More than 140 children got to experience a totally new sport on Wednesday, March 6, as they took part in a fencing festival with experts the Little Musketeers. Founder and four-time British fencing champion James Beevers and his team put the children through their paces on the day supported by young mentors from Newlands Girls’ School. The Olympian designed a fun skills course followed by ‘fencing bouts’ which challenged the children from seven primary schools to develop core cognitive skills and increase overall fitness whilst embracing the new sport. An ‘alternative’ sport was chosen to draw-out sports skills from children who don’t normally engage in regular PE classes at school. Emma Fitzgerald, partnership development manager for the School Sport Partnership, said that it's important to introduce new sports and activities to schools.

“That means we can see what people really love about the places they live. That might be fast commutes and high-achieving schools but also clean water to swim in, lively town centres with useful shops, the possibility of earning a living and being part of a friendly community.

Here's what the Sunday Times had to say in full about Falmouth in its best places to live in the UK list thetimes.co.uk/bestplacestolive. It says while the scale may be more modest and the weather less reliable Falmouth is “the closest thing this country has to the kind of city-by-the sea lifestyle of California or Barcelona”. “Unlike much of Cornwall, Falmouth hasn’t had the life sucked out of it by the second-home brigade,” it says. Falmouth Packet: View from GreenbankView from Greenbank (Image: Getty)The panoramically positioned Seaview Inn is highlighted as a standout pub along with the “folky” bottle shop and taphouse, the Moth & the Moon. They say the best restaurants include Michelin green star Culture and the Caribbean-flavoured Cribbs and Hevva!, a new seafood joint.

State investigators in Moscow said on Friday that they had opened a criminal case against a woman who poured dye into a ballot box to try to disrupt voting in the country's presidential election. CCTV footage of the incident obtained by Reuters shows a young woman depositing her voting slip before calmly pouring liquid into the transparent plastic ballot box. A police officer detains her immediately

As a team they’re practically unbeatable, their fortunes propelled by the seemingly unstoppable power of wonder boy Max Verstappen – but the scandal surrounding the guy at the helm of Red Bull could well end up putting the brakes on their winning streak. Christian Horner, husband of Geri Halliwell and Red Bull’s team principal, may have been cleared of dodgy behaviour towards a female colleague but his woes don’t end there. For one, there’s no love lost between the 50-year-old boss and the father of his most valuable team member. Max’s dad, Jos Verstappen, has warned it could be disastrous for the team if he remains in the top job.

Josh Taylor’s long-awaited rematch with Jack Catterall has been postponed again, after the Scottish boxer suffered another injury. Taylor won a highly controversial decision against Catterall in Glasgow in 2022, and a planned rematch collapsed in 2023 when Taylor suffered an injury. By the time Taylor fought Teofimo Lopez last June, the 33-year-old held only the WBO belt, having relinquished and been stripped of his other titles. Taylor lost to Lopez via unanimous decision to drop his final belt. In the meantime, Catterall has beaten Darragh Foley and Jorge Linares – both via unanimous decision.

Cookham Bridge has reopened to traffic a day earlier than planned and after months of renovation and repair works. The bridge, a vital River Thames crossing between Cookham and Bourne End, has been out of action to vehicles since October. Engineering teams have conducted maintenance works including resurfacing and re-waterproofing. It had been scheduled to open on Saturday (March 16) but the Royal Borough has now confirmed it is open to traffic from today.

Manchester City will have to get the better of Real Madrid if they are to stand any chance of retaining their Champions League crown this season. The draws for the quarter-finals and the semi-finals of the competition were made on Friday morning, pitting City up against the Spanish heavyweights in the last eight. City beat Madrid at the semi-final stage last season, winning 5-1 on aggregate, to reach the final in Istanbul. In the event of them beating Madrid, City will face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the semi-finals. You can view the draws in full by visiting our blog below for a full recap:

Social media influencer, bestselling author, life coach, inspiration to the likes of Michelle Obama, Will Smith and JLo, whose wedding to Ben Affleck he officiated over. For many, Jay Shetty needs little introduction. The charismatic British-Indian guru with the penetrating grey-green eyes has millions of fans who take his self-help lessons as gospel and hang on to every word he writes or speaks. His brand of inspiration and motivation has turned him into a multi-millionaire, earned him an astounding following on social media and seen him win numerous health and wellness awards. His website heralds his talent for “making purpose and ancient wisdom not only relatable but also practical and easily accessible”.

The comprehensive guide was released this morning (Friday) and an abridged version will be published as a magazine supplement on Sunday. Top of the list is North Berwick, which is the first Scottish winner in the 12-year history of the Best Places to Live survey. Describing North Berwick, the Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide said: “It was picked for its combination of a great high street, a great school, the great outdoors and family-friendly houses. North Berwick impressed the judges to reach the number one spotWith North Berwick named the overall UK winner, seven other locations in Scotland were selected as 'area winners', including East Linton. “There are two pubs, a farm shop that does great coffee and a bakery whose cheese croissants draw pastry lovers from miles around.”Previous winners of the Best Places to Live in Britain title are:

The Test Valley town was judged to be one of the best places to call home by The Sunday Times. Stockbridge High Street (Image: Adele Bouchard)The expert panel, behind the Best Places to Live awards sponsored by Halifax, chose Stockbridge for its shops selling local produce, independent stores, selection of pubs, cafes and restaurants and its proximity to the River Test. It’s the perfect family place, you can walk over to the High Street and get everything you need. “Everyone remembers your face, it’s such a nice place to be.”Fifth generation butcher James Robinson has lived in Stockbridge High Street for 22 years. People can walk up and down the High Street and have a cup of coffee and a nice homemade cake.

It topped a list of 72 locations chosen by The Sunday Times to represent the best of the UK in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide. North Berwick is the first Scottish winner in the 12-year history of Best Places to Live. It has a great high street with independent shops, the great outdoors and family-friendly houses, those behind the guide said. North and North East: LeedsLeeds was praised for its shopping destinations, youthful energy and great choice of places to live. North West: Stockport, Greater ManchesterStockport was described as one of the most exciting towns around, with its historic streets filling up with independent businesses.

The town is one of seven locations in the region chosen in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide. This is how judges describe Knutsford in the comprehensive guide:Cosy and comfortable Knutsford is in Cheshire’s sweet spot south of Manchester — avoiding both inner-city bustle and a long commute. Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, said: “This guide is a celebration of towns, cities and villages that are each a fantastic place to live in 2024, from Dunkeld to Knutsford, Falmouth to Leeds. “That means we can see what people really love about the places they live. “Different people may be looking for different things, but what all our best places have in common is that people love living in them and are proud to call them home.”

The town has featured among six other locations in the region in the guide which includes 72 locations across the UK. Prestwich was one of two locations in Greater Manchester to make the list, including Stockport, which was named the overall best place to live in the region. Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, said: “This guide is a celebration of towns, cities and villages that are each a fantastic place to live in 2024, from Dunkeld to Knutsford, Falmouth to Leeds. Broadband speeds were provided by Thinkbroadband.com, the UK’s leading independent guide to broadband. For more information on The Sunday Times Best Places to Live, go to thetimes.co.uk/best-places-to-live

Sherborne, Dorset has been named the best place to live in the southwest in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide thetimes.co.uk/bestplacestolive . The Sunday Times judges said about Falmouth: “Cornwall’s liveliest town offers something for people of every age. It’s also great to see Gylly Beach recognised as ‘probably the best town beach in the country’." Published by The Sunday Times, the guide includes 72 locations across the UK. Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, says: “This guide is a celebration of towns, cities and villages that are each a fantastic place to live in 2024, from Dunkeld to Knutsford, Falmouth to Leeds.