The families have banded together to demand the Scottish Government to take helm of the crisis.

Families of Scotland’s recent tragic knife crime victims have united in a powerful video message to demand urgent action from the government.

Neil McCrimmon, Lisa Petrie and Ashleigh Mullan have relived the trauma of losing their loved ones to call for change in how knife crime is dealt with in Scotland. Ashleigh lost her 30-year-old brother Peter Mullan after he was fatally stabbed in Edinburgh in June 2023.

Dylan Curran, 25, repeatedly knifed the young father and left him bleeding to death in front of his brother. Curran denied murder but was convicted after a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh in April last year.

Recalling her brother’s death, Ashleigh said: “He was out drinking after work. He was in good spirits and was happy. In a split second, his life was gone.

“His death has been indescribable. We had to sit through a trial and watch him walk to his death.”

Neil McCrimmon then lost his 16-year-old son Kory McCrimmon after he was stabbed to death at Greenfield Park in Glasgow in May 2024. His killer, who was 13 at the time, was jailed for five years after admitting culpable homicide.

The father said: “I had to tell my 10-year-old daughter that her big brother was dead. You try to hold it together but you can’t, your heart has been ripped out.”

Lisa’s son John McNab, 22, died after he was chased and stabbed in an unprovoked attack in Leith in September last year. The warehouse worker begged for his life but was stabbed four times with a hunting knife.

His 17-year-old killer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was on bail for a separate knife attack on Portobello Beach just months before. He was jailed for life at the High Court in Dundee in June.

Lisa said: “When you go from having two children to one, it’s a massive loss. Being at the scene and being unable to get to John lives with me every day.”

The families have banded together to demand the Scottish Government to take helm of the crisis. Together, they have called for a review to be held over why young people become involved in knife crime, and how effective current programmes are at preventing it.

They also want to see a review of the current controls around the sale of knives, and for bleed kits – which can help control bleeding after an attack – to be more widely available. Their calls come amid the Record’s renowned youth violence campaign, Our Kids … Our Future which was launched in February 2023 after we reported on escalating attacks on children and young people.

As part of the campaign, we have demanded the Scottish Government to invest in safe spaces for young people so they can be taken away from the streets and provided with mentorship and guidance instead. Over the past ten years, there has been a year-on-year increase in people convicted of possession of a blade in a public place in Scotland.

For the last 20 years, sharp instruments have remained the most common weapon used in murder and culpable homicide cases.

Debbie Adams, director of development and external affairs at Victim Support Scotland, said: “Too many people are needlessly losing their lives to knife crime in Scotland. Ashleigh, Neil and Lisa have bravely shared their stories in the hope of changing attitudes to knife crime and preventing it from happening in the first place.

“They, and other families impacted by knife crime, are united in their determination that nobody else should have to experience the trauma and heartbreak of losing a loved one in this way. Swift and drastic action must be taken to support community initiatives throughout Scotland, to help prevent these crimes from occurring and reduce the likelihood of offending.

“This is why we are calling for a comprehensive review of knife crime and its root causes, a reassessment of knife sale controls, and national provision of bleed kits across Scotland. The Scottish Government must commit to decisive, concrete, evidence-based actions if we have any chance of preventing more people having their lives taken by knife crime.”

Melania Trump flaunted her fashion credentials as she joined husband President Donald Trump at the state dinner for Xi Jinping.

The 56-year-old donned a striking monochrome ensemble to greet the Chinese president and his wife Peng Liyuan at the White House in Washington, DC, on Thursday evening.

The First Lady once again opted against wearing a gown for the black-tie occasion.

Instead, she decided on a $2,300 button-up blouse by Saint Laurent, which boasted oversized bow detailing around the neck.

She paired the shirt with $1,945 embossed high-waisted pants and a $1,345 silk cummerbund, both by Dolce and Gabbana.

Melania wore her honey tresses swept back away from her face and finished the look with a pair of black pointed-toe Christian Louboutin heels and diamond stud earrings.

Her penchant for wearing pants at high-profile events has previously been the subject of intense scrutiny. 

But San Diego-based personal stylist and image consultant Cynthia Kennedy previously told the Daily Mail that her fashion choices send a clear message that the First Lady is ‘independent’ and ‘rebellious.’

‘She’s not doing what people expect. She’s not wearing safe, dull, traditional First Lady fashion,’ Kennedy explained to the Daily Mail back in April.

‘She’s wearing what SHE wants, from her favorite designers – mostly European luxury brands like Dolce & Gabbana – and she’s making it clear that this job is something she’s doing on her own terms,’ Kennedy continued.

‘What she’s doing may not necessarily be modern, but it is strategic.

‘She’s showing that she’s on a completely different playing field and follows her own rules. She’s not interested in dressing for any role,’ she said.

The Trumps hosted the Chinese delegation for a state dinner in the East Room, where both presidents delivered remarks.

Top Cabinet officials and American CEOs were all in attendance, including executives from Apple, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Tesla and more. 

Tonight’s lavish black-tie event was one of the most star-studded evenings of the administration, offering a glitzy opportunity to smooth over notoriously fierce geopolitical friction with the Asian superpower.

Behind closed doors in the East Room tonight, Melania’s office said they personally orchestrated the evening’s extravagant arrangements, transforming the space with red linens, Reagan-era vermeil, and overflowing urns of crimson dahlias – a striking aesthetic that the First Lady notes ‘draws on the color red’s longstanding cultural significance throughout Chinese history.’

The 56-year-old donned a striking monochrome ensemble to greet the Chinese president and his wife Peng Liyuan at the White House in Washington, DC, on Thursday evening

Xi arrived at Trump’s presidential airport, Joint Base Andrews, for a welcome ceremony on Wednesday evening 

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As the leaders and their guests dined, there were several performances, including military musicians and inauguration tenor Christopher Macchio setting a grand soundtrack.

Inside the dining room, guests raised glasses of Schramsberg ‘Blanc De Noirs’ for a symbolic toast, reviving the historic 1972 ‘Toast to Peace’ between Richard Nixon and Premier Zhou Enlai in China.

White House chefs fused classic American ingredients with subtle Asian flavors across a lavish multi-course menu.

Xi arrived at Trump’s presidential airport, Joint Base Andrews, for a welcome ceremony on Wednesday evening. 

Trump personally greeted Xi at the airport ceremony despite the Chinese president not welcoming the US president at the airport during his trip to Beijing.

‘He decided to do it because they have a great relationship,’ First Lady Melania Trump said previously, ‘and we need to welcome them with the most respect.’

Earlier today, the Trumps welcomed Xi and his wife Madame Peng to the White House with an arrival ceremony on the State Floor before a military review in the Rose Garden and subsequent bilateral meetings.

But tonight’s state dinner is not the final event of the visit.

On Friday, the Trumps will host the first couple of China for tea at the White House before doing a tour of the National Archives, where they will view key US founding documents.

Xi and Madame Peng will then depart from Joint Base Andrews.

The plan is intended to make it better but people have raised concerns

Neighbours have raised fears floodlights they claim are already so bright they ‘hurt their eyes’ will get ‘even worse’ under new plans. The University of Cambridge submitted plans to replace 12 floodlights on the sports and athletics track on Wilberforce Road in Newnham.

Though the new lights will be taller, they said this will reduce light spill by allowing them to focus light more on the pitch itself. Mike Osbourn, the university’s planning manager, told Cambridge City Council ’s planning committee that the current lights are “failing and no longer fit for purpose”.

He called the replacement “essential” to enable “the continued safe and effective use of the athletics track”. He said they had considered feedback from residents when designing the scheme but recognised they still have concerns.

He said: “Whilst we respectfully disagree with their opinion of the scheme, the university values its relationship with our community and will continue to engage with them as a responsible neighbour going forward.”

Dr Peter Rees, county councillor for Newnham, said: “As a university sportsman of several years, in principle I would have really liked to support this application – unfortunately, I can’t”. The Green councillor said the nearby Cambridge Lawn Tennis Club had added blockers to the side of their lights but this was rejected for the athletics track.

Cllr Rees said: “They had a lighting study performed which shows that the spill is going to be decreased, but the point is there’s lateral glare. I know this because when I walk at night on the footpath my eyes actually hurt.

“What they are proposing is to make them even higher, even brighter – so it’s going to get even worse.”

Council officers said the new lights were designed to angle the light downwards with an internal shield and they didn’t feel further blockers were necessary. They said they considered it would reduce the current light spill.

Cllr Katie Porrer, Lib Dem councillor for Market and chair of the planning committee, said: “We’ve had huge concerns about increased light spills, some we have rejected, so it’s actually very positive for me that this is coming with a decrease in light spill because it’s such a beautiful area.”

Cllr Martin Smart, Labour councillor for King’s Hedges, said: “That’s not what the speakers and the local neighbourhood forum and the councillors have said – they have said the opposite. What is the implication here? Are we being told that those people should look the other way, draw their curtains and not be worried about that?

“It’s an issue for them, it might be good for bats and invertebrates, but they aren’t here to speak at this committee.”

Council officers reiterated that they were “highly confident” that the new lights would be better than the current ones for light spill. The application was passed unanimously with an informative added that the university limits unnecessary light when the field isn’t being used.

Sky is back with a blockbuster boost for Sky Q, Glass and Stream boxes.

Anyone bored with the current crop of channels might want to check out Sky’s latest update. The telly provider has just announced the launch of a new platform now available on its popular devices that opens up a vast library of bonus things to watch. The blockbuster update is thanks to the launch of the JioHotstar service on Sky.

The premium streaming platform already boasts around 500 million active users worldwide.

Those who sign up get instant access to 160,000 hours of content across over 12 Asian languages.

Its huge catalogue includes popular Hotstar Specials and original series such as Asur, Special Ops, Criminal Justice, Pritam & Pedro, Chiraiya and HeartBeat.

There are also blockbuster movies and hit shows, including Bigg Boss, Anupama and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, giving Sky customers even more to watch without needing to switch between devices.

And you don’t need one of Sky’s newest gadgets to get access. JioHotstar is available on the latest Sky streaming devices, including Sky Glass, but owners of older Sky Q boxes can also find it directly from the home screen.

Sky has confirmed that customers can sign up for JioHotstar through the dedicated app, making it easy to start watching without leaving the Sky platform.

Designed to make discovering entertainment as seamless as watching it, the platform combines an intuitive, modern interface with ultra-personalised recommendation engines

There are two subscription options in the UK, with JioHotstar costing £19.99 for three months or £69.99 for a full year.

Amit Malhotra, Head of International Business at JioStar, said the UK launch aims to make South Asian entertainment “more accessible, immersive and relevant” to audiences in Britain.

“For decades, South Asian storytelling has been a cultural bridge between the UK and the communities that call it home,” Malhotra said.

“Our ambition is not just to take content across borders, but to reimagine how audiences discover, experience and engage with it. We are creating a destination that makes South Asian storytelling more accessible, immersive and relevant for audiences in the UK, while bringing the scale and innovation we have built in India to a global audience.”

Futuristic air taxis that take off like helicopters will be built at a new facility that is the first of its kind in the UK.

Bristol-based company Vertical Aerospace has announced a new aircraft assembly centre at Cotswold Airport, near Kemble in Gloucestershire, describing it as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity”.

The Valo aircraft currently being developed and tested there are electric, carry four passengers and can fly up to 160km (100 miles) with no operating emissions, the firm said.

Minister for Reindustrialisation Blair McDougall said the new facility would “help turn British innovation into British manufacturing”.

The new centre adds 60,000sq ft (5,574sq m) of space to Vertical’s existing flight test centre at Cotswold Airport.

More than 1,200 illegal migrants have crossed the Channel since Monday.

Let that extraordinary figure sink in. In the space of a few short days, more than a thousand people have illegally landed on our shores, many of them undetected until they reached British beaches.

Ours is an island nation with one of the most sophisticated, best-funded border forces in the world. Yet boats continue to arrive without the authorities even knowing about it.

It is utterly insane.

And if it wasn’t clear before, the events of the past few days have proved beyond any reasonable doubt that both Border Force and the Home Office have completely lost control.

Make no mistake, this is now a national emergency. And it’s about time Andy Burnham declared it as such.

The Government’s response to this developing crisis has been nothing short of pathetic.

In the space of a few short days, more than a thousand people have illegally landed on our shores, many of them undetected until they reached British beaches.

Yesterday, Burnham’s deputy Lucy Powell weakly admitted to the BBC: ‘We can’t stop everything.’ Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has demanded an ‘urgent review’ – as if that will make a difference.

Years ago, I warned the small-boats crisis would define this era of British politics. Predictably, the chin-stroking commentariat declared I was exaggerating. Well, look where we are now.

On a political level, the cost to this country of this weekly invasion has been devastating. Public trust in politicians is at an all-time low, and why wouldn’t it be? Ordinary Britons rightly ask if successive governments cannot stop people from arriving illegally in broad daylight, let alone under cover of darkness without detection, then what exactly is the point of having a border?

As for the financial impact, it’s been eye-watering. Billions are poured into accommodation, handouts and into a legal system overloaded with appeals.

Each arrival is estimated to have a lifetime net-fiscal cost of £350,000. That means Wednesday’s invasion alone – some 781 arrivals – will cost the British state £273million. I’m sorry, but this cannot go on.

Andy Burnham’s response since entering office has been yet more of the same. More money for France that never seems to deliver results. More rhetoric about ‘working with European partners’. More dithering while the boats keep coming.

His predecessor Sir Keir Starmer spouted similar nonsense. Fat lot of good it did us. It is a case, quite literally, of that old cliche: ‘Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.’

Make no mistake, this is now a national emergency. And it’s about time Andy Burnham declared it as such.

Returning every illegal entrant to France is not only our right as a sovereign nation. It is necessary.

Reform UK has a different plan, and it is the only one that matches the scale of the problem.

We will put the Royal Navy in the Channel: not as a taxi service, like the French do, but as a deterrent and an enforcement tool. Every illegal arrival will be returned to France: no ifs, no buts. Nor will there be any endless legal wrangling in the British courts while the hotels fill up.

This is not complicated. Other countries do it. Australia stopped the boats by turning them back. Denmark has taken a hard line and seen numbers fall. Britain can do the same if it has the political will.

The human-rights industry will howl. Of course they will. The usual suspects in the media will call it ‘unworkable’. I say let them. The British people are sick of being lectured by people who do not live with the consequences of their own decisions.

Returning every illegal entrant to France is not only our right as a sovereign nation. It is necessary. It restores the basic principle that entry to the United Kingdom is controlled by the British Government, not the people-smuggling criminals in Calais. It frees up resources currently wasted on processing claims that should never have been made. And most of all, it tells the world that Britain is no longer a soft touch.

Enough is enough. The status quo simply cannot continue.

Reform’s Operation Fortress will end the migrant-hotel culture. We will dismantle the pull factors and restore the principle that only the British authorities decide who comes here, and on what terms. Anything less is an admission of failure.

The English Channel is not a ferry route for people-smugglers to ply their trade. It is a national frontier. It is high time we treated it like one.

Our tech writer, David Phelan, dubbed the iPhone 18 a “handsome, persuasive design”, so you could be forgiven for not wanting to cover it up. But, that said, he also went on to say “its improved performance, all-new Siri AI strengths, and improved camera build on the capabilities of the iPhone 17 Pro – arguably the most successful iPhone already – to become something even better”, and that to me sounds well worth preserving with a phone case.

Wayne Rooney has revealed why he and Coleen refuse to hire a nanny despite struggling with the challenge of raising four sons. 

The couple are parents to Kai, 16, Klay, 13, Kit, ten, and Cass, eight, with their new £10million fly-on-the-wall show, The Real Rooneys, giving an insight into their chaotic family life. 

Filmed last year, the show captured the moment Coleen began to return to work, having previously been a stay-at-home mum while Wayne travelled the country for his football career. 

With Wayne having just been sacked as manager of Plymouth Argyle he explained: ‘I think Coleen going back to work is good for her, rather than just being here and looking after the kids and me as well.

‘And that’s coincided with me not having a 9-5 job so I’m here with the kids.’ 

As the camera cut to the three youngest boys running wild, Wayne sighed: ‘It’s tough.’ 

The couple are parents to Kai, 16, Klay, 13, Kit, ten, and Cass, eight, with their new £10million fly-on-the-wall show, The Real Rooneys, giving an insight into their chaotic family life

He continued: ‘There’s chaos, fighting, arguing. Every day’s a challenge with them…  I’m chilled until I need to snap.’ 

Yet despite the chaos going on around them, Wayne explained that he refused to bring in any outside help. 

Wayne explained: ”People ask why don’t we have a nanny. “You can afford to have a nanny help you”, but they’re OUR kids. 

‘It’s tough for anyone who has four kids but you want to bring them up. You want to be around them. 

‘It’s tough but enjoyable. You have some great moments, great memories with the kids and I wouldn’t change it.’

Wayne wasn’t the only one struggling with the change in their childcare dynamic, with Coleen confessing that she was still coming to terms with being a working mum. 

Confiding in best friend Danielle Gibson, Coleen shared: ‘I want a nice balanced life. I do feel a bit sad at the minute. Just because I don’t think things are… just a bit snappy, irritated.’ 

Breaking down in tears, she continued: ‘It’s just a bit hard juggling everything and the house is not happy. 

‘I try and do it but it’s – there’s small problems that we need to fix and I’ve got no time to stop and fix it and that’s a bit worrying. 

‘I prep and I try to do everything the best I can but I still find it really difficult leaving my kids. The hardest thing is picking the pieces up when you get back. 

‘Over the past few weeks I’m questioning myself, what do I need to do? 

‘I need to calm down but that’s because I’m quite highly strung. I feel I have a lot, I need to do a lot, but maybe I don’t have to do it all.’ 

Wayne wasn’t the only one struggling with the change in their childcare dynamic, with Coleen confessing that she was still coming to terms with being a working mum

Elsewhere in the series, Coleen’s own childhood was discussed as her mother Colette McLoughlin tearfully recalled Coleen nearly dying as a toddler. 

Speaking about Coleen’s childhood, Colette shared: ‘When she was three, Coleen got really sick and turned out it was encephalitis. 

‘Her brain was swelling, she couldn’t talk, she couldn’t walk, she couldn’t speak, she was stumbling her words. When we got to Alder Hey hospital she ended up in a coma…’

Choking back tears, Colette went on: ‘I’m gonna get upset… 24 hours [were] touch and go.

‘She had to learn to walk again, all her coordination had gone. But I’m so grateful because she was alive. We wanted to give something back.’ 

The Rooneys did not go into further detail about Coleen’s recovery, but encephalitis is treatable and often curable. Recovery depends heavily on the underlying cause, how fast treatment begins, and the severity of the infection.

Colette then revealed she and husband Tony provided foster and respite care for children with special needs and disabilities after being inspired to give back following Coleen’s near-death experience.

The conversation arose after Coleen visited Ukrainian refugees in Poland to make a promotional video for children’s charity, UNICEF, with the WAG explaining that it was a cause close to her heart because she ‘has a lot of experience of being around kids with different needs’. 

Elsewhere in the series, Coleen’s own childhood was discussed as her mother Colette McLoughlin tearfully recalled Coleen nearly dying as a toddler 

Colette shared: ‘When she was three, Coleen got really sick and turned out it was encephalitis. ‘Her brain was swelling, she couldn’t talk, she couldn’t walk, she couldn’t speak’

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Coleen then discussed helping her parents provide temporary care for children with additional needs. During this time they took in two-year-old Rosie, who was battling Rett syndrome 

Coleen then discussed helping her parents provide temporary care for children with additional needs. 

During this time they took in two-year-old Rosie, who faced a lifelong battle with Rett syndrome, a rare brain disorder that causes severe disabilities. 

‘We fell in love with her straight away,’ Coleen recalled. ‘She had a rare genetic disorder that needed a lot of care and attention.’ 

The McLoughlins ended up adopting Rosie and cared for her until she tragically passed away surrounded by her family a month shy of her 15th birthday.

Releasing a statement at the time of Rosie’s death, the McLoughlin family said: ‘Rosie was just 14 years old and fought a lifelong battle with Rett syndrome. Throughout her life she brought so much love and happiness to all our family and everyone who knew and met her.

‘She was such a strong little girl and an inspiration to us all. We shall cherish for ever the memories we have shared and the love she showed us each and every day of her life. As a family we are heartbroken but we are blessed to have had her in our lives.’

Coleen then explained the experience had made her all the more passionate about using her platform to help children.  

‘For UNICEF to place me in that environment and that was my film to make I’m glad they did choose me because it’s something I feel passionate about,’ she shared. ‘Hopefully people will see the film and donate. 

‘But on a personal level I want to make my mum and dad proud and show them I’ve not forgotten the values they taught me growing up.’ 

There is a strong Premier League presence when it comes to the new edition of EA FC and Arsenal edge out Liverpool as the team with the highest-rated players

Football fans who play EA Sports FC keep an eye out for player ratings every season. The numbers are now in for FC27 and there are plenty of Premier League representatives towards the top of the pile.

Reigning champions Arsenal are, as you might expect, very well represented. Eight of the 20 highest-rated Premier League stars in the new edition of the game are Gunners players.

One of those representatives wasn’t there last year. Bruno Guimaraes joined at considerable expense from Newcastle in August and sits alongside his new colleagues in the top 20.

Just four other Premier League clubs have players in that top 20. Here, we’ve given you the full rundown from 20th all the way up to first.

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A rating of 86 is enough to put a player among the top 20 Premier League players on the game. However, that wouldn’t be enough to crack the top 20 overall when you include players from La Liga, the Bundesliga and other top competitions.

There are nine 86-rated players in the English top flight. These include Chelsea’s sole representative in the top 20, £115m midfielder Moises Caicedo, and Liverpool’s nine-figure stars Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz.

Arsenal have three players rated 86 while Bukayo Saka is their only player in 87. He is joined there by Manchester City captain Ruben Dias and Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, while to put that in context it’s also the score given to Paris Saint-Germain skipper Marquinhos.

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Moving up to 88 and we have four more Premier League players, three of whom play for the champions. Declan Rice, David Raya and William Saliba are joined by Virgil van Dijk, the highest-rated Liverpool player on the list.

On 89, we have the highest-rated goalkeeper in the game in the form of Gianluigi Donnarumma, as well as Arsenal centre-back Gabriel and Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Erling Haaland leads the way with a rating of 91 – no current player in any league scores higher.

Top 20 Premier League players on EA FC 27:

20. Enzo Fernandez – 86

19. Florian Wirtz – 86

18. Rayan Cherki – 86

17. Viktor Gyokeres – 86

16. Moises Caicedo – 86

15. Bruno Guimaraes – 86

14. Martin Odegaard – 86

13. Alexander Isak – 86

12. Dominik Szoboszlai – 86

11. Bukayo Saka – 87

10. Ruben Dias – 87

9. Alisson – 87

8. David Raya – 88

7. Virgil van Dijk – 88

6. William Saliba – 88

5. Declan Rice – 88

4. Gabriel – 89

3. Gianluigi Donnarumma – 89

2. Bruno Fernandes – 89

1. Erling Haaland – 91

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There’s one walking route that is by far my favourite in Cambridgeshire, passing through pretty villages and along meandering rivers before reaching a town with cosy coffee shops

Cambridgeshire is home to ample walking trails through open fenlands and ancient woodland, along river valleys and around circular reservoirs. Many are ideal for those autumnal strolls and to marvel at the picturesque seasonal scenes before cosying up in an inviting café or traditional pub.

Yet with an extensive collection of rambling routes right on our doorstep, it’s not always easy deciding where to spend your weekend rambling, especially if you’re looking for a varied route. I’ve tried many walks around the region, but nothing compares to a route I discovered that starts in a pretty Cambridgeshire village and ends in a charming town packed with snug cake shops and coffee houses.

OPINION

Standing out as my absolute favourite is the Houghton Mill to St Ives walk, which measures around five miles and takes two hours to complete the full loop, but after an hour, you can sit down for a well-deserved coffee and slice of cake! The route takes you past idyllic villages with thatched-roof cottage homes, through kissing gates and enchanting woodland, across open meadows, down narrow lanes and along the River Great Ouse.

With such a diverse route to follow, you’ll never be bored, with landscapes constantly changing with every step and corner you take against the pretty scenes. Better yet, as there are different trails to follow in the surrounding area, you’ll rarely pass the same person twice. It remains blissfully tranquil and is perfect for dogs too, with fields to run around and uninterrupted pathways.

For this route, I start at Houghton Mill, a National Trust site in the village of Houghton, home to a handful of pubs and a sweet tearoom. Sometimes you can find a space to park in the village, but because it’s compact, it’s not always easy, so there’s always the National Trust car park.

From here I wander along the bridge crossing the Great River Ouse, passing the locks and across Hemingford Meadow to the Black Bridge. This is the start of the first idyllic village, Hemingford Abbots, with fairy-tale-like half-timbered homes and thatched roofs, alongside honey-hued homes and quaint wooden gates. I love wandering past and admiring the storybook scenes, and it’s even better in October, when the doors are decorated for Halloween.

Through the village leads to another open meadow, along the River Great Ouse, before skimming the edge of the village of Hemingford Grey, along narrow riverside lanes, before reaching a wide open field, which is sometimes home to flocks of sheep. This is the biggest meadow to cross, but equally as enjoyable, with St Ives sitting at the end for that sought-after refreshment over the bridge.

St Ives has a selection of cafés, including Nuts Bistro, The Commute Cafe, Fifi’s Cakery and Hambleton Bakery, but after my ramble, I will always stop by Tom’s Cakes as my cosy retreat. Amid its plethora of freshly baked goodies, I’ll sit down for a delicious coffee and a sweet treat, with the Hummingbird cake my go-to choice, though it’s hard to choose with so many mouthwatering options.

But a visit to St Ives can’t go by without stopping at The Courtyard shopping area, with wooden cabins packed with vintage gems, antiques, homeware, artwork, kids’ clothes, and Christmas decorations in winter. I love exploring the array of shops in a space that feels alive with community. Just be sure you can carry whatever you find on the return ramble.

On the way back, it gives me a chance to explore St Ives a little more before taking a footpath through The Thicket woodland, following it directly down under the canopy of trees until I return to my starting point at Houghton Mill. The circular route is super easy to follow with signs and pathways guiding you along the way – it really shouldn’t be missed.

On the National Trust website, they note the circular route as the St Ives and the Hemingfords walk, the only difference is that I walk it the opposite way, starting at Houghton Mill, through Hemingford Abbots and towards St Ives, before returning through the Thicket footpath. So it’s up to you on what direction you take, but either way, the halfway point will be at St Ives, and you’ll still discover all the scenic sites on what has long been my favourite Cambridgeshire walk.

For more information and to check a route, visit the National Trust website.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com