Headlines: Cheese rolling, nurse struck off and football history made
Our pick of local website stories
The sentencing of escaped psychiatric patient David Parish was among the most read stories for Somerset Live. The 38-year-old was jailed for six years for beating 86-year-old church warden Beryl Purdy to death with an umbrella.Wiltshire 999s report a boy was hit in the head with a hammer during a bike robbery in Swindon. That comes from this post by Swindon Police.Long-standing Kingswood chippy Clock Tower Fish Bar is shutting after more than 100 years of service, says Bristol World.An appeal by North Somerset Council to the High Court over flood zones being turned into housing developments is getting engagement for Somerset Live this morning.
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What to watch on social media
A police appeal for witnesses after a teenager was stabbed at Cribbs Causeway in Bristol is one of the most shared local posts. It follows two arrests. The post also says there will be "reassurance patrols" in the area.Frome Town Council has now posted saying it is the "latest town to fall victim to pranksters" after its sign appeared in Midsomer Norton.'Eel passes' have been fitted in weirs on the Somerset Levels to help them navigate the rhyne network. More are being fitted later.There was lots of love for this Asda post congratulating a University of Gloucestershire nursing student who works part-time in the pharmacy. Zoe helped a man in a wheelchair who suspected he was about to have a seizure.
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The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
Save our pudding! Are these homemade British comforts on the verge of extinction?
There is rarely a greater comfort than a dish of homemade sticky toffee pudding, apple crumble or treacle sponge being set on the table after during a family dinner. But the prominence of these British classics appears to be crumbling - as new research suggests they are even on the verge of extinction within the next 50 years. Once a staple of family dinners, English Heritage has found only 2 per cent of British households still make a daily homemade pudding, with 62 per cent rarely or never making them at all. The research revealed that classic puddings are even less popular with younger people, with only 17 per cent of under 25s naming classic hot puddings such as crumbles and steam puddings as their favourite dessert, in comparison to 45 per cent of over 55s. 'Sweet puddings are closely intertwined with British history and although our waistlines might benefit, I think we'd all agree, it would be a huge shame for them to die out,' Dr Andrew Hann, Senior Curator of History at English Heritage, said. He explained how recipes for sweetened meat pies can be found as far back as medieval times and, by the Tudor and Stuart periods. He said that puddings sweetened with honey or fruit were common, although many would also have contained meat. The peak of Britain's obsession with puddings peaked in the 1950s. But English Heritage said its decline appears to have started in the 1970s, when more women began to enter the workforce, causing a shift in family dynamics. Whilst nearly half of those born before 1970 said that their parents made puddings several times a week, even during the hottest days of summer, that was the case for only 25 per cent of those born in the 1970s. The decline has continued ever since – with only 14 per cent of 18–24-year-olds saying their parents made puddings several times a week and 28 per cent saying their parents never made homemade puddings. Today, 62 per cent of British households make puddings once a month or less, with 35 per cent never making any at all. Dr Hann said: 'The research shows a clear shift away from the traditional dessert over the past 50 years. As more women entered the workforce from the 1970s onwards, households no longer had as much time to cook and started to prioritise convenience. 'People tend to 'like what they know' and, over time, this has led to puddings falling out of fashion with younger generations who rarely eat them. If this decline continues, we can expect the classic Great British pud to all but vanish within the next 50 years. 'I'm pretty sure I speak for most people when I say that is not something we want to happen! There truly is nothing better in life than syrup sponge smothered in custard.' Although 36 per cent of those surveyed named classic hot puddings as their favourite, cold and healthier desserts have surged in popularity. Fresh fruit is now the most widely consumed dessert with 68 per cent of people eating it, closely followed by ice cream at 66 per cent. People are 68 per cent more likely to eat frozen desserts such as ice cream than homemade traditional puddings, despite only 9 per cent of people declaring them their favourite. In an attempt to reignite Britain's love affair with historic puddings, English Heritage has introduced two new pudding-inspired ice cream flavours to its sites and published a baking book.
The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
Boys score more top A-level grades than girls
Boys have outperformed girls in top A-level grades for the first time in seven years, exam results show. Overall, 28.4% of boys' A-level entries scored an A* or A this summer, compared to 28.2% of their female classmates' – a gap of 0.2 percentage points. The last time boys had a lead was in 2018. Last year, girls were ahead with 28.0% of entries scoring at least an A, compared to 27.6% of those from boys, according to figures published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). Exam bosses acknowledged the swing towards boys but said the difference between the sexes is 'pretty small'. There are more A-level entries overall from girls than boys, the figures show, with females making up 54% of all entries. Claire Thomson, executive director of regulation and compliance at the AQA exam board, said that while the percentage of girls achieving A*-A grades is lower this year than their male counterparts, overall, nearly 19,000 more females achieved at least an A due to more girls entering for A-levels in general. She said: 'It is important not to speculate too much about what has led to any differences between males and females as the figures are small, they do bounce around a bit over time and the causes will be multi-faceted and complex.' A breakdown by subject shows there is still a clear gender divide in some subjects, such as maths, where nearly two-thirds (63%) of entries are from boys. Richard Harry, executive director of qualifications and assessment at WJEC exam board, said maths is a 'significant contributor' to high A-level grades overall, but added it is 'difficult to pin that small shift in outcomes at A*-A on any one particular subject.' Overall, 16.7% of all maths entries scored an A* this year, compared to 9.4% of entries for all A-levels. Interest in maths A-level has soared in the last decade, with the number of entries up more than a fifth (21.7%) since 2016. Mr Harry said: 'I think on the gender gap for maths it's really important to note a positive increase – nearly 5% in entries for females taking maths.' He added that, given the general continuing interest in the subject, it is 'inevitable' that the gap between the sexes will remain to some extent. Jill Duffy, chairwoman of the JCQ board of directors and chief executive of the OCR exam board, said there has been movement in other science and maths-based subjects, such as in A-level chemistry, which is taken by more girls than boys. There has been a significant push in recent years from both government and industry to encourage girls to take science and maths subjects. Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator of Ofqual, England's exams regulator, told the PA news agency: 'We know that maths A-level has the most direct and demonstrable correlation with future earnings prospects and therefore future contribution to the economy. 'So I think what we should be doing is celebrating the rise in entry to maths A-level, the rise in the number of young people reaching those exceptional standards of mathematical knowledge and skill in maths A-level. That is a good thing. 'Because these subjects do correlate with enhanced employment prospects, career prospects and earning potential, I think it should be a challenge to us all to ensure that access to the high grades at those A-levels, which is obviously conditioned at least in part by entry, is available equally to male and female students. 'And we do across these A-levels see some quite stark differences between male and female entry, and I think as a system, as educators, more broadly speaking, we should all be focused on ensuring that girls, as well as boys, access these important A-levels and do well at them.'
The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
Kick It Out: Black players may look to avoid penalties after abuse of Mathys Tel
Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out says players may think twice about taking penalties in future after Tottenham's Mathys Tel received online racist abuse. France Under-21 international Tel is the latest player to be targeted on social media after he missed a spot kick in Wednesday night's UEFA Super League penalty shoot-out defeat to Paris St Germain. The Premier League club lost the shoot-out 4-3 after they had surrendered a late 2-0 lead in Italy to draw 2-2 after 90 minutes. Tottenham said they were 'disgusted' by the abuse directed at Tel and Kick It Out claim social media companies are still not doing enough to combat online racism. A Kick It Out statement read: 'If you're a black player, it would be totally understandable to think, 'Why would I want to take a penalty?' That's the state of the game right now, and the sad fact is, it's nothing new. 'Players are routinely targeted with racism online and want action; we want action, too. 'Accountability from offenders and social media companies is a baseline, but it's not being met. 'Football bodies, authorities, and the regulator Ofcom, must come together to accelerate a plan that better protects players. 'Their welfare should always be paramount, and we stand with Mathys Tel and all those who have suffered this continuing, racist abuse.' Tottenham, who initially signed Tel on loan from Bayern Munich in January before making the move permanent in a £30million deal in June, said the player had shown 'bravery and courage to step forward and take a penalty' . The club said in a statement: 'We are disgusted at the racial abuse that Mathys Tel has received on social media following last night's UEFA Super Cup defeat. 'Mathys showed bravery and courage to step forward and take a penalty, yet those who abuse him are nothing but cowards – hiding behind anonymous usernames and profiles to spout their abhorrent views. 'We will work with the authorities and social media platforms to take the strongest possible action against any individual we are able to identify. We stand with you, Mathys.' Tottenham led 2-0 until the 85th minute at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, through goals from Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero before late efforts from Lee Kang-in and Goncalo Ramos hauled PSG level.
