The first baby beaver in over 400 years has been born at a nature reserve in Cheshire.
The Cheshire Wildlife Trust said it was “delighted” to announce that a new young beaver – known as a kit – has been spotted at Hatchmere Nature Reserve in Delamere, which confirms that beavers have bred in Cheshire for the first time in over 400 years.
There’s no denying that beavers are a rare sight in the North West – so rare, in fact, that despite the animal being native to the county, there hadn’t actually been any residing in Cheshire before 2020, due to the fact the species became extinct in the 16th century as a result of continuous hunting for their fur and meat.
This is why the release of a pair of the endangered animals into Hatchmere Nature Reserve was such a big deal for the county.
The Eurasian beavers – one male and one female, named Rowan and Willow – were released in Cheshire back in November 2020 to help benefit the local surroundings as part of a five-year land management project that hopes to create natural flood defences.
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It’s also hoped that the beavers would improve biodiversity at the site.
🚨𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬!🚨
We're delighted to announce that a beaver kit has been spotted at Hatchmere Nature Reserve! The sighting confirms that beavers have bred in Cheshire for the first time in over 𝟒𝟎𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬!🦫
— Cheshire Wildlife Trust (@CheshireWT) July 12, 2022
And it certainly sounds like it’s working.
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Since Rowan and Willow’s release into Hatchmere, the Trust says the pair have transformed a key area into a wetland haven with dams and lodges, as beavers’ natural behaviour in creating dams and holding water is encouraging previously-unseen species into the area such as Kingfisher, stoats, and a whole host of waterfowl.
“The future of Hatchmere nature reserve is looking very positive since we released Rowan and Willow into back in 2020,” explains Kevin Feeney – Reserves Manager for Hatchmere.
“The dams and wetlands they have created are helping us to reach our project aims to improve water quality within the catchment and help reverse the decline in Cheshire’s Wildlife.”
Kevin also said the public’s support is “inspiring”, adding that: “The arrival of the first beaver kit to be born in Cheshire for over 400 years is a real milestone that couldn’t have been achieved without our supporters.”
The Cheshire Wildlife Trust project is one of 25 beaver reintroductions in England, with other sites being in the South West, Kent, Gloucestershire, East Anglia, and Yorkshire.
Billie Eilish reveals the reason why chose Manchester to film her new movie
Danny Jones
Global superstar Billie Eilish has revealed the reason why she chose Manchester, of all places, to film her upcoming new movie.
The answer won’t surprise you, but we were buzzing with it nonetheless.
In case you were unaware, Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour is the new documentary and live concert film directed by Billie herself, along with some help from none other than James Cameron.
Being screened not only in cinemas but also in 3D (yes, that’s still a thing), the performance-based movie captures content taken from her run of gigs right here in Manchester. Here’s why she picked us:
Though it’s still no surprise, really, we always find it so surreal seeing some of the world’s most famous artists speaking so highly about our city.
As you can see, while she did quip that the schedule lined up production-wise, it was an easy decision to pick her four – yes, FOUR sold-out nights at Co-op Live, as the place to film the project based on the atmosphere alone.
“I fricking love Manchester”, said the 24-year-old, going on to add, “Honestly, Manchester is one of my favourite audiences ever.”
Manc fans simply couldn’t get enough of her, hence why she was able to book so many big dates at the massive arena.
Here’s the big surprise she brought out for the show we were lucky enough to be at:
We love Billie and, as it turns out, she feels the same about us.
The release date for Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft tour movie is coming around early next month, with the film set to be screened in selected cinemas across the UK and beyond on May 8, 2026.
Speaking in the recent interview on the red carpet with the BBC, she also detailed how fellow Academy Award-winner Cameron contacted her first about the prospect of creating this immersive music project.
Imagine just picking up the phone to James Cameron – as you do…
Will you be watching? Better still, were you at one of the shows and plan to look out for yourself in the crowd, which is now soon to be splashed on the big screen?
Manchester United home kit for 2026/27 ‘leaked’ online in unboxing video
Danny Jones
Manchester United’s new home kit for the 2026/27 campaign has reportedly been leaked online in a YouTuber’s unboxing video ahead of next season.
We know fake shirts and dupes can be pretty accurate these days, but it looks very much like this could be the real deal.
Shared by dedicated football kit reviewer, ‘Retro Man‘, who has seemingly revealed the latest Man United jersey, this unveiling lines up with the previously rumoured designs circulated on social media.
A Red Devil himself, the creator has teased previous releases that turned out to be true in the past, so we’ll leave it up to all of you to decide how bona fide you think this supposed home strip is. Ever-reliable footy fashion peers, Footy Headlines, have also shared these images:
Uploaded to the channel on 25 April, Retro Man did a full overview of the United 26/27 home shirt, highlighting key features such as a red-forward collar with black and white accents.
That same trim is repeated on the ends of the sleeves – reminiscent of the 2011/12 iteration, only differing in the more crew neck style – and the back of the neck now simply reads “UNITED”.
It is worth noting that this is specifically the replica shirt that most fans will purchase.
Should it prove to be the genuine article, this will be the 11th Manchester United kit by adidas since they returned as manufacturers over a decade ago, a.k.a. the start of the Louis van Gaal era.
Retro Man has since posted another video showing off what he claims to be the ‘authentic’ version, too; you can check it out in more detail down below.
Looks pretty legit…
As you can see, the official player edition that will be worn on the pitch by actual United squad members (though they are still available to purchase by the public) appears to hold some key distinctions.
Besides some differences around the panelling and stitching, there is also a noticeable textured section along large sections of the interwoven fabric as part of the brand’s breathable and trademark ‘Climacool’ technology.
Elsewhere, the badge itself also looks to have a more embossed/raised finish. If this is the real deal, what do you make of it?
This isn’t the only United kit that’s caught some attention of late, either:
Emily Sergeant -
13th July 2022 
