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  • Tim Bowness & Butterfly Mind | Bruce Soord & Jon Sykes

    Tim Bowness & Butterfly Mind | Bruce Soord & Jon Sykes



    100 Club, Oxford Street, LondonSaturday, 20 June 2026
    A balmy summer evening greets us revellers as we emerge from Oxford Circus tube station, heading for a tasty pre-gig curry. Suitably nourished off we go to the nearby legendary 100 Club, a place that holds many memories of punk gigs of yore. That old dive is more than a tad smarter now, TV Smith wouldn’t recognise it. The floor is no longer sticky! The stage is still in the wrong place, and those pillars are no smaller though. 🙂

    BRUCE SOORD & JON SYKES

    Bruce and Jon, the beating heart of prog veterans Pineapple Thief, opened tonight’s shenanigans with what starts off as an unplugged set and slowly gets spikier as Bruce picks up his electric.
    There was a time, quite a few years ago now, when I was a bit of a fan of Pineapple Thief, but we seem to have drifted apart. As a result I was unfamiliar with tonight’s set.

    With drums on a backing track for the rockier numbers, this, in sound at least, was a PT gig. They seem to have got a tad heavier since I last encountered them, which is no bad thing. I think I need my earplugs now, the volume has increased accordingly! Typically they then slow things down again. The set peaks with the near-epic Ghosts In The Park from Bruce’s new album of the same name. Review link if there is one?
    I do enjoy the heavier stuff more than the quieter introspective numbers, which tend to inhabit a rather narrow soundscape as far as my battered ears are concerned, it has to said, but it’s an enjoyable start to the evening.

    SETLIST:
    Pillars
    Solitary Path
    Dear Life
    Meet Me On The Downs
    Never Ending Light
    All This Will Be Yours
    Cut The Flowers
    A Lonelines (that’s what the setlist says!)
    Ghosts In The Park Pt 1
    Ghosts In The Park Pts 2&3
    Snowdrops
    [Photos courtesy of Leon Barker]MUSICIANS:
    Bruce Soord – Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Vocals
    Jon Sykes – Bass
    LINKS: Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

    TIM BOWNESS & THE BUTTERFLY MIND

    After a much-needed chance to recharge our glasses and chat to some familiar faces, we have the headliners Tim Bowness & Butterfly Mind, back to their original line up now that the mercurial Andy Edwards has returned to the drum stool. Tim Bowness is a man who has written some extraordinary songs in his long career. Always self-effacing, for a while now he has been blessed with a new confidence and a spring in his step, that tonight transmits to the band as they deliver a feisty and edgy set. I think he may have smiled, more than once, too!

    After opening with the as yet unreleased No Fires Lit Here the band propel themselves into a fiery rendering of live favourite Time Travel In Texas, which segues straight into Sweetheart Raw, featuring Mr Jon Jowitt on extra funky bass groove.
    Tim finally gets to chat between numbers, noting that his stage suit and smart top bear a striking resemblance to the favoured garb of our Prime Minister-in-waiting… “If we sound crap, it’s the curse of the Andy Burnham suit” jokes Tim. It’s ok Mr B, no worries on that score. For all it’s ergonomic failings, the 100 Club always delivers a good sound, and tonight is no exception.

    The frenetic atmosphere is brought down a notch or two with no man’s Wherever There Is Light. It was good to hear a liberal sprinkling of no man material throughout the set. I think I’ve heard…or I’m starting a rumour 😉 …that there is new no man material on the way. Let’s hope so. For all his success elsewhere I still consider Mr Wilson’s collaboration with Mr Bowness has produced the former’s best writing. Other opinions are available.
    Tim’s band intros are always wryly amusing, and tonight’s into for the bass player is no exception… “And on bass guitar, Jon Jowitt, a man so masculine he invented the manosphere!” 🙂

    Rainmark sees some skysaw Fripp-styled guitar wrangling from Matt Stevens, who along with Rob Groucutt are introduced as “the two nicest men in rock”. This is followed by a mad but thrilling drum cacophony from Andy Edwards, who definitely exorcised some ghosts on that one! Mixtaped, another no man treat, brings things down after that adrenaline fest. Or so you might think if you were unfamiliar with the tune, for it soon jumps into a broiling gaping maw bubbling with hot lava guitar. Nice!

    As the band can’t leave the stage with any dignity, as they’d have to walk through the crowd, they remain where they are for the encore, after Tim has exhorted the appropriate whooping and hollering from the appreciative crowd. They encore with Lost/Not Lost, a song from Tim’s last album Powder Dry, with a top line that reminded my companion of Firestarter (it does!), followed by a “punk” version of Time Travel In Texas in honour of the iconic venue’s past.
    That was a jolly good gig, o yes!

    [Photos not entirely ruined by All The Blue Lighting (thanks Sam 😉 ) – Roger Trenwith]
    SETLISTNo Fires Lit HereTime Travel In TexasSweetheart RawAll The Blue ChangesWherever There Is LightThe Warm-Up Man ForeverSing To MeRainmarkMixtapedThings Change
    MUSICIANS:Tim Bowness – VocalsMatt Stevens – GuitarsRob Groucutt – Keyboards, Guitar, Backing VocalsJon Jowitt – Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals, [manoshpere]Andy Edwards – Drums
    SETLISTNo Fires Lit HereTime Travel In TexasSweetheart RawAll The Blue ChangesWherever There Is LightThe Warm-Up Man ForeverSing To MeRainmarkMixtapedThings Change ~ Encore:Lost/Not LostTime Travel In Texas – “Punk” version
    LINKSTim Bowness – Website | Facebook | YouTube | X | Instagram

  • I was homeless but now I could make history on the national stage

    I was homeless but now I could make history on the national stage



    She is aiming to make history next monthMegan Vincetta-Clarke is aiming to make history in July 2026 as she looks to be crowned Miss Universe Great BritainA woman who has had to fight to overcome the odds all her life is aiming to do the same again next month as she undertakes a new challenge that would make her younger self proud. Casting her mind back to her earliest years, Megan Vincetta-Clarke remembers a far from normal childhood.After periods of homelessness due to violence in their home, a young Megan and her mum family found temporary respite living wirth extended family between Walton, Speke, Croxteth and Waterloo.Megan was eager to improve their situation and soon started “hustling”. Megan, now 34, said: “I always had a little side hustle going, I would skip school, everyone thought I had a secret boyfriend, but actually I had a secret job so I could go and earn money and just help support my household.”Megan faced significant instability as a child(Image: Supplied/Megan Vincetta-Clarke)She added: “From the age of seven to nine I was always doing little things [to earn money]. I used to live by Everton’s ground so I would sit by the corner shop and I’d sellotape bars of chocolate to bottles of water and I’d stand outside the shop and say ‘do you want to buy this?’”I was so cheeky and I I would say I’ll sing a song if you give me an extra pound. Then I got my first proper job when I was 12 in a fish and chip shop.”I was always just trying to help my mum, she was a single mum, so I just wanted to take that stress away from her by being able to buy my own things. If I needed a coat or if I needed money for school, then I knew I could always depend on myself to to get that.”By the time she was a teenager, Megan had begun working on the markets in Liverpool city centre where she was scouted as a model.With work as a model proving to be unstable her entrepreneurial attitude came through again when she became the youngest multi-site manager for fashion label, Kurt Geiger.She said: “Then I got headhunted for Christian Dior and I went on to other premium brands like Hugo Boss.”Megan and her son, Roman(Image: Supplied/Megan Vincetta-Clarke)In recent years she has set up her own wellness business, Namaste and Slay which “connects and empowers” women through “pilates and meditation” among other activities. However, besides maintaining her own business, she is aiming to beat the odds as she looks to make history in the coming months.She said: “I’m competing in the final of Miss Universe Great Britain and then if I was to win I would make history as the first mum.”Prior to 2023, Miss Universe’s rules stated that the women entering the competition must not be married or have children.While winning the competition in itself would be a huge achievement, the possibility to “make history” is something that Megan is relishing.Megan said: “It would mean the world to me because the world that we live in now needs to see that women are so multifaceted and we don’t depreciate because we’ve stepped into the next era of our lives.”Megan Vincetta-Clarke is aiming to make history in July 2026 as she looks to be crowned Miss Universe Great Britain(Image: Supplied/Megan Vincetta-Clarke)She added: “For me to represent women who have felt that they have to put their dreams aside to focus on motherhood, I just want to be an example that it might take longer it might be harder but you can still pursue your own dreams and goals as well as being a full and present mother.””It’s super important for women to be self-sufficient and also maintain some form of career or independence even if they do enter that new motherhood era.”As she stands on the edge of making history in the competition on Tuesday July 7, Megan took a moment to look at how far she has come over the years. She said: “I think if my younger self could see me today, she would be bursting with pride. I don’t think she would be able to believe the things that I’ve achieved, to come from living on a council estate to being homeless to actually owning my own home.”

  • Milton Keynes post office reopens a year after fire

    Milton Keynes post office reopens a year after fire



    A city centre post office that was damaged in a suspected arson attack has reopened a year after it was forced to shut.The shop at Midsummer Boulevard, Milton Keynes, has been totally renovated. It was due to reopen in November, but the date was pushed back after the Post Office said major repair work was needed. Thames Valley Police charged a 47-year-old man, from London, with arson with intent to endanger life in connection with the incident, who is next due in court in October.

  • Scott Sellars explains U-turn at Birmingham City and when he plans to ‘push’

    Scott Sellars explains U-turn at Birmingham City and when he plans to ‘push’



    Birmingham City have added the vastly experienced Scott Sellars to their academy leadership team10:57, 27 Jun 2026Updated 11:06, 27 Jun 2026Scott Sellars has taken charge of Birmingham City’s under-21s (Image: BCFC)Scott Sellars has performed something of a career U-turn to join Birmingham City.The 60-year-old swapped his studs for suits seven years ago when he moved upstairs at Wolverhampton Wanderers to become their academy manager, before graduating to technical director in 2021 – a position he held for almost two years.He landed another leadership role with Al Jazira in the United Arab Emirates in 2024, replacing Mike Rigg – Blues’ academy technical director and Sellars’ old boss at Manchester City – in a sporting director job.Sellars hasn’t held a coaching position since moving away from Wolves’ under-21s in 2018.FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK! All the latest Blues news on Birmingham Live’s Birmingham City FC Facebook pageWhile his brief as Senior Pathway to Professional and Under-21s Coach is far more than just coaching, Blues have offered Sellars the chance to do what he loves once again.Explaining his decision to join the club’s academy, Sellars told Blues TV: “Looking from the outside at the project that’s going on here, it’s something that’s really exciting and you can see there’s a lot of focus on trying to grow the club.”From a personal point of view, I wanted to go back into coaching and developing having been in more leadership roles in the past. That’s where my passion is, seeing young players develop and have a career as I did myself.”Blues’ academy has been a major talking point amongst supporters following a rough first season back at Category One level.There has been investment in facilities from Knighthead, but Blues’ under-21s and under-18s have found the going tough up against Premier League teenagers.The U21s finished 27th out of 29 clubs in Premier League 2 and the U18s finished 14th in their 15-team league.Blues’ West Midlands rivals are still harvesting the best talent in the region and the pathway to first team football at St Andrew’s has never been more crowded.Chris Davies hasn’t handed an academy graduate league minutes in each of the last two seasons.Sellars is determined to change that.“Training with the first team is a great avenue to look at,” he explained. “We can look at them and see where they’re at. That’s a fantastic opportunity for them to learn, to see really good players, how they train, how they behave and what they eat.“If we do have an elite player then we have to push, but we also have to understand that Chris’s job is to win three points on a Saturday and his focus will be on that. It’s about building relationships and understanding the position.“It has to be looked at as a long-term role. Getting players into the first team is what all academies should be judged on really. Trying to recognise who those elite players are and push them through, and try and guide them to the first team, is what I will always judge myself on.”Blues have also appointed ex-midfielder Darren Carter as loans manager to start forging relationships with clubs that allow youngsters to take their first steps in the professional game.Rather than keep Blues’ best youngsters in the U21s, Sellars is keen to see them spread their wings – but only in the right first team environment.“For every football player, getting to the first team is your hardest part. I think identifying your real elite players is important but making sure all the players are supported to be successful in whatever they do.“The jump from 21s football to Championship is very difficult. Unless you’re exceptional physically, the demands, the pressures… Sometimes boys can have a lifespan of 21s football and they need to experience playing competitive football.“Myself and Darren will be speaking to local clubs to try and build up good relationships, recognising where the players will fit into their styles of play and most importantly that the clubs want and will look after the players. The selection of clubs you loan out to is just as important as well.”How to follow our Birmingham City coverageAlex Dicken, Birmingham City writerWith the transfer window now open, our BirminghamLive Blues writers Alex Dicken and Brian Dick – will be bringing you the news as it happens and giving their opinions on the stories that matter.Sign up for our free Blues newsletter hereYou can follow Alex on X here and Brian here – and when the season starts they will follow Blues around the country to offer you comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything that happens in between.WhatsApp: You can also get all your favourite content from BirminghamLive’s Blues team on WhatsApp. Click here to sign up for breaking updates about the biggest stories and insight from in and around the club.Social Media: You can also get all the latest updates by following us on Facebook and Twitter.If you prefer reading our Blues stories on your phone, consider downloading the BirminghamLive app, in which you can personalise the content you see by selecting Villa as one of your designated topics. You can get it from Apple here and for Android here.Podcast: Our weekly Birmingham City podcast, Keep Right On, is also available to watch and listen on all major streaming services. You can subscribe to the YouTube channel here, while you can access the podcast on Spotify here and via Apple here.

  • The Wigston textile firm that ‘invented’ replica sports kits

    The Wigston textile firm that ‘invented’ replica sports kits



    Prior to this, Gordon Banks chose to wear an Admiral-manufactured shirt during the 1966 World Cup after he was impressed with a new lightweight fabric the company had designed a year prior.Buckler said a visit to the factory swayed him, she added: “Just before the World Cup they designed a really powerful and new type of fabric which was ideal for playing sports and football in and he was personally impressed with it.”He was aware of Admiral when he was playing at Leicester City, he really thought the kit was really high quality, really practical as well and cutting edge.”Local historian, Bill Boulter, said that much of the expertise and skills needed to create these products could be found in Wigston.”Right from framework knitting in the 1800s all the way through, the skills were here to make different things when men’s trousers got longer, socks got shorter.”Making underwear the skills were there, making up, overlocking, lock stitching, cutters, so the skills were there to produce the goods and introduce fashionwear into it moving forward,” he said.

  • ‘Iconic’ Cambridge park where you can see cows grazing minutes from city centre

    ‘Iconic’ Cambridge park where you can see cows grazing minutes from city centre



    The green has a fascinating historyLaundress Green in Cambridge(Image: CambridgeshireLive)A city park, described as “iconic” by previous visitors, offers a scenic area where you can look out for cows grazing. Laundress Green in Cambridge offers a beautiful green area to indulge in picnics, sunbathing, or a walk.The city can be quite overwhelming at times, with all the hustle and bustle – particularly in the busy tourist season. Laundress Green offers a place to escape just a few minutes from the heart of the city.Although today it is a beauty spot, it has a history of hard work – and the name ‘Laundress Green’ hints at its past. Local washerwomen would frequent the area to use the city council washing lines for the laundry staff at the Cambridge colleges.According to Capturing Cambridge, on Mondays and Tuesdays the ground was free from grazing animals, so that women from Granta Place and Mill Lane could safely hang out their laundry there to dry. For this privilege, they likely had to pay a shilling a year and put up their own posts.In those days, people used this part of the River Cam when the best source of water for washing was the river, long before the era of a much simpler method – a washing machine. Eventually, clean water was made available in homes throughout the city and this function at the river became no longer necessary.Situated next to Lammas Land and near The Granta and The Anchor pubs, the green has become a popular place to visit throughout the year, but especially in the summer. A previous visitor to the park described it as “one of the most iconic” river places where “you can find cows grazing in the morning” from spring to autumn.Another wrote on Google: “The banks of the river Cam and the grounds surrounding are a beautiful park to go for a walk, picnic or have some drinks on the pubs around the area. The pound mill is a very beautiful spot with swans and other birds and trees.”

  • How Sapphire McIntosh went from homelessness to Ted Lasso

    How Sapphire McIntosh went from homelessness to Ted Lasso


    After three months, she was given a studio flat in the area, where she lived alone until moving into university halls in Manchester at age 19. 

    “I can imagine it’s not like this now, but I actually felt very supported,” she says, crediting a council support worker and her sixth form college for backing her over those years, as well as benefits like education maintenance allowance and income support.

    Her football fixation also got her through. “I did grow up too quick, definitely. But football at that point was my life – I was just obsessed,” she says. Alongside a job at Nando’s and studying for three A levels, McIntosh trained at least twice a week, playing with various different teams in between. 

    “I was just locked in, and football really helped with my situation.”

    Read more:

    McIntosh played semi-professionally until the age of 19, when she moved to Manchester for a criminology degree which she realised during a lecture on the history of policing “was not for me, actually”. But it was during this time that she made her first social media skit: Cooking with Rhonda, in which she played a Jamaican chef, teaching people how to cook basic dishes. Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

    “I uploaded it onto Facebook. And then I went out that week and someone said to me, ‘Saph, we keep on watching that video, we’ve been watching it over and over.’” 

    “But I knew then that was what I wanted to do. So then throughout my twenties I’d make little videos, I’d make characters, vox pops. And I always talked about doing stand-up but I just never did it.”

    That is, until 2020, when she enrolled in a stand-up comedy class. She excelled in the class but still lacked the confidence to get up on stage, until she saw social media clips of others from her course putting themselves out there. 

    There was the small matter of a pandemic in the way – but in 2021, McIntosh booked her first stand-up gig and hasn’t looked back. 

    McIntosh grew up a football obsessive in Leeds. Image: Michael Jullings

    In the five years since, she has reached the finals of countless comedy competitions, performed with improv and sketch groups, appeared in Channel 4’s Comedy Shorts series and continued making her own viral content. And last year, she even found the time to film the upcoming season of Apple TV’s Ted Lasso, starring as a player for the new Richmond WFC. 

    The audition process was unconventional – more keepie-uppies and football drills than screen tests and table reads. But for McIntosh, it was a perfect full-circle moment. Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

    “I was so happy [when I got the call], because the reason I live the way I do is so that I’m flexible for my art,” she says, referring to the years of London renting that have variously seen her lodging illegally, boarding in a mansion and now sharing with eight housemates in a co-op. 

    “To be able to get what was basically a full-time job, on one of the biggest comedies – a flagship show about women’s football. It was just great.”

    As for the future, McIntosh hopes there will be more acting gigs, as well as opportunities to tour more and hopefully get into writers’ rooms. 

    Previews of Squeaky Bum Time have been well-received, and she’s looking forward to bringing it to Edinburgh. 

    “I’m proud of the show – it’s something new and fresh,” she says. “I feel like there’s not many comedians who’ve had my upbringing. I’ve overcome things and I’ve got a new perspective.”

    And when it comes to renting in London? Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

    “I’m the most secure I’ve been now because we’re protected in the co-op – everyone is a landlord and you can’t get kicked out unless you do something really, really bad,” she says.

    “So yeah, I’m here now and I live with a lot of people, and it allows me to do the work I do. But maybe it also pushes me, because I don’t want to be living like this forever.”

    Squeaky Bum Time by Sapphire McIntosh will be at Underbelly, Edinburgh Fringe at 5.45pm each day, 5-30 August. The fourth season of Ted Lasso is on Apple TV from 5 August 

    Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

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    You can also support online:Subscribe to the magazine or support our work with a monthly gift. Your support helps vendors earn, learn and thrive while strengthening our frontline services.

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  • Stoke-on-Trent curry house ‘opening soon’

    Stoke-on-Trent curry house ‘opening soon’



    Multan Courtyard is promising ‘luxury dining’14:16, 18 Jun 2026Updated 05:35, 27 Jun 2026Multan Courtyard is opening in BurslemA town centre restaurant is ‘opening soon’. Multan Courtyard is opening on St John’s Square, in Burslem.It is in the former Agie and Katie restaurant which closed down in 2023 following seven years in Burslem.Now Multan Courtyard is tantalising tastebuds with a ‘breakfast buffet, lamb roast, and authentic Pakistani’ meals.A banner outside the restaurant states: “Multan Courtyard opening soon. First time in Stoke-on-Trent with premium cuisine and taste.”Get even more North Staffordshire exclusives – and it is free

  • WWE SmackDown results, live discussion: Cody Rhodes speaks

    WWE SmackDown results, live discussion: Cody Rhodes speaks



    WWE SmackDown is live was taped to air tonight (June 26, 2026) from the O2 in London, England, in the United Kingdom, and it’s the blue brand’s go-home show for Night of Champions!Advertised for tonight: “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes will address both GUNTHER and Sami Zayn before defending his title against both of them tomorrow.Plus, Paige goes one-on-one with Jacy Jayne, Rey Fenix defends the AAA Cruiserweight Championship against Nathan Frazer, and more! Get ready with our preview here! Or, since this is a pre-taped show, check out spoilers here!Come right back here back at the normal start time of 8 pm ET. That’s when the SmackDown live blog will kick off in the space below once the show starts on USA.WWE SmackDown RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR JUNE 26It must have started with that stick in the mud, that there’s where clouds are born. Clouds can’t stay where they are born, winds push them so far from home, but me? I’m just here to liveblog this pro wrestling show for you, folks.The show opens with Michael Cole greeting us over a flyby of London.A recap of the Cody Rhodes vs. GUNTHER vs. Sami Zayn saga follows.Then we get the usual montage of talent arriving at the arena.Trick Williams makes his entrance, accompanied by Little Yachty, and he gets on the mic.Williams asks Yachty if he knows what he thinks and he says he thinks the people in London miss Trick Williams and Little Boo. Yachty agrees because they missed last week, and Trick says he doesn’t just miss SmackDown, it’s gotta be something meteorical, so he’s gonna fill us in.Last week, he went to Jamaica, Little Yachty was there, Lash Legend was there, and he’s now a married man. Yachty says there were violinists, cigars, big booties everywhere, it was so crazy, and love was in the air. Williams says getting married has to have been the best day of his life. His friends and family were there, she said I do, and then he did. Oh, he did it all night long!Lash isn’t here tonight, but he wants to send a message that he loves her, baby. But while he was out he found out Ricky Saints is the new number one contender to his United States Championship, and he’s absolutely gonna whoop his ass and then high step into SummerSlam wearing his lemon pepper steppers with a ring on his finger and a title around his waist.Enter “Absolute” Ricky Saints.He congratulates Trick on being married and whatnot but what that tells him is that Williams actually isn’t good at making life decisions. The crowd chants “Who am I?” and he says he’s your wife’s favorite lover and a few other epithets and Williams says he’ll smack him down to London Bridge, let’s talk about it.“Whoop that Trick!” chants go up and Saints says Trick seems to be on the sauce right now from his wedding night, he’s crazy, talking out his head, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about, SummerSlam, lemon pepper steppers, London Bridge cheap pop but he shouldn’t be looking past Saints, because tomorrow night you’re looking at the United States Champion, baby.He knows this Trick Williams hype train is ending tomorrow, baby boy. Trick says Ricky Suave is popping off like he’s number one, but he needs to focus on who his dentist is gonna be when he kicks his teeth down the back of his throat. Yachty adds he should get a smaller size next time and Saints tells the peanut gallery to stay out of it.Ricky asks if his little buddy comes with the title, Yachty says he’d never work for Saints, and Ricky decks him! Williams checks on his pal and Saints runs back in and decks the champion with a microphone shot before running away again!They stare each other down.We get a recap of Liv Morgan beating an injured Charlotte Flair in the Queen of the Ring semifinals last week.Alexa Bliss is interviewed backstage.She says Charlotte is feeling physical and emotional pain, and after what Jade Cargill and her minions did last week, she WILL get revenge on them, even if it means teaming with… Tiffany Stratton.The camera pans over and Tiffany is there.She says she’s just here to defend her title and Bliss says she’s grateful for Tiffany’s help actually and she wants to return the favor. Stratton accepts her explanation but says after tomorrow, they’re gonna go their separate ways.Tiffany Stratton makes her entrance ahead of our next match, sending us to break.Back from commercial, Alexa Bliss makes her entrance ahead of our next match.Then, of course, B-FAB and Michin make their entrance together to get things going.Alexa Bliss & Tiffany Stratton vs. the Baddies (B-FAB & “Michin” Mia Yim)Michin and Stratton to start, Tiffany with a side headlock, shot off, knees in the ropes, vicious dropkick, cover for a nearfall! Bliss tags in, cutting Yim off, looking for Sister Abigail but Mia blocks, off the ropes, blind tag to B-FAB! Basement dropkick from Alexa, going to the floor after Yim, diving tornado DDT off the apron but B-FAB meets her with a crescent kick and we go to break!Back from commercial, Bliss on the wrong side of town, fighting Michin off, tags made! Stratton in hot with lariats, big back elbow, dropkick clears the apron, cartwheel Alabama Slam… NO DEAL! Handspring Stunner, another nearfall, senton atomico… YIM BREAKS IT UP! Bliss goes to the floor to fight her off and ends up in the timekeeper’s area!Tiffany fends Mia off, Finlay Roll sets up the moonsault… JADE CARGILL IS HERE AND TRIPS HER UP! B-FAB takes advantage…The Baddies win by pinfall with a hangman’s neckbreaker spun into an X-Factor from B-FAB on Tiffany Stratton.Post-match, Chelsea Green comes running down to ringside, kendo stick in hand, trying to make the save for Tiffany!She manages to send all three Baddies packing and stands tall with a slightly confused Stratton and more confused Bliss.Tama and Talla Tonga chat with Solo Sikoa backstage.Solo is boisterous about their chances against the Bloodline but Tama Tonga tells him his obsession with Roman Reigns is tearing the MFTs apart. Last week they told him to stay in the back, he didn’t listen, and now they’re standing with no gold on their waists and Sikoa is helping LA Knight.Talla says they got word from the elders, and he and his brother are out. Solo says they can’t leave but Tama says they just did and they walk off as Sikoa shouts about how nobody leaves him and we go to break.Back from commercial, we get a recap of the tag match we just saw.Jade Cargill angrily confronts general manager Nick Aldis and demands a match against Chelsea Green tonight, and he cheerfully agrees to give it to her.Nathan Frazer makes his entrance ahead of our next match, accompanied by Axiom.And then Rey Fenix makes his entrance so we can get things going.Nathan Frazer vs. Rey Fenix (c) (AAA Cruiserweight Championship)Light lucha libre to start, trading leapfrogs, legsweeps from Frazer, quick covers, duck a crescent kick from Fenix and they stalemate! Backflip evasion, Nathan in the corner, Rey clobbers him, charges in, cut off, Frazer hits the reverse STO into the turnbuckles! Fenix comes back with a kick, diving crossbody, only a nearfall!Boot sends Nathan to the floor, Rey goes up top, plancha off the top, back inside, enzuigiri from Frazer, off the ropes… TOPE CON GIRO CONNECTS TO SEND US TO BREAK!Back from commercial, Fenix with a handspring Stunner, follows it with a fireman’s carry neckbreaker… NO DEAL! Up in the corner, Nathan hits the superplex, Rey rolls through into a small package for two! A frenzy of kicks and both men end up down and out! Big knee from Frazer, Fenix off the ropes, feint into a crescent kick, springboard, Nathan meets him, springboard Russian legsweep into a Final Cut… FENIX KICKS OUT!Off the top for the Phoenix Splash, nobody home, Rey gets him in the corner, double knees, set him up top, hook him, jockeying for position, Nathan kicks him away and sets him up top for an enzuigiri that sends the champion crashing to the floor! Off the ropes… FRAZER GOES FOR A SUICIDE DIVE BUT FENIX SIDESTEPS AND NATHAN BOUNCES FACE-FIRST OFF THE ANNOUNCE DESK!Back inside, Rey up top, frog splash… FRAZER WILL NOT STAY DOWN! Nathan goes up top but Fenix gets him…Rey Fenix wins by pinfall with the Mexican Muscle Buster, retaining the AAA Cruiserweight Championship.Post-match, the two men embrace in a show of sportsmanship.Damian Priest and Ron “the Truth” Killings are interviewed backstage.Truth says they’re gonna go hang out in the hot tub in the clubhouse, but Priest disagrees and starts talking about who they want to wrestle next–Erik says he wants to put their AAA tag titles on the line in a title for title match! Killings responds in a bad Scott Hall impression and says Little Jimmy says everyone in Judgment Day can have a title if it’s title for title, including Finn Balor and JD McDonagh. War Raiders try to remind him he’s not in Judgment Day but he’s not having it and Priest clamps his hand over his partner’s mouth and accepts the challenge.LA Knight drives up and rolls into an interview.Asked why he’s at SmackDown as a Raw guy, he says he’s got questions too and he’s gonna go get some answers, right now.Back from commercial, we get a hype reel for the King of the Ring finals between GUNTHER and “Main Event” Jey Uso.LA Knight makes his entrance and gets on the mic.He says Monday night he and “Big” Jim Uso came out here and had a battle and unfortunately Jim caught a BFT and ended up looking at the lights. Jimmy is the one guy in the Bloodline he kind of respects but even so he thinks he got what he deserved. He had a little help from Solo Sikoa though, so he wants him to get his keister down here right now.“Oh, Solo Sikoa” singing chants go up and Knight says he’s gotta be honest, that’s a little catchy and ten out of ten times, when Solo comes down to the ring it’s been to attack him, distract him, fight with him right here in the center of the ring so he’s trying to wrap his head around Monday.Sikoa says he’s not here to fight him, okay, if he’s looking for a fight, he’s wasting his time. He doesn’t know if LA saw earlier, but everyone in his family has left him. Knight says that’s gotta hurt but his heart doesn’t pump purple piss(?!) for him and his family and if you ask him that just leaves Solo wide open to go right back into the bloodline.LA continues and says he bets Solo doesn’t know why he did it, but Sikoa explodes at him and says it’s because he hates the family, he hates that he was a part of the Bloodline, he hates Jacob Fatu, he hates the Usos, he hates Roman Reigns. In fact, about the only thing he has in common with Knight is he hates the Bloodline.Knight rants about how everybody else in the Bloodline SHOULD hate Roman Reigns but they still went back anyway. “Main Event” Jey Uso is now “Baggage Handler” Jey Uso and he’s supposed to trust that Solo isn’t gonna go back? He’s seen this movie before and what’s to prove it’ll be different this time?Solo says it’s different because he has nothing to lose, he’s all alone now, and the enemy of his enemy can be friends. He pitches LA on working together as partners to take out the Bloodline, watching each other’s back. Knight asks “We?” and “Friends?” and says he’s heard “it’s just me” before, day one, Uso, etc.But he’ll take a minute to digest it, because does he hate the Bloodline? Yeah. Is he outnumbered? Yeah. Have those numbers always worked against him? Yeah. Does he probably need help? Does he need Solo Sikoa standing next to him, watching his back? Solo says yeah but LA says nah, he lives and dies doing things his way.And he’ll live and die the same way, being him, the only way he can, thanks but no thanks.Sami Zayn is interviewed backstage.He says he doesn’t need to hear from Byron Saxton about his officiating last week and insists he called it down the middle until he was pushed too far and retaliated same as anyone else would have. Nobody gets it except catatonic Johnny Gargano, who’s laying on a road case just to the right of him, with his wife Candice LeRae babysitting him.Zayn says he’s gotten his way to a WWE Championship match and admits he hasn’t been himself lately, ever since he lost his title match in Saudi Arabia. But since he’s stayed true to himself, the universe has given him this chance to redeem himself. He has a flash of revelation and decides this means he’s gonna become WWE Champion.Paige makes her entrance ahead of our next match, accompanied by Brie Bella, and we go to break.Back from commercial, Fatal Influence make their entrance to get things going.Jayne gets a pep talk from Fallon Henley, circling, Paige distracted by Lainey Reid and Jacy drops her with a superkick! Putting boots to her in the coner, choking her, referee Jason Ayers admonishes Jayne and then Paige gets the better of her with a slap and a snapmare! Putting her into the top rope throat-first, slinging her off, Paige says this is her house and hammers her with a headbutt!Smashing Jacy face-first into the turnbuckles over and over, Ayers warns her off as well and Paige changes gears to stomp a mudhole! Deathlock STF applied, Jayne fights to the ropes and calls for a time-out as she huddles with Fatal Influence and Paige takes the other two out with a cannonball senton off the apron!Jayne drops her with a Penalty Kick off the apron, says this is her house now and you’re gonna respect her and sends us to break.Back from commercial, trading elbows, Paige Turner connects, cover for two! Capture DDT countered to a small package, only a nearfall, off the ropes, Busaiku knee from Jayne gets two and she’s frustrated about it! Pulling herself up in the corner, lining Paige up, she ducks the rolling elbow, trying for a backslide, Jacy puts her in the turnbuckles, backslide and her feet on the ropes… BRIE BELLA KNOCKS HER FEET OFF AND PAIGE KICKS OUT!Lainey Reid beats Brie up, trading nearfalls…Paige wins by pinfall with a schoolboy pin.Backstage, Danhausen is experimenting more on Miz and Kit Wilson.Matt Cardona rolls up and thanks him for the Knicks championship run but says ever since he gets shocked his fist has been twitching and he wants to move back to Long Island.Danhausen runs off distracted and fails to respond directly to Cardona.Los Garza roll up and demand Danhausen give him the money back but Cardona says he can’t help them. He reaches down to grab at a clothed figure and Danhausen yells at him not to touch from off-screen and we go to break.Back from commercial, commentary shills for the thing where you can pay to have your name on the canvas.Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga run into Finn Balor backstage.Balor says it’s good to see them and to see Tama making his own decisions, and it reminds him of when they ran together. Tama says that was a long time ago, and Shinsuke Nakamura was from his past too and we all saw how that went.Danhausen makes his entrance, zombie Miz and zombie Kit Wilson in tow.While they shamble into the ring, commentary tells us that we’re finally blessedly going back to two hours next week.Danhausen greets Londonhausen and welcomes us to Danhausen TV, with his guests, the Legion of Danhausen. He asks Miz how he feels being replaced on his own show and he says it’s awesome. Kit Wilson says Los Garza interrupting Danhausen’s experiments is toxic, toxic, toxic.They beat the zombies down and turn to Danhausen, who backs up until he hits the ropes and puts his dukes up–MATT CARDONA MAKES THE SAVE!General manager Nick Aldis comes down and books the obvious tag team match to start… right now!Or actually, after the break.Danhausen & Matt Cardona vs. Los Garza (Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo)Back from commercial, match joined in progress, Cardona gets Carrillo down and out, woo woo woo, Broski Boot! Rough Ryder countered, off the ropes, big boot, back body drop to the apron and Garza dropkicks him to the floor and woos! Quick tags, working Matt over in the corner, Los Garza break away to attack zombie Kit Wilson on the floor but still manage to block a tag.Tags made anyway, Danhausen with a Manhattan Drop, a lariat, northern lights suplex on Garza, corner lariats on both men! Danhausen out of gashausen, he ducks a body avalanche and Humberto goes into Angel, German suplex… GARZA BREAKS IT UP! Angel goes and gets a chair, zombie Miz gets in his way and he goes to swing the chair but Wilson grabs it and blocks him!Rough Ryder takes Garza out, Danhausen rolls up Carrillo for two, eats an enzuigiri, Humberto up top, Danhausen curses him and the ringpost blows up under him and spews sparks and smoke right into his gentleman’s area, sending him crashing down…Danhausen & Matt Cardona win by pinfall with an inverted DDT from Danhausen on Humberto Carrillo.GUNTHER is interviewed backstage.He scoffs at Sami Zayn’s redemption, saying if anybody needs redemption it’s him after getting screwed out of the WWE Championship twice. He doubles down on having been screwed and says he’s gonna tell Cody just how he’s gonna beat him, tonight.Chelsea Green is shown walking backstage, anxious about her match, to send us to break.Back from commercial, we get a hype reel for the Queen of the Ring finals between IYO SKY and Liv Morgan.We get entrances for our next match, first Chelsea Green and then Jade Cargill.Chelsea Green vs. Jade CargillCollar and elbow, feeling out, Cargill quickly takes control, action to the floor, big lariat and we go to break!Back from commercial, Cargill with a chokeslam… NOPE! Grounded punches, drawing Green back up, throwing her into the turnbuckles, but Chelsea sidesteps the charge and Jade’s shoulder goes into the post! Folding press for two, trying to go punch for punch, Cargill throws her into the corner but Green manages to duck and throw a few punches!Snapmare, to the corner, back body drop to the apron, Chelsea listens to the crowd and lands a missile dropkick for two! Killswitch countered, pump kick from Jade, double chickenwing…Jade Cargill wins by pinfall with Jaded.Post-match, B-FAB and Michin return to the ring, as do Alexa Bliss and Tiffany Stratton and a brawl breaks out!Tiffany ends up on the wrong side of That Damn Numbers Game and eats a Jaded into a nice long pin and Jade telling her that’s a preview of Saturday.Solo Sikoa is interviewed backstage.He looks sadly at Byron Saxton after being asked about being left all alone and turns to see Royce Keys standing there.Royce says he knows Jacob Fatu is coming for him, right? Solo asks if Keys is gonna have his back like he had his and Royce pauses for a long beat before clapping him on the shoulder and wishing him luck to send us to break.Back from commercial, we get a hype reel for Bron Breakker vs. Seth Rollins.Commentary hypes up the Night of Champions card.Trick Williams is interviewed backstage with Little Yachty pacing in the background.Yachty takes charge and says Ricky Saints has their attention and earned himself a tricky situation, and only a sucker would sucker punch a man. Williams said he’s sick and tired of pretending he and Saints are on the same level when Ricky had to trick and connive his way into a match and he’s stronger, faster, and prettier than Saints.Night of Champions is gonna be a night of Trick Williams, let’s talk about it.Giulia makes her entrance ahead of our next match and sends us to break.Back from commercial, Kiana James makes her entrance to get things going.James hot out the gates, beating Giulia down, throwing her into the turnbuckles for shoulder blocks, out to the floor and the Beautiful Madness cuts her off and gets some breathing room. Back inside, grabbing a handful of Kiana’s hair, buzzsaw kick, back out to the floor and James puts Giulia face-first into the steel steps to send us to break!Back from commercial, trading elbows, Giulia bringing the heat, whip reversed, big tijeras and she’s fired up! Facewash, Saito suplex, cover for two! Beautiful Madness up top, James gets under her… MILITARY PRESS SLAM OUT OF THE CORNER! Falcon Arrow connects… NO DEAL! Arrivederci blocked, James with a folding press for two!Fireman’s carry, up top, Giulia slips out… SUNSET FLIP POWERBOMB! Arrivederci connects, hook her…Giulia wins by pinfall with the northern lights bomb.Post-match… BLAKE MONROE IS FINALLY HERE AND SHE’S BEATING GIULIA DOWN! NEUTRALIZER LAYS HER OUT!Back from commercial, “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes makes his entrance and gets on the mic.He asks London what they want to talk about and starts talking about Night of Champions–He thanks all of his ride or die fans here in London and says he loves them, thanks them, and appreciates them. But that’s not why he’s out here, he needed to tell Cody face to face, man to man, and for whatever it might mean at this point, as a friend, that he regrets how some of last week with him as a guest referee went down.Yes he was provoked and pushed to his limit, but at the end of the day he’s a good guy, the last real good guy around here, so he should have been better. So he regrets the fast count and striking the official and especially knocking Rhodes out cold with the WWE Championship. It was a mistake–Rhodes cuts him off and asks it if was a mistake. Sami says it was and now they find themselves about to wrestle for the WWE Championship, and he needs Cody to know this isn’t how he wanted it, it’s never how he wanted it, he didn’t want to be in the middle of this thing, it’s not how he wanted it–Cody bellows and tells him enough, this is exactly what he wanted. Gosh, Sami, you’re wrestling for the WWE Championship in a country that loves him in a match where Rhodes doesn’t have to be pinned to lose the title? Things are looking up for Zayn! He keeps playing this victim card for everybody, for the thing laying down backstage that he talks to, but he’s not a victim.What Sami is is exhausting. Every interaction backstage is like a mosquito sucking the blood from him, what, does he expect Cody to keel over and hand him the title? He can’t wrap his head around that Zayn is best friends with Kevin Owens because there’s two big differences between them.One, Kevin would have come out here, got to the point, said what he had to say, and stabbed him in the front. And two, Kevin has been WWE Champion. (Well no, he was Universal Champion, but sure.)Sami says to keep Kevin’s name out of his mouth and that if it weren’t for him GUNTHER would be champion and Cody shouldn’t be chastising him but rather on his hands and knees thanking him. He’s the reason Rhodes is still champion and after Night of Champions, Sami will be the reason he’s not champion any longer.He asks what all the drama here is before saying he doesn’t care. All he cares about is winning what’s rightfully his and is hanging over Cody’s shoulder. Sami is right about one thing, if he hadn’t screwed him out of the title he’d be champion right now and Rhodes knows it. But Zayn is wrong when he says he’s gonna leave Night of Champions with the title, because the Ring General will.As a referee he caused a lot of damage, but as a wrestler, he’s a non-factor. He’s never been WWE Champion and he never will be. And as for Cody, enjoy your last night as the golden boy, because tomorrow he’s gonna take it all away and walk into SummerSlam facing the King of the Ring, not Rhodes.Enter “Main Event” Jey Uso.GUNTHER tells him no running it back on his time, and Jey keeps it short and sweet, saying he’s gonna punch his ticket to SummerSlam by becoming King of the Ring and then whoever wins the title tomorrow is getting a warning shot, except the Ring General doesn’t need one because he already tapped him out like a little bitch at WrestleMania.That kicks off a brawl that leads to Cody and Jey Superkick Partying GUNTHER to the floor!He gets on the apron and stares Jey and Cody down with a smile on his face and Uso takes Rhodes out with a superkick!Jey focuses on Oba and GUNTHER slides in and takes him out with a lariat! GUNTHER grabs the title and stares Femi down but Sami Zayn takes him out and does the same bit with the belt! Cross Rhodes connects and Cody grabs the belt as the Ruler gets in teh ring, standing over him and staring down.Rhodes gets to his feet and holds the title up, staring the Destroyer of Worlds dead in the eye.That’s the show, folks.

  • Unheralded city park that might just be the best in Liverpool

    Unheralded city park that might just be the best in Liverpool



    Calderstones and Sefton Park are lovely, but if you take the time to rediscover this beautiful green space you’ll find so many good things going onWalton Hall Park(Image: Liverpool Echo)Liverpool has many fine parks, some of them are truly spectacular green spaces, beloved by people across the region, but for me, Walton Hall Park is the best in the city.It was officially opened by King George V in July 1934, when he visited Liverpool to open the Queensway Tunnel, and its origins are believed to date back to Henry de Walton, steward of the West Derby hundred in 1199. The land once belonged to some of Merseyside’s richest residents, and the park site serves as one of the last reminders of Walton Hall, which was demolished around the turn of the 20th century.In its current incarnation, Walton Hall Park is replete with lush green spaces, mature trees and blooming foliage. It also contains various leisure facilities, including a bowling green, professional-standard football pitches, a fitness centre and outside exercise activities sited along its various pathways.For families, there’s also a children’s playground, which is subject to extra funding by Liverpool City Council, as part of the planned installation of new equipment.The 130-acre park also contains two lakes. The smaller pond is used to sail model boats, and the larger one has two islands. The waters are inhabited by several large carps, bream and tench fishes, as well as a large number of skimmer breams, roaches and perches.Man fishing in Walton Hall Park(Image: Liverpool Echo)On a recent visit to the park there were dozens of anglers, all set up to fish the lakes, and during the last few days, relaxing in the haze of early evening sunshine. It all looked like a little piece of heaven.There’s also something for the ramblers and cyclists with a path circumnavigating the entire park, as well as a few carved out walkways among the greenery, the latter of which is accompanied by the buzz of summer insects and the serenity of birdsong – you’d be forgiven for believing you were in the deep wilds of the countryside.For those yearning for a place to relax, listen to a podcast, some music, read a book, or for an afternoon snooze in the sunshine, there are at least five large open spaces, with well tended grass. Some people use them for picnics and family get togethers, while others use them for a bit of recreation, or wellness activities.Beautiful green spaces in Walton Hall Park(Image: Liverpool Echo)For full disclosure, I grew up in Walton, and although I used the park to play football, and run about with friends, I was never a frequent visitor, and preferred hiking over to Croxteth Hall Park, a place many consider to be the best in Liverpool.Which speaks to the central theme of this piece, the fact is that these things are always subjective. Some will say Sefton Park, others will extol the virtues of Calderstones Park – and they would all be right in one way or another because they’re also wonderful and beautiful in their own way.Part of the reason I want to platform Walton Hall Park is because, like a few other parks around Merseyside, it’s largely unheralded, but if you take the trouble to rediscover the park – or even visit for the first time – you will find so many good things going on, and so many things to enjoy.Walton Hall Park(Image: Liverpool Echo)We recently covered the work of Scouse Flowerhouse, an organisation dedicated to bringing wildflowers and creative ecology projects to areas across the city. Through the cultivation of wildflowers and facilitating seeding projects, it aims to connect people to the land around them.It is part of the wider Northern Flowerhouse group, started in 2017, and led by Richard Scott, who we met at the Abingdon Fields site, approximately 100 metres away from Walton Hall Park. As you approach the fields, you can see a large patch of green space, filled with some of the rarest flowers in the whole of Europe.It is a two minute walk from the wildflower blossoms running throughout Walton Hall Park, which are now flowering, and bringing an assortment of beautiful colours to a landscape dominated by green grass and assorted foliage.Wildflowers in Walton Hall Park(Image: Liverpool Echo)This is also complimented by the Walton Community Garden, at the far end corner of Walton Hall Avenue, and where the park sits just opposite Blackthorne Road. It is tended to by the Friends of Walton Hall Park volunteer group, taken over by Jimmy Byrne after his wife, Chrissie, sadly passed away in January 2023.Chrissie had saved the garden, and was given an honorary Citizen of Honour award for her passionate campaigning for green spaces, and determination to protect parks from development.Asked what makes the park so special to him, Jimmy told us: “Our Walton Hall park means everything to me, not only because my late wife spearheaded the fight to save it but all the park’s in Liverpool.”I promised her I would continue to save and look after it while she lay in a hospital bed knowing she had only day’s left.Walton Hall Park(Image: Liverpool Echo)”The park means so much to not just me but all the local community and all that visit it. As my late wife Chrissie use to say, Walton Hall Park is the gem in the crown of Walton.”We also reached out to Liverpool City Council to ask about the evolution of Walton Hall Park, the work that goes on there and the partnerships it leans on to ensure engaged community involvement.A spokesperson told us: “Our parks and greenspaces – of which there are more than 100 across Liverpool – are a huge part of what makes this city beautiful. Walton Hall Park is no exception to that and, as is the case with our other parks, is looked after all year round.Walton Community Garden(Image: Liverpool Echo)“We have recently refurbished the bowling green pavilion and the play area, as well as making improvements to the car park. Bins across much of the park have been replaced with a new one to help keep it litter-free.“The resource for the lakes team has been doubled meaning we’ll be able to make more frequent visits to a very popular part of the park, and we will be undertaking repair works to maintain the water levels early next week.”A new grounds management approach means we can prioritise mowing and cleansing of the key areas in the park, on top of keeping hedges, shrubs and vegetation in check.“As with many of our other parks, we are lucky to be able to work with a passionate and dedicated Friends Group who make a massive difference for the community.”