Leeds-Liverpool towpath work connects communities
About £1.8m was spent on improvements, which included better access for people with mobility difficulties and pushchairs, as well as the addition of new signs and widening of the path itself.Built as the longest single canal for the passage of boats, the 34-mile (54km) route connects Leeds and Bradford to Skipton and Gargrave.The charity said it took in "some of the most picturesque and uplifting open countryside along England's canal networks" as well as heritage including the Bingley Five Rise Locks. The work was carried out in a partnership between Bradford Council, North Yorkshire Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.Mr McGinley said: "These improvements not only help to safeguard our rich canal heritage but also make it easier and more appealing for more people to experience the health benefits of spending time by water."David Skaith, mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said: "For too long, this vital missing link on the towpath represented a missed opportunity for communities in North and West Yorkshire."
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The Sun
9 hours ago
- The Sun
I visited the UK's best seaside town with cheap beach huts, dolphins offshore and a bag of chips for only £2.25
RECLINING in the blue and white striped deckchair, a cup of tea in hand, I took in the spectacular view of the bay and kept my eyes peeled for porpoises. I've been lucky to travel to beaches in Greece, Spain, Antigua and even Japan in my time, but on a sunny June day, you can't beat a trip to one of the UK's best seaside towns. 12 Just over an hour's drive from my home in North Yorkshire, I've visited this stretch of Scarborough coast on dozens of occasions. But only recently was it described as one of the best seaside towns in the UK by Condé Nasté Traveller. It's the perfect family day out and we hardly spend any money - which these days can often be impossible. When you factor in the kids and all their gear, sandy feet, sticky hands and sun cream application, the idea of the beach can make you groan. But, I have a trick and it keeps everyone happy. When we have a whole day planned at the beach, I hire one of the town's historic beach chalets, with uninterrupted views across South Bay. The huts are managed by North Yorkshire County Council and cost from £50 a day to rent from 10am. And if you rent for seven days they range from £14 a day off peak to £32 a day at the height of summer. Compare this to visiting Flamingo Land theme park just 20 miles away – booking an advance family ticket during the summer is at least £168. There are 35 chalets available, with two of the rows dating from Edwardian times, making them Britain's oldest surviving beach huts. We live in picturesque seaside town where beachfront homes go for just £135k – it feels like a holiday all year round But our home for the day – number 247 – is at the end of a third row that was opened last year after the originals were demolished by a landslip in 2019. Care has been taken to ensure they match the original style of their neighbours, part of the 52-acre South Cliff Gardens, and next to the Grade II-listed Scarborough Spa. The location is at the quieter end of South Bay, known for its traditional amusements, shops and restaurants. In the background, the 12th-century Scarborough Castle is perched proudly on the headland. There's plenty of on and off-street parking nearby. We opted for South Bay Underground, beneath the celebrated cast iron Spa Bridge and next to the Blue Roundabout, a sea-themed piece of public art. It costs £10.60 for eight hours – and is free after 6pm. The town's train station is a 20-minute walk too – downhill to the huts but uphill back. Cheap check-in After picking up the keys from the chalet attendant, my two sons – Ralph, eight, and Max, five – were excited to open the yellow shutters and see what was inside. The décor is simple but extremely welcoming and clean – a classic black and red tiled floor with white walls, a white kitchen unit and a couple of wooden shelves. Use of the hut includes a sink with a washing-up bowl, a USB charging port and a wired-in kettle for making hot drinks. There are also two deckchairs, four metal chairs and a metal table, as well as a sweeping brush, dustpan and brush, overhead lighting and hooks for your towels and bags. You need to bring your own plates, cups, cutlery and washing up liquid, as well as a cool bag for perishables and a barbecue if you are planning to cook. A rubbish bag is handy too, but there are public bins a minute away. I'd barely got the kettle on before the kids were in their swimming trunks (no awkward sandy changes behind towels today!) and heading down to the sand with their spades. The chalet's cliffside location means you're not directly on the beach, tricker with babies and toddlers. But there's a short, step-free (and buggy-friendly) stroll down to the sand, and you have an excellent bird's eye view to supervise older children as they jump in the waves and explore the rock pools. In fact, we barely saw our two all afternoon, other than when they wanted snacks or to bring us treasures of seaweed and crab shells. 12 12 Friends who live locally joined us for the trip, allowing us to split the price between two families for even better value. This meant we got shade, electricity, deck chairs and free tea all day for £25 per family. Pals were also a font of knowledge about the bottlenose dolphins, porpoises and minke whales that live in this stretch of the North Sea. It left us cursing our lack of binoculars. We all came armed with picnics, teabags, coffee and a few cans of beer in a cooler to save money on our day out. But should we have forgotten anything, the Clock Café was immediately behind us. 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A takeaway kids' portion was only £2.25, which my two shared happily, while we grabbed massive chip butties for £3.45 each. 12 12 We'd planned to enjoy them on the soft yellow sand opposite, but the seagulls were out in force and eyeing up our dinner. Not only did the beach hut prove to be an affordable day out, it was the perfect place to eat in peace – not a scavenging gull in sight. It was the perfect day, especially with the sun out, and we only spent £50, including the chalet, which was worth every penny. Splitting the cost with another family is a genius idea. Our day on the beach was an absolute bargain.
Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
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I compared sausages from Tesco, Aldi, Lidl and M&S to Richmond - £4 packet is winner
Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, M&S, and Sainsbury's all sell their own versions of pork sausages, but how do they compare to the popular Richmond brand? One Mirror writer put them to the test. Sausages remain a cornerstone of British cooking - scrumptious in breakfast baps, alongside mash or chips, packed into Yorkshire puddings, smothered with gravy, or barbecued outdoors. A quality pork banger ought to be full of flavour and not overly greasy, featuring premium meat, a delicious spice mix, and natural skin. Richmond stands out as one well-known brand, with its sausages regarded as the top choice across supermarket aisles. In an effort to discover whether own-brand sausages match up to the branded alternative, I sampled five different offerings from leading retailers. With assistance from five family members, I carried out a blind tasting, comparing sausages from supermarkets including Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, M&S, and Sainsbury's against the well-known Richmond brand. The sausages were all prepared in the air fryer for 10 minutes at 200C, with each participant rating them from one to five. The overall scores were subsequently totalled to establish the overall winner. Below are the sausages listed from poorest to finest according to the blind tasting: Richmond Finishing bottom in our tasting was the major brand option: Richmond. Despite representing the top brand of pork bangers, we remained unimpressed with the taste or consistency. During the blind tasting, the sausages were characterised as possessing "no taste or texture," being "very soft and salty," and "tasteless and very rusky." Aldi Achieving the second poorest score, Aldi's bangers were characterised as having "less flavour" and "not as much taste" when measured against the other options. Despite this, they are the most affordable of the lot at £2.49 for a pack of six weighing 400g. Score: 17 out of 30. Sainsbury's In joint third place is Sainsbury's pork sausages from its Taste the Difference range. We found these to be flavoursome and generously sized, however, they did turn out very pale in colour compared to the others. At £3 for a pack of six, it works out as 50p per sausage. M&S M&S' sausages tied in third place with Sainsbury's, and while they were much better in colour, they didn't fare well for texture. The sausages were described as being "chewy," and "quite fatty", with an "odd taste". At £4.25 for a 400g pack, this was the priciest option in the taste test. Lidl Coming in at second place was Lidl's pork chipolata sausages. These sausages won points for their "good colouring" once cooked and scored well for their "herby" flavour. While these chipolatas are thinner in size, they ranked highly for their flavour profile and texture. Priced at £2.49 for 12 sausages (375g a pack), they also offer good value. Score: 23 out of 30. Tesco Last but certainly not least was our winner: Tesco's finest pork sausages. These sausages were described as "salty, juicy and meaty" with a good taste and size. In terms of cost, they are slightly pricier at £4 for a pack of four sausages, but they also contain the most meat: weighing in at 440g in total. The sausages themselves are also large in size and ideal for hot dogs. Moreover, they tasted top-notch with a delightful mix of seasoning - not overly fatty or salty.
BBC News
12 hours ago
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Nab Lane waste tip reopening ruled out by Kirklees council leader
The decision to shut a West Yorkshire waste tip will not be reversed, a council has said, despite claims fly-tipping has increased as a Council shut Nab Lane Household Waste Recycling Centre in Birstall last November in a move it said was needed to save money. But several councillors have continued to call for the site to be revived, with the impact on neighbouring waste tips also cited as a problem. Speaking at the full council meeting however, Kirklees Council Leader Carole Pattinson said changes to recycling processes meant "less waste will be created in the first place". At the same time as the closure of the Nab Lane site last year, the council, which is run by a Labour as a minority administration, also cut the operating hours of two other waste sites. Bromley Farm in Upper Cumberworth is now closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays, while Meltham's Bent Ley Road site is shut on Mondays and Tuesdays, the Local Democracy Reporting Service Alliance councillor Paul Moore said there had been longer queues and waiting times at Dewsbury's Weaving Lane tip and the impact had pushed staff to "breaking point".Conservative councillor Josh Sheard called for a cost-sharing model between the local authority, Leeds City Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) to reopen the site. He said: "The more that we delay, the more environmental harm comes, the more fly-tipping, the more service inequality we allow to grow. Regional problems require regional thinking but it has to start somewhere."However, Pattinson said the chances of a regional agreement to reopen the site were "absolutely zilch", stating one reason was that different local authorities have different waste also said that new recycling processes would be in place within the area next year. She added: "The use of waste disposal sites should go down because simpler recycling will mean that, certainly in Kirklees, there'll be more waste removed at the kerb side."There are other things coming on board that will mean less waste will be created in the first place." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
