Freddie Flintoff has opened up on the ‘anxiety, nightmares, and flashbacks’ he experienced after his Top Gear crash.
The former Lancashire and England cricketer, turned popular TV personality and presenter – whose real name is Andrew, but is more commonly-known by the nickname ‘Freddie’ – was notably involved in a significant crash while filming for since while filming for Top Gear back in mid December 2022.
Those sources also claimed at the time that it was likely the Preston-born sportsman would “never return” to Top Gear filming, before the BBC then later announced in November 2023 that it had made the decision to “rest” the long-running show, and that the programme would not be returning to our screens for the “foreseeable future”.
Freddie Flintoff has opened up on his ‘anxiety and nightmares’ after the Top Gear crash / Credit: BBC
Flintoff – who is the current head coach of the Northern Superchargers cricket team – has previously spoken publicly about “the hardest time” in his life following the crash, but has now bravely opened up further about his experiences during the second series of his BBC documentary show, Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams.
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In the first series of Field of Dreams – which aired in 2022 – Flintoff returned to his hometown to assemble a cricket team of teenagers who’d never played the game before, while the second series centres on the team taking a tour of India.
Filming for the second series began prior to Flintoff’s accident, with the crash occurring 12 weeks before the tour was scheduled to take place, and in the documentary, Flintoff is shown a week and a half after the accident in footage he shot himself on his phone.
This also marks the first time he reveals the initial extent of his facial injuries, before any surgery took place at later dates.
Speaking about his recovery journey to cameras while filming for the second season of the show, Flintoff explained: “I thought I could just shake it off. I wanted to shake it off and say ‘everything’s all right’, but it’s not been the case.
“It’s been a lot harder than I thought.
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“As much as I wanted to go out and do things, I’ve just not been able to. I struggle with anxiety. I have nightmares, I have flashbacks. It’s been so hard to cope with.”
Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams is set to begin on Tuesday 13 August at 9pm on BBC One, or you can also catch up on BBC iPlayer.
Featured Image – BBC
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Drivers warned of ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter
Emily Sergeant
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ on the roads that could seem them hit with hefty fines as winter rolls around.
Once the temperatures drop, and the days get shorter and darker, fog tends to become a more common weather occurrence around this time of year – but an eye-opening new survey has found that most drivers don’t really how to use their fog lights correctly.
According to guidance from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), fog lights should only be used on British roads when visibility drops below 100 metres, yet the new research by eBay has found that 60% of drivers use their fog lights at the wrong times, and what’s more is that one in 10 say they switch on their fog lights when visibility is less than 300 metres.
48% of drivers who took part in the research admitted that they activate full-beam headlights when it’s dark, regardless of oncoming traffic and other road users.
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter / Credit: Nabeel Syed (via Unsplash)
The RAC says these stats reveal a ‘worrying trend’ among motorists, and have warned that these habits could actually means drivers are risking fines of up to £1,000 and three penalty points on their licence.
If the incorrect usage of fog lights wasn’t bad enough as it is, the new research also found that many Brits say they do not stay on-top of regular car maintenance when it comes to car fog lights, either – with just 15% saying they check them every month, and shockingly, 24% stating they’ve never checked them before.
Due to the ongoing issue of headlight glare, in whatever form that may be, The RAC has found that as many as one in four drivers (25%) who find headlights ‘too bright’ are actually driving less as a result.
“Unfortunately for a lot of drivers, the annual onset of darker evenings coincides with another unwelcome arrival – that of overly-bright headlights that they believe make driving more difficult due to dazzle and discomfort,” explained Rod Dennis, who is the Senior Policy Officer at the RAC.
“While most of us have no choice other than to adapt to driving at night more often as the clocks go back, the fact headlight glare is the leading cause of nervousness underlines it’s a problem that needs tackling.
“At the same time, it’s important to remember that brighter headlights can give drivers a better view of the road ahead, so there’s a balance to be struck.”
Featured Image – Robin the Bird (via Unsplash)
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Police investigation underway following ‘shocking’ arson at Marple Cenotaph on Bonfire Night
Emily Sergeant
A public appeal for information has been issued after a fire was started near a war memorial in Stockport on Bonfire Night.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is currently investigating after officers were called out around 9:50pm on Bonfire Night (Wednesday 5 November) following reports of a group of males near to the Cenotaph in Marple.
When police arrived at the scene, they found that a fire had been started in a bin and wooden pallets had been set alight – with the ground nearby having been damaged.
Neighbourhood officers in Marple are now investigating and are appealing for information in relation to this incident.
The incident has been described as a reckless act that could have ended with more damage and even serious injury.
“The Cenotaph means a lot to the community and incidents like this are deeply upsetting, particularly at a time when we should be honouring the memory of our war veterans,” explained Sergeant Rachel Walton, of GMP’s Stockport East Neighbourhood Policing Team.
“We are working closely with partners at Stockport Council and the fire service to ensure the area is cleaned and restored.
“We want to identify the individuals responsible, and we will have extra high-visibility patrols in the park each evening leading up to the Remembrance Day service on Sunday (9 November).”
This incident is just one of a total of 350 calls related to fire or fireworks that GMP responded to on Bonfire Night, which is said to be an increase from 203 last year.
A total of 27 arrests were made across Greater Manchester, with four weapons and hundreds of fireworks seized.
Emily Sergeant -
7th August 2024 
