Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have made a generous donation to Royal Bolton Hospital in honour of a Wrexham player’s “miracle” baby boy.
Wrexham AFC midfielder, James Jones, and his partner, Chloe, are currently in the process of raising thousands of pounds for Royal Bolton Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), alongside a number of other charitable organisations, in a bid to say a worthy thank you to the neonatal nurses who provided life-saving care for their little boy, Jude.
James and Chloe set up the GoFundMe page after Jude was born 15 weeks prematurely back in November 2022, and went on to spend 122 days in hospital.
Jude was born at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, and weighed just 1lb 4oz when he came into the world.
Shortly after the birth, Chloe experienced pre-eclampsia – which is a condition causing high blood pressure – as well as the life-threatening pregnancy condition known as Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets (HELLP) syndrome, which led to her having two seizures and multiple organ failure.
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Jude was born weighing just 1lb 4oz, but he is now “absolutely thriving” / Credit: Bolton NHS | James & Chloe Jones (via Instagram)
Following this series of complications, Jude was so poorly that he needed a transfer to Bolton‘s NICU within just hours of being born.
After spending countless days “praying” their little boy would survive, and on several occasions even believing that he wouldn’t, one-year-old Jude is now beating all the odds, smashing every milestone, and said to be “absolutely thriving”.
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Chloe and James have continuously thanked all of the doctors, nurses, and midwives for the care the family received throughout Jude’s journey, but as the couple felt that words couldn’t really do their gratitude justice, they decided to set up a dedicated fundraiser to raise money for the intensive care units at both Wrexham Maelor and Royal Bolton Hospital (adult and neonatal), as well as neonatal family support charity, Spoons.
With a target of £20,000 set, donations to the fundraiser have been flooding in from far and wide since it was set up.
But no donation has been more generous than that from Wrexham AFC’s famous co-owners, actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who have pledged a whopping £10,000 to the very-worthy causes.
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“We cannot thank the nurses, doctors and consultants enough for saving me and Jude,” Chloe commented as the fundraiser passed the £10,000 mark.
“The work they do day in, day out is amazing. There really are no words for how much it means to us.
“Jude is our whole world. He is beating all odds and is absolutely thriving. He is smashing every milestone and is the happiest little boy. Jude has chronic lung disease and an adrenal insufficiency as a result of his extreme prematurity and needing courses of steroids whilst in hospital [but] despite his difficult start, he is dealing with everything incredibly well.
Wrexham AFC co-owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have donated £10,000 to the family’s GoFundMe / Credit: Chloe Jones (via Instagram) | Patrick McElhenney / FX
“We are so proud of him for being so strong and brave through absolutely everything he’s had to endure.
“It’s an honour to be his parents, and we love every second of it.”
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Speaking on the success of the fundraiser – which has now clocked-up more than £17,000 and counting – Cath Bainbridge, who is the Matron for Neonatal Services at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The family overcame so much during their stay with us at Royal Bolton Hospital and it’s wonderful to learn that Jude is doing so well.
“We’re really touched that Chloe and James have chosen to raise money for our unit, and their funds will go such a long way in helping so many families in Bolton and beyond.”
Shepherd’s pie named among classic British dishes that could be ‘extinct’ within the next decade
Emily Sergeant
Shepherd’s pie has been named among the classic British dishes that could be ‘extinct’ within the next 10 years.
From a hearty roast dinner on a Sunday, to a slap-up full English breakfast to start the day, classic British dishes have become staples on dinner tables across the nation, all known and loved for their comforting flavours and cultural significance… but apparently, Google searches for ‘shepherd’s pie recipe’ are down 55% in the past year, indicating that less and less people looking to create this traditional dish at home.
So with this in mind, air fryer giants Ninja Kitchen decided to carry out a new study by surveying 2,000 people and studying search trends for popular British dishes to uncover which meals are still loved, and which might be nothing more than a distant memory.
Shockingly, the new study revealed that shepherd’s pie could be facing extinction from early as 2027, with several other favourites dying out within a decade.
Shepherd’s pie takes the fifth spot on the top 10 list, as according to the study, the dish is experiencing a 0.76% weekly decline, and due to the fact only 5% of Brits would name it a ‘favourite’, this classic risks extinction by 2027.
Shepherd’s pie has been named among the classic British dishes that could be ‘extinct’ within the next decade / Credit: Dennis J Wilkinson | Steven Depolo
Another shocker on the list has to been the beloved veggie dish cheese and onion pie, which takes the ninth spot thanks to its 0.41% weekly decline in searches.
However, the majority of the other dishes making up the top 10 list tend to be regional delicacies or dishes that are popular within certain dietary preferences, such as Glamorgan sausage – which takes the number one spot, with a 2% weekly search decline – Tatws Pum Munud, a nut roast, and a vegan roast dinner.
57% of the nation would be sad to see British staples fade away, according to the study, but 31% do appreciate the evolution of food trends.
The study also revealed that the growing popularity of takeaway and convenience food is the leading reason why people are moving away from traditional classics such as shepherd’s pie, with nearly half (46%) of respondents citing it as their main reason.
Additionally, 15% reported that the cost of ingredients was too high, while 10% felt that British classics lacked flavour.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Toxic Town – new star-studded Netflix drama series filmed in Greater Manchester airs next week
Emily Sergeant
A trailer and first look images for a gripping new Netflix drama series filmed in Greater Manchester have been released.
Viewers are being given a teaser of what to expect before it airs next week.
Produced by Charlie Brooker and Annabelle Jones, and based on one of the UK’s biggest environmental scandals, Toxic Town tells the story of the people at the heart of the 2009 Corby poisonings, that started decades ago in the 1980s, and focuses on a group of mothers who took on a David and Goliath-style battle for justice.
The four-part series written by acclaimed screenwriter, Jack Thorne, traces the years of the mothers’ fight and watches as a terrible truth comes to the surface.
Jodie Whittaker, Aimee Lou Wood and Claudia Jessie star in TOXIC TOWN. Premiering 27 February.
Based on the true story of one of the UK’s biggest environmental scandals, the limited series follows a group of mothers fighting to bring a terrible truth to surface and justice for… pic.twitter.com/HgRoUKBIod
The cast of the new drama is seriously star-studded, with local Northern actors Jodie Whittaker – best known for Doctor Who and Broadchurch – and Stockport-born Aimee Lou Wood – who is best known for the Netflix series Sex Education, as well as the BBC sitcom Daddy Issues, and is currently starring in the third series of HBO’s The White Lotus – taking on the lead roles.
Robert Carlyle, Brendan Coyle, and Rory Kinnear are some of the other famous names playing pivotal roles in the show, alongside Bridgerton’s Claudia Jessie, Game of Thrones’ and Skins’ Joe Dempsey, and This is England’s Michael Socha.
New star-studded drama series Toxic Town airs on Netflix next week/ Credit: Netflix UK & Ireland
Show creator Jack Thorne called it the “cast of dreams”.
“I couldn’t believe that we were able to get these people, and that they were prepared to be part of this story,” he commented. “And boy, did they all deliver.”
“Each of them just brought something new that I’d never seen them do before,” Thorne teased ahead of the show’s air. “And when you’re with a cast that’s doing that consistently, it’s so exciting to watch and it’s so beautiful.”
Despite the story being set in the Northamptonshire town of Corby, the majority of this new series was actually filmed here in Greater Manchester – primarily in Bolton.
Over the last decade or so, Bolton has developed a ‘Hollywood of the North’ nickname as the town’s centre and wider borough’s historic buildings and architecture, and striking rural landscapes, have become a favourite for production crews looking to replicate other well-known worldwide locations such as London, New York, and even Moscow.
Camera crews for popular TV shows such as Peaky Blinders, Happy Valley, It’s A Sin, Brassic, The Stranger, Fool Me Once, and A Gentleman in Moscow have all rolled into the town in recent times.
Emily Sergeant -
4th June 2024 
