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Shane Lowry throws ‘amazing’ birthday party for wife Wendy with Irish rugby legend among guests

SHANE Lowry threw an “amazing” birthday party for his wife Wendy over the weekend – with Peter O’Mahony among the attendees.

The celebratory affair was largely kept out of the public spotlight though Shane did share one family pic from it.

Family celebrating a birthday with a cake.
@shanelowrygolf
Daughters Iris and Ivy watch on as Wendy blows out the candles on her cake[/caption]
31 May 2025; Peter O’Mahony of Munster before the United Rugby Championship quarter-final match between Hollywoodbets Sharks and Munster at Kings Park Stadium in Durban, South Africa. Photo by Shaun Roy/Sportsfile
Newly retired rugby legend O’Mahony was among the guestlist

He captioned his sweet Instagram post: “Amazing weekend celebrating my queens big birthday. It couldn’t have went better and we feel so blessed to have all our friends and family there.”

It’s evident that O’Mahony was there as he commented: “Great night! Happy Bday Wendy!”

Peter’s spouse Jessica was also there to mark Wendy’s big day as she added: “It was the best!”

Per Extra.ie the shindig was held in House Dublin which is a boujee social venue on Leeson Street.

It’s stated that the golf ace booked out the whole garden area so that everyone could party the night away without being hassled for selfies etc.

Other famous faces in attendance included TV host Brian Ormond and actor Laurence Kinlan of Love/Hate renown.

Shane, 38, is currently gearing up for The Open which will take place next week.

It’ll hopefully be a case of lightning striking twice for the Offaly native as he’ll be aiming to replicate his magical 2019 triumph as the major returns to Royal Portrush.

He’s opted to skip this week’s Scottish Open ahead of the year’s final major.

But Rory McIlroy and Padraig Harrington will be teeing it up in the co-sanctioned event at the Renaissance Club.

The Genesis Scottish Open field is strong with most of the world’s top players in action.

World No1 Scottie Scheffler heads the pack against a field that includes the top five and eight of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Rankings, plus 15 of the top 20 in the FedExCup standings. 

The tournament is co-sanctioned between the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour – and there’s $1,530,000 up for grabs for the winner from a total purse of $9,000,000.

Last year, local favourite Robert MacIntyre went one better than his second-place finish behind McIlroy in 2023.

He edged out Adam Scott by a single stroke to claim victory – marking the Oban native’s second title in just two months. However, one notable absentee this week is Lowry.

The world number 18 has been seen preparing at Portmarnock, Royal Portrush and Baltray in recent weeks as he looks to earn a second win at the Antrim venue.

Last weekend’s PGA Tour John Deere Classic winner Brian Campbell will also be in the field in North Berwick.

The purse in 2025 remains the same with the winner also set to take advantage of the elevated 8,000 Race to Dubai points (500 FedExCup), and 2,000 Ryder Cup points on offer.

Meanwhile, Ireland’s Conor Purcell and Seamus Power will head to Louisville, Kentucky to compete in the alternate event, the ISCO Championship.

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Mystery as huge UK band cancel two gigs just hours before they’re due on stage blaming ‘unforeseen circumstances’

MASSIVE Attack fans have been left heartbroken after the band cancelled two gigs just hours before being due on stage.

Blaming “unforeseen circumstances”, the trip hop collective announced the first cancellation on Monday night, ahead of their KUNST!RASEN gig in Bonn, Germany.

Black and white photo of Massive Attack band members.
Alamy
Massive Attack cancelled two gigs just hours before being due on stage[/caption]

According to local reports from the General-Anzeiger, fans received word of the concert being called off just two hours before doors were set to open.

A brief statement from organisers, emailed to local news outlet General-Anzeiger, read: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Massive Attack concert has been canceled today. Tickets can be returned where they were purchased.”

No further reason was provided, and follow-up requests for clarification were met with silence – fuelling frustration among ticketholders, some of whom had already travelled long distances for the show.

One fan wrote on Reddit: “My girlfriend is currently in the airport and she just saw the news. She’s in tears. I don’t know how to calm her.”

Another simply said: “Totally disappointing.”

The Bonn concert wasn’t the only one scrapped at the last minute.

A second show — scheduled for Vienna the following night — was also pulled, again with no detailed explanation.

Speculation online has quickly mounted, with some fans suggesting political reasons could be behind the decision.

In recent gigs, Massive Attack have openly shown support for Palestine, screening pro-Palestinian documentaries and waving Palestinian flags on stage.

Some Reddit users have speculated that this stance may have clashed with Germany’s strict new regulations around political expression, particularly rules that have controversially redefined some support for Palestine as antisemitic.

One suggested: “Playing a pro Palestine documentary & waving the flag would be against the law.”

It comes less than a week after Massive Attack headlined Poland’s Open’er Festival with a politically-charged set that included footage of a devastated Gaza, a dedication to the Palestinian people and chants of “Free Palestine” from the crowd.

Frontman Robert Del Naja told fans: “Never again must mean never again for everybody.”

So far, the band have not addressed the cancellations publicly – and they do not have any further dates lined up.

Representatives for Massive Attack have been contacted for comment.

Massive Attack performing at the Zenith in Paris.
Alamy
Blaming “unforeseen circumstances”, the trip hop collective announced the first cancellation on Monday night[/caption]
A large crowd watches a band perform on a stage at an outdoor music festival.
Getty
They had been set to perform at KUNST!RASEN in Bonn, Germany[/caption]

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Married at First Sight star reveals she’s back together with her ex after slamming experience on the show

A MARRIED At First Sight Australia star has revealed she’s back together with her ex, after recently slamming her experience on the show.

Veronica Cloherty appeared on the hit E4 reality show earlier this year, and had a rocky time during the experiment.

Eliot and Veronica from Married at First Sight Australia.
Nine
Veronica Cloherty shot to fame on MAFS Australia[/caption]
Eliot and Veronica from Married at First Sight Australia in conversation.
Nine
Veronica had a turbulent time on MAFS[/caption]
Woman on beach at sunset says she's happier because she's talking to her ex again.
instagram/@mafsgossip
The star has now revealed she is back with hr ex boyfriend[/caption]

The Sydney-based actress, 32, was a late addition to the latest series of Married At First Sight Australia.

During her time on the show she was matched with Eliot Donovan, who had previously walked out on his first MAFS wedding to Lauren Hall.

However, the pair had a rocky romance that saw them have multiple arguments.

They split shortly before the final vows, and haven’t seen each other since.

Keen to move on with her life, Veronica has revealed she has got back together with her ex-boyfriend.

Although she hasn’t revealed his name, she shared a clip on her Instagram Stories which showed her on a beach looking happy and relaxed.

As she panned the camera around, a man can be seen briefly jumping behind her in the background.

Writing over the sweet clip, Veronica quoted a fan who commented that she “looked happier”, to which she replied: “Thanks, I’m talking to my ex again.”

SLAMMING MAFS

This latest revelation comes a few weeks after she opened up about her experience of being on MAFS, and the negative impact it has had her life.

She talked about how she “became the show’s villain” which resulted in her being subjected to cruel trolling online.

Speaking to the MailOnline in May about her experience, she confessed: “It became very apparent to me very quickly that I was a side piece in a bigger story and learning that Eliot had already been on the show kind of blindsided me right from the start.”

Despite seeming to click at the wedding and enjoying their honeymoon together, the pair where then dogged by arguments.

It often appeared on screen that Veronica was the more unreasonable of the two, and was seen storming out on a few occasions.

Eliot and Veronica arguing on a couch.
Nine
Veronica’ said the marriage to Elliot was doomed from the start[/caption]

But the reality TV bride now claims that viewers weren’t shown the whole picture.

“The edit didn’t make any sense to me,” she said.

“The Eliot that I experienced was closer to the Eliot that was first portrayed.

“I had difficulties with him from the wedding, and we had tense conversations throughout our honeymoon that were uncomfortable, that were disrespectful.”

She continued: “It’s just been really challenging for me to grapple with how it’s all been portrayed publicly and then also how I felt being in that situation.

“There were many moments where I wanted to leave and I was having those conversations prior to even getting to the dinner party.”

Talking about the horrific trolling she experienced, she told the outlet: “Look, it’s been really difficult.

“I actually got my TikTok back yesterday and there’s more than like 3000 messages in there and pretty much every single one of them is advising me to take my own life.”

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Strictly Come Dancing 2025 set to sign huge EastEnders star after dramatic Six murder

STRICTLY Come Dancing is set to sign a big EastEnders star for this year’s series, The Sun can exclusively reveal.

The soap actress joins a long list of Albert Square residents who have competed on the BBC1 dance series – and done sensationally well.

Balvinder Sopal at the British Soap Awards.
Getty
Balvinder Sopal is set to sign up for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing[/caption]
Suki Panesar from EastEnders in a blue dress.
BBC
Balvinder has played Suki Panesar for five years in EastEnders[/caption]

The lucky star gearing up for the dance floor is Balvinder Sopal, 46, plays Walford matriarch Suki Panesar.

Her hard-nosed character was one of the infamous “Six” who covered up the murder of mechanic Keanu Taylor.

A source said: “EastEnders has been a happy hunting ground for Strictly bosses since the show first aired and they believe Balvinder will be a huge hit with fans.

“She’s excited by the prospect, too, as she feels viewers will see a different side to her.”

Balvinder made appearances in rival soaps Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Hollyoaks before bagging her breakthrough role on EastEnders.

Her character Suki initially joined as a villain, faking cancer to win over her family who had all turned against her.

But over the years she finally won them over, managing to escape the clutches of her abusive husband Nish who tried to kill her after discovering she had a secret lesbian affair with Eve Unwin.

Suki finally married her lover having spent her entire adult life hiding her true sexuality and the couple now live with her son Vinny and stepson Ravi, and his children Davinder and Avani, and front various local businesses.

In 2024 she was recognised for her work on Albert Square by winning the Soap Superstar gong at the Inside Soap Awards for her part in Keanu’s death cover up – and bloody battles with husband Nish. 

Strictly has featured at least one current EastEnders star in the show’s line-up in nearly every series since the dancing show first aired in 2004.

Last year, Jamie Borthwick got the call up, following on from Bobby Brazier (2023), James Bye (2022), Rose Ayling-Ellis (2021), Maisie Smith (2020) and Emma Barton (2019).

Previous Albert Square dancers have also included Brian Conley (2017), Tameka Empson (2016), Kellie Bright (2015), Jake Wood (2014), Sid Owen (2012), Scott Maslen (2010), Ricky Groves (2009), Gillian Taylforth (2008), Letitia Dean (2007), Louisa Lytton (2006) Patsy Palmer (2005) and Christopher Parker (2004).

A BBC spokesman said: “We don’t comment on speculation.”

Two dancers on Strictly Come Dancing.
PA
Jamie Borthwick appeared on the show last year[/caption]
Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell dancing during the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour.
Rex
Bobby Brazier took part in 2023[/caption]

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Makabayan asks Zubiri: If it’s a witch-hunt, who’s the witch?

MANILA, Philippines — If it is a witch-hunt, who is the witch? The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives, particularly ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, posed this question in reaction to Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri’s statements on Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial. During an interview on Tuesday at the Batasang Pambansa complex, Tinio

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Serie A giants set to swoop in for Republic of Ireland star Evan Ferguson on a loan deal

ROMA are weighing up a loan swoop for Ireland striker Evan Ferguson. 

New Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini has made signing a new No. 9 his main priority since swapping Atalanta for the Serie A giants this summer. 

10 June 2025; Evan Ferguson of Republic of Ireland during the international friendly match between Luxembourg and Republic of Ireland at Stade de Luxembourg in Luxembourg. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
The Bettystown native was limited to just three starts in the league last season
Atalanta's Italian coach Gian Piero Gasperini reacts during the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off 2nd leg football match between Club Brugge KV and Atalanta at the Stadio di Bergamo in Bergamo on February 18, 2025. (Photo by Isabella BONOTTO / AFP) (Photo by ISABELLA BONOTTO/AFP via Getty Images)
The 67-year-old replaced Claudio Ranieri as Roma boss last month

The 20-year-old striker’s future at Brighton is unclear after a tough season last year when he was loaned out to West Ham, where he started just one game. 

Brighton have spent big this year to bring Greek teenage duo Stefanos Tzimas and Charalampos Kostoulas to the club which adds further striking competition. 

And boss Fabian Hurzeler suggested that there will be further outgoings this summer having already sold Joao Pedro to Chelsea. 

Hurzeler said: “We bought a lot of players. [But] to sell some players, I think that’s the next part of this process, but we knew it would be a process.

“I’m quite pleased how we are, how the situation is at the moment, but for sure there still have to be some things done.”

There has been speculation in England that Chelsea – who were keen on Ferguson in January – and Everton are interested. 

But reports in Italy say Roma boss Gasperini is also keen on a loan deal, though he is also pursuing Lyon’s €40 million-rated Georges Mikautadze and Lecce’s Nikola Krstovic.

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Love Island star reveals new girlfriend with series of loved-up snaps for her birthday

A LOVE Island star has gone public with his new girlfriend after sharing a series of love-up snaps for her birthday. 

Keanan Brand, who appeared on the winter series of Love Island in 2023, took to Instagram to post the sweet tribute to girlfriend Faye. 

Editorial Use Only. No Merchandising. No Commercial Use Mandatory Credit: Photo by ITV/Shutterstock (13710867ad) Keanan Brand 'Love Island' TV show, Series 9, Islanders, South Africa - 16 Jan 2023
Love Island bombshell Keanan has revealed his girlfriend
Shutterstock
(TAKEN WITHOUT PERMISSION)
Love Island star reveals new girlfriend with series of loved-up snaps for her birthday
Pictured: Keanan Brand of Love Island 2023 - Instagram image
 https://www.instagram.com/keabrand_/?hl=en
Credit: Instagram
He shared a sweet birthday tribute on social media
Instagram
Editorial Use Only. No Merchandising. No Commercial Use Mandatory Credit: Photo by ITV/Shutterstock (13789648aj) Claudia Fogarty and Keanan Brand. 'Love Island' TV show, Series 9, Episode 46, South Africa - 02 Mar 2023 Olivia and Maxwell Dump Two Other Islanders Kai Makes Sanam Breakfast Islanders Take Part in Sports Day the Boys Play a Prank on Tom
Keanan was dumped from the villa with Claudia
Shutterstock

Alongside a montage of photos of the couple, the 26-year-old rugby player wrote: “Happy birthday kidda love you lots.” 

Keanan only lasted six days in the Love Island villa. 

During his short stint, he went on dates with Jessie Wynter and Claudia Fogarty

He ended up choosing to couple up with Claudia, 30 – but their romance was short-lived. 

Claudia and Keanan ended up among the couples with the fewest votes from the public and – in a classic Love Island twist – Liv Hawkins and Maxwell Samuda, who’d received the least nods, had to pick which two Islanders would be dumped. 

In the end, they chose Keanan and Claudia, who were immediately axed from the villa

Keanan later revealed he’d spent years trying to get on the show, after initially auditioning in 2019. 

He told The Sun: “I actually auditioned in 2019. I was only 19 then and looking back, I’m glad I didn’t get on.

“Then I was in Ireland’s World Cup camp when I got a call from a producer to go and audition. 

“By the time I got home, they’d rang me and asked if I could do a medical.

“But I wasn’t jumping for joy, you can actually fly out there and not get on!

“They called again in December to say they wanted me to go on as a bombshell, which is when I told my boss Adrian Lam and Leigh owner Derek Beaumont.

“They both said, ‘Go for it,’ but I didn’t want to give my rugby career up.”

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Tragedy of Post Office scandal laid bare as shock report finds 13 workers took own lives & 59 others considered suicide

THE full scale of the Post Office scandal has been revealed after a bombshell report found 13 workers tragically took their own lives.

At least 59 other postmasters considered suicide after they were falsely accused of wrongdoing due to the faulty Horizon system.

Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry logo.
Getty
The first part of the Post Office inquiry has been released[/caption]

Others suffered from alcoholism and mental health disorders, while some workers were subjected to divorce, bankruptcy and personal abuse.

Around 1,000 people were wrongly prosecuted and convicted throughout the UK between 1999 and 2015 as a result of the faulty Fujitsu software.

They were accused of false accounting, theft and fraud over the scandal, which had a “disastrous” impact on sub-postmasters.

A long inquiry into the IT blunder found that postmasters and their families should be regarded as “victims of wholly unacceptable behaviour”.

Chairman Sir Wyn Williams concluded both the Post Office and Horizon developers Fujitsu knew the data could be false.

Senior employees were also aware that the Horizon IT system could produce accounts “which were illusory rather than real” even before it was rolled out to branches.

Sir Wyn said: “I am satisfied from the evidence that I have heard that a number of senior, and not so senior, employees of the Post Office knew or, at the very least, should have known that Legacy Horizon was capable of error.

“Yet, for all practical purposes, throughout the lifetime of Legacy Horizon, the Post Office maintained the fiction that its data was always accurate.”

Sir Wyn said around 10,000 people are eligible to submit compensation claims following what has been dubbed as the worst miscarriage of justice in British legal history.

Lead campaigner and former subpostmistress Jo Hamilton said the report “shows the full scale of the horror that they unleashed on us”.

The scandal was propelled into the spotlight in January last year following ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office.

The show centred around Sir Alan Bates – former sub-postmaster and founder of the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance.

Ex-Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells is accused of overseeing a huge number of wrongful prosecutions and convictions.

Sir Wyn’s 162-page report criticised the “unnecessarily adversarial attitude” of the Post Office and its advisers towards making compensation offers to victims.

It also said the organisation and the Government “simply failed to grasp how difficult it would be to provide appropriate financial redress.”

Sir Wyn also singled out the behaviour of Post Office investigators, saying subpostmasters “will have been in wholly unfamiliar territory and they will have found the experience to be troubling at best and harrowing at worst”.

The publication of the first part of the report today focused solely on the devastating impact of the scandal on victims and the compensation offered to subpostmasters.

A further report potentially attributing blame is expected at a later date.

In a statement, the Post Office said: “The inquiry has brought to life the devastating stories of those impacted by the Horizon Scandal.

“Their experiences represent a shameful period in our history.

“Today, we apologise unreservedly for the suffering which Post Office caused to postmasters and their loved ones.

“We will carefully consider the report and its recommendations.”


If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.


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‘I’m jumping with joy’ say Dublin Airport passengers as another new food spot ‘officially lands’ in Terminal One

DUBLIN Airport passengers are set for a HUGE new treat as they head away on holidays.

For some jet-setters, relaxing before boarding a flight with a pint and delicious meal is the highlight of the travel portion of the trip.

Woman in pink shirt interacting with a kiosk in front of a pink wall with large cookie images.
TIKTOK/SOS COOKIES
SOS Cookies has opened in Dublin Airport[/caption]
SOS Cookies shop interior with display case and menu board.
TIKTOK/SOS COOKIES
There are a range of flavours on sale[/caption]
A woman waves in front of an SOS Cookies shop in Dublin Airport.
TIKTOK/SOS COOKIES
The store is open from 5am[/caption]

Now, another new food spot has opened in Dublin Airport, and passengers are very happy.

In recent months, the airport has been upgrading their food options, opening a range of new eateries to enjoy before you fly.

And now, the team has added the perfect dessert option, with passengers set for a frenzy.

SOS Cookies has seen a surge in popularity, with many taking to social media to share their opinions on the sweet treats.

Now, the company has announced a new location in Dublin Airport.

The cookie shop can be found in Terminal One.

The team at SOS Cookies shared a short video to TikTok to share a look at the new outlet.

In the caption of the post, the team wrote: “We are SO excited to announce… SOS Cookies has officially landed in Terminal 1, Dublin Airport!

“Your new favourite plane snack awaits.

“Come say hi, grab a cookie (or six), and start your trip the sweet way.”

In the video, an employee can be seen opening the shutters on the shop.

Panning around the premises, a counter full of a variety of cookies can be seen ready to purchase.

There are several different flavours on offer, catering to everyone’s taste.

And viewers were very excited to hear about the new opening, taking to the comments section of the video to share their opinions.

One commenter said: “I’M JUMPING WITH JOY.”

Another person wrote: “Bought two kinder cookies at half six this morning and travelled all the way to Malaga with them, 10/10 with a bag of lays.”

Another commenter joked: “Bad day to be flying Aer Lingus.”

Someone else commented: “Wow that’s fantastic news! Can’t wait to get some treats before my flight next Wednesday.”

NEW FOOD OPTIONS

Another said: “OMG SOOOO excited for this!!!”

In the comments section, the team revealed that the store will open at 5am every day.

It comes after the airport expanded their food options, with the opening of several new eateries.

Two of which include crispy Korean fried chicken from Kimbox, or sushi and Asian fusion from Boxx.

And a new coffee joint, Roasted Notes, also opened in the Terminal Two arrivals area.

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Our leafy town is being overrun by fleet of caravan nomads who leave tyre streaks across cricket pitch & REFUSE to go

LOCALS have been left fuming after a fleet of caravan nomads forced the closure of a sports centre used by a top cricket club.

The large group of travellers have pitched up at Taunton Vale Sports Group, a training facility for Somerset County Cricket Club.

Aerial view of a sports centre with travellers' caravans parked on the cricket pitch.
SWNS
A large fleet of caravans have arrived to camp on the cricket pitch at Taunton Vale Sports Ground[/caption]
Travellers' caravans and cars parked on a sports field.
SWNS
The sports centre nearby has been forced to close for the foreseeable future[/caption]
Aerial view of caravans parked on a cricket pitch.
SWNS
Pictures showed tyre marks on the Cricket grounds[/caption]
Caravans parked on a cricket pitch.
SWNS
The venue is where Somerset County Cricket Club’s Second XI and County Age Group teams play[/caption]

It has announced it will be closed for the foreseeable future after the unwelcome arrival overnight on Sunday.

The venue is where Somerset County Cricket Club’s Second XI and County Age Group teams play.

It is also the official outground for Somerset County Cricket Club.

Taunton Vale Sports Group said all cricket related activities have been cancelled “until further notice” with all fixtures needing to be either re-arranged or a new venue found.

Images also show vehicles have driven over the wicket itself – causing damaging tyre marks to the crease.

The sports club also provides a 3G football pitch, tennis courts, and a sports hall.

A spokesperson for Taunton Vale Sports Group said: “Overnight we have had a large group of travellers set up base at the Sports Club.

“All cricket related activities have been cancelled until further notice. The clubhouse will also remain closed.”

TVSC General Manager, Steve Archer revealed that all facilities will be closed, with the earliest reopening date expected to be Thursday, July 10.

Steve said: “The whole site will remain closed due to the Group of Travellers that are pitched up on our main cricket ground.

“This now includes our 3G Football Pitch, Tennis Courts and Sports Hall.

“We are in the process of gaining a court order to serve an eviction notice to the group.

“The earliest we look to have our facilities back operational will be on Thursday, 10th July 2025 if the eviction process runs smoothly.

“We will keep all of our members and venue hirers up to date.”

The centre closure is only only a few days after travellers had pitched up at Leslie Avenue and Greenway in Taunton – but this group has since moved on.

Local sports teams also use the 3G football pitch with an official Soccer Sixes Football League hosting teams at the site every Sunday and Tuesday.

Somerset County Cricket Club and Taunton Town Council have been approached for comment.

Travellers' caravans and cars parked on a sports field.
SWNS
The earliest reopening date will be July 10[/caption]
Aerial view of a cricket pitch occupied by caravans.
SWNS
The caravans arriving has come as a shock to locals[/caption]

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