It’s been a week since “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie ‘s mother disappeared from her home in Arizona in what authorities say was a kidnapping.
Investigators have been examining ransom notes and looking for evidence but have not named a suspect. On Friday, officers returned to 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie ‘s home near Tucson and to the surrounding neighborhood to continue their search.
Here’s what to know about the case:
The disappearance
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Family members told officials they last saw Guthrie at 9:48 p.m. on Jan. 31 when they dropped her off at home after they ate dinner and played games together. The next day, family learned she didn’t attend church. They reported her missing after they went to check on her.
Guthrie has a pacemaker and needs daily medication. Her family and authorities are worried her health could be deteriorating by the day.
Collecting evidence
Authorities think Guthrie was taken against her will from her home in an upscale neighborhood that sits on hilly, desert terrain. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch matched hers, the county sheriff has said.
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Investigators found her doorbell camera was disconnected early Sunday and that software data recorded movement at the home minutes later. But investigators haven’t been able to recover the footage because Guthrie didn’t have an active subscription to the service.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told The Associated Press in an interview that investigators have not given up on trying to access those images.
“I wish technology was as easy as we believe it is, that here’s a picture, here’s your bad guy. But it’s not,” Nanos told the AP on Friday. “There are pieces of information that come to us from these tech groups that say ‘This is what we have and we can’t get anymore.’”
The president of the Catalina Foothills Association, a neighborhood group, thanked residents in a letter for being willing to speak with law enforcement, share camera images and allow their properties to be searched.
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Ransom notes
At least three media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes, which they handed over to investigators. Authorities made an arrest after one ransom note turned out to be fake, the sheriff said.
It’s unclear if all of the notes were identical. Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix, said details included a demand for money with a Thursday evening deadline and a second deadline for Monday if the first one wasn’t met. At least one note mentioned a floodlight at Guthrie’s home and an Apple watch, Janke said.
Investigators said they are taking the notes seriously.
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On Friday, KOLD-TV in Tucson said it received a new message, via email, tied to the Guthrie case. The station said it couldn’t disclose its contents. The FBI said it was aware of a new message and was reviewing its authenticity.
Family appeals
Concern about Guthrie’s condition is growing because authorities say she needs daily medicine that’s vital to her health. She has a pacemaker, high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.
Guthrie’s children recorded two separate video messages to their mother’s abductor and posted them publicly on social media.
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Savannah Guthrie filmed a sometimes emotional message on Wednesday asking the kidnapper for proof their mother was alive. She noted that technology today allows for the easy manipulation of voices and images and the family needed to know “without a doubt” that she is alive and in the abductor’s hands.
Police have not said that they have received any deepfake images of Nancy Guthrie.
Savannah Guthrie described her mother as a “kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light” and said she was funny, spunky and clever.
“Talk to her and you’ll see,” she said.
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She spoke some words directly to her mom, saying she and her siblings wouldn’t rest until they’re all together again.
Trump’s involvement
The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information about Guthrie’s whereabouts.
The White House said President Donald Trump called and spoke with Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday. He posted on social media that he was directing federal authorities to help where they can.
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On Friday night, he told reporters flying with him to his Florida estate on Air Force One that the investigation was going “very well” and investigators had some strong clues.
Famous kidnappings
The kidnapping is the latest abduction to attract the American public’s attention.
Other notorious kidnappings in U.S. history have included the son of singer Frank Sinatra, the granddaughter of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and the 9-year-old girl for whom the AMBER Alert was named.
Fire crews and police remain on the scene this morning
Emergency services remain on the scene after a huge fire broke out in Leigh overnight.
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The blaze broke out at a ‘derelict building’ on Ellesmere Street at around 10.50pm on Friday evening (February 6). Six fire engines were called out, as well as an aerial unit.
Police officers and paramedics were also called. Pictures and video clips from the scene showed huge flames engulfing the entire building as thick, black smoke billowed into the sky.
The church-style building where the blaze broke out is believed to the former King Street School. A spokesperson for the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said no injuries were reported in the fire.
Local residents were advised to keep their windows and shut are the fire took hold of the building in the early hours. Crews remain on the scene this morning dampening down hotspots.
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A number of road closures are in place, including on King Street and on Ellesmere Street.Emergency services are expected to remain on the scene ‘for the foreseeable’, a spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said.
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A GMFRS spokesperson said in a statement: “At around 10.50pm on Friday 6 February, six fire engines from across Greater Manchester and an aerial appliance attended a fire involving a derelict church on Ellesmere Street, Leigh. Crews arrived quickly and used five jets and two turntable ladders to bring the fire under control.
“Greater Manchester Police managed cordons around the area and evacuated nearby residents. North West Ambulance Service also attended in a supportive capacity. Firefighters remain on scene this morning.”
A GMP spokesperson said: “#UPDATE | Officers are currently supporting partners following reports of a fire at a church on Wilds Passage, Leigh. There are no reported injuries.
“Emergency services will continue to be in the area for the foreseeable. A number of road closures are in place including King Street from the junctions of Spinning Jenny Way/ Twist Lane to the end of the road bridge over the canal where King Street merges to St Helens Road.
“Ellesmere Street at the junction of Spinning Jenny Way is also closed off. Please be mindful of these and avoid the area where possible. Thank you for your patience whilst emergency services deal with the incident.”
A BOEING 727 that had no clearance to fly mysteriously took off into the night – leaving behind no wreckage, no signal and no answers.
Just before sunset, the ageing jet lifted off from Quatro de Fevereiro Airport in Luanda, Angola with an American engineer and a private pilot on board.
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A Boeing 727 mysteriously took off from Angola in 2003 without clearance or lightsBen Charles Padilla was an American flight engineer and private pilot
It flew into the sky without its external lights, no flight plan, and without responding to air traffic control.
Its transponder had been switched off, and within minutes, it disappeared from radar as it headed south-west over the Atlantic Ocean on May 25, 2003.
Neither the aircraft – registered N844AA – nor the two men on board, Ben Charles Padilla and John Mikel Mutantu, have ever been seen again.
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More than 20 years later, the disappearance remains one of the aviation industry’s most baffling modern mysteries – fuelling theories ranging from organised crime and insurance fraud to terrorism and hostage coercion.
For the family of Ben, the mystery has always been more personal and sinister.
His brother, Joseph B. Padilla Sr, rejected the idea that Ben stole the aircraft. Instead, he believes the plane was hijacked.
He previously said: “I really believe my brother was taken prisoner and held against his will and possibly was killed.”
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Vanishing into the night
The Boeing 727 had been built in 1975 and flew 25 years for American Airlines before being converted into a cargo plane.
By 2003, it was considered obsolete for passenger use but remained fully capable of flight.
After a failed sale, the aircraft was grounded in Angola.
It sat for more than a year, accruing millions of dollars in airport parking and service fees amid confusion over its ownership.
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Reports later described a tangle of companies claiming interests in the jet, complicating efforts to recover debts.
Despite that limbo, aviation expert Julian Bray said the aircraft was clearly being kept in a condition fit to fly – adding the plane could not have taken off without careful preparation.
He told The Sun: “You wouldn’t just jump into an aircraft where the batteries weren’t charged up and the systems were, were ready to go.”
Under normal circumstances, airports prevent disputed aircraft from leaving by immobilising them, Bray explained.
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This includes blocking or locking the nose wheel so they cannot taxi.
But that did not happen at Luanda – and it allowed it to taxi down the runway unchallenged and with no clearance to do so.
On the night of the disappearance, witnesses said the plane moved erratically as it made its way toward the runway, before lining up and taking off without authorisation.
One reason the aircraft may have escaped scrutiny is its role as a cargo plane.
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Converted from use as a passenger lane, it had a large side-loading door – and regular activity around it would not have appeared unusual.
“If people were working on the aircraft, then you wouldn’t see anything out of the ordinary,” Bray explained.
And it was that anonymity has fuelled suspicions the aircraft may have been used for illicit cargo – such as drugs.
“Nobody really is going to look inside the aircraft because it’s of no interest to them. It’s just an object,” Bray said.
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The plane was reportedly filled with around 14,000 gallons of fuel at the time of take-off – enough for roughly 1,500 miles of flight.
Bray said this suggests a deliberate plan rather than an impulsive escape.
“You won’t take off unless you’ve got a tank full of petrol,” he added.
By switching off its transponder and radio systems, the aircraft had erased itself from tracking networks.
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Without a flight plan or handoff to air traffic control, it became invisible.
The jet headed south-west – a direction that leads over vast stretches of ocean, but also toward remote regions of Africa dotted with disused wartime airstrips.
“In that region, there are loads of old, World War Two airstrips,” Bray said.
“If it’s not going to take off again, then they wouldn’t be too worried about how it lands.”
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The aircraft vanished from radar after heading south-west from Luanda, AngolaCredit: AlamyThe disappearance sparked theories of crime, terrorism, or a chilling hostage situationCredit: EPA
Drugs, crime, or terror?
Speculation about why the aircraft vanished began almost as soon as it left the runway.
Some believe the aircraft was stolen for use in organised crime, potentially transporting high-value contraband such as drugs.
Others pointed to the tense post-9/11 climate as the disappearance occurred less than two years after the September 11 attacks, prompting fears the jet could be used as a weapon.
The missing jet quickly reached the attention of US military and intelligence officials, who triggered a frantic search for what they believed could have been a flying bomb.
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Retired US Marine General Mastin Robeson, who was leading US military operations in the Horn of Africa at the time of the disappearance, said news of the missing Boeing “came up through the intelligence network.”
Robeson said the uncertainty surrounding the aircraft’s intent was serious enough that US Central Command weighed the option of deploying fighter jets to Djibouti, where American forces operate alongside the French military.
He added: “It was never [clear] whether it was stolen for insurance purposes…by the owners, or whether it was stolen with the intent to make it available to unsavory characters, or whether it was a deliberate concerted terrorist attempt. There was speculation of all three.”
No explosion or attack was ever reported.
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Who was flying?
Ben, an American flight engineer and private pilot, and John, a mechanic believed to be from the Democratic Republic of Congo, had both been authorised to work on the aircraft.
But neither was certified to fly a Boeing 727, which normally requires a three-person crew.
Bray said that, while risky, flying the aircraft was still possible.
“If he’s got a pilot’s licence, he knows the principles of flying,” he explained, comparing it to driving a vehicle without the specific class endorsement.
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With a pilot and a mechanic on board, Bray added, there was a “viable flying team.”
Chilling hostage theory
One of the most disturbing theories suggests the men were not acting voluntarily.
Supporters of the hostage theory believe someone may have been on board to ambush them, forcing the aircraft into the air under threat – possibly by targeting their families.
“This has happened in the past,” Bray said.
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“There have been cases where they [criminals] go and kidnap the families and put the pressure on that way.”
He also raised the possibility of collusion, saying: “Was it collusion between the ruling powers and somebody else?
“That’s the easy way to do it, isn’t it?”
Ben’s family said he had spent weeks in Angola overseeing a mechanical overhaul of the aircraft and was preparing it for a repossession flight.
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The aircraft, registered N844AA, has never been seen againCredit: Not known, clear with picture deskAn image of Ben Padilla circulated after his disappearance in May 2003Credit: FBI
According to his brother, the jet had undergone a full check and was declared airworthy – contradicting early reports that it had been abandoned or unmaintained.
Joseph said his brother was not licensed to fly a Boeing 727 and was never meant to pilot the aircraft.
He was working as a flight engineer and mechanic and was responsible for hiring a qualified pilot and co-pilot for the planned departure.
He believed the aircraft was taken while his brother was running engine checks near the runway – suggesting someone may already have been on board.
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“I feel that when my brother was checking the engines, someone was on the plane and hijacked him,” he wrote back in 2003.
Joseph also pointed to his brother’s views following 9/11, saying he had once told family members that if he were ever caught in a hijacking scenario, he would deliberately crash the aircraft rather than allow it to be used as a weapon.
The family say Ben remained in contact with them shortly before the jet disappearance.
He had promised to call after learning his mother had suffered a heart attack. But that call that never came.
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For his brother, he was convinced something went wrong inside the aircraft before it ever left Angolan airspace.
What most likely happened
Despite investigations involving US authorities, including the FBI and CIA, no confirmed sightings or debris have ever emerged.
A reported sighting in West Africa weeks later was quickly dismissed.
But Bray believes the most likely explanation is simple, saying: “I think it landed somewhere.”
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He believes the aircraft could have touched down on a remote airstrip and been stripped, hidden or abandoned.
The alternative, he said, is equally bleak.
“The plane just carried on till it ran out of fuel, then ditched,” he said.
Either way, the Boeing 727 that lifted silently into the Angolan sky remains missing with no wreckage, no answers, and no clear ending.
One of the most fascinating things about the NFL, American football played at its highest level, is how important situations are.
Not just moments on the field, like figuring out whether a team is going to run or pass on 3rd & 3 with 1:20 left on the clock, but in the franchises themselves, where a good structure and strong roster can elevate even average players to greatness (paging Nick Foles) while the opposite is also true for even the best players, like Dan Marino, who many believe to be the best quarterback to ever play the game, though he couldn’t win a Super Bowl due to his teammates’ failings.
It is the idea of situations, and being put in a good situation, which really shapes this Super Bowl on Sunday.
Sam Darnold will quarterback the favourites on Sunday night, the Seattle Seahawks, knowing a win at Levi’s Stadium would complete the most unlikely and topsy-turvy career path before he even turns 29.
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Darnold was the boy phenom in California, where he grew up. Once he had chosen to go to the University of Southern California, historically the biggest football school west of Texas, the chatter was already starting about which NFL team he would end up with. Tipped as the number one pick in the draft years before he was even eligible, there was talk of teams willing to “Scam for Sam” – lose games at the end of the season to tank their season and be in position to draft Darnold first overall and turn around their franchise.
In the end, Darnold would end up being the third pick in the draft and going to the ever-dysfunctional New York Jets. Wracked by incompetence, the franchise put Darnold behind a holey offensive line, surrounded him with uninspiring talent and he was coached by a succession of playcallers who failed him.
Eventually, after three unhappy years, Darnold was traded to Carolina.
With the equally miserable Panthers, a similar story unfolded. Eventually, Darnold was released to become a free agent, having never been surrounded by anything remotely resembling competence. His confidence was shot, his career was presumed dead, and the Californian was left to look for a backup job wherever it would take him, but for the first time in his career, he had agency. He had a choice.
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SUPER BOWL-PANORAMA (AP)
Darnold wanted nothing more than to work with an exceptional coach and offensive talent. Kyle Shanahan, arguably the greatest playcaller of his generation, offered him a job as San Francisco’s backup and he jumped at the chance. While Darnold sat behind starter Brock Purdy all season, it was his first opportunity to take stock and to learn. For the first time in his career, he was developing.
When the Minnesota Vikings offered Darnold the chance to compete for a job with rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy under another brilliant playcaller in Kevin O’Connell, Darnold wisely said yes. McCarthy’s injury thrust Darnold into the starter role, and four months later, he had become the first-ever quarterback to win 14 games in their first season with a new team.
What Minnesota presented Darnold with was a great situation. A coach who knew how to get the best out of him, who could scheme up plays that emphasised his strengths but hid his deficiencies, a defensive unit that was stocked with talent, led by another brilliant coach in Brian Flores, and then the best wide receiver in the league, Justin Jefferson, to throw the ball to.
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It’s funny how much easier the game gets when you have those things.
Grant Udinski coached Darnold in Carolina and Minnesota, and credits Darnold for his resilience and never-ending positivity in the face of such struggle.
“He had been through a lot, especially in such a short time frame; he had so many experiences that he wasn’t supported the way he should have been,” Udinski said.
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Drake Maye of the New England Patriots addresses the media (Getty Images)
“It’s not like he lacked confidence. I just don’t think he felt the same support or ability to fully be himself that maybe, if he was empowered as a quarterback and a great teammate, he would have felt.”
His season with the Vikings made Darnold an in-demand free agent, and last year he signed a three-year, $100m contract with Seattle. Last month, he became the first quarterback in NFL history to record 14 wins in his first season with two different teams in back-to-back seasons.
For his opposite number, Drake Maye, the path has been a lot more straightforward. A starter for his local college, the University of North Carolina, Maye’s rocket arm and prototypical build had scouts salivating, but in a team bereft of talent that wasn’t competing for honours, there was still doubt.
Even after being selected third overall by the New England Patriots, things weren’t going to be easy. First-time head coach Jerod Mayo struggled, the team went 4-13 and owner Robert Kraft fired Mayo in what he called “an untenable situation.”
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New executives and a new head coach, Pats legend Mike Vrabel, who won the NFL Coach of the Year at this week’s annual awards, surrounded Maye with talent. They tweaked the playbook to make the most out of his athleticism and they took advantage of one of the league’s easiest schedules to win 14 games and go from being one of the worst teams in the AFC to the very best.
Super Bowl Football (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
“From day one, I feel like the guys have really taken what Coach Vrabel has wanted to do with us and have just really applied it to their lives in every single way,” Maye said yesterday.
“Whether it’s on the field, off the field, getting treatment, doing little things, making great decisions off the field. I think the biggest thing is just – Coach Vrabel always says he treats us how we treat the team. I think that’s how guys have taken this year, and I think it’s just rallying together and wanting to play for each other.”
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According to the pre-season odds from the bookmakers, this is the most unlikely Super Bowl in more than 50 years. A Seattle team that bet on a first-round bust to be the final piece of their jigsaw came through one of the most difficult divisions in football to win the NFC. The Patriots drafted a raw talent and improved the situation around him enough to not just compete, but blow away the competition.
“What a journey,” Maye said about Darnold this week.
“What a career he’s had, just to battle the life of the NFL, and knowing that his first opportunity, obviously, he got put in a scenario where they decided to move on.
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Sam Darnold endured a tough spell with the New York Jets (Associated Press)
“And from there, he’s made ’em pay ever since. He’s battled not playing for years, and being the backup to getting his chance, and just making the most of it. It’s been awesome to see.”
The lesson from this Super Bowl, whoever wins, is that team results and individual struggles do not define a player. In this sport, in this league, the situation that you find yourself in goes a long way to defining how well you can perform. Maye knows that may befall him one day. It is not lost on either of these young men.
And now these two young quarterbacks are both playing in their first Super Bowl, where one of them will write their name into history and both of them will be forever remembered for their part in two memorable turnarounds.
I assess ski socks, quite simply, by trialling them on the slopes. I’m a ski equipment expert, and I tested the men’s models, while my friend, ski coach and freeride athlete, Ffion Townsend, assessed women’s ski socks. However, many of the models featured are unisex or available in men’s and women’s versions.
There’s a range of socks available for skiing and snowboarding, so we’ve tried a large assortment and whittled that longlist down to bring you this winter’s top picks. We’ve skied in dozens of pairs, spoken with shop staff and chatted with consumers, as well as getting advice from some of the best boot fitters out there. In some cases, we’ve tested the same socks (or socks made by the same brands) for several years, or even decades.
Our reviews factor in fit, comfort, warmth, suitability for high-performance skiing and budget. We’ve also considered the materials used, and how well these control odours, temperature and moisture levels inside your boots.
Norwegian ski jumpers have said their sport does not need “that kind of attention” after it was reported that male athletes were injecting their penises in a bid to improve sporting performance at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
In January, German newspaper Bild, external reported that jumpers were injecting their penises with hyaluronic acid before being measured for their suits.
Hyaluronic acid, which is not banned in sport, can be used to increase penis circumference by one or two centimetres.
This would increase the surface area of their suits during competition, which, according to FIS, the international ski and snowboard federation, could increase their flight in the air.
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However, some Norwegian ski jumpers have reacted to the reports with scepticism.
“I do not think we need that kind of attention, and on the women’s side we are quite calm about the subject,” Norway women’s coach Christian Meyer said.
“I have not seen anything like it, so I am also wondering whether it is true. I actually do not believe it.”
It looks like something out of a fairytale and attracts weekly visits from a celebrity
09:42, 07 Feb 2026Updated 09:53, 07 Feb 2026
It’s easy to see why this market town was named the best place to live in the UK. It’s got cobbled streets, Tudor buildings, colourful timber-framed houses, a bustling market square and a range of independent businesses. I visited after several days of rain but the sun appeared just as I arrived. I walked through the town chatting with locals enjoying the sunshine in the market square, exploring independent shops and admiring the timber-framed houses.
Just a half hour’s drive from Cambridge, this historic Essex town was named the best place to live in the UK by The Sunday Times in March 2025, topping a shortlist of 72 locations. Judges considered schools, transport, broadband speeds, mobile signals, access to green spaces, and the quality of the high street.
In stark contrast to so many dwindling high streets found across the country, the town appears to be thriving with its bustling twice-weekly markets and a town centre that is estimated to be home to over 200 independent shops, cafés and restaurants. In 2024, the high street was also named among Britain’s top 32 by experts from Cheffins estate agents.
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The town hosts its market on Tuesdays and Saturdays, a tradition dating back to 1141, and it’s a favourite spot for celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and his son River, with the celebrity chef having spoken in the past of visiting every Saturday. The TV star spoke highly of the community spirit and variety of produce at Saffron Walden Market, which was voted Best Small Outdoor Market in 2018.
He previously said: “I’m so lucky to have one of the best markets right on my doorstep. Saffron Walden is an absolute treasure trove of artisan suppliers, from Dan at Crystal Waters fishmongers to Saffron Wholefoods making incredible ingredients.
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“Going every Saturday morning is the highlight of mine and River’s week – he loves it even more than me! We look at what’s in season, what looks good and what’s crying out to be cooked up! It’s a great way to connect with the local community and support the best of the best. I couldn’t love my local market more, make sure you go out and support yours.”
Felicity Norton, who has lived in Saffron Walden for more than 35 years, said the town’s charm has never faded. She said: “I’ve always loved Saffron Walden. It’s changed over the years, but it’s still a lovely, quiet little town.”
The town’s sense of place is rooted in both its history and stunning surroundings, from the grand stateliness of Audley End House and Gardens to peaceful walks through Bridge End Garden, a beautiful restored Victorian garden.
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The market town’s roots stretch back to at least the Neolithic period, evolving through a Romano-British settlement and an Anglo-Saxon community before expanding under the Normans into a thriving medieval market centre, later gaining wealth and its distinctive name from the flourishing saffron industry of the 15th and 16th centuries.
Despite challenges facing high streets nationwide, Saffron Walden continues to attract a mix of independent retailers alongside well-known names such as Holland & Barrett. While some much-loved businesses and banks have closed over time, the town has welcomed a wave of new ventures bringing fresh energy.
Locals highlighted beloved stores including Between the Lines, Harts Bookshop, Talents gift shop and a number of independent clothing boutiques. Organic coffee shops like Esquires and Chater’s, a bakery, restaurant and cafe which even has its own on-site distillery, are among the places to stop and linger.
We were told by many local business owners that Chater’s must not be missed and that Oliver often goes there. It is known for its bold, seasonal cooking using the best local ingredients.
Among Ms Norton’s favourite spots is Neon Leo, described as “such a fun shop – they sell really different things in there”. Neon Leo is a rental and pre-loved fashion store founded by best friends Mandy Weetch and Abigail North in 2023. Located on Market Row, the shop is truly a world of its own, filled with colour, laughter and positivity. When entering the store, customers are greeted with a beautiful selection of clothing, sequins, glitter balls and art. Ms Weetch told the Express: “Saffron Walden’s got a huge amount of independent businesses.”
Ms North added: “The community is really active. People want to be part of it, whether you’re a business owner or a customer. We’ve never experienced that anywhere else.”
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The pair said the town’s collaborative atmosphere sets it apart, with independent shops actively supporting one another and they also highlighted how Oliver comes every weekend to support local traders. Neon Leo hosts events emphasising confidence and self-expression through fashion, a movement they’ve dubbed “fashionism,” celebrating the power of women dressing how they want and defying outdated style rules, whether through small accessories or statement pieces. “Ultimately, you should wear what you want, wear what you love,” Ms Weetch said.
Burtons Butchers is also beloved by local residents. The longstanding family-run shop serves premium meat products to customers, restaurants, hotels, and catering companies across East Anglia.
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Since 2010, more than 1,000 butchers have closed across the UK, and the number of butchers in the UK has generally been shrinking in recent years, according to data sources such as Statista. The town also has a fishmongers, a beautiful independent bookshop and a library.
Burtons Butchers was established in 1984 and serves a range of meats including venison sausages and local pork, beef and chicken sausages.
Andrew Northrop, manager of Burtons Butchers, said on market days there’s a great bustle, a “great energy” and “enthusiasm” from people for their town. “People like to see it do well and wish to support,” he added. Jamie Oliver often buys meat from the butchers and comes in with his family. They are proud to be his supplier and enjoy seeing him and having a chat.
Mr Norhtrop added: “You have to enjoy what you do, and when you’re passionate about it and enthusiastic people respond to that, and enjoy coming in here and the experience of coming in.”
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Combining strong transport links to London and Cambridge, centuries of history and a high street that continues to defy the odds, Saffron Walden’s top ranking makes perfect sense.
The girl’s mother was sentenced for turning a blind eye to what was happening in the family home for years.
Three generations of a family have been jailed for sexually abusing a young girl in her own home that started when she was just six years old. Her father, grandfather and two brothers were convicted of the horrific offences at Hove Crown Court.
The girl’s mother has also been locked up after the court heard she battered her daughter, locked her in a cupboard and taped her mouth up after she spoke out about the abuse. The girl’s sister was also physically abused by the family.
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Now a teenager, the victim said she remembered being attacked from the age of six, including being repeatedly raped by her father and two brothers and sexually assaulted by her grandfather. The Mirror reports that she was burnt with cigarettes, beaten with a horse whip and spat on, the court heard.
She also had any money given to her on special occasions snatched by her mother. The horrific catalogue of abuse was revealed when the youngster was age 12 and told her teacher about what was happening to her and she was too afraid to go home.
She told police: “I told how my parents keep abusing me and they’ve been doing it for years. Then I started explaining all the sexual stuff.”
The family members cannot be named due to legal reasons. The father, 43, was convicted of five counts of rape of a child under 13; one count of sexual assault by penetration of a child under 13; three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13; one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and three counts of cruelty to a person under 16.
The mother, also 43, was found guilty of four counts of cruelty to a person under 16; two counts of false imprisonment and one count of perverting the course of justice.
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The grandfather, 70, was convicted of one count of sexual assault by penetration of a child under 13 and two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13. The older brother, 23, was found guilty of four counts of rape of a child under 13; one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The younger brother, 20, was convicted of four counts of rape of a child under 13; two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13; one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
They have been jailed for a combined total of more than 100 years.
Detective Superintendent Andrew Harbour previously said: “This has been a complex investigation that has had a profound impact on the two victims. Our priority continues to be ensuring their welfare and safeguarding in this highly traumatic and distressing case.
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“We have worked alongside partner agencies to ensure the ongoing safeguarding of the young victims. Tackling violence against women and girls is a top priority for Sussex Police. We encourage all victims of rape and serious sexual offences to report their experience to us.
“Our officers have been determined to get justice in this case, and we are pleased with the guilty verdicts returned by the jury. We urge the public not to speculate about the case online as this may jeopardise the victims’ legal right to anonymity.”
Katie Price is said to be ignoring concerns from her family about new husband Lee Andrews – and reportedly wants to reunite with him in time for Valentine’s Day
Katie Price is reportedly flying back out to Dubai this weekend to be reunited with her new husband Lee Andrews – against the wishes of her family.
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The 47-year-old took to Instagram to reveal she was getting her hair and lips done in preparation – as well as having filler in her bum, that she said was not a BBL (Brazilian Butt Lift). Showing off the results of her latest procedures, Katie told her 2.7 million followers: “Hey everyone, so I’ve just had my lips done – and just had a check up on my bum.”
Panning the camera down to her tattooed derriere that had a plaster on it, Katie continued: “It’s looking really good, I’m really pleased with it and it’s healing very well – no it’s not a BBL, it is just filler.” In another snap, Katie was sat in the hairdresser’s chair cuddling one of her hairless cats. She wrote over the top: “Hair dye time.”
It’s been two weeks since Katie shocked fans by walking down the aisle with a mystery man – in the fourth time she’s tied the knot – who was later revealed to be 41-year-old Lee. The pair tied the knot within days of their engagement after apparently meeting through social media.
Claims have since emerged that ‘businessman’ Lee has reportedly swindled his exes out of money in the past – and was referred to by one person the Mirror has spoken to as a ‘scammer’ of the highest degree.
But Katie hasn’t commented on the bad press around her new husband and is said to be planning to get on a plane within days, so she is reunited with him in time for Valentine’s Day. They are even said to be planning their honeymoon following their quickie wedding on January 25, with Lee talking openly about his upcoming ‘honeymoon’ on videos posted to his Instagram stories.
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A source told The Sun: “Katie’s family and friends are so concerned about her relationship with Lee – but she isn’t listening. They do not want her to go back to Dubai, but she has confirmed that she is leaving today.
“Katie doesn’t want to be away from Lee over Valentine’s Day and said they are planning a honeymoon. Her family have read reports about Lee and are so concerned about Katie’s welfare. She has insisted he is a good man though and is sticking by him.” Last week, The Mirror exclusively reported that Lee spent time in custody in a Dubai prison just months before proposing to Katie after a whirlwind romance in which she referred to him as her ‘Richard Gere’ in a reference to the film Pretty Woman, also starring Julia Roberts.
A week on from their romantic nuptials, a fellow Brit who says he shared a cell with Lee for three weeks in October last year warned Katie to be very wary of her new love.
The source told us: “Katie Price’s wedding is just another of his scams. All I can say is, I really hope she made him sign a pre-nup. He was a compulsive bulls***ter inside. But even now, he’s saying he’s part of the Labour Party and friends with Elon Musk. I can’t prove it, but for me that’s just absolutely absurd.” He’s also said to have ‘begged’ inmates for cash – despite his self-proclaimed billionaire status.
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Since he was announced at Katie’s new husband last month, Lee has been under even more scrutiny as former girlfriend’s have come forward – with one even claiming they received an ‘identical’ marriage proposal to the one he did for Katie just a few months ago. And it’s thought Lee is currently unable to leave Dubai as he’s on a travel ban after serving time in prison for forging his ex-girlfriend’s signature to land a £200,000 loan, according to reports. Though Lee later denied these claims.
Laws in parts of the Middle East stops people involved in active criminal and civil cases – including unpaid debts – from leaving the country. Lee had hoped to jet in Britain to meet Katie’s family and spend time with his new wife. But he was furious at the red tape and labelled the decision to keep him in Dubai as “complete b******s”.
Though Lee has denied this and told the Daily Mail: “I don’t know what this is, with the debts and lawsuits, and I’ve got good equity here. There’s no substance. My UAE bank account details and latest statement far exceeds £200,000, so it makes no sense that I would owe that or be on a travel ban for it because they would take it automatically if that was the case.” When contacted by the Mirror, Lee denied all the allegations against him.
The hamlet is believed to have been where a battle took place involving William the Conqueror.
Hidden within the Fenlands is a small hamlet where only over 200 people live. Fenland is a large marshy region in the East of England.
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Cambridgeshire has many Fenland towns including March, Whittlesey, Chatteris, and Wisbech, which is known as the ‘capital of the Fens’. However, alongside these bigger towns is the tiny hamlet of Aldreth.
Located near Haddenham, Aldreth is home to only 260 people. The fens surround it, and it is also close to the River Great Ouse.
Its name derives from a combination of the Old English words ‘alder’ and ‘hythe’, meaning landing-place by the alders. It is thought Aldreth was the site of a battle between Hereward the Wake with the Anglo-Saxons and William the Conqueror with the Normans.
Through Aldreth runs the Aldreth Causeway. This is an ancient pathway that begins at the foot of Enchanted Hill and descends onto Aldreth High Street.
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In 1071, William the Conqueror led a campaign against the Isle of Ely. It’s believed Aldreth Causeway was the route William may have taken in his assault against the Isle of Ely. Today, the causeway is a path used by walkers and dog walkers.
For anyone who thinks of buying a home in Aldreth, they range in price from as little as £200,000, to some houses costing over £1 million.
Those who already live in Aldreth will enjoy local events such as the annual village open day. Known as Blossoms and Bygones, Aldreth hosts this day alongside neighbouring Haddenham.
The event includes tractor rides, vintage cars, and open gardens. On the event’s 40th anniversary in 2011, people dressed up in 1940s costumes as it had a VE Day theme.
Ounsley said that when her character revealed George’s hearing loss, she felt like she was speaking to her parents, and shared: “I was so young, so I wasn’t aware of this experience, only through what my mum and dad have told me.
“I don’t think I realised how emotional it felt for them in that moment in time. It was quite bizarre to be in that position.
“But even more so, I think it’s why I put more heart into it, because it felt quite real. Hopefully that comes across in the episode, to the parents and kids watching it.”
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The history of Peppa Pig and how long it has been running for
Peppa Pig first aired in 2004 and has become a global phenomenon, broadcast in over 180 territories and in over 40 languages.
The show focuses on the life of Peppa, her parents, Daddy Pig and Mummy Pig, her little brother George, and her baby sister Evie, who was born last May.
The new hearing loss storyline was developed in collaboration with the National Deaf Children’s Society and will air on Milkshake from March 9.
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Peppa Pig was co-created by Neville Astley and Mark Baker of the animation studio Astley Baker Davies.
The brand has since inspired theme parks in the UK and abroad and has featured on collectable Royal Mail stamps.
In 2019, the show was acquired by toy company Hasbro following its purchase of Entertainment One’s portfolio.
