Robin Cottle

Sir Chris Hoy shares an emotional update on living with terminal stage 4 prostate cancer, saying the diagnosis has heightened his awareness of limited time. Despite the disease spreading to his bones, extensive treatment and a serious leg injury, he continues to stay active, recently completing a week‑long cycling challenge in Spain. He reflects on public reactions to his illness and contrasts them with the universal reality of mortality. His wife Lady Sarra Hoy is also managing multiple sclerosis, adding further strain to the family as he maintains that his fitness remains only modestly reduced compared to before his diagnosis.

Lewis Capaldi praises Glasgow restaurant Mother India as serving the best curry, highlighting it during interviews while preparing for headline performances at the BST Festival in London. The article recounts his prior endorsements of the eatery and notes its long-standing reputation, high customer reviews, and expansion across Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Michael Palin highlights three west-coast Scottish locations—Glencoe, Rannoch Moor and the islands—as among the most beautiful places he knows, recalling his early connection to Scotland during Monty Python filming. He praises their welcoming landscapes and compares their grandeur to destinations worldwide. Palin also reflects on influential travels, including Venice, the Peruvian Amazon and hopes to visit Georgia and Armenia.

Urban fox populations have increased across the UK, becoming a growing issue for garden owners. Wildlife experts recommend humane deterrents, including sprinkling strong‑smelling spices such as cayenne pepper, peppermint, garlic or chilli around garden perimeters. Removing food sources, protecting vegetable patches and maintaining tidy outdoor spaces can also help keep foxes away without disturbing birds or other wildlife.

Food reviewer Gary Hanna rated a Booths supermarket breakfast far higher than those from major UK chains, praising the quality of its ingredients, generous portions and overall experience. After sampling a full English and other items at the Kendal branch, he called it the best supermarket breakfast he has tried and urged larger chains to use better ingredients.

Retail analysts outline methods Tesco uses to influence customer spending, including end‑of‑aisle displays, bakery scent placement, self‑checkout impulse items, and packaging techniques that enhance perceptions of freshness. Advice includes sticking to a predefined list, focusing on reduction schedules, understanding food label dates, checking the world food aisle for cheaper staples, and being cautious of personalised premium upgrade offers. The article highlights the role of customer data in shaping pricing and promotions and notes that loyalty card savings vary depending on product and competitor pricing.

Dawn French recounted humorous encounters involving surprise kisses with Brad Pitt and Hugh Grant, noting she once brushed off Eamonn Holmes after he teased her on This Morning. The story touches on Holmes’s current relationship and Ruth Langsford’s views on dating after their separation, with friends encouraging her to take her time while remaining open to future romance.

An abandoned former Debenhams store on Patrick Street in Cork, closed since 2020, has drawn urban explorers who describe its preserved interior as apocalyptic. The building, originally Roches Stores, was purchased by Intersport Elverys and private partners for redevelopment, with approved plans to divide the site into multiple retail units and upgrade its façade. Potential tenants include a cosmetics retailer, Intersport Elverys, Zara and Rituals, though no opening date is confirmed.

TV chef James Martin recommends frying tomatoes in the same pan as dry‑cured bacon to enhance the flavour of a bacon sandwich, a technique inspired by his grandmother’s cooking and his grandparents’ home‑grown produce. He emphasises generous butter on white sliced bread and pressing the sandwich before serving, noting that despite perfecting the method, he still considers his grandmother’s version unbeatable.

Celebrity chef James Martin praised the Shetland Islands as a spectacular destination with exceptional seafood, recalling his visit for his TV series and urging others to experience the islands’ scenery and produce. He described being deeply impressed by the light, landscape and quality of local fish, noting he even considered buying an island during filming. His experience highlighted the region’s dramatic environment, long summer daylight and renowned seafood, reinforcing his admiration for remote food producers featured in his show.

A Greek island valued at £6.9 million is being auctioned for £213,000 due to strict conservation rules that prohibit development and limit infrastructure, making permanent habitation difficult. Makri lies within the EU’s Natura 2000 protected network, allowing only minimal infrastructure and agricultural use. The article also notes a separate auction of Mullagrach Island in Scotland, guided at £350,000 and marketed by Savills as a rare coastal retreat with strong buyer interest.

A 16-year-old boy with a known milk protein allergy died shortly after eating ice cream from a local parlour in Casoria, near Naples. After becoming ill, he returned home and told his father he was fainting before collapsing. Attempts to treat him with cortisone were unsuccessful, and paramedics confirmed his death at the scene. Authorities have seized ice cream samples for testing, and a post-mortem examination will determine whether an allergic reaction or another cause was responsible. Legal representatives and local officials highlighted the need for clarity from the ongoing investigation while the community expressed grief over the teenager’s death.

A travel vlogger highlights the Isle of Tiree as an overlooked Scottish destination featuring white sand beaches, turquoise waters and high sunshine hours. Reached by a short flight from Glasgow, the island attracts thousands of visitors and is often compared to Caribbean landscapes. Wildlife, surfing conditions and glowing remarks from travel writers further emphasize its appeal.

A 22‑year‑old University of St Andrews student, Sacha Murray Threipland, who grew up in Fingask Castle and attended Eton College, now lives in a renovated 2003 Mercedes Sprinter van to reduce living costs amid the cost of living crisis. Renting in St Andrews would cost around £1,200 per month, and he keeps weekly expenses to about £35 while working part‑time. His van has no toilet or shower but includes solar panels, a kitchen and basic amenities. The arrangement allows him to save significantly and prepare for a planned return to Russia for further study.

A woman from Devon recounted how her husband of 16 years confessed to drugging and raping her while she slept, using their son's medication and filming the assaults. His admissions, including an earlier affair, triggered a breakdown that left her struggling to process the abuse. After finally disclosing the full truth to her family during a panic attack, police were contacted and he was later convicted of rape, sexual assault by penetration and drugging, receiving an 11‑year sentence. She has since helped create the #EndWhyCheck campaign, aimed at closing legal loopholes that allow perpetrators to drug, assault and record partners without detection.

A woman who developed a craving for salt and vinegar crisps after travelling through South East Asia tested 40 varieties over several months, ranking them based on flavour intensity. M&S Salt & Double Vinegar Extreme Ridge Cut Crisps took first place, followed by Golden Wonder and Asda’s hand-cooked variety. Her rankings sparked debate online, particularly over Co-op’s crisps placing fifth. She plans to continue with a new taste test focused on prawn cocktail crisps.

A Scottish expat describes moving to Spain as a major improvement in lifestyle, citing better weather, stronger community spirit, lower living costs, and more efficient public services. Despite missing holiday travel, he says the overall quality of life in Spain is significantly better than in the UK.

A financial adviser who worked with National Lottery winners shared an account of a couple whose jackpot brought unexpected problems, including jealousy and strained relationships, ultimately prompting them to consider relocating. The article highlights similar examples of winners whose lives were negatively affected by sudden wealth, including Michael Carroll and Callie Rogers. Camelot is described as providing long-term support to winners through dedicated advisers.

Convicted murderer and cannibal Nico Claux recounts how an early obsession with death led him to work in a Paris morgue, where he first consumed human flesh. His escalating cravings ultimately drove him to murder Thierry Bissonnier in an attempt to harvest more meat, though he was arrested after attempting to forge a cheque. In a podcast interview, Claux described the act as driven more by sensation than taste, comparing human flesh to horse meat but emphasising the psychological rush it gave him.

Gemma Atkinson dismissed the idea that she should have been partnered with Gorka Marquez on Strictly Come Dancing, saying their training dynamic would not have worked. The couple discussed the topic on their podcast, where Gorka praised Gemma for managing their household during his work commitments abroad. Gemma expressed frustration over the amount of time he spends away from home, while the article also notes Gorka’s past Strictly partnerships and absence from the current season due to filming obligations in Spain.

Penny Lancaster recounts a near-death hallucination triggered by morphine during emergency surgery for a slipped disc before her wedding to Rod Stewart. She describes severe reactions to the medication and the urgency of the procedure, which doctors warned could not be delayed. Lancaster also reflects on support from her Loose Women colleagues, who helped her recognise symptoms of menopause she mistook for depression during lockdown. The couple later married in Portofino and share two sons.

Adam Henson describes poor conditions and low grain prices that will leave his farm’s arable operations unprofitable in 2025, noting that only the visitor attraction supports financial stability. Despite his television career, he emphasizes his enduring commitment to farming and reflects on the rewards and pressures of working the land.

Jeremy Clarkson narrowly avoided a major heart attack after being rushed to hospital last October, where doctors discovered severely blocked blood vessels and inserted two stents. Following the scare, he adopted significant lifestyle changes including cutting processed foods and exercising more. Clarkson discussed the incident as the result of decades of unhealthy habits and recent stress. Kaleb Cooper offered humorous commentary on Clarkson’s farming abilities while promoting the new season of Clarkson’s Farm, which recently premiered on Amazon Prime.

Mary Berry says she avoids processed foods to maintain her health, preferring fresh ingredients from butchers and farm shops. She dislikes modern food trends such as kale, favouring cabbage and watercress instead. At a recent awards ceremony, she asked the audience to keep quiet due to difficulty hearing, later revealing she is deaf. She has previously spoken about feeling fortunate to have had only a mild case of polio as a child.

A French court is preparing to try Philippe Schneider, Nathalie Caboubassy and Loup Benrakia for the kidnapping, murder, and dismemberment of Georges Meichler, allegedly committed to steal his cannabis crop. Investigators say Meichler was suffocated, dismembered and his remains boiled and burned before being dispersed across France. Schneider reportedly admitted involvement, claiming the killing was accidental during a botched burglary and describing attempts to disguise the victim’s disappearance. Lawyers for both sides provided limited comment ahead of the trial in Rodez.