News Talk

A FREE to visit museum that claims to be the oldest in the UK has revealed what to expect ahead of it’s multi-million pound makeover.

The Royal Armouries – which is home to the national collection of arms and armour – in Leeds, has secured a government loan to purchase the land it stands on.

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The Royal Armouries has received £11.6million in funding to help with redevelopment[/caption]

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The director of the museum claims it is the oldest in the world[/caption]

According to the BBC, the director of the museum Nat Edwards said: “We pride ourselves on being the world’s oldest museum.

“We’ve been around since at least the early 14th Century, but for most of our history it was sitting in the Tower of London

“This is the first time in 702 years that we’ve owned our own home.”

The Royal Armouries moved from London to Leeds in the 1990s as part of a project to regenerate what was a “pretty grim, post industrial” part of the city.

The museum is publicly-owned and free to visit and includes items from around the world such as Henry VIII’s armour and James Bond’s Walther PPK.

Mr Edwards added that as well as securing a home for the different historical exhibits, the deal would also protect the museum’s future.

Part of the future plans for the site include the development of the tityard site – which is used for jousting matches and displays – into a multipurpose riverside arts, events and conference space.

The museum is also planning to refurbish its exhibition galleries, which includes adding digital technology.

Plans include immersive spaces to help improve educational experiences too.

Mr Edwards suggest that this space could see the recreation of a battlefield experience – bringing the history to life.

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The museum hopes to add modern technology throughout the museum[/caption]

In addition, the wider site that the museum acquired around Leeds Dock is also been looked at for new housing developments.

Mr Edwards shared shared that the museum is keen to support wider housing development in the south side of Leeds, but thinks that the area around the Armouries is “such an important public space”.

The Royal Armouries also works with the Ministry of Defence to help new recruits into the army better understand the realities of war.

And the museum works with the Border Force, the police and various other intelligence services – some of which involves training AI systems to detect weapons in suitcases and working with the police to limit the effects of 3D printed weapons.

Mr Edwards shared that the key to the museum’s success was developing these partnerships and creating spaces and tools to tell the stories of human conflict.

The museum’s collection includes items which detail British colonial history in East Africa, for example.

Last year, one of the UK’s biggest free attractions revealed more plans for its massive £1billion revamp.

Plus, a Sun reporter headed to London’s newest immersive attraction designed for selfie-loving tourists.

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There could also be immersive experiences that bring history to life[/caption]

GAME nights can often descend into chaos and rows over hotly debated rules.

And now a lesser known Monopoly step has been brought to light, shocking the internet.

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Monopoly players can speed up the game with a little-known rule (stock image)[/caption]

Whether your family members bend the rules or take the game too seriously, Monopoly has become a classic staple of game nights.

The 1903 board game is known to drag on for hours, and in some cases days, but an overlooked rule can help it end much sooner.

Monopoly is actually supposed to last just 60 to 90 minutes but a common mistake is making it last much longer.

The unknown rule can dramatically change the game’s trajectory and even speed it up considerably.

This revelation recently resurfaced on the Triple M Breakfast show, when Beau Ryan admitted he’d had a “realisation the other day” while playing Monopoly.

The presenter explained that he had been playing with his son and after landing on Park Lane, the second priciest property on the standard UK board, he chose not to purchase it.

His son then said he was “buying it” instead, leaving the radio personality confused.

“Hang on champion, you can’t buy that, you didn’t land on it,” he told his son.

However, the young boy insisted that if a player lands on a property but chooses not to buy it, it then goes up for auction.

After scanning the rule book, the presenter was taken aback to learn his son was right.

“If anyone lands on a property in Monopoly, and they don’t buy it, the other plays can auction it,” he confirmed.

His co-host Cat Lynch admitted that she also “didn’t know that”, adding: “You’ve blown my mind”.

The radio show discussion went viral on TikTok, totalling 1.3 million views.

People shared their thoughts on the revelation in the comments section.

“Bruh, that’s why it always took hooooours for us to finish,” wrote one baffled viewer.

“Oh damn, I think I owe my kids an apology, all this time I thought they were trying to cheat,” said another person.

“Wow, been playing it wrong my whole life,” a third TikTok user admitted.

However, others insisted that this was a commonly known rule of the game.

“P***es me off when people argue against this rule. Game goes on for months if you ignore it,” said one radio listener.

“I’m a rules girl and am 100 percent a Monopoly girl. I love the Auction rule,” wrote another person.

The official guidelines dictate: “Whenever a player lands on an unowned property he may buy that property from the Bank at its printed price.

“If he does not wish to buy the property it is sold at auction by the Banker to the highest bidder.”

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The official rule book explains that a property should go up for auction if the player who lands on it chooses not to buy it (stock image)[/caption]

Former Mayor Henyard lost re-election bid following FBI probe into her administration's spending.

The new WA Open International squash champions share a common goal - cracking the top 100 in the pro ranks.

Kayla Thornton stood tall when it mattered most. With the game hanging in the balance and the clock ticking down, she buried a dagger three that helped the Golden State Valkyries seal a dramatic 89-81 overtime win against the Los Angeles Sparks on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena. THORNTON TRIPLE ⚡ Valkyries now up 6 […]

The post Valkyries’ Kayla Thornton bury 3-point dagger, double-double in OT to help power Golden State past Sparks appeared first on ClutchPoints.

TWO hunky new bombshells have entered Love Island – and it’s bad news for the boys in the Majorca villa.

Semi pro footballer Shea Mannings and fitness influencer Remell Mullins will be seen on screen within days.

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Shea Mannings has landed in the Love Island villa[/caption]

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Bosses have thrown a cat among the pigeons with two new bombshells – including fitness influencer Remell[/caption]

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Shea is a 6ft 4 striker from Brighton with an Instagram bursting with action shots from his time on the pitch.

Remell boasts over 18million likes and half a million followers on TikTok thanks to his sizzling body transformation videos.

A source told The Sun: “The two new boys are already in the villa and immedietely started turning heads.

“The OG lads thought they were safe but three bombshells in three days shows that producers aren’t messing around.”

Their arrival follows a genius twist introduced by Maya Jama on launch night.

She announced the show’s first ever American bombshell and immediately gave her the power to steal a boy.

Las Vegas VIP waitress Toni swiped Ben – leaving Burnley lass Shakira single.

Shakira now has 24 hours to make a new connection or be dumped from the island.

If Shakira can convince a boy to split from his partner she’ll be saved.

Either way, at least one girl is going home tonight.

Stunned viewers have called it a “hunger games” style twist.

But they can’t complain as they were given fair warning the opener would be explosive.

Love Island boss Mike Spencer-Hayter revealed last week that the series will launch with a major twist from the off.

He said it was something that had “never been done before” on the show or on any of its spin-offs around the world.

Now viewers believe they know who will be going home tonight and they’re already up in arms about it.

Alima is paired with Blu and fans think he will make a move for single Shakira.

One person took to X to say: “If Alima gets sent home OfCom be ready.”

Another echoed: “If Alima gets dumped, Ofcom will be hearing from me.”

While a third agreed: “If Alima gets dumped because of the American I’m reporting the show to ofcom.”

For all the latest on Love Island keep up to date with our live blog.

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Shea is 6ft 4 footballer from Brighton[/caption]

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Remell posts about his body transformation on TikTok[/caption]

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Love Island’s first bombshell swiped Ben[/caption]

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He was initially partnered up with Shakira[/caption]

The BET Awards 2025, marking their 25th anniversary, aired live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on June 9, 2025, hosted by Kevin Hart. It was a night of top-tier performances, heartfelt tributes, and powerful moments  Kevin Hart is a dynamic comedian whose energetic performances and sharp wit have made him one of the […]

This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire

The music world just lost one of its greatest innovators. Sylvester Stewart, who the world knew and loved as Sly Stone, passed away on June 9, 2025, at his home in Granada Hills, Los Angeles. He was 82 years old. The funk legend died from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease along with other underlying health issues, […]

This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire

IF there’s one thing I learned from my Thursday at the London Concours, it’s that the world’s greatest cars somehow look even better in the pouring rain.

The capital was in full “classic British summertime” mode as we gathered in the heart of the Big Smoke at the Honourable Artillery Company for the ultimate petrolhead garden party – with rain pelting down as we walked through the gates.

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Michael Golson

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The X-Pack Ford Capri, restored and upgraded to perfection, now worth an impressive £57,000[/caption]

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The Audi RS2 Avant, a super estate with Porsche DNA, featured in the Youngtimers display[/caption]

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The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, developed during Mercedes’ partnership with McLaren, with just 3,200 miles on the clock[/caption]

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The ultimate petrolhead garden party, with rare sports cars and modern classics on display[/caption]

But honestly, the weather didn’t matter.

The sight of dozens of the world’s most iconic sports cars – the kind you usually only see in books or posters – all lined up on the green lawns, surrounded by white tents, made it all worthwhile.

The London Concours, now in its ninth year, is a proper showcase of the world’s most exotic supercars, plus a healthy dose of modern classics thrown in for good measure.

It’s the stuff of dreams for any petrolhead.

Perhaps the star of the show was the rarely-seen Bugatti EB110 SuperSport – one of the first cars to greet us as we walked in.

One of just 33 SuperSport models ever made, this beast was originally built for the Brunei royal family back in 1993.

Capable of over 200mph, it beat out legends like the Porsche 930 Turbo S, Porsche 911 GT1, McLaren F1 and Porsche 959 to win top honours in the Dream Cars class.

When it was new, the EB110 SuperSport would’ve set you back around $380,000 (roughly £280,000).

Nowadays? Try $1.2 million (about £936,000).

FAST FORDS

While sheltering from the morning downpour under one of the tents, I couldn’t help but notice the collection of legendary Fords nearby.

A rare Ford RS200 was the pick of the bunch, which took the win in the Fast Fords class.

This rally-spec beauty is one of just 15 ever built and spent the first 30 years of its life in storage, with just 1,100 miles on the clock.

These days, though, it’s out and about during the summer months.

It was joined by an X-Pack Ford Capri, upgraded by Ford’s Special Vehicle Engineering programme with a wide body kit and lowered suspension.

After a full restoration (with plenty of upgrades), this Capri is now worth around £57,000 – with half of that value coming from the enhancements alone.

Other Ford icons were close by, including a beefy Ford Escort Cosworth RS – which can now fetch well over £100,000 at auctions – and the near-mythical Ford GT40.

SEE IT ALL

Over the three-day event, there were bonus displays celebrating Aston Martin (Tuesday), Mercedes-Benz (Wednesday) and Supercars (Thursday).

By the time you’ve walked around for a bit, your senses start to adjust to the sheer quality of cars on display.

My attention was drawn to the Youngtimers display, which featured modern classics from the late 1980s and early 1990s that have become cult favourites among enthusiasts.

The standout here was the Audi RS2 Avant – a super estate with sports car power and Porsche DNA – but the winner of the class was a 1989 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet with a rare ‘Flachbau’ (flat-nose) styling and pop-up headlights that scream 1980s cool.

HYPERCAR HEAVEN

The Hypercars class was absolutely jaw-dropping, with a 2019 Lamborghini Centenario – the only one in the UK – stealing the spotlight.

Built to celebrate Ferruccio Lamborghini’s 100th birthday, only 40 of these were ever made.

Further on, as part of the Mercedes-Benz celebrations, we were treated to a stunning display of SL models marking 70 years since the introduction of the 300SL.

Highlights included a racing-spec 300SL Gullwing, an elegant 300SL Roadster and a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren with just 3,200 miles on the clock.

It wasn’t all about flashy supercars, either.

The Wild Cards class celebrated the oddballs and misfits of the car world, with this year’s winner being a 1961 Maserati 3500 GT, which spent 50 years in California before making its way to the UK in 2012.

Fun fact: it’s owned by Coldplay’s Guy Berryman.

SUMMERTIME?

In many ways, the London Concours is the perfect way to kick off the UK’s motoring summer.

If you’re feeling a bit of FOMO, don’t worry – there’s more to come.

I recently covered some of the best upcoming events across the country, from CarFest to the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

And if you fancy an event similar to the London Concours, the Concours of Elegance will be held at Hampton Court from September 5 to 7.

FREDDIE Brazier has revealed a close friendship with a Love Island legend after making a U-turn on plans to enter rehab.

The 20-year-old – who is the son of TV presenter Jeff Brazier and the late Jade Goody – previously told how he was preparing to check into a facility in Marbella.

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It came after Freddy confessed he’s been hooked on smoking since the age of 12.

But the young star looked happy in new snaps of him with Love Island winner Nathan Massey.

He enjoyed a day out with Nathan, 32, and his son Freddie-George, seven, at Jurrasic World: The Experience.

Nathan won the second series of Love Island with wife Cara De La Hoyde, and the couple also share daughter Delilah, four.

Fans were quick to comment, with one writing: “Aw good lads nice to see.”

And another said: “Lovely to see you with Freddy.”

Freddy’s recent struggles have also seen him caught up in a rift with Jeff, 46, over his relationship with Jade’s mum Jackiey Budden.

Freddy was recently spotted puffing away with Jackiey, 68, near Tower Bridge, despite Jeff’s attempts to block contact over safety concerns.

Sources say Freddy moved in with Jackiey in Bermondsey for a week, in defiance of his dad’s legal efforts to keep them apart

Freddy later stunned followers when he opened up about a long-standing smoking addiction and a desire to make peace with his dad.

In a heartfelt post, he said: “I want to be clean so I can life happily and have healthy relationships with people and be there for all of my family rather then feeling like I’m in the middle and have to choose a side.”

Freddy also shared hopes of mending things with his famous father, saying: “I want to play football and take up boxing. I want to be happy and be in a healthy relationship and have a healthy relationship with my Nana and my father.”

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