After walking his mum down the aisle, Oliver bravely addressed the entire wedding and had everyone in tears.

A schoolboy asked his stepdad to adopt him during a tear-jerking speech at his mum’s wedding. Leigh Gardiner, 31, married her husband Arron, 32, at the Brig o’ Doon House Hotel in Ayr earlier this year.

But it was the blushing bride’s 12-year-old son Oliver that stole the show when he stood up to deliver a speech after walking his mum down the aisle. Sitting at the top table alongside his brothers Alfie, 5, and Leo, 3, the brave boy took the microphone and addressed the guests.

Oliver started off with traditional gags and warmed the crowd up before the emotional moment. He thanked Arron for making him feel special from the moment he came into his life and for being someone who he looked up to and admired.

As his stepdad – and others at the top table – looked on weeping, Oliver said: “Arron, you have been my dad pretty much all of my life.

“You have shown up for me in ways you didn’t have to and I have never once felt like anything less than your own. You said ‘I do’ to my mum so will you say ‘I do’ to me too? Will you adopt me and make our family official?”

Arron broke down and held his face in his hands before standing up and embracing Oliver.

The clip ends as Oliver continues: “So please everyone please raise your glasses to my dad, my mum, and the best family a boy could ever ask for.”

Speaking to the Record, Leigh said her son’s speech was one of the most emotional and proud moments of her life.

She said: “As his mum, I’ve always known how special he is, but standing there and hearing him speak with such confidence, warmth and sincerity completely took my breath away.

“In that moment, I didn’t just see my little boy — I saw the young man he is becoming, and it filled me with an overwhelming sense of pride. Every word he said came straight from the heart.

“What touched me most was the way he spoke to Arron. His words were full of love, respect and honesty, and when he asked him to adopt him, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room — including mine.

“It was such a brave and beautiful thing to do, and it showed just how big his heart is. In that moment, I felt an overwhelming mix of emotions — pride, love, gratitude and, if I’m honest, a little bit of disbelief that my 12-year-old son could stand up and speak so powerfully in front of a room full of people.

“It was more than just a speech — it was a reflection of the kind, strong and thoughtful person Oliver is. I have never been prouder to be his mum, and it’s a moment I will treasure for the rest of my life.”

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A woman from Northern Ireland is calling for commitment to employ a specialist for endometriosis after having to travel to London for a diagnosis.

Laura Moore, 35, from Newtownabbey, has gone through a harrowing ordeal over 14 years and multiple surgeries.

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the uterus grows outside it, causing debilitating pain.

This month is endometriosis awareness month, and Laura spoke to Belfast Live about the lengthy process of getting her diagnosis and how this condition impacts her life.

She said: “It goes right back to when I first started getting my period, though I didn’t realise it at the time.

“When I was 17 I had emergency surgery for a ruptured ovarian cyst. From then on I was in the gynae system, and from there the pain got a lot worse as well.

“It actually took 14 years and 4 surgeries to diagnose my endometriosis. I had 3 laparoscopies at home in Northern Ireland and those consultants said I did not have endometriosis, and then said that I did but they were very small lesions.”

Laura highlighted the fact that, in Northern Ireland, there is currently no medical professional who specialises in endometriosis. This in turn affects waiting times and diagnoses.

She said: “I was diagnosed in 2021, the diagnosis wait itself in general is ridiculous. It is between 8-10 years. The issue we have is not just with waiting times, it is with the fact that we do not have a specialist for endometriosis.”

“I had to travel to London to get my diagnosis. I got that in June 2021, had an emergency surgery in October 2021 for an ovarian cyst and then in March 2022 I needed another emergency surgery.

“There are a lot of other people like me, I’m not the only one. I’m awaiting surgery again, there is a chance I might need a bowel resection as well this time.”

For Laura and other sufferers of endometriosis, the level of care provided in Northern Ireland is just not good enough.

Laura said: “I think there is not enough training, gynaecologists cover a wide range of things. Any gynaecologist will cover anything from endometriosis fibroids to delivering babies.

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“We don’t have anyone who focuses just on endometriosis. I think the services just aren’t adequate. The Trust will say it is down to funding, which I do think is part of it. But if you look at how many women need multiple surgeries and care due to later diagnosis, the money going into a specialist they would save in people only needing one surgery if it’s caught early.

“Many people think endometriosis is just a women’s health issue or a menstrual issue when it is a whole body disease. It can be found on your diaphragm and your lungs, it is bordering on my bowels, it can impact your kidneys.

“It impacts every aspect of my life. I had to cut my working hours after my last surgery, that then has a financial effect, especially as I have to travel to London for treatment.

“It impacts my energy levels and what I’m able to do in a day, it affects my friendships, relationships, everything. You learn to live in a certain degree of pain and mask it, which isn’t right either.”

Laura remarked on how awareness is growing around endometriosis and that this is an important development for those who have the condition or are seeking a diagnosis.

She said: “I think it is hugely important that awareness is growing. There are a lot of pages with fact-based, science led information out there that can help people recognise symptoms and recognise what is going on. The people can then go to appointments armed with more information and can hopefully get a better or quicker diagnosis.

“One thing that people may not be aware of is that the stages of endometriosis do not directly correlate with the pain levels someone is experiencing.

“In articles it’s mainly stage four endometriosis that gets discussed, which means that those with stage one or two might feel like their pain is inadequate or they aren’t deserving of follow up treatment if they feel they need it.

“I would be classed as stage four deep infiltrating endometriosis. Other people may have stage one or two endometriosis which is on the surface, but it doesn’t mean it’s any less of an issue.

“The staging system is really out of date, I think it focused on fertility rather than the severity of people’s symptoms.”

Laura raises awareness of endometriosis on her Instagram page, which can be found here.

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

Tom Hayward is a key love interest in The Other Bennet Sister.

The Other Bennet Sister fans are only just realising where they have seen the poetry-loving lawyer.

The Other Bennet Sister is back on BBC One and the delightful period drama stars Call the Midwife’s Ella Bruccoleri as Mary Bennet.

The series, which stars plenty of familiar faces, follows on from the events of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and it tracks the overlooked Bennet sister as she travels to London following a tragic death in the family.

One of the characters she comes across is Tom Hayward, a friend of the Gardiners, with whom Mary is staying as she works as a governess. Mr Hayward is played by Dónal Finn, a 30-year-old Irish actor who was raised in Dromina, County Cork, and is one of eight children from a farming family.

Opening up about what drew him to the role, he said: “I come from a big family with lots of sisters. Many people watch Pride and Prejudice and want to be Elizabeth, but I identify much more with Mary.

“She represents how people often feel internally constrained by expectations and circumstance. The story shows how someone can change when they’re removed from an environment where they can’t flourish.”

Finn graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in acting from LAMDA in 2018 and his first notable role was in an episode of The Witcher as a peasant named Nettly.

In 2022, he was cast as the soldier Eoin McGonigal in the first series of the BBC drama SAS: Rogue Heroes. Fans may also recognise him as Mat Cauthon in the second season of The Wheel of Time.

Named one of the ‘Rising Stars of Ireland’ by Screen Ireland, he played Orpheus in the West End production of Hadestown.

Most recently, fans will see him in the Prime Video series Young Sherlock, in which he plays James Moriarty.

When it comes to film, he played Karl Boden in How to Build a Girl, Albert in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore and Sean Gore in Four Letters of Love.

He does not only appear on screen, as the star has just leant his voice to a new historical audio drama, Turpin.

He plays the lead role of Richard Turpin, who abandons his stable life as a butcher to become a violent outlaw.

The Irish actor is also a talented singer and as he was raised around music, he took up singing himself when he was a boy.

Speaking to The Rake magazine, he said: “For family gatherings, as the night rolls on, people do start to sing. So the notion of singing in front of other people, I always saw as a kid.”

The Other Bennet sister airs on BBC One on Sundays, the series is also available on BBC iPlayer

Today, the house is a popular destination for weddings

A manor house that’s popular for weddings was used to house Belgians during the First World War. The war was a time of fear and uncertainty, as normal life was turned upside down.

Many people had to flee their home countries, including some that left Belgian and found safety in Cambridgeshire. In August 1914, Germany invaded Belgium.

This forced around 250,000 Belgians to flee their home country and find refuge in Britain. To help in the effort, local communities and large houses were used to try and help house people in need.

Histon Manor was used to accommodate Belgian refugees between 1914 and 1918. Before it was used in the war effort, the house had a “colourful history”, according to the Histon Manor website.

Between 1877 and 1897, the house was owned by William Peed. He made significant changes to the building, including reducing the three-storey hall to a two-storey manor house.

Peed appeared to be a country gentleman on the surface, but a newspaper quote from 1897 put paid to that image. One morning, he disappeared owing millions of pounds. He left his wife and children penniless.

Today, the house is owned by The Biggs family, who bought it in 2018. While it is still a home, it can be used for weddings.

On the manor website, it said it’s a “discreet venue of understated luxury, coupled with warmth and charm”. Its vast front lawn is a perfect place for a marquee.

Within its 11 acres of grounds, it includes four separate formal gardens, woodlands, an island and a moat. It’s described as “one of Cambridge’s most sought after shoot locations”, as it is a great place to take photos.

“It’s the year of the half and half”

I popped into Common Market this week to grab some lunch and I noticed that a brand new food vendor had opened.

I knew something was coming when I heard that Badmaash was closing, but something has very quietly taken its place. Phat Dragon opened between two viral favourites, Wing Society and Smash Bros, so it is in great company. The minute I noticed it was there, I knew I had to get something from it and report back on what everyone can expect from it.

What I ordered:

The menu really focused on the famous ‘half and half’ that we have all come to love, so I went for the one that I reckon most people will be ordering, and that was the salt and chilli chicken half and half with curry sauce.

There was also a range of Chinese-inspired sides on the menu, so I decided on the spring rolls. They had a satay filling and came with a satay dip too. However, it is worth noting that the filling on these will change regularly.

What I liked:

Straight away, when I was handed the half and half, I noticed the weight of it and it was packed so full that the box wouldn’t actually close. I really liked how the chosen sauce came in a large tub, which was on the side, so you could choose whether to dip or pour it.

Now, when it comes to the actual taste, this was some of the freshest and best Chinese food I’ve had in quite some time. The downfall of a half and half is often the chips, and there wasn’t a soggy chip in sight with this one, and they were cooked to perfection. The salt and chilli seasoning was perfectly balanced across the chicken and the chips.

The spring rolls were the size of my head, and that’s not an exaggeration. It must have been so big because it was so full of flavour. These paired with the satay sauce, were absolutely brilliant, and you need to give them a go when you head in.

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What I would change:

Honestly, very little because I went in very shortly after they had opened, and that’s not something I like to do because every restaurant and food establishment deserves the time to bed in. It’s a simple menu on offer here but that’s not a bad thing in my opinion.

How much it cost:

The half and half was £13, and the spring rolls were £7, which is £20 in total, and in my opinion, I thought that was pretty good. The portion sizes were enough for these to be shared, and that’s exactly what I did with them, so it came to £10 per person. So, compared to other comparable ‘street food’ vendors, I think it’s pretty spot on.

All in all, I really mean it when I say this is one of the most exciting new food spots to arrive in Belfast City Centre in some time. It was exactly what Common Market was missing and I can already see it becoming one of the most popular food vendors in the bustling food market.

Their motto on Instagram is that it’s “the year of the half and half”, and I really see the vision here. A fantastic street food vendor picks a few things and really works on them to get them right, and Phat Dragon has done just that. It has taken a fan favourite and nailed it.

In the interest of fairness and transparency, we pay for all the meals and drinks we review. This ensures that we are giving accurate and honest representations of the food and service that we receive. So, unless we state otherwise that we were invited down, we have paid for the meal ourselves and visited without the knowledge of the eatery, so you can trust our opinions aren’t skewed by a freebie.

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

Millions claiming benefits including Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments will see payment rates increase from April 2026

Millions of individuals receiving benefits, including Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments, are set to see their payments increase from April. The majority of welfare payments are adjusted every year by the level of inflation from the previous September, which was 3.8%.

Universal Credit standard allowance will rise by 6.2% – higher than the rate of inflation. However, as Universal Credit is paid in monthly payments, people won’t notice the higher payment rate until at least the May payment.

Universal Credit is replacing six older legacy benefits – including Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance and Housing Benefit.

Meanwhile, the state pension will increase by 4.8% under the triple lock promise. The triple lock guarantees the state pension rises each April by the highest out of inflation (using the previous September inflation figure), wages (average growth between May and July) or 2.5%, reports the Mirror.

Most benefits are paid by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) but Child Benefit is paid by HMRC.

Attendance Allowance

• Higher rate: £114.60
• Lower rate: £76.70

Bereavement Benefit

For deaths between April 9, 2001 and April 5, 2017

• Widowed Parent’s Allowance: £156.65

Bereavement Support Payment

• Standard rate (lump sum): £2,500
• Standard rate monthly payments: £100
• Higher rate (lump sum): £3,500
• Higher rate monthly payments: £350

Carer’s Allowance

Child Benefit – paid by HMRC

• Eldest or only child: £27.05
• Other children: £17.90

Disability Living Allowance

Care component

• Highest: £114.60
• Middle: £76.70
• Lowest: £30.30

Mobility component

• Higher: £80
• Lower: £30.30

Employment and Support Allowance

Contributory and New Style ESA – Personal Allowances

Single

• Under 25: £75.65
• 25 or over: £95.55

Lone parent

• Under 18: £75.65
• 18 or over: £95.55

Components

• Work related activity: £37.95
• Support: £50.35

Income Related ESA – Personal Allowances

Single

• Under 25: £77.52
• 25 or over: £97.75

Lone parent

• Under 18: £77.52
• 18 or over: £97.75

Couple

• Both under 18 with child: £117.
• Both under 18 (main phase): £97.75
• Both under 18 with child (main phase): £153.61
• One 18 or over, one under 18 (certain conditions apply): £153.61
• Both over 18: £153.61
• Claimant under 25, partner under 18: £77.52
• Claimant 25 or over, partner under 18: £97.75
• Claimant (main phase), partner under 18: £97.75

Income Related ESA – Premiums

Enhanced disability

• Single: £22
• Couple: £31.40
• Severe disability
• Single: £86.05
• Couple (lower rate): £86.05
• Couple (higher rate): £172.10
• Carer: £48.15

Pensioner

• Single with work-related activity component: £105.90
• Single with support component £93.95
• Single with no component: £142.45
• Couple with work-related activity component: £176.55
• Couple with support component: £164.60
• Couple with no component: £213.10

Components

• Work related activity: £36.55
• Support: £48.50

Guardian’s Allowance

Guardian’s Allowance is paid by HMRC

Housing Benefit

Single

• Under 25: £75.65
• 25 or over: £95.55
• Entitled to main phase ESA: £95.55

Lone parent

• Under 18: £75.65
• 18 or over: £95.55
• Entitled to main phase ESA: £95.55

Couple

• Both under 18: £114.35
• One or both 18 or over: £150.15
• Claimant entitled to main phase ESA: £150.15

Dependent children

State Pension Age

• Single or lone parent (State Pension age or over): £256.00
• Couple (State Pension age or over): £383.35
• Single or lone parent (reached state pension age on or after 1 April 2021): £238.00
• Couple (both reached state pension age on or after 1 April 2021): £363.25
• For the claimant and the other party to the marriage where one or more members of the marriage are State Pension age or over: £383.35
• For each additional spouse who is a member of the same household as the claimant and one or more of the members are State Pension age or over: £127.35

Income Support

Single

• Under 25: £75.65
• 25 or over: £95.55
• Lone parent
• Under 18: £75.65
• 18 or over: £95.55

Couple

• Both under 18: £75.65
• Both under 18 – higher rate: £114.35
• One under 18, one under 25: £75.65
• One under 18, one 25 and over: £95.55
• Both 18 or over: £150.15

Dependent children

Industrial Death Benefit

Widow’s pension

• Higher rate: £184.90
• Lower rate: £55.47
• Widower’s pension: £184.90

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit

• Standard rate: This is between £46.78 and £233.90 depending on your award level.

There are other premiums available depending on your circumstances.

The first major domestic trophy of the season is Manchester City ‘s. And after a dominant 2-0 win against Arsenal in the English League Cup final on Sunday, it may not be the last.

Manchester-born Nico O’Reilly scored both goals in the second half at Wembley Stadium to not only give City the win on the day but potentially also deliver a psychological blow in the race for the Premier League title as Pep Guardiola aims to chase down Arsenal’s nine-point lead at the top of the standings.

“(It’s an) unbelievable feeling to win a final and to beat this team. We know how good they are,” O’Reilly told Sky Sports. “We need to build on it now, it’ll give us momentum.”

This was serial trophy-winner Guardiola flexing his muscles. It was his 16th major trophy as City manager and a record fifth League Cup. He has won 34 career titles as a manager including his time at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

And, once again, he was stamping out Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s own ambitions, having twice beaten him to the league title in recent years.

Arsenal remains favorite to be crowned league champion this season for the first time since 2004, given its big lead. But with second-place City having a game in hand and the teams still to play each other in Manchester at the Etihad Stadium, the picture could look very different in the coming weeks.

City’s win also ended Arsenal’s bid for an unprecedented quadruple of trophies this year – including the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

O’Reilly, who came through City’s academy, was the unlikely hero with both goals from left back.

He took advantage of Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga’s fumble to head City in front on the hour. And he headed in a second four minutes later to effectively kill off the match.

“My whole family came down today (to watch) … I know they’ll be buzzing and I can’t wait to see them,” O’Reilly said.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) which erupted from the Sun will strike Earth leading to the dazzling show

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Brits could catch dazzling lights tonight as officials say it is ‘likely’ Northern Lights will appear. The phenomenon happens as the debris from a massive Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) which erupted from the Sun on Monday, finally strikes Earth leading to the dazzling show.

Space weather conditions are perfect for a display this weekend, with a period of intense solar activity meaning the beautiful lights will be visible across many parts of the UK. The AuroraWatch UK account on X posted the alert this afternoon, stating: “Red alert: aurora likely.”

The CME is a large cloud of plasma ejected into space, it usually accompanies a Solar Flare, which is an eruption of light and radiation. When the disruption from the CME reaches Earth, interactions with our planet’s magnetic field cause the iconic lights in the upper atmosphere.

Solar activity could remain high, according to the Met Office‘s Space Weather Forecast, meaning the aurora could be widely seen again tonight, The Mirror reports.

It said: “Solar winds will be between slightly elevated and elevated at first, following the arrival of the second of the anticipated CMEs. Several further CME arrivals are forecast to potentially arrive at or near to Earth through March 21, likely increasing solar winds to become elevated to strong at times.

“In addition a coronal hole fast wind is expected from March 21 and this could maintain elevated to strong solar wind through the period.”

The northern lights are also more likely to be seen at this time of year as around the spring equinox the Earth’s alignment with the Sun means it is more exposed to solar wind activity.

For a strong chance of seeing the aurora find a dark location without light pollution and facing north.

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The proposed solar farm could cover 24 hectares of agricultural land

A new solar farm could be built in a Cambridgeshire village. AGR Renewables proposes to build a solar development with battery storage on land off Ness Road in Burwell.

In total, the site will be around 24 hectares. It will include solar panels up to 3m high, battery storage, a control building, security fencing, CCTV cameras, access tracks and other related infrastructure.

If approved, it would be up for 40 years. This would then be decommissioned and the site would return to agricultural use.

In its EIA screening request, the developer said: “The proposed development would facilitate the generation of renewable energy and this would conserve natural resources that would otherwise be used to generate power.

“Whilst the solar panels, frames and ancillary equipment would use natural resources during construction this would not be in significant quantities that could have wider significant environmental impacts, with many of the components such as the panel supports and the glass of the photovoltaic panels constructed from recyclable materials.”

If approved, the solar farm would not produce “significant waste” during its construction or operation. The proposed site is also not near homes. East Cambridgeshire District Council has approved previous plans for energy-related applications next to the Ness Road site.

The closest, which is around 2.6km away, is part of the “nationally significant” Sunnica Energy Solar Farm project. This solar farm will cover around 2,500 acres of solar panels and battery storage.

Energy secretary Ed Miliband approved plans for this solar farm in summer 2024. It is proposed to be across four sites, including Mildenhall and West Row, Freckenham and Worlington, and in East Cambridgeshire, close to Newmarket.

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