The Old Rectory house in Powys sleeps up to 16 people and is highly praised for its “incredible amenities.”

If you are searching for a getaway with a large group of friends or extended family, Sykes Cottages has many beautiful accommodation options that would serve has a peaceful base for exploring Welsh countryside.

One standout holiday home is the Old Rectory House located in Powys. This spacious house is tucked away in the village of Aberhafesp in mid Wales and is surrounded by rolling greenery and peaceful landscapes that reviewers have consistently praised.

The Old Rectory House is an eight bedroom and eight bathroom accommodation that can sleep 16 guests. The property is spread across three floors making it perfectly suited for large groups like a multi-generational family trip or a getaway with friends.

Advertisement

The layout provides both privacy and plenty of room to socialise in the well furnished living rooms or the large outdoor spaces. Love dreamy Welsh homes? Sign up to our newsletter here

For those looking to indulge, the Old Rectory House goes far beyond your average holiday place. Standout amenities include a private indoor swimming pool and hot tub, offering the perfect way to unwind whatever the weather.

Downstairs, the basement has been transformed into a dedicated entertainment hub, complete with a games room and cinema room.

One guest who loved their time in the Old Rectory has said: “This is a rare example of a house that massively exceeded expectations. Not only was the setting beautiful and the rooms and living spaces nicely designed, the amenities are incredible, its easy to find and because of the pool and the games room the many kids we were with were entertained all weekend. We are already planning on returning!”

Another stayer said: “We travelled as a group of 15 to the old rectory. We have stayed at lots of places together over the years and this is our favourite. It’s now our third stay and we have just booked our fourth in 2027.”

Stayers of the Old Rectory House is largely very positive, one downside of the property however is that it does not accept pets.

For those who are looking for a cottage that is pet-friendly, Oernant Farmhouse in West Wales accepts up to three pets and a week long stay this month has been reduced from £865 to £742.

Another pet-friendly cottage is the Firs near Abergavenny. It is a detached 17th-century listed cottage surrounded by green hills.

The Old Rectory House available on Sykes Cottage’s summary:

• Over three floors
• Eight bedrooms
• Ground-floor shower room with walk-in shower, basin, heated towel rail and WC
• First-floor cloakroom with basin and WC
• Utility room
• 2 x sitting room
• Conservatory
• Private hot tub
• Lower-ground-floor cinema room,
• Separate indoor heated swimming pool with changing rooms
• 9 x Smart TV, cinema screen and WiFi
• Minimum stay is three nights

“He has left such a big hole in all of our lives.”

A massive Hibs fan who was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer after smelling candy floss has sadly died as his family pay heartfelt tributes. Steve Turnbull was diagnosed with a glioblastoma in 2024 after he experienced months of sickness, the smell of candy floss and issues with his vision and balance.

The 64-year-old passed away on January 27, leaving behind his loving family and friends. Speaking to Edinburgh Live, his brother Alan said Steve “remained positive” throughout his battle.

He was passionate about raising awareness for brain tumours and even took on the Dundee Kilt Walk to raise money for charity Brain Tumour Research. Steve had extensive radiotherapy and chemotherapy to manage the tumour’s size which extended his life to around 18 months.

Alan said Steve has “left a big hole” and was a man of many talents. He added: “By the time he was diagnosed, he was already stage four. It was just a case of managing it.

“He decided to go on a course of chemo and radiotherapy which extended his life to around 18 months. He always seemed so positive.

“He never really shared much with us. He would tell us the treatment he was going through but he would never really tell us the full story.

“I think he was trying to protect us and he never moaned about any of it.”

While working as an IT project manager in Letham, Steve also had many interests including music, magic and football. He was a dedicated Hibs supporter and would regularly attend matches with his brother.

Alan added: “Football was his main thing. We would always be on the Hibs supporter bus. He also played football at a decent level too. He was also trying to get around all the grounds in Scotland which I don’t think he managed but it was definitely one of his main passions.

“Steve absolutely loved magic too – he would always have a pack of cards with him. My sister-in-law tells a story about when they were in Turkey and their bus broke down. They were at the side of the road and he just got his cards out and started doing magic tricks.

“He was a drummer too and he would always carry a pair of drumsticks in the car. If he was stuck in traffic he would start playing on the steering wheel and tapping along to the music.

“I could go on forever talking about some of the things he loved. He would meet so much people and made a lot of different friends through different things.”

Steve was always telling jokes and was a big “family man”. His brother added: “If he came to birthdays or family events, you would always hear him before you saw him.

“He was always telling jokes and always had a story to tell. He has left such a big hole in all of our lives.”

The dad first started to become unwell just after New Year’s Day in 2024, when he vomited out of the blue after tasting gravy. He would regularly be hit with bizarre smells including candy floss.

His brother first noticed something was wrong at his niece’s wedding. Alan added: “He was kind of slurring his words.

“He doesn’t drink so I knew it wasn’t alcohol. His face was drooping and we thought he was maybe having a stroke.

“It was only a matter of weeks later we found out he had an aggressive brain tumour. He started having these weird smelling sensations and smelled of candy floss.

“He hadn’t been well for a matter of time and it got to the point where he had to go and get tests done.”

Steve’s niece and nephew, Erin and Rhys, are preparing to take on the Edinburgh Marathon in honour of their uncle. Erin, 23, said they are fundraising for Brain Tumour Research.

She added: “We just decided to go big or go home. As the weeks get closer it becomes a bit more daunting but it’s all for a good cause. The aim is just to cross the finish line and know that we’ve raised money for such a good cause in memory of my uncle.”

You can donate to the fundraisers here and here.

Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE

A US-based X account reshared footage from Bolton in 2024, falsely presenting it as a current incident of Muslim violence in London in January 2026.

A UK-based X account shared a video claiming to show “Somalis” filming an execution in London (January 2026), omitting to say that the footage was staged by a TikTok streamer as shock content.

Three monetised X accounts repeated the same false claim about London New Year’s Eve celebrations within four hours on 1 January 2026, generating more than 155,000 views.

A network of 32 Facebook pages (one per London borough) was repurposed on 17 May 2024 from Ulez-focused pages to appear as local activist groups.

A Vietnam-based Facebook network, with a combined following of around 1.25 million, targeted London and the mayor, framing the city as a site of governance failure and housing injustices.

A Sri Lanka-based content farm produced monetised AI-generated posts.

A Nigeria-based cluster impersonated UK media outlets.

Woks in our home kitchens never get as hot as they do in restaurants, where they have a lot of power under them – so dishes like this won’t be as perfect as they could be. Unless you’ve grown up stir-frying, it’s hard to get it right too.

All those different elements cooked in one pan? You have to think about how much time each one needs. Nevertheless, I have, over the years, managed to do chicken and egg fried rice in a way that works, at least for the family on a weeknight. I cook the dish in stages and do the eggs in a separate pan, otherwise I end up with rice and scrambled eggs.

I don’t even think about making this with freshly cooked rice (it will just get sticky). I use Chinese chilli bean paste in other dishes too, so don’t feel buying it is a waste of money. The alcohol is my own thing (goodness knows what Ken Hom would think) but I love its flavour with ginger. You can leave it out if you don’t fancy it.

Requires 20 minutes for the rice in advance

Jockey Paul Townend had to attend a stewards inquiry into his riding of Gold Dancer, who had to be euthanised after the William Hill Mildmay Novices’ Chase on welfare grounds

Top jockey Paul Townend has explained what happened to Gold Dancer when he suffered a fatal injury at Aintree’s Grand National Festival on Friday. The Willie Mullins-trained horse ran an almost perfect race and was on course for a wide-margin win in the William Hill Mildmay Novices’ Chase.

But he made a serious error at the last fence, dragging his back legs through the obstacle, losing momentum before he was ridden to the line, still managing to record a near five-length win. Realising something was wrong, Townend immediately pulled up Gold Dancer shortly after the finish and dismounted the horse quickly.

He was attended immediately by Aintree’s veterinary team and green screens erected around the horse for privacy, yet despite their best efforts Gold Dancer could not be saved.

READ MORE: Grand National 2026: Gold Dancer dies after suffering fatal injury while winning raceREAD MORE: Top Grand National betting offers including Betfair, Paddy Power and Sky Bet

“He’s been put down. He broke his back,” said Eddie O’Leary, racing manager for the Gigginstown owned by his brother, the Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary. “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.”

Miami Magic and Jordans Cross fell during the race but both horses had walked back to the stables afterwards.

Aintree Racecourse issued a statement confirming the news. They said: “The winner of our second race of the day, Gold Dancer, was pulled up after the line and dismounted.

“He was immediately attended to by our expert veterinary team but sadly he could not be saved. Our heartfelt condolences are with his connections.”

The stewards held an inquiry into the riding of Gold Dancer “from jumping the final fence up until rounding the bend towards the pull up area after which the gelding was immediately assessed by Veterinary Surgeons and subsequently euthanised on welfare grounds”, their report said.

It continued: “Townend and the Director of Equine Regulation, Safety, and Welfare were both interviewed and shown recordings of the incident. Townend explained that Gold Dancer had made a bad mistake at the last fence after which it had taken a stride or two for the gelding to gather himself before, in his opinion, running on in a straight line to the winning line where Gold Dancer felt sound.

Advertisement

“Townend added that it was only until rounding the bend towards the pull up area that the gelding’s action changed when Gold Dancer went from a canter to a trot after which he immediately dismounted from the gelding.

“After reviewing the footage, The Director of Equine, Safety, and Welfare explained that Gold Dancer’s action was typical of a 3-mile chaser in the final stages of a race and supported the evidence of Townend. After hearing all of their evidence, the Stewards noted Townend’s explanation.”

Willie Mullins, speaking to RacingTV, said: “It’s a big loss out of the yard because he was improving all the time and today, to give such an exhibition of jumping, to give his owner, give me, give Paul, all the people who backed him such a thrill and then for that to happen after the line was unbelievable.

“Paul said to me the horse galloped through the line fine, went down to his slow pace at a canter and then just as he turned he went into a trot and that was the first he felt. He took a pull of the reins and that’s when he lost his action.

“I would say he didn’t feel that the horse had any damage and he galloped all the way to the line and that’s what you do. It’s like a forward going for goal. He’s going to keep going and if something happens he’s going to keep going and kick the ball into the back of the net if he can.

“Same with the jockey. Unless they feel that the horse’s action really wrong, he’s not going to stop, because if he stops he’ll lose his licence. The other punters will drag him off the horse and say what did you pull him up for.

“He didn’t feel anything was wrong until after the line. Horses make mistakes and people out running trip and get up and run another ten miles and they only find out later on that night that they’ve pulled a muscle somewhere. It’s just life. We can’t legislate for everything.

“If Paul thought there was something wrong he’d be the first one to pull him up.”

A statement from the BHA said: “The veterinary assessment was that the appropriate course of action was to humanely euthanise the horse.

“Having reviewed the footage of the incident, James Given, the BHA’s Director of Equine Regulation, Safety and Welfare, agreed that Gold Dancer’s action was typical of a horse in the closing stages of such a race, that he appeared sound until rounding the bend, at which point he was immediately dismounted.

“As is the case with any fatal injury, the incident will now be looked at in detail through our fatality review process, which is part of the sport’s commitment to ongoing improvements in racehorse safety.”

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.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

“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.”