A well-known celebrity has revealed that he often spots Dame Mary Berry “in the village”, and that he and the former Great British Bake Off judge are, in fact, “local” to each other

A celebrity neighbour of Dame Mary Berry has shed light on the baking legend’s true colours, dubbing her an “icon”. As culinary favourite Mary turns 91 today (March 24), well-known radio host Vernon Kay has remarked that he spots her “in the village” on occasion, revealing that he and the former Bake Off judge are, in fact, “local” to each other.

Vernon, who lives in a six-bedroom property in the town of Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, with his wife, Tess Daly, shared the revelation on Tuesday morning’s episode of his BBC Radio 2 show.

After he noted that it’s Mary’s birthday today, Vernon played a clip from her 90s series Mary Berry at Home, in which she walked viewers through the process of preparing a Canterbury tart.

Afterwards, Vernon said: “I see her every now and again in the village, Mary Berry. She’s local to us, or we’re local to her. Very, very sweet lady. Always good fun and an icon.”

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He didn’t reveal the precise village that he was referring to on air, but past reports have placed Mary’s former home in the village of Penn, where she is said to have resided for more than 30 years in a Grade II-listed property.

However, it’s believed that Mary has lived in Henley-on-Thames, a town on the edge of the left bank of the River Thames in south Oxfordshire, with her husband, Paul J.M. Hunnings, since 2019.

Penn is a short nine-minute drive to Beaconsfield, while Henley-on-Thames is slightly further away, about 28 minutes by car, so it would suggest that Mary and Vernon still live within 30 miles of each other.

Meanwhile, a funny story has recently resurfaced about Mary’s run-in with the law, which she previously recounted during an episode of The Graham Norton Show, while chatting to Claudia Winkleman.

She explained that 25 years prior, she was asked to travel to the US to take part in cookery demonstrations. But she would ultimately land in hot water as she’s “very particular” about “getting everything right”.

Mary said: “I also try to look ahead, so I thought I ought to have my recipes, all the ingredients, weighed out in case the plane is late, or in case the connections aren’t right.

“I can go straight on stage to do my cookery demonstrations. So, I weighed out each recipe in little bags, and I had the flour and the sugar and everything grouped together, so that I could lift it out for the first recipe and so on.

“When we arrived, there were dogs, and I love dogs, and I was just ready to go and they all, three of them came up with their noses sort of like this [does the impression], and I thought ‘come along’, but they didn’t want to know me.

“They just began and then suddenly the airport became empty, and there were just uniformed people, and I was with Lucy Young, my assistant. They parted us – Lucy there, me there – into two cells.”

Claudia jokingly said Mary was in a cell with a “selection of packets containing white powder”. It was further disclosed that police asked Mary if she was expecting to “make money” from them.

She replied: “Oh, I do, and my fee has already been agreed.”

Officers were called to Richmond Court in Middlesbrough at about 8.30pm yesterday evening (Monday, March 23), following reports of an assault.

A man sustained two stab wounds to his leg, and he was taken to hospital where his injuries were deemed not life-threatening.

A spokesperson from Cleveland Police said: “Enquiries are ongoing.

“Anyone with information is urged to contact Cleveland Police on 101, quoting reference number 054606.”

NHS staff describe 40-minute queues on Hinchingbrooke Park Road as an “absolute nightmare”. Readers debated solutions from parking charges to better cycling infrastructure

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CambridgeshireLive readers have been sharply divided over who or what is to blame for mounting congestion around Hinchingbrooke, after NHS workers described daily jams near the hospital. Dozens weighed in beneath our report, setting out competing solutions – from tougher parking and SUV charges to calls for better active travel infrastructure and planning that matches the area’s rapid growth.

Hospital staff have described traffic along a road where you can queue for up to 40 minutes at peak times as an “absolute nightmare”. Some staff at Hinchingbrooke Hospital and the Hinchingbrooke estate deal with traffic problems on Hinchingbrooke Park Road daily.

Especially during peak times, residents and staff never know how long it will take to get out of the road. One worker from Hinchingbrooke Hospital, who wished to remain anonymous, said she finds it an “absolute nightmare” to leave the hospital and get onto the road after leaving work at 3.30pm.

“I finish work and never know if I will have to queue down the road or not,” said the worker. She added: “It can be stressful working for the NHS, and when you finish work, you just want to drive home without sometimes having to sit in your car for 30 to 40 minutes to get to the bottom of the road.

“We very often have to queue to get out of the staff car park at the top of the hospital before we even join Hinchingbrooke Park Road. This is because the traffic is just backed up all the way down the road up to the hospital, and everyone is trying to get out.”

Multiple readers suggested the swiftest solution would be reducing non-essential vehicle journeys. One user, Windypants, comments: “The problem is people unnecessarily driving into offices when they could just work from home or cycle.”

Freddly adds: “There are clearly many things to say here. Firstly, parking at the hospital should be free for disabled, frequent outpatient attenders, parents of children staying overnight, and staff working night shifts (7.0pm to 8am). Everybody else should be paying much, much more.

“Secondly, it needs to cost much more to drive an ambulance-blocking SUV, both at point of sale and day to day costs for using it. That is a simply social-justice, and it verges on criminal that so few cities are doing it. Above all, if you are a driver yourself, don’t blame the council. Take some responsibility yourself.”

Whynot2 answers: “Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Hinchingbrooke School, Cambs Police HQ, Cambs F&R Service, a Primary School, Hinchingbrooke County Park, add one or two houses, it’s no wonder the road can become gridlocked. I assume that some people work from home, people do walk and cycle, you can see them in the morning and late afternoon/early evening going to and from the railway station. Why should the people who may one day save your life, who just happens to work the day shift have to pay more to park?”

Skipper writes: “Same old story – anti-car councils not catering for people’s preferred mode of travel. Parking should be free everywhere – after all, we pay councils a fortune in tax. Everyone is buying SUVs because our roads are breaking ordinary vehicles. I blame the council.”

Campete2 disagrees: “It’s the other way round. Councils are encouraging more motorists, leading to more congestion. It’s been proven time and again that the way to reduce congestion is to reduce the number of cars. Investment in active travel reduces congestion, and is far and away the most cost-effective way to improve the state of our roads – giving better and quicker journeys for motorists.”

Whynot2 answers: “I wouldn’t blame the council, blame the developers it’s still the same road that was built when the hospital was built and Hinchingbrooke School had two sites. Is the road between the houses and the business park still closed? You have the traffic coming off the A1307 straight onto the same road that leads up to the hospital.”

How would you solve the traffic issues around Hinchingbrooke? Comment below or HERE to join in the debate.

The World Snooker Championship will remain at the Crucible in Sheffield until 2045, with the venue set to be refurbished to add up to 500 additional seats.

The new long-term deal at the 980-capacity theatre also includes an option to extend it to 2050.

During the redevelopment period after the 2028 edition, the tournament will be hosted in 2029 at an alternative venue.

National and local government will supply £35m of the £45m revamp cost, with the other £10m coming from the private sector.

Snooker’s premier event has been staged at the Crucible since 1977, with the current deal running until 2027.

Matchroom Sport president Barry Hearn said last April that the tournament would have to move from its long-time home after 2027 if the venue was not revamped or replaced.

Hearn said the venue was “no longer fit for purpose” but added the World Snooker Tour ideally “want to stay” at the Sheffield theatre.

China and Saudi Arabia were suggested as possible alternatives for hosting the tournament.

“For over 50 years, I have been promoting sport all over the world, but no venue on this planet means more to me than the Crucible,” Hearn said of the new deal.

“My thanks must go to Sheffield City Council for all of their hard work in ensuring this great tournament remains at its spiritual home.”

Last May, Zhao Xintong made history to became the first player from China to win the World Championship.

Some players, including Ronnie O’Sullivan and Iran’s Hossein Vafaei, have criticised the venue for being too small but 2005 champion Shaun Murphy called it “holy ground” for competitors.

Up until the semi-finals, the World Snooker Championship is played with a two-table set-up, meaning space is tight and the fans are close to the players.

Other significant improvements such as enhanced spectator facilities will be included in the refurbishment.

A body has been discovered following another fire in a house in Ireland where two people were murdered in an arson attack in December.

Four-year-old Tadhg Farrell and his great-aunt Mary Holt, 60, were killed in the fire at the County Offaly home last year.

Police are now investigating “all the circumstances” of the latest blaze at Castleview Park in Edenderry.

An Garda Siochana spokesperson said: “The body of an adult person has been discovered inside the premises.

“A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death, which will determine the course of any Garda investigation.”

The scene has been preserved for forensic examination and gardai are appealing for anybody with any information on this house fire to contact them.

The first fire also left the four-year-old’s grandmother in hospital with serious burn injuries. A man in his late 20s who had been detained on suspicion of murder was released without charge in January.

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Superintendent Liam Geraghty described the December fire as a “reckless, callous and murderous attack on a family home”.

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Anyone looking to get on the property ladder could be impacted by the ongoing conflict

A warning has been issued to any first-time buyers who are looking to buy a home amid the Middle East war. First-time buyers are facing a shrinking selection of low deposit mortgages as lenders rush to revise their product ranges, analysis has revealed.

More than 200 deals for borrowers with a 5 per cent deposit have vanished since March 6, according to Moneyfactscompare.co.uk, with the steepest daily decline in options since the mini-budget.

Lenders have been raising their rates and pulling deals in recent weeks as swap rates, which are used by lenders to price mortgages, have climbed.

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The conflict in the Middle East has triggered shifting expectations for inflation and for the future of the Bank of England base rate. Expectations that the base rate was set to be reduced have reversed, with some forecasts of increases this year.

Rachel Springall, a finance expert at Moneyfactscompare.co.uk, said borrowers with a small deposit will “feel disheartened to find the average rate on a two-year deal at 95 per cent loan-to-value has risen to 6.10 per cent, with the five-year equivalent not too far off the 6 per cent mark at 5.93 per cent”.

This is a concern for anyone who may be looking to get on the property ladder, as Rachel added: “This will be a shock to first-time buyers especially, as many will not be able to build a deposit bigger than 5 per cent due to the cost of living.”

Ms Springall said 204 deals have disappeared at the overall 95 per cent loan-to-value tier since March 6. She said: “Saturday saw the biggest daily fall of 52 options since the mini-budget, and 30 more options have gone as of this morning, with nine lost yesterday. On September 28 2022, 52 options vanished in one day.”

The expert also said rising rates will be “harsh” on borrowers, adding: “The hikes to rates will add around £1,200 per year in the cost of borrowing £250,000 over 25 years,” if a typical two-year fixed rate deal was taken out now with a 5 per cent deposit, compared with the start of March when the average two-year fixed-rate 5 per cent deposit rate was 5.45 per cent.

She added: “It is hoped that the mortgage deals which have been pulled will slowly return, but this will rely on a return in stability to the markets and reaffirmed confidence in the path or interest rate setting.”

Moneyfactscompare.co.uk reported that the availability of homeowner mortgages has reduced by approximately a fifth (21 per cent) since March 6. Ms Springall added: “It will be essential for borrowers to seek independent advice to keep on top of the mortgage mayhem.”

Looking at the broader market, some average fixed mortgage rates have now exceeded the 5.5 per cent threshold, whilst the number of residential products available has fallen below 6,000.

Across all deposit sizes, the average two-year fixed homeowner mortgage rate on the market on Tuesday morning stood at 5.51 per cent, Moneyfacts said, up from 5.43 per cent on Monday.

The average five-year fixed homeowner mortgage rate on the market on Tuesday morning stood at 5.52 per cent, up from 5.45 per cent on Monday. According to Moneyfacts, there were 5,856 residential mortgage products on offer. This represents a decrease from 6,144 on Monday.

AirBaltic is launching a new direct route from Manchester Airport to Kuusamo in Finnish Lapland, starting December 13, 2026, with weekly Sunday flights running through to the end of March 2027.

The service marks the first regular scheduled connection between Manchester and Lapland, offering an alternative to the charter flights for Santa-themed trips.

Timed for both the festive season and the quieter post-Christmas months, the route opens up access to one of Europe’s most popular winter destinations.

airBaltic (Image: Manchester Airport)

Visitors can enjoy activities such as husky and reindeer sledging, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing, along with the chance to see the northern lights.

Flights will be operated by airBaltic’s Airbus A220-300 aircraft, which seats 148 passengers across Economy and Business Class.

The airline is also rolling out complimentary SpaceX Starlink internet across its fleet, with more than half of its aircraft already equipped.

Fares will start from £120 one-way in Economy and £309 in Business Class.

Mantas Vrubliauskas, VP Network Management at airBaltic, said: “We are pleased to launch new direct flights between Manchester and Kuusamo.

“The new route offers a convenient and comfortable travel option for those looking to enjoy a skiing holiday, as well as the opportunity to experience the beautiful Nordic nature and the northern lights.

“Flights are scheduled at convenient times and operated with our modern Airbus A220-300 fleet, which is gradually being equipped with complimentary Starlink internet on board.”

The Manchester–Kuusamo route is part of airBaltic’s wider winter 2026/2027 expansion, which will see the airline add 12 new routes across its network.

Alongside strengthening its presence in Gran Canaria and launching a seasonal base in Tenerife, airBaltic is also expanding operations in Kuusamo, with new routes to Berlin, Hamburg and London Gatwick.

 A weekly service between Riga and Kuusamo will also launch on December 11, 2026.

Vrubliauskas added: “Winter remains an important time for our customers to travel for leisure, and decisions around new routes must be made well in advance to secure the best opportunities for them.

“As the current winter season comes to a close, we are already looking ahead to the next one, starting in late October 2026.

“With additional routes to sunny destinations such as Gran Canaria and Tenerife, alongside new connections to Kuusamo for winter sports and Nordic experiences, we continue to diversify our network and adapt to evolving travel demand.”

airBaltic currently serves around 80 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Caucasus, operating one of the youngest Airbus A220-300 fleets in Europe.

A court has heard the dog had to be shot 10 times

An XL bully dog savaged an 84-year-old man who later died ‘as if he were its prey’, a jury was told today.

John McColl died from his injuries a month after the attack by the dog, called Toretto, which had to be shot 10 times by armed police officers who were called to the scene in Warrington, Cheshire, in February last year, a court heard on Tuesday.

Sean Garner, 31, admits possessing the banned male dog and a female of the same breed without an exemption certificate, but denies being the owner of a dog which caused injury while dangerously out of control.

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On Tuesday, a trial at Liverpool Crown Court heard Mr McColl wandered onto the driveway of Garner’s property in Bardsley Avenue at about 6pm on February 24, 2025.

David Birrell, prosecuting, said: “After he entered the defendant’s driveway, the dog attacked him and it just would not let him go. People tried to help him. Grown men, with weapons, hitting the dog. But it was no use, the dog would not let him go.

“The dog guarded him as if he were its prey. It savaged him.”

Police officers who were called to the scene could not get to Mr McColl, so firearms officers attended and shot the dog nine times with a pistol and once with a shotgun, the court heard.

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Mr Birrell said: “That is how much ammunition was required to neutralise this large, powerful, savage dog.”

An examination of the dog after his death found no food in its stomach but showed he had begun to eat Mr McColl alive, the court heard. A second dog, called Malibu, was also shot by police who ‘didn’t take any chances’, Mr Birrell said.

The jury was told Garner avoided police for two days before handing himself in on February 26. Text messages showed he contacted family members and ‘made light of the situation’, Mr Birrell said.

He said Garner was expected to tell the court the dog was kept securely in a tool shed, but the prosecution said that was ‘a lie’ and the dog was kept on a patio, with only a metal gate on a latch securing it.

Mr Birrell said Garner knew the dog, which he used for breeding, was dangerous and in one text message said it was ‘missing a few nuts and bolts’.

He said the jury would hear expert evidence that the dog had not been fed for some time. He added: “The expert will also tell us that the dog appeared to be guarding Mr McColl as if he were its prey or its food.” The jury heard Garner kept the female dog inside the house, apart from the male, and, according to an expert, separating dogs like that could make them “frustrated and aggressive”.

Mr Birrell said Garner, now of Belle Vale, Liverpool, was an “irresponsible” and “reckless” dog owner.

A jury for the trial was sworn in on Monday, but was discharged shortly after the case was opened. Judge Brian Cummings KC said a matter had been drawn to his attention which was “no reflection” on any of the jurors.

A new jury was sworn in on Tuesday morning. The trial is expected to last between five and seven days.

A trail inspired by Roald Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile will take over Darlington town centre from Friday, April 3, to Monday, April 6, to celebrate the stage adaptation coming to Darlington Hippodrome.

The Enormous Crocodile will run at the Hippodrome from Thursday, April 16, to Saturday, April 18.

The Enormous Crocodile Trail will lead families through a series of colourful character cut-outs, activity stations, and challenges.

It includes a colouring competition at Waterstones, a crocodile craft activity at The Works, and a jungle-themed wordsearch at Barrhead Travel.

Other participating venues along the route include TG Jones, The Post Office, Queen Street Shopping Centre, and Charles Clinkard.

Everyone who takes part will have a chance to win a family ticket to see the show at Darlington Hippodrome.

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On Wednesday, April 15, children can attend a special read-along with cast members at Crown Street Library from 10am to 11am.

Free crocodile-themed craft sessions will also take place at the Hippodrome from 12pm to 1pm on April 16 and 17.

For more details or to book tickets, visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk.