an almost perfect round and was cruising towards a dominant win before faltering at the last fence.

Despite the setback, the Willie Mullins-trained runner still managed to claim victory by nearly five lengths, but harrowing scenes unfolded at Aintree afterwards. The horse limped past the winning post before jockey Paul Townend swiftly dismounted. Veterinary teams immediately attended as barriers were put in place, before the heartbreaking announcement was made.

Eddie O’Leary, racing manager for the Gigginstown stable, said: “He’s been put down. He broke his back,” adding “It’s terribly sad for the horse. What could Paul Townend do? He felt fine, it was just when he pulled up that something was wrong.”

Earlier in the race, Miami Magic and Jordans Cross both suffered falls, although ITV confirmed that both horses were able to walk back to the stables afterwards.

Aintree Racecourse issued a statement addressing the tragic incident, saying: “The winner of our second race of the day, Gold Dancer, was pulled up after the line and dismounted,” reports the Mirror, reports the Irish Mirror.

“He was immediately attended to by our expert veterinary team but sadly he could not be saved. Our heartfelt condolences are with his connections.” ITV’s Ed Chamberlin confirmed: “The winner was immediately attended by veterinary team but sadly could not be saved.” The Jockey Club, which operates 15 racecourses nationwide and runs both the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals, is continuing its work to minimise dangers in the sport.

Emma Slawinski, chief executive at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “Year after year we see horses dying at Aintree for people’s entertainment and a cheap bet. Sadly, Gold Dancer is the latest victim of this heartless spectacle which flies in the face of animal welfare.”

Gold Dancer had finished runner-up in the Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March. The horse had previously won at Tipperary and Galway in Ireland while trained by Mullins, after beginning his racing journey in France.

Regent’s Stroll finished second in the 2:20 at Aintree, with Salver claiming third position.

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Put 90g smooth peanut butter, 2 tbsp lime juice, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tsp sesame oil, ½ finely chopped red chilli (deseeded), 1 grated garlic clove, 1½cm square piece of fresh root ginger (peeled and grated to a purée) in a food processor or blender with 2 tbsp hot water and blitz, or mix everything together with a fork, beating vigorously. You should have quite a smooth mixture. Cover and set aside.

As a researcher investigating how electric brain stimulation can improve people’s powers of recollection, I’m often asked how memory works – and what we can do to use it more effectively. Happily, decades of research have given us some clear answers to both questions.

Memory essentially operates in three stages, with different brain regions contributing to each one.

Sensory memory, which can last only milliseconds, registers raw information such as sights, sounds and smells. These are first processed by the brain’s five primary sensory cortices (visual cortex for sights, auditory cortex for sounds and so on).

Working (short-term) memory holds and manipulates a small amount of information over several seconds or more. Think of this as your brain’s mental workspace: the system that lets you do mental arithmetic, follow instructions and comprehend what you’re reading. So it mainly involves the prefrontal cortex – the front part of your brain that supports attention, decision-making and reasoning.

Finally, long-term memory stores information more permanently, from minutes to a lifetime. This includes both “explicit” memories (facts and life events) and “implicit” ones (skills, habits and emotional associations).

For long-term memories, the hippocampus and temporal lobes – located deep within the brain, around the sides of your head near your temples – contribute largely to memories involving facts or life events, while the amygdala (near the hippocampus), cerebellum (at the back of the brain) and basal ganglia (deep in the brain) process emotional or procedural memories.

Working memory often acts as a conscious gateway to long-term memory – but it has its limits. In 1956, the American psychologist George Miller proposed that we can only hold about seven “chunks” of information in our working memory at any time.

While the exact number is debated to this day, the principle holds: working memory is limited. And that limitation can shape how effectively we learn and remember things.

But you can also get your memory working more effectively. Here are five easy steps for improving both your working and long-term memory.

1. Put your phone away

Smartphones reduce your working memory capacity. Even just having a phone nearby – no matter if it’s face down and on silent – can reduce performance on memory and reasoning tasks.

The reason is that part of your brain is still subtly monitoring it. Even resisting the urge to check notifications consumes mental resources – which is why researchers sometimes call smartphones a “brain drain”. The solution is simple: put your phone in another room when you need to focus. Out of sight really does free up mental capacity.

2. Stop your mind racing

Stress and anxiety can take up valuable mental space. When you’re worrying about something or are distracted by racing thoughts, part of your working memory is already in use.

Relaxation training and mindfulness practices can improve both working memory and academic performance, probably by reducing stress levels. And if meditation feels intimidating, try breathing techniques such as “cyclic sighing”. Inhale deeply through your nose, take a second shorter inhale, then slowly exhale through your mouth. Repeating this for five minutes can calm the nervous system and create better conditions for learning.

3. Get chunking

Everyone can expand their working memory using the technique of chunking – grouping information into meaningful units. In fact, you probably already do it to remember some phone numbers or lists of words – breaking long sequences into bite-size chunks that your brain can recall as a mini-group.

The same principles apply if you’re delivering a presentation, to help your audience remember your key points more effectively. Chunking would involve grouping ten case studies, say, into three or four themes, each with a short headline and single key takeaway.

Repeat this structure on each slide: one idea, a few supporting details, then move on. By organising information into meaningful patterns, you reduce cognitive load and make it more memorable.

4. Become a retriever

In the 19th century, German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus demonstrated how quickly we forget information after learning it. Within about 30 minutes, we lose roughly half of what we have learned, with much more fading over the next day. Ebbinghaus called this the forgetting curve. The light blue line on the chart below illustrates this.

The forgetting curve – and how to disrupt it

However, there is a way of ensuring that more sinks in when you are trying to learn a lot of information in a short period of time: retrieval practice.

When preparing to give a talk or studying for an exam, rather than simply rereading your notes, keep testing how much you remember. Use flash cards, answer practice questions, or try explaining the material out loud without notes.

Memory works through associations. Each time you successfully retrieve information, you link the material to new prompts, examples and contexts. This builds more cues to accessing the information, and strengthens each memory pathway. Often when we “forget”, the memory isn’t gone – we just lack the right retrieval cue.

5. Give yourself a break

Research shows that memory is more effective when study or practice sessions are spread out, rather than massed together. If you are studying for an exam, build solid blocks of downtime into your revision schedule. The dark blue line on the chart above illustrates how spacing out your practice sessions can help you remember more information over time, by adjusting Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve.

One study suggests leaving gaps between each revision session that equate to 10-20% of the time left until your exam or presentation. So, if your deadline is five days away and you do hours of revision a day, you should still take between a half and full day off in between sessions. In other words, don’t overdo it – you probably won’t see the rewards!

If you only remember one thing from this article about improving memory, make it this. Memory isn’t just about intelligence, it’s about strategy. Small changes in how you study or work can make a real difference in how well, and how long, you remember crucial information.

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez will remain unavailable for the upcoming home match against Manchester City despite apologising for recent comments about Madrid, head coach Liam Rosenior says.

Fernandez was handed a two-match internal ban by the club last week after he gave an interview during the international break in which he expressed his admiration for the city of Madrid.

The Argentine has repeatedly been linked with a move to La Liga club Real Madrid.

His agent, Javier Pastore, said this week that “we cleared the air” with Chelsea after Fernandez missed last Saturday’s 7-0 FA Cup victory against Port Vale, and had hoped that the ban would be reduced to one match.

However, Rosenior says Fernandez will miss Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Manchester City as Chelsea have decided to stick to their original punishment, despite the Argentine apologising for his comments.

“I had three or four [conversations] with Enzo,” said Rosenior.

“He’s apologised to me, he’s apologised to the club, and we’ll deal with that after a massive game on Sunday.