
Flying Scotsman: 'iconic' locomotive arrives in Somerset
Kerry Noble, general manager at the West Somerset Railway, added: "It's great to have it here. It's a very iconic locomotive so it comes with a lot of additional requirements. It's a massive amount of work for the railway."We are more than aware of the cost of living at the moment, so we have tried our best to create many opportunities for everyone to see the Flying Scotsman to suit all budget types."
It is visiting the area on a tour of the UK's heritage railways to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the modern railway.Events are being held all year as part of Railway 200 to mark the anniversary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway on 27 September 1825.West Somerset Railway last hosted the Flying Scotsman in 2017.All West Somerset Railway stations will be closed to the public for the duration of the operating days of the Flying Scotsman, with access to Minehead or Bishops Lydeard by ticket only.
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BBC News
17 minutes ago
- BBC News
Macron's state visit to begin in Windsor palace gets repaired
King Charles III will say the UK and France must stand together in the face of a "multitude of complex threats", when he speaks at a state banquet for French President Emmanuel and his wife Brigitte will be welcomed by the King and Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales, as they arrive for a three-day state state banquet will be a highlight of the trip, with famous faces, a showcase menu and a message from the King about the "shared history and culture between our two peoples".This is the first state visit by the leader of an EU country since Brexit and the King will emphasise the need to work together on issues from military threats to climate change. "For centuries our citizens have admired each other, amused each other, and imitated each other," the King will say at Tuesday evening's banquet, which will be held at Windsor Castle, as Buckingham Palace is being will warn of modern threats "emanating from multiple directions" and challenges that "know no borders" from which "no fortress can protect us"."Our two nations share not only values, but also the tireless determination to act on them in the world," the state banquet speech will say.A state visit is a "soft power" opportunity to strengthen partnerships, with the French visit set to reinforce links with the UK in trade, diplomacy and defence, at a time of uncertainty about the US stance on issues such as military backing for Ukraine.A UK-France summit at Downing Street on Thursday, hosted by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, is also likely to discuss ways of stopping illegal migration on small boats across the start of the visit on Tuesday will see ceremonial spectacles, with senior members of the Royal Family ready to greet the French visitors and to celebrate the "entente cordiale", in the first French state visit since William and Catherine will greet the French president and his wife when their plane touches down at RAF Northolt, with King Charles and Queen Camilla then welcoming them at will be horses, as well as political horse-trading, with a carriage procession through Windsor, ahead of a royal salute and military parade at Windsor Wednesday, Macron will see a horse that he gave to the late Queen Elizabeth II, to mark her Platinum Jubilee in French president and his wife are also set to visit the tomb of the late Queen, during their stay in UK government has spoken of wanting to "re-set" post-Brexit relations with European neighbours and Macron's visit will be a public endorsement of the longstanding alliance with and peers will be able to hear Macron when he gives a speech to the Houses of in science will highlighted during the visit, with examples of artificial intelligence and innovative technology being shown to the French visitors at Imperial College Charles and Queen Camilla carried out a state visit to France in 2023, where he received a standing ovation for his speech to the French had given a strongly worded message of support for Ukraine after Russia's "horrifying" invasion. The King had also highlighted the "existential challenge" of climate change. Sign up here to get the latest royal stories and analysis every week with our Royal Watch newsletter. Those outside the UK can sign up here.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
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Times
3 hours ago
- Times
Do I need an Esta to travel to the US? Everything you need to know
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