Mr Berwin told The Standard: “If next week’s planned strikes go ahead, Londoners should know there are other ways to get around, and that Forest will be ready to help them with their journeys. During last year’s strikes, we saw demand during peak times more than double, and we expect to see a similar trend next week.

The market brings together makers, bakers, and creatives of all stripes from across the UK to share their quirky, impressive, and often delicious wares.

The first Makers Market took place in October last year and has seen several events since, including one in March, and a particularly rainy affair in December.

But there wasn’t a drop of rain in sight this Sunday (April 19) as a busy Bolton public came out to explore all the sounds and smells the market had to offer.

One fine-looking cake stand caught my eye, piled high with burnt Basque cheesecakes, cookies, and brownies.

Persian cake and burnt Basque cheesecake (Image: Dan Dougherty)

“We are Nooshé,” said co-owner Ehson Sadeghian, “we do cakes and pastries but all with Persian twists.

“So things like saffron, pistachio, rosewater.”

The cakes looked luxurious, all crumbled with green pistachio dust and flower petals.

Ehson showed me something.

“This is the oldest type of cookie in the world – we’ve called it the ‘Persian Jewell’, but the real name is the Koloocheh Fooman.”

The cookie features a unique spiral pattern, with walnuts, cinnamon and, of course, saffron.

Persian jewel cookie, reputedly the oldest type of cookie in the world (Image: Dan Dougherty)

Over on the more savoury end of the food market we had Mr Murray’s Scotch Eggs.

Operated by Kerry Green, the stall sells scotch eggs of all different varieties, including standard pork eggs, fiery chilli cheese, chorizo, hickory smoked bbq, and even a black pudding egg.

“The black pudding egg is the most popular egg with men, I’d say,” said Kerry.

“My favourite is the Jamaican jerk scotch egg, but unfortunately we don’t have any of those today.”

Mr Murray’s Scotch Eggs with Kerry Green (Image: Dan Dougherty)

“It’s quite a unique product we offer – I don’t know anyone else who does so many varieties of scotch eggs.”

Another unique food stall was gourmet grilled cheese spot Absolute Meltdown, operated by Michelle Johnson and Kathy Buckley for about two and a half years.

Each sandwich consists of three varieties of cheese – cheddar, mozzarella, and red Leicester – on toasted sourdough, combined with a host of interesting toppings.

“Bacon is probably the most popular,” said Michelle, “but my favourite is tuna.”

Absolute Meltdown with Michelle Johnson and Kathy Buckley (Image: Dan Dougherty)

As with Murray’s scotch eggs, it’s quite a unique idea – to elevate something traditionally seen as a throwaway snack into a serious meal. I asked Michelle where she got the idea from.

“I just love food really!” she said.

Which is as noble a sentiment as any.

But food and drink is not all the market has to offer. As I browsed the stalls, something else caught my eye – a miniature dalek, trapped inside a small glass.

Little Glass Planet Terrariums and Kim Winter (Image: Dan Dougherty)

This was the work of Kim Winter, owner of Little Glass Planet terrariums.

A terrarium is a glass container containing plant life – mosses, flowers- which, when watered correctly, forms its own self-sustaining ecosystem.

“I did a masters degree in conservation biology,” said Kim, “so I’ve always been into plants.

“They’re all over the home, hanging from the ceiling, in the corners – the cats can’t even get on the windowsills!”

Purple passion flower with a small figurine decorating the inside of the terrarium (Image: Dan Dougherty)

Kim started making the terrariums as a hobby, but this quickly progressed, so now she sells them at various markets around the North West.

“At first, we say watch out for when the moss starts to dry out, then give it a water.

“But after that, they sustain themselves.”

Some of the colours are striking – especially the purple passion plant, with its deep colours and soft, velvety leaves, and the ‘fittonia’, also known as the ‘nerve plant’, which has multicoloured veins running through the outer leaf.

Fittonia or ‘nerve plant’ (Image: Dan Dougherty)

Each terrarium also contains a small figurine – a dalek, a Pokémon, two people embracing – which adds an extra dimension to the colourful flowers.

I headed back over to Nooshé for a slice of Basque cheesecake – every bit as delicious and tangy as it looked – and took my leave.

The next Bolton Makers Market will take place on May 10 at Newport Street in Bolton town centre.

ALL around the world, International Day for Monuments and Sites is observed today.

The aim is to ‘raise awareness of cultural heritage diversity, the vulnerability of sites and monuments, and the measures needed to maintain and conserve them’.

READ MORE: Alfie Joey on the disappearance of jobs for youngsters

So let’s join in and pay tribute to our own monumental landmarks.

However, when you make a list for our region, you soon find the North East is lavishly littered with follies, forts, towers and columns. I’ve limited myself to compiling my top ten list to mark today.

If I’ve left one of yours out, please feel free to send me a strongly worded email…’’Oy..where’s Ludworth Tower!!!’’ Or …’Ey marra, why no Apollo Pavillion in Peterlee??’’

We’ll start up north and work our way down.

Bamburgh Castle, brooding magnificently over the North Sea, looking out for its siblings Lindisfarne and Dunstanburgh Castle, up and down the coast. No surprise at all it is a much sought after movie location – Transformers and recent Indiana Jones adventures have used this as their back drop.

We move a little further south to Alnwick Castle, another movie star of a monument (used in some series about a boy wizard apparently??) with spectacular grounds but make sure you don’t try eating a plant in the Poison Garden!

The Column of British Liberty towers over the tallest treetops in the National Trust grounds of Gibside. Like many a folly, when you stumble on it, you wonder, who on earth plonked this here?

If you’re a Toon fan, the city of Newcastle revolves around St. James’ Park. However, if you are meeting someone, there is only ONE place to convene and that is Grey’s Monument. It stands tall and striking, like a huge pin in a map, it is the city’s unofficial meeting point or place of protest.

Let’s move across to South Tyneside and enjoy the sight to behold that is the Herd Groyne, a Victorian lighthouse built on sturdy legs/stilts in 1882 and still used for navigational purposes today. Worth the trip to South Shields alone.

Down the coast to the dramatic Northern Spire Bridge over the River Wear in Sunderland. The crossing opened to pedestrians (I was one of them) on August 28, 2018, before opening to traffic the next day.

As tall as this bridge is, another monument looks down on it is the North East’s own Parthenon, Penshaw monument. When my two were toddlers I used to love taking them up here for a mighty hike and hot chocolate out of the flask as a reward when you got to the top. The views are cracking on a clear day!

Down the A19 to Teesside for our 8th Whey Aye Wonder as we enjoy the stunning grounds of Wynyard Hall. I was staying there for work recently (I’ve had worse gigs!) and went for a run.

As well as spotting plenty of deer and rabbits bouncing around the fields I was amazed to find the Wellington obelisk pop up from nowhere. Some 40 metres high, it proudly commemorates the visit of the Duke of Wellington to the estate in 1827.

And of course, NO list of North East monuments is complete without Durham Cathedral. It is not just a monument, but a masterpiece.

I remember my first trip to the top with my Uncle John who pointed down to the grounds of Durham prison where you could see the inmates like ants in the exercise yard.

Finally, back up the A1 for our last stop as we give a great big high five to the Angel of the North, which welcomes all visitors to the heart of our great land with open arms.

Ten monuments. Ten towering inanimate objects that bring history, heritage and memories to life.

Go on then…which ones did I leave out?

Facts and Footnotes:

• The Herd Groyne Lighthouse has an operational fog bell.
• The central tower of Durham Cathedral was built in two stages in the fifteenth century.
• The Angel of the North stands at an impressive 20 meters (66 feet) tall and has a wingspan of 54 meters (177 feet).

You can email Alfie via www.AlfieJoey.com and subscribe to his free newsletter there.

The Aurora Borealis is truly a sight to behold if you are lucky enough to catch it on a clear night.

According to reports from the Met Office, Scots may be lucky enough to see the Northern Lights sweep through the skies tonight (April 19). A dream event for stargazers, the space event will paint the sky in a variety of beautiful colours that you won’t want to miss.

Out of those living in the UK, Scots are generally the most likely to see the Aurora Borealis, which dazzles onlookers with bright greens, pinks, blue and violets. While the intensity of the solar event can vary, the brighter, more widespread displays occur during strong geomagnetic events.

The best time to usually see the Northern Lights in the UK is during the Equinox and Solstice, which fall in March/April and September/October. This means the likelihood of seeing an aurora in the coming weeks is higher than usual.

In order for the phenomenon to occur, solar activity needs to take place. The sun emits charged particles known as solar winds, which can interact with particles in the Earth’s magnetic field. If the solar wind’s polarity is opposite to Earth’s, the mixed particles are funneled towards magnetic poles.

As these energetic particles collide with gases in the upper atmosphere, they release energy to form light, which are the colours we are able to see in the sky. Oxygen is said to produce green auroras, and sometimes rare red at higher altitudes. Meanwhile, nitrogen creates blue and purple hues.

For those who are avid watchers of the Northern Lights or you haven’t had the chance to gaze upon the phenomenon yourself, tonight may be your lucky night.

The Met Office has released its aurora forecasts for today (April 19), which states that Scots may be able to see spells of aurora visibility this evening.

The national forecaster’s Northern Hemisphere forecast reads: “Ongoing fast solar winds are likely to bring spells of aurora visibility across northern parts of the UK overnight Sunday into Monday (UTC), and similar geomagnetic latitudes.

“This activity will ease through Monday and into Tuesday, with any viewing becoming more restricted to highest latitudes, and fading to background by Wednesday.”

It should be noted that while Saturday night (April 18) was the prime time to see the lights in action, there is still a chance Scots could see them tonight under the right circumstances.

Yesterday’s aurora forecast read: “The auroral oval is expected to remain at or near background levels until a fast wind arrives early 18 April UTC. This brings an increased chance of enhanced auroral activity Saturday night and to a lesser extent Sunday night.

“Aurora will be potentially visible across Scotland, perhaps northern England, and similar magnetic latitudes where skies are clear.”

How to view the Northern Lights

In the UK, the Northern Lights are the most visible in Scotland, northern England, north Wales, and Northern Ireland. However, during intense solar storms the lights can also be seen much further south.

The best chances of seeing the aurora are when there are dark, clear skies. Light pollution and cloud cover can obscure the view, so it is recommended that you find a remote area such as north-facing coasts or a rural spot that offers a good vantage point.

While the lights are most active around the Equinoxes, strong solar activity can occur throughout the year, bringing stargazers plenty of beautiful surprises.

Irita Marriott Auctioneers and Valuers will return  to The Barlow on Sunday, April 19, offering expert advice and free auction estimates.

Running from 11am to 4pm, the event invites visitors to bring along their treasured items to discover their potential value.

Specialists will be on hand throughout the day to provide insight into the auction process and guidance on selling.

Irita Marriott Auctioneers and Valuers will return to offer auction estimates.

A spokesperson said: “This is a great opportunity to uncover the value of your items and learn more about the auction process.

“Whether you’re a first-time attendee or a long time enthusiast in Bolton.”

Organisers say it is designed to be both informative and accessible, whether you are attending for the first time or have a long-standing interest in antiques.

Peaky Blinders star Paul Anderson showed off a drastic new look while at Comic Con in Paris recently – including a number of cuts on his legs.

The actor, best known for playing Arthur Shelby Jr. in the hit BBC drama, has made headlines for his turbulent past outside of the show.

This began in 2023 with complaints of misconduct from a colleague – allegations which the star denied.

Then, on Boxing Day that year, he was caught in possession of crack cocaine and amphetamines after allegedly using drugs in a pub toilet.

Since pleading guilty to the charges, Anderson’s acting work has largely dried up, with his character even being omitted from this year’s spin-off film, The Immortal Man.

The actor has now shocked fans after appearing at a Comic Con event in France, where he showed up with bleached hair and scarred legs.

In pictures obtained by The Daily Mail, Anderson could be seen wearing a dark jacket over a white Casablanca brand t-shirt.

He also wore a pair of cropped trousers, which showed off a series of cuts and scars to his legs when he sat down to chat with the audience.

His hair had been bleached blond, in a stark change from his tightly trimmed Peaky Blinders look.

This is not the first time Anderson’s appearance has alarmed fans, after previously looking disheveled in London, weeks after he pleaded guilty to crack cocaine possession.

In February 2024, he addressed worried fans, sharing a selfie from the back of a car.

‘Back to business and back on set today’ he wrote in an Instagram story, adding: ‘Thank you for all your love and concern to everyone. I was and have been absolutely flattened by the flu. #nofilter.’

In June 2024, he shared another update, telling his followers in a video that there is ‘no story without struggle.’

He continued: ‘Take it from me, I have struggled, and I struggle today, the same way you do, and we deal with it.

‘If I can help you deal with your struggles, then let’s do it together, let’s make this the first of many conversations, because you can’t do it on your own, you need help.

‘And I will say this one more thing to you, you can help others, in turn, it will help you. It’s called service.

‘So turnaround my friend, look for somebody else who also is suffering, and hard as you may find it, help them, because you’ll find it helps you more, believe it or not.

‘Remember this, we are amazing. You are unbelievable.’

It’s where the best-loved, most re-bought, genuinely useful products are listed, and once you find it you’ll never go back.

It’s packed with smaller items that are perfect for getting you over the postage limit – if you’re a fiver short of that magic £50 free postage, it can be worth grabbing some staples to get you over the line.

It’s called “Lakeland Loves” – and it’s a secret page packed with star buys – those who’ve discovered it treat it like a shortcut to the good stuff.

This isn’t about trends or gimmicks. It’s about the items people rely on so much, they automatically add them to their basket without a second thought.

What are the best buys on Lakeland Loves?

Take the Daily Shower Spray. At £4.99, it’s one of those quietly transformative products: no scrubbing, no rinsing, no wiping.

Just spray after your shower and walk away while it gets to work preventing soap scum, water marks and mould. It’s the kind of low-effort habit that keeps bathrooms looking freshly cleaned for far longer.

Then there are the world’s best washing up gloves – a surprising favourite, perhaps. They’re extra tough, completely latex- and rubber-free, and lined for comfort, making them ideal for sensitive skin. Not the most glamorous purchase, but one people consistently come back for. I don’t buy any others since trying them.

Bakers, meanwhile, tend to stock up on Lakeland’s piping bags. Designed with a textured, non-slip exterior, they offer better grip and precision when icing — and they’re strong enough to handle more demanding kitchen tasks too. I first tried them on a baking workshop and never went back – it’s that rare mix of professional quality and everyday practicality. They’re £9.99, so the priciest thing on my list, but there’s 50 in a pack and they are worth every penny.

The Lakeland Loves products customers buy the most (Image: Lakeland)

Another staple hiding in plain sight is the Wrapmaster refill range. If you’ve ever battled cling film that refuses to cooperate, this is where things change. The cling film is strong and stays put, while the foil – around 30% thicker than most – is built to last. The foil is a must for jacket potatoes and the clingfilm wraps sandwiches like a dream.

For those with the dispenser, these refills are less of a luxury and more of a necessity, at £8.99 for cling film and £5.99 for foil you’ll never go back.

Cleaning essentials feature heavily on the page too, including the microfibre dual kitchen sponges, £4.99. With one soft side for non-stick pans and a tougher abrasive side for stubborn grime, they’re designed to tackle everything from delicate surfaces to heavy-duty scrubbing — and they can be machine washed and reused.

The Lakeland Loves products customers buy the most (Image: Lakeland)

Slightly under the radar, but no less useful, are the optical lens wipes, £3.99 – so popular they were brought back due to demand. Perfect for my glasses, they also cut through smudges on phone screens, camera lenses and more, making them a handbag essential for many shoppers.

The Lakeland Loves products customers buy the most (Image: Lakeland)

And for a quick bathroom refresh, the Vamoose cleaner, £4.99, has built a following of its own. Its deep-foaming formula clings to surfaces like sinks, showers and taps, breaking down soap scum with minimal effort – just spray and wipe. (Those in the know often pick up the kitchen version, also £4.99, at the same time.)

The appeal of the “Lakeland Loves” page is simple: it takes the guesswork out of shopping. These are the products people don’t just try – they stick with.

So next time you’re browsing Lakeland, it might be worth seeking it out.

Because once you find it, you’ll probably never shop there quite the same way again.

Pontyclun came out on top in a dramatic WRU Division 4 Cup final, winning 27-21 against Llangadog

Pontyclun edged out Llangadog in a dramatic WRU Division 4 Cup final on Sunday, winning 27-21 at the Principality Stadium.

Two tries from openside Josh Clarke and 12 points from the boot of Nicky Theaker laid the platform for cup success for Pontyclun, with player of the match Joe Williams pulling the strings.

Mid Walians Llangadog were a worthy opponent, with victory slipping through their fingers right at the end.

Wales flanker Harri Deaves had been up early on Sunday morning, having helped the Ospreys to a vital URC win over the Sharks the previous night, to prepare the bacon rolls for Pontyclun’s trip to the Principality Stadium.

Even after ascending to Test rugby earlier this season, the 24-year-old has remained a constant at his local rugby club – coaching, doing the laundry and helping out however he can. Almost immediately after he had won his first Wales cap against the All Blacks this season, Deaves was back in Pontyclun’s clubhouse to celebrate.

Along with the 37 youth players he coaches, Deaves would have been delighted as his hometown club won a dramatic final at the home of Welsh rugby.

In particular, the efforts of openside Clarke would have caught his eye.

“It’s unbelievable,” admitted Clarke afterwards. The flanker has played for Neath at the stadium before, but doing it for his hometown club “hits a little bit different”.

“It’s a surreal experience, this is my boyhood club. We’ve got over 1,000 supporters here. They’re over the moon!

“I think one or two of them had flares on the way in! The coppers drove past, so they were a bit lucky not to get stopped! The other coaches have come down from Pontyclun, from the juniors to the old people. You can’t fault that.

“I’m supposed to me in college on an electrical course on Monday. I did hint they might not see me until the afternoon!”

After a nervy start to the final, Llangadog settled sooner – with scrum-half Tom Bailey opening the scoring.

The 31-year-old support worker danced his way over from the back of a scrum to touch down.

Having not had much of a sniff, Pontyclun ended the half in fine fashion.

Fittingly, given Deaves’ presence, it was openside Clarke who turned the game in their favour with two scores before the break.

The first saw him, in a similar vein to the Ospreys back-row, burst through a gap and evade the final man to stretch over.

Then, after the delightful hands of fly-half and captain Williams put centre Theaker through gaps twice in quick succession to get the Badgers within touching distance of the line, Clarke burrowed over the line to end the first-half with his second score.

Pontyclun remained on top after the break, with full-back Adam Lewis finishing off a fine move out wide.

After Llangadog had dared to run it from deep, Clarke got over the ball for a penalty – which Theaker knocked over to build their lead.

However, Llangadog weren’t finished, with full-back Rhodri Davies latching onto a kick-pass after some red-zone pressure to score their second try.

Then, with 25 minutes to go, Deian Thomas took down a high cross-field kick in one hand to race away.

That score reduced Pontyclun’s lead to just three points, with the momentum having firmly shifted once again.

Ceri Williams had a chance to level the scores, but his penalty clattered the uprights.

Theaker made no mistake with a penalty of his own to make it a six-point game heading into the final 10 minutes.

Llangadog had chances in the dying minutes, throwing everything at Pontyclun.

With the clock in the red, it looked as though Llangadog would snatch victory – hammering away at the Badgers’ line time and time again.

However, a huge effort saw Pontyclun win a scrum against the head to seal victory.

Llangadog

Tries: Tom Bailey, Rhodri Davies, Deian Thomas; Cons: Ceri Williams x3

Pontyclun

Tries: Josh Clarke x2, Adam Lewis; Cons: Nicky Theaker x3; Pens: Nicky Theaker x2

Llangadog: Rhodri Davies; Iestyn Williams, Rhys Thomas, Kasper Anderson, Ben Morgan; Ceri Williams, Tom Bailey; Llyr Thomas, Daniel Morse, Telor Dyer, Rhys Evans, Owen Williams, Tom Davies, Ioan Hughes, Charles Handford.

Replacements: Ioan Lewis, Tom Llewellyn, Steff Thomas, Gruff Jones, Cian Thomas, Guto Price, Lewys Jones, Deian Thomas.

Pontyclun: Adam Lewis; Jacob Dennis, Luke Rose, Nicky Theaker, Morgan Stevens; Joe Williams, Morgan Lloyd; Henry Legg, Sam Barclay, Iestyn Herridge, Morgan Parsons, Morgan Rose, Evans Cooke, Josh Clarke, Dan Hemmens.

Replacements: Dan Ruggles, Simon Pilkington, Tom Fry, Jack Theaker, Gareth Hooke, Tom Harrison, Harri Deaves, Harri Stiff.

Hundreds of people descended on the city centre

‘Acts of violence’ which escalated during demonstrations in Manchester will be investigated further by Greater Manchester Police. It comes after the force was criticised by the Northern Police Monitoring Project for what it described as ‘thuggish’ tactics used against counter-protesters who rallied against Britain First supporters on Saturday (April 18).

GMP says around 1,000 people turned out for the two demonstrations combined. Supporters of the far-right political group were largely kept well away from anti-racism counter-protesters during a heavily policed afternoon in the city centre.

Hundreds of flag-waving Britain First supporters marched from Store Street to St Peter’s Square. Counter-protesters assembled in Piccadilly Gardens before heading to another part of St Peter’s Square, separated from Britain First by multiple fences and police lines, while officers blocked off multiple streets between the two demonstrations.

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Three people were arrested during the protests, which GMP said had attracted a smaller turnout than expected. One male counter-protester was arrested on suspicion of breaching a Section 60AA of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, which allowed officers to require the removal of face coverings, while another male counter-protester was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.

A woman was also arrested on suspicion of breaching the peace, with GMP unsure if she was part of either demonstration. In an update issued today (Sunday), the force said all three people had since been bailed.

Since the demonstrations took place, video footage has emerged online showing flashpoints involving GMP officers and counter-protesters. The Northern Police Monitoring Project, which had observers at the demonstration, criticised the force’s actions towards counter-protesters.

In a statement, the group said: “Officers behaved thuggishly, with consistent and serious aggression and violence – overwhelmingly directed at antifascist counter-protesters, not at the far-right fascist marchers they were facilitating. This included numerous punches, kicks and violent attempts to remove masks, in some cases causing injuries, as well as repeated use of batons and PAVA spray, and the deployment of horses against protesters.”

The group claimed GMP used PAVA spray ‘repeatedly, in significant volume, without warning, and without lawful justification’, while it also claimed officers were on occasion ‘blocking medical assistance’. GMP says it will further investigate specific incidents from the protest in the coming days, as it did following the previous Britain First demonstration and counter-protests in February.

A force spokesperson said: “During what was a very busy day in Manchester city centre, officers responded to several incidents and intervened in altercations between groups. On some occasions this spilled over into acts of violence and disorder, and these will be fully investigated.

“We will utilise a range of criminal and civil powers to bring offenders to justice, ensuring that those who wish to protest peacefully can do so. We would also encourage anyone with mobile phone or CCTV footage from the protests to report it to us as it could assist our enquiries. Our priority is always to protect public safety while supporting people’s right to protest peacefully.”

In a statement issued on Saturday evening addressing the use of force and PAVA spray, GMP added: “The vast majority of both sides caused no issues for our officers. Force was required when counter-protesters had tried to break police lines and attempted to throw punches.

“PAVA spray was deployed as a tactic instead of using further additional force. A small breakaway group of protesters had made their way down the side of the Town Hall. Officers were later met with resistance as they moved them away from the nearby counter group and some force was required.”

Police horses, riot vans and specialist units from police forces across the country were all mobilised to police Saturday’s demonstrations. A Section 34 dispersal order remained in place until 8pm on Saturday night. The number of arrests was fewer than the 11 made during the February 21 demonstrations, which had multiple flashpoints across a larger route.

GMP says it has a ‘duty to support people’s right to protest peacefully’. While accepting the march had to be allowed due to freedom of expression, both council leader Bev Craig and mayor Andy Burnham issued statements ahead of the protests, insisting that ‘racism and hatred have no place’ in the city.