As we mark World Menopause Day (18 October), the University of Sunderland is leading new award-winning research to improve menopause support for women with a learning disability and the people who care for them. The initial project was completed in March 2026 in collaboration with the NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB.

Autumn has finally arrived, but strangely not in its usual dramatic way regarding the weather. The familiar signs are still evident, and they are the reason autumn is my favourite season.

From attempting fly yoga and taking my first golf lesson to surrendering to a Balinese massage and rediscovering the joy of a water slide, a few days in Belek proved that sometimes the best holidays are the ones that take you completely by surprise as Eleanor Charlesworth reports. I should probably start with a confession. I am not a golfer.

With fewer than 70 shopping days until Christmas – or two pay days – you might be tempted by the interest free benefits of ‘buy now, pay later’ deals to help you with spreading the cost of your Christmas shopping. And getting the presents bought early might save you a lot of time and stress as you avoid long queues and rammed car parks.

Like him, I have harboured a soft spot for RVW’s choral leviathan ever since. Forty years on, that opening brass fanfare, followed by the chorus flinging its first great cry towards the waves, still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention. When Vaughan Williams completed the work in 1910, no British composer had built an entire symphony around a chorus before. He set Walt Whitman’s prophetic, far-seeing verse adrift on a tide of choral and orchestral sound, and the result is an odyssey on the grandest scale. This release marks the latest port of call in Pappano’s Vaughan Williams cycle with the LSO.

I haven’t been to the Paris Motor Show since before the Covid-19 pandemic, and I gather the subsequent shows were somewhat half-hearted. This year it promised to be a return to form, so the decision was made to make the journey. Although I travelled by Eurostar, which was quick and efficient, the journey time, which included train travel to London, was rather longer than necessary.

Freddie Mercury was a master of theatrical excess, a vocalist of extraordinary power and a songwriter capable of turning the most intimate emotions into arena-sized anthems. Yet behind the flamboyant stage persona was a private individual whose thoughts and feelings were often concealed from public view.

It has long been believed by many that brown eggs are better than white. It has been argued that they are healthier and tastier. However, is there really any difference other than the colour? The colour of the eggshell is entirely dependent on the breed of the hen. Generally speaking, white hens lay white eggs and brown hens lay brown eggs.

The opening of Florent Schmitt’s Symphonie concertante takes you by the lapels before you have even settled in your chair: a great clenched dissonance that the pianist has to wrestle into place with both hands. There could be few better guides into this uncharted terrain than Peter Donohoe, who joins the BBC Philharmonic and Yan Pascal Tortelier for a first movement of thrilling, untamed energy in music that most concert-goers will never have encountered.

Sam Fox from UK Mortgage Centre founder explains what buyers need to know about the revived Help to Buy-style scheme and why the headline 2.5% deposit isn't the whole story With the Government preparing to unveil further details of its revived Help to Buy-style scheme in the upcoming Budget, first-time buyers are being urged to look beyond the headline figures and understand exactly wh…

Country music has never been short of nostalgia, but Mae Estes is giving it a fresh spin with her new EP, The 90s Called. Drawing on the voices, stories and unapologetic attitude of country’s golden era, Estes pays tribute to the artists who first inspired her to pick up a microphone.

Shortly before his death, Scotts gave his former pupil the scores he had gathered over a lifetime of playing, and nearly every piece here comes from that bequest. That gives the programme its character. Much of this music vanished from publishers’ catalogues long ago, and what survives in the collection tells you as much about Scotts’ personality as about the concerts he gave. Savage wanted the album to bring back the teacher he knew: a player of charm and dazzling technique, quick to laugh and generous to a fault. He makes a pointed case against the familiar myth of the great teacher as a tyrant at the music stand. This is a recording in praise of kindness in the teaching room, and it is all the more appealing for it.

Most of us take steps to protect ourselves from the effects of the sun in summer, but many people don’t realise that they need to extend that care into winter. The sun may sit lower in the sky and temperatures may be colder, but UV radiation is a year-round threat.

Ben Forster has performed on some of the biggest stages in the world, but there’s still one theatre that gives him goosebumps every time he steps onto it.

Our guide Samir not only had an encyclopaedic knowledge of his homeland but, more importantly, that other ingredient essential to any self-respecting guide: a twinkle in his eye! Staring up at the historic Koutoubia Mosque he began his tale like a seasoned story teller.

Nestled in Suffolk, Bury St Edmunds is a historic market and cathedral town best known as the final resting place of St Edmund, the Anglo-Saxon patron saint. Its cathedral, St Edmundsbury, is crowned by the Millennium Tower, completed as recently as 2005, and the building is home to a Harrison & Harrison of Durham organ installed in 2010. It is on this instrument that Richard Cook, the cathedral’s Assistant Director of Music, makes his solo recording debut, and he has chosen a formidable calling card.

Jupiter: Geopolitical uncertainty is acting as a tailwind; concern samong retail investors and AI After interviewing a number of executives in the financial space, Max Georgiou, Analyst at Third Bridge made a series of remarks regarding Jupiter, informed by the insights from industry experts.

A Cumbrian vet is sharing his top tips to help pets and owners cope with the upcoming fireworks season. “Every year pets are injured and go missing when they have been terrified by fireworks,” said Graham Lewis, small animal vet at Paragon Veterinary Group based at Dalston near Carlisle. “It’s not just one day of the year. Nowadays fireworks are let off over an extended period.

Beat the boredom this October Half Term with Butterfly Conservation's five fun, slightly spooky and wild-inspired activities for the family. 1. See what’s going bump in the night The nights are drawing in but there’s still lots to see when the sun goes down! Head out after dark with a torch and look for fallen fruit, berries or Ivy and you might find some moths enjoying a sweet treat.

As the leaves turn amber and the mornings get that familiar crisp bite, many of us assume the gardening year is winding down. But autumn is actually the absolute best time of year to get your hands dirty, especially if you are looking to add structure, height, and depth to your outdoor space with trees and shrubs.

The Met Office forecasts a largely dry weekend for many, offering a useful window for an autumn clear-out. But dumping garden waste could result in a fixed penalty of up to £1,000 in England.

A spectacular immersive experience narrated by Sir David Attenborough has opened at Chester Zoo, with new images revealing how the production is bringing the story of our planet to life in the North West for the first time.

Almost 80% of drivers would consider a professional refresher or driver-confidence lesson in at least some circumstances. More than one in five would consider professional help if a collision knocked their confidence behind the wheel. Gold and Platinum AA Insurance customers involved in a collision can be offered a two-hour Driver Confidence session with AA Driving School.

Further cut would save around 6p a litre at the pumps. AA says lower fuel costs could help drivers, businesses and inflation

Business and university leaders have warned that devolution must strengthen the contribution of places to the UK's innovation economy without fragmenting the national capabilities needed to compete globally.

CrossCountry customers encouraged to plan ahead for Christmas travel: Snow at Birmingham New Street Rail passengers travelling this Christmas are being encouraged to plan ahead, as major engineering work will mean no trains can operate to or from Birmingham New Street between Thursday 24 and Monday 28 December 2026.

It boasts some of the best views across the city, arguably one of the most desirable city centre locations, just down the road from Leeds Trinity Shopping Centre and amenities you’d expect from a 5* hotel, but this isn’t a new luxury hotel, it’s the city’s latest purpose-built student accommodation tower.

Vital funding will help EMPOWER Youth Zones expand its work and create more opportunities for children and young people throughout Greater Manchester. The Matchroom Charitable Foundation has announced a £50,000 donation to EMPOWER Youth Zones, supporting the charity’s work with thousands of young people across Salford and Manchester.

More women looking for rewarding careers on the railway as Northern sees a sharp rise in job applications More women looking for rewarding careers on the railway as Northern sees a sharp rise in job applications The number of women applying for jobs with Northern has risen significantly, following the launch of a successful recruitment campaign.

Teenage girls are spending fewer evenings with friends, feeling isolated in their communities and dodging school sport at higher rates than boys, according to a report into England’s “bedroom generation”.  Polling of 15-year-olds for the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) finds that more than one in five girls (21 per cent) now spends no evenings out with friends during a typical week, compared wi…

After some four decades of silence, "Clotherholme's Big Ben" is chiming again, thanks to a new caretaker who gave up his weekends to bring it back to life. For the better part of half a century, the clock above Ripon Grammar School has been right twice a day. Now it is right all the time.

Passengers with mobility scooters are now able to travel on all of the different types of trains in Northern’s fleet with a free permit. It comes after the train operator updated its rules to allow smaller mobility scooters on Class 158 trains.

Miller Homes has opened applications for the second round of its 2026 Community Fund, inviting charities and community groups across the North West, including Coppull to apply for grants to support local projects and initiatives. The fund offers donations ranging from £250 to £2,000, helping organisations that make a positive difference within the communities where the homebuilder operates.

Dear Editor, Like most of us, I don’t think twice before hopping on a bus or train to go to work, meet friends or do a spot of shopping. However, for millions of people across the country who are deaf or have hearing loss, barriers on public transport can make even every day journeys feel impossible.

Noise pollution remains a significant but often overlooked threat to public health in the North West despite falling complaints figures, with new research suggesting many people are regularly disturbed by noise and that lower-income households are disproportionately affected.

Grocery bills that have crept up modestly this year are on course for a far sharper rise, with food inflation forecast to almost double by 2027 as extreme weather, energy costs and supply chain disruption converge on the food system.

New polling by Opinium for Carers UK reveals that 3.33 million people have given up work to care for a family member or friend who is older, disabled or seriously ill, with 1.1 million leaving their job in the last two years alone – more than 1,500 people a day.