In fact, one thing you should add to your garden this year might surprise you, as it’s normally an item that would go in the bin.

Gardening experts have shared the benefits of adding eggshells to your garden, giving them a purpose after you’ve enjoyed eating your eggs.

Here’s how you can use the kitchen leftovers to benefit birds in your garden.

Make sure to prepare the eggshells correctly before using them (Image: Getty)

Why are eggshells good for birds?

Luke Newnes, gardening expert at Hillarys, shared his passion for using leftovers in the garden: “As a gardener, I’m a big believer in making the most of everyday kitchen leftovers, and eggshells are one of those things that can quietly do a lot of good in a UK garden.

“One of the reasons I often recommend them is because birds, especially in early spring, benefit from the extra calcium.

“It’s a crucial mineral for females when they’re forming eggs, and it can help them produce strong, healthy shells during the breeding season.”

How to prepare eggshells for birds

It’s important that you prepare the eggshells correctly so the birds can safely eat them and so you don’t attract rodents to your garden.

Nick Wood, horticulturist at GardeningExpress.co.uk, said: “To prepare eggshells for birds, they should first be sterilised to help prevent the spread of any infectious diseases.

Plants that could damage the value of your home

“You can do this by pouring boiling water over the shells or baking them in the oven for a short time.

“Once thoroughly dry, crush them into a fine, manageable grit that birds can safely digest.

“Crushed eggshells can then be sprinkled on a bird table alongside seeds or added to a homemade linseed ball.

“These can be hung in open spaces or placed on feeding tables positioned well away from predators such as cats and foxes, helping to keep visiting birds safe.”

He added: “Like most food left out for wildlife, eggshells can carry a slight risk of attracting rodents.

“Placing them higher up will help deter rats and mice from reaching them.

“It’s also another reason why you should give the shells a thorough wash and proper sterilisation – removing any lingering egg residue or smell, particularly from the yolk, will make them far less appealing to unwanted visitors.”

When should you put eggshells in your garden for birds?

Dr Elliot Goodwin, Practice Owner at Vets for Pets Hereford, said eggshells can be put in your garden at any time of year, “but they’re especially valuable in spring when female birds need extra calcium to produce strong eggs, and again in autumn during the moulting season.”

He added: “Don’t worry if the birds don’t take to them straight away – it can take a little time for them to recognise something new in the garden.”

How to get rid of these common garden pests

Are eggshells good for soil?

It’s not just the birds who can benefit from the eggshells, as Nick explains: “Other than helping birds and other wildlife, eggshells can also benefit your garden, they’re packed with calcium which supports healthy plant growth and can help prevent problems like blossom end rot in crops like tomatoes and peppers.

“Adding crushed eggshells to soil or a compost heap can improve overall soil structure and reduce acidity which creates the ideal condition for plants to thrive.”

Luke said eggshells can deter slugs and snails “as the dry, sharp fragments create an uncomfortable surface that many soft-bodied pests prefer to avoid.”

He added: “While it isn’t a perfect solution, especially in very wet weather, it can noticeably cut down on damage during drier periods.”

Once the birds know to come to your garden for eggshells, they will often keep coming back, which means your insect numbers will be kept in check too.

Luke added: “Eggshells are one of those small, almost effortless things that can make a real difference.”

What’s one thing you’ve added to your garden that has helped wildlife and your garden thrive? Let us know in the comments.

The incident in Rochdale sparked a major emergency service response

Police have confirmed a man was rescued from a canal in Rochdale and taken to hospital after receiving CPR on Saturday (March 14).

Emergency services were called to the Rochdale Canal near Oldham Road, close to the town centre, shortly after 5pm.

Greater Manchester Police said a man was found in the canal and rescued by officers. He was given CPR at the scene by paramedics from North West Ambulance Service (NWAS).

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The man was taken to hospital, where officers have said he is alive but his condition is being monitored.

Police, paramedics and firefighters were all called to the scene during the incident. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said they were called to help with the rescue of a person in the water.

The Manchester Evening News understands the person had already been retrieved before they arrived.

A GMFRS spokesperson said: “Just after 5pm on Saturday 14 March, fire crews were called to assist with the rescue of a person in water at the Rochdale Canal near Oldham Road, Rochdale.

“Fire engines from Rochdale and Chadderton stations, as well as the water incident unit from Heywood and the technical rescue unit from Ashton, attended the incident.”

An 88-year-old man has died in hospital three days after being involved in a car crash in Inverness.

A pensioner has died three days after being involved in a one-car crash in Inverness. Emergency services were called to a car park near Longman Drive in the city at around 2.40pm on Monday, March 9.

One car was involved in a collision and an 88-year-old man was taken to Raigmore Hospital for treatment. However, despite the best efforts of doctors, he died in hospital three days later on Thursday, March 12.

No further details of the crash were shared by police and they have not said if there were any other occupants in the car or any other injuries.

Police are now appealing for any other witnesses to come forward as they work to establish the full circumstances.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “An 88-year-old man has died following a crash in Inverness.

“Around 2.40pm on Monday, March 9, officers were called to a report of a one-car crash in a car park near to Longman Drive in Inverness.

“Emergency services attended and the elderly man was taken to Raigmore Hospital, where he died on Thursday, March 12.

“Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the collision.

“Officers are keen to speak with anyone who witnessed the crash but has not yet spoken with police.

“Please contact Police Scotland through 101, quoting incident 1725 of the Monday, March 9.”

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The picture, posted online for the first time from the family’s private collection, shows Diana with a two-year-old William in a field of flowers, taken at the family’s main home at Highgrove, Gloucestershire, in 1984.

William’s signed message, posted on social media site X, said: “Remembering my mother, today and every day. Thinking of all those who are remembering someone they love today. Happy Mother’s Day. W”

Diana, who died aged 36 following a road accident in Paris on August 31 1997, would have turned 65 on July 1 this year.

Remembering my mother, today and every day. Thinking of all those who are remembering someone they love today. Happy Mother’s Day. W pic.twitter.com/7cfthU4uKm

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 15, 2026

The royal family also posted a selection of photos on X to mark Mother’s Day.

They included a photo of the King and his sister Anne, now the Princess Royal, at Balmoral, Scotland, in 1953 with their mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The family are seated on a garden bench with the Queen’s corgi, Sue, in the background.

The photograph was taken before the births of Charles’ younger brothers, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Edward, now the Duke of Edinburgh.

Other photos were shared of the late Queen with her mother Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and of Camilla with her late mother Rosalind Shand.

The images are accompanied by the message: “Wishing Mothers everywhere, and those who might be missing their Mums today, a restful Mothering Sunday.”

Michael Carrick is yet to lose at home since signing on as interim head coach, scoring at least twice in each of their four outings, and will hope to keep that record up as he faces Unai Emery’s side today. The Midlands side have been on rather shaky form of late, calling time on a run of one win in seven matches as they edged Lille in the Europa League last time out.

St Lawrence Parish Church, on Lawrence Street, will hold a service of Choral Matins at 11am on Saturday, March 21, to mark the rededication of its First World War Memorial Window, which has recently been conserved by specialist Dunnington firm Barley Studio, at a cost estimated to be £80,000.

The service will be attended by the North Yorkshire deputy lieutenant Major General Charlton‑Weedy, the Lord Mayor and Civic Party, the York Guard, D‑Day veteran Ken Cooke, army cadets and organisers are hoping to see serving members of the military.

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The towering 8.5 metre‑high stained glass window, made up of three lancets in the south transept, was created around 1930 by Arts and Crafts artist Joan Fulleylove.

It was donated in memory of former vicar Thomas Abelson Harpley and his son, Lieutenant Robert Abelson Harpley of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, who was killed on the Somme in July 1916.

Unusually for a First World War memorial, the window depicts the Somme battlefield – including the church at Albert – alongside scenes of York such as Walmgate Bar and All Saints, Pavement, linking the western front to the parish back home.

It also serves as a tribute to more than 100 men of St Lawrence’s parish who died in the war, whose names are recorded on a large marble plaque beneath the glass.

The window re-dedication event takes place at 11am on Saturday, March 21, at St Lawrence Parish Church, Lawrence Street.

The mixture of power, comfort and tech still feels up-to-scratch seven years after launch.

As you spend more time with an EV, your daily habits quietly rearrange themselves around charging. I’ve discovered that you can order – and steadily eat – a six‑inch breakfast sandwich at a motorway Subway in roughly the time it takes to add about 30 per cent of charge on a Supercharger. Linger in the service area for a coffee afterwards and the battery has typically crept up by another 20 per cent, turning what would once have been ‘dead time’ into an extra chunk of usable range without you really thinking about it.

The Tesla Model 3 Performance

On regular long runs, those short, stacked stops soon become second nature. You start planning the day not around ‘Can I make it?’ but ‘Where’s the nicest place to stop for 20 minutes?’ It’s a subtle but important shift: the car is no longer dictating your movements, it’s simply slotting into them.

Despite having lived with the car for months, I still forget how alien it can feel to first‑timers. The flush door handles – press the rear edge in and the front edge pops out – never fail to wrong‑foot passengers. When you know, you know, but watching friends prod, pull and paw at the doors before they finally swing open has become a running joke. It’s a reminder that, for all its now‑familiar silhouette, this is still a very different proposition to the average petrol saloon.

A 2019 Tesla Model 3 Performance

Inside, the minimalist layout that felt boldly futuristic in 2019 now has a hint of classic Tesla about it. Newer models have added polish and a gentle evolution in build-quality, but this early Model 3’s clean dash and single 15‑inch display still make most conventional cabins feel cluttered.

If there’s one question that still hangs over any used EV, it’s range – not what the brochure once claimed, but what the car will actually do on a grim, real‑world slog. On a recent 400‑mile round trip in cold and rainy conditions, the Tesla was quietly reassuring. Against the original 329‑mile WLTP figure when new, this seven‑year‑old Performance model now delivers somewhere between 200 and 250 miles from a full charge in mixed driving.

A 2019 Tesla Model 3 Performance

That’s without obsessing over every kWh; I drove at normal motorway speeds, used the climate control as needed, didn’t shy away from frequent bursts of power when needed, and treated it like any other family car. The motorway miles simply slipped by, the only real planning being where to combine charging with a sandwich or a coffee. Factor in what we now know about Tesla battery longevity – with relatively modest degradation at far higher mileages than this car has covered – and that 200‑plus‑mile comfort zone feels entirely usable for UK life.

Taken together, these months have shown that this 2019 Model 3 Performance is more than just a fast footnote in Tesla’s back catalogue. Yes, a new Model 3 offers more range and slicker software, and for many buyers that will be the rational route. But as a £22,000–£25,000 used proposition, this seven‑year‑old Performance still feels remarkably current: quick, comfortable over big distances and easy to live with once your routine falls into step with the charging.

Most importantly, it doesn’t feel like a technological dead end. With its over‑the‑air updates, still‑strong real‑world range and the backing of Tesla’s charging network, this particular seven‑year‑old EV doesn’t feel like a punt – it still feels like a future‑proof used buy.

The Lowdown

Tesla Model 3 Performance

YEAR BUILT: 2019

MILEAGE: 44,294

ACCELERATION: 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds

TOP SPEED: 155mph

RANGE: Potential 329 miles (WLTP) when new

PRICE: Estimated £22k to £25k in today’s market

With Daylight Savings approaching, sleep schedules often take a hit – but these tips can help to keep your sleep regular.

Spring has arrived, and before this month concludes, summer will be upon us. On March 29, the clocks will spring forward and British Summer Time will commence.

This brings brighter evenings – but one hour less in bed. This can prove a challenging transition, but with a few simple adjustments, the shift can be made more manageable.

Dr Tim Mercer, an NHS GP partner and GP trainer with Opera Beds has revealed some of his leading recommendations for easing this changeover period. He outlined why Daylight Savings can prove difficult to adapt to as well, reports the Express.

It’s entirely related to the amount of light we’re exposed to.

Dr Mercer stated: “Exposure to morning daylight suppresses melatonin production, waking us up and keeping us alert during the day.”

“During the evening and in darkness, melatonin production increases, signalling to your body that it’s time to sleep.

“With the later onset of darkness after the clocks go forward, your body may delay melatonin production, potentially making it harder to fall asleep at your usual time.

“This shift can lead to temporary disruptions in sleep patterns as your body adjusts to the new schedule.”

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He added: “As the clocks go forward and we move into British Summer Time, we lose an hour of sleep, which can upset our internal body clock.

“If you have a good sleep routine, you may consider moving it forward by 10-15 minutes in the days leading up to the change.”

It’s also worth being mindful of your eating patterns, and to achieve the best night’s sleep, we ought to have dinner – typically the largest meal of the day – three hours before turning in.

He said: “On Sunday, March 29, eat dinner an hour earlier than usual. Where we’re losing an hour, eating too close to your bedtime can disturb your sleep and cause indigestion. You should aim to finish dinner a few hours before going to bed.”

Another approach to improving your sleep is keeping active, according to Dr Mercer: “Longer daylight hours provide more opportunities for outdoor activity, which can benefit your sleep.

“Engage in regular exercise, such as walks or outdoor sports, but avoid vigorous activity too close to bedtime, as this can be stimulating.”