Volunteers have restored Aqueduct Cottage near Cromford in Derbyshire, a historic building once home to a lock-keeper and visited by Florence Nightingale as a child. The cottage reopened to visitors in March 2023 and has welcomed more than 50,000 people, with work continuing on its outbuildings.
Pilot Marnie Munns from Cambridge captained a Jet2 flight from Stansted to Reykjavik carrying her 17-year-old daughter Lillian and about 30 classmates and teachers from Framlingham College. She swapped a shift so she could fly the school trip herself.
Sutton Coldfield artist Lizzi Chambers has been painting Gruffalo and other children's characters on stones and hiding them in Sutton Park to encourage families to visit. The idea has been warmly received locally, and she plans to keep hiding them until Christmas.
After a break-in at The Two Mugs cafe in Shirley, Solihull, customers flocked in to show their support. Sales rose by 20% on the busiest day since the cafe opened eight years ago, and the owner praised her staff and loyal regulars.
