reveals

RYAN Thomas is set to make a comeback to Coronation Street for Sue Cleaver’s exit after almost a decade away – and now he has revealed the real reason why.

The actor-turned-reality-star played builder Jason in the ITV soap from 2000 until leaving in 2016. 

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Ryan says he wanted to pay the soap that made him famous back.

He said: “It was a mix of nostalgia and gratitude for what the show has done for me. When they told me Eileen was leaving, it felt right to be a part of that storyline for her and revisit where it all started.”

Jason has barely changed since the last time he was on the cobbles.

Actor Ryan says he’s “still that happy-go-lucky, lovable guy” – who is set for a romantic twist in his upcoming scenes.

Ryan said: “He makes it up as he goes along, has a loving heart, and is all about family,.

“He certainly hasn’t changed when it comes to women, straight away he is taking someone back home with him and getting himself into hot water with his brother.

“He’s struggling for money, his girlfriend left him, and he needs his mum.

He says he’s come back for Eileen, but he really needs a cuddle and his safety net.”

Eileen Grimhshaw is set to exit the cobbles with actress Sue Cleaver quitting the soap after an incredible 25 years.

But former I’m A Celebrity campmate Sue will not be killed off in case Sue opts to make a return in the future.

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A UK train station undergoing a multi-million renovation has revealed plans to open a new pub.

Carlisle’s train station upgrade is part of a wider £27million redevelopment called the Gateway Project.

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This includes a new public square, car park and entrance.

But recent plans suggest the train station’s current Grade-II listed waiting room could be turned into a pub.

Once used by first class passengers, it even welcomed Queen Victoria.

Currently used for storage, it will instead be converted with a new mezzanine floor.

Images revealed by Seed Architects show the restoration of some of the original 1880s interiors as well as a bar area and seating.

Network Rail said: “The platform 4 first class waiting room has remained largely in use since it opened in 1880, albeit with a number of changes in how it is operated.

“The most recent operation was as a public house, which unfortunately closed due to its poor commercial offering.

“A mezzanine level is to be added within the west end of the space, this will provide a new perspective to view the heritage features not seen before, enhancing the architectural space.

“This will bring a new aspect of the space allowing users to enjoy the room from a different perspective and introducing a modern element into this unique space.

“[But] without harming it and adding potential value to be translated economically, what will guarantee its continuity to be looked after properly.”

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Outdoor seating also hopes to be added as part of the restoration.

The £27million redevelopment hopes to start this year, and be completed by 2027.

Around £20million of the funding is backed by both the UK and Scottish Governments as part of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal

The ambitious project hopes to encourage “more visitors to the city”.

Cumberland Council Leader Mark Fryer added: “This is excellent news for Carlisle.”

Carlisle Station fist opened in 1847, costing £53,000 at the time – £4.6million in today’s money.

It no welcomes around two million passengers a year with trains to London and Manchester as well as Edinburgh, Liverpool and Newcastle.

A £160million new train station is set to open in the UK that will be the first of its kind in the country.

And here is another train station with its own pub.

Sun Travel’s favourite train journeys in the world

Sun Travel’s journalists have taken their fare share of train journeys on their travels and here they share their most memorable rail experiences.

Davos to Geneva, Switzerland

“After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport. The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass.” – Caroline McGuire

Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen

“Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world. It hardly feels like you’re whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur. Make sure to book seat D or E too – as you’ll have the best view of Mount Fuji along the way.” Kara Godfrey

London to Paris by Eurostar

“Those who have never travelled on the Eurostar may wonder what’s so special about a seemingly ordinary train that takes you across the channel. You won’t have to waste a moment and can tick off all the top attractions from the Louvre to the Champs-Élysées which are both less than five kilometres from the Gare du Nord.” – Sophie Swietochowski

Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail

“From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond.” – Hope Brotherton

Beijing to Ulaanbatar

“The Trans-Mongolian Express is truly a train journey like no other. It starts amid the chaos of central Beijing before the city’s high-rises give way to crumbling ancient villages and eventually the vast vacant plains of Mongolia, via the Gobi desert. The deep orange sunset seen in the middle of the desert is among the best I’ve witnessed anywhere.” – Ryan Gray

RYAN Thomas has revealed the emotional reason for returning to Coronation Street – nine years after quitting his role as Jason Grimshaw.

The star, 40, played builder Jason in the ITV soap from 2000 until leaving in 2016.

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Earlier this year, The Sun revealed Ryan would be making a comeback to the cobbles after almost a decade away.

He has now opened up about the emotional reason behind his return.

Speaking to Metro, Ryan said: “It was a mix of nostalgia and gratitude for what the show has done for me.

“When they told me Eileen was leaving, it felt right to be a part of that storyline for her and revisit where it all started.”

Elsewhere, the star admitted how he “couldn’t sleep the night before” – despite his long tenure on the soap.

Ryan shared: “Even though I’d been there half my life, I felt like the new kid at school.

“It took me half a day to get rid of the nerves. It was a bit of a shock to the system at first.

“I even went on YouTube to rewatch old scenes and got nervous.

“But it became the norm again very quickly. Everything about the script made it easy for me.”

A source previously told us: “It was a no brainer for Ryan to return when he was asked – it’s all for Sue.

“She’s like a second mum to him and he was willing to do anything to make her send off as special as she deserves it to be.

“He’s not acted for a while so it’s a bit daunting but he played Jason for so long that he’s looking forward to going back to the cobbles.”

Since leaving Coronation Street in 2016, Ryan later quit acting after saying he “lost the bug for it”.

At the time, he revealed on Mancs on the Mic: “It’s hard for me. I started off acting, I started off in that game and I really lost the bug for it.

Corrie cash crisis: shock exits for 2025

ITV bosses are locked in a battle to save the cash-strapped soap.

This means that a number of stars have either been axed from or have abandoned the long-running serial drama.

Colson Smith – Craig Tinker

The character of Craig Tinker has been axed by bosses after 14 years. After he was told of the news in Autumn 2024, Colson Smith confirmed that would be written out of the show with scenes to air later this year. Craig’s on-screen mum, Beth Tinker, also left the show in the summer when actress Lisa George was written out from the role.

Sue Cleaver – Eileen Grimshaw

After 25 years playing Eileen Grimshaw, former I’m A Celebrity campmate Sue Cleaver will quit the show. The Sun on Sunday reported in January that she’s already begun to film her exit scenes. However the character will not be killed off in case Sue opts to make a return in the future.

Luca Toolan – Mason Radcliffe

Bosses decided to axe the teenage character after just 16 months after he first joined the show. Recent scenes saw Mason stabbed by his criminal brothers after his pal Dylan brought a knife in an attempt to defend him.

Sue Devaney – Debbie Webster

In November 2024, we revealed that Debbie Webster is set to be killed off after 40 years on the cobbles. The character will die as part of a heartbreaking long-running dementia storyline.

Charlotte Jordan – Daisy Midgeley

The actress became the fifth star to leave Coronation Street in just one month. We revealed that she will bow out of the ITV soap later this year after four years on-screen. Charlotte told sources that she’s hungry to see what other opportunities await.

Shelley King – Yasmeen Metcalfe

The actress has played Yasmeen Metcalfe on the cobbles for the past 11 years and we revealed in January that she finished filming her final scenes. This follows the departure of her on-screen partner Stu Carpenter.

“I feel the reason for losing the bug is rejection and going to auditions and not getting them.”

Ryan has had success on reality TV – winning Celebrity Big Brother in 2018 and Dancing on Ice in 2024.

More recently, he and younger brother Adam Thomas have hosted the game show 99 to Beat.

Coronation Street airs on ITV1 and ITVX.

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JAKE PAUL has a fight with KSI on his Christmas list after sending his bitter rival an offer to fight on December 24.

The bitter YouTube enemies are yet to settle their score in the ring – despite recent attempts to strike a deal behind the scenes.

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Nakisa Bidarian – co-founder of Most Valuable Promoters alongside Paul – revealed an offer to fight on Christmas Eve was sent to KSI.

Bidarian said KSI and Wasserman – who promote Misfits Boxing bouts – have had the contract for 15 days.

A bout over ten rounds, at 192.5lb, in an 18x18ft ring with VADA testing to be promoted by MVP and Wasserman was tabled.

He added that the offer included a 50/50 deal PPV share other but the UK which is 60/40 in KSI’s favour and 60/40 to Paul in the US.

A fan probed Bidarian on why the fight would be staged on Christmas Eve.

He responded: “What are you watching Christmas Eve? Nothing. Jake and KSI will have the entire world’s attention.”

Mams Taylor – KSI’s manager and co-founder of Misfits which homes to celebrity-style crossover bouts – hit back.

Taylor said: “Hey man, we sent you an offer too and you insisted we redline yours.

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“Yours is one sided. Ours is fair and clearly a real attempt to make the fight actually happen.”

Taylor said they countered with a fight in the US, with a coin toss to decide who walks out second.

It would include full drug testing, at 190lb over eight rounds in a 20x 20ft ring, co-promoted down the middle with both to mutually approve all costs.

Taylor added: “Your contract had MVP as lead promoter in charge of everything and you put Wasserman boxing USA as side promoter.

“(FYI Wasserman boxing USA does not exist). You purposely omitted Misfits as an ego based mind game tactic.

“C’mon man. Let’s give the people what they want and not let ego’s get in the way.

We have a duty to our clients and respect due to the fans that made them!!”

KSI, 31, is yet to fought since losing a controversial decision to Tommy Fury, 26, in October 2023.

Jake Paul vs KSI: The terms

Jake Paul’s terms

• 10 rounds
• 192.5lb
• 18x18ft ring
• Full VADA testing
• December 24th
• MVP in association with Wasserman

KSI’s terms

• Fight in USA
• Full VADA testing
• 190lb
• 8 rounds
• 20x20ft ring
• Co-promoted down the middle
• Both promotions to mutually approve all costs and undercard fights etc

He was due to return last August but pulled out with a hand injury before illness saw him withdraw from facing MMA star Dillon Danis, 31, in March.

KSI is now due to have surgery on his busted hand with his boxing career in the air.

Meanwhile Paul, 28, returns against ex-middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, 39, on June 28 in a cruiserweight clash.

It comes after he fought at heavyweight in November to beat Mike Tyson, who controversially came out of retirement aged 58.

Paul now drops back down to the 200lb limit of 14st 4lb while KSI lost to Fury a stone lighter at 183lb.

Their weight disagreement has been the biggest factor standing in the way of the grudge bout.

And Bidarian said: “Not engaging in a back and forth.

“We proposed our terms to Wasserman on April 4th and the offer that followed was those exact terms. Jake Paul wants to fight KSI.

“He does not need to fight KSI. Jake has campaigned at 200+ since December of 2023 and plans to continue at that weight with the intention to contest for a world championship by the end of 2026.”

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EUROVISION legend Conchita Wurst has revealed she secretly underwent a facelift at the age of 36 – and cleverly hides the scars with her signature beard.

The surprise admission came during a special edition of Scott Mills’ Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2, broadcast live from Basel, Switzerland, ahead of tonight’s Eurovision Grand Final.

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Host Scott asked guests Graham Norton and Conchita for a never-before-heard exclusive – and both delivered.

Graham teased: “I’ve a good one. This is my left shoulder’s first appearance on radio. Brand new shoulder… It’s less than two weeks old.”

Showing off the fresh scar, he added: “It feels a bit new, it’s a little oweee, but forgive me I’m on many, many pain medications right now so if I say anything bad, it’s not my fault.”

Conchita responded: “Oh lucky you!” before casually dropping her own bombshell.

She announced: “My facelift. First time on radio!”

A surprised Scott asked, “Is that real?” to which Conchita confirmed: “Yeah.”

Graham joked, “That beard covers a lot of scars,” prompting Conchita to quip: “Yeah. I got the Lindsay Lohan treatment.”

Scott praised the results: “It is good,” to which Conchita replied: “Thank you.”

Scott added: “What we do is celebrate – Graham’s got a new left shoulder and Conchita’s got a new face!”

Conchita Wurst is the stage name and persona of Austrian singer Thomas Neuwirth.

When performing as Conchita, she uses she/her pronouns. As Thomas, he uses he/him pronouns.

Thomas was born November 1988 in Gmunden, Austria, making him 29 years old.

He is a recording artist and drag queen and was part of a short-lived boy band called Jetzt Anders! before creating the Conchita persona in 2011.

Is Conchita Wurst married?

Thomas has created a fictional backstory for Conchita, which includes her marriage to a French burlesque dancer called Jacques Patriaque.

Jacques is a real person and is a friend of Thomas.

Conchita’s backstory helps the singer to keep his real-life relationships private.

When did Conchita win Eurovision?

Conchita was selected to represent Austria in September 2013 at the 2014 Contest.

In May 2014, Conchita travelled to Copenhagen in Denmark for the competition and her song Rise Like a Phoenix was one of 1o favourites to win among bookmakers.

On May 10, Conchita won the Eurovision Contest with 290 points.

It was the first time Austria had won the Contest since 1966.

What is the HIV positive blackmail plot about?

On 16 April 2018, Conchita revealed in a post on Instagram that she has been forced to reveal she is HIV positive after being blackmailed by a former boyfriend.

The bearded performer wrote that she had received medical treatment and that she was feeling healthy and strong.

She wrote that “coming out is better than being outed by a third party”.

She added that her reason for going public was “to encourage (others) and make a step against the stigmatisation of people who through their own behaviour or through no fault of their own were infected with HIV.”

What has Conchita said about her beard?

Conchita’s participation in the 2014 Contest led some to nickname her the ‘bearded lady’.

But speaking on The Graham Norton Show at the time, she said of her beard: “It’s my own truth. It makes me comfortable on stage.

“I love myself and the bearded lady is fun and expresses everything I feel.

“Being a teenager in a small Austrian village was not fabulous.”

• Rylan and Scott are providing Eurovision commentary tonight on Radio 2 and BBC Sounds from 8pm, with Graham on BBC One and iPlayer.

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A SAVVY chocolate lover has revealed a hack to get a Hotel Chocolate gift reduced to just 95p, with shoppers claiming they’re “already on it”.

Joseph Stutter took to Facebook to share his bargain trick, which impressed many sweet treat fans.

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In the post, he shared a photo of a box of chocolates from the popular Hotel Chocolat brand, writing: “If you sign up to the Hotel Chocolat VIP scheme online, you get a £5 voucher near your birthday.

“There’s a £5.50 minimum spend, but the Everything Mini Selection is £5.95 — so these only cost me 95p.”

The Facebook post quickly racked up hundreds of likes and comments from shoppers keen to grab the discounted treat.

One user wrote: “Ooh lovely.”

“Thank you so much for this! It was my birthday last Monday, so this was handy,” commented another.

This savvy shopper added: “Sign up to Lindt as well, they send you a voucher for a box of chocolates on your birthday.”

“I’m already on it,” a fourth said.

It comes after chocolate fans scrambled to their major retailer after it dropped the price of Toblerone bags to just 50p – down from £4.

B&M is behind the deal, with the Toblerone Tiny Bags (280g) spotted on sale at a branch in Bordon, Hampshire.

One eagle-eyed shopper posted the bargain to the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook group and said it was in B&M Bordon, Hampshire.

The post quickly caused a stir on social media, with shoppers eager to grab the deal.

One replied: “What a bargain!”

Another, tagging a sibling, wrote: “Dad would be wanting them.”

A third added: “Oh that’s good. My sister lives there lol.”

Remember to compare prices

It is important to always shop around as you might find a cheaper alternative.

Websites like Trolley and Price Spy let you compare thousands of products across different retailers to find the best price.

Price Spy even lets you see how much an item has cost over time, so you can see if the current price is a good deal.

A quick scan on the Google Shopping/Product tab will also bring up how much retailers are selling a certain item for too.

How to save money on chocolate

We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don’t have to break the bank buying your favourite bar.

Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs…

Go own brand – if you’re not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you’ll save by going for the supermarket’s own brand bars.

Shop around – if you’ve spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it’s cheaper elsewhere.

Websites like Trolley.co.uk let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you’re getting the best deal.

Look out for yellow stickers – supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they’ve been reduced.

They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged.

Buy bigger bars – most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar.

So if you’ve got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.

ANTHONY JOSHUA is to have surgery on his elbow THIS WEEK – as talks to finally fight “big tease” Tyson Fury move a step closer.

Joshua, 35, is yet to return since his September knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois, 27, with a secret injury delaying his comeback.

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AJ has since revealed the setback was caused by a problem with his elbow – which promoter Eddie Hearn reveals is due to be fixed this week.

Hearn told SunSport: “He just goes back into camp and just can’t fire on all cylinders consistently.

“So he can go back, have a couple of sessions, bit of soreness in the elbow.

“They tried to let it rest and recover and they’ve told him that I think it’s this week, he has a small keyhole surgery in the arm.

“Clear out, and it’s four-six weeks, he’s good to go. So I think we’re looking post-September.”

Following Joshua’s loss and Fury’s double defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, 38, last year, it set up the beaten Brits to finally settle their overdue score.

That was until Fury announced a shock retirement – the fourth of his career – in January only one month after Usyk won their rematch.

But the unpredictable Gypsy King has since ended his social media silence to begin hinting at a comeback – leaving Hearn hopeful.

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The promoter said: “Tyson Fury is a big tease, every day I open up Instagram like today and he’s got his wraps on saying he’s done 12 rounds.

“He looks super fit, Tyson Fury, he looks like he’s ready to go now! Which is encouraging, but obviously probably the delay that AJ’s got is a blessing, to be honest with you.

“One, you’ve got Usyk against Dubois coming up so that gives you a little bit of time.

“And number two, you’ve got Tyson Fury who could potentially come back to the ring so it’s gonna be interesting to see what plays out.”

Turki Alalshikh’s introduction to boxing and his deep Saudi pockets have helped bridge the gap between Hearn and long-time rival Frank Warren.

The previously warring promoters even share the sports streaming platform DAZN now – paving the way for talks between AJ and Fury.

Hearn admitted: “I’d be lying if I said we haven’t discussed it socially, because obviously everyone’s desperate to make it happen.

“But, no one said, ‘Oh, I think it’s coming, I think he’s coming back.’ But at the same time, he’s training.

Tyson Fury is a big tease, every day I open up Instagram like today and he’s got his wraps on saying he’s done 12 rounds. He looks super fit, Tyson Fury, he looks like he’s ready to go now! Which is encouraging

Eddie Hearn

“And I feel like with Tyson Fury over the years, you’ve seen him not training and balloon out of shape and then it takes him a long time to come back.

“Now it looks like he’s either ready to fight or he’s ready to begin camp, which is hugely encouraging. But I just don’t think he’ll be able to leave it alone, if I’m honest with you.

“Because, the money’s one thing, but just the occasion and the challenge, and he’s a competitor, he’s a winner. And I just can’t believe he’s gonna let it slide.”

While Fury is Joshua & Co’s main target, Hearn warned they will await the result of Dubois’ July 19 rematch with Usyk at Wembley.

Hearn is adamant AJ will fight before the year ends – with or without Fury.

He warned: “Next couple of months, if there’s no movement, we fight.

“I mean there’s no way AJ’s not fighting this year. So who that will be? I can’t tell you.

“I mean, that’s the million dollar question at all times, but I think more importantly is, do we get any news from Fury in the next four, six, eight weeks?

“If we do, we’ll fight him this year. If not, we’ll fight and then maybe he comes back next year, who knows?

“But I’d be lying if I said we weren’t desperate to see him return. But, at the same time we can’t just wait around and see what happens.”

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There’s an oft-repeated Disneyland creation myth: Artist and animation art director Herb Ryman was given 48 hours to draw an early, heavily detailed and romanticized map of the theme park, which would be used to help sell the project to investors. Although that’s all true, Ryman’s work — one of the most famous and important Disneyland drawings — was far from the first map of Disneyland, as it is often colloquially referred to.

Ryman’s work was in fact an iteration of sorts, based upon years of master planning from Walt Disney and early collaborator Marvin Davis, a cinematic art director responsible for much of Disneyland’s early designs. Some never-before-seen work of Davis and other Disneyland designers will be unearthed in the new book “The Happiest Place On Earth,” from animation producer Don Hahn and theme park designer Christopher Merritt. Both Hahn and Merritt have over the years morphed into theme-park historians, and the book is being released July 15 to coincide with Disneyland’s 70th anniversary.

“Marvin Davis claimed that, as he sat there, probably in a room by himself at the studio with Walt standing over him poking him in the shoulder, he did 133 revisions of these maps to get to the Disneyland layout by 1955,” Merritt says. “A few of these maps have been shown before but a lot of these have not been seen before.”

The archives at Walt Disney Imagineering, the secretive division of the company responsible for theme-park experiences. Found in the archives were multiple maps from Marvin Davis that explore Disneyland’s roots.

(Walt Disney Co.)

The book will trace the development of Disneyland, starting in the early ’50s when Disney flirted with the idea of placing the park next to the studio in Burbank — concepts drawn by Harper Goff — to many of Davis’ gradual advancements of the theme-park form. Study them, and they reveal how many of Disneyland’s core ideas were in place by the early 1950s, although they morphed. Alice in Wonderland, for instance, was once envisioned as a walk-through attraction, to be placed across the way from an archery in Fantasyland.

Hahn makes the case that many of the early seeds for Disneyland were planted during a 1948 trip that Disney and animator Ward Kimball took to Chicago. There, the two attended the Chicago Railroad Fair, which had, among its attractions, Abraham Lincoln reenactments and a re-creation of a frontier town.

“His first memo he did when he got home from the Chicago Railroad Fair was all about trying to create these certain regions,” Hahn says. “If you look at the early Burbank parks, there was a western village, there was a stagecoach, there was a railroad station, there was a Tom Sawyer-ish island. A lot of those things came from the Railroad Fair.”

And there was a lot of early experimentation and many a discarded idea. One of Merritt’s favorite rejected concepts was a Tomorrowland exhibition dedicated to hunting for uranium. The attraction has been referenced by Disney and others over the years as a “lost” attraction, but “The Happiest Place on Earth” will feature some never-before-seen concept art from Imagineer Claude Coats.

“Uranium Hunt was an attraction strangely enough to be placed in Tomorrowland, although Claude designed it with Southwestern rock work,” Merritt says. “It was kind of outside rock maze, and the idea was they would hand you Geiger counters, and there was going to be real radioactive uranium embedded in the rock work that you would measure. In the end, they would give you a souvenir uranium to take home with you, which is just crazy-pants.”

Not all of the early Disneyland ideas are as outlandish. What follows are a few of the maps — and some early designs — that led to what would become Disneyland as we know it today.

Early sketches reveal an opera house, general store and more

A Harper Goff-drawn concept for a Disney theme park in Burbank. This is believed to have been drawn in 1951.

(Walt Disney Co.)

An early 1950s sketch layout of Disneyland, focusing on merchandising outlets.

(Walt Disney Co.)

Disney first considered a theme park across from its studios in Burbank, land that is today occupied by Walt Disney Animation Studios and the West Coast headquarters of ABC. The idea, in its early conceptions, included much of what would later make its way to Disneyland — a train, a steamboat and less detailed versions of Main Street and a Frontierland.

Of particular note here is the second photo, unearthed in “The Happiest Place on Earth” for the first time. The focus is on merchandising locations, but those who study the image will spy an opera house and a general store, believed to be the first time such concepts appear. There’s also a spaceport, a haunted house and a re-creation of London’s Tower Bridge. Shops are said to be themed to properties such as “Cinderella” and “Pinocchio.”

“It shows the holistic thinking, too, of not just the attractions but commerce,” Hahn says. “Where the stores would be, where the cafes would be, and kind of a guest-experience mentality. That was a real theme-park innovation, where you’re transported in time to Frontierland but the food and the costumes add up to Frontierland as well. You see the beginnings of that in a map like this.”

The beginnings of Frontierland and the Storybook Land Canal Boats

An early Disneyland map drawn by Marvin Davis. This map was likely drawn around 1953.

(Walt Disney Co.)

These early Disneyland schematics from Davis begin to capture Disneyland’s “hub” idea, that is, a central area that leads to and from its themed spaces. There’s a large theater space, believed to be designed in the hopes of Disneyland becoming a television production locale, and a significant plot dedicated to a river with surrounding attractions — the map calls for a space for otters, as well as a swamp area.

The Frontierland concept is still present, complete with a pony ranch and a stagecoach, as is a haunted house and a land themed to miniatures, a concept that would ultimately become the Storybook Land Canal Boats. Merritt notes that this design is location-agnostic, as Anaheim had not yet been decided upon for Disneyland.

Of particular note here is an introductory land like a Main Street, U.S.A., leading to a central hub. “These maps are revelatory when you look at them all in sequence,” Merritt says.

Davis’ early maps also highlight a residential street with large Victorian homes. The second image, in particular, mentions a town hall and a church. Hahn and Merritt believe this land was heavily influenced by the look and tone of “Lady and the Tramp.”

Main Street starts to materialize

An early Harper Goff design that influenced the look of Frontierland.

(Walt Disney Co.)

Some early Harper Goff designs for what would become Disneyland.

(Walt Disney Co.)

Early Disneyland concept art from Harper Goff

(Walt Disney Co.)

These, says Merritt, are a selection 1951 drawings from Harper Goff. The work is exploratory, in that it could have been envisioned for multiple parts of the park. While Goff’s impact on Frontierland is well documented — and Hahn notes, perhaps, an influence from Knott’s Berry Farm’s Ghost Town in these images — it’s also believed some of these designs were kicked around as a potential Main Street, U.S.A., concept.

Main Street, says Hahn, is often noted as being largely influenced by Disney’s time as a child in Marceline, Mo. While that isn’t really doubted these days among Disney’s fan base, Hahn says that theory wasn’t arrived upon immediately. He notes that some of Goff’s early concept work has a slight Victorian bent, which Goff drew from both “Lady and the Tramp” and his own childhood.

“It’s really the childhood of nobody,” Hahn says of Main Street. “It’s an idealized America. Goff grew up in Colorado, and a lot of these are his Victorian memories of his Colorado hometown. These are set designers who were bringing their movie chops to Disneyland.”

Welcome to the park’s destination: Anaheim

A pivotal early Disneyland map drawn by Marvin Davis.

(Walt Disney Co. )

Merritt and Hahn believe this third early schematic of Disneyland from Davis — the drawing is undated — is perhaps the first to envision Anaheim as the park’s destination. The image needs only to be rotated and one can see many of the pieces that would comprise the park — a Main Street, a central hub and, for the first time since Goff’s drawings of the Burbank park, a train that encircles the grounds.

Zoom in, and one will see there’s a large “emporium” to greet guests — and shoppers — on Main Street, U.S.A., as well as a castle-like moat to mark the entrance to Fantasyland. Still present are TV production spaces at the front of the park, and the map lists a host of attractions, including a horse-drawn carriage, train rides and boat rides.

Maps begin to show the Disneyland attractions we know today

A fall 1953 map of Disneyland from Marvin Davis.

(Walt Disney Co.)

A September 1953 map of Disneyland from Marvin Davis.

(Walt Disney Co.)

A September 1953 map of Disneyland from Marvin Davis.

(Walt Disney Co.)

These three Davis maps are from September 1953, made just days apart. The bottom drawing is a bit more simplified, as it was designed to be shown to TV networks and financiers. One can see a ride inspired by Disney’s “True-Life Adventures” on the right side of the park. This would ultimately become the Jungle Cruise and be flipped to the left side of the park.

All three maps, however, were instrumental in the final design of Disneyland, envisioning Anaheim as the ultimate destination. Of note in the middle image is a Recreation Land, home to a ball field, a mini-golf course and a bandstand. At this time, Disneyland was still envisioned as housing a circus, a concept that was explored in the actual park after opening but soon discarded. Yet Fantasyland, a Land of Tomorrow, Frontierland and what would become Adventureland are all present.

Fantasyland is home in these drawings to attractions themed to “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Peter Pan,” “Alice in Wonderland,” Pinocchio” (denoted as Pleasure Island) and “Fantasia.” Also present is what would become Autopia, signifying that Disneyland in late 1953 had many of its early attractions solidified. Still, many, such as a Mother Goose area, would pop-up and then disappear from the maps.

Says Merritt, “You’re going to want to get your magnifying glass to look at some of this stuff.”

M&S has issued a major cyber attack update revealing that customers information has been stolen.

The retail chain is still scrambling to keep stores running as the fallout continues.

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In a statement posted on Instagram, M&S said: “As we continue to manage the current cyber incident, we have written to customers today to let them know that unfortunately, some personal customer information has been taken.

“Importantly, there is no evidence that the information has been shared and it does not include useable card or payment details, or account passwords, so there is no need for customers to take any action.

“To give customers extra peace of mind, they will be prompted to reset their password the next time they visit or log on to their M&S account and we have shared information on how to stay safe online.

“Everyone at M&S is working around the clock to get things back to normal for our customers as quickly as possible, and we are very sorry for any inconvenience they have experienced. Our stores remain open as they have throughout.

“Thank you for shopping with us and for your continued support, we are incredibly grateful.”

ENGLAND’S Phil Foden says he shuns the nightlife to relax with board games and nature.

The Manchester City ace, 24, relishes home life at his country mansion and fishing lake.

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He said: “I love sitting in my garden and looking at all the wildlife.”

Winding down allows him to go fishing with son Ronnie, six.

He said: “I started with my dad, so it’s nice to pass it on.”

And Phil’s private chef cooks for fiancée Rebecca Cooke, mum to their three kids.

Friends join them some evenings.

The midfielder added: “We love to play Ludo and board games.

“I like to chill and relax really.”

He said the family enjoy zoo trips and hiring bouncy castles.

Instead of a footballer off-season trip to Marbella or Ibiza, Phil will be in France “where the fish are a little bigger”.

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Rylan Clark will appear in a Eurovision Song Contest themed episode of Doctor Who on the weekend ahead of the BBC airing the grand final of this year’s actual contest

Presenter Rylan Clark has spoken about keeping his role on Doctor Who a secret. It comes ahead of him appearing as the host of a fictional version of the Eurovision Song Contest out in space in an episode of the BBC show.

The Interstellar Song Contest episode will air on Saturday, ahead of the final of this year’s Eurovision, which is taking place in Basel, Switzerland, later that night. The news of his involvement was announced two months ago but Rylan, 36 – who previously said he was left in tears after being offered the role – has revealed that he tried to keep it a secret for a year.

Speaking to PA news agency, Rylan said: “It was so hard to keep the secret, and I’ve been sat on it for a year.” He’s shared that he managed to only disclose the news to some “key” individuals. He said ahead of the episode airing this weekend: “I told a few key people who had to know but we’ve really kept it super private.”

Speaking about his role, Rylan revealed that he plays himself but added elements of the Hunger Games character Caesar Flickerman, who was played by Stanley Tucci in the film series. That character, who’s considered an eccentric presenter, interviews the tributes and commentates on the Hunger Games, which see children fight to the death in an arena. Rylan said: “I played myself but also added a bit of Caesar from the Hunger Games for good measure.”

Teasing an unbelievable experience for fans, Rylan said the episode is “out of this world” with several twists, while still paying homage to the real-life song contest that it imitates. He hinted: “People can expect to see everything they love about Doctor Who. Also, from working on actual Eurovision itself, there were so many similarities – the attention to detail was amazing.” He added: “Expect the unexpected – it’s probably the most twisty one of the whole season.”

Ncuti Gatwa, 32, who rose to fame on Netflix‘s Sex Education, plays the Doctor in the latest season of Doctor Who. The actor is joined by co-star Varada Sethu, 33, as companion Belinda Chandra in the new season, which is currently airing.

Writer Juno Dawson, 43, has recalled being approached by the show’s producer Russell T Davies, 62, for the episode. She said: “In 2022, Russell asked how I would feel about doing Die Hard meets Eurovision. I couldn’t turn that down.

“Russell initially pitched the bare bones concept of Eurovision meets Die Hard, which were two things I knew really well. Then, I went away and pitched a plot, and it hasn’t really changed all that much.

“Obviously, there was a lot of discussion between myself, the producers and Russell. But it’s still those two things. What would happen if an enemy faction planned an attack on the Eurovision Song Contest in space?”

Juno, whose books include This Book Is Gay and Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, described the upcoming episode as reminiscent of a “disaster movie”, but with the quintessential campiness Eurovision is celebrated for. She said of the episode: “It’s like a disaster movie. I think people are certainly going to expect it to be … let’s just say camp. I mean of course it is, it’s the Interstellar Song Contest. But also, it’s action-packed. It doesn’t let up for a second. It’s a really high-octane episode.

“But also, it’s action-packed. It doesn’t let up for a second. It’s a really high-octane episode. In places it’s quite harrowing. I think the best science fiction and fantasy should always have something to say about the world. While being an absolute romp on a space station, these are characters caught in an extraordinary situation that I hope people will feel on an emotional level as well.”

The episode will air ahead of group Remember Monday representing the UK at this year’s Eurovision with their song What The Hell Just Happened? Rylan will present live commentary of the final for BBC Radio 2 with Scott Mills, 52. The pair will also host coverage of the prior semi-finals tomorrow and Thursday on BBC One.

Doctor Who continues 7.10pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday night. It will be followed by the Eurovision Song Contest final at 8pm that night. The semi-finals will air tomorrow and Thursday from 8pm.

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