NEW YORK (AP) — On a recent weeknight, three tenants of an aging Bronx building were trading apartment horror stories inside a packed ballroom lined with city bureaucrats.

The occasion was the third in a series of “rental rip-off hearings,” a new forum launched by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for disgruntled renters to air their complaints directly to housing officials — and in some cases, the mayor himself.

As she waited in line, Gulhayo Yuldosheva said she worried that noxious mold in her apartment had worsened her child’s asthma. Nearby, her downstairs neighbor, Marina Quiroz, was showing a video of rats scurrying through her kitchen to a representative of the city’s tenant protection office.

Ann Maitin, a longtime resident of the same building, had just met with the mayor.

“He let me go over my three minutes,” she said, holding up a spiral notebook’s worth of grievances.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist swept into office on a promise of zealous tenant advocacy, framed the event as a struggle session for renters, assuring the standing room only crowd that their stories would guide the city’s efforts “to actually hold landlords accountable when they don’t follow the law.”

To the residents of 705 Gerard Avenue, this raised a practical problem: No one seemed to know who actually owned their building.

“It feels like such a basic question,” said Maitin, a retired Verizon technician who recently organized the building’s tenant association. “You’d think we’d have the right to that information.”

Their situation is hardly unique. As corporate owners and investor groups have grown their share of the rental market in New York City, they are increasingly shielding their identities behind limited liability companies, or LLCs.

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The practice, which has also been spreading nationally, is legal. But experts warn it could complicate Mamdani’s promised crackdown, making it harder for the city and tenants to track the chronically negligent owners whose buildings the mayor has vowed to target and even seize.

“There are these big slumlords that everyone knows are doing predatory investment, but pinning them down is going to be difficult, for the LLC reason,” said Oksana Mironova, a housing policy analyst at the Community Service Society. “That’s a problem for the administration, and it’s even worse for tenants.”

‘They treat us the same as the rats’

For Yuldosheva and her neighbors, finding their landlord is one of many problems afflicting their six-story building near Yankee Stadium.

Heat and hot water outages are regular enough that some tenants keep a thermometer on their fridge and the city’s complaint hotline on speed dial. Common areas are often filthy, and increasingly populated by drug users. Getting help with an urgent maintenance issue “feels like waiting for Christmas in July,” said Maitin.

During a monthslong elevator outage, a tenant who uses a wheelchair, Tommy Rodriguez, said he was forced to “slide down the steps, like a kid.” Calls to the building management about a repair timeline went unanswered, he said.

Growing up in the building in the 1980s, Rodriguez recalled the previous landlord as a friendly and responsive neighborhood presence.

“This felt like a home before,” Rodriguez said. “Now they treat us the same as the rats.”

A large rodent had recently chewed a hole through his couch cushion. He handled the extermination himself, with a two-by-four.

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A distressing breakthrough

Recently, tenants received a clue about their landlord, following the partial collapse of another Bronx building. The man identified in news stories as the owner of that building, David Kleiner, shared a Brooklyn office with their building manager, Binyomin Herzl.

A handful of tenants visited each of the building’s 72 units, logging an array of decrepit conditions and unusual alterations.

“We didn’t want to become the next news story,” said Yuldosheva, pointing to a crack in the wall of a bedroom shared by her three children — a result, she feared, of the subway that rumbles just below her windows.

Lawsuits show that Herzl has been ordered to pay more than $100,000 for violations across at least six Bronx buildings, several of which were found by a judge to pose an imminent hazard.

Reached by phone, Herzl said he didn’t own any of those properties, but simply acted as a middleman between tenants and the true owners, whom he declined to list. “There’s no one landlord,” he said. “It’s a group of investors.”

Kleiner, who was previously featured on the city’s “worst landlord” list, confirmed his partial ownership of 705 Gerard in a brief phone call, but declined further comment.

Herzl, meanwhile, attributed the tenants’ complaints to “normal wear and tear” of a nearly century old building. He said Mamdani should focus on improving the city’s public housing, rather than going after private landlords.

“Our buildings look like five star hotels against his,” he added.

From fines to seizures

When landlords refuse to address a serious violation, like heat or hot water outages, the city can step in and order repairs, then bill the owner directly.

In the last three years, inspectors have ordered emergency repairs at 38 buildings that list either Herzl or Kleiner as an owner, according to records provided by the city’s housing department. The men have been billed $446,521 for those repairs.

Mamdani has proposed using such fines as a vehicle to bring distressed rental properties under city stewardship, by aggressively pursuing liens on delinquent landlords and buying up their portfolios through foreclosure auctions.

Just as the city can shut down unsanitary restaurants, Mamdani has said, landlords that “repeatedly put New Yorkers at risk will not be allowed to operate in New York City — with no exceptions.”

In reality, the process is resource-intensive and legally fraught. It is made more complex by the nest of LLCs often used by landlords to obfuscate the full scope of their portfolios, according to Cea Weaver, director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants.

“It’d be great to have a better sense of who owns the buildings that we are regulating and overseeing,” she said.

State legislation that would have made it easier to identify LLC owners was recently vetoed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul amid pressure from landlords.

New Yorkers vs. Bad Landlords

Kenny Burgos, the CEO of the New York Apartment Association, a landlord lobbying group, said Mamdani’s tenant proposals — including freezing the rent for regulated tenants — would force landlords to cut back on maintenance and services.

“That’s going to take away from the elevator budget, the boiler budget, the heating budget,” he said. “It’s a question of math: These buildings are crumbling because of policy, not because of bad landlords.”

He characterized the rental rip-off hearings as “show trials” that took a “tribal approach” to the city’s affordable housing crisis.

Despite the combative branding — “New Yorkers vs. Bad Landlords,” blares one promotion — the Bronx event mostly resembled a standard constituent service night: City officials fielded questions about local laws, helped residents with paperwork and connected them to service providers.

Maitin left feeling “glad to be heard by someone who can actually do something about the problem,” but felt it was too early to tell “if it’s all talk.”

The next morning, she was surprised to find the building’s superintendent applying a fresh coat of paint to a staircase. Outside, workers were removing scaffolding that had been in front of the building for years.

“I think they caught wind of the rental rip-off,” Maitin said. “They’re scared.”

Paul Scholes insists Michael Carrick has done a ‘great job’ at Manchester United but still believes there is a better option to become the club’s permanent manager.

Carrick has won seven of his ten games in charge of United since being hired as caretaker manager following the sacking of Ruben Amorim in January.

The ex-United midfielder has taken the Red Devils up to third in the Premier League table, above top-four rivals Aston Villa, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Scholes has described Manchester United’s transformation as ‘unbelievable’ and insists his former teammate Carrick is ‘putting real pressure’ on the Old Trafford owners to get the job on a permanent basis.

Carrick’s return was only expected to be temporary but United’s recent resurgence has convinced many pundits and fans that he should be handed the reins on a full-time basis.

Scholes wants to see how Carrick deals with a period of ‘adversity’ before endorsing him for the job, however, and believes the ‘perfect’ candidate is Carlo Ancelotti.

Currently preparing to take Brazil into this summer’s World Cup, Ancelotti is one of the most decorated managers of all time, winning titles in England, Italy, Spain, France and Germany and lifting five Champions Leagues.

‘Michael Carrick is doing great, it’s unbelievable the change,’ Scholes said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast. ‘If you put yourself in the owner’s shoes or whoever is making the decision, he’s putting real pressure on them to get the job.

‘The people making that decision might have to think about it a little bit differently because I don’t think you need the most technical or talented coach.

‘You’re at a big club with good players who know what they’re doing, maybe they need a man-manager more than anything.

‘If you look back to Sir Alex [Ferguson] he was never a coach really but he knew the players, he knew what the players needed and how to treat players to get the best out of them.

‘If you look at Real Madrid with Carlo Ancelotti, Zinedine Zidane, I don’t think they’re the most technical or tactical coaches but they’re good man-managers.

‘Ruben Amorim seemed obsessed with tactics and it didn’t work, Xabi Alonso seemed the same at Real Madrid. Do those type of big clubs need those coaches or a more man-manager?

‘I don’t know what Michael’s coaching style is like but I can imagine as a man-manager he’s very good because he’s brilliant with people and players.

‘The question over Michael is does he have the experience? I know he’s managed in the Championship but this is obviously different.

‘Can we see Carrick winning United the Premier League? Look, we don’t know yet.

‘Now the perfect one out there… Ancelotti is still out there, I know he’s with Brazil, but he’s that perfect one for Manchester United where you think he would make players feel a million dollars and he’s got the experience of winning trophies.

‘The only question would be is he too old? That’s the only thing, is there anyone else of that ilk with a bit more experience?

‘The way you judge a Manchester United manager is to look ahead and think, “can United win the league with this manager?” It’s not a case of finishing in the top-four, you need a manager who you think can win you the Premier League.

‘The great thing someone like Ancelotti has is experience – I know that sounds obvious – but we don’t know yet how Michael Carrick will deal with going through a bit of adversity.’

Fellow Old Trafford legend Nicky Butt initially had reservations about Carrick getting the Manchester United job but now expects the 44-year-old to be in charge for the start of next season.

‘It’s amazing what he’s done because the club was in turmoil,’ Butt said. ‘It’s brilliant what they’re doing.

‘If I was a betting man I’d be putting my money on Carrick being the permanent manager. How can you sit here now and say he shouldn’t get the job?

‘There’s not that many other options, who else would they go for? There’s nobody jumping out for me.

‘I honestly thought it would be Thomas Tuchel but then he signed a new deal with England so that’s off the table.

‘So if you look at what Michael Carrick is doing and then the other options out there, I think he gets the job now.’

Manchester United will look to consolidate their place in the top-four of the Premier League when they host rivals Leeds United on April 13.

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These are the things we did – and ate – while on our school holidays back in the day

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The season of summer isn’t nearly as fun when you’re an adult as it was when you were a kid. And between the weather, the discontinuation of some of our favourite treats and holidays abroad being far more common than holidays at home, summers just aren’t what they used to be.

You can’t blame us, then, for being nostalgic for the summers we experienced growing up. From trips to the likes of Portrush or Newcastle to the thrill of playing outside ’til way past your normal bedtime, there’s no comparison to the summers of our childhood.

Take a walk down memory lane with us as we revisit some classic childhood memories of summers in Northern Ireland. If you were a kid here in the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s or ‘00s, some of these likely played a role in your past summers.

A trip to Barry’s Amusements

Located in Portrush and Bangor, Barry’s Amusements was home to many summer memories over the years. First opened at the pier in 1926, the Portrush location is the longest-running amusement park in Northern Ireland, though it’s now called Curry’s Fun Park under new ownership.

Many generations spent a summer’s day at either location through the years. Those who went to the Portrush Barry’s will remember various fairground rides such as its Dipper roller coasters, the Satellite, the Freak Out and so on, while visitors to the Bangor location (now demolished) particularly loved riding the Ghost Train and playing games at the arcade.

Watching summer TV schedules

These days, kids watch shows on every streaming service known to man or else YouTube videos of adults unboxing toys. We’ll never understand this on-demand selection of children’s programming when we grew up with TV channels airing marathons of kids shows to make the most of summer viewership.

Depending on your age, you might’ve been glued to anything like ‘Why Don’t You?’, ‘ThunderCats’, ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’, ‘Ed, Edd n Eddy’ or ‘Hey Arnold!’ and so on. And on a rainy day, your square eyes were in front of the telly so long you’d catch repeats of the episodes shown that morning in the evening.

Going to Dreamworld

Another one for the amusements lovers, Dreamworld off Boucher Road was very well-named. Its swinging Fredo-sponsored ship and the PlayStation area made it a haven for kids in the late ‘90s/early ‘00s.

Swimming at Pickie Pool

While Bangor is still home to Pickie Funpark, it was once home to the be-all-and-end-all of Northern Irish swimming: Pickie Pool. First opened in 1931, it was an outdoor sea-water pool with a 35ft diving board.

Pickie Pool attracted many casual swimmers looking to make the most of a sunny day. It also hosted many participants and spectators of swimming and diving contests until it was demolished in the late ‘80s.

Going on family picnics

There was nothing like making use of local scenery for a day out that cost your parents nothing but the price of the journey there and the packed lunch they brought along. Whether it was at Belfast Castle, Mount Stewart, Minnowburn or elsewhere, as long as we had a packet of Fives and space to run around, we were happy out.

Eating old-school ice-creams & ice-lols

The power the ice-cream man and the freezer in the local corner shop had over us knew no bounds. Our favourites included a 99, Dale Farm classics like Pear Picking Porky, Polly Pineapple and Joker, or HB products like Fat Frog and Loop the Loop.

Fish and chips by the sea

There’s plenty of gorgeous coastal towns and villages in Northern Ireland, and plenty of gorgeous food to be had within them. As a kid, nothing beat a day of being burnt alive at the seaside, finished off with a trip to the chippy – be it Morton’s in Ballycastle, John Macs in Newcastle or so on.

Visiting Belfast Zoo

Still a summer staple, a trip to the zoo was a must during the weeks you had off school as a kid. Remember the days of watching the birds at the free flight area or having your snacks or belongings nicked by Tina the kleptomaniac elephant?

What other childhood memories do you have of summer in Northern Ireland? Let us know in the comments below

Village Cakery, run by couple Andy Hope and Bradley Skeen, launched its new premises on Fore Bondgate, having operated from their home in Cockfield.

The bakery welcomed its first customers on Friday, April 3, marking a major milestone for the couple who first started the business in 2024.

The Village Cakery opened in Bishop Auckland pictured owners Andy Hope & Brad Skeen (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Photos inside the shop show the new bakery ready for customers, with displays set up of the wide range of cakes and baked goods the business has become known for.

Village Cakery began mainly producing celebration cakes, with Andy explaining that opening a physical shop had always been part of the plan. But despite months of preparation, he said the moment still feels surreal.

Andy said: “It is daunting, but the excitement is just unbelievable.”

The Village Cakery opened in Bishop Auckland pictured owners Andy Hope & Brad Skeen (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The couple, from Bishop Auckland, secured the keys to the Fore Bondgate premises on Sunday, March 1 and have been preparing the shop ever since.

Andy said: “We had always talked about opening a shop, but it was about Christmas time when we decided to do it.

“We viewed a few shops around Bishop because we were both born and bred here, and it is where we want our base to be.

“We are all about the community, working together to make a better high street.

“We are trying to get the other shops involved in our opening by giving out 20 per cent discount vouchers.”

The Village Cakery opened in Bishop Auckland pictured owners Andy Hope & Brad Skeen (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The bakery was originally started by Andy before his sister joined the venture, with the business initially building its reputation at markets across the region.

After taking a short break, Andy restarted the bakery with Bradley, with the pair deciding to fully commit to growing the business.

The Village Cakery opened on Fore Bondgate in Bishop Auckland pictured Imogen Watkins (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Andy said: “We just decided to dive right in, do it properly, get the shop, go to markets and just do everything we possibly can.

“It has gone so well. The markets that we’ve had this year have just been phenomenal.”

The Village Cakery opened on Fore Bondgate in Bishop Auckland (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Village Cakery opened on Fore Bondgate in Bishop Auckland (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Village Cakery opened on Fore Bondgate in Bishop Auckland (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Customers visiting the new shop can expect a wide selection of baked goods, with the owners keen to keep introducing new ideas.

Andy added: “We are always trying to do something different. We are going to trade back on TikTok, and we are looking to do home delivery service.

“Down the line, we’re looking to do bakery classes or demonstrations. The possibilities of what you can do are pretty much endless.”

Bikers will visit Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham to hand out Easter eggs to sick children this weekend.

Huge crowds normally turn out to see the impressive convoy of bikers, often dressed as bunnies and donning other fancy dress.

Where to watch and when

The bikers will leave Durham Tesco at Dragonsville at 10am on Sunday (April 5).

From there they will ride into Durham city centre, over the Elvet Bridge and towards the Cock o’ the North roundabout where they will join the A167.

You will be able to catch the hundreds of bikes throughout the region (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

Graeme expects the first riders to reach the A167 around 10.10am.

From there they will ride to Darlington Memorial Hospital, arriving between 11am and 11.15am.

There will be a break of around 45 minutes so children can look at the bikes, with the procession setting off again at 12pm.

It will then head back out of Darlington along the A68, through School Aycliffe and Newton Aycliffe between 12.30pm and 12.45pm.

They are due to arrive at University Hospital of North Durham at 1pm.

Children will be able to see the bikes at Darlington Memorial Hospital (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

All timings are approximate.

Graeme said: “Everything is in place with the councils and safety advisory groups. It is when the police bikes say we need to leave.

“We have got their support, which we greatly appreciate.”

Durham Police said: “If you are travelling in County Durham this Sunday, please be aware that the annual Durham Easter Egg run is taking place from 10am.

“The charity ride will see hundreds of bikers meet at Tesco at Dragonville Retail Park before riding to Darlington Memorial Hospital and then to University Hospital of North Durham.

“The bikers are delivering Easter eggs to children at the hospitals.

Children will be able to see the bikes at Darlington Memorial Hospital (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

“We expect considerable disruption to traffic in the general areas of Durham City, the A167 to Darlington, Darlington town centre, the A68 out of Darlington, School Aycliffe Lane, the A167 north to Durham City and Sniperley roundabout to Southfield Way.

“If you are due to be driving in these areas between 10am to 1pm, please be aware there will be congestion on the roads as the bikers make their way to the hospitals.”

There is also a fundraiser for the event, which has already smashed its £2,500 target, with nearly £4,000 being raised so far.

You can donate to the fundraiser by clicking here, with the money raised supporting the following charities:

• Missed A Beat
• British Heart Foundation
• Pet Angels Wearside
• Shaw Trust, Seaham
• Blood Bikes
• Teenage Cancer Trust
• Durham Cats and Dogs (formerly Stray Aid)
• Feeding Families

The beloved BBC sitcom The Royle Family ended over a decade ago, we look at where the stars are now, from heartbreaking deaths to career updates.

It’s been over a decade since fans of The Royle Family last saw the cherished characters on their screens.

First broadcast back in 1998, the BBC series followed the Royle’s, a typical working-class family from the North West. Originally it ran for a total of three series before concluding in 2000.

However, between the years 2006 and 2012, there were multiple standalone episodes with the final one being a Christmas special, which was titled Barbara’s Old Ring.

Despite the sitcom ending 13 years ago, The Royle Family is often cited as one of the most popular classic sitcoms that aired on British TV.

It centred on the Royle family with husband Jim, his wife Barbara (Sue Johnston), their daughter Denise (Caroline Aherne), and son Antony (Ralf Little) at the forefront, reports the Mirror.

Also featured in the show is Craig Cash, who played Denise’s husband Dave. With the entire series available to watch on BBC iPlayer, we’re taking a look at where the stars from the programme are now.

Ricky Tomlinson

Following his role in The Royle Family, Ricky continued his acting and comedy career, appearing in the likes of In the Flesh, Great Night Out and the festive film Nativity.

Outside of his acting career, he faced personal heartache in 2004 when his 33-year-old son died from alcoholic liver disease. Clifton was one of the three children Ricky shared with ex-wife Marlene Tomlinson.

Reflecting on the tragedy in the past, Ricky stated in 2016 that he continues to communicate with his late son. At the time, he expressed: “I talk to him all the time, in my head,” after commemorating the painful ­anniversary.

He further added: “It’s not just this time of year, it’s regularly. He was great and harum-scarum. He knows I loved him. And although I can’t see him, now and then he sits on the bed with me.

“I can feel him, this weight. I know that sounds strange because ghosts are ­invisible. But I know it’s him.”

Caroline Aherne

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Despite portraying the daughter in The Royle Family, Caroline co-created and co-wrote The Royle Family alongside Craig Cash, her former real-life partner.

Caroline also contributed to the creation of shows like Dossa and Joe, ITV comedy-drama The Fattest Man in Britain and The Security Men.

One of her final significant roles was as the narrator for the popular Channel 4 reality show Gogglebox. Tragically, Caroline was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2014.

Two years later, she sadly passed away from the disease at the age of 52. At the time of her death, her on-screen brother Ralf Little penned a heartfelt tribute.

He remarked: “Sorry for silence – I just… don’t know what to say. What a sad, sad day. We’ve lost another one of our best.

“A character. A legend. A boss. A sister, real and (for me) fake. A boss. A writer. An actor. A genius. A friend. Big, big heart. Goodbye x.

“Thing is, amidst all sadness, Caroline would now say something grounded, incisive, and hilarious. I can’t think of anything, but she would.”

Sue Johnston

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Sue’s portrayal as Barbara Royle was a favourite on the programme, recognised for being the ‘heart and soul’ of the household. Since departing from the BBC show, Sue has featured in a multitude of renowned shows.

In 2012, she joined the cast of Coronation Street as Gloria Price before exiting in 2014.

She also appeared as Gladys Denker in the fifth series of Downton Abbey. In 2009, she was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for her contributions to drama and charity.

Reflecting on Coraline Aherne’s tragic passing, Sue admitted she still finds it incredibly difficult. Speaking to The Star On Sunday back in 2018, she disclosed: “I still can’t delete her number from my phone. It’s just too hard, it’s too big.

“I just miss her so much. Sometimes it catches me completely unaware and I realise that she’s gone.”

Craig Cash

Craig is best known for his role as Dave in The Royle Family, which he also co-created with Caroline.

When the series concluded, he went on to co-write and star in the popular BBC sitcom Early Doors.

Alongside his acting career, Craig also proceeded to direct and produce many well-known sitcoms.

In 2016, he took over as the narrator of Gogglebox following Caroline’s death, which he shared felt like a ‘gift’ she left him. Three years ago, he told BBC Radio Manchester: “It was really lovely, because it feel like a gift she has left me and I’m very grateful.

“It felt like only natural I should keep doing it and I feel like she’s with me sometimes. When I go in the studio where we used to record it, I can feel her presence sometimes. That feels a bit weird but true.”

Ralf Little

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Ralf made his acting debut in The Royle Family when he was merely 17 years old, recently describing it as a ‘privilege’ to have been involved.

Since then, he went on to star in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps alongside his friend and co-star Will Mellor. However, he’s most recognised for his role as Detective Inspector Neville Parker in Death in Paradise.

Beyond the world of acting, he’s experienced personal tragedy as his sister Ceri passed away when he was nine years old. Recently, the actor became highly emotional as he discussed his late sibling.

In his programme with Will Mellor, he touched on one of the reasons he hasn’t decided to have children of his own, reflecting on what happened to his family.

He said: “Everything, their entire lives crumbled right in front of their eyes from that moment on. It’s like, you know, you can’t protect them. My mum was really… my mum was really protective of us.

“Really protective. And it happened anyway. It happened anyway because you can’t wrap your kids in cotton wool and protect them 24-7. Like, it’s a lot. And it’s only when I’m forced to sort of say these things out loud that I realise quite what a lot it is.”

Sheridan Smith

Sheridan joined the sitcom in 1999 as Emma Kavanagh, the girlfriend of Antony Royle.

The actress has gone on to enjoy a highly successful career and has featured in numerous shows, including Cilla, Mrs Biggs, Gavin and Stacey and Inside No. 9.

Alongside receiving an OBE in 2015 for services to drama, she’s also had a thriving West End career, having starred in Little Shop of Horrors, Legally Blonde, Funny Girl and Flare Path.

In 2021, Sheridan was involved in a serious car crash when her Range Rover veered into a tree due to icy weather conditions, according The Sun.

A source told the publication at the time: “Sheridan is so lucky to be alive. It could have been so much worse. Her car was stuck in the tree, it was a really bad crash.”

The Royle Family is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

An Easter-themed trail returned for the Easter bank holiday weekend at Crook Hall Gardens in Durham.

Visitors can explore the gardens while completing an Easter-themed trail designed for the whole family.

Easter trail at Crook Hall, Durham pictured Charlotte Coulson, five (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Participants can follow the route through the grounds, taking part in activities along the way.

Each £3.50 trail includes an Easter trail sheet, bunny ears and a dairy or vegan and Free From chocolate egg for children completing the challenge.

Easter trail at Crook Hall, Durham pictured Elishia Martin and her dog Hetty (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Organisers said the event aimed to bring families together outdoors during the Easter break, saying: “Easter is full of fun for families at Crook Hall Gardens.”

Easter trail at Crook Hall, Durham pictured Sophie & Chris Doughty (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Families were encouraged to explore different areas of the gardens and discover the variety of activities on offer throughout the site.

Visitors also have the opportunity to learn more about local wildlife at the gardens’ wildlife hub.

Easter trail at Crook Hall, Durham pictured Lexie, 12 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Easter trail at Crook Hall, Durham pictured Harriet & Emily Knight (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Easter trail at Crook Hall, Durham pictured Abby & Millie Ampleford (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Children can also challenge themselves by trying to find the centre of the garden maze.

Meanwhile, visitors looking for a quieter activity were able to browse the second-hand bookshop for holiday reading.

After completing the trail and exploring the gardens, you can also stop at the Garden Gate Café, which is open daily from 10am to 4.30pm.

In Bolton we are spoilt when it comes to fine chippies.

Here are some recommendations.

Su’s Fish and Chips can found on Belmont Road in Astley Bridge.

You can’t be from Astley Bridge without knowing Su’s, a very well-known Chinese chip shop, having 78 excellent reviews on Tripadvisor and 20 reviews saying it’s good.

Golden, crispy, fish (Image: Dan Dougherty)

A review states: “In my humble opinion this is the best chippy I have visited in a 4-mile radius of Astley Bridge and I have been to most in the area, they might not do the biggest portions, but what you get is cooked to perfection.

“Always busy so speaks volumes.”

Mr Chips, found on Winter Hey Lane in Horwich, an award-winning traditional fish and chips- and turning 20 years old this year.

A review for Mr Chips said: “We were in Horwich to watch football at Bolton Wanderers and made a lunchtime visit.

“Staff were friendly, food was absolutely fabulous. I had fish and chips and both were perfectly cooked, hot and tasty. This is a proper fish and chip shop and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone.”

Reel Fish and Chips is up next, which opened a third shop of their branches on Blackburn Road this year.

Reel Fish and Chips on Deane Road (Image: NQ)

Their shop on Deane Road received 30 excellent reviews and four good reviews.

Reel Fish and Chips also won The Bolton News Best Chippy award in 2025.

A review adds: “Really fresh and tasty food – not at all oily or greasy for what it is. Everything is pretty much cooked to order, and I love the way it is served in card boxes as opposed to those tacky polystyrene containers.

“Well priced and of a high standard. The service is friendly and efficient.”

Flounders found in Blackrod, boasts a big “TRADITIONAL FISH & CHIPS” banner outside- and does what it says on the tin.

This chippy uses fresh and locally sourced potatoes, saying they’re grateful for fantastic customers.

A review of Flounders said: “I highly recommend this lovely little English chippy.

“Today we treated ourselves to a chippy dinner, my children had the children’s meal box, amazing value and quality at just £3.

“I had Fish and chips with a tub of mushy peas, very impressed at the top quality for the price. The fish was Haddock, chunky and vary tasty, the chips were fresh, hot and great quality.”

When he heard of the true story of the skateboarding sisters from Hull who competed while wearing the traditional hijab, he knew it was a topic he could not ignore.

Sisters 360 (Image: Tasha Best)

“People have perceptions,” said Asif. “When they see a young Muslim girl wearing a hijab what do they see? This story immediately breaks lots of stereotypes; just to see the image of young girls looking cool on a skateboard wearing a hijab and just giving off that confident and trendy kind of energy; it’s very powerful.

“Muslims come in all shapes and sizes; we all have different interests – very often the same interests as anyone else. We’re just people which often gets forgotten.”

Sisters 360 tells the story of two sisters with a dream to win a skateboarding competition. At the same time, they are trying to heal their family with their parents on the verge of separating.

The play – which is primarily aimed at an audience from eight to 12 – is coming to the Octagon as part of a theatre tour.

“As a playwright my aim is to entertain, engage and mesmerise an audience and make them feel the ticket they paid for was worth it said Asif. “This play is about two 10-year-old sisters who have a dream; it’s about them coming up with a plan to bring their parents back together and to enter a skateboard competition to win gold.

Sisters 360 (Image: Tasha Best)

“That’s it. Anybody can relate to that. They just happen to be from a Muslim background, but they could be from any background, and we have found the audiences totally embrace it; they are totally engaged.”

Basing a play around skateboarding could be fraught with challenges.

“You really don’t want to have a lot of skateboarding on stage, there’s a lot that could go wrong,” said Asif. “When I was writing it I thought ‘how do I find actors who are also great skateboarders?’. But in the show we have done it through a choreographed dance form; the skateboard sequences are done in a very imaginative way. But that’s the beauty of theatre, you don’t have to be so literal.”

Asif admits it might have been easier for him to write about two young boys but he was determine to base the story of the pioneering sisters.

“I have a four-year-old daughter and I’ve also got my nieces so I have been around kids a lot,” he said. “I wanted to focus on the energy and the imagination that youngsters have. I wanted to bring out the fun of being a child too. I’ve focused on some of the funny things that kids say and didn’t worry too much about them being girls or boys. It’s a play that asks what a 10-year-old with a dream feels.”

Asif has enjoyed the process which has brought Sisters 360 to the stage.

Sisters 360 (Image: Tasha Best)

“As writer you have fixed images in your head and you imagine how it might be on stage,” he said. “But then you have a director who has their own ideas and the actors who bring their own touches to it and you all discover things about the play bas you go along in rehearsal. It is a very collaborative process.

“We all had the same goal – making sure that every second was magnetic for kids watching the show.”

Bringing the show to the Octagon is particularly special for Asif.

“The Octagon was the first theatre I worked at after leaving drama school,” he said. “I was in Mixed Up North and spent a good month in Bolton. I remember great audiences and a great space so I’m really chuffed to take the play there.”

Sisters 360, Octagon Theatre, Bolton, Friday, April 10. Details from www.octagonbolton.co.uk

Mo Robertson was the only Welsh contestant on this year’s season of BBC’s Gladiators, and made it to the semi final before having to withdraw from the competition due to injury

Not many of us have the guts to take on one of the biggest challenges in strength and endurance on TV, but a man from Swansea did just that by competing on the most recent season of BBC’s Gladiators. The classic show fronted by father and son, Bradley and Barney Walsh, was revived and returned to our screens in 2024.

Mo Robertson, a 35-year-old foreman, donned his red unitard ready to compete against the new generation of Gladiators. He progressed to the semi final, but unfortunately had to withdraw from the competition following a severe injury to his Achilles.

We spoke to the Welshman about his time on the show, working alongside the TV stars and making his daughter proud. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter

Mo, who also appeared on the first ever season of Ninja Warrior, originally signed up for the BBC series as he wanted a new challenge. Having run ultra marathons and taken on Hyrox events, it seemed like Gladiators was the next level. He said: “I love a challenge, I love testing myself and it was another level up for me personally.

“It’s an iconic show as well, so to be part of something so iconic, part of history, was amazing. It was great fun and it was great to actually represent Wales and fly the Welsh flag high for everyone.”

Having watched some episodes of the series growing up, Mo explained that he was nervous to take on the challenge. He said: “It’s a little bit daunting. It is pretty daunting. I mean you’ve got four thousand people screaming chanting your name and that is amazing. It’s an amazing feeling I mean, you feel like a superstar but you are against the Gladiators at the same time.

“So, you have to try your best to beat the Gladiators, and they’re athletes and they don’t want to lose, so you have to obviously bring your A game.

“I’m a fit individual anyway. So, I do a lot of running and I do ultra marathons. So that side of it, I didn’t really adapt much to my training. So I just did what I normally do, because I’m quite a decent all-rounder.

“I have a high sort of accolade for myself with most things I do, so if I’m gonna do something I wanna try and do the best and try to aim as high as possible. So I did sort of think I would win it, and I think I’d have won it had I not torn my Achilles on the show.”

Mo went head-to-head with Gladiator Viper in the gruelling Everest challenge, a task that involves pushing a 220kg+ moving wall and risking a fall from a 21ft height if unsuccessful. After being shoved off the platform Mo was seen writhing on the hard floor as a medic hurried to his side.

Just moments later, Mo was seen being wheeled out of the arena in a wheelchair, leaving the audience anxiously awaiting news about his condition. Shortly afterwards, Bradley informed the audience that the competitor was doing well but was unable to continue in the competition and would be replaced by a previously eliminated contestant.

Mo found that the injury took a toll on his mental health, but he was grateful he had the support of the BBC when healing. He said: “It was quite a tough thing to accept, and it was a tough injury. So, I tore my Achilles by six centimetres, which was pretty horrific, but had I not had that injury I think I would have won it.

“Mentally, it was very very tough to sort of have the injury and I’m still slowly trying to get back to full strength and mobility. I’m nearly back to where I was, but I must say the BBC had been fantastic. The best surgeon, the best doctor and I was looked after fantastically so if I hadn’t had the BBC looking after me I probably wouldn’t be where I am now fitness wise.”

Looking back on his time in the competition, Mo was happy with how he placed in the competition despite having the confidence that he would have won. He said: “I’m really happy I got to the semi-finals. Obviously gutted that I didn’t reach the final, but that’s life, isn’t it? It’s going to happen sometimes.

“In hindsight, I’m quite happy and quite proud in how far I got. Not many people have got to the semi-finals of Gladiators so I’ve marked myself down in that bit of history.”

The Welshman praised the father and son presenting duo, saying: “Both of them are absolutely brilliant. I mean, they brought all of us to ease. If you can imagine, it’s the first time a lot of us have ever done anything like this, and for them to sort of calm our nerves and just sort of reassure us was absolutely awesome.

“They’re such cool cats and such professionals at what they do as well.

“So, you know, they kept everyone at ease. So it was awesome to actually have the opportunity to work with them as well.”

Mo admitted he was slightly intimidated to be taking on the Gladiators, especially as he respects their athletic careers and often sees them on social media. He said: “I mean to go head to head with an ex-rower or an ex-sprinter who you sort of see on TV or social media and you’re standing next to him is quite amazing.

“But you know they’re all fantastic people, they all supported us contenders, because they don’t want to hurt us, but they want to compete against us and at end of the day it’s great for the crowd and most of all great for the children. That’s what it’s all about, having a great spectacle for the young kids.”

Mo spoke about working with Strictly star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, better known as the Gladiator Nitro. He said: “Going head to head against Nitro was amazing. I mean he’s very uplifting, he’s motivating.

“Obviously as an ex-GB sprinter, he’s very keen to win, but also he’s got great moves. Aside from that, he’s always willing to add some words of encouragement to us, the contenders, because obviously we are going to be quite nervous, and also they’re gonna be nervous because as athletes they don’t want to lose against average Mo do they.”

The series was filmed in Sheffield’s Utilta Arena over the course of a month, and Mo had plenty of support from his family including his four-year-old daughter Naylah. She was sat in the audience of the arena, cheering her father on whilst sporting a ‘Big Mo’ t-shirt.

The little girl’s father said: “She absolutely loved it, and absolutely loved seeing her dad and seeing herself on telly. Her friends were saying ‘your daddy was on telly, how was that?’

“I hope I’ve done them proud and I hope my daughter has a proud memory of me.

“What was the most amazing thing for her as a young girl was seeing strong women on television and I think that’s a better role model than I can be. She can see strong women on television, which is great for her as she grows up.”

Not only did he have the support from his family, but also the support of the local community. Many fans of the show have been stopping Mo in the street to have a chat and a selfie.

When asked what was next, Mo said he’s looking forward to the Gladiators live tour which he hopes to be part of later this year. He said: “So I’m really looking forward to it. So I’ve been working hard to get back to full strength and full fitness. I enjoy keeping fit anyway, it’s just part of me.

“But having the opportunity to sort of test myself against the Gladiators was amazing. I must say, they were all awesome.”

He is also hoping to take part in some other major challenges. Mo said: “Well, I want to do SAS Who Dares Wins next, potentially. I sort of go for the big challenges. So I want do that, and depending how my Achilles fares up, then do the live shows, and I’ve got a few other fitness competitions lined up in Paris and Glasgow, potentially in the year.”

You can watch Gladiators on BBC iPlayer.