As passengers flying in and out of the UK have been left stranded at airports and onboard aircraft following a mass technical fault, hundreds of thousands of people have been warned that the travel chaos "could last days".
Reports of a technical fault with the UK's air traffic control system were reported on Monday, 28 August and although the problem was said to have been fixed around 3:15 pm, the knock-on effect it has had on scheduled flights has been massive.
It is estimated that over 500 flights have been delayed and/or cancelled by airlines across the UK, with countless of those set to travel this bank holiday weekend now stuck in limbo as they wait for their rescheduled flights or for alternative means of transport.
Even more concerningly, according to the National Air Traffic Services (NATS), while the network-wide technical issue is now thought to have been "identified and remedied", they have warned that the subsequent disruption could last until later into the week.
NATS' Juliet Kennedy provides an update on the travel chaos.
A limited number of flights were able to operate but overall air traffic was severely restricted as engineers struggled to locate and rectify the problem, with controllers left with no other choice but to input flight plans manually.
With some prospective passengers facing up to as much as 12-hour delays or massive price hikes following the flights being outright cancelled, it's hard to overstate just how long the disruption will last or exactly how many will have been affected.
Meanwhile, NATS has insisted they will be continuing to investigate what caused the system failure "very thoroughly". The technical fault is said to have lasted for more than four hours, only causing further chaos in airports and on planes as people were informed they would be stuck there for the time being.
Leeds Bradford Airport saw countless flights grounded on Monday; writing in a statement they said: "Could all customers please be advised due to an outage with the National Air Traffic system delays are expected to all flights. Further updates to follow."
BBC Sports reporter Gabby Logan was one of several who took to social media to explain how she had been stuck on a plane along the runway of Budapest airport for several hours after covering this year's World Athletics, writing: "After almost 3 weeks away from home I am hours from hugging my family. And have just been told UK airspace is shut. We could be here for 12 hours. So we sit on the plane and wait."
Despite going on to post an update and thanking British Airways for their communication and resolving the situation, she ultimately admitted she "spoke too soon" when the new flight was also delayed.
Naturally, many are now wondering what their rights are surrounding cancelled/rescheduled flights, with UK law stating that airlines must give passengers the option to choose another flight or provide a full refund for any part of the ticket not used, as well as help arrange alternative means of transport.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), an airline must also provide a reasonable amount of food, drink and sometimes accommodation in the case of a "significant delay" — i.e. over two hours for a short-haul flight of under 1,500km, more than three hours for a medium-haul flight (up to 3,500km) and in excess of four hours for long-haul journeys.
Farmer Copleys, which is behind the popular Tulip Festival attraction, has spoken out after the tragic death of a dog who visited last weekend.
The family-run farm has decided to ban dogs (with the exception of service dogs) from its site, after a visitor reported that her beloved springer spaniel Bobby had died just hours after attending the Tulip Festival.
It's believed that Bobby had eaten a tulip bulb or flower, which can be deadly to dogs.
Farmer Copleys has now shared a statement about the incident, writing that the team are 'deeply saddened' by the animal's death.
They stressed that while the exact cause of his death remains unknown, they 'do not wish to take any further risks' and will no longer be permitting dogs at the Tulip Festival.
"The safety and wellbeing of all our visitors and their pets is something we take extremely seriously," Farmer Copleys wrote in a statement shared today.
Customers who are no longer able to attend since the change are welcome to get in touch with the farm directly to discuss a refund.
And assistance dogs are still welcome, but owners will need to sign a disclaimer before taking them into the Tulip Festival.
Farmer Copleys tulip festival is one of the most popular events in Yorkshire every springDogs will no longer be allowed at the Tulip Festival
Farmer Copleys wrote: "We are deeply saddened by the recent incident involving a visitor’s dog following a visit to our Tulip Festival, and our thoughts remain with the owner at this difficult time.
"We must stress while the exact cause of this incident remains unknown, many flowers and plants in outdoor environments can pose risks to dogs if ingested, particularly the bulb, and we do not wish to take any further risk.
"The safety and wellbeing of all our visitors and their pets is something we take extremely seriously. As a precautionary measure, we have made the difficult decision to no longer permit dogs at our Tulip Festival for the remainder of the season.
"In addition, this has further reinforced our decision to close the pick your own area for the remainder of the festival.
"We understand this may be disappointing for some visitors. Any customers who have booked and are now unable to attend due to this change are welcome to contact us regarding a refund at info@farmercopleys.co.uk.
"We are undertaking a full investigation and make a decision on 2027’s season in due course."
Posh bakery chain Gail’s is finally coming to Yorkshire
Daisy Jackson
Gail's has finally set its sights on Yorkshire for the first time, with a new bakery set to open this year.
It's one of the UK's most famous bakeries, launching in London in the early 1990s to supply restaurants, before opening its first retail site and cafe in Hampstead in 2005.
Gail's founders set out on a mission to bake bread as it used to be baked: by hand, using quality ingredients and time-worn artisanal methods.
While Gail's has expanded aggressively into the north, opening around a dozen bakeries in Greater Manchester and its surrounds, it hasn't made the journey across to Yorkshire just yet.
All that looks set to change, with job ads now listed for roles within a brand-new Yorkshire branch of Gail's.
Based on the job advert, Gail's is heading straight to the spa town of Harrogate - which is a fairly predictable move.
It looks like Gail's is heading for HarrogateGail's will make its Yorkshire debut
It had previously been reported that Gail's would be going to Knaresborough, but the job posting appears to hint that Harrogate will be the first Yorkshire location.
When it does open, you'll find loaf choices including classic white and brown sourdough, Gail’s ‘wasteless’ loaves (made using a specially-created recipe designed to incorporate unsold bread crumbs), alongside seeded varieties, baguettes and batons.
Must-tries include Gail’s famous cinnamon buns, still-warm cheese and ham croissants, chocolate chip cookies, and – given the weather we’re having this week – iced coffees, all day long preferably please.
But given the number of fantastic local bakeries all over Yorkshire, the question is, does anyone want Gail's?
Danny Jones -
29th August 2023 
