THE day was sunny and very warm, made bearable by a cooling breeze blowing from the Trafalgar Square end.
Thunder flies clung to the skin until they were swept away with sweaty hands or else flicked off – Subbuteo-like – with sticky fingers.
Spectators sat in shirt-sleeves and sun hats, occasionally raising a drink to their lips or slurping at ice creams, while seagulls squawked and circled the ground, looking for remnants of discarded food.
For much of the long and lazy afternoon, the pin-striped deckchairs in front of the West Stand marquee were vacant as important people enjoyed an extended lunch, occasionally popping their heads outside to check the scoreboard on the popular bank.
All the sights and sounds of Scarborough were present for the start of the 130th Festival, just as they have always been, and the cricket itself was of compelling character.
After half-an-hour’s play, Yorkshire were 21-0 after Notts, the bottom club, took up the right of the visiting side to field first.
Half-an-hour before lunch, Yorkshire, the second-placed club, had sunk to 51-6 after insipid batting and inspired work from medium-pacer Steven Mullaney had nipped out three of the wickets and effected a run-out.
A seventh-wicket stand of 132 in 34 overs between Andrew Hodd (96no) and Azeem Rafiq (74) stopped the bleeding, and even inspired a recovery back to rude health as both made their highest scores of the season, Hodd also making his highest score for Yorkshire.
The wicketkeeper deserved a century, but was left stranded when the hosts were dismissed for 282 deep into the evening session, Notts reaching stumps on 38-2.
On a day when 4,979 spectators gathered in glorious sunshine, it was pertinent to ponder initially who was not playing as much as who was.
Yorkshire were without Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid and David Willey due to international calls, while captain Andrew Gale failed a fitness test on a sore back, with Gary Ballance leading the club for the first time in the Championship.
Gale, who has struggled for runs, therefore missed out at a ground where he has scored 1,372 of them in 19 first-class games at 49, including a career-best 272 when these sides last met in the Championship here in 2013.
For their part, Notts were without pace bowlers Stuart Broad (ankle), Jake Ball (international duty) and Harry Gurney (hip), with the visitors handing a debut to 19-year-old batsman Tom Moores, son of former England head coach Peter Moores, the Notts’ coaching consultant.
Despite their depleted bowling resources, Notts could hardly have wished for a better morning session.
There was a strong element of luck about the first wicket, Adam Lyth run-out at the non-striker’s end when Mullaney deflected a drive from Alex Lees on to the stumps.
But there was nothing fortuitous thereafter as Lees pushed at one from Mullaney and was caught at third slip, Jake Lehmann was caught at second slip driving at Mullaney, and Ballance went lbw to Luke Fletcher playing across his pads.
When Tim Bresnan padded up to Mullaney and Jack Leaning followed a wide delivery from Brett Hutton and was caught at third slip, Yorkshire were 51-6 and in disarray.
But Hodd and Rafiq added 46 in seven overs before lunch, and then they frustrated the visitors in the afternoon, Notts failing to build on their earlier good work.
Rafiq, who has a first-class hundred to his name, gradually grew in confidence to the extent that he contemptuously thumped Hutton for four over mid-on towards the Peasholm Park end.
When he chipped the next ball for four just over a leaping Fletcher at mid-on, Rafiq had his third first-class fifty from 75 balls with eight boundaries, a fitting way to mark a day when he was officially re-presented with his county cap – along with Leaning – by the Yorkshire president, John Hampshire.
It took an apparently controversial decision from Neil Mallender to send him on his way, the umpire adjudging him lbw to Samit Patel, a wicket swiftly followed by that of Steve Patterson, who went lbw to Imran Tahir.
Hodd breezed past his previous best for Yorkshire of 68 not out against Somerset at Taunton three years ago, and he added 88 for the ninth-wicket in 21 overs with Jack Brooks, who contributed 48 from 66 balls with seven fours and a six, Brooks chopping on to Hutton.
When Ryan Sidebottom was lbw to Hutton nine balls later, Hodd was left agonisingly short of a fifth first-class hundred, having faced 185 balls and struck 10 fours.
Notts lost a wicket to the seventh ball of their reply when Brooks pinned Jake Libby lbw, and they would have been 1-2 had Leaning taken a low chance at third slip offered by Moores off Sidebottom.
But Bresnan had Moores caught at second slip by Lyth in the final over as Yorkshire completed a fine fightback.
Scoreboard: Page 22.

Yorkshire are left indebted to Andrew Hodd and Azeem Rafiq


THE day was sunny and very warm, made bearable by a cooling breeze blowing from the Trafalgar Square end.


For most of the week I have been carless, which has been a little inconvenient but not drastic, as I am quite capable of walking.
However I had been invited to go and talk to the delightful group at Rufforth again, and needed to find a way to get there.
A couple of bus trips were a possibility, but would have taken ages, and my wonderful garage offered me a courtesy car, while they were fitting a new clutch to my car.
They had slotted me in at very short notice and I knew they were busy so set off to walk there but a lovely neighbour of mine saw me and kindly gave me a lift. I had taken the satnav from my car and it took me to the area but seemed to have hysterics finding the location, but memory kicked in and I found the necessary car park in plenty of time.
The talk went well and I even won a small raffle prize, some hand cream which I am sorely in need of after my recent gardening exploits.
I returned the car for use by another customer and took the dogs for a decent walk.
I am fortunate to have footpaths close to home, which are often very busy but on this occasion rather deserted, and the dogs had a good run.
The next day some friends of mine came over from Scarborough, and we went to the superb water lily gardens at Burnby Hall Gardens here in Pocklington.
It is an internationally renowned site for water lilies and just at the moment the lilies are in beautiful bloom.
Unknown to us we had picked The Teddy Bear Picnic day and there were families of children happily picnicking on the beautiful lawns everywhere we looked.
One of the delights of the lakes are the fabulous and huge carp that inhabit the water, which you can feed with pots of the correct food that is sold for the purpose.
The fish are remarkably tame and gather at the water’s edge with mouths gaping open waiting for the food. Some of them are brightly coloured and very attractive.
Families are asked to supervise their children for safety reasons and most do so, but one little girl had acquired a stick and when she threw the food in to the water, she then tried to hit these valuable fish.
My friend politely explained to her why this was not a good thing to do, and seconds later she was doing it again, and this time I shouted at her and told her to stop.
She reluctantly did so and thought it was very funny.
We decided we were not unpaid babysitters and headed off to have a coffee at the café and then went home to my place where we had a lunch outside in the sunshine. Having put the world to rights, they left.
A couple of days later some other friends came over for the day from Bridlington. I had by this time got my car back.
The lady had brought a spinning wheel and needed help with it and we had a hilarious morning while she reminded herself of how to spin as she hadn’t done it for years.
I was able to donate some fleeces and some bits and pieces to her husband for his craft work and the day went fast as it does with invigorating conversation and humour and I enjoyed it.
So did the dogs who thought they were great, Brillo lay in total ecstasy on his lap and my collie, Fair, lovingly washed his feet.
On Saturday I went with the cricket team to Cawood, to their very pleasant cricket ground and had a tranquil and calm afternoon scoring in the company of an interesting and pleasant gentleman.
On Sunday I went to the South Cave Falconry Centre and had a wonderful hour or so, watching the birds of prey there. They even let me handle one! They have some rare and beautiful creatures which are all in excellent condition.
We had an interesting few minutes locating one that had decided to have an unauthorised fly around but soon came back for a feed.
There were some lovely families there with children who were quite entranced and very well behaved.
I had actually gone to talk about the fleeces from their alpacas but ended up admiring all their animals, from bantams basking in the sun to inquisitive pygmy goats, and a charming rabbit.


For most of the week I have been carless, which has been a little inconvenient but not drastic, as I am quite capable of walking.


At last the wind has changed and we’ve got the thing that dreams are made of (for birdwatchers) – a strong easterly blowing in off the North Sea.
The reason for this is that now the arctic nights are closing in, the wading birds are on the move. Generally we can always bank upon a number of green and common sandpipers breeding in the north of the UK to stop off at our well-stocked muddy marshes on their way south, but if we get easterlies it holds greater promise.
The first to arrive was a pectoral sandpiper; so named for the distinctive band across its breast which generally hail from North America.
It could have come off the westerly winds the preceding week, but as four arrived in the UK all on the east coast it is thought it has come from Siberia across the top of Asia.
It’s the first at Yorkshire Water’s Tophill Low Nature Reserve for six years and has remained a week – much better than the 10 minutes last time.
The weekend also saw four curlew sandpipers drop in, so named for their decurved bill like a miniature curlew.
They are uncommon though this year many hundreds have dropped in down the eastern UK – a welcome bird and the first for four years. That said the winds for the coming week look spectacular – an easterly straight out of the Baltic for the bank holiday!
Yorkshire Water’s Tophill Low Nature Reserve is located four miles from the A164 at Watton and is open daily from 9am to 6pm.
Admission £3.30 adults and £1.50 concessions, for more information visit www.tophilllow.blogspot.com or follow us on twitter @tophilllow.

Tophiil Low Nature Reserve column with Richard Hampshire


At last the wind has changed and we’ve got the thing that dreams are made of (for birdwatchers) – a strong easterly blowing in off the North Sea.


Yorkshire squeezed into the Royal London One-Day Cup semi-finals by beating Kent by 11 runs in a slow-burning thriller under the Canterbury floodlights –
David Willey pinned James Tredwell lbw for 17 with the fifth ball of the 48th over to complete a game which had ebbed and flowed to the delight of a near-capacity crowd of almost 6,000.
Adam Lyth top-scored with 88 from 96 balls, hitting a six and eight fours, as Yorkshire reached 256 for 9 from their 50 overs after being asked to bat.
Matt Coles took 3 for 39 from his ten overs for Kent and Charlie Hartley, a 22-year-old seamer playing in only his third List A game, dismissed both Joe Root, for 45, and Jonny Bairstow in his ten-over stint of 2 for 42.
Hartley, coming in at No 10, then almost took Kent home, scoring 15 in a nail-biting ninth wicket stand of 29 in 6.2 overs with Tredwell before being lbw to Adil Rashid’s googly to the last ball of the 47th over as Kent eventually could make just 245 in reply.
Kent initially slipped to 66 for 4 with Daniel Bell-Drummond, Sam Northeast and Sam Billings all out cheaply, but Darren Stevens and Alex Blake revived them with a fifth wicket stand of 86 in 13 overs.
Kent's Will Gidman celebrates taking the wicket of Yorkshire's Tim Bresnan (PA)
Blake made 50 and Stevens 54 and, when they fell to Willey and Liam Plunkett respectively, it was left to Kent’s lower order to try to get them over the line. Despite their best efforts, they could not quite do it, with Plunkett finishing with 4 for 52 and Rashid bowling some crucial overs at the death.
Blake played brilliantly for 50 from 38 balls, hitting off spinner Azeem Rafiq on to the roof of the Underwood and Knott Stand for six and also including seven fours in a counter-attacking knock that shook Yorkshire’s international-class bowling attack.
Willey, however, cleverly decided to test the 27-year-old with a succession of short balls, one of which hit Blake a nasty blow on the chin, and won the duel when the left-hander flapped at another bouncer and edged through to the keeper.
Stevens, in his benefit year, also batted with great spirit in his 500th match for Kent in all formats – and 742nd in senior cricket overall – but the home challenge faded when he fell to a magnificent one-handed caught-and-bowled by Plunkett, flinging himself to his left.
Yorkshire's David Willey celebrates taking the wicket of Kent's Alex Blake. Picture: Adam Davy/PA.
Will Gidman managed 19, uppercutting Plunkett for six, before giving the same bowler another return catch and Coles, who briefly raised Kent hopes again with a four and two sixes smeared over the legside ropes off Rafiq, was stumped by Bairstow off Adil Rashid’s googly for a quickfire 22.
Willey had earlier pinned Bell-Drummond leg-before for 2 with the last ball of the second over, an inswinging yorker that hit the batsman on the boot, and Kent lost two more top order wickets in successive overs when Northeast chipped Plunkett to short mid wicket on 23 and Billings was beaten by a Steven Patterson off-cutter and lbw for one to his fourth ball.
At least Northeast had helped Joe Denly to add 50 in 9.4 overs for the second wicket, swinging Tim Bresnan’s medium pace into the adjoining building site for six in the process, while Denly drove Patterson for a maximum over long on and had also hit four fours in a 45-ball 31 when he top-edged an attempted swivel-pull at Plunkett and skied to mid on.
Lyth sprang from the traps in the early overs, thumping Mitch Claydon through the covers for four and then hammering a length ball straight for six. Alex Lees, his opening partner, also lofted Claydon for four but, from the next ball, he pulled to deep square leg to depart for 7 and leave Yorkshire 27 for 1 after five overs.
Root then joined Lyth in a stand of 90 in 18 overs that oozed quality, but just when it seemed the England No 3 was moving up the gears he was gone, for 45 from 55 balls with only three fours, brilliantly held on the deep mid wicket ropes by Blake who sprinted to his left and leapt to hold a flat pull and give Hartley the first success of a day to remember.
Bairstow, after one sublime push-drive for four wide of mid on off Hartley, then fell for 7 as he mis-hit to Bell-Drummond at a deepish mid on to give the young seamer his second high-profile scalp.
redwell bowled a typically steady ten-over stint of off spin, though without success, and the return of Coles for the 34th over brought immediate reward when left-hander Lyth was beaten by a fine ball angled across him down the slope which he thin-edged to keeper Billings.
Bresnan and Willey were then removed in the same over, the 39th, by Will Gidman as Kent – who had bowled with discipline and fielded like tigers – began to sense Yorkshire’s unease and turn the screw.
Bresnan, having laboured to 10, scooped tamely to short extra cover and Willey flicked at a legside delivery and was smartly caught by Billings, moving to his right.
Hartley returned to finish his 10-over allocation, almost having Plunkett caught and bowled and then hitting the England one-day international on the grille of his helmet as he tried to pull a short ball that stuck in the pitch. Gidman, meanwhile, beat Ballance with successive deliveries that seamed away from him.
It was no surprise when Plunkett, who could not get going, skied Coles to Northeast at extra cover for 16 from 21 balls, leaving Ballance and Rashid to collect what runs they could from the closing overs.
Ballance, having struggled to 37 from 55 balls, was run out when Rashid turned down a third run and he could not get back to the bowler’s end and Coles pegged back Rafiq’s off stump for 1 to take his competition wicket tally to 24 at 17.41 runs apiece.
A straight four and pulled six by Rashid off Claydon in the final over took Yorkshire beyond 250 but they had looked certain to total nearer 300 when Lyth and Root were together.

Yorkshire survive Kent scare to set up Royal London semi-final date with Surrey


Yorkshire squeezed into the Royal London One-Day Cup semi-finals by beating Kent by 11 runs in a slow-burning thriller under the Canterbury floodlights –


Hospitals/Rugby Club paceman Marcus Edwards bagged all 10 wickets as his side thumped Sherburn 2nds to secure promotion from Division Four.
The former Wykeham bowler bagged all 10 Sherburn wickets for 39 runs as the villagers were dismissed for 85.
Mark Kelly's 34 saw Hospitals to victory despite the best efforts of Ashley Oldroyd, who bagged three wickets.
Lockton pace bowler Andrew Sellers took a cracking 6-10 as Filey 2nds were rattled out for just 43 runs, the villagers winning by seven wickets to keep them in with a chance of beating the drop.
Cayton 3rds won by 34 runs at home to Wold Newton 2nds despite being dismissed for 99, Chris Hodgson taking 3-18 for the visitors.
Captain Mathew Micklethwaite weighed in with 4-16 as the away side slumped to 65 all out.
Bridlington 2nds secured promotion from Division Two with a rapid seven-wicket win at rivals Fylingdales.
Swing bowler Mike Tate took 4-30 and Matty Clay 3-9 as the hosts slumped to 52 all out, Brid easing home for the loss of three wickets to secure promotion and move within seven points of the title.
Great Habton took full advantage of the slip-up by Fylingdales, as they cantered to a 104-run win at home to Ganton, with a trip to basement club Forge Valley 2nds to finish their season they will fancy their chances of nicking promotion.
Rob Richardson's 75 helped Habton to 201 all out, James Richardson taking 5-49 for the visitors.
Dan Reardon, stepping up from the seconds, top-scored with 27 in reply but Ganton slipped to 97 all out in the face of astonishing bowling from Will Curtis, who collected 8-46.
Joe Bayes smashed an unbeaten 135 in Ravenscar's 90-win at a weakened Sewerby 2nds
John Nelson then took three wickets and Oli Duck two as Sewerby slipped to 144 all out.
Ebberston 2nds claimed a five-wicket win at Scalby 2nds.
James Wainwright hit 36 for the home side, but George Hardie’s 3-23 saw Scalby dismissed for 146.
Tom Holmes then hit fine unbeaten fifty and Doug Bentley added 49no to secure the win for Ebberston..
Scarborough 3rds bowler Tom Pratt took 4-7 as his side shot Forge Valley 2nds all out for a paltry 38 all out.
Scarborough won in eight overs, but lost four wickets, though the win keeps them in with a slight chance of beating the drop.
Kirkbymoorside won by four wickets at promotion hopefuls Wykeham 2nds to secure the Division Three title.
Ian Thompson shone for the hosts with a cracking 73 in his side's decent 178-7 and Adam Eustace grabbed 4-29 to put Wykeham in charge only for a superb 72 from Andy Bayes to hand the Moorsiders the title triumph.
Seamer moved into second place but were denied by the rain at Nawton Grange 2nds.
The away side made 226-4 with Josh McNeil making an excellent 72 and Phil Metcalfe 69 not out.
Spinner McNeil then took over with the ball, taking 4-29 but rain intervened with Grange ailing on 85-5 to leave Seamer on 12 points for the game.
Flamborough also remain promotion possibles following a resounding 10 wicket win over Muston.
Dave England took 3-27 to bowl Muston all out for 81, before Luke Dixon’s 56 not out ensured a 20-point win.
Luke Stokoe was the star with bat and ball as nine-man Ravenscar 2nds completed their fine Division Five season with a win over seven-man Scalby 3rds.
Stokoe took 5-15 then made 40 not out alongside Wil Warwick’s 45 not out for a 10-wicket win.
Champs Valley Bar Nomads defeated second-placed Forge Valley 3rds by 15 runs.
Ben Atkinson hit 64 as Nomads made 141-7 despite 4-21 from Neil Arnott.
Stalwart Tim Farrant made 53 in reply, but 4-26 from skipper Tony Hulme made sure of the win.
Thornton Dale 2nds capped their campaign with a five-wicket win over promotion-chasing Wykeham 3rds, who posted 132 all out with Josh Briggs top scoring with 39.
Paul Waring registered the best figures for Dale with 3-21 and then contributed 43, youngster Tom Snowden was the main man with the bat with an unbeaten 56no to get his side home.
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Hospitals/Rugby Club paceman Marcus Edwards bagged all 10 wickets as his side thumped Sherburn 2nds to secure promotion from Division Four.


BECKETT LEAGUE: Edwards takes 10 as Hospitals claim promotion


Talented Bishop Burton College Florists have claimed gold awards at two prestigious RHS shows.
Shortly after securing a prestigious Gold award at this year’s Harrogate Flower Show, six floristry students have done it again and won a highly coveted title at RHS Tatton Park.
The ‘Future Florist of the Year’ award means the team automatically qualifies to compete at the world’s most prestigious flower show, RHS Chelsea, in July 2017.
This is the first time Bishop Burton College will be represented in the renowned show.
The students, all second year foundation degree floristry students, used Rio Carnival as their inspiration, creating a floral costume masterpiece inspired by the Brazilian spectacle.
Featuring exotic flora and fauna including orchids grown locally, the team of students took 10 weeks to prepare the display, hand-drawing each element of the complicated design.
The intricate build took over 100 hours to complete, and used more than 20,000 different flowers as part of the design.
Constructed and dressed prior to the event, the students had just six hours to put the colossal installation in place, remove any damaged materials and add all final touches.
Rules of the show stipulate that only three students and one tutor could work on the stand at any time, so the team worked in hourly shifts to ensure all the students participated and the display was completed in time.
The team was praised by the judges on their exquisite design and use of colour, their superb interpretation of the brief and their excellent workmanship and attention to detail. The team scored the highest grade ever recorded at the event – a stunning 87.5/100.
Bishop Burton College principal Jeanette Dawson OBE, said: “I’m exceptionally proud of the ladies and their achievement at the various shows this year.
“They have literally put in hundreds of hours outside of their studies to create these phenomenal designs and their hard work has paid off.
“I’m looking forward to what they create for Chelsea Flower Show next year– here’s hoping it will be another ‘Best in Show’.”

Budding florists’ blooming great success at RHS events


Talented Bishop Burton College Florists have claimed gold awards at two prestigious RHS shows.


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A former Yorkshire police officer has condemned Humberside Police’s decision not to prosecute a Porsche driver who was caught on camera almost causing a head-on collision.
Driver Damian Hodgson was on the B1253 between Rudston and Bridlington when the woman, at the wheel of a Porsche Cayenne, put her foot down to overtake on a blind bend.
Police are not taking any action against the Porsche driver.
The dash cam footage shows the driver overtake Mr Hodgson, from Carnaby, and a Citroen in front, before seeing an oncoming Skoda.
The Skoda mounted the grass verge while the Porsche veered into the Citroen - leaving both damaged - before speeding away. Despite “overwhelming evidence” Humberside Police are taking no action due to no complaints or injuries from the incident.
“I am very surprised that the police are taking no action against a woman who was very close to causing a fatal collision,” said former officer John Ponter.
Mr Hodgson, who had five passengers including his wife and children, aged two and five, stopped to speak to the Skoda driver, whose car was unharmed. A girl aged around 10 in the front passenger seat was in tears.
The woman (in pink) following the incident who was driving in her slippers.
Mr Hodgson said he stopped further down the road when he saw the elderly couple in the Citroen exchanging details with the Porsche driver after cosmetic damage was caused to both vehicles.
He said: “The Porsche driver told me she thought she was going to die. She was shaking like a leaf and on the edge of crying as she knew she had done wrong. She said she always overtakes at that spot. She said she was picking her husband up from the pub and was wearing a pair of slippers.”
Mr Hodgson said he offered the footage of the incident, on August 14 at 5.15pm, to the drivers of the Skoda and Citroen for evidence, but both declined. Mr Ponter said: “If police have not received a complaint then they should be making enquiries to get a prosecution for this diabolical piece of driving.
Police need to set an example in this kind of situation and at the moment they are encouraging people to be reckless. If the woman in question now goes on to repeat the manoeuvre then there could be serious consequences. The police then would have to answer why they didn’t nip it in the bud earlier."
A Humberside Police spokesman said: “Realistically, officers can only investigate when there are complaints from people directly involved or if someone has been hurt.
“In this case there has been no such complaint and the Porsche driver in the footage did stop at the scene and exchange insurance details with other driver, making them compliant with the Road Traffic Act.
In addition, no one was hurt, therefore no further action will be taken against the driver of the Porsche. The force would like to thank the person who has handed over the footage of the incident, as it will assist with any future investigation if required.”

Police to take no action on slipper driver


A former Yorkshire police officer has condemned Humberside Police’s decision not to prosecute a Porsche driver who was caught on camera almost causing a head-on collision.


Staithes retained the Readers Scarborough Beckett Cricket League Premier Division title after their game at rivals Staxton was rained off.
The visitors were 17-0 when the heavens opened at Staxton, and the five points apiece meant that Staithes secured the title with a week to spare.
Relegated Mulgrave were 88-5 at home to Heslerton when the elements terminated play, Chris Raine aptly shining for the hosts with an unbeaten 34.
Ebberston were frustrated by the weather as they had reduced Cayton to 14-3 when rain stopped play Frankie Beal bagging 2-4, Ebberston will now need to win at home to Filey in their final game of the season, and hope that third-from-bottom Flixton 2nds slip up at home to Scalby.
Scalby were 67-0 before rain stopped play at Carr Lane against Filey, openers Ryan Labuschagne hitting 40 not out and Joe Hills 26 not out.
Hosts Nawton Grange reached 93-5 before the showers halted the action at home to Forge Valley, Charlie Allott hitting 27 and Charles Tindall grabbing three wickets.
Cloughton confirmed their return to the Premier Division after their game at home to Staxton 2nds also ended in a rain-affected draw, the visitors making 55-4 before rain brought play to a close
Pete Milner capped a cracking season for the hosts, taking 3-23.
The only game completed in this division saw Brompton ease to a seven-wicket home win against Cayton 2nds, who were relegated by this result.
Jes Riley hit 28 and Simon Stubbs 21 as the visitors were limited to 128-8, Kit McCrystal and James Allison taking 3-40 and 3-38 respectively.
Fine knocks from Mark Bruce (57no) and Tom Pateman (47no) wrapped up the win and condemned Cayton to the drop.
Wold Newton escaped the drop after their game at Wykeham was rained off with the visitors in control of proceedings.
A superb 59 from Charles Gray helped Wold Newton post 167-7.
Gray then turned in a fine spell of 4-22 to leave the hosts struggling on 89-5 when rain stopped play, the visitors having earned enough points to stay in the first division.
Champions Settrington were handed the 20 points as visitors Grindale conceded, Sherburn also being handed the points by their scheduled visitors Thornton Dale.
Bridlington 2nds wrapped up the Division Two title despite being robbed of a derby victory at home to Sewerby 2nds by the wet weather.
The visitors posted 144-9 from their 42 overs, P Davies top-scoring with 59 and P Hanson adding 38.
Brid looked nailed on to secure victory in reply after Andy Clay had smacked 61 and Elliott Traves 46 not out as the hosts raced to 119-1 from just 22 overs before rain halted the game.
Great Habton secured promotion as runners-up as they had Forge Valley at 32-2 when rain stopped play, rivals Fylingdales only making 106-6 at Ravenscar before the elements took over.
Mark Estill hit 23 for Dales and Guy Shrimpton was unbeaten on 23, while John Nelson bagged 2-26 before the close of play..
Scarborough 3rds' relegation was confirmed as they only made 40-1 from the nine overs possible in their home game with rivals Scalby 2nds.
Wykeham 2nds won the race to claim the second promotion slot in Division Three with points earned before their match at rivals Flamborough was also scuppered by the inclement weather.
The away side dismissed Flamborough for 106, Andy Dixon and Harry Burton hitting 31 apiece, Steve Day taking a superb 5-14.
Burton's 3-24 had the villagers struggling at 55-4 when rain stopped play, Ian Johnson top-scoring with 26.
Seamer 2nds' hopes of stepping up were dashed when their home game against Flixton 3rds was washed out after only 7.3 overs with the visitors on 20-1.
Ryedale looked set to close in on victory on 88-4 chasing 130 to win at Muston when the weather halted their progress.
Veteran Dave Meer smashed a superb 50 and youngster Max Truelove 29 as the hosts posted 129-9, the Pickering side halted with the game well-poised after 20 overs of their run-chase.
Division Four champions Snainton capped a dominant season with a four-wicket home win against Sherburn 2nds despite an excellent 88 not out from Dan Simpson.
The latter took the away side to 166-9, but Michael Kipling smashed a powerful 68 and Liam Cooper as Snainton wrapped up the win.
Cayton 3rds finished their season with a tense 11-run win at Filey 2nds
The visitors were dismissed for 117, Nick Hodgson hitting 38 for the villagers.
Mike Johnson's 64 not out gave Filey a great chance but top bowling from J Smith (4-20) saw them finish short on 106 all out.
Lockton finished bottom of the table after conceding to Wold Newton 2nds.

Staithes claim title as rain wrecks Beckett League programme


Staithes retained the Readers Scarborough Beckett Cricket League Premier Division title after their game at rivals Staxton was rained off.


It was very much a game of two halves, with the first two days bathed in summer sunshine and the second two ravaged by rain and wind. But when the final whistle blew, the consensus of opinion was that York’s Ebor Festival had been an end-to-end thriller.
Sorry about the footballing metaphors. It seems that not even the Olympics can camouflage the start of a new season. But you know what I mean. Certainly you will if you spent a day or four on the Knavesmire last week, lapping up some of the best entertainment Team GB Racing can deliver.
The trendy riposte to those who object to turning the sport into an artificial singing and dancing circus for the alcohol-fuelled masses is that racing should be fun. Well, if York’s meeting wasn’t fun, packing in as it did top-class, competitive racing, on a majestic racecourse, among sensibly-sized crowds that created a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere, then I don’t what is.
It definitely seemed to float the boats of Irish owners Aidan ‘Red’ Shiels and friends, judging by their wild celebrations after HEARTBREAK CITY’S runaway romp in the Ebor itself. Celebrations that even surpassed those the previous day of another owner, Clive Washbourn, who let rip with abandon when his juvenile colt, CONTRAPPOSTO, flew home to snatch second in the big £60,000 Convivial Maiden as a 50/1 shot.
Fun for those whose passion for racing runs as deep as Shiels’s and Washbourn’s equates to revelling in the kind of performances and storylines that emerged from York’s showpiece festival. Here’s my potted day-by-day review, complete with a handful of horses to follow:
DAY ONE (WEDNESDAY)
When the Ebor Festival was washed out by heavy rain in 2008, Juddmonte International Day became the first of four to be abandoned. This time round, the day belonged to POSTPONED, authoritative winner of the near £1 million Group One.
Roger Varian’s 5yo dismissed doubts not only about the wellbeing and form of the yard’s string, but also, and more significantly, the horse’s dubious record over 10f. One of the rare astute uses of a pacemaker, coupled with an eminently sensible ride by the brilliant Andrea Atzeni, put the fears to bed as Postponed made full use of his stamina to stride clear from the 3f pole.
A tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, for which he would surely have gone close last season but for owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s fall-out with previous trainer Luca Cumani, is the logical next step. However, the outcome was also a welcome shot in the arm for the increasingly maligned King George, with the 2015 winner of Ascot’s great race beating into second this year’s winner, HIGHLAND REEL.
The opening day also featured, albeit in a sub-standard Great Voltigeur Stakes, a similarly convincing performance by IDAHO, particularly as he was only just ready after a break and was given a lot to do in rear. As we identified after the Derby, the son of Galileo is a class act, although I wouldn’t be certain that he’ll appreciate the extra 2f of the St Leger, for which he is now a short favourite. His style of running, his turn of speed and his pedigree all point to his optimum trip being 12f or even 10f.
THREE TO FOLLOW: Mutakkayef, Oceane, La Casa Tarifa.
DAY TWO (THURSDAY)
A swathe of well-fanced horses obliged during the week. But a notable exception was the 2yo Frankel filly, FAIR EVA, turned over at 4/11 in the 6f Lowther Stakes. Excuses abounded, but not from seasoned trainer Roger Charlton, who kept a cool head and wisely suggested that she was simply beaten by a speedier offspring of the great horse and is more of a miler than a sprinter. In fact, the winner, QUEEN KINDLY, looked special, and the runner-up, ROLY POLY, is improving rapidly too.
Improvement is also the key word belonging to SEVENTH HEAVEN, who powered to victory in the Yorkshire Oaks, swamping two top-notch rivals, FOUND and QUEEN’S TRUST, who were travelling much more sweetly. Aidan O’Brien’s filly has stepped up dramatically for hold-up tactics and galloping tracks.
THREE TO FOLLOW: Mustashry, Abingdon, Jadaayil.
DAY THREE (FRIDAY)
As the rain clouds hovered, punters were faced with their worst guessing-game nightmare, particularly for a fiendishly competitive renewal of the Coolmore Nunthorpe. In the end, enough rain soaked one of the fastest 5f tracks in the country to allow MECCA’S ANGEL to treat us to a textbook display of polished sprinting. When sold to the breeding sheds at the end of the season, the 5yo grey will surely fetch a fee of seven figures.
Not for the first or last time during the meeting, the runner-up ran a blinder as well, especially as LIMATO was tackling the minimum trip for the first time.
Half an hour earlier, what a delight it was too to see NEMORALIA back in the winner’s enclosure. If ever there was a Group One heroine in waiting, Jeremy Noseda’s filly is it.
THREE TO FOLLOW: Rivet, Via Serendipity, Another Touch.
DAY FOUR (SATURDAY)
Contrary to public myth, most of Irish handler Tony Martin’s UK plots and raids do NOT succeed. But this one did, with knobs on, as 5lb claimer Adam McNamara was showered with glowing praise for steering home HEARTBREAK CITY in the Ebor.
The 6yo dual-purpose gelding had to share the limelight, however, with Gimcrack winner BLUE POINT, who laughed at criticism of his defeat at Goodwood. Yes, he’d been a beaten odds-on shot on the Downs, but only in a massive step-up in class against the best UK-trained juvenile seen so far this season, MEHMAS.
THREE TO FOLLOW: a real shame that Sandown’s Solario day clashed with York. Hope that, as a result, you didn’t miss the eyecatching runs of Persuasive, South Seas and Cartmell Cleave.
Skelton’s gold medal caps the most colourful of life-stories
All kinds of sports received a boost via Team GB’s record-breaking heroics at the Rio Olympics. And thankfully, racing didn’t miss out, courtesy of Nick Skelton, father of Jumps trainer Dan and jockey Harry, who strode to a glorious gold medal. As a youngster in the mid-1970s and early 1980s, I remember watching Skelton as a rookie rider, under the wing of Ted Edgar, when showjumping was shown on primetime TV by the BBC. His tear-jerking achievement in Brazil, made all the more remarkable by his well-documented broken neck and hip replacement, caps the most colourful of life-stories both on and off horseback. I loved how he deflected credit to his admirable mount, the 13-year-old Big Star. But I will love even more the updated version of his superb autobiography, ‘Only Falls And Horses’.
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It was very much a game of two halves, with the first two days bathed in summer sunshine and the second two ravaged by rain and wind. But when the final whistle blew, the consensus of opinion was that York’s Ebor Festival had been an end-to-end thriller.


York’s Ebor Festival proves it is one of the best meetings Team GB Racing delivers


HAD there been anyone in the second team piling up runs, Andrew Gale might not have played in this game.
Why, the Yorkshire captain said so himself.
Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale has been hard at work in the nets. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe.
“If there was a second team lad who was stacking them up, and really putting pressure on, then it would be a case of leaving myself out,” he admitted prior to this match.
“But there’s no one really breathing down my neck.”
Gale, who added that he wanted to be “speaking for myself with runs”, had made 327 of them in the Championship this season at 19.23.
He had managed only one half-century in 18 innings.
Admitting that his form was “a worry”, and that he was “short of confidence”, Gale did what he has traditionally done in such situations – he knuckled down and fought with every sinew.
The result was an innings of 83 at Old Trafford yesterday which, although not the three-figure score he had set his heart on, was testimony to his character, an innings which helped Yorkshire to avoid the follow-on as they made 360 in reply to 494, Lancashire ending day three on 70-0 in their second innings, enjoying a lead of 204.
Had Gale translated his highest score of the season into his first century of the campaign, it would have been a fitting achievement.
It was on his last appearance at Old Trafford in 2014 that he had the infamous altercation with Ashwell Prince that led to him being banned and prevented from lifting the Championship trophy.
That episode was the nadir of Gale’s career, so it would have been a cathartic experience to have registered a hundred.
As it was, he could content himself with a fine contribution, one which restated his personal authority and which helped his side in a sticky situation.
That situation saw the Yorkshire score standing at 55-2 when Gale came to the crease on the second afternoon.
He and Alex Lees added 81 in 42 overs before close of play, and the pair carried on from where they left off in glorious sunshine yesterday morning.
Gale battled through to a half-century from 162 balls with six fours, with Yorkshire building a powerful platform.
But they lost the anchoring presence of Lees when the stand was worth 130, the opener falling lbw to Kyle Jarvis for a splendid 85 after starting the day on 62.
It was a composed performance from Lees, who faced 260 balls and hit 10 fours, and there was no let-up from Yorkshire as Gale found another strong ally in Jake Lehmann.
The 24-year-old Australian – son of former Yorkshire batsman and current Australia coach Darren Lehmann – soon found his feet in his first innings for the club.
With an effortlessness evocative of his father, Lehmann off-drove Jarvis to the foot of the old pavilion and promptly repeated the feat.
There was a lovely cover-driven four off Nathan Buck and a cut off Tom Smith to the backward-point rope as Lehmann raised a fifty partnership with his captain in just 52 balls.
The stand was broken moments before lunch when Gale was caught in the gully by Simon Kerrigan off Smith, playing a cut shot to a ball that deserved the treatment.
Gale was annoyed with himself for picking out the man, but it was a gutsy effort from the Yorkshire skipper.
After lunch, the visitors slipped from 272-4 to 283-7, at which point the follow-on target was still 62 away.
Adil Rashid was brilliantly caught by Haseeb Hameed at short-leg off Kerrigan, the 19-year-old taking an instinctive catch when the batsman flicked the ball firmly off the back foot.
Lehmann played-on at an attempted cover-drive off Jarvis, falling four short of a half-century, and Tim Bresnan went lbw playing back to Jarvis.
But Andrew Hodd and Steve Patterson added 58 in 17 overs, Hodd scoring a vital 43 before being superbly caught by a diving Liam Livingstone, who ran quickly to his right from slip to take the chance at full stretch after the batsman sliced a leg-side drive.
Patterson cover-drove Nathan Buck to the boundary to take Yorkshire to the magic figure of 345, before the same bowler castled him as he aimed towards leg.
Ryan Sidebottom was last out, caught behind off Kerrigan, the Yorkshireman walking before the umpire raised his finger – an example of good sportsmanship in the passionate cauldron of Roses cricket.
Smith and Hameed, the Lancashire openers, played impressively when the hosts replied.
Hameed, looking every inch a future England player, produced some delightful shots as Lancashire extended their lead in the evening sunshine.

Lancashire v Yorkshire (day three): Captain’s innings from Andrew Gale arrives at ideal time


HAD there been anyone in the second team piling up runs, Andrew Gale might not have played in this game.


AT this moment in time, the County Championship title race looks like going right down to the wire.
From the outside, you cannot help but look at the last game of the season versus Middlesex at Lord’s, although there is still a lot of cricket to be played up until then and Middlesex got over the line in good fashion this week and are playing some good cricket.
When you get to this stage of the season, you talk about holding your nerve and we have been there before.
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For us, Leesy is coming into some form and Lythy is and me now as well and, hopefully, we can use that to really start hitting our straps.
I was happy to contribute with 83 in the Roses game at Old Trafford. I wanted three figures and was desperate to get there, but I did occupy the crease for a long period of time and in the context of the game, it was an important knock and I was pleased to get runs.
Coming to the business end of the season, I had said before that we can get our players in form, then it sets us up nicely.
I was pleased to contribute. In the context of the game, there was a lot of rubbish flying around on the field and it was nice to shut up a few of their lads.
We needed 219 from 30 overs at tea on the last day, but decided that the target was just too much and shook hands on the draw.
You have to trust the batsmen out there, I guess, and their decision and the pitch was deteriorating.
There was quite a lot of spin and with our left-handers in the top-order, it was probably a bridge too far. And I think that it was a good statement with us being none down as well.
The last thing we wanted to do was be holding out for a draw, seven or eight wickets down or something like that and it was a decent statement from us, even though we didn’t play our best cricket at times. We came out with our heads held high.
If we had been chasing 150 or 160 going into that last 18 to 20 overs, then it would have given us a good chance. We just felt it was too many to chase.
I don’t think that Lancashire would have gone for it either, to be honest.
Overall, it was a solid draw, although I was a bit disappointed with the way we bowled on the morning of day two as I thought we were exceptional on day one and held our lines and lengths and were patient.
All that hard work was undone by poor bowling on the second morning and it really put us behind the eight-ball.
But the encouraging thing is we got past the follow-on and got back into the game.
Azeem Rafiq, Jack Leaning and David Willey all got their Yorkshire caps before the game and it was a fantastic moment.
The best part of my job is to give caps out like that and see what it means to the lads.
In particular, you could see it for the two lads who have come right through the age groups. To eventually get a Yorkshire cap; you could see the emotion in their faces when they received them.
It was good for David, too. He is starting to win games for us now in the short-ball format, although he probably has not played as many red-ball games as he would have liked and has had a few injury niggles and going into that Old Trafford game, he had a hamstring injury.
But he is starting to win games of cricket and that is why we signed him; for us to be in the hunt – in the white-ball Twenty20 and 50-over competition.
It’s finals day today in the T20 and I am looking forward to it and am going down there and will be in and around the squad.
It is a big day for the club and we want to keep our name in the hat for all three formats and trophies.
Obviously, I would have been liked to have been a part of the white-ball stuff. But when you look down the team sheet when all the international players come back, it is a bloody tough side to get into!

Andrew Gale: Lord’s showdown is looming and we’re really beginning to hit our straps


AT this moment in time, the County Championship title race looks like going right down to the wire.


Scarborough 2nds worked hard for a four-wicket win against Pickering 2nds to keep their slim York League Ebor Division Two promotion hopes alive.
The Pikes were dismissed for 125, stalwart Les Welburn top-scoring with a defiant 41, and Shaun Smith adding 31.
Matt Watson took 5-27 and Elliott Cooper 3-14 as the spinners cast their spell over the visitors.
Kieron Boyes took 3-13 to give the North Marine Road club a few worries but David Snowball's 49 paved the way for the home win and an unbeaten 47 from Neil Elvidge wrapped up the success for Scarborough, who now need to win their last three games of the season and hope the sides above, Carlton Towers and York 3rds, slip up.
William Spencer hit an unbeaten 64, and Danny Foxton 33 as Malton & Old Malton 2nds (166-5) successfully chased down the 163-9 posted by hosts Acomb 2nds.
Driffield Town 2nds' victory at Bolton Percy meant the hosts’ drop into the Premier Division relegation places with just three rounds of the league matches remaining.
Grant Halder (71) was the visitors’ top scorer and 30 each from Jordan Caley and Nicky Johnson helped their side to a total of 216-8.
Tom Atkinson replied with 69 and Jamie Rigby 46 as the hosts were all out 39 runs short of their target Johnny Anderson finishing with 6-56.
Matthew Wilkinson (7-21) produced the best bowling performance of the day as Hull Zingari dismissed local rivals Goole Town for 72 which included an unbeaten 27 from Neil Foster.
The hosts lost three wickets in reply but 36 from Jack Storey was enough to ensure his side climbed out of the bottom two.
York’s six-match unbeaten run ended in spectacular fashion as they were bowled out for just 98 at Pickering, Michael Brown (6-54) and Dan Ward (3-27) doing most of the damage.
The hosts didn’t have everything their own way however as they were made to work hard taking more than 40 overs to reach their target with eight wickets down Ted Patmore (4-25) and Nick Kay (3-24) almost pulling off what would have been a remarkable victory.
Heworth’s relegation was confirmed as they lost by five wickets at home to Beverley Town.
Ian Lynch (58) and Steve Baxter (65) each scored half-centuries as their side recovered from 99-5 to eventually reach 236-9 with Matthew Mudd (3-48) and Sam Welburn (3-42) sharing six wickets.
The hosts reduced their opponents to 11-2 in reply before a partnership of 186 between Olly Grantham (122no) and Anthony Spence (81) all but sealed their fate.
Whitkirk sealed promotion from Division One despite finishing second best in a drawn match at title rivals Malton & Old Malton.
The hosts had Gary Hall (70) and Daniel Harper (47) to thank as they reached 209-9, Paul Johnson taking 5-32 in only his second appearance of the season for the leaders.
Simon and Matthew Webb made 64 and 62 respectively as the visitors closed on 179-6 in reply.
The result extended second placed Malton's unbeaten run to eight matches and victory next week will likely see them join Whitkirk in the Premier Divison next season.
Harrogate retained an outside chance of promotion with a two wicket win as they hosted Beverley Town 2nds.
Brad Dobson (82) top scored the visitors reached 165-9, Abdi Hasan-Ahmed finishing with 3-47.
Alex Nightingale responded with 4-37 but his efforts could not prevent the hosts reaching their target, George Hampson remaining unbeaten on 35 at the close.
With four sides set to be relegated at the end of the current campaign any of the clubs outside the top three could still find themselves joining Osbaldwick, who fate is already sealed, in the third tier next season.
Folkton & Flixton look the least likely to go down after they beat Patrington by 56 runs.
Stuart Stocks proved to be the difference between the sides making 65 in a total of 166 as Jack Eggrett took 3-18.
Chris Mann responded with 4-21 as the visitors were bowled out for 110 which included 32 from Jacob Duffill.
Pocklington must be favourites for an immediate return to Division Two, having spent the entire season in the bottom four.
They were unable to build on last week’s victory going down by four wickets at home to Hornsea despite scoring over 300. Andy Innes made 102 and Liam Serginson 50 as the hosts reached 303-7 from 48 overs.
In a match dominated by the bat Jonathan Fisher (106) responded with his second century of the campaign and Adam Newington made 40 as the visitors reached their target with seven overs to spare.
Sewerby’s Scott Cooper (101) was their star as his side chased down Bridlington’s total of 170 with five wickets in hand.
Earlier John Major had made 84 but Steve Janney with 5-47 helped restrict the home side.
The result leaves Bridlington third from bottom while enhancing Sewerby’s chances of retaining their Division One status.

YORK LEAGUE: Scarborough beat Pikes to boost promotion hopes


Scarborough 2nds worked hard for a four-wicket win against Pickering 2nds to keep their slim York League Ebor Division Two promotion hopes alive.


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Police chiefs in Lancashire have launched a drive to recruit more trained armed officers to respond to serious incidents.
The constabulary has advertised vacancies for a number of Armed Response Vehicle officers.
Trained officers from other forces throughout England and Wales have been invited to apply.
Last month, it was reported that 1,500 more armed officers are to be deployed on Britain’s streets, following the extremist attacks in Paris and Nice earlier this year.
Eighty-four people died when a lorry was driven into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in Nice in July.
Already, 600 new armed officers have been trained by the country’s biggest force, London’s Metropolitan Police, to tackle the terror threat. The officers were introduced in the capital earlier this month.
A Lancashire police spokesman said: “We constantly review intelligence to assess what the threat is to Lancashire and to ensure that we have adequate firearms coverage so that we are able to quickly respond to any part of the county in order to mitigate that threat.”
Lancashire has its own specialised firearms unit based at locations around the county.
In the past, the force has at any one time had nine armed officers on patrol.
The standard issue weapon is the Glock SLP while officers are also armed with the Heckler and Koch G36 carbine.
Tasers are carried by armed response officers, as well as officers from the operations support unit and appropriately trained local officers.
Successful applicants must hold a firearms fitness test certificate and a firearms medical certificate alongside other qualifications.
The Police Federation of England and Wales raised concerns about the time it would take to recruit 1,500 new armed officers.
Steve White, chairman of the Federation, warned it may take up to two years.
He said: “When you’re recruiting 1,500 it’s going to take a lot of time. You’ve got to find the resources, the facilities and the people.”
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Police chiefs in Lancashire have launched a drive to recruit more trained armed officers to respond to serious incidents.


Professional job availability in the North West’s temporary sector has increased by 14% year on year to July 2016 according to research from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo).
The data, provided by recruitment software company, Innovantage, revealed that despite a 7% dip in permanent vacancies, temporary vacancies saw rises across a number of key of professional sectors. The property and construction industry experienced a significant increase of 38% year on year, while demand for professionals in the manufacturing sector rose by 24% year on year.
Moya Rylands, Regional Director at APSCo said: “Despite a dip in permanent job availability, demand for professionals on a temporary basis remains decidedly strong across the North West, growing by 14% year on year to July.”
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Professional job availability in the North West’s temporary sector has increased by 14% year on year to July 2016 according to research from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo).


Sean Dyche doesn't intend to go to Chelsea and try and win with 19% possession, as against Liverpool. But if that's how things work out at Stamford Bridge, so be it!
Since Opta stats began in 2003, no team has won a Premier League game with such a small share of the ball, though the only statistic that counted against the Reds was the Clarets scoring 100% of the goals.
Dyche has long been of the opinion that pressing is the new passing, and he feels Burnley's transitions - the ability to move from defence to attack, and vice versa - will be crucial to their success in the top flight this season.
Looking back at the win over Liverpool, he said: "We have different stats, ours was 28% possession, but the main stat is the scoreline.
"The difference is teams are now playing more football away from the goal, a lot of possession and not always looking to penetrate, or trying to penetrate by keeping the ball and making the opposition lose their shape, or come out of their shape.
"You've got to know when to press, that's the secret.
"We pressed well for the first goal, and the second with the breakaway.
"The knowledge base is when to press, and how to work on transition.
"I said three years ago transition is the future of football, not because I had a crystal ball, but I felt that was how the game was going, how quickly you can turn attack into defence, defence to attack.
"Reforming your shape to defend, breaking from your shape to attack.
"I spoke many times about that need for transition – but obviously, I’m Sean Dyche!"
https://mobile.twitter.com/mrSheqiri/status/768154010322923520/video/1
There is thought behind the pressing, not just running around closing the opposition down like headless chicken, and though Burnley choose the ideal moment to press, their running stats remain as high as ever: "Their physical stats were really strong against Liverpool. We were actually pressing, but if you come out of shape too early those top players will pick you off. Not all teams will do that to you, but some of them will because they have so much talent.
"The two boxes are where it’s all happening, because loads of teams can do well in the middle bit. I think Leicester were a shining example of that. They were superb at defending their own box and clinical at the other end."
Burnley now know they can keep a top opponent at arm's length and retain a threat, which appears an improvement on two seasons ago: "That’s learning, and developing as a group. And experience of course. Some of our players are still here from the last time. We’re finding different ways to win
– we did that last season. And it’s not just about what we ask them to do. It’s about using their own game knowledge.
"Each game plays out differently, and you’ve got to be flexibly-minded. During a game is
where your trust in the players comes in, if you need to alter the shape depending on how the game’s going.
"At half time of course you can tell them what you see is happening, but it’s up to them to change things as they’re playing too. We do have some obvious tactical options, but player knowledge is an important thing and I thought they did that very well last season.
"It’s important to know how to play a game like (Liverpool). We were 2-0 up pretty early, so do you go for three, four or five, against Liverpool? I don’t think you do.
"So at half time the directive was quite clear – we defend with the right shape, the right mind, which
includes the ability to attack, particularly on the counter. And four or five times in the second half we were inches away from getting another opening.
"Each game changes, and we’ve learned that as a team, and as a staff."


Sam Vokes knows that the Clarets will be required to dig deep once again if they’re to take anything from the game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Sean Dyche’s side penned in against Liverpool to win the fixture at Turf Moor with just 19% possession - the lowest total by a winning side in the Premier League since Opta began recording the statistic in the 2003-04 season - though the level of resolve, organisation and discipline shown from the hosts was unquantifiable.
The Blues have bossed possession in both of their opening fixtures, boasting 62% possession against West Ham and Watford while totalling 29 shots in those victories.
“You saw how resolute the boys were and how they stuck in in the second half to get that result (against Liverpool),” said Vokes.
“There was a lot of possession in our half and you see the shape we had and how well we kept it.
“It was about digging in in the second half and it was tough, myself and Andre obviously dropping in deeper, and you saw the class they had so it was good to come away with three points in the end.
“It’s part of our game, high pressing, and getting on them early on, so for us to do that against a strong Liverpool side was good.”
The Clarets kept 20 clean sheets in the Championship last term and, when faced by Jurgen Klopp’s Europa League finalists, they illustrated that they’re more than capable of shutting teams out in the top flight.
Diego Costa has so far scored twice in the league for Chelsea this season while Michy Batshuayi has netted three times in all competitions.
However, Vokes is confident that his team-mates will put their bodies on the line to keep the home side out in the country’s capital.
“There were a lot of balls in the box and we dealt with it well,” he said. “Tom (Heaton) didn’t have a great deal to do against Liverpool for the amount of pressure that they had and I think that’s credit to our defence.
“They dug in, headed everything and put their bodies on the line and getting that clean sheet was massive.”
The Welshman added: “It was a big performance from the boys. It’s a strong unit and we know how to defend, so when we get in the lead we are fighting for everything.
“There was bodies on the line and it was a hard defensive game, but I think we dealt with it well.”

Clarets will need to show same resolve against Chelsea - Vokes


Sam Vokes knows that the Clarets will be required to dig deep once again if they’re to take anything from the game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.


In the final, chaotic months of the Second World War, a young German soldier pits himself against the remnants of the brutal SS in a bid to save the woman he loves.
But it’s a race against time as the merciless Soviet army is closing in with only one single-minded aim… to wreak revenge on their despised German enemy.
Irish-born William Ryan, author of a string of crime novels set in 1930s Stalinist Russia, moves out of what has become his ‘home’ territory and into the dying days of the Second World War in a thrilling, beautifully written and breathtakingly powerful story of evil, inhumanity, love, hope and redemption.
One man’s crusade to right the wrongs of his countrymen and repay a haunting personal debt becomes a gripping battle for survival in an Upper Silesian village in central Europe where he grew up.
In 1944, Paul Brandt, a soldier in the German army, returns wounded and consumed with guilt from the bloody chaos of the Eastern front to his village home in Silesia, annexed from Poland by the Germans.
Brandt’s face is badly disfigured by a Soviet explosion during the retreat from Russia and he has lost both an arm and his enthusiasm for life. But, deeply ashamed of his enforced military service with the Wehrmacht and haunted by an event at the start of the war, he is determined to make amends.
Much has changed in his village where the residents live in the dark shadow of an SS rest hut, a luxurious retreat for the Nazis who manage the nearby concentration camps. Modelled to look like a pre-war holiday camp, the rest accommodation is run by a small group of female prisoners who, against all odds, have so far survived the war.
When, by chance, Brandt glimpses one of these prisoners, he realises that she is a face from his guilty past and he knows he must find a way to access the hut. His fate has been tied to Agneta Gruber since their arrest five years before and now he must do all he can to protect her.
As a wounded German hero, Brandt secures a job as the rest hut’s steward but, with the Russian offensive moving ever closer, the days of the Nazi ‘holiday camp’ and its SS inhabitants are numbered.
And while hope for Brandt and the female prisoners grows tantalisingly close, the danger is also now greater than ever. Because in a forest just to the east, a young female Soviet tank driver awaits her orders to advance…
Ryan moves up a gear in this brilliant, emotionally-charged story which combines a poignant romance with an edge-of-the-seat thriller. But what impresses most is the author’s powerful writing which blends taut action sequences with passages of soaring literary beauty.
Inspired to write the novel by photographs of some of the worst perpetrators of the Holocaust relaxing and enjoying themselves at the real-life Silesian rest hut at a time when Auschwitz was at its most lethal, Ryan wrote this story from the heart.
And Brandt’s one-man mission, set amidst the terror, uncertainty and turmoil of the disintegrating Nazi machine, is certainly portrayed with mesmerising atmosphere and shocking veracity.
The dark and ever present threat of the ruthless SS masters and the approaching menace of the Soviet army are thrown into stark relief by the quiet power and unquenchable flame of enduring love.
A modern classic from a master storyteller…
(Mantle, hardback, £16.99)

Book reviews: The Constant Soldier by William Ryan


In the final, chaotic months of the Second World War, a young German soldier pits himself against the remnants of the brutal SS in a bid to save the woman he loves.


The carpet of litter to Finsley Gate Wharf is shrouded in vegetation. As artist Stephen Turner said, nature is “reclaiming” the area. Perhaps we should too.
But instead of seeking to control and transcend nature, Stephen’s work with The Exbury Egg and Super Slow Way is reconnecting people to both the area and each other, as well as helping us to find our place beside it as an equal, not a usurper.
CANALSIDE: Children exploring The Exbury Egg, taken by Samantha Walsh. (s)
Eco-friendly
Stephen once lived in this egg, floating along the canal.
Now it’s anchored in the old boatyard of Finsley Gate Wharf, set against musty cottages and slabs of concrete. But then there is a froth of green: trees and plants spilling over.
A registered boat, it’s entirely eco-friendly. It has a bed, a shower, a heater and a paraffin stove. Life in this house is governed by nature: having no electricity, Stephen woke and slept according to the rolls of the sun.
Stephen Turner making quills out of feathers, taken by Samantha Walsh. (s)
It may have been stripped-back but the man’s talent and foresight are anything but. Pieces of wood drifting along the canal have been melded into a chair; ash from the stove amassed into drawing pastels; acorns boiled down into ink; and blackberries have been mushed into dye. In fact, the entire egg is made of recycled material.
“It’s about,” Stephen said, “getting over the idea of ‘waste.’ When you welcome people and help them to feel like a place is theirs, they start to care about it - and they take responsibility.”
Oneness
Everything is connected, he believes - and equal too.
EXBURY EGG: One of Stephen Turner's pupils in fishing, taken by Samantha Walsh. (s)
“There is beauty here,” he said. “It’s a matter of thinking positively.”
Stephen pointed to around 20 plastic bags, which could entangle birds, on the canal.
“No other species has the capacity to harm like we do. And we do it thoughtlessly”.
Believing it vital to understand the role of all things, he’s been teaching residents to fish - even maggots are essential.
EXBURY EGG: Fishing lessons on the canal, taken by Samantha Walsh. (s)
“We’re on a level with everything else but the problem is we think we’re above it. We use and abuse for short-term interests but this creates more problems.”
It’s why he hosted a “nature safari” examining the site’s common wildlife.
“Life’s not all about the rare and the special,” Stephen added.
It’s something we can apply to our relationships, to the habit of putting people in “leagues” determined by random things we’re born with like wealth, intelligence and beauty.
Resident reception
“People have shown they care about the area and want to pass information on. They wouldn’t let us cancel our night-watch despite the bad weather.
EXBURY EGG: One of Stephen Turner's pupils in fishing, taken by Samantha Walsh. (s)
“Traditions could be made here, creating a cycle of connecting.”
Ruth Shorrock, Community Coordinator for Super Slow Way, said: “Residents know the site’s history. They’re taking their ownership back and setting the seeds of connection.
“And when the families were fishing, youngsters were happy to do it for hours.”
It’s removed from the stereotype of society: people hunched over their mobiles; hours spent surfing the web; families eating in separate rooms.
As Ruth added, “We’re not geared up to live the way we do.”
Lessons in mindfulness
Super Slow Way works to refresh people’s attitude to fast-paced living.
“As a society,” Stephen said, “we want to do everything quickly, have a short attention span and make things shallow.
“We have short-term thinking but if we took things more slowly, we’d be able to understand them better. Thinking ahead is a way to slow down and make things that last”.
“We could then invest them with greater meaning. After I’d made the ink I began writing letters to offer something personal, a one-off. The time spent gives them more presence.”
There’s also the benefits to one’s mental health. The instantaneousness of Facebook connects strangers from all walks of life and technology frees up time for passions; but the “more, more, more” mind-frame that often comes with them can lead to obsessions, dissatisfaction and unhealthy competition.
Life is a matter of balance, taking “the best of the new”, Stephen said, and mixing it “with the best of the old.”
Instant access can boil up addictions: a need to be forever admired, in control or front-running. We care about the glossy print, forgetting the joy of writing our stories.
Nature’s cycles remind us life carries on. It withers and regrows after fruition - yet we limit ourselves by living like the fruit is the be-all-and-end-all.
Nature transcends our control, presenting uncertainty. It teaches us to move with life, not against it; and to see the bigger picture.
“When we connect to it,” Stephen said, “we learn to enjoy the uncertainty of life - it becomes a thrill.”
Events
Tonight: moth-watch, 9pm - midnight; Thursday, 5-30 - 6-30pm: open meeting. Monday, 11am: blackberry pick (meet in the boatyard) to make jam for an auction raising money for Burnley Wood Community Centre. Sunday, October 16th: full-moon viewing with food and haiku-writing; binoculars provided. Daily, 5 - 6pm: egg open to the public.
Book on the moth-watch at Burnley Wood Community Centre. Spaces are limited.
For more details visit www.superslowway.org.uk
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The carpet of litter to Finsley Gate Wharf is shrouded in vegetation. As artist Stephen Turner said, nature is “reclaiming” the area. Perhaps we should too.


The Exbury Egg is teaching us to reclaim peace through nature


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This stunning photo of a horse on top of Spire Hill was sent in by Andrew Klavins.


Three bus drivers from Burnley and Pendle have picked up special long service awards having been behind the wheel for a combined 120 years.
Munir Hussain and M. Z. Hussain, from Burnley, and Alex Pomponi, from Barrowford, have clocked up 40 years service each for Transdev and its predecessors.
The trio were joined by colleagues, family and friends at a celebration of service awards, which recognise the dedication of Transdev staff based at depots across east Lancashire.
Others collecting accolades on the night included Frank Atkinson, from Accrington, one of Northern England’s longest serving bus drivers at 45 years, and Michael Boyes, from Blackburn, who has also reached the 40 year milestone.
Transdev chief executive Alex Hornby, who presented the awards, said: “I’m extremely humbled by the remarkable passion and dedication shown by all of those who received their awards, both to our company and our customers, the people of Lancashire.
“Between all of those who received awards on the night, we calculated that in total they had achieved over 600 years of sterling service.
“That’s an incredible achievement, and we at Transdev are sincerely grateful for all they have done and continue to do for us and for Lancashire.”
Transdev operates buses based in Blackburn and Burnley across East Lancashire and beyond, including the X43 WitchWay Express between Skipton, Burnley and Manchester, and the X41 Red Express linking Blackburn, Accrington and Haslingden with Manchester.
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Three bus drivers from Burnley and Pendle have picked up special long service awards having been behind the wheel for a combined 120 years.


Burnley bus drivers celebrate over 100 years of service


Burnley re-emerge as favourites to land Hendrick


Burnley have re-emerged as favourites to land Derby County midfielder Jeff Hendrick.


Police have said they are increasingly concerned for the welfare of a 13-year-old girl who has gone missing from Nelson.
Jessica Wallwork was last seen at approximately 8-45pm on Sunday (August 28th) when she left an address in Railway Street in the town.
She has not made contact with friends or family since then, and is not answering her phone.
Anybody who has seen her, or has information about where she might be, is urged to contact police immediately.
PC Fiona Hall, of Nelson Police, said: “Both we and Jessica’s family are extremely concerned about her and we would ask anybody who knows where she might be to get in touch.
“Similarly we would urge Jessica, if she sees this appeal, to get in touch and let us know she is safe.”
Jessica is described as white with shoulder-length, light brown hair. She was last seen wearing a blue hooded top with "LEC" on the front, light blue skinny jeans and a cream-coloured handbag. It’s possible she was wearing trainers.
Anybody with information should contact police on 101, quoting log number 955 of August 29th.
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Police have said they are increasingly concerned for the welfare of a 13-year-old girl who has gone missing from Nelson.


Increasing police concern for missing Nelson teenager


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Team Pendle stormed to success at this year’s SPAR Lancashire School Games county finals in Blackpool.


A budding Burnley restaurant has won ‘Restaurant of the Year’ for the North West at the English Curry Awards.
A budding Burnley restaurant has won ‘Restaurant of the Year’ for the North West at the English Curry Awards.
Shimla Spice on Church Street scooped the prestigious award at an event at the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel on August 22nd just 14 months after opening.
Owner Faisal Hussain, who also has successful branches in Yorkshire, expanded into Lancashire as a ‘challenge’, and has seen his restaurant thrive in the red rose county.
“When we first opened a lot of people said we were going into territory which is not good - we’re Yorkshire-based and we’re going into Lancashire!” said Faisal. “But in Burnley we’re doing extremely well, we’re very proud.
“Lancashire was a good move; it was more of a challenge for me to open a restaurant over the border - a flagship branch. I wanted new challenges, new customers, new clientele, different competition. And we’ve thrived.”
Having claimed the title as ‘Best New Indian Restaurant’ at last year’s English Curry Awards, the excellent Shimla Spice went one step further this year, confirming their place as Burnley’s premier Indian restaurant.
“90% of Asian people from Colne, Nelson and Burnley who used to travel to Manchester just to get a good curry now save the trip, which is a good sign,” explains Faisal. “We even get people coming from Liverpool and Manchester who come to us. We’ve switched it around.”
A proponent of classic, rustic Pakistani cuisine, Shimla Spice offers diners an elite culinary experience and has received praise from all angles.
“We’ve got one one particular dish - the desi chicken karahi,” Faisal says. “It’s a very authentic Pakistani home-cooked dish. I’ve had restaurateurs that have been in the curry business for 40 years who have said this is one of the best chicken karahis they’ve ever had.”
The key, explains Faisal, is the quality of ingredients, which allows the traditional recipes and spices to thrive and create a unique and outstanding taste for customers.
“With the meats that I buy, I’ve got control,” Faisal explains. “I say ‘I want fresh, I want the chicken to be so-and-so age, I want my mutton to be only so-and-so age’, which reflects in the dish because if you’re having a meat dish and the meat is really old and chewy is has an overall impact on the dish, even the flavours that it executes.”
And to say Shimla’s methods appear to be working very well indeed would be an understatement.
“We’re different,” Faisal says. “There’s no restaurant in Burnley quite like ours.” And one finds it hard to argue given Shimla Spice’s results.

Burnley restaurant claims prestigious award


A budding Burnley restaurant has won ‘Restaurant of the Year’ for the North West at the English Curry Awards.


Ben Mee hailed one of the best defensive performances that’s he’s been a part of after the Clarets shut Liverpool out at Turf Moor.
The Reds had scored four times against Arsenal at the Emirates on the opening weekend of the campaign but failed to find a way through a resilient Burnley back line as the home side registered an impressive 2-0 win.
Despite Sean Dyche’s side having just 19% possession - the lowest total by a winning side in the Premier League since Opta began recording the statistic in the 2003-04 season - they limited Liverpool to just five shots on target.
“It was a classic performance,” he said. “We found it tough to get out and keep the ball but we have two lads up top who have produced for us.
“We defended well and for the amount of possession that they had we’ve been so comfortable.
They haven’t really threatened us too much aside from a few chances from outside the box. They’re a great team so it was nice to get a clean sheet against a quality opponent.”
Mee added: “That’s been one of the best - with the partnership with Keano and the back five in general. The whole team dug in and the distances were really good.
“It wasn’t the plan, we never like to do that, we always like to press and do it as much as we can. It just kind of worked out like that.
“They had a lot of bodies in midfield and we were struggling to get hold of the ball. On days like that you have to dig in and defend well. We defended well as a unit and as a team.
“They kept getting the ball out wide but any crosses that came in we dealt with them. We were pleased with that. Everyone has worked hard.
“We defended everything that came our way. We were so compact and organised. It’s testament to us that they didn’t really create any proper goalscoring opportunities.
“We’ve got belief in the squad, we’re a good side, we’ve got lads who can score goals and we know that we can keep clean sheets. To get a win against a side like and keep a clean sheet is massive.”

Mee proud of defensive display in Liverpool win


Ben Mee hailed one of the best defensive performances that’s he’s been a part of after the Clarets shut Liverpool out at Turf Moor.


Meet a witch on a dangerous mission, a fabulous fantasy queen and a cast of colourful picture book stars in a glittering array of new titles from Macmillan Children’s Books.
Age 9 plus:
Fire Witch by Matt Ralphs
English history, thrilling adventure and a bewitching heroine…
Matt Ralphs is back with Fire Witch, the red-hot sequel to Fire Girl, and our fiery, fearless witch Hazel must gather her wits and steel her nerves to join her enemies and try to save her mother.
Packed with intrigue, danger, nail-biting tension and flashes of rib-tickling humour, these page-turning stories featuring an extraordinary girl are addictive reading for young fans of fantasy, drama and… witches!
The Civil War in England is over, Oliver Cromwell rules the land and a new battle is raging… between the people and the witches. Twelve-year-old HazelHooper is no ordinary girl. She is a Fire Witch, she can wield and manipulate flame and she is getting stronger all the time. But she is also angry because her mother Hecate had to sacrifice herself to the demon world in order to stop a demonic invasion. Hazel must fight on alone and she is determined to get her back, whatever the cost.
Her only chance to find Hecate is to seek advice from brilliant demonologist Nicolas Murrell, the Order of Witch Hunters’ most prized prisoner, and the man who summoned the demon responsible for Hecate’s fate. With only Bramley, her grumpy dormouse familiar for company, Hazel must disguise herself as a boy and infiltrate the black heart of the Order of Witch Hunters to speak to Murrell before he is executed. But can he be trusted? Will Murrell reveal to his captors that their newest apprentice is actually… a witch?
Ralphs has always been fascinated by witches, ghosts and anything that sends a shiver down his spine and this magical series is the perfect creation of his high-flying, super scary imagination.
A world of supernatural in the midst of terrifying real history…
(Macmillan, paperback, £6.99)
Age 10 plus:
The Hunting of the Princes by Peter F. Hamilton
Also dabbling in the wondrous world of fantasy is Peter F.Hamilton, the UK’s bestselling adult science fiction author, who was inspired to write for a younger audience by his own two children.
The Hunting of the Princes is the second book in his original and gripping Queen of Dreams trilogy which began with The Secret Throne and has all the hallmarks of a memorable modern classic.
Sprinkled with atmospheric black and white illustrations by Rohan Eason, this gorgeous fantasy series is a vivid, magical adventure featuring amazing kingdoms, daring quests and deadly menace.
Taggie Paganuzzi has had a busy year in the beautiful old market town of Stamford in Lincolnshire. Her mum was a Third Realm sorceress and now Taggie has inherited her family’s magical powers. From finding out she is the queen-to-be of a magical realm to learning to use her magic skills and discovering that the King of Night wants her dead, there have been a lot of ‘firsts.’
Assassins have been targeting royal heirs throughout the magical realms and now someone has tried to kill Taggie whilst she was cycling back to her home. Everyone thinks the King of Night’s army, the Karrak invaders, are responsible and that war is inevitable. But Taggie has found out two very interesting facts. Firstly, that the Karraks come from a cold, dark universe and cannot abide warmth and light. And secondly, that there was once a gate to this universe, now lost in the mists of time. If Taggie and her friends can find the gate, perhaps they can also stop the war? But to do that, they need to find a Karrak willing to take their side…
Hamilton conjures up a thrilling alternative world in which good must overcome evil, children are pitted against powerful enemies and a fantastic cast of amazing animal characters add to all the fun and fantasy. Don’t miss it!
(Macmillan, paperback, £6.99)
Age 3 plus:
Flying Lemurs by Zehra Hicks
This funny, reassuring story about overcoming fears and discovering hidden talents is the latest inspirational book from Macmillan’s new imprint for young children, Two Hoots.
A zingy, zany tale bursting with high-octane energy and an adorable cast of high-flying animals, this gorgeous circus-themed odyssey comes from talented author and illustrator Zehra Hicks whose speciality is telling stories through pictures.
Everyone in the lemur family is good at jumping, a talent which comes in handy as they are all circus performers. Mum is a brilliant trapeze artist, Dad’s trampoline routine is absolutely huge and Grandma’s speciality is being shot from a cannon.
Unfortunately little Lemur is not so good at jumping… in fact, he’s not even a fan of heights. He just can’t jump, no matter how hard he tries. But there are other things that Lemur is good at – throwing custard pies, skateboarding and playing the tambourine – so maybe with a bit of practice, he can become the best circus performer of them all!
Hicks ramps up the visual and verbal drama of this fun and warm-hearted story with her multi-textured illustrations, painted here by using bamboo and a bold palette of colours. Having fun, accepting life’s triumphs and disasters, and discovering the importance of family love all come under the spotlight in a sparkling and inspirational picture book.
(Two Hoots, paperback, £6.99)
Age 3 plus:
More People to Love Me by Mo O’Hara and Ada Grey
Modern families come in all shapes and sizes… and sometimes they are extra super-sized!
Mo O’Hara, author of the popular My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish series, delivers the perfect picture book for the step family generation in this moving story about a little girl with so many branches to her family tree that she runs out of space to draw them all.
Asked by her teacher to draw her family tree, the little girl just doesn’t know where to start. She’s got her mum and dad, her sister Cee Cee, her stepdad David and her stepmum Sharon. And then there are her mum’s new baby twins, her step brother Michael and no one must forget about Happy the tortoise. But the tree is starting to get rather crowded because there are all the grandparents to fit in as well. There’s only one thing for it, the family tree is going to have to grow!O’Hara was inspired to write by her own children’s positive experiences of being part of an extended family and felt that this was
rarely depicted in picture books. The result is a warm and moving tale about one little girl and her family that keeps on growing.
The gentle, reassuring and playful story is complemented by Ada Grey’s charming illustrations, reinforcing the message that every family is different and the bigger the family, the more people there are to love… and to love you back!
(Macmillan, paperback, £6.99)
Age 3 plus:
The Hippopandamouse by Jools Bentley
Nobody’s perfect… and sometimes being imperfectly different makes you special!
Author and illustrator Jools Bentley plays with traditional expectations in this cute and clever story about a little princess who falls for the only toy in the shop that doesn’t have a name.
Princess Flo has pocket money to spend so she heads off to Fluffley’s Fine Toys, the best toy shop in town. Everybody there has been working very hard to prepare for her visit – so hard, in fact, that one of the cuddly toys has ended up as a strange mix of a hippo, panda and mouse. The shop’s owner Miss Fluffey is eager to show Princess Flo the cuddly teddies, cute kittens and perky penguins, all perfect for a royal princess. But to everyone’s horror, Princess Flo spots the strange looking toy. The part hippo, part panda and part mouse is a total and utter mistake! But Flo loves this toy being different, seeing something unique and special in the strange animal. All he needs now is a name… Hippopandamouse!
Wise, witty and wonderfully warm-hearted, the tale of The Hippopandamouse is a beautiful, big-hearted story, gorgeously illustrated and simply perfect for little princesses everywhere.
(Macmillan, paperback, £6.99)
Age 3 plus:
Prince Ribbit by Jonathan Emmett and Poly Bernatene
Hop, skip and jump into this brilliant new picture book from top team Jonathan Emmett and Poly Bernatene.
Well-loved fairy tale, The Frog Prince, gets a dashing, daring makeover as ever popular author Emmett and talented illustrator Bernatene put a devilishly clever twist in the not-so-handsome frog’s tail.
One day, Princess Martha and her sisters, Princess Lucinda and Princess Arabella, are listening to the story of The Frog Prince. Lucinda and Arabella love romantic tales and their happily-ever-after endings, but Martha isn’t so sure. She prefers facts to fairy tales, and likes real frogs more than enchanted ones, and besides, clever Martha knows that not everything written in books is true.
Unknown to the sisters, a clever little frog is listening to the story and it sparks a bright idea. If he can convince the gullible princesses that he is actually a prince, perhaps he could start getting some royal treatment of his own. So is Prince Ribbit really a handsome prince, or just a plain, ordinary frog?
There’s only one way to find out… pucker up princesses, it’s time for true love’s kiss!
Emmett works his own brand of fairy tale magic as he transforms a classic tale into a feast of smiles and smoochy surprises while Bernatene’s stunning and superbly detailed illustrations provide a feast of colour and fun.
A picture book that all the family can enjoy…
(Macmillan, paperback, £6.99)
Age 3 plus:
Dear Zoo Drawing and Colouring Book by Rod Campbell
Rod Campbell, creator of the classic, much-loved Dear Zoo books, has been a trusted name in early learning for over 30 years and he’s back with this inspirational first drawing and colouring book.
Dear Zoo, an ingeniously simple, lift-the-flap book with touches of gentle humour, introduces pre-school children to the wonder and variety of wild animals, and now a new generation can join in all the fun and draw their very own zoo full of amazing creatures.
There are 32 pages of drawing, colouring and doodling featuring all the animals from the original story. At the top of each page, little ones are told what to draw and given a helping hand with many of the pictures already started.
Packed full of simple activities that are perfectly pitched for pre-schoolers, the book’s large, square, extra thick pages can be peeled off the pad, stuck to walls at home or even put in a frame if they are special mini-masterpieces.
Draw bananas for the naughty monkey, give the fierce lion big sharp teeth, design a bowl for a frisky puppy or give a camel a big smile. The Dear ZooDrawing and Colouring Book is the ideal first lesson for budding young artists and dedicated toddler doodlers.
(Macmillan, paperback, £5.99)

Book reviews: History, fantasy and animal magic with Macmillan


Meet a witch on a dangerous mission, a fabulous fantasy queen and a cast of colourful picture book stars in a glittering array of new titles from Macmillan Children’s Books.


From poet John Keats to Prince Charles, and from life-changing scientists to prize-winning authors, some of the world’s most famous people have relied on ‘bedders’ to see them through their toughest student days at Cambridge.
In her fascinating account of just some of the hundreds of working-class women who have looked after the students of Cambridge University, Catherine Seymour, whose grandmother and great-grandmother were bedders, reveals their secret lives, heartaches and joy.
For centuries, the university’s bedders – the equivalent at Oxford is a ‘scout’ – have cleaned, tidied, made beds, dispensed advice and physical aid, and offered a reassuring maternal presence to generations of nervous, lonely students.
Bedders still look after today’s Cambridge students but the work they do, and the young people they care for, have changed over the last decades.
Until the 1980s, bedders carried buckets of coal up the stairs to light fires in the rooms of the fellows as well as dusting, tidying, taking away rubbish and, in some colleges, making the students’ breakfasts.
It was hard work but it came with privileges and offered an experience unlike other jobs available to working-class women. Some of the bedders had previously worked in shops or as waitresses, cleaners, factory hands and other low-paid manual jobs.
The college offered them family-friendly hours, starting work early but allowing them to get home in time for lunch and to make an evening meal for their children. Often bedders would pay neighbours to look after their pre-school youngsters.
In the first half of the 20th century, some of the upper class (male) students saw their bedders as simply servants but for many others, these women who instructed them on everything from dressing properly to combing their hair, were the only warm, motherly presence in an otherwise cold, paternalistic environment.
In turn, many bedders enjoyed their glimpse into a world they knew little about and during her research Seymour discovered that the women appreciated the genuine return of affection from students who often left gifts for them at Christmas, term ends and after graduation.
And for some of the bedders who got to know their students well, graduation was almost like watching their own children leave home.
In these unique, vivid and often moving stories, inspired by the accounts of bedders from the 1920s to the 1960s, we meet women who endured the Second World War and then had to contend with poverty, ill health and bereavement.
For 16-year-old Joyce, who lived in one of the poorest streets in Cambridge, the college building where she was about to start work represented privilege, wealth, a life she would never live. What she never expected was to find herself mothering, chastising and sometimes even covering up for ‘her boys.’
These hard-working women loved, lost and loved again. But their friendships gave them strength, and their work gave them happiness, and even a lasting connection with their charges, some of whom would go on to run the country.
As much a social history as the individual stories of the bedders, The Staircase Girls is a memorable and eye-opening glimpse into the remarkable lives of a very special group of women.
(Pan, paperback, £7.99)

Book review: The Staircase Girls by Catherine Seymour


From poet John Keats to Prince Charles, and from life-changing scientists to prize-winning authors, some of the world’s most famous people have relied on ‘bedders’ to see them through their toughest student days at Cambridge.