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One Direction share joint statement following tragic death of Liam Payne

So very sad.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 17th October 2024

A joint statement has been released by One Direction following the death of band member Liam Payne.

In a tribute signed by Liam’s band mates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson, they described Liam as ‘our brother’.

Liam was tragically found dead in Argentina yesterday after reportedly falling from a third floor window.

He was just 31 years old and is survived by his seven-year-old son Bear.

Liam found fame through the X Factor and his years with One Direction before their split.

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Individual members of the band haven’t yet spoken out about his sudden death, but a joint tribute has now been released through the band’s Instagram page.

They wrote in a statement shared on Instagram: “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say.

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“But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.

“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.

“For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly.

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“We love you Liam.

“Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry”

Read more: Former One Direction star Liam Payne has died aged 31

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Manchester’s free summer picnic is coming back to Oxford Road

Danny Jones Danny Jones Summer picnic Oxford Road Manchester

Manchester’s free ‘Summer in the City Picnic’ is returning to the Oxford Road Corridor later this year, promising plenty of live music and entertainment, family-friendly fun, outdoor activities and lots more.

Coming back to Circle Square for the second time, the now annual and completely free city centre festival will set up for its sophomore edition right on Symphony Park.

Surrounded by numerous local businesses located within the thriving Bruntwood SciTech and Vita Group neighbourhood, this mini-district is once again set to draw in crowds from all over Manchester.

With that in mind, get your coolers, picnic baskets and blankets ready: it’s time for some alfresco fanfare.

Kicking off next month for one day only, Circle Square‘s ‘Summer in the City Picnic’ 2.0 will get underway pretty much from the outset, with the organisers promising a full day of festivities.

Visitors can look forward to an even more jam-packed schedule than last year, with creative workshops and interactive experiences, DJs right through to the evening, alongside roaming steel drum performances and even silent disco adventures, just to name a few.

Other events include: sip and paint sessions, pop-up mini golf and basketball shoot-outs; ‘foot pool’, a seasonal bouquet bar, as well as a dedicated picnic space for dogs, complete with bespoke pup portraits. Adorable.

2025 saw plenty of furry friends steal the show and become local celebrities for the day, and we’re sure ’26 will be no different.

We can’t wait.

Credit: Jody Hartley Photography (supplied)

The long picnic tables will once again take centre stage, creating a relaxed space for families and friends to come together over great food from Circle Square’s wide mix of indie restaurants and cafes, such as Gooey, Onda, Hello Oriental, Half Dozen Other, Saffa Soul, North Bar, Monkey Trio and more.

Punters are, obviously, to bring along their own picnic bits, packed lunches and favourite scran, but it’s nice to have the option of treating yourself to stuff on-site.

Better still, Circle Square’s proximity not only to Oxford Road train station, but the St Peter’s Square tram stop and various bus routes (even Piccadilly isn’t really that far) means that this is super accessible for anyone interested – not to mention that it’s completely free and open to all members of the public.

Taking place on Saturday, 8 August, we hope to see you there and hopefully with the sun shining.

Credit: Jody Hartley

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Featured Images — Publicity pictures/Jody Hartley (supplied via SH Comms)

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UK set for another ‘potential’ heatwave next week after warmest June on record

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

England could be heading towards another potential heatwave early next week, the Met Office has revealed.

While it’s obviously true that temperatures this week have returned to average for the time of year, bringing largely settled conditions for many, once next week rolls around, some parts of the country could be heating up once again – with the Met Office revealing what Greater Manchester residents should prepare for.

For the early part of next week, temperatures will definitely rise and perhaps reach what are considered heatwave conditions for some.

But if this is the case, the forecast suggests that it’s ‘unlikely’ to reach the high temperatures and humidity of last month’s heat, and the North West won’t be getting the worst of it.

The potential of next week’s heatwave comes after last month was officially declared the UK’s warmest June on record.

A defining feature of the month’s heatwave was the ‘exceptionally warm’ overnight temperatures, with frequent ‘tropical nights’ helping to drive the highest average June minimum temperatures on record.

Giving an insight into what’s to come as we head into the weekend, Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, Tony Wisson, explained: “Toward the weekend, high pressure will continue to build in across most of the UK as it extends from the Azores. This will lead to more settled, warm or very warm conditions for many, especially across England and Wales, though some rain may still affect the far north.

“The forecast for this weekend suggests that temperatures could approach high 20s°C across parts of England, perhaps 30°C in parts of the southeast, with values of mid to high 20s°C in Wales.

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“Although a return to heatwave conditions is looking increasingly likely for some areas, the likelihood of such extreme high temperatures or high levels of humidity as last week is currently low.”

Featured Image – Dmitry Zvolskiy (via Unsplash)

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