Market

New galleries and entrance for city's museum

by Charlotte
written by Charlotte

A museum's entrance could be moved and new galleries created if plans are approved.

Transformation proposals for Sunderland's Museum and Winter Gardens have been officially submitted, after they were revealed earlier this year.

The Grade II listed building will have more space when the city's library moves to the Culture House development on Keel Square in the autumn.

A decision on the redevelopment plans is expected later this year.

The museum was last refurbished more than 20 years ago, according to Local Democracy Reporting Service.

After the entrance is moved, the existing shop will become a learning hub called Growing Space, where visitors will be able to learn about the environment.

An exhibition space will be created next to the new entrance lobby, along with a relocated reception desk and museum shop.

Meanwhile, the city's pottery and glass collections will be moved into a new gallery on the third floor called The Hold.

Other new galleries include Window on Wearside, which will feature "vibrant displays of star objects" to enjoy Sunderland's story of sports and music.

The soon-to-be-vacated library space will become Sunderland Story, exploring the city's history through "mass displays" of early archaeology, ship models and mining lanterns.

Plans for the proposed first and second floors are described as "more limited" but include the creation of a new meeting space, according to planning documents submitted to the council.

Innovation

The brothers keeping firefighting in the family

by Joshua
written by Joshua

"It's basically a family tradition, its something I always wanted to do…I was born and bred into the fire service."

Dave Vickress, from Leintwardine, Herefordshire, is not exaggerating – being a firefighter runs in his blood.

The tradition began with his father, Derek, who served for 32 years for Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service from 1952.

Now, Dave, 62, and his two brothers, Graham, 56, and Robert, 60, have tallied up more than 100 years of service between them as on-call firefighters at the same small station in their home village.

On-call firefighters do the role alongside full-time jobs.

Despite the trio being siblings, Dave described the dynamic with everyone at the station as being "like a family".

"I'm in charge of the station, there's 13 of us…including myself and my two brothers," he said.

"It's good, I like being in charge of them; I sometimes wonder whether they wind me up a bit."

Dave joined the service in November 1981 and worked his way up to becoming watch commander at the station, a role he has held for about 20 years.

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service
The village's fire station has 13 members of staff

Despite moving to Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire, 11 years ago, Dave still works on-call at Leintwardine during the week, despite a distance of more than 100 miles (161km).

"I come up early on a Monday morning and I go back down either late on a Thursday evening or on a Friday…I stop with my sister, Shirley."

His youngest brother, Graham, is about to complete 25 years of service with the brigade in August.

He joined as a firefighter and is now a crew commander but his day job is as a postman.

Middle brother Robert has been a firefighter for 27 years and is also a carer.

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service
The brothers' father was a firefighter for 32 years

Their father, Derek, was what was called a leading firefighter in his day and previous service rules meant he had to retire at 55.

Dave got to spend about two-and-a-half years working alongside him before then.

"It was good, he put me in my place, I learnt a lot off him," he said.

"I was always the one that got dirty if he was in charge."

Reminiscing, Dave said much had changed over the years – from health and safety to diversity and inclusion.

"Even our fire tunics. When I joined, we had a woollen tunic and plastic leggings and rubber boots…now we have full protective equipment," he added.

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service
Graham Vickress attended the Sun Valley factory fire – one of the largest in Herefordshire's history – which burned for three days

With decades of service between them, the brothers have attended some well-known cases in the county.

Dave was present at a huge fire at Bedstone College in 1996 which engulfed the faculty's main building, while Graham attended the 1993 Sun Valley poultry processing factory fire.

"All three of us attended the large fire in Hereford city centre in 2010 too," said Dave.

"Very often we go out to incidents, the three of us are on the same appliance."

Despite the many years of service, Dave is thinking about winding down.

"I'd like to see a couple more years, 65 might be it," he said.

"I owe it to my wife, I've been travelling up and down now for 11 years."

Business

'One day there will be a cure for Parkinson's'

by Faith
written by Faith

A man from Kent who has been living with a diagnosis of Parkinson's has said he tries to stay active and positive every day.

Richard Harvey, from Tenterden, also said he was confident one day a cure for the condition will be found.

World Parkinson's Day is on Friday, with events organised to highlight awareness of the condition and the help available.

Mr Harvey says, despite occasional "dark thoughts", he always tells himself "life could be far worse".

"As long as I can continue to go to jazz concerts at Ronnie Scott's, and the theatre and meet up with old mates for lunches, a positive approach and a supportive partner as I've got with my wife Helen, it is absolutely key to combating the disease," he said.

"Because one day there will be a cure."

RICHARD HARVEY
Richard Harvey has been living with a diagnosis of Parkinson's for three years

He said staying active has been key to his approach to Parkinson's.

"All the literature I read said vigorous exercise for at least two and a half hours every week could help to slow the disease's progression," he said.

"Every Monday I have a fitness session with an ex-army physical training instructor at the Tenterden Boxing Club, on Fridays I work with a specialist Parkinson's trainer and I go on an organised walk each Wednesday."

Getty Images
The actor and musician Michael J Fox campaigns to raise funds and awareness for research into the condition

Parkinson's is a condition in which parts of the brain become damaged over many years, affecting speech and movement.

Famous names affected by the condition include comedian Billy Connolly, the musicians Ozzy Osbourne, Neil Diamond and Linda Rondstadt, and the actor Michael J Fox, who campaigns and fundraises in a bid to find a cure.

As part of World Parkinson's Day hundreds of people around the UK will join together to sing Gloria Gaynor's disco classic I Will Survive from 13:00 BST.

Business

Somerset in Pics: Bath book place at Twickenham

by Danielle
written by Danielle

Meteorological summer is here! And while it may have not felt like it some days this week, Somerset's calendar of events is warming up.

Bath Rugby were on fire on Friday night, booking their place in the Premiership final at Twickenham.

Home Farm Fest is taking place at Chilthone Domer this weekend, and Weston College are performing their musical Echoes of The Stage.

Here is our weekly snapshot of life in the county over the past few days.

PA Media
PA Media

Heading for the final: There were fireworks on and off the pitch at the Rec on Friday night as Bath beat local rivals Bristol 34-20 to book their place in the Premiership final at Twickenham.

Weather Watchers/Nutkin

Lamb season: Weather Watcher Nutkin captured this mother and child grazing on a hill in Priddy.

Gordano School

New lease of life: Gordano School's "Secret Garden" has been given a makeover thanks to the hard work of nearly 40 volunteers from Enjoy Church, who cleared rubble and improved the outdoor learning space.

Pacific Curd Photography
The festival takes place from 6-8 June

For the greater good: The county's charity School in a Bag (SIAB) is hosting its annual fundraiser festival Home Farm Fest from Friday to Sunday in Chilthorne Domer for the 18th time.

Tropiquaria Zoo

Relax and kick back: The Gibbons at Tropiquaria Zoo in Washford take a break every afternoon to "chill and groom each other", according to the zoo managers.

The Playhouse Theatre

Musical journey: Weston College Performing Arts are presenting their showcase production, Echoes of the Stage, at the Playhouse Theatre this weekend. A fusion of song, dance, and drama, their play is a celebration of musical theatre.

Frome Town Council

Disappointed: Fans were left "extremely disappointed" after a Frome Town Council postponed a decision that could have "saved" Frome Town Football Club. The council purchased the club's Badgers Hill stadium in 2022 after its previous owners got into financial difficulties. An anonymous private operator has now offered to lease the ground and buy the team but the council delayed a decision on the deal at a meeting on Thursday.

Industry

UK turns to AI and drones for new battlefield strategy

by Amanda
written by Amanda

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) will spend more than £1bn to develop technology to speed up decisions on the battlefield.

The funding will be one of the results of the government's long-awaited strategic defence review which is due to be published in full on Monday.

The government has committed to raising defence spending to 2.5% GDP from April 2027 with an ambition to increase that to 3% in the next parliament.

In February, the prime minister said cuts to the foreign aid budget would be used to fund the military boost.

Announcing the results of the review, the MoD said a new Digital Targeting Web would better connect soldiers on the ground with key information provided by satellites, aircraft and drones helping them target enemy threats faster.

Defence Secretary John Healey said the technology announced in the review – which will harness Artificial Intelligence (AI) and software – also highlights lessons being learnt from the war in Ukraine.

Ukraine is already using AI and software to speed up the process of identifying, and then hitting, Russian military targets.

The review had been commissioned by the newly formed Labour government shortly after last year's election with Healey describing it as the "first of its kind".

The government said the findings would be published in the first half of 2025, but did not give an exact date.

Healey made the announcement on a visit to the MoD's cyber headquarters in Corsham, Wiltshire.

The headquarters is where the UK military co-ordinates their cyber activities to both prevent and to carry out cyber-attacks.

Defence officials said over the last two years the UK's military had faced more than 90,000 cyber-attacks by potential adversaries.

Attacks have been on the rise, as has their level of sophistication, they added.

Staff at Corsham said they had recently helped identify and block malware sent to UK military personnel who recently returned from working abroad.

They said the source of the malware was from a "known Russian actor".

Both Russia and China have been linked to the increase in cyber-attacks.

Defence officials have confirmed that the UK military has also been conducting its own offensive cyber-attacks.

Healey said it showed the nature of warfare was changing.

"The keyboard is now a weapon of war and we are responding to that," he said.

He said the UK needed to be the fastest-innovating military within the Nato alliance.

As part of the strategic defence review, the UK's military cyber operations will be overseen by a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command.

The MoD said the Command would also take the lead in electronic warfare, from co-ordinating efforts to intercept any adversaries communications, to jamming drones.

Healey said the extra investment being made was possible because of the government's "historic commitment" to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027.

However, the Nato Secretary-General, Mark Rutte, is calling on allies to increase defence spending by more than 3.5% of GDP.

Get our flagship newsletter with all the headlines you need to start the day. Sign up here.

Tech

Pedestrian seriously injured in van crash

by Shannon
written by Shannon

Police have appealed for witnesses after a pedestrian was seriously injured after being hit by a van.

Devon and Cornwall Police said a man in his 60s was hit by a grey Vauxhall van on Winner Hill Road, Paignton at about 18:20 BST on Monday.

They said the man had been taken to hospital with serious injuries which were not thought to be life-threatening.

The force thanked members of the public for their patience while the road was closed and asked anyone with information or dash-cam footage related to the incident to come forward.

Global Trade

What is happening at Reading FC?

by Kristen
written by Kristen

Relegation, points deductions, redundancies, transfer embargoes, five collapsed takeovers, petitions and protest after protest.

To say Dai Yongge's tenure as owner of Reading Football Club has been turbulent would be an understatement.

Since the Chinese businessman took over in May 2017, the men's team have lost 18 points due to deductions, while the women's side have dropped four tiers.

The English Football League (EFL) has extended the deadline for Yongge to sell the club to 5 May.

Why are Reading fans unhappy with owner Dai Yongge?

Getty Images
Fans have been showing their displeasure at games

When Chinese businessman Dai Yongge took over Reading in 2017, the Royals were a play-off final win away from the promised land of the Premier League.

After relegation from the Championship in 2023, the club has been battling it out in League One.

Fans blame a lack of investment in players, points deductions and poor management of the club by the owner for their low position in the football pyramid.

The women's team have also tumbled down the leagues due to a lack of funding while a failed attempt to sell the training ground to Wycombe Wanderers angered fans greatly.

How have the fans showed their anger?

Protests – and lots of them.

Most notably in January 2024 when fans took to the pitch of the SCL Stadium during a home match against Port Vale resulting in the game being abandoned.

On various occasions Reading fans have coordinated throwing tennis balls onto the pitch during matches to delay play.

Masks depicting Dai Yongge as a clown and the carrying of a Reading FC coffin have also been on show at the SCL Stadium during the season.

Reading supporters threw tennis balls onto the pitch in protest against the club's ownership

What has the EFL done?

Many Reading fans have been frustrated by what they perceive as a lack of help from the governing body.

Points deductions from the EFL have been frequent for the club which has consistently broken the league's financial rules.

In mid-March, EFL chairman Rick Parry told the BBC that UK corporate law had stopped them "forcing a sale" of the club.

Days later it emerged that the EFL had disqualified Dai Yongge under its Owners' and Directors' Test and imposed an initial date of 4 April for him to sell up. The deadline has since been extended to 5 May.

How many attempts have there been to sell the club?

Dai Yongge has been publicly trying to sell Reading since March 2024.

This was when the club entered the first "period of exclusivity" in which it would only negotiate with one interested buyer.

Since this process started the club has entered into "exclusivity" periods six times, with five collapsing.

The most recent, and ongoing, is believed to be with Rob Couhig.

Who is Rob Couhig?

Rob Couhig has been involved in negotiations to buy the club

American businessman and lawyer Rob Couhig is the former owner of Wycombe Wanderers.

Couhig had previously been involved in negotiations to buy the club which collapsed.

In March Dai Yongge was involved in court proceedings in which he attempted to obtain an injunction against Couhig, claiming that he was blocking his attempt to sell the Royals.

The resolution of this legal case will be a key element in the sale of the club.

What happens if Reading FC is not sold?

Like so much of the last few years for Reading, the answer to this question uncertain.

The EFL has mentioned in statements about Dai Yongge that it has the power to suspend a club if a director fails to "comply with the requirements of their disqualification".

Reading's season ends with the visit of Barnsley on 3 May, unless of course they extend their season by making the play-offs, a position they are currently just missing out on by goal difference.

If Reading make the play-offs without being sold, the EFL will have to make a huge decision about what happens next.

Innovation

Inquiries ongoing into item found near 'murder quarry'

by Aurora
written by Aurora

Police say their inquiries are continuing after an item was found almost a month ago near a quarry which has been at the centre of investigations into the murders of a mother and son in the 1970s.

Renee MacRae's car was found on fire in a lay-by near Dalmagarry Quarry, south of Inverness, on 12 November 1976 but there was no sign of her or three-year-old Andrew.

Her lover, William MacDowell, 81, was convicted of their murders in 2022. He died a few months later without revealing where he had disposed of their bodies.

Police Scotland said the item – which the Inverness Courier reported as being a potty and carpet – was found next to the A9 on Thursday 13 March.

A spokesperson said officers' inquiries were continuing.

Industry

Call for 'tax on love' visa rules to be changed

by Lucas
written by Lucas

Campaigners have welcomed a much-anticipated review into family visa requirements previously labelled a 'tax on love' by a Bristol MP.

The Home Office said it is considering recommendations which include lowering the minimum income required for a British citizen or settled resident to apply for a visa for their foreign spouse in the UK, currently set at £29,000.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has reviewed the impact of the current visa process on families, including on children's mental health and the right to family life.

Executive director of Reunite Families UK, Caroline Coombs, from Bristol, said "children are the biggest victims of these rules".

The minimum income requirement (MIR) has long been contested by couples who are unable to meet the threshold and, in some cases, are therefore forced to live apart.

First introduced in 2012, it increased from £18,600 to £29,000 in April 2024, as part of measures by the previous Conservative government to reduce immigration.

The Labour government commissioned an independent review of the policy, which has been carried out by the MAC, and was published on Tuesday.

The current threshold applies only to the British partner or settled resident and does not account for potential earnings from the foreign partner once in the UK – a rule the review is also calling on the Government to reconsider.

Market

Oxfam GB puts 265 jobs at risk of redundancy

by Eva
written by Eva

Oxfam GB has said it has taken the "difficult decision" to put 265 of its 2,100 staff at risk of redundancy.

In a statement it said income from retail and fundraising had been impacted by the state of the economy and inflation and increased National Insurance contributions were increasing its costs.

The Oxford-based charity said the move would save £10.2 million on the current financial year salary costs of £78.2m.

Oxfam said it will now enter a consultation process with staff and trade union representatives.

In July 2024 Oxfam GB implemented a recruitment freeze and reduced 'discretionary spending'.

The charity warned it is expecting to make further cuts to spending, although funding for its programmes will be "protected as far as possible".

Oxfam said it was unable to go into detail about which roles would be affected as it was "currently in the early stages of this process and are engaging with our recognised unions and others on the proposals and the rationale for change".